Warriors of Heaven & Earth [Blu-ray]

Product Description

In the tradition of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, Warriors of Heaven and Earth weaves a thread of battle, comradeship and honor. Set in the ferocious Gobi Desert, the story follows Lieutenant Li (Jiang Wen) and Japanese emissary Lai Xi (Nakai Kiichi), both first-class warriors and master swordsmen. After decades of service to the Chinese Emperor, Lai Xi longs to return to Japan, but is instead sent to the west to chase wanted criminals. His only passport back to Japan is to capture and execute Lieutenant Li, a renegade soldier wanted for leading a violent mutiny when he refused orders to kill female and child prisoners. Li and Lai Xi battle, but finally agree to delay their final personal fight until the caravan carrying a Buddhist monk is brought to safety. The monk, however, is carrying a sacred and powerful pagoda that attracts the attention of the region's ruthless overlord, Master An (Wang Xueqi). Lai Xi and Lt. Li, accompanied by Li's former posse of soldiers, who have forsaken their peaceful new lives to return to his side, must face the cruelty of the desert, the region's barbaric bandits and the brutality of the overlord's men before they can finally faceone another.

Customer Reviews:

Looks nice but really boring........2007-08-06

I can't fault the Bluray, the movie looks really nice. Too bad it is extremely boring - just rent this instead.

Heaven & Earth - Oliver Stone Collection

Average customer rating:

This is not a war movie---this is not the third movie in a trilogy
Life in Vietnam
Vietnam in purgatory
WHO'S THE "COMMUNIST"?
A Vision of Vietnam

Heaven & Earth - Oliver Stone Collection
Starring: Haing S. Ngor , Bussaro Sanruck , Supak Pititam , Joan Chen , and Thuan K. Nguyen
Director: Oliver Stone
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000542DF
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Description

"Tommy Lee Jones burns through the screen like white phosphorous" (Newhouse News Service) in Oliver Stone's powerful Vietnam saga of a man who fought, a woman who endured...and a love enmeshed in a war's brutality.

Customer Reviews:

This is not a war movie---this is not the third movie in a trilogy.......2006-01-10

This film was recommended to me by amazon.com because of my previous purchases of movies concerning the Vietnam War. Every previous film that I have purchased gave the view of the war from the perspective of the American men who fought there. This is the first film that I have seen that truly showed the side of the story from a Vietnamese viewpoint.

It is a gut wrenching saga of one young girl who grows into womenhood in a war torn country. In the beginning of the film little is mentioned by how much harm the French caused in Vietnam. Very little is said about the harm that the Chinese and Japanese caused either. But both are mentioned in the film.

This young girl lives in a village that has stood for 1000's of years and has been victimized by so many wars. Her village is then torn between supporting the Viet Cong and the South Vietnamese and American governments and their troops. Her village is torn apart as well as her family.

Not to go to far into the plot or divulge to much information, I can only say that this movie touched my heart like no other. I would have to rate it right up there with some of the best films I have ever seen. It is well worth the effort to purchase and view. I will see this film over and over.

Thank you, amazon.com, for recommending this film to me.

Life in Vietnam .......2005-05-30

This movie follows one girl's life before and after the Vietnam War. This movie is both beautiful and sad. You watch as this simple farm girl has many hardships and adversities she must overcome. You get drawn into this movie you start fighting for the character to survive. You want her to overcome all obstacles. I truly enjoyed watching this movie. It made me remember how lucky I am and how unlucky I could be.

Vietnam in purgatory.......2004-06-21

A wonderful movie about how the war affected the Vietnamese people and their ideals. The movie starts with a sweeping panorama of the idyllic and simple countryside where we see hard working people, tilling the land and surviving as they had for thousands of years. Suddenly, their lives are transformed into a nightmare by the occupation of US and French troops, and later by the vicious and murderous Viet Cong. The brutality is a little too graphic for my tastes, especially the torture scenes involving Lee Ly Hayslip (played by Hiep Thi Le), and her VC captors. She experiences rape and humiliation, and barely escapes death as her village is burned to the ground.
She escapes to Saigon, becomes pregnant by her employer, and is sent into the streets by his wife. She turns to prostitution, and finally marries GI Steve Butler (Tommy Lee Jones), who transports her to America, where she experiences a new kind of prejudice. She gets a job, and her husband slowly turns insane, carrying wartime nightmares into real life. Unable to stay with him, she leaves him, and he commits suicide. She returns to her native village, introduces her son to his real father. Then, she reunites with her family who tell her the horrors they endured during her absence. She is now a rich entrepeneur and her parents accept her change. She sees how heaven and earth moved for her as she experiences two worlds that merge simultaneously.
Great acting, wonderful scenery and camera angles. An inspring and thought provoking movie based on the book.

WHO'S THE "COMMUNIST"?.......2004-02-21

"Heaven and Earth" is a lesser known sibling of other Vietnam-centric epics from Oliver Stone -- "Platoon" and "Born on the 4th of July". It is as brilliant a testament of Vietnam's devastatation as any of the others from Stone, but there is a reason why this film remains no more than a blip on international radars.

The movie begins with the same stunning cinematography that you expect from Richardson, and pulls you in immediately. We follow the simple lives of Vietnamese rural folk (surrounding by idyllic fields, mountains, and a deliciously ordinary every-day life between the "Heaven & Earth"). But this song and dance is jerked 20 minutes into the movie by the Viet Cong (VC) and other "bad bad" people on either side of the war -- the rebels on one side, and the US-aided forces on the other. Stone leaves no stone unturned, no gruesome detail uncaught on tape, no rape missed -- it's gruesome to watch, and more so for some viewers because it requires you to think.

But that's where the good stuff ends.

The movie is loooong. Nearly 2.5 hours of mindbending mayhem, with a whole barrage of twists and turns. Our simple village girl from Vietnam escapes with Tommy Lee Jones, but finds that US has communist contours of its own, where her overweight sister in law forces her to eat a lot of meat and food, where her husband's friend gratuitously talks about his "fetish" for "Oriental women" too, her husband is an arms dealer and a wife-beater, etc etc.

The movie is full of platitudes. Sappy stuff like "Different skin, same suffering." The theme of war-time atrocities on the innocent, the futility of war, are all very well but nothing new. This was supposedly the Vietnamese perspective, the ordinary person's perspective etc...but an hour into the movie it becomes difficult to care without much happening.

The movie has a whiny, annoying actress for a protagonist. She simply does not measure up to the rigor and depth of the role, and surely seems like a sour spouse for Lee Jones.

But the worst possible thing about the movie is it ending -- it beats you over the head with the point. For the most part fans of thrillers aren't dumb, although it seems the director doesnt realize that.

A worthy rental for sure, but not a movie I could watch more than once.

A Vision of Vietnam.......2003-06-09

I thought the movie was highly enjoyable and overall entertaining. But, there were a lot of themes, and they were all mashed into one, so it wasnýt quite clear what the movie was trying to get across. There was Le Ly against her own human nature, her religion, and her needs. And throughout the movie it would focus on one of those ideas, but it would never really be resolved and therefore it was left just floating around. For example, Le Ly against her religion. She couldnýt leave her husband Steve to just be self destructive, and suicidal but if she helped him, sheýd be going against her Buddhist ideals because she volunteered to give up her religion for him. But, if she didnýt her karma would be off balance and she would never reach any type of peace within herself. The movie never really resolved that conflict, even with Steveýs suicide. Was she really ready to give up her faith for him? After he died that theme was sort of just left out to dry.
Another thing I was confused about was why Tommy Lee Jones was made out to be the main character of the movie, and the entire thing was supposed to be him or something. In fact, the back of the movie box said he, ýlead the cast,ý but, there was no leading of the cast by Jones. He was good in the role he was supposed to play; he was creepy and dangerous yet somehow he had a redeeming quality to him that made you feel sorry for him. But he was in the movie for a total of maybe thirty minutes and then he died. Yes, he was a big character and was important to the story, but his acting didnýt ýburn through the screen like white phosphorus.ý
I thought the movie was very realistic. It was based on a true story, so it was very factual and accurate in its representations of events. I think that it tried to take the viewer from one part of history to the present, and to portray what life is like in Vietnam for the people living there. There was no holding back in the scenes, and there was no sugar coating of events. Le Ly was brutally raped by a fellow villager, her entire village was burned down, people she loved were tortured, even she was tortured, and her husband even held a loaded gun to head, ready to pull the trigger.
The visions of Vietnam that Stone presented the viewer were absolutely amazing. It is a more beautiful country than I ever thought, and the cinematography was excellent. One scene that stuck out to me was when Le Ly and her mother were working as servants and Le Ly fell in love with the house head. This scene stuck out to me especially because of the colors. The house itself was very white and beautiful, and the way that the cameras caught the angles of the sunlight was really dazzling.
The movie definitely held my interest. It never dragged and it was really interesting the way Stone took us, the viewers, into all the aspects of the life of Le Ly. I hate to use this cliché, but it really was a ýroller coasterý of emotions. I cried in some parts, laughed in other parts, was touched, was inspired, and was hurt right along with Le Ly. I really enjoyed watching the movie, beginning to end.

Average customer rating:

Not only for those interested in Asian cinema...
The best Western in years - even if it is from the East!
A Chinese "western" with illusions of grandeur
Tool
I was blown away.....

Warriors of Heaven and Earth
Starring: Wen Jiang , Kiichi Nakai , Xueqi Wang , Zhao Wei , and Bagen Hasi
Director: Ping He
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000683VH0
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Amazon.com

Anybody hungering for a good old-fashioned Western needs to check out Warriors of Heaven and Earth, which--although it's set in 7th-century China--has all the valor and spectacle of a John Ford picture. It also has a goofy supernatural streak, for the chopsocky crowd. The opening 10 minutes or so offer an alarmingly convoluted plot, but it swiftly settles down. What's going on is that a long-exiled Japanese hit man (Kiichi Nakai), hired to kill a renegade Chinese warrior (Jiang Wen), temporarily teams up with his quarry in order to escort a camel caravan along the Spice Road. Of course, they are menaced by a brutal warlord, and beautiful Zhao Wei (So Close) is mixed in there too. Director He Ping (Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker) captures some magnificent vistas in the Gobi Desert, but more importantly he sketches the codes or honor and behavior essential to any such tale. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Not only for those interested in Asian cinema..........2006-09-12

My brother told me I should watch "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" (2003). Truth to be told, I was somewhat sceptic, as his taste in movies is somewhat different to mine. All the same, I must say that in this case he was right.

This film is quite original, due to the fact that it is set in 7th-century China, but at times seems like a Western. To make it a little stranger, there are some supernatural elements that fit the plot and make this movie something that you are not likely to forget.

One of the main characters is a Japanese warrior (Kiichi Nakai) that has been in the service of the Chinese Emperor for a very long time, and that just wants to fulfill his last task before returning home. Unfortunately for him, that implies finding and killing a Chinese outlaw (Wen Jiang) that used to be a soldier, but that was condemned to death when he refused to kill a group of women and children. The two warriors play a game of cat and mouse, but decide to make a short truce in order to defend a caravan carrying a holy object, that is being attacked by bandits that want to steal it.

There are plenty of well-choreographed fights, but also opportunity to think about themes such as duty and honour. You will also appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Gobi Desert, and the brilliance with which the director (He Ping) was able to tell this story.

From my point of view, this is not a film that will only please those highly interested in Asian cinema. I think that everybody that is fond of an entertaining movie will appreciate "Warriors of Heaven and Earth", even though those who like epic films will certainly like it more. Recommended!

Belen Alcat

The best Western in years - even if it is from the East!.......2006-03-27

He Ping's Warriors of Heaven and Earth starts off in traditional Eastern epic fashion and with a few similarities to Musa/The Warrior - one of its protagonists is a Japanese noble eager to earn the Emperor of China's permission to return home after 25 years in his service - but it soon develops into something much more satisfying: an all-out Western, and one that's played straight for once. It may be set along China's Silk Road, but the landscape is classic American Western, from pine valleys to buttes that could have come straight out of the smaller corners of Monument Valley. Even the Turks who attack the wagon train - sorry, camel caravan - at Red Rock Gorge do so with Apache war cries.

There are some imaginative action scenes, including a neat swordfight between the two protagonists on opposite sides of a log cabin's walls, and the classic Western friendly enemies archetypes transpose surprisingly well to an Eastern setting. It's a shame that the caravan's cargo has supernatural qualities, because the film really doesn't need the fantasy element, but the special effects are at a bare minimum, as is wirework for once. This made little impression at the box-office, but it's well worth tracking down. Great fun.

The extras aren't plentiful - 25-minute making of, music video and brief trailer - but are adequate enough.

A Chinese "western" with illusions of grandeur.......2006-02-11

The idea of a Chinese "western" is appealing at face value and I certainly appreciated the fact that the warriors in "Tian di ying xiong" ("Warriors of Heaven and Earth") were of a mature age. I could easily see this being the sort of story where you had the likes of John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Jimmy Stewart in the main roles. It was just when I though of any of those stalwarts dealing with mystical blue light that I found myself wishing this story had been a bit more straight foward. Then I remembered this was a Chinese film, which is why it is in Mandarin with English subtitles.

"Tian di ying xiong" is set during the Tang dynasty, when ancient China covered most of Asia. Lieutenant Li Zai (Wen Jiang) was a honored soldier in the Emperor's service until he refused an order to slaughter a group of Turkish women and children who had been taken captive. After escaping, the Emperor put a bounty on the head of "Butcher Li," hiring the Japanese assassin, Lai Qi (Kiichi Nakai) to finish the job before he will be allowed to return home. Li has disguised himself as a Turkish mercenary, protecting camel caravans traveling the Silk Road from attacks by bandits. While traveling through the Gobi desert, a terrible sand storm buries the caravan. The only ones who survive is a single solider, a young Buddhist monk ((Yun Zhou), and Li. Because the soldier saved his life, Li vows to protect the caravan until it reaches the capital. This is when Lai Qi catches up with Li and challenges him to a fight.

Appealing to the honor of the assassin, Li proposes a deal: Lai will make three attacks on Li, and it Li loses then they will fight there and then. But if Li wins he will be allowed to keep his vow and escort the caravan and then they can have their big sword fight. Li wins the wager, and Lai follows the caravan from a distance. When a local warlord, Master An (Xueqi Wang), starts attacking the caravan, Li and Lai become temporary allies. Then they learn the truth of what it is the young monk is carrying and the stakes become even higher.

This is one of those movies where what is arguably the best action sequence comes at the start, even though all we are talking about is a sword fight that takes place in (and through) a cabin. The key visual attraction becomes not the sword fights, but the vistas of the Gobi desert shot by cinematographer Zhao Fei ("Raise the Red Lantern," "Small Time Crooks"), accompanied by the music of A.R. Rahman and Qu Lixin. Most of the characters reflect well-established types, which explains why "Old Diehard" (Wang Dehun), ends up stealing a lot of the scenes. The main female character, Wen Zhu (Vicki Zhao), seems like she is going to be Li's love interest or perhaps another sword by his side, but neither pans out significantly.

He Ping ("Pao Da Shuang Deng") directed the film and co-wrote the script with Zhang Rui ("Dao ma zei") and he is clearly trying for something big. That is commendable, but there are just too many moments where he associates taking things slowly with making things great. Ultimately "Tian di ying xiong" relates better to the works of George Lucas than John Ford. Given the characters, the situation, and the locations, the net effect really should have been a lot more impressive.

Tool.......2005-04-21

This is just to respond to the intellectually challenged fellow who made the claim that this film somehow demonstrates a Chinese failure to grok Buddhism. Does watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade convince you that Christianity is a mystery to the culture from whence the film sprang? At least try not to say stupid things, pretty please.

That aside, the film isn't very good. There are some nice scenic shots, but nothing else is particularly commendable. I didn't mind watching it, but I'm glad I didn't buy it.

I was blown away............2005-04-01

I am a HUGE fan of martial arts films, and passed over this movie a million times at BEST BUY. I wasn't particulary impressed with the cover art and the story line involving the "supernatural" seemed uninspired as well ( I was scared it was going to be horribly cheesy). Boy, was I wrong. One night while mooning over when the House of Flying Daggers would be out on DVD I decided to order this movie through entertainment on demand. My only regret is that I didn't just buy it in the first place because it was definately worth it.
The best thing to me about the film was that it truly attained the status of being an epic adventure. You become attached to the characters, you forget that this is an alternate reality of 7th century china. The bad guys are SCARY, the good guys just don't seem to measure up to to them. China itself is at stake. The swordplay is masterful. What more can a girl ask for?
Sort of like Lord of the Rings (of course nothing compares to LOTR but you know what I'm talking about), the final battle left me breathless, I was sooo nervous that the good guys just weren't going to be able to pull it off. Now, logically I know that the good guys almost ALWAYS win, but in this movie I was able to forget that, suspend my disbelief and just go on the journey with them!
Anyway if you're looking for a Crouching Tiger that's not what it is. It's not as...Hollywoody...so you're not going to get all the flashy special effects. (Which to my mind isn't too bad as the flying through the trees bit in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a little too much for me). What you will get is a compelling story line, characters that you admire and care about, good action, and a stellar ending.

Average customer rating:

Yet Another 'Urban' Version of an already excellent movie.
Excellent movie
a romantic comedy
Down To Earth
Very few new things in this film

Down to Earth
Starring: Chris Rock , Regina King , Chazz Palminteri , Eugene Levy , and Frankie Faison
Director: Paul Weitz , and Chris Weitz
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B00005JH9O
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Amazon.com

A tepid reworking of Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (itself a remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan), Down to Earth tries to mold comedian Chris Rock into an amiable romantic lead, but it softens the scathingly observant humor that made Rock a standup successor to Richard Pryor. Rock's aggressive style is bracingly expressed in a few good scenes, but through most of this movie--from the directors of American Pie--he struggles with dialogue that would barely pass muster in a low-rated sitcom. Edgy potential loses out to crowd-pleasing with the familiar body-switch formula: by way of premature death and bad timing on the part of heaven's Vegas-styled gatekeepers (played by Eugene Levy and Chazz Palminteri), Rock--as struggling comedian Lance Barton--is reincarnated as a 55-year-old white billionaire with a nasty reputation.

Adjusting (too easily) to his racial transition, Lance charms a hospital administrator (Regina King) who's amazed to see the selfish white billionaire turning into romantic philanthropist. This allows plenty of black/white-contrast jokes (did you ever see a fat, middle-aged white guy who's into hip-hop?), and Rock, who cowrote the screenplay, still manages to work some pointed politics into the movie's good-natured tone. It's guaranteed that some will find Down to Earth quite entertaining, but others will wonder how potent this comedy could have been if Rock had been more willing to confront the harsher truths that lurk beneath the humor. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Yet Another 'Urban' Version of an already excellent movie........2007-05-04

This is a remake of an actually funny, clever, and classy movie called "Heaven Can Wait." Throwing in the urban comedian with the 'updated' script just results in a piece of garbage. You can't turn a class act like Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait into an "urban" version and expect it to be good. What a waste of time, money, and film. Rent the original and see what a true classic this is.

Excellent movie.......2007-01-12

This movie is a must see!! I watched it on television and had to purchase it.

a romantic comedy.......2006-05-23

Comedian Lance Barton (Chris Rock) makes a fool of himself on stage one night and gets booed off. When biking home that night, he accidentally gets hit by a truck and is sent to heaven. In heaven, he gets the opportunity to go back `down to earth', only in someone else's body. To Lance, when he looks in the mirror, he sees himself, but when other people see him, he's Charles Wellington, the most richest man on earth, and the most unliked by everyone. Lance sees this and during his stay on earth, tries to make peace. One thing leads to another, and he gets the girl Sontee Jenkins (Regina King), who at the beginning was mad at Charles (Lance) for not caring about hospitals (or something along those lines). This film also stars Jennifer Coolidge as Charles Wellington's wife, and Wanda Sykes as the maid Wanda. Wanda was so funny in every scene she was in. So was Jennifer. Everything they did was so natural!

Down To Earth.......2005-09-27

Hilariously outrageous! One of Chris Rocks best! This movie sees him dying too early only to be brought back in an old white guys body! But here's the punch line, he's a comedian in the movie as well! I was in stitches, definately a must see if you like Chris Rock's dynamic style of comedy.

Very few new things in this film.......2004-11-02

It's clear this is the n-th version of "Heaven Can Wait". As a remake, not many new things could arise in this film.

There are some new things, of course. Some of them are quite reasonably different: the story in this case is about a black man living in the Bronx; the return to Earth is due to the chase of a girl and so this is sort of a (then again) romantic comedy.

But some other things make me feel really dazzed. Heaven is... Las Vegas? Gatekeepers seem to be... like gangsters? And the highest expectation of the main character is... to be a great comedy club man? (and of course not to be booed every time he is acting).

The romantic moments are given by Chase Rock, but the great comedy moments are for Chazz Palmintieri. At least, his appearance makes this film not to deserve a lower rating.

You can have a good afetrnoon at home with this film, but don't expect so much of it.

Average customer rating:

An excellent film!
"Freedom is never a gift,"
Life by any other name....
A different side of the story
Good

Heaven & Earth
Starring: Haing S. Ngor , Bussaro Sanruck , Supak Pititam , Joan Chen , and Thuan K. Nguyen
Director: Oliver Stone
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00031V21M
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Customer Reviews:

An excellent film!.......2007-01-12

Certainly, Heaven & Earth is a film about the confrontations of two cultures and its values; woman and man, the East and the West: the eternal confrontation of this radical duality, that is not solved at all in this film, and it is not, because the West does not have the solution, and the East does not either.

Kitaro and its music, the beautiful scenery are but a glimpse of what the East has to offer to the West... and the West and specially the American way of life, even though it seems to be the solution for the WOMAN, it is so poor at the end that love becomes a real tragedy.

A great film by Oliver Stone!

"Freedom is never a gift,".......2006-05-10

Those were some of the last words Le Ly's father expressed before he died.I found lots of Buddha's thoughts in this movie
that help me to recognize many 'actions and reactions',the cause of acts and 'everything happens for a reason'.
It's a true story of a very brave young woman who at last
saved her children and achieved freedom.
Well done,Le ly. The best part I like about this movie is the soundtrack.It's one of the sublime sounds I've ever listened in my life.In fact,I have immense collections of Kitaro...

I love so much this story.I saw it many times.

Life by any other name...........2005-11-08

This is a great story, a sad story, an uplifting story, etc. The ride this film has given to the viewer is at least insightful and at most inspirational and soulful. "Child of Peace" sums it all up.

A different side of the story.......2005-06-03

"Heaven and Earth" is a difficult movie to tackle. The almost-true story of Le Ly Hayslip, it is a beautiful, compelling story of a peasant girl caught up in the madness of the American/Viet Nam war, not knowing which side to take and ultimately attempting just to stay alive and find some happiness.

Almost-true, because her amazing story needed to be condensed into a two and a half hour feature film. Three men became one, years became weeks and vast sections of her life were neatly trimmed away. This is understandable in any biographical film, but the result her is not so fluid as in other movies of this type. Also, an odd decision was made to film the movie entirely in English, except when interacting with American soldiers when they slip into a sort of broken English. Having the film be in Vietnamese, with subtitles, would have made for a more authentic experience.

Tommy Lee Jones' character, the three men condensed into one, jumps too quickly from Hero to Monster to Victim, and one seeks for the core of his character in the movie. Who is he? It is difficult to tell. Hiep Thi Le as Le Ly is also confusing, at one minute the innocent, wide-eyed girl looking to be loved and the next a sophisticated businesswoman who is willing to sacrifice everything for success and money. As seen in "Evita," this kind of transformation isn't impossible to tell but here it doesn't seem honest. One looks for the sophisticate in the peasant or the peasant in the sophisticate, and doesn't find them.

In spite of these criticisms, there is enough right about "Heaven and Earth" to make the film enjoying and captivating. Telling the American/Viet Nam war from the point of view of the Vietnamese people is a jarring juxtaposition, and something I have never seen done before. Such a daring feat would be almost impossible in today's political climate of the US. Le Ly's story takes her through all walks of life and many aspects of the war, giving you something to think about at each stage.

The cinematography is beautiful, and the colors and textures of Viet Nam make it seem like a paradise. The paradise is shattered by wars, with the green rice being overrun by the green tank and soldiers. In such a situation, it is difficult to tell who is right and who is wrong, with each side putting guns to your head ordering you to believe their ideology.

I am glad to see this version of the DVD being released, with Hiep Thi Le on the cover instead of Tommy Lee Jones. Good as he is, he is in only about 30 minutes of the film, and certainly doesn't deserve the cover.

Good.......2002-01-11

This movie is good, but it's not 1/10th as good as the book.

Oliver Stone is an excellent director, and features of the movie such as light and camera angles and the movement of the camera are excellent. The acting is good too. Tommy Lee Jones has an impossible role, but in each scene he is convincing. Hiep Thi Le's role is also impossible, and she is not bad. Those who have read the book will be happy to see Le Ly Hayslip herself playing the jewelry dealer in the middle of the movie. The soundtrack by Kitaro is fair, although my personal tastes disagree.

The problem is that Le Ly Hayslip's story, upon which this movie is based, is too complex for a two hour movie. Tommy Lee Jones' character is an amalgamation of three men, and the result is nothing if not schizophrenic. So many scenes are too subtle for most people to understand, although the book makes everything clear. Compacting her remarkable life (the movie is based on two books!) into a feature-length movie is just impossible, and on an emotional level the film nearly fails.

Let me push the books once more. Even if you are not a reader, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, by Le Ly Hayslip and Jay Wurts, will pull you along. It is one of the very best books I have ever read. The sequel, Child of War, Woman of Peace, is also pretty good. I strongly encourage you to read especially the first book. Like I said, the movie is fine, but the book is simply incredible. It is the only book that has ever made me cry.

Average customer rating:

One of my favorite director's; far from ultimate box set

COLLECTION ALMOST PERFECT

1600 MINUTES OF GREAT MOVIES !!!!!!!!

Not a Good Deal!

One technical quibble

The Ultimate Oliver Stone Collection (Salvador / Platoon / Wall Street / Talk Radio / Born on the Fourth of July / JFK Director's Cut / The Doors / Heaven and Earth / Natural Born Killers / Nixon / U-Turn / Any Given Sunday Director's Cut)
Starring: Val Kilmer , and Woody Harrellson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Sundance Film Festival Collection: Celebrating 25 Years

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Comandante [Region 2]

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ASIN: B0002ZSKMS
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Amazon.com

This 14-disc set is at least the third massive DVD collection with the Oliver Stone moniker. New to this set are two documentaries that aired on HBO: Looking for Fidel (2004), Stone's second film shadowing the Cuban leader, focusing on the regime's iron-fisted defector policy. Persona Non Grata (2003) is an examination of Palestinian conflict. Both of the films have a constantly moving camera, giving us a you-are-there feel to the subjects including Stone, who is seen often. His warts and all interviews are certainly a different type than the usual newsmagazines and are especially interesting in Non Grata since we've seen too many cut-and-dried interviews with these players over the years.

The main theatrical films on single discs have been released before although several of them have been released previously with more content and bonus discs, creating a debate on how "ultimate" this collection is. Otherwise, all his films are here, from his Vietnam trilogy (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Heaven & Earth), his iconic pop culture films (The Doors, Wall Street, Any Given Sunday), experimental films (Natural Born Killers, U-Turn, Talk Radio), and political operas (JFK, Nixon, Salvador), plus the documentary Oliver Stone's America. --Doug Thomas

Description

The Ultimate Oliver Stone Collection includes twelve of this legendary filmmaker's best films. This collection contains 14 discs filled with hours of commentary and bonus features. Also included is a bonus disc made exclusively for this collection. The collection contains: Born on the 4th of July, The Doors, JFK (Director's Cut), Platoon, Salvador, Talk Radio, Wall Street, Any Given Sunday (Director's Cut), Heaven and Earth, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, Oliver Stone's America, U-Turn, AND the Ultimate Oliver Stone Bonus Disc.

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite director's; far from ultimate box set.......2007-08-11

I'll keep this short and sweet, as most of you have already touched on this before me. None of the 2 disc sets include their second disc. That means collectors like me basically had to repurchase the DVDs if they wanted any supplemental material included with their fave flicks. I found this to be a bit of a money waster, and basically an expensive way to purchase the Stone documentaries, that as far as I know, can only be found here. I'd have rather just paid 20 bucks for them on a seperate DVD, however.

I do have a question for owners of this set:

Have any of you ever experienced small purple and green bars on both sides of the image during the entire playback of JFK? I'm trying to find out if it's just my disc, or if this is a common issue with the set.

COLLECTION ALMOST PERFECT.......2006-10-26

This filmmaking collection is almost perfect, but not quite superior to, the previous Oliver Stone collection that was released. All of his directorial efforts starting with Salvador are included, and they are packaged similar to the way television series dvd sets are packaged (like Grey's Anatomy and Lost), with two overlapping discs per side of the package. Platoon is the special edition that was released by MGM/UA many years back, it is not the most recent special edition. Salvador, Wall Street, and Talk Radio are all the single disc special editions that are available separately. Born On The Fourth of July is the remastered version that was released not too long ago (picture is vastly improved with more natural hues and tones). The Doors, JFK, Nixon, and Any Given Sunday are separately available as two-disc editions and only the first discs of each (basically only the movie) are available in this set. Heaven and Earth and U-Turn are the same as what is available separately, and finally Natural Born Killers is the RATED version of the film, not the Unrated released by Trimark. The picture is much better than the Trimark Unrated release of the film but it is missing up to three minutes of footage needed to achieve an R rating. The NBK disc does include deleted scenes, commentary, and a theatrical trailer. I'm not sure why Warner Bros doesn't release the Unrated version since it does with all of its other films (except for Eyes Wide Shut, I suppose) but whatever. The extra disc on this set includes Stone's recent documentaries Persona Non Grata and Looking For Fidel. It does not included Comandante which is still not available in this country (you can get a Region 2 copy on Amazon.co.uk but you'll need a region free player to play it). There is also a little blurb about Alexander included. Oh, and the documentary Oliver Stone's America is also included including the full version of his student film Last Year In Vietnam. So, all in all this is a great buy. If you really end up wanting the two-disc editions of some of the films after you watch them, you can always buy them later. If you buy this, Alexander (either or both versions), and his upcoming World Trade Center, you will own almost all of Oliver Stone's directorial efforts for a pretty cheap price all things considered. Enjoy!

1600 MINUTES OF GREAT MOVIES !!!!!!!!.......2006-10-01

Are you kidding me ???Where can you get 13 GREAT movies and EXTRAS for this price?? I cant believe people that find fault with a set containing so much for so little!!!!Each of these movies is highly entertaining in its own way. A diversified group of films you'll never find in a single collection!!!!I cant believe this doesnt cost$150 or more!!!

Not a Good Deal!.......2005-06-14

This DVD set consists of one outer and two inner Boxes, each has 4 glassy DVD case, 3 double, 1 single. DVDs are not indipendent in this set, so if you want to buy it used, beware of the condition of the box. some movies like "THE DOORS" and "Nixon" are originnaly two discs editions but only first discs are included in this dvd set and worse is, there is a word "disc 1" printed of them which indicates that these are the first DVDs of a 2 disc set and that makes you feel there is something crude about this box set! and there is something really crude!
the quality of boxes and print is low. outer box could easily be damaged or worn and it's very loose. it's not a good deal, specially at the price of 116 dollars!

One technical quibble.......2005-04-06

All great movies, but I couldn't help but notice that every time I try to eject the JFK Director's Cut DVD, the disc pops out of the DVD player and then makes an unexpected move back and to the left.

Average customer rating:

A Good Hearted Movie

Earth Angel
Starring: Cindy Williams , Cathy Podewell , Rainbow Harvest , Mark Hamill , and Erik Estrada
Director: Joe Napolitano
Manufacturer: Direct Source Label
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FUF712
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Customer Reviews:

A Good Hearted Movie.......2007-07-25

It was a very good movie. With lessons from the past, present, and future.
All in all at least in my opion it was a good movie.

Average customer rating:

ALL DOGS... is a very good series in general
Amazing movie
Loved Both!
I'm in sequal hell.
To all those who think number one is the best...

All Dogs Go To Heaven 2
Starring: Ernest Borgnine , Bebe Neuwirth , Charlie Sheen , Hamilton Camp , and Steve Mackall
Director: Paul Sabella , and Larry Leker
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000056H27
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Amazon.com

While it pales in comparison to the outstanding animation of its predecessor, Don Bluth's imaginative if somewhat graceless All Dogs Go to Heaven, this 1995 sequel has some nice moments of its own. Charlie Sheen replaces Burt Reynolds as the voice of Charlie Barkin, the afterlife-stranded pooch who sought vengeance against his killer in the previous film but instead discovered the joys of earthly love and community. This time, a bored Charlie, looking for a little adventure, reteams with his old pal Itchy (voiced by Dom DeLuise) to retrieve Gabriel's Horn after it's stolen. Dropping down from Dog Heaven to take on his old nemesis (and killer), Carface (Ernest Borgnine), Charlie falls for a sexy Irish setter (Sheena Easton) and helps a boy caught in a jam. Featuring grand pop songs by the legendary songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 provides kids with a simpler story than Bluth's original film, as well as less unsettling violence. On the downside, director Paul Sabella, a Hanna-Barbera veteran who produced television's The Smurfs, either can't or won't stretch much as an artist here. --Tom Keogh

Description

Get ready for plenty of thrills and excitement as everyone's favorite pups unleash their charm in this lively tale of courage, love and friendship that is captivating entertainment and dog gone good fun for all! All dogs do go to heaven...and some lucky few return to earth. That's what happens when mischievous mutt Charlie Barkin (Charlie Sheen) is asked to retrieve Gabriel's horn when itis stolen from heaven. Seeing his chance to have some fun, Charlie recruits his sidekick Itchy (Dom DeLuise) and happily steps up to the challenge. Immediately, the two get side tracked into trouble...until a sweet young runaway boy and a beautiful Irish setter (Sheena Easton) set them straight. But time is running out, and if Charlie is going to secure the valuable horn, he will have to prove himself worthy of his wings by taking on two incredible villains in a hair-raising, breathtaking race to the finish!

Customer Reviews:

ALL DOGS... is a very good series in general.......2007-03-13

Overall the DVD was good and very much appropriate for young children. However, after a couple of weeks it had fallen to the back of his preference list. We've not watched it in over a year now. I guess this isn't so different from any other DVD we have.

I would recommend this for young children. It does have quite a few concepts that are not appropriate, but are presented in a way that is way over the heads of children adn does have a few scenes that very concervative parents may term violent.

Amazing movie.......2006-06-16

You should definatly see this movie. This movie is good for home viewing audience. THe kids will love this movie. The plot of the story is really interesting.

Loved Both!.......2006-05-06

Now, I grew up watching All Dogs Go To Heaven. I probably watched it twice a week! Even though the storyline was pretty confusing, it was by far the "best movie ever!" And when I heard about All Dogs Go To Heaven 2, i was so excited! As soon as the library got it we rushed and got it. And you know what, I fell in love with Charlie and Itchy all over again. It was just like being a little kid again! And I like how they made the "devil" not as scary. The devil, known in this movie as Red, is actually somewhat likeable. In the original, I had to prety much close my eyes when they showed Charlie's dream about...h***! He was like this big dinosaur! In the second He was cat. Which makes sense in a movie where dogs are the good guys...Dogs go to heaven, and cats, well, don't.

Also, in the original, it was music-based and I love that they kept the entertaining music alive in the 2nd. And in the 1st ADGTH, it seemed like there were scenes added without any explaination, and it was kind of hard to follow. So, I'm glad that ADGTH2 has a straight forward storyline. Well, to rap it all up, i think both movies deserve 2 thumbs up.

I'm in sequal hell. .......2006-04-14

What is the deal. Cant Hollywood leave well enough alone. How many classic animated movies are they going to ruin with sequels? Let me think, their was Balto 2, Little Mermaid 2, Aladdin 2 and three, Secret of Nimh 2, Land before time 2,3,4,5,6,7 etc. enough already. Next thing you know they'll be making a Lion King 2, and a Buity and the Beast 2. O wait, they already did that didn't they. All the movies I have named were great originals but God awful sequels. ADGTH 2 is just as bad. If you loved the original, STAY AWAY FROM ITS SEQUAL.

To all those who think number one is the best..........2006-01-15

Your wrong.Dead wrong! I saw this before number 1 and i still stick with what i said, "Number to is the second best" because i think that An All Dogs Christmas Carol is the best only because it is the most recent i have bought.(Jan 3rd,2006)
So if you disagree, oh well.
LOL
Stanford-911

Peter Sellers Collection (I'm All Right Jack/Heavens Above!/Hoffman/Two-Way Stretch/The Smallest Show on Earth/Carlton-Browne of the F.O.)

Average customer rating:

Caveats

Peter Sellers Collection (I'm All Right Jack/Heavens Above!/Hoffman/Two-Way Stretch/The Smallest Show on Earth/Carlton-Browne of the F.O.)
Starring: Peter Sellers
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007AJEC
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Amazon.com

The Peter Sellers Collection includes six British comedies in which Sellers plays leading or supporting roles. The Smallest Show on Earth (1957) is among the run of gentle British comedies in the 1950s in which outmoded and broken-down local institutions were saved by collections of committed eccentrics. Aspiring novelist Bill Travers and his wife Virginia McKenna inherit a cinema from a hitherto unknown uncle and discover that it isn't the sumptuous modern Grand, but the decrepit Bijou, with a drunken projectionist played by Sellers.

In 1959's I'm All Right Jack, Sellers plays both Sir John Kennaway and, unforgettably, the trade union leader Fred Kite. The result is laugh-out-loud comedy with a satiric edge, lampooning the then-burning issue of industrial relations. The brothers John and Roy Boulting also directed and produced such British classics as Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959), in which Seller's unscrupulous prime minister is upstaged by Terry-Thomas as the idiot son of a great ambassador, and Heavens Above (1963), in which Sellers gives an unusually low-key performance as a young vicar whose tendencies to interpret Christian doctrines in his own individualistic way, rather than conform to church traditions, leads to all kinds of chaos.

The great crime comedy Two Way Stretch (1960) is about imprisoned crooks who hatch a scheme to pull off a heist with a perfect alibi by breaking out, doing the job, and then breaking back in to serve out their sentences. Sellers, usually an eccentric support in these things, takes a rare lead as cocky mastermind Dodger Lane.

Hoffman (1970) gives Sellers a lot of funny business, acid lines, and whimsical turns. Secretary Miss Smith (Sinéad Cusack) is blackmailed by meek, middle-aged Mr. Hoffman (Sellers) into spending a week of domesticity with him in his flat. At first, the tone is creepy, but it becomes more poignant as both characters learn to see each other as people.

Customer Reviews:

Caveats.......2003-11-12

Peter Sellers, often written off as a talented mimic, was actually a superb actor, if he found his character's "voice". He's been unfortunately typecast (I have a friend who thought he was French!) as Clouseau, and he may actually be the finest slapstick comedian after the end of the silent era. This collection is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to see him in early or obscure work, but the movies are ineven in quality and tone. Also of interest in that all these movies he plays a single character (even in the early, unincluded, "Only Two Can Play" he lapsed into multiple accents. CARLTON-BROWNE OF THE F.O. is really a Terry-Thomas vehicle with Sellers in support. Like all Cold War comedies its plot (such as it is, about the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. all trying to discover the secrets of a small island under British protection) is quaint and hardly funny, but there are enough bright spots to recommend the movie as a whole (the scenes between Terry-Thomas and Thorley Walters are invariably delightful). THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH has a young Sellers, again in a supporting role, playing the aged projectionist in a run-down theatre; again, the bright spots are scattered but for anyone who likes old movies and quiet humor will find enough not to have wasted his time with it. HEAVENS ABOVE, a satire on Communism, using the Church as a vehicle for its representation, has Sellers in the lead as a mis-appointed Anglican clergyman who turns his parish on its head; but the movie eventually plays against itself with its serious undertones. TWO-WAY STRETCH is an out-and-out farce with Peter Sellers as a prisoner who plots a crime that will give him a perfect alibi -- he's in jail; but a martinet new guard (Lionel Jeffries, the grandfather "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang") may ruin his plans. "I'M ALL RIGHT, JACK" has Sellers in support again, in a star-studded farce about labor vs management, with Selelrs as Hitleresque shop steward and labor leader Fred Kite (a breakthrough role for Sellers). HOFFMAN is the odd man out in this box, as it comes later in Sellers' career, and the character he plays isn't comic, just unpleasant. Why "Hoffman" was included -- why it's even on DVD -- I can't even pretend to speculate. A more fitting addition to the collection would have been "The Wrong Arm of the Law", another crime caper. The poignant comedy-drama "The Dock Brief", with Richard Attenborough as the confessed wife murderer and Sellers as the barrister determined to get him off despite his own protests, would have rounded the box off nicely. The perfect addition would have been the hilarious "The Naked Truth", where Sellers and Terry-Thomas (again) plot to do away with a scandal-sheet publisher (Dennis Price) who threatens to expose their secrets (Sellers' jolly television host character is actually a slumlord). Even the much less funny "Only Two Can Play" would've been an improvement. Why they stuck on "Hoffman" -- unless it was simply dirt cheap to add -- boggles the mind. If you don't mind paying the freight for five comedies that range from middling to pretty-good-for-its-time, just to see early Sellers in some forgotten roles, this is the set for you. Just bring along a shovel to bury "Hoffman" and you'll be fine.

Average customer rating:

Not to be watched from beginning to end
don't. please.
Architect of Dreams

Building Heaven, Remembering Earth
Director: Oliver Hockenhull
Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00076HM76
Release Date: 2005-12-16

Product Description

Festival Screenings: - Architectuur FilmFestival Rotterdam as part of the Netherlands Architecture Biennale Rotterdam 2003 - Melbourne International Film Festival - Vancouver International Film Festival - International Biennale Film & Architecture, Graz, Austria (Competition) - International Festival of Films on Art, Montréal - European Media Arts Festival, Germany "Combining the poetic, political and critical in a new digital form, Oliver Hockenhull deconstructs the modern through an exploration of the confines of architecture and the self. This erudite work of rich poetry, music and visual effects presents viewers with a broad investigation of structures around the world. While watching a feather fall through the vast dome of the Pantheon - confronting the mirror symmetry of the Rotunda - travelling through Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul and finally to contemplation on the steps in Kashi, City of Lights, India, viewers embark on an investigation of the structures that embody human history, human culture and human aspirations." Architectuur Film Festival Rotterdam "Building Heaven,Remembering Earth: Confessions of a Fallen Architect" is unequivocally the best documentary work to be produced in Canada in 1999." Peter Wintonick, Contributing Editor, POV Magazine "... shockingly beautiful digital video essay on the philosophy of architecture." Mari Sasano, See Magazine. Produced with the Participation of: The Canada Council for the Arts, The Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, and The British Columbia Arts Council. A Banff Centre Co-Production.

Customer Reviews:

Not to be watched from beginning to end.......2006-09-27

Although this movie provides a very profound and new way of looking at old architecture, it is not something that one can sit through for a long and extensive period of time. I don't believe that it is a movie that was intended as such. Rather, I think that the film maker intended the movie to be seen as part of an installation in a museum.

don't. please........2006-09-23

I would be careful about this movie. Everything about this movie I read before watching was beautiful. But the movie on the other hand, disappointed me. This guy takes beautiful works of architecture, (not many I would have to say) and documents it in some kind of Rem Koolhaus style of documentation Never really allowing the audience to fully engage with any real piece of architecture. All in all, i didn't get it, but also, I didn't watch this movie to try to get it. Stop making me try to get it. DON'T BUY THIS!
I usually don't write reviews and this was one of those movies that just bugged me enough.

Architect of Dreams.......2005-06-10

Hockenhull is Canada's most original, most progressive, most challenging filmmaker. With this fine film he builds upon a solid foundation.

DVD:

DVD

DVD