The Cross and the Switchblade-DVD (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've heard about this show before, and just watched it, and plan on watching it again before the night is out!
This movie is great. I expected to be let down, but it moved me like few other films have. It tells the story of God's love through a Christian witness like no other modern film that I've seen. Based on a real life story, it stars Pat Boone and Eric Estrada (who also starred in the television show Chips). This is a classic.
Don't be fooled by the above review. This has nothing to do with the world's morality, and everything to do about the love that God shows to save men.
This film was made in 1969, and may seem a bit dated in how it presents gang violence, but it presents it like the other, secular, films of that era, and quite frankly is like a long overdue breath of fresh air after watching the nth gang and detective shows of the 60s and 70s. Finally, something REAL.
It is also not surprising that the networks will not air this film, and therefore you will need to buy it. While the networks continue to promote witchcraft, a sequel to this movie was made. Nicky Cruz, the gang member who was saved in this movie tells his own story in "Run, Baby, Run" -- his family was involved in the occult and witchcraft. Another movie and another needed breath of fresh air.

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Although the original events depicted in this classic from thedrug infested, gang dominated streetshappened over thirty years ago, thelife-changing solution that David Wilkerson brought to desperate lives wasjust beginning.The beat goes on.The change in the life of notoriousgang leader Nicky Cruz, as shown in the film, proved to be wonderfullylasting and real.Nicky continues today to reach young people around theworld with the same life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christthat delivered him from violence and despair.And what about the skinnypreacher, David Wilkerson, who braved the meanest streets of New York totell desperate and drug crazed youth that there was a better way?Now,three decades later, he is still at it with a ministry based in TimesSquare that is still changing lives and offering genuine hope to countlesssouls who had given up on life. Now in over 25 languages, The Cross and the Switchblade, starringPat Boone and Eric Estrada, is one of those rare films that has shown itsunique power to connect with the deepest hopes and fears of youth aroundthe world.It remains today one of the most compelling stories of love,grace and the truth that no one is ever so far gone that they cannot findthe way out. DVD Features: Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Polishlanguage tracks with or without EnglishSubtitles: English Viewing Format: Widescreen Digitally remastered from the original 35mm negative. Bonus Material: - Director's Commentary - Producer's Commentary - Biographical information on actors, director's commentary, testimony byNicky Cruz, and a look back on the making of the film and its impact - Chapter titles for easy scene access

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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) Review

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(More customer reviews)OK, there's been some controversy here about the quality of this release, so let me put it to rest. This DVD is spledid! I think this adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 French novel is a prime example of 1950's wide-screen motion picture family entertainment -- it's wholesome and has a little something for everyone. This is the best film version of this story, the most recent of which was done for the USA Channel on cable in 1999 and was very campy. They couldn't match the 1959 production values of this 20th Century-Fox film that has excellent color photography and art direction, and Bernard Herrmann's wonderfully atmospheric music score. These elements have continued to make it a favorite with fantasy film fans who can appreciate older movies, though it's true that some of it is silly at times, but I don't think the film's makers were trying for a serious movie. It also contains one of James Mason's best performances (He was always good). It's wonderful "Cinemascope" escapism from the bygone Eisenhower-era of the 1950s. Even though I've been watching it on TV since I was a kid in the sixties, I'd only seen pan&scan versions, and it wasn't until I got it letterboxed on laserdisc that I finally saw what a big-screen entertainment this movie was meant to be. It has splendid scope and a score by Bernard Herrmann that takes you right down into the bowels of the earth. Listen to it and you'll notice what I mean, as the movie progresses the music keeps going into a lower and lower register. Five organs were used, including one meant for a Cathedral. (The complete original recordings of the score are available on CD from Varese Sarabande.) Sure it's long in the telling and takes a while to get you down that extinct volcano in Iceland, but it's fun all the way with great special effects work by L.B. Abbott and matte paintings by Emil Kosa Jr. It's been a long wait for this to come out on DVD but it's now worth it. Although Fox should have known that fans would want more extras, including a production and poster still gallery and audio commentary by Pat Boone and Arlene Dahl perhaps?, or an expert on the production? (Perhaps we'll get it in a future release?), they have thankfully included the original theatrical trailer, whic is a lot of fun. They've also gone to great efforts to restore the color negative, and this 16X9 ANAMORPHIC TRANSFER has been struck from a newly made interpositive print, and has been further enhanced with digital video. The original 4-track MagOptical soundtrack is here offered in Dolby Digital 4.0 surround. Although the directionalized dialogue is often off the mark, the aged soundtrack sounds great and will really rumble your room if you've got a subwoofer. If you are a fan of 1959's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, you'll be very happy with this DVD. I'd give this DVD five stars but for Fox skimping on the extras. Boy, you people at Fox can be real dummies!

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The accent is on fun and fantasy in this film version of Jules Verne's classic thriller that stars James Mason, Pat Boone, and Arlene Dahl. With spectacular visuals as a backdrop, the story centers on an expedition led by Professor Lindenbrook (Mason) down into the earth's dark, threat-laden core.Members of the group include the professor's star student, Alec (Boone), and the widow (Dahl) of a colleague.Along the way lurk dangers such as kidnapping, death, sabotage by a rival explorer, and attacks by giant prehistoric reptiles.But they also encounter such magnificent wonders as a glistening cavern of quartz crystals, luminescent algae, a forest of giant mushrooms, and the lost city of Atlantis.Remaining faithful to Verne's story, this is a sweeping adventure that offers enough thrills and entertainment to satisfy every explorer in the family.

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