Christmas Cartoon Classics Review

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(More customer reviews)The toons in this set are not classics because they are so great, but rather because of the fact they are vintage toons from the golden age of animation of the 30's and 40's before studios started making the animation cheaper with less frames.
These same toons show up on several different collections so basically buy the one that gives you the most bang for your buck.
Jack Frost is an Ub Iwerks toon from 1934. Jack Frost arrives in the forest, painting the leaves on the trees and warning the animals to prepare for the winter. An inquisitive young grizzly bear decides he wants to see what the world looks like when everyone else is hibernating. When Old Man Winter catches him unawares, however, he needs Jack Frost's help in getting back home to his warm bed.
Santa's Surprise (1947) features the first appearance of Little Audrey. Little Audrey and some other kids stow away inside Santa's sleigh. While Santa sleeps, the kids decide to give him a Christmas present of his own
"Somewhere in Dreamland" 1936 is a Fleischer studios toon. It's the story of two poor children who are out collecting firewood when they pass by a toy store, market and finally a bakery. They drool over the wares in the bakery window but walk away before the owner can come out and present them with two cupcakes. The kids go home and eat a meager supper before going to bed. They both dream they are in dreamland, where everything is free--cookies, candy, cakes, popcorn and toys. When they wake up it's all gone but the three merchants have stopped by to lay out a huge feast for them.
"Chrismas Comes But Once a year" Fleisher from 1936. A group of lonely kids are given broken toys, leaving these sad youngsters without a Merry Christmas. Professor Grampy, sees the unhappy kids. The brilliant inventor puts on his thinking cap to find a solution this problem. He heads into the orphanage and creates a series of homemade toys from kitchen utensils. Then he decorates the main room with soap chips, cotton and other items, creating a Santa suit from red cloth, stovepipes and a red bag. He rings a dinner bell and calls the kids in. The kids, seeing Grampy as Santa, rush in happily. They play with their new and better toys.
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Fleischer 1944. The Fleischer version of the classic tale.
"Hector's hectic Life" Paramount 1948. On Christmas Eve, Prince the dog's owner threatens to throw him out if he causes any more trouble. Just then, a basket arrives on the doorstep containing three puppies that look suspiciously like Prince. The puppies proceed to trash the house while Prince desperately tries to conceal the damage from his owner.
"Snow Foolin'" Paramount 1949 Singalong about the first day of winter, when all the animals go ice skating. It is December 21, and the animals in the forest must contend with a literal avalanche of snow. Winter is not all that bad, though. After donning their winter coats, they will be able to enjoy themselves skiing, skating on a frozen lake, and tossing snowballs. In just a few days, one and all will be singing "Jingle Bells."
Wonderful collection for its historical value.

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Lust, Caution (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ang Lee breaks through again with a masterful adaptation of Eileen Chang's short story, Lust/Caution (like what he did with Annie Prolux's similarly brief story, Brokeback Mountain). While the hype seems to be mostly misplaced on the controversial acrobatics displayed by Tony Leung and Tang Wei in bed, Lee's storytelling leaves one breathless.
The love story unfolds against the backdrop of 1930's Japanese-invaded Shanghai where tyranny and suffering were synonymous. Nubile Wang Jia Zhi played by Tang Wei joins the resistance movement and gets herself drawn into the role of a spy to crumble the traitor, Mr Yee. In between the espionage and wild climatic trysts, both of them unknowingly embroil themselves in love and deceit, much deeper than they would have liked themselves to.
Tang Wei, as a newcomer to cinema, is impeccable. Her evolution from a wide-eyed country girl to a seductive temptress is enough to make the hardest of most men, in this case, the distrusting Mr. Yee fall for her. Wei acts pretty much on instincts and her body language does wonders at seducing the somewhat vulnerable Mr. Yee played by multiple-award winner Tony Leung. Wei breaks down in the memorable scene where she's talking to the resistance leader on her unyieldingly sacrificial role that is both a torment and insidious attack to her emotions.
As usual, Tony has the penchant for playing dark brooding men and in this instance, an evil Chinese traitor. He does not act. His presence already commands attention as the cynical no-nonsense minister. The pivotal sex scenes, split into three parts, are not just there for visual enhancement. They actually convey the shift in roles between the two throughout their complex relationship. The raw emotions displayed on their faces were enough to convince anyone hard-hearted to think twice about the essence of love. I must say these are some of the best bed scenes you'll ever witness on film.
Of course, the supporting cast of Joan Chen as Mrs Yee and Wong Lee-Hom as Tang Wei's resistance compatriot, Kuang Yu Min, is every bit just as spectacular. In the end, the story about love is bittersweet. You'll also see how fervent the resistance movement, which puts the enemy above self and others, was through Wang Jia Zhi's eyes. Lust Caution is 157 minutes' of rewarding watch that will linger on in your minds well after the credits roll. (A+)

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Provocative, thrilling and passionate, Lust, Caution is the daring new film from acclaimed Academy Award®-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Set against the backdrop of a transforming country,a young woman finds herself swept up in a radical plot to assassinate a ruthless and secretive intelligence agent. As she immerses herself in her role as a cosmopolitan seductress, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game that will ultimately determine her fate. Erotic, breathtaking and suspenseful, this award-winning film is being called "exquisitely beautiful" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) and "lushly sensual" (Leah Rozen, People).

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NFL Films - Chicago Bears - The Complete History Review

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(More customer reviews)"Football Digest" once voted week four's 1977 Monday Night game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears one of the top 10 Monday Night games ever played, and arguably one of the greatest Bears games during the post-1963 NFL Championship season. What was even more significant than it being Joe Namath's last appearance as a starter or the last time anyone would see Broadway Joe at Soldier Field and no one had seen Namath in Chicago since the Jets 1974 win over the Bears for that matter, was the fact that Chicago's Bob Avellini threw 3 touchdown bombs in the pouring rain to beat the Rams 24-23 and "Hollywood Joe" (who was knocked out of the game by Bears LB Waymond Bryant and replaced by Pat Haden for the remainder of the season). Not only a great moment in Chicago Bears history, but a great moment broadcasted by ABC's legendary Howard Cosell. Just one of the many great moments left off the "Chicago Bears - The Complete History" double DVD release.
What you have here is a compilation of old VHS Bears highlights (most of which were produced in the 1980's by NFL Films) assembled together by the NFL Network and transferred onto DVD. Making it abundantly clear to real Bear fans that it wasn't compiled by a "real" Bear fan. This 2005 NFL Films production plays more like a propaganda film than anything else (meaning; this is what "they" want you to remember). A history of the Chicago Bears through their eyes, not Bear fans. I found it rather insulting to have to listen to some spoiled brats (Virginia McCaskey) banter concerning a game and history of a team she knows nothing about. What I mean to say is; why couldn't we get some insight from say...Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander (someone who actually covered the Bears) than someone who sat in a luxury box and picked her nose, totally oblivious to what was happening on the field (the Dave Wannstedt era of the 90's is a clear example of this).
Even more disturbing was the "Bears/Packers Rivalry" segment. Packer fans will find this more engaging than Bear fans, considering the infamous "asterisk" game of 1989 (Green Bay's 14-13 instant replay victory) along with Jim McMahon's 1986 pounding into the Soldier Field astro turf are covered with a fair amount of detail. Although...i'm still trying to figure out why those moments would be more memorable than Chicago's 61-7 slaughter of the Bart Starr coached Packers of 1980 (which by the way wasn't mentioned at all here). Instead we're shown (Ditka's continuing "fullback" saga) William Perry's 1985 Monday Night touchdown as though that were the only memorable moment of the Bear/Packer rivalry concerning Bear fans. I mean...who's highlight reel is this? For a more comprehensive view of this rivalry, pick up Gary D'Amato's "Mudbaths and Bloodbaths" book. Although a bit pro-Packer in places, a good read never-the-less. And after all, at this point in the DVD...anythings better than watching Green Bay's Don Majkowski spike the ball after scoring a TD (against the Bears mind you), on a Bears highlight film no less. Considering how pro-Packer this segment was, I was quite surprised they didn't include Vince Lombardi's infamous quote in response to a sideline tackle made by Doug Buffone in front of the Packer bench. "Buffone?...whats that? Italian for buffoon?".
The NFL Network and NFL Films continues with its barrage of lowlights and insults levied against Bear fans by showing clips of the New York Giants 47-7 mauling of the Bears (in color mind you) in the 1956 NFL Championship, but failing to show any highlights from the famous slush bowl of 1977. This was an important game to the Bears and their fans. It marked Chicago's return to the post-season for the first time since 1963. I can still hear Vin Scully's "watch Fencik lower the boom" on New York's Jimmy Robinson in one of the most devastating hits in the history of the game itself. Chicago won the game 12-9 (a classic nail biter) in the last frantic seconds of OT to capture their sixth game in a row and finish the season at 9-5 enroute to the playoffs. But we're shown none of this. Instead we're told how great Frank Gifford was before, during, and after a few clips of the 1963 NFL Championship victory over the Giants. Again...who's highlight reel is this? Also, there was no mention at all of the Bears week nine game of 1977 (the game that started the 6 game win streak) against the Marv Levy coached Kansas City Chiefs (Bob Avellini's TD pass to Greg Latta as time expired to steal a 28-27 victory in the wake of another brilliant performance by Walter Payton). Or, the 1979 demolishing of the St. Louis Cardinals 42-6, to finish the season at 10-6 and secure a playoff birth (the day after "Mugs" Halas' death, and yet again...NFL Films failed to mention any of it).
And although it was humorous to see Abe Gibron's "wired for sound segment", lets not forget...he never coached a winning team in Chicago. Watching Gibron just reminded me of all those losing seasons after the 63' NFL Championship. And considering the absolute chaotic, mind-numbing bewilderment on the sidelines, it's a miracle the Bears won any games at all under Gibron's baffling direction. The only memorable Gibron moment would have to be 1972's Monday Night win over the Vikings at Soldier Field (the game in which Abe got carried off the field,...a huge achievement considering the fact that the Bears hardly ever beat the Vikings during the late 60's & early to mid 70's, and well...taking into consideration that it was a nationally televised game and Abe's weight (lbs)...it was perhaps the team's greatest performance under his leadership). But even more poignant than that for Bear fans was the priceless blank look on Gibron's face, captured by the CBS camera crew during the last home game of the 1974 season. In the midst of a 5 game losing streak, a mere 18,000 fans showed up in the rain and sleet to watch the Bears Mirro Roder split the uprights in the closing seconds to clip the Giants 16-13 (known as the "fight inflation or conserve energy; stay home and watch Bears lose" game...only they won!). But again...we're shown none of this.
Casual Bear fans will find this insightful and entertaining i'm sure. But real Bear fans will find this to be nothing more than an overpriced cheap VHS transfer of the same recycled file footage NFL Films delivers whenever a Chicago Bears documentary is in order.
...hardly a complete history.
olofpalme63

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This two-disc set celebrates the rich history of the Chicago Bears, from the inception to today. Bonus program is the NFL Films production of Super Bowl XX, Bears big win over the Patriots, featuring the impenetrable 1985 Bears Defense and the colorful Jim McMahon. Includes tons of bonus features on the greatest Bears moments, games and players.

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American Pickers: The Complete Season 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)Hey look, it's that infamous Church of the Flaming Sword and it looks like he's at it again. He's writing a review for another reality TV series, but wait. He's giving it a positive review. What gives?
Do not take your computer to the shop for repairs, you are reading it correctly. I found a reality show I like. American Pickers is an antidote to just about 99% of all the crap known as reality programming. You might want to steer clear if you are expecting -
1. Washed up celebrities performing acts of desperation in some vain hope of recapturing their fame.
2. Spoiled 20 and 30 somethings who treat the world like it's their personal nightclub.
3. Pregnant teenagers.
4. Drama queens and kings.
5. Competitions in which participants win by any means necessary, or not so necessary.
This show is mainly about two average guys, tall and lanky Mike Wolfe and short and stocky Frank Fritz, who go around the country to buy antiques and collectibles for a store in Iowa called Antique Archaeology. They go and buy everything from old movie posters to long forgotten gas station signs to worn out motorcycle frames, and in one case a painting of a nude woman. The only thing that matches the diversity of the antiques they buy is the people they buy them from. One of whom is a rather eccentric man who runs a Bigfoot museum in Alabama and another is a retired attorney who collects old cars among other things. Sometimes Mike and Frank make a substantial profit, but there have been occasions in which they went in the red. When you run a business or work for one, those are the risks you take.
What really makes the show for me is how well Frank and Mike work together. There is nothing Hollywood or made up about these two. They love to goof around, but they are also serious about what they do and I especially liked how Frank compared one lady he bought from to his grandmother.
American Pickers exemplifies what is sorely lacking from reality TV - reality. It not only shows two normal guys making a living - but it also makes it entertaining and interesting. While I'm certainly not going to watch these has been pop stars trying to find a date or Dancing with the Stars anytime in the next quadrillion years, my opinion of what reality shows can be has been raised.
Thank you Mike and Frank,
Keep up the good work.

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In small towns, and along America's back roads, treasures are waiting to be uncovered--valuable relics from our history that are hidden in junk piles, buried in barns and stacked in garages. It takes experts to find them...and turn rust to riches. Season One of AMERICAN PICKERS on HISTORY follows highly skilled 'pickers' Mike Wolfe, owner of Antique Archaeology in Iowa, and his business partner Frank Fritz, as they hunt down objects with historical, collectible and pop culture value that have been long forgotten by their owners. From a vintage Harley to a one-of-a-kind Ferris wheel, each treasure hunt uncovers weird and wonderful Americana, offering a glimpse into a little-known side of the antiques business. Along the way, Mike and Frank meet people whose own stories open a window into American lives and history.DISC 1 (4 episodes, approx 180 min): Big Bear / Super Scooter / White Castle on the Farm / Invisible PumpDISC 2 (4 episodes, approx 180 min): Back Breaker / Mole Man / Frank's Gamble / 5 Acres of JunkDISC 3 (4 half-hour episodes, approx 92 min): Bigfoot in Alabama / Know When to Fold / Fill er Up / Leland's Cafe

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