Collecting Movie Reviews

Everything one needs to know about life. There is no better film. If you want to sit back and learn about humanity, then this is for you. Caution: Not for action-film, thriller-addicted.

"The greatest film ever made" is a difficult phrase to fling. I agree that "Rules of the Game" must be one of them. At the start, it seems merely dressed up and ordinary. You won't be disappointed, however. And if you are not impressed by the Stooge-like freneticism and theatricality of the climactic scenes, well, you've missed the point. We can only endure so much critcism and shock -- at some point we have to enjoy life, all of us. Note the "comme les autres" line as the party ends and also instances of the proverbial offering of cigarettes. The enjoyments in life are to be shared.

And, YES ! I researched the net about this film : nearly every comment includes a statement professing that this is a contender for the greatest film ever made. So, why no DVD ?

I didn't like the shooting scene in "Gosford Park" either. It's true, times change. What was uncomfortable 70 years ago seems shocking to us today. It's the idea of showing it, too. Why ? Whatever is to be accomplished by showing scenes of animal mistreatment can surely be done in some other way. Especially considering the resourcefulness required in making a movie in the first place.

[Not to complain, but, I don't know why you can't do home editing of DVDs. We should be able to edit out what we don't want to see. I'd certainly remove the killing in the hunting scene for personal viewing. I've seen it once. That's plenty.]

By the way, I've long wished I could lift my favorite scenes and make some personal DVD's showing just my fondest cinematic memories. That should be okay for personal use and not infringe on the rights of the film people. I mean, I already own the film in its entirety, right ?

There are more things to laud and applaud in "Rules of the Game" than can be comfortably mentioned in any review. Many great moments. Great script, great directing, great acting, tremendous pacing, wonderful cinematography, tremendous window into the times, etc., etc. So, you'll just have to see it, I guess.

This movie is simply grandiose, Renoir truly did a wonderful job with this one. One thing that captured me is the way Renoir did the screenplay, each character in interesting. None of them are a bored for the viewer, the dialogues are still fresh after all these years and even if the movie is 70+ years old, it is still one of cinema greatest film, if you have the chance to see this one, take it. You will not regret it, I promise you.

This is a great collection of films by the renowned avante-garde filmmaker Stan Brakhage; if you want to see Brakhage's films, THIS is the best video transfer you're ever likely to see.

As has been mentioned, many of these films are impecabbly transferred to video-- but these aren't film colors. They're much more vibrant than any color photographic image could possibly be. Many of these films were made by dying the original footage or painting onto blank film, so Brakhage creates photographically-impossible colors.

Unfortunately, Brakhage made many other films besides the direct-to-film works that make up the majority of this collection, and they do get to the point where you can't watch them all at once without feeling stroboscopic effects and getting a headache. I hope that at some point another DVD will appear containing some of Brakhage's photographic works. His painted films are great in small doses, but all those fast-forward color effects need to be digested. They're great to put on for a little while, but it's probably injurious to watch these DVDs all at once.

I had heard about Stan Brakhage and his films long before coming across this collection, and now I wish there were a few more disks here. Stan Brakhage was very prolific, and this is only a portion of his work-- although it does include "Dog Star Man" in its entirety.

For those who haven't seen Brakhage's films: most of the films on this collection are silent (although there are separate commentary tracks for each one) and many of them either rely on rapid cutting or are painted directly onto the film. It would be difficult to watch the whole collection at once because of the stroboscopic effect that Brakhage achieves; I would advise taking a break beween films in order to let your eyes go back to normal. In any case, these movies weren't meant to be watched in one big lump; this is a great collection to dip into when you're in the mood.

A word about the transfer: the colors in the painted films are the most vibrant I've seen on a DVD; kudos to the technical people involved in the video transfer.

Beautiful, moving films gorgeously transferred to DVD by the ever-reliable folks at the Criterion Collection. The packaging is excellent, the commentary and notes informative. A fascinating addition to any collection.

This DVD is definiately a turning point in the series. Up to this point has been basically slapstick sexual humour and utterly awesome action sequences. This collection is when the series gets dark.....really dark.

In episode 15 we find that there is still some kind of spark between Kaji and Misato and that there is a new spark imerging with Shinji and Asuka....And Kaji reveals a disturbing secret about NERV.....BUM BUM BUM!!!

In episode 16 a new, oddly bizarre, angel attacks the city and when Shinji hotheadidly thinks he can take on the angel by himself, he and his Eva get trapped inside it. Here we start to understand that the Evas arent just biological robots, but beings with souls and humanity. Pay attention to the music when Shinji defeats the angel; You're gonna hear that alot from now on. And when you do, things are gonna get bloody......very bloody.

In episode 17 we find that there's a new fourth child on the way. They dont say exactly who it is but its fairly obvious....I think you can figure it out.

In conclusion this is a great collection in the series. My only complaint is that there isnt too much that happens, (I mean cmon only one angel attack!!). This DVD paves the way for particularly more disturbing happenings to come. Buy it. Buy it now!!

If the previous DVD's story was a hint that nothing is quite what it seems, in the three episodes here, the scales begin to fall away, almost without warning. We will only encounter one Angel, but the interplay of the characters is so intense that one hardly notices. In addition, the steady pace of revelations about, NERV, SEELE, and the Human Instrumentality Project leave the viewer as unnerved as the characters.

The first episode, "Lie and Silence," has Misato trying to deal with her own interior loneliness and her ambivalent feelings about Ryoji Kaji, would be lothario and suspicious character. Confronted by a series of unnerving discoveries that includes the remains of the first Angel secreted in the chambers below NERV headquarters, Misato finds herself questioning NERV's true agenda.

In the next episode, "Sickness unto Death, and...," is one of the most terrifying episodes thus far. Shinji and Unit 01 are trapped in the interior field of an Angel that does not seem to exist and the boy's hallucinations strip him down to a fragile core. When this triggers impulsive action on the part of the EVA, everyone, pilots and staff, suddenly realizes that the EVA's are much more than robot slaves. And that their true nature may be just as dangerous to man as the angels.

This episode lays the groundwork for the tragedies to come. In an inexplicable event EVA 04 and the entire secondary NERV site vanish without a trace. Gendo Ikari's bleak ruminations leave us with little doubt that he has his own priorities, and even Misato becomes suspicious of the speed at which the fourth child, Toji Suzuhara, is identified.

In a stream of small betrayals, the tension between the characters mounts. It becomes clear that the destruction of the angels has a timetable of its own, and is being used to mask both SEELE's expectations and Gendo Ikari's own intentions. In the middle are the pilots, victims of the ambitions of others. The more human they become, the stronger grows the sense of some impending inexorable fate.

Well theres not alot of fighting, but the part were theres only a white stripe in the screen and Shinji talking about the craizest stuff.I kept saying outloud "what the hecks goin on."This part of evangelion messed wiht my mind. the only other anime to do that was PERFECT BLUE which i highly recommend, this plus PERFECT BLUE opened me up to animes to mess wiht my head after i am done with this series i plan on starting SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN.

Wow! Where to start? What a wonderful set! Well lets start with:

Santa Claus is Comin' To Town, an exciting look at how Santa began. Good to put on for young children to help answer those burning Santa questions. At some points, questions are actually asked by children about Santa, which are answered by the narrator Fred Astaire. I really like the character of BurgerMeister MeisterBurger who is one of the evil characters Santa must get past to be able to deliver his presents. The score is wonderful too, my fave being "Put one Foot in front of the Other".

The Little Drummer Boy, which is found on the same disc as Santa Claus is comin to Town is right up there with the tissue factor as another R/B special Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. This story is about a little boy named Aaron who has had a huge tragedy in his life, bringing him to hate humans. His only friends, therefore, being a camel, donkey and lamb who dance to the beat of his drum. The strange foursome end up being a part of the very first Christmas on that very holy night.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, is probably most R/B fans favourite. The Story based on the song of the same name, follows Rudolph as he battles to gain respect, due to his bright red nose. He is joined by Hermey, one of Santas elves who wants to be a dentist, not an elf, and together decide to be "a couple of misfits". It is narrated by Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman and probably has the best set of songs as a whole out of all the other R/B specials. Plus with so many other great characters, Yukon Cornelious, Abominable, Clarice, Donner and Mrs Donner and of course Santa and Mrs Claus, you can't go wrong.

Frosty the Snowman, although animated and not claymation, is still one of my faves every year. Also based on the song of the same name it follows Frosty's adventures after his birth "Happy Birthday" by a group of school children. In particular, Karen, who gets quite good friends with Frosty and tries to help him from melting. My only complaint, which I think is the same as many, is that it isn't joined by Frosty's Winter Wonderland, the proper sequel. Instead it is joined by Frosty Returns. Now, this isn't a bad effort, but when you are a big fan of R/B and you watch this, it is very dissapointing. The animation is totally different to that of R/B, the characters are all different except for Frosty and when you know there is a great sequel out there, this just doesn't cut it. I probably will watch it very rarely.

I am from Australia, and for some reason, our tv stations stopped playing all these specials that I grew up on. I was really upset, even though now I am in my twenties. Fortunately I ended up finding these through internet search, which of course led me to Amazon. I am so happy that I have these(and others) and enjoy them so much. If you have never tried Rankin/Bass before, please do!

Oh my gosh! Great little pack of movies! Good price, very enjoyable! My advice: Just buy it!

I had fairly new copies of the VHS versions of the films in this DVD set, and what a difference the DVD made. The new sound is clean and full; the colors are deep and rich with no signs of static or dirt. Thank you to the wonderful people who worked so hard to fully restore these classic treasures of childhood. We can now finally see these the way they were meant to be seen. So much care went into this new set. The shows are not in wide screen since that is the way they were originally made, being "made for TV". This set has no less than 5 classic TV specials, placed on 3 discs and each of the discs has its own hardcover clamshell case. The artwork on each of the DVD covers is the original photos and title art from the films. I remember that some of the VHS copies had cheap aftermarket art. (These are identical to the DVD's you can buy separately of the same films). There is a slipcover box to hold the 3 cases in.

The "Frosty the Snowman" disc is an animated cartoon, and the story is driven by the unforgettable song. There is a nice introduction by Arthur Rankin on this DVD, describing the process of creating this gem and what the film meant to the producers and creative staff. There is also an animator's pencil test of the film, which shows how the cartoon is made. Unfortunately they did not include the original Frosty sequel, "Frosty's Winter Wonderland". For some strange reason the disc includes a project that was made by another studio and does not look anything like their stuff called "Frosty Returns". It's really poor quality compared to everything else in this set.

The next item is the Animagic blockbuster champion of Rankin/Bass TV specials, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". This is one of the best family holiday films of all time, with great music, action, suspense, comedy, and adventure. The snow monster scared the heck out of me as a kid. What other show dealt with a monster by having a dentist elf pull his teeth? At 40 years old the story holds up very well. This disc is special since it returns the missing scenes and footage that the TV network had cut out over the years, to make more room for commercials. The disc has great supplemental extras too, such as a music video of the alternate song "Fame and Fortune", the original TV trailer, and a trivia game. Also has a neat caption reading alternate version you can use to help your kids with reading. The color and clarity of this disc is so good it looks like it is being played out in your living room. The stop-motion Animagic process predates the computer graphics we have today, and yet looks just as 3 dimensional. I prefer the Animagic; it gives the characters so much life and personality. And you can't help singing along with the wonderful songs; it is amazing how every word comes back to you. Tons of great songs like "Silver and Gold" by Burl Ives! The show is based on the title song that is much older than the show.

The 3rd disc does not have extras, but it has 2 specials making it a great deal. I had purchased one of the shows on VHS last year, "The Little Drummer Boy". If you have a copy in that format, throw it away. I am not kidding; the difference in the quality of the color, picture, and sound is astounding! The new DVD looks like it was filmed yesterday (while my VHS version was so blurry and static and colorless I honestly could not enjoy it). The Vienna Boys Choir performs the title song. This show is a tear-jerker, but well worth watching. By the way, this show had a sequel but it is not on this disc.

Also on the 3rd disc is "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". This is the storyline to show the history of Santa Claus, from a kid to the jolly old elf himself. What an adventure he has, battling the forces of evil to bring toys to the kids. Romance, comedy, mystery, it is all here. The Winter Warlock is still scary to me. And the cast includes Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, & Keenan Wynn. The musical score (background) compliments the film perfectly, and the great songs help carry the storyline. The Westminster Children's Choir sung in this film. This DVD version was also re-mastered to look like new, and it is beautiful indeed.

In closing, I was born in 1963, before we had full time cable TV, satellite, VHS, cartoon network, etc. The Rankin/Bass studios made the best holiday specials. It was a time when kids and even whole families plopped down to the TV specials at Christmas and it was an EVENT! We only had kid shows on Saturday mornings back then, and you had to wait a whole year to see these great shows again. We are very lucky to be able to buy these now and to enjoy them without the tons of commercials. I remember rushing to get snacks or bathroom breaks during commercials too. Now my son is enthralled with these shows that have passed the 40 year test of time.

If you want to see more treasure by this great studio, search for films by Arthur Rankin, or Jules Bass. Some are animated, some are Animagic but they all have great story, design, and music. Not all have made the jump to DVD yet, but buy the ones that have so they will be encouraged to release more of their library. I highly recommend:
"Here Comes Peter Cottontail"; "The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town"; "The Hobbit"; "The Year Without a Santa Claus" this DVD also has a rare treat "Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey"; "The Flight of Dragons"; "The Mad Monster Party" (a 90 minute theatrical film); "The Daydreamer"; "The Wacky World of Mother Goose"; Little Drummer Boy Book 2"; "The Emperor's New Clothes"; "Rudolph's Shiny New Year"; "Mouse on the Mayflower"; "Twas the Night Before Christmas"; "The Stingiest Man in Town"; "The First Christmas"; "Jack Frost"; and more all available at Amazon.com.

There are also 2 books sold here that I know of on this studio and their films, "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Making of The Rankin/Bass Holiday Classic", and "The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass".

The Dark Shadows saga is back for DVD Collection 3! The 3rd Collection (VHS Volumes 13-20) pretty much begins the countdown to the first flashback in 1795 (which begins in Collection 4). In these episodes, we see the introduction of Dr. Julia Hoffman, who discovers Barnabas's secret and offers to cure him of his vampirism. Although he is reluctant, he lets her try. The ghost of Sarah Collins appears to David several times, and the rest of the family and friends try to search for her, for she knows about Maggie's disappearance. Also in this Collection, episodes in color begin (about 5 episodes into the first disc) but every now and then an episode in black and white will occur. As usual, we have 5-minute interviews at the end of each disc with a member of DS, including Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins), Sharon Smyth (Sarah Collins), Louis Edmonds (Roger Collins), and Lela Swift (director of the show). Great episodes as always, and I'm looking forward to Collection 4 which includes the start of the 1795 Flashback.

There are grand operas, horse operas and soap operas. But we're not horsing
around when we say that there's only one grand, gothic soap opera --- the
indestructible Dark Shadows.
Premiering on ABC in 1966, it ran for five years, chalking up 1,225
episodes. And now it's time, once again, to sink our teeth into one of TV's more
quixotic offerings. Pass the garlic, please.
And pass the DVD sets issued by MPI Home Video, dedicated folk who
have worked tirelessly to bring the series out of its forgotten shadows and into
an era of rediscovery. Each of the 5 DVD sets contain 4 discs, a chronicle of
Dark Shadows episodes --- approximately 75 hours of our favorite fanged ghoul,
Barnabas Collins, and the dark doings set in the small fictional fishing village of
Collinsport, Maine. Be forewarned, however, that as much as we have a stake in
the revival of the series, we question why MPI only included episodes #211 to
#412. (We asked the question, but they never answered. Talk about being kept
in dark shadows.)
The late '60s were an odd time in our cultural history, a kind of a
maturation into reality after the bland '50s and a precursor for the entitlement
and permissiveness of the '70s. Violence permeated our society and its
entertainment ... and escape was the order of the day. Dark Shadows brought us
to a strange set of performers playing even a stranger set of characters.
Grayson Hall and Joan Bennett came from the movies, Jonathan Frid and David
Selby came from the stage, and they were supported by actors and actresses
who had spent literally decades gracing some of the most popular soap operas
from radio and television.
Adding to the escapism was the time element. You were never quite sure
what century you were in while visiting the New England branch of Transylvania.
It could be modern-day Collinsport, or it could be the late 18th century.
Performers could be playing the present-day characters, or their great
grandparents. Still, one thing was sure: High on Windows Hill stood the family
manse, Collinswood (the name most likely came from Wilkie Collins, the author
whose gothic gems graced book stalls in late Victorian times), and, regardless of
the century, it was here that the haunted Collinses plied their depraved trade.
Dark Shadows had a narrative link in a way, but the performers never
seem to know exactly where they are, were they've been, or, most importantly,
where they were going. To be sure, there were the normal and accepted gaffs of
daytime television, such as a boom mike boinking a performer on the head or
people tripping over cables. But, there was the added zest of poor Joan Bennett
looking confused, calling performers by their real names, and trying to cover
rising panic with a look of sheer exotic boredom. Bennett made her first film well
before the talky revolution, but she hadn't seen or heard everything yet, until she
sojourned into daytime television.
As a matter of fact, the growth and development of the television show
parallels to a greater or lesser extent the growth and development of theater of
the absurd in America. The players and the set remained basically the same, but
the period and action varied wildly. And, ultimately it didn't matter where you
were, or where you thought you were, or where you thought you were going,
because you were under the spell of the Collinses, in Collinsport, and they were
in control. If the reality seemed fractured, hallucinatory and vaguely scary, well,
then, wasn't life exactly like that?
Dan Curtis, who also brought us War and Remembrance, The Winds of
War, The Night Stalker, Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (both with Jack
Palance) and the cult film Burnt Offerings, spawned the series. But the greatest
success of this veritable one-man cottage industry is undoubtedly Dark
Shadows. The brooding gothic setting, the sprawling, elephantine plot twists and
the idiosyncratic, not to say colliding, acting styles come together to create
something unique and strangely satisfying.
For the last 20 years, there has been an annual Dark Shadows Festival,
held either in the Los Angeles or New York area. This year, it will be held in
Brooklyn at the end of August. An ominous press release informs us that this
year marks the final full fledged festival, the last of its line.
Knowing the denizens of Dark Shadows, we don't believe it for a moment!

Dark Shadows was perhaps the most memorable daily soap opera of the era of the 60's. It influenced our culture and brought to teens and stay at home mothers countless afternoons of Gothic horror and romance. There was even a religious tract produced which warned of the dangers of watching this show due to the portrayal of the powers of darkness and use of magic and witchcraft. (These people obviously never saw the bloopers and mistakes that were so frequent on this show that it made you laugh, especially when they were trying to be serious!)This DVD set gets closer to the answers of what happened in the past that so influenced the future concerning the characters at Collinwood. Victoria Winters is still the center of attention and Maggie Evans shares the spotlight as the victim who can't remember her captor, who naturally was our familiar vampire, Barnabas Collins. I would like to note and call your attention to an actor who deserves recognition in this series for an excellent performance in a continuing role. Mr. Karlen, who played the helpless "Willie", Barnabas's slave/servant at the old house, should have received an Emmy award for his believable portrayal of a man heading toward and eventually having a nervous breakdown. I have never seen a better display than Karlan's characterization and he is a standout in this series (apparently others thought so too and he survived later in a role on "Cagney and Lacey" as a husband.) This is also where "color" became a regular for the show, although they still press a black and white show each week. It should be taken as "entertainment" rather than serious gothic horror and Dan Curtis helped give this show atmosphere by inspiring music that is drawn from his early "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" starring Jack Palance (still viewed as the best Jekyll and Hyde ever made!) and the cues before commericals as well as the errie opening melody are memorable and can now never be associated with anything other than "Dark Shadows". Goths will of course, love this series. After all, these characters were the epitamy of "cool" back then and they would certainly be "in" today,though I can't imagine Josette with Purple hair. Or Barnabas sporting tatoos or lip rings.

What more can I add to the reviews below? The Clu Gulager interview is absolutely fantastic. He reveals some very interesting facts regarding the filming and makes strong positive comments about his co-stars and the director. The Stacy Keach reading is also excellent.

I remember at 13 years being struck with wonder at the power of the dialogue in Hemingway's The Killers and if I recall correctly walked around the streets talking to myself, shoulders slouched, " You...bright boy. You pretty bright eh? " etc In this doubled whammy of Criterion edition it's Don Siegel's which has little to do with Hemingway which has the visceral power and Siodmark's which has much art and mood which has little of the power. Both however, are terrific movies. For film buffs it's a treat. With Siegel's the trashy sets, the truly brilliant acting of Mr Marvin, and Mr Gulager and Mr Cassavetes, go together to make a film which you can watch a dozen times and still marvel at it.

This review is on the 1946 version of The Killers (1946). The copy I rented did not contain the other version. Two killers, Al (Charles McGraw) and Max (William Conrad) are in a diner giving orders to the diner manager (Harry Hayden) of Henry's Diner and telling the customer to move to the other side of the counter. The black cook is tied up in the back too. They are waiting for "Swede" (Burt Lancaster in his film debut). Finally, the manager convinces them that Swede would not be in at all if it's after 6:00pm. They were going to kill Swede during his dinner at the diner. Nick (Phil Brown) runs to Swede's apartment. Swede is laying there on his bed in the dark. Nick tells him someone is out to get him. As soon as Nick leaves, the killers walk upstairs, open the door, and kill Swede. Now it's a case for Edmond O'Brien (D.O.A [1950]) to solve and what wrong thing did Swede do only once. "Sam" is played by Sam Levene who you may have seen in After The Thin Man (1936), Act One (1963). Virginia Christine is "Lily". You remember her as "Mrs. Olson" in the Folgers Coffee commercials.

I was never into anime until 3x3 Eyes came along. I'm still not that big of a fan of anime though I do admit there are some top quality anime out there.

But for me 3x3 Eyes is different. I was just watching it on one of the national tv networks when I came across it and at first I dismissed it as anime nonsense but I was hooked after watching the cliffhanger ending of the sixth part ( or the fourth part in the edited Manga UK version I was watching).

I stayed up late to watch the final part (15 at the time, had school the next morning) and Im so glad I did. I loved the animation and art deign for starters but it was the characters personality I fell in love with in the epic saga. It was the last 20 minutes or so at the end where the true meaning of the film came to light and it was those last minutes which made the film truly great. Yakamo (the main male character, good guy) would do anything for the girl (Pai) he loved and he took the most brutal of punishments at the hands of Beneras (main bad guy) but not before telling her something....I won't give too much away...

The whole point the director of this masterpiece was making is told in the last part of the film and it just gobsmacks you. Narly five hours later and this was what the film was really about! It wasn't simply about action, blood 'n' guts, humour, or demons etc. It was simply about.......ahhh now that would be telling! It has to be seen from start to finish to really understand the emotions it brings about. And the music is well worth owning. Definately one of the best soundtracks ever. (I'm sure the composer of Bravehart will agree:-)

So those of you who like action films with a good dose of human emotion thrown into it, buy it now! You wont regret it....

Remember this is a newly dubbed version but I recommend watching it in japanese with subtitles on. The new Pioneer dubbing is good and more proffesional than the older Streamline dubbed edition but the voices were better in the older Streamline dubbed addition. The DVD version has a cool interface and some really nice pics.

I actually bought this series on VHS several years back. I've seen it like 70 times (seriously), and it is still my favourite. This anime is action-packed to say the least and, together with an incredibly story this makes a killermovie. I had to get this DVD pack as my VHS is getting worn. The VHS series consists of five parts, while this DVD pack contains 7. It is the same story though, the episodes are only split up differently

3x3 eyes is a masterpiece. Based on the Anime' and graphic novels of the same name, it follows the story of a young man named yakumo and a mysterious demon girl named pie. Wonderful charachter developement, beautiful imagery, fabulous exposition, and non-stop action make this one of the top ten anime ever made. Definitely a must.

"Outlaw Star" is in my opinion, a beautiful masterpiece with an excellent storyline and unforgettable characters. The further episodes focus mostly on the bio-android, Melfina, who is still a mystery to herself! Now, the evil Mcdougal BROS. are out to cause trouble for Gene's crew and destroy them in a deadly game of survival! Harry Mcdougal, however, is after Mel for some reason. What could it be? You'll just have to find out!!

Outlaw Star Collection 2 is just as good as the first collection. This 2nd collection introduces Gwen Khan, who designed the XGP15A-2 (aka "Outlaw Star") Gwen Khan is far and away the most annoying character in the series.
The McDogall Brothers try to kidnap Melfena, but they fail.

Great animation and story line. The characters are developed well and the action is always fast paced.

...This one...has a better car chase and a terrible plot. Popeye Doyle becomes a heroin addict, but then has to get rid of his habit and nab drug dealers. Sounds like a goood plot, but weakens through out the whole film. Character devlopment is pretty good, but is counterattacked by the plot. It only costs about $[money], so buy it if you want the sequel also, but don't expect very much.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION is a landmark film from 1971. It also helped further establish Gene Hackman as one of the best actors to grace movie screens. The DVD box set collects both the original film and its sequel from 1975. While the original film is also sold separately, the only way one can purchase the second film, is to buy the box set. I am a fan of both movies, therefore, in my opinion, the collector's set is only way to go.

Here is how the set breaks down:

THE FRENCH CONNECTION-New York City Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Hackman), and his partner, Detective Buddy 'Cloudy' Russo (Roy Scheider) are trying to bring down a drug smuggling operation. When the leader of the ring, Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), tries to have Doyle killed, the partners find themselves in pursuit, far out of their jurisdiction. Directed by William Friedkin, the film still crackles with energy, and its often talked about car chase still works after 30+ years. Since the film is based on a real-life incident, it has a documentary style to it, that gives it an edge. Hackman certainly deserved the Oscar he won for the movie.

DISC 1 EXTRAS-feature a well produced audio commentary track with Friedkin, Hackman, and Scheider. It sounded as though each participant was recorded separately, then, edited together later.

DISC 2 EXTRAS-two solid documentaries highlight the second disc. "Making The Connection" gives us a well rounded look at the film. The other documentary, entitled "Poughkeepsie Shuffle" was produced by the BBC. It talks about the film and the real life events that inspired the movie. Friedkin "hosts" a look at seven deleted scenes from the film. Some good stuff to be found here too. A still gallery and the original theatrical trailers from both films in the series.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION II-has Doyle (Hackman) still hunting for Alain Charnier (Rey) in France. Doyle is captured by his nemesis, forced to become a heroin addict, and left for dead. Forced to kick the habit and come clean, Doyle must join forces with his french counterpart (Bernard Freeson), in order bring Charnier to justice. Directed this time by John Frankenheimer, TFC II, retains much of the same flavor of the original, but falls just short. I think the main problem with 2 is having Doyle become too vulnerable, too fast. Hackman and a great director save a formulaic script, and elevate the picture, to better than it otherwise would be.

The audio commentary has Frankenheimer, Hackman, and producer Robert L. Rosen giving some good insight into the sequel. Like the first film's audio commentary, it sounded as though the three men were recorded separately, then edited together later. A production photo galllery, a storyboard gallery, and the theatrical trailers for both films in the series (what again??) top off the extras for the DVD.

The set is a must for Hackman fans. Recommended set **** stars

This 2 DVD Box Set of The French Connection I and II is very well packaged and has lots of intriguing extras. The films themselves are quickly becoming classics, with Gene Hackman putting in stunning performances- especially in The French Connection II during his rehab sequences.

I am most impressed that the film took advntage of the gritty and confusing street layouts of both Poughkeepsie and Marsellaise to add to what is an already filmatically challenging spy/crime story.

Very good collection- would recommend to those who like good 'private investigator chasing dangerous drug lords' crime films.

This is described often as the first successful screen version of a Shakespeare play. I'd have to disagree, there is a Max Reinhardt version of A Midsummer Night's Dream antedating Henry V and at least as good. This version of Henry V was produced during WWII and was intended as a morale booster. The screenplay is an edited version of Henry V with portions that show Henry's ruthlessness excised. These include his orders to execute English traitors, the famous speech before Harfleur in which he threatens to kill all the inhabitants of the town, and this orders to kill French prisoners after the battle of Agincourt. While one-sided, this is a successful production. Henry is portrayed by the young and glamorous Olivier in a tremendously attractive performance. The play is staged theatrically and in full Technicolor glory. The other actors are very good. This version is definitely worth seeing though the more recent Kenneth Branagh version is much closer to the original play. If you're going to see or own one version, use the Branagh version. If you enjoy differing versions of Shakespeare, then seeing this version is a reasonable use of time.

This is significantly Olivier's first play, and it was made unfortunately in Pro-War times. An examination of the script shows that Shakepeare was trying to show Henry to be a hero, but war to be wrong. The script was sorely cut for Olivier, into an all pro-war/England is invincible rendition. this version suffers from the cutting more than the acting, and does not convey accurately what Shakespeare's points.

Sir Laurence Olivier's 1945 version of Henry V was not the first attempt to bring Shakespeare to the screen, but it was the first to be successful. Up to that point, filmmakers had tried to translate the Bard to film, but failed to achieve any success. Sir Laurence was given the task to create a film that would be pro war and pro England in order to bolster the spirits of the people during World War II. While his version of Henry V is far from a faithful adaptation, it captures the essence of the play and was a tremendous critical and commercial success. It showed Sir Laurence's tremendous talent not only as an actor but as a writer and director. The film is a visual marvel, shot in glorious Technicolor, it opens with the play being performed on stage at the Globe Theater circa 1600 and then dissolves into the actual battlefields of Agincourt. Through the years the film has come to be derided as just a piece of wartime English propaganda. The film definitely was made to serve that type of purpose, but to simply classify in that vein is take away from the masterful job of producing a visually stunning and well crafted film that was very much on the cutting edge of filmmaking in 1945. In fact, the Academy gave Sir Laurence an honorary Oscar for his achievements in creating the film in addition to nominating him for Best Actor and the film for Best Picture.