SciFi Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection

SciFi Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection Review

SciFi Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection Overview

Get an instant library of classic science fiction features on twelve double-sided DVDs. You'll be transported to a time where cosmic heroes battled and prevailed in the face of cheesy special effects, implausible plots and a lot of over acting. In other words, you have all the right ingredients for endless hours of fun, all for an amazingly low price!

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The Magician: The Criterion Collection

The Magician: The Criterion Collection Review

The Magician: The Criterion Collection Overview

THE MAGICIAN (Ansiktet), directed by Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander), is an engaging, brilliantly conceived tale of deceit from one of cinema’s premier illusionists. Max von Sydow (The Virgin Spring, The Exorcist) stars as Dr. Vogler, a mid-nineteenth-century traveling mesmerist and peddler of potions whose magic is put to the test by a small town’s cruel, eminently rational minister of health, Dr. Vergerus (Wild Strawberries’ Gunnar Bjornstrand). The result is a diabolically clever battle of wits that’s both frightening and funny, shot in rich, gorgeously gothic black and white.

The Magician: The Criterion Collection Specifications

Ingmar Bergman spent a glorious film career exploring themes of death and redemption (The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries), and his lesser-known gem The Magician fits perfectly into this genre. The Magician, shot eerily in crisp black and white, is one of Bergman's most unsettling films, and one that stays with the viewer long afterward. Several of Bergman's regular actors are featured, and all, as usual, are splendid: Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot (who would go on to play Death memorably in The Seventh Seal), and Ulla Sjöblom. The plot is involving and a bit creepy on its own. The Magician follows von Sydow as Dr. Vogler, who leads a traveling group called Vogler's Magnetic Health Theater, which goes from town to town selling magic potions and performing feats that defy logic. Yet the members of the troupe are as reviled and persecuted by local authorities as they are embraced and fixated upon by their audiences. Bergman's direction keeps the tension between belief and fantasy, death and eroticism, as taut as a murder mystery--and perhaps with good reason. The viewer is kept guessing about the reality of the feats of the troupe and the motives of Dr. Vogler; the actors speak in unsettling and oblique riddles. Ekerot's character, Johan, muses to no one in particular, "I've prayed one prayer in my life: 'Use me, O God!' But He never understood what a devoted slave I'd have been. So I was never used… But that too is a lie. Step by step you go into the dark. The movement itself is the only truth."

While The Magician is gripping on its own merits, the Criterion Collection includes several extras that shed additional light on the film. Peter Cowie, a Bergman expert, narrates an excellent mini-documentary about The Magician, saying he believes Bergman made the film in response to his many critics, especially from his days as a theater director in the '50s in Sweden. Cowie's feature is an essential accompaniment to viewing The Magician in its context. Other rich extras include a mini-biography of Bergman, an interview with Bergman from 1967, and a booklet with an essay by film scholar Geoff Andrew. The Magician is an absolutely essential film for any Bergman fan. --A.T. Hurley

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Babylon 5: The Movie Collection

Babylon 5: The Movie Collection Review

Babylon 5: The Movie Collection Feature

• First time on DVD! Initiate jump sequence for feature-length tales about key events in the B5 chronology.

Babylon 5: The Movie Collection Overview

BABYLON 5:MOVIES - DVD Movie

Babylon 5: The Movie Collection Specifications

The Babylon 5 pilot movie The Gathering was originally broadcast in 1993 a full year ahead of the regular show. A somewhat dull tale of an attempt to assassinate Koch, the Vorlon ambassador to B5, the feature served to introduce Commander Jeffery Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) as well as familiarize the audience with the unique environment of a five-mile-long space station in the year 2257. Missing many of the main cast, and suffering from a leaden pace and mediocre music score, series creator J Michael Straczynski later improved The Gathering by tightening the cut for a special edition (the version released on DVD), adding some deleted character moments and commissioning a new score from series composer Christopher Franke.

Four new TV movies were part of the deal to syndicate Babylon 5. In the Beginning is a prelude set 10 years before Babylon 5, telling the story of the Earth-Minbari war. Told retrospectively, many of the mysteries revealed gradually in the main series are recounted, making the show a collection of spoilers for newcomers while adding little for established fans. It is effective to see events only previously talked about, and enjoyable to have most of the main cast playing younger versions of themselves. River of Souls is a self-contained adventure featuring a return of the Soul Hunters from Season One, while Thirdspace offers a spectacular Lovecraftian space opera which slots into the saga after the end of the Shadow War. A Call to Arms is the most important of the TV films, laying the ground for the future TV series Crusade. Set five years after the Shadow War, it tells the story of a Drahk revenge attack on Earth. A final showcase for Bruce Boxleitner as Sheridan, the story fits between fifth-season episodes "Objects at Rest" and "Sleeping in Light." The cliffhanger ending sets the scene for new starship Excalibur to boldly go on a five-year mission to explore strange new worlds and find a cure for the Shadow virus infecting the Earth. --Gary S. Dalkin

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Richard Pryor Collection: 4 Film Favorites (Greased Lightning / Moving / The Mack / Uptown Saturday Night)

Richard Pryor Collection: 4 Film Favorites (Greased Lightning / Moving / The Mack / Uptown Saturday Night) Review

Richard Pryor Collection: 4 Film Favorites (Greased Lightning / Moving / The Mack / Uptown Saturday Night) Feature

• THE MACK: Widescreen [16x9 1.85:1] Version Commentary by Cast Members Max Julien, Dick Anthony Wiliams, Annazette Chase, Don Gordon and George Murdock, Director Michael Campus and Producer Harvey Bernhard Featurette Mackin It Easy Subtitles: English (Main Feature. Bonus Material/Trailer May Not Be Subtitled).UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT: Widescreen [16x9 1.85:1] Version Commentary by Historian Todd Boyd

Richard Pryor Collection: 4 Film Favorites (Greased Lightning / Moving / The Mack / Uptown Saturday Night) Overview

4 FILM FAVORITES:RICHARD PRYOR - DVD Movie

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Dazed & Confused - (The Criterion Collection)

Dazed & Confused - (The Criterion Collection) Review

Dazed & Confused - (The Criterion Collection) Overview

America, 1976. The last day of school. Bongs blaze, bell-bottoms ring, and rock and roll rocks. Among the best teen films ever made, Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused eavesdrops on a group of seniors-to-be and incoming freshmen. A launching pad for a number of future stars, Linklater’s first studio effort also features endlessly quotable dialogue and a blasting, stadium-ready soundtrack. Sidestepping nostalgia, Dazed and Confused is less about "the best years of our lives" than the boredom, angst, and excitement of teenagers waiting . . . for something to happen

Dazed & Confused - (The Criterion Collection) Specifications

You remember high school? Really remember? If you think you do, watch this film: it'll all really come racing back. After changing the world with the generation-defining Slacker, director Richard Linklater turned his free-range vérité sensibility on the 1970s. As before, his all-seeing camera meanders across a landscape studded with goofy pop culture references and poignant glimpses of human nature. Only this time around, he's spreading a thick layer of nostalgia over the lens (and across the soundtrack). It's as if Fast Times at Ridgemont High was directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The story deals with a group of friends on the last day of high school, 1976. Good-natured football star Randall "Pink" Floyd navigates effortlessly between the warring worlds of jocks, stoners, wannabes, and rockers with girlfriend and new-freshman buddy in tow. Surprisingly, it's not a coming-of-age movie, but a film that dares ask the eternal, overwhelming, adolescent question, "What happens next?" It's a little too honest to be a light comedy (representative quote: "If I ever say these were the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself."). But it's also way too much fun (remember souped-up Corvettes and bicentennial madness?) to be just another existential-essay-on-celluloid. --Grant Balfour

On the DVD
With a perfect combination of awesome '70s-era packaging and a totally rockin' selection of bonus features, the Criterion Collection's director-approved special edition two-disc release of Dazed and Confused instantly qualifies as one of the very best DVDs of 2006--the 30th anniversary of the Bicentennial, man! That's what I'm talkin' about! As a sublime companion piece to Criterion's release of Richard Linklater's previous film Slacker, the set comes in a slipcase (complete with "Physical Graffiti"-like picture-windows) festooned with Flair-pen high-school "doodling" (just like you'd scribble on your Pee Chee folders, back in the day), and the features get off on a high note (kinda like Slater, y'know?) with writer-director Linklater's feature-length commentary, which offers all aspiring filmmakers an important lesson protecting your vision and knowing when not to compromise. In recalling the many struggles he endured during production, Linklater covers a lot of territory (notes from the studio, the fantasy abundance of muscle cars, selection of music, and his acute disappointment when Robert Plant--but not Jimmy Page--refused to allow Led Zeppelin songs to be used in the film), and his engaging, good-humored perspective (and appropriate sense of vindication) clearly arises from his film's eventual acceptance as a classic. (For all you film buffs out there, Linklater quite rightly recommends Tim Hunter's Over the Edge and Lindsay Anderson's If... as "great teenage films" that defined the genre before Dazed.) The film itself never looked or sounded better (Linklater and cinematographer Lee Daniel supervised the high-def digital transfer), and a generous selection of deleted scenes will be welcomed by the film's legion of loyal fans.

The Disc 2 supplements are highlighted by Making "Dazed", filmmaker Kahane Corn's decade-in-the-making 50-minute documentary, chronicling all aspects of the production from casting to the Dazed tenth-anniversary celebration in Austin, Texas, in 2003. "Beer Bust at the Moon Tower" allows random viewing of a 118-minute compilation of behind-the-scenes footage, on-set interviews (with cast members both in and out of character), audition footage, and recollections from the anniversary bash. The accompanying 72-page booklet is a Criterion master-stroke: Designed like a small-scale high-school yearbook, it's filled with more "doodling" artwork, lots of photos, three appreciative mini-essays (the best being by journalist/author Chuck Klosterman), recollections by cast and crew, and humorous "Profiles in Confusion" portraits of the characters in Dazed, reprinted from the film's similarly designed companion book. It's all topped off by a miniature reproduction of the film's original poster, designed by Frank Kozik. In terms of capturing "The Spirit of '76" and the film's celebratory sense of anti-nostalgia, this is surely one of Criterion's finest releases to date. --Jeff Shannon

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The Red Balloon (The Criterion Collection)

The Red Balloon (The Criterion Collection) Review

The Red Balloon (The Criterion Collection) Overview

Newly restored and available for the first time on DVD, Albert Lamorisse s exquisite The Red Balloon remains one of the most beloved children s films of all time. In this deceptively simple, nearly wordless tale, a young boy discovers a stray balloon, which seems to have a mind of its own, on the streets of Paris. The two become inseparable, yet the world s harsh realities finally interfere. With its glorious palette and allegorical purity, the Academy Award winning The Red Balloon has enchanted movie lovers, young and old, for generations.

The Red Balloon (The Criterion Collection) Specifications

Stills from The Red Balloon (Click for larger image)

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The Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films (Stop Me Before I Kill! / Cash on Demand / The Snorkel / Maniac / Never Take Candy from a Stranger / These Are the Damned)

The Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films (Stop Me Before I Kill! / Cash on Demand / The Snorkel / Maniac / Never Take Candy from a Stranger / These Are the Damned) Review

The Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films (Stop Me Before I Kill! / Cash on Demand / The Snorkel / Maniac / Never Take Candy from a Stranger / These Are the Damned) Overview

Hammer Films made their name with monsters and vampires, but this third complication from Columbia Pictures – all new to DVD – proves they could frighten you without them. Topping the set is the uncut version of the futuristic classic THESE ARE THE DAMNED, directed by the legendary Joseph Losey. Peter Cushing and Andre Morell match wits in CASH ON DEMAND. Oscar®-winning cinematographer Guy Green (1947, Great Expectations) directed THE SNORKEL, about a young girl who can’t convince anyone her stepfather’s a murderer. The renowned Val Guest co-wrote and directed the startling psychodrama STOP ME BEFORE I KILL! Kerwin Matthews finds himself in the middle of a strange mother/daughter threesome in the Jimmy Sangster-written MANIAC. Plus, this ultimate rarity: Cyril Frankel’s astounding NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER, a serious, and still horrifyingly timely, chiller about a small town terrorized by an elderly child molester. You won’t do better than this impeccable collection from the darkest corners of the Hammer imagination.

The Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films (Stop Me Before I Kill! / Cash on Demand / The Snorkel / Maniac / Never Take Candy from a Stranger / These Are the Damned) Specifications

Though England's Hammer Films is perhaps best known for its horror titles like Curse of Frankenstein, the studio released numerous pictures in other genres, among these features science fiction, comedies, historical epics, and more than a few thrillers, six of which make their Region 1 DVD debut in this intriguing set. Interestingly, the best-known, and, arguably, best film in the collection is Joseph Losey's These Are the Damned (1963), which hews closer to science fiction in its story of American tourist MacDonald Carey's encounter with a group of children at the center of a secret and chilling government experiment. Though suspenseful and well cast (a young Oliver Reed gets a fine showcase as a vicious Teddy boy unwittingly caught in the experiment), the film surpasses the limits of the genre in its character-driven depiction of lonely individuals at the mercy of unfeeling authority figures. Manhandled by distributors during its initial release, the version featured here is the original 96-minute edit.

The rest of the Hammer Icons of Suspense collection follows traditional lines of thriller plot structure, though there are a few interesting variations. Never Take Candy from a Stranger is a fairly chilling drama about child molestation--a taboo topic today, much less in 1960, when the movie was released--handled with an equal mix of stark suspense and courtroom fireworks, and all beautifully lensed by Oscar-winner Freddie Francis. Maniac (1963), directed by Hammer producer and exec Michael Carreras, is one of the studio's more effective and unsettling nods to Psycho, with American artist Kerwin Mathews falling afoul of a psychologically troubled mother-daughter pair, while a blowtorch-wielding lunatic roams the French countryside. Hammer vet Jimmy Sangster's script is typically top-notch, and the grislier aspects of the story get plenty of airtime. Sangster also co-penned 1958's The Snorkel (with Italian genre jack-of-all-trades Antonio Margheriti, using his Anglicized pen name, Anthony Dawson), an agreeable B mystery with Peter van Eyck as a widower suspected by his stepdaughter of killing her mother with the title device. Oscar-winning cinematographer Guy Green directed the latter, while Val Guest, who helmed some of Hammer's best early science-fiction efforts (The Quatermass Xperiment), cowrote and directed Stop Me Before I Kill! (1960), a juicy pulp exercise about racecar driver Ronald Lewis, whose head injury compels him to try to kill his wife (Diane Cilento). Matters are made worse with the introduction of a sinister psychiatrist (Claude Dauphin) whose interest in the case exceeds professional standards. And while Hammer icon Sir Christopher Lee is nowhere to be found in this set, his frequent onscreen foil, Peter Cushing, is front and center for Cash on Demand (1961), a terrifically taut programmer about a by-the-books bank manager (Cushing) who is blackmailed into robbing his own bank by a cunning thief (Andre Morell, who played Watson to Cushing's Holmes in Hammer's Hound of the Baskervilles). For those who associate Hammer Films only with horror, the six pictures included in the set will be an eye opener; for longtime fans of the studio's output, or those looking for vintage thrills, the set is a must-have. However, extras are relegated to original trailers for each film, despite the fact that many of the key players are still alive. --Paul Gaita

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Paris, Texas (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Paris, Texas (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Review

Paris, Texas (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Overview

German New Wave pioneer Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) brings his keen eye for landscape to the American Southwest in Paris, Texas a profoundly moving character study written by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Sam Shepard. Paris, Texas follows the efforts of the mysterious, nearly mute drifter Travis (a magnificent Harry Dean Stanton, whose face is a landscape of its own) to reconnect with his young son, living with his brother (Dean Stockwell) in Los Angeles, and his missing wife (Nastassja Kinski). From this simple setup, Wenders and Shepard produce a powerful statement on codes of masculinity and the myth of the American family, as well as an exquisite visual exploration of a vast, crumbling world of canyons and neon.

Stills from Paris, Texas (Click for larger image)

Paris, Texas (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Specifications

Something like a perfect artistic union is achieved in the major components of Paris, Texas: the twang of Ry Cooder's guitar, the lonely light of Robbie Muller's camera, the craggy landscape of Harry Dean Stanton's face. In his greatest role, longtime character actor Stanton plays a man brought back to his old life after wandering in the desert (or somewhere) for four years. He has a 7-year-old son to get to know, and his wife has gone missing. The material is much in the wanderlust spirit of director Wim Wenders, working from a script by Sam Shepard and L.M. Kit Carson. If the long climactic conversation between Stanton and Nastassja Kinski renders the movie uneven and slightly inscrutable, it's hard to think of a more fitting ending--and besides, the achingly empty American spaces stick longer in the memory than the dialogue. Winner of the top prize at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. --Robert Horton

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All Creatures Great & Small: The Complete Series 1 Collection

All Creatures Great & Small: The Complete Series 1 Collection Review

All Creatures Great & Small: The Complete Series 1 Collection Overview

Filmed on location in the Yorkshire Dales, All Creatures Great and Small brings the world of veterinarian James Herriot to life with all the warmth and humor of the original stories. Series 1 includes all 13 episodes from the first season.

DVD Features:
Biographies
Documentary

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John Wayne - An American Icon Collection (Seven Sinners/ The Shepherd of the Hills/ Pittsburgh/ The Conqueror/ Jet Pilot)

John Wayne - An American Icon Collection (Seven Sinners/ The Shepherd of the Hills/ Pittsburgh/ The Conqueror/ Jet Pilot) Review

John Wayne - An American Icon Collection (Seven Sinners/ The Shepherd of the Hills/ Pittsburgh/ The Conqueror/ Jet Pilot) Overview

John Wayne remains, without a doubt, a legend of the silver screen and one of Hollywood's most talented and versatile leading men of all time. See "The Duke," with his rugged good looks and undeniable charm, take command of the screen in the amazing collection of five unique films from his long and illustrious film career. This must-own set confirms John Wayne's status as a true American icon!

John Wayne - An American Icon Collection (Seven Sinners/ The Shepherd of the Hills/ Pittsburgh/ The Conqueror/ Jet Pilot) Specifications

He was no one's (including his own) idea of a great actor--one senses that the one Oscar he won, for True Grit in 1970, was as much for his longevity as his talent--but "icon" is an apt description for John "Duke" Wayne, who starred in scores of movies in a career that spanned 50 years. Five of them are collected on John Wayne - An American Icon Collection, a two-disc, no-frills (as in no bonus material) set offered at a very reasonable price. Ranging from 1940 to 1957, these items reveal that although he didn't have a lot of range ("I play John Wayne in pretty much every film I do," he once admitted), Wayne was at least willing to tackle other genres besides the Westerns with which he's so closely identified; here he portrays a coal miner, a moonshiner, and a legendary warrior, along with the more expected military roles. As for the quality of the films, let’s just say that "good" and "entertaining" don't always go on the same page, and the set at least has plenty of the latter. Seven Sinners ('40) is the best of the lot, with Marlene Dietrich sly and radiant as the delightfully named Bijou Blanche, a South Pacific cabaret singer who tantalizes naval officer Wayne. At the other end of the spectrum is The Conqueror ('55), generally regarded as Wayne's worst feature ever, but even it is a campy hoot. Sporting a Fu Manchu 'stache and many silly hats and delivering some preposterously stilted dialogue ("Hi, Mom" becomes "I greet you, my mother!"), Wayne plays Mongol warlord Temujin, soon to become Genghis Khan, who's obsessed with a beautiful princess (Susan Hayward as a Tartar? Mayonnaise is more like it) who just happens to be the daughter of the man responsible for the death of Temujin's father. Pittsburgh ('42), again pairing Wayne with the luminous Dietrich, is considerably better, charting the rise, fall, and redemption of miner-turned-captain-of-industry Charles "Pittsburgh" Markham in a story that's both humorous and dramatic before devolving into flag-waving World War II propaganda. Neither The Shepherd of the Hills ('41), sentimental hokum about a clan of drawling, superstitious Ozark hicks, nor Jet Pilot ('57), with a pre-Psycho Janet Leigh as a Russian spy (!), ranks as what you'd call a classic--indeed, there are no classics to be found anywhere here--but the Duke, always a man's man, probably wouldn't mind. "When people say a John Wayne picture got bad reviews," he said, "I always wonder if they know it's a redundant sentence, but hell, I don't care. People like my pictures and that's all that counts." --Sam Graham

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Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 1 (Heidi / Curly Top / Little Miss Broadway)

Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 1 (Heidi / Curly Top / Little Miss Broadway) Review

Very nice set. Understandably old cinema technology, but good entertainment for young children, and always impressive talent of an extraordinary child actor to both young and old - an integral part of movie history.

Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 1 (Heidi / Curly Top / Little Miss Broadway) Overview

SHIRLEY TEMPLE COLLECTION - DVD Movie

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The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers)

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers) Review

Let me get this out of the way. I'm a Mike guy. I find all the Mike episodes hilarious, but I can't stand Joel Hodgeson. The guy seemed constantly baked or at least half asleep the whole time and I don't find prop comedy funny (Carrot Top anyone?). That said the Mike episodes rank amongst the best of the Comedy Central era. "The Creeping Terror" is almost hilarious enough on it's own with arguably the worst Monster in cinema history, with its carpet-like body and Hobbit feet, and the commentary is spot-on. "Bloodlust" is a terrible "The Most Dangerous Game" rip-off with future Mr. Brady Robert Reed constantly sucking his gut in and the guys have a great time riffing it. Even with "Terror"'s god-awful creature, the movie can't compete with the sheer suckiness of Colman Francis's "The Skydivers," a movie whose major plot point is coffee. The editing and god-awful acting make the film unwatchable without Mike and the bots, so it's wonderful that they are along for the ride. So if you're like me and want great Mike episodes and can tolerate at least one Joel episode in your collection, buy this Volume. On a different note, the case itself is kinda cool, with a quote wheel and a rocket that you can make fly with a tug of a cord.

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers) Overview

Presents a television program where space travelers Joel Hodgson, Crow, and Tom Servo watch really bad B movies and make fun of them for revenge.

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers) Specifications

This four-disc set, bundled together in an appropriately cheesy but charming package that sports pop-up-book-styled artwork, compiles four episodes of the Peabody Award-winning comedy series. The "experiments" in question (Bloodlust, Catalina Caper, The Creeping Terror, and The Skydivers) aren't necessarily MST3K's finest hours--they don't hold a candle to the show's takes on The Magic Sword, The Atomic Brain, and The Brain That Wouldn't Die. But the barrage of verbal zingers and pop-culture references slung by hosts Joel Hodgson and Mike Nelson and their puppet pals Crow and Tom Servo are still quite funny, and should please both longtime fans and science fiction aficionados who don't take too much umbrage at having their beloved movies heckled.

The Collection is decidedly Mike-centric, with The Creeping Terror, Bloodlust, and The Skydivers all culled from his reign during the sixth season. Series creator Joel Hodgson's participation is relegated to season 2's Catalina Caper, a fan favorite that at one time was pulled from circulation over rights issues. As with most of Rhino's MST3K DVDs, each disc is dual-sided, with one side devoted to the original, uncut version of each film, and the other given over to the "MSTied" version. Theatrical trailers for each movie round out the remainder of the supplemental features. Given the size of this presentation, it might have been interesting to include some interviews with the show's writers and performers (Comedy Central once ran a passable special about the series), but fans will still appreciate having these four episodes together, each providing a wealth of laugh-out-loud moments. --Paul Gaita

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Haunted History - Haunted Histories Collection (Hauntings / Vampire Secrets / Salem Witch Trails / The Haunted History of Halloween / Poltergeist) (History Channel)

Haunted History - Haunted Histories Collection (Hauntings / Vampire Secrets / Salem Witch Trails / The Haunted History of Halloween / Poltergeist) (History Channel) Review

I bought the HAUNTED HISTORIES COLLECTION DVD set because it was on sale here on Amazon. I love the History Channel and since it was October, I figured I'd add this set to my DVD library.

With the exception of "Vampire Secrets" (with a printed running time of 100-minutes but more like 90-minutes) all of the episodes are under one-hour. The five shows are in plastic clamshell cases and come in a larger cardboard cover box, like in the photo.

Even though I enjoyed the shows, I would only advise buying this set when it's on sale. Most of the episodes were produced in 1997 and don't have the fancy digital gadgets featured in most of the paranormal shows on television today, so the shows "Hauntings" and "Poltergeist" seem a little dated.

"Vampire Secrets" was pretty cool and, if the copyright date on the back of the cover is correct, is the most recently produced show of the bunch. Even though it covers the history of vampires and the romantic idolization of the fabled blood-sucker, it was created much too early to cover the new vampire craze with younger girls and boys--like with the "Twilight" books and movie, and in anime.

"The Haunted History Of Halloween" was the show I enjoyed the most because there was great footage of Halloween parades and "trick or treaters" from yesteryear. There was also press footage of celebrity Halloween parties and you get to see children of the stars, like Liza Minnelli and Candace Bergen when they were kids. It also talks about how Halloween came about throughout the years.

Get it when it's on sale!

Haunted History - Haunted Histories Collection (Hauntings / Vampire Secrets / Salem Witch Trails / The Haunted History of Halloween / Poltergeist) (History Channel) Overview

HAUNTED HISTORIES COLLECTION - THE REAL STORIES BEHIND HISTORY S SPOOKIES PHENOMENA: HAUNTINGS, WITCHES, POLTERGEISTS, VAMPIRES, AND MORE!

The HAUNTED HISTORIES COLLECTION takes viewers on a spine-tingling tour of truly frightening phenomena. Uncover the real stories behind the Salem Witch Trials, vampires, demon spirits, and haunted houses. From interviews with victims who have been attacked by evil spirits to eyewitness accounts of corpses with pulses and graves where nothing will grow, you don t have to believe in ghosts to be spooked by these chilling tales.

Featuring in-depth profiles of the world s scariest stories, including: Hauntings, Vampire Secrets, Salem Witch Trials, The Haunted History of Halloween, and Poltergeists.

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Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-Disc Special Edition / The Comedians / The Sandpiper / The V.I.P.s) 5 Disc Set

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-Disc Special Edition / The Comedians / The Sandpiper / The V.I.P.s) 5 Disc Set Review

When the horror of Haiti's plight hit the news I remembered this film. I urge you to also get a book called "The Best Nightmare on Earth" by Herbert Gold which, like the film, covers the Papa Doc Duvalier period. It will make the film much more enjoyable. Papa Doc was a country medical doctor who rose to rule over Haiti with absolute authority. He employed the terror of the ton-ton macoute secret police and the threat of voodoo magic with great effect. The Haitian journalist played by Roscoe Lee Brown was very much a real person whose survival and sense of self preservation waa wonderous. Gold met Graham Greene and has some wonderful stories about the effect the book and film had on Haitians. Alas the film was shot in Africa because Papa Doc was not happy with Greene's book.
I personally know Nicola Lubitsch, the daughter of the famous film director, Ernst. She lived in Haiti with her step-father, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti under Papa Doc's regime. She confirmed that Grahamn Greene incorporated many actual events and people into his book. She had some pretty good stories herself and even knew Papa Doc (from a distance of course.) I was going to tag this film "bad movies we love" but thinking about these two reliable witnesses who say that there is a lot of truth in this story gives me pause - besides it was only a few dollars.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-Disc Special Edition / The Comedians / The Sandpiper / The V.I.P.s) 5 Disc Set Overview

Movie DVD

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-Disc Special Edition / The Comedians / The Sandpiper / The V.I.P.s) 5 Disc Set Specifications

The British-born Elizabeth Taylor was the quintessential Hollywood screen goddess. The Welsh-born Richard Burton was one of the most compelling British actors of his generation. Together, they were a perfect storm of talent, glamour, and offscreen scandal, which made even their lesser films essential viewing for those fascinated by cinema's royal couple. This four-film set captures the prolific couple at the height of their 1960s heyday. The essential entry is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), which earned Taylor an Academy Award, and launched the film directing career of Mike Nichols. This adaptation of Edward Albee's searing play was ahead of its time for its use of profanity, as chronicled in bonus featurettes on this two-disc Special Edition. Taylor and Burton star as the braying Martha, a college president's daughter, and her husband George, an associate history professor. An ambitious teacher (George Segal) and his mousy wife (a heartbreaking Sandy Dennis) arrive for an unforgettable night of such emasculating sport as "Humiliate the Host," "Get the Guests," and "Hump the Hostess." The V.I.P.s (1963) is a star-studded soap opera about a group of notables stranded at a fog-shrouded airport, each desperate to get off the ground. In addition to Orson Welles as a film director trying to stay one step ahead of the British tax man and Margaret Rutherford (who earned an Academy Award) as a financially strapped duchess, we have Taylor as the unhappy wife of magnate Burton, set to elope with a reformed (?) gigolo (Louis Jordan). The Sandpiper (1965) is one of those vaunted enjoyable "golden turkeys" that at least has the beautiful Big Sur coast and the Oscar-winning song "The Shadow of Your Smile" as consolation for the silly illicit romance between Taylor, an unconvincing bohemian artist, and Burton, the tortured Episcopalian reverend to whose school Taylor's illegitimate son has been sent. The Comedians (1967) is hardly a laughing matter. Graham Greene adapted his novel of upheaval in Papa Doc-run Haiti. You have to jump 40 years to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to find another couple with Taylor and Burton's wattage. This collection gives a time capsule glimpse at what all the fuss was about. --Donald Liebenson

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Black Orpheus (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Black Orpheus (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Review

Sometimes, a film's genius rests not in its thematic originality, but rather in how an older story - in this case, the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice - is told a in a new and exciting way, enabling the viewers to realize all its shimmering facets, and all its cultural and symbolic complexity. Some of these films that come immediately to mind are Cocteau's "Orphee" (1950) and Kurosawa's "Rashomon" (1950). Camus' "Black Orpheus" belongs on that list.

Based on the play written after reading an eighteenth-century Italian language version of the ancient Greek myth, Vinicius de Moraes got his idea when he had the vision of Orpheus as a sambista. He said that he wanted to pay homage to the indispensability of the black experience and their organic contributions to the passions of Brazilian culture. Unfortunately, Moraes grew disenchanted with Camus' vision when he visited the set one day, and claimed that his project was merely a romanticized view of the Brazilian people. Since then, many other critics have noted a perceived romanticizing of poverty and a sort of virulent Orientalism which treats the foreign Other as a mystically essentialized caricature.

The film begins when Eurydice arrives via trolley in Rio de Janeiro to visit her cousin Serafina, and to escape Death, a character that chases her relentlessly throughout the film. Unfamiliar with the city, she asks for directions to her cousin's house, which the stationmaster - named Hermes - kindly provides her. Later, we learn that Serafina lives next to Orfeu, the local Lothario stuck in an unhappy engagement with the proud, haughty Mira. Orfeu, a sensualist who would rather play his guitar than spend time with his fiancée, quickly falls in love with Eurydice. During Carnival, they grow closer and closer. Eventually, Eurydice sees that Death has found her again, and she runs to hide, while Orfeu's pursuit of her only ends in tragedy. His journey to find her in the Department of Missing Persons finds him angst-ridden, face-to-face with a Kafkaesque bureaucracy. His last chance to get Eurydice back, when Eurydice's spirit inhabits a Umbanda worshipper and speaks through her, fails when he feels compelled to look back and see if it really is Eurydice.

The way Camus alludes to mythological themes throughout the movie is subtle yet sustained. The characters live on the side of a precipitous mountainside, which consciously calls to mind Mount Olympus. Orfeu is a sambista whose guitar-playing the local children believe make the sun rise in the morning. Symbols of the sun frequently occur in the film, including children flying a sun-shaped kite and Orfeu wearing a sun costume for the celebrations. Eurydice owns a scarf with the signs of the Zodiac on it. At the end of the movie when he wanders through the city searching for Eurydice, he exits the Department for Missing Persons via a monumental, winding staircase (symbolizing his descent into the Underworld), and encounters a vicious, drooling dog (who, while not three-headed, is meant to be Cerberus.)

The cinematography blends European primitivism and aspects of the Negritude movement. Set during the celebration of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the film is visually dominated by the joyousness of African-influenced exuberant dance and polyrhythmic music. Like the smell of petrichor in a desiccated landscape, Camus' film beautifully illustrates how music and dance are central to mythic understanding of human experience.

Black Orpheus (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Overview

Winner of both the Academy Award for best foreign-language film and the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, Marcel Camus’ Black Orpheus (Orfeu negro) brings the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to the twentieth-century madness of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. With its eye-popping photography and ravishing, epochal soundtrack, Black Orpheus was a cultural event, kicking off the bossa nova craze that set hi-fis across America spinning.

Black Orpheus (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Specifications

Marcel Camus's 1959 update of the Greek myth features an all-black cast and a story set in the frenetic energy of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Orpheus, a trolley car conductor and superb samba dancer, is engaged to Mira but in love with Eurydice. For his change of heart, Orpheus and his new doomed lover are pursued by a vengeful Mira and a determined Death through the feverish Carnival night. Camus at once demystifies and remystifies the old story, shifting not only its location but its tone and context, forcing a reevaluation of the legend as a more passionate, pulsing, sensual experience. The film is really one-of-a-kind, an absolute whirl that barely needs words. --Tom Keogh

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Roots - The Complete Collection (Roots / Roots - The Next Generations)

Roots - The Complete Collection (Roots / Roots - The Next Generations) Review

Only halfway through this collection, but I am so enjoying it. Love the casing and the extras in the case. If you are purchasing this from Australia be sure you check to see that it can play Zone 4 dvd's. We were lucky as we were able to reset the codes to Free Zone.

Roots - The Complete Collection (Roots / Roots - The Next Generations) Overview

The series that captivated a nation and made television history is brought to you in a complete box set that includes everything about Alex Haley's incredible family saga. The Complete Collection includes Roots which begins with Kunte Kinte's humble beginnings in Africa and continues in Roots: The Next Generations closing with Alex Haley's own life in the 1970's as he embarks on his research to unveil his roots. The Complete Collection also includes the Christmas movie Roots: The Gift as well as specially created special features to celebrate the legacy of Roots 30 years later.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Documentaries
Featurette

Roots - The Complete Collection (Roots / Roots - The Next Generations) Specifications

From the moment the young Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is stolen from his life and ancestral home in 18th-century Africa and brought under inhumane conditions to be auctioned as a slave in America, a line is begun that leads from this most shameful chapter in U.S. history to the 20th-century author Alex Haley, a Kinte descendant. The late Haley's acclaimed book Roots was adapted into this six-volume television miniseries, which was a widely watched phenomenon in 1977. The programs cover several generations in the antebellum South and end with the story of "Chicken" George, a freed slave played by Ben Vereen whose family feels the agony of entrenched racism and learns to fight it. Between the lives of Kunta and George, we meet a number of memorable characters, black and white, and learn much about the emotional and physical torments of slavery, from beatings and rapes to the forced separation of spouses and families. Nothing like this had ever confronted so many mainstream Americans when the series was originally broadcast, and the extent to which the country was nudged a degree or two toward enlightenment was instantly obvious. Roots still has that ability to open one's eyes, and engage an audience in a sweeping, memorable drama at the same time. --Tom Keogh

Roots rocked the cultural landscape in the late '70s, creating a new wave of awareness of black history. That wave opened the door for its sequel, Roots: The Next Generations, even more of a star-studded event than the original, with stars like Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, and James Earl Jones eager to partake in the tale. The sequel follows the rest of the saga of the family of author Alex Haley, from where Roots ended at the Civil War, up to the 1970s when Haley was researching and writing his earth-shattering family story. While nothing can rival the power of the original Roots' unflinching look at the slave trade and slave life in the early years of this country, the sequel is still full of rich African American history, from Reconstruction, to Jim Crow, to the civil rights movement and the early rumblings of black power. Fonda and de Havilland are respectable in their period-piece roles, but the real power of this sequel is in the more immediate concerns of Haley and his own experience of prejudice while building a stellar reputation as a writer and journalist in the '60s and '70s. One of the most unsettling scenes takes place then, when Haley interviews the head of the American Nazi Party, played with chilling diffidence by Brando. (Brando won an Emmy for this performance.) Haley is also challenged by his fractious interview with Malcolm X (a gripping Al Freeman Jr.). Jones launches his acting career playing Haley with nuance and heart, but with a humanizing set of his own demons. The four-disc set includes all seven episodes plus a compelling documentary, Roots: The Next Generations--The Legacy Continues, with interviews with Jones, costar and episode director Georg Stanford Brown and a still starry-eyed David L. Wolper, who understands the cultural impact of the two miniseries he helped bring to the screen. --A.T. Hurley

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Rashomon - Criterion Collection

Rashomon - Criterion Collection Review

As the week of Akira Kurosawa's 100th birthday celebration has came and past, I decided that it was appropriate to watch a Kurosawa film and what best than a film he created 50 years ago, "Rashomon". A film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa and based on two stories "Rashomon" and "In a Grove" by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and featuring cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa.

Many consider "Rashomon" to be the first film that American and Western audiences were exposed to a Kurosawa film and with the film winning an Italian Critics Award and the highly coveted Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival and an Academy Honorary Award, there was quite a bit of interest in the film. Needless to say, the film was an influence to many filmmakers and even received a loosely-based remake in 1964 titled "The Outrage" starring Paul Newman.


VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Rashomon" is presented in black and white (1:33:1). It is important to note that the film has received major restoration in Japan by Kadokawa and the version featured by Criterion Collection on DVD as released years before the restoration was completed. But the version shown on the DVD is good for a 50-year-old film and has its share of dust and specks but at the time of this DVD's release, the Criterion Collection did feature the film with a new HD digital transfer and restored image.

The transfer was created from a 35mmm fine-grain master positive on a high definition Spirit Datacine. The MTI Digital Restoration was used to remove thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches.

Some scenes look very good such as closeups where we can see the beads of sweat on the characters. But also various cuts during the forest and in many ways, Kurosawa's admiration for silent film is used in "Rashomon" as there are minimal sets and kept things simple. Also, the film utilized really technological uses of contrasting shots courtesy of cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa.

With the Criterion Collection dedicated in releasing Kurosawa's films on Blu-ray, fans can only hope that this new restored version of "Rashomon" will be considered for Blu-ray release sometime in the near future.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

Audio for "Rashomon" is presented in Dolby Digital Monaural. Dialogue is primarily center channel driven but for a more immersive soundscape, I chose to watch "Rashomon" via my receiver set on stereo on all channels. According to the Criterion Collection, the HD transfer of the film includes restored sound.

According to the Criterion Collection, the MTI Digital Restoration System was used to remove thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches. The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the original audio magnetic tracks. Audio restoration tools were used to remove clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.

It is important to note that the main Japanese soundtrack is included but also the original English dubbed soundtrack. Personally, I didn't watch much of the film with the English soundtrack as it was very reminiscent to watching old Kung Fu, Shaw Brothers films in the early '80s. But for those who can't stand subtitles, at least they have the option to select an English dubbed soundtrack.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Rashomon - THE CRITERION COLLECTION #138 comes with the following special features:

* Audio Commentary by Donald Richie - Film historian Donald Richie provides the commentary of "Rashomon". As a film critic well-versed in Japanese cinema, Richie goes into depth about the filmmaking of the film.
* Video Introduction by Robert Altman - (6:39) Filmmaker Robert Altman ("Mash", "Shortcuts", "Gosford Park") talks about his love for the film and Kurosawa's symbolic use of light.
* Excerpts from "The World of Kazuo Miyagawa" - (12:32) A Japanese documentary (with English subtitles) based on Akira Kurosawa's longtime cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa who talks about working with Akira Kurosawa and gives viewers insight to the director and the their professional relationship. Most importantly, the techniques used to film "Rashomon".
* Trailer - (3:27) The original theatrical trailer for "Rashomon".
* 28-Page Booklet - Featuring the an essay on "Rashomon" by Stephen Prince (Author of "The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa"), "Akira Kurosawa on Rashomon" (from "Something Like an Autobiography) and excerpts from Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "Rashomon" and "In a Grove" novel (both translated in English).

JUDGMENT CALL:

I first watched "Rashomon" while I was a young college student and was very surprised by how the film was much different from "The Seven Samurai", especially when it came to the number of characters featured, the emotion of the characters especially the crazy Tajomaru and also taken aback by the reaction of the samurai's wife Masako.

Needless to say, the concept of seeing flashbacks and finding out that these flashbacks were either truth or fabrications, one can't deny of how this film captures your attention as you want to know who committed the crime.

I was impressed how Kurosawa was able to film "Rashomon" despite receiving a low budget and keeping things to a minimalist set. Just to see how the camerawork came about, how meticulous the editing was since Kurosawa likes to shoot a scene with several cameras and of course, the character performances which were quite important in the development of the film. In fact, prior to the film, the actors and staff lived together temporarily and it was a system which Kurosawa felt worked in bringing harmony to the set.

As mentioned, there has been restoration done on "Rashomon" with the source material being extremely in bad condition despite the 35mm print from 1962 being in very good physical condition. So, each scene was digitally restored and cleaned up courtesy of the Academy Film Archive, the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and Kadokawa Pictures, Inc. The film has been shown throughout the world in 2009 and one can hope that with Kurosawa's films making it to Blu-ray, the Criterion Collection considers the new restored version of "Rashomon" for Blu-ray release.

But for now, those who find "Rashomon" can be content with the Criterion Collection's DVD release for now. A good number of special features, solid picture and audio quality as one can expect from a 50-year-old film on DVD and an informative booklet and a few bonus features included. "Rashomon" is definitely a Kurosawa masterpiece worth watching and having in your collection.

Rashomon - Criterion Collection Overview

Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife. Toshiro Mifune gives another commanding performance in the eloquent masterwork that revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to the world.

Rashomon - Criterion Collection Specifications

This 1950 film by Akira Kurosawa is more than a classic: it's a cinematic archetype that has served as a template for many a film since. (Its most direct influence was on a Western remake, The Outrage, starring Paul Newman and directed by Martin Ritt.) In essence, the facts surrounding a rape and murder are told from four different and contradictory points of view, suggesting the nature of truth is something less than absolute. The cast, headed by Kurosawa's favorite actor, Toshiro Mifune, is superb. --Tom Keogh

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Life On Mars (UK): The Complete Collection

Life On Mars (UK): The Complete Collection Review

The COMPLETE set of episodes for the UK variety of 'LIFE ON MARS' is compelling viewing for crime and mystery fans. Now, with the entire series assembled into one package, the difference between this gritty cop in 2 worlds can be fully compared to the US duplication. The debate will forever rage, but you may find that this UK series is bang-on for several reasons.

A young Manchester detective is struck by a car and sent eventually to intensive care in a coma. However, Sam Tyler (John Simm) is hearing, thinking, and seeing regardless of the fact his body is immobile, speechless, and unresponsive. Doctors, wife, cops look for signs of life, continuing life-sustaining machines and measures, as Sam tries to get his message through.

In the meantime, Sam also returns to a police station with an arrogant, brute commander, Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) leading the team. But it's in 1973, complete with perfection in sets, costumes, props, and antiquated police procedures as well as techniques. Sam remembers the modern style of police work and tries putting it to work in this location, this time, with this drinking, hot-head, abusive boss. It leaves both men frustrated at each other on a regular basis. The conflict between the characters is played brilliantly by the 2 stars.

Crime after crime, is investigated through the series, while Sam tries to make contact with the modern world from his comatose-like stage in a hospital bed. The jump from modern to 70s in issues and times is well done, leaving a continuing plot over the episode crime plot always dangling for its own suspenseful end. There is even romance conflict from both ends of Sam's existence. The show seems to have it all, something for everyone. Even the surprise ending that leaves one desiring more of Life On Mars.

Annie Cartwright (Liz White), is the bonny looking policewoman of 1973 who is a "friend" of Sam, often taking his side. You'll love her (how do you say 'hot' in British dialect?). Ah, the British accents. It's no wonder, the US tried to keep it going--but alas, without the UK stars. Worry none about accents: SUBTITLES AVAILABLE.

If you have not tried the UK version of this original version which was recast and rewritten in an American version, it is highly recommended. Then, make your own personal judgment.

"LIFE ON MARS" is unrated, but not for children. If rated, it would likely be PG-21, R, or, in a few fast scene flashes, more. Put the kids to bed first.
....The series cleverly uses period music and recording artists at key spots in the episodes. Included, but not limited to, are artists and songs: David Bowie, "Goodbye Yellow House Road", "The Sweet Hellraiser", Barclay James Harvest, "In the Shining Sun", David Cassidy, Moody Blues, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Elton John, "Rocket Man", Whiskey in the Jar, Traffic, Cream, "Crossroads", The Sweets, "Love Lies Bleeding", Israel Kamakawiwi'de, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Changes", and of course, "LIFE ON MARS."
....16 episodes, about an hour each.
EXTENSIVE BONUS MATERIAL-detailed on this COMPLETE set's listing.

Best time travel tale since "The Wizard of Oz".

Life On Mars (UK): The Complete Collection Overview

"Not your mother’s procedural drama" --Entertainment Weekly

"Intelligently entertaining" --USA Today

Seen on BBC America

"An intoxicating treat" --Variety

"One of the best TV series ever made" --San Francisco Chronicle

Crazy, in a coma, or back in time? Struck by a passing car in modern-day Manchester, detective Sam Tyler (John Simm, State of Play, Doctor Who) wakes up in 1973, where he’s the newest member of his old police squad. Sam’s respect for proper procedure and 21st-century mentality clash mightily with his bullying boss, DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister, Cranford). Still, Sam gamely adapts to crime solving in this retro world, despite hearing strange voices that call him back to his former life. When he bonds with sympathetic policewoman Annie Cartwright (Liz White, The Fixer), Sam wonders: does he really want to return?

Winner of two International Emmys® for best drama series, Life on Mars is "an entertaining collision of bare-knuckled police-procedural realism and mind-blowing surrealism" (TV Guide), acclaimed by critics and fans alike.

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Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise)

Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise) Review

After waiting so many years, The Promise is now on Danielle Steel's 2 DVD Collection. My wife and I watched this movie when it first came out in the 70's and loved it. It is a great love story and Stephen Collins and Kathleen Quinlan have wonderful chemistry together.

We have not seen the other 3 movies in this set yet as we just got the DVD, but for the price you pay on Amazon for this 2 disc set, The Promise alone is worth every cent paid!

My wife and I are 60 and this movie brings back so many wonderful memories for us.

For the new generation, watch it. We're sure you will love it as much as we did and still do. After all, love is universal and transcends generations.

Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise) Overview

Collection of made-for-TV movies based on Danielle Steel's romance novels about the pain and joy of love.
Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: NR
Street Date: 01/09/07
Wide Screen: no
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
Language: ENGLISH
Foreign Film: noSubtitles: no
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: yes
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve

Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise) Specifications

Girls, this is just what the doctor ordered: A cozy, romantic boxed set of some of Danielle Steel's best escapist films--like the best of Lifetime Movie Network condensed into two fabulous discs. The set contains four films, including the little-seen but deeply involving The Promise, starring a lovely young Kathleen Quinlan and Stephen Collins, pre-7th Heaven--even pre-Sisters. The two play college sweethearts whom fate brings together in a jarring, violent way--forcing them to make a chain of decisions that will affect their lives forever. Quinlan and Collins have believable chemistry and their longing is palpable. Bonus: the production values are extremely high, including a score by David Shire, and direction by Gil Cates (perhaps most famous as the director of the Academy Awards broadcasts). The other films include:

• Palomino, a tale of worldly city gal finding her inner ranch hand--and true love in the arms of a wrangler--in rugged California horse country. Lindsay Frost and Peter Bergman have palpable sexual tension, and the always-welcome Eva Marie Saint makes a memorable cameo.
• Secrets, starring Josie Bissett (an actress talented enough to lead her own TV series) as a soap star who finds the juice and intrigue off camera every bit as knotty as her show's plotlines.
• Star, with Jennie Garth and Craig Bierko as lovers for whom time, distance, and enormous difference of circumstance matter not when they unexpectedly reunite years later.

So heat up the tea and popcorn; this disc is a perfect girls' weekend, whether you have several girlfriends joining you or just your own sweet comfy self. --A.T. Hurley

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