Avatar (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray] After 12 years of thinking about it (and waiting for movie technology to catch up with his visions), James Cameron followed up his unsinkable Titanic with Avatar, a sci-fi epic meant to trump all previous sci-fi epics. Set in the future on a distant planet, Avatar spins a simple little parable about greedy colonizers (that would be mankind) messing up the lush tribal world of Pandora. A paraplegic Marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) acts through a 9-foot-tall avatar that allows him to roam the planet and pass as one of the Na’vi, the blue-skinned, large-eyed native people who would very much like to live their peaceful lives without the interference of the visitors. Although he’s supposed to be gathering intel for the badass general (Stephen Lang) who’d like to lay waste to the planet and its inhabitants, Jake naturally begins to take a liking to the Na’vi, especially the feisty Neytiri (Zoë Saldana, whose entire performance, recorded by Cameron’s complicated motion-capture system, exists as a digitally rendered Na’vi). The movie uses state-of-the-art 3D technology to plunge the viewer deep into Cameron’s crazy toy box of planetary ecosystems and high-tech machinery. Maybe it’s the fact that Cameron seems torn between his two loves–awesome destructive gizmos and flower-power message mongering–that makes Avatar’s pursuit of its point ultimately uncertain. That, and the fact that Cameron’s dialogue continues to clunk badly. If you’re won over by the movie’s trippy new world, the characters will be forgivable as broad, useful archetypes rather than standard-issue stereotypes, and you might be able to overlook the unsurprising central plot. (The overextended “take that, Michael Bay” final battle sequences could tax even Cameron enthusiasts, however.) It doesn’t measure up to the hype (what could?) yet Avatar frequently hits a giddy delirium all its own. The film itself is our Pandora, a sensation-saturated universe only the movies could create. –Robert Horton

AVATAR Blu-ray Review

I finally came across this film and finally felt the need to see it [I say finally like it was yesterday, it has been a while since I watched this, of course I watched this when it was released, anyway], I knew it had been overly hyped and had a feeling I would not like it. So when I finally decided to get it I can honestly say that while I did like it is far from the greatest film ever. Of course like any one will tell you visually it is a stunning film, you should have seen this in theaters. Of course on DVD and Blu Ray this film still looks amazing but the theatrical experience is where it was at. Still there are bad and good with this film although I really wanted this to be a 5 star classic. With that said this fails in my opinion to reach that legendary status as a whole, visually thought the film will of course go down in history.

I am sure you all know the story since I am very late to the party in reviewing this, but here it goes any way. The place is Pandora and Pandora is absolutely amazing, it is a very beautiful place with amazing creatures. One of the these so called creatures is the local human like inhabitants the Na’vi, a peaceful people who are one with there environment and planet. But the humans that are “visiting” the planet to study it are planning on running these people off so they can drill, of course they are not happy about that. In comes a paralyzed Marine named Jake Sully who is replacing his now deceased brother in a project that may help lower tensions between the two peoples. He is enlisted into the Avatar project in which he can control the body of a Na’vi like body in order to interact with them. But his military superior Colonel Quaritch and over all boss Parker Selfridge want him to gather Intel for their own purposes.

As the story would go he would meet and come to respect the native people and even fall in love with one of them, ala Pocahontas. And that is what I was thinking throughout this entire movie, not that it was a bad thing. I remember watching this with my bro and both us were thinking where have we seen this before, and then there it was, Pocahontas. Later in the film all we could think of was FernGully if you can believe that, once again not that this is a bad thing. The retelling of every story ever is basically what every movie is these days since original material is getting harder for some filmmakers to come with. I think the only reason that it was such a big deal with this film [people have said this film as stole from every story I can think of] is because it was such a huge film.

Now I may catch some heat for this but this film is not a classic in my opinion, visually yes but as far as everything else I don’t think so. Which brings me to the visuals, this film is stunning and is wonderful to look at. From the animation cgi all the way to the vibrant colors all of the place. The land, creatures, and animals all look astonishing and on that level this film is great. James Cameron knows what he wants and did a great job with this film, sure to me the story could have been more original but honestly that is such a small thing because, well, the film was very entertaining. Cameron did a great job with this film but dare I say I liked his ex wife’s film “The Hurt Locker” even more. Yes I said it, it is out there, let the hate come.

Now like I said the story is very familiar but lets get past that for a second and just take it for what it is, good. The story is the classic outsider getting in with the group and falling for one of the members. So with that said it is a nice tale of one people learning to respect the others cultures, yes I know it sounds like another very famous movie. With all that aside the performances are what you would expect from a big [huge] budget blockbuster film. All are good in this movie but none to most are not award worthy in my opinion which is normally the case with these type of films. Of course that may be because the visuals of this film were so strong it overshadowed everything else about the film. Sam Worthington is very good here in the lead as Jake Sully as is Giovanni Ribisi, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang [show stealer maybe], Joel Moore and the always great Michelle Rodriguez, all are good, some are voice acting.

Now the themes of the movie are many depending on who is watching the film and their take on it. The most prominent ones I have heard are people’s belief in technology over faith and religion, this is the one I think is most likely. Of course there is also the human’s destruction of the planet and the environment, I can see that in this film as well. And then there is the thing about this being a metaphor for America invading other countries during the war, this is the least likely in my opinion. What the case and I am sure Cameron has said what the theme truly is but let us once again move on.

Over all this is a very entertaining movie that cost a lot, and made a lot [even more thanks to the 3-D experience]. Is this a fun movie that people should just turn the brain off and enjoy, yes. Is this film a classic, in my opinion no, but I can see how some can make the case for it. The last thing I want to say or ask is this, am I wrong for rooting for the humans to crush the Na’vi and the traders to the human race [sorry Michelle]. My brother an I [who admittedly usually root for the so called "bad guys"] found our selves right in front of every one cheering when the Marines were blowing them away. In any movie of humans vs other I am a member of “team people” like Joe Rogan would say, I wanted the people to win. Well maybe not if the Na’vi represented religion over technology, then I have to go for them. Oh man I am confused, some one help me!

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Michael Jackson: This Is It

Michael Jackson’s This Is It is a documentary made based hundreds of hours of footage from backstage and rehearsals of the last performance of Michael Jackson, died June 25 at age 50. The majority of these images, filmed in high definition and digital sound, were shot in June 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and the Forum in Inglewood, also in California. The King of Pop is preparing for This Is It, his series of scheduled concerts in London (50 shows at the O2 Arena, located between July 13, 2009 and March 6, 2010). The film, which also offers some sequences in 3D, provides a unique retrospective on the career of Michael Jackson, supplemented by interviews with some of his closest friends and collaborators.

Michael Jackson: This Is It Reviews

I have just returned from the cinema and am still quite overwhelmed by the emotions raised by the film has. MJ war so gut, als Tänzer und Sänger, wie er sein Team angeleitet hat unglaublich. MJ was so good as a dancer and singer, as he has guided his team are incredible.
Jeder der gesagt hat er könne nicht mehr singen und tanzen dem sei hier das Gegenteil bewiesen. Everyone who said he could no longer sing and dance to the contrary is proved here. Unglaublich die Interviews mit den Tänzern, wie sie sich gefreut haben, mit Michael zusammen auf der Bühne zu stehen. Incredibly are the interviews with the dancers, as they have been delighted with Michael together on the stage. Schade das daraus nichts mehr wurde. Too bad that it was nothing.
MJ war so ein netter, und freundlicher Mensch, wie er mit seinen Leuten gesprochen hat, immer ruhig und angemessen. MJ was such a nice and friendly person, as he has spoken with his people, always calm and reasonable. Er wusste was er wollte, ganz genau bis zur letzten Note. He knew what he wanted, exactly to the last note.
Die Mini Videos zu einigen Songs wunderbar. The mini-videos to some wonderful songs. Ich hätte so gern noch mehr gesehn! I had seen so much more! Die Zeit ist wie im Flug vergangen. The time has gone by so quickly. Danke auch das der Film im Originalton zu sehn ist, mit Untertiteln. Thanks also to see the film is in the original soundtrack, with subtitles. Eine deutsche Ersatzstimme für Michael wäre undenkbar gewessen. A German voice replacement for Michael would be unthinkable gewessen. Michael so wollen wir dich in Erinnerung behalten. Michael then we want to keep you in mind.
Rest In Peace!!! Rest In Peace!

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] (2009) One of the most popular, thrill-packed, franchises of all time is back with even more action and more Autobots and Decepticons! In the highly anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to product humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

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Blu-ray Features:

• The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen
• Commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
• A Day with Bay: Tokyo
• 25 Years of Transformers
• NEST: Transformer Data-Hub
• Easter Eggs
• The AllSPArk Experiment
• Deleted/Alternate Scenes
• Giant Effing Movie
• Linkin Park New Divide Music Video
• The Matrix of Marketing

Pure. Popcorn. Entertainment. That’s an exact classification of director Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Think of Transformers 1 on crack. In other words, this sequel took all of the extreme elements that made fans love the first movie and increased them exponentially. The action is nonstop, with battles and explosions from start to finish. The camera (without any subtlety) exploits Megan Fox’s hotness to the max. As if she weren’t enough, a new sex kitten (Isabel Lucas) is thrown into the equation. Shia LaBeouf is as charismatic as ever, and fills the starring role with ease. And then there’s the humor. Sam’s parents (Kevin Dunn and Julie White)provided some semi-raunchy laugh-out-loud moments in the first movie, but now they take it to the next level. Sometimes it seems like they are trying a little too hard, but it is still hilarious.

As far as the “plot” goes, the writers didn’t waste much time–it’s really just a context for the giant-robot death matches and dramatic slow-mo sequences. The movie kicks off two years later where the Autobots have formed an alliance with the U.S. government, creating an elite team led by Major Lennox (Josh Duhamel), in an effort to snuff out any remaining Decepticons that show up. The bad guys keep coming, and it turns out that a much more menacing force than Megatron is out there–and it is looking for something on Earth that is tied to the very origin of the Transformers race. Fans of the franchise will be delighted by the addition of many new robot characters (there are well over 40 in the sequel, versus only 13 in the first). The second Transformers has shaped up to be one of the worst reviewed and most successful movies of all time. This strange pairing is really just an indication that this movie has one purpose: to entertain. The creators didn’t want to waste time bogging down the action and drama with substance–which was arguably a good decision.

Better Than The First!

I liked this movie way more than the first one(which was also good don’t get me wrong). This film had sooo many Autobots and Decepticons in it, it kinda reminded you of the old cartoons, you know where robots were running around fighting EVERYWHERE. Anyhow, the action is pretty good, the visuals are awsome, and so I give Transformers 2 Revenge Of The Fallen a 5/5!

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

If your looking for a high def movie to show off your home theatre system, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen on Blu-ray disc is a good choice. The video quality is superb and audio is powerful and at full force coming from your multichannel speakers. As far as the quality of the movie itself goes, you will either love it or hate it. Just keep in mind that you are watching a movie about a bunch of walking talking robots from outer space that transform into cars, planes, and other earthly vehicles. The kind of movie that was seamingly meant to be nothing more than a big, dumb, loud, and well ultimately entertaining summer blockbuster. If your looking for Oscar worth material, your looking in the wrong place. This is Transformers people not The Godfather.

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Ken Burns: National Parks – America’s Best Idea DVD THE NATIONAL PARKS is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved for everyone. The series traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years, chronicling the addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them.

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Special Features:

• Disc One – The Making of The National Parks (Includes Spanish Audio and Subtitles)
• Disc Two – Capturing the Parks (A behind-the-scenes look at filming of The National Parks: America s Best Idea)
• Disc Three – Musical Journeys through the National Parks (National Parks Timeline, Peace at Last/ Across the Ocean, Horizons, Green Groves of Erin, The Shores of Ogygia, Teddy Bears’ Picnic)
• Disc Four – Outtakes (An Interview with Nevada Barr, author and former National Park Service ranger; and The Boss, the story of Frank Pinkley and Casa Grande. Narrated by Ken Burns)
• Disc Five – The National Parks: This Is America (Mini Documentary, Includes Spanish Audio and Subtitles)
• Disc Six – Contemporary Stories from America s National Parks (San Antonio Missions: Keeping History Alive, Yosemite’s Buffalo Soldiers, Mount Rushmore: Telling America’s Stories, Manzanar: “Never Again,” City Kids in National Parks, Includes Spanish Audio and Subtitles).
• This film is presented in “widescreen” format. Enchanced for 16×9 televisions.
• Audio: English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Stereo, Spanish 2.0 Stereo, Described Video for the Visualy Impaired
• Subtitles: English & Spanish
• Region: NTSC 1

Great series, misleading on the wolves

I loved this series for all the reasons previously noted. I am disappointed, however, at the misimpression the last episode gives to the wolf’s survival, especially in Yellowstone. It’s no secret (and had to be known as the series was finalizing production) Bush removed wolf protection, including in Yellowstone. Obama has supported the Bush position, and wolves are being slaughtered in Yellowstone once again. The series misleads uninformed viewers into thinking the opposite in the last episode. That criticism aside, it is a magnificent series, highly informative, beautifully shot.

Masterpiece

This historical work is a real eye opener. Thank the good Lord for inspiring those great American nature lovers. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights. What great foresight to preserve our country’s great natural wonders. Ken Burns, I applaud you, your team and PBS for this great gift. I am watching the entire series for the second time in two weeks. Some parts I have watched 3-4 times.

I Kept Going Back For More

I watched this series whenever I could find a segment running on PBS. I watched many segments 3 and 4 times. There is so much to absorb both in learning about the parks and about the astounding individuals who had the foresight to preserve these great wonders of our nation as National Parks. It pleased me that the voices of the historical characters were depicted by stars of screen and stage. Some of the testimony of personal experiences moved me to tears. I swell with pride to know that these wonderful preserves are a part of our American heritage. Hopefully, the series will go along way in helping future generations take notice of and develope a love for, as well as, a responsible additude toward, the continuation of popular support of the Parks. I can’t wait to share this series with my children and grandchildren.

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Blu-ray 4-Pack: Thrillers (The Invisible / The Sixth Sense / Signs / Unbreakable) [Blu-ray] The Invisible is a totally weird inclusion on this four pack Blu-Ray set. But three classic Shyamalan movies at less than $10 a pop makes this completely worth it for me! The regular sale price of both Signs and Sixth Sense easily tops the price of this set by at least $10. When you do the math, it’s easy to see this 4-pack is an absolute steal!

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The Invisble

A Sixth Sense wannabe for teenagers, The Invisible is a loosely adapted remake of the 2002 Swedish thriller Den Osynlige, and begins with a promising supernatural scenario: When wealthy teenager Nick Powell (Justin Chatwin) is nearly beaten to death by his sullen, alienated classmate Annie Newton (Margarita Levieva) and her tough-punk friends, he’s left for dead and his disappearance draws the attention of local detectives while his widowed mother (Marcia Gay Harden) remains in a grieving state of shock. But Nick isn’t dead yet, and now his invisible spirit is roaming among the living, struggling to prevent his own death while fixed in a state of metaphysical limbo. Can he be seen and heard by some people, but not others? Even though he’s essentially a ghost, can he influence the physical world around him? Can he lead police to discover his near-dead body? Can he save Annie from the fate that awaits her? These are questions that The Invisible struggles to answer in a muddled, inconsistent screenplay that fails to play by its own rules–it’s just one unconvincing scene after another, devoid of suspense or supernatural thrills. It’s anyone’s guess why director David S. Goyer (a successful screenwriter whose credits include Blade and Batman Begins) was drawn to this weakly plotted story, which is derivative, illogical, and overly melodramatic. That may explain why The Invisible vanished after its brief theatrical release, destined for a long shelf-life on DVD.

The Sixth Sense

“I see dead people,” whispers little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), scared to affirm what is to him now a daily occurrence. This peaked 9-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is trying to find out what’s triggering Cole’s visions, but what appears to be a psychological manifestation turns out to be frighteningly real. It might be enough to scare off a lesser man, but for Malcolm it’s personal–several months before, he was accosted and shot by an unhinged patient, who then turned the gun on himself. Since then, Malcolm has been in turmoil–he and his wife (Olivia Williams) are barely speaking, and his life has taken an aimless turn. Having failed his loved ones and himself, he’s not about to give up on Cole.

This third feature by M. Night Shyamalan sets itself up as a thriller, poised on the brink of delivering monstrous scares, but gradually evolves into more of a psychological drama with supernatural undertones. Many critics faulted the film for being mawkish and New Age-y, but no matter how you slice it, this is one mightily effective piece of filmmaking. The bare bones of the story are basic enough, but the moody atmosphere created by Shyamalan and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto made this one of the creepiest pictures of 1999, forsaking excessive gore for a sinisterly simple feeling of chilly otherworldliness. Willis is in his strong, silent type mode here, and gives the film wholly over to Osment, whose crumpled face and big eyes convey a child too wise for his years; his scenes with his mother (Toni Collette) are small, heartbreaking marvels. And even if you figure out the film’s surprise ending, it packs an amazingly emotional wallop when it comes, and will have you racing to watch the movie again with a new perspective. You may be able to shake off the sentimentality of The Sixth Sense, but its craftsmanship and atmosphere will stay with you for days.

Signs

This B movie with noble aspirations is the work of a gifted filmmaker whose storytelling falls short of his considerable stylistic flair. While addressing crises of faith in the framework of an alien-invasion thriller, M. Night Shyamalan (in his follow-up to The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable) favors atmospheric tension over explanatory plotting. He injects subtle humor into expertly spooky scenes, but the story suffers from too many lapses in logic. The film’s faults are greatly compensated by the performance of Mel Gibson as a widower whose own crisis of faith coincides with the appearance of mysterious crop circles in his Pennsylvania cornfield… and hundreds of UFOs around the globe. With his brother (Joaquin Phoenix) and two young children (Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin), the lapsed minister perceives this phenomenal occurrence as a series of signs and portents, while Shyamalan pursues a spookfest with War of the Worlds overtones. It’s effective to a point, but vaguely hollow at its core.

Unbreakable
When Unbreakable was released, Bruce Willis confirmed that the film was the first in a proposed trilogy. Viewed in that context, this is a tantalizing and audaciously low-key thriller, with a plot that twists in several intriguing and unexpected directions. Standing alone, however, this somber, deliberately paced film requires patient leaps of faith–not altogether surprising, since this is writer-director M. Night Shyamalan’s daring follow-up to The Sixth Sense. While just as assured as that earlier, phenomenal hit, Unbreakable is the work of a filmmaker whose skill exceeds his maturity, its confident style serving a story that borders on juvenile. However, Shyamalan’s basic premise–that comic books are the primary conduit of modern mythology–is handled with substantial relevance.

Willis plays a Philadelphia security guard whose marriage is on the verge of failing when he becomes the sole, unscathed survivor of a devastating train wreck. When prompted by a mysterious, brittle-boned connoisseur of comic books (Samuel L. Jackson), he realizes that he’s been free of illness and injury his entire life, lending credence to Jackson’s theory that superheroes–and villains–exist in reality, and that Willis himself possesses extraordinary powers. Shyamalan presents these revelations with matter-of-fact gravity, and he draws performances (including those of Robin Wright Penn and Spencer Treat Clark, as Willis’s wife and son) that are uniformly superb. The film’s climactic revelation may strike some as ultimately silly and trivial, but if you’re on Shyamalan’s wavelength, the entire film will assume a greater degree of success and achievement.

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Knowing Blu-ray

A college professor (Nicolas Cage) opens a time capsule that has been dug up at his son s elementary school. In it are some chilling accurate predictions of disasters… when, where, and how many will die. Most of these events must uncover the details of the next disasters in hopes of preventing them. If he fails, who knows how many will die?

Knowing Blu-ray Nicolas Cage stars in this largely unsatisfying science-fiction tale that begins as a taut and spooky story concerning psychic legacies and ends up falling back on Steven Spielberg’s old, cosmic playbook for default explanations about weird phenomena. Cage stars as astrophysicist and widower John Koestler, whose young son attends a school where a 50-year-old time capsule is dug up and opened. Koestler’s son, Caleb (Chandler Canterbury), is given an envelope from the capsule containing a sheet of paper inscribed with seemingly-random numbers. Koestler interprets groupings of the numbers as prophesies (made in 1959) of disasters leading up to a globally catastrophic event late in 2009. Moreover, some of the later tragedies involve him or members of his family, suggesting the paper was meant to fall into his and Caleb’s hands. That’s not the only freaky thing drawing father and son in a direction they really don’t want to go. Among other things, a quartet of mute strangers keeps showing up with a powerful interest in Caleb’s whereabouts, and the daughter and granddaughter of the little girl who originally scribbled those numbers in 1959 are under the shadow of a separate prediction of doom. Everything goes swimmingly until it’s time for director Alex Proyas (The Crow) to begin tying up all the strings, and cliches start falling like rain. On the plus side, Knowing includes a couple of breathtaking scenes of calamity, the most horrifying (and realistic) of which is a jet crash the likes of which has never been committed to film.

Frequently Bought Together

Knowing Blu-ray Reviews

“Knowing” achieves a level of greatness so few science fiction films ever achieve. It’s not merely an engaging mystery–it’s a deeply thought-provoking fable that’s just as frightening as it is intelligent, and it ultimately makes a statement so profound that I was left completely awestruck. I don’t often have an experience like that at the movies, and for that, I’m indebted to director Alex Proyas and writers Ryne Douglas Pearson, Juliet Snowden, Stiles White, and Stewart Hazeldine. They’ve successfully crafted one of the year’s most stimulating films, taking the audience on a suspenseful, emotional, and ultimately (albeit unconventionally) redemptive journey that poses interesting questions on the nature of things. A movie like this could have easily placed technical achievement over character development, and thankfully, that didn’t happen; we care just as much about the people as we do about the spectacular special effects.

The story begins in 1959, when an elementary school class is asked to draw pictures of what the world will look like fifty years later. What they draw will be put into a time capsule, which will be reopened in the year 2009. Rather than draw a picture, the quiet, disturbed Lucinda Embry (Lara Robinson) writes out a series of numbers on both the front and the back of a piece of paper.

Flash forward to the present day. We meet an MIT astrophysics professor named John Koestler (Nicholas Cage), who teaches his students that two theories on the nature of the universe have been proposed. On the one side, we have the determinist view, which states that everything happens as the result of a predetermined–and more importantly, a predictable–sequence of events. How, for example, could the Earth be located at just the correct distance from the sun to sustain life? On the other side, we have the random view, which states that absolutely nothing can be predicted, that life, the universe, and everything happened as the result of cosmic coincidences. What exactly does Koestler believe? Here are some clues: His wife died some years earlier, and he’s openly stated that the existence of Heaven can’t be proven.

As it so happens, John’s young son, Caleb (Chandler Canterbury), goes to the same school that Lucinda Embry attended fifty years earlier. The day comes when the time capsule is unearthed and opened, and lo and behold, Caleb gets the envelope containing the numbers Lucinda wrote. He then takes it home, thinking the numbers might mean something. John initially thinks nothing of it … until he places his wet glass of hard liquor on it and leaves a ring. Was it a predetermined act or a random act that led to a ring being formed around very specific numbers (the significance of which I won’t reveal)? More important, was it a predetermined act or a random act that landed Caleb with the page of numbers in the first place? While I won’t say what the numbers refer to (and this is in spite of the many ads that give plenty of hints), I will say that what John discovers changes him forever, forcing to consider ideas he never thought he would be able to consider.

To describe more of the plot would do you and the film a great disservice. Much of the story thrives on an engrossing mystery that only gets more unsettling with every passing scene. Visual motifs, such as shiny black pebbles, burning landscapes, and silhouetted figures emerging from the forest add great psychological weight. The same can be said for a house so old and ramshackle that, under different circumstances, it would be mistaken as being haunted. It ties in wonderfully with the psychological states of the characters inhabiting it. John is a solemn, broken man, estranged from his father, often detached from his son, occasionally dependent on a bottle of alcohol to drown his sorrows. Caleb is expectedly precocious but surprisingly fragile, always yearning for that which has been lost somewhere along the way. For the first time in a great while, we have a story that can actually support such characters; were it not for the awesome nature of the final fifteen minutes, John and Caleb would be nothing more than melodramatic clichés.

There are two more characters of great importance. One is Lucinda Embry’s daughter, Diana Wayland (Rose Byrne), who enters John’s life in a way that reaffirms the notion that nothing happens randomly. The other is Diana’s daughter, Abby (also played by Lara Robinson), who, like Caleb, has been contacted by the creepy silhouetted figures, eventually called the Whispering People. Watch John and Diana as they search through Lucinda’s abandoned home in the middle of the woods–the fear they express is disturbingly convincing.

Like last summer’s “The X-Files: I Want to Believe,” “Knowing” is one of the best cinematic surprises of recent memory, a meaningful and absorbing allegory made with intention of challenging the audience in matters of spirituality. It’s difficult to say whether or not this film takes a religious stance; that would depend on your own view of the nature of the universe. There are, however, a number of religious implications, the least subtle of which is revealed in the final shot. This might account for some early reviews, where words like “overwrought” and “preposterous” came up. From my perspective, those who feel that way have failed to look any deeper than what was presented in the ads, which only scratched the surface. Contrary to what trailers and TV spots have been promising, this is not your average science fiction thriller. Serious time, effort, and thought went into “Knowing,” one of the best films I’ve seen so far this year.

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Michael Jackson – History on Film, Vol. 2 DVD

Michael Jackson – History on Film, Vol. 2 DVD Reviews

THis has many more videos and live performances than the first History on film. It starts off with the actual History commercial. It then launches into the legandary Motown 25 performance of Billie Jean were Michael debuted the moonwalk. Then it has an old favorite from the first History On Film, Beat It. Then it has Smooth Criminal from the Moonwalker Movie. And then the higlight of the video. Michael Jacksons performance at the 1995 MTV Video Awards. He performs a 15 minute medly wich includes the hits Dont Stop Till You Get Enough, The Way You Make Me Feel, Beat It, Thriller, Scream, Black or White, Billie Jean, Dangerous, and You Are Not Alone. Then the rest of the tape includes the videos Thriller, Scream, Childhood, You Are Not Alone, Earth Song, Stranger in Moscow, They Dont Really Care About Us, and Blood on the DAnce Floor. It also has the Brace Yourself excert from the first video.

The King of Pop does it again with HIStory on Film: Vol. 2! Below is a summary of each video/peformance:
TEASER- This commercial for the HIStory album is just as extravagant as one of Michael’s music videos. Featuring Michael himself amidst thousands of soldiers, you can’t go wrong with this. AWESOME!
BILLIE JEAN (Performance from Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever)- This shocking performance earned Michael Jackson an Emmy nomination and started the Moonwalking craze that lives on today. CLASSIC!
BEAT IT- This video, which was also featured on HIStory: Video Greatest Hits Vol. 1, is a classic from THRILLER. Featuring real gang members and stunning choreography, this video is a must-have!
LIBERIAN GIRL- This video from BAD is VERY rare. I did not know it even existed before I bought this tape. Features cameos from Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover, and even Bubbles!
SMOOTH CRIMINAL- There are many versions of this music video, but the one on this tape is probably the best. Probably the best choreography of any of Michael’s videos. INDISPENSIBLE!
1995 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS PERFORMANCE- A showstopping performance! This is a 15-minute medly with Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, The Way You Make Me Feel, Scream, Beat It, Black Or White, Billie Jean, Dangerous, Smooth Criminal,and You Are Not Alone. One of the most memorable performances in MTV’s HIStory!
THRILLER- The music video of all music videos. The masterpiece. Zombies… Werewolves… Vincent Price… What more could you ask for? Directed by John Landis(An American Werewolf in London) this video is heralded by many as the greatest music video of all time!
SCREAM (Vocal duet with Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson)- The video that shocked the world in 1995. With a monstrous $7 million budget and great special effects, this video is one of my favorites. The first and only duet with Michael and Janet, this video was worth every cent.
CHILDHOOD (Theme from Free Willy 2)- One of Michael’s most earnest and honest songs. This video makes you wonder what it would be like to be a child for just one more day. GREAT!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Another great video, this was the first song ever to debut on the charts at number one. Featuring Lisa Marie Presley and Michael together in the video, this is an instant classic!
EARTH SONG- One of Michael Jackson’s most powerful video and song EVER! This video was actually filmed in four different continents, and the people in the video are not professional actors but actually people of that region. This video is one of my personal favorites, for it is so powerful.
THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT US- A great song and video with awesome percussion. This video was banned from MTV and VH1 because of the contreversy surrounding the lyrics. Directed by Spike Lee.
STRANGER IN MOSCOW- An awesome song with a simple yet great concept video. It is just people walking in the rain, but when you see the video, it is so much more.
BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR (Refugee Camp Mix)- This video shows Michael dancing in a club with friends. Although the video is nothing too special, the song is GREAT! AWESOME!
BRACE YOURSELF: A KALIEDESCOPE OF MICHAEL JACKSON HISTORY- Featured on the first HIStory video, this shows glimpses of Michael in concert and elsewhere.
With this video coupled with HIStory: Video Greatest Hits Vol. 1 you have just about all of Michael Jackson’s best videos and performances. ALL HAIL THE KING OF POP!
Look for Michael Jackson’s new album INVINCIBLE to be released in the USA on October 30 and internationally on October 29. So what’re you waiting for?

Okay this is a great video for those that want everything probably already at your house in better condition. I for one had better sound of the Motown Billie Jean performance than from the original show shown back in ’83. The videos shown are : History advertiserment shown on t.v. to promote the History album with the statue), Billie Jean from Motown performance, Beat It, Liberian Girl, Smooth Criminal (edited moonwalker version not the original video), MTV performance from 1995, Thriller, Scream, STranger IN Moscow, Childhood, Blood on the Dance Floor, You Are not alone, (basically all the History videos, except the mixes) and the Teaser. Basically, I had all this stuff the only good thing about it was it was in stereo and clearer and brushed up from eighties. Other than that I’d think this was a waste of money. Nothing new on here.

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Michael Jackson – Video Greatest Hits – HIStory DVD

This compilation features 10 of Michael Jackson’s greatest video hits, including “Billie Jean,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Black or White,” “Rock With You” and others. 90 minutes.

Frequently Bought Together

Michael Jackson – Video Greatest Hits – HIStory DVD Reviews

This is a review of the VHS video “Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits HIStory” Vol. 1. Whether or not you are a fan of Michael Jackson, this is an essential video because it shows how good music videos can be. BILLIE JEAN is a striking video that broke down color barriers on MTV; THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL has a loose improvisational feeling to it which makes it fun to watch; BLACK OR WHITE is modern masterpiece complete with morphing and the controversial “panther dance” sequence. In the original version of this video, Michael smashes in a car windshield that has racist grafitti on it… he is fighting back against the racism. However, in the version included on this tape, the grafitti is edited out, so we just see Michael smashing a window for no apparent reason. Even so, the video is still an amazing experience! ROCK WITH YOU takes us back to 1980 before Michael’s plastic surgery; BAD and BEAT IT include some of the best choreography even seen in music videos, although the version of BAD on this tape is the short version, not the full version with Wesley Snipes. This tape also includes the videos for Thriller, Remember The Time, Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough and Heal The World in their entirety. This video is a powerful mix of music, dance, and film. Even if you don’t think Michael is the King of Pop, this collection proves he is the King of VIDEO!

This video is 10 great short films of Michael Jacksons career spanning from 1979 to 1992. The videos are Billie Jean, The WAy You Make Me Feel, Black or White, Rock With You, Bad(shortened version), Thriller(yes, the whole thing), Beat It, Remeber the Time, Dont Stop Till You Get Enough, and Heal the World. The best ones are the ones that actually have a little bit of acting in them like The Way You Make Me Feel, Black or White, Thriller, and Remeber the Time. This video is great for any Micael fan and any music fan considering it contains 7 # 1 HIts.

You’ll like him once you get your hands on this plethora of Michael Jackson’s greatest and most well-known short films of the 80′s and 90′s, simply titled “Video Greatest Hits: HIStory”. Michael Jackson, with his outstanding efforts in music and entertainment, stands tall as one of the pioneers of music and music videos, and this immaculate collection of short films proves just that.
This DVD (or VHS, whichever you may have) features 10 of Michael’s top short films, all in their full-length, uncut entirety!!!

The lineup of short films include:

1. Brace Yourself (A Kaleidoscope of Michael Jackson HIStory) : Although it is not a short film, it does give you a taste of Michael Jackson’s impact on the world of music, the fans, and the world, and puts out a simple message: Brace Yourself.

2. Billie Jean – The popular video that single-handedly broke the barrier between not only man and music, but also the color barrier on MTV, as he became the first black musical artist to have a video shown on MTV.

3. The Way You Make Me Feel – A great video all by itself, this video, which lasts nearly 9 1/2 minutes, features Michael at a high point in his career, with his innovative dance moves and impeccable standards for music!

4. Black Or White – This video, aired in 1991 on many broadcast stations around the nation, started the beginning of Michael’s music onslaught of the 90′s…and a lot of controversy as well. This video, featuring dance moves galore and a kaleidoscope of nations around the world, also featured a scene at the end, most commonly called “the panther scene”, as it features a panther who morphs into Michael Jackson and then dances in the street, ravaging a car with gang and racist graffiti sprayed on the windows, and sexy yet somewhat disturbing gyrations with his crotch. This scene sparked outrage, but no matter what, this is one of his best short films.

5. Rock With You – A video made in 1979 features Michael Jackson dancing in a sparkling jumpsuit, singing. It doesn’t seem like much, but the countless lights and other special effects you will see definitely make it worthwhile

6. Bad – Directed by world-renown director Martin Scorsese, This full 18 minute long version follows a high school kid (played by Michael) who goes to a private school. When school lets out he then goes home to visit his friends, who get the feeling that he has changed, and he’s not “bad” anymore. Michael proves that he is, though, by showing off many mezmorizing dance moves. The choreography in this short film is just too good for anybody but Michael to perform. This video is probably one of his greatest.

7. Thriller – This short film showed that one man can indeed change the way people look at the connection between music and film. Michael does a fantastic job in this video, with the sometimes-crazy choreography and such. A must-see for any person, MJ fan or not. Directed by John Landis.

8. Beat It – Michael does it again with this music video, as it follows two gangs and their vendettas between each other. Again, the choreography is to die for, and the layout is just spectacular!

9. Remember The Time – Michael will blow you away in this short film featuring Michael, comedian/actor Eddie Murphy, supermodel Iman, and basketball legend Magic Johnson. Set in Egypt, Michael dazzles even the faithless soul with dance moves, special effects, and anything you would wish for in a short film. Definitely one to see!

10. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson’s first major music video features special effects and pretty good dancing. Good for its time, but unfortunately does not stand the test of time as well as people hoped. A good video though.

11. Heal The World – Not a short film, but rather a look into the heartache of sick and dying children around the world. Michael, in this video, hopes to touch your heart with this video and hopes that you can do what you can to “Heal The World”.

In closing, Michael Jackson proves to be the single greatest musical icon that the world has ever seen, and not a single person can make the same impact that Michael has made in music!

I’ve been a big fan of Michael Jackson ever since I heard the “BAD” album for the first time in the early ’90s. I’ve heard his music before hand of course, but never really paid much attention. When I bought my first video from Michael called “Moonwalker”, I was hooked. This video was amazing and I was highly impressed with his dancing especially with “Smooth Criminal”. I love to dance today, because of Michael Jackson’s music videos like “Billie Jean : Motown 25 Performance”, “Thriller”, and “Smooth Criminal”. After I purchased “Moonwalker”, I bought all of Michael’s solo albums on tapes at first then on CDs, than I bought Jackson 5 (Motown) / Jacksons (Epic) albums on CDs and tapes, than I ventured on to buy as many music videos of him as I can find. At the time I was a fanatic, I couldn’t find his best music videos on film in one collection, so when the “Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits – HIStory” came out on VHS, I was highly excited and bought it the first day it was released on VHS in 1995. I was very happy with this video, but a little disappointed that the “BAD” music video was shortened. Now in 2001, I bought the DVD version and I’m happy to say that “BAD” video is in it’s entirety, with Wesley Snipes and all the drama.

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Cheap Blu-ray Movies

If you think Blu-ray is only about new release in high-def format, you’d be wrong. Some great classics and favorites–including TV shows–made their debut this year, and the result was crystal clear: Blu-ray takes everything to another level.

See the top editor’s picks in Cheap Blu-ray Movies on Demand for 2009

• Quantum of Solace [Blu-ray]
• The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity | The Bourne Supremacy | The Bourne Ultimatum) [Blu-ray]
• Sin City (Two-Disc Theatrical & Uncut, Extended, and Unrated Verisons) [Blu-ray]
• Slumdog Millionaire [Blu-ray]

Dark City Blu-ray

The critically-acclaimed triumph from visionary director Alex Proyas (I, Robot, The Crow) is back with a brand new directors cut featuring enhanced picture and sound, never-before-seen footage and three commentary tracks that take you deeper than ever before into the world of one of sci-fis most exciting and revered tales. When John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes with no memory at the scene of a grisly murder, he soon finds himself hunted by the police, a woman claiming to be his wife and a mysterious group of pale men who seem to control everything and everyone in the city. Starring Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist), Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), William Hurt (A History of Violence) and Kiefer Sutherland (TVs 24).

Dark City Blu-ray If you’re a fan of brooding comic-book antiheroes, got a nihilistic jolt from The Crow (1994), and share director Alex Proyas’s highly developed preoccupation for style over substance, you might be tempted to call Dark City an instant classic of visual imagination. It’s one of those films that exists in a world purely of its own making, setting its own rules and playing by them fairly, so that even its derivative elements (and there are quite a few) acquire their own specific uniqueness. Before long, however, the film becomes interesting only as a triumph of production design. And while that’s certainly enough to grab your attention (Blade Runner is considered a classic, after all), it’s painfully clear that Dark City has precious little heart and soul. One-dimensional characters are no match for the film’s abundance of retro-futuristic style, so it’s best to admire the latter on its own splendidly cinematic terms. Trivia buffs will be interested to know that the film’s 50-plus sets (partially inspired by German expressionism) were built at the Fox Film Studios in Sydney, Australia, home base of director Alex Proyas and producer Andrew Mason. The underground world depicted in the film required the largest indoor set ever built in Australia.

Dark City Blu-ray Reviews

The trailers for Dark City suggested a film so complex and impeneterable to leave the viewer rather confused at its conclusion, yet in execution the film makes far more sense than the intriguing montage in the trailer.
Set in a dark world–literally dark, as no one seems to remember being out during the day–the film focuses on John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), a man who awakens amnesiac to find a murdered woman nearby. Soon thereafter pursued by the police (led by William Hurt), he must solve the mystery of his missing memories and eerie pursuers.

Helped along the way by a woman claiming to be his wife (Jennifer Connelley) and a pendactic psychiatrist (Kiefer Sutherland), Murdoch learns that his pursuers are a race of aliens with the power to warp reality with their minds who continually change the city and the memories and even lives of the people inhabiting it in an experiment designed to save their lives. Murdoch has developed their same power to “tune” and save humanity from the aliens’ machinations.

The film’s theme of questionable reality–carried across on two levels as both human memories are manipulated and the physical world itself changed on a nightly basis–is done fairly well if somewhat less successfully than the in the Matrix.

Replete with dark imagery suiting the film noir genre and quite at home in Blade Runner, the movie makes for a stunning visual performance. The aliens are masterfully done as frightening and eerie outsiders. My only complaint is that I was able to grasp the film’s actions and meanings on a first viewing with little difficulty; I had expected to come out with the sense of, “What the heck?!” that would require two or three viewings to fully digest the film’s depth. Yet that aside, the film is still a definite watch for any fans of film noir or reality-questioning sci-fi.

The DVD includes a number of special features to sweeten the deal, including two commentary tracks, the theatrical trailer (whose music unfortunately didn’t make it into the film), an isolated score track, and more. The video and audio transfers are crisp and clean.

Dark City is the equivalent of taking a train through a tunnel with the proverbial light at the end being either an oncoming train or the end of the tunnel – except the tunnel is a nasty horror film roller coaster loop without the majority of the gore and bad plot. (The light analogy is apt; Dark City is one of only two films I know of where no scene takes place in daylight, at least until the end of the film.)
If you’ve never seen this, the plot is a man (Rufus Sewell with an American accent reminscent of Damian Lewis in Band of Brothers) accused of murder being forced to explore the underside of his city – and realizing something is very, very wrong in the very structure of the universe when memories don’t add up. Feared and then supported by his wife (Jennifer Connelly as she just started becoming a superstar), helped at times by an amoral ‘psychatrist’ who has a lot more up his sleeve than therapy (Kiefer Sutherland acting for a change!), he is pursued by a droll detective (William Hurt) as they question the reality and realize the horror of their lives.

The plot works here for several reasons, unlike much in this genre. The heroes are worth rooting for and clearly delineated against the real bad guys, and the explore-the-world theme that often overcomplicates plotlines this gets pulled along at a quick pace by at first the murder charge and then later the pursuit by the real baddies. Give the writers credit too – unlike the Matrix, the world created here doesn’t borrow extensively from myth and religion and you don’t need to watch five times to get the point. Cinematography is out of this world – and one of the reasons this picked up comparisons to Lang’s Metropolis – and the sound track featuring a ton of brass, bass, drums and weeping violins fits.

The DVD transfer has good blacks (important given that whole never see the sun thing) and I happened to actually learn things about films in general from the Ebert commentary.

A good chaser of this genre after watching the last couple of Matrix films. Recommended.

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