Buy Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)

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C. S. Forester certainly began the saga of his Napoleonic-Era naval hero Horatio Hornblower "in media res." Here is Hornblower as a dashing captain, with the stories of his younger days and later glories both yet to be penned. "Captain Horatio Hornblower" actually covers the key events in Forester's first trio of Hornblower adventures, "Beat to Quarters," "Ship of the Line" and Flying Colours." Hornblower (American Gregory Peck playing the quintessential English hero) is sent on a secret mission to the far side of South America where he has to capture a Spanish frigate not once but twice, all because of the problematic delay in having new orders catch up with him in the time of wooden sailing ships. Chance throws Hornblower together with Lady Barbara Wellesley (Virginia Mayo), the sister of the Duke of Wellington. She is engaged to some admiral and he is already married, but there is no doubt that they are meant for each other. Besides, even Fate has to take a backseat to Hornblower's sense of duty. Even when he is captured by the French it is but another opportunity for grand adventure. Like many fans I came to the Hornblower novels and this rousing 1951 film directed by Raoul Walsh. The happy ending falls into place a bit too neatly, but that is what happened in the original novels and not simply a Hollywood decision. The sea battles with the fully rigged ships are as fine as you can find from the good old days of movie-making, but my favorite scene is the touching one when the Captain and Lady Barbara deal with the final moment's of the youngest member of the ship's company. "Captain Horatio Hornblower," like the novels, achieves that feeling that we are truly in the middle of an epic tale, with well-established characters who we readily believe have already had long and glorious histories. I think Lt. Bush (Robert Beatty) gets a lot of the credit for that as the unofficial "narrator" of the tale. So, if you have loved the imported A&E adventures of the young Horatio Hornblower, you certainly need to get around to watching the original film version and reading Forester's novels. If not, you will just be a scurvy dog, matie.

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After starting on Patrick O'Brian, I have also discovered Horatio Hornblower first with the first A&E episode "The Duel" (Ion Gruffyd, Robert Lindsay), and now with the 1951 movie "Captain Hornblower" starring Gregory Peck. I have *not* read the Hornblower books yet, so my review is from the perspective of someone new to naval fiction and naval movies.

Gregory Peck is one of my favorite actors, which makes this film an easy choice to watch (for me, at least). However, the character of Hornblower (with his trademark Hmm..mmm) and the events covered by the movie are probably closer to the original series than the recent A&E series. [At least, judging from Parkinson's biography covering the same ground as the novels, this would appear to be the case]. If you are a Hornblower purist, you will probably prefer the Gregory Peck movie version for this reason, even though the battle scenes are more sustained and far more exciting in the A&E versions (judging from The Duel).

Captain Hornblower condenses two (or is it three?) books into one the book in which he is posted on direct orders from the Admiralty, and must round Cape Horn to reach a Spanish rebel, Don Julian Alvorado on the other side of Nicaragua. This feat of seamanship is well-portrayed, with the movie starting at the point where the ship has been at sea for months and has been becalmed. Hornblower takes a wild gamble in assuring the crew and his officers that the wind will pick up that night and that they will sight land within the next day. Amazingly, he pulls this off. In private, his journals reflect his fears and uncertainty, thus allowing us a glimpse at the private Hornblower.

The first part of the movie focuses on Hornblower's difficult decisions during this secret mission (when he cannot confide in any of his officers, including his second-in-command Lt Bush). He must decide whether to trust Don Julian Alvorado (who is clearly a madman), whether to attack a much larger Spanish frigate with twice the gunpower, and what to do when political events overtake this little expedition.

What is not made clear (at least when I watched the film for the first time) is that Hornblower had really no choice but to go along with Alvorado (or El Supremo) as he likes to call himself. Spain is allied with Napoleonic France, and Hornblower must re-provision his ship. The nearest British port of call is St Helena on the other side of South America. Hornblower was not simply following Admiralty orders, he was also taking a risk to keep his crew alive.

There are several battles, including one major battle when Hornblower's ship loses one of its mast and is nearly wrecked. Fortunately, brilliant seamanship on his part allows him the upper hand.

During this first part, Hornblower also develops a love interest in Lady Barbara Wellesley (a fictional character, although she is supposedly the sister of the future Duke of Wellington). She is engaged to an admiral Sir Rodney Leighton, but she prefers Hornblower. He was reluctant to have her aboard at first, but had no choice (she was fleeing yellow fever, it would have been professional suicide to leave her behind, with her connections). Unfortunately for Hornblower, he must reveal the truth after Lady Barbara declares her love for him. He is married. The rest of the voyage is strained, with both anxious to return to Britain as soon as possible.

The second part of the movie begins with Hornblower's return to the British Isles, only to learn that he is a widower and has an infant son. From there, he is placed under the command of Leighton (now Lady Barbara's husband). Admiral Leighton disapproves of Hornblower's independence, but our hero's quick thinking and independent ways pay off in a crucial action against some French ships that have escaped the blockade.

In the third part of the movie, Hornblower is taken prisoner along with his lieutenant, and is to be sent to Paris to be tried and executed for piracy (sailing under French colors). Of course, he escapes eventually and returns home to discover that Lady Barbara has been widowed.

This is a quick summary of the movie, which hardly does justice to many of its finer points. There are some deviations from the book (the story was adapted, by the way, by Forester himself). For example, Sir Percy Leighton becomes Sir Rodney Leighton. [He is of a different social background in the books than in the movie]. Lady Barbara is not engaged to be married at the beginning of the voyage, and she appears proud and haughty to Hornblower. And of course, the collapsing of the three books into one movie means that certain details must be omitted (thus Lt Bush recovers remarkably quickly, or so it would seem). The pace of the adaptation is however just right the story continues to sustain the viewer's interest.

The sea battles are well-depicted, and the story was filmed in real ships (of the period, I think) and mostly at sea. However, the battles are less bloody than in the A&E version (perhaps a nod to 1950s sensibilities), and the ships are certainly cleaner than expected. I thought that the ships would be closer together when they engaged in battle.

Despite these minor caveats, this film was delightful to watch. I would recommend this movie strongly to anyone interested in this period (the Napoleonic wars), or anyone interested in nautical fiction. The A&E series covers the very early career of the very young Hornblower, when he is still a midshipman and then makes lieutenant. (At the rate the producers are going, it will take a while before they reach the same events covered by this movie). Even if they do cover this period, watch this movie, if only for Gregory Peck's portrayal of Hornblower as as as Forester's own adaptation of his novels for the screen.

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This is a 1951 big-budget film adaptation of three of C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels. Specifically, this movie combines "Beat to Quarters," "Ship of the Line," and "Flying Colors." It necessarily condenses the latter two novels, but does a good job in doing so.

These are great novels, and this is a great film. Gregory Peck does a stellar job as Captain Hornblower, and Barbara Mayo puts in a fine performance as Lady Barbara. At the time there were some complaints that both leads were Americans, but the film justified the casting choices both in the eyes of the critics and at the box office.

For those unfamiliar with the Hornblower series of novels, these stories are widely considered to be the greatest novels ever written dealing with the British navy during the Napoleonic wars. Captain Hornblower is a fictional British sea captain, who is blessed with high intelligence and competence, but humble origins of birth, which mattered greatly in those days. In the film his ship is ordered to make a 7000 mile voyage to Spanish South America, for the purpose of inciting rebellion among the Spanish colonies, as Spain had recently allied itself with Napoleon against Great Britain. Complications immediately develop, and this is a fabulous and engaging story about a brave age of hardship and adventure. I literally cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this film or this story.

The movie features fine acting and quite good battle scenes. The A&E series actually had better special effects in my opinion, but the film hews closer to the actual stories in the novels. Both are well worth watching and owning. My only complaint is that this film is not yet available on DVD. Hurry!

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This Napoleanic era British Royal Navy yarn presents a wealth of action, loyalty, bravery, a glimpse of self-doubt, and even romance.

Captain Hornblower, played exceptionally well by Gregory Peck, is a competent, intensely loyal and obedient British naval officer. He is a master teacher to junior officers and a leader of his men. We get a glimpse, though, of self-doubt that he carries with him (note the scenes where he writes in his diary).

During the film he carries out an ultra-secret mission for the admiralty. In the course of that assignment Hornblower finds himself obliged to conduct a running ship to ship battle protrayed via top-notch movie footage.

During the months it takes for Horblower's ship to return to Portsmouth, romance is nipped in the bud because of Hornblower's great integrity. The temptation is there, presented by the beautiful Virginia Mayo, but Hornblower doesn't buckle.

Early successes bring advancement and notariety to Hornblower as the movie progresses.

If you are inclined at all toward great tales of the sea and the men who sailed them, this movie will provide you with a grand adventure. Top notch, 5 stars all the way.

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It's great when a book you love is made into a film that is also excellent. C S Forester wrote something like twelve books about "Captain Horatio Hornblower". So it must have been difficult to choose which part of Hornblower's life to dramatize in film. In the end, the screenwriter, Ivan Goff, chose to use two novels and this is quite apparent in the film. It could easily be two short films shown back to back. Far from being a flaw, it makes for twice the value.

Forester wrote Hornblower as a strong, courageous, moral man who is plagued by self-doubt. His role in life however, as a commander at sea during the Napoleonic Wars, forces him to hide any internal qualms. In fact, he often takes more risks in order to hide his fear, than an otherwise fearless man would. Thus a legend is born because Hornblower is an inherently competent man. His successes far outweigh any temporary setbacks and his men are totally loyal as a result.

In the film, we only get a glimpse of his thoughts through a daily ritual entering significant events into his diary. From this we can start to appreciate the fine line he walks between duty and humanity. Gregory Peck was the perfect choice for a role like this. He exudes leadership and yet underneath the rocky exterior of his Captaincy we are allowed to see the caring man. A man who knows the name of his lowliest crewman and can remember how the ships young midshipman said goodbye to his mother at port.

The admiralty needed just such a man to accomplish a very difficult mission. To distract Napoleon's ally, Spain, from the fighting in Europe, a revolution needed to be started in South America. The fact that it was seven months sailing and the revolutionary leader was insane just made the victory more sweat. But pride goeth...

In the course of wooing the mad "El Supremo", Hornblower captures a Spanish ship of the line, with almost twice his own guns. This prize was to be used by the South Americans to spearhead into all the coastal towns. Sadly it is some days later that news arrives that Spain and England had become allies. It would now be up to Hownblower, his crew and his ship, the badly overmatched Lydia, to retake the Spanish ship by the quickest possible means.

At this point the Captain's life is immeasurably complicated by the arrival of Lady Barbara Wellesley, who is escaping the yellow fever in Panama. As we are soon to learn, Hornblower is already married and Lady Barbara is engaged to a Rear Admiral. None of this prevents them from falling in love.

There is so much more to the story that I can't hope to describe it all. Hopefully, those that haven't seen it, will track down a copy of this powerful movie. It's one of the finest Naval films ever made and some of Gregory Peck's best work.

Buy Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & The Island of Misfit Toys (2001)

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I'll be the first to admit that GoodTimes has produced some, shall we say, "less-than-perfect" features over the years, but they have done very well here. This tale was obviously made by people who have a great deal of love and respect for the 1964 classic original. They have worked very hard to use computer animation to come as close as possible to the look of the old stop-motion animation, and I think they have succeeded. The characters' movements are a bit smoother than the original, but that is about the only difference.

Returning from the '60s are Rudolph, the reindeer of the famous shiny nose, his dentist/elf buddy Hermie, the whacked-out miner Yukon Cornelius, the Abominable Snow Monster (will he ever learn to swim?), Rudolph's girlfriend Clarice, all of the minor characters, and of course, Santa Claus. They have come together to investigate the mysterious Toy Taker, who has managed to succesfully pirate all the world's toys, including Santa's workshop itself. The new actors provided to give voice to the classic characters all sound perfect. Richard Dreyfuss does well in a role as the obligatory snowman narrarator (though I do miss Burl Ives), and Jamie Lee Curtis puts in an appearance as the Hippo Queen. Rick Moranis provides the voice of the Toy Taker himself.

Like many others out there, I grew up watching the original stop-motion Rudolph every year. I was a little worried that this wouldn't be any good, especially when I saw the GoodTimes label on it. But, my kids LOVE it! And, it was produced for them, after all. This movie makes absolutely NO pretense whatsoever that it was designed and produced for anyone but preschoolers, and it certainly succeeded with mine.

As adults, we see the world with different perspectives than we did as little kids. Nothing, no matter how well done, will ever recapture the joys of the specials we saw for the first time as little kids back when you only had a chance to watch these shows once or twice a year. Especially since now you can buy them on DVD or VHS and watch them over and over, any time you want. Anything is more special when you are a kid and it is only availble to watch once a year.

The animation is not the most top-notch out there, but then, it's not supposed to be. It's more concerned with looking like the original, with all its flaws due to 60's technology. And yes, the plot is not the most original in the world. Any parent will figure out the identity and motives of the Toy Taker before the movie is half over. But the kids will love it, and really, isn't that what it's all about??

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There are three types of reviews worth ignoring for this video:

(1) Anyone who thought they were buying the 1964 classic. Why would you trust the review of anyone that dumb?

(2) Anyone who says "Rudolph is sacred." Rankin Bass et al. have already done two Rudolph sequels. This isn't virgin territory.

(3) Anyone who says my kids loved it, but I hated it. Just who are animated Christmas specials produced for, anyway?

Truth is that this could have been awful like Goodtimes Rudolph movie from a few years back. This time the writers went out of their way to be faithful to the spirit of the original. Nearly every moment pays homage to some element of the original Rankin & Bass production, from the opening credits to the concluding musical number.

Rankin & Bass's Rudolph sequels, great as they are, abandon all the other characters but Rudolph (even Santa was replaced by the Frosty Santa or the Year w/o Santa Claus Santa). The writers of this try to pick up where the 1964 special left off, with Hermie and Clarice and Yukon et al. (no Fireball, unfortunately)

The songs are, with some exceptions, a definite attempt to draw on Rankin & Bass type orchestrations. They aren't all as great as the Johnny Marks songs, but "Best Christmas Ever" is a worthy contender.

I was pleasantly surprised at how the writers were able to build on Romeo Muller's world from 1964 without wrecking it. It's a fun, warm holiday special. Real Rudolph fans ought to give it a chance.

My chief complaints are that the computer animation falls apart with Yukon and the Bumble and Yukon's voice is off. These are really pretty minor complaints, however.

Yes, my kids love it.

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This new Rudolph uses digital animation instead of the wonderful stop-motion action of the original, and it's a poorly-scripted, miserably-executed mess. It's an unfortunate appendage to one of my favorite childhood specials, and I hope someone takes a magnet to it. No matter, though -my kids have already forgotten it. Don't even consider buying "Island of Misfit Toys" unless you've exhausted the wonderfully-creative originals. They are decades better than this quickly-conceived piece of shlock.

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I am as diehard a Rudolph fan as you could ever hope to find. After reading all the reviews on this film, I shyed away from purchasing it, but then I decided to go for it. Now it's true we're all spoiled by Pixar's computer animation and this doesn't compare to them. Once again, GoodTimes Entertainment pulls off a winner with good songs and an entertaining story line. I really loved their animated feature musical from 1998 in spite of the reviews on that as well. It was great to see the original cast back in this feature and the voicing was very convincing. How will this feature attract kids? I can't answer that. As an adult, I really liked it. Though I did not care for the style of animation, the soundtrack was nice and music pulls a lot of weight when I choose what movies I like or dislike. I give 2 thumbs up to GoodTimes and hope they continue to publish great Rudolph related titles in the years ahead!

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I was amazed by how horrible the CGI graphics were. If you are going to try to revive a classic please do it right. Instead, the visuals look like someone has a 'make your own animated film' software on a PC at home and whipped them up in one night. Wow, what a horrendous thing this film ispoor story, poor visuals, poor writingthere are 200 Christmas movies on Amazon someone should consider before this. Please do yourself a favor and don't subject your family to this.

Winnie the Pooh - Spookable Pooh (2002) Review

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After I had watched the movie for the first time with our 2,5 year old son, I tried to hide it. It actually is quite "spookable", and I was afraid he would not be able to sleep. I bought him a replacementa nice story with lots of songs and funbut he insisted on getting spookable winnie back. Ever since, it has been his absolute favorite. And, by the way, he sleeps fine. I am sure he would give it a five. I continue to think there are other Winnie the Pooh stories around with more depth and beautythe ranking is a compromise between a child's and a parent's perspective.

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Breakthrough (1950) Review

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one of the first ww2 movies of the normandy invasion. story follows a platoon from the weeks before d-day to the battles after the initial invasion in the hedgerows. the movie is predictable low budget and the cast resembles the budget. david brian & frank lovejoy is decent agar is stiff and the supporting from paul picerni, dick wesson, &william campbell round a thoroughly enjoyable movie. if you like old ww2 war movies this one is okay.

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All the reviews except one seems to be for a Richard Burton movie by the same name. If you are going to review a movie make sure its the right movie with the right cast. I haven't seen the movies in years but as far as I remember it was a pretty good 1950's movie concerning WWII and Frank Lovejoy as the Platoon sergeant and David Brin as the company commander were excellent and John Agar as the platoon Leader was John Agar

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I love this Movie not for the acting though. John Agar is stiff and animated and the others are your typical "B" actors. What I do love as a WWII buff is the equipment and uniforms. The WWII mentality is still fresh so we see this reflected in the movie. This is important to me because this Movie was made before Viet-Nam. Viet-Nam and after has tainted WWII movies with technical inaccuracies. So if your looking for great acting look elsewhere. If you want to see original equipment or want to see the mentality of a pre Viet-Nam Army watch this.

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I watched this movie on television with my brothers many years ago. We watched so many times that we memorized certain lines and quoted them during the showing (at least six times a week on NY WOR-TV in the late 60's). This DVD version brought back the memories I shared with my brothers and the nostalgic good times we shared. I can't wait until the three of us can get together and once more enjoy a movie that we liked to watch. It isn't the greatest war movie or most accurate but we loved it anyway.

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This presents a fairly realistic view of the stress of combat on the officers and men in an Army company as they prepare for D-Day and later invade the coast of France. Good action sequences.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review

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Sequels generally have a tendency to be half as good as the original, but in this case Madagascar 3 has a refreshingly new look, same level of energy and humor with its cast of characters, and a vibrant backdrop of a circus.

The cast of characters Marty, Alex, Gloria, and and Melman decide to leave Africa and go back to New York, but need the penguins help to fly back, the penguins are as hilarious as they have been. With the penguins in Monte Carlo, there begins their adventure. They run into the devious Captain Chantal Dubois is the head of animal control in Europe who is called for help. She is a little too serious about her job and wants to mount the heads of the animals, particularly Alex the lion's, on her wall as trophies. She brings delightful humor with her ways! In a way she reminded me of the "Bad Kitty" eastern European lady from NY in part 2. The scenes with her are very funny. The lemur king Julian falls in love with the bear at the circus and he is entertaining as always, the very talented Sacha Baron Cohen has done a remarkable job with this character.

The animals join a circus in an attempt to get away from Dubois. A number of new characters are introduced here who are part of the circus. This is where the movie picks up pace and bursts with color, and makes it a joy watching in 3D. This has to be one of the best 3D treats our family has seen this year across Ice Age, Brave, and The Lorax. The overall plot of the film is not as strong or content-rich as the first one, but the vivid colors and brilliant scenes make this as much a treat to watch as the previous two films.

Madagascar 3 is fun for the entire family, kids and adults alike. Anxiously waiting to watch the DVD so that we can share the laughs again.

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I'm the dad reviewing here: Super fun, ridiculous movie. Story line was so-so. That's okay though. Why? Because the characters both old and new were so endearing and well-developed that it doesn't really matter. No kid says "I love the continuity in that subplot about the relationship between King Julien and the bear." No. It's more like "It was funny. Polka-dot Polka-dot Polka-dot Afro!" and it was way funnier than I expected for installment 3. The subreferences to The Matrix, Bond films, and Cirque de Soleil, and zillions of other little things, I was in stitches several times. Actually my kids looked at me sideways wondering what the heck. In addition, the incredible fine details make it worth getting HD, or Bluray. I know I'm gushing, but I don't care -this series has given me so many good laughs they deserve it. Basset hound!

Update 10/17/2012-I watched it again, on my little Kindle screen, to recover from an episode of Walking Dead. It did the trick, but was so funny I ended up watching the whole thing. The penguins are still the most witty.

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Just an FYI the insert on the DVD asks you to go to a Paramount web site, where you will asked for your code, email address, DOB, etc. Ignore it they just want to add you to their database. Just launch iTunes, click "Redeem", enter the code on the insert the movie will download to your iTunes library.

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some funny parts like the other ones better. But if you have the other ones it goes with them too

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It is entertaining, funny, and very addictive. When the move is over, you might want to run away with a circus yourself. Our old friends Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melvin make a great movie. Chimpanzee and penguins make it a hilarious one. However, the new characters of this movie make it a movie complete. It is no longer just about coming back to New York for the escapees this movie puts the word "family" in prospective and makes our old friends New-Yorkers re-evaluate their lifetime priorities.

We initially went to see Madagascar 3 in a theater when it was first released. Both of my kids, 3 and 5-year-old were captivated by the movie. Getting an advanced review copy was a pretty great treat too. This is the kind of show I don't mind to see over and over. Watching it for the second time was as exciting as it was few months ago at the theater. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Music From The Motion Picture)

Alien Anthology (2013) Review

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My local electronics store already had the Alien Anthology bluray on the shelves this Tuesday (October 19). At first I thought the street date had been changed at the last minute (it wouldn't be the first time). But it appears that all the websites still list the release date for next Tuesday (Oct 26), so I guess my local store must have made a mistake (it wouldn't be the first time for that either).

In either case, I already got my hands on the Alien Anthology set, and I thought that Alien fans who are still trying to decide whether it's worth the upgrade before next week's proper street date might want to know the following:

(Note: This review assumes that most of you have already seen the films, and there may be some very mild spoilers.)

[UPDATE: I've added LOTS more detail about the extras, including the extended Alien 3 doc. Find this under PROS section (3). In PROS section (1) I've also answered some questions from another customer.]

[UPDATE 4: More specifics on why the 3rd and 4th films' picture quality won't wow you as much as the first 2 films'. Under Cons section (1)]

[UPDATE 6: I've found more new extras on disc 6, including new deleted scenes from Aliens. Details in PROS section (3).]

PROS:

1) All four films look very good on bluray, and much better than the earlier DVDs, with the first two films looking the best. Alien almost looks brand new. Aliens still looks its age (sometimes), but it enjoys the single biggest improvement in picture quality in the jump from DVD to bluray that I have ever seen for a classic film (or pretty much any film for that matter). While there are still plenty of shots that still look soft or a bit grainy by today's standards, the entire film looks sharper than ever and the grain is far less distracting. Some sequences, like the marines' initial investigation of the abandoned colony, almost look like they could have been shot this year. The color quality and detail visible on the panning shot from the planet to Ripley's orbital hospital room at the beginning of the film totally blew my mind. Detail and texture are excellent throughout and I saw no signs that DNR had been overused. After experiencing Aliens on bluray, I wonder how I was ever able to tolerate the picture quality on the DVD.

[UPDATE: The Theatrical and Director's cuts of Alien both look equally great. It's my understanding that Ridley Scott made some minor alterations to things like contrast, etc. in the Director's cut, but I frankly didn't notice any difference between the two. I haven't watched the Theatrical cut of Aliens in years, as I much prefer the Extended version, so I may not remember which all scenes were added for the latter. However, I did not notice any correlation between picture quality and whether a scene was in the Theatrical cut or added in later, so I assume that they all come from the same source and are of more-or-less equal quality. If I have a chance to look at it again soon and do notice any differences, I'll post another update.]

[UPDATE 2: I've watched the first 25 minutes of the Theatrical cut of Aliens and can confirm that the picture quality is identical to the Special Edition. In other words, it will cause longtime Aliens fans' jaws to drop off right before they become temporarily blinded by its awe-inspiring glory. This is truly the greatest film restoration I've ever seen prepared for the transition from DVD to bluray. Because of the film stock used, I didn't think it would ever be possible for the film to look this good.]

2) All four films also sound greatly improved compared to the DVD. This is especially true for Alien 3. Dialogue which was hard to make out on the DVD is now much clearer and easier to understand. I did notice some audio sync issues with some of the third film's dialogue, but I think these are misalignments which were already present on previous DVD releases, and may therefore be inherent to the original film.

3) The new extras are extensive and excellent. Within the first couple minutes of sampling the new enhancement pods on disc 5, I learned a couple of tidbits I had been unaware of before. These are a wonderful extension of the already superb making-of documentaries. The MU-TH-UR interactive mode is easy to use and will probably prove helpful to those who are only interested in seeing certain parts of the behind-the-scenes material, but I haven't used it much. I've only sampled a couple minutes of the trivia track portion of this feature (titled "Datastream"), but so far it appears as though it will mostly be a re-hash of material you can find in disc 5's documentaries. The set also includes ALL of the extras from EVERY previous release of these films, as promised (at least as far as I can tell), in addition to the extended Alien Evolution and Alien 3 documentaries.

[UPDATE: The extended Alien 3 documentary includes significantly more footage of Fincher directing on the set (lenghtier character discussions with the actors, etc.) and more detail on the schism between him and the studio that I don't remember seeing on the Quadrilogy DVD. At one point during filming you see Fincher get on a microphone and say, "I can't believe Fox is the number one studio because they're all such a bunch of morons." Interestingly, while some of the new footage does reflect poorly on the studio, I think it also makes it easier to understand why some people had trouble working with Fincher. I personally find this longer cut much more interesting, but it hardly feels like an entirely new, revelatory version. Still, if you love a good behind-the-scenes documentary, the extended cut of "Wreckage and Rage: The Making of Alien 3" may help justify the upgrade to bluray.

By my estimate, disc 5 contains around 17 hours of documentaries, including an hour to an hour-and-a-half of new enhancement pods for each individual film (these are mostly extended interviews and production footage). I couldn't even tell you how many hours of content are on disc 6. So it's understandable, due to space limitations, that some of this material still appears to be in standard def. Although it's in SD, most of it has been enhanced so your bluray player will upconvert it (sometimes beautifully so) to fill a widescreen TV. I find the text slides on the still galleries of concept art on disc 6 (which ARE in FULL HD) much easier to read now. In disc 5's docs, most film clips, production artwork and photos, and many interviews will now fill the screen, while other interview clips appear pillarboxed with new imagery to the right and left instead of black bars (similar to the "Disneyview" feature on the Snow White and Pinocchio blurays, though mostly much less distracting than those were). It all looks good enough that I don't think many people will be too disappointed that some of these extras are still in SD.

BOTTOM LINE: The extras, both new and old, are a substantial improvement over the Quadrilogy DVD set (at least IMHO, your mileage may vary). I doubt many people will feel shortchanged here.]

[UPDATE 6: I've found more new extras on disc 6. There are some deleted scenes from Aliens, at least one of which featuring Burke in a cocoon I don't think I've seen before. The Patch and Logos image gallery will be appreciated by folks who love all the costuming/set dressing details. There's a video reproduction of a ride called "Aliens: Ride At The Speed of Fright" which is notable for two things: it's REALLY cheesy, and it features a very young Jeffrey Combs (I think this part is new I don't remember seeing it on the DVD). The Parodies section is just some Alien-related clips from Spaceballs and Family Guy. You'll also want to keep an eye out for Easter Eggs on this disc.]

4) The set has a couple of impressive surprises that weren't mentioned in any of the studio press releases I've seen. Disc Unbound is an automatic feature: when you eject any disc from this set, the Weyland-Yutani logo will pop up on screen. You can then insert any other disc from the set and you'll go straight to the main menu it will skip over all the studio logos and FBI Warning screens, making an Alien marathon slightly faster and less annoying.

I was aware that this set would include isolated score tracks for all four films (as well as alternate score tracks for the first two), but was unaware that you can also access each piece of music in any order from an index which includes even more unused music. I'm not certain, but I think I may have even spotted a couple of Bonus alternate tracks for Aliens that weren't even on the Deluxe Edition soundtrack CD.

5) For those who are hard of hearing, all 4 films and even the extras on discs 5 and 6 include subtitles in around 15 languages, including English and Spanish. Even the audio commentaries have subtitles in multiple languages! Each film also has multiple language audio tracks, though it appears that only the English receives a lossless one.

6) The packaging is the most elegantly beautiful I've ever seen for a bluray set. Inside the slipcase is a hardcover book with each disc held securely within its own page. These pages include photos from each film, as well as some basic info like plot synopses and director's credits. There's also a booklet and insert tucked in the back which explain how MU-TH-UR mode and Disc Unbound work, and list the content on each disc. It also has a note from Ridley Scott filled with tantalizing hints about what to expect in his upcoming prequel. Everyone will be happy to know that the package is very compact and will fit perfectly next to your other blurays. It's the same size as the Close Encounters of the Third Kind bluray, except that the spine is a little thicker since it holds more discs.

The menu screens are also beautifully designed. The menu for each film features a Weyland-Yutani computer interface with a continuous stream of 3D diagrams and info on various vehicles, weapons, and creatures from each film. It also shows a spacechart indicating the name and location of the planet where each film takes place. Many fans will want to watch the menus play a few times just to take in all the information and detail. The menus are also quick and easy to navigate, and most video features on discs 5 and 6 include a "Play All" option. On disc 5, for example, you can either play all segments of the documentray for each film separately, or you can simply choose to play all 4 documentaries at once.

As beautiful as the packaging is, it does have a couple of minor problems, which brings me to...

CONS:

1) The 3rd and 4th films don't look quite as spectacular as the first two. They still look far better than the DVDs, and I think the vast majority of people will be perfectly pleased with them. For example, the underwater sequence in Resurrection looks more beautiful than ever. In the shot where the alien drags the docking pilot back into the flooded kitchen, I could now clearly see a single hair floating across the foreground, a detail I had never noticed before during the dozens of times I had watched this movie on DVD. The text of the electronic Bible from the extended chapel scene is also much easier to read now. Nevertheless, you can tell that slightly less work went into the last two films, and some of the hardcore videophiles may be very slightly disappointed by the results after they see how magnificent the first two films now look.

[UPDATE: In my honest opinion, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection only look less impressive in comparison to the first two films. I didn't notice any signs of DNR or any other technical issues at all. It's my understanding that the first, third and fourth films each had new HD remasters done for the 2003 Quadrilogy DVD set. (If I recall correctly, I think that James Cameron chose not to do a new remaster of Aliens at that time because he felt the one they had was already about as good as they could make the movie look with the technology available circa 2003 this is probably again due to the film stock they shot Aliens on.)

Skip ahead 7 years to today. Now Alien has been given ANOTHER NEW HD remaster using the most up-to-date technology, and it looks outstanding. Not only does it ALMOST look, for the most part, like a film that could have been shot in 2010, I think the picture quality on the bluray is often as sharp or sharper and better-looking than some films that really did come out this year (like Predators). It's also nearly comparable to, at times dare I say maybe even better than the picture quality on Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, in my opinion (at least when you take Alien's age into consideration). Aliens has also received a brand NEW HD remaster probably its first in over a decade. I was too young to see it in the theater, but I imagine Cameron is probably telling the truth when he claims that it looks better than it originally did in the theater. I didn't believe it could ever look as good as it does on bluray because of how bad it looked on DVD and because of what Cameron and others have said about the weaknesses of the film they shot it on.

Alien 3 and Resurrection, it's my understanding, have NOT received NEW HD remasters circa 2010. So basically, this is the first time that you're seeing the full quality of the HD remasters that were done for the 2003 Quadrilogy set (which obviously could not show them in HD). They still look very good, and much better than the DVD. Sometimes they have better detail and look sharper than Alien and Aliens do, but technologies for film restoration have obviously improved a great deal in 7 years, and for the most part I think that the first two films now look better (i.e. sharper, etc.) than the last two, at least with regard to expectation. Think of it this way: we typically expect newer movies to look better on bluray than older ones do. So when you see how near-perfect (excellent detail, depth, contrast, deep blacks, no distracting grain, etc.) Alien now looks, then see how the picture quality on Aliens (while certainly not "perfect") far exceeds anything you would expect for a film photographed on such problematic material, you then expect the picture quality on the last two films to knock it out of the ballpark and surprise you to an equal or greater degree. Since they don't SURPRISE you (they only look NEARLY Just As GOOD as the first two films even though their remasters were done 7 years ago, they were still done very well), many people who actually understand a bit about film restoration will clearly see a difference and wish Fox had spent the money to do a more recent 2010 remaster of the last two films as well, so they would look EVERY BIT As Good or better than the first two films, as we would expect them to. Meanwhile, I think that most people in a more general audience will only see a difference in comparison to the first two films, if they see any difference in the picture quality at all. Many (maybe not all) of those people will probably be completely satisfied with the fact that all 4 movies look far, FAR better than they did on DVD.

Of course, it's possible I'm misinformed and that further restoration was done more recently on the last two films, and just wasn't as extensive as that done on the first two. But either way, the end effect is the same. In other words, you'll look at Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection and say, "These look really good, way better than the DVD." You won't have the same reaction to them that you'll probably have to the first two movies, which is, "HOLY C%@P!!!! HOW DID THEY MAKE MOVIES THIS OLD LOOK THIS GOOD!!! AND HOW DID I EVER MANAGE TO WATCH THE SECOND MOVIE ON DVD WHEN IT COULD HAVE LOOKED THIS MUCH BETTER??!!!!!"]

2) The packaging requires you to slide the discs sideways out from their pages. While the discs are held quite securely, I found that they are very easy to pull out after a little practice. As long as you're careful I don't think there's much need to worry about damaging the discs. Another issue is how tightly the book holding the discs fits into the outer slipcover. The best way to get it out is to hold the set on its side and gently shake it a couple of times till you can grab the book's edge and pull it the rest of the way out. Personally, I don't find these issues all that bothersome, but I know some people will probably find it more frustrating. Those who dislike non-standard book-style packaging may want to wait for the individual releases of each film in the hopes that they'll have more standard packaging.

(NOTE: Anyone who wants to bypass the issue of removing the outer slipcase after you open the set for the first time could just set the book containing the discs, minus outer slipcase, on the shelf with their other blurays the packaging seems pretty sturdy and I think the discs would still be well-protected.)

(NOTE: The Alien Anthology booklet does not replicate all of the text from the booklet included in the Quadrilogy DVD set, so obsessive completists may want to remove the Quadrilogy booklet if you're going to sell or give away your DVDs. Unfortunately, the Quadrilogy booklet is too large to fit inside the bluray package.)

THE BOTTOM LINE:

If you don't want all four movies, are allergic to non-standard packaging, or just can't afford the steep price tag, you may want to wait for the inevitable but as-yet-unannounced individual bluray releases. (Just keep in mind that the extras for all four films have been condensed onto 2 bluray discs for this set. At this point in time there's no way to know whether you'll get all of the new extras if you wait for the individual releases.) Otherwise, this set is an absolute must-have. While the last two films don't look quite as good as the first two, they still look pretty great, and this set has exceeded all of my other expectations (which were very high). The picture quality on Aliens especially knocked my socks off. The new extras are substantial, and the quality of the entire presentation sets a new standard for future bluray releases. As a lifelong fan of these films I felt like the Alien Quadrilogy DVD set was a dream-come-true. The Alien Anthology bluray set makes me feel like all my dreams were inadequate.

Just to be clear, I am not associated in any way with any Hollywood studio or any newspaper, magazine or website which reviews films or DVDs/blurays. I've never written a product review before, and am only doing so now because I appear to have gotten this item early. I'm just a lover of movies, blurays, and the Alien franchise who got extremely lucky and got the set a week early thanks to my local retailer.

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I noticed that there were two different Alien Anthology Blu-ray sets for sale on Amazon. They appeared to be identical, except this set has small markings on the front of the box (both say "18", which is "Fit for viewing by persons aged 18 years or more" according to the back of the box) which apparently is from the Irish Film Classification Office. This set, I believe, is some kind of import. With that being said, I have not had any problems with play back. I can't compare the exact content, as I only own this set. But, this set gives you a TON!!!!! You get all four movies on four discs (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien Resurrection) and two discs of special features. The cover sticker claimed 60 hours of additional content. Here's some info from the back of the box:

Alien: Original Version (116 minutes)

Alien: Director's Cut (110 minutes)

Letterbox Version 16:9 (Presented in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio)

Aliens: Original Version (131 minutes)

Aliens: Special Edition (148 minutes)

Widescreen Version 16:9 (Presented in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)

Alien3: Original Version (109 minutes)

Alien3: Special Edition (138 minutes)

Widescreen Version 16:9 (Presented in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio)

Alien Resurrection: Original Version (104 minutes)

Alien Resurrection: Special Edition (111 minutes)

Widescreen Version 16:9 (Presented in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio)

The first thing I did was try each disc in my player and every single one of them loaded without a hitch. I'm not sure if I'm able to quote prices in my review, but I will say that this set was over 50% cheaper than the other region 1 U.S. version. If you are having any doubts, read the reviews on this product. I am reviewing ASIN: B003AQBYUG, and not ASIN: B001AQO3QA. I recently purchased my blu-ray player from Amazon, a Panasonic DMP-BDT310. It was manufactured in Sept 2011 so I can confirm that this newer player definitely reads the discs. This set is not specifically for region 1/U.S., but rather all regions. The back of the box says A/B/C. If you use Amazon's help to learn more about regions, you'll see that A, B and C pretty much covers everywhere. If you're looking to add this set to your collection, I highly recommend it. As the title of my review says, it was an absolute steal! Order with confidence and enjoy :)

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The "Alien Anthology" may have taken some time to come to Blu-ray Disc, but it has been worth the wait. We received the set directly from Fox so are able to give readers an early sneak peek. The films themselves are presented in both their theatrical versions and extended "special edition" versions, Even Alien3 comes in a half-hour longer version here, and they've gone to the trouble of re-recording bits of dialog and sound effects to clean up the audio from the restored portion to match the rest of the film. It is nice to have the choice to watch either cut of all four movies, and the SE version of the second film really adds depth to the story and the characters making a great film even better.

Each film gets the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 treatment (the first two films' theatrical cuts are also available in Dolby Digital 2.0 and 4.1 channel mixes). Sound is excellent overall, though perhaps not quite as bombastic as one might expect from such action-heavy titles. It seems like more should be coming from behind us at times, and the low bass rumble of the weapon fire and explosions is lacking ever so slightly in deep extended bass. But these are fairly minor criticisms as the sound is clean, imaging is precise, and dialog is clear and articulate throughout. The video transfers are clearly superior to the DVDs that came before them with rich detail, nicely saturated colors and deep blacks. H.R. Geiger's creepy organic art on the derelict alien ship in the first film has never looked so detailed and powerful and you can practically count the pores on young Sigourney Weaver's face. There are still minor instances of murky blacks, some ringing and softness here and there due to mild use of noise reduction, but overall, the transfers are pristine, considering the age of the films. The first two films, though the earliest, look the most improved here no surprise considering they have been painstakingly remastered at 4K resolution for this release. Only "Aliens" is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 nearly filling a standard 16:9 screen with thin black lines at the top and bottom. The rest of the films are presented in a CinemaScope 2.35:1 aspect.

The extras are extensive, to say the least (be prepared to spend some time here), with special features available on each disc, plus two entire Blu-ray Discs packed full of additional extras: one with "Making Of" documentaries, interview segments and behind-the-scenes footage, and one disc featuring the "Archives," chock full of seemingly every last piece of material -text, still photos and video -supporting the films and their back story. A helpful "MU-TH-UR" mode (with its own tutorial) is included to help you navigate through the massive amount of supplements even allowing us to go directly to specific chapters on other discs: just eject one and insert the other, and it will take you directly to the requested material. Pop the original disc back in and the player will remember where you left off, asking if you'd like to resume. A nice feature made possible via BD-Java.

At least one commentary track is available for each film ("Alien" has two), with every director but David Fincher (Alien3) participating in the commentary fun. All four films also have isolated score tracks (in Dolby Digital 5.1), so you can appreciate the nuances of the film's scores without any distracting dialog or sound effects. Although much of the supplementary materials used here are re-purposed from earlier home video releases (DVD and laserdisc), we found many new and extended interview segments and snippets we'd never seen before. I'm sure die-hard fans will find hours of enjoyment in the set, and the audio and video quality alone is worth the upgrade. I know I can never go back to the DVDs. Highly recommended!

UPDATE (10/24): Some early purchasers and reviewers have noted some compatibility issues with the set and certain hardware. We've tested the disc with twelve players so far (OPPO, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Philips, Toshiba and Sony), with mostly minor compatibility issues noted. On the OPPO BDP-83, the "Director's Cut" of "Alien" begins playing zoomed in with only the top left corner of the image visible. Hitting "Menu" then "Play" restores the image to its proper size. Also a Samsung BC-C6900 plays Ridley Scott's intro video to the Director's Cut of "Alien" squished to 4:3 (should be 16:9). Similarly a Philips BD-P7200 played the Ridley intro in a tiny window at the top of the screen, but the film itself played fine in both versions. But otherwise every player we've tested seems to play the set without issues. Some players are extremely slow to load the disc (particularly older players), but this is to be expected from such a BD-Java-heavy title. BD-Java can use quite a bit of on-board memory and processing power once you get fancy (and boy are these discs fancy!). We've tested the set on the following players: Panasonic DMP-BDT350, DMP-BD85, DMP-BD60, DMP-BD70V and DMP-BD35, Samsung BD-C6900, LG BD390, OPPO BDP-83, Sony PS3, Sony BDP-S350, Philips BD-P7200 and Toshiba BDX3000.

Please note: a more extensive review is available on our web site at BigPictureBigSound dot com, and a discussion of the compatibility issues is available on our forum.

Honest reviews on Alien Anthology (2013)

...shipped the US for $32.50 (thirty-two fifty, in case amazon censors prices) total. sure it will take a few weeks but who cares, that deal is amazing. yes the cover has that little "18 plus" insignia but whatever. the actual disc content is identical to the US version and will play on US Blu-Ray players (it is region free).

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Seriously, all 4 Alien movies for 33 bucks? What is there to think about? Nothing at all.

So, the only difference between the American set and the British import is literally the packaging. In the American version I believe you get a book type thing that is encased in cardboard sleeve. In the British version you get the same amount of discs, but in a plastic box that is encased in a cardboard sleeve. The quality is amazing. A reviewer previously stated that he was very unhappy with the remastering of these films, but I have to disagree. All 4 movies look spectacular. Alien has NEVER looked this good. All 4 films come with both the theatrical and alternate version. Also included are two discs that are full of extra features. For those of you who are worried about regional blocking, don't worry. I've seen all 4 films already and there hasn't been any problems whatsoever.

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Reviews

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You know you're not watching a formulaic comic book film when one of the highlights is a drunken rendition of "Can't Smile Without You" by Hellboy and Abe Sapien. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a more confident, assured outing than the first film and while it does not draw from Mignola's comics for its plot it is perhaps better off for it, lacking the usual burden of comparison and expectations. "The Golden Army" is more fantastical than the first film and is less sci-fi oriented but this is the sort of thing Del Toro does exceptionally well as a writer. He never lets the fantasy become the focus of the film, instead concentrating on characters and delivering action scenes that can only be described as, forgive the crass immaturity, kickass.

As entertaining as many comic book-to-film adaptations are it is a rare event when one can call one of these films a true artistic achievement. I am convinced without a shadow of a doubt that Guillermo Del Toro's entire career has been leading up to this film, particularly regarding his work as screenwriter here. The comedy feels less forced and is worked incredibly well into the script here, so much so that it doesn't feel remotely unnatural when the scene of comic drunken singing leads directly without a break into one of the film's most intensely dramatic sequences. Del Toro's handling of character has never been better, not even with "The Devil's Backbone", which is still my favorite of his films, and his sheer skill and ability when it comes to telling a fairytale-esquire fantasy is astonishing, as proved in the prologue to this film. In short this is Del Toro at the top of his game and providing artistry the likes of which we rarely if ever see in summer blockbusters. It's only fair that an astonishingly brilliant comic like "Hellboy" by an astonishingly brilliant artist like Mike Mignola is adapted this well and by someone as talented at what they do as he is.

How refreshing it is, a week after the release of "Hancock", which to me epitomizes everything wrong with action film-making today, that we get "The Golden Army" which features hands down some of the finest action scenes we have ever seen in this sort of film. Just stunningly beautiful, well-shot, well-crafted, the sort of thing that leaves one wondering how much time and effort went into it and endlessly thankful that some really talented people went to the trouble of making the film.

The film is generally just superb on a technical level. Why am I even saying this? Of course it is. Danny Elfman composing, Guillermo Navarro serving as cinematographer, top-notch editors, fantastic special effects wizards. It's a world-class crew that made this film. I shouldn't be surprised at its quality but "The Golden Army" really just floored and astonished me with how good it is. The cast is also excellent, proving once again that you don't need 'big names' to carry a movie. Just about everyone here is excellent, particularly Perlman with another excellent turn as Hellboy and the underrated Selma Blair as Liz Sherman.

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" provides essentially everything a Del Toro or Mignola fan would want. I imagine it will entertain and charm many outside those circles as well with its fantastic action sequences, engaging characters, and wonderful sense of humor. I would personally go as far as calling "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" one of the top five or so comic book movies ever made.

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Guillermo Del Toro has become the new master of dark fantasy -first with the quirky clockpunk "Hellboy," then with the Oscar-winning "Pan's Labyrinth." Not to mention forthcoming travels to Middle-Earth.

So you know he has the skills to pit Mike Mignola's scarlet anti-hero against an army of fairies and elves, and not make it silly. Instead, it's a spectacular dark fantasy full of humor, action, quirky appeal, romance, and some truly astounding special effects. But what really shoves this movie over the top is Del Toro's brilliant direction, and the stunning performance by Ron Perlman.

Decades ago, Professor Broom (William Hurt) told a small Hellboy a yuletide bedtime story about the Elf King Balor and his unstoppable Golden Army, and how the crown that controls the Army was split into thirds and divided among fairies and humans.

Well, you can't really expect that kind of power to never be revived.

Cut to current day. Hellboy (Perlman), Liz (Selma Blair) and Abe (Doug Jones) investigate a strange supernatural attack on an auction house, where the archeological curiosity known as the Crown of Bethmoora was being sold -only to be attacked by savage tooth fairies. Turns out the crown was stolen by Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), a resentful young elf who is determined to take the world back from humanity -using, of course, the Golden Army.

And while Hellboy chafes against strict new commander Johann Krauss (a suit filled with ectoplasm), Abe encounters Nuada's sister, Princess Nuala -who also happens to have the last third of the crown. But Nuada will not allow anyone to oppose him as he searches for the Golden Army's location, and Hellboy and his friends must venture into a strange, ancient kingdom to stop him from destroying all of humanity.

The worst you can say about "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is that it sticks to the formula of the demonic outsider with a dark destiny, and his continuing romantic woes. There's some retreading as Hellboy realizes anew that he'll never fit into the world of humans, because he's big and red and has horns and a tail. Okay, we got it. Next big psychological issue!

Fortunately those flaws are relatively minor ones. Del Toro is still able to spin a dark, twisted story with some truly bizarre creatures (the utterly alien, eye-winged Angel of Death), clockpunk robots, trippy underground goblin markets and a new BPRD agent who is basically ectoplasm in a suit. And for the action scenes, Del Toro does not pull punches when it comes to the smashing action scenes -giant thrashing vines and a one-on-one duel with Nuada are among the highlights.

With all this going on, it would be easy to neglect the characters. But Del Toro packs the script with solid snappy dialogue and some poignantly romantic moments -including some pretty startling actions from dear ol' Abe. And he also adds little moments to this epic story that remind us that these are supposed to be people -such as Hellboy's bickering with Krauss, or Abe and Hellboy getting drunk and having a little Manilow singalong together. It's just so cute.

But what really sets this movie apart is the "children of the Earth." No flitting Victorian sprites -these are creatures that are weird, grotesque, dangerous and immensely powerful, from nasty little tooth fairies up to vast rock monsters and plant gods. There's an alien, bizarre aesthetic to these creatures that feels wholly real, as if Neil Gaiman casually dropped a few sketches onto the drawing board.

But as amazing as the visuals are, Del Toro never neglects the characters. Perlman is perfect for the role of "big Red" -he's gruff, sarcastic, moody, but also endearing and self-deprecatingly likable. There are more hints of his potentially dark future, and he faces some delicately-handed temptations. But Big Red's good heart is still very much in the forefront, no matter how much human beings fear him.

Blair gives a more lively performance here as a spunkier Liz, who also has some surprising developments in store. Jones is pitch-perfect as the fish-man, who experiences the first pangs of young love for Nuala, while Goss gives a chilling, whispery performance as a rebel prince who is willing to do whatever it takes -even kill family -if it helps him restore the fey kingdom. Pretty good villain, since he clearly isn't trying to be bad.

There's also loads of extras in this particular edition of the movie -feature commentary with director Guillermo Del Toro, Jeffrey Tambor, Selma Blair and Luke Goss, as well as some deleted scenes also with commentary with Del Toro, a prologue to the movie, a digital script, image gallery, a "Puppet Theatre" for the opening sequences of the film, concept art, interviews, and other such stuff. Also making-of documentaries -seven mini-documentaries that visit the set, the "Troll Market Tour" in the movie's most memorable "faerie" setting, and the two-hour "Hellboy: In Service Of The Demon." Basically, it turns the film inside-out and lets you examine its guts.

"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" is a wild, darkly ornate ride through the world of half-forgotten gods and fey. While it has a few flaws, those are far outweighed by the brilliant of Del Toro's vision.

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Fans of dark fantasy movies will definitely like this one. If you take Pan's Labyrinth and add more creatures, and then give it an injection of humor, and sprinkle some Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, some Fantastic Four, and a little Lord of the Rings, and last of all let Neil Gaiman put the finishing touches, you'll probably get Hellboy II or a reasonable facsimile thereof.

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. Humans and mythical creatures are at it again

2. One crown rules an indestructible golden army

3. Uneasy lies the head that wants to wear the crown

4. All Hellboy breaks loose after a visit from the tooth fairies

5. The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense sends a gasbag to lead the team into the bowels of New York City

6. Hellboy may be red and angry, but it's Liz (Selma Blair) who's the hottie

7. Big fights, big guns and big fun follows

8. `Twas beauty that tamed the beast

When the BPRD agents are called to take on the job of stopping rogue Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) they get a lot more than the main responsibilities listed on their job descriptions. Battling mythical creatures, disobeying direct orders, and generally tearing the place apart, our heroes never let a little adversity get them down on the way to a stellar showdown.

This is a fantasy, an adventure, a battle of good against not-so-good, and a love story, all rolled into one red hot package.

Rated: 4.5 stars

Amanda Richards, July 23, 2008

Honest reviews on Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Outside of Ron Perlman's bravo performance as the title character, Hellboy, in the first film, what wowed me the most (as I stated in my previous Amazon review) was the deeply theological and emotional subtexts of that film. As much as I loved Ron Perlman's even more bravo performance in "The Golden Army", it took me a while to clue into the fact that some of the deepest subtexts in this second movie are a bit different than the first film.

I don't wish to indulge in any real spoilers this early in the game, but this new film has exchanged the theological subtext for a psychological one that is just as deep.

In the first film, the question was one of what made Hellboy a truly 'human' character. The answer was the right to choice based on free will. In this new film, the related question is whether or not Hellboy can ever truly fit in and should he even try. "The Golden Army", with the beneficial switch to Universal Pictures, makes a clever connection between Hellboy and Boris Karloff in "Bride of Frankenstein". Mr. Karloff's little cameo appearance as Frankenstein on one of Hellboy's many television sets in a significant scene with Elsa Lanchester as the titular Bride nails that subtext in just a few brief moments of film time in a way that a lot of surface action in the film never could have.

The father/son subtext of the first film is still here, but buried even more deeply as John Hurt's character of Hellboy's adoptive father, Trevor Bruttenholm, was murdered in the first film. We are reminded of his character by a cameo appearance of John Hurt as Trevor 'Broom' in a flashback to Hellboy's younger years; but hasn't anyone ever told Guillermo del Toro that, in the original comics, an eleven-year-old Hellboy would nowhere be as small as the character is portrayed in this flashback. In the original comics, once he get past ten years old, Hellboy is almost full grown physically, if not emotionally mature.

Yet, there is a further connection in the new film to that father/son subtext of the original film. It's too bad that it is one that will probably pass right over the heads of that portion of the audience who haven't see the first movie. In this second movie, both Hellboy and Prince Nuada are the sons of murdered fathers. Where the huge difference lies between these two characters is the identity of the villain who commited the murder.

Once again, we have a film of deep emotional, religious subtexts lurking under a fun, exciting, quip filled surface. Watch out for a drunken scene between Abe and Hellboy. I thought I'd die laughing; but it is those deeper subtexts that make me love Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy" movies and I can't wait for the third installment.

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It is good to see Mike Mignola's Dark Horse Comics working-class (SUPER) hero character return...along with most of the cast and original director Guillermo del Toro (now a bankable guy, thanks to PAN'S Labyrinth). Hellboy himself, again played by RON PERLMAN (TV's Vincent of "Beauty and the Beast" from back in the day), who has been under latex pretty much is entire career, infact, Hellboy maybe the closer to revealing his actual face than many of his other roles. But thankfully he returns to his greatest achievement to date...the gruff, working man archetype stogie and all. Of course he is nearly invulnerable, although that invulnerability is tested in the Golden Army as he faces plenty of Fairy folk, the supernatural and monsters for the Bureau of Paranormal Reserch and Defense (the bridge between the MIB and the Ghostbusters). RED is still a cat-lover and feeling under appreciated, ready to break into the public arena to receive to much deserved thanks for "savin' the world" on a daily basis. Selma Blair returns as Liz, the girlfriend who happens to be a "firestarter" aka pyrokinetic. Doug Jones returns as Abe Sapien's faceman empathic body (sounds like he is again voiced by David Hyde Pierce who refused on screen credit last time out of respect for Jones' impressive physical portrayal...so I think this is the case this time...) Abe is the smarts in the team and this time gets a love interest in Princess Nuala, which opens for so great scenes with RED giving advice while the pair get drunk and sing Manilow. Genus and worth the price of Ticket, rental or DVD, whichever the case may be. The great Jeff Tamor is back as the BPRD's resident "suit" New to the team is Johann Kraus a German...well poltergeist in a retro containment suit, voice by Seth MacFarlane, the doctor can inhabit objects and he is sent into BPRD HQ to tighted the reigns on HELLBOY who has blown his covert status and is known to the world now...thus the massive TV ad campaign featuring Big RED on with James Lipton and the Ghosthunters (beautiful, youTube it if you missed it).

The story goes like this, back when HELLBOY was a er...Hell Boy...his adopted father (William Hurt) Prof. Broom told he a bedtime tale about an Elf King Balor and his INDESTRUCTABLE ARMY of clockwork machine-men things....the flashback / story time imagery is lovely stop-action-style puppetry...the war against humans was ceased and the Army controlling crown, broken into three parts....never to be reassembled....buuuut....

The Prince, twin son of King Balor had other ideas....Hellboy and the team must stop him from regaining the crown and sending the Golden Army to destroy man. Beginning at an art auction where the Prince unleashes disturbing swarms of "tooth fairies" to regain part of the crown.

Like it's predecessor Hellboy 2, isn't heavy with computer monster...most of the creatures are amazing costumes and make-up, (overcoming the major flaw in many superhero movies...) The outsider protagonist motif carries well in this one and suits the theme with RED coming terms with what he wants his place in the world to be... while this film is unlikely to win director Guillermo del Toro another 3 Oscars, it is fun and visiually pushes the boundaries of what is the mainstream Superhero genre....much more than you would expect and I am not nearly as worried about Guillermo del Toro's upcoming HOBBIT production...if HB 2 is any indication it is in good hands and I think we may expect a 3rd Hellboy, too.

Inferno Review

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It's a disadvantage in not seeing this film in it's original 3-D.

But even as a 2-D character thriller, it's pretty effective in a

B-movie way.

In its time, it wasn't seen as a B-movie, with the high end 3D process,

and being one of the first films in stereo. But seeing it as a B-movie

now gives a better feel for its strengths (which are considerable) and

forgiveness for it's weaknesses.

A man with a broken leg has been left to die out in the Mojave desert

by his wife and her younger lover. While this couple 's actions are

clearly unforgivable, the man they abandon isn't particularly

sympathetic himself. As played by Robert Ryan he's a wealthy, selfish

spoiled brat, used to having things on his terms, not caring much for

the feelings of others. I admired the film's bravery in having such a

hard to like anti-hero, and still succeeding in getting us caught up in

his struggle to survive. (If this were made today, Hollywood would

never dare have a survival film hero this dark).

It's sort of desert film noir bright and colorful instead of black

and white and shadowy, but the feel is the same a world of seedy

characters and moral quagmires.

On first viewing, while always interesting, it lacked those deeper

layers that make a classic noir. I enjoyed it, will re-watch it, but

never felt deeply involved emotionally and started to forget it fairly

quickly once it was done. Whereas, say, 'Double Indemnity', was

permanently stamped on my brain from a first viewing. So this might not

be a classic, but it's still wellworth catching.

This Spanish release is of quite good quality. It was made by 20th Century

Fox in Spain, so it's not a ripped off version. Rumor has it that a long

overdue US release is finally in the works.

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Finally, 20th Century Fox has released an official region 1 version of "Inferno". And it is a very nice technicolor print, in it's original aspect ratio of 1.37: 1. Others can debate as to whether or not a technicolor film can be a film noir, I'll just enjoy for what it is--a fairly straight forward story an unfaithful wife (Rhonda Fleming) and her lover (William Lundigan) trying to kill her wealthy, drunkard of a husband (Robert Ryan). And as a bonus, Rhonda Fleming looks gorgeous in technicolor.

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I had just seen INFERNO at the 3-D film festival in Hollywood and thought it was one of the best pictures at the event. This DVD release was beautiful in Technicolor. This is a movie to own.

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I found this film interesting and it held my interest for the entire time. Excellent print as well. Robert Ryan was excellent as the man left to die in the desert.

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An actor who thinks his lines; we hear his thoughts,

crawling through the desert and rocks, so we are closer to it and experience it,

with a determination and craftiness to live, exploding from his mind.

It was only vauge memory from so long ago, and I only saw a part of it but knew that it was Robert Ryan;

So, today every movie an actor ever made is listed but you are lucky if someone has it.

I thought the idea was wild and stuck in my impressionable mind.

I like prospecting for this gold, that has such strong feelings from my past, too.

Discount The Groove Room

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WHAT THE SWEDISH BUTLER SAW (aka THE GROOVE ROOM and TICKLED PINK) was made in the 1970s and was shot and released in polarized (clear glasses) 3-D. The VHS is flat; however a 3-D DVD under THE GROOVE ROOM title is available. Unfortunately, it has been converted to the inferior (red/cyan glasses) anaglyph format, which looks nothing like the original 3-D did. Some scenes have some interesting depth but the anaglyph conversion isn't the best. Don't judge 3-D by what you see here, the film didn't look like this in theatres with the polarized glasses.

A flat 2-D version is also included, and most viewers will probably stick with it. An audio commentary by the director and producer is also included and worth a listen.

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Based on the underground Victorian novel, "A Man with a Maid," this film wastes a good deal of time with nonsense like Jack the Ripper hiding out in a hidden room and watching as Jack seduces Alice, the lady who jilted him. Sadly, the results, and the silly 3D gimmicks do little to recreate the erotic scenes from the original novel. Perhaps someday someone will do a proper X-rated adaptation of "A Man with a Maid," but the Groove Room isn't it.

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She threw it at my head. :) This movie had a budget of approximately two dollars and seventeen cents. I'd call it an utter turkey, but that would be an insult to respectable turkeys everywhere. They did not use real actors for this, instead substituting cardboard figures controlled by string (Just like the Phantom Menace!) Ah, hell, why am I reviewing this? It's softcore porn and pretty terrible at it. The tickling scene isn't bad, though. Buy it for a practical joke like I did. :)

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If you want to watch one of the worst movies ever made, try "The Green Slime' or "The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman." At least these other features are silly and have some "reel" pathos. Terrible, terrible, terrible!

Review of Dunston Checks in (1996)

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Ah, the simple pleasures in life. Monkey movies are getting to be few and far between, with the bad ones overtaking the good. (Did anyone see Ed with Matt LeBlanc, yeah, i didn't think so) All those that feel that the genre of monkey movies is almost dead should see the brilliant Dunston Checks In. This film has it all: a monkey that wreaks havoc in a swanky hotel, and Jason Alexander really overacting. Jason, lighten up bud! you are in a monkey movie! The real pleasure comes in knowing that this film was an attempt to breath life into the monkey movie genre, a field that has been over looked by the Oscars for numerous years. The only problem with this film is that it is far too short. When will filmakers realize that monkey films should be epics, not 90 minute comedies. Give me an epic monkey movie over the same old Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy garbage anyday. Dunston, i think i speak for everyone when i say: I love you!

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I like this movie very much. My favorite thing in the whole movie is Paul Reubens as Buck LaFarge, the animal control man. It is a childrens movie, but overall well acted and funny. Jason Alexander, Faye Dunnaway, and Rupert Everet are also very good.

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My granddaughter asked for this item for Christmas, she loves, and watches it and leased once or twice a week, thanks

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A really cute movie for all ages. The acting is excellant and its a movie you can watch over and over again and never tire of it.

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Good old-fashioned clean, wholesome, family fun movie. I recommend this for any home that has pre-teens. Fun to look back on, and watch over again.

Cheap On Borrowed Time (1939)

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This unforgettable family fantasy from the 30s is about a crotchity, salt-of-the-earth grandfather who loves his young grandson, Pud. Troubled by apple thieves, Gramps makes a wish that anyone who climbs his apple tree would have to stay there until he lets them down. When Death comes to visit, he is trapped in the tree and now no one in the world can die. Sounds good, doesn't it? But Gramps soon discovers it's not.

Barrymore is utterly convincing as the cantankerous, warm-hearted Gramps. He plays the role in a wheel chair due to debilitating arthritis and the final scene where he appears to walk is therefore especially poignant. As Death, Sir Cedric Hardwicke is chilling and yet kindly and wise; he takes people to Eternity, which, as Gramps would say is, "a right smart piece o' time."

Despite its age, the movie is timeless, sweet, and inspiring. If you love someone or have experienced loss, this movie will affect you deeply and it's worth watching more than once. Heartily recommended.

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This film is absolutely charming. Lionel Barrymore is Julian Northrup or Gramps, a likeable curmudgeon who dotes on his grandson, Pud (Bobs Watson), a precious little boy. Miss Nellie (Beulah Bondi), Pud's gramma is always happily aghast at the trouble that Gramps and Pud gets themselves into.

Pud's parents die tragically in a car accident. They've been taken by Mr. Brink, the living embodiment of death, played by the very dapper Cedric Hardwicke. Mr. Brink isn't done with their family however, and visits Gramps home.

Through a chain of events, they discover that anyone who goes up into an apple tree in the backyard cannot get down until gramps tells them they can. They trap Mr. Brink in the tree, and the story only gets better from there.

I left watching this movie with a wonderfully comforted feeling, that loves knows no bounds. I recommend this film to all my friends and family, it's a charmer.

Don't let the color picture of the box displayed fool you, it's in it's original glorious black and white.

If you enjoy the "love conquers death" movie genre, check out "What Dreams May Come" and "Death Takes a Holiday" which inspired the film, "Meet Joe Black".

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This wonderful fantasy has been a long time coming to DVD. It's a five star movie with a three star dvd transfer. It's part of the Warner Brothers Archive Collection. You might want to hold on to your vhs copy of this film, however. The DVD is of marginal quality. Particularly during the opening credits, there is an annoying flutter that makes you want to fine tune your TV. The overall picture quality is somewhat "soft" and not quite as crisp as the vhs version. Most films in the WB Archive Collection have NOT been restored or enhanced so don't expect the same quality that you might find in other studio dvd releases. Don't be a victim of the Amazon Marketplace sellers who have doubled the price plus shipping. You can buy it directly from the WBshop at $19.95 with free shipping with a minimum purchase.

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This superlative 1939 classic film is an underrated silver screen gem. Sure to tug at the viewer's heartstrings, it is peppered with superb performances by the entire cast. Charming, funny, and, ultimately, heartbreaking, it is based upon an age old, medieval folktale that will not fail to move the viewer.

When young Pud Northrup (Bobs Watson) is unexpectedly orphaned, he remains with his elderly, paternal grandparents, Nelly (Beulah Bondi) and Julian Northrup (Lionel Barrymore). The adorable Pud loves his doting Granny and his curmudgeonly, but affectionate, wheelchair bound Gramps.

All is well in the Northrup household until Puds aunt, the greedy Demetria Wiffle (Eily Malyon), discovers that Pud's parents left him a sizable inheritance. From then on, Demetria will stop at nothing to get legal guardianship of Pud. Gramps, however, will stop at nothing to keep her from his little grandson, whom he adores. Not even death has reckoned with the will of Gramps.

When death comes, calling himself Mr. Brink (Cedric Hardwicke), Granny succumbs to his charms, but Gramps resists, managing to get Mr. Brink nestled in the apple tree in the yard. There he patiently sits, as Gramps refuses to let him down. This eventually has unexpected repercussions, some funny and some infinitely sad. It is a cautionary tale that tells the viewer to be careful what one wishes for, as one just may get one's wish.

Beulah Bondi is heartwarming as Granny, and Bobs Watson is affecting as the adorable Pud. Eily Malyon is suitably malevolent as greedy and conniving Aunt Demetria, and Cedric Hardwicke gives an excellent, straightforward performnce as Mr. Brink. The rest of the supporting cast is also terrific in their respective roles. It is, however, the great Lionel Barrymore who steals the show with an extraordinary performance that will leave the viewer both laughing and crying. This is a film that will appeal to all those who love a great fantasy film, as well as those who love classic, vintage films. Bravo!

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I saw this movie for the fist time when I was growing up in Buckeye, Arizona...over 40 years ago. It made an indelible impression and haunted me for years. However, it was out of print and unavailable until a few short years ago. It was with great delight that I purchased this film and watched...and rewatched it over and over again. I've passed it from one friend to another, who...with only one exception (there is always someone in the crowd) throughly enjoyed it. Admittedly, this is your classic tear jerker...or, what would be euphemistically called these days, a "Chick Flick". The film's theme revolves around the eternal quest to outwit Death...and in this movie...Lionel Barrymore manages to do just that...but with unexpected consequences. He finds that by beating Death, much unnecessary pain and suffering has been caused. In this particular case, it's the suffering of his small grandson who has fallen from an apple tree and should have died, but didn't. Not until Barrymore finally realizes that Death is nothing to fear...and is in fact a bearer of a great gift...does he finally allow Death to get on with his job. The ending of this movie is one of the most touching and beautiful of any you will ever experience. I suggest you have a box of tissues close by. Recently, I watched this movie with my husband who had never seen it before. Mr. "I Never Cry At The Movies", had tidal wave size tears in his eyes by the movies end. Corny...yes. Wonderful...you bet. This is a must have, especially if you are considering purchasing this as a "family" film. Add On Borrowed Time to your video library.

Son of Frankenstein (1939) Review

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"Son of Frankenstein", was the third and last in the series of horror classics to feature Boris Karloff in his most famous part as Frankenstein's monster. After the classic "Frankenstein", and "Bride of Frankenstein", this film was a fitting farewell to his unforgettable characterisation after which the Frankenstein stories were passed over to Universal's "B" movie department and resulted in lesser quality efforts with other actors playing the monster to less effect.

While the film misses the florid direction of the great James Whale who was responsible for the first two installments in the horror trilogy, "Son of Frankenstein", has much to commend it to the viewer. The story is picked up many years after the death of Dr. Frankenstein and the supposed destruction of his murderous creation. We see his son the sophisticated Baron Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) arrive with his family to finally claim his inheritance and occupy Castle Frankenstein. There he finds he and his family aliented from the fearful townspeople after their experiences with hi sfather and also under extreme suspicion from local Inspector Krogh (wonderfully played by horror veteran Lionel Atwill) who as a child lost an arm in a savage confrontation with the monster and thus holds a grudge against the house of Frankenstein. Coming into contact with the broken necked peasant shepherd Ygor (played by legendary Bela Lugosi in one of his best performances) who lives in the old laboratory, Frankenstein discovers the sleeping body of the monster who was not destroyed after all. Bent on clearing his father's name plus reviving the monster, Frankenstein succeeds too well and not only revives the monster but finds it goes on another killing spree after Ygor uses the monster for his own evil designs in killing off all of the villagers who were responsible for trying to hang him years before. It is true in "Son of Frankenstein", that the monster is very much a background character here as the main focus is placed on Rathbone. This is not necessarily a set back as this tale is a much less up beat one with the monster no longer having alot of the human qualities it possessed in the earlier films that succeeded in drawing sympathy from the audience. Here he has few redeeming qualities and is shown as a cold blooded murderer that rarely creates any sympathy. The one scene where some human element in his character comes through is when after being revived in Frankenstein's laboratory he sees himself in the mirror and recoils in disgust at his pathetic appearance beside that of the debonair Baron frankenstein. The tragic finale of the film which sees the monster flung into a bubbling sulphur pit is one of the great horror movie moments and is a justly memorable conclusion to Karloff's legendary creation.

"Son of Frankenstein", benefits from a much larger budget than the earlier films and indeed some of the creakiness of those efforts is not present here as we see a top rate Universal production for the 1939 year. The look of the film is definately more sinister here, gone are the sunny landscapes of the earlier films. Here the landscape is perpetually storm ridden and darkness prevails in every scene. Even the interiors and architecture have a strange unsettling quality to them and the sets for Castle Frankenstein in particular are positively awesome with their unsettling sloping walls and odd angled staircases lacking any human warmth and creating a feeling of unease and impending doom. They contribute greatly to the darker more fearful atmosphere of this installment in the Frankenstein series.

I personally love all three Karloff outings in this series, "Frankenstein", "Bride of Frankenstein", and "Son of Frankenstein". In this trilogy Boris Karloff created a horror legend that was never equalled and the Frankenstein stories quickly degenerated after these three efforts. Although more of a darker horror outing than the first two films lacking as it does the humour and pathos of Whales creation, "Son of Frankenstein", is a memorable viewing experience and highly recommended to all lovers of classic horror stories.

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While 'Son of Frankenstein' may not be as frightening as the original 'Frankenstein' or as good of an all around movie as 'Bride of Frankenstein' before it, this movie excels in two areas which make it one of the best classic scare-fests ever; production and cast. In terms of production value, this is a very slick and well put together film; in my opinion it is the most visually impressive of the vintage Universal films, with elaborate sets that you can tell involved a lot of detail (and a lot of money!). In terms of the cast, this is easily the best cast of any classic horror film ever made. This is the last of three performances by Boris Karloff as the Monster, and although he is obviously putting on some weight and doesn't seem to be quite as enthusiastic about the whole Monster thing by the time this movie was made, there was still never a better Frankenstein Monster anyhwhere. Ever. Period, end of discussion. Basil Rathbone is a slick, likable actor who does a wonderful job of assuming the 'hero' role as the title character, and puts on a good show as paranoia catches up with him throughout the second half of the film. Bela Lugosi gives what some call his best performance as Ygor the Hunchback; I don't know if I can bring myself to say that Dracula was not his best role, but nonetheless he is wonderfully grimy and creepy and seems to be very much having a blast playing this very out-of-character role. And Lionel Atwill, a stalwart in the great Universal Monsterfests of the 1940s, gives an unforgettable performance as the noble, suspicious, and vaguely odd one-armed police inspector Krogh, loyal policeman who, although willing to protect the doctor with his life from bloodthirsty villagers, always has one eyebrow raised in suspicion as to what exactly the goings-on in the castle are. This is a long movie for it's day and it's genre (about 100 minutes) and it may lack some of the dark, graveyard atmosphere that the original two movies had (and in a campy unrefined way the later ones had a little bit of this too). Still, it is a fun movie to watch that has it's moments and has four genre legends in their relative prime. I know I could watch this one again and again.

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'Son Of Frankenstein' is the last great Frankenstein film! Karloff would say goodbye to the role that made him a star forever after this picture. The sets are great and the atmosphere is rich, add Rathbone and Lugosi with excellent performances and you got yourself a top notch monster movie. Karloff spends most of the film comatose which it a shame because he really does bring this character to life and without him the film becomes talky. This is the longest 'Frankenstein' film at 100 minutes which goes by quickly watching this third outing. Those factors make me bring the rating of the film down to 4 1/4 stars. The ending is very memorable and it could have been a great ending to the series but.......you can't keep a great monster down! Five more 'Frankenstein' films would follow. This is available on DVD on Frankenstein Legacy set and a double bill with 'Ghost of Frankenstein'. The DVD transfers are very good.

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Although Frankenstein, and Bride of Frankenstein are great films, the Son of Frankenstein was the first to point out that the monster was immortal, and was constructed to have awesome power. In addition, the monster has a tender relationship with Basil Rathbone's little boy, and points out that only the predjudice of adults led to his troubles in fitting in with humans. This is actually my favorite of the Karloff trio. Karloff's monster looks and acts more like his first treatment (waxen and mute) and thereby more mysterious. Karloff had put on some weight and looked more powerful and scary that ever. Bela Lugosi gave the performance of his career. The last good Frankenstein movie. Boris Karloff is the only one to achieve greatness in this character.

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SON OF FRANKENSTEIN doesn't quite approach the quality of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, but it has style and histrionics to spare. Director Rowland V. Lee lacks James Whale's flair for macabre humor, but does a great job with pace and atmosphere. The cast is top notch, too.Karloff makes his final starring appearance as the Monster. While his performance is excellent, the Monster isn't nearly as sympathetic a character as he was in FRANKENSTEIN and BRIDE. Bela Lugosi was never better as the mad Ygor, proving beyond a doubt that he was capable of more than just endless variations of Dracula. Lionel Atwill also gives one of his best performances as the wooden armed police chief.