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In The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, director Wes Anderson takes his familiar stable of actors on a field trip to a fantasy aquarium, complete with stop-motion, candy-striped crabs and rainbow seahorses.And though Anderson does expand his horizons in terms of retro-special effects and a whimsical use of color, fans will otherwise find themselves in well-charted waters. As The Life Aquatic opens, Zissou (Bill Murray), a self-involved, Jacques Cousteau-like filmmaker, has just released a documentary depicting the death of his best friend Esteban, who was eaten by some sort of sea creature--possibly a jaguar shark. Zissou’s troubles also include his waning popularity with the public, and a nemesis (Jeff Goldblum) who hogs up all the grant money. Hope arrives in the form of Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson), an amiable Kentuckian who may be Zissou’s son. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for fatherhood, Zissou welcomes Ned--and Ned in turn saves Zissou’s new documentary (in which he seeks revenge on the jaguar shark) in more ways than one.

One of Wes Anderson’s greatest achievements as a director to date has been launching the autumnal melancholy phase of Bill Murray’s career, starting with Rushmore in 1998, and Murray delivers a similarly comedic yet low-key performance here. Unfortunately, Zissou is one of the few characters in this ensemble to achieve multi-dimensionality. Even co-star Wilson doesn’t get to develop Ned much beyond Noble Southerner, and he ends up seeming more like a prop for illustrating Zissou’s emotional development rather than his own man. The Life Aquatic probably won’t be remembered as a great film, but it is still one that no Anderson (or Murray) fan can afford to miss.--Leah Weathersby ... Read more

Reviews (152)

Stinks
worst movie of the year. This movie has alot of great actors but the story is lame and the jokes are not funny. In short stay away from this bomb.........

A beautiful, intelligent, and fun film
I loved this film from start to finish and it only got better the second and third times I watched it.There is a very nice feel to it: mellow, easy and cool, even when the action is on.This feel is perhaps captured best in the remarkably enjoyable Brazilian covers of classic David Bowie songs.

One thing worth noting about this film, beyond the "quirky" stylings that you expect from Wes Anderson (and that don't always come off, to my mind, as I just couldn't get in to The Royal Tenenbaums much as I wanted), is the way the film plays with and responds to the popularity of the "nature documentary," especially those of Jacques Cousteau.In the nature documentary, we feel as though we are getting "closer" to nature.We believe that we are getting at something real.What we tend to forget or be unaware of, is how much mediation is involved in the presentation of nature.The nature we see on film is never nature "as it is" but nature as it has been framed and captured in accordance with certain expectations of what will sell, what values will play to a wide audience.

It should also be remembered that this is a Disney film, and Wes Anderson appears tobe very self-conscious of the fact that a large part of Disney's name and popularity was established through Disney wildlife films.Walt Disney himself once remarked that he saw his live action wildlife films to be merely an extension of his animations -- because he knew how much the editor and filmmaker are involved in showing what you want to show.What they did show was not Darwin's "nature red tooth and claw" but a sanitized nature, where danger was always contained, and family values were reinforced by the behaviors of animals: a mother and her pups, for example.

That, it seems to me, helps explain the fact that Wes Anderson chose not to employ "real" underwater animals but chose stop motion animation as his medium.It reminds us that nature appears on screen always mediated, through a "nature hero" (as Zissou once was) and through a set of decisions about what to include, how to edit it, what to value.

Anyhow, I could go on and on about what I liked and thought about this film, but I can say that I didn't expect to like this film but found myself surprised feeling very nice (and a bit odd, not sure what to think) about half way through and leaving with a smile and a hint of sadness as I walked the theater.Any film that can do that to someone as jaded as I am has something going for it.

ZZZZZ....Is This A Movie?!
Holy cow! I tried staying awake long enough to see if this movie would develop a plot, have some intersting special effects, but nothing even remotely resembling a movie ever took place. I barely was able to keep my eyes open. I thought maybe it was an artsy attempt at being clever, but this was absolutely the lamest, low budget, poor plot-movie I had ever seen. Even the usually likeable and clever Bill Murray fell FLAT in this movie. I watched it wih my brother and wife. She only made it through the first 20 minutes. My brother and I are more optomistic and somehow made it through the first 70 min., fast forwaded to the end, and didn't even carre that Owen Wilson's character had died!! If you want a movie that will put you to sleep, this is it!

Call me weird...
...but I really enjoyed watching this film. Willem Dafoe carried a manic comic energy throughout that was the perfect foil to Bill Murray's well developed drollery. I thought the take off on the Jacques Cousteau TV specials was spot on and truly humorous. I did not laugh out loud all the way through this film mind you, it is chock full of dull stretches and things that just make you want to scratch your head in puzzlement. I do that all the time with Wes Anderson movies, so I guess this one should be no surprise. I found this film to be clever, smart, profoundly silly, and usually just plain fun. The views of the fanciful sea critters encountered by the crew were very well done and showed a great deal of imagination and wonder at work. The fellow who kept popping up singing David Bowie songs in Portuguese somehow stole my soul and I couldn't get the sounds out of my head. Lovely idea squeezed into a wonderfully odd little film. C'mon, since when does everything have to make sense to be fun?

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
This was a pretty funny, ironic, amusing yet realistic story. I think it deals with some interesting existential issues. Giving wrong people too much credit and basing your life on it. Like in real life, it is not always (or ever?) that better people win and suceed. You can base your whole life on wrong assumptions and pay for it dearly...
I was definitely inspired to re-examie the values I base my life on and instincts I trust. The music is brilliant and many scenes were extremely beautiful. Anjelica Houston is very good. ... Read more

Reviews (749)

Destined to be a classic.
My title may sound a tad cliche, but I believe it. The guys at Pixar understand the mind of children - because they still haven't grown up! That's why Monsters, Inc. is the perfect balance of children's entertainment and adult sophistication. I love it when a studio produces movies that kids love, but at the same time are able to add a level of maturity and sophistication that adults appreciate - without sexual innuendo or appealing to the lowest-common denominator. (i.e. several instances in the movie, Shrek)

The animation is simply incredible; the characters are compelling and hilarious; Boo is worth the price of TWO admissions; the plot and backstory are completely ingenious.

Buy this movie. Enjoy it. Enjoy Disc 2. (Tons of extras - including "Mike's New Car" and another Pixar short entitled "For the Birds" -- PLUS, clips from the Monsters, Inc. office musical production "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me..." !!) With the possible exception of Toy Story 2, one COULD argue that this is the (or at least ONE of the) greatest animated movies ever made.

Sorry if I'm gushing too much. I love this movie. My kids love this movie. It's just plain, good, old-fashinoned FUN.

"MONSTERS, INC." will scare up a treat for audiences
Delightful, uproarious, fun, hilarious, cute and cuddly, jovial... Just a few of the numerous "happy" adjectives you could pin on Pixar's latest pixilated masterpiece "Monsters, Inc." Pixar once again proves itself Disney's most valuable asset with their knack for original stories and often witty and clever humor.

John Goodman and Billy Crystal provide their trademark voices for Sully, the big blue furry monster, and Mike, the cycloptic short green monster as they scare up kids' screams which are converted to energy to power the televisions and alarm clocks of the monster metropolis. (Seems very allegorical of the California power outages this past summer, no?) Conflict brews when Randall, the gecko-like monster, gets greedy and wants to become the top "scarer" by exploiting the screams of the innocent human child, yet show-stealing cute, Boo. While kids might get lost in the action of the movie, the CGI effects and clever Laurel and Hardy-esque slapstick of Sully and Mike (or Lenny and George, which ever way you want to look at it) will have the kiddies captivated from beginning to end.

While Dreamwork's box office baby "Shrek" may have just as good edgy, clever humor and depth, Pixar is far from being out of the running. Keep in mind, Pixar is already a veteran with "Toy Story 1 & 2" (with a third on the way), and "A Bug's Life". There's no doubt in my mind that Pixar and Dreamwork's will be at the helm of the fully computer animated feature for years to come. May the best company win!

For the time being, strap yourself in for the first in some great holiday flicks coming to the silver screen near you! "Monsters, Inc." is already off and running to box office gold, and is a wholly satisfying and entertaining movie for kids, parents, and "Average Joe" movie critics alike.

A big Kid at Heart
I was in the library with my niece and she grabbed this DVD. How can you say no to someone with the most adorable eyes. So I checked out the DVD, we went home and had a wonderful, wonderful time. This is the kind of movie you can appreciate no matter how young or old you are. James P Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman), and Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) are monsters who work for Monsters Inc. Sulley is the best at getting his fair share of scares, but he has some competition in Randall who wants to be the top scare monster. The more screams collected, the more energy for Montropolis. The monsters are led to believe that if a child enters their "world" they will be contaminated and everything could be destroyed. The real fun part starts when this adorable human child named Marry (Boo buy Sulley) sneaks into Montropolis by accident. The kids are scared of the monsters, and the monsters are terrifiedof the kids. Sully and Mike try to get Boo back to her world, but she won't leave. Turns out Randall is her scary monster. Also turns out that Randal has a plan up his sleeve to extract screams that could put the other monsters out of work. It's up to Sully and Mike to save Montroplis and Monsters Inc. This is a fun, entertaining film that will leave with a happy, happy feeling when it's all over. Steve Bucemis I the voice for Randal Boggs, and other notable actors are James Coburn, and Jennifer Tilly (who has the perfect voice for animation, she should do more of it!!!) and Bonnie Hunt.

This is an adorable movie. One I will watch again, with or without my niece.

More Family Magic from Pixar! Great DVD Extras!
"Monster's, Inc." combines a fantastic cast, cutting edge imagination, and a tender storyline into a wonderful, delightful family film . . . it may even cure the nighttime frights of your wee ones!

Most of us were scared stiff at some point in our childhood by the spooky, imaginary "monsters in the closet," usually after we've read "Where the Wild Things Are" for the first time. "Monsters, Inc." plays on that near-universal fear by creating a rational explanation -- monsters live in a parallel universe, connected to ours by closet doors, and they power their land by the energy contained in human screams. Makes perfect sense!

Sulley (the hilarious John Goodman) is a celebrity in Monstropolis as the leading scare-getter for Monster's, Inc. Sulley is generally a lovable big blue yeti-bear-creature, but he can be quite terrifying. Blissfully unaware of the terror he unleashes, he enjoys his job. Basking in Sulley's reflected glory is his sidekick and assistant, Mike Waznowski (Billy Crystal, perfect as ever). Mike is a lime-green-yellow glob with one giant eye and an even larger mouth. He helps Sulley get the screams and stay one step ahead of the competition.

And the competition is fierce. The dragon-chameleon Boggs (Steve Buscemi, suitably creepy without being too scary for the kids) is right on Sulley's heels to be the scream champion, and he's willing to go to any lengths to beat his nemesis.

All is well in Monstropolis until Boo, a human child, accidentally finds her way through the closet and into Monstropolis. It seems that as scared as kids are of monsters, the monsters are equally scared of the kids -- their touch (allegedly) brings death and ruin. (This misunderstanding leads to great comic scenes as X-Files-type HAZMAT crews invade every time there's a kid sighting, usually to the woe of the monster who has seemingly been infected by the kid!)

Like all Pixar films, the glories are in the details. Check out the gentle satire of Hollywood celebrity culture, of mindless bureaucracy, and the perils of romance in the office. The animation is also wonderful -- Pixar continues to evolve with every picture. For example, Sulley's fuzzy hair is fully articulated as he zooms through various escapades.

The story is fast-paced, with enough jokes to keep the adults laughing . . . which is good, 'cause your kids will likely keep throwing this into the DVD player.

Speaking of the DVD -- there are lots of fun extras on this two-disc set. Personal favorites include the fake "outtakes," similar to those at the end of "A Bug's Life," a short film featuring Mike showing Sulley his new hi-tech car (with hilarious consequences), and an Oscar-winning short film, "For the Birds," which shows how funny animation can be, even in short doses. There are additional extras that will keep the kiddies occupied for hours.

All in all, a must for the family's DVD library.

100% Kid Friendly
There aren't many movies that can be seen over and over and over again and still be enjoyed so much. My little sister is addicted to Monsters, Inc. Instead of having to look under the bed to make sure there are no monsters there, she wishes and hopes that when the closet door is opened, Scully will be in there waiting to "scare" her. She was Boo for Halloween last year and requested a Little Mikey stuffed animal for her birthday. Basically, she can not get enough of anything to do with Monsters, Inc.

OK, I admit it. I'm hooked on Monsters, Inc. too. After seeing it thirty plus times with the little one, I still find myself actually watching it and laughing out loud. What a great movie with lovable characters.

Monsters, Inc. is a 100% kid friendly movie that adults will enjoy as well. ... Read more

Reviews (259)

Who Ever THought of This Film was an Insane Genius
Whomever came up with the concept for this film needs very serious mental evaluation; A love story about a guy with scissors for hands? But perhaps we will put that aside for now becasue the movie is simply stupendous. Edward ScissorHands is one of my all time favorite movies, I assume this goes for many others as well, becasue i have never found someone who didnt like this movie. It appeals to the strange geek inside us all who just wants to be accepted for what he is. For an overview of the movie read the summary amazon has provided, i will talk only about the dvd. THe extras are quite neat with commentary tracks, production art, and best of all some old Burton shorts. Vincent is a great clayamtion thing about a kid trying to be vincent price, it reminded me of beetlejuice, visually. Frankenweenie is kinda dumb and boring, but its about a kid who brings his dog back to life. THe image clarity is fantastic, as is the sound on this disc. It has some really cool animated menus too. So go buy it. You might wanna see it first though becasue it is pretty strange. Bottom line is if you like Burton films, you will love this one. (I still have a little trouble seeing that kid from the breakfast club as a bad guy, but whatta gonna do?)

fantastic DVD, even better movie
Edward Scissorhands is quite simply the best fairy tale never told. This is Tim Burton in his eccentric prime, and his presence is palpable in every arena of this beautiful and personal film. The inventive art direction is perhaps the most memorable aspect of that presence, most notably in the pastel palette that covers everything from the ingenius solid-color costumes to the quaint neighborhood/town our characters inhabit.

The genius of this movie is more far-reaching than that. Everything fits seamlessly together--from Danny Elfman's quirky score to Stefan Czapsky's meticulous camera work to an entire cast full of nuanced performances... the list goes on and on. While this film's acting gem is Diane Weist in the role of the sweet and overly altruistic mother, Johnny Depp plays the titular role in a beautifully understated performance. Similarly, Winona Ryder wonderfully (and blondly) embodies young beauty and Alan Arkin turns in a comedic yet touching performance as the sometimes-overbearing father. The ensemble cast is flawless, complementing the quirky but ultimately realistic tone.

Perhaps the best aspect of this movie is that it achieves its goals with amazing subtlety--the overt themes of "being different", family, and (let's not forget) love are constantly driven into cliché these days, but Edward Scissorhands accomplishes it all with a snip, not a stab.

This 10th Anniversary Edition DVD is everything this movie deserves--insightful commentaries from Tim Burton AND Danny Elfman and an interesting featurette, along with the concept art, trailers, TV Spots, and scene selection we've all come to expect. (The Interactive 3-D Menus are priceless!)

This is just one of those positively timeless, life-affirming movies that belongs in everyone's collection.

A true work of art!
This has certainly got to be one of Burton's most imaginative creations. I can't remember a movie be that puzzlling, and yet so interesting and fun. Only Jonny Depp could prouduce such a voice, and performance. And that hair! Well, that was just the final icing on the cake. Let's face it. It's not easy to act the part of a lonly anodroid,and especially one that looked on with curiosity one moment and hated the next. Horror king, Vincint Price does a good job too as Edward's maker. Who is despreat for companionship. I laughed, I cried, then I laughed some more. All in all, this is not that bad of a movie.

A Beautiful Movie
I first saw this movie not so long ago and I fell in love with it. It is a beautiful story with very sad moments as well as exciting ones. Burton and Depp make a great team. This is one of the most moving movies I have ever seen. It tells the story of Edward (Depp), a person created by an inventor (Vincent Price)who passed on just before he had a chance to amputate Edward's scissorhands. Edward lived alone in a castle until sweet-hearted Avon lady Peg Boggs(Dianne Wiest)comes and takes him to her home to live with her family. A must see for Tim Burton fans and anyone who enjoys a magical time watching a movie. I have recently bought this DVD and I love it. I give Edward Scissorhands two big thumbs way up and 100 stars. I hope my review has helped you.

masterpiece
i just realised that "Edward Scissorhands" is one of my favourite films. it has so much power. Tim Burton's storytelling, it is magnificent. his imagination is so great. the way he portrays his characters is so unique. every character is very distinct. like characters in his other works: Jack Skellingon, Ichbod Crane, Edward Bloom, Betelgeuse. now let's talk about the acting. johnny depp was magnificent. you could sense his emotion, even though he barely talks, as he portrays a lost, innocent, confused child. his make-up is excellent too. yes, he does look like a freak. but he looks good. and Winona Ryder. she's such a good actress. and can you say "pretty?" and oh! the set design and cinematography. the use of colour to expose the contrast between the two worlds. the pastel versus the dark castle. and the town! oh my. it is a dreamland. did you know that it is an actual neighborhood in Florida? one more thing. Danny Elfman's score is superb! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

What were they thinking?
I was really pushing for my company to release "Remington Steele" on DVD, but it seems someone beat us to it. Pity -- but at least the episodes WILL finally be available (must admit that my old VHS tapes from late-night reruns circa 1986 are probably quite deteriorated by now).

I have to say, though, that, I, too, am extremely annoyed that Stephanie Zimbalist was omitted from the package's cover. That was an extremely lame move on the part of the people putting the set together, and they obviously (a) know nothing about the show, and (b) didn't care enough about it to put it togther RIGHT. Anyone who was a fan of the show can tell you that Stephanie was key to how well it worked. And, as a ten year old girl at the time, she was kind of my hero. The compilers of the package took the easy, cheesy path to marketing this title, and all I can say to that is SHAME ON THEM.

As a fan, I'd just like to add that the best season of the show was season 1. Apart from the glaring photo faux pas, the package should be pretty cool, and it will be great to watch these episodes again.

Steele worth watching
The name is Steele. Remington Steele.

Before the advent of reality TV and gritty cop shows, detective shows were apparently the thing -- and the 1980s show "Remington Steele" was a standout. The mixture of humor, romantic tension and high-gloss detecting is constantly entertaining.

Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist) worked hard to become a private eye, only to discover that sexism was holding her back. So she invented a fake boss, Remington Steele, who was always conveniently absent when clients came to talk to his "assistant." The deceptive little system works perfectly... until Laura tries to protect a multimillion-dollar jewel collection, and runs into a man (Pierce Brosnan) who now claims to be Remington Steele.

The flesh-and-blood Remington Steele is dapper, intelligent, loves old movies, and is a master criminal. Laura can't expose him without exposing her own fraud, so she comes to a tenuous truce with him: She'll let him stay, and finance his apartment and living, if he behaves himself and doesn't mess around with her detecting. Her assistants Murphy and Bernice (James Read and Janet DeMay) don't like it, but they have to accept him.

But Steele doesn't want to stay in the shadows. He begins to take an interest in solving cases, and helps Laura find a missing video game genius, deal with a body in a winery, and encounter the Yakuza, murderous fellow P.I.s, B-movie queens, smut publishers, insomniacs, old lovers, divorce lawyers, and much more. All the while, Laura tries to figure out who Steele really is, as they try to figure out how they feel about each other.

Humorous detective stories are not an easy thing to do -- they can easily descend into slapstick or idiocy. "Remington Steele" straddled the line perfectly. The first two episodes are rather grim, but by episode three we have Brosnan's charming smirks and the slightly oddball cases that the show became known for. Okay, maybe Laura's on-the-run striptease was a bit much, but Steele's look of shock is worth it.

Surprisingly, not much has aged about this show. Sure, we have some ludicrous 80s hair and clothing, and computers were in their infancy. But the storylines are still hugely entertaining, the sort of stories that could be easily transferred (well, most of the time) to the 1920s, 2000s, or most places in between.

Pierce Brosnan, pre-Bond, gives Steele the right amounts of earnestness and smoothness, quoting old movies and enthusiastically needling Murphy. Zimbalist does an almost equal job; she gets a bit smug in some scenes, but overall carries it well as the Beatrice to Pierce's Benedick. The two stars have remarkably electric chemisty -- a shame they didn't like each other.

DeMay and Read aren't as good -- they were only in one season -- primarily because their characters seem rather one note. And the various guest stars are very good, whether old ladies or distinguished actors, such as Zimbalist's father Efram Jr. And keep an eye out for a young Sharon Stone in a very brief role.

A deeply entertaining and well-written series, "Remington Steele" managed to bridge the gulf between detective shows and dry comedy. Fun, tense and intelligent.

Finally! This is a DVD I've been waiting for.
Pierce Brosnan may be the reason this show is released on DVD, but die-hard "Remington Steele" fans know Stephanie Zimbalist was equally responsible for the show's quality. It was Ms. Zimbalist's acting as a smart, single, business woman that was intriguing to me as a teenaged girl. I'm sure I'm not alone in viewing her Laura Holt character as a role model.

When "Remington Steele" premiered in 1982, it was a breath of fresh air with super smart scripts (many writers from the show have gone on to other successes including Glenn Gordon Caron who created "Moonlighting"), tight direction, and the palpable chemistry and talent of the leads--Mr. Brosnan and Ms. Zimbalist.

The first season--in my mind--is the best. The series writers and scripts were at their highest level. There was a sophisicated edge to the locales, the storylines, and acting. Even the guest stars--Paul Reiser, Annie Potts, Sharon Stone, Roxanne Hart, Peter Scolari come to mind--made the show special. The series walked a fine line between that sophistication and gumshoe grit--something that I think is hard to pull off.

The show's quality did slightly slip in season 2 once it was paired with "The A-Team". It's been said that for season 2, NBC purposely made the show less cerebral to gain a wider audience. It did find it's highest ratings after season 1 with the stronger "A-Team" lead-in. No matter, "Remington Steele" was still a smart, delightful series throughout its run and I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

A Great Show
This is the DVD set I have been wishing for ever since they started putting TV shows on DVD--well, this and the second, third, and fourth season sets that I hope will follow it. This show has it all: witty banter, light-hearted mystery, trips to exotic locales, recurring characters (a reward for faithful viewers), and charming and attractive leads.

Laura Holt and Remington Steele are the quintessential romantic/comic detective duo. I even rank them above Nick and Nora Charles and David Addison and Maddie Hayes, much as I love and admire The Thin Man and Moonlighting. If you are a fan of either, you'd like Remington Steele. In fact, if you are a fan of classic movies in general you will probably like Remington Steele because the character is also a fan and finds parallels to movies in many of their cases.

I was sorry to see that one fan of the show gives it only one star and threatens not to purchase it based solely on the cover art. True, Stephanie Zimbalist was originally the main star and I would have preferred to see the two stars pictured together. But we fans should be happy just to have the show on DVD and do everything we can to make it a success so that the remaining seasons will also be released. The fact is that Brosnan was the breakout star of the show and his success led to his being cast as James Bond (then losing the part to Timothy Dalton because of RS obligations, only to be given the part again later). So if the James Bond tie-in helps sell more DVDs and gets more people hooked on the show we should be glad. And we can hope for better things from the cover art of future seasons.

Last of the great detective shows
Ah, the good old days, back in the days before "Reality" shows hijacked television, and just before the era of the night-time soaps like ER and West Wing (I like West Wing, but too much emphasis on personal lives on the characters and not enough plot time devoted to the situation is the curse of the night-time soaps).

Remington Steele is my favorite detective show of all time, and one of my favorite series of any genre.The plots are entertaining, actually mysterious, fun and still fresh today.The chemistry between the stars is unbeatable (I always heard they didn't get along well in real life).Pierce Brosnan had great comedic talent, but still with a tough side.It's fun to see him before his Bond days.Stephanie Zimbalist was one of the best actresses of her generation, and beautiful as well.

The show prgressed pretty well over the 4 seasons it ran.The first season was kind of experimental, and had a few too many regular characters.The later formula of Steele, Laura and Mildred worked a lot better, but season one is still great fun and has good stroy lines.I'll be even more excited when the later seasons come out, with the episodes filmed in Ireland, Malta and Greece.This program is an unsung classic. ... Read more

Description

Huge festival and theatrical hit, Latter Days is the story of 19-year-old Elder Aaron Davis, a sexually confused Mormon missionary who moves into an apartment complex in West Hollywood with a fellow group of missionaries. There he meets a neighbor, Christian, who, on a bet, tries to seduce him. When Christian exposes Davis' secret desire, Davis rejects Christian for being shallow and empty. As each boy's reality is shattered, the two are drawn into a passionate romance that risks destroying their lives. Audiences, young and old and straight and gay, have been moved to tears by this beautiful story of the transformational power of love and family. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Praying and Playing: Love with a Proper Stranger
With no preconceptions---- no knowledge, actually --- of this movie before I saw it, I found Latter Days to be much better than it had to be, and more universal than a romance about two very different gay men falling in love ("opposites attract" says the tag line) might appear to a general audience.

The depth of the cast is jaw-dropping: Jacqueline Bisset, Mary Kay Place, Amber Benson (recognizable from her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Erik Pallidino (familiar to ER viewers as Dr. Malucci), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (from Third Rock from the Sun) and Michael Moriarity in supporting roles.

Obviously, this movie is a "labor of love". And I mean that in every sense of the phrase. This "course of true love never did run smooth" for these two characters, but this is a tale of true love laboring to realize itself.

Four Mormon missionaries who move to his Los Angeles apartment block represent a challenge to a licentious and gorgeous gay hedonist, ironically named Christian (played by Wesley A. Ramsey). He makes a bet with his fellow waiters to seduce one of the four. The Elder named Aaron (played by Steve Sandvoss) seems the most receptive. There is no doubt that Christian is attracted to him--- even perhaps beyond his usual flavor-of-this-sixty-seconds attraction.

Aaron is miserable in his fascination with Christian: it confirms what he has known about himself and resisted, but it represents sin beyond forgiveness or understanding in his missionary world. It represents the end of life as he has known it. Naive and wise at the same time, he tells Christian that relationships have meaning, must have meaning beyond a handshake. Aaron tells Lila (Jacqueline Bisset), the restaurant owner who employs Christian, that even if we can't see the connection between the dots, there is meaning and connection from God's view. Aaron can't give up that belief even when his faith is stripped from him.

Meaning in relationships is a new concept to Christian, our pilgrim in this movie. Aaron's view of him as shallow shocks him, and so Aaron has already made a difference in Christian's life which pushes the bet very far down in his priorities, almost out of his consciousness. Finding any serious chord in himself is a disturbing surprise to him, and stimulates his growth into something more than a pretty party animal.

The script begins with ribald wit, and might have maintained that wit throughout with a bit more production money and time for a few more re-writes. The transitions become a little rougher as the movie goes on. There are some dramatic sequences (especially one significant plot point between the two main characters outside in the snow at the Salt Lake City airport) quite obviously awkward, which in a bigger budget production, would probably have been re-shot.

But this movie's profound and universal messages are about prejudices, about love, and about miracles. The movie has its agenda: just as it is very controversial in its depiction of the Church of Latter Day Saints as grotesquely intolerant, it will shock some with its fairly graphic depiction of homosexual sex. It is not a movie which is gentle with everyone's sensibilities.

The story briefly reminded me of Longfellow's "Evangeline", where the lovers worked so hard to find each other again, and also more tellingly of an excellent book about a deeply moving love story between two gay men, my introduction to the idea of real romantic love between men: The Charioteer by Mary Renault. Very much as that book enlightened mine and my friends' preconceived notions about the depth of emotions possible between homosexual men, this movie has something universally applicable to say about love's fostering our growth into the people we are meant to be.

My companion said "another small-but-smart movie not to be heard of at next year's Academy Awards", but it is entirely possible this one may find a nomination in a musical category. The score was good, and some of the songs really first-rate. Rebekah Johnson---aka Rebekah Jordan---, playing Christian's roommate Julie, gave those songs a real chance to be memorable.

A terrific love story...not just another gay movie
I really loved this movie. Admittedly, I was able to relate to both main characters - having similar seasons of my life when I was trying to find myself. The thing is, this isn't just another gay movie. So many of the movies for gay audiences don't care about plot or production values. Actors need not be talented as long as they are attractive and willing to show some skin. In this movie, it is obvious that the actors really care about the roles that they are portraying. They provide what I believe to be an accurate, non-stereotypical representation of both lifestyles. (Well, I guess there is some stereotyping, but a lot of the story seems to convey an attempt to overcome those "norms".)
What makes this film even better is the amazing love story that is represented. It's not a gay love story...it's just a love story. Any two people in love could tell tales similar to those shown in the movie.
All in all, a great buy. Not the best movie of all time, but definitely a major leap forward for gay cinema. I rode the emotional rollercoaster during the entire film.

Love this film
This is a must see movie. I've viewed it several times and can't stop thinking about it. A perfect mix of drama, romance, and comedy. The acting is brilliant and the chemistry between all the characters very believeable. Strong performances from the cast makes up for the brief moments that the plot falters. But over-all the script is excellent and boldly takes on the self-hatred and homophobia that religious teachings have been brainwashing people with for centuries.

Wes Ramsey ("The Guiding Light") gives a wonderful performace as shallow party boy Christian who accepts a bet with his friends that he can seduce his new neighbor, closeted Mormon missionary Aaron Davis, wonderfully protrayed by Steve Sandvoss. Sparks soon fly and romance ensues between the sincere, naive Aaron and the carefree Christian. Aaron is both drawn to and disgusted by Christian, who he sees as shallow and vain. But the audience and Aaron soon learn that there is more to Christian than his party boy ways and one-night stands. Of course it all hits the fan when the budding romance of Aaron and Christian is discovered by Aaron's fellow Mormon missionaries. Aaron is sent home in shame to face his family and church while a serious misunderstanding leaves Chris devastated, his life forever changed by the encounter with Aaron.

Ramsey and Sandvoss have great chemistry and both do a wonderful job of bringing their roles to life on-screen, making Christian and Aaron complex and rich characters. Completing the cast is Jacqueline Bisset as Christian's motherly and compassionate boss Lila. Rebekah Jordan as Chris' roommate and best friend Julie, a would-be singer. Amber Benson ("Buffy: The Vampire Slayer") as Chris' friend and co-worker Traci, a struggling actress. Scene-stealer Khary Payton gives a funny performance as the HIV+ Andrew, another pal of Christian's. Erik Palladino ("ER") appears as a man dying of AIDS who Chris befriends. And Mary Kay Place gives a strong performance as Aaron's unforgiving religious mother.

I highly recommend this film and applaud the cast and writer, C. Jay Cox, for bringing this controversial movie to life.

Good, but not great
There's much to like in this film and a fair bit not to like. My main complaint is the lack of screen time to show the development of romantic love between the leading men, each of whom is from a very different background. A great film could have been made about their overcoming various obstacles AFTER establishing a strong love interest, or an interesting film made about getting their relationship off the ground. All of the characters needed more development to make their transformations more plausible. Unfortunately, much of the film felt contrived.

Amazing
ITs a Must See Movie. I took my parents and they loved the movie ... Read more

Description

The railroad's got to run through the town of Rock Ridge.How do you drive out the townfolk in order to steal their land?Send in the toughest gang you've got...and name a new sheriff who'll last about 24 hours.But that's not really the plot of Blazing Saddles, just the pretext.Once Mel Brooks' lunatic film many call it his best gets started, logic is lost in a blizzard of gags, jokes, quips, puns, howlers, growlers and outrageous assaults upon good taste or any taste at all.Cleavon Little as the new lawman, Gene Wilder as the wacko Waco Kid, Brooks himself as a dimwitted politico and Madeline Kahn in her Marlene Dietrich send-up that earned an Academy Award nomination all give this sagebrush saga their lunatic best.And when Blazing Saddles can't contain itself at the finale, it just proves the Old West will never be the same! ... Read more

Reviews (207)

The Quintessential Comedy Movie
I love this movie! From the opening scene, where Cleavon Little sings the negro work song, "I Get a Kick Outta You", ala Nat King Cole, and he is corrected by the white men shoing him how to sing "Camptown Ladies", to the absurd surrealist ending (when was the last time you've seen a movie burst out of the movie, this is beautiful comedy.

Sight gags flying by at the speed of light, you will have to watch it hundreds of times to get them all, one liners that would make the Marx Brothers proud ("Bart, I heard you was hung." "You heard right!) This is absurdist comedy at is best (A toll booth on the William J LaPetomaine Freeway). The Mel Brooks choreography is wonderful when Lili Von Schtup sings "I'm Tired." When was the last time you saw German Soldiers tango with their rifles. This movie is filled frame to frame with humor, and no one gets away not insulted (Okay, we'll take the Irish too!)

The cast was perfection, either just over the top, or way over the top Harvey Korman is hilarious as the nefarious Hedley Lamarr. Cleavon Little is fantastic as he makes fun of his own stereotypes, it is absolutely one of the funniest movies ever made by humans on the planet earth.

Until a Special Edition comes along ...
... this will have to do. But that ain't all bad.

Politically incorrect and loving it, "Blazing Saddles" holds up as a comedy nearly 30 years after its release, and maybe even has gotten funnier as Americans get more uptight. Heaven help us if we lose our ability to laugh at the outrageous.

And while the bathroom humor (and the campfire scene) gets all the notice, there are some very subtle jokes in the film, such as the "laurel and hardy handshake" and "Thank you, Van."

As for extras ... there's not much. A trailer, both widescreen and cropped versions, and an monologue by Mel Brooks that plays over the first half of the movie. It's not scene-specific, but it's worth listening to. For instance, Gene Wilder wasn't even supposed to be in the movie. To find out who was, and why Wilder got the part ... listen to the interview.

This film cries out for a special edition. A scene-specific commentary by Brooks and co-writers Andrew Bergman and Richard Pryor. A making-of documentary. The scenes that were edited into the TV version of the movie (like the diving scene and the governor's visit to the fake Rock Ridge)...

Tasteless But Funny
Plays like an ennactment of one of those tasteless joke books set to a Western theme. Not for everyone. Even fans of this sort of thing have to be in a certain mood.

The funniest western ever made
Cleavon Little plays a black railroad worker condemend to death for assaulting his white foreman. At the last minute he is reprieved by the governor who has the devious idea of making him sheriff of Rock Ridge, a town the governor wants destroyed so they can run the railroad through the area, he thinks a black sheriff will finish the town off. When Little arrives in Rock Ridge he is nearly lynched by the outratged inhabitants but manages to outwit them. Safe in the sheriff's office, he finds the town drunk (Gene Wilder) just waking up in the cells, and they strike up a friendship. Together they set about the task of winning over the folk of Rock Ridge ("simple, wholesome, country folk - you know, morons" as Wilder says), and trying to save the town from destruction. This blissfuly funny film is packed with hilarious episodes. There's the wonderful scene where Little, asked to sing a negro song, obliges with 'I get a kick out of you', the scene where he arrives in Rock Ridge, there's Madelein Khan's hilarious Marlene Dietrich impersonation, the wonderful scene where Little and Wilder infiltrate the baddies' gang disguised as Klu Klux Klan members, and my favourite scene of all, the bit where the townsfolk, asked to give some land to the minority groups who are to help them build the fake town, reply "All right, we'll give some land to the niggers and the chinks, but we DON'T want the irish!" The film is utterly delightful, with hilarious performances from all concerned. There's just one thing that I wonder about. Cleavon Little is such a wonderful comic actor, not to mention being drop-dead gorgeous as well, why has so little been seen of him since this film was made? Never mind, if you're only going to be famous for one film, this is a great one to be remembered for.

Even the "Making-of" was recycled!
Five stars for the movie itself as well as the presentation. The movie looks and sounds great.

BUT--- as noted by many, the "30th Anniversary Edition" supplements are basically a hack job. This is easily one of the most influential comedies of all-time, it deserved to really be given the Special Edition treatment.

The "Commentary" is not a traditional commentary at all; not only is it simply the audio from a 55 minute interview with Brooks, it was issued on the previous dvd. This has been mentioned by many reviewers.

What hasn't been as well-reported is that even the half-hour retrospective doc has been recycled. The "Back in the Saddle" program, which is admittedly a decent if unspectacular show, was previously issued on the 2001 VHS edition! Basically, this featurette was issued on the 27th Anniversary video cassette release. Yes, this is the first time it has appeared on dvd, but still a rather lazy choice.

The "Additional Scenes" are, somewhat annoyingly, not accessible scene-by scene. They play as one approx. 10-minute piece. These scenes were added to the TV broadcast version. It's nice to have them, though most of them are shown in the "Back in the Saddle" featurette.

The only other significant supplement is the "Black Bart" pilot episode. This 24-minute show is a real curiousity, a great archival piece even though the show itself is excruciatingly BAD. Still, its interesting viewing, and very easy on the eyes. This show, quite simply, looks amazing! Very well preserved.

There are a couple other bits, like the trailer and an excerpt from a Madeline Kahn documentary (only about 4 minutes or so).

Really, all things considered, Warner really dropped the ball on the supplementals for this edition. The movie itself looks fantastic and the new 5.1 mix isn't anything special but it sounds better than the old disc. The movie is what really counts, and in that area the presentation can hardly be faulted. But in the end, they didn't actually produce any NEW supplemental material for this set. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When you start watching Racing Stripes, you may not be prepared for how unbelievably cute a young zebra is. A travelling circus accidently abandons an adorably helpless zebra in the middle of Kentucky on a stormy night. Fortunately, the wee zebra is found by Nolan Walsh (Bruce Greenwood, The Sweet Hereafter), a brilliant horse trainer who's given up his calling after a riding accident that killed his wife. His daughter Channing (Hayden Panettiere, Raising Helen) names the zebra Stripes and, before you know it, Stripes has grown to young adulthood and is aching to race at a nearby track. Thus begins a fairly formulaic triumph-over-adversity tale combined with talking animals--but Racing Stripes understands its formula and executes it without any pretensions. It doesn't hit the bullseye struck by Babe (an earlier triumph-over-adversity tale combined with talking animals), and there are bad puns and gags aplenty, but Greenwood's solid presence gives the movie an unexpected emotional fullness. Featuring a bizarre assortment of voices for the animals, including Whoopi Goldberg, Dustin Hoffman, Frankie Muniz, Mandy Moore, Joe Pantoliano (as a Mafioso pelican), Steve Harvey, David Spade, and Snoop Dogg. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Perfect Family Entertainment!
Racing Stripes is actually a lot more entertaining and funny than I had expected. The story of a circus zebra(Stripes) adopted by a corn farmer/ex-race horse trainer Nolan Walsh(Bruce Greenwood), and eventually became a race horse when Channing Walsh(Hayden Panettiere) learned that it was a fast runner after riding it to work. At first, Nolan was reluctant to let his daughter to get into the race, because he feared that it was dangerous and that Stripes wasn't good enough. Soon the animals in the barn came up with a plan to convince him that Stripes was the perfect race horse, and deserved to be trained.

The talking animals featured the voices of some well-known stars including Mandy Moore(Sandy the horse), Frankie Muntz(Stripes), Whoopi Goldberg, and Dustin Hoffman.

It's a very good family film, and both Greenwood and Panettiere were wonderful and touching. The special feature has an alternative ending, and the Making Of that shows the voice-over and animation/special effects.

Fun, entertaining movie...
I went into this movie not expecting much out of it. I actually enjoyed it so much, that I watched it a second time with my boyfriend. Many reviews said that it's a movie only aimed at kids and doesn't really have much to offer for the older audiences, and this review is to tell you that it's not true. I watched it with four adults and we all enjoyed it immensely. Give it a shot!

Almost as Good as "Babe"
This is the story of a zebra named Stripes who is accidentally left behind by a traveling circus during a storm.He is raised by a former racing horse trainer and his daughter and grows up believing that he is a racing horse and has a strong desire to become one of the greatest.

Positives:
1)Talking animals.If you liked "Babe" and the talking animals in "Dr. Doolittle" (the Eddie Murphy version) then you'll love the talking animals in "Racing Stripes".They do a great job, even when trying to convey emotion.
2)Pulls at the Heart-Strings.This isn't just a story of a zebra who wants to be a racing horse.There are so many other plots and sub-plots.By the end, they all get resolved, everybody is happy, and those who deserve to be pooped upon are done so by a gangster pelican.
3)Good message.The overriding theme of the movie is one of my favorites: if you want something then work hard to get it.
4)Good acting.With the exception of Wendie Malick (was she supposed to be THAT way over-the-top?), the acting by the human characters was quite good and believable.The emotional range of Hayden Panettiere is pitch-perfect for every occasion of the film.

Negatives:
1)Far too many adult jokes.Some of the humor of this movie was too grown-up.And if they were trying to be subtle with it, they did a horrible job with it.It was one thing to imply a swear-word, but to actually use one is another matter.

If it weren't for the adult jokes, I would recommend this for the entire family.But I even felt uncomfortable having my eight year old watch it.I would recommend watching this with your family if all the children are pass their elementary school years.

A Great Flick For Kids!
Racing Stripes is a wonderfully, funny, family film. Children and adults will find themselves giggling at silly, comedic acts, while being drawn into the film through a heartwarming story about a girl and her pet zebra, Stripes.

They really could've tried a little harder.
Racing Stripes (Frederick Du Chau, 2005)

Watching Racing Stripes with me is rather like watching Jurassic Park with a paleontologist. It's probably not going to be a pleasant experience. I'm rather surprised the actual Turfway Park hasn't sued for defamation of character. (At least they put it in the correct state.) Don't get me started on jockey licensing, Thoroughbred breeding, and the hundred other little details overlooked by the movie, though I have to say none of them compared to turning the gorgeous Turfway Park, one of America's most beautiful racetracks (which, it should be noted, ironically doesn't have a turf course), into a county fair bullring. At least they didn't call it Keeneland.

Okay. Now put aside all the technical stuff that's wrong with the movie. Is it any good from a layman's point of view? Well, it's not bad, mostly because of the voice talent. Such actors as Dustin Hoffman, Whoopi Goldberg, Frankie Muniz, Fred Dalton Thompson, and a number of other big names lent their voices to animals here with lovely results. The human actors, on the other hand, are to a person bad. Even the normally enjoyable Bruce Greenwood and the normally fantastic M. Emmett Walsh are bland and insipid here.

But even if the voice talent is good, it's not running on much that's worthwhile. One reviewer called it "Babe in stripes," and that's pretty much what it comes down to-- fish (erm, pig-- no, wait, zebra) out of water has to try and fit in among those who are different from him. But where Babe approached the idea with freshness, originality, and an innocent sweetness that approached fairy tale-quality, Racing Stripes just seems like a slightly degenerated retread; it's probably serviceable, but don't go for long drives in the desert, or it might blow on you far, far away from civilization. ** ½ ... Read more

Amazon.com

The James Bond Collection, Vol. 1 collects the same feature-packed DVDs that appeared in previous Bond boxes, but in a new combination of titles, one with a decidedly golden gleam. In 1962 Sean Connery defined the cinematic James Bond as a tough, charming, and thoroughly professional cold war spy with a license to kill in the lean, hard-edged Dr. No. With Ursula Andress (as the original Bond girl Honeychile Ryder, who makes her entrance in a bikini), Bond battles a renegade supervillain with little more than his wits, his cunning, and his Walther PPK. In Goldfinger (1964) Connery's steely presence helped forge the formula of tongue-in-cheek wit, wondrous secret agent toys created by Q, and megalomaniac supervillains bent on world destruction.

Roger Moore brought a light tone and a suave assurance to the series, and in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), he battles million-dollar assassin Christopher Lee, one of Bond's most magnetic adversaries. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), perhaps Moore's finest hour, is a return to the extravagant set pieces and cold war thrills of Connery's pictures and introduces Richard Kiel's steel-dentured Jaws to the series. Timothy Dalton made his second and final appearance as Bond in Licence to Kill (1989), the toughest of the Bond films since Connery's early efforts. Though not a fan favorite, it's a sleek, solid adventure with an edge missing from the Moore pictures.

Pierce Brosnan is the latest to take on the 007 mantle, combining the best of Connery's cool and Moore's humor. GoldenEye (1995) is a grand globetrotting adventure with lovely Bond girls and a tough new M (Judy Dench). Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) doesn't recapture that magic mix of action, gadgetry, and romance, but does feature the first Bond girl to match 007 blow for blow: Hong Kong action superstar Michelle Yeoh. The DVD editions of the films each feature audio commentary tracks by the director and key members of the crew, making-of documentaries, and a host of stills, TV spots, and trailers. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Volume 1 of a classic line of Spy films
"The name is Bond, James Bond." With these words a franchise was born. In 1962 Ian Flemming launched a franchise that would forever change the action film genre. Starting with Dr. NO, one really couldn't tell that it was really a Bond film until that famous line was uttered. Now then, the Bond series has gone through no less than 5 different actors: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, finally Pierce Brosnan. Each having their own style. In my opinion, Pierce Brosnan is about as close to the original Sean Connery Bond as you can get. He's got the same pizazz and pinache as Connery did.

This first set of a re-issue contains seven of the soon to be twenty installment franchise. The first is the 1962 release "Dr. NO". This was Connery's first, and Bond's first official appearance.

Then comes '64's "Goldfinger", the 3rd Bond film. This film had one of the cleverest lines in a Bond film that I can recall. Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?" Goldfinger: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

Then comes '74's "The Man with the Golden Gun". The 9th Bond film and Roger Moore's 2nd appearance as Bond. This film stars Christopher Lee as the villian who we now know as Count Dooku from Star Wars Episode II.

Then we have '77's "The Spy Who Loved Me". The 10th Bond film and Moore's 3rd appearance. This film stared Curt Jurgens as the villian and introduced the character Jaws played by Richard Kiel.

Then let's skip way forward and stop at '89's "License to Kill". This is the 16th Bond film which was Timothy Dalton's 2nd appearance as Bond. This film also stars Robert Davi as latino drug cartel leader.

Next comes '95's "GoldenEye". The 17th Bond film and also Pierce Brosnan, the modern Bond's first film. This film spawned one of the most popular N64 video games ever. Stared Sean Bean as 006 who turns traitor.

And finally '97's "Tomorrow Never Dies". The 18th Bond film and Brosnan's 2nd film. Stars Teri Hatcher, TV's Lois Lane from The New Superman Adventures.

And so completes the first Volume of DVD reissues. Hopefully Volume 2 will come out sometime early next year.

A Very Good Addition to any DVD Collection
I originally bought this box set and the others when they were done to conicide with the release of Tomorrow Never Dies. Sadly that was not included in the box set so I had to buy it separately. While Tomorrow Never Dies is not the best, the others do not disappoint. You get some of the best Bond films Connery did. Dr No, Goldfinger. Licence to Kill with the dashing Timothy Dalton does not disappoint. Also included is Goldeneye, the first Bond with Pierce Brosnan. While it sometimes seems far fetched, the highlight of this film is really is Sean Bean who plays Alec Trevelyan. He is 006 turned bad. To watch Bean play this deliciously evil baddie is interesting and fun as he anticipates Bond's every move.He is perhaps one of the best Bond baddies in a long time because he is an intellegent bad guy who knows Bond better than anyone. The others included Man With The Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me, like many of the Bond films may seem far fetched but are great fun to watch.

Not closed captioned in English
I bought this box set as a birthday present for a friend who is hard of hearing, thinking that he could use the closed caption option.

I was shocked to find that all the DVD's in all of the James Bond boxed sets are NOT closed captioned in English!
They are only closed captioned in French and Spanish.

How can they sell these these DVDs in the USA, label them as "closed captioned" and not state on the box that they are NOT closed captioned in English?

An Endearing Man of Action and Honor
Only one person can stop the maniacal villains trying to monopolize the world: Bond, James Bond. The groundbreaking DR. NO is one of the best James Bond films of the series. Sean Connery's performance is that of the no-nonsense dedicated civil servant entrusted with a "licence-to-kill" when he chooses, where he chooses and whom he chooses. His screen presence alone conveys the physical, intellectual and moral conviction of the character. Many elements that distinguish the James Bond series were introduced in this film. The opening gun barrel trademark, "The James Bond Theme," M played by Bernard Lee, Miss Moneypenny played by Lois Maxwell, Ken Adam's distinctive melding of modern and futuristic production designs, Maurice Binder's unique main titles, the "Martinis shaken not stirred," exotic locales, just to name a few are all here. Bond is sent to Jamaica, land of the Undertakers Wind, to investigate the elimination of British field agents and strange signals that have been interfering with the American space program. Joseph Wiseman as DR. NO is one of the best villains of the series. His steel mono-toned performance is eerily unsettling. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder leaves the most indelible image of the series as she emerges erotically from the blue waters of the Caribbean clad in her white bikini. Along with Felix Leiter and Quarrel, Bond must uncover the trail that all leads to DR. NO's mysterious Crab Key. GOLDFINGER contains a well-balanced level of depth and action leaving one emotionally charged. This is Sean Connery's finest James Bond film. The golden girl, Oddjob's bowler hat, Goldfinger's lethal laser, the Astin Martin DB5 with modifications introduced by Q, and Shirley Bassey's legendary rendition of the theme song belted out over the titles immediately became an integral part of the James Bond lore and remained in the psyche of the public. Production designer Ken Adam and art director Peter Murton gave the production a stunning and lavish distinction. The Fort Knox set and Goldfinger's playroom at his stud ranch was a testament to imagination and achievement. John Barry finally honed his distinctive style to perfection with this memorable score. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN contains one of Roger Moore's best performances as James Bond as he injects Bond's virility, worldliness and sardonic wit back into the character. Christopher Lee's performance as the enigmatic Scaramanga is refreshingly energetic giving the assassin an amiable quality on the surface hiding a darker side beneath. Bond sets out to find the person responsible for sending him a golden bullet with his 007 number on it. Maud Adams' is Andrea, Scaramanga's beautiful mistress. She brings genuine compassion to the role as the tormented individual who can not escape her master. There is also great location cinematography in this film that inspired John Barry to compose a lush exotic score. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME is a big-budgeted opulent film with effective screenplay and editing delivering one of the most succinctly structured films of the series. Roger Moore clearly re-established his approach to the role as the good-natured British agent. His Bond is suave, debonair, never condescending and resorts to seriousness only when confronted with malevolence. The globetrotting THE SPY WHO LOVED ME featured a gadget laden Lotus Esprit as its centerpiece and a demented villain Stromberg whose immense wealth featured an aquatic empire aimed at global domination. Great action sequences and chases abound. LICENCE TO KILL has Timothy Dalton as an avenging James Bond turned rouge agent out to eliminate drug lord Sanchez in Isthmus City. There are many great action scenes on the land, on and under the sea and in the air. The best element of the story line is having Bond place doubt in the mind of Sanchez that henchmen in his organization were plotting against him. The film's greatest asset is Benicio Del Toro's performance as Dario, a Sanchez henchman. GOLDENEYE is Pierce Brosnan's first film as James Bond and seems more like a hybrid of Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton, combing the best elements that each brought to the role. He possesses intelligence, wit, charm and dedication and delivers these with no-nonsense passion and drive. GOLDENEYE is a great looking film beautifully filmed for mood and action. Some of the film's high points are the miniatures by Derek Meddings; probably his best work in the series, the return of the Astin Martin DB5 and Eric Serra's original if controversial score. Serra's interpretation of "The James Bond Theme" over the opening gun barrel trademark is powerful and very innovative. One can not appreciate Serra's contribution to this film unless the DVD is played through a surround stereo system with a good amount of bass and volume pumped up. In TOMORROW NEVER DIES Pierce Brosnan delivers a more definitive interpretation of James Bond above and beyond his excellent portrayal in GOLDENEYE two years earlier. In this film Brosnan has honed in on his maturity and a physical presence that consummates his overall performance of Bond when combined with his intelligence, wit and charm that he delivers flawlessly with assured confidence. This film brings a realistic and gritty look to the series that LICENCE TO KILL attempted to achieve. This is one of the best films of the series combing an integral plot with rich characters, action and suspense. Director Donald Spottiswoode never diverted the focus of the film away from the main plot, yet he gave a sense of real depth to the characters. He has a good understanding of how to deliver action with emotional impact. He did a brilliant job and has been highly underrated for his efforts. Also, the producers finally discovered a composer that could combine the traditional and highly personalized sound of John Barry with today's trends in scoring for this genre in the talented David Arnold. Arnold much evidently has a good understanding of the series and the character of James Bond.

Not Good
I bought this collection from a company called Digitaleyes.net off this site as a birthday present to a friend. Problem is half of the disc's do not play (ie) "No Disc inserted" error message on my Sony DVD player.
I'm still waiting for a response back from the Digitaleyes.net about this. I would not recommend using Digitaleyes.net to order through. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GREAT MOVIE!!
I'm not a Tom Cruise fan but this gets two thumbs up! Saw it twice in the theater, and am gonna buy it on DVD and watch it again!!

Micheal Mann will do it again
I know this movie will be awesome this is a Micheal Mann movie. Just look at the list of movies he's made Manhunter, Heat (one of my all time favorites), The Insider (another one of my all time favorites), and Ali. In all Micheal Mann's movies there are alway's awesome plot's, plot twists and performances. Ten years ago Tom Cruise was an awesome bad guy in Interview with the vampire, and again Tom Cruise will be awesome as a bad guy. I know Jamie Foxx who is always good, and Mark Ruffalo will put on good perfomances. So be ready for a night on the town. ... Read more

Reviews (453)

Toy Story 2 Is Better Then the Original!
I had expected a dull child's cartoon with a meaningless plot and dull characters...wow was I ever wrong! Toy Story 2 is funny, exciting, dramatic, and very entertaining! This time around, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector...why? Because it turns out that Woody is a valuable doll from the 1950's when he had his own popular TV show! As Buzz and the rest of the toys frantically try to find a way to rescue Woody, our cow-boy hero meets other toys just like him---Jesse the cow-girl, the Prospector, and Woody's hillarious horse. And all this time Woody starts to wonder if maybe he's found his rightful home...or has he? The animation is tops, the plot is engrossing, and the movie is excellent! If you think an animated feauture is just a bunch of interesting graphics then you're wrong! This is a heart-warming and wonderful family film.

Toys
Toy Story (1995, 80 minutes, Dolby Digital Surround; Audio Commentary, Interviews) As 6-year-old Andy's favorite toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), a take-charge, pull-string cowboy, is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party, newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings, crash-lands into Woody's world.

Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys, igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans, Woody and Buzz must work together and realize they've got the perfect friend...in each other!

Toy Story 2 (1999, 94 minutes, Dolby Digital 5.l Surround EX; Audio Commentary, Sep. Film Score Audio Track, Outakes) Andy goes to summer camp and the toys face a new crisis: Woody turns out to be a valuable collectible, and is kidnapped by an evil toy collector. It's now up to Buzz and the gang to find a way to save him.

Five stars for the movies, one star for Disney
Why must they stick to this archaic way of releasing their movies on video/DVD? I could understand discontinuing collector's or limited editions, but why discontinue entire movies? Well we all know the answer, I just hate to be jerked around like this. Disney is the largest movie company in the world but our enjoyment of their films is based around their idiotic release/discontinue schedule.
Well, with that unpleasantness out of the way, I must say Toy Story 2 is my favorite animated movie of all time and the Toy Story series is my favorite animated series (if you think about it, though, that's not saying a lot). Let's just do this in the order they came out.
Toy Story blew my mind, because the things they did in that movie (the first in particular) were so like me when I was a kid (at that age). Toy Story is sure enough my second favorite animated movie ever. It's funny, and colorful, and touching. I think all good kid's movies should have a sense of wonder, or delight, and it shouldn't be in either a cynical or naive way. They should show wonder in a way that can be found in the real world, which is a balance hard to find. The original Toy Story has all kinds of wonder and awe, both in positive and negative ways (some kids could be afraid of Sid but I bet they won't be able to stop looking at him). It's about finding your place in life, and what to do with what you've got. When Buzz happens upon a commercial for himself and then tries to fly through the window-well that is one of the most touching scenes in any movie I've seen. And the whole ending sequence is beautiful, from Buzz and Woody on the RC car going through traffic, or them being blasted from a rocket through the air. Not to mention it's filled with all kinds of toy-related jokes that any kid can relate to. I think it's safe to say it'll be looked back on like the very first full-length animated movie (it was Snow White, wasn't it?).
Toy Story 2 is nearly flawless. It has one of the craziest openings for a movie ever, and I love the way it can find a way to have characters with all kinds of motives. Al is driven by his greed, the Prospector is jaded but just wants to be loved, Jessie hasn't given up hope yet so is overjoyed when she can find a way to confirm her hopefulness. The movie uses the toys as a metaphor for growing up and moving on: or not. You can aspire for your dreams or you can realize you're happy with what you've got. Toy Story 2 is/was the last movie Disney made with Pixar before they got too smug and self-indulgent. They realized they had the power to stir emotions and awe (they also realized they could make a ton of money), but instead of giving us a sweet movie like Toy Story, we got the self-congragulatory Monsters Inc, with its obvious conflicted main character, and instead of a great secondary character like the Prospector, we got Boo. Finding Nemo was a step in the right direction, but in my opinion doesn't have the heart of the Toy Story movies.
I can actually think of one thing wrong with Toy Story 2, and that's that lame Sarah Mclachlan song. I'm not one of those people with a weird Randy Newman fascination, but his songs were so much better than that one Mclachlan song. I guess it's because the scene in which it's used is already so emotional, instead of Newman's weird but effective delivery we got Mclachlan hammering the point home with her yodeling. But I love that scene because it shows how the little girl grew up. Other than that, Toy Story 2 is great: funny and vibrant, even on my crusty old VHS tape.
I wish I had these movies on DVD. They spark wonder in me at my age just like they did when I first saw them. They have plenty of in-jokes and such but also have a timeless quality (and a strong sense of innocence). Five stars for the both of them, the best animated series of all time.

It's Different.
It's different from your average animated film. So was Toy Story part 1 but this one is better. The movie plotting is a lot better in this part. I give it five stars(I'd give it six if it was in my hands!)

The secret lives of toys
Woody (Tom Hanks), who turns out to be a rare collectible, is stolen by an unscrupulous toy store owner and slated to be sold to a toy museum in Japan. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and friends embark on a dangerous cross-town rescue mission. This is a very entertaining and perceptive film that remembers the guilt that a child can feel over outgrowing a favorite toy. Sammy the bear was my own constant companion when I was a young child. As I grew older, I sometimes felt a pang of shame when I would encounter him lying unloved and unplayed-with in the bottom of my old toy chest. I hope he's as philosophical and understanding about it as Woody is. As cheerful as this film is, it takes on an added dimension by honoring that first melancholy that a child feels upon outgrowing a formerly cherished plaything. The animation and voice talent are also top-notch. ... Read more

Reviews (332)

Excellent job Disney.
I saw this when it first came out in theaters back in 1992. I was only 7 or 8 at the time, and it just didn't appeal to me as much as The Little Mermaid or The Rescuers Down Under. I don't really know why, but having just getting the DVD in the mail, my view of the movie is completely different.

Beauty and the Beast really is one of Disney's top 4 animated films. How they managed to combine a massive cast of characters into the main plot is amazing. Beast is one of my favorite Disney characters after re-watching this. There's so much emotion inside of him. Anger, rage, pity, ambition, and love. You'll really care for him from the moment he appears on screen. Belle is possibly the most humble heroine to date. She doesn't see that she's beautiful, but just cares for helping others and reading books. The supporting cast is just as good. Gaston, the villain, is just a....well I can't use the word. You can bet your money you'll feel the same way. But the characters are just the icing on the cake. The story is what the strong point's always been. Disney did a great job adding so much more to it, whereas the original didn't focus on anyone but Belle and the Beast really. But I'm sure you all know the story, so I'll just get into the features on this DVD.

On the first disc, you get 3 different versions of the film- theatrical, work in progress, and special edition. The theatrical is what you saw in theaters or on the home video release. Work in progress is mostly drawings in black and white while the voices and everything else is put in. The special edition has a few lines changed here and there, and the added musical "Human Again" into the film. Personally, I hated "Human Again". It comes right after and before other songs in the film, making you want them to just get on with the story. Plus the animation in it really stands out since it's newer and has those annoying shadows on every character that you see in so many made for video animated movies. There's also a commentary track that adds a lot of depth and information, and a game that unlocks another game. People complain about the picture quality of the movie, but it's not that bad. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a 7.5.

The second disc has a well done documentary on the making of Beauty and the Beast, story origins of a few other Disney movies, art galleries, music videos, more games, and much more. Amazon lists that the Broadway Musical is on this, but it isn't. It's mentioned in the documentary, that's all. This sets the standard for extras on Disney special editions of their movies. It's too bad The Lion King has nothing compared to this. Either way, if you like Disney at all...or just movies, you should go for this while you can. It's a masterpiece, and getting harder to find.

A thinking girl's heroine
When I saw "Beauty and the Beast" in the theater, I had a rare and magical experience: I felt like a child again watching an enchanting Disney movie. In fact, "Beauty and the Beast" seemed even better than the Disney classics like "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" that were such a wonderful part of my childhood. The animation is absolutely gorgeous--particularly the waltz scene, which feels incredibly three-dimensional. The songs are beautiful, singable instant classics.

Despite the animated characters, I felt like I was watching an old musical. The movie opens with a scene reminiscent of "The Sound of Music," with our heroine, Belle, singing on a hilltop about wanting more out of life. The "Be Our Guest" scene, featuring a Lumiere (the Maurice Chevalier-inspired singing candlestick), dancing dishes and champagne corks popping like fireworks, reminded me of the Busby Berkely musical extravaganzas of the '30s.

A big appeal for me is that Belle is a much different heroine than the Disney princesses of my childhood. Belle isn't looking for a man to rescue her from her life of drudgery. She loves to read and longs for a more interesting life. She already has the "town catch," Gaston, wanting to court her, but she's having none of it.

Belle's escape from "her provincial life" begins when her father, a kooky inventor, doesn't return from his travels. (He has sought shelter from a snow storm in a spooky enchanted castle and is being held prisoner by the Beast.) Belle tracks down her father and, out of concern for his ailing health, takes his place in captivity. The Beast, who has been placed under a spell, wonders if Belle might be "the one"--the young woman whose love will return him to his original human form.

The enchanted furniture, candlestick, clock and dishes added lots of fun characters to the traditional story. Cogsworth, a stuffy clock, and Lumiere, the match-making candlestick are a great comic duo. Cogsworth's romantic advice to Beast about wooing Belle is especially funny: Give her "flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep."

Gaston, meanwhile, wants to woo and wed Belle himself. He sings about his he-man attributes in one of the funniest ode to a redneck that I've ever heard: "I use antlers in all of my decorating," Gaston sings about himself.

When Gaston realizes that Belle loves the Beast instead of him, he stirs up an angry mob to head to the castle. In another twist on the traditional fairy tale ending, Belle ultimately rescues the Beast--not the other way around.

"Beauty and the Beast" is a delightful classic whether you are a child or a grownup who knows how to feel like a child at times.

Pure Magic!
Bringing this classic fairy tail to life is one of the best things that Disney has ever done. Every second of this film is full to the brim with wonder and magic. More than ten years after first seeing it, there are still some scenes that make me gasp at their beauty.
The movie provides all of the usual Disney elements of gorgeous animation, skilled voice actors, awesome original songs, and non-stop entertainment, but there's something special in the mix. We get one of the most believable and heart felt romances to ever grace the animated world. As a child every time I read a picture book of this Fairy Tail I found it impossible to believe that a woman could love a beast, but Disney found a way to make it happen. You truly believe that it's possible, and feel her pain when she thinks she's lost him.
In the classic Disney fashion, Beauty and the Beast brings along a message for the kids to learn. We see the value of intelligence and compassion, learn to look beyond the superficial, and discover that love knows no boundaries.

After A While One Doesn't Notice It Is Animated
It is quite rare for any animated film to be treated with the same respect as any other honored non-animated one. In BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale take the time-worn fairy tale of the outwardly loathsome beast who impossibly enough allows his inner nobility to shine forth sufficiently to cause the beauty to fall in love with him. Robby Benson is the voice of the Beast and Paige O'Hara is Beauty. Even for those readers familiar with the spoken tale or the revamped music video with Meatloaf as the Beast cannot help but allow themselves to be entranced with the seamless melding of sight to sound. The plot is simplicity itself with the Beast as the archetypal symbol of the rebirth of nobility long hidden by the evil spell of a unnamed wizard. There is nothing childish is the unfolding of the tale of Belle the Beauty who chooses to sacrifice herself in marriag