The Man Who Would Be King [Blu-ray Book]

Great great film, so so DVD - with one startling omission
This is, of course, a great film, with every aspect of what makes a great film fully exploited. But I did discover something strange on the DVD - there is an entire scene missing. After Sean Connery falls from the bridge, instead of the process shot that shows him falling in slow-motion and the crown falling from his head (which is in every version of the film I've ever seen) the scene dissolves to Christopher Plummer listening to the final words of Michael Caine's narration. What happened to the scene?? Why would it have been removed?? My only other quibble about the DVD is that the sound is not very full. It is an early release DVD so in subsequent releases they might address that issue, but PUT BACK THE MISSING SCENE!

John Huston is the real King !
He began with 'The Maltese Falcon' which one must admit is not too bad for a first film, don't you think?

Then for years he wanted to bring this adventure story by Kipling to the screen. How many years? Well, originally he had Bogie and Gable in mind for the leads, you do the math.

Fortunately for us, he eventually got the green light for his project.

He then found Peachy and Danny in Michael Caine and Sean Connery, movie stars who are also great actors-- of which there ain't many, folks---and who are perfectly cast in the roles.

Moreover, Caine and Connery had been friends for a long time and this undoubtedly helped bring to life the camaraderie between the misfit heroes.

It is the late 19th century and Danny and Peachy, formerly sergeants in Her Majesty's Army, find themselves stranded and penniless in India. Their ungrateful country has no further use for them, although their officers once called them heroes "We fought our way up the pass yard by bloody...

A FIVE STAR CLASSIC on a 1 STAR DVD
This was one of my favorites, and a "must have" in my DVD library. The story is still great,and the dialog between "Peachy" and "Daniel" is still among my favorites still.

But the DVD was dissappointing. The movie is split on two sides, and has to be flipped to view the remainder of the film.The DVD only has Dolby 1.0 Sound (Digital but MONO)and apparently very weak in the mix. Overall a better picture than my old worn VHS, but very weak audio overall.

The menu's and commentary are hard to read, and there were points in the movie where the transfer to DVD looked "jumpy".

More than disappointing presentation overall.

This deserves a "director's cut", or an audio remix to serve those of us who will cherish whatever copy we have, forever.

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Angelina Ballerina: Pop Star Girls [HD]

A Great Movie!
My 5 1/2 yr. old granddaughter has taken ballet for 2 yrs. She loves Angelina Ballerina! Both of us enjoyed this movie. There are always educational elements in these movies, and they are nicely done and fun! We have enjoyed all of the Angelina movies we have seen!

grandaughter
My grandaughter loves the shows. When traveling we cant watch it on Kindle without internet connection- any other solutions or have i missed something

Very Cute!
My 3 year old grand daughters really like Angelina. Very cute stories. I really like that I can connect Kindle Fire HD to HD tv. Makes a really nice picture.

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New Tricks: Season Four

Hilarious - for all except young children
On the cover, this group of detectives looks pretty hardcore. Yes, they are veteran detectives and take their jobs seriously, but you'd never guess the joking around that goes on behind those very serious faces. The crimes are serious, and the viewer is kept in suspense until the crime is solved, but we get to laugh along the way at all of their idiosynchrosies, the pranks, and the hard time they give each other. Every crime is a cold case, and they're all solved in a unique way - no boredom here. In fact, they use some imaginative techniques to get access to information. I'm in my thirties and highly prefer this program to The Closer and Law & Order, which can be very predictable. I've grown to really care about these characters, loving the top-notch writing and acting along the way. Can't wait until Season 7 is put onto DVD in the UK.

Amazon.co.uk
I've found this series so consistently entertaining through six series I decided to get Series One as a gift for a friend. I was amazed to find it's no longer offered on Amazon.com except as a "market place" item for the better part of $200. Went to the British Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk) and got it for $16.06 though, of course, it's a Region 2 DVD and won't play on most American (Region 1) players. It will, however, play on many computers.

Just to be sure my friend would have no problems with it, I also got her an inexpensive Region Free player for Christmas. These range in price from $50 to $80. Now, if she wants further episodes, she can get the Region 2's at the British Amazon where they're cheaper than their American counterparts. In addition she'll have access to a whole new variety of costume dramas, comedies, mysteries, sci-fi, etc. that's generally better written, better acted and more engaging than what's on American TV.

For any who may be interested but...

FUNNY MURDER HUMOROUS MYSTERY LAUGHABLE COPPER FUN CRIME
A VERY LAUGH-OUT-LOUD set of stories. This show began in 2003 and has been on an upward spiral winning direction since. Season 4 is no exception. The show is based on a female cop DS Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman-`At Home with the Braithwaithes' 'Little Dorrit`) who runs the unsolved cases department from the basement due to a bad situation of her past. With no backup or budget, she recruits 3 ex-cops out of retirement. Pullman is blond, aggressive, a good-looker, likes cheap wine, with a wild private life, and bound to get the job done, one way or another. The 4 combine to solve the cold cases, but in such a funny way. Character study is magnificent in the writing of this show. It only gets better and better. It is still in production as of 2011. Will it last as long as Midsomer Murders, also yet continuing? It's as good.

The other quirky cops:
Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong-'Garrow's Law' 'Little Dorrit' 'Braveheart`) is over medicated with a great memory, and married to...

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American: The Bill Hicks Story [HD]

Bill Hicks deserves a hell of a lot more than this
In the booklet included with the new Blu-ray "American: The Bill Hicks Story", Mary Hicks, Bill Hicks' mother, is quoted as saying "When he got sick, Bill wanted me to help him file all of his photographs, and he showed me Hendrix and Dylan documentaries. I said, 'Bill, why are you showing me all of this?' and he said 'In case someone comes mom, and they want to make one about me.'" After watching this documentary on the late and brilliant comedian one has to wonder if the film makers would have been better off consulting Mrs. Hicks on the basics of telling compelling stories. As fascinating a subject as Hicks unquestionably is, this documentary proves to be an extremely disappointing dusting over of Hicks' career combined with an irritating level of gloss and flashy editing techniques which show a lack of respect for the subject in favor of displaying art school editing prowess.

The problem in reviewing a documentary such as "American" is many fans of Bill Hicks already...

Proud to be an American Bill Hicks fan!
Writing from Austin, Texas (Bill Hick's home base), I must say I am saddened and outraged that this release has not been made available here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is no surprise that this is a UK import - they appreciated him more over there then they ever did here. Jolly good! I doubt this will ever get a stateside NTSC release. If you have a way to play PAL DVDs, then this is manna from heaven for any Bill Hicks fan. Kudos to the film makers for this awesome tribute to Mr. William Melvin Hicks! The graphics are unique and the film is a true testament to the impact Bill Hicks has had and continues to have as his words ring truer everyday.

"Is there a point to all this? Lets make a point."
If you consider yourself a fan of the late Bill Hicks then this is a must see documentary. Very well put together as you get a chronological order of the events that took place on his rise to stardom. Included some early life and behind the scene details of Hicks' trials and tribulations. I thought the beginning of the film was a little slow but things quickly picked up as Hick's career started to bloom. Production did a good job including many of Bill's early and late footage of his shows. Fan or not, I think no one will be disappointed watching this film. Its unfortunate that we do not have enough people like Bill Hicks to invoke thought as well as put a comical light on issues that may normally bring about negative feelings. R.I.P.

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Pure Barre: Pershing Square 2: Ballet, Dance, Pilates Fusion Workout

noticeable results
I have been doing the original Pure Barre video for about 6 months, about 2 times a week. I originally alternated it with weight work, sometimes at a gym, but due to money and time constraints switched totally to at home workouts. About 3 months into this I began to see noticeable results in the shape of my thighs and glutes. At that point I dropped the weights totally after injuring my arm and increased Pure Barre to 3 times a week. For the first time in my life I began to see muscle definition in my abdomen too. I have been rotating between the three dvds since getting Pershing Sq 1 & 2 at the beginning of August and am seeing continued toning in every muscle group, upper arms included. I am in my 50's and getting these amazing results.

I don't have alot of time to exercise and these are under 50 minutes. Due to my home schedule I am seldom able to do even that length of program in one session, but split it up into sections, finishing one complete muscle group at...

ADVANCED LOTTE BERK STYLE WORKOUT
Fantastic workout!!!! Disclaimer: I'm a customer, I have no connection with Pure Barre and have never taken an in-person class, only the DVD, and I do not personally know anybody connected with the company. I have been doing barre-type workouts for awhile now, and so far as I know, this is the only truly advanced level Lotte Berk-style workout. It's efficient, and faultlessly cued by the very pleasant and business-like Carrie Rezabek, the owner of Pure Barre, which has several locations.

Warmup, Thighs, Seat, Abs, Cooldown.
Menu: Detailed, with a thumbnail photo for each section and subsection to jog your memory as to what's on offer. Very nice touch.
The warmup has highly effective bodyweight exercises that reflect the most current scientific research on exercise physiology before moving on to the main workout. The main workout uses 5 inch rubber balls to increase the resistance. (If you can't find these locally, they're available on the Pure Barre website...

Great results
I also used to take Lotte Berk classes in New York city and agree that this is the only truly advanced work out of this type out there that you can do at home. I would put it up there in terms of effectiveness with Super Callanetics but it goes so much more quickly and gives better abdomen results. Also she does not waste one minute of your time. She is professional, likeable, and knows exactly what she is doing. I saw very quick results alternating between Pershing Square 1 and 2. I am also going to order the original Pure Barre video. Thank you, Carrie Rezabek.

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Bitter/Sweet (2009) [HD]

One of the Best Romantic Films
This is sweet, romantic movie about a coffee buyer who travels to Thailand on business and falls for his travel guide. Complications arise when the company owner backs out of deals made to growers, including the guide's family. The buyer's problems worsen when his fiancée travels to Thailand and he must decide what direction his life will take. Relationships between family and friends add color to the story.

Bottom line is, a movie is only as good as its acting. And you must like the characters in it to like it. This movie is a winner in both regards. It has a great cast portraying very likeable characters. It is also relaxing seeing the beautiful scenery of Thailand.

My only criticisms are for the opening song and the DVD cover art. Normally, I would give 4 stars to a movie of this quality. However, it's rare to find a romantic movie as good as this. So I rate it 5 stars.

Formulaic romantic comedy 3.5*
Bitter / Sweet
dir Jeff Hare, Thailand & USA, 2009

Formulaic romantic comedy 3.5*

Brian (Kip Pardue) is a jet-setting coffee buyer for a St*rb*cks like chain, whose boss Calvert Jenkins (James Brolin) orders him to Thailand in spite of his objections (they only grow the inferior robusta beans! ). On arrival he is waylaid by the two beautiful young women, modern Bangkok fashion executive Ticha (Napakpapha Nakprasitte) and her coffee expert friend Mook (Kalorin Supaluck Neemayothin), and Mook's expat boyfriend Werner (Spencer Garrett), and persuaded to visit Ticha's home village to sample their coffee. Sparks fly between Brian and Ticha (seriously, folks, I expected to see some pigtails dipped in the inkwell here!) -- or is it attraction, in spite of her forswearance of men for professional advancement and his impending marriage to the rich, pleasant, beautiful Amanda (Laura Sorenson)? Will the village get the coffee contract?

Ups and downs and...

bitter/sweet
Very nice rom-com, well crafted and beautiful setting. If you are looking for a well a acted, directed and produced film then rent or buy this film as you won't regret it.

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Salt Of This Sea

Must see for anyone who wants to understand the complex issues behind the Israeli brutality
This was a wonderful movie to watch, the arabic spoken is crisp and clear and the sub-titles are very accurate. This movie shows the humiliation and brutality that is an every day reality in the occupied territories.

I traveled to the West Bank for myself and can bear witness to the facts presented in this movie. If you are a human being that cares about justice in the world, this is a movie you cannot pass up.

Salam, Shalom, Peace.

Illuminating
Anyone who has gone through an oppressive search by the TSA knows how humiliating and disempowering it can be. But, as we see in the opening scene of Salt of this Sea, it's nothing compared to the routine degradation inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli security forces.

Brooklyn-born Palestinian Soraya (Suheir Hammad) has always longed to take a roots journey back to her grandparents' homeland, from which they were forcibly exiled in 1948. But her experience turns dark from these very first moments after touchdown at the airport, when she is repeatedly interrogated and searched for no reason other than her surname. Things go from bad to worse when a British-controlled bank in the West Bank city of Ramallah refuses her request for her grandfather's long-vanished money.

She and her disillusioned lover Emad (Saleh Bakri) and his filmmaker friend Marwan (Riyad Ideis) respond to the rampant injustices by committing a crime and going on the lam in Israel, where they...

Errs on the side of PC, even a little far-fetched BUT...
An American woman from Brooklyn (grandparents Palestinian and evacuated (ousted is more precise) to a Lebanese refugee camp in 1948, parents born in Lebanon and emigrated to the US) comes to Israel to retrace her family's roots. She seeks the 315 Palestinian pounds her grandfather left behind in the bank. The money is long gone. The family house belongs to an Israeli woman. The house is still tiled with the tiles her grandfather laid down. She strikes up a friendship with two men in Ramallah, one of whom has not left Ramallah for 17 years. And has never seen the sea. We see her arrival at the airport and the humiliations she experiences. We see the roadblocks and the searches. The three commit a crime and escape to inner-Israel, Jewish Israel, where Arabs must have ID cards. It is an exhilarating road trip for awhile. A day at the sea, going to her grandfather's house and being invited to stay by the Israel woman who now owns it, and surprise surprise--these few days do not...

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Madagascar

Exceptionally good
A few BBC wildlife programs are average but the majority are good, very good or exceptionally good. In my opinion "Madagascar" is in the highest category. The series was eighteen months in the making with some difficult and dangerous moments for the cameramen, including a platform high in the trees to film red ruffed lemurs, and the hair-raising nocturnal filming of fossas in the final show. The programs cover both the beautiful and the bizarre, including shell squatting spiders, pygmy chameleons little bigger than ants, Labord's chameleon that lives for only 12 weeks, fish that swim upside-down, giraffe-necked weevils, and lemurs that eat bamboo containing levels of cyanide that would be lethal for other animals. A big plus is that in addition to the fauna and flora we have stunning aerial photography of the varied and spectacular landscapes of the island - mountains, rainforests, rivers, coasts and arid areas.

David Attenborough (as good as ever) provides the narrative,...

Great footage of an island paradise
This is a 3 part series, of course there are Lemurs and Chameleons, the most prolific of Madagascar's fauns.
But there is also interesting birds, insects, a tortoise, and a curious blind fish that swims upside down!
Filmed is stark reality blu-ray and narrated off camera by David Attenborough (he does appear briefly at the very beginning and end) it is a great addition to any nature/bbc collection.
The extras are also worth watching, interesting is The Giant Egg, which chronicles Attenboroughs now 50 year old excursion to the island with vintage film clips and newer ones too.

A fascinating document of a seldom filmed corner of the Earth
Judge Russell Engebretson, DVD Verdict -- "This BBC-produced wildlife documentary, narrated by David Attenborough, was filmed over a period of eighteen months. Spanning only three one-hour episodes, Madagascar is far more modest than the epic Earth series, but still delights. Two episodes, "Island of Marvels" and "Lost Worlds" are on Disc One. Disc Two includes the third episode, "Land of Heat and Dust," and a pair of extra features -- "Attenborough and the Giant Egg," in HD, and "Lemurs of Madagascar," in standard definition. Each episode explores a different area of Madagascar. Lemurs are the stars of the show, found all over the island--from the desiccated south to the tropical coasts, and the mountains between. In one area, golden bamboo lemurs subsist on a diet of cyanide-laced bamboo leaves; other lemurs cross razor-like mountaintops to reach precious pools of water; while another species deftly navigates through a forest of thorn-covered trees. Although a fertile area for...

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Green Lantern: Emerald Knights [HD]

This is the Green Lantern fans have been waiting for
I saw an advance screening of this movie at Wondercon this weekend and there is legitimate reason to be excited about this. I have to admit that I was not impressed by Green Lantern: First Flight, the last DC Animated movie featuring Green Lantern, but they have really redeemed themselves in this one. This is 5 different stories (based off of classic Green Lantern comic issues) told as war stories by Hal Jordan (voiced by Nathan Fillion of Firefly fame) before they face a huge threat. Each of the stories focus on different members of the Green Lantern Corps and really show off the diversity that is so great about Green Lantern stories. The stories of the first Green Lantern and of Kiliwog both excelled in dramatizing how, despite the awesome power of the ring, courage really is a Green Lantern's greatest asset. The story about Mogo was based on a comic by Alan Moore and really drove the point home about how different Green Lanterns can be. I really hope DC continues to make...

Tales of the GL Corps!
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

I got to see the entire animated film before its release date and listen to Bruce Timm discuss this great film, the best I've seen in the DC Animated universe.

And that's really saying something. I loved the latest Wonder Woman film with its emphasis on battle and the honor of the Amazons. I thrilled to the Red Hood and Batman's quest. But this film takes the best qualities of these and transforms them into a "GL Corps" that is really great.

Not to give too much away, but the film is broken down into an anthology format. Hal Jordan is explaining to his new recruit while they're hanging out on the Planet Oa, recharging their rings for a battle against Krona (which happens near the end of the film).

Some of the stories include when Kilowog (a tough drill sergeant who puts new GLs through the paces and anyone who doesn't measure up is a "Poozer") was himself a recruit and has to put up with a drill instructor...

"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight, ya friggin' bastards!"
That bump of cynicism suggests that GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS, DC's latest animated original movie, was released predominantly to prep movie goers for the upcoming live action film. And yet it also services those like me who used to read the TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS comic book and also those who long for a peek at the larger canvas promised by the Green Lantern mythos.

Our main man, Hal Jordan, is featured here but he's not the big draw or even the central character. Instead, our point-of-view character is the teenager Arisia, the Green Lantern Corps' newest recruit. EMERALD KNIGHTS is an anthology film, the backdrop of which is that the Lanterns have gathered en masse to await the impending arrival of Krona, one of the Guardians of the Universe's most ancient and deadliest foes. As they cool their heels, the Lanterns (but mostly Hal Jordan) regale an overwhelmed Arisia with stories plucked from the Green Lantern Corps' rich history.

We eavesdrop as...

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Windows XP Basics Part 1 - 3rd Edition

a step-by-step guide for the computer shy
As promised, this instructional DVD provides a gentle introduction to using a Windows XP computer.

Ideal for adult education and public libraries, this program is designed for 'computer shy' adult learners who want to learn basic computer operations in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

This program is actually also pretty fun to watch!

More advanced computer users may pick up some tips and tricks but this program assumes no previous computer knowledge and does not bore and/or confuse viewers with technical jargon and things they don't need to know.

The goal of this program is to get the adult learner up to speed with using a Windows XP computer in just under an hour.

This DVD can be played on desktop and notebook computers that have a DVD drive but looks best on a TV.





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Darien Gold presents The Original Pilates Advanced Mat Repertoire and more

Good instructional video
This is a great video to watch and learn how to do the advanced variations of the classic Pilates sequence however, I thought it too fast to follow as a work out. I consider myself an intermediate Pilates practitioner and I found that by the time it took me to position myself for the next exercise, the instructor was almost ready to move onto the next. Be advised that only the advanced variations of sequence are shown--there are no beginner/intermediate modifications. The workout as a whole is about a half-hour long. It is followed by a reformer session. This is not something I know a lot about so I cannot comment. The initial sequence seems to be repeated immediately after, which I found strange. I didn't watch any more than that. Overall, I recommend the first thirty minutes of this video.

By far the best pilates video you can get on demand
If you want a real Pilates workout that sticks to the original exercises I highly recommend this video. Other videos tend to add their own twist to Pilates, but to me the original exercises are perfect and are so hard to accomplish, so why change it. Darien's form is perfect and the video shoots give you a clear view. This is an advance video so the exercises do happen at a fast peace but you can always pause it.

Thank you Darien for such an awesome video. I wish the "Mat 2" was On Demand as well, but I ordered the DVD. Can't to get it!

Beautiful. This is the real deal.
This is a high-production value, fast-paced, absolutely legitimate rendition of the original Advanced Pilates Matwork. (I taught Pilates for seven years, and took from teachers who were two generations away from Pilates himself.) This is fabulous.

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The Emerald Diamond

You don't even have to be Irish OR a baseball fan to enjoy this
What makes this truly special, to me, is that it's ultimately about the triumph of the human spirit. Baseball wasn't even a cult sport in Ireland not that long ago. Gaelic football and hurling are the national pastimes there, while soccer ranks a solid third in popularity. Baseball? Not even a blip on the radar when a group of young men decided to try organizing it as a club sport in the 1990's.

"The Emerald Diamond" is at its core a story about how a few guys with a dream of playing a game totally foreign to their homeland are able to persevere through limited success and even more limited funds to create something with its own stark beauty, like Ireland itself. You can just see the love of the game and the pride these men have in playing it, especially those representing their country. This really matters to them, and Fitzgerald has created a film that viewers just can't help being drawn into...it's a VERY human story.

An absolutely worthy DVD to own,...

Interesting and entertaining
A solid documentary. Very entertaining to watch the team's eveolution. What some guys will go through just to play the game. Irish pride shines throughout.

FUN AND INFORMATIVE
Well made and fun to watch,even if you are not Irish this film will get you thru your off season baseball jones

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The Real CIA: Enemies, Secrets and Spies (Institutions)

Not the video in the package
I received the item in good condition. Packaging was adequate and the product was in good condition. The Label on the DVD cover was what I ordered and the Label on the DVD matched the product that I ordered. I put the DVD in to watch the show and it was the completely wrong program. It was a show called The Show of Force: Preemption Directives. I am in the process of returning this item but there was no seller contact information in "my account" section, so I have no other choice but to let other buyers beware of their order, there is a lack of quality management. If I am contacted and this problem is fixed I will update this review to reflect that service.

UPDATE: I am leaving the above comments up so that future customers can get the whole story. My money was refunded and the matter was handled very quickly and professionally. I would do business with this seller anytime. It would have been better to receive the correct item the first time, so four stars will be my final...





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Is Modern Israel a Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy?

Insightful thoughts on modern Israel.
It is a little boring, like any debate, but excellent info. Gives understanding of two positions.on modern day prophecy. I recommend it.





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Nikon D5100 Instructional DVD by QuickPro Camera Guides

Well explained!
Nicely explained, very knowledgeable fellow, good for regular consulting, will use it for a long while until I become well acquainted with my new camera.





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Apart

Apart By Afdhere Jama
I liked this especially since it's different from the rest of gay movies. I had previously watched Rebound by the same director. I like this one more even if I gave 5 stars to the other one. My main complaint would be that it was short. It's a great film for the price though.

Short but sweet!
Apart is short with only 60 minutes but it's very sweet. The characters are very different from each other and they are all facing the same challenge. If you're looking for a big budget film you will be disappointed but if you can look beyond the technical challenges you will find a great film in Apart. Got the DVD from TLA Video!

BORING - BORING - BORING
At 57 minutes this is hardly a feature film.However I found myself having to fast forward it at times as it was so tedious.They try to sell the film as a gay film by putting a very pretty man on the sleeve of the dvd.Don't be fooled as he is only in the film for a few minutes.This isn't a gay movie- some of the characters are gay and some are straight. There is nothing in this film to warrant you wasting your time and money in buying a copy.One has to ignore people who rate 5 stars for boring films on Amazon as they are probably connected with the films.

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Hopalong Cassidy: The Complete Series

"The Complete TV Series 1952-1954 ... Hopalong Cassidy ... Timeless Media Group (2011)"
Timeless Media Group and U.S. Television Office Inc. presents "HOPALONG CASSIDY: THE COMPLETE TV SERIES 1952-1954" (52 Episodes) (1300 min/B&W) -- Starring William Boyd, Rand Brooks, Andy Clyde and Edgar Buchanan.

William Boyd stars as the straight-shootin', Clad in black and 10-gallon-hat is Hopalong Cassidy, who rides to victory astride his trusty horse Topper in 52 television episodes.

HOPALONG CASSIDY OPENING & CLOSING THEME LYRICS
"Here he comes, here he comes
There's the trumpets, there's the drums, here he comes.
Hopalong Cassidy, here he comes.

(humming)

There he goes, on his way,
Down the trail the cowboy way.
Hopalong Cassidy, Hopalong Cassidy.

He returns, soon again,
There's no use to say goodbye until then.
Hopalong Cassidy, so long Hopalong".

Hoppy with his down-to-earth humor and sentimentality, theses scenes are pure Americana! --- Boyd, with his silver hair, black...

Love Those Hoppy Shows
I already own all of these from the same company and they are fantastic. However Hoppy did "NOT" start in 1949, he started in 1950 and the 1st season were movies that had been cut down to fit the slot. These proved to be so popular that Boyd went back and started filming new shows.Gene Autry and Roy Rogers also started in 1950. Lone Ranger was the first show out of the gate and these did start in 1949.

Great restoration of Hopalong Cassidy!
I am amazed at the good audio & video of this classic Western series. It's as good as it can get from footage from 1946-54. You won't be disappointed if you buy this series. Hopalong Cassidy, one of the Pioneers of Television.
Included is all 52 episodes of the classic series.

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Under the Influence

It is GREAT
I love Ken Davis and this one was is one of the best. If you want to have a great laugh then this is the dvd.

Not as funny as all my other Ken Davis videos & DVD's
I've seen Ken live and loved it, but this was just not his best work. It really suprised me, it seem slow moving. Ken did look great since he has lost some weight and we did laugh some, just not as great as all the others.

HYSTERICAL!
I have never bought a comedy dvd in my life. Until this one. Ken Davis is a master of timing and comedy mixed with message. And nary a swear word in sight (at least I don't recall!). This is one of the best comedy dvds I have ever seen and if you're christian, it's definitely for you. But even if you're not, it's for everyone. Absolutely hilarious!

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Jesus: The Lost 40 Days

The lost theology of the History Channel
Why is it no matter what historical topic, the History Channel manages to do the worst job possible on it?
The Founding fathers were drunkards and ALL evil doers . Dan Brown is a Saint and the Lost Gospel of Thomas,which was a gnostic text is believable. What astonishing idiocy. I would have liked to buy it but I don't buy propaganda pieces. They spend an enormous amount of time on the Gnostic texts. The gnostic texts are the favorites of liberals who love it for its pagan flavor. The kingdom of god is in you. Many of those texts have the flavor of Clement of Alexandria, who blended Egyptian beliefs into the gospels and who may have penned many of the gnostic texts. Poor job as usual History Channel. It is up to your usual low standards.

Faith meets Science!! This is inspiring!!!
I always thought the New Testament had so many things missing and after all, men decided what should be put in and what to leave out. I want to buy this because I love that there are so many missing pieces to the story of the 40 days of Jesus. I am a person of Faith and Science and sometimes one out weighs the other....depending on what is going on in my life or what I am learning. This gives us an explanation for those who do not know or need a refreshing version of things that are missing and what happened to them.
We should never stop learning and I think this is a Brilliant DVD to buy for anyone! Especially Christians who go to church and only talk about "rules" in the Old Testament! Why do they call themselves Christians? I don't understand them and I think they stopped learning about Jesus and their churches are preaching about sin and not enough forgiveness.
I am getting off the DVD. Anyway, it is something like I haven't ever seen!!

You will not move from...

Well done, inspirational and fascinating.
I enjoyed this DVD from the History Channel so much I made it a Christmas gift for several people...keeping with the spirit of Christmas. The quality was excellent...very realistic acting and authentic costuming and scenery, telling each story in a compelling style. I not only felt I learned a lot but was truly inspired.

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Charlie Sheen: Bad Boy on the Edge

The best f****** thing ever
This is the coolest thing I have ever sheen in my life. What an amazing man and CBS was an ass**** for firing him. Anyone who watched this becomes bi-winning instantly. #Winning

OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLIE SHEEN
Finally an official biography of Charlie Sheen, done by the biography channel. It uses real movie footage from all of his best movies in the 80's including Boys Next Door, Wallstreet and Platoon. They inteview director's that worked with him and talk about his idiosyncrasies as a young actor, whom, even in his early 20's, had a dark, young rebel edge.

It talks about his battle with alcoholism and how he felt he didn't deserve the mega movie success that had come so easy to him. It talks about his high school life, when he lost his virginity, when he first smoked pot and his volatile relationships with women. Also it covers his most reason activity including his crazy, manic rants that got him fired from Two and Half Men and the party at the Plaza hotel that got him arrested. Defintly a must see if you have any remote interest in this person, he's defintly led a rollercoaster of a life.



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Simply Painting: Introduction to Watercolors & Paint Box

Simply Painting
Frank Clarke has a way with making the absolute beginner like my self feel as though you really can paint with water colors.

His palette is simple with eight colors and what he calls white wash.

Frank had me painting people, boats, and a landscape before I knew it could be done. He has a way of causing you to relax and enjoy the experience of Watercolor painting.

You can buy his starter set which is very reasonably priced and you get every thing you need to paint along with the DVD.

You really will be amazed at how easy he makes it for you to get started.

C. E. Smith





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Stanley V. Henson, Jr's "Bowl of Dreams"

An excellent documentation of the history of an american landmark
I loved this story of Ben's Chili Bowl. I am from VA and I have visited this landmark in DC. Hearing about the history of the owner and those who have visited was better than his chili and I tell you his chili was very tasty. The next time I get a chance to visit DC, I hope I can get another visit to the Chili Bowl. Thanks Stanley for a wonderful story! Kathi Mills Amissville, VA

At last!
This movie is very informative and gives a inside look at the historical background of U Street in Washington, D.C. and the civil rights movement. The interviews with the late Ben Ali (founder of Ben's Chili Bowl), Dick Gregory, Clifton Powell and others are honest and moving. I have been a member of the NCP fan club after buying the "Bowl of Dreams" soundtrack months ago. The music is awesome and inspiring. I was pleased to see great reviews from others that purchased the CD and look forward to having the DVD as well.



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You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle Season 3

Lady Cops cleaning up the streets
With Lady cops like these the crime rate would go way down. Great Action. Great stories. A must Have in any collection.

You're Under Arrest - Full Throttle
Straight up - this season 3 offering suffers from the same sad fate which keeps Season 2 under the radar. It suffers terribly for not having been dubbed. As good as the series continuations are, and they are excellent stories, the Japanese voice actors will never live up to the unparrallelled work put in by the English actors as Season 1 was put together. [There is only one Strikeman and his name is Jason Hatfield!] That said, the story lives on and the characters evolve as they age. Miyuki has peaked and she is becomming vulnerable. Natsumi is Natsumi and she will be forever Godzilla in a skirt. A major disappointment in the story is a sudden and inexplicable 360 from a Miyuki terrified of the supernatural to one who ignores it like Tuesday. A scientific mind and greater maturity just doesn't cut it, sorry. Another beggs the question of the chicken and the egg. Which came first, Bubblegum Crisis or the final two-parter in Full Throttle? Same story, different cast. With...

Anime Version Of The Naked Gun Franchise
If you ever wanted to see a anime version of Naked Guns or Police Academy then this series is for you, while the series humor in some scenes will seem confusing as it focuses more on the Japanese or Asian comedy scene it still will give you a chuckle as you watch the entire series through. The animation is great as well as the soundtrack to the series though the series comes only subbed at this time the actors and actresses played their roles superbly. Though I don't know why the information says the video is standard while when I saw it the series was widescreen, so if you like widescreen animes then this one fits the bill. The extras are so so just the usual trailers and textless intro/ending songs nothing to shout about. While there are some light dramatic scenes in the series for the most part the series in general is comedic with a very endearing wacky cast. So for fans of comedic animes here's a great choice to get for your collection though sad to say for fans who want...

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Verillotte, Marc - Chokes

brilliant
So many techniques, very well video'd from angles and with good explanations, only the computersited English voice is a little annoying





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Scenic Routes Around the World: South America [Blu-ray Combo Pack: Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Copy]

South America
I bought this DVD to help prepare for our cruise from Lima around to Buenos Aires. I liked the contents but it didn't give me the information what I needed.





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Carlton, Larry - Live 2010 Take Your Pick At Blue Note Tokyo

Magic in the air....but POOR DVD quality!
This is an incredible performance, as there is loads of chemistry between Larry and Tak, and the band cooks too. These are truly great instrumentals played by musicians who, line-after-line, effortlessly ooze elegant melodies...they are more than top-shelf guitarists, Carlton and Matsumoto are true artists. I think that compositionally, each tune sparkles with inspiration and enthusiasm, living in a parallel universe with Carlton's best recent work on "Fire Wire" and "Sapphire Blue"...I really see this collaboration with Tak Matsumoto as a high water mark for Carlton's already remarkable career. Carlton and Matsumoto should definitely continue this fertile musical partnership.

The camera work and sound is terrific throughout...the bad news is that unfortunately, the reproduction quality of this DVD is highly suspect as the disc I received from Amazon seems like a cheap copy! It does not have a menu to select individual songs. And one cannot skip from song to song either, as...

Completely Over the Top
Loved The Larry Carlton/Steve Lukather DVD.

But sometimes, even with great artists, one DVD may still be enough to get the main idea of what they have to offer/say. Doesn't seem to be the case with Larry.

This DVD is absolutely phenomenal. What a pairing. Who put these guys together? Perfect. Tak is one of the best guitarist you'll ever see. This is not Larry and an up and coming shredder. This guy has taste, touch and class. Tak is a phenom.

Michael Rhode's bass playing is not to be missed. Great drumming and keyboard, John Ferraro & Billy Steinway.

If you have some Larry Carlton, this is "NOT" more of the same.

Great, great material....and new.

Also, Larry's Saphire Blues Band DVD is not to be missed either. Larry and a four piece horn section. New material. Again, not more of the same. If I had to choose though, this DVD is tops. But don't choose.

Please don't peg me as a Larry freak, I just love...

Carlton Live
Awesome DVD!! Well done in all areas! Larry really works well with Tak..The mix is better than average. The arrangements are well rehearsed, I would recommend to anyone that likes Jazz Rock guitar!

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Ordeal By Fire

wonderful
The re-enactment of this fire was very well done and enjoyed watching and learning
about this history. Very well done and lots of work involved in the making of
this film.

Ordeal by Fire review
Ordeal by Fire is a magnificent production of a significant event that has impacted the entire U.S. for over a century. George Sibley's detailed descriptions and marvelous video "capture the moment" of what it must have felt like to those who lived through the 1910 Fires. It is entertaining, captivating, realistic and downright five star entertainment for the entire family. Sibley interviewed descendants of the 1910 Fire, and meticulously crafted a fine story.
This is a wonderful gift that tells the story of the biggest fire in the Northwest!
Buy it!



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Journey to the Flames - 11 Years of Burning Man

Eye Opening! WOW-Ness
If you looking for a video about Burningman, this one is top notch, Loved it. Great Documentary of what its like to go and be a part of the event.

A great Burning Man Perspective!
Burning Man is a something that most have heard of but never had the opportunity to experience. Journey to the Flames takes a unique look at this famous event in the desert. In this entertaining and engaging documentary, a group of friends take you with them on their wild and fun ride. This film brings you the amazing sights and sounds that you can only find at Burning Man. After watching this doc you will be ready to pack your bags and head to the desert!

Burning Man told from a fun group perspective
Burning Man is an amazing visual experience to begin with. But seldom do you get to appreciate the panoramic spectacle of costumes and remarkable floats and constructions from the perspective of a group of friends. This Burning Man gives you the spectacle and a story of great friends enjoying it all! It's quite disarming and it works!

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The Prisoner of Zenda

Don't Buy the Grapevine DVD
The five-star review here must be for the Warner Brothers Archive Collection DVD of "The Prisoner of Zenda." If it were for the Grapevine Video release, I'm sure it would have mentioned the abysmal quality of the DVD. Grapevine's transfer to DVD was made from an extremely bad print of the film, with absolutely no attempt at restoration. Many of the title cards are so dark as to be unreadable; surely it would have been a simple matter to create new title cards for this release--unless the Grapevine people couldn't read them either. The contrast in one section of the film is so high that characters and objects are reduced to featureless blobs on the screen.

I agree completely with the other reviewer's comments on the acting and the cinematic qualities of the 1922 film. I'll be returning the Grapvine DVD, and I'm willing to try the Warner Brothers release, but in the meantime I'll stick with the 1937 Ronald Coleman version.

Excellent Version of Oft-told Tale
The 1922 "Prisoner of Zenda" is surely one of the best silent films ever made. Its major actors knew better than to over-emote and it obviously had a very competent director in Rex Ingram. Even though the plot,costumes, and scenery are straight out of an operetta, the players mostly come off as natural, demonstrating that good acting was not something that somehow emerged with the advent of sound. Even Ramon Navarro as the villainous Rupert of Hentzau shows himself to be far more than just a pretty face as he turns his role into a droll, animated tour de force.

The picture begins in the manor house of Englishman Rudolph Rassendyll, the camera zeroing in on the extremely beautiful eyes of Lewis Stone, by now a 43-year-old stage veteran who, in most other respects, looks like a rather ordinary middle-aged man in trim physical condition. But, of course, there is nothing ordinary about Stone's histrionic talent and, besides, he has all the charm that made him so beloved as...

The Prisoner of Zenda
The item came on time and was packed in easey open container I would buy from this company again the DVD is without flaw

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Blood Night: The Legend Of Mary Hatchet [HD]

Celebrating Blood Night
In recent years, the horror genre has been plagued by more duds than gems. For every decent slasher film, there are scores of movies that barely deserve a second glance, much less a full viewing.

The reason for this is a conflict of interests that rarely compromise with each other. On one end, we have low budgeted movies that try to bring us back to the golden age of horror(circa the 1970s and 1980s) with their gritty kill-shots, fountains of blood, and enough bare breasts to make Hugh Hefner blush. On the other end we have high-gloss production houses putting out cookie-cutter horror stories, many with the dreaded PG-13 stamp.

With the release of Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, we are given the best of both worlds; a movie made by fans(in horror afficionado/director Frank Sabatella), for fans, and with a dynamic production value to capture the guts, glory, and breasts, of the film for a stellar visual effect.

The story is as follows: A...

Good Slasher with a retro feel
Blood Night "The Legend Of Mary Hatchet"

This movie starts off full speed ahead with a flashback of young Mary murdering her family in their home, action and gore galore.

Flash to the mental institution some years later where Mary is being held because she cant stand trial due to reasons of insanity.

Enter a fat gross mental ward worker who is taunting Mary asking her if she wants to "in his words" Goo Goo Gaa Gaa his Loli Pop..
She is raped and a child is conceived.

The staff informs Mary that her child died during childbirth after that Mary breaks loose and kills the staff ,after the carnage she is standing out front of the institution holding the severed head of the man who raped her ,is gunned down and killed by the police.

Now flash to what they call Blood night where teenagers celebrate the night that Mary killed her family.

You have a bunch of obnoxious teens talking about their penises ,getting laid and...

A Pleasent Suprise for Fans of the Slasher film!
And who doesn't love a good slasher flic?... If your still reading this review then you like myself have had the fortunate(or unfortunate)pleasure of viewing many good, bad & great examples of this sub-genre. We all have different opinions and appreciate different flavors, but we who enjoy this kind of film mostly have common expectations or similar standards when it comes to what makes a keeper. My favorite kind of slasher films are the ones that succeed in keeping you scared and on the edge of your seat until the credits role, but unfortunately they dont make those kind as often as I'd like. My second favorite kind are far more common and these are the ones that are fun, silly & sexy with a hint of fear and a healthy dose of blood & gore. Blood Night: the Legend of Mary Hatchet falls perfectly into this second catagory. While the film is easily more predictable & fun than it is scary it does at times muster up some creepy atmosphere and the acting is above average in some areas...

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition)

dvd details
Since I had to look elsewhere for DVD details (to decide whether to buy the 2-disc or one-disc film), I thought I'd post here:

1-Disc Wide screen and Full Screen DVD

*Includes both a wide screen and full screen version of the film.
*No special features
*RRP $28.98
2-Disc Digital Copy Special Edition DVD

*Widescreen version only
*Additional scenes (6:31)
*Close-Up with the Cast and Crew of Harry Potter special. Matthew Lewis ("Neville Longbottom") and Alfred Enoch ("Dean Thomas") lead us on an entertaining look at the cast of Harry Potter as they explore their interests away from acting and spend a day on set with the production team (28:30)
*J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life: A fascinating and intimate look into the life of J.K. Rowling over the last year of writing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." (49:32)
*One Minute Drills: The cast has 60 seconds to describe their character's personality, history,...

So sad, so... very... sad.
First. please let me say that I adore (nay, worship) the Harry Potter stories. So, being a gen-you-wine "Potter-Head" I was first in line to see Half-Blood Prince.

It was an interesting movie. Nice special effects.
Disjointed enough however that one MUST have seen all the previous movies and/or read the books to follow the plot.

...Most importantly, it bears little resemblance to the Harry Potter books!!!

Really. I can forgive replacing the actions of one character with another character, to save time, I can even forgive eliminating whole chapters for the sake of brevity, but to change scenes, edit whole parts, and invent whole chapters???

Beware, below, there be SPOILERS! Don't read if you haven't watched!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some examples of lost scenes:

-Dumbledore confronting the Dursley's? Gone.
-The invention of a fight at the...

Don't Buy This Edition. Great Film, but Not the Extended Version!
Warner Brothers is trying to fool us again - calling this an "Ultimate Edition" when it is NOT the extended version of the film. It comes with behind the scenes extras and commentaries, but the movie itself is the same! I expect this is because they decided after the first 2 Ultimate Editions that they would wait and re-release all 8 movies at once in another Ultimate Edition, but this time a Box Set with extended versions of all films - to entice everyone to buy all the movies yet again. Hold off for now and watch your DVD copies - next year we can all buy the REAL Ultimate Editions!

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I Am (2011) (Social Hindi Film / Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema DVD)

Excellent film & a must see!
Great plot, great cast and great acting. Realistic depiction of real social issues in India. Very well done and thought provoking. What I liked best was that each incident was more disturbing than the last which heightened excitement and interest in the film. Must see!





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Party Down: Seasons One and Two (Amazon.com Exclusive)

cheaper if u buy seasons separately
a decent show, but why does amazon price this more than buying the two seasons separately???? it's just plain silly.

GET IT AT TARGET!
Hi I was all set to buy these seasons separately and then I found a double pack at Target for $15! I haven't even seen it. I've heard great things though so if you're even thinking about buying or watching it I say buy it at Target.

Love the ensemble, the writing, and the actors!
An LA Catering company composed of mostly out-of-work actors cum waiters (and one serious sci-fi writer) - you get the feeling that either they are has-beens (Henry) or probably never will be (Roman) or the best that ever will be (Kyle).

Keeping that in mind, the Steve Guttenberg episode has to be the absolute best and shows us just exactly what those characters can really do - the entire cast was terrific and I was truly in awe of their talents.

The writing is fantastic, and so many times reminds me of French farce theater, especially the Young Republicans club episode - it was killer.

I'm a 60-something female and had been expecting this to be a Judd Apatow type humor (which I can't stand), but this is akin to Arrested Development which I love.

Kudos to all writers and cast for a great show, and looking forward to the Netflix series!

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Bob The Builder: Big Dino Dig [HD]

Bob Built It
Great story for the kids ages 2 and 4. They keep asking for it to be played. Would recommend as both entertaining and educational.

My son loves this
My son is almost 3 years old, and he loves the Bob the Builder movies. A good choice for boys that love trucks.

Not Bob's best, but...
Highly entertaining for its target audience. A very unrealistic portrait of archaeology, however! I think they took more care with the scripts before they moved to CGI.

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Blue Gender: Complete Series and Movie

Actual Review of the Product- List of Special Features, DVD Breakdowns, Etc.
Let me begin by saying that Blue Gender is a creative, well-done, edge-of-your-seat anime series geared towards a mature audience; Blue Gender is certainly one of the more unique apocalyptic, military sci-fi animes in my opinion. That said, if you want a synopsis of the show, you can easily find those elsewhere. Here is the breakdown of the actual DVD set:

Overall Breakdown:
-Total Running Time: 750 minutes
-Languages: English & Japanese
-Subtitles: English
-Region: 1, 2, & 4 NTSC
-Format Ratio: 4:3
-Sound: English 5.1 Surround, Japanese 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital

Disc 1:
-Episodes 1 through 7
-Episode 1 Commentary with commentary from Laura Bailey, Eric Vale (Eric Johnson), and Christopher Sabat (voice director and voice of Keith)

Disc 2:
-Episodes 8 through 14

Disc 3:
-Episodes 15 through 20

Disc 4:
-Episodes 21 through 26

Disc 5:
-"Blue Gender: The...

One of my favorite anime.
This is my favorite anime series. It's hard to explain why, but I'll try.

The series itself is nothing special, Giant robots ( 1-2 stories tall ), giant bugs ( height varies, lol ), giant battles, and a giant and involved plot with amazing characters.
The show itself is a strong 3-4 but the characters in this show feel very real, and are well developed within the story. By the end you really feel for the characters and you really remember them. When I first saw this show I was 13-14, and I still recalled nearly all of what the characters were like when I bought this only a few weeks ago, if I can still recall a character and his emotions after 5+ years I think that's saying something for the shows character development.
The plot itself is a new flavor of a post-apocolyptic world, The blue ( giant insects ) have taken over the earth and humanity fights to reclaim their world, and that's about it. The show revolves around this plot, which alone would be...

Big bugs attack
In the future, civilization has collapsed, because the earth is infested by big, big bugs.

It sounds like the stuff of utter mind blowing disaster, but thankfully "Blue Gender" succeeds in being a fairly intelligent, intricate sci-fi anime. Lots of horror, giant bugs and a fish-out-of-water hero who manages to be fairly interesting as he becomes a seasoned warrior, but the characters develop by leaps and bounds -- and the ending is completely out of left field, apparently in an attempt to be bleak and "deep."

Yuji Kaido was an ordinary teenager in the not-too-distant future, until he came down with a strange disease. The only hope for a cure is to be put into cryogenic sleep.

A few decades later, he awakes to a whole new Earth -- sparsely populated, civilization overturned, and with every continent overrun by hideous enormous insects called the Blue. Then two enormous mecha piloted by humans appear, and after many dangers Yuji is taken by a chilly...

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Black in Latin America [Blu-ray]

Black in Latin America
I have recently purchased this DVD. Dr. Gates is phenomenal. I have previously purchased Dr. Gates' other DVDs: African American Lives, Part I and II and Faces of America. His programs are extremely informative and educational. Dr. Gates proves that America is truly a multiracial and multiethnic nation. There is no such thing as a pure American racially or ethnically. Many so-called pure Americans are very surprised to find a distant ancestor of a different race and/or ethnic group somewhere down the line.

His latest program is extraordinary. Blacks in Latin America have an ambiguous status. The average Latin America is either biracial or triracial with European, Native, and African ancestry. He/she is quick to acknowledge his/her European and Native ancestry but is extremely loathe to mention his/her African ancestry. This program is a complete eyeopener! I recommend Black in Latin America for everyone regardless of race and ethnicity.

Now we know the rest of the story!
The late Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, stated in his book titled, "They came before Columbus" that Africans had a vast influence in Latin America. Now we have this excellant documentry to view. Great work Dr. Gates

Poignant and Needed
I viewed the series Black in Latin America on PBS and I recognized that it was something I needed to own to further enlighten myself as well as my family. It is educational for every American living in our great melting pot.

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Revolutionary Girl Utena: Student Council Saga Limited Edition Set

Finally.
I received my copy of the first box set of Utena from Nozomi Entertainment/RightStuf two weeks before the release date stated on this website. Amazing. I plan on being incredibly detailed and nit-picky with this review. This way, people interested in this series will know exactly what they're getting in to.

Revolutionary Girl Utena has long been one of my top three favorite anime series. I had the old Central Park Media DVDs for the entire series. In 2008/2009, I bought the remastered Japanese DVD sets. I would give this series a 10 out of 5. This review is specifically for the box set.

Packaging: I am really glad that Nozomi chose to use the artwork created for the Japanese DVD sets for the outer box. I find this art incredibly classy and beautiful. But, since there will only be three box sets, they will be leaving out half of the images. I wish they had chosen to use these for the individual cases as well (then we'd get all of the images, rather than just six...

Old School Anime in a Great Release
I never was a fan of Utena back in the day. The closest i ever came was the Motion Picture which gave me a headache and i switched off after 20 minutes. This is where i stood. I never thought much of the character designs as well.

However, I'm a sucker for these sort of releases, I got the Dirty Pair Collection which i enjoyed greatly as well as the remastered release of Captain Tylor TV Collection, all from Nozomi i believe. There are those shows that are legendary, that played a great part in introducing people to Anime - this show is one of these. I never got the previous DVD editions so this is a great release to the show for me.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Student Council Saga comes in a really nice package. The discs are held in three slim cases which are housed in a sturdy box surrounded in really beautiful art; the booklet is also inside the box and not in any of the slim cases. It will really stand out in your collection - not in an annoying...

Rose Signet Ring
For a limited time, if you order all three sets from Rightstuf.com, they give you the rose signet ring for free while supplies last. I ordered all three from them and received one. It is so beautiful :).

I already own the UTENA DVD set from its original 1999 release in America (Central Park Media, 1999) and the difference with this Nozomi Entertainment one is stunning. This release is basically the remastered version of the new 2008/2009 Japanese release but with the English dub/sub and translated notes. This is perfect on an HD TV.

Each frame has been digitally remastered to remove the graininess and enhance the color. The director and his team made nearly 300 corrections per episode, taking each frame and comparing them to the real Cel art to match the color as close as possible. In the past, Utena had to be "fit-to-screen" to air on TV. As a result, the full cel art was unseen and had to be cut. However, this remastered DVD release shows the full cel art,...

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Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story

Great Documentary About the King of Movie Gimmicks
This superbly done documentary covers the life and career of William Castle, the master of movie promotion. He was the guy that popularized gimmicks like a life insurance policy which would pay if anyone died of fright during his film Macabre and wired movie theater seats to give patrons a "buzz" during the Tingler.

His influence is even felt today in the 2011 Spy Kids: All the Time in the World which took a page out of Castle's playbook with their scratch-and-sniff "Aroma-Scope" gimmick.

Furthermore, the DVD is crammed full with over 5 hours of extras presenting a tremendous value for the money.

If you are a horror buff, grindhouse enthusiast or just interested in marketing, you should buy this DVD.

Great Fun!
I can only give the highest review for this documentary. There are tons of this type of material being released right now, but this one is done right. First, they give a very specific life story, showing how the great showman came into being. Second, they went into all of the insane gimmicks that he used in each and every picture he released. Third, they showed his influence, especially on a certain Mr. Alfred Hitchcock, who made 'Psycho' as a direct copy of the production technique and exploitation marketing campaign that William Castle had pioneered.

the interviews are many and wonderful, with such great film makers as John Waters, John Landis, and Joe Dante, among many others. The special features go into much greater details in the interviews. It is especially interesting to see how, late in life, success - in the form of 'Rosemary's Baby' - really ruined him, in a perverse way. My only complaint is that they don't cover "Confessions of an Opiate Eater", an...

a "B" movie god
It was great to relive the Castle experience that I remember so well as a child.
Macabre / House on Haunted Hill / The Tingler / 13 Ghosts / Homicidal are my favorites.

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Handel: Belshazzar

An oratorio by the mature Handel.
This work is fundamentally difficult to stage.
In terms of dramatic effect, this production is barely passable, though it is not without goodies.
The greatest strength in this production lies in the orchestra and the chorus, as pointed out by most reviewers, and this is a GREAT saving aspect for a work of this nature.
Not all the soloists are operatic singers; they are for most of the part adequate vocally, but alas, they are more alert dramatically! So I guess there must be some thing wrong with the direction in general, since in the title role, Kenneth Tarver IS an operatic singer, though not a Handellian.
And being worse still, most of the lead singers may not be native English speakers. The recitatives lacked verbal incisiveness, and one would wonder if Kenneth Tarver, being an American tenor, should have been better at this had he been a true Handellian?
Bejun Mehta has the best voice of the cast as Cyrus. His contralto counter-tenor is rich-toned in the...

Glorious Choral Work
Glorious choral music at it's finest is the best way to describe this masterful work. This is the mature Handel at full throttle; the "Big Bow-wow" Handle of Saul and Messiah. Glorious chorus after glorious chorus brings a solid satisfied feeling to the listener. This is grand great art. In this production conducted by Rene Jacobs, the group called the Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin shows it's stuff and it's great aray of talent. They can go from being Babylonians to Israelites and back to Babylon by changing headbands or Ivy wreathes. I understand that Mr Jacobs modified some of the score (I do not approve) but most people are unfamiliar with this work so few will know of it. I believe this recording will be very popular and more people in the future will become familiar with it.
I am not so happy with the soloists but I'd like to say a few words about the libretto. It was put together by Charles Jennens (who also did Saul and Messiah) from chapter five of the Book of Daniel...

Another Opinion
There have been three reviews here on amazon of this DVD -- two five-stars and one four-star -- by sensible, tasteful people. It frets me to disagree with them, but I didn't hear or see much to praise in this performance. The orchestra played well, but this is preeminently a work for singers -- soloists and chorus. It wasn't conceived as an opera, but rather as a concert oratorio in English, composed after Handel had concluded that England offered no market for Italian opera. Whether it is 'improved' or fatally compromised by dramatic staging has to be the central question. However, this staging doesn't provide a satisfactory answer, for the simple reason that the staging is utterly incongruous and inconsistent with the affect of the music.

It's a dark, leering, perverse sort of staging. The singers writhe, scuttle, and grimace to the point where, to my ears, their vocal arts are compromised. The emphasis is on the sordid decadence of the Babylonian court of King...

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Dare To Cook, Seasonal Italian Cuisine: Spring [Blu-ray]

Some nice Italian dishes, but would have liked a few more...
I am a big fan of cooking videos and I feel like I often learn something or get some good ideas when watching them. That was the case here. Tom Small, the presenter on this disk, is head chef at what looks like a suburban Italian restaurant. He shows you how to make some very tasty Italian dishes at home. Nothing is complicated and the ingredients will all be found at your local supermarket. Inside the disk case there is a removable list of ingredients for all the recipes so that you can take it along to shop for them without having to first play the disk and write them down yourself.

As to what is included, there are a couple of choices for each of several courses in a full Italian meal. There are a couple of salads, clams in a white wine sauce, a couple of pastas, and a pizza with pesto and ricotta. There is also one recipe each for chicken, lamb, and shrimp dishes. There are two choices for desserts. That makes 12 dishes in all, plus a recipe for seasoned butter which is...





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Live in Offenbach 1978

The Weather Report DVD we've been waiting for!!
... To the previous reviewer: While it is bad that you didn't receive your DVD when you wanted, that really is no reason to give this release a one star... Did you happen to work for Downbeat Magazine when Mr. Gone was released??
Anyway, to anyone interested in this disc, I suggest buying it immediately, drop it in your player, then sit back and see Weather Report as they should be seen. But be sure your DVD player will be able to play this disc. It sells as "region 0" which is "worldwide" and includes regions 1 through 6. To be honest, I have no idea of the limitations that my player has (United States), and this disc played perfectly. On to the disc: This concert was during the tour when I first saw Weather Report live, so it holds some strong melancholy feelings for me, bringing back intense memories, so I am partially biased with my impressions. The disc has 18 (eighteen!) tunes on it, which I believe may be the entire show. If I'm wrong on this, please correct me. But it is...

Remastered reissue of a great show
I don't own the boxed set (Weather Forecast) from which this concert was originally included, but I do own a Sony-Legacy pre-release copy of the original DVD release. I can definitely say this is an improvement over that release. However, if you already own that copy I would say this reissue probably isn't worth it. That being said, the audio is markedly better and the video seems somewhat clearer, although inescapable videotape artifacts remain in places. Although the audio is labelled as "stereo" it sure sounds like mono to these ears. This material was carefully remastered by Marko Schneider and having been produced by Tony Zawinul, it's probably safe to say that this is the best version of this particular concert we will ever see. Of course the material is totally great, the material from the somewhat controversial (in its time,) Mr Gone benefits considerably from the expanded and highly spirited treatment it receives here. Bottom line: if you don't already own it (and if like me...

Jaco fans, THIS is the one Weather Report DVD you MUST own!!
This is an excellent concert and Jaco's solo segment during the show is worth the price of the DVD alone.

Picture and sond quality is excellent and the DVD is most certainly from the master video.

If you love Jaco and Weather Report I highly recommend this DVD.

For those "reviewers" here on Amazon that have rated this DVD one star you are all losers. First of all, go out and buy a REAL Blu-Ray/DVD player like an Oppo BDP-93, BDP-95 or better yet an Oppo BDP-105. You can play NTSC and PAL format discs in any and all regions either by purchasing an Oppo that is an all region unit or by performing a simple mod to your player for the cost of $25 and 15 minutes of your time. It's completely unfair to rate this superb concert DVD with a one star rating because you are too cheap to buy a real Blu-Ray/DVD player. If you are intelligent enough to be buying a Weather Report DVD in the first place then you should have more than enough brains to buy an all...

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Midnight Movie: The Killer Cut

Borrows its premise from Bava, but does the master one better.
This at its core a supernatural slasher film. Like all slasher films it is required to have a masked killer who uses a specialised cutting implement to dispatch teens in a particular setting. Like most supernatural films it comes with specific rules and otherworldly occurances and lapses in logic to circumvent said killer. The film works in both its horror subgenres.

Now at first glance the basic premise of the film sounds like Bava's gore/monster classic DEMONS. Sure, that's partially true. It's about a group of people going to see a midnight horror film in an old theater, and then having the horrifying images on the screen come to life and effect the audience in gruesome ways. But that's where the similarities end and the innovation begins. While I love DEMONS, I have to admit beyond the monster effects, soundtrack, cinematography and basic premise, the film brings nothing new to the table that Romero hadn't already in his zombie films. The satire about how movie...

Corkscrews are no longer just for wine bottles
Around 12:30 am last night after the Late Night Show Sid cruised the channels in hopes of some fine b. Luckily one of the movie channels just started their showing of Midnight Movie. Previously we had read reviews in favor of the film and decided this would be the feature film of the evening. It offered up a nice concept for horror making it a somewhat original b. Sure it's nothing you must see, but for an avid low budget horror fan it's certainly worth the watch.

The film is centered around a group of people gathered at a dive movie theater to view a cult film called The Dark Beneath. Once the film starts rolling in becomes evident that the crowd of ten is in danger as the killer emerges from the screen taking people out one by one. To sum up the killer, he's a far less scary version of Leatherface who dons a corkscrew as his weapon of choice. The way he kills you is by smelling your fear, much like a bee, causing him to stalk you in a very slow foot dragging motion (hence...

PREDICTABLE, BUT ENDS BETTER THAN IT BEGINS! 2 1/4 STARS!
I'm a big fan of horror films, but there hasn't been much to get excited about lately. This film had some potential, but cardboard characters and a flimsy script kept it from being anything but a routine slasher. The idea is pretty good, kind of like 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' meets 'Last Action Hero', but it just doesn't deliver many chills. The last quarter of the film is better than the first three quarters, but it doesn't save this from being a "by the numbers" horror flick. The acting is decent for this type of film and the killer is pretty cool looking, but the killings are pretty mild for a slasher. It's worth a look for fans of slasher films, but it's pretty forgettable.

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The Best of The Dean Martin Variety Show (Collector's Edition)

Have any of you actually SEEN these yet?
Most of these reviews here are in anticipation of something the reviewer has never seen. I purchased this at Costco this weekend in California where they're already on the shelves (for half the price, $29.99). I'm glad, because this is a lousy set.

It's branded the BEST of the Dean Martin Variety Show. That's fair, except when you crack open the case and browse through the booklet, they lead you to believe that you're watching hand selected COMPLETE episodes. These are not. They are heavily edited :20 minute versions of the original shows which were 50 minutes or so in length.

Most of these episodes (spanning 1965-73) are available in their entirety on YouTube, which makes this collection even more frustrating. Gone are most of Dean's musical numbers, most of his musical parodies with Ken Lane, his bottom of the hour "couch" songs. Instead, we're "treated" to full length performances by acts like Juliet Prowse and Joel Grey??? The picture quality is...

Someone's idea of the 'Best'
Like the other reviewers have said, these are not the complete episodes, nor would I call them the best, a big disapointment since I got this for my father. My father, who watched these shows while growing up, remembered some of the episodes and pointed out the heavy editting this edition has. There are funny moments yes, but there is definitely something missing when the scenes jump around or cut out just before it gets really good. Added to this is that there does not seem to be any specific order these 'episodes' are placed in, a single DVD would jump from a show in the early sixties, go to the seventies, then back to the sixties. There is some entertainment to be had, but poor editing, selections, and ordering counter the good skits and songs. Also mentioned in other reviews, many of the scenes in these DVDs, even the entire episode these scenes are from, can often be found on youtube. Its a good try, but someone's definition of the 'Best' of Dean Martin definitely has me...

New Dean Martin Show Collection Contains Many 1st Time-on-DVD Musical Numbers
UPDATE (posted July 31, 2011): Now that The Golddiggers Super Site has confirmed that Time-Life is going forward with a SECOND edition of DVDs culled from The Dean Martin Show, we thought that this would be an auspicious time for a detailed and objective examination of the first collection, assembled with the aim of improving future installments.

Toward that end, we've reviewed the T-L sets' pluses and minuses, taken into consideration many of the criticisms expressed here on Amazon, and offered some informative background on both Dean's series and the complexities of clearing music for vintage television programs.

Beyond just surveying what's come before, we've additionally cast an eye toward what's next, by advancing a series of practical, viable solutions for avoiding some of the pitfalls of this initial release in future reissues.

And to make it easier for connoisseurs of this material to know exactly what they're getting (and what they're not),...

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Eating with Cannibals

A Glimpse Into Primitive Cultures
Eating with Cannibals with Piers Gibbon documents tribes in Papua New Guinea that have, in the recent past, participated in cannibalism. Gibbon's travels to different tribes investigating if they still participate in the act of cannibalism, as well as, why they ate human meat. The tribes of Papua New Guinea live in extremely remote regions and live a very primitive lifestyle living off the land. These tribes enjoy very little of modernity that is afforded too many places in the world. Surprisingly, the tribes were very open to talking about cannibalism, why they participated in this taboo act, along with cultural aspects of their society. Gibbon's interviews tribesman who have actually ate other humans. Interspersed in the documentary are archival video clips of the tribes in the early 1970's. After watching this film it is possible that you view cannibalism not as a taboo subject but an aspect of their past culture. I won't provide a spoiler as to why they ate human meat but I will...





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