DVD

The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Sound of Music
the magic is alive...
Pure Magic
The Sound of Music
saw it as a child and now at my 40s.. it still holds the magic

The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)
Starring: Julie Andrews , Christopher Plummer , Richard Haydn , Peggy Wood , and Anna Lee
Director: Robert Wise
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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ASIN: B000AP04OM
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Product Description

Shot in Salzburg against the majestic Bavarian Alps, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is considered one of the greatest screen musicals ever made. Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Robert Wise), the film, based on a real family and their true events, tells the story of a young postulate, Maria (Julie Andrews), who, after proving too high-spirited for the Mother Abess and other nuns, is sent off to work as a governess to seven unruly children. The Von Trapp family is run, in military style, by the seemingly cold-hearted Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), a lonely widowed naval officer. Seeing how badly he and his children need companionship, he proposes to the Baroness Schraeder (Eleanor Parker), a calculating, mutual friend of beloved family friend Max Detweiler (Richard Haydn). It is the baroness who soon realizes that it's Maria--with her warmth and love for the children--the captain really loves. It is nearly bliss for the newly formed family who loves to sing together--except for the cloud looming over their beloved Austrian horizon: Hitler is ascending to power, forcing Von Trapp to decide whether to join the Nazi party--which he loathes--or force his family to leave their home forever. One of the most memorable scores ever written (by Rodgers and Hammerstein) and breathtaking performances by Andrews, Plummer, and the seven children mark this classic as one of the world's most favorite films.

System Requirements:

Running Time 174 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

When Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive with the sound of music" from an Austrian mountaintop in 1965, the most beloved movie musical was born. To be sure, the adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's Broadway hit has never been as universally acclaimed as, say, Singin' in the Rain. Critics argue that the songs are saccharine (even the songwriters regretted the line "To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray") and that the characters and plot lack the complexity that could make them more interesting. It's not hard to know whom to root for when your choice is between cute kids and Nazis.

Read our interview with
Charmian Carr, who played
Liesl von Trapp in The
Sound of Music.

It doesn't matter. Audiences fell in love with the struggling novice Maria (Andrews), the dashing Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), and, yes, the cute kids, all based on a real-life World War II Austrian family. Such songs as "My Favorite Things," "Do Re Mi," "Climb Every Mountain," and the title tune became part of the 20th century Zeitgeist. In addition, The Sound of Music officially became a cult hit when audiences in London began giving it the Rocky Horror Picture Show treatment, attending showings dressed as their favorite characters and delivering choreographed comments and gestures along with the movie. So why resist, especially when the 40th Anniversary Edition is the best DVD yet.

The DVDs
As if the direct involvement of Julie Andrews weren't enough, the 40th Anniversary Edition of The Sound of Music is a must-have for fans because of the fond sense of nostalgia that will touch all but the worst cynic's heart. Andrews introduces both discs and contributes a commentary track on the film. It's a joy to hear her speak about the film (for example, she explains how she solved her dislike for the lyrics of "I Have Confidence"), and also heard are remarks by Christopher Plummer (who at one point refers to his being 48, which if true would mean his comments were made in about 1975), Charmian Carr (Liesl), choreographer Dee Dee Wood, and Johannes Von Trapp (the real-life Maria Von Trapp's youngest son, who admits that his father did have a whistle but claims that he was not as stern as portrayed in the film). Even with all those people involved, there are still significant gaps of silence, however. Retained from the previous two-disc editions is the commentary track by director Robert Wise, which during the musical numbers becomes an isolated score with no vocals. Also new are sing-along subtitles in English, Spanish, and French, which allow you to have your own sing-along at home. In addition, the film's remastering shows off a truer and much warmer sense of color.

On the second disc, Andrews participates in a new 63-minute documentary "My Favorite Things: Julie Andrews Remembers." But it's really a general making-of documentary with contributions from a number of principals, including director Robert Wise, who died in mid-2005 (not surprisingly, some stories are repeated from the commentary track and from the 87-minute documentary on the previous DVD). Andrews also shares a warm 19-minute sit-down with Christopher Plummer. Carr, who over the years has become the film's biggest advocate, narrates a new 22-minute documentary, "On Location with The Sound of Music," in which she revisits the places in Salzburg where the movie was filmed, and even joins one of the "Sound of Music tours" that have become a booming industry. And acknowledging another big industry, there's a 12-minute featurette on the sing-along phenomenon, focusing specifically on the audience, costumed and otherwise, that attended a sold-out Hollywood Bowl sing-along in 2005. Making special appearances at the event are four von Trapp great-grandchildren and all seven of the actors who played the children. Thankfully, those actors also appear in a 33-minute documentary "From Liesl to Gretl: A 40th Anniversary Reunion," in which they explain what they do now (many are still in show business) and share stories about the film, who was afraid of Christopher Plummer, and what they feel is their responsibility to the film's passionate fans. What's touching is how the group still considers themselves a family so many years later. Other material includes an A&E documentary on the von Trapps, Mia Farrow's screen test for the Liesl role, and a restoration comparison.

What's Missing?
If you already own the previous two-disc editions, you'll want this 40th Anniversary Edition as well, but you might not want to toss those versions. Probably the most significant omission from this edition is the original 14-minute documentary Charmian Carr made in 1967, "Salzburg Sight and Sound." Carr's new documentary includes only a couple clips from the vintage piece. It's not a great work of art, but it's a notable loss and would have made a good contrast with the new documentary. In addition, the new making-of documentary is about 24 minutes shorter than the old one. Also missing are the audio-only features--the interviews, the radio programs, the Ernest Lehman spotlight--and the historical still gallery examining the history of Salzburg and the film. Granted, this material probably got the least play of any of the old features, but completists might want to hold onto their old discs for it. It would have also been nice to have screen tests other than Farrow's. Tests for all the children and for Christopher Plummer (including singing in his own voice before he was dubbed for the film) were included on Hollywood Screen Tests and Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies. Again, they're not critical but it would have been nice to have them all in one place. So maybe the 40th Anniversary Edition isn't the complete package on The Sound of Music, but it's the most satisfying edition yet, with enough new material to please even the veteran SoM DVD watcher. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

The Sound of Music.......2007-07-02

Shot in pristine color on location near Salzburg--and featuring that dizzying opening shot of Maria belting out the title tune from a verdant hilltop--"Music" fully deserves its reputation as one of the most popular films of all time. The daisy-fresh Andrews is simply terrific, whether she's acting or singing, and the songs--"Do Re Mi," "Climb Every Mountain," and "My Favorite Things"--have become part of our cultural heritage. Adapted from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway play, the film might be a bit schmaltzy at moments, but in all, it remains utterly irresistible. The hills are still alive--and your singing pipes will be too--with the wondrous "Sound of Music."

the magic is alive..........2007-06-26

I was only six but I still remember when my mother took us kids to the movies to see 'The Sound of Music'. A memory permantly ingrained as is this film. From the most amazing opening shot ever filmed this classic film never lets go of yor senses. It's fun, thrilling and holds up extremely well. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer are exquisite. Sure some of the lyrics are corny and simple but it all works and I'm not even a fan of musicals.

Pure Magic.......2007-06-25

Who doesn't know the general plot of this movie? Well just in case: Maria is thinking of becoming a nun, yet Sister Superior isn't so sure about that and sends her off to become the governess to seven Von Trapp children. There she meets the very strict father and the not so angelic children. She quickly wins over the children and their father. While all this is going on the Nazis are slowly but surely taking over the country. By the second half of the movie they become a true family and decide to make a dareing escape from the Nazis.

Now that pretty much wraps it up plot wise, yet there is so much more. The songs are very sugar coated but so what? They are there for a purpose: teaching children to not be afraid, coaching them on how to sing,etc. In most parts they are there for the pleasure of the young and the young at heart.

I'll close with an example. I was driving with my wife and our girls in the car, and we were looking at about an hour trip to my mother's house so we popped The Sound of Music in the DVD and we were on our way. As I heard (I coudn't see the movie of course) the movie and we sang the songs on our journey, I looked back and every face was smiling. Now if you are looking for a movie like that you've come to the right place.

The Sound of Music .......2007-06-11

A Family Night is made of... Sound of Music. Worth watching over and over.

saw it as a child and now at my 40s.. it still holds the magic.......2007-06-05

This review is about the movie and not the DVD Product-

I saw it yesterday, Im 43, last time I saw ir I was 28 and prior to that I was 12 the first time I saw it. It still holds the magic, and now I can say its a classic for all the family.

Yes, now I see details I previously did no see. The plot is so idillic that you don't feel the nazi presence inspiring fear, the love scenes are a perfect example of puritanism and political correctness. Yet there is love and there Julie Andrews gives a performance larger than life to captivate all public.

I do not know why in the review preface there is some critisims of the lyrics of the song "Sound of music"- those were elaborated lyrics and none of that senseless rap or overly simplistic lyrics. Sugarcoated? You bet, but just like the pinl lemonade they were sipping on the terrace, "its not too sweet, not too acid, its just too pink "

The movie has an ending that is rather sudden, just as it starts with that glorious song it should have ended with one as well, a triumph song. I still have the same feeling I did when I was 12, what happened to them?

Average customer rating:

"What happens if a car comes?" "We die."
Awesome
The Notebook
My favorite movie!
Unforgettable Summer Romance

The Notebook (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Tim Ivey , Gena Rowlands , Starletta DuPois , James Garner , and Anthony-Michael Q. Thomas
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000683VI4
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Amazon.com

When you consider that old-fashioned tearjerkers are an endangered species in Hollywood, a movie like The Notebook can be embraced without apology. Yes, it's syrupy sweet and clogged with clichés, and one can only marvel at the irony of Nick Cassavetes directing a weeper that his late father John--whose own films were devoid of saccharine sentiment--would have sneered at. Still, this touchingly impassioned and great-looking adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel has much to recommend, including appealing young costars (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) and appealing old costars (James Garner and Gena Rowlands, the director's mother) playing the same loving couple in (respectively) early 1940s and present-day North Carolina. He was poor, she was rich, and you can guess the rest; decades later, he's unabashedly devoted, and she's drifting into the memory-loss of senile dementia. How their love endured is the story preserved in the titular notebook that he reads to her in their twilight years. The movie's open to ridicule, but as a delicate tearjerker it works just fine. Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember were also based on Sparks novels, suggesting a triple-feature that hopeless romantics will cherish. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Behind every great love is a great story. Two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love during one summer together, but are tragically forced apart. When they reunite 7 years later, their passionate romance is rekindled, forcing one of them to choose between true love and class order.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:2 Commentaries --Director Nick Cassavettes --Novelist Nicholas Sparks
DVD ROM Features
Deleted Scenes:12 Deleted Scenes
Documentaries:Nick Cassavetes Profile Featurette Author Nicholas Sparks Featurette Locating "The Notebook" Featurette Casting Noah and Allie featurette
Other:Widescreen & Fullscreen versions on one disc Rachel McAdams Screen Test
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

"What happens if a car comes?" "We die.".......2007-07-02

A must have! This is by far one of the best movies I've ever watched. After witnessing a few scenes from this movie I just had to go out and buy it and I don't regret it!

"The Notebook" breaks away from the typical kind of chick flick and adds a touch of humor. The movie adds more focus to the character's first Summer together, unlike the book which I found to be quite a snoozer. Also, the character's personalities seems more realistic and have more depth to them as you will discover during their heated arguements. Noah's personality is so dreamy and you can't help but fall in love with him over and over again.

I found many differences between the book and movie, but I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen either. :3 This movie definately allows you to take a step back and appreciate the relationship you have with your loved one.

Awesome.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie ! A wonderful story about soul mates, soul mates for life. It will bring tears of happiness and sadness. Definitely a feel good movie.

The Notebook.......2007-06-27

I rented this and decided it was one I could enjoy again and again
I figured the story right away which was good as it made it more enjoyable

My favorite movie!.......2007-06-22

I'm glad I finally got to buy this movie, it is one of my favorites. If you want to know what love could do to somebody and how powerful can be just watch this movie and you'll see what love is all about...

Just to let you know make sure you have a box of tissue handy, or maybe two haha!

Unforgettable Summer Romance.......2007-05-31

`The Notebook' is a sweet romance with a compelling story. The appeal easily develops with freewheeling dating scenes and revelations which unfold lovers sorting out priorities that hit so close to home. A bitter-sweet romance, the film is a beautiful tale of two sweethearts who come from completely different backgrounds but live in the same Southern town during the early forties.

Noah (Ryan Gosling) is from a dirt poor family and works as a logger for forty cents an hour. Allie (Rachel McAdams) belongs to the Southern aristocracy. She has private tutors for every class and most of her whims satisfied. It is love at first sight for Noah who spots Allie at a carnival and jumps between her and her chosen date from the platform of a Ferris wheel. Once he has her attention, he threatens to let go and fall to the pavement if she won't agree to date him. From there his colorful presence challenges every route she's ever known. They each bring a measure of deep beauty to each other: He recites poetry, and she creates paintings. All the oddball adventure he presents from lying down in the middle of a street to dare the traffic, letting go in a torrential rainstorm, to dancing in the street provide those defining moments that demonstrate how strangely people act when they are in love. As the summer ends their lives are disrupted: She is forced to go to Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and soon later he is drafted to fight in Europe during World War II. They split ways and find different lovers, but their relationship is truncated, especially when Allie's manipulative mother (Joan Allen) intercepts Noah's letters that are meant for her.

`The Notebook' is told from the point-of-view of "Duke" (James Garner) who reads the story of Noah and Allie to a beloved nursing home resident (Gena Rowlands) suffering from dementia. I kept thinking as they sit on a park bench in one scene that the story is retold in a manner not entirely different from 'Forrest Gump'. Duke narrates the story, and we come back to him and the woman until the two stories meet and have meaning.

Besides solid, absorbing performances by Gosling and McAdams, Garner softens the edge of the story as narrator, and Allen and Rowlands are easily captivating as Allie's complex and emotional mother and the elderly dementia patient. 'The Notebook' is a pleasing old-fashioned movie that easily plays on our heartstrings and provides a very satisfying viewing experience. (Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks)

Alice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition)

Average customer rating:

enduring entertainment
The bouns features of review of Alice in Wonderland !
Classic
Alice
A confusing masterpiece!

Alice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition)
Starring: Kathryn Beaumont , Ed Wynn , Richard Haydn , Sterling Holloway , and Jerry Colonna
Director: Clyde Geronimi , Hamilton Luske , and Wilfred Jackson
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000TG9E2
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Amazon.com

Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll's eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. --Tom Keogh

Description

Experience the magic, fun, and adventure of ALICE IN WONDERLAND like never before in this new Masterpiece Edition 2-Disc set. Join Alice as she falls into the madcap world of Wonderland and meets extraordinary characters such as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and the frantically late White Rabbit. And the fun continues with new bonus features including the Virtual Wonderland Party, the newly discovered Cheshire Cat song "I'm Odd," Mickey's "Thru the Mirror" animated short, plus sing-along songs and all-new games. Your family will want to experience this timeless Disney masterpiece again and again!

Customer Reviews:

enduring entertainment.......2007-05-17

Alice in Wonderland includes story lines from Through the Looking Glass so I had my class read both books before showing the movie. The tale was written as a summer diversion for a precocious child and, done as a musical cartoon, provides a willing suspension of disbelief. I also teach Spanish and played a segment in Spanish for those classes. The dialogue was beyond my second year students who soon lost interest.

The bouns features of review of Alice in Wonderland !.......2007-03-26

The best bouns features on the 2 disc set of the masterpeice is the behind
the concept and scene of Alice in Wonderland !
Bring my favorite storybook read long to life as a child in the flim !
I love the storybook concept deleted scenes on the 2 disc set of Alice in Wonderland !

Classic .......2007-03-25

I loved this animated cartoon, but hadn't seen it in such a long time I had forgotten just how strange it was until my 3 year old granddaughter asked, "Why are the flowers yelling at Alice?" It is definitely a cartoon for older children and adults, knowing its whimsical nature.

Alice.......2007-03-16

The DVD was fine, but the description of the produce is not correct. I returned the item twice because it did not have the slipcase cover as it is described neither both time that the item was sent it to me!

A confusing masterpiece!.......2007-03-14

It's a Classic movie, a masterpiece but I think it's also one of the most confusing movies for a child, dialogues and situations are not easy to understand for a small kid.

Average customer rating:

Kind of Gray
Gray Matters is Great!
Pretty weak
Lost Opportunity for a great romantic comedy
Great coming out movie

Gray Matters
Starring: Heather Graham , Thomas Cavanagh , Bridget Moynahan , Molly Shannon , and Alan Cumming
Director: Sue Kramer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Puccini for Beginners
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ASIN: B000O76ZO4
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Amazon.com

Gray Matters has one of the most adorable casts of any movie in recent years--the combined sweetness of Heather Graham (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), Bridget Moynahan (Lord of War), Molly Shannon (Year of the Dog), Thomas Cavanagh (Ed), Alan Cumming (X-Men 2), and Sissy Spacek (Carrie, In the Bedroom) narrowly avoids being diabetes-inducing. Gray (Graham) and her brother Sam (Cavanagh) have been best friends forever--so close that they find it hard to date. Gray pushes Sam into asking out Charlie (Moynahan), but when Sam and Charlie hit it off so well they spontaneously decide to get married, Gray finds herself unexpectedly dismayed... but not as dismayed as she is when, on a girls' night out before the ceremony, she and Charlie share a drunken kiss that sets Gray's body tingling. Gray Matters juggles a lot of emotional issues; the sibling interconnectedness problem doesn't flow smoothly into the coming-out story of the movie's second half. But sprinkled throughout are charming scenes and wonderfully deft moments that make the story's clumsy missteps all the more baffling. There's no question that Graham is a star who just can't seem to find the right vehicle; Gray Matters won't be her breakthrough, but it's further evidence of her significant appeal. --Bret Fetzer

Description

In this hilarious romantic comedy, Gray (Heather Graham) helps her brother (Tom Cavanaugh) find the love of his life. But the night before her brother's wedding, Gray's world is turned upside-down when she discovers that she has feelings for his fiancé (Bridget Moynahan)! With the help of a sarcastic co-worker (Molly Shannon), a sympathetic cab driver (Alan Cumming), and her therapist (Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek), Gray is forced to figure out who she really is.

Customer Reviews:

Kind of Gray.......2007-06-29

"Gray Matters"

Kind of Gray

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

I had heard so much hype about "Gray Matters" that I could not wait to see it and it seems now that the hype was totally unjustified. The cast is good and Heather Graham as Gray creates a character that I felt for and really liked. Tom Cavanagh, as Gray's brother, Sam, has charm and is quite funny. Charlie, played by Bridget Moyahan, the object of both Gray's and Sam's affection is good and Alan Cummings is great as Gray's cab driver friend. The other cast member, Sissy Spacek and Molly Shannon are also good but the film is lacking something. I liked the film and I am having a difficult time pinpointing where it went wrong. I think it is probably the idea that there are some gay people who do not realize that they are gay until later on. I mean, I know that some embrace homosexuality late but it doesn't seem to work here.
It is hard to accept that when Gray kissed Charlie that she suddenly realized that she was gay. It seems to be grasping at straws to build a plot. Does someone suddenly realize he is gay or is it a process? What was it that lets Gray know she was suddenly gay? Now the kiss was great and hot but it was not enough.
The film does grab the audience and fills it with hope. The script also deals with social issues such as media, image and sexuality as well as identity--issues that are not dealt with completely in mainstream movies. It does not preach and has an important message (but it is somewhat boring as it meanders from situation to situation). As good of an actress that Heather Graham is, she is not convincing as a lesbian.
What really hurts the movie from reaching a level of greatness is that most of the events are unbelievable. Unless you are Britney Spears you do not rush to Las Vegas to get married after knowing someone for only six days. But there are moments that are genuinely funny and there are moments that are thought provoking.

Gray Matters is Great!.......2007-06-28

Great is all I can say. I have been so bored with every romantic comedy that has come out in the past five years. Finally a movie with heart, soul and originality. The cast is superb, the writing is fantastic and it's a great postcard of New York City. I laughed and I even shed a tear or two! This should have been the comedy of the year. I highly reccomend it. Molly Shannon is also hilarious--some of her funniest acting yet.

Pretty weak.......2007-06-24

Unimaginative plotting yields protracted bridges of tedium riveted together with predictability. Sissy Spacek's therapist, Alan Cumming's sympathetic cab driver, and some truly beautiful New York ambient backdrops were just barely enough to get me through to the end.

This would have been way more cogent in a pre Ellen Degeneres era - but come on that was so last Century!

Lost Opportunity for a great romantic comedy.......2007-06-24

Just got done watching the movie and I must say, as a romantic comedy buff this movie had me shouting at it for all the missed opportunities to make the story great. At first hearing that Heather Grahams character was "coming out of the closet" I imagined that it was going to be written as some hilarious temporary crisis over the changing circumstance with her and her brothers extremely close relationship.

Nope, they took the comedy from that, and instead turned it into some very, very overdue realization that she actually was gay, this is not obvious until the last few minutes of the movie.

But not in a clever storyline.

She meets a very nice and funny scottish guy who is crazy about her, and the movie spends all this time developing his character to make the viewer support him. They might have thought that this was a brilliant diversion but the effort is doomed to a disappointing end that made us wonder why they even included the nice scottish guy and then through him out of the movie like dirty bath water while hoping that we will cheer for the main character jumping for overly ecstatic joy just for having an unconvincing and lackluster 1 minute conversation with a lesbian at an unwelcoming gay-bar. Forget about the nice scottish guy that always tries to cheer her up and will go so far as to dress up like a woman to keep her company. I personally believe a better ending would have been to continue the uncomfortable lesbian-bar moment with a follow up scene at an apartment where she realizes she's not into it and then runs to the scottish guy so both brother and sister ends up with great people. Its not that I'm homophobic, its just the story as it was told didn't add up.

Great coming out movie.......2007-06-23

The beginning of this movie is not its strength, but hang in there because the coming out story is well done. Once you hit that point in the movie, things pick up. The dialogue is funny, but authentic.

Heather Graham and Thomas Cavanaugh turn in very good performances in the movie. This movie is not a movie that is going to change the world, but it has heart and is worth the watch.

Average customer rating:

Again and Again!!!
Tom and Meg...
You've Got Mail
Great Movie
Such a cute movie

You've Got Mail
Starring: Tom Hanks , Meg Ryan , Greg Kinnear , Parker Posey , and Jean Stapleton
Director: Nora Ephron
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305368171
Release Date: 1999-05-04

Amazon.com essential video

By now, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have amassed such a fund of goodwill with moviegoers that any new onscreen pairing brings nearly reflexive smiles. In You've Got Mail, the quintessential boy and girl next door repeat the tentative romantic crescendo that made Sleepless in Seattle, writer-director Nora Ephron's previous excursion with the duo, a massive hit. The prospective couple do actually meet face to face early on, but Mail otherwise repeats the earlier feature's gentle, extended tease of saving its romantic resolution until the final, gauzy shot.

The underlying narrative is an even more old-fashioned romantic pas de deux that is casually hooked to a newfangled device. The script, cowritten by the director and her sister, Delia Ephron, updates and relocates the Ernst Lubitsch classic, The Shop Around the Corner, to contemporary Manhattan, where Joe Fox (Hanks) is a cheerfully rapacious merchant whose chain of book superstores is gobbling up smaller, more specialized shops such as the children's bookstore owned by Kathleen Kelly (Ryan). Their lives run in close parallel in the same idealized neighborhood, yet they first meet anonymously, online, where they gradually nurture a warm, even intimate correspondence. As they begin to wonder whether this e-mail flirtation might lead them to be soul mates, however, they meet and clash over their colliding business fortunes.

It's no small testament to the two stars that we wind up liking and caring about them despite the inevitable (and highly manipulative) arc of the plot. Although their chemistry transcended the consciously improbable romantic premise of Sleepless, enabling director Ephron to attain a kind of amorous soufflé, this time around there's a slow leak that considerably deflates the affair. Less credulous viewers will challenge Joe's logic in prolonging the concealment of his online identity from Kathleen, and may shake their heads at Ephron's reinvention of Manhattan as a spotless, sun-dappled wonderland where everybody lives in million-dollar apartments and color coordinates their wardrobes for cocktail parties. --Sam Sutherland

Description

Neigborhood bookstore rivals unwittingly become e-mail pen pals in this charming remake of The Shop Around the Corner

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary with N. Ephron & L. Shuler-Donner
DVD ROM Features:N. Ephron Audio Bytes "Sounds of NY" (10:07) Interview Gallery - Individual Clips (12:00) Comparison Scenes (38:00)
Featurette:HBO First Look Special: "A Conversation with Nora Ephron" (14:39)
Other:DIscover NY's Upper West Side" - 11 Selectable Clips (15:00)

Customer Reviews:

Again and Again!!!.......2007-06-27

I LOVE IT! It could be called a chick flick but even a guy would be able to find something to love. It leaves Shop Around the Corner (the orginal You Got Mail) in its dust. I orginally had you got mail on VHS but I watched it so much the picture was starting to look pretty bad. But I didn't mind having to buy it again. Hanks and Ryan work perfectly together! And the music isn't that bad either. It's most definitely one of the best romantic comedies EVER! And anyone that says differently should feel shame.

Tom and Meg..........2007-06-16

...is there a better pairing? Lovely film! Be sure to watch it again with Nora's commentary.

You've Got Mail.......2007-06-08

This is a classic and I never get tired of watching it. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are a very good match for this romantic comedy. This type of movie is something a entire family can set down and watch together.

Great Movie.......2007-05-14

Great, light hearted chick flick! I have watched it hundreds of times and still love it!

Such a cute movie.......2007-04-26

I suppose you could call this a chick flick, but it's really more than that. You've Got Mail is a romantic comedy with two of the hottest stars in Hollywood. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan light up the screen in this contemporary love story about two people who meet each other online and don't discover each other's identities until later in the movie.

This is a great family film for a Friday or Saturday night or with your significant other. It's not Oscar material, but it is very cute and all-American. If you like Tom Hanks, you will like this movie. I have yet to see see a Tom Hanks film I haven't thoroughly enjoyed and I own several of them.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

UNABLE TO SEE DVD
Lotsa Fun
A MOTORCAR THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF.....
Excellent Family Movie
Kids love it

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Dick Van Dyke , Sally Ann Howes , Lionel Jeffries , Gert Fröbe , and Anna Quayle
Director: Ken Hughes
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adapted from Books | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Music & Arts | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Special Edition)

ASIN: 0792839749
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Amazon.com

This remastered, pan-and-scan 30th-anniversary edition of that kiddie-car caper is flawed but solid family fare. It retains a quaint charm while some of the songs--including the title tune--are quite hummable. A huge plus is Dick Van Dyke, who is extremely appealing as an eccentric inventor around the turn of the century. With nimble fingers and a unique way of looking at the world, he invents for his children a magic car that floats and flies. Or does he? The special effects are tame by today's standards, and the film is about 20 minutes too long--but its enthusiasm charms. The script was cowritten by Roald Dahl and based on the novel by Ian Fleming, best known for his James Bond adventures. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls start your engines. You're about to take an incredible ride with one of the most wonderful family films of all time! Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has never looked or sounded better. Dick Van Dyke stars as eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, who creates an extraordinary car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It not only drives but also flies and floats as it leads him, his two children and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), into a magical world of pirates, castles and endless adventure.

Customer Reviews:

UNABLE TO SEE DVD.......2007-06-27

THE ITEM ARRIVED IN GREAT CONDITION ALTHOUGH SLOW IN DELIVERY. CANNOT SEE THE FILM I ORDERED BECAUSE IT IS FOR REGION 1 AND I NEED FILMS FOR REGION 2. REALISED WHEN I PUT THE DVD ON. MY MISTAKE. RATED 5 STARS BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WAS PACKED.

Lotsa Fun.......2007-06-27

The music is great -- I enjoyed singing along. There are a lot of laughs and some clever surprises. Maybe a bit overdone in spots (emphasis on the fact that the kids weren't in school because they didn't want to be, and the "goblin" character with the silly nose), but all in all it kept my attention from beginning to end. I look forward to watching it again.

A MOTORCAR THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF............2007-06-22

I've always had a fond affection for auto's with a heart and soul- if I could I would own HERBIE, THE BATMOBLIE and for sure THE GEN II CHITTY! - she's a real beauty and knows how to treat a lady to a ride. Great for kids - and adults that want to be kids again! - ITS WIZARD!!! ITS SMASHING!!! ITS KEEN!!! Have Fun!!!

Excellent Family Movie.......2007-06-01

If you have children who are still awed by the magical this movie is for you! The story of an eccentric inventor father and his two young children who discover this junked race car. They fix up the car and magical things happen. Lots of singing and dancing. Lots of fantasy type characters. It is a G movie!

Kids love it.......2007-05-08

I want to start by saying THIS IS NOT A DISNEY MOVIE. SOme of the reviews pan the film because of a connection with Disney. But the film wasn't and isn't a disney release. If you want to hate the movie, you should hate it on its own merits (or lack there of). Personally, as an adult, I find the movie overly long and cloying. BUT, my kids love this movie. Given all the choices they have (and they have a bunch) they often choose this film over many others. They have no problem with the length, and they find the film funny and entertaining. For me, I am pleased that the film has little violence, no bad language, and no nasty double entendres. No "winks" to an adult audience such as those that peppered all three Shrek movies for example. I, personally, find this refershing. The movie treats children like children, and this is almost reason enough to have a copy around.

Scooby Doo, Where Are You! - The Complete Third Season

Average customer rating:

cool Scooby Doo collection
Yes, There Really Was a 3rd Season of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, But...
Great fun...
scooby rules!
Pure and innocent fun

Scooby Doo, Where Are You! - The Complete Third Season
Starring: Don Messick , Casey Kasem , Frank Welker , Stefanianna Christopherson , and Heather North
Director: Howard Swift , William Hanna , and Joseph Barbera
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

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What's New Scooby-Doo? - The Complete Second Season

ASIN: B000M2E340
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Amazon.com

Originally released as The Scooby-Doo Show, the 16 episodes included on this Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The Complete Third Season compilation were produced for the 1978 Scooby's All-Stars television series. They do not include the characters Scooby-Dum or Scooby-Dee, or any Dynomutt programming. The classic Mystery Inc. gang represented here consists of the original five characters: the preppy, take-charge Fred; somewhat ditsy Daphne; intellectual Velma; and the ever-hungry, nervous, and bumbling Shaggy and Scooby. As the gang travels around the globe to places like China, Scotland, England, and the United States, they invariably stumble into one mystery after another. Ghosts and monsters abound, but the persistence of Fred and Daphne combined with Velma's intellect and Shaggy's and Scooby's uncanny tendency to stumble across vital clues ensures a tidy, down-to-earth solution to even the most other-worldly mysteries. Of course, it's the wit and slapstick humor that make these episodes true classics. A 25-minute, 2006 "Hanna-Barbera: From H to B" featurette follows the program and explores the careers of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera with some very brief original footage of both men and a host of interviews with Hanna-Barbera animators, writers, and voice talent that serve to highlight the two men's individual strengths, tremendous work ethic, and collaborative spirit. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Description

Originally aired as part of the Scooby's All Stars series, these fabulous Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? adventures of the sleuthing canine and his Mystery Inc. pals will easily solve the case of any cartoon fan's entertainment needs. Within these 16 captivating capers, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, Daphne, Fred and Velma tackle The Tar Monster, face down Iron Face and globetrek for ghosts galore from A Menace in Venice to The Warlock of Wimbledon. For fans of classic animated fun, this cool collection of Scooby-Doo capers is where you want to be!

Customer Reviews:

cool Scooby Doo collection.......2007-06-27

I got this for my daughter (age 9) for her birthday as she is a HUGE Scooby Doo fan! It has a lot of the classic episodes, most of which I haven't seen since I was a kid!

Yes, There Really Was a 3rd Season of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, But... .......2007-06-18

This is probably one of the most confusing seasons of Scooby-Doo released for television, and now on DVD. And based on alot of mis-information associated with this product, it's even more confusing. If you are easily bored with history lessons, then skip this review.

The 1978-1979 Saturday morning TV season saw the premiere of 16 new Scooby-Doo episodes. The ABC Saturday morning TV schedule for September 1978 was as follows:

.....08:00-08:30 AM EST Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
.....08:30-09:00 AM EST Fangface
.....09:00-10:00 AM EST Challenge of the Super Friends
.....10:00-11:30 AM EST Scooby's All-Stars
.....11:30-12:00 PM EST The All-New Pink Panther Show

These new Scooby-Doo episodes began airing under the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! show at 8:00 AM EST, using the original 1969 opening credits, just with all new shows. Yes, really! The 90 minute Scooby's All-Stars show was composed of a half hour of new and repeat episodes of the Laff-a-Lympics, a half hour of new and repeat episodes of Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, and a half hour of repeat ONLY episodes of Scooby-Doo from the previous 1976-1977 and 1977-1978 seasons.

After only 9 weeks, the popular Challenge of the Super Friends show was expanded from 60 minutes to 90 minutes, adding an extra half hour of repeats from their 1977-1978 season. Thus, ABC shuffled it's Saturday morning TV schedule as follows:

.....08:00-09:30 AM EST Scooby's All-Stars
.....09:30-11:00 AM EST Challenge of the Super Friends
.....11:00-11:30 AM EST Fangface
.....11:30-12:00 PM EST The All-New Pink Panther Show

The remaining 7 new Scooby-Doo episodes then began airing during the half hour Scooby-Doo portion of the 90 minute Scooby's All-Stars show. This remained the status quo, and all 16 new Scooby-Doo episodes from this season were then repeated throughout the remainder of the season as part of Scooby's All-Stars.

What confuses everyone is that the 16 new episodes from this season, PLUS the 16 Scooby-Doo episodes from the 1976-1977 season of The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, PLUS the 8 Scooby-Doo episodes from the 1977-1978 season of Scooby's All-Star Laff-a-Lympics (16 + 8 + 16 = 40 episodes in total) were re-packaged together as "The Scooby-Doo Show" for syndication repeats starting in 1980. So most folks only know these episodes from the syndication repeats airing on cable networks like Cartoon Network or Boomerang, and NOT from their original airings. It was NEVER called "The Scooby-Doo Show" during any of the original ABC Saturday morning airings.

Unfortunately, the DVD set is named and advertised as if it's the original airings of these 16 episodes. But they are NOT! The DVD set has the syndicated re-packaged versions with "The Scooby-Doo Show" opening and closing credits, and NOT the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! or Scooby's All-Stars opening and closing credits as they originally aired.

So, whether you think of these episodes as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! Season 3, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Lost Episodes, Scooby's All-Stars, or even "The Scooby-Doo Show" Season 3, it is the COMPLETE, yes, COMPLETE 1978-1979 Saturday morning season of Scooby-Doo with the same 16 episodes, just with the syndicated re-packaged opening and closing credits. There are no missing episodes from this season set. If you are a fan of this late 70's era of Scooby-Doo, (just before the coming of Scrappy-Doo), you will greatly enjoy the 16 episodes on this set.

My only fear now is that when they get around to releasing the Hanna-Barbera animated DVD sets of, oh say, The Adventures of Gulliver, or even The Atom Ant Show, we're going to get the syndicated re-packaged version from "The Banana Splits and Friends Show"....

Great fun..........2007-06-12

Though not as good as season's 1 and 2, the third season of "Scooby Doo Where Are You" is still great fun. The lovable dog and his crime fighting friends are back with plenty of gags, outrageous eating and corny monsters. If you loved the original this one will be acceptable if not awesome.

scooby rules!.......2007-06-04

i grew up watching hanna barbara cartoons and i am so glad my favorite is out on dvd. for anyone who loved scooby doo as a child and my still love him as an adult this is a must have. i can't wait for all the seasons to come out. this is AWESOME!

Pure and innocent fun.......2007-05-28

I have always loved "Scooby Doo Where Are You!" so I had to buy it when I saw it was coming out. They were just as good as the first two seasons, except for some minor things like the theme song and none of the running from the villain music. Although I do wish they wouldn't take episodes from the "Scooby Doo show" and market them as the third of "Scooby Doo Where Are You!"

Average customer rating:

Simply Outstanding
Kubrick's Magnum Opus
Just another case of the "King's clothes"...
do not do not watch this film on a 50 inch plasma tv
2001 as an archetypal movie experience

2001 - A Space Odyssey
Starring: Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , and Leonard Rossiter
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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

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Space Adventure | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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ASIN: B00005ASUM
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Product Description

2001: A Space Odyssey is a countdown to tomorrow, a road map to human destiny, a quest for the infinite. It is a dazzling, Academy Award-winning visual achievement, a compelling drama of man vs. machine, a stunning meld of music and motion. It may be the masterwork of director Stanley Kubrick (who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke)... and it will likely excite, inspire and enthrall for generations.

To begin his voyage into the future, Kubrick visits our prehistoric ape-ancestry past, then leaps millennia (via one of the most mind-blowing jump cuts ever conceived) into colonized space, and ultimately whisks astronaut Bowman (Keir Dullea) into uncharted realms of space, perhaps even into immortality. "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." Let the awe and mystery of a journey unlike any other begin.

System Requirements:
Starring: Keir Dullea, and Gary Lockwood.
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick.
Running Time: 148 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2000 Warner Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative, and perfect. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Simply Outstanding.......2007-06-17

If you like science fiction then there is no doubt that first, you have probably already seen this. If not, then I can guarantee you that this will captivate you beyond belief. I can find few movies from its time to compare to this masterpiece.

Some have been posting that the quality of this version is not as good as they expected, or not as good as the original. Since I have never seen the original in VHS format, all I can say is that it's totally watch-able. I cannot however note the precision of the transfer of the veteran viewers.

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most ingenious film makers of all time. The cinematography of the film is incredible in the way he uses the limited special effects that were available at the time, and especially sound. The sound is one thing that I find that Stanley Kubrick knew how to use best. The voices that he used in this movie for the monolith gave a tide of mysteriousness, curiosity, and the potential to freak someone out.

He begins the movie displaying evolution and highlights particularly how apes gained intelligence by figuring out how to use bones as weapons. The movie then leaps forward to the space age, where a crew subsequently discovers a large, black, and mysterious object, known as the monolith, on the moon. The only thing the crew knew about this object is that it was buried on the moon 4 million years ago, deliberately.

On a spaceship heading towards Jupiter, the flawless computer known as HAL 9000, makes its first mistake, and begins the worry the crew with its erratic behavior. Afterwards, the mysterious monolith returns, but this time not on the moon.

2001 - A Space Odyssey is one of the best films of all time that I could not recommend more. The captivation will glue your eyes and ears to the screen.

Kubrick's Magnum Opus.......2007-06-05

Few auteurs in film history possess the visionary talent that Kubrick had. His Space Odyssey, the first film of its kind, proves that. Invoking awe and wonder in new audiences and old, the film stands the test of time and continues to inspire.

The film is meant to be viewed on a large auditorium screen, and though Kubrick was an avid supporter for mono sound, today's modern sound technology provides for a much better experience. The hums and clicks of the spaceships, the vaccuum of space, and the brilliant soundtrack create an eerie aura, made more believable with surround sound. The best way to view this film is to do so in a theatre. Kubrick intended for his audience to view the Odyssey on the big screen. This way, the film transports its audience to space itself, and embarks on a timeless journey for the ages. There are many long shots of spacecraft and nebulae that a television set simply can't reproduce on the same scale of the theatre. It's like viewing the Mona Lisa on a mail stamp.

The story should be familiar to audiences by now. On the surface, the plot is one of Kubrick's more simple ones, but critics go very deep into its symbols, allegories, and other interpretings. Many filmgoers are turned off by its curious ending, but that is because they simply don't understand it. Just keep in mind that the ending represents man's evolution.

As for the DVD, many complain that the transfer quality is poor, but I hold no grievances whatsoever. I enjoy viewing the film in its original state, just like its first audiences saw it. It is clean enough to enjoy without distraction, and the sound was upgraded to Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. If you are a true Kubrick nut, however, then you will want to alter the sound output to mono, but that option is up to your discretion.

Just another case of the "King's clothes"..........2007-05-25

Without a doubt one of the most overrated films of all time. It lacks substance and any memorable characters, and has no clear plot nor message. For God's sakes. the most memorable character is a voice. The reason so many "intelligent" viewers say it's great is because they feel they are supposed to; otherwise other "intelligent" viewers will dismiss them and say, "You just don't get it." I would go so far as to say no one gets it. Kubrick was so full of himself that he made a film that was totally self indulgent. If you question the greatness of his work then you must be questioning his greatness; and to do so would be "unintelligent". What a load! Granted he gave us a glimpse of what everyday life may be like in the future, but that alone does make for a great film. A 20 minute short could have done the same without being so presumptuous. If anyone disagrees, then by all means share with us what makes this film great. Please enlighten us but try not to sound too full of yourself.

do not do not watch this film on a 50 inch plasma tv.......2007-05-17

I love the movie for over 20 years but man if this wasn't the worst dvd transfer Ive seen. It's watchable from about 15 feet away but if you looked up close which I did & told my friend who owns the dvd and the tv "my god it's full of pixels"

2001 as an archetypal movie experience.......2007-04-21

Combine Stanley Kubrick's ability to make every scene intensely watchable with subject matter that is natively fascinating to begin with and you have one of the most hypnotic films ever made. The film is long but it never ambles or stalls. It marches at its own "just right" pace from beginning to end inviting you to savor each word, each scene, each dizzyingly perfect camera angle. I've heard many versions of what the film is about. But after almost 40 years of sometimes sober, sometimes drunken and occasionally post-coital discussions about it, I still don't know what it's about and frankly I just don't care anymore. I can recite the story line, sure. But what are the major themes? How does one articulate them? I think only the writer, Arthur C. Clark, knows for sure how to frame those notions into a coherent whole. But for the mentally fragmented rest of us, the movie shines like a multi-faceted crystal twirling in the light, inviting us to think, to ponder, to have our own epiphany or two about consciousness, human evolution, and the collective destiny of humankind. Or was that the destiny of a single human in the context of the many? I forget. Not sure it matters. Nonetheless, the film causes you to ponder yet again the nature of the universe and more than anything come to the conclusion that the universe could be even stranger and more beautiful than you thought. Or is that - more beautiful than you remember? I don't know. It turns out that the distinction is not all that important either. The film will forever remain a beautiful, unparalleled and utterly glorious enigma to me. If it hasn't already, I hope it does for you as well.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie
Shallow and multi-layered
Alpha Dog Unwatchable
Stuck in the middle again
Just as I anticipated

Alpha Dog (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Bruce Willis , Matthew Barry , Emile Hirsch , Fernando Vargas (II) , and Vincent Kartheiser
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000NO39FG
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.com

With harrowing intensity, Alpha Dog dramatizes one of the most tragically notorious murders in recent history. Ripped from the headlines, writer-director Nick Cassavetes' flawed but riveting crime drama (a polar opposite to his previous film, the romantic hit The Notebook) is based on the real-life case of Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer in California's San Gabriel Valley who, in 2000, became one of the youngest men to appear on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. Names and details have been changed, but the criminal circumstances remain the same: With family links to organized crime, Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) is on the warpath against Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), a sleazebag addict who owes him money. Fate intervenes when Johnny and his stoner pals including Frankie (Justin Timberlake) encounter Jake's 15-year-old half-brother Zack (Anton Yelchin) and hold him as collateral until Jake pays his debts. What begins as a casual, seemingly harmless situation escalates into a crisis of capital crime, as Alpha Dog employs split-screen, docudrama, and mock-documentary interviews to chronicle a tragic tailspin of reckless events and lawless behavior.

Cassavetes himself became part of the real-life drama when prosecutors (hoping to locate then-fugitive Jesse James Hollywood, who was captured in 2005) gave him legally controversial access to their case files. Alpha Dog clearly benefits from this inside information, and while the film's grueling depiction of underage squalor (including rampant drug and alcohol abuse) is inevitably off-putting and at least partially exploitative, there's no denying that Cassavetes has worked wonders with a well-chosen ensemble cast including Timberlake, who contrasts his music-industry stardom with a convincing performance as a likable, not-too-bright party animal who quickly gets in over his head. The film is ultimately compromised by Cassavetes' ambitious attempt to cover too much dramatic territory, but like his father John before him, he demonstrates a remarkable skill with actors (including Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, and Harry Dean Stanton in supporting roles), and Alpha Dog is full of powerful, dangerous moments that aren't easily forgotten. --Jeff Shannon

Description

They grew up together in the suburbs of LA, living their own version of the American dream, with every day a blur of partying and looking for the next thrill. Johnny (Emile Hirsch, Lords of Dogtown) is the leader in their sordid world of drugs, greed, power and privilege. But when he is double-crossed by another dealer, things quickly begin to spiral out of control, and an impulsive kidnapping leads to a shocking conclusion. Justin Timberlake (Edison), Sharon Stone (Bobby) and Bruce Willis (Lucky Number Slevin) co-star in this powerful and controversial film.

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-06-27

Alpha Dog is a really great movie. Emile Hirsch did a great job as always and for you Justin Timberlake fans, this was a really good performance by him. JT is the man in this, and the nice guy. I would recommend this to anyone that likes a good kidnapping movie, but be forwarnd, if you get sad or cry real easily then you probably shouldn't get this because something huge happens and its not very funny.

Shallow and multi-layered.......2007-06-24

Alpha Dog is a great B movie. The actors are meant to speak in real time scenes with realistic everyday dialog, meaning it should come off as a false reality TV show like The Office, where "realistic" acting is done well. Instead, we get movie acting, which makes much of the dialog seem forced. Still, the movie is enjoyable for its gratuitous violence, swearing, and drug use. The beginning of the movie is a typical over the top gangster vs gangster scenario, with the middle of the film played as a no holds barred teen party movie. For a while, the seriousness of the story is cast aside as the comedy, action and excess becomes enjoyable on a base level. Rather than be preachy, the movie is left to be enjoyed as a movie, until the film shifts into a serious, sombering "based on a true story" morality tale that might be found in the "free rental" section of Blockbuster. While characters are based on real people, as characters they are left to thrive in their movie reflection of life, but as reflections of people they gain an extra layer of sympathy and identification. Alpha Dog actually changes from "mindless crime drama" to "mindless party movie" to "serious based on true events tale," which would seem like a bad choice, but it prevents the entire movie from being dragged down. From the first half of the movie, learning or self growth seems unlikely. Morality and realistic consequences are nowhere to be seen in the beginning, yet the beginning movie cliches become transcended by the characters, so that a false gangster scene becomes obviously false as the movie progresses, making reality more noticeable and tragic. The use of flashback, counted days, and numbered witnesses creates an ominous caution that is not over the top, but drags the viewer in and out of the fantasy movie world. In the end, the actors aren't real people, and the poor special effects drive home the point that this is just a movie meant to look like reality, but this creates a more startling movie as we imagine the true reality behind it. Alpha Dog is paradoxically mindless and shallow without insulting the viewers intelligence.

Alpha Dog Unwatchable.......2007-06-14

If you are an adult with brain cells Alpha Dog will be unwatchable. I had to turn it off after torturing through 45 minutes of watching adolescent males posturing with grotesque levels of ignorance. If there was action, suspense, plot, any shred of meaningful dialogue, I may have been able to watch the entire film. But who wants to pay money, and waste two hours, watching a room full of partying teens act stupidly? The characters are so painfully dumb it is torture to watch. The world of the uneducated and brash American teen age boy is not one I want to go to. Maybe there is a social message or commentary by the end of the film, but if you value your time and intelligence pass on this worthless peek into the world of drugged out teens

Stuck in the middle again.......2007-06-12

I have to say that I didn't have the greatest expectations of this film. After watching it, turns out it's better than I thought. Not saying it's a great movie but it's not bad either. Somewhere in the middle. It's inspired by a true story and it reminds me of Bully but without the unnecessary, overexposed nudity. I actually favored their decision to mark every witness that saw the hostage with the captors. Especially the bystanders who have no connection to any of them whatsoever. The acting was pretty good but the entertainment value could've been better.

Just as I anticipated.......2007-06-10

After becoming fasinated with the "Jesse James Hollywood" story about a year ago, I was ecstatic to learn that a movie would be released concerning the events. I think the movie is excellent but also extremely troubling. To have an idea placed in your mind about what that poor boy went through in the end is the most horrifying picture. I cried until there were no tears left. I knew the story like the back of my hand, but I never really GOT it until seeing this film.
I would recommend this movie to anyone old enough to view the sex, violence, etc. it contains. I would highly recommend reading up on the true story the movie is based on before seeing it.

Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition)

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Review of Dirty Dancing
I was hoping for a little more
Finally the edition fans have waited for...
A Wonderful Ode to a Lost Time & Place
"I carried a watermelon?"

Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Kelly Bishop , Jane Brucker , Max Cantor , Charles "Honi" Coles , and Jesus Fuentes
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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