Grindhouse Presents, Death Proof - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Description

A deranged stuntman stalks his victims from the safety of his killer car, but when he picks on the wrong group of badass babes, all bets are off in an adrenaline-pumping, high speed, white-knuckle automotive duel of epic proportions, where anything can happen.

Customer Reviews:

week.......2007-09-14

greedy pigs. how on earth can they justify releasing terror planet and deathproof seperatly. the whole hype behind this film was the fact that it was a double feature. i guess QT or RR dont have enough money as it is. week dude, completley week. They obviously dont respect fans of their work.

Total Waste of TIME !!! 100% DUM & STUPID MOVIE!.......2007-09-14

I can't wait to write a review about this movie! I watched "Death Proof" yesterday and I couldn't keep watching for longer than 20 minutes; I had to shut it up. Man! I've watched many bad movies before, but not like this one. So stupid dialogue pacing, idiotic characters, camera angle, editing, cinematography, acting, story telling, directing, everything is the worst I've ever seen.

I didn't expect this kind of movie from Quentin Tarantino.

Well written dialogue, but misses it's mark........2007-09-13

This is for the extended edition. I saw the double feature. Wasn't a huge fan of both films. I thought I'd give the extended cuts a second chance though. On with the review:

It is what it is. Death Proof simply misses it's mark. Tarantino is trying to spin the slasher genre on it's ear with his unique, unrealistic dialogue. (nobody talks as smooth, cool, and drops so many film references like the way Tarantino writes) Atleast with Pulp Fiction, it was pretty new at the time. But Death Proof is just to self aware. As if it knows it's going on, and on with it's uninteresting dialogue. As if Tarantino wants to bore us to death so he can try and surprise us with his car crash.

Dialogue should help move the story along. Death Proof doesn't really have much of a story to begin with though. So all were left with is character development, then a car chase. The problem with Death Proof's dialogue is that it adds nothing to the overall film. I know Tarantino is trying to build up the characters so we feel for them. But if anybody has ever seen a slasher film since 1979, they'll know what to expect. When the killer is stalking his prey, you know he's gonna strike anytime soon. I don't need to sit through 30 minutes of dialogue about girls, relationships, cellphone texting, and males wanting to get laid (think Sex and the City. Except that show was interesting because that 'talk' moved the stories along) The whole time though, we already know the fate of these girls.

Anyways... After more then a hour of talk, with a decent car crash about 35 minutes in the middle. We get to the car chase. It's great that they didn't use CGI. But it's nothing to brag about. "The stunts are real" is something I read a lot while reading some of the forums. Before 1995, not a single car chase was CGI. There's just simply nothing new. I am serious when I say The Dukes Of Hazzard TV show did car chases just as good as this. Their driving on an open road, with barely any cars. All their doing is bumping into each other, and going fast. It was cool when Zoe Bell was on the hood of the car. But Indiana Jones did that in Raiders in 1981. Plus, he went underneath the car, then got dragged by it. No CGI their folks!

The main reason I gave this two stars is because of Kurt Russell. Ever since I first saw Escape From New York, he's been the coolest of cool. As usual, he made Death Proof better then it should have been. If it wasn't for Kurt, Death Proof simply would have been a mess. With the exception of the enjoyable, and cute Zoe Bell. Most of the cast ranges from average, to awful. The actress'/actors just don't sound natural.

Most horror films have very little character development. I believe Death Proof shows us why. The characters in these slasher films are uninteresting. Maybe were supposed to be in the shoes of Stuntman Mike. Stalking and listening to every little detail of our prey. Next time find more interesting prey.

A (post) Feminist Film? Maybe........2007-09-12

Yes, you should have seen GRINDHOUSE in the theatre! It was an awesome cinematic experience and the faux trailers were so good! As far as DEATH PROOF goes, I personally think it's the best of the two films (Planet Terror/Death Proof). I applaud QT for presenting his heroins in a (somewhat) positive light. In true "girlfriends" fashion, we see how a group of women interact and react with each other, with other women, and finally, with a preditor. These women kick major a$$ but in a real way. For once, we see women not allow fear to paralyze them but rather, encourage them to fight for their lives. Awesome film. Feminist approved.

lame lame lame.......2007-09-12

nope not talking about grindhouse, it was one of my favorite films of the year..great entertainment..no im talking about the fact that they have ruined this film in the dvd release by essentially cutting the movie in half releasing it as two separate films killing what the movie was suppsed to be anyway, a great homage to grindhouse double features. any no trailers either in between and probably none of the other hilarious between film stuff. oh yeah, and "restored footage"? why? the frickin movie was perfect as it was. tack that stuff on the end if you have too. until the grindhouse i saw in the theater is released on dvd i wont be watching it.

Average customer rating:

his best
Great Action Adventure
Great Film!!
Anti-American Propaganda From Start to Finish
Action and Depth with a Moral

Shooter (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg , Michael Peña , Danny Glover , Kate Mara , and Elias Koteas
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000Q6GUTI
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

A movie that would not have been out of place in the run of paranoid-political thrillers of the 1970s, Shooter works an entertaining variation on the assassination picture. Mark Wahlberg, carrying over good mojo from The Departed, slides neatly into the character of Bob Lee Swagger, master marksman. Swagger has retreated from his duty as an off-the-books hired gun for the military, having become disillusioned with his government (switching on his TV at his remote mountain cabin, he mutters, "Let's see what kind of lies they're trying to sell us today."). Ah, but the government needs Swagger to scope out the location of a rumored attempt on the life of the president, so a shadowy government operative (Danny Glover) begs Swagger to use his sniper's skills to out-fox the assassin. From there--well, spoilers are not fair, since the movie has a few legitimate shocks and a very nice wrong-man scenario about to unfold.

A novel by the Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Stephen Hunter gives the movie a logical spine, even if the premise itself is the stuff of conspiracy theorists. Wahlberg gets support from Michael Pena, as a skeptical FBI agent; Kate Mara, as a trustworthy widow; and Ned Beatty, trailing along memories of Network, as a supremely cynical Senator. Along with the well-executed action sequences (the previously unreliable director Antoine Fuqua gets it in gear here), the movie includes a few potshots at the Bush administration. No, that doesn't put Shooter at the level of The Parallax View or All the President's Men, but it provides some tang along with the flying bullets. --Robert Horton

Beyond Shooter

More Sniper / Hit Man Movies on DVD
More DVDs with Mark Wahlberg
The Novel

Stills from Shooter (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

his best.......2007-09-14

I think this is wahlbergs best yet.Some people may not like the violence but other than that you can't flaw this movie. Good acting and directing and a story that didn't get boring. I am always for the underdog.

Great Action Adventure.......2007-09-13

Excellent storyline. Sadly, the political corruption is believeable. The characters were well portrayed and the story reminds us that sooner or later even if it's just one person, some one has to stand up and corruption has to be brought to light and justice served.

Great Film!!.......2007-09-12

Loved it! Action packed and full of suspense. Great chases and drama! A must see!

Anti-American Propaganda From Start to Finish.......2007-09-10

Anti-American propaganda so blatant it would make Michael Moore blush with shame, disguised as an action flick. Whoever thought this stuff would wash has a very, very low opinion of his audience. Just dreadful.

Action and Depth with a Moral.......2007-09-10

Without giving away any of the movie ~ This is the Italion Job meets Four Brothers. Not only is the movie action packed from snipers to explosions, into Federal Agents kidnapped for a coverup on an inocent Shooter ~ all the while a sadistic "puppet master" pulling strings in different departments. This Movie EASILY rivials any of the Bourne ;)

Average customer rating:

I expected more
Like the book, like the movie
The farthest thing from boring
A Good Story About Obsession
A MYSTERY INSIDE AN ENIGMA !

Zodiac (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal , Robert Downey Jr. , Mark Ruffalo , Brian Cox , and Chloe Sevigny
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000QUCNP4
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Amazon.com

Closer in spirit to a police procedural than a gory serial-killer flick, David Fincher's Zodiac provides a sleek, armrest-gripping re-invention of the crime film. It surveys the investigation of the Zodiac killings that terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late -60-early -70s; Zodiac not only killed people, but cultivated a Jack the Ripper aura by sending icky letters to the newspapers and daring readers to solve coded messages. But the film's focus isn't on the killer. We follow the reporters and detectives whose lives are taken over by the case, notably an addictive crime writer (a sartorially splendid Robert Downey Jr.), an awkward editorial cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal), and a hard-working cop (Mark Ruffalo). Fincher and his brilliant cinematographer Harris Savides are deft at capturing the period feel of the city, without laying on the seventies kitsch, and James Vanderbilt's script doles out its big moments to major and minor characters alike. Fincher's confidence is infectious; the movie glides through its myriad details with such dexterity that even the blind alleys and red herrings seem essential. The well-chosen cast includes unexpected people popping up all over: Anthony Edwards as a lunch-bucket homicide cop; Charles Fleischer as a mysterious suspect; Elias Koteas and Donal Logue as small-town policemen whose districts are hit by Zodiac; Chloe Sevigny as Gyllenhaal's sweet-natured wife; Brian Cox as the media-friendly lawyer Melvin Belli, so famous he once appeared on Star Trek; and the mighty John Carroll Lynch, as a supremely creepy suspect. The film is based on non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith (he's portrayed by Gyllenhaal), although Fincher and co. did extensive research on their own. The result is a propulsive whodunit without (thus far) an ending, but the uncertainty makes the film even more intriguing. --Robert Horton

Beyond Zodiac

The Zodiac (2005)
Curse of the Zodiac (2007)
The Novel

Stills from Zodiac (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

I expected more.......2007-09-09

After years of pondering the Zodiac murders, I thought that this movie was going to bring all the pieces together by placing the final piece into the puzzle. So I was really disappointed that the final piece still leads to the person the law and writers always thought it was....But with no true ending. But it's a good movie.

Like the book, like the movie.......2007-09-09

If you have problems with Graysmith you'll have them with the film - very close to the book and a fine set piece for the era. Definitely worth your time.

The farthest thing from boring.......2007-09-07

It was done really well and really captures you the whole way through but you must remember that it's a true story so it's still guessing on some things... and that's all i'll say about that haha. DEFINITELY worth seeing. It's the type of scary movie that doesn't have one "cheap" scare, if you know what I mean.

Some of the one liners are so great (robert downy jr especially) which was a surprise to me-- and the more times you see it the more you appreciate it. Really an excellent movie.

A Good Story About Obsession.......2007-09-06

A couple of years ago, I read an article about how some people are still obsessed with the Zodiac serial killer case. Since the murderer was never apprehended, this case has fascinated a number of people for almost 40 years. There are websites and all kinds of people, apparently, who can't let go of this famous case.

Lo and behold - here's a movie about that obsession. I, probably like a number of viewers, thought this was just another film about the murderer, and it looked that way for the first hour of the 157-minute movie. However, it turns out be just as much a story about one guy who has this obsession about finding the killer. That man is "Robert Graysmith," a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle. He is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie is based on Graysmith's books on the Zodiac killer, so it's no surprise the story winds up revolving around him.

For moviegoers looking for a hard-nosed, brutal serial-killer story, this must have been a disappointing film because it turns out to be a character study of "Graysmith" plus an in- depth behind-the-scenes look at police procedure which, as any cop could tell you, can be tedious work. However, there is still is enough violence and suspense, particularly early on, to satisfy some and there is a lot of information on the crimes itself, and a lot of suspects to entertain the "whodunit" mystery-solving viewer. Director David Fincher doesn't offer up the edge-of-your-seat thrillers as he did in "Se7en" and "Panic Room," but this is still worth a look and recommended.

A MYSTERY INSIDE AN ENIGMA !.......2007-09-06

Zodiac is one these movies that from the very beginning one presents its enormous artistic ambition. Zealously narrated, with a visible documentary style and photographed in sepia and autumnal colors as obsessive frame that reaffirm and accent the puzzled, intriguing and mysterious set of events since 1966 of a compulsive but very smart murderer, who acted according patterns based on solar cycles, that literally commoved and made a true scandal, because of the effrontery and unexpected logic around their next victims.

A hunter caricaturist - Robert Graysmith - and a scrupulous journalist - Paul Avery- decide by themselves to intend reconstruct step by step each one of the crimes, and investigate by themselves with an ethereal support of the assigned investigators for this entangled and complex puzzle.

Leaving aside all the efforts displayed by this ceaseless caricaturist trying by all his means to find out any striking evidence that be considered as relevant and irrefutable to discover the identity of this vanishing and disturbed-mind assassin, the movie makes us to reflect around the multiple bureaucratic barriers between the different counties in which the different massacres were made, as well as the smart legal strategies that froze and so many untied clues, that joined with such perverse and astute criminal mind, made of this sounded case a real unsolved enigma during 38 years.

David Fincher once more astonished us through his zealous camera handle, the fabulous edition process in order to present us during more than 150 minutes, the most significant details of such case.
c entire cast and evidently the employment of the music as allusive reference to emphasize certain insights into the drama, the outdoor stages were carefully made, taking into account with admirable accuracy designs of dress and reconstruction of cars of those ages.

Slow-paced film that demands from you your entire attention.

Average customer rating:

Suprisingly good
Disturbia
BETTER than Hitchcock !!
When will 2007 recover?
Disturbing

Disturbia (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Shia LaBeouf , Sarah Roemer , Carrie-Anne Moss , David Morse , and Aaron Yoo
Director: D.J. Caruso
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000RO6K9E
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Amazon.com

Alfred Hitchcock fans may experience déjà vu upon exposure to this voyeuristic thriller. That's because director DJ Caruso (The Salton Sea) and co-writer Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye) use Rear Window as a jumping-off point before cherry-picking from more recent scare fare, like The Blair Witch Project. In the prologue, 17-year-old Kale (Shia LaBeouf, Holes) loses his beloved father to a car crash. A year passes, and he's still on edge. When a teacher makes a careless remark about his dad, Kale punches him out, and is sentenced to house arrest. After his mom (Carrie-Anne Moss, Memento) takes away his Xbox and iTunes privileges, the suburban slacker spies on his neighbors to pass the time. In the process, he develops a crush on Ashley (Sarah Roemer, The Grudge 2), the hot girl next door, and becomes convinced that another, the soft-spoken Mr. Turner (David Morse, The Green Mile), is a serial killer. With the help of the flirtatious Ashley, practical joke-playing pal Ronnie (Aaron Yoo), and an array of high-tech gadgets, like cell-phone cameras and digital camcorders, Kale sets out to solve a major case without leaving his yard (a feat that would prove more challenging for a less affluent sleuth). In the end, it's pretty familiar stuff, but there are plenty of scares once Turner realizes he's being watched, and rising star LaBeouf, who next appears in Michael Bay's Transformers, makes for an engaging leading man--despite his character's propensity for slugging Spanish instructors. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Beyond Disturbia

Why We Love Shia LaBeouf
The Soundtrack
Rear Window

Stills from Disturbia (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

Suprisingly good.......2007-09-12

The first half of "Disturbia" is rather bland....Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is placed under house arrest for popping his teacher and he begins a three-month "incarceration" by watching videos and looking pretty bored. But after he picks up his binoculars and begins scouting the neighbors, things accelerate. Loosely based on Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window", "Disturbia" is an update with gizmos. One cannot imagine this film working on any level unless everyone had a cellphone. "Disturbia" is aimed at a younger crowd but an appealing performance by LaBeouf helps it to a satisfying conclusion.

Disturbia.......2007-09-09

This movie is one of those you just can't look away from when watching. It keeps you right there as if you are there. It's a great movie, must see. I highly recommend this one.

BETTER than Hitchcock !!.......2007-09-08

What a great movie - definately recommended if you want superb acting , perfectly selected cast and nail biting edge of seat tension throughout the 2nd half of the film once the plot and characters were established . I cannot think of anything wrong with this film if you like your thrillers to be exactly that - to "THRILL" .Buy it - you'll love it !!

When will 2007 recover?.......2007-09-06

It is funny the attitude we movie goers have taken to in 2007. Something as apologetically cautious as Disturbia is getting recognition. And do you want to know why? It doesn't really do much to make you dislike it. It doesnt do anything jolting either. It just plays it safe and goes on without trying too hard. And in my rather humored conscience, that is probably the only reason it was as successful as it managed to be.

Learn from Alpha Dog, do watch this film but check out how much Alpha Dog had to offer and compare. Not a bad film, just underwhelming.

Disturbing.......2007-09-06

SPOILERS:
The first few minutes of the movie lived up to the first part of the title. It disturbed me how quickly a day of fishing turned into road rage and then into a brutal death. From there, it was pure adrenaline. Voyeurs are the most interesting types of people to make a movie about because of what they think they see and what they actually see. This movie captures that. All in all, it caught me off guard and I'm for sure, after renting it twice, going to buy it.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Harry Potter 3)

Average customer rating:

Alfonso Cuaron's genius works with Harry Potter
All packaging correct, but wrong movie
As Awesome as Ever
Great !
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Harry Potter 3)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe , Richard Griffiths , Pam Ferris , Fiona Shaw , and Harry Melling
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00005JMAH
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Amazon.com

Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because it's another grand slam for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the arthouse success of Y Tu Mamá También, director Alfonso Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry face a new and daunting challenge: Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J.K. Rowling's book, considered by many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge. This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry (the fast-growing Daniel Radcliffe) and his third-year Hogwarts classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination (loyally adapted by ace screenwriter Steve Kloves), The Prisoner of Azkaban is a Potter-movie classic. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ron and Hermione, now teenagers, return for their third year at Hogwarts, where they are forced to face escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who poses a great threat to Harry. Harry and his friends spend their third year learning how to handle a half-horse half-eagle Hippogriff, repel shape-shifting Boggarts and master the art of Divination. They also visit the wizarding village of Hogsmeade and the Shrieking Shack, which is considered the most haunted building in Britain. In addition to these new experiences, Harry must overcome the threats of the soul-sucking Dementors, outsmart a dangerous werewolf and finally deal with the truth about Sirius Black and his relationship to Harry and his parents. With his best friends, Harry masters advanced magic, crosses the barriers of time and changes the course of more than one life. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and based on J.K. Rowling 's third book, this wondrous spellbinder soars with laughs, and the kind of breathless surprise only found in a Harry Potter adventure.

DVD Features:
3D Animated Menus
Challenges:Three great interactive challenges! Test your memory with "Magic You May Have Missed", help Crookshanks "Catch Scabbers", and go on an unexpected quest with Sir Cadogan.
DVD ROM Features:Wizard Trading Cards.Hogwarts Timeline.
Deleted Scenes:A selection of mystifying exclusive never-before-seen footage
Featurette:Conjuring a Scene - an in-depth look at the making of key scenes from the filmMeet the animal trainers from the movie in Care of Magical Creatures.
Interviews:Raucous interviews with the cast lead by Johnny Vaughan and the Shrunken HeadCreating the Vision - a revealing interview with J.K. Rowling and the filmmakers.
Other:Self-guided iPIX tours into Honeydukes and Professor Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Choir Practice - sing-along with the Hogwarts choir.Hogwarts Portrait Gallery - get a closer look at the various portraits lining the walls of Hogwarts castle. Electronic Arts game preview.
Theatrical Trailer:Harry Potter 1, Harry Potter 2, Harry Potter 3

Customer Reviews:

Alfonso Cuaron's genius works with Harry Potter.......2007-09-06

I enjoyed the first two Harry Potter movies that Chris Columbus directed, but this movie blew those two out of the water completely. Director Alfonso Cuaron transformed the entire series with this movie, making it darker, more artistic, and overall a better movie-watching experience than the other Potter films. A lot of fans are annoyed because of all the differences between the movie and the book, but I think the changes were done in a manner that truly makes Prisoner of Azkaban the best film out of the 5 we've seen so far.

All packaging correct, but wrong movie.......2007-09-05

I purchased the first 4 Harry Potter movies, of which this was one. My review would be positive with one huge exception. The movie that actually appeared when I pressed was The Polar Express. The product arrived quickly. The packaging was in excellent condition. And for my part, my payment was prompt. It's just too bad that quality control missed this one.

As Awesome as Ever.......2007-08-28

This is a replacement DVD for one that was lost several years ago. I had forgotten how good this movie is. Definitely a classis to have in the DVD library.

Great !.......2007-08-27

This 3rd movie is a great addition to the collection ! I wasn't a huge fan but made me consider buying the other released movies soon !

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly..........2007-08-26

My favorite BOOK of the series and my LEAST favorite movie of the series so far. I know movies can't always follow the books they're based on EXACTLY-- however, this movie left out some pretty important stuff. Not only that, but things were added to the movie that were not in the book. So here's the good, the bad and the ugly about "Prisoner of Azkaban"...
First-- the good: It's not a bad movie. The acting's good overall. There's a lot of action and a good storyline with a couple of twists and turns toward the end. The scenery is beautiful and you see a lot more of the grounds surrounding Hogwarts than in previous movies...and there's a beautiful scene of Harry's ride on the hippogriff. If you've not read the books but you've seen movies 1 and 2 (or at least know the Harry Potter basics), I think you'll enjoy yourself even if you don't know what the heck is going on all the time. (It IS the third of a series so you DO need to know something of the first two to really know what's going on.)
Now-- the bad: If you really liked the first 2 movies, there are some major changes in this one that are hard to get used to. First, many of the sets are completely different. Now Hagrid's hut is far away from the castle across a long bridge and down a steep hill... and the Whomping Willow (that nearly destroyed the Weasleys' car in movie 2) is out in the forest-- not near the school. (These sets are also used in movies 4 and 5.) Also, many of the faces of other students you're used to seeing in the background (like Susan Bones, Lee Jordan, Oliver Wood) have been replaced by new unfamiliar actors-- some with speaking parts but you can't identify them with characters in the book. (Neville, Dean, and Sean are there, but there's a strange unidentified boy running around with Draco.) Then there's Dumbledore... When Mr. Harris died, they understandably had to find a relacement. But Mr. Gambon plays a much different Dumbledore than Mr. Harris did. He's not bad-- just different. He looks different, dresses differently, moves around quicker and just doesn't have that powerful calm presence that is associated with the character and which Mr. Harris achieved so well. Also, it's a little weird that Professor Flitwick, who was portrayed in the last movies as an old grey haired wizard, is now much younger with short black hair and a moustache! Some people enjoyed the "new look" of the movie... others (including myself) didn't.
Okay-- now for the ugly: For those who've read and enjoyed Book 3, I think you'll be anywhere from 'somewhat' to 'severely' disappointed. There are (of course) a lot of nitpicky things I could mention (like Lupin's moustache, or dementors flying instead of floating above the ground, etc.), but there are some major problems. First, there are things that are not in the book but came right out of the director's head:
1. Talking shrunken heads (with Jamaican accents for some reason) that seem to be everywhere.
2. Tom, who tends the Leaky Cauldron and is described as stooped and toothless in the book, is now bald with a hump and a limp and acts like some freakish Igor in an old Frankenstein movie.
3. Then there's the infamous first seconds of the movie where Harry is using his wand to practice magic at the Dursley's-- which I don't have to tell anyone who's familiar with the books OR the previous movies is a BIG no-no! Considering the penalty Harry receives in Book 5 for using his wand outside of school... well, let's just say that a little research would have gone a long way.
4. Then there's the "Fat Lady"... It isn't the film time that was wasted having the Fat Lady refuse the students entrance to the Gryffindor common room until she could break a wine glass with her voice that's the problem... it's the fact that the SECRET entrance to Gryffindor Tower is (according to Cuaron) right off the main staircase where everyone can see it!!
5. And even though the hippogriff in the movie is as it's described in the book, the other important magical beast towards the end of the movie is absolutely NOTHING like JKR described him (and it would have been a lot scarier if he he had been)!
And now it gets REAL ugly: Without giving away the ending or twists in the story-- key important bits of information that are revealed in Book 3 are left out! For instance, the Marauder's Map is given to Harry, but its origin and inventors are never mentioned. Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban, but how he was able to do it is never revealed. No mention is made of what James Potter (Harry's dad) and his friends were doing while at Hogwarts or why. The reason for the Shrieking Shack and the Whomping Willow is never explained. Why Harry's patronus manifests as a stag is also never explained (even though it does appear as such in the movie). Such information would have given this movie more depth and is one of the reasons the book is so popular. It gave a peek into the life of Harry's dad and broadened Harry's world a little. Without James Potter and his friends doing what they did all those years ago, all the events in Book 3 never would have happened and Harry's third year at Hogwarts would have been as boring as my 8th grade year in Junior High. Why none of this was included is beyond me. Had it been, it would have been a much better movie.
**My recommendations: If you want depth and explanation and a good background story that ties everything together... get the book and read it. If you just want a good action/adventure movie that you can watch with the kids and not be completely bored out of your mind... get the DVD.
**Parental note: This movie is rated PG for violence (monsters and ghouly dementors and such) and may be a bit too scary for the little ones.

Average customer rating:

Good movie with an unexpected ending
Great at first, then spiraled downward
If you loved the book, skip the film!
Ridiculous movie
Original And, Despite The Ending, I Found It Fascinating

Perfume - The Story Of A Murderer
Starring: Ben Whishaw , Francesc Albiol , Gonzalo Cunill , Roger Salvany , and Andrés Herrera
Director: Tom Tykwer
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QUCNOK
Release Date: 2007-07-24

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Based on Patrick Suskind's novel about a serial killer who hunts victims with his superhuman sense of smell, Perfume: Story of a Murderer is a florid, grisly portrayal of this historical drama set in 18th century France. Jean-Baptiste Grunuis (Ben Whishaw) is born under his mother's table at the fish market, onto a pile of muddy fish guts, establishing from the beginning his repulsion for putrid scents. A childhood of neglect and, later, a job at a tannery, encourage Jean-Baptiste to develop his olfactory sense rather than his verbal skills, so that an opportunity to prove his worth to Parisian perfumist, Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), results in his immediate hire into a promising new career. His successes in perfume mixing are negated by a blinding obsession for capturing the sublime beauty of human soul, which in his twisted logic requires the killing of young women to reduce their body fats to essential oils for the ultimate, cannibalized eau de parfum. An omniscient narrator tells the story with much sympathy for Jean-Baptiste's perverted psychology, making it, often, too obvious that his need for love justifies his murderous desire to capture misguided sexual attractions in a vile. Continuous close-ups of Grunius's nose, countered by close-ups of the places and objects he smells, enhance the viewer's understanding of his sensitivity. Repeated comparisons are made between the killer and dogs who aid, then expose his sick experimentation. The settings are fascinating, especially Baldini's perfumery and some later scenes in enflorage factories outside Provence. Whishaw's and Hoffman's performances are both grand. But Perfume unnecessarily spells out Jean-Baptiste's psychosis, squelching any chance for metaphor. This is unfortunate, considering the story's paradoxical nature. As this crude hunter navigates his way through a world of utmost delicacy, one craves ambiguity rather than explanation. --Trinie Dalton

Stills from Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

Good movie with an unexpected ending.......2007-09-14

the ending was really unexpected! i thought it was really clever and i liked it!
i was really surprised with the scenario of the movie, very realistic, i never saw something like that in other movies...
really cool movie

Great at first, then spiraled downward.......2007-09-11

At first I thought this movie was so original and imaginative. It is filmed beautifully. The clothing and scenery. The colors. The music. I enjoyed the narration. But you keep waiting for Ben Wishaw's character Jean-Baptiste to get interesting. He is emotionless. As another reviewer said you almost don't care what happens to any of the characters. (Although I thought Alan Rickman and Dustin Hoffman did a fine job with their smaller roles). Especially Jean-Baptiste. But he's so irritating with his lack of personality or emotion that I really disliked him. Stop reading here is you don't want to read a spoiler. The main plot twist is that Jean-Baptiste wants to get his hands on the beautiful Laura and so since he is the villian of the story you hope that he will, of course, not kill her like all the other girls. And even when he gets into her room you hope, somehow she will escape. You hope that finally one of the girls will be able to defend themselves... but no, that would have actually given the movie a little suspense. He killed any chance of that when he killed her. But I kept thinking that the movie might improve with an interesting twist of an ending. There is a fine line between interesting and just ridiculous. Some people loved this entire movie including the ending. I felt the ending became so bizarre and strange that it was unpleasant to watch. It was so unfufilling and stupid that I have to give this movie 1 star, despite it's promising beginning. Maybe, as another reviewer said, the book is great. I haven't read the book. But I hated this movie. Unless you enjoy period movies, enjoy great costumes or really, really bizarre movies I recommend renting this movie - like if you have Netflix and you won't be wasting $5 to watch it. If you want to see a good movie with interesting characters, suspense and mystery see the Illusionist instead.

If you loved the book, skip the film!.......2007-09-09

The book was fabulous. The film adaptation is horrid. Where to begin? Dustin Hoffman is a fine actor, but nothing of his ability and screen power come thru in this film. Ben Whishaw? Forget it. His performance is bland and boring, his performance lacking any emotion or inspiration. You simply don't care about him as a character. In fact, that is the primary fault of the entire film. Character development is so poor that you simply don't care what happens to anyone in the film.

Alan Rickman, as usual, delivers a strong screen presence, but his role is so small that he cannot possibly save the film. John Hurt with his characteristic voice also does a fine job of narrating the film.

Perfume is an excellent novel - a unique, well-developed story. Definitely read the book! But the film is a real stinker (pun intended).

Ridiculous movie.......2007-09-08

And again, everyone loves the emperor's clothes and how pretty all the colors are. Dustin Hoffman's career is circling down the drain much in the same manner that Robert De Niro's is, by showing up in films like this that are so utterly undeserving of his talent. If this is esteemed as a work of vision and depth, then the fix is truly in and the moviegoing public has been broken on the wheel of mediocrity- happily ingesting any substandard, contemptible feed Hollywood wishes to slop into the entertainment trough. Just because someone can recreate the streets of Paris or can CGI color a few fruits and hairdos to convey beauty and richness of experience doesn't mean that we should all clap and be awestruck. This movie is meaningless and unbelievable, a mockery of the period piece, the detective thriller, the psychosexual drama, the tortured genius expose, or any other genre it unintentionally parodies.

In politics, some say we get the government we deserve. By heaping praise on hollow window dressing like "Perfume", it looks like we will all continue to get the movies we deserve. Giving further life to this box office bomb via rentals or DVD sales is simply irresponsible. I bet the author of the book had to be restrained from going into the lot when this was filming, hoping he could find the screenwriter and sock him(and I say 'him' because I'm having trouble with the idea that an intelligent woman would countenance abetting the creation of such mindless exploitation of the fairer sex) in the jaw.

Original And, Despite The Ending, I Found It Fascinating.......2007-09-05

Wow, this is really a bizarre story with an ending that probably will turn off 98 percent of viewers who stick with this two hours, 147-minute film. I'm not sure what to make of it, other than totally understanding if people are left unsatisfied after watching this movie. As I said, I'm not sure how to interpret it as I just finished it minutes ago. It leaves you almost stunned.

Rather than judging that finale or divulging it, let me just comment on the first two hours of the film, which I found utterly fascinating. If I wasn't such an admirer of photography, art and special-effects, I doubt I would have found the movie so appealing because the story is "not for everyone." However, thanks to stunning French city and countryside scenery, 18th century period and beautiful women it enhanced the story to me. Yet, regardless of the visual treats, the story was so unusual it still would have held my attention.

Ben Wishaw, who plays the lead character "Jean-Baptist Grenouille, has a face that is perfect for this role. His emaciated body, which survived a brutal childhood existence from the moment he was born also makes his character all the more credible. The looks of shock and awe on this man's face throughout the picture also add to his believability. He was mesmerizing with his haunting expressions. Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman provide "name" actors the film but it's Wishaw's movie, all the way.

I can only recommend this movie to those who share similar interests in cinematography and who like a "different" story but there are so many things in here - especially the ending - that could offend so many people, I would be hesitant to recommend this to the general viewer.

Average customer rating:

Overly bloody, logically holed, inferior sequel
Some good ideas... but otherwise a simple rehash of the first film.
Perfect Horror Sequel?
Gorged on gore
Remember viewers love spelt backwards is EVOL!

28 Weeks Later (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Robert Carlyle , Rose Byrne , Jeremy Renner , Amanda Walker , and Shahid Ahmed
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000TJBN80
Release Date: 2007-10-09

Description

28 WEEKS LATER is sequel to the successful 28 Days Later.

The film pick up six months after the Rage virus has spread throughout the city of London. The United States Army has restored order and is repopulating the quarantined city, when a carrier of the Rage virus enters London and unknowingly re-ignites the spread of the deadly infection, wreaking havoc on the entire population. The virus is not yet dead, and this time it's more dangerous than ever!!

Customer Reviews:

Overly bloody, logically holed, inferior sequel.......2007-09-14

Surprised at the number of good reviews this is getting here.

"I wish Roger Ebert was still writing reviews because he would most definitely decry the "idiot plot" moment of "28 Weeks Later." It comes when Don (Robert Carlyle) decides to plant a wet kiss on his obviously exposed-to-infection wife, despite having seen the Zombies first-hand and knowing full-well how the infection travels and how it has pretty much decimated the population of Britain. I watched this at the Westlake Village Promenade today at 4:50pm with a crowd of mostly teenage guys and even a lot of them were shocked at how ridiculous this was." - Bryce Zabel, moviesmackdown

Big budget blood drenched sequel could have been so much better. Another ridiculous moment comes when they start firebombing part of the city--gee, why not just nuke all of London, if infrastructure destruction is not a problem, then you could be certain of extermination? Then the city is gassed, why didn't they do that in the first place? Well they have a big budget this time and lots of huge fiery explosions are obligatory I guess.

Another thing, the camera shakes WAY too much. What's going on? When the boy sees his father through the door, the camera moves very fast and next thing you know the rage has spread inside the quarantined building. What happened? Only by going slow-motion through this sequence can one see he breaks through a heavy locked steel door by simply banging on it. 300 people are trapped inside but one skinny infected gets in no problemo. The boy sure must be a good sprinter cause he gets from the door to walking over people 40 ft away in .5 seconds. And you know exactly what is going to happen when the rage hits a large crowd of people because it is described in detail in the first film (the airport story). I submit to you, a predictable scene does not make for a scary one no matter how much blood, screaming and unsteady camerawork you throw in.

The original had lots of slow parts with interesting dialog and scenery that made one think and give a breather between the the scary parts. This movie just got on the bandwagon of all the bad ultra-bloody films that have come out since the original--Hostel, Saw, Hills Have Eyes, etc and, not to be outdone, is scene after scene of murder and mayhem. The one interesting idea in this one, that some can be immune, was not really developed except to spread the virus to show, you got it, more blood and gore.

The music throughout is THE EXACT SAME as in the original, they couldn't even get original music?? (Maybe they spent too much on those explosions)

Overall this was a big disappointment for me.

Some good ideas... but otherwise a simple rehash of the first film........2007-09-10

Well...

It was with a lot of anticipation that I went to see 28 WEEKS LATER - specially because I believe the first film, 28 DAYS LATER, was a genuine new look at the beloved Zombie genre.

But I got a little disappointed with this sequel because it does not offer much. The synopsis looks promising: weeks later, the original infected people on the UK dies... and the country is declared safe. So it is up to the British living abroad to come home and start again. And we meet this guy who has two kids (who were abroad on a school trip).

Suddenly, they find his wife (who apparently got attacked and died on the prologue). But she is fine... because she is immune to the disease. But she does has the virus... and it is only a matter of time until the whole thing starts again.

The problem with 28 WEEKS LATER is that the audience does not bond with any character. There is nobody there for the audience to empathize with. I feel some lack of focus in those characters... and the whole film becomes a escapist time-passing.

It was exactly the huge investment in characters that made the first film so good. But here... It's all missing.

That is not to say that there are not great moments. The intro (when the guy loses his wife) is well paced... the scene where the helicopter decapitates (oh, yes!!!) a group of infected is fabulous... and the best sequence is when the survivors drive away from the military dodging poison gas clouds on the streets of London.

But that's it.

Also... this film contradicts one interesting element presented in the first film. I remember (on 28 DAYS LATER) one character saying the infection had reached other countries. That does not seem to be what we see here. I got a little confused.

Still it is worth a look.

Perfect Horror Sequel?.......2007-09-06

I disagree.

28 Weeks Later has such staunch editing that the film seldom allows one to breathe in it's storyline. It is based on a son, a daughter, a mother and a father caught up in the whole virus affecting the world. My only complain and a big flaw in the film is the fact that the characters are not even allowed to grow on you. Before you know anything else, you find characters running and hiding. It's a bit too active and it seems that the director is trying too hard to create an impact.

28 Weeks Later does create an impact, in the sense it is still a must watch film but there is nothing about the film that deserves recognition or respect. It tries to incorporate a whole lot in a space of way less than 2hours. A lot of readers/posters/critics on imdb.com wrote this is one of the best films they saw in 2007. I can see what they could have liked about this film but I must say, in my heart of hearts, it is quite underwhelming.

Watch [...] and figure out how it had those 4minute action scenes. There were maybe 2 scenes in the film that made me jump from my seat. The film,overall, though would still remain disappointing. However, I would not like to pull you away from it. Watch it cause you might just like it or you might just end up finding I make sense to more than just myself.

Try watching "[...]" - a good effort and it doesn't try to change the world. I eagerly await the follow up to this film, if any at all. I'll just keep my expectations low.

Gorged on gore.......2007-09-03

What's not to like about zombie triathletes ripping open and converting humans at a rate of speed that leaves the urgency of "Speed" and "Run Lola Run" limping in a cloud of dust? Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who previously helmed "Intacto," has infused "28 Weeks Later" with a more "Hostel"-proper level of gore -- projectile blood vomit erupts at regularly spaced intervals, eyeballs get squished and, in a Peter Jackson-worthy scene, a mob of zombies gets sliced and diced by chopper blades in a celebratory burst of gristle, hemoglobin and bone.

There is the obligatory jab at the U.S. empire's reputation for barbarism toward foreigners (i.e., the current war on terror) and, just like "The Host" and "Jurassic Park," "28 Weeks" criticizes the pitfalls of a technologically murky society. Then there is a misplaced subplot involving a father's cowardliness and subsequent regret that culminates in an awkward scene that begins with forgiveness and ends in blind rage. But primarily, "28 Days Later" is about zombie face time. The rest of the film plays second fiddle to these orgies of rotting, human-size, PCP-infused piranha. And Fresnadillo gorges the viewer on zombies until your brain pan's fried. It's not bad, it's just no rival to the flawless "28 Days Later."

I think it's time for a zombie romance movie. Ang Lee could direct it. He could title it, "28 1/2 Weeks." I mean, the zombies do travel to Paris at the end, booking toward the Eiffel Tower, that bastion of passion. Mai oui!

Remember viewers love spelt backwards is EVOL!.......2007-08-29

Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002), I thought, had all the positive and negative traits of a typical Boyle film. The film had its moments of effective film making. The concept of "28 Days Later," however, is golden. Like George Romero's zombie flicks, the storyline of an incurable virus turning those infected into ravenous zombie-like murderers that is quarantined within the main British isle, is so ripe for possible sequels and spin-offs. As expected, a sequel is made --- grossly entitled "28 Weeks Later" (a sequel would probably be entitled 28 months or years later). It's not directed by Boyle but by director Juan Carlos Fresnadilla.

You spot the differences immediately between these two directors. The film opens with Robert Carlyle and Catherine McCormack holed up in a cottage out in the British countryside. They're preparing a meal and discussing the fate of their kids as they traveled away for vacation just before the outbreak. Their dinner is interrupted by a young boy that has fled from a pack of infected that included his parents trying to kill him. This line of dialogue sets up the film's main theme: reconnection. It's not as eye-catching as Boyle's opening where he had then-newcomer Cillian Murphy alone inside a hospital room, and the moment he steps out of the hospital, an eerily empty London embraces his newly-recovered senses. Fresnadillo clearly doesn't want to dillydally and doesn't see the value of establishment. He throws us the facts right away, clearly banking on his audience's familiarity with Boyle's original work, and takes us straight to the action. A few minutes later, the survivors are in distress.

If Fresnadillo's concern is to create a film that is more visceral, more gruesome, more violent than its predecessor, he certainly achieved it. However, I think Fresnadillo belongs to that school of filmmaking wherein cameras are supposed to be in a state of perpetual motion, and a shot should not last more than 2 seconds. The film is edited erratically, and the camera movements are unbearably jerky, that it's almost impossible to tell who's biting who, who's escaping from whom, and so on which was plain torture.

It's quite unfortunate that the film suffers from a tired aesthetic style (I would've preferred Boyle who despite his MTV-tendencies still knows when to stop and just enjoy that moment of serenity). The story actually has good moments. Sure, there are certain instances wherein the characters start losing a hold on common sense or logic, but as a sequel to a film that draws its powers from a ridiculous idea to begin with, the writers didn't do that bad. London 28 weeks later looks like a more affluent Baghdad --- surrounded by Americans who are armed and have their own protocols. "28 Weeks Later" exploits that idea slightly through out this film. The themes do not have the philosophical underpinnings or the sophistication of Romero's zombie parables. The allusions are quite plainly mere metaphors that manage to distract me from the film's want of visual quality. That's when I start to miss Boyle who, with all his faults as a filmmaker, still manage to churn out new things and ideas from concepts primarily borrowed from masters of the genre, leaving this movie scary one way but forgettable in the other.

Average customer rating:

Great action movie
Excellent action with excellent picture...
more than I expected
Interesting set-up, technical skill, weak lead, unable to sustain itself
Excellent movie - great on Blu-ray

Shooter [Blu-ray]
Starring: Ned Beatty , Tate Donovan , Danny Glover , Levon Helm , and Elias Koteas
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000QUEQBS
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Amazon.com

A novel by the Washington Post's Pulitzer