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The facts have become legend. Star Trek, the NBC series that premiered on September 8, 1966, has become a touchstone of international popular culture. It struggled through three seasons that included cancellation and last-minute revival, and turned its creator, Gene Roddenberry, into the progenitor of an intergalactic phenomenon. Eventually expanding to encompass five separate TV series, an ongoing slate of feature films, and a fan base larger than the population of many third-world countries, the Star Trek universe began not with a Big Bang but with a cautious experiment in network TV programming. Even before its premiere episode ("The Man Trap") was aired, Star Trek had struggled to attain warp-drive velocity, barely making it into the fall '66 NBC lineup.

The series' original pilot, "The Cage," featured Jeffrey Hunter as U.S.S. Enterprise captain Christopher Pike--a variation of the role that would eventually catapult William Shatner to TV stardom. Filmed in 1964, the pilot was rejected by NBC the following year, but the network made a rare decision to order a second pilot. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was filmed in 1965, and only one character from the previous pilot remained--a pointy-eared alien named Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), whom Roddenberry had retained despite network disapproval. The second pilot was accepted, and production on Star Trek began in earnest with the filming of its first regular episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver."

Never a ratings success despite a growing population of devoted fans, Star Trek was canceled after its second season, prompting a letter-writing campaign that resulted in the series' third-season renewal. It was a mixed blessing, since Roddenberry had departed as producer to protest the network's neglect, and Star Trek's third season contained most of the series' weakest episodes. And yet, the show continued to "to explore strange new worlds…to seek out new life and new civilizations…to boldly go where no man [a phrase later amended to "no one"] has gone before."

There were milestones along the way. The first interracial kiss on network primetime TV (between Shatner and series co-star Nichelle Nichols) furthered a richly positive and expansive view of a better, nobler future for humankind. The series offered a timelessly appealing balance of humor, imagination, and character depth. And at least one episode (Harlan Ellison's "The City on the Edge of Forever") ranks among the finest science fiction stories in any popular medium. Beloved by long-time fans in spite of its cheesy sets and costumes, and the now-dated trappings of late-1960s American culture, "classic Trek" has aged remarkably well, and its sense of adventure and idealism continues to live long and prosper. --Jeff Shannon

The three 2004 DVD sets collect all 79 episodes of the show, including "The Cage" in both a restored color version and the original, never-aired version that alternates between color and black and white. Each set is supplemented by over an hour of featurettes incorporating new and old interviews with Shatner, Nimoy, other cast members, and producers, and there's also some vintage footage of Gene Roddenberry. Accompanying the 20-minute seasonal recaps ("To Boldly Go...") are a number of interesting featurettes: "The Birth of a Timeless Legacy" examines the two pilot episodes and the development of the crew; "Sci-Fi Visionaries" discusses the series' great science fiction writers; Nimoy debunks various rumors in "Reflections of Spock"; "Kirk, Spock & Bones: The Great Trio" focuses on the interplay among Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley); and, in what is probably his last Star Trek appearance, James Doohan (Scotty), slowed by Alzheimer's but still with a twinkle in his eye, recalls his voiceover roles and his favorite episodes.As they've done for many of the feature-film special editions, Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda provide a pop-up text commentary on four of the episodes filled with history, trivia, and dry wit. It's the first commentary of any kind for a Star Trek TV show, but an audio commentary is still overdue. The technical specs are mostly the same as other Trek TV series--Dolby 5.1, English subtitles--but with the welcome addition of the episode trailers. The plastic cases are an attempt to replicate some of the fun packaging of the series' European DVD releases, but it's a bit clunky, and the paper sleeve around the disc case seems awkward and crude. Still, the sets are a vast improvement both in terms of shelf space and bonus features compared to the old two-episode discs, which were released before full-season boxed sets became the model for television DVDs. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great season, transfer and extras still lacking
Law and Order's third season is the beginning of the golden years of the show, six or seven seasons in which this became one of the best crime shows ever.Part of it is the plots, but a larger part is the addition of Jerry Orbach to add both character and humor to a narrowly written role.The show itself is 5 stars, but I knock off a star for yet another season in which the transfers and extras leave something to be desired.Still, very much worth buying.

What makes this season golden?Nostalgia for the early 1990s helps, with big hair, Times Square full of strip clubs, crime labs using old IBM 386 computers, colored shirts and narrow ties, and a general feeling that a far more gritty New York made a better backdrop for a crime show than today's sanitized version.

Some of it is the writing and source material.Episodes include the standard ripped-from-the-headlines stories - Tailhook (Conduct Unbecoming), sweatshop workers (Wedded Bliss), doctors assaulting patients (Helpless, Promises to Keep), drug smuggling rings (Consultation), hackers (Virus) - but one reason the first few seasons are more robust is that they had just started to scratch the surface of historical crimes, like a restaging of the Malcolm X murder (Conspiracy) and a medical device company scandal (The Corporate Veil).This means that while the bang-bang plot advancement really comes into its own this season after a couple of years of slower episodes, the writers don't have to resort to cheap plot tricks to keep things interesting.Routine false leads and judges throwing out evidence every episode can wait for the formulaic later years.I also particularly like several of the non-Hollywood endings, like Prince of Darkness ("What happened to the little girl?" "She was picked up at school by her uncle.""She doesn't have an uncle.")

But a larger part is the acting.With the mid-season addition of Orbach - who plays first-year Briscoe a bit more troubled and edgy than in later years - the Law side of the series finally has two actors that don't think that playing an NYPD detective is beneath their talent.Briscoe's trademark wisecrack helps ("They brought the hookers in?I thought they were on the room service menu"), but there's a chemistry between Orbach and Noth that makes the makes plots come to life.In addition, several of the regular guest stars (Tovah Feldshuh and Lorraine Toussant as memorable defense attorneys, Leslie Hendrix's first appearances as the irascible medical examiner) add life to the show in their brief roles.Finally, one fun part of watching the early years are the stars who have gone on to bigger careers: Claire Danes, Edie Falco, Sam Rockwell, Gloria Foster (the oracle from the Matrix), Desperate Housewife Felicity Huffman, Alias' Ron Rifkin, ER's Paul McCrane and Julianna Margulies.

As I have for the first two season sets, I take a star off for transfers and extras that aren't up to the quality of the show. I have mixed opinions about cheaply producing double sided DVDs in three slim cases without any written material, but at least it takes less space on my shelf.Transfer quality is in fact better than the first two seasons, but it's clear remastering was cursory as there is still periodic flecking.After no extras in the first two seasons, at least this set includes some.However, they're still disappointing especially after the long delay in putting this out.The 8 deleted scenes don't add much, although we finally see one of Briscoe's brassy middle aged girlfriends (for the only time in the series!)A five minute interview with and six minute tribute to Orbach by fellow stars doesn't even include the master of ceremonies of his celebration, Sam Waterston; they would have been better served just putting a copy of that on the DVD instead of getting Trial By Jury actors on the profound effect his 4 episodes with them had on their careers.What the series really needs is interviews with writers and actors on the various episodes.At least they don't include an ad as they did in the first year.

However, this is very much worth picking up for Law and Order fans.I just wish if Universal is going to price something at a premium that viewers can watch for free on basic cable, they'd at least add premium content.Maybe next season.

Great as Usual
Terrific show as usual. They also improved in my opinion on the dvd case which now has three individual slim cases for each disc. Enough can't be said about this show, but, I'm partial to it being a Criminal Justice major...but the show is good as always..I just hope they speed up the release of the next seasons.

Law & Order: The Early Years, The Best Years!
Law & Order is my favorite series, possibly of all-time because there have always been great characters and a great cast with fantastic writing to drive it forward.The early seasons are the best, and the third year gives us a little more Paul Sorvino until about 1/3 of the way into the season.This is when the beloved Jerry Orbach joined the cast, and gave us 11 years of television memories.This season has my favorite line up with Orbach, Chris Noth, Dann Florek, Michael Moriarty, Richard Brooks, and Steven Hill.TNT has aired several third season episodes lately, and I can't wait to see these all sharp, clear, and cleaned up on DVD instead of the old muggy broadcast versions.The first and second seasons look fantastic on DVD, and horrible on television - get these sets!

Also, this set features never before seen deleted scenes which ought to be a special treat for every fan along with the Jerry Orbach featurettes.I have a lot of favorite episodes in this season, and I will cherish this set just as I have all my other law & Order DVD sets (I've probably watched the first two seasons dozens of times already).

-NJM

The best season of Law & Order
The third season of Law & Order found Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth) assigned another new partner in the sardonic Lenny Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), who would become the face of the series for eleven more seasons.The interplay between Briscoe and Logan is one of many highlights of the third season of Law & Order, as characters became more developed (such as Dann Florek's Captain Cragen) and the cases and investigations take twisting turns when the viewer least expects it; something that many cop/crime dramas have imitated throughout the years.However, this would be the last season for original cast members Florek and Richard Brooks, as the revolving cast door of Law & Order began to spin more than ever before.All in all, it's nice to finally have these episodes on DVD, and series afficiondos should consider this landmark season a must own.

Its good there putting the older seasons on DVD
Law & Order's early seasons were really the best. In The third season you have Jerry Orbach coming into the show.All these episodes are great becuase i have seen many of them before.The Dvd is finally being released after a long wait after the 2nd season. The 15th season which is still on NBC on wedsnday is going to have a DVD release as i have heard.Also the New Law
& Order TrialBy Jury is going to be out on Dvd. Law & Order and all its other series are absolutly the best ... Read more

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Saved from the brink of cancellation by its loyal fanbase, Star Trek's third and final season rewarded them with a number of memorable episodes.Tight budgets and slipping creative control, however, made it the series' most uneven season, though it did have some of the coolest episode titles ("For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky," "Is There in Truth No Beauty," "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield").Some of the best moments involved a gunfight at the OK Corral ("Spectre of the Gun"), a knock-down drag-out sword battle with the Klingons aboard the Enterprise ("Day of the Dove"), the ship getting caught in an ever-tightening spacial net ("The Tholian Web"), TV's first interracial kiss ("Plato's Stepchildren," and it should be easy to guess who participated), Sulu taking command ("The Savage Curtain"), and Kirk's switching bodies with an ex-love interest ("Turnabout Intruder").

Also appearing in the set as a coda are two versions of the series pilot, "The Cage," a restored color version and the original, never-aired version that alternates between color and black and white.Starring Jeffery Hunter as Captain Pike, Leonard Nimoy as a relatively emotional Spock, and Majel Barrett (the future Nurse Chapel and Mrs. Gene Roddenberry) as a frosty Number One, this pilot was rejected, but a second was commissioned, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," now considered the "official" beginning of the series.But "The Cage" is very recognizably Star Trek with its far-out concepts (telepathic aliens collecting species samples), sexy humanoid women, character development, and of course cheesy costumes and special effects.Footage was later reused in the season 1 two-parter, "The Menagerie."

The best of the 63 minutes of bonus material focuses on three of the actors: Walter Koenig, George Takei, and James Doohan.Koenig discusses how he was cast and shows off his various collections, one consisting of Chekov figurines.Takei speaks movingly about the Japanese American internment and, in what is probably his last Star Trek appearance, Doohan, slowed by Alzheimer's but still with a twinkle in his eye, recalls his voiceover roles and his favorite episodes.The Easter eggs are amusingly called "Red Shirt Files" in tribute to those poor saps who everyone knew were only in the landing party so they could die.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Third Complete Season in an 8-DVD Set! Fantastic!
When Paramount Home Video first started to release the original series of "Star Trek" in 1999, I was aghast at the fact that only one DVD with two episodes per DVD were being released one DVD at a time at a very high cost. The cost to own all 40 volumes (DVD's) was staggering. Of course, this doesn't even address the amount of shelf space required for all 40 DVD's.

Now, with this repackaged version, all 24 episodes of the third season are being released together on 8 disks. It will probably also include both versions (color and black-and-white) of the unaired original pilot "The Cage". This is the packaged version of the original "Star Trek" that I fully intend to purchase because even at full list price, the cost of owning the third complete season is less than half the cost of owning its earlier cousins on an equivalent 13 DVD's. Also, the packaging itself has been designed similarly to the packaging used for other "Star Trek" series released in complete seasons, meaning that it will only require a small amount of shelf space. It is also possible that extra documentary and commentary material not released originally will be included in this complete third season box set.

The original series of "Star Trek", that ran for three complete seasons between 1966 and 1969, started a franchise that has included six television series and ten big screen motion pictures. The main original characters of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Lt. Commander/Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard H. 'Bones' McCoy (DeForest Kelley, 1920-1999), Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (James Doohan), Lt. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Keonig from 1967-1969), Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney from 1966-1967) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) have become an inseparable part of Americana. Though series creator Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) was not able to keep the original series alive for five seasons as originally envisioned (it was cancelled after its third season), he, along with the countless series fans, was able to resurrect it in the form of six motion pictures beginning in 1979 and the first series spin-off, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987, which ran for seven years and had spin-offs of its own. There was also a 22-episode animated version based upon the original series that ran from 1972 to 1974.

In spite of receiving five Emmy nominations during its life and several previously successful efforts (including letter-writing campaigns) that had saved the show from cancellation on more than one occasion, the combination of poor Nielsen ratings, a shrinking budget and too-often weak episode writing made the third season of "Star Trek" its last. The most memorable episodes of the third season include "Spock's Brain", "The Enterprise Incident" (using Klingon ships for Romulans), "The Paradise Syndrome", "Is There No Truth in Beauty" (with guest character Dr. Ann Mulhall as played by Diana Muldaur, who had previously guest acted in the second-season episode "Return to Tomorrow" and also played the unpopular character Dr. Katherine Pulaski in the second season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"), "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky", "The Tholian Web", "Plato's Stepchildren" (which had the first inter-racial kiss on televsion), "Wink of an Eye", "The Empath", "Elaan of Troyius", "Whom Gods Destroy", "The Mark of Gideon", "The Lights of Zetar", "Requiem for Methuselah", "The Cloud Minders", "The Savage Curtain" and "All Our Yesterdays". Arguably, the worst episode during the third season was "The Way to Eden", about a group of hippies searching for Eden (the probable inspiration for the worst-ever "Star Trek" film, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" in 1989). Other particularly weak third-season episodes include "And the Children Shall Lead", "Spectre of the Gun" featuring a re-enactment of the old-West shoot-out at the O.K. Corral, "Day of the Dove", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" about racism, "That Which Survives" and the final episode "Turnabout Intruder" that showcased some of Shatner's worst acting abilities.

Ironically, six weeks after "Turnabout Intruder" aired on 6/3/1969, Neil Armstrong and 'Buzz' Aldrin became the first human beings to land and walk upon an extraterrestrial body, Earth's moon, on 7/20/1969. Shortly thereafter, interest in "Star Trek" grew considerably. Paramount Pictures nearly resurrected the television show in 1977 (called "Star Trek: Phase II") after all but Leonard Nimoy had signed on, but the project was abandoned shortly after George Lucas' 1977 film "Star Wars" blew audiences away. Fans had to wait another two years when the disappointing film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was released. It is interesting to note that two of people (Jo and John Trimble) who started one of the successful letter-writing campaigns that had once saved "Star Trek" from cancellation in 1968, were the same people that started a letter-writing campaign to convince NASA to name the first space shuttle "Enterprise" in honor of "Star Trek".

Overall, I rate the 8-DVD set of "Star Trek: Original Series Season 3" with an anticipatory 4 out of 5 stars. Clearly, this is how Paramount should have released the original series to begin with. Though the third season suffered from more poor episodes than the previous two, I continue to thank Gene Roddenberry for taking all of us "where no man has gone before".

Only a small handful of good shows.
Thrid Season of Star Trek was it's last and it was marked by both a feud between Gene Roddenbery and a new producer over the show's budget. Somewhat more cheaper production values, decreaaed visual effects work, and poore writing. The few Exceptions were "The Enterprise Incident, The Tholian Web, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, That Which Survies, The Lights of Zetar, and the Savage Curtain

ST's final frontier
Barely getting renewed for a third season,Star Trek had two disadvantages when it returned.First was executive producer Gene Coon's departure from the series, as well Gene Roddenberry's decreased involvement.The other was a new timeslot on Friday at 10:00 PM, a slot known to bury flagging shows by the networks.
Over the years, many blamed the new producer Fred Frieberg for the lacking quality of the show. Freiberg's only sin was coming aboard a sinking ship which was suffering budget cuts as well as weak stories and it's creator's lack of interest due to the networks total disregard of the show.
Even with the few brilliant episodes (Empath, Paradise Syndrome,Enterprise Incident, Tholian Web, Requium Of Methuselah,All Our Yesterdays), season three is notorious with two of the worst ever in the history of Trek (The Way To Eden, and Spock's Brain).
By the end of season three,ST was finally cancelled after 78 aired episodes in 1969.Even fans couldn't save it, as NBC buried the show.But thanks to syndication, ST became even more popular than when it originally aired and build upon a growing franchise (Conventions, Saturday Morning cartoons,toys, etc,).The ten years after the end of the series,Star Trek The Motion Picture premired.And that was just the beginning. ... Read more

Description

During the past century, thousands of people have gone missing.When 4400 of them return all at once unharmed and looking the same as when they disappeared, the government investigates, unsure of how this can be possible.What the government does not know is that the presence of these 4400 will change the human race in many unexpected ways. ... Read more

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Disney's adaptation of the beloved fairy tale became a classic in itsown right, thanks to some memorable tunes (including "A Dream Is a WishYour Heart Makes," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and the title song) and some endearingly cute comic relief. We all know the story--the wicked stepmother and stepsisters simply won't have it, this uppity Cinderella thinking she's going to a ball designed to find the handsome prince an appropriate sweetheart, but perseverance, animal buddies, and a well-timed entrance by a fairy godmother make sure things turn out all right. There are a few striking sequences of pureanimation--for example, Cinderella is reflected in bubbles drifting through the air--and the design is rich and evocative throughout. It's a simple story padded here agreeably with comic business, particularly Cinderella's rodent pals (dressed up conspicuously like the dwarf sidekicks of another famous Disney heroine) and their misadventures with a wretched cat named Lucifer. There's also much harrumphing and exposition spouting by the King and the Grand Duke. It's a much simpler and more graceful work than the more frenetically paced animated films of today, which makes it simultaneously quaint and highly gratifying. --David Kronke ... Read more

Reviews (63)

I LOVE THIS MOVIE AND CAN'T WAIT FOR OCT 4, 2005!!!
Despite from what other reviews say, I am putting my 2 cents in here about this movie.
I loved this movie when I was young and I still love it and now since I have a 2 yr old child it makes it that much better for she LOVES the movie (have it on VHS)and it makes it more fun for a Mom and Daughter movie night together!!! For I wish it was Oct 4 so I can get it for her!It is a fairy tale movie not an educational movie (as someone's review complained that it's not educational or giving the right message but I think they claim Shrek does)for it's kind of like what every little girl wants which is to find her Prince to live happily ever after.
This is one of the best Classic Animations that Disney has done along with Snow White.

Also you expect for alittle girl wanting to have an ugly girl like one of the step sisters to marry the prince??? For girls love pretty Princesses not ugly ones.They are Fairy tales for children to watch.That's all and little girls are not watching it to find messgaes.For what is a 2yr old like my daughter who loves this movie gonna pick up from it besides seeing a pretty Princess living happily ever after??

Go watch Shrek Instead
I remember watching this as a child in the 70's and feeling a bit board...now as an adult I don't think the message is very healthy! Cinderella gives children the harmful impression that "it pays to be pretty."I don't think there are any positive messages in this film for young girls.I would recommend that you go out and rent Shrek instead.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I've just seen the images, and waouh! I an sooo looking forward October 4 I hope the original film has been restored I want to see the real Cinderella (the one Disney had drawn himself not the one who looks like a Japanese cartoon) and please the real songs.... quick quick quick I want it soooooooo much!
Nell

THE ULTIMATE FAIRY TALE NOW ON DVD!
This animated feature saved the Disney studio from almost cetain bankruptcy; there hadn't been a big hit since Snow White, and the studio was foundering, badly. Cinderella came along and put on the glass slipper and showed it to the world and the rest, as they say, is history. The songs from Cinderella have stayed with me all my life, and are a fixture I carry with me from many years ago when I saw this magical movie for the first time, my favorite being "So This is Love..." Cinderella contained a scene that Walt himself stated was his personal favorite of all from the wonderful features he created, and that is when Cinderella gets her dress from her Fairy Godmother. The dress, if you notice, is a color that literally defies description and really does seem to come from the magic wand of the FG; the entire scene is fantastic, the mice turned into beautiful, horses to pull the exquisite coach, created from a lowly pumpkin, that dances on it's vine over to the FG so she can transform it into the thing of splendor, the Fairy Coach. The stars and twinkles from the dress and the transformations are spectacular, and it is hard to imagine the meticulous detail the animators used to draw these fairy dust particles that add such enchantment to the scene. Cinderella's old horse becomes a buck-toothed coachman and is clearly delighted to be included in the excitement of the night. An actress/dancer named Ilene Woods was rotoscoped (a technique where the actors are filmed and then drawn over) for her part as Cinderella and it is her movements that became Cinderella's. The Wicked Stepmother is a great Disney Villain, voiced by Eleanor Audley, who later voiced Maleficent for Sleeping Beauty; her voice is fantastic, the perfect blend of sophistication and malevolence. When first seen in her vast bedroom, stroking the wretched cat Lucifer, she seems to be a real witch with her familiar, and her face remains in shadow for a time...The mice are wonderful little characters, the cutest, IMHO, is Gus-Gus, a tubby little guy Cinderella finds in a trap and rescues and gives him, as all her little mice friends have, tiny clothes including shoes. Lucifer the cat is dreadful, such a bad kitty you dislike him all the way, and Bruno, Cinderella's old hound dog saves the day and sends Lucifer to his just reward. Jacques, the lead mouse, is the real hero, and saves the day at a critical point toward the end. There is a wonderful scene of the King lamenting his son's lack of a suitable wife to the Grand Duke, another great and very amusing character, and yearns for grandchildren while looking at portraits of the Prince from childhood up until the present day, and as the Prince gets older, the portraits get bigger and bigger and the last one is so enormous it has to hang in a castle of truly magnificent and royal proportions.
This is the all-time classic fairy tale, originally written by Charles Perrault, who also wrote Sleeping Beauty, another of my favorite Disney classics in ever sense of the word. I have this on VHS, and have watched it too many times to count; and now I cannot even imagine how beautiful and rich the colors will be on DVD; I cannot wait to get my copy and look forward to many viewings of this wonder that saved the Disney stuido from disaster, for the unending benefit of all of us children, from infants to 100+ year olds. Enjoy!

Damn ESPN commercials!
I haven't seen this movie since I was like 5 or 6 years old. But I've been sick of it lately because of those ESPN commercials during March Madness where Cinderella drops the slipper and the guy chases after her when she drops it. Otherwise it's an ok movie. Nuff said! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The original cowriter and director of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was Alex Cox, whose earlier film Sid and Nancy suggests that Cox could have been a perfect match in filmingHunter S. Thompson's psychotropic masterpiece of "gonzo" journalism. Unfortunately Cox departed due to the usual "creative differences," and this ill-fated adaptation was thrust upon Terry Gilliam, whose formidable gifts as a visionary filmmaker were squandered on the seemingly unfilmable elements of Thompson's ether-fogged narrative. The result is a one-joke movie without the joke--an endless series of repetitive scenes involving rampant substance abuse and the hallucinogenic fallout of a road trip that's run crazily out of control. Johnny Depp plays Thompson's alter ego, "gonzo" journalist Raoul Duke, and Benicio Del Toro is his sidekick and so-called lawyer Dr. Gonzo. During the course of a trip to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race, they ingest a veritable chemistry set of drugs, and Gilliam does his best to show us the hallucinatory state of their zonked-out minds. This allows for some dazzling imagery and the rampant humor of stumbling buffoons, and the mumbling performances of Depp and Del Toro wholeheartedly embrace the tripped-out, paranoid lunacy of Thompson's celebrated book. But over two hours of this insanity tends to grate on the nerves--like being the only sober guest at a party full of drunken idiots. So while Gilliam's film may achieve some modest cult status over the years, it's only because Fear and Loathing is best enjoyed by those who are just as stoned as the characters in the movie. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (424)

"We can't stay here, this is bat country!"!!!
This movie is a masterpiece, and also very very funny. It is a near perfect adaptation of Hunter S Thompson's novel. The book was based on the true story of a drug crazed self proclaimed doctor of journalism and his sidekick turned loose in Las Vegas to cover a dirt bike race called the mint 400. Thompson, known as Raul Duke (Depp) and his attorney Oscar Zeta Acosta known as Dr.Gonzo (Del Torro) run amok in their desperate search for the American dream. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Torro are absolutely great in this movie. And the cameos are great: Flea, Lyle Lovett, Gary Busey, Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire, Ellen Barkin, Cameron Diaz, Steven Schirripa, and even Dr. Thompson himself all make an appearance in the film. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a savage journey into the heart of the American dream. If you haven't seen it, you need too, and fast.....

Extreme entertainment
Prepare yourself for a wild journey into the world of bright lights, flashy people, and non-stop substance abuse. Hunter S. Thompson's book about covering a motorcycle race in Las Vegas through pure "gonzo journalism" has been excellently adapted for the big screen by former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. The movie stays very true to the story, the product of one of the founding fathers of the drug culture of the 70's. This movie covers both extremes: you will love it or hate it, and it won't allow you to stay anywhere near the middle. People who are interested in the drug culture and beat culture, or even a cynical look at one of America's craziest cities, will probably find themselves enjoying the film immensely, laughing and gasping at the insane antics of a drug-abusing "doctor of journalism" and his attorney. People looking for a more down to Earth experience without the odd visual trip and inexplicable dialogue will only be confused and repulsed, wondering what kind of person enjoys this kind of thing. Johnny Depp's performance is absolutely first-rate, Benicio Del Toro sheds the mediocrity he produced in The Usual Suspects, and cameos by Gary Busey, Cristina Ricci, and Thompson himself add to the perfect blend of acting that make this film one of the best of its kind.

Absolutely Hilarious
This isn't your average movie. Based on the H.S Thompson novel, tt quite succesfully captures the literary insanity of Thompson's books (I'm actually 16, not twelve). Here's the scenario, two stoners running around Las Vegas. All the jokes are based around the wild, outrageous hallucinations of Raul Duke, and his "side kick" Dr. Gonzo. But damned if the many variations of the same basic joke aren't guiltily hilarious every single time. In one scene, Raul and Gonzo are in a bar, When Raul freaks out, thinking that all the bar patrons have been turned into monstrous lizards.
Weird- absolutely Funny- You bet.

It took two viewings to make it through
The first time I started to watch this movie I got a big headache. At my friend's urging I watched it again, and still got a headache. Maybe a little less of a headache, but that's besides the point. It wasn't a headache because the movie's plot made me think, it was a headache because the film was just damn strange.

Offbeat camera angles and dim colored lighting are used throughout the movie. The film quality seemed low and it was hard to understand Johnny Depp's narration at times. The film is very strange in all aspects, including its plot. Hunter S. Thompson (Depp) is supposed to be going to Las Vegas to cover a race in the desert for Sports Illustrated. His lawyer accompanies him on this journey for some reason. They don't really get much reporting done and spend most of the time taking illegal drugs. I kind of lost track of the plot and hardly remember how it ends. Was there even an ending? It seemed kind of like the movie just trailed off.

At one point in the movie they mention something about following the American Dream. Somehow I don't believe the American Dream has anything to do with a suitcase full of illegal drugs. Maybe it was just an attempt to find some rationale behind the entire film.

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I found it hilarious at times. I laughed hysterically when at one point Thompson thinks he's standing in a bog and everyone is a lizard. When I was laughing I kept thinking, this is based on a true story, and now this guy is making money off of it? I felt kind of bad for supporting his drug-induced craziness. However, it's almost kind of an anti-drug movie in it's own strange way. Hunter S. Thompson looks like he's having the worst time of his life, and surely should have been arrested multiple times. I don't know, maybe this movie appeals more to stoners and druggies since they can relate to Thompson.

This film is definitely not for everyone. If you are easily offended, I wouldn't recommend it. If you're looking for a normal movie, you really should be someplace else. Look at the cover of the DVD. The whole movie is kind of like that.

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http://www.filmstatic.com - We take reviewing movies seriously and with an attitude...but not a serious attitude.

Review of the DVD, not the film
First things first: FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, the film, is quite good. If you can stomach its content, it IS a rather fun drug odyssey with a fair amount of underlying social commentary. Some of it becomes muddled and the reviews were horrible (Ebert gave it 1/4) but I enjoy this more than Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL, to be honest (which, ironically, Ebert also gave a negative review).

THE DVD

An overall wonderful experience. First, the packaging: superb. Criterion is always good at packaging their DVDs and this is one of my favorites. On the inside is an essay by a film critic and two discs. The first has the film, newly remastered under the supervision of Gilliam, along with three commentary tracks: by Gilliam, Depp and Del Toro, and Hunter S. Thompson. Wisely, they had someone interview him most of the time since he's obviously a bit of an oddball and would be prone to sitting there and saying nothing.

The second disc has some extraordinary specials, including an old BBC documentary about Thompson (whose semi-truthful novel this is based upon), TV spots, the theatrical trailer (with optional commentary by Gilliam - which I've never seen before), poster and photo galleries, Hunter Goes to Hollywood (an amusing short documentary about Thompson visiting the set of the film), a selection of somewhat bizarre letters between Depp and Thompson that date back to the pre-and-post-production of the film (Depp reads all of them to the camera for us).

Overall, one of the best DVDs I own. The film isn't a classic, per se, but it IS enjoyable. I'm sure part of my appreciation for it comes from this superb DVD, which is one of the finest I own in terms of special features.

Criterion can sometimes disappoint with single-disc DVDs priced in the $40 range but this one is fairly reasonably priced (compared to some of the others) and packed with special features to whet any die-hard fan's appetite.

A must-buy for fans, and a must-see for others - I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a blind buy for a number of reasons. It's very selective taste. You love it, or you hate it; it might be good to rent it first. But definitely rent this version, not Universal's. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dashing Ioan Gruffud stars as dashing Horatio Hornblower, unparalleledBritish naval hero, in two more delightful episodes from the A&E series.In Loyalty, a peace with France has left Hornblower decommissionedand short on funds. Only the help of his landlady's daughter Maria(heartbreaking Julie Sawalha, Absolutely Fabulous) keeps him frombeing kicked out into the street. Fortunately for our hero, Napoleon'sarmies are afoot, and Hornblower soon finds himself sailing to France incommand of the Hotspur, grappling with Irish traitors and Frenchskullduggery. Duty picks up where Loyalty leaves off;Hornblower marries Maria with some ambivalence, but the day after hiswedding sails for the coast of France to find a missing ship. Afterrescuing a supposedly Swiss man and his American wife in a storm,Hornblower finds himself caught between an old foe in France and diplomatsin England. Though the derring-do is sometimes melodramatic, HoratioHornblower swiftly becomes engrossing and suspenseful. Credit is dueto smart scripts, efficient direction, Gruffud's heroically curly hair,and a superb supporting cast, including Robert Lindsay and Paul McGann(Withnail and I). --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Hornblower Lives! Three cheers for A&E!
A&E continues to treat fans of the Horatio Hornblower book series with two new movies. These movies are at least of equal quality, if not better, than the six previous films. Everything from the ships to the costumes to the sets hit all the notes and make you feel a part of the period.

Likewise the stories and acting are fabulous. Horatio is given command of the Hotspur and is forced to deal with a new crew (with some old faces), the French, spies, and rebel Irishmen. Coming through with flying colors, Hornblower tackles the unthinnkable - marriage. This second film, Duty, is the best of the series. The central theme of 'duty' is so thoroughly woven into the fabric of the story that almost all of the relationships in the narrative are faced with the question of duty.

Ioan Gruffud continues to give a truly inspiring performance as Captain Hornblower. He continues to let the character grow and mature, while at the same time maintaining the core identity of Hornblower - an honorable, intelligent, courageous soldier who is wholeheartedly devoted to Britain and her navy. The relationship between Hornblower and Admiral Pellew continues to become more of a father-son relationship. Paul McGann (of Doctor Who fame, among many other things) returns as Lt. Bush. McGann gives a strong performance as Hornblower's second in command, showing that that he is more than capable of both being a leading man and an excellent supporting character.

Something that many may find as a negative is the lack of totally new music. Much of the score seems to be a reworking of the major musical themes found in the first four films of the series. Personally, I find this a 'plus.' It helps establish a certain continuity to the series that is nice. I always find myself grinning when the "Horatio has done it again" theme begins playing across the cheers or astonished looks of the other characters!

For those of you who have seen the Gregory Peck film, Horatio Hornblower, the A&E series is just about to catch up (chronologicall) to the events portayed in that film. Let's hope that A&E continues producing the films until the complete life & times of Horatio Hornblower are done with such excellent acting and production values!

Hip-hip Horay! Hip-hip HORAY! HIP-HIP! HORAY!

Those of you who giggle at the word ¿frigate¿...
Will nevertheless enjoy the latest two entries in this neat little series of movies. Fifth Officer Lowe from Titanic has received a promotion to Captain Horatio Hornblower in this rousing seafaring adventure. Ioan Gruffudd, a charmer in the tall, dark, and handsome mold, plays C.S. Forrester's idealistic early 19th century British naval hero in two movies, "Duty" and "Loyalty." Hornblower is passionate about the sea and his duty to King and country, but less so about the woman he marries, Maria Mason. Forrester's hero is a man so ethical that he marries beneath him not out of love, but duty (hence the first title). He cannot bear Maria's complete adoration of him to go unnoticed, and for her to realize his own lack of feeling for her, so he marries her and lives a charade. Alack and alas, this pairing is bound to be ill-advised.

Those who dig rip-roaring stories of the sea will enjoy this one. The writing and direction are excellent. There is enough historical information to please purists. There are swordfights, spies, war, cannons, Napoleon, and enough things blowing up to please action fans. Still, the series is suitable for older children, as the violence is rather tame and the lack of sparks between "Horrie" and the dumpy Maria translates into prim kisses but little else. The relationship between Hornblower and his superior, Admiral Pellew, is distinctly father and son, and between Hornblower and his second-in-command, Lieutenant Bush, distinctly brotherly. Shades of gray do not appear in Forrester's stories as A&E has brought them to the screen; characters are mostly polarized as good or bad. The turncoats aboard Hornblower's ship are entirely devious, the loyal ones entirely good.

The somewhat priggish Hornblower is idolized near-completely by his crew, especially when he throws himself on a bomb thrown on board the Hotspur and claps it out with his hand-knitted gloves (two guesses who lovingly knit them). Then he orders it thrown overboard. Why not just throw it overboard to begin with? Then he is too modest to mention it in his report to the Admiral. When Maria reads of his bravery later, she starts blubbering, as per usual. I love Julia Sawalha, and she does her job well here, as Maria is too googly for words.

The effects aren't half bad, but the same picture of the harbor standing in for Portsmouth every time got a bit tiresome. Comic moments abound, my favorite being with the hapless Styles, who gets into trouble at every turn. "Who's first down the privy, then? Styles?" Barbara Flynn as Maria's conniving mother and Hornblower's landlady, seems to have trotted directly out of a William Hogarth illustration, albeit she's about fifty years out of date. Also brilliant is Greg Wise as Major Cotard, the Frenchman "frog dandy" who Hornblower suspects may not be on the side of the British after all. He is almost, but not quite, as dashing as Mr. Gruffudd, who appears to have a nifty little franchise going here in the upright Hornblower. Let's hope he gets a spirited woman companion to loosen him up a little in later episodes.

All in all, most will enjoy the story, acting, and production values. It appears to remain true to the novels. Rent it or buy it, you will not be disappointed.

The best yet!
Of all the hornblower movies, the two newest are my favorite. All the old charecters are still there- Bush, Matthews, Pellew, Stiles- and better than before, with some interesting new charecters. Keeps you gessing who the enemy is. A new twist to an old tale, you're sure to love these!

Worth Every Penny
Our boy is back. This time he is on a secret mission to return a French defertor to France. I know that doesn't make any sense but you have to see the show to understand. Also at home he stuggling with a marriage that he does not want be involved in. Really interesting to see him back a decision, will he grow up or have the mindset of a midshipmen forever?

Overall-I always enjoy the vast majority of A&E stuff especially these movies. The characters are mostly due true to the books, the actors seem to care about their job and when the movie is boring it never stays that way for long. highly recommended

Great Fun!
Horatio Hornblower and the crew of the Hotspur are sent to investigate Napoleon Bonaparte and the rising threat of the French. Accompanied by a suave French officer and the young son of a rival officer, Horatio is challenged by saboteurs, a shipboard fire and other menaces. Along the way Horatio marries the daughter of his landlady not out of love- but more out of guilt.

I really loved this 2 DVD set! Horatio shows a great deal of humanity and some weakness in this series and we learn a bit more about the rest of the crew.

Peeves: I'm probably the only one, but I thought his Steward was treated terribly. I felt Styles was awful towards him, and that anyone could see that the Steward did not intentionally hit the officer. I also wish that Horatio's relationship with his wife was more solid. I just didn't get the sense that he was happy.

Overall, an excellent, excellent video series. I hope and pray there will be another sequel. ... Read more

Description

Shakespeare is rightly considered the world's greatest playwright for the soaring beauty of his language, for his profound insight into human nature, for the truths he dramatized and for the realism of the characters he created.He was, and remains, a superb entertainer.

These BBC and Time-Life film productions feature some of Britain's most distinguished theatrical talent (Anthony Hopkins, Sir John Gielgud, Patrick Stewart, Derek Jacobi, Claire Bloom and more), these DVD's now are the number-one choice for continuing personal enjoyment.

This special Drama DVD Giftbox Set contains 5 of Shakespeare's most popular tragedies: *Romeo and Juliet

*Hamlet

*Macbeth

*Julius Caesar

*Othello.

The Plays contain sub-titles in English that can be turned on or off.

TV Guide Raves: "Shakespeare Would Be Amused.by the care, money, time and talent that are being lavished on the mammoth task of producing all 37 of his plays." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

At Last! The First Part Of The Ambrose Series!
This is the Ambrose video series that many libraries have purchased...The 37 play VHS series is still >$2,500 with individual plays around $100. The series was remarkable in that it actually included all 37 plays in full with a solid set of players (some famous) who worked hard at maintaining as much historical accuracy as possible, but especially with the verbiage.

This set has selected some of the best ones, so it is well worth the expense. The problem is that many of the scenes are less than sparkling....it's very much like watching the filming of the series of plays instead of watching a movie or TV version.....even the Bard himself would have struggled to keep the life in them with no audience. Sometimes the effort for accuracy actually shows in some of the acting. You have to give the various troups credit for sticking to the goals of the series, but realize that it is done with some sacrifices to the thrill and magic at some points.

Romeo & Juliet stars Sir John Gielgud, Rebecca Saire, & Patrick Ryecart
It's difficult to make a really bad R&J and with these folks this is a good version.

Hamlet stars Derek Jacobi, Patrick Stewart, & Claire Bloom
Jacobi makes this work....because it certainly is possible to do a horrible Hamlet.

Macbeth stars Nicol Williamson & Jane Lapotaire.
The scenes work even though there are times when you know for sure they are filming a play, not acting for the big screen.

Julius Cesear stars Richard Pasco, Keith Michell & Charles Gray.
I have to admit that this is the one play where my kids were so bored they actually asked if they could just read it instead of watch the video.....this one is not done as well as the rest of the series....I'm surprised it was chosen for the DVD set.

Othello stars Anthony Hopkins, Bob Hoskins, & Anthony Pedley
Hopkins said Othello was the one role he most wanted to play, so they gave it to him.....of course he's good....this is by far the best of the 5 play set

What I like about the Ambrose Video series is the hard-to-find plays.....like All's Well That Ends Well, Coriolanus, Cymbeline, Measure For Measure, Henry VI, Henry VIII....it's nice to see the whole Henry and Richard historical series with the same troup. Perhaps we'll get a "rare" set and a "historical" set on DVD out of them next.

The Best of Shakespeare
In this gorgeous set of 5 plays produced by the BBC & Time-Life you get the pleasure of seeing some of the most wonderful talent such as, the late Sir John Gielgud in Romeo & Juliet, Jane Lapotaire in Macbeth, Anthony Hopkins in Othello, Patrick Stewart & Derek Jacobi in Hamlet just to name a few!!! The set comes with a full cast list for all titles and english sub-titles so you can read along. A must-see. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

How do idiots get inside business like this?
The media of the vicious attacking bloodhounds at FOX have demonized the American press with a claim to fairness for nearly a decade, and finally we have a solitary predication that may drive the beginning to the end of the tower of damage they've amassed to public viewership for far too long
Yes, there are the radical right wingers who don't want real news because only lies can support their overall claim.
The point is MOST of us want the real honest TRUTH from our news and I think we can change that.

The funniest thing thing about this movie is the majority its 2 hours is archived footage from FOX. The inflamatory hate-speech they spew, interviews they censor, false claims and half truths they report are shown the exact way Murdoch broadcasts them 24/7. And this an indisputable thing FOX can neither defend nor find an excuse.

It's no wonder about FOX's tirade during the eve of the film's release on how biased its rivals are, swearing to it that if the film sells hot off the shelves they will go after their rivaling networks with all the fury they've got *true*

A Fair network wouldn't be so preoccupied it has to attack other networks. That negates its claim to be "news" entirely

A fair news channel could Actually be able to to counter this documentary's argument instead of having to resort to boasting the same claim against its rivals

It reminds me of a bully who beats up all the small kids, and when the day comes he gets roughed by another boy his size, he not ony cries and whines to the principal, he says it was for no reason!

Well at least they're not suing again, as we saw all the good that did. How unsustaining is Fox? I looked up, as actually typed, "Faux News" on google and sure enough the first link to come up is the official FNC website. That's a sign of desperation and having no merit as a news channel

I have to give my blessing to Greenwald. This is impressive work. Note you can't miss his other movie, "Whole truth about the war in Iraq," a stunning visual look at the lies and lies, and more lies used to push the public and lawmakers into this immoral war.

Outfoxed is not associated with John Kerry. It's not funded by the Democratic Party. The Right Wing elites wants you to believe this movie has ties with MSNBC, CNN, NY times, LA times, or the Washington Post. Nothing can be further from the truth. The film was produced by a non-partisan independent thinker and funded by an 'independent media', and it's only they who can claim responsobilty, or more importantly, take the fall over any speculation that comes. FOX's "journalists" have habitually been imperious critics towards those who exchange information and over certain subsidies towards polical engagement. Certainly nothing unethical about the National Republican Party being the biggest benefactor to FOX. Or media tycoon Rupert Murdoch prevailing as the solitary creator and manager to the strategist network

They present facts which are supportive to the Repub-Neocon base, meanwhile discarding news which sounds to them 'ulterior.' They are so assuming to arguments which contradict their absurd reasoning, it would be as if having to unpreach to the choire. Not to mention lie through their teeth if they think they can get away with it; "don't kill the messenger!"

The integrity of jounralism is not to carry out hearsay. It's to review, be accurate, factual, rational

Bias in a film that tells the God honest truth is a critique of society.

Bias incoporated as a news source that claims to fairly report a balanced medium of news, which in reality imparts a agglomeration of dishonesty and fraud, ultimately becomes an Orwellian form of mind control

I believe FOX News is dangerous to society

For an even closer, more in depth look into the media establishment check out the DVD, "Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky and the Media" a perilous, extremely insightful and intellectuall peice of work that will change forever the way you think about news. While Fox is certainly evil and uncomparable to it's colleagues, their is a growing bias to new aged conventionilsm in the news media as it moves toward sensationalism and censorship, and away from reality. Coporate greed is hungry for profits, profits unimaginable to an average person, and the media is in their hands already. This documentary was produced in 1993 and his predictions of what was to come of media ownership by the Elite was farfetched a decade ago, but today it seems his case is understated. Nearly the entirety of our news channels, papers, and other publications are owned right now by 6 corporations. 6! It was 12 before the new millenium and now... it is 6! See this film, it will ASTONISH you.

FNC never had credibiltiy. Will anything change now?
The media of the vicious attacking bloodhounds at FOX have demonized the American press with a claim to fairness for nearly a decade, and finally we have a solitary predication that may drive the beginning to the end of the tower of damage they've amassed for far too long to American viewers.

Yes, there are the radical right wingers who don't want real news because only lies can support their overall claim.

The point is MOST of us want the real honest TRUTH from our news and I think we can change that.

The funniest thing thing about this movie is the majority its 2 hours is archived footage from FOX. The inflamatory hate-speech they spew, interviews they censor, false claims and half truths they report are shown the exact way Murdoch broadcasts them 24/7. And this an indisputable thing FOX can neither defend nor find an excuse.

It's no wonder about FOX's tirade during the eve of the film's release on how biased its rivals are, and swore to it that if the film sells well they will go after the other networks will all they've got

A Fair network wouldn't be so preoccupied it has to attack other networks. That negates its claim to be "news" entirely

A fair news channel could Actually be able to to counter this documentary's argument instead of having to resort to boasting the same claim against its rivals

It reminds me of a bully who beats up all the small kids, and when the day comes he gets roughed by another boy his size, he not ony cries and whines to the principal, he says it was for no reason!

Well at least they're not suing again, as we saw all the good that did. How unsustaining is Fox? I looked up, as actually typed, "Faux News" on google and sure enough the first link to come up is the official FNC website. That's a sign of desperation and having no merit as a news channel

I have to give my blessing to Greenwald. This is impressive work. Note you can't miss his other movie, "Whole truth about the war in Iraq," a stunning visual look at the lies and lies, and more lies used to push the public and lawmakers into this immoral war.

Outfoxed is not associated with John Kerry. It's not funded by the Democratic Party. The Right Wing elites wants you to believe this movie has ties with MSNBC, CNN, NY times, LA times, or the Washington Post. Nothing can be further from the truth. The film was produced by a non-partisan independent thinker and funded by an independent media. Bias in a film that tells the God honest truth is a critique of society.

Bias incoporated as a news source that claims to fairly report a balanced medium of news, which in reality imparts a agglomeration of dishonesty and fraud is a form of mind control

For an even closer, more in depth look into the media establishment check out the DVD, "Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky and the Media" an extremely insightful and intellectuall peice of work that will change forever the way you think about news. SERIOUSLY good film

Conglomerate News Network
Well done documentary, but not entirely true. ALL news networks are biased, and their slogans are all misleading. CNN calls itself the Most Watched News Channel, when FOX NEWS beats it in the ratings fairly often -- often enough to discredit that claim. All the major news networks are owned by conglomerate corporations such as AOL-Time-Warner, therefore, all are biased. Plain and simple. Get a grip, folks, all news media outlets are the same, so stop demonizing Fox News (the way you claim they demonize others) for its conformity.

Entertaining and rather informative
I ordered this movie because I believe that The Fox News Channel is doing a great disservice to America by preaching fair and balanced news. In a society where people are easily misled, documentaries like this are sometimes needed in hopes that some citizens will actually discover the truth.

Yes, this movie is biased, because it is reporting on a biased news station.
One cannot compare the movie to the television station itself because the video accepts itself as one sided. This is their argument: Fox News should admit its true agenda.

The makers of this movie are infuriated. They have every right to be. The conservative trickery is not even covert. It is plain to see, and it is ridiculous.
The filmmakers are presenting a theory and backing it up with evidence. This is something that FNC knows nothing about; facts and evidence. They are an opinion station with flashes of news.

There were a couple great moments in this film, and I think it is worth the 10 bucks they charge for it.
I have minor problems with it though...
#1, The DVD has only 1 scene. That means if you get 30 minutes into it, then have to leave, you have to fast forward all the way to where you were. It's basically like having a VHS tape. Quite annoying.
#2. When will people learn that the only way to shut conservatives up and still get our message across is to paint an equal portrayal of events?? Being biased sure works, but it gives those goofy republicans something to pick at.

Overall, I recommend it for anyone interested in the propaganda of the media in general, and for those who think that the Fox News Channel is actually news.

Please, if you are reading this, realize that the only way to uncover the truth about things is to read about them. The television gives you a sugar coated version for bedtime. Don't believe what you hear just because it is on TV.

Pretty lopsided
I saw this at a moveon.org event in California. It's obvious this film is of the preaching-to-the-choir type. It's intent is not to be revelatory in any way since the presentation is so lopsided. An independent thinking person can't take their argument seriously. You never hear an opposing point of view so of course their case is a slam dunk. In addition, you can just watch the channel yourself and see how slanted their news coverage is or isn't. You don't need a movie to tell you how to think.

Because of this lopsidedness, the movie is also pretty boring. There's no debate or controversy inserted. It's basically, Fox has a right-wing agenda, see, Fox has a right-wing agenda, see, Fox has a right-wing agenda, see... ad nauseam. It would have been more compelling and persuasive if they allowed Fox to respond.

Unfortunately, the majority of the clips used to state their case are of pundits, like Oreilly and Hannity, which is a bit specious since these guys are supposed to have an opinion. Whether their analysts tend to be conservative or not is a 'who cares' kind of point. We are already know it's an opinion.

I give it two stars since it can be irksome and rile people up (regardless of your political leanings). It irked me mostly because the whole movie practices nearly everything they accuse Fox of doing - presenting information in an unfair and unbalanced way. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Divorce Italian Style is a comedy milestone--a brilliant, biting satire that was originally conceived as a drama; directed with nonstop inventiveness by a filmmaker who had never done comedy; and featuring an actor who, though not even among the first dozen players considered, cemented his international stardom with this performance. The movie also marked a breakthrough for foreign film in America, winning popular as well art-house success, Academy Award nominations for director Pietro Germi and star Marcello Mastroianni, and--the first of only a few foreign-language films to do so--the Oscar itself for Original Screenplay.

On the sun-blasted island of Sicily, Baron Ferdinand "Fefè" Cefalù (Mastroianni) breaks out of his heat- and boredom-induced stupor long enough to be smitten with mad passion for his 16-year-old cousin Angela (Stefania Sandrelli). But he's married--to Rosalia (Daniela Rocca), she of the unfortunate mustache--and the Italian Penal Code gives him no way out... except, of course, for catching his wife in adultery and availing himself of the patriarchal license to commit a "crime of honor." So Fefè searches for a way to fling Rosalia into the arms of another man.

Mastroianni's Fefè is an indelible masterpiece, visually and behaviorally: a portrait in painterly chiaroscuro, with brilliantined hair, eternally drooping eyelids, a cigarette holder angled in perpetual salute, and a manic, conspiratorial slouch, like Groucho Marx on painkillers. Germi's direction hustles the film along with bold, mobile camerawork, stream-of-consciousness lurches into fantasy and flashback, Fefè's feverish voiceover commentary, and a wonderfully propulsive music score by the late Carlo Rustichelli. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (11)

High-Styled Hijinks!
Pietro Germi's companion piece to his earlier "Seduced and Abandoned," this comedy comes so close to tragedy it takes your breath away. Only the director's insight into theocracy and Italian mores keeps "Divorce Italian Style" from succumbing to the darkness that lurks inside this material. Although Marcello Mastroianni and Stefania Sandrelli are the big names, in star-making performances, the picture is really held together by Daniela Rocca's tricky and subtle work as the dutiful wife who must be murdered to have a happy ending. This was very daring stuff in the 1960s, and Criterion's jaunty DVD transfer does it full justice (don't miss the nifty interview supplement). Germi's satirical epilogue will remind you of the one in "All About Eve," it's that good.

When Love Withers in Brilliant Comedy...
A flower's life span is nothing compared to humans, yet flowers go through similar developmental stages.The most memorable part of a flower's growth is the blossoming progress where it goes from being a small bud until it dwindles to the ground in a rapid withering phase.Occasionally, love uses the life span of a flower as a symbol for the affectionate spell under which two individuals bond.When the flower withers, the relationship turns numb, which is the case with Ferdinando "Fefé" Cefalú (Marcello Mastroianni).Fefé merely stays with his wife Rosalia (Daniela Rocca), as societal restrictions are enforced by the Catholic Church, family, and public, which forces people to remain married until death do they part.In the light of this notion, the audience will truly experience a socially important comedy, which plays with the ideas of divorce through more hideous plots such as murder, deceit, and other troublemaking.

The film opens on a moving train as Fefé exits the public toilet while he bumps into two Sicilian police officers.Quickly Fefé leaves them behind, as he slowly makes his way through gentle zigzagging around other passengers to the dining car.Seated while ordering roast beef and two potatoes, Fefé continues to gaze upon the passing Sicilian countryside, which does not seem to have changed much since the Roman Empire.This is a familiar place for Fefé who begins to disclose an amusing tale of why he is on his way home, as he recollects in homesick manner his hometown Agramonte. This opening has several suggestive nods towards Fefé's character, his family and what is important in Agramonte, which will be comically and profoundly illustrated as the story unfolds.

In the introduction by Fefé the audience learns through his words, the camera, and the actions of the characters that societal progress does not seem to be high on the agenda.Instead the audience learns about how politics and the Catholic Church seem to be intertwined in this small town.The slow progress has generated some very rigid guidelines, which no one seems willing to challenge.In this societal stalemate the men only seem to pay attention and gossip about one thing - women.This is essential information, as it depicts the boredom that helps the withering of the flowers.

The story goes into great detail to depict Fefé's monotonous life.He is unemployed due to social status because he is a Baron, which means that he often sleeps in.Whenever he does not sleep his exceedingly caring and nurturing Rosalia tends to his needs while it actually seems as if she is only annoying him.There is a wonderful scene where Fefé escapes everyone to read in peace and enjoy the soothingbreeze from a small fan in his study while Rosalia enters with coffee and turns off the fan.Fefé turns the fan on again while Rosalia turns it off with a smile, as she serves him the coffee.This scene oozes of tension between the two while Fefé keeps his cool and Rosalia tries her best to be a good wife. Yet, it offers him an opportunity to begin to imagine different methods of how he could kill her.

In between Fefé's annoyance and boredom he discovers the stunning teen Angela (Stefania Sandrelli) whom infatuates him with a brief look at mass.Fefé begins to think about Angela while he sneaks to the bathroom to steal a peak at the youthful girl through the window.Eventually, Angela expresses her mutual desire for Fefé, but they have to be careful so they do not cause a scandal, or worse.This provides an opportunity for Fefé to begin to actually think of how to get rid off Rosalia, which turns out to be a comically ugly event as he cannot divorce her by law.

The audience will feel empathy for Rosalia who tries to be a good wife, but Fefé does not allow it by being distant.Simultaneously, one cannot help to feel understanding for Fefé who now begins to study the law and how he possibly could get away with murder.It is a sad thought, even though the presentation of the topic is jovial, that the people are ready to commit the worst possible act in the name of love.Yet, it is also here where the film's strength lays, as it delivers a funny depiction of how a passé society can squelch life and frown upon societal progress, which was a big deal in the 1960s.A notion arises in regards to progress--should one have the freedom to find their own blossoming flower?

Divorce Italian Style offers a well-written and genuine comedy with deliberate intentions for the audience to ponder regarding the society and the social restrictions that govern the unhappy.The cast does a marvelous job in portraying the different characters.For example, Daniela Rocca's illustration of Rosalia provides authentic view of a woman who seeks love form her husband, but does not receive it.In addition, Marcello Mastroianni does a brilliant job through his dual performance in the film by also being in the Fellini's La Dolce Vita, which is shown in the film.However, Mastroianni's visual persona suggests his infatuation with beautiful women that can be explored if one views La Dolce Vita.Lastly, the camera work, mise-en-scene, and the framing of each scene enhance the complete ideas, as they transcends the expectations of the film.

That's it, I want a divorce!
Just so you know, divorce is now permitted in Italy. But in 1962, the only way you could get a divorce was by... well, "Divorce Italian Style," a ka bumping off your adulterous spouse. This delightfully warped black comedy focuses on that very idea -- a disgruntled husband who goes to absurd lengths to get a "divorce."

Ferdinando Cefalú (Marcello Mastroianni) is a middle-aged Sicialian noble who is displeased with his life, and his adoring wife Rosalia (Daniela Rocca). In true midlife-crisis fashion, he falls for his angelic-looking cousin Angela (Stefania Sandrelli), but he can't get a divorce. Divorce isn't allowed in Italy at this time, so Ferdinando is left stewing over his problems, fantasizing about murdering Rosalia.

But then he hears about an odd law: if an adulterous spouse is caught in flagrante, then the wronged spouse can kill the adulterer and get off with a light prison sentence. So Ferdinando starts desperately searching for a potential lover for Rosalia, but she remains faithful. Then he locates an ex-boyfriend of hers, hoping to rekindle the old flame. But nothing goes quite according to plan...

Yes, it's a bit sick. But in such a funny way that it really doesn't offend. At a certain point it becomes less about Ferdinando trying to murder his wife, as it is an increasingly overwrought attempt to get her to commit adultery. Not to mention a spoof on traditional views on "family honor," where it is more shocking to NOT kill your adulterous spouse than it is to do so.

Ferdinando carefully straddles the line between being slime and being a funny character -- his surreal murder fantasies are hilarious, such as when he shoves Rosalia into a vat of soap. And in keeping with the spoof atmosphere, the romance is overemotional, the fighting is overwrought, and the contrived adultery/murder scheme is absurd. The final scene is the final tragicomic flourish, hinting at future disaster that Ferdinando deserves.

Pietro Germi at first seems to be making an offensive movie, but viewing it with a sense of humor shows that he's poking fun, and making wry social observations. He was also not above plugging Mastroianni's other movies -- one scene has a priest denouncing "La Dolce Vita," followed by crowds rushing to see it. Ferdinando's future brother-in-law ogles the beautiful Anita Eckberg, then hastily tells his fiancee that Eckberg is pretty, but "she has no soul."

The immortal Mastroianni injects just enough humanity into Ferdinando to keep us from loathing him -- in the middle of a midlife crisis, he seems increasingly confused as the movie goes on. Daniela Rocca sits on the fence between being devoted and annoying, while Sandrelli plays a girl who acts like an angel, but definitely isn't.

Thankfully Italian spouses no longer have to bump each other off to get a "divorce," but "Divorce Italian Style" remains a classic black comedy/social satire.

Amusing
Charming story indeed.Baron Pepe Cerafulu gets bored with his wife's over nuturing and nagging ways.Oh how he yearns for his teenage cousin, Angelina.Baron does give us some amusing facial gestures.

His schemes to arrange for this divorce are kind of far fetched.They will certainly have you chuckling especially when the tape recorder fails to catch his wife in the act. Carmello is quite charming in his role as the painter.

The Black and White Cinematography works well depicting Italy several decades ago.The subtitles are a little out of synch but otherwise this old movie is certainly a goodie.

The Film Is Great, The DVD Is Not
Divorce, Italian Style is a superb movie from the 1960's genre.The story is highly entertaining and the characters are witty, especially Marcello Mastroianni, whose dry, cynical humour is an absolute pleasure.However, the DVD from Hen's Tooth could certainly be better.The excessive scratches do take away from some stunning black and white cinematography, but the film itself more than makes up for it.The film is definitely worthy a spot in the Italian film aficionados' collection, but wait for a new DVD version. ... Read more

Reviews (709)

A Fight For Freedom
Mel Gibson's Oscar winning epic, BRAVEHEART, is a great film. Set in the 13th century Gibson stars as William Wallace, a Scottsman, who returns to his homeland, after a long abscence. Upon his return, he learns that the Scott King has died, leaving no heir to the throne. The country is now being ruled by King Edward, (Patrick McGoohan) a ruthless leader, who cares nothing about the land or its people. William takes charge and vows to fight for the liberation of Scotland. BRAVEHEART is quite a film. From its breathtaking landscapes, shot by John Toll, to its intense battle sequences, the film will keep you "involved" throughout its entire 177 minutes. The script, by Randall Wallace, has its moments of over the top bravado. But it also has some good points as well. Gibson does a great job pulling double duty here, as director and star. Given the film's size and scope, this was not an easy movie to make, doing one job is hard enough...A stunning movie.

The DVD has two main extras on it. The commentary by Mr. Gibson is pretty good. However, my only gripe may be that the length of the film means some gaps of silence and a few moments where he repeats himself. The production feature is nicely produced by HBO but nothing more The only other extra on the disc is the inclusion of 2 theatrical trailers. I would have expected some more extras on the DVD, since its a multiple award winner...Even with my minor complaints, BRAVEHEART, still gets 5 stars from me, and comes highly recommended

A DVD Must-Have for any home video collection!
As a film, this is truly an awe-inspiring masterpiece that joins the ranks of great classics like "Lawrence of Arabia". Paramount did an excellent job in bringing this movie to DVD. The picture is clear and pristine due to the anamorphic enhancement & widescreen formatting which is required to convey the beauty of the film's various expansive wide landscape shots of the Scottish valleys. Audio soundtrack is richly detailed and expansive in its use of surround effects which adds the effect of "being there" especially during the brutal battle scenes. James Horner's music score comes through just beautifully. One aspect of this dvd I really enjoyed is the audio commentary track by the director himself Mel Gibson. He was very cordial, humorous, and at times very informative about the whole affair of making this movie. Just listening to Mel Gibson talk while viewing this movie made it feel as if you were watching it with a down-to-earth friend. You'll get a kick out of it. Trust me! There is one thing though: I just wish Paramount had included the TV clips from the Academy Awards show of Mel Gibson receiving the Oscars and his acceptance speech. The entire crew & Mel Gibson himself so richly deserved the Oscars the film won and including those Oscar clips in this DVD's supplements would have been icing on the cake. This DVD is a no-brainer, you can't get any better than this.

A COMPLETE cinematic experience. Totally satisfying
I saw this movie years ago when it first came out. Most movies aren't as good on second viewing. I just saw it again on DVD and it is BETTER than I remember it.

The acting is superb, especially by the young William Wallace at the opening of the film. Infact all the actors are excellent in this film.

What really takes my breath away in this film is the stunning (pre-computer generated)scenery, music, costumes, the sets and the magnificent battle scenes which really makes Bravehart a complete cinematic experience.

The DVD comes with an entertaining documentary on the making of the film with an excellent full length commentary by director/actor Mel Gibson. A must in any DVD collection. Highly recommended.

Ultra violence meets (...) humour
Mel Gibson must be a very disturbed man. All his films are very violent. "Payback", "The Patriot" and "The Passion of Christ"(which at least I found to be pretty funny though I don't think it was meant to be) all glorify violence.

Catherine McCormack takes off her clothes in this film which is why I give it 1 star and not 0. Unfortunately Sophie Marceau doesn't take off her clothes and even more unfortunate is that Mel does. I found the mooning scene in this movie to be quite childish

This movie is intended for the less intelligent American market rather than for us Scots. All of Mel Gibsons recent films are marketed towards less intelligent people such as George W Bush or the Pope or Mel himself I suppose.

Mel Gibson hasn't made a decent film since "Mad Max 2" yet he continues to make millions of dollars making these awful films.

I guess...
YOU CAN TAKE MY TALENT BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE MY MILLIONS!!!!

The best of the best.
I have made many top 10 movie lists, and they have changed over the years. There is one movie, however, that has never been moved and that movie is Braveheart in the number 1 spot. Many shy from the movie because of it being 3 hours long without even giving it a chance.I think everyone should watch it. You never think the movie is as long as it is when you actually watch it. The battle sequences were the best I have ever seen up until the release of Return of the King, but the battles are still the best in their own light. Every characater is played well, Mel Gibson playing especially well as the lead character William Wallace and his directing is flawless as well. I loved every minute of it and it will most likely always be my favorite movie of all time. ... Read more

Reviews (148)

One of the best animated movies of all time
The story of the animated film is similar to that of the first book, but contains parts of the second book. Dozy Alice is so silly she follows trouble by chasing a talking rabbit down hs hole. At the bottom, she drinks an unknown substance which helps her get through a talking door into Wonderland. Here she meets the Dodo, TweedleDum and TweedleDee (who tell her the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter), the Talking flowers (watch out for the snobby Iris!), the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. She even has un-birthday tea with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. However, Alice gets caught up in a game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts, and later a trial. The whole thing becomes such a nightmare, Alice realises she's had a dream while she dozed off.

Firstly, I don't know why loads of people think this film is cheesy. I know Alice isn't for everyone, but when you look at the other films made based on Children's classics by Disney (eg- Jungle Book, Hunchback of Notre Dame), you'll see it's more faithful than those films to the original. However if you have read the books and haven't seen this film, some characters are missing (eg- Duchess, Mock Turtle, Knave of Hearts, White Knight). This may just think that Disney has ruined this classic forever. They haven't. It's the best adaption I've ever seen.

Although I actually have the PAL version, I suppose the movie is just the same over in North America. The best bits are the Walrus and the Carpenter, the garden of singing flowers and flamingo croquet. And the Mad Tea Party is still the funniest part of a Disney classic. So buy this movie. Wether it's a video tape or DVD.

(I also live near Carroll's birth place!)

Disney's 13th Animated Masterpiece!
Following the success of Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland is snother Disney gem, this colorful,classic animated feature tells the adventures of young Alice in a rather odd way since it doesn't really follow the book by Lewis Carroll, but still, makes a wonderful and entertaining film. Although it was not well-liked when it was first released, it is considered today another one of Disney's greatest masterpieces. The colorful characters will make you laugh from beginning to end. It is hard to say who is the wicked villain in this film, since they all play a role in making Alice's day in wonderland not very pleasent, starting from the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Chessire Cat and the Queen of Hearts, who just wants to see someone's head roll.

This new Masterpiece Edition DVD set brings Alice in Wonderland to a more deserved release than that previous Gold Collection, which brought very little bonus features. The masterpiece edition does bring many more bonuses, and one of my favorites is that "Virtual Wonderland Party", in which children can enjoy a little while in a fantastic tea pary. Really great! This DVD also has the greatest cover art, I love it. 5 stars!

Follow the white rabbit Neo - no sorry, I mean Alice
I just spent a couple of hours looking at this wonderful movie and the extra features. The aptly named Masterpiece Edition is worth every penny, and like The Matrix, should be included in any movie collection, whether you have a child to hide behind or not.

Beautifully adapted and animated from Lewis Carroll's highly imaginative, high-trippin' classic, the imagery and illustrated puns amaze and amuse, especially the little things like the rocking-horse fly, the bread-and-butter flies, the vultures, the pencil and hammer birds, the momeraths, and the bird in the tree (Queenie Leonard) yelling "Ser-pennnnnt !"

The animators drew each frame based on the portrayals by the actors voicing the parts, and the stand-outs are Kathryn Beaumont as Alice, Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter, Verna Felton as the Queen of Hearts, Bill Thompson as the White Rabbit, and the very flexible and versatile J. Pat O'Malley as Tweedle Dum, Tweedle Dee, the Walrus AND the Carpenter, in one of the best scenes in the movie.

With fourteen songs, this is the most musical Disney around, but unfortunately, the songs are not very easy to sing along to, making me sound like William Hung every time I try to impress people with my thorough knowledge of the lyrics.

There are lots of interesting tidbits in the extras, such as the discarded Cheshire Cat song, and the fact that one of the songs was later re-worded for Peter Pan. There are other links between Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, but you'll have to watch the extras to find out just what, cause I'm not telling.

For those who don't want to watch the previews at the beginning of the DVD, just press "Menu" and get plugged directly into Wonderland.

Amanda Richards, July 18, 2004

Disney-ized
One of my fav children's books gets Disney-ized. I find that this version is simply AMAZING! Yes, there are LOTS of drugged out images (ie..the caterpillar is smoking an opium pipe, she eats mushrooms to get bigger or smaller etc) but its a magical story and its told VERY well by the Disney guys. Not to be missed, grab it before its out of print.

It stinks!
This movie is nothing like the original book, skip it and watch the Hallmark version instead. ... Read more

Reviews (630)

one of the best comedies ever and dvd extras to rave about!
This is what dvds were invented for -- there are so many great features here! So in addition to seeing one of the funniest movies ever made, you can be entertained for hours with the extras, and the extras are terrific: subtitles in English, French or Spanish; audio track choices -- English (the original mono or a brand new full stereo version), French, a directors' (Gilliam and Jones) track or a commentary track with Cleese, Idle and Palin; a copy of the script overlaid on the film; a painstaking, hilarious Henry the IV-ish subtitle for those who don't like the film; a hard-of-hearing feature; killer rabbit easter eggs; animated menus using Gilliam's original animation; karaoke renditions of 'Knights of the Round Table', 'Sir Robin' and the 'Monks Chant'; a delightful 45 minute visit to the locations with Jones and Palin; an educational film about the 'other' uses of coconuts; Japanese versions of the French Castle and Knights Who Say Ni scenes, including references to the 'holy sake cup'; a 1974 BBC Film Night visit to a location site during filming; photos of tickets, press releases, reviews, posters, production stills and original artwork; trailers; cast credits (Palin played over a dozen parts!) with pictures of each character; a Lego knights version of the Camelot scene; pictures of sketches that were never used (a killer snail?!); a web link.

A lot of effort went into this special edition dvd, and it shows. I particularly enjoyed seeing Jones and Palin visit locations. They were in a jolly mood, their comments are interspersed with film footage, and they meet affectionate and funny fans along the way.

If you like this film you will love this dvd version; if you love the film, you wil adore this two-dvd set. An essential item for your collection.

Highest recommendation.

I Never Thought Looking For A Shrubbery Would Be This Fun!!
In the early 1970's the Monty Python troop (Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Terry Jones) stars from the immensely popular television series Monty Python's Flying Circus began producing, with the help of a fundraising concert headlined by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd (You lie!! No, I didn't!), initial photography on what would later become (from all my extensive years of movie watching) the single most unforgivably sidesplitting, enormously irreverent, shrewdly perceptive, unremittingly uproariously aggressive, gruesomely hysterical, and endlessly quotable comedies EVER. Not even Mel Brooks's Best Efforts (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) comes very close to the revolutionary medieval merriment sustained in this royal purebred of cult classics. BAR NONE. No contest here.

Endlessly stockpiled with hauntingly hysterical sketches that will probably never leave your mind (no matter how hard you try) including, The Knights Who Say Nei, The Self-Abusing Monks (Eah aay ess eay dom eay nay), The Black Knight, The Trojan Rabbit, the Ever-Appearing Verbally Abusing French (I don't want to talk to you no more!!!), The Enchanter Named Tim, The Killer Bunny, The Bridge of Death (What is the capital of Hysteria?), The Old Woman Named Dennis, and so many countless more great sketches to include here that I'd die trying. Monty and Python and the Holy Grail remains an ever-enriching mirthful cult-classic that just seems to improve with age. Since Columbia has a bountifully hefty new special edition of the Holy Grail out now there should be no excuse, if you've never seen it (I think I'll go for a walk!!), just drop everything your doing (including Bringing Out Your Dead) and go experience this life changing movie today. You won't be disappointed, just tell them the Knight Not Appearing In This Film sent you, and they'll know what to do.

As for the options on the special edition here's a run-down:

Disc One: -"21st Anniversary" cut of the film running an extra 24 seconds; -Anamorphic Widescreen; -Dolby 5.1 track; -Original Mono Track; -Audio commentary with Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin; -subtitles "for people who don't like the film" (you get the text from Shakespeare's Henry IV instead); -an "on-screen screenplay" feature which lets you read the screenplay as you watch the film; -"Follow the Killer Rabbit" feature;

Disc Two: "Three Mindless Sing-Alongs"; -"The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations" featurette; -"How to Use Your Coconuts" educational film; -"Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Japanese" (with English subtitles); -the BBC Film Night special "On Location with the Pythons; -an interactive cast directory; -still galleries with Terry Gilliam's original sketches and behind-the-scenes photos; -"A Load Of Rubbish" with mystery items; -unused ideas and other material; -two trailers
and web-links.

Both discs represent the absolute final word resource for EVERYTHING and I do mean everything you'd need to know about the Python's greatest film. An Absolute Necessity for any Python Fan!!

P.S. You can't base a system of government just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

What are you going to do, bleed on me?
excellent. Possibly the funniest movie ever made. Who could forget such a line as "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of eldeberries." This is a great movie and a great dvd edition that gives it justice. This is completely worth the money. A comedy Classic.

This movie didn't make me Run Away! (or) Run away FASTER!!!
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail is, by far, my favorite movie -and I'm sure it always will be! Being a truly hilariously-random film, this DVD does an awesome job of showcasing this fact to the highest extent. The killer white "rrrrabit" will live on in my heart forever, and I will always be knowledgeable that African swallows are non-migratory. What other movie has a group of knights requesting shrubberies -from King Arthur, no less- to create a 'two-level effect with a path through the middle'? Only Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The movie might sound strange as I mention these things out of context, but I assure you it is much stranger when Monty Python says it!
So, to conclude this review, I definitely give "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail" DVD a 5 star rating, as I know it will entertain millions for years to come. Enjoy!

The Lego Camelot Number Alone is Worth the Price
Who would have thought that, after nearly 30 years, the world's goofiest movie could be made even moreso? Not only is this DVD a comedy triumph (it would be simply if it were the DVD version of the classic film, in which a crew too broke to afford horses for King Arthur and his Knights changed history and college kids' banter forever by introducing coconuts as migrating props). Oh, no, this DVD is one that may become a standard for other DVDs. Just look at this list of extras above! To be sure, some of them are fluff. The "load of rubbish" selection is simply some receipts and a few odd notes. But most of it is stupendous.

The first disc contains the movie itself, along with some choices of how to watch it.... subtitles, commentary by directors Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam or by John Cleese & Eric Idle & Michael Palin. Then "for people who don't like the film", there's subtitles from Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part II". Now, these do not faithfully follow Henry IV verse by verse, but they do come from the play, and it's hilarious how the phrases Shakespeare wrote do actually match up with the action on the screen.

Disc Two contains several mementoes: a film of John Cleese, Terry Jones, and "Grail" production manager John Young (who also played the hapless "Historian" towards the end of the film, and the "I'm not dead!" guy) paying a return visit to Castle Doune , in 2000. At first it's fun to hear them reminisce at the filming site, but since it's a very small spot with nothing but a wall and a bit of ground, they appear uncomfortable and that quickly gets old. More interesting is the home movie made by the two Terries when they looked for prospective film locations in the seventies. Their excitement is palpable.

A somewhat painful scene (except for the chance it gives us to watch Terry Jones in action as a director) is the BBC documentary made during filming. The interviewer seems more interested in trying to be funny himself than in the Pythons. But there are several great comic extras, including words to some songs, a coconut skit, two scenes dubbed in Japanese, and best of all, an animated feature of the "Camelot" scene and song done entirely in Lego...must be seen to be believed.

Finally, someone has made good use of the storage space on a DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (154)

"Good over Evil ~ Sleeping Beauty by Disney"
The final of the Disney fairy tale series is no sleeper in "Sleeping Beauty", a classic tale with all the trimmings ~ including one of the best loved scores ever to grace the big screen. Must make mention the music was nominated for Best Musical Score in 1959, the Tchaikovsky composition blending pure adaptation through brilliant arrangements. The films running time is 75 minutes, but all the extras of bonus features and technical specifications is pure gravy.

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound gives the viewer options of Widescreen and Fullscreen ~ "RESCUE AURORA" set-top adventure game ~ 3-D virtual galleries ~ "ONCE UPON A DREAM" is The making of Sleeping Beauty" ~ Story Reels ~ Princess personality game ~ Sleeping Beauty ink and paint game ~ Academy award- winning "GRAND CANYON" short film ~ The brilliant music ~ The design ~ The restoration ~ Four artists paint one tree ~ "THE PETER TCHAIKOVSKY STORY" ~ Creating the backgrounds ~ DVD-ROM links ~ THX-certified ~ and much, much more!

This is a must have for "Disney-classic-collectors" that will do your ever growing collection proud. This is someting you'll cherish and watch over and over again through the years. Disney has done it again ~ it just keeps getting better with every DVD release from the Disney people...gotta love it!

Total: 2-CD-Set ~ Walt Disney Home Video 29755 ~ (9/09/2003)

Stunning Remastering
Sleeping Beauty was one of the first Disney animated films I remember my folks taking me to see. As a child during my 'dinosaur' phase, I loved watching Maleficent turn into the dragon and fight Phillip. The story, you should know by now of course, young princess whisked away by three fairy 'godmothers' to protect her from evil sorceress, raised in the forest unaware of her heritage, meets prince charming unaware he's a prince, eventually finds out they're betrothed to each other as prince fights sorceress. The re-mastering technique employed on this DVD yielded incredible results, the image was actually more vibrant and colorful than originally aired in 1959 and it looks marvelous on today's widescreen HDTVs. I was quite taken with the art, quite unlike anything Disney has done before or since with it's angular geometry and perpendicular themes. Aurora and Maleficent duel for most beautiful Disney female forms to date. The extras on the DVD are quite interesting as well. The original theatrical companion pieces The Grand Canyon was sublime and the snippet of how four artists paint a tree helped glean a bit into the mindset of the brilliant artists on the Sleeping Beauty project. Highly recommended, not just as a child's story, but as an impressive art piece and study of mood and texture.

Unforgettable, timeless classic
One of my favorite movies (animated or nonanimated). THere is a quality and rich story that seems lacking in so many of todays movies (Disney movies included). The music just lifts you up and carries you into the Princess's world, and the ending leaves you with a pleasant sigh without being totally predictable. If you liked the Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast, you'll love this.

A delightful animated masterpiece!!!!
Sleeping Beauty is one of the most ambitious animated films ever made. It's a gorgeous, elegant, and absolutely amazing landmark in animation; a film so charming, memorable, and beautiful that it has been hailed as the most incomparable film in the animated genre, and with good reason. Detailed backgrounds, glorious colors, outstanding visuals and beautiful music are all contributing factors to the grandeur pageantry that "Sleeping Beauty" enthralls on its audience.

Up until the last few years, "Sleeping Beauty" was actually considered one of the few Disney 'failures.' That means, a poor box-office success. But that was 1959. Since then, the film, like "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia," has returned to theaters many times and made way on video for new generations to enjoy, earning large estimates of money and critical praise, not to mention being the most requested Disney film on video after "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs" and "The Lion King."

It was finally re-released in a fantastic Special Edition DVD, and looking back, I can't believe this was once considered a failure. As if! This is not just a timeless tale of good and evil; the plot is elegantly portrayed with rich textures and stunning animation.

Sleeping Beauty is one of Disney's best animated films, EVER, and a must-own DVD for any collection. If only Disney still made films like this. I don't think we could be so lucky. Don't delay, get this before time runs out!!!

Beautiful Artistry and Animation
Sleeping Beauty is Disney's retelling of the fairy tale of the same name. This DVD release of Disney's 75 minute movie features options to view it in either the original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, or in a "pan and scan" 1.33:1 aspect ratio version that captures most of the action while using the full height of a standard television screen. A second DVD includes supplemental material on the history and making of the film.

The story itself departs somewhat from the traditional fairy tale version, with a story line that provides a little more scope for character exposition and interaction. The result still retains a fairy tale feel, and the plot remains simpler than most of Disney's other animated features.

The biggest strengths of the movie are in its wonderful animation, artwork, and music.

The animation is perhaps the best of any Disney movie. The animators were exceptionally good at using facial expressions to help tell the story - Maleficent's face perfectly expresses her smug satisfaction when something goes her way, and Princess Aurora's expression when she first meets Prince Phillip by surprise perfectly communicates the various emotions that are running through her. The animation of the action is also wonderful, with some of the best moments being Aurora's dancing and Phillip's battle with the dragon.

The background artwork is terrific. Each background is really a high quality painting, full of scene specific detail and yet all coordinating to give the picture overall artistic unity and medieval feel. And yet, all this beautiful background coordinates with the characters in a way that avoids overpowering them.

Unlike some of Disney's other animated classics, this film did not use original music, but instead wisely went with Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet music. Tchaikovsky's beautiful classic music perfectly complements the beautiful, artistic nature of everything else in the film.

All the attention to artistry and detail made the film too expensive to be a commercial success in 1959, but it also made the film a timeless classic that can continue to be enjoyed today and far into the future. Get it now, or you may have to wait seven years for Disney's next rerelease. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée (which is included on the DVD Short Cinema Journal, Volume 2), 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality.Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the '90s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. The Collector's Edition DVD includes a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary (The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 12 Monkeys) in addition to the theatrical trailer, production notes, and a 12 Monkeys archive of still photos, design concepts, and storyboards. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (250)

Frank Gorshin (1933-2005)
With 250 reviews of this dvd I find myself with little to add in praise of 12 Monkeys. However, I would like to mention Frank Gorshin's stylish performance as Dr. Fletcher. I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere, but in case you do not know, Frank Gorshin was best known for playing the Riddler in the 1960's television series Batman. Sci-fi fans might also remember him as Commissioner Bele from an episode of the original Star Trek series.

Gorshin, a magnificent character actor, died May 17, 2005 and he will be sorely missed. 12 Monkeys just wouldn't be the same film without him.

Sharp Funny Sci-Fi Tme Travel Dystopia
There are lots of time travel movies.12 Monkeys handles the logical impossibilities of time travel better than any movie I've ever seen. 12 Monkey's is a thinking man's time travel movie. Bruce Willis' reluctant hero is catapulted back and forth from one miserable experience to another in a kaleidescope of images, sardonic humor and genuinely frightening moments.Gilliam's post Monty Python record has been spotty.He's always interesting but rarely able to work successfully within the limits of the film medium.Almost as if he needs a larger canvas than a movie screen can provide.
Willis, Pitt & Stowe each contribute fine performances.

movie rocks but how is the SE different than the CE?
if you know, e-mail me at chomskyknows@yahoo.com

A chilling Sci-Fi worth renting...
I liked this movie, but I only gave it three stars because when you stack it up to all the other modern day sci-fi out there (1998-2005 as of this writing) It falls somewhere in the middle.

The film stars Bruce Willis as James Cole, a prisoner of the state in the year 2035 who can earn parole if he agrees to travel back in time and thwart a devastating plague. The virus has wiped out most of the Earth's population and the remainder live underground because the air is poisonous. Returning to the year 1990, six years before the start of the plague, Cole is soon imprisoned in a psychiatric facility because his warnings sound like mad ravings.

There he meets a scientist named Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), the mad son of an eminent virologist (Christopher Plummer). Cole is returned by the authorities to the year 2035, and finally ends up at his intended destination in 1996. He kidnaps Dr. Railly in order to enlist her help in his quest. Cole discovers graffiti by an apparent animal rights group called the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, but as he delves into the mystery, he hears voices, loses his bearings, and doubts his own sanity. He must figure out if Goines, who seems to be a raving lunatic, holds the key to the puzzle.

If you want, rent it, but if your short of cash I would suggest Minority Report, Vanilla Sky, or Paycheck in the meantime.

As good as it gets
This is a great movie, plain and simple. If you have the mind to comprehend anything deeper than a chick flick, or Star Wars Episode I, pick this up as soon as you can and check it out. No, you might no get it the first time through, but thats what makes movies like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and "The Matrix," so interesting - they keep you engaged and force you to question everything you see. Unlike the snoozer "Donnie Darko," 12 Monkeys is complete and makes sense, and has an astonoshing ending. Hint: don't assume you undersand how the movie presents time travel.

Top notch. See it today. Grade: A. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home, chronicling a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood. The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, James Gandolfini's Tony is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings.

In its second season, The Sopranos repeatedly defies formula to let the narrative turn as a direct consequence of the characters' behavior, letting everyone in this rogue's gallery of Mafiosi, friends, and family evolve and deepen. That gamble is most apparent in the rupture of the relationship that formed the spine of the first season, the tangled ties between Tony and Livia, whose betrayal makes Tony's estrangement a logical response. Filling that vacuum, however, is prodigal sister Janice (Aida Turturro), whose New Age flakiness never successfully conceals her underlying calculation and opportunism. Soprano's relationship with therapist Melfi also frays during early episodes, as she struggles with escalating doubts about her mobbed-up patient. At home, Tony contends with wife Carmela's ruthless ambitions on behalf of college-bound Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler), as well as son Anthony Jr.'s (Robert Iler) sullen adolescent flirtation with existentialism--the sort of touch that the show handles with a smart mix of sympathy and amusement.

In the brutal and controversial third season, The Sopranos justified its 11-month hiatus with some of its best, and most hotly debated, episodes. It continued to upend convention and defy audience expectations with a deliberately paced, calm-before-the-storm season opener that revolves around the FBI's attempts to bug the Soprano household, and a season finale that (for some) frustratingly leaves several plot lines unresolved. "Employee of the Month," in which Dr. Melfi is raped and considers whether to exact revenge by telling Tony of her attack, earned Emmys for its writers, and is perhaps Emmy nominee Lorraine Bracco's finest hour. Other story arcs concern the rise of the seriously unstable Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) and Tony's affair with "full-blown loop-de-loo" Gloria (Emmy nominee Annabella Sciorra). Plus, there is Tony's estrangement from daughter Meadow, his wayward delinquent son Anthony, Jr., Carmela's crisis of conscience, bad seed Jackie Jr., and the FBI--which, as the season ends, assigns an undercover agent to befriend an unwitting figure in the Soprano family's orbit.

Though for some the widely debated fourth season contained too much yakking instead of whacking, and an emphasis on domestic family over business Family, in most respects The Sopranos remains television's gold standard. The season garnered 13 Emmy nominations, and subsequent best actor and actress wins for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco as Tony and Carmela, whose estrangement provides the season with its most powerful drama, as well as a win for Joe Pantoliano's psychopath Ralph. Other narrative threads include Christopher's (Emmy nominee Michael Imperioli) descent into heroin addiction, Uncle Junior's (Dominic Chianese) trial, an unrequited and potentially fatal attraction between Carmela and Tony's driver Furio, and a rude joke about Johnny Sack's wife that has potentially fatal implications. Other indelible moments include Christopher's girlfriend Adriana's projectile reaction to discovering that her new best friend is an undercover FBI agent in the episode "No Show," Janice giving Ralph a shove out of their relationship in "Christopher," and the classic "Quasimodo/Nostradamus" exchange in the season-opener, which garnered HBO's highest ratings to date. Freed from the understandably high expectations for the fourth season, heightened by the 16-month hiatus, these episodes can be better appreciated on their own considerable merits. They are pivotal chapters in television's most novel saga.

From the moment a wayward bear lumbers into the Sopranos' yard in the fifth-season opener, it is clear that The Sopranos is in anything but a "stagmire." The series benefits from an infusion of new blood, the so-called "Class of 2004," imprisoned "family" members freshly released from jail. Most notable among these is Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi, who directed the pivotal season 3 episode "Pine Barrens"), who initially wants to go straight, but proves himself to be something of a "free agent," setting up a climactic stand-off between Tony and New York boss Johnny Sack. These 13 mostly riveting episodes unfold with a page-turning intensity with many rich subplots. Estranged couple Tony and Carmella (the incomparable James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) work toward a reconciliation (greased by Tony's purchase of a $600,000 piece of property for Carmela to develop). The Feds lean harder on an increasingly stressed-out and distraught Adriana to "snitch" with inevitable results. This season's hot-button episode is "The Test Dream," in which Tony is visited by some of the series' dear, and not-so-dearly, departed in a harrowing nightmare. ... Read more

Amazon.com

World War II transformed the Disney Studio. Although nearly one-third of the artists had been drafted, production quintupled, up to 95% of it for military and government uses. Some of the films included in On the Front Lines have not been seen since their initial release; others were never shown to the general public. Anticipating the importance of animated training films, Disney produced the studio's first educational film, "Four Methods of Flush Riveting" (1941), using limited animation to train riveters at Lockheed. Decades later, "Four Methods" and the excerpts from military training films remain models of how to present information clearly and concisely.

Many of the wartime entertainment shorts are largely propaganda. Donald's nightmare of working on a Nazi assembly line in "Der Fuehrer's Face" is still hilarious slapstick. The grimmer "Education for Death" and "Chicken Little" have aged less gracefully. Disney's oddest wartime project was Victory Through Air Power (1943), a live action/animation feature based on Major Alex de Seversky's controversial book that called for the adoption of long-range bombers. By the time it was finished, air power was a reality.

Front Lines also includes several health films made for the Office of Inter-American Affairs, and bond-buying shorts for Canada that reuse animation from Snow White and "Three Little Pigs." This collection of genuine rarities is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of animation, the Disney Studio, or America during WWII. (Rated G, suitable for ages 10 and older: violence, ethnic stereotypes, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Excellent and Entertaining as well as Educational
This collection has been the most aniticpated set for hardcore Disney fans and cartoon historians alike. Collecting all of Disney's war time cartoons into one set was just a great idea and a real gem to own. I watched the entire collection in one day with friends of mine and I showed it to some students I teach at school who were just dumbfounded that people did this with cartoons during the second world war.
An excellent set with many bonus features including Leonard maltin who comes on to explain the background of many of these animated shorts.
I recommend this to everyone, not as a baby sitter for young children, but as an entertaining and educational look at America's history in animation and WW2.

DIFFICULT BUT CREATIVE ERA FOR DISNEY
The years that the probable contents were released, as well as some info on the various works.

FILMS

1943
VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - This film was basically propaganda with some entertainment and some powerful animation. Mainly championed Major Seversky's 1942 book of the same title with the theory that long-range air power could defeat the WWII enemies. The scene of an American eagle attacking the Japanese octopus is very powerful, moving animation.

ENTERTAINMENT/PROPAGANDA SHORTS

1942
DONALD GETS DRAFTED-always enjoyed the idea of Donald reporting to the draft board in his sailor suit.
THE ARMY MASCOT-Pluto schemes to take over the job of a mascot goat, with hilarious results.
THE VANISHING PRIVATE-Donald goes crazy with invisible paint, leading to war with his sergeant Pete, with a perfect, funny ending.
SKY TROOPER-Donald wants to be a pilot, and his sergeant Pete gives him more than Donald bargained for.

1943
DER FUEHRER'S FACE-the famous and infamous cartoon in which Donald dreams he is in Naziland where he is forced to work in a munitions plant.
EDUCATION FOR DEATH-very strong propaganda about Germany's totalitarian state which turns an innocent young boy into a robotic soldier.
PRIVATE PLUTO-Pluto has a war with the chipmunks in guarding the area.
FALL OUT - FALL IN-Donald experiences some of the trials of Army life, such as super-long hikes.
REASON AND EMOTION-entertainment and propaganda used in a story about reason and emotion working together for the war effort, enjoyable animation.
VICTORY VEHICLES-Goofy shows off alternate transportation due to the wartime rubber and gasoline shortage, settling on the pogo stick.
THE OLD ARMY GAME-Sergeant Pete catches Donald sneaking back into base after a late night on the town, leads to a merry chase.
HOME DEFENSE-Donald's nephews conflict with Donald after he sleeps during his duty of watching for enemy attack.
CHICKEN LITTLE-The classic "the sky is falling" story, originally planned to have more wartime references.

1944
HOW TO BE A SAILOR-Goofy's story of the history of sailors, ending with him using himself as a torpedo to sink Japanese ships.
COMMANDO DUCK-Donald is sent on a suicide mission to wipe out an entire Japanese air base, with hilarious results.

EDUCATIONAL SHORTS

* = Created for Canada to sell their war bonds.

** = CIAA films (Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs) created to combat the German Nazy influence that was widespread in Latin American in the early 1940s.

1941
THE THRIFTY PIG * - animation from Three Little Pigs cartoon adapted, with the Big Bad Wolf wearing a Nazi hat and armband.
THE SEVEN WISE DWARFS * - animation from Snow White adapted to show dwarfs buying war bonds.

1942
DONALD'S DECISION * - uses animation from 1938 Donald Duck cartoons "Donald's Better Self" and "Self Control" to convince Donald to buy war bonds.
ALL TOGETHER * - uses animation from several sources, including The Band Concert (1935) and Mickey's Amateurs (1937) to show several Disney characters in a parade to sell war bonds.
THE NEW SPIRIT - Donald is encouraged to pay his income tax to help the war effort.
FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR - Stresses the importance of farmers to the war effort. Includes the Three Little Pigs leading a long line of pigs.
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRING LINE - Minnie & Pluto star in an effort to show how important it was for housewives to save kitchen fats and greases for the war effort.

1943
THE GRAIN THAT BUILT A HEMISPHERE ** - Tells the history of corn and its importance to the world.
THE SPIRIT OF '43 - Donald Duck resists Nazi propaganda and pays his taxes to support the war effort.
WHE WINGED SCOURGE ** - The Seven Dwarfs point out ways to defeat the malaria-carrying mosquito.
DEFENSE AGAINST INVASION ** - Shows the human body's ability to fight off germs through vaccination.

1945
CLEANLINESS BRINGS HEALTH ** - The difference between the Clean Family that is happy and healthy and the Careless Family that is unhappy and unhealthy.
WHAT IS DISEASE ** - Shows what causes disease and how to protect against disease.

1946
PLANNING FOR GOOD EATING ** - Careless Charlie is used to teach a family about good dietary habits.

TRAINING FILMS

1942
FOUR METHODS OF FLUSH RIVETING - basic animation for education purposes
STOP THAT TANK (BOYS ANTI-TANK RIFLE) - a great deal of live action but fun, enjoyable animation of Hitler being blown to Hell by the rifle

1942-1945?
TRAINING FILM MONTAGE - A selection of scenes from various training films, I assume.

There are a few war-related entertainment shorts not listed here - one or more might be added to this collection instead of what is listed above.

1943
DONALD'S TIRE TROUBLE - most likely short. Donald has continual trouble with flat tires due to the wartime shortage of rubber.
PLUTO AND THE ARMADILLO - small connection to the wartime. Short releated to the Latin Armerica trip and the Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros films developed from that trip.

1944
THE PELICAN AND THE SNIPE - same info as for Pluto and the Armadillo.

1945
DOG WATCH - Pluto is a watchdog for a Navy ship.

The war years were a demanding time for the Disney Company. Most of their meager resources were devoted to the war effort. But this era contained a great deal of creative effort that might not have existed if not for the war.

I have seen most of these war works, and I consider them fascinating and among the best of all of Disney's work. I much look forward to owning them on DVD.

GREAT CINEMATIC LESSONS IN PROPAGANDA
This is trully a grat collection of war-time propaganda from WWII made by the Disney Studios. Some of these movies feature our favorite characters Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. Others feature specific characters created on purpose.

The main thing about this collection is Mr. Disney's master hand behind each film. Quality animation (and expensive animation from the studio that elevated animation to an art on its own).

They alert, inspire, teach and (last but not least) entertain. Some of these little gems are a bit violent and you should see them before deciding if they are suitable for your children. But anyway, these are great films and should be seen by anyone who want to see some of the best propaganda films aver made.

It is all great if you check Nazi propaganda films at the same time... they are very different. In these here films Mr. Disney never lost his touch and the style that made his studio famous.

In this double DVD you will find lots of things... one feature-length film (VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - a trully memorable film that explains the importance or air power to american forces and also the strategical and logistic problems WWII represented to America). This is certainly a landmark film.

The DVDs also contain an enormous list of cartoons (in the short form) that cover a large variety of subjects and moods.

This is one of the best titles in the collection and an important piece of History. Should be treasured. The quality of the DVDs is outstanding... as everything that is made with care.

I just don't understand why the tin cans are not numbered anymore (like the previous titles in this collection).

Finally!
Of all the film studios that produced "propaganda" cartoons during WWII, none have been better kept hidden than those made by the Walt Disney studio. Sure a couple of them slipped through the cracks into the public domain, but as a whole they remained sealed in the Disney Vaults until now.

While not every single cartoon made during the War (Disney produced numerous "how to" films made only for those in the actual armed forces, clips of some are shown on these DVDs), it does include all the theatrically released features. Stars like Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Pete, Minnie and Huey, Dewey and Louie star in these wartime cartoons. Mickey Mouse only appeared in one short, using borrowed animation from "The Band Concert."

There is also the full length animated WWII feature "Victory Through Air Power," which is considered to be amongst the rarest of all the Disney features. This DVD set is well worth the buy.

History Buffs and Disney Fanatics Will Love It
During World War II, Walt Disney almost bankrupted his company producing stuff for the war effort. Now, we get a chance to see this part of animation history at home on DVD with this two disc set.

Disc 1 features 29 shorts. They range from entertainment with a patriotic edge, like "Donald Gets Drafted" or "Private Pluto," to shorts purely to help with the war like "The New Spirit" and "Out of the Frying Pan and into the Firing Line." There are even shorts used to fight disease in South America like "Cleanliness Brings Health" and "The Winged Scourge." I was surprised to learn from this disc about the films Disney was making for Canada even before the US entered the war.

Of course, the highlight of this disc is "Der Fuehrer's Face" which finds Donald trapped in Nazi Germany.

Disc two's main attraction is "Victory Through Air Power." This feature length movie was produced to bring the arguments of a book by the same name to more people. It makes a compelling argument that the Allies needed to build up their air forces to win the war, arguments about modern warfare that still apply today.

Disc two also features a few of the educational shorts Disney produced during that time. Frankly, after viewing the two that are included in their entirety, I'm glad that most of them are just highlighted. I don't find watching a film on how to fire a gun or how to flush rivet that entertaining. There are lots of production galleries and even galleries of some project this Disney fan had never heard of before. Finally, we have interviews with Disney veterans Joe Grant, John Hench, and Roy Disney.

This is a set that Disney buffs will want because it fills in some time in the studio's history. It also has interest for historians of all stripes as it presents a picture of life on the home front during World War II. Since the entertainment value of much of the disc is low, I took away one star. I probably won't go back to this set in the near future, but I was fascinated by much of what I saw here and am thrilled that the studio released this material so fans can view it today. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Learning experience
About the series itself.. There is so much more to it than just some entertaining TV. It has a value for life. Everyones life..
The message it carries is huge..

Thank you for making this series!

THIS Collection its a MUST HAVE
Very interesting series, maybe the first series with a lesbian subtext in the modern US television history. Mark the first steps of the begining of a new-way-thinking world that opens today.

Just plain entertaining
For everything that's been written, please don't forget that the Xena series is plain good fun! A little campy, sometimes over the top, but always entertaining.

Now when will they all reunite for the feature-length movie???

10 Yrs Ago The Phenomenon Began...Six Glorious Seasons
Xena Warrior Princess first aired in 1995. It would enjoy a successful 6 seasons concluding in early 2001. The entire 6 seasons is soon to be available on a special DVD package starting March 8. Australian actress (and yes she did her own stunts) Lucy Lawless starred as the larger than life, heroic and complex character of Xena. It began when Xena met Hercules who changed her way of life. Formerly, Xena had been a brutal, ruthless terrorist seeking revenge on the men who had raided her village. Hercules enlightened her and converted her into the side of good. Xena sets off to right the wrongs of the world and to protect the weak, heroically saving the Ancient World from all forms of evil. Sidekick Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is a bubbly, poetic and sensitive romantic whom Xena takes on as her protege. Trainig with Xena, Gabrielle undergoes a great change from shy poetess to confident and powerful warrior. Xena herself goes through much change, increasingly becoming more and more of the noble hero/martyr. The show may be unsuitable for very young children say kids under 8. There is definate adult material- battle scenes, violence, war, physical fighting and even some nudity. I would have to say that it's rated PG-13 or even R. It's best viewed by very mature kids or by teens 13-18. It was never excessively violent and at heart, it was human drama and quite spiritual. Essentially, it was the life-changing adventures of Xena and Gabrielle, who roam the world- Egypt, China, India, ancient Sweden, in search of truth and redemption. Along the way, Xena fully embraces her feminine side and lighter side, becomes a mother, loses a son, deals with heroic and even divine figures (Greek gods Ares, a diabolical god Dahok and the Hindi god Krishna) and becomes the stuff of legend as she passes on to the world of spiritual purity.

My favorite episodes (warning..some spoilers)..are: Xena saves Joseph and Mary the parents of baby Jesus from evil King Herod, Xena safeguards the Ark of the Covenant with the help of the Prince of Thieves (played by Bruce Campbell, king of B movies), Xena becomes a mother and loses him, Gabrielle gets "impregnated" a la Rosemary's Baby with an evil demon child she calls Hope and later has to deal with destroying her despite fighting her maternal instincts, the Bitter Suite a very well written musical in which Xena and Gabrielle are fighting against each other due to the death of their two kids and later reconcile, the more lighter musical Lyre Lyre in which a song contest is held, Xena goes to China and is trained by a wise female spiritual guide, Xena and Gabrielle in India where they meet Krishna and the spiritual healer Eli, Xena and Gabrielle in ancient Norway/Sweden where they encounter figures of the Norse saga "Ring of the Nibelung", among them the Rhinemaidens and Valkyries, the "Paradise Lost" theme episode in which Xena and the archangel Michael battle demons in Hell, and the very moving finale episode which I will not give away. LOL...

The show was very successful and drew millions of fans. Xena Conventions are still held even to the day. It has been 10 yrs now since the premiere of the series. In the 90's, it was easy to point out Xena and Gabrielle as lesbians. The 90's was a time of being proud individuals and openly gay or lesbian, and it is true that many lesbians did enjoy the show, but I never felt that the show contained lesbian themes or even subtext. Xena and Gabrielle were simply very close, intimate friends, even soulmates, but it was clear that their characters were written to be heterosexual. Both Xena and Gabrielle were engaged/married to other men at one time in the show- Gabrielle to her hometown boyfriend Perticus and Xena was involved with the following men- an ex warlord, a black warrior named Marcus and even at one point the war god Ares. Was it so hard to believe that two beautiful women were really close friends ? Does anyone know what true friendship is ? Xena and Gabrielle would have given their own lives for each other. There was also the mentor/apprentice, or student/teacher relationship between them. Even at the end of the show, Xena who passes on the mantle of hero status to Gabrielle. This is a good show for both men and women who openly embrace strong female heroes. This show is especailly appropriate for the new 21st century. Xena and Gabrielle never hated all men, they hated the evil some men could do. They had allies in men and women and not all the women on the show were "good". Who can forget the nightmarishly evil and sinister Callisto (played by Hudson Leick). Other people on the show were Ted Raimi as the funny and clumsy Joxur The Mighty, Bruce Campbell as the Prince of Thieves.

... Read more

Reviews (193)

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
From birth to death, this is a hilarious view at the time we spend inbetween. The established cast of actors, in and out of drag, poke fun at everything from religion to vital organ transplants.

My favorite scene is where "the fattest man in the world" pigs out at a fancy restaurant and eventually explodes to the disgust of the other guests. Another good one is where 3 couples at a house party get a visit from the grim reaper and give him several clever arguments before finally following him to heaven.

This is The Monty Python Gang at their very best. The little ditty at the end of the movie is priceless! You will also enjoy the "introduction" by a groups of gold fish and the "opener" saluting the great profession of accountancy. This film is an absolute must for fans (but then again, if you're a fan, you've already seen it anyway). Five stars for this one!

The Pythons in top form!
Here we have THE best Monty Python movie ever! I know I said that about Life Of Brian...but I mean it this time (no, really). Meaning of Life is a stroll through the world according to Monty Python. Many aspects of the human condition are twisted by our favorite Brit-comedians into a series of hilarous sketches. Although there are a few standouts-Birth the Third World, intercourse instruction, live organ transplants and *my favorite* the entire Death section-everything is funny. Additionally, all of Eric Idle's songs are so good you'll never forget them-and find yourself singing them in the shower. Show this to your uninitiated friends and see what happens! Beware: there are those who may find some of this offensive. I personally find MEANING an exhilarating ride! One thing does trouble me. Monty Python says it'll be Christmas in Heaven every single day! Don't you think this'll get annoying after the first 4 or 5 months?

This is on my favorite all-time movies list; which explains why I own both the DVD and the VHS version. Don't expect a Life Of Brian DVD type Criterion treatment-you get the movie, scene selection and that's it. But that's all you need. The VHS isn't bad either if you don't want the widescreen or higher price of the DVD. I was worried about wearing out the VHS...not a problem now!

More hilarious twenty years later...
...a Python fan since about twelve, I vividly remember this film coming out when I was thirteen or so. I loved it. It's great that it has not only held up but, like fine wine, it has gotten better with age. Maybe Terry Gilliam's right when he says, in one of the commentaries, that, today, comedy's standard is so low that "our crap seems good no." But it reveals their genius in so many ways. It reveals a confidence they clearly didn't feel--as tho' they'd gotten their sea legs--in the first two efforts. Though "Brian" is their supreme achievement, I have to say that this film must be placed ahead of "Holy Grail"--which given its budget looks distincly like badly shot TV. Hysterically funny, but the budget limits are are even more glaring in a high res medium like DVD.

In "Meaning of Life" the entire cast are masters of the medium (something Cleese proved independently in "A Fish Called Wanda") and they use their skills, rising even to lyrical heights (Eric Idle's paen to the universe in "Live Organ Transplants"). And the effects are more hysterical twenty years later.

This movie is also remarkable for the rather bitter satire of American pop culture. Heretofore, the Python's had stayed within the classic tradition of British comedy--filled with whimsy and just plain silliness and the class structure. American humor is generally either observational or political--and these days it almost entirely the latter. Even the masters of observation, Goldberg and Carlin, have abandoned it for bitter political diatribes attacking former fans like myself in the basest terms because out political beliefs differ.

And it follows, as it should, that the movie's best skits are the ones true to their tradition. George Harrison once called Python the continuation of the Beatles (to the point of chipping in $8M for distribution and advertising for "Brian"!). And, especially in the all too brief Gilliam animations, this is completely accurate. Without being at all derivative, they capture the whimisical sensibility the Beatles had updated and transformed and ran with it.

One draw back is the rather low-rent 5.1 remix. I've other films--e.g. the Godfather films--which are older than have far better jobs. So don't expect much. In fact, you might even consider using the 2CH option as the remixing engineer makes little use of the rear speakers.

That gentle bitch aside, the deleted scenes are mixed (why on Earth Jones thought anyone would want to see more of Mr. Creosote is beyond me?) and clearly wisely hit the cutting room floor (especially the horrendously unfunny Martin Luther skit), but some the commentary by Jones and Gilliam--clearly done at different times and mixed--is interesting most especially for the bitterness of Gilliam's attitude. It has been so on the two preceding films, but it's much more intense on this one.

The brief interview segments shows the group rivalry is still a hot issue in the guys' psyches, nearly twenty years after Graham Chapman's tragic death ended the group; they are still bickering. Gilliam's comments about Cleese are particularly acid; Cleese does he usual job of insulting nearly everyone. He is returned the favor by the rest of the group, tho' Jones slyly does it with the most class and thus does it the best. Cleese, after all, easily slips into insufferable. Hence his brilliance as Basil Fawlty.

A reluctant four star due only to the ****-poor 5.1 remix. The studio, surprise, surprise, didn't want to spend any extra money getting a good one.

The movie itself: 5 stars.

This disc should have been recalled
If you purchased this disc, and it does not have "V2" on disc one, contact Universal for a replacmeent, even if it plays fine on your current DVD player.

Here is why - the problem is with progressive scan DVD players and progressive scan monitors. Very few people have both, so the problem will not rear its ugly head until you upgrade.

The movie is completely unwatchable in this configuration.

Do yourself a favor, and get disc one replaced now, before it is too late.

Not up to par
I have seen both The Holy Grail, and The Life of Brian and this one did not meet my expectations after seeing those. I laughed thrice, maybe. I almost skipped the entire second section, as younger persons were present and we were utterly disgusted with it. If you have a taste for sexual humor, you'll most definitely enjoy this film more than I. The second disk is not even worth slipping into your player, and if, like me, you have a compatibilty issue with Disk 1 and you live in another country, it's going to be a hassle to get a replacement.
The fish were comical, and the entire segment on fighting was brilliant, but that was all of the humor I seemed to find up until a few minutes near the end. If you've never watched Monty Python, I suggest you start with one of the other movies, as this one could turn you off of a truly great source of hilarity. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Watch this and judge for yourself
Throughout the last eighteen months, the Bush administration has been trying to make Americans believe that there were legitimate reasons for going to war in Iraq. Most of the arguments dealt with misleading use of the available intelligence reports and with trying to link Saddam Hussein with Al Qaeda, blaming Iraq for September 11. Although most of the people that were involved in the investigation and in the decisions following the tragedy were aware that there was no real evidence as to Iraq's involvement or as to Saddam having nuclear and chemical weapons of mass destruction, an effective "advertising campaign" was put in place with successful results. A good part of the American population was convinced that war was the only option.

In this documentary, the testimony and opinions of several experts in the topic are presented and the conclusion can only be one: the public was unethically misled. The interviewees range from former CIA agents, to UN weapons inspectors. The conclusion is unanimous and the interviewees point out clear examples that prove that Bush, Cheney and Powell knew that they were misleading the American public.

This is a short documentary (a little less than an hour) that presents facts in a clear and efficient way. Everyone should see it and draw his own conclusions about what were the facts that lead to the Iraq war, especially now that Clarke has come out in the open with allegations about this topic.

A must see for conservatives.
I would like to preface my statements by saying that I supported George W. Bush in the 2000 election and I am still a strong supporter of the war on terror. The clear and present danger represented by terrorism is something Americans must never loose sight of. This movie was brought to my attention by a friend of mine at work who's politics are very far to the left. He begged me to see it and judge for myself. I refused thinking it was just one more piece of partisan nonsense offered up by disgruntled Clintonites. He challenged me by saying that the lion's share of people interviewed on the disc were ex D.O.D. and C.I.A. with distinguished service records. I reluctantly agreed to watch.
After my first viewing I was forced to reconsider everything I believed about the war in Iraq. I find it very hard to argue with men who have spent decades in diplomatic and defense positions, some of whom served George W. Bush's father so well in the first Gulf War. As a conservative I feel a real disconnect from this so called "Neo Con" movement. I still haven't decided if I can hold my nose and vote for Kerry in November, but thanks to this eye opening film, I'm sure I won't be voting for the man I voted for in 2000. Everyone should see this movie.

Disturbingly Funny
Every American should see it - Democrats and, especially, Republicans.
Point-by-point explanation of all the lies and deceptions.
It is amazing that people in high office can lie so well with a straight face.
I always knew the Iraq war was the biggest lie ever in the history of the US, but this documentary helps make the case.
The sad part is, most Americans will not see this movie, because they are truly brain-washed.

Bush's Cowardice!
Bush is no leader, just a Texas coward who likes to play dressup on aircraft carriers. Not a bad guy, but he should have stuck to hanging out at the frat house or the country club with his drinking buddies. Sure would have been a favor to the nation.

It is not leadership to take this nation to war on the basis of lies -- then lie about lies -- cover up the biggest mistake a president could ever make -- then say you'd do it all over again. Which part, Mr. Bush? No surrogates please. You keep avoiding or attacking people who might ask the hard questions.

Bush decides. You Comply. Yes, this film is from the same source as the more recent gutting of the neo-fascist Fox Propaganda Network -- the Bushy boy's bully SS of the airwaves. Take a look at "Outfoxed" and you'll realize -- if you have a brain and can think -- that Rupert Murdoch is out to destroy America values and beliefs through lies disguised as news.

What Bush declared was the cause of the war, what he claimed was the proven existence of WMDs, turns out to be a total crock. So is most of the rest of what of what we've been told -- and most of what the right wing is putting into circulation now. The little talking points spread by a White House afraid of truth. It's important for them to muddy the waters. Talk about gay marriage, Chappaquiddick -- anything but that we have a president who took us to war for a reason that was a total crock of horse manure. Buy lots of attack ads.

Oops, we're sorry? Not, Bush did not even have the cojones for taking the responsibility. He passed the buck. It wasjn't me. It was the CIA. He's almost as confused about a misguided war based on lies as he is about where he was when he was supposed to be serving in the Air Guard. Cowardice.

The Right Wing dominated media cheerleaded for what the Fox Fascists called "America's New War" without ever questioning the utter shallowness of what little evidence that was offered -- evidence that turned out to be forged, invented, exaggerated, lied about, tainted. It was everything but the truth. It would have taken the merest gesture to discover the truth -- and the layers of deceit.Bush doesn't take calls from Chalabi and, typical of a coward, writes him off as a friend of Laura's.

This film uncovers a lot of this. Yes, it includes opinion, but the facts are laid out there for any rational, red-blooded American to see how we're being betrayed by the right wing nutjobs rejabbering Rush and Faux. Mr. Bush and his people knew where the WMDs were? That's what they said. That's what Rummy said, again and again. That's what Powell told the UN was established, provable fact, not guesswork. Well, that was just another little mistake on the way to killing thousands upon thousands of people. Rummy said Iraq wouldn't need rebuilding --precision weapons, you know! Way over a hundred billion hard earned American tax dollars the place is a shambles, we've put a new strongman in place and Bush is doing the Baghdad boogie. Just not fast enough to save any American lives.

This country's wealth of good intentions, respect for freedom and tolerance -- what the world once thought the best of us -- is being destroyed so that these cretins can use their wars to guarantee the Bush succession. These people are war criminals and traitors at worst, damned fools at best. This documentary starts you down the path toward understanding.

The real question? Why haven't we impeached and removed George Bush form Office? And why haven't we gone after Neil Bush, Jeb Bush and the others for their influence peddling and sucking up to foreign governments against our national best interest (peculiar for people who on an official level have destroyed every alliance we had).

IF you're going to defend this war, made a vicious attack on this factual film -- and you're just another chickenhawk, draft-dodger, just shut up and go away into your hole. We learned some hard lessons in Vietnam. Bush and his entire crew ducked their service. Bush was AWOL and too privileged to even show up for meetings.

Impeach Bush! Do it now. And if he steals this election as he did the last one, then it's time to start impeaching power-hungry Supreme Court justices such as Rehnquist and Scalia. And Bush!

You don't think, by the way, that Janet Rehnquist got her job as an Inspector General at HHS based on her competence do you. Or Scalia the younger on his legal acument?

The Rehnquist daughter was forced to resign last year for unethical conduct that provoked the most negative GAO report of its type -- and it was requested by a Republican Congress. Why? That's how bad she was.

This administration is as powermade\ and corrupt as any that have ever come along in this country. Bush is a nice amiable guy on some levels. It won't hurt him to retire to Crawford and act like he has something to do.

Bush lies! Americans die!
This is a good film with a lot of soundly argued fact and opinion. It does not do scattershot. It makes logical points and offers substantianting evidence.

No rational human being would launch a senseless invasion based on half-baked, third hand "intelligence" from a CIA that is being pushed to compensate for its numerous failures. We will never know the full truth about the pressure Cheney put on the CIA, but we know many, many responsibile analysts saw a runaway freight train crushing anyone who did not belly up with the party line.

Bush and his people state a casus belli. It has proven to be utterly and unredeemingly false. A war like World War II and Bush like Churchill? Give it a rest. No great president -- or the barely adequate -- reaches like that. D-Day? The German Army was a first rate bunch of bad asses. Saddam's army was virtually toothless --our troops took care of that -- and when it came to the real test, no one made any plans for the occupation army. Troops died for that stupidity and venality. Our American troops and many innocent people died -- serving no purpose but as cannon fodder for yet another Bush campaign based on lies, deceit and a relentless quest for family power and glory.

Our Secretary of State makes official statements at the UN that were not true. Deliberate? Maybe not by Powell, but the buck has to stop somewhere. And, as the great Harry Truman said of his White House, the buck stopped there. LBJ understood that. He stood down. And what Bush has done is so much worse and far more deliberately calculated. Away with him.

You don't blame the CIA for bad intelligence. You fix it -- encourage honest analysis. It needs to be done. But it is hard for the man who ignored warnings about bin Laden to make those changes. Instead, the CIA is just a scapegoat for criminal decision making by an inadequate man who was a draft dodger and the next thing to a deserter, one who has seen to the destruction of the files that show just how rotten he is.

We get a nutty president inventing reasons for the war -- after the fact And, having killed thousands of people he says he'd do it again.

If this country was acting normally, the Republican Party would be looking for a new candidate who could represent the mainsteam -- instead of this war criminal. The Texas nut faction doesn't represent us generally and certainly they don't represent the best of the nation.

Our country has been humiliated by this president. We have exposed just how short our reach of power can be. Our foreign relations have been damaged beyond belief. The "coalition" is crumbling before our eyes as people make their distaste for Bush felt.

This film cuts to the chase and lays out the facts. True believers change their facts to fit their opinions. Pay attention to the facts here and you might be enlightened if you actually got an open mind. We need to find common ground and that can't be done with a president who looks for wedges with which to divide us. A president who lies, then takes us to war on the basis of those lies and does not have the common decency to be embarrassed. ... Read more