Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Finally, Transformers as it was meant to be seen!
PLEASE NOTE: This product review is for the 3D Blu-Ray... Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy)

This is the way "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" was meant to be seen: in 3D! I saw this movie in 3D at the theater and I can tell you it was a great experience. The movie itself has some flaws, but the stereo image was simply amazing... say what you want about director Michael Bay, the man knows how to shoot action sequences! This is one of the most entertaining 3D movies to date, and is a no-brainer for anyone with a 3D TV.

Not only is the picture quality top-notch, but the sound is great too. I recently watched an interview with sound mixer Greg P. Russell, and he said that the TF3 blu-ray sound mix was specifically tailored for home video release. Anyone who owns the previous blu-ray release would agree that the sound mix is incredible...

As long as MIchael Bay will see his fans as cavemen, this will not stop.
Sorry with my english for i am from Montréal.

I still do not want to give up on Michael Bay. When i see him in interviews, underneath his condescending tone and his obvious self-love, i see an educated and intelligent man. I still have hope that he will mature eventually and direct a genuine great film. But right now, he is a teenager. He obviously thinks that most of his audience is dumb, sexually depraved and uneducated. The way he films women, the way he portrays the adults, the things he makes them say and do, the "comedy" that he puts in there and that he thinks will make us laugh, all of this makes me think that Michael Bay simply sees his fans as cavemen. And by reading some of the comments here, well my God, he's about right!

It is not a question of putting your brain to neutral in order to enjoy a good old "pop corn" movie. Not all "pop corn" movies are good. "Transformers 3" is a bad movie. Just like the second one. Probably even more. The...

AVOID at all costs!!!
If you like any special features at all do not buy this version. They are doing the same thing as Avatar. This release gets a full price but absolutely zero special features. Not so much as a trailer. They will be putting out deluxe versions toward the end of the year including a 3D combo pack, blu ray combo pack & dvd. ALL will be packed & you will kick yourself for having to buy this a second time. Many people don't care about features but if you do consider yourself forewarned. And it's not like they're giving you a cut on the price for a "movie only" release.

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Punkin Chunkin

Great for Chunkin' fans
We are Chunkin' fans and wait for the latest show each Thanksgiving. It's fun to have the video to watch for the rest of the year.

Grandson loves it!
3 yo grandson watches it every night that he stays with us so we got him his own DVD to take home



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Beginners

Heartfelt Account of Finding Love at Life's Unexpected Moments
There's an emotional acuity to this bittersweet 2011 dramedy that makes the loose structure of the first-person narrative easier to take than one would expect. Director/screenwriter Mike Mills bases his movie on a series of events that occurred in his own life. Just months after Mills' own mother passed away, his 75-year-old father announced that despite their 44-year marriage he was gay and intended to spend his remaining days exploring the hidden side of his libido. Cancer cut short those plans but not the life affirming spirit with which he explored his new lifestyle. It certainly helps that Mills cast 81-year-old Christopher Plummer as the father since his naturally erudite manner complements his character Hal's innately fey quality in a way that makes his late-blooming emotional emancipation all the sweeter. It's a lovely performance well worth remembering during next year's award season.

The protagonist of the story is Oliver, a sensitive cartoonist who is nearing...

Extremely moving
I went with eagerness to this film. I tend to see many gay-themed movies. This one moved me enormously, and it wasn't the gay character, Christopher Plummer, who most affected me, although he was very, very good. What hit me hard about the movie was Ewan McGregor's deeply sensitive portrayal of a lonely man. This movie is not about how a straight son comes to grips with his gay father who comes out very late in life. It's about a man approaching middle age (McGregor) who realizes he has never really loved. I am rarely (and I mean rarely) been moved to tears in a movie. This was an exception.

WHEN, AND HOW, DO WE BEGIN TO BE OUR TRUE SELF?
When do we stop being our true self-- and why? And when, and why, after so many years, do we begin to be our true self again? These questions are asked and answered in Mike Mills' autobiographical film "Beginners."
Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor;, playing a film variation of Mills himself) is a graphic designer who can't seem to communicate his feelings or maintain a long-term emotional relationship. Oliver, though not verbally expressive or emotionally demonstrative, does express his emotions through graphic design and illustration. The movie flashes back into the past and flashes forward again into the present or more recent past. As we see Oliver's relationship with his parents, we see how he became so emotionally conditioned. His parents endured a distant 45 year marriage, in an environment where emotions and secrets were never revealed. After his mother's (Mary Page Keller) death, his 75 year old father Hal (Christopher Plummer; "Hamlet," "The Sound Of Music", "Inside...

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The Open Door (Unrated)

WHAT YOU ARE SEEKING IS SEEKING YOU.
The film opens with a family murder/suicide. It claims these happen every full moon in clusters in different communities. The reason is the apparent urban legend pirate radio station which eerily operates during that one night from sundown to sunrise, granting callers their wish in what is an apparent monkey's paw type of fashion.

Sweet Angelica (Catherine Munden) wants to go to a party with the kids from high school. Mom (Kate Enggren) has her grounded for missing curfew. Angelica's best friend and bad influence is Staci (Sarah Christine Smith) who post provocative photos on the web (mom says it's porn) and specializes in conversations with men behind bars. She claims, "Having a job is sooo Mexican."

The sad acting and dialouge can be seen in the mother-daughter conflict scene. Angelica is mesmerized by the Oracle radio transmission on FM 99.9 as she sits at home grounded. Riled by a staged photo sent by her "friend" Staci, Angelica calls the Oracle. Then low...

When The Moon Hits Your Eye...
THE OPEN DOOR begins w/ a bang. No, literally, as a family is shot to death by a gun-toting dad, who then shoots himself. The scene then shifts to a high school, where we are introduced to sweet, innocent Angelica, and a host of teenage reaper-fodder, all getting ready for a big party. We are told about a pirate radio show that only broadcasts during the full moon. Enter the mobile radio van, w/ its antenna aimed right at Angelica's town! Actually, I found the radio announcer to be quite interesting, and pretty creepy. Meanwhile, Angelica gets herself grounded, and can't go to the bash. Poor Angelica tunes into the dreaded station (999 FM!), and hears a strange, esoteric tirade / sermon about getting what she wants, just by taking it. So, she listens for hours to a soothing, Oprah-ish voice called THE ORACLE, eventually "embracing the power of her mind". Well, Angelica calls THE ORACLE, and makes a mega-wish over the phone that just about covers everything going on in her life...

Excellent
Innocence, trust, denial, realization. Wishes that can't be undone. TRAGEDY!
Watch it!!
A Teen Scream that will catch you unaware. A surprisingly good movie that leaves you wanting more in many ways.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (Movie-Only Edition + UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

STAY AWAY FROM ULTRAVIOLET!!!
Ultraviolet is another feeble, doomed attempt by some dinosaur brain Hollywood execs to restrict the use of your legally bought digital purchase. Ultraviolet is NOT a digital copy that resides on a device of your choice to be used on a device of your choice. It is a streaming service, for which you have to sign up and maintain an account, at the expense of your bandwidth, compatible with some but not all mobile devices. If you're willing to wait another 4 weeks, order this disc set from Amazon's UK website you can do this with your current US account). Not only are you getting a REAL digital copy, but the Blu-ray disc is region free too!! Price + shipping is the same as the price in USD with free shipping.

*** How to get the digital copy of the movie to work on iTunes from ultraviolet***
*** How to get the digital copy of the movie to work on iTunes from ultraviolet***

I just wanted to share with everyone my outstanding experience with ultraviolet customer service, in resolving the issue of not being able to access the movie on iTunes.

After reading the reviews on Amazon, I was going to return the movie as I specifically wanted the Blu Ray and a digital copy to play on my iPad and iPhone.

After receiving the disc, I read the print on the back of the packaging and noticed a website address for the ultraviolet service: [...]
I contacted their customer service department and advised them that i was disappointed that the disc will not work on iTunes. I was not really expecting a response back and was amazed, as their Customer Service department contacted me almost immediately and requested that I provide them with the Reference Code (to verify my purchase of the movie) and they would send me an activation code which will allow me to...

And So It Ends: a look back at why Potter matters
When all is said and done - when the eye candy special effects of Quidditch matches and fantastical creatures has been superseded by advances in technology in Hollywood blockbusters yet to come - it is the little moments that this viewer and his wife will return to.

When a friend one time bemoaned the fact that `Half-Blood Prince' gets bogged down in pointless hormonal teen-angst instead of getting on with the story, I smiled... and shook my head.

No, I said, that IS the story and it's what I love about the Harry Potter series: it never loses track of the characters. It never forgets that, when viewed as a whole, these eight movies are a story of growing up, of the transition from childhood to adulthood. Of love and friendship and death. Because without those little funny and touching moments between the characters - if all you want is for the movies to rush from one plot element to another - then all you're left with is plot... and no story. Remember: plot is...

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Army Wives: The Complete Fifth Season

Love this Series
I haven't reviewed the first four seasons, so I will make this cumulative. Although I don't watch much television, my wife told me about this some time ago, so I took a chance and bought the first season on DVD--and then the second, third, fourth, and now the fifth. For the past couple of days I have done little else but watch it; it was hard to stop at the end of an episode and go do something else, such as eat and sleep!

Now I retired from the Air Force 20 years ago after serving 24+ years--both as an officer and as an NCO. The culture of the Air Force is different from that of the Army, so I couldn't totally "feel" the pulse of the show from (1) an Army perspective or (2) a wife's perspective. But still, I loved it. At times, I felt that I could in some way identify with most of the main characters, and always I found myself completely wrapped up in the series. I laughed, I became angry, I cried.

The last episode of Season Five would seem to be the end of the...

Just keeps getting better.
"Army Wives" is the only currently-running show that I watch. I bought and watched the fourth season while deployed in Afghanistan, and just got this season the other day. I was glad to see that the cast's fine performances and excellent scripts haven't changed a bit. Having been deployed, this show resonates with me more than ever -- I admit it, I cried on episode 4 (and if you haven't seen it, I'm not spoiling it for you). This show continues to portray a variety of soldiers, from the lowest-ranking junior enlisted soldier to the highest-ranking officer, and does so in a very realistic manner. I see a lot of my personal experiences in these stories and characters. My only complaint is that the season isn't long enough!

Army Wives: The complete fifth season
Oustanding drama. I highly recommend. I only wish there were more episodes each season. The DVD set includes 3 DVDs and bonus scenes.

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Red vs. Blue Season 9

A New Chapter That Serves As A Prequel And A Sequel: More Action, More Comedy And A Different Visual Approach
With the anniversary release of HALO: Combat Evolved for XBOX 360, the synergistic powers-that-be have also elected to use the same date to drop the DVD release of "Red vs Blue: Season 9." It's a big day in the HALO universe! When the Recollection trilogy (seasons 6-8) of "Red vs Blue" came to a conclusion with Revelation (season 8), there was a bit of a character cliffhanger. While Season 9 deals specifically with the loose ends of the prior chapter, the structure of the whole piece is considerably different than what we've seen before! It takes a moment to grasp and appreciate this new direction as it isn't instantly clear what's going on (if you have not followed the Red vs Blue saga, I would not necessarily recommend this as the starting point). But once you become accustomed to the style and narrative choices of this season, I think you'll appreciate its complexities. The story unravels on two timelines (one rendered in machinima, one in CGI)--one tells a prequel set before Blood...

Still amazing
After 9 seasons these guys still kill me...I was pleased with this season although it took a few minutes to figure out what was going on in the story but I finally got it. I love Caboose.

Action, Adventure & that beloved RvB humor
Season 9 did not disappoint. The cutting humor for which Rooster Teeth and RvB are known for is resident plus a very action packed story and dynamic soundtrack. Good stuff.

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Heathers

The Extreme Always Seems To Make An Impression
Released in 1989, HEATHERS received sharply mixed reviews. The film was popular in a few major metro markets, but it proved a box office disappointment overall. Although many regarded it as a failed take-off on such "high school angst" films as THE BREAKFAST CLUB, more than a few critics saw it as a film too much ahead of its time and predicted that it would have more of an impact down the road. They were right. When the film began to reach the home market it exploded in popularity, and given such later high school horrors as Columbine today the film seems less take-off than downright prophetic.

It is also one of the most wickedly funny movies to hit the screen since Stanley Kubrik's DR. STRANGELOVE. The story starts off normally enough: extremely bright, extremely attractive Veronica (Winona Ryder) is a high school junior who has fallen in with the high school clique to end all high school cliques, three young women each named Heather (Kim Walker, Lisanne Falk, and...

"I'm Worshiped at Westerburg, and I'm Only a Junior."
For a lot of teenagers, popularity takes precedence over high SAT scores or early admission into an Ivy. It's literally viewed as a matter of life or death, and no film brings that truth to life as vividly as "Heathers." Winona Ryder is Veronica, who (along with Heather Duke, Heather McNamara, and Heather Chandler) belongs to Westerburg High School's most elite and coveted clique. These four young women supposedly epitomize the essence of cool, and earning their stamp of approval is as prestigious as getting knighted by Her Majesty. But things get nasty when Veronica violently clashes with one of the Heathers, and shortly thereafter the clique slowly collapses under its own weight. Of course, there's much more to the film's plot, which is a brilliant satire on high school, the firece competition to be popular and well-liked, and the faculty's inability to connect with their students. Pregnant with one-liners and armed with a Ginsu-sharp script, "Heathers" is a pitch-perfect...

Great Boxed Set - 20th High School Reunion Edition
Likely you've already seen this excellent film starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder. It's a contemporary cult classic and for good reason.

Therefore, I'll give you some info on this limited edition release :

This limited edition comes from Anchor Bay Entertainment and is packaged as a blue metal locker. Inside the locker is a bunch of very cool stuff. First, a cool t-shirt. There are three possible shirts which you might get, but you only get one. Secondly, there are a set of magnets which can be used to decorate the locker. Not outstanding, but kind of neat, none the less. You also get a year-book, featuring info and photos from the film.

What is not made clear though - is that you get your standard wide screen DVD version, you also get a BLU-RAY version of the movie. Look closely at the picture of the back of the packaging. See that there are three discs displayed? One is a Blu-Ray. Yipee!

Oh, and each locker is a numbered limited...

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The Ledge [Blu-ray]

Powerful and thought provoking character study that is very watchable and a great movie. Acting is great, watch this. I say B+
"I have to stay up here until noon and then jump, if I don't someone
else is gonna die." Hollis (Howard) job is to talk down suicide
jumpers, after finding out that his kids may not be his he is sent out
to talk to Gavin (Hunnam). But there are always two sides to every
story and Gavin is not on the ledge by choice. This is the type of
movie that you watch because of the cast and end up being blown away.
While the movie is a little slow in parts the message, acting and plot
are great. All four main characters in this movie are all conflicted
and each have their own choice to make in order to move on with their
lives and it is intriguing to watch all of them handle it. At it's core
this is a movie about faith and morals and will leave you questioning
yourself as to what you would do in each position. That is the sign of
a good movie, one that makes you look at yourself in a way you may not
have before. Overall, I highly...

Intense, thought-provoking, and engaging...
The Ledge is an intense, thought-provoking, and engaging thriller written and directed by Matthew Chapman and starring Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, and Terrance Howard. I enjoyed it very much.

The ledge of the title refers both to the literal ledge on which we find our protagonist, Gavin, played with edgy charm by Hunnam, at the movie's open and also the figurative ledge that we all walk on in life as we thread our way through the choices that will either send us plummeting to our doom or keep us on the path. In that sense, all four of the main characters are on a ledge as the movie begins and the tension comes from wondering if they will fall, jump, or continue on.

The characters are complex, well-written, and well acted. Even the "bad guy", Shana's husband Joe, is written with such depth and portrayed with such honesty of feeling by Wilson, that I actually almost felt bad for him. The relationship between Gavin and Shana, played with grace by...

Where's Your Line?
There have been some number of "issue" movies over the years. This is better than average, but just a bit.

Here's the scoop. Gavin (Charlie Hunnam) is a likable, easy going hotel manager. He gets new neighbors in his building, Shana and Joe Harris (Liv Tyler and Patrick Wilson). It's realized right off the bat that Gavin and Joe are on opposite sides of the "God" issue, and as Gavin finds himself uncontrollably drawn to Shana the issue is brought to its extreme with Gavin finding himself on a tall ledge poised to jump.

I like this kind of movie because I'm drawn to these kinds of arguments. Writer/Director Matthew Chapman is clearly siding with Gavin, but shows good reason why Joe and Shana are so strongly religious. The four principal characters, Gavin, Joe, Shana and detective Hollis Lucetti (Terrence Howard) who is trying to talk Gavin off the ledge, all have or had life altering problems in their lives. They merely chose different ways to re-emerge into the...

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Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection [Blu-ray]

Very good product, but a couple of comments
I'm actually very pleased with this product! It's very cheap, and very good quality. There are, however, a couple of things that I feel I should point out.

First, the case that it comes in is a standard mass production case that most multi-disc sets use. Don't expect a lavish collectable case, especially for the price. The case is still very durable, and allows all of the movies to be stored in a small amount of space.

Second, the films in this set ARE NOT THE SPECIAL EDITIONS. They are standard edition, as if the first disc from each movie was put in here. While there are some special features, there are not a lot.

Next, the discs themselves appear to be great quality. All of mine worked extremely well, and there were no defects whatsoever, save one thing. The disc that I received for Deathly Hallows Part 1 is missing a cover. The disc is all black, and the title and copyright information are on there, but there is not picture. This, however does not...

A cheap package with all eight movies... the way I like it.
I like how a lot of fans are slamming Warner Brothers for offering up a box set containing all eight films in one compact package. They accuse how WB constantly does this for the Harry Potter franchise, and to be fair, WB has been doing incomplete Potter boxed releases for years, starting with "Prisoner of Azkaban" onwards. But when the WB actually makes a nice package with all eight films included, they still complain because there's hardly any bonus material. WB did this for their first four Batman movies before the glorious Batman Anthology came to be, so those fans have been waiting a long time that as well.

The set will just have a repressing of the initial releases, and the first three movies include their respective trailers, while "Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2" have deleted/extended scenes, so the "no extras" claim doesn't hold as much water. They have some, as opposed to none. Not to mention the quality of the past three Ultimate Editions' bonus features have...

Just use amazon.co.uk
amazon.co.uk has the three different HP movies 1-8 sets
just go to the site and type in "harry potter 1-8"

ALLL BLU RAY CUSTOMERS can order, as these are region free and with HD media, there is no such thing as PAL encoding.
"Harry Potter - The Complete 8-Film Collection [Blu-ray] [2011][Region Free]"
and "Harry Potter: The Complete 1-8 Film Collection - Limited Numbered Edition (Blu-ray + DVD) [2011][Region Free]"

I live in philly, i ordered the regular set, its going to come to around 40 bucks i believe
the special edition version will be way less than 100 and far surpasses this version sold here

the dvd set is SUPER cheap but it is not region free and it IS in PAL. so most americans wont be able to see it

this is true for most of amazon.co.uk 's inventory. as far as blu ray, as long as it says region free, it will work in america, and it only takes a week to get here, and it is ALWAYS cheaper. and they have WAY more...

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Bill Nye The Science Guy: Bones & Muscles

Loved it
I am a teacher of 5 th graders and they are hard to keep entertained. They love Bill Nye the Science Guy. The video is informative and full of laughs. The nice thing is students are learning at the same time.

They loved it!!!!
I try to nnot to bore my middle school science classes with lectures ALL the time. This dvd is a sure fire way to keep them engaged. The "snippets" of info and "catchy" titles keep them wanting more....Science can you believe that! Wouldn't write a lesson plan without it!



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Bill Nye The Science Guy: Eyeball

Eyeball Video
Materials was a little slow compared to other Bill Nye videos. Videos was in excellent condition when it arrived though.

bill nye fan
I enjoy all of his shows and DVD videos. i never saw them again on TV and i was glad to get the shows on DVD.



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Tom Thumb

Delightful Family Entertainment
Are you looking for a film that you can safely watch with your children ? Have you seen most of the Disney catalogue ? Well, happily--once in a while--someone other than Disney produces a film that can enchant young and old, and in 1958 Mr. George Pal did just that with "Tom Thumb". After producing several science fiction classics in the fifties, Mr. Pal and his crack special effects team set up shop in England for this winning musical fantasy, based on the famous fairy tale.

A poor, honest wood-cutter, Jonathan (Bernard Miles) and his wife, Anne (Jessie Matthews) are granted three wishes by the Forest Queen (lovely June Thorburn) for sparing her favourite tree. They basically bungle their wishes, but they are granted a son to raise. His name is Tom, and he is 5 1/2 inches tall. Of course, being so tiny, Tom has all sorts of interesting adventures. Unfortunately, one of them involves innocently helping two crooks (the hilarious team of Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers) steal...

when i was a little kid, this was my favorite movie
and the good parts are just as good today.

start off, of course, with the brilliant sequences from george pal. if i am not mistaken, this was the final puppetoon animation he did, as he was then involved increasingly in directing feature length films. but if only for the yawning man and con-fu-shen, this film would be worth seeing.

add to that, the wonderful live performances by such as the underrated dancer russ tamblyn in the title role; the legendary jessie matthews; and a young peter sellers and terry thomas as marvelous comic villains. sadly, the love story between queenie and woody slows thing down, and even the usually wonderful alan young cant save that part of the movie. (incidentally, a year later young would turn in his finest performance in the george pal "time machine.")

i have such fond memories of this movie, and it manages to live up to them -- i would wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to fans of fantasy, dance, or puppetry. bravo!

Tom Thumb
Loved the film; brought back memories of my childhood when my parents brought me to see it back in the late 50's. The film though presented principally for children, has a lot of sentimentality and morals to its' credit. Really nice movie.

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Shaft: The TV Movie Collection (4 Discs)

They say this cat Shaft is......
This long forgotten TV spin off from the 3 Shaft Movies - Shaft (1971), Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft In Africa (1973) - comes at last to DVD courtesy of Warner's Archive Collection.

Why long forgotten? Many fans of the movies complained that the TV version of Shaft was toned down too much from the character on the big screen - his prickly relationship with Lt Vic Anderozzi was replaced by a buddy buddy friendship with Lt Al Rossi, his trendy turtleneck sweaters and leather jackets were ditched in favour of conservative shirts, ties, suits and even pullovers!, and worst of all, he was no longer an in-your-face-up-yours tough black private eye, but merely a private eye who happened to be black. The violence was toned right down and the sex was reduced to zero.

Is this, fans asked, really our Shaft?

Well this series was made in 1973 and in those days American TV was ultra-conservative. Richard Roundtree himself, in response to these criticisms,...

Because there's just not enough Shaft in the world
When I first saw the original three Shaft movies I didn't even know these TV movies existed. Finding out they did was like discovering Sean Connery played James Bond in a TV series years ago that had long been forgotten. Admittedly you don't get the same raw appeal of the movies, but still you have Richard Roundtree, still looking great and oozing charisma, in seven new stories! A few of them feel as if they just plugged Shaft into an existing 70's TV mystery that could have been as easily occupied by Cannon or McCloud or any number of TV detectives, but most of them at least come close to the action content of the movies (if on a smaller budget and being careful not to get too bloody). Even the lesser ones are enjoyable if you like the familiarity of 70's TV and all those faces you've seen a million times even if you don't know their names. So I enjoyed the set quite a bit. Oh - and if you miss the use of Isaac Hayes's iconic theme song in the two follow-up movies here they made...

Shaft Gets Neutered
When "Shaft," the TV series, premiered on CBS in 1973, L.A. Times critic Cecil Smith wrote, "On television, Shaft makes Barnaby Jones look like Eldridge Cleaver." Even Isaac Hayes' Oscar-winning theme song sounds like it has been re-recorded by The Lawrence Welk Orchestra...If you enjoy 1970s TV detective series, this program is pretty watchable on that level...But don't expect the original film version of the character.

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Arthur: Hooray for Health

Great DVD
My grands loved the DVD! Happy, happy, happy, happy, to have bought this DVD as a choice for them to view. (don't like having to be directed as to how many words to place in my review!)





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Bill Nye The Science Guy: Rocks & Soil

Rocks Rock!
I love Bill Nye's stuff. I wish I owned more of his stuff. My kids love watching this and I feel that it's definitely worth their time to let them watch it. He's so energetic and gets the information across with so much fun. Love it!

fun video
the 6-8 year old crowd loves this. i think older kids would like it, too, but I can only speak to this age group.

bill nye fan
I grew up with watching his show. it is fun to watch his science and its fun to learn as well.

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Bill Nye The Science Guy: Water Cycle

Bill Nye Makes it Fun and Educational...But it's Time For an Update
I use these videos as a fun way to reinforce what we learn in our science lessons (we homeschool). My boys, 9 & 10 years old, really like Bill Nye's crazy antics, and they laugh through the whole thing. Bill Nye has a great way of connecting with kids, and teaching them in such a way that it makes science "cool". Who knew the Water Cycle could be so entertaining, much take up 26 minutes to explain it?!

I took off one star for the outdated, irrelevant "stars" featured in this episode (my kids have no idea who Joey Lawrence is), and one star for the price of the product. I would recommend this video for any science-crazy kids, but I would suggest looking for it in your library first.

Enyoyable
Well done. Enjoyable and covered all concepts clearly. I found a study guide online and was able to use this video successfully with a sub.

bill nye fan
I enjoyed his shows on TV and DVD. i was glad to get them and it fun to watch them again.

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13

A Dark Premise, A Deadly Game: This Remake Lacks The Intensity Of The Original, But Is Still Worth A Look
A few years ago, I came across an odd little foreign film that I absolutely fell in love with named "13 Tzameti." At the time, I had no clue what the movie was about and, without preconceived notions, I was fascinated by the dark and twisted tale that unraveled. As a young man is drawn into a complicated and deadly underground battle for survival, the movie is rather stunning in its simplicity. As a very low budget endeavor, it used its sparseness to great advantage. Claustrophobic, tense, and unrelenting, the camera pushes up close and personal as the tension escalates throughout and it is truly a riveting and, at times, unsettling experience. Its writer/director Gela Babluani has been given the opportunity to adapt his thrilling and award winning sensation (Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Best Director at Venice Film Festival) into an English language version with a pretty impressive cast. The resultant "13" lacks a bit of the intensity of its predecessor, and opening up the...

An unlucky number for a film that fails to deliver on its premise--the underworld of Russian Roulette betting
Even a great premise and a strong supporting cast can't save a poorly made movie. "13" sat on the shelf for over a year (it was produced for release in 2010) for very good reason--it's not very good. In "13" Vince (Sam Riley who played Ian Curtis so well in "Control") who needs money for his father's operation takes on the identity of a dead drug addict unaware that he's stepping into a high stakes illegal contest where he competes against others (Ray Winstone, Mickey Rourke)playing Russian Roulette. The chance to make millions and save his father keeps Vince from trying to escape.

Co-writer Greg Pruss and director Géla Babluani take a fascinating premise that has great potential and wastes it in a film that generates no suspense and, essentially, goes no where. It's tragic because the film has a strong cast (including Jason Statham, Ben Gazzara and Alexander Skarsg

Bill Nye The Science Guy: Atoms

Crazy Hard Ideas Made Understandable for 10-Year-Olds
The world of atoms is so abstract for the human brain, that making information understandable for children takes special tactics. Bill Nye the Science Guy achieves this for students at all levels of development. Using young people in the program helps pull in the tweenagers who are studying these concepts. Great job!

Great classroom tool
Excellent science content, fun, entertaining and well worth the investment. I love using these in my classroom as well as watching them myself.

Disney and Nye sell....not worth the price...science lacking...
Disney magic usurps good science. Bill Nye is fun. But, these are geared for 3rd or 4th grade when these topics are first introduced. I was hoping for meatier videos with good presentation. There is no indepth science here.

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Bill Nye The Science Guy: Buoyancy

bill nye fan
i started watching his show when i was 13 and i still enjoy them. This one is for any one who like bill nye and his fun science.





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Victorious: Season One, Volume Two

This Show is Victorious!
The show "Victorious" is one of my favorite shows ever so I love the DVDs. I think it's a great show for anyone in the age range 8-14. It's about a girl (Tori Vega) who attends a performing arts school with tons of crazy students. My episode ratings are:

The Diddly- Bops- The group gets paid to perform at a childrens birthday party in ridiculous costumes. Andre gets offered a record deal but when a video of him performing at the party goes viral, they think he doesen't take his music seriously. 4/5
Cat's New Boyfriend- Cat starts dating Tori's ex- boyfriend and Tori gets jealous. 4/5
Sleepover at Sikowitzs- The group has a sleepover at Sikowitz's house and they all have to be dressed up and stay in their characters. 5/5
The Great Ping- Pong Scam- When Tori hears that the school has a ping- pong team, she wants to join but the team captain, Jade, won't let her. 4/5
Wok Star- Jade writes a play but the school won't let her put it on because it's too "weird...

"Victorious: Season One, Volume Two" featuring ten episodes + the "iCarly/Victorious" special
From the executive producer of "Drake & Josh", "iCarly", "Kenan & Kel" and "Zoey 101' comes a new series titled "Victorious", starring Victoria Justice (known for her role as Lola Martinez on "Zoey 101') as Victoria "Tori" Vega.

In "Victorious", the story focuses on Victoria "Tori" who has been accepted at Hollywood Arts High School, after taking her sister Trina's (played by Daniella Monet) place in a showcase. While Trina is known more for her drive to become an actress, her sister "Tori" has talent that she is not too conscious about and now trying to fit in her new school.

She becomes friends with a talented musician Andre Harris (played by Leon Thomas III), a journalist/ventriloquist named Robbie Shapiro (played by Matt Bennett) and rival Jade West (played by Elizabeth Gillies) and her boyfriend Beck Oliver (played by Avan Jogia) and naive actress Cat Valentine (played by Ariana Grande).

With the DVD release of "Victorious: Season One, Volume...

victorious
My daughter loves victorious and just like season 1 she loved this one also I would sure recommend anyoneto buy it..

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Bill Nye The Science Guy: Brain

Awesome!!!
This was a wonderful way to suppliment my lesson on the Nervous System. My students really enjoyed the video, they wanted me to play it over.

Excellent
I think these are excellent, the children love them at our library.I think these are excellent, the children love them at our library.



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Cars 2 (Five-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)

A Love It or Hate It experience...But I loved it!
I had a very unusual experience seeing this movie in theaters.

I watched it, I had a great time, I laughed, cheered, was thrilled, and the moment the credits started to roll the people in the row behind me IMMEDIATELY started spouting off how much they HATED it. I was flabbergasted. I was sorely tempted to turn around and ask them if we even just saw the same movie? How could anyone hate something that's so much FUN?!

But after thinking about it, I could see actually why they didn't get into it. Cars 2 is the first Pixar movie where you really have to 'get the joke' of the premise, or the whole thing falls apart like a house of cards. What this movie is, is the best James Bond movie of the last 15 years (not counting Casino Royale which transcends Bond movies to be just a great spy movie), with a bit of The Accidental Spy thrown in.

I LOVE Bond movies. The crazy opening sequences, the insane gadgets, the quippy lines. And Cars 2 hit pitch perfect...

Dazzling to look at, disappointing to watch
To be fair, Cars 2 is not a dud. But it's not a hit either. As someone who's loved everything Pixar has heretofore come up with, it pains me to say it, but I think Cars 2 will be remembered as Pixar's first miss. It's one of those films that, if you've seen the trailer, you've already seen ninety percent of what there is to see in the movie itself. The rest, unfortunately, is tedium.

The plot, such as it is, is as follows: Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) invites his best buddy from Radiator Springs, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), to accompany him on an international racing event. In Japan, Mater is mistaken for an American spy by two British agents Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) who are investigating a criminal conspiracy involving oil rigs, alternative fuels and a mysterious secret weapon.

Every now and then, a film comes out where you look at it and wonder how it got into production in the first place. You keep thinking why...

Too much violence, death, even torture for a G movie
Violence is everywhere in our current world. It's a fact of life, and as adults we all learn how to cope with it, avoid it, or confront it when we need to. I accept this fact. But I can't accept that in a movie rated "G", there are multiple scenes of violence, death, even torture. I'll need to explain these concepts to my child at some point, but I'd certainly prefer that I be able to wait until he's beyond the age of four. I'll be explicit so that other parents who are considering this movie will know exactly what they're in for: there are several scenes in which the "bad guy" pointedly tells his subordinates to "kill him" (directed a Finn McMissile and Mater). There is a full-blown torture scene in which a car is restrained, heated to the pain point, and then destroyed (the actual death is shown only as a reflection). There are a lot of guns, bullets, and missiles. There's plenty of hand-to-hand (or wheel-to-wheel) combat, which seems like a picnic after the other stuff.
I'm...

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After Happily Ever After

Interesting
Gottman, as always, was compelling. Barash not. Coontz interesting. The premise of putting your own troubled marriage under the microscope, by making a documentary, seemed masochistic.

Beware of NUDITY
I was looking forward to showing clips to my class about relationships. Unfortunately, this clip has unnecessary nudity and I was not able to use it. Total #fail in my opinion.

LOVED it!
already recommended it to my friends. hilarious at times, thought provoking at others. watched it with my boyfriend. he really liked it too. her next movie looks like it will be good too "Do I need this?".

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Fistful of Bullets - A Spaghetti Western Collection - Tin

Well worth it
I'm only halfway through the 16 films and it's already worth the purchase price. This is a great introduction to the Spaghetti Western genre. Assuming, that is, that the viewer has a high tolerance for all the quirks that make these films such a pleasure to watch. The acting, the dialogue, the stunts, the plots, the soundtracks, so much of it is inconsistent and off-kilter. Even the film quality varies from great to somewhat degraded (the color, that is). All of this is what makes this box set fun. It is also interesting to see the Spanish countryside substituting for the American West (though as one reviewer has pointed out, at least one of these films was made in Arizona). Anyone who has visited Spain, and Almeria in particular, will enjoy noting the differences between this landscape and the landscape of the American West. This box set succeeds on many levels. Highly enjoyable, highly recommended. .

have to admit it's worth the price
A fistful of bullets is bulletproof when there's that many movies for under 10 bucks. It's advertised as 16 spaghetti westerns. But the second flick was made in Arizona and has nothing to do with spaghetti, Italy, Italians, or good movie-making.

BAD COLLECTION
I purchase all of these spagetti western collections I can find ,however this one is a let down most of the films have very bad video and audio and are not that good of a movie anyway,at least one film Beyond The Law keeps switching back and forth from English to Italian ,most of the better films here are included on other better collections.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2002 Playoffs: NFL Greatest Games

What A Year!
My first and only child was born a couple weeks before my football team wins the Super Bowl. HEAVEN! Anyway, its great to watch the 2 playoff games and the Super Bowl win. I am giving it 4 stars due to the the picture quality. It looks like a VHS recording from a below average antenna broadcast. They did nothing to clean it up and adjust the contrast and colors. If you watch the NFL channel there are older games they have done excellent HD presentations on so I know its possible to produce a stunning DVD or Blu-ray. Anyway, for us Bucs fans, this is a great item, especially with the way the Bucs play now. Watching one of the best defenses in NFL history along with the A Train makes you feel proud. GO BUCS!

Bucs Win!!!! Bucs Win!!!
Greatest Superbowl in history. Never has there been a more deserving fan base than us. I watched the Superbowl with several Raitards fans, was so good beating them senseless.

I know how it ends, yet I still love to watch!
DVDs are what they say they are, the Bucs Playoff run and their Super Bowl victory! DVDs look great! For some reason old broadcasts of old games always look old, even when they are less than a decade old. Don't get me wrong, it's not like they've been transferred from VHS, part of that has been because I've already been spoiled by HD broadcasts and the other is because the networks are constantly evolving with their graphics and equipment. But that's really the charm of watching classic sports, it adds to the nostalgia. Looking forward to Josh Freeman and the young Bucs to bring us a couple more. GO BUCS!

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Black and Blue- The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game

Everyone should see this.
As a proud Michigan alum and native Michigander who has adopted transracially, this made me so proud of Gerald Ford and Willis Ward, for the good men that they were and for this story to finally be told.

Michigan Football fans will enjoy
A well-told story that is an important piece of Michigan football history and U.S. cultural history. The documentary is both frustrating and heart-warming, reminding us of a day when unthinkable discrimination was the norm.



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Arthur: The Good Sport

Love!!!
We can never get enough Arthur! They have a character for everyone to relate to. The kids have good healthy ways to deal with everyday issues. Every child needs to know they aren't alone and I feel Arthur can relate





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Attack on Leningrad

A Devastating And Powerful Story Muted And Lost In A Clunky And Awkward Screenplay
The World War II presentation "Attack on Leningrad" takes a harrowing real life subject and should have been a powerful and unforgettable movie experience. Wanting to be a historical epic, a sweeping romance, and a heart-rending tragedy--the film, ultimately, falls short on all fronts. It's a real shame, too. Setting a personal story amidst the siege on Leningrad, where German troops isolated the city for nearly 900 days as its inhabitants starved to death, seems like a can't miss proposition to tell a devastating and important tale of survival and perseverance. But this Russian production fails to shed much light as either a personal story or as a tribute to a great city (which is certainly what director Alexander Buravsky must have intended). Populating the cast with international actors including Mira Sorvino, Gabriel Byrne, and Armin Mueller-Stahl further upped my expectations for a truly memorable experience. Sadly, though, the movie flounders at its most basic element--the...

Starving, Freezing & Dying at Leningrad!
I'm a fan of WWII films and always in search of new ones from whatever origin. This is a Russian movie and it is a real grand war film, even with some minor flaws.
"Leningrad" (2009) is a movie reflecting the incredible suffering of civil population inside the besieged city. At the same time criticizes the Communist Regime and pay homage to heroic Russian people.

The story is about a British reporter accidentally stranded at Leningrad without papers. There she meets a sympathetic militia-woman that risks all to help her survive and try, eventually, to return to Moscow.
Kate shares the daily life of a group of civilians subject to incredible odds: a constantly reducing food ration, freezing cold, no electricity, no phones, no heating, no medical aid, and no nothing!
The film gives a very realistic depiction of how a human reacts under these extreme conditions.

Playacting is really very good, Mira Sorvino as Kate Davis and Olga Sutulova as Nina...

A Flawed but Ultimately Deeply Moving Film
'Some fight. Others fall. All are heroes.' ATTACK ON LENINGRAD as written and directed by Aleksandr Buravsky does indeed address one of the longest and costliest sieges in the history of war. History books relate it as follows: 'This was undoubtedly the most tragic period in the history of the city, a period full of suffering and heroism. For everyone who lives in St. Petersburg the Blokada (the Siege) of Leningrad is an important part of the city's heritage and a painful memory for the population's older generations. Less than two and a half months after the Soviet Union was attacked by Nazi Germany, German troops were already approaching Leningrad. The Red Army was outflanked and on September 8 1941 the Germans had fully encircled Leningrad and the siege began. The siege lasted for a total of 900 days, from September 8 1941 until January 27 1944. The city's almost 3 million civilians (including about 400,000 children) refused to surrender and endured rapidly increasing hardships in...

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Water for Elephants (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

Sara Gruen's Greatest Show on Earth
I have to admit that Water for Elephants was a decent representation of the book. Take into consideration that a movie is never going to give you 100% of the book. That being said, I was disappointed with the parts of the book the movie left out. There were lots of little details and nuances that just can't come across on the full screen anyway, although you would have liked to have seen how they would have been portrayed. Although too numerous to mention and for those who haven't read the book it wouldn't matter anyway, the biggest (for those who have read it) would be the comedic scenes that play out with Jacob in the nursing home. All of those chapters were completely left out.

We open with an old man (Hal Holbrook) wandering into the parking lot of a circus that is packing up and moving out. A workman comes out to see if he is lost and invites him in out of the rain while the man calls the nursing home. The old man looks at the old black and white circus photos...

GREAT MOVIE!!
Water for Elephants, a dramatic romance novel written by Sarah Gruen, was published in 2006 and has become quite a hit. It was said to be "gorgeous, brilliant, and superbly plotted" by the author Joshilyn Jackson. The book is narrated by a 93 year old, Jacob Jankowski. Jacob is spending his remaining years in a nursing home, reminiscing of his life and experiences in the circus. When he was 23, his life took a drastic turn when his parents died in a car accident. Jacob is left with no money and drops out of Cornell University, as he was studying to be a vet. Heartbroken, he finds himself on a circus train and quickly becomes the vet of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. This book has become such a success and was made into a movie in 2011, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson.

Don't worry about the movie ruining the novel. The movie does an excellent job following Gruen's lead. It is common knowledge that the movie can never cover everything...

Better than expected
I had read the reviews of this movie before I went to see it. My expectations were low due to the mixed reviews - but I had an open mind. I really like Reese Witherspoon and when I walked out of the movie, while I thought she did a good job I felt she was miscast in the part. I thought someone more like Scarlett Johannson would have been more in tune to the part - needed someone that was a little "dirty". Reese always plays the angelic, nice girl - so since I felt Marlena had been around the block a bit and was a bit "used" someone that really doesn't fit Reese's nice girl image. I thought Reese and Pattinson did a credible job - Christoph Waltz was really good.

Once I reflected on the movie, I realized that the story is being told from Jacobs eyes - from the age of 23 and again at 92. When he joined the circus and during his life Jacob saw Marlena as innocent,angelic and sweet - I kind of expected to see a light glow around Reese throughout the movie. So, in reality...

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Pawn Stars: Volume Three

The Princes Of Pawn: 16 Episodes Of The Popular Series, Not A Complete Season
First things first. The third season of the popular History Channel program "Pawn Stars" is being listed here on Amazon as The Complete Season Three (as of 10/8/11). To clarify the contents of this 2 disc set, it is NOT the full season. It is being marketed as Volume Three not Season Three--just look at the DVD cover if you have any doubts. It is a bit misleading as both of the first two seasons were packaged and sold in their entirety, so if you bought one or both of them--you might be fooled into thinking this was similar. "Pawn Stars: Volume Three" consists of the first sixteen episodes of the year dubiously labeled as Fan Favorites (there were 28 episodes in the complete season). As a completist, this sales ploy is disheartening. If you want to release Season Three on DVD then release all of Season Three on DVD! Here are the titles included:

(1) Trail Breaker, (2) Top Secret, (3) Whale of a Time, (4) Gold Diggers, (5) Aw Shucks!, (6) Deals From Hell, (7)...

not complete season
I love the show it self, and couldn't wait to have my own copy of Season 3, but this is the "best" of season 3. This was advertised incorrectly.

false advertising gives this item 1 star.
After buying the first 2 FULL seasons on DVD I figured I could trust that this item was actually a full season. I would not have bought this half season had I known this was what was advertised.

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Confessions of a Dangerous Mind [Blu-ray]

Who's the mole?
Close on the heels of his ADAPTATION, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman scores again with CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, based on the (fictional?) autobiography of the same title by Chuck Barris. It's also George Clooney's initial outing as Director.

At the very beginning when the audience sees a bearded and naked Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell) standing as if in a trance while a frumpy housekeeper vacuums around him, the viewer suspects that the film will be something special, outrageous, or both. This is the starting point for an extended flashback as Barris recalls his young adulthood, when it seemed everybody but him was having sex, to his successful career as a TV game show creator and low-brow polluter of the American airwaves ("The Dating Game", "The Newlywed Game", "The Gong Show"). Pretty standard stuff except that along the way Barris is seduced by a penchant for violence into a double life as a CIA contract killer, and the schizophrenia brought on by his double life almost...

A Very Funny, Star-Packed, and Deeply Disturbed Romp
A movie that combines "Ocean's Eleven" stars and a core storyline from "A Beautiful Mind" with the TV progenitor of Simon Cowell? It seems unlikely, as does much of the book this film's script was based on, yet it all comes together well in a very weird, but hilarious piece of entertainment.

Sam Rockwell is dead-on as game show producer Chuck Barris, who created not only two staples of American television mediocrity (The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game), but also the "American Idol" of the 1970s -- The Gong Show. The only differences between Barris' production and today's "Idol" are that Barris featured ONLY bad wanna-bes, so there were no recording contracts and such offered, and his judges were a lot funnier, as was he. Of course, viewers were different back then, too, in that they didn't know what to make of a show on which struggling "talent" were verbally abused. Today, that's half of Idol's viewership. In any case, Rockwell's portrayal of him is perfect...

Wrong Tone, Wrong Cast
In the featurette on "the making of," everybody praises Charlie Kaufman's script adaptation from Barris's fictional (non-fictional?) autobiography -- including Barris himself! Then Clooney comes on and starts talking about his own vision for the movie, saying "I hope I didn't ruin it."

It seems pretty clear he did.

The in-the-camera special effects, the performances, the sets and costumes are all top-notch, but the editing and tone of the film are in direct opposition to the material. Clooney has made it into a film noir. He took out all of the ambiguity and mystery. The editing is a mess of unrelated scenes, poor music choices, unattractive color saturations and/or monochrome scenes. For a film about a comic there are painfully few funny moments. The script that enticed big names like Clooney and Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore to sign on for essentially no money seems to have been thrown out the window entirely -- at least, there is none of the bracing originality that...

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Christmas with a Capital C

So much more than City Hall Holiday Politics- the DVD reviewed
KNOW it is a Christian DVD. PURE/FLIX is a Christian distributor. Christians making a faith-based film. Excellent actors in a good Christian tale written by Andrea Gyertson Nasfell. A story with a moral meaning, but don't confuse that with the politics also included.

There's teenage romance, a Mayor's race, a ski race, and Mitch (Daniel Baldwin, yes Alec's bro) returns after 20 years to oppose the long-time Mayor's (Ted McGinley) reelection as well as City Hall's use of a "Merry Christmas" banner and an antique local Alaskan's nativity carving. More than the "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holiday" issue is a greater theme of "goodwill to all men" & "peace on Earth."

Two magnificent aspects shine like tree-topping angels.
First is the filming location of Seward, Alaska; converted to Trapper Falls, small town of 4000 and home of moose burgers. Scenery is breathtaking. Local Alaskan's know that.
Second is an absolute show-stopper performance in a scene when...

A great film that deserved theater release.
I pre-ordered Christmas with a Capital C, however I have seen it twice on GMC-TV last year. It is a shame this film did not have theater release as it definitely deserved to make all the major theaters across America plus have over seas distribution. It is an excellent film with a top cast and it cannot be praised enough. It mirrors the on going war we have against Christmas in our nation today and is so very well handled. There is a tendency for reviewers to be spoilers when it comes to films and I do not want to do that. Suffice it to say that while every cast member does an outstanding job, Nancy Stafford stands out and I believe would have been up for an Academy Award. Her thoughtful observations are a center piece in this film and I will be urging all of our friends to purchase it on November 1. We even asked for one day delivery so we could begin showings as quickly as possible. My copy will be used in Bible Studies and I will be encouraging local churches to show it in...

An Insightful Movie that Makes the Point with Class
This is an engaging and heart warming movie dealing with the ongoing challenge of what Christmas is really about. I received a preview copy ahead of the formal release. I am related to the writer and know some of the cast and crew so must admit to some potential bias. Frequently the "Christmas Wars" between the sacred and the secular can spoil and blur the simple message of peace on earth and good will toward mankind. In this presentation the writer and the actors do not present mere platitudes and predictable answers. Nancy Stafford is the voice of reason and grace - I found her straight forward wisdom about what really makes Christmas "Christmas" compelling as well as inspiring. The movie is set in Alaska capturing the beauty and providing the ideal context. The characters are believable. This one is worth buying and giving as gifts to all of those you know who want to hear the real message of Christmas.

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Engineering an Empire: Collectors Edition

Fascinating!
This is a great series. Fascinating from beginning to end. Really makes you think and amazes you by what people were able to accomplish centuries ago that we think of as modern technology.

Highly recommended! One of the best buys I have ever made.

Informative and Comprehensive - missing subtitles though
Ordered this for my son and we viewed the episodes of Egypt and Rome so far.
They were very informative and comprehensive. Especially the concept of
Arches and Aquaducts by the Romans.

One shortfall i had was that the DVD is missing SUBTITLES. I find it
hard to grasp some of the words mentioned by the authors and particularly
when they are explaining the engineering concepts.

Since the key element of the DVD is commentary by scholars, i'm very
surprised and deeply dissapointed by the missing subtitles.

Worth it
What an excellent look at history! The roman video wad my favorite. I think it a must for history buffs.

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Rawhide: The Fourth Season, Vol. 2

Rawhide - The Greatest TV Western
First, I would like to thank CBS/Paramount for continuing to produce Rawhide on DVD. However, the wait between seasons 3 and 4 was way too long. Hopefully, they will produce seasons 5 to 8 in yearly installments beginning in 2012.
The artwork on the DVD's is excellent. However, someone forgot Eric Fleming on the season 4, volume 2 artwork.
CBS produced 30 episodes for the 1961-62 season.
The last two episodes filmed, "The Devil and the Deep Blue" and "Abilene" were a 2 episode arc about the herd arriving in Abilene. (This was similar to what they did in season 3, with "Near the Promised Land" and "The Big Blowout", about the herd arriving in Sedelia).
"Abilene" was scheduled to air May 18,1962, but was pulled and a a repeat of the "Peddler" aired instead. "Abilene" was next scheduled to lead off as the season premiere for the 1962-63 season, to air September 21,1962. (Coincidently, "The Devil and the Deep Blue" was rerun on Sept. 14,1962). It was again pulled from...

Great Western
I cannot get tired of this series. I heard Westerns Channel plans to air the series starting in January. Looks like I'll be watching more of "Rawhide" than I expected. I am very picky about the picture quality of the TV shows and CBS has done a magnificent job transferring them from the original masters for this DVD release. If you are concerned about whether or not the episodes are uncut, unedited or gorgeous quality have no fear. Buy with confidence. I hope CBS puts them all out.

Glad they make Rawhide available
I always liked Rawhide. It was certainly one of the most interesting Western series with its fine actors, great production values, and sometimes unconventional plot twists. I've bought the entire series up to now.

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Beware

SOME PEOPLE DESERVE TO BE KILLED
The film is the typical mistreated boy grows up feral in the woods and becomes a local legendary killer...with a slight twist. It is a slasher film, with blood, guts, and a head roll. Hispanic cast made for a nice change. The music sound track was by Cinder Road which sounds similar to NIN. The film attempted to add some humor, but it didn't come off too well. The lines were not that well written. Pretty much everything you expect in a slasher film plus Guitar Hero.

PARENTAL GUIDE: F-bomb, sex, nudity (Vivi Pineda, Christine Curran, porn star Michelle McLaren)

Hispanic Cast Is refreshing
There are things I loved about this movie and things I didn't like as well..
The gore effects were not up to my expectations although there is plenty of blood letting..
The movie really picks up steam in the last 30 minutes and there is a twist that I didn't see coming..A drunk man walks in his home to find his wife with another man and she throws in his face that their son is not his but the man she is having the affair with.. So the husband kills the wife and the boy he thought was his son's biological father then takes the young boy and chains him to a tree.Years go by and the boy survives on what he can grab to eat and the cuffs from the chains fuse into his flesh.The boy,now a hideous man becomes a local legend and one that is feared..His name is Shane and he's not in a good mood nor is he forgiving..a killing machine that could have really become a great new horror icon if done better.
I loved the back story within the story and I loved the storyline itself. The...

beware of the chained man
Beware is actually a pretty decent horror film, but there's a distinct issue of pacing that distracts from the experience. Maybe it's just me, but the storyline (especially in the beginning) seems to move at a crawl and it's not like it's moving so slow because a really engaging storyline is in the process of developing but rather, several moments of useless fluff is standing in the way of progression.

The first 30 minutes are *really* long. A group of teens are travelling on the road and hoping for one final gathering before they all go their separate ways. Yup, that crucial changing point in every young persons life- the understanding that all the partying and hanging out is soon going to be over for good. As the one girl so eagerly explains "This is probably going to be our last trip together so let's make it count". The group of young adults eventually encounter engine troubles that force them to make a stop at a nearby gas station and this is when the pacing feels...

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The Real L Word: Season Two

Season 2, So Good
I know several fans from season 1 were peeved that in season 2 the original cast did not return. While that may have been a tad disappointing for some, season 2 is a way better than season 1. I pretty much enjoyed the balance of drama and growth of a few -- Romi and Whitney -- along with the additions of: Saj, Claire, Kacy, Cori, Francine, Kelsey, and Rachel. Even the pairings and hook-ups are intense and hot at the same time. I'm looking forward to seeing season 3 and what's ahead for the future of many of these women after seeing the finale episode. I hope next though in season 3 maybe we can be introduced to a bisexual woman (yes it's called the real l word but remember Alice and Tina were bisexual on L-Word). Anyways, great job, Ilene and her team for another fine season of the lives of lesbians!

lesbian review
Loved it, this is the better than the lesbian drama on showtime...LOL... funny haha.. I know there both on showtime. Any who love Whitney who really just takes charge in most all the lesbian drama in the season. Couple of the couples were rather boring in this first season...loved the fashion dyke...she was super cliche! Wish she would have made it into season 2. Over_all I do recommend this show better than the L word season...real drama is always better than scripted...

I got this for my sister and she loved it.
My sister loved this but she enjoyed the first season a little bit more. Other than that she didn't have any complaints.

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When Dinosaurs Ruled

Very informative
If you are looking for the spectacular computer animated dinosaurs that are found in 'Walking With Dinosaurs', look somewhere else. This set doesn't have them. What it does have, however, is a lot of wonderful, up to date, fact based information on dinosaurs not found anywhere else. It is enough to keep a five year olds' attention, and intelligent enough to pull me into watching it as well.

I have a five year old son who is absolutely ga-ga for dinosaurs, and voraciously watches anything he can find on them, pours over books about them, spends hours putting together and taking apart puzzles of them, colors endless quantities of pictures of them - in short, anything with a dinosaur on the cover he wants. When he saw this, there was nothing for it but to buy it. I have to say I don't regret it for a minute.

To be honest, I purchased this not expecting much. I had read reviews of others and thought it would be inferior to anything else out there, but might keep him occupied for...

Excellent Resource
Both my 3 year old son and brother majoring in Animal Science completely enjoyed watching this series. It is detailed enough to keep an adult viewer interested. It also has enough computer animation and storyline to keep a younger viewer entertained while being educated.

Better Than I Thought
I didn't think this DVD would be as good as "Walking With Dinosaurs", but it's different. The animation isn't as good (it's good enough) but there is a lot of information you wouldn't have heard before, it has the very latest information.

If your interested in Dinosaurs get this DVD, if you're more interested in good animation get "Walking With Dinosaurs". I think both are worth buying.

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Joseph Smith: Plates of Gold

surprisingly good
Knowing productions like this are necessarily made with a low budget in most cases, given the limited audience, I bought this with some trepidation. My family could tell you that I'm a pretty picky movie critic, even when a film depicts subjects I care a lot about. While this production won't measure up to films that cost much more money to make, I was very pleasantly surprised. Our family just finished watching Joseph Smith: Plates of Gold, a feature length film about Joseph's experience of preparing to receive the plates, getting them, hiding them, translating them and printing the Book of Mormon. It focuses a lot on his relationship with Emma too. The actor playing Joseph is the same that played him a few years ago in the video the Church made about his first vision called The Restoration (so now he's appropriately a bit older). It's very well made and even held my teenagers' attention. It's perhaps not quite as excellent as The Work and the Glory series of movies, but better in my...

Very Authentic and Well Made - wonderful
This movie spans the time from right before Joseph's marriage to Emma to the completion of the translation of the Book of Mormon. R Dustin Harding plays Joseph (the same actor as from The Restoration - young Joseph). He is grown up now and does an absolutely phenomenal job (he even has a proper 19th century haircut)!! The cast is young (not 32-year-olds playing 21 year olds). This lends incredible credibility to the story. It is an imperfect yet earnest Joseph we see, a young man growing in his calling. His courtship of Emma and rejection by Isaac Hale as proper suitor stands out in the movie, the death of their firstborn child - it is striking how much more real these seem when young actors portray Emma and Joseph, and many of the other young men who helped in the restoration. It also brings out Martin Harris' immesurable contribution to the restoration - as an older wealthier man - who took Joseph's lead (a much younger man). True, he was party to the lost manuscript, but it is...

plate`s of gold
This movies was awesome. This is based on true events and was done vary well. enjoyed the movie it is about 1.45 min and well worth the time to watch and learn. I know I will watch this movie again and again.

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Top Shot: Reloaded, Season 2 DVD SET

Taking Aim At Traditional Reality Programming, The History Channel Serves Up A Competition Show For Shooting Enthusiasts
As the History Channel continues to veer away from actual history into the realm of reality television, we have one of the more unusual competition type programs in "Top Shot." Don't get me wrong. There is nothing particularly unique about the format of the show which mirrors countless other elimination programs across the television landscape. But with the subject matter being guns and recreational shooting, the show really caters to a widespread sport that you don't see embraced very often in traditional programming. Thus, lovers of target practice and marksmanship have a show that they can call their own. It's not an exclusive club, however, those that love reality competitions but have never been to a shooting range can also have a bit of fun. The show has the expected reality quirks that you either embrace or loathe. There's quick cut editing for dramatic affect, enthusiastic but obvious commentary from the host ("It's a hit" Survivor alum Colby Donaldson might exclaim...

Got my daughters interested in shooting
I'm a bit of a gun guy, and hoped my two pre-teen daughters would jump on board. This show made it happe. They have women up there, and some cute guys, so it met their criteria, and shows some excellent shooting in interesting circumstances, so it got them asking to go the range. I love the super slow-motion stuff they do to.

Even if you don't shoot, this is a great show!
I absolutely love Top Shot! The competitions are the type that most shooters can only dream of doing, like shooting targets while zooming down a zip line. Of course, the producers make sure there is some animosity and drama between the contestants, but for the most part, these are good hearted people who represent the shooting sports well. Excellent!

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Lully: Atys [Blu-ray]

Spectacular
William Christie and Les Arts Florissants have led the revival of French baroque operas. Their performances of Lully's Atys at L'Opera Comique in Paris in 1987 and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1989 received widespread acclaim and convincingly demonstrated the viability of the genre. Their CD recording on Harmonia Mundi Lully: Atys made after the Paris premiere was hailed as exemplary, but only now does this Blu-ray disc allow us to appreciate fully what all the fuss was about. A second disc provides five supplementary features totaling a hour and a half about the opera and the production. [I purchased my copy from Amazon.co.uk, where it has been available since October 25.]

Thanks to philanthropist Ronald Stanton, L'Opera Comique, BAM, and two other French theaters have been able to mount a new production of Atys, which was recorded in high-def video in Paris in May 2011. The result is...

Thumbs Up to ATYS
I have spent the last two days immersed in the blu-ray of Lully's 315-minute opera ATYS as presented earlier this year in Paris. Soon into the lengthy work something became noticeable in particular, that although I was following along with the English subtitles, the French diction was so clear that I could actually understand nearly every word and sometimes anticipate the next one, despite my challenged French. I recalled that I had read in the liner notes to Charpentier's MEDEE, recorded by Christie in the 1980's, how the cast had assembled to read through the words of the entire libretto first, before beginning to rehearse the music. So I continued to follow the blu-ray of ATYS closely. After an hour, I had to retire for the night, but the next day resumed viewing, and then went on to watch the excellent 100-minute interview disc. There even more substance was added to the rationale for emphasizing the declamation of the text.
Lully virtually invented French opera, after...

Thank you, Mr. Ronald Stanton. This Atys is for the ages.
Lully's stage works are, arguably, among the most well represented in all of baroque opera. There's the beautiful Persee from Toronto's Opera Atelier, the charming Bourgeois Gentilhomme and the spectacular Cadmus & Hermione, both from Le Poeme Harmonique. I can't comment on Armide as I have yet to see it. Now we have an absolutely indispensible Atys from the man who almost single handedly rekindled the world's interest in French baroque opera, William Christie and his intrepid band, Les Arts Florissants. Any Lully fan can just stop reading this review right now and purchase, without reservation, a copy of this extraordinary performance staged at Paris's Opera Comique. From the singing, acting, mise-en- scene, dancing and, of course, conducting, playing and direction, everything about this production is just glorious. American philanthropist, Ronald Stanton, funded this revival of the original 1987 production, directed by Jean-Marie Villegier and all I can say is THANK YOU, MR...

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Green Lantern [Blu-ray]

Daddy Issues
Green Lantern has received quite a bit of flak from reviewers for not being mainstream enough to relate to modern audiences. And that's a shame, because if Green Lantern is guilty of anything, it's of being a SUPERHERO movie.

Back before all these directors started streamlining films, revising backstories, and taking out Spider-Man's technologically-advanced web shooters, comic books were a glorious hodge-podge of the near possible, the impossible, and the just plain fantastic. Because superhero settings include every superhero and villain imaginable, they have to accommodate magic, aliens, superscience, and alternate dimensions in one heady mix. This makes for a very rich comic book series that can be intimidating for new audiences - which is precisely why movie directors cut out so much.

But you can't cut all the crazy out of Green Lantern and still stay true to the comics. And so, with tons of exposition, Green Lantern rabbit-punches viewers with...

Great Movie
I dont understand why people hated this movie so much. I have been a huge green lantern fan since i was 7 so ive been waiting for this movie for 13 years. The visual effects were great. The story (even though innacurate to the comics) was good. Ryan Reynolds played a near perfect Hal Jordan. The only problem was Hal was kinda whiny in parts in the movie which he never was in the comics. Blake Lively played Carol perfectly. The only problem I had witht he movie was the fact it wasnt long enough. The movie was only 1 hour 40 minutes. To fit in more character development and more story it should have been atleast a 2 hour movie. Didnt get enough development on the other lanterns, and the only ones you meet are Sinestro, Kilowog, and Tomar-Re. Even then you didnt get much of them. They need to make a sequel and go more in depth on more characters........the scene during the credits set up the sequel beautifully. Overall I loved this movie I sat in aww with goosebumps the whole movie...

Fun Movie Despite the Bad Reviews
I'll admit up front that I wasn't that familiar with the Green Lantern character before this movie. In fact, if I hadn't have talked to a friend who was a fan of the comics, everything I knew would have been from watching the old "Justice League" cartoons on Saturday mornings -- the ones in which Green Lantern was just another random face in the crowd. At least he wasn't the Wonder Twins, but Aquaman got more love than Green Lantern on that show. Thankfully, my friend explained why Green Lantern is so cool. I mean, having the power to create anything you can imagine... that's pretty awesome stuff. Obviously, the more imaginative the person, the better, and that was my main concern going in to this movie -- that the things the writers came up with for Green Lantern to create wouldn't be that creative. But I think they actually did a pretty good job in that department. Of course you have to keep in mind that he has to come up with these things on the spot, without a lot of time to sit...

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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Three-Disc 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory BLU-RAY
I won't bore you with yet another "review" of this film or my personal opinion of it. You want to know what I think of the BD version, right?

My short answer: This BD looks and sounds so good that I've already given away my DVD of it.

The Blu-ray Disc of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is the best I have ever seen of the film. Image quality is sharp & clean and the colors stand out like candy. The DolbyTrueHD sound is excellent allowing all the dialogue and songs to come through crystal-clear.

This BD case is like a book with many pages for the fans. My ONLY (small) regret is that the back cover containing all the BD information is not printed on the book, and instead is merely a printed page that eventually comes loose and detaches after a short while (whereas my "Easy Rider" BD is the same type of book and the information is printed on the back cover - much better!).

If you like (or love) this movie and are wondering if the BD is worth...

One of the all-time classics in a must-own DVD
The 30th Anniversary Edition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was originally botched as a fullscreen-only effort. However, Warner listened to the people and gave them a wonderful widescreen transfer.

Colors are vibrant, the 5.1 Dolby Digital track is very nice, and there are a handful of cool extras. There is the 30-minute documentary "Pure Imagination" which shows some of the cast today, including all the children and Gene Wilder himself. The interviews of the cast looking back at the movie which was the defining thing for so many of them is very interesting. The documentary on the whole is rather fulfilling. While one feels that the documentary could have delved deeper and maybe been an hour-long, at a brisk 30 minutes, the pacing seems okay and it won't leave you wanting too much more. There is a limited amount of archival on-set "B" roll footage, but all that is there is interesting.

Also included is the original theatrical trailer (Warner left...

Widescreen ... fullscreen ... Guess what? Everybody's WRONG!
Well, not exactly... Some here have complained that the widescreen version is simply a matted version of a full screen print, and that the widescreen presentation chops off part of the image at the top and bottom. Well, according to my copy of the DVD, that is only half correct. I own the 25th Anniversary 1996 release of this film on DVD, which has both the widescreen and full screen version on one DVD. I compared numerous scenes in freeze-frame between the widescreen and full screen versions. In widescreen, sure enough, a bit of the top and bottom of the image seems to be cut off when compared to the full screen version. But I also noticed that when viewing the full screen version, an equal bit is missing from the left and right compared to the widescreen version. So no matter which version you watch, you aren't seeing "everything". But which is proper? After comparing many images, I conclude that the widescreen version is what we are supposed to be seeing. Consider the...

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