Biography

Starring:George Burns
Studio: Platinum Disc Corportation
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

About Beatrix Potter
One of the best movies I have ever seen
Pleasant & Enchanting
Inspiring
Feel The Magic

Miss Potter
Starring: Renée Zellweger , Ewan McGregor , Emily Watson , Barbara Flynn , and Bill Paterson
Director: Chris Noonan
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000N4SHOE
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Description

(Drama) The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success.

Customer Reviews:

About Beatrix Potter.......2007-05-05

A great film, couldn't wait to see it as I been a Beatrix Potter fan for a long time. The director and producer did a great job with this film. Although one area is a little dark (when she is going through her depression,) it is still a movie that children could see, after all, it's life. I wish more films were like Miss Potter. I'd go every week. I can't wait to own this on DVD.

One of the best movies I have ever seen.......2007-05-01

My mother and I had the great luck to be able to see this beautiful film and we have both fallen in love with it. The brilliant portrayal of Edwardian England, the sweet romance between Miss Potter and Mr. Warne and the delightful scenery of the lake distrect combine to make this a movie well worth watching. I love that Zellweger is not made up to be stunningly beautiful--she fills her role of the old maid who is surprised by love in a charming, endearing way. McGregor is perfect in his role as the publisher who loved not only the books but their author.
I grew up on Beatrix Potter but was not familiar with the author. I was pleasently surprised by this movie, and can not wait for it to come out on DVD so I can add it to my collection. This is a must see romance and an excelt look into the stiffling social layers of Edwardian England.

Pleasant & Enchanting.......2007-04-02

When I was invited to view this film, admittedly there were a few reservations. A bio of the famous children's author and illustrator in 19th century England was not at the top of my "must see" film list. Although dragged along hesitantly, the film surpassed all expectations, leaving the theatre believing the world is a better place.

Beatrix Potter is a woman to be admired and a model for young women to emulate even in the 21st century. An artist in the fullest sense of the term, she created animal characters and charming stories that continue to be read by millions of children and their parents today. What makes Potter an example is her devotion to her art form and her diligence to be published in a "man's world".

Renee Zellweger is also a true artist, her acting seemingly getting better and better with every new project. Although her English accent has been the butt of jokes in the British media, she has those difficult nuances down pat when speaking the "Queen's English". For this particular role, she trained with a voice coach to ensure the accents authenticity, as many English actresses, wanting the part of the great English author, were poised and ready to pounce on Zellweger's performance, however, her performance left no room for criticism, as her role was played with subtlety and restraint.

One of the many themes in this wonderful film is England's class snobbery, personified beautifully by Barbra Flynn, as Beatrix mother. Ironically, so-called upper middle-class society and money, as Beatrix so eloquently points out in the film, came from the working and merchant trades of the industrial revolution. When Miss Potter wants to marry her publisher (Ewan McGregor) she is prevented from doing so because he comes from the "trade classes". Beatrix attempts to overcome these hypocritical prejudices, and manages to negotiate a proposal to marry the man; however, the tale takes a serious turn at this point, moving the plot in another direction.

Director Chris Noonan, to my knowledge, has not made a film since his masterpiece, Babe. Interestingly in both films animals have the mind and emotions of people. Noonan has brought that same magical atmosphere of Babe to Miss Potter giving each film an innocent quality without falling into sentimentality.

Miss Potter is an enchanting film, pleasant to watch leaving the viewer feeling amiable and positive about the world.

Inspiring.......2007-03-26

This lovely story of the life of Beatrix Potter is both magical in its depiction of her creativity and in the blossoming romance between Beatrix and her publisher. Girls will be inspired by her quest for purpose and independence. It is beautiful to watch and a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Feel The Magic.......2007-01-28

Everyone has a movie or two that captures the imagination and transports them away from the everyday and to a place of pure magic. "Miss Potter" is a near perfect film. When the showing finished on a recent Friday evening screening in Dallas, no one moved from their seats. Yes, the audience was an older, experienced group of folks, but I was moved by how many people apparently felt just as I did -- "This is what movies should be like!"

See it, and you too will likely be spreading the word with an almost missionary zeal. I haven't enjoyed a film this much in 20 years!

Average customer rating:

Hooey, Father of Climatology throws up at thought of Al Gores Incoveinent Lie
To the point education on climate change! Excellent!
I came in as a skeptic and left the same way
An Inconvenient, but nevertheless important, truth
Don't miss it...

An Inconvenient Truth
Starring: Al Gore , and Billy West (II)
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ICL3KG
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Amazon.com

With the fate of our planet arguably hanging in the balance, An Inconvenient Truth may prove to be one of the most important and prescient documentaries of all time. As he jokingly refers to himself, "former President-elect" Al Gore felt an urgent personal calling to draw attention--as he had been doing throughout his political career--to the increasingly desperate crisis of global warming, and this riveting documentary is basically a filmed version (by respected TV director Davis Guggenheim) of the PowerPoint lecture that Gore has presented (by his own estimate, well over 1,000 times) to attentive audiences all over the world. Considering Gore's amiable, low-key approach to charts, graphs, statistics, and photographs that leave no room for doubt regarding the reality (not "theory") of global warming as Earth's ultimate environmental crisis, many viewers will be surprised by just how fascinating and convincing this no-frills film really is.

As we learn about the milestone events that shaped his character (including his sister's death and young son's near-fatal injuries after being struck by a car), Gore sheds the stiff demeanor of his 2000 presidential campaign and impresses us as a man with a mission, transcending partisan politics with an impassioned plea for common sense, ethical forthrightness, and passionate purpose in reversing the harmful effects of global warming through personal and political responsibility. Some may accuse Gore of exploiting global warming as a Democratic platform, but his honest conviction regarding this "inconvenient truth" (i.e. overwhelming evidence of global warming that's troublesome to those whose interests are threatened by Gore's irrefutable message) is likely to silence all but the most obtusely stubborn detractors. By taking the high road and discreetly avoiding a full-on assault against the George W. Bush administration (which has steadfastly avoided "the inconvenient truth" with obfuscating spin control and policies favoring the oil industry), Gore effectively rises above political differences with a stern but hopeful eye toward a better future for our children.--Jeff Shannon

Description

Director Davis Guggenheim eloquently weaves the science of global warming with Al Gore's personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change in the most talked-about documentary of the year. An audience and critical favorite, An Inconvenient Truth makes the compelling case that global warming is real, man-made, and its effects will be cataclysmic if we don't act now. Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way: often humorous, frequently emotional, always fascinating. In the end, An Inconvenient Truth accomplishes what all great films should: it leaves the viewer shaken, involved and inspired.

Customer Reviews:

Hooey, Father of Climatology throws up at thought of Al Gores Incoveinent Lie.......2007-07-08

Father of Climatology Throws Up at the Thought of Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth'
Posted by Noel Sheppard on June 18, 2007 - 11:46.
Reid Bryson, the 87-year-old considered to be the father of scientific climatology, has once again spoken out strongly against anthropogenic global warming theories being regularly disseminated by alarmists in the media and the scientific community.

In an interview published by Wisconsin's Capital Times Monday, Bryson spoke about the money involved in this "religion," and when asked about soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore's schlockumentary "An Inconvenient Truth" marvelously responded (emphasis added throughout):

"Don't make me throw up...It is not science. It is not true."

But Bryson had loads more to say on this issue (better fasten your seatbelts!):

There is no question the earth has been warming. It is coming out of the "Little Ice Age," he said in an interview this week.

"However, there is no credible evidence that it is due to mankind and carbon dioxide. We've been coming out of a Little Ice Age for 300 years. We have not been making very much carbon dioxide for 300 years. It's been warming up for a long time," Bryson said.

Think Bryson will be interviewed any time soon by Katie, Charlie, or Brian? Regardless, the article continued:

The Little Ice Age was driven by volcanic activity. That settled down so it is getting warmer, he said.

Humans are polluting the air and adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, but the effect is tiny, Bryson said.

"It's like there is an elephant charging in [sic, the room] and you worry about the fact that there is a fly sitting on its head. It's just a total misplacement of emphasis," he said. "It really isn't science because there's no really good scientific evidence."

Just because almost all of the scientific community believes in man-made global warming proves absolutely nothing, Bryson said. "Consensus doesn't prove anything, in science or anywhere else, except in democracy, maybe."

For the alarmists who love to depict every skeptic as being on the take of oil companies:

Bryson, 87, was the founding chairman of the department of meteorology at UW-Madison and of the Institute for Environmental Studies, now known as the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. He retired in 1985, but has gone into the office almost every day since. He does it without pay.

"I have now worked for zero dollars since I retired, long enough that I have paid back the people of Wisconsin every cent they paid me to give me a wonderful, wonderful career. So we are even now. And I feel good about that," said Bryson.

How refreshing. Can the alarmists in the scientific community - and folks like soon-to-be-Dr. Al Gore - claim that they are doing their "work" for nothing? Read on:

So, if global warming isn't such a burning issue, why are thousands of scientists so concerned about it?

"Why are so many thousands not concerned about it?" Bryson shot back.

"There is a lot of money to be made in this," he added. "If you want to be an eminent scientist you have to have a lot of grad students and a lot of grants. You can't get grants unless you say, 'Oh global warming, yes, yes, carbon dioxide.'"

Bryson then pointed out how the media work:

Reporters will often call the meteorology building seeking the opinion of a scientist and some beginning graduate student will pick up the phone and say he or she is a meteorologist, Bryson said. "And that goes in the paper as 'scientists say.'"

The word of this young graduate student then trumps the views of someone like Bryson, who has been working in the field for more than 50 years, he said. "It is sort of a smear."

Of course, then some ignoramus will copy the opinions of this graduate student and dissiminate them throughout the blogosphere as yet another example of the consensus. NewsBusters members should be very familiar with this:

Bryson said he recently wrote something on the subject and two graduate students told him he was wrong, citing research done by one of their professors. That professor, Bryson noted, is probably the student of one of his students.

"Well, that professor happened to be wrong," he said.

Sound familiar? And this is why many view all of this nonsense as "junk science":

"There is very little truth to what is being said and an awful lot of religion. It's almost a religion. Where you have to believe in anthropogenic (or man-made) global warming or else you are nuts."

Yep. I've witnessed that as well. Of course, what is the real science involved:

While Bryson doesn't think that global warming is man-made, he said there is some evidence of an effect from mankind, but not an effect of carbon dioxide.

For example, in Wisconsin in the last 100 years the biggest heating has been around Madison, Milwaukee and in the Southeast, where the cities are. There was a slight change in the Green Bay area, he said. The rest of the state shows no warming at all.

"The growth of cities makes it hotter, but that was true back in the 1930s, too," Bryson said. "Big cities were hotter than the surrounding countryside because you concentrate the traffic and you concentrate the home heating. And you modify the surface, you pave a lot of it."

Yet, the most wonderful part of this interview was:

Bryson didn't see Al Gore's movie about global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth."

"Don't make me throw up," he said. "It is not science. It is not true."

Bravo, Mr. Bryson. And thanks.

To the point education on climate change! Excellent!.......2007-07-08

This DVD does a great job of summarizing the climate change issues, what the problems are, what can be done and why the current administration has not addressed it and in fact has ignored, blocked honest information and lied about climate issues as a problem. It also addresses why the press has not kept the faith and reported this in a forth right manner.

It amazes me how clear and obvious it is when you are presented the facts. Its also amazing how so many respected scientist and experts were ignored adn punished because the facts they were presenting were inconvenient to the oil companies and politicians. If acknowledged those facts would force politicians to take this seriously and DO something.

Its rather embarrassing to the United States (and should be to us as voters)that we are politically ignoring this while much of the rest of the worlds governments have been doing something about pollution and climate change for years.

For example, did you know that one of the most signficant reasons US made cars have trouble selling in the rest of the world is not because of competitiveness or pricing? Its because the US emission standards for US made cars are below the rest of the world, and therefore US cars do not meet those standards and cannot be sold in those countries.

There would be many more jobs in the US, an auto industry that was doing well and the auto unions would have more of what they want if we could sell more cars overseas. But the current administration does not want the emission standards to rise because this would result in better fuel economy and less gas sales, hurting the administrations friends in the oil industry. What ever happened to politicians doing what is best for the electorate and all of the US? Best for the world and future children? Embarrassing.

Mr Gore does a great job of making this easy to follow and its very understandable. He backs up his observations, insights and comments with facts.

Read the book as well. Its fills in a lot more detail that is not possible to do in a DVD version.

Thank you Mr Gore for taking the risk of this unpolpular issue and making this your cause for over 20 years.

I came in as a skeptic and left the same way.......2007-07-08

How one feels about this film is likely going to depend on your views on Global Warming Theory. It's a film that's designed to preach to the choir on the dangers of Global Warming, but it doesn't do so in the best way.

The movie is entertaining. Al Gore, who I would've voted for in 2000 had I been allowed to do so, is a very engaging speaker, and I loved the clip from "Futurama" that was used in the movie.

But there were some problems I had. The most notable was a shot of Gore standing front of a graph that, I think, was supposed to illustrate the increase in global tempratures. The thing is, there were no lables on the graph, and it was therefore meaningless.

The movie also failed to answer some basic questions I have had about Global Warming Theory. Things like why temps seemed higher in the late 1930's and early 1940's, how many of our temprature records are skewed by Urban Heat Islands and the end of the Little Ice Age, whether or not an increase in global tempratures might actually have a net positive benefit to humanity as a whole (longer growing seasons in Siberia and Canada, for example), why we think the climate is PERFECT and should stay this way NO MATTER WHAT, and, most importantly, how can we possibly make accurate predictions on what the climate might be like 10, 20, 50, 100 years hence, when we couldn't even accurately guess what the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season was going to be like?

No, this film didn't answer, or even really ask, any of these questions, and that's a problem for me. On the other hand, it was a fairy entertaining movie, and I've certainly seen propaganda films that were less entertaining (and have no doubts, this IS a propaganda film. It's designed to push a certain point of view. There's not anything neccessarily WRONG with that, but you need to keep it in mind when seeing it).

As a final word, let me say that while I do remain very skeptical of Global Warming Theory, I also think it doesn't matter. Not even slightly. I think stomping out pollution is a worthwhile goal in of itself. I think the point of cleaning up our air and water should be to have clean air and water. Ultimately if we can accomplish that, then what else matters?

An Inconvenient, but nevertheless important, truth.......2007-07-07

This is a video that every person in the country, maybe world, should see. I have bought copies for all my children. This is such an important topic. It affects the world that our children and grandchildren will inherit. Buy this film.

Don't miss it..........2007-07-04

Essential viewing for anyone who DOESN'T want to commit suicide, individually or collectively! Clarity, humour, and candid dialogue on how to avoid global warming. I have bought 3 and have given them as presents. I can't underline how important I think this dvd is.

Average customer rating:

Burton and O'Toole in The Grand Manner
a classic
Superb Film
Becket
Becket

Becket
Starring: Richard Burton , Peter O'Toole , John Gielgud , Donald Wolfit , and Martita Hunt
Director: Peter Glenville
Manufacturer: MPI Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007G1WH
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com essential video

Made in 1964, but set in 12th-century England, this is the fact-based story of Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and his dear friend, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Richard Burton). When the king appoints his former drinking buddy to the high religious office, he believes he has placed an ally into power. Instead, he learns that Thomas very much takes his job to heart, prompting Henry to ask that fateful question--"Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

This won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, and it is a strong example of finely tuned performances--both leading men received Academy Award nominations for their roles. There is much passion and rage on the screen, but the beauty of their performances is that we always know that love is there as well. The film, shot on location in England, is also visually appealing. Trivia buffs may be interested to know that Peter O'Toole played Henry II four years later in The Lion in Winter. --Rochelle O'Gorman

On the DVD

The primary bonus feature is a treat: a feature-length commentary by Peter O'Toole, accompanied by a moderator. With only occasional gaps of silence, the still sharp and well-spoken O'Toole recalls the making of the film, how he didn't research the historical King Henry ("The author has made the character; that's his job. My job is to play it."), and his memories of Richard Burton, both personal ("We found that we both enjoyed rugby, we both enjoyed songs, and we both enjoyed drinking, and got along very well.") and professional ("he had an astonishing presence on the stage"). There are also two archival interviews with Burton from 1967 and 1977 (26 minutes total), in which he doesn't discuss Becket, but he does say a lot about his life on stage, he recites some lines, and speaks candidly about his drinking problem.

Don't skip over the interviews with the film's editor Anne Coates and composer Laurence Rosenthal. Coates (7 minutes) has some good stories, and Rosenthal (12 minutes) discusses the influences on his Oscar-nominated score and how he had to teach Gregorian chant to Burton ("He was one of these people whom you really can't teach anything. He had this characteristic that you can only remind him of something he already knows. But he didn't know how to sing Gregorian chant."). In addition to a photo gallery and the four-and-a-half-minute theatrical trailer, MPI's long-delayed DVD looks better than many major-studio classics. --David Horiuchi

Beyond Becket

Other Peter O'Toole Films
Other Richard Burton Films
More King Henrys on DVD

Stills from Becket (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

Burton and O'Toole in The Grand Manner.......2007-07-06

Like most dramas by Jean Anouih (1910-1987), BECKET essentially sets two larger-than-life characters against each other in a relationship fueled by widening ideological rifts. In this instance, the rift is between the holy and the secular. King Henry II of England, who--frustrated by the frequent interference of the Roman Catholic Church in his rule--manages to have friend Thomas Becket appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury. He expects Becket to act on his behalf--and is shocked when Becket undergoes a spiritual transformation and takes his office seriously.

The 1959 play was tremendous successful throughout Europe, in England, and in the United States. In 1964 it reached the screen with Richard Burton as Becket, Peter O'Toole as Henry II, such notables as John Gielgud as Louis VII of France. The film was extremely well-received and received numerous critical accolades, particularly for Burton and O'Toole. It was not, however, widely available to the home market until this 2007 MPI DVD release.

In a technical sense, BECKET looks better than ever; the transfer is very crisp and the picture likely looks better here than it did on the 1964 big screen. At the same time, however, it is very evident that this is a film that really is best seen on the big screen, where the larger than life characters and their ideological battles have the advantage of a scope to equal their nature. It also has a slightly stagey quality, most often in the script, which doesn't quite manage to shed the theatrical trappings of the original.

Even so, there's a great deal to admire, and the leading actors are most certainly chief among them. Burton and O'Toole wench, brawl, argue, and explode with invective with complete conviction; it would be hard, if not impossible, to say which gives the better performance here. Gielgud is particularly memorable in his brief appearance as Louis VII--and Sian Philips, Pamela Brown, and Martita Hunt make the most of their relatively small roles as well.

The DVD has several notable bonuses. I personally found the interviews with Richard Burton, archeival footage from 1967 and 1977, slightly over rated--but the "featurettes" on editor Anne V. Coats and composer Laurence Rosenthal are excellent, and the DVD commentary by O'Toole is consistently fascinating. I personally find the film as a whole a bit dry--Coats, tellingly, makes the comment that if the producers had put just a bit more money into BECKET it would have an undeniable masterpiece--but fans of the film will find this particular package an extremely welcome one.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

a classic.......2007-07-05

Burton and O'Toole are wonderful in this historical drama based on the realtionship between Henry II and Thomas Becket. This edition has a commentary by O'Toole which enhances the experience if you watch it first and then watch the film. There are also a couple of interviews with Burton that are very interesting. Great acting by two of our most gifted artists.

Superb Film.......2007-07-03

With all the junk movies in the theaters and out on the store shelves, I am relieved & happy to see such a classic film re-released on DVD. This is a superb film by any standard! Watching Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole perform together -- two of the greatest actors who ever lived -- is a magnificent experience. It reminds you of how numbed out we have become by bad acting and bad writing. Do yourself a tremendous favor and buy it.

Becket .......2007-07-02

I loved this movie. Why we have had to wait so long for the DVD release, is the real question I would like answered. This is one of the great films of all time and perhaps because it came out the same year as My Fair Lady, in which it lost most of the awards it was nominated for, it may have been forgotten. I think MPI deserves a lot of credit for finally putting this out. I only wonder why Paramount didn't do this a long time ago.

Becket.......2007-06-29

Becket is a powerful movie. Great content, educational and with excellent play by two great actors.

Average customer rating:

CROSSING OVER.
About Suffering They Were Never Wrong, The Old Masters
Great in some parts, drags in others
So powerful
A very moving and sometimes upsetting documentary.

The Bridge
Director: Eric Steel
Manufacturer: Koch Lorber Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000O76PXK
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

Director Eric Steel has succeeded in making one of the most morbid documentaries ever, The Bridge. Starring several deceased Golden Gate Bridge jumpers, The Bridge is a eulogy comprised of interviews with their loved ones and friends who reminisce about those who succeeded in committing suicide in the San Francisco Bay. Spliced between interview footage are shots of the bridge in all its majesty, surrounded by fog, and being enjoyed by tourists. Meant to represent The Bridge as a rounded character, one of beauty punctuated by tragedy, this film is assuredly touching for the affected families. It's an important step in the grieving process, but feels random viewed by one who didn't know these mentally disturbed citizens. As a conceptual investigation into suicidal motivations, the documentary succeeds, though midway through viewing one begins to feel like an interloper at various funerals. We hear of one woman's battle with schizophrenia, another man's death obsession, and several retellings of those who witnessed the horrendous events. Like Grey Gardens, The Bridge captivates by triggering one's love of sensationalism, but fortunately the film's sincerity undercuts any inkling of gossip column crime reporting. This tribute to suicide victims serves as an oblique tribute to The Bridge, as an honest portrayal of its history, gritty though important to remember. --Trinie Dalton

Description

The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic structure; a symbol of San Francisco, the West, freedom - and something more, something spiritual, something words cannot describe.
The director and crew spent an entire year focusing on the Bridge. Running cameras for almost every daylight minute, they documented nearly two dozen suicides and a great many unrealized attempts. In addition, the director captured nearly 100 hours of incredibly frank, deeply personal, often heart-wrenching interviews with the families and friends of the departed, as well as with several of the attempters themselves.
THE BRIDGE is a visual and visceral journey into one of life's gravest taboos, offering glimpses into the darkest, and possibly most impenetrable corners of the human mind.

Customer Reviews:

CROSSING OVER........2007-07-08

SUICIDE IS STILL A TABOO, SO THIS FLY ON THE WALL PORTRAYAL NEEDED TO BE SENSITIVE TO AVOID THE PITFALLS OF VOYERISM , THANKFULLY THE DELICATE SUBJECT MATTER IS NEVER USED AS GORY ENTERTAINMENT FODDER. BRUTALLY HONEST YET ACHINGLY SAD THE SMALL DEDICATED TEAM HAVE CREATED A MINOR MASTERPIECE HERE AND DESERVE ALL THE CREDIT FOR TACKLING SUCH A DIFFICULT TOPIC. THE INCIDENTAL MUSIC BLENDS PERFECTLY WITH THE SOMBRE MOOD, THE INCLUSION OF SON VOLTS' WORLD WAITS FOR YOU ,TYPIFIES THE EMPATHY AND CARE USED IN THE MAKING OF THIS STELLAR WORK,

About Suffering They Were Never Wrong, The Old Masters.......2007-07-07

_The Bridge_ was inspired by a 2003 New Yorker article called "Jumpers" by Tad Friend.

The most disturbing, and the most controversial, aspect of the film is that you witness actual suicides as they take place. Steel was able to capture nearly all the suicides that took place in 2004 by setting up cameras and letting them run. Steel then interviewed friends and family members of people who jumped. What emerges is a story about intense pain and desperation, people who felt they were somehow on the outside of life. What also emerges is a story about the rest of us who really don't want to know about such things because they bring us pain.

It's been nearly week since I saw the film, and I'm still haunted by the images, the people. I can't shake the thought that I witnessed their last act. One of them was a young man named Gene. I keep seeing him in my mind's eye, walking up and down the railing, his long black hair flying in the wind, waiting, searching, for the right moment to jump.

This, of course, is Eric Steel's intent: I'm not supposed to be able to shake the images. I'm supposed to be disturbed by them.

Watching, I thought of W.H. Auden's poem, "Musee des Beaux Arts":

About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters; how well, they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening
a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

1940

Steel wants viewers to make the connection to Auden's poem, I think. The spirit of the poem is suggested in the imagery several times. Steel shows us that suffering takes place all around us. Yet we don't notice because we have "somewhere to get to." We sail "calmly on."

If you're looking for light entertainment or factual documentary, this film is not for you. I love dark themes and thought-provoking material, and I don't think anything else I've ever seen matches the intensity of this film. _The Bridge_ will encourage viewers to think deeply about artistic and social responsibility. And the film will engage you in a little known or thought about aspect of life.

Great in some parts, drags in others.......2007-07-04

Way too much static 'people talking to camera' to carry this movie. Overly introspective. Would have benefited from quicker pacing. For example, the section on Kevin Hines, who survived a plunge from the bridge, really begins to drag on and on long after the relevant points have been made.

'The Bridge' might have been strengthened by talking with some of the bridge workers or Coast Guard in order to round out the whole experience of Golden Gate jumpers.

On the plus side, the cinematography is great. As I understand it, the produced used off-the-street local camera talent....which says something about how fertile a place SanFran is for the arts. Also, the narrative leading up to a couple of jumpers works well....sure wish he had been able to interview Gene Sprague's mother.

Great dramatic effect created by interspersing cuts of various people which leaves you guessing which one will go over the rail.

Overall, a good movie.

.

So powerful.......2007-06-27

I wasn't sure what to expect with this DVD. It is beautiful, terrifying and gut-wrenching. Seeing people end their life and listening to their friends and loved ones trying to make sense of it is a world we don't get to see into very often, nor do most of us want to. This is an amazing piece of journalism.

A very moving and sometimes upsetting documentary........2007-06-26

As of today's date, this documentary still has no release date in Australia. I have been waiting for the U.S. DVD release as it is a film I have wanted to see after first reading about it in 2006. I watched it tonight by myself without any pre-conceptions and I have been touched, moved and brought to tears in a documentary that handles its subject matter with both taste and compassion. Suicide of any kind is never an easy subject to talk about let alone make a film about. I give Eric Steel 10 out of 10 for this very poignant work and Alex Heffes the same for his haunting piano score that weaves effortlessly throughout the film.

Average customer rating:

Best music you'll ever hear all in one place
The Last Waltz
good music
Just adding to
The Standard for Concert Films - A Trip down Memory Lane!

The Last Waltz
Starring: The Band , Paul Butterfield , Rick Danko , Dr. John , and Emmylou Harris
Manufacturer: MGM
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Last Waltz
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The Last Waltz
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ASIN: B00003CXB1
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Amazon.com

Martin Scorsese's 1978 capsule history of the Band is mixed with footage of the group's allegedly last performance (certainly their last performance as a quintet) in this particularly stylish concert film. Scorsese shoots the players and their sundry guests with the same flair and enthusiasm one can see in the later The Color of Money or Goodfellas. He also proves a good interviewer with Band members, particularly Robbie Robertson, whose sleepy-sexy good looks make a star-caliber impression in close-up. But the film's real hook is the stage show, which features a rotation of rock legends (Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Paul Butterfield, Bob Dylan, and so on) playing with the Band before a wildly appreciative audience. --Tom Keogh

Description

It started as a concert. It became a celebration. Join an unparalleled lineup of rock superstars asthey celebrate The Band's historic 1976 farewell performance. Directed by Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas), The Last Waltz is not only "the most beautiful rock film evermade" (New York Times) it's "one of the most important cultural events of the last two decades" (Rolling Stone)!

Customer Reviews:

Best music you'll ever hear all in one place.......2007-07-08

This movie LOOKS fabulous also. The history and highlight of rock and roll. Filmed by an artist, Scorsese gives viewers a breath-taking experience. Emotionally loaded, you'll be tired after watching ALL this high-energy REAL Art! Music that transcends will amaze all ages. Should be in the video library of every home.

The Last Waltz.......2007-07-05

Hailed as the greatest concert movie ever, it just may be. Robbie Robertson, the film's producer and guiding light behind The Band, is charismatic off-stage, electric on-stage. All the guest musicians sing and play at the top of their games. Highlights include Joni Mitchell's "Coyote", Waters's earthy, soulful "Mannish Boy", Dr. John's dreamy "Such A Night", and Clapton's jaw-dropping guitar work on "Further On Up The Road". Scorsese hired top directors of photography to film this event from every conceivable angle, and the result is an intimate, exhilarating ride into the heart of rock music.

good music.......2007-06-14

this dvd is excellent. there is nothing else to be said.

Just adding to.......2007-06-08

There's enough reviews of this Classic. I'm 50+ and showed my copy of this DVD to my teenage kids last Thanksgiving. They were enthralled! My daughter asked for it as a gift for her graduation from UT (uhhh, I guess that means she's not a teenager anymore! but my son is and a Music major at UT). That about says it all I think.

The Standard for Concert Films - A Trip down Memory Lane!.......2007-05-16

Viewing "The Last Waltz," was like a trip down rock history memory lane. This is the DVD you show your children to introduce them to rock music of the seventies. The direction of Martin Scorsese provides the viewer with insightful interviews coupled with lush musical productions. I am still trying to decide on my favorite performance - there are just too many! Also, buy the CD - you will not be disappointed.

Yankee Doodle Dandy (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Outstanding Warner's DVD edition
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Cagney at his best
Fun movie for the whole family!
Yankee Doodle Dandy

Yankee Doodle Dandy (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: James Cagney , Joan Leslie , Walter Huston , Richard Whorf , and Irene Manning
Director: Michael Curtiz , Carl H. Lindahl , and Friz Freleng
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00005JKS8
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Amazon.com essential video

James Cagney thrills in a rare (and limber) song-and-dance performance as composer-entertainer George M. Cohan. This nostalgic biography is told in flashbacks, covering Cohan's formative years becoming Broadway's brightest star and touching upon his loves, musicals, and artistic triumphs. Director Michael Curtiz (The Adventures of Robin Hood) offers Cagney ample opportunities to invent an utterly charming performance in what is practically a one-man show. If you've never seen Cagney as a hoofer, you're in for a treat: his dancing is as dynamic as anything else he's ever done on screen. --Tom Keogh

Description

A nostalgic view of the golden era of show business and the man who made it glitter--George M. Cohan. His early days, triumphs, songs, musicals and romances.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Warner's DVD edition .......2007-07-04

The merits of this film are well known - James Cagney's legendary performance, superb direction by Michal Curtiz, a great supporting cast and outstanding production values. As a wartime valentine to American patriotism, the film was a total success but what makes this DVD set so special is the generous extras with which Warner Brothers have presented one of their most famous films. Try this for starters:

- a detailed documentary on Cagney presented by Michael Fox full of clips and including comments from his daughter and Joan Leslie, among others.
- a detailed documentary on the film itself and a commentary to be played with the film by the pleasantly spoken Rudy Behlmer. Behlmer had access to the daily production notes and he tracks the filming in minute detail.
- a superb short film starring Cagney with Ann Sothern but showcasing little Margaret O'brien. Cagney plays a family man who imagines the effect of an air raid on his daughter if they lived in parts of the world which were being bombed, unlike America. The short is more powerful than any number of war films which came out of Hollywood during this period and O'Brien is extraordinary.
- audio outtakes and rehearsals from the film's soundtrack

This is only part of what is here. It is overwhelming and any purchaser could not fail to become an expert on the film after viewing/listening to all the extras. This DVD is outstanding value.

Yankee Doodle Dandy.......2007-06-25

Exuberant slice of Americana is Cagney's show entirely, netting him his only Oscar (even after all those gangster roles!). The actor actually began his career as a song-and-dance man, and here he gets to prove it, in a series of rousing, nostalgic numbers that keep the rich Cohan legacy alive. Walter Huston (John's dad, Angelica's grand-dad) stands out in a sterling supporting cast playing George's loving Dad. Good enough to watch any old time, but a must for Independence Day.

Cagney at his best.......2007-03-27

I've been a fan of this exuberant movie musical since I first saw it at the age of ten. Cagney is wonderful playing song and dance man George M Cohan. His energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I always get a lift when I watch this film. Granted, it's an idealized look at George M Cohan. But as pure escapism, this is WWII Hollywood at its best.
This two disc collection is a gem. The special features are interesting and fun, but I bought it so that I could watch the movie, and marvel again and again at Cagney's well deserved Oscar winning performance. Yes, it's a flag waving, patriotic spectacle. And what's wrong with that?

Fun movie for the whole family!.......2007-03-03

This is a great movie! I grew up watching this and was so happy to find it on DVD. I can now enjoy it for more years and introduce a new generation to the Cohans.

Yankee Doodle Dandy.......2007-01-12

Love this Old time favorite. James Cagney is just marvelous in this movie.

Impossible to Forget: The Story of the '67 Boston Red Sox

Average customer rating:

"Now Cinderella Tries on Slipper" (Globe headline on eve of Game 7)
good DVD set...but missing something..THE PLAYERS!!!

Impossible to Forget: The Story of the '67 Boston Red Sox
Starring: Impossible to Forget: the Story of the 1967 Red So
Manufacturer: Arts Alliance Amer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox: Pandemonium on the Field
Yastrzemski (Icons of Major League Baseball)
Rico Petrocelli's Tales from the Impossible Dream Red Sox
75: The Red Sox Team that Saved Baseball
Senior Year: A Father, A Son, and High School Baseball

ASIN: B000PC1PAM
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Description

The 1967 Boston Red Sox are the most beloved, mythical team in the history of Boston sports. Now, forty years later, experience the magic of this season with the special 40th Anniversary DVD. Here again are the "forever young" heroes of that campaign, including the fiery rookie manager Dick Williams . . . young sluggers George Scott, Rico Petrocelli, and Reggie Smith . . . cult heroes Jerry Adair, Jose Tartabull, Billy Rohr, John Wyatt, and Elston Howard . . . the talented and tragic Tony C . . . pitching ace and Cy Young winner Jim Lonborg . . . and Triple Crown winner, American League MVP, and All-Everything Carl Yastzremski. This amazing 2-DVD Collector's Set comes complete with a 26 page history of the 1967 "Impossible Dream" season. DVD BONUS FEATURES Original Impossible Dream documentary broadcast in 1967 and narrated by Ken Coleman and Don Gillis Over 30 '67 Red Sox vignettes...historical highlights from the '67 Season. 26 Page commemorative booklet with a chapter excerpt from the Houghton/Mifflin book, "Red Sox Century" by Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson. Bonus DVD! - Complete Game Broadcast of Red Sox vs. Twins in the penultimate game of season, September 30, 1967 which got them into the World Series.

Customer Reviews:

"Now Cinderella Tries on Slipper" (Globe headline on eve of Game 7).......2007-07-02

1967 forever changed baseball in Boston. It is hard to believe but there were fewer than 1000 people in attendance at some games in the early part of that decade even though unreserved grandstand seats could be had for $.75. That situation changed for the next 40 years as the 67 team went from last to first, clinching the pennant on the last day of the season in a 4 team race and building a new generation of fans who remain with the team today.

This DVD relives that year in 48 minutes. Some of the highlights (such as the fight in Yankee Stadium) are very clean. Others may not be of the same high quality but are still fun to watch. The corny Impossible Dream verse read by Ken Coleman and Don Gillis is bearable if you remember that it was written at the time and reflects the era. If you can take the Carl Yastrzemski song, you can probably deal with anything.

This is pre-steroid and free agent baseball. Players would paint houses or work other jobs in the off season to keep going. There is an innocence to the game that shows through the scenes in the DVD.

There is a bonus inclusion of the Impossible Dream television special from 1967. This gives you a look into production values and attitudes of the time in addition to the game. This is the first time I have seen the video since I first saw it at 14 years old and I still got a thrill out of it.

There is a separate DVD with the penultimate game against the Twins. This game is as exciting as the final game and is highlighted by a Yaz home run.

good DVD set...but missing something..THE PLAYERS!!!.......2007-06-13

Hi...
I was very anxious to get this DVD set..even though I'm from Southern California I was a big fan of the Red Sox as a young fan and of YAZ and Lonborg etc...and looking forward to this 40th Anniversary set. The extra features are fun but the main program is a scant 48 minutes and while it has good footage and a nice storytelling to it..ALL of the interviewees are Boston area columnists or politicians NO PLAYERS?!!! I was so dissapointed to not have YAZ or Jim or Rico or any of them on the program. The extra features are vignettes (that curiously have the odd player interview?) an old documentary of around 48 minutes that is horribly faded and hard to watch and the second disc is a complete game from the final weekend series with the Twins. They mention that it is the OLDEST complete game in baseball available in color...so its a valuable piece of history. Unfortunately it isn't the clincher with Lonborg...but the game the day before...still a valuable curiosity, and the main thing making me not rate this much lower as its cool.

Sadly I'm not sure I'll visit this set very often ..if more than once on most features...

Average customer rating:

Still My All-Time Favorite!
A Favorite Film
Classic
It Moved Me.
Some of Barry's Best Work

Out of Africa
Starring: Meryl Streep , Robert Redford , Klaus Maria Brandauer , Michael Kitchen , and Malick Bowens
Director: Sydney Pollack
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0783240171
Release Date: 2000-02-29

Amazon.com essential video

Sydney Pollack's 1985 multiple-Oscar winner is a sumptuous and emotionally satisfying film about the life of Danish writer Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), better known as Isak Dinesen, who travels to Kenya to be with her German husband (Klaus Maria Brandauer) but falls for an English adventurer (Robert Redford). The film is slow in developing the relationship, but it is rich in beautiful images of Africa and in the romantic tone surrounding Blixen's gradual discovery of her life and voice. One downside: while we may all love Redford, he is as convincingly British as Kevin Costner is in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. --Tom Keogh

Description

The most acclaimed motion picture of 1985 stars Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in one of the screen's great epic romances. Directed by Oscar winner Sydney Pollack, Out of Africa is the fascinating true story of Karen Blixen, a strong-willed woman who, with her philandering husband (Klaus Maria Brandauer), runs a coffee plantation in Kenya, circa 1914. To her astonishment, she soon discovers herself falling in love with the land, its people and a mysterious white hunter (Redford). The masterfully crafted, breathtakingly produced story of love and loss earned Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay (based on material from another medium), Cinematography, Original Score, Art Direction (Set Decoration) and Sound.

Customer Reviews:

Still My All-Time Favorite!.......2007-07-04

This true story's appeal is for all generations.A movie that intrigues and captivates as it tells of courage and perseverance while maintaining a tension of romance throughout.It is made of everything a great story should be.Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are the perfect actors for these roles.Immerse yourself!

A Favorite Film.......2007-06-09

This is one of my two favorite films of all time. The sweep and grandeur, along with the beautiful human elements makes this film a keeper!

Classic.......2007-06-08

This is one of the great classic films with wonderful actors, beautiful story and great photography. Love It

It Moved Me........2007-06-05

A masterpiece of cinematic beauty. This film is based on Danish writer Karen Blixen's(Isak Dinesen)years in Africa. One of the great performances of Meryl Streep, in a career of many great performances.

The story of a strong, yet very sensitive woman who follows her husband to Kenya to start a Coffee Plantation. His philandering ways soon leaves her with syphilis. Of course their relationship ends, and she is romanced by the Brit' Denys Finch Hatton, played by Robert Redford minus an ascent. One of the few often heard complaints during the film's release. But their chemistry still makes for one of the great screen romances ever.

1985's Best Motion Picture Academy Award winner, a year that saw many superb films. One of my other favorites that year was "The Color Purple", either one of which was worthy of the award in my book. Sydney Pollack also received the Best Director Academy Award for some of his most ingenius work. One of the most beautifully photographed films is magnificently transferred to DVD, though if you've never seen it on the big screen don't miss the opportunity should it ever arise. And John Barry's musical score makes for an even more breathtaking experience.

Some of Barry's Best Work.......2007-05-11

Everything it seems, has been said about this gorgeous film, except perhaps about the sound track. John Barry's work is outstanding and seems to enhance the move at its most powerful moments. The lasting impression I have more than two decades after the movie is the "Flight over Africa," when Denys takes his love up for a flight in his plane. I could watch - and listen - a million times and be enthralled every time.

Average customer rating:

A Masterpiece
A movie that will change your life.
Necessary
needs no review
a whole new language

Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Liam Neeson , Ben Kingsley , Ralph Fiennes , Caroline Goodall , and Jonathan Sagall
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00012QM8G
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Product Description

Winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, it also won every major Best Picture Awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Society of Film Critics, the National Board of Review, the Producers Guild, the Los Angeles Film Critics, the Chicago, Boston and Dallas Film Critics; a Christopher Award; and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Golden Globe Awards. Steven Spielberg was further honored with the Directors Guild of America Award.

The film presents the indelible true story of the enigmatic Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party, womanizer, and war profiteer who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. It is the triumph of one man who made a difference, and the drama of those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history because of what he did.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film, which also won Academy Awards for Screenplay, Cinematography, Music, Editing, and Art Direction, stars an acclaimed cast headed by Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagalle, and Embeth Davidtz.

System Requirements:

Running Time 196 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Steven Spielberg had a banner year in 1993. He scored one of his biggest commercial hits that summer with the mega-hit Jurassic Park, but it was the artistic and critical triumph of Schindler's List that Spielberg called "the most satisfying experience of my career." Adapted from the best-selling book by Thomas Keneally and filmed in Poland with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, Spielberg's masterpiece ranks among the greatest films ever made about the Holocaust during World War II. It's a film about heroism with an unlikely hero at its center--Catholic war profiteer Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who risked his life and went bankrupt to save more than 1,000 Jews from certain death in concentration camps.

By employing Jews in his crockery factory manufacturing goods for the German army, Schindler ensures their survival against terrifying odds. At the same time, he must remain solvent with the help of a Jewish accountant (Ben Kingsley) and negotiate business with a vicious, obstinate Nazi commandant (Ralph Fiennes) who enjoys shooting Jews as target practice from the balcony of his villa overlooking a prison camp. Schindler's List gains much of its power not by trying to explain Schindler's motivations, but by dramatizing the delicate diplomacy and determination with which he carried out his generous deeds.

As a drinker and womanizer who thought nothing of associating with Nazis, Schindler was hardly a model of decency; the film is largely about his transformation in response to the horror around him. Spielberg doesn't flinch from that horror, and the result is a film that combines remarkable humanity with abhorrent inhumanity--a film that functions as a powerful history lesson and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the context of a living nightmare. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A Masterpiece.......2007-07-06

A masterpiece that virtually swept the Oscars, Schindler's List will stand the test of time as one of the best movies ever made. For those unfamiliar with the movie, the title Schindler's List comes from the man Oscar Schindler who saved some Jews during World War II from the Holocaust. Of the survivors, that bloodline has Ingrid Pitt and Liam Neesan as the two most famous people who survived. Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany with his book, an autobiography called Mein Kampf, meaning My Struggle. He was quickly elected Germany's military and political leader, blaming the Jews for all of Germany's problems. Why the Jews? They had money and didn't spend it; they were horrible for the economy. To make a long story short, when the majority of a country's people are only spending weak sums on a holiday season, the value of the dollar inflates, driving up prices for every day things. Because the Nazis were worried about popular, they didn't show graphic detail. The Jews here were forced to strip named and enter a shower, which emitted deadly gas. Others were put in concentration camps and forced to starve to death, more were burned alive in ovens. This movie brilliantly captures real events by a director who lost his sense of humor. Lord have mercy on your soul...!

A movie that will change your life........2007-06-18

Schindler's List, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a film about the Holocaust. This movie will break your heart and change your life.

So what's this movie about? This movie is mainly about the Holocaust with a side story about a man named Schindler. Schindler was a German who knew Nazis in higher power. He used his good standing to help Jews. He owned a factory and recruited Jews to work for him so that they wouldn't have to go to concentration camps.

What's to like about this movie? First of all, aside from a little girl's coat, most of this movie is in black and white. Also, there's a ton of detail in terms of costumes and props. The realism as well as the camera work are a huge plus. Second, it's EXTREMELY emotional. You see everything. From people getting shot to dead bodies being burned, Spielburg doesn't hide anything. The one scene that truly had me in tears was when a trainful of Jews were squished together in the extremely hot weather. Schindler persuades the Nazi soldiers to spray them with firehoses. You can see one person drinking the water that falls down from the top of the train. It made me realize that these people were treated like animals, not human beings.

What's not to like about this movie? The reason for the 4 stars rather than 5 is because the big plot of this movie was to show how the Jews were treated during the Holocaust. If you're like me and you've studied books and watched movies about this subject, not a lot of what happens in this movie will surprise you. For the average person, this movie will completely shock you and have you in tears. The only thing that was new to me was Schindler's story.

This is a movie that EVERYONE needs to watch. There's a ton of nudity and violence so I would hold off on letting young kids watch this but adults will be completely enthralled.

Necessary.......2007-06-16

I rate this movie 9.5/10 or 5 stars. This movie is among the 1000 Best Movies in DVD's by Peter Travers and in the Top 10 list of Best American Movies Ever. The movie won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director. Steven Spielberg directs this movie 10 years after he read the book for the first time and was completely fascinated with the story. As a Jewish himself, he brings to the screen the story of those Jews who survived the Holocaust thanks to one man -Oskar Schindler-, who gave them the opportunity to work in his factories during the end of World War II. The movie shows the brutality of the Nazi army against the Jews, and how they were being killed at different Death Camps (Auswitch, etc.). The movie is based on true facts collected after the testimony of many people who experienced the Holocaust and survived. The movie is rated R for obvious reasons and it is very difficult to contain the tears. This DVD Collector's Gift Set edition is absolutely wondeful, including a special plexiglas casing, a picture book showcasing images by photographer David James with a foreword by Spielberg, the Original Soundtrack by the Oscar winner and always superb John Williams, and a rare limited edition senitype individually numbered and made from a actual film frame from the movie. (So the price it's just a bargain with all of that!). I want to say that, despite not being a Jewish nor coming from a country involved in World War II, I feel absolutely moved by the story told here and I have enormous respect and empathy for the Jewish community and for all the atrocities they have gone through their history. This is a necessary movie that needed to be done and needs to be seen by as many people as possible, so we don't make the same mistakes in the future. We are all human beings, and we all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless our religion, ethnicity, race, social status, sexual orientation, etc. Unfortunately today, we are still witness of so many intolerance and bigotry that makes me feel embarassed and very sad. We all should work together for human peace, love and understanding among all peoples from all countries in the world. This movie helps people understand how important it is to know each other and understand each other, so ignorance and hatred does not govern our lifes.

P.S. If you like my review vote YES. You can read all my other reviews if you wish to. I modestly write them to help people form an opinion about movies, music and books, but if nobody reads them (if you don't vote I do not know if you did) there is no point in writing them.

needs no review.......2007-06-10

this is a phenomenal film.

everyone should own it.

a whole new language.......2007-06-04

Stephen Spielberg's SCHINDLER'S LIST is simply the finest motion picture ever made.

The story brings us face to face with the most organized evil of which humanity has yet proven itself capable. Spielberg's direction and performances of Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes attain that level at which matters are simply beyond improvement. One merely stands in awe.

After viewing the LIST for just the second time since its debut in 1993, this reviewer can think of no more adequate response than the exhortation to buy, rent, view, and then bow silently or in prayer before the fact of evil and the potency of good.

Sadly, it takes a wickedness so vile as to require its own language to occasion a work of art so noble in its conception and execution that language fails to describe it.

'The LIST', as Kingsley's Yitzhak Stern says with a different intent, 'is an absolute good.'

Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Gandhi
A Spiritual Giant Who Left His Mark In History
Ghandi
Outstanding movie!
Chinese extras menu?!?!?!?

Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Ben Kingsley , Candice Bergen , Edward Fox , John Gielgud , and Trevor Howard
Director: Richard Attenborough
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000KX0IOA
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Amazon.com

Sir Richard Attenborough's 1982 multiple-Oscar winner (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Ben Kingsley) is an engrossing, reverential look at the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi, who introduced the doctrine of nonviolent resistance to the colonized people of India and who ultimately gained the nation its independence. Kingsley is magnificent as Gandhi as he changes over the course of the three-hour film from an insignificant lawyer to an international leader and symbol. Strong on history (the historic division between India and Pakistan, still a huge problem today, can be seen in its formative stages here) as well as character and ideas, this is a fine film. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Gandhi (click for larger image)

Beyond Gandhi on Amazon.com

Other Oscar Winners at Oscar Central
More Biographies on DVD
The Films of Ben Kingsley

Description

A critical masterpiece, GANDHI is an intriguing story about activism, politics, religious tolerance and freedom. But at the center of it all is an extraor- dinary man who fought for a nonviolent, peaceful existence, and set an entire nation free. Winner of 8 Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director (Lord Richard Attenborough) and Best Actor (Sir Ben Kingsley), GANDHI's highly acclaimed cast also includes Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, Sir John Gielgud, Roshan Seth and Martin Sheen.

The extras include more than 90 minutes of new material, including interviews with director Lord Richard Attenborough; actors Geraldine James, Saeed Jaffrey, and Edward Fox; Diana Hawkins (Director of Publicity), Terry Clegg (Executive in charge of production), Billy Williams (Cinematographer) and Stuart Craig (Production Designer). The DVD includes a Director's commentary with Attenborough, who also filmed a personal introduction to the film. The featurettes include In Search of Gandhi, Reflections on Ben, Madeleine Slade: An Englishwoman Abroad, The Funeral, Shooting an Epic In India, Looking Back, Designing Gandhi (3 mini featurettes) and From the Director's Chair (2 mini featurettes).

Customer Reviews:

Gandhi.......2007-07-06

The multiple-Oscar-winning "Gandhi" explores the life and principles of an extraordinary man who became an enduring example of holiness, humility, and humane resistance. Ben Kingsley inhabits his role with saintly authority, brilliantly conveying Gandhi's charisma and unwavering courage, while Candice Bergen (as photographer Margaret Bourke-White) and John Gielgud (as Lord Irwin) also shine in their respective roles. Melodramatic epic sequences--especially the Salt March and massacre scenes, which required Attenborough to direct 300,000 extras--are handled with graceful verisimilitude. A deeply moving, masterful epic.

A Spiritual Giant Who Left His Mark In History.......2007-06-03

In one of the intervie