Eclipse Series #3 - Late Ozu (Early Spring / Tokyo Twilight / Equinox Flower / Late Autumn / The End of Summer) (Criterion Collection)

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This month, we present five wonderful works of art by Japanese master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. Made directly after Tokyo Story, widely considered his most perfect film and one of the greatest movies ever made, these titles show Ozu at the top of the game, visually and narratively. Elegant, humorous, rich with joy and sadness, these films further demonstrate why Ozu has become synonymous with the word cinema.

Five-Disc Set Includes:

Early Spring: A married salaryman in postwar Tokyo enters into an affair with an office mate in this moving portrait of a fragile marriage.

Tokyo Twilight: In the dead of winter, past and present traumas afflict two sisters and their aging father in this, one of Ozu's most heartbreaking and powerful works.

Equinox Flower: In Ozu's splendid first color film, a stubborn businessman who disapproves of his daughter's fiance must learn to embrace modern romance.

Late Autumn: Ozu regular Setsuko Hara, once the marrying child in Late Spring, becomes the parent in this poignant tale of the bonds between mother and daughter.

The End of Summer: Ozu's second-to-last film beautifully blends comedy and tragedy to tell the story of three sisters who are stunned to discover that their aging father has taken up with his former mistress.

Customer Reviews:

OZU FILMS.......2007-08-01

I was so happy to see this latest Ozu collection as I had been purchasing, individually, other Ozu films. These films were made a bit later than the earlier Ozu films I had purchased. I am just very interested in post-war Japan and so these films seem to capture this era beautifully. They are very "simple" stories of relationships, filmed in black and white. Having just recently visited Japan, the landscape seemed to touch me after having seen some of Ozu's earlier films. I thought of these films and their stories a lot while travelling through Japan - both in some large cities, as well as some beautiful rural areas of Japan.

Autumnal Ozu Still Offers Many Pleasures for Aficionados in Five Representative Films.......2007-07-31

The quietude and lack of pretense in Yasujiro Ozu's idiosyncratic films continue to draw me to his impressive body of work, which gratefully continues to be restored by the Criterion Collection. From the stationary, tatami-level camera angles to the selective re-use of his familiar ensemble cast, Ozu displays an unforced cinematic style unique in its deliberate pacing and elliptical narrative structures. As it should be, his most acclaimed work is the "Noriko" trilogy - Late Spring (1949), Early Summer (1951) and the extraordinary Tokyo Story (1953) - which has been given deluxe DVD treatments by Criterion in individual packages in the past few years. His career continued until his death in 1962, and this box set from Criterion's subsidiary Eclipse celebrates five of the films he made after "Tokyo Story". Because there are none of the extras to be found in the previously released DVDs, neither an informative commentary from a film scholar nor a historical documentary, the films are left to stand on their own albeit with English subtitles. They represent a solid collection from a master, but I also think they are best appreciated after seeing the "Noriko" trilogy or his other masterpiece, 1959's Floating Weeds where you get in-depth orientations into Ozu's filmmaking style.

The set begins with 1956's "Early Spring" (****), a penetrating, unusually mature study in infidelity in post-WWII Japan. Ozu places his focus on Shoji, a young, inconsequential white collar worker suffering from weariness about his job and childless marriage to Masako. He starts to spend more time with his colleagues and less with his pragmatic wife. One of his co-workers is an independent-minded stenographer who has been affectionately named "Goldfish". A seemingly innocent flirtation leads inevitably to a full-blown affair. Even more than his more famous films, Ozu spends a lot of time on establishing shots to highlight Shoji's mundane existence, and the net effect is more insinuating in terms of defining his boredom and dead-end career. Ryo Ikebe and Chikage Awashima (the feisty best friend regaling in her freedom to be single in "Early Summer") play the young couple affectingly, though Keiko Kishi easily steals her scenes as the ambitious Goldfish.

The darkest of the five films is 1957's "Tokyo Twilight" (****1/2), which showcases Ozu's craftsmanship encased in a Douglas Sirk-like melodrama about two sisters leading lives of quiet desperation in spite of the earnest though clueless efforts of their father. With her baby daughter in tow, patient older sister Takako has just left her errant, self-absorbed husband. Petulant younger sister Akiko keeps searching for a boyfriend amid her social circle, a group of sarcastic slackers who spend all their time playing mah jong and gossiping. The sisters' bad choice in men can be sourced to not only a guilt-ridden father but a mother who deserted them long ago. She comes back to town followed in quick order by the inevitable consequences. Shorn of her usually sunny exterior, the legendary Setsuko Hara lends intense, complex melancholy to Takako, while Ineko Arima portrays Akiko with a hedonistic fury worthy of Louise Brooks. As the absentee mother, Isuzu Yamada has a few powerful scenes, while Ozu regular Chishu Ryu plays the father in his typically poker-faced manner.

A comparatively lighter tone can be found in Ozu's first color film, 1958's "Equinox Flower" (****1/2), which explores a favorite theme of the filmmaker's, the bond between a father named Hirayama and his daughter Setsuko. True to her contemporary nature, she makes an impulsive decision to marry, even though Hirayama had always expected that she would seek his approval beforehand. Reflective of prevailing customs, he is presumptuous enough to think he would choose her husband. At the same time, in contrast, he provides advice to others to follow their own hearts. The hypocrisy gradually dawns on the well-intentioned father in slow, uninterrupted takes, as Setsuko quietly rebels. Shin Saburi effectively manages to convey both the comic confusion and dawning revelation of a man caught in a generational transition, while Ineko Arima returns with a sunnier persona as Setsuko.

1960's "Late Autumn" (****) is really a variation on his classic 1949 father-daughter drama, "Late Spring". He goes further with this parallel by having Setsuko Hara, who played the daughter in the original film, play the mother Akiko in this one. This time, the character of Akiko has such an easy sisterly bond with her daughter Ayako that neither has an interest in dating or marriage. While Akiko's situation is accepted by society, Ayako's single status is a point of consternation, especially for three friends of Akiko's late husband, all of whom express feelings of unrequited love for the unavailable Akiko. Lending her remarkable sense of pathos, Hara provides her trademark stillness and quiet warmth as Akiko. Yôko Tsukasa is pretty and affecting as Ayako, while Mariko Okada provides an uninhibited spirit as Ayako's friend and colleague Yuriko. Shin Saburi, Nabuo Nakamura and Ryuji Kita play the matchmaking trio almost like a Shakespearean comedy troupe.

The last film of the set, 1961's "End of Summer" (****) has Setsuko Hara and Yôko Tsukasa of "Late Autumn" return as sisters Akiko and Noriko, both in search of husbands. They are the daughters of Manbei Kohayakawa, who seems to be going through his second childhood as his sake brewery flounders into a financial abyss. When Manbei takes up with his old mistress, the family is thrown into chaos as Ozu melds both comic and tragic elements into the deliberately paced story. Fittingly, the story's rueful last act echoes the poignant ending of "Tokyo Story". The rubric of change and resistance within a family is explored in depth and within the elliptical structure that is the filmmaker's trademark. Ganjiro Nakamura (the aging kabuki actor in Ozu's "Floating Weeds") plays Manbei with surprising subtlety, while Hara and the rest of the ensemble cast complement him impeccably.

Absolutely Loving It!.......2007-07-08

I've been so looking forward to this release and am thoroughly enjoying this new Ozu set during my vacation week. I strongly suggest a back-to-back viewing of "Late Spring" (a separate Criterion release) and "Late Autumn," included here in this set. A side-by-side viewing will only enhance the comic explosion "Late Autumn" will set off in your head. I am astounded by the gorgeous, intricate weaving of plot lines in Late Autumn -almost suggestive of the strange, inexplicable balance of forms one finds in a Kandinsky painting. What a sly, lovely film maker that Ozu is!

Great movies... but the box stinks.......2007-07-05

I won't talk about the five great films you get in the box set "Late Ozu". As has been said before: the name Ozu and the word "great" are synonymous. But I thought I might warn you about the "box".

This box set doesn't have one. But what's that in the photo you see up above? That, friend, is a slip case -- a piece of cardboard with four sides. There is no top, no bottom... no box.

What you're actually buying is 5 discs in the new slimline cases held together by a sleeve. A sturdy sleeve, yes, but one that shifts form into a parallelogram depending on how you hold it. Either way, make sure you hold it horizontally. As I mentioned, there is no top and no bottom. Hold it the way you'd initially be inclined to and all five slimcases promptly slide out the bottom. Does this make sense? Who builds a box with no bottom?

I'm grateful Criterion has created the new Eclipse series and is thus bringing us films we wouldn't usually have access to, but why lie about the packaging? Yes, the photo they provide is a lie. If you look at that you imagine a slipcase that opens on the side, properly holding your movies, right? Or a fold-out box keeping your precious new Ozu discs snug in a logical manner. Who enjoys pulling something off the shelf with their other hand supporting the bottom so the contents don't spill?

Speaking for myself, if I had seen the product properly when it was advertised I wouldn't feel cheated and disappointed right now.

Worth the wait.......2007-06-30

Now we have 5 more late ozu films to digest - and such a delicious meal it is... Yasijuro ozu's films are noted for their simplicity and their sensitivity to the family dynamic.. As a master of his craft ozu's films are deceptively packed with details and very methodic in their construction.. His pacing combined with character revelations often leave us feeling completely satisfied at the end of the picture as if he has taken us down to a meditative place and let us emerge back into our own worlds at the end of the picture.. But speaking of such things is useless.. you need to watch these family dramas for yourself to understand the kinds of feelings that will emerge inside of you..
Ozu was a technician perhaps more quiet than directors like hitchcock, lang, or even kurosawa and mizoguchi - but his movies speak volumes without the extra action and manipulations.. That is probably why so many people find his work refreshing..

This box set contains 5 movies that are among his most effective.. my particular favorite was 'the end of summer' which featured some of his actors from previous films including Ganjiro nakamura as the very childlike grandfather figure.. This movie for me is one of Ozu's best - also it utilizes color in a very striking way (for another fine example of ozu's color see floating weeds).. The other films are also in the same league.. equinox flower is another favorite of mine..

Criterion collections new eclipse series is truly a most welcome venue to discover older movies that you may not have seen.. There is also an excellent collection of early bergman movies now available - and a samuel fuller box is on the way.. It is well worth the price..

Sir! No Sir! - The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam

Average customer rating:

Documentary at it's finest
A documentary that should be seen by everyone in the military
so moving
A story retreived from the dustbin of history
War resisters speak out

Sir! No Sir! - The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam
Starring: Louis Font , Michael Wong (IX) , Joe Bangert , Dave Blalock , and Howard Levy (II)
Director: David Zeiger
Manufacturer: DOCURAMA
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ASIN: B000IB0DE4
Release Date: 2006-12-19

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Pundits often make parallels between America's involvement in Iraq and the nightmare that was Vietnam; director-writer-producer David Zeiger's Sir! No Sir! does it too. But while the comparisons are generally apt (both conflicts are known as "quagmires," became hugely unpopular with the public, and inflicted serious political damage on the presidents who presided over them), this documentary makes a vital distinction: namely, that some of the most vocal and active opponents of the Vietnam War were the very soldiers who fought in it. These are haunted men who went to Southeast Asia because it was their duty, perhaps even because they saw it as the right thing to do, only to become sorely disillusioned when they witnessed the horrible injuries, the villages bombed for little or no reason, the civilians tortured and killed, and various other horrors that took place "in country." Some, like the so-called Nine for Peace, formed GI protest groups while still on active duty in Vietnam; some went AWOL (there were reportedly 500,000 incidents of desertion); a great many, including soldiers who refused to be deployed to 'Nam at all, were court-martialed and imprisoned in military stockades like San Francisco's Presidio, while still others returned home, joined movements like Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and published virulent underground newspapers. All of this is delivered via personal anecdotes, photos, and occasional file footage. The material is undoubtedly compelling, but Sir! No Sir! pretty much makes its point in the first half hour, rendering the final hour somewhat tedious. And that's not even including the nearly two hours of accompanying bonus material. Most of the latter consists of extended interviews based on what we've already seen in the main program; there's also a look at the Winter Soldier inquiry (the subject of a separate documentary), as well as a joint appearance by "Hanoi Jane" Fonda, Vietnam's most infamous celebrity protester, and Cindy Sheehan, who became an anti-war activist after her son was killed in Iraq in 2004. --Sam Graham

Description

Easily the most timely and resonant film about the soldiers on the front lines of antiwar resistance, the award-winning breakout theatrical hit SIR! NO SIR! Tells an almost entirely forgotten story of the military men and women who helped force the U.S. government to end the Vietnam War. Contrary to the popular image of long-haired hippies spitting on returning soldiers, SIR! NO SIR! vividly demonstrates that GIs were the heart and soul of the anti-war movement. Poignantly narrated by a diverse cast of veteran GI resisters who recall the ferocious days of peace marches and stiff jail sentences, SIR! NO SIR! pulls no punches in its raw depiction of the power of people, especially those in uniform. Directed by David Zeiger, SIR! NO SIR! is "powerful stuff, offering us not only a new look at the past, but to the unavoidably relevant insights into the present" (New York Daily News).

Customer Reviews:

Documentary at it's finest.......2007-09-13

i've seen a lot of documentaries, but the soundtrack, the interviews and the reflection of past onto the present made this film one of the best i've ever seen.

A documentary that should be seen by everyone in the military.......2007-06-19

Sir! No Sir! is one of the best documentaries produced about the Vietnam War. In light of the emerging soldier's resistance to the Iraq War, this documentary shows us where anti-war energy should be focused. See this documentry, than read The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq.

so moving.......2007-06-11

i don't have additional factual information to add to the excellent reviews already posted. i'll just say i viewed this last night and found it so moving and inspiring i can't stop thinking about the subjects of this film, what they endured and their incredible service to humankind. the personal risk they undertook is almost unimaginable. note that several commented they were not even aware there was a GI antiwar movement to support their actions.

i do want to add that besides the fascinating subject matter this documentary is extremely well done. the pacing keeps you riveted and the production overall is excellent. highest recommendation.

A story retreived from the dustbin of history.......2007-05-03

This documentary is a necessary corrective to the widely held perception that the Vietnam anti-war movement was anti-soldier. In fact, a key component of the anti-war movement was the soldiers. As early as 1965, highly decorated "lifers", who joined the armed services convinced they were doing their duty to their country, began speaking out against the war, refusing orders, and faced court-martials to stop the war in Vietnam. As one former Green Beret said, "I was doing my job right, but I wasn't doing right." By 1969 war resistance among GIs, which had started as individual acts of defiance spread among draftees "in country" and among vets returning home, and emerged as a crucial component of the anti-war movement. So much so that even the US military had to concede that the majority of US troops were anti-war.

Sir, No, Sir is a very well done documentary that weaves together interviews, news footage, and commentary about the "forgotten" anti-war movement--the GI coffee house movement, the underground GI press, and the "alternative" USO-style shows that featured an anti-war message that was tailored to the soldiers' expereince. It closes with some parting shots on how the GI anti-war movement was "erased" from popular memory through films like Hamburger Hill and Rambo--which situate the anti-war movement as being anti-soldier.

The extras on the DVD are also quite interesting. Of particular interest is the interview with the infamous "Dave Rabbitt." Years ago, I received a copy of a recording of a "pirate" radio station in Vietnam and had often wondered about its authenticity. This film confirmed that briefly an unofficial radio station (Radio First Termer-FM69), which was "for the troops" but against the war, operated in the Phan Rang area of Vietnam. It broadcast "hard acid-rock music" for the "first-termers and non-reenlistees" in Vietnam. An interesting story in and of itself, and just one part of the forgotten anti-war movement.

War resisters speak out.......2007-04-15

A most-important film about the GIs who resisted the war on Viet Nam while inside the military and in the country itself. Fragging of COs was not unusual, leaving Nixon to pull out ground troups and send major air strikes to this torn country .. A must see for all people who think they recall or have read about the resistance against this war.

Average customer rating:

So Much For My "Pfeiffer Festival"
not predictable
"Goes a step beyond drama"
Wow
Do not watch this movie-- READ THE BOOK!

The Deep End of the Ocean
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer , Treat Williams , Whoopi Goldberg , Jonathan Jackson , and Cory Buck
Director: Ulu Grosbard
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: 0767821718
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Amazon.com

Beth Cappadora (Michelle Pfeiffer) is at her high school reunion when her 3-year-old son disappears from his brother's care. The little boy never turns up, and the family has to deal with the devastating guilt and grief that goes along with it. Nine years later, the family has relocated to Chicago. By a sheer fluke, the kid turns up, living no more than two blocks away. The authorities swoop down and return the kid to his biological parents, but things are far from being that simple. The boy grew up around what he has called his father, while his new family are strangers to him; the older son, now a teenager, has brushes with the law and behavioral problems. His adjustment to his lost brother is complicated by normal teenage churlishness, and the dad (Treat Williams) seems to expect everything to fall into place as though the family had been intact all along. It's a tightrope routine for actors in a story like this, being careful not to chew the scenery while at the same time not being too flaccid or understated. For the most part, the members of the cast deal well with the emotional complexity of their roles. Though the story stretches credulity, weirder things do happen in the real world. The family's pain for the first half of the film is certainly credible, though the second half almost seems like a different movie. Whoopi Goldberg plays the detective assigned to the case; casting her is a bit of a stretch, but she makes it work. All in all, a decent three-hanky movie in the vein of Ordinary People. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

So Much For My "Pfeiffer Festival".......2005-09-25

One of the fringe benefits of a major format change is the inevitable markdowns of old stock of the old format. I've been taking advantage of the VHS sales in local video stores for quite a while now. Many of them are dirt cheap, and if you still have a functional VCR and don't demand all the "extras" of the DVD format, you can find all kinds of bargains.

And all kinds of dross too, unfortunately. I purchased this movie recently, along with several other films starring Michelle Pfeiffer and was contemplating holding my own personal "Pfeiffer Film Festival," but for better or for worse, I started out with DEEP END OF THE OCEAN and that pretty much nipped those plans in the bud. I wound up shelving the other entries in the Pfeiffer filmography for another rainy day. This one was just too depressing. And I don't mean the content.

I think most people recognize that Michelle Pfeiffer is a talented actress as well as being a very beautiful woman. But like many good actresses, she seems to wind up in mediocre film after mediocre film. Maybe it was ever thus. How many truly great films did a Katharine Hepburn or a Bette Davis really do in their day. And Liz Taylor did clunker after clunker in the late 60s and early 70s. But there was a significant change in recent decades. Even our biggest stars of today don't carry films the way they once did. No one goes to see a Michelle Pfeiffer film just because Michelle Pfeiffer is in it these days. The pressure is on, then, for an actor to pick vehicles worthy of his or her talents.

A number of the reviews I've seen posted here and elsewhere have elaborated on THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN's storyline, so I won't belabor that here. Suffice to say that the story of a child's kidnapping and the subsequent emotional trauma it inflicts on an entire family is a potentially powerful one. Pfeiffer heads a strong cast, including Treat Williams as her equally grieving but more resilient husband. They all have good moments and make the most of their screentime, but the story never quite gels. And it doesn't get much better when after ten years, the family is abruptly reunited with their lost son.

The fact that the reunion is highly unlikely is not so much the problem. I'm not out to revoke anyone's dramatic license here. What makes no dramatic sense or even common sense is the family's handling of the situation. In the Age of Oprah, how come no one even considers any kind of counseling for ANYONE in the family. Many people (and many entire families, of course) are resistant to seeking psychological help, but under such extraordinary circumstances, it's hard to imagine this family not even considering the option. If not for themselves, how about for the boy? After all he's been through, even the proudest of families should feel little compunction about his receiving professional help.

Like many other reviewers who have not read Jacquelyn Michaud's acclaimed novel upon which this film is based, I am guessing that this is likely one more case in which the "book was better." A novel, of course, can indulge in more leisurely pacing, and provide more background and, most importantly, can utilize techniques like interior monologue which contemporary cinema rightly eschews. (Voiceovers don't cut it--and never did). I wonder too if the book might not have provided us with some kind of explanation for the evocative title. There seems to be a trend toward a kind of emotional topography in recent fiction and cinema (not only "deep ends of the ocean" but also "maps of the world" and of "the human heart"). Apparently, they mean something. The book may make it clear. The movie doesn't really bother.

not predictable.......2003-12-29

Very good movie. Kid is stolen, Mom goes crazy, family becomes a mess. Kid is found but its all unpredictable. Rent it and see how the story unfolds.

"Goes a step beyond drama".......2003-09-10

It is hard to describe this film, but it is one with a very stable and unfamiliar plot. You will not be unsatisfied with this film I would recomend it to anyone with a family to look after, so you can see what really does happen. It is very suspensful and probably too much for young children to handle otherwise it is a great film.

Wow.......2003-01-19

I was anxiously waiting to see this movie on television, so to bide the time, I grabbed the book to read. The movie is nothing like the book! I am a big time reader, but I found the book to be long, drawn-out and quite frankly, boring. The movie however, is fabulous. Everyone does an amazing job, but of particular note is Jonathan Jackson. This man can act! He did a superb job. This movie is definitely worth watching.

Do not watch this movie-- READ THE BOOK!.......2002-10-27

The filmakers RUINEDRUINEDRUINEDRUINED a great book by taking out the best parts and changing the real reason Ben's brother was so troubled. Please read the book instead (or at least in addition to) this movie!

Average customer rating:

Another good teaching movie
End of the Harvest
Interesting Christian Short film. No subtitles.
One of the best movies I have seen
end of the harvest

End of the Harvest
Starring: David A.R. White , Brad Heller , Lance Zitron , Kevin Downes , and Blanche Tosh
Director: Rich Christiano
Manufacturer: ChristianMovies.com
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00097E6NQ
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Product Description

In this hard hitting inspiring prophecy drama, a college student discovers the shocking truth that the 6 days of creation could be a picture of how the course of life on earth would run leading up to the return of Christ. This film features a compelling gospel presentation and the answers to eternal life. Guaranteed you'll watch this more than once. (54 min.)

Customer Reviews:

Another good teaching movie.......2007-08-02

I have heard of the 7000 year plan for man; this movie explained it in a way that I finally understand

End of the Harvest.......2007-07-17

I received it quickly and in good condition. The film is definitely worth seeing.

Interesting Christian Short film. No subtitles........2007-05-01

51 minutes long without credits. Would have given 5 stars if the first 25 minutes were cut and it had subtitles. A very different way of looking at biblical times lines.

One of the best movies I have seen.......2007-02-13

Personally, I find most movies to be a wast of time, but this is one of the few movies that I have found to be worth while. I highly recommend it to anyone.

end of the harvest.......2004-09-09

This movie not only makes you realize as belivers how we should stand and share all that we believe in, but it is a real thought out movie. One that strikes your intrest to keep watching.The message of the story was very clear.

Average customer rating:

Good Acting, But Story Got a Bit Ridiculous
OUTSTANDING!
Great story... great acting
Summer's end
Not an End but a beginning

Summer's End
Starring: James Earl Jones , Jake LeDoux , Brendan Fletcher , Wendy Crewson , and Jonathan Kroeker
Director: Helen Shaver
Manufacturer: Showtime Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004XMTO
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Amazon.com

This coming-of-age story will appeal to anyone seeking family entertainment that deals with issues and values. Jamie and his older brother, Hunter, are recovering from the death of their father, so their mother brings them to their cottage at the lake even though she must commute to work in nearby Atlanta. Left alone, the boys demonstrate strong brotherly bonds, but these begin to strain when a black doctor buys a cottage nearby and befriends Jamie, until the racist element in the town, including Hunter's best friends, campaign to drive him out. Jamie must choose between the brother he loves and the new friend he sees being persecuted, while Hunter must choose between keeping his friends despite their vile actions and the moral behavior of the brother who is the person that matters to him the most.

This Showtime production is directed by actress Helen Shaver, who has worked for directors such as Martin Scorcese and Sam Peckinpah, and her deft use of camera and editing never obscures the actor's concern for motivation and emotional truth. The film is serious and character based, built on small details such as turns in conversations and body language. James Earl Jones provides yet another majestic performance, filling the screen, and carrying along talented young performers Jake LeDoux and Brendan Fletcher. The climax is ennobling and stirring, and communicates the overall theme so richly intoned in his fabulous "Darth Vader" voice, "about the feeling you get when you do something right." --Lloyd Chesley

Customer Reviews:

Good Acting, But Story Got a Bit Ridiculous.......2006-06-27

James Earl Jones is great as always. But the plot stumbles after the boat crashes into the dock. The story veers into contrived and, by the end, absurd plot developments (the final scene inexplicably has James Earl Jones walking on water). I think the makers of this movie tried too hard to jam too many liberal dogmas about race relations into one movie. James Earl Jones walked on water, I suppose, because black people are Jesus-like saviors of white people. Curiously, Jones is a light-skinned black, but the part seemed to call for a dark-skinned black -- the flashback scenes draw viewers' attention to this discrepancy.

OUTSTANDING!.......2005-01-21

A must see movie James Earl Jones was great. Jake Ledoux did a good job,But I didn't see the wide range of emotions the other viewer saw.A GREAT MOVIE!

Great story... great acting.......2002-03-03

The tale of Summer's End is about a black man, Dr. William Blakely, who returns to live in the town where his father was killed by whites when he was a young boy. The other main character is Jaime, a young boy who strikes up a friendship with Dr. Blakely and is the central "coming of age" figure. Also key to the plot are Jaime's older brother Hunter, his mother, and his brother's friend Lad. Lad is a young man brought up to belive what much of the town 'believes' (although only a small handful of Lad's family displays)- blacks are bad and shouldn't be in the town. It turns into a story of relationships as Lad and his grandfather (mainly) try to run Dr. Blakely out of town. It keeps your attention the entire time.

The acting in the movie is pretty incredible for a TV movie. James Earl Jones was the perfect casting for Dr. Blakely. Wendy Crewson plays Jaime's mother very well. The only acting I wasn't all that fond of was Brenden Fletcher, who played Hunter. What really stands out though is the acting of Jake LeDoux, who plays Jaime- you have to see it for yourself, but I don't understand why he hasn't landed bigger roles. Similar to Haley Joel Osment- wonderful at displaying a wide range of emotions.

Summer's end.......2001-02-26

A very touching story and a very well portrayall by Mr Jones. I 've enjoyed this movie so much that I'm in the process of purchasing it for future entertainment to be shared with my grandchildren.

Not an End but a beginning.......2000-07-30

As an English teacher, I am always looking for companion films for novels I read in my classes. Summer's End is the perfect companion for Montana 1948 by Larry Watson. Both the film and the movie beautifully portray what happens when the youngest in a family discovers a "truth" about another member of the family. Both deal with several issues such as racism, family loyalty, and justice in a way that is both fair to the topic and engaging for my students. Both of these titles have been well received by students. I highly recommend both the film Summer's End and the novel Montana 1948.

Average customer rating:

Left behind by business (ie. the rich get richer).
A Good Movie
Terrible transfer from film to DVD
It was called the "Sleeper of the Year"

End of the Line
Starring: Kevin Bacon , Barbara Barrie , Michael Beach , Wilford Brimley , and Trey Fancher
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000ADXET
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Customer Reviews:

Left behind by business (ie. the rich get richer)........2007-02-22

I believe Wilford Brimley is a great actor because he seems to just be himself. He plays a brakeman on the "Southland Railroad". The railroad is being reorganized and the small town he lives in will be devastated so some rich folks in Chicago can roll in more "dough". He and another worker take a locomotive to Chicago to try and convince the "powers that be" to think twice about the reorganization. Instead the company clones try to use them in an advertising campaign to make the changes go smoother. Brimley won't have it. You watch the rest. You have the sad and inevitable conflict of young and old, rich and poor played out in the heartland. Great film.

A Good Movie.......2007-01-10

This was a very good movie if your into train movies. Although if you know your stuff about railroads you'll find that it has a lot of Hollywood in it. It did have a lot of good railroad shots in it.

Terrible transfer from film to DVD.......2004-04-26

The picture quality is the worst I have seen yet on a DVD. It is worse then a fifth generation VHS. The image is so bad that I don't know why they bothered releasing the DVD.

It was called the "Sleeper of the Year".......2004-02-16

End of the line opened in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1987 with Wilford Brimley heading an All Star cast: Kevin Bacon, Levon Helm, et. al. I can not believe that this movie was put on film. The Director, Jay Russell, was filming his first feature film. The reason this movie was made in and around Little Rock Arkansas was because of the Director and Mary Steenbergon. Both are from Arkansas. It is a horrible story, with an awesome cast. I do not know the politics of movie making, and I don't want to....this movie stinks.

Initial D - Battle 7 - The End of Summer

Average customer rating:

forget anything TOKYOPOP brings...
The story was getting interesting until..........
Racing, romance and some rockin' Eurobeat
closing scene to the AE86 vs. Sil-80
Love story..........Cole & Maya

Initial D - Battle 7 - The End of Summer
Starring: Nobuyuki Hiyama , Michiko Neya , Yumi Kakazu , Kôsuke Okano , and Keiji Fujiwara
Director: Noboru Mitsusawa , and Masami Hata
Manufacturer: Tokyopop Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000255JDG
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Description

Episodes 19 - 21

Customer Reviews:

forget anything TOKYOPOP brings..........2005-09-03

TOKYOPOP doesn't know anime and transform it into uglyness (change score, characters' names, cut scenes, etc...). Pioneer at least keep the original score and characters' names for their animes.

The story was getting interesting until.................2005-04-02

Well if you haven't figured it out who was going to win the race the you are really slow. After the race Simon asks tak out on a date, but iggy being as stupid as he is thinks that she was talking to him so he decides to invite everyone. At the waterpark it's funny to see Simon trying to hit on Tak, but whats even funnier is when Iggy and Kenji go down the water slides together. The only dissapointing part was when Cole found out that Maya had a crush on Ry takahashi, being the person that Cole is he thinks that shes out of his league. Maya tells Cole to meet him at the spot where they first met, but Cole decides that shes better off staying there alone(not really). So after his boss pounds reality into Cole he races to the spot to find out that there is a traffic jam and so there it was ladies and gentlemen the end of their relationship. In the japanese version of the anime Maya offered her virginity(believe it or not) to Cole in exchange that she gets the chance to close her carreer as a racer. We also get to see a little bit of Taks relationship growing with Natalie and she happens to find out what happend in the locker room(which was a fight in the 3rd dvd) and she decides to reward him for his actions by kissing him. Thats basically the layout for this review. Again it wasn't a bad dvd, but I just didn't like Maya getting hurt like that because I was kinda a fan of her work.

Racing, romance and some rockin' Eurobeat.......2004-12-10

Volume 7 of "Initial D," the popular anime series about downhill mountain road racing in Japan, is awash in romantic complications that affect the whole cast of characters and keep things hopping for all three episodes (nos. 19-21). The first episode offers the conclusion of the suspenseful race down Usui Pass between Takumi and female challenger Mako begun in the previous volume. After the race, Mako's attractive navigation partner, Sayuki, gets the hots for Tak and asks him out on a swimming date, to which his friends, led by the diminutive, overeager Itsuki, invite themselves, upsetting Sayuki's plans. This all leads to Mako asking Tak's buddy, Iketani, who'd first met Mako back in Volume 5, on a nighttime date, but Iketani's hesitation and insecurity lead to unhappy results. Tak, meanwhile, fends off Sayuki's aggression to concentrate on his budding relationship with classmate Natsuki.

School starts and things heat up between Tak and Natsuki, including a first kiss that's handled tastefully and beautifully by the animators. However, we get a glimpse of a secret of Natsuki's that could derail things. Through it all, poor little Itsuki freaks out at losing his buddies to girls and comes out with several hilarious exclamations. He's comic relief in the best sense of the word. Meanwhile, Mt. Akagi champ Ryosuke Takahashi delivers a challenge to Tak and gears up for their impending match.

Aside from the genuine thrills of the racing sequences, the great thing about this series is just how emotionally honest it is about the awkwardness of teen romance and its inevitable mix of fleeting pleasures and deeply felt pain and discomfort. Tak may be a superman behind the wheel, but he and his buddies make the kind of common missteps with girls that so many of us remember from our youths.

The action comes with a nice mix of standard musical accompaniment for the romantic scenes (lilting piano solos) and rousing "Eurobeat" hiphop-style pop songs for the races. The opening theme song in episode 20 is a new one. For me, this consistently gripping series just keeps getting better with each volume.

closing scene to the AE86 vs. Sil-80.......2004-09-30

After waiting 2 months to finally get this DVD and watch i was a little disapointed.

It starts off with Tak's 86 and Mya's Sil-80 in their downhill battle. For anyone whos watche the series, you all know whos going to win. At the end of the battle Simone has a small crush on Tak, and suggest they go to a water park. Iggy over hears and inivtes himself, Cole, Kenji, and Maya.

Episode 20 is all about Cole and Mya. He finds a pic of Ry and thinks she still has a crush on him. So then he cant compete with Ry and gives up on her. After the water park he talks with his boss and relieze's that its more of her seeing Ry as a role model. So he tries to get to the meeting spot for their date but doesnt make it in time........really a sad scene, i was kind of disappointed.(Also Ry has a new technique called "The Fastest Racer Theory")

Episode 21 starts with the first day of school. Things with Tak and Natalie heat up and thats all he can think about. Cole, Iggy, and Kenji suspect that Tak and Natalie are dating and are worried about it distracting his downhill technique. As a side story Ry's brother K.T. is trainning a new guy to be second in command. The main thing in this other than Tak and Natalie, is that Ry has challeneged Tak to a downhill battle, for a little later in the month (Episode 24)

Overall i liked it but, i think it could have been a little better. Not the most memorable DVD in the series but an important one none the less.

Love story..........Cole & Maya.......2004-07-14

This battle 7 (esp 19-21) DVD starting out is the conclusion of the Mt. Usui race which tak vs Mako (Sil-80). Cole find the picture of Ry (Top driver of Gunma) in Maya wallet that she admires him very much. Cole then decide to break a date with Maya because of his jealousy but then decide to meet and race to her at last miniutes. Finally, Gunma top racing star Ry decided to challenge Tak for the utimate race at Akina....which will not happen until the very end of episode 24. Episode 26 is nothing but songs and some race scenes from previous races....I think!

This is the first stage of the fourth stages of the entire series.... which are not over yet. "Stage 1" have 26 episodes. I think Tokyopop will combine Stage 1 & 2 together. So, there will be 13 battle DVDs that you need to buy.
"Stage 2" has 13 episodes (Meet a new team name Evolution and Tak starting to race at opponents?? courts more often now. Also, a love story of Tak And Natsukiand continues.... Iggy make friend with a new out of town girl. Tak find out the dark secret that Natsuki has been hidden from him.
"Stage 3" is the movie. Continuing a love story between Tak and Natsuki, also some battles take place. Ry ask Tak to join his new team called "Project D" and hope to conquer all the mountains in Japan
"Stage 4 (Project D)" is being air on Japan right now and DVD vol. 1 and 2, which contain 2 episodes on each volume, is out. Tak will be the downhill and K.T will be the uphill specialist for this project. Stage 4 I heard has 14 episodes and there might be "Stage 5" and is going to be a movie. I can't until next year to get "Stage 4" DVD because I don't want to get volume by volume, hopefully they will put all the episodes into one package.

I would recommend everyone to watch the Japanese dialog track because the character voices and the music are ways better than the dub version. If you have to watch the dub version, switch over to Japan version whenever they race. You will know what I mean the differences in car audio sound and music from the dub version.

Product Description

Finland released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o English (subtitles) o Finnish (subtitles) o Swedish (subtitles) o Finnish (Dolby Digital 5.1) o Finnish (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: A story about a friendship, love and the last summer together. Four high school graduates have to start thinking about their lives, relationships and future before the summer ends. - "Niin lähellä, niin kaukana" is full of heart and nostalgia, very beautifully shot and the story is told very well. It has believable characters and filmmakers managed to touch the viewer with their storytelling. The film has very warm atmosphere and you really start to care about the characters. You realize you miss them when the film ends, and that is a good sign. Special Features: o Cast/Crew Interview(s) o Commentary o Documentary o Interactive Menu o Making Of o Scene Access o Trailer(s)

Average customer rating:

The Deep End of the Ocean [Region 2]
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer , Treat Williams , Whoopi Goldberg , Jonathan Jackson , and Cory Buck
Director: Ulu Grosbard
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00004VXZG

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ASIN: B00004S5RR

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