Cool News
Harry's DVD Picks & Peeks - 2nd week of May DVDs Part 1: Indy, Westerns, Narnia, SciFi, Ninjas & more!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... This Tuesday has a flood of titles - and due to an early morning approaching - I must split the report into two pieces. So here's the top part of the list. Lots of great great titles and deals. As always, you can click on the box art and the titles to take you to AMAZON - where you can learn more on the title or purchase it with a small percentage going to support this column's continued existence. I hope you enjoy it - and there's a lot more coming sometime this afternoon. See you then, enjoy...
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
INDIANA JONES – THE ADVENTURE COLLECTION ( Special Editions of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE )
Here ya go – the original trilogy. It is true that this edition is the sharpest version I’ve yet seen…. And that some of the extras – like “The Melting Man” feature – are indeed some of the absolutely most fun extras I’ve yet seen on the title… But I have a sneaking suspicion that by year’s end… we will see this trilogy – plus a new Indiana Jones movie in Blu Ray… but that hasn’t been announced… yet. I have it, but I can only recommend it for those of you that are not planning on upgrading to Blu Ray at any point soon. Still – you must rewatch the trilogy before seeing the new film… right? Right!
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (Blu Ray)
A spotty – near great film – that isn’t quite. The confounding thing about this movie is this… Nearly everything is more magical… before they get to Narnia. The World War 2 London stuff is utterly fantastic. That’s not to say that there is no magic in Narnia… there is. But there’s a curious veneer to everything that makes it all look like it isn’t quite lived in. The colors are all a bit unreal. I love about half of the kids… And well… the Burger King on Horseback moment at the end… isn’t quite. That said, I think it was a very strong forward step from Animation to Live-Action that Andrew Adamson took – and I hope and believe that he’ll take an even greater forward step with PRINCE CASPIAN – and this film is definitely worth having… I’m a fantasy freak – and there’s a lot of great fantasy at play here – especially the Jesus Lion. The Blu Ray disc is filled with extras and looks exactly how it was presented in the theater. Gorgeous transfer.
SHINOBI – HEART UNDER BLADE (Blu Ray)
Saw this at FANTASTIC FEST last year and it is absolutely stunning on the big screen. This is a film about crazy insane CG assisted martial arts – romance and love…and it happens to be one of those stunningly gorgeous films that you put on to show people just how amazing Blu Ray and 1080p looks. OH – and if love Ninjas… This movie has all the fucking Ninjas you could ever want. And they do… indeed… kick a lot of Ninja ass!
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – 4th Season
Ahhhh! The season that our trusty Spock joined the Mission Impossible squad. You know – MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, the television show – actually got better the further it went – and ya know some of the last seasons had some of the very best episodes. Ah hell, they were pretty great throughout the entire series. This season brought a bevy of babes including the incredibly hot Lee Meriwether. Watch Leonard Nimoy be a Che Guevara character in one. If you’re a fan – you know how wonderful this season was – there were additions in front of and behind the cameras that really kicked this series into high gear.
MASTER & COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (Blu Ray)
I can’t believe that this isn’t a beloved film by all. It is spectacular – and arguably it is the very best film that Russell Crowe has been a part of. That said – FOX Home Video should be ashamed that they low balled this release. Nearly completely devoid of extras. Shit, I would have just been happy had they just moved the DVD’s extras on over to this… but Fox really dropped the ball here. The transfer though is the thing here – and this is a film where 1080p is on full display. But fuck it – I love the movie. I’ll trade some used DVDs for a used Copy at some point.
Fox Western Classics ( RAWHIDE / THE GUNFIGHTER / GARDEN OF EVIL )
Oh my… As mad as I am at Fox for their treatment of MASTER & COMMANDER on Blu Ray – I’m ecstatic to be getting these three titles. None moreso than THE GUNFIGHTER which features an incredible Gregory Peck as Johnny Ringo as the notable gunfighter. Also look for an awesome turn by Karl Malden. Really outstanding performance by Peck! Then you have GARDEN OF EVIL – a western about what greed does to men’s souls – featuring Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward and the always great Richard Widmark. Of particular note is this… this was the first Fox western in CINEMASCOPE and director Henry Hathaway does a wonderful job with it. Not one of the great westerns, but a damn fine film set in the west. And the last… and frankly the best… RAWHIDE – no this isn’t where that song came from, but it’s a Western starring Tyrone Power – who was ZORRO and Jamie from THE BLACK SWAN. This is a dark and moody Western Noir that captures you early and never lets you go. I don’t want to say much about it, because it really is outstanding.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – The Complete Third Season – Limited Edition Boxed Set
SAMURAI NIGHT FEVER, Andy Kaufman, OJ Simpson, Buck Henry, Ray Charles, CONEHEADS, Madeline Kahn, Steve Martin, Hugh Heffner, Taj Mahal, Two Wild and Crazy Guys, The Blues Brothers, Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon and more and more and more and more. I love SNL from the seventies so intensely that I feel silly about my devotion. This box set was made for me… how about you?
Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection 1 & 2 ( TARANTULA / MOLE PEOPLE / INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN / MONOLITH MONSTERS / MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS / DR. CYCLOPS / CULT OF THE COBRA / LAND UNKNOWN / DEADLY MANTIS / LEECH WOMAN )
These sets were issued separately at BEST BUY – but sold so well that UNIVERSAL has finally decided to pack them together and issue them at the bargain price of $42. And folks – if you haven’t seen these films… if you do not have them. This is an incredible set. Some of the effects may be funky… in particular TARANTULA, LAND UNKNOWN and LEECH WOMAN… but at the same time the folks at Universal that made these great B movies actually did a great job in putting the stories, actors and directors together. I absolutely love each and every one of these titles. In particular THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN which is currently being bastardized by fucking Eddie Murphy. But more so – it holds one of my very favorite B Science Fiction Horror films… MONOLITH MONSTERS. Essentially the basis for TREMORS – and the premise is… at first incredibly goofy. Giant Rocks/Crystals/monoliths slowly and methodically grow at a glacial pace till they break and fall on you. Sounds ridic, right? Well – it works because the film sets it up right. Like in TREMORS – the exit to the valley is cut off… and there’s no way to escape. It’s the most fucked up stalker killer movie ever – cuz it’s just giant growing fucking rocks… BUT DUDE – you can’t shoot them. You can’t kill them. You have nowhere to run – and they will fucking squish you. Love the film. Love Love Love it. That said – this set just rules and to pick up these titles for essentially $4 each – that’s a steal!
THE WESTERNER
If you love William Wyler, Walter Brennan and Gary Cooper – you know this film. If not – you have Brennan’s final Oscar Winning Role! His third mind you. Brennan plays Judge Roy Bean – an extreme hardass of the Old West – and Gary Cooper plays a young heroic fella that beats a trumped up charge of being a Horse Thief by telling the judge of his friendship with Lily Langtry. Things get vastly more complicated from there – with Cooper at odds with Brennan. This is a GREAT western. GREAT. Walter Brennan is one of the finest character actors in the history of cinema and this is one of his very best roles. Add to that Gary Cooper at his Heroic best and you really have a great film.
Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly Collection ( ON THE TOWN / ANCHORS AWEIGH / TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME )
If you’ve been to my house recently – you’d think I was the biggest fan in history of Frank Sinatra. The other day a box showed up on my doorstep loaded with 4 box sets loaded with 17 Sinatra films spanning his entire career. This is his Gene Kelly co-starring period. And each of these films is outstanding. My personal favorite is ANCHORS AWEIGH… but others can’t resist the baseball fun of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME – and then… well I argue with myself about whether I prefer ANCHORS to ON THE TOWN. Yes, these are musicals – and Frank is quite the crooner… just as Kelly was a hoofer. And as you’ll learn watching these three films – you’ll be delighted at Frank’s dancing and Kelly’s singing as well. Love this box.
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (Blu Ray)
I’m not sure why the powers at be decided this would be a heavily Western-centric Tuesday – but that’s the case! And we’re lucky for it! This is my pick for best Blu Ray of the week. It’s a no-brainer – it’s fucking BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID by George Roy Hill and starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford – and ya know… they never ever looked better than they did in this film! I love STING – but this is their film. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of them working together – and I would have loved one last Older version of this partnership… but with Newman’s retirement – it’s simply not likely to ever happen. Stunningly gorgeous transfer – excellent extras – and brilliant film. You can’t ask for more!
There’s a lot of DVDs coming out today – and due to a doctor’s appointment in the morning, I’ll split them up into two reports. Nothing serious – just my last exam before going into surgery NEXT Tuesday… but don’t fret, you’ll have next Tuesday’s column before they fillet me open. See you later today!
-
+ Expand All
-
test
-
Your having the stomach band deal done so soon?! Good luck, man!
-
What's the deal? It says you can put it in the cart then says they are no longer selling it. Is it not being released after all or what? One of my favorite movies of all time. I too can't believe some people don't love it. Bummed about no new or old extras, but can't wait to see it in high def.
-
what about the insider? gladiator? LA Confidential? M&C was okay but I admired its craft more than I really liked it. Enjoyable but kinda forgettable.
-
Not because I'm planning to upgrade to Blue Ray (because I don't), but because I know that by the end of the year we will get a brand new boxset with part 4 anyway and who knows what else will be in it?
-
ANY OF YOU YOUNGINS' AIN'T SEEN BUTCH & SUNDANCE, YET.....WELLLL, HURRY THE FUCK UP!
-
Blu-Ray movies with less extras than the DVD versions...Why? Why? WHHHYYYYYY!!!? I'm serious - this is happening way too much and on some really good flicks (ROBOCOP, MASTER AND COMMANDER, PREDATOR, the list goes on). Does anyone else find it annoying?
-
Yet again the Academy got it all spectacularly wrong.
-
Absolutely terrible. Bland crap.
-
Actually the lack of Blu-ray extras on so many recent releases isn't 'annoying', I used the wrong word. It's 'baffling'. When the decision is made to put a film out on Blu-ray how many individuals participate in that process? Surely one of them could chime up and say 'why don't we stick those documentaries from the DVD version on it too'. I don't care if it's the studio head or the work experience kid. Surely someone has the common sense to think of it. There are enough Blu-ray centric magazines, forums, and websites, all of whom are quick to condemn these crazy, lazy vanilla releases so why do the studio's keep making the same mistake. Are they utterly inept? I am baffled. Truly baffled.
-
Fuck I love that movie and I can wait to see it in high def. Sadly I haven't got the cash yet to get a blu ray player (probably get one in the next couple of months) but regular dvds still look great on my 37 inch. I'd say LA confidential is probsbly a better movie on balance but M&C is just a stunning movie to look at and the music is beautiful and god damn paul bettany has never been better.
-
Fuck George Lucas. If I ever meet him I will tell that double chinned piece shit exactly how I feel. He's nothing more than a greedy Hollywood pig, the very thing he said he was against he became. Enjoy that shit fest of a movie that is about to come out because you won't find me anywhere near the theater giving him anymore of my money.
-
Great movie hated by people who know nothing about this art.
-
If you ever meet Goerge Lucas, you´ll mumble and ask him for an autograph. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
-
Harry, you didnt actually believe that Butch and Sundance had the slightest chance of gunning down all those "Who ARE those guys?" fellas? The final shot, one of the greatest freeze shot in movie history (which in turn, made for one of the greatest posters of all time) suggests they went down in a blaze of glory! So how did you expect an older version of them?
-
Brilliant, brilliant film. In a better world, Weir, Crowe and Bettany would have made a whole bunch of these.
-
I'm happy with my first edition, thank you.
-
I assumed he just meant another Newman/Redford team up in a different film, not specifically another butch and sundance flick.
-
I agree with all of the Master and Commander love.
It's sad to read that there's no sequels in the works. -
Keep us up to date so we know how to pray for you when the time comes, OK? Oh, and ditto on BKat SK and M & C.
-
....uses old school subliminal advertising techniques to attract women to see the movie, because his gun holster is used to represent his phallous. No one wears their holster in their crotch, its typically at their side. But his holster is not only at his crotch, but it is empty to signify that the gun is unnecessary in fact, because he's packing a cock.
-
not many other films can claim to be flawless. The Godfather 1 & 2, Terrence Malick films, and most of Peter Wier's catalogue.
-
I remember seeing posters for this film and judging by the title and Russell Crowe wrote it off as a pseudo-epic in the vein of Gladiator (a passable but ultimately unworthy film). How wrong I was. This isn't just an action film dressed up in period clothes, it's a film about a time and place. I would love to see a sequel (isn't it based off a series of books?). It would be great to have Weir return as director and find a new role for Harrison Ford. Would that be asking too much?
-
I just thought I'd join in the love. It's criminal the way this film went overlooked, and the fact that we're not getting more of the books (yesrbatty, it was a series of books) adapted.Funnily enough rbatty, I was talking to my flatmate about it last night, and he passed on it originally for the same reasons you did (I guess the marketing was defective), but I've convinced him now to sit and watch it on DVD.
-
All of a sudden you are disagreeing with everything Harry does/says, wonder why that is?Master and Commander is a very solid movie.theycallmemrglass - Harry wasn't saying that they would play THOSE exact characters again, he was just hoping for ANY movie for them to be in together again.
-
I was under the impression video could exist in its native standard definition on a bluray disc if it was never high-def to begin with.
-
WITNESS
-
all the MASTER & COMMANDER love here. I was afraid I was going to have to defend its awesomeness. Its pretty much the only movie Crowes done that I actually enjoyed and saw that he was a good actor. I wish this series took off so we could have had more adventures, there is like 14 books or something? Rather then the fucking gay pirate movies. Also Weir needs to make more movies. But at the same time he doesn't need to Wolfgang Peterson himself. Does anyone have any idea about what Pattern Recognition is about?
-
Would be Shinobi, even though I don't have a BR player. That film is not only gorgeous to look at, it is exceptionally well written, the actors are amazing, the CG is perfect and the glorious fight scenes compel you to rewind so frequently it can take 5 hours just to finish the movie.Easily one of the best Asian movies ever made.
-
half that movie is fucking retarded burt bacharach musical montages. the performances are what redeems this movie and even then they are a little silly - just ridiculous mugging everywhere. peckinpah would do these types of stories far far better in the ensuing years. (esp. the lighthearted-yet-still-tragic ballad of cable hogue) at least george roy hill redeemed himself with slap shot...
-
My brains got locked in one channel there. Harry probably meant in the vein of Kirk and Burt, or, Lemmon and Matthau. But I think its best to leave the last collaboration of a great pairing in their prime. We can be grateful they collaborated twice in 2 great films.
-
Save for ninja movie. Fucking Netflicks holding teeth hostage still. Also anyone else notice on the Indy DVD commercials they make it seem like Indiana Jones have never been released on the DVD?
-
That's Lucas for you. Did we really need a new non-HD release of the Indy trilogy? I bought the SW trilogy on VHS three times. Like a total chump. And put Shinobi in your Netflix queue ASAP. You won't regret it. I'll personally give you back two hours of your life if you do.
-
May 13, 2008 7:44:21 AM CDT
Finally got around to some of Harry's picks last week
by hawaiian organ donor
And I found The Golden Compass to be a complete meandering bore. Was there a single scene in the movie that didn't feel like they were making it up as they went along? One thing is making an interesting movie that isn't conventional, another is making a movie so tedious it makes you want to stick your head in a conventional oven.
-
flip discs. Because I haven't had good experiences with Universal flip discs actual working in any of my DVD players. Those are the only ones I've ever had problems with.
-
And no Jericho Mile, The Keep, Rolling Thunder, Twisted Nerve, Bigger than Life, Johnny Guitar, Park Row, or Underworld USA.
-
I too love this movie. I agree that this is Russel Crowe's best movie. Haven't seen it for a long time. I'll have to watch this again post-haste!
-
One of the funnier animations that this site has come up with. Great going Cartuna. Although, if Harry were to fall on a truck, I reckon the whole truck would be crushed. This one's funny though, despite the liberties you took with physics and all.
-
...was The Insider. Then again, that movie also showcased best performances by Pacino and Plummer, too. And it's definitely Michael Mann's best piece of directing.
-
May 13, 2008 8:24:14 AM CDT
Romper Stomper is another great Crowe film
by nomoredirtyjokespleaseweareyanks
Neonazis bustin heads in Melbourne, Australia. What a fucked up movie. From the early teen skinhead rooting the fat, ugly nazi at the crazy party, to the epileptic psycho chick who has a fit and a Nazi just mimics her.AHAHAHAHAHA
-
Harry, you know that the movie is in trouble when World War 2 is more magical than Narnia. Its not close at all to being near perfect. I mean c'mon, that movie was bad. Just admit it.
-
"And well… the Burger King on Horseback moment at the end… isn’t quite." Harry, I have no idea what the fuck you're saying.
-
What is the difference between the new Indy box-set and the one I already have? I believe the new one says "for the first time on DVD." I'm confused. That sounds like bullshit advertising to me. As for Master and Comander, I don't get the love for that movie, but there seems to be an overwhealming boner fit for that. Maybe I should check it out again this week.
-
May 13, 2008 8:34:31 AM CDT
and yeah, Narnia sucked lion-sized balls
by nomoredirtyjokespleaseweareyanks
Everything was just so .....average.
-
Indiana Jones was only ever fun boys' own stuff, brilliantly executed, but in the end just a joke. STAR WARS was an entire mythology, uneven perhaps but with lots of thought behind it, and a message etc. STAR WARS is INFINITELY the more interesting, complex world. INDIANA JONES is just fun.
-
that film gets better everytime I watch it. It actually produces tears from me now.
-
I remember seeing that on the old weekday midday matinee program. What an odd concept, but original. An alien lifeform that was crystalline and killed accidently just by doing what it did naturally...grow. And what more can be said about Shrinking Man? A fifties favorite that ages very little (the process work is very "mattey", but the giant props are great), and holds up very well today. That film may have been the cause of my arachnophobia....BTW are these new transfers that are anamorphic? I hate getting classics that don't fit my widescreen.
-
Harry,
do you actually watch any of these films before you review them. every other site on the net is saying the transfer of butch cassidy is shit and is full of dirty and crap. its anything but stunning -
More these, please.
-
If a movie convinces me to get a Blu-Ray player its probably this.
-
If HD didn't fail, you can bet your ass these new Indy releases would have been released on HD DVD. Now its just another tie-in cash grab before they are released on Blu-Ray mid fall timed with the Crystal Skull video release...not that the studios haven't milked Evil Dead, Star Wars, LOTR, Terminator 2 video releases before..
-
Slow day at work as well? Hopefully Shinobi isn't on wait forever. Is there anyway to tell Netflicks that you want to just wait for a film rather then skip it over and over again? Like two weeks ago though, a bunch of my very long wait movies got shipped, and i was like sweet. Maybe Netflicks felt bad for me. Its not due to lack of movies, my list is like 300 strong, but thats mainly because I'll browse through and just add shit. Now though it seems like it doesn't matter what I have in my queue, if its in my top ten its up for grabs as to what they send me.
-
I see that I have Seven Swords coming up (maybe?) on my netflicks. Is that movie any good? If it is which is better, Swords or Nobi?
-
Regardless, its still one of the best movies ever made. Karl Malden has some great moments in this! Watch the opening for a young Richard Jaekel who tries to out draw Peck. The film also has one of the best endings in a western.
-
May 13, 2008 9:47:18 AM CDT
Master and Commander was brilliant Crowe and Bettany
by crichtonastronut
were genius together. Loved the kid who'd later be on Rome too.
and the epic cinematography and sound mixing were what BluRay 1080p and 7.1 surround were meant to show. Not having this in BluRay would be a waste of a highdef system. Though I totally agree that it's a fucking bitch that they slack assed on the extras, at least put the DVD collectors edition extras on the BluRay release, it's suppose to be an upgrade, not an it's nice, if only it had all the shit the old release had. -
Argh, it angers Rickey to no end that they still haven't released this flick on DVD...!
-
Good to see I'm not alone on that one. It is an amazing film.
-
Emasculating, yes..but gay?
-
There have only been two actual versions of the SW trilogy released and the second dip was the two-disc sets that contained the original non-SE versions of each film. The new Indy set, like the SW re-release, allows people to buy the films individually or together. All things considered, Lucas and company haven't milked these films anywhere near what other companies have done with certain movie, such as Halloween, Evil Dead, etc. Pretty much every film nowadays has a least two versions on DVD so I don't see this Indy Jones re-release as any type of attack on our wallets. Despite what Harry claims, this new version is the exact same transfer with a few extras added.
-
On another site it was posted that a 3 hour cut was shown recently of THE KEEP. Not sure if this was true or when a DVD will be out. I'm still waiting for a Anamorphic version of TRUE LIES or THE ABYSS or SPIES LIKE US to come out on DVD. WTF! its 2008 so why put out non-anamorphic DVDs? Did the film negatives for those movies burn up or something? The STUDIO lost money on THE KEEP so I can see why they are in no hurry to spend more to re-master it to DVD.
-
I just saw a box set with almost those same movies at the Dollar General for $5.99. All of them have to be in public domain by now, so actually you could probably download all of them from Google free and legally.
-
Had too many titles. Is is M&C or The Far Side of the World? Which one????
-
Who thought master and commander was THE underrated movie of the last 10 years...
the second greatest Russel Crowe film not to win Best Picture. -
is the sound! I often showcase my surround system with the first 10 minutes or so of that movie. That sheer quiet leading up to the explosive attack - simply outstanding sound effects editing, for which it most deservedly won an Oscar. I may need to go buy that Blu-Ray player now just to check it out now in full HDMI 7.1 glory. I agree with many posters that this is truly great film and largely overlooked, though not by the Academy that's for sure. 10 nominations!
-
I bought the first set, but missed the second. Fun, fun stuff. Remember watching these movies as a kid when TV stations actually would show such movies, instead of lame ass infomercials.
-
Not only is it a brilliantly made film with an excellent cast, gorgeous cinematography and a cracking story but it is also the film I always use when setting up friends sound systems for them, it quite simply has some of the best sound design I have ever heard, you can actually hear the cannonballs flying through the room.
-
Great minds eh
-
You act like people HAVE to buy every set Lucas releases. Re-releasing DVDs before a big sequel release is just smart business. He'd be an idiot NOT to do it. I'm not going to buy them, because I already have the previous set. Problem solved.
-
is great too. Another largely overlooked film. I guess Weir in general tends to be overlooked because, like Mallick, he takes the poetic approach to film and thus isn't as popular with the general moviegoing public.
-
Yeah, even as good as the sound is on many of the event movies in my collection, nothing really holds a candle to those cannonballs flying through the room. It is the ultimate test of the sound system.
-
YYEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!! The Monolith Monsters!!! The Land Unknown!!! Good gravy, how I've waited for these two...
Ahh...the Lord is good. -
Actually, it's a busy day at work, I'm just not doing any. The stack of paperwork on my desk is now so large I had to shoo away King Kong an hour ago.I don't know ow to get Netflix to deliver what I want sometimes. I've seen it ship a title way down the list even though everything in front of it is "available."Seven Swords is OK. Like most Asian films, it's disjointed and never really has the payoff you're waiting for. But for Asian movie aficionados, it will hold you over until the good stuff becomes available.
-
As Lumberg once said, "Yeah, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that . . . "
-
when WILL anamorphic copies come out for True Lies or The Abyss..Fox Video, we're looking at you. Cleric, I may be still reeling from the laserdisc years, when Star Wars was released in a CAV format, CLV format, fullscreen, widescreen, then widescreen, then THX widescreen,etc.etc.etc.
-
just underscores how much the new movie is going to suck.
-
Harry doesn't do the monster package justice; all of these have neat stuff and a reason to watch them. Tarantula isn't great, but it's not bad. Two things to notice; (1) Leo G. Carroll who went on to The Man From U.N.C.L.E and (2) the plot, which was echoed by an episode of Jonny Quest a decade or so after. The Incredible Shrinking Man was always an "A" movie to me; a classic science fiction story done pretty darn well. Had some strong subtexts and things you DON'T get in a "B" flick. The Deadly Mantis compared very well to 'THEM!", the giant ant movie with Whitmore and Arness. There's a scene where the mantis hits a bus on a foggy highway...totally freaked me out as a kid at the drive-in. For this price, you'd be nuts not to get the set. Heck, you can always re-gift it if you don't love some or all of these!
-
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN for adults.
-
Don't want to know how it was done???..Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out..a model head fashioned in layers of wax, a hot air gun, an undercranked camera.....
-
Harry Gregson Williams' score for Narnia is what I consider to be one of the best scores ever. I've listened to it just about everyday the past few years, and grabbed the Prince Caspian one at midnight last night. Well, to each his own...
-
One of the most amazing movies ever.
-
Seriously, has a better movie ever been made?
-
Ummmm YEAH! LOTR3, what are you retarded? OH and Crash. DUH!
-
May 13, 2008 2:45:29 PM CDT
M&C. 20 finished novels in series. Bullshit that only one film
by gawdfather
Truly the greatest historical fiction ever written. Hell, some of the best fiction, period, of the latter part of the 20th century.
Great film, superbly cast and directed, but I wish they did Master and Commander, the first novel in the series, on its own; where a young Jack Aubrey gets his first command and meets one Dr. Maturin for the first time.
The first 8-10 novels in the series (which are the best, imo) could have been combined into about 6 films. Oh well. Maybe sometime in the future... -
why no sequel yet? the cliffhanger ending annoys me to no end. i watched it in the theater, and i wont waste my time with it again unless they make another. so im the douche?
-
best performance. And he's had many. But I agree Master is a very special film thats not made very often anymore.
-
It's insulting. What is it that finally made us all convert from tapes & albums to CD? Bonus tracks! And from VHS to DVD? The extras! The commentary! The promise of multiple-angle porn! And what's the draw of Blu-Ray? "The masses will upgrade because they have been trained to consistently upgrade." Fuck you. Give me a reason better than higher definition picture my blind eyes can't perceive anyway. I think it's time we demand extras that cannot be found on regular DVDs or else we're a buncha suckers.
-
... you don't laugh at all watching those SNL's from the 70's. Just not funny anymore.
... Master and Commander was the best and there should have been 2 or 3 sequels by now. -
May 13, 2008 3:33:59 PM CDT
Disgustipitated...your enthusiasm is almost selling me...
by www.valiens.com
Why are those flicks great? I don't think I've seen them.
-
this is one of my all time favorite films.
-
Fuck off you twit. Lots of people care about what Harry is about to go though. It's going to change his life. So grow a heart.
-
For those that are wondering he is getting lab band surgery. He has been working out and has lost 41 lbs. But as we all know Harry is a big guy. So he is getting the Lap band to help change his metabolism. and help him control his eating. I am sure some people here will bitch about the lap band but the dude wants to walk again so give him a break. He was 417 and is now down to 376. Give the guy some positive feedback would you.
-
bad acting, bad direction, bad sound...BAD EVERYTHING, hated it, loathe it, can't stand it, GOD THAT MOVIE SUCKS!
juuuuust kiidiing never saw it, I was just blown away by the fact that every single person on here is showering it with love and affection, that does not happen on AICN, I thought it looked kinda lame just because I'm not really into the whole setting of it, but after all this praise I might need to check it out -
what harry meant with the burger king/narnia bit?
-
With all the positive views now I will.
-
and I really need to go to typing school. Damn.
-
Probably the best film I've seen in theatres for the past 10 years. I think it was totally mis-marketed. The three studios had spent so much money on it I think they tried to sell it as "Gladiator" on a ship. I don't think that helped as the film is less of an action picture and much more of an adventure yarn. It's about interesting characters traveling around the world doing interesting things: The doctor's trip to the Galapagos and the debates on evolution, Midshipman Hollom's Jonah status and the mysteries of the sea, Aubrey and Maturin's Narcissus/Goldmund relationship. M&C has some of the most seamless CG of any film I've seen. The opening battle in the fog and the Surprise rounding Cape Horn are amazingly well done. According to the Collector's edition DVD Weir sent a second unit around Cape Horn during a storm just to capture footage of the water to incorporate into the sequence. As stated above, the sound design alone is reason enough to see the film. Weir always has an impeccable ear but the dynamics on display are a real treat for anyone with a decent surround setup. M&C is without a doubt one of the best sounding standard dvds out there. The 7.1 Blu Ray should be astounding. Just a very classy film.
-
The extended cut does not add too much more footage overall, but the little bit of added violence to get it above the G rating makes a huge difference to the dramatic tension. A much better film.
-
It's the theatrical, I'll still hold to my 4-disc edition...
-
Okay, Pirates were pretty fun, but more stuff like Master and Commander would be awesome. Anyone see that Horatio Hornblower miniseries? It's actually pretty cool. I saw a few of the seasons and enjoyed them alot. The honor and way of life was so different back then, it's darned intersting to see. My favorite was one where Horatio (played by Ioan Gruffuld or however his name is spelled) is being court martialed and the entire story is told in flashback. Very good acting and writing in those.
-
...to validate any sequels. Pity, that situation is.
-
I totally agree gotham_night. Master and Commander is the best Star Trek movie that never was. You could literally take the screenplay for that film and switch out all the proper nouns and have the best Trek since Wrath of Khan.
-
there's nothing quite like it. The romance, the adventure, the copious amounts of man-love. Ahem. I mean, the opportunity for new discoveries. Ahem. Ahem. Yes, nothing quite beats it (like an unspoiled cabin boy). Ahem. Ahem, ahem. Sorry, gentlemen, I think it best I leave this TB until I've cleared my, ahem, head a little bit. Pardon. Pardon.Truly amazing the love for M&C though. I'm just used to the posts descending into obnoxious bashing at this point.
-
Which is shocking because the AICN talkbackers are usually either largely negative or split on movies. This almost unanimous praise has me confused that why is the one movie I hate, everyone else loves? I'm an outcast!
Mostly, I didn't like it because it's awesome exciting battle at the beginning of the film had me excited for more, only to find myself in a long, slow story afterwards with finding new species of birds and crabs and shit. After the beginning battle, I expected them to maintain the pace.
Maybe I should watch it again..........but I wont. -
Is beyond great. We need some sequels.
-
C'mon! Nobody rags on that?! How many fucking Ninjas could I ever want?! Are they female? B/C then I'd want thousands of them. Male? None.I'd like to disagree about Master and Commander but I, too, think it's a great flick and have it in my collection *snooty*. The middle wasn't that bad. Captain Jack had the choice to keep up the chase or allow the Doc to recuperate. That's selfless! That's noble! That's love!Harry, we're glad you cut back on the comma usage but you've created another problem with the overuse of dashes and ellipses. Call it "grammar police" if you so choose BUT most of us have learned to read with proper punctuation. It actually aids the reader's comprehension and prevents them from having to re-read the same thing over and over again to try and figure out what the hell the writer is saying.
-
Any chicks in it?
-
One of the best films I've ever seen. Nominated for 10 Oscars, and was robbed (that's right, ROBBED) of almost all of them by Return of the King. If only it hadn't been THAT year...
-
The distributors decide when a movie is re-released. It's like how people who will like Indy will credit Spielberg and people who hate it will blame Lucas.
-
Mole People is the best!
-
from the TV series and Burton films is the main badguy in Mole People btw.
-
seriously. that ending ruined it for me. it obviously was meant to be a series... its sad that it is just another eragon or golden compass. if no more get made, it just seems such a waste. i cant watch it again, knowing that it ends as a cliffhanger. so i hated it. alot of people hated it, so it made no money, so no sequels. pity.
-
Russell Crowe will never be stretched as far as he was in his back-to-back Aussie films Romper Stomper and The Sum of Us. Film isn't just Hollywood, y'know (although the unions would have you think it SHOULD be)...
-
I just realized I don't own Master and Commander. I bet my mom does though, i'll have her send it to me. Its so funny going from the poo flinging back and forth of the Speed Racer TB to this where everyone can agree about Master and Commander. Now Harry what about that fucking Frontiners movie? Should I waste my time with it? French horror has been pretty fucking bad ass lately, does this continue that trend? I feel that you should at least say if a movie is crap or not if they bought ad space on your site. You used to, do they make you sign some agreement now saying, if you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything at all?
-
Go here:
http://tinyurl.com/4q8o82
Also look atthe related videos.
Now look at the end scene of TLTWTW. Harry thinks older Peter looks like a Burger King mascot imitator because of his costume.
-
Saw it with my family and my buddy, who we had spent the privious summer sailing in the carribean. My dad loved it, me and my buddy loved it. My mom flat out was snoring during it. My girlfriend I found out thought it was boring as well. Girls just can't stand men movies. They hate big dumb guy movies like Old School and 300, but then when there is a more contemplative grown up man movie, women are bored.
-
Glad to see there's such love for the film. By the way, M & C was the reason I wanted Peter Weir to take over the Hobbit directing duties.
-
..its magical that their house is bombed and that boring old house is magic too? What? How is that more magical than a talking lion?
-
Movieplex has westerns on Saturday morning. Including Rifleman, I think.
-
If you liked the film, read the books by Patrick O'Brian. Stick with them, even if you find the nautical lingo hard-going at first. They are absolutely wonderful. Really, deep, wise, rich literary books charting the friendship of Aubrey and Maturin over fifteen years of war.
-
It captures the essence of life at sea so incredibly well. The waiting. The tension. Expecting the enemy to turn up any moment, while the notorious life at sea eats you up from the inside out. The film captures this spot. on.
-
agreed with you on the LOTR trilogy so much. so bloated and hollywoodized. The first one was watchable since it was about characters and had Sean Bean, the darkest too, the next two became games of World of Warcraft. Remember that army of Lysterine soldiers flying all around? Legolas shield-surfing? Boy did Jackson fuck up! just awful.
-
I like the LotR movies just fine, but that's in spite of A LOT of flaws. Master & Commander was 100% perfection, INCLUDING the ending, which I didn't really see as a cliffhanger. I knew they'd get the guy, but I thought the point was that this is their life - it's ongoing. There will always be some mission, or some directive, or some ship to chase. I didn't think they were setting it up for a sequel, but I'd be thrilled if they decided to make one some day (which, I know, won't be any time soon since it bombed). The Insider may have been Crowe's best performance (yeah, Romper Stomper was good too), and I just love The Insider to pieces, Master & Commander is definitely his best film (and probably always will be. How do you top perfection?). It was so good it gave me a greater appreciation for other films I'd seen by the people involved (like The Truman Show).
-
sorry 'bout all the parenthesis in my previous post.
-
Loved it. Why would you want the fantasy world to look realistic and well worn Harry? It is a FANTASY world of the children's making...of course it would be pristine for the most part. Great adaptation IMO and those that found it dull would probably find the books dull also.
-
missing extras.......obviously so they can release a second version later, with all the extras that simply should have been in there in the first place. fuckin' milkers! Master and Commando is the first film I actually DO want to see on Hi Def, it is a stunning movie... is Apocalypse Now out on HD yet?
-
My wife thought M&C was all kinds of holy awesome, as did I. Not all girls are the same I guess. WTF is with the Blu-ray? It shoulda shipped from Amazon yesterday. Grrrr...
-
and Master and Commander ain't no LA Confidential, by far and away the greatest film Crowe had anything to do with. It's a Newtonian Fact.
-
"The lesser of two weevils" immediately knocks it down to 99% perfection. Though I must say, its usage of Mozart's Violin Concerto Number 3 does give it extra credit.
-
I can't find it in stores, and while Amazon says it's in stock, it won't let me put it in the cart. Arg! I want to see Captain Jack (the real one) in HD!
-
You can't read 3 posts above you?
My ship date says the 19th. Grrr. -
BECAUSE it was so lame, since they were clearly drunk (mostly) old guys who were living in another century. They were so into it, it cracked me up. So yes, I count that my "perfection" analysis
-
May 25, 2008 7:09:13 PM CDT
Women love M&C and not because of Crowe-lust either
by numbersafternumbers
Ie. Series7, your generalisation is incorrect (as is the one concerning "MEN" movies).
Not to write a full review here, but M&C was 10/10 for me and my X-chromosomes the first time I saw it and somehow it has still gotten better with each subsequent viewing. IRL nobody I know, men or women, likes it except me. This makes me desperate enough to go on a comment-ramble at the most fleeting mention of it online. Sorry.
Oh, and anyone who loved the movie is bound to love the novels, and vice versa. Seriously, read. It's like having Blu-ray inside your head.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 325 total posts 322 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 106 total posts 106 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 63 total posts 60 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 74 total posts 58 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 159 total posts 51 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 47 total posts 41 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 161 total posts 34 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 488 total posts 33 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 121 total posts 23 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 70 total posts 20 posts