Collecting Movie Reviews

First, the presentation of these four movies by Blue-Underground is superb. All widescreen format, wonderful color, and only a slight bit of age showing though any of them. Not a problem. If you're a Christopher Lee fan, these movies are a complete joy. And for those of you who enjoy Leo Genn, you've got to check out "Circus of Fear". Leo Genn gives a wonderful performance as an incredibly humble, compassionate police detective, who genuinely cares about people. But...

That brings me to the "bad disk" comment. Apparently there are problems with this first disk. I have two dvd players, and in the G.E. brand player, it kept spitting the disk back out and displaying "unplayable disk" on the digital readout. I finally got it to play by hitting the play button two or three times while it was reading the disk. But, further problems ocurred; skipping again and again, finally freeze ups. I was upset, to say the least.

Then I tried it on the other player, a Panasonic DVD-RV20, and it played flawlessly. I don't know why there would be such an increadible differance between the players. However, I know others are having the same difficulty with their players. So beware. Blue-Underground has issued a statement that they believe something happened during the manufacturing of the disk, and are considering how they can replace the disk in the very near future. I hope so, because this is a great box-set, and I believe any Lee fan would give a lot to own it.

The films in this set are superb. Quality and extras are very good and well worth the price.

One problem seems to be with CIRCUS OF FEAR. Several people including myself have discs that lockup during loading and lockup during playing. I have yet to receive a reply from Blue Underground and Amazon regarding this problem.

When I was very young, I was only allowed to watch certain horror movies- mainly Vincent Price vehicles (especially the ones based on Poe's work) and Christopher Lee's Hammer films. So for most of my life I had a great admiration for this deep voiced, dignified actor. This set contains movies from his 70's B-picture work, but the quality is amazing.

"Circus of Fear" is a fun little picture, and Lee raises it above your usual schlocky circus setting movie. There are also many funny moments scattered throughout. The Fu Manchu movies are a lot of fun- Lee plays the part perfectly and the makeup is amazing. About the only really "offensive" picture on this is The Bloody Judge, and not that much. Jess Franco and Lee seemed to be a great team on these latter pictures, even if at times they disagreed.

Technically, Blue Underground completely gave these releases the red carpet. The transfers are near perfect- all are in widescreen, there is very little grain, colors are just the right tone and they all look superb. The sound is also very well done, I heard no pops or crackles and there are no sound fade outs. The box is very attractive, and the covers are very nice (the inserts contain the original poster art.) Extras are a bit sparse- mainly commentaries and interviews- but they are well done, interesting and informative.

This is a great treat for Lee fans, especially fans of his earlier genre work. However, if you're looking for a group of scary pictures, you should look elsewhere. If you only know him from Star Wars: AoTC or the Lord of the Rings movies you may be dissapointed, but it's still worth a look to see some of what made him such a legend. This set is a must! Hopefully we'll see Blue Underground release more Christopher Lee pictures in the future.

Great box, great musicals too, all remastered. Meanwhile, I don't understand why "Kiss Me Kate" is not letterboxed as I have a widescreen version of this movie on laserdisc. "Panama Hattie" and most of all, "The Pirate" are not included in this box set, why ?

This review is mainly about the DVD presentation of these MGM musicals, "Cole Porter Collection" box set. The movies are ALL CLASSICS and worth the price of admission.

First of all I must congratulate Warner Brothers Home Video for their outstanding job in putting together this 5 DVD Cole Porter musical set!!! This 5 Musical box set have all been digitally remastered both picture & sound. The black/white picture quality is outstanding, the TECHNICOLOR pallet is eye popping/vivid, and the sound is crystal clear. There is an abundance of film related extra features included for each film too. Cole Porters music is at its best throughout this collection.

Qualifying Statement: I have a Home Theatre including; a 55" 16:9 WideScreen HDTV with a Progressive Scan DVD player/recorder and a Dolby ProLogic Surround System. My movie library consists of over 500 DVDs, mostly remastered & preserved in their original theatrical presentation release (full screen or widescreen anamorphic aspect ratio).

NOTE: FULL SCREEN - 4:3 (1:33 to 1 ratio) made for tv or films released before 1953. WIDESCREEN (movies made after 1953 to compete with television) - 4:3 LETTERBOX (horizontal top & bottom black bars on tv, add left & right vertical black bars too on 16:9 WideScreen HDTVs) adjusted for any aspect ratio 166/185/225 to 1 etc. It is still letter box.) ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN IS THE ONLY TRUE HDTV 16:9 PRESENTAION. This format automatically adjusts to the television being used. To get the High Definition picture the DVD MUST BE ANAMORPHIC & ENHANCED FOR 16:9 WIDESCREEN TELEVISIONS!!!!!!!!

Now in SUMMARY: Full Screen - "BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940" starring the best tap dancing duo of all time Fred Astaire & Eleanor Powell. This in my opinion is the best musical of this box set. The picture & sound quality is absolutely astounding. The dancing and Porters music is the best!!!! The musical film finale "Begin the Beguine" is fantastic. The extra features include; Ann Miller hosts a background documentary Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine (great info), Our Gang (Spanky etc)episode "The Big Premiere", Behind the Scenes Notes and trailer. This is a Black/White Full Screen film. What a musical. this film alone is worth the price of admission. "KISS ME KATE" starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ann Miller. This 1953 TECHNICOLOR DOLBY 5.1 musical is beautiful to watch and the stars voices are wonderful. The dancing choregraphy of genius Hermes Pan is outstanding, with young dancers,Bob Fosse, Carol Haney and Ann Miller. Extras include; Ann Miller hosts Cole Porter in Hollywood: Too Darn Hot, Music Track Only, Vintage documentary short "Mighty Manhatten, New Yorks Wonder City", Behind the scenes notes and trailer.

ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN - "HIGH SOCIETY" Cole Porters 1956 musical remake of the 1940 comedy hit, "The Philadelphia Story". This time starring Grace Kelly (her last film before marrying the Prince of Monaco), Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. This is my second favorite of this box set. The screen play, the music and the stars are perfectly cast. Note: Crosby & Kelly make the "True Love" duet and it becomes a gold record. This TECHNICOLOR widescreen remastered picture presentation is better than the original theatrical release with Dolby 5.1 sound. Porters songs are at their best. We even have Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong jiving too.
Extras include; Celeste Holm hosts Cole Poter in Hollywood; True Love, Premiere Newsreel, Audio-Only radio ads featuring Crosby, Kelly & Sinatra, Millionaire Droopy Cartoon, behind the scenes notes and trailer. Don't miss "HIGH SOCIETY" with the regal elegant beauty of Grace (actually wearing her real engagement ring - what a rock), the crooner Crosby and Old Blue Eyes Frank this is an outstanding delight to watch and listen too!!!! "SILK STOCKINGS" - Porters 1957 musical adaptation of Garbos "Ninotchka" - starring Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse. This TECHNICOLOR WIDESCREEN DOLBY 5.1 presentation is beautiful to watch and provides us with their last MGM musical. Extras include; Cyd Charisse hosts Cole Porters in Hollywood: Satin and Silk, 2 vintage musical shorts - Paree, Paree (1934 singing Bob Hope) and The Poet and Peasant Overture (presenting the MGM orchestra), behind the scenes and trailer. "LES GIRLS" this 1957 musical starring Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall and Taina Elg. Directed by George Cukor this Widescreen Technicolor Dolby 5.1 DVD is beautiful to watch but is the least known of Porters musicals. Extras include: Taina Elg hosts Cole Porters Hollywood: Ca C'est L'amour, vintage cartoon - Flea Circus, behind the scenes notes, trailer.

If you are a Cole Porter fan or you love musicals, this DVD box set is for you. Warner Brothers has done a marvelous job preserving, restoring and digitally remastering these films. A complete delite.

I recommend at a minimum rent "BROADWAY MELODY of 1940" and "HIGH SOCIETY" these 2 musicals are a must for your DVD library. Overall I love this box set. Enjoy.

Cole Porter was one of the greatest composers of all time and this a wonderful salute to him. The DVDs in this collection are:

Kiss Me Kate: A wonderful story of how two ex-spouses in a musical adaption of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" act the same offstage as they do on.
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller

The Broadway Melody of 1940: Wonderful Dance Numbers, Great Stars, Flamboyent Costumes, IT'S GREAT!
Starring: Fred Astaire, Elenore Powell, George Murphy

High Society: It's the musical remake of "The Philidelphia Story". Am ex-husband trys to re-marry his soon-to-be married e-wife, Tracy, and along come the SPY magazine reporters to dig the dirt on Tracy's new wedding.
Starring: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra

Silk Stockings: The musical remake of "Ninotchka". A film producer uses Paris and himself to try to charm a hard-cut envoy.
Starring: Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Janis Paige

Les Girls: The story of a showman and his Les Girls as each girl tells their story in court.
Starring: Gene Kelly, Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall

In my opinion, I think that the not-well-known Cole Porter's "The Pirate" with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland should be in this boxset INSTEAD of "Les Girls". Though "Les Girls" was a stunning Oscar and Golden Globe winning picture, it only has FIVE songs written by Cole Porter.

When I found out what the hook was, while looking at the credits at the end, I had to watch it over again. I already had an extremely high opinion of EM's acting ability, but this was stunning to me. Not that i was stunned by the realization, I was starting to wonder, and he had done it before... stunned by his talent. Oh, and i liked this a lot better that the Jerry Lewis, frantic version.

Starting off, it's a great set. I'm having a tough time picking my favorite. Life is my least favorite. And as for the rest, I don't know the ranking. Hope this helps! SNAP ON YOU

bye

This 4 DVD collection, featuring Bowfinger, Life, and the 2 nutty professor movies, is definately a winner. Probably the 2 best DVDs in this collection are the Nutty Professor series, where Ediie Murphy plays most of the characters himself!

In the Orginal Nutty professor, Sherman Klump (murphy), invents an elixir to become thin - it works, however, it massively increases his hormone activity, and he transforms from an overweight science professor to sex craved sweet talking Buddy Love.

In the second Nutty Professor DVD, Buddy is at it again, this time, trying to break up the marriage of Shermans sweetheart, Denise, and otherwise cause general trouble for everyone. Both Of these movies are extremely funny, and gives 10 times the laughter that the orginal Jerry Lewis movie of the same name did. The other 2 movies take a bit of a backseat to the Nutty Professor movies however, but you'd still be hard done by to find better movies.

"Life" is a lurchingly sentimental prison comedy that's like a setup in search of a punchline. In 1932, Ray Gibson (Murphy), a Harlem hustler in silky duds, and Claude Banks, a novice bank teller with fussy parted hair, team up on a bootlegging run to Mississippi. The two don't pretend to like each other. They're from opposing schools of upward mobility: the outlaw and the assimilator. Both, however, owe money to the same mobster, and so they're forced to be partners. What they don't realize is that their partnership is doomed to last forever. They get wrongly accused for murder, and tossed to the Mississippip state prison.

Bowfinger lets the sun beat down brilliantly on a tapped-out, chewed-up wreck of a producer-director, Bobby Bowfinger, as he hustles one last, big project that he bets will make him rich -- or else he'll fail for good. Bobby has been handed an awful script he believes in, called "Chubby Rain", about aliens who infiltrate Earth hidden in raindrops.

Bobby Bowfinger is a loser; he's also a genius. A studio biggie agrees to greenlight the project contingent on Bowfinger's smoke-blowing promise to sign up Kit Ramsey (Murphy), a superhot action star who worships a crackpot New Age guru. Well, Bowfinger can't deliver, but so what? He shoots "Chubby Rain" guerrilla-style, snaring Ramsay without the celeb ever knowing the camera's rolling!

All in all, a fantastic Movie Compilation, starring a very fummy man, makes for great viewing on a rainy weekend, or any other time.

Definitely a very memorable series overall. There is action to be found in Ex-driver, but don't watch it looking for a body count. The animation for the cars, characters, and scenery are very well done, and the voice dubbing isn't too bad either. The story could have used a little more developing, and I feel that they might have been better off making it into a 2 hour movie rather than 6 25 minute episodes. I watched the series by renting it, and I plan to buy the set when it comes out. It's a great buy, and a must for anyone that's into anime and cars.

Hi. I watched this and i REALLY liked it alot, it was funny, it had action, and it was just interesting. This DVD had great graphics and great sound. Although in a couple of places on the english track your supposed to here Soichi say something but there is no sound. This also happens once with one of the bad guys but i still REALLY liked this DVD. You can bet as soon as it comes out to buy, (i rented it) I will buy it.

This was a great series, well more like a mini-series. There were only 6 episodes, but still it was really great. What I really like was that, the world is advanced, with ai controlled cars and the better cars are the older lower-tech cars! I think that there should be more episodes, and that more would make it even better. A lot of it is funny, and if you really like anime(chicks) its a really good DVD to get, not just for that, but it is a plus. The driving is awesome and storyline is great. If you don't buy it, atleast rent it, it would be well worth the money. Have Fun :o)

This collection is a lot cheaper than buying all those other DVDs, even if you haven't seen the series, buy this whole collection, 'cause you may end up liking it and wanting every episode! A few jokes were so-so, but most were really funny! I really reccomend this

Enter Gokudo Yucott Kikansky: adventurer, treasure-hunter, womanizer - overall the most selfish, stubborn, greedy character I've ever known (and still he ranks high among my favorites). The story opens as a stubby little fortune-teller informs Gokudo that the king of Eshalatto is trying to kill him. Gokudo listens to the fortune-teller just long enough to get a free dinner out of her and pick her pocket before making a cheap excuse and a mad dash (I wish I could run that fast) back to the inn where he is staying. The true fun begins when Gokudo finds that what he has stolen from the fortune-teller doesn't have the sort of value he was hoping for... Soon all sorts of strange things are happening and Gokudo finds himself with the fate of the world on his shoulders, which he naturally tries to shrug off at every opportunity he gets. The cast of characters grows steadily throughout the series' 26-episode length, every character bringing their very own distinctive personality - complete with their very own distinctive and hilarious personality flaws!
I highly recommend this series to everyone, only to say that I would voluntarily rate it somewhere between PG and PG-13. I bought this series in the box set the very first chance I got after seeing the first two of six discs. In fact, I just finished watching it today, and I really hope that there is more "Gokudo" in the works. Happy watching!

Absolutely hilarious!!! Gokudo only has two wishes, "I want all the money and all the hot babes of the world all to myself!" He gets turned into a woman, an old man, a woman again, a baby, and back again. This greedy, backstabbing, pervert beats the bad guys for one reason, HE'S WORSE. The fact that he is an unbeatable swordsman helps. One of the many running gags in the series is that Gokudo breaks the foulest wind in human existance. It not only clears taverns, but counters magic spells and rouses tempermental goddesses. His dealings with the oni Ikyuo are equally hilarious. I originally bought this series on VHS and this is the excuse I have been looking for to get it on DVD!

WARNING: This is not the Tylor that you’re used to. A lot of people in my anime club were lost by the OAV series. It’s focused heavily on the peripheral characters, the story does NOT go the direction that most of the TV series fans had hoped it would, and it is 100% serious. The clever/silly humor from the TV series was dropped for a serious story line in the OAV.

Now that you have this warning, you’re ready to approach these DVD’s. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen the fan-subs of the Tylor OAVs, but the DVD quality will be far better than the 10th generation tapes that I have. As I said above, the story is told in a different style from the TV series, but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Taken on their own, I really enjoy them. The story is good, and as always, the animation is improved from the TV series. I just thought I should write this brief warning because, as I said, many fans of the TV series were very disappointed when the characters’ motives and actions changed in the OVA.

I watched this a little worried. I had heard that the OVA collection was not as good as the original series. I am writing this to say that what I heard was totally WRONG!!!!
This series is just as good, its different but it's still Tylor at its finest.
The First DVD in the 3 DVD set is the same style and humor of the original series, it almost feels like "the lost episodes." After the first DVD the other two DVDs change to a different style of animation and the series changes a little but not for the worse.
The one problem that I kept hearing was that there was a more serious tone in this series. This is true for 4 of the side story episodes, but its serious for the very reason that Tylor is not really in them. He makes small cameos but other then that the stories focus on other members of the Soyokaze while they are on ground time. Without Tylor the other characters WOULD act this way. I appreciate the fact that I got to see them in action without Tylor because it made me appreciate them a little more, as well as the humor and liveliness Tylor brought to their lives and to the story.
I do not want to spoil anything detailing the story or the series so let me just say that this series is a wonderful series to watch, its a little shorter then the original but its still worth your time.

I think that this series is as good as the original box set. It is a little more complex plot structure but still presents the most attractive aspects of the original series. I cannot recommend this enough. A real winner.

Since I have already reviewed "The Servant" separately, I will confine my comments here to "The Mind Benders" and "Accident."

"The Mind Benders" is an excellent example of the kind of film that has given British cinema a bad name. Literate, intelligent, well-acted, it's also a plodding progression of one staid camera set up after another. Bogarde and company are all excellent; one almost wishes they were a little less so. There is nothing to react to beyond the finesse with which they round off every corner of character, so thoroughly *written.* Each conflict is trimmed and groomed, each revelation tastefully neat and in place. It's all rather lifeless and unconvincing, though moderately engaging if you expect little from it.

"Accident," on the other hand, is Joseph Losey at his most winningly fluid. It's also Bogarde at his rat-like best as an envious Oxford don with the hots for one of his pupils. Playwright Harold Pinter's dialogue is so smart, it must have given the actors toothaches. All (with the exception of the inept Jacqueline Sassard as the object of Bogarde's attentions) obviously relish the chance to create a bevy of scheming, overeducated, unattractive vipers out of Pinter's clipped dialogue and famously pregnant pauses. With Losey at his most floating, sensuous, yet simultaneously precise, the movie almost defines the sexiness of style.

It's also style with a real subject, one that coincidentally sheds light on the failure of "The Mind Benders." "Accident" is, bar none, the most accurate evocation of the lifeless drift, petty jealousies and barely contained mutual contempt that constitute life in academia. "The Mind Benders" tries to make us care about academics, but the results are diagrammatic. We can see we're *supposed* to feel concern for Bogarde and his wife, we can tell how we're *meant* to react when their marriage starts to go awry because of his work, but we can't work up much more emotion than the recognition.

"Accident," on the other hand, exposes the lies and double-dealings of its characters. We don't care what happens to them for a moment. We can't, they're too accurately drawn, too self-pitying and lacking in any serious problems they don't create for themselves. The results nonetheless are riveting, *because* we recognize the truth of them. It's a nasty, knowing, unblinkered view of thoroughly unattractive people, a viciously witty snipe at ivy clad hypocrisy.

This has to be one of the oddest DVD collections out there: *The Dirk Bogarde Collection*, three movies featuring one of the most unique and courageous actors in the history of film, Dirk Bogarde. Bogarde started as a British matinee idol, but as middle-age approached decided to take some risks. The result was an impressive career consisting of masterpieces directed by the likes of Losey and Visconti. (The Visconti films, *The Damned* and *Death in Venice*, are absolute masterpieces that are not yet on DVD, for some stupid reason.) This collection features two great ones by Losey and another by Basil Dearden, all from the 1960's. In chronological order and ascending importance:

*The Mind Benders* (Three Stars): Inessential but entertaining piece of Cold War hysteria, in which Bogarde is a scientist / professor at Oxford who has been fooling around with sensory-deprivation experiments. The experiments involve submerging a person in a tank of water: given scuba gear and suspended by cables so that he can't sink or rise to the surface, the person evidently goes rather insane after a few short hours. It seems ridiculous until you remember the opening title-cards, which inform us that the idea for the story is based on REAL experiments performed at colleges in the US. Hey . . . the Commies WERE coming, you know.

*The Servant* (Four Stars): The first of the Joseph Losey / Harold Pinter / Dirk Bogarde collaborations in this set (director, writer, and star, respectively). The times were a-changin', all right: James Fox, in his first screen role, is a playboy who has inherited millions from his family and thinks he can live like a Gentleman of Yore in the Sixties . . . but he picked the wrong decade to attempt it. (Hell, he picked the wrong century.) Of course a Gentleman must have a Manservant, so he hires Dirk Bogarde to clean up his new mansion and cook his meals. Bogarde is amazing, here: nobody could raise his eyebrows with such withering disdain as this guy. Pinter and Bogarde combine to create a fascinating character that transcends the Pinterian class-warfare stuff that's probably the main point of the movie. We watch with fascination this latter-day Iago destroy his master for no particular reason except that he can, which is reason enough for him. (Pinter keeps trying to score his class war points, but they merely intrude on the interior psychodrama between Fox and Bogarde.) Amusingly, 30 years later Fox was to again play a wealthy English gent pestered by a manservant -- Anthony Hopkins -- in *The Remains of the Day*.

*Accident* (Five Stars): A hideously sophisticated masterpiece. *Accident* takes on the dark, damp theme of teacher-student relations . . . while also taking on mid-life angst, under which aegis we'll include loveless marriages, professional envy, and resentment of youth. Dirk Bogarde plays a family-man professor at Oxford (again!) who's got a crush on one of his students, a beautiful, deeply tanned, exotic Continental girl (Jacqueline Sassard, a rather atrocious actress). He's the epitome of frustration. His wife, Vivien Merchant, is pregnant with another child (they have several), has a terrible haircut, wears dumpy housedresses, and seems to have nothing but seething contempt for her husband. When he discovers that his swinish "pal", fellow professor Charlie (a superb Sir Stanley Baker), has beat him to the punch with the beautiful girl, he's driven over the edge. There are too many rancid riches here for one mere paragraph. I'll finish by saying that never has England seemed more HUMID: director Joseph Losey takes full advantage of what must've been an exceptionally hot summer over there. The scene where they play tennis and drink whiskies is enough to give the viewer a woozy head.

[The DVDs, by Anchor Bay, feature splendid bios of Bogarde, Losey, Pinter, Baker . . . but the sound on each is TERRIBLE. I practically had the volume on my TV maxed out in order to hear what everyone was saying.]

This DVD release of "The Servant" "Accident" & "The Mind Benders" gets 5 stars here, simply because the three films are so well-presented (and the cost is so reasonable). Extras are skimpy: original trailers (it is quite informative to see how such challenging films were marketed in the early 1960s) and sketchy notes on the artists ("Victim", for example, in which Bogarde starred in 1961, is not included in his filmography). The films are nicely divided into chapters, but there are no subtitles included.

The transfers are wonderful. All three films are letter-boxed, so viewers can at last get a sense of Losey's use of space in his two. Only a Criterion issue is likely to have surpassed these transfers. Particulary in the case of Losey, it might have been good to have included some sort of commentary by surviving participants or film scholars.

"The Servant" is a major film of the 1960s. Wonderfully fascinating, it occupies the realm of social commentary/satire and as well as that of psychological thriller. This superbly acted drama has an uncanny atmosphere of pervasive strangeness. John Dankworth's score and the recurring use of his song 'All Alone' contribute greatly to the bizarre goings-on. The main performers have probably never been better: Bogarde, James Fox (in an impressive debut), Sarah Miles and Wendy Craig.

"Accident": called by some Losey's masterpiece. Again, the top-notch transfer works wonders for the viewer's involvement and appreciation. There is a subtle use of color in this film that is well served. It may be a tiny bit too self-consciously "arty" in its execution, but "Accident" contains very fine work from Bogarde, Stanley Baker and Vivien Merchant. And this film has in common with "The Servant" a strange, foreboding atmosphere.

"The Mind Benders" is probably the least artistically important of this trio. Yet, for three quarters of its length, it's a slow, but very compelling hybrid of science-fiction and domestic drama. Bogarde is, again, at the peak of his form. But mention must be made of Mary Ure, brilliant as his tormented wife. Only this film's final moments let it down in a sentimental turn that a Losey probably would have avoided. This is not to disparage director Basil Dearden, whose direction of actors here is as good as anyone's. There are several highly dramatic scenes and a superior musical score by Georges Auric, adding to the effectiveness of this picture.

Compulsive viewing for Dirk Bogarde and British cinema of the 1960s.

I dont know if the films really deserve such extreme fawning (they are "small" films with an extremely independent feel) and my personal favourite of Fassbinder's of those I've seen, I must admit, is Criterions' "Ali..". Now that at least deserved a commentary. Still, every Fassbinder addicts' dream. The films themselves vary in quality; the first two "...Maria Braun" and "Veronika Voss" are the best, while Lola is the weakest of the lot (dramatically and conceptually). The real beef here is a lengthy documentary on the bonus disk. This is worth the proverbial 'price of admission', and rounds off a trilogy of nice "little" films.

For more quality German stuff check out "The American Friend" by Wim Wenders. It's really cool.

This DVD-set can't be with region 1 code, because my DVD-player is with region code 2 and plays this DVD-set complete. It must have region code 0.

God bless Criterion for finally releasing Rainer Werner Fassbinder's most popular films on disc. The great underappreciated little madman of the New German Cinema and certainly the most ignored genius in film history, Fassbinder's trilogy of films are set in the fifties of the Federal Republic, where the beautifully detailed characters are tortured by post-war burns on society. In The Marriage of Maria Braun, the title heroine loses her husband to war after spending half a day and one night with him, only to have him return and demand from her the weight of obligation. In Lola, an idealist reconstructionist falls in love with a brothel singer and sacrifices his innocence to his obsession. And Veronika Voss tells the story of a former actress whose involvement in a murder plot leads to her undoing.

Featuring outstanding work by actors such as Hanna Schygulla and Armin Mueller-Stahl, gorgeously photographed by Michael Ballhaus and Xaver Schwarzenberger, the BRD Trilogy is an outstanding follow-up to Criterion's recently released Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (my personal favorite Fassbinder - pick it up if you haven't already). Fassbinder's agonized desire for art through life led to an independent revolution of absolute brilliance. Fourteen years, forty-four films and not one of them bad: the proof is right here in this amazing trio of brutally dark and romantic cinema.

Unfortunately, many classic episodes that might have been restored to DVD were abandoned in favor of this single episode featuring stars Johnny and June Carter Cash. "The Collection" clearly made it to DVD on star power alone, since the story isn't a vital one to the _Little House_ bigger picture. Reverend Alden becomes ill after encountering a settlement ravaged by prairie fire and is found by Caleb Hodgekiss (Cash) and his wife. Alden explains that he is from Walnut Grove and is on his way there to collect donations for the folks at the settlement, Graves Corner, who have lost everything they have. Considering himself and his wife more needy than anyone in Graves Corner, Hodgekiss goes to Walnut Grove on an "errand of mercy" to collect the items himself, fully intending to flee with his wife and the collection before anyone suspects him. I was surprised to find that Cash actually did a halfway decent job of showing his character's evolution from determined con man to uncertain, softening guy-in-need. The ending is predictable as one would expect from this show, but not altogether lame. Overall, not one I would have personally chosen to promote to DVD immortality, but definitely a watchable hour of _Little House on the Prairie._

This review refers to the Goodtimes DVD edition of "Little House On The Prairie - 'The Collection'"......

When I first saw this DVD, as I was browsing through the Little House Series here, for a brief moment I thought this was a collection of several episodes of the series. It is not. "The Collection" is the title of this wonderful episode that adds a little pizzaz with guest stars Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

Johnny and June play Caleb and Mattie Hodgekiss, a struggling couple, who are so down on their luck, that Kaleb decides to take advantage of poor ailing Reverend Alden. Alden on a mission to help the town of Graves Corners after a devastating fire, falls ill and is rescued by Caleb and cared for by Mattie. Caleb takes the Reverend's clothes and poses as Alden's helper, travels to Walnut Grove, where he convinces all the good people there that he is collecting donations, all the while planning to keep it for himself.What Caleb doesn't foresee is the friendship he forms with all the generous and loving people there.Will Mattie be able to stop him? Will Mary speak up when she sees through him? Will Caleb see the error of his ways? Well It is after all "Little House on the Prairie"!

I enjoyed this episode very much. As many of the Little House episodes do, it had a message, was heartwarming, it made me smile and with this one there's a bonus.....Johnny Sings!

Goodtimes Video has brought several of these episodes to DVD and VHS and I hope there will be more. This DVD has a nice clear picture with good color and sound. Very good for a nearly 30 year old TV program! "The Collection" runs about 50 minutes, and for the price if you love these stories and know you will purchase more, you may want to consider a 2 pack or even the 4 pack. The 4 pack available now includes this one plus these three touching double features..."The Premier Movie"(The pilot..The Ingalls travel to Kansas), "The Lord is My Shepherd"(little Laura runs away to be closer to God) and "Laura Ingalls Wilder"(Laura and Almanzo marry).

This series stands the test of time. They will be a treat for generations to come for the whole family!
enjoy....Laurie

This DVD brings back such wonderful memories for me. I used to watch Little House on the Prarie all the time when I was young, except the DVD is a much clearer version! I am so glad I am able to see this show again and relive the happiness it brought to me so many years ago.

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Hi! As always, my review is based on QUALITY of the DVD's and not on the movie, acting, or direction.

DUCKLING: Picture-3.5, Sound-3.5
CITY OF DEAD: Picture-2.0, Sound-3.0

Thus, my overall rating is 3 stars. If I was rating "Duckling" alone, I would round it up to 4 stars by itself.

This is an excellent two-pack to buy if you enjoy Lucio Fulci. The price of the two-pack is about the same as if you buy one separately, so get 'em both at once. The case has kind of a hard-to-get-to insert card because the 2nd DVD flops around on a stiff plastic round. The insert card has Chapter Lists, one movie on each side -- that's it.

I watched "City of the Living Dead" first and I'm glad. There's not much to enjoy. The picture is lousy and grainy -- this, from a 1980 film. It is not true 16x9; in fact, it is more like a box on the screen. Sound is empty with no depth. Dolby 5.1? I don't know; it's barely stereo. The best part of the movie is seeing Catriona MacColl.

"Don't Torture a Duckling" is a superb film. There is a bit of gore, but this movie would earn plenty if released today in theatres. The sound is listed as mono (true) and is sharp and clear, becoming a bit distorted during loud parts. It is a true 16x9 picture and superior to "City of the Living Dead".

Whew. Both films feature good-looking female actors, as you'd expect in any Argento, Bava, or Fulci film. The prize here is Florinda Bolkan -- who gets top billing. Now I know why. She is very, very beautiful although in somewhat of a dirty and disheveled role. She is taller and larger than some of the policemen -- I like that -- and her performance is dramatic and superb. She did not receive an easy part to perform. It's always good to find a new female hero although the film is from 1972. She continues to work in film. I'm glad I found her, and I will be looking for more of her work. She literally spells the word GLAMOUR despite the grubby part here.

There is one very disturbing violent scene that many will not enjoy. I didn't like it one bit, and most women will not either. Whether it adds to the narrative or belongs in the film is up to you to decide. This is an "uncut" version so I guess Fulci wanted it in there.

There seems to be a transportation challenge in this movie as people on their feet can travel faster than automobiles. All the scenes are very interesting!

I will view "Duckling" again and again. "City..Dead" is probably worth a view once every five years or so.

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Being a fan of Lucio Fulci and needing a copy of City of Living Dead, I decided to buy the 2 disc set even though I hadn't seen Duckling before, I am lucky I made that decesion.

First of all City is basicly the same plot as Beyond and even stars Catriona MacColl from Beyond. A priest hangs himself opening the gateway to hell and MacColl sees this in a phsycic vision and is scared into a coma. A report saves her from the grave as she is buried alive and they set out to close the gateway. While there are zombies in this film they are noit traditional ones, they have supernatural powers and rip the back of their victims skulls off. The priest zombie makes victims bleed from their eyes and vomit up their guts, this happens in a really great scene. There is also a brilliant head drilling scene, which is in my opinion one of Fulci's best effects. While not as good as Beyond, City is still a great Fulci film, with plenty of atmosphere and Catriona MacColl looking very cute, I haven't seen her in anything but Fulci films, it's a shame though as she is such a cute actress.

Duckling, which I though would be the weak movie, was surprisingly a brilliant. While I have heard of it refered to as a giallo, it really is more of a great mystery involving a series of child murders. While there are a few stalking scenes, Duckling lacks the gloved killer vibe of the standard giallo. What stands out in this film is the lack of Fulci gore, except one scene involving a witch being beaten by vigilantes and also Fulci proves with this film that he is capable of directing a coherrant plot driven film and makes a truely gripping film experience.

While slim on special features compared to the Beyond DVD, Anchorbay has as usual done an exceptional job of transfering these films to DVD. The pictures are generally as crisp as the day they were shot and really any Fulci fan should snap these up as there will never be better versions available.

june 18,02 tuesday I taught t have seen the original city of the dead dvd .but no this is the uncut version the was film when lucio was alive this one contains gut seens the were cut of from the movie it has more blood guts and seens of the movie
the you havent seen .dont torture a duckling is uncut it has seen the i havent seen at all guts blood when a gril is rip little from her skin by the towns people and is uncut from the vault of lucio bouth dvds are original uncencerd and complete. im the fist to own it you must see by henry