Albert Finney

Annie (Special Anniversary Edition) [Region 99]

Average customer rating:

Annie
Better on Broadway
Loved it!
Annie!
a very entertaining dvd

Annie (Special Anniversary Edition) [Region 99]
Starring: Albert Finney , Carol Burnett , Ann Reinking , Tim Curry , and Bernadette Peters
Director: John Huston
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Annie (Original 1982 Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Full Screen Edition)
The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)

ASIN: B0000VCZKM
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Amazon.com

Charmless and dull, this adaptation of the Broadway hit stars Aileen Quinn as the depression-era moppet, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, Carol Burnett as the cruel headmistress at an orphanage, and Tim Curry as a villain. The film never gets its legs, and there is no sense of setting; it's almost as if the whole thing is happening in a void. John Huston nominally directed--no doubt to make money between his smaller, cheaper masterpieces--but one would have thought he would invest something of himself in here. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Annie.......2007-06-13

This version of Annie is wonderful. Carol Burnett creates such a wonderful character, and the orphans are extremely talented. This film is a step above the rest of the "Annie" movies.

Better on Broadway.......2007-06-13

Having been lucky enough to see the original on Broadway I was looking forward to the transition to the silver screen. Unfortunately most of the magic of the musical was left in New York and never made it to Hollywood. The songs are, of course, very good, though they did drop one of my favorites, "NYC", from the score and added the, in my opinion inferior, "Let's Go To The Movies". Aileen Quinn does a very credible job in the title role. Albert Finney, as Daddy Warbucks, and Carol Burnett, as Miss Hannigan, also do a good job. Ann Reinking, as Daddy Warbucks' secretary, proves to be one of the best dancers around. Many of the things that are done in the movie, such as the rescue of Annie on the railroad bridge, could not have done on the stage. For all its shortcomings, "Annie" is still well worth the watch.

Loved it!.......2007-05-22

Honestly, who doesn't know the movie Annie? But this special anniversary dvd has some nice bonus features. You can sing karaoke with or without voice with some of the more popular songs, you can "act" with Annie in some of the scenes, you can take a quiz about Annie and the 1930's and there is a very nice bonus feature with the lovely woman whom played Annie when she was a child. I do wish there were a few more features, maybe some other cast interviews; but all in all, this is a real treat!

Annie!.......2007-05-18

I love this musical! So happy to have it on DVD! Rich in color and clarity.

a very entertaining dvd.......2007-05-16

a fun movie to watch for the whole family especially for little girls!

Average customer rating:

"Dying is easy. Comedy is hard."
Not one of Russell Crowe's Best Works....Or the Director's for that Matter
i was pleasantly surprised by this movie...
Different spin; same result
A Good Year or A Good Week?

A Good Year (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Freddie Highmore , Albert Finney , Abbie Cornish , Russell Crowe , and Rafe Spall
Director: Ridley Scott
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Holiday [Region 99]
Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition) [Region 99]
The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000LXHK2C
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Amazon.com

A feel-good movie that highlights the beauty of France as much as it does its stars, A Good Year provides a languid, gorgeous viewing experience. Director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe--who first worked together on the Academy Award-winning Gladiator--are reunited in this romantic film, which is based on Peter Mayle's book A Year in Provence. Crowe plays Max, a workaholic London bonds trader who doesn't know the meaning of vacation. When his uncle dies, leaving him a picturesque estate in the south of France, Max views it as an opportunity to cash in the vinery and pocket the profits. The film is reminiscent of Diane Lane's Under the Tuscan Sun in the way the scenery plays as much of a role in the film as its characters. The lush village and streaming sunlight portray Provence as an idyllic, magical place. Even Max falls under its spell. While not a particularly likeable character, especially in the early part of the film, Max also isn't a bad guy. When he gets the chance to live life at a less manic pace than which he is used to, he finds that a good year isn't dependant on a financial windfall. Though Scott tries to drum up some suspense in the film (Is the beautiful visitor really Max's illegitimate cousin? Will Max fall in love with the feisty local woman he trades quips with?) nothing that happens comes as much of a surprise. Still, while the film doesn't fully utilize Crowe's range of skills, the actor is charming in his role and A Good Year provides a fine time in the cinemas. --Jae-Ha Kim

Extras from A Good Year <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4"> <tr align="center" valign="top" class="tiny"> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/done2.jpg" border="0">
Russell Crowe and Co-Stars on Filming in Provence</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/vinyard.jpg" border="0">
A Good Year Virtual Vinyard</td>
</tr> </table>

Beyond A Good Year <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="4"> <tr align="center" valign="top" class="tiny"> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0679731148.01._PIsitb-st-arrow,TopLeft,-1,-14_OU01_SCTHUMBZZZ_AA100_.gif" border="0">
A Year in Provence</td> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000EHSVQ4.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_AA90_.jpg" border="0">
More from Director Ridley Scott</td>
<td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001HLVS2.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_AA90_.jpg" border="0">

More from Russell Crowe</td> </tr> </table>
Stills from A Good Year <table border="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%" cellspacing="4">

Description

Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) is a highly successful investment expert with no time for life outside work. When his estranged uncle dies, Max inherits the vineyard in France where he grew up as a child, and his first intention is to sell the vineyard as qui

Customer Reviews:

"Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.".......2007-06-09

I've been a fan of Russell Crowe for long time and I like a lot all his performances I've seen. He is a very talented actor, one of the best of his generation. He is especially good and convincing at playing strong, charismatic, intense, and often brooding characters but I've noticed that I like him the most when he smiles. He does not do it often, on the contrary, his smile is a rare gift but it changes his face completely, it literally lights his face, makes it younger, softer, and even tender. I have always been curious to see him in a light and funny comedy and when I learned that he and Ridley Scott who has directed him to the Oscar in "The Gladiator" teamed up for a romantic comedy that takes place in the vineyard of sunny Provence, in the south of France, I was very interested in seeing it.

I should say that even though I had expected more from the movie, it was nice. The story is very familiar and predictable but the film is a delight to watch since it was made by a master of the stunningly beautiful visuals, the master who can look at the familiar landmark from the different prospective, the way nobody else has. The best about "A Good Year" is its look - dreamy, enveloping, delightfully intoxicating - just as wine that plays such a big role in the story of Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) who one day suddenly finds himself back in the place where he used to be happy once as a boy but almost forgot the feeling having left for a huge dynamic mega polis where he has become a ruthless arrogant businessman. He will have to slow down and to learn what the real pleasures, values, and priorities in life are. Once more, Russell Crowe has proved that he can act but I found his performance a little too heavy and intense for such a silly light comedy. Watching him in "A Good Year" reminds me of an old story. A famous comic actor, lying on his deathbed, was asked by a friend, "Is it hard, this dying?" "No," replied the actor. "Dying is easy. Comedy is hard." I was glad to see Crowe in the comedy even if not completely successful and there was one absolutely charming and hilarious scene with Crowe driving the smallest and cutest car imaginable which brought to my mind the similar scene in the latest Woody Allen's comedy. I began to wonder what Woody Allen's next project would be. What if two of them, Allen and Crowe will get to work together? That would be a comedy I will never miss.

Not one of Russell Crowe's Best Works....Or the Director's for that Matter.......2007-06-05

After reading some rave reviews, my husband and I settled down on the couch for our "date night". I am sorry to report that we were both sorely disappointed in the movie. We are both huge Russell Crowe fans but this may be his worst acting in a long time. I'm not sure that it is his fault so much as the script. I had a hard time believing that this "heartless, ruthless" male chauvinist (his character is ALWAYS staring at a woman's chest or derriere) is what became of the sweet, thoughtful boy that is wonderfully depicted by the young actor. In fact, the boy and Abbie Cornish, who plays his cousin, are the true stars of this movie. In my opinion, this movie does not hold a candle to true classics like "Under the Tuscan Sun."

i was pleasantly surprised by this movie..........2007-06-03

i should know better than to listen to the reviews - i found this movie delightful - sort of a mix of old world and new world in flavour - loved the flashbacks with albert finney - and the cinematography is gorgeous - a really fine movie to hunker down with on a rainy day:)

Different spin; same result.......2007-05-30

About 18 months ago, in my review of Peter Mayle's "A Good Year," I likened the book to a helping of cotton candy, a silly confection that may satisfy a temporary sweet tooth, but cannot satisfy a real appetite. It was with no small trepidation, therefore, that I sat down to watch the film version directed in 2006 by Ridley Scott.

One hundred and twenty minutes later, I was not sure what I watched....I know only that it was NOT Mayle's "Good Year."

Oh, yes...the title was the same, the setting was the same and the main character, Max Skinner, had the same name. But that was where any similarities between Mayle's original and Marc Klein's screenplay largely ended.

In Mayle's original, Max finds himself improbably cheated out of his livelihood at lunch, and inheriting an estate by dinner time. His career for the moment shot, Max has nothing to keep him from the splendors and adventures waiting in France. The Klein screenplay, by contrast, has Skinner at the top of his professional form, albeit under a small but worrisome cloud: France, the estate and the circumstances of his inheritance are a bother, and this Skinner fully intends to make short work of them. What follows is a standard boy-meets-girl tale, told against a larger story of self discovery. Klein begins where Mayle began, and ends up in roughly the same place...but the path he takes to that end point is vastly and significantly different that the one taken by Mayle.

The concept of screenplay and source material differing, even differing greatly, is certainly nothing new. The problem here, however, is that Klein added nothing appreciably better. Where the tension in Mayle's original came from a half-baked mystery he attempted to establish (before apparently losing interest and simply wrapping the whole thing up), the tension in Klein's version comes from Max's flashbacks to the time he spent under the tutelage of his dear, departed Uncle Henry....visions which call into stark contrast the man his uncle intended for him to become, and the man he in fact became. Unfortunately choosing spend time recreating odd bits of Mayle's original storyline, Klein never gets the chance to fully develop the thread of Max's catharsis. The change of heart he undergoes apparently comes as easily as everything else in his uniquely charmed life.

The mediocre screenplay aside, the acting is generally first rate. Russell Crowe has a romp playing a character who, had he been filmed fifty years earlier, would have almost certainly been played by Cary Grant. Albert Finney has a similarly grand time playing the dear departed Uncle Henry, irascible, sly and all-knowing. Unfortunately, Marion Cotillard, cast as Max's love interest, and Didier Bourdon, and Isabelle Candelier, the estate's husband and wife caretakers, get far too little screen time given the performances they turn in. Among the few annoying cast notes is Freddie Highmore, as the young Max of the flashbacks, once again cast as one of those wise-beyond-his-years screen kids no one has ever actually met in real life.

In the end, this film is no worse than the flawed book upon which it is loosely based, and may actually be a bit better. Both are meaningless confections; but, as opposed to the book, the film takes only two hours to digest.

A Good Year or A Good Week?.......2007-05-27

I'm not sure why this movie is called "A Good Year." It really focuses on about a weeks worth of activities in a run-down French vineyard estate. Max Skinner (Russell Crowe), a "take no prisoners" bond trader, inherits a French vineyard. Coming off a deal that profited his company by $77 million, he had to cut his celebration short in order to sign some papers in France giving him the title to this property (that he only wanted to sell, sell, sell).

[Note: For an executive who believed that time was money, why didn't he send a lawyer in his stead? It's done all the time.]

Of course, he finds dirt, real people, and the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

Russell Crowe plays a great amateur "gentleman farmer." His best performance is as a roll-up-your-sleeves, let's-get-dirty, hard-working guy. But he was SUPPOSED to be a tough-nut trader, with no calluses on his hands, perfect manicures, and a testosterone-loaded Armani wardrobe.

Who was this other guy?

So: Crowe as a bond trader and jerk. Ho-hum performance. Crowe as a wannabe grape grower. My favorite part!

As a side note, I never understood the thing with scorpions and lavender. Lavender may be repellent to scorpions, but if there were that many scorpions around, folk should be running into them all over the house and in the yard, and not just in a second-floor bedroom! 'Nuff said. Hope the characters shook out their shoes every morning.

Average customer rating:

One of the most Creative Films in Years...
Wonderful Message, a "definite recommend"
Sometimes Fiction is Better than the Truth
Nice
Movie

Big Fish [Region 99]
Starring: Ewan McGregor , Albert Finney , Billy Crudup , Jessica Lange , and Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Tim Burton
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Edward Scissorhands (Widescreen Anniversary Edition)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Widescreen Edition)
Sleepy Hollow
BEETLEJUICE (DVD)
Finding Neverland (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0001GOH6Q
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

After a string of mediocre movies, director Tim Burton regains his footing as he shifts from macabre fairy tales to Southern tall tales. Big Fish twines in and out of the oversized stories of Edward Bloom, played as a young man by Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge, Down with Love) and as a dying father by Albert Finney (Tom Jones). Edward's son Will (Billy Crudup, Almost Famous) sits by his father's bedside but has little patience with the old man's fables, because he feels these stories have kept him from knowing who his father really is. Burton dives into Bloom's imagination with zest, sending the determined young man into haunted woods, an idealized Southern town, a traveling circus, and much more. The result is sweet but--thanks to the director's dark and clever sensibility--never saccharine. Also featuring Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito, and Steve Buscemi. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

One of the most Creative Films in Years..........2007-05-21

If you see this film for no other reason, watch it for the dazzling cinematography. You can't help but be swept up into this magical world and wondering how such a fantasy could possibly be real. If you enjoyed The Princess Bride, Secondhand Lions, The Wizard of Oz, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory you are sure to enjoy Big Fish.

Wonderful Message, a "definite recommend".......2007-05-12

Great movie. Great message. This is one of those movies that I enjoy watching again and again.

Sometimes Fiction is Better than the Truth.......2007-05-09

Tim Burton's return to genuine film making is a welcome endeavor indeed. Here he creates a film that reminds me of what great film making is all about: fantasy, love and reflecting on the human spirit. I scoffed at a review that compared Big Fish to The Wizard of Oz when Big Fish first came out, but upon viewing it the comparison is really not hyperbolic at all and is actually quite justified. There is a unique carelessness and an innocence that resides perfectly and constantly in both films. To me, both films are truly a breath of fresh air and hope.

Big Fish is a book written by Daniel Wallace and is the delightful story of Edward Bloom, who has reached the twilight of his life and surrounds himself with his son, daughter-in-law and his wonderful wife Sandra. Eddie has seemingly lived a fantastic life of lies and exaggerations and his son has grown to call his bluff on more than one occasion. In fact, his son returns not just to possibly say good-bye to his father, but to attempt to get him to spill the beans on the truth of who his old man really is. Eddie of course, stands by his stories and brushes off his son's accusations nonchalantly. Most of the film we see Eddie revisit his life as a whole, seen through only his own stories. How he once befriended a 12 foot man; how he arrived in a town that was paradise, once to early and once too late when he turned it back into paradise again; how he joined the circus for three years so he could find out pieces information once a month from Amos the ringmaster about the girl Eddie was sure would be his wife and how Sandra would believe Eddie to be dead in war but he would return. The stories are full of details that would clearly indicate they are false but sometimes they are just better that way. Eddie is a mythological figure and that is just fine with him and as a viewer it's fine with me as well.

Eddie is played by Albert Finney who is in turn mirrored by Eddie's youthful version, the outstanding Ewen MacGregor who once again proves his versatility. Jessica Lange plays the older Sandra and she is played as a youngster by the talented Alison Lohman who carries as much energy and beauty as you could expect for a role with so little dialogue and so much importance. She is a real find and makes you fall in love with her right along with Eddie. Helena Bonham Carter brings her talents to the roles of The Witch and Jenny (or all of the other important women in Eddie's life). Steve Buscemi shows up, which is always a pleasant surprise and of course Amos is played by Danny DeVito who is as enjoyable as ever. The flat Keanu Reeves clone Billy Crudup is perhaps the only drawback, but he is a safe casting call as Eddie's son and does what he can in discovering that his father is exactly what he says he is and more.

Let me just add that I believe Big Fish is a family film. I don't see why it shouldn't be rated PG rather than PG-13. The language rises above the prime time television level once, there is blood only in a comedic and romantic fight sequence that has a truly admirable message and there is a women's nude rear displayed briefly and non-sexually. This is not grounds for a PG-13 movie. I would bring a seven year old to see this. In fact, my guess is that the movie was directed at this demographic. When content is not exploitative, it is not really inappropriate. I can't see why Rock Diesel films get PG-13ed when the message is nothing short of "Kill the bad guys, make a lame joke, drive and crash really cool vehicles and get the dirty chick". Anyway, Big Fish may be about a guy who is stretching the truth but the characters' hearts couldn't be more firmly in the right place. The scene when Eddie fills an entire field with Sandra's favorite flower and stands in the middle of the field, outside of her window and calls out to her comes to mind. It brings joy to my heart in a way that only a film like The Wizard of Oz can, and a small child should never ever miss that kind of message. Big Fish is a smart film that really generates a ton of emotion and convincing special effects. I don't doubt for a moment that more work went into the effects than money. This film carried a sense of hope, pride, real love, respect, fantasy and the crucial element that films of these tainted times often forget: natural and unforced optimism.

Then there is Tim Burton. He is the filmmaker that can put all of these elements together and for the first time tug at your emotions as well. Two things make this film better than Burton's other work. Firstly, it is real and doesn't dwell on being over-stylized and under-dramatized. Secondly, it is pure, clean and full of moments we can all relate too. Tim Burton has made a film that will alienate his older fans who haven't matured like he has, without "selling out" (he's done that before) and he has made a film that the whole world can watch, enjoy and discover this unique filmmaker. I'm glad that he saved some of his real film making inspiration for this wonderful little story.

Nice.......2007-05-08

Big Fish is a moving and subversively profound film.
Those who approach it with specific expectations may well find it "boring", "useless", or "stupid".
Others willing to just go with the experience can enjoy the marvelous story telling and affection Tim Burton manages to create.
A treasure of a movie, IMO.

Movie.......2007-03-25

This is a wonderful movie. It is a great story with a lot of adventure.

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express

Average customer rating:

The Best of Christie
Christie's best
A Great classic ,a Renoir Classic
A little too heavy on the accent
Great!

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
Starring: Albert Finney , Lauren Bacall , Martin Balsam , Ingrid Bergman , and Jacqueline Bisset
Director: Sidney Lumet
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Death on the Nile
Evil Under the Sun
And Then There Were None
To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
The Mirror Crack'd

ASIN: B0002I832C
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com essential video

Just the name "Orient Express" conjures images of a bygone era. Add an all-star cast (including Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, and Lauren Bacall, to name a few) and Agatha Christie's delicious plot and how can you go wrong? Particularly if you add in Albert Finney as Christie's delightfully persnickety sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Someone has knocked off nasty Richard Widmark on this train trip and, to Poirot's puzzlement, everyone seems to have a motive--just the setup for a terrific whodunit. Though it seems like an ensemble film, director Sidney Lumet gives each of his stars their own solo and each makes the most of it. Bergman went so far as to win an Oscar for her role. But the real scene-stealer is the ever-reliable Finney as the eccentric detective who never misses a trick. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

The Best of Christie.......2007-06-12

Murder on the Orient Express is undoubtedly the best Christie mystery ever filmed. Not only is the acting superb, the producers and writers stayed very close to the original novel in their presentation, which was not true in later Christie presentations by the same production team. But in Orient Express one gets a real feel for what it was like to travel from Istanbul on the Calais Coach.

Christie's best.......2007-05-29

The best of the movies from Christie's books, Well done and a lot of fun.

A Great classic ,a Renoir Classic.......2007-05-14

If you enjoy a mystery, you will enjoy this. All my years in Law Enforcement and this is a Classic Mystery for all.

A little too heavy on the accent.......2007-04-17

This is a good movie. But I can't understand a thing that the detective is saying. His accent is too thick. It's almost as if he's speaking another language entirely.

I can pretty much figure out what he's saying throughout the movie. But when it gets to the end and he's got everyone together in the same room and is explaining everything to them, I've absolutely no idea what he's saying. If it wasn't for the "flashbacks" while he's talking, I wouldn't know who killed who and why even after watching the entire movie. Someone who doesn't have such a horribly thick accent should have played the part of the detective.

Great!.......2007-03-24

Really enjoyed this film. The acting is very good and it's just a lot of fun.

Average customer rating:

A good movie message but a litlle bouring.
Oversized Outstanding Tall Story of a Life
Embellished Dreams and Aspirations and Truth
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY...

Big Fish [Blu-ray]
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter , Steve Buscemi , Brandon Carroll , Danny DeVito , and Albert Finney
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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Casino Royale [Blu-ray]
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Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
Layer Cake [Blu-ray]
Identity [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000M9BPEY
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Product Description

Throughout his life Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor) has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, portrayed by five-time Best Actor Oscar nominee AlbertFinney (Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Erin Brockovich, 2000), he remains a huge mystery to his son, William (Billy Crudup). Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures in this marvel of a movie.

Customer Reviews:

A good movie message but a litlle bouring........2007-05-07

A good movie with a message for everyone but don't really interestin.

Oversized Outstanding Tall Story of a Life.......2007-02-05

Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor as the older and younger Edward Bloom are outstanding. This is a wonderful and hauntingly beautiful movie on the meaning of truth as we sum up our lives and try to put meaning to it all. This is an important work from director Tim Burton.

Embellished Dreams and Aspirations and Truth.......2007-02-01

At the time of its release BIG FISH seemed like a big departure from the type of films that Tim Burton was directing. BIG FISH is still refreshing if not just a little strange. Nonetheless, it does not fail to entertain and it does keep you mildly captivated.

There are depictions of outrageous to intimate slices of one man's life. Credibility and embellishment is an ethereal thing.

Depending on how much truth and perhaps the importance of truth itself is found in these events, there eventually there comes the pay-off. What is really true in life anyway?

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY..........2007-01-21

This is, indeed, a magical, mystical movie about fathers and sons, which is based upon the book "Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions" by Daniel Wallace. The book is a perfect vehicle for Director Tim Burton's signature melange of reality and fantasy. The story is that of a father and his son, their estrangement, and their eventual reconciliation. It is a beautifully realized film that will bring tears to one's eyes.

The father in question is Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) who loves to tell, at least it seems so to his son, Will (Billy Crudup), tall tales about his past. The son becomes estranged from his father on his wedding day, when his father tells one tall tale too many for Will's tastes. For the next several years, Will communicates only with his mother, Sandra (Jessica Lange).

When his father becomes seriously ill, however, Will and his wife rush to his side. Father and son take final stock of each other, and the seemingly tall tales continue. As his father gets progressively worse, Will, feeling that he really does not know his father, embarks on a journey to discover for himself, once and for all, the man his father really is. What he discovers is that his father was not so off the mark with his stories, and he finally begins to appreciate who his father really is and the impact that he has had on others. It allows Will to be able to say goodbye to his father in a way that his father understands and to be at peace with the man whom he discovered his father to be.

The film takes the viewer on a ride through some of Ed Bloom's tall tales, in a series of vignettes, where the viewer sees a young Ed Bloom (Ewan McGregor) living an almost fantastical life. We see him meet the love of his life, Sandra, as a young girl (Alison Lohman). We see him as a circus worker, a soldier, a traveling salesman, and even a bank robber. We see some of the people that cross section his life: a giant, a diminutive ringmaster, a witch, and singing Siamese twins. Ed even comes across a perfectly heavenly town full of wonderful, happy people.

This is simply a marvelous film with fantastical elements reminiscent of "Forrest Gump" and "The Princess Bride". Wonderful performances are given by veteran actors Albert Finney and Jessica Lange. Look for the very touching bath tub scene, where, fully clothed, the love between Ed and Sandra is palpable. Albert Finney, in the role of the senior Ed Bloom, is exceptional as a raconteur of the first order. Ewan McGregor is remarkable as the charismatic, younger Ed Bloom, infusing the role with a joie de vivre that is as infectious as it is engaging.

Jessica Lange is terrific as the senior Sandra Bloom, grounding her relationship with her husband with a steadfastedness born of years of mutual love and respect. Alison Lohman is simply lovely as the younger Sandra, imbuing her character with a beautiful sense of innocence and longing. It is interesting that both Alison Lohman and Ewan McGregor strongly resemble their more senior co-stars.

Billy Crudup is excellent as the angry Will Bloom, the son who needs to reconcile his image of his father with the man his father actually is. Robert Guillaume is masterful in the small role of the senior Dr. Bennett. The rest of the stellar cast is superlative, though Danny DeVito's southern accent needed a bit more work. The direction, however, is deft, and the cinematography is brilliant. This is an absolutely exceptional film. I really enjoyed it immensely, even though I initially viewed this film most reluctantly, and only after much persuasion by my son. I am certainly glad that I did. This film has made me a fan of Tim Burton. It is filmmaking at its best. Bravo!

Average customer rating:

bored me to death
Excellent in all respects
Please enter a title for your review
Wonderfully ambivalent in every respect
A Hat Blowing in the Wind

Miller's Crossing
Starring: Gabriel Byrne , Marcia Gay Harden , John Turturro , Jon Polito , and J.E. Freeman
Director: Joel Coen , and Ethan Coen
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Barton Fink
Fargo (Special Edition)
Raising Arizona
The Hudsucker Proxy
Blood Simple (Director's Cut)

ASIN: B00008RH3L
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Product Description

Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen (Barton Fink, Fargo) create a complex and graphic vision of gangsterism set during Prohibition and featuring a riveting rouges' gallery of killers and con men.

Leo (Albert Finney), a likeable Irish gangster boss, rules an Eastern city along with Tom (Gabriel Byrne), his trusted lieutenant and counselor. But just as their authority is challenged by an Italian underboss (J.E. Freeman), Leo and Tom also fall for the same woman. Tom, caught in the jaws of a gangland power struggle, walks a deadly tightrope as he tries to control and manipulate its violent outcomes.

System Requirements:
Starring: Albert Finney, Gabriel Byrne, John Turturro, Jon Polito, Marcia Gay Harden, J.E. Freeman.
Directed By: Joel & Ethan Coen.
Running Time: 115 Min., Color.
Copyright 2003 Twentieth Century Fox.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

Arguably the best film by Joel and Ethan Coen, the 1990 Miller's Crossing stars Gabriel Byrne as Tom, a loyal lieutenant of a crime boss named Leo (Albert Finney) who is in a Prohibition-era turf war with his major rival, Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito). A man of principle, Tom nevertheless is romantically involved with Leo's lover (Marcia Gay Harden), whose screwy brother (John Turturro) escapes a hit ordered by Caspar only to become Tom's problem. Making matters worse, Tom has outstanding gambling debts he can't pay, which keeps him in regular touch with a punishing enforcer. With all the energy the Coens put into their films, and all their focused appreciation of genre conventions and rules, and all their efforts to turn their movies into ironic appreciations of archetypes in American fiction, they never got their formula so right as with Miller's Crossing. With its Hammett-like dialogue and Byzantine plot and moral chaos mitigated by one hero's personal code, the film so transcends its self-scrutiny as a retro-crime thriller that it is a deserved classic in its own right. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

bored me to death.......2007-06-01

there's nothing i could say to this boring gangster movie, so cliched and deadbeat, lotsa blah, blah this and blah, blah that from several mouth-tough guys. the storyline couldn't be more boring. guys who played tough guys didn't bring out any credible toughness in this film, didn't know what those guys yammering about, didn't seem to be too big deal important and interesting. after tried 45 minutes with mucho yawns, still failed to get connected, so i ejected the dvd, cursed all the way to the video store and returned it. well, same as usual for a boring rental, lost money, time and gas again.

Excellent in all respects.......2007-05-12

Hard to find faults; only nits, like the fact that the many injuries Byrne should accumulate thru film should hospitalize him. Great acting, photography, the usual Coen kinkiness (not overdone), and a deliberate pacing that is nearly perfect. Characters are clearly defined and credible, even when their personalities are eccentric. The only thing missing is the lack of a feature-length commentary on the DVD.
I highly recommend this movie.

Please enter a title for your review.......2007-05-06

The kind of movie where the relevence of one scene to the next and even one line of dialogue to the next is often unclear. I don't understand how they can get made. I watched the first 20 minutes optimistically, and the next 20 in a catatonic state of dumbfounded frustration. If there was any story developing I couldn't tell you a thing about it.

Wonderfully ambivalent in every respect.......2007-03-09

Tom Reagan either sees the whole board like nobody else can, or he is an idiot of the first order. Either seems equally possible to me, as he engages in every double-cross known to man, for reasons which are never made entirely clear. Along the way, he is beaten up seemingly by nearly every inhabitant of the unnamed city's criminal underworld, but seems to accept his lot with resignation.

This movie had so many twists and turns that it required two consecutive viewings to insure that I had it right. One could watch it a million times and still never know exactly what Tom Reagan's motives are. The Coens certainly have no problem leaving the ultimate outcome somewhat unresolved, which always entertains me. Neat, tidy endings are rarely a reflection of real life.

One will find great performances throughout, particularly those of Albert Finney & Gabriel Byrne. The typically twisted Coen humor is on abundant display in the snappy dialogue, sometimes so snappy that the viewer can hardly follow along (Steve Buscemi speaks at such a blistering pace that I had put on the subtitles to make sense of it all).

As other reviewers have said, you either love the Coens or hate them. The surreal, ambivalent qualities which delight some will drives other crazy. I have found both to be true...by the time "Barton Fink" was over, I had no idea what I was even watching anymore, and wondered what the ballyhoo was all about. However, "Miller's Crossing" is a good example of all the best Coenesque qualities falling nicely into place, resulting in a movie which is hugely entertaining without being nearly as frustrating as some others.

A Hat Blowing in the Wind.......2007-02-09

Miller's Crossing is the Coen Brother's foray into the gangster genre. Most people either love the Coen Brother's movies or hate them. I fall somewhere in between, however, their movies are always interesting and Miller's Crossing is no exception.

The film takes place in a prohibition era, large, American city. The protagonist, Tom Reagen, played by Gabriel Byrne, is the trusted right-hand man of Leo O'Bannon (Albert Finney), the leader of the dominant Irish gang. Leo is under pressure from the up and coming Italian gang led by Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito). A conflict between the two leaders emerges over the small time hood, Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro). Apparently Bernie is leaking word of Caspar's fixed races to too many people. Caspar is seeing the odds of his sure bets drop too much. It's cutting heavily into his cash flow. And besides, it's just not ehtical. Leo, partly because Bernie is his girlfriend Verna's (Marsha Gay Hardin) kid brother, is protecting Leo and refuses to let Caspar move against him. The police and mayor take orders from whoever the top dog is, and the funniest moments of the movie are watching them shift around in trying to end up on the right side of the ensuing war. Tom has to act on his own to bring his boss Leo and Verna, with whom he's having an affair, safely through the war.

It's a complicated plot, but the plot isn't the strongest aspect of the film. What I found most remarkable about the film was it's attention to detail. As a period peice, Miller's Crossing is phenomenal. The costumes, the settings, the cars all perfectly fit 1920's urban America. And the dialouge, what a wealth of character 1920's, American slang brings to the movie. The acting by the whole cast was particularly well done. And the cinematography captured it all perfectly. Especially the lonely road through the woods at what was called Miller's Crossing. This movie is truly a feast for the eyes, and the dialouge and soundtack make it a feast for the ears as well. The plot is a little too complex and Tom Reagen rolls from beating to beating like an indestructable Superman, but as a period piece, this movie excels.

Add in a little trademark Coen dark humor and a little Coen fixation with hats, and this movie is well worth a couple of hours of a quiet evening at home.

Average customer rating:

A New Kind of Role for Julia
True story of David and Goliath in modern terms
LM McMillin
Erin Brockovich is an Inspiration!
Great movie!

Erin Brockovich
Starring: Veanne Cox , Peter Coyote , Conchata Ferrell , Albert Finney , and Marg Helgenberger
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Runaway Bride
A Civil Action
The Pelican Brief
Stepmom
My Best Friend's Wedding (Special Edition) [Region 99]

ASIN: B00003CXFV
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Amazon.com essential video

Much will be made of Julia Roberts's wardrobe in Erin Brockovich--a brash parade of daring hemlines and Wonderbra confidence. Roberts is unabashedly sexy in the title role of this fact-based comedy-drama, but she and director Steven Soderbergh are far too intelligent to rely solely on high heels and cleavage. Susannah Grant's brassy screenplay fuels this winning combination of star, director, and material, firing on all pistons with maximum efficiency. With Ed Lachman, his noted cinematographer from The Limey, Soderbergh tackles this A-list project with the fervor of an independent, combining a no-frills look with kinetic panache and the same brisk editorial style he used in the justly celebrated Out of Sight.

Broke and desperate, the twice-divorced single mom Erin bosses her way into a clerical job with attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney), who's indebted to Erin after failing to win her traffic-injury case. Erin is soon focused on suspicious connections between a mighty power company, its abuse of toxic chromium, and the poisoned water supply of Hinkley, California, where locals have suffered a legacy of death and disease. Matching the dramatic potency of Norma Rae and Silkwood, Erin Brockovich filters cold facts through warm humanity, especially in Erin's rapport with dying victims and her relationship with George (superbly played by Aaron Eckhart), a Harley-riding neighbor who offers more devotion than Erin's ever known. Surely some of these details have been embellished for dramatic effect, but the factual basis of Erin Brockovich adds a boost of satisfaction, proving that greed, neglect, and corporate arrogance are no match against a passionate crusader. (Trivia note: The real Erin Brockovich appears briefly as a diner waitress.) --Jeff Shannon

Description

A real woman. A real story. A real triumph. Julia Roberts stars as Erin Brockovich, a feisty young mother who fought for justice any way she knew how. Desperate for a job to support herself and her three children, she convinces attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) to hire her, and promptly stumbles upon a monumental law case against a giant corporation. Now, Erin's determined to take on this powerful adversary even though no law firm has dared to do it before. And while Ed doesn't want anything to do with the case, Erin won't take "no" for an answer. So the two begin an incredible and sometimes hilarious fight that will bring a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees.

Customer Reviews:

A New Kind of Role for Julia.......2007-05-10

This movie is worth seeing for a lot of reasons, and for Julia fans, it's a movie that definitely isn't Julia playing Julia, as she has so many times. I have a feeling she had to stretch to portray the brassy, pushy, rude Erin, and she did so brilliantly.

Erin is one of those ladies you love to hate, until you see the goodness and intelligence that may not be the first thing that most people notice about her. And she's a bulldog. Once she gets moving in one direction, there's no stopping her which is a good thing, at least in the true story that this movie portrayed.

This is a funny, heartwarming, and eye-opening movie that's really worth seeing.

True story of David and Goliath in modern terms.......2007-04-20

PG&E, Pacific Gas And Electric company, unintentionally polluted ground water for the town of Hinkley, CA, but tried to cover it up rather than admitting they had caused a major health problem to the residents. This cover up went on for a long time, until a barely-employable spitfire named Erin Brockovich, working for the lawyer Ed Masry, uncovers a strange file of real estate documents which include medical records. Curious as to why a real estate file would contain medical documents, she begins to research the case.

What follows is the true story of a woman named Erin Brockovich, who together with Ed Masry uncovered a major cover up of a health hazard resulting in one of the largest settlements in history. This film is extremely well done, dividing its time between Erin the worker, Erin the single-mom trying her best to raise her three kids, and Erin the human being. The movie skates over the fact that the real Erin got sick along with the rest of the town (although you can see some cut scenes of her illness in the "deleted scenes" feature).

The movie is definitely a dramatized reproduction of the true story, though it still manages to hold very close to the truth. A&E has done a special on the Erin Brockovich case which proves the movie stays true to form. Julia Roberts as Erin and Albert Finney as Ed Masry both give excellent performances. The movie isn't necessarily fast-paced but the dialogue is intriguing, intense at times, and funny at times, keeping the entertainment level high. The acting and dialogue alone are enough to carry this film.

If you're a fan of the little guy taking on the giant, or a fan of Julia Roberts, either way you won't be disappointed. Like Grisham's fictional 'The Rainmaker', you'll feel satisfied that sometimes the little guy can win ... in real life. I recommend a 'buy'. Enjoy!

LM McMillin.......2007-03-18

It was and excellent movie and the interviews with the real Erin Brockovich and Ed Masry made the movie even better.

Erin Brockovich is an Inspiration!.......2007-02-07

Great movie! Nicely told with great acting! I love the fact that Ms. Brockovich made this case happen! She was the underdog here when no one wanted to employ her because she didn't have the right look or the job experience. But Brockovich made things work to her advantage. The same can be said of the case in this movie which Brockovich helped her employers research and win!

Great movie!.......2007-01-26

Inspirational nd motivating. Good acting. I could (and have) watch it over and over. If you like this, you will also like:

John Q (w/ Denzel Washington)
The Life of David Gale (W/ Kevin Spacey)
A Time To Kill (W/ Samuel L Jackson and Matthew McConnaughey)
The Rainmaker (W/ Matt Damon)
Enough (W/ J.Lo)
and Crash!!!

Average customer rating:

One of Hepburn's finest performances--and can the woman wear clothes!
Phases and Stages
Classic Sixties Movie Magic!
A treasure
A Life-Long Love Affair

Two for the Road
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Albert Finney , Eleanor Bron , William Daniels , and Gabrielle Middleton
Director: Stanley Donen
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

How to Steal a Million
Love in the Afternoon
Paris When It Sizzles
Funny Face
The Nun's Story

ASIN: B000AP04MO
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Amazon.com

Best known for light, entertaining musicals such as Singin' in the Rain, director Stanley Donen grew more adventurous (and less successful) in the latter stages of his career, but this edgy romantic comedy from 1967 has proven to be one of Donen's best, most enduring films. Jumping back in forth in time, the film chronicles the marital ups and downs of a stylish British couple (Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn) as they travel on various vacations over the course of their 12-year marriage. The separate vignettes combine to form a collage of joys and pains as the young couple struggles to maintain their fading marital bliss. In this regard, the film is refreshingly sophisticated in its treatment of the difficulties of long-term commitment, and with Hepburn and Finney in the leads, great performances are drawn from the acerbic wit of Frederick Raphael's screenplay. Fashion mavens will also marvel at Hepburn's astonishing wardrobe of late-'60s fashion--she's a showcase for summer couture, looking fantastic in everything from candy-striped bellbottoms to hip sunglasses and outrageously stylish hats. Some of the melodrama clashes with forced comedy (such as tiresome running gags or a cartoonish portrayal of crass American tourists), but that doesn't stop Two for the Road from being timelessly appealing and truthful to the challenge of lasting love. --Jeff Shannon

Description

On their third identical voyage from London to the Riviera, Joanna Wallace (Audrey Hepburn) and husband Mark (Albert Finney) explore their 12-year marriage in a series of wry and illuminating flashbacks. They reminisce about the glorious beginning of their love affair, the early years of marriage and the events that led to their subsequent infidelities. As they try to understand their relationship, they must accept how they have changed if they are to rekindle their original love.

Customer Reviews:

One of Hepburn's finest performances--and can the woman wear clothes!.......2007-04-30

1967 marked the end of Audrey Hepburn's continuous reign as a major film star. After this her cinema appearances would be sporadic and in vehicles of uneven quality. She certainly went out with a bang, giving two topnotch performances in films that year, of which "Two for the Road" is one.

The lush photography of the French countryside and equally lush score by Henry Mancini link this film with other glossy Hepburn vehicles such as "Charade," but Stanley Donen's film of a Frederic Raphael screenplay is a surprisingly acerbic and unsparing take on marriage. Mark Wallace (Albert Finney), an architect, and his wife Joanna (Hepburn) arrive in France, called to a project by his demanding boss. Their twelve-year union is obviously not in the best of shape, and as they travel toward their destination scenes from previous journeys they have taken together as a couple are intercut in alternately amusing, ironic and poignant flashbacks. The fluid time structure of the film remains remarkably fresh, and Hepburn rises to the demands of playing a woman at multiple ages and stages of life with ease, giving one of her finest and subtly shaded film performances, though a viewer with a heart of stone would have to admit she looks too mature for the earliest scenes in which she is supposed to be a college co-ed. Finney by comparison is one-note and overbearing early on, though he settles down as the film progresses, or perhaps the grating persona is deliberately imposed by the actor. At any rate the chemistry between him and Hepburn is obvious and adds to the credibility of the story; reports of an on-set romance seem entirely plausible.

Not all of "Two for the Road" has aged equally well--the attempts at outright comedy, such as a running gag involving a lost passport, are now strained and a sequence with a smug American couple and their monster of a daughter descends into caricature. But as a gritty portrait of a long-term relationship and the compromises one must make, it holds up well against many successors. It must be said in closing, too, that Hepburn wears her frequently outlandish fashions with enviable ease. Highly recommended.

Phases and Stages.......2007-03-08

This a good vehicle for Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney in their younger days. A bitter sweet comedy of the different stages of marriages.
A classic that gets little play on current TV.
It holds up well. It has universal appeal for married couples.

Classic Sixties Movie Magic!.......2006-12-10

Two for The Road is a true sixties comedydrama in every sense of the word. It is also one of the best roadmovies up to date. It is a funny, dramatic and an absolute pleasure to watch that will stay in your mind for some time.
Starring the lovely Audrey Hepburn and the funny Albert Finney, the story follows a married couple who's flame of relationship has burnt out. The marriage is on the rocks while flashbacks show how their relationship began while both were travelling through Europe.
The director, Stanley Donen (who also directed Hepburn in Funny Face (1956) and in Charade (1963)) has made a film that is a true masterpiece. The way the movie is cut and edited is absolutely fasenating and makes the film very great to watch. You will be swinging around from one situation to the next in absolute joy. The characters are great, the situations fun and the romance is delicious. Next to those comedic moments there is also a chunk of drama in the film. It fits perfectly and doesn't feel like it is unnecessary next to the comedy, which is another element that makes the film wortwhile to take a look at. The film is ballanced just fine and isn't hanging too much in one direction.

Considering artdirection the movie is true eyecandy. Beautiful, colorful locations are seen throughout the film with an even more beautiful Audrey Hepburn. This film made her the true fashion icon of the sixties. She is prefectly dressed in every single scene and made women all over the world want to be like her even more. Her acting is once again grand, you just can't go wrong with Hepburn. You'll be charmed and enchanted by her looks, personality and that big shiney smile.
Albert Finney plays Hepburn's husband, a fun role. He acts great and makes you love him or hate him in the various situations. He is believable even though he is pushing his performance to the beginning of being unbelievable, which brings great fun to watch and a memorable performance.

The music of the famous Henri Manchini (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Charade, The Pink Panter) is beautiful and fits the film perfectly. Emotions are made stronger, situations are made funnier and even more romantic then they already are by this fasenating soundtrack. The main theme will be playing in your mind for some time after seeying this film.

So the film is a true enjoyment for both eye and ear. It entertains you, wether by the story, locations, music, that lovely Audrey Hepburn or that funny Albert Finney. It wants you to travel with them and long to the sixties.
Two for the Road is a masterpiece that will leave you with that smile on your face that you want to have when looking for entertainment.

A treasure.......2006-11-13

This is one the best love stories of the 1960s.The script,direction,and
performances are all perfect.Frederic Raphael's sharp,intelligent,witty
script contains much humor and delivers some stinging barbs at marriage.
Stanley Donen's brisk,inventive direction results in one of his best films.Henry Mancini's score is tuneful and charming.The supporting cast is excellent(William Daniels is hilarious!).Albert Finney is marvelous
as the gruff but loving husband.But the movie belongs to its radiant leading lady.Audrey Hepburn is tough,sexy,and absolutely irresistible here.In fact,she was rarely so perfectly cast.Somehow,Donen seems to bring
out the best in her(This was their third film together).She and Finney are at their peak here.This film is an absolute delight from start to finish.Sit back and enjoy!

A Life-Long Love Affair.......2006-10-02

I fell in love with this movie at age 14, when it played for several months at the Plaza Theatre in NYC, where I saw it no less than three times. Although, at that age, I was a little confused by the film's structure, in which scenes from four different stages of the marriage of Mark and Joanna, the main characters, are juxtaposed, I did understand and appreciate the film's basic theme, that passionate love is enduring and, seemingly irrationally, can survive even the boredom that is inevitable in a long relationship. The energy and intelligence of Finney and Hepburn give this quirky little film an added vitality and render the relationship of Mark and Joanna believable and even endearing. This may be a serio-comedic film, but like serio-comedic life, it is infused with joy. I loved it in 1964,and I love it now. Everyone who is a little quirky should buy it, because it captures the essence of something special and a little off-center -- whatever it is that keeps Mark and Joanna together -- that will never be outdated.

Roger Waters - The Wall (Live in Berlin)

Average customer rating:

Great Cover to a great album
Much better than I expected
Just as I remember it.
"Classic"
The Wall

Roger Waters - The Wall (Live in Berlin)
Starring: Bryan Adams , Leonard Cheshire , Tim Curry , Rick Danko , and Thomas Dolby
Director: Roger Waters
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

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( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Roger Waters - In the Flesh (Live)
Pink Floyd - Pulse
David Gilmour in Concert
Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (Director's Cut)
Pink Floyd - The Wall 25th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B00009VTYE
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Amazon.com

The Wall (Live in Berlin) seemed uninspired and gimmicky in 1990 but looks and sounds terrifically compelling on DVD, thanks to its vivid image quality and greatly improved audio mixes. The freshly mineswept Potsdamer platz--a once-thriving plaza destroyed by Allied bombing in 1943--proved the perfect place to mark the opening of the Berlin Wall with an all-star production of Pink Floyd's magnum opus: a Wall for a wall. An unlikely assemblage of musicians augments Roger Waters's impressive house band (led by guitarist Rick DiFonzo and organ wizard Nick Glennie-Smith), with everyone from the Scorpions to Joni Mitchell to the Military Orchestra of the Soviet Army getting in on the rock-opera action. Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, James Galway, Thomas Dolby, and Albert Finney all turn in tasty cameos, while Sinead O'Connor looks unaccountably aloof in "Mother." The documentary is thorough and juicy, and producer Tony Hollingsworth offers an above-par essay in the booklet. --Michael Mikesell

Customer Reviews:

Great Cover to a great album.......2007-06-08

This is a great DVD.
It becomes greater once you read the album notes.
One can only imagine the feeling that those who attemped the concert felt considering it was done after the Berlin Wall was torn down.

Much better than I expected.......2007-06-07

I love Pink Floyd/Roger Waters stuff (In The Flesh Live is my favorite concert DVD) but I'd avoided this for years because, frankly, I didn't want to see The Wall done by a bunch of people not even remotely connected to Roger Waters' music (Scorpions, Jerry Hall, Cyndi Lauper, etc). Finally I gave in and what a surprise! Not only is the stage show an unbelievable spectacle to behold but the music and performers are great. Van Morrison, Scorpions, Cyndi Lauper, Ute Lemper, Bryan Adams, Paul Carrack, Sinead O'Connor,etc., all do really good jobs with the songs they are given. The only two performances that I didn't care for were Joni Mitchell (Goodbye Blue Sky) and Jerry Hall (Are All These Your Guitars?). Joni Mitchell's voice is very good but she embellishes a little too much for my taste and Jerry Hall's speaking part was a bit too over the top. Other than that, my only disappointment is that this is in (it's original) fullscreen version. An anamorphic 16x9 presentation (it is cropped however from the fullscreen) does exist on The Wall: Live In Berlin (Special Edition) but this disc is either a) a non-Region 1 disc or b) no longer unavailable. The 5.1 sound was very good but lacked a bit in the low end. Overall, the concert is spectacular, the performers are really good, the audio is great, and the video is average. The documentary is worth watching, too. I was completely overwhelmed with how good this concert really was and only regret not having gotten the disc sooner.

Just as I remember it........2007-05-24

Just as I remember it. The concert was great but the special features were unbelievable. Worth way more than I paid for it.

"Classic".......2007-05-11

This title is a must have for any pink floyd fan. Worth every penny. This concert is a must see since it was the rarest of all pink floyd concerts."At least in my book".

The Wall.......2007-05-07

If you are a pink floyd fan and you like the wall, you will love this
great show and good guests

Average customer rating:

Winston Is Back! By Bloody Hell He Is!
If you're into Winston Churchill from his days as a Speaker to his being declared Prime Minister of Britain, this is your movie
The Gathering Storm DVD
Great movie
Shallow, misses the mark

The Gathering Storm
Starring: Albert Finney , Vanessa Redgrave , Jim Broadbent , Linus Roache , and Lena Headey
Director: Richard Loncraine
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Made-for-TV Movies | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Path to War
Truman
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years 1929 - 1939
Warm Springs

ASIN: B00007L4OF
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com

A remarkable cast lends emotional richness to The Gathering Storm, an HBO movie about the life of Winston Churchill just prior to the onset of World War II. Faced with bankruptcy, his career in decline, Churchill (Albert Finney) is beset with depression until the impending danger of German rearmament--along with the British government's reluctance to recognize the threat of Hitler--gives him a cause that brings him back to energetic life. The movie focuses as much on the enduring relationship between Churchill and his wife, Clementine (Vanessa Redgrave), as his political struggles. But though The Gathering Storm clearly admires Churchill, it also acknowledges his tyrannical personality and astonishing ego, turning what could be a puff piece into a well-rounded and moving portrait. The truly topnotch cast includes Derek Jacobi, Jim Broadbent, Tom Wilkinson, Linus Roache, and Lena Headey, all of whom turn in superb performances. --Bret Fetzer

Description

The mid-1930's find the great politician and orator Winston Churchill out of favor and struggling to make his robust voice heard by the English people. Wrestling with his personal demons - a dark depression, the loss of his family fortune, and the temporary absence of his devoted wife Clemmie - a lonely but defiant Churchill attempts to warn the nation of an impending threat from Hitler's Germany. But will the world listen?

Customer Reviews:

Winston Is Back! By Bloody Hell He Is!.......2007-04-23

"This is a hugely entertaining movie that gives us a personal glimpse of Churchhill's life at the prelude of his illustrious career. The movie works as well as it does because of Albert Finney's brilliant performance as Churchhill. Finney won an Emmy for this performance and it's not hard to see why. His portrayal of the former Prime Mister of England is the greatest acting performance I've seen in years. The way Finney so effortlessly molded himself into the character is simply astonishing." David Blair

The opening scene of this epic shows Winston Churchill getting up out of bed, buck naked, we see his buttocks as he goes to take a 'piss' while reciting a speech he was about to make. We know without a doubt that this is a movie without compromise, and Albert Finney has become Churchill. I doubt I will see acting as fine as this again. I am enmeshed in his character, and I believe he was more Churchill than Churchill.

As fabulous as the acting is the story holds you spellbound. The story of Churchill without power and out of office as it were and floundering. Then he is given information about Germany and his life begins anew. The story of Clementine, his wife, as played by Vanessa Redgrave. Their love story, and as Winston says at one point near the end of the movie. "Thank you for loving me as I never thought I would be loved". How wonderful to have a love as deep and as long and to be as thankful for someone else in your life. Their family and their personal life comes alive. The travails and the daily life become up close. The friends and foes are put to test, and Winston's true personality shines. He is a great man, and as he has said, he knows it! We see the warts and all. His drinking, his financial issues, his 'black dog' or depression, and the wonderous man who works 20 hours out of 24.

I learned a great deal about Winston Churchill I did not know. This movie opened the door into his personal life, and he became a real flesh and blood man. 'The Gathering Storm' was the title of one of his books and it fits this movie well. Clemmie, his wife is the epitome of the woman behind the man. She gave up much, but it was returned in spades via her husband and her children. The stories entwined that of Winston, his public life and that of Winston, his private life. I want more of this calibre. My best friend told me this movie was a favorite. It has become a favorite of mine, and I only finished the viewing.
Heartily Recommended. prisrob 4-22-07

The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill

If you're into Winston Churchill from his days as a Speaker to his being declared Prime Minister of Britain, this is your movie.......2007-03-30

What can I say, I'm a big fan of Winston Churchill. There's not many persons on this planet who can admit their shortcomings and fears; look them in the eye, and make them work to their advantage. He was a walking "how to" manual on how to making shortcomings look a part of why one was able to be even moreso or better than originally declared in the age old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

This movie THE GATHERING STORM shows the homebody Winston and his relationship with the love of his life Clemetine and the way he was perceived in the eyes of each who knew and grew up around him during his days as a speaker of Parliment to his being assigned the Prime Ministership of Britian. Each child's perception is different as well as the perception of Winston's relationship with Clemmie as she was called. The chemistry between ol' "Pug and Pussycat" is something that can't be denied throughout the movie.

The movie shows Winston as human and vulnerable as anyone else living and breathing on his planet which quite possibly hadn't been shown that much for the wide and TV screens. You'll laugh, cheer, wonder, and shed a poignant tear for this unlikely man whose stances were not always embraced by the majority and not only stood by them but he knew how to take the vocalized gestures of doubt and disbelief and turn them into the very fire that inspired him to keep going. He took the arias of doubt and disbelief and he used them to fuel his drive to find out more documented and irrefuted sources of information that would either support their opinion AND how to work around it OR he would take those shards of information and he would make them realize, "This is why I felt that this is the way we should be going on this and I have in my hands the proof that my way is the only way the way I feel we should be looking at this situation MY way is the only way to do so." Then again, he doesn't really raise his voice. He doesn't call his fellow Members of Parliament dirty names nor does he cuss in any of his pleas and speeches. He speaks to them like persons and if he does point out a wrong coming from them, he just mentions the wrongdoing and NOT WHO DID IT.

You need to see this movie. It's the greatest movie I've seen in regards to the time frame presenting itself.

The Gathering Storm DVD.......2007-03-13

This is s superb work, showing the life of Sir Winston Churchill during the period from his political nadir to his appointment as First Lord of the Admiralty at the outbreak of World War II. The acting is first rate and the story accurately mirrors the actual events in his life.

Great movie.......2006-12-15

A great quality British period piece taking place in the 1930's in England(they do them so very well). Need I comment on the acting, given the cast? It was brilliant. For those who do not like war scenes, there are no violent war scenes in this movie. It is more like IKE - a behind-the-scenes drama of a leader.

Shallow, misses the mark.......2006-12-01

With all of the material written about this remarkable man, this is the best HBO could come up with? This is the man that put Chamberlain in his place, stood up to Herr Moustache and saved England from the certain defeat of pacifism.

And what dialogue do we have from him in this yawn? (spoiler