The Parent Trap (Vault Disney Collection) (1961) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although the split-screen technique had been around for a decade or so, it was usually more noted for its failures than its success, and the actor required to play dual roles usually took tremendous heat for their failure to create two physically identical but distinctly different characterizations on screen. But with THE PARENT TRAP, with the difficult dual role resting on the shoulders of an extremely young star, Walt Disney struck gold. It would be the single highest grossing film the studio had released up to that time, and even some forty years later the baby-boomers who flocked to see it in 1961 regard it as one of their favorite movie experiences.
But THE PARENT TRAP has a lot more going for it than mere nostalgia. The cast is really, really good, featuring the ever-likable Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith in leading roles and a host of great character actors (including Leo G. Carroll and Nancy Kulp) in minor roles. And then there is Haley Mills. The daughter and sister of noted English actors, Mills was no newcomer to the screen when THE PARENT TRAP went before the cameras--she had even picked up an Oscar for her earlier Disney film POLLYANNA. Even so, this was no guarantee that she could pull off the feat of double roles, something that had daunted even the legendary Bette Davis. But she did.
The story has been told so often that surely every one knows it by now. A wife delivers twin daughters--but shortly afterward divorces her husband, and each wins custody of one child. The children are raised without any knowledge of each other's existence... until they unexpectedly bump into each other at summer camp, put two and two together, and devise a scheme to get their parents back together again.
Even today, and in spite of its familiarity, it's an amusing idea, and while the actual script is weak in spots the cast, and especially Haley Mills, makes the most of it. There's plenty of slapstick, lots of laugh-out-loud scenes, and enough charm to beguile all but the most cynical viewers. And Haley Mills clearly demonstrates why she was regarded as the single most gifted child actor of her era: although she plays both Susan and Sharon with the same edge of mischievous fun, they do indeed come off as completely different personalities.
Of course, digital technology has left the old split-screen technique in the dust, and today its easy to see the flaws in the technique that weren't so obvious at the time. And the quality of the film transfer is not the best: while this isn't the worst transfer I've seen, it is full of artifacts nonetheless. Even so, the appeal of the story, the cast, and most particularly Haley Mills make up for a lot, and this Disney double DVD comes complete with a host of bonuses (including a making-of documentary and an audio commentary track by director David Swift and Haley Mills) that fans will enjoy quite a bit.
If you were a fan of the film then, you'll remain a fan of it now. And if you want to introduce your family to a truly charming movie experience, you couldn't make a better choice.
--GFT (Amazon Reviewer)--

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Scared Straight (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)A film by Arnold Shapiro
Peter Falk narrates this documentary about criminally inclined youths visiting a prison and getting to talk to actual inmates who are trying to scare them straight. It is the Rahway State Prison in New Jersey. The year is 1978. It is called the "lifers program". The inmates get no special compensation for participating in the program, but they hope that this program will help keep some kids out of prison. 17 teenagers are sent to the program, it was a sort of a last stop for these kids before prison. These aren't good kids, they have committed theft, arson, armed robbery, assault, and more. The inmates are some of the worst convicts in the prison system, nasty men who have done nasty crimes.
Scared Straight is an uncensored look at this session in the prison. The inmates come in and they each take turns talking of their experiences, but rather than just a dry account of their prison time (and how they got there) this is highly emotional. The inmates yell at the kids, curse at them, and explicitly tell them exactly what will happen to them if they end up in prison and exactly what the prison culture is like. It is violent, always threatening, and every day is a risk of being the prisoner's last. The inmates gave every possible detail, more than you might want to know but everything you would need to know. Going to prison may seem like a game, a short easy ride, but these convicts set you straight. Some of the kids appeared to be near tears and visible intimidated by the convicts. The inmates explained what being intimidated would get them in prison, too.
This was a powerful documentary. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary and it should be required viewing for any kid who starts getting in trouble with the law. Perhaps it should just be required viewing in high school. There is a follow-up with the kids 20 years later. Amazingly enough, 16 out of 17 of the original group have stayed out of prison. It was an incredibly successful program and the men (and women) said that if it wasn't for the lifer's program, they probably would have kept committing crimes. We also get to see some of the convicts 20 years later, the ones who are still alive. Some have been able to finish their sentence and stay clean, others had some problems and remain behind bars.
This is an incredible documentary and I don't think it lost any of its power 20 years after it first aired. This should be required viewing for any teenager and I highly recommend this documentary.

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Item Name: Scared Straight!; Studio:New Video Group

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Knucklehead (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ignore the reviewer who mentioned "Jackass" in his review. This is not a bunch of idiots daring each other to do stupid things, it's a family movie. Paul Wight plays Walter, a 7 foot tall orphan who has never left the orphanage, also a gentle giant who wouldn't hurt a fly. The orphanages kitchen burns down, and in order to save the orphanage, they have to raise money in a week to replace the kitchen. So a trainer discovers Walter, and takes him on a road trip to train him to be a fighter and attempt to win a martial arts contest to get the money.
Sure, the plot sounds pretty thin, but as does most light-hearted family comedies of this type. You will see the typical love interest, fart gags and corny jokes that go into the making of these kinds of films. It's a decent movie, better then you might expect, but just do not expect it to be a Steve Austin action movie or a Glen Jacobs (Kane) horror movie it is far from either. Take note when you see the PG-13 rating, and not M or R, so do not expect "JACKASS" to appear and start clubbing each other in the nads to win over some mindless teenagers idea of what funny is. And do not expect Paul Wight to bring out a Show Stoppa either... however, he does bring out the Show Ploppa!

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Shortly after Eddie (Mark Feuerstein) loses his new fighter and finds himself $50,000 in debt to longtime nemesis and bookie Memphis Earl (Dennis Farina), he discovers Walter (Big Show), a bumbling 7-foot, 440-pound, life-long resident of the orphanage-turned-handyman with his own debt problems: The kitchen fire Walter caused will close down the church's orphanage in a week unless he comes up with $50,000. Upon overhearing Walter's predicament, Eddie convinces the no-nonsense head nun, Sister Francesca that Walter can win the $100,000 grand prize at the tournament to pay off the church's debts. But in order to do so, he will need to take Walter on the road, enter amateur fights along the way, and teach him how to become a real fighter. Sister Francesca dispatches Mary (Melora Hardin) as a chaperone for both Walter and the money and gives Eddie a week and a prayer to make it happen.

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Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector's Edition) (1941) Review

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(More customer reviews)It seems like a 'new, improved' edition of "Gone With the Wind" has appeared every couple of years, offering the 'ultimate' in picture and sound reproduction, and extras. It can become expensive keeping up, and frustrating (much like buying a classic Disney DVD, when you know a more complete "Special Edition" will soon render your "First Time on Video" copy obsolete), but the new GWTW Four-Disc Collector's Edition most assuredly deserves a place in your collection.
First off, the picture and sound quality is astonishing. Warner's Ultra-Resolution process, which 'locks' the three Technicolor strips into exact alignment, provides a clarity and 'crispness' to the images that even the 1939 original print couldn't achieve. You'll honestly believe your TV is picking up HD, whether you're HD-ready, or not! This carries over to the Dolby Digital-remastered sound, as well. All of the tell-tale hiss and scratchiness of the opening credit title music, still discernable in the last upgrade, is gone, replaced by a richness of tone that will give your home theater a good workout. (Listen to the brass in this sequence, and you'll notice what I'm talking about...)
The biggest selling point of this edition is, of course, the two discs of additional features offered, and these are, in general, superb. Beginning with the excellent "Making of a Legend" (narrated by Christopher Plummer), Disc Three offers fascinating overviews about the film, the amazing restoration, footage from the 1939 Premiere (and the bittersweet 1961 Civil War Centennial reunion of Selznick, Leigh, and de Havilland), glimpses of Gable and Leigh with dubbed voices for the foreign-language versions, the international Prologue (tacked on to explain the Civil War to foreign audiences), and a 1940 MGM documentary on the "Old South" (directed by Fred Zinneman) memorable today for it's simplistic view of the time, and stereotypical portrayal of blacks.
Disc Four is a mixed bag; the long-awaited reminiscences of Olivia de Havilland are more chatty than informative (with the 90-year-old actress more interested in discussing her wardrobe than on-set tension...although a prank she pulled on Gable is amusing), and the Clark Gable Profile is superficial (A&E's biography of 'The King' is far superior). Things improve, however, with the insightful, sympathetic TCM biography of Vivien Leigh (hosted by Jessica Lange), and a WONDERFUL section devoted to brief bios of many of the GWTW supporting cast, narrated, again, by Christopher Plummer (although I wish the filmmakers would have included bios for Ward Bond, Victor Jory, Fred Crane, and George 'Superman' Reeves).
All in all, the GWTW Four-Disc Collector's Edition isn't perfect, but offers so much terrific material that it is CERTAINLY the one to own!


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DVD Features: Disc 1 & 2 (The Film) * Commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer * 5.1 Dolby Digital Soundtrack * Original Mono Soundtrack
DVD Features: Disc 3 * The Making of a Legend: Gone With The Wind the acclaimed 1989 documentary made by Selznick's sons and narrated by Christopher Plummer (125 Minutes, Never-before-available on DVD) * Restoring a Legend- An in-depth look at the restoration and Ultra-Resolution process utilized by Warner Bros. For this new DVD presentation * Footage from 1939 Atlanta and 1961 Civil War Centennial Atlanta premieres * The Old South - Fred Zinnerman directed this historical 1940 theatrical short, which was shown by MGM intheatres prior to the release of Gone With The Wind
DVD Features: Disc 4 * Melanie Remembers: Olivia de Havilland Recalls Gone With The Wind - All new documentary produced especially for this new DVD set, features Ms. de Havilland's personal recollections of the film * Clark Gable: A King Remembered - A Portrait of the legendary actor's long and distinguished career as M-G-M's most famous leading man * Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond hosted by Jessica Lange, this is an insightful look at Leigh's short and troubled life * Mini documentaries covering lives and careers of the most prominent cast members

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