The Notebook (New Line Platinum Series)

Amazon.com

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

Description

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

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

Customer Reviews:

SAME OLD STORY NEVER TOLD SO WELL!.......2007-09-12

This sweet little love story rises above all it's cliches because of the likable stars and story that moves along briskly. The love story in sad enough, but the Alzheimer's angle really tears your heart out! I watched this because my wife wanted to watch it on our anniversary. I was surprised how much I liked it.....so guys don't squirm too much if your babe wants to watch this one, it's a good story and I admired Gosling's tenacity and devotion to his true love. One of the better romances I've seen in a while, so I rate it 4 stars, but it's definitely a 5 tissue movie! This was mostly because of the Alzheimer's part of the film, it's a tragic disease and having dealt with it in my family it was a little too close to home. The DVD transfer looks very good and the are some interesting extras.

BEST.LOVESTORY.EVER. Ryan Gosling is AMAZING!.......2007-08-31

I fell in love with not only this beautiful story but Ryan Gosling!!!! This is just a fantastic movie and I really can't find better words to describe it. Watch it. Own it. Love it forever!! It is my all-time favorite!!

I'm still a sucker.......2007-08-27

...for these tear jerkers. This movie will go down as a romance classic- a forbidden love about two people from the wrong side of the tracks-Romeo and Juliet for the 1940's, if you will. This film hits all my cheesy love spots and turn up aces with me. McAdams/Goslin were great as well as Garner and Rowland. This is a must see for all Chick movie lovers. Highly recommended.

~Have a box of tissue handy~.......2007-08-08

Although I'm not going to give away any spoilers ... this is a love story like no others. I think that everyone can relate on some level to this movie. You will fall in love with this couple & become drawn in to their story. I recommended this to my mother who after the movie called up crying her eyes out. Even my husband enjoyed this movie. If your looking for a movie that will make you laugh, cry & touch your heart ... this is a must-see.

Beautiful Tale Well Told.......2007-07-25

If you haven't read the book, the movie will not leave you feeling short changed.

A marvellous story about lovers, life and loss.

Highly recommended.

If you're interested, once you watch the movie, read the book The Wedding - it is the follow up from The Notebook.

Nicholas Sparks ROCKS!!

Average customer rating:

Surprisingly GOOD !!
This to me was a sleeper
The Pros/Cons of Scarlett the movie...
Blue-eyed Rhett, brown-eyed Scarlett?
Did they even read the book?

Scarlett
Starring: Joanne Whalley , Timothy Dalton , Barbara Barrie , Stephen Collins , and Annabeth Gish
Director: John Erman
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005N912
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

This soapy but highly watchable television "sequel" to Gone with the Wind, the most popular Hollywood movie ever made, has nothing to do with memories of a vanished antebellum South. But it does end up in Ireland, where the determined Scarlett O'Hara Butler (played with frosty passion by Joanne Whalley-Kilmer) turns hard times into an opportunity by buying the ancestral home of her family. Before that happens, however, Scarlett fights to win back the estranged Rhett Butler (manfully portrayed by Timothy Dalton), often seen in the company of other women, struggles for control over the homestead Tara, and gets caught in yet another compromising position with poor Ashley Wilkes (Stephen Collins). The troubles never stop (Scarlett's Ireland adventures land her in a heap of trouble from which only Rhett can save her), but this TV miniseries wisely keeps the focus on these captivating characters, their entangled histories, and the collective destiny that refuses to part them. The show also looks good: the location scenes in Ireland are particularly handsome, and there is something unaccountably satisfying about seeing Scarlett and Rhett walking through peaceful green hills. Enjoy. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly GOOD !!.......2007-09-01

If you like "gone with the wind " North and South, you will love this!!
Highly Recommended!!

This to me was a sleeper.......2007-08-30

I think Scarlet is one of the best movies I've ever seen. The first time it is hard to get used to the new lead. I am so used to them now it is hard to watch GONE WITH THE WIND. Gone with the wind had no closure, Scarlet gives that closure. I watch this movie over and over. I've worn out my copy, and am fixing to reorder it. During to the time lapse between the movies, I'm sorry folks but they could hardly have Clark Gable, whom I love, or vivian Leigh. If you like long movies this is for you. The finish to a great romance.

The Pros/Cons of Scarlett the movie..........2007-08-26

First of all there are a lot more cons than pros, but somebody did go to the trouble of adapting the book to the screen even if it was the small screen. For a hardcore Gone With The Wind Fan this movie may be too much to fathom. I've read GWTW and Scarlett twice. Now, this is the movie so I won't go into the book issues.

The pros: The costumes are pretty amazing. Timothy Dalton does a surprisingly good job as a rough Rhett Butler. The movie itself is entertaining enough and easy to follow. I wouldn't consider it a worthless piece of tripe and wasted celluloid space so it gets an average 3 stars from me. If you can sit through five hours of movie it's pretty ok. I will admit I liked the end of the movie better than the book. It expanded more on Rhett's relationship with Cat and life with Scarlett once they were reunited.

The cons: Well lets face it, there's no outdoing the original. Gone With The Wind is a classic and it's in the top 100 movies ever made list. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer grates on my nerves in the beginning and also Scarlett's emerald eyes didn't show up in this movie. Ever heard of color contacts people? Hello!!! But eventually after a couple of hours I got used to Joanne's Scarlett. The creative license the screenwriter and director took in adapting this movie from the book is ridiculous. First of all, the scene where Scarlett looks at herself in the mirror and is appalled at the vision and then breaks the mirror with the liquor bottle happens a lot earlier in the book... like before she went to Charleston to win back Rhett. But that's a small liberty and who cares when it happens. The biggest issues I have are in the latter half of the movie in Ireland. First of all old Katie Scarlett dies. Second there was an old "witch" who helped Scarlett give birth on Halloween. Third the whole Fenian brotherhood subplot was completely destroyed. Why include that if they were going to completely write it out when it was in the book until almost the very end!!! Fourth Colum didn't get killed by Lord Fenton. Fifth Lord Fenton was not the evil man they portrayed him as and he never raped Scarlett. Scarlett was NEVER on trial for murder in the book. That was taking interpretation beyond anything normal or right. I was really irritated at that... even yelling at the tv about how that wasn't in the book! I understand you have to leave some things out or the movie would be 10 hours long, but seeing as how it was 5 they should have stuck a little better to the story. Why completely change the plot?

Overall if you like period movies with sappy, suspenseful romance plots that are around 5 hours long then this is the movie for you. If you are looking for a true sequel to the original movie in the same splendor don't hold your breath. Even if you are looking for a movie version of the book don't expect much. In my opinion it's watchable - at least 2.5 stars worth but half stars aren't an option so I was generous.

Blue-eyed Rhett, brown-eyed Scarlett?.......2007-07-29

I was sorely disappointed in this mini-series. It was not true to Alexandra Ripley's book, which in turn was not true to the original GWTW. The whole murder and trial plot line was bizarre. Why did Belle Watling appear in Charleston? Rhett with blue eyes, Scarlett with brown eyes? Whoever wrote the screenplay was not familiar enough with the original material to realize what details were just not meant to be messed with. Okay as a television drama, but it doesn't live up to its association with GWTW. If you love Gone with the Wind, the characters of Rhett and Scarlett, or just want to see the screen adaptation of the book Scarlett, avoid this movie, you will be disappointed too.

Did they even read the book?.......2007-07-29

So poor quality that it is embarrassing that they call it a "sequel" to Gone With the Wind. The story line is very weak and completely follows a re-write from the novel.

Average customer rating:

Underworld

Underworld (Unrated) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Kate Beckinsale , Erwin Leder , Bill Nighy , Michael Sheen , and Scott Speedman
Director: Len Wiseman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000TGJ80I
Release Date: 2007-09-25

Product Description

In the Underworld, Vampires are a secret clan of modern aristocratic sophisticates whose mortal enemies are the Lycans (werewolves), a shrewd gang of street thugs who prowl the city's underbelly. Noone knows the origin of their bitter blood feud, but the balance of power between them turns even bloodier when a beautiful young Vampire warrior and a newly-turned Lycan with a mysterious past fall in love. Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman star in this modern-day, action-packed tale of ruthless intrigue and forbidden passion all set against the dazzling backdrop of a timeless, Gothic metropolis.

Customer Reviews:

Underworld.......2007-08-07

Region 1 only??? BOOO! region free plz... what about us antipodians?
seen the regular dvd, ( 4 stars) liked the theme

Average customer rating:

Amazing!
Serendipity - Need I say more
Back in the day movies!
Throw Caution to the Wind!!!
One of a few chick flick movies on my shelf

Serendipity
Starring: Kate Beckinsale , John Corbett , John Cusack , Jeremy Piven , and Molly Shannon
Director: Peter Chelsom
Manufacturer: Miramax Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CY6M
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Amazon.com

The irresistible casting of John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale highlights this predictable romantic comedy, which combines the romantic yearning of An Affair to Remember and the New York charm of You've Got Mail. It all begins "a few years ago," when New Yorker Jonathan (Cusack) meets Brit beauty Sara (Beckinsale). They share a few perfect hours together before parting ways, leaving future encounters to her quirky obsession with fate. "A few years later," they're about to marry their respective fiancés (reluctantly, of course), and urgently hoping for destiny to bring them back together. Under the casual direction of Peter Chelsom (barely recovering from Town & Country), this starry-eyed romance offers no surprises, but it has a comforting familiarity, made warmer by the easy chemistry of the leads, with obligatory best-friend support by Molly Shannon and long-time Cusack pal Jeremy Piven. It's hokey, but die-hard romantics are sure to be forgiving. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Irresistible stars John Cusack (AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS, HIGH FIDELITY) and Kate Beckinsale (PEARL HARBOR, BROKEDOWN PALACE) are drawn together and take a chance on love in this critically acclaimed romantic comedy! In the course of one magical evening, Jonathan (Cusack) and Sara (Beckinsale) meet unexpectedly ... then part without expectation when she decides they must let fate determine if they are meant to be together. Years later, they are both engaged to others but cannot give up the dream that -- despite time, distance, and the obstacles that conspire to keep them apart -- they will one day meet again. Also starring Jeremy Piven (THE FAMILY MAN, VERY BAD THINGS) and Molly Shannon (SUPERSTAR, NEVER BEEN KISSED) in a stellar supporting cast -- you're destined to agree with audiences everywhere who fell for the surprising charms of this delightful big-screen romance!

Customer Reviews:

Amazing!.......2007-08-23

Amazing movie - romantic comedy but surprisingly entertaining!! Highly recommend!! (even my boyfriend liked it!!)

Serendipity - Need I say more.......2007-07-15

Romantic love story that all women secretly wish would happen to them!! I love Kate Beckinsale, it was nice to see her in a romantic love story. Great movie about the power optimism.

Back in the day movies!.......2007-06-18

I love this movie its a great love story that deep down would happen to all of us! C'mon guys Kate Beckinsdale shes hot!!!!!

Throw Caution to the Wind!!!.......2007-06-13

Theatrical Release Date Oct. 5, 2001
DVD Release Date April 9, 2002. (91 Minutes)
Director: Peter Chelsom
Writer(s): Marc Klein

The Casting of John Cusack(Jonathan) and Kate Beckinsale(Sara) is Perfect!!

A Wonderful Romantic Comedy between Two New Yorkers in New York City who spend a couple of Magical Hours together. To Test Fate, Sara writes her Phone number on a (Used Book Title: Love in the Time of Cholera), Which Sara sells the next day at a Used Book Store.

Jonathan writes his Phone Number on the backside of a Five Dollar Bill in a Pink Marker Color!! Then, Sara uses the currency to purchase a Candy from a street vendor that Night allowing Fate to determine if they are meant to be Together!!

They are suppported by a Wonderful Cast. You will see many familiar faces once you watch the Movie.
Some of the Supporting Cast includes: Jeremy Piven(Jonathan's BestFriend), Molly Shannon(Sara's BestFriend), John Corbett(Sara's Fiance), Bridget Moynahan(Jonathan's Fiancee) and Eugene Levy(Retail Sales Associate) to mention a few.

The Movie gives HOPE to Single people seeking the "ONE". Serendipity also addresses Couples that need to lite their Fires Again!!!

The Movie implies that "By Throwing Caution to the Wind, You are allowing Fate to Decide your path in Life." This practice of Understanding will make you more aware that "Once Doors Closed Windows will Open."

This Movie enforces my thoughts of "Forget the Past and Future, Live the Present Moment!! You can only enjoy this Second of Time!!

Remember that their are Windows and Clues all around us but one must look and believe!!!

Enjoy the Movie and Relax!!!

One of a few chick flick movies on my shelf.......2007-04-03

CD quality is good. No any scratch on CD. Shipped fast with Super saving option.

Average customer rating:

Racist Film with more MISrepresentations of Native Americans
Which is worse, the historical whitewash, or the fact that it's dead boring?
Overall enjoyable
Great dvd
Pochahontas

Pocahontas (10th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Irene Bedard , Judy Kuhn , Mel Gibson , David Ogden Stiers , and John Kassir
Director: Mike Gabriel , and Eric Goldberg
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007KTBIU
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

Disney's take on this historical confrontation between European settlers and Native Americans follows the paths of two future lovers. One is British adventurer John Smith, who travels the Atlantic with the Virginia Company to establish Jamestown. On the shore is Pocahontas, a typical Disney heroine: bright, beautiful, mischievous, and motherless. The two meet in the untamed wilds of America (the first meeting is quite divine), fall in love, and try to ward off the warring factions. It's Disney's version of a Native American West Side Story. Two Disney trademarks do not quite muster up: the villain isn't hissable and the score's only high point is the Oscar-winning "Colors of the Wind." Calling it "historical" is a stretch, but Disney created a very natural look at the two cultures. The Native American characters are handled especially well, and kids should be intrigued by their world; the movie is a far different lesson from the one their parents and grandparents learned. Disney has discovered a few things, though: you don't have to kill to solve your problems, and you can end the film without a happily-ever-after, illustrated by a touching final visual. (Ages 5 and older) --Doug Thomas

Description

All the music, adventure, and colorful fun of Disney's POCAHONTAS come to life like never before in the 10th Anniversary Edition 2-Disc Set. Bursting with all the "Colors Of The Wind," POCAHONTAS tells the story of a free-spirited girl who wonders what adventures await "Just Around The Riverbend." Pocahontas -- along with her playful pals Meeko and Flit -- relies on the guidance of her loving and wise Grandmother Willow when English settlers arrive on the shores of their village. Her chance meeting with the courageous Captain John Smith leads to a beautiful friendship that bridges the gap between two cultures, and changes history. Now fully restored, POCAHONTAS includes the song "If I Never Knew You," and never-before-seen animation seamlessly integrated into the original film. This 2-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition is loaded with spectacular bonus features, all-new games, and soaring Academy Award(R)-winning music (1995 Best Original Musical Score, Best Original Song, "Colors Of The Wind"). Disney's POCAHONTAS is a fun-filled adventure your whole family will enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

Racist Film with more MISrepresentations of Native Americans.......2007-09-02

I really don't have time to write out all the consitencies. Just google "The Real Pocahontas" and you will find many critiques of the film. To begin with...that wasn't even her real NAME!

Which is worse, the historical whitewash, or the fact that it's dead boring?.......2007-08-28

Disney puts a pretty face on its rather ugly retooling of historical and biographical fact by laying on enough textual PC correctives to appease most of the thenthitives out there, and maybe even a few of the people who have some real reason to be offended. (And, yes, they do have reason.) This doesn't help it as a movie, though - and neither does the tiresome and mushy romance angle that slurps up a lot of the screen time. Great pains were reportedly taken with the animation, which I found to be competently uninspired by Disney standards of the period. A key color scheme associated with the character Pocahontas is an unfortunate mash of purples, pinks and golds - a color combination most recognizably associated with Barbie. This Pocahontas is, in fact, something like the genetic offspring of Barbie and a fictionalized historical figure - grown in a medium of touchy-feely new-age sentiment (emphasis on the touchy). I could probably forgive it any faults, though, if it were any good as a movie.

Really, this is material Disney should have left alone. They might have actually had a more entertaining film (albeit a more offensive one) if they had felt free to treat the story LESS respectfully. They might have also had a better movie if they had treated the material with the kind of respect it actually deserves, but is simply way beyond their ken creatively and intellectually. What we get is Disney as a bull trying hard to gingerly tippy-toe around a china shop that it has no business being in in the first place.

A similar schizophrenia plagued their ill-advised adaptation of a famous Victor Hugo novel in the same period, when the studio was evidently nurturing some loftily outsize artistic aspirations, but the result was so grotesquely perverse that it actually ended up being worth seeing - if only for the jaw-dropping 'what were they smoking at Disney' quality. (It also had some truly impressive animation.) 'Pocahantas' is not in nearly poor enough taste to provide entertainment on that level, but it's still in way too poor taste to be accepted or respected on the terms it gropes for. If nothing else, it proves that political correctness doesn't equal real sensitivity - nor does it make for interesting cinema.

Anyway, this one fails pretty miserably. Even if you can get past the inherent offensiveness of Smith and Pocahontas hooking up (according to history, if they ever did it was in what would now be considered a combination of statutory and actual rape), the execution of the romantic element here ranges from excruciatingly dull at best to... {insert puking noises}.

I don't always demand accuracy in portraying people who actually lived. I cringe when ignorant people present as history details of the Marquis de Sade's life that they could only have culled from the highly fictionalized 'Qillls.' I enjoyed that movie, though, (never saw the play) and so I was willing to forgive the fact that it was actually straight-up hogwash as both history and biography - even knowing that the facts of the man's life are actually more dramatic and interesting than than the mostly invented and over-the-top story in 'Quills,' I forgave it. It was an engaging two hours with some fun performances, so I let it go. And when people who have been exposed to it prove repeatedly that they are depressingly given to accepting what they see in a movie as fact if they don't actually know any better, I don't blame the movie, I blame THEM.

My recent experience with the dreadful 'Lonely Hearts' was another story, however. The transformation of lonely, insecure and famously obese serial killer Martha Beck into a sexually confident femme fatale hottie played by Salma Hayek felt like a gross betrayal. Not that a creep like Beck (or Sade, for that matter) deserves anyone's reverence - but the changes were typical Hollywood, they made her less interesting and more banal, and, as a character, she no longer made any sense. (Hayek's man-jumping vamp is clearly NOT the type that would need to look in the lonely hearts pages for a mate - but her presence does allow for loads of photogenic sex scenes that pass for character development. My brother has said, by the way, that he "would DO Pocahontas," but I don't think they drew her that way on purpose, do you? :| ) Making that character conform to a Hollywood standard (stereotype) was symptomatic of the film's overall slick ineptitude and gutlessness. If it had been a better movie, would I have forgiven the inaccuracies? Almost certainly - but after two excellent (non-Hollywood, natch) films that strove to interpret that character faithfully (and were all the more fascinating for it), 'Lonely Hearts' would have had to pull out some serious magic to get by with that. (I don't see it as a possibility, since that particular character interpretation was born of an imaginative bankruptcy that infected every aspect of the script.) Given the dismal situation for actresses in Hollywood who aren't built like Barbie, I would have liked to have seen some outrage over 'Lonely Hearts'' (mis)casting.

'Pocahontas' is another can of beans, entirely. As someone else put it when it came out, imagine a movie in which Anne Frank falls for, and runs off with, a German soldier. That's not overstating it by much. Let's say somebody DID make that movie. Would that be bad? Of course. What if it was actually an exciting and entertaining movie? Personally, I feel it is the responsibility of the viewer to NEVER take what they see in the movies (or on TV, or in the news, etc.) at face value - and if they do, that is a failure of the culture they live in. (F A I L U R E, people.) I have nothing but disgust for parents who use the TV and the computer as a babysitter without instilling any kind of media awareness in their kids (pointy finger: you know who you are... I hope) - but they probably know no better themselves how to evaluate what they absorb. So if the 'Anne Frank in Love' film were real, and if it were actually good, I'd probably recommend it as cinema, but it would be a heavily qualified recommendation. (See my review of 'Cannibal Holocaust' for an example of a VERY heavily qualified recommendation.) I am not the kind of jackass who feels obliged to run down Leni Riefenstahl's remarkable talent just because she made movies for Hitler. Hitler, the monster, at least had some taste to choose her. Now let's say for a moment that the 'Anne Frank in Love' movie got made, and that it's main target audience was CHILDREN...

Hmmmmm...

Well, the one star rating here isn't because I don't respect the movie's approach to history, it's because, first and foremost, THE MOVIE BLOWS... and I don't respect its approach to history, either - particularly given the target audience.

If you show this to kids (not that I can see them being engaged by it, but okay), it demands A LOT of context and explanation. (Or you can just go ahead and BE an irresponsible parent. Most evidently are these days.)

Overall enjoyable.......2007-08-23

I rate this straight down the middle. The music is pretty nice, as well as the animation but the story struck me as mediocre. Perhaps because the writers took great liberties in re-writing history. Still, I did for the most part enjoy watching it. I havent seen it in a while and probably won't but if you love Disney, then definetely watch this.

Great dvd.......2007-03-11

My favorite Disney movie of ALL time and this is a wonderful DVD! It has extras on a second dvd and the scene of Pocahontas and John Smtih singing together was added back in! GREAT DVD!!

Pochahontas.......2007-03-07

great storyline - a bit of history in animation . teach the children while watching a great film. The music is very well done and a great film to watch.

Average customer rating:

Always
Reminiscense
Fantastic score... wish they left the oldies stuff off
Always
Always

Always
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss , Holly Hunter , Brad Johnson (II) , John Goodman , and Audrey Hepburn
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000IQW5
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Amazon.com

Considered by many to represent a low point in Steven Spielberg's career, 1990's Always did suggest something of a temporary drift in the director's sensibility. A remake of the classic Spencer Tracy film A Guy Named Joe, Always stars Richard Dreyfuss as a Forest Service pilot who takes great risks with his own life to douse wildfires from a plane. After promising his frightened fiancée (Holly Hunter) to keep his feet on the ground and go into teaching, Dreyfuss's character is killed during one last flight. But his spirit wanders restlessly, hopelessly attached to and possessive of Hunter, who can't see or hear him. Then the real conflict begins: a trainee pilot (Brad Johnson), a likable doofus, begins wooing a not-unappreciative Hunter--and it becomes Dreyfuss's heavenly mandate to accept, and even assist in, their budding romance. The trouble with the film is a certain airlessness, a hyper-inventiveness in every scene and sequence that screams of Spielberg's self-education in Hollywood classicism. Unlike the masters he is constantly quoting and emulating in Always, he forgets to back off and let the movie breathe on its own sometimes, which would better serve his clockwork orchestration of suspense and comedy elsewhere. Still, there are lovely passages in this film, such as the unforgettable look on Dreyfuss's face a half-second before fate claims him. John Goodman contributes good supporting work, and Audrey Hepburn makes her final screen appearance as an angel. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Always.......2007-08-16

Not only was this item in excellent condition, delivery time was at it's best. The product was received in less then four days. I would definately order from this murchant. Thank you.

Reminiscense.......2007-04-11

I leanded how to pilot a plane at Hemet Ryan Field in Hemet, CA and I know that the PBY in this film belonged to Venable Flying Serive and that MAKES this film more special to me than anything........

Fantastic score... wish they left the oldies stuff off.......2007-03-20

I would have preferred more of the etherial Williams music and less of the oldies and country stuff. It's a very good score... very sedate stuff for the most part (and hushed, too... you have to crank the music to hear some of Williams' music)

Always.......2007-03-11

Wonderful movie. Great flying scenes and a love story the ladies will love!

Always.......2007-03-11

This movie is a great story of love and loss. If you liked Ghost, then you'll love this flim its the aviator version of that story. This film has an alstar cast Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman,Audrey Hepburn. Always is about daredevil firefighter pilots that fly planes to help put out forest fires.

The Phantom of the Opera (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Wonderfull!!!
Movies
Holds true to the Broadway musical
I was enchanted
Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Gerard Butler , Emmy Rossum , Patrick Wilson , Miranda Richardson , and Minnie Driver
Director: Joel Schumacher
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0007TKNL0
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song).

Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.

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Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties.

DVD Features
The special edition of The Phantom of the Opera has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.

The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --David Horiuchi

More on The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)
The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)

Evita (DVD)
Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD)
More Broadway DVDs

Description

Musical Drama based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical phenomenon. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When he falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:"No-one Would Listen" Approx. 4 Mins.
DVD ROM Features
Documentary:Behind the Mask - The Story of the Phantom of the Opera
Easter Eggs
Featurette:The Making of The Phantom of the Opera in 3 Spellbinding Acts: Preproduction, The Director, Production

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfull!!!.......2007-09-12

First,I have to say that I have not seen the Broadway version of The Phantom of the Opera. However, I have listened to the CD of the Broadway version many many times. I checked this movie from my library. I absolutely loved this movie. The opening scene draws you into the story. I loved Gerard Butler's acting and singing in this movie. I think he did a wonderful job with the part. Emmy Rossum also did a wonderful job as well.

Movies.......2007-09-04

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I love musicals and this one touched my heart. I gave it four stars only because I didn't want it to end.

Holds true to the Broadway musical.......2007-08-29

I've seen Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway production and traveling production of this play. The movie holds true to both and actually makes the play easier to understand. The storyline is strong, the music well done, and the acting superb. Even though this is a love story, this isn't a chick flick. I thoroughly appreciated it. And you will too.

Oh, and the video quality is second to none. I compared this version with the version that came on HBO HD, and the picture was superior on the HD DVD. It was a clear-cut improvement, but the edges were more well-defined on the HD DVD version. The sound quality is also superior. A big bonus when you consider all the singing going on.

I was enchanted.......2007-08-26

I never understood the lure of "Phantom." Friends who'd seen the stage version all raved about it, but when I saw it I was left with that awe they'd all had.

Until I saw this movie... I don't know what it was about it, but it captivated me. I can watch it again, and again, and again and still want to see it yet again.

Phantom of the Opera.......2007-08-23

This is one of my all-time favorites. Everything about it is first class -- Music, sets, costumes. The story is beautiful. Gerard Butler was a splendid choice for the role of the Phantom, Emmy Rossum (both beautiful and a superb singer), multi-talented Patrick Wilson, to name a few of the many stars. They all contributed to a memorable film.

Average customer rating:

It's Like Pain You Can Watch
wow
The Lake House (Widescreen Edition)
New "Classic" Romance
I love it !

The Lake House (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Keanu Reeves , Sandra Bullock , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Christopher Plummer , and Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Director: Alejandro Agresti
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HEWEE4
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Amazon.com

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock pair up again in what could be described as the anti-Speed: The Lake House, a sweet, relaxed-paced, whimsical romance. When Alex Wyler (Reeves, The Matrix) moves into an unusual glass house on stilts over a lake, he discovers a note from the previous tenant in the mailbox--but no one's lived in the house for years. He replies and soon discovers that he's corresponding with a doctor named Kate Forster (Bullock, Miss Congeniality) who's writing from two years in the future. Their correspondence turns romantic and their paths cross in unexpected ways, but when they try to truly connect, danger looms. Though the plot of The Lake House sounds potentially static, the movie is skillfully structured and, despite some truly awful dialogue, will exert an emotional pull on anyone willing to embrace the device of the time-travelling mailbox. What the movie really demonstrates, though, is the genuine rapport between Bullock and Reeves; Reeves, though handsome, has a wooden presence--but in his few scenes with Bullock, his stiffness transforms into a palpable yearning. On-screen chemistry is slippery and hard to define, but these two have it. --Bret Fetzer

Description

A lonely doctor (Sandra Bullock) who once occupied an unusual lakeside home begins exchanging love letters with its newest resident, a frustrated architect (Keanu Reeves). When they discover that they're actually living two years apart, they must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

Customer Reviews:

It's Like Pain You Can Watch.......2007-08-28

This is one of those movies that seems like it has a neat premise, which it does, but it's executed about as skillfully as a cripple riding a half-pipe. If you enjoy predictable, ham-fisted romance with just enough of a clever twist to make yourself feel like you're more intelligent than the people who liked "Black Book," than this is the film for you! If, on the other hand, you don't enjoy having an assault of suck on all of your senses, avoid this movie at all costs.

wow.......2007-08-27

I sat in the theater watching this film...and well, I sat in the theater watching the film and tried to understand what was happening to me. The final scenes were clicking into place and all around me people were hushed into irreverent silence.
Then suddenly the actors appear on the screen in what will be the climax of the movie. Behind me an elderly lady begins to cry into her sleeve and I am over come. I too begin to sob. Huge racking waves of hysteria flood out of my body and my cheeks are wet from thick torrents of hot tears.
Here is where you need to pay attention and understand...
I am crying because this was the most ridiculous, useless, pointless, unemotional, waste of time and space, movie I have ever seen.
I am not going to tell you play by play of why, or what could have been done... or maybe it was an editing thing. The truth is that it was not in anyway, shape or form redeemable. This is that movie you see and then have forty minute fantasies of going to the actors homes personally and asking for your ten dollars back, because you certainly won't see the last three hours of your life again.

If you want a great love story with a tiny pinch of supernatural... read "The Time Travelers Wife."

The Lake House (Widescreen Edition).......2007-08-24

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves are terrific in this movie---if only it could truly happen!

New "Classic" Romance.......2007-08-24

Being an avid fan of romance, I absolutely loved this movie. The acting is superb and the plot keeps you guessing the outcome until the end. I own this movie and watch it every chance I get. Love it!

I love it !.......2007-08-23

People tend to get too caught up in how this could possibly be happening (The characters are in two different years corresponding with each other. She is in the year 2006 and he is in the year 2004.), and totally miss the wonderful love story.
This is one of my favorite movies, but then I again so is "The Lady in the Water" and a lot of people don't see how clever that is, so I have a different view.

Average customer rating:

If you have the DVD, don't buy the Blue-ray: Terrible image quality!!!!
Poor Blu-Ray Transfer
Terrible image transfer quality. Don't purchase.
This HD sux
An unexpected love story

House of Flying Daggers [Blu-ray]
Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro , and Andy Lau
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000EZ7ZYK
Release Date: 2006-06-20

Customer Reviews:

If you have the DVD, don't buy the Blue-ray: Terrible image quality!!!!.......2007-08-23

The PS3's images are too bright and blurry. I have to change the TV video mode from Vivid to Standard. The DVD upconverted to 720p/1080i from Zenith DVB318, looked BETTER than the 1080p image coming from the PS3 through HDMI!
Sony should recall this Blue-ray . . . .
Kung Fu Hustle Blue-ray looks/sounds excellent.

Poor Blu-Ray Transfer.......2007-07-06

I think Sony should remaster this film. The blu-ray transfer quality is very poor. On 50" plasma, it look much worse than other WB blu-ray movies. The video quality is only slightly better than the regular DVD.

Terrible image transfer quality. Don't purchase........2007-06-07

This is listed on many sites as having among the poorest image quality of all Blu-ray disks (bottom tier). It's a real shame, too, because this movie is filled with stunningly gorgeous shots filled with color and life. It looked to me as if the transfer was done from a poor-quality copy of the master. I am almost certain they will re-release this on Bluray one day with better picture quality, as has already been done with 5th Element and Superman. Don't buy this unless they do!

This HD sux.......2007-05-08

I got this dvd because i was excepting sweet HD and didn't get it. The quality of the picture wasn't much better than a DVD. The storyline was okay but as far as next gen disks go it lacked.

An unexpected love story.......2007-03-09

I purchased "Flying daggers" thinking it would be an interesting and beautifully filmed action movie. while it is that, I was surprised at the depth of the love story that propels this movie forward. It seems more a fable of old, a story meant to convey a moral lesson and it does and I found myself truly enjoying (and missing) this genre. I would highly recommend this movie. Just be aware that it is not an all-action tale but rather an very sweet love story with some very cool fight scenes.

Average customer rating:

beautiful and gravity-defying......
I don't remember much
Best Martial Arts Film Ever
Disappointed...
Not The Best Martial Arts Movie

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Starring: Chang Chen , Chow Yun-Fat , Chang Cheng , Cheng Pei-Pei , and Sihung Lung
Director: Ang Lee
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CXR4
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Amazon.com essential video

Hong Kong wuxia films, or martial arts fantasies, traditionally squeeze poor acting, slapstick humor, and silly story lines between elaborate fight scenes in which characters can literally fly. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has no shortage of breathtaking battles, but it also has the dramatic soul of a Greek tragedy and the sweep of an epic romance. This is the work of director Ang Lee, who fell in love with movies while watching wuxia films as a youngster and made Crouching Tiger as a tribute to the form. To elevate the genre above its B-movie roots and broaden its appeal, Lee did two important things. First, he assembled an all-star lineup of talent, joining the famous Asian actors Chow Yun-fat and Michelle Yeoh with the striking, charismatic newcomer Zhang Ziyi. Behind the scenes, Lee called upon cinematographer Peter Pau (The Killer, The Bride with White Hair) and legendary fight choreographer Yuen Wo-ping, best known outside Asia for his work on The Matrix. Second, in adapting the story from a Chinese pulp-fiction novel written by Wang Du Lu, Lee focused not on the pursuit of a legendary sword known as "The Green Destiny," but instead on the struggles of his female leads against social obligation. In his hands, the requisite fight scenes become another means of expressing the individual spirits of his characters and their conflicts with society and each other.

The filming required an immense effort from all involved. Chow and Yeoh had to learn to speak Mandarin, which Lee insisted on using instead of Cantonese to achieve a more classic, lyrical feel. The astonishing battles between Jen (Zhang) and Yu Shu Lien (Yeoh) on the rooftops and Jen and Li Mu Bai (Chow) atop the branches of bamboo trees required weeks of excruciating wire and harness work (which in turn required meticulous "digital wire removal"). But the result is a seamless blend of action, romance, and social commentary in a populist film that, like its young star Zhang, soars with balletic grace and dignity. --Eugene Wei

Description

An epic set against the breathtaking landscapes of ancient China, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, combines the exhilarating martial arts choreography by Yuen Wo-Pind (The Matrix) with the sensitivity and classical storytelling of an Ang Lee film. The result is something truly unexpected: romantic, emotionally powerful entertainment.

Customer Reviews:

beautiful and gravity-defying.............2007-08-12

In all honesty, it is really hard for me to review the DVD version of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON because I believe this film is really one that you must see in the movie theater to experience the full effect of its marvelously directed splendor. Ang Lee [EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, THE WEDDING BANQUET, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY] did a brilliant job with this modern day masterpiece. Inspired by the wuxia genre of Chinese film, we see beautiful action sequences, featuring "flying" actors and actresses [suspended from seemingly invisible wire], fighting scenes high in the canopies of trees, and even a love story. This is truly eye popping entertainment and features a wonderfully dynamic and charismatic cast (including Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Chang Cheng). CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON began a tidal wave of wuxia style film releases in the United States--including THE HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS. For me, this was the best film of its kind and I am so glad that I saw it! I just hope that they re-release this film on the big screen, so, more people can come to appreciate the fine attention to detail and seamless direction that went into making it so extraordinary.

I don't remember much.......2007-07-12

I don't remember much but I remember thanking the person who recommended that I see this film and I loved the scene with the woman jumping from house to house. It was awesome.

Best Martial Arts Film Ever.......2007-06-22

Everything has already been said about this film, so I'll put only a short review here.

Why did I use the superlative in the title? Because it seems to be true for me. (The second place belongs to House of Flying Daggers [Region 99].) The story line is not very strong, but much better than you may see in this genre. The romantic threads do not make it too schmaltzy, and the visual design is simply excellent.

Disappointed..........2007-05-28

Although I enjoyed Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi (as always), I didn't enjoy this movie hardly at all. I couldn't believe this was the movie that got such rave reviews and was Oscar nominated etc. I don't say that foolishly, stating that I dislike the movie when really I dislike the genre. That's not it. I just much prefer films like "House of the Flying Daggers" and "Hero" to this one.

Not The Best Martial Arts Movie.......2007-04-05

the cinemotography is pretty good i this movie, but the plot was raw. This movie was okay.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)	The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)	The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)
Evita (DVD)	Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD)	More Broadway DVDs