John R. Leonetti's special effects laden sequel to Mortal Kombat comes to DVD with a pair of transfers. The widescreen transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, making it preferable to the standard full-frame transfer. English and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are accessible in both of those languages as well. Supplemental materials include profiles of the characters, and the ability to instantly access any of the film's many fight scenes. Genre enthusiasts will greatly enjoy this release from New Line.
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Does the impossible in being worst than the first film. Considering the first film was already scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of quality, I didn't think it was possible for the sequel to be worse. Well it was, and here's the dvd to prove it.
The first film to be officially co-credited to Joel Coen and Ethan Coen as directors, The Ladykillers debuts on DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. A French soundtrack has also been recorded. French and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a reel consisting of co-star Irma P. Hall slapping around Marlon Wayans, a pair of featurettes about the gospel music heard in the film, and a script reader that allows those with a DVD-ROM drive to read the script -- and allow the viewer to see any scene in the film by clicking on the corresponding line in the script. This modest box-office hit has been given a modest, effective DVD release by Disney.
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While I wouldn't necessarily recommend that everyone go straight out and buy this dvd, it is definitely worth a viewing. I found the movie to be quite funny and entertaining, especially Tom Hanks. Not much in terms of bonus features, but the anamorphic widescreen transfer is great.
Tim Burton's 1994 masterpiece Ed Wood comes to DVD in a Special Edition from Touchstone Home Entertainment. The cult classic is presented with a black-and-white widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. Optional subtitles are available in English and Spanish. An audio commentary track is provided by director Tim Burton, actor Martin Landau, co-writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, director of photography Stefan Czapsky, and costume designer Colleen Atwood. This disc is packed with special features. "Let's Shoot This F#*%@r!" is a behind-the-scenes featurette with leading man Johnny Depp. "The Theremin" is a brief look at the creation of the music for the film. "Making Bela" is a featurette about the creation of the Bela Lugosi character with actor Martin Landau and makeup designer Rick Baker. "Pie Plates Over Hollywood" is a featurette on the look of the film with production designer Tom Duffield. "When Carol Met Larry" is a featurette about real-life cross-dressers and their opinion on Ed Wood. Other special features include deleted scenes, a music video, and the original theatrical trailer. This is a highly recommended disc for a multiple Academy Award-winning film.
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A charming tale based on the true life of director Edward D. Wood Jr. who arguably made some of the worst films of all time. By far Tim Burton's best film as a director, Johnny Depp gives an outstanding performance as does Martin Landau. Excellent special edition dvd. Highly Recommended.
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 Criterion edition is absolutely loaded with bonus features, which is the highlight of this product, because the movie, while funny, just isn't really all that great...
John Carpenter directed this intelligent action picture, which has been given a well-turned presentation for its release on DVD. Assault on Precinct 13 has been given a letterboxed transfer to disc in the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which has been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. The film's original single-channel sound mix has been preserved in Dolby Digital Mono; the dialogue is in English, with no multiple language options. Bonus materials include a commentary track from director John Carpenter, interviews with Carpenter and actor Austin Stoker, a gallery of production stills, an additional audio track featuring just the film's original score (composed by Carpenter), and the movie's original trailer and radio commercials.
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.
'Assault on Precinct 13' is a really original and cool movie. So cool in fact, that they've recently done a remake of the film. While I haven't seen the new version, I can tell you that the original is classic John Carpenter, and darned good entertainment at that! Good bonus features as well. Recommended.
Sam Firstenberg's hard-hitting action film American Ninja comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible, and the soundtrack is closed-captioned. Supplemental materials include the original theatrical trailer. Although this is a slight title from MGM/UA, it is priced low enough to make it appealing to genre enthusiasts.
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A good anamorphic widescreen transfer is about all that can be said for this cheesy B-grade martial arts action flick starring Michael Dudikoff. Only recommended for those who have seen, and enjoy, the film.
The tenth anniversary of the popular prison drama The Shawshank Redemption sees a deluxe DVD edition of the film hitting stores for the first time. The movie's image is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, and a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. English, Spanish, and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary from writer/director Frank Darabont, a making-of documentary, and a second documentary explaining how the film has attained such a high level of popularity, seeing as it was not exactly a blockbuster when it initially played in theaters. A Charlie Rose interview with Darabont and stars Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, the movie's trailer, and a spoof of the film featuring sharks round out this first-rate release from Warner Bros.
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I don't understand all the hype and support around this film. Yes, it's decent entertainment, but I feel that for such a serious movie, its completely unbelievable story ends up hindering its overall impact. Anyway, this is a good special edition dvd release for fans of the film, but for those who are purists, beware the digital altering of the bullet-hole under the warden's chin at the end of the film.
David Fincher's mind-bending thriller The Game comes to DVD with a somewhat disappointing set of features, including standard and widescreen formats, Dolby Digital Surround and 5.1 Audio, cast and crew filmographies, and Spanish subtitles. Though a deluxe disc is rumored to be in the works, fans of The Game may not be able to wait for a more fleshed-out version of the disc. Despite the minimal supplementary material, the film's challenging, labyrinthine plot and gripping performances by Sean Penn and Michael Douglas make owning it on DVD worthwhile.
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Michael Douglas is exceptional in this movie, it's too bad the film outdoes itself. This movie is not for everyone, but it has a good story which makes for some pretty thrilling moments. Dvd offers both unacceptable letterbox widescreen 2.35:1 and full-screen formats. Strangely, a loaded special edition dvd has been released for this film in Europe, but has never surfaced here.
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 movie is not for everyone, but it has a good story which makes for some pretty thrilling moments. Very good and interesting commentary by Joel Schumacher. Dvd offers both anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 and full-screen formats.
A classic film from the Coen brothers, Raising Arizona features an excellent DVD transfer but not much more. Top cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, who later directed Get Shorty and Wild Wild West, photographed this film and its transfer would make him proud. The widescreen 1:85 sparkles with color saturation and even the smallest background detail stands out to enhance the humor. Joel and Ethan Coen are known for making great quirky films and for never including commentary or interviews on their discs. They stay true to form here. Extras-wise, the disc doesn't offer much, except for a theatrical trailer, three TV spots, and trailers for their other films, Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink. Dolby Surround is available in English and French languages. Since the film has such a fanatical following, even without extras the awesome transfer will be enough for many fans to add this to their collection.
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.