Amazon.com

One of the first gems of the cable TV age, Faerie Tale Theatre brings 26 classic tales to life. Produced over a five-year span (1982-87) for Showtime, FTT brought together creative dramatics and whimsical writing with some of the top talents of the day. Executive producer/host Shelley Duvall (who was coming off her breakout role in The Shining) shepherds this mix of theatrical simplicity and grand storytelling for these oft-told tales ("Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Hansel and Gretel," "Sleeping Beauty," and the like) for kids and their parents. Since they are not elaborately produced, FTT may be a hard sell for some smaller members of the family at first, but most should be hooked, even older kids who may pooh-pooh fairy tales. There's always a slight twist that makes these productions fresh.

The cast is amazing, especially when you think how lightly cable television was thought of in the '80s: Jeff Bridges, Bud Cort, Liza Minnelli, James Coburn, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Reeve, Klaus Kinski, Billy Crystal, Matthew Broderick, Gregory Hines, Eric Idle, Robin Williams, and Mick Jagger are some of the talented--and varied--actors appearing. Crystal's take on the smart "Little Pig" (with Jeff Goldblum as the wolf) and Williams's "Frog Prince" are two comic gems. Malcolm McDowell, right in the middle of his career high-point of playing baddies, brings flair to the Big Bad Wolf, while his then-real-life wife Mary Steenburgen beautifully counterpoints as Red Riding Hood. The casting of Vincent Price and Vanessa Redgrave in "Snow White" is inspired. Also impressive are the directors Duvall pooled: Tim Burton ("Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp"), Francis Ford Coppola ("Rip Van Winkle") Peter Medak (three episodes), Nicholas Meyer ("Pied Piper"), and Roger Vadim ("Beauty and the Beast"). You can go on for days about these wonderful tales, most totaling around the 45-minute mark, but it's better just to get the set and start wherever you'd like; you will get to the end sooner than you think. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The Sweet Invention of a Child's Dream
I have been watching Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre since I was very young, and now am delighted that all her wonderful plays (although I have to admit the Three Little Pigs is definetely her best) is finally on DVD in a full collection.These classic stories are pleasant to watch for any age, and my mom has never hesitated to show them to her second graders, but she also took pleasure in them herself.I recommend this set for any lover of fairy tales, or dreamer of dreams, I promise you won't be dissapointed.

It's funny how I can still get excited over these!
My friends never know what I'm talking about when I tell them about these movies.I bought them on VHS, but as we all know VHS goes bad eventually.When a friend of mine told me they were selling them on DVD, it literally made my day; so much so that I ordered them just a bit ago.I used to watch these so much when I was little (I'm 26 now) that the tapes we recorded off of Showtime went bad.I'll love having them on DVD and can have my kids watch them as well -- well, when I have kids, anyway.:)

The most spectacular set in the world
In all the years of my life i have never experianced such enchantment this set is a remarkable piece of history

This is so exciting!!!
I am so excited that this is finally on dvd because I keep telling my boyfriend about these stories and he has never heard of them.When I was a little girl (now 21), every saturday my mom would take me to the video store and the clerk would only let me take out 5 at a time and I would just keep renting them over and over again.I was gonna buy them on tape a couple months ago but they were overpriced and I was waiting for them to come out in a special dvd series!!!It's so exciting to finally have them and when I told my boyfriend he was happy to finally be able to understand what I was talking about.

I've waited years for this!
My boyfriend (who works in Telivision) had never heard of this series.I was telling him about it the other nite and expressed how much I would love to find the set on DVD!!!I finally have and now he can expierence these clasic tales with a twist we all love!!! ... Read more

Description

Feature-Length Audio Commentary
The creators of Episode I give you insight into the film like no one else can. Hear from: writer/director George Lucas, Producer Rick McCallum, sound designer and film co-editor Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman and ILM visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires.

"The Beginning"
Making Episode I Documentary Film
Culled from over 600 hours of behind-the-scenes footage, this all-new hour-long documentary film takes you inside Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic during the making of The Phantom Menace. Sit in on the film's production process including: pre-production, casting, principal photography, editing, rough-cut reviews, visual effects meetings and other events that few people have had access to before.

Exclusive Deleted Scenes and Documentary
All-new documentary featuring George Lucas, Rick McCallum and guests discussing the painstaking process every director must go through in determining what scenes make the final cut.View seven exclusive deleted sequences that were created specifically for this DVD and learn why they were eliminated from the final version of the film.

Multi-Angle Animatics
Discover the amazing techniques used to create two memorable sequences (Submarine and Podrace Lap 1) from storyboards to animatics to final composites.

Featurettes
Five mini-documentaries give you an insider's look at The Phantom Menace's Storyline, Design, Costumes, Visual Effects and Fight sequences through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and filmmakers.

Web Documentaries
Originally released on starwars.com during the production of Episode I, this award-winning twelve-part web documentary series gives you a fly-on-the-wall perspective into the making of the film as it was happening.

Exclusive Production Photo Gallery
Scroll through a never-before-seen gallery of candid cast and crew shots, each with captions.

"Duel of the Fates" Music Video
One of the most popular music videos during its release in May 1999, the "Duel of the Fates" video intertwines live footage of John Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra with behind-the-scenes clips and dramatic footage featured in Episode I.

Posters and Print Campaign
Examine the Episode I theatrical posters (Teaser and Launch) and the International Outdoor advertising used to support the release of Episode I around the world.

Trailers and TV Spots
Watch the theatrical teaser and launch trailers, plus seven TV spots (including the five original "Tone Poems" along with "The Saga Begins" and "All Over Again").

"Star Wars: Starfighter-The Making of a Game" from LucasArts
This featurette offers insight into the making of the popular flight action combat game along with information on other Star Wars games from LucasArts.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Content
Your Episode I DVD is a key that unlocks exclusive Star Wars content only available through a special DVD-ROM website. ... Read more

Reviews (2449)

5 stars for DVD quality, 3 stars for the movie
I'm reviewing only the DVD, and not the movie itself, which was a bit of a stinker, in my opinion. Well produced, beautifully filmed, but very poorly written.

Anyway - this is an awesome and incredibly well done DVD. Lots and lots of extras. Great commentary by Lucas, the producer, the sound man, etc. Interview with the composer. Lots and lots and LOTS of background materials on the making of the film, and the entire process of putting it together from initial writing to final production, and the making of the DVD itself.

The image of the movie is *very* crisp and clean. The deleted scenes are a nice addition to the movie. I am very impressed (and surprised, to be cynical about it) that Lucas has given us the full-featured DVD the first time out, and not offered us one scaled down DVD version, only to offer us a better version in a year, and then the full-scale one a year after that, like he's constantly done with the VHS versions of his movies. Thank you, Lucas, for taking care of your fans this time, and not trying to pad your pockets a few times before giving the fans what they *really* want.

Quality-wise, this is absolutely one of the most loaded, best-featured DVDs I have in my collection.

(as a p.s. - after hearing Lucas' commentary, and talking about some things coming up in the next movies, I have realized that a few things I criticized about this movie actually make sense oin terms of the upcoming story-line. However, I still think that, overall, the writing for this movie was only a cut above old b-movies)

OK Movie, Great DVD
The Phantom Menace was probably the most heavily anticipated movie in history. It was the prequel to the original Star Wars series and George Lucas was taking the helm as director for the first time since Star Wars in 1977. The film was hyped incessantly and, of course, the final product failed to live up to the expectations. The Phantom Menace is not a bad film. It actually is absolutely amazing to look at and the special effects are incredible. The problem with the film is the plot. It seems disjointed as it bounces around from scene to scene. It seems that Mr. Lucas was to preoccupied with getting the film to look right than the actual story (which is what made the first Star Wars so great). Many people weren't happy with the casting of several roles, especially Ewan MacGregor as Obi Won Kenobi, but he does a decent job in an undeveloped role. Liam Neeson is commanding as Qui Gon Jin and Natalie Portman is quite good as Queen Amadala. The biggest complaint that most people had with the film was with the character of Jar Jar Binks and I won't disagree with most of what's been said about the annoying character. Mr. Lucas has previously shunned the DVD arena (American Graffiti is the only one of his films to appear in the format), but he goes about this release with a vengeance. The extras, including seven deleted scenes, are worth buying this DVD alone. Mr. Lucas spent an additional four million dollars on them and the money is well spent.

prequel?
in this one,there is a council of jedis who rule everything and keep the peace.yoda,ben,some black dude and on like that.a younger ben finds a little kid-who is called anakan and later vadar.that kid wins his freedom with bens help in a very cool pod race.ben recognizes the force in the little one and decides to train him as a jedi.the bad guy is darth maul who has a double bladed light saber-very cool.hes the coolest looking character yet.i think peple came down too hard on jar-jar.hes a dork but there have been a lot worse.the kids will like it.it is the 4th part but the first episode.everybody should go see this one because just anybody will like it.anakans mom was pretty nice if she cleaned herself up.this movie isnt as good as the tv says but they blow everything all out of proportion anyway.this movie is abselutely incredible though.i think the black dude may be in the matrix too.its good too.the special effects are good.after this there is one more.then there is an animated short film.there is also another one on the way next summer.

To Lucas: Eye of the Tiger, Man!!
To quote the famous lines by Apollo Creed from Rocky III, "You lost for all the wrong reasons, you lost your edge. Eye of the tiger, man!"
A good analogy when you think of it...

When Lucas made the first trilogy he was a relativly unknown up-and-comming writer/director full of desire and well, "hunger" to make his mark. That drive lead to the masterpieces of pop culture we know as ANH and ESB. By ROTJ his edge was already waning but thankfully it was the last one... or so we thought.

By the time TPM came out he lost it completely and produced a quite mediocre if at best ordinary film. Living like a king for the past 20+ years made him not "hungry and full of desire" but fat and content. He lost his edge.

Peter Jackson's LOTR Trilogy is so much better than Lucas' last 2 efforts for this same reason. Jackson has the "eye of the tiger"!

Lucas HAS to get his edge back. Most agree AOTC is better than TPM but not by much. Will episode 3 prove that Lucas got it back??

If only reality played out like the fantasy of Rocky III and Lucas brings home a REAL winner....

What drug was George Lucas on?
I love Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. I think that George Lucas should have stopped there. The two movies: The Phantom Menace and the Attack of the Clones....SUCK! What was George Lucas thinking? Jar Jar Binks needs to tossed off the face of the earth, and Hayden Christansen (while hot), needs to take some acting lessons. Not enough special effects in the world could make me want to see the third release. Poor acting and writing have made me want to run for cover! Where's the FORCE when you need it? ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's a good bet that any American kid growing up in the '70s or '80s learned some elementary lesson from the seminal musical series Schoolhouse Rock!. Airing from 1973 to 1984 (and often revived), the ABC Saturday morning shorts effortlessly introduced kids to grammar, science, multiplication, money, and American history--three minutes at a time. In one smart, comprehensive 2-disc set, all 46 songs and plenty of extras are collected. The four creators developed the series slowly, a welcome diversion from their advertising agency jobs, and ended up taking home four Emmys over the years. The background material includes 10 audio commentaries and a making-of feature for the new song, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College." The DVD subtitle option is a great bonus for those who need to know every word from such favorites as "Three Is a Magic Number," "Interjections," "I'm Just a Bill," and "Conjunction Junction." (Ages 3 and older) --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (108)

This Is So Cool--Facts can be Fun!!
And it's even educational! I was so pumped (now that I have a DVD player) to hear that they were releasing a big-time anniversary edition of Schoolhouse Rock in its entirety. I've had four of the videos for years, but this set is so much better. Disc One has all of the original songs--you can play them in order, randomly, just the top ten--and an all-new song about the Electoral College (inspired, no doubt, by the 2000 presidential election). The way you can navigate your way through any and/or all of the songs is very easy and great for when you don't just want to hear about grammar (or history, math, etc. . .).

What really puts this over the top, though, is Disc Two, with a bucket load of extras: the lost "Weather Show," a new computer three-song set, a making-of feaure, top 20 countdowns, an interactive trivia game, music videos by contemporary artists, audio commentaries, Emmy Award footage, etc. . . . I can't wait to explore even more than I got to last night! This will be such a great tool for my 21-month-old daughter (who will know how a bill becomes a law and how to use a conjunction in a sentence!) and a ton of fun for me in the process.

The video quality isn't MONSTERS, INC., but it doesn't have to be. The old animation holds up just fine, as does the audio, which audiophiles could probably complain about if they want to poop the party for the rest of us. What really stands up to the test of time, aside from the basic content, is the music. These guys (primarily) did some really good arranging, little of it in the rock 'n roll genre, ironically. Jack Sheldon delivers some spectacular jazz vocals on several of the more famous tunes. Complicated yet catchy melodies are the strength--that's why we all remember "I'm Just a Bill" and "Conjunction Junction"--with great backing vocals and instrumentation to boot. The contemporary artists' renditions didn't hold up to the originals, but they were pretty interesting to hear. The interactive stuff will be great for kids hearing these songs for the first time. The interviews and commentaries are really interesting, especially in hindsight. Great new additions, discoveries, and formats all add to the charm of the original forty-six songs. How they managed to get all of that factual information into essentially a music video, while keeping the kids (and me) entertained, is still a mystery to me.

Bottom Line: You'll be hard-pressed to find a better combination of education and entertainment. If there are any factual inaccuracies, they are minor enough to overlook and could actually spark interesting conversations. The basic content is right on-the-money. The fact that they'll actually be talking about and be interested in the grammar, history, science, and economics is important enough to overlook any minor flaws.
The fact that my daughter, who two years (and a couple of months) old, actually knows that "Wow!" is an interjection, a fact that most of my juniors (I'm a teacher) wouldn't know off the top of their heads, speaks volumes. . . !

Schoolhouse Rock totally rocks!
I'd been waiting to see if I'd get this for my birthday, but I couldn't wait anymore. I bought it today and had to pop it in. These great animated shorts helped kids learn multiplication, science, grammar, american history and money. You want an explanation of our national debt? - watch Tyrannosaurus Debt :-).

The first DVD has all the original shorts categorized by groups, you can play them by group, or play them all in order or play them all or shuffle. If you choose a particular group, you can pick the ones you want to play in the playlist or select the Play All button. I was having a blast seeing remembering how many of these I could still sing.

The 2nd DVD is the Extra Credit portion of the set. You can watch with Captions or Audio Commentary. I really had fun with the "Earn Your Diploma" Trivia and the Arrange A Schoolhouse Rock song. The Earn Your Diploma gives you a set of questions to answer to each group (Science, Money, etc). When you get them all right, you get a clue which when you solve all the groups you can then solve the Master Jumble to become a Schoolhouse Rock Graduate. The Arrange A Schoolhouse Rock Song has 3 of the Schoolhouse rock songs mixed up and its up to you to get the lyrics in order. When you get them right, the song clip will play. The music videos section was funny - the first 3 had the original animated shorts but the music/voices were redone by Better Than Ezra ("Conjunction Junction"), Lemonheads("My Hero Zero") and Deluxe Folk Implosion("I'm Just A Bill"). I didn't care for the last one by Goodness ("Electricity, Electricity"). That was just a music video but that one doesn't take away from the rest of the DVD.

I saw one review here getting a little too deep in reviewing the american group. I say, don't worry about it - these were meant to help kids learn and I can say they definitely did me good. This collection was well done and it's worth the price :-)

School House Rock
I learned more from this as a kid than in school. To expensive on Amazon, I got it cheaper at my local Vons grocery store.

Wow! Hurray! Hey! Hallelujah!
Yes, I'm using all the Interjections from SchoolHouse Rock to sing it's praises. I grew up with Schoolhouse Rock, but to be honest I thought about it only when my husband and I laughed nostalgicly about memorable songs like Conjunction Junction. Then, he bought the 30th anniversary edition for our daughter (he was trying to qualify for free shipping when he was buying the Tripletts of BelleVille!). So, it can be said that neither of us anticipated how fantastic this DVD would be -- STILL! My 3 year old LOVES it, and I can't say enough great things about the creative lyrics that teach grammar, numbers and how the body works (maybe I should reach into my bag of adjectives, which my daughter charmlingly calls "magictives"). It is the one DVD we own that I don't feel any apprehension about evil or scary characters, dark plots or questionable character influences (which are startling present in many videos for preschoolers).

If you're wondering about getting this video, wonder no more. It is a timeless winner that won't disappoint (unless you're looking for dark plots and questionable character influences!)

Re: Jason James Taylorville, KY
Mr. James I hope you have learned a valuable lesson from this experience. Read the product information before you buy it. You can look at the picture and see that it's animated/a cartoon. Come on don't trash the video because you didn't bother to read the product information before you bought it. I'm sure that you saw the cover on the DVD after you took it out of the package. I can't believe you opened it and actually watched it. Well, to each his own. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Brash, fast-paced, and hysterically funny, the Warner Brothers cartoons rank among the undisputed treasures of American animation and American comedy. This second collection, a follow-up to Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, includes such gems as "Porky in Wackyland," "A Bear for Punishment," "Gee Whiz-z-z,"The Great Piggy Bank Robbery," and "I Love to Singa."A short documentary about director Bob Clampett features several cartoon historians, animator Eric Goldberg, Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont, and Ren and Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi (enthusiastic but over the top). But Warners continues its scattergun approach to selecting films. There are only eight cartoons by Clampett in the set, plus three by Tex Avery and one by Frank Tashlin. "Rabbit Fire" and "Rabbit Seasoning" appear on the first set, but the third cartoon in Jones's trilogy, "Duck! Rabbit! Duck!" isn't on either. More than two-thirds of the films are by Friz Freleng and Chuck Jones. That's notnecessarily a bad thing. "Show Biz Bugs," "Bugs Bunny Rides Again," and the Oscar-winning "Tweety Pie" showcase Freleng's razor-sharp timing. "What's Opera, Doc," "The Dover Boys," and the justly celebrated "One Froggy Evening" rank among Jones's boldest experiments and most brilliant successes.

Volume Two includes some genuine rarities, among them, "Sinkin' in the Bathtub" (1930), the first Looney Tune, and the Oscar-winning documentary "So Much for So Little." With 60-plus cartoons, transferred from good prints Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, Volume 2 is a collection to treasure. (Rated G, suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

I CAN"T WAIT!!!!
The wait is KILLING ME!!!! I LOVED the first collection box set and i wish we could atleast know a release date!!!! but all i know is that as soon as this dvd is released i am going to be the first one to buy it!!

Gold! Gold!!! Gold!!!!!!
Having been raised, with only a few exceptions, on the post-1948 cartoon packages on The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour/Show et al. and the post-1948 syndie packages, I must say that I am not much of a fan of the pre-1948 cartoons. I respect them for their importance in the development of the Warner Brothers cartoon style so exquisitely realized in the Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson oeuvre of the 1948-1964 period. I even find a sizeable number of them to be viscerally funny. But aesthetically, they do little or nothing for me. In fact, the further back from 1948 the cartoons are, the cooler my reaction is to them. Only the Friz Freleng cartoons of the pre-1948 period have any substantial appeal to me- possibly because Freleng was the most stylistically consistent director in addition to being my favourite. As other reviewers on other Websites have noted, the pre-1948 cartoons were zany. They were abundant in animation. They were uninhibited in character expression and violence. In contrast, the post-1948 cartoons are economical and precise in their animation. They have a sophistication in their humor. A subtle wit. An incisive sensitivity to psychological issues, or even to profound, meaning-of-life issues. Indeed, character clashes were, paradoxically, more "fleshed out" in how they affected the inner psyches of the characters. There was now a cunning method to the madness, so to speak. The presentation pariodied itself by times, with inventive riffs on the Warner cartoon style. The method served a thematic purpose, as with "One Froggy Evening" for example, capturing so adroitly the timelessness and yet the fatalistic futility of greed. There were such sophisticated parables or symbolisms underscoring many other cartoon storylines of this latter period. My work on analyzing 1955 "Hyde and Hare" has fleshed out some such. Jones, Freleng, and McKimson had settled fully into the groove of their directing duties and knew their long-running characters intimately. They pushed the envelope with those characters, resulting in such masterpieces of parable as "Birds Anonymous" and the Road Runner series, and even such unsung cartoons as 1958's "A Waggily Tale" have something interesting to zing us with on their conclusion.

But all of this is a segue into my review of the line-up of cartoons for Volume 2. Obviously, I'm pleased to see "Hyde and Hare". However, will it be remastered or the same nice-looking but not fully remastered print on Warner's Jekyll & Hyde double-feature DVD? "One Froggy Evening" is welcome, of course. Nearly a dozen Road Runners brings a smile to my face. A pity they didn't go all out and include "Operation: Rabbit" and "Hopalong Cassualty", thereby making the RR/Wile E. laserdisc completely obsolete. There are quite a few cartoons in this listing that do present the post-1948 period in an excellent light, e.g. "The Three Little Bops", "Mouse Wreckers", "Cheese Chasers", "Show Biz Bugs", and several of the Tweety cartoons. And with "Hyde and Hare" together with "Broom-Stick Bunny" and "What's Opera, Doc?", maybe we can expect an extra feature on background design, in that these three cartoons are the suggestive, abstract UPA-inspired style at its best.

I suppose that as pre-1948s go, we're getting a good selection. I very much like "Rhapsody Rabbit", and "Old Glory" and "You Ought to Be in Pictures" are early masterpieces by Jones and Freleng. "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" is probably Clampett's best work. But still, there are so many more post-1948s that saw immediate release on VHS in the 24 Karat Collection that have yet to surface on DVD. "Knighty Knight Bugs", obviously. And "Beanstalk Bunny", "Ali Baba Bunny", "Bedevilled Rabbit", "Duck, Rabbit, "Duck!", "Hare Do", "Operation: Rabbit", "Hare Brush, and "Bugs Bonnets". And, for Daffy and Porky, "Robin Hood Daffy", "Curtain Razor", "Often an Orphan", and "Cracked Quack". And for Tweety & Sylvester, "Birds Anonymous", "Hyde and Go Tweet", "Tweety and the Beanstalk", "Tweet and Lovely", "The Last Hungry Cat", and "Tree For Two". And then, there are Foghorn Leghorn, Pepe Le Pew, and Speedy Gonzales; each of these characters had their own tapes in the 24 Karat Collection. I do wish that Warner would up the discs per collection to five. Put out more pre-1948s, certainly, but not by cutting back on the post-1948s. I felt indeed that the first collection achieved a very amenable balance. One that I was comfortable with. Some selective representation of the pre-1948s (and rightly so, as a large percentage of the pre-1948s are black-and-white oldies featuring none of the familiar characters or very crude and undefined initial appearances of those characters), with emphasis on the earlier cartoons of the post-1948 period, i.e. many of the cartoons that saw network television exposure for 40 years and which which the Warner Brothers cartoons are associated in the minds of Saturday morning and prime-time network television viewers; and many of the cartoons to feature the trademark character clashes in vastly different times and places with which Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies are synonymous. Most characters had not come along until a bit before 1948 and had not reached their ultimate form and distinctive personality until about that time.

Again, there are so many more post-1948s that saw early release on VHS but have yet to surface on DVD. As I see it, it'll take 2 more DVD collections to cover the ground so excellently treaded by the VHS 24 Karat Collection in 1985-6. I guess most of the more famous pre-1948s have been recognized in this second DVD set, and that's justifiable. How about going back to the forumla of Set One when putting together Set Three, or if not, upping the number of discs to five? I just don't wish to be dead before I can get on DVD all of the cartoons that delighted and stimulated me on so many a Saturday morning or afternoon. How's about the as yet not scheduled for DVD cartoons mentioned above, plus such imaginative greats as "Bewitched Bunny", "Hare We Go", "Robot Rabbit", "Rebel Rabbit", "Transylvania 6-5000", "Bugsy and Mugsy", "The Hasty Hare", "Hare-Way to the Stars", "No Parking Hare", "Claws For Alarm", "Dr. Jerkyl's Hide", "Hare Trimmed", "Sahara Hare", "Rabbit Every Monday", "Mississippi Hare", "Chow Hound", "Terrier Stricken", "A Fractured Leghorn", "The Leghorn Blows at Midnight", "Stupor Duck", "Fair Haired Hare". Heck, I could type out practically the whole episode guide to The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour.

This is admittedly a post-1948-biased review, but, hey, it is coming from one who was weaned on and most appreciates the post-1948 period. That is circumstantially how Warner Brothers cartoons were presented to me. And on that basis, I did admire the first Golden Collection's discretion in how it represented
each of the two distinct eras of the cartoons' history. Because of the inclusion of some excellent post-1948 cartoons, I'm inclined to admire this DVD set as well, but hope for a third set that significantly cuts into the long list of 24 Karat Collection titles yet to see release on shiny DVD.

Seems like it's going to be an even better DVD than the last
I got the last set and it seemed all my dreams had come true ... unfortunately, I soon realised how mistaken I was, but this new volume comes even closer to perfection. I don't need to include the entire list of cartoons in this next box set, since a couple of people have already done it.

I've noticed that a lot of the old cartoons (pre-1948) have been included this time around, and the way it's going, I think we're going to have a Bugs Bunny disc, some Daffy/Porky shorts, and the other characters they restricted to the All Stars section in the first one. About the Road Runner cartoons, they're in chronological order, which isn't a bad idea, but I think the best Coyote shorts were in the 60's (don't swear at me: I mean the Jones shorts, like "Beep Prepared", "Hopalong Casualty" and "Zip 'n' Snort", not Seven Arts rubbish.) Because of this, I'm going to have to wait another bloody year for the best of the series. The same goes for the Tweety and Sylvester shorts. They don't have the opportunity to get to "Birds Anonymous"!

I'm glad some of the great cartoons they missed out have appeared on this set, but I have a complaint: Daffy/Porky shouldn't have a disc to themselves, but giving them only seven or eight toons is overdoing it. And one of those shorts--"Porky in Wackyland"--is simply the black-and-white version of the first set's "Dough for the Dodo"! I mean, what the hell?

For the next set, I recommend some cartoons:
"Robin Hood Daffy"
"Beep Prepared"
"Zip 'n' Snort"
"Hopalong Casualty"
"Birds Anonymous"
"Greedy for Tweety" (am I sure this isn't included?)
"Ali Baba Bunny"

Also, some new shorts out to be featured, maybe like bonuses, as "Blooper Bunny" was in volume one. Even now I hope that a Chuck Jones Film Production may be found. They're really good! They deserve to be on DVD!

All in all, I can't wait for November!

Keep'em comin WB
Hi There, I,m a big looney tunes fan. I loved the first DVD collection, and the 2nd installment promises to be a sucsess as well. However, I would kindly request the folks at WB who pick these shorts to include the following shorts in the coming collection (or the 3rd collection if possible):
- Bugs Bonnets
- The Honey-Mousers
- Hoppy Daze
- Ali Baba Bunny
- Transylvania 6-5000
- Hare-Abian Nights
- Cat-tails for Two
- Hillbilly Hare
- There is also one short which I would love to see, I don't remember the title, but it involves Bugs Bunny trying to help get a baby penguin back to his home in the South Pole (or the North Pole).

My ultimate dream is to get the whole 1000+ Looney tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts on DVD, I am certianly a buyer.

Thank you very much, and keep'em comin.

Looks like a winner!!!
This set looks like a winner!!! It includes my FAVORITE short of all time...the very old "I Like To Singa", and PLENTY of Road Runner cartoons. This will be another 4 disc set including 60 shorts ranging from 1936 to 1958. Included is another disc of just Bugs Bunny 'toons, plus a LOT of favorites from The Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote, AND a large group just from Sylvester & Tweety! Also on-board are the first ("Tortoise Beats Hare") and last ("Rabbit Transit") stories in the Bugs Bunny/Cecil Turtle (a.k.a. Cecil Tortoise) trilogy, the middle one of which ("Tortoise Wins By a Hare") was on the first DVD set.

The bad news? No Tasmanian Devil. No Pepe Le Pew. No Marvin the Martian. No Foghorn Leghorn. No Speedy Gonzales. It looks like we'll have to wait until Volume 3 to see more of these great characters. But let's face it: the Looney Tunes vaults are very deep, and mining all these gems is going to take quite some time. Be patient! Your favorites will arrive sooner or later, have no fear! For now, we are getting some terrific entertainment to enjoy while we wait for the next box set, including some highly-desirable classics!

Among the great shorts included on this compilation are "Porky in Wackyland," "Old Glory," "The Dover Boys," Little Red Riding Rabbit," "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery," the Oscar-winning first appearance of Tweety & Sylvester in "Tweety-Pie," "French Rarebit," "Hyde and Hare," "One Froggy Evening," and the long-awaited "What's Opera Doc?".

Here is the complete list of all sixty shorts that are expected to appear in this set:

"Hare-Brained Hypnotist" (Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd - 1942)
"Little Red Riding Rabbit" (Bugs Bunny - 1944)
"Stage Door Cartoon" (Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd - 1944)
"Hare Conditioned" (Bugs Bunny - 1945)
"Rhapsody Rabbit" (Bugs Bunny - 1946)
"The Big Snooze" (Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd - 1946)
"Slick Hare" (Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd - 1947)
"Bugs Bunny Rides Again" (Bugs Bunny/Yosemite Sam - 1948)
"Gorilla My Dreams" (Bugs Bunny/Gruesome Gorilla - 1948)
"Bunny Hugged" (Bugs Bunny - 1951)
"French Rarebit" (Bugs Bunny/Louis and Francois - 1951)
"Baby Buggy Bunny" (Bugs Bunny/Baby-Faced Finster - 1954)
"Hyde And Hare" (Bugs Bunny - 1955)
"Broom-Stick Bunny" (Bugs Bunny/Witch Hazel - 1956)
"What's Opera, Doc?" (Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd - 1957)
"Beep Beep" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1952)
"Going! Going! Gosh!" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1952)
"Zipping Along" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1953)
"Stop! Look! and Hasten!" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1954)
"Guided Muscle" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1955)
"Ready.. Set.. Zoom!" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1955)
"Gee Whiz-z-z-z!" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1956)
"There They Go-Go-Go!" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1956)
"Scrambled Aches" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1957)
"Zoom And Bored" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1957)
"Whoa, Be-Gone!" (Road Runner/Coyote - 1958)
"Porky In Wackyland" (Porky Pig - 1938)
"Old Glory" (Porky Pig - 1939)
"Book Revue" (Daffy Duck - 1946)
"Show Biz Bugs" (Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck - 1957)
"Kitty Kornered" (Porky/Sylvester - 1946)
"Tweety Pie" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1947)
"Back Alley Op-Roar" (Elmer Fudd/Sylvester - 1948)
"Bad Ol' Putty Tat" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1949)
"All a Bir-r-r-rd" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1950)
"Room And Bird" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1951)
"Tweet Tweet Tweety" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1951)
"A Bird In A Guilty Cage" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1952)
"Ain't She Tweet" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1952)
"Gift Wrapped" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1952)
"Snow Business" (Sylvester/Tweety - 1953)
"You Ought to Be in Pictures" (Daffy/Porky - 1940)
"Duck Soup To Nuts" (Daffy/Porky - 1944)
"Baby Bottleneck" (Daffy/Porky - 1946)
"The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" (Daffy Duck as "Duck Twacy" - 1946)
"I Love To Singa" ("Owl" Jolson - 1936)
"Have You Got Any Castles?" (1938)
"Katnip Kollege" (Johnny Cat - 1938)
"Hollywood Steps Out" (1941)
"The Heckling Hare" (Bugs Bunny/Willoughby - 1941)
"Tortoise Beats Hare" (Bugs Bunny/Cecil Turtle - 1941)
"The Dover Boys at Pimento University or 'The Rivals of Roquefort Hall'" (1942)
"The Hep Cat" (Hep Cat - 1942)
"Corny Concerto" (Doc and Champ - 1943)
"Rabbit Transit" (Bugs Bunny/Cecil Turtle - 1947)
"Mouse Wreckers" (Hubie and Bertie/Claude Cat - 1948)
"Bear For Punishment" (Henry, Ma, & Junyer Bear - 1951)
"Cheese Chasers" (Hubie and Bertie - 1951)
"One Froggy Evening" (Michigan J. Frog - 1955)
"Three Little Bops" (1957)

Just one favor...don't give this a bad review just because ONE or TWO of your favorites arent here...there are THOUSANDS of shorts, they can't include every single one. Just be happy that these are finally available, and be paitent...your favorites will be out on DVD soon. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Toy Story
1995's "Toy Story" was the first feature length film generated entirely by computers, and Pixar's first dive into theatrical films. The movie opens as young Andy turns 7. The undisputed leader of Andy's toys, a 50's cowboy doll named Woody (Tom Hanks), finds himself challenged by the new toy on the block, "space ranger" Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). When Woody's plan to get rid of Buzz backfires, the two find themselves lost in the suburbs. Woody and Buzz relize they have to work together to get back to Andy's, and they eventually become the best of friends. The humor and animation is terrific, and a great start for Pixar. This lead to several other successes, such as A Bug's Life and Finding Nemo.

Now on to "the vaults". Disney is trying to squeeze every last penny out of the cash cow, and have the two Toy Story films under lock and key, no doubt so they can sell millions of "Special Editions" in five years. Once again, Disney appalls me with their unmatched corperate greed. In conclusion, Toy Story is an excellent film and a true must-see.

The Secret Lives of Toys Revealed
"Toy Story" is a modern fairy tale created with appropriately modern computer animation. Its snappy dialougue will appeal to adult viewers, the spectacle of fantastic toys coming to life will appeal to children, and adults may wax nostalgic about the toys they enjoyed as children, several of which are featured in this movie.
The story revolves around a cowboy doll named Woody, and his imminent replacement as the favorite toy of his owner, Andy, by Andy's new Buzz Lightyear doll, a multigadgeted gift that Andy receives for his birthday.
Tom Hanks'personality shines through in the persona of Woody, and Tim Allen's voice lends the right amount of charisma to Buzz.
In the process of forming an eventual friendship, the characters go through a lot of antagonism and a lot of other real human emotions. As they prepare for life in a new home, they are imperiled by the sadistic kid next door named Sid, into whose clutches they fall by accident.
It's entertaining to watch the toys interact with each other.
Buzz gradually learns that he is simply a child's plaything and not the noble space crusader he fancied himself to be in the beginning, and Woody learns to share his special place in Andy's heart. A great supporting cast including Annie Potts as Woody's sweetheart, Bo Peep, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Jim Varney as Slinky, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenburger as Ham, and Laurie Metcalfe as Andy's mother help fuel this tale.
Seeing this innovative film made me want to buy dolls of Woody and Buzz as collector's items. But I am content with just a copy of this movie. The second installment of the "Toy Story" saga is an enhancement of the first one, and just like the first, nothing short of delightful.

Original and fun for the whole family!
This movie took me by storm when I saw it back in the summer of 1995 at the theatres and let me tell you, this movie is still one of the best computer animated movies of all time. In fact this movie shattered new grounds back in 1995 by not using drawing cel animation and instead this movie is the first of an unbroken chain of computer generated animated movies that has continued to date with "Finding Nemo".

The plot is absolutely joyful and stunningly original. The story revolves around the quiet family home of a quiet town where a boy owns numerous toys with his toddler sister. The toys however, are almost like beings of their own and are 'living' as well but stop 'moving' when the boy comes back into his room. However, a cowboy named Tim is the most popular 'toy' in the boys bedroom and is kept by the pillow almost every night until on his birthday, he gets a fancy astronaut toy named Buzz Lightyear who has many 'gizmos' and in time takes over the toy cowboys place as the most popular toy and Tim gets enormously jealous of this. However, after a botched attempt to remove Buzz, the cowboy himself along with Buzz end up in the hands of a punk teenager who takes joy in blowing up toys with firecrackers and or other means like burning, breaking, or smashing them and/or even taking them apart and re-assembling their parts to create 'mutant' toys and now the clock is ticking for Tim and Buzz to escape from the boys house before they end up being blown to molecules.

This movie is absolutely fun and original even by 1995 standards. The computer generated special effects are innovative and unbelievable especially considereing the fact that this movie came out nearly a whole decade ago. The whole tone of the movie is just fun and charming and is for the entire family. Not only that but this was what put the then newcomers Pixas right into the front seat of movie animation and would be the start of an unbroken streak of excellent movies from this dynamite team.

Computer animation wow. 16th april 2004.
The toys are great, the graphics and scenery is too. The collectables are boys mostly but the film is ace for anyone. The 3D toys look real, the colors are excellent[like finding nemo]. The talking toys are all friends, and they live with their owner andy.

Hit Me With Another One!
Give me another Toy Story and while your at it lets go for a 5th. Wow lets see...Tom Hanks and Tim Alan...Pixar and Disney...Go get it or miss out! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Directed by Sidney Lumet (Serpico) and penned by Joel Schumacher (Batman and Robin), this lavish 1978 adaptation of the Broadway hit The Wiz was the biggest production filmed in New York City up to that point, utilizing the newly revamped Astoria Studios and locations around the city. Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross (reprising his Tony-winning role as the Lion) star in this Academy Award-nominated musical for the whole family.

The Wiz is probably the grandest take on L. Frank Baum's classictale The Wizard of Oz.Theproduction team created sets with a sense of urban magic and spectacle: a New York subway station literally comes to life, and the massive plaza between the World Trade Center towers is transformed into the Emerald City, featuring nearly 400 dancers with three costume changes. Like all good musicals, the Quincy Jones arrangements are highly hummable long after viewing (especially the funky "Ease On Down the Road" and the inspirational "Brand New Day"). In an era before MTV, the camera stays nearly stationary as Ross and Lena Horne vocally soar through their numbers. Their stage-like performances successfully make the leap to film, making The Wiz a testament to their singing talents and star presence. The then-thirtysomething Ross raised some eyebrows playing the traditionally teenaged Dorothy, but she and her supporting cast (including Richard Pryor as the Wiz) carry the tunes with an infectious verve that will appeal to folks of all ages. --Shannon Gee ... Read more

Reviews (120)

What Can I Say.....
Oh boy, where to start? This seems to be one of those movies where you either hate it or love it. This update of The Wizard of Oz, while for years vilified, has seemed to have gathered a cult classic-like following in recent years. It bears little resemblance to the 1939 Judy Garland masterpiece, or even for that matter, to the Broadway musical upon which it was based. The original musical was light and entertaining, inspirational and fun. This 1978 motion picture is a pretentious adaptation tht simply tries too hard. the film-makers turned the simplistic story of a young girl lost in a strange land into an overly glitzy, glamorous, and gaudy film. Despite this, there are some awesome moments in this movie, most notably: the stunning New York City visuals, great performances by Mabel King as the Wicked Witch and Ted Ross as the Cowardly Lion, wonderful music, and impressive and incredibly choreographed dances. However even that can't save the movie. It still manages to fall flat, not living up to the promise, vision, or scope of the simple story upon which it is based.

Unbelievably Fun
Boo, hiss to all the naysayers of the one and only 'Wiz'. A few of my friends got together at the DVD store the other night and out of all the available titles settled on this one, primarily for nostaligic reasons. Once we got home and popped it in, well, it was more than just simple sentimentality that carried us off to another world. This musical is awesome. The story is timeless, the songs are unforgettable and the widescreen transfer is excellent. One only wishes for more goodies on the disc.

I often scratch my head at why Sidney Lumet directed this, but knowing that he is one of the top five directors ever who understands New York City, it now makes perfect sense. The location shots are amazing, especially with the massive Albert Whitlock visuals. And as hard as it may be to watch Diana Ross play a 24 year old single woman, she achieves it with simple gestures and that pure, honey voice.

It's a huge treat to watch this movie and I look forward to repeat viewings.

THE WIZ....HAS SOUL!!!
The Wiz music will always be a classic. This is my only reason for buying this movie. It was definetly a 70's show. I was confused about certain scenes in the movie. For example, why did Aunt Em start singing "The Feeling We Once Had" to her daughter instead of Dorothy. And how did the Scarecrow know to signal Dorothy to destroy Evilene. The choreography and the music was great. Good for children to see!

BLACK PEOPLE, BUY THIS FOR YOUR KIDS!!!!
A MUST for every black child to see!! This is OUR classic production. Many great actors/actresses were young budding talents when they performed in the Wiz. It's great to see them then & know them now. My kids enjoyed the music & loved the dancing.

You should see the Whiz all over my tape!
this movie was okay, but all admit it was a disapointment. lookit dorothy with this afro, and this obese aunt em, god! you people have distoryed this tape! well hey the lion-- is lioney, the scarecrow dosen't sound like a girl and the tin mans chipper. except for the fact that they had good songs, and singers and all that other junk. the effects were sort of lacking, but hey-- it is not bad. its okay, but it is not that great, seriously people. this 3 star rating suits it. ... Read more

Reviews (749)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (453)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (332)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After A While One Doesn't Notice It Is Animated
It is quite rare for any animated film to be treated with the same respect as any other honored non-animated one. In BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale take the time-worn fairy tale of the outwardly loathsome beast who impossibly enough allows his inner nobility to shine forth sufficiently to cause the beauty to fall in love with him. Robby Benson is the voice of the Beast and Paige O'Hara is Beauty. Even for those readers familiar with the spoken tale or the revamped music video with Meatloaf as the Beast cannot help but allow themselves to be entranced with the seamless melding of sight to sound. The plot is simplicity itself with the Beast as the archetypal symbol of the rebirth of nobility long hidden by the evil spell of a unnamed wizard. There is nothing childish is the unfolding of the tale of Belle the Beauty who chooses to sacrifice herself in marriage to save the life of her doddering inventor father. Enter the Beast who is initially presented as the roaring brute that his tormenting wizard clearly intended him to be. Yet, as Belle ministers to his psychic wounds of self-loathing and his physical wounds incurred in defending her against a pack of wolves, the viewer can see a competing spell at work, one that is older than time itself--the power of love that the film's many songs allude to and function as as subtext that imbues it with timeless energy. There is, of course, some needed plot complications of unwanted attention heaped on Belle by the handsome but warped Gaston, who plots to snare Belle in marriage as firmly as he would stalk a reindeer for its antlers. As Gaston leads the villagers in an assault on the Beast's manor, one is reminded in reverse of the cliched villagers pounding at the walls of Doctor Frankenstein's castle, but in this case the attack in presented in comic tones that keep the real world of harm at bay.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has no down moments, with each fresh plot advancement heralded by stunningly effective animation and song. This film was a deserved nominee for Best Picture in 1991, and with repeated viewings, one may rest assured that the alternately gloomy and resplendent halls of the Beast will eternally resonate with the same cachet that gives Tara, Oz, or Rick's Cafe a ticket that allows the bearer to see just how awesome the human spirit can be.

The Beauty
This is a beautiful movie and is in a wonderful set. It has two discs with great behind the scenes stuff for Beauty and the Beast that you definitely wont want to miss out on.
The colors in this movie is beautiful and the music is lovely.
I really wouldn't miss out on this movie because it's a great film and a wonderful set. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Extraordinary footage and eloquent narration by David Attenborough highlight the BBC's remarkable wildlife series The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. "Ocean World" begins with astonishing views of a gigantic blue whale--the elusive Holy Grail of undersea photography--and the marvels continue to demonstrate the power, diversity, and profound ecological influence of Earth's oceans. "Frozen Seas" examines whales, walruses, penguins, and other creatures under the extreme conditions of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. The next two episodes are even better. "Open Ocean" travels thousands of miles into the vast "liquid desert," where currents determine how the ocean's diverse life forms will assume their places in the food chain. More amazing, "The Deep" descends with a state-of-the-art submersible to the ocean's abyssal plain and beyond, filming such bizarre creatures as the fangtooth, bioluminescent jellies, transparent squid, the giant-mouthed gulper eel, and the never-before-seen hairy angler fish.

"Seasonal Seas" focuses on the explosion of life that accompanies every annual blooming of plankton, numbering in the countless billions and captured here with brilliant microphotography. In "Coral Seas," miles-long reefs of living coral are explored, from deep within (requiring brief computer animation) to the surrounding environs, where you'll see white-tipped sharks in a feeding frenzy while beautiful harlequin shrimp wrestle with a starfish. "Tidal Seas" explores the myriad life forms that thrive when lunar gravity pulls the oceans offshore. "Coasts" is easily the most brutal episode, but no less mesmerizing. The most unexpected, and horrifying, sequence is the orca, earning its "killer whale" nickname by capturing, killing, and tail-tossing a seal pup--a sequence so mysteriously primal that even the most seasoned marine biologist will be utterly amazed. One of the finest wildlife programs you're ever likely to see, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life provides the privilege of visiting a truly alien world teeming with the rarest wonders of nature. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Unbelievably Beautiful.
There are many reasons to own this wonderful series on DVD, but one reason stands out: The Killer Whale/Seal Pup segment of the "Coasts" DVD. The Amazon.com main reviewer mentioned this scene in his review - and with good reason. It is THE most amazing piece of wildlife footage EVER captured on film - even surpassing the National Geographic special with the Great White Sharks breaching.

If you need more reasons than that, the "Ocean World" DVD contains unbelievable footage of Sir David in a skiff right above a Blue Whale (the largest creature ever to have lived) along with a stirring segment about an orca pod pursuing a gray whale and her calf.

All of my friends - who are decidely NOT nature buffs like me -were left speechless after seeing some of the segments in this set (particularly the aforementioned ones).

The Life of Mammals DVD set by Attenborough is also terrific.

Wondrous, but I'd rather hear Sir David than the music...
This is a beautifully filmed and presented documentary series, though that goes without saying if it's done by David Attenborough and his crew. I'm not sure if it's my cheap DVD player or the discs themselves, however, that are the cause of my only complaint. The music and effects, especially in the opening episode are so loud compared to Attenborough's narration that it must be turned up to an almost uncomfortable level to understand him over it. Coming from the Life of Birds series, which is flawless IMO, this was a disappointment. The scenes caught on film certainly are not! The episode travelling down to the deepest regions of the ocean provide probably the most fascinating visuals you'll ever see. You will literally be amazed that such creatures are actually a living part of the world that are almost completely unknown to anyone.

WOW!
WOW!

I recently returned from scuba diving in Australia, Bali, and Palau as part of a larger 7 month world trip. This video set further opened my eyes to the beauty underneath and above our waters and how it all relates. I was almost entirely speechless the first few episodes - except for when I uttered frequently - (...)...or the sound of my gagging in disbelief.

The adrenaline dropped a little during the the 3rd and 4th CDs, but there are clips in those that made my jaw drop too! The "Deep Trouble" featurette / segment on the 4th CD is highly recommended too. I visited Tokyo, Japan - Tsukiji fish market - in Dec 2003 and saw the Bluefin Tuna auction first hand, among other sites - wow! If you never thought the world could be overfished, or don't act like it is - you must go to Tokyo and see the market first hand. It's free to go in!

We should take some of the next round of $50 billion used for the Iraq war and buy a copy of this and send it to every *household* in America. There would be even enough to give a free DVD player to those wihtout. Europe and Japan should do the same. There would still be money left over to send to Iraq too!

Don't miss this thrilling collector's set
This is definitely a must have for entertainment & educational purposes. You can watch these dvd's over and over again & still be amazed at the sea life being captured on camera. Although, some scenes may be a little graphically violent, these dvd's are something to be shared with people of most ages.

Excellent!
I spent a weekend completely mesmerized by this series.

This is an incredible journey through the oceans of the world. From the freezing poles to the warm water tropics, you meet numerous species and observe them and their habits in incredible detail. There are times when you can't tell if what you're looking at is full size or microscopic, were it not for the narrative. You learn about breeding, defense, hunting tactics, feeding, and migration. From majestic giants like whales, to the tiny plankton so many ocean species live on, there's a lot to learn, and many surprises.

It's an 8-part series:
"Ocean World," "Frozen Seas," "Open Ocean," "The Deep," "Seasonal Seas," "Coral Seas," "Tidal Seas," and "Coasts"
Each episode stands alone, concentrating most on details pertaining to its title. Where Frozen Seas concentrates more on severe weather conditions and the amazing species that can tolerate it, and how they do it, the Tidal Seas episode offers insight to the moons effect on our oceans, and the species that rely on tidal conditions to survive. In The Deep episode, you go to incredible depths, where no sunlight can penetrate and see footage of entire ecosystems that have somehow evolved and survived without the sun. Some of the species in The Deep could easily have been inspiration for many horror film monsters.

Clear, spectacularly vivid imagery, and an excellent narrative by David Attenborough make this series a must see.

I love the ocean, and being at the beach, and have always been curious and cautious about it's inhabitants. Some things I've learned here will not be forgotten. For instance, even the most likable species has to eat, which means it has to hunt and kill. All survival tactics are clever, and necessary, but some are rather cruel. And we certainly can't do more than speculate as to the reasons.

The more we learn about our oceans, the better able we are to respect and appreciate its riches. (and beware it's predators)! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Filmed in VIDECOL