Secondhand Lions (New Line Platinum Series)

Amazon.com

If you can get past its thick layer of syrup and molasses, Secondhand Lions reveals itself as a thoroughly decent family film that anyone can enjoy. It gets a little sappy sometimes, but there's something to be said for a movie in which Michael Caine and Robert Duvall play eccentric old brothers who take the easy approach to fishing: instead of a peaceful rod and reel, they use 12-gauge shotguns. When 14-year-old Walter (Haley Joel Osment, teetering on puberty) spends an eventful summer with his great-uncles on their vast Texas farmland (he's been dumped there by his delinquent mom, played by Kyra Sedgwick), he soon discovers they've lived lives full of adventure, excitement, passion, and mystery. Either that or they're old-time bank robbers with a long criminal record, and writer-director Tim McCanlies (who invested similar warmth into The Iron Giant) does a nice job of concealing the truth until the very end. Full of enriching lessons and homespun humor, Secondhand Lions has more substance than most family films. If you enjoyed Holes, you'll probably enjoy this movie, too. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This comedic and touching family film follows the adventures of a shy young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who is sent to spend the summer with his eccentric uncles (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall). At first shocked by his uncles' unconventional behavior that includes ordering African lions through the mail, the boy soon becomes enthralled with unraveling the mystery that has followed the uncles for years. Hearing tales of their exotic adventures involving kidnapped princesses, Arabian sheiks and lost treasure, not only brings him closer to his uncles but also teaches him what it means to believe in something... whether it's true or not.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes
Audio Commentary
DVD ROM Features
Deleted Scenes
Documentaries
Easter Eggs
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer:30 Minutes of Deleted / Alternate Scenes with Optional Filmmaker Commentary Secondhand Lions: One Screenplay's Wild Ride in Hollywood - (documentary) On The Set with "Secondhand Lions" (documentary) Haley Joel Osment: An Actor Comes of Age - (documentary) Filmmaker Commentary with Director Tim McCanlies Visual Effects Comparisons Theatrical Trailer 7 TV Spots

Customer Reviews:

Excellent & Entertaining.......2007-08-28

Two wealthy, eccentric old timers who hate salesmen inherit a boy who changes their lives! Unique concept. Excellent portrayal. Funny and so different you do not know what to expect!

Secondhand Lions.......2007-08-23

I loved this movie. It is great entertainment. Everyone in the family will enjoy it. A must have in your dvd library.

Secondhand Lions Review.......2007-08-08

This film is great for everyone - young and old. It's funny but has a few sad moments, and some action (without the use of lots of special effects). I laughed (everytime) and cried (at least the first time). It's a wonderful film!

If you liked Phenomenon and The Princess Bride, you'll love Second Hand Lions!.......2007-07-25

My title says it all. I can't say much more than what anyone else said, other than anyone who enjoyed PHENOMENON and THE PRINCESS BRIDE will surely enjoy Second Hand Lions. And of course, Robert Duvall in also in PHENOMENON. You either get it or you don't! If you like these, try POWDER too.

A Rare Jewel.......2007-07-24

I loved this movie when I saw an edited version on TV so I had to buy my own copy. I loaned it to my niece at Christmas for her boys (8 and 10) because so few movies out there are suitable anymore. They loved it and still watch it over and over. I am buying myself a new copy so that I can watch it over and over.

The Sword in the Stone (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Average customer rating:

A fun, classic Disney film
Great classic movie
Classic
A good example of early Disney DVD.
The Sword in the Stone

The Sword in the Stone (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
Starring: Sebastian Cabot , Rickie Sorensen , Karl Swenson , Junius Matthews , and Ginny Tyler
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman , and Les Perkins
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00004R9A0
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Amazon.com

Based upon T.H. White's beloved novel, this Disney-fied version chronicles the tutoring of the Once and Future King, Arthur, as handled by the magician Merlin. Sword was a portent of things to come, with slapstick upbraiding storytelling, and cultural in-jokes substituting for wonder. But there's much to enjoy here as Merlin shows Newt, the young Arthur, things that will help him become the ruler of the Britons. The transformation sequences, where the boy is turned into a fish, a bird, and a squirrel are vintage Disney. The oft-repeated scene of Merlin battling it out with the mean old Madame Mim still is worth a few chuckles, but it belies the problem with most of the film--the scenes are only there for the chuckles. References by Merlin to television and other items of modern life also mar the generally innocuous landscape. Children will like it, but they won't cherish it. --Keith Simanton

Description

Dazzling color and brilliant animation bring the medieval legend of King Arthur to life in THE SWORD IN THE STONE. With a forest full of charm, spectacle, and wizardry, Disney's classic tale conjures up delightful entertainment for all ages! England is in the midst of a dark age and without a proper king, Young "Wart," an orphan and squire-in-training, is content with kitchen duties in his foster home -- until he drops in on the extraordinary wizard Merlin and his articulate owl, Archimedes. Through three life lessons, Wart learns to set his "sights on the heights," armed with the most powerful forces on earth -- intellect, wisdom, and love. When it's time to contest who will be king, Wart must use his newfound knowledge to do what no mighty knight has done before! Join in all the magical marvels that make THE SWORD IN THE STONE a classic animated film and pure Disney gold!

Customer Reviews:

A fun, classic Disney film.......2007-08-23

I still know plent of people that have not seen this. Now, I know it is fairly old, but it is still a wonderful movie. I have seen it loads of times and I really wish more people would see it and not immedietly discard it. The animation is quite good and the voice acting is top notch. I love the story too, its pretty timeless and if you love the King Arthur Legend, then this movie is for you.

Great classic movie.......2007-05-13

My boys loved this movie. Most of the older Disney movies are about Princesses and this was nice for my boys who love knights and castles.

Classic.......2007-03-19

I grew up with this film, now i bought it for my 3 and 5 yo nephews and they watch it over and over. Classic Disney.

A good example of early Disney DVD........2007-03-19

When Disney released The Sword In The Stone onto DVD in 2001, Disney had only really gotten into releasing their movies onto DVD within the last two years, starting with their failed Limited Issue line. The Gold Collection followed, with some of the Limited Issues repackaged as Gold Collection titles, and more titles released. Most of these had decent, if not somwhat problematic DVD transfers and few, if any, bonus materials. However, a few of Disney's Gold Collection titles were given decent releases. Among those are the 30th Anniversary Edition of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Although not officially a Gold Collection title by many people's standards, it says Gold Collection on the spine.) and this 2001 DVD release of The Sword In The Stone.

First off, the film is given a nice transfer here. The DVD case boasts that it's ''fully restored and remastered.'' Although it's not up to par with the Platinum Edition restorations or the Masterpiece Edition of Alice In Wonderland's transfer, it IS far better than many of the other Gold Collection transfers. It's nicely cleaned up, although it's a bit grainier than one would like, and there's still a bit of dirt in the transfer. The colors have been punched up nicely, though. The video transfer here is very satisfying, as is the audio mix.

The disc also includes quite a few good bonus materials. A Sword In The Stone scrapbook features concept art for the film, production photos, character design, concept poster art, official poster art, and more. Two sing-alongs lifted from Disney's Sing-Along Songs video series provide fun captions for two of the film's more memorable songs. Film Facts is...well, basically that. Two animated shorts, ''Knight For A Day'' and ''Brave Little Tailor'' are very entertaining. ''Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers'' has the Shermans talking about songs they wrote for The Sword In The Stone, including a couple that were deleted. (The Shermans also did a Music Magic featurette for Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and that one WAS better, because it also gave a little info on the making of the film, as well as its 1996 restoration.) Finally, an episode of Walt Disney's Disneyland TV series is included - ''All About Magic'' from 1957. Although this isn't directly related to The Sword In The Stone, its inclusion is to be praised nonetheless.

My only disappointment in this DVD is the lack of any sort of theatrical trailer or TV spot. Come on, Disney!

Nonetheless, The Sword In The Stone is a fine example of Disney's earliest attempts to give their movies the deluxe treatment on single-disc DVD releases, reserving their 2-Disc DVD releases for Platinum Editions (This was the year that Snow White's Platinum Edition DVD was released.) and the DVD releases of their most recent animated features. I wholeheartedly recommend this DVD for fans of the film.

The Sword in the Stone.......2007-01-29

Recieved quickly, good condition, thank you for the great service

Average customer rating:

A remarkable look behind four shows
This Road has a few potholes
A True Valentine to One Tumultuous Broadway Season Full of Insight and Energy

Show Business: The Road to Broadway
Starring: Boy George , Alan Cumming , John Lahr , Joe Mantello , and Jason Moore
Director: Dori Berinstein
Manufacturer: Liberation Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000UAE7NG
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Description

The real drama happens behind the curtain in this fascinating and rare look at four high-profile Broadway musicals (Wicked, Taboo, Caroline, Or Change, and Avenue Q) and their fearless journey to the Tony Awards®. Including a star-studded cast, this enter

Customer Reviews:

A remarkable look behind four shows.......2007-08-22

As this film's ending makes perfectly clear, Broadway is brutal: far more shows fail than succeed. Show Business followed four musicals (Wicked, Taboo, Avenue Q, and Caroline, Or Change) through pre-production to (some would say premature) closing, unveiling the huge amount of work expended to put these productions on the stage. Not only is it a valentine to the musical, but to the art form's fans. A must-see for anyone who loves Broadway.

This Road has a few potholes.......2007-08-19

I am giving this documentary 4 stars because of the backstage access and how well the film is done. However, after hearing about the film and seeing interviews regarding the film where the makers talk about stumbling into this interesting season, it does not feel complete. The one major thing missing from this movie, and I think it was intentional, was the big campaign by Avenue Q for the Tony. We do not see the theater all bedecked in the streamers that they hung, and the acceptance speach at the Tonys where voting your heart was mentioned is nowhere to be found. For those in the theatre community and for those who follow the theatre closely, we all know about the big push Avenu Q made to win the Tony. It is interesting that they covered the problems Tonya Pinkins was having in her personal life and touching on the controversy surrounding Taboo and Rosie O'donnell, but not a word about how "aggressive" Avenue Q was at Tony time. This makes this documentary just average. it is great to be taken through the rehearsal process of these 4 shows and getting a peek at backstage life. And the inclusion of the chats between theatre critics was also good. But with the exclusion of the Avenue Q "mini controversy", this documentary could have been filmed during any season. I was so looking forward to seeing this after hearing good things about it. Will I buy the DVD? Yes. And why? because any peek behind the scenes of the theatre is worth buying to me. Just wish this one was better.

A True Valentine to One Tumultuous Broadway Season Full of Insight and Energy.......2007-07-28

The odds against a Broadway musical becoming a profitable hit make Hollywood studio film deals seem like a sure thing by comparison. However, there is a more palpable energy to live theater and arguably a genuine sense of risk. Filmmaker Dori Berinstein has captured this high-wire dynamic in spades with this enthusiastic 2007 documentary, which covers the 2003-04 Broadway season culminating in the Tony Awards held in June. There are plenty of random shots from the season's shows and even coverage of a little-known rehearsal ritual of having the most prolific cast member wear a gypsy robe before opening. Berinstein's focus is primarily on four disparate musicals - the successful $14-million Wizard of Oz-inspired extravaganza, Wicked; a socially conscious period piece, the powerful Caroline, or Change; the glam-rock Boy George autobiography, the financially stunted Taboo; and the season's underdog, the adult-oriented comic paean to Sesame Street, Avenue Q.

Bouncing between the productions in various stages of development, the filmmaker intersperses brief interviews with the producers, directors, writers and principal actors, as well as scabrous roundtable conversations about the spotlighted shows among the influential theater critics who have the power to close a show with a scathing review. The diverse combination of perspectives provides interesting fodder, even though given the wealth of material gathered here, the treatment sometimes feels truncated and cursory, for example, composer Stephen Schwartz and star Idina Menzel are given plenty of attention on "Wicked", but not nearly as much is lavished on co-star Kristin Chenoweth or the other creative forces behind the show. Intriguingly, the near-legendary backstage turmoil behind "Taboo" is mentioned, but very little of that tension is evident in the rehearsal scenes or the interviews with producer Rosie O'Donnell, Boy George or stars Euan Morton and Raúl Esparza.

Even though it is not remotely a warts-and-all type of film, there are refreshingly candid comments from O' Donnell and Boy George about the unfair press coverage "Taboo" received from the New York Post's smarmy Michael Riedel. There are also moments that are surprisingly poignant like "Caroline, or Change" star Tonya Pinkins recounting her grief-filled back story and Morton near tears as he talks about his post-close struggles. Easily the most amusing scenes spotlight the young, precocious composers of "Avenue Q", Jeff Marx and Bobby Perez, who seem to have accidentally backed into their show idea and ironically came out the season's true victors. The interviews with Marx's proud but dumbfounded father are especially hilarious. As a Broadway aficionado, I couldn't help but wish there were more musical moments included beyond the snippets shown, in particular, more of Pinkins' stirring turn in her show or the wildly talented Esparza's cross-dressing turn in "Taboo". But otherwise, this all-access peek into the Broadway theater scene is genuinely insightful and wonderfully entertaining.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Sports Movie
Hard to Pigeon Hole
Linda's excellent but no special additions!
Review of Vision Quest
MATTHEW AND LINDA SHINE IN THIS TOUCHING DRAMA!!!!!!!!!

Vision Quest
Starring: Matthew Modine , Linda Fiorentino , Michael Schoeffling , Ronny Cox , and Harold Sylvester
Director: Harold Becker
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305161909
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

This film wraps up the big wrestling match that Terry Davis's novel left unresolved. It also makes Carla (Linda Fiorentino, in her screen debut) less of a bad girl. What it does capture is the book's flowing feeling of power and the possibility of youth. Probably best known for presenting a just-emerging Madonna singing "Crazy for You," Vision Quest also uses Matthew Modine nicely. He doesn't typify the usual coming-of-age youth, but his character, Louden Swain, isn't the typical youth, period. Swain needs to win the Washington State wrestling championship, and he's up against a guy who carries logs up stadium steps. He's also involved with an older woman, Carla, and learning that love and all that stuff is much harder than pinning an opponent. Ah, youth. --Keith Simanton

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Sports Movie.......2007-03-18

Just an excellent sports movie. Shows wrestling reasonable realistic, but does show the dedication the sport requires.

Hard to Pigeon Hole.......2007-02-17

This is one of those rare films that doesn't fall into any given category. I've NEVER seen this on anybody's "Best Sports Movie" list, but it should certainly qualify. It's also a Chick Flick. It's a Coming Of Age story. You won't be disappointed.

Linda's excellent but no special additions!.......2006-12-18

It's hard to believe that since 1985, I have never seen this film. I have heard the music but never saw it. I became a fan of Linda Fiorentino who made her film debut as Carla, the artist from Trenton, New Jersey (Linda was actually raised in nearby Sewell), who is on her way to San Francisco to study and be artist. Along the way, her car breaks down in Spokane and she ends up staying with single father played by Ronnie Cox and his son who is an aspiring wrestler played by young Matthew Modine. The music is purely eighties but I always enjoy listening to it anyway even on cassette. While the predictable happens, Carla and Modine's character get together and he wrestles an undefeated wrestler in a big match but he must lose weight to do it. Anyway, Vision Quest is an odd title for this film but the price was worth it. I wish Linda would make a comeback. She hasn't done a film in 4 years. Oh Madonna is singing in this film. The guy who played shoe salesman Griff from Married with CHildren plays the English teacher. FOrest Whitaker has a tiny part as one of the other wrestlers.

Review of Vision Quest.......2006-08-15

Enjoyed he movie the first time when it played. Still enjoy it.

MATTHEW AND LINDA SHINE IN THIS TOUCHING DRAMA!!!!!!!!!.......2006-02-16

Vision Quest is a great romantic drama with the talented Matthew Modine and the beautiful Linda Fiorentino in her first screen role..... When a huge wrestling match is up against another school its up to the team leader to get their school the championshi,but he also falls in love with a older woman and soon learns that love is not just a match for wrestling.... This great drama is wonderful to watch over and over again and not only that but it also bought us Madonna's best song ever " Crazy for You"..... So if you are like me and love those romantic dramas then do check this one out!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

LMAO At all the reviews!!!!
Three stars for amusement only
Great movie
My slogan for Mac and me the Et sequel !
better than ET

Mac and Me
Starring: Christine Ebersole , Jonathan Ward , Tina Caspary , Lauren Stanley , and Jade Calegory
Director: Stewart Raffill
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00079Z9Y6
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Description

Greetings, earthlings. A pint-sized extraterrestrial has just landed on our planet by accident…and he's feeling a little alienated because he got separated from his family upon arrival. Fortunately, the hilarious, intergalactic antics of this Mysterious Alien Creature (MAC) will help him charm his way into the heart of everyone he meets, including Ronald McDonald in a rare cameo!

Customer Reviews:

LMAO At all the reviews!!!!.......2007-08-09

I read all of the reviews; some I agree, some I disagree. But reading this while having a crappy day at work gave me a lift in my spirits cause some comments were funny as hell!!!! Could this be any more hilarious!!! I saw the movie years ago and I thought it was cute then. All I can say is only those without any sense of humor or an imagination would dislike this movie.

Three stars for amusement only.......2007-07-30

This movie is not good or touching in any way. But it is so insanely funny that it is worth the price. The best part is that it leaves room for a sequel at the end...a sequel that, sadly, never came.

Great movie.......2007-04-17

A good movie for the whole family. It's not as popular but still worth to watch it if you and your family like McDonald's and movies from the 80's. Don't mind the special effect.

My slogan for Mac and me the Et sequel !.......2007-03-09

The best scince fiction movie to buy and rent for yourself and the whole family ! Father and daughter prove of Mac and Me excellent science fiction
flim ( 40 star rating this flim ) ! I enjoyed watching Mac and Me in the movies just as a much My father did back in 1988 ! Mac and Me is one of my best science fiction flims along with ET ! I always want to make a sequel to
Mac and Me but after 19 years or so I could not came up with concept !

better than ET.......2006-11-16

personally i love this film and enjoy it more than ET it never fails to make me cry.

Average customer rating:

The real pirate movie!
Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Classic Adventure (With Pirates-- ARG!)
Great, yet flawed...

Treasure Island
Starring: Wallace Beery , Jackie Cooper , Lionel Barrymore , Otto Kruger , and Lewis Stone
Director: Victor Fleming , John Farrow , and Felix E. Feist
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GRUQLA
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Amazon.com

For many people, this 1934 version is the definitive Treasure Island: the great chemistry between Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, the rousing pirate anthems, and the stubborn parrot on the shoulder. The pairing of the actors was a cinch, coming three years after their tremendously popular teaming in The Champ. Cooper plays Jim Hawkins, the English boy who discovers a treasure map amongst the possessions of one Billy Bones (Lionel Barrymore in a robust extended cameo), a pirate visitor to the Admiral Benbow Inn. Beery, indelibly, is the one-legged, parrot-toting seadog known as Long John Silver, who joins up on the treasure-hunting expedition by pretending to be a humble cook--though the audience knows he is a fearsome pirate captain. Victor Fleming was just the right director for this manly voyage, holding the MGM luster at bay and allowing the crew of characters actors (among them Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone, and "Chic" Sale) to find their sea legs. At times, the relationship between Jim and Silver is closer to The Champ than to Robert Louis Stevenson's marvelous novel, but it's still true in spirit to the bond between boy and surrogate father. The story has been remade many times, notably in 1950 with Robert Newton as Silver, but this one inspires the longest memories. --Robert Horton

Description

Avast, mates, and heed a pirate's tale. Billy Bones, bless his cursed soul, has hefted his cutlass and grog for the last time, leaving behind scarcely a doubloon. Aye, but he has left a map to a fabled, buried treasure.... The unforgettable stars of 1931's The Champ reunite for a rousing adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's tale. Jackie Cooper is Jim Hawkins, a lad living the kind of adventure every child dreams about. Treasure map in hand, Jim and his backers set sail for realms and riches unknown aboard the Hispaniola. But beware, me hearties: Notorious, one-legged Long John Silver (Wallace Beery) has signed on to the voyage by posing as a cook. Will the treasure fall into his scheming grasp? Will the Hispaniola soon be a-flying the dreaded skull and bones? Drop anchor and watch. A pirate's life for ye!

DVD Features:
Other:Vintage Dramatic Short The Spectacle Maker Oscar?-Nominated Short Strikes and Spares Classic Cartoon Tale of the Vienna Woods
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

The real pirate movie!.......2007-06-09

This is the real pirate movie! Ever since I saw this film the first time a long time ago, this is what I think of when you talk about buccaneers. Here you can hear the whole piratesong: 15 men on a dead mans chest....And learn about the black spot. Things that has been an inspiration to the pirates of the carribeans films. Wallace Berry and Jackie Cooper does a great acting job. Long John Silver is the crookiest crook, but still charming in a ruff way and young Jim Hawkins can't help liking him. This film is from 1934, so the film is in black and white. A great movie, says I, says you, says.....

Treasure Island.......2007-05-17

Great Stuff for Adults who love the classics. Wallis Berry and Jackie Cooper do a great job of providing swashbuckeling entertainment. My 5 and 7 year old found it somewhat "boring" after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean more than a few times - although, my 7 year old has requested seeing it again and enjoyed it more the second time. You might have to turn up the sound on this copy as some of the old english may be hard to follow. Otherwise a very good buy. Enjoy!

Treasure Island.......2007-01-24

Lionel Barrymore is the standout in this movie. The best Treasure Island movie there ever was!

Classic Adventure (With Pirates-- ARG!).......2007-01-07

Treasure Island is one of the several films that the dream team of Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper made together. This one seems to illustrate their relationship off-screen much better than others in the past. Cooper plays the main character, a boy who works in his father's tavern. His life is changed when one day, a sailor called Captain walks in (Lionel Barrymore). His appearance sets off a series of events leading to pirates entering the area, leader of all being Long John Silver (Beery). They come to seek the treasure indicatd on a treasure map the Captain leaves at the tavern when he dies suddenly. However, the map is in the hands of loyal British subjects under the orders of an honest man (Lewis Stone), so the pirates have to resort to trickery to get their way.

What is disturbing about the movie is how evil one man can be to a boy who looks up to him as a friend and as a father-figure. One can only imagine that this was the way Beery really treated Cooper in life, especially from hearing Cooper tell how much he hated his constant co-star. This information makes the film all the more powerful and heartbreaking at times. Otherwise, it is a wonderful adventure story, something that never goes out of style.

Also included on the DVD is the trailer for the film and a few short subjects including an early color short.

Great, yet flawed..........2006-11-23

This 1935 version of Treasure Island has all the hallmarks of a cinema classic and yet is somehow not terribly engaging. The only aspect I can identify that stopped me from enjoying it to the fullest was the casting of Jackie Cooper as Jim Hawkins. His performance is stiff and quite two-dimensional. In later life the guy himself admitted that he really wasn't a very good child actor. Wallace Beery however is so incredibly effective in his role of Long John Silver that he redeems the film and makes it worth watching.
The picture and sound quality of this release are as superb as we have all come to expect from Warner Home Video releases of films of this age.

Average customer rating:

The Stone Boy
Starring: Glenn Close , Robert Duvall , and Frederic Forrest
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007WFXO4
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Description

One idyllic summer morning Arnold Hillerman, a 12-year-old Montana farm boy, and his brother Eugene, get up before dawn to pick peas. Shotgun in hand, Arnold is caught in a barbwire fence they climb through. During Arnold's efforts to free himself and the shotgun, it goes off, killing Eugene. THE STONE BOY is a mournful tale of how Arnold comes to terms with his grief and how the other members of the family come to terms with Arnold.

Average customer rating:

Dino time for dino kids
Denise - a happy mom

Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up
Starring: Jessica D. Stone , Charles Shaughnessy , Khylan Jones , David Landsberg , and Ari Meyers
Director: Jeff Buckland
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
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ASIN: B000BMGEI4
Release Date: 2006-01-03

Description

Saddle up with Stanley, a little boy who loves to get lost in his own imagination, as he and his family head off on a fun and educational journey to the Wild West. Along with his friends and Dennis, his clever talking gold fish, Cowboy Stanley is sure to make this trip an educational rodeo. There's trouble on the horizon at Uncle Stu's dude ranch. Can Stanley's surprise discovery of dinosaurs help save the family homestead? Join Stanley as he dives into the "Great Big Book of Everything" for a rootin' tootin' adventure that makes learning fun for the whole family!

Customer Reviews:

Dino time for dino kids.......2007-03-09

The "I've got a song that gets on everybody's nerves" song? It really gets on your nerves... The movie is great and it's not as irritating at all. even the songs kind of sticks to you. My kids love it!

Denise - a happy mom.......2007-01-11

My little boy loves this movie. He loves the series on Disney, and this just enhances it. He has watched it at least 20 times now. He likes singing the song about the great big book of everything. Worth the money.

Average customer rating:

A Riveting Look At "Intimacy As A Commodity"
well Id like to have heard from some guys 17-19 yo..............
Occasionally Sexy, Often Disturbing, Always Thought Provoking
Some interesting content but limited dvd features
Boulevard of tears (but no excuses)

101 Rent Boys
Starring: Morris Fulton , Eduardo Vega (II) , Bill Stone (III) , Gary Barry , and Frank McGinnis
Director: Randy Barbato , and Fenton Bailey
Manufacturer: Strand Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005KCB0
Release Date: 2001-02-01

Customer Reviews:

A Riveting Look At "Intimacy As A Commodity".......2007-02-17

When I was a kid, for some reason I was really into the movie Where the Day Takes You - that glossy, glamorized Hollywood account of homelessness and (to some degree) hustling. I think a lot of it stemmed from my urge (and some half-hearted attempts) to run away myself. Regardless, I sometimes thought about what life as a hustler would "really" be like.

So when I heard about this movie, I was very intrigued. And now that I've finally gotten to see it, I would definitely say it is as close as I've come to a real account of the life of a hustler, without my having much personal/experiential knowledge of the actual scene itself.

Granted, the "observer effect" certainly comes into question in this doc (more than most, it seems), so we can never be sure if the person being interviewed is playing to the camera or even just making things up (after all, they are talking about illegal activities - and not only sex, but drug use and, in one sensationalistic case, bank robbery). Most of the names are pseudonyms, and almost every guy seems like he's lying about his age.

But my cinematic cynicism aside (which could just be my own perceptual baggage), I felt that this was a compelling, sometimes thrilling, oftentimes painful and sad depiction of many lives spent turning tricks. It's certainly not a glamorous account, that's for sure (one man ruefully reflects, "To my knowledge, I'm the only one who got out from that time period. So... I'm the lucky one").

And while there's undoubtedly a voyeuristic element to all of this (again, more than in most documentaries) and there's nudity and the topic revolves around sex, this film is more of a psychological document than it is a sexual one (as another man says at the beginning, "I thought I was gonna hafta come here and have sex or something. But instead I'm just exposing myself on television - I don't know what's worse").

Indeed, self-reflection never comes cheap (why do you think psychologists charge so much per hour?). One leather-clad gentleman sums it up perfectly: "I feel kind of naked because I'm looking at this aspect of my life for the first time."

Such is the world of "intimacy as a commodity" (as one hustler puts it), and this is as intimate a look at this world as one is likely to get without personally being a part of it.

(and a final word of caution: if you think this review is too wordy, then definitely don't get this movie. Because this film is mostly made of words; there's a whole lot of talking. It genuinely is like getting an adult magazine just to read the articles)

well Id like to have heard from some guys 17-19 yo.....................2007-01-23

I d say there about the most views Id get from some of the guys workin the street streets of Atlanta Ga its not that some of them are great looking guys but they make there johns great company its all about closeness and bonding you know what we all want they just feel they need to have men pay them.....but they might give it away if they made money outher ways...its my view well whats yours ......Alleo

Occasionally Sexy, Often Disturbing, Always Thought Provoking.......2006-10-30

Over the course of two years, producers and directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato interviewed one hundred two male prostitutes who worked in West Hollywood, exploring their backgrounds, private lives, and attitudes toward their work and paying each fifty dollars for their time. Edited together around certain themes with the occasional more detailed profile of certain individuals, the result was 101 RENT BOYS. It was and remains extremely controversial.

The central controversy involved arises from the fact that, at least to a certain extent, 101 RENT BOYS can be considered deliberately exploitive. The explotational edge is apparent in the title itself, which implies a certain sexiness; in that interviews are conducted in various hotel rooms which might be used by prostitutes and clients; in that the filmmakers have no qualm in encouraging their subjects to drape suggestively across bed; in that the filmmakers pay their subjects and very deliberately photograph the subjects accepting the money. By doing so, Bailey and Barbato essentially make both themselves and the viewer complicit in an act of prostitution. The irony is that in most instances the act of prostitution is not so much physical--nor can it be; we are distanced by film--than it is both spiritual and psychological. We are not paying for physical touch but for the right to invade the mind of the subjects in ways they would not normally give a client. The result is often unsettling, to say the least, particularly when one considers that Bailey and Barbato apparently have no problem in engaging in it.

No less so are the various subjects. The majority of the men involved are essentially street hustlers who have been recruited from Santa Monica Boulevard, men who range in age from their early twenties to late thirties; some are remarkably handsome; some are distinctly haggard. They tend to share backgrounds of physical abuse as children and current drug abuse. Even so, they are remarkably diverse and often very articulate and occasionally unexpectedly clear-eyed about their profession and the toll it takes on their lives. A handful are clearly upscale in nature, far removed from the streets; these tend to regard their work as less a matter of a life style into which they drifted than as a business they often enjoy.

Now and then certain individuals pop with their extremes. Perhaps the most disturbing is a man who enjoys physical pain, almost casually putting out a cigarette on his chest (and later and quite shockingly putting out a cigarette on another part of his body) in demonstration of his thought that "pain is good." Another goes through an emotional wringer as he describes his separation from his long-term lover; one is a gang member who announces he enjoys working as a prostitute much more than he liked being shot at; and several describe girl friends and children.

In many respects the men are indeed what you might expect, but in each instance they show, perhaps unintentionally, their humanity. They are indeed considerably more than the flesh and bone rented for a few hours by their customers. They are human beings and much, much more like the "average man" than they are different--a realization that adds to the film's uneasiness and which is, indeed, the ultimate point of the whole thing.

As a documentary, however, the film has two very distinct flaws. The least obvious of these is the fact that the prostitutes are selling more than their bodies: they are selling illusions, fantasies, and dreams. This is pointed out by more than one subject, and it has implications in terms of how much of their statements we can believe--but the film never really follows this up in any statement-making sense. The most obvious flaw is that it is in some ways superficial; the subjects are taken at their word and that is that, there is no real context and ultimately nothing we can describe as "cold reality." Both flaws feed into each other and tend to create a "how much of this can we truly believe?" quality.

The DVD issue comes with several bonuses. The Bailey and Barbato audio commentary track is interesting, but it may not be interesting in quite the way either man desired; they spend a fair amount of time talking about the sexiness of their various subjects. They also note that one of the original "101 Rent Boys" turned out to be underage, thus forcing them to an additional inteview, but that only one hundred men actually appear in the film due to the fact that one subject later rescinded conscent. It is also tremendously annoying in the sense that the sound mix is bad: the film audio is mute throughout, and it is impossible to know what soundbyte from the film they are actually talking about at any given moment. There are several unedited interviews, which are interesting in and of themselves, and there are the "three minutes alone" segments, in which subjects were give time alone with the camera to say or do whatever they desired. Needless to say, a few of them elected to "do" rather than "say."

As a whole, and in spite of several very obvious and annoying flaws, 101 RENT BOYS is a very interesting film, always thought provoking. If you are looking for something mindlessly sexy, however, you will be out of luck--and I cannot imagine that it will appeal to the people who, rather ironically, would benefit most from seeing it. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Some interesting content but limited dvd features.......2002-11-09

With a title like 101 Rent Boys, I was expecting a wide array of interviews with a large number of men. Admittedly, including all 101 interviews would be prohibitively long, but I did expect to hear more boys than I got. Some boys were featured often, in multiple segments, while some we barely got a glimps of--of course those were the ones who I thought seemed most attractive and wanted to hear speak, and not just a quick camera pan.

As for extras, there arent many on this disk--a few extra interviews which were interesting but limited, and a directors voice over where you only hear the directors comments, and not the video soundtrack at all, making it difficult to understand what comments from the boys the directors were referring to--especially frustrating when the director says "wait, wait--here comes that comment I was referring to" and there is dead silence! That is the first time I have ever seen a glitch like that on a DVD, which made the technical quality of this DVD feel less than professional. All in all, I think of this as an interesting television documentary, but not a DVD I can recommend for ones permanent collection.

Boulevard of tears (but no excuses).......2002-05-19

The filmmakers interviewed 102 hustlers (that's correct, one turned out to be underage and his contribution could not be used, so a replacement was recruited) to make this documentary. Most were street hustlers who work Santa Monica Boulevard; the others were recruited through escort services and magazine ads. Each one had an opportunity to tell his story. There is little evidence of their conversations being directed by an interviewer, though it is apparent from the directors' commentary that the monologues were for the most part respsonses to questions put to them by co-director Randy Barbato.

To prevent the film from becoming monotonous and repetitious, it was edited and assembled into seventeen chapters with titles like, "Losing It," "The First Trick," "Gay," "Straight," "Turn-ons," "Turn-offs," "Pain," "Weird [stuff]," "Drugs," and "The Future." The paucity of high-rent call boys (the directors, after all, only paid the men $50 for their one-hour videotaped interviews) prevented this film from being an unintentional glamorization of prostitution. The stories, for the most part, are painful to hear: some interviewees clearly struggle with drug addition and it is clear how they will spend the $50 they earned making this film, many are victims of childhood sexual abuse or parental abandonment, others suffer from the recent departure or death of loved-ones. According to the directors, paying the interviewees on-camera was contraversial when the film was shown at festivals. And to be honest, it is a truly disturbing aspect of the film. More than anything, it reminds us of the transactional nature of prostitution and makes the viewer feel like a john actively participating in this commercial enterprise. Some hustlers took the money politely and immediately tucked it away in a pocket, their underwear, or inside a sock. Some said "thank you" softly, with a sparkle in their eye. One man held his fifty dollar bill throughout his interview as though it were nothing or as if he had forgotten he was holding it.

There is nothing judgmental about this film, though the directors (in their commentary) betray a sense of pity and bewilderment from time to time. They know at least some of their subjects are in serious trouble. But watching the film with the commentary feature turned off, the lack of overall perspective or point-of-view is frustrating. A piece of me wanted either to hear a puritanical tsk-tsk or a full-blown defense of the world's oldest profession. (Either would have been fine with me.) But I suspect the flat amorality of the film is ultimately the most accurate reflection of what these men experience on a daily basis and made for the most honest approach on the part of the filmmakers.

Customer Reviews:

Fady Ghaly's reviews.......2001-11-14

My remarks toward this picture
Coming-of-age sagas are frequently burdened with threat, especially because the genre has been so overworked and even pulverized into cliché. Yet young filmmaker, John Fawcett, pulls off a coup with this hip and arresting drama that's full of spit and attitude, and is relentlessly in your face, whether you like it or not. The Genie-nominated, first-time Toronto director, working from Genie-nominated writer, Peter Wellington's edgy, intellectual script, re-invigorates the genre with panache.

He does so by balancing climactic suspenseful elements with authentic human insights. He does it with a first-rate cast, led by Chris Penn as a psychotic cop killer badly affected by a grim childhood who, when he had reached his breaking point, I guess you could say in a sense, had me on the edge of my seat till I was fully assured that he was conquered-such riveting performance was that compelling. A performance so compelling, it earned him a nomination as Best Actor at the 1996 Genie Awards. Here, Penn really delivers his finest since co-starring in Abel Ferrara's elegiac gangster film, The Funeral. (Even the title itself screams of great mourning for that which is irrecoverably past.)

The three youths played by our rising young stars are at loose ends during a teachers' strike that has closed down their small Ontario town's high school. The three friends, who dispute because their social and intellectual instincts tug in three dramatically different directions, find themselves in a quandary one afternoon as they head toward their secluded shack deep into the wilderness where the pressures of growing up do not have to be faced; however, that severely wounded and yet armed stranger in whom they discover hiding out inside may just be their ticket to real adventure. Overriding common sense, they decide to help the stranger, who we find out is named Luke, rather than report the incident to the police.

"If you want something, you just take it, and then it's yours," Luke says, and they do, and they love it. They get themselves into trouble and the thought of getting themselves in insubordinate acts excites them. (spoiler) What is so clever with regards to this piece is that, even when, through the audiences' eyes, we want to wail out the words: Wake up, stupid! when one of our teen heroes is about to make a mistake in judgment, the Fawcett-Wellington team make those mistakes understandable. We sympathize. We comprehend. We're involved.

The ambivalence and complexity of the struggle are why The Boys Club has accurately been called a cross between Stand By Me and River's Edge, two landmark films that explored teen anguish with a piercing intelligence, never pandering to the youths or condescending them.

Fawcett walks the same wobbly tightrope, even if The Boys Club remains as a modest film, at least, in scale, that will not gain the notoriety of either Stand By Me or River's Edge.

On the other hand, Penn is a towering force, a raging bull-of-a-catalyst in our teen protagonists' lives. Dominic Zomprogna-being the one to play the part of Kyle-perfectly essays the confused youth torn between intellect and impulse; Stuart Stone, who plays the part of Brad, is a terrific counterbalance as the practical one, while the charismatic Devon Sawa-a dead ringer for Leonardo DiCaprio-is pure feral instinct. (According to Sawa, his character in the film, whose name is Eric, is so unlike himself that it really puts his acting skills to the test. The Boys Club has generally been his most challenging film yet, and yet he passes with flying colors.) Nicholas Campbell provides a compellingly sad-sophisticated portrayal of Kyle's father.

Their personalities mix, the deeming of both their feud and friendship bond and the palpable danger of the narrative ups the emotional stakes. (spoiler)
The Boys Club is not at all just kids' play. It is an inexorable and deeply powerful film that tests friendships and human insight, and yet it doesn't ever overdraw upon a single factor that would diminish it from being the masterpiece that is, because that's precisely what it is despite of the fact that it was shot as a Canadian film on a skin-and-bones budget, will not be released in most countries-which is a shame-and was shown at only a few theaters in Canada. (Mind you, it, however, is available on VHS and DVD in, aside from Canada, Australia and the U.S. as well.)

The Boys Club, although the affect it has upon me isn't quite as great as it once was-for I have now watched it so many times, that it has reached an extent where the amount can no longer be counted anymore-it, nonetheless, is a film that will forever be special to me. Not only because the tension that was generated by these kids in danger influenced me to become a writer, an interest that has drastically altered me as a person, for I now I'm capable of expressing my feelings in a way I never thought possible; but, in addition, because, after having stepped inside a video store one glorious day, it instantaneously drew me to purchase a copy of it on DVD despite of the fact that I merely had a VCR-a machine that was left setting alone no longer, for I the following day ended up purchasing the player itself, a highly sophisticated machine in technology that has forever altered both my experience and outlook upon movie-viewing.

A great thriller, a hot guy, what more could you ask for?.......2001-08-02

This movie was excellent and skillfully done. I don't only love it because one of the main stars, Dominic Zamprogna, is SOO hot, but just because it's a great movie. It is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that you will have to watch from beginning to end.

Cool Movie ,Hot Chick.......2000-04-05

This Movie is cool it sounds like me and my friends and something that would happen to usand Amy Stwerwart who plays megan ohh-ahh man she so so incredibly hot man shes got me dreamin but the movie is cool watch it.

THE BEST MOVIE EVER!.......1999-12-06

This movie is my favoerite movie ever (and not just because I'm a Devon Sawa fanatic). As you watch the movie you can imagine what the boys went through. Also, it teaches you a lesson.

Devon looks so amazingly hot!!!!.......1999-10-03

I can tell you that this is a well-crafted film and I can tell you that the actors did a great job. But I won't. Because the only reason I watched this movie was to see Devon show that beautiful smile that takes my breath away. I would love to get him in an abandoned shack for a few days. The actors did do a great job, but Devon was the only body...err person that caught and kept my eye :)

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