Godzilla: The Original Animated Series, Vol. 1 Movie Streaming

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Godzilla: The Original Animated Series, Vol. 1 Movie Streaming. Godzilla: The Original Animated Series, Vol. 1 Movie Streaming.

Movie Title: Godzilla: The Original Animated Series, Vol. 1
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Godzilla: The Original Animated Series, Vol. 1 is available for streaming or downloading.

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This DVD is called “Godzilla: The Original Animated Series Volume 1.”

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I was born in 1971. So when Hanna Barbera’s “Godzilla” cartoon came out in the late 1970s, I was the perfect age for its intended audience.

This show featured the Calico, a research ship that traveled all over the world. The Calico carried all sorts of scientific research equipment with it, as well as a minicopter, a minisub, a bathosphere, a hovercraft, and a lifeboat. The Calico’s crew consisted of Captain Carl Majors, Dr. Quinn Darian (a research scientist), Brock (Dr. Darian’s assistant), Pete (Dr. Darian’s nephew), and Godzooky. Godzooky was apparently a younger relative of Godzilla. He was also Pete’s pet.

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Although no episode of the show ever mentioned how the crew of the Calico became friends with Godzooky and Godzilla, it was mentioned in a press release when the show first aired: Godzooky was trapped in a coral reef, and he was rescued by the Calico’s crew.

As the crew of the Calico traveled all over the world, they would encounter various monsters, creatures, bad guys, villains, enemies, etc. When they got in trouble, they could summon Godzilla by pressing a button on a small handheld signaler, which would emit a sonic frequency. Godzilla would then appear and save the day. When the signaler was unavailable, or broken, or when the sonic frequency was blocked, they could also call Godzilla by having Godzooky scream. Since Godzilla was a good guy, he would always do whatever he could to help them.

This show had lots of action, adventure, and heroism. In the 26 episodes of this series, there were monsters, dragons, dinosaurs, giant insects, volcanoes, time travel, aliens, spaceships, meteors, asteroids, missiles, tanks, and numerous references to classic science fiction and ancient mythology. The show had everything that a boy my age could ever ask for in a TV show. It was my favorite show at the time.

I still love the show today. It’s not my #1 favorite any more, but it is still in my top 10.

Classic Media has issued a statement regarding the contents of this DVD. The episodes will be in chronological order, starting with the first episode of the series.

This DVD contains 4 episodes. They are:

The Fire Bird – A giant flying creature that lives inside a volcano is wreaking havoc for the people who live nearby. Godzilla has to stop the creature before it lays eggs. This is a good introduction to the series.

The Eartheater – San Francisco is being terrorized by a giant creature that lives underground and eats dirt. Buildings are collapsing all over the place. The entire city and its inhabitants are threatened. This is a very good early episode. Of the 4 episodes on this DVD, this one is my favorite.

Attack Of The Stone Creatures – A pair of giant ancient stone creatures have come to life in Egypt. Their breath creates blizzards in the middle of the desert. This is a pretty good episode.

The Megavolt Monster – While doing scientific research in the bathosphere, Dr. Darian and Brock become trapped by several giant creatures that live in a giant air bubble at the bottom of the ocean. Godzilla carries Captain Majors and Pete down there to help rescue them inside his hand, which Captain Majors says is “air tight and pressure proof.” This is another good episode.

This series is really one of Hanna-Barbera’s best shows as the animation, writing and voice work is far superior to the other “cookie-cutter” produced shows the studio was churning out at the time. (Yogi’s Space Race anyone?) It was originally presented under the title “THE GODZILLA POWER HOUR” (Not “The Godzilla Show”) and was paired with a good adventure show called “Jana of the Jungle” (sadly not presented here) about a Sheena type jungle-woman looking for her lost father. Ratings for this second half of the “power hour” were awful as kids tuned out after the Godzilla segment ended. So Jana was dropped after only three months and replaced with two older, already tested HB shows and the title was changed to “GODZILLA SUPER 90″.

Like many a movie series, once the box office has dried up, the next step is television. (That’s right kiddies!! In ye olden days they used to turn successful movies into crappy TV shows. Not the other way around like it is now.) Shaft, Planet of the Apes, Topper, The Thin Man…. The list goes on. Godzilla was no exception. The movie series had ended in Japan in 1975 but in America he was having a revival. Godzilla vs. Megalon had been widely ditributed to theatres in summer of 1976 by Cinema Shares, a low rent distribution company best known for handly Kung Fu movies, and been a smashing success. It was the first Godzilla film in the US since Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster in 1971. It was shown on NBC in a prime time slot the following year, hosted by John Belushi in a Godzilla suit and was a ratings grabber. 77-78 saw the release of Godzilla on Monster Island, Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster and Terror of Godzilla to weekend matinee’s. A Godzilla comic book from Marvel had started in 1977. Mattel, and some other companies also, released Godzilla toys such as the giant sized SHOGUN WARRIORS Godzilla and Rodan toys, “Godzilla’s Gang” set of vinyl monster dolls, a UFO smashing “Godzilla Game” and a hugely popular bendie doll sold at Toys R Us stores. Wonderland Records released an equally popular Godzilla record featuring two exciting, and new, audio adventures. Viewmaster reels ware available featuring a Marvel comics adventure in 3-D. Adding to Godzilla’s career boon was the fact that eleven Godzilla movies were in pretty heavy rotation on television. (Corporate free, infomercial free UHF, those were the days.)

With all this popularity, and no more Godzilla movies available for release in America, the time was obviously right for a Godzilla cartoon.

At this time, the US rites to the Godzilla character were owned by Henry Saperstein of United Productions of America company. The creators of Mr. Magoo and Gerald McBoingboing. Saperstein had released Godzilla vs. the Thing and Godzilla’s Revenge in North America through American International Pictures, held the television rites to Godzilla’s latest and final film , Terror of Mechagodzilla, and had even bankrolled Monster Zero with Toho In Japan. Saperstein licensed the character to

Hanna-Barbera and the animated series was born.

Many Godzilla purists dislike the HB GODZILLA series, but I think it is pretty true to the character as he was being depicted by Toho at the time (Think Godzilla vs. Megalon), and was therefor a pretty logical progression. Some object to Godzillas physical appearance. It is obviously based on the famousAurora model kit, itself based on stills from King Kong vs. Godzilla.I happen to think that, given the limits of television produced animation at the time, its a farly faithful design.

Yes he doesn’t have the movie Godzilla’s voice. But I can understand

why the animators probably didn’t use it. I’m guessing they just didn’t think about it. They weren’t intentionally trying to disregard the original

like the @$$-h0les at Centropolis. They just made an honest mistake while otherwise trying to do the right thing.

Others dislike his breathing fire instead of his usual blue beam-like weapon. I think that this is splitting hares, since the breath weapon is described as “fire” in several

of the early Japanese Godzilla films. I feel that the beam-like appearance was just a contrivance of the special effects available to Toho. Heck, in some scenes Godzilla would expell smoke, steam and fire extinguisher spray.

And still others dont like the laser beam eye rays Godzilla has.

I say,” The more powers, the better”!!!!!! Whose to say that Godzilla cantshoot lasers out of his eyes. I can beleive it. He can breath fire and atomic particles. He can fly and turn himself into a magnet. He can breath at the bottom of the ocean and on an alien planet. Godzilla is my hero and he can do anything. Even shoot lasers from his eyes.

As for the show itself. I think the plots are “Right On”, Man.

Some of the storys, most in fact, are simular to the Toho films. One episode in particular was very much like Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster.

There are many “island adventure” episodes like ‘Sea Monster or Son of Godzilla. Some feature “ancient evils”, such as giant monsters, returning after thousands of years of exile. Very much like some of Tohos monsters such as Megalon. There are alien invasion storys Just as in Destroy All Monsters or Monster Zero. There is a giant robot episode even, and many of the monster designes look like they could have jumped right out of a Japanese film. The Forgotten Islands “Cyclops”, Megavolt, Watchuka and Moonlode come to mind. Heck, there is even a giant turtle!!!

The show is basically a pretty fair continuation of where the films left

off. No its not Toho, But its not Tri-Star either. So, be thankfull Godzilla fans.

On thing to look for on the DVD. The standard opening credits sequence

has been replaced on all the episodes by an alternate one that originally aired only at the beginning of the episode “The TIme Dragons”(believed to be the first episode produced) It is basically the same as the standard opening but at the end features a title card crediting Henry Saperstein and Toho pictures. This is entirely understandable really. No big deal

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Stream A Blade In The Dark Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Stream A Blade In The Dark Online. Stream A Blade In The Dark Online.

Movie Title: A Blade In The Dark
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A Blade In The Dark is available for streaming or downloading.

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A textbook example of the giallo, Lamberto Bava’s A Blade in the Dark is an obvious homage to Dario Agento, the Italian director who (along with Bava’s father Mario) served as his filmmaking mentor. Bava worked as assistant director on Argento’s Tenebre, shot the year before; that film’s influence is readily apparent. A major plot element is lifted from Argento’s Deep Red (1975) as well – Blade’s story also revolves around a composer who finds himself embroiled in a bizarre series of homicides. But Argento was working with much bigger budgets, longer production schedules, and better stories. Unfortunately, A Blade in the Dark can’t begin to compare to its inspirational sources.
Originally envisioned as a limited, episodic series for Italian TV, it was shot with a European theatrical release also in mind. The spare scenario (penned by prolific exploitation scribe Dardano Sarchetti) establishes only the most bare-boned of plots. Bruno (Andrea Occhipinti), a young composer, rents a large, rambling villa in which to work on his latest project, the score for a horror film being directed by his friend Sandra (Anny Papa). To the detriment of Bruno’s solitude the house comes complete with a suspicious-acting caretaker (are there any other types in Italian horror?) and some unexpected visitors – Katia (Valeria Cavalli) and Angela (Fabiola Toledo), two attractive women, acquaintances of the former tenant, who live nearby. When the women mysteriously disappear shortly after he meets them, Bruno begins to suspect they’ve been murdered on the premises… He can’t find any bodies, but clues abound. (Knife-holes and bloodstains would certainly qualify in that regard!) Someone definitely entered the villa uninvited and destroyed his latest demo tape, that much is sure. Stupidly, Bruno never once picks up the phone to dial the police.
If our dimwitted hero did the smart thing, however, there’d be no movie. More people die horrible deaths. Meanwhile Bruno wanders about the house and its grounds, poking around and peering into the dark. There are a lot of such scenes in the flick, which will severely test the patience of even the most avid giallo fan. (Rapido, Lamberto!) Obviously this was done to pad out the running time; too many of these sequences are obvious red herrings, devoid of any suspense, or just plain pointless.
Bava does pile on the shocks, though, in the film’s two main murder sequences. The stalking/slaying of Katia owes a lot to Tenebre in look and style (particularly the murder of the hotelier’s daughter in that film), but Bava ends
the set-piece with an original motif – the victim is trapped behind a sheet of chickenwire through which the killer slowly slashes her to death with a box-cutter – that’s guaranteed to get your flesh crawling. The death of Angela, when she’s attacked in the villa’s bathroom, is a real doozy: a brutal, nihilistic bit of filmmaking that some could easily interpret as an exercise in misogynistic sadism. (Here Bava does for hair-washing in the sink what Hitchcock’s Psycho did to taking a shower…) But amidst the unrepentant brutality Bava injects an occasional touch of sardonic humor, most notably when Sandra the horror director is strangled with a spool of her own film – murdered with her own movie.
Aside from the visceral thrills and chills generated by these murder scenes the film is pretty much a misfire. The characters are all uninvolving ciphers. It’s not much of a mystery, either; most of the red herrings offered up by the plot are plainly obvious for what they are. As mentioned, an inordinate amount of time is spent following Bruno as he wanders about the villa, checking this room and that – scenes devoid of dialog but accompanied by repetitious theme music that quickly becomes annoying. In one way the dearth of dialog is a good thing… The English dubbing job is poor, featuring ludicrous translations (”You’re a female!”;”I am not a female child!” etc.) that might be funny in a Godzilla movie, but not one about a sadistic serial killer. At times it seems evident that the translators weren’t even looking at a copy of the script – how else can one explain the scene in which Bruno chides Katia over her fear of a spider, telling her with a straight face that the bug isn’t even a spider, but a cockroach… at the very moment we’re shown a close-up shot of (yep) a SPIDER. Huh???
A Blade in the Dark has fans, no doubt appreciative of its effective, wince-inducing set-pieces. We love gialli, too – just not this one. We’d much rather watch Bava’s supernatural splatterfest Demons (1985) for the umpteenth time than sit through this one again.

“Just a case of being a bit overwrought.”
Sandra sums up the movie

Anchor Bay does a fine job with A Blade in the Dark considering it’s a fairly obscure title here in America. The transfer is letterboxed and anamorphically enhanced for 16×9 TVs; as the film was originally shot in 16mm the picture is understandably on the grainy side. The Dolby mono audio track is serviceably clear. In addition to the theatrical trailer, a short (10 min.), interesting video interview with director Bava and screenwriter Sarchetti is included. (This is in Italian, with easily readable English subtitles. Do not watch this before viewing the film itself. It’s chock full of spoilers, including the murderer’s identity.)

A composer is hired to score a slasher film and is sent to an old dark house for inspiration. Strange things begin to occur and bodies start to pile up..only to disappear. This is one of the better giallo films of its time and its miles ahead of the typical 80’s slashers that were coming out of the US. After working under his famed father Mario, as well as Dario Argento among others, Bava displays great atmosphere in this film as well as some shocking violence. Another reason to own this film on DVD is that AnchorBay is releasing this in its longest, most complete cut (longer than the EC import laser). On a side note, look for director Michele Soavi (Cemetery Man) in a small but interesting role.
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Watch Cult Camp Classics 4 – Historical Epics Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Watch Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics Online. Watch Cult Camp Classics 4 – Historical Epics Online.

Movie Title: Cult Camp Classics 4 – Historical Epics
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Cult Camp Classics 4 – Historical Epics is available for streaming or downloading.

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There was a time where camp classics weren’t exactly intentional but were every bit as enjoyable as the camp films we have now. “Historical Epics” is the fourth in Warner Home Video’s “Cult Camp Classics” and at least two of these three films are actually quite good outside of the classification.

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The first “The Colossus of Rhodes” was the first film that Sergio Leone took credit on as a director. Set during during the Hellenistic era before the rise of Rome, this film features cowboy b-movie star Rory Calhoun as a Greek(!) hero vacationing in Rhodes who gets pulled into an attempt to overthrow the Emperor. The centerpiece of this film a 180 foot high statue that stood astride the waterways of Rhodes and could be used as a weapon to defend the city by dumping hot molten lead on invaders or would be revolutionaries.

Featuring risable dialogue, great action sequences and impressive production design, this international production (featuring actors from Italy, Spain, America and France)features a number of stunning set pieces that hint at Leone’s great Italian Westerns such as “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” and “Once Upon a Time in the West”. The film looks quite good with an excellent commentary track by Leone biographer and film historian Christopher Frayling who covers everything from the historical context of the film (the real statue of Rhodes was believed to be about 38 feet high and overlooked the city)and the original theatrical trailer. Frayling points out the good (Leone’s stunning use of the camera), the bad (often the dialogue is quite ripe)and the ugly (the overwrought performances of some of the actors)but still finds merit in the film.

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Leone does a hommage to Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” and “Sabteour” particularly during the end sequence on top of the Colossus of Rhodes where there is a fight sequence. Fans of cinema will see other references to other films that Leone sneaks in to this historical epic which is still quite enjoyable both as a memorable peek into what would come later from Leone’s classic films as well as the silly plot devices and dialogue.

“Land of the Pharaohs” was directed by Howard Hawks and co-written by William Faulkner(!)so how could one go wrong with this historical epic about the building of the pyramids? Joan Collins plays a Nellifer in this epic production while Jack Hawkins is the Pharaoh Cheops putting thousands to work to build is massive tomb. It’s interesting because the structure of this film echoes Hawks’ great western “Red River”. “Pharoahs” is an excellent minor Hawks classic with an epic scale and of the three here is the least camp best film of the bunch. Collins brings the camp element to the forefront with her performance as the scheming Nellifer.

The film features Peter Bogdanovich providing a commentary. Bogdanovich doesn’t think much of the film (nor did Hawks as is evident in the interview excerpts included here)but it’s a pretty good historical epic with the massive spectacle and production design that one expects from the genre. If it fails to live up to Hawks best films, that could be because he was working in a genre that he wasn’t totally comfortable with.

The last film included here “The Prodigal” featuring Lana Turner fits into the camp camp quie well. It apes the Cecil B. DeMille Biblical and historical epics quite well. Basically this tells the story of the prodigal son (Edmund Purdom) who falls for a pagan priestess (Turner).

Dr. Drew Casper gives a frentic and interesting commentary track that makes more of this film than is there. Casper mentions in his commentary that he feels this is a remake of Raoul Walsh’s “The Wanderer” from 1926 which I’ve never seen. He also provides interesting biographical information on many of the actors in the film.

All the films included here look extremely good with some looking much better than others depending on the source print and its condition. Warner does an excellent job of putting this together much as they did with some of the other “Cult Camp Classics” sets in the series (the other two I purchased I haven’t watched yet–I wanted to go for the set that had the Hawks and Leone films first). Some of these sets have no or minimal extras (such as a trailer only)but most have commentary tracks and all the ones here even when they aren’t perfect provide background on the films. Frayling is always entertaining and does an outstanding job adding humor and has a relaxed conversational style that makes his informative commentary the best of the bunch here.

Three stars for the films with an extra star for the commentary tracks.

Though these movies can be viewed as campy sword ‘n sandle flicks, two of the three are actually pretty good. All three are in color and anamorphic ’scope, and two even have multi-track sound. The images are crisp and clear, with no sign of fading.

The Colossus of Rhodes was directed by Sergio Leone, with impressive visuals and a huge cast of extras. The weakest (and most laughable) part of the film is Rory Calhoun’s leading character, but the rest of the cast is fine – though the plot is overly-complex. Rory, a visiting hero from Athens, leads a slave revolt, amid treacherous plots to enslave peaceful Rhodes.

Land of the Pharaohs was produced and directed by Howard Hawks and written by no less than William Faulkner. The leads are played by Jack Hawkins and Joan Collins. Hawkins portrays a king obsessed with accumulating wealth for the afterlife, along with building a tomb to house himself and the gold. Collins plays a scheming princess who wants the gold for herself. Joan Collins is far from the stereotype she became in later years, and her acting ability leaves no doubt as to why Hawkins’ Pharaoh falls for her.

The Prodigal, retelling the Biblical story of the prodigal son, is the only truly campy film among the three. There are lots of processions, ponderous dialog, pagan temples, and a beautiful pagan priestess to tempt the hero. Lana Turner may be beautiful, but she needs to take tempting-the-hero lessons from Joan Collins. Speaking of camp, at one point we see a long wall where various slaves are lined up for sale, with descriptions and prices written on the wall next to each slave – written in english of course. Now that’s camp!
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Watch Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Watch Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa Online. Watch Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa Online.

Movie Title: Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa
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Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa is available for streaming or downloading.

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The Madagascar 2 movie is a great flick, full of fun and witty lines. If you liked the first movie, this is more of the same, if not better and probably worthy of five stars. The second DVD featuring two Nick Penguin shorts for a total of about 25 minutes of video, isn’t worth the additional cost, in my opinion. The first Madagascar release had a Penguin animation short included as an extra on the movie disc, whereas the new one has two shorts and charges the buyer for the priviledge. And frankly, I thought that the two penguin cartoons, while a bit amusing, were a bit of a disappointment. If one is a REAL fan of the Nick Penguins, then you’ll need to get this DVD set. Otherwise, I would recommend just getting the main feature and save yourself the $7.

Dreamworks’ animated films have not been able to hold a candle to caliber of Disney/Pixar films, but let’s face it: who can? That said, Madagascar 2 is learning from Pixar at the very least. Animated films work when they are able to successfully blend humor, heart, and a good story to keep the audience sustained for at least 90 minutes.

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Madagascar 2 starts in the right direction by presenting a very nice opening featuring a brief origin of Alex and how he got to New York. It’s probably less than 5 minutes, but already set the tone for the heart of the picture, which focuses chiefly on Alex fitting in with his fellow lions. The other chief characters are also stumbling as they interact with their own in Africa.

Also back is the humor. I sometimes feel like the movies would be funnier if the penguins had more screen time, but they are still funny in whatever scenes they’re in. The granny who beat up Alex in the first film is also back for some humor. The humor is better and more consistent than the first.

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The only flaw in the film is that it is fairly predictable. The chracters are a little bit better here than in the first and it has a good heart, but sometimes they don’t spend as long on the emotional aspect as they could. It’s still good entertainment and I like to see Dreamworks progress with their films.
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Watch Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Watch Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything Online. Watch Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything Online.

Movie Title: Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything
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Stephen Hawking and the Theory of Everything is available for streaming or downloading.

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“The theory of everything” does not go into Any detail on Anything (other than Stephen Hawking himself) this is a waste of time for any “enthusiast”.

If you want to know about the theory of everything you’d better watch the NOVA – The Elegant Universe (2003), because from this DVD you’ll know a lot about S. Hawking and his antique voice reproductive software, but nothing new about everything.
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Streaming National Geographic: Ultimate Nature Collection Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Streaming National Geographic: Ultimate Nature Collection Online. Streaming National Geographic: Ultimate Nature Collection Online.

Movie Title: National Geographic: Ultimate Nature Collection
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National Geographic: Ultimate Nature Collection is available for streaming or downloading.

Click Here to Stream or Download National Geographic: Ultimate Nature Collection

My father is fascinated with animals. You can never go wrong with these DVDs. The funny thing about this, is that even though his 5 children (me and my 4 brothers) don’t share the same enthusiam… We enjoyed watching the Nature DVDs. Much more interesting, narrative was information but not borring, and kinda exciting to learn something new about an animal. I highly recommend this item, especially from the seller i bought it from. Thank You.
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Watch The Sheltering Sky Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Watch The Sheltering Sky Online. Watch The Sheltering Sky Online.

Movie Title: The Sheltering Sky
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The Sheltering Sky is available for streaming or downloading.

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Director Bernardo Bertolucci is the perfect choice for bringing Paul Bowles incredible novel — one of the most finely crafted of the 20th century and one of my favorite books — to the screen. Debra Winger and John Malkovich are fine as Kit and Port — spoiled, bored, EMPTY Americans ‘travelling’ (NOT tourists) in Morocco just after WWII. Their journey — one of self-discovery and an attempt to bring some life back into their marriage — turns from one of idle fascination with an exotic culture (one in which Bowles, the author, immersed himself long ago, one which he loved unabashedly) turns into a trip to hell. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Campbell Scott is also good in the role of their friend Tunner, and the Lyles — the fawning Eric and his intolerably superior mother — are every bit as disgusting as they seem. Some viewers have found these latter two portrayals to be a bit ‘over the top’ — but they’re completely irritating characters, whining and complaining constantly about the conditions in which they chose to place themselves. They are the biting fleas you cannot remove from your sleeping bag, no matter how long you search for them.

Filmed on location in the African desert, the film resounds and shines with Bertolucci’s touch — if it seems long and slow in places, those characteristic accurately portray the atmosphere of life in desert Morocco. The unbelievable heat would tend to slow things down a bit. The director’s use of camera angles, light, and those long, slow, sweeping shots are masterful and perfect. Bowles was consulted every step of the way — a sign of the respect held for the author and his work by the director — and he even appears in the film and supplies narration.

I am amazed that a film of this scope, made by a director of Bertolucci’s stature, with two of the most critically acclaimed actors of our time, has not appeared on DVD. There’s a wonderful documentary called DESERT ROSES: THE MAKING OF ‘THE SHELTERING SKY’ that would make a nice piece of bonus material for a DVD release. When the film was shown on BRAVO, that network had the good taste to run the documentary along with it. There’s also a fine documentary on Bowles available from Mystic Fire Video, PAUL BOWLES IN MOROCCO, that gives an informative portrait of this literary giant.

Synopsis: Rich, dissatisfied American couple, Port Moresby (John Malkovich) and his wife Kit Debra Winger), travel to exotic North Africa hoping adventure will renew some interest in their failing marriage. The two travelers temporarily become a trio with the addition of fellow American George Tunner (Campbell Scott). George however turns out to be more of a tourist than a traveler* and they soon part company as the Moresby travel deeper and deeper into the vast, arid landscape. The desert experience turns out to be more than anticipated and those who survive will be forever changed. In the final analysis isn’t that what a adventure is supposed to accomplish?

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`The Sheltering Sky’ released in ‘90 boasts a soundtrack of wonderfully ethnic music and some of the most beautiful cinematography you could ever hope for. Unfortunately in my opinion the plot falls short of delivering the full existential, introspective nature of the storyline. Artistic to a fault but it doesn’t generate any interest in the chararacters. `The Sheltering Sky’ is well worth a watch for the scenery alone, but it certainly would be a difficult repeat viewing for me.

*[A tourist is someone who thinks about going home the moment they arrive, whereas a traveller might not come back at all].
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind Streaming

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
Close Encounters of the Third Kind Streaming. Close Encounters of the Third Kind Streaming.

Movie Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind is available for streaming or downloading.

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This two-disc set features a THX-certified 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer of Spielberg’s (so far) favored cut of the film (the third!), dubbed the “Collector’s Edition” after its 1998 release on VHS and laserdisc, and runs 137 minutes. The anamorphic transfer is minted from a hi-def transfer created at Sony’s DVD center in Culver City, California and cleaned up for this release. The disc features both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, the 102-minute “The Making Of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” documentary by Laurent Bouzereau created for the 1998 laserdisc, a collection of additional deleted scenes, a featurette on the film’s enduring place in the sci-fi film pantheon entitled “Watch The Skies” (which, coincidentally, was the original working title for Spielberg’s opus), talent files, and two theatrical trailers. Note that the still gallery on the laserdisc will not be carried over to the DVD. The set also comes packaged in Columbia’s new “book-like” special edition casing with extensive production notes.

Now this is the way it should be. You get all three cuts, all remastered in 5.1 surround and all have been digitally transferred. Thank you so much Mr. Spielberg because this without a doubt has to be one of your best (along with the original ET).

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Last night, I watched the original theatrical version and forgot how much was removed for the “Special Editions” and the final “Director’s Cut”. In my mind, the original version is the best and to finally have it in all it’s uncut 5.1 surround sound (which didn’t exist back then) glory is simply wonderful.

The packaging is nice, although I found it very difficult to remove the DVDs without fearing I might snap them because the locking mechanism seems to not want to let go of the DVDs no matter how hard I press down on them. I suppose I could look at it in that I shouldn’t fear them coming off during shipping and getting scratched up.

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The box is nicely designed and inside are some wonderful items. It comes with a poster that gives a time line for each movie and where each cut differs which I found really interesting. It also comes with a book full of bios on the actors and other people that worked on the film. Plenty of in-movie and behind-the-scene shots. Finally, the three DVDs are housed in a tri-fold container. Inside and outside are colorful shots from the movies and it really makes the entire set look nice.

In addition to the three editions of the movies, there is also a new “30 Years” documentary looking back over time at how CE has been a favorite movie that has stood the test of time. Also, the making-of documentary that was on the original Director’s Edition that came out a few years ago has been split across the three DVDs. Also included is the 1977 making of documentary which was also on the previously released Director’s Cut DVD.

Missing are all the “deleted” scenes that were included on the Director’s Cut. So, if you own that one, it might be best to keep it since they are absent from this edition.

Overall, this is an excellent release and no one should be without it. To finally watch it like I did when it first came out back in 1977 (and I lived in Muncie, Indiana at that time so you can just imagine what the crowd did when that came up during the movie) was so refreshing and wonderful that I can’t wait to watch it again!

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Stream Adventureland Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
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Movie Title: Adventureland
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I got to see this film at a sneak preview. I got free tickets at an 80’s club I frequent. I only had a mild interest in seeing this film when I saw the trailers. In other words, this one was going to be one to wait for on dvd. Free is free, and I went with a tribe of folks on a Wednesday night.

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To my surprise, this was a really sweet, funny, well-acted, and truly great film. Yes, this is a film, not some flash-in-the-pan, cash in on the youth market, gross out comedy. Sure, it has elements of that too, but they’re more subdued and the humor is less broad and more sublte. It’s basically about characters you already know or have met in your life. It takes place in the 80’s and it’s basica plot involves the horror any 20-something would face during a recession, getting a really crappy summer job!

The real revelation I found with this film came in the form of Kristen Stewart. She’s the real deal. I had seen her in Twilight recently and found everything anyone did in that film to be hollow. Here, she really shows her acting chops playing a confused youth afraid of the unknown. Jesse Eisenberg is the main character in the film, and I expected nothing but greatness from him, I previously saw him in the brilliant The Squid and the Whale. He is a very talented young actor who I expect to see a lot more from in the future.

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The film has all the details of a youth summer job that sucks pegged. Everything from the one hot-chick that everyone wants, the low-rent customers, the over-zealous and possibly dellusional bosses, and on-job romance. It’s all done with genuine emotion and situations. Nothing feels contrived or forced. Characters make mistaks and things go wrong, but there are no moments of the characters becoming overwrought and giving prefunctory speeches regarding the film’s main themes. This is really well written.

I must warn all the video game obsessed, vapid, youth drones about what they’re getting with this film. It has real characters, and a believable situation. It’s a hang-out picture. You just spend time getting to know a particular group of characters who share the same crappy theme park summer job. There is no contrived plot devices, like switched or confused identities, no one is masquarading as one of the opposite sex, no plot devices to keep a false narrative going, and no gags just stuck in the film like an overlong action sequence to get yucks. Yes, the kids get wasted and high, but it has more to do with them coping with their boredom, and it also helps lead to their bonding.

The film manages to be honestly touching as well, something I really didn’t expect from this piece. It was made by the same director of Super Bad, a really brilliant and funny youth comedy, but it is nothing like it. It’s not as great, but its not going for the same thing. The humor comes from character and honest situations and not from over-blown comic situations just set up for the yucks.

If this film would’ve been advertised differently, I would’ve paid to see it.

Recommended for a great cast, unique setting & memorable characters, and a well-written script, this movie will particularly appeal to those who grew up during the 1980s. But “Adventureland” is still timeless enough to please a broader audience.

Mismarketed as a wild comedy follow-up to “Superbad”, this small-scale mini-wonder is a perfect date film, but also a great ride through young adulthood.

The story is both poignant and comic, and the cast is uniformly excellent throughout. Special acting honors go to Kristen Stewart, whose understated and tender performance was exceptionally moving to me (although she may be obviously gay, her straight-girl role is believable, and although I’d never heard of her before, I will be exploring every other film she’s in, simply on the basis of this role). I can’t say enough about her performance here, and she’s going to be a major actress in years to come.

Almost every note of the script rang true to me until the final ten minutes, which were a conventional happy Hollywood ending that probably wouldn’t have happened in real-life. But I can’t fault the coming-of-age story for needing such a denouement, even if it was largely wish-fulfillment. And so, for Greg Mottola’s script & direction, and for Kristen Stewart, five stars. A keeper.
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Stream The Audrey Hepburn DVD Collection Movie Online

April 4th, 2010 by brynn476501
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Movie Title: The Audrey Hepburn DVD Collection
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Audrey Hepburn was — and remains — the perfect illustration of elegance and sophistication in Hollywood. A lot of actresses have tried to imitate her look, but they couldn’t manage the same grace and skill, both onscreen and off.

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And the “Audrey Hepburn Five Pac” brings together five of the films that helped shape that image, including her three top starmaking roles. Okay, they’re not her most impressive. But even when they’re uneven (”Paris When It Sizzles”), her movies are charming, sweet and just a little bit quirky.

Bored young Princess Ann (Hepburn) goes on a “Roman Holiday,” when she has a bad reaction to a sedative. She wanders straight into struggling American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck). When he realizes she’s the missing princess, he takes her on a fun vacation in Rome, with his pal taking photos for a hit article. Yet he’s also falling in love with Ann… and she’s torn between love and duty.

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“Sabrina” (Hepburn) is the daughter of the chauffeur at the palatial Larabee estate, and is in love with the ne’er-do-well second son, David (William Holden). After a stint at a cooking school, where she gains sophistication and confidence, she returns to enthrall David. But since his brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) has arranged a business marriage for David, Linus starts to woo Sabrina instead… and falls for her as well.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a daily ritual for Holly Golightly, a social butterfly. When kept man Paul Varjak (George Peppard) moves into a nearby apartment, he is instantly enchanted by the ditzy, sweet-natured Holly. But for all Holly’s fun, Paul starts to realize that all is not well with her. As Holly’s life starts to deteriorate, Paul sets out to show her what her life will be like without real love.

“Funny Face” becomes a concern for a fashion photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) who is assisting a fashion queen with the new “pink” look and the intellectual model look. After a disastrous shoot at a boho bookstore, Avery is struck by the owner Jo’s (Hepburn) look, and convinces her to become their newest model — and she only agrees to get to Paris so she can meet her favorite philosopher. But she’s also falling in love with Dick and her modelling career.

“Paris When It Sizzles” features Richard Benson (William Holden), a laconic playboy screenwriter, who procrastinated on his forthcoming script until just a few days before the deadline. So he hurriedly hires a secretary, Gabrielle (Hepburn) to help him come up with an idea and write it — except that all they can come up with, as they fall in love, are all sorts of completely bizarre scenarios.

Yes, they are all romantic comedies, completely unrelated except that all of them have Audrey Hepburn. But all three are fun, well-written (”You can’t live here! I live here!” “Hi, neighbor!”), and taking place in chic apartments, palatial mansions, Parisian runways, and the streets of Rome. And each has a theme: love that doesn’t come easy, whether the problem is one of the people involved, parents or just different personalities.

There’s also slapstick comedy (David injuring his butt on champagne glasses), and more sophisticated comedy (like when Anna and Joe pretend that they were speeding on their way to get married). And Hepburn provides plenty of it, such as her crazy club dance or her encounter with a vampire.

Unlike many actresses, Hepburn’s best-known roles were NOT all alike, nor were they all carbon copies of her — we have wistful bohemians, party girls, timid teens, and chained-back princesses. Even when we shouldn’t really like the characters, she gave them warmth, sensitivity and likability that can’t be faked. And she could be very funny too — it’s hard not to laugh when Holly yells “Timber!”, as a drunken guest keels over.

The Audrey Hepburn Five Pack clusters five of Hepburn’s most chic, charming movies, for those are just falling in love, or who appreciate a good romantic comedy. Charming, cute and sweet.

Only Audrey Hepburn retains the level of cache that would justify the constant repackaging of her films, and here are five films – three of which have already been presented as a set, the Audrey Hepburn Collection – presented in yet another DVD package. Her natural charm and grace are pervasive throughout – even when the vehicles themselves sometimes fail to engage – but all provide proof positive that she was among the most consistently affecting of actresses.

In a beautifully restored print, 1953’s Roman Holiday (*****) provides a most enchanting introduction to the then-24 year old actress thanks mainly to director William Wyler’s expert direction and Dalton Trumbo’s sweetly observant script. In hindsight, it is a modest performance compared to Hepburn’s later work, but Wyler knew enough to let her natural breeding serve its purpose in conveying the carriage of a princess who experiences her first glimpse into the world outside her hermetically sealed world. The revelation here is really Gregory Peck, handsome and stalwart as always but in this movie quite relaxed with a surprising light comedy touch. It is actually his Joe Bradley that goes through the dramatic character arc that makes the ending so bittersweet. Wyler’s humanistic touch is everywhere – from the comic haircutting scene with the smitten barber to the famous Mouth of Truth scene where Peck pretends to lose his hand to the concluding press conference, which turns into a dance of acting nuance and unspoken feelings. The 2002 DVD has a robust set of extras, including an excellent documentary on the production itself (watch for Hepburn’s first Hollywood screen test) and other short films on the film’s restoration process and Edith Head’s contribution to Hollywood costuming.

With its cynical humor and the European-based sensibilities around different classes, 1954’s Sabrina (*****) is most definitely a Billy Wilder picture. The film is not quite in the same league of other Wilder classics like Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot or The Apartment, but on its own, it’s an airy soufflé of a comedy served on a perfectly lovely warming dish. What I like most about this movie is that Wilder keeps the fairy tale trappings of the story grounded in mordant wit and shrewd observations about business mergers, bribery and class snobbery. This is what keeps this movie surprisingly fresh. Torn between the characters played by her leading men, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden, Hepburn as a chauffeur’s daughter is charming. This was her first introduction to Givenchy fashion onscreen, and the difference in her appearance between “Roman Holiday” and “Sabrina” is actually more startling than the one in the movie itself. It is no wonder she became such a style icon from that point forward. While Bogart is too dour in his role of older brother Linus (a role pegged for Cary Grant who canceled at the last minute, damn the luck), Holden is hilarious as shallow, ne’er-do-well younger brother David. The ending is inevitable, but leave it to Wilder to mix sweet and sour better than a Cantonese restaurant. There is a brief making-of documentary on the 2001 DVD.

Presented in a new 50th Anniversary Edition DVD, 1957’s Funny Face (****) is a Hollywood confection teaming Hepburn with an effortlessly debonair Fred Astaire set to George and Ira Gershwin’s memorable music. The elegantly mounted numbers provide the ideal complement to the featherweight plot centered on Dick Avery, a world-renowned, Richard Avedon-like fashion photographer who discovers his next superstar model in Jo Stockton, a bookshop clerk and aspiring philosopher, in time for a major runway event in Paris. Starting with the photography provided by Avedon himself, the film is stylish to the nth degree with a bold color palette that director Stanley Donen and cinematographer Ray June bring to vibrant life. This level of contrivance will not sit well with some contemporary film viewers, and the opposites-attract storyline seems particularly forced here by the thirty years that separate the co-stars’ ages. Regardless, several individual elements work well beginning with Astaire who epitomizes class and artistic drive as Avery, and his dancing and singing remain undiminished by the years. Hepburn is certainly picture-perfect as Jo, looking particularly spectacular in the fashion shoot sequence. With her ballet training, Hepburn moves well in the dance numbers, though she is not a natural and seems oddly flat-footed when paired with the lithe Astaire. A couple of shorts are offered on the 2007 DVD, as well as a photo gallery and a disposable extra about Paramount movies in the 1950’s.

1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s (****) still tells a provocative story, yet the film has a dated feel perhaps because director Blake Edwards tries so hard to capture the upscale bohemian atmosphere of early sixties New York. In a role that author Truman Capote wanted to cast Marilyn Monroe, Hepburn is delightful as the aptly named Holly Golightly and somehow dances around the fact that her character is a high-priced call girl through her sense of style, fun and vulnerability. Holly’s fear of commitment is the crux of this story, even though she is hopelessly drawn to a failed writer played by George Peppard, who is kept in fine style by a wealthy matron played with conniving sophistication by Patricia Neal. Peppard is the weak link here as he doesn’t have the light touch required to keep up with Holly’s shenanigans. The rest of the cast can be best described as eccentric, in particular, Buddy Ebsen as Holly’s backwoods first husband and an inappropriately cast Mickey Rooney as the Japanese neighbor upstairs. Henry Mancini’s romantic music provides the perfect accompaniment, and Hepburn’s plaintive, ukulele-strummed version of “Moon River” is still the most definitive. The rain-soaked kiss in the alley is just about as lovely a scene as you are likely to see in movies. One improvement over the Audrey Hepburn Collection is the inclusion of the 45th Anniversary DVD package released in 2006, which includes commentary from producer Richard Shepherd, a making-of retrospective featurette, a short about Hepburn’s fashion sense and two other shorts focused on Tiffany’s the store.

The least of the movies here, 1964’s Paris When It Sizzles (***) is a heavy-handed concoction that reunites Hepburn and Holden under the direction of Richard Quine. Working with an overly contrived, intermittently funny screenplay by George Axelrod, the overlong result feels like the old-style French farce upon which it is based but with the artificial veneer of 1960’s Hollywood studio product. The frothy plot centers on aging Hollywood screenwriter Richard Benson, who is holed up in Paris attempting to beat the deadline set forth by big-time producer Alexander Meyerheim to finish his latest screenplay. Benson has to hand in the completed script in two days, but the problem is that he hasn’t even started since he has been busy boozing and womanizing in typical alpha-male fashion. He hires impressionable Gabrielle Simpson as his live-in secretary and becomes inspired to write the aptly named “The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower”. The rest of the movie goes back and forth between the reality of the impending deadline at Richard’s apartment and the fantasy scenes of the screenplay coming to life. It does have its charms with some silly spy-caper turns and cameo appearances by Marlene Dietrich in a walk-on, Noel Coward as Meyerheim, and a particularly amusing Tony Curtis as Gabrielle’s Method-style actor boyfriend. Hepburn is never less than charming here, while Holden keeps his innate hamminess in check. However, neither seems especially challenged by the comic proceedings. The only extra on the 2001 DVD is the original theatrical trailer.
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