Debbie Reynolds

Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Old Hollywood amazes again....
LOVE it.
A wonderful musical and story
Singin' in the Rain
Now that's entertainment!

Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Cyd Charisse , Mae Clarke , Harry Cody , Douglas Fowley , and Lance Fuller
Director: Stanley Donen
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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My Fair Lady
The Music Man (Special Edition)
West Side Story (Full Screen Edition)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Casablanca

ASIN: B00006DEF9
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com essential video

Decades before the Hollywood film industry became famous for megabudget disaster and science fiction spectaculars, the studios of Southern California (and particularly Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) were renowned for a uniquely American (and nearly extinct) kind of picture known as The Musical. Indeed, when the prestigious British film magazine Sight & Sound conducts its international critics poll in the second year of every decade, this 1952 MGM picture is the American musical that consistently ranks among the 10 best movies ever made. It's not only a great song-and-dance piece starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and a sprightly Debbie Reynolds; it's also an affectionately funny insider spoof about the film industry's uneasy transition from silent pictures to "talkies." Kelly plays debonair star Don Lockwood, whose leading lady Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) has a screechy voice hilariously ill-suited to the new technology (and her glamorous screen image). Among the musical highlights: O'Connor's knockout "Make 'Em Laugh"; the big "Broadway Melody" production number; and, best of all, that charming little title ditty in which Kelly makes movie magic on a drenched set with nothing but a few puddles, a lamppost, and an umbrella. --Jim Emerson

Description

Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds in 45th-anniversary restoration of the best-loved Hollywood musical ever-filled with memorable songs, lavish routines and Kelly's fabulous song-and-dance number performed in the rain.

Customer Reviews:

Old Hollywood amazes again...........2007-04-24

This is known as the greatest musical ever made, and if it isn't the greatest, it's certainly one of the top five. I love this movie. The dance numbers are amazingly filmed and choreographed, and it's nice to see Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly actually leave their camera linger and not constantly cut away (via MTV style), so we can see everyone dance (and, man, can they dance). The film has a very sly, sarcastic humour (especially Gene Kelly's "dignity" speech at the beginning), but the humour is never overly nasty, like much humour is today. The film is actually quite realistic in its depiction of Hollywood's transition to sound (which was chaotic in many respects), and it has probably the most positive portrayal of a studio head in film history. The final Broadway ballet sequence is a movie in itself. It goes on for 15 minutes or so, and feels like an art film contained in a Hollywood musical. The only other musical sequence that comes close is the final sequence in An American in Paris. The ballet sequences in Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes is like it too. All the performances are really good, especially Donald O'Connor as Kelly's sidekick. His Make 'Em Laugh song shows off his amazing dancing abilities. This film is as great as you've heard, and I really love the Hollywood musical era. Sure as heck beats the musical MTV era by miles....

LOVE it........2007-04-23

One of the best movies of all time, and a musical even for those who don't like musicals. You must watch this feel-good movie at least once in your life. Ostensibly, the plot is about the transition a film company and some actors must make from silent film to sound movies. But the real attraction is the many amazing dance and music sequences, especially Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" routine.

A wonderful musical and story.......2007-03-29

It was a treat to see this great musical again! The songs are wonderful and get stuck in your head. The dancing is amazing and mesmerizing to watch. I'm so glad that such a cinematic display as enhanced on this dvd can now be available to myself and many other fans who never want to forget what a wonderful time it was when Kelly and other stars triumphed on the big screen.

Singin' in the Rain.......2007-03-27

I haven't watched this DVD yet, but it looks to be in excellent condition.

Now that's entertainment!.......2007-03-13

Singin In the Rain is arguably the best movie musical of all time, not just because of the music but because of the entire package - the premise, the comedy, the characters - everything here works together to make you feel better any time you sit down to watch it. It's ironic that this movie was thrown together quickly to capitalize on the success of "An American in Paris", since the improvisational feeling of the movie is one of the things that makes it so much fun. Although this film is number ten on the top 100 films of all time as compiled by the American Film Institute, it wasn't nominated for best picture the year of its release, 1952. Although it did well at the box office, it would be over twenty years before people would look back and realize just what a great motion picture it was. Perhaps that was because the 1970's were such bleak and cynical years, with movies that largely matched that mood, that people were eager to rediscover the fun that a motion picture viewing experience could be.

The movie focuses on that period of time in which the entire motion picture film industry was in nervous transition from silent to talking pictures. Although the movie compresses time in this respect - the transition actually took about three years - it does accurately describe the technical problems of that era along with their comical aspects. There was an overabundance of musicals in the first batch of talking films, many stars did have heavy accents that made their speech undecipherable or voices that came across like nails on a chalkboard like Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) and saw their careers ruined, and early sound technology itself was so fragile that you would often see actors speaking to potted plants or to coat racks with comic effect. The preview of silent picture team Lockwood and Lamont's first talkie, "The Dueling Cavalier", is one of the most hilarious scenes in the film. It is pretty typical of what you would see in such an early talking picture - dialogue going in and out of sync, actors and actresses strutting around and wildly gesturing as if nobody can hear them, and dialogue that still resembled what you would read off of the title cards in a silent film - "I love you, I love you, I love you".

All of this is one of the reasons Singin' In The Rain will never get dated - it is a comic nostalgic look at a very narrow period in time. This movie is fun outside of its comic take on movie history, though. For one, it's hard to say who steals the show the most, since there are so many thieves involved. Most notably there is Jean Hagen - who actually has a very acceptable speaking voice - as the evil silent star who can't accept her days are numbered. Then there is a 27 year-old Donald O'Connor as Cosmo, the studio music director and sidekick of Gene Kelly's character whose youthful exuberance really shines in the number "Make 'Em Laugh" along with all of his goofy facial expressions. He seems to be having as much fun as the audience. Finally, there are all of the great dance numbers and music, capped by probably one of the most famous scenes of all time - Gene Kelly's rendition of the title number that perfectly captures the joy of a man who has just fallen in love and feels he has the world at his feet. You just can't watch this film and not come away with a smile on your face. It is as good for the soul as chicken soup, just a lot more fun.

Average customer rating:

One of the VERY rare movies I can watch over and over
worth 50 stars!
Kiki's Delivery Service
Fabulous!
Great Movie for kids

Kiki's Delivery Service
Starring: Lewis Arquette , Corey Burton , John de Mita , Fay deWitt , and Kirsten Dunst
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Castle in the Sky
My Neighbor Totoro
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle

ASIN: B00005JM2O
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Amazon.com

In Hayao Miyazaki's magical Kiki's Delivery Service, a 13-year-old girl meets the world head on as she spends her first year soloing as an apprentice witch. Kiki (Kirsten Dunst) is still a little green and plenty headstrong, but also resourceful, imaginative, and determined. With her trusty wisp of a cat Jiji (a gently subdued Phil Hartman) by her side she's ready to take on the world, or at least the quaintly European seaside village she's chosen as her new home. Miyazaki's gentle rhythm and meandering narrative capture the easy pulse of real life (even if his subject is a girl flying high upon a broomstick) and charts the everyday struggles and growing pains of his plucky heroine with sensitivity and understanding. Beautifully detailed animation and the rich designs of the picture-postcard seaside town of red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets only add to the sense of wonder. This charming animated fantasy is a wholesome, life-affirming picture that doesn't speak down to kids or up to adults. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Rarely does a film touch so many hearts or reach such artistic heights as the highly acclaimed KIKI'S DELIVERY SERIVCE, the magical adventure of an enterprising young girl who must follow tradition to become a full-fledged witch. Venturing out with only her chatty black cat Jiji, KiKi flies off for the adventure of a lifetime. Landing in a far-off city, she sets up a high-flying delivery service. Here begins a wonderful experience of independence and responsibility as she finds her place in the world. The breathtaking animation of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki and the star voice talents of Kirsten Dunst (KiKi), Phil Hartman (Jiji), Matthew Lawrence (Tombo), and more make KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE soar with an energy, excitement, and the kind of imagination that entertains again and again!

Customer Reviews:

One of the VERY rare movies I can watch over and over.......2007-06-03

Other reviews go into great detail about the plot, and how the voice casting and dubbing are great (they are!), and how Hayao Miyazaki is great (also true!) so I'll skip all that.

The main point I'd say to prospective buyers of any age is that this is a NICE movie you will enjoy for years, no matter your age. Kiki has troubles and setbacks, but this is not a dark disturbing movie at all, and the animation itself has a kind of light tone.

After viewing this with my kid for I think the 11th time, I'm compelled to observe that not only do I not get tired of this movie at all, but each time I notice new things and enjoy it all over again. I believe you will too.

worth 50 stars!.......2007-04-06

This is by far my family's favorite movie. It is a tender yet exciting story that is full of adventure. My kids like it because it doesn't have any "bad guys". Beautifully animated!!

Kiki's Delivery Service.......2007-03-31

Kiki's Delivery Service invokes the sense adventures and the innocence of childhood rite. It's a family fun film, which I have come to enjoy. I did not discover Hayao Miyazaki till Disney TV aired this piece of film years ago, and became an instant cult favorite of mine. I could watch this every day and not grow bored of it! And now I'm an avid collector of his films, its so super addicting!

Fabulous!.......2007-03-20

Fabulous book with incredible illustrations. Talks about the whole process of making the movie and artwork.
At the end of the book, there's the complete screenplay.
This is my son's favorite book (and mine!)

Great Movie for kids.......2007-03-19

Girl witch, magic, talking cat, what's not to love. Another great film from Studio Gibli. If they like this, they'll also love Totoro and The Cat Returns.

Average customer rating:

Old Hollywood amazes again....
LOVE it.
A wonderful musical and story
Singin' in the Rain
Now that's entertainment!

Singin' in the Rain
Starring: Cyd Charisse , Mae Clarke , Harry Cody , Douglas Fowley , and Lance Fuller
Director: Donen, Stanley
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

My Fair Lady
The Music Man (Special Edition)
West Side Story (Full Screen Edition)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Casablanca

ASIN: B00004RF98
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

No one even bothers to argue about it any more--by any standard and international consensus, this is the best movie musical of them all. Its arcane, unlikely milieu is Hollywood during the transition in the late 1920s from silent to sound motion pictures. Its reason for being was producer Arthur Freed's desire to use the catalog of songs he had written with Nacio Herb Brown in the '20s and '30s for various shows and movies. But, ironically, it's now the soundtrack that seems cobbled together from disparate sources, while the movie itself remains seamless. That's thanks to a literate screenplay by Adolph Green and Betty Comden and ebulliant acting and dancing by the young Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. Jean Hagen is especially brilliant as the silent-screen star whose speaking voice is so screechy she has to be dubbed for talkies. Kelly codirected with Stanley Donen, and both can take credit for a masterpiece. Musical standouts are "You Were Meant for Me," "Good Morning" and "All I Do Is Dream of You." Visually, the indelible image will always be Kelly sloshing around in puddles while singin' in the rain. That said, this coupling of video with a definitive version of the soundtrack benefits from Rhino's meticulous reconstruction of the material and extensive annotations, which only enhance our grasp of this film and musical legend's gestation. ---Robert Windeler

Customer Reviews:

Old Hollywood amazes again...........2007-04-24

LOVE it........2007-04-23

A wonderful musical and story.......2007-03-29

Singin' in the Rain.......2007-03-27

I haven't watched this DVD yet, but it looks to be in excellent condition.

Now that's entertainment!.......2007-03-13

Average customer rating:

Queer Fun fir All
In & Out
Kevin's dance unforgettable
In and out of the closet!
"Welcome to our series exploring your masculinity"

In & Out
Starring: Kevin Kline , Joan Cusack , Tom Selleck , Matt Dillon , and Debbie Reynolds
Director: Frank Oz
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Birdcage
To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar
Soapdish
Dave
The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Extra Frills Edition)

ASIN: 6305127670
Release Date: 1998-10-21

Amazon.com

When a Hollywood heartthrob (Matt Dillon, playing a Brad Pitt look-alike) "outs" his small-town high-school drama teacher Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) during the Oscar telecast, the entire (fictional) town of Greenleaf, Indiana, wonders if Howard's really gay. More to the point, Howard wonders, too--quite a dilemma considering his pending marriage to Emily (Joan Cusack), who's patiently tolerated a three-year engagement. While a TV reporter (Tom Selleck) covers the ensuing furor, screenwriter Paul Rudnick and director Frank Oz make good-natured humor their highest priority, turning the "crisis" of coming out into a laugh-out-loud spin on conventional romantic comedy. The result is a film that delivers constant laughs and a golden opportunity for its fine cast to show off their considerable comedic talents--especially Cusack, who deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for her hilarious performance as the bride who's almost as confused as her would-be husband. That Rudnick and Oz have made a great comedy that's both old-fashioned and relevant to the late 20th century is no small feat, but In & Out has no hidden agenda apart from its triumphant desire to entertain. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Queer Fun fir All.......2007-04-13

"In and Out"

Queer Fun For All

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

I love Kevin Kline. I loved him in "Sophie's Choice" and in "A Fish Named Wanda". I even liked him as Cole Porter but I adored him in "In and Out". I thought "In and Out" to be an extremely good and funny film even though it lacked the bite of most gay-themed films. This was such a squeaky clean movie that even children can see it--but that is not a bad thing--in fact, it is rather a positive thing to thick that kids can watch us and not be infected. The comedy n "In and Out" as a broad range--from the ridiculous to the sublime, from the physical to the mental. Not all gay themed movies have a sinister intent or a hidden agenda and "In and Out" proves that beautifully. Here is a movie that was made for the sole purpose of entertaining and if this movie caused anyone to think then that was the byproduct of the excellent casting and acting.
Howard Brackett (Kline) is a high school teacher who is about to take the big step into marriage. His fiancée, Emily Montgomery (Joan Cusack) adores him but the town is more excited about the hometown boy being nominated for an Academy Award then they are about the upcoming wedding (in three days).
When one of his former students wins an Oscar in a film in which he plays a gay soldier, he thanks Howard in his acceptance speech and outs him as gay. What the film does is follow what happens after the speech.
This is not a great film by any means but it is entertainment. Maybe it wasn't all that I wanted it to be but it is a good fun movie. Kline's character is a composite of all those clichéd coming out stories that we get so much of.
Some movies are made to make us think, some to excite and some to lift our spirits. Here is a movie that only wants to make us laugh. As one of the first mainstream movies to deal with the issue of gayness, it was blessed to be so unique. It is a well intentioned, good natured, non-threatening and politically correct, albeit old fashioned look at gay men.
It takes anti-gay attitudes and made them the butt of jokes instead of the reasons for joking. Those who threatened the stereotypes were the mocked in the film and the insult took on a whole new aura.
The movie somewhat mirrored the Tom Hanks outing of his own high school teacher when Hanks won his second Oscar for "Philadelphia". When Kline's student wins the Oscar, his compliment to his teacher turns his hometown upside down. Kline plays his part of the non-gay, gay teacher to perfection and Tom Selleck as his soon-to be-lover turns in a surprise comedy performance.
I have read some really bad reviews of the film by people who said it did not go far enough or that it was hypocritical. I think that if you watch it for what it rally is--a light comedy--then you can't do anything but enjoy it.

In & Out.......2007-01-09

This is one of the funniest movies of all times. I love Kevin Klein in most all he has ever done.

Kevin's dance unforgettable.......2006-11-11

A very successful comedy. Highly recommendable. Players are magnificent.
Especially the final scene involving Kevin Cline's dancing act is unforgettable. Enables people to overcome deeply rooted prejudices about
sexual practice.Sociological context significant.Leaves fine trails in spectators' brains.

In and out of the closet!.......2006-11-05

Fun film about Kevin Kline as a teacher who discovers he's gay and decides he must cancel his upcoming wedding. Scene with Kevin kissing Tom Selleck acting as a newscaster is hillarious as well as the scene where Kline is listening to tapes on how to act masculine. A movie you will want to see more than once. A film to add to your library of DVDs.

"Welcome to our series exploring your masculinity".......2006-10-30

In Greenleaf Indiana, something strange is happening. Everyone is turning gay, or so it seems, as a High School teacher is outted at the 68th annual Academy awards, on National television. The most surprised person is the teacher himself who wasn't quite ready for such a bombshell to be dropped. After all, he is getting married....... or is he? A hilarious comedy starring Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley, Matt Dillon, Tom Selleck and Bob Newhart. This production is top notch all the way. The all-star cast is fantastic. Joan Cusack gives a stellar performance as the jilted bride. There's not a dull moment and you will be totally enthrolled in the plot right from the start. If you'd rather not see Tom Selleck and Kevin Kline in a hot, steamy kiss, well, get over it. It's hilarious. Terrific acting, great plot, very enjoyable to watch. A great addition to your home video collection. I highly recommend!

Average customer rating:

Oldie but goodie
Good, But Not Great
Unsinkable Molly Brown
Ill never say NO to Debbie!
This film is not sinkable

The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Starring: Debbie Reynolds , Harve Presnell , Ed Begley , Jack Kruschen , and Hermione Baddeley
Director: Charles Walters
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( U ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Calamity Jane
Annie Get Your Gun
Show Boat
Hello, Dolly!

ASIN: B00004TZS5
Release Date: 2000-09-19

Amazon.com

Not only was Molly Brown unsinkable, so is the musical based on her amazing life. Released in 1964, The Unsinkable Molly Brown gave Debbie Reynolds one of her most memorable roles and earned her an Academy Award nomination (she lost to Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins). Paired with Harve Presnell, fresh from the Broadway version, Reynolds and Presnell sparkle as Molly and Johnny Brown, well-meaning but gauche nouveau millionaires who take on stuffy Denver society (who are loathe to admit that they are nouveau riche as well). During their Molly-guided quest for "respectability," the pair learns that old adage--all the money in the world can't buy happiness or contentment.

From her beginnings as a foundling floating down the Colorado River to her fateful trip on the Titanic, Molly Brown aims upward, swearing "I Ain't Down Yet." Reynolds imbues her Molly with energy, determination, and poignancy. Molly feels every slight keenly and is convinced that more and bigger will make her place in society. Husband Johnny, who promised "I'll Never Say No," finds it harder and harder to keep his promise as he watches his wife's single-mindedness bury her effervescent personality. In the songs by Meredith Willson (The Music Man), Presnell's rich baritone soars on "Colorado, My Home" and begins a rousing "He's My Friend," while "Belly Up to the Bar, Boys" is a bawdy, catchy romp during which Reynolds shines--rollicking across the dance floor, she's a red-headed dynamo in a gauzy green dress. --Dana Van Nest

Customer Reviews:

Oldie but goodie.......2007-06-15

A fast moving musical with good music and lots of variety.

Good, But Not Great.......2007-06-13

First let me say that I am a great fan of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" so I know that he can write some good stuff. Unfortunately I found "Molly Brown" to be enjoyable but not terrific. Debbie Reynolds is, as always, sparkling and does a great job with what she's got. Harvey Presnell, in his first role, is also good. The story of Molly Brown is interesting. Unfortunately, with the exception of a couple of songs, the music does not support the story.

Unsinkable Molly Brown.......2007-03-29

The movie is an oldly but a goody. I enjoyed it.

Ill never say NO to Debbie!.......2007-01-17

Being Debbie Reynolds is the official mother of "Princess Leia", I found her attitude and style of AIN'T DOWN YET a mother lode of inspiration. Many times do I come back to this very movie to help move my life forward. Overdramatized slushy movies put me to sleep, and even depress me, but when Debbie jumps on the western bar and hops herself silly along with the locals, I am in there right with her. She had her ups, and she had her downs. This is the story of a person with ideals and not willing to compromise those goals for anyone's idea of what to be satisfied with in life. She wants it all, and even when she discovers that being rich, well educated, well liked, it means nothing without the very one person you love right beside you. The music was fine enough for me to purchase the soundtrack, and I have it right with my other collections of Rodger and Hammersteins films, CABARET, VICTOR/VICTORIA, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Leslie Caron's LILI, and along with my collection of Walt Disney music soundtracks. Not to mention THE WIZARD OF OZ and what not. Yes I have a great ear for music, and this musical does not fail to achieve a good music score. Like Mrs. McGraw finally said towards the end, "Molly. .you are quite a woman!"

This film is not sinkable.......2007-01-10

Debbie Reynolds and the whole cast seemed to have enjoyed making this film. One of the memorable musicals of an era passed. The music is appealling, the performances a joy to watch. There are a few scenes which are too long and a bit boring but as a whole we will watch it again and again for its sparcle, fun and innocence. Excellent escapism.

Average customer rating:

Whitney's Dubious Dramatic Debut
WHITNEY WHEN SHE WAS A SUPERSTAR
You'll watch it over and over
The Bodyguard
I love this movie!

The Bodyguard (Special Edition)
Starring: Kevin Costner , Whitney Houston , Gary Kemp , Bill Cobbs , and Ralph Waite
Director: Mick Jackson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Ghost (Special Collector's Edition)
The Preacher's Wife
The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album
The Fugitive
Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves

ASIN: B0006N2EZ0
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Amazon.com essential video

This 1992 crowd pleaser made almost as much money for Whitney Houston as its chart-busting soundtrack. A high-wattage star vehicle as only Hollywood can make, The Bodyguard stars Houston as a pop-music diva (now there's a stretch) and Kevin Costner as the stern bodyguard who is assigned to protect her after the singer receives some nasty death threats. Pop star and bodyguard don't hit it off at first, but they wear down each others' defenses, and before long Houston is baring her tonsils with a rousing rendition of the Dolly Parton chestnut "I Will Always Love You." The film, written by Lawrence Kasden, was originally intended for Steve McQueen, but the script languished for years before Houston took an interest in the project. A proposed sequel would potentially have starred Costner and Princess Diana, until Diana's tragic death precluded that possibility. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The Bodyguard stars Whitney Houston as a pop-music diva and Kevin Costner as the ultra-serious bodyguard assigned to protect her in teh aftermath of several death threats. Initially repelled by each other like water and oil, a passion ignites between them as teh danger increases, transforming them as everythign around them explodes.DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director, Writer, Producer, Houston and Costner
Interviews:Never before seen on set footage and interviews with Kevin and Whitney
Music Video:Houston's remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You"
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Whitney's Dubious Dramatic Debut.......2007-06-20

Fans of Whitney Houston will certainly enjoy this movie. It captures her at close to her career peak and features a few of her better known hits (including her version of "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing"). Neither she nor co-star Kevin Costner fare as well on the acting end. Since Houston later proved to be effective in WAITING TO EXHALE, I would guess that she either suffered from first film jitters or that she needed better direction--or both. The script is generally weak and the dialogue is stilted, and there are moments when the line readings are so off, you almost wonder if the stars' first language is something other than English. And if the mark of a good director is the ability to coax a credible performance from a child actor, then Mick Jackson's abilities could be questioned on that basis alone: the young actor playing Whitney's son is stiff and awkward. But given his "mom's" stilted line readings, it could be viewed as some kind of genetic condition.

Amazon reviewer Jeff Shannon above jokes that Whitney's role as a show biz diva must have be a real "stretch" is clever. But it's just possible that Whitney might have fared better with a role that was less close to her own life experience. Getting out of high show biz mode seemed to help her performance a few years later in EXHALE, although it could also be the case that she was simply a bit more comfortable onscreen by that time.

The supporting cast is also just OK, for the most part, although many have done better work elsewhere, so you do know they can act. Ralph Waite, as the Costner's dad doesn't have a lot to do, but he brings a certain gravitas to his small role. Probably the only performer who gets to shine in a real emotive moment is Michele Lamar Richards who plays Whitney's sister and manager. Even that moment may strike some as a bit overdone, but at least you know that this is an actress who can summon real tears when they're needed.

It's very easy to come away from a movie like the BODYGUARD feeling like you've been manipulated, but actually, it would have been naive to expect much else. Hollywood movies about Hollywood life have an odd tension in them. On the one hand, they can poke a few jabs at the superficiality and the glitz of So. Cal. "culture," on the other hand they assume that the dream factory really is the object of fascination (and dreams) of their audience. And maybe they're right to an extent. But watching this movie some 15 years on, I couldn't help flashing on some of Ms Houston's subsequent career set backs and thining that this '92 film really is a sort of (inadvertant) indictment of show a biz culture that spoils and corrupts its "players" no matter how talented they are and, rather than fostering the creative process, actually works AGAINST it.

WHITNEY WHEN SHE WAS A SUPERSTAR.......2007-05-28

The Bodyguard (Special Edition)

Highly entertaining musical crime drama. Whitney's songs, including a few super hits like "I Will Always Love You" are terrific. Whitney in ultra hot costumes and Kevin Kostner with short hair and a buff body both look great. Kevin and Whitney are sizzling with electric chemistry. Highly engrossing finale with a psycho murderer trying to kill Whitney at the Oscars. THIS IS A MUST OWN CLASSIC.

You'll watch it over and over.......2007-05-23

This was Whitney Houston's debut film and she did herself proud. And here's the thing about Kevin Costner--he plays his characters so naturally that you don't realize he's really a brilliant actor. He just seems like a normal guy on screen. Here, you just believe he is that troubled bodyguard. I loved this film. I saw it plenty at the theatre in 1992 and I've played it plenty on both VHS and DVD over the years. It's just a great chick flick--so many great scenes even in addition to the many vocal performances by Whitney. If you like a who-done-it film, amazing music, watching Kevin Costner, as well as just the right mix of romance and damsel in distress, you've got to get The Bodyguard (and get the sound track while you're at it).The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album

The Bodyguard.......2007-04-08

I found this movie to be very entertaining. Kevin was good and believable and Whitney was refreshing.

I love this movie!.......2007-01-31

I had been looking for this movie everywhere and finally remembered that I probably could find it on Amazon and I did. The movie is great and I especially love the video "I will always love you." by Whitney Houston. I also enjoyed the behind the scene interviews.

Average customer rating:

What Has Happened to Warners?
Poor Edition
Deceptive Advertising
Deceptive Cover: Not Enhanced for Widescreen TVs
A pot-boiler: then and now

How the West Was Won
Starring: Carroll Baker , Lee J. Cobb , Henry Fonda , Carolyn Jones , and Karl Malden
Director: Henry Hathaway , Richard Thorpe , and George Marshall
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

1960s | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

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

Big Jim McLain
Broken Arrow
Chisum
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Can-Can

ASIN: B000O599V2
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

The first feature film to be photographed and projected in the panoramic three-camera Cinerama process, this epic Western is almost as expansive as the West itself, chronicling a pioneering family's triumphs and tragedies in numerous episodes spanning three generations and a half century of westward movement. Divided into five segments directed by veteran Hollywood filmmakers Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, and the legendary John Ford (and including uncredited sequences directed by Richard Thorpe), the film was one of the most ambitious ever made by the venerable MGM studio. Its stellar cast reads like a virtual who's who of Hollywood's biggest stars. Debbie Reynolds plays a sturdy survivor of many pioneering dangers, and the eventual widow of a gambler (Gregory Peck), who is later reunited with her nephew (George Peppard), a Civil War veteran and cavalryman who heads for San Francisco as the transcontinental railroad is being built. Many more characters and stories are woven throughout this epic film, which is dramatically uneven but totally engrossing with its stunning vistas and countless outdoor locations in Illinois, Kentucky, South Dakota, Monument Valley in Arizona, California, Colorado, and elsewhere. --Jeff Shannon

Description

From 1839 to 1889, this epic story follows four generations of a courageous New England farm family as they travel to the fertile Ohio Valley during America's westward expansion. This wondrous historical saga is set against the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, buffalo hunters, the Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad. How The West Was Won won three Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Editing.

Customer Reviews:

What Has Happened to Warners?.......2007-06-05

I didn't buy this, thank goodness, because I was suspicious after being burned by another recent Warner release. The double feature disc of "Kelly's Heroes/Dirty Dozen" has a similar issue with "Dirty Dozen" being incorrectly labeled as being a 16x9 transfer and containing special features that are not actually on the disc. It is also an old master with the Turner logo at the beginning.

Poor Edition.......2007-06-02

This review is about the 2007 'John Wayne Collection' DVD edition of the film. New packaging, same sorry edition contained on other DVD (even Laserdisc) editions and further more the packaging claims "Enhanced for widescreen TVs" not true! The picture quality is terrible. Considering the DVD technology that exists today there is no reason the print couldn't have been cleaned up. Also, the two lines that appear in the middle of the screen (from being filmed in the Cinerama process) could have been eliminated. This is a great classic film that deserves a deluxe DVD edition. I expect more from WB with their long line of quality product not this horrible DVD transfer repackaged for an unsuspecting public! Avoid this until a better DVD edition comes along.

Deceptive Advertising.......2007-05-26

If you have been anxiously awaiting the release of HTWWW in anamorphic wide screen - as I have been - the wait continues. The box for this latest (5/07) release claims the film is "Enhanced for widescreen TV's". Not true!! False advertising. In fact it's merely "letterboxed", and better yet, it's the same transfer used for the Laserdisc version years ago - including the old "Turner Home Video" tag when Turner controlled the MGM library. I'm returning my copy to Amazon for a refund!

Deceptive Cover: Not Enhanced for Widescreen TVs.......2007-05-25

I took a chance on buying this DVD because it said it was enhanced for widescreen TVs, in other words, it was supposed to be anamorphic. It definitely is not. It is non-anamorphic, letterboxed on all 4 sides if you have an HDTV. It is also a very poor print. I took it back to Best Buy, arguing that the advertising on the box is a lie, and they gave me my money back with no questions asked - as if they had heard this story before. A shame, a real classic like this and it receives, once again, shoddy treatment.

A pot-boiler: then and now.......2004-04-11

"How the West Was Won": an incorrigible pot-boiler. Like other "epics" of the 1960s (eg the Alamo) this movie is a product of Hollywood culture. This is an entertainment genre unto itself. As an example of Hollywood's looking-in-on-itself as a source of material, this movie has charm (but not in the way intended). But if you are looking for any trace of history or American culture, look elesewhere. If you are into Rat-pack era (Sinatra, Monro, Kennedy) pseudo-culture, this is a classic.

Average customer rating:

This is My Mother!!!!
brooks best
A let down.....
Mother
Mother yo had me bou I didn't have you

Mother
Starring: Richard Assad , Paul Collins , Kimiko Gelman , Isabel Glasser , and James Gleason (II)
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Domestic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Defending Your Life
Lost in America
Modern Romance [Region 99]
Real Life
Broadcast News

ASIN: B000055Z4G
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Amazon.com essential video

When Albert Brooks cast Debbie Reynolds to play his mother in this acclaimed 1996 comedy, the veteran singer-dancer-actress hadn't had a leading film role in nearly 30 years. Brooks had to pour on the charm to persuade her to make a comeback. The results were triumphant for writer-director Brooks and his on-screen mom, who earned some of the best reviews of their respective careers. The movie's about a science-fiction writer named John (Brooks), who's just weathered a second divorce and blames his failure with women on his dysfunctional relationship with his widowed mother (Reynolds). He decides that the best way to improve his romantic future is to move back in with his mother and resolve their simmering differences--a wild leap of logic that seems outrageous to John's brother (Rob Morrow), who has always been their mother's favorite son. As this domestic experiment unfolds, Brooks uses hilarious dialogue to convey a wealth of observant detail about familial tensions and annoying quirks of behavior. Mother is a movie about people who know how to push each other's buttons--all the wrong buttons--and the comedy will be recognized by anyone who's ever been exasperated by one or both of their parents. That means just about everyone, doesn't it? --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

This is My Mother!!!!.......2007-05-21

This movie was so hillarious!!! My sister and I watched it and we rolled on the floor laughing. It was just like our Mother. A must see for everyone!

brooks best.......2007-03-26

This is a great movie.. more so if you have a mother anything like the one Debbie Reynolds portrays. The funniest scenes revolve around food.
One of the few movies I would actually buy.

A let down............2007-03-07

Started out with very little promise....continued to fizzle until the end. Use it to balance out the dining room table.

Mother.......2007-01-09

I thought the movie was very funny and had some similarities to my relationship with my 2 daughters. Certain parts of it I had to see over and over.

Mother yo had me bou I didn't have you.......2006-11-11

If you are ready to see yourself in your genetic conditioning and in a most hillarious way, then "Mother, as John Lennon said, you had me but I didn't have you" is your movie. Funny as funny can be. If you enjoy Albert Brooks, and I don't see how you can't, then Mother will tickle you again and again. Great stuff.

Average customer rating:

Mostly unobjectionable
Excellent
Perfect
Oh wow look at him now he's Zuckerman's famous pig
The original

Charlotte's Web (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Debbie Reynolds , Paul Lynde , Henry Gibson , Bob Holt , and Dave Madden
Director: Charles A. Nichols , and Iwao Takamoto
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Fantasy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

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

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Charlotte's Web 2 - Wilbur's Great Adventure
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Full Screen Edition)
Charlotte's Web (Trophy Newbery)
Charlotte's Web (Widescreen Edition)
Cinderella (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Platinum Edition)

ASIN: B00005N89B
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Amazon.com

This animated feature based on the popular E.B. White book for children--about the special relationships between Wilbur the pig, Charlotte the spider, and Templeton the rat--is a straight adaptation from the page, with songs added. Endearing, heartbreaking, and ultimately wise, it may not please all of those with a strong attachment to the book, but it works all the same. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Mostly unobjectionable.......2007-06-04

All I can say is casting Paul Lynde as Templeton the rat was a stroke of genius. Can you say *C*A*M*P* Boys and Girls?

But the queeny sub-text will escape the intended audience, so not to worry Mom and Dad.

E. B. White would probably object to most of the changes made here, but compared to the execrable and unconscionable changes made to his "Stuart Little" it is not even comparable and sticks somewhat to the original text.

However, I strongly recommend that this story be reserved for five to seven year olds, for the theme of death of a loved one from the perspective of an innocent may be too much to bear for younger viewers.

But if you can avoid watching this until you've read the original E. B. White story to your children you will have given them a treasure of memorable American narrative prose.

Excellent.......2007-05-28

This was a gift for my sister who says it reached her in good condition.

Perfect.......2007-05-13

It is as wonderful as I remembered as a child. My daughter adores this wonderful, sweet, heartwarming story of true friendship!

Oh wow look at him now he's Zuckerman's famous pig.......2007-04-04

Alright, if you've seen the film, you remember this lyric.

This happened to be the first movie I ever saw at a theater (1974, when I was two months away from my tenth birthday). Loved it then and love it now.

Perfect mix of pathos and comedy. The late Paul Lynde should have won a Mel Blanc award for his excellent turn here as Templeton the rat. To this day, the scene with him eating the corn on the cob like a typewriter has me in stitches.

If you saw it as a child, see it again with the children in your life. Later for the new film- they got it right the first time.

Hanna-Barbera showed they could give Uncle Walt a run for the money on this one.

The original.......2007-03-13

We wanted our pre-schooler to get a chance to see this fine, animated version before we got the newer one. It's as good as ever and makes a nice addition to our dvd collection.

Halloweentown/ Halloweentown II - Kalabar's Revenge

Average customer rating:

Two Great DCOMs
great movies
Halloweentown/Halloweentown II - Kalabar's Revenge
Halloweentown/HalloweentownII
Great Movie!

Halloweentown/ Halloweentown II - Kalabar's Revenge
Starring: Kimberly J. Brown , Wren Roberts , Daniel Kountz , Joey Zimmerman , and Emily Roeske
Director: Mary Lambert , and Duwayne Dunham
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Halloweentown High
Hocus Pocus
Twitches - Betwitched Edition
Tower of Terror
The Worst Witch (The Movie)

ASIN: B0007Z9R5W
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Amazon.com

In a place called Halloweentown, good and evil look very different than one might expect. Thanks to a visit from Grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds), Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown) and her family's tradition of ignoring the Halloween holiday are about to change in the extreme. It seems that Marnie's mother Gwen (Judith Hoag) has been hiding a big secret from her three children--all of them possess supernatural powers. Now that it's Marnie's thirteenth birthday, she must begin her training as a witch or lose her powers forever. While Gwen wants nothing more than to see her children grow up as "normal" humans, Grandmother Aggie and Marnie have other ideas. A brewing crisis between good and evil in the alternate world Halloweentown soon pulls the entire family through a portal and into an intense battle against ghouls, goblins and the warlock Kalabar (Robin Thomas). Halloweentown II takes place two years after Halloweentown and finds Kalabar's son bent on revenge. Marnie has matured as a witch, but her powers are pushed to the limit in a desperate effort to triumph over an evil curse in order to save Halloweentown, her family and the human world. This is good Disney Halloween fun with nice costuming and special effects, a wholesome message about the power of family, cooperation and perseverance, and ghouls that, though creepy looking, aren't likely to inspire nightmares in younger family members. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Description

Join Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown) and her grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds) as they stir up a cauldron full of comedy and adventure in two Disney Channel classics -- HALLOWEENTOWN and HALLOWEENTOWN II: KALABAR'S REVENGE. On her 13th birthday, Marnie learns she's a witch, discovers a secret portal, and is transported to Halloweentown -- a magical place where ghosts and ghouls, witches and werewolves live apart from the human world. But she soon finds herself battling wicked warlocks, evil curses, and endless surprises. HALLOWEENTOWN DOUBLE FEATURE will charm pixies, trolls, and families everywhere every day of the year.

Customer Reviews:

Two Great DCOMs.......2007-05-14

These were two of the first (and still the best) DCOMs (Disney Channel Original Movies). Both films are filled with magic spells and mystical creatures that are reminiscent of the Harry Potter books and films. I mean, obviously the special effects are not on par with the Potter films but if you're looking for something magical to hold you over until the next film these two DCOMs will do the trick.

Both movies take place in two worlds (or dimensions), the mortal world and Halloweentown. The mortal world, as you may have guessed, is our world, the mortal world, and Halloweentown is a dimension created to refuge all the magical and fairy tale creatures after the humans turned on them.

In the first movie we are introduced to our heroin, Marnie Piper. She is a 13 year old girl whom is fascinated with Halloween and all things weird. Unfortunately, her mother keeps her locked up on Halloween and doesn't allow any talk of magic. When her grandmother shows up on Halloween night she discovers that she is really a witch. Marnie along with her two siblings, nerdy brother Dylan and little sister Sophie (who shows early signs of being a powerful witch), follow their grandmother to Halloweentown. It is soon discovered that there is something terribly wrong in Halloweentown. Good people are turning evil and then suddenly disappearing. Marnie and her grandmother discover a run down theater filled with petrified people and that is when they meet an evil warlock named Kalabar who is hell bent on uniting the two worlds and dominating both Halloweentown and the mortal world. After their grandmother and mother (who showed up after discovering her children's empty beds) are petrified by Kalabar it is up to Marnie and her siblings to cook up a potion that will save both their family and the rest of the known world. The only problem is, Marnie isn't a trained witch.

In the second film, Kalabar's Revenge, Marnie is a little more experienced in the ways of magic and her mother is no longer fearful of Halloween. During a party Marnie meets a cute boy named Kal whom she shows her grandmothers secret bed room (filled with magical goodies). Soon after Kal departs Marnie and her grandmother discover her magic bag has run dry. The bag is connected to her house in Halloweentown so if something is wrong with the bag that means something must be wrong with the house. The pair set out for Halloweentown through the portal to investigate. They find that the entire town has been affected by the 'Grey Spell' and all the fairy tale creatures are slowly turning into dull, boring, humans. They call home for the spell to reverse it but it appears that someone (Kal) has stolen it. It soon becomes apparent what Kal's plot is, to turn Halloweentown human and the mortal world into monsters, after her grandmother is affected by the 'Grey Spell' Marnie sets out on an adventure through the magical world (including some time travel) to discover a way to reverse the spell in time to save both worlds.

Both of these movies are awesome and highly enjoyable for both the young and young at heart. As I've already stated they feel a lot like the Potter films, in fact Halloweentown reminds me of Diagon Ally. Each film runs about 80 minutes a piece so if you're looking for a nice quick feel good film then this just might satisfy that itch.

great movies.......2007-02-07

I love these movies (thats right i added a "s" cause there are 2 movies on 1 disk :) i loved how in the first Halloweentown marnie find out she is a witch and at the end the whole family(grandmother, mother, brother, sister, and sister) all worked together :)

Halloweentown/Halloweentown II - Kalabar's Revenge.......2007-01-11

We love both movies! Halloween favorites in our house! From My first grader to me!

Halloweentown/HalloweentownII.......2007-01-11

I enjoyed it , I'm a big Debbie Reynolds fan, but it is a good family movie and my granddaughter, 10years old loves it.

Great Movie!.......2007-01-10

I had seen Halloweentown/Halloween II - Kalabar's Revenge on the Disney channel and was so impressed that I decided to buy this product and add it to my library.

Actress:

Actress

Actress