The Mummy Collector's Set (The Mummy (1999)/ The Mummy Returns/ The Scorpion King)

Product Description

The Mummy (1999)
Deep in the Egyptian desert, a handful of people searching for a long-lost treasure have just unearthed a 3,000 year old legacy of terror. Combining the thrills of a rousing adventure with the suspense of Universal s legendary 1932 horror classic, The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser, is a true nonstop action epic, filled with dazzling visual effects, top-notch talent and superb storytelling.
Running Time: 125 Min
RATING: PG-13

The Mummy Returns
The year s biggest action-adventure is coming home with a vengeance! Brendan Fraser and an all-star cast reunite with Stephen Sommers for explosive, non-stop thrills in the ultimate rollercoaster movie ride! (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

An ancient legacy of terror is unleashed when the accursed mummy, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), is resurrected along with a force even more powerful: The Scorpion King (The Rock). Now, as the fate of all mankind hangs in the balance, Rick O Connell (Fraser) and his wife Evie (Rachel Weisz) embark on a daring, desperate race to save their son and the world from unspeakable evil. Supercharged with pulse-pounding action and spectacular special effects that ll blow you away, The Mummy Returns is the best adventure movie of the year! (MTV Radio)
Running Time: 130 Min
RATING: PG-13

The Scorpion King
Adventure rules! As the spectacular Mummy series explodes into a new realm of breathtaking, non-stop action in The Scorpion King! Unleashing WWE superstar The Rock as the most feared warrior of the ancient world, The Scorpion King plunges you into a sweeping tale filled with stunning fight sequences, awe-inspiring battles and pulse-pounding thrills. It s the ultimate special effects-powered epic and the must-see-and-see again adventure of the year!
Running Time: 92 Min
RATING: PG-13

System Requirements:

Running Time 347 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

The Mummy
If you're expecting bandaged-wrapped corpses and a lurching Boris Karloff-type villain, then you've come to the wrong movie. But if outrageous effects, a hunky hero, and some hearty laughs are what you're looking for, the 1999 version of The Mummy is spectacularly good fun. Yes, the critics called it "hokey," "cheesy," and "pallid." Well, the critics are unjust. Granted, the plot tends to stray, the acting is a bit of a stretch, and the characters occasionally slip into cliché, but who cares? When that action gets going, hold tight--those two hours just fly by.

The premise of the movie isn't that far off from the original. Egyptologist and general mess Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) discovers a map to the lost city of Hamunaptra, and so she hires rogue Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) to lead her there. Once there, Evelyn accidentally unlocks the tomb of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a man who had been buried alive a couple of millennia ago with flesh-eating bugs as punishment for sleeping with the pharaoh's girlfriend. The ancient mummy is revived, and he is determined to bring his old love back to life, which of course means much mayhem (including the unleashing of the 10 plagues) and human sacrifice. Despite the rather gory premise, this movie is fairly tame in terms of violence; most of the magic and surprise come from the special effects, which are glorious to watch, although Imhotep, before being fully reconstituted, is, as one explorer puts it, rather "juicy." Keep in mind this film is as much comedy as it is adventure--those looking for a straightforward horror pic will be disappointed. But for those who want good old-fashioned eye-candy kind of fun, The Mummy ranks as one of choicest flicks of 1999. --Jenny Brown

The Mummy Returns
Proving that bigger is rarely better, The Mummy Returns serves up so much action and so many computer-generated effects that it quickly grows exhausting. In his zeal to establish a lucrative franchise, writer-director Stephen Sommers dispenses with such trivial matters as character development and plot logic, and charges headlong into an almost random buffet of minimum story and maximum mayhem, beginning with a prologue establishing the ominous fate of the Scorpion King (played by World Wrestling Federation star the Rock, in a cameo teaser for his later starring role in--you guessed it--The Scorpion King). Dormant for 5,000 years, under control of the Egyptian god Anubis, the Scorpion King will rise again in 1933, which is where we find The Mummy's returning heroes Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, now married and scouring Egyptian ruins with their 8-year-old son, Alex (Freddie Boath).

John Hannah (as Weisz's brother) and Oded Fehr (as mystical warrior Ardeth Bay) also return from The Mummy, and trouble begins when Alex dons the Scorpion King's ancient bracelet, coveted by the evil mummy Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), who's been revived by... oh, but does any of this matter? With a plot so disposable that it's impossible to care about anything that happens, The Mummy Returns is best enjoyed as an intermittently amusing and physically impressive monument of Hollywood machinery, with gorgeous sets that scream for a better showcase, and digital trickery that tops its predecessor in ambition, if not in payoff. By the time our heroes encounter a hoard of ravenous pygmy mummies, you'll probably enjoy this movie in spite of itself. --Jeff Shannon

The Scorpion King
There's nothing original in The Scorpion King, but this derivative action franchise gets off to a rousing start by cleverly stealing from a lot of better movies. Capitalizing on his brief cameo in The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. World Wrestling Federation star the Rock) stars as Mathayus, an Akkadian assassin in the age preceding Egyptian pharaohs, who vows to avenge his brother's murder by an undefeated warlord (Steven Brand) prophesied to become the desert-ruling Scorpion King. Their battle for supremacy comprises most of the film's brisk 95-minute running time, punctuated by comic relief from Mathayus's obligatory sidekick (Grant Heslov), romance with a beautiful sorceress (Kelly Hu), and alliance with a massive Nubian (Michael Clarke Duncan) on the eve of their climactic showdown. There's no rhyme or reason to the film's depiction of ancient civilization (the costuming is particularly ludicrous), but the Rock demonstrates adequate action-star potential, and director Chuck Russell (The Mask) wraps it all in a slick, professional package. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

The Mummy Collector's Set.......2007-09-03

Oh My God Yes! This Collector's Set has brought me hours of DVD pleasure. It was received in good condition and in a timely manner.

It's an OK release!.......2007-08-31

Basically if you dont want to go overboard with a collactable dvd set, this is the way to go! the package contains the 3 movies in 3 discs!
Barebones too!

good collection.......2007-08-24

I loved the mummy an d the mummys return, when i first got them, and couldent wait until they came out on dvd. that scorpion king is on is just a extra bouns. I allways wanted to see it, but I never got the chanse.
now I own it instead.

The Mummy .......2007-08-01

These movies are pretty good even though they are a bit over the top at times... it is a Mummy though so what should I expect. Nevertheless the first was great, the second was pretty good and the decline continued for the Scorpion King. i still enjoy the trilogy and am glad it was turned in to one finally.

Good Package.. 2 of them worth it........2007-07-14

Well.. there's nothing much to tell... These package is worth for the price... with a little extra. Enjoy

Average customer rating:

Excellent Movie
HD IS EXCELLENT!
Continuation of The Mummy
HD-DVD shines in The Mummy Returns
HD review

The Mummy Returns [HD DVD]
Starring: Alun Armstrong , Brendan Fraser , Arnold Vosloo , John Hannah , and Patricia Velasquez
Director: Stephen Sommers
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000KN7BIG
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Movie.......2007-06-22

Excellent idea that probably came from the 1950's attempts to put this kind of movie together. However, our era's special effects makes this movie work wonderfully. Story is pretty good. There are some bumps in the telling of the story, but it all evens out. Good action sequences. Some of the characters you wish were smarter, but overall good job. I have watched it several times and will again in the future.

HD IS EXCELLENT!.......2007-05-21

This is a good movie and to add HD makes it even better. The clarity and sound is outstanding. HD is the best thing that has happened to movies in years.

Continuation of The Mummy.......2007-04-28

The sequel to the movie The Mummy. The story is set in 1933, approximately 9 years after the events of the first film. Rick O'Connell is now married to Evelyn and the couple has settled in London, where they are raising their 8-year-old son Alex. The corpse of Imhotep is resurrected in the British Museum, and Imhotep returns to the world again determined to gain immortality. Although, this time another force has also been set loose in the world... a creature of the darkest rituals of ancient Egyptian mysticism, who is even more powerful than Imhotep. When these two forces clash, the fate of the world will hang in the balance, sending the O'Connells on a desperate race to save the world from an unspeakable evil, and rescue their son before it is too late. Overall, I thought that the first movie was better how ever the plot was developed nicely in the second and the continuation of the characters is always a good thing.

HD-DVD shines in The Mummy Returns.......2007-04-03

Like "The Mummy" in HD-DVD, the added depth of color and resolution make this HD-DVD one to own -- and one to show off assuming your HDTV is up to it. The contrasts and colors are spectacular and there is detail everywhere.

Not to mention it's just a fun story -- well told, well acted, well directed and certainly made with more than enough production money. And Brendan Fraser/Rachel Weisz are just so cute.

HD review.......2007-03-08

I liked to see the movie in HighDefinition, good sharp colors.
It was my first HD movie so we will see how the others are.
So far so good.

Average customer rating:

a forgotten wonder
lot of black/white
Gwangi in a scorpion suit
1950'S BLACK SCORPION ROCKS
Excellent queso!

The Black Scorpion
Starring: Richard Denning , Mara Corday , Carlos Rivas , Mario Navarro , and Carlos Múzquiz
Director: Edward Ludwig
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000B1OGC
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Amazon.com

Fans of '50s science fiction should be pleased by this "big bug" chiller, which offers a fine showcase for the talents of special effects master Willis O'Brien (King Kong). The Black Scorpion follows closely in the multiple footsteps of Them!, produced three years earlier by the same company (Warner Bros.)--again, giant insects threaten mankind, though here a volcano is responsible for unleashing them, and the metropolis in peril is Mexico City. Though direction, acting, and scripting aren't on par with Them!, O'Brien's title creatures (which sport implausible yet creepy faces) are memorably monstrous, especially during hero Richard Denning's visit to their nightmarish underground lair. Warner Bros.' DVD features a surprising amount of extras for an older title. "Stop Motion Masters" is a short tribute to O'Brien by his famed student Ray Harryhausen; also included is O'Brien's dinosaur-laden opening for Irwin Allen's The Animal World documentary, and legendary test footage for two unfilmed monster projects by O'Brien's assistant, Peter Petersen. --Paul Gaita

Description

They're big. They're bad. They scuttle along in caverns miles beneath the Earth - until an earthquake opens paths to the surface. Now these monsters of genus Arachnida are invading our world with deadly force. With top special effects co-designed by King Kong's Willis O'Brien, The Black Scorpion is horror with a sting more lethal than the king-sized ants that overran Los Angeles's sewers in the classic Them! Can humankind survive these invincible juggernauts? That fate rests on the shoulders of Hank Scott (1950s monster movie stalwart Richard Denning) as the creatures rip a train from its tracks, snatch a helicopter from the sky and, in the film's most gripping sequence, battle each other in their subterranean lair. Watch out!

DVD Features:
Featurette:Stop-Motion Masters with Ray Harryhausen; Never-before-seen test footage of the Las Vegas monster and beetlemen; Harryhausen-animated dinosaur sequence from Irwin Allen's 1956 The Animal World
Theatrical Trailer:Giant monsters trailer gallery featuring this film, The Beat from 20,000 Fathoms, Clash of the Titans and The Valley of the Gwangi

Customer Reviews:

a forgotten wonder.......2007-09-10

With special effects sequences created in Willis O'Briens garage, you shouldn't expect too much of this movie. But I love it! Giant scorpions on the loose, mysterious caverns and some of the weirdest monsters ever put on film! Richard Denning puts in another good performance, as the other players do, with the exception of the inevitable annoying kid. Most of the extras are worthwhile as well.

lot of black/white.......2007-08-25

good orig. show but the scorps where too,same loud. some repeated scorp scenes of itself and robotic. the scorps face closeups where too stiff lookin and a dark shadow of the scorp superimposed 2 lg. over the peo. of mx.-dumb. rather ent. movie; worth buyin fer monsta buffs. i rem. seein this flic in a motel in 69, in biloxi ms. b/4 hur. camile hit. funny how some memory stix.

Gwangi in a scorpion suit.......2007-04-09

Yep it is the standard big bug 50's sci-fi with a Mexican twist.

We start with the obligatory narrative and a description of what may come. The narrator thinks that volcanoes are evil and bring destruction to farm land. To this land comes a pair of archaeologically strange doctors. They discover a fallen girl (that was just horsing around) and one of the scientists falls in love. The other states "man is born single."

I will not reveal the ugly threat that you already see on the cover. However I think they used them again in "Attack of the Giant Crabs". Also it is fun to look at the technology of the time; they use huge walkie-talkie's, flash cameras (out of flash range), and Bakelite phones. The annoying part of the movie is the kid that will not stay in the car; we all hope he gets eaten early in the story.

1950'S BLACK SCORPION ROCKS.......2007-03-08

The 1950's Black Scorpion rocks,if you are a 1950's science fictionaholic. This one's got all the bells and whistles of the premo black & white science fiction era. It's fun, its campy, it's a classic!

Excellent queso!.......2007-02-26

Yes, that's some high quality cheese. A giant bug movie set in Mexico and for the most part, the Mexicans are treated with respect and dignity. For the most part. So here's what happens. An earthquake/volcano montage of exploding volcanoes from all over the world occurs in Mexico, near the village of San Lorenzo. Two geologists, one from Mexico and one from the USA travel long and hard to "study" the effects. Along the way, the rescue a baby from an empty, thrashed house with a dead policeman in it! They arrive at San Lorenzo where everyone miraculously speaks perfect English. Thank goodness for us viewers! Anyway, the rumbling earth is not the only thing the locals have to deal with...something is picking off folks one family at a time! So the geologists venture forth, rescue a beautiful woman, discover the giant, scary scorpions, go into a cave full of them ("stay, Juanito, stay!"), get tricked back to Mexico City, devise an electric prod to kill the giant bug and a Mexican Army General in the only laugh-out-loud scene in the movie, kill the bug and all ends well. The American leaves early with the girl and everyone else has to stay behind to clean up.
Not bad at all, really, considering that they re-used a lot of footage and the bug scenes were either pretty good or laughably bad. My six year old declared it "The best movie EVER" so there you go. He was quite concerned about the giant bugs and how to kill them, as they were not effected by bullets. He especially liked the final scene where they get the bug into an arena and attack from all sides. Recommended for Family Night!

Average customer rating:

High definition demo material
Defective disc
Excellent Spin-Off
Fun film, great HD-DVD
The Scorpion King Is Good With Popcorn

The Scorpion King [HD DVD]
Starring: Grant Heslov , Bernard Hill , Sherri Howard , Kelly Hu , and Ralph Moeller
Director: Chuck Russell
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000JJSJRS
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Description

Adventure rules! The spectacular Mummy series explodes into a new realm of breathtaking, non-stop action in The Scorpion King! Unleashing WWE superstar The Rock as the most fearsome warrior of the ancient world, The Scorpion King plunges you into a sweeping tale filled with stunning fight sequences, awe-inspiring battles and pulse-pounding thrills. It's the ultimate special effects-powered epic and the must-see-and-see-again adventure of the year!

Customer Reviews:

High definition demo material.......2007-09-10

I will write nearly the same review like i did a bout hulk .If your kind of movie is the mummy 1 and 2 Hulk Van hesling etc...so add on top of it superb pictures and sound in high definition and you have real demo matérial.
Unfortunately this is not true for all Hd DVD

Defective disc.......2007-07-22

BUYER BEWARE!! UNIVERSAL MAKING BAD COMBO DISCS!!! You might want to avoid this title until Universal gets their act together. Be careful with this title because my HD DVD player won't play it. I have the most current firmware and the top of the line HD DVD player. I own 90 other HD DVDs that play fine. Sent this one back to Universal and they sent me another bad copy. I don't think they even tested it because it was another sealed copy. Now it appears I'll have to argue with them to get this corrected because their letter enclosed with the disc wants to blame the HD DVD player. Just another case of hardware companies not working together with software companies to create products that work together. I'm very disappointed because I would have given the movie itself 4 stars, but not for a defective product. It's a combo disc so I can watch the standard definition side, but that defeats the purpose of why I bought it.

Excellent Spin-Off.......2007-06-22

This movie is a spin off from the Mummy. They've done a good job with the concept. There is a good story line that keeps you wondering how is this going to work out. The characters are believable and likeable. It is a fun entertaining picture, something you can watch several times over.

Fun film, great HD-DVD.......2007-05-14

Arnold had Conan, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has the Scorpion King. His first film as leading man and the Rock nails it, he's backed by an amazing list of co-stars (Bernard Hill "LOTR" and Michael Clarke Duncan "Sin City").
This movie calls back to the glory days of adventure films tongue-in-cheek and sword in sheath, pure popcorn entertainment. The HD-DVD transfer looks amazing, a must have for action/adventure fans.

The Scorpion King Is Good With Popcorn.......2007-02-20

Okay, the movie storyline isn't the greatest, a good amount of the acting is cheeseball and the same can be said about the dialogue. The movie has been around for a while so most people reading this are already aware of these facts. But that doesn't detract from another fact, and that is The Scorpion King is just a fun popcorn movie. It doesn't take a whole lot of gray matter to appreciate the movie when just watching it should suffice for an enjoyable passing of time. Other than that, the movie's one really redeeming quality is the superb picture tranfer to the HD format. It's actually amazing the amount of attention(alliteration not intended) to detail it's been given...can't figure that one out at all.

If you would like a more in-depth review of The Scorpion King or other movies on HD DVD and Blu-ray, try highdefdigest (There is a dot com after the name, but Amazon won't allow it. I guess because maybe it would default to a web link). Their reviews are insightful and unbiased in the format war.

The Scorpion King (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Had potential, but wears on over time
So bad it's actually lots of fun
Bad Acting By Cast Members!
Scorpion King- movie
A Fun Film

The Scorpion King (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
Starring: Grant Heslov , Bernard Hill , Sherri Howard , Kelly Hu , and Ralph Moeller
Director: Chuck Russell
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JKYX
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Product Description

Adventure rules! As the spectacular Mummy series explodes into a new realm of breathtaking, non-stop action in The Scorpion King! Unleashing WWE superstar The Rock as the most feared warrior of the ancient world, The Scorpion King plunges you into a sweeping tale filled with stunning fight sequences, awe-inspiring battles and pulse-pounding hand-to-hand thrills. It's the ultimate special effects-powered epic and the must-see-and-see again adventure of the year!

Bonus Material:

Alternate Version in Enhance Viewing Mode

Feature Commentary with The Rock: See The Rock as he record the commentary live

Feature Commentary with Director Chuck Russell

Outtakes

Godsmack Music Video "I Stand Alone"

Preparing the Fight: A look at the process of shooting a fight sequence

The Making of The Scorpion King

The Special Effects

The Rock and Michael Clarke Duncan

Ancient World Production Design

Working with Animals

Scorpion King: Man Or Myth?

DVD-ROM Features Including Total Axess

System Requirements:
Starring: Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock), Michael Clarke Duncan, Peter Facinelli, Grant Heslov, Bernard Hill, and Kelly Hu.
Directed By: Chuck Russell.
Running Time: 92 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widscreen" format.
Copyright 2002 Universal Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

There's nothing original in The Scorpion King, but this derivative action franchise gets off to a rousing start by cleverly stealing from a lot of better movies. Capitalizing on his brief cameo in The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. World Wrestling Federation star the Rock) stars as Mathayus, an Akkadian assassin in the age preceding Egyptian pharaohs, who vows to avenge his brother's murder by an undefeated warlord (Steven Brand) prophesied to become the desert-ruling Scorpion King. Their battle for supremacy comprises most of the film's brisk 95-minute running time, punctuated by comic relief from Mathayus's obligatory sidekick (Grant Heslov), romance with a beautiful sorceress (Kelly Hu), and alliance with a massive Nubian (Michael Clarke Duncan) on the eve of their climactic showdown. There's no rhyme or reason to the film's depiction of ancient civilization (the costuming is particularly ludicrous), but the Rock demonstrates adequate action-star potential, and director Chuck Russell (The Mask) wraps it all in a slick, professional package. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Had potential, but wears on over time.......2007-08-25

I must first say that when I first saw this movie I was really excited about it, and I thought it was good. I rushed out to buy the DVD when it came out in order to support it, because I love ancient movies with a good mix of cultures in it.

Over time it began to lose its luster. I won't go into the details of what the movie is about, but the problems I had with it.

1) The deleted scenes on the DVD made the film more unstandable and leaving them out hurts the movie. I didn't like how on the DVD you couldn't access the deleted scenes as a part of the movie. Instead you access them, by clicking a button when an image of a sword pops up. After you view the scene you are taken back to an earlier scene instead of just continuing.

2) I feel that the story line is a bit weak, and over time it becomes boring. There should have been more intrigue in the story. The whole idea of a sorceress who can see the future, but is held prisoner seems illogical to me.

3) The movie was missing one of those real epic army vs. army battle scenes, that I was expecting based on the Mummy Returns movie where the Scorpion King is introduced.

Seeing that this movie has been out for a while, I doubt that most people now will find it very entertaining. My suggestion is rent and don't buy.

So bad it's actually lots of fun.......2007-06-18

This isn't the type of movie you watch to gain a greater understanding of human nature, it's the type of movie you watch when you want to zone out for 90 minutes & just have fun. While there may really have been an ancient King named Scorpion, this movie is among the most historically inaccurate flicks I've ever seen. The fighting styles are wrong, the peoples are wrong, the times are, the weapons are wrong, heck the costumes are wrong & so are the horses (stirrups didn't arrive until the mid first millenia AD). The dialogue at some points is just awful, but through it all the actors never take themselves too seriously and The Rock is able to pull it off. I enjoyed this movie not because it makes an attempt at authenticity, but because it simply doesn't care and goes out to enjoy itself. Thats what makes this movie fun.

Bad Acting By Cast Members!.......2007-04-06

"The Rock" can't act! Some of the other characters weren't that great either in terms of their acting abilities, but "The Rock" was the worst offender. Basically, this is my only gripe with this film--- Poor acting performances by the cast!

Otherwise, the action, stunts, costuming, make-up, special effects/computer graphics and storyline were all fine.

Scorpion King- movie.......2007-03-21

I ordered this movie for a friend but I watched it before I gave it to him. It is not my kind of movie but I did enjoy it. The production was quite good. Some of the acting could have been a little better.

A Fun Film.......2007-03-12

I like these films, and this oe is just as good. Fun, a bit campy and good action.

Woody Allen Four Movie Comedy Collection (Anything Else / The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion / Hollywood Ending / Small Time Crooks)

Average customer rating:

Woody Lite
Not Apocalyptic but Adequate!
Not all great films, but collectable
Madagascar: the twist and turn word!
Everything new is old again...

Woody Allen Four Movie Comedy Collection (Anything Else / The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion / Hollywood Ending / Small Time Crooks)
Starring: Woody Allen
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00023P4JW
Release Date: 2004-07-06

Customer Reviews:

Woody Lite.......2007-07-04

I'm a big Woody Allen fan. Other than "What's New Pussycat" I had enjoyed everyone of his movies that I've seen. I'll now add one more to the mediocre list; "Anything Else". Unfortunately, "Anything Else" was the last of the four movies that I watched and it was spoiling my impression of the set. I took time out to reflect on the unique Woody Allen style that is strongly present in the other three movies and reassessed my rating of this set.

All four movies are what I would call light entertainment. These are movies that you can relax and enjoy. The humor is good but not overwhelming like is is in "Bananas" or "Love and Death". What appealled to me in the three good movies in this set was the way Woody Allen constructed such oddball plots and twists within those plots. These wacky roads end up leading us to a lot of amusing relationships. These are all romantic comedies the most of which have the leading man (Woody Allen) fall for the leading lady. In some, the relationship is a reunion, in another, it is making opposites attrack. In "Anything Else" it's, well, a sort of agonizing patience.

I missed these movies when the originally came out. Part of that is due to the fact that Woody Allen movies usually don't make it to our local theaters. That's too bad because Allen can do more with less than any director I know.

Not Apocalyptic but Adequate!.......2007-03-11

Let me preface this by saying my "collecting" habits revolve around movies, etc. filmed in NYC. I wasn't always a huge Woody Allen fan, but have grown to appreciate his humor over the years.
These are all decent Woody Allen movies.
Some of the acting in the lesser of this group, seems forced. Usually Woody's humor slips under the radar, and forces one to think for a second or two. In some of these, the jokes seem telegraphed between the parties. Especially in the first few minutes of each film. My personal test is if I ever use a Woody Allen one liner from one of his films, that film gets a passing grade in my book. The title of my review might be found in one these four.

I'm ranking these within the set from Best to Worst. (within this set)

Small Time Crooks
The best of the lot, with the best simpleton plot. Strong supporting cast in Tracey Ulman, and Hugh Grant.
If you are simply looking for quality over quantity, simply buy this title on its own, and call it a day. It's a rags to riches and back to rags again story. Some very funny moments packed into this one.

Anything Else
This is another good NYC movie. Some awesome scenes filmed in wide sweeping shots, and some great streets scenes. Christina Ricci is really something to look at it this film, too. She is believable in the "struggling / tortured actress" role. Woody plays a mentor role to the love sick male co-star (Jason Biggs), however, Mr. Biggs is not a good fit for this movie. The film gives a nice "sunny Sunday afternoon, in NYC feeling", along with a few laughs.

Curse of the Jade Scorpion
This is one of Woody's "flash back" to the 30's pictures. Good upbeat jazz soundtrack. Fun story line, but a little corny and forced. This movie almost lost me in the first 10 minutes of joke dialog, but stick with it. (If you're looking for something from the 30's era, skip this, and go to "Sweet & Lowdown")

Hollywood Ending
Good NYC scenery and some good cinematography, but WAY TOO LONG. My wife and I gave up on this before we could see the "Hollywood Ending", so that's all I'll say about it.

Overall, I give the set a B- rating, as a set. However, the price per film is excellent, if you are collector, or like to have an occasional Woody film to queue up, on a Sunday afternoon. You might have a hard time finding one or two of these movies at a standard circuit city or Best Buy store, so it's worth it to grab them at an average of $6 per movie. If you don't like Woody's style, you probably won't like most of these, and you might be better off reviewing them on a title by title basis.

Not all great films, but collectable.......2007-01-15

I admit I'll buy anything with Woody's name on it. Some of these are not great movies, as it seems he'd been trying to set a Guiness record for volume of work, but as a collector I had to have them, and this is a great deal.

Madagascar: the twist and turn word!.......2006-04-23

This is very funny film immersed in the great tradition of Woody Allen. A hypnotist (Voltan Polgar)will make a true mess of entangles I this fantastic comedy of mistakes that included the prestigious presence of this talented and beautiful actress. Helen Hunt. A delightful movie that finds an inspired script, a towering cast and obviously, the acid occurrences of this remarkable and irreverent filmmaker.

Everything new is old again..........2004-08-04

Woody Allen is one of the greatest comedic voices of our time. Be it as a stand-up, a writer or a director of countless films, Allen is not only unquestionably funny, but clever as well. The four films in this box - Anything Else; The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion; Hollywood Ending; and Small Time Crooks represent the most recent period of his film history, under the Dreamworks banner.

Many say Woody has lost his magic, and to some extent they may be right. I'm not sure whether audiences have seen this "talky" humour to death now (the modern sitcom was born out of pictures like 'Annie Hall', in my opinion), or there is a distaste towards Allen because of his private life or much-imitated performances, but these four movies are largely overlooked gems.

First up, two of these pictures are not Woody standards. 'Small Time Crooks' and 'Curse of the Jade Scorpion' are caper and detective stories respectively, and as full of Woody-isms as they are, it works beautifully. The last two movies are more Woody standards - lots of talking, lots of film references and a lot of humour. 'Anything Else' has been the subject of most of the criticism of Woody's recent work, but it is hard to see why. 'Anything Else' is like a cross between 'Annie Hall' and 'Stardust Memories', although not quite as good as either. For detractors of Woody, he is not in it nearly as much as his on-screen protégée (Jason Biggs). I really couldn't see that much wrong with it (although as one critic said, you know Allen has lost touch with the youth of New York when his characters go to a Diana Krall concert and enjoy it). The script is still sharp too. Christina Ricci's character at one point warns Biggs not to kill himself because it is "so middle class".

So don't let the critics fool you - these films are the work of a man who has certainly earned, and continues to earn, his place in the pantheon of great directors. And you can't pass up four Woody Allen films for under $25.

Unbreakable World Tour 2004: One Night in Vienna

Average customer rating:

Fun to see Scorpions again
Dude needs help
Unbreakable world tour 2004:One night in Vienna (SCORPIONS) DVD
MUST HAVE DVD FOR ALL SCORPIONS FANS!!!
I'm so DIZZY!!

Unbreakable World Tour 2004: One Night in Vienna
Starring: Scorpions
Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000AA4EZC
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Customer Reviews:

Fun to see Scorpions again.......2007-05-12

I love the Scorpions and didn't realize that they were still around - I never seem to hear anything about them or their new music on the radio. Recently I was looking for one of their older video recordings, From Russia With Love, and I found this one instead. I've just about worn out my Savage Crazy World DVD so I decided to get this one and I thinks its great for anyone who has enjoyed the Scorpions in the past or is just discovering them. This band can still rock and I think they have a good lineup: Klaus Meine still sounds fantastic and the new drummer is great as are Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs. When the Savage Amusement recording was released I had the world's biggest crush on Matthias Jabs but I guess thats really beside the point. Anyway, I really like the mix of old songs and new. The crowd is really into the music and the Scorpions put on a great show. I'd love to see them; this disc has me hoping they come back to the US soon.

Dude needs help.......2007-03-26

Wow. The single star dudes don't seem to be able to buy anything they like !! Need help ? Or maybe get another life !!

Unbreakable world tour 2004:One night in Vienna (SCORPIONS) DVD.......2006-11-23

One thing I learn about reading some reviews is that is not allways the case,you have to be a fan first and then the critic,reviewers have different taste in music was it the video? was it the audio?this is an example I won't even mention the reviewer's name but this is what happened keep in mind that every reviewer deserves respect first of all,He gave Michael Schenker a low star score but he gave Madonna 5 stars so you see he wasn't a guitar player fan,in the case of this DVD I think it was a pretty good DVD for the concert the videos and the interesting interviews I kind of balance the reviews and most important to check the profiles first before you make the decision to buy the item or not!

MUST HAVE DVD FOR ALL SCORPIONS FANS!!!.......2006-04-03

I JUST LOVED THIS DVD. MOST CONCERT DVD ONLY FOCUS ON THE SINGERS AND GUITAR PLAYERS. I REALLY LOVE THIS ONE SINCE THEY EVEN SHOW GREAT SHOTS OF THEIR DRUMMER JAMES KOTTAK!! HE IS THE BEST DRUMMER SINCE SLICED BREAD! HE PUTS ON A SHOW BY HIMSELF! ALL THE SONGS ARE GREAT AND THE PICTURE SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT THERE IN THE FRONT ROW! HAVE NEVER SEEN A CONCERT DVD LIKE THIS BEFORE!

I'm so DIZZY!!.......2006-03-30

I sell music DVDs and I have to agree with the 1 star because of the fact the camers would not stop at one person. I was so dizzy after I watched the DVD I had a migrain! if you can handle being on a boat feeling sick, go for it. By the way the sound was good.

The Scorpion King (Full Screen Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Had potential, but wears on over time
So bad it's actually lots of fun
Bad Acting By Cast Members!
Scorpion King- movie
A Fun Film

The Scorpion King (Full Screen Collector's Edition)
Starring: The Rock , Steven Brand , Michael Clarke Duncan , Kelly Hu , and Bernard Hill
Director: Chuck Russell
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006AG57
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Had potential, but wears on over time.......2007-08-25

So bad it's actually lots of fun.......2007-06-18

Bad Acting By Cast Members!.......2007-04-06

Scorpion King- movie.......2007-03-21

A Fun Film.......2007-03-12

I like these films, and this oe is just as good. Fun, a bit campy and good action.

Average customer rating:

Good
"It's a match made in heaven... by a retarded angel."
Nostalgic, sweet, charming
Just a warning
Alright Already

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Starring: Woody Allen , Dan Aykroyd , Helen Hunt , Charlize Theron , and Elizabeth Berkley
Director: Woody Allen
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00003CY6A
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Amazon.com

With The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Woody Allen pays another visit to his idealized past, and his retro blend of humor and nostalgia will surely satisfy the filmmaker's most loyal fans. Like The Purple Rose of Cairo, Radio Days, and Sweet and Lowdown, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is physically impeccable: its period-perfect costumes and sets capture 1940 New York with splendid authenticity and are further enhanced by the burnished glow of Zhao Fei's cinematography. And like those earlier films, Jade Scorpion mines comedic gold from its timeframe, molding it into a plot laced with expert zingers that could only spring from a keen awareness of comedic tradition. Add an appealing roster of costars (including Elizabeth Berkley and Charlize Theron) and you've got vintage Woody that perks right along.

The movie's also as trivial as it is engaging; hack off 30 minutes and it might have had the delirious precision of early Marx Brothers classics. Instead, Allen's goofy conceit--enemies falling in love by hypnotic suggestion--is stretched to absurdity when efficiency expert Betty Ann "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt) is hypnotically attracted to seasoned insurance investigator C.W. Briggs (Allen), despite their office enmity. Plus, a jewel-heist caper masterminded by the nightclub hypnotist (David Ogden Stiers) casts them both as suspects! Woody harvests a bumper crop of old-fashioned laughs from this predicament, and despite their conspicuous age difference and occasional awkward delivery, Hunt and Allen exchange volleys of dialogue like a seasoned comedy team. Dan Aykroyd is also good in a stodgy supporting role, but Jade Scorpion remains a mixed blessing--a welcomed throwback to comedy's yesteryear, from a master funnyman who's struggling to maintain relevance in the present. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2007-05-14

I rated "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" on a special Woody Allen scale; "What's New Pussycat", Good, Better, and Best in that order. "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" comes in as "Good" which, obviously, isn't Bad. It has an interesting plot twist with a fair amount of humor. However, things just don't seem to click on all cyllanders in this movie. Oddly, Woody seems to have put himself in a role that he either wasn't up to or lost interest in. The way the characters interact with one another seems a bit stiff. The movie seems to take a bit too much time to gets it's point across. There seems to be more potential for humor than actual realization thereof. In addition, there seems to be a lack of "energy" in this film. However, these are criticisms of a Woody Allen movie; any other writer/director/actor would rate a "4" for humor and originality. I'm glad I watched this movie but I couldn't get over my great expectations.

"It's a match made in heaven... by a retarded angel.".......2007-04-02

"The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" is a romantic comedy/crime/mystery set in New York City of the 1940s which involves a love-hate relationship between veteran insurance investigator CW Briggs (Woody Allen) and his new boss Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt). One night, while watching the Magician's show with the rest of the employees, they are both hypnotized by a sinister hypnotist with a jade scorpion who later uses them into unknowingly stealing jewels for him. Had this comedy been written and directed by someone else, it would've been a disaster but Allen with his magic touch, had produced a funny and charming delight. That's what my husband called it after we enjoyed it together and I can't agree more. I love Ellington's music, the whole 40-th setting, and Woody's one-liners. His face in the scene where he and Helen Hunt were both hypnotized was simply hilarious - the guy knows how to do a physical comedy to perfection. I don't care if this picture has been called "a lesser Allen's movie" - it is still much better than majority of the comedies that come out every year. Even "lesser Allen" is enjoyable and memorable.

Nostalgic, sweet, charming.......2007-03-02

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is not as overtly funny as Small Time Crooks, and the concept is a little dated.

Woody plays a claims investigator/detective for an insurance company. Dan Aykroyd is memorable as Woody's boss, and Helen Hunt is a driven efficiency expert aiming to tighten up the corporate ship, possibly by outsourcing the investigations and firing the in-house talent.

Curse is an homage to an earlier, gentler style of comedy, appearing to be set in the 1930s or 40s. The humor depends on suspension of disbelief regarding a hypnotist who programs Woody to behave totally out of character, and the old movie plotline of love developing between opposites who attract is resurrected. The story resolves when the investigator solves the mystery of his own behavior.

I found the characters loveable, the dialogue snappy. The whole film has a kind of warm human glow. Don't expect to fall on the floor holding your sides with laughter. But you ought to smile, and Woody is out of fashion enough to give us a happy ending.

Just a warning.......2006-09-10

A lot has been said in the earlier reviews about plot, acting and what went wrong with this movie, so I won't repeat that. I'll just add a warning: If you, like I, really enjoy the genius of Woody Allen - stay clear of this one. It's way below his usual quality, and there are so many others to choose from. Any of his recent films, not to mention the classics, are more enjoyable.

Alright Already.......2006-07-09

OK. So its unoriginal, repetitive and dumb. Points taken and no argument. It's also a funny send up of screwball comedies and crime capers. Its no Manhattan or Annie Hall or Zelig or Sleeper but it holds its own as a respectable second tier comedy.

Average customer rating:

Red Blood Paint
Well worth a watch!!
Good Clean Family Fun
best Women in Prison flicks ever
Antihero of the (S)exploitation Film

Female Prisoner #701 - Scorpion
Starring: Meiko Kaji , Rie Yokoyama , Isao Natsuyagi , Fumio Watanabe , and Yayoi Watanabe
Director: Shunya Ito
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

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Prison | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0001FVEDG
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Customer Reviews:

Red Blood Paint.......2007-06-29

By the end of the 1960s, film ticket sells in Japan had dropped immensely because of the influx of the popularity of television. In order to make ends meet, several of the big studios turned to making "pink films" or "Roman Porno" flicks as they were commonly called. Most of these films were quite cheap and their production time was quite short. A good portion of these films pandered to some of the darker aspects of sexual desire including such themes as rape, S&M, and incest. Obviously, these films were often geared towards a male audience. During the latter half of the 1960s the female characters within these films were often "victims" of physical, emotional, and sexual violence in these films. However, it was often the case that such violence would lead the victim to fall in love with her rapist with an almost maternal affection. However, by the early 1970s, while these films were still full of gratuitous nudity and violence, the female characters began to grow stronger and instead of falling in love with their victimizers would strike back violently against them.

Female Prisoner # 701-Scorpion stars Kaji Meiko, probably most famous for her role as Lady Snowblood, as Matsushima Nami, a young woman sentenced to prison after attempting to kill her detective boyfriend after he used her in a bust that also resulted in her being raped by several members of the yakuza. Now, some three years later, Nami along with her friend Yuki try to escape a women's prison, but are soon caught. Imprisoned once again, Nami suffers torture at the hands of other prisoners, including having scalding miso soup poured on her bare skin. However, her spirit is never broken. Ever silent, Nami waits for the day in which she can seek her revenge.

On the surface Female Prisoner # 701-Scorpion is no different than several other films produced in this genre. It includes such scenes as the rape scene, a vaguely S&M scene, a lesbian sex scene, etc. However, it is evident that Ito, this was his debut film by the way, was trying to make more out of this films parts than the composite whole. The camera definitely shines at certain moments and there is even a scene that is reminiscent of a horror scene that could be found in a kabuki play, albeit one with a female cast and full nudity. Also, like many films from this period, this movie has an excellent soundtrack with Kaji singing vocals on the title and ending track "Urami Bushi" which was also used in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films.

A decent film with several sequels, spin-offs, and imitators, I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in Japanese film from this time period or Exploitation films in general.

Well worth a watch!!.......2007-03-18

Meiko Kaji has made a great series of films in the prisoner and the thing is that they dont look outdated despite thier age. The violence fits in very well with the overall plot and i have to say that (a) id watch it again! (b) Id get the sequel which is something dont do that often. One of thebest Asian films ive seen!!

Good Clean Family Fun.......2006-04-13

Female Prisoner #701 - Scorpion stars the beautiful and talented Japanese actress Meiko Kaji, best known for playing Lady Snowblood and singing "Flower of Carnage," the title song to Kill Bill. This movie has everything to be a fine example of the "women in prison" film genre: stabbings, shootings, rape, lesbian sex, torture (scaldings, beatings, burnings, women hung by ropes from their elbows) and lots and lots of female nudity. Good clean family entertainment. What more could you want?

best Women in Prison flicks ever.......2005-06-17

The Female Convict Scorpion movies are fantastic and Meiko Kaji is just incredible. I really hope someone release the other two Scorpion movies she made so that we can get the whole saga.

Note to folks who complained about subtitles: on some DVD players, you must ACTIVELY turn the sub titles ON using your DVD's internal function. There is no menu item to do this on the DVD. I have found this to be true with a few of the Media Blaster/Tokyo Shock dvd's. On my player I can do this just using my remote control and hitting the 'subtitles' button.

Antihero of the (S)exploitation Film.......2005-03-07

Uttering as few words as possible, Nami Matsushima (played by the stunningly beautiful Meiko Kaji) dispenses with the pleasantries and builds a reasonably impressive body count by the end of "Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion," one of the premiere films in the women's prison genre of films.

Natsuyagi is a cop looking to move ahead in his life, and money, after all, is the root of all evil. He hatches a scheme to use his lovely girlfriend, Nami, to lure the local mafia bosses into a scheme. But when the gang feels something's amiss, they escort Nami into a back room and rape her. Breaking in, Natsuyagi realizes he finally has what he wants: ignoring his fallen girlfriend, he convinces the mob that he can make all of their problems go away if they pay him off. They agree, and Natsuyagi has Nami thrown into prison ... where she undergoes the obligatory beatings, teasing, and other forms of degradation so common to 'girls behind bars' films.

What makes "Scorpion" different is the fact that Director Shunya Ito - in his debut film - decided to ride the fine line between art and trash. He combines the best elements of the vindictive woman's feature along with artsy lighting in order to achieve the effect of a car crash: the viewer really hates to slow down and watch, but there really must be something to see here, right? The violence is gratuitous, if not psychedelic, at times, but it all manages to flesh out (pun intended) before Nami manages to finally break out of prison and go on her murderous rampage, taking out the mobsters one-by-one until her final showdown with the unsuspecting Natsuyagi.

Also, in Kaji's graceful hands, Nami isn't so much a victim as she is an antihero, not at all unlike Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. The viewer is pulled into this world by means of a very beautiful woman who refuses to be a 'prisoner' to the genre. Instead, she's defiant and calculating at every turn, refusing to comply with the warden's demands of good behavior. She challenges every authority, instituting her own code of justice which applies to everyone: her fellow inmates, the prison guards, and even the police outside. Uncompromising in her dedication, she ignores the acts she endures for the sake of focusing on one sole objective: revenge.

... and that's an act she takes with complete seriousness.

NOTE: Apparently, there is an issue associated to subtitling, as has been referred by other reviewers. I had no problem whatsoever, but I would add that the film would not play with the correct aspect ratio of 2:35:1 in my American DVD player. I did have to watch the film in my Region Free player, and I did not experience any problems.

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