Over the Hedge (Widescreen Edition)

Amazon.com

The manicured lawns and overstuffed garbage cans of suburbia become a buffet for woodland creatures in Over the Hedge. A self-centered raccoon named RJ (voiced by Bruce Willis, Die Hard) steals and accidentally destroys the hoard of an angry bear (Nick Nolte, 48 Hours), who gives the raccoon a week to replace it. RJ despairs--until he meets an odd gang of foragers, ranging from a turtle named Verne (Garry Shandling, The Larry Sanders Show), a father/daughter duo of opossums (the bizarre pairing of William Shatner and pop singer Avril Lavigne), a family of porcupines (with A Mighty Wind's Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara as the parents), and a hyperactive squirrel named Hammy (Steve Carell, The 40 Year Old Virgin). By convincing these friendly beasts that the suburban homesteads on the other side of a recently erected hedge are a mother-lode of cast-off food, RJ hopes to dupe them into doing his gathering. But when the suburban residents realize they've been invaded by woodland pests, an exterminator is called to take care of the problem. The overarching storyline of Over the Hedge is pure formula--your basic "family matters more than anything" lesson--but moment to moment, the movie is delightfully crisp and clever. The animation is topnotch, the acting is excellent (other voices include those of Allison Janney, The West Wing, and Thomas Haden Church, Sideways), and the satirical jabs at consumerism are actually funny. An above-average animated movie. --Bret Fetzer

Stills from Over the Hedge (click for larger image)

Description

The pack strikes back! In DreamWorks' smash hit comedy, a band of hungry forest critters goes "over the hedge" to take a bite out of Suburbia. Plus, check out the All-New Mini-Movie, Hammy's Boomerang Adventure only on the Over the Hedge DVD… It's the funniest, furriest, four minutes you'll see this year!

Customer Reviews:

Not Like the Comic Strip.......2007-09-08

Verne and R.J. are two layabout losers unliked by the rest of the animals. At least they were until this movie came out. Verne (the turtle) has been transformed into the clan leader and voice of reason. It is through his diligence that the local animals survive their winters. This spring the animals awaken to find most of their forest is gone and has been replaced by suburbia. R.J. (the racoon) meets up with them while trying to save his own hide from a hungry bear.

R.J. tries to corrupt the animals into helping him gather food from the humans. Verne is always the detractor trying to keep the status quo and remain safe. Many adventures ensue and R.J.'s character comes to light. Eventually the various situations are resolved in comic fashion and things work out.

This is a fun story with some excellent voice characterizations but it is not the comic strip. Some aspects of the strip do come through quite nicely. All in all it is a fun romp of a movie with just the right mix of comedy, drama, silliness, and character development. The story is very well thought out and it works. There is also a short feature included on the disk starring the squirrel and a boomerang. Check it out.

Enjoyable but slightly uneven.......2007-08-18

A good tale, excellent animation, but a bit uneven in the humor at times. Overall I enjoyed it.

Great great movie!.......2007-07-14

This is a great movie, for young and old alike. The animation in it is superb and the comedy is first rate. This movie will still be funny 20 years from now when my grandchildren have children.

Funny, funny, funny!!!!!.......2007-07-13

If this movie doesn't make you laugh, you have a problem. Amazing animation, stellar voice cast, good story and a great message.

My kids watched this..........2007-07-12

My kids watched this and liked it but didn't give me any real feedback on it. I'll update this if I can get something more specific from them or if I have the time to watch it myself.

Average customer rating:

Aaah... sooo sweet!!!!!!
Always a classic
The Parent Trap
Sweet, charming and satisfying, makes for a great time with the family...
Try to enjoy Lindsay Lohan's first film without the ironic frame of reference

The Parent Trap (Special Edition)
Starring: Lindsay Lohan , Dennis Quaid , Natasha Richardson , Elaine Hendrix , and Lisa Ann Walter
Director: Nancy Meyers
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007LXPBI
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Amazon.com

If you were a kid in the early 1960s, then you saw The Parent Trap with Hayley Mills--it's as simple as that. Now Disney has pulled the beloved comedy--about a pair of twins who meet for the first time at summer camp and vow to reunite their long-divorced parents--out of the mothballs and remade it with a decidedly '90s feel. This time, the twins act is performed by newcomer Lindsay Lohan, who plays both Hallie and Annie, who each live with one of their parents (Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson). Adversaries when they first meet at camp, Hallie and Annie become, well, sisters when they figure out that they are siblings. The comedy springs from their efforts to sabotage Dad's impending marriage to the gold-digging Elaine Hendrix, while reintroducing Dad to Mom. Quaid has a nice, loosey-goosey way with slapstick, as does Richardson, who plays a very funny drunk scene. --Marshall Fine

Description

What makes the Special Edition of THE PARENT TRAP so cool isn't just that you get to enjoy Lindsay Lohan's amazing theatrical debut, but that's it's filled with bonus materials you've never seen before. Hallie Parker, a hip Californian, and Annie James, a proper London miss (both played by Lohan) are identical twins who don't even know each other exists -- until they accidentally meet at summer camp. Now they're up to their freckles in schemes and dreams to switch places, get their parents (Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson) back together, and have the family they've always wished for!

Customer Reviews:

Aaah... sooo sweet!!!!!!.......2007-08-23

This movie was soo sweet and cute. Lindsay used to be so innocent! I didn't really like the original, this one is way better! There's some really funny scenes, and I liked the British accent. I would totally reccomend buying this movie!

Always a classic.......2007-08-07

The first version of this movies was one of my favorites when I was little. My kids love the new version. Its not often that you find a remake that rivals the original but this one definately does. Great entertainment!

The Parent Trap.......2007-07-30

I disagree with a lot of a people. This movie is really safe and sweet and Lindsay Lohan is an amazing little girl in this movie who wants to see her parents get back together again. It's true she grew up to make mistakes, but it's parents fault. It's her mother's fault for giving her a bad upbringing and it's her father's fault for doing drugs when she was a kid and for being in jail and then ten years later going around thumping the Bible on her when he himself is a grade A loser. A lot of great people in the world were born to losers. I like Lindsay Lohan. I really do. And as for I Knew Who Killed me, I'm sure it's not as bad as people think. And nothing was funny about Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine dancing like that. It was good and I think actresses take roles like that to show they have an edge to them. And maybe they just want to make people see how they'e matured. So there.

Sweet, charming and satisfying, makes for a great time with the family..........2007-07-30

If you want to watch something sweet, something fun and something memorable look no further than Disney's 90's remake of `The Parent Trap'. It's funny, it's charming and it's sure to be appreciated time and time again. Young Lindsay Lohan is so preciously sweet here that you can't help but fall in love with her. And talk about talent. This young actress may not have really struck it big until her `Mean Girls' stint, but `The Parent Trap' may very well hold her finest performance to date. She's convincing as two totally separate children, accent included, and that is a tough feet for most adult actors. But here Lohan pulls it off with flying colors, never once missing a beat.

The film follows the original film, at least in general plot, but it updates it quite a bit for modern society. Lohan plays both Annie James and Hallie Parker. Hallie lives in California with her father Nick, played by Dennis Quaid while Annie lives in London with her mother Elizabeth, played by Natasha Richardson. When they first meet at summer camp they are camp rivals, but soon after realizing they are in deed sister, identical twin sisters, they devise a plan to reunite their parents and become a family again. They swap places, each getting to meet and spend time with the parent they've never known and then, when their secret is exposed and they're forced to swap places again their parents will see one another and the wheels will be set in motion for their love to rekindle.

There's only one problem. Their father is falling in love with a horror show of a hot young thing named Meredith Blake, played brilliantly by Elaine Hendrix. Annie realizes soon after meeting her father that she is in way over her head with his new arm-candy. She's manipulative and beautiful and her father is obviously blinded by her legs. Hallie doesn't believe the danger is real for as far as she knows her father is never serious about any woman and besides the fact, she wants to spend more time with her mother. But the problem is serious for her father intends on marrying the gold-digging tramp and if that happens the girls plan would be ruined.

The hi-jinx's that ensue are hilarious and the acting is superb. Lohan outshines all, but both Quaid and Richardson do a wonderful job as the two loving parents. In fact, they are both so lovable and charming that it's hard to understand why their marriage didn't work in the first place. As I mentioned, Hendrix is deliciously evil here and works her character to the bone. My favorite supporting character though is Lisa Ann Walter who plays Nick's housekeeper. She's effortlessly charming and sweet and so good natured. I just love her character and her interacting with Lohan is fantastic. Simon Kunz is memorable as the James' butler and Ronnie Stevens is more than effective as Elizabeth's father.

The film is a wonderful experience from start to finish and monopolizes very well on the charm of the entire cast and the popularity of the original film. It's a remake that was worth being remade and it'll be sure to bring plenty of smiles to the faces of everyone in the family. As many have mentioned, Lindsay's life has taken a huge detour down to the gutter, but put your preconceived notions about her off-screen antics aside and embrace the career she could have had had she stayed cute and adorable and level headed.

Try to enjoy Lindsay Lohan's first film without the ironic frame of reference.......2007-07-30

I am sure the reason "The Parent Trap" is airing on cable television today is not because of Lindsay Lohan's arrest this past week but more because this past Friday "I Know Who Killed Me" opened. So you have to appreciate that they are showing Lohan's first movie on television the same weekend that what may well be her last movie is opening in theaters. It is hard to watch this 1998 remake of the 1961 Haley Miles film of the same name, which is an American version of the German story "Das Doppelte Lottchen" by Erich Kästner filmed in 1950, and not wonder what happened to sweet little Lindsay Lohan. Watching this version again I kept thinking of Rob Schneider's joke on "The Tonight Show" about Lohan being worried about losing jobs to the English chick that played opposite her in "The Parent Trap" (Erin Mackey was the acting double, but that is not who he mean), but the basic situation is way too sentimental to be caustic and cynical for too long when watching this movie again.

My problem with this movie is neither Lohan nor her performance, but rather the parents and the premise. I am tempted to review "The Parent Trap" as a horror film. You have these two people, Nick Parker (Dennis Quaid) and Elizabeth James (Natasha Richardson), who get married and after the birth of twin girls not only get a divorce but decide that to guarantee they never have to see each other ever again they will each take one of their infant daughters and go their separate ways, she to London, England and he to Napa Valley, California. The fact that the roots of this story go back a half-century to post-war Germany makes a lot of sense to me because I can see circumstances warranting such a separation making a lot more sense than a mother deciding she hates her husband enough to give away one of her children. I mean, come on, when Solomon offered his 50-50 deal way back when it was not a serious proposition (I want to ask what sort of parents break up immediately following the birth of their children, but Kevin Federline can now go for the hat trick on that score).

Fortunately, we only have to deal with the interaction of the parents in the third act of this film and as a general rule of thumb if there is not at least one Lindsay Lohan in a scene in this film, it tends not to work as well. The first act finds Hallie Parker and Annie James both arriving at the same Summer Camp (sending your kid to Summer Camp in another country across an entire ocean strikes me as being rather bizarre parental behavior, but it is a necessary plot device in this film). Eventually the girls will figure out the connection between them, which leads to the second act where they switch places to meet the parent they have never met. But before that they terrorize each other in an escalating series of camp hijinks that suggest they are forces to be reckoned with individually, so imagine what they can do if they team up.

The second act is far and away the best part of this film because it is pretty much impossible not to be moved when each girl finally gets to meet their other parent and when the parents finally realize what is going on (although my favorite moment is when Annie reveals her true identity to Lisa Ann Walter's Chessy). Coming clean is mandated because Annie, pretending to be Hallie, learns that their dad is going to marry Meredith Blake (Elaine Hendrix), apparently because he is the only one who cannot tell she is a money-hungry ice queen. So it is up to the twins to set things right, or at least set their parents up so they can do the right thing. One of the things that I think are required in a romance is what I call the "grand gesture," and when Nick takes Elizabeth down to his private wine cellar that is exactly what we get. The two-fold problem is that it does not work and that this particular grand gesture begs the question that needs to be asked of both parents as to why they never bothered to track down their other child. Part of me thinks that the twins would be better off with Chessy and Martin (Simon Kunz). If you can suspend your disbelief with regards to the stupidity of Nick and Elizabeth and the horrible thing they did to their daughters, then you can enjoy this film and the Lindsay Lohan that was.

Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Adventure

Average customer rating:

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!
Amazing
Great movie
Favorite from my youth reestablishes itself as a favorite of my adulthood...
Found

Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Adventure
Starring: Nancy Cartwright , Phillip Clark , Anthony de Longis , Dody Goodman , and Patrick Pinney
Director: Janice Karman
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ELJ024
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Customer Reviews:

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!.......2007-09-15

I LOVE THAT THIS MOVIE IS ON DVD!!! i waited for the movie to be released on dvd last year and bought it the same day but my daughter lost it so i HAVE to buy it again...it is one of my favorite childhood movies, brings back lots of memories...

Amazing.......2007-08-19

I have always loved this movie, I used to watch it alot when I was little and now I have my friends hooked on it too!

Great movie.......2007-08-19

This movie has got it all, good story, great animation, and good music. Even if you aren't a Chipmunks fan you should get this.

Favorite from my youth reestablishes itself as a favorite of my adulthood..........2007-07-31

I remember watching this cartoon as a kid and absolutely loving every minute of it. I was a huge fan of `The Chipmunks' and watched their cartoon's religiously, so it's only expected that with the birth of my first child right around the corner I would seek out and purchase some cartoons that I myself adore. `The Chipmunk Adventure' I can honestly say still stacks up even in its old age. It's funny and entertaining and enjoyable even in my adulthood. The animation may not be as flashy and realistic as we have today but there's nothing wrong with a good old fashioned cartoon every once in a while. The storyline is engaging, the characters are likable and the entire feel of this cartoon, the vibe and atmosphere is sure to excite and entertain any child. There are a few things I found a little annoying but there's not enough here to really complain about.

First let's discuss the storyline. Dave, the Chipmunks father figure, is traveling to Europe on business and is leaving the boys in the hands of absent minded babysitter Miss Miller. Alvin is none to happy with this arrangement for he wants to travel with Dave and see the wonders of the world. He soon gets his opportunity when two shady strangers overhear a conversation, or a fight, between Alvin and Brittany (leader of the Chipettes) in regards to who could really win a race around the world. It just so happens that these two strangers, Klaus and Claudia, are in need of some transporters to smuggle their stolen diamonds. They devise a plan rather rapidly to send the Chipmunks and the Chipettes on a race around the world, having them deposit dolls stuffed with diamonds at certain checkpoints along the way. Of course this group of young rodents doesn't realize the dolls are carrying precious cargo and just feel that these two creepy adults are rich and bored, and besides, the winner will receive $100,000 and that's about all the persuading Alvin and Brittany need. So, Alvin, Simon and Theodore set off in one direction while Brittany, Jeannette and Eleanor set off in the other and each of them meet danger in varying ways.

The film is filled to the brim with action and adventure and musical numbers. The musical numbers, as hilarious as they are, present my first lukewarm feeling. First of all, maybe it's just me, but was it easier to understand what they were singing when we were younger. I had the hardest time figuring out the words to the songs. Maybe children can hear at a higher octave than adults can. Secondly, some of the songs are not songs I'd want my children to sing, some of them are somewhat suggestive ("get lucky with you") and just not for children. I know this was the 80's and these songs were popular, but as a soon-to-be parent I find myself a little more judgmental of things. Like I said though, this is not enough for me to really complain about.

I also would have liked to see the boys really understand the danger in what they did, leaving home unchaperoned, trusting strangers...things of that nature. Other than Theodore mentioning the guilty feeling once and Simon somewhat bickering in the beginning the boys never really acknowledge how wrong their actions were, nether does Dave for that matter. I know this is a cartoon, but cartoons are notorious for morals and lessons learnt and I feel that this one could have established those a little better. Regardless, this is still a fun time and not something I would hesitate to place before my daughter. It remains a highlight of my youth and I'm hoping it becomes a highlight of hers.

Found.......2007-06-24

This is one of those movies you watched as a child and will want to watch again as an adult. Me for example: I went out with a few friends came home slightly tipsy. And all of a sudden I thought I want to watch that movie... The one with the chipmunks and singing and traveling the world. That thought stuck in my head for WEEKS. It took me awhile to find, but it is well worth it. I think I love this movie even more than I did as a child.

Average customer rating:

Widescreen please
Why No Widescreen?!
Return to Snowy River
Great Movie.
Very Good Movie

Return to Snowy River
Starring: Tony Barry , John Bird , Tom Burlinson , Peter Cummins , and Brian Dennehy
Director: Geoff Burrowes
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JLHX
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Description

Australia's breathtaking Victoria Alps set the backdrop for this spectacular epic saga. Tom Burlinson and Sigrid Thornton, two of Australia's brightest film talents, star in a fast-paced, action-packed story of a stormy romance caught up in a violent feud between landowners. Acclaimed actor Brian Dennehy (LEGAL EAGLES, COCOON) gives a gripping performance as the powerful patriarch determined to keep them apart. Visually unforgettable and packed with rugged adventure and masterful stuntwork, RETURN TO SNOWY RIVER is a thrilling and memorable film!

Customer Reviews:

Widescreen please.......2007-08-15

Great story. As soon as the DVD is released in widescreen I'll buy it.

Why No Widescreen?!.......2007-06-30

This is a great movie, but it was originally shown in theaters in the 2:35:1 Widescreen format. I know some people like the full screen format over widescreen, but so much of the beauty and landscapes are lost in pan and scan full screen. Why can't this film be released with both pan and scan & widescreen. I know I am not the only person who would like to see it released in widescreen. Please consider a re-release Disney for the widescreen audience. Thanks

Return to Snowy River.......2007-06-08

Gotta watch both to get the full affect of the Man of Snowy River... Great love story...

Great Movie........2007-05-13

The ladies love this! Pop it in, and watch 'em cuddle right up into your arms.

Very Good Movie.......2007-05-12

I have the first movie and the second on video and Dvd and I do enjoy them very much.

Average customer rating:

Pirates of Silicon Valley
How everything began
Wonderful movie
Hey NOAH, where's that SEQUEL?!
Pirates of Silicon Valley

Pirates of Silicon Valley
Starring: Noah Wyle , Joey Slotnick , J.G. Hertzler , Anthony Michael Hall , and Wayne Pére
Director: Martyn Burke
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
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ASIN: B0009NSCS0
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Product Description

The revolution came when we weren't looking. It happened in a garage. In a dorm room. In countless hours of effort, imagining and intrigue. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were changing the way the world works, lives and communicates.

The event-packed saga of the quirky visionaries who jump-started the future unfolds with exhilarating, cutting-edge style in Pirates of Silicon Valley. Noah Wyle (ER) portrays Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone) portrays Gates in this chronicle of the fierce and often humorous battle to rule the fledgling personal computer empire. "The story is almost Shakespearean... it's a tale of lust, greed, ambition, love and hate," writer/director Martyn Burke reflects. And it's a success story unlike any other.

Running Time: 97 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

This dramatization of the tangled history of Apple Computer and Microsoft, based on a book by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, hits enough of the right notes to make its failures all the more frustrating. The script follows the entwined paths of Apple's Steve Jobs and Microsoft's Bill Gates with a pointed sense of the cultural divide between the hip, self-absorbed Apple cofounder and the brilliant alpha geek behind Microsoft's eventual software empire, contrasting the Mac's countercultural underpinnings with the PC's more strait-laced origins. But Pirates of Silicon Valley seemingly can't decide whether it wants to be a serious-minded history of these key figures in the personal computer revolution or a trashy wallow in the more ignoble foibles of its principals. As a result, it falls short of exacting history while never achieving the guilty pleasure it might have.

If Gates has become synonymous with corporate conquest at its most striking, Pirates' interest lies more with Jobs, given a nervous energy and flashes of adolescent selfishness by Noah Wyle, who benefits from a reasonable physical resemblance to the Apple chief. Eyewear and a comb-over do nearly as well for Anthony Michael Hall, who also grafts some of Bill Gates's better-known mannerisms onto his performance and renders Gates as a smart if socially maladroit entrepreneur who, like Jobs, provides the ambition and business savvy to exploit his partner's computing talents. There are a few fanciful touches (Ballmer and Wozniak become Greek choruses, addressing the viewer as they comment on the principals), but the story plays out in straightforward fashion. It's tantalizing to consider how the Apple/PC melodrama might have fared with an edgier, more openly satirical script. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Pirates of Silicon Valley.......2007-09-16

Very interesting and inspiring. The possibilities for achievement and success this film presents are awesome! Only in the U.S.

How everything began.......2007-09-05

It's amazing how Microsoft and Apple became the revolutionary IT companies we know nowadays starting in a messy environment. Also it's unbelievable some companies have lost their opportunity to be leaders in this market. Mandatory for those who loves the IT world.

Wonderful movie.......2007-08-07

I watched this movie when it first aired on TNT and fell in love with it. I finally got around to purchasing it on DVD. This movie is my favority movie of all time

Hey NOAH, where's that SEQUEL?!.......2007-08-06

I love this movie and I've watched it several times recently. The cast takes a good script and makes it great. Noah Wiley not only looks like Steve Jobs, but does a beautiful job of taking on an unusually complex character. Love him or hate him, you can see why people are willing to put up with him as long as it takes to change the world. The big problem with the story is that it is incomplete. It ends at the point when Microsoft and Apple joined forces, and skims over what came after only by a few years. Anthony Michael Hall is so creepy as Bill Gates- and rightly so - that it leaves him looking smug and dominant. I don't care how much money he has, Jobs is the one with the vision.

Since this movie was made, Jobs created Pixar Studios, which makes cutting-edge animated films, and has introduced the world to the iPod and now the iPhone. In doing so, he has revitalized the music industry and forever changed the way people relate to their music collections. The iPod video has changed the way we watch TV - who ever imagined having a whole season of your favorite show in your pocket, to watch where ever you are?! The iPhone is already changing the telecommunications business, and the big wireless companies are scrambling to to keep up with Jobs' newest, greatest cell phone/music player/Movie viewer/photo album/camera/web browser/address book/and mini computer, but no one can touch it or him. He's been called the "greatest second act in history" and it's time for part two of the Steve Jobs/Apple story, preferably sans Gates. How many times does a guy have to change the world to get a sequel done ? ha ha! And while we're stating the obvious, let me add that no one but Noah Wiley can play Jobs, so somebody get that script in the works and let's have Part Two!

Pirates of Silicon Valley.......2007-07-23

Most interesting movie. Sort of a docudrama. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Bill Gates are played well.

Average customer rating:

Better than usually given credit for....
Great Movie
AT LAST
Although without extras this is the version of "The Stranger" to get for Welles fans
Skip The Public Domain Versions: Get The MGM Disc!!!

The Stranger (MGM Film Noir)
Starring: Orson Welles
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000PMFRVU
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Amazon.com essential video

The legendary story that hovers over Orson Welles's The Stranger is that he wanted Agnes Moorehead to star as the dogged Nazi hunter who trails a war criminal to a sleepy New England town. The part went to E.G. Robinson, who is marvelous, but it points out how many compromises Welles made on the film in an attempt to show Hollywood he could make a film on time, on budget, and on their own terms. He accomplished all three, turning out a stylish if unambitious film noir thriller, his only Hollywood film to turn a profit on its original release. Welles stars as unreformed fascist Franz Kindler, hiding as a schoolteacher in a New England prep school for boys and newly married to the headmaster's lovely if naive daughter (Loretta Young). Welles the director is in fine form for the opening sequences, casting a moody tension as agents shadow a twitchy low-level Nazi official skulking through South American ports and building up to dramatic crescendo as Kindler murders this little man, the lovely woods becoming a maelstrom of swirling leaves that expose the body he furiously tries to bury. The rest of film is a well-designed but conventional cat-and-mouse game featuring an eye-rolling performance by Welles and a thrilling conclusion played out in the dark clock tower that looms over the little village. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Better than usually given credit for...........2007-09-05

While no means comparable to Welles' masterpieces "Citizen Kane" or "The Trial," "The Stranger" shines not because it offers anything spectacular as far as the cinema is concerned. Where it does succeed, despite itc conventional storyline is in characterization in the leads. Robinson is superb as the uncompromising Nazi-hunter bent on finding and bringing ex-Nazi Franz Kindler to justice for war crimes; Loretta Young as Kindler's pretty but naive wife is a bit trite but because of the strong performances by Robinson and Welles can be overlooked.

Welles himself, is convincing as ever as the ex-Nazi masquerading as Mr. Rankin, the favorite teacher at boys' prep school giddy at the irony that he will be married to Supreme Court Justice Longstreet's (Young) daughter. Even Richard Long, before he would become familiar to television audiences as Jarod Barkley of "The Big Valley," delivers a notable performance as Noah Longstreet, brother to Young, who is the first to really suspect the man his sister married is not who he claims to be.

It all works here and manages to entertain throughout. I love how Welles uses the theme of time and linked Kindler and Robinson's character together through their passion for clocks and their methodical attention to detail---Robinson with his notepad trying to establish a timeline for Rankin/Kindler's murder of a fellow Nazi co-patriot in the shadowy woods not far from the town. Welles, uses light and shadow quite liberally here and to great effect establishing an unmistakable atmosphere of menace and evil. We, the audience, quickly identify with Young's and Robinson's character--we want Rankin/Kindler caught--especially after what he does to Red--Noah's dog for attempting to uncover Kindler's murder.

For those who admire Welles' work will enjoy this film; if you are an Eddie G fan--you will love it and recognize some of the gifts this actor has to offer. Other than a storyline that engages the viewer, Welles' conclusion, although somewhat melodramatic and expected, manages to keep the viewer's riveted to the screen throughout the duration of the film.

Great Movie.......2007-08-08

I have waited many years to get a DVD copy of this after many viewings from my worn out vhs copy. This is great teaming between Welles and Robinson. The subject is good too. Viewers may also like Hitchcock's Notorius.

AT LAST.......2007-07-30

This is one of my favourite film noirs, a great movie in which Welles showed the world he could do a classic Hollywood movie without going over the budget an still produce a genuine and personal masterpiece. I own two more previously released transfers of this public domain film, none of which did justice to the movie. They look like worn out VHS tapes. They are that bad. Finally, though without any extras and at a relatively high price, MGM has released what seems to be a transfer from a very good original 35 mm print, if not the original negative. The picture looks very clean and sharp, with deep blacks, and at last I can enjoy the film as Welles intended. Buy it.

Although without extras this is the version of "The Stranger" to get for Welles fans.......2007-07-15

**Please note: This review is for the MGM/Film Noir Series release of "The Stranger" NOT any of the public domain releases**

"The Stranger" proves that Orson Welles could deliver a film on time and within budget. "The Stranger" almost seems like an answer to Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" in that it tackles many of the same themes from a different perspective. While Hitchcock's film "The Stranger" creates a complex villian in Franz Kindler/Charles Rankin. The MGM version is the one to get since it goes back to the RKO Vault (RKO which is a bit of irony considering that Welles made "Citizen Kane" for the studio and had his film "The Magnificent Ambersons" butchered by the studio while he was in South America partying and working on "It's All True"). Welles' original version can 115 minutes while the final version was recut by producers Sam Spiegel (the producer of "Lawrence of Arabia" working under the name S. E. Eagel) and Bill Goetz (who helped finace the project). If any of the footage cut still exists it is probably lost which is a pity as according to comments/notes that Welles made over the years the film had a much longer prologue.

MGM delivers one of the better looking versions on DVD that I've seen. There are public domain DVD that are floating around but most of them I've seen have been from inferior 16mm or faded prints that don't do the moody cinematography justice. We do get alternate language tracks in French and Spanish for the film but no commentary track which is disappointing given that this is a Welles film. I'm sure that Simon Callow (who wrote the two excellent Welles biographies ORSON WELLES: THE ROAD TO XANADU and ORSON WELLES: HELLO AMERICANS) could have provided an excellent commentary based on his observations on the film in his second volume of his Welles' biographies. We don't even get a vintage trailer for the film. A featurette on the film's production (it was one of Welles' most profitable films which is important in and of itself), changes that Spiegel made to the film and Welles' own comments which have been videotaped/recorded over the years would have been valuable. Regardless, this is a fine film which finally looks excellent (with some minor flaws due to age and damage)that should have been treated better by MGM.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Welles plays Charles Rankin a man with a mysterious past . He's a history professor teaching and living in a small town marrying the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice Mary (Loretta Young). Just before the wedding Rankin's past comes calling with a visit by a man named Meinike (Konstantin Shayne). A former Nazi, Meinike has been released by a government agent named Wilson(Edward G. Robinson) in a game of cat and mouse. Wilson hopes that Meinike will lead him to an Franz Kindler a Nazi at large. He does just that but before Wilson can act Rankin murders Meinike to close off his past. Suddenly Rankin's carefully cultivated identity (and Mary's world)becomes unraveled as Wilson doggedly closes in on him.

**END OF SPOILER ALERT**

Welles had a troubled history for all of his films which often meant that the films were compromised. Nevertheless, "The Stranger" plays as a strong suspense thriller although the often shrill and over-the-top music score doesn't quite work for the film. This is another example where Bernard Herrmann would have added signficantly to the film if he had been hired to do the score. Film noir fans will enjoy this flawed Welles classic which has a number of dazzling set pieces particularly the stunning and unique conclusion at the clock tower.

While this edition which is part of MGM's "Film Noir" series lacks any special features(the film could have used a commentary track from any one of Welles' fine biographers particularly Simon Callow), the film looks pretty good overall. It hasn't been restored and has some minor print damage but overall looks quite nice. 4 stars for the presentation 0 stars for the extras. Perhaps MGM will reconsider their decision to release this without extras when Warner releases "The Magnificient Ambersons" on DVD late this year (2007) or early next (2008--depends upon how quickly they can assemble the material now that they've found a good source print).

Although a bare bones release, this is definitely the version to get for film fans. It's a pity though that MGM decided to treat the film with so little care given that it is a Welles film with a strong cast. Other Welles films worth getting:

Citizen Kane
Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)The Lady from Shanghai
Discovering Orson WellesThis is Orson Welles

Skip The Public Domain Versions: Get The MGM Disc!!!.......2007-07-13

Orson Welles' THE STRANGER(1946) has finally seen an official release from original vault elements. Is is perfect? No, there are a few negative blemishes here and there. Is it better than any public domain version on the market? YES! If you're a fan of this film, the MGM version is the one to have. Only carp: The price is a bit steep, especially given that there are NO extras whatsoever.

Average customer rating:

Classic stuff!
Ahh the good ol' days of TV
YEAH! Classic T&J takes me back to when I was 5
Great DVD for the price
A mean,stupid cat and a sweet,lovable mouse

Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases
Starring: Tom & Jerry
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003JRAJ
Release Date: 2000-03-14

Amazon.com

Classic cartoon fans will delight in the bevy of classic Tom and Jerry animated shorts, each of which ends in the proclamation "Made in Hollywood, U.S.A.," and most of which are from the '40s. Fifteen episodes (totaling more than an hour) are featured. Included are: "The Cat Concerto," "Johann Mouse," "The Little Orphan," "Yankee Doodle Mouse," "Salt Water Tabby," "Tee for Two," "Solid Serenade," "Zoot Cat," "Johann Mouse," "Dr. Jekyll" and Mr. Mouse," "Mouse in Manhattan," "Kitty Foiled," "The Little Orphan," and "Jerry's Diary." It might surprise more mature viewers, with fond recollections of the adventures of the gray cat and the little mouse, how relentlessly violent (albeit cartoon violence) the 'toons are. This video, a collection of chase-centric films, is notably chock full of head bangin', body bashing, poisoning, and all-around disorder.

The absolute highlight are two shorts low on smashin' and high on entertainment: "The Cat Concerto" and "Mouse in Manhattan," the first with Tom as the focus and the second with Jerry. They both involve forays into entertainment, a great soundtrack, and a fun story. The DVD edition adds "The Worry Song" from Anchors Aweigh, the classic showcase of the amazing (and oft-copied) duet of animation and live action, as Jerry dances with the wonderful Gene Kelly. Contrasted with the PC content of today's 'toons, Tom and Jerry is a literal blast from the past--a must for collectors, and for parents comfortable with explaining that Tom isn't really burned to ashes, and Jerry hasn't been beheaded. --N.F. Mendoza

Customer Reviews:

Classic stuff!.......2007-07-07

Our son is but 7 months old but he enjoys the odd cartoon when he is sitting in his chair relaxed. But I cant stand today's cartoons, most of them are really rubbish, they don't have that magical quality as cartoons like this had in my time, today its just weirdness that seems to cater more for the junkie than children. So it was my pleasure to introduce Tom and Jerry for a start.

Ahh the good ol' days of TV.......2007-06-19

I got this for my son who is 4 and it takes me back to watching them when I was around his age. Great quality, great Tom & Jerry choices.

YEAH! Classic T&J takes me back to when I was 5.......2007-06-17

Wow..nothing says 1940 like a good Tom and Jerry cartoon! This DVD is worth every penny. Don't steal it from the internet...purchase it here and do the right thing. These episodes are classic and took me back to my childhood. I had not seen some of these since I was very little and it was fun to explore the animation of the day. The animators from back then really had ability that has since been long lost.

get this DVD. it's worth it!

Great DVD for the price.......2007-06-08

My son is 4 years old and absolutely loves this DVD. He first saw Tom and Jerry on our local cable TV but it only comes on Saturday mornings, so this was a great DVD for him. It has so many short episodes it keeps his attention, especially in the car on long trips. Well worth the money.

A mean,stupid cat and a sweet,lovable mouse.......2007-03-15

If you're a fan of MGM theatrical cartoons,this item is for you. Tom and Jerry has audiences,young and old,cracking up with their hilarious hijinks. Tom meets a pretty girl cat on the beach in SALT WATER TABBY. Jerry takes interest in the girl cat. The same girl cat is seen in SOLID SERENADE. Tom musically woos her via bass fiddle,disturbing Jerry's sleep. Jerry is automatically bounced out of bed on his face and stomach and the rhythm of the bass keeps bouncing Jerry. Tom impresses another female cat(not a glamourous one,though) wearing a "zoot suit" in THE ZOOT CAT. The usually totally silent Jerry speaks one line in the cartoon,"What's cooking,toots?". Tom spoke in the cartoon also,a little more than Jerry. Tom's suit shrinks to the point where it now fits Jerry! Jerry is off to Manhattan in MOUSE IN MANHATTAN,only to be met with disappointment. Jerry was used to apply shoe polish(he ends up in blackface,a scene never seen on some TV stations including Cartoon Network). He even felt light friction of the heavy New York City traffic. So,he's back home with Tom and again in his hole in the wall. TEE FOR TWO features a lawnmower-shorn Tom and his bee-stung mouth(courtesy of angry,intimidated bees). THE YANKEE DOODLE MOUSE was excellent. If I'm not mistaking,it was at least an Academy Award nominee. Tom is a concert pianist in the Oscar-winning THE CAT CONCERTO. Jerry is asleep inside the grand piano Tom is playing on stage and the striking hammers inside awake Jerry. Jerry,angry with Tom,finishes the performance himself and dons a tuxedo in the final scene with the spotlight shining on him. THE LITTLE ORPHAN,another Academy Award nominee,features Tom,Jerry and Jerry's visiting nephew Nibbles playing Thanksgiving scenes and in the final scene,praying before consuming the Thanksgiving dinner. Nibbles eats all of the turkey like a termite! He appears rotund in the final scene. In KITTY FOILED,there's Tom,Jerry and an unnamed canary riding a train set on the living room floor. In the final scene,Jerry and the canary are happily whistling away in the canary's cage. An excerpt of this cartoon became stock footage for LIFE WITH TOM(not seen on this DVD). JERRY'S DIARY contains stock footage from previous cartoons(released before that one). Tom was so furious about many of the statements Jerry wrote about him in his diary. Jerry comes along only to meet Tom who splatters a pie all over Jerry and his hole in the wall. The other cartoons are awesome. I loved them as a kid over two decades ago.

Average customer rating:

The Tuck Review
Amazing movie!!!
A timeless tale,but no real chemistry between Winnie and Jesse.
Pure And Enjoyable Fantasy!
A really sweet movie

Tuck Everlasting
Starring: Alexis Bledel , William Hurt , Sissy Spacek , Jonathan Jackson , and Scott Bairstow
Director: Jay Russell
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JLOT
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Amazon.com

With the makings of a classic, Disney's Tuck Everlasting compares favorably with such family favorites as The Secret Garden and Fairy Tale: A True Story. Loosely but respectfully adapted from Natalie Babbitt's beloved children's book, this appealing fable focuses on the timeless Tuck family, blessed--and cursed--with immortality after drinking from a magical spring. Hiding their secret over passing decades, they are discovered in 1914 by Winnie (Alexis Bledel)--the only daughter of stern, upper-crust socialites--who encounters the life-affirming Jesse Tuck (Jonathan Jackson) and grows enchanted with his family (Sissy Spacek, William Hurt, Scott Bairstow) while her parents fear she's been kidnapped. The film's teenage romance is invented (Winnie is younger in Babbitt's book), but it's charmingly appropriate, and Ben Kingsley is perfect as a menacing man of mystery. Scoring a solid follow-up to his equally enjoyable My Dog Skip, director Jay Russell turns Tuck Everlasting into a magical plea for living life to its fullest. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Walt Disney Pictures' TUCK EVERLASTING, a timeless and enchanting adventure about one girl's magical summer, will captivate audiences of any age. Young Winnie Foster, stifled by the formality of her proper life and domineering mother, escapes into the woods only to get lost. Soon she happens upon Jesse Tuck -- a boy full of life and adventure who's unlike anyone she's ever met -- and falls in love. The Tucks, a kind and generous family, have a powerful secret -- a spring that holds the magic of everlasting life. And now Winnie must choose to live life as she knows it or drink from the spring. It's a life-affirming adventure that will cast its irresistible spell over you again and again.

Customer Reviews:

The Tuck Review.......2007-06-05

I personally loved this book. It is about a girl Winnie who finds a magical water spring. She saw a boy maybe a little bit older than her drink from it. when she asks if she could have some he says no. Then she demands the water because she owns the wood that the spring is in. He stops her then the boys mom and older brother come, he is relieved because they would know what to do. They take her to their house but on the way there they tell her the story. The story is that long ago they drank from it and as they grew on in life they realized that they were not getting any older from the time they drank the water. so they figured that they were immortal when Jesse the youngest boy fell out of a tree 30ft high right on his neck and didn't even hurt him, then when Tuck the father got bitten by a rattle snake and did not die, then Jesse ate poisen frogs stools and didn't even get sick, then the horse got mistaken for a deer and got shot and it didn't even leave a mark, thats when Tuck the father found out it was the water, so to make sure of it one day Tuck took his shotgun and before Jesse, Mae the mother, or Miles the older brother could do any thing he shot himself in the heart! It knocked him down but barely left a scratch. So the family tells the girl not to tell anyone about the spring. But the problem was a man heard the whole story and was planning to sell thge water! Thats when the story begins, but I am not going to tell you any more. But the one thing that made the story was that Jesse and Winnie fall in love. So I really think it was a great book.

Amazing movie!!!.......2007-05-17

I loved this movie so much. The first time i saw it was just after i read the book, And whenever they make a movie out of a book its never as good as the book. But this movie is definetly as good, or even better then the book. This movie is about a girl named Winnie who is fed up with life at home, and goes exploring in the woods. In the woods she meets a boy named Jesse Tuck, along with the rest of his family. Winnie learns that the Tuck family is imortal. They will live forever and can not die. They decide to keep her at their house, intill she understands why she can not tell about the little spring that makes them imortal. While she is staying with the Tucks Winnie and Jesse fall in love. There is an amazing scene that almost made me cry, when Winnie is being taken away from Jesse. Mae the mother hits the man who is trying to take away winnie on the head with a gun, and he dies. She and her husband are then put in jail, to be hung. The problom is, if she is hung she will not die, and every one will know the secret. If you want to know what happens next, see the movie!!!This movie has some very good acors including Alexis Bledel as Winnie,Jonathan Jackson as Jesse Tuck and Ben Kingsley as the Man in the Yellow Suit. All in all,this was a great movie and you should get it!!!

A timeless tale,but no real chemistry between Winnie and Jesse........2007-04-09

I read the book as a teen in the 70's and really enjoyed it. As an adult with a small child and a more realistic notion of,"mortality," I related to the film on a different and more mature level. Regardless, it is a timeless tale for all ages.

One minor criticism is that I didn't sense any real romantic tension between Winnie and Jesse. Perhaps the problem was with casting. They looked so much alike that they seemed like brother and sister as opposed to passionate teens. Even when Winnie was doing that fireside dance, Jesse just seemed sort of oblivious.

William Hurt who played the father is one of my favorite actors. At times he seemed slightly too sophisticated to play the unsophisticated father,especially since I tend to type cast him as,"Nick," from the Big Chill.

I enjoyed the movie but whoever cast Jesse should not have cast a guy who looked like Winnie's brother to play her love interest.

Pure And Enjoyable Fantasy!.......2007-03-28

This movie's story-line takes the viewers out of our ordinary world and succeeds in truly entertaining us, which is really enjoyable. There are elements of: a) a love story, b) real-life dilemmas, and c) tragedy and loss. I whole-heartedly recommend this to every viewer...

A really sweet movie.......2007-03-09

I haven't read the book yet, but this movie is really sweet. Alexis Bledel really shows a whole other side of her acting abilities in this movie, versus her role in the Gilmore Girls. The movie is about the Tuck family and their unique gift: they can not die. They were traveling west in the late 1700's when they stopped at a spring and drank from it. The spring had magical powers and granted them an immortal life. The movie focuses on the love story between young Winifred (Alexis) and the youngest Tuck son, Jesse. Someone discovers the Tuck's secret and eventually the Tucks have to leave, but not before Jesse has to decide between Winifred and his family. I won't spoil the ending, but overall I think this movie was well written and would be a great addition to any child or young adults collection.

Average customer rating:

Good, but not like Broadway
Hollywood Ain't Like Broadway
HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN
Worst movie ever
Only Comedians should star in Comedies

The Producers (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Nathan Lane , Matthew Broderick , Uma Thurman , Will Ferrell , and Gary Beach
Director: Susan Stroman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000EWBKMG
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Amazon.com

The trend is to convert movies into stage musicals, but The Producers goes a step further: making a feature film of the smash-hit stage musical that was adapted from the 1968 film. The chief drawing card, of course, is Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprising their roles from the stage. Lane plays Max Bialystock, a legendary Broadway producer who hasn't had a hit show in a long time. Enter nebbish accountant Leo Bloom (Broderick), who tells Bialystock he could actually make more money with a flop than a hit. So the two set out to produce the worst Broadway musical of all time, one guaranteed to close on opening night, with the collaboration of an outrageous cast of characters: Will Ferrell as sieg heil-ing author Franz Liebkind, Uma Thurman as Swedish bombshell Ulla, Gary Beach as director Roger De Bris, and Roger Bart as his assistant, Carmen Ghia, among others.

As directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (who did the same honors on Broadway) and co-written by Mel Brooks, The Producers is laugh-out-loud funny. It's also a relentlessly over-the-top, shamelessly bawdy, stereotype-ridden comedy that may turn off its audience just as much as its centerpiece, Springtime for Hitler, was intended to. But Broadway fans who are used to larger-than-life figures who play to the back row while showering the first row with spit, are likely to forgive and just enjoy the famous granny-walker dance, a supporting cast dotted with Broadway performers (playing a taxi driver is Brad Oscar, who originated the role of Liebkind on Broadway then later played Bialystock), or the mere spectacle of seeing Lane and Broderick memorializing the performances that millions never got a ticket to see. (For maximum laughs, stick around through the closing credits.) --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not like Broadway.......2007-09-02

Mel Brooks' original Producer's (Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder) was great fun... one of his better movies. The modern Broadway version with Nathan Lane and Mathew Broderick was equally fun, and had its own unique charm that played well to a theatre crowd. The movie however, though good in formula, lacks the same charm as the stage production. Things seem a bit more forced and don't translate as well when the camera is shoved up the actors' noses, and location shots aren't always better (ie the missing "Little Old Lady Land"). Also, though I love Uma Thurman, I really missed seeing Cady Huffman in the role of Ulla... her stage performance was flawless! It's a real shame that 'star-power' still has so much influence over casting.

Hollywood Ain't Like Broadway.......2007-09-01

I had missed out seeing Mel Brooks's "The Producers" when Broderick and Lane first did it on Broadway. It became an immediate sold-out hit. When I finally saw it, it was with Brad Oscar who did a credible job as Bialystock. I saw it once more in a Broadway Across America road show with Lewis J. Stadlen which was very well done, but I had to see it with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. When they went back into the show for a limited run, each receiving one hundred thousand a week, I had to see it. I paid five hundred dollars for a prime third row seat, and it was worth it. They made the show. Both were sensational.
In this DVD movie version both are reprising their roles and Susan Stroman is again the director as on Broadway. Unfortunately a Broadway director and a Hollywood director are worlds apart. She tried to open up the show with external shots, but it seemed constantly like a staged version, clumsy, corny, and artificial. When a number finished, there was even a pause for the applause. She could not shake the proscenium arch and the black box of the theater. She's a brilliant live theater director, and a clueless movie director. And talk about product placement: there is a long, long scene in front of a Sardi's sign that is blatantly exploitive.
Lane and Broderick try mightily, but they just do not come over as well as they do on the stage. Will Ferrell was added to the cast as the movie, and he does a great job, but the movie needed a strong directorial hand not added Hollywood names. The recent movie "Hairspray" was a movie-movie and actually is better than the play. The director of the movie "Chicago" did a brilliant job, reinventing the stage play as a movie. When you're going to do a stage musical as a movie, get a creative movie director who thinks outside the theater box to direct it.
The Rice Queen Spy
The Daemon in Our Dreams
Nine Lives Too Many

HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN.......2007-08-19

Do you know Mel Brooks? Do you REALLY Know Mel Brooks? If you do, you'll know this. " Brophy's not smart enough to have a mental breakdown". At one time Mel Brooks was. This new version of the original cult classic is downright dreadful. Everyone has their opinion as to which Mel Brooks movie is his best. I am not a big fan of the original version but after seeing this I have a new found respect for it. Mel how could you even attach your name to this? Mel is 80 years old I wish him many more but if he were to retire from show business now, I would like to think his final curtain was providing the voice of Wiley the sheep on JAKERS. Not this movie. Then again maybe I don't know Mel Brooks. Maybe he was funny by accident and preferred entertainment that makes most heterosexual males nervous? Here's a scary thouht: Mel himself once said " If The Producers and The Twelve Chairs were more commercially successful I never would have made a Blazing Saddles". Can you imagine that? No Blazing Saddles. No Young Frankenstein. No anything else most of his hardcore fans love him for. I'm not naming all his great films I'm just trying to get a point across.

Worst movie ever.......2007-08-06

The original "Producers" was a pretty funny movie for its time. If its humor was somewhat broad, juvenile and singularly New Yorkisch it still contained a good number of laughs and was a lot better than most American comedies then or since. This 2005 remake takes the cake as the worst "comedy" and "musical" I've ever seen. There was literally nothing funny about this movie. I wanted to vomit every time I saw the unbearably bland Matthew Broderick or the creepy queerNathan Lane, neither of whom were right for their respective parts. For some reason, the powers-that-be completely wrote out Lorenzo St. Dubois and his very funny solo, in order to give Will Ferrel more screen time, and added a mess of unmemorable and unfunny musical numbers to the script that made this excruciating dreck even longer than it had to be. And somehow a lot of obviously very culturally deprived people found this thing funny.

Only Comedians should star in Comedies.......2007-07-17

Mathew Brodderick is awful in this. Flat delivery and barely emoting anything resembling the nervous, nebbish accountant he is supposed to be portraying. It does not help that Gene Wilder was simply brilliant in the original. God what a contrast! Since MB is a central character in the movie, monochrome, bland and lifeless performance literally destroyed the movie for me. There are very few readers of this post who could not have done a better job than MB, that is how bad he is in this.

Average customer rating:

The very definition of "saccharine"...
Great fast paced version, but lacks detail.
A Definitive (Condensed Version) Of Annie
Annie by Alicia Morton
Charming and Memorable!

Annie
Starring: Alicia Morton , Kathy Bates , Alan Cumming , Audra McDonald , and Kristin Chenoweth
Director: Rob Marshall
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305870187
Release Date: 2000-05-30

Amazon.com

Disney's 1999 TV production of the classic 1977 musical Annie is remarkable for its casting of stage actors rather than ratings trump cards. Tony winners Audra McDonald (Grace), Alan Cumming (Rooster), and Kristin Chenoweth (Lily) join four-time nominee Victor Garber (Daddy Warbucks) and Les Misérables veteran Alicia Morton (Annie) to tell the tale of the Depression-era orphan who gets a taste of the upper-crust life. Not surprisingly, they all turn in strong performances, and even Oscar-winner Kathy Bates acquits herself well in a singer's role, as the villainous Miss Hannigan. Perhaps best of all is the original title moppet, Andrea McArdle, making a sensational one-minute cameo as the Broadway Star-To-Be in "N.Y.C."

Compared to John Huston's plodding, overly busy 1982 theatrical release, this production as directed by Rob Marshall (Cabaret, among other shows) i