Lawrence of Arabia (Single Disc Edition)

Amazon.com essential video

There's no getting around a simple, basic truth: watching Lawrence of Arabia in any home-video format represents a compromise. There's no better way to appreciate this epic biographical adventure than to see it projected in 70 millimeter onto a huge theater screen. That caveat aside, David Lean's masterful "desert classic" is still enjoyable on the small screen, especially if viewed in widescreen format. (If your only option is to view a "pan & scan" version, it's best not to bother; this is a film for which the widescreen format is utterly mandatory.) Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I. Lean orchestrates sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking action, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform Lawrence into a legendary man of the desert. Lean traces this transformation on a vast canvas of awesome physicality; no other movie has captured the expanse of the desert with such scope and grandeur. Equally important is the psychology of Lawrence, who remains an enigma even as we grasp his identification with the desert. Perhaps the greatest triumph of this landmark film is that Lean has conveyed the romance, danger, and allure of the desert with such physical and emotional power. It's a film about a man who leads one life but is irresistibly drawn to another, where his greatness and mystery are allowed to flourish in equal measure. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

cinematic masterpiece..........2007-09-06

what more can be said about one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces in film history. The kind of film that could never be made today. Peter O'Toole is astonishing, Omar Shariff is mesmerising, Anthony Quinn amazing. The score by Maurice Jarre is legendary. The bigger the screen the better the viewing. There are some cinematic shots here that will literally take your breath away.

Surprising quality.......2007-09-02

The quality of this DVD surprised me. I did not expect such a long movie to come through so clear and sharp when recorded to a single DVD.

there once was Arab glory.......2007-08-21

When I first saw Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 I was 26 years old. I knew very little about the history of WWI or the Arab Middle East. Nonetheless the movie was riveting. Now seeing it again at age 70, with some accumulated knowledge of both subjects, it is truly spellbinding. This has to be one of the greatest films ever; perhaps, the greatest.

Whatever one's political persuasion about the present turbulent Middle East and The West's role in it, one can gain a feeling, an insight into the people and region from this film that simply cannot be depicted in print.

The modern media images we have of Arabs today are as either fat, bloated Saudi royals, ragged street people in a rage, insane suicide bombers, or down-at-heel scrofulous politicians. We hear of a time when there was an Arab "glory" but it is unimaginable given the present sorry state of the Middle East.

It's difficult to conceive of physically fit, courageous, self-reliant Arabs, not merely surviving, but thriving in their natural environs; the vast and unremitting desert. The film imagery of the agile camel rider Omar Sharif and the robust horseman Anthony Quinn is stunning. This is a new perception, that of Arab as athletic, splendid-looking and master of his domain. Sharif as warrior/dreamer and Quinn as warrior/strongman, in the best roles of their lifetimes, will forever change your image of "the Arab."

I've nothing to say about Peter O'Toole's quirky portrayal other than it doesn't interfere enough with the rest of the production to keep this from being the great movie that it is. I think a perfect companion read would be David Pryce-Jones, "The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of The Arabs." HarperCollins 1991.

What, no sub-titles?.......2007-08-20

This was one of my favorite movies years ago, which proves its excellent worth, for there are no women in it! No love interest! And you don't realize it, you don't miss it at all! GREAT movie!

BUT - I won't buy it on DVD unless it has English sub-titles. Otherwise it is of little use to me in my old age! The description of the DVD says nothing about sub-titles; does that mean there are none, or is their lack of mention merely an oversight??

Susan

You can't watch it once.......2007-08-19

So much happens and so much of what happens to him explains the beginning. Very exciting, breathtaking cinematography, music fitting for this epic film

Independence Day (Single Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

one of the great sci-fimovies of all time
Ignore Naysayers. GR8 FLICK!!
The Fight For Survival Has Begun...
What is the backlash?
MST3K Fans Rejoice -- Rifftrax is Here!

Independence Day (Single Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Will Smith , Bill Pullman , Jeff Goldblum , Mary McDonnell , and Judd Hirsch
Director: Roland Emmerich
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005V9IK
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Product Description

On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos. A number of enormous objects are on a collision course with Earth that are revealed to be gigantic alien spacecraft. After attempts to communicate with the aliens go nowhere an ex-scientist turned cable technician discovers that the aliens are going to attack. On July 3rd, the aliens destroy New York, Los Angeles and Washington. The survivors devise a plan to fight back and July 4th becomes the day humanity will fight for its freedom. July 4th is their Independence Day...

System Requirements:

Running Time 153 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

one of the great sci-fimovies of all time.......2007-09-14

well judging by the the other reviewers. im in complete agreement...this generations classic science fiction motion picture. from start to finish ....well made , great, ahead of its time for yes its special effects and to a degree .....like some of the explosions of goverment buildings yet to be surpassed even by todays standards. you cant get a more exiting movie than this.....yes some of it is old fashioned and yes some of it is far fetched .....but thats fine....their should more like it. i was grateful enough to meet dean devlin in hollywood a few years ago and you could not meet a more graceful and kind gentleman ...it is not be chance this wonderful movie was one the great worldwide box office success.. the people will let you know . you cant help but cheer for it in spite of its self. in closing this generations ...classic science fiction movies. an all time great that will stand the test of time. thank you dean devlin and rolland emerich.

Ignore Naysayers. GR8 FLICK!!.......2007-09-12

How could anybody give this movie a low rating. The special effects were great. The action was fast moving from the very beginning to the very end. The plot was quite good with many twists. The acting was great. This is a 5 star movie all the way. One you will want to own and watch over and over.

Anybody that gave this a low rating does not know what a good movie is. This has everything and then some. A must see.

Of all the "Aliens Attack Earth" movies, I cant think of many as good as this one.

The Fight For Survival Has Begun..........2007-09-09

The existence of life outside of our planet is an idea that has long captured the minds of many people. The thought that maybe their might be some other forms of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe is a concept that is both alluring and somewhat frightening at the same time, mostly because no one knows what the aliens (if they exist, which I don't believe they do) would be like. In the movies there are a few instances where aliens are depicted in a benevolent manner; examples would be films like, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial", "Men in Black" (the good aliens), and even the 'Star Trek' series at times. However, the majority of the time when aliens are featured in movies they are malevolent creatures bent on our destruction, such as; "Men in Black" (the bad aliens), "War of the Worlds", and "Mars Attacks". One of the most successful entries into the alien invasion sub-genre of science fiction would be the visual effects blockbuster "Independence Day" starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum.

"Independence Day" begins on a day when all seemed to be normal in the world and another run-of-the-mill 4th of July weekend was upon us. However, when giant saucers begin to fill the skies above numerous big cities across the globe, everything quickly shifts from average to extraordinary. As humanity attempts to contact what is believed to be aliens residing in these giant ships, one former scientist turned cable repairman (Jeff Goldblum) discovers that these aliens are anything but peaceful, and as he warns the President of the United States (Bill Pullman), the aliens strike with deadly force. Now, with the attempted annihilation of the human race in full swing, our last hope rests upon humanity's ability to work together in the face of adversity, and on a daring mission led by a cocky pilot (Will Smith).

Here is a movie that beyond a shadow of a doubt, absolutely lives up to the term 'summer blockbuster'. What makes "Independence Day" such a great movie is not the fact that it is one of the best alien invasion movies ever made, of course that helps, but the mass appeal it has to such a wide audience. The film contains something for everyone; there's action, drama, romance, comedy, and of course, what would an alien invasion movie be without the prerequisite element of science fiction. All of those components when mixed together leaves audiences with an out of this world movie experience that they will undoubtedly want to enjoy time and again.

The acting for "Independence Day" was completely solid throughout, which was a pleasant surprise given the material of the movie and the fact that some of the actors aren't exactly known for their high-quality skills. Two actors that really surprised me by how good they were here were Bill Pullman as the President and Randy Quaid as a former alien abductee who's a little off in the head. Pullman surprised me because I hadn't really seen him do a whole lot of dramatic work, which was primarily his job in this film. All I'd seen of him were comedies, one was the Mel Brooks spoof "Spaceballs" and the other was "Casper", neither really tested him as an actor though, so I was surprised with how good he was in the role. And Randy Quaid, well he's done plenty of screwball comedies as wacky characters, so I knew that he could handle that aspect easily enough, but my fear was that he would ruin the movie by taking it too far into the stupid direction. Surprisingly, Randy played things with just the right amount of crazy without going overboard, and he even handled the dramatic aspects of his character, that appear later into the movie, with an earnest sincerity that was refreshing to see. Probably the biggest surprise in the movie was Will Smith's performance, though he was but one part of an ensemble cast, whenever he was on screen he made the movie his own with relative ease. I wasn't convinced that Will could truly handle a somewhat lead actor role for a big blockbuster film, since his previous movie was the highly successful actioner "Bad Boys" with Martin Lawrence carrying half the load. But once things got going, Will proved that he definitely had what it took to solidify his place among Hollywood's A-list stars, and his continuing success within the film industry is evidence of that.

Now on to the one thing that all reviews of science fiction movies require, the critique on the special effects work within the film. Top-notch special effects work is a key component to making any good science fiction movie, if you don't get the effects right and just wow the crowd, the audiences will turn on you in an instant. But for the folks that worked on "Independence Day" this turned out to not be a concern for them. The effects in this film were so top-of-the-line at the time the film was made, that most hold up very well to this day, a little over 10 years later. There are a couple of scenes that don't look so hot though, one would be the scene in which Vivica A. Fox's dog must jump into the hallway to avoid being burned alive, when the fire passes behind the dog it's a really obvious green-screen effect, of course there was no other way to do the scene, but I've seen better work done in plenty of other movies. Secondly, the scene where the alien attacks the doctors that are examining it within Area 51, the alien's movements look a little too hokey. Too much like stop-motion animation with all the tendrils whipping around, the movements felt choppy, kind of like when you watch some of the old Christmas TV shows that use stop-motion animation, the movements are fluid for the most part, but there's a slight choppiness that makes them feel somewhat awkward. But, other than those two times, I really can't come up with much else that hasn't held up from the special effects department, which is why this movie is still a favorite for many movie fans, and continues to hold its place as one of the best alien invasion movies ever made.

"Independence Day" is rated PG-13 for violence, language, and brief sensuality.

What is the backlash?.......2007-09-08

What is with all the one stars?

This doesn't pretend to be a Sundance entry...it's just one heck of a good time. Lighten up, appreciate it for what it is and is meant to be, and enjoy.

MST3K Fans Rejoice -- Rifftrax is Here!.......2007-08-24

In every single one of the 900 million aliens-come-to-earth movies that had come before it the aliens were malevolent, bent on man's destruction, but Independence Day changed all that. Yes, the alien's were once again malevolent, but this time Judd Hirsch was in the movie! Never before had this even been dreamt of, putting Judd Hirsch in a film. It was a brazen move, one almost as stunning as casting Bill Pullman as the president of the United States as opposed to taking the obvious path and casting him as a guy at a Rapid Oil Change who says, "Ahead. Little more. Little more. Okay, stop." And never before in screen history had a person named "Vivica" done anything let alone attempt to act credibly in a movie role.

Not only that, Independence Day dares to feature one of the most ineffective inspirational speeches since those delivered in a bunker in Berlin in late April 1945.

For ID4, Mike is joined by both Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy, so in the words of Captain Jimmy Wilder, Kick the tires and light the fires!*

*If it wouldn't be too much trouble. And we'd like to thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in our tire kicking, fire lighting scheme.**

**RiffTrax is to be held blameless for any damaged tires, bruised tarsals or burnt property as a result of any tire kicking or fire lighting engaged in by the customer.

Average customer rating:

god awful
Brash, Class, And a Psychopath
ehh.... not bad
A psychological thriller with a shocking ending ...
Top notch thriller.

Seven (Single Disc Edition)
Starring: Brad Pitt , Morgan Freeman , Gwyneth Paltrow , Andrew Kevin Walker , and R. Lee Ermey
Director: David Fincher
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00011CZRE
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Description

A retiring cop and his replacement track a psychotic killer who's using the seven deadly sins as a guide. Starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Customer Reviews:

god awful.......2007-07-20

Disturbing, depressing, pointless let down. If they were trying to say something, I sure can't figure it out. I regret the time wasted watching it. I interpret it as yet another attack on Christianity from Hollywood's Left.

Brash, Class, And a Psychopath.......2007-06-25

Young Det. David Mills(Brad Pitt) and his pretty wife(Gwyenth Paltrow) have just transferred from smalltown USA to the big city. He is eager and rearing to go as he gets assigned to his first murder case("Ladies and Gentleman we have ourselves a homicide").

He is paired up with the reserved, ready to retire Det. Somerset(Morgan Freeman). Somerset wants nothing more than to wrap it up and get on with his life.But this case is not going away so easily, they discover this is just one of deranged serial killer's,"John Doe", long list of victims. The list includes victims that John Doe (can't tell ya who plays him or I'll have to kill ya) deems have committed one of the seven deadly sins.He tortures them first in a style that would be appropriate to their sin.

Mills and Somerset frantically work and research the case as they know there will be at least seven murders. Their research leads them to discover the most disturbed psychotic imaginable. In his apartment they find volumes and volumes of notebooks chronicling his descent into madness. This guy is right up there with Norman Bates, Hannibal Lechter and Jaws!Five murders have already been committed. Will they be able to stop him from committing the last two?? Or are they part of his plan too??

The film is one of the best Psychological thrillers I've seen. It was well directed by David Fincher. If I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I was jumping out of it. Even the title credits are bizarre. Freeman and Pitt were excellent in their roles.

You'll love the DVD.The picture and sound quality are very good .

Get lots of popcorn ready for this one!...........Laurie

ehh.... not bad.......2007-05-14

"Seven" deals with two police officers (played by thespians Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) who are trying to track down and bring to justice a killer, except this is no ordinary killer. It is belief of the killer that he was sent through divine inspiration to put to death anyone in violation of the seven deadly sins.

A psychological thriller with a shocking ending ..........2007-05-04

This is one of those movies that makes you cower in your seat as you cover your eyes repeatedly while viewing it. Real scary stuff; one of the most frightening in its genre.

This movie was well formulated and the cast well-chosen. Brad Pitt is perfect in the role of the young detective who wears his emotions on his sleeve, while Morgan Freeman is wonderful as the older, more patient but cynical mentor who tries to help the younger man.

Kevin Spacey plays the part of the insane killer who is on a misguided mission to save mankind from sin, murdering sinners to do so. He's great in this role, also, leading the detectives from one bloody, gory crime scene to another and another, until he turns the tables on them in a surprise move.

The ending, though shocking and unexpected, is a brilliant piece of writing, but it ruined the movie for me. I not only gasped at the ending, I cried for both detectives. The movie left me craving a happier, more equitable kind of justice, so I had to lower my rating to 4-star, despite the extremely high-caliber of the acting and the screenplay.

SIDENOTE: You may have noticed that Amazon has made some changes to its website. If it looks the same to you right now, look out for a new format that will be rolling out gradually in the weeks to come. If you can see the changes, especially the review format, I'd like to know what you think. Please leave me a comment with your opinion.

"Love the new look" or "Hate the new look" comments are perfectly acceptable.

My e-mail address is at top of this review. Thank you for your time."

Top notch thriller........2007-03-29

If you loved The Silence of the Lambs, 7 will blow you away. The last 30 minutes of this film are incredible. The twist at the end will make you gasp. What a flick. Don't miss it.

Big Trouble in Little China (Single Disc Edition)

Average customer rating:

You're not a real American unless you love this movie
One of my favorite movies of all time.
Best. Movie. Ever. Period.
Cheesy but entertaining!!
One of the greatest movies ever made!

Big Trouble in Little China (Single Disc Edition)
Starring: Kate Burton , Kim Cattrall , Chao Li Chi , Dennis Dun , and Jade Go
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000067J1G
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Amazon.com

Once you settle into the realization that this 1986 John Carpenter (Halloween) film is not going to be one of the director's more masterful works, Big Trouble in Little China just becomes a full-tilt comic blast. Kurt Russell is hilarious as a drawling, would-be John Wayne hero who steps into the middle of a supernatural war in the heart of Chinatown. While kung fu warriors and otherworldly spirits battle over the fate of two women (Kim Cattrall and Suzee Pai), Russell's swaggering idiot manages to knock himself out or underestimate the forces he's dealing with. The whole thing is dopey, but it's supposed to be dopey and Russell's game performance brings an ironic edge. Carpenter directs some nifty spook effects (the sudden arrival of three martial arts demigods from out of nowhere is worth applause), and he also wrote the music. --Tom Keogh

Description

Directed by thrill master John Carpenter, this edgo-of-your seat adventrue stars Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a tough-talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancee is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who mercilessly presides over an empire of spirits. Dodging demons and facing baffling terrors, Jack battles his way through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl. Co-starring Kim Cattrall, this effects-filled sci-fi spectacle speeds to an incredible, twist-taking finish.

Customer Reviews:

You're not a real American unless you love this movie.......2007-08-21

Big Trouble in Little China is easily one of the best movies ever made. John Carpenter is a genius and Kurt Russell plays his part perfectly as a completely rough neck truck driver. The characters are fun, well defined, and the movie is definitely humorous.

Tons of witty dialogue with a ridiculous and stereotypical Chinese mythical feel... and as a bonus it even has the really hot girl from Mannequin! Wow

If you haven't seen this movie you haven't lived life!

One of my favorite movies of all time........2007-07-16

This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Incredible sense of campiness and cheesiness with a beautiful delivery.

My friends have endless in-jokes from this movie. We say 'indeed' like Lo Pan, and often speculate on what could be better than a six demon bag. This movie is still funny after countless viewings.

Best. Movie. Ever. Period........2007-06-12

Just listen to the old Porkchop Express, alright? When you want to get the buddies together on a dark and stormy night and have a great time, all you need is some brews, some grub, and a copy of Big Trouble in Little China. This has got to be one of the greatest examples of a hilarious, great fun, buddy comedy-action flick ever devised. You will not be able to stop laughing. Your significant other will consider dumping you because you won't stop quoting it. You will never be able to stop doing the kung fu hand sign the good guys flash at each other during the flick. The greatest characters, most absurd dialogue, this one has it all. Go to the store right now and tell 'em old Jack Burton sent you for a copy. 'Nuff said.

Cheesy but entertaining!!.......2007-05-14

Cheesy but very entertaining. Very 80s. Not Curt's best stuff but very worth while viewing. His best work.............Captin Ron!!!

One of the greatest movies ever made!.......2007-04-11

Funny, action packed, martial arts, magic, monsters, great (but cheesy) dialogue - truly representative of the Golden Age of Movies (aka, the 80's). The first time I saw this flick, I watched it once a day for 30 days. Did I mention that this is one of many of great John Carpenter films?

Get with it, 'cause for this price, you'll be thanking me for your trip through nostalgia!!

Panic in the Year Zero/The Last Man on Earth

Average customer rating:

Cult Film Of "Legend"
Panic in the Year Zero / The Last Man on Earth (Midnite Movies)
Last Man on Earth, one of the greatest horror movies ever
One good, one OK
Great stuff

Panic in the Year Zero/The Last Man on Earth
Starring: Franca Bettoia , Antonio Corevi , Christi Courtland , Emma Danieli , and Carolyn De Fonseca
Director: Ubaldo Ragona
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000787YOA
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Amazon.com

Vincent Price gives an atypically restrained performance as the sole survivor of a worldwide plague that revives its victims as bloodthirsty vampires. During the day, he canvasses his abandoned hometown, tracking down and stalking his former friends and neighbors, always making sure to return before nightfall, when the dead rise to assault his fortified house. Hope arrives in the form of an apparently normal young woman (Franca Bettoia), but her agenda proves to be even more sinister than that of the vampires.

Based on the 1954 novel by coscripter Matheson (whose displeasure with the final product spurred the use of a pseudonym), this Italian-made production is best known for its influence on George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. The similarities between the two films go beyond the presence of shuffling zombies and housebound heroes; both feature taboo-breaking scenes of interfamilial murder, and both end on bleak, dystopian notes. While The Last Man on Earth lacks the political and darkly satirical shadings (and graphic gore) that make Night of the Living Dead a more memorable experience, the combination of Bava-esque Gothic atmosphere and bleak, documentary-style camerawork by directors Ragona and Salkow (the brother of Price's agent Lester Salkow) lend themselves to moments of pure frisson that compare laudably to Romero's film. Matheson's novel also provided the source material for the awkward 1971 Charlton Heston vehicle The Omega Man. A planned third version, helmed by Ridley Scott and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was shut down in its earliest stages due to skyrocketing budget costs. --Paul Gaita

Description

Disc 1 Side A: Panic In Year Zero WS Disc 1 Side B: Last Man On Earth WS

Customer Reviews:

Cult Film Of "Legend".......2007-08-10

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is one of those end-of-the-world sagas that posits the notion of what it would be like to live in a largely dead world after some ghastly war or plague with nobody else left. The twist here, taking its basis from Richard Matheson's classic 1954 novel "I Am Legend", is that you do have one human protagonist left alive, and a world full of things that want to kill him.

Vincent Price stars as Robert Morgan (though he is Robert Neville in both the book and the latter film THE OMEGA MAN [and the soon-to-be-released third version with Will Smith, under the author's original title]), the only survivor of a terrible plague that decimated Earth, and turned everyone into vampires. By day, Price goes out into the city to stake and burn as many vampires as he can. And at night, he must barricade himself against the hordes that prowl around his isolated fortress each night, including his ex-friend Ben Cortman (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart), wanting to get at him. Price tries to find a logical and scientific explanation for the vampire plague (explained in flashbacks to when the plague began); and in due time, he happens upon another survivor, a woman (Franca Bettoia) who seems to be normal. But there is a fairly diabolical twist that Bettoia turns out to have in store, for both Price and the vampires.

Often seen as a precursor to George Romero's 1968 horror classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and Danny Boyle's more recent 28 DAYS LATER, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, though very flawed in many aspects due to its rather low budget and its being filmed in Rome (Matheson's original novel is set in post-plague Los Angeles, as is THE OMEGA MAN), does have an extremely high creepiness factor that is very difficult for a lot of horror/sci-fi hybrids to come by, especially today. Price may not have necessarily been the ideal one to play Robert Morgan (one of the many reasons Matheson disavowed the film and used his pen name Logan Swanson for the screenplay credits), but he does a fairly good job all the same. The direction of Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo Ragona is fairly perfunctory for the most part, but certain scenes do stand out, including Price being caught outdoors at dusk after visiting his wife's grave; and Price having to see his wife come back from the dead as a vampire.

Matheson's novel remains one of the high points of both horror and science fiction literature (and without much doubt the greatest vampire story since "Dracula"), and ironically it has proven to be a fairly tough one to adapt and still fit Hollywood (THE OMEGA MAN differed wildly from the letter of the novel but retained the basic spirit of it; how the Will Smith version will fare is yet to be determined). But if one ignores the inherent flaws of this near-Poverty Row production, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH can easily be seen as a fairly good cult film of "legend."

Panic in the Year Zero / The Last Man on Earth (Midnite Movies).......2007-08-04

I've bought many of the MGM "Midnite Movies" titles in the past few months and they ALL have satisfied! Speaking just of the technical aspects, they have all been clean transfers. They have little extras that they could get away with not having (Theatrical trailers, occasional interviews) that I'd like to see more of. All in all, a good product.

Last Man on Earth, one of the greatest horror movies ever.......2007-07-21

Before Romero and Night of the Living Dead there was the Last Man on Earth. There are no zombies in this movie, they are vampires, but they movie slow and are pretty much the same thing you'll see in Night of the Living Dead. This is a true classic. A great post apocalypse movie. This is definately Vincent Price's greatest movie. Nobody could have played Nevilles part better. I cannot comment on this specific dvd version of it, as I have never seen it. However, there are enough comments on amazon to tell you that this is probably the most high quality transfer of this movie available. And its in the letterbox format. It will be nice to see the movie the way it was intended to be seen. I would love to see a colorized version!

One good, one OK.......2007-06-14

"Panic in the Year Zero" is an outstanding movie. It is as timely today as it was when made. "The Last Man on Earth" is OK and Vincent Price carries the day. It did show its European production style with a lot of fits and starts and no smoothness in continuity.

Buy the set for "Panic in the Year Zero" which is thought-provoking and a good survival primer. Watch "The Last Man on Earth" on a rainy day.

Great stuff.......2007-05-26

I remember seeing Panic when I was just a little (like maybe eight or nine years old) kid. It was on TV and I thought it was great. Having watched it now, as an adult and having grown up during the Cold War, I see just how great it really was. In a sense, it was visionary in its portrayal of society's reaction to a nuclear attack. Miland's performance was incredible as were the other actors in the film. Add to that fact that Miland also directed this film and I believe it truly shows the man's talents and genius. Yes, there was a level of nostalgia for me as I watched it, but the film points to some very significant issues that I feel we all need to address.

I have not yet watched Last Man but will do so soon.

Average customer rating:

[2.5]--"Make the money, don't let it make you."
AWESOME MOVIE...
Buy to look at Lisa Raye!
Great buy from a great buyer
Entertaining drama

The Players Club
Starring: John Amos , Monica Calhoun , Badja Djola , Judyann Elder , and Jamie Foxx
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305505780
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Description

Ice Cube (Friday) makes his directorial debut with this comedy about the inhabitants and employees of a steamy Los Angeles strip club.

DVD Features:
Music Video
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

[2.5]--"Make the money, don't let it make you.".......2007-02-16

When this movie first came out I thought it was a good flick but when I recently watched it again I wonder why. First-time director Ice Cube makes some pretty bad decisions in this movie, mainly in that his movie is dreadfully dull. You may wonder how a low-rent black version of "Showgirls" could be dull, but then you've yet to see "The Players Club." Personally this movie could have been made over twenty years ago starring Pam Grier. It's like that. Apparently, it's perfectly OK to perpetuate and even celebrate cuttingly negative stereotypes, but only if you belong to the minority you're exploiting.

In here we have Good girl Diana, played by Lisa Raye, who just wants to make enough money to finish college and do right by her baby. So she starts stripping at some sleazy dive. Much to her surprise, not everyone who works (or hangs out) at a strip club is very nice. The slimy owner of the club is played by Bernie Mac, whose back then performance is notable solely and not that funny because during that time Bernie's been great in small roles in his previous films. (Think of him in Friday or as Uncle Vester in House Party 3.) Bernie gets a subplot all to himself! He's a cheap and corrupt individual, so the local mob boss wants him dead.

For some reason, 2 Live Crew shows up at one point, acting like a band that's had a hit record in the past ten years. They must have stopped by to pick up a cup of ice and was invited to be in the movie. To be even a little fair, Jamie Foxx is pretty likeable as the club's DJ, and he gets to work some stand-up type material into his scenes.

The Players Club is a slow-moving and completely unoriginal movie. While some entertainment value could still be gained from a movie like that, no such luck here. You'll know every single plot point before it arrives, and when it gets there it's delivered in a bored fashion.

AWESOME MOVIE..........2005-12-23

I hate strippers, I hate clubs, but this movie was awesome...if you haven't seen it get it!

Buy to look at Lisa Raye!.......2005-11-22

Yo buy the dvd to look at Lisa Rayes fine body.it would have you drooling all day.Whoo.

Great buy from a great buyer.......2005-09-27

DVD is in perfect condition. Will by from this buyer again!

Entertaining drama.......2005-09-18

I don't know why, but I've always liked this film. Yes it's crass and everything that guy said, but it still doesn't fail to entertain. I'm white, sorry.. and bisexual (not sorry for that though hehe) but this is still one of my favorite films, mainly for the beautiful women, good acting, and the different characters. Diamond is beautiful and sexy, but tough and classy, and also smart about what she decides to do and not do. Ronnie is a complicated character because sometimes she is helpful and you almost want to like her, but other times she is lying, coniving, and betrays people who trust her. I think the reason why ice cube "kept it real" is mainly because he is a rapper and because of his image. He played kind of a thug up to no good. What did you think he would play a cop or something? I also really enjoyed the police spanking scene, that was hysterically funny. Another one of my favorite scenes, is when diamond first dances, and the other is when ronnie stands up after ebony gets off her lap and she has on a red cowgirl hat and thong, and as she walks away you see how nice her body is, and how nice her a** is, as well as how tall she is. And i loved her blond hairdo's. Too bad she was one of the crazy strippers that ends up getting her a** whoooped by diamond in the end. Another great scene. Which is why i never understood the term catfight because girls can be great fighters, i've seen some pretty brutal and vicious fights involving girls where fists are involved and broken noses, no nail scratching like most guys think. I once saw a fight between two new york girls outside a club, and the girl's head was being slammed into the cement over and over like a ragdoll. I didnt think a head could handle that much trama. The term catfight, is merely a sexist and stereotypical made up word by men. But anyways, this movie is entertaining, and i never get tired of it. This may be a guy movie mostly, but i'm a woman, and i like it!

Average customer rating:

The original is truly the best
Not wuite what I expected, but still very good.
One of the Most Influential Films of All Time
Jackson does it better
The Most Awesome Thriller Of All Time!

King Kong (1933) (Single-Disc Edition)
Starring: Robert Armstrong , Roscoe Ates , Reginald Barlow , Lynton Brent , and Bruce Cabot
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000EHQTZO
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Amazon.com

"Now you see it. You're amazed. You can't believe it. Your eyes open wider. It's horrible, but you can't look away. There's no chance for you. No escape. You're helpless, helpless. There's just one chance, if you can scream. Throw your arms across your eyes and scream, scream for your life!" And scream Fay Wray does most famously in this monster classic, one of the greatest adventure films of all time, which even in an era of computer-generated wizardry remains a marvel of stop-motion animation. Robert Armstrong stars as famed adventurer Carl Denham, who is leading a "crazy voyage" to a mysterious, uncharted island to photograph "something monstrous ... neither beast nor man." Also aboard is waif Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and Bruce Cabot as big lug John Driscoll, the ship's first mate. King Kong's first half-hour is steady going, with engagingly corny dialogue ("Some big, hard-boiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang, he cracks up and goes sappy") and ominous portent that sets the stage for the horror to come. Once our heroes reach Skull Island, the movie comes to roaring, chest-thumping, T. rex-slamming, snake-throttling, pterodactyl-tearing, native-stomping life. King Kong was ranked by the American Film Institute as among the 50 best films of the 20th century. Kong making his last stand atop the Empire State Building is one of the movies' most indelible and iconic images. --Donald Liebenson

DVD features
Not surprisingly, the eighth wonder of the world's DVD treatment is nothing short of spectacular. The newly restored, digitally mastered print of the 1933 version of King Kong is sharp, well balanced, and given that this film is seventy years old, has very few scratches or blemishes. The restoration is nothing short of amazing. What may frustrate some is the audio. Though crystal clear, it is still in 2.0 Mono. The soundtrack on Kong is such an integral part of the film you really wished they could have pulled it out to at least 2.0 Surround; but this is a minor criticism. The bulk of the commentary track is by visual effects veterans Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston joyfully discussing the special effects of the film and discussing why King Kong is such a favorite and important film to the community of visual effects artists. Spliced between their commentaries are colorful and humorous anecdotes from director from Merian C. Cooper and Fay Wray. The two documentaries on disc two run over three and half hours long. I Am Kong! The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper is an engaging documentary on the renegade, Hemingway-like director. It is fascinating to learn that Cooper was every bit the adventurer that the fictional director Carl Denham in King Kong was in the film. RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World is a two and a half hour documentary broken into 7 parts: "The Origins of King Kong," "Willis O'Brien and Creation," "Cameras Roll on Kong," "The Eighth Wonder," "A Milestone in Visual Effects," "Passion, Sound and Fury," "The Mystery of the Lost Spider Pit Sequence," and "King Kong's Legacy." Also included is complete footage of the legendary "The Lost Spider Pit Sequence." Presenting the segments are various film historians and filmmakers including Rudy Behlmer, Cooper biographer Mark Cotta Vaz, the Chiodo Brothers (of Team America: World Police special effects fame), and directors John Landis and Peter Jackson. Here you will learn everything you would ever want to know about the making and importance of King Kong, including that the producer/director team of Cooper and Schoedsack played the pilots who shoot Kong off the Empire State Building. The highly anticipated, long-awaited release of King Kong will meet most viewers' expectations, and exceed everyone's else. --Rob Bracco

Description

Seeking a backer for his movie, Merian C. Cooper approached a top Hollywood mogul. "You know what a 50-foot gorilla would see in a five-foot girl?" the mogul asked. "His breakfast!" The studio chief wasn't buying but the public was. King Kong saved RKO from bankruptcy and became an all-time classic, ranking 43rd on the American Film Institute's list of Top-100 American Movies. King Kong teems with memorable moments: a moviemaking expedition on a fantastic isle filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures; the giant simian's lovestruck obsession with the film shoot's blonde starlet (scream queen Fay Wray); Kong's capture; his Manhattan rampage; and the fateful finale atop the Empire State Building, where Kong cradles his palm-sized beloved and swats at machine-gunning airplanes. "It was beauty killed the beast." But in these and other great scenes, Kong lives forever.

Customer Reviews:

The original is truly the best.......2007-09-01

No matter how many times I see this film, it still surprises me. this is a classic that has stood the test of time and is still better than the remakes for sheer excitement with few special effects.

Not wuite what I expected, but still very good........2007-08-10

King Kong (Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933)

When I was a kid, I obsessed over monster movies. (Well, didn't we all?) I was eight when the 1976 remake of King Kong came out, and I saw it innumerable times on the Saturday afternoon creature feature over the years. But somehow, despite seeing clips from it thousands of times and having seen enough stills of it in monster-movies books and magazines when I was just a little squid, I somehow managed to never see the original version entire. I remedied that error last week. King Kong is one of those movies that constantly makes thousand-best lists (of all those I've compiled, only Jonathan Rosenbaum's leaves it off), but while I was watching it, I had to wonder: did it make the lists because of what it was in 1933, or because it holds up well today? Ideally, a truly classic film should be a mix of both (Murnau's Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens is a perfect example; at the time, it was revolutionary, with Murnau inventing new ways to film tracking shots and the like, while it still packs a creepy punch almost a century later just because it's a damned good movie); while there's no doubt that King Kong was revolutionary for its time, and did a great deal to advance the wonderful world of movie special effects, it was made at a time when silent film was still a credible option, and the expressionism inherent in silent film hadn't quite cleared off yet. And when I look at it like that, I realize just how modern it was, for its time; so many of the players in this movie give perfectly creditable performances. But the one who seems like a holdover from the silent film days where her acting is concerned is incapable of being ignored-- the movie's star, Fay Wray. Now, I grant you, she's supposed to be playing someone who's acting in a silent film, so had she kept the overacting for when she was in front of Robert Armstrong's cameras, well, that would have been all well and good. But even while everyone around her is acting in a more modern fashion, Wray is all about the overacting. It tends to get annoying.

That said, the movie is exceptionally well-made (especially given Cooper and Schoedsack's previous collaboration, the somewhat anemic The Most Dangerous Game, made on a basement budget using the sets and actors, for the most part, the two were using for King Kong); the script is well-plotted and well-paced, much of the acting is at or above par for the time (Wray has already been noted; Victor Wong, who portrays Charlie the cook, plays his role well, but is so hopelessly stereotyped we never get to see what he's really made of), and of course the special effects were marvelous for the time. It is certainly still a watchable movie, and an enjoyable one. And maybe that's enough. ****

One of the Most Influential Films of All Time.......2007-07-12

For anyone who knows anything in regard to what cinema is supposed to be all about, the 1933 "King Kong" still ranks among the greatest films ever made. A film's greatness is ultimately measured, not by how many Oscars it may have garnered in its day, but rather by the influence it left on audiences and filmmakers for generations to come. Certainly Merian C. Cooper's fantastic fable of the gigantic, lovestruck gorilla has that going for it and much more. It has an audacity that wouldn't work in another movie yet is so appropriate here because of the primal nature of the story. "King Kong" is among the handful of films that happened to have all the aesthetic and narrative elements gel to form a seamless 100 minutes of pure, unabashed entertainment. In the 70 plus years since the film's release, Kong himself, Fay Wray, and the Empire State Building have gone on to dwell forever in our collective pop-culture consciousness. In fact, the character King Kong is so famous that many today have the misconception he existed in fiction even before the film that introduced him was made! One essential point they botched in both the '76 and '05 versions is that, in Cooper's own concept of the story, Kong is totally misunderstood by all - including Ann Darrow. Rather than wanting to be friends with Kong (as in the remakes), she only wants to escape his clutches the first chance she gets and, in true fairy tale fashion, be rescued by her handsome hero. Some recent critics have mistakenly cited this as a flaw. They don't seem to get it. It's precisely because of Ann Darrow's rejection of Kong that the final epitath, "It was Beauty Killed the Beast" is totally appropriate in the original film. After all let's not forget that "King Kong" is, at its core, a story about unrequited love. It wasn't conceived to be the traditional "Beauty and the Beast" treatment where Beauty comes to accept and understand her Beast. Instead, in this take on the timeless tale, Kong remains to the end a lonely, tragic victim as Cooper had intended. It is we the audience, not the characters in the film, who come to sympathize with Kong, and therein lies the film's magic. There is a brief but crucial moment snuck in where Kong plucks a tiny white flower, sniffs it, and is about to present it to Ann but is interrupted from doing so by an eel-like dinosaur. Blink and you'll miss it, but freeze frame the DVD and it's there. It makes one wonder: what would Ann Darrow's reaction have been if Kong was allowed to complete this tender gesture toward her? It's much more enigmatic to leave this question unanswered as Cooper did in his film, and this is part of what contributes to "Kong"'s mythical status. The "Beauty Killed the Beast" line is pointless and uninspired in Peter Jackson's overlong and overdone remake since in that film Ann Darrow does come to like Kong. She's not used as bait to lure Kong to his doom as in the original. Because of this, Jackson's film succumbs to sentimentalizing the big ape so that he emerges more like "Mighty Joe Young". Cooper's "Kong" touches something primal in us, and at the same time it addresses certain social themes in its own unique, proverbial way. Like their film's alter-ego Carl Denham, Cooper and his co-director Ernest B. Schoedsack were both adventurers in real life who knew first hand what it was like to go on expeditions to remote, exotic parts of the world. They brought their experiences to "King Kong" so that the film, although a fantasy, still manages to convey a certain reality of plot that is apparent to the viewer. From its fictional, opening "Old Arabian Proverb" to its famous, final line, the film comes full circle and is firmly grounded as a documentary/fairy tale. Summing up, "King Kong" stands as eloquent testimony to the dedication and craftsmanship of all who were involved in its making. Now with DVD, this wonderful movie can be enjoyed by audiences right on into the 21st century.

Jackson does it better.......2007-06-06

I've watched this film 3 times in the past 7 months & I don't care what a lot of people or a few blind critics say: this is NOT on any level better than Peter Jackson's `05 version. Don't get me wrong, this version is good & deserves credit for moving film into a new age but Jackson's remake makes this one look old. Carl Denham is the only character who even APPROACHES a real 3-dimensional person status. Wray's Ann is likeable enough, but seriouisly, is she anymore than a brainless piece of eyecandy found in any horror movie? She certainly doesn't posses the depth (and more importantly the heartache) that Watts' Ann has. This movie lacked everything it needed to rise above the level of an unscary horror movie (fleshed-out characters, a relationship between Ann & Kong & an epic feel in both scope & soundtrack.) Sorry movie fans, but no matter what you think, Cooper may have had the epic idea but Jackson made it an epic reality.

The Most Awesome Thriller Of All Time!.......2007-03-22

PLOT: The film begins in New York City in 1933, during the bottom of the Great Depression. Filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) has charted a freighter boat called Venture to take him to a filming location somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Denham is most well-known for making adventure films in exotic locations. He is keeping many of the details about the trip very secret. His backing studio announces that they refuse to get him a leading lady for his film without more details about the film itself, so Denham goes out to find a girl on his own. On the streets, Denham finds a poor, starving girl (Fay Wray) caught trying to steal an apple. The girl is very beautiful and Denham just knows that she is right for the part. He buys the girl a meal and introduces himself to her. Her name is Ann Darrow and she happens to have some acting experience. He offers her the film role and the chance of a lifetime. Ann is apprehensive at first, but finally agrees to it. Denham and his film crew finally set sail on the Venture. For weeks they sail towards Indonesia; Denham promises to tell Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher) their true destination once they get close enough. The first mate, Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot), is a real tough guy who feels that the ship is no place for women, but he soon finds himself falling in love with Ann. Denham finally tells Englehorn that they are sailing towards a place called Skull Island. It is only charted on a map which was sold to him by a Norwegian captain in Singapore; the location of the island was given to the captain by a native who was swept out to sea. Denham tells eveyone that there is a wall on the island that is so large and so old that the natives there don't even remember who built it. Apparently it was built to keep something out from the other side; legend says that it is a monstrous creatures simply known as "Kong". The ship eventually enters through a thick fog which hides the island on the other side. The film crew comes to shore on the island's penninsula, which is the only place on the island not surrounded by rock. They begin to spy on some natives who are having some sort of ritual. Many of the men are dancing around dressed as gorillas and yelling, "Kong! Kong!" The natives are also adorning a young girl with flowers and jewelry. The native chief spots the film crew, so they decide to show themselves. Engelhorn is able to understand the native language and acts as an interpreter for both groups. When asked what they are doing, the chief explains that they are offering a wife to their god Kong. Suddenly the chief gets a look at Ann, whom he thinks is a much better choice for Kong's bride than their own native bride. He offers the film crew six native girls in exchange for Ann, but they refuse. The chief becomes angry and tells them to leave. Later that night on the Venture, Jack and Ann openly express their love for one another. Jack is called to the bridge and Ann is left alone. Suddenly, Ann is kidnapped by a group of natives that canoed to the Venture. The crew later find a native bracelet on the deck and realize that Ann was kidnapped. Back on the island, the natives open up the gate at the wall and leave Ann on the other side. They hit a large gong to summon the mighty Kong. Kong finally emerges from out of the jungle and reveals himself to be a giant gorilla. He grabs ahold of Ann and proceeds back into the jungle. The film crew then get to the wall and take control of it from the natives. A small group of them decide to go off into the jungle and rescue Ann. What they don't realize is that they are about to enter a world filled with prehistoric beasts which were thought to be extinct long ago.

COMMENTS: King Kong has to be one of the greatest films of all time. It's astounding special effects must have blown the 1933 audiences away. Despite the fact that it was made during the Great Depression, it still attracted a huge audience. Unlike other horror films at the time, it was not based on a novel; it was a pure invention of hollywood. It was the first hit film to feature a life-like animated central character in any form, thanks to stop-motion master Willis O'Brien. Kong was created through the use of two stop-motion puppets (an 18" and a 24"), a life-size mechanical bust for Kong's close-ups, and a life-size mechanical arm for close-ups of Kong holding Ann in the palm of his hand. The combination proved to be extremely effective. O'Brien had previously used his stop-motion techniques to create the dinosaurs in The Lost World (1925). Next, he was hired to create the dinosaurs for the film Creation (1931), but the film was never finished. Many of the dinosaurs from the production were later used for King Kong. Many of the scenes in this one film alone are considered to be some of the most memorable in cinematic history, especially the scene of Kong atop the Empire State Building as airplanes are shooting at him. King Kong ultimately spawned several sequels, spin-offs, remakes, and rip-offs. Since the film was such a huge hit, RKO Pictures quickly filmed and released a sequel, Son of Kong, that same year. The premise of that film was that Carl Denham returns to Skull Island and discovers that Kong had an albino son. In 1949, a spin-off called Mighty Joe Young was released. This film told the story of a young girl named Jill Young who adopts a baby gorilla whom she names Joe. Joe later grows to a very large size (not as large as Kong, but larger than an average gorilla.) Joe is later brought to the U.S. to be the star of a Hollywood nightclub act. Joe was also created via stop-motion by Willis O'Brien. The film was later remade by Walt Disney Pictures in 1998. In 1962, the Japanese-based Toho Studios, who had created the giant radioactive monster Godzilla, obtained the rights to make a King Kong film. They decided to place Kong against their own creation Godzilla in the classic monster movie showdown King Kong vs. Godzilla. The film served as both a sequel to Son of Kong and Godzilla Raids Again (1955). This was the first movie where both of the monsters were seen in color. Rather than using stop-motion animation, Kong was brought to life using the popular Japanese form of suitmation known as "kaiju". Many Kong fans noticed that Kong is much larger in this film than in the original 1933 film. This was because Godzilla was actually much larger than the 1933 King Kong. Toho Studios decided to scale Kong up to Godzilla's size to make the fight more fair. The film's explanation for this was that Kong ate berries which contained growth hormones. Kong next appeared in the Toho produced King Kong Escapes (1967), which pitted Kong against Mechani-Kong (a robot version of himself). In 1976, Italian film mogul Dino De Laurentiis decided to produce a big budget remake of King Kong. Kong was brought to life through suitmation. The detailed suit was created by special make-up effects master Rick Baker (who also actually played Kong). The film had several major changes from the original film. It received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, but depite all that it was commericially successful. The De Laurentiis remake was followed by a sequel, King Kong Lives, in 1986. The film was a commercial flop and is regarded by fans as the "worst King Kong movie of all time." King Kong was remade again in 2005 by New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who also directed the highly succussful Lord Of The Rings (2001 - 2003). Jackson stated that the original film was what inspired him to be a film director. This time, Kong was created through a highly evolved CGI process in which sensors are placed all over an actor's body to create the movements. The actor picked to portray Kong through this process was Andy Serkis, who also portrayed the CGI-created character Gollum in the Lord Of The Rings films. The film was extremely faithful to the original and it became a mega-hit. This DVD presents the film in its original full screen ratio. The footage and audio have been completely digitally remastered. The 2-disc set also contains "I'm Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper" -- 2005 documentary, Merian C. Cooper Movies trailer gallery, RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World - 7 Part Documentary, Creation test footage with commentary by Ray Harryhausen, and commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with interpolated interview excerpts of Merian C. Cooper and Fay Wray.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie!
Old Fashion movie made straight from the heart.
Good movie....inspirational
Modern Jamaican Cinderella story!
Very Entertaining

Dancehall Queen
Starring: Audrey Reid , Paul Campbell (IV) , Carl Davis (IV) , Mark Danvers , and Cherine Anderson
Director: Don Letts , and Rick Elgood
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures / Umvd
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00049QR04
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Amazon.com

A Cinderella story from the mean streets of Kingston, Jamaica, the alternately comic and gritty Dancehall Queen is an intriguingly dark crowd pleaser. Marcia (Audrey Reid) is a single mom and street vendor barely scraping by even with a financial assist from the seemingly avuncular Larry (Carl Davis), a gun-toting strongman with a twisted desire for Marcia's teenage daughter. Complicating things is Priest (Paul Campbell), a murderous hood who killed Marcia's friend and now is terrorizing the defenseless woman. Facing three big problems--Larry, Priest, and a lack of money---Marcia arrives at an inspired solution: develop an alter ego, a dancing celebrity called the Mystery Lady who can compete in a cash-prize contest and pit both of the men against one another. Which is exactly what she does, and it's great fun watching Marcia instigate her complicated plan with a little help from sympathetic friends. Colorful, rowdy, funny, and dangerous, Dancehall Queen is a clever and ceaselessy energetic movie steeped in Kingston street life and the desire to keep body and soul together at home. Reid is a delight as the everyday figure who transforms into an icon in the evenings, and the dance scenes are amazingly bawdy. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie!.......2007-08-26

As a Jamaican American (born and raised in JA), I can safely say this is one of the best Jamaican-themed movies ever! I saw it when it opened at Carib Theatre in Jamaica back then and I watch it over and over and over again on VHS. I'll be purchasing the DVD to keep with my movie collection. This movie touches on many issues that exist in Jamaica up until today.

Old Fashion movie made straight from the heart........2007-08-24

This movie is something else. When this was released in 1997, "Dancehall Queen" created a sensation in Jamaica, eventually surpassing Harder They Come (Deluxe Edition) as the highest-grossing film in that country's history. I remember enjoying this film when it first came out on tape and before hand created a lot of buzz. Once I'd purchased it I'd also pass it along to my friends at the time and found it very entertaining. Just recently watching this the other day gave me a great sense of recollection on how much I enjoyed "Dancehall Queen." Like the dancehall music on its soundtrack, "Dancehall Queen" has a rough, self-produced feel disguised by a technically proficient coating. Utilizing elements of techno, rap, and reggae, dancehall combines technologically advanced production techniques with unmistakably Jamaican source material.

To lesser effect, "Dancehall Queen" does the same thing as a film. Shot on digital video, which makes everything look like a British soap opera, the film concerns the struggle of a Kingston street vendor (Audrey Reid) trying to raise two children on her own. After being continually harassed by a knife-wielding thug and, in a disturbing sequence of events, encouraging her 15-year-old daughter to accept the advances of a middle-aged sugar daddy, Reid realizes that she needs to find a way out of poverty. Naturally, her mind turns to the dancehall, and she soon finds herself joining barely clad Kingston youths in a style of dance that blurs the line between dancing and performing sexual acts. Although the question of how Reid expects to make money simply by going to clubs isn't answered until near the movie's end, it's pretty clear from the beginning that "Dancehall Queen" is an old-fashioned melodrama sure to culminate in the all-important big show. You'll be mesmerize by the clothes and the wigs that these women sport. The score itself is really good featuring Beenie Man (who provides the title track), Bounty Killer, Lady Shaw, Junior Demus and Sanchez.

Taken as such and enhanced by its Jamaican setting, it's not terrible, and it does feature a guest appearance by Beenie Man. But, despite being bankrolled by Island Records, it was clearly made on the fly, and the rough edges show. As you view this the upbeat dancehall style is catchy and infectious, and the dancing scenes will certainly hold your attention and probably be part of the reason why its like so much.

Good movie....inspirational.......2007-03-09

This was a really good movie. Since I've visited Jamaica my love for it has evolved into watching good movies and listening to good music. This movie was really good. You just have to listen close because some of the language is in patios.

Modern Jamaican Cinderella story!.......2007-01-26

I love Dancehall Queen! I lost my first copy (VHS) so I replaced it with a new copy in DVD. I never get tired of watching this movie and I consider it a Jamaican movie classic right up there with Harder They Come, Rockers and Smile Orange. It is a nice twist on the traditional rags-to-riches story. Although her character's morals are somewhat questionable (she practically "sells" her daughter to a high-paying local don), you can't help but root for the protagonist Marcia!

Very Entertaining.......2007-01-04

I loved this movie, even though some of the actors did not sound anything like a real West Indian/Jamaican. I chalked that up to not having enough Carribean actors to fill the roles. Overall though, it was a very entertaining movie, especially the Dancehall Scenes.

Average customer rating:

Grand Champion
Great Movie
Good, clean fun for the kids!
One word describes this movie...HOKEY!!!
Don't take it too Seriously

Grand Champion
Starring: Joey Lauren Adams , Emma Roberts , Eloise DeJoria , Brodie Beaver , and Jacob Fisher
Director: Barry Tubb
Manufacturer: Hannover House
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Kids & Family | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Action & Adventure | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Kids & Family | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0006HBLLY
Release Date: 2005-01-22

Product Description

In the inspiring tradition of fabulous family films like "National Velvet" and "Old Yeller," "Grand Champion" promises to delight audiences of all ages with its entertaining adventure, star-studded cast and upbeat Texas music. Presented by American Family Movies in conjunction with Rope the Moon and Madrugada Ranch Productions, "Grand Champion" weaves a lively tale of a spunky boy names Buddy and his prize-winning calf, Hokey, as they climb from the underdog position and up through the ranks of several Texas stock shows to ultimately win the title of "Grand Champion." As this hilarious and heartwarming adventure becomes a nationally-covered event, people from all walks of life help Buddy and Hokey make their way across Texas by cheering them on to a surprise ending that is sure to leave "Grand Champion" audiences with their toes tapping and their faces smiling!

System Requirements:

Running Time 98 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Grand Champion.......2005-08-10

Fun Family movie with a great cast. Emma Roberts is a future star and is delightful in this film. If you like the rodeo or want just good clean family fun this is a great film!

Great Movie .......2005-06-22

I thought this movie was GREAT!!!!!!!
My family thought it was cute... they could not resist singing the hokey pokey song and dancing to it :)
Barry Tubb has a great movie.... I hope he does more family type movies!!!!

Good, clean fun for the kids!.......2005-06-04

As I watched this movie I couldn't help but remember my own "farm kid" shock of finding out where most of those calves we raised end up, and this movie kind-of lives out the fantasy of a kid's intervention and everything ending up okay in the end.
Great movie for the kids or family- nice and clean and just plain, simple fun! They don't try to complicate the storyl