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War and Peace Streaming. Movie Title: War and Peace Average customer review: War and Peace is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download War and Peace

With 10 years in the making, two years of filming and (as a previous reviewer noted) no less than six writers, Tolstoy’s epic masterpiece à la Hollywood does get a bit muddled and lost at times, but who cares!?!? The film’s cast is stellar. Audrey Hepburn, Mel Ferrer and Henry Fonda were each born to play their respective roles in this monumental film. Fonda plays the quixotic Pierre almost as good as Sergei Bondarchuk does in the more accurate (though also more brutal and heart-wrenching) 1967 Russian version. Hepburn, as the dazzling and ingenuous Natasha is a perfect foil to Mel Ferrer’s Prince Andre, who loses his melancholy and determined seriousness only in the presence of Natasha (the same could almost be said of the film!).

Where the Hollywood version is lacking in battle scenes, historic detail, commentary from ordinary Russians and several key character developments (Mary Oblonsky, Nicholas Rostov, the Tsar, Denisov et al), it more than makes up for it with personal performances (above mentioned actors), set and costume design and an overall mood and tone consistent with the book.

This film should not be seen by people who demand faithful and tireless book-to-screen adaptations (the Sergei Bondarchuk version might be a better choice), but by people who want to get a sublime essence of one of the greatest novels ever written.

As a deeply-adoring Audrey Hepburn fan, I have mixed feelings about this movie, as do many Hepburn devotees. It’s hard not to wonder what the then-new epic master, David Lean, might have done with it, had he been in charge instead of King Vidor, a giant of the silent era from decades before.

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The story I gather from Hepburn biographies is that the producer of this movie shrewdly cast Hepburn’s husband, Mel Ferrer, before offering a part to her. Immediately a rival pre-production group shut down their preparations for a “War and Peace” adaptation, knowing that the plum actress for the part would surely not sign with them. (To my knowledge, Lean never got anywhere near either production.)

Well, if that’s the case, then “War and Peace” might have been flawed from the start. The domino effect of starting with Ferrer’s casting, securing the directorial efforts of a somewhat-aging Vidor, and also having Hepburn to make love to her own husband onscreen, might have meant that something about this movie seems a bit too comfortable for all involved in making it. It’s not as dramatic as it needs to be, as cruel in its cruel moments as it needs to be, and therefore not as inspiring and revelatory of what’s great about the human spirit when it needs to be. It does — to my mind — feel a bit bloated, a bit slow, and never quite at that high-stakes level you might hope.

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Indeed, another story about the movie and its “problematic-ness” was told by King Vidor himself in his autobiography. Apparently, at the time of the movie’s production or maybe release, his wife had chid him for letting his own, rather fatherly affection for Audrey Hepburn prevent him from letting her play the fullness of Natasha’s character — which is not always a pleasant one in the book. Vidor copped to this accusation, accepting that he had not pushed her as he might have. Tellingly, in the autobiography he went so far (I believe) as to name young Hepburn as his favorite actress to have ever worked with. There is something touching but not quite fortunate in that, because “War and Peace” will never be remembered as a Vidor masterpiece or even a work of the man in his prime. Perhaps it illustrates that, again, this movie was only going to go so far with itself.

Who knows? But my favorite story about this movie shows the intelligence of Hepburn herself. She had asked that Peter Ustinov be cast as Pierre, which to my mind would have been completely perfect casting. Pierre in the book is a bit rotund, a bit clumsy, but also strongly intellectual and bursting with questions about life and society. Ustinov would have been perfect, given the mind and the comic talent he had. (Ustinov also wrote a lovely eulogy upon Audrey Hepburn’s death, which is quoted in his book “Still at Large.” He thanked her for thinking of him when Pierre needed casting, saying that her choice of him had continued to surprise him throughout his life. He too was a UNICEF representative in his lifetime, and when he passed away, my mourning for him was mixed with thoughts of Hepburn as well.)

But as to the movie … I will say that there is nothing inept or embarrassing about this adaptation. There are world-class actors in this movie, and if you’re waiting for mistakes from them, don’t hold your breath. (Henry Fonda, whatever his speaking accent, definitely understood something about Pierre, as did Ferrer about Andrei and certainly Hepburn about Natasha.) You can watch this movie straight through or in sections on DVD, and probably come to like it quite a bit either way. It’s gorgeous for Hepburn alone, but also in so many other ways. But once you know the background of the movie, you do risk getting a case of the what-ifs? If you can ignore them, more power to you.
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Watch Mickey’s Magical Christmas Online. Movie Title: Mickey’s Magical Christmas Average customer review: Mickey’s Magical Christmas is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Mickey’s Magical Christmas

In 2001, Disney released “Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse”, a Christmas special from the House of Mouse TV Show. And like most Disney releases, once it’s released, don’t expect to see another release again for years. And in this case, 8 years later (2009) and right in time for the holidays, “Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse” is back.

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This Christmas episode is about how all the Disney characters (characters from nearly every Disney animated film) are stranded at the House of Mouse (a night club) due to a snow storm. So, Mickey being the gracious host that he is, is trying to bring home that Christmas spirit and entertain his guest. The problem is that Donald Duck is not having a great time is like the scrooge at the Christmas party. So, Mickey tries to make Donald happy and entertain his guest by showing classic Disney animated shorts which include:

* Donald On Ice (1999) - Donald tries to learn to skate, while Huey, Dewey and Louie try to build a snowman. But unfortunately, Donald’s inability to skate tends to ruin the triplets chance at building their snowman.

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* Pluto’s Christmas Tree (1952) -Mickey cuts down a Christmas Tree and doesn’t know that the Chipmunks: Chip & Dale are living in the tree. Unfortunately, Chip & Dale tend to drive Pluto nuts and thus Pluto does what he can to get the Chipmunks.

* The Nutcracker (1999) - A young girl (played by Minnie Mouse) receives a present (which is a wooden mouse) and dreams for it to become real, so she can dance with him.

* Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) - The popular Disney Christmas animated short features the story of Scrooge McDuck and how he’s mean to everyone for Christmas until he learns a lesson from the Spirit of Christmas past.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In a the House of Mouse” is an animated full-length feature that features nice, vibrant animation during the more modern “House of Mouse” television show. But each time the feature switches to the animated shorts, you get mixed results in terms of picture quality due to some of these animated shorts being over 30/50-years old. But overall, the classics due show a difference in animation quality but for those who enjoyed animation like “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” or even the older classic animated short “Pluto’s Christmas Tree”, although not digitally remastered, these classics due hold up well on DVD decades later.

As for audio, “Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In a the House of Mouse” is featured in DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. The series is primarily front and center channel driven and personally, I didn’t notice any surround or LFE usage but dialogue is clear and understandable.

Subtitles are presented in English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse” comes with the following special features:

* Premiere Episode of House of Mouse - (23:07) An episode of “House of Mouse” featuring various Disney characters from popular animated films visiting the House of Mouse nightclub. Meanwhile, Pete buys the building of where the House of Mouse is located and wants to shut down the cartoon club.

* The Sounds of Christmas - (2:33) A Disney sound engineer teaches children how to make sounds using objects and how they were utilized in certain animation.

* SingAlong “Deck the Halls” - (1:50) Karaoke SingAlong to “Deck the Halls” with animation from “Pluto’s Christmas Tree”.

* SingAlong Song “Sleigh Ride” - (1:57) Karaoke SingAlong to “Sleigh Ride” with animation from “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”.

JUDGMENT CALL:

I watched “Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse” with my toddler and he absolutely loved it and wanted to watch it again. And as a holiday family feature, it is an entertaining release that will be fun, due to the number of Disney characters seen throughout the feature.

With that being said, for those who own the recent release of Walt Disney Animated Shorts Collection or other Disney releases probably have the animated shorts on previously released DVD’s. Those who own the original release from 2001, there is really is nothing new on this DVD with the exception of the new trailers. In fact, if you are a fan who mainly wants this release for its holiday-related animated shorts, then you may want to check out the just released “Disney Animation Collection 7: Mickey’s Christmas Carol” which comes with “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”, “Pluto’s Christmas Tree” and two other Disney classics.

But with this release of “Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse”, if you are a “House of Mouse” fan, you do get the premiere episode of “House of Mouse” and other short entertaining holiday special features. I do admit that I wished that the DVD release had more interactivity like other Disney releases with games or something extra.

Overall, “Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse” is entertaining for young and old as it does feature newer and older animation and if you don’t own these animated shorts on another previously released Disney collection, it’s worth checking out. But if you do have these shorts already, it’s kind of hard to recommend it as the majority of the content in this feature are those classic shorts.

So, for parents who are looking for a Disney holiday release, as mentioned earlier, my son loved it and wanted to watch it again. So, yes it is an entertaining and fun Disney holiday release. I recommend Disney fans looking for a an animated holiday release to also purchase a copy of “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” (2004), if you don’t own it already.

When Disney brought Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and essentially the entire casts of animated features to Saturday morning and other daytime TV in 2001, it was done in grand style with an effort to create something that would please fans and young viewers, being hip as well as classic.

It’s a testimony to those involved with House of Mouse that such an impossibly tall order was carried off so much of the time. Sure, the new animation is markedly different from vintage stuff, but even the Wonderful World of Disney combined the flowing, straight line animation with the “scritchy” xerox look of the early ’60s. The main issue is, does the final product entertain?

My son sure loved it, and he’s seen very little of House of Mouse because it’s not on TV much and there are precious few DVDs. I found myself laughing out loud at the rapid fire gags and “inside” jokes on Disney characters. Most of all, for me it was fun to spot characters like the Gingerbread Man from Cookie Carnival and Elliot from Pete’s Dragon.

That’s not to say that House of Mouse is uneven — the Brian Setzer theme and overall rock/swing music is a great way to keep it fresh yet classic. The references to Backstreet Boys and the like are no different than big band crooner nods in ’40s cartoons.

Unlike much animation for television, House of Mouse contains lots of purely visual sequences, short as they are, and short cartoons, which are also shorter than the theatrical type. These cartoons abound with gags — clearly a lot of work went into them by people who, by and large, generally cared about the early work and actually liked it. I can forgive occasional lapses in graphic quality because of the sheer beauty of the comical poses, especially for Donald. Clearly these poses are the foundation of animation that by necessity is produced in and out of the country. It’s inspired by the work of the Disney masters, and probably was researched by the series staff.

Mickey’s Magical Christmas is a special House of Mouse that extends to feature length, containing new cartoons as well as Pluto’s Christmas Tree and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. As a bonus, the premiere episode of House of Mouse in included — a very funny story in which Donald takes over the ‘toon club.

This DVD is also a bit of a tribute to the late Wayne Allwine, who voiced Mickey since Christmas Carol and is heard throughout. Surely it was unintentional, since this is a DVD reissue, but Wayne also appears on camera, guiding guests through the Disney sound effects department, where he worked with Jimmy Macdonald and from whom he took on the mantle of Mickey’s voice. This DVD is worth having just for his short bonus feature, “The Sounds of Christmas.”

I sure would like to see more House of Mouse on DVD and so would my kids…

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Watch High Plains Drifter Online. Movie Title: High Plains Drifter Average customer review: High Plains Drifter is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download High Plains Drifter

“High Plains Drifter” (1973) is one of the best and most original westerns of all time. It is also of of the best films that Clint Eastwood has ever made. It was only the second film that Eastwood ever directed, yet it is a western masterpiece, as it funnels all of the violent, harsh, and brutal images and themes that were first seen in the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns (which made Eastwood an international star) into one picture. No other film blurrs the lines of good and evil like this one. No other film has humor that is so dark and so black. No other film tests and re-defines the nature of screen heroism, as Eastwood plays his darkest and most enigmatic character ever. This film strips the western to its most brutal, raw, violent, and merciless essence, revealing the old West to be a truly immoral and corrupt land. Eastwood’s compulsive, surrealistic imagery is both haunting and powerful, and it works in pefect tandem with Dee Barton’s eerie score. Filmed around Mono Lake, California, the hellish locations of the film add to its haunting atmosphere. The western town, constructed by Henry Bumstead out of raw wood is a classic, and helps to reveal the mean-spirited hypocrisy and vicious economic determinism of the townspeople. The film has an unexpected, spontaneous, and completely anarchic quality that eliminates the western’s typical predictablity and simple cliches. It is extremely challenging, unnerving, apparitional, allegorical, and curiously memorable. This is Clint Eastwood at his most daring and outrageous, as both an actor and director, testing the audience to see if it will support this most radical of anti-heroes. “High Plains Drifter” is my favorite film of all time, and it is not to be missed! END

In this classic western, Clint Eastwood performs admirably as producer, director and of course starring in the lead role. High Plains Drifter is an excellent tale that highlights Eastwood’s talents in this genre, whether it’s his “Stranger” type aura or the clipped but poignant lines. This great western has a superb script and exceptional performances by Eastwood and the other actors. Its surreal style, unexpected plot twists and great camera angles serve well to enhance this movies overall appearance. I do not normally comment on the soundtrack for films however, in this case I feel compelled to because I felt the soundtrack for this one is a perfect accoutrement to the overall feel of the movie!

The premise:

A lone stranger rides into town and is immediately set upon by some of the locals. Unfortunately for these rough locals, they’ve picked the star of the movie in Clint Eastwood to aggravate and they receive his quick six shooter justice for their efforts. The locals, being a cowardly bunch, eagerly set out to appease him in every way in order to secure his loyalty and protection from a group of criminals who are soon to be released from the territorial prison.

The “Stranger” agrees to be their benefactor and immediately sets out to do so in some strange ways. Through humiliation, misogyny and the threat of immediate “justice,” he begins to prepare the town for return of the criminals. As a surreal side note, the Stranger and some of the locals are having waking nightmares about the brutal killing of the former marshal by the criminals who are expected to return. What follows is a western that is one of the best and a benchmark for all westerns to follow.

I highly recommend this great Eastwood western to any and all die hard or casual fans of the genre or the actor. It is a classic western that deserves a spot on the DVD rack.

Special features:

Not unlike many of the other movies of the time, this one isn’t jam packed with special features because there just aren’t many to throw in. It does have a great trailer and some production notes that are quite interesting to read through on the screen. {ssintrepid}
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Watch Man of the West Online. Movie Title: Man of the West Average customer review: Man of the West is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Man of the West

Gary Cooper stars in this intense Western as a former outlaw, now reformed, who finds himself trapped by circumstances with his former gang. Cooper is on a train that is held up by the gang, and left behind, he, Julie London, and Arthur O’Connell meet up with the gang and witness firsthand their brutality and violence. The gang is headed by Cooper’s uncle, Lee J. Cobb, who is pleased to see Cooper return. He’s planning a big bank heist, the heist to end all heists, and wants Cooper to be a part of it like old times. Of course, Cooper must find a way out.

The tension in the film never lets up, as the threat of violence hangs in every scene. Cooper is fine in one of his last performances, portraying a man who has tried hard to overcome his past, finding himself in a situation where he must literally fight for his survival. London also does well as the saloon singer finally experiencing love, giving a quietly moving performance. Cobb is explosive as usual, helping to give the film some of its tension and edge.

Man Of The West is well photographed in colour, with empty spaces looming everywhere in the backdrop of the struggle. Director Anthony Mann keeps everything simple, if not elemental, not shying away from portraying the brutality of the characters and the situation. Other than an obviously “stagey” fight between Cooper and one of the gang (lots of easy to spot fake punches), there is a dark realism throughout the movie.

Man Of The West may not be a very well known Western, but it deserves to be seen.

This is truly a magnificent film. Acting — especially Gary Cooper’s Link Jones, a man who is drawn back into his earlier life as a killer — and direction and script and cinemaphotography, they are all flawless. The only flaw is in this video, from MGM/UA. I’ve written them, trying to get them to release this in letterbox and DVD, all to no avail. Do not buy this pan-and-scan version, since director Anthony Mann took full advantage of the wide screen to tell his story. In the pan-and-scan version, Cooper is missing from much of the action. This is because it is a typically tight-lipped Cooper performance, thus he is lopped out of the frame — even though he is central to every single scene in the entire film! This is a magnificent film which is deserving of a better fate than MGM/UA video distribution. TCM shows it in letterbox, catch it there.
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Stream Autumn Sonata - Criterion Collection Movie Online. Movie Title: Autumn Sonata - Criterion Collection Average customer review: Autumn Sonata - Criterion Collection is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Autumn Sonata - Criterion Collection

Writer/director Ingmar Bergman examines the strained relationship between a mother and daughter in “Autumn Sonata,” starring Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann. Eva (Ullmann) has not seen her mother, Charlotte (Bergman) in seven years; a successful concert pianist, Charlotte has spent a good portion of her life on the road, but after losing her long-time companion, Leonardo, Eva invites her to come to the parsonage where she and her minister husband, Viktor (Halvar Bjork), live, for an extended visit. Charlotte accepts, but soon after her arrival, old wounds and feelings begin to surface, and the film becomes an intimate character study of the life-long dysfunctional relationship between Charlotte and Eva, during which director Bergman intricately examines the causes and effects of all that has passed between them during their lives. It’s an in-depth look at the emotional damage human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another, and how fragile the line between love and hate becomes when subjected to incessant neglect by even one of the parties involved. As the story unfolds and the principals bare their souls– at last revealing a lifetime’s worth of repressed feelings– it becomes an emotionally devastating experience for the audience, as well, for there is much contained within the dynamics of this situation that most viewers will be able to identify with and relate to within their own lives. Ingmar Bergman is a Master of presenting life as it truly is; reality– and portraying it on the screen– is his domain, and throughout his career he has veritably created almost a genre of his own in doing so. With a microscope of his own design, he scrutinizes the basic instincts of the human condition, what makes people tick and how and why they relate to one another as they do. Much of what he presents is startling, and always emotionally involving, because he penetrates so deeply and succinctly into the heart of the matter, as he demonstrates so superlatively with this film. His methods and style are unique, his talent unequivocal; many others have attempted to capture the essence of that which Bergman has perfected, but few have succeeded. Interestingly enough, Liv Ullmann is one who, as a director, has probably come the closest to achieving that classic “sense” of Bergman, with her films “Private Confessions,” and “Faithless,” both of which were written by Bergman. In her role as Eva, Ullmann gives one of the best performances of her career, for which she should have at least been nominated for an Oscar; that she was not is nothing less than a gross injustice. She so skillfully conveys the depth and complexities of her character, and the differing emotional levels to which Eva is subjected, that it creates a lasting impression and makes her someone with whom it is easy for the audience to sympathize. It makes you realize, upon reflection, what a truly gifted actress Ullmann is. And, as good as Ullmann’s performance here is, it is equaled– though not, I would say– surpassed, by Ingrid Bergman’s portrayal (in her final theatrical appearance) of Charlotte; and in a renewal of faith that there is some justice in the world after all, she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for it. In retrospect, it seems somehow inevitable that the two Bergmans came together at last, though it’s somewhat lamentable that their career paths did not cross sooner. There is some consolation, however, in the fact that when they did finally join forces the result was such a powerful, memorable film. The supporting cast includes Lena Nyman (Helena), Gunnar Bjornstrand (Paul), Erland Josephson (Josef) and Linn Ullmann (Eva as a child). An intelligent, thought provoking and emotionally wrenching film, highlighted by outstanding performances and beautifully photographed by Sven Nykvist, “Autumn Sonata” is an example of filmmaking at it’s best; it’s a lasting tribute, not only to the immense talents of Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann, but to Ingrid Bergman, one of the most beautiful and gifted actresses ever to grace the silver screen.

Beginning with The Seventh Seal, I have been enamored with the austere and intellectual world of Ingmar Bergman. His cinema is so literate and engaging, without being boring or preachy or devolving into baseless abstraction. Recently I was able to see his 1978 film, Autumn Sonata, with Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Bergman and was touched by its emotional power.

Starting with an introductory monologue by Viktor, the pastor of the area and husband of Eva, it sets the tone of the piece and explains Eva’s feelings of lovelessness and distance. After hearing of the death of her mother’s lover, Eva invites her mother Charlotte to visit, and after a seven-year hiatus, the old professional pianist acquiesces. Eva’s feelings towards Charlotte are very complex and we seem them unfold throughout the film, the layers peeling away, eventually, on both sides.

Charlotte’s arrival shows a sophisticated and worldly older woman who is demanding and easily overshadowing of her quiet daughter. Quickly upstaging the situation, Charlotte breathlessly tells Eva the tale of Leonardo’s slow death and her bedside vigil, suddenly changing gears when she hears her other daughter, Helena, is staying with Eva at the parsonage, and has been for several years. Charlotte’s face shows her shock clearly enough and would not have made the visit had she known. When she sees Lena’s deteriorated condition, spastic and only able to be understood by Eva, she still maintains control of the situation, though we know she is internally at odds with her outward features.

It is apparent Eva still longs, like a child, for the approval of her mother. When she describes the feelings she has after the death of her son, Erik, her mother listens politely and doesn’t attempt to touch on the real emotions there. She stands in the glare of her own emotional spotlight and cannot shake the egoism that always surrounds her. The death of Erik created departures of different levels for his parents - one the one side, Viktor’s life “grayed again,” but Eva’s feelings for Erik were left uncorroded. She thinks of heaven as “a world of liberated feelings” and one night of insomnia with her mother brings about the chance to share her true feelings with her.

Eva recounts to her mother all the missed time from her adolescence; when Charlotte was abroad entertaining foreign crowds and indulging her own selfish appetites. Eva’s wine bibbing loosens her tongue and it turns into a raw and emotional exchange. During this time, they depart from their mother/daughter roles and deal with the other - for the first time - as equals in adulthood. In her lengthy and beautiful soliloquy, Eva states “you had the charge of all the words in our home.” A grand way to put it, and Bergman’s great success in the writing of these difficult scenes is the lack of sentimentality and the balanced pathos. The scenes are emoted wonderfully by the two actors and captured beautifully by long-time Bergman cinematographer, Sven Nykvist. The film crescendos at this point and is heading for a recapitulation of all the elements, which marks a musical sonata. Autumn Sonata is a great film in the Bergman corpus and not to be missed.
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Watch Zoids - The Battle Begins Movie Online. Movie Title: Zoids - The Battle Begins Average customer review: Zoids - The Battle Begins is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Zoids - The Battle Begins

This DVD is the same episodes(the first few) that is/was being aired on cartoon network (at 4:30 every monday-friday). It starts out(the first episode) with a boy(16 i think) who comes to a battlefield (against the blitz team vs. the Tigers Team)where he tries to steal some parts from the battle. The batttle is cancled by leon, and is reschelded. He comes back later, and is caught, they tie him up. When they leave the area hes in, a zoid named ligerzero cuts him free, and ligerzero lets him pilot him. Later bit ran into the rescheled battle, and registers as one of the members of the blitz team, beats the Tigers team,and basically thats episode number one on this DVD!

I’m not sure if this DVD will also have the subtitled (langauage is japanese, but has english words on the bottom) version or not. Hopefully, it will be unedited!

i got to say this dvd brings back so many memories. i wish there was something i could do to bring back the show to tv..but i guess there really isnt anything to do. oh well, but i highly recomend this movie/dvd.
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Watch The Crawling Eye Online. Movie Title: The Crawling Eye Average customer review: The Crawling Eye is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Crawling Eye

The Crawling Eye (1958) had numerous monikers like The Creeping Eye, The Flying Eye, and even Creature from Another World, but started out as a British television serial titled The Trollenberg Terror (this is the title that appears in the beginning of this version of the film). Apparently the series was popular enough to warrant the making of film versions for European and American distribution. The film stars Forrest Tucker, who, while not an original member of the series, was brought in by the British studios in order to better promote the film in America. Original series actors that transferred from the television version to the film version were Janet Munro and Laurence Payne.

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The film starts off with three climbers on the side of a mountain, and one of the climbers suffers a serious case of death from the loss of his head (off-screen). The other two freak out and then we cut to three characters on a train, two being the Pilgrim sisters Sarah (Jennifer Jayne) and Anne (Janet Munro) while the third being Alan Brooks (Forrest Tucker). All three get off at the same stop, and make for a hotel near the base of the Swiss Alps. Brooks arrived at the request of a friend, Professor Crevett (Warren Mitchell), who works in a nearby observatory and has disturbing news. The two sisters, one with telepathic abilities (Munro’s character), are inexplicably drawn to the mountain. We soon learn that something is stealing mountain climber’s heads, leading some villagers to believe an abominable snowman with a guillotine is on the loose, aptly called `The De-Nogginizer’ (okay, no one said it, but I thought it). Brooks makes his way to the observatory and meets with his friend Professor Crevett. Crevett gives Brooks the ten cent tour, bragging on and on about his wonderfully amazing, technologically advanced and highly fortified observatory to which Brooks cuts it shorts and asks why he was dragged out here. Dr. Crevett shows Brooks a cloud on the mountain, and makes a reference to a shared past experience and believes there is a link to the cloud and the recent spate of deaths on the mountain. Turns out there is…

Not much point in going into the story too much more, spoiling the fun for everyone, but I will tell you this, there are more deaths by beheading, giant eyeball creatures, zombies, mysterious ice clouds, and some other cool surprises. As silly as all this sounds, the overall sense of the film is serious…even though the viewer will break out into laughter, especially at the special effects. The tentacled eyeball creatures various appearances just do not allow for the keeping of a straight face. I couldn’t help wonder if they had kept the mystique of the fog, revealing less about what was inside, if that would have made the film much more scary than it was…the tension was certainly there up until the point when the creatures were revealed, as the cloud hid its’ secrets well, prowling the mountain, signaling death was coming. Well, being the 50’s, you needed some fantastic creature, be it giant eyeballs, flying brains, or disembodied hands. If you didn’t, you were pretty much cheating the audience. I really enjoyed the number of elements involved in the story, and how nicely these things were tied together. That’s not to say everything works and there are no plot holes, but the film is tight, and any missing plot points are minor and not very detectable. This film is just all out 50′ sci-fi fun, much in the vein of another movie that came out in the same year, Fiend Without a Face. Cornball? Maybe, but certainly worth watching. Forrest Tucker is great taking time off from his usual westerner/action films to star here. He certainly doesn’t seem to fit the part in the beginning; at least to me, but as the film progresses, he makes it work, like pounding a square peg into a round hole. Janet Munro is attractive, and I had just recently saw her in The day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), but the real eye catcher was the actress who played the character of her sister, Sarah Pilgrim, Jennifer Jayne. Yowsa! Along with being an actress, I found out she is also a writer, and is responsible for (as Jay Fairbanks) the comedy/horror/musical Son of Dracula (1974) starring Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr, and a slew of other musical talents.

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Image and Wade Williams present a really nice looking wide screen print here. The picture is crisp and clear, and suffers little deterioration. Also, this is the European edition; hence the beginning credits stating The Trollenberg Terror as the title. A trailer is available on the disc, but it certainly suffered the ravages of time, looking very worn and damaged. There is also liner notes written by journalist, columnist, film historian, radio and television commentator David Del Valle, who is considered to be one of the leading authorities on the horror/science-fiction/cult and fantasy film genres. If you can find a better giant, killer eyeballs from space movie I’d like to see it.

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I saw this film as a child and it really scared me. It doesn’t scare me any more, but I still love it. It has a great script, excellent directing, and really cool monsters. The horror begins gradually with mountain climbers disappearing and later being found with their heads ripped off. Enter Forrest Tucker (star of many fims and the TV series F troop)as a U.N official dragged into the investigation of the “accidents.” Also starring in the film is the lovely Janet Munro as a psychic who can communicate with the aliens. The tension builds up as the cloud, where the monsters hide, gradually moves towards the local village. The first appearance of the giant, crawling monsters with one eye is superb. Although the limited special effects show in the climactic scene as the besieged humans fight back with Molotov cocktails, it is still first rate. Trivia note: following this film Janet Munro would do a series of Walt Disney flicks including Darbey O’Gill and the Little People (where she sings a duet with Sean Connery!), and Swiss Family Robinson. She would also star in the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Caught Fire.
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Stream The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Online. Movie Title: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Average customer review: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Here’s a film whose reputation seems to have declined over the years. Highly regarded and hugely successful when it first came out, it now seems a bit static with a plot that is a tad too predictable. The main attraction of the film was always the mesmerising and award-winning performance of Maggie Smith. But today some people might find her acting overly mannered or too theatrical. However, I am not one of them. I have always thought that Maggie Smith was one of the finest actresses ever. And a genuine eccentric.

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The film consists of lots and lots of dialogue delivered in quaint Scottish accents. (The accents are not as much a problem for American audiences as they are in other films such as Gregory’s Girl.) There is an occasional glimpse of old Edinburgh but, for the most part, the settings are confined to interiors. The film is directed and photographed professionally and unobtrusively. The 1930’s period is nicely byt subtly evoked. The one discordant element is the rather twee musical score by Rod McKuen. The emphasis, as in a play, is on the characters.

The supporting cast are just that but most of them manage to have their moments. Robert Stephens (married to Maggie Smith at the time) is quite good as a slightly bohemian art teacher. Gordon Jackson steps somewhat out of his usual typecasting to portray a wimp of a music teacher. Celia Johnson is positively evil as the jealous and strait-laced headmistress. Best of all is Pamela Franklin as Miss Brodie’s pet pupil - a nicely shaded and slightly underplayed performance that both contrasts and complements Maggie Smith’s flamboyant turn.

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And it is Maggie Smith that you will be mostly watching. Demonstrating all the emotions from dreamy idealist to dedicated teacher to fliratious lover to frustrated spinster to defiant victim. Every line of dialogue is delivered perfectly - every move of her body is exactly appropriate to her character. She dominates the film without overpowering it. In many ways, it is basically a stage performance but she manages to make it work in the context of a film. In the end, you may not entirely love her character, but you will certainly understand her. And that is what great acting is all about.

I have seen The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie many times and have often found myself wishing that Maggie Smith’s brilliant performance had been in a better film. But it’s hardly a bad one. Old-fashioned and somewhat stagebound perhaps. But you forget all that whenever Maggie Smith is on the screen.

First you must understand that I am not an easy critic, I notice all the little things in a movie that others might overlook or just choose to ignore.
That said, this is a brilliant (but not perfect)movie.
The acting of Maggie Smith is superb beyond words. She starts out as a heroine, just the type of teacher we would all like to have. As the movie progresses, the character of Miss Brodie moves closer and closer to a breakdown. What’s brilliant is that this peril is obvious to the viewer, but not to Miss Brodie herself, a most difficult task for a screen-writer, a director, and an actress to accomplish.
The depiction of Edinburgh in the 30’s is so realistic that you really feel as though you’ve been put into some sort of time machine- this is one of my favorite aspects of the film, and also the beautifully haunting soundtrack. I truly admire when a film is able to transport you to another place and time and make you truly feel it.
The movie is quite different from the book to be sure (aren’t they all?) but the location filming, and the truly brilliant acting overcome any drawbacks.
The film is also notable for the performance of Pamela Franklin.
If you’ve only seen her in Disney movies, be prepared for a very different Pamela Franklin this time around.
I have watched this film over 10 times now and still do not fully understand it. Is Miss Brodie the Miss-understood heroine? Or is she truly a dangerous person intent on using others so that she can live vicariously through them? Is the film a warning to all of us that evil lurks where least expected? Or is it a trip inside our souls, in those deep somber moments where we have all been betrayed by our dearest and most trusted friends?
Watch the film and decide for yourself. Either way, you will have a beautiful journey thru the very mind and soul of a most complex character, in a nostalgic era, brilliantly portrayed by Maggie Smith.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FILM !
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Watch Annie Get Your Gun Movie Online. Movie Title: Annie Get Your Gun Average customer review: Annie Get Your Gun is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Annie Get Your Gun

Annie wannabe’s, here is the standard to which you strive for. Unfortunately for all of us, she’s been locked away in the MGM vaults for the last 50 years. But, if I know Annie, she’s coming back, better than ever ! Musical lovers under 50, are you in for a treat. Forget all that you’ve heard about Judy Garland, and her sad exit from Metro while working on this picture. About Louis B. Mayer begging Hal Wallis at Paramount to loan MGM his hugely popular star, Betty Hutton. About the cold shoulder Betty recieved from cast and crew on the “Annie” set. None of it affects the stunningly exciting final product. THIS IS A GREAT MUSICAL ! The score is as good (or better) than any you’ve ever heard. Songs you’ll remember, and be singing, for the rest of your life. Hopefully we’ll be seeing a totally restored version, which means the glorious Technicolor will dazzle you. The young Howard Keel makes his MGM debut here, and will knock you out. Louis Calhern is perfect as Wm. F.(Buffalo Bill) Cody, certainly larger-than-life ! But , this is Betty Hutton’s movie, from start to finish. I’ve always considered it her crowning achievement. It’s big, brash, beautiful, funny, and above all, it’s FUN !

Finally available on video and DVD, Annie Get Your Gun is a wonderful movie musical like they don’t make any more. The color, the production, the performances, and the music are terrific. Betty Hutton is perfect as Annie. Giving a performance closer in style to Ethel Merman’s, perhaps, but Hutton truly makes the role her own. As Frank Butler, Howard Keel is in fine voice and matches Hutton’s strong screen presence. I know it’s not politically correct to like the way the Indians are depicted or the “I’m an Indian Too” number, but I do. The humor isn’t mean spirited, nor are the Indians portrayed as total goons. In fact, J. Carrol Naish makes a pretty wise Chief Sitting Bull, helping Annie win the heart of Butler. Louis Calhern and Edward Arnold are perfect as the competing showmen Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill respectively. Keenan Wynn rounds out the supporting cast as Buffalo Bill’s assistant, Charlie Davenport. Besides the great score and cast, the movie contains some beautiful color cinematography. There is a great shot from the air as Annie and Frank compete in skeet shooting that is truly amazing. A great example of what Hollywood was capable of producing during the old studio system, Annie Get Your Gun is sure to please most viewers. And if you’re a Betty Hutton fan, you’re in for a treat. She’s terrific. Both video and DVD versions contain footage not included in the final cut; two musical numbers with Judy Garland (originally cast as Annie) and Frank Morgan as Buffalo Bill (he died before filming was complete and had to be replaced by Calhern). A must for fans of movie musicals.
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Stream The Swimmer Movie Online. Movie Title: The Swimmer Average customer review: The Swimmer is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Swimmer

It really is amazing how unknown this movie still is. If you are unfamiliar with it, you are in for a real experience. It is based on a classic short story by John Cheever, and it works like an extended, lost episode of the old “Twilight Zone” television series. A middle-aged suburban man (Burt Lancaster) decides to swim across his wealthy Connecticut county, through all the swimming pools of his neighbors back to his own home. As he makes his journey you gradually become aware that he is not all that he seems. Dark secrets keep getting revealed and it soon becomes apparent that we are witnessing a telescoping of the man’s entire adult life into a few afternoon hours of an early autumn day. The film becomes a powerful allegory about disillusionment and tragedy, without being the least heavy-handed about it. Like Cheever’s other great short story “The Enormous Radio”, “The Swimmer” can be interpreted as a religious parable about the self-deception of fallen humanity. The comeuppance Lancaster receives is almost too intense to watch. This is a genuinely shattering movie that will stay with you.

Odd, unsettling film, based on a short story by John Cheever (from his Pulitzer Prize winning collection), about a middle aged man who swims from one end of suburban Westport, Connecticut to the other. Wearing only a snug pair of swim trunks, Ned Merrill (Burt Lancaster) swims in each of his neighbors’ pools until he reaches his home which, as he tells almost everyone he encounters, has a tennis court rather than a pool. Along the way, the sky turns from blue to black (both literally and metaphorically), and he realizes his life isn’t quite what he thought it was.

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Despite the presence of Lancaster, who was still in terrific shape at the time (he was 55 in 1968), Frank Perry’s film was far from successful. And it isn’t hard to see why–this isn’t a happy tale and there’s barely even a glimmer of hope or redemption at the end. Nonetheless, it’s powerful and original stuff and, although you might imagine otherwise, doesn’t really have much in common with the suburban melodramas of the 1950s, like “The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit,” or the suburban black comedies of the 1990s, like “American Beauty.”

Granted, “The Graduate,” which was released only a year before, was just as cynical towards the Left Coast’s version of swimming pool and cocktail culture, but that cynicism was leavened by humor and the point of view was, even more significantly, that of the young characters in the film rather than their parents. That isn’t the case with “The Swimmer,” which is more like a condensed version of “The Great Gatsby” or “Death of a Salesman.” In other words, it’s a fully realized character study and minor classic about the failure of the American Dream. Not to all tastes, but easily as relevant today as it was in 1968.
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