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Watch I Love You, Man Movie Online

土曜日, 11 月 7th, 2009

Watch I Love You, Man Movie Online

Watch I Love You, Man Movie Online

Download & Watch I Love You, Man at Amazon.com.

Click Here Now to Download & Watch I Love You, Man Online Now!

At the core of what looks on the surface to be a standard summer buddy movie is an intriguing premise: What does become of the overly sensitized male when confronted with the reality that all his closest friends are female and that he is at a complete loss to find any groomsmen, in particular, a best man, for his wedding? It’s not an earth-shattering dilemma to address, yet the situation gives rise to a lot of amusing questions about what constitutes masculine behavior in our supposedly evolved society. Fortunately, director/co-writer John Hamburg (Along Came Polly) has fashioned a 2009 comedy (with co-writer Larry Levin) full of shrewd observations and hilarious gags that transcend formula and elevate the story into something fresh and genuinely likeable.

When sweet-natured L.A. real estate broker Peter Klaven decides to marry Zooey, his girlfriend of eight months, it dawns on both of them that he has no close male friends. Whispers about his manhood and her fear of him being too clingy as a husband lead Peter to set up a series of disastrous man-dates, one being the predictable mistaken gay date. However, it’s at an open house at Lou Ferrigno’s manse that he meets his personality opposite – Sydney Fife, a slovenly, blunt albeit socially observant slacker. As it turns out, their differences complement one another in a way that makes them best buddies almost from the get-go – that and a common obsession for the 1970’s power band Rush. Naturally, Zooey starts to resent Sydney’s burgeoning role in Peter’s life – and things get complicated before the inevitable conclusion.

Two of Judd Apatow’s familiar rep company star. Finally at the center of a major movie, Paul Rudd is ideally cast as Peter since the role takes advantage of how he combines his boyish charm and unpredictable nebbishness into a memorable character. In fact, he manages to give Peter’s awkward attempts to overcome his social anxiety a certain emotional resonance. We feel every painful step he takes in replicating Sydney’s free spirit, and it becomes easy to root for his success. Much better cast here than as the self-conscious lead in last year’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jason Segel offers his doughy likeability to a role that suits his casual, lumbering personality, even when he exposes an intimate secret between Peter and Zooey in a wedding party dinner toast.

If the interplay between Rudd and Segel feels familiar from Apatow comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, it is a coincidence that Hamburg takes full advantage of to keep the movie comically involving. Rashida Jones brings a raspy appeal to Zooey, although she is kept mostly at the sidelines. Also underused are Jaime Pressly as Zooey’s tart-tongued friend Denise and as Peter’s parents, J.K. Simmons (playing the same wiseass father he played in Juno) and especially Jane Curtin. Jon Favreau has a thankless role as Denise’s alpha-male jerk of a husband, while Andy Samberg makes a most unconvincing gay as Peter’s sleep-around, personal trainer brother. There are plenty of laughs throughout its slightly long 105-minute running time, but what may surprise you is the number of insightful moments that this affectionate, satirical comedy provides.

The United States, in general, is quite a homophobic country. Men are expected to have platonic feelings of love only for immediate family members, such as parents, grandparents, siblings and their own offspring. Sharing one’s nonsexual feelings of love outside this tiny world is basically considered taboo. In other cultures this is certainly not the case, something I had the good fortune to experience first hand!

I Love You, Man does a superb job of comparing and contrasting heterosexual women’s emotionally rich, same-sex friendships with heterosexual men’s typically barren, same-sex friendships. It exposes the hypocrisy that it’s okay for women to hug and be emotionally close and talk in graphic details about their sex lives amongst themselves, but NOT for a man to do the same exact thing!

What a refreshing and insightful film! This brilliant story also compares male homosexual and heterosexual same-sex relationships and on the surface, at least, they are indistinguishable! This might be news to some people – but all well-adjusted human beings have a yearning for emotionally rewarding relationships!

And, one person can not fulfill ALL your emotional needs! It’s really that simple!

Thank you Hollywood for taking such a risk in making such a profound film with a great sense of humor! It shows you believe a certain segment of the American public is mature enough to want to explore the meaning of platonic love between men!

Platonic Studies

There is an audio commentary by director John Hamburg and actors Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. The three guys joke and banter with each other like old friends while heaping a lot of praise on their cast-mates as this track veers into a shameless love fest at times. They also point out acquaintances and crew members who have small roles in the film. They do tell some amusing filming anecdotes which somewhat salvages this commentary.

“The Making of I Love You, Man” is pretty standard press kit material as key cast and crew members talk about the characters and the film’s plot. There are plenty of clips from the film along with behind-the-scenes footage.

“Extras” features 22 minutes of outtakes as we see the actors improvise various takes for a given scene that is pretty funny, especially whenever Paul Rudd is involved as he comes up with some amusing variations on dialogue.

Also included are six extended scenes that feature the cast riffing beyond what we saw in the film.

There are three deleted scenes which feature Peter going on a man date where he plays a game of rugby and gets injured. There is a scene where Peter and his brother talk about man crushes and friend sluts over bowling. And we see The State’s David Wain as a wedding photographer getting Peter and his friends to do some silly poses.

Finally, there is a pretty funny gag real as cast and crew goof around on the set between and during takes. They also take pleasure in making each other crack up.

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Shrink Watch Online

土曜日, 11 月 7th, 2009

Shrink Watch Online

Shrink Watch Online

Download & Watch Shrink at Amazon.com.

Click Here Now to Download & Watch Shrink Online Now!

Kevin Spacey shines in his portrayal of a Los Angeles psychiatrist, Dr. Henry Carter, who’s been hitting the booze and drugs pretty hard in the wake of a personal tragedy. After an intervention by his family and friends falls flat, the doctor’s father (also a psychiatrist, and played by the great Robert Loggia), sets his son up with a new patient, a teenage girl named Jemma (Keke Palmer) who has faced a tragedy similar to Carter’s, in the hope that the case will help his son re-engage in life and better confront his own grief. Despite seeing right through the plan, Dr. Carter grudgingly takes on the case and it indeed starts him back on a more positive, functional path, though things don’t happen easily.

An ensemble cast, mostly playing Dr. Carter’s other patients, also slowly get drawn into the main story, either directly or through the comments they make about their own problems during their sessions with Carter. An unbilled Robin Williams is a particular standout in his small but memorable role as a movie star confronting his own personal issues (everyone has them in this movie). Indeed, many of Dr. Carter’s patients are in the movie business in some way, bringing about an interesting juxtaposition of intense personal issues on the part of some patients (and Carter) and quirky Hollywood shallowness from others.

“Shrink” is mostly serious, but it’s lightened a little by Dr. Carter’s wry, dry sense of humor (perfectly brought to life by Mr. Spacey), which the character can’t help displaying even when he’s hurting and wants to be left alone. Keke Palmer’s Jemma is also a ray of sunshine in the film, despite the seriousness of her own issues. And, as previously noted, the occasional Hollywood humor, centering around the often insane world of movie deals and star egos, also keeps things from getting too heavy.

I was lucky enough to see “Shrink” on the big screen during its brief and limited theatrical run (thank you, “Ritz Five” theater in Philadelphia!), and heartily recommend it for home viewing when it comes out on DVD.

Shrink suffers from a plot that isn’t actually all that believable and the acting is mediocre or great depending on the individual actor. I found myself becoming increasingly bored with the movie and I was actually tempted to stop watching it–and that’s rare for me when it comes to movies! The cinematography and the choreography, to be fair, as well done; and Kevin Spacey gives a great performance as a rather disturbed and drug addicted psychologist to the stars in Hollywood Dr. Henry Carter along with Keke Palmer as Jemma, a troubled teen with a similar problem to Carter’s. Jack Huston also does a great job as Shamus, a big new name in Hollywood who’s got a real problem with alcohol and drugs.

The movie is like an airplane that taxis down the runway as if it wee going to take off–you hear the jets turn up their power but then all of a sudden things slow down rapidly and the plane comes to a screeching halt. You can almost forget about the plot–it’s not well done and it’s very contrived although it has a few good moments. Worse yet, there are stereotypes in this movie that don’t exactly help–an Irish alcoholic, a Hollywood agent with extreme anxiety, anger and a very bad case of obsessive compulsive disorder and more. Ouch!

However, if you do like this movie, you’ll be hanging on to see what happens to Jemma, Dr. Carter, Shamus and the other characters including aspiring writer Jeremy (Mark Webber), Patrick (Dallas Roberts) the Hollywood agent and his assistant Daisy (Pell James). There’s also “Jesus (Jesse Plemons),” the drug dealer from whom Henry Carter buys his marijuana. Robin Williams is also one of the better actors in this film; he plays one of Carter’s patients extremely well and he is somewhat underutilized, unfortunately. There is a very brief appearance by Gore Vidal.

The DVD comes with extras. There are deleted scenes; interviews with producer Braxton Pope and director Jonas Pate; a Jackson Browne “Here” music video and the theatrical trailer in case you’re interested to see that, too.

Overall, Shrink is little more than an average movie that you might want to skip. If you do decide to see it, however, walk, don’t run; it won’t be a lasting positive experience for you.

Opens with a reasonably appealing concept and impressive characterizations, but quickly degenerates into a mindless, boring and empty shell marked by agonizing boredom and meaninglessness. You could say that I didn’t care very much for this unwatchable film.

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Watch Hamlet (1996) Movie Online

金曜日, 11 月 6th, 2009

Watch Hamlet (1996) Movie Online

Watch Hamlet (1996) Movie Online

Download & Watch Hamlet (1996) at Amazon.com.

Click Here Now to Download & Watch Hamlet (1996) Online Now!

Part of the genius of Branagh’s interpretation of Hamlet is in the use of the techniques of the cinema to enhance the production. Branagh has not condensed the acts like some mass market soup, as was done in Olivier’s 1948 Oscar-winning production, or in, say, Zeffirelli’s 1989 Hamlet lite starring Mel Gibson (both excellent, though, within their scope), but has kept every word while directing our understanding so that even those only casually familiar with the play might follow the intent and purpose with discernment. Recall that for Shakespeare–the ultimate actor’s playwright who wrote with precious few stage directions–interpretation was left to the direction and the actors, an open invitation that Branagh rightly accepts.

The use of flashback scenes of things implied, such as the amorous union of Ophelia and her Lord Hamlet abed, or of a vast expanse of snow darkened with distant soldiers to represent the threat of Fortinbras’ army from without, and especially the vivid remembrance in the mind’s eye of the new king’s dastardly deed of murder most foul, helps us all to more keenly appreciate just what it is that torments Hamlet’s soul. I also liked the intense closeups. How they would have bemused and delighted an Elizabethan audience.

Branagh’s ambitious Hamlet is also one of the most accessible and entertaining, yet without the faintest hint of any dumbing down or abbreviation. A play is to divert, to entertain, to allow us to identify with others whose trials and tribulations are so like our own. And so first the playwright seeks to engage his audience, and only then, by happenstance and indirection, to inspire and to inform. Shakespeare did this unconsciously, we might say. He wrote for the popular audience of his time, a broad audience, it should be noted, that included kings and queens as well as knaves and beggars, and he reached them, one and all. We are much removed from those times, and yet, this play, this singular achievement in theatre, still has the power to transcend mere entertainment, to fuse poetry and story, as well as the high and the low, and speak once again to a new audience twenty generations removed.

Branagh himself is a wonderful Hamlet, perhaps a bit of a ham at times (as I think was Shakespeare’s intent), a prince who is the friend of itinerant players. He also lacks somewhat in statute (as we conceive our great heroes); nonetheless his interpretation of the great prince’s torment and his singular obsession to avenge his father’s murder speaks strongly to us all. Branagh, more than any other Hamlet, makes us understand the distracted, anguished and tortured prince, and guides us to not only an appreciation of his actions, wild and crazy as they sometimes are, but to an identification and an understanding of why (the eternal query) Hamlet is so long in assuming the name of action. In Branagh’s production, this old quibble with Hamlet’s character dissolves itself into a dew, and we realize that he was acting strongly, purposely all the while. He had to know the truth without doubt so that he might act in concert with it.

I was also very much impressed with Derek Jacobi’s Claudius. One recalls that Jacobi played Hamlet in the only other full cinematic production of the play that I know of, produced in 1980 by the BBC with Claire Bloom as Gertrude; and he was an excellent Hamlet, although perhaps like Branagh something less than a massive presence. His Claudius combines second son ambition with a Machiavellian heart, whose words go up but whose thoughts remind below, as is the way of villains everywhere.

Kate Winslet is a remarkable Ophelia, lending an unusual strength to the role (strength of character is part of what Kate Winslet brings to any role), but with the poor, sweet girl’s vulnerability intact. She does the mad scene with Claudius as well as I have seen it done, and of course her personal charisma and beauty embellishes the production.

Richard Briers as Polonius, proves that that officious fool is indeed that, and yet something more so that we can see why he was a counselor to the king. The famous speech he gives to Laertes as his son departs for France, is really ancient wisdom even though it comes from a fool.

Julie Christie was a delight as the besmirched and wretched queen. In the bedroom scene with Hamlet she becomes transparent to not only her son, but to us all, and we feel that the camera is reaching into her soul. She is outstanding.

The bit players had their time upon the stage and did middling well to very good. I liked Charlton Heston’s player king (although I think he and John Gielgud might have switched roles to good effect) and Billy Crystal’s gravedigger was finely etched. Only Jack Lemon’s Marcellus really disappointed, but I think that was mainly because he was so poorly cast in such a role. Not once was he able to flash the Jack Lemon grin that we have come to know so well.

The idea of doing a Shakespearean play with nineteenth century dress in the late twentieth century worked wonderfully well, but I know not why. Perhaps the place and dress are just enough removed from our lives that they are somewhat strange but recognizable in a pleasing way. And perhaps it is just another tribute to the timeless nature of Shakespeare’s play. The mirrors in the great hall added to the effect of a vast and indifferent castle environment, and in the scene with Ophelia and Laertes returned tended to magnify the focus.

There is so much more to say about this wonderful cinematic production. It is, all things considered, one of the best Hamlets ever done. Perhaps it is the best. See it, by all means, see it for yourself.

There is a moment at the start of this film when Hamlet, until then holding himself rigidly erect through sheer force of will, seizes a moment of privacy and literally deflates with exhaustion and despair. In itself, this perfect gesture would mark Branagh’s portrayal a masterful work. But what follows raises his performance to the sublime: He embarks on the “O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, /Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew…” soliloquy not with Burton’s anger, Olivier’s melancholy or Gibson’s bitterness, but with an exhalation that embodies the emotion most genuine given the circumstances: overwhelming grief. This is a perfect note, and what follows shows an understanding of the play’s mental and emotional landscape that puts other portrayals to shame.

I have seen many performances of Hamlet, but I have never seen one as perfectly pitched as this. Branagh’s Hamlet is strong, resourceful, thoughtful and restrained. Branagh purposely rejects the psychological poses that other actors find so hard to resist. After all, Hamlet and Richard III are the two Shakespearean plays that afford actors the most range. It’s hard playing the Dane on a leash when one can go wild with existential abandon and not only dodge the charge of overacting, but actually attribute such excess to the character. There are few meatier roles in the repertoire that simultaneously offer the actor such depth on the one hand and such leeway on the other.

For me, such moderation exemplifies Branagh’s devotion to Shakespeare. It must have been tempting for a man of his talents to show off. But to forego such gestures, to offer in its stead restraint, is to put service before self.

For, of course, Hamlet is restrained. His very life depends on it. His whole course of action is based on it. His safety revolves around it. Hold off the will to strike, restrain the impulse for vengeance, apportion each action in only the most miserly measure. The walls have ears, conspiracies abound and death lurks around every corner. In such an environment, is it plausible that a man of Hamlet’s intelligence would show his hand by indulging in excess? A restrained performance feels right because a restrained course of action is the only course possible for our hero.

This does not stop Hamlet from making bold gestures. But such gestures must always be made under cover, and here again, Branagh shows his creative mettle. The Player King scene provides a counterpoint. Branagh lets go here and shows his excitement when the occasion demands it. Likewise, his graveyard response to Ophelia’s death: the cover of madness conflates with reality because Hamlet’s act cannot be sustained forever. Branagh knows exactly when to allow the cracks to show.

Those used to earlier works may find Branagh’s version overly long and laboured. Many directors have cut out scenes and soliloquies in a misguided attempt to “tighten up” the production. Branagh makes what I believe is the right decision: to leave them all in because every scene, every soliloquy adds texture and is indispensable to the whole.

The best Hamlet I have seen.

Phenominal acting by Kenneth Branagh makes this film both entertaining and a fine addition to anyone’s library, be they a Shakespeare afficionado or simply looking to enjoy a good film. This is a refreshing switch from the stereotypically stale rap such a wonderful playwright is encumbered with. While it does take some time to watch, this is not necessarily a bad thing. As a result, there are always new things to discover with susequent viewings. Admittedly, the language itself is a barrier at first. For me, it is much more difficult to comprehend without the text before me. But, once realization dawns, I would say it is well worth the wait. Currently, my favorite part is when Hamlet tells his uncle to go to hell on the first tape. The delivery is subtle enough to elude most on the first pass, myself included. While this is not a line unique to this film, as the text exists in others, it is a high point for me. Kenneth Branagh makes the film, though. Accolades are also due equally noteworthy actor Charleton Heston for a brief but inspiring appearance. I am eagerly awaiting this title to emerge on DVD, as I hope many others are too. Perhaps a public outcry would prompt the distributor to arrange its (hopefully forthcoming) release.

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Download The Bounty Movie

金曜日, 11 月 6th, 2009

Download The Bounty Movie

Download The Bounty Movie

Download & Watch The Bounty at Amazon.com.

Click Here Now to Download & Watch The Bounty Online Now!

Deftly directed by Roger Donaldson and beautifully acted, this is a well nuanced film. Based upon a true story and adapted from the book, “Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian”, by Richard Hough, the film relates the series of events that brought about the eventual mutiny of the English vessel, The Bounty, by its crew. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian, the Master’s Mate, and friend of Lt. William Bligh, Captain of the ship. The film opens with the trial of Captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) before the Admiralty Board, where he is questioned by Captain Greetham (Edward Fox) and Admiral Hood (Laurence Olivier). Captain Bligh then relates his account of why it was that he lost a ship under his command.

The star-crossed voyage of “The Bounty” started innocuously enough. Captain William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) convinced his friend, Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson), to set sail with him as Master’s Mate to Ship Master John Fryer (Daniel Day Lewis). “The Bounty” was commissioned to set sail for Tahiti in order to obtain breadfruit plants for transport to Jamaica. In order to save time, the Captain would navigate a little used route around the horn of Africa to save time. It was to be a voyage to remember.

During the voyage, the viewer sees the tension build amongst the crew, as well as amongst the officers. The innate savagery and baseness of some of the seamen is personified by Charles Churchill (Liam Neeson), a seaman who needs little provocation. The disdain of the officers for the crew is best exemplified by John Fryer, the ship’s Master, who seems to relish the cruelty of the punishments meted out to those crewmen found guilty of infractions. Tension then spills over between the crew and officers, as the rigors of the voyage eats away at morale. By the time the ship reaches Tahiti, the die is cast. Months on the lovely island creates a false reality and an indolence that sets the stage for what is to come. Fletcher’s erotic romance with a Tahitian princess further erodes discipline and strains the friendship between Bligh and Christian. By the time they finally shove off and set sail back to England with the breadfruit plants that they had sought, the end is near.

Mel Gibson does a superb job with the role of Fletcher Christian. The viewer first sees him as an ambitious, yet kindly young man, who, having weathered the rigors and cruelties of the voyage, finds romance and peace on the idyllic island of Tahiti. Setting sail to return home and once again encountering the rigors and reality of a sea voyage, Christian seems to be a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown. With morale low among the crew, he makes a life defining decision. The rest is history.

Anthony Hopkins is simply brilliant in the role of William Bligh. Playing him as a hard working, by the book captain, he creates a three dimensional character that is sympathetic. Betrayed by friendship and beset by the fates, Bligh manages to pull together and save those men who were cast adrift in a dinghy with him. Masterful and mindful of his professional obligations, he makes an astounding voyage, believable because of the qualities of character infused in him by Hopkins’ portrayal. The viewer senses, however, that he will forever be at a loss to comprehend Christian’s actions.

This is a visually beautiful film, with stunningly lush island scenes. There is an original musical score by Vangelis that is wonderfully atmospheric. The performances by the cast are superlative. What more could a film lover ask for? Bravo!

I’ve seen both the Brando and the Gibson versions, and I feel the latter is far, far superior–as a story that holds together, that has a focal point, and that is entirely believable.

The suspense is high on two levels–1. when will Christian and the seamen become so enraged that they will flout Hopkins’ order and mutiny, and 2. what will be the final judgement on Hopkins in the trial being conducted on whether or not he was responsible for the mutiny. As the story develops, the suspense keeps intensifying and escalating.

I think Hopkins and Gibson played their parts much better than did Howard and Brando. Hopkins expressed many levels of the Bligh character, showing the inner conflict that gripped him–i.e., trying to be fair and human to the seamen and yet needing to exercise stern discipline to enable the ship to accomplish its purpose. His acting was absolutely marvelous, showing how he was being torn apart while at the same time trying to maintain his sanity. However, in the Howard version, all we see is a viciously sadistic personality–one note–without much depth or dimension. Gibson’s performance was also excellent as his tension and anger gradually build to a breaking point, but even here he refrained from exerting the violence that he could have. You can’t help but sympathize with him.

There are many touching moments in the story that make this a most memorable film. I was never bored or uninterested for even a moment–the suspense and drama just kept building and developing as I eagerly wondered how the story would finally end.

Well worth buying and seeing more than once.

This movie ranks as one of the most well-done historical movies – ever. Mel Gibson is terrific as Fletcher Christian, and Anthony Hopkins (as Captain Bligh) conducts himself precisely as I would imagine a 19th century British Navy captain going about his business. The movie also stars a young Daniel Day Lewis and Liam Neeson – before either was a really big-name star. None other than Sir Laurence Olivier portrays the admiral who sits in judgment of captain Bligh.

I saw a documentary on the HMS BOUNTY that was shown on the History channel. This movie is pretty darned accurate in its depiction of what actually happened. There was not a whole lot that was Hollywoodized in it, which is rare for an historical movie these days.

The trek of some 2,000 miles over the ocean in an open boat that Bligh & his men had to undertake remains to this day one of the most brilliant feats in maritime history. Without charts or navigation instruments, Bligh got the boat to safe harbor using nothing more than the stars for direction. Some may believe that this part of the film was fabricated – it was not. The journey really WAS that perilous.

I do have one note for parents: the PG Rating is a bit mis-leading. There are gorgeous Tahiti women who frolick around topless once they reach the island. Needless to say, I don’t object to this, but parents may want to take caution. I realize the makers of the film believed it to be nudity in a NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC sort of way, but these women are gorgeous!

If you’re a fan of navy history and want to find out what really happened aboard the HMS BOUNTY, this movie belongs in your DVD collection. It ranks among my favorite navy movies of all time.

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Download The Godfather Part II (The Coppola Restoration)

木曜日, 11 月 5th, 2009

Download The Godfather Part II (The Coppola Restoration)

Download The Godfather Part II (The Coppola Restoration)

Download & Watch The Godfather Part II (The Coppola Restoration) at Amazon.com.

Click Here Now to Download & Watch The Godfather Part II (The Coppola Restoration) Online Now!

The new transfers for The Godfather Parts I and II are stunning. It really is like seeing them for the first time. All of the murky, faded colors have been restored to their original glory while still retaining the warmth of the film stock. Gordon Willis’ then-controversial cinematography can finally be seen they way it was intended on these new discs. If you have the original box set, it is worth it to double dip if only for the restoration job on these two films.

Carried over from the original set are all of Francis Ford Coppola’s commentary tracks for the three films. On The Godfather one, he appropriately enough, starts off by talking about the film’s famous opening scene and how it was supposed to start with the wedding but a friend suggested he do something else. Coppola talks about how he organized the elaborate wedding sequence and shot it only 2-3 days! He talks about the pressure he was under by the studio and in read danger of being fired because they didn’t like what he was doing. This is pretty solid track that we’ve come to expect from the veteran filmmaker.

Coppola’s contributes another excellent commentary for The Godfather Part II. Initially, he had no interest in doing a sequel and dealing with studio bureaucracy. He suggested Martin Scorsese for the job. The studio balked at this idea and accepted all of Coppola’s terms. The veteran filmmaker talks at length about the development of the Corleone family from Part I. Coppola is engaging and very articulate, delivering a top notch track that is well worth a listen for any fan of this movie.

Finally, there is Coppola’s commentary for The Godfather Part III. One of the heated debates the filmmaker had with the studio was over Pacino’s hair. He wanted Michael to look older and like a man in crisis, while the studio didn’t want to mess with Pacino’s distinctive looks. Coppola defends his casting of Sofia and feels that she delivered a “real” performance because she wasn’t an actor. He also addresses the scathing criticism she received as in fact an attack on him. This is a solid track with good observations and analysis by Coppola — better than the film itself.

The rest of the supplemental material is spread out of two discs. Thankfully for those who did not buy the first box set all of the extras from it have been carried over with a whole other disc of brand new material.

The fourth disc features all the brand new material and starts off with “Godfather World,” which takes a look at how The Godfather films influenced popular culture, including parodies on The Simpsons and South Park, and how it informed the characters on The Sopranos. All kinds of celebrities, from William Friedkin and Alec Baldwin to author Sarah Vowell who sing its praises with clips of shows and films that reference it.

“The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t” tells the story of how Hollywood had changed at the end of the 1960s with the demise of the studio moguls and the rise of the film brats, the first generation of film students who became filmmakers. One of them, Coppola, ended up being picked to direct The Godfather. This is an excellent look at how the director almost didn’t get the gig and why.

“…When the Shooting Stopped” examines the post-production phase of the first film. Coppola battled with the studio over the length of it. Executives initially did not like Nino Rota’s score for the film and samples of some of his original and revised cues are played.

“Emulsional Rescue: Revealing The Godfather” takes a look at the newly restored transfers for Part I and II and how they preserve Gordon Willis’ gorgeous cinematography. This featurette takes us through the restoration process, showing before and after examples.

“The Godfather on the Red Carpet” is a forgettable featurette shot during the premiere of Cloverfield with various minor celebrities gush about the films.

“Four Short Films on The Godfather” features celebs citing which one they prefer, Part I or II. Another one has Richard Belzer, and the man who adapted the films for the stage, quote their favourite lines, which turns out to be quite funny. The third one sees Coppola talk about his love of cannoli and how made it into the film. Finally, Coppola answers the question about what happened to Clemenza in Part II and why he died.

The fifth disc starts off with “A Look Inside,” a feature-length documentary about The Godfather trilogy done when Part III was being made. As a result, a lot of the major players were interviewed. We see Coppola at work on this film with on-set footage of the director working with Pacino. We also see Coppola working on the script with author Mario Puzo. The doc then goes back to the first film with Coppola’s battle with the studio over casting Brando, Pacino, et al. with fascinating vintage screen tests and rehearsal footage. This is an excellent extra that goes into great detail.

“On Location” revisits key locations in the lower east side of New York where they shot parts of all three films and how they transformed them into various historical periods.

“Francis Coppola’s Notebook” examines how he adapted Puzo’s book into the first film. Coppola shows us his notebook that he used as his master document that he would constantly refer to. This featurette provides fascinating insight into the man’s creative process.

“Music of The Godfather” features an audio excerpt of a conversation Coppola had with composer Nino Rota about the music for the film. Also included is footage of composer Carmine Coppola (Francis’ father) working on Part III. Francis talks about working with his father.

“Coppola and Puzo on Screenwriting” features the author talking about the origins of his novel while Coppola discusses adapting it with Puzo into the films.

“Gordon Willis on Cinematography” features the man talking his approach to the look of the film and the choices he made and why.

“Storyboards – Godfather Part II and Part III” allows you to see sketches for the look of both films and see how Coppola planned to shoot them.

“The Godfather: Behind the Scenes 1971″ is a vintage promotional featurette done at the time of the production of the first film. This is a fantastic snapshot of the times.

“The Filmmakers” are text biographies of key crew members.

Also included are 30 additional scenes from the four eras, spanning the entire trilogy. Much of this footage was inserted into the first two films when they were shown on television.

“The Family” gives you a handy organization chart for the Corleone family. You can see who everyone is and how they are related.

Finally, there are “Galleries” with trailers for all three films, stills, a collection of portraits of enemies of the Corleone family, and footage of the Academy Awards wins for the first two Godfather films.

This Review is based on The Standard DVD format Restoration, not The Blu-ray Version.

I’m on the fence about this New Restoration Box Set(The Restored GODFATHER III is a cleaner version), but I’m leaning towards an all-out PAN of this New Restoration. Unfortunately, I listened to some of the reviewers here and purchased this Set. (A couple of you owe me a few bucks.) It doesn’t look like any of the reviewers here did a side-by-side comparison test of The New Restoration and The Original Versions of these films on DVD. I did mine on a 50″ Panasonic plasma.

Yes, the New prints have fewer scratches, dirt, and grain than The Original Set, (which is not as bad as some reviewers suggest). But, the COLOR ENHANCEMENT of The New Restoration Set is OVERLY saturated in many parts. Especially, in the Red Scale. Yellows and orange flesh tones are extremely pronounced, overly brilliant, and unnatural looking in this Set. And it still contains scratches, dirt, and grain. Not as much as The Original Set, but it’s still there. A lot of the grain in certain frames has been removed, while other frames remain untouched and appear to be just as grainy as The Original Version. A very uneven transfer in my opinion.

In the opening shot of THE GODFATHER, the Undertaker is so overly saturated with yellow that as the camera pulls back to reveal Don Corleone’s desk, it renders The Undertaker almost out of focus. Trust me, this shot looks far better in The Original Set. Compare the shot in THE GODFATHER of Luca Brasi in his apartment, donning his bulletproof vest, in preparation for his meeting with Sollozzo. The colors in The Original Version look natural, while The Restoration renders Luca’s apartment in a blazing wash of bright sunshine yellow. These frames are entirely over-saturated with color. I assure you, certain frames of this Restoration DO NOT look anything like the Original film stock print. The warm and natural looking sepia tone of The Original film has been blasted away with digital color in many frames, almost making them look unreal.

THE GODFATHER II has been compressed onto one disc, while The Original Version was compressed onto 2 discs.

(By the way, I could care less about The TV Saga Version. It’s not the way these films were shot, and it’s not the way they were intended to be seen.)

Some frames of The New Restoration look very grainy, some look incredible, while other frames make these films appear as if Ted Turner Colorized them. At times, I wasn’t sure if I was watching THE GODFATHER, or SPEED RACER.

Is this version worth a Double Dip? I’m still on the fence about that. But, I think I prefer The Original Box Set over this half-baked attempt at improving this Classic with an over-saturation of color.

I get the feeling that The Blu-ray Version must look really odd. Blu-ray is great technology for newer films. Older films tend to suffer from over-saturation with this technology. The public is so enamoured with Blu-ray, they don’t realize some of the classic older films don’t resemble their original celluloid color exposures anymore. And that’s a shame. It’s going to take some more time before remastering technicians understand the remastering treatment that some of these classic older films deserve. Sometimes less is more.

If you must have The Restoration, turn the brightness and color way down on your TV.

I’m calling this THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA VIDEO GAME GIFTSET.

Act accordingly.

UPDATE:

There is no question that this Standard DVD Remastered Version is overly saturated with color. Here is a pretty SIMPLE ADJUSTMENT SOLUTION that seems to work quite well, reproduces truer color, and makes these Remastered films much more enjoyable. At least it did on my 50″ Panasonic Viera plasma. (I also use this for The Anniversary Remaster of SCARFACE which is also overly saturated with color.) Stay away from the VIVID and CINEMA Picture Settings. Use the STANDARD Picture Setting which will give you the following numbers: Picture 50, Brightness 50, Color 50, Tint 0, and Sharpness 75. Simply tune the COLOR setting down from 50 to 35. I found that changes to the other settings were not necessary. This should take care of the overly saturated playback color issue. I do not know whether this adjustment will work as well with an LCD, Projection, Tube TV, or Blu-Ray Disc.

I don’t really care that much about the new extras, the real need to double-dip for this release is the improvement of the video for the three films. If you own the original release you’ll have noticed just how un-watchable the three movies were, specially because of the incredible amount of specs and marks which I’ve found distracting and downright intolerable; there’s not a +/-5 second period in which a spec does not appear on I & II while the video in III is affected by terrible color and brightness.

While watching the new release of the Bond fims a few months ago I concluded I couldn’t be long before the GODFATHER series received a similar treatment and sooner rather than later, here we are. I really hope the price for this edition is brought down by Amazon from the 62.99 it currently stands but, even if it doesn’t, two of the greatest films of all time are worthy of just swallowing and making such expense. I like III very much too but obviously it isn’t in the same league with the first two, just about no other film ever made is.

10/13 UPDATE TO THIS REVIEW: Having finally seen this DVDs: fantastic picture, much improved sound. There are plenty of images and sounds there to find which simply couldn’t be appreciated in past editions. But you’d think that for $62.99 they’d get the labels on disc 4 & 5 right ! $62.99 !!!! You can find this collection on e-bay for half the amount. Very sorry to say that for the last several months, Amazon has been pricing themselves out of being considered the best option in DVDs.

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Movie Bikini Summer 2 Review

火曜日, 11 月 3rd, 2009

Movie Bikini Summer 2 Review

Movie Bikini Summer 2 Review

Download & Watch Bikini Summer 2 at Amazon.com.

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Let’s face it. We’re not watching this sort of movie for great character development or intriquite plot twists. This sort of movie is all about women in bikinis, or less. This movie is an excellent piece of work, if judged with that in mind. The women are many and Hot, the situations are funny and provocative, and the outfits are skimpy, revealing and imaginative. There are few movies in this genre that can top this one. If you are a fan, Don’t hesitate to buy this flick!

this movie was good until the bob sagetish moral, meaning of life, message to the people or whatever u wanna call it came in the script.

it is like full house with nudity. if youre bored and wanna see some nudity, or girls from the early 90 in bikini. make your day.

Start with the first Bikini Summer movie. It’s the same movie only way better. You won’t have to put up with some boring subplot about helping a couple of homeless people. That could have been a nice Disney movie but doesn’t belong in Bikini Summer. And the first movie has more nudity – even a couple of full-frontal scenes. I think that gives an extra dimension to movies like this.

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Anatomy Of A Murder Movie Download

月曜日, 11 月 2nd, 2009

Anatomy Of A Murder Movie Download

Anatomy Of A Murder Movie Download

Download & Watch Anatomy Of A Murder at Amazon.com.

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Based on the illustrious Traver unique, ANATOMY OF A Assassinate is an extremely complex film that defeats easy definition. In some respects it is a social document of the era in which it was made; primarily, however, it is a detailed portrait of the law at work and the machinizations and motivations of the individuals keen in a seemingly straight-forward case–and in the process it raises obvious ethical issues re attorney behavior and the lengths to which an attorney might go to catch a case.

Paul Biegler (James Stewart) is a small-town lawyer who has recently lost a re-election for the space of District Attorney and who is down on his luck–when a headline-making case titillating assault, alleged rape, and abolish drops into his lap. As the case evolves, there is no interrogate about the identity of the killer. But a shining lawyer might be able to find him off fair the same and redeem his gain career in the process, and with the succor of an conventional friend (Arthur O’Connell) and his formidable secretary (Eve Arden), Biegler sets out to do precisely that. Opposing him in the courtroom is Claude Dancer (George C. Scott), a high powered prosecutor who is equally obvious to acquire a conviction… and who is no more adverse to coaching a notice than Biegler himself. The two square off in a constantly shifting battle for the jury, a battle that often consists of underhanded tactics on both sides.

The performances are impressive, with James Stewart ideally cast as the attorney for the defense, Ben Gazzara as his unsavory client, and a truly lustrous Lee Remick as the sexy and disreputable wife who screams rape where unprejudiced possibly none occurred; O’Connell, Arden, and Scott also offer righteous performances. The script is involving, wintry, and meticulous, the direction and cinematography both effective and completely unobtrusive, and the noted jazz win adds quite a bit to the film as a whole. Although we can’t attend rooting for Stewart, as the film progresses it seems more and more likely that Remick is lying through her teeth and Gazzara is as guilty as sin–but the film balances its elements in such a draw as to effect a disturbing ambiguity that continues good through to the raze. If you question a courtroom thriller with sudden revelations and twists you’ll likely be disappointed in ANATOMY OF A Kill, but if you want a thought-provoking purchase on the law you’d be hard pressed to fetch one better. Recommended.

Otto Preminger, who produced and directed this glorious courtroom drama starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Ben Gazzara, had a knack for translating best-selling mid-cult novels to the hide (The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) ; Exodus (1960) ; Announce and Consent (1962) and others) usually in a nervy manner, sometimes heavy-handed, sometimes pretentious, but always worth a perceive. Section of his secret was star power. Like Hitchcock, he liked to go with mountainous names supported by delicate character actors. And share of his secret was his long experience in both the theater and films going assist to the mute film era. He knew how to save together a movie. But more than anything it was his near-dictatorial control over the production (something directors seldom have today, and never in spacious budget films–Preminger’s were spacious budget for his day) that allowed him to successfully lift the movie-going audience at midcentury.

This and Laura (1944) are two of his films that go beyond the merely commercial and carry out something that can be called art. Seeing this for the first time forty-three years after it was released I was struck by the glowing acting all around and the sturdy, well-constructed direction. James Stewart’s performance as the Michigan north country lawyer Paul Biegler might shine even more luminously than it does except for a positive performance by Gregory Peck three years later as a southern country lawyer in the unforgettable To Demolish a Mockingbird (1962) . Lee Remick, in a frank, but outrageous imitation of Marilyn Monroe, co-stars as Laura Manion, the wife of army Lt. Frederick Manion (Gazzara) whom Bielger is defending on a destroy charge. The defense is temporary insanity because the man he shot raped his wife. Bielger slyly gains sympathy for his client by deliberately allowing it to near out that Laura is sexy and flirtatious enough to drive any man crazy. Indeed, he tricks the prosecution into doing his work for him. George C. Scott plays Claude Dancer, a astronomical city prosecutor, with snake-like precision while Gazzara manages to combine introspection and cockiness as the young lieutenant. Resplendent assist comes from Eve Arden (best known as Our Miss Brooks on TV and in the movie of that name) as Biegler’s accurate secretary and Arthur O’Connell as his alcoholic mentor. Kathryn Grant, who gave up a promising film career to marry Bing Crosby and have children, has a modest role as the murdered man’s daughter.

I’ve seen many courtroom dramas, some accurate, some fictional, since this film first appeared, but I have to say it stands up well. The action (for the most section) feels realistic and the tension is nicely created and maintained. The resolution is satisfying and the ending is as sly and subtle as any country lawyer might want. Incidentally, if this movie had more total votes cast at IMDb, it would imperfect in the top one hundred of all time, which is where it belongs.

See this for James Stewart whose easy, adroit style under Preminger’s direction found beefy range. Although he gave many splendid performances, I don’t consider Stewart was ever better than he was here.

The unique aspect ratio of this film is 1:85:1 (eye IMDB) .

The US DVD box from Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment contradicts this, saying:

“This film is presented in a Elephantine Shroud VERSION which preserves the modern theatrical aspect ratio, approximately 1:33:1.”

In civil society, this may be called erroneous advertising. The box does not possess what the box says it contains.

The DVD itself warns as it begins playing that the film “has been modified to fit your TV”. In other words, it was re-edited in the 80s or 90s by another (anonymous) director/editor using the well-known ‘pan and scan’ technique, which cuts off the fair and left edges of widescreen films, and adds current camera movements and re-scales some images to compose sure that the action remains on cloak in the modern, square-ish ratio.

Amazon’s Internet Movie Database correctly identifies the aspect ratio. Columbia distributes THAT version in Europe (which is why when you search for this film on Amazon, the European release comes up too) . If you recall that version in the US, you’ll pay a minute more, and you’ll have to employ a region-free dvd player to idea it. Here’s the link for that version:

Anatomy of a Cancel European DVD

Your second option is to choose this movie from Amazon Unbox, which presents it in its honest aspect ratio:

Anatomy Of A Abolish from Amazon Unbox

Your third option is to wait on buying this until they release the recent.

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Get The Best Price On Popink Plate Set Doo The Dishes

水曜日, 10 月 28th, 2009

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火曜日, 10 月 27th, 2009

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月曜日, 10 月 26th, 2009

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