Bones: The Complete Fifth Season

An Explosive, Emotive, and Heart-Pounding Thrill Ride
At the beginning of the fifth season of the wildly popular forensic drama "Bones," many viewers tuned in trepidatiously after the spectacularly strange fourth season finale. Thankfully, all fears were allayed and relieved when the fifth season kicked into high gear in the very first episode and maintained that pace throughout the season; "Bones"' fifth season is perhaps its greatest yet.

The one thing that has always set "Bones" apart from the countless other procedurals on the airwaves right now is the focus on the characters solving the crimes rather than the crimes themselves, and the strength of this approach shines through brilliantly in every episode of this season.

David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel return to the roles of Booth and Bones and deliver their strongest performances yet as each character is shaken to their core. As Booth struggles to regain his sense of self, he has to confront the knowledge of his feelings for his partner, while Bones herself...

A critical but ignored strength of this amazing show
I absolutely love this show. It might be the most amazingly well-crafted t.v. show ever, along many dimensions. I agree with all of the positive comments of other reviewers. I don't have one negative comment to make, even though, I, too, miss Zach and thought he was a terrific character, well-acted. I even think the Daisy character provides an important role in the balance of the cast, as long as she is not there all the time. No show is complete without little jabs from a distracting annoyance. (Remember Eddie Haskell on "Leave it to Beaver?")
On the other hand, EVERY review that I read left out what, to me, may be the most important dimension of the show. The unspeakable gore and horrifying plots would be meaningless and perhaps sadistic if regarded as entertainment alone. The scientists, each using his or her unique area of expertise, employ the most subtle of clues to recreate an individual's identity and dignity. In addition, often the victim's family and friends...

STILL THE BEST
BONES is far, and away better than all of the other procedurals on the air. The two leads ( Emily Deschanel, and David Boreanaz ) are hands down the best romantic couple around, and the supporting cast is pitch-perfect. The only disappointment I felt about season 5 was that I had half-hoped that Zach might return. The cases are as gruesome as ever, but are never allowed to take away from the developement of the characters. Can't wait for season 6.

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The Pink Panther Film Collection (The Pink Panther / A Shot in the Dark / Strikes Again / Revenge of / Trail of the Pink Panther)

Like Old Friends, They're Always Great To See!
Having been a fan of "The Pink Panther" series from childhood, I was ecstatic that this set was being released, as the films are otherwise out of print on DVD (although luckily I still have my trusty VHS copies in reserve). I am tempted to give the set five stars simply because it is a wonderful day to see these films back in print, but realistically I had to take it down a notch as there a couple of negative considerations, the most obvious of which, of course, is the absence of "Return of the Pink Panther" from the collection, ostensibly because of legal hang-ups. Whatever the cause, the absence of the first of the 1970s-era "Panthers" is sorely missed. The other minor negative is the relative absence of special features on the movie DVDs, although the original "Pink Panther" has a wonderful trivia track. I would have really loved commentary tracks with Blake Edwards and some of the actors. I am somewhat ambivalent on the extremely unusual...

Great Collection but......
This is a great collection but there is a big problem, it did not include the best film of the series, "The Return of the Pink Panther (1974)", with this film the collection would have been "Perfect"

Decent package, but missing essential material!
I was very excited when I heard they were releasing a Pink Panther collection on DVD. So much so that I held off on buying any of the currently available individual DVD titles. The day the set arrived I raced home to watch... and disappointment struck.

In the first place, the set does NOT contain RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER; one of the best/funniest in the series (in my opinion). I now understand this was because of legal/copyright issues, but still a major disappointment. If you buy this set, you will need to go out and purchase Return separately to have all the Sellers' renditions of the film.

Secondly, the other (non-Sellers) films in the series are not included. I wasn't too disappointed about this because Peter Sellers is, in my opinion, what made the Pink Panther series so great, but the other films are pretty decent as well (and this is supposed to be a Pink Panther collection, not necessarily a Peter Sellers collection). Son of the Pink Panther was a...

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Awkward: Season Three, Part One

Love it
Amazing show, always keeps me on the edge of my seat. Season three is my favorite of all by far!

Excited.
So happy for this DVD to come out. I love the direction this show is taking. It's the right amount of humour mixed with obsurcity. I am interested to see Jenna's change in direction in life based on this part of the season and the season 3 part 2 promo. I like how she is challenging what she thought was good, and unfortunately, is changing, not necessarily for the better. This show is not afraid to tell it as it is, and I must commend it for that.

Awkward
Awkward isn't "awkward". This is a sharply written, well acted comedy series. While Season 3 wasn't my favorite season, it still was better than most comedies on TV.

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Breaking Bad: The Complete Series Box Set [Blu-ray]

Paper or Plastic?
I don't follow a lot of tv shows as my life is busy enough as it is. That being said, I was intrigued enough by what I read in the sunday paper that I stayed up past my bedtime to catch the premier episode. I am also a fan of Brian Cranston from his earlier work on Malcolm in the Middle. I enjoyed the show immensely, and am glad I stayed up for it. Having recently turned 50 myself (as Cranston does in the first episode), the show touched on a number of issues I can relate to. His transformation from hard working, underpaid father to crystal meth artist will be interesting to watch, as will how he deals with his own moral dilemnas.
"I'm awake" he responds, when asked by his new drug partner why he was doing this (making meth). I guess that I will be awake as well, every sunday night to watch how this every day man continues to deal with his epiphany, his awakening. His mortality....

Breaking Bad Blu-Ray Set - Unboxed and List of Contents


Incredible Amazing show!
This is a must watch! The show is fantastic. Amazing..very dark and very addicting

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Bea and Mr Jones

Reading Rainbow Digitized?! It's Amazing!
How can you not love RR and what LeVar Burton has contributed to reading and learning over the last 30 years? So excited to have this available in digital format.

Fantastic show from my youth
Now I get to enjoy it with my kids. I only wish there were more of them. We've watched the 20 or so episodes available many times. Please work to bring more episodes to Amazon!

Love this for my kids as much as I did when I was a kid
I was so excited to see this collection and couldn't wait to show these episodes to my children. I was thrilled to see they enjoyed them as much as I did when I was a kid. Such a classic, educational, and fun show. Highly recommend this collection to anyone with children in their lives or to the young at heart.

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The Resident Evil Collection (Resident Evil / Resident Evil: Apocalypse / Resident Evil: Extinction / Resident Evil: Afterlife / Resident Evil: Retribution) [Blu-ray]

You know what these movies do right?
They're ridiculous, they know it, and they don't give a damn what you think. In point of fact, they prefer if you don't think.

Let's get one thing straight, I am a huge fan of the game series. I own Resident Evil 1-5, and I'm probably going to buy 6 soon. I am fully aware that these movies deviate from the games in every way, but for some reason I still love them. They're dumb, stupid fun.

Resident Evil is actually a great movie in and of itself. It's suspenseful, and well made. I appreciate the fact that zombies and other monsters aren't introduced till late in the movie.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse is actually my favorite of the bunch. It's a good action movie, and I think they really captured Nemesis. Great movie, and awesome action.

Resident Evil: Extinction is a little slow, but is ultimately a good movie. The story of this series has never been cohesive, but the plot of this one in particular is just ridiculous. At this point the movies...

Resident Evil Collection Contains 5 Films on Blu-ray
Milla Jovovich deserves better treatment. The Resident Evil Collection includes 5 films on their own disc but a bonus disc would have been appreciated by fans. Afterlife is presented in Blu-ray 3D (but not Retribution 3D sold separately). You also get the 2D version of Afterlife for those who don't own 3D TVs. Overall, the picture quality is average but the audio is very good. The audio formats and subtitles vary by film. This set does have some extras but this is not a deluxe collection for RE fans. There is roughly 6 hours of bonus content for 5 films which is good but not great. If you already own the trilogy be aware that nothing new is added so you may consider buying Afterlife 3D and Retribution 3D in their stand-alone Blu-ray releases. Resident Evil: Damnation (2012) is not included. These are 4 star films in a 3 star package.

At this price, I feel like a thief. Great film series for the price of one 3D Blu-Ray.
5 films for the price of one 3D blu-ray film. It is a steal. I only paid $29.99 at the time and it was something I was not about to pass up considering I enjoyed the RE films. People who are not hardcore RE fans may not enjoy these films as much because knowing the games allows the viewer to pick out little nostalgic pieces they threw into the films that were shown in the video games. The quality of the blu-rays are outstanding though. If you enjoyed the films or are simply a die-hard RE fan, get this. At this price, no matter what, you won't be disappointed.

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Sekirei: Complete Series (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Two seasons of lovliness - WHEN IS SEASON THREE COMING!!!!!!!
At last the first two seasons of the most enjoyable beauty bashing series is in one full collection. Minato is the most luckless man in the world, until the most lovely girl comes crashing out of the sky. She is cute, she is busty, and she can break stone walls with a single punch. Musibi is a fist type sekerei and she has taken the normal man and made him her master. But Minato can not rest on being happy with one lovely young lady - five others also choose him to turn on their special powers and together prepare to fight to the end of the Sekirei project and the one wish that the Sekirei and master get to have when they win.

This is the first two seasons, and despite the high Ecchi level has a great story, a lot of action and humor, and a few heart wrenching moments. I already have seen both season three times and it never get old. Now with the end of season two, there has to be a season three as we need to know who will finally win the whole thing. Watch it for...

Should have known there would be a two pack.
I bought both seasons separately. I could have saved some money if i waited. If you have Netflix, watch the first season. If you are not hooked by the end, then skip this show, but i was hooked. I have not even watched the second season yet. I plan on it, though.

A Great Harem Anime Series (We need a Season 3!!)
I originally saw this series on Netflix and I enjoyed it right away. The plot, characters, originality, ecchi humor, chemistry, music and anxiety for future episodes are all blended well together.

This anime was based on a manga with the same name. "Sekirei" literally means "Wagtail," a species of bird (look it up). The anime follows the manga rather well, even though it's not a complete replica. If you've read the manga, you should definitely watch the anime (and vice versa).

This Blu-ray/DVD combo is definitely worth the money. You have all the episodes from both seasons, along with commentaries from the Funimation voice actors, trailers and OVAs.

Personally, I have always preferred the subbed version over the dubbed version. For me, it's hard to take the dubbed version seriously when you hear some corny dialogue. Still, it's worth seeing at least once.

According to the commentaries, Season 3 has been announced but no one knows for sure...

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Thomas & Friends: Up, Up & Away! [HD]

Thomas is great entertainment for little ones
good quality video. great way to entertain little ones. the instant videos are so convenient to watch on kindle fire

balloons, animals, trains, bubbles...PERFECT
NOthing scary , big subtitles, balloons, animals, bubbles...everything a toddler loves.
Perfect toddler material with situations they have to solve, but nothing scary.

GREAT DVD
MY GRANDSON LOVES ANYTHING THOMAS. I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT THIS WAS OFFEREDTHROUGH AMAZON. I USED MY LAPTOP TO PLAY THIS AND HE WAS GLUED TO IT THE ENTIRE TIME!!

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The Little Mermaid

Don't waste your money
This is probably the worst film I've ever seen! Poor quality and just poor film all together. My daughter, who loves mermaids, didn't even give it 2 minutes before saying she wanted to watch something else. Please don't waste your money.

Not the real deal
I wish I wouldn't have purchased this. I thought it was the most recent version but, this movie was probably made in the 70s when I was a kid. :)

Not Disney - this is from the original story
This is NOT the Disney version. For those of you who rented it thinking it was - just look at the cover. This is an adaptation of the ORIGINAL Hans Christian Andersen story which inspired Disney's The Little Mermaid. Although it's not the 1975 Japanese anime classic with a blond mermaid called Marina some of us remember watching when we were little - 14 years before Disney made a ginger little mermaid - I believe this is a good adaptation. The original story is both scary and sad. I'm glad Amazon is offering this adaptation; I wish they would offer the 1975 anime version!

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The Blues Brothers (Widescreen 25th Anniversary Edition)

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration doesn't fail us
Let's get this straight -- this blu-ray contains both the theatrical AND the extended cuts, for the misguided soul here (obviously NOT on a mission from God) who says stick with the 25th Anniversary edition.

And let's get this clear as well -- the quality of the picture is superb, much MUCH better than the DVD. Older films have issues when you transfer them to blu-ray, no question about it, but this image is as good as it can possibly get (don't believe me? Check out Blu-ray.com for a review of it).

On the extended version the extended scenes aren't as good a quality -- the source material there wasn't available and they probably transferred it from the DVD master. But it's not WORSE than the DVD, only not improved.

And on that note, IMHO the theatrical version is the one you want anyway. This is a film that does not get better when the timing gets slower -- and at nearly 2 1/2 hours the extended version just drags. Watch the theatrical version...

My Two Cents Worth
I've read the reviews on Amazon but wanted the blu-ray upgrade. Amazon's details may not be complete. The blu-ray I purchased has theatrical and extended versions on a single disc. There is a banner at the top front on my cover with says "Includes Theatrical and Extended Versions" and it is also mentioned again on the back cover. The DTS sound is outstanding on my Polk 360 home system and I don't think I am missing anything by not having lossless DTS sound. This movie looks and sounds great on blu-ray and the price is affordable. I found myself enjoying the movie and singing along with the sub-titled songs. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and here it is over 30 years later looking and sounding just as good if not better.

I want the original version!
I love The Blues Brothers. This is one of the all-time great comedies; a truly epic comedy. In it's original form, it is flawless from beginning to end. Five Stars easily.

Unfortunately, this "Special Edition" dvd includes 15+ minutes of scenes. Not under a "deleted scenes" section, which would have been appropriate and very welcome, but inserted into the movie itself. To be fair, the extra footage doesn't really hurt the music scenes. But did we really need to see Elwood at his place of employment? Did we really need to see where the Blues-mobile is stored when not being driven? None of the extra footage adds anything to the movie. In fact, it really ruins the perfect pacing of the regular cut.

I truly hope Universal sees the error of their ways and reissues this film on DVD with the original cut. They could even make the added footage viewable within the movie, through seamless branching, but for the love of Pete, give us the option!!!

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Give Me A Ring Sometime [HD]

The best first season of any TV situation comedy ever
"Cheers" is an atypical classic television situation comedy in that its first season (1982-83) is arguably its best. The show won the Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Shelley Long, Directing in a Comedy Series: James Burrows, "Showdown (Part 2)," Writing in a Comedy Series: Glen Charles, Les Charles, "Give Me a Ring Sometime," and even Outstanding Individual Achievement/Graphic Design and Title Sequences: James Castle, Bruce Bryant. This would explain why the series, which finished 75th in the Nielsens with a 13.1 rating, survived on NBC's Thursday night lineup.

Looking back on the series as a whole it becomes clear that one inherent advantage for "Cheers" was that no matter what joke the writers came up with there was the perfect character to tell it. If you had a sarcastic barb then that went to Carla (Rhea Perlman), a dumb comment would come out of the mouth of Coach (Nick Colasanto), the arcane bar...

At least all the episodes are here!
If you are Cheers fan, obviously this is a must have. Where else can you get every episode from the first season in one package? The lack of extras is unfortunate, but the reason I purchased the set and the reason I watch it is for the show itself.

Sadly, though, the episodes are not presented in their original order. How hard would it have been to put episodes 1-6 on disk 1, and so on? What's episode 7, Coach's Daughter, doing placed as the second selection of disk one? I may not watch every episode in order every single time I view the disks, but upon my first viewing I would have liked if I could watch the episodes in order without switching disks until I completed each disk.

After all these years, Cheers still sparkles
It has been a long wait for those of us addicted to Cheers. But patience is rewarded.

The clarity of the images makes it seem like one is watching each episode for the first time. It is easy to forget how REALLY good the first year was (and still is). The shows are very intelligent, noticeably more so than later years, and witty. It is fun to observe the inconsistencies in the characters -- in one episode Norm is clearly not married and Sam brings his "ex-wife" into the bar. But at the same time the characters, without the more clearly defined "roles" of later years, are often more interesting, most especially Carla.

I met Rhea Perlman and she was understandably not all that proud of the rather 2 dimensional Carla of the later years. Here the character is wise-cracking, but with more depth and Perlman's considerable talents have room to shine. Also, Coach is a a great character, expertly realised, and more. One episode has the scene with Coach and his daughter Lisa, who is "not...

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GoodFellas

Another 5-star movie in a (barely) 4-star release... ****UPDATED 12/31/2010 for new 20th Anniversary BluRay***
There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said about "Goodfellas"... it's one of the best movies ever. To hell with the AFI, this is arguably one of the top 10 American movies ever made! Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco: five top-notch talents operating on all 8 cylinders in this story about three decades of life in the mob.

Now, you'd think that Warner Brothers would give this movie the most complete Warner DVD release that's ever existed. A fervent popular following, a high level of anticipation for a special edition, and the current booming state of the DVD industry should've made this a no-brainer slam dunk for Warner's marketing and home video departments. And so, after years of having to flip over the old disc, after years of almost crushing that flimsy snap case, after years of listening to that 5.1 surround that sounded suspiciously like 2-channel, should you get this new version?? The answer is a...

Good Blu-Ray Transfer
Goodfellas has long been one of my favorite movies. I've watched it many times since I saw it in the theater. I've seen it on tape, on laserdisc, on the original "flipper" DVD and the remastered anamorphic DVD, and now, Blu-Ray Disc.

I'm happy to report that the Blu-Ray is a significant improvement over the remastered DVD. The picture is brighter, the colors are more vivid, and many scenes have much more detail and clarity. Of course, the overall picture is much sharper.

Goodfellas is not the kind of movie that is a showcase for high-resolution video, however. It has a lot of dark indoor scenes; very little takes place outdoors (something I never noticed before). I noticed some graininess, which has a lot to do with how Scorcese shot the picture. It's just more noticeable in the higher resolution.

There are some minor problems with the audio in one scene. The dialogue drops in volume and then jumps back up in the following scene. Other than...

A suspect DVD release for a classic film.
GoodFellas is on top of my "best films of all time" list. I was one of the people who had bought the previous DVD edition, the infamous "two-sided, no features" release that had been one of the first generation of DVD releases, before the medium evolved into what it is today. I had been counting the days until they would re-release this film, so I was first in line to get this new edition.

Unfortunately, though this edition is much better than the previous one, it very much pales alongside most modern DVD packages.

The package aroused many suspicions in me that this was a rush job. Among my dissatisfactions:

- There's no booklet, leaflet, film histories, or printed material of any kind which generally supplements a two-disc release like this;

- The film is long, but still under the three-hour mark, and the second disc has three short (eight to 20 minutes), unremarkable documentaries plus a storyboard-film comparison. Wouldn't all this...

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Casting Session

Better than Season 1: the promising bud blossoms into a flower
Kurt Sutter, creator of "Sons of Anarchy," has done a fine job developing the series. Things ratchet up with the feds, Hale (the honest police officer), the Irish and the individuals within SAMCRO, not to mention the Aryans who move into town to stir everything up.

Charlie Hunnam has grown into the character of Jax and made him more believable and human/likeable. I know I got a few dings from Jax worshippers (all women) in my review for Season 1, but I found him and his relationship with Maggie Siff's character to be the weakest aspects. With the developments in Season 2, all my doubts are dispelled and there are tremendous amounts of growth in the storyline and the town of Charming's denizens. Great guest stars include: Tom Arnold; Adam Arkin; Titus Welliver; Henry Rollins; Mitch Pileggi; and, of course, Ally Walker of "Profiler" fame.

My only issue is that there isn't more interaction between SAMCRO members and the townspeople. Supposedly, these guys are...

The Only show worth watching
I had heard good things about this show before sitting down to watch it, i ordered the fist season and watched all of it over a weekend, i couldn't wait to see the second season so i took a mini (cheap) vacation and stayed home to watch the second season. Character development and the story line is amazing and sometimes hard to watch but if you want to see great television start watching SOA, you wont be disappointed.

Awesome TV Show
Picking up where the first season left off, The Sons of Anarchy are in turmoil. The ATF is still on their backs. The gun business has dried up. The gang is divided. Jax Teller remains at the center of this division. He knows his stepfather and President,Clay is responsible for the death of a SAMCRO member's wife, but Jax must decide whether to put his club's, his family's or his friend's interests first. The conflict doesn't stop with Jax. Division is a central theme of Season Two. Each character struggles with his/her own internal issues. Clay must decide how to best handle a son he loves but who has begun to question his authority, at every turn.

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Boardwalk Empire: Seasons 1-3 [Blu-ray]

Buyer Beware. Lesser Quality than original product.
I believe these are a Canadian product. No real complaints, except the fact that it will only display in 720p. Being a video snob, this detracts from the overall experience.

watch it!
Excellent series!for those of you who are interested and how this whole Liquor Came About In The 1920 This Is An Excellent Choice Easy To Follow Rated R for sure!

LOVE IT ,EVERYTHING ABOUT IT
EVERYTHING,ITS GREAT,LOVE ALL THE 1920'S CLOTHING,GREAT ACTING,FUNNY,LOVE THE DIFFERANT ETHNIC GROUPS,THE MUSIC...ITS GIVES ME A REAL FEAL FOR THE TIME,ITS GREAT.LIKE THE GANGTER PARTS TO,ITS RAW!

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Sex and the City: The Complete Series (Collector's Gift Set)

Just received my SATC Complete Series today! Yipee!!
Hi all SATC fans! Like the the first two reviewers, I wondered what the difference between this collection, currently on sale for $109.99, and the "Collector's Edition" on sale for $196.99. But since all I really wanted was to have all the episodes on DVD I went ahead and ordered the cheaper set. When I received it today, I read the back and toward the end of the top paragraph it said:

"Celebrate the show that explores the day-to-day - and night-to-night, world of single women in this, the definitive collector's edition.

With that read, I wanted to see if I really got the "Collector's Edition" so I called my girlfriend who bought her "Collector's Edition" at the regular price of $300 back a few years ago to compare the difference. Good news! Sounds like they're the exact same thing! What I received in my $109.99 set is a pink velvet spiral binder with various color pictures of the ladies and scenes from the show and short summaries of each episode. The DVDs are...

Poor quality of discs
Apparently there was a problem wherever these discs were manufactured, because I, like many other shoppers on here, have had to return my set due to malfunctioning Season 3.

Which basically means that, if you order this set, you need to watch every disc in its entirety within the 30-day return window.

Clearing up which version you'll receive from Amazon.com
I ordered the 2007 set from Amazon last week, and despite the fact that the package says 2005 on the back, it actually is the newer one that was released on December 18, 2007. You have to look at the UPC...that's the only discernable difference between them (even the sets currently selling in stores with the free movie ticket say "2005 Home Box Office" in the fine print on the back, but they have the 2008 UPC..i checked at Target the other day!). There are three different releases floating around: 2005, 2007, and the 2008 release that comes with the free movie ticket. Amazon is not even selling the 2008 version at this time so I doubt anyone will be getting the free movie ticket. However, those of you who are disappointed that you believe you received the 2005 set from Amazon, check the UPC on the back to see which one you really have:

2008 # UPC 883929018062
2007 # UPC 026359445828
2005 # UPC 026359866128

Hope this helps clear up some of the...

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Red Vs. Blue Volume 3, The Blood Gulch Chronicles

Longer, funnier, faster...er..harder
Season Three is over two hours of action packed, plot twisted, character driven mystery, adventure, time travel, explosions, talking bombs, robot armies, and lots of dead people. Tons of extras, such as deleted scenes, outtakes, a audio commentary and a Easter egg. Of course, there is adult language and jokes, even in the commentary and this is not for little kids, babies, pets, people with heart problems and, no matter what they tell you, don't watch after getting drunk. You're just asking for trouble.

Funny
This little thing is funny, even if you aren't a fan of video games. In fact, personally, I hate Halo, and find this stuff hilarious.

Jeff's rewiew
I watch Red vs Blue on the web , it is the best thing I ever seen , I laugh so hard I think I died , luckily I'm still alive to laugh over and over and with this DVD I intend to.
Bottom line , buy this DVD

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The Holiday [Blu-ray]

The cinematic equivalent of a hot fudge sundae.
Nancy Meyers' "The Holiday" has been seriously dissed by most of America's film critics--including one who suggested that any man who goes to see it should be forced to pay with a crucial part of his anatomy instead of money. "The Holiday" is indeed a prime example of what is condecendingly known as a "chick flick," and it's not a movie you can make great claims for. But "The Holiday" succeeds outstandingly in living up to its title; it provides an audience with a two-hour vacation filled with charming, likable actors playing charming, likable characters. The movie is set during the Christmas holidays in which two women with man problems--Iris (Kate Winslet), an English journalist, and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), an L.A. producer of film trailers--meet over the Internet. On a whim, they decide to switch houses for Christmas; Amanda ends up in Iris's picture-postcard-pretty cottage in Surrey, Iris in Amanda's luxurious, gated mansion in Beverly Hills. There, they discover new romantic...

Nancy Meyers' best film to date!
Two women. Two failed relationships. Two houses. One great romantic comedy. The Holiday is the story of two women, Iris (Kate Winslet in a poignant performance) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who swap houses for two weeks thinking it will help them get over their relationship problems. Amanda will take Iris's house in a small cottage just outside of London, and Iris will stay at Amanda's house in L.A. They will both meet someone who will help them mend their heart.

Let's get one thing out of the way: Yes, this is a chick flick, but a damn fine one at that! I'm not much of a fan of the genre, nor of Nancy Meyers' films, but when I saw this in theatres with my girlfriend last December, I loved it. I thought the film would've lost some of its charm on second viewing, but it hasn't lost one bit of it. With a running time of 136 minutes, you'd think it would drag but it feels like a 90-minute film.

The film has a few surprises and most of all, a great subplot around...

The First Romantic Comedy Masterpiece of the 2000s
I don't think this decade has had much success with romantic comedies, but trust me that with "The Holiday", the 2000s have never looked better. I consider this film to be one that extracts the finest performances from Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz EVER, and once you see it, you will know what I mean.

Kate Winslet has acted in many good movies ("Hideous Kinky", "Holy Smoke", "Iris") but its ironic that her most poignant and well-written role comes in "The Holiday". You probably know the story already - its about two women on two different continents who swap houses and lives after a chance meeting on the Internet - but the treatment and above all, the DIALOGUE, is what drives this romantic comedy to the heights of that most rare animal - a cinema classic.

And thats what "The Holiday" is. I honestly think that a genuine, feel-good film such as this should be embraced by the Oscar group, instead of their focus on typical epic films such as "Babel" and...

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Perry Mason: The Ninth and Final Season, Vol. 2

The Cherry On Top Of The Sundae
Perry Mason was notified that it would not be renewed for a tenth season, on November 15, 1965, about halfway through the 9th season's filming. But unlike, say, CBS's Rawhide, which was abruptly canceled that same fall, Perry Mason was allowed to complete the season and film a full 30 episodes. So, many of these episodes in season 9 volume two, have a nice touch, giving the writers, actors, and producers a chance to leave the viewer in good stead. There is some great comedy in this volume, like Victor Buono's broad manipulations as the mastermind of inept adolescent thieves, in color, in The Case Of The Twice Told Twist; his slow burns while pondering the fools around him is his best appearance in the series. Raymond Burr gets to play Perry Mason and a drunken sailor in The Case Of The Dead Ringer. While actors playing their evil doubles is often cited as the point when a series jumps the shark, Burr plays the two opposites with such relish that it is a treat to see. Perry Mason wraps...

A Bittersweet Farewell
Perry Mason, volume two is finally available for preorder. The final series of Perry Mason is now complete. Be a part of TV history. Loyal fans of the series will cherish the last fifteen episodes. A hint of nostalgia will be felt by many of us after watching the final episode.

"The Case of the Midnight Howler," the opening title, is one of my favorite episodes in volume two. It is a riveting start to a series finale. The atmosphere in this episode always grabs me, every time I see it, and keeps me engrossed. In "The Case of the Crafty Kidnapper," two of Hollywood's greatest actors, Cloris Leachman and Gary Collins appear in solid performances.

All in all, Perry Mason, volume two is a bittersweet send off to a one-of-a-kind detective series, a series that will transport us back to a simpler, more entertaining time in TV history. Highly recommended.

All fifteen episodes in volume two are listed below:

Episode 1:
"The Case of the...

Fitting 20th Anniversary Tribute to Raymond Burr
September 12th 2013 will mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Raymond Burr, so it is entirely apposite that the last of the Perry Mason box sets will have been brought out to coincide with that date. Throughout the DVD release programme, one of the highlights has been the pristine quality of the prints (possibly accounting for the fairly high price of the sets). But in the final analysis we now have a superb complete record of one of the most successful of all American TV series, and people who 'grew up with' the show will surely not begrudge the fact that the project is now completed and can be sampled at leisure.

With regard to this final season, a special mention should be made of Richard Anderson, who joined the cast as Lieutenant Steve Drumm. This fine actor, such a familiar star and guest-star in TV series from the 1960s onwards, always offered a thoughtful, dignified and serious presence in all his appearances, yet has never really received full credit for his...

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Skills [HD]

Sometimes silly, definitely entertaining and educational
I think a lot of people are judging this show based on the title and the "Old" Electric Company show. That particular show was before my time, so I don't have any preconceived notions as to what this show should be. :)

The Electric Company is a show about a bunch of kids with special word powers, the good guys are the "Electric Company" and the bad guys are the "Pranksters". The plot lines are silly, but mostly based on good principles (fairness, accepting other cultures, being responsible).

The devices they use to teach phonics are particularly cool, I think. They have segments where there is a close up of a mouth and a word that they're sounding out. I read somewhere that babies pay close attention to our mouth shapes to know how to move their mouths to pronounce words. Another segment is where two people face each other silhouette style and the sounds from both people are combined to make words.

The characters are mostly likable (even the...

Excellent for learning advanced phonics
This is the next level (or 2) above Seseme Street. It uses rhyme and pop culture to teach more advanced sound blends and word structure.

Good
I like this version of The Electric Company. I'm an elementary school teacher and I usually let my students watch this during dismissal time or if they eat lunch in the classroom. They love it.

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Thomas & Friends: Splish, Splash, Splosh! [HD]

Lots of Thomas & Friends!
This box set is perfect for Thomas & Friends both old and new. My boys just recently got into Thomas so they haven't seen really any of the older episodes which this box set has discs ranging from 2001-2008. Each disc has episodes focusing on a certain character or just the best of! There are over 50 episodes total and each disc is between 40-60 minutes long. Luckily my boys aren't too picky yet and love all the engines equally, but for kids who are specific or especially families with two kids who like different engines, this would be a great set. The episodes are classic Thomas & Friends episodes and I love that there are so many episodes in one set! For just $24 on Amazon, that is like $.50 an episode that you can watch over and over again!

A bit scary for the younger viewers
My son is 3 and normally loves the Thomas movies (Misty Island, Hero of the Rails), but this movie was a bit scary for him. I think it's Diesel 10 and his sparking claw that really scared him. I had to turn it off and try it again later. We eventually got through it, but he doesn't want to watch it again (unlike Misty Island and Hero of the Rails which we've seen a lot). The quality was really good, but it was a bit darker than the other movies. If you have a 2-3 year old, you may want to wait until their older.

"Not scary to me"
I have a 3.5 year old and I was worried after seeing the reviews on here that the movie would be too scary for my son. We watched the movie and there wasn't a time he wanted to turn it off. This has been the case with some children movies he has seen on TV. I wanted to write this review for those parents that were put off by some of the other reviews. There was a darker tone than Misty Island Rescue, but I thought it was a theme my son could grasp.

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The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Second Season

Helen is the Andy I love:)
**About the forced commercials on Disc One: On my DVD remote I merely pressed the >>I (next) button and skipped them one by one, it takes a couple of seconds but is able to be bypassed by my player. Hitting the MENU or FF won't do the trick though. Another easy way is if your DVD player has a "Last Memory" button; just before an episode ends or during the theme credits press Last Memory, and then turn the DVD player OFF. When you press "On" again, the player will resume at the end credits and from there you can select Menu:)**

This is when the series (almost) begins for me. I love the first season don't get me wrong (4 stars), but they seemed to try a bit too hard with the accents and the characters were just finding themselves, but I guess that's the way it's supposed to be. Then in Season 2 they ease the accents, the characters begin to form and all is almost there. This season has many more episodes I consider "classic" or "near classic" but we are not quite up to the...

"We were gluttons, gluttons, gluttons, glut--tons"
The Andy Griffith Show, of course, is one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. While, I do not think most of the season 2 episodes are near their best, almost anything from this classic series (not including Mayberry RFD) is worth owning. Season 2 does offer Andy Griffith's favorite: The Pickle Story. Here is a brief summary of the 30+ episodes in this season:

Opie & the Bully: A tough kid keeps taking Opie's milk money. Andy helps Opie brave taking a punch to the eye with good humor (with a little patriotism thrown in for good measure). A little sugary.

Barney's Replacement: Barney thinks Andy is grooming anew man (Bob Rogers played by Mark Miller) to replace him as deputy.

Andy & the Woman Speeder: A pretty and charming big city lady (played by Jean Hagen) gets a speeding ticket and thinks she can outsmart the small town sheriff.

Mayberry Goes Bankrupt: The town people are shocked when they find out they owe the downtrodden resident with...

31 Episodes, And Not A Bad Apple In The Bunch! (A Few Rancid Pickles -- But No Bad Apples!)
"The Pickle Story", "Keeper Of The Flame", "Barney's Replacement", "Crime-Free Mayberry", "Barney And The Choir", "The Jinx", "Aunt Bee, The Warden", and "Andy On Trial" are just a few of the standout episodes featured in this great 5-Disc DVD collection of "The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Second Season".

This second year of "T.A.G.S." is really, really good. In addition to the episodes I mentioned above, there's also "The Manicurist", which is also one of my favorites. It features future "I Dream Of Jeannie" star Barbara Eden guest-starring as manicurist "Ellen Brown", who inadvertently stirs up a hornet's nest in Mayberry by just being her sweet (and ultra-fetching) self, causing a tad bit of jealousy among the wives of the barber shop-lounging men of Mayberry, who can't seem to take their eyes off of Ellen's obvious ... er ... curves. :-)

That episode also has Andy's terrific dialogue as he talks to the lovely fingernail-trimmer -- "Nature has been good...

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Bridegroom

Very Powerful
This is a true story about two people who loved each other. Tom and Shane were the perfect couple until a sad accident left Shane alone. This documentary shows the lives of these two men from their beginning years, through high school, their introduction to each other at a bowling alley, their love story, the sad accident of Tom, the support of Shane's family and how Tom's family came into Shane's home after Tom's accidental death and took his belongings without any compassion towards Shane but instead banned him from attending his partner funeral.
This was a very powerful story of true love. This documentary was created with the support of over 6800 Kickstarter Donors as well as many other people including Bill Clinton.
On a personal note, after hearing this story in May 2011, my partner and I realized how important it is to protect ourselves in case something ever did happen to either of us. Thank you Shane for sharing your love story with us. You truly are an...

In response to an earlier review entitled "Has this not happened before?"
I can't believe that in this day and age someone has to respond to something like this, but I refuse to stay silent.

"Has this not happened before? Sad film and sad story but I have to ask. If these guys were not "hot" or "cute" as everyone is saying would people still care about this story? I don't believe this was put out there to raise attention but rather get attention. Sorry to the person who lost their life." - November 3, 2013

Yes this has most certainly happened before. The LGBT community has most certainly been robbed of their rights not only by government officials but by their "friends" and neighbors. That the key players in this particular saga are "hot" or "cute" should not take away from the fact that this happened to them, has happened to others before, and will happen again and again... unless people like me and people like you stand up to it. If you are not hot or cute, so what? Still stand up to it. In comparison, think of all the white people...

Love is real, love endures..
This is one of those rare films that makes you believe in love. People really do fall in love; and begin to care for someone else more than they care for themselves. I'm stating that because I'm in my 50s now; I'm alittle dented and dusty; alittle cynical; alittle world weary; alittle misanthropic but this film erased some of it. That's the story of Tom and Shane. Love is real.

One could view this film with many different eyes..
political, equality, injustice, etc. I feel at it's heart it is a love story plain and simple. It's so well done it pulls you in before you know it; you're right there with Tom and Shane. and then.. Tom is gone. I was hangin' pretty tough til Shane's first birthday after losing Tom. In his narrative he states that he tells people he's ok and doing fine but admits he's NOT ok, he's NOT fine. Man, does that bring it home! Anyone who's lost someone close to them will FEEL that line. Because you're NOT the same, never will be; and the underlying...

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The Skank Reflex Analysis

love it
A cast of geniuses playing geniuses. Acting geniuses playing science geniuses. Brilliant, lovely actors all of them. The scenes in the "Bath Item Gift Hypothesis" when Penny gives Sheldon his "Saturnalia" (Christmas present) - his miracle gift - a signed napkin from Leonard Nimoy - is the BEST television I have EVER EVER SEEN!!! And I was RAISED on television. The laugh out loud factor keeps me happy ALL DAY... I can think of what I watched the night before and settle into a warm feeling that I will be seeing another episode later... And the DVD's ARE wonderful because there are no commercail interruptions...
Some of the same format as M*A*S*H*. And as brilliant writing ... doctors with a sidekick nurse - scientists with a sidekick waitress/actress. God, wouldn't I love to be in Penny's shoes...
Having grown up around scientists from MIT and CalTech, I can honestly say that Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady are insightful and gloriously honest!
I hope it just keeps going and...

The best show on TV continues to expand and develop!
I started watching in season three and have purchased all the DVD sets of this show and anticipate with excitement the DVD set for Season Five.

I think the show has changed and is progressing in a positive direction. The characters are growing and maturing and with the addition of Bernadette and Amy, brilliantly played by Melissa Rouch and Mayim Bialik respectively, there is added depth and increased laughter.

I think the show is still fresh and funny and as long as it remains that way this viewer will continue watching!

THE UNIVERSE IS STARTING TO CONDENSE
In the cult tradition of SPARTACUS, the halls of every science department now echoes: "I AM SHELDON"!

Currently into its fifth season, THE BIG BANG THEORY proved to be one of the most funny TV sitcoms ever aired. Even if the show seems to have slowed down form its initial explosive impetus, I had not laughed out loud this hard ever since the best days of FRASIER and SEINFELD - and BIG BANG is **consistently** brilliant!

Sheldon Cooper is unavoidably the king of the show - the massive black hole this Universe revolves around if you will. A child prodigy, now a 24 years old theoretical physicist PhD with absolutely no social skills or known sexual drive. Sheldon may be on the verge of unifying the fields but cannot drive a car to save his life or break a smile even remotely resembling that of a mere homo sapiens.
His equally super-intelligent (yet sexually confused girlfriend), Amy Farrah Fowler, (which Sheldon finally claimed) received a far more enlarged...

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Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection, Vol. 1

The TRUE Tom and Jerry set you've always wanted!
At long last; the Tom and Jerry set to end them all! Don't be fooled, this isn't you're ordinary Tom and Jerry set because this 2-disc set features the first 37 shorts in chronological order uncut and uncensored and restored and remastered for the first time (I understand the transfer will be remarkable)! Plus, some of these shorts include their original title cards for the first time anywhere on any format! Plus bonus features including 9 commentaries and a new retrospective documentary. Truly the ultimate Tom and Jerry set...ever!

Tom & Jerry, the way it should have been released from the start!
I've been a fan of Tom & Jerry since I was about 4 years old (I'm 23 now) and still just as big of a fan of the show as I was when I was little. I owned all of the VHS tapes that came out in the early 90's but had to get rid of them since they had a lot of wear. I do own the Spotlight Collection but the shorts were edited and not presented as they were originally released. I'm so glad I held out on the last two sets of the spotlight collection. This is the way the Spotlight Collection should have been released. I really wish I knew how WB remastered these shorts because the picture quality is absolutely beautiful even on the DVD copy.

There's only one DVD case with a beautiful shiny slip cover. Inside, it comes with a small booklet episode guide and two discs. The original opening and ending credits are included in each episode.

Note: The DVD does warn you that these shorts are intended for the adult collector. I added a screenshot that shows the warning. There's...

Finally!
I had refused to buy the old DVD collections and am now glad I did! I am NOT a PC type of guy (seems people go out of their way nowadays to be offended) and won't bother with edited/censored stuff. Here they are in all their glory the way they always should have been. Plus the shows themselves look great AND I have the DVD NOT the blue ray so I can imagine that the blu ray looks even better!

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Welcome to the Tombs

THE WALKING DEAD Season 3 Blu-Ray Limited Edition
This Blu-Ray set is really awesome! The "Zombie Head Aquarium" is a hard plastic case with two plastic aquariums with either two or three (five total) severed heads with a few decorative twigs, both aquariums are removable and the lids come off, you can fill the two aquariums with water and put the lids back on. The case itself takes four (4) AAA batteries on the bottom, and right-side up, the front of the case, the "3" for "SEASON 3" is the button to turn on the six little lights in the case that will illuminate the two aquariums, when put back into the case after filling them with water. The Blu-Ray DVD set fits into a sleeve in the back of the case. Batteries are separate. The Walker Heads are attached to a clip that clips onto the back of the aquariums, so that the heads gives the illusion that they are floating.
The Blu-Ray DVDs consist of five discs (Discs 1-4 are the Episodes. Disc 1 - Episodes 1-4. Disc 2 - Episodes 5-8. Disc 3 - Episodes 9-12. Disc 4 - Episodes...

Rating the Limited Edition set only
So I got my Walking Dead Season 3 Limited Edition BluRay in the mail today.

I was excited to see how this sucker looks put together so I unboxed it. I decided first thing to slide the BluRay disc hardbook part into the back of the head case. Bad idea...

People, DO NOT slide your movies in there if you are a collector and like your items pristine. It was a bit tough to get out for one (I had to pull from both top and bottom to finally get it to slide out). BUT, the worse part is a major design flaw - at least for collectors. There are 2 little rounded tabs that are indented on the back of the container (inside) that are meant to hold the BluRay hardbook in place tighter. Only problem is, when you slide the movie out, you're left with a gouge / indented line running across the front of your nice BluRay hardbook. Not good at ALL :(

I found this out the hard way, so I hope you read this in advance of getting yours.

I saw a lot of people...

Uncomfortably awesome
This show pushes my limits. Not the creepy scary "zombie" flick type, that makes you laugh, but I see these people going through real struggles and learning how to rely on each other. They are becoming accustomed to losing members of their group.We get to see factions devolve into a more primitive society. I watch the show and some parts really make me uncomfortable. But, I cannot wait till the next episode.

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Yoga for the Rest of Us: Easy Yoga for Easing Pain with Peggy Cappy

Little Miracles from Little Stretches
Over 40 now, I have always been active, but this winter I had a sudden onset of back pain and weakness in my muscles. This DVD is not difficult, but the stretches you do, do amazing things for your body. I could feel and briefly hear things realign the first time I used it. With each use I gained even more flexibility, and pain dissipated after the first viewing and disappeared after the second! Amazing... when you do the exercises you think they are so easy... but the results are literally healing! This DVD is for everyone - young or old! Highly Recommend!
p.s. DVD works well on Mac.

Hello again... I see some follow-up questions are being asked, so posting the DVD description to clarify.

"In Easy Yoga for Easing Pain, Peggy provides a path to relief for you if you suffer from varying levels of pain in your muscles or joints. Peggy's newest routine demonstrates yoga movements that can increase your flexibility, reduce joint pain, even combat fatigue and...

Nice and slow for older folks
Yoga is slower than msny other forms of exercise - more stretching than many./ This is even easier - lots of time in chairs - not all up and down using your legs - easier that a lot of other tapes/dvd. Easier on older bones & joints.

Great for people with disabilities!
I got this for my mom that can't walk very well and has breathing problems. She loves it. It really does ease pain and her breathing has improved. She look forward to doing yoga now. She was in so much pain before and didn't want to workout. Now she does workouts everyday since it makes her feel so much better. This video is a must have for people with limited mobility!

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Shooter

Edge of your seat thriller
After a mission gone awry, Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) now leads a solitary existence in the mountains of Wyoming. When he is called back to assist a covert military group (headed by Danny Glover) in determining how to pull off an assasination attempt, he soon discovers that he's been set up in an elaborate ruse to take the fall. Hell hath no fury like a Marine scorned, and Swagger becomes a PO'ed two-man army (once he hooks up with disgraced FBI agent Michael Pena), determined to bring the real culprits to justice. Directd by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), this high octane conspiracy thriller just doesn't let up and will keep the viewer guessing. Though it's pretty violent - it's well worth watching!

My only drawback was having to hear Glover's dialogue - was it me or did he have some really ill-fitting dentures that provided him with the most annoying lisp. I was just waiting for them to fall out. Overall though, Glover has not given a more chilling...

Shooter review
A veteran double crossed by the government during his early military career is used once again in this fast paced action flick. The unsuspecting soldier is talked into helping 'prevent' the assassination of a president, but things are not what they seem and he's roped into a deep conspiracy. Now he must run for his life while he tries to find a way to reveal the truth. I could slightly guess the formula and where it was leading on this one, but still enjoyed the action packed story.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

His country forsook him, but he never forsook his country
The film opens with two US troops being abandoned by their commander. They are not in authorized space. When asked why, the commander said something to the effect that the men were well trained and they would find their way home.

We know one of them did, because we see him years later. Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) has nearly gone off the grid. It's just him and his dog living in a remote cabin.

When he's approached by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) to help foil a plot to kill the US President by determining how the shooter is going to do it, he reluctantly accepts the job.

When the fated day arrives, it's actually the Archbishop of Ethiopia who is shot and the crime's blamed on Swagger. Swagger goes on the run, trying to find out precisely what happened.

"Shooter" is a smart paced and intelligent conspiracy thriller taken from the pen of Stephen Hunter. Excellent acting on the part of the whole crew. This multi-faceted film is well...

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Best of Warner Bros. 20 Film Collection Musicals

PASS THE POPCORN: THIS IS REAL ENTERTAINMENT
In celebration of its Anniversary, Warner Bros. is releasing its (and MGM'S) vast film library in genre specific Box Set Collections. The "20 Musicals Collection" is, for the most part, cause for grand celebration. The 20 films collected here are a good to great historical representation of the genre. Most of the films included here have deservedly made several "Best Of" or "Top Ten" film lists. The DVDS are housed in sturdy, attractive purple cases; neatly divided into three separate sections: 1927-1951, 1951-1964, and 1967-1988.
1927-1951: "The Jazz Singer" was obviously included for its historical importance; as the film that revolutionized the motion picture industry. It's only "part talkie", and half silent. It's hard to believe that "Broadway Melody" won Best Picture of 1928-1929. When this "Melody" isn't stilted, it is melodramatic. The entertainment finally kicks into high gear with the sassy and snappy backstage...





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Holiday Triple Feature: Christmas Shoes/Christmas Blessing/Christmas Hope

Excellent Christmas Entertainment
Each of these three films is excellent on its own, but the three together at a great price is over the top. The Christmas Shoes is a classic that tugs at the heart strings and I love to watch it every year. I showed it to my young grandchildren this year and they love it. The Christmas Blessing is the sequel to The Christmas Shoes and is also an excellent film. I believe that this deserves to be call a classic as well. The Christmas Hope is also an excellent film and will bring a tear to the eye of the toughest person. I enjoy watching all three of these every year and am pleased to be able to add them to my collection. I would give all three films five stars on their own, but as a collection, I'm sorry that I can't give an even higher rating. If you love Christmas/Feel Good movies as much as I do, then these are a musst-have for your collection.

Insperational Movies...
Very inspiring movies for everyone. They make you appreciate what you have, all the blessings of health and Love. Everyone needs a good cry now and then and these are those type movies. Helps you remember what Christmas is all about, the Little Baby Jesus and not what you are gonna get...or give.

Mixed reviews on these movies
The first installment on this DVD, The Christmas Shoes, is a wonderful movie. In fact, I would go so far as to say I thought is was better than the book. While the book is inspiring, it is relatively short and the characters aren't developed nearly as well as they are in the movie. Most movies based on a book, of course, contain dialog and some story-lines not found in the book, in order to make a full length movie. That said, the movie was well-done in all aspects, even with the addition of some material not found in the book. Five stars for this one.

That is NOT the case with the second movie in the set...The Christmas Blessing. This was a horrible and totally unnecessary re-write of a wonderful book. What were the producers/writers thinking? and why didn't the author object?? I actually read the book shortly AFTER I saw the movie, and was appalled at the changes made in the movie. The book was a moving, wonderfully told and uplifting story. The lead characters in the...

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The Indian in the Cupboard

Top flight entertainment for "tween" aged children
"The Indian in the Cupboard" is an excellent movie for tween-aged children (i.e., children between their pre-school and teen years). In this movie a boy discovers that he can bring small action figures to life by using a small, old, wooden cupboard. The first figure he brings to life is a Native American. As the story progresses, the boy learns important lessons about life from his new friend, "Little Bear."

The story is exciting without being frightening, educational without being stuffy, and fun without being extreme. "The Indian in the Cupboard" presents an excellent entertainment offering for pre-teens who often see too much programming centered on overstimulation of sight, sound, and action (e.g., Pokemon...).

I also like the fact that the boy in the story doesn't look like he stepped right out of an advertising agency, or off of the cover of a magazine. He is a regular guy...his hair is a little messy, his teeth haven't gone through an...

My goodness, what an insult to the book!!
We just got done reading this book in our homeschool so naturally I rented this movie hoping it would bring the words to life. This movie is a mere shadow of the book. Omri's family is nice and even the boy who plays him is okay. The Native American who played the "Indian" (Litefoot) did a wonderful job but the script was so pathetic. The boy who played Patrick was repugnant and not much of a real friend. One of the major things that just absolutely kills this movie for me is the excessive amount of cussing (at one point Omri even says a cuss word to his mom, and she responds with a proud, wide-mouthed grin). Not only that, but in one scene the boys even have the cowboy and Indian watching a raunchy music video, and plenty is shown to make it offensive. These were fatal mistakes in my opinion, I am sure I am not the only one who was turned off by these things. It would have been so awesome to see what a really good director could have done with this movie.

Toy Story Comes To Life....
This video made it to our family library long ago. Entertaining, enjoyable for adults and children, with relatively little violence (there are some battle scenes), it opens up avenues for dinner time conversation about reality, fantasy, Native Americans, friendship and bullies. In addition, watching this movie led us to the book series, which my then 6 year old listened to intently.

What we liked - fantasy mixed with reality, much like Small Soldiers or E.T. (though not nearly as good as E.T.) With the help of a magical key and cabinet, our hero, Omri, brings a figurine, Little Bear, to life (in miniature form). He watches Little Bear build a home and finds a wife for him. Omri's best friend, Patrick, doesn't quite understand the difference between play and real lives, and brings Boone, a cowboy and his horse to life, setting off a small battle between the two people.

Boone brings a touch of comic relief to the film, which deals with some serious issues. Death...

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The Book Thief

One Of The Best Movies I've Ever Seen
Note: I saw an advanced screening of The Book Thief.

The Book Thief is a book that has stuck with me for so many years, there is just something so powerful and raw about Zusak's novel. The Book Thief has to be one of the trickiest books to adapt because it's far from a simple story. The novel is nearly 600 pages and it's main narrator is Death himself commenting on the events of World War II. How could Brian Percival (Downton Abbey) direct such a movie without doing the novel injustice?

The Book Thief is true to it's source material, even though it doesn't maintain all of the major plot events in the novel. The filmmakers rarely utilized Death's narration, so the few times they did use it, it felt a bit awkward and out of place. I didn't get quite the chills from hearing his narration like I did when I had read the book. Despite the unevenness of the narration, The Book Thief really captures the essence of Liesel's story. All of the characters were truly...

"I am haunted by humans"
Those who love Markus Zusak's The Book Thief as I do will know that it is an incredibly complex novel - the way the main characters intersect each other's lives and the themes that are developed throughout the novel are deep and layered and would make for a daunting on-screen translation. Yet director Brian Percival manages to make the movie accessible to viewers whilst staying true to the source material. This may not be a blow-by-blow, faithful to each and every word adaptation, but to me at least, it is a true adaptation in portraying the essence of the story. I love the book but I also loved the movie, for similar and different reasons.

The story of The Book Thief begins with the narrator, Death (Roger Allam), providing a sort of overview/introduction. Fortunately, the narrator's voice is not dominant throughout the story as it would (to me) have been a rather distracting voice, but the narrator's presence is felt nevertheless. The protagonist in this film is Liesel...

A strangely lyrical young girl's coming of age tale, set in Nazi Germany and narrated by Death
All too often a movie turns out to be less than what the trailers lead you to expect, but every now and then there's a movie that surprises you by being more. The Book Thief is one of those movies. Directed by Brian Percival (Downton Abbey, North & South) from a screenplay by Michael Petroni (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys) adapted from the novel of the same name by Marcus Zusak, The Book Thief does not lend itself to easy categorization. On the surface, you'd think from the trailers that it's an Anne Frank sort of film, a young girl's POV about life under the Nazis and about a family hiding a young Jewish man in their house. But it's more than that, a lot more.

You know you're in for something different when the film begins with the narrated line "Here's a small fact: you're going to die." You know you're in for something really different when you realize that the narrator is Death. And it is Death who introduces us to Liesel...

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Barbie in The Nutcracker

Sure to be a Christmas classic!
Beautiful. Exquisite. Captivating. There aren't enough superlatives to describe the quality of Barbie's first, and hopefully not last, movie. I bought this for my daughter thinking that it would be fun video for her to watch (Barbie lover that she is at 2 1/2) as the holidays approach. I didn't expect to fall in love with it myself. In amazing computer animation, the Nutcracker is retold through the eyes of Barbie playing both the roles of Clara and the Sugarplum Princess. The story is strong, with lots of action and tenderness: the plotline includes, of course, Prince Eric as the Nutcracker, the Mouse King and his legions, and lots of adorable sugarplum fairies. The dance sequences will take your breath away as the graphics artists have integrated actual footage of the dancing of the New York City Ballet into their computer animated scenes. I only wish there had been more of them, but I will take quality over quantity! A few of the scenes were a little rough for my 2-year...

Not Bad For Barbie, Very Enjoyable!
I never liked Babie, not even as a kid but I always enjoyed The Nutcracker. Being tired of watching a total musical, I was shocked to find that this video was more of a movie with a plot rather then all the charactors hopping up and down all over the picture. I love how the viewer watches as the Nutcracker and Clara bond closer as the movie Progresses. The animation is almost as good as Toy Story (Main Frame that made Barbie Nutcracker are the guys that made that computer series Reboot) But the best animation has to be the Mouse King and Pimm. Tim Curry did an excellent role playing the regal rodent and I would say that little purple bat is the cutest charactor not to mention great comic relief to the story (it's so cute when Pimm whispers as the mouse king is holdng him upside down by his feet "Sire I can't feel my toes" and he gives them a little wiggle, Just makes you want to squeeze him! Also the highlight is when Prince Eric and Clara dance together at the end, very...

It isn't the ballet
Since my daughter, age 7, is taking ballet, I was excited to have two things she likes combined (Barbie & ballet). Unfortunately, the plot and characters of The Nutcracker ballet have been changed dramatically and the dancing limited to the final scene. The video's plot is the nutcracker's battle to find the sugar plum princess and regain his true identity. I particularly found the added "rock giant" character distasteful. On the plus side; the animated dancing in the final scene is quite good and the music by Tchaikovsky is used consistently throughout the movie. The movie has a positive message though it is heavy handed. If you are looking for the classic ballet dancing or story you will not find it here.

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Cool Dog [HD]

Take It To The Top, Cool Dog!
Cool Dog is one of the greatest movies of the past decade. What appears to be a simple movie about a boy and his dog on the surface is really a uncompromising examination of class, crime and religion in today's society. I don't want to spoil too much, but you will be surprised at how deeply Cool Dog plumbs the depths of your soul. You will laugh, but you will cry, and in the end you will come back a better human being.

Everybody, young and old, should watch Cool Dog. Rainy is the hero we need in these times, and he will inspire you as he inspired me.

Like inception, only with a better twist
This is a short review, but cool dog is simply the most complex film I have ever seen. The twist at the end *spoilers* where you discover that the cool dog song tells the tale of the movie creates a sense of both fate and the will to travel for said rainy the dog. Cool dog will make you laugh, cry, and truly think about the world around you. 5 stars, would even give it a higher score if I could.

So many twists and turns, you'll think you're in a corn maze on the fourth of July
Cool Dog is one of the best films of the past two decades. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll bear another child just to watch it again. This coming-of-age comedic drama has some amazing special effects which never detract from the subtly interwoven plot lines that highlight the interplay of cultures and socioeconomic strata. Truly a hidden gem!

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After the Wedding (English subtitled) [HD]

You Can't Go Home Again
Jacob, doing humanitarian work at an Indian children's refuge, (the erstwhile "Casino Royale" villain, Mads Mikkelsen) doesn't know what to think when his superior tells him that a prospective benefactor ( Rolf Lassgard in a heart wrenching performance as Jorgen) requires Jacob to return, after twenty years, to Denmark so that the refuge can receive a huge donation. So as much as Jacob dislikes the idea, and at this point we know not why, he returns to Denmark in Susanne Bier's remarkable, emotionally charged, sometimes even overwrought "After the Wedding."
Bier has composed this film in much the same way as a Verismo opera: scenes of confrontation, scenes of enlightenment, scenes of disclosure are piled one on top of the other as the film slithers insinuatingly towards its tragic yet redemptive denouement.
All of the main characters: Jacob, Jorgen, Jorgen's wife Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen in a mature, sexy performance) and Helene and Jorgen's daughter, Anna (Stine Fischer...

"Do I Have to Live on the Other Side of the World to Get Your Help?"
Early on in Susanne Bier's Oscar Nominated (Best Foreign Film 2006) film "After The Wedding", Danish expat-in-India Jacob (the solid Mads Mikkelsen) is faced with the prospect of reluctantly returning to his homeland after twenty years to meet with a mysterious man who is offering the necessary funding to keep his school/orphanage open. When explaining to Pramod (his adopted son-of-sorts) that he must leave, the precocious eight year old asks about the wealth of people in Denmark and finally concludes, "If I was rich, I'd be happy."

Soon after, when we delve deeply into the lives of the proposed benefactor and his family, we see that this proclamation certainly does not apply to all people. Or, at the very least, it definitely does not apply to billionaire Jorgen (the authoritative Rolf Lassgard) or his family.

Although it seems like it might at first. The jump from the teeming Indian squalor to the lush green Danish countryside almost jarringly illustrates...

"Can't Buy Me Love"
`After the Wedding,' Denmark's "Best Foreign Picture" nominee for the Academy Awards has a lot going for it. Even if there is a soap opera feel to the scenes and the story, the quality is head and shoulders above any serial. Not to mention the fact we get six months of development in one movie. Solid performances, and camera shots that capture every revealing reaction give the story a magnetic interest.

The film begins in India where Jacob Pedersen (Mads Mikkelson) works with the impoverished. He feels at home with the children, but he goes back to Denmark to raise funds for the orphanage and get reacquainted with his family. At home his former love Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen) has married a tycoon, Jorgen Hanson (Rolf Lassgard), someone Jacob is able to solicit funding with ease. Once they meet, he is invited to their daughter's wedding. Much like `Rumor Has It' with far less laughs, yet more substantive development, Jacob finds out at the reception that he has...

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A Walk to Remember

A Movie to Warm Your Heart!
"Wow". That's about all I could muster at the end of the movie (embarrassingly, between a flood of tears - after all, a guy isn't allowed to cry, right?) I must admit - my skepticism was extremely high upon first hearing about this movie. I queried myself as to the necessity of watching yet another "teenage love story". However, upon a friend's recommendation, I decided to give it a go, and realized that I had actually come close to making a terribly big mistake in my life had I not watched it. The movie was simply INCREDIBLE!

Shane West does an excellent portrayal of High School bad boy Landon, and his desire to be popular and cool will surely strike a chord in many of our hearts. After all, during our precocious teenage years, there are arguably few things that are more important than being cool and universally liked by peers. One's self esteem is invariably tied with how others perceive us. And so that is how Landon is, until he meets sweet Jamie Sullivan, the local preacher's...

Beautiful...a Classic in the Making
First off, please pay no heed to the critics on this one. They seem to have written it off as just another in a long line of typical teen films, giving it their typical (and apparently recycled) reviews for such films. In their prejudice, they fail to realize the uniqueness of this film, especially in this day and age. Sure, the story -- based on the best-selling Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name -- is nothing new: big man on campus falls in love with misunderstood misfit harboring a tragic secret. The difference here is in the presentation. Instead of the jaded, busy and noisy perspective taken by most teen films, "Walk" is quiet, gentle, full of hope.

The plot is simple enough. Popular bad-boy Landon Carter (Shane West) is sentenced to various after-school activities as punishment for his participation in a prank gone terribly wrong. Consequently, he comes into contact with do-gooder Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), the preacher's daughter and school outcast. They grew...

A Movie That Will Be Remembered
After seeing the trailers to A Walk to Remember, I have to admit, I wasn't psyched about seeing this movie. It seemed to be yet another stereotypical cardboard cut out of recent teen movies in the past few years. There are a few 'chick flicks' that I have enjoyed in the past, but they're not my favorite movies. But, because of my friends eagerness to see the movie, I gave in, and went to see it. The results were very surprising. This movie wasn't just another average 'chick flick,' it was something much more. It became one of my all-time favorite movies.

The movie is based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, and tells the wonderful tale of two people who are the definite opposites of one another only to be brought together by a miracle. There is Jamie Sullivan, played brilliantly by Mandy Moore, who is a shy and meek girl who is always teased on by her peers. Her head remains strong however, because she doesn't allow the rude and immature comments penetrate and hamper her...

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Care-A-Lot's Birthday

Great classic
I loved this as a kid and now my child loves it just as much. Lots better than most of the junk on TV for kids these days!

Classic!
They are the classic, late 1980's care bear cartoons that we all remember from our childhoods. :) My three year old loves these old shows.

My 4 yr old loves the original one
My son loves these shows. I like that they have good messages and cute stories. The other seasons are good too, but my son likes the first season because the Care Bears actually visit and help kids on earth.

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The Legend of Korra - Book One: Air [Blu-ray]

fast paced and exciting
After the original series Avatar: The Last Airbender ended, the Nickelodeon folks (for some reason unfathomable to me) quashed any hopes of ever reviving it. They eventually confirmed that fans had shown a positive response to Avatar Kyoshi and were interested in starting up a new series based on a female Avatar and to avoid a rehash of Aang's adventures it would be set in a single semi-modern city and feature people who are anti-bending of any element. True to their word, enter Avatar Korra. If you're wondering about Zuko's mom or are craving a continuation of the gang's adventures I recommend Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 1. The book raises more questions than it answers but it is definitely a start to unraveling the mystery. The rest of the comics are as of 5/18/2012 unpublished so we have no choice other than to be patient and let the series creators tell the story in their own time/way...

Korra Arrives Early
I just finished watching the first episode of Legend of Korra. I was very pleasantly surprised that it arrived early on Amazon. I have been looking forward to this show since seeing the preview at last year's Comicon. It is definitely different from the first three season of Avatar but very enjoyable. Korra is a very strong, willful teen girl who can kick butt and take names, but like Aang has a lot to learn about the world and her place in it. This episode does a good job of introducing new characters, giving some closure on old characters, and introducing a new world for the rest of the series. It left me exciting and looking forward to the rest of the series.

Great for the whole family
I was a dedicated fan of the original. My daughter (5) and I routinely watch the original series. I approached the new one with trepidation they might ruing the legacy (can you blame me after the movie) and hope that the original creators wouldn't let me down.

This new series has delivered beyond my expectations. It takes the original and advances it - creating something that is both familiar and new at the same time. For fans of the original, there are many shout outs and in-references to characters and events past. There is humor, drama, intrigue, and a villain with a mysterious enough back story to pull you in. I don't want to say too much and risk spoilers.

I also like the strong female role model. As a dad of two, its nice to see lead female characters. Avatar has always had strong female role models, and this series is no different.

Newcomers, do not worry if you haven't seen the original. My wife can count on one hand the number of...

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The Bridge [HD]

Started shaky, but rapidly improving
When I first reviewed this show, I criticized its lack of both character development and a strong connection to the established Marvel Comics universe. Thankfully, as of recent episodes, those issues have begun to fade.

It finally feels as if Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is beginning to live up to Joss Whedon's vision: to be a fun, engaging drama about "normal" people dealing with the challenges of a world where superheroes are just beginning to emerge. While I've heard the show's numerous references to "The Avengers" described as gimmicky, they do make sense. A huge wormhole opened up in the sky over New York City and coughed up an alien army, for crying out loud. People are going to tend to talk about that a lot. One of the show's best points, by the way, is its global feel. It doesn't make the mistake of having every single paranormal event happen in America. So far, we've visited South America, Sweden, and Hong Kong - and the inclusion of actual footage filmed in some of...

Paper Thin Characters and Stupid Plots
A show like this tries to make its biggest appeal by making the audience love the characters. So what do you do when the characters are as thin as tissue paper, utterly predictable, and hopelessly stereotypical? I watched roughly half of the first season then decided to give it up.

Basically, each episode starts out by presenting at the beginning a simple plot that simply narrates itself through the entire episode. Each character plays out its given part in utterly predictable fashion, the tough guy acts tough, the smart guy acts smart, the tough girl backs up the tough guy, the smart girl backs up the smart guy, and agent Coulson gives everyone the proper answers at the proper time. PREDICTABLE AND BORING!!! Watch the first episode and all other episodes follow the exact same formula. No character development (other than a reaffirmation of the paper thin character stereotypes presented at the beginning), no plot surprises (everything is easily understood in the opening...

Something worth watching
With the departure of WAREHOUSE 13, we finally have something worth watching. It's been too long since we've seen the "Grr! Arrgh!" Yes, there are a lot of tv tropes at play, but Joss Whedon is adept at turning them on their ear. Loved not only the connections to AVENGERS and IRON MAN 3, and the appearance by Maria Hill, but also the mention of Project Pegasus (which in the comics is a center for aleternative energy sources slash prison for supervillains. Skye's mention of it seems to be to a past event, and let's hope it's not too much like Binghamton on ALPHAs. Another nice touch was the way Whedon never forgets actors whom he's used before: J August Richards and Ron Glass were welcome sights. Will definitely be purchasing each episode as soon as it appears on Amazon!

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