Vanishing Point

Amazon.com

Art film and road movie collide for Vanishing Point, an existential car chase across the desert in a post Easy Rider America. Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, a taciturn driver who bets that he can drive a new Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours. He loads up on amphetamines and begins his odyssey through the contemporary west while a funky black DJ (Cleavon Little) turns the driver into a folk hero and broadcasts advice on dodging the cops. It's like a counterculture precursor to Smokey and the Bandit, with the road as the last bastion of freedom and the DJ as a combination commentator and mystical guide. The slim plot offers a network of society drop-outs that aid the "last free Man on Earth" (as the DJ describes him) on his obscure but obviously symbolic quest while flashbacks paint Kowalski as a world-weary hero. It doesn't really make much sense, but the amazing car chases and excellent stunt work are stunningly set against the American west, beautifully captured by cinematographer John A. Alonzo. Vanishing Point is most assuredly a product of its time, the heady, anything-goes era of rebellion in the early 1970s. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Thrills, spills and a handful of pills. It all adds up to one of the most spectacular car chases in motion picture history! Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, the last American hero, who set out to prove that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in just fifteen hours. Along the way, he meets an old prospector (Dean Jagger), a snake worshipper, a nude woman on a motorcycle, and a blind D.J. (Cleavon Little) who "sees" danger ahead in this super-charged, action-packed adventure!

Customer Reviews:

Great Pace, Great Chase.......2007-08-31

Speed freak Kowolski has a heavy foot on the gas and a bloodstream full of stimulants as the viewer is treated to a Denver to San Francisco hellride. Cleavon Little as DJ SuperSoul is the glue that holds it together, a technique borrowed for use by the DJ in 1979's "The Warriors".
Soundtrack good and if you saw it on TV as I did as a squirt, you'll be treated to a naked hottie hippy chick in a scene edited out for the small screen.

1970 DODGE CHALLENGER!!!!!.......2007-08-28

How could a movie make everyone in my generation obsessed with a car? This movie accomplished that task. Without question this was a seventies statement. Every man who grew-up in the seventies must watch this movie...then you will be like me, a man on a lifetime quest to purchase a 1970 Dodge Challenger.

Vanishing Point, the first movie.......2007-08-23

Hard to find campy classic explores drug, race, hippy scenes. We must have seen it 10 times when it played in the early 70's. Still watch it every six months or so. Two quick nude scenes were racy in the 70's, but pretty tame now. Characters well developed, car chase scenes excellent for the pre-digital era (when they actually had to do the stunts). Too bad it is a little pricey, but worth the money if you remember it from when it showed in theaters.

Vanishing Point - USA & UK Version.......2007-08-07

A wonderful cult film of the 70's this movie comes to life with raw speed, a constant chase across the desert a man (Berry Newman) must get to California in his own hurry. With the aid of a blind DJ (Cleavon Little) he charges his way through recalling his life. The end is the end! The UK version was basically the same but had about 9 or so minutes of dialog with a woman that he gives a ride to along the way. All in all, a must have for any nitro fueled car fanatic or those that love the 70's!

It was good movie.......2007-06-13

I bought it cause they were talking about it in the recent Grind House movie that came out in spring of 2007.

Average customer rating:

VP II
Vanshing point
IT'S AWFUL, SO WHAT!
Aarrrrgghh! Vanished Point!
Haa - THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO

Vanishing Point
Starring: Viggo Mortensen , Christine Elise , Steve Railsback , Rodney A. Grant , and Peter Murnik
Director: Charles Robert Carner
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00076ONUU
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Description

Viggo Mortensen stars as Jimmy Kowalski, a Desert Storm veteran with racing in his blood, dark secrets in his past, a pregnant wife at home, and a vintage 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger to deliver. But when his wife is suddenly hospitalized, a desperate Kowalski speeds cross-country with police from four states, a vengeful trooper [Steve Railsback of HELTER SKELTER and ED GEIN], and the FBI in hot pursuit. Now with the help of an outspoken radio DJ [Jason Priestley], the man a nation hails as `the last American hero' and the Feds label a `possible terrorist' rockets toward a final roadblock where the speed limit is the floorboard, and life, death and freedom all come together at the VANISHING POINT. Christine Elise [ER], Keith David [ARMAGEDDON] and Peta Wilson [LA FEMME NIKITA] co-star in this explosive Fox-TV remake of the legendary cult classic that fans call `the ultimate car chase movie'!

Customer Reviews:

VP II.......2007-08-27

Remaking a film that was a cult classic from the 1970's is not an easy thing to do, and there are a million ways one could screw it up. For all the things that could have gone wrong or angered fans of the original film, this one did okay.

Viggo Mortensen is Kowalski this time around, but this time he has more back-story and a wife waiting at home for him. The whole plot gets tweaked a bit from the original since it changes the whole purpose of why he is trying to get cross-country in a specific amount of time. Using a 1970 Dodge Challenger, Kowalski in the 1997 remake of a 1971 classic becomes much more of a cult hero with a heart rather than a cool guy who likes to drive fast. Doesn't hurt it much, and Jason Priestley is the anti-government DJ who helps stir the fire when Kowalski starts to garner major attention to himself. This film seems to be almost a vehicle of pop culture for the mid-nineties, with two of its major stars being popular from the series "90210" and many references done that spin the anti-government machine that was churning at the time, with many mentionings of Ruby Ridge, Waco, and Oklahoma City.

While the original film had its own raw mystique, this one doesn't do to bad despite giving more depth to the main character, which of course leads to more possibilities and unanswered questions. Fasten a seatbelt if you have one, and watch how a man behind the wheel of a muscle car can become a folk hero, even if he never meant to!

Vanshing point.......2007-04-11

Great movie but couldn't figure out what happened to Viggo at the end. Did he die or live?

IT'S AWFUL, SO WHAT!.......2007-04-05

It has plenty of Mopar action in it. I could care less about the two goober stars of this, Viggo & Priestly, and i'm sure i'm not alone. I will buy this for 2 reasons; the Mopars and to a lesser extent, it has Steve Railsback(his groundbreaking role of Charles Manson in the original Helter Skelter from 1976). If it's possible for a newer movie to achieve cult status, this will be it. You'll be seeing these used on Amazon for $100 when production ceases. Pick it up NOW!

Aarrrrgghh! Vanished Point!.......2007-02-27

I saw this on TV when it came out. I'm sure it was a made-for-TV movie, and it should have stopped there. I remember looking forward to seeing it, then was totally bummed out. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as the original, but geeze, it shouldn't be allowed to have the same name or main character. Totally different plot, totally corny. Was this made to be a chick flick? Someone mentioned what's his names blue eye's, and the woman in peril. If I remember he has to drive through Utah to Idaho and plays chicken with the cops. No cop is going to play chicken! Why doesn't he buy a freakin' plane ticket? Instead he tries to kill himself so his wife has nobody. Arrggh!

Haa - THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.......2006-07-19

All the guys miss the nude shots of the first movie - the chase was excellent, the desert scene was disgusting.

Yeah, this movie version is definitely made for the ladies. Did you ever see such gorgeous blue eyes? They enhance the soul of the part Viggo plays. [Same with Hidalgo].

I love the souped up Hemi's - the muscle cars - but believe it, it takes a man to make the car.

And the gal who plays his wife has a certain beauty about her.
Believe me gals this is definitely a movie for the discerning female. Ignore any comments made by you know whos.

Enjoy the gorgeous scenery, the speed, the swerves, the nasty David Keith, the Indian Reservation part, the Spirit, the Ending, the speculation.

Much more to my likeing than the original movie with its dark side.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - One definitely to watch over again.

Average customer rating:

Not Bad, But . . . I Guess 3 Stars Pretty Much Says It
A lighter.......In the dark!
CLEVER CHILLER...
What happened to the suspence...It must have vanished
The Vanishing

The Vanishing - Criterion Collection
Starring: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu , Gene Bervoets , Johanna ter Steege , Gwen Eckhaus , and Bernadette Le Saché
Director: George Sluizer
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005NFZC
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

When a young Dutchman discovers that his girlfriend has gone missing during their return to Holland from a bicycling trip in France, he begins a three-year search that forms the basis of this unsettling psychological thriller from 1988, originally titled Spoorloos. The missing woman's whereabouts remain a mystery, but the film provides an early introduction to her abductor, a seemingly normal family man whose domestic tranquility hides a meticulous, methodical madness. As the despondent husband advertises all over France and Holland for his missing wife, this game of cat-and-mouse escalates into a strategy of psychological horror, revealing certain facts and merely suggesting others to create an intense atmosphere of dread and anticipation. A film that Alfred Hitchcock would certainly have admired, The Vanishing leads to an unforgettable conclusion that's sure to send chills down your spine. Ironically, this film's director, George Sluizer, also made the inferior 1993 American remake starring Kiefer Sutherland and Jeff Bridges. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A young man begins an obsessive search for his girlfriend after she mysteriously disappears during their sunny vacation getaway. His three-year investigation draws the attention of her abductor, a seemingly mild-mannered professor who, in truth, harbors a diabolically clinical and calculating mind. When the kidnapper contacts the man and promises to reveal his lover's fate, The Vanishing unfolds with intense precision, culminating in a genuinely chilling finale that has unnerved audiences around the world.

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad, But . . . I Guess 3 Stars Pretty Much Says It.......2007-09-12

I love a great mystery, and based on the reviews "The Vanishing" (Dutch original, 1988) often receives, my hopes were high. And though I didn't think the acting or writing were anything too special, I did feel it started out quite effectively. The opening shot of the stick insect, as the somewhat quirky soundtrack begins, set a subtly ominous tone. Even better was the tunnel scene, which was very good, and, in my opinion, the best of the film.

However, after the pivotal gas station stop (not to give away too much), I felt the film slowly lost momentum. The final scene, which so many make so much of, was not the mind-blower for me that it is for others. Not a strikeout certainly, but neither a home run (a nice double is probably generous enough).

To sum up: Good idea, promising beginning, then rolls its way to an eventual standing of "Pretty Good" (but not as great as we might've wished for).

One last note -- I DID appreciate the lack of usual distasteful elements such as explicit sex & gore, and heavy profanity.

A lighter.......In the dark!.......2007-08-28

A friend of mine had told me about this GEM! Of a movie
so on a whim I went right ahead and bought it from Amazon.
First off I love the cover for this film,it is of a mini-mart
gas station at night on a very black cover. The movie starts
off with a stick insect on a tree we than follow a couple
travelling in a car. The car runs out of gas and before
the man leaves his wife tells him of how being alone is the
most FRIGHTFUL thing that could ever happen to her.He smiles
and kisses her with a I'll be back. He comes back to a empty car.
At that moment you the viewer are sucked into Sluizer's TERRIFYING
film.I will not tell of the story...Sorry I know this is a review
but why type what everybody else has typed??? I will say this however
I watched this film and after it was over I watched it again immediately
The directing and acting are excellent. I cannot PHANTOM watching the
remake with Bridges Bullock and Sutherland for though they are very
good actors I would be watching saying o.k. that's Mr. 24 and the girl
from Speed and we have Starman to boot.Sorry to damn HOLLYWOOD!!!!!!!
No! The actors in this version are perfect and this is a film that
HAUNTS and HAUNTS again. This arty Dutch HORROR became a surprise hit in
the art house circuit of N.Y.(Hey! New Yawk!) and S.F. not a surprise
to me for this is a CHILLER of a movie that sticks with you like moss
on a rock! The ending was very...Well I don't want to give it away
now do I. Lets just say it was non DISNEY!!!!!!!! Thanks Blackshere
for a EXCELLENT movie that I proudly have in between GUINA PIG'S
Mermaid in a Manhole(87) and Child's Play(88) on my vast SPOOKY
COLLECTION that with my AMAZON FRIENDS(you know who you are) is
getting quite bigger. Also if you like this recommend Suspiria-Don't
Look Now-The Silence of the Lambs-JU/ON and Funny Games. Yes buy
The Vanishing now from Amazon...Before it vanishes (cheesy)

MY NAME IS RAYMOND LEMORNE......I AM A SOCIOPATH

CLEVER CHILLER..........2007-08-27

There seem to be many reviewers willing to compare this version with the American version by the same director. Frankly, I can't understand why he'd remake it as it's perfect already. Not having seen the later version, I can only say that maybe he wanted a bigger audience for his story which is a very subtle and, some may feel, slow drama of a man searching for his missing wife. This movie will only appeal to those who are patient but you will be rewarded by excellent acting, ingenious photography and a spellbinding tale of demented passion. Pay very close attention as I have seen this movie 3 times and I see new clues every time. Reviewers of the later version point up it's obviousness so I'll probably not see it unless I'm tied to a chair. It's certainly in class by itself.

What happened to the suspence...It must have vanished.......2007-08-25

The Vanishing is a french film that came out in the late 80's that is only now gaining a small cult following here in the states thank to DVD distribution. The film is hailed to be suspenseful, shocking and horrific with and ending that will leave you speechless. I found this movie to be very well directed and at times well acted. Some of the cinematography was a bit off and some shots are much too dark. This could be due to the transfer from 35 mm low contrast print to a high definition medium. As far as the plot and script, it is long and drawn out with little to no action with a few moments of suspense tossed in. I think the film maker told a good story but it was paced a bit too slow for me. When taking your time with a story like this one your need the ending to really bring it home for you. I like the ending but didn't love it. I thought it was a bit too abrupt and lacked the punch necessary to justify the drawn out plot. I've heard comparisons to Hitchcock and feel this work is really not up to those kind of comparisons. Hitchcock build the suspense slowly but always had direction and purpose in every shot. He almost always delivered in the end. His pacing was flawless in his better known works. This film never really got to that point of tension for me. I like the movie as a whole but would never buy it. Most people can't find this film at the local blockbuster. It's a pretty heavy price tag so unless you love the European style of movie you might wanna try to borrow this one from a friend. If nothing else, watch it so you can mark it off your must see list.

The Vanishing.......2007-07-18

A psychological thriller that burrows right under your skin, Sluizer's brilliant study of a random abduction and the impetus behind it provides the best kind of chills. What sets the film apart is the early introduction of Donnadieu, playing a devoted family man with a cold, calculating sociopathic streak. Masterfully building dread around both the disappearance and Lemorne's methodical kidnap dry-runs, glimpsed in an extended flashback, "The Vanishing" is a smart, creepy exercise in all-too-credible terror.

Average customer rating:

a mixed bag
Great - even with a Hollywood ending!
Great movie
Boring Ending....And Not A Surprise
A Reason Why Hollywood Remakes Are Genrally a Bad Idea

The Vanishing
Starring: Jeff Bridges , Kiefer Sutherland , Nancy Travis , Sandra Bullock , and Park Overall
Director: George Sluizer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002IQLHQ
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

It's not unusual for Hollywood to remake European hits. What is unusual is the director of the original getting the chance to helm the new version with an American cast, which is what happened with this film based on an intensely creepy Dutch film of the same name (both directed by George Sluizer). Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock are on vacation when, while stopped at a crowded rest area, she disappears. He devotes the next several years to discovering what happened to her, ruining his life in the process. When he does get a clue, it leads him to Jeff Bridges, who plays a bizarre and highly organized individual whose motives are almost as strange as he is. Bridges is spooky, but Sluizer ultimately is undone by Hollywood's demand for a happy ending, which makes this film affecting but far less unsettling than the original. --Marshall Fine

Description

In this riveting, tension-filled psychological thriller, a young woman (Sandra Bullock) mysteriously disappears, sending her boyfriend Jeff (Kiefer Sutherland) on a years-long quest to find her. Not even a new love (Nancy Travis) can keep him from his obsessive search. All the while, the calculating psychopath (Jeff Bridges) who kidnapped his girlfriend stalks Jeff, ultimately taking him through the exact same steps that led to the crime. In order to find out what happened, Jeff must put his own life in the hands of this devious stranger.

Customer Reviews:

a mixed bag.......2007-07-27

i personally found the original version of" the vanishing " to be something of a letdown , it played like a long , sadistic episode of the twilight zone . so you'd think i'd just love the hollywood-ized remake , but it too is somewhat flawed . shifting the focus in the beginning of the film to the killer might have SEEMED like a good idea , but it doesn't really add much . on the other hand the performances here are all really terrific , especially sandra bullock in one of the first roles she really attracted attention with . but the conclusion of the film is sort of protracted and tiresome , and like i said , focusing so much attention on the killer early on in the film creates a sort of imbalance that throws the material off-whack . still it's not without interest and fans of the 4 actors will want to see it .

Great - even with a Hollywood ending!.......2007-07-12

I am usually the first one to complain when Hollywood remakes great European films (what's up with this Catherine Zeta-Jones remake of "Mostly Martha" by the way?????) - but you have to admit, sometimes the American film has a fresh take on things ("Cousins" comes to mind as an improved American remake). So yes, this film does provide vengeance/resolution/good guys win, which Americans crave, but it also provides some insight that is in my opinion worth the rewrite.

What do I mean? The character of Rita, and how her worldview is juxtaposed against Jeff's. He wallows, he obsesses, and he therefore doesn't see the big picture. She is not a victim, she has agency - she will not go down without a fight, figuratively or literally, with Jeff or with Barney. I love watching her piece the whole thing together, and I love watching her interact with Barney in a totally different way from Jeff. True, we can't expect Barney's games to work on her in the same way, but in any case, I enjoyed watching Rita come to terms with what's going on.

Good thriller, leaves you thinking about all the characters.

Great movie.......2007-03-11

..i saw some of this movie on cable a while back, but didn't watch the whole thing because i missed the beginning so i brought it here. I'm surprised i had never heard of this flick before as it's very well acted and a nice suspeseful thriller for those into that genre.

Boring Ending....And Not A Surprise.......2007-02-12

This American version of the movie too predictable. Doesn't fit the title of "suspense." If you want a TRUE thriller, buy the Dutch version of this movie! That version is captioned, but you are so taken in by the storyline, you won't even realize it. The American version of "The Vanishing" was softened up for American audiences.....the Dutch version is not, and the ending is even more shocking!

A Reason Why Hollywood Remakes Are Genrally a Bad Idea.......2007-01-31

Occasionally, when a foreign film gets a lot of press Hollywood takes notice and does an English-language remake of the film. This has an upside and a downside. The "up" is that a film that many American audiences wouldn't have seen, they might be intrigued enough to see after watching the remake. The "down" is that the remake usually offends the people who have seen the original. The 1988 Danish version of "The Vanishing" was a creepy, intelligent, well-acted, and entertaining film with a terrific ending. When I took an interest in the film, all I read about was the ending. Since it was built up so much for me, it was kind of disappointing at first. Days later, I found myself dwelling on the ending and on the actor who played the kidnapper Bernard Pierre Donnadieu. It was really stuff that chilled you to the bone. A mere 5 years after the original, Hollywood called on the original director George Sluizer to direct the remake. It sounds like a recipe for success, but it really isn't. First off, this version isn't as bad as it's made to be. It's just that it has the same feel as any other Hollywood thriller and is missing a lot of key elements that made the original so special. The plot is the same; A man named Jeff (Kiefer Sutherland) and his wife Diane (Sandra Bullock) are vacationing, when they stop at a gas station. Diane goes into the store and never comes out. We're introduced to her kidnapper Barney (Jeff Bridges) and learn things about him, then we find out that the story is now taking place three years later and Jeff is still searching for Diane. Then the remake throws us a curveball. A character, whose part was so minute in the original, suddenly becomes a major player. Enter Rita (Nancy Travis, an actress who inhabited many films in the '90s and has now, um, vanished), Jeff's girlfriend. In the original, the girlfriend was established as being faithful to Jeff but unable to cope with his obsession in finding the other woman. In the middle of the film, she left. Here, she is in the entire thing. The film deceives us by leading us down the same road as the original and to the same climax. Then we enter Hollywood territory and everything is pretty predictable from there. The film goes wrong in many ways. As I said, the original was creepy, intelligent, well acted, and entertaining. The remake is well acted and entertaining, while the former is questionable. Now I'm going to ramble on about the problems with this remake. The film does not establish how in love Jeff and Diane are. We meet them and she's gone. The original did a lot better of a job establishing their love for each other, making them seem like people rather than puppets. Many plot elements have disappeared. In the original, the "Jeff" character took a picture of "Diane" from afar, a picture, which showed the kidnapper. That doesn't happen here. In the original, the kidnapper attempts to meet the "Jeff" character but always backs out. Not here. The other problem is that many scenes here are laughable. I almost cried when Jeff beats up Barney, then there's the scene where Barney sneezes into a handkerchief he has just doused with chloroform. Then there's Jeff Bridges. Bridges' performance is sooo campy. It has it's moments, but his voice sounds like Dr. Evil and the way he talks makes it sound like he's reading off of cue cards. Sutherland and Travis are good though. The film, without comparing it to the original, isn't that great alone. It's good, enjoyable, but if it wasn't a remake I'd be disappointed. The ending is a complete insult to the viewers' intelligence. Instead of ending with a bang, it ends with a pathetic attempt at humor. I highly recommend a fan of cinema sees the original, but this is optional. You'll be entertained for a couple hours, but you'll be pissed off at what they've done.

GRADE: C+

Railway Journeys: The Vanishing Age of Steam

Average customer rating:

Greate Gift
A real treasure
Railway Journeys: The Vanishing Age of Steam
Good collection of US Rail Videos
good but...

Railway Journeys: The Vanishing Age of Steam
Starring: Railway Journies-Vanishing Age of Steam
Manufacturer: Madacy Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CCZR7W
Release Date: 2006-01-03

Customer Reviews:

Greate Gift.......2007-06-27

I have not viewed the DVDs personally, but bought them for my StepDad's 60th birthday. He is an avid garden railway hobbyist and loves Steam Engines. He's been absolutely thrilled with the DVDs and the metal box they are packaged in.

A real treasure.......2007-06-13

These are some of the best train videos I have seen

Railway Journeys: The Vanishing Age of Steam.......2007-01-11

Great train action.
Lots of logging with shays, and other engines.
Five disks with bonus features, I liked it so much I'm ordering another.
I gave my copy as a Christmas gift because Amazon was out.
Lots of late steam action.

Good collection of US Rail Videos.......2007-01-10

A very nice selection of well done videos of the post WW 2 to Diesel Dominance era. They came in a nice metal box, which had a embossed cover of a frontal view of a very European looking locomotive. But my qualms about content vanished once I viewed the DVD's. I recommend as a cost effective good look at a vanished era.

good but..........2006-03-14

As I reconsider the reasonable price and great packaging, maybe I should rank this item higher - maybe 4.5? (but cant figure to how to change the star rating) Bought this 5 disc set for my toddler who is steam train crazed right now because I was tired of watching the one Railway Journeys show we had on Tivo over and over and over and over and over...

A few of the videos in this collection do look like they are the old VHS versions in quality (I was looking for the tracking option on my DVD remote for a minute!!!) but if you are a railfan or have a child who is nuts for trains like mine is right now, there IS a TON of wonderful chugging, puffing, billowing steam and smoke footage in this collection. And if you can get past the poor sound quality on parts of most of the discs you might even be able to hear what the narrator is saying a good part of the time and you'll be able to learn some historical steam train info too!

I would rate this collection higher for its overall content and reasonable price but the sound quality and some of the scratchy old video make me want to lower my rating. NOTE: MY child does not care one bit about any of the stuff I am finding fault with. This collection is by far his FAVORITE group of dvds to watch! Our many Wiggles and even (gasp!) Thomas the Tank Engine dvds are now gathering dust!!

DOH! and forgot to tell you about the great metal case the set comes in, and the enclosed booklet with images and info from the dvds! My child likes the metal box with the raised image of the Steam Train on it almost as much as he likes watching the dvds. I'm sure the box will eventually be a home for some of his toy cars or trains. And he asks for the "book" to take in the car to "read" on the way to daycare in the mornings!

Overall I am happy with this Amazon purchase - and free shipping was an added bonus that helped keep it reasonably priced.

Average customer rating:

Chain Reaction / The Vanishing
Starring: Keanu Reeves , Morgan Freeman , Rachel Weisz , Fred Ward , and Kevin Dunn
Director: Andrew Davis , and George Sluizer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000KGGIVY
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com

Chain Reaction: Anyone want to venture a guess that Keanu Reeves was sorry he passed up Speed 2 to make this turkey? Both a ridiculous suspense piece about a renegade intelligence community and an ill-considered hunk of do-gooder agitprop about alternative energy technology, Chain Reaction makes Reeves and almost everyone else involved look about as dumb as dumb can be. Hollywood's own Little Buddha plays a streetwise lab technician who survives an organized assault on his hydrogen-power project. The FBI assumes he's really a spy working for some foreign power, but the truth is that a CIA offshoot is behind the project's funding. Morgan Freeman plays the ramrod-straight company man who sabotages Keanu's excellent experiment, and Rachel Weisz portrays a physicist who goes on the run with the alleged saboteur. Directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), who seems more interested in seeing how many absurd places he can mount a chase scene than offering a solid clue as to who these characters are and why we should care about them. --Tom Keogh

The Vanishing: It's not unusual for Hollywood to remake European hits. What is unusual is the director of the original getting the chance to helm the new version with an American cast, which is what happened with this film based on an intensely creepy Dutch film of the same name (both directed by George Sluizer). Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock are on vacation when, while stopped at a crowded rest area, she disappears. He devotes the next several years to discovering what happened to her, ruining his life in the process. When he does get a clue, it leads him to Jeff Bridges, who plays a bizarre and highly organized individual whose motives are almost as strange as he is. Bridges is spooky, but Sluizer ultimately is undone by Hollywood's demand for a happy ending, which makes this film affecting but far less unsettling than the original. --Marshall Fine

Average customer rating:

Edward Curtis - Live on Stage!

Save your money

The Indian Picture Opera - A Vanishing Race

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000JUBF0K
Release Date: 2006-10-23

Description

The Indian Picture Opera - A Vanishing Race

This film is a journey through history, where famed photographer Edward S. Curtis explains Native American cultures in his own words, and photographs. This motion picture reconstruction of his 1911-1912 magic lantern slide show illuminates a time when Native Americans were forced from their land and cultures. Curtis's documentation of Indian cultures serve as a unique footprint in time.

The Indian Picture Opera contains hundreds of photos and re-created music composed for the original 1911 slide show. Its a throw back to a time nearly 100 years ago, and a magical tour through history. This production is brought to life with the use of computer graphics, and modern day animations. This effort required the recreation of 19 original musical compositions composed for the original Curtis slide show in 1911. The composer was Henry Gilbert, and most of this music had been shelved for nearly 100 years.

Background:

In the early 1900's, famed photographer Edward S. Curtis published the renowned 20-volume book subscription entitled "The North American Indian". He compiled about 2400 photographs with detailed ethnological and language studies of tribes of the American West.

This DVD reconstructs "The Indian Picture Opera - A Vanishing Race", which was a slide show and lecture that played in theaters from 1911 through 1912. Curtis used the show as a pitch to sell his book subscriptions to the wealthy Americans.

Stereo-Opticon projectors put Curtis's stunning images on screens in America's largest cities.... one scene dissolving into another. A small orchestra played music derived from Indian chants and rhythms, and Edward Curtis lectured on the intimate stories of tribal life.

This Magic Lantern show played to breathless audiences, stunned by the humanity, fascinated by the imagery, and shamed by the destruction of Indian cultures. The shows received standing ovations, and generous reviews.

This is a Widescreen, All-Region DVD, Dolby 2.0 amd 5.1 surround sound, and Subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

Cast: Mark Middler as Edward S. Curtis, and David Chanar as The Native American Voice.

Film Festivals: The Indian Picture Opera was selected for exhibition in the Heard Museum's Film Festival in Phoenix, Arizona in October 2006.

It has also been included in the December 2006 Anchorage AK. International Film Festival.

Title #218654 Running time: 50 minutes Format: DVD-R (about DVD-R compatibility...)

Customer Reviews:

Edward Curtis - Live on Stage!.......2007-08-29

I enjoyed hearing the words of Curtis, as he was a much misunderstood man. It showed an empathy that history has ignored about the man. His empathy toward the Indian, that is.

It was pleasing to watch something that wasn't strictly a documentary, but a piece of time, unearthed.

It looked and sounded great on my HD set with surround-sound.

To offer a suggestion, more music would make it ever better.

Save your money.......2007-08-24

This is a very poor indication of Curtis's photography. The amateurish production is wrought with lame special effects that get in the way of viewing the actual works. The narration is informative at times, but redundant and often needless. I was hoping just to see his remarkable photographs with accompany score as it was originally intended. This is not the original slide show that stunned and amazed audiences in 1911. Save your money. A much better documentary on the life and monumental works of Edward Curtis is "Coming to Light."

Average customer rating:

Great Classic Nature Documentary
Really Nice Nature Movie

Vanishing Wilderness
Starring: Rex Allen
Director: Arthur R. Dubs , Heinz Sielmann , and Heinz Seilmann
Manufacturer: Sterling Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00068S3U0
Release Date: 2003-01-01

Customer Reviews:

Great Classic Nature Documentary.......2005-10-20

For anyone who loves the outdoors, this is a bit of nostalgia. This takes you back to a look at the state of the wilderness in the early 1970s, when folks first began to take notice of the harm that man has done to nature. I am not a tree hugger, but someone who has kids of my own, and realizes that driving two hours to work and that there are few places left to hunt or fish pretty much sums up the sad state of our environment these days. This documentary is in the fine tradition of classic outdoors features such as Virgil Ward and the American Outdoorsman. Sit down with your kids and watch this! Then ask your local authorities why that new subdivision HAS to be built...

Really Nice Nature Movie.......2005-06-12

This was a good little family movie about Nature and the graphic's where good for it's time. I did not really like the music used for this movie that's why I give it 4 stars. Now about the Movie. In it you will look at the vast American wilderness, a land threatened with destruction, in this nature documentary from acclaimed German photographer Heinz Sielmann. Animals range from majestic buffalo and mustangs to arctic whales.

Average customer rating:

Double Trouble

The Vanishing / Black Widow
Starring: Debra Winger , Theresa Russell , Sami Frey , Dennis Hopper , and Nicol Williamson
Director: Bob Rafelson , and George Sluizer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000KGGJ04
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com

Black Widow: Bob Rafelson directs this dark psychological thriller about the seductive interplay between two intriguing women. Catharine (Theresa Russell) is a sultry beauty who meticulously sets her traps. Alex (Debra Winger) is a federal sleuth who just as meticulously uncovers what no one else suspects-that this femme fatale tricks wealthy men into marrying her, then kills them to inherit their fortunes. Soon Alex's obsession with the mysterious Catharine draws her deeper and deeper into danger.

Customer Reviews:

Double Trouble.......2007-08-20

This is an excellent double set. Both are excellent thrillers. In "The Vanishing" while Keifer Sutherland and his fiancé Sandra Bullock are at a gas station she suddenly disappears. He believes she is kidnapped and searches relentlessly for three years before beginning another life with a new lady played by Nancy Travis. When he is about to completly give up on his previous girlfriend, the kidnapper contacts him. Beau Bridges is effective as the scientific kidnapper that is merely conducting a deadly experiament. His family life can not keep him happy enough so as a scientist he must try something against the laws of good. After Sutherland meets him it looks like he will meet his fiancés same fate. His life hangs on the fact his new girlfriend has followed him and taken the kidnappers daughter for a ride. What happens next is very suspenseful. If you enjoyed this be sure to catch "Breakdown".

In "Black Widow" Theresa Russell is effective as a woman that marries wealthy men and then disposes of them in clever ways that look like normal deaths. A detective played by Debra Winger starts suspecting the string of deaths when she finds an unusual blood test from one. She relentlessly tracks Russell but can't prove anything. When she finally trails her to Hawaii she gets overly zealous and gets to close to the next victim to be. She then gets herself into trouble with the law and thrown into jail trying to prove Russell's guilt when he is killed. How will she prove her own innocence and the Widows guilt? I recommend this DVD set. It is a good value. If you enjoyed this be sure to catch "American Gigolo".

The Vanishing Legion - 12 Chapter Movie Serial

Average customer rating:

A legion of bad guys

The Vanishing Legion - 12 Chapter Movie Serial
Starring: Harry Carey , Boris Karloff , Frankie Darro , Rex the Wonder Horse , and Yakima Canutt
Director: Ford Beebe , and B. Reeves Eason
Manufacturer: Alpha Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000MV9OGI
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Product Description

A mysterious master criminal known as ""The Voice"" plots to sabotage a huge oil company. ""Happy"" Cardigan uncovers his fiendish plans in 12 high powered episodes.

Customer Reviews:

A legion of bad guys.......2007-09-01

MASCOT PICTURES made serials under its own name from 1926 to 1935. After that, MASCOT and four other lesser "Poverty Row" studios were combined under the REPUBLIC PICTURES banner.

THE STORY for VANISHING LEGION (1931):
"The Voice" and his Vanishing Legion are trying to sabotage an oil company that 'Happy' Cardigan is affiliated with. Sub-plot is a murder frame-up.

CAST:
Harry Carey - 'Happy' Cardigan
Edwina Booth - Caroline Hall
Rex the Wonder Horse - Rex (as King of Wild Horses)
Frankie Darro - Jimmie Williams
Yakima Canutt - Yak [Chs. 1 & 3]
Joe Bonomo - Stuffy
Robert Walker - Oil Co. Director Allen
Boris Karloff - The Voice (voice) (uncredited)

CHAPTERS:
1. The Voice From the Void
2. The Queen of the Night Riders
3. The Invisible Enemy
4. The Fatal Message
5. The Trackless Trail
6. The Radio Riddle
7. The Crimsom Clue
8. The Doorway of Disaster
9. When Time Stood Still
10. Riding the Whirlwind
11. The Capsule of Oblivion
12. The Hoofs of Horror

VANISHING LEGION trivia:

We never see the face of the villain in VANISHING LEGION. The character's voice was provided by Boris Karloff, who received no screen credit for the role.

Olive Carey, who appears as the Nurse in Chapters 9-12, was the wife of this serial's star, Harry Carey.

Frankie Darro was the son of circus aerialists. Being 5' 3" meant that Darro was typecast in juvenile roles well into his twenties. He was an accomplished horseman, and also performed his own stunts out of necessity-- there weren't any stuntmen Darro's size to double for him.

Speaking of stuntmen, the actor portraying "Stuffy," Joe Bonomo, is best remembered as stunt-double for Lon Chaney in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Bonomo's precipitous rope-slide in that silent film is quite an amazing feat.

FIGHTING WITH KIT CARSON is yet another fine MASCOT PICTURES serial.

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