The Monster Squad (Two-Disc 20th Anniversary Edition)

Description

Count Dracula adjourns to Earth, accompanied by Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Gillman. The uglies are in search of a powerful amulet that will grant them power to rule the world. Our heroes - the Monster Squad are the only ones daring to stand in their way.

Customer Reviews:

It is a classic.......2007-09-17

If you remeber this movie then you will know that you had to love it when you were young. It is a classic and a must have for any cult film fanatic.

Not Up To The Goonies.......2007-09-16

If you really like The Goonies, you'll find this only a fair movie. It consists of poor attempts at slapstick, unsuccessful suspense, and unnecessary foul language and humor about virginity, all delivered by some B-grade acting. It is not really appropriate for young children, and anyone else should find it unsatisfying. (I can't account for any rave reviews.)

Welcome back 'Monster Squad'. We've missed you. .......2007-09-15

If there is one thing good thing you can say about the advent of the DVD age, it's that a lot of forgotten -- or downright ignored -- films are getting a second life. While not classics necessarily, these films are nonetheless beloved and - many times - important films. 'The Monster Squad' is one of those films. Released to a general `meh' in 1987, the film has since generated a lot of fan support and love over the years (thanks mainly to its VHS release and Cable showings) and with the support of a strong, ever-growing, core fan group, the film has at last made it to DVD. We couldn't be happier.

The forces of evil (Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, the gill man, the wolf man, and a mean old mummy) have gathered again after 100 years of dormancy. They have returned to take possession of a magical amulet that will shift the scales of the balance of the world to the dark side should they be successful. Famed vampire hunter Van Helsing had been working to put an end to the monsters completely 100 years earlier but had failed and now it falls to five kids to do what he could not. Calling themselves the Monster Squad, (after their love of all things monstrous and scary), this band of misfits, with the aide of a `scary old German guy', and hopefully the help of a suspected virgin, set themselves up as the only defense against these monsters and the possibility of the end of mankind.

An average film with a heart of gold, the magic that makes it all work is the honesty in which it is made. It clear that 'The Monster Squad' was never meant to be a classic - what film starts out with those ambitions? - But it certainly is a fun throwback to a - now sadly - bygone era. The modernized humor works within the confines of its decidedly old fashioned story (it's patterned after the classic Abbott and Costello films with just a pinch of 'The Little Rascals' thrown in). The language - which can be coarse - is never forced, and feels true to the characters and moments. (Sorry Mom and Dad. It is a sad truth that even in the PC world we live in, your young ones may still talk like this when you aren't around.) There are scares of a PG-13 variety, but this isn't just a kiddie film. Thanks to a very dark portrayal of Dracula, and some good acting the film plays very well to all ages. It's a welcome reminder of a bygone era of kinder, gentler filmmaking.

This little gem is blissfully packed with extras: Commentaries, deleted scenes, an extensive documentary, and some odds and ends that will certainly make it a must-own for it's many ardent followers. And the new DVD transfer looks stunning too! If you enjoyed the film as a kid -- you'll be amazed as an adult at the beautiful job director Fred Dekker did with the direction and camera work.

It's fantastic to be able to re-visit this old friend. Welcome back 'Monster Squad'. We've missed you.

A "Universal Classic" not made by Universal Studios..........2007-09-15

"Monster Squad" is a good movie, if solely for the fact that it combines all the Universal Monsters and a bunch of kids who swear. This is not the kind of movie you would see on the Disney Channel (for good reason) and it hearkens back to a decade I can barely remember, but who cares. It has some great one liners and some modest performances. With memorable characters such as "Scary German Guy" (there is a great holocaust reference in the movie with him that I never understood before when I was 11).

The special features for this 20th anniversaet edition are quite enjoyable. They go through most aspects of the movie including sepcial effects, character makeup and design, I would say the most interesting part is the cast interviews from Duncan Regehr (Dracula), Andre Gower (Sean), Ashley Bank (little 5 year old Phoebe all grown up!), Ryan Lambert (Rudy) and Tom Noonan (Frankie) . I was hoping for more cast interviews (because it is always great to see actors 20 years after the fact getting all misty eyed and nostalgic right along with you).

Bottom of the line: This movie is worth the buy for any kid or adult that grew up on this movie or the Universal Classic Monster movies. I would dub this movie part of the nostalgic, feel-good, where-was-I-then movies. You don't buy this one for academy performances. It does what a good movie should do, especially the ones that have a legacy: they engage and entertain.

Great family movie.......2007-09-13

Rented it was a VHS when it first cameout, a classic kids movie,fun scary and moves at a good pace. Now older it has lost none of the charm and enjoyment, they should make more like this,it's good to be a kid again.

Average customer rating:

A Great Sci-Fi Horror Film to Watch with Friends!
Excellent DVD transfer!
Finally on DVD!! One of Stuart Gordon's Best!
Finally
Creepy,imaginative take on Lovecraft's outline...

From Beyond (Unrated Director's Cut)
Starring: Jeffrey Combs , Barbara Crampton , Ken Foree , Ted Sorel , and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
Director: Stuart Gordon
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000RPCK2O
Release Date: 2007-09-11

Customer Reviews:

A Great Sci-Fi Horror Film to Watch with Friends!.......2007-09-17

I first saw this on cable TV years ago with friends. We howled with laughter at its campiness-- and that was coming in on the last hour. I eventually saw the full film and fell in love with both its strangeness and subversiveness. It is an absurd tale of excess gone awry that is completely relevant to the human condition.

I greatly enjoyed watching the extended-cut DVD with friends. The added footage gave it extra punch from the toned-down version that I had seen on cable. And, it is a film that allows for comments or gasps to be exchanged during it without losing the thread of events. It's a fun horror film. There is lots of latex and some funny commentaries on s/m. It may not be for the faint of heart, but I would not call it particularly grizzly either. Enjoy!

Also, the extras are great. The interviews with the director are charming. And the section where you can see the story board images alongside the filmed sequences is ultra-cool. The director seems quite proud of his ability to draw detailed story board images and for good reason. Definitely check out the extras, even if you do not normally do so. You won't be disappointed!

Excellent DVD transfer!.......2007-09-15

Holy cow, this is one awesome release. I agree wholeheartedly with the other 5 star reviewers that this is an excellent movie, and thank the studio for it's release. The DVD transfer looks extremely clean and sharp. A+ on the video and sound. I don't see how it could get any better for DVD.

Finally on DVD!! One of Stuart Gordon's Best!.......2007-09-15

Having just got my DVD copy of From Beyond on Thursday, I'm very happy to finally have this on DVD. Now I can get rid of my old worn out videotape copy.

Finally, the film has been released uncut, with Stuart Gordon commentary with Brian Yuzna, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton-Yay!!.

The a couple of featurettes with Gordon, a interview with composer Richard Band, and a storyboard to film comparison.

This is a must for any Gordon fan, and horror fans.

( Plus if your a fan of Stuart Gordon, on the Return of The Living Dead: Collectors Edition, there is a featurette called The Decade of Darkness, with is about some 80's horror movies. It has Stuart Gordon, Joe Dante, John Landis, Dee Wallace, Tom Holland, Catherine Hicks etc).

I definitely recommend this interesting and at times strange film, but very enjoyable.

Finally.......2007-09-12

After years of waiting, Stuart Gordon's From Beyond is finally out on DVD, and be thankful that it is. Undoubtedly one of Gordon's (Re-Animator) best films and one of the best H.P. Lovecraft adaptations ever filmed, From Beyond revolves around survivor Crawford (the great Jeffrey Combs) of an experiment gone hideously awry. A psychiatrist (Barbara Crampton) however wants to continue the experiment, and returns to the house where everything went wrong, along with Crawford and a cop named Bubba (Dawn of the Dead's Ken Foree). Naturally, things don't go very well, but in Gordon's hands, the otherwise predictable story and events are frequently gross, and frequently entertaining. There's plenty of gorey, slimy moments to be had, as From Beyond is finally restored in all it's uncut glory after years of only being able to see it as a butchered, MPAA approved version that floated around on VHS. The DVD itself has some great special features as well, including an insightful commentary from Gordon, and a couple featurettes as well which detail the making of the film as well as it's re-editing for DVD. All in all, it's so great to finally have From Beyond in all it's uncut glory on DVD; and it's needless to say that if you're a real horror fan, this DVD belongs on your shelf.

Creepy,imaginative take on Lovecraft's outline..........2007-09-11

Based on essentially a sketch of a story outline by H.P. Lovecraft, the tale is of a police psychiatrist Katheryn Mc Michaels(Barbara Crampton) who is put onto a case involving a man who seems to be getting strange visions in his head,after working on an "Resonator" experiment with Dr Pretorious... so he is locked up in a mental hospital run by a rivalous and sadistic female head doctor and her brutish orderlies. Mc Michaels is more understanding however, and wants to get to the bottom of what happened by taking the patient back to the lab, to re-create the experiment. What follows is a descent into the netherworld of Lovecraft-the theory that insane people, thanks to their malfunctioning brains and a strange gland, are really seeing visions of creatures from another dimension, trying to get in, a theme Lovecraft explored well in his other stories. What makes the film remembered so well are the in-camera and on-stage make-up FX work, all done on a low budget and before the overused CGI of today. Also Barbara Crampton(Mc Michaels)in an S&M outfit is worth the ticket alone. Later, as things get out of control,and the mutating patient is re-committed to the hospital, it is now Dr Mc Michaels who no one believes-dressed in her S&M garb- and she herself is involuntarily made a patient-happily so,by her rival doctor- restrained,gagged and scheduled for electro-shock treatment to "quiet her down". Thanks to a power outage by her mutating subject who throws an orderly into a fuse box, that doesn't happen. She brains an orderly(who deserves it) and escapes back to the lab, where the ongoing "experiment" reaches it's explosive and drippy conclusion....

Average customer rating:

A Tale of Twin Obsessions
ONE OF THE BEST FILMS I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME.
Too long makes this film forgettable.
I expected more
Like the book, like the movie

Zodiac (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal , Robert Downey Jr. , Mark Ruffalo , Brian Cox , and Chloe Sevigny
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QUCNP4
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Amazon.com

Closer in spirit to a police procedural than a gory serial-killer flick, David Fincher's Zodiac provides a sleek, armrest-gripping re-invention of the crime film. It surveys the investigation of the Zodiac killings that terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late -60-early -70s; Zodiac not only killed people, but cultivated a Jack the Ripper aura by sending icky letters to the newspapers and daring readers to solve coded messages. But the film's focus isn't on the killer. We follow the reporters and detectives whose lives are taken over by the case, notably an addictive crime writer (a sartorially splendid Robert Downey Jr.), an awkward editorial cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal), and a hard-working cop (Mark Ruffalo). Fincher and his brilliant cinematographer Harris Savides are deft at capturing the period feel of the city, without laying on the seventies kitsch, and James Vanderbilt's script doles out its big moments to major and minor characters alike. Fincher's confidence is infectious; the movie glides through its myriad details with such dexterity that even the blind alleys and red herrings seem essential. The well-chosen cast includes unexpected people popping up all over: Anthony Edwards as a lunch-bucket homicide cop; Charles Fleischer as a mysterious suspect; Elias Koteas and Donal Logue as small-town policemen whose districts are hit by Zodiac; Chloe Sevigny as Gyllenhaal's sweet-natured wife; Brian Cox as the media-friendly lawyer Melvin Belli, so famous he once appeared on Star Trek; and the mighty John Carroll Lynch, as a supremely creepy suspect. The film is based on non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith (he's portrayed by Gyllenhaal), although Fincher and co. did extensive research on their own. The result is a propulsive whodunit without (thus far) an ending, but the uncertainty makes the film even more intriguing. --Robert Horton

Beyond Zodiac

The Zodiac (2005)
Curse of the Zodiac (2007)
The Novel

Stills from Zodiac (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

A Tale of Twin Obsessions.......2007-09-15

David Fincher invites his viewers on a nearly three hour journey into obsession in Zodiac. Two obsessions ,really, one the story of a person with a obsession for killing and the second of the police and journalists on an obsessive quest for the truth.

Zodiac is a departure from normal Fincher fare. The film is more a tight police procedural than a gory serial killer film. The story is the stuff of urban legend and needs no real explanation. The three principal leads in the film Jake Gyllenhaal as cartoonist Robert Graysmith, Mark Rufallo as Inspector David Toschi and Robert Downey, Jr. as reporter Paul Avery are excellent. The film offers insights into all of its characters great and small that are not usually found in films of this type. We go on an emotional ride with these people and begin to care about what the strain of the case is doing to them both professionally and personally.

Fincher has always been a director for creating atmosphere ans Zodiac is no different. Using cinematographer Harris Savides and production designer Donald Graham Burt he effectively recreates late 1960's/ early 1970's San Francisco without ever going over the top. Writer James Vanderbilt provides a complex screenplay that keeps you guessing throughout. There are more false leads and red herrings here for a film twice its length.

If there is a problem with this film it's that Paramount has decided to release a bare bones edition of the film but promises a new bonus filled Director's Edition early in 2008. Having this trailer on the film feels like a slap in the face to those of us who bought the early edition.

This is one of the better and more intelligent films of the year thus far and deserves a look. You may want to rent it now and wait for the special edition before purchasing it though.

ONE OF THE BEST FILMS I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME........2007-09-15

THIS FILM IS SO GOOD, I HAD TO GET THE BOOK BY ROBERT GRAYSMITH. THE BOOK IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE FILM. NAME CHANGES, STUFF LIKE THAT. I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE ZODIAC ON THE A&E CHANNELL. IT WAS AN INTERESTING YET FRIGHTFUL TRUE STORY THAT HAPPENED IN THE LATE 60'S AND 70'S. IT REMINDS ME OF THE SON OF SAM, WHICH I KNOW MORE ABOUT BECAUSE I AM FROM AND STILL LIVE IN NYC, THAT HIT CLOSER TO HOME, BUT THE ZODIAC IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SCARY TO HEAR AND READ ABOUT. STEVE MCQUEEN'S BULLET, WAS BASED ON THE LEAD INSPECTOR, DAVE TOSCHI. MARK RUFFALO WHO PLAYS THE POLICE DET. IS FANTASTIC. HE HAS THE ITALIAN LOOK, THE CURLY HAIR, YES HIS HAIR IS REALLY THAT CURLY. I HEARD ABOUT THE ACTOR, BUT I THINK IT'S THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM ACT. HE IS SO BELIEVEABLE. I READ IN THE BOOK HE ACTUALLY MET WITH DAVE TOSCHI TO PICK UP THE MANNERISMS AND THE CLOTHES DET. TOSCHI WORE. JAKE G. IS ALSO BELIEVEABLE. THE ACTORS BRING HEART AND SOUL TO THE ROLES. ROBERT DOWNEY JR. BLEW ME AWAY. THE CLOTHES IN THE FILM BRING ME BACK TO THE ERA. ROBERT IS SUCH A GOOD ACTOR. I THINK THIS FILM WILL BE A CLASSIC, LIKE JFK WITH KEVIN COSTNER. I RENTED IT, AND I HAD TO BUY THE DVD, THEN I GOT THE BOOK. I BOUGHT THEM ALL ON AMAZON. I HOPE THE FILM GETS NOMINATED FOR OSCARS, IT'S THAT GOOD. THERE ARE A FEW SCENES THAT ARE HARD TO WATCH, WHEN THE ZODIAC ATTACKS HIS VICTIMS AND KILLS SOME OF THEM. THIS FILM IS WORTH RENTING AND BUYING IT. IT'S KINDA LONG, ALMOST 3 HRS, BUT IT NEVER GETS BORING. YOU FOLLOW THE STORY FROM ONE OF THE MURDERS, TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS: JAKE G. RUFFALO, AND DOWNEY. ON THE DVD,COMING IN 2008, THERE WILL BE A EXTENDED VERSION OF THE FILM. DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY, BEHIND THE SCENES. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT VERSION. I HOPE THIS REVIEW HELPS. THANK YOU

Too long makes this film forgettable........2007-09-14

Zodiac directed by David Fincher starts off really well even though the first 30 minutes are the most violent but as the film goes on, the characters become too cluttered and the progression is a bit slow and lackluster. I have always liked Fincher's films but this one doesn't flow well and since the San Franciso Police Department never found out the identity of the Zodiac killer, you kinda expected an ambivalent ending. The use of the song, Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan is played many times during the film, and that song is perfect and kept me watching this film the whole way through. There are some great performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo but sadly even their acting can't save this so-so film.

I expected more.......2007-09-09

After years of pondering the Zodiac murders, I thought that this movie was going to bring all the pieces together by placing the final piece into the puzzle. So I was really disappointed that the final piece still leads to the person the law and writers always thought it was....But with no true ending. But it's a good movie.

Like the book, like the movie.......2007-09-09

If you have problems with Graysmith you'll have them with the film - very close to the book and a fine set piece for the era. Definitely worth your time.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

No HD DVD version
Disney delivers magic on Blu-ray
Solid movie with brilliant picture and crisp sound make this a must-buy for Blu-Ray owners!
Wow, amazing picture!!
Great Quality

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
Starring: Christopher Adamson , Lee Arenberg , Josie Dapar , Johnny Depp , and Spider Madison
Director: Gore Verbinski
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000N6UERU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Product description

Charming rogue pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is back to wreak hilarious havoc on the high seas on Blu-ray Disc®! Also starring Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly, this swashbuckling joyride will amaze you as never before in this spectacular, "see-worthy" format! Jack's got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to Davy Jones, ghostly Ruler of the Deep. Get caught up in the whirlpool of Jack's misadventures as he schemes to avoid eternal damnation by seizing the fabled Dead Man's Chest. Thrill to the nonstop action, devilish humor, monstrous sea creatures and breathtaking black magic presented in astonishing 1080p and thunderous 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio. Experience oceans of fun with Blu-ray™ High Definition.

Customer Reviews:

No HD DVD version.......2007-08-23

If I were the same as all the Blu-Ray fanboys, I'd rate this movie 1 star and complain that it's not on HD DVD and say how Sony has Disney in their pocket etc and swear I'll never buy any version of this movie until it comes out on HD DVD and secretly go buy the standard def version and have it packaged in discreet brown packaging.

That being said, Dead Man's Chest was not as good as the Curse of the Black Pearl, and only slightly better than the 3rd movie.

Disney delivers magic on Blu-ray.......2007-08-06

This movie was simply amazing in picture quality and sound. I had already owned Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest on standard DVD. When I compared the standard DVD with the Blu-ray version the Blu-ray outperforms on all levels. The scenes in the movie where you see the islands and ships sailing the ocean were very beautiful. Dead Man's Chest on Blu-ray delivers such sharp crisp picture quality. The people, plants, grass, and trees looked so real it was like you could reach out and touch them. Simply put everything looks life like in this Blu-ray movie. Also when watching Blu-ray scenes Davy Jones and his crew look very real. Unlike the standard version DVD you can actually tell Davy Jones crew have facial features. The sound quality of this Blu-ray movie was also very great as well. For all you Blu-ray naysayers when I compared watching the standard DVD versus Blu-ray the standard dvd looked like a bootleg movie. Yeah I couldn't believe myself but there it was. I could not believe how much I was missing out from the Blu-ray movie. Oh did I mention that I received an amazing Blu-ray experience with a outdated setup. I used my 1080i HDTV ,component cables, and Playstaion 3. Imagine how much better this Dead Man's Chest Blu-ray movie would look on a 1080p hdmi setup with surround sound! Overall this Dead Man's Chest Blu-ray was amazing and is the best Blu-ray movie out right now. I finally want to say that Disney you truly delivered a magical masterpiece on Blu-ray. Great job Disney keep delivering the Blu-ray magic : ) :) :)

Solid movie with brilliant picture and crisp sound make this a must-buy for Blu-Ray owners!.......2007-08-04

If you own a Blu-Ray player, this is a must-buy movie! If you're just a fan of great movies overall, this is a must-buy movie! Johnny Depp delivers in this non-stop action/adventure film, with loads of laughs as well. You all should know what this flick is about, so I will not go into details on that. If you are thinking of getting this movie on Blu-Ray but you already own it on SD-DVD, then that choice is up to you. The picture is pristine on BD-DVD, and the audio quality is very clean and crisp.

I own a very cheap HDTV and sound system that I purchaed for my 15-month tour here in Iraq and am blown away by the quality and differance compared to the standard-def version of this movie. Simply put, if you own this movie already, it is entirely up to you if you wish to purchase and view it in high-def. But for those of you who do not own any version of this flick then the decision should be a no-brainer-buy this now!

Disney did a flawless job with this one, loaded with extras and bonus material galore. I'm not really big on the extras and junk, but all Blu-Ray releases should be as jam packed as this one. Way to go Disney and I look forward to future releases from you guys in the future!

Wow, amazing picture!!.......2007-08-04

I did a comparison with my 720p HDTV with this in my PS3 and my original DVD in my DVD player, and the picture quality is amazing in this Blu-Ray release. I would find a screen with a lot of detail and pause it and flip back and forth, and I can see details on Blu-Ray of things that I just couldn't make out on the DVD release. Add that to the fact that the Pirates series is, to date, one of the biggest and best trilogies since 2000, makes this Blu-Ray release a must have for any owner of a Blu-Ray player. I am really glad that I repurchased this in HD format. Thanks for picking my format side Disney!

Great Quality.......2007-07-25

Much in the same way movies like Top Gun were "show off" movies for the DVD format this movie really shows the quality in Blu-Ray.

The difference is very apparant in darker scenes where on a DVD the picture might not show everything as well as it does on the BD.

Plus the extra disc includes very interesting stuff. The little thing that shows Captain Jack and explains every detail that went into making the costume really shows off what some of the people in the credits go through to make Jack look the way he does. And shows how much of a primadonna Johnny Depp is!

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

Buy the DVD version instead - until Disney re-release it.
Buyer beware! Heads lopped off!
Misframed for 10 min
Big framing problem on Blu-ray version
Problems with Playback

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray]
Starring: Lee Arenberg , Johnny Depp , Trevor Goddard , Kevin McNally , and Jonathan Pryce
Director: Gore Verbinski
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000N6UERA
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Product Description

Disney Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (Blu-ray)
From producer Jerry Bruckheimer("Pearl Harbor") comes "Pirates Of The Caribbean:The Curse Of The Black Pearl," the thrilling high-seas adventure with a mysterious twist. The roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow's (Academy Award(R) Nominee Johnny Depp) idyllic pirate life capsizes after his nemesis, the wily Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and later attacks the town of Port Royal, kidnapping the governor's beautiful daughter Elizabeth (Keira Knightley). In a gallant attempt to rescue her and recapture the Black Pearl, Elizabeth's childhood friend Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) joins forces with Jack. What Will doesn't know is that a cursed treasure has doomed Barbossa and his crew tolive forever as the undead. Rich in suspense-filled adventure, sword-clashing action, mystery, humor, unforgettable characters, and never-before-seenspecial effects, "Pirates" is a must-have epic onthe grandest scale ever.

Customer Reviews:

Buy the DVD version instead - until Disney re-release it........2007-09-08

Disney will be re-releasing this version as it contains 9 minutes of incorrectly framed footage. In this Blu-ray version people are being decapitated, and not by pirates! For those 9 minutes, the framing is about 12% lower than it should be.

The DVD version is framed 100% correctly - so buy that one until Disney issues a new Blu-ray release of this title.

Buyer beware! Heads lopped off!.......2007-09-05

There is a serious framing problem for 9 minutes of the movie, where the frame is lower than it should be. So you will be looking at groins and torsos instead of full faces.

Misframed for 10 min.......2007-09-03

About 9 or 10 min of this film is framed incorrectly. The sequence in question is the sword fight between Jack Sparrow and Will Turner in the blacksmith's shop. The image is shifted down so at some points the actors are actually delivering dialog with their heads cut off. I would avoid ordering this title until Disney issues a corrected version.

Big framing problem on Blu-ray version.......2007-08-30

Disney made some mistakes on the Blu-ray release and some scenes are misframed. The original film was shot using the Super 35 process (1.85:1) and cut to a 2:35:1 ratio for theaters and home release. Some scenes that required framing at the top of the film image were center cut instead, so heads are cut off, and there are numerous revealing mistakes such as exposed floorboards when they should be fighting on rafters 10 ft off the ground! I would wait for a corrected version.

Problems with Playback.......2007-08-25

I have a Samsung BDP 1000 - in the BD package from Disney you get 2 disks, one special features and the game and the movie itself. The movie is unplayable even with the latest firmware update for the player but strangely the Special features disk is fine. Unfortunately I am returning these 2 disney Pirates BD's

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

GREAT
Swashbuckling is back.
A nice popcorn film
sounded like a bad idea
Depp's big payday

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Johnny Depp , Geoffrey Rush , Orlando Bloom , Keira Knightley , and Jack Davenport
Director: Gore Verbinski , and Hamilton Luske
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JM5E
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Product Description

From producer Jerry Bruckheimer (PEARL HARBOR) comes PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, the thrilling high-seas adventure with a mysterious twist. The roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow's (Academy Award(R) Nominee Johnny Depp) idyllic pirate life capsizes after his nemesis, the wily Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and later attacks the town of Port Royal, kidnapping the governor's beautiful daughter Elizabeth (Keira Knightley). In a gallant attempt to rescue her and recapture the Black Pearl, Elizabeth's childhood friend Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) joins forces with Jack. What Will doesn't know is that a cursed treasure has doomed Barbossa and his crew to live forever as the undead. Rich in suspense-filled adventure, sword-clashing action, mystery, humor, unforgettable characters, and never-before-seen special effects, PIRATES is a must-have epic on the grandest scale ever.

Amazon.com

You won't need a bottle of rum to enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, especially if you've experienced the Disneyland theme-park ride that inspired it. There's a galleon's worth of fun in watching Johnny Depp's androgynous performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a roguish pirate who could pass for the illegitimate spawn of rockers Keith Richards and Chrissie Hynde. Depp gets all the good lines and steals the show, recruiting Orlando Bloom (a blacksmith and expert swordsman) and Keira Knightley (a lovely governor's daughter) on an adventurous quest to recapture the notorious Black Pearl, a ghost ship commandeered by Jack's nemesis Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), a mutineer desperate to reverse the curse that left him and his (literally) skeleton crew in a state of eternal, undead damnation. Director Gore Verbinski (The Ring) repeats the redundant mayhem that marred his debut film Mouse Hunt, but with the writers of Shrek he's made Pirates into a special-effects thrill-ride that plays like a Halloween party on the open seas. Aye, matey, we've come a long way since Jason and the Argonauts! --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

GREAT.......2007-09-16

This is the #1 movie of the centry. Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth, and every one else are very beleivable characters that you can hitch your emotional wagons to. YO HO A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME!!!!!

Swashbuckling is back........2007-09-15

I didn't expect much from a movie that was made after an amusement park ride, but I must say I was more than pleasantly surprised. This is one of my favorite movies. It has everything. A great cast, a great story, great action, and wonderful visuals. You'll believe you are back in time and living with cutthroats. But wait there's more, you also have a supernatural element that makes this like Lord of the Rings meets Black Beard the pirate.
The whole idea seems rediculous, but with Johnny Depp as CAPTIAN Jack Sparrow, he makes it all work. Too be fare Orlando Bloom as Will Turner is the actual hero of the story, but without a doubt Depp is the star. The movie would not work without him at such a great level.
Then there is Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, who is as lovely as she is adventrous. Knightley really is a great actress and her character is essential to the story so she isn't just another pretty girl in an action movie, though undoubtedly she is absolutely beautiful.
I won't go into the story since others here have already, but I will say that if you love pirate movies or action movies or comedies or romance or horror movies, this movie has it all and it's all top notch. This is a must see and one of the best in the decade it was made.

A nice popcorn film.......2007-09-08

The first of the three Pirates movie was a nice summer popcorn film, which recalled not only the Pirates movies of classic Hollywood but also those great George Pal and Ray Harryhausen stop-motion monster epics of a later time. It wasn't until the second movie, when suddenly the filmmakers decided audiences had been taking Pirates seriously, did the story begin to get bogged down in complicated mythologies and convoluted sci-fi goofiness.

sounded like a bad idea.......2007-09-04

This movie was a nice surprise; any movie based on a Disney World ride is automatically suspect, but this one transcends its bizarre inspiration and ends up being a fun action movie, largely due to the strength of the performances of Depp and Rush. Unfortunately, the other actors in the movie are rather bland compared to those two and the movie feels kind of flat when they are not onscreen.

Ivan Rorick

Depp's big payday.......2007-09-04

I really enjoyed Johnny Depp's mid-1990s work, particularly "Ed Wood," "Dead Man" and "Donnie Brasco." Much has been made of his "Keith Richards meets Pepe Le Peu"-inspired riff in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, but the truth is that Depp is clearly slumming here (perhaps deservedly so after two decades of assiduously avoiding the big payday-style blockbuster).

A lot of other good talent is going to waste at the service of these amusement-park ride driven plots, particularly Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley (who, if she loses more weight, runs the risk of being mistaken for one of the skeletons on Rush's ghost ship).

Intermittently entertaining but ultimately unsatisfying.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

JOHNNY DEPP! yep.
A great sequel
Depp cashes it in
Aye Aye Cap'n Jack
Captain Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Johnny Depp , Orlando Bloom , Keira Knightley , Jack Davenport , and Bill Nighy
Director: Gore Verbinski
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000I0RQVI
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Product Description

Take the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, add a dash of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling Dead Man's Chest, a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry--plot is definitely not the strong suit of the franchise, as the film excels during its stunt pieces, which are impressively extravagant (in particular a three-way swordfight atop a mill wheel). It may help to know that Dead Man's Chest was filmed simultaneously with some of Pirates 3, so don't expect a complete resolution (think more The Empire Strikes Back) or the movie will feel a lot longer than it really is.

Amazon.com

Bloom shows a tad bit more brawn this time around, but he's still every bit as pretty as the tomboyish Knightley. (Seriously, sometimes you think they could swap roles.) Bill Nighy (Love, Actually) weighs in as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgård appears as Will's undead father. But the film still belongs wholly to Depp, who in a reprise of his Oscar-nominated role gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyeliner-ed gaze. He still runs like a cartoon hen and slurs like Keith Richards--and he's still one of the most fascinating movie characters in recent history. --Ellen A. Kim

More Pirates at Amazon.com

Johnny Depp DVDs
Buy Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Buy the Soundtrack

Customer Reviews:

JOHNNY DEPP! yep........2007-09-15

Johnny looks so good in this movie, however I don't get why he talks like he is drunk. But hes a good pirate. very different to other pirate movies though, with the introduction of the "dead/gohst" pirates. Not suitable for children. Good movie

A great sequel.......2007-09-04

This is one of those rare sequels which surpasses the original in quality. It reminded me of Godfather 2 in this respect. It also features some of the best CGI I have ever seen; Davy Jones is so realistic-looking that I thought he was an animatronic mask rather than computer graphics.

Ivan Rorick

Depp cashes it in.......2007-09-04

I really enjoyed Johnny Depp's mid-1990s work, particularly "Ed Wood," "Dead Man" and "Donnie Brasco." Much has been made of his "Keith Richards meets Pepe Le Peu"-inspired riff in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, but the truth is that Depp is clearly slumming here (perhaps deservedly so after two decades of assiduously avoiding the big payday-style blockbuster).

A lot of other good talent is going to waste at the service of these amusement-park ride driven plots, particularly Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley (who, if she loses more weight, runs the risk of being mistaken for one of the skeletons on Rush's ghost ship). Bill Nighy, one of the cinema's (and theatre's) finest actors, is hidden behind a squid-like mask.

Intermittently entertaining but ultimately unsatisfying.

Aye Aye Cap'n Jack.......2007-09-03

Good movie, but let's face it, even if it sucked, I would love it because Johnny and Orlando make some YUMMY PIRATES!!!!!!!

Captain Jack Sparrow.......2007-09-01

Of the three, my least favorite - action scenes were a bit long for my taste - but still loved it - especially the character of Captain Jack Sparrow!

Average customer rating:

Great Flick
unless your a film student...
This film sucks
Overly bloody, logically holed, inferior sequel
Some good ideas... but otherwise a simple rehash of the first film.

28 Weeks Later (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Robert Carlyle , Rose Byrne , Jeremy Renner , Amanda Walker , and Shahid Ahmed
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000TJBN80
Release Date: 2007-10-09

Description

28 WEEKS LATER is sequel to the successful 28 Days Later.

The film pick up six months after the Rage virus has spread throughout the city of London. The United States Army has restored order and is repopulating the quarantined city, when a carrier of the Rage virus enters London and unknowingly re-ignites the spread of the deadly infection, wreaking havoc on the entire population. The virus is not yet dead, and this time it's more dangerous than ever!!

Customer Reviews:

Great Flick.......2007-09-17

I thought that this was a great movie, intense and gory! The bloody scenes weren't scary but the possibility of this happening is what scares you the most. Seeing society decimated in both this movie and the prequel is frightening. The thought of being one of the only survivors of a rage virus is thought provoking. Can't wait for the third installment. Worth seeing.

unless your a film student..........2007-09-16

You won't appreciate how great this movie was shot and how rich they are. I was stunned how great this movie was. It is Very different than the 1st. Cause this deals with a generation rebuilding and then shows what happens with chaos. How easily our government would turn on us (and I believe in a situation like this they would) and it was interesting to say the least.

So what's my complaints?

Spoilers (don't read if you don't wanna know)

1. Its annoying how fast the father gets turned and I find it hard to believe he would follow them but not successfully eat them.

2.I'm bummed that the military officer died
3.I wanted a little more closure for an ending. Unless they make 28 months later but that would be good only if they come up with a REALLY good story.

Anyways the pros outweigh the cons so therefor I give this 5 stars. Go see a first class horror film done right.

This film sucks.......2007-09-16

This film sucks. I (or you) could create better horror with a bottle of ketsup and an 8mm handcam.

Overly bloody, logically holed, inferior sequel.......2007-09-14

Surprised at the number of good reviews this is getting here.

"I wish Roger Ebert was still writing reviews because he would most definitely decry the "idiot plot" moment of "28 Weeks Later." It comes when Don (Robert Carlyle) decides to plant a wet kiss on his obviously exposed-to-infection wife, despite having seen the Zombies first-hand and knowing full-well how the infection travels and how it has pretty much decimated the population of Britain. I watched this at the Westlake Village Promenade today at 4:50pm with a crowd of mostly teenage guys and even a lot of them were shocked at how ridiculous this was." - Bryce Zabel, moviesmackdown

Big budget blood drenched sequel could have been so much better. Another ridiculous moment comes when they start firebombing part of the city--gee, why not just nuke all of London, if infrastructure destruction is not a problem, then you could be certain of extermination? Then the city is gassed, why didn't they do that in the first place? Well they have a big budget this time and lots of huge fiery explosions are obligatory I guess.

Another thing, the camera shakes WAY too much. What's going on? When the boy sees his father through the door, the camera moves very fast and next thing you know the rage has spread inside the quarantined building. What happened? Only by going slow-motion through this sequence can one see he breaks through a heavy locked steel door by simply banging on it. 300 people are trapped inside but one skinny infected gets in no problemo. The boy sure must be a good sprinter cause he gets from the door to walking over people 40 ft away in .5 seconds. And you know exactly what is going to happen when the rage hits a large crowd of people because it is described in detail in the first film (the airport story). I submit to you, a predictable scene does not make for a scary one no matter how much blood, screaming and unsteady camerawork you throw in.

The original had lots of slow parts with interesting dialog and scenery that made one think and give a breather between the scary parts. This movie just got on the bandwagon of all the bad ultra-bloody films that have come out since the original--Hostel, Saw, Hills Have Eyes, etc and, not to be outdone, is scene after scene of murder and mayhem. The one interesting idea in this one, that some can be immune, is not really developed except to spread the virus to show, you got it, more blood and gore.

The music throughout is THE EXACT SAME as in the original, they couldn't even get original music?? (Maybe they spent too much on those explosions)

Overall this was a big disappointment for me.

Some good ideas... but otherwise a simple rehash of the first film........2007-09-10

Well...

It was with a lot of anticipation that I went to see 28 WEEKS LATER - specially because I believe the first film, 28 DAYS LATER, was a genuine new look at the beloved Zombie genre.

But I got a little disappointed with this sequel because it does not offer much. The synopsis looks promising: weeks later, the original infected people on the UK dies... and the country is declared safe. So it is up to the British living abroad to come home and start again. And we meet this guy who has two kids (who were abroad on a school trip).

Suddenly, they find his wife (who apparently got attacked and died on the prologue). But she is fine... because she is immune to the disease. But she does has the virus... and it is only a matter of time until the whole thing starts again.

The problem with 28 WEEKS LATER is that the audience does not bond with any character. There is nobody there for the audience to empathize with. I feel some lack of focus in those characters... and the whole film becomes a escapist time-passing.

It was exactly the huge investment in characters that made the first film so good. But here... It's all missing.

That is not to say that there are not great moments. The intro (when the guy loses his wife) is well paced... the scene where the helicopter decapitates (oh, yes!!!) a group of infected is fabulous... and the best sequence is when the survivors drive away from the military dodging poison gas clouds on the streets of London.

But that's it.

Also... this film contradicts one interesting element presented in the first film. I remember (on 28 DAYS LATER) one character saying the infection had reached other countries. That does not seem to be what we see here. I got a little confused.

Still it is worth a look.

Average customer rating:

Total Garbage!
"IF I WERE A CROW I'D BE SOMEWHERE ELSE!"
another scarecrow movie
Another lost gem of 80's horror exhumed
BUY THIS DVD

Scarecrows
Starring: Scarecrows
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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