Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales

Amazon.com

Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd's bestselling children's book headlines this winning 25-minute collection of sleepytime tales from HBO. Susan Sarandon narrates the simple story of a bunny readying for bed. Other top entertainers lend their voices to the tape: Tony Bennett sings the story of "Hit the Road to Dreamland"; Lauryn Hill brings rhythm to "Hush, Little Baby" (the best segment); Billy Crystal lends many voices to Mercer Mayer's "There's a Nightmare in My Closet"; and singers Natalie Cole, Aaron Neville, and Patti LeBelle sing other tales. A dandy video for the youngster, punctuated with "interviews" of real kids answering a host of bedtime questions. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Lovely Good Night Moon Segment.......2007-09-13

I have grown to really appreciate this DVD. Initially, I was primarily drawn to Susan Sarandon's reading of Good Night Moon, which is lovely. But we (I, my spouse and our 19-month old) now enjoy -- Braham's Lullably, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Tar Beach, and a Nightmare in my Closet. I was concerned that our child would be frightened by the Mercer Nightmare story, but she finds the scene of the Nightmare character crying to be funny (so much for empathy). At this age, she is not interested in hearing the segments with children talking about dreams, so we skip tracks frequently. The kids are well-spoken and an interesting mix of voices but are very New York, as another reviewer commented.

Such a perfect savior when the child won't sleep!.......2007-09-05

This show has been on HBO and we Tivo'd it - our daughter gets to watch it only when she is unable to fall asleep. Works everytime. Very poignant messages, great talented voices throughout and just a nice family DVD - the only one we own!

It's not that good........2007-08-23

I bought this vedio for my toddler son. I do not think he is interested at all. There are too many talks from the kids that he would not even understand but not enough music and pictures to draw his interest.

Doesn't Work For Our House, Might Work For Yours.......2007-08-23

My one year old daughter LOVES the Classical Baby series and I purchased this DVD hoping for something along the same lines - a soothing bedtime type of show.

The stories are great but each segment is prefaced with little kids chattering away. I don't mind the chatter, but I imagine that it would start to grate with repeated viewings. I wish there was a way to just view the stories.

When my daughter sees the other children on TV, she is VERY interested in them. So interested that she sits straight up (almost like she's thinking, "Ooh! Big kids!") and we lose all of the progress we've made toward sleepytime. I'll give this DVD another shot when she's a little older.

All kids are different so maybe this DVD will work at your house!

Wonderful!!.......2007-08-09

I loved this story when my ten year old was a baby, and now I have a one year old that absolutely loves the video version before bed!! It is the perfect wind down from the day for a great bedtime tradition. We watch it every night, and change off every now and then with Goodnight Gorilla, another wonderful bedtime story. My son goes down without a peep after these videos!! Great investment! Great gift for baby showers too!!!

Average customer rating:

Much better than I expected
A Friendly Vampire
Amazing!
Gackt and Hyde in "Moon Child"
What a surprise!

Moon Child
Starring: Hideto Takarai , Gackt Camui , Lee-Hom Wang , Taro Yamamoto , and Susumu Terajima
Director: Takahisa Zeze
Manufacturer: TLA Releasing
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ASIN: B0001WTWII
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Description

Japanese pop stars Gackt and HYDE star in this wild hybrid of futuristic science fiction, John Woo-style gunplay, and Gothic vampire horror. MOON CHILD follows a group of childhood friends as they advance in a futuristic criminal underworld. Sho (Gackt) feels he is doomed to walk in his idol Kei's (HYDE) footsteps as a vampire with the gift of eternal life and the curse of blood thirst. Over time, their tight friendship becomes corrupted because of their rivalry and love for the same woman. Filmmaker Takahisa Zeze brings a stylized sting to the blood draining and hyper violent proceedings. Japanese with English subtitles.

Customer Reviews:

Much better than I expected.......2007-07-16

It was a meaningful movie with a conclusion that brought me to tears. This world is getting crowded and corrupted, so much so that a life means very little. There's also Kei's touching soliloquys about immortality.

HYDE did a good job acting. If you've seen his live performances, he practically has to "act" to the song and be expressive anyway. His facial expressions and voices were very convincing, and I practically forgot that he's a singer, not an actor.

Gackt didn't do a good job acting, I mean I was aware that he's not a pro actor. But he did a decent job, better than some other singers I've seen.

Some of the gun scenes were kinda wierd looking, but the rest of this movie was pure brilliance.

A Friendly Vampire.......2007-03-06

My daughter is a big fan of Japanese music; so I watched this with her. Hyde is a major rock star with his band L'Arc-en-Ciel and solo CDs. Gackt is a major rock star from two bands, Cain's Feel & Malice Mizer. Wang Lee Hom is also famous, but his music isn't as favored in my household! In this movie, they all do a good job. Director Takahisa Zeze's 6th feature after some not released in the U.S. ("Dog Star," "Rush," "Hysteric") keeps an intricate plot clear, spans a period of years in classic episodic structure, and creates a science fiction world of 2014 in a place Mallepa where Japanese refugees have gone to find work after the economic collapse of Japan. Hyde plays Kei, a blond Japanese vampire who befriends a little boy. The little boy grows up and is played by Gackt Camui with what is actually excellent range. We see the young man who is wild and nonchalant and then skip forward in years where he is in charge. Gackt makes the character transition significant and believable. Taro Yamamoto plays their friend Toshi and won a supporting actor award at a festival. Wang Lee Hom who has done more film ("Starlit High Noon," "Lust Caution") plays the good-looking friend who winds up on the other side of the yakuza and battles to the last bullet. Yi-Che is his sister played by Zeny Kwok who marries Sho & later dies of a fatal illness. I guess the wardrobe for Kei and Sho is Japanese rock star mode. I thought it made them look effeminate, which was a particularly inappropriate choice since one of the main themes of the film is the bond between these two men. The story doesn't indicate that this is a gay vampire or a gay protege, but the clothes make you wonder if there's something between the lines not on the screen. Meanwhile Wang Lee Hom looks like he could have walked out of Las Vegas. Other than costumes, Zeze combines the elements of vampires, science fiction & Japanese mafia into an entertaining film. Enjoy!

Amazing!.......2007-02-07

I had wanted a copy of this movie from the first time learning about it being released. When I finally had the chance to get it, I did so. The cinematography and special effects alone, were stunning and did remind me of The Matrix, a little.

Gackt-sama and Hyde-sama were excellent in this and played their respective parts very well. Absolute movie naturals. Being a fan of both really bears no weight on my review, although it doesn't hurt. Knowing the real-life friendship that they have, it came across in "Moonchild" supremely well. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes and enjoys not only these two talented individuals, but also sci-fi/horror type movies. You won't be at all disappointed.

Gackt and Hyde in "Moon Child".......2007-01-04

Moon Child is a very recommended movie, though it includes very cheesy gunfights and wars between the mafia, but if you like those things in a movie, then this is the right movie for you.

Gackt, Hyde, and Wang Leehom, though they aren't actors and have never been, play an amazing role in this movie.
Hyde's dramatic acting makes his vampire character, Kei, very believable, and gives this movie a very dark and sad enviroment.
Gackt plays Sho, Kei's best friend. He meets him as a child and grows up with him(more like grows on his own, since Kei doesn't age).
Leehom Wang plays Son, a man in search for revenge of the raping of his younger sister, Yi-Che. He meets Sho and Kei and they inmediately become friends, sharing pain and happiness with them.

Moon Child focuses very much on their tight bond with each other, on Sho and Kei's love for the same woman, and the problem that unequality in races brings.

Wang Leehom in American born, but his chinese sounds very well pronounced, and although Gackt is Japanese, his chinese is also quite fluent.

All three of them are originally singers, HUGE in Japan and Taiwan, and this is their first movie, a huge turning point in their career. I personally think they did a great job as actors.

Definitely recommended for the beautiful message it sends.

What a surprise!.......2006-12-24

I'll have to admit that I didn't think that this movie was going to be very good. It was recomended to me by a friend. A little bit of over acting in the beging I think but concidering that these are musicians, they did a pretty good job at getting you reeled into the story. Like many, I thought it was just them "cashing in on their popularity." Most movies musucians make don't turn out too well. I'd hate to give away the plot or anything, but I would definetly recomend seeing it wether your a fan of Hyde and Gackt or not.

Danger After Dark Collection (Suicide Club/ Moon Child/ 2LDK)

Average customer rating:

confused..
Note on Suicide Club
GREAT, even though it's risky...
Not so much "Danger After Dark", but still good.
GOOD!

Danger After Dark Collection (Suicide Club/ Moon Child/ 2LDK)
Starring: Maho Nonami , Daisuke Kizaki , Eiko Koike , Hideto Takarai , and Gackt Camui
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi , Takahisa Zeze , and Sion Sono
Manufacturer: TLA Releasing
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ASIN: B000FDFKH0
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Description

Loaded with blood and mayhem, the first collection from Danger After Dark is a trio of action-packed cult-favorites from Japan. In Suicide Club, a wave of unexplained suicides sweeps across Tokyo after 54 smiling girls join hands and throw themselves in front of an oncoming train. Meanwhile, Japanese pop sensations Gackt and HYDE star in Moon Child, a wildly entertaining hybrid of futuristic sci-fi, John Woo-style gunplay and gothic vampire horror. The triumvirate is completed with 2LDK, a vicious comedy about two roommates whose petty catfight turns into a duel to the death.

Customer Reviews:

confused.........2007-03-05

Does anyone know if the version of Suicide Club in this box set is the same as the Unrated version? Or is it like the rated R version? I've heard that there was a difference in the amount of gore/blood in the two.

Note on Suicide Club.......2007-01-10

Of the three movies only 2 are in Anamorphic widescreen as the box and DVD's say. Suicide Club is 4/3 letterboxed widescreen and will not display properly on the widescreen TV without zooming which cuts off parts of the subtitles When printed on the box,in big letters, it says "new anamorphic widesceen transfer" one would expect it to be correct! Wouldn't one?
Addition: TLAreleasing emailed me today, and stated that there was a problem with the disk and has been corrected. Unfortuntantly the new ones are bad too. It wasn't fixed.

GREAT, even though it's risky..........2006-10-28

I am obsessed with watching all the movies in this box set. My favorite would definately be Suicide Club, and then Moon Child.

Suicide Club wasn't "strange" for me at all because i researched some of it before i watched it. Therefore i understood things that most people would consider as "grotesque" or "weird."

Moon Child i watched purely in "Yaoi fangirl" mode. Although, i do see the movie having somewhat bad acting in certain parts BUT still a great movie overall. BL fangirls or Yaoi fangirls would love this movie! So would any other person. (^.^)

2LDK...I watched this movie last because i was expecting it to be the most bloody. Yet, to my dismay, there wasn't any blood (like SC) until the last 5 or so minutes. To me, and American, i laughed at many things...such as how the japanese define "catfight" when normally here, in America, a catfight is an all-out-brawl with ripping of the hair, etc.

Suicide Club and 2LDK are movies that provoke your mind to twist in ways it never has before. Moon Child is sheer bliss and BL love.
Definately worth 26 bucks because Moon Child is 16 (or so) bucks on it's own...Worth EVERY CENT! ^.^ Even if you don't like one of the movies you'll be paying the price of a new DVD release anyway! So it's an awesome deal!

Not so much "Danger After Dark", but still good........2006-08-12

I'll review in the order I watched the movies. I didn't get the boxed set first. I brought Moon Child here after a recommendation. Let me first say that I love Gackt and Hyde. Their music makes me happy and I think both are beautiful. That was the biggest draw for me: two of my favorite Jrockers in a movie about gangsters and vampires. However, when I watch it, I forget about the stars and focus on the story and characters.
There are a few layers to each of them. Kei is a vampire, yes, but he doesn't act much like one. If you need a Western parallel, think Louis of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. He's tortured by his curse and it hinders many aspects of his life. Sho starts as your typical gangster and continues much in that vein. However, little things change him as the movie continues. I won't say much else in case I spoil this for anyone. Toshi and Shinji are very much the comic relief for most of the film, but they have their dramatic moments as well. Son is pretty no-nonsense, though he has a lighter side. You'll get what I mean. Yi-Che is very quiet and reserved, hardly ever speaking unless she absolutely must and sees no other option. I'm sure someone would bring up a little spoiler here, but I'm referring more to after that.
The story is on of friends, family, bonds, love (not the sort I'm sure you're thinking!), and time's effects on them all. I saw a thread on another site about the homo-erotic undertones in this. Well, there are none unless you want them to be there.
All in all, I personally enjoyed Moon Child. I suggest this if you enjoy Jrock/Jpop, can tolerate vampirism, like some comedy and a dash of action with your drama, and don't mind your fights scenes big, loud, and a bit over-the-top.

After picking up the box set, I watched decided to watch 2LDK. I'd read up on it a bit and determined that it would be better for my freshly filled stomach. Crazy movie, that one. The sort that makes you not dream of being a movie star, because I could definitely see it happening. Not to this extreme, however, but the tension is real enough.
This follows an evening in the lives of two actresses, Lana and Nozomi. They've just auditioned for the "heavy lead" role in a film, Yakuza Wives. Both of the are the prime candidates for this role. Both of them need said role to get ahead. They would do anything for the part. Anything.
Lana and Nozomi are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Lana has everything she could ever want, could get any man she could ever want. Still something is... off about her. You'll see just what that is. Nozomi is a girl from a small island simply living out her dreams. Both are portrayed in a perfectly believable way.
As I said, this follows two actresses housed in a 2LDK (two-bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen) by their agency. For about one-third to half of the movie, we hear their thoughts as well as the polite conversation. Talk about a study of human nature. For the rest of the movie, we see what happens when the two finally snap and go all out for this part.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. As a matter of fact, it's my favorite in the set. The cinematography is pleasing to the eye and tells the story just as well as the script. The acting is the best in the set and some of the best I've seen period. It is a bit over-the-top but that, I suppose, only drives the message home all the more: don't always trust what you see. There is always more hidden beneath the surface.

Finally, there's Suicide Circle. This is a movie you simply won't get unless you know at least a little something about most, if not all, aspects of Japanese culture. Though I am by no means an experts and some things were lost in translation for me, I have to say this was an entrancing movie. It is, for lack of a better phrase, a murder mystery. Suicides have been occurring en masse and the police are forced to find a way to stop it. But how do you stop people from killing themselves? This is a definite race for the viewer to discover the killer before the main characters do. There are many twists and turns along the way, along with a false lead. But don't worry, all will be revealed in the end.
This one was a bit gory for my tastes and so things made me want to run straight for the bathroom. Still, the intrigue kept me glued until the end. If you're faint of heart or week of stomach, I suggest waiting to eat. All in all, I still liked it. Not much to say about the actors; they were good. And I can't elaborate on the story with spoiling. There were things I didn't like, but I could deal with it. If you don't mind the gore, starting with 53 schoolgirls jumping in front of any and oncoming train, or deceiving cute-ness, I suggest this.

On the whole, I'd buy this again if I had to make the choice. The feeling of "danger after dark" really isn't there, at least not in the way I expected it to be, and Moon Child doesn't really connect with the set, theme-wise, the way 2LDK and Suicide Club do. However, if you like at least two movies in the, I'd spring for the set. Not perfect, but still a good buy.

GOOD!.......2006-07-24

I'm rating this as an overall "bang for your buck" type of thing.

I'll start with Suicide Club.
The movie has got a lot going for it. Great suspense, buildup and twist. It does a good job of bringing a lot of tension in the viewer trying to figure out on their own what is happening, but to me takes a turn into nonsense because of who they are saying is causing these acts. I don't like to spoil for anyone so my words are well-crafted I think. The movie is good up to the point of this ingredient, it then becomes silly. Had they taken a different route it would have been thoroughly enjoyable, but as it is, only about 65% so.

Moon Child.
It's not bad. I think the movie tries to ride on these popstars Hyde and Gackt more than the story itself. Eventhough I like jpop, I know very little of these 2 guys. Take a look at my pic...I think I'm "cuter", lol. So, that said. The story is interesting and has a lot to go for it. It deals with difficult choices individuals have to make and rides on "good and bad" or yin and yang fairly well. Keep that in mind, yin and yang. It's more that than the black and white good and evil. A little bit too low budget. I think if it was kicked up a notch it would have been much better.

Last, I rate 2ldk.
Out of the 3 I believe this is the best. Of the 2 stars, I recognize Eiko Koike. I'm one of those that picks up on details. I recognized her from her voice alone...so after this if you haven't yet, go watch Kamikaze Girls. She has a small role in that.

Eventhough the basis of this story is the most outrageous, vampires and suicide clubs aside, it's all about the premise. It's not "urban legend/myth" like Suicide club and it's not sci fi vampire stuff ike Moon child, but it's more tangible...plausible.

2 roomates, that not only have to live together, but do so with the fact they are complete oppposites...and if that wasn't enough, they have to compete for something that is very dear to them. A dream to become an actor. Throughout it all, you witness them acting within their own world, facades and all. It's quite interesting and very intense.

Buy the pack, you won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

I love The Proud Family!!

The Proud Family Movie
Starring: Kyla Pratt (II) , Tommy Davidson , Paula Jai Parker , JoMarie Payton , and Orlando Brown
Director: Bruce W. Smith
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
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ASIN: B000B8QFXM
Release Date: 2005-12-06

Description

Penny Proud is almost 16 years old, but her dad, Oscar, still treats her like a child! First, she's told she cannot be one of the dancers in the upcoming hip-hop half-time show starring teen rapper, 15 Cent. And now, instead of celebrating her sweet 16th birthday with her friends, she has to go on a boring vacation to the tropical Legume Island with her family. But it turns out the island is full of mysteries, The evil Dr. carver has lured them there in hopes of stealing Oscar's super-secret Instant Everlasting Multiplying Formula. With it, he hopes to take over the world. While Oscar, Tudy, grandma Suga Mama and the twins fight to escape from the doctor's clutches, Penny embarks on Operation: Family Liberation, outwits some clones, stars in half-time show, saves the world, and realizes she really does appreciate her unique and loving family.

Customer Reviews:

I love The Proud Family!!.......2005-10-08

I watched this on the Disney Channel. I first thought it was going to be dumb. Then turned out really great. I can't wait till the dvd comes out. Disney is finally releasing the Disney Channel Original Movies on dvd. I reccommend this and these other great DCOM's Get a Clue, Cadet Kelly, The Even Stevens Movie, The Cheetah Girls, Halloweentown/ Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, Halloweentown High, Under Wraps (a rare dvd), and Miracle in Lane 2.

Average customer rating:

A towering pastoral epic
The bitter-sweet story of two lost souls
My Favorite D.W. Griffith Film...
i think this might be griffiths masterpiece
Broken Blossoms

Broken Blossoms
Starring: Lillian Gish , Richard Barthelmess , Donald Crisp , Arthur Howard , and Edward Peil Sr.
Director: D.W. Griffith
Manufacturer: Kino Video
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ASIN: B000056N7T
Release Date: 2002-12-10

Amazon.com essential video

D.W. Griffith was many things: movie innovator, maker of grand statements (The Birth of a Nation and Intolerance being among the biggest of all silent films), the first American superstar director--the Steven Spielberg of his era. Griffith was also very much a conscious artist, a man who did not think of movies as a mere medium for entertainment but as an art form. The mute evidence of this can be found on ample display in Griffith's 1919 drama Broken Blossoms, a tragic and completely uncommercial project that proved to be hugely popular. The director's most favored leading lady, Lillian Gish, plays an adolescent girl in London's rough Limehouse district; abused by her father (Donald Crisp), a crude boxer, she is cared for by a poetic Chinese man (Richard Barthelmess). Gish, who had doubts about playing a child (and was not yet fully recovered from a brush with the deadly Spanish flu epidemic), delivers a magnificent performance. Justly famous for her hysterical meltdown while trapped in a closet, she also brings off the smaller moments: her hesitation while gazing at a flower she can't possibly afford to buy is a heartbreaking piece of pantomime. Griffith's delicacy of touch extends to matters of race, as he clearly sides with the refined man from China, who must endure the prattle of white men boasting about traveling to the Orient and converting "the heathen." Small in scale compared to Griffith's mightier projects, Broken Blossoms is nevertheless one of his most beautiful films, and a landmark of the silent era. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

A towering pastoral epic .......2007-06-15

"Broken blossoms" was the film which conveyed me to fall in love with this expressive and sensual actress: Lillian Gilsh.

Griffith, the master of masters, bet and won with this Dickensian adaptation about the oppression of a frail and sensitive young street woman desperate to escape from her bleak environment. He will be sheltered by a Chinese missionary who shields from his tyrannical and abusive father.

Griffith anticipated himself respect this genre so many told in decades to come. The contrast of lights and shadows confirms why Eisentein affirmed once that all he kenew about to make cinema was due to David Ward Griffith, a giant of the cinema who has not deserved his place among the supreme master of the American Cinema. .

The bitter-sweet story of two lost souls.......2007-05-09

This film stands out as one of the most beautiful and heart-rending stories ever directed by `the Father of Film', D.W. Griffith, showing that he was versatile and sensitive enough to cover a wide range of films, from poignant and socially evocative short films in early days, to dramatic historical epics such as "Intolerance" and "America". Not only is "Broken Blossoms" a sensitive and deeply moving drama with intense atmosphere and soul-stirring emotion, it also showcases some of the very best performances by the three leading characters who are all perfectly cast in their roles. The 25-year-old Lillian Gish with her girlish face and slender build is ideal in the role of a girl ten years younger but with a "tear-aged" face due to a lifetime of cruel abuse. With the body language of an old woman, Lillian perfectly conveys the frightened bundle of misery that is Lucy, the daughter of an abusive professional boxer who lets his frequent bouts of anger out on his only child. Donald Crisp also uses expressive body language to portray this ugly character very convincingly, but I was most impressed by the transformation of Richard Barthelmess into the role of a Chinese man who is pivotal in this story. With subtle gestures and body language Barthelmess really brings across the gentle nature of this character who is led by Buddhist principles of love and peace, but becomes lost in the harsh world of London's seedy Limehouse district. There he finds another lost soul desperately seeking a ray of happiness and hope, namely Lucy, who stumbles into his shop one day after a severe whipping by her father. Some memorable scenes from this film are Lillian's gesture of forcing a smile onto her face using her fingers because she is unable to smile on her own, and how Barthelmess resists the temptation to take advantage of the helpless Lucy when she is in his care for a few days. Also impressive are scenes of Chinese culture such as some opium dens in the Limehouse district, and the overall solemn mood which feels disturbingly real to the viewer. It is helped along by the original musical score played by a modern full orchestra, and the color-tinting of this very good print also enhances the atmosphere. "Broken Blossoms" is surely a highlight in D.W. Griffith's directing career as well as for the stars, and a wonderful example of silent cinema just before the 1920s era.

My Favorite D.W. Griffith Film..........2007-04-26

...and one of my favorite films period. It's not D. W.'s best, that distinction belongs to ISN'T LIFE WONDERFUL (not yet on DVD). I much prefer BROKEN BLOSSOMS to Griffith's mammoth spectacles (which are important historically but are overrated when compared to his Biograph shorts and smaller scale films like this one). What I value most about this movie is how it is able to fully create a completely self-contained world and then draw the viewer into it. The soft focus photography of Billy Bitzer, the original score by Louis F. Gottschalk, and the marvelous performances by the three principals enhance the film's dreamlike quality and bring me back again and again to relive the experience much like the opium users depicted in the film. Criticisms concerning Richard Barthelmess playing a Chinese character miss the point. The important factor is the character's nature not his nationality. The same can be said for criticism of Donald Crisp's turn as the brutal father. His portrayal is deliberately exaggerated for melodramatic effect (he was asked to make the part as apelike as possible) and it later served as the basis for the facial expressions and movements of the original KING KONG. Lillian Gish delivers one of the great silent film performances of all time which clearly shows why she was the first lady of the silent screen.
There are a number of DVD versions of BROKEN BLOSSOMS out there so you must be careful which one you choose. Anything with a budget price should be avoided at all costs. "You get what you pay for" is especially true of silent film video releases. These are public domain copies which are taken from 16mm second generation prints, usually transferred at the wrong speed, and feature a music score that was tacked on without regard to what is happening onscreen. These cheap copies can easily ruin your viewing experience for the reasons listed above. Right now there are only two releases of the many available which show BROKEN BLOSSOMS the way it was meant to be seen. The Kino version and the Image version. Neither is a complete restoration as none of Griffith's films have been fully restored. The Kino has a slightly better picture quality and a number of extras while the Image features the original color tinting and score composed for the film which adds immensely to its overall effect. Unless you really love film and want all the extra features, I recommend the Image version for its greater emotional impact. Although no longer available as a new release, there are plenty of good, used copies to choose from and at a better price too. But no matter which version you choose, just sit back and let this nearly 90 year old film work its magic on you. Think of it as a male version of MADAME BUTTERFLY with a healthy dose of Dickens thrown in. It takes a little work to bridge the gap of time, but if you're willing to make the effort then you will be amply rewarded.

i think this might be griffiths masterpiece.......2007-04-07

how does one assess this film today? almost a century after its premiere, modern audiences would (mostly) find it either racist or quaint or both. but it is not! richard barthelmess stars as "yellow man" cheng huan, whose promising future is specifically ruined BY the prejudices he has had to face in a new world. the casting of a caucasian actor in the role strikes us today as wrong, but lets be honest: the societal attitudes of 1918 would never have permitted an asian actor to take on this part. lillian gish, as usual, is magnificent (when, oh when, will more of her work finally make it to dvd???) in the role of lucy burrows, the abused victim of a vile father played by donal crisp (removed by 20 years and a spiritual epiphany from the loving patriarch of "how green was my valley"). technically, the movie (shot entirely on interior sets) flows beautifully, and is a far different piece of work from the more familiar spectacle of griffiths epics like "birth of a nation" or "intolerance". an impatient viewer will not care for this, but anybody in the least bit familiar with the language of silent films cannot help but be impressed by this grand motion picture: clearly one of griffiths best.

Broken Blossoms.......2006-11-17

Everyone who watches this movie no doubt knows why it was made.
D.W. Griffith, one of the most important filmmakers of all time, made a film called "Intolerance" and then this movie as a response to the fact that the last half of his masterpiece "The Birth of a Nation" was racist. I've never seen that film...In fact; I've never seen a silent film. I don't know how I've gone this long without seeing one, but there's not exactly a jubilee of silent movies at the local video store. I usually review a movie based on it's entertainment, (if needed) effectiveness, and it's importance. I think that this is, no doubt, an important film. But is it entertaining? I mean, I wasn't bored while watching it. But it didn't exactly pin me to my seat. I might have only not been bored, because it was a fascinating experience watching a silent film. After all, no other film that I've seen looks like this (except a David Lynch short I saw once). Having said that, I'm going to give it 5 stars...It is important and it's not boring. It's important because it, arguably, tells the first interracial romance portrayed on-screen. It is a romance despite the lack of physical interaction between the two. The two are Lucy (Lillian Gish) and The Yellow Man (Richard Barthelmess), also known as Cheng Huan. When the film was made in 1919, it was illegal for interracial marriages or physical interaction (on-screen anyway. That's all I know for sure); The fact that there's no physical interaction between the characters, I think makes this idealized romance more poignant. Anyway, Lucy is a young girl who lives in a place called Limehouse with her father, a boxer, named Battling Burrows (Donald Crisp). Burrows is a drunk and when his manager criticizes him for drinking and acting like the "gorilla" that he is, he takes it out on Lucy. Meanwhile, The Yellow Man comes to Limehouse (according the title cards) to bring "a message of peace to barbarous Anglo-Saxons." This doesn't work out and he becomes addicted to opium and is known as the Chink storekeeper.The Yellow Man frequently sees Lucy outside his shop and watches her; One night, when she spills something on Burrows' hand, he brutally beats her and she crawls away to The Yellow Man's store where he gives her refuge. The ending is very sad and becomes all the more depressing since there's no sound. The movie (for something that came out almost 90 years ago) looks great. The picture quality has its faults, but it looks better than the original Criterion transfer of the 1937 (or so) -German film "M." I don't know how many people will find this film. It's not something you'd rent for the pure enjoyment of it; but it is a film that any "movie buff" might want to check out.

GRADE: A-

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In a Stranger's Hand
Starring: Walter Addison , Brett Cullen , Russell Curry , Vondie Curtis-Hall , and Christine Dunford
Director: David Greene
Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000JU7JG4
Release Date: 2006-11-28

Average customer rating:

Great movie
Love this movie
Great family film
Down With Danson!
The Amphicar is the REAL star of this flick

Pontiac Moon
Starring: Ted Danson , Mary Steenburgen , Ryan Todd , Eric Schweig , and Cathy Moriarty
Director: Peter Medak
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000UJLUK
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2006-04-24

To me a simple inspirational story about a family, with imbedded problems, simply moving on.

Love this movie.......2005-09-20

As a movie collector for decades who considers himself very critical & picky about films, I can't help myself, I love this movie. Yeah, it's maybe a little far-fetched or sentimental sometimes but there isn't a second of it that's not enjoyable - it's just too charming and well directed with exactly that effect in mind, and with a beautiful musical score, superb cinematography and a tight script. I think Ted Danson possibly gives his best performance ever as Washington Bellamy, an enraptured-with-knowledge elementary school teacher who also collects beautifully oddball classic cars. The story line described above about trying to match the distance the Apollo crew travels by simultaneously driving over a large part of the country to the Spires of the Moon National Park is already a remarkably charming idea. This will be his "one perfect act" as he brings his very cute young boy with him, leaving behind an quirky paranoid wife who is always afraid to leave the house. Mary Steenburgen plays this part with superb humor as she sets off after her husband and son. Of course, interesting adventures and troubles occur during the journeys but it's Washington's never failing enthusiasm for life and its wonders that really make the film's ideas all work. I've watched this film a number of times and will watch it again into old age and when I'm no longer able to enjoy it I'll be ready to die.

Great family film.......2005-03-26

Embedding in a stirring and wonderful musical score is the story of a road trip that chronologically parallels the landing on the moon. Always interesting with comedic highlights, a superb piece of clean entertainment that is truly a rarity today. A must see for all families.

Down With Danson!.......2004-05-02

Pontiac Moon is a movie that you have to see...because it's so terrible! There are so many parts of the movie that don't need to be there...like when Washington (Ted Danson) visits his freak brother I mean whats the point. Anyway, you must rent this movie. It will always be on the shelf at the movie rental store...because this movie STINKS!

The Amphicar is the REAL star of this flick.......2003-08-16

Sure, the movie's perfectly enjoyable on its own merits, but owners and admirers of the Amphicar, an amphibious "boat-car" manufactured in the '60s, will especially appreciate having this film in their collections. For them it will be clear that while the Pontiac of the title actually craps out underway, the Amphicar is the truly transcendent vehicle, which in the end redeems all of them. Perhaps they should have called it "Amphicar Moon."

Average customer rating:

A towering pastoral epic
The bitter-sweet story of two lost souls
My Favorite D.W. Griffith Film...
i think this might be griffiths masterpiece
Broken Blossoms

Broken Blossoms
Starring: Lillian Gish , Richard Barthelmess , Donald Crisp , Arthur Howard , and Edward Peil Sr.
Director: D.W. Griffith
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305339821
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Lucy (Gish), a battered child, lives in the gloom of London's Limehouse district with her father, Battling Burrows (Crisp), an alcoholic prize fighter. She meets Cheng Huan (Barthelmess), a Chinese poet and idealist, and briefly escapes the world of degradation she has known at the hands of her abusive father. This remarkable film, directed by D. W. Griffith, features one of Gish's most memorable--and touching--performances.

Customer Reviews:

A towering pastoral epic .......2007-06-15

The bitter-sweet story of two lost souls.......2007-05-09

My Favorite D.W. Griffith Film..........2007-04-26

i think this might be griffiths masterpiece.......2007-04-07

Broken Blossoms.......2006-11-17

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder DVD

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The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder DVD
Starring: Carol S. Kranowitz
Director: Danny Koker
Manufacturer: Desert Moon Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000VA0RPC
Release Date: 2007-04-01

Product Description

The renowned author of The Out-of-Sync Child is now on DVD! Carol is a teacher with over 25 years experience and a special interest in the field of sensory integration. In this informative and charming video, she presents both the human and neurological aspects of sensory integration challenges. A wonderful resource for parents, teachers, therapists and all those concerned, this DVD explains what sensory integration dysfunction is, how to recognize the symptoms, and how to help those affected. A great combination of theory and practice, with emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention. This DVD was taped in February, 2001, before a live audience and includes footage of her students at St. Columba s Nursery School in Washington, DC, where Carol teaches music and movement.

Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales

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Brilliant and Beautiful

Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales
Starring: Tony Bennett , Natalie Cole , Lauryn Hill , Patti LaBelle , and Aaron Neville
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FC2FHO
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant and Beautiful.......2006-09-05

I bought this DVD for my 3 year old granddaughter when she came to stay with me. It is possitively brilliant. Favorites read and sung by celebrities separated by charming and lovable "interviews" with young children about their dreams and dreaming experiences. My granddaughter LOVED it and watched it over and over again during her ten day visit. It is so enjoyable that you will be charmed also and not tire of watching with her.
Gentle, funny, and beautifully illustrated. I hightly recommend it.

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DVD

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