From Beyond (Unrated Director's Cut)

Customer Reviews:

A Great Sci-Fi Horror Film to Watch with Friends!.......2007-09-17

I first saw this on cable TV years ago with friends. We howled with laughter at its campiness-- and that was coming in on the last hour. I eventually saw the full film and fell in love with both its strangeness and subversiveness. It is an absurd tale of excess gone awry that is completely relevant to the human condition.

I greatly enjoyed watching the extended-cut DVD with friends. The added footage gave it extra punch from the toned-down version that I had seen on cable. And, it is a film that allows for comments or gasps to be exchanged during it without losing the thread of events. It's a fun horror film. There is lots of latex and some funny commentaries on s/m. It may not be for the faint of heart, but I would not call it particularly grizzly either. Enjoy!

Also, the extras are great. The interviews with the director are charming. And the section where you can see the story board images alongside the filmed sequences is ultra-cool. The director seems quite proud of his ability to draw detailed story board images and for good reason. Definitely check out the extras, even if you do not normally do so. You won't be disappointed!

Excellent DVD transfer!.......2007-09-15

Holy cow, this is one awesome release. I agree wholeheartedly with the other 5 star reviewers that this is an excellent movie, and thank the studio for it's release. The DVD transfer looks extremely clean and sharp. A+ on the video and sound. I don't see how it could get any better for DVD.

Finally on DVD!! One of Stuart Gordon's Best!.......2007-09-15

Having just got my DVD copy of From Beyond on Thursday, I'm very happy to finally have this on DVD. Now I can get rid of my old worn out videotape copy.

Finally, the film has been released uncut, with Stuart Gordon commentary with Brian Yuzna, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton-Yay!!.

The a couple of featurettes with Gordon, a interview with composer Richard Band, and a storyboard to film comparison.

This is a must for any Gordon fan, and horror fans.

( Plus if your a fan of Stuart Gordon, on the Return of The Living Dead: Collectors Edition, there is a featurette called The Decade of Darkness, with is about some 80's horror movies. It has Stuart Gordon, Joe Dante, John Landis, Dee Wallace, Tom Holland, Catherine Hicks etc).

I definitely recommend this interesting and at times strange film, but very enjoyable.

Finally.......2007-09-12

After years of waiting, Stuart Gordon's From Beyond is finally out on DVD, and be thankful that it is. Undoubtedly one of Gordon's (Re-Animator) best films and one of the best H.P. Lovecraft adaptations ever filmed, From Beyond revolves around survivor Crawford (the great Jeffrey Combs) of an experiment gone hideously awry. A psychiatrist (Barbara Crampton) however wants to continue the experiment, and returns to the house where everything went wrong, along with Crawford and a cop named Bubba (Dawn of the Dead's Ken Foree). Naturally, things don't go very well, but in Gordon's hands, the otherwise predictable story and events are frequently gross, and frequently entertaining. There's plenty of gorey, slimy moments to be had, as From Beyond is finally restored in all it's uncut glory after years of only being able to see it as a butchered, MPAA approved version that floated around on VHS. The DVD itself has some great special features as well, including an insightful commentary from Gordon, and a couple featurettes as well which detail the making of the film as well as it's re-editing for DVD. All in all, it's so great to finally have From Beyond in all it's uncut glory on DVD; and it's needless to say that if you're a real horror fan, this DVD belongs on your shelf.

Creepy,imaginative take on Lovecraft's outline..........2007-09-11

Based on essentially a sketch of a story outline by H.P. Lovecraft, the tale is of a police psychiatrist Katheryn Mc Michaels(Barbara Crampton) who is put onto a case involving a man who seems to be getting strange visions in his head,after working on an "Resonator" experiment with Dr Pretorious... so he is locked up in a mental hospital run by a rivalous and sadistic female head doctor and her brutish orderlies. Mc Michaels is more understanding however, and wants to get to the bottom of what happened by taking the patient back to the lab, to re-create the experiment. What follows is a descent into the netherworld of Lovecraft-the theory that insane people, thanks to their malfunctioning brains and a strange gland, are really seeing visions of creatures from another dimension, trying to get in, a theme Lovecraft explored well in his other stories. What makes the film remembered so well are the in-camera and on-stage make-up FX work, all done on a low budget and before the overused CGI of today. Also Barbara Crampton(Mc Michaels)in an S&M outfit is worth the ticket alone. Later, as things get out of control,and the mutating patient is re-committed to the hospital, it is now Dr Mc Michaels who no one believes-dressed in her S&M garb- and she herself is involuntarily made a patient-happily so,by her rival doctor- restrained,gagged and scheduled for electro-shock treatment to "quiet her down". Thanks to a power outage by her mutating subject who throws an orderly into a fuse box, that doesn't happen. She brains an orderly(who deserves it) and escapes back to the lab, where the ongoing "experiment" reaches it's explosive and drippy conclusion....

Average customer rating:

Troy (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Brad Pitt , Eric Bana , and Orlando Bloom
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000TGGJKU
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Description

Brad Pitt picks up a sword and brings a muscular, brooding presence to the role of Greek warrior Achilles in this spectacular retelling of The Iliad. Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger play the legendary lovers who plunge the world into war, Eric Bana portrays the prince who dares to confront Achilles, and Peter O'Toole rules Troy as King Priam. Director Wolfgang Petersen recreates a long-ago world of bireme warships, clashing armies, the massive fortress city and the towering Trojan Horse.

Average customer rating:

Great sex, awful movie
Good Fun
Interesting premise, thin execution
What do you call a movie with lots of sex but no plot?
So I liked the music...and!

9 songs - Unrated Full Uncut Version
Starring: Kieran O'Brien , Margo Stilley , Huw Bunford , Cian Ciaran , and The Dandy Warhols
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BGH29K
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Amazon.com

Maverick director Michael Winterbottom wondered about the double standard of why novels can have explicit sex scenes and be legit and films could not. So his short film of a relationship based solely on sex and a love for music is the result of that thought. If the definition of a porn film is to shoot actors performing graphic sex scenes for real, then 9 Songs qualifies. It certainly doesn't feel or look like your standard whoopdee-do XXX feature. It's as glossy and low-budget arty as Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People or I Want You. But yeah, Matt and Lisa do everything to each other, and the actors are not "just acting" in some of the sex scenes. No matter how landmark the movie might be, there is not much story here (at least a book with hot sex often has a good story to it). Lisa is an American drifter in London who hooks up with Matt, a scientist who studies glaciers in Antarctica. They have sex and visit nine rock concerts including Franz Ferdinand and The Dandy Warhols. As advertised, you can't find these musical performances anywhere else, but we just see them from way back in the crowd. The film has an essence of how someone can find bliss in another person's body, and the emotional, magical weight that can hold over you. But that spell doesn't last. Since the sex is real, Winterbottom had to cast unknown actors, and they really don't make an impression, especially with the lack of story. --Doug Thomas

Description

Matt, a young glaciologist, soars across the vast, silent, icebound immensities of the South Pole as he recalls his love affair with Lisa. They meet at a mobbed rock concert in a vast music hall - London's Brixton Academy. They are in bed at night's end. Together, over a period of several months, they pursue a mutual sexual passion whose stages unfold in counterpoint to nine live-concert songs. Featuring nine live concert performances not available anywhere else by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, The Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand and Michael Nyman. Special features include a Concert Performance-only option.

Customer Reviews:

Great sex, awful movie.......2007-09-17

I'm not sure what the difference is between a porno flick and a legitimate movie. Supposedly legitimate films have a plot. This movie claims to have a plot but it's hard to find. We know almost nothing about the characters, or how they got together or why they're together and through the course of the movie we never do learn anything about them except they love to have sex. We don't have any compelling reason to care about either of them. I guess this is considered an art film because the lighting is bad, it especially gets bad during the explicit sex scenes. The story consists of having sex intermixed with rock concert scenes. Somewhere in there they insert a few minutes of some kind of documentary with clips of Antarctica. The bottom line is the director did a great job of capturing some pretty hot and explicit sex that's better than most porno films but like porno films the plot is hard to find.

Good Fun.......2007-09-13

This movie was a lot of fun for me. The music was great and the way they filmed the performances made you feel like you were there. There are some real sex scenes that kind of made me feel like I was a spying on the couple, but it was appropriately done. It didn't feel like porn at all and made me wonder, what makes porn porn?

Interesting premise, thin execution.......2007-09-13

I keep wanting to like movies like 9 Songs and Shortbus because I believe in the idea of them...but the reality doesn't ever live up to the concept. Yes, it's nice to see someone at least *try* to deal with sex -- real, actual sex -- in film. I only wish the story supporting the sex in 9 Songs wasn't so thin and forgettable.

The main problem I had was not caring about the characters. We get no real sense of them -- why do they even like each other? What is the attraction besides being physically nice to look at? Without any sense of that, watching them have sex never rises above the level of spectacle -- it's interesting insofar as there is some novelty in watching people actually have sex without the self-conscious and moronic trappings of standard-issue porn -- but I never felt moved or connected. And that's a pity.

I also wish the concert footage were better shot because there are some excellent bands and good songs featured. Oh well.

What do you call a movie with lots of sex but no plot?.......2007-09-06

9 Songs (2004) is a British film depicting the "love story" of Matt (Kieran O'Brien), a climatologist, and Lisa (Margo Stilley), an American exchange student, told from hindsight as Matt travels to the Antarctic. Matt and Lisa share common interests of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. That is the extent of their connection. Unfortunately, a movie based solely on sex, drugs, and rock & roll does not equate to a meaningful film experience. What the film lacks in plot and meaningful dialogue, it attempts to make up for with sex and more sex, all of which is explicit and unsimulated. Concert footage of the bands performing the following nine songs upstage the film's graphic sex scenes:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Whatever Happened To My Rock And Roll"
Von Bondies, "C'mon, C'mon""
Elbow, "Fallen Angel"
Primal Scream, "Movin' On Up"
Dandy Warhols, "You Were The Last High"
Super Furry Animals, "Slow Life"
Franz Ferdinand, "Jacqueline"
Michael Nyman, "Nadia"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Love Burns"

For a movie that strives to be a "love story," where's the love? Where's the story? You can dismiss me as a film snob, but is it too much to expect a plot in a mainstream movie? For better sex, drugs, and rock & roll mainstream films, check out High Fidelity and Almost Famous - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition). And for erotic cinema with a plot, check out any film Catherine Breillat (e.g., Romance; Anatomy of Hell).

G. Merritt

So I liked the music...and!.......2007-08-28

If you are looking for award winning writing, directing and acting look elsewhere. On the other hand if you enjoy a film with a good modern soundtrack, gratuitous sex and a story that while not deep comes across real life...you'll like this one too.

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

Exceptional Movie
nice one
Pristine
Theatrical edits happen all the time...
Perfect HD Transfer!

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Orlando Bloom , and Liam Neeson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000ICLRIE
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of the Crusades for years to come. Kingdom of Heaven is greater than the sum of its parts, delivering a vital, mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom), a lonely French blacksmith who discovers he's a noble heir and takes his father's (Liam Neeson) place in the center of the universe circa 1184: Jerusalem. Here, grand battles and backdoor politics are key as Scott and first-time screenwriter William Monahan fashion an excellent storyline to tackle the centuries-long conflict. Two forward-thinking kings, Baldwin (Edward Norton in an uncredited yet substantial role) and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), hold an uneasy truce between Christians (who hold the city) and Muslims while factions champ at the bit for blood. There are good and evildoers on both sides, with the Knights Templar taking the brunt of the blame; Balian plans to find his soul while protecting Baldwin and the people. The look of the film, as nearly everything is from Scott, is impressive: his CGI-infused battle scenes rival the LOTR series and, with cinematographer John Mathieson, create postcard beauty with snowy French forests and the vast desert (filmed in Morocco and Spain). An excellent supporting cast, including Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and David Thewlis, also help make the head and heart of the film work. Many critics pointed out that Bloom doesn't have the gravitas of Russell Crowe in the lead (then again, who does?), but it's the underdeveloped character and not the actor that hurts the film and impacts its power. Balian isn't given much more to do than be sullen and give an occasional big speech, alongside his perplexing abilities for warfare tactics and his wandering moral compass (whose sole purpose seems to be to put a love scene in the movie). Note: all the major characters except Neeson's are based on fact, but many are heavily fictionalized. --Doug Thomas

On the DVD
The Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut is truly a DVD set of biblical proportions. If you are familiar with Ridley Scott's excellent, albeit massive, extended DVD sets for Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, you have a pretty good idea of what you are in for with this set. The biggest difference--unlike the Gladiator Director's Cut, which had some nice new scenes that really didn't add much to the film--is that this cut of Kingdom of Heaven is a drastic improvement over the theatrical release. This extensive 194-minute version brings the film back to Scott's original vision, maintaining an impressive balance of history, plot, and believable period reenactments and battle scenes. The best way to describe the improvements on the extended version is the film is now able to breathe a bit more, it's less choppy, and it has stronger character development. In addition to the extended scenes (which now span two discs in a clunky Road Show presentation), there is an exhaustive three-hour, six-part documentary detailing every aspect of filmmaking from the development of the "idea" through post-production and release. Also included are three feature-length commentary tracks, the best being the first with Ridley Scott, writer William Monahan, and actor Orlando Bloom. Included on the original release but missing from this set are the A&E/History Channel documentaries, the theatrical cut of the film, and "The Pilgrim's Guide," the fantastic text commentary which pointed out the historical anecdotes as the film played. Fans of the film and completists will probably want to hold onto both versions. However, those picking up Kingdom of Heaven for the first time need only to look to this definitive version. --Rob Bracco

Description

Among the best directors of our time, Ridley Scott (Gladiator), contributes generously to this extraordinary Collector's Edition of Kingdom of Heaven. Featuring his Director's Cut of the film and hours of fascinating extras ? including a six-part tour from conception to completion of filmmaking ? this definitive set makes what Variety called a "genuinely spectacular" film even more so!

An epic marvel that's as beautifully acted as it is visually awesome, Kingdom of Heaven stars Orlando Bloom as Balian, a Jerusalem blacksmith who has lost his family ? and his faith. But when his father (Liam Neeson) shows him his destiny, Balian vows to defend his country, and in the process, falls in love, becomes a formidable leader, and steps forever into history

Customer Reviews:

Exceptional Movie.......2007-09-01

The extended DVD set is definitely more than worth the price. The acting, sets, and action are exceptional. Its a pity that the studio decided to shorten this movie for the cinematic release. But this extended version does justice to Sir Ridley Scott's brilliant creation. We have enjoyed this version immensely and we cannot say enough good things about it.
Leonor Muller & Jose Muniz.

nice one.......2007-08-10

the BD version had a very nice and clear HD vision, it's really good about the physical side, but I am not quite like the story. it's just like other history movies.

Pristine.......2007-08-06

The blu ray version of this film is pristine! This is the director's cut version and well worth the price! This feature explains the story and background much better than the theatrical version. Plus you get the best possible sound there is. All in all this movie entertains and is historically accurate! Very nice eye candy!!!

Theatrical edits happen all the time..........2007-08-02

Theatrical edits happen all the time, the result often being that we feel a little lost. The story might make an abrupt jump from scene A to scene D, skipping B and C because those scenes just didn't make it into the time budget.

In most cases, I wait to buy the extended version or Director's Cut for that very reason. In this case, though, I'm glad I bought both. Together, they let me see what I believe is the most masterful theatrical edit ever done.

When you watch the Director's Cut, you'll discover a story arc completely left out in the theatrical release. It's not a trivial, throwaway story, either. It's absolutely critical to understanding the context and motivation for Guy de Lusignan's machinations and his obsession with marrying Sibylla.

That the story fell out in the edits does not surprise me. I am awed, though, by how surgically Scott handled things without leaving a glaring hole in the film. He stitched together dialogue, scenes, and transitions seamlessly, removing a line's original meaning while twisting it in the edit, bridging a gap so solidly that you don't notice its absence.

Even -after- watching the Director's Cut, I go back to the theatrical release and see it as its own movie, not just an incomplete, botched studio edit.

If you are only willing to buy one copy of this movie, buy the Director's Cut, by all means. It is worth every dime, and then some. If you're a student of film (amateur or professional, either one,) then I -urge- you to buy both and study them as an exemplar of the "graceful degradation" concept applied to cinema.

Perfect HD Transfer!.......2007-07-29

Although this Blu-Ray edition does not have the supplements as the normal DVD version, it is still worth the buy. If you are just getting into the Blu-Ray family, this movie will make you proud. Not only is the picture & sound quality amazing but the movie itself is great. I have notice not all Blu-Ray movie tranfers are amazing due to which studio is doing the transfers. So far in my experience, 20 Century Fox Blu-Ray movies look the best hands down! And this movie is by that studio. So do not be shy, get out there Blu-Ray family and purchase this film, well worth the Buck!

Average customer rating:

Good movie that deserves a second chance
Underrated
Excellent movie - great on Blu-ray
Give it a chance you just might like it
King Arthur

King Arthur (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Clive Owen , Stellan Skarsgård , Ken Stott , Til Schweiger , and Ray Stevenson
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000MQ58WC
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Description

From the producer of PEARL HARBOR and the director of TRAINING DAY, the Extended Director's Cut of KING ARTHUR explodes onto Blu-ray Disc® in a blaze of hard-hitting action and glory not seen in theaters. Prepare for unsurpassed thrills as history's greatest legend roars to life in this astonishing new format. Now the adventure is longer, grittier and more explicit in this valiant tale of Arthur (Clive Owen), Guinevere (Keira Knightley), Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), and the Knights Of The Roundtable. Behold the pageantry and power of every fierce battle in spectacular 1080p, while swords clash and fortresses are pounded in thunderous 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio. Catapult your entertainment experience into another realm with Blu-ray™ High Definition!

Customer Reviews:

Good movie that deserves a second chance.......2007-09-15

I knew about the bad reviews for this film, but hadn't seen it before. I love films so I'm willing to give most movies the benefit of the doubt. For only $15, I happily picked it up. I've enjoyed all of Fuqua's other work, so even if this really was as much of a bomb as the critics said, it would at least have some good action sequences.

After having seen the film now, I'm glad I bought it and wholeheartedly recommend it to others. Go in with an open mind about what you think the Arthur story should be about and you might be pleasantly surprised at this modern interpretation.

This is not the traditional tale of magic, lady in the lake, shiny armor and Camelot. It's gritty and realistic, like Fuqua's other work. Great performances from all the actors here and I really loved the personalities and nuiances that each of the actors created. There's tons of blood and guts, but it's not just a mindless smashup (though there is plenty of that, if that's your thing!). The actors really did a great job bringing life to their roles and creating human, likable characters that you invest emotionally in.

Technically speaking, this film shows off the Blu-ray format quite nicely. Hi-def really brings out the action sequences and the beautiful sets and lighting. On the disc are a few featurettes, but not many (not unusual for hi-def.. most are quite skimpy so far).

I found the Roundtable Discussion quite enjoyable. Just a few of the actors and Fuqua and Bruckheimer sitting around talking. You see that they are genuine people, all dedicated to their work. All in all, I'm glad I bought this film. Give it a shot. You might be surprised.

Underrated.......2007-08-18

This movie was underrated and underseen. A fantastic movie and a very original adaptation of the famed tale of King Arthur.

King Arthur, played by Clive Owen, is charged by the Papal leadership of the Roman Empire to guard Hadrian's Wall. The Saxons are moving toward the Wall. The Saxons are a Huns-like army of barbarians that destroy, pillage and rape what they conquer. The Pope has orders to withdraw from what is present day known as the United Kingdom, without a care for the natives of the area. King Arthur is the pillar of virtue between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On one side is the corrupt, "civilized" papal states of Rome. On the other side is the uncivilized barbaric Saxons. Will King Arthur follow his orders and clear the area leaving the natives unprotected? Or will he stay and fight?

All the normal players of the famed legend is present. The knights of the round table (gallahad, tristan, lancelot, et.al), Gwynevere(grittily played by the ever-beautiful Keira Knightley), Merlin. But whereas previous version of the story takes a more fantastical approach. This movie takes a more historic approach. Let's say the movie isn't just a myth but actually a true story. This is the approach the creators took. The fantasy is gone. And this approach works GREAT.

Like his brother's(Ridley Scott) Kingdom of Heaven, Tony Scott depicts a corrupt Papal nation. Where benevolence is not the states' motive, but rather greed is. And less like Tony Scott's older works(Top Gun & Days of Thunder), but more like his more recent works(Deja Vu), King Arthur is gritty and filmed with a lot of atmospheric effects. Maybe he's learned the use of fog and weather to set the mood from his older brother (think Blade Runner, Alien, and Black Rain). And I'm glad he learned it. You can feel the dank, dreariness of the region.

Like his brother's Kingdom of Heaven, King Arthur has a very cynical view of the Papal Leadership. The Pope, although not present in the movie, leading the Roman Empire at this point, is driven by greed rather than benevolence. The bishop, sent as an emissary by the pope, is depicted as cold and heartless. The Scotts quite obviously have a distrust of the Catholic Establishment. If you are Catholic, don't be offended. If you have studied the Papal States and the Catholic establishment, you know that the Papal States, the vatican and the Catholic establishment haven't always been motivated by virtue, but often times by greed.

The HD translation is good, not great. The problem I have with current HD/Bluray movies is that the movies obviously weren't filmed in high definition. Sure you can see every pore on Clive Owen's face,. But think of when you put your TV setting on 100% sharpness. You get a grainy image with a lot of picture noise. This translation is definitely better than regular DVD, but I can't wait for the day when Hollywood actually films the movies using HD cameras.

This movie is FANTASTIC. If you haven't seen it, SEE IT. If you don't own any version of it, GET IT. IF you own the DVD already? eh...don't bother with this bluray version. You have a good enough copy. But if you LOVE this movie as much as I do, then get the Bluray even if you already own a copy of the DVD.

Excellent movie - great on Blu-ray.......2007-08-06

I really enjoyed this movie. I like it so much, I think I've viewed it 3 times. The picture quality on Blu-ray is excellent! It has a good story, good acting, and lots of great action scenes.

Give it a chance you just might like it.......2007-06-27

If you like movies produced by Jerry Bruckhiemer you should enjoy this movie. I found it a very entertaining telling of King Arthur and his knights. There are no shockers just a good blockbuster. Clive Owen does a good job as do the other Knights in the movie. In fact the other knights make the movie more enjoyable and don't forget about Keira Knightley in 1080p!
The movie looks great on blu-ray some scenes are a little soft but if you watch the sd-dvd you will see the same thing. The sound was good, though I can only comment on the DD 5.1. I am sure the uncompressed track is even better.
Don't go nuts picking it apart just pop some popcorn and enjoy, thats the point of movies after all.

King Arthur.......2007-06-24

Nice movie. Not one of the best out there but I definitely did enjoy this. A somewhat more realistic view to the tale of King Arthur and his legend. It's predictable but the actor / actress were entertaining. Nice picture and sound on a plasma TV.

Average customer rating:

FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS! A WONDERFUL FILM!
Fantastic
Best Baseball Movie Ever..Period!
Mythical work on baseball
Director has lost sight

The Natural (Director's Cut)
Starring: Robert Redford , Glenn Close , Kim Basinger , Wilford Brimley , and Barbara Hershey
Director: Barry Levinson
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Accessories:

Mizuno Custom Classic Ash Bat (Natural)

ASIN: B000MNOX94
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Amazon.com essential video

From the sun-dappled heartland, a young man (Robert Redford, in soft lighting) emerges as maybe the best baseball player anybody's ever seen. On his way to the majors, he is cut down by an enigmatic black widow (Barbara Hershey) and vanishes for many years. When he reemerges, a silent mystery, he lands a spot with the New York team and begins tearing up the league--he's still the natural. Fans of the Bernard Malamud novel will be dismayed at the pure mythical hokum of this film, but baseball fanatics have been known to watch and rewatch this one; after all, it's constructed as a kind of shrine to the national pastime. Barry Levinson (Rain Man) directs the movie with an unabashed devotion to the game, although the film could use more of the realities of chewing tobacco and pine tar. Redford is fine, and Kim Basinger and Oscar-nominated Glenn Close are effective as the women in his life. The crowning touch is the soaring, extraordinary music by Randy Newman, the singer-songwriter turned orchestral composer. --Robert Horton

Amazon.com

Director Barry Levinson mentions in his video introduction the 1984 movie was rushed to theaters and this 2007 DVD is more the film he originally intended. This "director's cut" adds about 15 minutes of footage and deletes 5. It tightens the first third of the film, yet any fan of the lyrical prologue set in perfect synchronization with Randy Newman's score will be disappointed. Now the beginning is told in flashback as the elder Hobbs returns home. (It's also confusing to keep track of which Hobbs story you are watching when they are both on a train.) The changes do not improve the story or character; it simply packs in more information before Hobbs enters the Knight's dugout. After that, there are a few new scenes and many extensions, most involving Memo (Kim Basinger) and Red (Richard Farnsworth). None of the additions are exceptional. One could hope there is an Easter egg with the remastered original edition. What is on the second disc are above-average featurettes with interviews from most of the major talent. The best little ditties includes Newman's playful "lyrics" to his theme music and Levinson's divulgence that he is the radio play-by-play man. There's a good discussion on adapting (and changing) the novel, the allegorical myths, and the real-life inspirations including a heart-felt segment on Eddie Waitkus, a baseball player who was shot by an obsessed fan. A 5.1 Dolby soundtrack is now available and compliments an excellent video upgrade. --Doug Thomas

Product Description

Nothing was going to stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball superstardom. Robert Redford stars in this inspiring fable that begins when 14-year-old Hobbs (Redford) fashions a powerful bat from a fallen oak tree. He soon impresses major league scouts with his ability, fixing his extraordinary talent in the mind of sportswriter Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), who eventually becomesinstrumental in Hobb's career. But a meeting with a mysterious woman shatters his dream. Years passand an older Hobbs reappears as a rookie from The New York Knights. Overcoming physical pain and defying those who have a stake in seeing the Knights lose, Hobbs, with his boyhood bat, has his chanceto lead the Knights to the pennant and to finally fulfill his dream.

Customer Reviews:

FIELD OF BROKEN DREAMS! A WONDERFUL FILM!.......2007-09-14

A truely wonderful film with an all star cast. A story about baseball, unfulfilled dreams, ultimate redemption and so much more! "Some mistakes you never stop paying for" How true! A sad, but ultimately uplifting film that will satisfy all movie lovers! The DVD transfer looks very good on the older single disc edition. I would like to check out the 2 disc director's cut.

Fantastic.......2007-08-29

The Director's Cut is awesome. I bought this for my husband and he raved about how good it was. It was well worth the money

Best Baseball Movie Ever..Period!.......2007-08-09

The original movie was amazing and this version is even better and more complete. It gives more background to Roy Hobbs and the transfer is flawless. It is a must for any baseball fan!

Mythical work on baseball.......2007-08-03

This ain't the Malamud novel put on screen. Yet this movie is very effective in its own right. While inspired by the book (many scenes are pretty much out of the book), there is a very different sensibility. The book is a kind of morality tale, with a dark view of the human condition. The movie, after an elegaic beginning, also gets dark--but then ends with a dramatic moment and a touching, affecting close.

There are mythical moments in the movie that are most catching--the lightning bolt and the cover coming off the baseball, breaking the clock at the stadium, the climactic closing baseball moment in the film.

Roy Hobbs, though, isn't superhuman, although he is less prone to human foibles than his namesake in the novel. He is human and very talented. His life went haywire when he went to try out for a major league team early in his life(with a contract in his pocket). A meeting with a mysterious woman derailed his baseball career for many years.

He comes back in his 30s and has a brief moment of glory, suggesting what could have been if things had worked out differently.

Thus stated, this sounds like a sad movie. But the ending, bringing a family back together after a dramatic moment in the playoffs, provides an upbeat ending, testifying to the possibilities that our hopes can be realized.

Robert Redford's acting style plays well in this movie. Glenn Close provides an affecting counterpoint to Kim Basinger's Memo Paris and Barbara Hershey's mysterious woman. Darren McGavin is wonderful as the gambler and Robert Duvall as Max Mercy, the sports writer. Wilford Brimley is terrific as the gruff old manager. Good acting; nice special effects; wonderful cinematography by Caleb Deschanel.

I know, it's a baseball movie. But it remains powerful for me after too many viewings.

Director has lost sight.......2007-06-08

I don't understand how someone could allow such a sub-par edit of a great film to leak out, and pretend that it is some superior "cut" of the original. Every director's cut I've ever seen carefully improved the existing film (with the exception of George Lucas' nightmares: SW) Barry Levinson forgot the emotion in his own characters if he actually had anything to do with it. The added scenes were cool, but tainted by such an inferior editing job that robs any emotion the film originally had. Bottom Line: The pace of the film is totally off and with no good reason.
The special features should include the original cut so buyers get a decent film in the package. All things considered, The Natural is my favorite movie ever. And they made it into a sloppy hack-job. Terrible.

Average customer rating:

A fairly good job at telling the Cherokee story
At last!
Thought provoking
Best film of the betrayal of the Cherokees by US Gov't
An excellent overview of Cherokee history and the Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy
Starring: James Earl Jones
Director: Chip Richie
Manufacturer: RICH-HEAPE FILMS, INC.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000ELJ3E4
Release Date: 2006-02-01

Customer Reviews:

A fairly good job at telling the Cherokee story.......2007-04-11

This DVD gives a general overview of the story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. It is a documentary and uses actors to portray some historical characters and you can hear comments from some people who could be termed 'experts' in this area. I liked being able to hear from an ancestor of John Ross and the past leader of the Cherokee nation, Wilma Mankiller, as well as the present principal chief, Chad Smith. Atleast he was the chief at the time of the film.
There were also other university people and Cherokee tribal members who gave some thoughts and anecdotes. The program was hosted by Wes Studi, one of my favorite actors, who did a part of the narration, speaking in his own native tongue, Cherokee! I liked that part. James Earl Jones, who is part Cherokee, does the general narration.
The DVD wasn't quite what I expected, some of it seemed a little low-budget to me, but it's a good overview of an American story that should be told. So I recommend it for that.

At last!.......2007-02-20

At last a really good resource for all of those interested in The Trail of Tears and related issues. This is a must for anyone who wishes to understand more about what the trail really means and the injustice and suffering that it represents. An excellent product that successfully raises awareness about this important period of time - highly recommended. I am not Cherokee or even from the United States but I think that this is a story that we could all learn from.

Thought provoking.......2006-12-13

This was a good movie/documentary. I liked the usage of the Cherokee language because I am studying it and it's nice to hear it spoken in fluency. The mixture of history, scholars, and family oral stories is done well.

Best film of the betrayal of the Cherokees by US Gov't.......2006-12-11

Iam sending all of my relatives a copy. Iam a registered Cherokee (Western-Tahlequah)tribal member. This film is the best I have ever seen. I'am still shocked at how the US Gov't knowingly betrayed us for our land and gold, and put small-pox in our blankets to kill us off. US gov't has never changed. Hearing the Cherokee language spoken was a wonder to me, as I had never really heard it before. This is a best-gold star film.

An excellent overview of Cherokee history and the Trail of Tears .......2006-10-27

This is an excellent film for anyone interested in learning about the history of the tribes that were removed from their ancestral lands.

It is comprenhensive and has some excellent scholars and credible historians providing great detail as to what led to the historical atrocity known as the Trail of Tears.

Many people died during the summer of 1838 and it seemed few cared about this. No one attempted to really stop it which is the sad part about it.

It is believed that at least 4,000 Cherokee Indian people died during the removals to the west. This is a historical fact that few people seem to be aware of.

It is a sad reality that must be faced and restituion is most certainly due to those involved in this genocidal aspect of American history.

I find it almost amazing to know that this occurred less than 200 years ago and that so very few people seem to know or care about what happened. Genocide is ugly but is has a face that will never go away.

Average customer rating:

Waste of time
Kick @$$ Movie & Book
Please DON'T EVER SEE THIS MOVIE....THAT IS A WARNING!
"Feed me, Sara..."
I will never forget this movie.....

Requiem for a Dream (Director's Cut)
Starring: Ellen Burstyn , Jennifer Connelly , Keith David , Louise Lasser , and Christopher McDonald
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Manufacturer: Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005Q4CS
Release Date: 2001-08-14

Amazon.com

Employing shock techniques and sound design in a relentless sensory assault, Requiem for a Dream is about nothing less than the systematic destruction of hope. Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., and adapted by Selby and director Darren Aronofsky, this is undoubtedly one of the most effective films ever made about the experience of drug addiction (both euphoric and nightmarish), and few would deny that Aronofsky, in following his breakthrough film Pi, has pushed the medium to a disturbing extreme, thrusting conventional narrative into a panic zone of traumatized psyches and bodies pushed to the furthest boundaries of chemical tolerance. It's too easy to call this a cautionary tale; it's a guided tour through hell, with Aronofsky as our bold and ruthless host.

The film focuses on a quartet of doomed souls, but it's Ellen Burstyn--in a raw and bravely triumphant performance--who most desperately embodies the downward spiral of drug abuse. As lonely widow Sara Goldfarb, she invests all of her dreams in an absurd self-help TV game show, jolting her bloodstream with diet pills and coffee while her son Harry (Jared Leto) shoots heroin with his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) and slumming girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly). They're careening toward madness at varying speeds, and Aronofsky tracks this gloomy process by endlessly repeating the imagery of their deadly routines. Tormented by her dietary regime, Sara even imagines a carnivorous refrigerator in one of the film's most memorable scenes. And yet... does any of this have a point? Is Aronofsky telling us anything that any sane person doesn't already know? Requiem for a Dream is a noteworthy film, but watching it twice would qualify as masochistic behavior. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Waste of time.......2007-09-16

This movie is completely hollow. It's about a group of drug addicts whose lives go down the drain - either ending in death, insanity, hospitalization, or hooking.

I guess the lesson or theme is that drugs are bad for you. Gee, how original.

Kick @$$ Movie & Book.......2007-09-07

i bought the movie and the book. and of course they are both great to watch and read. i recomend watching the dvd, and then reading the book. im not one to read books, but requiem was awsum! and of course, the move is too. ENJOY!

Please DON'T EVER SEE THIS MOVIE....THAT IS A WARNING!.......2007-09-06

I heard a lot of critical praise for Darren Aronofsky's latest work which was at the time "Requiem for a dream". I was familiar with Ellen Burstyn and I recognized her in the classic blockbuster "The Exorcist". I loved Jennifer Connelly's performance in "A Beautiful Mind". I have seen several of Jared Leto's work, so I was lookin foreword to seeing this film. I saw "Pi" a surreal drama by Aronofsky. I liked it, although it kind of freaked me out. I knew that the premise of the film was about drug use and addiction. When I brought the movie home I made sure that I rented the "R" rated version. I watched it and by the end I was speechless. The frequent graphic depiction of drug use, mainly use of heroin is seen throughout the film. The disturbing nasty addiction of diet pills is seen as well, as well as nightmarish flashbacks. I was so disturbed and distraught.

The film depicts the lives of four individuals, whose drug problems ulitmately lead them into a down-ward spiral into hell. Literally I mean that. I got so upset watching the film, that I had to skip some scenes. I almost vomitted. This movie is not for the faint of heart. I am a strong minded person who until know, thought could handle any movie hollywood throws at them. I couldn't see it. All of the performances are excellent, but this is clearly a terrible film.

"Feed me, Sara...".......2007-09-05

The first time I saw Requiem for a Dream I was a little shaken to my core, the second time I watched it, I realized what a work of art this movie is. The story of four very different drug addicts is disturbing and yet fascinating to say the least. The last 10 minutes are the most graphic but the most important. Jared Leto's performance is the best I have ever seen from him, and of course it's Ellen Burstyn who steals the show. Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans are superb as well, Requiem for a Dream is a film no one should overlook. It's gritty, heartbreaking, honest, and this movie stays with you, now that's a great and profound film! I highly recommend it!

I will never forget this movie............2007-08-30

I came across this movie by accident at blockbuster. I put it in the dvd player really not knowing what to expect. I don't know what to say about this movie. I have never been affected so much by a film. After the film was over I was kind of paralized. I was filled with so much emotion. You cannot help but feel the characters pain. I must recognize this film for what it really is, a piece of art. If you watch this film sit down and be ready to let it sink in.

Harry crying: No....She won't come.

I can never expect to feel the same way after watching another film.

Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace & Music (The Director's Cut)

Average customer rating:

Wooden Ships
Wonderful event..
Bad Trip!
amazing footage from a wonderful era in music.......
Review Hits the BullsEye

Woodstock - 3 Days of Peace & Music (The Director's Cut)
Starring: Richie Havens , Joan Baez , Keith Moon , Pete Townshend , and Roger Daltrey
Director: Michael Wadleigh
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0790729350
Release Date: 1997-03-26

Amazon.com essential video

The three-day Woodstock music festival in 1969 was the pivotal event of the 1960s peace movement, and this landmark concert film is the definitive record of that milestone of rock & roll history. It's more than a chronicle of the hippie movement, however; this is a film of genuine historical and social importance, capturing the spirit of America in transition, when the Vietnam War was at its peak and antiwar protest was fully expressed through the liberating music of the time. With a brilliant crew at his disposal (including a young editor named Martin Scorsese), director Michael Wadleigh worked with over 300 hours of footage to create his original 225-minute director's cut, which was cut by 40 minutes for the film's release in 1970. Eight previously edited segments were restored in 1994, and the original director's cut of Woodstock is now the version most commonly available on videotape and DVD.

The film deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and it's still a stunning achievement. Abundant footage taken among the massive crowd ("half a million strong") expresses the human heart of the event, from skinny-dipping hippies to accidental overdoses, to unpredictable weather, midconcert childbirth, and the thoughtful (or just plain rambling) reflections of the festive participants. Then, of course, there is the music--a nonstop parade of rock & roll from the greatest performers of the period, including Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Canned Heat, The Who, Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Ten Years After, Sly & The Family Stone, Santana, and many more. Watching this ambitious film, as the saying goes, is the next best thing to being there--it's a time-travel journey to that once-in-a-lifetime event. --Jeff Shannon

Description

3 days. 3-million people. And memories to last a lifetime.Year: 1970Director: Michael WadleighStarring: Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, The Who, Crosby, Stills & Nash, much more

Customer Reviews:

Wooden Ships.......2007-09-08

The song is Wooden Ships as recorded by Crosby, Stills, & Nash. The Jefferson Airplane also recorded it. It's on the album Volunteers I believe.

Wonderful event.........2007-09-04

Fantastic DVD.. This really does capture the moment.. The current generation could do with giving this one a view!!

I wonder if anyone could tell me the name of the song that plays on this directors cut 9 mins 45 secs in.. The song plays over the imagery of the stage being set up..

The lyrics start with... If you smile at me.. il understand!!

Thanks in advance

Bad Trip!.......2007-08-29

(which director??) Don't waste your money! Film quality is really bad, audio not much better.I saw the original movie and know they could have done better. Looks like someone recorded it on their cellphone!

amazing footage from a wonderful era in music..............2007-08-26

I was so enthusiastic when I finally had the privilege to see this, the Director's Cut of WOODSTOCK, a loveletter to the famous concert that took place in 1969 at Max Yasgur's 600 acre (2.4 km²) dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York from August 15 to August 18, 1969. What a generous man Mr. Yasgur was, and what lucky music fans we are, all of these years later, to have the highlights of that concert documented through film footage. All of the great musicians of that time are featured here (and then some). They include Richie Havens, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Canned Heat, Janis Joplin, Jo Cocker and Jimi Hendrix. Of course, this concert is synonymous with the incomparable rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" that Hendrix played, perhaps ironically as an ode to war, destruction and social injustice in the wake of war and destruction, with great gusto and expression on his guitar.

What is particularly intriguing and notable, for me, is the distinctive use of "side-by-side" shots to depict set-up and the technical "behind the scenes" aspects of what was involved on the production side of Woodstock, along with footage of the musicians who were featured there. I won't lie to you. There were segments that dragged for me--it may have been the way in which it was shot, or, just that some of the numbers didn't grab me (though, I am sure there are many die hard Woodstock fans who would argue with me to the grave on this one). We also experience (if vicariously) what attendees experienced while at the festival at their height (complete with footage of recreational drug use, nudity, and the bond that grew between those who all came together to be a part of musical history, during three unforgettable days). I definitely reccomend WOODSTOCK because it's an incomparable time capsule and depicts a time in history rich in cultural expression, as well as social unrest.

Review Hits the BullsEye.......2007-08-02

Reviewer Thomas Thatcher is absolutely correct in every aspect of his review. Younger people ask me about that time (I had the long hair, blue jeans, and Dingo boots, etc.)and I set them straight about things as I see them. Referencing the film, one student found "the dialogue and antics of the hippies...." to be corny. This documentary on "Woodstock" is a fascinating cultural artifact but that's about it.

Average customer rating:

An Annual Event
1776 values could be used in 2007!
1776 is Revolutionary!
1776
An American Celebration

1776 (Restored Director's Cut)
Starring: William Daniels , Howard Da Silva , Ken Howard , Donald Madden , and John Cullum
Director: Peter H. Hunt
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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