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Watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Online. Movie Title: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Average customer review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

First, the movie. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is probably one of the scariest movies ever made. It was unique for its time, and there’s still nothing quite like it today. The plot doesn’t sound like much- 2 women and 3 men make a drive to rural Texas to check out a graveyard that has been ‘defiled’, and to also relax and enjoy themselves. This last part of their vacation plan doesn’t go real smoothly, as they make the mistake of wandering into an area where an insane, backwoods, inbred, cannibalistic sociopathic family live. Things get more and more horrifying from there.

I’ve heard people complain this movie isn’t scary and not gory enough. As far as the gore, it is fairly low-key by today’s standards (though I’m sure my mother wouldn’t want to watch it, and it couldn’t be shown un-cut on regular network TV). There’s not a lot of blood till the end of the movie, but the acting is so good, and the screams of the victims so wrenching, your imagination fills in the rest and it actually is painful to watch. I will agree that the movie is kind of slow to get started- I admit the first time I saw it as a teenager I was getting impatient for some action. However, the last half of the movie more than makes up for it.

But if you think this movie isn’t scary, I seriously doubt you’ve watched alone, at home, at night, with all the lights off. The first time I saw it was in the daytime, and it still made my hair stand on end. When I got the Special Edition DVD I unwisely watched it after midnight with the lights off. I couldn’t sleep until the sun came up. The opening scene of the rotting corpse in the cemetery wired to a headstone alone made my skin crawl. The scene where Pam first discovers Leatherface’s room, with the furniture made of bones and the chickens in bird-cages, gets scarier each time I see it. The last 20 minutes, at the dinner table, has to be one of the most grueling and realistic scenes to sit through ever made. The final few images–well, over 10 years went by between the last time I saw the movie and the time I watched it on DVD a few weeks ago, and I *still* could remember those shots so vividly it was like I saw it yesterday.

The DVD is incredible-the transfer is so crisp that it seems like the movie was filmed last year instead of in the early 70’s. Since I’d only seen it on “pan & scan” VHS, I never really appreciated how beautiful some shots of the rural setting are, and also how well-thought out and carefully put together most of the cinematography is. Breathtaking, actually. Until the commentary pointed it out, I never realized how perfect and effective the long, continuous shot of Pam hesitantly getting up off the porch swing and slowly walking to the screen door is. This movie does not look at all amateurish, even though it was made on an extremely low budget.

The DVD is packed with cool and interesting special features. First, the commentary by Tobe Hooper, Gunnar Hansen aka Leatherface, and director of photography Daniel Pearl is fascinating. There’s lots of subtle but powerful elements in the movie I missed till now-for instance, the lack of almost any score or soundtrack that gives it a documentary feel, making it that much more disturbing. Hardcore fans of this movie know already this was NOT an easy shoot by any standards, but their accounts of how much energy and work it took to get certain things right, not to mention the really tortuous things many of the actors went through…well, if any actor deserves to be paid millions for a movie, this cast certainly earned it. The dinner scene was the most horrendous- they could only do one take, it went on for 20+ hours, and this was in 110 degree heat with no air conditioning. Gunnar Hansen said that by the end, he was so out of it he started to think he wasn’t acting. Kind of gives the tag line “Who will survive and what will be left of them?” a whole new meaning.

There’s also some deleted and alternate scenes, including some “lost footage” never available before. With many of them, you can read the script excerpt of the scene first. There’s a hilarious blooper reel-the quality isn’t that great, but you’ll laugh your butt off. There’s lots of production notes and stills, along with shots of rare publicity material. A couple scenes are broken down shot by shot, with Hooper explaining why he made the directing and editing choices he did. There’s even more, I just don’t have room for it all. The menu is also pretty great. I highly recommend the Special Edition to anyone who is a fan of TCM. You’ll be able to spend hours enjoying it, and they couldn’t have done a better job. My recommendation (for what it’s worth) is to get this one fast, because it would be a shame if it went out of print and so many people missed this wonderful collector’s edition.

Words can’t even describe the sheer horror, intensity, and insanity that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre provides. If you don’t know the story by now, do yourself a favor and watch this extremely necessary horror film. TCM is definately in my Top 5 favorite horror films and nobody can play Leatherface like good old Gunnar Hansen. But Andrew Byrniarsky does come close. The first time I saw this film, I was speechless. I didn’t know whether I enjoyed the film or hated it because I was in shock and awe. People today may say “Oh this movie is terrible because the acting is awful and it’s not even scary” or “The remake is so much better”. I ask these people to look closer at this magnificent film. It is one of the most terrifying, brutal, and in your face movies I have ever seen. It’s just completely ruthless and is not ashamed to get its point across. The remake I thought was excellent but seriously doesn’t even touch the original. It’s a completely different movie. You can’t just watch the original once and then judge it…you have to watch it more than once so you can understand the insanity of the Sawyer family, the intensity of the house, the terror from the kids, and the sound of the saw. You’ll really learn to appreciate it especially in this brand new special edition to the US. The extra features found on these two discs I believe are already accessible in the UK special edition release of this. But in case you don’t know the extra features, here they are (some are new additions):

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DISC ONE

*NEW High Definition transfer from the 16mm camera originals

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*NEW 5.1 English and 2.0 Stereo Surround Soundtracks

*Digitally Remastered Original Mono Soundtrack

*Feature-length commentary with actors Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danziger, and art director Robert A. Burns

*Feature-length commentary with director, Tobe Hooper, cinematographer Daniel Pearl and actor Gunnar Hansen

*Theatrical Trailers

*TV Spots

*Radio Spots

DISC TWO

*”Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth” Documentary

*”Flesh Wounds” Documentary

*A Tour of the TCM house with Gunnar Hansen

*Deleted Scenes and Outtakes

*Blooper Reel

*Outtakes from “The Shocking Truth”

*Still Gallery

This special edition will definately get my buy. I’ve been longing for a 5.1 Dolby Digital track and an anamorphic widescreen transfer. This should be one of the greatest DVD’s ever made.

This is the movie that Rex Reed called: “The most horrifying motion picture I have ever seen”

Buy it now!!!
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Stream The Bank Job Movie Online. Movie Title: The Bank Job Average customer review: The Bank Job is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Bank Job

Set in London in the early 1970s, THE BANK JOB is based on real life events. A group of would be criminals is set up by MI5 (or 6, no one can keep them straight) to rob a bank and regain compromising photos of a royal personage. Unfortunately for our gang, not only were the photos in question (which were the “property” of corrupt revolutionary Michael X) kept in a safe deposit box at this bank, but so were the secrets and lies of many famous and infamous people, including the payola ledgers of a porn kingpin and the photo files of a well-placed local madam. Everybody who was anybody, from the cops on the beat up to the Lords of the Realm, was implicated in some scandal by the evidence from this notorious bank robbery.

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THE BANK JOB is a fun, exciting, tension-filled romp. These amateur crooks catch more breaks and have more close calls than you would imagine possible. While the film does slightly bog down on occasion, for the most part the pacing builds just the right amount of suspense with these twists and turns of fate. In several places, my heart was actually racing. By the end, our villains are the heroes, and everyone gets what they truly deserve.

I really liked the cinematography of this film. THE BANK JOB actually looks like it was filmed in the 1970s. At one point, I double-checked with my husband to confirm that it was a recent movie. The effect used is very convincing, producing a very authentic look. The ensemble cast was quite good, performing as a cohesive unit, but no individual really standing out.

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THE BANK JOB is a great movie for an entertaining evening at home. My husband and I really had a lot of fun. And we got to learn a little history from the 1970s as well.

I wasn’t really interested in The Bank Job until I caught Ebert and Roeper on the tube and heard mucho praise from Richard Roeper, as well as, the guest critic at the time. I wouldn’t put this on my top ten of the year list, but it was suspenseful and downright entertaining from start to finish. I’m not the biggest Jason Statham fan, mainly because he always looks and sounds the same in every role, but here he shows a little more range and is quite likeable. Overall, this is a worthy rental that got overlooked by many during it’s theatrical run.
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The 36th Chamber of Shaolin Streaming. Movie Title: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin Average customer review: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

Gordon Liu (also known as Lau Kar Fai) stars as a young man who’s friends and family have been killed by the new government. He wakes up at the Shaolin Temple, a place he has only heard about a couple of times. When he realizes he is at the best place possible to learn kung fu, he begs and begs to learn so that he can revenge his family. He does finally get taught, but has to start with the basics. Every part of his body must become stronger before he can learn how to fight. After he finishes the first stages of training in record time, he is now highly respected and moves onto learning actual fighting styles. He breezes through this and becomes a great fighter in only 5 years or so. This is not one of those movies that has 1 or 2 training sequences. Gordon is shown in at least 13 of the chambers and half of the movie is spent at Shaolin. So after he has become a master fighter, he is given a high honor and told that he can become second in charge of any of the 35 chambers. A senior monk played by the great Lee Hoi San objects to this and says that he can’t have this honor unless Gordon defeats him in a weapons duel. Lee Hoi San does not play a villain, but he does not think that Gordon is a good enough fighter to receive so much praise. His plan works better than he could have ever imagined. He ends up helping Gordon improve as a fighter and as a person. Gordon is told he can leave Shaolin now, and he goes to take revenge on the evil General who killed his family.

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One thing that sets this movie apart is that it tries to be a real movie, and it succeeds. Watching Gordon grow up into a man is remarkable to see. The commentators didn’t notice, but a lot of the stuff in this movie is very real. When Gordon has to use the pole with the wieght on the end to hit the bell over and over again, that is a real weight on the end of the pole! Gordon talks in the interview (included on this disc) about how the sabres that Lo Lieh uses in the final fight are real, and it just makes the movie that much better. Dont expect your average tale of revenge. I was touched deeply when I first saw this and there are not many kung fu movies that have as much meaning and feeling.

Rating- 5/5

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Picture quality is remastered very well. It does get a bit darker and lighter in some scenes, but other than slight print damage once or twice, the picture quality is perfect. The Mandarin, Cantonese and English tracks all sound excellent. In fact, I have never heard the English dub sound this good. The subtitles should have been written better, and the English dub is actually a better translation. They are not horribly written, but could have been a lot better. I am not complaining though since this is the only fault on the DVD.

Special features include a great commentary from The RZA and this Andy Klein guy who does not know very much about the genre. Luckily RZA is there to help him point out actors like Lau Kar Wing, Wilson Tong and Hsiao Hou. I found the commmentary enjoyable. RZA talks about his experiences with this movie, and he is definitely a 36th Chamber expert. And I found it pretty funny that he seems to think Gordon Liu is a monk in real life.

The 17 minute interview with Gordon Liu is very interesting. He talks about many things such as training day and night and how great of an honor it was to work with a megastar like Lo Lieh. Gordon skips over the years like people should know what he is talking about, but just in case you don’t, I will fill you in. In 1974 Lau Kar Leung was Chang Cheh’s top action director and Gordon Liu was cast as a villain alongside Johnny Wang Lung Wei and Leung Kar Yan in movies like ‘7 Man Army’. When Lau Kar Leung split up with Chang Cheh he started directing his own movies for the Shaw Brothers, starting with ‘Spiritual Boxer’. In his next movie ‘Challenge of the Masters’, Lau Kar Leung cast his younger adopted brother Gordon Liu as the lead. This is what led to Gordon becoming the star of ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’, the greatest Shaolin Temple movie ever made.

There is a 17 minute documentary on Shaolin that is basically another 17 minutes of awesome info from Gordon Liu.

The 8 minute interview with film critic/scholars Andy Klein and David Shute is a very good description of how great of a movie this is.

The RZA gets a 10 minute interview where he talks about where he first started watching these movies and also gives his thoughts on the Shaw Brothers and explains why the Master Killer in his rap group took that name.

The trailers are the best special feature. The trailer for ‘Shaolin Mantis’ is very unique. Instead of showing clips from the movie, the actors introduce what kind of kung fu styles are going to be used (be sure to look for Lily Li!). Lau Kar Leung is the director of ‘Shaolin Mantis’ and doesn’t even have a role in the movie, but he gets to show off his ultra awesome kung fu skills quite a bit in the trailer. I think I have watched this trailer about 50 times, and I will eventually master that Shadow style!

Also included are ORIGINAL trailers for ‘The 36th Chamber’, ‘Return to the 36th Chamber’, ‘Disciples of the 36th Chamber’, ‘8 Diagram Pole Fighter’, ‘My Young Auntie’, ‘One Armed Swordsman’, ‘Infernal Affairs 3′ and the original Master Killer US TV commercial.

The last special feature is a gallery of original movie posters and movie stills.

This 1970s classic is a must-have for action/martial-arts movie lovers. The story centers around a young scholar (Gordon Liu) who enlists as an underground rebel seeking to overthrow the Manchu rulers that have taken over China. The evil local Manchu warlord, played by Lo Lieh (the Shaw Brothers’ favorite villain!), discovers the plot and slaughters Liu’s family. Liu flees to the Shaolin Temple, where he becomes a monk, adopts the name “San Te”, and learns the secrets of Shaolin kung-fu (because the dubbing is weak, the character’s pre-Shaolin name is difficult to make out). This is when the movie shines! The training sequences, though dramatized at times, are the most amazing ever caught on film and highlight the excruciating pain the monks endure. Seven years later, San Te leaves the Temple and returns to his old village to take revenge on the Manchus.

Unlike many HK martial arts films, this one does not have “wire-fu” and ridiculous side antics and comedy that distract from the plot. The fighting sequences are fast, hard, and clean- pure old school heaven! The story and dialogue are simple; the dubbing could use improvement, but one should understand most of the words. Pay close attention to the skills San Te learns at Shaolin, and then seeing them applied when San Te battles the Manchus! When you se this, you really appreciate the attention to detail that the makers of the film put forth.

Overall, a gem of a movie. They don’t make them like this anymore!!
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Watch Heaven Online. Movie Title: Heaven Average customer review: Heaven is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Heaven

What is heaven? More importantly, how do we, as imperfect people, transcend our daily limitations and transgressions to reach heaven - be it here on Earth or elsewhere? The master Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski, who wrote the screenplay for “Heaven” shortly before his death in 1996, uses the film’s story and dialogue as a final opportunity to expand the core humanist philosophy that underlies nearly all of his films (”Decalogue”, “Trois Couleurs”, “Double Life of Veronique”.)

Philippa, played by Cate Blanchett, is a widowed English teacher living in Turin. Disillusioned from the mounting death toll that drug abuse has claimed on several of her young students and her recently deceased husband, Phillippa executes a desperate plan to kill Turin’s drug kingpin, Vendice, by deposting a bomb in his office trashbin. When the bomb is unknowingly intercepted by a cleaning woman on her daily rounds and taken to an elevator transporting a father and his two daughters, Philippa’s plan goes horribly wrong. She has unwittingly killed 4 innocent people. Philippa is arrested and interrogated by the Turin police, who accuse her of politically motivated terrorism as a way of masking their professional involvement with Vendice, the kingpin. Philippa readily acknowledges her guilt, only to have a complete breakdown upon learning of the innocent bystanders who lost their lives in her vengeful plot. Her interpreter during the interrogation, handsome Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi), is moved by Philippa’s story, quickly falls in love with her, and ultimately hatches a plan to help her escape from the carabinieri, who see her as a problem to be “eliminated”, because of her knowledge of Vendice’s operations. Philippa herself is less concerned with escape than with killing Vendice, once and for all.

Once Philippa and Filippo do escape into the Tuscan countryside (in a very deftly directed and edited sequence), you know that justice will eventually extract its due punishment. And while the last third of the movie quietly builds on this sense of dread, “Heaven” is no “Bonnie and Clyde” or “Thelma and Louise”; Kieslowski is more concerned with Philippa’s redemption and transcendence; and so the final scenes employ a sublime poetic imagery (and a meditative pace) to reveal Phillippa’s transformation. In a Tuscan church, not 20 feet from a confessional booth, Phillippa recounts for Filippo her many transgressions and failings, then reveals why: “I’ve lost any belief - in justice, in sense, in life.” Filippo’s response? “I love you.” Later, in a clandestine meeting between the pair and Filippo’s father, Philippa acknowledges that, despite all her cynicism and failings, she does indeed love Filippo. Director Tom Twyker perfectly captures, in this scene, the innocence and renewal at the core of Phillippa’s declaration - as close to a marriage vow as the couple will get. By this time, Philippa and Filippo have assumed a hypnotic Adam and Eve persona, shaving their heads and dressing alike, and finally disrobing at sunset on the Tuscan hills to consummate their love. (Several moviegoers in my theatre gasped at the striking beauty and imagery of the scene).

When the carabinieri finally close in on them, Kieslowski suggests that the physical aspect of their fate (whether they are captured and killed) is less important than their spiritual fate (their complete redemption and transcendence). But Kieslowski and Twyker balance the competing demands for physical and spiritual resolution by leaving us with a stunning closing scene that implies both. (Some critics didn’t understand this, but oh well.)

And so Kieslowski reiterates his core philosophy: That chance and fate are often better instruments of justice than mankind itself, that goodness and evil exist in each of us, and that even the most flawed among us can achieve transcendence, through contrition and love for one another. In a world of escalating terrorism and global wars, the ever-prescient Kieslowski is already sorely missed.

This is one of the most beautiful films I have seen in a long time. The director knows how to create magic moments, and the slow tempo of the film allows the viewer to reflect upon not only the intrigue, but also the visual pictures. If you like films where something happens all the time, this is not a film for you. Instead, the film is almost floating forward in a way that makes you think about not so much what happens, but the deeper issues that are embedded in the film.

Human beings are not good or bad, and there is no such thing as a black and white world. Instead, the nuances matter. Being human is to make mistakes, sometimes. The director does not spell out any answers to the questions that the film poses, rather, provides one perspective on how they could be viewed, but is not trying to convince the viewer that this is THE truth.
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College Road Trip Movie Streaming. Movie Title: College Road Trip Average customer review: College Road Trip is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download College Road Trip

College Road Trip [Theatrical Release]

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College Road Trip is a slap-stick comedy that is a great movie to take your kids to, as long as they are young. The main criticism I have of this movie is about the marketing, since most kids that are college bound are probably too old for this. The jokes are very predictable humor. If your kids are older than 14, they will probably find this style of humor too childish for their tastes. In that way this movie is a missed opportunity for Disney to expand their market to all the older Martin Lawrence and Raven fans.

If you’ve seen the trailers, you pretty much know the entire story. Dad (Martin Lawrence) takes daughter (Raven) on a road trip to check out colleges. Antics ensue.

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Martin’s character is a very over-protective police chief who is a bit of a control freak. His daughter has long outgrown being daddy’s little girl. He wants her to stay local for college, but she wants to go away.

There’s a genius younger brother and a pet pig to add the cute factor. There must be a lot of young geniuses out there because little brothers never have normal intelligence in movies or TV anymore, but I digress. Raven’s friends are cliched teenaged valley girls who aren’t even from the valley.

Most people who initially may be interested in seeing the movie are either Raven fans or Martin Lawrence fans. Yet this movie was made for an audience of much younger kids.

I am a huge Martin Lawrence fan and I think Raven is very talented and funny. But both of them were under used in this movie. Martin Lawrence is frequenty upstaged by his co-stars, and Raven does a good job but doesn’t have the best lines. In fact, Will Sasso, Donny Osmand, his daughter, and the pig are the highlights of this movie. And they don’t have enough scenes to make this movie really funny for adults.

Young kids from 5 to 12 or 13 will love the jokes. College bound kids will find themselves wondering why they called this “College Road Trip” when it’s clearly designed for kids that aren’t even out of grade school.

Overall, this movie is somewhat disappointing. It could have been so much more with the cast that they collected here. If you’ve got a group of young kids and want to take them to a fun and wholesome Disney movie, this is it. If you’re kids are college bound, or even high school sophomores, they probably would rather see something else.

Enjoy!

I enjoyed this movie so much when it was in theaters and I can’t wait to see this again…. I laughed so much! It made me feel better after a hard days work. I would even so my parents this because in a way …. THIS TELLS EXTACT how I feel about college and the NEED to GET AWAY from HOME! Donny Osmond was the Best PART, even tough, I like Raven and Martin. I truly think you should consider purchasing this movie… I truly can’t wait for a second one with these two families.

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The Wicker Man Streaming. Movie Title: The Wicker Man Average customer review: The Wicker Man is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Wicker Man

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THE WICKER MAN

(UK - 1973)

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Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Theatrical soundtrack: Mono

First-time director Robin Hardy and acclaimed writer Anthony Shaffer (twin brother of Peter, and author of FRENZY and SLEUTH [both 1972], the latter based on his stageplay) attempted to revise the horror genre with this cult favorite concerning a deeply religious police sergeant (Edward Woodward, in a note-perfect performance) whose search for an apparently missing schoolgirl on a remote Scottish island exposes a Pagan society rooted in old superstitions and the worship of vengeful gods. To the accompaniment of a haunting score by Paul Giovanni, comprising variations on traditional songs and folk music, THE WICKER MAN depicts an isolated community at odds with the world at large, steeped in ancient beliefs and ruled with deceptive benevolence by a patriarchal figure (Christopher Lee, in unusually subtle form) whom the script suggests is a monstrous con man, maintaining the island’s customs not through genuine convictions, but because the islanders - all of them true disciples of the cause - simply know no other way.

The central mystery (Woodward’s search for the missing girl) is genuinely engrossing, and the bawdy songs which greet the sergeant’s arrival are soon replaced by an earthy sensuality as the true extent of the islanders’ belief in regenerative powers - divorced from traditional notions of ‘morality’ - become apparent. Lee’s assessment of God verges on blasphemy (”He had His chance and… blew it!”), but ultimately, neither Christianity or Paganism emerges with any dignity from the devastating finale. There’s real magic in every frame of this extraordinary film, though it’s clearly not for everyone: If you don’t ‘get it’ within the first ten minutes, then the careful pace and deliberate absence of familiar horror motifs may seem a little long-winded, even dull. Everyone else, however, will be enchanted by this unique, one-of-a-kind movie.

The filmmakers themselves have roundly condemned the shorter ‘theatrical version’ (88 minutes) which crept into UK theaters in 1973 as support for Nicolas Roeg’s DON’T LOOK NOW. However, most viewers were first introduced to TWM via the shorter print, simply because it was the only available version for many years, and despite the makers’ protestations to the contrary, it’s still a remarkable experience.

The filmmakers’ preferred print (100m) underlines the script’s major themes and streamlines the narrative, and will be a revelation to anyone who’s only ever seen the theatrical print or the 95m version unearthed by the BBC. There are a few bits and pieces in the theatrical version which are exclusive to that print, and the BBC edition includes an animated ‘Sun God’ which appears after the closing credits, filling the screen before shooting backwards into darkness. The loss of this brief, iconic fragment from most extant versions is inexplicable.

This is a POWERHOUSE of a movie that will blow your mind!!!

It is listed as a horror film, when actually it is SO MUCH MORE. If one classify the genre, I would say Mystery.

It begins with an anonymous letter to the Scottish Constable ( Edward Woodward of Equilizer fame) telling of Summer Isle. A local girl is missing and none of the villagers seems to show any interest. Flying to the small Isle, Woodward arrives just before Beltane, the pagan May Day Festivals and the find the Island completely immersed in the Pagan ways of Auld. Head of the Isle is Lord Summerisle (British horror legend Christopher Lee - Dracula for Hammer Films - in his favourite performance), the leader of his pagan island, and it is clear he not only is aware of the villagers beliefs, he encourages them!

Slowly, Woodward comes to believe the girl is being held for Sacrifice on May Day as he races to save her.

Brilliant performance from Britt Eckland (former Mrs. Peter Sellers and one of the great beauties of her time - * though most of the nude shots are not her since she was pregnant at the time) Hammer horror actress Ingrid Pitt and Diane Cilento (the first Mrs. Sean Connery, mother of Jason) contribute to the eerie feel.

The movie portrays pagan beliefs in an unHollywood style, that goes for substance and facts, rather than sensationalism. The scenery is beautiful and the music written for the film is haunting.

The film faced many production problems, to being passed through several production companies, a lot of lost footage from the film editor - a devoutly religious man who thought is sinful to be filming this and was systematically destroying as much as he could, and indifferent reediting by Roger Corman, and then nearly dying in bad handly in the theatres. Was not seen for nearly two decades, and the version in existence was Corman’s poorly edited one, missing over 20 minutes of the 101 minute original verson.

I spent years and year trying to track down a copy, and finally for a short time news was good. The director found that he had an original copy still in his position. This was released the VHS - first time the 101 version had been seen in nearly two decades!! Shortly after, it was pulled from the shelves. Corman’s version ( a nice companion piece so it was made of a lot of out takes) came out for a spell.

So I am delighted to see this one on DVD and protected for all time.

Warning: some flashes of Eckland and her stand-in nude, and people of a very religious nature will not like the content. Otherwise, this is one fabulous knock out of a film.
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Watch Valkyrie Online. Movie Title: Valkyrie Average customer review: Valkyrie is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Valkyrie

9/10 Stars

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Forget all the negative hype surrounding Valkyrie, because I assure you it is false. Bryan Singer has made a well-crafted thriller that kept me and my family on the edge of our seats until the end - even though we all know what the story’s unfortunate outcome. Also, many tabloids were making this out to be the movie that would permanently cripple the career of Tom Cruise. This is entirely false. Cruise delivers a fine performance, and this hatred I can only assume is related to his rather odd personal life. Tom Cruise is as strong of an actor as he ever was, and I won’t let something like turning Oprah’s couch into a playground deny the fact that the man has talent, and is a truly passionate actor (and seriously, he does have a slight resemblance to Stauffenberg).

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The movie is based on the last of fifteen known attempts on the life of German dictator Adolf Hitler (I’m sure everyone will have him in a nice “Five Most Evil People” list), and has Tom Cruise playing Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who of course was the key player in the assassination attempt. Ultimately this attempt failed (as we all know Hitler would die by suicide nine months later), but that doesn’t keep Valkyrie from being an addictively engaging film.

Every member of the cast does their part well, not jockeying for superiority in any way. More importantly Cruise does not grandstand in this movie, fading in with the rest of the cast, rather than trying to stand above them like you’d expect, given his past films. Cruise gives a performance similar to 2005’s War of the Worlds, where he does a good performance, but he never tries to overpower the other members of the cast. In Valkyrie Tom Cruise is a being a good team player, not trying to steal any glory, and never once does he overact the part.

Using very little CGI Valkyrie is also a wonderful film to look at. The vintage automobiles and aircrafts make this film have a distinct authentic flair that few other war films have (CGI looks like it was only used for the climatic assassination attempt). You can look at this and tell that this is the real deal, with the production team putting careful care into how they want this film to look, unlike most Blockbuster films that try and inflate every aspect of the film rather than aim for reality. Like the performance by Tom Cruise they don’t try and overpower the audience with special effects, they simply let the characters slip into the realistic settings.

Also, the complaints about the accents I truly feel are desperate attempts to bash Cruise’s performance. It was director Bryan Singer’s concept to not use false German accents, and not that of Cruise, or the primarily British cast. I agree with Singer’s concept that if feels false, and inaccurate to have people speak in English, but with foreign accents. I know several Germans in real life, and they do not sound very “German” when they speak in English, because the accent is not intended for the English language. I personally feel the desire for English being spoken in German accents comes from decades of WWII films where we’ve categorized every-single member of the German army, and by them speaking in that accent only is to cliché them and separate them from American audiences. They can speak in German accents, but only if they’re speaking in German, because if they aren’t it seems to be a tool to keep your common American moviegoer from relating to the characters.

Don’t go into Valkyrie expecting to be greeted with a horrifically bad film that you will be able to poke fun at with friends. The movie has been released, and I feel the rumors, and negative hype of been proven decisively false. This isn’t a movie to kill Cruise’s career, but it won’t help him regain love in the American community either (as previously mentioned he doesn’t shine so much as mix in with the rest of the cast). It is a very enjoyable dramatization of a true event, and I don’t think the material could have been handled much better, even with a full German cast, because Singer’s style and method of conveying this story are all very well-done.

Go out and enjoy this dramatization of one of the darkest periods of human history. It is worth every second of your time, and all though it isn’t Oscar-worthy it is certainly worth two-hours of your time.

All Historical Dramas faithful to the actual events run the risk of being dry and boring. Fortunately, although it is a bit dry here and there, the producers of Valkyrie didn’t stray too far in that direction. The story is well-told, and I did not feel that it dragged or got into excessive and boring detail at any point. If you are a student of WWII, and particularly this famous failed attempt to assassinate Hitler, you will be pleased with the quality of the film, the acting, and the film’s faithfulness to facts and to the tone of the times. The film brings forth many details of which I was not aware, and the historical facts I know-of from past research are accurately portrayed.

It is clear computer graphics are used extensively in this film, since many of the scenes could not have been filmed in any other way, more than 60 years after events took place. The special effects are for the most part well done, and are not intrusive - clearly used only as needed to support the story instead of being an excuse to show-off a studio’s CGI capabilities.

As for acting, this story was an excellent vehicle for Tom Cruise. I feel Cruise’s portrayal of Colonel von Stauffenburg, who was a central figure in the assassination plot and this story, was excellent and believable. Some may argue that the characterization is a bit wooden, but I suspect this may be intentional on Cruise’s part, and in keeping with the historical figure: a decorated soldier filled with anger towards Hitler, who could survive in the upper levels of the German Army only by masking his true feelings.

The rest of the cast is phenomenal. I was amazed at the number of familiar and respected actors and actresses that appeared in relatively minor roles throughout the film. Not a single performance was less than I would expect from such a cast.

The film is not a light-hearted one, nor does it end well for most of the characters. There are several bloody scenes, but none of the violence is gratuitous. As such, this is a film that will be appreciated primarily by those interested in the history of WWII, or are solid Tom Cruise fans. I am well pleased with the film as a whole, and feel the end product meets the goals of both the producers and their intended audience. I’ll give it Five Stars.
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Streaming Summer Heights High Online. Movie Title: Summer Heights High Average customer review: Summer Heights High is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Summer Heights High

Australia has given us some excellent character actors: script-ripping stagemen who can become larger than life caricatures. Think Crocodile Dundee, or — better yet — Dame Edna.

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But Chris Lilley has come along and surpassed them all. Indeed, his versatility and roaringly off-putting humour surpasses any of the dark humour in ‘Little Britain’ or other such countrywide satires.

Now we in North America can enjoy ‘Summer Heights High’, one of the truly wicked and funny send-ups of a secondary school mini-universe, its cliques, turf wars, and teachers (who are barely more mature than the students).

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‘Summer Heights High’ deserves proper sequential viewing — one cannot simply dive into a later episode and acquire the plot. Lilley’s immense talent for character-forming deserves close attention and patience as he lays down, through improvisation, innuendo, and sheer brilliance for skit acting, three distinct narratives (which amazingly never cross paths) in a suburban Australian school. Details of these three personas which he takes on can be found widely, so I won’t repeat the background stories here. I just want to state that Lilley’s ability to assume different characters is positively uncanny. I mean, uncanny. Take an excellent method actor and combine it with a razor mouthed pirrahna of improv and quick-thinking, and you get a sense of just how kooky and unpredictable Lilley is.

For my money, it surpasses the muti-headed hydra pranks of Cohen (of ‘Borat’ fame). Because Lilley can deliver sinister and scathing satire on racism, drugs, and just about every other taboo — but just when you wonder if he’s a nihilist, out comes a breathtaking moment of magnificent spirit and heart. The final scenes involving Jonah Takalua are simply headshakingly good, without any hint of that ‘very special moment’ that usually mars most dramas supposedly about teens.

Chris Lilley, you’re brilliant, mate.

Chris Lilley has done it again. Summer Heights High is his best work yet. This series is about three characters(all played by Lilley) at a high school in Austraila(where the series is based). We meet Jonah, a 13 year old delinquent. Ja’mie, a snobby, downright awful girl who was transfered from a private school. My personal favourite is Mr.G, the drama teacher, whos ego is as large as Aussie itself. This one isnt really for the kids though. Most of the humour will go right over their heads (plus the swearing).

This series is refreshing and new. I’m so glad it FINALLY came to America.

If you cant wait, buy the Region 4 dvd. It will work on some American dvd players.
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Watch Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Part 3 Online. Movie Title: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Part 3 Average customer review: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Part 3 is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Part 3

When I bought the first two volumes of Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion, it was entirely on a whim. I had heard such great things about the series, and I thought I would give it a try. The risk, as it turned out, was aboslutely worth the cost, as I became eneveloped in an incredible world that combined science fiction, fantasy, and political drama in ways I had never seen before.

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Now here I am at the last volume, and I still want so more.

Frst, in regards to the show itself, the last two discs do not disappoint. The show is always driven by its characters, whether they are in the thick of battle or attending school. This is important, as too many works these days - be they anime or film, from any nation - tend to forget how important the characters are, and instead forcus on plots twists and cool visuals. Code Geass delivers these as well, but never loses sight of the people.

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People who have not watched to the end yet should know that the series ends with one of the biggest cliffhangars in the history of visual media. Normally, this would be considered a cardinal sin, but there is a second season, so remember that as the credits roll.

Now for the box set. I normally don’t splurge on anime DVDs like this, but with Code Geass, it is worth the extra cash. The discs themselves would be worth the cost alone. Bandai has packed them with special features the likes of which are rare for anime.

-First are the Picture Dramas, short segments intended to fill in gaps within the series, and occasionally provide some much needed levity. They are available in both languages.

-Next are the Episode Commentaries from the original Japanese cast and crew. Admittedly, the commentators have a tendency to ramble about things that have nothing to do with the series, but they are having so much fun you tend not to care.

-We are also treated tointerviews with the four lead dub actors, which is also quite interesting. For the record, the dub of the series is exceptionally well done, so these interviews are a nice touch.

-Beyond that, we get the standard trailers and clean opening/closing animation.

With the discs, however, come extra little treats. First is the third volume of the Sound Episodes, which are like the picture dramas without the visual. They are performed by the dub cast, who, as mentioned earlier, do an exceptional job.

Next is the second volume of the series’ soundtrack [the first volume of which is included with Part 1 of the series]. As far as soundtracks go, I definitely recommend these CDs, as the music is also a driving force in the series.

Then, there is the first volume of the manga Code Geass: Suzaku Of The Counterattack, a reinterpretation that shifts the focus to Suzaku, and puts a superhero spin on the story [Lancelot is an Iron Man-style suit rather than a mecha]. This is the followup to the last two boxes containing the official Code Geass manga adaptation. While I despise the other Geass manga, SOTC is a different story, and therefor certainly worth a look.

Overall, this series is one of the best out there. Now, if only Bandai would hurry up and release R2 so I can find out what happened next…

This is the epic cliffhanger conclusion to season 1 of Code Geass.

If you are a fan of the series, you will not be dissappointed in the final volume of season 1.

This special edition collection comes with all the extras of the previous special editions, but the manga book that comes with it is actually a different one. It comes with Code Geass Suzaku of the Counterattack instead of Lelouch of the Rebellion manga. Still good but I was slightly dissappointed. The music episodes are also really nice to hear in addition to watching the episodes.
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Stream Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Complete Operations Boxed Set Online. Movie Title: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Complete Operations Boxed Set Average customer review: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Complete Operations Boxed Set is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Complete Operations Boxed Set

Gundam Wing is not just my favorite Mecha. Nor is it merely my favorite show. It is my favorite ANYTHING. Granted, it may not be for everyone, but it is definitely the deepest show I’ve ever seen on television. I have watched the entire show through at least twice, and some episodes I have seen more than a dozen times (Portrait of a Ruined Country and The Gundam They Called Zero are two of my favorites). This show is all about three things.

First and foremost, Gundam Wing is about the politics of war. There are so many plot twists that if you miss a single episode you may get completely lost. What starts out looking like your average show (good guys fight bad guys, good guys beat bad guys, repeat) quickly changes. Within the first 10 episodes, the main character will try to attack innocent people, the world government will be overthrown, and our heroes will start to wonder who exactly their enemy is. As the series goes on, things just get more and more complicated as military organizations are created, destroyed, and double crossed.

The second thing this series is all about is action. In every episode there will be Mech battles, and some of them are truly spectacular. Every once in a while, one of the Gundams will do something so cool, the moment just leaves you thinking “Whoa.” And as the series goes on, the battles get more and more complex, and more and more heated.

But the third thing this series has going for it is character development. Treize Kushrenada is my idea of what would happen if James Bond became the leader of Spectre. Is he really evil, or just misunderstood? He eventually finds himself an outdated dinosaur, clinging to ideals that have becomes outdated with the times. Lady Une is one of the best examples of a person with split personalities I’ve ever seen. At first you hate her, but as you come to understand why she does what she does, you actually come to feel sorry for her.

This series has many great characters played by great voice-actors. Heero is great. Relena is solid. Even Hildi and Noin are great. But my two favorite characters in the series have got to be Dororthy and Zechs. Dorathy plays every scene with a perfect hint of sarcasm that constantly keeps you guessing if she’s being sincere, or laughing inside at someone’s actions. And then there is Zechs Marquise…

In the English version of Gundam Wing, Brian Drummond gives the single greatest piece of voice-acting I’ve ever seen in my life. He is PERFECT as Zechs Marquise. Zechs is a complex character. And I really feel that’s he’s the one that holds the series together. He’s 19 year old who talks with an icy voice. He’s ALWAYS serious. The only thing that matters to him is honor. And in his quest to do the right thing, he is forced to betray his friends, protect his family, come close to death, and even kill his own men. But like a tragic hero out of a Shakespearian tragedy, he is trapped by his actions. Never doing nothing, and never quite taking enough action, he lets a bad situation escalate until it’s completely out of control and he’s completely lost his mind (or has he?). Zechs is the perfect tragic hero/villain (depending on your point of view).

Some have complained about the animation in this show, but personally I love it. The watercolor style backgrounds and excellent Mecha designs are a winning combo in my book. I also really love the music.

If you love a complex political drama with great action and characterization, you owe it to yourself to give Gundam Wing a try. If you still have doubts, search the net and download the long toonami promo (the best promo or trailer I have ever seen for anything). Suit up!

I don’t know why I dislike the Gundam series so much. I’ve watched a majority of them, the many spin-offs and the like, and I still haven’t found an interest in any of them.

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But I think one reason is because the first Gundam series I saw was Gundam Wing. This anime spoiled me. While I’ll never consider it better than Evengelian, it certainly sits nearby as one of the best mecha animes. The politically driven storyline is a refreshing change to anime. It leaves little room to breath as it has little comedy in it. The action–whether it takes place in mechas in space, on land, or outside of those giant robots period–is well animated. The characters are good and varied, never repeated despite such a large cast. And nothing in the story happens without a reason. Anime has a way of inserting things to make a laugh, add an extra action scene, or add length to the series (remember all the shouting in DBZ); Gundam Wing doesn’t do this. All in all, it carries itself well in its twenty-six episode course, and is easily, at least to me, the best of the Gundam series. I recommend this for anyone who loved Evangelian.
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