Sodom and Gomorrah (Sodoma e Gomorra) (The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah) Review

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(More customer reviews)Amazon's listings, normally accurate to a fault, erroneously tag this item as "full screen." In fact it's widescreen, 1.85 or 1.78, it's hard to tell, and the jewel case itself only states (in English) "Letterbox." So it's the original theatrical release aspect ratio. Don't worry about its being a Brazilian pressing: the language is English, the opening titles are English, everything English. Only the jewel case text is in Portuguese.
Quality wise? A-okay, certainly better than Fox's own VHS version which is full of streaks, scratches, and quivers. But it needs to be digitally remastered and released in DVD by Fox itself, Dolby 5.0 all that stuff. Meanwhile, this version is the best thing going, and it's damn good.
As for the movie. Well . . . de gustibus and all that. For me, the most fascinating persona is not Lot (Stewart Granger) but the "Queen of Sodom," a lady of tastes sapphic and sadistic ("Next only to the pleasure of giving death is the excitement of watching it" she burbles to a horrified Lot), played to a perfect lip-snarl by the French actress Anouk Aimée.
Most of all though is the MUSIC SCORE, which outclasses every other element of the movie and is a bit incongruous to find accompanying this biblical pabulum, amusing and visually stunning as much of it is. To me the score is simply one of Miklos Rozsa's absolute finest, his third best after Ben-Hur and Quo Vadis, utterly LUCID and free of the mushy dissonances that occasionally, just occasionally muck up the Rozsa repertoire. Take just one example: a pastorale Rozsa called "By the River," which plays when Lot is courting his wife-to-be (Pier Angeli), a little gem-of-a-gem that stands with ANY pastorale in any of his films.
So we need to have this DVD remastered in state-of-the-art by Fox itself in Dolby 5.0, the whole works. But meanwhile, kudos to the Brazilians for doing Fox's work for it, a very very credible job. Buy with confidence.

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Myra Breckinridge (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)Seldom seen since theatrical release in 1970, MYRA BRECKINRIDGE has become a byword for cinematic debacles of legendary proportions. Now at last on DVD in an unexpectedly handsome package, it will be of interest to film historians, movie buffs, and cult film fans--but it is as unlikely to win wide audiences today as it was when first released.
Gore Vidal's 1968 bestseller was a darkly satirical statement on American hypocrisy, Hollywood fantasies, and changing sexual mores. Most filmmakers felt that the novel's story, structure, and overall tone would not translate to film, and industry insiders were surprised when 20th Century Fox not only acquired the rights but also hired Vidal to adapt his novel to the screen. But studio executives soon had cold feet: Vidal's adaptations were repeatedly rejected and novice writer-director Michael Sarne was brought in to bring the film to the screen.
Studio executives hoped that Sarne would tap into the youth market they saw as a target for the film, but Sarne proved even more out of synch with the material than the executives themselves. Rewrite upon rewrite followed. The cast, sensing disaster, became increasingly combative. In her commentary, star Raquel Welch says that she seldom had any idea of what Myra's motives were from scene to scene or even within any single scene itself, and that each person involved seemed to be making an entirely different film. In the accompanying "Back Story" documentary, Rex Reed says that MYRA BRECKINRIDGE was a film made by a bunch of people who hid in their dressing rooms while waiting for their lawyers to return their calls.
The accuracy of these comments are demonstrated by the film itself, which contains a host of good ideas that work individually but never consolidate into anything that approaches a cohesive film. The basics of Vidal's story are there, but not only has the story been shorn of all broader implications, it seems to have no point in and of itself. Everything runs off in multiple directions, nothing connects, and numerous scenes undercut whatever logic previous scenes might have had. And while director Sarne repeatedly states in his commentary that he wanted to make the film as pure farce, the only laughs generated are accidental.
Chief among these accidents is Mae West. It is clear from Sarne's commentary that he idolized West; in her own commentary Welch flatly states that West had carte blanche to do what she wished, be it write her own lines or demand the inclusion of two musical numbers or not work before five in the afternoon. It is true that West is unexpectedly well preserved in appearance and that she had lost none of her way with a one-liner--but there is no getting around the fact that she is in her seventies, and her conviction that she is the still the sexiest trick in shoe leather is extremely unsettling, to say the least. But worse, really, is the fact that West is outside her era. Her efforts to translate herself into a hip and happening persona results in one of the most embarrassing self-characatures ever seen on film.
The remaining cast is largely wasted. Raquel Welch, a significantly underestimated actress, plays the title role of Myra very much like a Barbie doll on steroids; non-actor Rex Reed is unexpectedly effective in the role of Myron, but the entire role is essentially without point. Only John Huston and cameo players John Carradine, Jim Backus, William Hopper, and Andy Devine emerge relatively unscathed. Yes, it really is the debacle everyone involved in the film feared it would be: fast when it should be slow, slow when it should be fast, relentlessly unfunny from start to finish. It is true that director Sarne does have the occasional inspired idea--as in his use of film clips of everyone from Shirley Temple to Judy Garland to create counterpoint to the action--but by and large, whenever Sarne was presented with a choice of how to do something he seems to have made the wrong choice.
The how and why of that is made clear in Sarne's audio commentary. Sarne did not like the novel or, for that matter, the subject matter in general. He did not want to write the screenplay, but he needed the money; he emphatically did not want to direct the film, but he need the money. He makes it very clear that he disliked author Gore Vidal and Rex Reed (at one point he flatly states that Reed "is not a nice person"), and to this day he considers that Vidal and Reed worked in tandem to sabotage the film because he refused to play into their 'homosexual agenda'--which, when you come right down to it, seems to have been their desire that Sarne actually film Vidal's novel rather than his own weirdly imagined take-off on it.
Although he spends a fair amount of commentary time stating that the film is widely liked by the gay community, Sarne never quite seems to understand that the appeal of the film for a gay audience arises from his ridiculously inaccurate depiction of homosexual people. When taken in tandem with the film itself, Sarne emerges as more than a little homophobic--and quite frankly the single worst choice of writers and directors that could have been made for this project.
In addition to the Sarne and Welch commentaries and the making-of documentary, the DVD includes several trailers and two versions of the film: a "theatrical release" version and a "restored" version. The only difference between the two is that the final scene in the "restored" version has been printed to black and white. The edits made before the film went into general release have not been restored, but the documentary details what they were. The widescreen transfers of both are remarkably good and the sound is quite fine. But to end where I began, this is indeed a film that will most interest film historians, movie buffs, and cult movie fans. I give it three out of five stars for their sake alone, but everyone else should pass it by.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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Liar's Moon (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you enjoy Matt Dillon, you will enjoy this film. I thought Matt brought a lot of heart to the film. Cindy Fisher is excellent as well. Rent or buy this film today. If you have seen this movie on video and were not happy with the way it ended, see it on DVD it has the happier ending.

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She (1935) Review

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(More customer reviews)If the 1935 SHE reminds you vaguely of the 1933 KING KONG do not be too surprised: both films were produced by Meriam C. Cooper, who endowed them with similar visual styles--and who tweaked the 1887 novel by H. Rider Haggard to create a similar story line as well. Starring Broadway actress (and later two term Democratic congresswoman from California) Helen Gahagan in her only film role as The Eternal One, SHE did not, however, meet with the same financial success. It lost a tremendous amount of money for RKO, was withdrawn, and for many years was thought to be completely lost.
Although the film alters the Haggard novel in a great many ways, it retains the basic elements. Lured by a family legend, Leo Vincey (Randolph Scott) braves the frozen European north with family friend Horace Holly (Nigel Bruce, best known for his appearances in the Sherlock Holmes series) and innocent Tanya Dugmore (Helen Mack, popular 1930s ingenue.) When an avalanche exposes a cavern, the three find that the Vincey family legend is not quite so fanciful after all.
Most particularly, they find themselves at the mercy of She Who Must Be Obeyed, a woman who recalls talk of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem market place, a woman two thousand years old who preserves her life by bathing in a radioactive flame that vents from the volcanic floor of her hidden kingdom. She (known here as Queen Hash-A-Mo-Tep) has been waiting for the reincarnation of her long-dead love, and Leo is his spitting image.
The acting styles are stiff even by 1935 standards and although Miss Gahagan is attractive in a 1930s way she lacks the stunning beauty attributed to She by the Haggard novel--but the great draw of the film was never intended to be great acting: like KING KONG, it is an action-adventure film with knockout sets (a few of them actually lifted from KING KONG), memorable special effects, and remarkable cinematographic set pieces. Even as it borrowed from earlier films such as the 1932 Boris Karloff THE MUMMY, it would also influence later films in turn; it is hard, for example, to imagine the 1937 Ronald Coleman LOST HORIZON without it, and even the look of the evil queen in Disney's 1938 SNOW WHITE is said to have been inspired by Gahagan's look and performance.
The film has been released in several editions to the home market, and fans may be tempted by less expensive editions. A word to the wise: Don't. The film shows its age and there is no significant bonus material, but the Kino Video release (be it on VHS or DVD) offers what is probably the best print short of a digital restoration. Recommended for fans of 1930s fantasy cinema.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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From the creative team that brought you the original "King Kong" comes a thrilling tale of adventure, immortality and lost love. -In color for the first time and includes fully restored black & white versions -Great Ray Harryhausen bonus features, Additional Scenes, Classic Sci-fi Toy Commercials, Original She Trailer

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Child Star - The Shirley Temple Story (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)When this movie was first played on TV, I was so excited because I have been a major Shirley fan since I was 9(I'm now 21) but when I was watched I was highly dissapointed. The story is supposed to be based on Shirley Temple Black's autobiography "Child Star" and I only saw a handful of items that were actually taken from the book, the rest of it was just fluff. Plus they didn't go past Shirley's early teens when the book covers up until after she marries her second husband. They seemed to only want to focus on the happy aspects of Shirley's life but she and her family were not always so happy go lucky. Ashley Orr is horrific at playing Shirley-first of all she's too old to play 5,6,7 and even 8 year old Shirley and she was too sticky sweet, I know Shirley was too but not that sweet. I would have actually given this movie 0 stars if I had the option, it was horrible. So if you want to know the real story find her book "Child Star" and if you want to see the real Shirley work her magic on the screen go find any of her movies and stay away from this one.
"Bright eyes" , "Heidi" , and "Poor Little Rich Girl" are good movies to start off with.

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Gigi (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)For those wondering why they should purchase another edition of "Gigi" on DVD, here are all the extras; however, if you own a Blu-ray, you might want to wait and pre-order Gigi [Blu-ray]. Other than the technical specs, the extras are the same on both versions.
Winner of 9 Oscars, "Gigi" was produced after the demise of the original 3-Strip Technicolor system, and photographed in the industry-standardized Eastmancolor process, which had a tendency to fade to reds and purples. For this new DVD release, Gigi has been photo-chemically restored from its original camera negative and safety separations to produce a much sharper and colorful image than has been seen in decades. It also contains a 5.1 audio mix created from the original multi-track source elements.
Disc 1 (Gigi '58): 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen * English DD5.1 Surround * French Mono * English, French and Japanese subtitles * Bluray specs: 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 1.0 (Both Castilian and Latin), German 1.0, Italian 1.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles (Main Feature): English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Subtitles (on Select Bonus Material): English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese
*New Commentary with Leslie Caron & Film Historian Jeanine Basinger
*The Million Dollar Nickel [1952 MGM short]
*The Vanishing Duck [1958 MGM cartoon]
*Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2: "Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi" The story of how 1958's Best Picture winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its daring sexual content and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli
Original 1949 Nonmusical version of Gigi starring Daniele Delorme in the title role and directed by Jacqueline Audry (in French Mono with English subtitles)
For those not familiar with the plot, Gaston (Louis Jordan) is the descendant of a wealthy Parisian family who rebels from the superficial lifestyle of upper class Parisian 1900s society by socializing with the former mistress (Hermoine Gingold) of his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) and her outgoing, tomboy granddaughter, Gigi (Leslie Caron). When Gaston becomes aware that Gigi has matured into a woman, her grandmother and aunt (Isabel Jeans), who have educated Gigi to be a wealthy man's mistress, enjoin on him to become her provider and on her to accept such a golden opportunity. However, true love adds a surprise twist to this Cinderella story that was actually filmed in Paris.

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Serenade (1956) Review

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(More customer reviews)Serenade is far and away Mario Lanza's most interesting movie, and has a great deal more going for it than Time Magazine and other habitual Lanza-knockers would care to admit. While undeniably flawed, Serenade contains moments of greatness that redeem its shortcomings, and successive viewings only enhance one's appreciation of this underrated work.
Most people would nominate The Great Caruso as Lanza's best movie, and certainly it's a much more consistent film than Serenade. The Great Caruso also takes far fewer risks, featuring a "safe" choice of familiar operatic standards, and a screenplay that is little more than a series of entertaining vignettes. There is no real dramatic pulse to The Great Caruso at all, with a clichéd script that leaves Lanza few opportunities to flex his acting muscles. On the positive side, the tenor is in exceptionally beautiful voice, and it is this combination of gorgeous vocalism and undeniable charisma that holds the whole thing together so well.
While The Great Caruso would probably be most Lanza aficionados' first choice as an introduction to the tenor, Serenade has so much more meat on its bones that it invariably makes the stronger impression, warts and all.
"I didn't know Lanza could act!" was one friend's response to this movie. And the tenor's acting is one of the big surprises in Serenade. For aside from some superb singing, Lanza succeeds more often than not in a performance that should have been a revelation to moviegoers at the time, accustomed as they were to the tenor's fluffier cinematic vehicles. Not that he was given much credit for his efforts, with some critics preferring to comment on his appearance rather than acknowledge any real acting potential. "He looks like a colossal ravioli set on toothpicks," sneered Time Magazine in a typically mean-spirited and inaccurate review.
To be objective, Lanza's acting does veer towards hamminess at times - a fault which director Anthony Mann should have corrected - but there are many scenes in which he is highly effective. These include those with supporting actor Vincent Price in the role of Lanza's acid-tongued impresario. Interestingly enough, in the novel it is Price's character with whom the singer falls in love initially. In adapting Serenade for the screen, the scenarists retained the implication that Price's character is gay, but transferred the object of Lanza's desire to his wealthy sponsor Kendall Hale, played by Joan Fontaine.
Miss Fontaine would not have been my first choice for the role. Although she oozes vindictiveness, there is little chemistry between her and Lanza - a vital aspect if one is to believe that the tenor is hopelessly infatuated with her. She should positively exude sexual power (a la Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct), but instead she merely seems conniving.
The highlight of the film, both vocally and visually, is the Otello Act III Monologue (Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar) scene. Superbly filmed with one exception (an unnecessary - and clumsily inserted - "E` la!" from the performer playing Iago), we see the skyscrapers first as the orchestra roars the thunderous opening bars of the Monologue, followed by a sweeping shot inside the opera house that pans from an opened score of Otello to the stage itself, where Lanza is rehearsing Verdi's sublime aria. Everything is superb about his acting and singing here, as he adroitly conveys Otello's inner turmoil, ranging from a resigned weariness to maniacal joy, and concluding with a stunning "O GIOIA!" that must have left cinemagoers dumbstruck by its brilliance. It is an extraordinary scene, and a poignant reminder of what the tenor could have done with the role on stage. "Mr. Lanza never was in better voice," A.H. Weiler of The New York Times would later observe, and Mario's rendition of the Otello Monologue is arguably his greatest operatic achievement. As the critic John Cargher once remarked, the Otello Monologue alone would "assure Lanza of immortality."
Also appearing in the film is the fiery Sarita Montiel in the role of Juana, sanitized here as a famous bullfighter's daughter rather than as the novel's common prostitute.
Montiel is excellent in almost every scene, and restores much of the storyline's credibility. The same cannot be said of Lanza's performance, however, which is frankly uneven in several of the key Mexican scenes between himself and Montiel. Quite possibly he was unsure of himself in the initial stages of filming, but whatever the reason a retake should definitely have been made of the confrontation scene in which Montiel passionately tells him: "You lived through the fever, but your heart is dead!" Clearly nervous here, he overacts - a great pity given the spectacular location filming (in San Miguel de Allende) and atmospheric mood in this scene.
Lanza's Ave Maria redeems everything, however. Looking pale and very overweight, he enters a church where Sarita Montiel is quietly praying. Speaking (conveniently!) in English, her words visibly affect Lanza, and in a very subtle piece of acting, he kneels before the altar and quietly begins Schubert's famous hymn. This is the first time that Montiel's character has heard Lanza sing, and her reaction is beautifully captured. Most impressive of all is the way Lanza looks at her at the conclusion of the piece, breaking her heart (and ours) with his simple dignity and sweetness. It is a magical moment that never fails to move me.
But enough of the plot. I hope I have whetted prospective viewers' appetites for this much-overlooked musical melodrama. Let me end by saying that Serenade is certainly deserving of rediscovery, and that vocally, at least, it is in a class of its own.

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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie is so bad. The orginal with Pat Boone and James Mason is so much better. I can't understand why it is not on DVD.

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The Warner Gangsters Collection (The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties) (1938) Review

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(More customer reviews)Who can argue that this isn't the greatest collection of classic gangster films ever made?
If you need more proof about how good these are, I have 3 sources that rated these films BEFORE they were released to DVD.
Leonard Maltin (represented by LM, his highest rating is 4 stars),Nick Martin & Marsha Porter (authers of DVD & Video guide - represented by DVDG), and All Movie Guide (Represented by AMG).
Let's go Chronologically:
Little Caesar: LM- 3 1/2; DVDG - 3; AMG - 5
The Public Enemy: LM - 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 5
The Petrified Forest: LM 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 4
Angels With Dirty Faces: LM - 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 4 1/2
The Roaring Twenties: LM - 3; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 4 1/2
White Heat: LM - 3 1/2; DVDG - 4 1/2; AMG - 5
If you really look at the ratings (and consider that Maltin uses a 4 star rating system (as opposed to a 5 star)),you will see that the profesional critics rate these as quite high. Let's face it. These are the cream of the Warner gangster library. Another neat thing that was done for the DVD is the Warner Night at the Movies (Similarly done with Yankee Doodle Dandy, Treasures of the Sierra Madre, and the Adventures of Robin Hood - also introduced by Leonard Maltin) which gives you the option of viewing the film the way it was in theaters during that year (complete with trailer, news item, short, cartoon, & movie). They all have commentaries by notable historians, and have "Making of" special features (a few which include Martin Scorsese).
The prints are the cleanest I've seen in years (Turner does a top notch job of getting the best available source material).
The sound is above average to good. There are subtitles for the films, and closed captioning. Subtitles in english, french, and spanish.
The bottom line is if you are into this genre, you are going to want to get all 6 of these films (watch them in chronological order, the way the "making of"s are presented is much more rewarding if you do). These are simply the best of the gangster films. Second to none, and (to quote Cagney) "Top of the World".

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The Public Enemy showcases James Cagney's powerful 1931 breakthrough performance as streetwise tough guy Tom Powers. When shooting began, Cagney had a secondary role but Zanuck soon spotted Cagney's screen dominance and gave him the star part. From that moment, an indelible genre classic and an enduring star career were both born.As a psychotic thug devoted to his hard-boiled ma, James Cagney - older, scarier and just as elctrifying - gives a performance to match his work in The Public Enemy as White Heat's cold-blooded Cody Jarrett. Bracingly directed by Raoul Walsh, this fast-paced thriller tracing Jarrett's violent life in and out of jail is also a harrowing character study.Jarrett is a psychological time bomb ruled by impulse. It is among themost vivid screen performances of Cagney's career, and the excitement itgenerates will put you on top of the world! In Angels with Dirty Faces, Cagney's Rocky Sullivan is a charismatic ghetto tough whose underworld rise makes him a hero to a gang of slum punks. The 1938 New York Film Critics Best Actor Award came Cagney's way, as well as one of the film's three Oscar nominations. Watch the chilling death-row finale and you'll know why. "R-I-C-O, Little Caesar, that's who!" Edward G. Robinson bellowed into the phone. And Hollywood got the message: 37-year-old Robinson, not gifted with matinee-idol looks, was nonetheless a first-class star and moviegoers hailed the hard-hitting social consciousness dramas that became the Depression-era mainstay of Warner Bros. Little Caesar is the tale of pugnacious Caesar Enrico Bandello, a hoodlum with a Chicago-sized chip on his shoulder, few attachments, fewer friends and no sense of underworld diplomacy. And Robinson - a genteel art collector who disdained guns (in the movie, his eyelids weretaped to keep them from blinking when he fired a pistol) - was forever associated with the screen's archetypal gangster. A rundown diner bakes in the Arizona heat. Inside, fugitive killer Duke Mantee sweats out a manhunt, holding disillusioned writer Alan Squier, young Gabby Maple and a handful of others hostage. The Petrified Forest, Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway success about survival of the fittest, hit the screen a year later with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart magnificently recreating their stage roles and BetteDavis ably reteaming with her Of Human Bondage co-star Howard. Sherwood first wanted Bogart for a smaller role. "I thought Sherwood was right," Bogart said. "I couldn't picture myself playing a gangster. So what happened? I made a hit as the gangster." So right was he that Howard refused to make the film without him...and helped launch Bogie's brilliant movie career. In The Roaring Twenties, the speakeasy era never roared louder than in this gangland chronicle that packs a wallop under action master Raoul Walsh's direction. Against a backdrop of newsreel-like montages and narration, it follows the life of jobless war veteran Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney) who turns bootlegger, dealing in "bottles instead of battles." Battles await Eddie within and without his growing empire. Outside are territorial feuds and gangland bloodlettings. Inside is the treachery of his double-dealing associate (Humphrey Bogart). It would be 10 years before Cagney played another gangster (in White Heat), a time in which gangster movies themselves became rare. "He used to be a big shot," Panama Smith (Gladys George) says at the finale, marking Bartlett's demise...and signaling the end of Hollywood's focus on the gangster era.

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Babes in Kong Land Review

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(More customer reviews)I must first apologise for giving this movie such a high rating. The women in this movie should all try getting on "What not to wear". The first thing they would be told not to wear is a bikini, a one piece swimsuit with a ribbed corset underneath may give them the appearance of having a figure, as opposed to looking like bloated jellyfish. One women however did not quite fit into this generalization, if she were to be in profile as opposed to seeing her head on, you would justifiably think you were looking at a drag queen.
In short even if you were to buy the cheapest previously viewed version of this movie you would still be paying too much. This is definitely the reason FF button was invented. The only burning question in my mind at the end of this movie was - how much did these women have to pay to be in it.

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Chapter Two (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)I think this movie was not only great but a very inspirational movie. It showed true love and that's what is needed to remain sain in any relationship. I am hurt that I can't find this movie on DVD and would like to know how I can get it. Let me know if anyone finds out.


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Errol Flynn Westerns Collection (Montana / Rocky Mountain / San Antonio / Virginia City) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Only "Virginia City" has an A-film feel about it with Michael Curtiz directing and notable Warner costars. The other three are B Westerns in my opinion, but Flynn's presence always made any film much better. His performances in all of these films are very good, he just doesn't always have the best material with which to work, and in some cases he is working with some very bizarre casting. The extra features bring this package up to four stars in my opinion, but I don't understand why WHV just didn't go ahead and add "Silver River" to the set and make it the usual five film classic box set. Someone else has already done an excellent job of summarizing each film. So I'll just mention the extra features for the set, the director in each case, and my personal rating of each film on a five star scale:
Montana (1950) directed by Ray Enright. (3/5)
The weakest of the four films in the set.
Extra Features:
Vintage Newsreel
Warner Night at the Movies 1950 Short Subjects Gallery
Joe McDoakes Comedy Short: So You Want a Raise
Classic Cartoon: It's Hummer Time
Trailers of Montana and 1950's Chain Lightning
Bonus Gallery of Santa Fe Trail Series Western Shorts: Oklahoma Outlaws, Wagon Wheels West and Gun to Gun
Rocky Mountain (1950) directed by William Keighley (3.5/5)
Begins well, ends well, but the middle does sag a bit, which is unusual for a Flynn film of any genre.
Extra Features:
Commentary by biographer Thomas McNulty [McNulty looks at Flynn's career, his unique qualities as a Western hero and his romance with costar Patrice Wymore.]
Warner Night at the Movies 1950 Short Subjects Gallery
Vintage Newsreel
Trailers of Rocky Mountain and The Breaking Point
Bonus Gallery of Santa Fe Trail Series Western Shorts: Roaring Guns, Wells Fargo Days and Trial by Trigger
Classic Cartoon: Two's a Crowd
Joe McDoakes Comedy Short So You Want to Move
San Antonio (1945) directed by David Butler (3.5/5)
Extra Features:
Warner Night at the Movies 1945 Short Subjects Gallery:
Vintage Newsreel
Oscar-Nominated Vitaphone Varieties Short Story of a Dog
Vintage Shorts: Frontier Days and Peeks at Hollywood
Classic Cartoons: A Tale of Two Mice and Wagon Heels
Trailers of San Antonio and The Corn Is Green
Virginia City (1940) directed by Michael Curtiz. (4/5)
How weird to see Humphrey Bogart playing his role of the bandit with some of the oddest diction ever. Not nearly as good as Dodge City but still good.
Extra Features:
Commentary by historian Frank Thompson [Thompson discusses this all-star collaboration with Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, Randolph Scott and Miriam Hopkins, and the challenges faced by director Michael Curtiz throughout production.]
Warner Night at the Movies 1940 Short Subjects Gallery
Vintage Newsreel
Technicolor Shorts: Cinderella's Feller and The Flag of Humanity
1936 WB Short: The Light Brigade Rides Again
Classic Cartoons: Cross Country Detours and Confederate Honey
Trailers of Virginia City and A Dispatch from Reuters
Recommended for the Errol Flynn completist. If you haven't got them already, get the excellent two volumes of Errol Flynn's Signature Collection. They are a very good introduction to Flynn's work - especially volume one - and should give you a better idea if you would like this set.

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ERROL FLYNN WESTERNS COLLECTION - DVD Movie

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Joel McCrea Double Feature: "The Most Dangerous Game"/Bird Of Paradise Review

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(More customer reviews)To be honest, the only reason I got this dvd was because of the 1932 classic "The Most Dangerous Game", which I've desperately wanted to see ever since I read the story by Richard Connell in high school. But surprisingly enough I enjoyed both movies, as well as the bonus features.
The first movie, 1932's "Bird of Paradise", is honestly a very ridiculous movie, but I found it entertaining. Joel McCrea and his comrades are traveling on a yacht in the South Seas when they find a beautiful island inhabited by natives who worship a volcano. McCrea nearly drowns while fishing one day, but he is saved by a beautiful native-girl (played by the ultra-hot Dolores Del Rio). It's love at first sight, but when her chief comes between their happy romance, they flee to a deserted island nearby. Will she choose McCrea over her loyalty to her people? Watch and find out!
Next, we have the 1932 classic, "The Most Dangerous Game", where a lunatic hunter, Count Zaroff (played to creepy perfection by Leslie Banks), has his own mysterious island where his prey are shipwreck victims. But, his latest shipwreck victims, Joel McCrea and Fay Wray, prove to be more than a match for the crazed Zaroff. This very entertaining classic was filmed at the same time that "King Kong" was filmed, using many of the same sets and crew.
The picture quality is pretty good considering the movies are over 70 years old (and the dvd is so inexpensive!). The bonus features are a fun 1932 Betty Boop cartoon and the original theatrical trailer of "King Kong". I'm very glad I bought this dvd and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys an old-fashioned island adventure!

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Crystalstone / The Boy and the Pirates (Midnite Movies Double Feature) (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)Like "13 Ghosts" (1960) "The Boy and the Pirate" is an exceptional matinee adventure/fantasy fare of its day; it doesn't get any better. More importantly, this movie was tailor made for boys 10 to 12 years old; I was 12 at the time when this movie came out and I was hooked. Afterward this movie disappeared from sight and record and I wonder if I have imagined seeing it. But now I own it in DVD and it's like going back into time, a time when fantasy were made more sincerely, not condescending or patronizing as it is done today. At times there are scenes that are too funny, enjoyable, while others are terrifying, like our young hero facing life threatening situations. Regardless of the sled ride the kids get from watching this movie, the film does make a moral statement that should be taken very seriously: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!Immediate Retraction
June 30, 2010
In the past five years, the top ticket items of Hollywood's best fantasy movies all proved to be winners--and me wrong! This contradicts my past premise, which I wrote for the above review of "The Boy and The Pirates," in 2006. In it I said that today's "fantasy movies" were "condescending or patronizing." Although time has made a liar out of me, this I do know: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will keep up with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in fantasy excellence. This epic fantasy series, by C. S. Lewis, is unmatched in Hollywood. The Chronicles of Narnia are not alone. Others fantasy epics such as The Golden Compass, Harry Potter, Stardust, Inkheart, Alice in Wonderland and the Lord of the Rings are unforgettable--but it's Narnia that will win the hearts and joys of families in the U.S. and around the world. For true fantasy movies are for family viewing. In short, I'm happy to be proven wrong, and even happier to state, through its previews, that "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" will be the best of the best--unseen!
PS: I did not include "Pan's Labyrinth" into the list. But don't get me wrong. Labyrinth has earned its critically acclaimed accolades in fantasy hands down, but unfortunately, it's not for family viewing. Although with the Harry Potter series, which preceded 2006, I considered it as an exception of my assertion that fantasy films were "condescending or patronizing."

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Strange Bedfellows (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida (the former co-stars of 1961's "Come September") once again make a smashing team in the cute romantic comedy STRANGE BEDFELLOWS (produced and directed in 1965 by Melvin Frank).
Hudson plays Carter Harrison, a womanising company exec who marries Antonia (Lollobrigida), an Italian spitfire who is heavily into art and politics. When their marriage fails, Carter doesn't hear from Toni for many years, until his boss decides Carter will get a promotion if he can prove that he is a respectable (and, more to the point, MARRIED) man. He decides to lead Toni on to get the promotion but finds himself falling in love with her all over again. The memorable supporting cast includes Terry-Thomas, Nancy Kulp, Gig Young, Arthur Haynes and Edward Judd.
As other reviewers have noted, the film is presented in the wrong widescreen ratio, which will impact you if you own a widescreen television or 16:9 display. Still, we're lucky to have this movie on DVD in the first place.
The DVD includes the trailer. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).

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Strangers When We Meet (1960) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Strangers When We Meet" (1960) is simply a magnificent movie. In this reviewer's opinion, the acting performances from every single member of this first-rate cast are brilliant -- from Kirk Douglas to Kim Novak to Ernie Kovacs to Walter Matthau. They are each just perfect here. Also keep an eye peeled for Sue Ane Langdon, who pops up in a brief cameo role.
And I certainly don't want to leave out Barbara Rush, who gives a knockout portrayal of Douglas' wife. Rush's final emotion-filled scenes in the film are literally worth a replay every time this movie is watched.
Walter Matthau's role in the film is fairly small, but powerful. Walter is thoroughly repulsive here as an aggressively-lecherous, scheming, and oversexed neighbor, who lives just a few doors down from Douglas.
Can you imagine that -- Walter Matthau being deemed "repulsive"? Hardly seems right, does it? But, in this flick, it applies. "Strangers" was made at a time when the then-39-year-old Matthau was playing more serious roles in the movies, and before all of his excellent comic parts. Four years after "Strangers", Matthau played another rather unlikable character, in 1964's "Fail-Safe", which was yet another fine performance by the versatile actor.
It's also kind of funny to note (in an "in-joke" fashion) that Matthau's character's name in "Strangers" is "Felix", which is a name that would be closely associated with Walter in the film "The Odd Couple" (1968), when Matthau's "Oscar" played opposite Jack Lemmon's "Felix".
Douglas and Novak are "strangers when they meet" in the supermarket one day, and they seem to have a genuine chemistry on screen here. I found Kim's "Maggie" in this movie very similar in "icy" and "moody" style to her role two years earlier in Alfred Hitchcock's classic tale, "Vertigo". Both of those Novak characters seem to be forever tormented by some inner demons that can never be fully exorcised. But by the end of "Strangers", Maggie has shed a great deal of her inner anguish, with the film ending in a bittersweet -- but in my opinion very fitting -- fashion.
"Strangers When We Meet", I think I'm safe in assuming, is one of Kirk Douglas' lesser-known efforts during the man's amazing screen career -- but its relative obscurity doesn't make the movie any less powerful. Douglas is 100% believable in his role here as "Larry Coe", an architect who's tired of the drab cookie-cutter assignments that have been served up to him. He wants to design a house that's different. And that's just what he does in the movie.
Throughout the film, we can actually see Larry's uniquely-designed, multi-level house take shape, bit by bit. By the film's final reel, the project is completed, and it's a truly stunning home, in my opinion.
Larry Coe also has a roving eye for his quite fetching and alluring neighbor (Maggie) -- and despite the fact that each of them is married with young children, Larry and Maggie find their mutual attraction to each other too much to resist, and they begin a love affair.
The screenplay for "Strangers" was written by Evan Hunter (based on his novel). The film was directed with great style and obvious "TLC" by Richard Quine (who also doubled as the movie's producer).
The setting is California, circa 1960, and Mr. Quine's excellent use of his beautiful "CinemaScope" widescreen (2.35:1) framing comes through with flying colors on this DVD version of the film. The movie was shot in color and the cinematography for both the outdoor and indoor scenes is rich in colorful details, which this DVD from Columbia/Sony exhibits very nicely.
There's a scene near the end of the movie that's just spectacular (from a photography and lighting standpoint), with a rainbow of colors on the screen at once -- this scene taking place in Larry's just-finished hilltop home, with the light shining through various tinted panes of window glass in a way that's just simply gorgeous.
This adult drama, which is replete with multiple cases of infidelity, could very easily (in my view) have been a real "snooze-fest" (aka: a boring 2-hour nightmare to have to sit through). But, instead, it's exactly the opposite -- it comes across as fresh and alive and interesting, all the way through its entire length of 1 hour and 57 minutes.
Director/Producer Quine and screenwriter Hunter have made these characters compelling and intriguing -- and just flat-out interesting to watch. Quine and Hunter make us care about these people on screen, from beginning to end. And I'm guessing that this wasn't an easy task, given the rather heavy and somber subject matter that the film deals with.
The "suburban" feel of the early 1960s comes across very strongly in the film as well. Each frame of the movie reflects the era in which it was made -- and I don't mean that in a negative way whatsoever; to the contrary in fact. That "feeling" for the era is something I like very much here. The film began playing in movie houses on Wednesday, June 29th, 1960.
I was flabbergasted when I discovered this movie was actually available on the DVD format. It had been on my "Buy When Available" list for many moons; but slipped under my radar of new releases when Columbia/Sony streeted this little gem on February 22, 2005. To say the least, I was most pleased when I was finally able to cross this one off of the "To-Get" list.
This single-disc, single-sided DVD gives us the film in its intended and original 2.35:1 Widescreen video format, and it offers up a dandy-looking Anamorphic (16x9 enhanced) transfer to boot. It just looks great. .... The audio on the disc comes across fine via a 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack. Subtitles can be accessed in either English or Japanese.
The DVD comes packaged in an Amaray-type plastic Keep Case. There's no Scene Selection paper insert included in the box; but there is the normal Scene Index included on the disc itself (the film is divided up into a modest number of chapters, totalling 12).
The DVD's Menus are silent and non-animated, with the Main Menu (and "Scene" Menu) sporting an odd, albeit very picturesque, view of the skyline of New York City. (That's "odd" only because the movie is not set in New York, and has nothing whatever to do with that city; the film is set entirely in California. And what makes the DVD Main Menu picture of NYC even more peculiar is the fact that it depicts the World Trade Center as part of the New York skyline; the WTC wasn't completed until more than a decade after "Strangers" was made. Oh, well, it's still a nice-looking Menu photo nonetheless. A portion of that same New York skyline picture is also used for the DVD's front cover; the packaging photo is cropped, however, and lacks the World Trade Center image.)
The only "Bonus" material on the DVD are three "Previews" (Trailers). But, unfortunately, the original theatrical trailer for "Strangers When We Meet" is not included.
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To Sum It Up.........
"Strangers When We Meet" is highly recommended -- both the film and this DVD. Anyone who is a fan of intelligently-written motion-picture dramas -- or a fan of Kirk Douglas or the always-lovely Kim Novak -- will have no choice but to admire "Strangers" (IMHO).
If you haven't done so already, take "Strangers" for a spin in your DVD Player as soon as you can. It's a 117-minute journey back to 1960 -- and it's worth the time spent making the trip.

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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The 30th Anniversary Edition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was originally botched as a fullscreen-only effort. However, Warner listened to the people and gave them a wonderful widescreen transfer.
Colors are vibrant, the 5.1 Dolby Digital track is very nice, and there are a handful of cool extras. There is the 30-minute documentary "Pure Imagination" which shows some of the cast today, including all the children and Gene Wilder himself. The interviews of the cast looking back at the movie which was the defining thing for so many of them is very interesting. The documentary on the whole is rather fulfilling. While one feels that the documentary could have delved deeper and maybe been an hour-long, at a brisk 30 minutes, the pacing seems okay and it won't leave you wanting too much more. There is a limited amount of archival on-set "B" roll footage, but all that is there is interesting.
Also included is the original theatrical trailer (Warner left off the 25th Anniversary trailer that was on the original DVD release from 1997), a 4-minute featurette on the production design, and a feature-length audio commentary from the children, who have now grown up. The other features - "character bios" and sing-alongs - are pretty much fluff features. Since this was one of my most anticipated DVD releases of the year, I can't help but feel Warner could have done more in the way of extra features - games, outtakes, deleted scenes, etc. Nevertheless, the overall content of this DVD is satisfying enough.
As one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly one of the most enjoyable musicals and most enjoyable films of the 1970s, "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" has a timeless feel to it. This DVD deserves a place in every collection.
If you like the movie, then know better than to be the fullframe edition, which was released earlier. Widescreen in the original ratio is the only way to go. Especially in a few years from now, when we all have 16 x 9 widescreen TVs, and that "fullframe" version leaves you with big bars on the side of the TV. See the movie the way it was made and meant to be seen - in widescreen. And when you do get that 16 x 9 television, guess what - the widescreen DVD will fill your screen!
A classic movie with classic peformances, and a wonderful amount of heart. What are you waiting for -- get the widescreen 30th Anniversary Edition DVD of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory so you can enter a world of pure imagination today!
Video: A -
Audio: A
Extras: B+

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Join the expedition visiting legendary Candy Man Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) in a splendiferous movie that wondrously brings to the screen the endlessly appetizing delights of Roald Dahl's classic book. Coated with flavorful tunes and production design that constantly dazzles the eye, this effervescent musical never fails to enchant young and old. On a whirlwind tour of Willy's incredible, edible realm of chocolate waterfalls, elfish Oompa-Loompas and industrial-sized confections, a boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum) will discover the sweetest secret of all: a generous, loving heart. And you'll rediscover the timeless magic of a delicious family classic.

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