Casablanca

Amazon.com essential video

A truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-09-13

This movie is one of the great classics that everyone should see at least once.

quite simply the best film ever!.......2007-09-10

In my humble opinion this is the best film ever. Stellar acting and incomparable chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Paul Henreid exudes class and bravery. The incomparable Claude Rains. A witty screenplay, taut direction and an emotinal core that builds throughout the film right up to the most memorable ending of all-time. Play it again, and again and again.

Only the best!.......2007-09-09

A great movie must have certain components: (1) great acting, (2) action, (3) humor, (4) a compelling plot, and (5) a memorable song. This movie has all five and ranks, in my opinion, as the Best American Movie of the 20th Century.

Good but definitely not the best.......2007-09-06

I was very excited when i first watched this movie because it is almost on top of lists of all-time greatest movies and the reviews are like wow.. this must be really one of the best! After watching it, I was kinda disappointed because I think the story is so-so, there is no chemistry between the two lead cast (but Bergman is very lovely though). I don't know what's so special about this movie. Did I miss it or what?

Excellent movie, excellent presentation and special features.......2007-08-15

At 55 years of age, you'd think a movie lover such as myself would have seen Casablanca... but I hadn't until I bought this disc in July of 2007. If you understand what makes a finely crafted film that you can watch repeatedly and still continue to find things out about it that you love, this is one you'll enjoy immensely.

Start with the script - it is filled with tasty classic lines you'll really enjoy hearing in the context of the film. "Here's looking at you, Kid..." for example. Part of what makes all of it work is the vocal treatment by the actors in their delivery. The cast seems very comfortable with the characters they each play and so maybe that relaxed feel carries over to the degree of realism you sense when you watch it. Their dialogue does NOT seem scripted and that's hard to achieve on a consistent basis in a film. I suppose that's a big part of what's made Casablanca such a classic to all who have reviewed the work over the years.

The acting is superb across the board regardless of how small the part. Ingrid Bergman is luminescent to put it mildly. Bogie is really a powerhouse in this one, and Paul Henreid as well as Claude Rains deliver the kind of intimately detailed performances that just make you smile while you watch. Peter Lorre has a smaller part but exquisitely crafted in its execution. He makes it easy for you to hate him, let's put it that way. Sydney Greenstreet gives a solid presentation as well to round out the core ensemble performances given here.

The special features on this disc include a very nice introduction by Lauren Bacall, Bogart's widow. I watched it AFTER viewing the film as I wanted to get the same feel as audiences who originally viewed it in the theater, but I wish I had watched it first. Enlightening to say the least.

Another little gem is a series of trailers for Bogie's other movies. Great slices of the period as far as movie promotion goes! They serve as great reminders of a simpler time in America.

This particular film is a MUST HAVE for anyone's movie collection. I feel that repeated viewings year on year will only make you love it more than you did the first time. Not many films are able to do that.

I can safely say that if you, too, love truly great movies and you decide to purchase this one, it will be the start of a beautiful friendship.

The Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition)

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Wonderful Story
Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition)
Mohicans
Thrilled
Breathtaking & Brilliant

The Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition)
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis , Madeleine Stowe , Russell Means , Eric Schweig , and Jodhi May
Director: Michael Mann
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005221M
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Amazon.com

Wildly romantic, daringly exciting, Michael Mann's film of James Fenimore Cooper's novel created a new babe magnet out of Daniel Day-Lewis, he of the heaving pecs and flowing mane. As Hawkeye, he plays an American settler raised by the Mohicans who is forced to serve as a guide for British adventurism in upstate New York. But the British have been outflanked by the French (and their Indian allies); then British honor is betrayed when a band of renegades assaults them during their retreat. Mann captures the viciousness of this era's hand-to-hand combat in startling battle scenes. But he also invests the film with heartfelt romance, as the feelings swell between Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe. The ending is a stunner, a long, nearly wordless sequence of battle and loss. Strong performances all around, particularly by Russell Means as Chingachgook and Wes Studi as the evil Magua. --Marshall Fine

Description

An epic adventure and passionate romance unfold against the panorama of a frontier wilderness ravaged by war. Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor in 1989 for My Left Foot) stars as Hawkeye, rugged frontiersman and adopted son of the Mohicans, and Madeleine Stowe is Cora Munro, aristocratic daughter of a proud British Colonel. Their love, tested by fate, blazes amidst a brutal conflict between the British, the French and Native American allies that engulfs the majestic mountains and cathedral-like forests of Colonial America.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Story.......2007-09-14

Excellent story of a adult caucasian man who was adopted into a Mohican family as a child and grew to be a blood brother. The story chronicles the man, his Mohican brother and father during the battle between American and French troops in colonial America. There are several subplots as the movie turns into a love story. Lots of action, romantic passion, and emotional passion. If you liked the "Patriot" you'll enjoy this also.

Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition).......2007-08-23

Excellent movie. Very good film dramatization of the novel, Last of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper. Always enjoy watching this film. Bought the DVD to replace the VHS version we have had for some time.
Main and supporting cast played their characters very well.

Mohicans.......2007-08-18

Brilliant movie. Action, adventure, romance, tears (in my case many of them) Well acted by all in the movie, bar none. This is one of the best movies that I have ever had the pleasure to watch. From the opening hunting scenes to the last scene where the three stand alone on the cliff, it grabbed me by the heart, mind and spirit and carried me along as if I was there. In my opinion, a true American epic of a motion picture. The British Crown just couldn't leave the colonials alone. They had to follow them to America and rain down their tyranny here just as they did in Great Britain. The British promised much and delivered very little or nothing. Truth and justice won out in the end. I have to say that the last chase sequence up the mountainside to free the hostage was the most intense thing I have ever seen.

Thrilled.......2007-08-17

I had this movie on video years ago but it was stolen. Now I have a big HDTV & this movie is so thrilling! I had a friend over to watch it & we were both on the edge of our seats & crying at the end! Thank you so much, Amazon. I have yet to be disappointed with any item purchased on your site.

Breathtaking & Brilliant.......2007-07-20

had to watch this in my History of Imperial Britain class, and enjoyed it so much I stopped at Best Buy after class to buy it.

For a movie to be really, truly enjoyable for me, it has to have an amazing love story. And this one blows many other movie romances out of the water. Nathaniel's declaration to cora abou finding her no matter how long it takes just sends chills down my spine. The romance is beautifully acted and perfectly written. It's not over the top or unrealistic., its absolutely perfect.

Even without the romance, I would still enjoy this movie. The acting s superb by everyone. Even the characters you want to dislike (for me thats Magua and Col. Munro), you still understand their motivations for doing what they're are doing.

The scenery is breathtaking. As a North Carolina native, I feel a hint of pride at seeing ow beautiful parts of the state are.

Its a wonderful movie, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Average customer rating:

Woman's point of view
Not the best
Great movie and it's true...
My favorite war movie of all time
A very gripping, intensely human look at the reality of war.

We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mel Gibson , Madeleine Stowe , Greg Kinnear , Sam Elliott , and Chris Klein
Director: Randall Wallace
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B000068TPN
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Amazon.com

Based on the book by Lt. Col. Harold Moore (ret.) and journalist Joseph Galloway, We Were Soldiers offers a dignified reminder that the Vietnam War yielded its own crop of American heroes. Departing from Hollywood's typically cynical treatment of the war, writer-director Randall Wallace focuses on the first engagement of American soldiers with the North Vietnamese enemy in November 1965. Moore (played with colorful nuance by Mel Gibson) and nearly 400 inexperienced troopers from the U.S. Air Cavalry were surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese Army soldiers, and the film re-creates this brutal firefight with graphic authenticity, while telling the parallel story of grieving army wives back home. While UPI reporter Galloway (Barry Pepper) risks his life to chronicle the battle, Wallace offers a balanced (though somewhat fictionalized) perspective while eliciting laudable performances from an excellent cast. Like the best World War II dramas of the 1940s, We Were Soldiers pays tribute to brave men while avoiding the pitfalls of propaganda. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Woman's point of view.......2007-07-19

I have probably seen every war movie made because my husband likes them. This one dealt also in the story lines of women getting the news from other wives that their husband weren't ever coming home not just the men out there in the field as some movies. I thought it was very good. It did hit a little close to home though with what all our country is going through now.

Not the best.......2007-07-18

I usually like Mel Gibson films especially "The Passion of the Christ," "Braveheart," the series of "Leathal Weapon" and "Mad Max." As a war film however, this film had a lot of defects. Obviously, this was not filmed in Southeast Asia. I know because I used to live there. The folliage and plants give away the location. They should have at least filmed it in the Hawaii Islands like in the case of "Tears of the Sun." This film is not even in my top 10 list of best war films, maybe in my top 30 if I stretch.

Great movie and it's true..........2007-07-08

While many of the reviews will focus on the story, all I would add is that this starts to put in place a very important turning point in the second Vietnam War..(This movie pays attention to the previous French attempt to fight on this ground). For me one of the most notable and telling scenes from this movie was in the deleted section when Hal Moore met with McNamara and informed him that this was not going to be an easy fight and that it was the wrong fight. This movie and the book stand as a shining example of the courage of the American soldier and the stupidity of their political leaders.

My favorite war movie of all time.......2007-06-27

We were soldiers is my favorite war movie, and that says something because it had to beat out Braveheart, Glory, Gettysburg, BlackHawk Down, WindTalkers and the Great Raid. What makes it so special is the courage and character of Hal Moore. I read the book, and the movie is very accurate. It also teaches me the history of the Vietnam war through the eyes of someone who is not trying to tear this country down. Best movie made about Vietnam by far.

A very gripping, intensely human look at the reality of war........2007-06-26

Mel Gibson does it again, moving well above and beyond the "typical" expectations of the war movie genre. There is not much I can add that hasn't already been said about the story itself. I would just say that the great strength of this film lies in its focus on the soldiers as real people, with real lives, real families, real personalities, etc. Gibson did an excellent job of emphasizing the emotional and psychological trauma of war, both for those in the battle and those waiting at home for news.

This production was gritty, realistic and hard-hitting, similar to the Private Ryan/Band of Brothers standard for graphic portrayal of war violence. Actors like Gibson, Kinnear, and Moore gave extemely believable performances, with Harris Pepper's character only marginally less convincing. Finally, I enjoyed the absence of political commentary or moralizing about the war overall. The only criticism that came across was directed toward the military leaders who put the 7th Cav. in that position in the first place. Beyond that, Gibson just told it like it was. Very well done indeed.

Average customer rating:

A great film, and what a "reimagining" should be...
Simply the best version you can get
Great ending
All Time Favorite
Fantastic

12 Monkeys [HD DVD]
Starring: Bob Adrian , Stephen Bridgewater , Michael Chance , Annie Golden , and Frank Gorshin
Director: Terry Gilliam
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000HT3Q14
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Amazon.com essential video

Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée (which is included on the DVD Short 2: Dreams), 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the '90s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A great film, and what a "reimagining" should be..........2007-09-03

This is one of Gilliam's best films, and one of his most commercially successful. It's one of the few films I really liked in the 1990's, as it is (as with most of Gilliam's work) a true work of art and something that is totally Gilliamish. It is a sad, haunting, strange work. One of the reasons this film works so well is that the studio left Gilliam alone and let him get on with it. The performances by Bruce Willis, Madeline Stowe, and Brad Pitt are all excellent. Willis is exceptionally good, showing that he can actually act if working with a great director like Gilliam. Stowe brings a tender, quiet quality to her role, and Pitt is great as a borderline insane guy. Some of his dialogue is a bit obvious, but overall it doesn't detract too much from the film. This is a pseudo-remake of Chris Marker's remarkable La Jetee, but Gilliams does it justice. La Jetee is a masterpiece, but then, so is this film. Gilliam really does "reimagine" it, bringing his own distinct voice to the material, and expounding on Marker's masterpiece. Marker recently said he felt this film was wonderful because Gilliam has such a rich imagination (which he does). The ending is quite sad, but it works very well, and kudos to the studio and Gilliam for keeping it in. I always admired Gilliam's film, even his misunderstood Tideland. I think he's one of the great directors. This is one of his best films....

Simply the best version you can get.......2007-08-31

This is of course one of the best films ever made, and this is the best version you can get of that film, so get it :)
+ you gotta watch the bonus material "The Hamster Factor" great stuff.

Great ending.......2007-08-24

One of Pitt's best roles. The world is devastated by a plague everyone dies. The few survivors go and live below ground and search back through time for a cure. Great ending.

Corey Cotta, Author of All of Yesterdays Tomorrows.

All Time Favorite.......2007-08-13

I remembered watching this movie in the theatre when I was in high school. It has remained my favorite of all time.

Fantastic.......2007-06-04

I really liked the movie. One of the best sci-fi movies I have seen. But I have a question. When Madeleine Stowe calls up the number that Bruce Willis is supposed to call, and she reaches a carpet cleaning company she is overjoyed thinking that the virus plague is a hoax after all. She nevertheless leaves a message in the voice mail of that number and recounts it to Bruce Willis who of course has heard it before and repeats the message verbatim even before Stowe could finish telling him. The whole point of the film is that Bruce Willis is reliving the past exactly as it had happened, with him as one of the main protagonist. So what actually happened in 1996? Did Stowe call up the carpet cleaning company? Did she leave a message? If she did and repeated that to Willis did Willis know beforehand what her message was? If he knew, then how did he know? He was NOT time travelling THEN. He was just a little boy of 8 years. And if it was not Willis (Cole) in 1996 who Stowe (Railly) met, then who was it? Because Cole was 8 years old in 1996. Can anybody throw any light?

Upstairs, Downstairs - Collector's Edition Megaset (The Complete Series plus Thomas and Sarah)

Average customer rating:

Excellent series
Upstairs, Downstairs-Complete collection DVD
Image Quality
DVD and Sound Quality
The best series ever made- not just for period drama lovers !

Upstairs, Downstairs - Collector's Edition Megaset (The Complete Series plus Thomas and Sarah)
Starring: Patsy Smart , Evin Crowley , Simon Williams , George Innes , and Gordon Jackson
Director: Christopher Hodson , Derek Bennett , and Raymond Menmuir
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AYEIWC
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

This seminal British television series is just as enjoyable now as when it first aired in the early 1970s. Richard (David Langton), Lady Marjorie (Rachel Gurney), and their son James (Simon Williams) comprise the aristocratic Bellamy family that reside upstairs while their loyal servants--including butler Hudson (Gordon Jackson), cook Mrs. Bridges (Angela Baddeley), and housemaid Rose (Jean Marsh)--maintain the household from downstairs. The series follows the upper-class family's troubles as times change and the ongoing lives of their resilient staff.

Upstairs Downstairs: The Complete Series contains 68 episodes on 20 DVDs, as well as the series retrospective Upstairs Downstairs Remembered: the 25th Anniversary Special. Initially set in 1904, the first season comprises 13 episodes, 5 of which are 5 black-and-white episodes not aired during the first season of the original U.S. broadcast. The second season's 13 episodes cover various relationship problems and an appearance of King Edward VII. The third season's 13 episodes follow the London household through the prewar years (1912-1914). Outstanding cast performances and the dramatic backdrop of the Great War give the fourth season, set in 1914 to 1918, its reputation as the best of the five. Due to limited filming budgets, the war is largely seen through home-front activities. The 16 episodes of the fifth and final season cover the swinging '20s to the stock market crash (1919-30). The episodes of the fifth season are more self-contained than other seasons' and every bit as entertaining. The series ends with Rose locking up the empty house, closing the door on one of TV's most popular and acclaimed shows. Whether you first met the Bellamys and their delightfully enjoyable downstairs entourage in the 1970s or are just getting to know them now, the superb acting and compelling character development will always be the real reason to watch Upstairs Downstairs. --Tara Chace

Also included in the Collector's Edition Megaset is the spinoff series Thomas and Sarah, in which two of Upstairs Downstairs' most colorful characters were given a series of their own: Thomas the chauffer (John Alderton, Calendar Girls) and Sarah the parlor maid (Pauline Collins, Shirley Valentine). The series charted the social and financial escapades of this dubious pair, who lived together without getting married and were as comfortable with con artistry as lawful employment. The tone and quality of these 13 episodes varies from social commentary to light adventure, but at its best Thomas and Sarah could match its illustrious forebear. The first episode starts things off on a smart, satirical note: Thomas disturbs Sarah's carefully fabricated new identity when, to woo her back into his arms, he concocts a new persona of his own. But it's a handful of later episodes that are truly remarkable. In one, Sarah tells Thomas that she's pregnant to forestall his dream of emigrating to America. When he learns that she's lied to him, he enacts a vicious revenge; Alderton's performance is both convincing and frightening. In another, success in the stock market leads Thomas and Sarah to hire servants of their own--with decidedly uncomfortable results (Nigel Hawthorne, The Madness of King George, appears as a stern and rigid butler). The exploration of class is clever, subtle, and insightful. A second season was never produced due to a strike, but this single season remains a fascinating portrait of the Edwardian era, sparkling with superb acting and writing. Collins and Alderton create two engaging, contradictory, and utterly vivid characters, worthy of your time. --Bret Fetzer

Description

All 68 Episodes of the Landmark Series On 20 DVDs! Upstairs, the Bellamy family negotiated the scandals and successes of the English aristocracy. Downstairs, their loyal and lively servants showed far less reserve when confronting the challenges of their lives. Together, their stories made TV magic.When UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS debuted, network executives fretted that the series was not commercial and viewers would switch off in the thousands. More than thirty years later, it is universally recognized as one of the most successful and important shows in television history, seen by over 1 billion people worldwide and the winner of 9 Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Peabody, among many other awards.Take a final journey back to 165 Eaton Place with this comprehensive set featuring all 68 episodes of the unforgettable masterpiece, digitally remastered for presentation on DVD. The collection also includes the rarely-seen retrospective Upstairs Downstairs Remembered: The 25th Anniversary Special.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent series.......2007-07-20

I've been a long time fan of this series. I decided to purchase the whole set for my library since it is such an important mini-series. It still holds up well today and is an excellent primer for understanding life before, during and right after WWI. Also, it's fascinating to learn the structure of British society at the time and how much we have changed.

Upstairs, Downstairs-Complete collection DVD.......2007-07-15

The classic BBC production of life in Victorian England was a personal favorite from the time that it first aired on Masterpiece Theater. Now I have the opportunity to view this excellent story whenever I want. The quality of the production, the acting, and the authenticity of the setting won awards at it's inception, and they still hold their quality today. I highly recommend this set of DVD's.

Image Quality.......2007-07-13

Yes I have read all the reviews concerning the low quality "fuzzy" picture of this DVD set. I have found the remedy...just wear 3-D glasses!! Watch Hudson pop out of the screen...it's incredible!!

DVD and Sound Quality.......2007-06-18

Remember that the production of this excellent series was engineered more than 35 years ago. A suggestion - watch on a smaller screen; the lower quality is barely noticeable and does not detract from the excellent performances of so many gifted actors.

If you have the time, watch one disc a day to fully appreciate the character development of the main players. The withdrawal symptoms after viewing the final DVD will be worth the immense number of addictive hours viewing this incredible production!

The best series ever made- not just for period drama lovers !.......2007-05-08

The acting, the interaction between the actors, the atmosphere - there's nothing like it. I escape into a different world every time I watch.

Average customer rating:

Casablanca + Hi-Def = Breathtaking!!!
Better than it looked in 1942
Come on HDDVD!
HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, CASABLANCA...as NEVER BEFORE in HD DVD!
Truly not overrated

Casablanca [HD DVD]
Starring: Humphrey Bogart , Ingrid Bergman , Paul Henreid , Claude Rains , and Conrad Veidt
Director: Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000I0RR7Q
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Description

Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if you're wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one, especially Victor's wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo's transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more - personal happiness or countless lives hanging in the balance.

Customer Reviews:

Casablanca + Hi-Def = Breathtaking!!!.......2007-09-04

One of the top favorite movies of all time is a knockout in Hi-Def. Minute details that you never noticed before now jump off the screen. Along with "Adventures of Robin Hood" Warner Brothers have single-handedly demonstrated the immeasureable improvement "old" movies show in a quality Hi-Def presentation. This is a must have in every collection. Bring on Gone With The Wind and Citizen Kane.

Better than it looked in 1942.......2007-08-15

I can't imagine Casablanca ever looked this good. The HD version -- especially when shown on a big screen with a projector -- looks stunning. The movie, of course is as good as ever -- amazing forshadowing into the future of the war. But the picture and sound of the HD disc make it worth every penny. I had not seen the movie in well over a decade, and the story seemed fresh and new to me as well. If it's been a while since you've watched it, this is the way to treat yourself.

Come on HDDVD!.......2007-05-21

Great movie hands down. It's the HDDVD I am upset with. The film is forced into a 4x3 aspect ratio. I understand this is to ensure the theatrical presentation of the film, but why not have an option for widescreen. I have never minded the bars associated with letterbox, but I want my widescreen tv to have a full picture! Some hddvds even letterbox films still. Why? I already have widescreen, your making my screen smaller! There needs to be some better viewing options. Oh well, HVD will be out in 20-30 years, we'll all have to buy everything all over again anyway.

Oh, would someone please bring an ultimate edition of Gone with the Wind to HDDVD? This should have been one of the first titles made available. But I'm sure they have I in the works. It will probably be like ten HD discs and cost over a hundred dollars knowing the film industry.

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, CASABLANCA...as NEVER BEFORE in HD DVD!.......2007-04-22

65 years after it first it theaters, CASABLANCA remains a perfect film, a timeless masterpiece, and one of the most beloved American cinematic treasures. There are only a handful of films from the 'golden era' that can still captivate any audience, even those with no interest in classic film, no less black & white films.

Warner Brothers gave this crown jewel the deluxe treatment on regular DVD about 3 years ago, and it was impossible to conceive that even the glories of 1080p HD DVD could really make it look THAT much better...

Well, it DOES. Several people I know use this CASABLANCA HD DVD as their 'demo disc' for their home theater. Despite B&W, monaural sound, and a square aspect ratio, the clarity is unreal, and it only heightens the enjoyment of one of the greatest films ever made.

Kudos to Warner for giving this to fans so early in the HD game. There is a terrible paucity of truly great films available in Hi Def right now, regardless of format. None of the other studios seem to recognize they have libraries, and relegate their releases to the recent flavor of the month (for the most part). Warner has been the top video label for years, and this is just another reason why. They really know what they're doing.

All the exceptional special features created for the regular DVD have been carried over, and although they are standard definition, the upconversion makes them look better than ever.

This is truly an ESSENTIAL part of any HD library.

Truly not overrated.......2007-02-28

I personally haven't seen Casablanca in HD as of yet. However, I am in total agreement with the previous review. If you simply are watching movies for HD rather than the storyline or simply do not care for black and white films, you are missing the picture. This movie was released during the war and overwhelmingly accepted at a time when blockbuster movies were not at the top of the list for our nation. It has been revered as the best movie of all time by many and ranked #2 on AFI's top 100. Simply reviewing this film strictly for the set or grainy picture is not sufficient and is pretty much the same as if someone 50 years from now were to make the same remarks about an epic film of our day. In closing I would like to say that even though I don't agree with the 3 stars, at least you watched the movie before you knocked it. My advice, watch it once more and appreciate it.

Average customer rating:

A great film, and what a "reimagining" should be...
Simply the best version you can get
Great ending
All Time Favorite
Fantastic

12 Monkeys (Special Edition)
Starring: Joseph Melito , Bruce Willis , Jon Seda , Michael Chance , and Vernon Campbell
Director: Terry Gilliam
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007PALZ2
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

A great film, and what a "reimagining" should be..........2007-09-03

Simply the best version you can get.......2007-08-31

This is of course one of the best films ever made, and this is the best version you can get of that film, so get it :)
+ you gotta watch the bonus material "The Hamster Factor" great stuff.

Great ending.......2007-08-24

All Time Favorite.......2007-08-13

I remembered watching this movie in the theatre when I was in high school. It has remained my favorite of all time.

Fantastic.......2007-06-04

Average customer rating:

The Condemned (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Steve Austin (IV) , Vinnie Jones , Rick Hoffman , Robert Mammone , and Tory Mussett
Director: Scott Wiper
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000SM6FLI
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Description

Jack Conrad is a death row prisoner in a corrupt Central American prison who is "purchased" by a wealthy television producer to take part in an illegal reality game show. Brought to a desolate island, Conrad finds himself trapped in a fight to the death against nine other condemned killers from all corners of the world. With no possible escape - and millions of viewers watching the uncensored violence online - Conrad must use all his strength to remain the last man standing...and earn his only chance at freedom.

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FINALLY....
Is it an asylum, a school, or a war zone?
"Your Crazy. Im a teacher, what did you expect?"

Teachers
Starring: Nick Nolte , JoBeth Williams , Judd Hirsch , Ralph Macchio , and Allen Garfield
Director: Arthur Hiller
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000QQKW1U
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Customer Reviews:

FINALLY...........2007-08-30

This is just a review for the DVD, not for the movie itself. Bare bones DVD. Beautiful widescreen transfer of a movie I've been wanting on disc for a long time. Very reasonably priced (got mine for less than $10 at a local store). Thanks MGM!

Is it an asylum, a school, or a war zone?.......2007-08-28

Alex Jurel (Nick Nolte) is a Social Studies teacher at JFK high school and one who believes in the educational system but he's bordering on burnout. Here's a learning institution that is always two steps away from going off the rails and where Murphy's Law has become a permanent fixture. If something bad can happen, it will. And it does, several times.

Currently, the school is being sued for graduating a student who is functionally illiterate and that sets the tone for chaos to come. In rapid succession the drivers education vehicle is stolen, one teacher is bitten by a student while another teacher dies in the middle of his class, the promiscuous gym teacher gets a student pregnant, and the substitute down the hall is really an outpatient from a mental hospital. Is that all, you say? How about the school psychologist losing her composure (and her mind practically) in the front office while a student nearby bleeds from a stab wound followed by a teacher in the lounge checking her pistol to make sure it's fully loaded before going to her class. Monday mornings are a killer at JFK high school, no doubt about that.

Amidst all the great moments of humor and drama going on, a morality tale is tucked away in there somewhere. Is the lawsuit about education or is it about money? Can the lawyer for the plaintiff (JoBeth Williams) and a former student of Mr. Jurel's really make a difference for the better to save a failing system? It's a bumpy road to the end but one with a lot of laughs, a decent plot, and a fine cast of characters.

It's nice to finally see this movie out on DVD as it took forever for the studio to put it on the market. Sadly, it is about as bare as you can get. There aren't any special features to speak of and the sound is only two channel stereo which is unfortunate because it has some great 80`s music in the soundtrack. Looking past the faults above, it is still a worthwhile movie in my opinion, for the 80's genre of films, and I'd recommend it to everyone.

"Your Crazy. Im a teacher, what did you expect?".......2007-08-07

Nick Nolte leads an allstar cast from Richard Mulligan (Empty Nest), Jobeth Williams (Poltergeist), Morgan Freeman (Lean on Me), Lee Grant (Omen 2), Judd Hirsch (Independence Day), to Ralph Macchio (Karate Kid and My Cousin Vinny). The movie centers around a average Monday at a High School; the teachers are tense, the students need a lot of help, perhaps less help than the teachers. Richard Mulligan was my favorite. He was entering a assisted living apartment and was suppose to be under round the clock watch. When he breaks away from he nurse, he hears the telephone and answers it in which its the secretary from the High School looking for the substitude who lives in that unit. It wasnt until the end of the movie that the secretary catches up with Mr. Gower (Mulligan) and questions him if he is a teacher which he smirks and relies,"No". Although he was very popular with the students, dressing up as Abe Lincoln and George Washington. Next to Nolte showing his Social Studies class how to fix the heating system in the classroom, Mulligan was one of the standouts. A pyschologist freaks out on a teacher who is always using the copy machine (the old turn and copy machine with pink ink), Nolte who takes frequent mondays off, and a teacher who gets bitten is all part of this typical monday. What starts off the movie is the fact that a former student who couldnt read or write; is passed on no matter what she in turn sues the school district. Teachers who had this student had to give deposistions. Great soundtrack great movie and Im not syaing this because JoBeth Williams goes streaking in the hallways at the end of the movie. Hmmm I wonder is the Preacher Cane had anything to do with that???
After 20 years this movie still makes me laugh and teaching for 8 years, many of my collegues bring up this movie as well. I only wish Boston Public is the next to be released.

Average customer rating:

Mad Hot Ballroom
going for the gold
Inspirational
fantastic
INSPIRATION PERSONIFIED

Mad Hot Ballroom
Starring: Daniel Ponickly , Graciela Daniele , Yomaira Reynoso , Vanessa Villalobos , and Victoria Malvagno
Director: Marilyn Agrelo
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000ADS6DA
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Amazon.com

If the delightful spectacle of preteen kids dancing the foxtrot and the merengue isn't enough to lure you in, add the pressure of a dance competition and the triumph of troubled kids finding self-respect through discipline--if Mad Hot Ballroom were a Hollywood movie, it would be too corny for words. Instead, it's an engrossing documentary about a wildly successful after-school program in New York City. Mad Hot Ballroom follows a handful of kids in three different schools from the beginning of their dance classes to the night of the inter-school dance finals. Regrettably, the movie fails to pursue the dancers themselves; a few scenes provide glimpses of some smart, articulate kids with vivid personalities and compelling emotions, but the filmmakers make a minimal effort to draw the kids out or explore their lives outside of the classes. Watching the kids develop as dancers is still gripping and the final competition will have you on the edge of your seat, but it could have been all the more so. Though certainly worthy and genuinely heartwarming, you can't help but feel that Mad Hot Ballroom lost an opportunity for something truly dazzling. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Mad Hot Ballroom.......2007-07-23

There's enough sizzle in this wonderful doc to power hundreds of preteen dance lessons, especially as the kids Agrela features--Dominican and Italian, uptowners and outer-borough residents--come from many walks of life. Aside from seeing these youths develop into fancy, sophisticated hoofers, one great charm of the film is hearing the budding dancers talk about their lives, aspirations, and (of course!) the opposite sex. With a leg up on rousing, uplifting entertainment, "Mad Hot Ballroom" makes "American Idol" look like vacuous child's play.

going for the gold.......2007-04-28

this documentary is great until the halfway point. then it sort of turns into 'rocky' for preteen ballroom students.

but getting to this eventual point is filled with joys and heartbreaks. as a teacher, i can't watch the middle section. i just want to cry too. it's not so much because of the loss, but it's because of the accomplishment as well. this documentary is very much about the students' but you can't miss the folks that teach them something that requires extra time and preparation. they have fun, but they also feel their dreams of glamour and success revive as well. and the many forms that takes, from emotional tearbreaks to momma rose-like grit, are very real and equally powerful.

Inspirational.......2007-04-10

Mad Hot Ballroom is inspirational. The kids featured are fantastic. We adults can learn from them. They undertake something new to them and fly with it. Seeing the kids develop from the beginning stage to city champs is amazing. Listen to the messages provided by the kids themselfs. They have their visions and goals and I have no doubt that they will reach them. Kudos to the teachers for their commitment and dedication to improving our society one child at a time. I highly recommend this movie to both children and adults.

fantastic.......2007-03-09

I bought this as a gift. The recipient loves it. It arrived very fast. I am very pleased.

INSPIRATION PERSONIFIED.......2007-03-08

What an inspirational and joyful documentary this was! The teachers, music, judges, producers and most of all every child involved in this project are to be congratulated for a job well done! You won't be able to watch this beautiful piece of work just one time! This movie was a breath of fresh air - something the whole family can watch and enjoy! I cared about these children, and I would love to see where they are 10 years from now. I truly wish everyone who took part in this production much love and continued personal success! It didn't matter what color the ribbon or ranking - for me, every single participant was a winner!

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