Showing posts with label Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Show all posts

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Sister Act: 20th Anniversary Edition - Two-Movie Collection (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)


Great movies, but new DVD editions are sorely needed.
It seems as though lately, nearly all movie studios are jumping onto a new trend in DVD releases - double, triple, even quadruple features which consist of taking ever-so-slightly related catalogue DVD releases and packaging them together. These are executed in several ways, ranging from simply packaging existing DVDs together, in the case of Buena Vista Home Entertainment's releases, or putting existing DVDs onto flippers, in the case of some of Warner Bros.' releases. Some sets put all the DVDs into one case, while others use a box with slim DVD cases inside. No matter how they're executed, these sets can usually be found for fifteen dollars or less in stores such as Wal Mart.

On one hand, I kinda like this trend. It's a great value for your dollar, and who isn't looking for THAT these days? On the other hand, I feel like if they're going to do this, they could update some of these DVDs.

Take this Sister Act 2-Movie Collection DVD. I picked this up because I...
Goldberg Gold
I have no idea how long since I first watched this movie. Even though I generally lean towards drama and true crime rather than comedy, I fell in love with Sister Act and Whoopi Goldberg. Like her character, Deloris, I also enjoyed music from the 60s and enjoyed the opening act. When she was talked into hiding out at the convent, the action slowed down a little, though certain parts were funny, such as when she, and Sisters Mary Patrick and Mary Robert entered a bar. However, the action took off when she became head of the choir and introduced a bit of deep shoulder action to the nuns. Out of respect for those who still have not seen this movie, I won't say more about the contents. The DVD, which I bought in a set with the sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, it played beautifully with no pausing as sometimes happens. It was very easy to remove the disk from its holder and replace after viewing the disk. I enjoyed the brief look at how the movie was made in the special features,...
great bargin - 2-in-1
These are great movies (I particularly like Sister Act 2 with Lauryn Hill) and I was thrilled to find they were released on DVD as a set!

For those not familiar with the movie, Whoopi plays Delores Van Cartier, a Las Vegas/Reno showgirl (can't remember which town) who witnesses a murder. The cop in charge of the investigation (Bill Nunn) puts her in protective custody (not sure of the term, sorry) at a convent. Delores's lifestyle clashes with the convent life, but she adapts somewhat, but she's a rebel against their strict rules. She is put in the choir, which is awful, and is elected the new choir director and the rest of part 1 revolves around that and her differences with the convent's reverend mother. Part 2, Whoopi is a Las Vegas headliner and is asked by the reverend mother to return, this time to St. Francis Academy in San Francisco as a music teacher. Lauryn Hill plays a conflicted student who wants to sing, but her mother really looks down on it and pulls her...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Lone Ranger (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)


"The Lone Ranger" with a twist!
We were fortunate enough to have seen a sneak preview of "The Lone Ranger" at the theatre on the military base where we live, and my family really enjoyed it. We had a great time. In fact, judging from the reactions of the packed house, everyone there was having a great time.

Johnny Depp was, in my opinion, wonderful as a slightly edgy Tonto. His comedic and dramatic timing were right on target, and his interpretation of Tonto -- as he was written for this movie -- was well done. The same can be said for Armie Hammer in the lead role. We watched his character evolve into The Lone Ranger in a remarkably believable manner. The character was definitely different when compared at the beginning and ending of the movie. We thought that the concept of Silver, and from where he came, was creative and added well to the story. There was a LOT of laughter, cheering and even some booing (at the villains). The line between the good guys and the bad guys was boldly drawn in the...
Saw it with low expectations, but it's really good
This movie has been getting really bad reviews. My son wanted to see it so I went in with really low expectations. It should have been a complete disaster and a waste of 2 1/2 hours based on the reviews I read. It's not! I'm not even certain some of the critics had even seen the movie based on what I read. I'm not sure what the original story of the Lone Ranger was, but this movie creates a very good back story. Despite it's length, it moves a long quickly and has a lot of humor. Even though Johnny Depp gets top billing, this IS about the Lone Ranger. Yes, Tonto is more important than he was in the old TV series, but how could he not be? The story is told as Tonto tells it to a young boy. He may or may not be the most reliable story teller, but that's part of what makes it fun.
A STUNNING PRODUCTION
I grew up with "The Lone Ranger" and even met Clayton Moore during a promotional tour in the mid 1950s. I was afraid Hollywood might have screwed this all up. "The Lone Ranger" production is a creative, respectful, and cared for tour de force. Despite some of the Amazon reviewers who did not like the film, the acting, locations, script, and direction are all over the top. The use of humor is well selected and is NOT disrespectful to the television show. This film is quite special and well worth seeing and owning. Hans Zimmer has created another fabulous score. Some of the comments by critics in the newspapers are living proof that these are critics without an ability to relate to the tradition of these two characters. How tragic. I walked out of the theatre feeling I got my money's worth and as you know, that is rarely a typical reaction these days. Unlike some of the critics, I could care less that Depp is not a native American.
Click to Editorial Reviews

Monday, October 21, 2013

Iron Man 3 (Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack)


A Rousing Movie; Different from What I Expected
Let me start by saying that I can understand why there are a lot of split opinions about IRON MAN 3. It's a film full of misdirection and deceptions, and I was a little distressed by a couple of them - which would give away too much to detail here. Suffice it to say that there were a couple of moments I felt somewhat cheated; and though I'll be vague about it I can say it involved Mandarin. Still, read on; while I gave the movie four stars, I believe down the road I might very well revise this to a five. I'll explain...

First of all, rest assured there is A LOT of action. And there are a lot of the Iron Suits, too...it's just that Tony Stark isn't often the one IN the suit. I found myself often frustrated by that fact: Iron Man interruptus, if you will. Either the suits were off on their own, or they were on other people, or they weren't working properly...something that seemed to occur almost constantly.

I saw it in Imax 3D, and it was well worth the extra...
Awesome
I dont care about comics. As far as a movie? This was great. It makes me forget that stinker Iron Man 2. Good action, great camera angles, great characters. I enjoyed the madarin twist even though it was against the grain. Guy did a great job of being a villian. It was like getting part comic book, part video game, and part Lethal Weapon. The level of action and the pace of the movie was right on target. The pepper ending could have been a silly disaster but i think they did it right, and gwen played that scene perfect. I left the theatre very happy. Like spider man 2, avengers, x men 2, this is a great marvel action movie. Not a comic book. Shane Black did a great job with this movie. It was like being in the theatre as a kid watching the Hoth battle unfold. Thats how i feel about this movie. Can you tell i just watched it? Im going to watch it again right now.
Watch "The Avengers" Before You Watch This.
I am not going to give away anything plotwise for those who haven't seen this movie yet but my advice to everyone is to watch "The Avengers" before watching this one. The reason for this is because the movie frequently references things that happened there and they will make more sense to the viewer. It at least sticks with canon where the films are concerned. While "The Avengers" isn't necessarily "Iron Man 2.5", there are things that happen to the Tony Stark character in that film that come into play in "Iron Man 3".

(Personal side note, I purchased the single disc DVD, just because that was in my budget. I would have preferred Blu Ray but I am one movie fan who doesn't really nitpick about formats. I will watch a film on VHS if I want to see it bad enough.)

That notwithstanding, it is still a great film on its own. If you want to see Robert Downey Jr. a LOT, this film will NOT disappoint you in that department, nor will you feel cheated out of special...
Click to Editorial Reviews

The Little Mermaid (Two-Disc Diamond Edition: Blu-ray / DVD in DVD Packaging)


Disney's beloved classic returns!!
One of the most beloved Disney films, "The Little Mermaid" returns on dvd, fully restored and remastered in an all new 2 disc set this October! Rather than talking about the film (c'mon we all know what it is all about and most of are quite familiar with its charm and beauty! Though the first "The Little mermaid" dvd released years ago was just a barebone disc with non-anamorphic transfer, this one will have everything to fulfill every mermaid fan's desire!

Here's what to look forward to in this special 2 disc set:

Fully restored with an all-new Disney Home Theatre 5.1 mix.

Backstage Disney, including an all new commentary.

Treasures Untold: The Making of The Little Mermaid.

The Story Behind The Story.

Deleted Scenes, including Backstage With Sebastian, Sebastian Lost In The Castle, Advice From Sebastian and Fight With Ursula.

Music Video "Kiss The Girl"

Games and Activities inclue The Little...
Good if you don't mind minor edits
Finally got around to watching this last night. In this review I'm not going to bother to review the movie itself. It's seventeen years old. I'm sure if you are interested in it you've seen it by now. Rather, I'm going to review the technical quality of the film and the extras provided on the DVD. One thing that feel I should point out up front is that the movie HAS been edited, but only in one scene. The infamous 'clergyman sporting an erection' that caused such a stupid flundie flap has been photoshopped. The theatrical poster artwork is not on the cover or anywhere on the disc for a similar reason. You can find out more by going to Snopes and looking in the Disney films section. I personally don't care, but some people do. Now, on to the review.

This version is widescreen, but it's 16:9 widescreen and not theatrical widescreen, but this has been the case in pretty much all the Disney movie DVDs so no surprises there. The Little Mermaid was the next to last movie Disney...
Are you sure you got an authentic disc?
People need to be VERY cautious when buying Little Mermaid. This DVD has been out of print so long that it is actually quite rare to find a truly new disc. I've actually had the misfortune of buying several Disney DVD's at auction only to find that they are counterfeit discs even though the box is shrinkwrapped. I e-mailed the seller of one of these DVD's and found out that apparently there are a lot of people who separately buy counterfeit DVD's in bulk (usually from Asia) along with packaging materials. They then assemble all the stuff together, shrinkwrap the whole thing (yes, people actually buy shrinkwrapping machines to do this!) and sell it as new on the web. This also explains all those electronic auctions where the seller makes the outrageous claim that their DVD's don't ship in a hard case but instead come in a more protective sleeve (which is BS) or they're trying to save you shipping (that's because they don't have the authentic cases to send you).

So how can...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - 20th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack)


Be True to Your Ghoul
Note: This is a review of the 2008 DVD release

What's this? A new "Nightmare Before Christmas" DVD package? Actually there are three versions: this two-disc set that includes a downloadable digital copy, a Blu-ray version, and a collector's edition that comes with a bust of Jack Skellington with a detachable Sandy Claus beard and hat.

Though this version is billed as a two-disc set, it actually has three discs. The third one contains the digital copy. An instruction sheet spells out in clear steps how to download the file to an iPod or similar device.

The movie itself is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. A delectable witches' brew of stop-motion animation, catchy show tunes and a seriously warped creative license, it always stays true to its timeless message: to be happy, be yourself. Devilishly...
A Special Edition that is TRULY Special
If you think the best movies are the ones that show you a world you've never envisioned before, then you will LOVE Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas". A benchmark in stop-motion animation, this incredibly difficult-to-make film (24 individually posed frames were needed to produce ONE SECONDS's worth of action) is a masterpiece of art direction, set design, and good old-fashioned storytelling. The plot revolves around Jack, the Pumpkin King of Halloween, and his attempt to run Christmas in place of Santa Claus. "Sleigh" becomes confused with "slay"; "stockings" become "stalkings"; and spirits go from joyous to ghostly as the two holidays clash together like oil and water, or fire and ice. One of the great surprises of the movie is that although it dances around material that could easily careen into cynicism, it remains refreshingly sweet and light throughout. Which is not to say that some of the comedy isn't a little...
Nightmare Before Christmas 2 Disk (Blu-ray + DVD)
Nightmare Before Christmas [Blu-ray]
Since there are a number of reviews listed on previous releases of this movie which describe the storyline of The Nightmare Before Christmas, I will just mention that I saw it when it was originally released in the movie theaters and have been a fan ever since. After being unable to find out sufficient details about the technical specs of this 2010 release on the Amazon and Disney websites, I decided to find out the information by visiting a "Big Box" store so that I could physically look at the Blu-ray/DVD cover. This version contains one Blu-ray disk and one DVD disk. The Blu-ray specs listed on the box are 1080p, with a 1:66:1 aspect ratio. The DVD specs are shown as "original theatrical format" with a 1:66:1 aspect ratio. If you do not already own a Blu-ray player, this version will work best.

After considering this information, I decided to order the...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Monsters University (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)


Why the lessons in `Monsters University' are Pixar's most bold yet
SPOILERS BELOW. DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM.

If you don't care about the end being discussed, then by all means read on...

My wife and I saw Monsters University and both loved it. Many of the Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes however, seemed to miss the point of the film entirely.

"This is a safe, predictable, edge-free, nearly bland effort from a studio that rarely hedges its bets." - Richard Roeper

"[It] conforms to [Pixar's] apparent drift toward the average, with toy sales taking priority over originality." - Liam Lacey

"Monsters University is cute, and funny, and the animation, though not exactly inspired, is certainly colorful." - Steven Rae

"Mostly memorable for being fine but forgettable." - Betsy Sharkey

Since 1995, Pixar has dominated computer animated filmmaking. They constantly win Academy Awards (9 nominations, 7 wins for Best Animated Feature) and are universally praised for their...
Pixar returns to its magical ways.
Dumb me! Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb me! All summer I put my faith and hope in the big blockbuster films, the Iron Man 3's and Star Treks of the world. And from Man of Steel to Pacific Rim almost without fail these over budgeted, underwritten explosiony action films left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed. Except for World War Z there is not a single movie I've seen this summer that I can truly say was a great film. Some were better than others (Oblivion and Pacific Rim were both pretty good) but considering their competition was Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness that's not saying much. All the while I put off seeing Monsters U for weeks. "It looks silly" I said, "Pixar has lost its mojo" the idiot side of my brain insisted. Well, that sure teaches me. I will never doubt Pixar again. Even if they make another mediocre film like Brave, they have more than proven themselves still capable of making a damn good film.

Wall E will always be my favorite Pixar...
Even though It's A Prequel, "Monsters University" Continues to Surprise Us With Profound Insights
***This review may contain spoilers.***

Like "Monsters, Inc.", "Monsters University" (MU) won't win any recognition for its originality. Relating the tale of the first encounter between all-eye green cyclops Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and blue, hulking, bear-like James "Sully" Sullivan (John Goodman) at the titular institute of higher "scare" learning, MU cribs all over the place. As other posters have noticed, MU borrows fragments of other college-themed movies like "Animal House", the Harry Potter movie heptology (seven films), and even a smidgen of "Back to School". Most tellingly, however, MU is heavily in debt to "The Hunger Games", since the meets held to determine which monster fraternities will be eliminated from the prestigious "scare curriculum" and even from the university take up the bulk of the film. MU robustly and hilariously satirizes the aspects of college and frat life you would expect, but later reveals unexpected insights about the limits of...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Iron Man 3 (Three-Disc Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)


A Rousing Movie; Different from What I Expected
Let me start by saying that I can understand why there are a lot of split opinions about IRON MAN 3. It's a film full of misdirection and deceptions, and I was a little distressed by a couple of them - which would give away too much to detail here. Suffice it to say that there were a couple of moments I felt somewhat cheated; and though I'll be vague about it I can say it involved Mandarin. Still, read on; while I gave the movie four stars, I believe down the road I might very well revise this to a five. I'll explain...

First of all, rest assured there is A LOT of action. And there are a lot of the Iron Suits, too...it's just that Tony Stark isn't often the one IN the suit. I found myself often frustrated by that fact: Iron Man interruptus, if you will. Either the suits were off on their own, or they were on other people, or they weren't working properly...something that seemed to occur almost constantly.

I saw it in Imax 3D, and it was well worth the extra...
Awesome
I dont care about comics. As far as a movie? This was great. It makes me forget that stinker Iron Man 2. Good action, great camera angles, great characters. I enjoyed the madarin twist even though it was against the grain. Guy did a great job of being a villian. It was like getting part comic book, part video game, and part Lethal Weapon. The level of action and the pace of the movie was right on target. The pepper ending could have been a silly disaster but i think they did it right, and gwen played that scene perfect. I left the theatre very happy. Like spider man 2, avengers, x men 2, this is a great marvel action movie. Not a comic book. Shane Black did a great job with this movie. It was like being in the theatre as a kid watching the Hoth battle unfold. Thats how i feel about this movie. Can you tell i just watched it? Im going to watch it again right now.
Watch "The Avengers" Before You Watch This.
I am not going to give away anything plotwise for those who haven't seen this movie yet but my advice to everyone is to watch "The Avengers" before watching this one. The reason for this is because the movie frequently references things that happened there and they will make more sense to the viewer. It at least sticks with canon where the films are concerned. While "The Avengers" isn't necessarily "Iron Man 2.5", there are things that happen to the Tony Stark character in that film that come into play in "Iron Man 3".

(Personal side note, I purchased the single disc DVD, just because that was in my budget. I would have preferred Blu Ray but I am one movie fan who doesn't really nitpick about formats. I will watch a film on VHS if I want to see it bad enough.)

That notwithstanding, it is still a great film on its own. If you want to see Robert Downey Jr. a LOT, this film will NOT disappoint you in that department, nor will you feel cheated out of special...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Monsters University (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)


Why the lessons in `Monsters University' are Pixar's most bold yet
SPOILERS BELOW. DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM.

If you don't care about the end being discussed, then by all means read on...

My wife and I saw Monsters University and both loved it. Many of the Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes however, seemed to miss the point of the film entirely.

"This is a safe, predictable, edge-free, nearly bland effort from a studio that rarely hedges its bets." - Richard Roeper

"[It] conforms to [Pixar's] apparent drift toward the average, with toy sales taking priority over originality." - Liam Lacey

"Monsters University is cute, and funny, and the animation, though not exactly inspired, is certainly colorful." - Steven Rae

"Mostly memorable for being fine but forgettable." - Betsy Sharkey

Since 1995, Pixar has dominated computer animated filmmaking. They constantly win Academy Awards (9 nominations, 7 wins for Best Animated Feature) and are universally praised for their...
Pixar returns to its magical ways.
Dumb me! Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb me! All summer I put my faith and hope in the big blockbuster films, the Iron Man 3's and Star Treks of the world. And from Man of Steel to Pacific Rim almost without fail these over budgeted, underwritten explosiony action films left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed. Except for World War Z there is not a single movie I've seen this summer that I can truly say was a great film. Some were better than others (Oblivion and Pacific Rim were both pretty good) but considering their competition was Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness that's not saying much. All the while I put off seeing Monsters U for weeks. "It looks silly" I said, "Pixar has lost its mojo" the idiot side of my brain insisted. Well, that sure teaches me. I will never doubt Pixar again. Even if they make another mediocre film like Brave, they have more than proven themselves still capable of making a damn good film.

Wall E will always be my favorite Pixar...
Even though It's A Prequel, "Monsters University" Continues to Surprise Us With Profound Insights
***This review may contain spoilers.***

Like "Monsters, Inc.", "Monsters University" (MU) won't win any recognition for its originality. Relating the tale of the first encounter between all-eye green cyclops Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and blue, hulking, bear-like James "Sully" Sullivan (John Goodman) at the titular institute of higher "scare" learning, MU cribs all over the place. As other posters have noticed, MU borrows fragments of other college-themed movies like "Animal House", the Harry Potter movie heptology (seven films), and even a smidgen of "Back to School". Most tellingly, however, MU is heavily in debt to "The Hunger Games", since the meets held to determine which monster fraternities will be eliminated from the prestigious "scare curriculum" and even from the university take up the bulk of the film. MU robustly and hilariously satirizes the aspects of college and frat life you would expect, but later reveals unexpected insights about the limits of...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Planes (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)


Planes Versus Cars?
'Planes' Review. By Owen Zupp
Author: 50 Tales of Flight: From Biplanes to Boeings

Famous movie franchises can be like famous families. They can benefit from association, but they can also suffer at the hands of unending comparisons. And this may well be the case for 'Planes'.

In terms of a movie, 'Cars' was a massive success and taking this tale to the next level was undoubtedly the goal for Disney. In terms of media, marketing and merchandising, transforming 'Cars' into 'Planes' was a relatively straightforward exercise, however, it was a greater leap of faith to transform the movie.

Without being a spoiler, the 'Cars' template was overlaid on the 'Planes' concept and then tweaked here and there. The backdrop is once again a race circuit, albeit around the world, and the shifting fortunes play out on a leader board. The central character is not a shiny 'Lightning McQueen',...
It's a movie for KIDS!
Maybe there should be a law that only children should review movies for
children. Asking some adult critic to get off his/her lofty perch and
roll around in the mud of childhood might be a bit of a stretch.

Is "Planes" bland, derivative pablum with a "feel-good" message? Sure,
if you are over 30. I was lucky to see it with my 8-year-old grandson
and his two similarly aged friends. They loved it and talked about the
characters all evening.

Being Disney, it had excellent graphics, funny sight gags and naughty
references that flew (literally at times) over the heads of the kiddies
(vasectomies figure big here). If you are an adult who loves airplanes,
there are cartoon versions of some real beauties especially the Gee Bee
Super Sportster, a barrel-shaped monster from the 1930's, and the
stolid F4U Corsair, modeled after WWII ace Ira Kepford's bird.

As far as the plot; that's unimportant. It is indeed...
Planes not just for Kids
I took my 2 year old to see this twice. He is a huge cars fan so I thought what the heck he will love this.....was I ever so right!! Not only did he sit still the entire movie, I too enjoyed it as well. Would definitely recommend this to any Disney/Pixar collector!!!
Click to Editorial Reviews

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Little Mermaid (Three-Disc Diamond Edition) (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy + Music)


Disney's beloved classic returns!!
One of the most beloved Disney films, "The Little Mermaid" returns on dvd, fully restored and remastered in an all new 2 disc set this October! Rather than talking about the film (c'mon we all know what it is all about and most of are quite familiar with its charm and beauty! Though the first "The Little mermaid" dvd released years ago was just a barebone disc with non-anamorphic transfer, this one will have everything to fulfill every mermaid fan's desire!

Here's what to look forward to in this special 2 disc set:

Fully restored with an all-new Disney Home Theatre 5.1 mix.

Backstage Disney, including an all new commentary.

Treasures Untold: The Making of The Little Mermaid.

The Story Behind The Story.

Deleted Scenes, including Backstage With Sebastian, Sebastian Lost In The Castle, Advice From Sebastian and Fight With Ursula.

Music Video "Kiss The Girl"

Games and Activities inclue The Little...
Good if you don't mind minor edits
Finally got around to watching this last night. In this review I'm not going to bother to review the movie itself. It's seventeen years old. I'm sure if you are interested in it you've seen it by now. Rather, I'm going to review the technical quality of the film and the extras provided on the DVD. One thing that feel I should point out up front is that the movie HAS been edited, but only in one scene. The infamous 'clergyman sporting an erection' that caused such a stupid flundie flap has been photoshopped. The theatrical poster artwork is not on the cover or anywhere on the disc for a similar reason. You can find out more by going to Snopes and looking in the Disney films section. I personally don't care, but some people do. Now, on to the review.

This version is widescreen, but it's 16:9 widescreen and not theatrical widescreen, but this has been the case in pretty much all the Disney movie DVDs so no surprises there. The Little Mermaid was the next to last movie Disney...
Are you sure you got an authentic disc?
People need to be VERY cautious when buying Little Mermaid. This DVD has been out of print so long that it is actually quite rare to find a truly new disc. I've actually had the misfortune of buying several Disney DVD's at auction only to find that they are counterfeit discs even though the box is shrinkwrapped. I e-mailed the seller of one of these DVD's and found out that apparently there are a lot of people who separately buy counterfeit DVD's in bulk (usually from Asia) along with packaging materials. They then assemble all the stuff together, shrinkwrap the whole thing (yes, people actually buy shrinkwrapping machines to do this!) and sell it as new on the web. This also explains all those electronic auctions where the seller makes the outrageous claim that their DVD's don't ship in a hard case but instead come in a more protective sleeve (which is BS) or they're trying to save you shipping (that's because they don't have the authentic cases to send you).

So how can...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Monday, October 7, 2013

The Little Mermaid (Two-Disc Diamond Edition: Blu-ray / DVD in Blu-ray Packaging)


Disney's beloved classic returns!!
One of the most beloved Disney films, "The Little Mermaid" returns on dvd, fully restored and remastered in an all new 2 disc set this October! Rather than talking about the film (c'mon we all know what it is all about and most of are quite familiar with its charm and beauty! Though the first "The Little mermaid" dvd released years ago was just a barebone disc with non-anamorphic transfer, this one will have everything to fulfill every mermaid fan's desire!

Here's what to look forward to in this special 2 disc set:

Fully restored with an all-new Disney Home Theatre 5.1 mix.

Backstage Disney, including an all new commentary.

Treasures Untold: The Making of The Little Mermaid.

The Story Behind The Story.

Deleted Scenes, including Backstage With Sebastian, Sebastian Lost In The Castle, Advice From Sebastian and Fight With Ursula.

Music Video "Kiss The Girl"

Games and Activities inclue The Little...
Good if you don't mind minor edits
Finally got around to watching this last night. In this review I'm not going to bother to review the movie itself. It's seventeen years old. I'm sure if you are interested in it you've seen it by now. Rather, I'm going to review the technical quality of the film and the extras provided on the DVD. One thing that feel I should point out up front is that the movie HAS been edited, but only in one scene. The infamous 'clergyman sporting an erection' that caused such a stupid flundie flap has been photoshopped. The theatrical poster artwork is not on the cover or anywhere on the disc for a similar reason. You can find out more by going to Snopes and looking in the Disney films section. I personally don't care, but some people do. Now, on to the review.

This version is widescreen, but it's 16:9 widescreen and not theatrical widescreen, but this has been the case in pretty much all the Disney movie DVDs so no surprises there. The Little Mermaid was the next to last movie Disney...
Are you sure you got an authentic disc?
People need to be VERY cautious when buying Little Mermaid. This DVD has been out of print so long that it is actually quite rare to find a truly new disc. I've actually had the misfortune of buying several Disney DVD's at auction only to find that they are counterfeit discs even though the box is shrinkwrapped. I e-mailed the seller of one of these DVD's and found out that apparently there are a lot of people who separately buy counterfeit DVD's in bulk (usually from Asia) along with packaging materials. They then assemble all the stuff together, shrinkwrap the whole thing (yes, people actually buy shrinkwrapping machines to do this!) and sell it as new on the web. This also explains all those electronic auctions where the seller makes the outrageous claim that their DVD's don't ship in a hard case but instead come in a more protective sleeve (which is BS) or they're trying to save you shipping (that's because they don't have the authentic cases to send you).

So how can...
Click to Editorial Reviews

Iron Man 3 (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)


A Rousing Movie; Different from What I Expected
Let me start by saying that I can understand why there are a lot of split opinions about IRON MAN 3. It's a film full of misdirection and deceptions, and I was a little distressed by a couple of them - which would give away too much to detail here. Suffice it to say that there were a couple of moments I felt somewhat cheated; and though I'll be vague about it I can say it involved Mandarin. Still, read on; while I gave the movie four stars, I believe down the road I might very well revise this to a five. I'll explain...

First of all, rest assured there is A LOT of action. And there are a lot of the Iron Suits, too...it's just that Tony Stark isn't often the one IN the suit. I found myself often frustrated by that fact: Iron Man interruptus, if you will. Either the suits were off on their own, or they were on other people, or they weren't working properly...something that seemed to occur almost constantly.

I saw it in Imax 3D, and it was well worth the extra...
Awesome
I dont care about comics. As far as a movie? This was great. It makes me forget that stinker Iron Man 2. Good action, great camera angles, great characters. I enjoyed the madarin twist even though it was against the grain. Guy did a great job of being a villian. It was like getting part comic book, part video game, and part Lethal Weapon. The level of action and the pace of the movie was right on target. The pepper ending could have been a silly disaster but i think they did it right, and gwen played that scene perfect. I left the theatre very happy. Like spider man 2, avengers, x men 2, this is a great marvel action movie. Not a comic book. Shane Black did a great job with this movie. It was like being in the theatre as a kid watching the Hoth battle unfold. Thats how i feel about this movie. Can you tell i just watched it? Im going to watch it again right now.
Watch "The Avengers" Before You Watch This.
I am not going to give away anything plotwise for those who haven't seen this movie yet but my advice to everyone is to watch "The Avengers" before watching this one. The reason for this is because the movie frequently references things that happened there and they will make more sense to the viewer. It at least sticks with canon where the films are concerned. While "The Avengers" isn't necessarily "Iron Man 2.5", there are things that happen to the Tony Stark character in that film that come into play in "Iron Man 3".

(Personal side note, I purchased the single disc DVD, just because that was in my budget. I would have preferred Blu Ray but I am one movie fan who doesn't really nitpick about formats. I will watch a film on VHS if I want to see it bad enough.)

That notwithstanding, it is still a great film on its own. If you want to see Robert Downey Jr. a LOT, this film will NOT disappoint you in that department, nor will you feel cheated out of special...
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Sunday, October 6, 2013

The Little Mermaid (Two-Disc Diamond Edition: Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)


Disney's beloved classic returns!!
One of the most beloved Disney films, "The Little Mermaid" returns on dvd, fully restored and remastered in an all new 2 disc set this October! Rather than talking about the film (c'mon we all know what it is all about and most of are quite familiar with its charm and beauty! Though the first "The Little mermaid" dvd released years ago was just a barebone disc with non-anamorphic transfer, this one will have everything to fulfill every mermaid fan's desire!

Here's what to look forward to in this special 2 disc set:

Fully restored with an all-new Disney Home Theatre 5.1 mix.

Backstage Disney, including an all new commentary.

Treasures Untold: The Making of The Little Mermaid.

The Story Behind The Story.

Deleted Scenes, including Backstage With Sebastian, Sebastian Lost In The Castle, Advice From Sebastian and Fight With Ursula.

Music Video "Kiss The Girl"

Games and Activities inclue The Little...
Good if you don't mind minor edits
Finally got around to watching this last night. In this review I'm not going to bother to review the movie itself. It's seventeen years old. I'm sure if you are interested in it you've seen it by now. Rather, I'm going to review the technical quality of the film and the extras provided on the DVD. One thing that feel I should point out up front is that the movie HAS been edited, but only in one scene. The infamous 'clergyman sporting an erection' that caused such a stupid flundie flap has been photoshopped. The theatrical poster artwork is not on the cover or anywhere on the disc for a similar reason. You can find out more by going to Snopes and looking in the Disney films section. I personally don't care, but some people do. Now, on to the review.

This version is widescreen, but it's 16:9 widescreen and not theatrical widescreen, but this has been the case in pretty much all the Disney movie DVDs so no surprises there. The Little Mermaid was the next to last movie Disney...
Are you sure you got an authentic disc?
People need to be VERY cautious when buying Little Mermaid. This DVD has been out of print so long that it is actually quite rare to find a truly new disc. I've actually had the misfortune of buying several Disney DVD's at auction only to find that they are counterfeit discs even though the box is shrinkwrapped. I e-mailed the seller of one of these DVD's and found out that apparently there are a lot of people who separately buy counterfeit DVD's in bulk (usually from Asia) along with packaging materials. They then assemble all the stuff together, shrinkwrap the whole thing (yes, people actually buy shrinkwrapping machines to do this!) and sell it as new on the web. This also explains all those electronic auctions where the seller makes the outrageous claim that their DVD's don't ship in a hard case but instead come in a more protective sleeve (which is BS) or they're trying to save you shipping (that's because they don't have the authentic cases to send you).

So how can...
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