An American Werewolf in London (Full Moon Edition) (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)An American Werewolf in London is probably the best Werewolf flick since Lon Chaney Jr originally transformed under the full moon. Sure, the film is almost 30 years old, but with the new high def transfer it's hard to tell.
As an avid DVD buyer my transition to the Blu-ray media has been a little slow to say the least. I'm generally only buying new titles and am very stubborn when it comes to double dipping on titles I already own. Some companies take the cheap route and just slap an upscaled transfer onto a Blu-ray in order to make some fast cash. This however, is completely worth re buying.
I'll be honest, the first time I saw this film was when it was originally released on DVD back in the late 90's . I instantly fell in love with the movie. Everything about it was perfect, the humor, the scares, the sfx, the amazing soundtrack. It's very rare to find a movie that so perfectly combines horror and comedy, a film with characters you truly care for. This is a movie that sticks with you, one of the better horror comedies, one of the best werewolf films.
The transfer is great, crystal clear. It's as if it was filmed a few years ago. The audio has great as well, the film has never looked or sounded this good.
The extras for the most part were transfered over from the original 2001 DVD, but the best extra comes in the form of a feature length documentary called "Beware the Moon." The documentary covers everything from conception, to filming, to the somewhat negative reception it got when it was originally released.
It's a pity more movies don't get the kind of treatment.
Buy this disc immediately!

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Re-discover one of the most gripping horror films of all-time with the cult classic An American Werewolf in London.Blending the macabre with a wicked sense of humor, director John Landis (National Lampoon’s Animal House) delivers a contemporary take on the classic werewolf tale in this story of two American tourists who, while traveling in London, find their lives changed forever when a viscious wolf attacks them during a full moon.Featuring groundbreaking, Academy Award-winning make-up by Rick Baker (The Wolfman), this digitally remastered Full Moon Edition also includes the new feature-length documentary Beware the Moon.

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Nickelback: Live at Sturgis Review

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(More customer reviews)Nickelback is awesome live! I enjoyed every second of this concert. It is censored but I don't really care its still great! (plus most of the boob-flashing chicks were ugly anyway LOL) this a great dvd for Nickelback fans. just so you know here's whats on the DVD:
1.Animals
2.Woke Up This morning
3.Photograph
4.Because of You
5. Far Away
6. Never Again
7. Savin' Me
8. Someday
9. Side of a Bullet
10. How You Remind Me
11. Too Bad
12. Figured You Out

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Item Name: Live from Sturgis; Studio:1 AM APPROACH

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Walking with Dinosaurs (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)This series is brilliant. The special effects are truly impressive, the style (made like a fake nature documentary, as if the filmmakers are just observing the dinosaurs in the wilds) is clever, and it's all just fascinating. Some of it is quite graphic with dinosaurs battling each other, eating each other and dying off in lots of different ways, so I was worried that my almost-four-year-old wasn't ready for it. But he's started to ask questions about dying and animals eating each other and this has actually been a nice segueway into those discussions. We've especially enjoyed the "making of" featurette - lots of information there well beyond how they acheived the special effects.

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New Blood, Time of the Titans, Cruel Sea, Giant of the Skies, Spirits of the Ice Forest, Death of a Dynasty. Ride the ultimate time machine from the beginning of dinosaurs to their spectacular end! Using the latest in computer animation, this series puts you in the middle of Jurassic stampedes and T Rex battles, through 155 million years of pre-history.

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The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pulp entertainment of the highest order, "The Silence of The Lambs" is terrific filmaking, and a movie worth owning for any horror/suspense fan. Unfortunately, the Blu-Ray release is sure to disappoint, as it looks strikingly similar to a finely upconverted DVD, albeit one with a fair amount of film grain. Yes, sharpness is slightly improved, but it's only really noticeable in a handful of scenes, and the difference is hardly impressive; the same can be said for the Blu-Ray's slightly-improved colors.
Some are attributing this to the MPEG-2 encoding, but really the problem lies with the film master source, which just isn't that great. Another contributing factor is the cinematography and lighting of the film, which just doesn't lend itself all that well to hi-def. The underwhelming DTS-HD 5.1 audio fares no better, again probably due to the limitations of the original audio source; the overall sound is flat with the rear channels and sub-woofer barely used, if at all. To top things off, this Blu-Ray release includes most, but not all, of the extras found on the previous DVD releases, meaning if you're a hardcore "Silence" fan, you'll want to to hang on to your old DVD(s).
Of course, the Blu-Ray edition does currently offer the best visual and audio presentation of this film, but the difference is decidedly unimpressive and contains far greater film grain than any of the previous DVD incarnations, to boot. As a side note, I want to state that I have no problem with film grain per say, and will always take the naturally grainy-albeit-sharp look of film over a waxy-looking DNR "remastering" any day of the week. Yet, when the only appreciable gain of a Blu-ray upgrade over its (1080P upconverted) DVD counterpart is a barely perceptible upgrade in sharpness, slightly stronger colors and extra-heavy doses of film grain (much of it stemming from a worn-looking master), then I say stick with the DVD, as the trade-off simply isn't worth it.
Regarding special features, while the majority of the bonus features included on the Blu-Ray are simply ported over from the 2007 DVD release, the Blu-Ray does contain one exclusive: a picture-in-picture commentary / trivia track called "Breaking The Silence", which has factoids mixed in with occasional snippets of new interviews from Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, Anthony Hopkins, and screenwriter Ted Tally. Unfortunately, it sounds cooler than it really is; while the interview snippets are pretty good, there is no making-of footage of any kind included in the PIP, and the factoids mostly contain information that is recycled from earlier (more compelling) bonus features. Also, there are annoyingly long stretches throughout the film in which the PIP track simply disappears. Overall, a mediocre exclusive bonus feature at best, and decidedly inferior to Criterion's audio commentary track (or the previously made making-of docs, for that matter).
So, for those who DO NOT OWN any DVD edition of "Silence of The Lambs", this is what it boils down to:
- The Blu-Ray is currently reasonably priced here on Amazon.com and (depending on your tolerance for film grain) is therefore worth picking up;
- For hardcore "Silence" fans, they should seek out both the Blu-Ray AND the Criterion DVD, as the Criterion disc contains special features that are not contained in any other edition of this film on home video, particularly an outstanding (and exclusive) audio commentary track that includes Foster, Hopkins and director Ted Demme. As I type this, it's still the overall best making-of feature made for "Silence", IMO.
- Be advised that the Criterion DVD has the weakest visual presentation of the various DVD releases, as the picture on that disc is in non-anamorphic widescreen, which is why I recommend the Criterion version to Criterion collectors and hard-core "Silence" fans only;
- For the price conscious, the 2001 "Special Edition" DVD can be had for under $5.00, has good (anamorphically-enhanced) video and (5.1 Dolby Digital) audio, and a nice set of special features, including the same hour-long making-of doc ("Inside the Labyrinth") that is included in both the Blu-Ray and 2007 DVD edition; although it lacks interviews from Foster and Demme, it's probably the best making-of feature that's been produced for "Silence", outside of the superior Criterion audio commentary.
- As for those who ALREADY OWN "Silence of The Lambs" in either the 2001 or 2007 DVD incarnations, there really is no compelling reason to upgrade to the Blu-Ray edition, unless you are an obsessive-compulsive Hi-Def completest with money to burn. The fact is, both the 2001 and 2007 DVD editions contain comparable audio and visuals that perfectly represent the original look of the film (although the 2001 "Special Edition" DVD release has a slightly greener hue to its video transfer, while the 2007 transfer has a slightly redder hue) and both editions look perfectly fine upconverted via 1080P. Never mind the naysayers who hate DVD upconversions, as there are some of us who can settle for "good enough" with certain films and save our hard-earned cash for far worthier hi-def material.

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A psychopath nicknamed Buffalo Bill is murdering women across the Midwest. Believing it takes one to know one, the FBI sends Agent Clarice Starling (Foster) to interview a demented prisoner who may provide clues to the killer's actions. That prisoner is psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), a brilliant, diabolical cannibal who agrees to help Starling only if she'll feed his morbid curiosity with details of her own complicated life. As their relationship develops, Starling is forced to confront not only her own hidden demons, but also an evil so powerful that she may not have the courage or strength to stop it!

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The Lion King 1 1/2 (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)We're all aware that not much can compare to the original Lion King film. The animation, songs, voices...everything just perfection. However, as an ardent fan of the film, and in particular Timon and Pumbaa, this was snapped up as soon it went on sale - and boy, what a nice surprise! A direct to video release that's actually decent!
This film is much of an improvement on the first "sequel". Simba's Pride just didn't hold any of the magic of the original story - and barely held my attention for one showing before being put onto the shelf to get dusty. I was immediately more interested in this film as I thought it's premise held much more entertainment quality. "Yeah, I'd like to see how everything was through Timon and Pumbaa's eyes" I thought, and I wasn't to be disappointed.
We're originally transported back to Timon's younger days to see why he came to team up with Pumbaa. It's dealt with very wittily, yet with enough warmth that you actually do care what happens to all involved. We're shown how Timon and Pumbaa meet, and how they embark on their quest for "Hakuna Matata". Much comedy ensues, with a revealing insight into the original film's events. Why do the animals bow at Simba's presentation at Pride Rock? Why does everyone fall over at the end of "I Just Can't Wait To Be King?" Watch to find out. Having eventually found their perfect home, their meeting with Simba is retold and we get to see some of Simba's teenage years - missed out in the original film. (Timon has a wonderful line during a particularly restless night looking after a young Simba - "we're gonna get old walking across this thing". As soon as you hear it you'll know exactly what it's getting at). Next to be dealt with is Simba's reunion with Nala and his trip home to Pride Rock to avenge his father's death. All seen in a new perspective it's all very watchable, even if you are seeing duplicated scenes that occurred in the original movie. The climax again adds more breadth to the original. With Scar and his minions vanquished and order restored in the Pridelands, Timon and Pumbaa settle into their new home with his original meerkat colony who are surprised and impressed with the new "all-action" Timon. This is very much Timon's film, we get to know a lot more about him than Pumbaa and it is Timon that saves the day right at the very end. That's no complaint I would add, after all we heard about some of Pumbaa's woes in the original film 10 years ago.
Disney have done a lot of things right with this film. The original cast (with the exception of Rowan Atkinson as Zazu which consistantly grates with me - he's much missed on the interactive section of the original movie's special edition too) return, and Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller lend their vocies as Timon's nearest and dearest. Two new, annoyingly catchy songs appear within the first 15 minutes and several songs from the original make welcome returns. This isn't a big long song-fest though, I'm pleased to say. Much as I like the songs Disney movies are famed for, it is nice to give the characters time to speak and flesh themselves out in-between. Lots of scenes from the original appear again, and are interworked with the new animation reasonably well. An interesting twist is that the film is presented as if being viewed by Timon and Pumbaa in a cinema. I have seen a few reviews saying how annoying this is, but I actually find it very funny. The fact that they take shots at scenes which otherwise would be excessively cheesy is very endearing, and of course completely in character.
There are, inevitably bad points. This isn't going straight to video for nothing after all. You certainly need to have watched the original movie and know it well - and you also have to be willing to deconstruct it quite violently too. A lot of those scenes you held dear are made fun of mercilessly. They've generally interworked the timelines between the films very well, but there are a few moments when I thought "that doesn't go". The film is quite short - 72 minutes with lengthy end credits, but it is so fast passed that it seems even shorter to me. It doesn't quite know what age range it is heading for either, there are lots of "kiddie jokes", but also quite witty points that younger children won't necessarily get (I always used to wonder why my Mum insisted on watching Dangermouse with me, it's only now at 24 that I watch it and realise now). Lots of film references too. This isn't too bad in a way, it keeps everyone occupied throughout for different reasons. I'd rent it first if your not sure, but if your a Lion King fan you'll probably end up buying it anyway (you perhaps already have!)
The DVD features I actually find quite disappointing. This is a 2 disc release, and if they'd not put over 10 minutes worth of trailers on the first disc, probably could have been condensed onto one. There are several games for the youngsters including a virtual Safari, Rafiki's Challenge and a "hidden Mickey" hunt throughout the film. There's a supposedly funny "mockumentary" about Timon which I watched in total silence and a 1 minutes "making of..." featurette which I had to turn off half way through out of sheer irritation (not very much info about the film at all - but everyone involved is all certain how great it is). There are some storyboarded deleted scenes, with commentary from the directors as to why they were cut.
Overall, very enjoyable which surprised me greatly and made it even more fun. Don't start comparing to the original as that is pointless. I also don't think this sort of production should be carried on to other Disney films, I don't think it would work. However, the way these particular characters cry out for attention every time they're on screen, it seems fitting to let us find out more about them.
I would have rated this 5 stars but for the DVD "extra's" as the film I cannot fault, both for the entertainment value and the way it tells an unexpectedly heartwarming story without being too cringeworthy

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The ever-popular sequel to the original Lion King. Fun-filled adventure that will please the young and the young at heart.

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Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Zoom Tour Live (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)In what can only be described as an amazing compensation gift for having their tour cancelled, ELO's DVD literally pulls all the right strings. Being a lifelong fan of ELO after first seeing them on The Midnight Special belting out "In the Hall of the Mountain King", I have followed them religiously and was lucky enough to see them live on 3 separate tours. I even bit the bullet and saw ELO 2 a couple of years ago. I have clung to the hope for the last 9 or 10 years that Jeff Lynne would put out some of his own music for a change and my dream was realized earlier this year with the release of the wonderful Zoom. Although the record was horribly marketed as well as the subsequent ill-fated tour, my enthusiasm for the new music was not abated. In what can be considered a gift from the rock gods, this DVD will surely be a prized possession for years to come. The great surprise of this DVD is that Jeff Lynne has only improved upon his immense talent with the passing of time. Not only does he look like he still in a 1970's timewarp with his trademark fro, goatee and shades, his voice and musicianship have never been better. His singing is unparalleled and he hits every note flawlessly. He even displays some real guitar chops on hits like Ma Ma Belle and Roll Over Beethoven. His singing on Moment in Paradise, Can't Get it Out of My Head, Telephone Line and the surprising addition of One Summer Dream literally left me teary-eyed and speechless. The new band's playing is superlative and in my opinion, come the closest to duplicating ELO's studio sound I have ever heard from any incarnation of the band. There's a generous serving of hits scattered throughout the set and a bunch of new songs from Zoom. My only complaint, would have been to jettison a few of the weak songs like Easy Money and State of Mind from Zoom and to have inserted a few other hits. I know, they didn't perform Fire on High or Getting to the Point but the addition of those 2 favorite songs of mine would have really put it over the top for me. After getting my big screen TV and home theater system last year, I have become quite enamored at collecting rock concert DVDs like Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" and The Moody Blues "Hall of Fame". But, I always longed for a state of the art ELO DVD to complete the set. The Live at Wembley disc just doesn't cut it because of the antiquated recording technology used then which sounds so hollow compared to today's digital quality. To me this DVD is important because it captures Lynne at his zenith and I will always have this moment captured in time forever to watch while I become a decrepit old man. This is truly a great show and I hope Lynne continues to record and perhaps launch a more modest and carefully marketed tour in the near future.

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Electric Light Orchestra took rock in a new direction, combining lush orchestrations with a pop sensibility, rapidly scoring 17 Top 40 hits. After a lengthy absence from U.S. stages, ELO, headed by Jeff Lynne, returns in this much-anticipated performance kicking off the new "Zoom" album at CBS Television City in Los Angeles with all of the lavish spectacle the band is famous for in this state-of-the-art concert. Songs: Do Ya, Evil Woman, Showdown, Strange Magic, Livin' Thing, Alright, Lonesome Lullaby, Telephone Line, Turn To Stone, Just For Love, Easy Money, Mr. Blue Sky, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle, One Summer Dream, Tightrope, State Of Mind, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Moment In Paradise, 10538 Overture, Ordinary Dream, Shine A Little Love, Don't Bring Me Down, Roll Over Beethoven. Interview with Jeff Lynne (9 min.); Fan Club segment (2 min.)

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Big Trouble in Little China Review

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(More customer reviews)...People back in 1986 did not understand Big Trouble In Little China. It's the kind of film you either "get" or you "don't get"...They were ahead of their time. Big Trouble In Little China is no different. Basically a Hong Kong action picture with stabs at humor, magic, mysticism and a touch of romance, "Big Trouble" clashed with the heroic heroes of the time... and instead gave us a lead character who's big on talk but usually not good at much else. Kurt Russell's Jack Burton is the type of character with an over-evolved sense of ego that never seems to match his less than perfect grasp of how to deal with real situations. The other difference here is that Jack is not the real hero, it's really Wang Chi(Dennis Dun), who shows us all the great Kung Fu moves and sword fighting styles... Jack Burton is more of the sidekick who thinks he's the head honcho but never seems to do anything right and when he does do something right it's usually because of blind luck. But that's the kind of character Carpenter wanted and he knew Russell would be the best person for the job because he's not afraid to let his hair down and look foolish. Looking tough with smeared lipstick on his face, rolling backwards in a wheelchair screaming or shooting his gun straight up causing small rocks to fall down, knocking him unconscious. No ego is involved with Kurt Russell...
The DVD transfer looks wonderful (widescreen 2.35:1) and even comes with DTS sound which you've got to listen to to believe. As for the special features, the biggest gem on this 2DVD Set is the Audio Commentary by John Carpenter & Kurt Russell. These two have done commentaries before and hinted at doing one for "Big Trouble" during the commentary they did for The Thing (1982). I love listening to these guys! It's just so much fun, it's like being in the room with them and you're just being quiet and listening. Their comments tend to take off from "Big Trouble" and aim more towards where their careers have been, where they're going and how their children are doing in regards to sports and music. Carpenter laments that his son, Cody, can play the keyboard better than he can now and Russell talks about his son, Wyatt winning a hockey championship and how he'd rather see a twenty-something do action films instead of people like himself who are in their fifties (this is him saying this, not me). There's a lot of respect between the two and some hinting that they might work together again soon...I wrote a review about Escape From New York and how I felt it was Carpenter's and Russell's best collaboration out of the five films they've done together. Well on this commentary, Kurt Russell said that working on Escape From New York was the best experience of his career. It would seem we're in agreement. There's also talk about how the styles of directing has changed over the years and how it seems to be going downhill. You need a director who believes in his vision and sticks by it, otherwise you're in for trouble, Big Trouble. Sadly, no mention whether or not they'll do commentaries for Elvis and Escape From L.A.(the only films they haven't made commentaries for), but I'm sure they'd jump at the chance. These guys are such good friends, you can feel it...Carpenter even said he thought "Captain Ron" was Kurt's best performance! I wish the film was twice as long just so I could hear more from them!
The rest of the features are basic: trailers, TV spots, featurette, music video by the Coup De Villes(love Carpenter's low voice!), interviews, still gallery, magazine articles, production notes, cast & director film lists and some interesting deleted scenes, including an extended version of Jack in the Chinese bordello with an added line about the green-eyed girl that's hysterical...The actual ending, however, is still the same. There are even some trailers to Aliens & The Fly hidden on page 2 of the special features section (just click to the left once you're positioned on the Richard Edlund Interview and press "Enter").
This Special Edition rocks and is second only to the collector's edition DVD of The Thing by Universal Pictures. That DVD included a retrospective documentary with most of the original cast & crew returning for a look back. Ennio Morricone's Score is given it's own isolated track during this documentary as well, so those are the main reasons why The Thing is still the best John Carpenter Special Edition DVD out there, but Big Trouble In Little China is very impressive as well. Some of you may be wondering why they couldn't fit all the special features on Disc 1? Well, normally you could, but DTS Sound takes up a lot of room and this is why they had to split it all into a two disc set. So add this Carpenter masterpiece to your collection. It is truly one of his all time bests!
ADDITIONAL BLU-RAY INFO:
I recently bought this film again on Blu-Ray and just had to comment on how nice an upgrade it is. First, I was really impressed with the new transfer. There's so much more detail now in the picture quality, which, while still not perfect, is a vast improvement over the DVD. Second, all of the special features from the out of print 2 disc Special Edition DVD set are all included on the Blu-Ray, along with a wonderful new feature: an Isolated Score audio track for the complete film in 5.1 DTS. This was the first thing I checked out when first popping in the Blu-Ray and I was just blown away by it. It's exactly like having the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack in your possession, with every complete music cue and sequence included and intact (no edits or cuts at all). There are a couple of dead-air spots, where no music was used, but they are brief and don't detract very much at all from the overall listening experience. So if you're thinking about upgrading this fantastic movie to Blu-Ray, my advice is "Go for it." The price for the Blu-Ray is usually very cheap too. Plus, again, if you don't already have the 2 disc special edition DVD, you'll get all of the special features from it on the Blu-Ray, with the added Isolated Score option as well. Check it out!
Big Trouble In Little China - A Cult Classic!
"It's all in the reflexes" - Kurt Russell as Jack Burton
Other recommended Kurt Russell/John Carpenter collaborations:
"Elvis: The Movie" DVD (1979)
"Escape From New York" DVD (1981)
"The Thing" DVD & Blu-Ray (1982)
"Escape From L.A." DVD & Blu-Ray (1996)

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Directed by thrill master John Carpenter, this edge-of-your seat adventure stars Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a tough-talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancee is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who mercilessly presides over an empire of spirits. Dodging demons and facing baffling terrors, Jack battles his way through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl. Co-starring Kim Cattrall, this effects-filled sci-fi spectacle speeds to an incredible, twist-taking finish.
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, Dolby Surround / Spanish & French: 5.1 Dolby Digital
Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 2.35:1

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