Collecting Movie Reviews

Whether or not you're a Bogey fan, you're going to find something to enjoy in this set. This 4 disc collection contains two of the finest films ever made in "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca", one great though little-known thriller in "Key Largo", and a wonderful mystery in "The Big Sleep". "The Maltese Falcon" is the film that set up Bogart as the anti-hero, with his Sam Spade character only a little better than the criminals he works with. Still, in the end, his true colors shine through. "Casablanca" is an amazing movie because it's a romance, thriller, and action movie rolled into one! Bogey plays Rick, a man who has run away from it all to open his own bar and escape the pain of losing the woman he loved. Now she's walked back into his bar and into his life - with her husband. The film is amazing because it shows the selflessness of both lead characters in Bogart and Bergman. Both movies yeild countless classic lines that you've heard quoted dozens of times. "Key Largo" isn't as well known as the previous two, but it's a fabulous movie nonetheless. Bogart and Bacall star in this one, and Bogey plays a man trapped at a hotel while Edward G. Robinson as a gangster takes it over with his men. Folks, classic movies just don't get much better than this one, as the tension mounts every minute until the emotions finally have a chance to explode at the end. The action at the end makes it worth while and you just wait the whole movie for Bogey to tear into them. It's great! Finally, "The Big Sleep" is here - in both versions! This dvd has the theatrical release and the overseas release versions, so that alone makes it an amazing addition to the collection. The stories aren't too different, though there are several added scenes to the overseas version. Bogey plays Philip Marlowe and it's definitely a good thriller. If you're at home on a rainy Saturday afternoon, then this set it the one you want with you when you have time to kill! You definitely will not regret spending the money on these great dvds! There's not a stinker in the bunch (which can't be said for a lot of dvd collections).

What a GREAT collection! Casablanca's the trademark Bogart movie and one of the top five film classics for all time. Bogie and Bacall team together in the "Key Largo" and the "Big Sleep". The "Maltese Falcon" is a fine addition to round the set out. After all, it was suspense film about "..the thing that dreams are made of". If your shelf has room for two more Bogart favorites, I'd suggest "To Have and Have Not", Bacall's first film performance and "Treasure of the Sierra Madres", directed by John Huston.

This is a must for any fan of Bogart or old movies in general. The picture quality of this DVD set is excellent. The movies selected are all outstanding. Excellent performances by Edward G Robinson (Key Largo), Lauren Bacall, the incomparable Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Laurie and of course Ingrid Bergman. I wish they had included a fifth selection TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT. That would have made this an even more complete survey of Bogart's work. However based on the 4 films represented here you can't go wrong with this selection.

It's no mystery why this is the most-watched detective show in the history of the PBS 'Mystery!' series -- Christie penned a brilliant Belgian dick who solves crimes only using
his 'little grey cells' and the aid of his affable associate Captain Hastings. And not one hair out of place on his perfectly coifed hairy lip! No mystery why fans can have sleuthing fetes: Acorn is releasing the entire canon. Mystery magnifique!

This collection further exemplifies David Suchet's performance as Christi's Poirot. This series, as well as other Poirot sets, stays true to the books from which these movies were based and is truly well worth watching.

AND I ENJOYED IT! O MAN GREAT SERIES! I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND READING THE BOOKS, IF YOU LIKE THE MOVIES, YOU'LL LIKE THE BOOKS! I LOVE FIGURING OUT MYSTERIES! IF YOU'RE A MYSTERY PERSON, THIS IS THE SET FOR YOU! ALSO CHECK OUT THE OTHER 2 SETS OF DVD'S FOR POIROT.

Although she only has 2 albums ("Not that kind" and "Freak of nature"), this beautiful and very talented singer has broke all record sellings in Europe, selling 10 million copies with only 2 cd's in the market.
Her appearance in the U.S was last year and her only official single "One day in your life" bearly touched the charts. But the funny part is that everyone who listen one of her songs, simply loves it. The whole thing is that she doesn't have a big promotion on TV shows or radio stations.
This DVD includes her 10 video collection, with songs like "I'm otta love love" which was her first single. The song is very good, is a dance song such as "Not that kind", "I was made for loving you", "One day in your life" (Directed by Dave Meyers), "Boom" (the official song of the 2002 FIFA organization) and "Why'd you lie to me" that is a very good video.
You'll also find the video of the first single from "freak of nature", "Paid my dues" and finally you'll find the ballad videos from her songs "Cowboys and kisses" and "You'll never be alone".
With the special features, includes remixed videos, behind-the-scenes and a special about Anastacia, between others.

While a huge star abroad, American-born Anastacia has had a hard time translating her international success into stateside success. This despite the fact she's put out two very fine albums, both encompassing pop, funk, rock, and dance. This companion DVD is a terrific visual overview of what the very fickle American listening audience is missing. There's not a bad video in the bunch, though particularly good are "Not That Kind", "I'm Outta Love", "One Day In Your Life"(the international mix), and "You'll Never Be Alone". Among the extras are some interesting making-of segments, with the lengthy "One Day In Your Life" segment getting the bulk of the time. One thing that comes across in all the videos, though, is that this woman possesses a strong, magnetic vocal presence and visual energy that's being overlooked in favor of charisma-free non-singers like Britney Spears. In the end, she may be too pop for American consumption, but then it wouldn't be the first time American audiences were way off the mark.

Anastacia was born in America. Anastacia was first seen on American MTV. Why in God's name has Anastacia remained so anonymous in the country that she calls home?

Plain and simple. She's different.

And different people are usually critically acclaimed, but have trouble finding lasting careers over on this side of the pond. Look at Macy Gray's career. Newcomer Norah Jones will probably be met with a similar fate.

Having been a fan of Anastacia for a long-time, I was estactic and shocked to find out that a DVD video collection had been put together. I've heard all of her songs, but I have only had a chance to put an image to one ("One Day In Your Life"). Sony did a great job providing PICTURE-AND-SOUND-PERFECT-QUALITY videos, as well as well-edited, humorous, and informative "Making The Video"-esque documentaries.

In addition to that, the remix videos are great. The new takes on the songs are really good. As well as the biography, the "Who's Anastacia" short, which is only about four minutes long, but is very informative. Before today, Anastacia was a personality-less voice, now she is a living, breathing, vibrant performer in my eyes.

Without a doubt, Charlie Chaplin is the reigning king of silent comedy. His impeccibly limber gesturing, sense of timing and evocative facial features have made him a landmark artist, a masterful film maker and one of the greatest talents to ever grace the silver screen. What more can be said; does it get any better than the little tramp?!? And now, Warner Home Video proves that it does, indeed get better; a lot, lot better. Having had to contend with poorly transferred, badly worn VHS and primative bootlegged DVD copies for years, the home video audience at last gets to witness Charlie in his best video incarnation ever! This box set features four classics from the Chaplin legacy; Modern Times, The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator and Limelight. In each case, Chaplin illustrates the art of making movies as no one before or since. Great fun!
THE TRANSFER: No expense has been spared in making each film sparkle as never before. The gray scale is incredibly rich and beautifully balanced. Blacks are deep. Contrast levels show off Charlie's make up. Fine detail is gloriously realized. Minor edge enhancement and some pixelization do occur but nothing to distract or even hint that anything but absolute care has been taken to make these films look as good as they possibly can. Almost all age related artifacts are gone. Truly, I can't say enough to recommend these transfers. The audio is mono and nicely balanced.
EXTRAS: Each disc comes with a brief featurette on Chaplin's legacy and some interesting supplimental extras including outtakes in some cases and interviews in others.
BOTTOM LINE: No more to be said: don't walk - RUN to your nearest video retailer and make the Chaplin Collection a part of your home video library!

Hey, living in Belgium, Europe, I bought the complete box (10 movies plus extras: it equals this volume one plus volume two, plus a complete biography and the movies "A woman of Paris " and "A King in New York") at Amazon Uk, and you can find my complete review there. But THIS material cannnot be avoided by anyone loving Chaplin's work: it is the supreme collection!

And 5 stars is far to little a reward for the job those people did by putting together such collection!

I've never seen any of these films look more beautiful, and the packaging and extras are excellent! "The Gold Rush" is especially desirable as, previously, we have had to choose between the official release of the "sound" version with Chaplin's distracting narration and very uneven releases of the PD silent version. Here we have both the sound version (interesting as Chaplin's last word on the piece) and the artistically superior silent version, restored by Brownlow! "Modern Times" is a gorgeous restoration of a universally accessible masterpiece (here Chaplin has his cake and eats it too, working his social satire in seamlessly with comedy and character), and includes many amusing extras, including a few cut scenes, a clip of Liberace performing "Smile" (!), and "Por Primera Vez," a 1960s documentary on a travelling theatre, which sets up in a remote Mexican village where most of the inhabitants have never seen a motion picture and screens, yes, "Modern Times" to an enthusiastic audience. "The Great Dictator" is often hilarious (especially the scenes with Jack Oakie) and if the message gets in the way of the art at times, this can be easily forgiven considering the importance of the message. "The Great Dictator" includes the excellent TCM documentary, "The Tramp and the Dictator," much superior to the documentaries on the other discs, as well as Sydney Chaplin's color home movies of the production. The best thing I can say about "Limelight" is that at least Buster Keaton appears (briefly) and at least Chaplin doesn't actually preach (even if he does weep, smirk, and philosophize to trying lengths; I have often thought that Chaplin put off speaking so long because he had a feeling that, if he once started, he would be unable to bring himself to shut up). Still, "Limelight" is (at a bare minimum) of great historic interest, and, if you buy the set, you can consider it as being thrown in for free, so there's no reason not to. This set is required viewing for human beings.

This film begins with the ending celebration, so we know that despite all the problems, all will be well. It is a light and frothy film that has nothing really to say. It is fantastic that it has been revived on video for a new generation of film viewers, who perhaps have been blasted too much by violence.

Take the trip to a forgotten Paris and a wonderful fairy tale.

Years ago as a graduate student, I was ecstatic to see a faded, fuzzy, and torn copy of LE MILLION at one of the campus film societies. Nevertheless, I was immediately enchanted. Luckily, those who today want to see this masterpiece have this magnificently restored version by Criterion. No one who loves classic cinema will fail to be enchanted by this magical story about the hunt for a lost, winning lottery ticket.

In 1931, the year this film was made, European cinema was just beginning to catch up with the technical achievements made in the United States in the late 1920s. The period from 1929 to the early 1930s was an extraordinary time, as the art struggled with perfecting the new ability to record soundtracks. For a brief period of time, the world of cinema was awash with a world of possibilities, and in Hollywood Ernst Lubitsch made perhaps the first lasting musical films in a string of productions (THE LOVE PARADE, MONTE CARLO, and THE SMILING LIEUTENANT by 1931, and later ONE HOUR WITH YOU and THE MERRY WIDOW) that borrowed heavily from the operetta, a form that tragically-based on the extraordinary success achieved by Lubitsch and later Clair and Mamoulian-failed to survive for long.

LE MILLION was essentially an attempt to do in France what Ernst Lubitsch was doing so successfully in Hollywood. The transition was an easy one, especially given that Lubitsch, the European expatriate, was setting all of his films in Europe. Rene Clair, however, added many touches of his own. The humor he employs in the film is laced with a degree of slapstick that simply wasn't Lubitsch's style. This film is a romp through Paris, and romping wasn't Lubitsch's mode of travel. LE MILLION is working class, while Lubitsch focused primarily on the antics of the aristocracy, or with workers having to deal with the aristocracy. Also, while Clair of necessity worked primarily in the studio (the limitations of sound technology required it), he employs some exterior shots that were very unusual for the time.

There is a magic and a delight in LE MILLION that simply cannot be captured in words. There is something sui generis about a truly great film, especially one that is great in only the way that a film can be great, in the use of camera to tell a story, to tell a joke, to invoke a sense of delight. Except for those unfortunate film viewers for whom no good film was ever made in black and white, for whom no good film can be subtitled, and for whom an "old" film means made before 1970, this is one of those filmed that will be loved and cherished by anyone who loves movies.

Criterion did a nice job with this 1931 musical comedy. The quality is very good considering its age. It is an important film historically, but also it's just good, clean, amusing fun. And we know it has a happy ending because everyone is celebrating in the beginning. :o)

Criterion notwithstanding, this collection of three movies directed by Jean Cocteau is no trilogy. Rather the three works represent three quite different views of the Poet-the prototypic artistic creator for Cocteau--at three different moments in his career. The first, Blood of a Poet (1930) released at the same time as L'Age d'Or of Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali-both pictures were financed by the wealthy patron of the arts, the Vicomte de Noailles-is the most "Orphic" of three, and like L'Age d'Or very much in the vein of French experimental films of the 1920s, with an abundance of symbolism and rejection of conventional narrative syntax. Less radically innovative than L'Age d'Or, Blood of a Poet is like a brilliant book of sketches, some of which work, some of which don't.
Cocteau made no films for over a decade, and only returned to the cinema during the Occupation with The Eternal Return, for which he wrote the screenplay. Although directed by Jean Delannoy, the film was clearly Cocteau's own creation, and marked both the beginning of a period of fertile cinematic collaboration with Jean Marais and a new phase in Cocteau's contributions to film. The masterpiece of this period is, of course, Orpheus (1949). Cocteau had begun in Blood of a Poet by radically breaking with realism. Now he set about showing how the images of modern life could be invested with a mythic power of their own.
In The Eternal Return, Cocteau had put the story of Tristan and Yseult into a modern setting, but without the least hint of irony. In updating the myth of Orpheus to post-World War II Paris, however, he adopted a very different strategy. The Thracian singer becomes a rich and famous writer (Jean Marais) who supplies exactly what the public looks for in literature. At the beginning of the film, Orpheus boasts to an older retired writer, "The public loves me!" And the latter tartly retorts, "The public is alone. But as a result of the unforeseen adventure he lives through in the film, an adventure in which he confronts and falls in love with his own Death (Maria Casares), Orpheus momentarily becomes the Poet he never has been.
Cocteau had placed the myth of the sacrifice of the Poet at the center of Blood of a Poet, and he explicitly articulates it in Orpheus: "The death of a poet requires a sacrifice to make him immortal." However, the "real" Poet, from this point of view, is not Orpheus-who goes back to happily settle down in bourgeois bliss with his expectant wife-but Cegeste (Edouard Dermithe), who becomes the servant of Death, and unquestioningly transmits the messages from the underworld (read: the unconscious). The Poet has to sacrifice himself in order to be more than a writer-"A writer without being a writer," is how he defines the poetic vocation before the Judges of the Underworld-but Orpheus will never have the courage to make that choice by himself.
Not the least astounding thing about Orpheus is the assurance with which Cocteau handles the machinery of commercial film production. Orpheus is hardly a mainstream production by American standards, but it has no ragged edges, technically speaking. The film was strikingly photographed by Nicolas Hayer and it makes a highly adroit use of special effects shots, whose primitive magic Cocteau understood and employed quite effectively. The musical score is by Georges Auric, a member of Les Six who has to rank with Bernard Herrman as one of the major composers of film music in the history of motion pictures. Last but not least, Orpheus has a formidable cast, including-in addition to Jean Marais-François Perier as Heurtebise, Maria Dea as Eurydice, Juliette Greco as her friend Aglaonice, Roger Blin as the older poet, and the sublime Maria Casares as the most glamorous personification of Death ever to appear on the screen.
Viewers will likely have the most difficulty getting into the third movie, The Testament of Orpheus. Cocteau's adieu to the screen is a work filled with spontaneity and invention, so impulsively unstructured as to make Blood of a Poet look like Racinian tragedy. Cocteau plays a traveler lost in time who goes in search of Pallas Athene, but this is a mere pretext for stringing together a series of adventures, like the narrative premise of a picaresque novel. Testament of Orpheus was a movie ahead of its time when it came out 1959, and it remains so today. Possibly its release in DVD may serve to make it known to a wider audience.

Criterion has done itself proud with this set. Anyone inclined to balk might consider that three DVDs of this quality at the price are already a bargain. The picture and sound quality of all three movies, each of which has been digitally remastered, is superb. Blood of a Poet was especially impressive in this respect, and I felt as if I were seeing it for the first time. In addition, The Orphic Trilogy includes a wealth of supplementary material such as essays and pronouncements by Cocteau.

The set also contains two other films en marge of a non-fictional variety. One of these is Villa Santo Sospir, a 16mm picture about the home of Cocteau's neighbor on the Riviera, Mme. Alec Weisweiller, which he had extensively decorated. Mainly a record of art works, Villa Santo Sospir is his only extended work in color. The other, far more interesting, is a documentary about Cocteau's life entitled Autobiography of an Unknown by Edoardo Cozarinsky. Unfortunately, the picture quality is often dupey and unsatisfactory, but the film provides a number of invaluable interviews from the later phase of Cocteau's career.
Anyone who enjoys The Orphic Trilogy should definitely consider purchasing the Criterion DVD of Beauty and the Beast, and the videotapes of The Eternal Return, The Storm Within (Les Parents terribles), and The Strange Ones (Les Enfants terribles), all available from Amazon.com.

Let me start off by saying that the trilogy itself is a treasure, well worth the price to have these three spectaculary surreal masterpieces in one set and having Criterion give it their famous treatment (even though we reeeeally need to include more extras). My review at the moment is regarding the midle film, 'Orpheus'. You might all be a little familiar with the greek myth by now as I was, but Cocteau's treatment and interpretation are simply stunning. The film by itself is fascinating, I think it has that kind of quality that some foreign films have that whether or not you're used to subtitles you will enjoy the film. Jean Marris (Cocteau's real life lover) is fascinating in the role of Orpheus. Even though the role doesn't seem that complicated and I see him more as a medium with which Cocteau comunicates all that he wants to say about beauty, death, love and above all art. I think that is the basic question the movie brings up: what exactly is art? what makes good art? and how big a role does love play in the artistic process? But those are just hidden treats throughout the movie, and those who pay most attention are the ones who will notice that the movie is indeed deep and fascinating in its own respect. The sequences where Orpheus descends into death's underworld are simply fascinating to experience. Cocteau seems to retry some of the cinematic 'tricks' from his 'Blood of a Poet' and manages to invent some new ones in the process, this aspect is also fun to watch and adds a level of technical wizardry to an already beautiful and stunningly surreal masterpiece. The cinematography is at times also very good, some of the shots are composed in a very difficult way it may seem, and we wonder what exactly is behind the decisions to film in that particular way. All the other actors are also spectacular in their parts, but I think that the actress who played death could have had a lot more impact, maybe with another actress (Cocteau wanted Greta Garbo at first, imagine that!). The costumes and the sets are fantastic. But I think that this film is most valuable becuase it is the perfect way to introduce yourself to surreal cinema and it might also be a good way to get into french cinema, the film is an undoubted masterpiece, it has stood the test of time and it keeps raising deep questions in the viewer's minds to this day. I highly recommend 'Orpheus' and the Orphic Trilogy, if you like Cocteau I'd also check out 'Beauty and The Beast', and if you're a fan of the surreal I recommend trying out Buñuel. Thanks for reading, hope this helps. All in all, I'd rate this film a 9 out of 10!

Jean Cocteau, who would later go on to direct such classics as "Orpheus" and "Beauty and the Beast" began with this short (50min.) non-narrative film. "Blood of a Poet" (included in Criterion's "Orphic Trilogy" in a solid print) explores the figurative and literal blood and sweat that goes into creating a work of art. The film starts with an image of a tall chimney as it starts collapsing (an image that will now probably be impossible to separate from the World Trade Center collapsing) and then shifts to an artist that is painting a portrait. The film then follows this artist as he literally becomes one with his art (the portrait's mouth attaches itself to his hand), as he falls into the world on the other side of the mirror (where he sees such things as an opium den and a child being whipped and implored to take flight), and as he eventually shoots himself in the head to receive "eternal glory", and is immortalized in the form of a statue.

The film the shifts to a schoolyard where the statue of the artist is sitting, as a snowball fight erupts. One young child is knocked out and left bloody after the fight. Then the schoolyard reveals itself as a stage with noble spectators. A poet and a woman begin to play cards. The woman tells the poet "If you do not have the Ace of Hearts, then you are lost." The poet, realizing he doesn't have it, pickpockets it from the unconscious boy. Then the boy's guardian angel appears, covers the boy, and takes back his Ace. The poet, without the Ace, kills himself. The crowd applauds. The woman reveals herself to be Death, and wanders off talking of the mortal desire for immortality. We then see the chimney from the film's start collapse completely, suggesting the artist's dilemma lasted only a few seconds.

The film is exceptionally vivid. The imagery used here is still stunning despite its low-tech nature. The film's implication that the artist must ... his childhood for inspiration (signified as the Ace of Hearts is stolen), that the artist must view the world as a distortion (viewable through all the bizarre images on display), and that both artistic integrity and fame come at a great price (signified by the multiple suicides in the name of "glory") are all never explicitly stated, but are deeply felt through the images. The film is exceptional in its evocation of the artist's dilemma, and anyone with an analytical mind would find plenty to digest here.

I found out about this series from a shrine to one of the main characters, Lime, entitled 'Defective'. The show looked cute, and so I bought the first volume of nine episodes. It started off slow, but ended very well.

This volume is much the same. The first episode, while entertaining and possessing some truly memorable moments, gives way to the second, leaving the responsibility of closing up the Invasion of Gartlant plot thread. However, the second episode turns out be total garbage freeing our heroes from a cliffhanger with a childish deux ex machina, contradicting the previous episode and offering a plot device quickly rendered useless, and then solving the major dilemma of the mini-story with one big tasteless potty joke. I almost stopped watching right then and there in disgust; and the third episode didn't sway me from this...while good enough, it contained a brief nude bit (although seen from the back, so you don't see anything really hugely objectionable) that normally would have been acceptable, but after the previous episode came off as being in rather poor taste.

Fortunately, it picked up from there. The fourth episode was rather touching, if somewhat cliche, as Otaru gets swept up in his newfound fame and leaves his old friends behind before realizing the mistake he's made, and the fifth is *hilarious*, in which there is a Marionette Judging contest for the new year in which Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry compete for Otaru's attentions...not knowing the other entries are the Sabor Dolls, who have been sent with much the same goal! It's a completely ridiculous and hilarious episode, in which the Saber Dolls are forced to act hilariously unlike their usual, mercenary selves. The sixth is a wonderful, serious episode in which the Saber Marionettes struggle between their programmed devotion to Otaru in comparison to the morals they have learned in the past months, and the seventh is touching...not for what it says about the Show's Guest Star, a pet squirrel, but for what is says about Lime.

And the final episode of this volume is just, to put it simply, amazingly, awesomely perfectly AWESOME and beautiful and touching and wonderful and...and...well, just spectacular.

All in all, I recommend this disc highly...the horrible second episode and the somewhat lackluster third try to bring it down, but the episodes following make up for it.

I have watched a great deal of anime and of all the shows I have seen I have to say this is a truely great anime. You won't be disappointed, that is if you like anime at all.

The first set of DVD's for this series was hilarious, but the second DVD seems to go for a more theological and emotional aspect. the first DVD in this set is quiet amusing, but by the time the second disc starts, it's obvious some heavy stuff is coming our way.

First DVD: The battle to destroy Gartlant's super computer ends, in a shocking way. On the way home, our hero's (plus Hanagota) find an old hot spring, and spend a day relaxing. When he gets home, Otaru is treated as a celebrity for his actions agaisnt Faust.

Second DVD: A much more mature feel to it. Though the first episdoe is funny, with the Marrionette's participating in a beauty contest (Faust's dolls also compete)the other three episodes have a much deeper feel to them, showing a more human side to all the Marrionette's especially Lime.

A good in between DVD. Having seen the whole SMJ series, I would definiteyl say it is a good filler between the first and third DVD sets.

Considering all of the hoopla surrounding "Far From Heaven" - excellent though it is - one should not forget this earlier tribute to Douglas Sirk - and in some ways more fitting .....

Considering the unglamorous framework used by Fassbinder 'reducing' the elevated Jane Wyman [Julianne Moore] role to a blue collar charlady {the very superior Brigitte Mira} this version speaks volumes and addresses perhaps the universal fear of the 'slightly different'.

Very unsettling to watch 30 years ago - still unsettling under today's 'wraps'.

The movie starts out with groups of people staring at each other which would make anyone feel awkward or different. The directing style reflects distance by showing people far away and then bringing them up close in tightly cramped spaces. The fear is what separates people and eats at you. This is symbolized by Ali's stomach ulcer. In order to connect you have to stand together against all the prejudice and ugliness out there and treat each other well. The more we treat each other with respect the more we can stop the fear growing inside of us. At least this is the way I perceived the film. The director filmed this in 14 days and it was a very small project compared to other movies he made with big budgets. The Arab husband was really the director's lover. The director himself was gay and probably experienced prejudice himself. The movie is slow and awkward but I think it is meant to be this way. A definate must see for anyone who likes foreign film. It is probably one of the best as far as the message it displays and projects on film.

Lisa Nary

In `Fear Eats the Soul` Fassbinder examines a range of social prejudices that divide and stigmatise people.The central plot strand concerns Emmi, an elderly widow who falls in love with and marries Ali, a Morrocan guest worker.This relationship gathers a cluster of hostilities before itself imploding as the two partners fall back into conventionalised patterns of prejudice and desire. The film ends with a moving image of doomed reunification, which itself symbolises the entire relationship. Fassbinder`s achievement in this film is showing how a spectrum of social tensions reinforce and amplify each other. The scene in which the newly married couple clumsily try to navigate through a menu in a high class restaurant, with the aid of a sneeringly contemptuous bourgeious flunky of a waiter, is an example of Fassbinder`s sophisticated handling of his subject matter. Similarly, the unravelling of the relationship, as Emmi and Ali revert into familiar patterns of loyalty and exclusion, is sensitively handled. This is a superb film that never falls into lazy sentimentality or cynicism. It is a testament to the ability of the cinematic medium to explore social issues intelligently. Highly reccommended.

Without the generosity and support of comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, the cinematic art of Buster Keaton may never have blossomed. The 12 existing shorts in "The Best Arbuckle/Keaton Collection" display Arbuckle's comedic skill while revealing the astonishing speed in which co-star Keaton mastered the medium. After 15 two-reelers from 1917 to 1920, Buster was ready to fly solo with a remarkable string of masterpieces. Sadly, Arbuckle's subsequent career in features was unjustly destroyed by the 1921 scandal, yet he persevered and made an all-too-brief comeback before his untimely death in 1933. Admittedly, not all the Arbuckle-Keaton shorts are gems, but "The Butcher Boy" (1917), "Back Stage" (1919) and "The Garage" (1920) remain memorable comedies that showcase Fatty and Buster's effortless rapport. Despite some unfortunate racial humor, "Out West" (1918) is a wild, fast-paced romp that satirizes the Westerns of William S. Hart. Though the prints vary in quality, one must be grateful that they exist at all. "The Best Arbuckle/Keaton Collection" represents a valuable chapter in the history of film comedy.

This is a very nicely done collection of the Buster Keaton - Fatty Arbuckle Comique comedies made between 1917-1919. The collection contains almost all of their existing comedies, with the exception of "The Cook" which was recently discovered.

The presentation is very well done, although there appears to be no "View All" option, so you must go to each comedy seperately. A minor problem, to be sure.

The films often come from different copies than the 2 disc Kino collection of most of these films. "The Butcher Boy" looks about the same, as does "The Rough House". "His Wedding Night" and "Oh Doctor!" are both new to this collection, and look pretty good, although they don't have a lot of Keaton in them. "Coney Island" is slightly improved, and "Out West" is from a MUCH better copy that ever seen before, more complete, much better condition - but with some splices that could have been fixed by editing in footage from the other version. Why wasn't this done?

"The Bell Boy" is exactly the same as on Kino, but "Moonshine" is very different. There are two existing copies of this film - one is a complete copy on 16mm with very poor contrast and lots of missing detail, the other a very fragmentary but high-quality version on 35mm. This set features the 35mm version, the Kino set the 16mm. Once again, why weren't these two edited together? The 16mm could use the quality improvement, and the 35mm just doesn't make sense and is really missing most of the good parts, not to mention the poorly done titles.

On Disc 2, "Good Night, Nurse", "Back Stage", "The Hayseed", and "The Garage" are all in fine condition.

Picture wise, this set is very well encoded, without much artifacting at all.

Musically, the accompaniment is very nicely done. The Kino set suffered from some very bizarre accompaniment by the "Alloy Orchestra", which really detracted from the material and tends to annoy people who are trying to do other things in the room.

The best part of this set, really, is the price, much less expensive than the Kino discs, and with more material. But really, if you are a fan, you need both, don't you? :)

Enjoy!

I have been awaiting this set ever since Image Entertainment announced it's release in order to make a comparison with the earlier one from Kino. Although the two volume ARBUCKLE & KEATON set is very fine (see my other reviews), this set features a new comedy not included in the other one (HIS WEDDING NIGHT) plus mostly original nitrate prints of the other shorts gathered from foriegn archives. There are more complete versions of OUT WEST and THE ROUGH HOUSE here as well as a much better print of MOONSHINE although it's only a fragment. However some of the Image prints (THE BUTCHER BOY, THE BELLHOP, and especially BACK STAGE) are not as pristine as those offered by Kino. They also lack the color tinting of the other set and feature a more traditional music accompaniment (piano and synthesizer) compared to the raucous although endearingly colorful scores by The Alloy Orchestra. The title cards are also different. While not as funny, they are probably closer to the originals. In fact the major difference in these two sets is authenticity in presentation (although in CONEY ISLAND Luna Park is misspelled as Luma). The Image shorts are even arranged chronologically so that we can see Arbuckle and Keaton progress together although the shorts are unevenly distributed among the two discs (8 on Disc 1, 4 on Disc 2). So where does that leave us? For the general public the Kino edition is probably a better introduction to Arbuckle's work although it's on two seperate discs and therefore more expensive. This set is more complete and offers more for the silent film enthusiast who will be more forgiving of its few shortcomings. While I heartily recommend the Kino edition, my nod goes to this set.The important thing is that now there are two quality sets of the Arbuckle comedies available and the choice will be up to you. It's a win/win situation.

This collection includes one of the greatest dark-comic noirs of all time, Sunset Boulevard. I also love the worldly, sometimes sad, sweet, funny Sabrina. Stalag 17 is also a classic, in a very different genre. But I have been puzzling for some time about my inability to find a new, in-print DVD of Double Indemnity, the noir classic of 1943. In my opinion, Double Indemnity tops even Sunset Boulevard -- a close second -- for pure genius film-making. Whom can we pester about releasing a digitally-remastered Double Indemnity??

No need to say these are all fine, classic movies,but in response to those who wonder why it doesn't include SOME LIKE IT HOT or THE APARTMENT ... this boxed set is issued by Paramount Pictures. Paramount can't release films made by other studios, so please stop complaining. :-)

I think it's great to have these three films boxed, especially the little-seen STALAG 17.

SOME LIKE IT HOT and THE APARTMENT are available everywhere, so let's be grateful for what Paramount is giving us: the best movies Wilder made at their studio.

Billy Wilder died earlier this year at 95 years old, and it was still too soon. A shame that Hollywood left him after "Buddy Buddy," to spend the last twenty years of his life pining for a movie production that never came his way.

These three movies represent Wilder in his heydey at Paramount Pictures, and also his three best with William Holden, who was just at home playing it straight or wisecracking. Sure, I'd like to see "The Apartment," and "Some Like It Hot" on this collection, but those were released by United Artists, so those would be released by MGM, not Paramount anyhow.

These three movies really hold their own, even -- or rather, especially -- today. "Sunset Boulevard" is one of the darkest of black comedies, and a really disturbing portrait of Hollywood has-been Norma Desmond and Holden as her kept man screenwriter, who's been hired to bring her out of mothballs. Chilling last line: "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. deMille."

"Stalag 17" is a nice mix of serious war movie interspersed with slapstick humour. Though Holden is great, his supporting cast almost steal the show, especially Sig Ruman as Sergeant Schultz, the camp guard, Otto Preminger as Commandant von Scherbach and Harvey Lembeck and Robert Strauss as the camp cutups, Harry Shapiro and "The Animal."

"Sabrina" is a beautiful portrait of a young Audrey Hepburn, so vivacious and full of wondrous energy. Though she's a bit self-aware in her role, her charm still just carries you away. Holden is in a supporting role here, but Humphrey Bogart comes off as a bit stiff. Really, though, it's Audrey's movie from beginning to end, and the romantic-comedy script by Ernest Lehman and Samuel Taylor has wit and panache.

I own all three movies separately, but this set is worth laying down your Benjamins in one fell swoop.