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Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)

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Double Indemnity
Classic film noir from the great Billy Wilder
It doesn't get any better than this blistering jewel
a great example of the early days of film noir.......
Lust and Greed Lead to Murder

Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
Starring: Fred MacMurray , Barbara Stanwyck , Edward G. Robinson , Porter Hall , and Jean Heather
Director: Billy Wilder , and Jack Smight
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)
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Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)
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Laura (Fox Film Noir)

ASIN: B00005JNG5
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Amazon.com essential video

Director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) and writer Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) adapted James M. Cain's hard-boiled novel into this wildly thrilling story of insurance man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who schemes the perfect murder with the beautiful dame Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck): kill Dietrichson's husband and make off with the insurance money. But, of course, in these plots things never quite go as planned, and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) is the wily insurance investigator who must sort things out. From the opening scene you know Neff is doomed, as the story is told in flashback; yet, to the film's credit, this doesn't diminish any of the tension of the movie. This early film noir flick is wonderfully campy by today's standards, and the dialogue is snappy ("I thought you were smarter than the rest, Walter. But I was wrong. You're not smarter, just a little taller"), filled with lots of "dame"s and "baby"s. Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale, and MacMurray, despite a career largely defined by roles as a softy (notably in the TV series My Three Sons and the movie The Shaggy Dog), is convincingly cast against type as the hapless, love-struck sap. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

Double Indemnity.......2007-06-21

One of the quintessential noir films, Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity" is a masterpiece of stark atmosphere and carefully stylized suspense. The talented Barbara Stanwyck, a familiar face in the 1940s noir universe, assumes her role with feline deviousness, while "My Three Sons" TV dad Fred MacMurray--narrating the film via flashback--brilliantly plays against type. Raymond Chandler's screenplay sizzles with hard-boiled repartee and the great Edward G. Robinson is aces as always as the dogged investigator hot on the lovers' trail. Sinister, tense, and cynical, Wilder's "Indemnity" is riveting film suspense.

Classic film noir from the great Billy Wilder.......2007-06-10

"Double Indemnity" is one of the first films of the genre that would come to be known as "Film Noir".

The plot is classic film noir - a smug, womanising insurance salesman Walter Neff (played by Fred MacMurray) gets in over his head with a conniving femme fatale Phyllis Diedrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) who wants rid of her boorish husband. Neff must also be wary of a suspicious claims manager at his insurance company Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson).

Naturally the story has some dated elements (it was made in 1943) but it still holds up pretty well as entertainment for a modern audience.

MacMurray is excellent in his role as a heel making a change from his usual nice guy roles. He helps make the character sympathetic whereas Stanwycks role has few redeeming features - she really is "rotten". Her turnabout at the end is also somewhat unconvincing. The great Edward G. Robinson steals every scene he's in as the tenacious investigator who has a soft spot for Neff.

The DVD includes a good commentary by Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman with useful insights on the film but it also continually laments the decline of Hollywood, which I think is a trifle unfair.

Like most Billy Wilder films "Double Indemnity" doesn't really have a message - it just provides great entertainment aimed at adults. It also marks a growing shift in the 1940s towards more maturity in Hollywood film-making.

It doesn't get any better than this blistering jewel.......2007-05-30

What else remains to be said about one of the true classics of noir? Fred Macmurry is just right as the sap who thinks he's a lot smarter & sharper than he really is; Edward G. Robinson shines as a dedicated & inexorable seeker of the truth, even as his concern & disappointment for his fallen friend shows clearly; and Barbara Stanwyck scalds the screen as the trashy, blatantly sexy femme fatale with the morals of an alley cat & an icy ruthlessness that stops at nothing -- just look at that cover art! Wrap these characters in moody, bleakly beautiful black & white cinematography, give them a witty, scathing script by Raymond Chandler, and you've got a sordid masterpiece about small-timers whose greedy, self-centered dreams are much larger than their shriveled souls. I can't recommend this film highly enough!

a great example of the early days of film noir..............2007-05-20

DOUBLE INDEMNITY, a 1944 film by Billy Wilder, is one of the most definitive and beautiful examples of early film noir (literally, "black film") at its best. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre of film noir, this was a type of film made popular in the 1940s and 1950s, features very dark cinematography (plenty of shadows intermixed with light), as well as equally dark subject matter. Common themes are murders, affairs and grizzly illegal activity. DOUBLE INDEMNITY is a great example of this style at its best.

Fred MacMurray plays wily insurance man Walter Neff, who finds himself drawn to a beautiful, married woman, Phyllis Dietrichsen, played by the lovely Barbara Stanwyck. Together, they cook a plot to murder her husband, so Walter can make off with the policy money. Of course, things don't go quite according to plan. Enter Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), an investigator who gets wind that "something is rotting in Denmark." Keyes knows that there is something decidedly un-kosher about the whole arrangement between Neff and Dietrichsen, and he is determined to find out where that feeling is coming from.

This film is beautifully acted, directed with great zest, and very, very engaging. Even though some of the dialogue is (delightfully) dated, you are still going to have a great time watching DOUBLE INDEMNITY. There is no question that this is an example of filmmaking, at its best.

Lust and Greed Lead to Murder.......2007-05-15

Late at night a man enters an office building. Mr. Walter Neff is working overtime. Dozens of desks for the clerical workers are void of life. In his office he begins to speak into his Dictaphone about the Diedrickson claim. It all started when Neff went to see about an auto insurance renewal. Mr. Diedrickson wasn't home, but his wife Phyllis was. [The dialogue between them shows Raymond Chandler's skills.] Claims manager Mr. Barton Keyes is skilled in sniffing out false claims. Neff returns to Diedrickson for the auto insurance renewal. Phyllis asks about an accident policy for her husband. Could she get one without her husband's knowledge? Neff explains why she could never get away with it. But Phyllis visits Neff to better explain her wants, and there is a meeting of their minds. [Use your imagination.] Phyllis doesn't like her stepdaughter Lola, and Lola doesn't like her stepmother (there is a reason for this).

Neff explains how insurance companies know all the tricks used to make a murder look like an accident. But Neff impulsively decides to help Phyllis remove an inconvenient husband. [Is this plausible? Like the rain in Los Angeles.] Mr. Diedrickson is concerned about Lola's activities. Neff explains to Phyllis why Mr. Diedrickson must travel by train. Lola also has problems with her boyfriend. Neff plans their surreptitious meeting where they can plot the crime. The film show how they could then check if a doorbell of telephone rang. The murder is cold-blooded and horrible, but off scene. [Did they leave fingerprints on those crutches?]

The actuarial tables are cited to show the encyclopedic knowledge of insurance companies. But Keyes has noticed a discrepancy in this case, and begins to question the apparent facts. Then there is another glitch, something that wasn't foreseen. Daughter Lola meets Neff and tells him some old facts, and some new ones! Keyes surmises how this accident was concocted. There is now great danger for Phyllis and Neff. More surprising complications arise in this story until the shocking ending. [Could a person who murders another be implicitly suicidal?]

One important part of this story is the background of life in 1944 Los Angeles. How much was changed in just twenty years! [There was no mention of war-time rationing or shortages in that grocery supermarket.]

The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)

Average customer rating:

Orlando! Bloom! can't! act!
An ok adaptation for the classic but not on par with the other two films
Excelente aventura
Gotta Have All 3
"The DVD box #2"

The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
Starring: Sean Astin , John Rhys-Davies , Brad Dourif , Bernard Hill , and Christopher Lee
Director: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
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ASIN: B00009TB5G
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Amazon.com

The extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was perhaps the most comprehensive DVD release to date, and its follow-up proves a similarly colossal achievement, with significant extra footage and a multitude of worthwhile bonus features. The extended version of The Two Towers adds 43 minutes to the theatrical version's 179-minute running time, and there are valuable additions to the film. Two new scenes might appease those who feel that the characterization of Faramir was the film's most egregious departure from the book, and fans will appreciate an appearance of the Huorns at Helm's Deep plus a nod to the absence of Tom Bombadil. Seeing a little more interplay between the gorgeous Eowyn and Aragorn is welcome, as is a grim introduction to Eomer and Theoden's son. And among the many other additions, there's an extended epilogue that might not have worked in the theater, but is more effective here in setting up The Return of the King. While the 30 minutes added to The Fellowship of the Ring felt just right in enriching the film, the extra footage in The Two Towers at times seems a bit extraneous--we see moments that in the theatrical version we had been told about, and some fleshed-out conversations and incidents are rather minor. But director Peter Jackson's vision of J.R.R. Tolkien's world is so marvelous that it's hard to complain about any extra time we can spend there.

While it may seem that there would be nothing left to say after the bevy of features on the extended Fellowship, the four commentary tracks and two discs of supplements on The Two Towers remain informative, fascinating, and funny, far surpassing the recycled materials on the two-disc theatrical version. Highlights of the 6.5 hours' worth of documentaries offer insight on the stunts, the design work, the locations, and the creation of Gollum, and--most intriguing for rabid fans--the film's writers (including Jackson) discuss why they created events that weren't in the book. Providing variety are animatics, rough footage, countless sketches, and a sound-mixing demonstration. Again, the most interesting commentary tracks are by Jackson and writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and by 16 members of the cast (eight of whom didn't appear in the first film, and even including John Noble, whose Denethor character only appears in this extended cut). The first two installments of Peter Jackson's trilogy have established themselves as the best fantasy films of all time, and among the best film trilogies of all time, and their extended-edition DVD sets have set a new standard for expanding on the already-epic films and providing comprehensive bonus features. --David Horiuchi

Description

Not seen in theaters, this unique version of the epic adventure features over 40 minutes of new and extended scenes integrated into the film by the director. DVD set consists of four discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries, commentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the film. Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship continue their quest to destroy the One Ring and stand against the evil of the dark lord Sauron. The Fellowship has divided and now find themselves taking different paths to defeating Sauron and his allies. Their destinies now lie at two towers - Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupted wizard Saruman waits and Sauron's fortress at Baraddur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
DVD ROM Features
Documentaries
Interactive Menus
Interviews
Photo gallery
Production Sketches:Four discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries, commentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the film.
Scene Access

Customer Reviews:

Orlando! Bloom! can't! act!.......2007-06-12

I first saw this when it came out and like many people I was quite excited to see a full length live action (ie non animation) version of books that were a big part of my growing up years.

Although back then I enjoyed the film, looking back at it for the first time in many years later, I was surprised at my reaction to it. The visuals are still great, and the CGI still holds up pretty well. But the main problem I had with the film was the acting. It ranges from good to poor, but for me it's this inconsistency that stops me from getting immersed in the film. The film has a glaring conflict of acting styles from the quite old school Shakespearean of Ian McKellans Gandalf, to the "Method" acting of Aragorn, to just plain wooden-ness. There's an obvious problem with accents too, so we have American's trying to sound English, Australians trying to sound English, Australians trying to sound Irish, Londoners trying to sound like they're from Cornwall, and nobody really getting it totally right. For such a big budget movie, this lapse of quality is surprising. And, as my review header may suggest, I think Orlando Bloom is the worst screen actor I've yet seen. He's not just mediocre or okay, he's sometimes so bad, so woodenly earnest in his delivery that I actually laughed out loud a few times. "You would die before your stroke fell!" ranks up there with some of the all time worst acting performances in film history. If he was told to show grief he would furrow his brow a bit and frown. If it was surprise he was trying to convey he'd widen his eyes a bit and open his mouth a bit. It's all there in the movie.

The "comic relief" scenes with Gimli are only slightly less annoying than Jar Jar Binks too.

I can look back on this and enjoy some bits in this film and the other films of the trilogy but I don't believe that this series of movies is going to ever be classics of the future. Classics don't have you squirming in embarrassment at the acting.

An ok adaptation for the classic but not on par with the other two films.......2007-05-15

**Warning this review contains many spoilers** For staters I personally love the Lord of the Rings. This includes the movies but more so the books. I thought The Fellowship of the Rings was as near perfect an adaptation as a movie could have come to the book and I feel the same way about The Return of the King. Both are among the best movies I have ever seen. The Two Towers, however, falls short of it's antecessor's and predecessor's near perfection. When I first read the book I was amazed and fell in love with the powerful story and characters Tolkien had created but when I saw the movie I was very dissapointed. I have thought long and hard about what I don't like in this film and in fact I just finished watching it again. I also want everyone to understand that I'm not some crazed fan who is upset that they didn't include everything in the movie that was in the book. I am somewhat of a film maker myself and I know all to well how important pacing is. So here is my review from a film student's perspective.

The movie starts out very strong. The opening flashback to the fight in Moria is a masterpiece and probably the films strongest momment. We then meet up with all the old characters from the first movie. These opening scenes are very well done with some amazing cinematography, music, and special effects. These scenes are also very well paced. Jackson keeps the movie moving along and manages to introduce the new characters without ever getting off topic (something that plagues him later on). To be honest I have no complaints about these early scenes.

However, the film starts to go downhill about halfway through. To make Lord of the Rings more politically correct Jackson needed more female characters. So he expanded the role of Arwen. This worked great in the first one and I think her inclusion adds a lot to The Return of the King also. But in this one she just seems tagged on. There is a flashback sequence where we see her and Aragorn in Rivendell. At first this seems to work but it just goes on and on. It could have easily been cut down. To drag the story down even more right after the flashback we are treated to the films most unnecessary scene were Jackson totally gets off topic. We flash to present Rivendell where Elrond convinces Arwen to leave for Valinor. I was pretty sure that that was what Aragorn just did in the flashback. I simply became bored with the scene's redundency. To drag this vital middle section of the movie down even further Jackson cuts to some kind of weird flashforward to Aragorn's death. This is completely redundant to the point of the scene which is itself unnecessary. But this wasn't enough to get me to dislike the entire movie I was still looking forward to watching the rest.

However, my hopes were soon destroyed for the movie's second most unnecessary scene came right after it. Instead of simply having some nice and much needed character development as they march to Helm's Deep Peter Jackson decided to throw in probably the dumbest plot twist he could have: Aragorn dies... well not really but you think he does. For some reason Jackson felt it was important to throw a battle in and for some reason (God knows why) he thougth it would help the movie to make everyone think Aragorn was dead. At this point I totally started to lose interest in the movie. In a film the middle is one of the most important points for that is when you start building to the climax. Instead we get 15 minuets of slowmotion shots of everyone mourning Aragorn's death only to have him show up a little while later. I was just so bored at this point I could hardly stand it.

Luckly the pace starts to pick up but instead of getting exicted in anticipation for the big battle I just found myself thinking get on with it. All the very necessary character develoment before the battle could have easily taken the place of the unnecessary mess of scenes that didn't even appear in the book itself. But at last the battle arrived. Despite the King's long and boring monologue before it the battle was great... at first. The problem: it was just too long. It took away far to much from Fordo and Sam. To make things worse Jackson decided to trash Tolkeins wonderful ending with Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. Instead we get some poorly written scene that takes us way way off topic, farther off topic than any of the pointless scenes Pater Jackson wrote for the movie thus far. It is a scene that features a character no one cares about: Faramir. So what is this scene, well Faramir takes Frodo all the way back to Gondor! At this point I realized that Peter Jackson is quite possilbly one of the worst writers in Hollywood (an opinion that King Kong supports). The only reason the other two movies were so great was because he stuck more closely to the source material. Any auhtor or writer could have told him that this was a big mistake and totally off topic but apparently the other people who helped him write the script were either amazingly stupid or in a big hurry to finish the script in time. I just don't understand why someone would scrap a classic ending to a classic novel written by a master storyteller in favor of some poorly written, uncreative, and redundent garbage. I have been pretty supportive of all the changes Peter Jackson made but this crosses the line. Never have I seen a director with the ego to alter a beloved story so profoundly in favor of his own ending. When you choose to adapt a novel you lose some degree of creative freedom and this is just the most unbelievable example of a director going to far.

My last bit of criticism is directed at the way Jackson decided to end the film. He some reason thought that he needed some closure for the movie (despite the fact that there's a sequel) so he had Frodo and Sam make up only to have them start fighting again at the start of the third film. This was a poor choice but since he completely ruined the cliffhanger ending I guess he needed some kind of closure to end it with. But once again his poor ability as a storyteller shows because now we find ourselves with a fade out almost exactly like the ending to the first one and it seems like Fordo and Sam have made no progress whatsoever in the journey. A poor ending to a dissapointing followup to one of the best movies of our time. The only thing that saves this film from becoming analogous to The Matrix Reloaded is what little remains of Tolkien's masterpeice inside this shell of egotism that Jackson poorly constructed.

Excelente aventura.......2007-05-13

A mi modo de ver fiel a la version escrita, aunque le hayan cortado la parte final para insertarla en el retorno del Rey. Como las otras dos pelicuals recomendable!.

Gotta Have All 3.......2007-04-27

the ring trilogy is the ultimate battle between good and evil...and the same struggle within, that we all must face...
if i could choose a character out of middle-earth, and become that character, i would choose king theoden...i watch his parts over and over..like "where is the horse and the rider?" and i love some of his other lines...like when his men say,"but we cannot defeat them" ...and theoden replys, "no" ... "but we will meet them in battle, none the less" or somethin' like that.(but that is in the third movie) :-)
...he's so dang tuff! and wears really cool armor.
i happen to like those hollywood battle scenes, alot, so i enjoy watching the battle at helm's deep, over and over.
and, of course, at the same time, we have little frodo...where the internal conflict resides...different kind of battle...but same problem...
"good 'vs' evil".
but i don't wanna be frodo...i want to be theoden.
who would you choose?

wake.

"The DVD box #2".......2007-04-11

Well, this is by far the BEST DVD box that i ever bought, as a fan of tolkien those extra cenes just blown me away, i feel like it was a new Lord of The Rings movie.If you're a fan of Middle Earth this dvd is a "must have" in the dvd section.

One of the extra scenes show the relationship of Boromir and his brother Faramir back at Gondor, and what happens before Boromir travel to Rivendell to join the Council of Elrond and the Fellowship of the Ring, just stunning.

Buy the Return of the King and Fellowship of the ring too, you will not be dissapointed.

Tombstone - The Director's Cut (Vista Series)

Average customer rating:

Your Brother's Not Always Right...
I love this movie!!!
Tombstone is tops
Tombstone review
Phenomenal

Tombstone - The Director's Cut (Vista Series)
Starring: Kurt Russell , Val Kilmer , Sam Elliott , Bill Paxton , and Powers Boothe
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Wyatt Earp (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Unforgiven
Open Range
Silverado (2 Disc Superbit Gift Set)
Young Guns (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00005RHGL
Release Date: 2002-01-15

Amazon.com

This Western has become a modest cult favorite since its release in 1993, when the film was met with mixed reviews but the performances of Kurt Russell (as Wyatt Earp) and especially Val Kilmer, for his memorably eccentric performance as the dying gunslinger Doc Holliday, garnered high praise. The movie opens with Wyatt Earp trying to put his violent past behind him, living happily in Tombstone with his brothers and the woman (Dana Delany) who puts his soul at ease. But a murderous gang called the Cowboys has burst on the scene, and Earp can't keep his gun belt off any longer. The plot sounds routine, and in many ways it is, but Western buffs won't mind a bit thanks to a fine cast and some well-handled action on the part of Rambo director George P. Cosmatos, who has yet to make a better film than this. --Jeff Shannon

Description

George P. Cosmatos presents the Director's Cut of his incredibly popular TOMBSTONE, the action-packed, star-studded western that brings the legendary feud between the Earps and the Clantons to life. Former U.S. Marshall Wyatt Earp's (Kurt Russell) plan for peace, quiet, and prosperity misfires when he, his brothers, and the outrageous rogue Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) encounter that ruthless band of outlaws, the Clantons. Gripping performances and explosive action fill the screen in this legendary western about Tombstone and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Customer Reviews:

Your Brother's Not Always Right..........2007-06-30

But he's always your brother and that's the central theme of Tombstone. I was trying to think of a way I could be a little more detached about his movie than I feel like being, but there's no point in trying to do so. The fact is that this is a wonderful film with a wonderful story line and wonderful acting. Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday sucks out all the oxygen in every scene he's in (and even a few where he's off camera). He is devoted to his best friend Wyatt Earp for many reasons but chiefly because he's one of the only friends that he has. Admittedly, this is only a semi-historically accurate portrait of Holliday but the sacrifices he makes for the Earp brothers are touching and admirable. In my mind, the gambler/dentist is the perfect embodiment of loyalty and honor. These are very politically incorrect virtues so we must be thankful that some element of pop culture decided to enshrine them somewhere. Independent of its symbolic and emotional resonance, Tombstone is just a plain old good time. Whatever you want to call it--an action pic, a western or a drama--it's superb and fantastic cinema.

I love this movie!!!.......2007-06-13

Tombstone is one of my favorite movies!!! I thought it was about time I bought the DVD.

Tombstone is tops.......2007-06-11

This movie is very close to the actual circumstances of the OK Corral. Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot (who is so perfect in westerns it makes you wonder if he was time shifted from 1880!!), and Bill Paxton are great! Then you see some of the actors from classic western movies and TV back as older men. Another one that we have memorized the lines to and still have to watch it each time it is on the satellite!! If you've never seen it....buy it, pop some popcorn, pour some butter on it and turn on the home theater!!

Tombstone review.......2007-06-08

Excellent movie. Hard to beat if you are a true western fan. Amazon service is great!

Phenomenal.......2007-06-05

This movie is absolutely awesome. Sure, that sounds like a young awe struck boy in its description of the film, but that is what it reduced me to. Some of the best one-liners of all-time, and a great chemistry between the always solid Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. Kilmer is at his best as the Consumption addled (read TB) Doc Holliday. This is a novie that I have never heard a bad thing about, even though the discussions almost always involve guys. Really a fun and well-made film. One of the few movies that I can watch time and time again. A 5 star classic. Enjoy!!!

New York Yankees 1977 World Series Collector's Edition

Average customer rating:

Forced Widescreen?
For those who remember and those who will never forget...
Worth it for Yankees fans, but picture really annoying
Great History, Rotten Video

New York Yankees 1977 World Series Collector's Edition
Starring: Reggie Jackson , Thurman Munson , Billy Martin , George Steinbrenner , and Mike Torrez
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Minnesota Twins 1987 World Series Collector's Edition
The New York Yankees Fall Classic Collector's Edition 1996-2001
The Pittsburgh Pirates 1979 World Series Collector's Edition
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Product Features:

Classic DVD
Exclusive interviews, highlights, and behind the scenes coverage
DVD's main menu allow you to jump directly to the action
Presented in full-screen digital video

ASIN: B000NA2TT2
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Product Description

From every perspective, pundits and fans alike anticipated nothing less than an amazing World Series Championship in 1977 as classic rivals the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off for the ninth time in World Series history. In an intense series, the Yankees churned out dramatic and precise wins to capture the Club s first World Series crown in fifteen years. Intensified by SleeveStats tm official stats, trivia, and game summaries, this collection is the ultimate baseball DVD experience and the perfect addition to any Yankees fan s collection. Complete, uncut games from the entire 1977 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgersnever before available in their entirety. Includes Reggie Jackson s record-tying 3-home-run performance which sealed the Yankees World Series victory. Features over 15 hours of footage filled with Yankees greats such as Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Willie Randolph. Timed to release around the much anticipated original docudrama "The Bronx is Burning," about the historic 1977 series, premiering on ESPN in July. DVD FEATURES INCLUDE: 1977 World Series Clubhouse Victory Celebration 1977 World Series Trophy Presentation Rare Interviews: Reggie Jackson, Willie Randolph, Ron Guidry, Lou Piniella, George Steinbrenner, Chris Chambliss, Dusty Baker, Burt Hooton, Mickey Rivers, Roy White, Paul Blair, Brian Doyle Inside the Moments Reggie Jackson's 3 HR Game, the Reggie Jackson/Billy Martin confrontation in Fenway Park

Amazon.com

It was one of the first signs of the modern era of baseball when New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner took advantage of new free-agency rules to restock his team. One of his acquisitions, outfielder Reggie Jackson, proved himself worthy of his self-label as "the straw that stirs the drink" by powering a record five home runs in the 1977 World Series, breaking a 15-year Yankee championship drought and branding him "Mr. October." The 1977 New York Yankees Collector's Edition set has all six games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, plus the clinching fifth game of the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals (featuring a late Yankee comeback and a brawl between third basemen Graig Nettles and George Brett). Also included are new interviews with a number of the players, including Reggie Jackson, Willie Randolph, Ron Guidry, Lou Piniella, Chris Chambliss, Mickey Rivers, Roy White, Dusty Baker, and Burt Hooton, and some footage of the memorable mid-season squabble between Jackson and manager Billy Martin, plus SleeveStats that print the box score, inning-by-inning summaries, and trivia on each DVD Thinpak case. As a time capsule, it's interesting to watch the players in action--not only future Hall of Famer Jackson (remember how in his three-homer effort in the clinching game, he actually started the Yankees comeback with a base on balls?), pre-Cy Young winner Guidry, and future managers Randolph, Piniella, and Baker. It's also instructive to watch a different era of the game, one that saw Yankees closer Sparky Lyle pitch 3-2/3 innnings for the game 1 win, and umpires who would watch pitches bounce in the dirt without batting an eye, rather than obsessively replacing anything with a hint of a scuff. And even though their team lost, longtime Dodger fans will enjoy watching the squad that boasted four 30-homer hitters, future Hall of Famer Don Sutton, and the record-setting infield of Garvey, Lopes, Russell, and Cey. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Forced Widescreen?.......2007-06-17

I've now watched all seven games in this set and I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane. The video quality is acceptable for something 30 years old, and the sound is fine with the exception of a 1 minute gap in the bottom of the fifth of Game 1. Having said that, the fools who produced this set formatted it for widescreen TVs by chopping off the top and bottom of the original 4X3 broadcast. Yeah, it fits a 16X9 TV nicely, but the players have no feet, you can't read the bottom line of the graphics, and you feel like you are watching the game through a tunnel. Why would they do something so stupid when most 16X9 TVs and/or DVD players allow you to adjust the aspect ratio yourself - if you choose to do so???

I really like these old broadcasts on ABC because the picture is pure baseball without all of the worthless information FOX crams on the top of the screen on the more recent sets. But please, if the game wasn't recorded in widescreen don't force it by cutting the original picture!

For those who remember and those who will never forget..........2007-06-04

"Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!"

Those who love baseball or even just like it often have that one era that absolutely defined the game for them; for me, it was, and always will be the 1977 New York Yankees - the time of Thurman Munson (R.I.P.), Bucky Dent, Lou Piniella, Graig Nettles, Billy Martin and my all-time favortie baseball hero (to this day), REGGIE JACKSON!!!

From my perspective and my memories, I recall that in 1977, the eyes of the world seem to momentarily focus on New York City - some crazy mountain climber (can't remember his name) decided to scale one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center and was fined $1.10 for all 110 stories of the building, the Son of Sam serial killer was still at large, NYC nearly tore itself apart during the summer blackout, disco and Studio 54 ruled the night and, oh yeah, Jackson's three (3) legendary home runs during Game 6 of the World Series against the L.A. Dodgers. They would repeat their World Series victory against the Dodgers once again a year later in 1978.

Despite the poor picture quality at time (these TV telecasts are 30 years-old; what more can you expect?), I was in awe of watching my classic baseball heroes take the field again. I had also completely forgotten that when Game 6 ended and the Yankess won it, Reggie had to literally run for his life off of the field in order to avoid being mauled by the joyous fans who swarmed the field.

I'll always remember and I'll never forget!

Worth it for Yankees fans, but picture really annoying.......2007-05-28

As mentioned, the picture in almost every game chops out the bottom part of the on-screen graphics. It is rather frustrating. Game Six of the World Series and Game Five of the ALCS are the best as far as seeing the graphics. Unfortunately, the video quality isn't very good for Game Six and the ALCS game is missing parts of the game. It isn't missing much, but enough so you'll notice. Also, the audio fluctuates during games. Keith Jackson, Tom Seaver, and Howard Cosell handle announcing duties during ABC's broadcast of the World Series. As a nice touch, A&E and MLB Productions placed the local Yankees telecast of the ALCS game on this set. The announcing for that game is handled by Bill White, Frank Messer, and the one and only Phil Rizzuto. Bottom line, this DVD set is a worthy purchase, but you might not want to pay full price.

Great History, Rotten Video.......2007-05-10

This review is based on having viewed Disk One of the set. The DVD starts with a disclaimer saying the quality will not be good but the best available masters have been used. What that means is the bottom of the image is cut off (often making the last line of the player's stats unreadable) and the image is shifted down slightly, leaving a slight black bar at the top of the screen. Yes, my TV is adjusted properly. The MLB logo has also been watermarked into the top right of the image, but that was to be expected after viewing previous MLB releases. The video is fairly grainy, but even more troubling is the complete loss of sound for nearly a minute during the middle of the game. Other notes: This is the ABC broadcast with Howard Cosell and Tom Seaver doing the play-by-play, but without the bumpers, pre-game etc. Bottom line: Definitely worth watching for historical reasons, but you may want to rent before buying.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

What happened to the books in this movie??
My daughter and I loved the Movie
A Good Movie, but Disappointing to Snicket Fans
Great Comedic Satire
Interesting

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Jim Carrey , Liam Aiken , Emily Browning , Kara Hoffman , and Shelby Hoffman
Director: Brad Silberling
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007PICAS
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Amazon.com

If you spliced Charles Addams, Dr. Seuss, Charles Dickens, Edward Gorey, and Roald Dahl into a Tim Burtonesque landscape, you'd surely come up with something like Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Many critics (in mostly mixed reviews) wondered why Burton didn't direct this comically morbid adaptation of the first three books in the popular series by Daniel Handler (a.k.a. "Lemony Snicket," played here by Jude Law and seen only in silhouette) instead of TV and Casper veteran Brad Silberling, but there's still plenty to recommend the playfully bleak scenario, in which three resourceful orphans thwart their wicked, maliciously greedy relative Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), who subjects them to... well, a series of unfortunate events. Along the way they encounter a herpetologist uncle (Billy Connolly), an anxious aunt (Meryl Streep) who's afraid of everything, and a variety of fantastical hazards and mysterious clues, some of which remain unresolved. Given endless wonders of art direction, costume design, and cinematography, Silberling's direction is surprisingly uninspired (in other words, the books are better), but when you add a throwaway cameo by Dustin Hoffman, Law's amusing narration, and Carrey's over-the-top antics, the first Lemony movie suggests a promising franchise in the making. --Jeff Shannon

A Message from Count Olaf

Dear Adoring Fan of Count Olaf,

Perhaps once every thousand years, a talent emerges that completely changes the way movies are made, orphans are orphaned, and heartthrobs throb. Often this talent has only one eyebrow, as is the case with one of the most cherished and admired actors scheming today. Surely you can you guess of whom I think. No, you fool! I am referring to the One...the Only...the Unbelievably Handsome Count Olaf! Or, as I like to call him, Me. If you've already seen my performance in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, you must still be speechless. But if you haven't, you are in serious danger. Just teasing. But you could be after I send one of my gifted henchpersons to your home! So why not get my movie on DVD? This major motion spectacle has everything. Me, acting! Leeches, attacking! Orphans, almost falling off a cliff! Of course, if you are familiar with books by Lemony Snicket, you know that they include all of these things too, but most of what he says is lies, and the rest is completely boring. There's never been a film that demands repeated viewing in quite the same way, with a diabolical genius writing you a letter that says, "I DEMAND REPEATED VIEWING!!!" Plus with DVD extras, you'll get at least 20% more Olaf for your money. And... just for you, for an unlimited time only, I'll throw in Aunt Josephine free with purchase.* So, noble Amazonians, put down your hunting spears and exotic headdresses, and prepare to bask in True Greatness. Or, as I like to call it, Me. Of course you may have my autograph!

Count Olaf

*Count Olaf will not be held liable or accept blame in any way for any and all liability, loss, damage, or personal injury (including death), without limit and without regard once Aunt Josephine is thrown in, due to the unpredictable behavior of hungry leeches.

Stills from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Click to Enlarge)

Violet, Count Olaf, and Klaus
Aunt Josephine
Count Olaf and Aunt Josephine
Directing Jim Carrey

Klaus, Mr. Poe, Sunny, and Violet
Count Olaf
Olaf Ascending
The Baudelaire Orphans

All Things Snicket
See a complete list of all Lemony Snicket's creations, including books from the Series of Unfortunate Events, calendars, and more.

The Essential Lemony Snicket Books

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ominous Omnibus, Books 1-3
The Situation Worsens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 4-6
The Dilemma Deepens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 7-9

The Slippery Slope: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 10
The Grim Grotto: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 11
A Library of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-10

Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf: A Series of Unfortunate Events Movie Book
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
The Puzzling Puzzles Activity Book

More from the Movie

Original Movie Poster
Soundtrack
Wall Poster

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Computer & Video Games

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For PC
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For GameCube

Description

In LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, after Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire's parents perish in a terrible fire, they are placed in the care of their uncle, Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), an evil fiend who is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune. The orphans travel from guardian to guardian, including herpetologist Montgomery Montgomery (Billy Connolly) and grammar-wise Aunt Josephine Anwhistle (Streep), but the worst guardian of all is Count Olaf. Plotting to steal the children's fortune, Olaf disguises himself as his assistant Stephano and ship captain Julio Sham and keeps popping up in the strangest places. Just when the Baudelaires think things are getting better, something unfortunate happens!

Customer Reviews:

What happened to the books in this movie??.......2007-06-25

I don't know what happened, but this movie was all over the place. It is supposed to be about the first three books, but so much was left out that it left you wondering "WHY DID THEY MAKE THIS MOVIE IF THEY WERE GOING TO CUT OUT EVERYTHING???" And, where it did keep in line with the story, the characters were doing things that other characters did and some of the characters from the book were not even in the movie, like the fat man/woman whom I so wanted to see.

Another disappointing area was that it made up "unfortunate events" as if the books didn't have enough, and it totally changed everything around, like ending the movie with parts from book one.

If you haven't read the books and don't plan on reading them, then by all means purchase the movie. However, the books are more entertaining and leave you wanting more. The movie just leaves you.

My daughter and I loved the Movie.......2007-06-11

Neither I nor my daughter had read the books prior to seeing the movie. With that said, we loved the film. It was funny, well-acted, had great pacing, and was very compelling. The story was immersive and the visuals were fantastic and a real treat to watch. Also, Jim Carrey was wonderful.

Whether or not you've seen the book, this is a children's film that stands on its own.

A Good Movie, but Disappointing to Snicket Fans.......2007-05-15

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a large series by Lemony Snicket on which this movie cleverly but poorly and disappointingly represents. To make the movie, the first three books were morphed together, because it made more of a video type story line. It is rated PG. Magnificently, it stars Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, the cruel criminal.

"Daga?" Sunny asked in her baby language, which probably meant "Look at that strange figure emerging from the fog," or perhaps "What is a banker, like Mr. Poe, doing trudging through the sand to find us at Briny Beach?" For departing from the fog, came Mr. Poe as if he was a small monster leaving his home. "Baudelaire's," he solemnly said to the children in front of him, "I am sorry to inform you that your parents died in a fire that took down the entire house." Violet, Klaus, and Sunny had left their wonderful parents and gorgeous mansion that morning to have a glorious day at the beach, but obliviously that just changed. The Baudelaire's were an extremely wealthy family and now the children had an enormous fortune in the bank under their name. Kindly, Mr. Poe delivered them to their closest family member, because that was what he thought was best. After all, his home was only thirty-seven blocks away from the site on which their home had once stood but was now a home of ash. "Count Olaf is your third cousin, four times removed or your fourth cousin, three times removed." Mr. Poe explained. Unfortunately, the Baudelaire's had never heard of a Count Olaf. They knew nothing. They were lost. They were alone. When they arrived, they pulled in front a beautiful little house with a smiling woman standing on the step. She greeted them and introduced herself as Justice Struass. Politely, the Baudelaire's asked if she lived with Count Olaf. She laughed. "No," she suddenly got solemn, "He is my neighbor." Following her gaze, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny placed their eyes for the first time on the miserable, torn down, and strange shack with a tower that would be their home.

With utter despair, the Baudelaire's looked at the destroyed property, while they somehow knew this was just the first chapter to their series of unfortunate events. Mr. Poe led them to the door after saying their goodbyes to Justice Struass. When Mr. Poe reached to use the knocker, it fell into the house. Immediately, they heard a deep voice call, "Intrude!" They entered. Standing up above them, stood a man with an evil, happy look, which sat upon his face. As he coldly welcomed them, ignominiously he pranced dramatically down the stairs and landed on his left foot. On his left ankle, Olaf had a tattoo of an eye. Without warning, he whirled Mr. Poe out the door. Next, Olaf took the orphans on a tour of the rest of his miserable house. As most people know, first impressions can be entirely wrong. The first impression of Olaf and his wrecked abode was correct, because the lives of the Baudelaire's were going to be like what they foreknew at the beginning.

Daily, Olaf would give the Baudelaire's a long list of treacherous chores and trudge off to his tower room. Doing these chores, completing everything that Olaf said, and trying to stay alive was no easy job for them, because Olaf made sure that they had a full schedule. Once, he walked in with his acting troupe while they were scrubbing the floor. As if the orphans were his slaves, he demanded dinner. They searched the kitchen. They eventually made a meal, which would feed the entire acting troupe. Enraged that the Baudelaire's had not made roast beef, Count Olaf grabbed Sunny and struck Klaus. Olaf locked the children up, leaving them there in despair. How would the Baudelaire's get out of Olaf's clutches?

Over all, this unfortunate movie twists the books in an interesting way, which usually is unsatisfactory to most fans of Snicket. Definitely, it is worth watching, because it is an entertaining movie. A Series of Unfortunate Events is an succesuful movie but as different from the genuine books as a book critique is to the real book.

Great Comedic Satire .......2007-05-15

The script, acting, and sets were great. I like it more everytime I watch it.

Interesting.......2007-03-13

I hope they make more movies from this series. I like Jim Carrey and the other stars of the film make it quite funny. I enjoyed the movie, it's good for both the young and old.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

What happened to the books in this movie??
My daughter and I loved the Movie
A Good Movie, but Disappointing to Snicket Fans
Great Comedic Satire
Interesting

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Jim Carrey , Liam Aiken , Emily Browning , Kara Hoffman , and Shelby Hoffman
Director: Brad Silberling
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0007PICAI
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Amazon.com

A Message from Count Olaf

Dear Adoring Fan of Count Olaf,

Count Olaf

More from the Movie

Original Movie Poster
Soundtrack
Wall Poster

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Computer & Video Games

For PS2
For PC
For Xbox
For GameCube

Description

Customer Reviews:

What happened to the books in this movie??.......2007-06-25

My daughter and I loved the Movie.......2007-06-11

A Good Movie, but Disappointing to Snicket Fans.......2007-05-15

Great Comedic Satire .......2007-05-15

The script, acting, and sets were great. I like it more everytime I watch it.

Interesting.......2007-03-13

I hope they make more movies from this series. I like Jim Carrey and the other stars of the film make it quite funny. I enjoyed the movie, it's good for both the young and old.

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set)

Average customer rating:

LOTR
Great DVD!
Brilliant Film!!!!
The Best of the Three
Gotta Have All 3

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set)
Starring: Sean Astin , John Rhys-Davies , Brad Dourif , Bernard Hill , and Ian Holm
Director: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: New Line Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Harry Potter 4)

ASIN: B000634DCC
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Amazon.com

The greatest trilogy in film history, presented in the most ambitious sets in DVD history, comes to a grand conclusion with the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Not only is the third and final installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien the longest of the three, but a full 50 minutes of new material pushes the running time to a whopping 4 hours and 10 minutes. The new scenes are welcome, and the bonus features maintain the high bar set by the first two films, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

What's New?

One of the scenes cut from the theatrical release but included here, the resolution of the Saruman storyline, generated a lot of publicity when the movie opened, as actor Christopher Lee complained in the press about losing his only appearance. It's an excellent scene, one Jackson calls "pure Tolkien," and provides better context for Pippin to find the wizard's palantir in the water, but it's not critical to the film. In fact, "valuable but not critical" might sum up the ROTK extended edition. It's evident that Jackson made the right cuts for the theatrical run, but the extra material provides depth and ties up a number of loose ends, and for those sorry to see the trilogy end (and who isn't?) it's a welcome chance to spend another hour in Middle-earth. Some choice moments are Gandalf's (Ian McKellen) confrontation with the Witch King (we find out what happened to the wizard's staff), the chilling Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor, and Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) being mistaken for Orc soldiers. We get to see more of Éowyn (Miranda Otto), both with Aragorn and on the battlefield, even fighting the hideously deformed Orc lieutenant, Gothmog. We also see her in one of the most anticipated new scenes, the Houses of Healing after the battle of the Pelennor Fields. It doesn't present Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) as a savior as the book did, but it shows the initial meeting between Éowyn and Faramir (David Wenham), a relationship that received only a meaningful glance in the theatrical cut.

If you want to completely immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's marvelous and massive achievement, only the extended edition will do.

And for those who complained, no, there are no new endings, not even the scouring of the Shire, which many fans were hoping to see. Nor is there a scene of Denethor (John Noble) with the palantir, which would have better explained both his foresight and his madness. As Jackson notes, when cuts are made, the secondary characters are the first to go, so there is a new scene of Aragorn finding the palantir in Denethor's robes. Another big difference is Aragorn's confrontation with the King of the Dead. In the theatrical version, we didn't know whether the King had accepted Aragorn's offer when the pirate ships pulled into the harbor; here Jackson assumes that viewers have already experienced that tension, and instead has the army of the dead join the battle in an earlier scene (an extended cameo for Jackson). One can debate which is more effective, but that's why the film is available in both versions. If you feel like watching the relatively shorter version you saw in the theaters, you can. If you want to completely immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's marvelous and massive achievement, only the extended edition will do.

How Are the Bonus Features?

To complete the experience, The Return of the King provides the same sprawling set of features as the previous extended editions: four commentary tracks, sharp picture and thrilling sound, and two discs of excellent documentary material far superior to the recycled material in the theatrical edition. Those who have listened to the seven hours of commentary for the first two extended editions may wonder if they need to hear more, but there was no commentary for the earlier ROTK DVD, so it's still entertaining to hear him break down the film (he says the beacon scene is one of his favorites), discuss differences from the book, point out cameos, and poke fun at himself and the extended-edition concept ("So this is the complete full strangulation, never seen before, here exclusively on DVD!"). The documentaries (some lasting 30 minutes or longer) are of their usual outstanding quality, and there's a riveting storyboard/animatic sequence of the climactic scene, which includes a one-on-one battle between Aragorn and Sauron.

One DVD Set to Rule Them All
Peter Jackson's trilogy has set the standard for fantasy films by adapting the Holy Grail of fantasy stories with a combination of fidelity to the original source and his own vision, supplemented by outstanding writing, near-perfect casting, glorious special effects, and evocative New Zealand locales. The extended editions without exception have set the standard for the DVD medium by providing a richer film experience that pulls the three films together and further embraces Tolkien's world, a reference-quality home theater experience, and generous, intelligent, and engrossing bonus features. --David Horiuchi

Description

The WINNER of 11 Academy Awards* including BEST PICTURE is now 50 minutes longer! This extended version of the epic conclusion of The Lord of the Rings trilogy includes new score by Howard Shore and over 350 new digital effects shots.

Customer Reviews:

LOTR.......2007-06-27

This was the completion to my LOTR collection. Great buy and even better to watch.

Great DVD!.......2007-06-27

This is the best option to have the Lord of The Rings. Maybe it looks simple outside, but is luxurious inside, very complete, very nice design in everything.
It has Spanish subtitles, and includes an interactive map of the Middle Earth or at least the part of the jorney covered in this DVD.

Brilliant Film!

Violet, Count Olaf, and Klaus	Aunt Josephine	Count Olaf and Aunt Josephine	Directing Jim Carrey
Klaus, Mr. Poe, Sunny, and Violet	Count Olaf	Olaf Ascending	The Baudelaire Orphans

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ominous Omnibus, Books 1-3	The Situation Worsens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 4-6	The Dilemma Deepens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 7-9
The Slippery Slope: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 10	The Grim Grotto: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 11	A Library of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-10
Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf: A Series of Unfortunate Events Movie Book	Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography	The Puzzling Puzzles Activity Book