Strawberry Blonde (1941) Reviews

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James Cagney is often overlooked as an action star who played gangsters. True enough.

But if you are looking for a Cagney flick that shows him in great breadth and depth in comedy and romance -you must see The Strawberry Blonde.

I adore Cagney -and will even watch a bad Cag flick because he is just so awesome. In the gangster flicks he is imcomparable. But catch me in the right mood, and I'll say that The Strawberry Blonde is just about the best film he ever made.

First of all, you have a great cast -Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Jack Carson, Alan Hale Sr., George Tobias -who all play wonderful characters, flirts and scoundrels.

Then you have a fantastic, engaging screenplay by the famous Epstein brothers (who wrote clever dialogue for such classics as Casablanca) about turn-of-the-century life in New York.

Then, there is Cagney who will make you laugh, fall in love, and cry. The scenario is perhaps overused -a man falls in love with a society girl (Hayworth) whom he can never have, and rebounds in a marriage with a "plain" girl, played by de Havilland (who is anything but plain). Only after many trials and tribulations does he truly see the love and goodness in his marriage.

Sounds pretty serious, but it's a hilarious piece, with Cagney as the would-be suitor. A scene in a park where he is stuck with de Havilland when he would rather be with Hayworth, shows him at his best comedic flair, as a rude, pouting heartsick fellow. While Hayworth is giggling and flirting with another fellow behind some rocks in a silly, shallow exchange, de Havilland (with more substance than Cagney sees at the time) tries to engage him in conversations he will have no part of, then baits him with "advanced ideas" about women's rights. Needless to say, he is unimpressed, and the reactions are side splitting.

This film also is interesting because it shows the romance of which he was capable but rarely showed in his films. Cagney rarely kissed onscreen for more than a peck, finding mush embarrassing and counter to his screen image.

Here, he doesn't go much further, but finds other ways to express the romance and love in his heart to de Havilland. After a melodramatic turn, where he winds up in prison, he meets de Havilland in the park after his stint is up, and clutches her to him with a hug full of passion, desperation, love and sadness. It's the kind of embrace that happens between people in real life, and not often shown on film.

Finally, the music is wonderful, with songs like "Bill Bailey," "Let the Rest of the World Go By", "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louie," and "And the Band Played On." In fact, you get a few seconds of Cagney waltzing with Hayworth to "And the Band Played On." Not enough of Cagney's footwork is shown, but Lordy, could he dance!

Well, needless to say, you should see this The Strawberry Blonde.

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THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE is a forgotten masterpiece of the Hollywood of yesteryear. Through subtle,dreamy narrative and photography that reminds one of a long gone summer afternoon turning to autumn, Walsh follows Biff Grimes(Cagney in a nicely nuanced performance) and his journey from the spitoon to the clink to the altar. Haunting and unforgettable, a gentle,broadminded stunner about the games called society and marriage, and it's effects on the players who are fated to follow the rules of the game.

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I have heard nothing but positive comments about this movie. I loved it!! Bought it on VHS, sight unseen about 15 years ago, and I have watched a million times since then. Rita Hayworth is superb, James Cagney gives his best performance ever, Olivia DeHaviland shows us what every woman should be like, Alan Hale shows us his comical genius(far better than The Skipper) and even Jack Carson delivers his lines like no other. This movie is classic, beautiful, thought provoking and a great time. Ending it by signing the the title song makes it so whimsical. Please Warner Bros, please release this on DVD, my tape is wearing thin.

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Set around 1910 in New York, James Cagney as dentist Biff Grimes comes to the conclusion that he's better off married to Olivia de Havilland (playing Amy) than he would have been if married to Rita Hayworth (as Virginia). Sweet on Hayworth from the start, he loses her to big shot contractor Jack Carson and marries de Havilland on the rebound. Before finding the straight and narrow, Cagney gets involved with one of Carson's schemes and takes the fall for him, going to prison for five years. When he gets out he sets up his dentistry practice with de Havilland right by his side. An emergency brings Carson to Cagney's office one day needing an extraction, and Cagney thinks first of giving him too much gas and doing away with him. But he then wakes up to the realization that de Havilland is best for him and merely yanks Carson's tooth with no gas at all.

The movie is amusing and tender, and the two female principals seem to steal the picture from the ever-present Cagney. Both are excellent and Cagney is at his clowinish best as well. Raoul Walsh directed to perfection, and the script is much better than average. Hugely entertaining and delightful to watch.

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This is one of my all time favorite movies! Although the main character, Biff Grimes, is played by the wonderful James Cagney, I watch this movie just to see Olivia de Havilland. If Amy Lind was played by any other actress, her character would would probably seem one-demensional. The character of Amy has to be played by an actress who is able to be hilariously funny at one moment and hopelessly romantic at another. That's why I love watching Olivia de Havilland in this movie. de Havilland didn't always play roles quite like this. Yes, she was in light-hearted comedies, and Yes, she was in dramatic tear-jerkers. But this is one of the few movies where she had to do both at the same time (she's just soooo awesome)! She pulls this role off so well not to metion I think she looks the prettiest in this movie out of all of her films.

The story of "The Strawberry Blonde" is about Biff Grimes (Cagney) who strives to be a dentist. He falls in love with Virginia Brush, the strawberry blonde (played by Rita Hayworth). The problem arises when Biff's buiness partner, Hugo (played by Jack Carson) also falls for Virginia. Biff doesn't see that Virginia only has eyes for... Hugo's money. He agrees to go on a double date, and there he meets Amy Lind, the beautiful red-head's girlfriend (played by the AMAZING Olivia de Havilland). So, without spoiling the movie for you, I'll say this: Biff marries Amy and they live happily ever after...or do they? To find out for yourself, see the movie!!

Besides the wonderfully talented cast I mentioned up about, the rest of the cast includes George Tobias as Biff's best friend, Alan Hale, Sr. as Biff's flirtin' Irish father, and Una O'Connor (with whom he flirts!)

I know you will enjoy this movie because of it's classic story, talented cast, and because it's so incredibly funny (but I still cry every time)!!!!!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Two-Disc Special Edition) Review

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Like many of you who purchased the first two ultimate editions at a pretty penny, i was expecting extended editions of movies 3 and 4. What a disappointment! Were the big wigs at WB thinking that their fans would triple dip editions when they bring out all films in one super ultimate collection? I already owned all of the HP on Blu, but sold them when i started buying the Ultimate editions. I will NOT be purchasing 3 and 4. Very poor on WB's part to say its ultimate, and include 8 hours of bonus materials, but not the few extra scenes that regularly show on TV. Very poor indeed.

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When Warner Bros. introduced this ultimate edition set last year my wife was thrilled. Naturally I ordered them for her as she is a huge Harry Potter fan, and I enjoy the movies as well. When we received the first 2 Ultimate Edition movies we were blow away by both the packaging and the amount of extra content included. For the first time in a long time we felt like we were really getting our money's worth and eagerly awaited the next two movies. Well the day the movies became available for pre-sale I slapped our order in and we anxiously awaited the release. Now a few weeks ago I did a little browsing online and realized that neither of the two Ultimate edition movies releasing this year contained extended editions of the movie, which was one of the main reasons we purchased the set last year. We've owned both the HD-DVD years 1-5 special box set, and then upgraded to the Blu-Ray version(still own these). After discussing it with my wife, she decided she still wanted the Ultimate Edition's this year (3 and 4) so I kept our preorder. Well today we received the products in the mail, and before I get into anything else I have to rant a little bit.

First thing I noticed with this years Ultimate Editions, the boxes are MUCH lower quality than last years. My wife unwrapped year 3 and the way they have it packaged is very flimsy and easy to tear, which she did. They added a holographic cover to both movies this year which looks great, but the way they have it packaged its going to rip and tear if you plan on watching your movies.

Gone is the magnetic snap that clasped the case shut in years 1 and 2.

Both of these "Ultimate" Edition movies seem to be cheapened and lesser in quality not to mention the lack of extended editions of hte movie which is why MOST people purchased them in the first place.

Warner Bros. knew that people were going to buy these, especially those that had already slapped down the money for Years 1 and 2. Late last week I wrote a letter to Warner Bros. asking them why they decided to not include the extra content from the movies that we know exists (it runs on the family channel).

I do NOT suggest picking up Years 3 and 4, even if you already own years 1 and 2. 1 and 2 are totally worth the money, and are great sets even if you own the first two movies because they add to them. These sets add nothing worth the cost, and ruin what could have been an excellent set to own..

:(

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The third installment of the Harry Potter films was ready for a new director, and Alfonso Cuaron seemed a likely choice. Chris Columbus was admirable in his fidelity to the plot of the first two books, but as Harry becomes a teenager and faces a more complex life, Columbus's candy-coated style is no longer appropriate. So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to the "darker" style that Cuaron promised.

In some respects I was not disappointed. Cuaron's interpretation of Harry's world is defined by inscrutable shadows and colored in misty greens and greys, rather than red-and-gold tapestry of movies one and two. This new palette is more natural, and in keeping with that, far more of the movie takes place out of doors. Cuaron gives Hogwarts a greater sense of age as well, making a crumbling courtyard and rickety bridge over a gorge central to many scenes. These locations, as well as the huge pendulum in the entry hall and clock face that Harry sits inside at one point, are a nicely subtle way to weave in the movie's (and book's) theme of time and how the past can't ever be completely undone.

Cuaron handles some scenes very well, especially brief, telling gestures or moments that provide character definition, such as the bit where Hermione grabs Ron's hand which made it into the trailer, and another where the two of them have an awkward conversation outside the Shrieking Shack. Other highlights include Harry and his dorm-mates up late eating candy that makes them impersonate animals (touchingly shows how very teenage they are); and a moment when Sirius, trying desperately to hold Lupin back from his change to werewolf, places his hand over Lupin's chest and says "You live in this heart!" which is made all the more poignant because we know he can't stop the transformation.

Some plot points have been sacrificed in order to keep the film to a manageable length. Most of the time this works, as when Harry meets with Snape and Lupin in a beautifully lit nighttime corridor, precipitating the handover of the Marauder's Map and Lupin's realization that Peter Pettigrew lives; or when Harry receives the Firebolt from Sirius at a different point in the movie than in the book. There were, however, two changes which seemed inexplicable to me. First, the patronus charm is made into a shield of light rather than an animal which charges down the dementors. This eliminates Harry's discovery of his father within himself through his stag patronus (he does see a stag of light when he rescues himself at the lakeside, but when we see him from the perspective of rescuer there is no stag, and this is never explained). Similarly, even though Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are named on the Marauder's Map, the nicknames and their relationship to Lupin, Pettigrew, Sirius, and James Potter is never explained. It would have taken only a few more minutes to add that explosition, which would have strengthened Harry's cinematic connections to his father tremendously.

All in all, I think it's possible that the viewers who enjoy this film the most will be those who haven't read the book. As someone who is very familiar with the Harry Potter book series, I kept finding myself hung up on the changes to the story (and just how much depth was lost) even as I enjoyed the beautiful cinemetography and deft handling of characters' relationships. My hope is that whoever directs film four is able to take some of Cuaron's artistic sensibilities and combine them with Columbus's sense of wonder and attention to plot detail. That would truly do Harry justice.

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I loved this particular movie when compared to the series as a whole, but this is not why i'm writing this review.

This review concerns the "bonus" content for people who pre-order the dvd here on amazon. The "screensaver" is not an animated screensaver of the marauders map as you might think, which actually would have been quite nice if it had been done in the style of the map in the movie. You will be instructed to download a seperate application which will take over your windows screensaver functionality. The application is not very intuitive to use and I've since deactivated it. The "Marauders Map Screensaver" itself is nothing more then 3 random images of indistinct parts of the in-movie Marauder's Map with giant "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" logos that splashed everywhere. Its not very visually appealing as a screensaver and the images in opinion aren't very well done.

Just want to make sure that other people are aware of what exactly this bonus content is, and aren't buying the dvd here purely because of this. There is no marauders map style animation occuring here, and all that will be displayed are static images. I pre-ordered it here purely based on getting this bonus content, and I was rather disapointed with what i received.

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They have ruined this box set by not including extended versions of the films. The first 2 had them so I expected that all the movies on ultimate edition were going to be extended. Will no longer be buying these! Rumor has it they have tons of footage that was removed especially from the later movies. I heard like 30 to 45 mins worth. I was expecting each release to get longer extended versions then the past. Only thing making this still tempting is the new documentary's they have on each one. I wanted to see all those.

3D Bikini Beach Babes Issue #5 (2012) Review

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I bought this because I wanted to check out the series. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is in fact a factory-pressed disc and not a BD-R. The 3D is impressive, with a lot of 3D pop and depth/dimensionality to the image. The sunny beach locale no doubt helps in this regard, but the shots are composed fairly well. Scenes such as 1) the girls arranged in a circle building and destroying sand castles as the camera moves around them 2) the girls standing together in a straight line practicing some belly dancing moves while the camera moves down the row behind them or 3) the girls doing the limbo as the camera stands in front of them are especially memorable in terms of the 3D effect. One missed 3D opportunity though is when the girl Amanda is juggling the balls on the beach. I immediately thought of the juggling scene in Friday the 13th Part 3 and would love to see that shot updated for Blu-ray 3D (the camera placed above the juggler with the balls coming at the camera/viewer as they are sent upwards). I did notice some artifacting and banding during 2 segments near the end of the disc, but for the most part the video is solid and stable with very few issues.

There are 12 girls in all plus a host, who is a bit on the bland side and pretty forgettable. They are your standard California girls with a dream, who all seem to have projects in the works ranging from modeling to parts in movies to a reality TV show. The selection in this volume certainly favors brunettes over blondes. My favorites in this edition were Keoni, one of the 2 African-American girls (you can see her on the rear of the case artwork) and Chenay, a blonde who makes me think of Kate Upton for some reason. All the girls are interviewed and have voiceovers during their segments but you can just turn the volume off and focus on the visuals if you so choose. The girls who were more memorable with regards to what they actually had to say were Amanda, a waif-thin "parts" model, and Erline, who kept talking about how she likes to help people channel their "sexual energy".

While the audio is only Dolby Digital 2.0, I don't think this type of product is hurt that much by the lack of an HD audio stream. I certainly didn't find myself wishing that the stock music soundtrack had been upgraded to DTS-HD Master Audio or something (I must admit it's a thankless job writing original music for any type of release such as this. You're required to write short instrumental pieces in a variety of styles and it's really hard to make any of those segments memorable, except in a repetitive kind of way). A few of the girls' interview segments were a little muffled and hard to understand but that is due to how they were recorded and not a fault of the disc itself.

The main program runs for 63 minutes, and there is also a 3D slideshow, a picture slideshow, a trailer reel of other titles in the Bikini Babes series, and a 3D glasses setup tool. Personally I did not find the tool to be necessary, since my 3D glasses and this disc worked together without any issues. It's important to note that this disc will also play in 2D with a non-3D setup. Overall, this title offers a solid 3D bang for your buck.

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Or she may just shake her head at you and give you the "Your so Lame look". Beaches are beautiful in 3D. GIRLS Well being married "NO COMMENT" but worth the inexpensive price especially for 3D.

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This is the 5th episode of Bikini Beach Babes, Which is a great addition to the series, sexy ladies on beach in HD AND 3D! Can't ask for much more then that! Simply put..this was a fun watch with a lot of things to see :)

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Simply put, if you were a fan of issues 1-4...then you are going to be equally as satisfied as you were with those other ones. Although not my personal favorite of the five issued released, still a GREAT Blu-Ray. Sexy Girls, Blu Ray,and IN 3D? How could you go wrong with this? Answer? You can't. Now buy the blu-ray!

Cheap John Carter (2012)

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I went in to "John Carter" filled with trepidation. I often avoid these big, splashy CGI spectacles that never live up to their promises and I was sure that this film was going to be nothing more than lots of cinematic eye candy and short on substance. Added to that there was a lot of lackluster critical reviews. Well, all I can say is that this was a grand entertainment and I am so glad I caught it on the big screen!

I've heard some critics say the plot was a mess and overly convoluted. Really? My suggestion to them is "don't text while watching a movie, you might miss something". I found the plot fairly well done and actually made sense (if only the last Star Trek film had that going for it) and was interesting to boot.

I also read that the look of Barsoom (Mars to you and me) was dull and uninteresting. Hmmm, never been an admirerer of the stark and raw beauty of the American southwest I guess. Personally I found Barsoom to be beautiful, alien, exotic and familiar all at the same time. After all, the Mars rovers have confirmed that the Red Planet does indeed look like our American southwest and I for one happen to think both places very scenic.

Some critics have said the story is dull and lifeless. OK, put down the crack pipe and step away from the video game console. "John Carter" has a great fast paced plot with lots of interesting twists and turns. I also thought the characters were nicely drawn, if not overly complex, and that the alien races on Barsoom to be very interesting with fascinating customs which only made me want to learn more about them.

Other critics have complained that they have seen this stuff before in movies like Star Wars and Avatar. Wellllll, it seems as though those two directors (among other film makers and writers) have been looting the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs for quite some time so I guess there is bound to be a feeling of deja vu.

Have we really become such a culture that is so easily jaded? Can we no longer feel that sense of wonder and feeling of adventure in a film like "John Carter"? Maybe we are too use to storylines being spoon fed to us in easily digested bites and cannot follow along with a film that isn't zipping past our eyeballs at 186,000 miles per second with flashy explosions at every eye blink. If true then how sad that such a wondrous film will get pushed to the wayside in favor of something like Transformers 8.

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John Carter captures the spirit of the original ERB books very well. I'm not going to give a thorough review of the movie because so many other reviewers have already done that. I will, however, say that everyone involved in the production of this movie should be commended. The film takes Burroughs' "A Princess of Mars" and combines elements of the second book "Gods of Mars" (adding a few tweaks along the way) to create what can be called a mini-masterpiece. The story is well-written, the characters are fleshed out, the FX enhance the story not overshadow it, and the acting is excellent. The stunning Lynn Collins steals the show with her performance as Princess Dejah Thoris, Taylor Kitsch is admirable as Carter, and Willem Dafoe is perfect as the Thark leader Tars Tarkas. Andrew Stanton did a great job directing, the score is memorable, and the visuals are breathtaking.

If you haven't read the original books (which are absolute classics), you'll enjoy this movie because it's a great movie. If you're already a fan of the books, you'll love the movie despite some of the changes (John Carter was never married before he went to Mars, for one), which can be overlooked (If you want an almost accurate representation of the source material, Dynamite Entertainment's "Warlord or Mars" comic series [along with the excellent spin-offs] is highly recommended. In fact, it's probably the best comic book out there right now). I'm already a huge John Carter fan, and this movie is a wonderful addition to the world of John Carter.

Do not let the critics stop you from seeing this movie. Anyone who gave this movie a bad review is an idiot and was probably on something when they saw this movie, or they based their reviews solely on the awful trailers. The marketing campaign for this movie is one of the worst I've ever seen, and there has been little or no merchandising for this movie-it's almost like Disney wanted this movie to fail. There are some fan trailers on the internet that absolutely blow away what Disney put out, and they really make you want to see the movie. I've given up hope that we'll see the sequels, but maybe people will listen to everyone that has actually seen the movie without an agenda, and the final box office and DVD/Blu-ray sales can keep the franchise going.

In closing, I cannot wait til John Carter comes out on DVD, and I give my highest recommendation to this film.

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Former Confederate Civil War soldier, Captain John Carter has nothing left to fight for when he finds himself transported to a desert planet. Suddenly among a warrior tribe of four-armed aliens and a beautiful princess, Carter ends up in the middle of another war. But when faced with the chance of returning home to Earth, Carter may have found a cause worth fighting for in Princess Dejah and the people of Barsoom.

Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter, the bitter and destitute man who cares for nothing but his found cave of gold. Kitsch has a young face and stoic countenance, perfect for the role of the ageless John Carter. He's a believable fighter and a great straight man to plenty of humor. Princess Dejah is played by Lynn Collins, who has terrific chemistry with John Carter, and is just as strong and smart as her male counterparts (if not more). Mark Strong and Dominic West are fantastic villains, especially West as a surprisingly charming and attractive (though naïve) despot. And my favorite characters in the novel (Princess of Mars) as well as the film were the Tharks, played by Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church and Samantha Morton. Though CGI, the characters still brought depth, emotion, and humor and successfully brought Burroughs' characters to life.

Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic Princess of Mars (published in 1917), John Carter is a surprising and exceptional retelling. I recently read Princess of Mars in anticipation for the film. And though the film doesn't delve into the depth of the Tharks' stories as I would have liked, it still captures the spirit of the novel. And the natives of Barsoom get an impressive technology upgrade, and the science is updated for the awe-factor in the film.

I had my reservations after seeing the official trailers. But I was happy to see that the screen writers and director Andrew Stanton knew what they were doing, even if the marketing was off. This fan was captivated from beginning to end and loved every minute of this epic adventure. Full of fascinating characters, life-like aliens, and advanced technology science fiction fans will certainly enjoy John Carter. But the action-packed thrills, suspense, drama, romance, and incredible story will appeal to a wide range of new fans of all ages. It's heart-warming, inspirational, and highly entertaining. Don't miss this one.

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This was an Epic fail on Disney's part for not getting behind this film. I cannot say enough good about this movie. It is rare that a film grabs me and pulls me in from start to finish as thoroughly as John Carter did. I won't rehash the plot or review the actual film, but I can say without a doubt that this is a must purchase. If you missed out on this in theaters due to the shoddy/lack of marketing and/or ridiculously negative reviews from critics who hadn't actually watched the film then you owe it to yourself to buy this Blu Ray.

I truly believe this movie will become a classic despite it's "flop" beginnings. I took my 7 and 9 year old boys to this in the theater and they couldn't stop talking about it! (Neither could I for that matter.) If Disney would have done right by this it could have been their "Star Wars".

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Kaor!!! I won't go into what the movie was about. There are plenty of reviews here that do that very well. Another won't mean that much. I have been waiting 50 years for this movie to come out and I, personally, was not disappointed one bit, despite some of the changes the writers/director made to the original story. In some instances, such as the increased fleshing out (no pun intended about the luscious Lynn Collins) of the character of Dejah Thoris from helpless princess to a more well rounded female personality, was a well founded idea and is proabably (again with the help of Ms Collins exceptional acting ability) part of the reason why everyone who raves about this movie really does so. As so many have said, she stole the movie from Taylor Kitsch. In the scene where he finally realizes he is on Mars, her superior acting ability makes him look superfluous to the scene, unfortunately for him. Don't get me wrong, I think he did a good job for his first starring role, but when placed next to a more seasoned actor such Ms. Collins or even Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkas, he sadly loses out. I STILL LOVED this movie though, beginning to end.

Now, the marketing campaign. I have heard that marketing heads have rolled as a result of the botched effort on this movie. As they should have. From the minute they decided to change the name from John Carter of Mars to just John Carter, it has been a marketing disaster. Several fan made trailers have made their rounds on the internet that did a MUCH better job of describing the story and marketing this movie than the so called professionals ever thought of. I don't know if the people in marketing put the fear of "Prince of Persia" into Andrew Stanton's head,and this was part of his reasoning for some of the changes, but I feel he bears some of the blame himself. Not for the movie. His movie is magnificent and I really wish there would be the sequels of Gods of Mars and Warlord of Mars, but just how everyone handled the selling of the movie. It saddened me so much to see only 4-5 people in the movie theater with me when it should have been packed. The movie has it's weak points, to be sure, but it's over all strengths far outweigh any weaknesses.

None the less, I have already put in my notice with Amazon.com I want to be notified the minute this movie becomes available to order because I will definitely buy it.

Underworld Trilogy: The Essential Collection (Underworld Review

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This trilogy set includes the Underworld: Extended Edition. Why make a seperate cut just for the box set (I don't think they did)? I think it's safe to say it is identical to the already released Underworld Unrated Extended edition that's out on bluray.

So if you already have the other titles, no need to buy a box set that's basically just packaging them all together.

But if you only saw one of the movies and liked it, you definately need to see the rest.

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The 3 DVDs are stacked one on top of another and held by a single clip. I doubt it would have cost more than a cent or two to insert a plastic DVD separator page. The current packaging causes the DVDs to be easily scratched upon eachother during removal and replacement to the clip. The movies are great, but the packaging is cheaply done.

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for anyone getting this be warned there is no divider for the three cd's. they are pretty much stacked ontop of the other one. the first underworld is the unrated extended edition which in my opinion is better then the version that is rated R. so other then the no divider thing its a good buy, though you would think they could afford to put a divider in the case to actualy protect the cd's.

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I read some reviews stating the discs would come stacked in a single case but i was glad to find out that this actually has separate cases for each blu ray disc and the anime bonus in an envelope. Kudos to the manufacturer for listening to the consumers:)

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I'd be giving this 4 stars, if not for the third movie of the set Rise of the Lycans.

I don't think I have ever seen so much grain in a movie. It was more than distracting. It was more than irritating. I have no words to describe it.

I fiddled with the color, contrast, brightness, filtering, etc on the TV & player for the better part of an hour whilst stopping the movie numerous times to replay earlier scenes to check the effectiveness of my new settings.

On the bright side, the new settings looked fantastic on some of my better looking movies. So, if nothing else, at least it forced me to tweak some things.

In the end, I made it bearable for those with really bad eyesight.

Ultimately, Rise of the Lycans pretty much looks like it was downloaded from the internet or something.

Rise of the Lycans, on it's own, gets 2 stars from me.

Both Underworld & Underworld Evolution look fine. No complaints there. I would give each of those 4 stars.

Battlefield Detectives Review

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New battlefield research will enlighten even the most informed war historian. Evidence discounts myths, previous reports, and reveals new truths. The new look at major fields of war is comprised from detailed searches of historians, real footage, computer generations, geology, archeology, GIS maps, art, dramatizations, military figure interviews, strategists, meteorology, arms & warfare experts, artifacts, oceanography, and even psychiatry.

The History Channel presentation is unbiased, using all forms of entertainment as well as educational methods, not just narration. See old footage, and the present day scenes of where battles were fought. The detective work is intended to find out if history has been true to the reasons for the outcomes of these none battlefields. Myths are vanquished, lies revealed, and victor's names sometimes reversed. It is truly amazing viewing. Even my wife found each episode compelling, and educational.

A must-view set for any war historian.

48 minute episodes that have SUBTITLES available if desired.

Arranged in DVD set's order

1 WHO GOT LUCKY AT HASTINGS?: 1066 -Wm Duke of Normandy or King Harold of England, luckier or better? What role has the horse in battle? Cavalry vs foot warriors. 3-D maps tell a tale.

2 AGINCOURT'S DARK SECRETS: Oct 1415 -Henry V vs French in this Shakespeare glorified battle. Was the longbow the English victor's edge? 7000 Eng vs 20,000 Fr; iron vs steel; havoc vs accuracy.

3 WHAT SANK THE ARMADA?: 1588 -A colossal Spanish super nation failure. Elizabeth's Royal Navy had newly design ships. But was it weather that declared a winner, and causing the French a loss of ½ an armada?

4 TRAFALGAR'S FATAL FLAW: Oct 1805 -Brit battle win over Fr & Sp fleets. Horatio Nelson dies -was he a hero or gambler eager for `pell-mell' action?

5 MASSACRE AT WATERLOO: June 1815 -Napoleon defeated by Wellington's Allied army. Wellington's terrain choice vs firepower of Napoleon's Artillery. Warfare medical treatment documented. Why did Napoleon relinquish command for a spell?

6 CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE: Oct 1854 -An infamous British defeat charging Russian guns at Balaclava. The legend an act of stupidity or bravery? The truth, the whole story, is amazing.

7 CUSTER'S LAST STAND: June 1876 -Sitting Bull, Little Big Horn, U.S. 7th Cavalry, & history changes. A battle myth of gallantry is revealed to be different than legend. Lakota & Cheyenne warriors had a truer tale.

8 THE GALLIPOLI CATASTROPHE: 1915 -A WWI British 8-month horror. Was ¼ million casualties Churchill's failure? Ultimate, amazing, but futile trench & tunnel warfare.

9 VIETNAM'S BLOODY SECRET: 1961/JFK to 1973 -USA claiming a cause against Communism, vs North Vietnam Army & Vietcong terrain savvy. AK-47 vs M16. Ho Chi Minh Trail supply line and 1968's Tet Offensive are significant--a change in world media support.

BONUS: viewer guide; 11 text bios of military leaders: Wm the Conqueror; King Harold; Henry V; Sir Francis Drake; Horatio Nelson; Napoleon; Arthur Wellesley; FitzRoy James Henry Sumerset; James Thomas Brudenell; Geo. A. Custer; Vo Nguyen Giap

A MUST OWN for any HS or University History Department Library, all over the world. You may also like World War I in Color

Military leaders might learn from this new information also. I hope!

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Love the History Channel, Military Channel, and all the documentaries they produce or I wouldn't have bought this DVD in the first place. But my review of this set is that its just 'ok' or maybe a little less, 2.5 stars tops and NOT worth the $40+ price. It isnt that the show isnt well done--the two cable channels mentioned make shows that are addictive for History 'geeks' like myself. But the episodes just don't have much 'juice' or suspense in my view. The big 'discovery' in most episodes is that terrain played a huge part in the battles they review and the outcome of who wins and why (Waterloo & Gallipoli in particular). Its all very well done and the computer graphics they use to recreate the effects of terrain and weather are all fine--they just aren't very 'exciting' to watch in my view. Its just a matter of taste. For me I was a bit diappointed with the show and wouldn't glowingly recommend to others it like I do other documentaries produced by the History Channel, certainly not at the price they're asking.

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Enjoyed this series very much. I found it informative, enlightening and insightful. I wish there were more episodes made and more programs like this available on Amazon Prime.

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History is always written by the victors from their point of view. Finally an unbiased evaluation to determine what actually occured

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I will wind up watching the entire series new tech gives us a lot more information, or at least clues.

America's National Park Collection - Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Reviews

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The grandiose statement: what is America? with sweeping vistas introduces each of the 3 parks shown in this DVD: Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. A cursory history of the park's geography and human history is given, but for each the show is more of a 1950's travelogue on what can be seen and done at each park, including touching on the historic hotels that are in each one.

There are bonus features showing the parks' snow coach rides (7 minutes), rafting (7 minutes) and the giant trees (4 minutes).

Yellowstone (34 minutes) consists of; scenic Yellowstone, wildlife spectacle, wolves of Yellowstone, winter in Yellowstone.

Grand Canyon (27 minutes) has; natural stone landmarks, rafting the Colorado, the Grand Railroad

Yosemite (28 minutes) contains; landmarks, a storied past, John Muir, visiting Yosemite.

There are no closed captions.

The photography is beautiful, the narration is done well and it will make you long to travel to these 3 national treasures.

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This DVD is probably the best DVD I have seen on the big three national parks (Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon). The content/footage is stunning, and I could tell that the angles chosen for many of the shots were carefully thought out and orchestrated. The filmmaker, Dennis Burkhart, truly has the magic eye, and anyone who appreciates our national parks like I do will, with 100% certainty, enjoy this. I also enjoyed many of the historical points I gleaned from watching this DVD, as well. I will simply end this withWOW.

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We are blessed with having visited the 3 featured National Parks and wanted this DVD as a pleasant reminder of those memorable occasions to supplement our personal photos. The programs are good, brief, being about 35 to 40 minutes for each feature, and the photography is of high quality. The narrative is enjoyable and we are satisfied with the purchase. The package contains a blu-ray disc and a another disc which contains a standard DVD version as well as a digital copy for a computer and/or mobile downlaod.

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The video of the national parks is very nice, giving a sense of the magnificence of these parks. It doesn't quite jump off the screen like some of the Blu-Rays of other national parks, so if you have a Blu-Ray player, it might be worth it to get the Blu-Ray version over this DVD disc for improved visuals.

The audio is very mediocre, though, worth maybe 2 stars on its own. The background music is merely okay, and the narrator is just plain bad. The video is mostly matter-of-fact history, plus a bit of over-the-top hyperbole. The script sounds like a middle-schooler wrote it, with far too many phrases saying this park is "the most amazing {X} on earth", without any variation of word choice or creativity. You will get some useful factoids about the history of these parks and a few tips on visiting, but beyond that, you're better off playing this with the sound muted. Unlike other DVDs in this genre, there's no option to play the disc with ambient music instead of the commentary track.

It's watchable, and perhaps even enjoyable. It had the potential to be awe-inspiring -but the poor narration & music make it fall well short of that.

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America's National Park Collection -Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon

This is an excellent DVD--Photography and narration. The three sections leave you wishing for more. I'd say this is one of the best of the National Park videos.