One of the 1980s' classic cult comedies comes to DVD in a surprisingly sparse package. So sparse, in fact, that the only bonus feature present is a theatrical trailer. Visually the disc fares little better -- the picture is a little better than a new VHS copy and appears to have been prepared hastily at best. At least it's not pan and scan -- the original theatrical ratio of 1.85:1 has been maintained. The disc's soundtrack is presented in a lackluster Dolby Pro-logic mix which has a mediocre bass presence but makes almost no use of the surround speakers. Overall, this disc reeks of being a victim of hasty production. The film was never a wild success but subsequent word of mouth has garnered it a cult following over the years, and it's a pity that more effort didn't go into the disc's production.
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'I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!' is almost the exact same type of movie as 'Top Secret' starring Val Kilmer, only not as good. Still, fans are sure to delight in this enhanced widescreen dvd release, even though it's completely void of extras.
A pair of hapless garbage collectors gets tied up in a lethal political conspiracy in this hilarious MGM/UA release. Viewable in either 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen or 1.33:1 full frame, this disc also offers a closed captioned English Dolby Digital Surround soundtrack. Optional subtitles are offered in English, Spanish and French, with extra features including a theatrical trailer.
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'Men at Work' is by no means an excellent movie, but it wasn't intended to be. It does have some really funny moments, but will probably only be enjoyed by fans of Sheen and Estevez. Anamorphic Widescreen.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
'Poltergeist' isn't the kind of movie you sit down and watch every other day, but its quite a spectacle though, with some impressive special effects. This is NOT a horror movie, for those who are curious. Recommended. Widescreen with a few choice extras.
The third and final film in the Wachowski brothers' epic science fiction trilogy The Matrix picks up where the second film, The Matrix Reloaded, left off. As the film begins, Neo attempts to navigate through a space somewhere between the machine world and the real world, Trinity and Morpheus pay a visit to The Merovingian, the citizens of Zion prepare for imminent war with the sentinels, and Agent Smith continues to gain power. As Matrix fans have come to expect, the closing chapter is presented in a superb DVD package. The two-disc set features top-notch visual and audio quality alongside a seemingly endless wealth of bonuses. The first disc bears a full-screen transfer of the feature presentation with the soundtrack available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Digital Stereo. A French-dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is also included, along with subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Standing out from the Matrix DVDs that preceded it, disc one of Revolutions is the first to feature trailers from all three trilogy entries and The Animatrix animation series. Over on the second disc, viewers are treated to several behind-the-scenes featurettes. "Revolutions Recalibrated" takes a general look at the making of the film, while "CG Revolution" specifically examines the dazzling visual effects, and "Super Burly Brawl" offers the ins and outs of the climactic final fight between Neo and Agent Smith. Meanwhile, there are four more short making-of segments in the Operator feature. Beyond that, there is an exceptionally concise text-and image-based history of the Matrix called "Before the Revolution," a look at the upcoming online Matrix game, a gallery with storyboards and conceptual images, and several DVD-ROM features. A widescreen version with the same features was also released.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
this full-screen dvd version alters the original theatrical aspect ratio of the movie from 2.35:1 to 1.33:1, giving a picture in which you lose almost 50% of the image on each side of every frame.
The explosive first sequel to The Matrix comes to DVD with a superb two-disc edition. With a widescreen anamorphic transfer of the film that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio (a full-screen version was released simultaneously), the disc features the English soundtrack in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. Additionally, a dubbed French audio track is included in Dolby Digital 5.1 and English, Spanish, and French subtitles are available. While a commentary track is missing, the bonus features are certainly not lacking. "Preload" and "The Freeway Chase" are featurettes that both offer in-depth glimpses into the making of the film, and "The MTV Movie Awards Reloaded" is an hilarious parody starring Seann William Scott and Justin Timberlake. Four additional featurettes round out the package, offering looks at the video game inspired by the movie, the Animatrix short films, and the phenomenon of the Matrix universe.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This sequel to the impressive 'Matrix,' is just shy of complete disappointment. I expected the movie to be so much better. Widescreen and good bonus material.
The Matrix came along at just the right time in the history of the DVD format. With its incredible action scenes and futuristic plot, it proved to be a tremendous boost for sales of DVD players and proof of the power of DVD to present a movie accurately. The 2.35:1 widescreen presentation is a crystal clear translation of the movie's dark imagery. While there may be a lack of resolution in background images, the stylish visuals in the foreground draw all of the attention, along with the powerful, seat-rocking sound effects of Dolby Digital mix. Special features are mildly entertaining. The cast/crew commentary is by Carrie-Anne Moss, visual effects supervisor John Gaeta, and editor Zach Staeberg, and often leans toward the technical side of the production. The music-only "Audio Track" is for fans of the soundtrack only, and the making-of documentary is 25 minutes of hyperbole. "Taking the red pill" leads to a six-minute overview of the technical sides of "bullet-time," a special-effect element found in the film. The "Follow the White Rabbit" feature brings a rabbit icon to the screen during scenes of heavy special effects; hitting "enter" leads to behind-the-scenes footage of the scene in question and then places viewers back into the scene of the movie. Filmographies of cast and crew are also present. Instant access to all of the DVD's 38 chapters is available via the "Scene Access" menu, making this disc an entirely successful presentation of a fun film.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Sidney J. Furie's air adventure Iron Eagle II comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. There are no subtitles, but the soundtrack is closed captioned. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, making this bare-bones Artisan release difficult to recommend to anyone other than genre enthusiasts, although even they might be disappointed.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
The biggest mistake this sequel made was killing off the main character of the first film (Jason Gedrick), within the first five minutes of the movie. Full-screen.
A seat-of-the-pants militia attitude gets a boost from this conventional drama about the heroics of a teen son anxious to free his father from captivity in a small Middle Eastern nation. Doug's (Jason Gedrick) father is an Air Force pilot who was shot down on a mission near the border of an Arab country and is now held hostage. Failing adequate U.S. intervention causes a desperate Doug to enlist his school chums in a wild plan to essentially sneak away with two Air Force jets and take off on a mission to rescue his father. He convinces the veteran Chappy (Louis Gossett, Jr.) into flying one plane, while Doug himself flies another (he learned how to pilot from his father). Yes. If audiences believe all this, then the ending should come as no surprise either.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
I liked 'Iron Eagle,' but this full-screen bare bones dvd leaves a lot to be desired. However, fans should probably purchase, as I wouldn't count on a re-release anytime soon.
Lethal Weapon director Richard Donner helms this action-adventure yarn in which Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone), a veteran, burned-out hit man for hire who's looking to leave his profession, meets a younger, crazier, more ambitious competitor, Miguel Bain (Antonio Banderas), who is out to best Rath and make him a target in the process. Rath signs on for one last hit, but complications ensue when he falls in love with the mark, a beautiful, mysterious woman named Electra (Julianne Moore). Bain sets out to murder Electra as well, and the chase leads the two assassins into a deadly game of wits that takes them from Seattle to Puerto Rico. Critics and audiences both turned away from this thriller, which was co-scripted by Bound writer/directors Larry and Andy Wachowski and L.A. Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
'Assassins' is actually an ok movie and both Stallone and Banderas perform well. I think it could have been much better had the story been slightly tweaked. Still, recommended to action fans. Widescreen.
Like George Lucas' American Graffiti, Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused is an affectionate look at the youth culture of a bygone era. While Lucas took aim at the conservative 1950's, Linklater jumps ahead a generation to the bicentennial year of 1976 to celebrate the joys of beer blasts, pot smoking and Frampton Comes Alive. Set on the last day of the academic year, the film follows the random activities of a sprawling group of Texas high schoolers as they celebrate the arrival of summer, their paths variously intersecting at a freshmen hazing, a local pool parlor and finally at a keg party.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Other than an exceptional performance by Matthew McConaughey, I really don't have a whole lot of great things to say about this film. It's not bad, and some sequences are quite humorous, but the movie is just too inconsistent in my opinion. A good period piece though. Die hard fans may want to opt for the loaded 'Criterion' edition that is more expensive, but loaded with bonus material not seen here.