Thomas & Friends:Songs from the Stati

Starring:Thomas the Tank Engine
Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The lurid scenario--a nymphomaniacal white trash nymphet (Christina Ricci) is held prisoner by a bitter bluesman (Samuel L. Jackson)--gives way to an affecting tale of redemption in Black Snake Moan, writer/director Craig Brewer's follow-up to the acclaimed Hustle & Flow. Lazarus (Jackson, Jungle Fever, Pulp Fiction) finds Rae (Ricci, Monster, The Ice Storm) beaten unconscious on the road in front of his backwoods house. After bringing her inside, he learns of her wanton ways and decides to exorcise his own demons by curing Rae of her sexual compulsion. Black Snake Moan could have been terrible, but Brewer takes his story seriously enough to dig into the genuine emotions of such a situation (though along the way he certainly flirts with sexploitation overtones--several scenes look like they were plucked straight out of a hitherto unknown 1970s trash classic). Ricci, Jackson, and the supporting cast (including pop star Justin Timberlake, giving a surprisingly good performance as Rae's boyfriend) treat the characters with respect, honesty, and humor. The result is off-kilter and maybe a little too fond of its sleazy cinematic forbears to truly hit the emotional notes it's after, but Black Snake Moan has considerably more substance than its marketing would suggest. --Bret Fetzer

Beyond Black Snake Moan

The Soundtrack
More Music Stars on DVD
More DVDs with Samuel L. Jackson

Stills from Black Snake Moan (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

justin sucks.......2007-07-08

If you want to watch this movie simply becuase J.T. is in it, you're making a big mistake. He has a maybe 20 minutes of screen time 15 of which he is crying. he is simply a pretty boy in a tough guy role and I didnt believe his performance for one minuete.

As moving as watching a snake shed its skin.......2007-07-07

Let me say up front that I love Samuel L. Jackson's movies as well as Christina Ricci's. However, this is not one of them. Black Snake Moan had potential, but the film seemed content only to slither toward the tall grass of absurdity.

First, Black Snake Moan failed to deliver the goods due to cartoonish characterizations, particularly Ricci's over-the-top portrayal of a nymphomaniac. Second, the obvious mismatch of social, cultural and historical realities in this film was just too distracting for Black Snake Moan to be taken seriously.

Third, although Jackson did his best to sing the Blues, he just doesn't have what it takes. This wannabe Blues film would have been much imporved if Jackson's singing was dubbed over with the Bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart's voice. After all, Hart was already contributing to the film, anyway. Last, Son House was shown in two short film clips imparting earthy wisdom, but sadly not a bar of his powerful, soulful voice resonated in this psuedo Bluesy film. What a gaffe.

Chains of Redemption.......2007-07-06

This had to be a marketing nightmare for the execs at Paramount. The image most people had that I spoke to at the time of it's release was that this was a film about a black man who chains a white girl to his radiator. Lurid bondage images ensue. I can imagine this tag would repel black audiences as well as white. Though I've been a fan of both Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci for years my wife refused to see the movie with me when it was in theatres. Paramount doesn't help it's cause by reinforcing this image in it's cover art. This will probably turn out to be one of the best films of the year. Let's put things in context. Lazarus (Jackson) is experiencing a personal crisis because his wife recently left him for his brother. Rae (Ricci) is a young woman with deep psychological wounds whose G.I. boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) is shipping off. Lazarus salves his sadness with booze. Rae also engages in self destructive behavior not the least wanton promiscuity. After a night of loose behavior with a bunch of rowdies Rae is picked up by Ronnie's best friend and subsequently beaten and left for dead on Lazarus' farm. Upon finding a semi-conscious Rae, Lazarus attempts to nurse her back to health. Lazarus, a god fearing man, subsequently finds out about Rae's reputation and in a drunken fever chains Rae to his radiator. It is Lazarus' feeble attempt to reform Rae. Not to give anything away Lazarus' eventually has an epiphany and realizes you cannot enforce morality but you can set an example. It is then that the true bond between Lazarus and Rae grows. There is a real love between the two and they have a redemptive influence on each other. In other words they heal each other's wounds. The film also emphasizes the healing influence of the polar opposites, religion and music, mainly the blues. You won't find a more beautiful scene than the one where Rae sings "Let it Shine" at the knee of Lazarus as he strums his guitar. "Black Snake Moan" is one of the more daring and provocative films in years. Though it's rough going at times there is a morality at it's center. Credit director Craig Brewer for tackling challenging material and making it work. Jackson, who I always admired for taking ambitious roles, may have given the performance of his career. This isn't hyperbole. You have to see it to believe it. Ricci is just as good here. Timberlake also gives a sympathetic turn here as the anxiety-ridden Ronnie. "Black Snake Moan" is a film that should not be forgotten.

Oh, Grow Up..........2007-07-04

It's like a bright 12th-grader, having read a little Welty, O'Connor and Faulkner, somehow snagged a budget for a Hollywood film. The images are all there, but there's no feeling for what they really mean, so it's all surfaces, explicaton and cliches. We get Nobody Grows Them Butterbeans Like Ol' Lazarus, Who Don't Play Them Blues No More, and a gaggle of characters wanting to seem deeper than they really are.

Just for starters, Samuel L. Jackson is a foot taller than Christina Ricci. One of his button-down shirts would cover her up, but that doesn't happen for more than an hour, because this is a film, landscapes only go so far, and there needs to be some eye candy to set against all that preachin' and standin' around. Okay, fine, it's a fable--I mean, after all, that chain is over the top, and it would never, ever happen that way--but then in the extras, Craig Brewer, the writer/director, asserts that the radiator is a metaphor for basic values that ground us.

Um, no. Mixing fable with dirty realism isn't new, but it doesn't work here, because Brewer hops lazily between the two genres rather than fusing them together. Brewer might have wanted more, but to the viewer, the radiator is just the radiator, and for all the staging, the attempt at a story of love and redemption really doesn't lift beyond a fairly creepy madonna/whore redemption fantasy. For better examples of what Brewer was trying to do, take another look at two Jim Mangold films: Walk The Line, which merged fable and biopic, and Heavy, which essentially takes Black Snake Moan north to New York state, and packs a bigger punch.

Lots of aspirations in Black Snake Moan, some good acting, and very good cinematography, but immature writing kills the film.

"I aim to cure you of your wickedness".......2007-07-04

Read it an weep, and with that one line of absolution spoken by Sam Jackson, Black Snake Moan takes you on a journey of faith, salvation, redemption and forgiveness of the two main characters Lazarus and Rea, two people who have suffered and endured hard times throughout their lives. Lazarus is trying to come to terms with his wife of 12 years leaving him for his younger brother. Rea is a woman who has suffered unmentionable sexual abuse since her childhood and therefore acts out the part for others to prey upon her. One night after a night of hard, careless partying she is beaten and left for dead on the road near Lazarus's house. Not knowing what to do but help her, Lazarus takes it upon himself to bring Rea back to health, only to discover that she has far deeper scars and problems than the physical ones left on her face. He is then determined to make her well, and through his faith,and belief that "God saw fit to have us cross paths" he does so the only way he knows how. The two ultimately develop a friendship under unusual circumstances, and through music which Lazarus has sworn off for so long, the two heal one another while unknowingly shedding their demons. The cords struck by Sam Jackson playing "Black Snake Moan" will resonate through you and send chills down your spine, which also turns out to be the turning point between the two characters in the film. This was a fantastic film I thoroughly enjoyed with Sam Jackson and Christina Ricci. My only disappointment was that Justin Timberlake was cast in this film, but fortunately with his roughly 10 minutes of screen time I can tolerate it. The soundtrack is phenomenal, and if you are as big a blues fan as I am, both the soundtrack and DVD are well worth purchasing. Sam Jackson is one of those rare actors that his on screen presence demands your full attention.Truely a tallented actor, Jackson took it upon himself to learn how to play guitar for this very film.The music in this film tells as much about this story as the dialog does,almost as an additional character playing alongside everyone else.Ricci is another tallented actress with a bright future by taking roles that get her noticed while graduating out of the kiddie roles she is most remembered for.Black Snake Moan delivers superb acting both by Jackson and Ricci, a fantastic and originally written story with a soundtrack to carry it every step of the way. I highly recommend this film, seeing is believing.

Average customer rating:

Hilarious!
good movie
Sets the benchmark for Police Parody...
Comedy Genius - Good Production
greatest movie of all time

Reno 911! - Miami (Unrated Edition)
Starring: Kerri Kenney , Paul Rudd , Mary Birdsong , Niecy Nash , and Carlos Alazraqui
Director: Robert Ben Garant
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Reno 911! - The Complete Fourth Season (Uncensored)
Ghost Rider (Two-Disc Extended Cut)
Shooter (Widescreen Edition)
Black Snake Moan
Smokin' Aces (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000PISZ8Q
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Amazon.com

For Reno 911 fans who believe that Comedy Central's improv-driven mock-reality series could benefit from more unbleeped profanity, uncensored sex scenes, and nudity, the feature-length R-rated Miami will be just the ticket. Perhaps less a movie than it is a Very Special Episode, Miami transplants short-shorts-bedecked Lt. Dangle (Thomas Lennon) and company to Miami for the American Police Convention ("They invited everybody"). No sooner can you say "bio-terrorism" than the hotel is quarantined, and Wahoe County's hapless misfits, shut out when their credentials can't be found, must step in and save the city from "complete chaos." Complete chaos ensues. As with the series, Miami unfolds in a series of hit and miss bits. The funniest are those that hew closest to the Cops template, such as an early "814" call that does not, as the officers believe, decode as armed intruder, but actually involves a loose chicken, and an encounter with a taunting good ol' boy who, when faced with an alligator in a swimming pool, boldly goes where officers Jones (Cedric Yarbrough) and Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui) fear to tread.

Happily, as was not the case with Borat, no innocent or unsuspecting citizens were emotionally harmed during the making of this movie. All of the jokes and humiliations are at the Reno squad's expense. Miami benefits from some subtle (and not so subtle) stunt casting, including Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens) in a small but pivotal role as the deputy assistant mayor, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's hilarious, albeit short-lived cameo as a gung-ho bomb squad leader. It is a tribute to the crack ensemble that Reno's intimately etched characters do not need much of an introduction, and can be appreciated by those who have not seen the show. But longtime viewers are issued this warning that Miami crosses with even more impunity the thin blue line of good taste. A Rear Window homage in which we view each officer indulging in some alone time in their fleabag motel rooms may not be as bad as Borat's wrestling match, but really, there ought to be a law! --Donald Liebenson

Description

The story centers on a rag-tag team of Reno cops that are called in to save the day after a terrorist attack disrupts a national police convention in Miami Beach during spring break. They're not the best, but that's all we got. Based on the successful Comedy Central TV series.

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious!.......2007-07-07

If you love tuning in to the series for comic relief, the movie version will not disappoint you. I believe they could've kept rolling the cameras and made a hilarious three hour movie. I'd have certainly watched the entire thing. I can't get enough of these characters! This is a skit that shows our beloved misfits at their best. Miami never knew what hit them...

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

good movie.......2007-07-05

If your like me, and love the Reno 911 TV show, then this dvd is a must own. I found it to be very funny at times.

Sets the benchmark for Police Parody..........2007-07-03

With earlier reviews that have been posted, it's just not necessary for me to delve into specifics about the why I enjoyed this movie. If you enjoy dry, dark, and crude humour, this movie is for you.

Enough said.

Comedy Genius - Good Production.......2007-07-02

Whoever gives this movie less than a full 5 stars is a comedic idiot. Do you know how rare it is for a TV show of this variety to succeed at all in adapting their material to the big screen? Let alone do it with the cohesiveness and consistency that this movie pulls off? It is done in mini comedy vignettes, just like the TV show, and manages to stay hilarious for 99% of the movie. And I'm tough. This blows away any comedy in recent memory and even beats the readily compared super troopers by a long shot. A real long shot. In short, as long as you don't have a limited social filter when rating your enjoyment of movies, you really can't lose with this comedy.

greatest movie of all time.......2007-07-02

this movie is hilllarious, its not exactly like the show, but has some of the same elements, but they made it feel a little more like a movie on parts, the features on the unrated dvd are great, and its in widescreen and the theatrical is in fullscreen only, i was highly impressed with that

Average customer rating:

Incredible Film - Great Story
One of the worst movies of all time The Fouintain ...Spews
Love and Hate
I was utterly moved to laughter and cringing.
if nothingelse,its different

The Fountain (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Hugh Jackman , Rachel Weisz , Ellen Burstyn , Mark Margolis , and Stephen McHattie
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Pan's Labyrinth (New Line Two-Disc Platinum Series)
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)
Blood Diamond [HD DVD]
The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00005JPAR
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com

Science fiction and romance collide in The Fountain, the ambitious third feature from director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream), who labored for four years to complete this epic-sized love story that stretches across centuries and galaxies. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz (Aronofsky's real-life companion) play lovers in each of the film's three settings--16th century Europe and America (Jackman is a Spanish explorer searching for Incan magic), the present day (Jackman is a doctor attempting to cure his dying wife), and the 26th century (Jackman is a space traveler seeking a gateway to the afterlife)--who struggle mightily to stay united, only to lose each other time and again. Aronofsky may not have chosen the easiest presentation for audiences to absorb his theories on the lasting qualities of life and the transformative powers of death--the final sequence, in particular, with a bald Jackman floating through space in a bubble, harks back uncomfortably to "head movies" of the late '60s--but his leads have considerable chemistry (and look terrific to boot), which goes a long way towards securing viewers' hopes for a happy ending. Critical reception for The Fountain has been nothing short of bloodthirsty, with Cannes audiences booing, but there are elements to enjoy here, even if the premise throws one for a loop. Ellen Burstyn (who earned an Oscar nomination for Requiem) delivers a typically solid performance as Jackman's boss in the present day sequence, and special effects (most done without the benefit of CGI) are also impressive given the film's low budget (spurred by a mid-production shutdown after original stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett ankled the picture). And science-fiction fans whose tastes run towards the metaphysical (Asimov, Le Guin) will appreciate the attempt to present the genre in a serious light. -- Paul Gaita

Description

Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Past, present, future. Through time and space, one man embarks on a bold 1000-year odyssey to defeat humankind's most indomitable foe: Death. Hugh Jackman plays that man, devoted to one woman (Rachel Weisz) and determined to protect her from forces that threaten her existence. His quest leads him to a Tree of Life...and to an adventure into eternity. Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) directs, continuing his string of imaginative, involving filmmaking with a tale alive with ideas and filled with astonishing vistas. "Not many films can blow your mind and break your heart at the same time, but this one will" (Drew McWeeny, Ain't It Cool News).

Customer Reviews:

Incredible Film - Great Story.......2007-07-09

I almost didn't rent this film because of the poor ratings. That would have been a big mistake because I found this film to be a powerful, emotional story full of symbolism. Unlike the other reviewers, I did not find it that complex if you understood the symbolism in the story and felt that it was very well put together and had great images. With so much trash out there where the major movie houses just keep repeating the same themes / ideas / movies over and over, it is wonderfully refreshing to have thought provoking and unique films such as The Fountain to foster and support creativity in ideas and presentation. This film is well worth $0.99 to rent, but it is an emotional film so if you are in the mood for a comedy or mindless action film you should probably look elsewhere... Enjoy! I did!

One of the worst movies of all time The Fouintain ...Spews.......2007-07-08

the title says it all. Save your money, don't rent this. Even for $.99 it was a wasre of money. Despite the 1hr 37 minutes of lousy movie does't really seem like it is that long because the same lousy clips are shown over and over again just to reinforce the agony of watching this film.

Love and Hate.......2007-07-08

Darren Aronofsy's made a great love story! The visuals were beautiful, and it was full of emotion. But you really had to think hard to try to follow what was happening in the film. Granted the story was easy, but the fantasy sequences needed to be explained a little bit better. He didn't quit explain clearly if Hugh Jackman's character was really in the future or had he really been in the past. At one point I thought he was just tripping on something! I love fantasy, but I also love movies that flow and this had a few bumps in the road.

I was utterly moved to laughter and cringing........2007-07-08

I'd like to propose renaming this movie "The Spew" and re-releasing it to theaters for Easter 2008. The New Age crowd, Kabbalah lovers, and nominal Christian folk will eat this up after it is repackaged.

I'd love to give this movie 1/2 star or none at all. Another reviewer here predicted that some would find it a "pretentious hodge-podge of romantic/spiritual sci-fi". Those words just about cover my feelings toward this movie. It's an abomination of pagan spirituality and quasi-Christian religion wrapped up in a corn tortilla with putrid cheese. I paid 99 cents to rent this movie via Unbox. I consider it a colossal waste of a dollar and 96 minutes.

if nothingelse,its different.......2007-07-07

ok,1st hes (h jackman) a captain battling mayan indians in the 1600's.then he gets killed.then hes some bald yoga dude in a bubble in outer space getting his freak on with a tree.then hes in present day america as a veterinarian working on a cancer killing cure.hes working hard because time is running out on his wife ( r wiesz).she is an author whos dying of brain cancer.

her last request is that her husband (i wasnt too interested in this so thier charactors names escapes me) finishes her book.this is where all of the time flipping comes in.in the book,she writes of a such situation where the secret of eternal life lies in sacred place.

theres alot of crying going on in the meantime.....he cries,she cries,they both cry,she dies,he cries some more.the monkey is just glasd to get screen time.

yes,its original and beautifully filmed.its downfall,to me at least,is aronofskys ''message'' is whatever we want it to be.i disagree that a movie cant tell its audience what its about or make message less objective.while its not a terrible movie,its one i wont be watching again or buying.

Beauty and the Beast - The Second Season

Average customer rating:

Remake this show
You give Love a Good Name
Of romance, adventure and love eternal
Special features please!
There are simply not enough stars in all the universe.

Beauty and the Beast - The Second Season
Starring: Roy Dotrice , Jay Acovone , Ren Woods , Jason Allen , and Cory Danziger
Director: Beth Hillshafer , Victor Lobl , Gabrielle Beaumont , Alan Cooke , and Daniel Attias
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Beauty and the Beast - The Complete First Season
Beauty & the Beast
The Magnificent Seven - The Complete Second Season
The Dead Zone - The Complete Fifth Season
Babylon 5 - The Lost Tales

ASIN: B000OONQ9Y
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Amazon.com

Though set in the late-1980s, Beauty and the Beast plays like something from another era. There's no irony, cynicism, or hip quips to break the spell of the fantasy (though a little humor would've been nice). Catherine (Linda Hamilton) loves the beastly, if beneficent Vincent (Ron Perlman) with all her heart--and vice versa. Together, they're TV's most soft-hearted crime fighters. To the show's credit, however, they aren't infallible, and there are a few problems they're unable to solve, whether the issue is drug addiction ("Chamber Music"), infectious disease ("Ashes, Ashes" with Highlander's Adrian Paul), or murder ("The Hollow Men").

In retrospect, it's clear that Beauty and the Beast was a reaction to the "greed is good" era. Vincent and his cave-dwelling compatriots represent a more compassionate alternative to "topsider" corruption. Yet all is not harmonious below either. Seriously injured the previous year, Paracelsus (Tony Jay) becomes a Phantom of the Opera-type figure, who aims to destroy Vincent's candle-lit utopia. In addition, a less civilized group of outcasts arrives in "The Outsiders." Fortunately, Vincent has Father (Roy Dotrice), Mary (Ellen Geer), Mouse (David Greenlee), and Pascal (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Armin Shimerman) on his side.

Unfortunately, they won't be able to prevent the tragedy that occurs in "The Rest Is Silence." Suffice to say, the season finale sets the scene for a new direction (more is revealed in the third-season opener). Consequently, Beauty and the Beast was canceled the following year, but still managed to rack up 18 Emmy nominations (winning six), spawning a soundtrack, and even inspiring some Saturday Night Live spoofing--a sure sign it had struck a chord. While the first season was devoid of extras, Perlman and Hamilton introduce six key episodes on this set. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

The Beauty and the Beast TV show was a fantasy series about a man-beast (Vincent) and his love for a beautiful assistant district attorney (Catherine Chandler). Vincent lived in an underground world beneath New York City where his gruesome looks were less important to his peers than were his caring and benevolent personality. Together, Vincent and Catherine had many adventures both above and below ground level and their love for each other continued to grow.

Customer Reviews:

Remake this show.......2007-07-02

I think they should try to Remake this show because this time of year.. many people like romance and fiary tales! I would watch it!

You give Love a Good Name.......2007-07-01

Starring Jon Bon Jovi and Sarah Connor as the crimefighting brother and sister with identical facial features and wildly differing blonde manes, this tender re-enactment of Cocteau's seminal black and white gothic masterpiece of 14th century cinema still possesses the power to heal little blind orphans, nearly two decades after its original regurgitation.

Season 2 continues where Season 1 left off, and continues the story until the Season Finale, where it ends. Until Season 3.

One thing i still don't understand. If Bon Jovi lives in a sewer, and Sarah Connor is a lawyer, at what point in human history do the Machines twig that the conception of John Connor could have been easily prevented by the wanton destruction of every copy of the OST to "Young Guns II - Blaze of Glory"?

All will be revealed in the Season 3 Finale. I hope.

Of romance, adventure and love eternal.......2007-05-19

This is one of the best TV series ever! It has all the ingredients that make a classic - well-plotted storylines, a cast of interesting characters, and above all, an otherworldly romance between the gentle, noble Vincent, and the luminously beautiful Catherine. In each scene where they come together, you cannot help but be mesmerised by the tremendous depth of emotion and feeling that is seen on their faces, their body language, and their dialogue. These two share an on-screen chemistry that is quite rare even till today. Linda Hamilton plays her role with a measure of beauty, courage and conviction that is utterly convincing. Ron Perlman's Vincent is the gentle beast, who is kind and loving to his friends and the needy and brutally vicious to the scum of society. His love for Catherine is so poetic, yet even when these two yearning souls are exchanging romantic dialogue or reading from books under the moonlight, they appear convincing and their love for each other rings true. I know I'm gushing here but it is this compelling love story that makes the show what it is, and although each episode has its share of thrills, it is Vincent's & Catherine's unerring love for each other that compels us to view the show. I can't wait for the DVD release.

Special features please!.......2007-05-04

I love beauty and the beast. Hopefully the second season will include at least some special features. I'm sure any fan would faint if there were any episode commentaries from Linda Hamilton and Ron Pearlman. I know I probably would. Also what happened to the lost love letters that were included on the VHS versions. Hopefully we'll be able to see them on a future release.

There are simply not enough stars in all the universe........2007-04-06

It stands to reason that, since you are reading this in the Season Two section, you are already well aware of the epic majesty and absolute Love that are Vincent and Catherine. Words are beyond insufficient in describing this series for those who remain mournfully ignorant, but if it will intrigue new viewers, it is definitely worth the effort.

In short, "Beauty and the Beast" is Poetry in sight, sound and emotion. This is the one series that will forever be known as the impossibly beautiful, heart-wrenching, and all-consuming dream that changed everyone who understood its message. I truly pity those who refused to do so, even if it was in part due to them that such a brilliant masterpiece was cancelled so quickly.

Now to the topic at hand: Season Two, the most beloved of many a fan. Personally, I disagree. Every single episode captured my imagination and left me aching for more, even in the most violent and tragic moments. I simply love them all, so much so that I own a boot-leg "all season" set (rest assured that I have bought the official versions and will continue to do so). However, I will admit to having something very close to a "favorite," and it happens to reside in this season, so... take from that what you will.

"Brothers," in my opinion, encapsulates the very spirit of a very difficult to define series, and it has dear Charles. When he and Vincent talk about the misleading effects of appearances, giving Charles the courage to remove his bag-like mask... I literally wept from sheer joy. While it is true that the man will never be an Adonis by "normal" standards because of the disfigurement from his disease, he could power an entire hemisphere indefinitely with that smile. Seeing him come to terms with his differences, with the support of his newfound friends, and gain the courage to face the World Above for the sake of his eternally restless "brother" Devon left me deeply moved. Such is the incandescence of all Vincent, Catherine, and their world have been trying to share with us for the last two decades. I can only pray that more will listen in time.

Like the rest of the hopelessly addicted followers, I eagerly await this release, when I might add the in-store version to my Amazon pre-order as I have with Season One. Will the extremely controversial Season Three have the same luck? I sincerely hope so.

Reno 911! - The Complete Fourth Season (Uncensored)

Average customer rating:

Still painfully funny
Another Great Season!
reno sd

Reno 911! - The Complete Fourth Season (Uncensored)
Director: Michael Patrick Jann , Brad Abrams , Thomas Lennon (III) , and Ben Garant
Manufacturer: Comedy Central
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Reno 911! - Miami (Unrated Edition)
Reno 911 - The Complete Third Season (Uncensored)
Reno 911 - The Complete Second Season (Uncensored)
Reno 911 - The Complete First Season
Reno 911! - Reno's Most Wanted (Uncensored)

ASIN: B000P5FH5S
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

The beat goes on for Reno 911 with a season that is definitely "off the chain" (to quote one of the officers' curious turns of phrase). Season 4 brings us such developments as Det. Wiegel's unexpected and somewhat disturbing pregnancy, the suspicious demise of the Reno County sheriff ("Avenge my death," he croaks as he's being loaded into the ambulance), and the passage of Proposition C, which may (or may not) result in a pay raise for Wahoe County's self-described "(effed)-up family" of "mostly cordial coworkers." While not at all a bust, the fourth season is more scattershot than previous seasons. Some of the recurring signature set pieces (the traffic stops, the school appearances) are getting stale, but for anyone who has suffered through amateurish local TV commercials, the "Police Tek" product spots are devastatingly spot-on (and, as in the case of the infrared-controlled "Rape Shield" undergarments, all kinds of wrong). There is much "mean-spirited mirth" this season, aimed mostly at mother-to-be Wiegel (Kerri Kenney-Silver), who ends the season going into labor while stuck in a ceremonial cake. Questions about the sexual orientation of Cherisa "I am not a lesbian" Kimball (Mary Birdsong) and Jim "You know what I like" Dangle (Thomas Lennon) are asked, and, in one case, answered in the jaw-dropping cliffhanger season finale.

Every episode serves up at least one inspired bit of cop-show craziness. At one point, Kimball tries to arrest a street magician who keeps breaking free of his restraints. In another scene, Dangle patronizingly frees an adorable Little Leaguer brought into the station only to discover the true, horrible nature of his crime. Guest stars this season include Knocked Up's Paul Rudd as Lamaze instructor Guy Jericho (spelled "Gerricault"), Patton Oswalt as the local Renaissance Faire's Boozehammer of Galen, Oscar Nunez (The Office) as the charming and elusive prisoner "Spanish Mike," and Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens as Rick of Citizen's Patrol. Always good for a laugh is Nick Swardson as citizen and "attention whore" Terry. Packback, as ever, eludes Dangle and company (as witness their brutal smackdown at the hands of some "Hotties" waitresses, but their misery makes them great company. They may be beyond (or beneath) Emmy consideration, but they are surely worthy of a (Police) Academy award. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description

The brave men and women of the Washoe County Sheriff's Department give you the 411 on the thin khaki line that keeps Reno, Nevada on the straight and narrow. Led by Lt. Jim Dangle, the officers of Reno 911! will teach you all you need to know about law enforcement and the nitty-gritty lives of a group of cops who won't hesitate to beat you with your own shoe.

Customer Reviews:

Still painfully funny.......2007-07-07

It's true, the fourth season of Reno 911! doesn't stir up the same kind of laugh riot that the first three seasons inspired, but that's not saying that there are plenty of painfully funny moments packed in this DVD season set. Foremost this season is the mysterious pregnancy of Weigel (Kerry Kinney-Silver) which ends in quite a bit of a shocker to boot. Other than that main plot point, the insanity engaged by Reno, Nevada's incredibly inept police force is nothing we haven't seen before from the series, but it still manages to provide some hearty laughs thanks to the always wonderful ensemble cast. Thomas Lennon (Lieutenant Dangle), Robert Ben Garant (Junior), and Kerry Kinney-Silver are the ones mostly responsible for the fun of Reno 911!, even though at some spots (like the Amazon review states) some of the skits are starting to grow stale. That aside, there's a horde of guest stars ranging from the great Paul Rudd to Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens, which makes this season all the sweeter. All in all, the fourth season of Reno 911! is still painfully funny, and still remains the best and most entertaining show involving cops to be found on television today.

Another Great Season!.......2007-07-05

I'm a HUGE fan of reno 911, and the newest season didn't disapoint me. This is yet another great season of the show. You can't beat the price either, only $20 at Wal-Mart, I was Suprised, I figured it would of been $25-$30. Looking forward to future releases. Long live RENO 911!

reno sd.......2007-07-02

season 4 is a great season, paul rudd is in a few of the episodes as a lamase teacher he does a great job, pretty much all the episodes are 5 stars, the features on the dvd arent that great, it would bet better if every season was like the season 2 dvd that came with three discs and better features, but there is profiles for all the officers that are about 4 - 5 minutes each, which are really funny and a good way to learn more about each reno member, and there are a few commentarys which are always great, im stil a little bitter than they havent put this show in widescreen yet, i hope they do, the reno miami unrated looked awesome, so hopefully they take a hint from that and make the show in wide, buy the dvd if you like the show, its a good buy, you can probably get it for somwhere around 17 bux if you look around

Roughnecks - The Starship Troopers Chronicles - The Complete Campaigns

Average customer rating:

Only lost one star since the series NEVER ENDED - they stopped 2 episodes short and quit making them
Awful animation, poor physics shouldnt be allowed!
Great
quickfas's review
Roughnecks Rocks

Roughnecks - The Starship Troopers Chronicles - The Complete Campaigns
Starring: Nicholas Guest , Clancy Brown , Tish Hicks , Thomas Wagner , and Irene Bedard
Director: Andre Clavel (III) , Sean Song , David Hartman (III) , Alan Caldwell , and Jay Oliva
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Space Above and Beyond - The Complete Series
Starship Troopers
Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.0 (Episodes 1-10)
Serenity (Widescreen Edition)
Firefly - The Complete Series

ASIN: B0009I8QI6
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Amazon.com

The Complete Campaigns is a four-disc compilation of the Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles series that was originally released on eight DVDs: The Pluto Campaign, The Hydora Campaign, The Tophet Campaign, The Tesca Campaign, The Zephyr Campaign, The Klendathu Campaign, Trackers (including the four bonus episodes), and The Homefront Campaign. While Paul Verhoeven's dark, satirical adaptation of Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers seriously strayed from the novel, this Verhoeven-produced TV series--part sequel, part remake, all CGI animated--hews closer to the spirit of the novel, a space-age twist on a World War II battle adventure. Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles is a series of military skirmishes and assignments on a variety of fronts, such as Bug City, water-dominated Hydora, the desert planet Tophet, the jungle planet Tesca, fiery Klendathu, and good old Earth.

The episodic nature works perfectly within this framework, and the mix of Marine grit ("No retreat, no surrender!"), military jargon, and understated melodrama give a feel somewhere between the steely seriousness of an old-fashioned war comic book and the spectacle and romance of a Japanese anime space opera. The CGI animation is less ambitious than in such feature films as Toy Story, but it's one of the most impressive examples of the animation made for TV. The detailed designs, rich textures, 3-D modeling, and awesome sense of scale (not to mention the pumped-up action and whiplash speed of the bug army) give it the look of an impossibly sophisticated video game, with the rat-a-tat editing and soaring camerawork of a Hollywood movie. The budgetary shortcuts are evident in moments of blurring and jerking, but overall it's startlingly effective. The PG-level violence may not be appropriate for younger viewers, but it's aimed at an older crowd and has won a loyal adult following.

The packaging is very convenient (a shelf-space-friendly four discs in Thinpaks), but unfortunately, serious Roughnecks fans will want to hold onto their old discs. Cramming the eight discs of content plus bonus episodes (granted, Trackers was a short disc) onto four single-sided discs apparently left no room for the producer/technical commentary tracks that accompanied most of the previous discs. The only bonus features are photo galleries and a fold-out illustration. --Sean Axmaker, David Horiuchi

Beyond Roughnecks at Amazon.com

Listmania: The Military in Space
More Films from Paul Verhoeven
The Book

Stills from Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

Only lost one star since the series NEVER ENDED - they stopped 2 episodes short and quit making them.......2007-07-04

I own this and frankly it is pretty good if you liked the starship troopers movie (first one primarily since it follows that line, not the second and pretty cool one in the fortress).

This is very well animated, and the HUGE and ONLY problem is that the series never finished - the plug was pulled TWO EPISODES SHORT OF THE END. The bugs get to earth and start attacking, then we find out that they are taking over people, and we just found a way to strike back and BAM job's done series over.

I would recommend renting - this is not the kind of series you will watch over and over, or buy and resell, but it is worth the watch and is very good overall.

Awful animation, poor physics shouldnt be allowed!.......2007-07-04

Like my title says, even when the technology was new, this looked god-awful. I'm a hardcore fan of the books as well as the movies, but this is just garbage. No extras, nothing. Plus you have to watch these guys and other objects bounce around, defying all physics. It looks worse than Captain Planet (the late animated crap)

Great.......2007-06-27

This is a great DVD box set. It has the whole season including some of the extra shows that were created when the series was taken off the air. If you liked the show you will love this collectible box set. Just be aware that if you buy the box set you will not get the extra behind the scenes footage found in the individual campings found on DVD. If you like me and just enjoy the show, this box set is one easy payment and is one nice box set!

quickfas's review.......2007-05-15

These are great animation movies I really enjoy them. The content about bugs this could be ture. what if the bugs was organied we would be out number.

Roughnecks Rocks.......2007-05-13

I really enjoyed this series. I like the humor and action. I couldn't stop watching it. I also like the stuff that you find out about the bugs and why Rico was assigned to instuctor Zim. I just really enjoyed this series, is one of the better animations shows i've seen.

Average customer rating:

Sweet, charming and sentimental, despite its familiarity...
"What happens if a car comes?" "We die."
Awesome
The Notebook
My favorite movie!

The Notebook (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Tim Ivey , Gena Rowlands , Starletta DuPois , James Garner , and Anthony-Michael Q. Thomas
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

The Notebook
A Walk to Remember
The Lake House (Widescreen Edition)
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Wedding Crashers - Unrated (Widescreen New Line Platinum Series)

ASIN: B000683VI4
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Amazon.com

When you consider that old-fashioned tearjerkers are an endangered species in Hollywood, a movie like The Notebook can be embraced without apology. Yes, it's syrupy sweet and clogged with clichés, and one can only marvel at the irony of Nick Cassavetes directing a weeper that his late father John--whose own films were devoid of saccharine sentiment--would have sneered at. Still, this touchingly impassioned and great-looking adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel has much to recommend, including appealing young costars (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) and appealing old costars (James Garner and Gena Rowlands, the director's mother) playing the same loving couple in (respectively) early 1940s and present-day North Carolina. He was poor, she was rich, and you can guess the rest; decades later, he's unabashedly devoted, and she's drifting into the memory-loss of senile dementia. How their love endured is the story preserved in the titular notebook that he reads to her in their twilight years. The movie's open to ridicule, but as a delicate tearjerker it works just fine. Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember were also based on Sparks novels, suggesting a triple-feature that hopeless romantics will cherish. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Behind every great love is a great story. Two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love during one summer together, but are tragically forced apart. When they reunite 7 years later, their passionate romance is rekindled, forcing one of them to choose between true love and class order.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:2 Commentaries --Director Nick Cassavettes --Novelist Nicholas Sparks
DVD ROM Features
Deleted Scenes:12 Deleted Scenes
Documentaries:Nick Cassavetes Profile Featurette Author Nicholas Sparks Featurette Locating "The Notebook" Featurette Casting Noah and Allie featurette
Other:Widescreen & Fullscreen versions on one disc Rachel McAdams Screen Test
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Sweet, charming and sentimental, despite its familiarity..........2007-07-06

I've always been a sucker for the sappy tear-jerkers. I don't know what more I can say in defense other than the fact that I like to be moved to tears. It's a good emotion and it's one that us men too often flee from rather than embrace. That said, as much as this film conventionally falls into genre typecasting and fails to really add too much to the same broken record of the `boy meets girl, boy loves girl, parents ruin everything' synopsis of almost every post-`Romeo&Juliet' romance film, it still has so much good in it that I'm forced to defend it's honor. For one thing it's one of the most beautifully shot films I've seen in a long time. Director Nick Cassavetes does a brilliant job in capturing the feel of the film, the subtle beauty within the environment that only illuminates the subtle beauty of the films stars.

The story may be regurgitated teen romance, but it's sweet to say the least. The poor boy, rich girl visa-versa concept is tired and worn by now, but it seems to be the catalyst for just about every romance film to date so we just have to get used to the idea that original ideas don't exist anymore. They do, they are just hard to come by. The film opens with Duke, played by James Garner, visiting Allie, played by Cassavetes mother Gena Rowland, in a nursing home. She's suffering from Alzheimer's and he comes to read to her. He reads her a story of young love that blossomed into so much more. It becomes apparent that this story is actually the story of how Duke, or Noah, met Allie, how they fell in love, drifted apart and then ultimately were drawn back together.

As Duke reads to Ally we meet their younger selves. Noah Calhoun, played by the electric Ryan Gosling, is a blue collar lumberyard worker who falls for the young, and very rich, Allie Hamilton, played by Rachel McAdams. The two get off to a rocky start but soon become inseparable. Noah proves to be an escape for Allie, an escape from the normal routine of having everything decided for her and never being allowed to decide for herself what's best. Allie lives under the strict thumb of her parents, namely her mother. After a falling out instigated by Allie's parents the two become separated for seven years, in the meantime Allie goes on to become engaged to another man and Noah goes on to purchase his dream home and restore it to the home he promised Allie. Shortly before her wedding Allie finds Noah's face in the paper and decides to see him one last time.

We all know how the story ends, at least for the younger couple. The ending for the older couple is not as dreamy but equally as moving. What really makes this movie work is the chemistry between the cast. Ryan Gosling is a brilliant actor, always has been, and here he is brooding with sex appeal and charm. Rachel McAdams is convincing as seventeen year old Allie, and while I'm not so convinced by her adult version she still does a fine job shuffling her onscreen accent and trying to stand out next to Gosling. James Garner is fantastic here and Gena Rowland is impressive. Surprisingly, as much as this could be labeled chick flick, it's the two male leads that bring the most to the table. Garner's breakdown scene towards the end of the film is heartbreakingly realistic, and Gosling devotes enough charm into his character to make him real and alive.

`The Notebook' may be just another in a long line of sappy teen romance films with the same or very close to the same premise, but it deserves some sort of recognition for sporting a deserving cast and a beautiful canvas for which they are exposed. The script is well written and based on a very well known and much loved Nicholas Sparks novel. My wife claims to prefer the film to the book, but she's never been too much of a reader. I can't say which is greater since I have not read the novel myself, but I can say with certainty that the film adaptation is splendidly entertaining and invested with enough charm and sentiment to make up for it's blatant unoriginality.

"What happens if a car comes?" "We die.".......2007-07-02

A must have! This is by far one of the best movies I've ever watched. After witnessing a few scenes from this movie I just had to go out and buy it and I don't regret it!

"The Notebook" breaks away from the typical kind of chick flick and adds a touch of humor. The movie adds more focus to the character's first Summer together, unlike the book which I found to be quite a snoozer. Also, the character's personalities seems more realistic and have more depth to them as you will discover during their heated arguements. Noah's personality is so dreamy and you can't help but fall in love with him over and over again.

I found many differences between the book and movie, but I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen either. :3 This movie definately allows you to take a step back and appreciate the relationship you have with your loved one.

Awesome.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie ! A wonderful story about soul mates, soul mates for life. It will bring tears of happiness and sadness. Definitely a feel good movie.

The Notebook.......2007-06-27

I rented this and decided it was one I could enjoy again and again
I figured the story right away which was good as it made it more enjoyable

My favorite movie!.......2007-06-22

I'm glad I finally got to buy this movie, it is one of my favorites. If you want to know what love could do to somebody and how powerful can be just watch this movie and you'll see what love is all about...

Just to let you know make sure you have a box of tissue handy, or maybe two haha!

Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

The American Way
2nd Film is better but this has its merits
BORING AND DEPRESSING
Too much bouncing around
Flags of Our Fathers (HD DVD) Review by Justin Sluss

Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ryan Phillippe , Jesse Bradford , Adam Beach , John Benjamin Hickey , and John Slattery
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Combat | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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ASIN: B000M4RG42
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com

Thematically ambitious and emotionally complex, Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers is an intimate epic with much to say about war and the nature of heroism in America. Based on the non-fiction bestseller by James Bradley (with Ron Powers), and adapted by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis (Jarhead screenwriter William Broyles Jr. wrote an earlier draft that was abandoned when Eastwood signed on to direct), this isn't so much a conventional war movie as it is a thought-provoking meditation on our collective need for heroes, even at the expense of those we deem heroic. In telling the story of the six men (five Marines, one Navy medic) who raised the American flag of victory on the battle-ravaged Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23rd, 1945, Eastwood takes us deep into the horror of war (in painstakingly authentic Iwo Jima battle scenes) while emphasizing how three of the surviving flag-raisers (played by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe, and Jesse Bradford) became reluctant celebrities - and resentful pawns in a wartime publicity campaign - after their flag-raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in the most famous photograph in military history.

As the surviving flag-raisers reluctantly play their public roles as "the heroes of Iwo Jima" during an exhausting (but clearly necessary) wartime bond rally tour, Flags of Our Fathers evolves into a pointed study of battlefield valor and misplaced idolatry, incorporating subtle comment on the bogus nature of celebrity, the trauma of battle, and the true meaning of heroism in wartime. Wisely avoiding any direct parallels to contemporary history, Eastwood allows us to draw our own conclusions about the Iwo Jima flag-raisers and how their postwar histories (both noble and tragic) simultaneously illustrate the hazards of exploited celebrity and society's genuine need for admirable role models during times of national crisis. Flags of Our Fathers defies the expectations of those seeking a more straightforward war-action drama, but it's richly satisfying, impeccably crafted film that manages to be genuinely patriotic (in celebrating the camaraderie of soldiers in battle) while dramatizing the ultimate futility of war. Eastwood's follow-up film, Letters from Iwo Jima, examines the Iwo Jima conflict from the Japanese perspective. --Jeff Shannon

Beyond Flags of Our Fathers

Other World War II DVDs
Essential DVDs by Director Clint Eastwood
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley

Stills from Flags of Our Fathers (click for larger image)

Product Description

From Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven) comes the World Was II epic Flags of Our Fathers, produced by Eastwood, Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List), and Rob Lorenz (Mystic River), and from a screenplay adapted by William Broyles, Jr. (Cast Away) and Oscar winner Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby, Crash).
February 1945. Even as victory in Europe was finally within reach, the war in the Pacific raged on. One of the most crucial and bloodiest battles of the war was the struggle for the island of Iwo Jima, which culminated with what would become one of the most iconic images in history: five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. The inspiring photo capturing that moment became a symbol of victory to a nation that had grown weary of war and made instant heroes of the six American soldiers at the base of the flag, some of whom would die soon after, never knowing that they had been immortalized. But the surviving flag raisers had no interest in being held up as symbols and did not consider themselves heroes; they wanted only to stay on the front with their brothers in arms who were fighting and dying without fanfare or glory.
Flags of Our Fathers is based on the bestselling book by James Bradley with Ron Powers, which chronicled the battle of Iwo Jima and the fates of the flag raisers and some of their brothers in Easy Company. Bradley's father, John "Doc" Bradley, was one of the soldiers pictured raising the flag, although James never knew the full extent of his father's experiences until after the elder Bradley's death in 1994.

Customer Reviews:

The American Way.......2007-07-05

This was a very thought-provoking piece. Extremely well played by actors previously unknown to me. The direction was spot on allowing the story to unfold with no histrionics. Gory - yes, but that's what war is. Well worth a second view. Oh yes the music was very fitting and poignant.

2nd Film is better but this has its merits.......2007-07-02

Though not as good as it's companion piece, Flags takes a unique perspective of WWII. War is depressing, tragic, and horrible. It may be something that we have to participate in because of circumstances, but I think the message is that it isn't a simple solution and the price is high. The film does suffer from lack of good characters which is surprising for an Eastwood film. I liked the battle scenes and thought they were well done. Overall Saving Ryan was better in some respects, but then it suffered from the contrivance of the German soldier killing the American soldier after he was let go. So yes the film is flawed but still worthwhile.

BORING AND DEPRESSING.......2007-07-01

I like war films like Saving Private Ryan and Pearl Harbor, but I found this film depressing, hopeless ("everything is a lie!") and downright boring. It seems interesting but after a while you just feel aweful about your own country and feel fooled. I love you Clint but you should have just changed directions of the film from the beginning

Too much bouncing around.......2007-06-30

I'm a little bit of a history buff and like to watch movies about different periods of history to learn a little bit. I was disappointed with this movie. Seemed like we were bouncing around a little too much and it was hard to track events and people. In the end, I felt the movie was more about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome than about Iwo Jima or the war.

I would probably pass on this one and watch something else, unless you are really curious about it.

Flags of Our Fathers (HD DVD) Review by Justin Sluss.......2007-06-21

The Movie Itself is one part of a pair of films done by legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood about the battle at Iwo Jima in World War II. "Flags of Our Fathers" is one of two films that Clint did about the battle from both side's perspectives. "Letters from Iwo Jima" (this movie's counter-part) tells the Japanese perspective. While this film tells the American perspective I guess you could say, it's primarily about a real life photo that can be found on the cover of this release. The picture is a very patriotic photograph that shows six soldiers raising the American flag after the battle at Iwo Jima. This picture starts a lot of media coverage and hype labeling the three surviving soldiers "war heroes." This film follows the lives during and after that battle of those three remaining soldiers, John "Doc" Bradley (played by Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (played by Jesse Bradford) and Ira Hayes (played by Adam Beach). I'd like to point out that this film is based on true events and the names of the soldiers are real. In fact the original book "Flags of Our Fathers" was written by James Bradley (son of John "Doc" Bradley). This film was also produced by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg.

These three soldiers are brought home labeled as "war heroes" as stated above and soon being used by the U.S. government to help sell war bonds to help the war effort. Which they do accomplish but at the same time there's a lot of demons inside these men that came from seeing such a horrific battle at Iwo Jima. This is especially true for both John Bradley and Ira Hayes who throughout the film have post-war stress induced flashbacks that really got to them on a really emotional level that they can't talk about with anyone or even come to terms with themselves. This movie is not one that glorifies war but instead one that shows the hell that comes with it. So if you're expecting to see a bunch of Japanese get slaughtered you might wanna look elsewhere and seek therapy. That's not what this movie is about. This movie and what it stands for can really be stated best by a quote by the real John "Doc" Bradley, "The real heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who didn't come back". I think after watching this film that Clint Eastwood made you'll have a better understanding for that quote.

Video Quality on this release is presented in 1080p VC-1 encoded on a 30gb HD DVD for the feature film. This film visually is up there with "Saving Private Ryan" in terms of amazing visual CG special effects and such. Even though war as it is portrayed in this film is a very ugly and disturbing thing to watch at times, this release in terms of video quality itself really does offer just an amazing transfer with great picture. The blacks are perfect, no artifacts or pixilation to be found in this video presentation. The cinematography style that this film as well as it's counter-part, "Letters from Iwo Jima" uses might lead some to think the contrast is off but it's just the visual style that Clint Eastwood was going for to show the time period in both films. This release is one of the best in terms of video quality yet from Paramount and I hope it's a sign of things to come.

Audio Quality on this release is the standard Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 @ 1.5Mbps. One thing most important to this sound mix is the fact it's a film about war, World War II at that. So it's kind of expected a movie like this have a great surround mix and I can honestly say it lives up to those expectations very much so. Dialog comes out in obviously the center and front channels as you'd expect in the less intense scenes of the film. When you're in the flashbacks of battle scenes of the film you really notice an awesome surround presence that will make you hear gunfire up close, distant or passing gunfire as well as mortar shells. The surround experience on this release is one that is sure to please any action film fan.

Bonus Materials are included on their very own extra HD DVD and are in High Definition. First off there's "An Introduction by Clint Eastwood" (5 minutes), then "Words on the Page" (17 minutes) which tells us a bit about the original book written by James Bradley. James is the son of John Bradley (played by Ryan Phillipe in the film). This feature offers interviews with James Bradley (again the book's original author) as well as the screenplay writers William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. Next is "Six Brave Men" (20 minutes) which tells the personal stories of each of the six real life soldiers in the photograph and offers interviews with the actors who portray them in this film. "The Making of an Epic" (30 minutes) is your typical making of documentary of a film. It includes interviews with everyone from the producer (Robert Lorenz), director of photography (Tom Stern), special effects coordinator, editor (Joel Cox), art director, costume designer and even the military technical adviser. "The Making of an Epic" is really by far the real highlight of the bonus materials for this film and looks amazing in High Def. "Raising the Flag" (3 minutes) is a short feature about reenacting the photograph that the film is primarily about in the film just as it was in real life. "Visual Effects" (15 minutes) is exactly what the name says, a feature on the visual ("CG") special effects used on this film. "Looking into the Past" (10 minutes) offers up a lot of old historical military video footage of the actual battle at Iwo Jima. History Channel fans will definitely love this while some of the more action film oriented crowd may want to skip this. The last feature included is the original Theatrical Trailer in High Def. This release definitely packs some great bonus materials on it's very own disc and is really impressive.

-- Review written by Justin Sluss of HighDefDiscNews.com

Average customer rating:

It's No Accident...
Must see
not quite as good as the book
As good as the book, uh, not really
Short and sweet

The Celestine Prophecy
Starring: Matthew Settle , Thomas Kretschmann , Sarah Wayne Callies , Annabeth Gish , and Hector Elizondo
Director: Armand Mastroianni
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Self-Help | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Secret (Extended Edition)
Conversations With God
What the Bleep!? - Down the Rabbit Hole (QUANTUM Three-Disc Special Edition)
Peaceful Warrior (Widescreen)
How to Know God

ASIN: B000JBWWQ0
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Amazon.com

The Celestine Prophecy is an action-adventure adaptation of the hit novel by James Redfield, a film that moves so swiftly it can be difficult at times to absorb the New Age philosophy tucked into Redfield's multiple, so-called Insights. Matthew Settle plays an American history teacher who travels to Peru to look into the discovery of an ancient manuscript that foretells the arrival of a new spirituality. The Peruvian government and Catholic church, threatened by something that might supplant traditional religion and mainstream values, harass and arrest the scientists and enlightened souls who discovered the manuscript. Our hero becomes involved in a dangerous effort to keep the document from official hands; along the way, he's introduced to the prophecy's major principles, which arouse his dormant spiritual abilities. Annabeth Gish, Hector Elizondo, and Jurgen Prochnow are a welcome presence in this light and sometimes confusing, if casually engaging work that requires repeat viewings to fully hear its interesting message. --Tom Keogh

More Celestine Prophecy on Amazon.com

Philosophy, Hollywood Style: Films for Fans of The Celestine Prophecy
The Making of The Celestine Prophecy
The Novels of James Redfield

Stills from The Celestine Prophecy (click for larger image)

Product Description

Based on James Redfield's worldwide best-selling novel, The Celestine Prophecy is a spiritual adventure film chronicling the discovery of ancient scrolls in the rainforests of Peru. The prophecy and its nine key insights predict a worldwide awakening, arising within all religious traditions, that moves humanity toward a deeper experience of spirituality.

Customer Reviews:

It's No Accident..........2007-06-23

It's no accident that the whole Celestine Adventure gets rolling for protagonist John Woodson after he receives news he's being laid off from his high school teaching position due to faculty budget cuts. Indeed, the primary premise of the Celestine Prophecy, both the book and the movie, is that we are all being called to "open up" to the Larger Reality of life, but to do this we first have to "let go" of our material preoccupations in order to experience the ultimate spiritual truth of existence.

It's also no accident that the film came out when it did, in 2006, and that in 2007 the American economy begins its terminal downtrend toward complete systemic collapse. Synchronicity you say? Well of course! We are now about to live the Insights from start to finish (or something quite similar) on a collective scale. But there isn't much time left. In fact, if you follow the Mayan Calendar, you know 2012 is the year when "time" runs out! All this simply confirms the film's main premise: that we aren't in control of our lives as we thought we were, but that Something else most assuredly is, and is moving us toward some kind of Divine Consummation in very short order, provided we stay awake and "in the flow" of things.

Think it's an accident that you came to this site and read this review? Think again! Better yet, go beyond thinking altogether and get the movie. It's no accident, I assure you..:-)

Must see.......2007-06-11

Must see for those interested in opening their awareness of what's really going on with and between people that would have us compete, rather than being close and working with each other for the good of all.

Puts what many are already trying to achieve on the planet in a relatively simple form to assist us to become more aware of the possibilities and gifts available for all.

Looking forward to the next in the series of James Redfield's Celestine visions.

not quite as good as the book.......2007-06-08

but very engaging and attention holding. I enjoyed it very much but I AM glad I read the book first. Helped a lot with understanding.

As good as the book, uh, not really.......2007-05-28

As far as how the product arrived, the shipping process etc, it was all good. As far as the product itself, has a lot of good actors for an underground kind of movie. Helped explain many concepts in the book and captured the essence of the Celestine Prophecy completely. Seeing auras portrayed so clearly comes off as a little unbelievable, though.

Short and sweet.......2007-05-28

Missed a lot of info from the book, But got the point in the movie. It was very well done, show all your friends, Can't wait till they make another movie on other parts of the book.

The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

Average customer rating:

A must have for any youngster's library
the lion king
A great Disney movie, for kids AND adults!
Excellent Family movie!!
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The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas , Matthew Broderick , James Earl Jones , Jeremy Irons , and Moira Kelly
Director: Rob Minkoff , and Roger Allers
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Fantasy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Beauty and the Beast (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
The Lion King 2 - Simba's Pride (2-Disc Special Edition)
The Little Mermaid (2-Disc Platinum Edition)

Accessories:

Lion King
The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Walt Disney Animated Anthology - The Classic Collector's Set

ASIN: B00003CXB4
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Amazon.com essential video

Not an ideal choice for younger kids, this hip and violent animated feature from Disney was nevertheless a huge smash in theaters and on video, and it continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed Broadway production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is sabotaged by a rivalrous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking, and the music is more palatable than in many Disney features. But be cautious: this is too intense for the Rugrat crowd. --Tom Keogh

How good-looking is the DVD restoration of Disney's popular animated film? Take a look at the serviceable but dull film clips incorporated in the plethora of extras and compare them to the vivid gorgeousness of the film presentation. This "special edition" also adds a 90-second song ("Morning Report") that originated in the lavish stage musical. To Disney's credit, the original theatrical version is also included, both restored and featuring two 5.1 soundtracks: Dolby Digital and a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, which does sound brighter. As with the Disney Platinum line, everything is thrown into the discs, except an outsider's voice (the rah-rahs of Disney grow tiresome at times). The excellent commentary from the directors and producer, originally on the laser disc, is hidden under the audio set-up menu.

The second disc is organized by 20-minute-ish "jou