Hairspray Full Screen Edition

It's rare that a movie captures the intensity and excitement of a live Broadway musical production while appealing to a broader movie-going audience, but the 2007 Hairspray is an energetic, powerfully moving film that does just that. A remake of the 1988 musical film Hairspray, the new Hairspray is a film adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical and features more likeable characters than the original film and an incredible energy that stems from a great cast, fabulous new music, and the influence of musical producer Craig Zadan. What remains constant throughout all three versions of Hairspray is the story's thought-provoking exploration of prejudice and racism. Set in Baltimore in 1962, the film opens with chubby girl Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) singing her heart out in a rendition of "Good Morning Baltimore" that, while admittedly a bit too long, sets the farcical tone for the film. Viewers quickly become immersed in Tracy's teenage world of popular television dance shows, big hair, the stigma of being different, and the first hesitant steps toward racial integration within a segregated world. The Corny Collins (James Marsden) television dance show is a teenage obsession in Tracy's world and Link Larkin (Zac Efron) is every girl's dream partner, so when a call for auditions goes out, Tracy skips school to try out, but is rejected by station manager Velma von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) because of her large size and the threat of competition for Velma's own daughter Amber (Brittany Snow). Perseverance and the support of her friend Penny (Amanda Bynes), father Wilbur (Christopher Walken), and negro dancer Seaweed (Elijah Kelley) lead Tracy to the spotlight and the chance of a lifetime, but more and more Tracy discovers that fairness and equality for those who are different does not come without a fight and that sacrifices must be made to effect change. While the message is serious, Hairspray is first and foremost a comedy with stellar performances by John Travolta as Edna Turnblad (who ever imagined Saturday Night Fever's iconic star would appear onscreen as a woman?), Christopher Walken, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Part of what makes Hairspray so powerful is the exceptional music composed by Marc Shaiman, including songs newly composed for the movie like "Ladies' Choice," "The New Girl in Town," and "Come So Far," and the awesome vocal talents of Queen Latifah (Motormouth Maybelle) and a cast of heretofore musically-unknown actors like Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, and Brittany Snow who really can sing. Notable trivia includes Jerry Stiller's appearance in both versions of the film (as Wilbur in the 1988 film and as Mr. Pinky in this 2007 rendition), and a cameo appearance by 1988 director and screenplay writer John Waters. Hairspray is one of the best films of the year–it's powerfully moving entertainment that leaves you energized and motivated to fight for what you believe in. –Tami Horiuchi

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Makes me laugh
I heard rave reviews, especially about John Travolta, and watched with great anticipation. And by all standards, this is such a hilarious and cheerful musical. Its success owe much to its excellent balance of great dance numbers and everyone has their turn to lead in the spotlight. For the first half, I am captivated by the singing and dancing Tracey, she is so beautiful and so plus size! Then it is her classmates' turn, the vibrant black youths in the detention class, singing even more beautifully and leap so high in the air. When Mrs. Turnblad (John Travolta) showed up with her feminine features, not to mention her adorable and modest demeanor, that's worth zillions of laughs. The scene Mr. and Mrs. Turnblad (Christopher Walken) singing in the backyard can be so romantic. But I love the finale best - the way John Trovolta moves and bends, Queen Lativah sings and the group dancers twirl round and round unbelievably fast.

As for the plot - not to discriminate against race, size and look- it may be predictable but the cast is so funny that it's still worth watching again and again. And one big surprise, to someone who can't dance (me), the 2 dance lessons in the bonus features given by the choregraphers are eye-opening. They inspire me with the "camel pull", "chicken" moves. And now I admire those dancers greatly, even more than the main characters. All right, maybe Mrs. Turnblad's final dance is still hard to beat!

4 Stars A little bit Grease, a little bit Bye Bye Birdie & you've got
another high-school musical. Nikki Blonsky as Tracy is new to movies & really shines. But John Travolta steals the whole movie . He is fully in drag as Enda, Tracy's mom. But he can dance & sing for real. Some well known faces such as Michelle Phieffer, Chris Walken & others lend support. The plot? Dross. The dancing is the thing. Very good original rock n' roll style muscic & singing. Great live & pretty good on the larger stage of movies.

1 Star Won't play properly on Linux
I was not able to watch this DVD because it refuses to play on Linux. If you want to watch a movie using Free Software, avoid this DVD.

It does work OK in a standard DVD player, so I did not return it (because the person I was giving it to owns a DVD player too.)

1 Star hAIIRSPRAY-2 DISC
i WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT.I WAS UNABLE TO VIEW IT BECAUSE IT HAD WHITE SMUDGES ON THE PLAYNG SIDE AND WOULD NOT PLAY.i RETURNED IT TO AMAZON FOR ANOTHER "HAIRSPRAY".iT TOO HAD THE SAME DAMAGES,AND WAS RETURED TO YOU FOR A CREDIT,THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO GET IT LOCALLY.IMISTAKENLY ORDERED A THIRD COPY WITH THE SECOND AND HAD IT SENT TO MY DAUGHTER.THE QUALITY IS OKAY.I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS EXPERIENCE.J.AUSTIN

5 Stars the best cheer up therapy
If you're in a cloudy day and feeling blue it's the best remedy you can find

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Anchorman The Legend of Ron Burgundy Unrated HD DVD

Will Farrell followed up his star-making vehicle Elf, which matched his fine-tuned comic obliviousness to a sweet sincerity, with a more arrogant variation on the same character: Ron Burgundy, a macho, narcissistic news anchor from the 1970s. Along with his news posse–roving reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd, Clueless), sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner), and dim-bulb weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell, Bruce Almighty)–Burgundy rules the roost in San Diego, fawned upon by groupies and supported by a weary producer (Fred Willard, Best In Show) who tolerates Burgundy's ego because of good ratings. But when Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate, View from the Top) arrives with ambitions to become an anchor herself, she threatens the male-dominated newsroom. Anchorman has plenty of funny material, but it's as if Farrell couldn't decide what he really wanted to mock, and so took smart-ass cracks at everything in sight. Still, there are moments of inspired delirium. –Bret Fetzer

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars "Do you wanna come to the pants party with me?"
Stupid. Puerile. Stilted. Broad. And all the better for it.

I rented this when it first came out. I didn't laugh much. It really did nothing for me.

But my girlfriend and I kept throwing lines from the film at one another for weeks afterwards and cracking each other up. (I should have known then).

A few years later I caught it again on cable and ended up on the floor. This movie was the impetus for a new rule in my life. I now give almost all comedies (at least ones with a cast like this one) a second chance. Sometimes your mood changes things so dramatically.

This movie is so chocked full of priceless lines it's ridiculous. Others have gone on about them in detail, so I won't bother. But just thinking about this movie makes me laugh.

Check your inner adult at the door and go along for the over-the-top trip back to a 1970's that never was. Indulge in every possible myth and stereotype, and don't forget to bring your jacuzzi trunks and a flute.

5 Stars Who knew Will Ferrell could act?
This is the first movie with Will Ferrell where he doesn't seem to be Will Ferrell. Despite the goofy mockery of the film itself, he's actually managed to create a stand alone character. Ron Burgundy is fully fleshed (if shallow and stupid) but hey, he's also very funny.

The humor is stupid and directed at the main character. Is similar to Zoolander. Definitely one to own.

5 Stars best movie ever
The sky's are blue and the wind is firm as Will Ferrell sails to legend status with this one.

5 Stars Hard to find jem
For true fans of Will Ferrell this is a must own. The Wake up, Ron Burgundy is an entirely different movie and almost impossible to find.

1 Star Juvenile toilet humour!
Some films are so bad they're good and their perpetrators usually excuse themselves by explaining that originality was the furthest thing from their minds. And occasionally we feel affection for them because, if nothing else, they invoke feelings of nostalgia for a supposed `golden age' when imagination and creativity were almost commonplace and the bottom line. However, don't be fooled into thinking that because you found Dodgeball, Meet the Fockers, Happy Gilmour, etc. funny you'll respond similarly to this. Having dutifully sat through ninety minutes (it was a gift) of utter garbage I can't help but wonder whether Ferrell will ever be trusted with money again. There is supposed to be a joke hiding somewhere in this film but obviously I blinked at the wrong time. If you have the sense of humour of an emotionally retarded orang-utan you might just enjoy it but be sure not to blink!

The one remotely saving feature is the performance of Christina Applegate as Ferrell's `love interest' who, at least, tries to invest her role with some degree of integrity. Oh, and you might derive some `enjoyment' along the way by trying to guess which superior efforts this travesty has stolen from; The Day Today, and 1987's Switching Channels, being merely the most obvious.

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Mean Girls Special Collectors Edition

Raised in the African bush country by her zoologist parents Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) thinks she knows about "survival of the fittest." But the law of the jungle takes on a whole new meaning when the home-schooled 15-year-old enters public high school for the first time and falls prey to the psychological warfare and unwritten social rules that teenage girls face today.DVD Features:Commentary: by director Mark Waters Screenplay Writer & Actress Tina Fey and Producer Lorne MichaelsFeaturette: 3 FeaturettesAdditional Scenes: 9 Deleted ScenesBloopers: Blooper ReelSystem Requirements:Runnign Time 96 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?COMEDY Rating:?PG-13 UPC:?097363416043 Manufacturer No:?341604

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Generation Repulsive
This is by no means Lohan's worst film in terms of quality, since it is very well made. No, what makes this film cinematic enemy #1 for me is the fact that it's a comedy and not a drama, as it should have been. As it needed to be. Tina Fey apparently gets her kicks by making light of the needless ordeal that is the high school experience.

I remember hearing great things about this film. One of those great things was that it was not like the other teen films out there. Films such as Lohan's two previous ones, Freaky Friday and COATDQ. And for the first half, WOW, was it different! And certainly good! The atmosphere captures high school life to a tee, and the interaction between the characters is realistic.

But by the time the climax came and everyone was in the school gym, "apologizing" to each other and falling backward into the "trusting" arms of their classmates in a clever but misused parody of a religious revival, I was actually in tears. Tears of sadness for my generation. How truly empty it all feels. My generation seems so irreversibly jaded that it makes me wonder if art has a point anymore? What gets me REALLY worked up is that Tina Fey could have used a question like that as the entire basis for this film! Instead, she just plays the decline of western civilization for laughs. Shame on you, Tina. Shame on you.

Don't get me wrong, I have a sense of humor, but the humor here should have been used to CRITICISE the modern state of teendome, not to trivialize it. I hope someday a film will be made where a girl like Cady revolts against the madness of high school and teaches her peers to change the world instead of how to merely survive it. Truely this film is a reflection of America in the 2000's. Bring on the real teens! (2010's that is.)

4 Stars Not just for teens…
This movie gets you thinking about revenge, maturity and what's important in life. The Africa tie-in is subtle and not deeply explored in terms of Cady's character or personality, although the African jungle animal "sequences" seem to hint at how savage the teens' ruthless behavior is. The issue of cultural and other stereotypes is addressed briefly and somewhat humorously with the lunchroom table group labels. What comes through loud and clear, though, is how truly mean girls can be, and how damaging "meanness" is to the perpetrator as well as the victim. Although the storyline centers on the high school crowd, this is a surprisingly good movie that adults can well relate to and learn from too.

5 Stars It's good to be Sober
It's surprising how good an actress Lindsay Lohan can be when she is not drunk. Excellent Movie, highly recommended.

5 Stars better than i expected
this was so funny. through most of the movie my reaction was "O_O LOL"

my friends ended up being mean giels for halloween and quoting half the movie all day.

if u like unexpected humor and girls gone wild then buy this movie.

4 Stars Good
This movie is actually pretty good. My husband even liked it. I actually woudn't normally watch anything like this, but I was genuinly surprised by it. Its not a regular high school comedy. And I was surprised that I actually liked Lindsay Lohan in this. What happend to her? She could have been a pretty good actress one day. This was probably the tip of the iceberg for her… Its probably not the most realistic of movies, but it was pretty enjoyable, and even funny at times.

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The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Volume Two The War Years

George Lucas' The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume Two, The War Years continues the extraordinary narrative, historical, and production achievements found in Volume One. As with the first series, each feature-length program (re-editing material from the original, one-hour broadcasts to smooth out the chronology of Jones' experiences as a child and young man) resembles a theatrical experience more than episodic television. Each drama is remarkably rich in layered detail, shedding light on major events, figures, and ideas from a pivotal era in world history. Where Volume One largely focused on the early childhood of Indiana Jones as he traveled the world in the company of his parents, meeting the likes of Picasso, Tolstoy, Freud, and T.E. Lawrence, Volume Two is exclusively concerned with Jones' experiences during World War I. This time, Jones (Sean Patrick Flanery, introduced in the final episodes of Volume One) is serving in the infantry of the Belgian army under an assumed name, eventually rising in rank from corporal to captain and becoming a spy after paying extensive, nightmarish dues on the war's front line in Europe. The series captures some of the horror of World War I's most infamous battles, directly inserting Jones into the thick of the action at Verdun, the Somme, the Middle East, and elsewhere. In time, Jones is repeatedly recruited to become a secret agent, going undercover in Austria to help forge a separate peace between the last Habsburg emperor and the allies, and playing a crucial part in the survival of British and Australian forces crossing a merciless desert. Along the way, Indy befriends Bolsheviks preparing for the Russian Revolution, has a romance with Mata Hari, attempts a prison break with Charles de Gaulle, and has a wonderful encounter with Albert Schweitzer. As with Volume One, this follow-up box set includes an astonishing number of excellent special features, primarily dynamic documentaries about many of the real-life people and incidents introduced in the stories. These extras provide much depth and analysis without being at all dry; a creative history teacher would do well to incorporate them (and, for that matter, the shows themselves) in a class about the 20th century. –Tom Keogh

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones the War Years
Excellent, it is on the history channel Feb 2008 early morning Saterdays and I saw my first few episodes. I am a WW2 buff anyways but it was darn good and I liked it, so I bought it right away. The set and location with costuming is excellent. I look forward to the 4th Indiana Jones movie set to be released this year as with the movies, it should be a staple part of your movie collection diet if you are a fan. I am going to wait for the price to drop on the third one released in April, but I got this one for around $42.00 and for 9 disks that is fine with me and fair enough, I don't feel I waisted the money. I love it.

4 Stars Young Indiana Jones
This dvd set was worth the money. It was filled with action, mystery, humor, and so much more. My favorite episode was when Young Indiana was trying to blow up the enemy's weapon which was carried on a train. Also to mention, Sean Flanery (Young Indiana Jones), is very handsome and indeed fits the character very well.

5 Stars History and Aventure Continued!
This collection of Young Indiana Jones movies is such a wonderful complement to the first series. History and historical characters are unveiled in exciting adventures. I recommend it for you and old alike!

5 Stars Excellent way for history to be presented.
The Young Indiana Jones series is an excellent way for old and young to veiw history. The format provides a way to study history without the boring aspects,of day date and place memorization, it provides a general overview of the period in an interesting and dramatic way that allows the viewer to imagine that they are there.

R Helms

5 Stars Lucas–You Did Good Boy!
There are only a few film makers who have the power and connections to put together a series of such high quality from casting to props–Lucas is one of them!

I strongly recommend anyone watching this series to watch the "specials" on each disc FIRST! Lucas did a great job of giving the viewer exceptional background on his story lines from actual history and then fictionalize that history into an enjoyable film.

Lucas–with the exception of only one film where he tried injecting comedy–has opened history on an almost forgotten war–WWI. I was fortunate to have had a Great Uncle serve in the Infantry during that war and saw firsthand how the terrible trauma of that war affected a human being. Uncle Tony according to my grandfather was a very happy-go-lucky–teenager loved by all the local girls BEFORE he went to France–he returned and become a recluse with REAL PTSD. (Not the modern "warfighter's" PTSD–caused by seeing one dead body lying on the side of the road.)

Lucas series–is well worth the purchase price, especially with the specials–buy it!

Donald E. Zlotnik, Major (Ret.)

Special Forces

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Sensual Bellydance

Sensual dance… you know it the moment you see it. It radiates from deep inside; the dancer s whole body flows like silk, her movements are beautifully interwoven, breathing with meaningful, effortless grace. The ability to move fluidly in this organic, connected way begins with an intuitive knowledge that arises when we are sensually awake.

Sensuality begins inside: It is your enjoyment of the world and your own physicality as perceived by your senses. Sensuality radiates outside: When your mind is receptive to physical pleasure, it translates your sensory experience into sensual movement, giving a fluid, languid, mesmerizing quality to your dance.

As a form of body language, dance speaks the truth of your thoughts and feelings. In bellydance, sensuality has always been one of the most highly prized qualities. Aware of your sensual joy, your audience instantly knows that you are "comfortable with your body" and enjoying yourself. This allows the gift of your dance to be experienced on a higher, richer level.

Sensuality is not a special talent or skill it is present in all of us. The task is to discover it, cultivate it, and translate it from an internal state to an expressive, easy-to-understand language of dance movement. In Sensual Bellydance, Blanca, a star bellydancer in New York City acclaimed for the languid, effortless, intoxicating quality of her dance style, shares her ways of expressing sensuality and of adding the flair of sensual grace and ease to every bellydance step - from basic to more evolved.

The core of the program is the Sensual Bellydance Flow [beginner-intermediate] - sequences of steps building from simple isolated moves to layered. Footwork, arm/hand patterns and head angles are gradually combined for the effect of total coordination and effortless control. Sensuality is translated into dance through "connectedness" the wave-like echoing and interweaving of movements. A special section of sensual poses and fluid transitions is designed to improve your pacing. Slowing the pace into a still pose helps you to learn measured, uncluttered dance phrasing: In sensual dance every movement is distinct and meaningful; every phrase has its highlight. This section offers the music only option you can follow Blanca s voice prompts, or enjoy the music-only 40-minute non-stop flow of dance combinations.

In the Technique section Blanca offers a step-by-step breakdown of the movement vocabulary for the Flow and introduces her core method: Progressions the gradual layering of bellydance moves on footwork with a special attention to body and head angles, arm positions, and patterns.

The last section includes a step-by-step breakdown, a demonstration, and two performances of Blanca's "Venus" choreography [intermediate] - a perfect opportunity to practice sensual bellydance!

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Please Don't Let This Title Put You Off!
This is a BEAUTIFUL instructional DVD for beginners and for intermediates that would like some choreography. The performances and costumes are gorgeous. I like this one BECAUSE it is not full of drills. Most of us can do drills on our own. This has excellent descriptions and demonstrations of the moves, and breakdowns that are easy to follow, even breaking down into upper body, lower body, and combining the two. It is an easy video for the more advanced dancer, but still one of the best instructional videos I have seen so far. The price on this DVD is a real bargain! I have paid twice as much (or more) for far less quality! Which brings me to production quality…. very nice! Enjoy!

5 Stars Blanca is phenomenal!
Of all my bellydancing videos, this is my absolute favorite. Blanca is a beautiful dancer and great teacher. She has a wonderful presence and sense of humor that makes dancing joyful!

5 Stars Fabulous, a must have
I thought this was a great instructional DVD. My experience level is beginner. I have a few DVD's already Shamira, Jenna (both her beginning and drums), I had dolphina (gave it away), and Amira. So, how does this compare to my others. Well, for those interested here's my one to five scale. One is blah and five fantastic.

Audio -5

Picture-5

Detailed explanations-5 (loved this Blanca uses imagery so I get the concept quicker

Fluidity -5 This is where Blanca really outshines my other DVD's. Except for Jenna's drum one, but that one is for the more advanced. Blanca even makes the warm ups looks sexy.

Program length-5 two hours

Cost: 5 totally worth it. Her DVD is unlike my other DVD's so I'm going to have to say their not comparable. She adds the fluidity and sexiness that the others kind of lack. This is the only beginners DVD that I've seen with such an excellent cohesion at the beginner to intermediate level with the moves, fluidity, and sensuality. A must buy in your bellydance collection.

5 Stars just what I needed
I've been trying to improve my bellydancing lately, with zero results and now with this DVD I see what I was doing wrong. Love Blanca's delivery and the music is quite beautiful. I just don't get tired of it. I highly recommend it!

5 Stars Slow-paced instruction
Sensual Bellydance moves at a slow, easy pace that is intended for a viewer trying to learn the moves. The background is dark, with no distractions from the intricate dance moves. And it IS sensual. My girlfriend loved it.

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NFL Super Bowl XLII New York Giants Championship DVD

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A must have for Giants' fans.
Some of the reviews here crack me up. Obviously some people buy things without knowing what they're buying. This is a superb DVD that covers the Giants' miracle season from start to finish. You'll relive all ups and downs of every game from 2007. You'll get to hear and see what was going on, on the sidelines during all the key plays. There also some nice bonus features such as "NFL Game of the Week" highlights from the Dallas and GB games. Another extra is NFL Network's Post Game show at the Super Bowl. If you're a Giants' fan, ignore the bad reviews here and just buy it!

4 Stars Good season overview but not enough game coverage of the Super Bowl.
As a lifelong Giant fan I am glad I bought the dvd but I am extremely disappointed in the lack of footage of the Super Bowl game itself. The Super Bowl was the greatest game of the season. It was better than the Giant Super Bowl victories in 1986 and 1990 and is one of, if not the greatest, Super Bowls ever played.

This dvd has segments on all the games played during the season as well as all the playoff games. In addition two of the extras include a game of the week segment on the playoff games against Dallas and Green Bay but no game of the week for the Super Bowl.

I would have gladly done away with all the extras to have a full half hour or hour on the actual plays of the Super Bowl. My dvd player showed the section with the game coverage of the Super Bowl lasting approximately fifteen minutes. There were extra segments commenting on the game but I wanted to see more of the game.

Part of the Super Bowl game coverage shows the game officials commenting on the game. This is nice but considering the time devoted to the Super Bowl it takes away from the actual game coverage.

The dvd showed only five plays of the Giant's game winning drive. The plays are as follows: a near interception by New England, the fourth down conversion by the Giants that kept the drive alive, a brief clip of a sack of Manning, the amazing pass by Manning to Tyree and the final pass to Burress.

The dvd then has extras including the half time show, post game interviews and analysis and segments on Manning, Coughlin, Kiwanuka and Strahan. All this is nice but I want to see more of one of the greatest Super Bowls ever.

I heard that a dvd focusing on the Super Bowl may come out later in the year. I don't know if this is true. I hope it is. I will buy it in a second.

This dvd is a nice reminder of the season. If you are a Giant's fan I would definitely buy it. Still, I wish the dvd had more game coverage of the Super Bowl.

5 Stars YEAH BABY … GO BLUE !
a superlative tribute to my beloved underdog giants … as a fan for 40 years+ i will watch this one over & over & over … heart stopping multiple angle photography … heart thumping background music … heart rending classic voice over narrative … clearly i cannot recommend this highly enough … enjoy

5 Stars Buy it if you're a fan
Bottom line- This is the only DVD out there on the Giants season that I'm aware of, so I would highly reccommend you buy it. In fact, get two and give one to your closest Cowboy fan.

It certainly could be a lot better but after watching it before bed, I was pumped up enough that I couldn't fall asleep for two hours.

It gives you a couple of minutes of each regular season game, then the playoffs and finally the Superbowl. Not a lot of coverage on any game - even the Superbowl. It is produced for fans of Big Blue. The Giants look good even in the games they lost. They use Bob Pappa and Carl Banks mixed in with the normal "NFL" voice over. It also has some great camera shots. The video quality is top notch.

So yes, I wish it had more of the games, but then again I wish men's magazines had more pages of pictures. This disc does contain the Tom Petty halftime show - why? I would have prefered to see the whole final drive of the Superbowl (It does contain Jacobs forth down run and, of course, Tyree's catch!)It has footage of media day and the post game NFL Network show too.

I'm glad I bought it. I will watch it over and over I'm sure. If you love Big Blue, buy it too. It's not perfect, but you will enjoy it.

5 Stars Sports
Haven't watched it yet but I seen the game and it was one of the greatest upsets known to man… go NY! The evil empire strikes again!!! LOL

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The Nativity Story

The Nativity Story is a remarkable, if frustratingly restrained, act of imagining the tale of Christ's birth as a flesh-and-blood drama actually set in Israel two millenia ago. Written by Mike Rich (Finding Forrester) and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), the film makes very strong impressions in a scene-by-scene way. Beginning with the slaughter (bloodlessly portrayed; this is a PG movie) of Bethlehem's innocents under orders from a paranoid King Herod (a dark and knowing Ciar?n Hinds), the film then jumps back a year to the prophecy that informs Zechariah (Stanley Townsend) that his wife, Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), will bear a child. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's cousin, the adolescent Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), struggles with her family to make ends meet and is promised to the carpenter Joseph (Oscar Isaac). Soon comes word to Mary, via an angel, that she will carry, while still a virgin, the long-awaited Messiah who will liberate the Jews from Herod and his Roman benefactors. Thus begins a detailed account of Joseph and Mary's hard travel to Bethlehem, while three Magi spend months crossing the desert trying to rendezvous with some point below the convergence of three heavenly bodies in the night sky. Hardwicke and Rich anchor all this in period detail, though what proves most moving are relationship nuances, especially the friendship and trust that emerge between Mary and Joseph after he is told in a dream that she speaks truthfully about her miraculous pregnancy. While The Nativity Story should appeal to almost anyone as a straightforward narrative, it is far from a secular version of the familiar Biblical tale, and thus feels a bit stifled. It might have been nice if the film could have breathed a little more with imagination, but The Nativity Story makes up for it by ingeniously weaving hints of things to come, later in Christ's life, into the action. –Tom Keogh

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars An Amazing Movie
I loved this movie. It wasn't overly dramatic and kept to what the bible actually says. The little bits that were added did not change the true bible story.

5 Stars Excellent movie
I teach religion in a Catholic high school and its hard to find good movies that both interest my students and are fairly accurate to the Bible story. Many movies add so many fictional elements that they are worthless in class, while often those that do not are so boring that my classroom soon resembles the nap room in a kindergarten! The Nativity, however, was accurate enough to satisfy this teacher, while the storyline and characterizations engaged my students. This movie was excellent for an understanding both of the probable personalities of Mary and Jospeh and for an understanding of what it must really have been like to live through this marvelous event 2000 years ago.

5 Stars The Nativity Story
This movie gives a most realistic look at what life was like at the time of Jesus' birth. I feel it gives a very human picture of Mary and Joseph and what they had to go through. I highly recommend this movie.

5 Stars Moving Movie
This movie touched my heart as I watched it. To see the life style of Mary and Joseph was quite moving. Mary's acceptance, and then Joseph's, of the coming of Jesus was very touching. I pray that I would be as accepting of news from God as they were.

5 Stars Great Movie
Great things are accomplished when they are done via simplicity. This film is one of those examples. Music is also a powerful element in this presentation. I reccomend it to everyone.

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Justice League The New Frontier Single Disc Edition

Saving Humanity for the Very First Time! Based on Darwyn Cooke's award-winning graphic novel, this thrilling adventure reveals the origin of the Justice League. With Cold War paranoia putting Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman under government suspicion, only the gravest threat imaginable can force these heroes - along with an army of newcomers including The Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter - to unite in a spectacular showdown to save the world.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars I wanted it to be awesome, and it is
New Frontier is the 2nd DTV release from WB in this new line of DC Universe movies, the first being Superman Doomsday. Being a fan of the graphic, I was more than excited at the idea of watching it animated. The book is without a doubt one of the best examples of modern stuperhero story telling and the movie definitely does it justice.

Bruce Timm is behind this, just like practically every other DC superhero animated series of the past 10 plus years. Which is a good thing, he created quality stuff back then, and NF is no exception. The best decision they made here was choosing what to adapt, and getting Darwyn Cooke, the writer/artist of NF involved. Cooke and Timm had similar artistic styles so this resembles both the graphic novel artwork as well as the previous Justice League series.

As far as the voice talent go, no major complaints here. True to form, Timm enlists yet another Joss Whedon colaborator in David Boreanaz to voice Hal Jordan. I'm not a fan of him from his live action stuff but he's fine as Hal. Neil Patrick Harris is a no-brainer for Flash, and Miguel Ferrer brings a lot of depth to J'onn. The big three are all pretty standard and don't have much screen time. Jeremy Sisto's Batman works, but I don't know how I would have liked him if he had been the star of the movie.

Going into it, I already had a pretty good idea of what was going to be cut, and I was right. John Henry and his hammer was cut but that was a pretty easy descision. The Losers on Dinosuar Island? Gone. The Challengers of the Unknown are still in it, but we lose their backstory which was dissapointing but what can you do? I would have loved to see these scenes in there but they weren't that necessary to the overall plot, except a lot of backstory about Dinosaur Island which would have helped. A little explanation would have been appreciated, but you can never accuse this movie of being boring.

If you're a JL fan, you have to see this. It is essential for any DC Comics collection. Let's hope the quality doesn't slide with the highly anticipated Batman: Gotham Knight.

5 Stars Great Movie
First, I was shocked when I saw the suicide, then Hal blowing someones brains out, the SOB word mentioned twice and Wonder Woman simply allowing soldiers to be killed. She might as well have killed them herself since she was an accomplice to murder, right or wrong. Then I looked at the PG-13 rating and understood why. This is definately not a kids cartoon. It also reminded me of JL and JLU where the US government was secretly keeping tabs on the justice league and weren't completely trusted.

Anyway, this was really good and I really enjoyed the intro for Batman. Although it didn't explain why Batman was a renegade. Superman was taken out too quickly, I would have liked to see him fighting side by side with the other heavy hitters, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern. Overall, I enjoy almost all Justice League material. Has anyone heard of a real life Justice League with Roth Brandon and Christian Bale, etc.? I saw some stuff on youtube.

5 Stars A wonderful New Frontier
To be honest, I was a bit skeptical going into this. Warner's last direct-to-DVD animated release, "Superman: Doomsday", left me a little cold. It had fast forwarded the story into overdrive to cram it into 75 minutes. There seemed to be so much more they could do with it. And I didn't find the voice cast to be all that great.

Now along comes their second foray, and they certainly learned a whole lot between the two. "Justice League: The New Frontier" is retro. There is violence, both implied and seen, which should probably keep this away from children's eyes.

The setting is post-Korean War America. Superhero types have been forced to sign a loyalty oath. The government in in the throws of McCarthy-ism, and some of the heroes are questioning their choices

Along comes fighter pilot Hal Jordan (David Boreanaz). After avoiding killing during the war, he ends up in a mental hospital and then is hired as a test pilot. When the world is in danger, he finds that his destiny lies beyond what he could have imagined.

This story is basically a dual origin tale. Giving us a quick take on the beginnings of J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter (complete with some fun cameos from the Warner library). More involved is the transformation of Hal Jordan into Earth's member of the Green Lantern Corp.

The animation, blending traditional and computer styles, is top notch. There are little subtleties in style and dialogue that help set the period very nicely. Lucy Lawless' take on Wonder Woman, and Boreanaz as Jordan/Lantern are the voice cast stand outs. The only one that stood out as a questionable choice for me was Jeremy Sisto as Batman. It just never clicked for me.

The special edition and Blu-ray versions include 3 episodes from Cartoon Network's excellent "Justice League: Unlimited" series which fill in the gaps on a couple of characters.

I'd like to see a continuation of this series on DVD exploring some of the other characters in more detail.

4 Stars The hype is true…
…this IS a very good comic book movie. So good that at least twice I inadvertently responded to it on a vocal level, forgetting that I was watching an animated film.

My primary concern was that it stayed true to the excellent comic upon which it was based and that it did. Of course its seventy-five minute running time couldn't provide the huge depth of story of the original comic but that didn't detract from my total enjoyment.

The voice work from all cast members is superb and the moment when Hal Jordan fully becomes Green Lantern is positively transcendent.

Good stuff and well worth the time to watch.

4 Stars Between the Golden and Silver Ages - A Nice Retcon
If you have a Blu-ray player - does this disc ever look good. Animation is ideally suited to High Definition. Just incredible looking. The acting/voice performances were excellent. I love the original cast and wouldn't change a thing, yet the new voices here all work quite well - another triumph for Andrea Romano's casting and voice direction talents.

Many others have spelled out the basic plot already so no need to go into that much more. The main villain is a bit weak even after hearing the explanation in the special features. That's about the only weakness in the script. I would say this movie is primarily a Green Lantern/Flash story — lots of great stuff from the old comics done well and many nice touches and fine polishes to many elements. It is a lot like the old JLA comic - all the characters in one place for the same price.

I can easily forgive the liberal leaning retcon elements of this story. The period between the golden and silver age of comics where the story takes place is ripe for new material. All of our comic heroes are creations of the times they were made. At the time of the Korean War, could Superman actually realize he was just a government tool? Or Batman change his style and look because Robin was now part of his life's responsibility? These are modern paradigms presented as vintage. But we all know that. The retcon is not offensive. It's part of the story the writer wanted to tell, and weaving the story in with JFK's "New Frontier" speech actually worked. And that was part of the point here. Something "dated" still directly applies to our modern world. JFK's truth still rings true today as if Obama had said it yesterday. Superheroes in the 1950's didn't comprehend as our hindsight allows us to, but since this is just a story it's okay that they apparently did all along.

I enjoyed this film. I thought it was written at a very adult level and that the comic book kids from 8-12 won't be able to appreciate it. I'm looking forward to more features from DC. I think this is a great trend to produce animated superhero features. I think the script could have been fleshed out a lot more, because a 74 minute movie is just not enough to tell the tale. It's loaded with small details but I'd have preferred if it was loaded with larger more developed details of all the characters. But what we got was still good and I'm grateful that such movies are being made at all.

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Peters Friends

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars I thought this day would never come
I saw this movie as a mere random pick when I was in graduate school and it made a huge impression on me. I ran out and got the VHS. I have constantly been monitoring the internet for the dvd and finally it is available in the States. Emma Thompson's revelation to Stephen Fry ("fill me with your little babies") and Rita Rudner's acknowledgement she has filled her transatlantic luggage with weights are two of my favorite moments of all time. If you enjoy those things British and sardonic, this is a MUST movie.

5 Stars One of My All-time Favorites!
Suffice it to say that this is a film not to be missed. An extraordinary mix of drama and razor-sharp comedy… not to mention a terrific soundtrack… it is a real crowd-pleaser. I've watched it many times with many friends and every one of them has enjoyed it as much as I. The acting is top-notch across the board, with two of my favorite actresses, Emma Thompson and Imelda Staunton, in the ensemble.

Comparisons to "The Big Chill" were commonplace when "Peter's Friends" came out, but the latter is really superior in every way (not to take away from the former). This is a truly terrific movie, well-directed and with a wonderful screenplay co-written by Rita Rudner.

I am really excited that the US DVD is now going to be available. If you haven't yet seen this, I can't recommend it highly enough. If by chance you buy this and are disappointed, I invite you to send me a very strongly worded eMail. Of course, I'll take it with a grain of salt as I'll just have to assume that you are an idiot!

4 Stars It's about time!!
I have been waiting YEARS for this to come out! This is a great movie about college friends who get together about 10 years later and reminisce about their years in school and the time in between.

5 Stars FINALLY!!!
I have been checking on this film for over two years to come on DVD! I had a VHS copy that finally died after so many viewings. I will be pre-ordering this one. I saw this for the first time in college and fell in love with the film. Now Hugh Laurie is on my favorite show…House, and it is strange to hear him have an American accent!

This is for me, a quintessential friend film. Though often compared with "The Big Chill", I prefer this british model every time. With a sterling cast with stand out performances by Kenneth Branaugh and Emma Thompson, it is filled with amazing humor ("fill me with your babies!") and tears of joy. Not to be ignored is Rita Rudner who plays a wonderful character as Branagh's AA partner/actress wife. Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and a very pre-Umbridge Imelda Staunton are also fantastic in the film. The most touching of scenes in the film occurs with the Fry/Staunton couple finally dealing with the death of their son. (The camera shot of them sleeping cuddled has stuck with me for years.) Though it does fill the cliche, I laughed, I cried, I … will buy this movie the minute available.

5 Stars What A Joy To Watch!
It's difficult to believe this film is 16, 17 years old. Of course all the actors are much younger in the film, so obviously, it isn't current. Wonderful cast. Beautiful setting. The stately English mansion through the fog is breathtaking. Everyone is so believable, and so interesting that you just get sucked into it and, in an instant, it's over. The authenticity of the people is right-on. I was so delighted to get my copy this week when it finally came out (February 12, 2008). I watched it last night with a glass of wine and nibbles, and just fell in love with it all over again. Stephen Fry is such a delight to watch. You want to just hug him through the screen. Everyone just glows. A wonderful film for the ages.

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Pleasantville New Line Platinum Series

Fantastical writer Gary Ross (Big, Dave) makes an auspicious directorial debut with this inspired and oddly touching comedy about two '90s kids (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) thrust into the black-and-white TV world of Pleasantville, a Leave It to Beaver-style sitcom complete with picket fences, corner malt shop, and warm chocolate chip cookies. When a somewhat unusual remote control (provided by repairman Don Knotts) transports them from the jaded real world to G-rated TV land, Maguire and Witherspoon are forced to play along as Bud and Mary Sue, the obedient children of George and Betty Parker (William H. Macy and Joan Allen). Maguire, an obsessive Pleasantville devotee, understands the need for not toppling the natural balance of things; Witherspoon, on the other hand, starts shaking the town up, most notably when she takes basketball stud Skip (Paul Walker) up to Lover's Lane for some modern-day fun and games. Soon enough, Pleasantville's teens are discovering sex along with–gasp!–rock & roll, free thinking, and soul-changing Technicolor. Filled with delightful and shrewd details about sitcom life (no toilets, no double beds, only two streets in the town), Pleasantville is a joy to watch, not only for its comedy but for the groundbreaking visual effects and astonishing production design as the town gradually transforms from crisp black and white to glorious color. Ross does tip his hand a bit about halfway through the film, obscuring the movie's basic message of the unpredictability of life with overloaded and obvious symbolism, as the black-and-white denizens of the town gang up on the "coloreds" and impose rules of conduct to keep their strait-laced town laced up. Still, the characterizations from the phenomenal cast–especially repressed housewife Allen and soda-shop owner Jeff Daniels, doing some of their best work ever–will keep you emotionally invested in the film's outcome, and waiting to see Pleasantville in all its final Technicolor glory. –Mark Englehart

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Superb film
Words pretty much fail me in describing this exquisite film: its beauty and sensitivity; its superb cinematography and direction; its perfect cast and their virtually perfect performances; and its INTELLIGENCE. Keep your hankie nearby.

5 Stars How you can have a pleasant time in Pleasantville
O.K. I'll to try to help people get the most out of this movie.

First, I recommend you wait to see this movie until you're atleast 18 years old. And, no, I'm not saying that this movie should be rated 'R'. I just think you have to have a certain amount of education under your belt, and be contemplating life in general, to fully embrace this film.

Now, regarding what the movie is about…

It's about two siblings who have different views of what the perfect world should be–neither of which is totally correct. Despite the title, I don't think the movie is about the town of Pleasantville. Sure, almost everything we see happens there, and there are plenty of scenes that don't show either David or Jennifer (the two kids); but, I think that the town is there more as a learning device for the kids, and as a reminder to us, the audience, of our real-world history. You have to keep in mind that this movie is partly a comedy. If you get bogged down trying to figure out what everything is a metaphor for, you may miss a laugh, because most of the time there are only partial metaphors. Pleasantville doesn't represent 1950's America. (They actually did have toilets and "real rain" back then.) It's a fake world that David thought would be a great place to live in. Unfortunately, a world where nothing bad ever happens just doesn't exist (when real people are involved). David, himself, helped mess up his perfect world just by being late for work once. Jennifer, on the other hand, is upset that she's been unwillingly thrown into this world that is far from her ideal one; so, she does her best to try to change Pleasantville into what she wants.

The following are my comments on what other reviewers have said:

–Unlike what some reviewers have said, it seems like both liberal and conservative views are expressed here; and in the end, neither one is found to be always better than the other. Sometimes, change is forced on us even when nobody wants it (e.g., natural disasters). Either you find a way to deal with the change, possibly learn from it, and move forward; or, you can spend the rest of your life wishing for the olden days, feeling miserable, because you know they will never return.

–Whoever brought up Nazis in relation to this movie must have been watching something quite different from what I was. Religious freedom and sexual orientation are two subjects that this movie never even tried to touch on. And, the most physical harm that I can remember seeing in this film, was one guy with a bloody lip. Or, if you're referring to the book burning, it's not like the Nazis are the only ones who have tried to remove certain literature from society.

–Anyone who said this movie promotes sexual promiscuity wasn't watching closely enough. In fact, they must have completely ignored everything that went on with Jennifer in the second half of the movie. David and Jennifer even talked about how becoming colored couldn't just be about sex. However, I do wish that sex hadn't been used as frequently as it was, and probably shouldn't have been, if they really wanted this to be a family-friendly film.

–This story was also NOT an allegory for the Garden of Eden. The garden was made reference to a couple of times, but it certainly is not what the movie is all about. Especially with the Don Knotts part, I can't understand why anyone would seriously think that the TV repairman was supposed to represent God in anything but the loosest sense. That character was there almost solely for humor. The citizens of Pleasantville never make any mention of any religion at all. So, how anyone can say that this movie is an attack on their religion is mind-boggling to me.

If Gary Ross is guilty of anything, it might be too much ambition. But this story worked for me on all levels. I enjoyed the serious parts and the silly parts. And I hope I can continue to live in color.

<>

4 Stars Wonderful movie
Pleasantville is simply an intriguing and innovative movie. It really is a rarity to showcase a movie such as this. And what a novel concept. At first glance, I wasn't sure if I would be interested in modern film purposely filmed in black and white. I thought it would feel odd. But it didn't. It worked so well that I loved it immedietely. The characters are all great and interesting. The plot is also great and intriguing. And its also sweet and tender as well as being serious and comedic, all in the span of 2 hours. I can't get enough of this film, its one of those that I can watch over and over again and it seems new at every viewing.

5 Stars The Creator of Pleasantville is a GENIUS.
This is my favorite movie of all time. I have probably seen it about 15 times and every time, without fail, I discover new symbolism in the movie. So many themes overlap, as they do in life. This movie is absolutely amazing. If I could sum up my interpretation of this in only a few words I would say, the spiritual evolution of mankind.

3 Stars Pleasantville
The copy which I received of Pleasantville does not play properly, it won't work on my PS2 for some reason and it only works on my computer randomly and my computer is brand new. So I'd suggest buyers to be a little cautious when purchasing this movie.

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