The Lost World (Special Edition) - 1960 & 1925 versions

Description

An eccentric scientist (Claude Rains) returns from the Amazon with news of a distant plateau where creatures from the dawn of time still prowl the jungle. To prove his story, he gathers a team of explorers, including a journalist (David Hedison), a playboy-adventurer )Michael Rennie), a beautiful socialite (Jill St. John), and a pilot (Fernando Lamas) with a secret plan of revenge. But an unexpected attack on their camp leaves the group stranded in a world of dinosaurs and other exotic creatures, where humans are no longer the lords of the earthÂ¿they are helpless prey.

Customer Reviews:

AN IRWIN ALLEN MOVIE THATS FUN.......2007-09-15

you just have to love irwin allen films,and this film the lost world from 1960 is just a fun gem to watch.starring david hedison,michael rennie,claude rains,fernando lamas,jill st. john.with a cast like this what can go wrong.the so called dinosaurs are just lizards with added wardrobe horns and so on.the movie is very entertaining with the brilliant cast.all in all what makes this a special treat is the print is just absolutely gorgeous.the 1925 movie is an added bonus worthy of its version of the lost world and a damn good one for a 1925 movie silent but entertaining as well.so treat yourself to a fun dinosaur movie the special 2 discs the lost world,it's worth the money and time to add to any irwin allen collection of pure adventure films........

Four Star DVD, Two Star Movie.......2007-09-13

"How bad can it be?" asked one reviewer here. The answer is "Pretty bad." This is probably the worst adaptation done of Conan-Doyle's classic novel, primarily because producer/director Irwin Allen's approach was so juvenile, but I doubt the movie was meant to be more than a Saturday matinee feature. It looks and feels cheap, with lizards and baby alligators used as stand-ins for dinosaurs. One of the effects technicians was -- unbelievably -- Willis "King Kong" O'Brien, who also worked on the classic 1925 silent version of "Lost World." This must have been a very depressing experience for him. I know that one of the film's star's, David Hedison, has said several times that he was depressed making this movie. All that said, if you saw this as a small kid, you probably have fond nostalgic memories of it, and it can be enjoyed on a purely kitsch level, though you really have to be masochistic to get into this sort of cinematic schlock. Surprisingly, Fox video has done a really nice job presenting this feature on DVD. The anamorphic transfer of the Cinemascope film looks as good as it possibly could and the old-fashioned 4-channel stereo sound is nicely rendered in 4.0 Dolby Digital. The extras include all that any fan of this movie could want, with the exception of interviews with surviving cast members and a running commentary by someone who cares -- but perhaps that would have been asking too much? Instead you get an interactive pressbook --a very nice feature that Fox has just staring including on its recent library reissues --, a rather lame little "featurette" from the period, an ad and concept art gallery, and a still gallery that plays for an incredible -- or perhaps interminable? -- nine minutes! And, of course, the original theatrical trailer. (This is a 2-disc release. The second disc contains the silent, yet superior, 1925 version. I can not attest as to that discs qualities because, you see, I merely rented disc one from Netflix. No way I'd buy this Irwin Allen "masterpiece." Sorry, but I'd rather spend my money on something else.) But wait, there's more... a vintage Fox Movietone Newsreel segment showing the NYC premiere at the Warner Theatre in July 1960. A smiling David Hedison is shown signing autographs for an audience of -- what else? -- prepubescent kids and their moms. Hedison looks really happy to be there. Now that's great acting!

The Lost World.......2007-09-03

I have always loved Sir Arthur Canon Doyle's best known works, the Sherlock Holmes stories. My favorites among these are the Universal Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Though these are not true to Doyle's original writings, Rathbone and Bruce did an outstanding job in their respective roles. The 1960 version of The Lost World is in my opinion the best. It does differ from Doyle's original novel. What makes this film great is the excellent performances by Claude Rains, Michael Rennie and David Hedison. Rains is a legend with such masterpieces under his belt as Sir John Talbot in the Wolfman and the title role as The Phantom of the Opera. David Heddison will go on to a very successful role as the Captain of Seaview in Irwin Allen's TV Series in Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea.

No Comparison.. just enjoy..made in 1960 not 2007.......2007-08-26

When I was 7 years old I thought that this was indeed the greatest movie so far..except the 7th voyage of sinbad.How can we compare a vintage movie from 1960 to the special effects we have today. At 54 years old now. who cares that the horns are pasted on the lizards and all that. Enjoy this movie for it's escapism and adventure.I wonder sometimes how anyone can enjoy a movie picking it apart all the time. I guess you had to be there in 1960.

A Favorite .......But Not Great.......2007-08-09

A true Cinemascope film, hopefully the DVD release by Fox (unlike the VHS version) will actually be letterboxed in the correct ratio as stated in the above product details. You couldn't find a more obvious example of 'pan and scan' editing than the scene where David Hedison is dodging the lunging dinosaur while climbing the rock wall (he hugs the wall, dinosaur's head pops into view, pops out of view, back to Hedison, then to dinosaur, pops back into view, etc.) As to the movie itself, though a childhood favorite (I must have seen it 25 times between the theater and on TV) it promises more than it delivers. When you're 12 years old looking for adventure involving dinosaurs, this filled the bill, even though you knew that they weren't like the dinosaurs in your playset, books or King Kong. It was big and colorful. That probably won't be good enough for today's kids; the big won't be there on the small screen and color is taken for granted. And no CGI. I'll pass without comment on those lizard "dinosaurs" as well as Jill St. John's dog. I'll get it because of nostalgia and to finally see it again in 'scope.

Average customer rating:

Excellent
quite simply the best film ever!
Only the best!
Good but definitely not the best
Excellent movie, excellent presentation and special features

Casablanca
Starring: Humphrey Bogart , Ingrid Bergman , Paul Henreid , Claude Rains , and Conrad Veidt
Director: Michael Curtiz , and Scott Benson (II)
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305736650
Release Date: 2000-02-15

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.

Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Worthy Of All Its Praise
This movie is great fun!
"I'm 'Singin' In The Rain. I'm Singin' In The Rain. What A Glorious Feelin'. I'm Happy Again..." I Can't Stop Singing The Song.
Singin` in the Rain 1951 (Two-Disc Special Edition)
A monument to Gene Kelly and the great Arthur Freed unit at MGM

Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Cyd Charisse , Mae Clarke , Harry Cody , Douglas Fowley , and Lance Fuller
Director: Stanley Donen
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006DEF9
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com essential video

Decades before the Hollywood film industry became famous for megabudget disaster and science fiction spectaculars, the studios of Southern California (and particularly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) were renowned for a uniquely American (and nearly extinct) kind of picture known as The Musical. Indeed, when the prestigious British film magazine Sight & Sound conducts its international critics poll in the second year of every decade, this 1952 MGM picture is the American musical that consistently ranks among the 10 best movies ever made. It's not only a great song-and-dance piece starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and a sprightly Debbie Reynolds; it's also an affectionately funny insider spoof about the film industry's uneasy transition from silent pictures to "talkies." Kelly plays debonair star Don Lockwood, whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has a screechy voice hilariously ill-suited to the new technology (and her glamorous screen image). Among the musical highlights: O'Connor's knockout "Make 'Em Laugh"; the big "Broadway Melody" production number; and, best of all, that charming little title ditty in which Kelly makes movie magic on a drenched set with nothing but a few puddles, a lamppost, and an umbrella. --Jim Emerson

Description

Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds in 45th-anniversary restoration of the best-loved Hollywood musical ever-filled with memorable songs, lavish routines and Kelly's fabulous song-and-dance number performed in the rain.

Customer Reviews:

Worthy Of All Its Praise.......2007-09-07

Singin' in the Rain is considered one of the greatest films of all time and I can definitely see why. No, it's not an intellectual deep thinking man's movie. No it isn't one known for the breathtaking camera angles and visuals, and no it doesn't have a plot that's so rich that you're bound to lose focuse halfway through. It has heart, and that makes up for it.

It's one of the most perfectly executed, and brilliantly scripted movies of all time. It's fun, exciting, and the perfect family movie. It doesn't try to be something it's not. I could go on and on about what makes this movie great but I'm going to stop and actually spend some time reviewing the movie.

As silent films are fading and being replaced by talkies (films with sound) two silent actors struggle to find their way in the ever chaging world of Hollywood. Without going too deep into the plot I do have to say that this movie is one that people may see as overrated simply because every magazine or poll ranks it in the Top 10 greatest list. Coupled with the fact that 70% of fans love it I don't see how it's overrated.

The DVD is a definite must have. A commentary featuring every person who was alive at that time that worked on the movie. PLenty of featurettes and even an outtake from the film. This is a definite must have.

Definitely Must Have.

This movie is great fun!.......2007-08-10

This movie is truly a classic. It is one you can watch over and over again. The singing and dancing scenes are very entertaining, I catch myself singing them from time to time. I also love the playful sparring between 'Don Lockwood' and 'Kathy Seldon' in the first part of the movie, very cute...

"I'm 'Singin' In The Rain. I'm Singin' In The Rain. What A Glorious Feelin'. I'm Happy Again..." I Can't Stop Singing The Song. .......2007-08-09

I just viewed this classic motion picture about the transition from silent films to talking pictures after seeing it, albeit severely edited, in my History Of Film class. I wanted to see it uncut and enjoy it for myself. I'm so glad my mom rented the film for me. Gene Kelly co-directed this fantastic production with Stanley Donen, in addition to starring the the film. Joining him are Debbie Reynolds (my gosh, she was absolutely gorgeous and still is), Donold O'Connor, Jean Hagen ("Adam's Rib"), Cyd Charisse and Rita Moreno (who would play the tragic princess, love-struck Tuptim in "Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King & I" and win an Academy Award in 1960 for Best Supporting Actress in "West Side Story.")

The most popular sequence is when Gene Kelly is performing the title number in a street full of puddles; he had a 102 degree fever while filming the scen, but ever the professional, he didn't tell the producers or Stanley Donen until after he had finished filming the scene. He also choreographed the amazing dance sequences himself. My personal favorite musical numbers are "You Are My Lucky Star," "You Were Meant For Me" and, of course, "Singin' In The Rain." I can't stop singing it now and I love it.

This is the way movies were made back then and, with the exception of Walt Disney Pictures and a few period films ("Ever After: A Cinderella Story," "Sense And Sensibility," "William Shakespeare's Hamlet" (1996), etc) the major studios in Hollywood don't make films like this anymore, which sucks. I recently wrote a paper on violence in the movies and how the graphic violence in films is causing kids to kill others (the Columbine massacre; in 1972, there was a nasty rape case in Britain that had odd similarities to a scene in "A Clockwork Orange" (a film that I never plan to see). The following is a sample of my conclusion to my paper (I got an A on it by the way, thank God).

"Unless movies are based on classic literature ("Bram Stoker's Dracula,"
"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," etc) or a historical event (the horrible persecution of Christians in ancient Rome, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the sack of Rome in 1453 A.D., etc), movies with graphic violence should not be made; movies that use these things for source material only inspire interest in the literary work or historical event."

The film is rated G, though it was made before the Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) was established in 1968. I highly recommend this excellent picture for film buffs & dance lovers everywhere.

Singin` in the Rain 1951 (Two-Disc Special Edition) .......2007-08-03

Silent Movie are giving in to talking pictures - and a hoofer.turned-matinee idol (Gene Kelly 1912-1996) is caugh in that bumpy transition , as well his buddy (Donald O'Connor 1925-2003), Prospective ladylover (Debbie Reynold 1932 - ) and shrewish co-star (Jean Hagen 1923-1977) . The Musical masterwork Singin'in the Rain marks it's 50th anniversary in this Deluxe Edition providing a downpour of celebratory Special Feature that salute not just this all-time favorite but also the musical legacy of its producer , songwriter Arthur Freed 1894-1973 . High Quality Transfer. Recommended .

A monument to Gene Kelly and the great Arthur Freed unit at MGM.......2007-08-03

"Singin' in the Rain" is one of the all time great films.

It stands as a monument to the talents of producer Arthur Freed, the MGM musical unit he ran, and above all the great Gene Kelly.

Period songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown are brilliantly interwoven into a story of the coming of sound to Hollywood.

The Studio system had its faults but it also allowed films such as this to be made - and we should all be grateful for that.

Lawrence of Arabia (Single Disc Edition)

Average customer rating:

cinematic masterpiece...
Surprising quality
there once was Arab glory
What, no sub-titles?
You can't watch it once

Lawrence of Arabia (Single Disc Edition)
Starring: John Dimech , José Ferrer , Alec Guinness , Jack Gwillim , and Jack Hawkins
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006ADD5
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Amazon.com essential video

There's no getting around a simple, basic truth: watching Lawrence of Arabia in any home-video format represents a compromise. There's no better way to appreciate this epic biographical adventure than to see it projected in 70 millimeter onto a huge theater screen. That caveat aside, David Lean's masterful "desert classic" is still enjoyable on the small screen, especially if viewed in widescreen format. (If your only option is to view a "pan & scan" version, it's best not to bother; this is a film for which the widescreen format is utterly mandatory.) Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I. Lean orchestrates sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking action, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform Lawrence into a legendary man of the desert. Lean traces this transformation on a vast canvas of awesome physicality; no other movie has captured the expanse of the desert with such scope and grandeur. Equally important is the psychology of Lawrence, who remains an enigma even as we grasp his identification with the desert. Perhaps the greatest triumph of this landmark film is that Lean has conveyed the romance, danger, and allure of the desert with such physical and emotional power. It's a film about a man who leads one life but is irresistibly drawn to another, where his greatness and mystery are allowed to flourish in equal measure. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

cinematic masterpiece..........2007-09-06

what more can be said about one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces in film history. The kind of film that could never be made today. Peter O'Toole is astonishing, Omar Shariff is mesmerising, Anthony Quinn amazing. The score by Maurice Jarre is legendary. The bigger the screen the better the viewing. There are some cinematic shots here that will literally take your breath away.

Surprising quality.......2007-09-02

The quality of this DVD surprised me. I did not expect such a long movie to come through so clear and sharp when recorded to a single DVD.

there once was Arab glory.......2007-08-21

When I first saw Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 I was 26 years old. I knew very little about the history of WWI or the Arab Middle East. Nonetheless the movie was riveting. Now seeing it again at age 70, with some accumulated knowledge of both subjects, it is truly spellbinding. This has to be one of the greatest films ever; perhaps, the greatest.

Whatever one's political persuasion about the present turbulent Middle East and The West's role in it, one can gain a feeling, an insight into the people and region from this film that simply cannot be depicted in print.

The modern media images we have of Arabs today are as either fat, bloated Saudi royals, ragged street people in a rage, insane suicide bombers, or down-at-heel scrofulous politicians. We hear of a time when there was an Arab "glory" but it is unimaginable given the present sorry state of the Middle East.

It's difficult to conceive of physically fit, courageous, self-reliant Arabs, not merely surviving, but thriving in their natural environs; the vast and unremitting desert. The film imagery of the agile camel rider Omar Sharif and the robust horseman Anthony Quinn is stunning. This is a new perception, that of Arab as athletic, splendid-looking and master of his domain. Sharif as warrior/dreamer and Quinn as warrior/strongman, in the best roles of their lifetimes, will forever change your image of "the Arab."

I've nothing to say about Peter O'Toole's quirky portrayal other than it doesn't interfere enough with the rest of the production to keep this from being the great movie that it is. I think a perfect companion read would be David Pryce-Jones, "The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of The Arabs." HarperCollins 1991.

What, no sub-titles?.......2007-08-20

This was one of my favorite movies years ago, which proves its excellent worth, for there are no women in it! No love interest! And you don't realize it, you don't miss it at all! GREAT movie!

BUT - I won't buy it on DVD unless it has English sub-titles. Otherwise it is of little use to me in my old age! The description of the DVD says nothing about sub-titles; does that mean there are none, or is their lack of mention merely an oversight??

Susan

You can't watch it once.......2007-08-19

So much happens and so much of what happens to him explains the beginning. Very exciting, breathtaking cinematography, music fitting for this epic film

White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Average customer rating:

A Must See
Hard to watch and very important
No Words
View at your own risk
A horribly touching documentary.

White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Starring: Keiji Nakazawa , Yasuyo Tanaka , Chiemi Oka , Sakue Shimohira , and Kasuji Yoshida
Director: Steven Okazaki
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000RL6G8M
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Description

Through the powerful recollections of atomic bomb survivors, White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an extraordinary new film by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki, presents a deeply moving look at the painful legacy of the first -- and hopefully last -- uses of thermonuclear weapons in war. Featuring interviews with fourteen atomic bomb survivors - many who have never spoken publicly before - and four Americans intimately involved in the bombings, White Light/Black Rain provides a detailed exploration of the bombings and their aftermath.ï¿½ In a succession of riveting personal accounts, the film reveals both unimaginable suffering and extraordinary human resilience.

Customer Reviews:

A Must See.......2007-09-14

This is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen on the aftermath of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It should be viewed by mature audiences only.

Hard to watch and very important.......2007-08-28

As I sat watching the footage of little kids with their skin pulled off of their bodies I was reminded of Elizabeth Hasselbeck on the VIEW calling innocent victims of war "collateral damage".

People who hear of atrocities during wartime and say "well that's just war" need to see films such as these. These Men, Women and Children were not in the military. They didn't sign up to give their lives to this war. They were going about their business when they were bombed.

You know it was horrible by the fact that almost all the survivors said they were begging others to let them die because surviving was so painful physically and emotionally.

In U.S. public schools this topic is only mentioned as "we bombed them and they surrendered". It is swept under the carpet really quickly. Somehow by talking about what we did is seen as unpatriotic or something.

The U.S. dropping these bombs was a horrific act. We have to ackowledge that fact. Was it necessary? I can't answer that. It brought an end to a horrible war. Do the ends justify the means?

At least a film like this educates us further on what did happen and the ramifications.

No Words.......2007-08-21

This is the most moving documentary I have ever seen. We see the destruction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima from the eyes of its survivors, and what you see will no doubt leave you haunted. It's not often that people will put themselves into another's shoes and (almost) understand what they have experienced. Hiroshima may have been a "triumph" for the US in the war, but it was most certainly a living nightmare to the innocent people that were caught in the destruction. I could not make it through the documentary without crying and most people tell me I am callous when it comes to expressing emotions. What truly amazes me is the complete lack of empathy, to this day, from some of the men who dropped the bomb. I understand that they were just doing their job (I also have a husband in the military) but at one point one of them even boasts that he has never had a nightmare or regret about dropping the bomb: "I've never had a nightmare!", he laughs. Definitely a documentary that makes you think.

View at your own risk.......2007-08-16

I can't say I loved this - which is what I reserve 5 stars for. But who could love such horrendous footage? That said, the spell-binding footage had me glued to the screen, unable to move. I've done my share of reading about Hiroshima and Nagasaki and seen some documentaries - but this beats them all.

Actual footage of bodies shortly after the bomb dropped, reduced to body shaped ash. Survivor art drawn by children. Interviews with adult survivors. Footage of American doctors studying the after-effects - WITHOUT TREATING THEM. Horrendous. Horrendous.

And yet, the survivors exist. The film actually opens with interviewers asking young people on the street of Japan if they could answer the question, "Do you know what happened on August 6, 1945?" Incredulously, none of the young people asked in that clip had any idea. I'm sure they had heard of the bomb. They just didn't remember the date. But imagine!

Obviously, there are young people who do know, because there is another clip of young Japanese nationals staging a die-in in remembrance. Good for them. We should all remember, before we get too full of ourselves as Americans. We have made more than our share of mistakes.

Let's not make any more.

Black Rain

A horribly touching documentary........2007-08-11

I've cried every time I have seen this. The atomic bombing of Japan becomes personalized when the very few survivors tell their stories. This documentary truly shows you the destructive capability many countries have now amassed, and why we should never use it.

Average customer rating:

One of the BEST films EVER!!!
Blu Ray - all the way
A masterpiece in high definition
It's a WIDE aspect film people!

2001 - A Space Odyssey [Blu-ray]
Starring: Robert Beatty , Glenn Beck , Ed Bishop , Penny Brahms , and Edwina Carroll
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000Q66J1M
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Customer Reviews:

One of the BEST films EVER!!!.......2007-09-04

Warner will release it in the proper 2:20 aspect ratio, trust me. The past DVD's have all been done that way, and with all the care that has gone into the remastering of these 5 Kubrick titles, they will do the right thing. They have made 'The Shining', 'Full Metal Jacket'(new transfer), and 'Eyes Wide Shut' all 1:85, since that is the theatrical aspect ratio. Kubrick shot full frame for TV showings, and the film would be 'masked' for the 1:85 theatre screen. This is why these last 3 films of his are full frame 1:33 on DVD. This was before widescreen TV, of course. I would have to imagine that if he were still alive he would want home viewers to have the best experience watching his films, and would agree with the widescreen 'masking' to fill the frame/screen, since that's how we saw them in the theatre. Kubrick's assistant has stated that this transfer of '2001' from 70mm is 'stunning'. Along with the extras, c'mon, it's a no-brainer to want this in your collection. The more you see it, the more you see in it. Blu-Ray or HD DVD, I have them both. Can't hardly wait!!

Blu Ray - all the way.......2007-08-24

I am surprised but pleased beyond measure that this great film is being released so soon on Hi Def. Each time I watch it I get the same weighty thrill that i experienced the first time. The unseen presence that are the alien Watchers sets this tale apart. What truly amazes is how downright believable this film is, despite being made in 1968! Take note of how Floyd watches widescreen television on his way to the moon! I look forward to seeing details I have never seen before, reading signs on the spacestation that were only a blur on dvd, the infamous spacestation toilet instructions, and of course experiencing rich High Def color. And while you're at it, gurus of disc authoring, release the great sequel, 2010.

A masterpiece in high definition.......2007-08-20

This film should be excellent in high definition. It's a couple of months until the release date so I can't say much more at this time.

It's a WIDE aspect film people!.......2007-08-19

This MUST be a very sad release. Why would Warner attempt to foist this garbage on us? Are they really such money grubbing dopes as to think that we would not want the finest available digitization of this excellent film work?

THIS FILM IS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 2.35:1 ASPECT RATIO! We are tired of the two step process used to FINALLY get a film they way it should be initially released.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

SWASHBUCKLING CLASSIC
It don't get no better.
Memo to Warner Brothers: Put this on the big screen for 70th
Most Loved Movie
review of robin hood

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Melville Cooper , Errol Flynn , Alan Hale , Ian Hunter , and Kenneth Hunter
Director: Curtiz, Michael
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JKEZ
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Amazon.com essential video

Dashing Errol Flynn is the definitive Robin Hood in the most gloriously swashbuckling version of the legendary story. Warner Brothers reunited Michael Curtiz, their top-action director, with the winning team of Flynn and Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian) and perennial villain Basil Rathbone as the aristocratic Sir Guy of Gisbourne, and pulled out all stops for the production. It became their costliest film to date, a grandly handsome, glowing Technicolor adventure set to a stirring, Oscar-winning score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The decadent Prince John (a smoothly conniving Claude Rains) takes advantage of King Richard's absence to tax the country into poverty but meets his match in the medieval guerrilla rebel Robin Hood and his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, who rise up and, to quote a cliché coined by the film, "steal from the rich and give to the poor." Stocky Alan Hale Sr. plays Robin's loyal friend Little John (a part he played in Douglas Fairbanks's silent version), Eugene Palette the portly Friar Tuck, and Melville Cooper the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham. Flynn's confidence and cocky charm makes for a perfect Robin Hood, and his easygoing manner is a marvelous counterpoint to Rathbone's regal bearing and courtly diction. The film climaxes in their rousing battle-to-the-finish sword fight, a magnificently choreographed scene highlighted by Curtiz's inventive use of shadows cast upon the castle walls. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Errol Flynn is eternally charming as Robin, defender of the poor, in this rousing family adventure that co-stars Olivia de Havilland and Claude Rains. Year: 1938 Director: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Alan Hale

Customer Reviews:

SWASHBUCKLING CLASSIC.......2007-08-12

Want real movie magic and great old star power? This gorgeous classic has it all in spades. Errol Flynn exudes charisma and swaggering confidence as Robin, easily showing why he's simply one of the greatest movie stars of all time. And he's backed by a who's who of Warner's star roster, with Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains as the personification of ruling class reptillian villainy! And it's all in lucious technicolor with a rousing musical score. An all time classic, beautifully restored for DVD.

It don't get no better........2007-08-09

This is Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland at their best and frankly, in my opinion, Hollywood at its best. Just a great escape and a lot of fun -- well-acted and well-directed. Beautiful, opulent sets and clothing. A pure delight!

Memo to Warner Brothers: Put this on the big screen for 70th.......2007-07-20

One of the best movies ever made for all the reasons so well written by other reviewers. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see this film on the big screen in honor of its 70th anniversary? If it can be done for for "Dirty Dancing," why not for a film that is a part of American film history and a joy to watch? I think the studios (including Disney)are missing a great opportunity in not re-releasing films as they once did. I remember seeing GWTW in the late 60s, the first "Star Wars" trilogy and "Grease" in the late 90s. This film is wonderful on DVD, but it would honor all who made it and contemporary audiences to show it again in theaters. Think of all the horrible films in theaters between the Oscars and the summer blockbusters.
Some one at Warners- please!

Most Loved Movie.......2007-06-15

"The Adventures of Robin Hood" still comes across as fresh and entertaining almost 70 years after its release. It was nominated for Best Picture in 1938. Carl Jules Weyl won the Oscar for the film for Best Art Direction. The delightful look of the Nottingham Palace with the high stone walls creates the perfect period atmosphere. Ralph Dawson won the Oscar for Best Editing for the film. Some of the film sequences are astonishing. The scene where the whole hall breaks into sword fight has a continual clink of crashing swords as the camera shifts from duel to duel. Erich Wolfgang's score won the other Oscar for which the picture was nominated.

Errol Flynn's career is legendary as an action hero. He was never nominated for an Oscar. His personal life, particularly the statutory charges from 1942 that earned him the phrase "in like Flynn" could have wrecked a smaller star's career, but Flynn kept going. He's probably in his quintessential moment as Robin Hood, flashing smiles, romantic sparks flying with Maid Marian and his constant good humor. It's hard not to root for a hero like Robin.

I particularly like Patric Knowles as his sidekick Will Scarlet. From the costuming that places him in brilliant red to match his character name, Knowles flashes the smile, never stealing the spotlight, but always ready to fly to Robin's defense. Knowles had a long film career that included some gems like "Expensive Husbands" & "A Bill of Divorcement," but he shined brightly in this action adventure.

Olivia deHaviland plays Marian Fitzwalter, better known as Maid Marian. The costumer highlights her face in blues & lavenders. She radiates incredible charm & grace. The scene where she stands before Prince John and declares her disgust with his actions shows steel in her her feminine character. Olivia won two Oscars for "To Each His Own" in 1946 & "The Heiress" in 1949. Her role as Marian was believable. Her loving looks let you know that Robin was one lucky man.

Eugene Pallette plays Friar Tuck. This actor had an amazing career, acting in over 180 films! His resume lists some true classics like 1916's "Intolerance," the ghostly "Topper" from 1937, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" in 1939 & "Heaven Can Wait" in 1943. As the portly Friar Tuck, his swordfight scene with Robin is both entertaining and hilarious. He had a voice that sounded like a gravel road, but he was one of the actors that flourished in both the silent and sound eras.

Alan Hale Sr. who played Little John also had an amazing film career spanning from 1912 to 1950. His films include silent era "The Prisoner of Zenda" from 1913 to "The Inspector General" in 1949. As Little John, his burly build and contagious good humor makes him an ideal fit for Robin's band of Merry Men.

Our two main villains are both played by notable actors. As Prince John, Claude Rains is an underhanded two-faced back-stabber. He was nominated four times as Best Supporting Actor including for "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" in 1939 & "Casablanca" in 1943.

Basil Rathbone who many associate as Sherlock Holmes plays Sir Guy of Gisbourne and vows to apprehend Robin Hood. The scene where Robin captures his entourage, takes his money & sends him back in rags is (for the audience) a joyful humiliation. Rathbone was nominated for Best Supporting actor in If I Were King, a film based on the stage play by Justin Huntly McCarthy. He had also been nominated for a similar award in 1936 for "Romeo & Juliet." Neither Raines nor Rathbone ever won an Oscar, as good as they both were.

Two other actors deserve special mention. Ian Hunter played Richard the Lionheart who returns home in the nick of time to reclaim his throne. Hunter won an Oscar in 1953 for Best Original Screenplay for "Roman Holiday." Una O'Connor plays Lady Marian's attending maid Bess. Her clever comic barbs made her screen time sparkle. O'Connor was in many other films including "The Bells of St. Mary's" from 1945 & "Random Harvest" in 1942. Some may also be interested to note that the palomino horse Olivia deHaviland rides in Sherwood Forest later would be seen as Roy Rogers' Trigger.

The theme of Saxons and Normans getting along despite differences, the treatment of women, fairness in taxation and care for the poor give the film a thematic backbone. As we near the 70th anniversary of this film, it deserves its place as one of the most watched & loved of the era's movies. Enjoy!

review of robin hood.......2007-06-12

This is the best family oriented swashbuckling adventure movie ever made! And this remastered two disc version with its superb picture and many extras is well worth the purchase price!

Average customer rating:

Rain Man's Dustin is awesome
Old but a classic
Rain Man DVD
Rain Man
Depicts the world of Autism!

Rain Man (Special Edition)
Starring: Tom Cruise , Andrew Dougherty , Dolan Dougherty , John-Michael Dougherty , and Marshall Dougherty
Director: Barry Levinson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000YEEGM
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com essential video

Rain Man is the kind of touching drama that Oscars are made for--and, sure enough, the film took Academy honors for best picture, director, screenplay, and actor (Dustin Hoffman) in 1988. Hoffman plays Raymond, an autistic savant whose late father has left him $3 million in a trust. This gets the attention of his materialistic younger brother, a hot-shot LA car dealer named Charlie (Tom Cruise) who wasn't even aware of Raymond's existence until he read his estranged father's will. Charlie picks up Raymond and takes him on a cross-country journey that becomes a voyage of discovery for Charlie, and, perhaps, for Raymond, too. Rain Man will either captivate you or irritate you (Raymond's sputtering of repetitious phrases is enough to drive anyone crazy), but it is obviously a labor of love for those involved. Hoffman had been attached to the film for many years, as various directors and writers came and went, but his persistence eventually paid off--kind of like Raymond in Las Vegas. Look for director Barry Levinson in a cameo as a psychiatrist near the end of the film. --Jim Emerson

Description

Dustin Hoffman is a 'triumph (People) in an Oscar(r)-winning* role, and Tom Cruiseis 'terrific (ABC Radio) in a film that's fascinating, touching and full of smart surprises (Newsweek)! Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) has just discovered he has an autistic brother named Raymond (Hoffman) and is now taking him on the ride of his life. Or is it the other way around? From his refusal to drive on major highways to a four minutes to Wapner meltdown at an Oklahoma farmhouse, Raymond first pushes hot-headed Charlie to the limits of his patience and then pulls him completely out of his self-centered world! But what began as an unsentimental journey for the Babbitt brothers becomes much more than the distance between two placesit's a connection between two vastly different people and a poignant, profound and powerful film (Joel Siegel, ABC-TV)! *1988: Actor

Customer Reviews:

Rain Man's Dustin is awesome.......2007-09-12

Great film. Dustin Hoffman is the star. Tom Cruise plays his usual self, not impressive. But it all comes together in the end.

Old but a classic.......2007-09-05

Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman make this movie. Tom's character represents the ignorance that is so prevalent in society.

Rain Man DVD.......2007-09-04

Rain Man is one of those great movies that you wear out on VHS and update it on DVD and that is what I did.

Rain Man.......2007-07-09

Levinson's ingenious, slightly off-kilter road picture is also genuinely moving, offering a warm-hearted, humane look at disability. Though Cruise sometimes grates in an unsympathetic role, Hoffman's Raymond--a routine-oriented math genius with no coping or social skills--makes the movie. The actor is totally credible as an idiot savant with unexpected life lessons to impart to his younger brother, and this bravura performance earned Hoffman yet another Oscar, while the movie itself won for Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay.

Depicts the world of Autism!.......2007-05-20

Very distinct and never attempted story line. In most part of the movie Dustin Hoffman lived as an autistic character, but some places he overacted. Everything was fine in the movie, but the only concern is, would Tom Cruise show the same affection, to his brother, if he was not good at numbers,instead behaved more like a regular autistic patient?

Tom started liking Dustin, only after he came to know that Dustin had some extraordinary number skills, which helped him in clearing his debts. This clearly sheds the light on Tom's selfishness. Any how almost all the people in the world, try to make fortune out of others, so his demeanor doesn't surprise me.

The story, character selection and the screenplay make it a definitely a worth watching movie!

Average customer rating:

One of the BEST films EVER!!!
If there was ever a time to double dip. The kind of film Hd/Blu ray were made for. Info on the dvd below

2001 - A Space Odyssey [HD DVD]
Starring: Robert Beatty , Glenn Beck , Ed Bishop , Penny Brahms , and Edwina Carroll
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000I0RR62
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Customer Reviews:

One of the BEST films EVER!!!.......2007-09-04

If there was ever a time to double dip. The kind of film Hd/Blu ray were made for. Info on the dvd below.......2007-09-01

Let's roll out some stats on 2001: A Space Odyssey. 4 Oscar nominations for best writing, director, art direction and 1 win for best effects. It ranks number 15 on the American Film Institutes top 100 movies of all time, which I feel is underrated. It is in Roger Ebert's top 10 films of all time list, I would recommend reading his "great movie" series review on this film. It is ranked number #80 on imdb's top 250 films of all films in existance, again highly underrated in my opinion.

Space Odyssey is a film that you experience there is no rush in action, Kubrick is confident and patient enough to allow the viewer to analyze, experience, and contemplate this puzzle of the evolution of man in our imaginations, only one filmmaker comes to mind in such a way and that is Werner Herzog. What better way to experience such a film then in High definition with all those glorious shots bursting off the screen or listen to the classical moving music selected by Kubrick in 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus or a Dts track.

This is one if not the greatest film I have ever seen for any genre. If I did not own an Hd dvd player or a Blu Ray player a title like this would inspire me to do so. I highly recommend this to anyone.

DVD Features: What I could find on movieweb/ Also describes the 10 dvd set available as well.
On October 23, Warner Home Video will launch the first in their new series featuring influential films from some of history's greatest directors. Warner Home Video Director's Series: Stanley Kubrick is a new six-film, 10-disc widescreen and newly remastered collection that includes Special Editions of 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket: Deluxe Edition, along with the full-length documentary, A Life in Pictures.

2001: A Space Odyssey has been newly remastered; A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, also remastered, debut in their original widescreen theatrical aspect ratios. All releases have been created in collaboration with, and approved by, the Estate of Stanley Kubrick. The collection sells for $79.92 SRP on DVD and single discs will also be available.

Enhanced with hours of insightful and in-depth special features, these Special Editions include commentaries, documentaries, rare interviews with Kubrick and special new featurettes that offer a rare look into the mind of the master filmmaker. The 10-disc set also includes the bonus documentary A Life in Pictures, narrated by Tom Cruise, which details Kubrick's early life, at work and at home, with candid commentary from collaborators, colleagues and family.
This was from Movieweb

I am looking into finding more specifically about this hd dvd release, however, seeing a lot of Kubrick's films are great I figured I'd throw out info on the 10dvd set as well. Will update as I hear more.

2001 - A Space Odyssey (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

a grand cosmic yearning, a vehicle for our deepest thoughts and hopes and dreams
Masterpiece For A Lost Future That Should Have Happened
Awesome
The Definition of a Masterpiece
Bonus Materials for this DVD set

2001 - A Space Odyssey (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , and Alan Gifford
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000UJ48SG
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Customer Reviews:

a grand cosmic yearning, a vehicle for our deepest thoughts and hopes and dreams.......2007-09-06

"Open the pod bay doors please, HAL"

The words are spoken by man to machine, at the mercy of its command. The blackness is silent and infinite as the machinery sits motionless, waiting, suspended by zero gravity. But the doors do not open. "HAL?" There is no response, only the vacuum of space and the distance between man and his greatest technological achievement, the Discovery One spacecraft; man's great triumph painted against the vast canvas of space. HAL, the onboard flight computer (another of man's great scientific creations), already knows what has been planned in secret. He knows that the human astronauts suspect that the HAL computer has malfunctioned in some way, that there is a flaw in its design. He reasons that it is "human error" that has led to the problem, that it has always been human error. If indeed there is a flaw in man's design, it stands to reason that man can create flawed technology. However, HAL was programmed to protect the mission at all costs. When he finally responds to the command, it is with chilling conviction: "This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it." Alas, man has ascribed too much power to its technologies. Man has, in a sense, staked its fate and future in its own creations and must now live under conditions which threaten its survival.

Stanley Kubrick's visionary film "2001: A Space Odyssey" is more than a film, really. Most films tell a story with words, with actions, with a development of events that drive us to some conclusion. They ask us to sympathize with characters, perhaps, bring us into situations where conflicts arise, emotions are expressed, actions taken, and things progress in some logical order. In short, most films, even some of the best ones, are satisfied staying inside of themselves, concerning themselves with the here and now of their characters. They do not stand apart, do not look forward or back, do not strive to know anything but what their characters know or need to know for themselves and for their audience. They appeal to our natural tendency to follow something to its end, to organize it subconsciously, from one point to the next, and to put ourselves in place of human thoughts and circumstances.

Kubrick, in turn, wanted to create a cinematic experience which, according to him, "avoids intellectual verbalization and reaches the viewer's subconscious in a way that is essential poetic and philosophic," a film that "hits the viewer at an inner level of consciousness, just as music does, or painting." His vision is less a film than a grand cosmic yearning, a call to the collective human consciousness, a desire to reach and explore, to ponder where we have come from and where we must go. It is a visual meditation, a vehicle for our deepest thoughts and hopes and dreams. It dares to imagine in a way that no film before or since has ever been able to achieve with as much reflective ambition and urgency. Kubrick, in his obsessive perfectionism, conveys a desperate hunger to grasp, and to compel us to grasp, the path of human thought and ability. His narrative is the very course of human evolution, from its primitive roots to its ultimate place in the vast universe. He does not cater his themes to us because he has too much respect for our intelligence and our ability to construct subjective associations through our visual experiences.

So, what exactly has Kubrick really created here? Is this a mainstream cinematic experiment that he has given us? Something that challenges our reliance on conventional narrative structure? Is it a showcase for a new brand of groundbreaking special effects, a visual triumph that would inspire a more realistic vision science fiction for a generation of moviegoers? Or perhaps a cautionary tale, warning us of the threatening possibilities that await us in our modern age of technology? The simple answer would be yes: indeed, it is all of these things and more. Within the margins of the cinematic window, in the span of 141 minutes of film (only 40 of which contain spoken dialogue), Kubrick has achieved the seemingly impossible: he has communicated to us without words what our ultimate evolutionary destiny must be.

Ultimately, Kubrick is equally pessimistic and hopeful about the state of our modern age of technology; pessimistic in our potential for self-destruction and hopeful in his firm conviction in the future, as we use these technologies to plot our course through the cosmos. In coming to terms with the dangers of our way of life, he shows us that there can be hope. Through our collective intelligence, our drive to achieve and to explore, we have accomplished great things. We have learned much about the universe and about ourselves, and have come a long way in our evolutionary course. However, as the experience of 2001 teaches us, the journey is far from over. As the reincarnation of man, the Star Child stands as the ideal form of our intelligent human design, the pinnacle of our cosmic destiny. Having evolved beyond the limits of the physical body, the biological human form which Kubrick refers to as a "fragile shell for the mind at best," we stand above and beyond reason.

"And if there was anything beyond THAT, then its name could only be God."

...and as that child looks at us, at all of mankind, and smiles, it tells us one thing: this is where we ultimately belong, and maybe someday, somehow, we can get there...

Masterpiece For A Lost Future That Should Have Happened.......2007-09-02

Most of the Special Effects sequences for this motion picture still work even in this age of (occasionally) realistic CGI. I wish it could be remastered for an IMAX release. As I saw suggested on some blogsite somewhere, I'd be both intrigued and revulsed by the prospect of somebody computer 'tweaking' the less successful FX shots -- It would update the look, but spoil the original work of art.

And one recent reviewer missed the point -- Those 'tortured primates' he spoke of were actors and mimes in suits and makeup, for heaven's sake, NOT apes!! You've also got to cut this amazing film some slack -- it was made in the 1960s, when 'arty' and 'freakout' impressionistic cinema was the norm, not the exception. Unfortunately, vacuous space-opera confectionary is the standard bearer for Science Fiction movies today. As for reviewers of this movie -- I respect a person who says "I didn't get it and didn't like it" far more than the type who says "It's no good - what's the matter with you people who like it; you're wrong, I'm right".
Sheesh...

Awesome.......2007-08-23

First of all this movie is SO good, even if you didnt like it one bit, it still should get 5 stars...its that good. This is a masterpiece, and now finally gets the DVD set it deserves! A set with a commentary, documentaries, Kubrick interviews, the movie remastered! and more!!!

The Definition of a Masterpiece.......2007-08-08

It's funny how this film polarizes viewers more than almost any other...is it a masterpiece which literally captures on film the metaphysical and spiritual conundrums of our place in the universe? Or is it a boring, stilted and pretentious by-product of the times in which it was made?
I was all of 9 years old when this film was released, and I will say that at that age it bored me to the point of unconsciousness! That being said, I honestly now believe that this is by far the single greatest motion picture ever made.

This film's greatness lies in its ability to adapt itself to each individual's personal thought structure, so that it literally takes on meaning only with the help of one's own spiritual, emotional and psychological imprint. As such, "2001" forces us to come to direct terms with who we are, why we're here, and perhaps even what might be in store (i.e., the "master plan"). Many see this as a religious film, others as a commentary on man's insignificance within the larger cosmic palette, still others as a straight-forward futurist melodrama. It is indeed all these things, and more. It's a difficult picture to get your arms around, and anything you get out of it, guaranteed, will not be what the person sitting next to you gets out of it. I recently saw a restored version of this film at a theater, and the reactions of those in the audience ran from sobbing to ebullience to confusion to outright anger (and yes, a few people were snoring!).

I might add here that this is not a "Kubrick" thing for me--I think he's somewhat overrated for the most part and only a few of his films speak to me, "A Clockwork Orange" being certainly his other great achievement. Kubrick made some films of questionable value too ("The Shining" being the most problematic, especially when compared to Stephen King's unforgettable source material).

Personally, I feel "2001" is revelatory in almost every respect. I see something new in it, feel new emotions, discover new meaning, with each and every viewing. It is a one-of-a-kind experience and I don't think any other film comes even close to involving me so completely on an emotional and spiritual level. Here's the rub for some: many don't WANT to be taken to task by a movie on this level, and thus I can see how some just aren't moved by it--because they don't want to be.

My suggestion is to put your day-to-day stuff aside, clear your mind of what's on your desk at work or the housework you need to get to this weekend, sit back and join Kubrick on this legendary journey into the unknown. "2001" is one of the very few films I can think of that has the potential to actually effect profound change in those who view it, and wouldn't that be the very definition of a masterpiece?

Bonus Materials for this DVD set.......2007-08-08

I haven't seen any of this, but I thought anyone interested in this new edition might find it useful, since it's currently not in the product description.

The 2001: A Space Odyssey (Special Edition) DVD will feature the following bonus materials:

* Commentary by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood
* Theatrical trailer
* Channel 4 documentary: 2001: The Making of a Myth
* Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001
* Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001
* 2001: A Space Odyssey - A Look Behind the Future
* 2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork
* Look: Stanley Kubrick!
* Audio-only interview with Stanley Kubrick

DVD:

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