The 10th Kingdom

Amazon.com

This epic 10-hour miniseries from the Emmy-winning writer of Gulliver's Travels was a ratings bust on television, but on video and DVD, where it can be enjoyed at one's leisure, it has a better chance to cast its magical spell. Kimberly Williams has never been more enchanting than as Virginia, a waitress who still lives with her janitor father (John Larroquette) and yearns for something exciting to happen to her. Her wish comes true when she and her father are transported from New York City into a dimension that, with apologies to Rod Serling, can only be called the Fairy Tale Zone; nine kingdoms populated by characters from fairy tales of yore. They team up with a dog who's really a prince--Wendell, grandson of Snow White--changed into canine form by the evil Queen (Dianne Wiest), who plots to usurp Wendell's throne. Father, daughter, and his royal dogness are relentlessly pursued through the nine kingdoms by the Troll King (Ed O'Neill) and his three bumbling and horrible children, and the conflicted Wolf (Scott Cohen), who is allied with the Queen but, with the aid of some Oprah-esque self-help books, tames his inner beast and falls in love with Virginia. The 10th Kingdom is a special effects extravaganza. There is indeed, as one character marvels, magic to behold here. But despite the Hallmark brand name and the presence of a grown-up Snow White (Camryn Manheim) and Cinderella (Ann-Margret), bewitched animals, magic mirrors, and trolls, this is not kid's stuff. It can get scary, surprisingly violent, and quite intense; you know, just like real fairy tales. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Great movie.......2007-08-23

This is a great movie, I received it promptly and in perfect condition, I recommed this to anyone.

The most beautiful mini-series .......2007-08-11

This is the most beautiful mini-series you're liable to see. A modern woman from contemporary New York City still living with her father ends up on an adventure beyond her imagining when a gateway between her world and the strange and surreal world of the 9 kingdoms is opened. The 9 kingdoms is an alternate reality where the fairy tales are strangely true and wolves (werewolves actually) do seduce young women, princes are put under wicked spells and dark, deep secrets are hidden behind the villainous wicked queen. (I won't spoil it for you.)

One character I love in particular in this is the neurotic Wolf. Wolf is a half-wolf (werewolf) and apparently a descendant of The Big Bad Wolf. Wolf becomes the love interest in the story.

There are some amazing acting talents in this mini-series including Diane Weist in her very first villain role. It's shocking to see her out of the sugary sweet motherly role we're used to such as her role as Peg in Edward Scissorhands and the mother role in Lost Boys.

Another thing I like is the beautiful yet full figured woman who played Snow White- the actress from the practice. The writers paid close attention to detail in remembering that the original Snow White story's protagonist was fair and plump and they didn't follow the modern trend of the sickly-thin conception of beauty.

The fairy tales return to their roots with this mature- yet decent enough for people of all ages- fantasy. It's simply beautiful.

Something different in a world of copycats........2007-08-10

What I can't believe is how intricate this whole story is. I really shows a lot of different story lines, characters and twists and turns along the way. It is inventive and enjoyable. I have watched bits and pieces since the first time I watched the entire thing at once. Everytime I watch, I see something I didn't see before.

Scott Cohen as "Wolf" is totally amazing. He is the perfect lead male in a twisted fairytale. He is charming, sexy, daring, and yet flawed in a number of ways. John Larroquette is great as "Tony" and he has the comic timing down pat. Kimberly Williams holds it all together while being brave and vulnerable all at once.

My kids are 10 & 7 and they love it. My Mom is in her 60's and she loves it so it appeals to many age groups.

If you can't handle fantasy, don't watch. If you are sick of the same old formulas, then give it a try for something new.

Comes the Kingdom!.......2007-08-05

This is a delight for anyone who enjoys fantasy and folk lore. In a modern age it is so delightful to find the old stories coming to life!

Addictive Movie.......2007-08-01

This is a very addicting movie! You just can't stop watching. My Aunt had this movie when we went to visit her and we promptly came home and ordered it, my Aunt then watched with me and I had to order it for her too, and she is a teacher. She brought this to class for thier "free Friday's" and now her class has seen it several times. This is a light hearted fantasy type movie. I reccomend it for all ages!

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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ASIN: B000UGBOTA
Release Date: 2007-09-11

Customer Reviews:

Total Garbage!.......2007-09-10

I am A huge Horror Buff of 70's & 80's Horror Movie's! Scarecrows has to be in my Top 10 of Dummest Horror Movie's of the 70's & 80's era!
Don't Go In The Woods Is #1 on That Top 10 List!
If you want to get some Awesome Horror Flicks being released By MGM Get The Burning 1981 (Uncut) & From Beyond 1986 (Uncut) Don't Waste Your Money
On Scarecrows Its Total Garbage I would Give It A Rating Of 0 If I Could!

"IF I WERE A CROW I'D BE SOMEWHERE ELSE!".......2007-09-09

Fantastic lost horror gem of the 80's finally gets its due on DVD! Previously only available on beat-up VHS tape or an overpriced full-screen German import titled Paratrooper, MGM has blessed the horror masses with a definitive version for our collections! The movie has a refreshingly original plot, which drops a group of ex-military robbers and murderers into the wrong field in search of their missing bounty. A great unique script and really good acting (except the pilots daughter who is AWFUL) always makes me wonder why this film sat in obscurity for so long? Although our main characters are all villians they have individual personalities and believable dialogue that keeps us interested in them and their plight. Of course atmosphere, jump scares, and a generous and well done amount of gore is also included for our viewing pleasure (including a brutal face stabbing)! If you are new to horror or are a horror buff starving for a truly enjoyable horror film (especially in these times of remakes and direct-to-DVD dreck) this is a can't miss. Also make sure to pick up MGMs upcoming releases of the 80's classics From Beyond and The Burning. For horror fans... Christmas comes early this year!

another scarecrow movie.......2007-08-12

Yes. This is another of these scarecrow movies, but I have to say that it is one of the good ones. I have this on VHS and have watched it a few times and still don't get bored watching it. there is plenty of action and horror. I don't know many of the actors and I'm afraid I don't go in for all this director stuff like a lot of you. I watch a movie strictly for entertainment, and this one does that. The story is good and the acting isn't too bad for a "b" grade movie but still enjoyable. So if you are a keen horror fan then this is definitely for you. But there is one scarecrow movie out there which I hope they will bring out on dvd, it is called "DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW". with Charles Durning. This is my favourite one for it has a great ending which satisfies your every whim through the movie. I have it on vhs and have watched it many times never getting bored even though I know the ending, so if there is anyone out there who knows about the dvd, let me know. But definitely give scarecrow a go.

Another lost gem of 80's horror exhumed.......2007-08-10

When direct-to-video horror films were a legitimate market in the 80's and early to mid nineties, thousands upon thousands of low or modestly budgeted movies flooded the market and squeezed themselves onto local mom and pop and mainstream movie rental stores. More than often, these films would be all promise and no delivery, with glitzy artwork and enticing taunts from the ads and synopsis claiming that these films were full of true terror and unrelentling carnage. About 80% of the time they were totally misleading. Time after time we would be duped into watching some boring and/or heavily edited time-wasters with so much left to be desired. Then a movie like William Wesleys Scarecrows peeks out from behind the usual "Satan's _______ whatever" and the countless Slumber/Sorrority party slash and stalk. So being jaded by the usual selection, I took a chance so many years ago and found a truly underscovered gem of fright flick. William Wesley isn't an auteur by any means. In fact his only other directorial credit to my knowledge is the passable Route 666 starring a washed-up Lou Diamond Phillips. But Route 666 aside, with Scarecrows, Wesley does know how to deliver a straight forward horror tale with enough action, gore, suspense, and clever creature design on a low but not impoverished budget. They just make them like this anymore. Oh and i forgot to mention that I liked this film so much that I kept the vhs copy I rented back in the day and just payed the full ammount because I knew i would never be able to find another copy. I have shown this film to my friends countless times over the years and my tape is in pretty bad shape, so I am more than overjoyed that MGM is releasing it. Check it out if you're a fan of old-school 80's horror.

BUY THIS DVD.......2007-08-07

finally this film is getting released. Such a great horror film. Pick it up for Halloween and have a great time watching it.

Average customer rating:

a cult movie in the making
not new, not good
Fantastic, interesting, original horror film! Don't miss it.
unique and entertaining
Something lost in the translation

The Host (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Manufacturer: Magnolia Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000PKG8TW
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Product Description

A creature plunges from the Han River Bridge into the river emerging on its shores for a feeding frenzy upon onlookers. When a young girl is snatched in the melee her family set off to recover her from the monster that the government claims to be a host Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: NR UPC: 876964000994 Manufacturer No: 10099

Customer Reviews:

a cult movie in the making.......2007-09-16

***1/2

Reportedly the biggest box office hit in South Korean movie history, "The Host" is a fun monster-movie parody that is also a touching family drama and an indictment of the evils of modern science at one and the same time.

The trouble begins when a U.S. Army mortician orders his reluctant lab assistant to pour mass quantities of spoiled formaldehyde down the drain directly into Seoul's Han River. In no time flat, the toxic waste has mutated into a massive sea creature that can live both on land and in water and which devours any hapless human unfortunate enough to wander onto its path. It also captures certain individuals and drags them to a sewer where he keeps them for later feeding. One such victim is a young girl named Hyun-seo, whose family members - a kindly grandfather, an aunt and an uncle, and her own childlike father - after receiving no assistance from the governmental authorities, are forced to make a desperate attempt on their own to rescue her.

Directed by "Memories of Murder"'s Bong Joon-ho, "The Host" is not a laugh-a-minute parody in the scattershot mold of the "Airplane," "Naked Gun," "Scary Movie" franchises. Instead, it mocks the conventions of its genre while at the same time treating those conventions with seriousness and respect. The characters may act in ways that are silly and goofy, but the threat posed by the creature is always real, so that we laugh at the same time we are awaiting the next suspense-filled jolt to come our way.

The movie, in many ways, is really more about the dynamics of this one family than it is about a city coping with a man-eating monster. Of particular interest is Hyun-seo's father, Gang-du, a kindhearted man who lives with his dad, sleeps most of the day at the store they run, and seems never to have fully grown into adulthood. His idea of good parenting skills is playing video games with his daughter while handing her a freshly opened can of beer. This puts him in direct conflict with his younger brother and sister, who continually berate Gang-du for being an irresponsible parent. It is only in the midst of an intense crisis such as the one the family is facing that Gang-du finds the fortitude, courage and maturity he needs to be a true father to his daughter.

As in most films of this nature, the scientists and governmental authorities in "The Host" are viewed with suspicion, if not downright hostility. They spend most of their time lying to the general public in an attempt to hide their own inadequacies and incompetence. The Americans come in for a particular black eye in this film, which prompts one to wonder just how favorably the United States government is viewed by the people (or at least the filmmakers) of South Korea.

The performances are good, though "The Host" might have been a better film with a few minutes shaved off its running time. As it is, it runs a little long for a movie of this nature, with most of the best laughs occurring in the front portion of the film. It also has a tendency to take itself just a bit too seriously in its final half hour, blunting its satiric edge somewhat as a consequence.

Still, this is a clever, entertaining film with cool special effects and an appealingly self-mocking tone.

not new, not good.......2007-09-03

is a new version of the monster of the lake. With better
effects but without an argument to see.

Fantastic, interesting, original horror film! Don't miss it........2007-09-01

Thank god, FINALLY a horror film that doesn't simply follow all the rules, doing the paint by numbers routine that Hollywood has developed. The Host is refreshingly original, moving, sometimes hysterical, and other times terrifying.... I like to describe it as Jurassic Park meets Little Miss Sunshine. You've got your monster (which, even though the CGI is sometimes lacking, the animation, movement, and personality of the monster is brilliant), and then you've got your (sometimes funny, sometimes sad) dysfunctional family trying to get through the disaster and be there for each other.

Note 1) Do not watch the English dubbing, it is awful.

2) For those reviewers who mention the anti-American slant, it's not quite true - the opening scene (the origin of the monster), where a Korean is told by an American general to dump tons of formaldehyde into the Han river is NOT anti-American propaganda, it is a recreation of an actual event that happened in 2005. So, uh... yeah.

3) It is very different from American monster movies... this is a good thing. The characters and their relationships to each other are actually fairly engaging.

Check out The Host, go in with an open mind, and have a great time.

unique and entertaining.......2007-08-31

i really enjoyed the characters in this movie, and found them to be quite humorous in a realistic sort of way. american horror movies are usually pretty lacking these days, so it's always nice to see something with a little panache.
i also liked the scattered american characters in the movie because they were so true to form.

Something lost in the translation.......2007-08-31

I rated this a one star, just because there was no 'bomb' selection. To be fair, it is not as bad as say 'Plan 9 from outer space', but just barely. If you can get by the poorly translated dialogue and bad acting, you might like the special effects. More like a bad environmentalist and anti-establishment propaganda film along the lines of the '50's B roll, but without the good story line. It is worth a look, but not something I would have added to my library had I known.

Average customer rating:

An entertaining albeit gruesome movie
Good Movie
Delicious Gothic Feast
Good goth flick
A Classic Tale Reimagined...

Sleepy Hollow
Starring: Johnny Depp , Christina Ricci , Miranda Richardson , Michael Gambon , and Casper Van Dien
Director: Tim Burton
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0792164903
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Amazon.com

The films of Tim Burton shine through the muck like a jack-o-lantern on a foggy October night. After such successes as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands, it should come as no surprise that Sleepy Hollow is a dazzling film, a delicious reworking of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Dark and moody, the film is a thrilling ride back to the turn of the 19th century. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a seemingly hapless constable from New York City who is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of the decapitations that are plaguing the town. Crane is a bumbling sort, with a tremendous faith in science over mysticism, and he comes up against town secrets, bewitching women, and a number of bodies missing heads. Christina Ricci, as beautiful as ever, is Katrina Van Tassel, the offbeat love interest who alternately charms and frightens Crane.

The film, while occasionally gory (as one should expect from a movie about a headless horseman), is not terribly frightening, although it is suspenseful. Both Depp and Ricci are convincing, and the art direction and production values give the village its harsh feel. Toward the end, once the secrets are revealed, the film does slow down; however, this stylistic horror film provides many tricks and even more treats. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

An entertaining albeit gruesome movie.......2007-09-10

This was the first Tim Burton movie that I have ever watched before. I saw it a couple of months ago. I still remember it, so it made quite an impression on me.

The casting was impressive. Not just the leading roles, but the supporting ones as well. Johnny Depp's character was really eccentric in this movie. It was such a huge change from his pirates movies. I did not know if he could pull it off and be convincing or not. He was, I'll admit. Christina Ricci did an excellent job in this movie. She has grown into a talented and underrated actress over the years. The setting, the sets, and the period costumes were perfect. The location chosen looked authentic and creepy.

However, the star of this movie was the score by Danny Elfman. It is an essential part of the movie. It is a creepy heart pounding adventure that stands alone. I liked the movie, but I absolutely loved the score. I purchased it from Amazon the very next day.

I highly recommend that you purchase both this movie and the score from Amazon, before the Halloween rush. :)

Good Movie.......2007-08-24

If you can wade through Icabod's dreams about his mom, it is really a very good movie. A good mix of Police Files meets Night Gallery (sorry you young ones can't relate). Not overly graphic in terms of todays slasher flicks. A good spooky movie.

Delicious Gothic Feast.......2007-08-04

This movie has some of Johnny Depp's most loveable moments as an idiosyncratic lead actor. It also provides an 18th century New England fantasy world you will love to get lost in. I adore it. I don't think anything else Tim Burton has done can top it (though others are equally satisfying like The Corpse Bride or Edward Scissorhands).

Good goth flick.......2007-06-13

I like this movie. The atmospherics are awesome, the director is awesome, Jonny Depp is in it...

A Classic Tale Reimagined..........2007-05-26

1999's "Sleepy Hollow" is Director Tim Burton's excellent reimagining of the classic Washington Irving fairy tale. Johnny Depp steals the movie as Ichabod Crane, in this version a New York City police constable with new-fangled and unwelcome investigative techniques who is exiled to Sleepy Hollow by an unhappy magistrate (Christopher Lee in a spot-on cameo). Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow (authentically portrayed as a post-American Revolution farming community) to find a string of unsolved murders attributed to the headless but ambulatory corpse of a Hessian soldier.

Crane finds also a town full of intrigues and mysterious goings-on, which he will patiently unravel with the help of Katrina Van Tassel (nicely played by Christina Ricci) who turns out to have secrets of her own. A solid supporting cast helps carry the movie.

Burton lays on an escalating series of horrible murders, each with supernatural overtones, that challenge both the investigative techniques and the rational beliefs of Ichabod Crane. Each such scene is nicely creepy without overindulging the gore. As it turns out, a genuine horror has been unleashed in Sleepy Hollow. The betrayal of the long-deal Hessian is at the heart of his current incarnation as a killer. Ichabod will have to dealt with his own bitter experience with witchcraft in order to identify the guilty and save the innocent.

This movie is highly recommended to those looking for an entertaining and well-executed update of a classic fairly tale, featuring fine direction and excellent if sometimes campy acting.

The Others (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

THE OTHERS IS ONE OF THE GREATS!!!
The ghost is not the one you may think
Brilliant Acting!!
wonderful film of the best and most real life of grounded spirits
A Brilliant Haunted House Film (but the Dialogue is Extremely Soft)

The Others (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Keith Allen , Renée Ashershon , Christopher Eccleston , Michelle Fairley , and Nicole Kidman
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CYLJ
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com essential video

A welcome throwback to the spooky traditions of Jack Clayton's The Innocents and Robert Wise's The Haunting, Alejandro Amenábar's The Others favors atmosphere, sound, and suggestion over flashy special effects. Set in 1945 on a fog-enshrouded island off the British coast, the film begins with a scream as Grace (Nicole Kidman) awakens from some unspoken horror, perhaps arising from her religiously overprotective concern for her young children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley). The children are hypersensitive to light and have lived in a musty manor with curtains and shutters perpetually drawn. With Grace's husband presumably lost at war, this ominous setting perfectly accommodates a sense of dreaded expectation, escalating when three strangers arrive in response to Grace's yet-unposted request for domestic help. Led by housekeeper Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), this mysterious trio is as closely tied to the house's history as Grace's family is--as are the past occupants seen posthumously posed in a long-forgotten photo album.

With her justly acclaimed performance, Kidman maintains an emotional intensity that fuels the film's supernatural underpinnings. And while Amenábar's pacing is deliberately slow, it befits the tone of penetrating anxiety, leading to a twist that extends the story's reach from beyond the grave. Amenábar unveiled a similarly effective twist in his Spanish thriller Open Your Eyes (remade by Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky), but where that film drew debate, The Others is finely crafted to provoke well-earned goose bumps and chills down the spine. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Screen sensation Nicole Kidman (MOULIN ROUGE, EYES WIDE SHUT) delivers an utterly unforgettable performance in this scary and stylish suspense thriller. While awaiting her husband's return from war, Grace (Kidman) and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded island mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive and it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to his house than can be seen, Grace finds herself in a harrying fight to save her children and keep her sanity. Acclaimed by critics everywhere, the unpredictable twists and turns of this compelling hit will keep you guessing as it keeps you riveted to the edge of your seat!

Customer Reviews:

THE OTHERS IS ONE OF THE GREATS!!!.......2007-09-02

nicole kidman gives a spectacular performance. she blew me away in this film. she did wonders for it, but then came the story and the suprising twist. it was brilliant, like a slap in the face, i did not see it coming. her and her two small children, everything seems normal, then the noises start, doors being opened, stomping, everything starts falling apart. what is it, who is it, what's going on??? is it the three strangers that came to help, is she going crazy, is it the isolation, her childrens disease, the frustration getting to her. it's something you just don't expect at all. great ending to a great movie. it happened yet again in this film where after a traumatic episode, all is forgotten, but something always comes back to make you remember. loved it.

The ghost is not the one you may think.......2007-08-07

A ghost story that does not look like one. A quite acceptable situation, though rather bizarre, without being strange. Every detail is slightly surprising, or original but believable. The whole object of the film is to reverse the situation of the beginning to reveal the truth and those who seem normal and pretend they are haunted by some ghosts end up being the real ghosts. It all hinges around the paranoia of the mother. She is obsessed by something that makes her tense or angry in no time and for little. Till one day she breaks down completely when those they call the intruders take down all the curtains that are draping all the windows of the house. The end then is banal: the living intruders abandon the house in the hands of the dead ghosts. The interest of the film is this inverted situation, this upside down ghost story. Then we are irritated or bothered by the way they don't speak but only whisper, the way they are obsessed by keys and locked doors, by any sound that is not explainable from their sole point of view. Everything is done in nuances, discretely, hardly fully expressed. We have to navigate among these strange milestones or obstacles to finally understand the truth but only when it is revealed to us. A very effective film but a film that does not require a second viewing because it only works if we do not know the truth. We have to be fooled to enjoy the film.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

Brilliant Acting!!.......2007-08-05

This movie has some of the best acting I've ever seen in a spooky movie, not just by Kidman but by all of the cast. The storyline draws you in and I actually felt as if I were in that dark house with them. I guess many of the twists, I had the 6th Sense figured out right away, but this I wasn't sure of. I love it when a twist works like that!

wonderful film of the best and most real life of grounded spirits.......2007-07-06

Fionnula Flanagan is brilliant, but Nicole Kidman makes the film the thriller it is, but all the cast are wonderful, particularly the children. It does take a while to get to the best bit, but the message is so good and much more truthful, the research was good.

Certainly worth rewatching, and the first viewing is the best, the most powerful.It is one of the best illustrations of how spirits get grounded and why. I love the Eric Sykes and Fionnula Flanagan parts together. oh it would be good to have more of this film, more like this.

A Brilliant Haunted House Film (but the Dialogue is Extremely Soft).......2007-07-05

Luckily I saved my VHS tape which has normal, evenly recorded dialogue and music and effects. I can't watch the dvd any longer because of the awful audio. The character's lines are incredibly faint and soft.
I wonder if they do it on purpose with some dvd's, making the dialogue so quiet that you need to crank your tv volume up a great deal. Then comes a deafening sound effect (or part of the film score, or a scream, etc) and it shakes the house.

That one negative being said, this is one of my favorite old fashioned, haunted house films. It is genuinely frightening. And the scares aren't cheap tricks or gimmicks that we've become used to from Hollywood. This film is a refreshing change from the usual junk that calls itself a horror movie but never really gets under your skin or genuinely creeps you out.

The atmosphere, acting, script, cinematography, score, and direction are wonderful. If you like brilliant, creepy ghost movies like The Innocents, The Changeling, and The Haunting (1963), then this is for you. Watch it at night in total darkness. I dare you.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful movie, so-so Blu-ray
Dont Buy Sleepy Hollow Blu-Ray--Poor Resolution
Beautiful movie with beautiful picture and sound...
A Fun Tim Burton Film, Great In High Def, Blu-Ray!!!

Sleepy Hollow [Blu-ray]
Starring: Alun Armstrong , Johnny Depp , Michael Gambon , Michael Gough , and Richard Griffiths
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000I0QM0E
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Product Description

Master storyteller Tim Burton (Batman, Edward Scissorhands) weaves an eerie, enchanting version of this classic tale of horror. Johnny Depp is Ichabod Crane, an eccentric investigator determined to stop the murderous Headless Horseman. Christina Ricci is Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful and mysterious girl with secret ties to the supernatural terror.

DVD Features:

Commentary with Director Tim Burton

Exclusive "Behind the Legend" Featurette

Exclusive Cast & Crew Interviews

Selected Cast Biographies

Photo Gallery

Sleepy Hollow Theatrical Trailer #1

Sleepy Hollow Theatrical Trailer #2

System Requirements:
Running Time: 105 mins

Format: BLU-RAY DISC

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful movie, so-so Blu-ray.......2007-08-21

Blu-ray holds such promise, and this disc fails to deliver on it. Granted it was one of the earliest titles, but as mentioned it is grainy, and the colors don't exactly pop and sometimes it seems darker than it is probably supposed to be. I did not do a direct comparison with the DVD which I used to own, and while overall it is probably better looking due to increased details, i.e. you really see people's lines in their faces, etc., I'd suggest waiting until the re-do this and do it right unless you just must have it. Sounds good, but doesn't have the latest in audio either, such as an uncompressed track. It's also a 25GB, which is pointless when all Blu-rays with content of this length should be 50GB.

Dont Buy Sleepy Hollow Blu-Ray--Poor Resolution.......2007-06-10

Simply put, my Sleepy Hollow DVD looks better than the Blu-Ray version I purchased. Very grainy and poor res. Playing on PS# with Samsung 52" LCD 1080p.

Beautiful movie with beautiful picture and sound..........2007-02-11

As a child I was familiar with the headless horseman. Although I never remember the ghost being so homicidal. This movie is rated R although much of the content is not so terribly inappropriate. Of course it can be violent at times with the death scenes overall this is an excellent tale. The story is not overloaded and is easy to understand so I would think children would enjoy it. Tim Burton helped recreate this tale but not in a horrific way. The sound is excellent and the visuals are all that more beautiful on BluRay.

The story takes place during the turn of the century in New York. Johnny Depp who plays Crane does so very well. The acting is excellent in this tale Burton seems to recreate this time very well. Clothing, architechture, and even language seems to be in sync with the year 1799. I have watched many of Burtons films and was happy to see his use of imagery. Although like most of Burtons films they are dark. The movie has some wonderful scenes but doesn't seem to keep me on the edge of my seat.

If you haven't seen this wonderful film or are curious to watch it on BluRay I would say it's excellent. The quality is not as great as newer movies but in general it still looks great. Good enough to see every detail on Depps face.

A Fun Tim Burton Film, Great In High Def, Blu-Ray!!!.......2006-10-02

While this isn't Tim Burton's best, but it is still a Very, very good, Very FUN movie!
And this Blu-Ray high def version looks absolutely great. A HUGE improvement over the standard release DVD version!
I would call this a must have for your Blu-Ray DVD collection whether you are a Tim Burton fan, or just enjoy a good tongue in cheek gothic scare-fest. Perfect film for Halloween!

Average customer rating:

Does honor to great book
SHOULD BE CALLED WAR OF THE DISASTERS
Two stars for the excellent Tripods.
I was torn....
Another Delight From Steven Spielberg

War of the Worlds (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Tom Cruise , Dakota Fanning , Miranda Otto , Justin Chatwin , and Tim Robbins
Director: Steven Spielberg
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JNTI
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Amazon.com

Despite super effects, a huge budget, and the cinematic pedigree of alien-happy Steven Spielberg, this take on H.G. Wells's novel is basically a horror film packaged as a sci-fi thrill ride. Instead of a mad slasher, however, Spielberg (along with writers Josh Friedman & David Koepp) utilizes aliens hell-bent on quickly destroying humanity, and the terrifying results that prey upon adult fears, especially in the post-9/11 world. The realistic results could be a new genre, the grim popcorn thriller; often you feel like you're watching Schindler's List more than Spielberg's other thrill-machine movies (Jaws, Jurassic Park). The film centers on Ray Ferrier, a divorced father (Tom Cruise, oh so comfortable) who witnesses one giant craft destroy his New Jersey town and soon is on the road with his teen son (Justin Chatwin) and preteen daughter (Dakota Fanning) in tow, trying to keep ahead of the invasion. The film is, of course, impeccably designed and produced by Spielberg's usual crew of A-class talent. The aliens are genuinely scary, even when the film--like the novel--spends a good chunk of time in a basement. Readers of the book (or viewers of the deft 1953 adaptation) will note the variation of whom and how the aliens come to Earth, which poses some logistical problems. The film opens and closes with narration from the novel read by Morgan Freeman, but Spielberg could have adapted Orson Welles's words from the famous Halloween Eve 1938 radio broadcast: "We couldn't soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night, so we did the best next thing: we annihilated the world." --Doug Thomas

War of the Worlds at Amazon.com

The Soundtrack
The War of the Worlds (1953)
War of the Worlds - The Complete First Season (TV series)

Classic Sci-Fi Movies and Their Remakes
Aliens Invade on DVD
The Prog-rock Opera (no kidding)

Customer Reviews:

Does honor to great book.......2007-09-13

I am a big fan of Steven Spielberg and sci fi movies in general. Much has been written about his work and this remake of the classic book will only add to that legacy. The movie follows the theme of the book as much as possible, only rejecting plot elements that have become dated, for instance mention of the aliens being from Mars.

The setting has changed from England to NJ where Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) lives and works. Many of Spielberg's films feature dysfunctional families and this one is no different. At the onset of the film his ex-wife is dropping off their two kids at his NJ home. She immediately takes issue with the condition and cleanliness of his home. Her observations subtly suggest reasons why they became divorced. Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin play Cruise's children. Chatwin provides a great source of tension as a teenage boy using anger to deal with his fathers absence. But he soon finds a new source for his anger in the aliens. All of the actors do a fine job, the characters are very interesting. And Steven Spielberg skillfully remixes some dialogue from the 100 year old classic book to the present time. Many of the elements in the book are changed a bit- the aliens were here a long time ago and buried several thousand of their advanced killing machines in the ground then. They are now returning to use their machines to wipe us out. Without these variations there would be very little suspense for those who have read the book.

The special effects as you may imagine with a Spielberg movie are amazing. The part where while running flat out Ferrier barely avoids getting wiped out by a disintegrating house is my fav. Ray Ferrier changes from a man who didn't even want to take care of his kids to a man who will do anything to save them. This includes at one point purposely letting himself get caught by the aliens. Spielberg has taken a great book, read by countless millions, and faithfully put it onto film without regard for his ego. It's more HG Wells than Spielberg and he knows that.

SHOULD BE CALLED WAR OF THE DISASTERS.......2007-09-11

first off let me make it perfectly clear i am a steven spielberg fan,but i must say his vision of the war of the worlds was not good at all.the tripods and aliens were ok but the story line could have been better.i find dakota fanning annoying throughout the movie with her constant screaming.tom cruise was ok but the story line was focused on him and his kids and not on the invasion.at least in the george pal version we do see the army fight the alien ships,on spielbergs movie we only see a little army fighting with aliens at the end of the movie.the worst part of the movie was the army and alien fight in the middle of the movie where as we dont see a fight at all!!!!!,what a big dissapointment!this is nothing more than a quick buck remaking a classic.if you truly want to see the war of the worlds as it was meant to be seen see the original 1953 george pal's war of the worlds.this remake is what i consider see only once and forget about it.........

Two stars for the excellent Tripods........2007-09-11

Not only is the design of the Tripods fantastic, it's menacing, which is something that other "War of the Worlds" movies cannot claim. Unfortunately, as far as I'm concerned, Steven "I Know Better Than H.G. Wells" Spielberg missed on every other mark.

Generally books do not translate well into movies. They have to be shortened lest their movie counterparts be six hours long, and changes have to be made to the plot in order to accommodate the shortening. This is to be expected.

But Spielberg has altered the plot of "War of the Worlds" to the point that it is virtually unrecognizable. A few scenes vaguely resemble what H.G. Wells wrote, but in concept only--the destruction of a boat, the main character(s) being holed up with a madman, and the eventual death of the Martians.

I will not bore you with a complete list of the many (needless) deviations from H.G. Wells' work, but I will say this:

By altering the arrival of the Martians (and for no good reason, either; if you watch the "making of" featurette available on the DVD, you learn that his reasoning was essentially, "because I felt like it"), introduced a couple of glaring plotholes:

1. If the Martians were here millions of years ago, why didn't they just take the planet then?

2. If the Martians were here millions of years ago, then why didn't they know about the bacteria?

Worse still, the plot introduced by Spielberg to take the place of Wells' makes very little sense. Again, why didn't the Martians just take the planet all those millions of years ago? Again, why didn't they know about the bacteria? If the Tripods have force-fields (a cheesy science fiction staple I really wish people would stop using), then why can people run underneath them? Why did we never find a Tripod? And what in the world was the bit about the electrical storm sapping power from everybody? And so on.

And don't even get me started on the dialogue!

Much in the same way Andrew Douglas recently turned of America's most pervasive haunted house stories (Amityville), and a cult classic, into a cheesy daddy-goes-crazy slasher, Spielberg took one of the masterpieces of science fiction and transformed it into a cheesy end-of-the-world horror.

Don't fix what ain't broke.

I was torn...........2007-09-08

..about whether or not to even see this movie. Cruise is just like nails on chalk board, but Speilberg is a master of entertainment.

After living through this film -- well half of it anyway -- I can assure you of two things: (1) I'll never watch anything else by Cruise, who is becoming a charicature of himself in every role, no matter who else is stupid enough to work with him and (2) Speilberg will know better than to ever do so again.

Another Delight From Steven Spielberg.......2007-09-05

War of the Worlds has been told in countless ways. From the radio to other film versions. Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise take their stab at it and it does not disappoint.

Action packed from the beginning War of the Worlds is a delight to ears and eyes. The story is good although a few plot holes keeps it from being great.

Tom Cruise plays Ray, a single father who has to watch his children while his wife and her new husband are away. While he's watching them Aliens invade the town, now, it's a father trying to protect his children from forces he's not even sure of.

A delightful movie to watch.

Definitely recommended. The Two Disc set is absolutely phenomenal. Worth a definite checking out.

Average customer rating:

An eerie, sometimes JOLTING winner.
Evil Room

1408 (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: John Cusack , Samuel L. Jackson , Tony Shalhoub , Mary McCormack , and Kate Walsh
Director: Mikael Håfström
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000TJ6PBK
Release Date: 2007-10-02

Description

(Thriller) Based on a short story by Stephen King, a man who specializes in debunking the paranormal checks into the infamous room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel, only to discover… the terror is real.

Customer Reviews:

An eerie, sometimes JOLTING winner........2007-07-22

Stephen King's literary horror fests (often well-written;almost always in need of editing)are very uneven in their cinematic adaptations. CARRIE;DEAD ZONE and SILVER BULLET are my favorites and nominations for solid screen horror thrillers. I regard Stanley Kubrick/Jack Nicholson effort at"epic"horror,THE SHINING, as great disappointment bordering on abject(pretentious) failure.
Not so 1 4 0 8. This,in my estimate,is nifty,minimalist effort(much of it comprising SHINING-like riffs)that eminently succeeds.The movie(not striving for iconic SK "film"-osity)has superb ambiance and atmospherics
(though once or twice it skirts an unnecessary "Apocalyptic" lurch).The plot is good-to-gripping.ACTING is great.John Cusack's protagonist almost-hero-writer,Mike,is appealing,convincing and complex.(When he gets the s..t scarred-out of his cynical self,so do viewers.)Samuel L.Jackson's role as Hotel Manager/anti-Keeper of the Flame is good as usual.[He's cinematic equivalent of occult mythology's Watcher-on-the Threshold~he "referees"Mike's descent into Hell,keeping score.]
Room 1408 is a nasty,PURGATORY portal.Heaven or Hell will be the outcome in a movie which is occult Quest(comprised of classic SUMMONS;ORDEAL;..
TEMPTATIONS to the max;and RETURN).The initially eerie...eventually terrifying,monster-from-the-Id villain...is ROOM 1408 itself. Signature CARPENTER'S ditty,"We've Only Just Begun" sets a schizo-wacko tempo of the film from annoying to menacing to starkly horrific:HOTEL HELL-CALIFORNIA to the max!

As usual, King's comprise of classic horror elements and "existential" reality--& skepticism--is employed. In 1 4 0 8 it works. By not overdoing the brew(SHINING-it up too mucho),the viewer is treated to good horror with enough authentic jolt to make him not wish for more,and glad that he's not a guest in 1408.

Evil Room.......2007-07-17

Stephen King. What does one think when one hears the name Stephen King? The Master of Horror, a writer of complete schlock that puts the rain forests in danger of extinction, or a mediocre writer who somehow became the world's bestselling writer? As for me, and millions of others, King was my introduction to "adult" fiction when I read The Eyes of the Dragon almost two decades ago. Like many teenagers I went through a major Stephen King period devouring his brick thick books like so many ears of corn. As I grew older and began to read "literary" fiction for the most part I moved away from King's books, but that didn't stop me from reading one or two a year and along with King's books, I have always enjoyed the films, mini-series, and made-for-television films that have been released over the last three decades. Some have been good, some have been bad, and some have been god awful, but they have always had a great entertainment value and sometimes, like his books, they can be truly creepy.

When a friend of mine asked me if I would like to go watch 1408 with him, I knew nothing about the film besides that the room 1408 was located within the Dolphin Hotel which is supposedly homage to the writings of Haruki Murakami. If that is true or not it left me hoping that the film would be more of a psychological horror film than a gore fest. My hopes were answered quite well. 1408 stars John Cusack as Mike Enslin a failed writer of literary fiction who has turned to writing such books as Top Ten Haunted Lighthouses and the like to little acclaim. A bordering alcoholic, Mike does not believe in the supernatural and is more determined to debunk claims of the super natural than anything else. One day after a very unsuccessful book signing, Mike receives an unaddressed post card with the name Dolphin Hotel on it along with the room number 1408. Mike calls the hotel to reserve the room, but is repeatedly turned down. However, supposedly there is a loophole in the law that states that he cannot be turned down to stay in the room, so he is able to make his reservation. There the receptionist directs him to the manager: Gerald Olin portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. Mr. Olin informs Mike of the numerous deaths that have occurred in the room from suicides and natural causes. Pestered for the reason why he does not want Mike to enter the room Mr. Olin answers that he does not want to deal with the cleanup and asked what the deal with the room is, Mr. Olin answers, "it's an evil f#cking room!" Mike makes his way up to the room and quickly tries to debunk the room because of its mundane features, but things begin to become odd: mints appear on the pillow, the clock radio begins by itself, windows shut violently on their own, and the heat continues to rise. All is relatively fine until the alarm clock begins ticking down from sixty minutes because no one has ever survived more than sixty minutes in the room.

Earlier in this review I mentioned that the luxury hotel was called the Dolphin Hotel in a supposed homage to Murakami Haruki's novels. Within his novel Dance Dance Dance, the dolphin hotel, the original one at least, houses the narrator's memories. Room 1408 is similar to Murakami's Dolphin Hotel, but instead of only housing Mike's memories it also uses them to attack him. 1408 is a very claustrophobic film. Little of the action takes place outside of Room 1408 and the sense of being entrapped is increased by the muted lighting and creative camera angles. The film works on tension. My body felt as if was made of stone at some points because of the tension created while waiting for something to happen and when something did happen it almost made me jump out of my skin. Many have complained that the film's second half is not as good as the first and that it derails a bit. I thought so also, but after reflecting on the film for the last couple of days, room 1408 might be even more sinister that Mr. Olin's line "it's an evil f#cking room" gives it credit for.

Average customer rating:

Sorry, but this film would stink on ice.
Very disapointing
Korean Kult Klassic
Overhyped? Are you freakin kidding me?
A subpar plot, plus spectacular viuals makes this a pleasant movie.

The Host [Blu-ray]
Starring: Scott Wilson , Song Kang-ho , Bae Du-na , Park Hae-il , and Byun Hee-bong
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Manufacturer: Magnolia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000PKG8SS
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Customer Reviews:

Sorry, but this film would stink on ice........2007-09-07

From the opening lab sequence, to the two fishermen in the Han River, on to the final scene, I just kept waiting for something to happen. Never did. Based upon the reviews comparing 'The Host' to 'Jaws' (a true classic), I was expecting something grand. Could it be that the critics watched a different movie? Or perhaps they simply took the producer's word for what was on the disc? In any event, I am more than a little bit disappointed.

Very disapointing.......2007-08-24

I purchased this movie based on general critics, that seemed to praise it. This is a very boring movie, that I would have rated "B", because of very crappy acting, outdated special effects, and general storyline. My wife and I did not finish it, and we resold it on ebay after only 3 days.

Korean Kult Klassic.......2007-08-10

Great movie on BD. Crisp, clear and refreshing. It is the story of a family sticking together at all costs. A nice blend of humanism mixed with a CGI beast from the depths of murky waters, government conspiracy and brain surgery.

The story keeps you engaged most of the time. Monster effects are good, not the best. That is why it gets 4/5. The acting is good, you'll like most of the main characters.

Nice to see something of this magnitude make its way to the States, just goes to show what you are missing if you don't think outside of the box we call USA.

Overhyped? Are you freakin kidding me?.......2007-08-07

The Host is one of those rare movies these days that uses its top-notch effects scenes to enhance rather than drive the storyline. The plot does not center around the mutated creature, but rather on the dysfunctional family, which is the primary reason why the audience would give a damn if one or two of them are "offed." The acting performances are superb, especially by Song Kang Ho and Koh Eun Ah, who play the father and daughter respectively. It's not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it sure is fun. I can't really call this a horror movie, because in my assessment, it's not really that horrifying. Of course, your experience may vary. No severed limbs, decapitated heads, or other such excess macabre here, so if that's your cup of tea, go seek psychiatric help and then rent Re-Animator or something like that at your local Blockbuster. There are the obligatory few moments that you sort of expect the monster to show up and kill unimportant characters, and it obliges with a menacing gusto. The creature's introduction in the opening scenes is handled masterfully and dare I say- realistically. I mean, if a bus-sized mutated fish/amphibian suddenly decided to get nasty, run over crowds, grab ladies by the face and devour people whole, that's how it would play out, I'm sure. Ultimately, it's the most original creature flick that Asia has come out with since the original Godzilla in the 1950's, and it's infinitely better than recent Hollywood giant creature flicks like Anaconda or Lake Placid. And by the way- a note to Amazon- who the hell is Scott Wilson?

A subpar plot, plus spectacular viuals makes this a pleasant movie........2007-08-02

I must admit that when I first heard about this movie I was a little skeptical. A Korean flick about a monster that lives in a river and feasts on an unsuspecting Korean city? Sounds kind of cliched, right? Well, right in that sense but wrong in the sense that I underestimated this film.

While the story-line and plot falter at times, I still found this to be a very entertaining and arousing film to my senses. If you can get over the cheesy American voice-overs for the Korean characters(and they are pretty lame at times), then you've pretty much gotten over the only true flaw of "The Host". The other flaw being the uninspired plot of an over-sized and ugly fish-like creature carrying off a family member to sea(or river, in this case), while the other family members take up a personnal vendetta against the creature and go searching for it with hardly enough weapons to last albeit one minute.

Where the plot fails, the viuals and sound more than make up for it. The monster looks and sounds amazing! It is simply unreal what computers can do this day in age for movies. Very creepy and life-like looking creature. It really makes your skin crawl at times just imagining what you'd do if face to face with this monstrocity.

While the films drags on at times, mainly in the middle of the film, it isn't all that bad. Just when you think you are about to lose interest, the monster comes right back into the picture and captivates you once again! And I also found that if you speak Korean, you will probably take this movie a little more seriously. I turned on the Korean language option for about five minutes and found that I could take this film and the characters alot more serious. The American voice-overs are laughable and rediculous compared to hearing this movie the way it was originally intended to be heard. In Korean!

Overall, if you are into chilling monster flicks, ala King Kong, Jaws, Godzilla etc., this movie is definetly for you. Brilliantly directed and very solid performances from the cast make this a must-see film for fans who are itching for a decent horror movie. Where the story lacks, the creature and the suspense more than make up for it and will have you on the edge of your seat. Don't take this movie too serious though, as you could be disappointed. Keep an open mind going into this film, and you should enjoy it quite a bit.

The sound and picture on this Blu-Ray disc are amazing. I am totally hooked on next-gen visuals for movies(be it HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) and this film blew me away! Whether on Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, or SD-DVD this is a great film and should be seen by many. Highly recommended!

Saw - Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

As good as horror gets
"Are you going to watch yourself die tonight?"
Mind Rot @ Its Most Blatant!
SHARP SAW
A Gem

Saw - Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Leigh Whannell , Cary Elwes , Danny Glover , Ken Leung , and Dina Meyer
Director: James Wan
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AMWIVM
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Amazon.com

Saw opens with a gruesome scenario: Two men are chained to the walls of a grimy bathroom with a bloody corpse lying on the floor between them. Tape recordings tell them that one of the men has to kill the other, or his wife and child will die. The corpse is holding a gun in one hand, but it's out of reach...but whoever has locked these two up has thoughtfully provided a hacksaw that can't cut through the heavy chain, but might cut through a little flesh and bone. From there, Saw jumps back and forth as the two men slowly unravel how they know each other and that their tormentor is one of those all-knowing, all-capable serial killers (it goes without saying that Saw is hugely influenced by Seven and the movies of Dario Argento), a fellow known as Jigsaw who disguises his voice and lets a creepy puppet (lifted almost directly from the eccentric animations of the Brothers Quay) be his visual representative. But imitation isn't inherently bad; what puts Saw ahead of its horror compatriots is a gleeful enthusiasm that a dozen sequels to Halloween couldn't muster. Saw has problems--it's clumsily overwritten (every detail of what's going on, no matter how visually evident, will be explained by the characters); most of the situations are static and implausible; and though the cast includes talented veterans like Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) and Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), the acting has the depth of a puddle. The rapid pace and frequently frenzied camerawork keep things in motion and while the philosophical underpinnings of Jigsaw won't challenge Hegel or Schopenhauer, they do offer more food for thought than most contemporary horror. Discriminating fans of the genre who like their gore with a glimmer of an idea will embrace Saw.

The Uncut Edition differs only slightly from the theatrical release; it reinserts a little more gore that was cut to get an R rating and tightens up the editing (the uncut version is actually a teensy bit shorter than the theatrical release). The extras are plentiful (if a bit thin): Two audio commentaries (one by director James Wan, screenwriter/actor Leigh Whannel, and Elwes), one by the producers--thankfully, no one takes themselves too seriously. Also included are a trio of typically self-congratulatory making-of featurettes ("He was amazing to work with" etc.), an animated storyboard of a sequence they couldn't afford to shoot, a DVD-ROM game in which you can construct your own puppet, a couple of self-mocking Easter Eggs, and lots of promotional stuff for Saw II. There's a very curious faux-news show purporting to be an investigation of the "real" Jigsaw, which uses clips from the movie as if they were documentary footage--it's hard to say whether this is a misguided attempt to make the movie seem creepier or a bit of flimsy humor. Most fans will find the regular DVD release satisfactory; this special edition is largely for hardcore enthusiasts. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

As good as horror gets.......2007-09-16

The horror genre is almost always inherently weak. This movie along with films like Nightmare on Elm street are its best offerings.

"Are you going to watch yourself die tonight?".......2007-09-09

A decade ago I used to watch my fair share of horror movies, but at some point I started to have trouble finding good films in this genre. This resulted in a sharp decrease in the number of horror productions I watched each year. I am happy to say that "Saw" was reminiscent of the good old times. This is a movie that has an electrifying pace, plenty of gore, thrills galore and a clever plot.

It all starts with two men chained on opposite ends of a filthy, rusty and generally disgusting bathroom. Between the two, there is a dead man with a gun in one hand and a tape recorder in the other. The two prisoners are clueless as to what is going on, with Dr. Lawrence Gordon being by far the calmer of the two, and Adam freaking out. Of course, at this point we are asking ourselves, what does the kidnapper want? But we do not have to wait long, and soon enough, the games begin. Adam finds a tape in his pocket, and Lawrence finds not only a tape, but also a key and a bullet. You can probably guess, but just in case, let me tell you that the key does not work on the locks that are keeping them chained.

The point of the game is that Lawrence has to manage to kill Adam by 6 pm, or the psycho will kill his wife and daughter. At that time, we also find out that Lawrence has been a suspect in previous murders by this killer. We then get a combination of flashbacks to previous events related to this case, and the ordeal the two men are going through.

The previous cases show us a very creative and twisted individual, who does not really kill his victims, but makes them kill themselves. In these scenes you will get a high dose of gore, so this movie is not for people that are even a little bit squeamish. If you like horror films though, I guarantee that you will be entertained through the duration of this movie and that your nerves are going to be seriously tested. There is only one reason I did not give this movie five stars; the acting. Both, Whannell and Elwes, deliver sub par performances, with exaggerated facial expressions that do not fit the mood of the film. Everything else on this movie is right on target.

Mind Rot @ Its Most Blatant!.......2007-09-03

Yes, this is simply nothing more than mind rot at its most blatant! There is no plot, no psychology, no suspense, just gore-gore-gore-and MORE gore just for the sake of showing gore. And to think this film not only is a 'hit', but it has spawned sequels. Now, that to me is psychologically frightening, a lot more scarier than this film (or its sequels) could ever dare to be. If I wanna see someone being tortured, I'll visit youtube and watch some Iraq footage or something, but I really don't prefer to view someone being tortured just for shock value.
I advise anyone with any common sense of decency to stay as far away from these trash 'snuff-porn for dummies' films as possible. They are a plague on our country, and people are sitting in theaters eating them up as they are eating their popcorn and being told 'this is ok to watch', brainwashed like mindless sheep. Treat this crap like AIDS or Typhoid Mary, for it is liken to a very scary virus that's overtaking theaters in place of what used to be great cinema.
I just read someone reviewing "Hostel part 2" saying that Hitchcock would love it. HUH??? REALLY???! What drugs are these people on to even remotely try to compare this garbage to anything Hitchcock???! He wouldn't even watch such crap, let alone applaud it. And the same goes for Jonathan Demme (the director of the classic "Silence of the Lambs", another film these 'fans' are comparing this crap to).
Don't get me wrong, for I believe everybody has the right to form their own opinion, but these type of films were hidden from sight and concidered illegal just 20 years ago, and now they are being paraded from theater to theater with pride. What the h*ll happened to our society???
If I wanna see someone digging in a toilet, I will watch a plummer working, that would be more entertaining than this trash anyday.
And, since I prefer my horror films to be psychological, I will steer as far from this as Humanly possible, and I advise the same for any other intelligent/intellectual film goer out there. Thank you.

SHARP SAW.......2007-08-31

This is the first and as far as im concerned the best of the Saw movies. This movie is very original and the ways the writter has Jigsaw torture these people is cool and very disturbing. Personally, I didn't see the twist at the end coming and was blown away, I think that is why this is my favorite of the Saw series. Highly recommending, but be forewarned; it's demented.

A Gem.......2007-08-10

Definitely one of the smartest and best thriller in history.
This movie proves that a good story and good script is far more important
than a good budget (only $1 million).
All the suspense, gruesome, witty elements are in the highest standard in
movie standard.
Truly a must for not-so-easily-fainted.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

The Soundtrack	The War of the Worlds (1953)	War of the Worlds - The Complete First Season (TV series)
Classic Sci-Fi Movies and Their Remakes	Aliens Invade on DVD	The Prog-rock Opera (no kidding)