Why you should watch Clerks. Movie Title: Clerks Average customer review: Clerks is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Clerks

I’m not going to tell the plot of Clerks, since tons of other reviewers have already done that, but instead I’m going to focus of the DVD, because I don’t feel enough people write about that.

First off here’s the special features:

Audio Commentary: This commentary features a nearly countless amount of people, but mostly Kevin Smith with the occasional tid bit from actor Brian O’ Halloran (also known as Brian Christopher O’ Halloran) or producer Scott Mosier. Funnily, Jason Mewes showed up drunk for the recording of this and lies on the floor past out most of the time, sometimes waking up to swear or scream “Snootchie Bootchies.” Obviously only one mike was used for this, but that never bothered me much, because the commentary is a load of fun, with tons of interesting things and laughs. I like this much better than the overrated Mallrats commentary.

Deleted Scenes With Introductions by Kevin Smith: There are about 6 deleted scenes, almost all of them extended bits, but all of them interesting. Ones I particularly liked were the longer Gum Guy’s speech, the longer conversation with Dane and Veronica, and the longer talking between Veronica and Randal. The only completely additional scene is in #3 where Randal tries to pursuade a customer to rent Smokey and the Bandit 3. Not very funny, but interesting. The introductions to the scenes by Kevin Smith are very good, short and to the point, where as in all the other DVDs he rambles on for about two minutes about why you should visit Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash or mumbles or wastes time going “Um,” you get my point. In these intros he simly states what you’ll find new in the scene and then you view, I think the longest intro is about thirty seconds. Excellent.

Original Ending: The shocking original ending is included for your enjoyment, and it is obvious why it was cut, although I personally love the scene and think it’d be a great ending to the film. Why? Because it ends on a downer, just like Dante and Randal talk about early in the film, and is more realistic (OK, maybe not, but I like it). Sit through the short set of credits for a breif cameo by director Smith. The ending features an introduction where Smith states how happy he is that the scene was cut. Interesting.

Music Video: The funny music video for Soul Asylum’s “Can’t Even Tell”, featuring a recreation of the hockey scene, in color no less! It’s an interesting look at what if would be like if the movie was in color, but it’s also a pretty good song, and the video is entertaining, measuring around four and a half minutes. Introduction by Smith is included, which is pretty interesting.

Theatrical Trailer: The film’s original trailer is included with introduction by Smith, where he states how crazy he is for it and that it’s one of his favorite trailers ever. It’s a nice trailer and all, but really, it is just a trailer, and I think he sees into it more than most people will (though I read a review that called the trailer “a piece of film itself”).

Anyway, those are the extras. It doesn’t look like much, but quality overwhelms quantity, and all these extras are very cool, and worth your time.

The sound and picture on the film is fine, at least when you think about it. Remember Clerks cost less than a car to make, and the picture is consistently grainy throughout, as well as black and white (oh boo hoo to all you people who can’t watch a black and white movie), but I could always tell what was going on, and after about two minutes, I got used to the grain (you will, too). The sound is a 2.0 surround sound that is always clear and never bothersome. There’s minor hiss, but barely irritating (or noticeable).

Anyway, I like CLerks a lot, although most people won’t watch it because of the black and white picture and a lot of people find it boring, but I just don’t understand how anyone could find a movie with such great acting and dialouge boring. Well, if you need an explosion or a bunch of action every ten minutes…..

Hope you liked my review (kind of long, sorry), and please vote if it was helpful. Thank you for reading.

One of my favorite films of all time… and they’ve given it the deluxe treatment with this 3-disc set. Here are the details from Kevin Smith’s View Askew website about this new edition:

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The 93 minute “Clerks” Theatrical cut- All new HiDef transfer from 16mm IP supervised by Dave Klein with all-new 5.1 Skywalker Sound remix supervised by Scott Mosier, includes original commentary track from laser disc/initial DVD release

The 103 minute “Clerks” IFFM First Cut, includes all-new audio/video commentary track with Kevin, Scott, Jeff Anderson, Brian O’Halloran and Jason Mewes.

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The 95 minute “The Snowball Effect: The Story of Clerks” Brand Spanking New Documentary that inteviews almost everybody who ever had something to do with “Clerks”

The MTV Jay and Silent Bob shorts that everyone’s been crying for us to put on a DVD for years now

The Arclight 10th Anniversary Q&A with Brian, Jeff, Marilyn, Scott, Dave, Mewes, and Kevin

Lots of new video intros.

“The Flying Car” short from the Tonight Show (re-telecined in HiDef).

The Original theatrical trailer

“Can’t Even Tell” Music Video

The original Jeff, Brian, and Marilyn and Ernie O’Donnell audition tapes

The brand new, seven minute animated “Lost Scene” short

Expansive Still Photo Gallery

‘Clerks’ Trivia track

Original 168-page original first draft screenplay

Kevin’s ‘Clerks’ Journal

Kevin’s ‘Sundance’ Journal

Peter Broderick’s 1992 article “The ABC’s of No-Budget Filmmaking” that inspired the budget for ‘Clerks’

Peter Broderick’s followup article “Learning from Low-Budgets” a year later that does the same treatment on ‘Clerks’

Amy Taubin’s Village Voice article on the 1991 IFFM and ‘Slacker’ that inspired Kevin to take ‘Clerks’ to the IFFM

Amy Taubin’s Village Voice article on the 1993 IFFM about ‘Clerks’ being the gem of the festival.

Janet Maslin’s 1994 New York Times review of ‘Clerks’ entitled “At a Convenience Store, Coolness To Go”

The entire John Pierson ‘The Odd Couple: Sundance 1994″ Chapter from ‘Spike Mike Reloaded’ book

The original Kevin-penned IFFM program note

The original Bob Hawk-penned 1994 Sundance Film Festival program note.

“Mae Day” – Kevin and Scott’s Vancouver Film School documentary short.

Watch Merrill’s Marauders Free. Movie Title: Merrill’s Marauders Average customer review: Merrill’s Marauders is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Merrill’s Marauders

I have the movie in VHS, part of (I like to feel) a good collection of war films, in both VHS & DVD, from – “All Quiet on the Western Front ‘1930′” to “Saving Private Ryan ‘1998′, some ‘140′ war films. I can certainly use the 2 former as a benchmark for comparison & rating. If “Saving Private Ryan”, the finest war film I have ever seen, with the most graphically realistic & brutal battle scenes, ever shown on film, has, without a doubt become the benchmark by which all later war films would be judged, then “Merrill’s Marauders” is a ’60’s classic, with, in my opinion, some of the finest acting ever portrayed in a war film! Jeff Chandler, as an earlier review stated, gives one of his finest performances, (He truly is a gifted actor!)This movie portrays, as was intended the American involvement in the Burma Theater of Operations against the Japanese, a 3000 strong unit, put together of mostly seasoned troops, volunteers, for 1 mission against the enemy. From Jeff Chandlers gritty performance, such as when he tells his men – quote -”Everybody back into the swamp” instead of waiting for desperately needed food & ammo supplies, to avoid enemy troops searching for them, to a very poignant scene by actor Claude Akins. All the soldiers are completely exhausted from continuous battles with the enemy, and literally starving, from lack of food supplies that had run out, He’s approached by an old Burmese woman & young boy, in a village they have just occupied after a brutal battle, the pair attempt to feed him the
only food they have, a bowl of rice. Overwhelmed by it all, he not only breaks down in tears, but in a gesture reminiscent of the generation, and considering the horrific battle he’s just been through, removes his cap in a show of gentlemanly respect
to the old woman. To me the most touching & realistic scene I have ever seen him portray. As far as accuracy, I give the movie
“High Marks”, there is a scene in the reservoir night battle scene when the Japanese are attempting to infiltrate the American lines, a Japanese soldier who tries to bayonet Claude Akins is stopped by him and flipped over the stone wall and killed. If you look closely at the Japanese soldiers footwear, as he is flipped over the wall(you may have to do it in slo-mo)you’ll notice he is wearing the standard split-toe style shoe worn by Japanese troops during the war. The film makers, working for this type of accuracy, though it may well have not been noticed by the general public, only speaks for the realism that they worked to achieve. I agree with another review, in that the Japanese were, in many instances easy kills in the battle action, but I consider this a small slight against what I deem an excellent movie filled with gritty realism, good battle action, and an excellent look at the common American soldier in action and the constant fear, hunger & deprivation he faced, exemplified by the courage & tenacity with which he persevered and eventually triumphed over the enemy!
Sure it’s meant to rous the American public of the “60’s” with the unbeatable fighting spirit of the Ameircan G.I., and that’s exactly what it does, and does well! To all who read this, I am fairly new to the internet, and just learning my way around, but at age 48, I’ve seen most every war film shown, and I feel I am a fair judge. I give this film and the director & cast a solid “4 STARS ****!!!
…

This is a rugged and gritty WWII film set in the CBI Theater directed by Samuel Fuller. The action concerns Jeff Chandler, in his last screen portrayal, as Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill. Merrill leads a band of battle fatigued GIs (Ty Hardin, Peter Brown, Claude Akins, Will Hutchins and others) against the Japanese in the Burmese jungle. It is beautifully photographed in color and CinemaScope by William Clothier. Fuller co-wrote the script with Milton Sperling. This film has been highly underrated. It is a good depiction of the stress, determination and humanity experienced by the average GI in everyday face-to-face confrontation with the enemy. Jeff Chandler gives an accurate performance of the real Merrill. Jeff Chandler truly was a gifted actor and deserves more recognition for his talents as this film demonstrates. The VHS copy is in Full-Frame, but it retains the images in vivid color and is very enjoyable. It was released theatrically in 1962.

Best Reviews Of Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection. Movie Title: Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection Average customer review: Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection

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

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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.

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.

Download Some Like It Hot Xbox. Movie Title: Some Like It Hot Average customer review: Some Like It Hot is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Some Like It Hot

To just the technical info above, this DVD (both the special edition and movie-only edition) DOES HAVE an English monophonic soundtrack that was originally extinct in the film. Also included is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but one wonders if a dialog-heavy film like this should really need a surround soundtrack. Dialogs in both the mono and the 5.1 tracks sound perfectly determined and understable. The surround sound only comes into spend during the occasional music and gunfight sequences. I do applaud the inclusion of the modern mono track, which quite a few unique DVDs of older movies do not provide in the hope of enticing novel DVD owners with 5.1 audio.The video transfer looks large — images are exciting, levels of dim notice realistic (you can clearly scrutinize and feel the velvety texture of a murky robe Monroe wears), signs of wear and stir are virtually non-existent. The portray aspect ratio is 1.66:1, which is not the 1:85:1 ratio former for the new US theatrical release and for all previous US letterboxed laserdisc releases. The 1.66:1 ratio adds a petite recount to the top, but doesn’t really affect the composition. The video is also non-anamorphic, so the resolution is not as high on a widescreen TV as it would be with an anamorphic DVD. There is also no English optional subtitles, but there are yellow optional French and Spanish ones.I would have gladly paid a higher sign if they had included better supplementary material on the Special Edition DVD, such as the audio commentary and home movies that were set on the Criterion laserdisc made in the early 90s. The extras on the Special Edition DVD include a attractive but superficial 30-minute recent interview with Tony Curtis reminiscing about the film, a rather listless 12-minute interview with the actresses who played the girl band members, a segment called “Virtual Hall of Memories” that is essentially a calm gallery, and trailers of 7 Wilder films including SOME LIKE IT HOT; all the trailers are in unpleasant video condition. The most spirited extra is a reproduction of a pressbook for the film, but the pictures are blurry and the smaller text is illegible. I am disappointed that we never score to hear from Jack Lemmon or Billy Wilder, both unruffled alive, on this DVD. These extras are not impressive, so one may think buying the movie-only edition for a cheaper brand.

Billy Wilder’s most well-liked comedy finally receives the deluxe treatment it deserves. MGM previously released this classic comedy in a nonanamorphic widescreen version a couple of years benefit. While that edition looked stunning decent this anamorphic transfer puts any previous editions (including my worthy favored laserdisc edition) to shame. Wilder’s comedy operates as a spoof of gangster films and a comedy about gender roles. Jerry (the slow Jack Lemmon) and Joe (Tony Curtis) are two musicians on the lam when they glance the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. With Spats Columobo (George Raft) and his men looking for the duo they go undercover as musicians outrageous dressing and joining an all female band headed for a gig in Florida. Becoming a woman allows Joe/Josephine to spent time with Sugar (Marilyn Monroe) the latest woman that catches Joe’s like. Jerry/Daphne on the other hand finds himself romanced by a rich man (Joe E. Brown) who won’t hold the hint as Jerry tries to blow off his advances.
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And you conception the 50’s were tame. One of Wilder’s richest 50’s comedies “Some Like It Hot” continues to be very amusing inverting our expectations constantly and playing with the roles that Jerry and Joe recall on with their current identities. Joe’s eyes initiate the most as before he was a beautiful ruthless womanizer. Becoming a woman puts him in the crosshairs of every male insight and he’s on the receiving raze of all the smirks, comments and passes that he would have outmoded with Sugar before his change. Wilder mixes social commentary so deftly with comedy (like Hitchcock’s work with suspense and social commentary) that at his best–and he’s at his best here–it reminds us how enthralling a movie can be without being heavy handed. It’s also filled with some agreeable in jokes (for example Colombo played by George Raft observes a thug flipping a coin and comments, “Where did you buy up that cheap trick? ” Raft of course did the loyal thing in one of his signature roles in “Scarface” from 1932) .

A mammoth movie looks even better in this engaging looking transfer. The dismal and white imagery of the film looks stunning. Originally Marilyn Monroe lobbied to have the film shot in color which Billy Wilder felt wouldn’t work for this comedy (he persuaded her to agree to shoot in shaded and white when he showed her develop up tests for Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in color where their obtain up as women made them peek slightly green) while the film certainly would have looked ample in color the sumptuous cinematography by Charles Lang (”The Graceful Seven”, “Wait Until Dim”) looks extremely edifying in this improbable looking transfer. Detail is quite salubrious and blacks are solid with a nice array of different textures evident in the transfer. Audio is presented in the novel mono and sounds radiant.
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For those that are into such things the special features here are a spacious improvement over the previous edition. We procure a commentary track compiled from comments by the gradual Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and I.A.L. Diamond’s son (working with the comedy writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel–honestly I could have belief of better writers to pair with Diamond’s son) . While the insights aren’t exactly a revelation it is an appetizing commentary track.

We also find two terrific documentaries on the making of the film. The first features a mixture of unusual and older interviews from the cast and crew. The second documentary “The Legacy of `Some Like it Hot’” is packed with trivia about the making of the film, Wilder & Monroe’s relationship on the position and the difficult time Wilder had making the film with his leading lady including footage shot in the 80’s of Wilder and Diamond.

Finally we accumulate “Memories from the Sweet Sues” featurette with members of the women who played in the band, an interview with Tony Curtis entitled “Nostalgic Inspect Assist” where Curtis reveals that actor/voice artist Paul Frees did powerful of his dispute as Josephine because he had pains reaching the high sing. We also gather the imaginatively titled but unimpressive “Virtual Hall of Memories 3-D Tour” The fresh pressbook appears on the DVD as well and we acquire reproductions of various lobby cards. Finally we find previews and the new theatrical trailer.

Far more impressive than the lackluster previous DVD releases “Some Like It Hot” looks solid in this re-release although the film could notice a bit more vibrant. The featurettes are, for the most allotment, very proper and the compiled commentary track adds loads of trivia (some of which is duplicated in the featurettes) about the making of the film. I do wish that a film historian such as UCLA professor Howard Suber had been keen in some map to befriend provide context for the movie but that’s honest personal preference. A radiant release that could have been enormous with a wee bit more worry on the allotment of Sony/MGM.

Download Burn After Reading PSP. Movie Title: Burn After Reading Average customer review: Burn After Reading is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Burn After Reading

After the true genius of No Country For Old Men, the Coen Brothers come back with a whole new dimension. Burn After Reading is a dark comedy about idiots faced with an intelligent and complex situation. Two Gym instructors Linda Litsky (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) find a disc containing the memoirs of ex CIA agent Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich). They, being idiots think it’s a disc containing top secret information and try to bribe Osbourne for money which would help pay for Linda’s cosmetic surgery. Things don’t go to plan as Osbourne has bigger things on his mind, his wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is having an affair with the paranoid Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney).

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This film is actually quite intelligent in its own right, the characters seem well defined and are played superbly. The characters were specifically written for the actor playing them and it really shows.

John Malkovich portrays the agent lost of all hope well, you become quite intimidated by both his intelligence and temper.

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George Clooney as the paranoid individual who’s having more affairs than you can wave a stick at doesn’t falter. He’s jumpy, but hey who wouldn’t be if you were sleeping with three different women. This eratic behaviour becomes a bit tragic and leads to the death of one of the characters in the film.

Brad Pitt as the loveable and wannabe cunning idiot is fantastic, the facial expressions and general stereotypical dexterity of what we would expect a personal trainer to be really works. This becomes especially amusing when he enters into the bribing game with Malkovich and starts to enter into the character of cunning spy. It has to be seen to be believed.

Frances McDormands character is the real shining light of the whole film as she’s the catalyst leading up to the films biggest events. She’s a middle aged gym instructor paranoid over the look of her body. While trying to get plastic surgery, she’s turned down by her insurance company and is the one that convinces Pitts character to bribe Cox. She’s a woman on the edge of giving up on life and wants to take one last leap into the chance of a relationship, but is made even more nervous by her own body insecurities.

The Coens once again create a film that is both surreal and believable, the characters are shockingly brilliant. The scenario is a bit over the top but comes together perfectly. There is something that bothered me, however, and that’s the fact that every character in the film seemed to be having an affair with someone else. I don’t know, maybe that was the whole point that made the film work. For fans of the Coens this is definitely one that sits proudly in their film catalogue next to such greats as No Country For Old Men and The Big Lebowski. I would strongly recommend it to any film fan overall, it’s definitely worth it just for the Brad Pitt & Clooney facial expressions. Be warned though as if you’re easily offended by swearing, then you might as well take your pad and pen with you to start writing your complaints letter.

The Coen brothers are nothing if not eclectic in their choice of film projects. “Fargo”, “The Big Lebowksi”, “No Country for Old Men” and, now, “Burn After Reading”. Each film is quite unique. There is certainly no danger of the brothers being type cast.

“Burn After Reading” is a spoof spy film set in Washington. Its ensemble cast includes George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich and a wonderfully and eccentrically cast Brad Pitt. No one character steals the show. This could be a danger with such names but, somehow, the brothers ensure that each character has a role to play in this romp without any one actor taking all the lime light.

The plot involves a whole series of misunderstandings and mistakes as the lives of each character come closer together. In the end, paranoia runs rampant as some seem to win but, others, clearly lose. Perhaps the best way to describe the film is as black comedy. It is more subtle than the usual Hollywood comedy in the style of Jim Carrey or Steve Martin. It is also much darker. Yet, for all the double dealing, mistakes and misapprehensions, the story manages to remain connected as a whole. At no time does the viewer fail to join the dots.

Do not go looking for some greater or deeper meaning. “Burn After Reading” is simply a well cast spoof.

The Replacements Movie Streaming. Movie Title: The Replacements Average customer review: The Replacements is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Replacements

As shocking as it may be, when you think about it, the football movies of the past, to include Oliver Stone’s excellent but dark, “On Any Given Sunday” simply do not match this film. I will even place this film in the all-time greats like “Pride of the Yankees” and “The Natural”.

First, we don’t need to watch any more tragedies on film, we need to see something that inspires us to overcome, and this film delivers: I’m surprised its considered a comedy! Hackman should get an oscar for this film because his narration and actions drive the film and create yet another complex character from the mind of the master. Hackman’s Coach knows that the men he wants to be his replacements are great, he is frustrated that life hasn’t shown them that and he wants to set them up for success, not failure. He believes in them as human beings, not just as football players, that if they can get a “second chance” they will shine. His talks with Keanu Reeves’ charachter, reveal a candor and leadership style you should really consider. He tells him flat out he wants to see the man and the ability come together because it will be wonderful to see or words to that effect, his belief in the REALITY that Reeves can deliver are stupendous. Later he instructs his Quarterback, in the hour of decision, the leader wants the ball in his hands.

Along the way, Reeves meets a sexy head cheerleader and there is a nice romance where she begins to believe in him, too. The football action scenes are the best yet to grace movie screens, you feel like you are in shoulder pads/helmet again. What I like was how just before the final game that would decide whether they go to the play-offs or not, Reeves gets canned by front-office politics in favor of the arrogant Joe Theismann-type “all pro” quarterback who is afraid he will lose his job. You are not really sure how the film will end at this point, the team follows the leadership of Reeves but are losing under the arrogant vet. The coach gets a phone call.

I will not give away the ending but Hackman’s voice over after the game, clinches it, I paraphrase: “All men once they have touched greatness in their lives are changed forever”.

AND THIS IS THE POINT!

Just once, do something great in your life! Go all out and let yourself know that you can do it, once you know this you will be changed forever. The world doesn’t let you or want you to know that greatness is within your grasp, this is why it beats you down. Find your gift you have been given and act on it, this is the true attitude “replacement” we need and this film shows us how to get it.

Despite the fact that this film is a totally unoriginal and predictable retread of a dozen “losers to winners” sports stories, it is so hysterically funny that I didn’t even care. The story is thin at best. The NFL is having a players strike and scabs are called in to finish the season. Our heroes are low on ability but high on desire and peculiarity. The quarterback, Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves), once had a promising career, but he fell apart psychologically when his team was pummeled in a college bowl game and he was labeled a player that folds in the big game. Of course, while visiting the NFL, Shane falls in love with the head cheerleader (Brooke Langton) who never dates players (except of course this once).

All this is merely a mundane excuse for a raucous and silly comedy that has some sidesplitting moments. To enjoy this film you really need two things. You need to love football and you need to enjoy slapstick, banana peel comedy. I realize that this limits the audience considerably, but for those who qualify (and I am one), this movie is a scream.

Director Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink, Grumpier Old Men) did a great job on the football sequences. He hired 45 professional football players (Former NFL players, Canadian Football League, etc.) to do the football scenes and sent the actors to a three-week football camp. The action looked real because it was real. The players were told to play and hit the way they normally would. Of course, the plays were choreographed, but they were real football plays.

The comedy was lowbrow, outrageous and crass, with a great deal of physical comedy. The cheerleader scenes were a riot, especially the cheerleader tryouts. The scene where they started pantomiming sex acts to distract the opposing team was priceless. There was also sharp-witted football humor that required more than just a passing knowledge of the game.

There isn’t much serious that can be said about the acting. Keanu Reeves tried to play an earnest comeback and romantic role amidst all the foolishness and it really didn’t fit with the rest of the film. However, he was an excellent athlete. He did most of his own on-field shots and looked very believable as the quarterback. Gene Hackman was good when he was making snappy wisecracks, but his inspirational “Hoosiers” imitation was misplaced.

This film really belonged to the supporting actors like Orlando Jones (Clifford Franklin), Michael Taliferro and Faizon Love (The Jackson Twins), Ace Yonamine (Jumbo Fumiko), Rhys Ifans (Nigel “The Leg” Gruff) and all the cheerleaders who made the comedy work. Jon Favreau gets a special mention as the crazy S.W.A.T. officer turned linebacker who took the wild man role to the next level. The scenes with an incredulous Pat Summerall and John Madden were also fabulous.

This film won’t be fun for everyone, but it will have certain people falling off their chairs. I rated it an 8/10. Subtract two points if you aren’t amused by slapstick and boorish behavior, and another two if you aren’t a football fan. For the rest of you, be prepared to split a gut.

Watch Annie Hall on Ipod. Movie Title: Annie Hall Average customer review: Annie Hall is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Annie Hall

I have a confession to form. Until now, I’ve never seen a Woody Allen movie.Buy,Download, Or Stream Annie Hall! Click Here Boy, I positive was a “miss out”.

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Annie Hall, made in 1977, is a classic. Why, oh why, did I wait so long?

First of all it’s a legend, and a very laughable epic at that, about a Fresh York Jewish comedian, played by Woody Allen and his WASP girlfriend, played by Diane Keaton. It pokes fun at many social mores that we lift for granted and I found myself laughing throughout. There’s the Original Yorker who never learns to drive, the mid-westerner who orders a pastrami sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise (which seems almost grotesque to a Unusual Yorker like me), the pretentious movie critic, the neuroses of current romances, and the differences between the Recent York and Los Angeles intention of life.

The film runs along at such a hasty move that there is almost no time at all between droll moments. And, to do it even better, there are some astounding film techniques. For example, while Diane Keaton and Woody Allen are talking about photography, there are subtitles on the conceal about the physical relationship that they are really thinking about.

If the film were made today the phone calls would have been made on cell phones. But surprisingly, that is the only detail that might be changed. Annie Hall has really truly stood the test of time. And I loved it.

`Annie Hall’, directed by Woody Allen and written by Allen and Marshall Brickman is eminently rewatchable, which is the one quality that makes it an well-behaved DVD buy. I have seen this movie at least a half dozen times, and I am smooth discovering bewitching things in the film. What makes this so strange to me is that the first time I saw it, after having seen `Manhattan’, I really did not believe it was as valid as the later film.

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My initially vulgar belief of the movie was primarily due to the numerous cinematic gimmicks harking abet to his earlier, plainly less thoughtful movies. These include flashbacks to dopey teachers and classmates, almost as a parody of Jean Shepherd; subtitles showing what the characters are really thinking of one another during a conversation; a cartoon segment where Allen and the Tony Roberts character appear with the heinous witch from Snow White; speeches to the audience; and the most celebrated, a surprise appearance by Marshall McCluhan in a movie theatre lobby to refute a college instructor pontificating about McCluhan’s ideas.

The single most notorious scene from the movie is the encounter between Allen’s character, Alvy Singer and Annie Hall, played brilliantly by Diane Keaton, after their tennis match with Annie dressed in her classic layered view with vest, men’s tie, and balloonish trousers. The mountainous sound bite from this encounter is the Annie Hall exclamation `La Di Dah, La Di Dah, Dah Dah…’ and Singer’s reaction wondering how he could be enthusiastic in anyone making such comic exclamations. From this one scene came a whole leisurely 1970’s fashion trend, the `Annie Hall’ seek of layered, mannish clothes. This scene also sets the stage for my latest insight into the movie, which is the progression of Annie, with a lot of befriend from Alvy, from an unserious girl with a decent singing screech to a serious woman with a few excellent ideas and a connection to a serious Hollywood music personality, played convincingly by Paul Simon with an watch to having her performances commercially recorded.

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While so worthy can be said of the loves, frustrations, and disappointments of Alvy Singer, the movie is, after all, named `Annie Hall’, not `Alvy Singer’. Not to say that this incarnation of the Woody Allen fictional persona is not central to the myth. In the epic of Alvy Singer that frames our encounter with Annie, there are encounters with two early marriages to characters played by Carol Kane and Janet Margolin, plus less than bewitching romantic encounters with Shelley Duvall. The Allen talent for pulling in major actors and future major actors for brief appearances is in fat bloom. There are kindly runt parts for Colleen Dewhurst and Christopher Walken. There are even smaller parts for surprise appearances by Jeff Goldblum, Sigourney Weaver, and Beverly De’Angelis. Unbiased as Allen is playing his usual, highly autobiographical character, male costar Tony Roberts plays the typically untroubled successful male who is constantly on the execute for something or other, whether it be a business deal of a romantic laision. (It objective occurred to me that it is logical that Roberts did not play the male costar in `Manhattan’, as the Michael Murphy character simply did not fit the typical Tony Roberts character as it appears in `Play It Again, Sam’, `A Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy’, and `Annie Hall’.

While I have not reviewed all of Allen’s later movies, I will venture the idea that not only is `Annie Hall’ better than all the films which precede it, it is as superb or better than his best later movies (such as `Hannah and Her Sisters’, `Crimes and Misdemeanors’, and `Husbands and Wives’), if only because it is so effective a mix of both character inspect and humor. Some of Allen’s jokes from this movie are some of his best known. In fact, I come by the same sense watching this movie as I do when I contemplate `Hamlet’. So many lines sound like clichés because they have been so widely quoted.

There are a lot of things which could be said about this movie which are really about themes which accelerate through almost all of Allen’s films such as doting on sexuality, phony intellectuality, fancy of Manhattan, and death. One clever riff on death is when Annie is though-provoking into Alvy’s apartment, Alvy discovers a book of Sylvia Plath’s poems, which contradicts Hall’s later statement when she is absorbing out that all the books about death were given to her by Singer. (Plath was a famously depressive poet who committed suicide in mid-career) .

Allen’s movie DVDs are uniformly free of adore extras such as commentary tracks and `Making of’ documentaries, and this is no exception. At the risk of repeating myself, I will say that the singular attraction of Allen’s body of work in general and `Annie Hall’ in particular is its rewatchability. As unrealistic as the many cinematic gimmicks are, the characters are intensely valid. They are people with which we can sincerely associate. Try that with your usual Ben Stiller character.

Highly recommended classic among both Allen movies and all movies in general.

Why I hate Captain Horatio Hornblower. Movie Title: Captain Horatio Hornblower Average customer review: Captain Horatio Hornblower is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Captain Horatio Hornblower

C. S. Forester certainly began the saga of his Napoleonic-Era naval hero Horatio Hornblower “in media res.” Here is Hornblower as a dashing captain, with the stories of his younger days and later glories both yet to be penned. “Captain Horatio Hornblower” actually covers the key events in Forester’s first trio of Hornblower adventures, “Beat to Quarters,” “Ship of the Line” and Flying Colours.” Hornblower (American Gregory Peck playing the quintessential English hero) is sent on a secret mission to the far side of South America where he has to capture a Spanish frigate not once but twice, all because of the problematic delay in having new orders catch up with him in the time of wooden sailing ships. Chance throws Hornblower together with Lady Barbara Wellesley (Virginia Mayo), the sister of the Duke of Wellington. She is engaged to some admiral and he is already married, but there is no doubt that they are meant for each other. Besides, even Fate has to take a backseat to Hornblower’s sense of duty. Even when he is captured by the French it is but another opportunity for grand adventure. Like many fans I came to the Hornblower novels and this rousing 1951 film directed by Raoul Walsh. The happy ending falls into place a bit too neatly, but that is what happened in the original novels and not simply a Hollywood decision. The sea battles with the fully rigged ships are as fine as you can find from the good old days of movie-making, but my favorite scene is the touching one when the Captain and Lady Barbara deal with the final moment’s of the youngest member of the ship’s company. “Captain Horatio Hornblower,” like the novels, achieves that feeling that we are truly in the middle of an epic tale, with well-established characters who we readily believe have already had long and glorious histories. I think Lt. Bush (Robert Beatty) gets a lot of the credit for that as the unofficial “narrator” of the tale. So, if you have loved the imported A&E adventures of the young Horatio Hornblower, you certainly need to get around to watching the original film version and reading Forester’s novels. If not, you will just be a scurvy dog, matie.

After starting on Patrick O’Brian, I have also discovered Horatio Hornblower first with the first A&E episode “The Duel” (Ion Gruffyd, Robert Lindsay), and now with the 1951 movie “Captain Hornblower” starring Gregory Peck. I have *not* read the Hornblower books yet, so my review is from the perspective of someone new to naval fiction and naval movies.

Gregory Peck is one of my favorite actors, which makes this film an easy choice to watch (for me, at least). However, the character of Hornblower (with his trademark Hmm..mmm) and the events covered by the movie are probably closer to the original series than the recent A&E series. [At least, judging from Parkinson's biography covering the same ground as the novels, this would appear to be the case]. If you are a Hornblower purist, you will probably prefer the Gregory Peck movie version for this reason, even though the battle scenes are more sustained and far more exciting in the A&E versions (judging from The Duel).

Captain Hornblower condenses two (or is it three?) books into one – the book in which he is posted on direct orders from the Admiralty, and must round Cape Horn to reach a Spanish rebel, Don Julian Alvorado on the other side of Nicaragua. This feat of seamanship is well-portrayed, with the movie starting at the point where the ship has been at sea for months and has been becalmed. Hornblower takes a wild gamble in assuring the crew and his officers that the wind will pick up that night and that they will sight land within the next day. Amazingly, he pulls this off. In private, his journals reflect his fears and uncertainty, thus allowing us a glimpse at the private Hornblower.

The first part of the movie focuses on Hornblower’s difficult decisions during this secret mission (when he cannot confide in any of his officers, including his second-in-command Lt Bush). He must decide whether to trust Don Julian Alvorado (who is clearly a madman), whether to attack a much larger Spanish frigate with twice the gunpower, and what to do when political events overtake this little expedition.

What is not made clear (at least when I watched the film for the first time) is that Hornblower had really no choice but to go along with Alvorado (or El Supremo) as he likes to call himself. Spain is allied with Napoleonic France, and Hornblower must re-provision his ship. The nearest British port of call is St Helena – on the other side of South America. Hornblower was not simply following Admiralty orders, he was also taking a risk to keep his crew alive.

There are several battles, including one major battle when Hornblower’s ship loses one of its mast and is nearly wrecked. Fortunately, brilliant seamanship on his part allows him the upper hand.

During this first part, Hornblower also develops a love interest in Lady Barbara Wellesley (a fictional character, although she is supposedly the sister of the future Duke of Wellington). She is engaged to an admiral Sir Rodney Leighton, but she prefers Hornblower. He was reluctant to have her aboard at first, but had no choice (she was fleeing yellow fever, it would have been professional suicide to leave her behind, with her connections). Unfortunately for Hornblower, he must reveal the truth after Lady Barbara declares her love for him. He is married. The rest of the voyage is strained, with both anxious to return to Britain as soon as possible.

The second part of the movie begins with Hornblower’s return to the British Isles, only to learn that he is a widower and has an infant son. From there, he is placed under the command of Leighton (now Lady Barbara’s husband). Admiral Leighton disapproves of Hornblower’s independence, but our hero’s quick thinking and independent ways pay off in a crucial action against some French ships that have escaped the blockade.

In the third part of the movie, Hornblower is taken prisoner along with his lieutenant, and is to be sent to Paris to be tried and executed for piracy (sailing under French colors). Of course, he escapes eventually and returns home to discover that Lady Barbara has been widowed.

This is a quick summary of the movie, which hardly does justice to many of its finer points. There are some deviations from the book (the story was adapted, by the way, by Forester himself). For example, Sir Percy Leighton becomes Sir Rodney Leighton. [He is of a different social background in the books than in the movie]. Lady Barbara is not engaged to be married at the beginning of the voyage, and she appears proud and haughty to Hornblower. And of course, the collapsing of the three books into one movie means that certain details must be omitted (thus Lt Bush recovers remarkably quickly, or so it would seem). The pace of the adaptation is however just right – the story continues to sustain the viewer’s interest.

The sea battles are well-depicted, and the story was filmed in real ships (of the period, I think) and mostly at sea. However, the battles are less bloody than in the A&E version (perhaps a nod to 1950s sensibilities), and the ships are certainly cleaner than expected. I thought that the ships would be closer together when they engaged in battle.

Despite these minor caveats, this film was delightful to watch. I would recommend this movie strongly to anyone interested in this period (the Napoleonic wars), or anyone interested in nautical fiction. The A&E series covers the very early career of the very young Hornblower, when he is still a midshipman and then makes lieutenant. (At the rate the producers are going, it will take a while before they reach the same events covered by this movie). Even if they do cover this period, watch this movie, if only for Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Hornblower as as as Forester’s own adaptation of his novels for the screen.

Watch The Emperor’s New Groove on Ipod. Movie Title: The Emperor’s New Groove Average customer review: The Emperor’s New Groove is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Emperor’s New Groove

This may be my favorite Disney movie ever. (I normally prefer Pixar.)

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The reviewers who did not like it clearly expected something for small kids. It is not. It is very abstract in places, especially the art, which is really quite amazing. Watch for the design of the panthers, and the bats. And the landscapes. Wonderful stuff.

And the dialogue and the delivery especially is just hilarious. How you can get such delivery in an animated film is beyond me.

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Warmly recommended for mature viewers with an edgy sense of humor.

THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE is the funniest movie that I have seen in years. I initially had passed on watching it in the theater because I thought it looked childish, but was convinced to give it a try now that it was out on video. Boy, was my initial impression wrong.

The story revolves around a selfish prince who is turned into a llama by one of his subjects. With the help of a kindly peasant he attempts to regain his throne, and in the process finds there’s more to him than he previously thought or wanted there to be. While the moral is a good one, it really plays a secondary role to the comedy, which is literally non-stop. GROOVE takes the rapid-fire humor that Disney perfected in Aladdin and combines it with cartoon-style hijinx, the wit of David Spade, and a hilarious lack of reverence for the traditional Disney animated genre. Spade plays his role to perfection, and luckily never crosses the line into being obnoxious. Seinfeld fans are in for a treat, as Puddy plays a very special side-kick role. You really can’t take your eyes off the screen for a minute, because you’re guaranteed to miss a gag of some sort. The humor works mainly on an adult level, even though kids will be rolling from the funny visuals and some of the more obvious jokes.

The DVD itself is a good one. The digital transfer was excellent and the sound quality is top notch. The commentary track is one of the better that I’ve heard, with interesting and funny insight from all contributors. Animated menus. There’s a deleted scene that was probably best left out, but is interesting to watch anyway, plus a few other fun features.

In the end, this is one of the best Disney flicks to come along in years. Hardcore Disney fans will eat it up. But even if you’re not a fan of Disney’s usual animated features you should give GROOVE a shot. Cast aside your pre-concieved notions and you just might be in for a very pleasant surprise. I was. FIVE STARS.

Stream Intolerable Cruelty Movie Online. Movie Title: Intolerable Cruelty Average customer review: Intolerable Cruelty is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Intolerable Cruelty

There is a point in Intolerable Cruelty where George Clooney is giving a key note speech professing his love that is long enough to make you suspect the Coen brothers have “sold out” into schmaltz. Wrong! The film, in typical Coen style, dives into as many twists and turns as is needed in a good thriller. Fortunately, the film is a comedic farce.

Clooney plays Miles Massey, the most prominent divorce lawyer in southern California. A man so good at what he does he has a prenuptial contract named after him. Massey’s good and he knows it. Near the beginning of the film, he and his assistant, Wrigley (Paul Adelstein), are chatting about how boring Massey’s life has become while a sweating client sits between them as the client’s wife describes how she was used as a sex slave. Massey is that confident of himself.

And confidence is what Clooney is all about. He is simply incredible. Swaggering around like a peacock while checking to make sure his teeth are clean, Clooney gives his best performance. There is no denying his charm here. Even when he’s being a prig.

Enter Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a woman who’s only goal is to marry a rich man, catch him in some indiscretion and divorce him for half of what he’s worth. She wants to be independent she claims. Massey falls for her completely. She is his match in game-playing and confidence and he must have her.

Thus sets up the Coens’ romantic comedy farce. It’s bizarre at times, but humorous throughout as one coincidental incident sets-up another and turns all the characters on both of their ears. This is probably their fluffiest piece ever, but highly entertaining nonetheless.

This film seemed to be a modern version of the romantic comedies of the 50’s & 60’s. it was overloaded with dialogue, some sight gags, & a few well-timed sexual references provided the laughs. George Clooney plays divorce lawyer Miles Massey who is at a crossroads in his life. Catherine Zeta Jones plays Marilyn Rexroth who is divorcing her cheating husband. The latter appears immune to the formers charms. But soon, the predictable path to the films conclusion is clearly in sight. The courtromm scenes dragged & CZJ & GC simply lacked the sexual sparks that would have made this a four star film. I give it three stars because, the supporting cast of Julia Duffy, Billy Bob Thornton, & Cedric the entertainer provided the laughs. Perhaps, Anjelina Jolie & Brad Pitt would have pulled it off?