Dragon Ball Z: Movie Pack Collection One (Movies 1-5)

Good first set
I've had all the "orange brick" Dragon Ball Z season boxes for a good while now, but always wanted to get the movies too. I kept putting it off because the single DVDs for all the movies were a bit expensive, especially since I was planning on owning them all at some point. Then I saw these movie packs being released and I jumped at the chance to finally get the movies.

Since I have never owned the DBZ movies, this purchase was a no-brainer for me. The box itself houses the 5 movies in 3 separate slim cases which I thought was a nice touch. No booklets or anything this time, just the movies themselves which is sort of a bummer but not a deal breaker. Quality wise the animation looks crisp and I've enjoyed watching these, most of them for the first time.

I look forward to purchasing the rest of these movie packs.

First of a set yeah
These are the best animated DBZ movies ever and the fights are well choreographed. A must have for any DBZ fan and watch it in Japanese you will not be disappointed

DBZ fan
Videos are great, uniform cases and title screens, simple set perfect for anyone who wants the filns and very little else

Click to Editorial Reviews

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete Season 7

A Return to Form, Almost--And The Truth About Mac's Real Name
Like many fans, I was disappointed with Season Six--especially the first few episodes. Season Seven, however, brings the gang back to the simple banter that made them so funny in the first place. Sure, there is still the occasional slow episode--"Frank's Brother," for instance, which is told through so many flashbacks that it loses the "Sunny" feel--but overall, the quality control is strong this season. "The Gang Goes To The Jersey Shore" is laugh-out-loud funny in the same ways that some of Season Two's best episodes were funny, and "Frank's Pretty Woman" lets this season come out swinging with vulgarity ("She's a good hoo-er") and taboo subject matter. Another great offering from this season is--and I won't ruin it--the disclosure of Mac's real name. It's a payoff that was well worth the wait.

In Season Seven, the writers made a concerted effort--even more so than in season six--to "call back" to characters and situations from previous seasons. The results were mixed. On...

Great Start to the Season
This was a fantastic start to the season. Both my friend and I watched it together and we laughed the whole time. The part with the fake blood packets is priceless. I'm super excited to see the rest of the season.

It's Always Sunny is Back!
This episode has the gang doing exactly what they do best: be depraved, gross, getting into ridiculous hi-jinx, the return of crack for Dee and her brother, drunkenness, Mac's persistent belief in his super strength and best of all, spraying blood, which was good for Shakespeare and is great for this episode too.

You will not be disappointed getting this episode for $1.99. If you are a Sunny fan, then this is right up your alley.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Pearl Harbor (Two-Disc 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition)

I liked this movie - Too bad it's another MPEG2 encode
This movie was definitely one to show off the Blu-Ray format, but some corporate genius decided not to pay MS royalties for the use of VC-1, and they went with MPEG2 again on PH. Unless you have the sharpness dialed down on your set, or a 720p display blocking can be seen on this title pretty easily. If you're not sensitive to it then you're lucky. It comes through looking almost like a second layer of grain, but not the very fine grain of good film we're used to. I know some films are intentionally grainy, but rather than error diffusion (like real grain) this movie exhibits patterned grain. It is an artifact of MPEG2 block in motion.

Titles released on Blu-Ray in VC1 encoding have proven how much better they can look. Why won't they maximize the potential of the format already?

Great movie, but so so video transfer
This movie is very enjoyable in plot and special effects. But, unfortunately the video transfer was poorly done in Blu-ray. If you already have standard DVD version, save your money.

A BETTER CUT & A GREAT DVD RELEASE!
The Vista Series has released the biggest and greatest DVD package ever assembled with "Pearl Harbor- The Director's Cut." The new 184 Minute cut is edited better. The attack sequence is more realistic and graphic, the reason for this cut's R-rating. And the four-disc set features hours of behind-the-scenes footage, two documentaries on the real attack and the Doolittle Raid, and commentary tracks from Michael Bay and Janine Basinger; Jerry Brucheimer, Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Alec Baldwin; The Director of Photography, Costume Designer, Visual Effects Supervisor and Composer. A great addition to the DVD collection. And if you think this is good, then get ready for the November release of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring- The Director's Edition" four-disc set! Movie Grade: A+; DVD Grade: A+

Click to Editorial Reviews

Olive the Other Reindeer

Fun for kids and adults
This tale of a Christmas-loving dog who tries to help Santa make his deliveries is both cute and innocent enough for young kids and hip enough for their Gen X parents. For example there's a great line that parodies the "you're no Jack Kennedy" remark Lloyd Bentsen made to Dan Quayle in the 1988 VP debates. That's going to go over the head of any kid, but they'll be wondering why Mommy and Daddy think it's so funny. And that's not the only joke snuck in for the grown ups.

With a larcenous penguin as a companion, Olive meets interesting and interestingly-named characters as she heads to the North Pole to save Christmas. This special truly deserved its Emmy nomination and will entertain both you and your kids.

A last bit of trivia: When Drew Barrymore (the voice of Olive) was in Woody Allen's musical, "Everyone Says I Love You", she was the only star in it who was able to convince Woody her singing was so bad that she should have a voice double for her songs...

Olive, the Other Reindeer is a new holiday classic
How could you not love this story? The title alone will make you smile! But then someone got the great idea of animating this story of a small but brave little dog named Olive who jumps at the chance to join Santa's team of reindeer when Blitzen is injured AND letting Drew Barrymore do the voice of Olive. By the time you recognize the voices of Dan Castallaneta, Ed Asner, Peter MacNichol and Michael Stipe, you realize that they all signed on because this is a quality holiday story. It has been a long time boys and girls since we have had a new one this good to enjoy during the holiday season. Even if you have not enjoyed the charming book by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh, you will adore the movie. Or visa versa. If you have kids they will want to watch this one over and over, but do not worry about it; you will not mind that one bit.

A lovely and cute movie...
This is the most adorable movie. It was featured on FOX, as a Christmas special. Drew Barrymore uses her lovely voice to portray Olive, a little dog who thinks he is ment to be one of Santa's reindeers. An evil postal worker plans to ruin Christmas, and stop Olive. It is such a wonderful story; soon to be a new Christmas classic. It is so cute, and a must to buy. Anyone will love this movie.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Princess & The Frog (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Wish upon a star. Then get to work!
Bam! It's appropriate that Emeril Lagasse plays a (bit) character in The Princess and the Frog, voicing Marlon the `gator. This film proves that Disney's once-vaunted hand-drawn animation is back with a vengeance.

The film has gorgeous visuals, engaging characters, a palpably evil villain and gags galore. Randy Newman's New Orleans-influenced score perfectly complements the story. It is laugh-out-loud funny. The romance between leads Tiana and Prince Naveen is touching and believable. The film's strong, down-to-earth message: You can't just wish upon a star for your dreams to come true. You'll have to work. Hard.

Folks looking for a quality, old-school Disney film will not be disappointed. Like all the best Disney classics, The Princess and the Frog adapts a classic fairy tale and adds twists and wit. This story of hardworking Tiana, aspiring New Orleans restauranteur, and her froggy adventures will engage children and charm their parents. It's a movie that both...

The Disney Magic is Back!
I don't understand why people complain about the lack of good family fair and then shy away from going to see "The Princess and the Frog", the new traditionally animated film from Disney. This is a good film and the lack of business it is creating may cause Disney to rethink their current change in course.

A few years ago, John Lasseter, the force behind all of the Pixar hits, was promoted to oversee many different aspects of Disney. He did something I don't think a lot of people expected. He restarted production of traditionally animated, hand drawn feature films, a type of filmmaking all but abandoned (due to cost; computer animation is a lot cheaper) at a studio now making digital animation. He hired the team behind "The Little Mermaid" and they chose to make "The Princess and the Frog", the first Disney film featuring an African American heroine.

New Orleans, the 20s. Tiana (Anika Nani Rose, "Dreamgirls", "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency") is a practical...

Disney's first American classic fairytale
The Disney Studio has made a return to its hand-drawn roots (with the aid of some computer technology of course) with its first hand-drawn animated fairy tale in many years. It is also the first time the studio has set one of their fairytales in America. Tiana (voiced expertly by Anika Noni Rose of Dreamgirls[Blu-ray]) is a young girl in 1920's New Orleans. She is focused on making her late father's dream come true of opening her own restaurant; this leaves no time for love or fun. Enter Naveen of Maldonia, a handsome prince who has been disinherited by his family for his laziness. Tiana and Naveen are brought together even though they are polar opposites because of the black voodoo magic of the evil Doctor Facilier. The two are forced to journey together to get what they both think they want...which naturally changes along the way. No plot spoilers here...this rich movie needs to be experienced personally...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Before Midnight [Blu-ray]

An honest, gripping and intimate peek into a relationship
Let's first get two things out of the way. If you've seen BEFORE SUNRISE and/or BEFORE SUNSET and disliked them...there is no reason to give BEFORE MIDNIGHT a try. And if you haven't seen those movies at all, I HIGHLY recommend you do prior to checking out Richard Linklater's latest near classic.

I should also warn that even the most cursory mention of plot points in either the 2ndor the 3rdmovie can be construed as spoilers...but it's tough to talk about the 3rdfilm without giving away some surprise. I'll balance as best I can.

In BEFORE SUNRISE, young American Jesse (Ethan Hawke), age about 23 meets young Frenchwoman Celine (Julie Delpy), age about 23. They are on a train bound for Vienna. Jesse is flying back to the US from Vienna the morning after the train arrives. Celine is on her way back to Paris after visiting family in Budapest. They strike up a conversation and clearly hit it off right away. Jesse asks Celine to get off the train with him and...

Another must-see chapter in the endearing "Before" franchise
When we last saw Jessie and Celine now already nine years ago, Jessie looked as if he was about to miss his flight back to the US and instead choosing to stay with Celine in Paris. And now we get the third installment of this fanastic mini-franchise.

As "Before Midnight" (2013 release; 109 min.) opens, we see Jessie (played by Ethan Hawke) dropping off his 13 yr. old son Hank at the Kalamata airport in the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece. From their conversation we learn that Hank spent the summer with Jessie and Celine on vacation in Greece. As Jessie gets to his car to drive off, we see Celine (played by Julie Delpy) and... their 7 yr. old twin daughters Ella and Nina! So yes indeed, Celine and Jessie became a couple, living in Paris, and now the parents of 2 girls. The remainder of the movie plays out that rest of the afternoon and evening, and to tell you much more of the 'plot' would surely ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all...

Talk to me ...
I'm new to the whole `Before...' trilogy. I understand that I'm probably the one in a million who hadn't seen any of the parts, but it is a truth I can't hide from. Back in 2004, when the internet was abuzz of talk over `Before Sunset' and critics were raving Julie Delpy's performance and the Oscars were nominating its screenplay I was under a rock. Well, to be completely honest, I wasn't under a rock as much as I was too lazy to want to watch `Before Sunrise' and there was no way I was going to watch a sequel without watching the first film. So this year I finally buckled. With all the critical praise for `Before Midnight' I knew that I was going to eventually HAVE to see this movie, and so I Netflix'd `Before Sunrise' and `Before Sunset' and had myself a `Before...' marathon. Yes, I got up early this morning and watched the first two films and then got in my car and sat in a theater and indulged in the conclusion to this romantic trifecta (or is it?).

In all...

Click to Editorial Reviews

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

My Favorite Comedy of the Sound Era
Stanley Kramer's IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963, UA) is my favorite comedy of the sound era and the most fondly remembered movie of my 1960's childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has a sunny and airy mood, the comedy cast of a lifetime, sharp and hilarious dialogue, an irrestible greed plot, a melodic music score by Ernest Gold, and furious pacing for almost, or just over, three hours (depending on what version you are watching). The more I watch it on DVD at 161 minutes or at 182 minutes on Turner Classic Movies, the more I love it and want to see the long-lost 192 minute Cinerama world premiere version.

MAD WORLD does something right that every other movie of its type gets wrong--it starts a chase plot in reel one, then develops character outward as we go along. It does not spend 45 minutes setting up the story, as similar movies do. In the opening scene, a dying millionaire (Jimmy Durante) tells a group of people in the Southern California desert that a...

Funny Movie, Disappointing DVD
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a classic comedy. Combining big name talent, it tells the story of what happen when a group of strangers finds out where $50,000 is buried. Soon, these normally law-abiding citizens are speeding, stealing, and destroying property. What they don't know is the police are observing them the entire time. As the situations get more out of hand, the movie gets funnier.

I wasn't that impressed the first time I saw this movie. But on repeated viewings with friends, I've come to enjoy it more. The actors are phenomenal and the material has a timelessly funny quality to it. I'm young enough that I don't recognize all the stars, but that doesn't diminish my enjoyment at all.

I was excited when I found out that the movie was coming to DVD, but I've got to say the final product disappointed me. I have only seen the "restored" VHS version that's been out for years. This DVD goes back to the original theatrical release and cuts out some of my favorite...

Wanted to like it.
I really wanted to like this DVD. I have the movie on VHS and enjoy it a lot. My reason for rating it so low was that it had almost 23 minutes missing from what was on the restored DVD version, including several memorable Phil Sivers moments. I see no reason why a DVD should offer less than the VHS. Shame on the producers of the DVD. What could they possibly have been thinking?

Click to Editorial Reviews