Sex and the City - The Complete Series (Collector's Giftset) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hi all SATC fans! Like the the first two reviewers, I wondered what the difference between this collection, currently on sale for $109.99, and the "Collector's Edition" on sale for $196.99. But since all I really wanted was to have all the episodes on DVD I went ahead and ordered the cheaper set. When I received it today, I read the back and toward the end of the top paragraph it said:
"Celebrate the show that explores the day-to-day - and night-to-night, world of single women in this, the definitive collector's edition.
With that read, I wanted to see if I really got the "Collector's Edition" so I called my girlfriend who bought her "Collector's Edition" at the regular price of $300 back a few years ago to compare the difference. Good news! Sounds like they're the exact same thing! What I received in my $109.99 set is a pink velvet spiral binder with various color pictures of the ladies and scenes from the show and short summaries of each episode. The DVDs are nicely tucked away, by seasons, in pockets of thicker pages after the summaries. The pink velvet spiral binder comes in a plastic sleeve for protection from scratches, etc. There's no way, however, to see if this DVD set was made in 2007. Everywhere I looked said 2005. Oh well, I'll be happy if all the DVDs work!
If you want to peek at what this set looks like I suggest clicking on the "Collector's Edition" for $196.99 and looking at Picture 4 of 9. It's the picture with the binder (closed and open) with the DVDs nicely scattered in front of it. That is exactly what I received today.
Happy shopping and I hope this helps!

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For six seasons Carrie Bradshaw and friends Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte offered us their hilarious, outspoken and outrageous look at dating, mating and relating in the big city. Celebrate the show that explores the day-to-day -- and night-to-night -- world of single women in this, the definitive collector's edition.

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Live Nude Girls (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)You have to smile at the idea of all of those viewers, predominantly of the male persuasion, who took one look at the title of this DVD, and may be a second look at Olivia D'Abo, Dana Delaney, and Kim Cattrall on the cover, and decided to rent it only to end up being bitterly disappointed. You have to give credit to writer-director Julianna Lavin because she reneges on all three parts of her title. Working back to front, except for some flashbacks the characters are women in their early thirties and not girls, the nudity is more emotional than physical (and for the latter you have to look really quick and then wait for the end of the movie when there is a lot of water), and when there is nudity it tends to occur in fantasy rather than reality. So there are going to be people totally devoid of any understand of the concept or irony who are not going to like this movie and the fact that what substantive nude scenes exist are erotic as defined from the feminine perspective will just be seen as adding insult to injury by the same.
Those who should enjoy "Live Nude Girls" will be woman of the same ages as the characters. Jill (Delaney) is the gossip of the group, Jamie (Cattrall) is a B-movie actress who may or may not be getting married, Marcy (Cynthia Stevenson) is being blackmailed by her soap opera star boyfriend (Glenn Quinn), and Rachel (Laila Robins) is basically stuck being Jill's uptight sister. They have gathered at the house of Georgina (Lora Zane), who is bisexual and currently living with Chris (d'Abo), for what would be described as a slumber party as long as everybody involved understands sleeping will probably not be involved. What will be involved is talking, mostly about sex, which necessarily involves talking about relationships and get to talking about fantasies as well. There is not a specific plot against which these conversations are held. Jamie's fiancé is at his bachelor's party and she expects the worst, Marcy has reason to worry about Randy showing up, Jane has something she does not want to tell Rachel, and Georgina and Chris are having problems, but what serves as the climax for this movie is the sun coming up the next morning.
There is more humor to be found in this 1995 movie than profound insights. I liked the gender-reversal conversation that Marcy has with Randy, especially since a man would never dare have such a grin on his face while saying the exact same things, but for the most part it is the act of self-disclosure and not what is actually disclosed that matters the most here. Men are usually the subject of the film's barbs, which proves that boys will be boys when it comes to immediately picturing women naked and that men will as likely behave like boys as well given the opportunity at a bachelor's party. I was going to say that the weak part of the film is how it keeps the character of Chris on the periphery, which allows Georgina to indulge in flights of fantasy, but since ultimately I find the point of "Live Nude Girls" to be that talking and talking about everything is important, I have to admit the point is underscored in the negative by Chris's self-exclusion from the gab fest (and certainly reinforced by what she does during the finale in the pool). If Lavin gets her viewers to not only admit they should have their own slumber party, but actually end up having one, then she will have done well by making this film.

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Georgina throws a sleepover party for her friend Jamie, a moderately successful actress, on the night of Jamie's fiance's bachelor party. Jill, Jamie, Marcy, Rachel, and Georgina have been friends since childhood, and as the evening progresses, they talk about a variety of topics: Georgina's heterosexual fantasies and her uncertainties about Chris, her live-in lover; Jamie's doubts and insecurities about marriage; and all of their attitudes toward sex and sexual fantasies.

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Sex and the City: The Movie (Special Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was initially against a continuation of the runaway hit HBO series, Sex and the City - The Complete Series (Collector's Giftset) I felt that the season finale was perfection and any other stories to be told would only spoil it. Once the movie started though, I was drawn in and it felt great to see these "familiar" friends again: Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis). Carrie and Mr. Big (Chris Noth) decide to tie the knot, and the movie revolves around how their relationship takes the next step. Meanwhile, Miranda and Steve are dealing with Miranda neglecting their relationship. Samantha has become an L.A. housewife and is none too happy about continually playing second-fiddle to Smith. Charlotte...well, she is just living a perfect life with adopted daughter and husband Harry. The movie continues the vision of the series: insightful, witty, and extremely well written. Jennifer Hudson has a nice supporting role as Carrie's personal assistant; she brings sass to her role and definitely leaves the door open for a possibility of a "next generation" of young hopeful women to hit New York City. My gripes? I felt that fashion played too much of a role; in the TV series, it was a nice semi-silent costar. In the movie, it was a little "in your face" and over the top. I also felt that Samantha's storyline seemed a little out of character and contrived; her supposed weight gain was minimal and for her to ever stay in the background for Smith just seemed out of step. Many original cast members returned for the movie, although some were absolutely wasted as they were relegated to non-speaking cameos. For some reason, Stanford & Anthony are now close friends (possibly even more), which is totally against how they were in the series. Obviously, much has happened in the years since we last saw them; it left a feeling that an explanation scene or two must be on the cutting room floor. Removal of some of the fashion stuff and putting back in more of the witty dialogue would have benefitted the movie greatly.Speaking of putting back in...yes, this version is an extended cut. Many scenes have been lengthened, and it definitely helps give the movie a more finished feel and explains much that I thought was missing in the theater. Extra fun is Carrie's fashion show in her apartment, where she tries on many of her 1980's bad outfits for the girls, who rate whether the outfits should be kept or tossed. In the extended cut, ALL the girls (including Charlotte's daughter Lily) join in the fun and try on the outfits. This is especially wonderful as SJP does not necessarily deserve the lion's share of credit for this successful series; it is definitely an ensemble cast. The restored Halloween scene of Harry as The Addams Family's Uncle Fester is not to be missed, either!
I saw it twice on the big screen - thoroughly entertained both times, and hoping for a follow-up!
Bonus features for 2-Disc Special Edition DVD:
DISC 1:
* Audio Commentary by director Michael Patrick King
DISC 2:
* Additional Scenes restored to the actual movie as well as a separate section with deleted scenes that feature commentary by Michael Patrick King as to why they were cut.
* A Conversation with Sarah Jessica Parker and Michael Patrick King: a nice look at the movie with SJP and MPK, giving further insight into many of the choices made for the movie.
* The Fabulous Fashion of Sex And The City: Excellent featurette with Patricia Fields discussing how she finds all the different fashions for the character. Not one to get caught up in labels, her talent is for mixing up totally different looks and creating magic.
* Fergie in the Studio: watch a hit in the making as the singer records Labels or Love for the movie soundtrack, interspersed with Fergie fawning over the original TV series. A short featurette but cool to watch nonetheless.
UPDATE: You might want to hold off on buying this version, as an Sex and the City: The Movie (Ultimate Collector's Edition) with approximately 4 more hours of extras is due to be released on December; so far, no Blu-ray version of this set has been announced.

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For too long, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) had been looking for love in all the wrong places... but in all the right shoes. In this much-anticipated movie event, Carrie, Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) are back, four years after the hit TV series ended.

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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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