James Bond Blu-ray Collection Six-Pack (Dr. No / Die Another Day / Live and Let Die / For Your Eyes Only / From Russia with Love / Thunderball) (Amazon.com Exclusive) Review

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(More customer reviews)I use a PS3 as my Blu-ray player. I had no problems starting these disc, using the bonus features, nor did I have any problems while viewing the video, your results may vary. If you have problems, check your manual for instructions on updating your firmware.
This is Volume 1 and 2 wrapped together, it is nothing "special" the only thing special is the lower price.
When I ordered this, I was not expecting what I got. I thought the movies were in standard blu-ray cases and put in a box, but I was wrong.
When you get your movies, you have a nice 007 plastic slipcase, when you take that off you have the box (which you see in the image) and inside is a very nice "book" that houses your discs.
Each movie is presented on 1 disc, and each volume has 3 movies.
I own the James Bond Ultimate DVD collection. I'm going to assume you may own that version as well, and want to know if the blu-ray is worth the upgrade or not (these movies are over 40-50 years old mind you).
When I got the ultimate dvd collection last year, I was shocked at the quality of Dr NO. This is a very old movie, and it looked better than some blu-rays I owned (and this was on DVD!), the same is true for these blu-rays.
Dr No Looks better than the majority of blu-rays I own. Every scene is sharp. No scene looks soft, or bad. The restoration done on these has to be seen to be believed.
When you watch the blu-rays some of the bonus features explain the process behind the remastering (which is very interesting).
I must warn you. If you're the type who likes to watch trailers (of the film you're about to watch) prior to watching the movie, do not do so here. As they are almost all full of spoilers. Think of the trailer as a recap, and rejoice in the over the top trailers of back in the day.
Now on to rating the specifics.
Video Quality
5/5 Easy. Top Notch. Each scene is so vibrant, so sharp, you will be soo furious with other blu-rays sitting on your shelf, because they wont look half as good as Dr No. (even modern movies shot last year)
Audio Quality
4/5. This is tough to rate really, some of the movies were filmed in mono (and we get the mono track, which as with the dvds, I much prefer), but here we also have a surround mix to go along with it. Obviously this is not going to be as good as any modern movie soundtrack, but it is as good as the movies have ever sounded. Also I must comment, the only part of these movies that make you aware that the movie was indeed shot back in the 60's is the audio. The gun shots and other special effects are.... weak by today's standards, but it is faithful to the source, and that's all that matters.
Supplements
5/5 When the ultimate collection was made, we got the movie, then a disc full of extras. Thanks to the power of blu-ray, we have all those extras and the movie on the same disc. All this is seamless.
Packaging
5/5. If you read some of my reviews on other "sets" I really hound studios. I have wasted 100's of dollars on "gift sets" that are rendered useless when they arrive due to scratching, broke discs, stuff falling out, luckily that is NOT the case here.
The design that houses the discs are similar to the way they are presented on Battlestar Galatica Season 1 (on HD-DVD) (only these actually work, and have none of the issues that set did). Meaning you open up the wonderful book (vibrant, and full of color, I will be posting pictures tomorrow) and the discs look as though they are floating on the case. The best way to get them off is to "twist them".
I really like the packing, its like a really fancy case, it exudes style. I personally love Volume 1 more, the blue is soo suave.
Value
4/5
Ok, I can understand a LOT of work went into making these videos. But the hardwork was already done when you remastered the video from the negatives to make the ultimate dvd sets a few years back. Those videos came with 5 movies, with the bonuses, and now you can buy 2 of those volumes for the price of one of these (which only contains 3 movies per box). Or all 4 for the price of these 2 volumes (20 movies versus 6) all of which are basically the same.
Now, I'll admit, the quality is better, and the packaging is amazing. But you have to ask yourself. Would you prefer having the whole set on DVD or 6 movies on Blu-Ray. (as it amounts to the same price)
At this rate the price for the whole set will run you around 350 dollars (with amazons VERY LOW price) not retail, retail would be 550 and that's for 18 total. I guess you can guess they will triple dip Casino Royale, and make the set a close 700 dollars. I hope they start either dropping the price, or adding a movie or 2 per set.
With all that said, would I buy this set again? Sadly, yes. They are just too good. And the packaging is something that has to be seen to be believed.
If you're choosing, should I buy the single blu-ray releases, or get the box sets. I would say buy the box sets (and save yourself some serious money and buy this "collection" on amazon) The boxes are amazing, and the quality is very high, and it is cheaper to buy 1 volume than 3 discs (though I'm sure there might be some movies you do not want, but if you want the whole collection, its cheaper to just buy them all now)
Last, but NOT least, you get another bonus, that is not advertised, free tickets to the new Bond movie (actually each box has 2 tickets, so you get 4 if you buy this set) that's 40 dollars in value there.
If you own the DVD's and want to know, should I buy the blu-rays, or just keep watching my ultimate series upconverted, that's harder to say, if the money is no problem, you will enjoy the new set. If you're buying this for your boyfriend or husband, he will love the packaging (I do) as it looks very nice.
When volume 3, and 4 come out on blu-ray will I buy them? Without hesitation. Just be sure to give me Goldeneye.
Oh, if the only versions of Bond you own, are not from the Ultimate Collection DVD sets, these blu-rays are going to be night and day for you, as they have been painstakingly remastered from the original negatives (the film that was actually used in the camera) and all flaws have been removed, making these movies as good or better than the latest big budget blockbuster.
If you're new to Bond, and not sure if you want to invest in this series, be sure to take a look at Casino Royale (Two-Disc Collector's Edition + BD Live) [Blu-ray], It is one of my favorite movies by far, and easily a favorite bond film. (also highly recommended prior to watching the new QOS movie, which you get tickets for when you buy this set)

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James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack, Vol. 3 (Moonraker/ The World is Not Enough / Goldfinger) Review

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(More customer reviews)I hope that everyone who had problems playing the first 2 Bond collections had them addressed by now because Volume 3's layout and features is consistent with the previous two. All players that received firmware upgrades after October 2008 should be able to play this set.
Here is my evaluation of the current Bond Blu-ray collection (a work in progress as I'm not fully done with the viewing) - and it's not unlike my impression of the first 2.
_____________________________________________
THE GOOD:
- Incredible video quality, most likely better than what the audience saw on release date on some of the older movies.
- Lots of extras, most of them worth watching or listening to.
- Beautiful, innovative packaging.
THE NOT SO GOOD:
- The sound restoration not as good as the video on the early Bonds.
- Some of the 'extras' sections would benefit from a 'play all' option.
- The boxes could be a bit slimmer.
- May require upgrades on certain players if they haven't been upgraded since September-October 2008.
_____________________________________________
The overall impression is of quality, inside and out. The box could be a little smaller but the packaging is exquisite. There's a transparent plastic slide cover over a solid cardboard box holding a small binder on which the individual movie disks are attached to pages. Each movie comes on one disc holding the movie itself and in incredible amount of extras.
The menu interface is well organized and there's even some humor in labeling. For example, the option that plays the movie is labeled 'The Mission' while the historic promotional material is found under 'The Propaganda'. Depending on which section you may be, menu options branch into further sub-menus.
The extras are numerous and, for the most part interesting. There are features on the restoration process and we get to learn who did what, why and how. Then, we see contemporary documentaries on the making of the movie and so on. The Goldfinger disc, for example, includes actual radio interviews with Sean Connery, 2 major documentaries on 'the making of' and 'the world of' Goldfinger, about 30 minutes each, original trailers, screen tests, an interview with Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore), even a feature on Bond's Aston Martin. And, amazingly, it all fits on one disc.
The area where some of the older installments show their age is the sound. The audio options include the original sound track which, in the older releases is 'mono' but all movies come with DTS-HD Master Audio 24-bit 5.1 surround as the default. The sound wasn't upgraded and improved to the degree that the picture was but, it's understandable. Going from mono to 5.1 surround is the equivalent of upgrading from black and white to full-color 3-D in the world of images. Commentary sound tracks featuring the director and the cast and crew are also included.
When it comes to the video quality, the best that I can say is that you've got to see it to believe it. The restoration of the older movies started with the actual original negative, which is the one reference copy that's almost never touched. Once the copy was digitized as a 4000 lines resolution digital copy (Bluray is 1080) every frame was reprocessed to eliminate any possible defects from 'dirty optics', such as the proverbial hair that we sometimes see on the older movies to scratches, bad exposure, color brilliance. The restorers' goal for the end result, and this concerns the video only, not the sound quality, was to deliver what would appear to be a contemporary movie with a 60's or 70's theme rather than a 60's or 70's movies. In my view, they succeeded and, surprisingly, the 1964 Goldfinger looks as good as the 1979 Moonraker.
My overall rating is a solid five-stars. Just about everything in this release is superlative: the physical packaging, the interface design, the extras, the video quality. The sound is not so good on the older movies but, given the state of sound restoration technologies, I did not feel compelled to remove a star because the old movies sounded more or less like they did on release date or better.

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Disc 1: Goldfinger Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Widescreen Feature Film
Disc 2: Moonraker Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Widescreen Feature Film
Disc 3: The World Is Not Enough Ultimate Edition Blu-ray Widescreen Feature Film

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Outland (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)I never bought the first release of this DVD because those who did savaged it for its poor quality. I figured WB couldn't possibly make the same mistake twice. Maybe they didn't - maybe they just repackaged the rotten DVD they manufactured before. Seriously, this is absolutely the worst DVD I've ever seen from a major producer. The quality may not even match those cheapie Canadian tv transfers in the bargain bins. It looks worse than standard definition - hardly a horizontal line looks straight, and any lettering is blurry. Within each scene, the image jumps up and down from one frame to the next. After 10 minutes, I stopped watching, and I really like this movie. The Amazon info (as of this day) is incorrect; the aspect ratio is extreme widescreen. However, the case says "enhanced", which is a flat-out lie. Perhaps they meant disenhanced.
Maybe there's a problem with the film elements, but this movie never looked this bad in the theaters; people would have walked out if it did.
Unless you are going to watch this on a 2" screen, or you're a serious collector of visual artifacts, I WOULD NOT BUY THIS INCREDIBLE PIECE OF GARBAGE. Caveat emptor.

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Outland is another in a long line of Westerns retooled for science fiction.Writer-director Peter Hyams ("Capricorn One", "2010", "Timecop") restages "High Noon" in outer space, with Sean Connery as O'Neil, the marshal for a settlement on one of Jupiter's moons.While investigating the deaths of some miners, O'Neil discovers that mine boss Peter Boyle has been giving his workers an amphetamine-like work-enhancing drug that keeps them productive for months--until they finally snap and go berserk.When Boyle sends killer henchmen to neutralize the lawman, O'Neil is unable to get the miners to back him up."Outland" is no classic, but it offers solid suspense in an otherworldly atmosphere.Also starring Frances Sternhagen, James B. Sikking (Howard on television's "Hill Street Blues"), and John Ratzenberger (later to become famous as Cliff on the sitcom "Cheers"). "--Jim Emerson"

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Never Say Never Again (1983) Review

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(More customer reviews)As some of the reviews here note, there is a large piece of missing footage on this DVD between chapters 19 & 20 (when the disc changes layers). Is yours missing footage? Here's how to check. Start at chapter 19 and follow Bond as he gate crashes the Casino and sticks the bouncer in the closet. If your DVD jumps from Bond leaving the bouncer in the closet with the "bomb" in his hand (Bond says,"Good boy"), to a scene inside the casino where Bond, Domino, and Largo enter the private game room (Largo saying, "These are my friends..."), then you've got a dud. What you should have seen is Bond going from the bouncer in the closet -- to a shot of Bond through the casino door peep hole -- he enters casino -- sticks gun in ice bucket -- enters video game room -- meets Domino ("My name is Bond, James Bond") -- meets Largo, etc. If yours is defective (and many of them where) the good news is you can return it and get a replacement DVD by calling MGMÕs customer service dept at 1-877-MGM-4YOU (or emailing them at 4you@mgm.com) and following their instructions. I did this and I now have a new, complete NSNA DVD.

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Sean Connery is back for his final performance as superagent James Bond in this high-velocity action thriller from the director of The Empire Strikes Back. When two atomic warheads are hijacked by the evil SPECTRE organization, Agent 007 is hurled into an explosive, pulse-pounding race to save the world from nuclear terrorists!

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James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 4 (Dr. No / You Only Live Twice / Octopussy / Tomorrow Never Dies / Moonraker) (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned these films on tape, laserdisc, and DVD, and yes, it was definitely worth shelling out the bucks to buy all 20 films again on these spectacularly remastered sets.
The earlier films show the most difference, of course. The Connery Bonds and the first three or four Moores show the most improvement. Rich, vivid, colors, a sharp, crisp image, beautifully remastered 5.1 surround sound (the DTS tracks are utterly delightful) --- I'm sure there will be another repackaging of these movies before too long, but as far as I'm concerned, this is a close to an "ultimate collection" as it gets.
(I'm referring to all four sets, basically, and these comments apply to the technical aspects of the discs, rather than dealing with my opinions of each movie.)
The discs will be released individually starting in March of 2007, BUT (and it's a big but) they will be single-disc releases without any of the special features. All of the films in these boxed sets have a second disc with extras (most of them ported over from the original DVD releases). So, you'll be able to buy, say, "Dr. No" and leave "Moonraker" on the shelf, if that's your pleasure ... but you won't get any extras.
Hopefully the studio will rethink this before too long. Good marketing usually means making your customers happy.

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*Dr. No Disc #1 -Movie with DTS 5.1 Surround and original mono/stereo -Language selections -Audio Commentary Featuring Director Terence Young and Members of the Cast and CrewDisc #2 -TOP LEVEL ACCESS 007: License to Restore - Featurette Detailing the BOND Ultimate Edition Film Restoration Process-DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT The Guns of James Bond-Premiere Bond-007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Dr. No-THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER-Inside Dr. No-Terence Young: Bond Vivant-Dr. No 1963 Featurette-MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications*You Only Live Twice Disc #1 -Movie with DTS 5.1 Surround and original mono/stereo -Language selections -Audio Commentary Featuring Director Lewis Gilbert and Members of the Cast and Crew Disc #2 -DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Welcome to Japan, Mr. BondWhicker's World - Highlights From 1967 BBC DocumentaryOn Location With Ken Adam-007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of You Only Live Twice-THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER -Inside You Only Live Twice-Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles-Plane Crash: Animated Storyboard Sequence-MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, Photo Gallery, TV Spot & Radio Communications*Moonraker Disc #1 *Movie with DTS 5.1 Surround and original mono/stereo *Language selections *Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore*Audio Commentary Featuring Director Lewis Gilbert and Members of the Cast and Crew Disc #2 *DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT 007 in Rio - Original 1979 Production *Featurette*Ken Adam's Production Films*Bond '79 Learning to Freefall*Skydiving Test Footage*Skydiving Storyboards*Circus Footage*Cable Car Alternative Storyboards*007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Moonraker-THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER-Inside Moonraker-The Men Behind the Mayhem - Special Effects Documentary-MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailer & Photo Gallery*Octopussy Disc #1 -Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore-Movie with DTS 5.1 Surround and original mono/stereo -Language selections -Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore-Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen Disc #2: -DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Shooting Stunts: Crashing Jeeps & The Airplane Crash-Ken Burns On-Set Movie-On Location with Peter Lamont-Testing the Limits - The Aerial Team-James Brolin Original Screentests-James Bond in India - Original 1983 Featurette-007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Octopussy-THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER-Inside Octopussy-Designing Bond - Peter Lamont-Rita Coolidge 'All Time High' Music Video-Storyboard Sequences-MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers & Photo Gallery*Tomorrow Never Dies Disc #1: -Movie with DTS 5.1 Surround and original mono/stereo -Language selections -Audio Commentary Featuring Vic Armstrong and Michael G. Wilson-Audio Commentary Featuring Roger Spottiswoode and Dan Petrie Jr. Disc #2" -DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted and Extended Scenes Introduced by Director Roger Spottiswoode-Expanded Angles Introduced by Director Roger Spottiswoode-Highly Classified: The World of 007-"The James Bond Theme" (Moby's Remix)-007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Tomorrow Never Dies-THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER-The Secrets of 007-Storyboard Presentation-Gadgets-Sheryl Crow 'Tomorrow Never Dies' Music Video -MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers & Photo Gallery

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Just Cause (Snap Case) (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)There's more than the alligators lurking in the swamplands of the Everglades in this thriller. It's hard to know who to trust as a Harvard law proffessor(Sean Connery) who hasn't even had a case in 25 years, reopens one of a convicted killer(Blair Underwood) in Florida. There is evidence to support that his confession was beat out of him, and the proffessor intends to prove it.
Don't take anything for granted in this chilling mystery as the list of suspects grows. There's the tough lawman(Laurence Fishburne),the psychotic serial killer(Ed Harris) over in the next cell,and you may even suspect the alligators in the swamps for a while. There are many twists and turns that will have you wondering who done it? The prof's wife (Kate Capshaw)is even invovled. Lots of action, lots of gripping suspense to keep you glued to your seat. You wont want to miss a minute of it.
The cast listed above all do marvelous work in this film. But I must also mention that the legendary Ruby Dee makes a superb appearance, as well as Kevin Mccarthy and Hope Lang.
So let's talk about the DVD. Fabulous! Wonderful widescreen picture. The swamps never looked so clear. Colors looked perfect.Nighttime scenes were all perfectly visable. The sound in the Dolby Surround 2.0 was actually very good, probably could have been perfect in the 5.1 with all the action though. Don't look for any special features,this DVD has only the language selection of French.It's a great film to add to the thriller section of you DVD library(even without the extras)
So Look out for those alligators and enjoy.......Laurie
also recommended:Presumed Innocent

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Some thrillers make the mind race. Some keep the heart hammering. Just Cause does both so powerfully it's "the best thriller since The Silence Of The Lambs" (Susan Granger, CRN/American Movie Classics).
Sean Connery plays a Harvard Law professor who reopens a murder investigation based on an allegation that a confession was coerced by a maverick lawman (Laurence Fishburne). On the surface, it seems a straight-ahead case of the prisoner's guilt or innocence. But nothing really lies on the surface of this mystery climaxing in the Florida swamplands. Expect the unexpected. And also expect "a riveting, action-packed thriller! Brimming with suspense" (Neil Rosen, NY-1 News/New York).

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James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 1 (The Man with the Golden Gun / Goldfinger / The World Is Not Enough / Diamonds Are Forever / The Living Daylights) (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having purchased all Bond DVDs years ago, to my own consternation I find myself shelling out even more money to buy this new editions.
I always thought they did a fairly good job with the old DVDs, the "Making of" documentaries were excelent and the overall presentation rather good. Why buy these new ones then ? The answers are rather simple:
1) 5.1 DTS sound on all movies. For years I've opted to turn off my sound equipment when watching the Connery films. It just didn't make that much of a difference from listening to them on regular TV's speakers. Some of the later ones (OCTOPUSSY) should also benefit greatly from this addition.
2) FRAME BY FRAME RESTORATION: Specially important in the Connery ones even though the earlier Moores left a lot to be desired too. It is my understanding that the three earlier movies which were cropped at the top and bottom in order to fit them into 16:9 sets will be presented in their entirety. And this isn't just any restoration we're taling about but one done by Lowry Digital. If you've watched the Indiana Jones and King Kong (1933) you'll know how absolutely perfect their work is.
3) EVEN MORE EXTRAS: and real good ones at that: Deleted Scenes, TV Specials, screen tests, varying angles for action scenes, etc.
In summary, if you are a regular Bond fan, the old edition should be more than enough. If you're a die-hard, just bite the bullet and enjoy these films as if they were brand new once again.

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Disc 1: *Goldfinger (1964) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Guy HamiltonAudio Commentary Featuring Cast and Crew Disc 2: **Goldfinger Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Sean Connery From the Set of Goldfinger Screen TestsOn Tour With the Aston Martin DB-5Honor Blackman Open-Ended Interview007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of GoldfingerThe Making of GoldfingerThe Goldfinger PhenomenonOriginal Publicity FeaturetteMINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications Disc 3: *The World Is Not Enough (1999) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Michael AptedAudio Commentary Featuring Peter Lamont, David Arnold and Vic Armstrong Disc 4: **The World Is Not Enough Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes and Alternate Angles With Introductions by Director Michael AptedAlternate Angle, Expanded Angle Scene: The Thames Boat ChaseJames Bond Down River - Original 1999 FeaturetteCreating an Icon: Making the Teaser TrailerHong Kong Press Conference007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The World Is Not EnoughThe Making of The World Is Not EnoughBond CocktailTribute to Desmond LlewelynGarbage 'The World Is Not Enough' Music VideoThe Secrets of 007MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailer & Photo Gallery Disc 5: *Diamonds Are Forever (1971) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Guy Hamilton and Members of the Cast and Crew Disc 6: **Diamonds Are Forever Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted ScenesSean Connery 1971: The BBC InterviewLesson # 007: Close Quarter CombatDeleted Footage - Oil Rig AttackSatellite & Explosions Test Reel Alternate & Expanded Angles 007007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Diamonds Are ForeverInside Diamonds Are ForeverCubby Broccoli - The Man Behind BondMINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications Disc 7: *The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) **The Man With The Golden Gun Bonus Disc Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Guy Hamilton and Members of the Cast and Crew Disc 8:DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Roger Moore and HervÃ(c) Villechaize - The Russell Harty ShowOn Location With The Man With the Golden GunGuy Hamilton: The Director SpeaksGirls FightingAmerican Thrill Show Stunt FilmThe Road to Bond: Stunt Coordinator W.J. Millian Jr.007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The Man With the Golden GunInside The Man With the Golden GunAn Original Documentary Double-O Stuntmen: A Look at the Greatest Stunts and Stunt Performers in the Bond FilmsMINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications Disc 9: *The Living Daylights (1987) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen and Members of the Cast and Crew Disc 10: **The Living Daylights Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes With Introduction by John GlenHappy Anniversary, 007 Silver Anniversary FeaturettesTimothy Dalton: The New James Bond/Vienna Press ConferenceTimothy Dalton: On ActingDalton and d'Abo InterviewsThe Ice Chase Outtakes - Deleted Footage With Director John Glen Narration007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The Living DaylightsInside The Living DaylightsIan Fleming: 007's Creatora-ha 'The Living Daylights' Music VideoThe Making of 'The Living Daylights' Music VideoMINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

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Indiana Jones - The Complete Adventure Collection (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade/ Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, I believe we all know who Indiana Jones, is, right? I grew up with Indy and my kids will be the same. This new box-set is the definitive Indy box-set. This set features the original classic trilogy plus the newest addition, "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Just like the set that came out in May for the 4th movie, this set comes with the new special editions of the original 3 movies. The best part about this set is that the 4th movie is the 2-Disc special edition and not the lame 1-disc version. My only complaints with this set are 1) that the DVD cases are those really lame slim cases and not regular sized DVD cases and 2) the bonus disc from the original trilogy boxset is missing (although the special features makeup for that is most respects) and 3) while the cover is cool, the order of each movie cover is weird; you start from the top right and work your way around. All in all, this is the best Indy box-set out there and it's worth getting. Here's my ratings for each movie:
Raiders of the Lost Ark: 5/5
The Temple of Doom: 4/5
The Last Crusade: 5/5
The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: 3.5/5

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Item Name: Indiana Jones - The Complete Adventure Collection (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade/ Kingdom of the Crystal Skull); Studio:Paramount

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Finding Forrester (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a heartwarming movie with fine performances by Sean Connery, newcomer Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham, Michael Nouri, and Anna Pacquin. Well directed by Gus Van Sant, the film revolves around the two main characters, William Forrester, played by Sean Connery, and sixteen year old Kamal, played by Rob Brown.
William Forrester is a writer who, battling his own inner demons, has remained reclusive after writing a Pulitzer Prize winning novel some forty odd years earlier. Living alone in a changing neighborhood in the Bronx, he makes the acquaintance of Kamal, an intellectually gifted inner city kid, who plays street basketball, loves to write, and does both well.
A mentoring relationship springs between the two. Under Forrester's secret tutorship, Kamal blossoms. When Kamal's scholastic test scores come to the attention of a local prep school, school officials offer him a scholarship to attend and, if he chooses to do so, play basketball on the school team. The school also turns out to be William Forrester's alma mater, where he is revered and his prize winning novel is required reading.
There, Kamal encounters rank racism, all the more insidious because it is covert. F. Murray Abraham plays a teacher who is very similar to the character, Salieri, whom Abraham portrayed in the film "Amadeus". A failed writer who became a teacher, Abraham oozes racism as he contrives to destroy Kamal whom he accuses of plagirism, as he clearly believes him to be just another inner city, black basketball player who is incapable of anything more. He cannot seem to fathom that this kid could possibly write as well as he does, because he has Kamal stereotyped.
Yet, Kamal is actually all that he puports to be, a gifted writer who just also happens to play basketball. Truly scholarly, he shows up his teacher in class, only to further exacerbate his emnity. This teacher's dislike and covert racism manifests itself in the exclusion of Kamal's entry in the prestigious writing competition sponsored by the prep school. This situation comes to a head when the teacher's racism is exposed for what it is in a stunning, surprising climax.
Kamal, however, is not the only one to have a moment of redemption in the movie. Forrester, too, has that moment as he comes to grips with his past, the past that made him shut the world out for so long. It is his friendship with Kamal that illuminates his return to the very world from which he had withdrawn long ago.
This film is about a friendship that is borne out of a shared passion. It is about the old nurturing the young. It is about passing the baton from one generation to the next. It is a film the transcends age and race. It is a film for everyone.

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The Untouchables (Special Collector's Edition) (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sometimes dubbed "the Master of the Macabre," director Brian De Palma is best known for his enactments of the supernatural ("Carrie"), mania ("Dressed to Kill") - and his mob stories. The latter part of his reputation is primarily grounded on four of his movies from the ten-year period between 1983 and 1993: "Scarface" (1983, starring Al Pacino), "Wise Guys" (1986, starring Danny De Vito, Joe Piscopo and Harvey Keitel), "Carlito's Way" (1993, again starring Pacino) ... and "The Untouchables" (1987), featuring an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith. Among these, "The Untouchables" stands out as the only movie not primarily told from the gangster's but from the lawmen's perspective - but what it does share with all of De Palma's works is an almost voyeuristic appeal to its audience's visual senses; going far beyond the lavish display of film blood it is most often cited for.
Less fact-based than cinematic grand opera par excellence, the movie takes as its premise the end of the career of Chicago's ganglord of ganglords, Al "Scarface" Capone, who (after a few half-hearted attempts to prosecute him for murder had failed due to the unavailability of witnesses) pled guilty, in 1931, to evading federal income tax, and was sentenced to an 11-year prison term and a $50,000 fine. Capone's downfall was brought about by a group of initially 50 but later only nine Treasury Agents, formed in 1929 (not in 1930, as suggested here) with the express purpose of breaking up his operations, and headed by Eliot Ness, whose 1957 book "The Untouchables" posthumously gave new rise to his fame - Ness died of a heart attack without ever having witnessed the full extent of his book's success - and inspired, inter alia, the like-named 1959 television series starring Robert Stack and Brian De Palma's 1987 movie.
Scripted by Pulitzer Prize winner and Chicago native David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross"), "The Untouchables" is not so much a study in character development as based on a western's classic "good versus evil" setup; although that doesn't mean that its protagonists are two-dimensional in any way. On the contrary: Robert De Niro imbues his Capone with a ruthlessness and glib charm very likely matching those of the real "Scarface," who was known for his little hesitation to commit murder and other acts of violence as much as he cultivated a reputation as a savvy businessman and benefactor of the poor, for example by running several soup kitchens. (And yes, all of De Niro's mannerisms are on full display, too; but rarely have they fitted a role as well as here.) Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness may be a little too assertive - Robert Stack once commented, after several conversations with Ness's nearest and dearest, that the real-life Treasury Agent had been described to him as "rather soft-spoken, but very effective and brave" - but mildness is certainly not the principle trait written into the larger-than-life role of the man who "got" Al Capone, and Costner *is* an effective lead; although he is matched (not entirely sidelined, but darn near outplayed) by Sean Connery, who deservedly won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a National Board of Review Award as the crotchety old-timer Malone who has seen it all, somehow managed to stay both clean and alive, and now lets Ness talk him into becoming his tutor in all things Chicago Gangland. Andy Garcia, in his break-through role, is instantly likable as George Stone, the smart, fast kid from the South Side who doesn't take kindly to put-downs of his origin but can nail a human target with one hand while lying down and holding a baby stroller with the other hand. Charles Martin Smith finally brings humanity and subtle humor to the character probably closest to the real-life "Untouchables," accountant Oscar Wallace, who first has the idea to charge Capone for income tax evasion. Strong performances by Billy Drago as Capone's right-hand man Frank Nitti (who of course was not really thrown off a rooftop by Ness), Richard Bradford as Police Chief Mike Dorsett, Patricia Clarkson as Ness's wife, Jack Kehoe as Capone's bookkeeper Walter Payne and others round out an altogether impressive cast.
Unmistakeably scored by Ennio Morricone (whose style often, and certainly here, doesn't even take a full bar to recognize; and who with an ASCAP Award, a Grammy and a BAFTA Award was the movie's other major winner besides Connery), "The Untouchables" lives off its splendid cinematography, production design - costumes courtesy of Giorgio Armani - and the exquisite timing of its sharp-edged dialogue and editing: Not only is screenwriter Mamet known to have his actors practice their lines according to a metronome; the editing of some of the movie's most memorable scenes has the distinct feeling of a carefully choreographed, veritable ballet. This is particularly true for Malone's death, pointedly set against the aria "Vesti la Giubba" from Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera "I Pagliacci" ("The Clowns"), which is based on a real-life murder and which Capone attends while his lieutenants waylay Malone in his own apartment; and the famous shoot-out in Chicago's Union Station, which turns into a deadly dance of bullets, blood and a baby stroller, shot almost entirely in slow motion.
Paradoxically, the one plot element this movie is most often criticized for - the jury switch at Capone's trial - is one of the few facts that actually did take place (although Capone's attorney would have had to be given the right to conduct a new voir dire). But ultimately, it doesn't even really matter how much of the plot is fact-based and how much fiction: Even if "The Untouchables" doesn't quite reach the mythical status of the "Godfather" trilogy - particularly its Parts 1 and 2 - as the mob movie to end all mob movies, it is one of only a handful other films that at least come close to the proportions of Francis Ford Coppola's epic masterpiece.
Also recommended:
The Untouchables
Eliot Ness and the Untouchables: The Historical Reality and the Film and Television Depictions
Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone
Scarface
Carlito's Way
Wise Guys
GoodFellas
Casino (Widescreen 10th Anniversary Edition)
Once Upon a Time in America (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Godfather DVD Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather - Part II/ The Godfather - Part III)

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In THE UNTOUCHABLES, federal agent Elliot Ness leads a group of mob fighters with the intent of taking out the infamous Al Capone in 1930's Prohibition-era Chicago.Realizing that practical methods will not work in securing Capone's capture, Ness and his men resort to using even more force in order to take down the Chicago mob boss once and for all.

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