Warm Bodies [Blu-ray]

Goofy and Unconventional Romance
Seattle's Isaac Marion (self-published "Where Are They Now") wrote the book on which this goofy (and unconventional) romantic comedy (with ZOMBIES?!) is based. Director Jonathan Levine ("50/50") did the honors at the helm.

Despite a pretty standard opening with the walking dead lurching through a demolished city looking (and finding!) humans on which to munch, this gradually evolves into a laugh-out-loud comedy and a sweet romance. You'll just have to trust me! (The tag line is: Cold Body, Warm Heart.)

We see:
* Nicholas Hoult ("About a Boy") is R, for lack of a better name; he just can't remember... He seems to have the right instincts (I want to protect her, not eat her), but is extremely confused (How do you talk to a girl?).
* Teresa Palmer ("I Am Number Four") is Julie. Their balcony scene made me wonder if his full name was Romeo. This actress bears an uncanny resemblance to a blonde Kristen Stewart.
* John Malkovich ("RED") is Julie's...
Why haven't you seen this already?
But seriously, though, this was a really good movie. It's nice to see a good love story come out of the Zombie boom of recent years. The last one was Shaun of the Dead, in my opinion.

It's got all the best things:

-Zombies
-Great Actors
-Humor
-A Love Story That Doesn't Feel Cobbled Together or Forced
-Awesome Tunes
-John Malkovich

And if any of those brilliant sort of bullet points don't make you want to see this film, I don't think you have taste. Or a pulse. (HA HA HA I made a funny!.)

Anyway, what I'm really getting at here is that this is a movie that doesn't let its setting or the fact that the male lead is a zombie inhibit it from being just a fun movie with a good story and a lot of heart.
Warm Bodies is Warm-Hearted!!
Wow. And again, wow!! Who would've guessed that there would come a day when someone would create a zombie movie that could be accurately described as sweet and charming??

I loved this movie! And anyone will tell you that I'm not usually a zombie movie kind of gal. I suppose I don't have anything to say that my fellow 5-star reviewers haven't already mentioned, but I just wanted to get my two cents in. Warm Bodies is very compelling, funny, and well-acted. Nicholas Hoult is especially wonderful as "R", totally nailing the sympathetic character, the facial expressions, even the zombie walk!! He and Teresa Palmer have a very sweet chemistry, and their characters' unorthodox love story is certainly the heart of this great film. R and his zombie pals are not the mindless, heartless creatures that you'll find in other zombie flicks, but are very human, with thoughts, feelings, and a sense of humor. The violence isn't overly graphic and the romance is chaste and sweet, leaning...
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The Hangover (Unrated Edition) [Blu-ray]

Hilarious film, a good overall Blu
I finally got to see this film and the Blu gave a nice first viewing, and even doing the rated/unrated back to back it still kept me laughing.

The Blu clarity and sound quality are solid and there were no failings even with the volume of night sequences. The desert shots were done adequately so there was no light saturation or blur - overall the presentation in both versions makes them a good investment for being one of the few comedies you might buy on Blu. The unrated runs eight minutes longer and contained nothing that would warrant the usual attraction for being titled as such. By the time they get to the roof to start the night there were four brief sequences added in, including some extra dialogue in the opening house scene, a little more with that abusive girlfriend and a fun spot in the hotel room. The main difference between the two would be a funny one minute scene as they take the tiger back to Tyson's house (elevator addition). Otherwise, there are no R rated...
Must see
I was a little hesitant to see this movie, it seemed like one of the all too recent movies where all of the good parts are featured in the trailer, and that's all you've got. So not the case. Not only was it a packed theatre at the midnight showing, but there was not any interval longer than three minutes that had a quiet audience. Nobody could stop laughing!
From Zach Galifiakanis, we had a stellar show. His ability to play the creepy weirdo is out of this world. His wolf pack speech was amazing.
The cameo from Mike Tyson was hilarious!
Don't miss the end credits where a lot of the missing information is revealed.
The Greatest Story Ever Told...No but I'm still laughing days later.
First of all, this was a very smart, gross, dark, crude, hilarious and obnoxious film that had me in tears throughout the film. Yes, this subject has been done to death, but not to this level of enjoyment. I haven't enjoyed a Vegas bachelor party film this much since "Very Bad Things" and I would have to rate this higher. My wife enjoyed this film as much as me and she commented how rare it is to see a film that is consistently funny from start to finish. My expectations were very high after all of the hype leading up to the release of this film and it didn't disappoint.

The director does a great job setting the stage for a night no one can remember. Each role was cast perfectly with Zach Galifianakis stealing the show. Make sure you don't leave early and miss the slide-show during the credits. Freaking hilarious!!!!

If you are easily offended by crude humor or you, then this isn't the movie for you.

Thank you, Todd Phillips for another over-the-top,...
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Ted (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

A downright hilarious R-rated comedy with a lot of heart
When you grow up with a woman who makes teddy bears by hand and sells them for a living, they kind of become that extra member of the family. As a child, there were times when the bears would be in positions or places that weren't where they were thought to have been left. Our theory was that whenever we weren't around, whether it was if we left the house or went to bed or whatever, the bears would get up and throw parties when we weren't around. So any movie that features something like a living teddy bear that can talk probably resonates a bit more on this end than for the average person.

"Ted" pretty much already had that nostalgic factor to it with the concept alone. While Seth MacFarlane doesn't always hit it out of the park with each episode of "Family Guy," "American Dad," or "The Cleveland Show," when he does get it right it's something special; it's hilarious, it's emotional, and its references are spot-on. "Ted" is MacFarlane at his best. The trademarks he's known...
Best comedy in many years!
After being beat down by Hollywood's recent (say, the last 15 years) interpretation of comedy, I was skeptical of this movie.
But, since it seemed different from your basic mindless, re-hash comedy(Epic Movie), or endless do-over (W. Farrell, J. Carey), thought I'd give it a chance.

After watching Ted, I was actually happy to have taken the time to see it, and that doesn't happen often in this age of re-makes and sequels.
Being 49 years old, it's tough to come across a new, funny comedy. This is definitely one.
Admittedly, there are one, or two, scenes that even made me cringe.
This is NOT a movie for kids, or folks whose laces are tied a bit tight(as noted by a few bad reviews,... 'What did you expect, Teddy Ruxpin?').

Most people will find this quite funny. 'Most'.
TED = Longer version of Family Guy
If you like the Family Guy humor with the the PG-13 edits, then you'll enjoy this movie because this Family Guy with no holds barred. The story and plot was a typical boy meets girl plot but all the little quips and snide remarks in this movie is what made it a funny movie for me. Again, before you decide to buy or rent this movie, watch Family Guy. If it made you laugh out loud or even chuckle at all the morally incorrect jokes then this movie is for you. If you're easily offended at racial, ethical, and/or religious jokes then this movie is not for you.
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Galaxy Quest [Blu-ray]

Stunning parody.
Those are the best two words to describe Galaxy Quest. Another good phrase would be "one of the best movies Dreamworks has produced so far".

It's been a long time since I've seen a parody film hit its intended targets with such accuracy and finesse. The movie deals with the crew of the Protector, a spaceship that exists only in reruns of the strangely familiar early 80's ensemble SF TV show Galaxy Quest. Exiled to mall shows and science-fiction fan conventions, they live out their days signing autographs for fanatical, show-quoting groupies until they're propositioned by some rather distinctive "fans" for a very special mission...

What ensues is an incredibly fun skewering of the whole Star Trek experience, effortlessly bouncing from knowing parody to rollicking action to heartfelt emotion. And it's all headed by a top-flight cast led by Tim Allen as Jason Nesmith/Commander Peter Quincy Taggart. Aiding and abeting him is his flouncy blonde...
"By Grabthar's hammer, you shall be avenged!"
In December of 1999, director Dean Parisot unleashed what is arguably the funniest sci-fi/comedy film of all time, "Galaxy Quest", which focuses upon the dissatisfied lives of five actors who had starred in a long-cancelled sci-fi television series of the same name. Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) played ship's captain Commander Peter Quincey Taggart. Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver, who is no stranger to sci-fi with her roles in the "Alien" films) played Lt. Madison. Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman, also known for his roles as Hans Gruber in the 1988 film "Die Hard" and Professor Snape in the two "Harry Potter" films) played Dr. Lazarus. Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) played ship's engineer Tech Sgt. Chen and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) played ship's pilot Laredo. Following the cancellation of the TV series, none of the actors had found descent acting jobs. Instead, they were relegated to appearing occasionally as their former "Galaxy Quest" characters at fan conventions and infrequent...
Deluxe Edition: The definitive version to get on DVD and a great 10th Year Anniversary tribute release!
In 1999, "Galaxy Quest" was a film that surprised many sci fi fans when it was released to theaters. At first, many people were not sure if it would be a parody to "STAR TREK" but in the end, the film was actually paying homage to the popular television series.

The film is directed by television director David Parisot (who directed shows such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Monk", "ER" and many other series) and is based on a story by David Howard and a screenplay co-written with Ric McElvin ("Men in Black II" , "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Addicted to Love", etc.).

The film has received praise from Star Trek alumni such as George Takei, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart and Will Wheaton and has received nearly all positive reviews from film critics upon its release in theaters back in 1999.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Galaxy Quest - Deluxe Edition" has been digitally remastered for this DELUXE EDITION/10th Year release. I haven't...
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The Frighteners [Blu-ray]

Wicked fun
Just before doing "Lord of the Rings," director Peter Jackson (who can be seen in a cameo as "Man with Piercings") made an off-kilter horror/comedy movie called "The Frighteners," the tale of the undead and the guy who makes a living off of them. Though "Frighteners" was barely in theaters at all, this cult flick is funny, creepy, well-acted and wonderfully directed.

Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) has seen spirits and apparitions ever since the car crash that killed his wife. Now he operates an amateur "ghostbusting" operation that is supposed to exorcise ghosts from people's houses -- the problem is that the ghosts who haunt those houses are in league with him (Chi McBride as the opinioated afro-ed Cyrus, Jim Fyfe as the nerdy Stuart, and most of John Astin as what is left of The Judge).

Frank's business certainly isn't hurt by the fact that for years after a serial killer's murderous spree, people have died mysteriously of heart attacks. Then Frank starts...
Underrated gem from Peter Jackson
Practically bashed by critics everywhere when released in 1996, the Frighteners can be appreciated today as an underrated gem. After crafting a landmark gorefest with Dead Alive and scoring a hit among critics with Heavenly Creatures, future Lord of the Rings trilogy director Peter Jackson directed this wildly inventive and surprisingly innovative film starring Michael J. Fox as a psychic investigator who, with the help of three ghost pals, runs a phony ghost busting business. Soon enough, people are getting picked off by Death himself, and it's up to Fox to find out what's really going on. So much is going on in the Frighteners that it's easy for the film to become incoherent, but it's exciting visuals and special effects, along with the performance of Fox and the energetic direction of Jackson, make this film a surprise gem that should be (and very well may be) a cult classic. The rest of the cast includes R. Lee Ermy, Jake Busey, and genre stalwart Jeffrey "Re-Animator" Combs.
Wicked fun!
Just before doing "Lord of the Rings," director Peter Jackson (who can be seen in a cameo as "Man with Piercings") made an off-kilter horror/comedy movie called "The Frighteners," the tale of the undead and the guy who makes a living off of them. Though "Frighteners" was barely in theaters at all, this cult flick is funny, creepy, well-acted and wonderfully directed.

Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) has seen spirits and apparitions ever since the car crash that killed his wife. Now he operates an amateur "ghostbusting" operation that is supposed to exorcise ghosts from people's houses -- the problem is that the ghosts who haunt those houses are in league with him (Chi McBride as the opinioated afro-ed Cyrus, Jim Fyfe as the nerdy Stuart, and most of John Astin as what is left of The Judge).

Frank's business certainly isn't hurt by the fact that for years after a serial killer's murderous spree, people have died mysteriously of heart attacks. Then Frank starts...
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Fright Night 2: New Blood (Blu-ray Combo Pack)

Not a Sequel But A Literal REMAKE -- no matter what the director says!
Talk about bizarre. Though billed as FRIGHT NIGHT 2, this direct-to-video film from 20th Century Fox is yet another remake of the original 1985 Tom Holland classic, just with the settings changed. Here, Charley, Amy and Evil Ed are in a high school program in Romania. Instead of Jerry Dandridge, we have Gerri Dandridge, a female professor with a taste for blood. Peter Vincent is here too, but instead of a horror movie host (a la Roddy McDowall) or a magician (a la David Tennant), he's a Ghost Hunters-like, would-be paranormal investigator. The movie plays out exactly as you'd expect -- same basic plot structure as the Holland original, but with more blood, less humor, and something of a road company cast that's not particularly engaging (though the female leads are attractive enough).

It's beyond strange that the director and crew commentary say they're making a sequel to the 2011 Fright Night, when the movie is actually a remake. The story doesn't acknowledge the earlier...
while not a sequel
while this is not a sequel but a remake I really enjoyed it, finally a movie where a vampire is a vampire and not some teen heartthrob type who has emotions and is all loving and more blessed then cursed, I'm really tired of those versions of vampires. Now I do agree to the fact that they shouldnt have called it frightnight2 in fact I dont know why they make remakes of shows that were good in the first place, but whatever, thats hollywood for you, and yes this is not a sequel. personally I wish they called it something else but I guess its too hard for hollywood writers to name characters with another name, like did bathory really need to be called gerri dandridge? but whatever its ok. Anyway, this is a much better version then the one a couple of years ago and again, its a vampire who has a cursed existence and is evil, like a vampire should be, so enjoy it, thecinematography and effects are great, the story coulda used a little work but none the less it was enjoyable.
This movie should have been titled "Fright Night, New Blood."
This movie was a rewrite of the original Fright Night 1980s. I did not understand why it had to be a Fright Night Movie. Other than using the names of the characters from the original movie, it could have been marketed as a different vampire movie. This was a good vampire movie. I thought this version of Fright Night was a better movie than the remake with Colin Farrell and Toni Collette.
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Singin in the Rain (60th Anniversary) [Blu-ray]

Review of the 2012 Single-Disc Blu-ray of this American movie classic!
First off, I need to point out that Amazon does have this odd policy of grouping ALL reviews of ALL versions and editions of a film in one place. So when a film is restored or reissued the reviews are grouped with the others. There are over400 reviews for "Singing in the Rain" here and they stretch back as far as 1998 and as recent as July 2012. Reviews are automatically sorted by the "Most Helpful" first and - while I hope you will find my review helpful - I do encourage you to look at the date of any review you read and compare it with the "release date" of the edition you are looking to purchase. With that said, I'll move on to my review.

I'll go along nearly everyone who treasures "Singin in the Rain" in saying it is probably one of the most important films ever made and the top musical. It's also the most entertaining 103 minutes you'll se on the screen. Sure there is smart dialogue, but the film boasts a compendium of wonderful "hit songs" that were all succeses even...
Like seeing it again for the first time
Most people who are reading this review know how awesome "Singin' in the Rain" is, so I won't review the film, but rather I'll limit the review to the 60th Anniversary Blue-ray disc. I watched this on a 70" Sharp Aquos HDTV. What an experience! In a darkened room, with a giant bucket of coronary-inducing self-popped (not microwave) buttered popcorn (with real butter, thank you) and an enhanced sound system, I was transferred to a time that I hadn't experienced since I was a little kid. The blue-ray transfer is breathtaking with the brillant color, clarity, and sound. It was like watching a brand new film. This is how audiences originally saw the film 60 years ago. The commentary track was very informative, though it was recorded a few years ago, since some of the contributers are now deceased. The added features are excellent. I like the 'jukebox' feature, which allows you to watch just the musical numbers of your choice. If you only have a little time, but you need a quick uplifting...
WOW
If they would ever give out awards for Blu-ray.....This would be the one to take it.
I have a couple hundred Blu-ray discs and I, personally, think this is the best disc that was ever pressed. I've seen Singing In The Rain in the theater, on VHS, on Bata Max, CED videodisc, Laser Disc and DVD. But, WOW, I have never seen this movie look and sound so good. You've got to see it! WOW!
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Young Frankenstein [Blu-ray]

Great movie...DVD worth the money (but warning!)
First, let me begin by saying that the only reason I don't give this 5 stars is that I wanted a bit more from the commentary track, as I indicate below.
The content of this wonderful movie is covered amply elsewhere, so I won't repeat what others have so well synopsized. I WOULD like to point out a couple of things about this particular DVD:
1) The commentary track is accessible from the the LANGUAGE SELECTION menu, rather than from the special features menu (as is usual for commentary tracks). I was terribly frustrated by this until I got some help from Christian at boldopinions.com (thanks Christian!).
2) Yes, the commentary track IS mostly Mel babbling, but there are some nice tidbits here (many of the cut-away shots were put in because Gene Wilder kept breaking, Mel thought "Puttin' On The Ritz" was frivolous, etc.). It's also heart-breaking to hear about how Marty Feldman's health habits led to his death at age 59. Unfortunately, since Mel's commentary leans toward...
Almost too good!
Features, features, features. Anyone who loves this film and loves special DVD features MUST buy this special addition. There are about 30 minutes of deleted scenes, hilarious bloopers and Mel Brooks tops it all off with insightful, intelligent commentary. A great DVD that does justice to one of the greatest classic comedies of all time. I couldn't turn it off.
"Roll, roll, roll in ze hay!"
This may just be the funniest movie of all time. Mel Brooks never before (and never again) worked with the tight parameters he did here: gene Wilder actually wrote most of the script, and that plus the use of the old Universal sets and props seem to have kept Borooks's more sophomoric instincts (which have gone overboard in some of his later films) tightly in check. Thus he--and everyone else in the film--is doing their absolutely finest work ever.

From Teri Garr "rolling in ze hay," to Kenneth Mars's inspired Police Inspector, everyone in the entire film seems to be working at their most hysterically hilarious. Special mention must be given to Gene Wilder giving one of his most classic performances of his strangled-fury schtick ever ("Put... the candle... back!!!") and to Peter Boyle, for his very poignant and funny depiction of the Monster.

But standing above all of the end in terms of sheer brilliance is Madeline Kahn, giving what must be the funniest female...
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Tremors Attack Pack [Blu-ray]

Alaskan Bull Worm!!!
Certainly the jewel in the Tremors series of movies between 1990 and 2004 is the original. It's funny. It's scary. It's suspenseful. It's got a great cast. It's fun to watch! And this DVD release gives you the three follow-on sequels for almost the price you'd expect to spend for the original cult classic by itself.

In the original 1990 "Tremors", you have Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward as the leading characters. Their performance together is (almost) on par with John Travolta and Sam Jackson in Pulp Fiction; the dialogue between these guys is priceless. They truly come across as buddies for life.

The story is simple: a B-movie-esque scenario where giant man-eating subterranean monsters (big wormlike things called aptly named Graboids) start plucking man and animal from the surface in a remote desert town. Bacon and Ward are trapped by the underground beasts with little known Finn Carter and mercenary neighbors (Michael Gross) and his wife (Reba McEntire). The result...
Tremors Attack Pack: Reviewed
PROS

- You get all 4 movies in one box, a great value at about ~$5 per movie!

- The first movie is the best but you'll probably also like the fourth (which is a prequel) and either the 2nd or 3rd if you haven't seen any of them yet.

- Inside is a coupon for $10.50 off a ticket to Peter Jackson's King Kong which opens in theaters 12-14-05 (valid until 1-1-06).

CONS

- Despite the claims on the packaging for 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, all four movies are presented in 1.78:1 NON-anamorphic widescreen. In fact, the video transfers are exactly the same as those on the previous DVDs.

- All 4 movies are on TWO discs - which of course means both discs are double-sided. ARGH. If you're not the type of person to handle optical discs carefully, forget buying this, you'll probably scratch everything up right away, no offense.

- To make matters worse for two double-sided discs, the DVD case Universal came up with is...
You get what you pay for, and then three extra movies
I am a huge fan of the Tremors movies, and am very excited to see a box set funally being released. The first movie is excellent, the foundation for many good sci-fi/fantasy movies, the beginning is slow enough to actually introduce the movie, but exciting enough to have you hooked, then comes Tremors 2: Aftershocks, new setting, new challenge, new characters, same classic storyline and still has Micheal Gross as Burt Gummer, the match made in heaven for an actor to a part. Tremors 3: Back to Perfection, back to the original detting with a few new characters and yet another exciting twist and an all new way to save the day. Then comes Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, One of the only good prequels in movies to date. All this for only $26 list price? An excellent buy.
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Bones: The Complete Eighth Season [Blu-ray]

Reaching for a new level...
The air might have gone out of this series after forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan and FBI special agent Seeley Booth finally became a couple with a child last season. Happily for fans, the show has found new ways to keep things interesting and fun.

The end of the seventh season of "Bones" left Bones on the run with her infant child after being framed for murder by the highly skilled serial killer Christopher Pelant. The opening of the eighth season finds Booth and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian Institute trying to clear her name. Fortunately for the series, they succeed, although Pelant eludes justice to pose a future threat.

This eighth season continues to feature crime-of-the-week murders for Bones, Booth, and the Jeffersonian lab rats to solve through clever forensics and Booth's old-fashioned police work. One of the most interesting episodes is told through the eyes of the murder victim, with the assistance of a psychic (a...
Never thought they could come up with a better end to bring you back for the next season but they DID!~!!
I just love this series. Each season ender makes you wonder if they will leave you hanging on the cliff waiting to see just what will happen next season....Yup! they did it again and I cannot wait to see what happens to Bones next season! What a GREAT show!
The dreaded never-ending storyline
One of the things I liked most about "Bones" was that each season was pretty much self-contained. There were story arcs that spanned multiple episodes through the season (such as the Gravedigger and Gormogon storylines) and ongoing plot developments (such as the truth about Brennan's parents and Hodgins' and Angela's developing relationship) but by and large each season wrapped up the loose ends by or in the season finale. Unfortunately, that pattern has been broken with the introduction of Christopher Pelant. While I realize that the forensics team members require a challenge equal to their considerable abilities to keep the show interesting, some of Pelant's technological feats are, quite frankly, ridiculous and highly contrived. That, however, isn't the true problem with the concept. Pelant (much as Red John in "The Mentalist") is a loose end whom the writers have allowed to remain one step ahead of the protagonists and can continue to do so indefinitely. Eventually it gets tedious...
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Grown Ups 2 (Two Disc Combo: Blu-ray / DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy)

THERE'S A RAFT IN THERE?
The sequel comes with very little plot. Our foursome all have their child issues. David Spade suddenly has a long lost son so he doesn't miss out on the fun. There is an 80's theme party with a ridiculous townies vs. college boys fight.

The humor is still crude, but perhaps a bit less than before as I found it tolerable. The film mostly relies on one liners and insults as is typical in a Sandler production. This film also highlights the talents or lack thereof of many Hollywood larvae including the Sandler clan, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Paulina Gretzky. Team Jacob fans can watch Taylor Lautner in an uncredited role as Fratboy Andy. My how they have fallen.

Will work as a rental. No hurry to rush out and see it.

Parental Guide: Brief male rear nudity. 1 f-bomb. No sex. Sex talk and general crudeness including urination, feces, and fart humor.
Best comedy of the year
As if the movie 'Grown Ups' could get any funnier, they go and make Grown Ups 2 and completely blow everyone away! This movie had an amazing cast, tons of jokes, and a good plot. Shaq and Stone Cold guest star and it's a real hoot!
More of the same
If you liked the first one, then you'll like this one just as much.
For me, the first one was very forgettable and this one is no different.
Sandler is once again looking to just have some summer fun and get paid to do it. There is no real story to this movie. The entire plot could have been told in a 2 minute trailer. The rest of the time is a bunch of goofing off and some awkward situations. There are some funny lines in the movie, so it wasn't a bore. You get to see a lot of your favorite Sandler buddies and a few other surprises. Humor is not a crude as he can get like in other movies so was tolerable for a family. Some of his cruder/dumber movies I just won't watch at all. This one somehow kept me watching the entire movie. It all depends on what you are looking for in a movie. It was a fun movie, but a complete waste of time as far as I'm concerned.
Don't be surprised if there's a part 3 next summer.
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Silver Linings Playbook (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

This is why we go to movies
This is why we go to movies. Silver Linings Playbook is that rare breed of movie where all the moving parts got put together in exactly the right way. The dialogue is sharp, witty, insightful, funny, and often brutally honest. It respects and holds true affection for its characters and the wonderful ensemble cast makes it look easy. The direction, editing and soundtrack are spot on. It is a future classic and the best movie of the year.

Pat is an underachieving substitute high school history teacher who has just been released from the Karel Psychiatric Facility after spending an eight month court-ordered stint for nearly beating the history teacher to death when he finds him in the shower with his wife. His doting, eternally optimistic mother brings him home hoping that the worst of his previously undiagnosed bipolar symptoms are under control. But his refusal to take his meds and an unfortunate incident concerning Earnest Hemingway and a window quickly dispels that...
The Year's Best Ensemble In A Big Hearted Comedy About Love, Family, And Redemption (And Football, Dancing And Mental Illness)
David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" is a big hearted and nearly irresistible concoction that presents one of the year's most unlikely romances. I've been a huge Russell fan since his debut with "Spanking the Monkey" and "Flirting With Disaster" is one of my favorite flights of outrageousness. Russell can have an edgy cynicism about his eccentric characters, but he knows how to make an audience identify with even their most offbeat characteristics. Make no mistake, "Silver Linings Playbook" is loaded with an expected array of troubled souls. But the most remarkable thing about this film (and its screenplay) is the amount of compassion it shows to just about everyone. With a stellar cast including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and John Ortiz, the movie boasts easily one of the best ensembles of the year. Each of these actors is given a fully written character and each makes a huge impression in the screen time allotted...
Bravura Account of Quirky Love. Lawrence is Jaw-Dropping.
I didn't expect to like this film since I've disliked Bradley Cooper's past roles and because the script sounded shallow and formulaic. Initially, I thought they'd included De Niro as a come-on. In fact, the only reason I saw the film was because of Jennifer Lawrence, whose sophisticated performance in WINTER'S BONE convinced me I'd seen the breakthrough of a gifted actress.

Well, I was wrong about Cooper, wrong about De Niro's inclusion, wrong about a formulaic script, and dead-on about Jennifer Lawrence. Simply stated, this quirky, brilliant story of the evolution of love between two world-worn, emotionally troubled people -- against the chaotic background of family madness -- was one of the most satisfying, funny and affecting movies I've seen in recent years. In terms of clarity, continuity and heart, it surpasses the book on which it was based.

Since others have described the plot on this page, I will say that millions of viewers who have not seen the film...
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Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 30th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

Vulgar, tasteless, sickening and worth every minute.
Seeing this movie for the first time when it came out back in 1982, I remember telling my friend, "This is the coolest movie ever!" Coming back to it, I can proudly say my feelings for it have not diminished one iota.Its detractors say, "It's disgusting!" Yes, it is. An impossibly fat man explodes in a miasma of viscera and puke. But if you take note of the personality of the character in question, you could look at it as the Pythonian equivalent of Karma.It's oppnents scream, "It's filthy". Bingo. A stuffy schoolmaster and his wife demonstrate coitus for a bored classroom of schoolboys during sex-education class. During the lesson, the teacher admonishes a student to pay attention. "After all, this is for your benefit," he chides. A man so cut off from his own emotions, that not even sex interests him on a personal level.Its nay-sayers chant, "It's blasphemous!" You betcha. In a production reminiscent of the ones in...
Great film, not that necessary on HD-DVD...
Although this is probably the most inconsistent film that Monty Python made, it's still fantastic. It ends up being a series of sketches loosely tied together around the meaning of life. Some are the absolute highlights of the Monty Python canon (e.g. the sex education scene and the disgusting Mr. Creosote), while others are much less successful. This was essentially the last material made by the Python troupe.

This HD-DVD release contains the exact same features as the recent 2-disc DVD special edition. The extra features are superb with a hilarious and insightful commentary by director Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, who aren't afraid to admit its faults. The trouble with this release is that the film is now over 20 years old and was shot with a relatively low budget so it doesn't look that good to start with. So by getting the HD-DVD you're just seeing the graininess and clunky special effects more clearly. If you already have the DVD there's really no need to get this,...
Of course it's great! It's Monty Python!
Up to their old tricks again, the Pythons finally brought their sketch comedy to the big screen. Putting together a series of unconnected skits with a common theme, they actually pulled it off, though most said it could never be done. As with all of their work, this movie contains several lines that fans will repeat over and over. "Every sperm is sacred!" Most of the skits went down as some of their greatest work, from Cleese teaching Sex in a private school by demonstrating it with his wife in front of the class, to the grossest scene ever performed in cinema, "Mr. Creosote." Absolutely a must-see for anyone with even the faintest of senses of humor.

This DVD presentation is also very solid, including a Making Of feature that lets the personalities of the individuals show through, including Cleese's disdain for doing this film. Some of the extras can be ignored, but I still found myself sitting down for over two hours to check them all out, and I was not disappointed.
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Weird Science (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

Stay Away...Stay Far Away
This DVD tries to suck the buyer in by telling him/her that this DVD contains music from the original score...which it might have, but along with that there comes the added bonus of missing lines that made the movie a classic...for instance the "If there's one thing I know its female stats..." line is completely gone. There are others but I don't have enough room to put them here. Not since the latest Animal House with the missing "Have you seen my rolling papers?" line has a DVD release been so disappointing. While these things may not matter to the majority of you viewers, it will to some of you so you have been warned.
Let's put the granparents in the broom closet
Another John Hughe's classic. It falls into the same DVD treatment as 'Sixteen Candles' though. It was released poorly on DVD, and is no longer in production. But hold on, there's rumours that this and 'Breakfast Club' and '16 Candles' will get the DVD treatment they deserve in time for their 20th Anniversary! Weird Science, although silly at times, is a must-have 80's classic with some VERY entertaining scenes. Wait for the next DVD release, please don't pay high amounts for the used early DVD copy!
Another John Hughes Must Have!
Finally, the big boys in hollywood have been decent enough to grace us with a re-release of one of the great teen flick's of the 80's. Starring a young and accomplised Anthony michael Hall (The Breakfast Club) and a host of other 80's stars, the story follows two 15 year old teens who decide to make a virtual woman on their computer. However, things become more then just virtual as the woman they created becomes more then just a dream, and infact, real!

If your a fan of director John Hughes, then this is a DVD you simply have to own. It'll go nicely with other classics like "The Breakfast Club", "Sixteen Candles", "Pretty In Pink" and many more.

Oh, one more thing...I'm glad its being re-relesed for 2 reasons. 1) my VHS copy is almost worn out. 2) I wont have to pay for a over priced second hand copy.
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Glee: The Complete Fourth Season [Blu-ray]

glee
i love this show. I enjoy the music selection as well as the storyline. Great entertainment!! Keeps me laughing and wanting to download music.
Season 4 Doesn't Mirror Season 1-3
Basically, began watching after enjoying "Don't Stop Believing" remake video from pilot. Although considered mostly a "teen dramedy" I strongly suspect older adults enjoyed Season 1-3 due to great song arrangements from different genres and decades and strong acting ability from diverse characters. The show had an overall good message of acceptance due to the diverse nature of characters. Most knew the students did not look 15(exception "Curt") and likely no one cared. There was chemistry between characters, esp. Lea Michelle and Cory Monteith (Rachael and Finn.) The show was funny with it's quirky humor, esp. Jane Lynch as Coach Sue Sylvester. Perhaps her portrayal as ultra-conservative coach of the Nat'l ranked cheerleaders set on destroying "Mr. Shue's" (Mark Morrison)Glee Club seemed more outrageously funny knowing her character's portrayal couldn't be more opposite than her real life (based on interviews). Each character was well-developed. The show took on controversial subjects...
Love the music
I loved every number they did laughed cried with them and learned allot over the period of time watching the show, its funny, informing fun easy to watch with kids and wife and grand kids also, one added feature is when we go out to a night club, over the four years I know about every song played by local bands, it has really opened up my range of music I love and like, thanks
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The Way, Way Back (Blu-ray / DVD + DigitalHD)

Absolutely one of the best films of 2013
Written and directed by the team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (winners of the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Descendants), The Way, Way Back is absolutely one of the best films of 2013 so far. And even saying that feels inadequate because it's such a fine film, a coming-of-age comedy/drama with a great script, fine performances by a superb cast, and directed with a flawless natural touch so that there's never a moment where things feel false or forced.

The Way, Way Back is seen from the point of view of Duncan (Liam James), the shy and awkward fourteen-year-old son of recently divorced Pam (Toni Collette), as they head out on a summer vacation with Pam's also-divorced boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent's teenaged daughter Steph (Zoe Levin). Riding in the back of Trent's station wagon, Duncan is visibly less than thrilled at the prospect. It's quickly apparent why in the opening scene when Trent engages Duncan in conversation while Pam and Steph are...
4.5 stars... "Let's try and get that score up!"
I had seen the trailer for this movie a number of times in recent weeks at my local art-house theatre here in Cincinnati and couldn't wait to see this movie. The movie finally opened today, and I went to see it right away.

"The Way, Way Back" (2013 release; 103 min.) tells the story of 14 yr. old Duncan (played by newcomer Liam James) who, along with his mom Pam (played by Toni Collette), her boyfriend Trent (played by Steve Carell) and his 16 or 17 yr. old daughter Stephanie, are going to spend the summer at Trent's summer house on a beach somewhere in Massachusetts. Right as the movie opens, Trent and Duncan get into an already destined-to-be-a-classic exchange: Trent: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you see yourself?"; Duncan: "a 6"; Trent: "a 6? more like a 3... Let's try and get that score up this summer!". Duncan has a hard time fitting in with anyone but he does seem to be able to talk to Suzanna, the neighbor's daughter who's just a bit older than him. Duncan then...
'The Way Way Back' one of the year's best.
The Academy Award winning writing team (The Descendants) of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash are back at it with the coming-of-age drama, The Way Way Back. Both Faxon and Rash write, direct, and act in the film, which stars Liam James as Duncan - a shy, uncertain 14-year-old that travels to an East Coast vacation house for the summer with his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), his mother's boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent's daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Trent and Duncan have a rocky relationship due to Trent seemingly always picking on Duncan or isolating him in some way - forcing Duncan into a world of seclusion. After arriving at the coast, Duncan feels out of place and miserable until one afternoon when he encounters Owen (Sam Rockwell), the manager of a local waterpark. Owen befriends Duncan, gives him a job, and encourages him to have fun while being his own person and creating his own path in life. The dramatic-comedy's supporting cast also includes Allison Janney, Rob Corddry,...
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The Internship (Blu-ray Combo Pack)

Non-spoiler - A lot of laughs... worth paying to see in the theater
I had high hopes for this movie based on the trailers and the previous Vaughn/Wilson outing "Wedding Crashers" and this did not disappoint.

Vaughn and Wilson play salesman whose company goes out of business abruptly, and they find themselves without prospects or hope. In a stroke of desperation/ inspiration, Vaughn lands them interviews for an internship with Google. Despite any technological savvy or skills, they find themselves engaged in a team competition among other interns with the prospect of full-time employment in the balance. Vaughn and Wilson definitely channel their fast-talking characters from Wedding Crashers and have a real chemistry.

A lot of the humor (and there is a lot of it) comes from the culture clash between these non-tech salesmen and the young interns who are incredibly advanced technically, but have no people skills or experience in the "real world."

While there are a few plot cliches involved, there are a number of...
Nothing new here, but I had a good time
In spite of generally numb reviews I was lured into the theater just to see Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn restart the bromance that began with "Wedding Crasher" in 2005. Here they play Billy (Vaughn) and Nick a couple of watch salesmen just on one side or the other of age 40. When their boss (John Goodman) shuts down his business the boys are out of work and with no formal education or technical skills, they decide to apply for an internship at Google.

Since one of the terms of acceptance is that a prospect must be enrolled in college, Billy enrolls the pair at the University of Phoenix which Billy calls, "the Harvard of on-line colleges." They show up on the Mountain View campus and are surrounded by 20-something geniuses. When 5 or 6 person teams are picked, our heroes are left with a group no one wants to associate with. I'm not sure why as no one seems to know anyone else, so how this group is shunned is beyond me.

No matter, quirky they are but they are...
Surprisingly Sweet Movie
I'm not sure why viewers go to this sort of film expecting total reality and believability, but of course with a plot such as this one, things aren't exactly real world anyway and for heaven's sake people, this is a comedy. I won't go into a rehash of the story as others have done that in previous reviews. I'll just say that I came out of the film happy to have seen it, I got quite a lot of good laughs all the way through, and my final impression was what a basically sweet story it was with sweet and likeable characters. Only a scene in a lap dancing bar made it a bit inappropriate for younger teens, but otherwise, it is a good story imparting some valuable life lessons for young people who think people over 30 know nothing. The two main characters were actually quite nice and lovable guys with refreshingly positive attitudes about life and how to treat other people, and ultimately they came out on top preceisely because of these traits. The film was completely enjoyable...
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Patlabor TV Collection 2 [Blu-ray]

Absolutely amazing. A second time.
I am a self proclaimed Patlabor lover. Be it the movies, the OVAs or the TV series, I love it all.

Maiden Japan have given us a release worthy of the classic, and this set does not suffer from the problem of having the English language track requiring edited video. It really is a proper release.

This set has the next 12 episodes in the series.

Truly a great and worthy release.

Video:

The video is 1080p HD AVC encoded. Bitrates sit in the upper teens to low/mid 20s. In short, it looks fantastic. There are no video issues to be concerned over. There is a small amount of cel jitter, but that's the nature of the beast on a series of this age.

Maiden Japan has gotten their hands on the remastered video from the Japanese Blu Ray release, so there is no dust or dirt to be seen. Colors are crisp and clear. You can see some shadows around some cells, but that is the nature of the beast here. It doesn't distract from the video at...


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Gatchaman Complete Collection [Blu-ray]

FINALLY!!
For this who don't know, this is indeed the uncut, dubbed (and subbed) version that ADV Films released a few years back. If you watched this show as a kid, you probably remember it as Battle of the Planets or G-Force. This is your chance to view it in it's un-altered, un-cut state. Truly a masterpiece worth collecting.
Anyone know?
Does anyone know if these are going to be in English or just subtitled in English? Hope so look forward to seek them
Thank you Section 23!
I do not have this item, but I am giving it 5 stars because I have been eagerly anticipating this release for some time now. I never got to purchase the ADV dvd releases from several years back, but the fact that this series is not only being re-issued on DVD but on Blu-Ray as well, simply makes my mouth water. I don't know anything about this particular distributor. I've never heard of them, but I'm going to assume that this will be all 105 episodes and I'm going to assume that they will do a bang-up job on them. With the announcement of a live action Battle of the Planets movie being released in Japan on August 24, 2013, I'm hopeful that a distributor somewhere will finally release Battle of the Planets: The Complete Collection (85 episodes) on DVD and perhaps Blu-Ray here in the U.S. soon. I know that it's available over in the U.K. as Region 2 DVD, but I'm talking about Region 1 for the U.S. and Canada. I have the 25th Anniversary Set that Rhino released back in 2004. Once again,...
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Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season [Blu-ray]

As Good as The Shield and The Sopranos
I'll try to keep this short. If you've read the other reviews, you know the premise of the show. It has received many accolades and some awards. But you know what, there are many really good shows out there now, and it can be hard to keep up with all of them. So if you are still undecided as to whether this show is worth an investment of your time and money, I hope this helps.

If are an avid fan of the Sopranos and The Shield, you will love Breaking Bad.

Do you remember how both of those shows would, at their very best, leave you staring at the screen, with your heart pounding, saying to yourself "Holy S---"? Well, there are moments like that in Breaking Bad. Like the Sopranos, it effectively mixes dark comedy and violence. Like The Shield, it has episodes and plotlines that are incredibly intense. And like both of those shows, it features a protagonist leading a double life. The performance of Bryan Cranston, like those of James Gandolfini and Micheal...
The best thing on TV these days
I watch A LOT of TV and I can honestly say there has never been a show that was so riveting and so gripping from beginning to end as Breaking Bad. This show is a masterpiece through and through.

During the first season, we come to see how Bryan Cranston's character (acted brilliantly, by the way) could not be any more desperate. And just when you think things couldn't get more low, in comes season two with more problems and more desperation.

I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen this season, but my God, if you haven't seen it, get this DVD collection it will be so worth your time.
Surpasses the first in every way
Now that everything was established in the short first season (writers strike) the second season gets things really going.

I will not spoil but I will say this show is now falling into history. It's one of the greatest shows of all time and will most likely only get better from here.
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Trick 'r Treat [Blu-ray]

Trick 'r Treat has created cult status already...epicly!
I had a chance to see Trick 'r Treat at the Midwest Premiere in Chicago on the big screen and I am mystified as to why this excellent film was never given a full theatrical release? It far exceeded my expectations and I believe it to have already become a classic film for horror aficionados and lovers of the greatest holiday ever, Halloween.

The film is set up as a sort of anthology of short stories, yet they all intertwine and complement each other in the end. There is some great artwork in the tradition of Creepshow and at times reminded me of that film, but the main difference is Creepshow's stories are all their own and Trick 'r Treat follows one night with several groups and characters that each have their own encounter with a very evil character indeed. The film has lots of suspense, violence, gore, and some sexy nudity in one story involving werewolves. We also have a serial killer principal, some rotten teens trying to scare a nerdy girl, and a story told that is...
Trick r Treat - A Surprise Shocker Classic
People all over the webbins have been talking about Trick r Treat for some time now - exploring conspiratorial notions on why the film has sat shelved for so long while rhapsodizing about just how well X-Men 2/Superman Returns scribe Michael Dougherty's directorial debut works. Having recently seen the film, I can tell you that I know why the film sat for years: It's one of the more ruthless studio-funded horror films ever made. It's not very gory or explicit at all - but it has a truly, deeply, bad attitude. If William Gaines penned morality plays this venomous - to hell with the Comics Code. He'd have probably served time. Trick r Treat is overflowing with the kind of anarchic, mean-spirited hilarity that never sits well with the suits.

One of the reasons the film feels so vile is that the people who populate the tale feel so utterly real. It's really hard to explain without spoiling a lot of what makes it work so well, but - to give you an idea - director Michael...
TRICK 'R TREAT blows away expectations! A treat, indeed!
In October of 2007, a film was briefly marketed and then abruptly shelved by Warner Brothers. The film in question was Michael Dougherty's TRICK `R TREAT, and the theatrical trailer looked promising. Audiences were frustrated when Warner Brothers repeatedly pushed back the release date, and then, without warning, pulled the film completely out of the public eye.

There are a few reasons why this would have happened. For instance, Warner Brothers had just suffered from the box office dud that was SUPERMAN RETURNS, which was directed by Bryan Singer and was written by Michael Dougherty, who eventually helmed TRICK `R TREAT. Both individuals were probably seen as potential risk hazards for executives at Warner Brothers considering the failure of their previous film. Another reason could have been that they simply did not want to compete with the latest SAW-fest. Whatever the case, the people responsible for the marketing of this film should be ashamed - very ashamed - of...
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I Married a Witch (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

At last! I Married a Witch gets the treatment it deserves.
I've been waiting for at least 10 years for this hilarious film to be released on dvd for region 1. I owned the vhs, and it was a film I'd watch with family and friends every Halloween season....until dvds replaced vhs tapes. It's been a long wait. At one point, I even purchased a bootleg with Korean subtitles that was too awful to enjoy. I'm thrilled that it's getting the Criterion treatment that it deserves.
Veronica Lake is stunning as a witch who puts a curse on the descendants of the judge who convicted her of witchcraft in Puritan New England. Cecil Kellaway is charming. Fredric March plays the descendants from the 17th century until the present day (1942), doomed to suffer miserable marriages. Great sets, great costumes, great hair, great story by the writer of Topper. Lake must have been quite a diva. She and Fredric March loathed one another. March said working with her was the worst experience of his life, and he worked with Miriam Hopkins! Joel McCrea turned it down...
A Bewitching Comedy With Sexy Witch Veronica Lake
It's rare nowadays when you can say that you have seen a totally delightful comedy in the cinemas. That rare marriage of charming scenerio, ideally cast players, and romantic setting seems to be sadly a thing of the past which is why I always find "I Married a Witch", such enjoyable viewing. Here we have two very famous performers in dramatic veteran Fredric March, and Film Noir siren Veronica Lake playing against their usual "type" and having a field day cutting loose with this romantic screwball tale that combines sexy humour with elements of the supernatural. Based on the unfinished novel by "Topper", author Thorne Smith, "I Married a Witch", gave us a whole new image of what witches were like minus the warts and crooked nose and in much the same vein as the later legendary series "Bewitched", showed us witches who were playful and extremely sexy. Veronica Lake had I feel her most appealing role here and proved herself adept at frothy comedy and capable of far more than just...
One of the greatest Hollywood comedies of the forties
I once did a list for a friend of the ten sexiest female characters in the movies. Veronica Lake's lovely witch ranked very high on that list. Although she starred in several other classic films from 1942 to 1946, this movie is easily my favorite. Much of her reputation today is based on her several appearances in film noir classics (THIS GUN FOR HIRE, THE GLASS KEY, and THE BLUE DAHLIA), but I actually preferred her in this film and to a lesser degree SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS.

The rest of the cast is just as delightful. Fredric March is everything you could ask a romantic lead who is descended from Puritans to be, and Cecil Kellaway and Robert Benchley take turns stealing scenes.

Of all the European directors forced by political turmoil in Germany and Italy to work in the US temporarily in the thirties and forties, Rene Clair probably had the most successful record. While his best work remains the extraordinary films he made in the early thirties working in France (SOUS LES...
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Shakugan no Shana: Season Three, Part 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

For Better Or Worse, Shana and Yuji Face Their Desinty.
The final battle that began at the beginning of season 3 continues. The fight has spilled over into the human world, and many lives are lost. Yuji's betrayal has shocked everyone, and left the Flame haze army at a major disadvantage. He clearly has a goal in mind. But being the emotionally clueless guy that he is, fails to make his intentions clear to Shana. He revels that he wants to create a replica of his city on the void. This will serve as the permanent home for the denizens. Shana does not accept this, and the 2 continue to fight to the death. They are not alone. Many others are involved. Some that have become dear friends and some that neither of them know. But many of them are lost along the way. In the end, will Yuji and Shana be together, or will they be torn apart? Can Yuji forgive himself for perpetrating this terrible war upon the world, and can Shana stop him? All the questions we have had up to now will be answered. For better or worse, this is the end.

I was...
Okay, let's do this
I had no plans to write this review because I'm pretty sure my opinion is going to get torn to shreds. However, someone said they liked my view on the second season, and as we all know, we must cave to random strangers on the internet. So, this one's for you, Adam. :-)

Reader, ye be warned here. Spoilers are in this review. I will do my best to limit them and try to keep major ones out of this review, but in order to talk about the first part of the season properly, I must include some details. I apologize.

Season 3 starts off immediately where season 2 finished. And I mean IMMEDIATELY. Yuji is still walking in the snow and still appears before Shana. Shana gets super excited that Yuji has chosen her, runs into his arms, they kiss, and together set out to finally shut down Ball Masque, the group that's responsible for almost killing Yuji and Shana on multiple occasions.
No, wait. That's not what happens. Instead, Yuji looks at Shana, and then wanders off...
Sigh...
Okay, if I was afraid my part one review for season 3 was going to get destroyed, I am utterly dreading this review. Still, I must press on. I hope die hard fans of the show can forgive me...

So, Shakugan no Shana is over. This is the end of the line. It was a fun journey, traveling along with these characters and watching their adventures. The first season was a great hook and took a nice spin on some rather cliche anime and manga tropes. Season 2 stumbled a bit in part one, focusing almost solely on girls' jealousy and love, but part two came back swinging with (to me at least) one of the best anime fights ever--the one against Sabrac. Season 3 part one was a bit difficult to get through whenever Yuji started talking, but the war between the Flame Hazes and Denizens more than made up for it. Now, we finally see how it all ends...
Wait, seriously? That's how it's going to end? Are...are you kidding me? Just...ugh.

Let me back up. Please note, there are...
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Tiger & Bunny: The Movie- The Beginning [Blu-ray]

Recommend
Great movie if you're a fan of the series. The first half of the film recaps the first two episodes of the series, while also introducing a new story. The blu ray quality is great, definitely worth buying if you like the anime.


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Aria: The Scarlet Ammo (Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Beyond what I expected
Aria: The Scarlet Ammo is one of those "on a whim" purchases that I made after reading a little about it previously, and I am quite pleased with this anime. The characters are interesting and fun, yet dynamic enough not to be the same boring character profiles that you tend to run into when you watch a lot of anime. The story is interesting and seems relatively sound. The art is quite good, I am one who prefers a clean and detailed anime art style and Aria: The Scarlet Ammo definitely makes the grade. I wish it were longer though as there were some things that were discussed but left untouched since it is a shorter anime.

A quick summary:
All characters involved are the grand children of famous characters or real people; Sherlock Holmes, Joan d'Arc, and Arsene Lupin to name a few. They of course, being this is anime, have inherent skills that put them a cut above average humans and this type of thing becomes a factor in the story.

The...
Looks good, but its been done before.
Butei High School is a school that trains young people to be detectives. They receive an education as well as combat skills training. Kinji is a 2nd year student that has the ability to go into a "berserk" mode when he gets to excited. Even though he is a lower ranked Butei this ability makes him a hot commodity. One day he meets a girl named Aria. Aria is the highest rnked Butei and she partners up with Kinji to solve different cases. Her objective is to prove her mothers innocence and have the 7 life sentances against her lifted. They go through many trials together and become very close.

This anime has nothing original. We all know there is nothing new under the sun, but that doesn't mean something unoriginal can't be fun. This anime has some pretty good characters, an interesting story, and good animation. If you've seen Shakugan No Shana, then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this show. Despite being an unoriginal idea, this anime is very enjoyable...
Aria: The Scarlet Ammo
This was a great anime. The storyline, character development, animation and voice dub. The rating is TV 14 for action, violence and drama. By drama they mean awkward situation of a sexual nature, it goes with the storyline so I don't think anyone minds it.
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Batman: Under the Red Hood [Blu-ray]

Best DCU animated movie yet!
I've liked most of the DC's recent forays into animation on varying levels, but none of them really hit the mark for me. The scripts in those other titles just weren't good enough and brought the entire production down. Many of them had excellent voice actors and animation, but that couldn't save a poor script.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is different.

Managing to cram five different arcs from the comics into a movie just under 90 minutes is impressive. Managing to do that and keep the entire thing remarkably faithful and have it turn out well is on another level.

The movie starts off with the final moments of the comic arc 'Death in the Family' featured in Batman #426-429, where the Joker sadistically kills Jason Todd aka the second Robin. This scene isn't extremely graphic and most of the violence is kept off screen, but as other reviewers have warned please take the PG-13 rating seriously. From there the story jumps forward five years and compresses...
Dark, violent, and action packed!!!
I was prepared to dislike the new DC direct-to-dvd animated film, Batman: Under the Red Hood. I've been annoyed with these animated films for a number of reasons, some admittedly nitpicky and petty, but annoyances just the same. However, after watching a review copy I was quite pleased with the way it worked out! Having read the original story arc in the comics, I wondered how they were going to take such a complex tale, one that draws on various Batman stories going as far back as 1951, and roll it all up into a neat little self-contained package lasting under an hour and 20 minutes (short running time--another gripe of mine). The answer is, quite deftly!

The story has to do with the Batman's greatest failure, the sadistic, violent death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, at the hands of the Joker, who began his career as a masked criminal known as the Red Hood, which is established in short, succinct flashbacks. The story begins five years after the death of Jason Todd...
VERY GOOD...RED HOOD RULES
Just watched it today, I had to comment about it. People always complain about the voice actors...the cast did great..Batman, Nightwing, RED HOOD..they all sounded great.I'm not going to comment on Joker's voice, instead I will praise his animation...Joker looked GREAT. The movie is much adult oriented this time, ..good. I can't recommend it enough..great moments, shocking and touching at the same time. the final battle, the final scene..the intro music, which is the same played at the end could be used for a live action movie. I want to see more of the guy behind the red hood...

SPOILER ALERT; Remember what Joker does with a pencil in THE DARK KNIGHT?...watch this movie and see what he does..with a glass..and be surprised like I was.....ENJOY IT for what it is, a dark, violent, good BATMAN story.
I would love to see the Killing joke....
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Shakugan no Shana: Season Two, Part 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Some Interesting Divergences
At the end of the 1st season, Shana and Yoshida expressed their intentions to fight for Yuji's affections. This is where this season picks up. The 1st 2 episodes are kind of strange. A denizen has the power to trap the 3 friends in a dream world. Past events reoccur and confuse them. There are a few episodes that explain some events in Marjorie's tragic past. There are also some light hearted episodes where they all go to an amusement park, Yuji's Dad returns, and a school festival takes place. Most of this collection is spent developing the relationships between the characters. There are also a few new characters introduced. The origin of the Midnight Lost Child is revealed and the Caprice of Beauty come to collect it. This set leaves you hanging right as this happens.

My only complaint with this season is that nearly all of the key voice actors have been replaced. It's a little strange at first, but the new actors are very good and pretty well known. It doesn't hurt the...
A Great 2nd Season! Every anime Fan should See This!
After learning the origin of The Midnight Lost Child, Yuji decides that he needs to train harder to protect himself. His new attitude creates a rift between Shana, Yoshida, and himself. Eita also distances himself after seeing Ogata's death. Even though she was able to be revived, the sight of his dying love leads him to abandon Marjorie. After some terrible experiences, the bonds that the group has built strengthen. The news about Yuji's unborn sibling also helps Yuji decide to stay in Misaki City. Just as he realizes this, and is about to choose between Yoshida and Shana, The Ball Masque appears. Hecate removes the Midnight Lost Child and uses it to awaken a giant monster. Marjorie, Wilhelmina, and Shana go to save him. But will they be able to prevent his disappearance?

This is an excellent 2nd season. My first thought was, "holy crap! All the voice actors are different." Yes, all the voice actors from season 1 were replace. No it's not a bad thing. It took a few...
Shakugan no Shana...takes a break?
I'm still up in the air about writing a review for season one. It has enough reviews already so I don't know if I could add anything to them. Season two part one though I feel differently. So here we go.

First, let's talk about probably the most obvious thing that viewers are going to notice: the changes. Big changes. Assuming you watch the show in English, like I do, you'll notice right away that every single voice actor has been replaced. And I mean everyone, even people who barely had any screen time. Of course, we know why Tabitha St. Germain couldn't renew her role, what with voicing the best pony ever, but the rest of the cast is a mystery. The new voices will take some getting used to, but they work--for the most part. Shana is now voiced by Yoshika Miyafuji from Strike Witches. Okay, so her real name is Cherami Leigh. The point is, Shana's new voice actor was the one I was most concerned about, but when I found out that it was the same girl who did Yoshika, I was...
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Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine [Blu-ray]

Extremely well done
Let me start off by stating Lupin the Third: the Woman Called Fujiko Mine isn't anything like all the previous Lupin series, movies and specials. For starter, this new series is a sexier and slightly darker take on the Lupin we all know and love, at least anime wise for me. Gone are the wacky hijinks and some of the crazy exploits Lupin and company are known for. Of course this is replaced by the much more mature take on Fujiko Mine and Inspector Zenigata. In this series, there's no more innuendos from Fujiko as she is flat out overt in her sexuality.

Lupin the Third: the Woman Called Fujiko is basically a story about how Fujiko becomes who she is and her first encounter of the Lupin gang. This series is all about Fujiko and her secret past while Lupin and company take a back seat. It's a nice departure and is pretty well planned out until the last couple of episodes where I felt they might have rushed the ending a little.

As for everything else, this series was...
A different kind of Lupin the Third series
Any fan who knows anything about anime knows who Lupin the Third is, but do they truly know about his compatriots? This series is primarily about Fujiko Mine, not Arsene Lupin, as the title implies. The mystery of Fujiko is the main drive for this series, and how she may be tied with a mysterious organization of owl obsessed fanatics. Yes, an owl organization. It sounds absurd, but it works in the confines of this series. In fact, the owl imagery is so unusual and random, it is downright scary.

The first thing a viewer would notice when watching this show is that Fujiko Mine doesn't seem to wear clothes a lot of the time. This is very apparent in the opening and the first few episodes. Because of this, and the dark elements of the story, this is not a series for younger anime fans at all.

Zenigata, Goemon, and Jigen are the other popular Lupin characters that also appear in this series. Their pasts are described finally, and they are particularly different than...
Pretty Good
I bought this show on a hunch that I would love it and I do its a perfect prequel to Lupin the Third
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Heaven's Lost Property: Season One (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

crass, lowbrow, ecchi - but very funny
If you are down on lowbrow anime pervert humor / ecchi comdey, regardless if there is some real cleverness & humor in it, then just walk away. This being another fantasy ecchi harem comedy, it has all of that & then some.

But this show really had me laughing. And there is an intersting mystery going on with some darker ominous undertones, creating some legitimate tension making you want to see the next episode. The angeloid characters are all well done characters with distinct different personalities & motivations. Our mian protaganist who ends up having to look after the angeloids, is an idiot. But one of the better idiots I have seen in these kinds of comedys, and well done character. It could be easy to dismiss a show like this as more fan service cheeasiness, but I think it does have some genuinely funny stuff going on throughout most of the show. The end credit animation & songs being different for each episode (and quite funny & clever) add a nice touch.
Heaven's Lost Property, Season 1
I really liked this show. The humor is very lowbrow and some of the plots get really dirty. It is not something a person would want to just tune into to fill a day without looking into first. That said, it is really funny and definitely worth watching.

On some levels, this show has a linear plot line that can progress from episode to episode. It deals with an angel and the boy she belongs to and her ability to give him anything he wants. Did I mention he is really, really, obsessed with females and their undergarments? Well, that comes up a lot, as does his connection to his childhood friend/neighbor/possible love interest. There are two other characters as well, the class president and the boy who wants to fly, and another angel evening out a cast that adds a lot to the humor.

Here's an example of a plot line, to see if it is something you would watch, noting this is done with humor but that it also involves some nudity and crass comments/suggestions. Having...
Great Anime but misleading Title
This is indeed a great anime, but the title is a little misleading as in this is only the first season and not the second one. So calling it the "Complete series" is misleading to me.
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Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom - Complete Series [Blu-ray]

Weapons the Arcs
This anime series covers 26 episodes and presents itself through 3 main arcs with some lapses of time occurring between the arcs. The series is a spy action thriller with a deep story that will keep you engaged in this world of mystery and discovery. Twists and turns in a world where the main character is on a quest of identity, self, love, strength, and just about a dozen other things. All the characters feel real and it was just a series that I really enjoyed. I tend to refer to this anime as the modern setting of the anime Claymore. There is not connection between those two anime but I feel like the are on par quality wise but this series isn't as mystical and is better off in the area of plot. Also, I'm not sure what the other reviewer had mention about this being the first season of two. As far as I know this is the only season and it is worth buying. If there is another season let me know!

I will be buying this without a doubt, an amazing anime not to mention having...
Possibly 2011's best action anime series
Anytime you put assassins, treachery, angst and possible romance in a storyline and DO THEM ALL EQUALLY WELL, you've got yourself a winner my friend! I bought this series as soon as it dropped and I absolutely loved it. I already bought the Phantom OVA that was released years ago with just a few episodes and this is basically a better re-telling of that story.

I NEVER compare anime to manga from 2 different series- (#1 it's not the same art form #2 you shouldn't compare moving art to still art). Another reviewer compared Phantom to a title that was released 15-20 years ago, criticizing this series. Comparing one title's anime to another title's MANGA is just plain bad reviewing.

This anime falls in the same category (I guess) as Noir, Madlax etc., but those can't hold a candle to this series. It has way better production quality. It was masterfully animated, excellent English dub, kick-ass action and plenty of likeable characters. The musical score made my...
This is one that will stick with you! An amazing series.
It took me a couple of episodes to get into this series, and it's not one I'll soon forget. It has some of the most memorable - and tragic - figures in Anime. No giant robots or wizards, demons or aliens. This is the story of professional assassins, brainwashed and brutally trained into their profession. We stare with Einz and Zwei, then later add Drei. All three are high-school aged kids, and all are the best at their profession. This is realistic, sometimes heart-wrenching, usually action-packed animation. It's similar to Ghost in the Shell in it's look and feel, only set in modern times with modern weapons. Mob bosses using specially trained assassins to keep other mob families in line. We have unrequited love, brutal assassinations (some are pretty shocking), world-class animation and voice actors, and is one of the best I have seen in ages.

The ending - the real ending - is in the final credits, and it's a shocker. Is it open ended? Not really, but I suppose a...
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Yu Yu Hakusho: Season Three (Classic) [Blu-ray]

Fantastic. Brings back great nostalgia.
I hadn't watched Yu Yu Hakusho in several years until I came across Funimation's release of the seasons on blu ray. I remember the series as a fun ride, though I didn't recall many specifics of the plot. I ended up purchasing the first 3 sets on blu ray. There was a pleasant sense of familiarity as I watched the sets. I can say with definite certainty that I will also purchase the last set as well.

As for this specific set, I believe it is my favorite of the 3 thus far. The action is intense from the very beginning as the set starts off in the beginning of the final round of the Dark Tournament. The fights are very exciting/over the top and take up the whole first disc of the set. The only negative I have is that I feel the final fight with Toguro draggs out a bit too long, but it is still epic an battle nonetheless. The disc wraps up with a fitting end to the arc. As for the rest of the episodes, they center around the Black Saga arc. Going into these episodes...
Excellent remaster
I already own a ten-year-old set of the Dark Tournament DVDs, and I'm looking to finally complete my collection, so I bought this to compare the two and see if the Blu-Ray version was worth the cost. It is! I'm really picky about video quality, and I was expecting a low-effort upscale job, but it turned out to be better than I could have hoped for such an old series. The colors and lines are vibrant and clear, and the artifacts that bothered me so much on the old DVDs have been smoothed away. They even relaid the text on the titles so it would be legible at 1080p. YYH was my first "real" anime, and it warms my withered, jaded heart to see it get such a loving remaster.

I remember when Suncoast tried to charge $25 for a four-episode disc. Now we can get the whole series in much better quality for $100. Definitely worth it.
A Great Season as well
For those who got the Season 2 set you'll have to get this to finish dark tournament anyway. But the season that follows is great as well, you'll see changes in the soundtracks and I think the show is a little more mature in this part of the series.
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Patlabor TV Collection 4 [Blu-ray]

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Lost Girl: Season Three [Blu-ray]

Keeps getting stronger
Unlike some shows that lose steam after a couple of seasons, Lost Girl apparently improves with age. Having firmly established its mythology in seasons 1 & 2, season 3 introduces important new characters and delves deeper into the background of some of the central characters, including a visit to Bo's past. If you are a fan of Vex, you'll certainly enjoy the first couple episodes of the season. Bo and Kenzi continue to face down new enemies with their usual panache, although it seems they are separated more often in season 3 when confronting what needs to be dealt with.

The introduction of expansive lore and imaginative minor characters with each episode never ceases to amaze; the all-fired creativity of the show's world is largely unparalleled in television today, and remains among Lost Girl's greatest assets. I rarely rate a TV show with 5 stars, but in the case of Lost Girl it's hard to find a downside, other than scripts that sometimes could be a bit tighter. Season 3...
Love this season
Before this show, I hadn't really gotten into Canadian shows. I loved lost girl. I love the mythology, the story line, the strong female protagonist and basically everything else. It is beautifully shot, the actors and actresses are amazing (and sexy and funny), and the storyline is riveting!

I think this season really hit the shows stride. More of the politics and history was brought out, and Bo continues to be challenged. Bones- Linda Hamilton guest stars!
More Doccubus Please!
I am a huge fan of the Canadian series "Lost Girl". I love fantasy and sci-fi and Lost Girl takes it to the next level with snappy dialogue and well developed characters as well as a great 'love is love' message and a cool vibe about acceptance all around. The setting is the unseen world of the Fae (both light and dark) and the interactions they have with humans. The protagonist is a Succubus, a Fae that feeds on human sexual energy (way to bury the lede!) This is season 3 and season 4 is just around the corner. I hope they get renewed again.
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Another: Complete Collection [Blu-ray]

Another one down - a review of the series
Kōichi Sasakibara has recently transferred to a new school. His class has a strange atmosphere, and it gets even stranger after he meets a pretty girl named Mei Misaki, whose existence none of his classmates will acknowledge. Then he learns of a horrifying story that started 26 years ago, when a popular student named Misaki died...

Another is one of those horror stories that is horrific, but not really scary. The deaths were surprisingly graphic, but other then that it was fairly mild. The atmosphere is well done, the story fast paced, and the characters engaging enough to propel the story. I really enjoyed watching this series, as it is exactly the kind of horror show I enjoy. Creepy, but you'll have no trouble sleeping at night. If you enjoy shows like Shiki, Umineko, and...
Phenominal horror anime series
Imagine Final Destination, but better. This anime is how horror should be done, not just using gory deaths but having a very creepy setting with a mysterious story that should provide a satisfying conclusion.
Good but wish it could've been longer
Very good dark mystery anime.wish they would make a second season,but I must warn you this is NOT for children.It contains devil may care violence,but overall it's a good anime.Check it out
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Dragon Ball Z: Broly Triple Feature (Broly/Broly Second Coming/Bio-Broly) [Blu-ray]

Decent DBZ Blu-Ray Still Coming
Funimation is still releasing the DBZ movies in their new remastered Blu-Ray/Steelbook DVD formats. Some fans may be disappointed if they bought the Broly features when they came out in the Blu-Ray pack recently, but for those who haven't purchased them yet, or only have the old regular DVD versions from a few years ago and want to upgrade, this is the way to do it.

This set containt DBZ Movies 8, 10, 11.

BROLY: THE LEGENDARY SUPER SAIYIN
This is probably the main reason for fans to buy this and is definitely the best of the three seen here, and some would argue the best out of all thirteen movies. It's storyline begins way back when Goku was a crying baby Kakarot on the planet Vegeta and introduces another baby Saiyin, Broly, who didn't care much for his cries. Then the story picks up again years later when another surviving Saiyan, Paragus, interrupts the Z-Fighter's picnic by dropping by in a large space ship. He has come to invite Goku and Vegeta to the...
Blue-Ray Version!!!
A must for all dragonball fans and a must have. We have all seen these and we'll worry getting. The HD to Blue-Ray transfer looks great and a must have.
HELL YEAH
DBZ is my all time favorite anime series and they done me proud with this blue ray triple feature. it made me feel like i was a kid again. once again HELL YEAH.
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Freezing: Complete Series [Blu-ray]

Beautiful Animation
The story might leave a bit to be desired. More time is spent on fan service than in developing a story that has a lot of potential. The quality of the animation is beautiful. There is a story here and it is interesting it just could have been so much more. Still the fan service is nice if that trips your trigger.
Good watching
Very entertaining. Surprising at every episode. Good amounts between suspense and comedy. Kept your attention on it and you had to keep watching though the last episode.
Enjoyable freezing experience.
I thought the plot was well done and the story line was refreshing. Sure it has similar elements of others, but the direction, theme and revelation really make it worth having.
There is some fan service, but for those who don't care for it be warned of lots of clothes being thrashed in battles. The story unfolds brillinatly and delivers enough to keep you watching and satisfied. Girls are the warriors while boys are the protectors with "freezing capabilities" which render an enemy unabl to move. The majority of the show is about the lives of those at the training academy; they compete, have mock battles, and tend to not get along. The girls are the fighters, and thus they tend to resolve everything by extreme physical fights. I took a chance on this one and now I am glad that I did because it has found a place in my collection of favorites.
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Campione Complete Collection [Blu-ray]

Divine Hijinks
Poor Goduu - all he wanted was to return a stone tablet to a friend of his now deceased grandfather - however things get complicated when he gets caught up in a duel with two powerful gods and ends up becoming a Campione - one who has killed a god and gained the Authority of said diety. Now he has returned to japan with a beautiful blonde knight, Erica in order to protect the country and keep other gods from destroying the world. But how is he to do this when other Campiones are trying to muscle in on his territory, rogue gods appear, and do not forget the group of lovely ladies who wish to help and train him - not to mention get closer to him. But can Godu be able to keep his divine promises, or will he be sidetracked with all the distractions that Erica and the others can provide to him.

I just finished this and will get it soon. A entertaining action harem comedy filled with lovely ladies, explosions, divine battles, and a lot of soul searching. It is a must to have...
He who defies the Gods
I'm a big romance and harem genre fan. And when they have awesome fights and mythology, I tend to get hooked on the series. Campione! was no exception.

I started watching Campione! right after the first episode had aired in Japan and had been subbed. After that first episode, I swear I could feel the excitement of the fight that Godoh had felt during his fight with the Persian God of Victory, Verethragna. And after that first episode, I waited and watched each new episode week after week and fell in love with the characters. The story is not much different than most harem animes on the surface: guy gets power, girls fall in love with the guy because of how he uses that power, and the guy is too dense to realize that they are actually in love with him. However, Campione! has a different flair to it: the guy, Godoh Kusanagi, actually needs these girls and has to kiss them if we wants to gather the information used for his strongest authority, the Golden Sword of Verethragna...
god slayer
Campione follows the aventures of godou, a high school student who inadvertently stole the powers of a god. Now his daily life has been made more complicated not only by gods who want to kill him but by rival god slayers. He's not alone however as he's companied buy a harem of voluptuous warrior maidens who via for his affection.

From a fan point of view, campione is one of the best animes to come out in a while. The stories entertaining, the characters are memorable, and the battle scenes are epic and very cinematic. It is a crime this anime didn't get more than just one season. I had also wish to spend money went to Funimation instead of sentai Filmworks, as sentai tends to price there merchandise a bit high. Despite that I'm still going to buy it, and would recommend this anime to anyone.
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