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Futurama: The Complete Collection Description:

The Futurama Complete Collection:
Comic Con Exclusive includes all four volumes of Futurama, as well as 4 feature-length adventures: Bender´s Big Score, The Beast With A Billion Backs, Bender´s Game, Into the Wild Green Yonder all contained in a limited edition collectible Bender Head with a numbered letter from Matt Groening and David X. Cohen.

• Audio: English, French & Spanish: Dolby Surround (Only Volumes 1-3 have French audio)
• Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Discs 1-15: Full Screen: 1.33:1, Discs 16-19: Widescreen: 1.78:1

Disc 1: Futurama SSN 1 Disc 1

• Space Pilot 3000
• The Series Has Landed
• I, Roommate
• Love’s Labour Lost in Space
• Commentary on all episodes
• Animatics for Space Pilot 3000
• Deleted Scenes: Two scenes from Episode Two: The Series Has Landed, two scenes from I, Roommate, one scene from Love’s Labour’s Lost In Space
• Script/Storyboard for Space Pilot 3000

Disc 2: Futurama SSN 1 Disc 2

• Fear of a Bot Planet
• A Fishfull of Dollars
• My Three Suns
• A Big Piece of Garbage
• Hell is Other Robots
• Commentary on all episodes
• Deleted scenes: one scene from My Three Suns, one scene from Hell is Other Robots

Disc 3: Futurama SSN 1 Disc 3

• A Flight to Remember
• Mars University
• When Aliens Attack
• Fry & the Slurm Factory
• Commentary on all episodes
• Featurette
• Deleted scenes: One scene from When Aliens Attack
• Interactive still gallery (stills & video)

Disc 4: Futurama SSN 2 Disc 1

• I Second That Emotion
• Brannigan, Begin Again
• A Head in the Polls
• Xmas Story
• Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?
• Commentary on all episodes
• Animatics for Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?
• 5 Deleted Scenes
• 1 Easter Egg

Disc 5: Futurama SSN 2 Disc 2

• The Lesser of Two Evils
• Put Your Head on My Shoulders
• Raging Bender
• A Bicyclops Built for Two
• A Clone of My Own
• Commentary on all episodes
• 5 Deleted Scenes
• 2 Easter Eggs

Disc 6: Futurama SSN 2 Disc 3

• How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back
• The Deep South
• Bender Gets Made
• Mother’s Day
• The Problem with Popplers
• Commentary on all episodes
• 3 Deleted Scenes
• 2 Easter Eggs
• Futurama video game trailer

Disc 7: Futurama SSN 2 Disc 4

• Anthology of Interest I
• War is the H-Word
• The Honking
• The Cryonic Woman
• Commentary on all episodes
• Still Gallery/Concept Art - 59 Static Images
• Alien Alphabet - 1 Static Image
• 2 Deleted Scenes
• 2 Easter Eggs

Disc 8: Futurama SSN 3 Disc 1

• Amazon Women In The Mood
• Parasites Lost
• A Tale Of Two Santas
• The Luck Of The Fryfish
• The Birdbot Of Ice-Catraz
• Bendless Love
• Commentary on all episodes
• Gallery - Storyboard Images for Parasites Lost (Approx. 275 Static Images)
• 6 Deleted Scenes
• 3 Easter Eggs:
• David X. Cohen Intro For A Tale Of Two Santas
• Table Read For A Tale Of Two Santas (Audio Only)
• Alternate Show Opening Quotes (Approx. 80 Static Images)

Disc 9: Futurama SSN 3 Disc 2

• The Day The Earth Stood Stupid
• That’s Lobstertainment!
• The Cyber House Rules
• Where The Buggalo Roam
• Insane In The Mainframe
• The Route Of All Evil
• Audio Commentary For All Episodes
• 5 Deleted Scenes

Disc 10: Futurama SSN 3 Disc 3

• Bendin’ In The Wind
• Time Keeps On Slipping
• I Dated A Robot
• A Leela Of Her Own
• A Pharaoh To Remember
• Audio Commentary on All Episodes
• 3 Deleted Scenes

Disc 11: Futurama SSN 3 Disc 4

• Anthology Of Interest II
• Roswell That Ends Well
• Godfellas
• Future Stock
• The 30% Iron Chef
• Audio Commentary on All Episodes
• Still Gallery/Character Art - 100 Static Images
• 2 How To Draw Characters Gallaries - Fry and Leela
• 80 Static Images
• Animatic For Anthology Of Interest Part II
• Alternate Animation Commentary for Roswell That Ends Well
• International Clip with French, Italian, Spanish and English Language
• 9 3D Models From Rough Draft Sequences
• 3 Deleted Scenes

Disc 12: Futurama SSN 4 Disc 1

• Kif Gets Knocked Up A Notch - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes and Storyboard Images
• Leela’s Homeworld - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• Love And Rocket - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes and International Video clip with audio in German, Portuguese, Spanish and English
• Less Than Hero - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• A Taste Of Freedom - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes

Disc 13: Futurama SSN 4 Disc 2

• Bender Should Not Be Allowed On TV
• Jurassic Bark
• Crimes Of The Hot - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• Teenage Mutant Leela’s Hurdles - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• The Why Of Fry - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes

Disc 14: Futurama SSN 4 Disc 3

• Where No Fan Has Gone Before - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• Bend Her - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• Obsoletely Fabulous - Including Commentary, Deleted Scenes and Animatic with Subtitles Similar to Episode
• Easter Egg: Star Trek Panel - Consists of Three Clips Tied Together as a Single Asset:
• Writer Goodman on Guest Voice Actors
• Writer Goodman on Script Changes
• Actor Dimaggio on Bender

Disc 15: Futurama SSN 4 Disc 4

• The Farnsworth Parabox - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• Three Hundred Big Boys - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• Spanish Fry - Including Commentary and Deleted Scenes
• The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings - Including commentary and Deleted Scenes
• Easter Egg: Table Read Audio Only Played Over a Static Card
• 11 Segments of 3D Models From Rough Drafts With Narration
• 2 How to Draw Characters Galleries of Fender and Professor
• Still Gallery and Nine Pencil Test Segments

Disc 16: Futurama Bender’s Big Score

• Complete commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, and cast members
• All new, full-length episode of “Everybody Loves Hypnotoad,” including TV commercials of the future
• Mind-bending Futurama math lecture by Professor Sarah Greenwald
• Promo for “An Inconvenient Truth” starring Bender and Al Gore, including commentary by the former Vice President.

Disc 17: Futurama Beast With A Billion Backs

• Commentary
• Extra Episode from XBOX Game
• XBOX Game Episode Commentary
• Animatic - Feature
• Deleted Scenes / Storyboards
• Blooper Reel / Record Sessions
• 3D Models / 3D Turnarounds - With Audio Description
• Celebrity Featurette - David Cross
• Bender or Cast Reads Credits
• Bender sings his version of the Futurama Song - which consists solely of “Bite My ShinyMetal Ass” or “Bender is Great!”
• New Character / Design Sketches

Disc 18: Futurama Bender’s Game

• Audio Commentary by Matt Groening,David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Michael Rowe, Claudia Katz, and Dwayne Carey-Hill
• Storyboard Animatic: Bender’s Game, Part One
• Futurama Genetics Lab - Cross-breed your favorite characters!
• D&D&F (Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama) Featurette: Futurama’s band of warrior-writers discuss the influence of Dungeons & Dragons on Futurama (and everything else that matters)
• How to Draw Futurama in 83 Easy Steps
• A step-by-step-by-step guide with the Rough Draft crew
• 3D models with animator discussion
• Deleted Scene: “Cup or Nozzle?
• Blooperama 2: Outtakes from Bender’s Game
• Bender’s Anti-Piracy Warning
• Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder - A sneak peek at the next Futurama Epic!

Disc 19: Futurama Into The Wild Green Yonder

• Audio Commentary
• Storyboard Animatic: Into the WIld Green Yonder, Part 1
• Docudramarama: How We Make Futurama So Good
• “Louder, Louder!”: The Acting Technique of Penn Jillette
• Golden Stinkers: A Treasury of Deleted Scenes
• Blooperama 3: Electric Blooperoo
• How to Draw Futurama in 10 Very Difficult Steps
• 3D Models with Animator Discussion
• Bender’s Movie Theater Etiquette
• Zapp Branningan’s Guide to Making Love at a Woman
• Easter Egg - Bender Toilet Paper Joke - Stills TBD
• Easter Egg - Zero-G, Matt and David in Space
• Easter Egg - Season 5 First Day - Footage of DXC, Matt Groening, and Ken Keeler hard at work on Futurama

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3001 in DVD
• Brand: Twentieth Century Fox
• Released on: 2009-10-13
• Rating: Unrated
• Formats: Animated, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 18
• Running time: 1989 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Great case! Sort of….
I had the impression that this was a little box with a bunch of dvd’s in sleeves with a holographic image on the outsides that make it look like Bender’s head is in a tank. So I was surprised to find a very large box on my doorstep. The pic you are looking at is a box with clear windows and Bender’s ‘real-sized’ head is in there! Awesome! You open a hatch in the back of his head and all the dvd’s are stacked vertically in grooves. It’s a fantastic and fun concept. I feel like I got so much more than I bargained for since the head is a fun display piece.

Though here’s the reason for the 4 stars: The hatch is sort of hard to open… though I suppose it won’t flop open on it’s own. My real issue is with the dvd rack once you open Bender’s hatch. They are spaced very close together in those grooves AND it’s kind of annoying to get the dvd lined up quite right when pushing it back in it’s right slot. You have to really focus to make sure you are sliding it in right. Also, it’s kind of hard to pull out the disks by holding them on the edge. You can, but just another 1/4″ would have been nice. It makes you want to pinch the dvd on the flat parts, which leads to smudges. Also, you can’t see what dvd’s you are grabbing until you pull it out a little to check. They come stacked in order, so you just count down til you get to the right one. A directory on the inside of that hatch would be nice, in fact I’m going to make one myself.

So the content is definitely 5 stars, anyone considering this already knows that. The head as a collector’s item is way fun. The head as a dvd holder is a bit difficult though. I really like opening up Bender to pick out a disc, but could definitely see storing these dvd’s in a sleeved case in the future. Another reason I’d do that is because the box bender came in makes a fun display too since it makes it look like his head is in a tank of water. So the last thing you’d want to do to get to an episode is to open the box, pull out Bender, fumble to pry open Bender, count down to which one you want and try not to scuff it while pulling it out….repeat.

Note to fox, it would be great if you could open the hatch by pressing Bender’s antenna, that’s how he activates things on the show. It would also be great if when you pressed on the antenna you got a nice ‘bit my shiny metal @#$’ or any other Benderisms.

Any Futurama collector must get this one!
I already own all the DVD seasons and movies, but the Bender head case is a must-have for all the die-hard Futurama fans.

The head looks very cool anywhere, has a nice detailed finish, and has all the Futurama until 2009!
Of course, we will get more Futurama in 2010, but this is a unique item, well, unique next to other 25499 Bender heads.

This collection includes:
- Plastic Bender head case (almost real life size)
- Rubber de-attachable antenna
- 19 DVDs (15 of the seasons, 4 of the movies). Of course, you’ll get all the extras, easter eggs, languages and features that each original DVD has.
- A letter from Matt Groening and David X Cohen talking about the support of the fans to the Series in all this 10 years. Includes the number of Bender head you bought.
- A guide to know which episode is on each disc (something that people complained in some of the reviews, trust me, is inside the box)

Minor complaints:
- I wish that the DVD discs layout were like the original ones, more detailed. Is nice to see different images, but the designs are too simple in my opinion.
- the 1st and 19th (last) DVD discs are difficult to pull out.

Recommendations:
- To open the Bender head from the back, DON’T PULL the back door, lightly (and gently) push it from the dented site and then pull.
- To pull out a disc, you’ll have to pull it with your fingers like a clamp (The Clamps!)
- To put the disc back in the case, you can do it by holding the disc with your fingers from the edges.

About the packaging:
- I pre-ordered and bought the item in order to ship internationally to Ecuador, South America. The printed box came inside a box of the same size, and that box was inside a bigger box with some neat extra big air-cushion plastic bags. The discs are flawless!
- I wanted to cancel the order I made for this collection one day earlier from the release date (I didn’t had a lot of money), but it was impossible. I was told not to receive the item here, and when the package returns to Amazon, I’ll get a refund. I changed my mind and it was the best choice. I love my Bender head and the DVD discs inside!

JavieR
[…]

Nice case, but not shipped securely.
I love futurama and already have the old box sets, but ordered this since I had slacked off on buying the features and this was not much more money than buying them. Great bargain price, really. My only beef is that when it arrived, all the discs were out of their slots, some with visible damage (hopefully doesnt effect playback, but now i need to check them all quickly so i can hopefully exchange if some of the discs are unplayable). Figured this was worth a mention though as it reminds me of the halo 3 debacle (discs damaged during shipping in special edition cases that microsoft ended up offering to replace). Im hoping mine all play fine, but if not id hope that microsoft’s example would be followed.

Amazon.com

Stills from Futurama: The Complete Collection (Click for larger image)

Gladiator Widescreen Edition Product: Gladiator Widescreen Edition Sale-$15.99! List Price: $19.99 Amazon Price: $15.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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SET IN ROMAN TIMES A BANISHED ROMAN GENERAL FIGHTS HIS WAY BACK AS A GLADIATOR. THE ONLY POWER STRONGER THAN THE EMPEROR IS THE GREATEST HERO IN ALL THE EMPIRE.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #720 in DVD
• Brand: CROWE,RUSSELL
• Released on: 2003-08-19
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 155 minutes

Features

• ISBN13: 9780783292557
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

WAIT FOR THE RERELEASE
I’ve just examined some of the fullsize screenshots over at AVS and this ‘blu-ray’ looks terrible.

It uses DNR and EE throughout.

DNR - In 2008, a lot of studios were using this process. Basically, it digitally ’smudges’ the image to hide any evidence of film-grain and, predictably, blu-rays with DNR look like s–t. Most studios have stopped using DNR. But Paramount, apparently, is continuing to release this smudgy garbage and trying to pass it off as ‘high definition’
(If you want the DNR experience at home; you can get the same effect by smearing vaseline all over your TV set. Yes, that’s about what it looks like)

EE - Edge Enhancement; in DVD days, when everyone was watching on tiny televisions, studios would use EE which basically messes with the colors a bit and adds bright white halos all around the edges (’enhances’ them) That might have made sense on a 10″ screen, but on a decent sized television it looks terrible.

There should be a proper release of this soon. Wait for that.

A Total Mess
This review refers to the blu-ray picture quality only. The movie itself is an absolute classic. Unfortunately this blu-ray was a victim of considerable DNR and EE that has actually removed and distorted picture detail. Here’s a good example. At the beginning of the movie where we see Maximus as a General leading a final battle, you see an amazing wide shot of flying, flaming, arrows. It should look amazing, right? Wrong. The picture was DNR’d so badly that it actually removed arrows and the ones you can see are a blurred mess! Absolutely terrible. Don’t waste your money on this. Wait until they release a quality blu-ray because “this is not it!”

DO NOT BUY WARNING!!!
This movie has been ruined by DNR and EE. Do not support studios ruining the picture of movies through noise reduction and artificial sharpening. They think they can take the easy way out and upscale and DNR and EE the DVD version then sell it to you for $30+. IF YOU BUY THIS YOU ARE BEING SCREWED BY THESE CROOKS.

Freaks and Geeks - The Complete Series Description:

Over 35,000 fans have demanded it, and so it has come. That’s how many rabid “Freaks and Geeks” fans have signed a petition via the Internet to plead for its release on DVD. “Freaks and Geeks,” the Emmy® award-winning series about the trials and tribulations of high school outsiders in 1980 Michigan is finally coming out on DVD in its original form, with all the original music. And believe us – clearing over 130 music cues from the likes of The Who, Billy Joel, Bob Seger and their peers was no easy task.

“Freaks and Geeks” ran for only one television season, but arguably remains the most sought-after series yet to be released on DVD. Just 18 episodes were made, but its legend has exploded over time. Cast members have gone on to stardom, articles have continued to be written, internet activity abounds. Shout! Factory celebrates this incredible television series with the passionate treatment it deserves.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #991 in DVD
• Brand: Unknown
• Released on: 2004-04-06
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: 1.05 pounds
• Running time: 1080 minutes

Customer Reviews:

THIS DVD ROCKS!
I never thought they’d be able to pull this off, but at long last, Freaks and Geeks is available on DVD. The show aired briefly during the 1999-2000 season before NBC abandoned it to run an extra night of Dateline (shudder). TV truly has become a vast wasteland in the time since. A friend of mine worked on the show and let me check out the discs. I was worried they would screw up the DVD and do something stupid like take out all the songs to save money (over 100 were used). It’s all there and it is truly awesome.

29 different commentary tracks (keep in mind there were only 18 episodes) borders on the obsessive, but if you’re a geek, this is bliss. They got all the key cast members, including Linda Cardellini and James Franco, as well as writers, directors, television executives and even the parents of John Daley, Sarah Hagan and Martin Starr and some fans. There are some great bloopers and behind the scenes clips where people are completely out of character. And they also included the original audition tapes for the major characters, which are pretty interesting. If you go on the Freaks and Geeks website you can watch a couple clips including Samm Levine’s famous impersonation of William Shatner that landed him a part on the show.

In addition to this DVD, they also have a collector’s edition that comes with a yearbook and 2 more discs of extras. But that’s a limited edition they stop selling in March 2004 and you can only get it through their website. Haven’t seen that, but if it’s anything like this set, it will rock.

They obviously put in a lot of work on the DVDs. I’ve seen other TV collections and they look like they’ve been thrown together. Here, every menu on every disc has a different image from a scene. And every time you change menus (on EVERY disc) a different dialogue clip plays, followed by some of Mike Andrews’ original compositions for the show. Some of them go on for a couple minutes and most of these are songs I’ve never heard before. I’m a hardcore fan and I was prepared to rip them if they screwed with the legacy of the show….but this DVD blew me away. Freaks and Geeks will become the standard by which all other TV show DVDs will be judged.

It’s about time!
Yes! F&G is finally coming out on DVD!

For those of you who weren’t lucky enough to watch F&G during its all-too-brief run, you’ll soon have your chance to experience a true television gem on DVD. Freaks & Geeks ran sporadically on NBC during the 1999-2000 series, and then in reruns on the Fox (now ABC?) Family Channel. In short, it’s the story of two siblings: Lindsay & Sam Weir, and their trials and tribulations as high school students in Michigan circa 1980. Lindsay is a junior and a former overachieving whiz-kid who undergoes a crisis of self after the death of her grandmother, and tries to find herself as a new member of a clique of underachieving stoners. Her brother Sam is a sensitive, nerdy guy trying to make his way through freshman year with a tight band of dorks and misfits.

As I write this, I realize that a brief summary doesn’t begin to do justice to this multi-layered show. It’s hysterically funny, poignant, often painful, and never tries to have the neatly tied-up generic sitcom ending. The secondary characters are as well realized as Sam & Lindsay, and really make the show special (including SCTV’s Joe Flaherty as the ambivalent Mr. Weir, Samm Levine as Neil, and Martin Starr as Bill Haverchuck). There are so many moments on the show that I personally identified with, and I can’t imagine anyone who was subjected to the tortures of high school life that wouldn’t be able to at times. (Though it helps if you lived through the early 80’s or can connect with references to the Jerk, Dallas, Dungeons & Dragons, and/or Neil Peart of Rush…). I could keep on going about the show, but I’ll let you find out the rest for yourself. Now, to the DVD…

The standard edition of the DVD is described in some detail here, and includes the 6 episodes that never aired on NBC, as well as many extras. However, especially if you are a fan of F&G, you owe it to yourself to check out the limited Deluxe Edition that’s available directly from the creators of the show at www.freaksandgeeks.com. Here’s the description from the site:

“In this Deluxe Edition, we put it all into an expanded 80-page foil-stamped and embossed yearbook presented in true Freaks and Geeks style loaded with photos and memorabilia from the show. The yearbook is filled with personalized notes, tons of photos, even photos of many of you, script pages, a quiz, a letter from Paul [Feig, creator of the show], a Q&A with me [Judd Apatow, exec. producer], details about every show, a letter from Mr. Rosso, poetry, rock and roll lyrics, reprints of articles about the show, and lots more.

· three live “table reads” of some of our best episodes
· a one-hour Q&A with Judd, Paul & the entire cast at the Museum of TV & Radio in LA shot a few days before we got cancelled
· tons more auditions, deleted scenes, promos and outtakes
· some of our favorite scenes in the raw footage from a single-camera perspective
· guidance counselor Jeff Rosso & Feedback live in concert
· the full original electronic press kit, filled with interviews with the cast and crew
· a script that was never shot
· a special music and photo gallery
· surprise Easter eggs
· even more behind the scenes footage edited by Jason Segal and Martin Starr
· and other things that are weird and hard to describe”

It runs for the steep price of $120, but the way I figure it is, this is the only season of F&G you’re going to get, so you may as well do it right! However, you won’t go wrong with either version, so do yourself a favor and check it out.

No stretch to claim that F&G is the best T.V. series EVER!!!
Most critics put this show as the best of the 1999-2000 season. Yes, even above Sorpranos. What’s more is that even, as of this writing, after this show was moronically cancelled by NBC, this show found a hugh and cultish following on college campuses. I was just starting college in August 2001 (University of Chicago) and during the first weeks (before 9/11) the campus had many showings of F&G. As time went on, more and more people crowded around to watch and what’s more was the amazing silence during, which was only broken by the laughter (which of course there was a lot of). After 9/11 none of us wanted any showings until after the holidays because admittingly we felt guilty about laughing and not thinking about the tragedy. Our dorm started showing it again in January 2002 and the get togethers have not stopped. This show will stick with everyone, because the story’s are (collectively) all of ours. The acting, all around, on all levels was phenomenal for television and a list of standouts is impossible. Just to say that some careers that were launched here are Linda Cardellini (Legally Blonde and Scooby-Doo) and James Franco (James Dean & City by the Sea). The parents on this show may not have been main storylines but they were extremely important and extremely well played by Becky Ann Baker, Joe Flahery, Amy Aquino and I feel terribly upset by this but I cannot remember the actress who played Bill’s mother so brilliantly, she must be mentioned. I have worn out my tapes to near destruction and the version being shown on ABCFamily Channel are terribly cut up and dull looking. A DVD would be true justice to something like Freaks and Geeks and with some extras that only the creators could give. I will breathe now.

Amazon.com
The comedy/drama Freaks and Geeks limped through its sole season on NBC in 1999 before being expelled by the network–but not before earning critical acclaim and a devoted fan base that fought valiantly to keep it on the air. Now all 18 episodes have been released in this long-awaited boxed set, which allows longtime fans and first-timers alike to enjoy one of television’s most poignant and funny programs about high school.

Created by writer-comedian Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow (The Larry Sanders Show), Freaks and Geeks followed the Weir siblings–former math whiz Lindsay (Linda Cardellini of the Scooby-Doo feature films and ER) and her younger brother Sam (John Francis Daley)–as they navigated the perils and pleasures of a Michigan high school circa 1980. What separated Freaks and Geeks from most other scholastic series was its brutal honesty–Lindsay and Sam, as well as their friends and parents, were given very human personas that showed failure, malice, indecision, and moments of great clarity. Likewise, the plotlines rarely offered pat solutions to the characters’ conflicts–the show unfolded in a naturalistic manner, which was a welcome respite for viewers tired of flashy high school dramas. When combined with its smart dialogue and winning performances (the cast included SCTV veteran Joe Flaherty and Spider-Man star James Franco, as well as the sublime and criminally underrecognized Martin Starr and Seth Rogen as Sam’s pal Bill and dry-witted Ken, respectively), the show became a haven for fans of quality television, if only for a brief period of time.

The six-disc boxed set provides over 40 hours of supplemental material, which should satiate even the most obsessive of fans. Twenty-nine separate commentaries from the show’s creators, cast (and as some of their parents!), composer Mike Andrews, and fans are included, as are 60 deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast auditions. However, the most striking extra is the warmth that radiates from the commentary participants–their pleasure in taking part in such a quality program is palpable, and will undoubtedly be echoed by all who watch these discs. –Paul Gaita

Entertainment Weekly
“…one of the most heartfelt and humorous TV shows of the past decade…”

TV Guide
“Funny, tender, achingly real.”

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Special Edition Product: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Special Edition Lowest Price! List Price: $19.99 Amazon Price: $15.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is no ordinary archeologist. When we first see him, he is somewhere in the Peruvian jungle in 1936, running a booby-trapped gauntlet (complete with an over-sized rolling boulder) to fetch a solid-gold idol. He loses this artifact to his chief rival, a French archeologist named Belloq (Paul Freeman), who then prepares to kill our hero. In the first of many serial-like escapes, Indy eludes Belloq by hopping into a convenient plane. So, then: is Indiana Jones afraid of anything? Yes, snakes. The next time we see Jones, he’s a soft-spoken, bespectacled professor. He is then summoned from his ivy-covered environs by Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) to find the long-lost Ark of the Covenant. The Nazis, it seems, are already searching for the Ark, which the mystical-minded Hitler hopes to use to make his stormtroopers invincible. But to find the Ark, Indy must first secure a medallion kept under the protection of Indy’s old friend Abner Ravenwood, whose daughter, Marion (Karen Allen), evidently has a “history” with Jones. Whatever their personal differences, Indy and Marion become partners in one action-packed adventure after another, ranging from wandering the snake pits of the Well of Souls to surviving the pyrotechnic unearthing of the sacred Ark. A joint project of Hollywood prodigies George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, with a script co-written by Lawrence Kasdan and Philip Kaufman, among others, Raiders of the Lost Ark is not so much a movie as a 115-minute thrill ride. Costing 22 million dollars (nearly three times the original estimate), Raiders of the Lost Ark reaped 200 million dollars during its first run. It was followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), as well as a short-lived TV-series “prequel.”

• Amazon Sales Rank: #880 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
• Released on: 2008-05-13
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Nepali, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 115 minutes

Features

• ISBN13: 0097361328249
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

New Raiders Special Collector’s Edition due out May 13th, 2008! Great movie, good DVD
The details of new DVD editions of the three classic classic Indiana Jones movies with all-new special features have been announced. They’ll be available separately for the first time on DVD, or as a set. They were previously only available on DVD as a set.

The new releases will coincide with the new movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which comes out on May 22nd. They’ll have new special features designed to introduce new Indy fans to the old movies, and to introduce old fans to the new movie.

The Indiana Jones movies are George Lucas’s recreation/update of the serialized adventures of the 1930s and ’40s. The first three were made in the ’80s and set in the ’30s. They feature Harrison Ford as a mild-mannered archeology professor who moonlights as an adventurous seeker of priceless antiquities. This takes him to exotic locations across the world, and gets him in some very tight spots of the kind that only a movie hero could get into, or out of. He invariably finds himself opposed by dangerous men with evil plans for the powerful objects only he has the skills to recover. There are elaborate set pieces with creepy critters, ancient traps, fights with weapons from bare hands to airplanes and tanks, and sometimes supernatural forces. Along the way Jones manages to have some romance too.

Raiders was the first in the series. In 1936, having barely survived an unsuccessful attempt to find (OK) and bring home (whoops!) an ancient idol from Peru, Indiana Jones is recruited in a race against the Nazis to recover the Ark of the Covenant (yes, the one mentioned in the Bible, but with lots of added mythology), which is reputed to have the power to make an army invincible. The ark is located in the Well of Souls somewhere in Egypt; the key to the exact location is a medallion located, naturally, in a seedy lodge/bar in Nepal, in the possession of Indy’s ex-lover. All kinds of sparks fly, literal and metaphorical, as the pair, joined by another confederate in Egypt, use their knowledge of ancient myth and sheer bravado to work right under the noses of the Nazis to find the ark and remove it to safety. Almost. There are several reversals along the way, close escapes, a huge near-finale, and icky stuff–spiders and, especially, snakes, thousands of them, of which Indy unfortunately has a bit of a phobia.

Some of the more memorable moments are tinged with humor, if not outright hilarity. Indy’s reactions make the snakes as amusing as they are scary. We see how to fight an expert swordsman, if you’re in a hurry. The way the Nazis got a copy of (half) the medallion is painfully funny. The fate of the ark is a wry comment on Washington bureaucracy.

Raiders was an instant classic. I’m sure there are people who don’t like it, but I’ve never met any. It’s fine for most kids (PG violence and mild sexuality), and it’s plenty smart enough for all but the most snooty adults.

The original title is just Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is preserved in the movie itself. The longer title makes it easier to market as part of the franchise.

If you just want Raiders and don’t want to wait until May, you could get a used copy of the old Raiders DVD (people sell them out of the sets). The difference is in the extra features. The bonuses from the old set are on their own disc, so what you get when you buy just the old Raiders DVD is pretty bare. The new release, on the other hand, has the following, all new:

– “Raiders of the Lost Ark: An Introduction” by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas

– “Indiana Jones: An Appreciation,” in which the cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull pay tribute to the original trilogy

– “The Melting Face,” a recreation of the famous effect from the climactic scene that certainly left an impression on me (was new then), with Spielberg and Lucas on the evolution of visual effects and CGI

– storyboards for “The Well of Souls” sequence

– DVD galleries of illustrations, props, production stills and portraits, FX/Industrial Light and Magic stuff, and promotion/marketing materials

– “Lego Indiana Jones,” a demo and trailer for a game based on the trilogy

If you like a few extras, you’ll probably like this new DVD, though maybe not enough to upgrade from the old one, or to wait until May. I like audio commentaries, myself, and since they’re easy to produce and tend to bring out points not covered in other features, I subtract one star for a special edition without any, but I look forward to the rest. If you don’t care about commentaries, this may be a five-star DVD for you.

There have been rumors of deleted scenes, but none are included.

Some will want to wait for a high-def release, which may make sense if you have the equipment or plan to get it. Many speculate that a Blu-ray release will come out for Christmas, but that’s guesswork.

There’s also some speculation that an edition with all four movies will be released for Christmas. They may bundle the four together, but I doubt that there will be a better edition of this movie soon, if ever, on standard DVD. Keep in mind that the previous set came out over four years ago, and if not for the new movie, that would probably be the only release during the decade of standard DVD. The next upgrade may be high-def only, and may not happen for a while.

If you do want the whole trilogy (highly recommended), the new set is here, the old set is here. If you want to pick up one of the others from the new set, the new edition of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is here, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade here.

I was in college when Raiders came out. There was great anticipation because of the people associated with it, after the great success of Star Wars. A bunch of us went to the old full-size theater downtown to see the premiere, waited outside for hours. We weren’t disappointed. It was a wild, gripping ride from beginning to end, lots of excitement, good characters, clever moments for comic relief, and romance. More memorable than some entire semesters!

Very cool if you like Raiders
This tape is a must have if you are an Indiana Jones fan. Loads of great behind the scenes footage, along with clips of cut footage like Indy’s fight with the swordsman (Harrison Ford wasn’t feeling well, so they just had Indy shoot him). The tape is actually two specials, the first being about old movie stunts and how they relate to Raiders and stuntmen. Its got great footage and interviews with the stuntmen, and it’s hosted by Ford. The second special is just about the making of Raiders with interviews of alot of crew members and the actors and directors. This tape is highly recommended!

Spielberg and Lucas create the best action movie of all time
After the box-office disappointment of 1941, Steven Spielberg teamed up with longtime friend George Lucas to create one of the greatest action adventure films of all time! The premise for the film, a throwback to the old Saturday morning serials, was thought up by Lucas, who told the idea to Steven and the two of them came up with the idea of Indiana Jones, a character famously named after Lucas’s dog. To think they originally wanted Tom Selleck to play the role of the rugged, charming “collector of rare antiquities”. Instead, Harrison Ford took the role, fresh from the latest Star Wars film THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as the dashing Han Solo. Ford is the perfect guy for the job, running around in tombs, chasing after Nazis and searching for lost treasures, all with fedora, whip and sardonic grin all in place.

The action is masterfully handled by Spielberg, especially in the classic opening scene where Indy avoids a series of lethal booby traps to obtain a rare idol, only to have a giant boulder start rolling after him. Indy’s reply when asked how he’s going to catch up with a truck is “I don’t know, i’m making this up as I go!” That classic line sums up the off-the-cuff action sequences which are all reminiscent of the building tension and excitement of the spirit of the old serials of the 50’s. John Williams’ score for the film has become one of the most instantly recognizable movie theme tunes ever composed, except for JAWS and STAR WARS (Anyone who asks what’s so great about John Williams, just ask them to hum notes from any movie, and it’ll be Williams) and is one of the most popular soundtracks of all time. And the supporting cast of Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliott elevates the film to true classic status.

Considering the scope and scale of the film, the job Spielberg and Lucas did creating the picture is nothing short of amazing. The film spans 5 major locale changes and would shoot in 4 different countries in just 73 days for $20 million (production wrapped 12 days ahead of schedule to boot!). For what was fast becoming a relatively average production cost by 1980, Spielberg and Lucas packed the running time of RAIDERS with non-stop action that creates an exciting adventure, that’s my (and many other’s) favorite film of all time.

RAIDERS was released in the summer of 1981 and became the biggest hit and highest grossing film of that year. Between THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RAIDERS for George Lucas and RAIDERS and E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL for Spielberg, the two filmmakers were now at the peak of their profession, having individually (and together) proven themselves as hitmakers on 9 films by the time they would return for the next Indiana Jones adventure in 1984 with INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, which is exciting, but not as fun, and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, which is another one of my all-time favorite films. The huge influence that the eventual trilogy had on action movies is still seen today, with inferior rip-offs THE MUMMY, THE MUMMY RETURNS and TOMB RAIDER, to name a few. But those films don’t come anywhere near the brilliance of RAIDERS. This is cinema par excellence.

Traffic Combo Blu-ray and Standard DVD Blu-ray Description:

Winner of four Academy Awards®, including Best Director, Traffic is “an astonishing experience!” (Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC-TV ). It’s the high-stakes, high-risk world of the drug trade as seen through a well-blended mix of interrelated stories: a Mexican policeman (Benicio Del Toro) finds himself and his partner caught in an often deadly web of corruption; a pair of DEA agents (Don Cheadle and Luis Guzmán) work undercover in a sordid and dangerous part of San Diego; a wealthy drug baron living in upscale, suburban America is arrested and learns how quickly his unknowing and pampered wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) takes over his business; and the U.S. President’s new drug czar (Michael Douglas) must deal with his increasingly drug-addicted teenage daughter.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #639 in DVD
• Released on: 2010-04-27
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dual Disc, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 148 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Not Recommended, Double Sided Disks Are Evil
Universal, for some reason, has elected to continue to produce these double sided disks that contains the Blu-ray movie on one side and the DVD on the flip-side. Why is it that Universal cannot follow in Disney’s lead and release these movies as two disk sets. Disney has combo disks that contains the Blu ray and DVD version in the same release, but the DVD and Blu ray disks are on separate disks, utilizing single sided disks.

I seriously do NOT recommend this item for purchase.

Cool Hand Luke Deluxe Edition Description:

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/09/2008 Run time: 127 minutes Rating: Pg

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2651 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2008-09-09
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Original recording remastered, Restored, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 126 minutes

Features

• ISBN13: 0883929023172
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Reviews:

“Small town, not much to do in the evenin’.”
That’s the answer that Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) gives when asked why the heck he was wrenching off the tops of all those parking meters. The first shot of the movie, in fact, shows his handiwork — a whole row of decapitated meters sticking up out of the sidewalk.

He’s one odd boy, this Luke. He hardly even seems to care he’s in stir for having done this. To him a work farm just seems like another place for him to wait for something interesting to happen — and when it does (as it always does), there’s that big, lazy smile of his. Was he waiting for something? Probably not — by the time it’s all over, he hasn’t gotten a single thing he wanted (except for a hilarious out-of-town stint), but he’s given a lot of other people more than they could have ever asked.

What makes “Cool Hand Luke” such a wonderful movie is its tone and tenor — widely imitated but not surpassed by other movies of its stripe. The movie is not about prison or chain gangs, but about the weather of a man’s spirit, and how he deals (or chooses not to deal) with what he’s been handed. Luke himself says it: “Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand,” and he sums himself up in that sentence. Here is a fellow with no particular skills in life, no real direction, no ambition — in short, something we are ostensibly taught from the git-go to hate. His crime? Parking meters.

The film draws a simple case: Luke as a quietly selfish free spirit vs. the system. But instead of loading it down with symbolic baggage, the movie works by making its case with drama and often great humor. The egg-eating contest, for instance — it finds just the right balance between humor and drama to make its points, and ends with Luke passed out on the bed in a Christlike pose. (Whether or not that’s a deliberate shot is open to speculation; it certainly looks like it was composed, but it’s not held too long to force the issue on us.)

The best thing about the movie is the performances. Nobody hits a false note or an unconvincing turn. A big chunk of George Kennedy’s reputation comes from this film, and you can see why: he’s more or less the direct foil for Paul Newman throughout the movie, commenting on and playing off the man’s actions. But look how many others are also in here: Strother Martin (as Captain), Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton… a veritable roll-call of actors who’re all independently watchable and fascinating.

It’s sweltering out there, in there, anywhere
This movie is anything but cool. The characters are rough, foul, and awkward. The setting is realistic and harsh. It takes place in the scorching sun and humidity. There’s many a scene of sweat and overheating men. Luke, though, is cool. He’s the figure of composure; he’s classy, smart, proud, and witty, but he rarely talks, keeping aloof. Or he’s independent free man who won’t let anyone get him down.

There’s a scene when he bluffs his way to victory in a poker match, thus his nickname “cool hand Luke”. Another scene has him fighting with another inmate until he’s nearly unconscious, but he never surrenders. Yet another has him eating 50 eggs in an hour for a bet, and he doesn’t give up. And I think this is the metaphor for the rest of the film. You can either see him as a cocky stubborn man, or more appropriately, a man who won’t give up his freedom. He’s thrown in prison and chain gang labor for a case of petty vandalism during a drunken stupor, yet he never utters a word about it, even during the most humiliating or painful punishment, but his conviction and sentence are hardly a matter in this film. Here is a man who is troubled and dysfunctional (as the story slightly exposes), but is already in an advanced state of personal freedom. Though he’d like to be living a normal life, searches for it, and deserves as much, he doesn’t need it. He’s spiritually and mentally invincible, and eventually it leads to his ultimate fate.

Cool Hand Luke is a marvelous film. It’s one fourth romantic, three fourths gritty reality. Paul Newman and the gorgeous cinematography are the romance. Newman nearly carries the film. Here’s this movie star, a charismatic leading man who liberally uses his smile to get himself through scenes, but he immerses himself into his character. I think Luke is one of the greatest, most complex male characters to grace the screen, and Newman is really the only actor who could ever do him justice. But he isn’t playing Newman, he’s playing Luke, every inch of Luke. He IS Luke, he is this renegade rebel, this charming dapper Dan, and this tragic everyman. Newman’s supporting cast is superb, in one of the best acted films I’ve ever seen. George Kennedy is incredible as the only sizable supporting character, though the rest of the cast do their utmost to fit their roles, especially the various sinister and slimy wardens, and they do it beautifully. No actor wastes his time on screen. They create the atmosphere.

I just have to mention the dialogue. This is one of those films with incredible dialogue. Nothing is sappy or soupy. It embraces wit and logic, a lovely razor sharpness, and a down to earth realism. Every sentence is perfectly placed, there are no superfluous words, every character with they’re own style that still allow them to sound like real people. End of dialogue discussion.

This film is simple. It’s simply told, simply filmed, and on the outside it’s a simple story, but I think it delves a lot deeper than at first appearance. It’s unpretentious. Without us knowing it paints an environment, it paints a setting. It’s a movie with certain faintly stylized points and flourishes, with a bit of a Southern storytelling air and lilt to it, and a definite love for fun. But it’s intense, from the acting, to plot twists and character developements, to minor “action” sequences (a movie populated by inmates and movie stars has to have some excitement), it has incredible depth in it’s subtle symbolism and it’s layered messages and it’s performances with their emotional tapestries. Thus, it has an immense replayability quotient.

This is drama at it’s finest. It is a complex intriguing film that can get under your skin in it’s rawness, but can still entertain you, and send you into that dreamy mesmerized state of being in awe of a film and the characters portrayed in it.

“Sometimes nothing can be a real cool film.”
The first time I saw “Cool Hand Luke” I was not overly immpresed with it. I thought he was a “punk” who had desevedly fallen on hard luck.I have since seen the movie ten-twelve times. I think a lot can be learned about “Luke” (Paul Newman)in the scene when his mother goes to visit him. It is clear that he always wanted to please his mother, but he ended up more like his father. Arletta(Luke’s mother) makes allusions to Luke’s father not being good at sticking around. From the start, there have been many people who have left Luke far behind. The girl from Kentucky, all of his mates, he lost in the War, and finally his mother when she passed on. This was the “final straw” so to speak. Luke was going to run for sure. The true beauty of “Luke’s” character was the fact that he was able to give many people, hope without having any of his own. He makes two references to “The Man Upstairs”. Once in the rain asking his to just let him know that he is up there, and another time letting him know that he felt cheated. Every man in that camp loved and respected “Luke”. “Dragline”(George Kennedy)called Luke “a natural born world shaker”. I could not have put it any better myself. I felt this was a top-notch screen play, and the acting was incredible. I have not seen Newman give a better performance. Kennedy was well deserving of the “best supporting actor” Oscar. Look closely for Dennis Hopper, Joe Don Baker, Harry Dean Stanton and many others. This film should be on everyone’s must see list.

Amazon.com essential video
Paul Newman gives one of the defining performances of his career, and cemented his place as a beautiful-rebel screen icon playing the stubbornly tough and independent title character in Cool Hand Luke. And before he became familiar as a sidekick in 1970s disaster movies (Earthquake and the Airport movies), George Kennedy won an Oscar for playing Dragline, the brutal chain-gang boss who tries to beat loner Luke’s cool out of him. It’s a classic rebel-against-the-repressive-institution story in the line of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest or The Shawshank Redemption. Certain moments have become classics–particularly the hardboiled egg-eating contest, and the immortal line (drooled by Strother Martin, as a sadistic redneck prison officer), “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” And don’t forget, Luke is also the source of the oft-quoted driving ditty, “I don’t care if it rains or freezes, long as I have my plastic Jesus, right here on the dashboard of my car…” He is cool, all right. –Jim Emerson

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Description:

Cary Grant is hilarious as a successful New York advertising executive who wants to escape the confines of his family’s tiny midtown apartment. So he designs his dream home in the suburbs and discovers the project wasn’t as easy as it seemed. The house gets larger. The bills get bigger. The problems just won’t go away. Eventually, the whole affair becomes a nightmare-a very funny nightmare-that left audiences laughing in 1948 and will have you in stitches, too. This is the comedic masterpiece that inspired the popular 1987 movie “The Money Pit.” It’s an adventure in homeowning that strikes a familiar chord with everyone who’s ever bought a house. Year: 1948 Director: H.C. Potter Starring: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1888 in DVD
• Brand: TURNER HM ENTERTAINM
• Released on: 2004-06-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Black & White, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 94 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Means we gotta blast……
Yeeup! As Mr. Tersander would say. This is one of my favorite films. While not exactly bust-a-gut funny, it is warmly amusing throughout with a couple of classic lines & scenes (the perplexing storeroom, the “letch”, the well, the all-night Wam session etc.), played to perfection with ease and charm (my God those are lost arts, aren’t they?) by a cast of pros who are immediately likeable and comfortable to be around.

The story of a New York adman building his dream house in Connecticut being snookered by the “hicks” and then the series of disasters and cost overruns that befall him, the film is played with just the right tone, light and with great good humor, from the falling lintels to the Zuzz-Zuzz water softener.

Some may question the 5 stars, and although it may not be a great movie, I give it all 5 because Grant, Loy and Douglas are a lost breed of irreplaceable class players, and this kind of effortless amusement is pretty much an extinct genre.

Very funny…
Often imitated but never quite surpassed, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is a classic comedy about a topic still as current now as it was in the 1940s. Silly but very funny, this movie is really great - featuring the ever hilarious Cary Grant, and Myrna Loy.

Essentially, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is about a family that decides to move to the country and get away from the overcrowding in the apartment. Instead of making life easier, however, their decision to move causes disaster after disaster. This movie is a hilarious example of how whatever can go wrong will!

Although the topic could have easily degenerated into stupidity, the script, the directing and, most of all, the cast, turn the movie into a classic. The script is witty and very funny, and it is directed with style - but mainly, Cary Grant is terrific! His double takes and reactions will never be equalled…any scene that he is in in pretty much guaranteed to be hysterical. Myrna Loy does a good job of cooling balancing Grant’s screwball character, and the supporting cast is good as well.

Anyhow, this is a funny movie for the whole family - it is highly recommended!

If you work with software, you want to see this flick
I’m a real fan of classic movies as you can tell from some of my other reviews.

Mr. Blandings Build His Dream House makes a great analogy for systems and software development. Even though this film hit the street in 1948, the situations in which the Blandings find themselves is relevant for any project today. This story of a man who wishs to fulfill his life dream of ruling his estate in the country contains almost every gotcha ever seen on a project:

- Scope changes
- Conflicting executive sponsorship
- Changes, Changes control, and the cost of change
- Conflicting goals
- Users who want it all for almost nothing
- Poor project planning

My favourite scene is when Mr. and Mrs. Blandings grab some pencils and start ‘tweaking’ the architect’s drawings.

This film was remade as ‘The Money Pit’, but I wouldn’t recommend that version.

This film will be remade again in 2005 and I doubt it could live up to the tempered choas shown by Cary Grant nor the calm, straigt faced comedy of Myrna Loy.

If you see this film you won’t regret it. If you buy it you will watch it often

Amazon.com essential video
Cary Grant stars as an advertising executive who dreams of getting out of the city and building a perfect home in the country, only to find the transition fraught with problems. (See the 1980s Tom Hanks comedy The Money Pit for an updated version of the same idea.) The big appeal here are the two leads, Grant and Myrna Loy, who were each in their early 40s and at the peak of their careers. Together with solid support from Melvyn Douglas and a screenplay that might have been tailor-made for their polished brand of comedy, the stars dominate this simple project. –Tom Keogh

A Knight’s Tale Special Edition Description:

A ROUSING STORY OF LOWBORN WILLIAM THATCHER’S QUEST TO CHANGE HIS STARS, WIN THE HEART OF AN EXCEEDINGLY FAIR MAIDEN AND ROCK HIS MEDIEVAL WORLD. FOLLOW THIS FEARLESS SQUIRE AND HIS BAND OF MEDIEVAL MISFITS AS THEY CAREEN THEIR WAY TOWARD IMPOSSIBLE GLORY THAT’S PART ROMANCE, PART ROAD TRIP & PART SWASHBUCKLER.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1835 in DVD
• Brand: LEDGER/ADDY/SEWELL/SOSSAMON/BETT
• Released on: 2002-06-04
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 132 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Don’t buy the “Extended” Edition!
If you’re a fan of Brian Helgeland, Paul Bettany (Chaucer), or just commentary tracks in general, don’t buy the extended edition. The regular DVD has every feature the “extended” edition does - it just doesn’t insert the deleted scenes into the movie. They’re included as bonus features. This extended edition does not include the hilarious and insightful commentary track by Helgeland and Bettany, which is really the best thing about the DVD. You get more features for less money by buying the regular DVD release.

IT WILL ROCK YOU
Apparently audiences couldn’t quite figure out A Knight’s Tale when it had its theatrical release last year. This was in all likelihood due to the combination of rock music in ancient times clashing with our knowledge of history and our delicate sensibilities. However, having both seen this at the cinema and owning it on DVD, I would like to hope that this movie will be given a second chance to win new viewers as it really is a good film and great fun!

Heath Ledger (The Patriot) displaying great charm and a winning smile throughout, plays William Thatcher, squire to a washed up champion jouster, who dies during a competition, leaving William to masquerade as his master in order to collect their winnings. Aided by his initially less than enthusiatic pals Roland (Mark Addy from Full Monty) and Wat (Alan Tudyk, 28 Days) William fakes nobility to illegally enter competitions. On their travels they encounter a naked wanderer, the future famed author, Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany) who joins their `crusade’ and helps to forge William’s ancestral lineage, so that he can take part in the noblemen only games. Whilst competing (according to my wife who seems to like every Australian film star) the very handsome William catches the eye of a lady, Jocelyn (the very beautiful Shannyn Sossamon), and sets out to win her heart. However, standing between William and his two goals of winning the World Championships and winning the hand of Lady Jocelyn stands the dastardly Count Adhemar (brilliantly played by Rufus Sewell, Dark City).

This is a surprising change of direction for writer/Director Brian Helgelend (LA Confidential). This movie is great fun and the mixture of rock music (they sing, clap and stamp Queen’s We Will Rock You before each joust) and medieval times works surprisingly well, adding to the excitement and atmosphere of each competition. Both Heath Ledger and Shannyn Sossamon shine in their lead roles and share excellent on-screen sexual chemistry. However, it is Paul Bettany who steals most scenes as the occasionally naked, always in trouble, lyrical Geoffrey Chaucer. Also watch out for James Purefoy in a relatively small role (but tipped for greater things)!

Extra features on the DVD include a light-hearted commentary from Brian Helgeland and Paul Bettany, where they reveal some of the FX tricks of the trade and hear Helgeland feign ignorance of the fact that they didn’t dance to David Bowie in 1366 or play Queen’s “We Will Rock You” at jousting tournaments. There is also a passable documentary and some excellent deleted scenes and a music video where Britains most popular of current musical stars Robbie Williams performs Queen’s “We Are the Champions” with all the pomp and grandiosity of Freddie Mercury, outlining why he is considered natural heir to Mercury’s throne as Britains Greatest Showman.

Four stars for the movie (five stars are far too often and easily dispensed), four stars for the extras. Well worth checking out.

Changing their stars
I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I absolutely loved this movie! I didn’t expect to like it at all. I figured it would be a two-dimensional MTV take on Medieval sport. Instead the producers did something dangerous — they found a script!

Sure it’s predictable and there are plenty of cliched lines, but the film absolutely succeeds in what it set out to do. It plays very well by its own rules. And it is surprisingly moving at times. When the film could have sunk to schmaltz, it holds its own with good acting and sturdy writing.

What could have been another stupid teen movie actually has legs and a soul.

I’m amazed the number of people who fault it for its inventive style in incorporating contemporary music with the medieval milieu, when these same people loved Shrek for doing exactly the same thing.

I applaud the risks the film takes and how well it succeeds when it takes them. In the end, isn’t Pro Wrestling or boxing the modern day equivalent of the joust? In spirit and appeal, at least, if not in grace or sophistication.

Call it a guilty pleasure, but the film is a fun and successful and worth watching again.

Don’t skip the deleted scenes — wonderful stuff there, especially the extended stockade scene.

Amazon.com
There’s no rule against rock anthems from the 1970s in the soundtrack for a movie about a medieval jousting champion, but if you’re going to attempt such jarring anachronisms, you’d better establish acceptable ground rules. Writer-director Brian Helgeland does precisely that in A Knight’s Tale and pulls off this trick with such giddy aplomb that you can’t help but play along. (Upon witnessing a crowd of peasants at a jousting match, singing and clapping to the beat of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” you’re either going to love this movie or dismiss it altogether.) Other vintage rock hits will follow, but Helgeland–the Oscar®-winning cowriter of L.A. Confidential–handles this ploy with judicious goodwill, in what is an otherwise honest period piece about a peasant named William (Heath Ledger) who rises by grit and determination to the hallowed status of knighthood.

As if the soundtrack weren’t audacious enough, Helgeland (recovering from the sour experience of his directorial debut, Payback) casts none other than Geoffrey Chaucer (wonderfully played by Paul Bettany) as William’s cohort and match announcer, along with William’s pals Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), and feisty blacksmith Kate (Laura Fraser). Of course there must be a fair maiden, and she is Jocelyn (newcomer Shannyn Sossamon), with whom William falls in love while battling the nefarious Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) on the European jousting circuit. Add to this an inspiring father-son reunion, Ledger’s undeniable charisma, a perfect supporting cast, and enough joyful energy to rejuvenate the film’s formulaic plot, and A Knight’s Tale becomes that most pleasant of movie surprises–an unlikely winner that rises up, like its hero, to exceed all expectations. –Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker
There’s some great medieval action in Brian Hegeland’s second film-essentially the story of a commoner (Heath Ledger) who competes for the love of a lady (Shannyn Sossamon). Ledger has the golden-boy good looks that make it easy to cheer him on, and the film is given a modern gloss with an insistent rock-anthem score. But hokey dialogue and uninspired situations weigh everything down. It’s fun enough, but only joust. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service - The Complete First Season Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1206 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
• Released on: 2006-06-06
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: .75 pounds
• Running time: 1009 minutes

Features

• ISBN13: 0097360453645
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Reviews:

NCIS: A solid Season 1 for this well acted, entertaining, and fun show!
Television is an medium which cannibilizes its own successes, where one hit show inspires more variations on the same formula every pilot season. Those shows that invariably succeed do so because they take a formula and make it unique to their show. This is the case with NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It first appeared to be a combination of CSI and JAG, not shocking considering JAG producer Bellisario’s involvement as creator and executive producer and CSI’s overwhelming success. What it showed throughout its first season is that NCIS stands out in its own right through clever writing and great acting, making for solid, entertaining TV drawing a devoted fan base.

NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, responsible for crimes by and against members of the United States Navy and US Marine Corps. The team of NCIS agents introduced in Season 1 is led by former Marine Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), a tough no-nonsense leader and interrogator. The team also includes ex-homicide detective Special Agent Anthony DiNozzi (Michael Weatherly), former Secret Service Special Agent Kate Todd (Sasha Alexander), goth forensics expert Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), computer specialist and rookie Agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray),(McGee appears in a cameo role 6 episodes in and quickly becomes a reoccuring character. By season 2 he is a full timer) and quirky coroner Doctor Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum). Each actor does an exceptional job developing their character, especially Perrette who makes Abby one of the best and most intriguing characters on TV.

In Season 1, the team investigates a broad range of crimes from the apparent parachute death of a Marine, sniper attacks against a Marine recruiter, the disappearance of a service member, and the infiltration of a Navy base by a suspected terrorist. The twists and turns are frequent and the tension is kept high. The dialogue between the team members while on the case is especially fun, the writers really making an effort to hint at deeper personalities while keeping a balance between funny and dramatic. There are some minor stumbling blocks, occasional episodes that are less than perfect, but overall , Season 1 was a runaway hit. Expect NCIS to remain a top show for CBS for many more years.

The Season 1 box set contains 23 episodes, for a total running time of almost 17 hours. It begins with Yankee White, the first offical NCIS episode. It does not contain the 2-Part JAG episodes (the murder of LT Loren Singer) that introduced the NCIS team and concept. The set is in Dolby Stereo and 16×9 widescreen, and contains three featurettes: Creating Season 1, Building the Team, Defining the Look. The featurettes run about 20 minutes each, and have some great interviews with the cast and creater Bellisario. There is also an audio commentary by Bellisario for episode “Yankee White”. This box set is a must buy for NCIS or JAG fans and for fans of solid, entertaining television shows that don’t insult your intelligence. Order your box set today and start working the case!

A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

Starts with a bang…and keeps going from there…
*SPOILER*
Killing a main character in the second season cliffhanger is a pretty shocking way to set up a third season. Ending with a bang, literally, NCIS returns with a excellent third season with the right combination of wit, drama, and cast. This is good television. And you dont let good television sit on the shelf too long, so hot on the heels of the release of the Second Season on DVD is the April release of the complete Season Three of NCIS.

NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, responsible for crimes by and against members of the United States Navy and US Marine Corps. The team of NCIS agents introduced in Season 1 is led by former Marine Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), a tough no-nonsense leader and interrogator. The team also includes ex-homicide detective Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Mossad agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), goth forensics expert Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), computer specialist and rookie Agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray), and quirky coroner Doctor Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum). Season Three witnesses the aftermath of Kate Todd’s murder by Ari, the introduction of Mossad agent Ziva David, and increased screen time for McGee and Abby. Harmon again does a knockout job as the lead, with his best work coming in the season premiere, as he grieves over the loss of Kate. Micheal Weatherley and Sean Murray continue to develop their competitive older-younger brother relationship, Perrette lights up the screen as Abby, and David McCallum delivers a refined and dignified performance.

Season three began with the two part episode Kill Ari 1 and 2, which examined the aftermath of Kate’s death and the hunt for Ari. The introduction of Ziva and Director Jenny Shephard (Lauren Holly) seemed out of place and awkward considering the emotional tone, and it took five or six episodes for Ziva to be less of a cardboard character and more a part of the team. Her first really impressive episode came with Tony in the solid “Under Covers”. Some of the better episodes include “Probie”, when McGee shoots a man who turns out to be an undercover cop, “Mind Games”, where Gibbs goes head-to-head with a serial killer, “Bait” which showcases a great performance by Weatherley. The season-ending Hiatus Parts 1 and 2 are decent episodes up to the last five minutes, which are incredibly rushed in order to get to the cliffhanger of Gibbs quitting NCIS.

The Season Three DVD box set contains all 24 episodes in widescreen for a total running time of almost 17 hours. Because of its quick turn-around time on the release, the extras are not as good as Season One, with only a few commentaries and featurettes anticipated. That is the unfortunate trade-off, but given that we get another full season of NCIS on DVD so quickly, its not a bad deal. Fans of the show will quickly snap this up, for those who have never watched before, if you liked JAG, CSI, or Bones, you will like this show. NCIS Season Three demonstrates exactly why this show is such a big hit. The DVD is on shelves in April. Highly Recommended.

A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

Excellent Second Season of NCIS hits stores on November 14th.
The sophomore season for most television dramas is usually the most difficult. One has to build on the success of the first season, identify and create the themes and story arcs for upcoming seasons, and retain the unique qualities that made the show successful in the first place. Led by executive producer Donald Bellisario, NCIS crafted a much stronger second season full of tension, drama, great mysteries, and a shocking conclusion. This is good television. And you dont let good television sit on the shelf too long, so hot on the heels of the release of the First Season on DVD is the November 14 release of the complete Season Two of NCIS.

NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, responsible for crimes by and against members of the United States Navy and US Marine Corps. The team of NCIS agents introduced in Season 1 is led by former Marine Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), a tough no-nonsense leader and interrogator. The team also includes ex-homicide detective Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), former Secret Service Special Agent Kate Todd (Sasha Alexander), goth forensics expert Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), computer specialist and rookie Agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray), and quirky coroner Doctor Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum). Season Two sees the actors further developing their characters, imbuing them with warmth and hinting at complex backstories sure to be explained in future episodes. Harmon does a knockout job as a lead, and Weatherley and Sean Murray create a competitive older-younger brother relationship that is just right. Perrette is a force of nature in every episode and lights up the screen as Abby. Sasha Alexander does well as Kate, but there is just something missing, which could explain why Season Two ended as it did.

In Season Two, the team investigates the usual range of kidnappings, murders, and discovered bodies. Cleverly learning from the strongest episodes in Season One, Season Two gets us more involved in the characters and the show by putting them in harm’s way, creating a lasting emotional buy-in. Tony goes undercover and goes missing in Chained, while Ducky is hunted by a killer in The Meat Puzzle, and Kate and Tony are stuck in a biohazard room after exposure to a bio agent in SWAK. Other standout episodes include An Eye for an Eye, Conspiracy Theory, and Lt. Jane Doe. The season ending episode Twilight sees the return of the Mossad-trained diabolical agent Ari, who held Ducky and Kate captive in Season One. The episode is a major changing point in the show, and sets up Season Three with a bang, figuratively. Though there are some clunker episodes like the video game spilling into real life episode Red Cell, even the bad episodes are worth watching because of the cast. Their relationship with one another is what drives the show.

The Season Two DVD box set contains all 23 episodes in widescreen for a total running time of almost 17 hours. Because of its quick turn-around time on the release, the extras are not as good as Season One, with only a few audio commentaries and a featurette. That is the unfortunate trade-off, but given that we get a full season of NCIS on DVD so quickly, its not a bad deal. Fans of the show will quickly snap this up, for those who have never watched before, if you liked JAG, CSI, or Bones, you will like this show. NCIS Season Two demonstrates exactly why this show is such a big hit. The DVD is on shelves on November 14th, one week after JAG Season Two releases. Preorder your copy today.

A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

Product description
A team of special agents, operating outside the military chain of command, must investigate any crime with pieces of evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position. Character driven stories with surprising twists play a large role in the second season of NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service). The NCIS team of investigators is led by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), an experienced investigator with sometimes unorthodox, but always effective methods. Working under Gibbs are Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo (Michael Weatherly); Special Agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander); Forensic Specialist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette); and NCIS’s medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum). Additionally, joining the staff this season will be Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) whose communication and computer skills outweigh his naivete. Whether investigating murder or espionage, the NCIS goes global in their quest to solve all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Amazon.com
Equal parts JAG and C.S.I., NCIS does a formidable job of blending relevant military headlines with quirky characters who are tenaciously determined to solve a crime–even if it means having to sleep in the morgue to get a few minutes of shut eye. Created by Donald P. Bellisario (JAG, Quantum Leap), NCIS actually began as a two-part episode of JAG in 2003. Later that year, the drama made its full-season debut on CBS. On this six-disc set, which includes all 23 non-JAG episodes plus optional commentary by Bellisario on the first episode, viewers are introduced to an elite squad of special agents, led by Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Gibbs is a hard-nosed investigator who doesn’t say much. But when he does, an insult usually comes out of his mouth. He’s brilliant when it comes to ferreting out the truth, but he’s not savvy enough to figure out how to block his ex-wife’s nagging phone calls. Instead, he makes do by destroying his cell phone. Gibbs’ team is fleshed out by an eclectic and somewhat eccentric set of colleagues, including medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), wannabe playboy and former homicide detective Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), forensics expert and resident Goth chick Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and former Secret Service agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander).

The murder of a peripheral NCIS agent halfway through the season is a taste of what’s to come in future seasons when core characters leave the show (voluntarily or not). But in its first year, the show sets up a strong premise that (while not wholly original) is well executed. One of the more stickling aspects of the show is its reluctance to allow Tony to show signs of maturity. At times, he behaves more like a rambunctious puppy than an ace investigator. –Jae-Ha Kim

Nell Product: Nell Sale-$9.98! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $9.98 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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When doctor Jerry Lovell (Liam Neeson, Oscar - nominee for “Schindler’s List”) discovers a young woman living alone in the backwoods of North Carolina, he is intrigued by her erratic behavior and unique pattern of speech. Together with a psychologist (Natasha Richardson), Lovell determines to pierce Nell’s private world and protect her from the courts - and a life of scientific study. In a race against time and a system bent on shattering her spirit, he finds that the woman whose way of life he has sought to protect, has transformed his own forever.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9386 in DVD
• Brand: FOSTER,JODIE
• Released on: 2004-02-03
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 112 minutes

Foster’s most challenging and impressive performance
While Hollywood is filled with movie stars, it can boast of only a scant few bona fide actresses. Jodie Foster, the consummate professional, is the cream of that small crop, and I respect no other actor or actress on earth as much as I respect her. Nell is a testament to her unlimited talent as well as her unmatched commitment to what she does. The character of Nell is a role most actresses would never consider taking; it’s a far too difficult challenge to meet for a film that holds little promise to bring in money hand over fist. For Jodie Foster, though, what matters is the story to be told, not the glamour or the projected box office receipts. She gives an absolutely amazing performance in this film, one that has deserved far more attention than it has received; as I write this, there is not even a DVD version of the film available. If Nell is mentioned at all, it is almost always in reference to Jodie’s Foster nudity in the film, and I would like to say straight out that her nudity is very tastefully done, important if not absolutely necessary for the story, and in no way provocative.

Nell is a poignant, emotional drama that saddens as well as inspires you; it is the kind of tearjerker in which your tears of empathy and concern are accented by a smile and sense of heartwarming joy. The story is set deep in the wilderness of western North Carolina, where an old woman has lived for years all by herself. People always thought she lived alone, at least, until she died and the local doctor discovered a pitiful woman-child hiding inside the shack, the only home she had ever known. Nell’s mother had suffered a stroke many years earlier and spoke with a pronounced speech impediment; as a result, Nell speaks a tongue that is almost completely foreign to both the local doctor and the psychiatric professional he calls in from Charlotte. Dr. Lovell (Liam Neeson) becomes a guardian angel of sorts to Nell, fighting the courts and the mental health professionals to keep Nell in her native environment as opposed to being stuck in some institution where she will be treated as a lab subject. He gets three months to work with Nell himself, and his potential foe in the form of psychologist Paula Olsen (Natasha Richardson) becomes his ally in time, as they both work with Nell to learn her unique language and prepare her for a life completely unlike that which she has always known. In her own special way, Nell helps the two doctors as much as they help her, yet their ability to protect her from a dire future of lonely clinical existence remains in doubt up until the very end.

Neeson and Richardson are wonderful in their roles, but Jodie Foster is simply amazing. She had to learn a completely new, invented language as well as adopt a wide range of meaningful facial and body expressions and unique mannerisms in order to portray this “wild child” as a very real, very human individual. Nell is easily one of Foster’s most impressive performances, and how she did not win an Oscar for this role is beyond me. It should also be noted that Foster produced as well as starred in this unforgettable film. The scenery, I might add in closing, is also spectacular. Filmed largely in the Nantahala National Forest in Graham County, North Carolina, a location just west of my own home, Nell is a beautiful sight to behold in more ways than one. Hollywood needs more powerful, moving films such as this.

Warm and magical
In “Nell,” Jodie Foster wows us, as usual, with a deeply felt, passionate performance. She is Nell, the “wild child” daughter of a backwoods aphasic hermit woman, who raised her all alone with no human contact. Nell’s speech is all her own — it is a striking combination of a private language she had once shared with her deceased identical twin sister, and an imitation of her mother’s speech. Her mother, as I mentioned earlier, had aphasia, which includes major speech processing problems. Nell’s speech was the basis for the title of the play upon which this film was based — “Idioglossia.” (I believe, for anyone out there who’s into things like this, that the correct term would have been “idiolect,” as the term for a language spoken by only one person.) Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson bring constant love and warmth to Nell, and to the film, as medical/social-work professionals who attempt to break through to Nell by trying to learn her language. In the background lurk The Media, and The Scientific Establishment, both of which threaten at any moment to swoop in and make Nell’s life miserable. The film builds to a heartrending and passionate, albeit rather unrealistic, courtroom self-defence speech by Nell, in which she calls the precepts of modern civilization itself into question.

Liam Neeson’s performance is described by one of the editorial reviewers on this page as being “at his teddy bear best.” I think that sounds slightly emasculating — he put more positive, warm energy into this film than many actors project in their entire careers. Show some appreciation! Come on!

Anyone who enjoys this film should also be told about “Wild Child,” a Francois Truffaut film that deals, through decidedly less rose-colored glasses, with a true story that was very similar to this one. Another film that has certain parallel resonances, in the sense of a “freakish” individual seeking a chance to be themself in the face of major obstacles coming from the scientific establishment, is “Charlie,” starring Cliff Robertson and Claire Bloom.

I thought about giving this movie four stars, only because it puts Nell in the rather unrealistic position of delivering a profound courtroom speech. I decided to go with five, however, because the basic energy of the movie is so terrific. Absolutely worth checking out.

Some reviewers missed the point.
This is an outstanding piece of work for all cast members involved, and deserves no less than five stars for that alone.

As to the story, some reviewers have complained about Ms. Foster’s nudity in the film, seeing it as unecessary. It is, actually, vital to the story in that it shows her to be an unashamed child of nature, unfettered by current social mores.

Other reviewers have complained that the story is unrealistic, since it doesn’t show her chopping wood, or gathering food. I would ask what, exactly, that footage would have added to the storyline. Any movie assumes certain functions are performed, such as eating, drinking, etc. Otherwise, all movies would be about twelve hours long, as we watched the characters, eat, bathe, use the toilet, etc.

The point of the movie is that Nell is reflective of humanity’s loss of connection with Nature. Once we were VERY connected to Nature, but have civilised ourselves away from that connection, but Nell has not been. Through the love and caring of the two psychologists, she is made aware of modern society, and HUMAN Nature. Thus, she is able to communicate to the more “civilised” people in the film what they have been ignoring their whole lives. This is why, at the end of the film, so many people are gathered together, just to be with her. We were designed to co-exist with Nature, not fight it, and Nell is a bridge to our lost knowledge.

The movie also points out that, just because you don’t understand something, or someone, it doesn’t mean that they, or it, have no value.