Since its release in 1984, Rob Reiner's "mockumentary" about a failed rock group's comeback tour has become one of the most oft-referenced and oft-imitated comedies in history. Its release on DVD from MGM is a great reminder of why. Loaded with extras, including a hilarious commentary from stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer as their screen incarnations, this is easily one of the best DVDs available. The picture is crystal clear, presented in a beautiful 1.85:1 widescreen transfer. The only drawback is the subtitles. Originally missing from the DVD, MGM hastily added them in, and they have a rushed, public access look that is rather distracting. Thankfully, they only show up occasionally. The sound is in Dolby 5.1, allowing the group's crunching guitar anthems ample space to roam. Extras abound here, and all are worth a look. As previously mentioned, the commentary track by Spinal Tap is a riot, peppered with in-jokes and odd asides, perfectly dovetailing with the film itself. There is also over an hour's worth of deleted scenes. While it's easy to see why most of them were excised, they still provide a laugh here and there and are great fun for the true Spinal Tap enthusiast. Director Rob Reiner shows up as Marty DeBergi, his character from the film, in a documentary about what he has been doing since the film. Also featured are a boatload of commercials and trailers, as well as Spinal Tap's appearance on the Joe Franklin Show, the long-running TV talk show. While missing some of the bonuses of the Criterion edition, this is still a fitting package for a comedy classic.
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If you love the films of Christopher Guest and his troupe, you MUST see This is Spinal Tap, the mock-umentary that launched a genre. The performances are all letter-perfect, even when the actors provide a commentary track, still in character. This is a film you will watch over and over again.
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Anthony Hopkins steps into the shoes of Alfred Hitchcock as the legendary director sets about making Psycho as his next film. Loosely adapted from a little-known book about the making of Psycho, the film sometimes takes liberties with the subject matter, but it's enjoyable and so are performances by Hitchcock and Helen Mirren who plays his wife. Worth seeing them.
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A fun film that occasionally loses its way in tone
on March 4, 2015
Posted by: Gaspode
from Park Ridge, NJ
Verified Purchase:Yes
A loose remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye film, Ben Stiller stars as Walter, a dreamer whose fantasy life is far more interesting than reality. While the film is mostly enjoyable, it does switch tone from time to time; sometimes a drama, other times a comedy. Stiller is watchable and does a reasonable job as director, but he could have used somebody looking over his shoulder to keep him on track.
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Director Wes Anderson creates his most delightful film yet; a black dramady that tells the story of The Grand Budapest Hotel, consierge M Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori). Well written and sumptuously directed, the film is well-deserving of its recent awards.
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Two decades ago, a film directed by Paul Schraeder and starring Nic Cage would have been a must-see. Sadly, Dying of the Light is not that. Cage plays a agent, suffering from the early signs of dementia, who uncovers evidence that a terrorist believed dead for years is in fact alive. Cage's character decides to go after him, despite the fact that the powers-that-be are trying to forcibly retire him, and the story goes on from there. What should be a tight spy thriller unfortunately plays out like a slightly better than average made-for-TV movie. A shame for a director and actor that have done much better work.
The third season of this horror anthology series is set primarily at a secret school for witches in New Orleans. After an absence in Season 2, Taissa Farmiga returns to the show as Zoe Benson, a young woman who unexpectedly discovers that she possesses a dangerous supernatural ability. She's sent to the special Louisiana school--which is run by Headmistress Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson)--where she embarks on spell-filled adventures with fellow witches Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), Nan (Jamie Brewer) and Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe). Jessica Lange is also back as Fiona Goode, a powerful witch chasing eternal life, while Evan Peters plays frat boy Kyle Spencer in his return. Other familiar faces include Denis O'Hare and Lily Rabe, while newcomers Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett bring fresh excitement to the talented cast.
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The third season of American Horror Story changes location to Louisiana but again keeps a lot of the same cast members, albeit as wildly different characters. Drawing on the themes of witchcraft and voodoo, the new series may not be as in-your-face scary as previous seasons, there is no shortage of fearful moments. If you liked seasons one and two, you will definitely enjoy this one as well.
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Still on the fence about whether you should see White House Down or Olympus Has Fallen? Choose the latter. While we all know it's far-fetched to attack the White House with so much military hardware (apparently, you can just jump the fence nowadays and walk right in the front door), it's much easier to believe in Gerard Butler as American's last defense than Channing Tatum. The action is loud and preposterous and quite good fun in the end. Hardly classic, but well worth a couple of hours on a Saturday evening.
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If you are a Tom Cruise fan, you will probably like Jack Reacher quite a bt. If you are a fan of the best-selling books by Lee Child, the casting of Cruise may not entirely sit well with you. While the film itself is not awful, Cruise's presence, in the biggest casting mistake since Interview with a Vampire, is a distraction that is difficult to ignore.
This intense release from the landmark sci-fi series Under the Dome includes all 13 episodes of the show, following the story of a small town suddenly cut off from the rest of the world by the appearance of a giant, transparent dome.
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Under The Dome may share the title and premise of the best-selling Stephen King, but the TV version is very different from the original. Not that that's a bad thing; like The Walking Dead, it's kind of nice to watch a series where you think you know what's going to happen only to encounter something very different. In this case, the show's writers have come up with what appears to be a very different story arc and I can't wait to see where it goes.
My Best Buy number: 0022374677
My Best Buy number: 0022374677
What's great about it: The characters
What's not so great: The character's unfortunate habit of doing dumb thingd
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While Thor the Dark World has a lot going for it, it never quite matches the scope and sweep of the first Thor film. The key cast members, such as Hemsworth, Hiddleston and Hopkins (The three H's) are now quite comfortable in their role, Natalie Portman still feels slightly miscast, and Kat Dennings is if it's possible, even more squeaky and annoying as Kat the comic relief character (aren't they supposed to be smart scientist types?). Christopher Eccleston is pretty darn good as Malekith, but he doesn't get all that much to do, and is often overshadowed in the villain department by Hiddleston's Loki. And one important note about the DVD features, the one-disc Blu-Ray DOES have the filmmaker commentary, even though it's not listed on the DVD sleeve.