Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection

COMPLETE SET REVIEW-completely thrilling & well done
UPDATE: This set is rumored to be released on Blu-ray in fall (Aug or Sep) of 2013.

Now, "PRIME SUSPECT" is available, boxed as "The COMPLETE COLLECTION". A bargain compared to individual segments. If you are just finding Prime Suspect, you WILL want all 7 years. 9 stories. Not just tales of cops and murder, but in-your-fact realistic cop activity, which was done with so much realistic detail, it was the show to change British (and world) crime shows forever. It is the gritty type of show that all mystery film and TV now try to duplicate. Police drama was changed forever by Helen Mirren and her role as Jane Tennison.

Be aware, the cases may not always end to your satisfaction--just like real life crimes and punishment. But you will be on the edge of your seat while you watch. 6 stories last over 3 hours each. The other 3 are about 1 1/2 hours long. Each is compelling viewing, ruthless in the detail, definitely not for children and the squeamish, blatantly course...

Truly Spectacular
If you're looking for something different in the police drama category... this is it. Completely unlike anything in the American cop show format, the first thing you'll notice is that these are all 1-hour-40-minute movie length features as opposed to the American format of 42-44 minutes. With only two of these features in each series broadcast a week apart as a part 1 / part 2, this must have been more like an annual event on British televison as opposed to a "season" on American TV. And what an event it must have been... wonderful story development with some really gritty subject matters, and Helen is marvelously brilliant in what could have been a very stereo-typed role. She plays it with a flawed humanity that is totally engrossing and even a little uncomfortable at times. There are also some fine performances by her fellow actors, particularly a couple of the "suspects". Very emotional and gripping. One other big difference from American cop shows... for the most part the...

One Fault by Makers of DVD
The original productions are outstanding in all respects; Mirren, above all, an example of towering excellence. However, those who produced the DVD's inexplicably omitted subtitles in the final two discs. This omission diminished my enjoyment because ever-present arcane British slang was much harder to pick up, much less understand, particularly when coupled with broad British accents. END-

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Scarface (Limited Edition) (Blu-ray + Digital Copy)

Finally!
The reason to buy this DVD is simple: one of the most influential films of the 20th century has finally been released in a newly restored, pristine transfer. As an owner of the original DVD release, I can testify that the difference is like night and day.

With every viewing, I come to appreciate Brian DePalma's Scarface more and more. Although not perfect, there is much more right with this film than wrong. It helps to compare it with its countless imitations: where most subsequent crime films rush headlong from one bloody gunfight to the next, Scarface takes its time. Its languid, gliding camera has a certain elegance in the way it reveals story points without relying on clunky Dick-and-Jane dialog or overwrought MTV pyrotechnics. A prime example is the infamous scene where Tony Montana (Al Pacino) attemps to buy two kilos of cocaine from some Coloumbians for his boss, Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia). Watch the way the camera drifts from the Miami Beach hotel room, across a...

A Gritty, Underworld Masterpiece.
"Scarface" is one of the greatest of all mob movies. It's an epic crime drama done with style and care. Brian DePalma presents a film that ignites the screen with a great screenplay by Oliver Stone and an amazing performance by Al Pacino. Unlike "The Godfather," which was more about family and relationships between father and son, "Scarface" is an exhilarating and intriguing journey into Miami's mob underworld, seen through the eyes of Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee with some of the greatest lines in movie history. The degree of excess here is brilliantly done and adds even more realism to a great work. DePalma shows a wonderful touch of style in the sets, costumes, cars, even in the violence. Look at the brilliant eye for composition he shows in a scene where an assassination attempt is carried out on Tony in a nigh club. The movie is full of that Latin style and intensity. The screeenplay By Oliver Stone is brilliant because it's complex in...

On DVD, yet again...
Brian De Palma's blood soaked gangster epic is on DVD, once again. I'll say this right off the bat, if you own the previously released Special Edition of Scarface, there's no reason to run out and buy this Platinum Edition, which has an assortment of previously released extras to go along with a counter for how many times the "F" word is used and how many bullets are fired. Besides that, there's nothing here that hasn't been seen before, but if you don't already own Scarface on DVD, well then, this is worth picking up. As for the film itself, it's a bloody crime epic featuring one of Al Pacino's best, and most infamous, performances as Cuban hood turned drug kingpin Tony Montana; but chances are, you already know all that. The DVD's picture quality looks cleaner, and the "remastered and remixed" sound is crisper as well, but whether or not you want to lay down the cash for this depends on how many times you've been suckered into buying the movie.

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Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)

Still a Classic
I remember being mesmerized by Bambi at the drive in as a kid in the early 70's, and then again on TV but, what a fantastic restoration.

I have to thank Amazon.com for providing this before the actual release date and I was amazed at the restoration. I am not going to review the story as it is a classic and most know what it is about. I will review the repackaging and upgrade of the classic. The new DVD provides extra outtakes that haven't been seen before and the new coloration is fantastic. Gone is the sort of gloomy non crisp colors and in its place are wonderful bright colors.

Fantastic redo! If you have kids they will love this updated version. If you just like Disney Classics than you will also want to own this one.

Classy presentation of classic film
Walt Disney opened the vein of fear that drives children and adults alike with his animated classic films. Disney understood, like the Grimms before him, that the same fears are at the heart of what motivate children as they do adults. In the uncertain and haunted world of the 40's where war and loss hung like a specter stalking every aspect of American life, Disney mined that vein of fear, loss and death and turned it on its head recognizing that the optimism and can-do attitude of the American dream could triumph but not undo the nightmares of the past. That's why Walt's films continue to resonate today even with fancy computer animated effects and larger than life villains. He knew that the worst monsters could be our next door neighbors. Disney adapted a modern sensibility to the same fears that the Grimms paraded in their tales.

That's why "Bambi" despite its pacing from a slower, less attention challenged era still has power and poignancy. As a kid everything you...

Re-release of updated Bambi - Not!
I was disappointed in this updated version - I have seen this movie since I was a young child every year it was shown in the theaters. I looked forward eagerly to when it came out on video. But was very disappointed as they had cut out several parts of the movie that had been shown in the theater version. I figured that when they remastered it digitally on DVD, they would add those parts back. But they didnt. They cut out the part where Bambi is fighting with Rono in the clouds - no loss there. But they also cut out one of the very best parts where the Owl is talking to the youngsters about being Twiterpaited then starts singing the twiterpaited song. "Everybody's twiterpaited in the spring, skunks smell sweet, rabbits sing, daffodils go daffy when the bluebells ring, the whole wide world's in love. When you can't control a grin, when your head's inflated. Love just socked you on the chin, pal your twiterpaited! Anyway. It is one of the best parts and I was really saddened that...

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Flight of the Navigator

Reminiscent of the best of the Heinlein young adult novels..
Flight of the Navigator is a far better movie than we'd have a right to suspect.

Plot spoiler if you read further:

A few minutes into this film, 12-year-old David Freeman (Joey Cramer) is on an
errand to retrieve his 8-year-old brother, Jeff, when he falls into a gulley and is
knocked out. Regaining consciousness, David returns to his house, thinking only a
few minutes have passed, and instead of his parents and brother finds a locked
door and an elderly couple living there.

Taken to the police station, David is identified by computer records as a boy
reported missing eight years before. Despite the fact that he hasn't aged, he's taken
to the Freeman's at a different house nearby, and when he sees his parents
obviously older, he faints. He returns to consciousness again on a gurney on his
way to a hospital bed. A few minutes later, while his parents are called out of the
room by a somber-faced doctor, David is left alone with his...

See You Later, Navigator
While meeting his brother in the woods in 1978, David Freeman falls down a ravine. He gets up to discover that it's suddenly 1986. Where has he been for the last 8 years? Meanwhile, NASA has found a space ship. Is there a connection? Can they find a way into the ship? And who keeps calling David inside his mind?

I loved this movie as a kid. While the first part seems slow and rather obvious if you've heard of the premise, the second part is a fun ride. Once David meets up with Max, things pick up and the movie switch from mystery to comedy. Watching it today, I was impressed by the special effects. This movie is almost 20 years old and they still hold up very well.

This is basically a movie only DVD release. The film is presented in wide screen and surround sound. But for the price, you're getting a great deal.

While not great cinema, this is a movie that the entire family will have fun watching together. Get it today and enjoy.

Nostalgic Eighties Flick
I have nostalgic memories from watching this film as a kid in the eightees. Along with "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "ET: the Extra-Terrestrial", this was one of my favorite sci-fi films. The concept of aliens and UFOs fascinated me. Unfortunately, it seems to have fallen out of circulation. Luckily I was able to get a copy of the VHS some time back. I hope Disney will re-release this film on DVD so we can see it in its original widescreen aspect ratio.

Joey Cramer is David Freeman, a boy living in a picture perfect Florida town in 1978 with his parents and bratty kid brother. However, he finds his life changed when he is knocked out in the forest for a few minutes, or so he thinks. When he returns home, he finds that it is 1986. David has been missing for 8 years, yet David himself has not aged. David's parents are now eight years older, and his bratty kid brother has grown up into a quite decent 16-year-old. David's quest to find out what...

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Santa Claus: Movie

Best Santa Ever!
The man who plays Santa in this movie is the cutest, sweetest, most magical Santa Claus ever captured on film. I swear to this day...this man IS the real Santa. They could not have done a better job in casting this film. I get goosebumps every time they show Santa take off in the sleigh for the first time. Outstanding movie!!

Wonderful DVD version is widescreen
Anyone buying a copy of this film should really get the wide screen DVD version. The flying sequences are so much better in widescreen as are the scenes in the North Pole toy factory. The "full frame" pan and scan version just can't hold a candle to the widescreen (I have both so have carefully compared them.)

There is an excellent director's comment track with questions being asked by the Special Projects Consultant for Anchor Bay (the company distributing the DVD) and answered and expanded upon by the director, Jeannot Szwarc. It is worth the price of the package alone. However there is also a great "making of" feature that was produced as a TV documentary at the time of the theatrical release of the film.

This is a really great Christmas film for the whole family. The first hour telling the story of how a simple wood cutter and toy maker become Santa Claus is completely charming. David Huddleston is a wonderful Claus. Dudly Moore is excellent as the elf,...

A Wonderful Christmas Movie
This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It brings the legend of Santa Claus to life in a grandiose way (i.e. great Hollywood special effects and wonderful musical score!) This movie was produced by the Salkinds (which probably explains why some of the flying sequences are similar to the Superman movies.) I just recently found it is available now on DVD. The DVD gives you four movie trailers and a very interesting hour-long behind the scenes making of "Santa Claus: The Movie." It also has director's commentary, if you like that. Buy the widescreen version. Ever since owning a DVD player, I have enjoyed watching movies presented widescreen. I hate to see them "fit to screen," because it cuts so much out of the picture. The score is by Henry Mancini and is just magical, especially "Sleigh Ride Over Manhattan"! This is a wonderful Christmas movie that you and your family will enjoy for years to come!!

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Inception

"Life could be a dream..."
On the surface Inception seems to be a crime caper, complete with master of disguise Eames (Tom Hardy), planner Aridane (Ellen Page), point man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and master thief Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio). But it's so much more than that, taking place in dreams within dreams within dreams.

Inception, like Total Recall and The Matrix, is about perception. The audience is never sure what reality is because the protagonist isn't sure what's real. There are clues providing evidence for the real/not real theories, but the best movies of this type don't come down on one side or another. Total Recall ultimately had enough clues indicating the "right" way. The Matrix stumbled after it made it clear that reality was fiction, thereby losing an audience who enjoyed the tantalizing mystery. Like so many mysteries, once the truth was revealed it wasn't quite as exciting as we all hoped. Inception wisely avoids providing answers.

Inception is also a thought...

A Dream, Within a Dream, Within a Dream...
BLU-RAY:

I just finished watching Inception for the second time. The Blu-ray is amazing. The PQ and AQ are perfect in every way. I did notice that the video was not as sharp, crisp, or clear as The Dark Knight. However it was very, very good. The audio is very bass heavy, but is up there with some of the best Blu-ray AQ I have heard. The movie was stunning all the way through and after another watch it is just as good if not better than the first time I watched it.

The special features are great. Disc two is full of behind the scenes and a dream documentary by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. On the first disc there is expansion mode which takes you behind the scenes and shows you each special effects scene and all which went into creating it. It is really interesting to watch. Very little CGI special effects were used on this film. They actually did most of the stunts or build huge models. It was really cool to watch.

MOVIE:

I went into Inception...

Don't dream it's over
Thank god there was one movie this summer not based on a comic book, a previous movie, television show, Disney ride, or candy wrapper. You actually had to invest some functioning brain activity to follow the plot and keep up with four simultaneous finales going on at the same time within different dream levels. And the ending was open to your own feelings or interpretation. Was he still in a dream or not? If you were still on board and paying attention, you may have noticed Leonardo's character didn't really care at that point, so why should we? It was a fun ride.

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The Ultimate Bourne Collection Trilogy (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum)

The Bourne Trilogy (Blu-ray)
(Update 08/11/2012: Knowing what I know now, I've completely rewritten my reviews for the box set and individual titles from scratch, which might make some of the comments obsolete. But in exchange, I hope this review seems more in-depth now).

(Note: Since I can't fit all 3 individual reviews into one entry, I've essentially condensed it down to a general overview of the plot, A/V specs and presentation, and only a list of the special features for each. The numbers you see don't necessarily equate to technical perfection, but those are the average numbers based on each movie and rounded up to the nearest whole or half number. To read the individual reviews, use the links below).

http://www.amazon.com/review/R35Y9M58QPFCXE/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
http://www.amazon.com/review/RFJDO2K5251W2/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1BYXHJU8KPQFN/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Movie - 5.0

The first time I ever saw this film series was from a...

Lots of extras
Perhaps the people who said this disc set has no extras haven't actually looked at the back of the DVD cases. Each movie has a lot of bonus material that is quite interesting. There is feature commentary with the director, interviews with cast members, deleted scenes, fight sequence planning, driving school, going on location, and lots of other really cool stuff (too much for me to write it all down here). If you are interested in how these movies were made you will really enjoy all of the bonus features.

A note on the packaging
I couldn't figure out how to open this set. I was tugging on the sides. Then I tried to slip the case off vertically. I was on the verge of forcing open the box when I decided to google the set, hoping to see something about the packaging scheme since there is no clear indication as to how to open it. Before you force this thing open, take note: The cover image of Matt Damon is a magnet. It flips open to the left, allowing access to the discs. Enjoy.

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The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

astonishing
Giving this set a bad rating because you already bought an earlier set is doing any potential buyers of this set a grave injustice.

It is, simply, astonishing. Why? Start with digital transfers from the original camera negatives and magnetic tracks. Add commentaries for the majority of episodes. And multiple commentaries for several episodes. Add Rod Serling's college lectures used for commentaries. Add interviews with cast and crew members. Add isolated msic scores. Add intros and outros. Add network promo spots. Add the TWILIGHT ZONE radio dramas and comic books...I could go on but why bother? If you are a TWILIGHT ZONE FAN, you won't be disappointed.

Twilight zone
I am a real fan of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. I bought the 42 VHS collection of Twilight Zone via Columbia House Canada and paid nearly $1500.00 for the entire collection more than ten years ago. What a deal to obtain the DVD collection with all the extras for a fraction of what I paid for the VHS. The quality is excellent. One little note: there is no close caption for the season one but no problem for seasons 2,3,4,5. Thank you Amazon. I live in Québec canada and it took only five days to receive the collection by regular mail.

DVD Menus, Sub Menus, and Liner Notes Give Away Surprise Endings!
Great set, clean and sharp transfers, love the collection, BUT...

WARNING TO NEW VIEWERS:

(1) DO NOT for ANY REASON watch OR listen to the main DVD Menu! Just hit the mute button until the images go away. REASON: The main menu stupidly gives away the plot twists for several classic episodes, spoiling the surprises for those who haven't seen them.

(2) When you choose an episode, DO NOT look below the top left corner; just hit "Enter" or "Play." REASON: The chapter selections for a number of episodes GIVE AWAY PLOT TWISTS with their descriptions and pictures.

(3) Do NOT read the liner notes included in each season box! Same reason as above: Pictures and descriptions give away plot points, to the point where fans like me say, "Why on earth did they show that picture? It completely gives away the entire episode!"

I'm flabbergasted that the folks that put these together set the episodes up this way. I played many episodes for my...

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The Blown Away Tour: LIVE

`The Blown Away Tour: Live track listing:
Carrie Underwood `The Blown Away Tour: Live' DVD Track Listing:
`Good Girl' *
`Undo It'
`Wasted'
`I Told You So'
`Two Black Cadillacs' *
`Last Name'
`Temporary Home'
`Jesus, Take the Wheel' / `How Great Thou Art'
`Cowboy Casanova'
`Get Out of This Town'
`Nobody Ever Told You'
`All-American Girl'
`One Way Ticket'
`Leave Love Alone'
`Flat on the Floor'
`See You Again' *
`Cupid's Got a Shotgun'
`Before He Cheats'
`I Know You Won't'
`Blown Away' *

* - music video is also on the DVD

Looks likes an awesome DVD! :)

Get Blown Away All Over Again!
I had a chance to see her live on this tour in Oklahoma City, OK and the one thing I have learned over the past year or so about concerts, is that country artists know how to 'bring it.'
Carrie Underwood brings her 'A' game to this fantastic tour. Her show rocks hard, literally and figuratively. This concert will appeal on all levels. You don't even have to be a hard core country fan to enjoy this either. Great songs, a string of hits, massive costume changes and hi-octane energy is what it's is all about. This is one of those great shows that you can enjoy with the entire family. The only thing that is missing from the set list is her fantastic performance of 'Sweet Emotion' by Aerosmith. I'm sure there was some kind of licensing issue which is why it's not included on this, but it doesn't take away from the overall experience.
Get ready to shatter every window, break every board and get 'Blown Away.'

The Blown Away Tour
Well thw content of this DVD was on YouTube for a short while and I got the chance to watch it and see her live!!! It was AMAZING!! I suggest buying this DVD. You will not be disappointed! It's a great show and will leave you BLOWN AWAY!

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Paramore

Different but great!
I have been a Paramore fan for a long time now. They are actually my favorite band. With their previous albums there was tons of energy, charisma, and just plain old good music. When I found out that Josh and Zac Farro left the band I was devastated. They were both major assets to the band.
When Paramore came out with their Singles EP without the Farro brothers I was hopeful. Their sound was still pretty much intact. I wasn't left disappointed. A little later "Now" came out. I liked it but it wasn't quite like the old Paramore. Then "Still Into You" came out and I was left a little disappointed. Both singles were great, but the signature sound was gone.
Well, their CD came out and I bought it anyway. I have to say that the first listen through wasn't doing too much for me. There were some catchy songs here and there, but the Paramore I used to know was gone. Even Hayley's vocals have slightly changed. But the second time listening through it I realized that this album was...

Well Worth The Wait
I must admit that for the longest time, i truly despised Paramore. For no particular reason (except maybe their fans, but that's a stupid reason to dislike something). Finally, I listened to Riot! and was hooked instantly (truly shocking because my fave bands are Marilyn Manson, NIN, Ministry, ect). Around that time I started reading all the articles about how Hayley Williams split with the original dudes and was making a dramatic return. I thought that Paramore was probably over before I could even fully get into them....

Skip forward a couple months to the release of the single "Now", and i downloaded it cuz...well, it's only a dollar right? I put it onto a random playlist and was blown away by how good it was--almost instantly! Later that night i ordered the album.

It was extra tantalizing waiting for the record to arrive, because it took weeks longer than the seller had informed me (that's what i get for going the cheaper route). It was gonna have to be a...

Best album to date
Without a doubt their best album. Hayley's voice is very powerful. Make sure to listen to guitar and drums, very creative, great composition. They just keep getting better and better.

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Dean Martin Variety Show Uncut

Full-Length, Unabridged Episodes of The Dean Martin Show Finally Come To DVD!
UPDATE (6/21/12):

THIS JUST IN: One month after The Dean Martin Variety Show Uncut was released, The Golddiggers Super Site has learned exclusively that a 4th Dean Martin Show DVD set is in the works... Also: Guthy-Renker has pulled its Dean Martin Show volumes from the market (this time, forever)...Plus: The most thorough REVIEW and analysis of the new DMS Uncut DVDs to be found anywhere.

If you're a fan of Dean and his series and care about its future course, you won't want to miss our extensive coverage, which can be found simply by entering into any search engine the words: Updates/TheGolddiggers Super Site

ORIGINAL PREVIEW (3/23/12):

As those who have either purchased or simply read about past DVD releases of Dean Martin Show material are all too aware, many of the musical numbers from the original programs have gone missing from the home video editions, as casualties of the often prohibitively high cost of licensing reuse rights from...

Review From a Former NBC-TV Executive & Founder of "The Dean Martin Fan Center"
If anyone wants complete versions of Dean Martin's Variety Show released to the public, it is I, along with thousands of fans worldwide! I was so lucky to have been there at NBC, as a network executive, for every taping of Dean's Variety Show during it's nine-year run. There was nothing like Dean's show, and there will never be anything like it again. The stars and celebrities that walked through those doors were overwhelming! Even the folks behind the scenes were like a loving family. Dean himself was just as you saw him on the screen, and the bond that I formed decades ago is still with me today!

If it were not for Time-Life investing in previous Dean Martin show releases, there would not be this third installment of Dean's Variety Show on DVD. Mainly because of legal reasons, the previous two sets had some of Dean's songs edited out. Now, for the first time, six of Dean's shows from his nine-year span on NBC are able to be released with all the songs intact (minus one...

Show over and I was still smiling
What a joy to finally see some of Dean's old shows intact with no cuts! And despite what one of our reviewers said, the video and audio quality is excellent considering the master tapes are over 40 years old. It was great seeing the guest stars (and quite a variety it was), all of whom I remembered well, but I think as I am now not a kid any longer that I actually am appreciating some of them far more than I did at the time. I was such a fan that I can actually remember sitting in Mr. Davis' biology class and not being able to concentrate because I was thinking that Dean was on that night. And it's sort of the same now, because as each of these programs ending I would sit there for a couple of minutes and find myself still grinning with enjoyment.

Yes, with the old variety shows, sometimes you had to sit through performances of people you didn't always appreciate, but Dean's shows more than made up for that with the spontaneity and good-natured humor that was always...

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Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo + BD Live) [Blu-ray]

Still Looks Great
I vividly remember the release of Sleeping Beauty. I was old enough to go see it myself - just barely. There I was sitting way up front eating my popcorn and all of a sudden this spectacular dragon materialized right before my eyes. Popcorn forgotten, I was hooked. Cartoons never looked the same to me, and I spent the rest of my life inhaling fantasy and science fiction on a quest for the same thrill.

Animation has changed quite a bit in the ensuing years, but even today Sleeping Beauty is a towering achievement. Now I'm more sensitive to the tricks of the art and can see the masterful use of perspective that made the scenes leap out at you. When I first picked up this DVD I half expected to be disappointed, to find it really wasn't so glorious in retrospect. This is hardly the case - this film is just as vibrant and alive as it was in 1959.

The added dimension now is that I can see how Disney's work was a formative influence on animation even today. Artist/Directors like...

A Restored Disney Classic with Bonuses
This movie is one of the great classics of animation, especially for Disney. The DVD version is significantly improved compared to the previous VHS tape. The picture and sound were both greatly enhanced for this release. Furthermore, both widescreen and full screen versions are available in this package.

As with Disney's other classics, some liberties were taken with the original story of Sleeping Beauty. Disney took the classic story and made it unique and special. In some ways the story is less violent and dark than the original fairy tale. In other ways, such as the portrayal of Maleficent, the movie is dark and forbidding. While the movie is generally a children's movie, Maleficent's dragon and her general demeanor can be somewhat frightening for some in the pre-school and younger set.

Aurora was the first love for many a young boy, and was also the model for the aspirations of millions of girls. The romantic love story of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip enchanted...

Should be part of any child's DVD collection
In 1959, the New York Times called Sleeping Beauty "a crisply stylized fairyland where the colors are rich [and] the sounds are luscious." In his book The Disney Films, critic Leonard Maltin writes that Sleeping Beauty is "a very good film, but more so for older audiences than for young children." The Gospel According to Disney says the movie illustrates "an eternal promise of resurrection," while From Walt to Woodstock claims it is a "therapeutic experience" that celebrates "a male-female relationship based on true equality."

As for me, I'd say that regardless of what you read into it, Sleeping Beauty is a must-own. A true Disney classic, the movie has such stunning visuals and such a strong villain that it makes up for its one major flaw: the lack of a good...

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The King And I

Oh, no! Fox has made another R&H-blunder!
It's finally here! The so-called definitive version of this lovely classic has now been restored AGAIN from the surviving 55mm negative, and there is indeed cause for cheers. Yes, it is now finally anamorphic on DVD! And yes, it looks absolutely gorgeous! Better color, sharpness and contrast than the old DVD issued in 1999 - and that one still looks quite impressive thanks to THX, although sadly non-anamorphic. Even so, the new one looks superior and has lots more bonus material!

But now a sad warning: If you own the old DVD and want this beauty of a film in its complete roadshow version - keep it by all means! The new 50th Anniversary Edition lacks the Overture, the Intermission Music and the Exit Music!

Incredible! And all that lush music was available on the 1999 DVD! What goes on in the heads of the people in charge at Fox? After the fiasco with the Todd-AO "Oklahoma!" recently, Fox should very well know by now that fans of these Rodgers & Hammerstein-films...

well worth the wait...
This brand-new 50th Anniversary edition of THE KING AND I is a must for all fans of the timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece. Widowed English schoolteacher Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) travels to Siam after she is offered a position to tutor the children of the King (Yul Brynner). Once in Siam, Anna and the King clash on matters of politics, ethics and the heart...two very different individuals who manage to still find the very best in each other. This magical movie has never looked or sounded better, in a new DVD remaster. Audio commentary for the film is provided by Michael Portantiere and Richard Barrios.

This DVD has been available for a while in the UK and Australia, and will finally get a US release this November. Extra features will include the pilot episode of the "Anna and the King" TV series starring Samantha Eggar and Brynner (with optional commentary by Eggar); vintage performances from the "General Foods" Rodgers & Hammerstein TV tribute (Patricia...

One of the Greatest Musicals of All Time!
Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE KING AND I (1956) is a wonderous movie musical, an incredible adaption of the Broadway musical that premiered on stage in 1951 (and has been performed tens of thousands of times since). It tells a timeless story about tradition vs. modernity, Eastern vs. Western culture and men vs. women. This story was first written as the first-hand account of Anna Leonowens' experiences in Siam in the mid-19th Century, where she had been hired by King Mongkut to teach his many children, in his hopes to push Siam into the modern age. This account was first adapted for the big screen as ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM (1946); unseen by me, it has been highly regarded in its own right, and starred Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison. THE KING AND I stars Deborah Kerr (last name pronounced "Carr") and Yul Brynner. Deborah Kerr completely embodies the strong-willed but emotionally fragile young widow Anna Leonowens; she makes Anna into a character with whom we identify and sympathize...

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