In the Mood for Love - Criterion Collection (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Perfection in cinema is an almost impossible goal to achieve. Mostly because spectators have varying taste and perspectives. But you can't help but feel that Wong Kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love" is anything short of perfection. The imagery with its lush colors and breathtaking movements is enough to elevate this film. The simple, yet somewhat complicated tale is both heartfelt and authentic. And the performances by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung are a marvel. But it's none of these that really makes this film, it's rather the manner that Kar-Wai so magically molds all these factors to set a mood that I have never felt before while watching a movie. In all honesty, I'm really not too fond of "forbidden love" movies, but this film really startled me.
Ironically, "In the Mood for Love" feels nothing like a Wong Kar-Wai film. It's a very slow moving film which uses lots of fades and dissolves. The Criterion edition of this film is probably the best dvd package I've seen to date. There are just so many extras on it, it's hard to believe. Deleted scenes, interviews, and promotional material, are just a few of the extras. The way Kar-Wai shoots his films (without a script) also adds to the suprise of picture. You see in the extras how much different the original concept was for "In the Mood for Love." There is also an alternate ending that seems very plain, but at the same time very heartbreaking.

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Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are polite and formal-until a discovery about their respective spouses sparks an intimate bond. At once delicately mannered and visually stunning, Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love is a masterful evocation of romantic longing and fleeting moments in time.

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American Movie (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a confession: I rented this on video as soon as it came out back in 1999 & I hated it. In fact, my friend & I turned it off in the middle of the film. Actually, I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but the real reason is b/c we didn't know we were watching an actual documentary... Looking back on it, I feel like one of those stupid people who went to see The Blair Witch project, threw up, & thought it was real. So I eventually watched this again in one of my film classes. Yes, by then I knew it was real, but I had never felt like giving it that 2nd chance.
Well, upon that second viewing, I quickly came to the realization that this film is amazing!! I can't believe how stupid I was to give up on it before!
As far as documentaries go, American Movie is near-flawless. It's got humor, sympathy, inspiration, old guys eating Polish sausage, you name it- it's there. No really, we laugh at the "characters," but there's actually a really inspiring & uplifting message to it all. It follows the life of one major film buff from Milwaukee who sets out to make a feature film (Northwestern) but becomes sidetracked with funding problems, so he decides to finish up a short horror film (Coven) to sell for profits. The trials & tribulations of Coven's production make up American Movie.
As for the DVD, it's excellent. There are deleted scenes galore, many of which are GREAT! And they're not just throw-away junk scenes, which is always a plus. There are commentary tracks & trailers, but best of all, the mother of all extras is... COVEN. Yes, the 22-minute short film is included in its entirety. I can die happy now.
I saw my friend recently & told her that I not only watched American Movie again (which we vowed never to do), but that I loved it! She then told me how she was "forced" to watch it again for one of her film classes & that she loved it too!! So there's hope for all us imbeciles yet.
Do yourself a huge favor & see this movie if you haven't already done so. And if you watched half of it before & hated it, please give it a second try. Once you loved it, come back & purchase this DVD like me!

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AMERICAN MOVIE - DVD Movie

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Megadeth: Rust in Peace Live (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, this was awesome!!!! I remember seeing these songs performed during the "Clash of the Titans" tour back in the 90s, and I'm glad Mustaine chose to do this album in its entirety. Not too many heavy metal albums rank next to this one, and I rank this album as one of the greatest of all time.
The musicianship is second to none. I would go so far as to say this is the best Megadeth lineup, as I think Shawn Drover is the best drummer Dave has played with in a long time (Gar Samuelson was probably the best). He is a solid drummer who can play the all the material. He has the chops and style. Chris Broderick is massive on the guitar. He really can move over that fret board and seems like a natural for all the parts. Personally I like to hear all the original solos played as they were originally written, but I don't mind when someone like Broderick adds his own flare because after hearing his work on "Endgame" I think to myself, "What would he have done with 'Rust In Peace?' Not dissing Marty, just giving respect to Chris.
I gave this 4 stars because of a few short comings. Take my following criticism more like suggestions for the future as I am really a diehard fan of Megadeth, and have been for decades (but I know Dave and Megadeth management will never see this review).
1) The vocals were overdubbed, and it is easy to see. My question is, "why?" Mix as you will, but let the true live experience come full force. The music sounded great, I'm sure the vocals sounded just as good. I have this problem with many live DVDs; don't funk with the mix so much.
2) Backstage footage was skimpy. This would have been a great opportunity to really go behind he scenes and see how the band sets up, check out the equipment, and do some solid up close interviews, especially with the other band members. Also, show some footage of the tour preparation rehearsals when the band was first playing all of "Rust In Peace" in a rehearsal studio (and when Ellefson just came back). The DVD creators could have even re-visted footage from "The Clash of the Titans," and do a retrospective kind of thing. That would have been awesome!! A nice biography would have been great, tracing the history of Megadeth up till now (something quick and creative). And last for this point, fan interviews. The screaming fans showed the energy and excitement, but do something more refined to really get the feel of the fans. Some of those fans came a long way. I would had loved to had heard their stories about Megadeth a bit more in depth. So much more could have been done, and it would have been worth the price hike. I felt the creativity with the DVD was lacking.
And 3) Again, with the bonus footage. I'm a bass player, and I love the drums, and the guitar work on "Rust In Peace" is genre breaking and defining, so why aren't there performance isolation angle options? This would have been great for the Blu-Ray DVD (as all this extra footage would need the space). Show the parts being played live, up close and personal. Dave Mustaine once said in an interview, where he was showcasing his signature Marshall stack, that the best way to learn a guitar part is to watch the actual musician play it (if you want to learn it note for note). This would have been a great opportunity for that to come true. But the bonus material really doesn't hold up to the what other bands produce. I think Megadeth could have taken a lesson from Dream Theater (actually Mike Portnoy) in this regard, and pack the DVD with every possible thing you could imagine, and sell the hell out of it. Mike Portnoy could have lent Shawn Drover his drumcam(s), so we could see his technique, etc. I would have like to see those drum parts, like on "5 Magics" and "Rust In Peace...Polaris." Again, the package could have been for the Blu-Ray only, or make it multiple DVDs, whatever, just give me more. I would have paid the price.
I'm obviously thinking with a fans mind, and maybe some of what I said could not have happened logistically or financially, but I think if minds and the powers that be had sat down and really thought out this process, and looked outside the box to give the fans the ultimate experience then more stuff could have been packed in to the DVD. In the end, the performance was awesome!!!! And for what the DVD offers, the price is right, but it could have been so much more.
Peace,
Fan from 'Back in the day'

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In March of 2010 Megadeth hit the road in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their classic 1990 album, Rust In Peace. The show was filmed on the last night of the tour at the legendary Hollywood Palladium, not far from where Megadeth was formed in 1983. The band played Rust In Peace in its entirety, including all-time classics Holy Wars...The Punishment Due and Hangar 18. The set list also featured several other fan favorites, including Trust, Symphony Of Destruction and Peace Sells.

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Our Town (Widescreen Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning 1938 play is one of my favorites, and this in an exquisite production of it. Paul Newman as the Stage Manager, in one of his most memorable performances, leads a superb ensemble cast. So much of this play is mime...cooking on the invisible stove, eating the imaginary breakfast...and the actors flow through the movements so easily, one almost sees the missing objects.
Wilder's play, which was inspired by Gertrude Stein's 1925 "The Making of Americans", draws one into it, with the actors sometimes talking directly to the viewer; it has a simplicity and charm that make it stay fresh even when one knows the words by heart.
The time is the early 20th century, in Grovers Corners, New Hampshire, and centers on the Webb and Gibbs families, who live next door to each other, and especially Emily Webb (Maggie Lacey) and George Gibbs (Ben Fox), who fall in love with gentle glances and sweet words. Lacey and Fox are luminous, and capture the heart of this lovely play.
As their parents, Jayne Atkinson and Frank Connors are marvelous as Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs, as are Jane Curtin and Jeffrey DeMunn as Charles and Myrtle Webb.
Originally produced for Connecticut's Westport County Playhouse, the show later moved to Broadway, where it garnered Paul Newman, 78 at the time, a Tony nomination.
Directed by James Naughton, this is a splendid performance of a perfect, and quite profound play; it is a keeper, and one that will make you smile, and sometimes weep, over and over again. Total running time is 120 minutes.

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Veteran actor-director Paul Newman makes his first Broadway appearance in four decades in this sold-out Westport Country Playhouse production of the Thornton Wilder classic. Newman plays the Stage Manager, who narrates the immortal tale of Grover's Corners, U.S.A., and its citizens.The superb cast of Our Town includes Frank Converse, Jane Curtin, Ben Fox, Jayne Atkinson, Stephen Spinella, and Maggie Lacy. "Marvelous," writes the New Yorker.

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Michael Jackson's Vision (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)No one can dispute Michael Jackson's dominance over pop music and his far reaching influence; music, dance, fashion, video, humanitarianism, generosity -- he was at the forefront of it all and remains unmatched. Like any true legend, even in death, MJ continues to be a force of creativity and inspiration to millions. And now, finally, his revolutionary short films are available for all to own and enjoy on DVD, and I for one, am thrilled!
I've been looking forward to this DVD box set ever since Michael died. It doesn't take a genius or clairvoyant to know we're in store for many wonderful projects to come, headlining the King of Pop. Some call this opportunistic; bleeding MJ fans for money. But I don't see it that way -- the estates and legacies of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, etc. continue to live on with various merchandising deals, and so too, will MJ. He has MORE than earned his place in history, and I for one, look forward to all that's yet to come. In the meantime, I scoured the internet for rare gems like "Ghosts" and the controversial prison version of the video "They Don't Care About Us." But the quality of the unofficial footage out there is pretty terrible, so I'm really excited to finally own all these great masterpieces, fully restored and re-mastered to look and sound better than ever before! With over 40 videos totaling 4.5 hours of wall to wall MJ, and 10 previously unreleased short films, this is the one and only, truly definitive MJ collection on DVD to date.
I only hope that someday, they also release this on a USB flash drive, like they did for THIS IS IT (USB). I have that one on both Blu-Ray and USB (which I transferred to my hard drive) and I really enjoy having the video file on my computer for fast and easy access. If I want to sit and watch the whole movie, I pop in the Blu-Ray; if I just want to watch a particular moment or song on impulse, then I simply click on the video file on my computer and instantly go to the song I want. It's really awesome to be able to do that, so I hope they release something similar for Michael Jackson's Vision on USB. I would love to have the same instant access to all MJ's videos just sitting there on my computer hard drive! Who needs DVDs; they're so yesterday! But they are ideal for archiving, which is exactly what makes this DVD so special. I consider owning this treasured collection to be the same as possessing personal mementos and photos of my own life; both are part of my past and conjure fond memories, yet remain as real and alive today as when I first experienced them.
Speaking of archives, it's worth mentioning that Michael's "Thriller" short film is the one and only music video to ever be inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress; an honor bestowed on only a handful of films to date, and MJ is the only musician to receive such an honor.
Along with all the great videos, both classic and unreleased, this box set comes with a 60 page glossy collector's book featuring the King of Pop; adding yet another treasure to enjoy along with the DVDs themselves. This is truly, a one of a kind box set that any fan will be proud to own. And it's a fitting tribute to such a rare and special man.
Here's the complete track list of these awesome DVD's and their short film masterpieces:DISC 1
1 - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (4:12)
Director: Nick Saxton
2 - Rock With You (3:22)
Director: Bruce Gowers
3 - She's Out of My Life (3:35)
Director: Bruce Gowers
4 - Billie Jean (4:54)
Director: Steve Barron
5 - Beat It (4:57)
Director: Bob Giraldi
6 - Thriller (13:42)
Director: John Landis (little more need be said about this one, but it co-starred Ola Ray, and was famously voiced over by Vincent Price.)
7 - Bad (18:05)
Director: Martin Scorsese (co-starring Wesley Snipes)
8 - The Way You Make Me Feel (9:24)
Director: Joe Pytka (with a cameo by La Toya Jackson)
9 - Man In the Mirror (5:03)
Director: Don Wilson
10 - Dirty Diana (5:05)
Director: Joe Pytka
11 - Smooth Criminal (9:27)
Director: Colin Chilvers
12 - Another Part of Me (4:45)
Director: Patrick T. Kelly
13 - Speed Demon (10:08)
Director: Will Vinton
14 - Come Together (5:40)
Director: Jerry Kramer & Colin Chilvers
15 - Leave Me Alone (4:36)
Director: Jim Blashfield and Paul Diener
16 - Liberian Girl (5:34)
Director: Jim Yukich(featuring VIRTUALLY EVERYONE important, hip and happening in Hollywood at the time: dedicated to Elizabeth Taylor and featuring Steven Spielberg, John Travolta, Paula Abdul and waaaaaaay too many others to mention. There's even a cute moment with Weird Al Yankovic who used to spoof MJ! Fun! And shows what clout MJ had to get all those big names.)
Total Disc 1: 1hr 52minDISC 2
1 - Black or White (11:01)
Director: John Landis (with Macaulay Culkin, George Wendt and a small bit featuring Tyra Banks)
2 - Remember The Time (9:16)
Director: John Singleton (co-starring Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson)
3 - In the Closet (6:05)
Director: Herb Ritts (co-starring Naomi Campbell)
4 - Jam (7:59)
Director: David Nelson (co-starring Michael Jordan)
5 - Heal The World (7:32)
Director: Joe Pytka
6 - Give In To Me (5:29)
Director: Andy Morahan
7 - Who Is It (6:34)
Director: David Fincher
8 - Will You Be There (5:55)
Director: Vincent Paterson (Theme from the movie Free Willy)
9 - Gone Too Soon (3:38)
Director: Bill DiCicco (Dedicated to Ryan White, who, before he died, spoke about how much it meant to him that MJ would get in a hot tub with him back when people wouldn't even touch a person with HIV/AIDS.)
10 - Scream (4:47)
Director: Mark Romanek (co-starring the impeccable Janet Jackson!)
11 - Childhood (4:29)
Director: Nicholas Brandt (Theme from the movie Free Willy 2)
12 - You Are Not Alone (5:34)
Director: Wayne Isham (with Lisa Marie Presley)
13 - Earth Song (6:44)
Director: Nicholas Brandt (WOW!! This is the one Joe Jackson proudly called his all time favorite MJ song!)
14 - They Don't Care About Us (7:08)
Director: Spike Lee
15 - Stranger In Moscow (5:33)
Director: Nicholas Brandt
16 - Blood On The Dance Floor (5:27)
Director: Michael Jackson & Vincent Patterson
17 - Ghosts (3:58)
Director: Stan Winston (featuring MJ in a great disguise!! Allegedly spoofing the Santa Barbara DA)
18 - You Rock My World (13:30)
Director: Paul Hunter (co-starring Chris Tucker from Rush Hour! AND none other than Academy Award Winner, Marlon Brando!)
19 - Cry (4:57)
Director: Nick Brandt (a really nice lost gem of a song and video)
Total Disc 2: 2hrs 5minDISC 3 (Bonus Features)
1 - Blame It On the Boogie - The Jacksons (3:32)
2 - Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons (3:31)
3 - Can You Feel It - The Jacksons (9:37)
4 - Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (4:57)
Director: Bob Giraldi
5 - They Don't Care About Us - Prison version (4:52)
Director: Spike Lee
6 - Why? - 3T (Tito's kids' band) featuring Michael Jackson (4:33)
7 - One More Chance - previously unreleased (4:03)
Total Disc 3: 35minThat's quite a collection of short films! The only one really missing is Disney's Captain EO! Which BTW, had the help of none other than George Lucas. No other artist in history has worked with so many top A-List people in their videos. Only Michael could reach such a wide spectrum, break down all barriers and make something like that happen. The man remains a rare and special anomaly. Bravo Michael! Bottom Line -- if you're a fan of Michael Jackson, then you can't go wrong with this beautiful DVD box set. And it's even reasonably priced, considering who it is and all that's on here! I know this is something I'll treasure forever. The words "special" and "genius" are bandied about far too freely, but in this instance, the man truly lives up to the meaning of those words, and then some! Thank you Michael, for all you have given, and continue to give us all.
MJ Forever!

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It might have been fate that MTV was born at the same time people began to notice the rare talent and artistic ingenuity of Michael Jackson.It proved to be a perfect match between the new television network and the young rising icon.Early on, Michael saw MTV’s potential as a force of its own and understood that it offered him the chance to pioneer a whole new visual style through which people could see music, not just listen to it.For the first time, artists had the opportunity to truly shape a vision of a story around their songs. For Michael, this meant treating the song as a “script" and creating a stand-alone film to tell that story.In fact, Michael referred to each of these productions as a "short film" and not a “music video." No other artist contributed more to the development of this art form than Michael Jackson. Just look at the impact of Thriller,which was recently named the first (and only) music video ever to be inducted by the Library of Congress into the National Film Registry - an elite collection of only a few hundred films.In addition to this, Michael’s vision had immense cultural impact .The enormous popularity of his short films proved toMTV Executives that they were wrong about what their audience wanted; it was Michael who broke through that initial barrier and created opportunity for future African American artists.Here, for the first time, is the complete collection of all 35 of the short films produced by Michael during his career as a solo artist - 10 of which are appearing on DVD for the first time. All of the short films have been meticulously restored and remastered for the ultimate audio and visual experience and a bonus DVD includes 7 additional videos including “Enjoy Yourself" with The Jacksons, “Say Say Say" with Paul McCartney and the Previously Unreleased video for “One More Chance". This is a true representation of Michael Jackson’s Vision.

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