Inception (2010) Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $5.97
Sale Price: $4.75
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

If you want to read a review of the film itself, just google "inception review" and take your pick. Ebert gave it four stars. Do you really want to read yet another Amazon user's opinion? This review is for people who already know they want the film, but are wondering which edition to buy.

If you're only interested in the film, buy whichever one you can find cheapest. There is not currently an extended edition or director's cut available. If, however, you're interested in the special features, you're sort of between a rock and a hard place. Here's why:

1. The single-disc Blu-ray edition has a pathetic 12 minutes of special features--the same ones included on the single-disc DVD edition, and they're not even in high-def.

2. The "two-disc" Blu-Ray edition is actually three discs: two Blu-rays and one DVD. If you see it listed as "two-disc" some places and "three-disc" or "combo pack" others, they're the same thing. The first Blu-ray is the film along with an option that gives you behind-the-scenes content as it plays (cleverly named "extraction mode"). The second Blu-ray is just special features--but NOT the ones on the single-disc Blu-ray or DVD. The third disc is a standard-def DVD, but NOT the same DVD you get when you buy it separately--this DVD is a "rental" edition which has NO special features of any kind, and--get this--it doesn't even have a scene index. The "digital copy" is actually a code printed on a paper insert to download the film from the internet. Also, some of the 2/3-disc editions come in a lenticular slip cover, but not all.

3. The standard-def DVD is a single disc with the same 12 minutes of special features on the single-disc Blu-ray.

4. There's also a hard-to-find, two-disc, standard-def DVD edition. Unfortunately I haven't seen it in person and I don't know for sure what's on either disc, other than the film of course. My guess is the second disc is a special features disc like that included in the 2/3-disc Blu-ray edition. I'm just wondering if the first disc is the "rental" edition or the single-disc DVD edition.

5. Best Buy's exclusive edition is the same as the 2/3-disc Blu-ray edition, but with the added bonus of Christopher Nolan's script/notes.

6. FYE's exclusive edition comes in a "steelbook" case.

7. The limited edition comes in a scale replica of the briefcase used in the film. It's the same 2/3-disc edition but also includes mini-posters, a couple of booklets (I believe one is the script and the other is the shared dreaming device's "user manual," which is online at pasivdevice.org) and Cobb's totem.

I gave a rating of three stars because it seems you can't get all the special features without buying two editions, and that's incredibly lame.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

On the surface Inception seems to be a crime caper, complete with master of disguise Eames (Tom Hardy), planner Aridane (Ellen Page), point man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and master thief Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio). But it's so much more than that, taking place in dreams within dreams within dreams.

Inception, like Total Recall and The Matrix, is about perception. The audience is never sure what reality is because the protagonist isn't sure what's real. There are clues providing evidence for the real/not real theories, but the best movies of this type don't come down on one side or another. Total Recall ultimately had enough clues indicating the "right" way. The Matrix stumbled after it made it clear that reality was fiction, thereby losing an audience who enjoyed the tantalizing mystery. Like so many mysteries, once the truth was revealed it wasn't quite as exciting as we all hoped. Inception wisely avoids providing answers.

Inception is also a thought experiment. The central conceit of Inception is that once you put a thought in someone's head it's like a virus, incapable of being removed. In fact, attempting to not think about the idea causes the mind to just focus on it more. This concept, a key tenet of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), is part of how our brains are wired. Director Chris Nolan knows exactly what he's doing when the characters explain the premise. It is the key argument between Cobb and his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard): is this life just a dream?

Once you get it into your head as to which of them is right, Inception burrows into your psyche and you see all the evidence you need to reinforce the idea. There are enough discrepancies to suspect that Cobb's stuck in a dream, but there are enough rules defining reality that indicate otherwise. Unless, of course, you believe that Cobb is fooling himself by making up said rules to convince himself he's not in a dream when he actually is. If that sounds confusing, Inception's done its job.

Inception is a little too long in places, testing the viewer's patience as it delves four levels deep into the subconscious, each with different timeframes, settings, and plots. Part of the fun is watching the movie again to look for clues that reinforce what we secretly thought we knew all along.

Me? I'm convinced I know the truth. But then maybe Inception put that idea in my head.

Best Deals for Inception (2010)

BLU-RAY:

I just finished watching Inception for the second time. The Blu-ray is amazing. The PQ and AQ are perfect in every way. I did notice that the video was not as sharp, crisp, or clear as The Dark Knight. However it was very, very good. The audio is very bass heavy, but is up there with some of the best Blu-ray AQ I have heard. The movie was stunning all the way through and after another watch it is just as good if not better than the first time I watched it.

The special features are great. Disc two is full of behind the scenes and a dream documentary by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. On the first disc there is expansion mode which takes you behind the scenes and shows you each special effects scene and all which went into creating it. It is really interesting to watch. Very little CGI special effects were used on this film. They actually did most of the stunts or build huge models. It was really cool to watch.

MOVIE:

I went into Inception thinking very positive and with high hopes that this will be one of my new favorite movies. I based this simply on the trailer. I was not let down in the slightest, and I was blown away by the originality and creativity of the film. The directing, acting, and cinematography were all amazing. It is a beautiful film.

After seeing Inception I will have a hard time watching any other movie ever again. Anything else would seem boring and useless. I went to see The Expendables in theaters. Horrible. I couldn't understand what the interest in this film was. It was just violence and explosions; No story or plot. Just useless violence.

I can see where people may think of Inception as something similar to the theme of the Matrix. It sort of has the same basic idea of people being hooked up to a machine, leaving their bodies and going somewhere else. Besides that, there wasn't much at all which reminded me of the Matrix. Each scene held its own new originality in the most creative way as possible.

As far as Inception being hard to follow... well, I had no trouble following it at all. The three friends and my eleven-year-old brother had no trouble following it. I believe people who are more open minded would follow and understand it much better than people who are not willing to believe the story. Parts are incredible to believe, but you have to be open and let the story take place.

The creativity and attention to each shot and scene really paid off in the end. The film was perfect in every way in my opinion. Things were done which we have never seen before and it was done so well. It has set a new standard for films, at least in my mind. The directing style is similar to The Dark Knight, however they seemed to give Christopher Nolan more creative freedom with Inception.

The acting was top notch. I liked that Leo's character, Cobb, seemed a little weak minded at times. Usually he plays a strong character, but in this film his character had a weakness. Joseph Gordon-Levitt played a larger role than I expected. I was impressed with his character as well. Most of the crazy stunts, anti-gravity, jumping off walls and fighting people in mid air kind of stuff were with his character. Very cool. Ellen Page played a young architect which is hired to build cities within a person's mind. She did a great job as well. Each character was so well thought out and everyone added just the right amount to perfectly blend each character into the story.

If you're a fan of films which touch on subjects which most movies dare not go, you owe it to yourself to see this film. You won't be disappointed. I am very glad I got to see it on the big screen.

Video

Video codec: VC-1

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 (less)

Subtitles

English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese (less)

Discs

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Three-disc set (2 BDs, 1 DVD)

Digital copy (on disc)

DVD copy

Bonus View (PiP)

BD-Live

Honest reviews on Inception (2010)

Thank god there was one movie this summer not based on a comic book, a previous movie, television show, Disney ride, or candy wrapper. You actually had to invest some functioning brain activity to follow the plot and keep up with four simultaneous finales going on at the same time within different dream levels. And the ending was open to your own feelings or interpretation. Was he still in a dream or not? If you were still on board and paying attention, you may have noticed Leonardo's character didn't really care at that point, so why should we? It was a fun ride.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Inception (2010)

`Inception' is a hard movie to judge. Basically, it is a mind-bender, and as such should be judged by two criteria: How good of a mind-bender is it? And, How much does it create a realm of its own with phenomena and rules of causality that work consistently?

In my mind `Inception,' despite some derivative elements, is an inventive movie that provides mind-enveloping reactions well after the viewing is over. Much like Lynch's `Inland Empire' before it, the movie coalesces well into one's imagination and lingers in the mind for days to come.

Being brief with the story is difficult, and I'm sure by now you've probably digested a great deal of material elsewhere. Washed up on an Asian seashore, American businessman, Cobb (Di Caprio) meets with an elderly leader to obtain a contract and defeat his enemies. To accomplish this, he offers to perform an "extraction," a means of obtaining secrets from a person`s subconscious during one's dream life. In the midst of their negotiations, an entire village riots and takes over the building where they meet, and Cobb and his sidekick, Arthur, (Gordon-Levitt) fight and flee to save their lives....

In this beginning scene the lines are partially drawn between dreams and awakening, but the surrealistic landscape also provides Nolan ample opportunities to provide his trademark action-adventure for his science fiction saga.

Cobb later meets an old professor (Caine) who sagely links him to a prodigy student, Ariadne, (Page) who can assist him with his next assignment and help straighten out his perspective and proper use of inceptions, or the use of subliminal persuasion, participating in another's subconscious perceptions and manipulating them during their dreams. In their first assignment together, he plans to have a rich man's son and heir, Robert Fischer (Murphy) change his mind about his father's will, so he will be able to either obtain or sabotage his inheritance.

There are dreams, and there are dreams within dreams, and one of Cobb's plans is to have three levels of dreaming going on at once to have the most persuasive power on Fisher.

Intertwined are revelations from Cobb's subconscious, revealed with Ariadne, who joins him on his subliminal journey and witnesses some of his life-changing events with his wife (Cotillard). In a partial revelation, Cobb admits he included his wife in some of his dream work with complications that has created strife in their relationship.

As you might imagine, problems develop that make the operation work less neatly and easily as planned, so discerning what level of dreaming and what level of reality are taking place also becomes blurred. The exposition and details are laid out more concretely than Lynch's worlds, but the caveats others have placed about paying attention are well founded.

Besides the mood of mind-benders like Lynch's `Mulholland Drive,' Nolan has borrowed and alchemized elements from inventive movies like the truly excellent Japanese anime' adventure `Paprika' and movies like 'The Cell,' but the results are truly new and effective.

I have to admit my biases. I love mind-benders, and it's no accident that Christopher Nolan and David Lynch are at the top of my list of favorite directors. This creates a problem because if you love mind-benders as a rule, it is sometimes difficult to separate effective works from those that don't work as well.

I was originally wavering between four and five stars for this film based on the ending. I'll give no details for that, but, I've decided, like 'Inland Empire' before it, `Inception' may seem abrupt, but its import as a surrealistic experience is nearly as mind-altering. 'Inception' deserves attention, awards, multiple viewings, and the time needed for a truly rewarding film experience. If you love Lynch's work, you will probably also love 'Inception,' but one could concede this movie isn`t as effective at playing with your noodle. On the other hand, if you find Lynch's films to be frustrating or too abstract, then Nolan's 'Inception' may give you a more satisfying sense of concreteness and closure overall.

(Tom Berenger and Ken Watanabe join an outstanding cast for a taut movie experience.)

(Some loose ends of `Inception' have been tightened from information from imdb.)

Best Barbie Mariposa (2008) Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $14.98
Sale Price: $11.70
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

We pre-ordered the Mariposa DVD because we like the Fairytopia series so much.

First off, its a story-within-a-story. The first ~10 minutes and last ~5 minutes are Elina telling the story to bibble. My girls love Elina and Bibble so they are of course happy to see them again.

The movie itself follows the Fairytopia formula very closely. Instead of Laverna, you have Henna. Instead of bibble, the bunny. Instead of fungi, you have Skeezites. Its a race against time. Its a formula that worked very well before, and could work again.

But whats missing? Gone are the bright uplifting moments, like the appearance of the crest of courage, the changing from fairy to mermaid and back, Bibble talking funny after eating magic berries, and other things that made the other movies more fun. My kids react nicely to the best movies, but not this one. There is a lot of drama, but not very much happiness to balance it out.

A bit more about the drama: Most of the Fairytopia movies are driven forward by mock drama and very plain and pale threats (a weed grabbed me, yikes! A firebird is chasing me! I have to hide from some bumbling Fungi, who might do very little to me!). This works well for 3 to 5 year olds, who don't need a serious reason for the drama that older children do. Mariposa is dramatically different: most of the action and drama in this movie is the constant fear of death. I wish they could have been a bit more inventive.

The plot follows a similar vein: in other Fairytopia movies, the driver of the plot was that everyone was getting sick because of laverna, that Elina then had to save mermaidia from getting sick, that if they didn't stop laverna there would be 10 years of winter. Death was in those movies, but it wasn't laid out as the absolute reason for everything. In Mariposa, the deal is that if the queen dies the light goes out and then everyone is in fear of death because the skeezites EAT EVERYONE. So the fairies have to put themselves in fear of their own life, and have concerns they will die.

There is nothing wrong with death in children's films. Its a part of life. What I am saying is it the main concept of this film to the point that I felt that it was used as a crutch. They could have devoted more time to something more entertaining for children, like when the fairies try to make the first blush of spring bloom in the third Fairytopia. Something more enjoyable for them to watch.

Oh, and my 4 year old daughter said it was Nori talking, not Mariposa. Guess they used the same voice actress but its disappointing that it was so obvious. But, she had watched mermaidia a few days before.

Should you let your child see this movie? Sure. Its not awful. They put some effort into the production and the values are admirable. There is nothing bad in it.

But, unlike previous fairytopia movies, this one falls a bit flat. Keep your expectations low. My children didnt finish the movie saying 'oh wow!', and 2 days later they are moving on to other things. Its clear they like the other fairytopia movies better.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I eagerly bought this movie for my four year old. We were expecting to enjoy it as we LOVED The Island Princess. We were also disappointed. The skeezites are scary and my daughter also asked me to skip those parts. The eating of the fairies wasn't necessary, and could have been done differently. This movie will definitely be shelved for a while. That being said, the imagery and colors of the movie are beautiful, which would be the only reason we would dare to watch it again.

Best Deals for Barbie Mariposa (2008)

My daughter waited for the latetest Barbie title, Mariposa only to be disapointed when it was released. The Butterfly Fairies are constantly being chased by creatures (Skeezites and a sea beast) which are trying to EAT them through the whole movie. There is also a Butterfly Fairy that betrays the queen and helps the Skeezites to try to eat all her friends. This is in a movie that is meant for little girls, I can't see how this was approved for release. This movie doesn't have the attributes of the other movies, it's too scary. My daughter keeps asking for us to "skip this part" because it's too scary. This movie only teaches our children they are too small and someone is always tryng to get them.

Honest reviews on Barbie Mariposa (2008)

My daughters love Barbie movies, because they're usually less scary than Disney Princess movies. My husband and I like Barbie movies because they usually depict very brave, very strong female characters (not just someone waiting around to get rescued!) We usually end up buying these movies on the first day they came out and watching them over and over until the next "new" one -this one, however, is a little too scary, and the story is basically recycled from older Barbie movies. Elina only shows up for a little while, even though she's on the cover. There are no songs that I can remember, and the whole thing just seemed rushed.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Barbie Mariposa (2008)

This is my first review. I'm compelled to because of my 4 year old daughter's fantasy inspired play thanks to this movie. It's about an academically inclined butterfly fairy who finds her confidence through her acquired knowledge. This knowledge becomes recognized by others, old friends, new friends, and employers who promote Mariposa to a position of leadership and trust through which she finds her own voice eliminating self doubt.

This is a great movie.

enjoy!

Reviews of The Host (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2013)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $34.98
Sale Price: $19.99
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

First, let me say, I'm not a "Twi-hard." I don't have any interest in sparkly vampires and ripped werewolves. And as a heterosexual male who is not a teenager, that's not too surprising. But I did really love the novel "the Host." For me, the concept is sort of like "Dances with Wolves" or "Avatar." But instead of having a human run off to live with giant blue smurfs, here we have a protagonist who is truly alien and learns to become human.

I think there are three problems with the film:

1. The thing that almost sunk the movie for me was the way the character of Melanie Stryder was manifested in Wanda's head. I didn't mind the use of voice-overs, but I did mind the way that "Melanie" came across...sometimes, she sounded like a petulant 14 year-old and not the 20 year-old woman she was in the story. When Saoirse Ronan was in Wanda mode, I found her mostly more convincing and otherworldly (although near the end, she started sounding like a typical human girl with weird contact lenses in her eyes instead of an alien being that had lived multiple lifetimes in different bodies over a thousand years).

I really do wonder if it would have been a smarter thing to have cast an older actress in the role (perhaps if Jennifer Lawrence had been free she could have done it better). I think Ronan is a beautiful woman and she's definitely talented as an actress but as I said, when she was in "jealous Melanie" mode, she came across as very young...and not particularly likeable.

It also would have been smart to minimize the internal dialogue as much as possible and convey a lot of it with just Ronan's expressions and flashbacks.

2. The length of the novel (600 pages) really was important to sell the development of the character of Wanda/Wanderer...specifically, how she comes to love being human more than being a Soul and how she developed feelings for the character of Ian and how she also came to love Jared. But the need to compress the story into something that is movie length (about two hours) resulted in a lot of the "depth" of the story falling by the wayside. For example, we see Ian and Wanda "fall in love" but it seems mechanical and formulaic in the movie as opposed to touching as it was in the book. Perhaps they should have split it into two films.



Even worse, when Wanda decides she wanted to give Melanie back her body and die, the movie will leave anyone who hasn't read the book scratching their heads as to why she would make a crazy decision like that. In the book, Meyer set the stage for that intention by showing how much Wanda blamed herself for the death of one of her human friends, Wes, and how guilty she felt over the Souls displacing the human race (which set up the death of another one of her friends, Walt, who is missing from the movie, who died an agonizing death in front of her due to cancer).



3. Another thing that fell by the wayside that was key to the book being so compelling is that it was told by Wanda using "first person narrative." You really got insight into how Wanda was becoming human and how she came to care for the humans she was prisoner of.

This said, the movie was worth seeing and some of the reasons why included:

1. Saoirse Ronan's "Wanda" most of the time did capture the "alien" nature of the personality that was in Melanie Stryder's body.

2. William Hurt did a good job playing Uncle Jeb. I was a little surprised that Hurt, who I best associate with "Children of a Lesser God" and "the Accidental Tourist" did so well playing the grizzled Jeb.

3. The "world building" (i.e. bringing the sort of strange post-apocalyptic world of the "Souls" to life) was pretty good and really did call to mind what I read in the book. The cave complex was particularly impressive.

4. Diane Krueger did a good job playing Wanda's pursuer.



5. Emily Browning seemed to be well-cast as the new "host" for Wanda's personae.



So to sum up, I thought "the Host" was worth seeing since I loved the novel so much. I know I will read any sequel Meyer writes, and I probably will watch the movie sequels sort of curiosity to see how they bring any future novels to life.

I figure at the very least, we won't see Saoirse Ronan arguing with herself in those films.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I really enjoyed this movie. It had all the ups and downs I like to see when I watch a movie. It was entertaining and interesting. No movie is ever just like the book so I don't know why we even try to compare. Your imagination is always better than the movie. I will buy this movie because I enjoyed it that much. I do enjoy science fiction and I think this movie will fit right in with my DVD collection.

Best Deals for The Host (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2013)

This movie was very well made and well acted. While the storyline differed from the book, these changes were necessary to tell the story in two hours. I hope Stephanie Meyer decides to complete some follow up novels so that this story may continue.

Honest reviews on The Host (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2013)

I'm usually a fan of science fiction fare and so, after hearing some good things about "The Host", I finally decided to give it a look. While some of its science fiction aspects did appeal to me, I mainly just felt let down, like I was watching an emotionally "flat" movie.

For a basic plot summary, "The Host" sees Earth being colonized by aliens who take over bodies and suppress the human souls. When this process happens to Melanie Styder (Saoirse Ronan), however, her soul fights back against "Wanderer", the new alien being. With this internal battle raging in Melanie's body, she reconnects with her younger brother (Chandler Canterbury), former boyfriend (Max Irons), and uncle (William Hurt) who just so happens to be leading a pocket of human resistance against the colonizers.

To me, the interesting parts of this movie consisted of the battle between Wanderer and Melanie for which soul would rest in their shared body. A lot of "what it means to be human" themes swirl around, many of which produce some deep-thought issues.

The trouble is, I felt that the acting and directing was woefully inadequate to portray some of those lofty philosophical ideals. The film was just too stark and stoic to ever draw out the kind of true, real emotion that can make characters memorable. The "love triangle" evident about half way through the movie has no "kick" because the two male members just don't have much character development. The same can be said for the young boy character. Just not enough "acting meat" to ever make me truly care about the principles.

Finally, and this may get me a few automatic down-votes alone, but I feel this is a movie that appeals much more to women and their feelings/emotions. I won't come out and call it a bona fide "chick flick", but groups of guys won't be going to see this one. While watching, I sometimes wondered "Is this a great sci-fi tale...or a romance jammed into a somewhat workable plot?". For me, it was more of the latter.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Host (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2013)

I saw this movie and I loved it! It didn't really follow the book but I wasn't expecting it to by now people should not even bother complaining about that if it always happens. The movie was enjoyable and although there were some scenes that kinda dragged on the movie was good it wasn't as bad as people are saying.

Buy American in Paris (1951)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $14.95
Sale Price: $4.75
Today's Bonus: 68% Off

Warner Brothers' proprietary Ultra-Resolution process has brought new life to such classics as "The Wizard of Oz," "Gone With the Wind," Errol Flynn's "Robin Hood," and "Singin' in the Rain." By going back to the original three-strip technicolor negatives and realigning them digitally, the color and detail blows away anything that customers have seen in the past with home video. "An American In Paris" has now undergone the same process. For those that have a blu-ray player, be sure to order this version, An American in Paris [Blu-ray]. Here is a list of extras that are the same on both versions:

Disc 1:

1.33:1 Full Screen with Original Mono audio * Tech Specs for Blu-ray version: Video is 1080P 1.33:1 * Audio is English, French, Spanish (Both Castilian and Latin), German and Italian DD1.0 * Subtitles (Main Feature): English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish * Subtitles (on Select Bonus Material): English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese

1938 MGM short: Paris on Parade

1951 MGM cartoon: Symphony in Slang

Theatrical trailer

Disc 2:

2002 American Masters Documentary: Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (Gene Kelly Anatomy of a Dancer)

`S Wonderful: The Making of An American in Paris, an all new documentary, produced especially for this release. A dynamic history of the making of the film, which reveals how George and Ira Gershwin's classic songs, the dazzling art of the French impressionists and the ultimate teamwork of MGM's legendary "Freed Unit" came together to create a musical masterpiece. Featuring ten new interviews, including co-stars Leslie Caron, Nina Foch, and Kelly's widow. A very enlightening piece; Caron's memories are probably the most interesting, with Foch running a close 2nd. Caron's comments about co-star Georges Guétary being handsome but not too bright seem to be echoed by Kelly's widow, who says Gene spent more time trying to teach him how to gracefully walk down a set of steps than on anything else in the film. It is unfortunate that Maurice Chevalier could not have taken that role as originally intended. You also realize just how revolutionary this movie was (artistically), especially because of the 17-minute ballet tacked on at the end of the movie. Even Irving Berlin disapproved during an on-set visit, which didn't help the confidence of Vincente Minnelli at all.

Outtakes:

Georges Guetary performing Love Walked In (not missed in the movie at all!)

Audio Outtakes: Alternate Main Title, But Not for Me (Guetary), But Not for Me (Levant Piano Solo), Gershwin Prelude #3, I've Got a Crush on You, Nice Work if You Can Get It, 'S Wonderful

Radio Interviews: Johnny Green, Gene Kelly, Gene Kelly & Leslie Caron;

Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron promotional radio interview with Dick Simmons

Not all of the original musical recording stems have survived over the years, preventing a true stereo/5.1 restoration of the soundtrack; instead, a restored mono version is being made available.

Most are familiar with the movie; storywise, it is a little creaky and hasn't necessarily survived well over the years: Kelly is an American artist living in Paris. He falls in love with a young girl (Leslie Caron) who is in a loveless relationship with one of his best friends (Guétary). Kelly is also in somewhat of a loveless relationship with his financial sponsor (Nina Foch). You can probably guess the rest.

The glowing color, fantastic music by Gershwin (arrangements by the talented Conrad Salinger), and the amazing choreography of Gene Kelly will keep this one a classic for years to come despite a predictable plot. Just the ending ballet alone is a masterpiece; the art of Toulouse Lautrec and Utrillo comes to life with Gene Kelly & Leslie Caron dancing their hearts out to some of the most imaginative choreography (Kelly's) in years. The Freed Unit at MGM was at their peak when this movie was made, and this is one of the last great ones that it created.

It is a real shame that with how fantastic the picture is (the colors literally leap off the screen, and it really adds to the appreciation of what an artistically beautiful visual feast this movie is) that the sound cannot match. Although it is clear and free of problems, the Gershwin music just begs for a 5.1 or 7.1 surround track; unfortunately, due to the age and availability of the original elements, this is not possible.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

A glorious movie that showcases Gene Kelly's breathtaking talent. Forget the silly story and just watch him dance and dance and dance. He does more with a turn of a shoulder than most dancers can do with their whole body. This movie also introduced the lithe and lovely Leslie Caron as the object of Kelly's affection. The film builds to its dramatic hallucinatory conclusion as Kelly dances his way across a Paris dreamscape, that brings all the elements of modern dance together in a tour-de-force that was unprecedented in musicals of that time. You can't help getting swept away in the feel-good spirit of this movie. It was another time and place.

Best Deals for American in Paris (1951)

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The dazzling seventeen-minute dance sequence of George Gershwin's 1928 orchestral piece, "An American in Paris", is an indisputable masterwork. Choreographed with precision and unparalleled flair by Gene Kelly, the vibrant combination of color, music and dance is still eye-poppingly startling as the piece is broken down into scenes inspired by selected master artists Dufy in the opening Place de la Concorde piece, Manet in the flower market, Utrillo in a Paris street, Rousseau at the fair, Vincent Van Gogh in the spectacular Place de l'Opera piece, and Toulouse-Lautrec for the Moulin Rouge where Kelly wears his famous white bodysuit. The 97 minutes that precede this finale are not as exciting, not by a long shot, but there are certain charms to be had in viewing the entire 1951 Oscar-winning musical.

Director Vincente Minnelli and screenwriter Alan Jay Lerner have fashioned a surprisingly sophisticated if rather slight romantic story focused on Jerry Mulligan, a former G.I. who has remained in Paris after the end of WWII trying to make a living as a painter. With his braggadocio manner and athletic dancing style, Gene Kelly can be concurrently ingratiating and irritating as a screen personality, but he seems to find his oeuvre as the carefree Jerry. The love-triangle plot is focused on Jerry's involvement with Milo Roberts, a self-proclaimed art patron but a sexual predator when it comes to young artists. On their first date in a crowded Montmartre nightclub, Jerry unapologetically falls for Lise, a young woman who turns out to be the fiancee of Henri, a professional entertainer and friend of Jerry's pal, Adam, an out-of-work concert pianist. Romantic complications ensue until the inevitable ending but not before several classic Gershwin songs are performed.

The best of these is the most imitated a swooningly romantic song and dance to "Our Love Is Here to Stay" along a faux-Seine River in a blue hazy mist with yellow fog lights. The way Kelly and Leslie Caron circle each other is transcendent as they approach each other tentatively at first and then synchronize beautifully to the music leading to the final clinch. Few films have so elegantly and succinctly shown two people falling in love. "I Got Rhythm" and "S'Wonderful" spotlight Kelly's nimble tap-dancing and agreeable singing, while "Embraceable You" is danced impressively by Caron in a five-scene montage of Henri's all-over-the-map description of Lise to Adam. Designed to show off Caron's dancing versatility, the sequence is similar to the one in "On the Town" where Vera-Ellen showed off her considerable dancing skills when Kelly's sailor character described his multi-faceted vision of Miss Turnstiles.

As Lise, the nineteen year-old Caron (in her first film) dances superbly throughout and handles her role with unformed charm with her acting talent not to bloom for several years. Looking quite glamorous, Nina Foch plays older as the manipulative Milo and manages to be likeable enough for us to care about her fate, while Oscar Levant is just his sardonic self as Adam. Performing an elegant "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise", George Guetary plays Henri so agreeably that you feel bad that he does lose the girl at the end. This is not the best all-around MGM musical, but there is certainly enough movie magic to make this quite worthwhile. The 2000 DVD contains a fairly pristine print but little else in terms of extras.

Honest reviews on American in Paris (1951)

With all due respect to devotees of "Singin' in the Rain", I think "An American in Paris" is the best musical ever made. Stanley Donen was an innovative director, but Vincente Minnelli was a genius in his field, and "An American in Paris" was his masterpiece. I choose "An American in Paris" over the others for various reasons. (One example: "Meet Me in St Louis" is charming Americana, but it's spoiled by that melodramatic episode in the middle with Tootie's cut lip and the Boy Next Door being blamed; it's so contrived it might have dropped out of another picture.) "An American in Paris' is a completely successful musical with Gershwin songs culled from their stage shows of a previous generation (for instance, "S Wonderful" is from the 1927 "Funny Face" and "I Got Rhythm" is from 1930's "Girl Crazy"), a trim script by Alan Jay Lerner, and perfect casting. Gene Kelly at 38 was in his prime. And here let me say that Jerry Mulligan, Kelly's character in the film, is the brash, can-do kind of guy who was vastly admired in America by both men and women in the years following World War II. His aggressive attitude towards life represented qualities that had won the war. If today he seems a little chauvinistic (in every sense of the word) ... well, times change. The fact remains that Jerry is an ex-G.I. who has mastered the French language and venerates French culture. Hardly the Ugly American. On the flip side is his New World naïveté. In one scene he and his French girl friend Lise (Leslie Caron) meet shyly outside a sidewalk café and take a table. But Lise immediately becomes aware that an old roué nearby is checking her out (assuming she's just been picked up). Embarrassed, Lise asks to leave the café. But Jerry? The poor dope has no idea what's happened. Similarly, the whole movie has a sharp edge unusual for light entertainment. It's evident in the rich American Milo Roberts (Nina Foch) with her soignée chilliness and her somewhat S & M relationship with Jerry. And it's evident in the curmudgeon wit of Adam Cook (Oscar Levant), "the world's oldest child prodigy". His fantasy of playing Gershwin's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra single-handed is every musician's dream/nightmare. The Old World is represented by Henri Baurel, a music hall star, performed by Georges Guetary, who was (I suspect) basically playing himself. (His rendition of "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" is the film's only traditional cabaret number.) Throughout the story, his boulevardier suavity,not to mention the savoir faire of the minor characters, indicates the Gallic easygoing attitude towards sex, which was about 20 years ahead of the U.S.'s. (Incidently, look close in the Beaux Arts ball sequence and you'll spot a young gay couple passing Kelly on the staircase.) Despite its glossiness, the picture has a refreshing spontaneity. Notice in the "By Strauss" number that Kelly's cap gets knocked off his head by the florist's skirt. At first he grabs for it, but then it's like "Ah, t' hell with it" and he keeps on going. Appropriately, all the acting is natural and subdued. But not the climatic ballet! It has to be the most lavish experience in all of film entertainment, before or since. It's been said that this ballet is "too much", but i think mehitabel in paris would have said theres no such thing as too toujours gai. With its 3-strip Technicolor, its numerous sets, its hundreds of costumes, Kelly's superb choreography, and of course gorgeous Gershwin, the "An American in Paris" ballet is, like the movie itself, le spectacle ne plus ultra. Savourez!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for American in Paris (1951)

1951 was a tense year in America. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of selling U.S. nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. In North Korea, truce negotiations failed. McCarthyism reigned and Hollywood suffered as many of its key players were blacklisted. It is no wonder, then, that the movie-going public sought lighter fare. With its simple script, lush color, and innovative choreography, An American in Paris was just the ticket.

An American in Paris is the story of boy meets girl, boy gets girl-with not much in between. Gene Kelly plays Jerry, an ex-GI trying to make a go of it as an artist in the city of artist's garrets and cheap cheese. When he spots Lise (Leslie Caron) he knows instantly that she's the gal for him, and he sets about wooing and winning her, ignorant of the fact that she's dating Henri (Georges Guetary). Complicating things (but not much) is his wealthy patroness Milo (Nina Fochs). Another ex-patriot, Adam (Oscar Levant), plays the fifth wheel, adding comic relief to a script that doesn't need it. But people don't really watch this movie for the script, they watch it for the beautiful cinematography and the singing and dancing.

The set design is gorgeously colorful, making Paris dangerously magnetic to anyone who might be making travel plans. This is the Paris of sweet children seeking bubble-gum, kind elderly Parisian ladies who break into dance in cafes, a happy nightclub scene on clean stone streets, and of course lavish flowers, safe riverbanks, and Parisian churches. It's a perfect setting for the score, which includes such songs as "Our Love is Here to Stay," "I Got Rhythm" (sung by Kelly with a team of little urchins), and "'S Wonderful". And the dancing is. Quite wonderful, culminating in a 17-minute ballet (choreographed by Kelly) at the climax. That things resolve just a little too quickly and easily thereafter will bother no dance fan-and all the moviewatchers who have a low tolerance for song-and-dance will have been flushed out of the room long before then.

An American in Paris was Leslie Caron's first American film, shot when she was a just-turned 18. Her inexperience with movie making shows on the screen as kind of a gamine innocence and plays well with Kelly's confident American mien. The chemistry of all cast members (or should I say "the troupe") coalesces to make this musical a don't-miss. 4 stars for the average movie watcher; 5 if you're a big fan of dance.

Review of Baby Tutor - Counting (2006)

Customer Ratings:

Our 3,5 year old son has very limited speech and don't like a lot of the learning DVD s on the market I think they are to busy for him, but this DVD was just perfect for him, very repetitive with out getting boring, after about a week of very intensive watching he got the numbers down, counts to 10 and have number recognition we could not be more proud of him and we are very grateful for this product. We just received the alphabet today and I am very hopefull.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I got the ABC's dvd first and my son, (he was 2 years old) used to watch the dvd and sometimes he was playing and listening to dhe dvd and one days he started repetieng the abc's and i noticed he knew all the letters, and I was looking for the couting dvd at the store i got the first dvd and i didn't find it, i was looking for that dvd a long time until I started looking online for the dvd and the first website that has the dvd is AMAZON .

And now my son enjoys the dvd maybe not with the same interest than the first one but the collection is really good for young children to learn and memorice abc's and numbers.

I recommend the product. And of course i recommend shopping at AMAZON.

Best Deals for Baby Tutor - Counting (2006)

My 2 year old son has just begun learning to say numbers 1-10, which makes this video perfect for him. He can count along with the visual and audio presentation of numbers 1-10. He also takes time to label the parrots, ducks, fish and other images he recognizes. My five month old, alternatively, was not interested in any part of it. TV isn't his thing just yet. At any rate, this is like a slideshow presentation that allows my 2 year old to practice counting, over and over, amidst images of animals, toys, and actions he alreadys knows about. It gives me a break from counting to ten all day--a nice relief!

Honest reviews on Baby Tutor - Counting (2006)

I was disappointed with the video. It was really nothing more than a repetitive slideshow with music and rudimentary animation. I bought it for my two and a half, now three year old son and it barely catches his attention. I supposed this is something that you could leave on repeat in the background so that it would breed familiarity with numbers. My son usually just asks me to change the video after the first 10-15 minutes. Perhaps my son was too old (or watches too much TV) for this video to be effective? I don't know. I just know I was hoping for more. I just can't bring myself to recommend it.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Baby Tutor - Counting (2006)

No Counting allowed with poor picture and quality. do not waste your money on this item or on any of there other videos.

Review of Wrath of the Titans Blu-ray 3D SteelBook (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray

Customer Ratings:

All hell breaks loose (literally) in this non-mythological based sequel to "Clash of the Titans." This story bridges the time of the gods and legends to the time of men. The gods have been losing their power because people have stopped praying to them. Hades, the god of the underworld (Ralph Fiennes) and Ares, god of war (Édgar Ramírez) join forces to release Kronos from Tartus and destroy the gods. Zeus (Liam Neeson) is taken captive and held prisoner as his power is slowly drained from him.

Perseus, son of Zeus (Sam Worthington) teams up with Queen Andromeda(Rosamund Pike), Hephaestus (Bill Nighy) and Agenor (Toby Kebbell) to enter the ever shifting labyrinth of Tartus and free Zeus. Apparently ordering everyone to pray to Zeus to give him power is no longer an option. Alexa Davalos played the original Andromeda...just pretend you are watching "Bewitched."

The movie gives you a brief intro, but there is no real character build-up with an assumption that you have seen the other film. The action hits the screen from almost the moment the movie starts and continues until it ends. There are a few brief scenes without fighting and killing, but they are designed to set up for the next action scene or action game as the case may be. The special effects were superb. The plot was good in keeping in line with the mythology, however the dialouge could have been better with less phrases designed to be truisms and with more funnier quips. Worthington, still living off his Avatar success, gives us his typical less than stellar performance.

No f-bomb, sex, or nudity. Plenty of killing, monster horror, and violence.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

It'd be difficult to approach Wrath of the Titans with a completely open mind. The film it follows, Clash of the Titans, was dull and almost single-handedly began the downfall of 3D in the US. Those low expectations though may actually be an advantage for Wrath. Though flawed it's an entertaining film with some spectacular special effects. Even more surprising the 3D is worthwhile and enhances the experience.

The story follows Perseus (Sam Worthington) who must travel into the underworld to rescue his father Zeus (Liam Neeson). Zeus' other son Ares (Edgar Ramirez) has turned on him and handed him over to Hades (Ralph Fiennes). The plan is to sap Zeus' powers and transfer them to the leader of the imprisoned Titans Kronos (father to Zeus, Hades, and Poseiden) who would then unleash hell on the world.

Where the negativity towards Clash really makes an impact is in the early minutes of Wrath. There is no real emotional attachment to the characters no real care for their fates or the conflicts that are at hand. I wasn't sure the film would be able to break out of that but it somehow did despite inherent confusion around their relationships and motivations without having Clash's plot fresh on the mind. It just took a little time for it to come together.

Wrath of the Titans isn't going to win any awards for dialogue which is sketchy to say the least and almost laughable at times. In fact the movie tends to just move from one set piece to the next with the story taking a back seat. The action is what ties it all together and ultimately leads into a massive final battle. It was actually somewhat startling just was how brisk the pace was and how quickly events advanced by the time that battle came around it didn't feel as though it was already time for the film to be concluded.

That is a compliment as the first film was plodding and anything but an enjoyable experience. The effects in Wrath are extraordinary and the uniqueness of the various monsters, and the sheer size of Kronos, adds to the fun. While I rarely would recommend paying extra for 3D and I still wouldn't necessarily with Wrath there were some really cool moments that were taken advantage of with the technology and it added some valuable depth to scenes. All things being equal going with the 3D wouldn't be a bad decision here.

Wrath of the Titans achieved something unanticipated it entertained and even made the prospect of a third film in the series somewhat appealing. Expectations, albeit very low, were easily exceeded. There are better overall options in theaters right now (21 Jump Street, The Hunger Games) but for the crowd seeking action Wrath of the Titans is worth considering.

Best Deals for Wrath of the Titans Blu-ray 3D SteelBook (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray

Clash of the Titans was an okay remake that could have been great, but the trailers for Wrath of the Titans looked to be a huge improvement and in some cases it was.

From the Kraken to Kronos. Hades decides to join side Kronos to destroy the world and thus securing his immortality, but first he needs all the power Zeus contains to restore his daddy to his past glory. Perseus catches word of this and is on a mission to save his father, Zeus, and fights all kinds of creatures along the way.

The CGI is excellent this time around and there are far fewer corny moments. Even the acting seemed less forced, though still pretty average. Seeing this in IMAX 3-D was worth the extra money. It was fully shot in this format so the images were crystal clear and it made you feel you were actually in the movie, along with the usual random objects being shot towards your face.

Wrath of the Titans is pure mindless action with little need for dialogue or a well thought out story, but it is a fun movie to watch. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing a third film in the series.

3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars

Honest reviews on Wrath of the Titans Blu-ray 3D SteelBook (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray

"The time of the Gods is ending but the son of Zeus cannot hide from his destiny forever." Perseus (Worthington) is doing is best to forget his old life and make it without the help of any of the Gods. Perseus is not the only one trying to make it alone and the Gods are beginning to lose control of the Titans. When Zeus' (Neeson) other son Ares teams with Hades to take control and kidnaps Zeus and imprisons him in Hell there is only one who can rescue him. I have to start by saying I have never been a fan of movies like this. I couldn't get into "Clash Of The Titans", "Immortals", or even "300". I say that so I can say that this was very entertaining and I really enjoyed this one a lot. Not only was this action packed with great effects the story was actually entertaining as well. There is enough mythology for purists, but not too much to scare off people like me. Another amazing thing about this one is that it is a rare sequel that is better then the first one. While this is not really a movie you have to pay attention to the entire time or you are lost it is still a very entertaining movie and it is fun and relaxing to watch something like this every once in a while. Overall, a very entertaining popcorn movie that is better then the original. I give it a B+

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Wrath of the Titans Blu-ray 3D SteelBook (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray

This movie is entertaining, fun to watch, interesting and engaging. The special effects are outstanding. The numerous monsters and creatures really seem alive and present in the scenes. There are fabulous scenes of temples, moving mazes, and lots and lots of creatures. The black Pegasus is back, better than ever. (there is one marvelous scene, where an annoyed Pegasus smacks Perseus with his wing) There is action and excitement and heroics. The movie does not suffer from the darkness that "Clash of the Titans" had, which made many scenes hard to make out. What it does have in common with the first movie, is the choice of colors. Really, if you are going to film in color, how about you use, well, some COLORS! The entire movie is filmed in sepia tints, with only the blue sky and sea to break up the browns, rusts, sands, beiges, and blacks. Still for all of that, the movie is well worth watching and buying.

Spoiler Alert----Just so you know, I am going to mention specifics of the movie, what I liked and didn't, and what I thought, so if you don't like to read that kind of thing, stop here.

The movie begins in the twilight of the gods of Olympus. Apparently following several years after the first film, "Clash of the Titans", the human race has continued to lose faith in the gods and to turn from worshipping them. The gods have depended for so long on the strength given them by the faith of humans that they are all losing their powers. The most immediate threat caused by this is that the barriers between earth and Tartarus are breaking down. All the demons and monsters imprisoned there are escaping to rampage in the human world. And if Kronos, the monstrous father of the elder gods, (Zeus, Hades and Poseidon) should escape, all of creation will be destroyed.

Zeus, Poseidon and Aries go to Hades realm to confront Kronos, only to be met with treachery and death. Zeus is captured and Poseidon mortally wounded. The other, younger gods (Apollo, Aphrodite, etc.) are all conspicuous by their absence. This is one of the places were I wished the movie had been longer and with more detail. Hades delivers a one line explanation that, like him, the other gods will live if they support Kronos. This really doesn't hang together. All the younger gods, and numerous demi-gods, all decided to run and hide, and trust their fates to Kronos? Doesn't really track. And if they did, wouldn't Zeus and Poseidon have noticed something wrong? Are the younger gods already dead, or so weak that they cannot offer any support? Nothing about them is really mentioned. In fact, why did Zeus travel to Tartarus with so little backup? Sure, Poseidon and Zeus are the most powerful of the gods, and maybe this is a case of hubris on their part. And a fatal error, as they do not suspect treachery of Hades and Aries, and underestimate how much their powers have been weakened.

The gods seem terribly human here. I found the scenes between Zeus and Hades very touching. There is guilt and forgiveness on both sides. Hades' greatest fear is very telling: humans have immortal souls, that pass on after the death of their mortal bodies---but what about the gods? Do they have souls as well, that will continue, or do they simply fade into oblivion if they should die? A truly human fear, and an interesting thought. Humans have their many religions and faiths to turn to in times of trial---but what of the gods? If you are a god, and your power fails you, where do you turn for succor, if you believe in nothing greater than yourself?

And the god Aries? His weaknesses are truly human. How sad it is that Aries, powerful, immortal god of war, is jealous of his half brother, Perseus. Perseus, who has no godly power, who is not immortal, who lives in a hut and works as a poor fisherman, lucky if he has enough to eat day to day? You would think that Perseus would be beneath Aries' notice, but Aries is jealous because he thinks that Zeus loves Perseus more than Aries himself. And he has allowed his bitterness to fester into unreasoning hatred. He is so fixated on hurting both Zeus and Perseus that he does not care about anything else. And so he makes a devil's bargain with Kronos. Supposedly Kronos has promised Hades and Aries their immortal lives, if they free him. Both ally themselves with Kronos out of their weaknesses: Hades out of his fear of perishing forever, Aries out of his hatred and jealousy. And neither one of them are using their heads----when Kronos is free, why should he keep his bargains with anyone? Zeus tries to warn the pair, to no avail.

Poseidon lives long enough to give warning to Perseus, setting off the action for the rest of the story. Interestingly enough, he sends Perseus to find his own half human son. The two demi-gods ally themselves and set off to rescue Zeus and stop Kronos.

There are some great scenes between them, although I would have liked to see more. The passing of the gods is very well done---they crumble to ash, leaving nothing behind.

Liam Neeson does a wonderful job as the god Zeus, making the character regal, godly, but loving and human as well. I am very pleased that Mr. Neeson has finally been getting the appreciation from the public that he deserves. He appears in more movies, in better roles and with far better acting than half the so called "super-stars" of today combined. Neeson makes the character of Zeus seem alive, both noble and human, with faults and strengths. In Greek and Roman mythology, none of the gods were particularly noble or admirable characters, much less people who's passing you would mourn. But Liam Neeson gives Zeus all those qualities. He has some short but truly fine scenes with Hades, where both of the brothers ask for, and grant, forgiveness to each other. Hades seems far less the monster than he was in the last movie. Hades realizes that he has been controlled by his fear, and has a "What have I done?!" moment. Faced with their final ends, both gods forgive their offences against each other, and remember their loving bonds as brothers. I loved the scenes where both godly brothers go to war against Kronos to save the world and the human race, even though they both know the probable consequence for that action. Between them, and Perseus, Kronos is destroyed and earth is saved.

Zeus is killed, living only long enough to give a loving farewell to Perseus. I really objected to this part of the story, although it is very dramatic. I really thought that Hades should have been killed, and Zeus should have survived to rebuild Olympus. Although perhaps this was really a better punishment for Hades, as his godly powers are now mostly gone, and he may have only a short time to live. He must face his worst fear, all alone.

I, for one, do not believe that the gods had no souls. No beings capable of such depths of feeling, of such great deeds, of such great hopes, could be bereft of immortal souls. So rest in peace Zeus. And Poseidon, and yes, Hades as well. You all did well.

And they left the race of man behind them. Just as flawed, but just as capable of greatness. And perhaps we are better for it, because our accomplishments take so much more effort.

In a way, the ending of this movie reminded me slightly of the end of the story "The Lord of the Rings". The end of both stories see the beginning of the reign of man, and the end of all things of magic. With the gods gone, we have to assume that all the wonders (like Pegasus) and terrors (monsters, demons) will slowly fade away, leaving man in sole possession of the world. The torch is passed, from Zeus to Perseus, to his son, Helios. The gods have gone, but left the half-gods, like Perseus, behind. And they are more human than not.

This movie was fun, a good watching experience. I would recommend it.

Discount Patton (1970)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.98
Sale Price: $2.48
Today's Bonus: 88% Off

Very first thing! There is only one version of Patton on Blu-Ray you should get if you want a proper transfer. Follow this link if you're not already on the correct product: Patton [Blu-ray]

If you're not sure you're linked on the correct one, it's the one with a full upper torso shot of Mr. Scott with the American flag hanging behind him. That's the remastered version. All versions with half his face off to the right with a gray/white background are the older, waxy transfer.

Second thing. To those who waited with me for the remaster, all I can say is WOW! It looks beautiful. Detail is strong and the image is once again alive. You can find comparison screen shots of the two version over at blu-ray.com. Their review of the remaster also explains their error in giving such high marks to the first blu-ray pressing of the film.

Only read on if you're either bored or don't fully know what the deal is with the two different versions.

Now that Amazon has combined all Patton reviews to be displayed on all versions of the film, I will sum up my original review of the 40th Anniversary Digi-Book Blu-Ray Edition to encompass a more, `in general' tone. To those wondering why so many people found my review helpful, it was because I researched and found important information about that particular release and felt a duty to inform all future Patton Blu-Ray purchasers that the 40th Anniversary, Digi-Book edition was in fact the same, horrible, DNR mess that had been available on Blu-Ray for a few years prior, just in new packaging. But the biggest reason for my review was that I knew (thanks to Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits) there was a properly re-mastered version being worked on and I felt a need to inform people so that if they wanted a good transfer, they would need to wait a bit. Now that my review is visible on all versions, I can see how it would frustrate people to read everything I had written, from the original review to all the updates on the progress of the re-master. So I shall summarize and make it more appropriately broad in an attempt to be more helpful to everyone.

Now, about the film. Patton is a classic among classics. This is perhaps one of George C. Scotts best performances of his career. And although the film has many inaccurate accounts for the sake of artistic liberties (what true story film doesn't?), all the way to the end with the `all time' ox cart dodge, the performances and cinematography are what make this movie a timeless classic. Yes, it is slow. At least for today's ADD, plot line spoon fed, 3D with no actual depth loving audiences. But to those who prefer story to gimmicks, I would call it "paced", and not slow. This is a dialog heavy film. Do not go into it thinking otherwise. And it is long. But not dull. George C Scott even won an Oscar for his performance and famously rejected it stating that he did not feel he was in competition with other actors and had this to say about the Academy Awards, "The whole thing is a goddamn meat parade. I don't want any part of it."... This film is almost like a very well directed, greatly acted, stage production. Accept the set pieces are amazing, real, and captured on a now rarely used 70mm film stock. So if you are interested in a summed up version of who General Patton was and his incredibly important role in winning WWII, than this would be the film to watch. So good in fact, that they've never attempted an actual remake of it...yet (studios, please don't).

On to the Blu-Ray issues mentioned above. If 50% of this movies awesomeness is the beautiful cinematography, than no one should be subject to a sub-par version of this film on the PQ front. What I want to do here is give everyone yet another heads up. At this time, the version linked above is the only version of Patton you should purchase on Blu-Ray. All others, the original release a few years back, the 40th Anniversary Digi-Book edition, and even the copy in the 4-Pack War Movie collection, should be avoided at all costs as they are all the same, awful, waxy looking transfer that was done when few people fully realized what Blu-Ray should be used for in the HD market.

In Blu-Ray's infancy, studios often tried to get rid of all film elements that made a movie look less "HD" by today's standards of things being shot digitally. I believe they felt that if there was any grain or softness to a film, it would make people think it was not an HD master and possibly make people not want to jump to Blu-Ray. The fact is, anything shot on film will have grain. It's one of the many elements that give film a life and character of it's own. And even though Patton was filmed on 70mm film, meaning a much finer grain structure than typical film stock, the studio decided to wipe all grain off of the image for the first pressing anyway (known as DNR, or Digital Noise Reduction). DNR is why we get a `waxy' appearance on faces and other objects on screen on some Blu-Ray discs. Much like a moving wax museum. Much of the detail is lost due to this process as well. I'm not sure why, but some people still like this. But to film purists who want a movie to look as it looked while in the theaters, this is unacceptable. Unless it's Pixar, people shouldn't look waxy. This is exactly what happened with the original pressing(s) of Patton on Blu-Ray.

Thankfully, not only have studios realized that Blu-Ray and an HD displays true role should be to accurately represent the original work as best as possible, but the complaints were heard about Patton as well and a re-master has been in the works for a few years now. It was released on November 6th of 2012. If you are looking for a version of Patton that is true to it's original intent and look, than that version is the only one you should get.

Yes, this may have gotten long. But trust me, not nearly as long as the original post, which I will be archiving in the comments section.

And once again, if you're purchasing Patton on Blu-Ray, be sure it's this version and this version only: Patton [Blu-ray]

P.S. I am leaving my stars low because the title my review is specifically linked to is the Digibook edition.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

"Patton" offers one of the great marriages of actor and role with George C. Scott's riveting portrayal of the notorious American tank commander. As a film biography "Patton" forgoes the rise of the celebrated general and merely hints at his ironic death because of injuries suffered in a traffic accident, focuses entirely on his military career commanding troops in North Africa, Sicily and France during World War II. The strength of the script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, as well as of Scott's performance, is that the paradoxes of Patton are completely embraced. Not even Patton's loyal cadre of staff officers can keep him from shooting off his mouth every time there are reporters around, but then neither German Field Marshall Rommel or English Field Marshall Montgomery can beat him on the battlefield. Karl Malden's performance as General Omar Bradley is just as solid as Scott's, presenting a man whose personality is the complete antithesis of Patton. Viewers find themselves identifying with the German captain who is the intelligence expert on Patton and arguably the only person in the film who really understands or respects the American general. But the more I watch "Patton," the more I am very impressed with the battle sequences of director Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes," "Pappillon"), which were staged live and full-scale without special effects of miniatures. Schaffner provides not just the large spectacle of a desert tank battle, but smaller and equally memorable moments, such as a soldier falling dead in the snow. "Patton" deserved its Oscars.

In terms of extra features on this DVD, the second disc features the 1997 50-minute retrospective documentary, "The Making of Patton: A Tribute to Franklin J. Schaffner." Recent interviews with the cinematographer, composer, etc., are blended with audio interviews of Schaffner and Scott from 1970, newsreel footage of Patton, along with clips and publicity stills from the film make a fitting tribute to the late director. The audio commentary on the first disc is really more of a lecture on Patton by Charles M. Province, the author of the book "The Unknown Patton" and founder/president of the General George S. Patton, Jr. Historical Society. Province more than adequately fills in what the movie leaves out about Patton's life. On the second disc Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar nominated musical score is presented in stereo, including alternate takes and a series of radio spots. You certainly have to appreciate what Fox has put together here: This is a "Special Edition" DVD priced as a regular DVD, a real treat for those of us who remember being mesmerized by George C. Scott giving that profanity laced opening speech standing in front of that giant American flag.

Best Deals for Patton (1970)

The Fox "Cinema Classic Collection" edition of PATTON offers a far superior picture transfer than the previous THX edition. The new image looks to be from actual 65mm elements and is far less grainy than the old transfer, which looks to have been from 35mm dupes. However, sometimes colors are a little unstable in new image, with often pinkish hues and reddish flesh tones, but most of the time the picture looks fine. The soundtrack seems the same as the old edition, which was just fine. All of the extras from the previous edition have been retained, and the new commentary by screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola is interesting.

Honest reviews on Patton (1970)

When this movie was released, it was almost immediately recognized as one of the finest, most accurate and most sensational biographies ever filmed. The unique integration in "Patton" of such fine acting, such a wonderful script, and the filming itself combined to make this a gorgeous film to watch, be entertained with, and also learn from in terms of its historical value as an absolutely superb depiction of a most controversial man and his times. All that said, this is a movie best enjoyed with the kind of visual clarity, terrific cinematography, and matchless Technicolor it offers by way of DVD technology.

George C. Scott gives the performance of a lifetime as the ego-drive, brilliant, and iconoclastic Patton, marvel of the U.S Army, a man the Germans are convinced is far and away the single best General the Allies have, and they watch him convinced he is the only logical centerpiece for American plans for the impending invasion of Europe. Of course, they didn't understand the politics of the day, or the degree to which Patton was his own worst enemy. Yet the progress of the story on the screen convinces the viewer of the accuracy of the German command's judgments of him; he is at once bold, brilliant, and innovative, willing to improvise as he goes along to seize the opportunity of a given moment, attempting to grab hold of the ever-present chaos of the situation to transform it into an asset he can employ to gain advantage and win the engagement.

Such men as Patton (and MacArthur and others) are uniquely suited for war; they do not ordinarily fare well or survive with much public acclaim during less extreme and bloodcurdling times. The fact that Eisenhower, for example, succeeded so well as President is probably due more to the fact that he was less a battlefield commander and leader of "desperate men in combat" like Patton than he was a superb organizer and a natural politician. The movie "Patton" is an investment in both great entertainment and a colorful, dramatic, and educational video you can share with your sons and daughters to help them understand better the chaos, contradictions, and cruelties of war. Enjoy!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Patton (1970)

I have always loved the movie "Patton". It is a true classic and a treasure in cinema. I give 3 stars to this special edition because of the following reasons. I cannot understand why 20th Century Fox chose to add the Documentary "Ghost Corp" which seems to want to imply that Patton abandoned the XX Corp and particularly the 94th Infantry deliberately with no reason. Horrible incidences happen in war, this one happened because Patton was on his way north to fight a little annoyance called THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE!, also he was going to rescue the 101st Airborne surrounded by German Forces at Bastogne from being ANNIHILATED!. In the documentary "The making of Patton" there is a clip from Oliver Stone stating that the movie "Patton" was responsible for Nixon invading and bombing Cambodia, which, according to Oliver Stone, forced the Khmer Rouge to kill millions of Cambodians. He states that only two movies he knows of ever influenced history; "Patton" and of course his movie "JFK". Naturally his (Oliver Stone)'s movie was in a good way. "Patton" just caused destruction and death. My view of this is that 20th Century Fox wanted to be politically correct and shield itself from anyone anywhere at anytime thinking that they would glorify war. I have never ever heard of a single person thinking seriously that the movie "Patton" glorified war. Whoever thought that at Fox is an idiot and obviously does not think much of the audiences' intelligence that watched "Patton". Oliver Stone is simply pitiful. He wishes that he could make a movie that would live in people's hearts like "Patton" does. He will never touch that greatness, his films will never obtain that level of affection in people's hearts. People don't love "Patton" because it is a war picture. We love it because it is great, it resonates in our hearts and it gave us an image of a complex man and the great men around him who sacrificed, bled, and accomplished heroic deeds. It is positive and gives us hope, unlike the depressing, hopeless, and disposable garbage that Oliver Stone puts out.