Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition)

Amazon.com essential video

Emma Thompson scores a double bull's-eye with this marvelous adaptation of Jane Austen's novel. Not only does Thompson turn in a strong (and gently humorous) performance as one of the Dashwood sisters--the one with "sense"--she also wrote the witty, wise screenplay. Austen's tale of 19th-century manners and morals provides a large cast with a feast of possibilities, notably Kate Winslet, in her pre-Titanic flowering, as Thompson's deeply romantic sister. Winslet attracts the wooing of shy Alan Rickman (a nice change of pace from his bad-guy roles) and dashing Greg Wise, while Thompson must endure an incredibly roundabout courtship with Hugh Grant, here in fine and funny form. All of this is doled out with the usual eye-filling English countryside and handsome costumes, yet the film always seems to be about the careful interior lives of its characters. The director, an inspired choice, is Taiwan-born Ang Lee, who brings the same exquisite taste and discreet touch he displayed in his previous Asian films (such as Eat Drink Man Woman). Thompson's script won an Oscar, and 1995 was a fine year for Jane Austen all around: Persuasion was made into an excellent picture, and Emma became the spritzy high school comedy Clueless. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Sense and Sensability.......2007-09-11

An amazing film at an amazing price. Product came in perfect shape except the plastic on the cover had been sliced (probably while opening the box).

Sense And Sensibility.......2007-09-09

If you are a fan of Jane Austin or like me, new admirer of her works, this is a great movie. It captures the romance and the atmosphere of this time and place. I really enjoyed the characters and the story.

IF YOU LIKE JANE AUSTEN MOVIES.......2007-09-06

I love Jane Austen, I love well-done 19th Century Brit Lit classic productions. The actors are fun...Emma Thompson, as always, is superb and Hugh Grant, of course, is the bad boy one just loves to hate. This movie is really multi-purpose: a great way to spend some time if you are home with the sniffles, a great escape on what might be the end of an all too modern day, or just cozy to watch curled up by the fire.

Definitely worth owning...sort of a "little black dress" DVD. ENJOY!

A Social Commentary.......2007-09-06

The worst thing a person can do is underestimate Jane Austen. Though it is true that her stories center on young women and their romantic struggles, her works are not mere romance novels. This film does a wonderful job of demonstrating that.

Emma Thompson is a wonderful actress and she really brings Elinor to life. At times she seems almost cold and unfeeling but she is actually a woman who keeps her own counsel and who is very aware of how society views young women. Better to be thought a cold woman than to make a mockery of herself in the eyes of others. Thompson is at her best in those brief moments when Elinor is alone, when she is gazing sadly at her sister while she plays pianoforte, when she is alone in her room and running her fingers over the monogram embroidered on a handkerchief. Elinor is actually quite a complex character, a woman who loves deeply and wholly but who is also very self and socially aware.

Her polar opposite is her sister Marianne and Kate Winslet is simply perfect in the role. She captures Marianne's youthful exuberance and the blissful lack of awareness that she has for what others think of her. In this day and age, such individuality would be encouraged but in Marianne's time it is seen as a fatal flaw, one that risks making her the target of ridicule of others. She follows her heart over her head, unlike Elinor. As the title indicate, Marianne is all sensibility while her sister is all sense.

Hugh Grant does a nice job of portraying the somewhat socially awkward and very shy Edward. He always looks uncomfortable in his skin and only seems to relax when he is with Elinor or when he is brushing up on his sword wielding skills with Margaret. Edward exemplifies the plight of the younger sons of the era, the need to please the family in order to maintain his position. This was not a time when going it alone was encouraged or even feasible. It is Edward's sense of honor and duty that are almost his undoing and, in some ways, his situation is no better than that of the women. Though he is ostensibly free to choose his profession, he is actually quite subject to the whims of his mother and his vicious social-climbing sister.

The most surprising and rewarding bits of casting lie with Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon. His world weariness and deep sadness are visible in every line of Rickman's face. He has seen what society can do to a young woman determined to follow her passions as Marianne is and it has left a deep impression upon him. Though Elinor has a good grasp of the world, Brandon understands it even better and one of the finest scenes of the movie is the one in which he chides Elinor not to wish for her sister to become acquainted with the ways of the world.

Emma Thompson did a fine job of writing the screenplay for this movie, cutting out some of the less essential bits and lifting quite a bit of the dialogue directly from the text. Ang Lee's direction is lovely and his shots are framed with such care. Often his cast doesn't even need to speak, they simply need to observe and Lee does a wonderful job of capturing the characters' emotions in their quieter moments.

Sense and Sensibility.......2007-08-24

We love this movie. The acting in it is great and you'll come to love each character like an old friend. It is a movie we watch over an over again, enjoying it everytime.

Stranger Than Paradise - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

The Honeymooners by way of Ozu
What indy filmmaking is all about!

Stranger Than Paradise - Criterion Collection
Starring: John Lurie , Eszter Balint , and Richard Edson
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Manufacturer: Criterion Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000SFJ4HW
Release Date: 2007-09-04

Description

Rootless Hungarian émigré Willie (John Lurie), his pal Eddie (Richard Edson), and visiting sixteen-year-old cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) always manage to make the least of any situation, whether aimlessly traversing the drab interiors and environs of New York City, Cleveland, or an anonymous Florida suburb. With its delicate humor and dramatic nonchalance, Jim Jarmusch's one-of-a-kind minimalist masterpiece, Stranger Than Paradise, forever transformed the landscape of American independent cinema. Also included in this special-edition release is Jarmusch's legendary debut feature, Permanent Vacation, a time capsule of late-seventies Manhattan, on DVD for the first time in the United States

Customer Reviews:

The Honeymooners by way of Ozu.......2007-09-07

Stranger Than Paradise not only announced the arrival of an original filmmaker with Jim Jarmusch, but also signaled the arrival of a new wave of American independent cinema along with the Coen brothers' Blood Simple and Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It. Jarmusch's film came as a response to the impersonal commercial filmmaking of the Hollywood studios. His film was originally nothing more than a 30-minute short film shot from 40 minutes of extraneous film stock donated by German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Eventually, Jarmusch came into a small sum of money -- $120,000 worth -- and was able to complete the film.

Described by Jarmusch as The Honeymooners by way of Ozu, Stranger introduced his trademark style: minimal sets and long, uninterrupted takes with very little camera movement that are punctuated by the occasional fade to black. It is a funky mix of deadpanned American humour and a European visual sensibility. Stranger was made during the dawn of MTV and its success seems rather odd considering that it was the antithesis of most films being made in America at the time. The rather slow, meandering pace of Stranger did not conform to the quick cut, music video style that was fashionable at the time. His characters also lacked any sort of real ambition which was a world apart from most mainstream films. His approach seems downright revolutionary now as people's collective attention spans have gotten considerably shorter.

Stranger Than Paradise won the Camera d'or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and was soon heralded by many critics as a watershed film in American independent cinema. Much has been written about the film's outsider view of America and to be fair, the sparse visuals and down-on-their-luck hipsters that populate this film certainly flies in the face of the materialism of the 1980s, making it just as unique and significant today as it was back then.

Fans of this film can finally toss the crappy, bare bones MGM DVD as Criterion has given Jarmusch's film their deluxe treatment.

Perhaps the most substantial extra is the inclusion of Jarmusch's feature film debut, Permanent Vacation (1980). It's about the story of Ally Parker (Chris Parker), the prototypical Jarmusch protagonist - an alienated outsider. Jarmusch's stylistic approach is intact but with an even more non-sensical narrative that seems avant garde in nature.

"Kino '84: Jim Jarmusch" was produced for German television in 1984 and features interviews with some of the cast and crew from Permanent Vacation and Stranger Than Paradise. They all look so young and were just starting out. It's a nice snapshot of the times with the normally media-shy Sara Driver (Jarmusch's significant other) recounting filming anecdotes.

"Some Days in January 1984" is a 14-minute, Super 8 behind-the-scenes silent film shot by Tom Jarmusch. It looks like home movies as we see cast and crew freezing in Cleveland.

"Location Scouting" is a collection of black and white photographs taken while Jarmusch was checking out locations to use in the film. Sadly, they don't say where in Florida they were but these stills do look excellent.

Finally, there are U.S. and Japanese trailers for the film.

What indy filmmaking is all about!.......2007-08-27

Jarmusch's first and perhaps finest film, a wonderful tale of misplaced identities on a road less traveled. Stranger than Paradise is shot like a travelogue as we follow John Lurie and friends from New York to Cleveland, Ohio, to somewhere in Florida. Lurie's character, Willie, is ostensibly helping out a wayward Hungarian cousin, Eva, but seems to be having a hard time coping with his emigree status as well. Richard Edson offers a wonderful comic foil in Eddie. The film is more held together by Lurie's musical score than it is the sparse dialog. Jarmusch prefers to capture the brooding nature of his characters as they struggle to relate to each other, resulting in a bitter exchange when they find themselves trapped in a non-descript Florida motel. At this point, the film takes a wonderful comic turn as Eva is mistaken for a contact and is given a briefcase full of cash, opening up new horizons. To reveal anymore is to spoil the fun. Stranger than Paradise is what indy filmmaking is all about!

Average customer rating:

This is how a movie should be made.
Delightful, magical, rare
The Secret of Roan Inish
great buy for all ages
A very nice movie for family

The Secret of Roan Inish
Starring: Jeni Courtney , Pat Slowey , Dave Duffy , Declan Hannigan , and Mairéad Ní Ghallchóir
Director: John Sayles
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B00004TJKJ
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Amazon.com essential video

As one of the most respected American independent filmmakers, John Sayles has created a body of work as distinguished in its diversity as for its consistent quality and inspiring originality. He's never been one to march to the commercial beat, but chooses instead to follow his creative impulse wherever it leads him. The Secret of Roan Inish led Sayles to the beautiful and moody West Coast of Ireland; it is a tale of a girl who discovers that her family has been touched by myth and magic throughout the years. Following the death of her mother, young Fiona (Jeni Courtney) is sent to live with her grandparents on the Irish coast across from Roan Inish, the island where her family once lived. She's told stories about the selkies--seals that can turn into humans--who have been connected with Fiona's family over the ages. At first she's not sure if the selkies are real or mythological, but she later realizes that they hold the key to reclaiming her family heritage.

What's remarkable about this film (which Sayles adapted from Rosalie Fry's novel Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry) is that it's not told as a cute fantasy for children, but as a straightforward, unsentimental story of a young girl's family history. That gives the film--which was beautifully photographed by master cinematographer Haskell Wexler--an understated charm that is completely absorbing in its atmosphere and subtle tone. There's magic as well, to be sure--you could almost swear that the seals and seagulls in the film took direction from Sayles as well as any human actor! --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

This is how a movie should be made........2007-08-15

Quality in movie making is often judged by Hollywood glitz and flash, computer-generated special effects, high-dollar stars, and big budgets. This film has none of these things, therefore it is a perfectly excellent film.

"Roan Inish" brings to life the oral storytelling tradition of the Irish people. In what some in the literary field may term "magical realism," this film places the fantastic alongside the mundane, and though there are moments of revelation and surprise for the characters, these two seemingly separate worlds co-exist harmoniously. A prime example of this is the character of Tadhg, whom all but the film's star, little Fiona, believe to be "daft" due to his deep connection with his past, and his understanding of the selkie mythology of which that past is composed.

This movie accomplishes the telling of a complex story through the use of native Irish actors who seem to have a real feel for the storytelling tradition, as well as the use of simplistic special effects and magnificent camera work. It is a gentle, simple, yet fascinating tale of one little girl's dream of finding her lost brother, and the mysteries she uncovers in the quest. A better movie for the entire family has not been made. This is by far my favorite movie of all time.

Delightful, magical, rare.......2007-08-03

Those three words pretty much sum up the entire film. Delightful for both adults (even those without kids), teenagers, and children alike. Magical in its setting, telling, and plot. Rare in its innocent, but complex and far from sugary tale.

Based on the novel, "The Secret of Ron Mor Skerry," this film is set in post-war Ireland it tells the tale of Fiona, a little girl with three older brothers and a widower father. Before WWII, the family had lived a pastoral life on the islands to the west of the mainland. Right before they were evacuated, Fiona's mother died, leaving a newborn brother behind. But as the family prepared to leave the island for good, Jamie, in his little cradle boat, was swept off the beach and into the waves in a freak storm. Fiona's father and brothers race in a row boat to find him, but the cradle is carried away at an unnatural speed and little Jamie is eventually lost in the storm.

And so the family goes to the mainland. Fiona and her brothers move to the city, where her father and brothers work in a laundry. With little time to care for her, her father sends Fiona to his parents on the coast.

It is from her grandparents and her cousin Eamon that Fiona hears the tales about her family, some taller than others. And so she is immersed in the mythology surrounding her family and the sea.

I won't say more. Suffice to say that seals and magic and going backward to go forward are involved. You'll have to watch it for yourself to see the real magic in it.

The cast is amazing, all Irish, if I'm not mistaken. Down to the last actor, they give good, solid, and believable performances. Many children's films are cursed by either bad acting or bad scripts, The Secret of Roan Inish has neither. And so it becomes more than a children's film. The magic is not the wave-of-the-wand kind, nor the kind that comes with a puff of smoke. It's the old kind of magic in fairy tales and legends.

I think I love this film because there are no "bad" parts; no parts I ever want to fast forward through or skip because they are cringe-inducing or "scary." I love every second of this film. And I think you will, too.

The Secret of Roan Inish.......2007-07-17

Set on the West Coast of Ireland in the late 1940s, John Sayles' splendid "Secret" tracks one youngster's attempt to uncover a mystery that sheds light both on her family's history and the fate of her little brother. This intimate, deliberately paced fable casts its spell gradually, but leaves you warm and satisfied. The film benefits from lush cinematography by Haskell Wexler, and first-rate turns from Jeni Courtney as Fiona and Mick Lally as kindly grandfather Hugh. If you love the water and believe in magic, watch this small gem of a movie by the director of "Lone Star" and "Matewan."

great buy for all ages.......2007-07-13

This is a great movies in the classic style. Your led into an irland at the ending of ww2 when jobs were in england and irland was safe, but dirt poor. The fairies and magicical story that comes out of no were and sweeps you away. Your caught up with it as if Tolkien himself was telling you this tale. No matter what your world is before you watch this tale,it will be much more enriched by the end credits.

A very nice movie for family.......2007-06-08

We meet a precious young girl whose mother has unfortunately passed away at an early age. Another tragedy strikes when her younger brother, who is still a baby, disappears out to sea and is presumably drowned. And her father, upset at some of the difficulties that he has faced, elects to send the young girl, Fiona, to live with her grandparents.

The grandparents live in a rented small stone and thatched roof hut near the sea. The grandfather is a bright eyed, bearded, jolly and hopeful old man who tells Fiona stories of her ancestors and hints at the legend of the selkies, who are half human, half seal.

They are magical creatures that shed their seal skin and become human. Mysteriously, there is a dark haired, and dark eyed child in every generation of the girl's family and young Fiona begins to believe that this is somehow related to the legends that she has heard about the selkies.

Her relationship with her grandparents is temporarily disturbed when they face eviction so more upscale renters can move into their tiny home. And Fiona also angers and saddens her grandparents by claiming to dream about her disappeared younger brother.

Despite the problems that the family seems to face, the conclusion seems as satisfying as it can be.

It is refreshing to see a movie unveil a mystery and keep the viewers interest without resorting to shallow scenes of violence. Instead, the interest is held with intrigue, folklore, and the strength of family and tradition.

I won't spoil how the secret is unveiled or what happens. You would be better off seeing it unfold on screen.

I would hate to use the overused phrases such as "heart warming," "inspiring," "elevating," but that is what this movie is. You'll feel touched when you watch this movie. It's an excellent choice to sit down with your family and enjoy.

Average customer rating:

Una hermosa Historia
Best movie ever!
I absolutely Loooooooove this movie
Love it
not quite all there as I would like it

Dirty Dancing (Ultimate Edition)
Starring: Kelly Bishop , Jane Brucker , Thomas Cannold , Max Cantor , and Charles 'Honi' Coles
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000DIXDR
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Product Description

The summer of 1963 innocent 17-year-old Baby vacations with her parents at a Catskills resort. One evening she is drawn to the staff quarters by stirring music. There she meets Johnny, the hotel dance instructor, who is as experienced as Baby is naive. Baby soon becomes Johnny's pupil in dance and love.

2-Disc Ultimate Edition DVD features

Exclusive sneak peak of the upcoming Dirty Dancing Havana Nights which comes to theatres in February 2004

Newly remastered 16x9 feature

6.1 dts-es digital discrete surround

5.1 dolby-ex digital surround audio

Commentary track with key choreographers, costume and production designers

Interviews with Jennifer Grey, Eleanor Bergstein, Kenny Ortega and Miranda Garrison

Director Emile Ardolino featurette

Jennifer Grey screen test

Trivia track

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

As with Grease (1978) and Footloose (1984) before it, Dirty Dancing was a cultural phenomenon that now plays more like camp. That very campiness, though, is part of its biggest charm. And if the dancing in the movie doesn't seem particularly "dirty" by today's standards--or 1987's--it does take place in an era (the early '60s) when it would have. Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey, daughter of ageless hoofer Joel Grey) has been vacationing in the Catskills with her family for many years. Uneventfully. One summer, she falls under the sway (as it were) of dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). Baby is a pampered pup, but Johnny is a man of the world. Baby's father, Jake (Law and Order's Jerry Orbach), can't see the basic decency in greaser Johnny that she can. It should come as no surprise to find that Baby, who can be as immature as her name, learns more about love and life--and dancing--from free-spirited Johnny than traditionalist Jake.

Dirty Dancing spawned two successful soundtracks, a short-lived TV series, and a stage musical. It may be predictable, but Grey and Swayze have chemistry, charisma, and all the right moves. It's a sometimes silly movie with occasionally mind-boggling dialogue--"No one puts Baby in a corner!"--that nonetheless carries an underlying message about tolerance and is filled with the kind of exuberant spirit that's hard for even the most cynical to resist. Not that they'd ever admit it. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Una hermosa Historia.......2007-08-24

Realmente el tiempo no pasa cuando las historias de amor son tan bellas como esta. Es una pelicula excelente, la cual aún al pasar del tiempo sigue gustando igual. Los bailes totalmente novedosos y las canciones valen la pena escucharlas. Una buena razón para quedarse en casa.

Best movie ever!.......2007-08-09

There is not much to say about Dirty Dancing except for it is an awesome movie and one that needed to be added to my collection! I love it!

I absolutely Loooooooove this movie.......2007-07-03

What else can I say. I have the VHS, DVD, both soundtracks, I love this movie.
It's a simple story, girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy takes a little time to fall in love with girl, it all works out in the end.
What's not to love.

Love it.......2007-06-24

I have had the vhs of this movie and out of the blue I was like let me but the DVD. I love it! Its the orginally movie with music videos, trailers and other cool features. Plus it is only $10!

not quite all there as I would like it.......2007-05-15

Kudos for the extras, including the Live In Concert feature. The only 2 things I don't like are: the concert does not have chapters (as it was presented on the Collector's Edition); this version doesn't include the Bill Medley interview (also from the Collector's Edition).

Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

Dirty Dancing at it's best.
Review of Dirty Dancing
I was hoping for a little more
Finally the edition fans have waited for...
A Wonderful Ode to a Lost Time & Place

Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition)
Starring: Kelly Bishop , Jane Brucker , Max Cantor , Charles "Honi" Coles , and Jesus Fuentes
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NIVJHM
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Description

The summer of 1963 innocent 17-year-old Baby (Grey) vacations with her parents at a Catskill's resort. One evening she is drawn to the staff quarters by stirring music. There she meets Johnny, the hotel dance instructor, who is as experienced as Baby is naive. Baby soon becomes Johnny's pupil in dance and love.

Customer Reviews:

Dirty Dancing at it's best........2007-08-23

Everyone knows the movie by now. It is a great story with a terrific group of actors that experienced a magic thing that few experience. As for the DVD, the sound quality and picture is the best of any of the DVDs that have came out. The widescreen ratio aspect I believe is 16:9 which is about as good as it gets. My daughter and I enjoy the movie so much that it rivals the Rocky Horror Picture Show crowd interaction when it is on at our house. I hope you enjoy this DVD as much as we have.

My best,
Gordon Huff
Louisville, KY

Review of Dirty Dancing.......2007-06-27

This is such a classic! Who doesn't love this movie?! I've watched it many times. Great love story, wonderful dancing, and excellent cast!

I was hoping for a little more.......2007-06-23

While I can't claim to have seen this movie more than a couple of times, I did look forward to all the extra features of this dvd. I was a little disappointed in the outtakes and deleted scenes, etc, in that they were quite brief given the enormous amount of material that must have been filmed and not used. I do highly recommend the real dirty dancing scene with "Johhny and Baby"-its the most erotic thing I have ever seen in clothes. I did enjoy the commentary and trivia as well. Recommended.

Finally the edition fans have waited for..........2007-06-11

What child of the 80s doesn't remember Johnny pulling Baby out of that corner and letting the whole world know that real men do dance?! Well, we can all breath a sigh of relief because the wonderful people over at Lionsgate have finally put out a version that includes lots and lots of extras including deleted scenes, alternate scenes, extended scenes, outtakes plus more that haven't been included in any edition before. My only complaint is that they left out Dirty Dancing Live in Concert...which means I'll probably hang onto my Ultimate version but nonetheless I'm thrilled with the new extras. If you loved this movie 20 years ago, be sure to pick it up for the next 20.

A Wonderful Ode to a Lost Time & Place.......2007-05-31

Great music, great dancing, great atmosphere, great romance, and enough schmaltz to make this a wonderful DVD to own (even if you have forgotten about the charm of the Catskills)>

Average customer rating:

Wings n Things The Secret Garden
The Secret is Out!
Miraculous Musicians
Top Quality in Children Entertainment
Great Movie

The Secret Garden
Starring: Kate Maberly , Heydon Prowse , Andrew Knott , Maggie Smith , and Laura Crossley
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: 6304698690
Release Date: 1997-11-19

Amazon.com

Filmed before (and quite nicely) in 1949, Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's story was remade for this admirable 1993 release, executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland. Splendidly adapted by Edward Scissorhands screenwriter Caroline Thompson, the film opens in India during the early 1900s, when young Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) is orphaned and sent to England to live in Misselthwaite Manor, the gloomy estate of her brooding and melancholy uncle, Lord Craven (John Lynch). Because the uncle is almost always away on travels, struggling to forget the death of his beloved wife, Mary is left mostly alone to explore the estate. Eventually she befriends the young brother of a staff maid and Lord Craven's apparently crippled son, who has been needlessly bedridden for years. Together the three children restore a neglected garden on the estate grounds, and in doing so they set the stage for a moving reaffirmation of life and love. Filmed with graceful style and careful attention to the intelligence and cleverness of young children, The Secret Garden is that rarest breed of family film that transcends its own generic category, encouraging a sense of wonder and optimism to become a rewarding experience for viewers of any age. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The enchanting classic about a young girl who brings an English country house's garden - and the people it touches - magically back to life. Maggie Smith and John Lynch star. Year: 1993

DVD Features:
Interactive Menus
Production Notes
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer:Three theatrical trailers

Customer Reviews:

Wings n Things The Secret Garden.......2007-08-16

This master piece addresses many levels of our mind and heart at once. It carries a basic moral lesson that unconditional love heals.It is however much more powerful than that. It engages a (perhaps more mature ) reader into archetypal realms of the mind at large, where we all seek 'our own key', that will open the door to our personal and collective 'hidden' inner sanctuary, haven and place of profound inner healing.
I highly recommend this book for children ( of all ages) with a chronic or physically debilitating illness, when they are feeling most isolated and alone. It offers hope, the potential to 'really believe' in their own possibility of healing..on many levels. Plus the more simple joy, of a magical tale one just might get delightufully lost in for while ...emerging with new sparks of imagination.

The Secret is Out!.......2007-08-04

This is an outstanding version of the classic story. The cinematography, acting and directing are superb.

Miraculous Musicians.......2007-07-30

These musicians are miraculous! Don't miss this talent! Can't wait until their new CD is put on the market!

Top Quality in Children Entertainment.......2007-07-08

I have watched this movie several times in the company of small children who seemed to enjoy the storyline so well.

Mary is young girl from British parents who is born in India and when an earthquake kills them, she is orphaned and sent to live with an uncle in a very sinister looking manor in England. She experiments to find secret passageways (all Gothics are full of secret passageways) but end up finding a secret garden instead. The housekeeper (Maggie Smith does everything she can to limit the child's actions but to no avail, as the girl has a mind of her own.)

The sad tale behind the garden is that the mistress of the manor died giving birth to an invalid child after falling out of the garden swing. The garden is then shut up and forgotten along with the memory of the dead wife.

Mary, Kate Moberly plays a dynamic little girl who continues to explore until she discovers a groaning, crying sound in the night which turns out to be a bedridden cousin. This cousin has been kept bedridden in error by the housekeeper who has misdiagnosed his condition to be something far more serios than it truly is.

Heyden Prowse could plays the crippled male cousin. Mary takes Colin(Heyden) out of doors and eventually he walks. The story is very predictable but nevertheless, done is such a way that it appear new.

This author knows how to tell a tale to children even if you can predict the outcome. it is all in the storytelling and the film maker flattered the book. This is a very endearing story...would bw greart subject matter for children's classrooms.

Great Movie.......2007-05-13

A good adaptation of a wonderful children's story. More importance is placed on the "magic" of the story than on the faith in the story. Faith, Prayer, Hope and Love of God are what created the magic and this is not emphasized as it is in the book. This was disappointing, but other than that the setting was beautiful and allowed our imaginations to fill in the gaps that were emitted from the movie that F. H. Burnett had written. A wonderful family movie.

Average customer rating:

All the way funny
There's nothing to worry about until there's something to worry about
Is It Possible to Wear Out a DVD?
Brooklyn meets Alabama
What A Hoot!!

My Cousin Vinny
Starring: Joe Pesci , Ralph Macchio , Marisa Tomei , Mitchell Whitfield , and Fred Gwynne
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 630592970X
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Amazon.com

When two Italian-American boys from New York are falsely accused of murder in a small Alabama town, they call for a lawyer--but the only lawyer they know is their cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), who made six attempts before he passed his bar exam. My Cousin Vinny is a classic fish-out-of-water comedy; the flimsy plot about clearing the two boys and solving the murder is just a hook to support a lot of culture-clash humor. Thanks to the strong cast of character actors like Fred Gwynne, Austin Pendleton, and Lane Smith, it's pretty funny--even old-hat jokes about Brooklyn versus Southern accents come to life. Pesci has played a few too many schticky characters, but this time it works. There's just enough humanity in his caricature to make Vinny likable and entertaining. When the movie was released, there was controversy about whether Marisa Tomei, playing Vinny's big-haired and black-leather-wearing fiancée, deserved to win the best supporting actress Oscar (she beat out Judy Davis, Joan Plowright, Miranda Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave); but seeing her performance on its own, it's a comic marvel and worthy of honor. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Two carefree pals (Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield) traveling through Alabama are mistakenly arrested, and charged with murder. Fortunately, one of them has a cousin who's a lawyer - Vincent Gambini (Joe Pesci, Lethal Weapon 3, Home Alone), a former auto mechanic from Brooklyn who just passed his bar exam after his sixth try. Vinny's never been in court - or in Alabama - and when he arrives with his leather-clad girlfriend (Marisa Tomei in her Oscar® winning Supporting Actress performance), to try his first case, it's a real shock - for him and the Deep South!

Customer Reviews:

All the way funny.......2007-05-23

Makes me glad I don't live in the south, but I'm glad I bought the movie

There's nothing to worry about until there's something to worry about.......2007-05-01

15 years after its release, My Cousin Vinny still commands the laughs it did after the first viewing. With a clever plot, great cast, and hilarious dialogue, the full two hours of My Cousin Vinny are laugh out loud funny.

When two young New Yorkers are falsely identified and accused of a murder they didn't commit, one of them calls his cousin the attorney to represent them in the Alabama courtroom.

Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei are perfect together and every scene they're in is perfect. Every premise is set up perfectly and the comedic timing is dead on. The styles have definitely changed, but even in their early 90s clothes they manage to look cool.

The DVD doesn't contain many extras, just a lot of trailers for the film, but with a classic like this, you'll be too busy rewatching the movie to need any special features.

Is It Possible to Wear Out a DVD?.......2007-03-15

Check back later for the answer - I love this movie and have watched it TOO MANY TIMES. Pesci and his fiancee are both hilarious in their low-key approach to saving Vinni's cousins from an erroneous murder rap.

Brooklyn meets Alabama.......2007-01-21

Possibly the best comedy of all time, this is one of those movies that is still funny and entertaining no matter how many times you watch it. And at less than 10 bucks, it is a bargain and well worth adding to your DVD collection. I still remember when this was first released on VHS and bought it then and couldn't wait to purchase it on DVD.
The are a couple of negative aspects of the DVD however. The sound overall is poor, the music score is dodgy and the volume of the sound is recorded a little too soft. And sadly there is limited special features on the disc, with only a commentary track from the director and two trailers.
On the positive side, the picture quality is excellent and looks great on a wide screen tv. This is a very solid movie with outstanding performances from the cast, especially Joe Pesci as Vinny and Marisa Tomei as his fiance Lisa. There was a rumour she only won the supporting actress oscar after her name was accidently read out, I don't believe that could be true, and even if it was, she definitely deserved it as this is her finest performance.

What A Hoot!!.......2007-01-13

Joe Pesci and Marissa Tomei shine (Academny Award for Marissa for this role and well deserved!!!). Whenever we want to watch a movie for pure enjoyment, this is one of the ones we pick. We saw it at the theater, wore out the VHS, and recently purchased it on DVD. A must have for any collection.

Average customer rating:

Monsoon Wedding
monsoon wedding
Off the beaten path for me
Colorful
Inda - Monsoon Wedding

Monsoon Wedding
Starring: Rajit Kapoor , Naseeruddin Shah , Tilotama Shome , Parvin Dabas , and Lillete Dubey
Director: Mira Nair
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006AW0I
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

Monsoon Wedding is a return to form for Mira Nair, director of 1988's Salaam Bombay! Nair's gift for observation of the everyday and her love for her characters make for a delightful film, which spins a web of family relationships that knit and break during a wedding at a perfect pace. The excellent performances exceed the often stereotypical roles on offer (including the incomparable Nasiruddin Shah as the harassed father, Kulbhushan Kharbanda as the comic uncle, and Shefali Chaya as the orphaned cousin). Nair's sympathetic eye for the unnoticed and the harassed is at its best with the tender romance between the servant and Dube (Vijay Raaz), the marigold-munching, upwardly mobile wedding coordinator, who brings pathos and humor to the often unseen servant classes. The handheld camera gives a docudrama feel to this celebratory look at the upper-middle-class Hindu Punjabi joint family, while paying tribute to modern Indian public culture of music, television, and, of course, "Bollywood." --Rachel Dwyer

Customer Reviews:

Monsoon Wedding.......2007-07-23

This exhilarating Punjabi comedy of manners by the talented Mira Nair ("Salaam Bombay!") fuses Bollywood-style antics (and one extravagant dance sequence!) with crisp social observation. As chaos consumes the tradition-minded Verma and Rai clans, all bets are off--and some new ones are made--on who's pairing up with whom. Declan Quinn's roving camera spotlights the large and eccentric cast, but standouts are Shah and Vijay Raaz, the marigold-chewing nuptials planner who has eyes on a comely maid. Addressing the collision between West and East, as well as class difference in the hustle and bustle of modern Delhi, "Monsoon" is a buoyant, multifaceted comedy/drama that's as thoughtful and rich as a weighty novel.

monsoon wedding.......2007-07-14

I love this movie, as do my whole family..... I saw it on HBO and wanted to have it for my library. The way the story is told, it makes you feel like your part of it. For being shot in such a short length of time, it is really well done. I am fasinated with the indian culture, and I love their foods and music.
So this was the perfect blend for me.

Off the beaten path for me.......2007-06-16

Normally, this wouldn't be a DVD that I would pick off the shelf, but I have heard good things about it, and decided to get it. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good movie and I couldn't believe that it was almost 2 hours long....it didn't drag at all. Maybe just the smallest bit slow in starting, but the people were so interesting I knew it would probably get better, and it did. Interesting backdrop in Delhi....I can't imagine the crowding and the heat in India. Part of their culture is different, of course, but we have a lot in common. I liked the fact that there were several stories going on, and all loose ends got tied up. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants a break in the ordinary.

Colorful.......2007-05-30

I have never seen a Bollywood film and wasn't much interested in them. But I read such good reviews of this that I gave it a try.

I found the view into modern Indian upper middle class life interesting, particulary the blend of ancient culture and the new. Cell phones, mixed drinks, smoking cigarettes in the bathroom, crude references to sex, shopping...It seemed that they have picked up on the worst elements of Western society. golf? I think that's what dismayed me the most. I kept waiting for some sort of spirituality to emerge but that wasn't to be, not in this film.

The story is ok, in a simple way and the subplots of the romance of the servants and the child predator added some more interest. The character of the father of the bride is very well acted; he was probably the only person I felt any affinity for. The others just seemed so one dimensional that I couldn't take any of them very seriously.

The costumes are gorgeous. The colors are sumptuous and the overall feeling of celebration at the end is nice. There is certainly a warm family vibe--but they're all drinking so much that one wonders how genuine it really is.

I hate to say this for I fear I'll get some nasty comments addressed to me like I don't have a heart or brain...but I kept thinking that this movie would have played well in the US in about 1950. I just found it superficial, shallow and silly. However a whole lot of others loved it....so take your chances.

Inda - Monsoon Wedding.......2007-05-26

I like this DVD because it is a fun movie plus it shows life in India. It is hard to believe how crowded it is in Delhi.

Elvis - The Hollywood Collection (Charro / Girl Happy / Kissin' Cousins / Live a Little, Love a Little / Stay Away, Joe / Tickle Me)

Average customer rating:

An Excellent Collection of Rare Elvis Movie Classics
Great Additions To The Elvis Catalog
Great to have but could've been better
Elvis The Hollywood Collection
The Last Six Elvis Movies Finally Available!!

Elvis - The Hollywood Collection (Charro / Girl Happy / Kissin' Cousins / Live a Little, Love a Little / Stay Away, Joe / Tickle Me)
Starring: Elvis Presley , Ina Balin , Victor French , Barbara Werle , and Solomon Sturges
Director: Charles Marquis Warren , Boris Sagal , and Gene Nelson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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