Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

Description

Everyone has seen Wal-Mart's lavish television commercials, but have you ever wondered why Wal-Mart spends so much money trying to convince you it cares about your family, your community, and even its own employees? What is it hiding?

WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price takes you behind the glitz and into the real lives of workers and their families, business owners and their communities, in an extraordinary journey that will challenge the way you think, feel... and shop.

Customer Reviews:

life changing.......2007-09-12

i say life changing because i don't know anyone who doesn't shop at walmart except one other person who also watched this. i promote this movie to friends and family, hopefully they will accept it. one profound thing i took away from this movie is that small town living is priceless and walmart destroys small towns.

A Shocking Documentary, But I Still Shop There.......2007-09-02

I heard a lot about this documentary and finally set aside time to view it. From the title alone you know that the film is going to be a Wal-Mart bashing story from beginning to end. With documentaries and television news features like this I normally begin with a bias favoring the defendent -- in this case, Wal-Mart. I expected to hear the usual digruntled rantings of lazy terminated employees and other crazies who thrive on complaints against their "oppressive" employers.

After watching the film I decided that my preconceived notion was incorrect. Though there may be some professional conspiracy theorists interviewed in the movie, there are such a variety of current (as of 2005) and prior employees, both management and associates, involved in this project that there must be validity to their complaints.

The one thing that bothers me about the film is that it lacks balance. We never get Wal-Mart's side of the issue except for pirated clips from corporate videos and short interview snippets that were lensed by someone else. These clips are always presented with commentary, captions, or ominous music that automatically characterize them as Wal-Mart propaganda. Surely there must be at least one current or former Wal-Mart manager or associate willing to stand in front of the store in the parking lot to say something good about the organization.

There are a lot of givens with Wal-Mart. One of the movie portrayals is that Wal-Marts have destroyed old fashioned downtown businesses. Face it, most downtown businesses with their limited floor space and modest hours deserved to go the way of the dinosaurs. I remember years ago living in a small Georgia town where the Main Street businesses, complete with shoddy Mayberry awnings, already looked as if they were half abandoned. Those still operating opened but a few brief hours and did not accept credit cards or personal checks. These were the types of stores where you often found yourself waiting, sometimes in vain, for assistance at the register because the clerk thought it more important to finish telling his epic hospital stay or fishing story to some other flannel shirted crony. In the case of this particular Georgia town, when it was announced that Wal-Mart was moving in there were the usual complaints about a mega store dooming Main Street businesses. How can you doom something that is already terminal? Those Main Street businesses that could modernized their images, rebuilt their store fronts, set up tables on potted flora on the sidewalk, and did other things to attract customers to an environment they cannot find at a mall or department store. Others simply played the "woe-is-me end of the family owned business" card and shut down.

The documentary tables a lot of issues about Wal-Mart. The most shocking is the way its employees are treated and compensated. Low wages, unpaid overtime, threats, and at-will terminations without reason if the person is deemed a union instigator. One premise set forth by the movie is that Wal-Mart installed security cameras not so much for controling store pilferage, but to ensure that employees are watched and dissuaded from any lawful assembly. This is hardly late breaking news. Wal-Mart is not alone in the way it treats its employees. I worked for years in a large grocery store chain where managers doctored time cards (when we actually used time cards) to work underage employees well past their legal evening curfew, deferred overtime hours to subsequent days so as to avoid overtime, and greatly reduced the hours of tenured employees while at the same time provided additional work days to new hires with much lower hourly pay rates. As such I heartily disagree with the way Wal-Mart treats its employees. On the other hand the Wal-Mart penny-pinching workhouse philosophy is not new to the industry.

Way back in the early 1980s I never heard of Wal-Mart. Living in the Northeast and later in the Southwest there were either no or very few Wal-Marts in those areas. It was not until we moved to Georgia that I was exposed to the Wal-Mart phenonemon. Remember too that Wal-Mart creator Sam Walton still held the reins to this up and coming giant. The stores at the time were almost identical. They were clean and I do not think I ever had an interaction with an employee that was ever unpleasant. In fact, those were the days were it was not uncommon for a store manager to randomly ask you if found everything you were looking for. Wal-Mart was also very big on selling American made products over foreign manufacture whenever a US product was available.

Of course that was before the sudden growth surge of Wal-Marts across country and in Europe.

Wal-Mart is traditionally non-union. The documentary spends a lot of time on Wal-Mart's battle to keep unions out. According to the film Wal-Mart has a multi-million dollar response team that flies out on a moment's notice whenever there is a hint of union activity. Here too it must be pointed out that Wal-Mart is hardly the only large chain store that is not unionized. However in Wal-Mart's case maybe it should be if for no other reason but to ensure that employees are offered affordable dental, health, and prescription plans. Many of the employees interviewed in the film discuss the high cost of Wal-Mart's health care. More disturbing are the allegations that Wal-Mart employees are reportedly encouraged and coached to apply for state and Federal aid programs. If true the bottom line is that our tax dollars pay the health "benefits" for Wal-Mart employees.

While watching the film I thought about the amount of times I shop at the retail giant. Even though I initially walked away from the movie with a firm resolve to never frequent Wal-Mart again, I found myself driving there the following day for lawn care and back to school items. The other similarly distanced retailers did not have what I needed and were already setting up Christmas displays -- and it is still summer. Despite the telling evidence of the movie I have yet to find a more convenient store to pick up all the things I need at once.

The bottom line is that after watching this documentary you have to draw your own conclusions as to the absolutes: What facts are true, which are exaggerated, and whether any or all of the evils tabled about Wal-Mart are significantly different from those perpetrated by other retail giants.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.......2007-08-27

It's plain and simple. You watch this, you'll stop shopping at Wal-mart. They have a moral obligation as the world's largest retailer to set an ethical standard and to be a model for other corporations. They dropped the ball in favor of GREED. The corporation only cares about it's shareholders and that is black and white - you don't mess with that. Nothing else matters but the bottom line, not even human decency. It's disgusting. I bought a copy of this movie and it's circulating it's way through my family. A must see.

A librarians view........2007-08-23

The name says it all. As documentaries go, its not the most fair and balanced review I've seen. However it does give a propelling evidence that should be considered before we all do our shopping. As a elementary school librarian, I loan it out to as many teachers as I can so that can share what they learn with their students.

You'll never shop there again........2007-08-23

Inhumane working conditions, long hours, low pay in their US stores. Just imagine what it's like in their factories abroad. This and so many other points will make you realize that saving .87 just isn't worth it!

TCM Spotlight - Esther Williams, Vol. 1 (Bathing Beauty / Easy to Wed / On an Island with You / Neptune's Daughter / Dangerous When Wet)

Average customer rating:

Esther Williams Volume 1
DANGEROUS WHEN WET OR DRY!
Not disappointed
DVD Esther Williams
Oh, this girl is something else!

TCM Spotlight - Esther Williams, Vol. 1 (Bathing Beauty / Easy to Wed / On an Island with You / Neptune's Daughter / Dangerous When Wet)
Starring: Esther Williams , Lucille Ball , Red Skelton , Cyd Charisse , and Van Johnson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000PC8AL4
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Customer Reviews:

Esther Williams Volume 1.......2007-09-13

For any fan that loved watching her swim to wonderful music - and the light heartedness that went with her movies - the enjoyable cast, music, lighthearted storylines, and happy endings...this volume is for them!

DANGEROUS WHEN WET OR DRY!.......2007-09-13

These DVDs have been beautifully transferred. The films are entertaining but it is appropriate to say at this late date that Esther Williams is a minor actress surrounded by wonderful talent and gorgeous production values. Despite her swimming prowess, she was the Britny Spears of her day.

Not disappointed.......2007-09-01

I really liked Esther Williams when her movies came on the late late show when I was a kid...These movies to me don't disappoint...I hadn't seen the one which was her first movie called "Bathing Beauty" with Red Skeleton. I really liked it...They even had an interviewed her about her life.... The extras were good as well...Overall I was very pleased with my purchase.

DVD Esther Williams.......2007-08-25

The price was very competitive, shipping reasonable. Package came very quickly, without paying for fast shipping. The cd was protected well and no damage. Very pleased with service.

Oh, this girl is something else!.......2007-08-24

Esther Williams is one of the best examples of what a woman is. She should be able to be physically able, great looks, and a good actress.

Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

Review Response
How about a HD-DVD version?

Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 [Blu-ray]

Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Animation | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Kids & Family | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000V1Y446
Release Date: 2007-11-06

Customer Reviews:

Review Response.......2007-09-06

That is the sillyest review I have ever seen. Why would you rate the movie based on the FORMAT it is in rather than the quality of the product? That's like rating a game that is out on one system higher than another simply because it is available on the system of your choice.

How about a HD-DVD version?.......2007-09-06

Please, stop with this format war!
Release all the movies in the both formats, and let the customer choose which is better!
(If there was also a HD-DVD version avaliable, I should have rated 4 stars).

Average customer rating:

Girl Happy with Chris Noel
MY FAVORITE ELVIS MOVIE!!!!
FINALLY!!!
Girl Happy - Elvis Happy - Viewer Happy
Don't like Elvis, but this movie is AWESOME!

Girl Happy
Starring: Elvis Presley , Shelley Fabares , Harold J. Stone , Gary Crosby , and Joby Baker
Director: Boris Sagal
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000QXDEEA
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Description

Elvis plays Rusty Wells, the leader of a four-piece rock group, consisting of Gary Crosby, Joby Baker and Jimmy Hawkins. Hired by Chicago gangster boss Big Frank (Harold J. Stone) to protect the virtue of Frank's cute daughter Valerie (Shelley Fabares), Rusty and his buddies follow Valerie to Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break. The girl falls in love with Rusty, then falls out of love when she learns that he's in her dad's employ. Valerie then becomes involved with a slick Italian playboy (Fabrizio Mioni), forcing Rusty to break up the romance lest he end up in a cement overcoat.

Customer Reviews:

Girl Happy with Chris Noel.......2007-09-14

You know what makes this movie so good ?? It's Chris Noel who did so much for our troops in Vietnam and continues to support the VETERANS today !! She's been an outstanding advocate of the AMERICAN VETERAN for many years and we're so thankful for all she has done. She realized a long time ago what's important to OUR nation and that's the AMERICAN VETERAN. God bless her and help her to continue her very important work.

P.G. Gentrup
Rising Sun, Indiana
25th Inf Div
Cu Chi, Vietnam 1967-68

MY FAVORITE ELVIS MOVIE!!!!.......2007-08-16

This is by far my favorite Elvis movie to date. It's just such a fun spring break movie with girls, beaches and most importantly, Elvis. I have been watching this movie since I was kid. My grandmother was a huge fan and loved watching his movies and got me into, not only his music but also his movies. I have been searching over the last few years for this on DVD. And now the day has finally come, it's here YEAH!!!!

FINALLY!!!.......2007-08-16

Yes, FINALLY!! I'm not quite sure why this particular Elvis film took
so long to get to DVD, but instead just say "thank you" Warner Home Video, for finally making it so!

This is one of my favorite Elvis films of all time. Why? I'm not really sure. It's the "typical" Elvis formula flick (you know, paper-thin plot,
pretty girls, Elvis lip-synching to a song every (seemingly) 5 or 10 minutes, etc., etc., etc.). However, therein probably lies the very reason why this one for me stands out (just a bit), from Elvis's others.

The year is 1965. The country wasn't yet divided over that "unfortunate
situation" brewing in southeast Asia (U.S. troop strength up until this year, was relatively small), NASA was well on it's way to turning the corner on the way to "victory" in the space race, and life, for most
Americans was pretty good.....

What could make it better? April 14 held the answer. This was the release date for "Girl Happy". Elvis, at the peak of his movie career,
looks and sounds great! Add to this one of his most enticing female
co-stars, Shelley Fabares (possibly second only to Ann-Margaret), fold-in a light-weight, fun plot "set" (on sound stages, anyway) in Fort Lauderdale, FL at spring break, and sprinkle in a generous helping of frothy, playful Elvis tunes from start to finish.

Okay, a great film it ain't; but a deliciously fun "guilty pleasure" nonetheless.

For those fond of Elvis throw this one on, kick back with a bowl of popcorn, a favorite beverage, and bask in the glow of simpler times
gone by! Enjoy, one and all!!

Girl Happy - Elvis Happy - Viewer Happy.......2007-07-03

Yes this is a really great fun type of movie from the mid Sixties (when the world was more innocent and safer place) Not sure I would want to hang around on the beach in Fort Lauderdale now. Anyway I digress - it's great to have this available on DVD along with the cut song "Startin Tonight" that was noticeably absent from recent VHS releases. In fact Warner's have come up trumps with all these new DVD releases, as the majority of them are really good happy go lucky fims.

Don't like Elvis, but this movie is AWESOME!.......2007-06-06

I admit I am not an Elvis fan at all. As matter of fact, this is the only Elvis movie I have ever seen. BUT this movie is great! Every song is upbeat and fun. You get the first song stuck in your head, then you hear the next song then IT gets stuck in your head, until the end of the movie when you have every song stuck in your head. The storyline is wonderful too. I can relate to every character, even Elvis. I am only 24, but first saw this movie in my teens and it was load of fun then too. A must have for anybody who likes fun tunes, witty humor, and a movie to talk about that many people don't know about (unfortunately). FINALLY on DVD, too. My VHS player was having a breakdown and the tape has just about had it!

Average customer rating:

Collects 13 short Pixar films in one convenient place
Creative, funny and a joy to watch

Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1
Starring: Pixar Short Films
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000V1Y44G
Release Date: 2007-11-06

Description

Disney*Pixar invite you to discover these masterpieces of storytelling from the creative minds that brought you Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and many more. With revolutionary animation, unforgettable music and characters you love, these dazzling short films have changed the face of animation and entertainment and are sure to delight people of all ages for years to come. Experience them now - for the first time together in an amazing collection including never-before-seen footage.

Customer Reviews:

Collects 13 short Pixar films in one convenient place.......2007-08-31

Only "The Adventures of Andre and Wally B." and "Red's Dream" are not already included with some other Pixar feature length film DVD. Although the 13 short films run a total of just under an hour and all but two are on other Pixar DVDs, you might want this collection for the extras and the fact that you'll have all 13 shorts on one DVD so you don't have to go digging through your collection to find them. A previous reviewer gave the year of production and a brief synopsis. I give a brief synopsis too, but I also give the length of each short, its rating by a popular film database, and on which previous Pixar DVD, if any, you can find each short.

"The Adventures of Andre and Wally B. (2 minutes) - 5.5/10 - Interesting animation experiment at the dawn of the age of CGI, but not much of a story.
Included on the "Tiny Toy Stories" VHS tape.

Luxo Jr. (2 minutes) - 7.7/10 - The first computer animated short nominated for an Academy Award. Just a couple of lamps playing ball, but somehow Pixar manages to bring "life" to the lamps with the larger lamp acting as parent to the smaller in spite of a lack of any real physical features with which to add expression.
Included with the Toy Story 2 DVD.

Red's Dream (4 minutes) - 6.6/10 - Red is a unicycle that is the only item in the bargain bin at a toy store. He copes with his surroundings by dreaming of better things. Like Luxo, you are made to care about the main character even though he has limited ability to express himself. Shows Pixar experimenting with more complex forms than in previous films.
Included on the "Tiny Toy Stories" VHS tape.

Tin Toy (5 minutes) - 7.1/10 - Kind of an early proof of concept of Toy Story. A curious baby is after a wind-up toy. The baby appears monstrous and frightening to the toy until he realizes what the baby wants. Shows you the world - and the baby - from the toy's point of view so you understand his fright.
Included with Toy Story DVD.

Knick Knack (4 minutes) - 8/10 - A Knick Knack from Alaska - a snowman in a snowglobe - wants to join two Knick Knacks from a warmer climate. Only problem is that he is stuck in his snowglobe and must try to find a way to get out. Shows some ideas that look like they gave birth to "Finding Nemo".
Included on the DVD for "Finding Nemo".

Geri's Game (4 minutes) - 7.6/10 - Won Oscar for best animated short film of 1997. Geri is an elderly man who plays chess with himself and tries to outwit his opponent. It's interesting as he changes sides on each move. Geri's character also appears as the cleaner in 'Toy Story 2'.
Included with "A Bug's Life" DVD.

For the Birds (3 minutes) - 8.1/10 - Won Oscar for best animated short film of 2001. A big jovial bird is rejected by a clique of smaller snobby birds. However, their plan to eject him from his perch backfires when they ignore some of the basic laws of physics.
Included in disc 2 of the Monsters Inc. DVD set.

Mike's New Car (4 minutes) - 7.3/10 - Brings over our favorite characters from Monsters Inc. as Mike tries to show off his new car to Sully. Problem is he hasn't gotten the controls down yet. Not that innovative, but still cute and definitely entertaining.
Included on the Monsters Inc. DVD.

Boundin' (5 minutes) - 7.1/10 - A little preachier than I'm accustomed to from Pixar. A sheep is humiliated after his first shearing, but a jackelope teaches him to think otherwise. Good animation, good music, but the moral tale was just a little too obvious and heavy-handed for Pixar.
Included in the Incredibles DVD set.

Jack-Jack Attack (5 minutes) - 7.7/10 - Uses characters and situations from The Incredibles to show how Jack-Jack first begins exhibiting his extraordinary powers and the babysitter's reactions. Quite funny and quite possibly a deleted scene from the original film.
Included on Disc two of The Incredibles DVD set.

One Man Band (4 minutes) - 7.9/10 - A girl wishing to make a wish in a fountain using a coin finds that her coin is the object of desire for two competing street bands. They do everything under the sun to get her coin - except play exceptional music. Ironically this was a dig at the big studios of the film industry of which Pixar is now a part since their sale to Disney.
Included on the Cars DVD.

Mater and the Ghostlight (7 minutes) - 6.8/10 - The longest of the Pixar films in this set was one of the less amusing. Mater, the tow-truck from Cars, is set up for a practical joke by the other cars. They tell him a story about the GhostLight apparition and then go about making sure that such a ghost appears to him to teach him a lesson about scaring the others.
Included on the Cars DVD.

Lifted (5 minutes) - 8.1/10 - An alien trainee attempts to abduct a sleeping human. Unfortunately, he isn't familiar with the spaceship's equipment yet, and to make matters worse he's getting a job evaluation at the same time. Rather like the X-Files meets Monsters Inc.
Included on the Ratatouille DVD.

Creative, funny and a joy to watch.......2007-08-22

This promises to be a perfect DVD for kids and families alike. Pixar's theatrical shorts are some of the best -- if not THE best -- cartoons produced in the past two decades. This DVD will contain all 12 of them released to date, as well as an early short by John Lasseter from his days at the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Project. Here's the list:

1. "THE ADVENTURES OF ANDRE AND WALLY B." (1984, Lucasfilm). After blue humanoid André is awakened in a forest by a pesky bee, he tries to escape. But the bee (named Wally B.) chases after him, and both characters run off screen. Finally, Wally reappears with a bent stinger.

2. "LUXO JR." (1986). When a large desklamp watches a smaller, younger desklamp play with a ball, he can't quite manage to do it himself.

3. "RED'S DREAM" (1987). Propped up in the corner of a bicycle store, Red the unicycle dreams about a better place.

4. "TIN TOY" (1988). When a wind-up one-man-band toy sees just how destructive a baby can be, he does everything he can to flee -- until the baby gets hurt.

5. "KNICK KNACK" (1989). A snowglobe snowman wants to join a party of other travel souvenirs in a hot party, but his glass dome gets in his way.

6. "GERI'S GAME" (1997). A man plays a game of chess against himself, 'becoming' each player by moving to the other side of the chessboard and taking his glasses on and off.

7. "FOR THE BIRDS" (2001). A group of small birds perched together on a telephone wire reject a larger, awkward-looking bird, and pay the price for it.

8. "MIKE'S NEW CAR" (2002). When Mike (from "Monsters Inc.") shows Sulley his new six-wheel drive car, everything that can go wrong does.

9. "BOUNDIN'" (2003). A shearing leaves a dancing sheep humiliated until a jackalope passes by and demonstrates that it's what's inside that counts.

10. "JACK-JACK ATTACK" (2005). Baby Jack-Jack is thought not to possess the superpowers of his siblings or parents (Mr. and Mrs. Parr of "The Incredibles") until an outsider is hired to watch him.

11. "ONE MAN BAND" (2006). Two one-man bands vie to win the attention of a young peasant girl.

12. "MATER AND THE GHOSTLIGHT" (2006). A mysterious blue light haunts the "Cars" town of Radiator Springs and its residents.

13. "LIFTED" (2007). A bumbling young alien student tests the patience of his instructor as he attempts to abduct an innocent farmer.

The DVD will also include an audio commentary for each short, as well as a behind-the-scenes featurette and some animation and commercial tests. (Note that the two Pixar shorts produced for "Sesame Street" ("Light & Heavy" and "Surprise") are not included in this set.)

-- By Julie Neal, author of The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World.

Pete's Dragon (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Average customer rating:

Whimsical Family Musical
Pete's Dragon
Pete's Dragon
Great generation after generation.
Not so good

Pete's Dragon (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
Starring: Helen Reddy , Jim Dale , Mickey Rooney , Red Buttons , and Shelley Winters
Director: Don Chaffey
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

3-6 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

7-9 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Fantasy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Mixed | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00004R9A6
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Amazon.com

This story of a winsome orphan and his guardian dragon features an Academy Award-nominated score and song, Helen Reddy's "Candle on the Water." The combination of a live-action story with an animated figure was innovative in 1977, and the green dragon with pink wings will still charm youngsters today. However, its plot has the boy running from a nasty family to whom he's been sold into slavery, as well as an evil magician who tries to steal the dragon for his parts. These dark story lines may scare or bore younger children, who only want to see Elliot the dragon belch fire and give Pete rides on his back. And older children who might appreciate the plot may scoff at the relatively crude animation. This leaves a rather narrow audience window of about ages 3 to 7. A cast of veterans includes Shelley Winters, Mickey Rooney, and Red Buttons, who all turn in the hammiest of performances. Acting newcomer Reddy demonstrates both why her acting career never took off and why her singing career did. (Lines like "You're a bunch of superstitious ding-dongs" don't give her much help.) However, her sometimes awkward performance as the lonely lighthouse keeper who gives the boy a home provides the film with its heart. Bottom line: it's a keeper for diehard Disney fans, dragon lovers, and those who remember this movie fondly from their childhood. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Description

Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend--a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora (Helen Reddy), and her father (Mickey Rooney), Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue.

Customer Reviews:

Whimsical Family Musical.......2007-08-25

"Pete's Dragon" is a solid family film that's full of music, fun, and adventure. It stars Sean Marshall as Pete, a lonely orphan who's managed to escape from the hands of the evil Gogan family who legally "bought" him from the orphanage. A friendly and sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott helps him escape, and they end up in the coastal town of Passamaquoddy, Maine. Unfortunately for Pete, Elliott gets them into a lot of trouble with the locals. They hide out in a cave until a friendly lighthouse keeper (Helen Reddy) finds them and takes Pete in to live with her and her father (Mickey Rooney). No one believes that Elliott really exists (except for Nora's dad) until Elliott trashes the town school. A travelling "doctor," Dr. Terminus (Jim Dale), and his partner in crime, Hoagie (Red Buttons), cook up a scheme to capture Elliott and use him for profit. Oh, and the Gogan family is still looking for Pete as well. To top it all off, Nora longs for a lost love whom Pete claims that Elliott will find. It's all played out lighthearted and sort of silly, scattered with music and horseplay throughout.

The cast is very strong. Including all of the above mentioned legends and newcomer Marshall, the cast also includes Shelley Winters as the Gogan matriarch, Jim Backus ("Gilligan's Island"), and Jeff Conaway ("Grease" and "Babylon 5"). The music is very good, although it isn't on the same level as songs featured in other Disney classics. For the 1970's, the blending of animation and live action is pretty good.

The DVD itself is okay. The digital transfer is good although a few shortcomings can be seen in the film. The audio is good except in a couple of the songs, where it gets louder and quieter at brief times. Special features include a fun featurette called "Man, Monsters, and Mysteries" which highlights a still-standing theory on the Loch Ness Monster. There's a modest "Where's Elliott?" game, a Disney Family Album excerpt, preview trailers, and a funny short featuring Donald Duck called "Lighthouse Keeping."

If you're a big fan or collector of Disney, this film is a nice purchase. If you only want films that the whole family can watch, you might want to preview this disc before buying it. The film may get a little boring for youngsters since the dragon isn't always on screen and their are long segments of nothing but live action and story development that might lose their interest. Also, the run time clocks in at just over two hours. That's not good if you have an impatient tot running around. My six year-old enjoyed it, but she loves musicals to begin with. Overall, "Pete's Dragon" is a decent family musical film for families with children five and up. Enjoy it.

Pete's Dragon.......2007-06-27

The movie is as good as a I remember it when my daughter was little.
My four year old granddaughter absolutly loved it and was mesmerized by it
and loved playing the games.

Pete's Dragon.......2007-05-10

More Disney fun with a Dragon and a lighthouse family. Colors are brilliant and music sounds wonderful

Great generation after generation........2007-04-13

I remember watching this movie over and over again as a kid and now my kids are doing the same. Great for 4 - 6 year olds, they love all the classic songs and choreography.

Not so good.......2007-03-24

The movie is great but the cd is defective. It keeps on getting stuck on the same spot. I'm trying to return it but I can't get any reply to my e-mails.

Average customer rating:

Alice!
a true gem...
GREAT MOVIE
Alice In Wonderland [TV 1985]
Better than a cartoon.

Alice in Wonderland [TV 1985]
Starring: Robert Axelrod , Sharee Gregory , Donald O'Connor , Sally Struthers , and Red Buttons
Director: Harry Harris
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000FSME7O
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Amazon.com

Alice returns from Wonderland only to discover she's on the wrong side of her living room mirror at the beginning of the second half of Irwin Allen's 1985 production, with teleplay by Paul Zindel and songs by Steve Allen (the three-hour film was broken into two parts for video, the first title being Alice in Wonderland). Before you can say "curiouser and curiouser" the jabberwocky is after her. It chases Alice back to a strange land where life appears to be one giant game of chess with pieces portrayed by the likes of Carol Channing and Harvey Korman. The 7-year-old longs to be home, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying some song and dance with Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme), watching a bout between the lion (Ernest Borgnine) and the unicorn (Beau Bridges), or being rescued by the White Knight (Lloyd Bridges). Despite the oddly low-tech visual effects from Star Wars's John Dykstra--the jabberwocky is so clearly a guy in a dragon suit--this thrillingly kitschy movie ably entertains. Where else will you see Merv Griffin as a train conductor, Sally Struthers and Donna Mills catfighting with Vegas-worthy flower headdresses, and Jonathan Winters as a crabby Humpty Dumpty before the fall? Adults who fondly remember the '70s and '80s and children 4 and older should enjoy this version of the fabled tale. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Customer Reviews:

Alice! .......2007-09-14

My family has this movie, recorded on VHS, from it's original airing in 1985... As you can imagine, it's pretty beaten up. Now, we can share it with the entire next generation growing up!

a true gem..........2007-09-13

This is my favorite version of Alice in Wonderland, and I haven't been able to see it in years since Blockbuster decided to get rid of its entire VHS section and not bother replacing it with any DVDs. I'm so happy this includes both parts of the story. For those of you who are only familiar with the Disney version, you are in for a real treat!! Especially when Alice is on the wrong side of the looking glass.. with the Jabberwocky!

GREAT MOVIE.......2007-09-12

I loved this when it was on TV and was very excited when I found it on DVD.The cast on it is amazing from Ann Jillian to Martha Raye from Carol Channing to Ringo Starr.The girl who plays Alice is not very remarkable or even memorable but she did manage to not get overwelmed by all the stars around her and it is worth buying it to see all the stars in it.

Alice In Wonderland [TV 1985].......2007-09-03

It was just as I remembered with all the wonderful celebrities of the day. It's a nice story that kids will enjoy. There's also some cute musical numbers with the great old celebs for the parents, Sammy Davis Jr, Shelly Winters, Johnathon Winters and Carol Channing.
It's sometimes corny, but fun.

Better than a cartoon........2007-08-12

I saw this with my kids when it first aired on TV in the mid 80's. Every once in a while in the years afterward one of us would say "Hey, remember that Alice...?" We had never heard of it again until I looked for it on the web and bought it here. It was fun to see it again.

Average customer rating:

Again and again
aural bliss
I adore this movie!
No surround sound
Wonderful Film

The Red Violin
Starring: Carlo Cecchi , Irene Grazioli , Anita Laurenzi , Tommaso Puntelli , and Samuele Amighetti
Director: François Girard
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008RV1S
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Product Description

Master violinmaker Nicolo Bussotti creates what will be his greatest achievement--a perfect violin, inspiring passion and obsession in every life it touches. Francois Girard's "The Red Violin" follows the imaginary history of this unique instrument as it travels across continents and through lives over the span of three centuries.

System Requirements:

Starring Carlo Cecchi, Colm Feore, Greta Scacchi, Jason Flemyng, Jean Luc Bideau, Samuel L. Jackson, Sylvia Chang

Directed by Francois Girard

Running time: 132 minutes

Amazon.com

Mounted in high lavish style, from the opening strains to coda, The Red Violin pays homage to the careful uses of color and composition without bothering to support these qualities with any real substance. Oh, it's a class act on the surface all the way, while failing on nearly every other level to convince. The story tells the story, revealing precious little else. The 17th-century Cremonese instrument-maker Niccolo Bussotti finishes his final violin with a curious red varnish, the secret of which spans the film, yet will come as a surprise only to the very sleepy. The odd voyage of this unique violin through history is then explored from one episode to the next, from child prodigy to gypsies to Victorian virtuoso to a clandestine enclave of art lovers in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution. This is all framed by the violin's rediscovery in present day by instrument appraiser Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson), for whom the perfect instrument strikes a resonant chord. The main scheme of the film, an object connecting a number of seemingly disparate stories, has been used many times, most notably in Max Ophuls's La Ronde. But while this approach is employed elsewhere to cause one scene to reverberate against another, The Red Violin is content to leave each episode thematically unconnected with any of the others. On the decorative level, the film may satisfy many viewers with its sensuous attention to tone and detail, as well as its eclectic and expertly performed score. But as narrative it is very slight. Just pierce the pretty crust of this puff pastry and gaze in wonder at the pocket of air within. --Jim Gay

Customer Reviews:

Again and again.......2007-08-22

Layer upon layer, this film reveals more upon each viewing. This is one of those curl-up on the couch type of films that never disappoints and transports the viewer back in time- with multiple shifts, and repeats key sequences each time advancing the immediate story a bit further. So there is ultimately a mystery unfolding and we are completely caught up in it, along with the fascinating motivations and impulses that compel each possessor or would-be possessor of the Red Violin. The music is integral and also drives the narrative, not just pretty movie music.
One of my favorites!

aural bliss.......2007-07-28

This movie is in my top 5 movies ever. It chronicles the history of a violin from the strings of the instrument in question. It is quite a departure role for Samuel L Jackson and he actually is the supporting actor to the violin. Great date flick!

I adore this movie!.......2007-07-12

This is one of my all time favorite films. Interesting and clever story line, beautiful music, violin by Joshua Bell, gorgeous scenery, and fabulous costumes. This movie has it all. I gave it as gifts to my friends.

No surround sound.......2007-05-29

I have seen this movie several times, and it is intriguing. The video portion of the dvd is fine. However, purchasers should be aware that the audio on this dvd is Dolby stereo only, not surround.

Wonderful Film.......2007-05-20

The RED VIOLIN is a beautiful film, witty and powerful. It traces the story of a violin as it is passed across many cultures and into the hands of many interesting characters.

The heart of this film is the score which, as a film of this title implies, features some incredible violin solos. Great musical performances by Joshua Bell and others giving this violin the majesty necessary to command its central role.

Average customer rating:

far superior
One of the most exceptional films to come out of China
Truly beautiful to see...
Orientalism, but still Chinese
5 stars for the MGM World Film version

Raise the Red Lantern (MGM World Films)
Starring: Li Gong , Caifei He , Cuifen Cao , Jingwu Ma , and Qi Zhao
Director: Yimou Zhang
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000PMFS6O
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Amazon.com essential video

Zhang Yimou (Ju Dou) directed this fascinating, visually formal 1991 film about an educated woman (Gong Li) who is sent off to become the newest wife of a feudal nobleman in 1920s China. Nearly isolated in his spooky, palatial home, she develops relationships with several of the other wives and slowly becomes aware of a hideous legacy of punishment toward more willful women. The film has a brittle and dry quality that is deliberate, but also suggestive of Zhang working through various explorations of his own style (which he resolved in his next film, The Story of Qiu Ju). Gong Li, one of the world's great actresses, is superb. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

far superior.......2007-09-15

This DVD version distributed by the actual distributors of the film is far superior to the previous bootleg version distributed by the those first bootleg DVD distributors. Look for "World Films" with the MGM insignia on the case and you've got the right one.

One of the most exceptional films to come out of China.......2007-09-01

I had seen this film over ten years ago in a theater in Manhattan and was so impressed by this great story. I am certain that the current direction that the Chinese directors are taking in film making are just another example of compromises that the industry has been willing to take to include special effects for profit. Generally speaking, special effects has meant a reduction in story effectiveness. How serious can one accept a film where the characters are running on tree tops such as in Crouching Tigers Hidden Tigers? This makes for more viewers but but little of any deep feelings after the empty popcorn container has been disposed of in the lobby. Yes the fifteen year olds will be back to see such absurd movies again several times before school starts in the fall. Make no mistake even the director I am sure will miss making films such as "Raise the Red Lantern". To be sure he has built his reputation on quite a few good films mostly staring Gong Li and this is my favorite of all.
Without giving much of the story away this film creates the most poignant study of the differences in personalities. If I had a fifteen year old I'd ask him or her to watch carefully to learn about how our perceptions of what we see in others may be greatly mistaken. The focus of the different wives living in relatively the same proximity makes such an impression. Without the silly fighting that the West mistaken believes is commonly characteristic of the far East you come away greatly impacted by the story of Raise the Red Lantern. I am in my fifties and I could not be more impressed in a film.

Truly beautiful to see..........2007-08-25

This must be seen over and over again...the cinematography is in the top 0.1%. And then Gong Li is so, so good in this. Side comment - this woman will always be beautiful; much like Catherine Deneuve.

Orientalism, but still Chinese.......2007-08-24

Yimou Zhang attacks the problem of creating a legitimate transnational film for the People's Republic of China; at the same time acceptable to his censors and popular enough outside China to convince all concerned of the venture. He chooses a novella by Su Tong, who walked the same tightrope in print; and in adapting the story for the screen manages to convert the 'lush exotic detail' that is the stereotype for Asian goods,into another symbolism that fits East and West alike.

Li Gong is as always breathtaking in beauty and acting, and the rest of the cast is flawless. Yimou brings forward many of the visual and cultural emblems from Ju Dou,which is likewise melancholy and dangerous, and continues through a remarkable run of films such as Shanghai Triad and To Live. If one has come to Chinese film via Crouching Tiger, a long look at these films will do wonders. Red Lantern is a good place to start. Don't miss Red Sorghum.

5 stars for the MGM World Film version.......2007-08-22

Amazon ported over the reviews from the previous DVD version released by Razor. That film is a mess when it comes to picture quality, this new one from MGM World Film is pristine and great. Five stars for both the film content and the new transfer. I would have some extras (there aren't any) but just to have a scratch free, colorful, and sharp 'Raise The Raise Lantern' is worth the price of admission and five stars. Note that this film belongs to the art-house genre, so those looking for a Hollywood style happy ending, look elsewhere...

The Hunt for Red October (Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Hunt for Red October, Outstanding
The Hunt for Red October
Like, so 80's
The hunt for Red October
Excellent Movie

The Hunt for Red October (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Sean Connery , Alec Baldwin , Scott Glenn , Sam Neill , and James Earl Jones
Director: John McTiernan
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008K76U
Release Date: 2003-05-06

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