F.E.D.S.

Starring:Fat Joe, T. Rodgers, Antoine Clark, Alejandro Alonso (III), Pee Wee Kirkland
Director: Kwame Amoaku
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Rooting for a German soldier was a daring choice for a movie made in 1951, but Decision Before Dawn justifies the risk; this is a crackling good war movie. In late 1944, the Allies are pushing through Europe but need intelligence behind German lines. Two Americans (Richard Basehart, Gary Merrill) recruit German POWs and enlist them to spy on their former Fatherland. We follow the adventures of one such agent, arrestingly played by the young Oskar Werner, who parachutes into Bavaria and gathers information. (Oddly, the film abandons Basehart and another recruit, marvelously played by Hans Christian Blech, who have also gone under cover.) The well-deployed suspense is accompanied by a constant examination of what it means to be German, and what loyalty to one's country really entails--dutiful devotion or skeptical rebellion? This question doesn't go deep (there's a sense that the movie is a make-nice effort toward a new economic ally), but the film is on solid ground whenever the clockwork suspense takes over. Hildegarde Knef (here billed under her Hollywood spelling, Neff) turns up as a conflicted fraulein. Director Anatole Litvak, shooting on location, gets some amazing shots of bombed-out buildings and ruined towns; in that sense, the film is almost like a documentary record of the postwar landscape. Decision Before Dawn was nominated for the best picture Oscar, but became a lesser-known film in the decades that followed. It deserves a higher profile. --Robert Horton

Description

Richard Basehart and Gary Merrill star in a film that?s ?as stirring a drama as any you'll want to see? (The New York Times). Adapted by Jack Rollens and Peter Viertel from George Howe?s novel Call It Treason, and directed by Anatole Litvak, this riveting World War II drama was nominated for the 1951 Best Picture Oscar®.

As the Third Reich declines in power, the Allies develop a radical new plan ? to employ German POWs as spies. Led by American Colonel Devlin (Merrill), and executed by Lieutenant Rennick (Baseheart), the plan is risky, and the tension builds as the Americans learn whether the former Nazis will help or betray the Allies.

Customer Reviews:

Engaging realism; ahead of its time.......2007-06-17

I'd never seen or heard of "Decision before Dawn" until it appeared in my recommended list on Amazon.com. Released in 1951, it apparently has been on TV a number of times, but I never caught it. Having it on DVD, especially at a bargain price, is welcome, indeed.

There are no big stars in the movie, although Gary Merrill, Richard Basehart, and Oskar Werner are certainly well-known names. The story is rather obscure in that it features Germans who change sides at the end of World War II, and end up spying on and fighting the Nazis. Some of these spies are heroic, like Oskar Werner's character; others are simply mercenary. In any event, we see that there were some good Germans who were loyal to their country, if not to the savage regime that took it over for 12 years.

The movie is in black-and-white, which lends itself well to the feel of the subject. It comes across almost as a docu-drama, to use modern terminology. Many of the outdoor shots feel like how Germany must have been in the latter years of the war after allied bombing had reduced most cities to rubble. You get a sense for the desperation and futility of ordinary people, as well, as the only "love interest" in the show, Hildegard Neff, vanishes almost as quickly as she appears. And she never is seen again.

If you're looking for a film that shows one of the pivotal points of the war, like "The Battle of the Bulge," or "The Battle of Britain," you might be disappointed in this show. But if you want to see a realistic depiction of patriotic Germans who resisted the Nazis and helped end the war, you should be pleasantly surprised. Acting is first-rate and the story is well-written and engaging.

There is not really a happy ending in "Decision before Dawn," unless you feel that the war is closer to its end as a result of what you've seen. In that sense, the movie really seems much ahead of its time and should find a receptive audience. As other reviewers point out, "Decision before Dawn" is really an anti-war film, showing as it does the futility of one group of humans intent on destroying another group.

In summing up, I can't think of another movie to compare this one to. I'd have to say the film is unique and worthy of its place in any World War II collection.

A good script!.......2007-04-05

"Decision Before Dawn" was written by Peter Viertel, once himself a member of the O.S.S.
It's a good script, full of weird characters, played by German actors like Hans-Christian Blech, Hildegard Neff and the famous O.E. Hasse. If you look close enough, you can even spot a very young Klaus Kinski!
The performance given by young Austrian master-actor Oscar Werner is simply superb.
If you like a gripping (anti-) war-movie, you'll be delighted with "Decision Before Dawn".
Watch out for a TV-documentary on the screenwriter Peter Viertel: "PETER VIERTEL: BETWEEN THE LINES". It will be shown in the fall of 2008. Don't miss it!

Excellent story dealing with the morals of war........2006-11-10

Definitely an anti-war classic story. Authentic in every respect and a good view and moral lesson for anyone with an interest in the meaning of loyalty to one's country. R. Woolfe

WW II counterintelligence drama.......2006-10-26

Anatole Litvak's engaging WWII drama "Decision Before Dawn" examines the war from an entirely different perspective. Filmed in the war ravaged remains of Nazi Germany in 1950, the story commences as American troops are poised to cross the Rhine and enter Germany. In the waning days of the war an American intelligence detail lead by Col. Devlin played by Gary Merrill and Lt. Rennick played by Richard Basehart are using captured POW's to act as spys. Using specially trained and suitable German soldiers they hope to gain sensitive information to aid in the war effort. Oskar Werner playing Cpl. Karl Maurer is just such a man.

Werner, an educated son of a physician, and not a loyal Nazi supporter, is a medic in the German Luftwaffe. He and Basehart along with another Nazi traitor code named Tiger and played by Hans Christian Blech are dropped behind enemy lines to determine the location of crack Panzer units.

What makes the film so unique, was that Werner's odyssey through the dying Third Reich gives us insight into the disposition of the German populace. Their downtrodden existence scrounging out an existence in the final months of the war is a disturbing sight to behold.

Litvack's film is a tribute to the nameless German spys who aided the Allied war effort.

Top-notch war thriller!.......2006-10-06

Based on real facts, this movie scrutinizes the ethic side of an idealistic and disappointed German medic / P:O:W: who decides by own will to become spy for his captors. He will be parachuted in order to demonstrate his firm resolution.

This might be the masterpiece of Anatole Litvak and the best performance ever given by Oskar Werner.

Tense, absorbing and high voltage movie.

Average customer rating:

Imax "Space Station"
I didn't know.
This is a 2d version - take 3D!
It's at least marginally informational.
Absolutely Awe-Inspiring!!!

Space Station (IMAX)
Starring: Tom Cruise , Yuri Pavlovich Gidzenko , Michael E. Lopez-Alegria , James D. Wetherbee , and Scott E. Parazynski
Director: Toni Myers
Manufacturer: Imax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Space Exploration | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

IMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

L5 - First City in Space (IMAX)
Cosmic Voyage (IMAX)
The IMAX Space Collection (Hail Columbia/The Dream Is Alive/Blue Planet/Destiny in Space/Mission to Mir)
SolarMax (Large Format)
The Magic of Flight (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

ASIN: B00080ETMM
Release Date: 2005-07-19

Amazon.com

The partnership with NASA and IMAX films continues with a tour of the next step in space exploration: the International Space Station (ISS). Sixteen countries helped build this giant station (still being built upon the film's release in 2004). We see the first building blocks being constructed, including shots from inside the slick NASA shuttle launches to the friendly informalities of the Russian program. The crystal-clear pictures of the station and the Earth are the best aspects of this film. The entertaining footage delivers human elements, but sometimes the carefulness of experimentation makes for boring photography; a test of a super-cool jet pack has the astronaut moving mere inches. To the film's benefit, the narrator is Tom Cruise with a script tailored to his strong suits (the first line of "What an incredible sight!" is vintage Cruise). The film is also so light on its feet with a nice dose of music, including "Up on the Roof" and the Talking Heads "Naive Melody," that it makes up for the staginess of some of the scenes. The film was shown in 3-D in theaters but only 2-D for home video. --Doug Thomas

Description

SPACE STATION is the first cinematic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), where audiences can experience for themselves life in zero gravity aboard the new station. The audience blasts off into space with the astronauts and cosmonauts from Florida's Kennedy Space Center and Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome to rendezvous with their new home in orbit 220 miles above Earth. SPACE STATION is a story of challenges, setbacks and triumphs and ultimately, the shared international victory of men and women whose dreams exceed the limits of life on this Earth.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Expedition 7- An Audio Visual Tour of the ISS (TRT 16:07) Narrated by Astronaut Dr. Ed Lu STS-A Audio Visual Tour of the ISS-(TRT 18:40) Narrated by Commander Dom Gorie, Mission SPecialist Dr. Linda Godwin, Pilot Mark E. Kelly, Mission Specialist ISS Flight Engineer Daniel Tani, Former Astronaut Capt. Frank Culbertson Jr.
Featurette:Featurette: Adventure In Space (RT22:29)--Interviews with Tom Cruise, Director Toni Myers, Astronauts Marsha Ivins, Brian Duffy, Susan Helms, Jim Voss and cameraman James Neilhouse
Other:First-Ever True-Life Space Station Movie Shot by Astronauts!
Photo gallery:16 photos (Including Never-Before-Seen photos)

Customer Reviews:

Imax "Space Station".......2007-03-10

If you have ever been fortunate to see this amazing 3D film in an Imax theatre then this DVD relives the experience, from the shattering launch of the Russian rocket to the superb shots of the earth whilst in orbit. The Imax print produces the usual high quality that we enjoy with all these DVD transfers and if you haven't seen it, get an armchair seat in the International Space Station, it's out of this world!

I didn't know........2007-03-01

Unbelievable to learn what we do outside the earths boundries. A little out dated but still great to watch.

This is a 2d version - take 3D!.......2007-01-07

Nice piece of video documentation in real space life.

It's at least marginally informational........2006-12-28

I enjoyed this to a point in terms of the information it presents, but overall it's rather slow and more than a little boring.

Absolutely Awe-Inspiring!!!.......2006-07-20

Sit back and relax. You are about to experience one of the best trips you will ever take...unless, of course, you are lucky enough to actually GO into space.

I wasn't able to see this movie when it was in IMAX theaters because I didn't have a theater near where I lived. I just got the DVD as a gift and, honestly, I would not have minded paying for it myself.

I watched the DVD on my laptop and the quality of the video was jaw-dropping impressive. I then moved over to the TV to watch it and it didn't miss a beat when it came to quality. The visuals are so stunning, I actually took screen-captures and am currently using them as desktop wallpaper. I don't think words can describe how great the DVD was as far as picture quality, so I hope that helped.

If you aren't a big fan of Tom Cruise (like myself), don't worry as his voice isn't in it too much. Although I must admit, he did a great job with his narration. Luckily, most of the narration you get is from the crews that have been on the ISS, which makes it a lot more interesting.

Someone had mentioned that the extras were the best part. While I agree that they were great, I think the whole package is evenly great. The movie itself gives you some awe-inspiring visuals and information about what it is like to live onboard the ISS, while the extras give you more info about the ISS itself (i.e. a tour of the station).

The worst part about this documentary, for me at least, was the fact that I didn't get to see it in an IMAX theater. If you are, or know somebody who is, a space fanatic, or just like IMAX videos, this is without a doubt one of the best purchases you can make.

The IMAX Space Collection (Hail Columbia/The Dream Is Alive/Blue Planet/Destiny in Space/Mission to Mir)

Average customer rating:

IMAX films are almost always 4:3 format
IMAX Space Collection in standard format
disapointing
Space Dome remembered
Poor value for money

The IMAX Space Collection (Hail Columbia/The Dream Is Alive/Blue Planet/Destiny in Space/Mission to Mir)
Starring: James Whitmore , August Schellenberg , Sally Ride , James Van Hoften , and David Leestma
Director: Graeme Ferguson , Ivan Galin , and Gail Singer
Manufacturer: Imax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Space Exploration | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

IMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

Space Station (IMAX)
IMAX: The Nature Collection
L5 - First City in Space (IMAX)
SolarMax (Large Format)
Stargaze II - Visions of the Universe

ASIN: B00005MEPI
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Description

A collection of space documentaries filmed in the expansive IMAX format: Hail Columbia, The Dream is Alive, Blue Planet, Destiny in Space, and Mission to MIR.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Interactive Menus
Other:Soundtrack re-mastered in Dolby Digital 5.1

Customer Reviews:

IMAX films are almost always 4:3 format.......2003-04-01

That's because IMAX theaters are that same 4:3 format. To get widescreen you'd have to either lose picture on the top and bottom, or stretch the screen out over two blocks.

IMAX Space Collection in standard format.......2002-06-25

I love the IMAX films but was disappointed that these DVD's were in standard 4:3, not widescreen 16:9 or 2.35:1.
Also, the audio narration is often drowned-out by the background music and is hard to hear.
Otherwise, the shots and scenes are outstanding.

disapointing.......2002-04-04

If you want to get a lot of brilliant space and launch shots, you won't find them here. The best parts of these movies could fit on one disc. "Dream" and "Destiny" are the better ones.
It's kind of creepy watching all of this taking place onboard Challenger.

Space Dome remembered.......2002-03-14

This is the perfect way to remember our Saturday nights that we spent taking the kids to eat chicken fingers and then to space dome to see destiny in space or the dream is alive. This is one level 2 counselor that wishes the management of the Space and Rocket Center hadn't driven me away. Bring the Duce back!!!

Poor value for money.......2002-01-24

Despite being a space anorak, I was disappointed. At around 35mins per DVD, it's clear they'd all fit on just one - it'd be a good deal at 1/5th the price. The packaging is basic; no further content or data on the cases. And cheap-looking DVDs...

Content is fun, but only fascinating in part. About what you'd expect from a decent TV documentary. The IMAX format is lost even on my widescreen setup, and the resulting wide-angle distortion is sometimes a distraction.

Tech note: I also noticed poor colour resolution - distinct colour graduations which I've not seen on other DVDs. Perhaps a coincidence, but I doubt it.

Description

The producers of the raw and uncensored Def Comedy Jam and the Tony Award-winning Def Poetry Jam, in association with F.E.D.S. magazine, now take millions of hip-hop fans to the birthplace of the multi-billion dollar rap industry... The Streets. Bringing to life the stories chronicled in each issue of the unofficial street bible, new Def Filmmaker Kwame Amouku is given a pass to the neighborhoods, sets and underground spots that street bosses would never allow TV cameras to enter. Original and present day sets of South Central and Compton Bloods and Crips with OGs T. Rodgers and Michael Concepcion as our tour guides. F.E.D.S. features: The underground breeding, training, fighting and execution dens of the street's and hip-hop's official mascot, the pit bull; The home and hustle spots of one of the only Harlem hustlers to ever get out of the game and live to tell about it. Told directly from the mouth of the legendary gentleman hustler himself, PeeWee Kirkland; The site of the attempted murder of F.E.D.S. founder Antoine Clark and the story of the magazine's unlikely rise to become the street's first publishing dynasty; A sneak preview of the home of legendary and present day bosses of the most notorious Jamaican Shottas, live and direct from Tivoli Gardens, Jamaica; The censors are off, the cameras are rolling and the streets are alking! Songs include: Being Lonely (Field Mob), Fly (213), Off the Wall (Skillz), Get By (Talib Kewli), Do Sumpthin? (Comp), B-More Anthem (Comp), Pushaman (Joe Budden), Safe (Scarface), In Cold Blood (Scarface), Uh Huh (Method Man), Hood Money (CNN)

Customer Reviews:

A Sneak Peek Into Lives.......2006-07-02

F.E.D.S. gives a peek into interesting lives. I appreciate Pee Wee Kirkland's interview about Harlem streetball and the ups and downs of his life. I found the expanse on LA Bloods and Crips extremely interesting. While watching the DVD one actually feels like they get a sense of what is going on out there in "the streets."

It kinda sucked..........2005-10-09

....I somehow, watched the whole movie all the way through but after viewing it, in its entirety..I was somewhat dissappointed. They the viewer said earlier, I was expected more raw footage but what we got was interviews.

Some of the interviews were interesting, some of the footage was interesting but some just aint gonna cut it in my opinion. I don't know why these people mislead us by saying stuff like "Uncut, Uncensored, Raw..." and knowing it's everything but that.

I give it 1 star because I felt like I was mislead and I would like my money back...

it's aiighht.......2005-09-29

The movies wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be more raw, instead, it was full of talk and interviews. If you are looking for something like that, this is what you are looking for. If you are looking for raw footage, this is not for you.

This DVD is the Truth.......2004-05-31

I've read the magazine a couple of times and really liked it but I'm really feeling this DVD. I like the mission. They seek to show you the truth of the streets (as far as crime is concerned) but it seems more fact based and not really glorifying it. If anything, the DVD shows kids what can really go wrong with the lifestyle that most videos seems to promote. In fact it's really interesting hearing real gangsters scream on these rap cats - they really hate how fake they are. I rented the DVD, but I definitely plan on buying it.

Must see.......2004-05-12

Big fan of the magazine, waited for this DVD to come out for a second and it was just what I hoped it would be. In-depth looks at the world of pitbull fighting, the life and times fo Pee-Wee Kirkland and the history of the Bloods and Crips in L.A., along with a three-part series on the history of F.E.D.S magazine, and how it's revolutionized street reporting. The great thing, none of the people involved with this project try to glamorize street life, they just tell the truth and how drugs and violence has destroyed generations of people in America's inner-cities. The segment on pit-bull fighting will make you cringe, and wonder how people could treat dogs like that. A definite must see.

Average customer rating:

To Boldly Go.
IMAX on DVD...
Remarkable!
Destiny in Space
Only 37 Minutes Long

Destiny In Space (IMAX)
Starring: David C. Hilmers , Stephen S. Oswald , Ronald J. Grabe , William F. Readdy , and Leonard Nimoy
Director: Gail Singer , Phyllis Ferguson , Ben Burtt , and James Neihouse
Manufacturer: Imax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Science & Technology | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Space Exploration | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

IMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Space Station (IMAX)
The Dream Is Alive (IMAX)
Cosmic Voyage (IMAX)
Blue Planet (IMAX)
SolarMax (Large Format)

ASIN: B00005MEPC
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Description

Travel alongside the astronauts as they deploy and repair the Hubble Space Telescope, soar above Venus and Mars, and find proof of new planets and the possibility of other life forming around distant stars.

DVD Features:
Documentary
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

To Boldly Go........2006-05-05

DESTINY IN SPACE was an IMAX film released at the height of the NASA's space shuttle program. The film is narrated by Leonard Nimoy and includes both archived and never before publicly released footage. The film provides a glimpse of how it is like to live on the space shuttle and the work that American astronauts do in the current age of space exploration. The film was specifically shot for the IMAX formula so much of the movies grandeur is lost when watching the film on a normal television. I had an opportunity to watch the film on a screen similar those at a drive-in theatre and was in awe of some of the space shots. DESTINY IN SPACE has lost some impact over the years because the space shuttle program isn't new anymore, shuttle program is over twenty-five years old now and in another decade a new and different age of space exploration will begin. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching the movie and was reminded of some things we discussed in my elementary and middle school science classes. Also, the main theme of the film is that humankind has been destined to explore space so when the next age of exploration of the cosmos begins, DESTINY IN SPACE will remain as a tribute of how things were and a reminder that we should keep pressing forward.

IMAX on DVD..........2005-06-12

My dad just checked this DVD out from the library for the whole family to watch. It was great - the picture, the sound (although it seemed to be too loud for a normal TV set), everything! We learned everything from hoping to discover Mars in the future, to how the Hubble space telescope is repaired...

Best of all, no objectionable content - just pure educational fun! If you have kids that like space so much then watch this DVD.

Remarkable!.......2005-05-18

Destiny in Space is a remarkable production! I wish I could have seen this in the IMAX theatre but after viewing the DVD version in my home I can say that I truly felt I was floating in space with the astronauts! The photography is truly astounding and the images of the blue earth below is breathtaking! The clarity of the images are what is truly spectacular! The last part of the film shows the Hubble space telescope being released into orbit and it is sight to remember! Leonard Nimoy's narration is an added extra to this well produced film and for anyone who has an interest in space and our efforts in the space program will find this DVD a worthy investment! I highly recommend this remarkable film!

Destiny in Space.......2004-11-27

The film is good and worth having to remind you of the wonder of space travel. Would not recommend watching it on a small screen TV with weak speakers because this movie is meant to be BIG.
Without the size all you're left with is an above average documentary about space.

Only 37 Minutes Long.......2004-06-24

This movie is alright. That's it. Just okay. Mediocre. Because of all of the glowing reviews I thought it would be better, so I guess because of my expectations I was let down. I've been looking for a really good movie that shows footage of space and the planets that I could play through my projector at 12 foot wide. But alas, all I continue to get are 20 minutes of astronauts working out or floating around in zero gravity and 10 minutes of footage in space. If anyone has any suggestions for some jaw dropping planetary footage on DVD, please, by all means, let me know. I don't care if it's actual footage or computer generated (as long as it's up to date graphics).