Home Movie

Starring:Linda Beech, Frances Mooney, Diana Peden, Ed Peden, Darlene Satrinano, Ben Skora, Bill Tregle, Bob Walker (VII)
Studio: Merchant Ivory
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
In the tradition of Errol Morris's Fast, Cheap, & Out of Control, Chris Smith's documentary Home Movie offers several short portraits of real-life, far-out folks. This particular group of rule-breakers has in common the unusual dwellings they've chosen to call home. Meet the burly fellow with a Cajun accent living happily on a floating shack in Lousiana; the white-haired inventor in Illinois who's created a Jetsons-style electronic home; a Kansas couple who've turned a missile silo into a hippie haven; a California duo who give new meaning to the phrase Cat Fancy; and an aging cult film star who has retreated to a tree house in the jungles of Hawaii.

Smith's previous documentary, American Movie, succeeds because he takes his time introducing us to his subject. Over the course of that film the audience moves from laughing at the eccentricities of a lower-than-low-budget horror moviemaker to cheering him on. In Home Movie, however, the crowd of subjects--intriguing though it may be--is simply too large for us to grow terribly attached to any of them. Smith's fondness for each homeowner shines through, but we aren't given enough time to share his affection. It's as if just when we're getting to know our new neighbors they head back inside and close the door. --Brangien Davis
Description
Home Movie is Chris Smith's loving look at five extraordinary homes and the charming, bizarre people who inhabit them. Smith (American Movie) interweaves their stories in a way that makes the audience think about the meaning of home and the place of the individual in society. Smith delights in the eccentricities of these unique characters in much the same way that he did in American Movie, and connects their stories into a mosaic of American ingenuity and architectural possibility. Cajun Bill Tregle instructs us on the "do's and don'ts" of alligator upkeep from his bayou houseboat. Ben Skora's electronic home in suburban Chicago, where even the most mundane household items take on a life of their own. Bob Walker and Frances Mooney's cats are given the ultimate playground in America, a creation of rat effigies and cat freeways. Japanese cult actress Linda Beech takes us into her "tree house" nestled in the Hawaiian rain forest with water cascading around her. A missile silo near Topeka, Kansas becomes a New Age refuge for a very soft-spoken couple.

300 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Average customer rating:

NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER

A "brilliantly empty" film

Recommended

"This is NOT Sparta!"

Surprisingly good

300 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Gerard Butler , Lena Headey , David Wenham , Dominic West , and Vincent Regan
Director: Zack Snyder
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The History Channel Presents Last Stand of the 300 - The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae

ASIN: B00005JPLW
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Amazon.com

Like Sin City before it, 300 brings Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's graphic novel vividly to life. Gerard Butler (Beowulf and Grendel, The Phantom of the Opera) radiates pure power and charisma as Leonidas, the Grecian king who leads 300 of his fellow Spartans (including David Wenham of The Lord of the Rings, Michael Fassbender, and Andrew Pleavin) into a battle against the overwhelming force of Persian invaders. Their only hope is to neutralize the numerical advantage by confronting the Persians, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), at the narrow strait of Thermopylae.

More engaging than Troy, the tepid and somewhat similar epic of ancient Greece, 300 is also comparable to Sin City in that the actors were shot on green screen, then added to digitally created backgrounds. The effort pays off in a strikingly stylized look and huge, sweeping battle scenes. However, it's not as to-the-letter faithful to Miller's source material as Sin City was. The plot is the same, and many of the book's images are represented just about perfectly. But some extra material has been added, including new villains (who would be considered "bosses" if this were a video game, and it often feels like one) and a political subplot involving new characters and a significantly expanded role for the Queen of Sparta (Lena Headey). While this subplot by director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) and his fellow co-writers does break up the violence, most fans would probably dismiss it as filler if it didn't involve the sexy Headey. Other viewers, of course, will be turned off by the waves of spurting blood, flying body parts, and surging testosterone. (The six-pack abs are also relentless, and the movie has more and less nudity--more female, less male--than the graphic novel.) Still, as a representation of Miller's work and as an ancient-themed action flick with a modern edge, 300 delivers. --David Horiuchi

Description

The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Director Zack Snyder, Writer Kurt Johnstad and Director of Photography Larry Fong
Deleted Scenes:with Introduction by Zack Snyder
Featurette:The 300- Fact or Fiction? (RT: 24:31 Historians, authorsÂ and filmmakers reveal how much of the film was based on fact.); Who Were The Spartans: The Warriors of 300 (RT: 4:24 Touches on the customs and ways of life of the Spartan that werent explicitly shown in 300 but were used by the actors and filmmakers Ã,Â to help build their characters.); Frank Miller Tapes (RT: 13:00 Ã,Â We'll show how the outspoken Miller continued to push his limits to realize his epic graphic novel in the world of film
Other:Webisodes: Behind the scenes peeks on the set of 300 (RT 20:00)
Photo gallery:RT 3:39 Rapid fire stills from the first day of production to the last.

Customer Reviews:

NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER.......2007-07-09

This movie is classic gladiator and deserves more than one viewing to capture it's genuis. Yes, this movie is not for the weak stomach,sqeamish,or narrow minded. I've enjoyed the movie's special effects and fight scenes. No movie is like this movie so that makes it a good release for movie lovers to see something different, soo gritty and barbaric at the same time. This movie has alot of macho to satisfy a helpless man in need of a ego. There's chaotic battles and some violent images you will find guilty entertaining. So, be brave as the SPARTA'S and see 300 with a open mind, then you either can become one of the two viewers which is those who "get it" or those who don't. Take this film unique style for what it's worth.

A "brilliantly empty" film.......2007-07-09

In short, this is a comic book turned into a movie with video game aesthetics, telling the tale of the 300 Spartans who died fighting back parts of the Persian army at Thermopylae in 480 BCE. The very
fact that the introduction rather cheerfully depicts the eugenic conditions of Spartan adolescence, and that the almost two hours of film are filled to the brim with (some, historically accurate) lines mirroring Spartan warrior ethics, could make this movie into a nice sliproad from a seemingly endless stream of movies focusing on the quite tiresome theme of modern individualism.

But that's only on the surface. In one scene, the Spartan king Leonidas (Gerard Butler) lectures on the importance of the army keeping together, using their shields to protect each other, and consequently creating a strong unity. In combat, this unity is initially kept, but then each Spartan runs along towards his own one-on-one battle, showing off a few hokum stunts. Interestingly, this is quite a precise parable for what makes this movie collapse: there is nothing keeping it together. This makes the movie, at its heart, into the very opposite of what it is set out to be. The exterior of an over-blown praise of an interpretation of Spartan life, accompanied by mediocre acting, blue screen animations, Hollywood sound effects, NuMetal riffs, billions of slow-motions, and the constant use of the increasingly obscure concept of "freedom," will most probably entertain some people. But beneath all this, there is nothing.

Those who seek art that beautifully portrays heroism, will not find it here.

Not even the debate on whether the movie draws its motivations from current politics or not is very interesting. Instead, what makes this work sort of fascinating as a phenomenon, and meaningful to review at all, is that it's an excellent example of the extreme contrast between modern and traditional thinking, and of surface versus content. These filmmakers take some ingredients from the past, but don't know how to deal with them other than by throwing them into a stew of modern decorations and purposes. While awful as a movie, and hardly worthy of ancient Sparta, at least "300" stands as an unintentionally comical monument of contemporary misunderstandings.

Recommended.......2007-07-09

I can't wait to get the DVD. I loved the art direction and style of Sin City so this was a no brainer. Even after watching the latest summer blockbusters of 2007 (ie. Transformers, Spiderman 3, Die Hard), I consider 300 to be the #1 action movie in the past year. I see many negative reviews from customers here but the general consensus seems to agree with my opinion. Most people enjoyed this movie and recommend it. If you're not sure whether to pay ~$20, rent it. Simple as that.

"This is NOT Sparta!".......2007-07-07

And I thought Classics Illustrated were a bad idea! I guess any two hacks can come along and make over one of the classic HISTORY stories of all time, mangling it horribly, in order to make it some kind of gay-spectacle-for-profit. (Yes, if you found yourself staring at all that artificially sweating "manliness," well, you know.) There wasn't one single good thing about this movie: all it was was fantasy-killing a la video games. Why not just make something completely up then? Or, if you really want to know the truth, why not make the movie reflect it? My one great gripe with the movie was the ending, which implied that the Spartans, who were always face-forward, would resort to any kind of stealth at the last minute. Just wouldn't happen. That tarnished quite unnecessarily the really impressive gesture the historical Spartans actually made and what fascinates us even today. In short, author and film-maker both blew it. Or more likely they just didn't get it.

Surprisingly good.......2007-07-07

The advertisements for this film did not entice me to see it. It was word of mouth that brought me to the theater to see it on the big screen. And I wasn't disappointed. It was probably just as well that I didn't know going in that it was from a graphic novel. That might have quelled my interest. Especially upon seeing the special effects in those ads.

Although the filmmakers -- and the writers of the novel -- took liberties with the story, there was enough of the original history of Thermopylae to maintain interest. The actors were well chosen. The artwork and special effects were unique and worked as part of the story rather than as just stuck in there because it could be done.

The biggest disappointment would have been predictable had I known of the origins of the story. Xerxes, the Persian ruler, was so monstrous that when he first appeared on screen, he drew the viewer out of the story. Unfortunately, he was laughable, and the story became too cartoonish. I was glad I went to see it. I just wish the quality of story and characterization had been maintained throughout.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie!! Must see in high def
Alright Ladies Can I Speak the Truth?
Great Movie
I'll give it a 1 to balance Blu-Ray fanboys jumping on HD-DVD
Movie is great - HD-DVD is smoke and mirrors

300 [Blu-ray]
Starring: Gerard Butler
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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The Fifth Element (Remastered) [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000Q6GX5Y
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Description

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie!! Must see in high def.......2007-07-07

Went to watch it when it came out at the movies, its pretty much all action from beginning to end with epic battle sequences.It was filmed totally in blue screen (live actors in front of a blue screen with the backgrounds put in digitally) so it has a very unique look that will look very impressive in high def so if you got a blu ray player (or hddvd player) get this movie you wont be disappointed!

Alright Ladies Can I Speak the Truth?.......2007-07-07

There is so much to say about this movie but I have to clear this up right now, Gerard Butler as the ruler, omg yes! absoluetly gorgeous!!! I seen it in the theatres so i am excited i finally get in on DVD he is an actor to be looking out for I do not think he gets the crdit he deserves at all! You can also see him in The Phantom of The Opera 2005 with Emma Rossom it was excellant. he is excellant in any acting he does just look his name up on Google and watch his movies, I sure do hope to see more of him on the big screen.

Great Movie.......2007-07-06

Great story, great special effects, great actors and most of all great director. A must have.

I'll give it a 1 to balance Blu-Ray fanboys jumping on HD-DVD.......2007-07-06

Maybe Amazon will be smart enough to delete all the absurd ratings all you losers are posting, trying to make a moot point on something you have no power over.

Movie is great - HD-DVD is smoke and mirrors.......2007-07-06

Buy this movie for what it is, a great movie. If you own a blu-ray or hd-dvd player your mind is already made up which to buy.
Don't go by the extras, you may get a few extras with hd-dvd that are not available on the blu-ray disc, but ask them where are the Disney movies? The MGM? Columbia? Lionsgate? 20th Century Fox? Oh thats right, only bluray has the rights to these movies. Spare me your extras that I won't even watch because i'll be watching a whole lot more movies with bluray!

300 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

Average customer rating:

Blu-ray, HD-DVD, WHO THE F*** cares???
300 HD-DVD, a real pleasure
300 on HD DVD! Must buy!
Unbiased Format Opinion
300 great film great format

300 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Starring: Gerard Butler
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000Q6GXW2
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Description

Customer Reviews:

Blu-ray, HD-DVD, WHO THE F*** cares???.......2007-07-09

Buy whatever format you like, if you like movies like this and want hollywood to keep putting out high quality films like this, BUY THE DAMN THING AND SHUT UP.

300 HD-DVD, a real pleasure.......2007-07-08

Enjoy this title on HD-DVD, 300 is a great movie i would recommend to anyone.
HD-DVD will support this film at the highest level possible.
(and yes blu-ray fanboys i own both format so nothing to do with that)

Enjoy!

300 on HD DVD! Must buy!.......2007-07-08

This was one of the best action flicks of the year to date. In fact the only other movie that might take that spot is if Bourne Ultimatum is better than its predecessors. In any case, this movie and HD DVD make the perfect pair. The audio and video quality will be unsurpassed by the regular DVD quality and equalled by its Blu Ray counterpart. What makes this better than its Blu Ray counterpart is its extra features that are exclusive to HD DVD. Even better is the fact that the cheapest HD DVD player is $249 on Amazon as compared to the cheapest Blu Ray player which is $500 (probablyabout $450 on Amazon). Also if you have an Xbox 360 you can pick up the HD DVD add-on for only $200, a great deal and hundreds of dollars cheaper than the equivilent Blu Ray version.

300 + HD DVD = a GREAT movie.

Unbiased Format Opinion.......2007-07-07

For those of you who came to read reviews of this movie only to be bombarded by format "War"riors let me try to set the record straight for some people who don't know. I am not partial to either format, I own players and discs of both formats.

I will be in line to buy this movie on HD-DVD opposed to Blu-ray and here is why.

Don't believe all the hype of Blu-ray having better picture and audio. NOT TRUE, in any instance I can think of where the studio releases a movie on both formats, they will use the same master to transfer the video on both formats. Therefore you are down to the codecs used on each format which will give HD-DVD (which uses the VC-1 codec) a slight edge over Blu-ray. Blu-Ray will rarely use VC-1(which is usually better) and often use the older MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 codecs.

As for sound, there is rarely an instance where a movie available on HD or BR will have a superior audio track on BR unless it has the uncompressed PCM audio. For some reason many studios skimp in this department with few exceptions on their BR release and give them a meager Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround at 640kbps, while encoding the HD-DVD with Dolby Digital TrueHD at (1.5 Mbs). With the extra capacity Blu-Ray totes, it means nothing if they don't use it.

The truth of the matter is, both formats will most likely be around for a while. If a studio releases a film in both formats you will most likely have to compare the two and decide which is better based on the video codec and audio track available on each disc, the better quality audio and video will usually be on the HD-DVD not to mention features, extras, internet connectivity and the "In Movie Experiences ("IME") which Blu-Ray is not capable of yet as of this writing.

Now for the final deciding factor, after all I have mentioned, if a movie available in both formats is encoded with identical audio, video, extra features etc. which one will I purchase if the price is close....

Blu-Ray. I feel the Blu-Ray has a better scratch resistant coating on it's surface whereas the HD-DVD has the same coating as a regular DVD which will scratch fairly easily, even when wiped with a proper cloth. I have also noticed, that dust seems to stick to the HD-DVD more readily than the Blu-Ray discs.

On 300, the audio and video specs are identical on both formats. However, this HD-DVD will be a winner over Blu-Ray because of the extra features Blu-Ray will not have. Another example is Blood Diamond only due to extra features.

Lastly, I don't like combo discs. They cost more when I won't use the standard definition side. It deters customers with its inflated price and hurts HD-DVD's overall sales at a time when they need to be selling as many discs as possible.

By the way, 300 is a good movie and contrary to some misinformation in other reviews, THIS DISC WILL PLAY IN A STANDARD DVD PLAYER because it is a COMBO DISC!!!!

Hope this review helps those of you who are new to the High Definition world or those not into following the entire hubbub and marketing ploys of the formats.

300 great film great format.......2007-07-07

You know this movie was great when i watchin in my theater as in the one i run but it will be even better to watch it at home on my favorite video format which has a great price and great picture and its not better quality than bluray but it is equal too it i'd say seeing several movies on both plus our format already has great features and great movies one of which bluray says will come down the road why wait enjoy great features now not later for more money Hd dvd is a format for movies and its price concess which is great for your pocket and who doesn't wanna save a buck or two on something thats great now not later blurays best light is when it comes to the ps3 for games i.ll give it that more storage for great games is well great but it has not proven itself to me atleast in the movie department not for the price my two hundred dollar Hd dvd player is excellent for two hundred not five hundred like bluray with less features

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Support Mel Gibson
Whew, I'm tired
Kudos to Gibson
Pointless, Jack Bower without the cell phone
Don't know - don't care

Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Rudy Youngblood , Dalia Hernández , Jonathan Brewer , Morris Birdyellowhead , and Carlos Emilio Báez
Director: Mel Gibson
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NOKFHQ
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Forget any off-screen impressions you may have of Mel Gibson, and experience Apocalypto as the mad, bloody runaway train that it is. The story is set in the pre-Columbian Maya population: one village is brutally overrun, its residents either slaughtered or abducted, by a ruling tribe that needs slaves and human sacrifices. We focus on the capable warrior Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), although Gibson skillfully sketches a whole population of characters--many of whom don't survive the early reels. Most of the film is set in the dense jungle, but the middle section, in a grand Mayan city, is a dazzling triumph of design, costuming, and sheer decadent terror. The movie itself is a triumph of brutality, as Gibson lets loose his well-established fascination with bodily mortification in a litany of assaults including impalement, evisceration, snakebite, and bee stings. It's a dark, disgusted vision, but Gibson doesn't forget to apply some very canny moviemaking instincts to the violence--including the creation of a tremendous pair of villains (strikingly played by Raoul Trujillo and Rodolfo Palacias). The film is in a Maya dialect, subtitled in English, and shot on digital video (which occasionally betrays itself in some blurry quick pans). Amidst all the mayhem, nothing in the film is more devastating than a final wordless exchange of looks between captured villager Blunted (Jonathan Brewer) and his wife's mother (Maria Isabel Diaz), a superb change in tone from their early relationship. Yes, this is an obsessive, crazed movie, but Gibson knows what he's doing. --Robert Horton

Beyond Apocalypto

More films directed by Mel Gibson
Apocalypto soundtrack by James Horner

Stills from Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (click for larger image)

Description

From Mel Gibson, director of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and the Academy Award®-winning BRAVEHEART (Best Director, Best Picture, 1995) comes the thrilling historical epic APOCALYPTO. This intense, nonstop action-adventure transports you to an ancient South American civilization, for an experience unlike anything you've ever known. In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan culture, young Jaguar Paw is captured and taken to the great Mayan city where he faces a harrowing end. Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an adrenaline-soaked, heart-racing escape to rescue them and ultimately save his way of life. Filled with unrelenting action and stunning cinematography, APOCALYPTO is an enthralling and unforgettable film experience.'

Customer Reviews:

Support Mel Gibson.......2007-07-09

This is a great movie and was totally boycotted by racist Hollywood media moguls. It should have won an oscar. I bought two copies to support Mel Gibson and his works of art and to stick it to hollywood execs.

Whew, I'm tired.......2007-07-09

Apocalypto (DVD)

The Mel Gibson directed movie Apocalypto is something like you've never seen before. It gets you tired just watching it.

The movie is about a young Indio warrior Jaguar's
Paw who is captured by Mayan slavers, lead by El Jefe and
- has his pregnant wife abandoned in a pit,
- while Jaguar's Paw is taken to the great Mayan city to be sacrificed
- they pass a village that has apparently been ravaged by smallpox,
- and they pass an old fellow with some type of laughing sickness.

Note: Many scholars believe the Mayan Empire was devastated by some type of Biological hazard they just don't know which one.

Back to the human sacrifices:

-first they cut out the heart
-then they chop off the heads and throw them down the steps,
Then they throw the headless body down the steps.
Just as the Mayans are getting ready to cut Jaguar's Paw `s heart out there is a solar eclipse. This they interpret as the Sun God being satiated. And they take the prisoners to the gauntlet to run for their life. Fortunately Jaguar's
Paw gets to go in the second pair and quickly see that he needs to weave as he runs, thereby making himself a harder target.

Well wouldn't you know that he almost makes it. Jaguar

Paw manages to kill El Jefe's son, the finisher, and makes it to the

jungle. Jaguar's Paw successfully runs the gauntlet, escapes from a black

jaguar(I didn't know there was such an animal, jumps over a giant

cataract, throws a hornets nest at his enemies, his wife has a baby in

the flooded pit, and then just when he can't run any more and collapses...

You'll just have to watch the movie to see the ending.

Well worth watching ,but it is very bloody.

Gunner July, 2007

Kudos to Gibson.......2007-07-08

What an absolutely incredible film. Beautifully shot, seamless storyline, reality at its finest. Milder 'gore' than some cable fare, but definitely not for the squeamish. The native language added an immeasurable quality to the film and I didn't really notice the subtitles after the first few minutes once I was drawn into the story.

Pointless, Jack Bower without the cell phone.......2007-07-08

While visually satisfying the appetite and creative in that sense, I kept waiting for a point to be made. Like "24" you have to suspend disbelief--a man is tortured, forced to walk for miles and miles through jungle and rapids and hills, no food, no water (no cell phone), shot with a spear through the abdomen, meets up with a panther and outruns him, shot with an arrow through the shoulder, jumps down a massive waterfall, survives all and still outruns several healthy, well equipped (but really lousy shots) and well fed pursuers. The ending was pat and predictable. Enough gore and bloodshed to satisfy even the most hungry mass murderer watching. I kept wondering, what kind of sick mind keeps making the same movie over and over--all Gibson's movies seem to have no other point that to kill and gore and behead and sever as many limbs as possible under the guise of pretending to tell a story.

Don't know - don't care.......2007-07-08

The one star rating is meaningless - I had to give the film some rating to submit the review.
This film may be wonderful. I wouldn't know. I do my best not to buy or watch work from rabid racist anti-semites. I haven't seen Triumph of the Will or Olypiad. Most likely am missing some very important visual art. And I most likely have bought, used and seen all sorts of work by people who were/are racists.Just try my best not to support such people. There are enough film and other masterpieces out there that I will never have time to experience them all. I will never have the time - after all, starting all the wars - and he meant it - is a rather considerable undertaking.

Letters from Iwo Jima (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Great historical WWII film
Excise the PC section...
Definitely Worth Watching
Good movie, not historicly correct
Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood

Letters from Iwo Jima (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Ken Watanabe , Kazunari Ninomiya , Tsuyoshi Ihara , Ryo Kase , and Shido Nakamura
Director: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JPKE
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Critically hailed as an instant classic, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima is a masterwork of uncommon humanity and a harrowing, unforgettable indictment of the horrors of war. In an unprecedented demonstration of worldly citizenship, Eastwood (from a spare, tightly focused screenplay by first-time screenwriter Iris Yamashita) has crafted a truly Japanese film, with Japanese dialogue (with subtitles) and filmed in a contemplative Japanese style, serving as both complement and counterpoint to Eastwood's previously released companion film Flags of Our Fathers. Where the earlier film employed a complex non-linear structure and epic-scale production values to dramatize one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and its traumatic impact on American soldiers, Letters reveals the battle of Iwo Jima from the tunnel- and cave-dwelling perspective of the Japanese, hopelessly outnumbered, deprived of reinforcements, and doomed to die in inevitable defeat. While maintaining many of the traditions of the conventional war drama, Eastwood extends his sympathetic touch to humanize "the enemy," revealing the internal and external conflicts of soldiers and officers alike, forced by circumstance to sacrifice themselves or defend their honor against insurmountable odds. From the weary reluctance of a young recruit named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) to the dignified yet desperately anguished strategy of Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi (played by Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai costar Ken Watanabe), whose letters home inspired the film's title and present-day framing device, Letters from Iwo Jima (which conveys the bleakness of battle through a near-total absence of color) steadfastly avoids the glorification of war while paying honorable tribute to ill-fated men who can only dream of the comforts of home. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
Like the film itself, the two-disc special edition of Letters from Iwo Jima is predominantly Japanese in content, and that's as it should be. Disc 1 presents the film in a flawless widescreen transfer, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack that perfectly captures the film's wide dynamic range. The optional subtitles can be turned off for those wishing to immerse themselves in a completely Japanese viewing experience. Disc 2 opens with "Red Sun, Black Sand: The Making of Letters from Iwo Jima," a 20-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that concisely covers all aspects of production, from director Clint Eastwood's initial decision to create a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, to interview comments from principal cast and crew, the latter including Flags screenwriters Paul Haggis and Letters screenwriter Iris Yamashita, costume designer Deborah Hopper, editor Joel Cox, cinematographer Tom Stern, production designer James Murakami (taking over for the ailing Henry Bumstead), and coproducer Rob Lorenz. "The Faces of Combat" is an 18-minute featurette about selecting the Japanese (and Japanese-American) cast of Letters, and how they were chosen through the international collaboration of Eastwood's long-time casting director Phyllis Huffman (who turned over some of her duties to her son while struggling with terminal illness) and Japanese casting associate Yumi Takada, who filled important roles with Japanese celebrities (like pop star Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays "Saigo") and unknown actors alike.

"Images from the Frontlines" is a 3.5-minute montage of images from the film and behind-the-scenes, set to the sparse piano theme of Eastwood's original score. The remaining bonus features chronicle the world premiere of Letters in Tokyo on November 15, 2006. The premiere itself is covered in a 16-minute featurette taped at the famous Budokan arena, where we see the red-carpet procession, a full-capacity audience despite cold November weather, and introductory comments from the film's primary cast and crew, many of them quite moving with regard to the satisfaction of working on a film that helps Japanese viewers come to terms with a painful chapter of their history. The following day's press conference (at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo hotel) is a 24-minute Q&A session covering much of the same territory, with additional testimony from principal cast & crew. Throughout this two-day event, it's clear that Eastwood (referring to himself as "a Japanese director who doesn't speak the Japanese language") was warmly embraced by the Japanese, and that Letters from Iwo Jima had served its intended purpose, reminding us of the horrors of war while uniting both Japanese and Americans in somber reflection, 61 years after the battle of Iwo Jima. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima tells the untold story of the Japanese soldiers who defended their homeland against invading American forces during World War II. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima itself, the unprecedented tactics of General Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai) and his men transform what was predicted to be a swift defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Their sacrifices, struggles, courage and compassion live on in the taut, gripping film Rolling Stone calls "unique and unforgettable." It is the powerful companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

Customer Reviews:

Great historical WWII film.......2007-07-07

Well I never learned any of this in history class!! An Amazing look into the hearts and minds of the Japanese. Really wonderful and lovingly done. My heart broke for them, for the way they fought even though it was a complete loss. A great companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.

Excise the PC section..........2007-07-07

And you would have had a decent picture of the Japanese side of Iwo Jima. But, a thoroughly unneccesary section of the film where first a captured Marine is treated humanely by Baron Nishi, and then shortly thereafter, surrendered Japanese prisoners are executed by another Marine, sits in politically correct smugness smack in the middle of an otherwise decent film. It may make the "anti-war" message, but it rang false, and at that point the film faltered. True, earlier a Marine captive was shown beaten and bayoneted, but this was juxtaposed with another Japanese being burned to death, as if the Marine captive was being punished for that death. The reality of these battles was something else.

The historian William Manchester was a young Marine in the Pacific and in his book, Goodbye Darkness, about his experiences said that there was a tacit understanding between the Marines and Japanese in the island campaigns: neither side took many prisoners. At least while the battle was raging. That was just the way it was. Each campaign was a fight to the death. He also pointed out that the Marines always had help from native islanders against the Japanese, not because the islanders loved Marines or even knew what an American was, but because they hated the Japanese because of their brutality toward these conquered peoples.

Too bad, because otherwise this was a fine film pretty fairly showing the view from the other side of the cultural divide. It demonstrates the crazy waste and harshness of the Bushido code, most especially as it is sternly and unthinkingly applied to the average drafted Japanese soldier. It illustrates how these unyielding notions caused the needless sacrifice of their own troops in forced personal suicide and suicidal frontal assaults on fixed positions. It also showed the human dimension of these men left to do nothing else but die on that sulfurous rock. I had no problems with those elements of the film that depicted the common humanity of men with families and love of their country.

I liked the view of the unconventional General Kuribayashi's strategy, often undone by the willfully obtuse views of his own officers, and the equally effective view of life as lived by the common soldier, often starved and beaten by these same latter day samurai. The action scenes, as in Flags of Our Fathers, were well done and the production design I so admired in that film is, of course, still present here.

I liked the actors and the interplay between them. I admire the production values and this is often a quiet and interesting film. I certainly have no problem with seeing the flip side of the battle depicted in Flags of Our Fathers. I think the film was doing quite well in depicting the humanity of soldiers who, by and large, would rather be home or anywhere else. It didn't need any extra "message" slipped in, and while it might not bother others, I found it an unneccessary excess plea, and a bit disingenuous. At any rate, the film is worth seeing.

Definitely Worth Watching.......2007-07-05

Letters From Iwo Jima is dark. It is claustrophobic. It is gritty and painful and full of rocking explosions and the clatter of machine guns. It tells the story of Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima fighting for honor and to return home.

The characterizations were moving and original. The people in the film truly were human and showed the impact that war takes on the spirit. The atmosphere communicates completely the desperation and hopelessness of the soldiers and the numbing feeling of being so long in battle.

The script and the acting were both excellent and believable. I applaud the casting of Ninomiya Kazunari as Saigo, one of the main characters, a young soldier who just wants to return home to his wife and unborn child. Though the blurb on the back of the DVD case doesn't even mention Saigo, his story is part of the main focus of the story. I am very proud of Nino for being cast in this role. He is one of the reasons I saw this movie and I was not disappointed.

All in all, Letters is not a fun movie to watch. It's dark and bleak but it's a movie that most people, at least in the U.S. and Japan, should see. In the end, it is heart-wrenching and I was very glad that I'd seen it. It humanizes the war and makes you face the reality that our enemies of the time suffered as much as we did. As many have said, it tells the "other side of the story," and it's a story that we need to hear.

Good movie, not historicly correct.......2007-07-04

Not as good as Flags of Our Fathers, it doesn't show the true brutality of the Japanese. Its view is very sympithetic to the Japanese, but still a good movie.

Worst I've seen by Clint Eastwood.......2007-07-04

Watched for 1hour 14 minutes in disappointment. The script is terrible. Don't make the mistake of watching this movie. Why all the hype? How can this be a Clint Eastwood directed movie? Firstly, this movie makes fun of sacrifice. It makes fun of the Japanese commitment to Japan. For sure I do not know precisely what happened at Iwo Jima, all I know is that 22000 fought till only 216 remained. That is a victory. As big as the firefighters of 9/11. It is something, it seems that Clint Eastwood, that willingly directed this movie, will never understand. Having no choice in life but to die honorably.

Iwo Jima was a last-stand before the enemy reached Japan, much like the Alamo. Soldiers don't harbor anti-war sentiment when your home and family is threatened - you pull together. Fight and die together. I didn't get the idea that there were 22000 soldiers on the island. The American forces were realistically depicted. This is a clear anti-war movie - only problem is that it makes fun of the commitment of a die-hard enemy facing destruction.

The Blue Planet - Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4)

Average customer rating:

Blue Planet series
The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet - Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4)
The Blue Planet
Blue Planet enchantment

The Blue Planet - Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4)
Director: Alastair Fothergill
Manufacturer: BBC Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Nature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

7-9 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series
The Life of Mammals
Life in the Undergrowth
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series [HD DVD]
The Life of Birds

ASIN: B000069HXC
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Product Description

Come explore years of incredible undersea photography and breathtaking views into a world we share. Choose four DVDs or four VHS tapes. Seasonal Seas/Cral Seas, Tidal Seas/Coasts, Ocean World/Frozen Seas, The Open Ocean and The Deep. Two titles per disc or tape. (Some scenes may be graphic in nature.)

Amazon.com

Extraordinary footage and eloquent narration by David Attenborough highlight the BBC's remarkable wildlife series The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. "Ocean World" begins with astonishing views of a gigantic blue whale--the elusive Holy Grail of undersea photography--and the marvels continue to demonstrate the power, diversity, and profound ecological influence of Earth's oceans. "Frozen Seas" examines whales, walruses, penguins, and other creatures under the extreme conditions of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. The next two episodes are even better. "Open Ocean" travels thousands of miles into the vast "liquid desert," where currents determine how the ocean's diverse life forms will assume their places in the food chain. More amazing, "The Deep" descends with a state-of-the-art submersible to the ocean's abyssal plain and beyond, filming such bizarre creatures as the fangtooth, bioluminescent jellies, transparent squid, the giant-mouthed gulper eel, and the never-before-seen hairy angler fish.

"Seasonal Seas" focuses on the explosion of life that accompanies every annual blooming of plankton, numbering in the countless billions and captured here with brilliant microphotography. In "Coral Seas," miles-long reefs of living coral are explored, from deep within (requiring brief computer animation) to the surrounding environs, where you'll see white-tipped sharks in a feeding frenzy while beautiful harlequin shrimp wrestle with a starfish. "Tidal Seas" explores the myriad life forms that thrive when lunar gravity pulls the oceans offshore. "Coasts" is easily the most brutal episode, but no less mesmerizing. The most unexpected, and horrifying, sequence is the orca, earning its "killer whale" nickname by capturing, killing, and tail-tossing a seal pup--a sequence so mysteriously primal that even the most seasoned marine biologist will be utterly amazed. One of the finest wildlife programs you're ever likely to see, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life provides the privilege of visiting a truly alien world teeming with the rarest wonders of nature. The series was recut into the feature-length Deep Blue in 2005. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Blue Planet series.......2007-07-06

Best documentary I've ever seen! Fascinating stuff! If I wasn't scared to death of sharks, I'd want to go out and study most of this stuff myself. Incredible information and footage. The only problem with it is that it's too short :P

The Blue Planet.......2007-07-03

I could not believe it when I saw an ad for deep blue. I remembered a special I had seen on tv about the ocean. I kept trying to watch and see if it was ever going to come on tv again, because i wanted to try to catch it all. I was playing music at night and working in the daytime so it was hard for me to see all of the series. But here some of it was on the ad for Deep Blue. And I wanted it. So I got on [...] and much to my surprise I found Deep Blue and and The collector's set of The Blue Planet. So I ordered both. I had told my sister and her kids and grand kids about The Blue Planet. So I couldn't wait to take it to their house to let them see the amazing filming that was done on this remarkable collection. If anyone enjoys the ocean and films about the ocean, you have not seen anything and I mean anything until you see this collection. Do not see how it can be any better. Their All going to order it to add to their collection.

Larry Hull

The Blue Planet - Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4).......2007-07-03

The Blue Planet - Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4) Great series. Every science department K-college should have this in their library. Photography is top-notch.

The Blue Planet.......2007-06-27

This DVD collection is very well done and extremily educational. My teenage son loves these DVDs and watches them over other things on TV or other DVDs. Would make anyone a great gift!!!!

Blue Planet enchantment.......2007-06-27

Enjoyable fantastic film of life on earth. The ocean shots are the best I have seen. This is a set that we will watch over and over again.

Average customer rating:

And this is how the end started............
Love it!
great dvd set
Awesome, but Beware the End
I am a fan

Scrubs - The Complete Fifth Season
Starring: Zach Braff , Donald Faison , John C. McGinley , and Sarah Chalke
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Scrubs - The Complete Fourth Season
Scrubs - The Complete Third Season
Scrubs - The Complete Second Season
Scrubs - The Complete First Season
Seinfeld - Season 8

ASIN: B000NOKFH6
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

"I'm gonna have a good year, aren't I?" J.D. (Zach Braff), now an attending physician at Sacred Heart Hospital, asks in the fifth season's opening episode. All vital signs are good (the series did receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy), but longtime Scrubs fans may be forgiven a sense of déjà vu, from J.D.'s whimsical reveries to Dr. Cox's (John C. McGinley) increasingly tiresome rants. The series itself acknowledges the palpable sense of been there, seen that with the clever episode "Déjà vu, Déjà vu." But don't pronounce Scrubs dead just yet. Directed by Braff, "My Way Home," the series' 100th episode, is a brilliantly conceived homage to The Wizard of Oz with J.D. and company finding their hearts, brains, and courage. Another powerful episode that shows a welcome maturity is "My Lunch," in which J.D. at last has lunch with his reluctant mentor, Dr. Cox, in the wake of a patient's death (happily, the music rights were secured for the DVD release so that the Fray's "How to Save a Life" is playing on the soundtrack when Dr. Cox has his own tragic setback), and the follow-up episode, "My Fallen Idol."

While Scrubs has a tendency this season to get "more ridiculous" (in one episode, Neil Flynn's Janitor defies Ken Jenkins' Dr. Kelso to secretly keep a crow in the hospital), the scalpel-sharp writing affords Braff moments that are, in his character's own words, "classic Dorian." In the episode "My Half Acre," he mixes his sports analogies to tell Elliot (Sarah Chalke), "What's waiting for me in my room is what's known, in football terms, as a slam dunk," as he mimes hitting a tennis ball. Mandy Moore, displaying a surprising knack for physical comedy, follows Tara Reid and Heather Graham as a fleeting love interest for J.D. Other character milestones include pregnancies for Carla (Judy Reyes) and two other characters best left a surprise. Good for whatever ails season 5 are this set's extras, including an entertaining series retrospective, featuring interviews with the cast and creators, as well as commentary by Braff for an extended cut of "My Way Home." --Donald Liebenson

Description

Make an appointment with the outrageous doctors of Sacred Heart. Garnering an Emmy® Award nomination for Best Comedy Series, SCRUBS' fifth season is "sillier and more whimsical than ever," raves NEWSDAY. This year, the laughs are off the charts as J.D. moves in with Turk and Carla, and Elliot uses an interesting form of blackmail in order to get her job back at the hospital. Jason Bateman and Cheryl Hines are just some of the sensational guest stars joining TV's quirkiest cast. Experience all 24 episodes, plus exclusive bonus features, including a never-before-seen extended cut of the 100th episode. It's just what the doctor ordered.'

Customer Reviews:

And this is how the end started...................2007-07-09

Scrubs season 5 continued it's rich humor that made the first four seasons so funny, but started it's nosedive towards the end of season 5 that continued on into season 6. It's a sad thing to watch, many of the characters start to wear out their welcome and start to get more annoying than funny.

Love it!.......2007-07-05

I love scrubs. It is amazing,I cannot wait until season 6 comes out on dvd! It's such a cliff hanger!

great dvd set.......2007-06-28

i didnt get into scrubs until late season 4 and early season 5 and really like having the series on DVD. TV series on DVD has been great, whoever thought of that idea should be given medal...at least give them a little ribbon that says "the greatest"

Awesome, but Beware the End.......2007-06-27

If you like Scrubs at all, you will like season 5. Of special note is the 100th episode "My Way Home" which was directed by Zach Braff (JD). Do yourself a favor and watch the extended version. The commentary by Braff is interesting as well as it gives you insight into how Scrubs is filmed.

Be warned though: The last episode has a cliffhanger ending so if you don't (or can't) watch season six on TV then you will probably be a little miffed like me. Best solution: internet TV.

Overall, excellent season and worth the purchase.

I am a fan.......2007-06-27

We were so excited about getting the 5th season of a show we have followed and love. If you follow the series you already know that Scrubs is a great show. The series deals with serious topics and yet makes you laugh. Once we started it was hard to stop and then we wanted more. We own all of the series and hope they keep more coming.

Average customer rating:

Start at the beginning and remember just how good it was
Fabulous insight into a Mafia Family
Couldn't have cared less
Opening Sequence and the Twin Towers
woke up this morning...

The Sopranos: The Complete First Season
Starring: James Gandolfini , and Edie Falco
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

The Sopranos: The Complete Second Season
The Sopranos: The Complete Third Season
The Sopranos - The Complete Fourth Season
The Sopranos - The Complete Fifth Season
The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 1

ASIN: B00003CXOP
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: Like 1999's other screen touchstone, American Beauty, the HBO series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood.

The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatization of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchmen and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed.

The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland

Description

On January 10th, 1999, America was introduced to two families that would make history: The Soprano family headed by Tony Soprano, and The Soprano "family" headed by ... Tony Soprano. ' 'Four Stars! The first gotta-watch, gotta love, Gotti-like TV series of 1999. Across the board it's an A-plus.' ' - The New York Post ' 'Achieves a fresh tone to match its irresistibly winning concept.' ' - The New York Times

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Biographies
Episodic Recaps
Featurette
Interviews

Customer Reviews:

Start at the beginning and remember just how good it was.......2007-07-05

The Sopranos will be regarded as ground-breaking TV for years to come. Relive the early episodes - remember how evil Livia was. Remember how manipulative Uncle Junior was. Remember how young AJ was and how BIG Vito was! LOL Enjoy the quality writing, acting and directing all over again. The episodes don't lose any signifigance because you know how it all ends; rather, they give a perspective that enhances the memories. Start all over again and remind yourself just how good TV can be.

Fabulous insight into a Mafia Family.......2007-07-02

Can't vouch for the accuracy of the surroudings (what do I know about NJ)nor what a Mafia family is supposed to be like ( is anyone gonna admit they can?) but from an english perspective -just wish BBC could still make drama even half as good as this .

After 2 episodes you will be hooked - just raced thru 1st series - Episodes 1-13 . Brilliant script , great gags - had me & my mates in stiches , fabulous looking girls - lots of T&A , rocking intro soundtrack - plus a truly complelling performance by james Gandolfini .

nuff said - get it or you'll get wacked as Tony might have said .

Couldn't have cared less.......2007-07-01

Many viewers clearly loved the characterizations and found the mixture of mundane family life with mafia family life to be brilliant, but I disliked this show because I found the characters pathetic and dull. Most of what I remember is a bunch of glowering punctuated by a few arguments and gunshots.

The bulk of characters seem to represent a very mediocre brand of evil. They are human failures not because they gleefully engage in villainy, but simply because they are incompetent at living their lives. The acting, sound, and camera work were all quite competent, but since I was bored by the story, it was all wasted effort as far as I'm concerned.

Certainly I'm aware of how popular the show is; the only other negative reviews seem to consist of people who can't deal with language or feel unfairly stereotyped. I figured I should take the time to say some people simply didn't think this was a very good drama.

Opening Sequence and the Twin Towers.......2007-06-28

I didn't remember seeing the first season (and perhaps 2nd), but I did recall that the shot of the Twin Towers was removed from the opening credits. I was curious to see if the original opening would be on the DVD. Well, ya, there is a shot of the towers, but it appears to me as though it is a shot of the side view mirror of Tony's SUV with the image of the towers in the reflection. Does anyone know if it was always that way? If so, that simple shot was very prophetic; foreshadowing that, soon after, the towers would only be in our past. If it is not original, it was a well thought out adjustment.

woke up this morning..........2007-06-26

I am a diehard Sopranos fan. I still have that Journey song bouncing through my head from the very last episode. So what is a 'made fan' supposed to do now that the only series I watched is now over? Start watching from the very beginning. I've been a fan since season 1 but how refreshing it is to watch it all again. It is amazing to see how young everyone is back from season 1. The intro to the characters and all the little nuances that you pick up is amazing. The storyline of Tony in his first session with Melfi, how conniving his mother was, Uncle Jun and his old school ways. Most amazing to me how virile and full of hope Tony seems to be and how much he changed over the years beaten down by the life he leads. Incredible writing and incredible acting. A dvd for the ages. Bada Bing!

Average customer rating:

The closer seccond season
As good as Season 1!
The Closer, Second Season
Fantastic-as good as 1st season
GREAT SERIES

The Closer - The Complete Second Season
Starring: Kyra Sedgwick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

The Closer - The Complete First Season
NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service - The Complete Third Season
Criminal Minds - The First Season
House, M.D. - Season Three
The 4400 - The Complete Third Season

ASIN: B000N6UF0G
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Amazon.com

Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson may have put in a year already with the Los Angeles police department, but that doesn't mean the transplanted Southerner fits in yet. In the second season of the TNT drama The Closer, Brenda is less a fish out of water, but she's still not completely at home with her brash colleagues--some of whom resent her potent mixture of brains and beauty. All 15 episodes from the 2006-2007 are included in this four-disc box set. And aside from a couple episodes where viewers are able to correctly guess the ending about 20 minutes into the show, the cases are taut, provocative, and highly watchable. Much of the show's success is due to Kyra Sedgwick (The Woodsman, Something to Talk About), an actress who seemed poised for movie stardom before she took time off to raise a family with husband Kevin Bacon. As bull-headed as she is soft-hearted, Brenda has a wry sense of humor and delivers her punch lines with a gentle drawl. But don't mistake gentility for gullibility: Cross her and you've made an enemy for life. Even when she's stuck in sitcom-like situations--such as trying to hide from her mother that she's living with her boyfriend--Brenda brings believability to her situation. From the first episode (dealing with the investigation of a brutally murdered police officer) to the last (Brenda's attempt to bring down a terrorist organization), Sedgwick is riveting; no wonder, then, that the Golden Globes honored her in 2007 as best actress in a TV drama. Rounding out the cast are J.K. Simmons (The Spider-Man franchise) as Assistant Chief Will Pope, Jon Tenney (Fools Rush In) as her boyfriend Fritz, and Anthony John Denison (Wild Things) as hard-nosed Detective Andy Flynn. --Jae-Ha Kim

Description

Brenda's back. Finally accepted by her LAPD homicide team after a year of hard-won victories, Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson spends less time fighting her co-workers and more time fighting the bad guys - like whoever left a body in Provenza's garage, or dropped a porn star's head in a dumpster, or offed a drug-addicted heiress. And there's almost as much happening on the domestic scene as the crime scene: Gabriel and Daniels kindle a romance and Brenda and Fritz put the flame under theirs when Fritz moves in. Kyra Sedgwick reprises her acclaimed role of Brenda and makes her the brilliant, complex, flawed, funny and totally irresistible heart of this crime-series powerhouse. Clue yourself in!

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes
Additional Scenes
Additional Scenes
Additional Scenes
Featurette:Breaking Down the Closer - In the same way Brenda Johnson breaks down suspects during her interrogations, we will break down this hit series in our behind-the-scenes featurette to uncover the origin of the shows unique cases, the history behind its quirky lead character and the production teams efforts to bring a sense of reality to their startlingly original stories.
Gag Reel

Customer Reviews:

The closer seccond season.......2007-07-06

The program is the best I've ever seen. The interaction between the characters is perfect. Never a dull moment when you watch this series.

As good as Season 1!.......2007-07-05

I liked this one as much as or more than Season 1. I can't wait for Season 3!

The Closer, Second Season.......2007-07-05

Since this is the best program on TV, along with CSI, I consider this purchase just perfect. I can watch it repeatedly and never get bored. And with no commercials!!!! What more could I want? nk

Fantastic-as good as 1st season.......2007-07-04

Thoroughly enjoyed the first season and when it was on last yr. as a re-do for the 2nd season, I added oit to DVR. Then watched it off and on till the 3rd season started. When it is on DVD, I will order 3rd season. Kyra Sedgewick is fantastic and they couldn't have a better bunch to support her. The writers must be great as they put out a splendid bunch of writing. Looking forward to having all of the DVD's as long as they are on.

GREAT SERIES.......2007-07-03

Kyra Sedwick, has come into her own in this series! Each segment keeps your interest. The second season is just as good as the first. I am looking forward to the 3rd season!

Average customer rating:

Love it
No Marissa Cooper = The End of OC
The O.C.: Beginning to End
Return to Form
The end's not near, it's here

The O.C. - The Complete Fourth Season
Starring: Peter Gallagher , Kelly Rowan , Ben Mckenzie , Adam Brody , and Rachel Bilson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

The O.C. - The Complete Third Season
The O.C. - The Complete Second Season
Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Third Season
The O.C. - The Complete First Season
One Tree Hill - The Complete Third Season

ASIN: B000NJXG6I
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

High school is over. Time to move on. But events conspire to reunite Ryan, Seth and Summer in posh, seaside Newport. And there may even be a new Core Four. Because after Taylor Townsend says a quick if not passionate au revoir to her education in France, she just might pursue Ryan until he catches her. Time, too, for the series to move on with these 16 Final Episodes. Seth marries Summer? (Maybe.) Ryan goes through life like it's a steel-cage brawl? (Sometimes.) Kaitlin tries to hook up her mom Julie with a billionaire? (Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.) But things happen, sometimes quite unexpectedly. Time to hit the beach for all the surprising events of a cool, compelling and revealing conclusion of The O.C.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurette:The Magic That Is Chrismukkah: Cast, Crew and Religious Experts Weigh in on The O.C.s Distinctive Holiday Celebration Summer Roberts - Beauty Meets Brown: The Creation and Evolution of One of the Shows Most Lovable Characters

Customer Reviews:

Love it.......2007-07-06

I am totally into The O.C.! I have all the seasons on DVD! This one was great, kind of wish they could of extended it out a little bit longer. Other then that great product to buy!

I did have a problem with the first, 4th season they sent me! The 3rd disk was scracthed and I hadn't even watched it yet, but amazon was great about promptly sending me a new one!

No Marissa Cooper = The End of OC.......2007-07-05

Not that Mischa Barton is a great actress or anything, but watching this final season of The OC makes you realize she did bring at least 25% of everything that was great about the show, to the table. I mean, The OC without Marissa, is like "Invasion" without Mariel. It just doesn't work.

Add to that the fact that many of the characters are at least ten years older than the characters they are playing. I don't know if any of you noticed it, but Adam Brody started looking really old here (hes in his late 20s) and the role just did not work. The actor seemed really tired.

Benjamin McKenzie is exactly ten years older than the character he plays here, and the fourth season is when I totally lost any love I may have had for this character. The actor just got very weak - and the performances are, dare I say it, strange.

Pity, because despite being a show that perhaps had one of the greatest seasons in TV History (Season 1), Season 4 seems like an afterthought. Season finales are done well if in the right hands, like "Six Feet Under" but here, it just flits by so quickly. No, no, no. The OC deserved better than this.

If I were you, I'd rent these. Keep those Season 3 DVDs that have Mischa Barton in them - all the good directing and acting ended with Season 3.

The O.C.: Beginning to End.......2007-07-02

The O.C. Season 4 may not be the best season of the show, but it is by far the most adult. As one can see in Season 4, all of the characters are beginning to change: Summer, into an environmetally conscious young adult; Seth, into a young man who is trying to support his best friend in a time of loss while keeping him out of trouble, while dealing with his girlfriend's problems and dealing with those of his family's; Taylor, still the bubbly, loving girl who believes that the world is out to get her, yet trying to find her own way to deal: with her mother, her new boyfriend (found in Ryan), and her, uh-hum, husband, from France. Then there's Ryan, the protagonist of this underrated show: he's not the most developed or charming protagonist of all ages, and to some extent he's a cliche, and there's very little room for him to grow under the circumstances Schwartz has set for him, but he's trying to find a way to deal with his three-year-girlfriend's death, her murderer, and a billion other scenarios like his son (that story sort of meanders off into nowhere) with baby's-momma and once fiance, Theresa. There's also Kirstin and Sandy--the happiest couple in Newport, Seth's parents. Although it would have been a bit more satisfying if they would have FINALLY gotten a divorce over bickering that had no end and numerous almost-affairs that turned cliche. It certainly would have provided a better plotline. Lastly, there was Kaitlyn and Julie, those left behind after the death of Marissa. The first episode of the fourth season was probably my favorite ever. It truly shows a different side of Julie: depressed, dealing with her daughter in the only way she knows how: getting drugged/drunk and wondering around, not knowing what time of day it was. We don't see a clear change in Kaitlyn until the end of the show: she is clearly materialistic, only caring about her things, as is seen when she tries to hook her mom up with a billionaire, when she truly wants to be with Ryan's father, Frank.

Now I will go through the seasons, giving brief summaries and my thoughts on each.

SEASON 1-- "Welcome to the O.C., Bitch." In this season, which many consider its best, Ryan comes to Newport from Chino, a "ghetto" town near Newport, and is soon adopted by his defense lawyer, a wealthy man named Sandy who is married to "Newport's Princess," Kirstin Cohen. Seth, their son, is a social outcast. Their next door neighbors are the Coopers: Jimmy, Julie, Kaitlyn, and the infamous Marissa. Marissa and Ryan instantly have chemistry, causing tension between Luke [Marissa's boyfriend] and Ryan. Marissa, an alcoholic, known for O.D.ing and stealing, breaks up with Luke after he cheats on her in Tiajuana, Mexico. After nearly dying, because of an O.D. do to overwhelming pressure from: her parent's divorce, her father losing all of his money and being forced to move out of his house and her boyfriend cheating on her. Ryan and Marissa eventually hook up and become serious, as do Seth and Summer, Summer being Marissa's best friend. Towards the end of the season, tension rises between Marissa and Ryan because of Marissa's bipolar friend, Oliver, who is somewhat psychotic and threatens to cause her home. During a two week break up, Ryan sleeps with an old friend from Chino, Theresa, who is impregnated. In the season finale, Julie marries Caleb Nichol, Seth's grandfather, and Ryan has to leave Newport with Theresa to help raise his child of undetermined sex, and Seth leaves on his yacht, seemingly never to be heard from again.

Rating: Five stars.

SEASON 2: "Welcome Back to the O.C., Bitch." In this season, Seth and Ryan both return after Theresa's baby "dies." Ryan and Seth both realize that they can no longer revive their relationship with past lovers. Seth turns to Alex, Alex then turns to Marissa, providing a new lesbian experience for the show. Marissa first turned to her bland yard worker, then to Alex, then back to Ryan. Ryan to Lindsay, then to Marissa. Oh, and Seth and Summer finally get back together in "The Rainy Day Women," in hich they share a Spiderman-esque kiss. Towards the end of the season, Ryan and Seth visit Nana Cohen in Miami (fate unknown), and Trey comes to stay in Newport (he is Ryan's estranged brother). Marissa tries to befriend Trey (sort of cheesy, cliche) which leads to him believing she has feelings for him. He tries to have sex with her, but when she explains she doesn't feel that way for him, he resorts to rape. She manages to escape by hitting him with drift wood (it's not that believable, really. Marissa/Mischa's somewhat, er, anorexic). In the season finale, Ryan discovers the whole rape scenario due to Seth's need to tell him everything, and races off to beat up/probably even kill Trey. When Marissa races off to stop Ryan after hearing about the acts that are about to conspire, she finds Trey and Ryan in Trey's motel bedroom, Trey about to bash Ryan's head in with a large hotel phone (this is believable). Marissa finds Trey's gun, which, in the fight, has been thrown across the room, and shoots him in the back.

Rating: Four stars.

SEASON 3-- "Can We Just Escape the O.C. Now, Bitch?" OK, so this is not only the most awful season of The O.C., but probably the most awful season of any show I've ever seen. Not only does Trey not die (he wakes up from his three month long coma), but neither does Jimmy, entangled with a mob-like scene (that's a laugh), and in the end, Schwartz is so desperate to save the show, and Mischa Barton so willing to get out, he resorts to killing her off! All of the stuff in between is just meaningless mumbling, like an old great-grandmother who just won't shut up, makes no sense whatsoever, and, in the future, it won't matter to you at all.

And I swear to God, I almost killed Schwartz when he reintroduced Jess. She's the most dreadful character ever introduced to the O.C. I have no idea what he meant for her to do.

And Johnny? What was that? Half a season taken up for him to die and Marissa to fall in love with him??

Rating: 1.5 stars.

Season 4-- "The O.C. Has Gone Back to Basics, Bitch." Second best season of the O.C. I've already described it in detail. The series finale was great, not like Six Feet Under's, but somewhat Six Feet Under-esque, with a music video type scenario where we jump forward in he future to see everyone's fate.

The O.C. was truly a great show, that was not really just a teen drama, but something more. It rivals the great shows of today, and, unlike some have said, is NOT an hour-long music video, but a truly great story.
Season 4 shows the O.C. at its best.

Return to Form.......2007-06-27

Having loved the first season of The OC, but being slightly disappointed with seasons two and three, I found four to be a refreshing return to the show I loved. The replacement of Marissa's character with, in my opinion, a much more entertaining and likeable one helped turned this show around, and Ryan's new-found chattiness and humour also made the entire series fun to watch. Another extremely enjoyable part was the evolution of Julie Cooper-Nichol-Roberts as a character. I especially liked the finale, which ended perfectly: all storylines tied up well; sad and yet happy. I loved this final season of The OC, and would recommend it to any fan.

The end's not near, it's here.......2007-06-26

With the death of Marissa Cooper bringing to an end the third season of The O.C., things certainly had to swing upward with the start of the fourth season. While the first few episodes of what turned out to be the final season of this addictive primetime soap opera were a little sluggish, the rest of the season was a return to the glory of season one, albeit a little too late to salvage the show.

Coming into season four, it was likely that this would be the last season for the show, one of my favorites and midway through the season it was announced that the show would conclude after 16 episodes. The announcement did give creator Josh Schwartz enough time to pen a great ending, one that wrapped the series up in a nice bow and presented it to the fans who had been with the show since day one.

But starting the season was tough, as it was six months after Marissa was killed in a traffic accident caused by bad boy Volchok. Ryan (Ben McKenzie) is still traumatized over the death of the girl who had changed his life, and as we open the season, he is working in a seedy bar and cage fighting. But, he has connections with Marissa's mom, Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke), who reaches out to him when her private investigator finds out where Volchok is located.

Ryan's distance is hard on Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan), as they struggle with watching their adopted "son" fall on hard times. In the first few episodes, Ryan is finally convinced to come home to Newport Beach and begin mending his life and his heart.

The early part of the season takes viewers on a trip to Mexico as Ryan and Seth (Adam Brody) look for Volchok south of the border. Sandy and Kirsten follow and eventually, Volchok turns himself in, with Sandy's help, keeping Ryan from going off the deep end and killing him as he truly wanted to do. Sandy's act not only helps Volchok, but helps Ryan stay out of trouble and on the right side of the law.

From there, the season picks up and returns to the soapy drama and humor that made it such a hit in the first season. This season truly found the groove again, thanks in part to a great casting move, one that anybody watching season three would've found hard to believe.

The show runners brought in Taylor Townsend (the gorgeous Autumn Reeser) in season three, seemingly as a foil for the main characters. While she was only a guest star during that season, the new season finds her among the regular stars in the opening credits and her addition to the full time cast was a blessing. She truly brought a lot of the humor that the show needed. Taylor has been away in France in college for the six months since graduation and returns to California with a wedding ring and a need to escape her French husband, Henri-Michel. She finds her reason in Ryan, though their relationship takes some great twists and turns along the way. Ryan trying to express his feelings for Taylor is pretty funny and when Henri-Michel comes to Newport to woo Taylor back to France, it becomes obvious that he has feelings for her even if he can't completely express them.

The relationship with Taylor is Ryan's main story throughout the season, as he is still having a hard time letting go of the memory of Marissa and can't commit to Taylor the way she wants. Watching him struggle to figure out what he is feeling provides a good dose of humor.

Summer (the beautiful Rachel Bilson) has spent her first semester at Brown University where she has undergone major changes. Instead of the Newport girl that left Seth, she is now an environmental activist, wreaking havoc on the Rhode Island campus with her new friend Che (guest star Chris Pratt, who is hilarious in this role). When she gets kicked out of school for setting rabbits free from their cages, she returns to Newport and has to face the fact that her best friend is gone, something she had been putting on a back page during her activist stage.

Seth is working in a comic book store, leaving long messages on Summer's answering machine, longing for the days when he had Ryan and Summer to keep him company in Newport. He soon gets both of them back and things seem to return to "normal" for Seth despite the fact that Summer has obviously changed.

Julie and Kirsten continue as business partners in New Match, a high-end dating service that Julie turns into a male prostitution ring, temporarily ruining her friendship with Kirsten. It is through this business that Julie meets Gordon Bullitt (guest star Gary Grubbs) and Ryan's father, Frank Atwood (guest star Kevin Sorbo). Unable to decide, Julie dates both men, unable to make a choice in her life, despite the best efforts of her daughter Kaitlin (Willa Holland) to get her to choose the wealthy Bullitt.

The return of Ryan's father also brings trouble, much like the return of his mother and brother in previous seasons. Frank has been in jail and initially, Ryan wants nothing to do with him, but Frank lies to get Ryan to see him and the two slowly begin to mend the fences that came down quickly in the past. Ryan even helps Frank on the Julie front, teaming with Taylor to form "Team Frank."

Sandy and Kirsten get a major surprise on Kirsten's 40th birthday, as she reveals she is pregnant and instead of having an empty nest, the couple will be welcoming a new baby, though both parents cringe at the thought of raising another kid in Newport.

Perhaps the highlight of the season was the Chrismukkah episode, where Ryan and Taylor fall off a ladder and end up in an alternate Newport, where Sandy is mayor and married to Julie, Kirsten is still working at the Newport Group and married to Jimmy Cooper (guest star Tate Donovan), Seth is still a geek and Summer is marrying Che (or Chester as he's known in the alternate world). This episode allowed the stars to play different characters for a while and was pretty funny to watch.

The final few episodes wrap the series up very nicely. An earthquake rattles Orange County, putting everyone in danger and it is revealed that the Cohen house has been destroyed. This leads Ryan and Seth on a mission to Berkeley to try and purchase Sandy and Kirsten's first house even as a pregnant (with Frank's kid) Julie prepares to marry Bullitt (and yes, he knows). Sandy and Kirsten fly to Berkeley and end up having the baby in their old house, prompting Julie and Bullitt to move the wedding there as well, eventually convincing the new owners to sell the house to Sandy and Kirsten.

The final few minutes glimpses into the future of the characters, looking at what Ryan, Summer, Seth, Sandy, Kirsten, Julie, Kaitlin and the whole group is up to. It is a great way to end, with everyone seemingly in a good place, just where you might hope they'd be.

This set also has some good extras, which add to the release. Schwartz provides commentary on the series finale and it is well done and informative. There is a couple of good featurettes, one on the creation of Seth's holiday blend, Chrismukkah and another on the evolution of the Summer character, focusing on her transformation from Newport Barbie to well-rounded young woman. Her character did go through possibly the most changes throughout the four-year history of the show.

All told, the season wrapped up well, surely leaving viewers pleased and as a big fan of the show, I think this DVD set did a great job presenting the final 16 episodes.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

My Father and I

Chicken Shack - I'd Rather Go Live

Baby Genius: Underwater Adventures (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Man Who Knew Too Much

Cheaper By The Dozen / Mrs Doubtfire