The Kingdom - Series One (Riget) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)I agree that this is a brilliant series filled with black humor, pathos, social satire and horror. Set in and actually filmed at Copenhagen's Rigshospitalet, it is essentially a ghost story, a haunting, but told in a quirky, refreshing way. One can see why it attracted Stephen King and inspired him to write his subsequent novel "Kingdom Hospital." It certainly deserves all the 5 stars it gets at this site.
However there is a problem with the DVD edition issued by Koch/Lorber. On Disc Two, Episode 3, during the scene where Helmer enters the Central Archive after Mogge, the picture suddenly skips (at just after 39mins) to a part of the movie that is actually from Episode 1 on Disc One (the scene where Helmer's nose is being patched up). This sequence from the previous Disc then goes on for about 2 minutes before you suddenly switch back to the current episode but several minutes later with Dr Mogge already out of the Central Archive and running for his life. You are left wondering what happened in between.
This is not a problem with an individual disc. Replacing the disc makes no difference because they all have the same flaw. It is a production issue. It probably occured during the video-editing or mastering process. How this could have been passed for release is beyond me. I know Fox Lorber's previous reputation for producing shoddy DVDs but after the name change and several fairly good early releases under the Koch/Lorber label, I actually believed they had reformed. Alas not. This kind of sloppiness is wholly unacceptable. Koch/Lorber goes into the same black book as its disgraceful predecessor. If it had any conscience, Koch/Lorber would order a recall and replacement. But with this company's reputation, it's hardly likely. Hopefully the rumors are right and Criterion will pick this up for release in the future as part of a Lars von Trier retrospective.

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Acclaimed director Lars von Trier (Dogville, Dancer in the Dark) delves into the world of the supernatural with the acclaimed series that inspired Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital. At The Kingdom, Denmark’s most technologically advanced hospital, a number of strange and otherworldly events begin to occur, much to the dismay of its doctors and patients. A ghostly ambulance appears and disappears, the voice of a little girl calls to a patient in an elevator shaft and a doctor’s fetus begins growing at an alarming rate.

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Wire in the Blood - Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)Based on the novels by Val McDermid, Wire in the Blood is a gritty, rivetting, suspenseful psychological crime drama; it is also, without a doubt, one of the best series of that genre around. Robson Green (Touching Evil, Reckless, Me & Mrs. Jones, The Student Prince, The Gambling Man, Grafters, Soldier Soldier) stars as Dr. Tony Hill, a clinical psychologist who moonlights as a criminal profiler for the police. Tony is brilliant in his ability to gain insights into the criminal mind, but his brilliance comes at a cost, compensated as it is by an equal degree of social ineptitude. Like an absent-minded professor, Tony has a mind so focused that he easily becomes oblivious to his surroundings and to those around him. It doesn't help matters that he talks to himself or that he finds it helpful to physically act out various aspects of the crime in question--things that are best NOT done in a public place! Though the storylines are very serious--even chilling--the very nature of Tony's character provides the occasional welcome moment of lightness and humour. Those familiar with Robson Green will know that this is the type of character at which he excels--characters which are, at the very least, just a little bit odd.
Tony's connection with the police is via Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan (Hermione Norris--Cold Feet's Karen Marsden), a shrewd, hard-working cop, who is well aware of Tony's brilliant mind and of his value to the police. There exists almost from the start--and always beneath the surface--a mutual attraction between Tony and Carol, and it is here that Tony most poignantly feels his lack of social skills.
There are, at the time of writing, two sets on dvd (with set three due for release in February 2006). Set one contains three episodes (each presented as two back-to-back 50 minute episodes); set two contains four 100-minute episodes. DVD extras on set one are limited to brief text-based bios, but set two consists of interesting and informative interviews with Robson Green, Hermion Norris, author Val McDermid, and the production team.
Though this is a series, each episode is movie length, and I would challenge anyone to find a Hollywood crime drama as good as any one of the episodes in this outstanding series. If you enjoy top quality, impeccably-acted, gritty, dark, intelligent psychological crime drama which draws the viewer right in--shows like BBC's Waking the Dead, for example--you will definitely enjoy this series, and I recommend both sets without hesitation. I enjoyed the series so much that I bought McDermid's latest Tony Hill novel, The Torment of Others (2004), which I also thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. Personally, I can't wait for the release of set three, and I hope Koch Vision continues to release future sets as they become available!
Very highly recommended!


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Wire in the Blood: The Complete First Season Brilliant, passionate and eccentric, clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill (Robson Green) has an extraordinary understanding of the criminal mind. It enables him to empathize with both victim and murderer – and even to visualize the crimes. Working alongside the ambitious and driven Detective Inspector Carol Jordon (Hermione Norris), Dr. Hill helps the police profile and track down vicious killers in northern England. DISC 1 - THE MERMAIDS SINGING Three men have been tortured and mutilated. As fear grips the city, DI Jordan and Dr. Hill join together for the first time to find a killer. DISC 2 - SHADOWS RISING The bodies of two girls are found in a remote lake. New leads suggest a bizarre connection to death threats made against a TV celebrity. DISC 3 - JUSTICE PAINTED BLIND A brutal strangulation bears shocking resemblance to a controversial unsolved case. Dr. Hill, however, believes a different killer is at work.

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The Frogmen Review

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(More customer reviews)To those of us who share the collective title of "boomers" (not to be confused with certain nuclear submarine types) , there are certain movies out there in the DVD marketplace now that bring back fond memories. In the early 1960s, television was coming out of a period when most of what was shown..movie-wise...were cinematic studio "oldies" shown on local "late shows". "early shows", "shock theatres", etc. This is where we got introductions to Crosby & Hope, Karloff, Lugosi, King Kong, the Duke, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the "Three Mesquiteers", Errol Flynn, and many others.
As these new 60s got underway, though, something new and exciting began on the NBC network. The Peacock crowd (with their new toy , color television) cranked up a new tv show..."Saturday Night At the Movies"...shown every Saturday night (natch)at 9:00 p.m. EST (or DST in summer). Verbally hosted by Donald Rickles (NOT to be confused with comedian DON Rickles), "Saturday Night At The Movies" was a special arrangement between NBC and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation to show recent quality movie releases (10 years old or less)...many in (surprise) Color!...on prime time each week.
This show quickly became a solid hit and inspired many imitators (ABC launched a "Sunday Night Movie" shortly thereafter in a deal with United Artists). On Saturday night one now got a dose of more recent cinematic fare (and much better image quality) than we'd been previously used to. And, oh, what we got to see!!!! "Titanic" (Webb & Stanwycke), "THe Seven Year Itch" (Monroe & Ewell), "Niagra" (Monroe),
The Day the Earth Stood Still" (Rennie & Neal"), "No Highway In the Sky" (James Stewart), "Prince Valiant" (Wagner), "The Hunters" (Mitchum, Egan, & Wagner), "The Enemy Below" (Mitchum & Jurgens), and on and on: "The Desert Fox", "The Desert Rats", "Cheaper By the Dozen", "How To Marry A Millionaire",
"Halls of Montezuma", "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef". "Red Skies of Montana", etc.
And, among these, "The Frogmen".
And seeing it again has been a treat, because it is a wonderful movie. Reminds one of how good they USED to make them (before they were "gimmicked up" to be on-screen video games for
no-brain adolescents). There is action and excitement a'plenty here, along with a good BELIEVABLE story (how rare is THAT nowadays? "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"???) and some GREAT acting performances....Richard Widmark and Dana Andrews in particular. Widmark (the original "edgy" actor....LONG before Nick Cage) turns in yet another of his fabulous performances as the new CO of UDT Team 4 in the South Pacific, late in the war. As usual Widmark operates on all acting cylinders here...he works with vocal timing and perfect dialog delivery, dead-on body language and mannerisms, and couldn't-be-better eyework...proof once again that this great star-yet-not-a-superstar was one of Hollywood's hands-down best actors (Check out "Halls of Montezuma" or "Madigan", among other roles). Widmark does not play a cardboard hero here. He is a man plagued with flaws and doubts...yet a good, brave man. Just a complicated one.
And, good as Widmark's performance is, Dana Andrews stands up to equal it as Widmark's nemesis. Andrews plays a Chief Petty Officer in Team 4 who is like oil to Widmark's water, and who, with dogged resentment to Widmark's "taking the place" of Team 4's lately-killed former commander, won't "cut the new guy any slack" and keeps resentment stirred up against Widmark by all the enlisted team members. The war of acceptance or non-aceptance between the new C.O. and "the guys" lies at the heart of the movie. And this is a "war" well played throughout.
Jeffrey Hunter privides strong backup here. as does Gary Merrill (Captain of the UDT mission ship), and a group of good character actors (some, like Jack Warden and a couple of others, who would become much more high profile later on).
Biggest mystery about "The Frogmen" concerns Robert Wagner.
He is always listed as "being there", and is named PROMINENTLY in the the credits....yet he is barely there at all! He cannot have any more than 45 seconds screen time...if THAT!!! He seems to play a junior bridge officer (when seen) named "Ensign Franklin", who, recognizable AS a young Robert Wagner as he stands in proximity to Gary Merrill in two long shots of the bridge, does NOTHING but stand there. On one other scene, for about a 5-second run (tops...if THAT) he is called on by Merril to "Mr. Franklin, lower a boat". To which order Wagner delivers (near as I can tell), his only three lines in the movie: "Aye aye, sir!".
That little peculiarity apart, everything else about this film works. Co-operation by the Navy helped produce a "ton" of informative UDT action scenes: the viewer is shown the operations of the departure and pick-up boats, the sling-catching of the frogmen that retrieves them out the water into a rubber raft attached to the pick-up boat...actual scouting of beach traps and the mining of same with stachel demo charges...the planting of a "Welcome to the Beach" sign as a rag on the marines (based on a real WWII practice)...and a full scale harbor penetration in dry suits and scuba at the film's end to blow up Japanese submarine pens. The producers (and Navy)
"fudge" this a little bit by having the team go in wearing 1950s era aqualungs, regulators, and hoses (rather than the real WWII style rebreathers they would really have used), but this might have been done for some security reason (hard to tell). No matter, the scenes work. That's what really counts.
All ends well here...just the way you want it to. All team conflicts aren't shown to have been "ironed out" completely, but enough evidence is there to show that a corner has been turned in team relations with UDT 4 to suggest the old guys and the new guy might just be headed for some hard-won mutual acceptance after all.
Again, good movie. Well worth watching and in glorious black and white .
With this out, and "Halls of Montezuma" (another Widmark winner), makes you hope Fox puts out "Red Skies of Montana", the most exciting smoke jumper/forest fire movie ever put to film. Also wouldn't hurt to see the OTHER big FROGMAN movie either: Dan Dailey as the "Underwater Warrior".


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FROGMEN - DVD Movie

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The First Olympics: Athens 1896 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a magnificent and wonderful movie about the Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens... the first Olympics in 2000 years. The characters are generally well cast, the dialogue is fitting, and the relations between characters is well developed. I don't know if all the scenes are historically accurate, but I know that a great deal of it is... especially the names of the athletes, the results of the events and the Olympic Stadium in Greece. Although centered around the American team and its athletes, there is considerable attention paid to the lives of athletes from other countries, most notably Greece and Australia. Unfortunately a couple of the athletes portrayed could have been played by actors who were more appropriate for the events they were in, and you'll pick them out right away.
This is a FAMILY MOVIE, no sex, no vulgar language, nothing that shouldn't be seen by anyone in your family. It is a true classic in my mind, and one which I enjoy watching on a regular basis. Now, if it would only come out on DVD I'd buy it in an instant. There's so much garbage out there on DVD, why can't this and other classics be brought out on DVD?

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The inspiring story of a rag-tag team of amateur American athletes that stunned the sports world comes to life in this dramatization of the first modern Olympic games revived in 1896. Veteran Actor Louis Jourdan stars as Baron Pierre du Coubertin, a relentless visionary who sets out to renew the ancient Olympic games after 1500 years. Dr. William Sloane (David Ogden Stiers) is the Princeton professor who pulls together the first American team with 13 unlikely boys and a meager supply of sports equipment. Competing in events that had never been seen in the United States before the Americans went on to Athens and secured the winner's post despite almost insurmountable odds.

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The New Centurions Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie inspired me to a law enforcement career that lasted 28 years. George C. Scott (Officer Kilvinsky) delivers one of his best performances as a veteran patrolman of the L.A.P.D. He teaches a rookie cop "Stacy Keach" how to survive on the streets of L.A. Erik Estrada plays a former gang banger that turned cop, only to find himself working patrol in his old stomping grounds. The realism was great. No doubt they used police advisors when making the film. A sad movie that will make you realize that cops are human. Kilvinsky the cynical cop, shows compassion in dealing with illegal Mexican immigrants that are being taken advantage of by a money grubbing landlord. Stacy Keach suffers a failed marriage and gets involved in an interracial relationship. Truly a gut wrenching movie that shows the brutality of police work, both mentally and physically. I'd pay a hundred dollars if I could get the movie on DVD.

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Experiences of modern-day Los Angeles policemen portraying their hazards, adventures and rewards, starring George C. Scott as Sgt. Kilvinski and Stacy Keach as Roy Fehler. New Centurions is based on the novel by Joseph Wambaugh.

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Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season Review

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(More customer reviews)In season 3 of Grey's Anatomy everything fell apart. Everything that could go wrong did. George and Callie split, Izzie and George made a huge mistake (in my opinion) in trying to make things work out. Meredith feared commitment and Derek wanted to commit. And in the aftermath of Meredith's near death experience, she finally broke down. And then there is Burktina (Cristina and Burke)...which never happened. Like I said, everything that could go wrong did. Season 3 was about breaking the characters, exploring them and making all the mistakes. Season 4 is about mending and fixing those mistakes.
This season started slowly, painfully slow I shall say. The characters seemed stuck, all of them. And try as they might, they were unable and unwilling to change. Then, it happened, slowly, but surely, they started to evolve. They started to look beyond themselves and their problems and they started to grow and mature.
The first half of the season (pre-Writer's Strike) was slow and all consuming within itself; it refused to be bothered with the world around it. The first half of the season brought in a lot of change, but none of the characters were equipped or willing to deal with it. Cristina refused to confront her non-wedding, Meredith was still reeling from her near-death experience and her inability to commit with Derek. Nevermind the fact that she has to deal with a new sister! Izzie and George had to deal with a new relationship and a failed one. Alex had himself and Ava to deal with. We also saw some new characters and some characters leave. All in all the first half of the season was horrible, stale, and unable to foster change.
And then the strike happened, and the creative juices must have been at their peak because what we saw in those 5 last episodes was pure brilliance. The characters finally exploded into full blooded beings in our TVs, they were finally in route to who they are supposed to become and they are finally a testament to what Grey's Anatomy is supposed to be: great, emotional and captivating.
I mark the beginning of the change with the arrival of Addison, she came in waltzing in her Zen zone and her unwillingness to get stressed out and reminded everyone of who they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing, all the meanwhile getting stressed herself. The show then became magnificent; my blasé viewing of the show went out the window and FINALLY I became engaged in it once more. The second half of the season was so good that I made every other crappy episode worth it. It even made season 3 worth it because we finally got to see our characters evolve. Thus, whereas Season 3 was the breaking apart of everything, this Season 4 was the mending and evolution of Grey's Anatomy.

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UPC;786936769401DESCRIPTION-Grey s Anatomy is a drama about the intensity of medial training mixed with the funny, sexy and sometimes painful lives of people who are about to discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey. END

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The Stepfather (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having always been a fan of the original film, I was curious to see this remake, even though I expected the worst. While this is an OK watch for thriller fans, it is inferior to the original in every way. In fact the original is more intense, more graphic and just more fun! This film looked and felt like a Lifetime TV movie especially with Ward playing the new wife in this tame and pointless remake.
If you looking to watch a film about a psychotic Stepfather, skip the watered down remake and look for the original, which has finally gotten a long over due DVD release this past year, no doubt because of the remake, so I guess the remake did serve a purpose after all.

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When Michael Harding (Penn Badgley, TV\'s Gossip Girl) returns home from military school, he finds his mom is madly in love with her charming live-in boyfriend David (Dylan Walsh, TV\'s Nip/Tuck). At first, David appears to be the ultimate nice guy and an ideal future husband and stepfather. But when Michael and his girlfriend (Amber Heard, Zombieland) start delving into David\'s past, they begin to discover a dark and dangerous side to Michael\'s new "daddy" in this riveting, chilling thriller.

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King (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)This miniseries is great in that it presents Dr. King as the complex human being that he was with some of his insecurites and personal issues intact as opposed to the saint that he is often portrayed. The intracacies behind the Birmingham, Memphis, and Vietnam campaigns are handled well and Winfield makes a very good MLK. Cicely Tyson does very well as Coretta and incidentally, Rosa Parks is played by MLK's daughter Yolanda. The scenes of MLK smoking cigarettes and the adultery issue will shock a lot of people, but after all, the man was born in Atlanta and not Bethlehem, and these are based on acknowledged facts.
However, these is a scene that will annoy historians and Malcolm X fans. The treatment of King's meeting with M/X is an unfair fictionalization of what really happened. M/X is shown as hatemongering lunatic who encourages people in the ghettoes to burn down their cities. The producers have Malcolm confused with a later generation of militants, as the record shows that while the real Malcolm had his faults, he never publicly condoned mindless violence aside from self-defense.
This aside, and the composition of characters as prototypes of Bayard Rustin and Jesse Jackson aisde, this stays pretty close to the facts. Watch and enjoy, but read a good King bio such as "Bearing the Cross" by Taylor Branch, or "Let the Trumpet Sound" by Stephen Oates afterwards to get a broader picture.

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Nominated for nine Emmy AwardsÂ(r), this "astute and compelling" (Variety) biographybased on the remarkable life of Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., takes an intimate look at one of the world's most public heroes during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. Starring Paul Winfield, Cicely Tyson and Ossie Davis, King is a riveting tale that appropriately honors a true legend.In 1950s/60s America, the civil rights movement found its leader in a Southern Baptist minister. Using lyrical eloquence, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., motivated masses of peopleblack and whiteto demand equality by way of nonviolent protest. But in spite of his peaceful agenda, Dr. King was often the target of terrible violence. He was never swayedfrom his path, however; for by the time he was assassinated in 1968, Dr. King had already defined adream that would change a nation forever.

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The Power of One (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)is the topic of Bryce Courtenay's novel of the same name. The DVD does credence to his excellent (5 star!) book. Virtually unknown to the viewing audience thanks to release errors made when the movie came out in 1992, the story provides a showcase
for the acting talents of Stephen Dorff - then a virtual unknown, today one of our strongest young character actors; he stars as Peekay, a young English orphan torn by the promise of an easier future outside of his native South Africa and his love for all things and most people of his land. He is drawn by his past and the lessons learned from a series of wise mentors, who see in him the promise and hope of a better future for South Africa. Color blind, he grows up speaking many tribal languages, and is foreign only to the politically powerful movement that created the system of Apartheid in South Africa.
Power of One was recommended to me by a dear friend, who said the movie inspired him in many ways. He was so right. The music, a mixture of soaring melodies and tribal songs, inspires on its own. The scenic beauty of the land of South Africa, from the grasslands to the waterfalls is breathtakingly portrayed on film and captured with true artistry in the DVD.
There are many fine supporting players in this tale, some famous, some unknown. Like most tales of heroes and leaders, they shine for awhile in the tale of the child, the adolescent and then the young man Peekay (kudos to the casting director for the two youngsters who play Peekay in his early years; they light up the screen!) and each one's sun sets as Peekay lives through the losses and tragedies that form the backdrop for most heroes.
Really a fine tale - a little long in the last hour, some gratuitous violence - a story of the African struggle that few of us know was taking place while the world watched the Nazis.
If you see the Power of One, and are moved by the story, be sure to read Courtenay's novel. Both are outstanding!

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The Power of One is an intriguing story of a young English boy named P.K. and his passion for changing the world. Growing up he suffered as the only English boy in an Afrikaans school. Soon orphaned, he was placed in the care of a German national named Professor von Vollensteen (a.k.a. "Doc"), a friend of his grandfather. Doc develops P.K.'s piano talent and P.K. becomes "assistant gardener" in Doc's cactus garden. It is not long after WWII begins that Doc is placed in prison for failure to register with the English government as a foreigner. P.K. makes frequent visits and meets Geel Piet, an inmate, who teaches him to box. Geel Piet spreads the myth of the Rainmaker, the one who brings peace to all of the tribes. P.K. is cast in the light of this myth. After the war P.K. attends an English private school where he continues to box. He meets a young girl, Maria, with whom he falls in love. Her father, Professor Daniel Marais, is a leader of the Nationalist Party of South Africa. The two fight to teach the natives English as P.K.'s popularity grows via the myth. Maria is killed. P.K. looses focus until he sees the success of his language school among the tribes. He and Guideon Duma continue the work in hopes of building a better future for Africa.

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Alexander Hamilton (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)PBS has assembled absolutely some of Broadway's most talented stage actors today to recreate, based upon the diaries and writings of the time, an intensely engaging and extremely informative look at arguably one of the most important and influential founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton is studied and dissected from his most ignoble birth as an illegitimate from the West Indies to his rise to fame as leader pro-temp of the American Revolution and his ultimate death in a duel. There is nothing candy-coated about PBS's approach to Hamilton, superbly acted by Tony Award Winning stage actor Brian O' Byrne (DOUBT,FROZEN).Hamilton is presented in an extremely fair and unbiased way as the genius that he was, the braggart and irascible pain he could be,as a dutiful husband, as an adulterer, as an abolitionist,as a friend to Washington and as a foe to Jefferson.In other words, Hamilton will be seen with all of his bravado and all of his warts. Even the most amateur psychologist would have a field day with Hamilton!
The pace is brisk and lively and informative.There is nothing boring or overly documentarian about this PBS special.History becomes VERY ALIVE with this interpretation of Alexander Hamilton. The times, the people and the historical events are portrayed accurately and with real panache, perfect for teaching or simply informative viewing.You will learn about the struggle to bring the Constitution to law, the founders who opposed it and why, and that a lot DOES NOT change to the present!!! A MUST SEE AND HAVE FOR THE SERIOUS VIEWER!
A great companion film would be the Ric Burns' 5 or 7 set NEW YORK which contains a lot of info on Hamilton.

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One of the most controversial men of his age Alexander Hamilton was a gifted statesman brought down by the fatal flaws of stubbornness extreme candor and arrogance. His life and career were marked by a stunning rise to power scandal and tragedy. He had one of the most notorious love affairs of any public figure in American history and met his death in a startling act of political violence the famous duel with Aaron Burr. But his contributions as a statesman survive. As first Secretary of the Treasury during the tumultuous early years of the republic Hamilton led the transformation of the young country into a commercial and industrial powerhouse. He was the one founder who had a vision not of what America was but of what it could become. This two-hour AMERICAN EXPERIENCE tells the story of the underappreciated genius who laid the groundwork for the nation s modern economy including the banking system Wall Street and anopportunity societyin which talent and hard work not birth determined success.System Requirements:Running Time: 120 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating:NR UPC:841887052108 Manufacturer No:705210

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Blind Dating (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)The title and cover of this DVD suggest a film that is more fluff than substance. But don't be fooled by these clues. BLIND DATING is a well-written (Christopher Theo), well-directed (James Keach - brother of Stacy Keach and husband of Jane Seymour) story about the coping of the visually impaired, the quirks of Italian and Indian families, brotherhood, and the gamut of finding the right partner in a world of essential blind dating! One of the reasons the movie works so well is the ability of actor Chris Pine to make us believe he is blind and convey the positive manner in which people with impairments may 'view' those around them.
Danny (Chris Pine) was born prematurely and as a result is blind, and as he grows toward age 21 he feels he is unattractive to women. His family is warm, loving and Italian and supportive - especially his brother Larry (Eddie Kaye Thomas) who runs a Limo service and is constantly trying to find Danny his first physical encounter, be that with hookers, girls from the office or neighborhood, or just referrals - each of whom is a disaster when it comes to dealing with a date who is blind! Danny discovers an operation that implants a camera-like contraption in his brain that will allow him the possibility to see again, even if the images are simply black and white and indistinct. In the office of ophthalmologist Dr. Perkins (Stephen Tobolowsky) is a young girl Leeza (Anjali Ray) who is Indian and whose parents have arranged a wedding with a man she does not love. And yes, in time Danny and Leeza are attracted to each other in what appears to be a doomed relationship - for family reasons. Danny has his operation and is able to see some images, but the implant fails and Danny once again is without sight - but far from being without hope, as both his and Leeza's families undergo changes of heart.
There is a sense of love that emanates from the screen, due in part to the script, the direction, and to the acting. Chris Pine is exceptionally fine in a challenging role, finding the balance between courage, comedy, and tenderness that makes his character believable and lovable, and never once making a move that breaks his image as a sightless person. The entire cast is fine, including a hilarious Jane Seymour as Dr. Evans, Chris' therapist with a penchant for disrobing in front of her sightless patient! But the aspect of the film that sets it apart from many is the presentation of everyday type prejudices that can be every bit as hampering as a physical impairment! This is a warmhearted, very human comedy with many messages. Grady Harp, April 08

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Danny (Chris Pine) is smart, handsome, popular, and blind... and not just physically: He also can't see how wild women are for him. Even his sexy therapist (Jane Seymour) can't keep her clothes on around Danny. After a series of painful "blind dates" set up by his brother (Kaye Thomas), Danny falls for a young Indian woman named Leeza (Anjali Jay), and finally everything seems picture perfect. But when cultures clash, and Leeza reveals that she's been promised to someone else, Danny must prove to her that there's more to love than meets the eye!

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O Henry's Full House (1952) Review

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(More customer reviews)At long last one of my favorite films has finally made it to DVD and I can throw my TV copy VHS away. O Henry has always been a favorite writer of mine and it just so happens that he is buried right here in Asheville, North Carolina. If you visit his grave you will find coins on it in honor of THE GIFT OF THE MAGI. I remember first seeing this film on television back in the early 1960s. I was especially taken by the story of THE LAST LEAF (and still am today). It spurred me on to find and read other O Henry short stories where I then discovered that he had written well over two hundred of them!
For this 1952 omnibus film 5 stories were chosen (THE COP AND THE ANTHEM, THE CLARION CALL, THE LAST LEAF, THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF, and of course MAGI) along with 5 different directors (Howard Hawks, Henry Hathaway, Henry King, Henry Koster, Jean Negulesco) and a top notch cast (Charles Laughton, Richard Widmark, Anne Baxter, Fred Allen, Jeanne Crain and a young Marilyn Monroe). To top it all off 20th Century Fox got author John Steinbeck to introduce the stories. As is often the case with anthology films the stories are a mixed bag with ANTHEM, LEAF, and MAGI being first rate while THE CLARION CALL and THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF miss the mark due to lack of subtlety in direction and in some of the performances (RED CHIEF was cut after the premiere but restored for TV showings).
Nevertheless this release is a 5 star effort all the way thanks to a beautifully restored print and a slew of informative extras including two silent shorts, a trip to the O. Henry Museum in Austin, Texas and no less than a recording of O Henry himself done in the mid 1900s (he died in 1910). An excellent example of the old studio system school of filmmaking at its best and a great incentive to check out the original stories which had to be altered and expanded for the movie (ie. THE LAST LEAF is only 3 pages long in a full size edition).

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O HENRY'S FULL HOUSE - DVD Movie

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Shirley Temple - Little Darling Pack (Little Miss Marker/Now and Forever/The Runt Page) (1934) Review

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(More customer reviews)This set is wonderful but, a few things have changed since this set was first announced. it was to be a 2 disc set and the 2 films were to be the colorized versions. What this set has is just 1 DVD and so both movies are on 1 disc and in black and white. The back of the DVD case shows the colorized photos which makes you think the films are the color versions. The menus also show colorized photos. The VHS versions which are in color looked very good but for some reason Universal decided to not include them.
The real prize of this DVD is the extra, which is Shirley's very first movie and which has NEVER before been available on VHS or DVD or 16MM or any other format. "THE RUNT PAGE".Shirley is not shown much at all during the 10 minutes this film runs. She is shown right after the opening credits and then again during the last 3 minutes. She is very adorable here and, for this first film short, she is wearing only shorts, she would be covered up more in her next 7 berlesk film shorts.
In this film short, she is aware of the camera and theres a few times where she is looking at it. She is so very adorable in her scenes and its amazing that at this time she was 3 years old!
You will really enjoy this film short as well as the 2 movies which are in super quality!
ENJOY!

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SHIRLEY TEMPLE:LITTLE DARLING PARK - DVD Movie

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Fame (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)This Alan Parker film came out in 1980, after the director had horrified everyone with visions of Turkish Prison in MIDNIGHT EXPRESS. But here we have a loving valentine to the kids of New York who dream of being performers at the high school for performing and visual arts. It's a musical, but one where the songs and dancing come out of the kids naturally as they goof off or perform for themselves or each other. You get to see four years of high school, and about 8 kids who reach varying levels of realizations about how hard the world really is when you want to be famous.
Finally FAME gets the DVD treatment! A widescreen transfer, featurettes, and a wonderful video commentary that shows 4 of the leads TODAY talking about their 15 minutes of notoriety as a star of FAME. It's a fun experience to see how they have aged, and what they remember of the filming. Alan Parker is the real star of the commentary though! He gets to talk over the entire movie, but thankfully he's witty and informative. My favorite tidbit was the original name of FAME was HOT LUNCH! Okay... that would have been ... disaster.
Best reason to own this? The music! You can watch the movie once, but I dare you to ever forget the title song "FAME". My personal fave is "Out Here On My Own" for sentimental reasons. You'll want to sign up for dance, voice, and acting lessons after this one.
See where all the hoopla started! Before the television shows, before the musical hit the stage ... there was this gritty movie showing foul-mouthed kids trying to make it in The Big Apple. Or at least through high school!

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Seven classes a day and a hot lunch. That's what New York City's High School for the Performing Arts guarantees. Stardom? That's something the school's teenage musicians, actors, dancers and dreamers strive for.Fame sings the body electric, celebrating the growing-up process of honing talent, confronting realities, finding love, living life. Director Alan Parker (Evita, The Commitments) brings an energetic style to the crisscrossing stories of students (including future Academy Award winner Irene Cara, Paul McCrane (ER), Barry Miller (Saturday Night Fever) and two who returned in the later TV series, Gene Anthony Ray and Lee Curreri). Nominated for six Academy Awards, Fame won Oscars for its dynamic score and title tune.

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Gypsy (1962) Review

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(More customer reviews)When Warner Bros purchased the rights to the 1959 musical hit GYPSY it was intended to make a purely dramatic film, with songs from the Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim Broadway score confined to the theatrical sequences. Rosalind Russell was chosen for the starring (but non-musical) role of Mama Rose along side Natalie Wood as Gypsy Rose Lee. However just as this version of GYPSY began filming, THE MUSIC MAN opened in theatres and scored a huge hit. It was then decided that GYPSY should be filmed as a musical follow-up to THE MUSIC MAN. The production closed down and was revamped as a musical. Rosalind Russell could sing but not in the style her role demanded (all of Mama Rose's songs in the Broadway production were written in the original Mama Rose, Ethel Merman's vocal style). It was decided to bring in singer Lisa Kirk to assist Russell with the vocals rather than re-cast the role. The end result fully justifies this decision because Rosalind Russell's Mama Rose is simply magnificent and the combination of Russell and Kirk in the songs is so perfect you never know (or care) who is doing the singing. No other actress, before or since (which includes such illustrious performers as Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Bette Midler and Tyne Daly), even comes close to conveying the monster in mother's clothing that was Mama Rose the way Russell does while still allowing the humanity of the character to emerge now and then only to become subservient once again to her driving ambition.
Natalie Wood is also excellent as Gypsy Rose Lee, who succeeded beyond her mother's Dreams. Her mother and daughter showdown scene with Russell is riveting. A young, vibrant Ann Jillian gives equally great support as Dainty June, the focus of Mama Rose's machinations for most of the film, who also went on to become June Havoc, one of the most celebrated stage actresses of her time.
Besides great acting, the songs are performed with a bravura and brilliance that far outclasses all other versions of this musical. In fact the Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra plays this music so magnificently it makes the more recent Bette Midler TV version sound anemic by comparison. The Dolby Digital 5:1 Discrete Surround envelopes you into the proceedings and the sharp, richly saturated Technicolor wide screen image (2:35-1) is fully equal to the superb audio.
But it is Rosalind Russell in one of the greatest screen performances ever committed to film that drives this version of GYPSY to the top of the heap and makes this DVD a "must own."

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Everything comes up roses when you let Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood and Karl Malden entertain you in the lavish movie musical of the Broadway hit about Gypsy Rose Lee and her formidable mother. Year: 1962 Director: Mervyn LeRoy Starring: Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden

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Callan: Set 1 (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)David CALLAN (Edward Woodward, The Equalizer) was blackmailed by a secret part of the British Security Services known as "The Section". They wanted his skills. He didn't like or want the job, but he had no choice, but he was good at it. This former soldier turned thief, was 'drafted' by "The Section".
The Section head, codename Hunter (William Squire), AKA Charlie, is cold, ruthless, needs Callan, and cares little about who gets killed. Concern is only the how, why, and if anyone finds out.
There's a nucleus of regular cast, but each episode (9 in this Set 1) is primarily a new suspense story involving espionage, murder, blackmail, and all those good black things. Callan is THE top agent (realism, no James Bond or Get Smart stuff here)--kills when ordered--is a deadly shot--with a tinge of conscious, fair play, and justice. It's a bit on the dark side, every man for himself. A collection of individuals in a dark world, void of trust. A climate where right and wrong have no definition. Sometimes Callan has to much personal emotion for his job of deceit and dirty-tricks. That makes for a fascinating character. Great character relationships throughout the series. Well, some relationships turn downright nasty. Callan even has feelings, though never shown, toward a dirty, criminal type, Lonely (Russell Hunter), who is occasional helpful, in all the bad ways of getting the job done.
The "Section's" colour code for files: RED= dangerous, priority, target death; YELLOW= occasional surveillance; BLUE= wrong party; WHITE= put out of action via prison, bankruptcy, mental home, etc. What colour is your file?
Downside: no subtitles. But they'd help little with the British slang used occasionally like: bird=girl, nik=arrest, belt up=shut up, ta=thanks, quid and bob=$$$ but how much?
A fun series for those who remember the late 60's/early 70's. Filmed at that time period, the British scenes, decor, and clothing styles resemble everyday life in the USA about then. This DVD series is NOT a 1970 period drama, just a very good intelligence/spy series created and aired during the 60's to 70's decade change.
This CALLAN SET 1, originally aired April to June, 1970, is the 3rd season. Many of the B/W episodes telecast earlier had been "lost." Acorn Media has saved this season for all of us. TA. Fortunately in 1970 the show went to color.
Episode 1, WHERE ELSE COULD I GO?
2, SUMMONED TO APPEAR
3, THE SAME TRICK TWICE
4, A VILLAGE CALLED 'G'
5, SUDDENLY--AT HOME
6, ACT OF KINDNESS
7, GOD HELP YOUR FRIENDS
8, BREAKOUT
9, AMOS GREEN MUST LIVE
Watch them all if you dare, but periodically check over your shoulder.

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For an assassin, loyalty and treachery dictate life and death
In a BAFTA-winning performance, Edward Woodward (The Equalizer) stars as Callan, a brooding, conscience-stricken assassin for a shadowy British intelligence service so secret it doesn\'t have a name.
With the Cold War grinding on, agents from the East and West engage in elaborate deceptions, both sides seeking temporary advantage in an endless struggle. No one plays this game better than Callan. His sharp eyes, steely will, and steady hand with a gun make him a valuable asset to his superior, called Hunter (William Squire, Anne of the Thousand Days). But Callan knows his usefulness could end at any moment--especially with the younger, ruthlessly ambitious agent Cross (Patrick Mower, Target) eager to advance. In this amoral world, where men and women serve only as means to another\'s ends, Callan fully understands the consequences of failure, seizing each assignment as one more chance to survive.
DVD FEATURES INCLUDE Callan trivia and biography of Edward Woodward.

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The Sissi Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)This delightful trilogy tells the story of Elisabeth of Bavaria (nicknamed Sisi) who ascended to the Austrian throne at the age of 16 upon marrying her cousin Franz-Josef. In doing so, she became Empress of Austria and beloved Queen of Hungary.
Elisabeth's beauty was legendary. 17-year old Romy Schneider was perfect in the role of the enchanting, outgoing, free-spirit. She plays Sisi from the age of 15 to her mid-20s when the last film ends.
The films were made between 1955 and 1957 as an Austro-German co-production under the helm of Austrian director Ernst Marischka. They are not historically accurate. They are in the style of mid-50s romantic comedies, good-natured and innocent and with a large dose of cornball humour. To modern viewers they may appear dated, schmaltzy and yes corny.
The first film "Sissi" is my favourite. It has the most pageantry and is the archetypal romance with the fairy-tale ending. It begins with Elisabeth's chance meeting with the young Franz-Josef, literally "hooking" him while out fishing in the lakes around Austria's picturesque Salzkammergut. It chronicles their secret whirlwind romance against the wishes of their parents and ends with the lavish Royal Wedding in Vienna amidst general rejoicing.
"Sissi: Die Junge Kaiserin" (The Young Empress) charts the first year of her marriage to Franz-Josef, her unhappiness at court, the meddling of her mother-in-law, her championing of Hungarian rights and ends with the Hungarian coronation.
"Sissi: Der Shicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin" (The Fateful Years of an Empress) chronicles her estrangement from the Austrian court, her diagnosis with a severe lung disease, presumably tuberculosis and her moving to warmer climes; her travels to Madeira, Corfu, Athens, Milan and Venice. The third film takes the most liberties in conflating fact and fiction. All the sad parts of her life have been removed or altered. The film ends with the Imperial Family meeting the Pope at St Mark's Basilica in Venice. The final lingering shot is of the happy family waving at their loyal Italian subjects in the Piazza San Marco as the band strikes up Haydn's rousing Kaiserhymne one last time.
Each of the 3 films is presented on its own individual disc. Disc 4 contains the 139min abridged version shown in America. It is recut with scenes reordered and dubbed into English and contains a new title song "Forever My Love" sung in English. In doing so it omits the original Sissi theme music. It is too truncated for my liking though American viewers averse to reading subtitles and not wanting to spend 5-plus hours on the originals may find this a worthwhile substitute.
Disc 5 contains the 1954 film "Mädchenjahre einer Königin" (Youthful Years of a Queen). 15-year old Romy Schneider plays Britain's newly crowned Queen Victoria. Amidst the scheming to get her married off to one or other of the royal houses of Europe, she travels to Dover and falls madly in love with a dashing young man who turns out to be the love of her life, Prince Albert of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Like the Sissi films this is also a light-hearted romance with humour provided in the form of the 3-stooges-like ladies-in-waiting and the young Queen's bumbling old manservant. Nice costumes and sets but not on the scale of the Sissi films. And the lovely Miss Schneider is much too beautiful to be believable as the stumpy, dour-faced Queen. Still it is a nice change from the Austrian court. And after 4 films filled with the Kaiserhymne (Deutschlandslied), it's actually a pleasure to hear "God Save The Queen" once again. The film is in German with optional English subtitles.
Picture quality is excellent in the main Sissi Trilogy. The entire trilogy has been restored and remastered. A few scattered instances of damaged and off-colour segments can be found but they are thankfully rare. All 3 films are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio (fullscreen). Sound quality is clear 1.0 mono, although it tends to be very bright, noticeable especially when the children come screeching onto the screen. Overall, very pleasing picture and acceptable sound. Optional English subtitles are provided. The 139min American version has NOT been restored. Contrast is set pretty high, the image looks a lot brighter, washed out at times, and colours are slightly off - Franz's blue uniform looks almost green at times. "Mädchenjahre einer Königin" has similarly not been restored and suffers from the same deficiencies. Still they are watchable, about comparable to a TV broadcast of vintage 50s material. Extras are pretty limited: A trailer each for the first and last Sissi films and a vintage 18-minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette for "Die Junge Kaiserin" on Disc 2. Romy Schneider takes us through the filming at the Schönbrunn Summer Palace, the honeymoon in the Tyrolean Alps, and Fuchsl Castle which stands in for Sisi's childhood home of Possenhofen. Three truly delightful gems from the past, beautifully restored. The price though should be a little lower.

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At the age of seventeen, Romy Schneider became an international star through her portrayal of Princess Elisabeth (Sissi) of Austria in the first of three lavish films directed by Ernst Marischka.While she would go on to work with some of the most influential and daring European directors of the era, Schneider will always be remembered by this defining role.Now for the first time on DVD, KOCH LORBER Films proudly presents the restored "Sissi Trilogy" (Sissi, Sissi: The Young Empress, Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress) in its entirety along with the U.S. theatrically released, English-language dubbed version, Forever My Love, and Victoria in Dover (The Story of Vickie), a precursor to the trilogy in which Schneider plays Britain’s Princess Victoria.

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