Mozart - Don Giovanni / Maazel, Raimondi, Te Kanawa, Paris Opera
Director: Joseph Losey
Average Customer Review:
DVD (26 February, 2002)
list price: $29.95 -- our price: $26.96
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Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen

Reviews (36)

Visually, the best Don Giovanni on DVD
Joseph Losey's Don Giovanni is masterful. The opening scenes resonate perfectly with the music. The gathering clouds slowly darkening the sky and the melancholy sea beating against the shoreline foretell of a sea-change. Bad days are ahead for the Don. Ruggero Raimondi is the perfect Don Giovanni - totally believable and true to Mozart's characterization. The location shots add a dimension to Opera that take this production to another level. Losey makes sure the music is always in sync with the action. When Don Ottario is singing in the Gondolla, for instance, the oarsman is keeping perfect time with the music which, esthetically, is a major improvement over what is normally a dry section of the Opera. Another interesting touch that Losey gives to this production is the character, played by Eric Adjani, called the "Silent Valet."A sly mephistophelean presence that provides an excellent counterpoint to the levity of José van Dam's Leporello. Though he never speaks, his demeanor encourages the Don's baser instincts (one might even argue that he is an image of the younger Giovanni). Losey is masterful in creating visual images that give the story more depth. There is a scene in particular, in which Giovanni watchesa nude girl bathing. While she is unaware of his presence the scene is a combination of innocence and sensuality. When she does become aware of the intrusion, Giovanni gives her his penetrating stare, which she returns with a look that is knowing and somehow sad. There has indeed been a sea change and the Don is travelling inevitably down a road that will lead to his demise.

Quite a fine production
This Don Giovanni is not the worst, and it's not the best. But it's about as close as one can get to the top of the list without actually being there. Ruggero Raimondi is a great baritone and too often overlooked (his signature role is Scarpia). His Don Giovanni is given both a fantastic voice, full of expression, and a fantastic actor to back it up. The "Donnas" both shine, and their performance alone is worth the price of this DVD.
The sound is difficult to deal with--the balance between singers, etc.
The filming aspects--cinematography, lighting, sets (oh, the sets!) are all very well done, and the work is as much a success as an opera as it is as a film.
My only beef is with Malcolm King's Masetto, which is horribly overdone (and, at least for me, the character whose lip-synching was the most obvious, as everyone else seemed to disguise it well).
My advice: buy it.

Don Giovanni Disappoints
This version of Don Giovanni is dominated by Losey's need to be recognized every minute of every scene.
The three female roles are beautifully sung but the directing is so distracting that it is difficult to focus on the wonderful voices and the music.
As an a opera lover, I feel the director needs to enhance the audience's enjoyment of the music, not supplant it.
Clearly not a low budget opera, the settings are varied and beautiful if somewhat incongruous.
Like others that have reviewed this opera, I felt the sound was poor.Additionally I felt the electronic modification of the weaker voices was so obvious it was amusing, as were the frantic actions the singers were performing while they were supposedly singing (ie. Raimondi sings with his mouth full of food).
The dinner scene and descent into hell scenes (my favorites) were weak and off focus, not at all representing the dark quality of the music.The statue of the commendatore was a non-starter.
I would rate this version of Don Giovanni harsher but for the joy of the voices of Te Kanawa, Moser and Berganza.



... Read more

Asin: B00005UW7G
Sales Rank: 4918
Subjects:  1. Performing Arts - Opera   

Crusty Demons of Dirt, Vol. 3
Average Customer Review:
DVD (09 October, 2001)
list price: $19.98
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Features

• Color

Reviews (1)

crust 3.............
this probably isn't the best of the crusty series but seriously all of them deserve a 5 star rating.. ... Read more

Asin: B00005PJ83
Sales Rank: 35847
Subjects:  1. Sports Highlights   

Cobra FRS225 microTalk 2-way Radio (2-Pack)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics

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Editorial Review

Take these compact and powerful Family Radio Service (FRS) radios hiking, camping, or out on the town for easy communication. This twin pack of Cobra FRS 225 radios features 14 channels, 38 privacy codes, and up to a two-mile range with 500 milliwatts of output power. You can also customize the Cobra FRS 225 with optional snap-on interchangeable style fronts, available in 33 styles.

Front-panel push buttons give you easy access to all 14 channels, and the call alert provides an easily recognizable alert for incoming calls. The electronic channel saver automatically remembers the last channel used, and the backlit LCD screen is easy to read, even at night. The auto squelch feature automatically shuts off weak transmissions or unwanted noise due to terrain or range constraints. Cobra's SuperFlex antenna flexes without breaking and withstands the demands of an active lifestyle.

These radios come with belt clips and wrist straps. Each radio runs on four AAA batteries. Cobra covers these radios with a two-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Speaker/mic jack allows use of earphone and speaker/microphone
• Backlit LCD display; interchangeable snap-on fronts with dozens of colors
• Up to 2-mile range and access to all 14 FRS channels
• 38 privacy codes for a total of 532 sub-channels
• Auto squelch feature automatically shuts off weak transmissions or unwanted noise due to terrain

Reviews (3)

This are nice FRS radios
These are good quality radios. The sound is clear and the functions are easy to use. The range is good on open ground and very adequate in the woods. I especially like them when I let the kids go to the neighborhood park or when they are outside with their friends. They are also water-resistant so you can use them during inclement weather and they have a 2-year warranty; the best warranty in the business. Highly recommended.

The Best Walkie-Talkies Ever
These have to be the best walkie talkies ever. The range in great! I think that it emits the highest power signal allowed by law! Plus, the reception is great. The faceplates are great. There are so many to choose from(Not to forget that with the silver faceplates already on the walkie talkies, they give you two extra). The layout is so easy to use! Don't forget that you get 2 walkie talkies. Now it seems like everyone has one of these. If you ever have gone to the mall and got seperated from the group, you know what it feels like. But with these, you can keep in touch wherever you go! These are so useful. Buy one!

Excellent value and quality radios
These were just what I was looking for!They sound great.They're easy to use, so my kids won't have any problems staying in touch on our next trip to Disney World or family camp-out.The price from Amazon can't be beat and what they don't tell you is that you also get TWO extra SNAP fronts with this sweet little deal.The radios have a lit display so you know what channel you're on... something my old Motorola Talkabouts did not have.The call tone is a great feature, too.I know my family will get a lot of use out of these.I liked them so much I bought two pair. ... Read more

Asin: B00005KI3M
Subjects:  1. 2-Way Radio (Two way, 2Way, 2 way, Walky Talky, Walkie Talkie)    2. Family Radio Service (FRS)   

European Car
Average Customer Review:
Magazine
list price: $59.88 -- our price: $12.97
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• Magazine Subscription

Reviews (4)

Only for Euro cars sold in USA
Great magazine lots of good tips and nice product reviews. Very entertaining. The only downside it only has info on European cars sold in the US Market, so if you want info on the latest Alfa Romeo or tips on how to improved the performance of your Peugeot 307 this is not the place. On the other hand if you have a VW Gti or a BMW you will love it.

Superb auto magazine...
Outstanding magazine for German auto enthusiasts! New car reviews and project cars, some of which go back to the 1970s.

The Best European Tuner Magazine I've Read
European Car features a wide variety of new, old, and upcoming European made automobiles. You'll find everything from a hopped up '89 VW GTI, to the lastest masterpiece of Pininfarina. They test creations from every European performance tuner out there, as well as a few vehicles that are completely unadulterated and right from the manufacturer.

If you are looking for a magazine that will review the latest Peugot and tell you trunk space, the number of cup holders, and whether or not it has power windows, this is NOT the magazine for you.

If you are looking for a magazine that gives you a feeling for a customized Euro creation, keeps you updated on their magazine project cars, and is abundant with racing news, I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. If you're a numbers person, however, you should know that it typically will not give acceleration, quarter mile, or skidpade numbers.
I gave it 4 stars because it accomplishes being what it tries to be as well as, or better than almost every other car magazine out there, and definitely every other import tuner magazine. It's an excellent balance of aftermarket accessories, racing news, new car reviews, and just talkin' cars. ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7VU
Sales Rank: 837
Subjects:  1. Automotive (Automobiles, Cars, Auto, Autos)    2. Europe   

Above All Co. L74995CN Forearm Forklift
Average Customer Review:
Tools & Hardware
list price: $39.99 -- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Cleverly called the Forearm Forklift, these handy adjustable lifting straps make carrying heavy and hard-to-handle furniture and appliances remarkably easy. Using the Forearm Forklift, two people can carry large, heavy objects at a low center of gravity, only inches off the ground. As a result, you don't have to bend way down to pick up the object, and you don't have to stoop awkwardly to clear doorways. The Forearm Forklift also helps you move objects over sensitive floors--such as wood, vinyl, or tile--without the same risk of causing scuffs or damage. ... Read more

Features

• They're the first and only moving tool ever to be OSHA accepted
• Make moving heavy items easier
• These put handles on hard to handle pieces
• These patented moving straps are adjustable to carry any size furnishings
• They encourage proper lifting techniques

Reviews (8)

Great Tool for Moving
We used the Forearm Forklift this past week to move to another house.We own a lot of large furniture and the Forearm Forklift really came in handy especially for moving bulky, awkward items.This was especially true for matresses, a china hutch, couches, bookcases, etc.If the item you are moving doesn't have strong legs or give (e.g., a mattress) it really is best to crisscross the straps underneath the item to make sure you keep your grip on it.

It was nice to have the Foream Forklift in addition to a dolly as there are many items that one can't move easily with a dolly (upright or piano).We won't move again without these and will be buying them for any friends who will be moving.

WOW! great item!
The forearm forklift is TRULY revelutionary! i recently moved my family of 5 from one 3 story home to another.I could not have done it without the forearm forklift! This product was incredibly easy to use, steady as a rock, and really made the move almost effortless.
I see in one other review that one woman did not care for this product.I think, perhaps she was using it incorrectly (not sure how, it sure doesn't take a rocket scientist!). With proper use, (and maybe a bit of common sense) I'm positive anyone would LOVE this product.
BUY IT NOW AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

Strong, secure and fast
We bought these to help deliver furniture at my store.They're great for all of our inventory, even the super heavy stuff.In fact, they make it feel lighter.???
FYI-for furnishings with legs, we just put them underneath.But, for the flat bottomed pieces we cross the straps once underneath and we've never had them slip out.They're even good on stairs.
Not only do they keep our dollies off our cust.'s floors, but they also work to get in and out faster.Use them if you can.I recommend them cause they work! ... Read more

Asin: B00005TPUZ
Subjects:  1. Safety Equipment    2. Back Belts   

Schumacher 1050-PE Battery Charger
Average Customer Review:
Tools & Hardware

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Reviews (1)

Good Charger,But it is not Full Automatic!!
If you are looking for a battery charger that you can plug in ,set it and forget it, you will need a full automatic charger not a Manually set type of charger like this one.Unfortunately, it does not describe this feature in the summary given for this product. Schumacher charger is the best charger out there. ... Read more

Asin: B00002N6TW
Sales Rank: 22988
Subjects:  1. Power Supplies    2. Battery Chargers    3. (Rechargers)   

Nuclear Rescue 911 - Broken Arrows & Incidents
Director: Peter Kuran
Average Customer Review:
DVD (15 June, 2001)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $22.46
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

The U.S. government uses the phrase "broken arrow" to refer to anaccident involving a nuclear weapon, and as Nuclear Rescue 911: Broken Arrows& Incidents makes chillingly clear, there have been many more such mishapsthan the public realizes. Between 1950 and 1980, there were 32 accidents thatinvolved a nuke, dire situations that featured crashing bombers, disappearingsubmarines, and even a deadly fiasco in Arkansas triggered when a haplesstechnician dropped a socket wrench down a missile silo. While some of theseevents were calamitous, none of them, thankfully, actually set off a nuclearexplosion. This film, however, makes the point that some of these misfortunescame astonishingly close to wiping out millions of people. Using a combinationof news footage and stock archival footage to portray real events, and anarration delivered by Adam West of Batman fame, the documentary isappropriately sober and tends not to be sensationalistic. Credibility isestablished by some interviews with participants in the various accidents, and aformer Department of Energy spokesman appears throughout to provide detailsabout particular events. An interesting DVD bonus item is an alarmingly upbeat1950s vintage film short the U.S. Air Force made to showcase its safetyprocedures in handling nuclear weapons at the height of the cold war. -- Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Dolby

Reviews (2)

Not entirely new, but interesting nonetheless
Thankfully, Director and Special Effects Guru Peter Kuran has taken it upon himself to become a force for preservation of an important part of America's past - the nuclear age, and all of the trials, tribulations, horror, progress, humor, and stupidity that time entails.His other films, Trinity and Beyond, Atomic Journeys, and Nukes In Space all address various aspects of the atomic generation: Trinity is a general overview, Journeys a "tour" of sites around the US and the world, and Space studies in-depth the high-altitude nuclear detonations the US conducted.(Fans will also note that Kuran did a tribute film to the men who originally shot this footage called Atomic Filmmakers, which according to Peter himself will debut on DVD soon in an extended, "Director's Cut" version).

Kuran's latest work, Nuclear Rescue 911, centers around the various accidents surrounding the use of nuclear weapons in the US program.Like the others, it is a documentary, comprised mostly of old restored footage, narration, and some interviews.Like the others, much of the restored footage is stuff we've seen before, either in Trinity or Journeys.Unfortunately, there is depressingly little new footage in this film, although the focus of the narration almost makes up for that problem.I suspect that Kuran is running out of usable source material, which is fine, and the voiceovers on the different subjects make these films equally as educational as the originals.Perhaps it is the romantic in me that wishes Peter could come across a lost archive of material, restore it, and cut an entirely new film as engaging as Trinity was.

To be sure, the educational (and horror) value of Nuclear Rescue cannot be stressed enough.As always, the DVD is packed with supplemental materials, and expect your subwoofer to get a good workout from the bass-intense 5.1 track.Kuran fans will want to add this disc to their collection; others will want to check out Trinity and Beyond first, and perhaps Atomic Journeys, as many of the subjects in this film are introduced in those two as well.The value of Kuran's efforts at restoring these old films should be apparant to anyone who has any kind of historical sense, but, as indicated, there isn't a whole lot of new material here.

Now, we just have to wait for Atomic Filmmakers and - dare I suggest it - The Atomic Cafe to find thier way to DVD.

life after half life
Directer Peter Kuran scores another hit with Nuclear Rescue 911.As with his previous releases such as Trinity and Beyond, Nukes in Space and Welcome To Ground Zero he has managed to package together some beautifully restored declassified goverment footage combined with his own computer generated effects to re-create some of this nations near cataclismic nuclear accidents.Watching this dvd makes us cold war survivors realize how dangerous a game we were playing during the hieght of U.S.-Russian tensions.If you have seen Trinity and Beyond you will immediately notice that the narration is not the voice of William Shatner but that of Adam West who i found to be a bit distracting.The running time of just over 1 hour seems a bit short for such a profound subject and I would have liked more but considering how little info is available to the public concerning nuclear accidents i would definately reccommend buying this dvd due to the high quality production values and the great little "extras" contained on the disc.Note:this is not about nuclear reactor accidents, but rather it primarily explores aircraft crashes and "lost" atomic weapons.How can this happen? View the disc and find out.Related DVD reccommendation is The Phenonmena Archives series,specifically the disc covering the lost Savanna Hydrogen Bomb.I tip my hat to Mr. Kuran for his continuing efforts to complile and restore our nations decaying nuclear film archives.Keep up the great work Pete! ... Read more

Asin: B00005CDV4
Subjects:  1. Documentary   

The Unanswered Question - Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein
Average Customer Review:
DVD (20 November, 2001)
list price: $99.95 -- our price: $89.96
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Always absorbing and frequently brilliant, Leonard Bernstein's TheUnanswered Question is a very lucid and convincing discussion of music'shistory and forms, with particular emphasis on modern music. It addresses theaverage intelligent listener who is not musically trained but wants to know whatmakes music work--what is meant, for example, by "tonal" and "atonal." Itrequires some concentration, but Bernstein, a superb teacher, keeps technicaljargon to a minimum, illustrates what he means with musical examples andgraphics, and repeats key points.

Delivered in 1973, the talks were transcribed for a book, but in it Bernstein insists"The pages that follow were written not to be read, but listened to," really anendorsement of the video edition. The talks are, in fact, performances.Television was always kind to Bernstein; he had magnetism and knew how to useit. To illustrate various points in his analyses, he plays the piano frequently,sings occasionally, and conducts significant works of key composers: Mozart,Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner, Ravel, Debussy, Ives, Mahler, and Stravinsky.

Bernstein traces the development of music from its origins to the 20th-centurystruggle between tonality (championed notably by Stravinsky) and atonalism(represented mainly by Schoenberg). The last two talks, devoted to thesecomposers, are particularly enlightening, but all six are outstanding. He arguespersuasively that humans are born with an ability to grasp musical forms, andthat rules of musical syntax are rooted in nature--in mathematically measurablerelations between tones and overtones.

These talks are a key document. They coincide chronologically, as cause and/orsymptom, with the movement of America's leading composers back fromSchoenbergian forms toward a tonal orientation. Bernstein predicts and promotesthis movement, which is still in progress. He is clearly an advocate oftonality, but he discusses atonal music with sympathy and understanding. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Box set

Reviews (11)

A MUST-HAVE FOR STUDENTS OF MUSIC OF ALL AGES !
This set has been a much-treasured discovery for me. Anybody with
an interest in music should have it for a better understanding of
musical structure.

Extraordinary analysis of western music & its history
If you want a survey of western music that reveals both the deep inner dynamics of music and the external flow and inter-dynamics of the history of music from Mozart to 20th century and that afterwards lifts you to a higher plane of music appreciation and enjoyment, then you've found it here. The ideas Berstein presents and the way he presents them are indeed intriguiing, engrossing and inspired (he exudes with the typical Berstein genious). But the truly moving, revealing and enjoyable parts I find are Bernstein as the conductor (one of the greats of all time in my opinion); the lectures are interspersed with Bernstein's conducting of full length pieces such as the Mozart G minor symphony, Beethovens Sixth Symphony, Belioz, particulary Wagner's Liebestod, Schonberg and Stravinsky -- these are truly marvelous and opens your eyes wider and wider each time to the sense of what music making/conducting is and, indeed, what music is. His analysis of the 20th century crisis in music, with correlation of the significance of Mahler as the end of the tonal era, brings to light the rationale behind major movements as well as imparting a sense of understanding of the philosophical pattern in 20th century music. I highly recommend this to anyone with more than a casual interest in music.

I'm glued to the screen
All technical and musical matters have been discussed by other reviewers, so I'm just going to say that this collection of lectures is a delight to watch and listen.Some of them run nearly 3 hours, but I never become bored of them.Bernstein, with his contageous energy, enthusiasm and excellent communication skills, shares his views and thoughts with such pleasant ways; it is just irresistible.Just to prove my point, my husband, who has no musical background and had no idea what the maestro was talking about when he watched the first lecture with me, gave a delightful cry of amazement each time Bernstein demonstrated on the piano.Needless to say, he was glued to the screen and watched it till the end without a hint of boredom.
The lectures are highly intellectual, and to understand what he's talking about, you need musical background, but even if you don't understand at all, it is still very enjoyable.
Humphrey Burton writes in his Bernstein's biography that Bernstein was having such good time being with young people at Harvard, he kept on delaying and delaying to complete these lectures.You can see that the maestro enjoys so much sharing what he knows with not only Harvard students but with all the world.His theme is universality of music and brotherhood of human kind through music.Some of his thoughts and ideas are so very unique and different; they amuse me at the same time make me think.

Even though the questions are not all answered (the more he talks, the more questions arise, I have to admit), his spirit is well delivered, and that alone makes this DVD a treasure worth having. ... Read more

Asin: B00005TPL8
Subjects:  1. How To - Musical Instruction   

Support Your Local Sheriff
Director: Burt Kennedy
Average Customer Review:
DVD (20 March, 2001)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $13.46
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

While hardly the first Western spoof to ride out of Hollywood, Support Your Local Sheriff is easily one of the best. James Garner plays the confident, cool-headed cowboy who strolls into a wild gold rush town on the way to Australia and takes the job as sheriff. Like a parody of My Darling Clementine by way of Rio Bravo, he arrests the hotheaded but hopelessly confused son (Bruce Dern) of a ruthless ranching magnate (Walter Brennan). Stuck with a half-built jail (where he keeps his prisoner penned up with pure psychology and a few spatters of red paint), a rummy sidekick (google-eyed Jack Elam in one of his first comic turns), and a disaster-prone tomboy (Joan Hackett), he takes on a succession of gunfighters with increasing exasperation. "Sure is a childish way for a grown man to make a living," he laments before chasing one gunman out of Dodge by pelting him with rocks. Directed with laconic ease by veteran Western director Burt Kennedy, it's a clever spoof of familiar conventions in a lighthearted vein, more understated and affectionate than Mel Brooks's outrageous farce Blazing Saddles. It inspired a slew of imitators, including a decade of silly Disney Westerns that sank the genre in slapstick shenanigans, and was followed in 1971 by Kennedy's pseudosequel Support Your Local Gunfighter, which reteamed Garner and Elam in a more mercenary story of con artists and gunslingers. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen

Reviews (38)

Support your local Western
This film is a delightfully understated comedy with a light and funny script, acted with perfect finesse. It's proof that a low-budget movie can be top quality. And you know what? Even though some people get shot and killed, it's still a movie that the whole family can watch and laugh at, and even learn a lesson - the "hero" sheriff prefers diplomacy to killing (albeit hilarious diplomacy).

What more can be said?
Most of the other reviews cover why this film is so good.Besides the humor, the one liners, the adult jokes folded in here and there that only a adult would get, there is the fact that it is a western for the whole family to enjoy.IT has a G rating, after all.With a cast including James Garner, Harry Morgan, Jack Elam, Joan Hackett and Bruce Darn what more could you ask for?

The dvd is a ripoff
I owned the vhs tape of this movie and thought having the dvd would be even better.I was wrong.I watched and was confused by how the picture looked.I discovered they took the full screen version and chopped off the top and bottom to give it a wide screen look.This is a great movie. But only if you watch the vhs tape will it look right.Buyer beware!! ... Read more

Asin: B000056H2F
Subjects:  1. Western   

Ronin
Director: John Frankenheimer
Average Customer Review:
DVD (30 July, 2002)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $11.96
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Editorial Review

Robert De Niro stars as an American intelligence operative adrift in irrelevance since the end of the Cold War--much like a masterless samurai, a.k.a. "ronin." With his services for sale, he joins a renegade, international team of fellow covert warriors with nothing but time on their hands. Their mission, as defined by the woman who hires them (Natascha McElhone), is to get hold of a particular suitcase that is equally coveted by the Russian mafia and Irish terrorists. As the scheme gets underway, De Niro's lone wolf strikes up a rare friendship with his French counterpart (Jean Reno), gets into a more-or-less romantic frame of mind with McElhone, and asserts his experience on the planning and execution of the job--going so far as to publicly humiliate one team member (Sean Bean) who is clearly out of his league. The story is largely unremarkable--there's an obligatory twist midway through that changes the nature of the team's business--but legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer (Seconds, The Manchurian Candidate) leaps at the material, bringing to it an honest tension and seasoned, breathtaking skill with precision-action direction. The centerpiece of the movie is an honest-to-God car chase that is the real thing: not thehow-can-we-top-the-last-stunt cartoon nonsense of Richard Donner (LethalWeapon), but a pulse-quickening, kinetic dance of superb montage and timing. In a sense, Ronin is almost Frankenheimer's self-quoting version of a John Frankenheimer film. There isn't anything here he hasn't done before, but it's sure great to see it all again. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen
• Dolby

Reviews (298)

Excellent Action Worth Repeated Viewing
Great cast: Robert DeNiro, Jean Reno, Skellan Skarsgard, Natasha McElhorne, Sean Bean, Skip Sudduth, Jonathan Pryce, and former James Bond villian Michael Lonsdale.Even skating hottie Katrina Witt is here.
Great Action: Plenty of shooting, explosions, chasing, wrestling around and punching. Much of it looks quite brutal.A few short, riveting car chases. Also, a long excellent car chase as good as the one in Bullitt.
Intelligent Plot: Mostly double and triple crosses and suspicion, paranoia, and ulterior motives.plenty of references to mercenaries and secret agents for action fans who like that stuff.
Great Locations: All over France.Not every single action flick needs to be set in NYC, LA, SF, Chicago or London.
Ronin was all but completely ignored when it came out but, if you're at all an action fan, you can't go wrong here.

Superb Adventure

To be honest I bought this DVD at low price from WalMart due to Robert DeNiro's name on the jacket. I was totally unfamiliar with the movie, and always dislike taking a chance on something that I may have to throw away or give away.

No chance of that with this one, for from the beginning, this movie is one of the better adventure tales it's ever been my pleasure to have viewed.

With all the reviews here it would seem quite unnecessary for me to go into any details of plot. Besides those are not the type reviews I usually write, anyway.

So, if you enjoy adventure, suspense, or just good flicks this one is a 'must see'.So believe me, if you choose to pass this movie up, you will have passed up a great movie.

A Great, Underrated Spy Thriller
Most spy movies of the last 20 years are pure garbage--videogames and dim-witted action films that never really get past a shallow understanding of the chessgame that is espionage."Ronin" is refreshingly complex and thoughtful, a throwback to efforts like "Golden Earring" and "The Counterfeit Traitor" but with some contemporary sensibilities.Robert DeNiro gives a terrific, world-weary performance as a retired CIA operative who joins a ragtag team of mercenaries and former spies brought together for a heist (in the best Hitchcockian sense, it doesn't really matter what they're after).No one trusts anyone, and no one is supposed to get to know anyone else, but DeNiro's spy strikes up a cautious friendship with one of the team (Jean Reno, in a sensitive performance that one-ups his strong turn in "The Professional").But as good as they are, they are upstaged by Stellan Skarsgard's villain, a paunchy, pinched-faced doublecrosser who looks more like an alcoholic accountant than a deadly gun-for-hire.Jonathan Pryce, Sean Bean, Michael Lonsdale, and Natascha McElhone are other familiar faces in this excellent cast.Director John Frankenheimer, who preferred more character-driven thrillers to dopey action flicks, nonetheless packed this film with some serious high-octane chases and gun battles, and he was probably the only director besides the Coen Brothers and Stanley Kubrick to actually understand how to use the steady cam.The on-location production values are richly textured--we probably haven't gotten to know European vistas this well since the early days of the James Bond films--and their seediness adds just the right grit to a story meant to prick us with its hard edge.Viewers (and reviewers) expecting something as vapid as a Tom Cruise or Will Smith vehicle probably won't get "Ronin's" grounded sensibilities, but for now, it's the closest thing we get to a literary spy thriller on the screen. ... Read more

Asin: 6305263248
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure   

Tactical Advantage : A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics
by Gabriel Suarez
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (March, 1998)
list price: $22.00 -- our price: $15.40
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (17)

Great Book
The Tactical Advantage is a great book for everyone intrested in armed in-doors self-defense (especially if you live in areas with high criminal activity), or for the police officer who must clear buildings. This book is very informative, about the tactics, the proper mind-set, etc. If you ever have to defend yourself indoors, and do not know the tactics, you are probably as good as dead.
I highly suggest this book. Gabriel Suarez is a great writer, and knows what he's talking about.

The Real World
"A Reader in Colorado" has no clue that even though Police Departments may change their emphasis and be kinder and genteler there is a world out there with many violent, violent people.The Police are the ones forced to deal with these type people are at their worst.As a kind loving father and Polcie Officer who wants to go home at night I find Mr. Saurez to have many new ideas and old ones that refresh acadamey days long since past.

What I Learned About Shooting at the Police Academy
The contents of this book are largely lifted from Police training manuals, and are not suited for the average citizen, unless you happen to be in a militia or you are a member of Al-Queda.I can't imagine why ordinary gun-enthusiasts would be interested in combat with fellow citizens, clearing and entering houses with hostile foes, and all the other techniques on offer here.Suarez makes a big deal about how he is a decorated officer, but no police officer worth their salt would put out books teaching citizens to be members of a tactical SWAT team.
The author obviously isn't a police officer in good standing anymore because no commanding officer would permit someone to profit off the tactics presented here.
If you are a gun-enthusiast, you would be better off buying something by John Farnam or Andy Stanford.Their books are written for citizen gun owners, and they don't teach how to indiscriminately kill people. ... Read more

Isbn: 0873649753
Sales Rank: 127525
Subjects:  1. Combat survival    2. Firearms    3. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    4. Military Science    5. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    6. Self-Defense    7. Shooting    8. Sociology    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Sports & Recreation / Shooting   

Magellan GPS Blazer 12
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $119.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Whether hiking through the woods or traveling back roads, you always know where you are with the Magellan GPS Blazer 12 Satellite Navigator. It displays bearing, heading, distance, speed, and more on its three navigation screens. Nine coordinate and thirteen map datum systems allow you to plot your position on almost any map.

Setting up the Blazer 12 was easy. We just installed the batteries and initialized the receiver by answering a few on-screen questions about our location and the time and date. The unit assumes that you already know a little about basic map reading, longitude, and latitude, but the User Manual introduces you to the Blazer 12's features in no time.

It took a little over three minutes for the Blazer 12 to get a position fix after initializing. After that, marking our initial position was as easy as pressing the Mark button. We watched our precise longitude and latitude change as we walked and drove; the Blazer 12 tracked our distance as we moved. As we returned to our initial position, the Blazer 12 guided us back with the appropriate directions.

The Blazer 12 is rated to last 20 hours on two alkaline batteries; ours lasted eight hours on two Ni-Cad batteries. The unit is also rated to retain its memory for 30 minutes without the batteries; we checked ours at one hour and the memory was still intact.

Considering the low-cost peace of mind that the Blazer 12 provides, it's hard to imagine trekking into the unknown without one.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Rugged, waterproof construction
• Easy-to-follow instructions

Cons

• No I/O or PC support
• No built-in atlas

... Read more

Features

• 100 landmarks, one reversible route with 10 legs
• Easy to use, and it floats
• Powerful 12-parallel channel receiver
• Super-sensitive quadrifilar antenna
• Wraparound rubber armoring, weatherproof

Reviews (6)

Great Inexpensive GPS!
This item is useful for the novice and expert alike.It allows the user to see his/her location at all times ( in lat/long, or the UTM) and it allows the user to plot courses. What more do you need?

When the blazer12 is used in conjunction with a map its performance has been flawless forme.However, it can be used without a map if all you are doing is markingand traviling to and from known locations.The accuracy seems to be asclose to dead on as a gps can get.

This is a great product for those whowant just a basic navigation tool.I just don't have anything bad to sayabout it.I suppose if you wanted an automapping feature or external int.or pc interface capability this is not the one for you.

Great for the price
The Blazer 12 is a user-friendly and ergonomically efficient tool for basic tracking and location information.The altitude feature is also great if you are calibrating weather equipment.Sure, you can spend $50more and get more bells and whistles, but this unit offers all theessential information you need for basic urban and rural expeditions.Iwill have to admit I am fairly good at direction anyway, but this modelhelps verify where I think I am.Like any other gadget used for the noviceexplorer, it is complimentary, but shouldn't be used as your last line ofdefense.If you need a GPS for IFR Flying or deep woods camping, buy oneof the really expensive downloadable map GPS'.But if you just want toknow where you are and where you are going, and where you have been...thisdoes all that for you.

Sure it Works..But an extra $50 will buy you a better one!
The case seems shotty and the ON/OFF button is too touchy... I ran out of batteries on my camping trip to Yellowstone "thanks alot ON/OFF button DO NOT BUY THIS!Spend an extra $50 and get a good one! ... Read more

Asin: B00000J0IT
Subjects:  1. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) System    2. 0063005000   

The Outlaw Josey Wales
Director: Clint Eastwood
Average Customer Review:
DVD (30 March, 1999)
list price: $19.98
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Editorial Review

During the Civil War, Union "Redlegs" attack Southerner Josey Wales'sdirt farm and wipe out his family.Seeking vengeance, Wales throws in with a company of Reb guerrillas.Tagged as a renegade after the surrender, he flees west into the vastness of the Indian Territories, where, quite unintentionally, he finds himself cast as the straight-shooting paterfamilias of an ever-growing, spectacularly motley community of misfits and castaways. Which is to say, Josey's personal quest for survival and something like peace of mind evolves into a funky, multicultural allegory of the healing of America.

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Clint Eastwood's 31st film as an actor, 20th as international star, and 5th as director, was the first to win him widespread respect.Critics had grumbled when the producer-star replaced Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff) in the director's chair a week into shooting.They ended up cheering when Eastwood delivered both his most sympathetic performance to date and--with the heroic collaboration of cinematographer Bruce Surtees--an impressive Panavision epic that stresses the scruffiness, rather than the scenic splendors, of frontier life.

Though it's been honored with a place in the National Film Registry, Josey Wales is good, not great, Eastwood.The big-gun fetishism can get tiresome, and too many characters exist only to serve as six-gun (and at one pointGatling gun) fodder.But mostly the film is agreeably eccentric, and almost furtively sweet in spirit--a key transitional title in the Eastwood filmography, and one of his most entertaining. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Dolby
• Widescreen

Reviews (76)

Eastwood's alltime best
This film meets and surpasses all expectations.If you are a fan of westerns, or of Clint Eastwood in particular, this film is a must-own.

Eastwood plays a man whose family is brutally murdered by the Redlegs, a band of guerilla warriors who fought for Kansas under the leadership of the dastardly Jennison and his "Jayhawkers" during the Civil War.They were the foil of William Clarke Quantrill and his followers who fought for Missouri during the war.(For more on this conflict, albeit with an unfortunate Jayhawk-slant, see the recent film "Ride with the Devil".)

As for its treatment of the Civil War, this film follows "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" in the sense that it does not explicitly take a side.It does, however, present characters that are much more aware of a war going on and who are much more partisan about it than were the bit-players in that last of the Leone trilogy.

Yet Eastwood's film here abandons the partisanship that so embodies even a contemporary discussion of the war in the American South.Despite his family being brutally murdered by Kansans, Josey Wales ultimately rises above the conflict in his attempt to get what he wants out of life.Josey is rightfully distrustful of the Union, but he doesn't translate that into a political vendetta.The conflict does not destroy him, even when the prejudices of anti-Confederate Kansans are poised to strike him down.

The story finds Josey making unlikely friendships with those he encounters along his way, and provides many good-natured comic moments in those encounters.Josey Wales is the quintessential Western character, an average farmer who is dragged into conflicts larger than his own by the circumstances around him, forced to play a role that he never is fully willing to embrace.

Eastwood, despite being new to directing, delivers on the potential of this film in full.The cinematography is consistently engaging, the soundtrack is interesting, and the performances are stellar.This is definitely a 70's style western, and Eastwood practically defines the era with this picture.

If you are a fan of the Leone trilogy wondering whether Eastwood was ever as good apart from those films, then this is the one to see.If you are an Eastwood fan from his recent films, then this is a great introduction to the skills he would consistently display as a director in the future.If you are looking at this film from the viewpoint of a typical western-genre fan, you will not be disappointed by this film's excellent story and great performances.Basically, everyone who would be lead to this review on amazon.com is a person who would enjoy this film.

Clint's Western ode to Racial harmoneee
I used to watch this religiously as a kid, just like I did with alll the re-runs like Indy Jones/Superman, and all the usual biggies of the earache...

watching it last night on T.V., apart from the adverts every five minites, I realized strains of Care in the Community from our beloved gunslinger!

Choc fulla Western Cliches, but, then again, he started the whole thing, and nobody does it better than Clint with a squint in his eye.

They 'Howdy' scenes with the Cheif are great, too.


More than just a gunfest.

Another overrated Clint movie...
This is another Clint movie that is too slow, too long, and isn't nearly as deep as many people have come to believe.Clint's strength isn't direction, contrary to certain opinions.This story could have been told in less than 2 hours, but it dragged on way too long.Chief Dan George is the sole redeeming factor for TOJW.HIS performance makes this movie worth watching now and again, but as a whole, this movie is only worth 1 viewing.By the way, Philip Kaufman(sp?) started out directing this movie, until Clint decided he wasn't cutting it, and literally took control.From that moment forward, Hollywood adopted 'The Eastwood Director Rule', specifically:"That no member of the set or crew may replace a director once that director has already been put in place".Kaufman never regained his footing in Hollywood again. ... Read more

Asin: 6305308772
Subjects:  1. Western   

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (23 January, 2002)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

EA has finally brought its Medal of Honor series (already wildly popularon the PlayStation) to the PC. Set during World War II, Medal of Honor:Allied Assault chronicles the fictional exploits of Lt. Mike Powell as hebattles his way from the shores of Africa to the shores of France to the heartof Nazi Germany. On the PSX, the Medal of Honor games were hailed asrevolutionary, and though Allied Assault never quite merits that level ofpraise, it's still a great game.

At first glance, Allied Assault seems to have a lot in common with theWorld War II-themed Return to Castle Wolfenstein, but the similaritiesare strictly superficial. Allied Assault takes a more realistic approachto the action, both in the enemies that you face (there are no zombies ormutants) and in the mission structure. The game unfolds across six real-lifetheaters of war, and the 30 playable missions vary a lot in how they play out.Just like a character in a good army movie, you'll be sabotaging tanks,destroying submarines, and sending false communications. Nearly all yourmissions are very well designed, especially the mission where you land on OmahaBeach.

The D-day mission has received a lot of attention, and for good reason--once thedoor on your Higgins boat drops, all hell breaks loose. The men in front of youdrop in a hail of bullets, a Higgins boat to your left is blown to bits, andmachine gun fire rakes the water everywhere. Getting from the boat to therelative safety of the shingles is a truly harrowing experience, although partsof it borrow a little too much from Saving Private Ryan.

Since the game is set during WWII, you'll face a wide range of enemies,including tanks, machine gun nests, and even planes. The enemy AI is better thanin Wolfenstein--enemies will duck for cover, lay down suppressing fire,and throw back grenades--but too often it's obvious that enemy actions arescripted. At times you can actually tell when you've triggered the next wave ofenemy attacks: stay still and nothing happens; silently creep a foot forward andthey all come rushing out. This kind of heavy-handed scripting is a throwback tothe days of Doom, and more than a little bit of a disappointment.

Graphically, Allied Assault looks quite sharp. It uses the QuakeIII graphics engine and the character models, vehicles, and textures arewell done, especially if you have a high-end video card. Unfortunately, thereare some glitches, such as clipping and collision detection problems. It's notuncommon to see enemies walking halfway through a door or a wall. Also, in a(successful) effort to get a "T" rating, there is absolutely no blood or gore.When you a shoot a Nazi infantryman with your captured MG-42 machine gun, hesimply falls down.

The weakest part of Allied Assault is its multiplayer component. Thereare four game types, all of which are exceptionally average, and none of them isas compelling as Wolfenstein's multiplayer. Still, it is undeniably funto wage war in bombed-out French villages and other World War II battlefields.Allied Assault offers a fun single-player game and its D-day mission willgo down as a classic gaming experience. --William Harms

Pros:

• D-day mission is incredible
• Lots of mission variety
• Nice graphics

Cons:

• There are a few graphical glitches
• Heavily scripted AI
• Multiplayer is very average

... Read more

Features

• Assault enemy units alone and as part of a crack military squad.
• Special 'disguise' mode that allows players to put on enemy uniforms to evade capture.
• Highly destructible interactive environments.
• Original orchestral score by Medal of Honor composer Michael Giacchino.
• Over 20 levels that the player must accomplish specific objectives and goals in order to succeed and advance.

Reviews (425)

Beats out many others.
I would say that this game is my favorite FPS game.I've played most of the classics, and I have many new ones, but this one sticks out.

The single player is pretty good.I would prefer some more squad control and slightly less linear gameplay, but nothing is perfect.My main complaint is that on mission 5, my game glitches and I can't open the door into the city.

The best part of this game is the multiplayer.I play only stock maps, and they are still worth it.The reason that I stick with this game is that the multiplayer requires skill.The bolt action rifles are one hit kills, while the automatic weapons are multi-hit kills.With enough balance between the weapons, skill can always win through.

Don't be discouraged, though, newbies.If you watch skilled people aim, shoot, and avoid fire, then it is relatively easy to get the hang of the game pretty quickly, but to break into the 'skilled' zone requires some practice.If you are the hoser type, then start out with playing on realism games (*shudder*).Most servers with realism will say "[blah de blah clan] CKR Realism vsomething.something".

This game beats out Halo, Unreal, Call of Duty (I can't believe this game is actually gaining popularity), and almost every other shooter game.On high, the graphics are acceptable, but sometimes people's bodies and stuff stick through walls.People can take control of some glitches, but the game is almost entirely clean.(Cheat police:w00t w00t!)

For parents worried about the content, it involves a lot of shooting and maybe some raw language, but nothing too bad.There is absolutely no blood.There is more blood in a PG movie.If you nail somebody in the head multiple times, their corpse doesn't move and no blood comes out.

If you are really interested in blood, you can get a blood mod, but those are sometimes considered cheats.

blah de blah blah

Hope to see you playing.

--|88|Mr.Barrel"Your owner for the day."

Disappointed.
The game is set during WW2, the bloodiest war in the history of mankind, yet in MOHAA you wont see a drop. Its seems like the enemy drops to the floor and plays dead when you shoot them. Not very realistic.Im not saying I need to see gallons and gallons of blood and body parts but come on, its WW2.Does EA reallybelieve that "sanitized" violence is somehow less violent.There are no civilians caught in the crossfire. No friendly fire, you dont need to practice ammo discipline because the battlefield is littered with it, you cant lean left and right in the singleplayer campaign, and overall the enemy AI is not very sharp.There are no cut-scenes either.That said, MOHAA does have some very enjoyable sections, beginning with the Omaha landing, but again, it didn't seem realistic.It was almost arcade.Keep in mind enemies are spawned as you progress through each map.For example, a guard tower may seem empty, however move forward enough, and the game will instantly spawn an enemy into it, effectively barring your ability to use stealth.You cant sneak up on something if its not there.Worst of all was the conclusion.The last map was pathetic.I felt like the game just fizzled out.Maybe I was expecting the game to end in Berin somewhere, not some ho hum chemical weapons plant. The game starts out weak builds to some very good levels, but in the end it disappoints you, it did me.Its OK but it didn't make me want to buy any of the sequels, and I probably wont.

Best FPS Ever Made!
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault may be the most exciting game I have ever played. I enjoy it way more than Half Life! And that is saying a lot!
It is imperitave that you buy this if you are into PC games. You will NOT regret it! ... Read more

Asin: B00005N7YR
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Shooters (Shooter)    4. Military (Tactics)   

Jeremiah Johnson
Director: Sydney Pollack
Average Customer Review:
DVD (14 September, 2004)
list price: $14.96 -- our price: $11.22
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

After they first worked together on the 1966 film This Property Is Condemned, director Sydney Pollack and Robert Redford continued their long-lasting collaboration with this 1972 drama set during the mid-1800s, about one man's rugged effort to shed the burden of civilization and learn to survive in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains.Will Geer is perfectly cast as the seasoned trapper who teaches Jeremiah Johnson (Redford) how to survive against harsh winters, close encounters with grizzly bears, and hostile Crow Indians. In the course of his adventure, Johnson marries the daughter of a Flathead Indian chief, forms a makeshift family, and ultimately assumes a mythic place in Rocky Mountain folklore.Shot entirely on location in Utah, the film boasts an abundance of breathtaking widescreen scenery, and the story (despite a PG rating) doesn't flinch from the brutality of the wilderness. In addition to the original theatrical trailer, remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and informative production notes, the DVD also includes The Saga of Jeremiah Johnson, a promotional documentary on the making of the film. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Dolby
• Widescreen

Reviews (82)

How Many Mountain Men Look Like Redford? Please Advise!!!
In this movie we see the usual sanitized and romanticized Hollywood view of the loner who lives way out in the woods and lives off his own resources. I thought we had gotten past that fictional and fantasy Point Of View after Danielle Boon? Instead of being a grizzled old man who is lice ridden and hasn't washed his underweaer and hairin months Mr. Redford still appears as a man only slightly weather beaten by his time in the wilderness. I give this movie 5 stars because the scenery in this movie looks pretty good.

Tale of Rebellion Meets "Coming of Age": Modern Folk Legend
JEREMIAH JOHNSON is a film that unwinds much like an old folk song or urban legend.For much of its length, I thought I was being treated to a tragedy concerning a man who leaves everything behind to begin life anew in the mountains.But in the end, the ultimate mark of tragedy escapes our protagonist and the rest of the film plays out like a tall-tale.Instead, JEREMIAH JOHNSON offers a humanizing portrait of a man whose hunting & fighting prowess earn him regional fame and legendary status.But Robert Redford's performance is not one of an over-the-top, larger-than-life character who wrestles the elements with his bare hands.On the contrary, Redford paints a rather humble portrait of a man driven by emotion and passion, the depths of which we never quite get to glimpse during the film's two hours.He is a man whom fame is thrust upon rather than sought.

The storyline is the kind that America thrives upon: a mixture of societal rebellion and "coming of age."The metaphors are endless.It is the story of a man who just will not quit, despite all of the hardships he must overcome in his transition to the wild.In fact, this transition is important to dwell upon for a moment.Many films have painted the story of one's transition from nature to society, from crude to cultured.But JEREMIAH JOHNSON tells the opposite tale of a man who is ascending to some kind of original harmony with nature.And rather than a regression or a descent back to simplicity, it truly is a story of graduation.There are a couple of points in the film when Redford's character receives acceptance from Native American tribes.These scenes are critical to the film's success, as they suggest the acceptance of Redford by the mountain, nature, and life.And it is this acceptance that grabs the audience because we all seek this sort of acceptance in our own way.

All praise aside, the image quality on this DVD is pretty bad.I thought I was watching VHS for a moment and had to adjust to the screen (it has been a while since I have seen a video cassette).Why they didn't touch this film up is beyond me.I would have granted it four stars, but I am subtracting one for the image quality and because the film (while engaging) is a bit slow in several parts and could have been more effectively edited.If you like visually stunning films about the wild, you will love JEREMIAH JOHNSON.It is a modern folk tale: part truth, part magic.Let's just hope they decide to REALLY bring it to DVD sometime.

Jeremiah Johnson gone wild!
This movie makes me wanna go live out in the mountains and quit my full time dock job. You know, have a nice horse and don't have to worry about gas prices, etc. ... Read more

Asin: 6304696531
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure   

The Man Who Would Be King
Director: John Huston
Average Customer Review:
DVD (18 November, 1997)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

A grandly entertaining, old-fashioned adventure based on the Rudyard Kipling short story, The Man Who Would Be King is the kind of rousing epic about which people said, even in 1975, "Wow! They don't make 'em like that anymore!" When director John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen) first started trying to make the film, with Gable and Bogart, the project was derailed by the latter's death. It was a few decades before Huston was able to finally realize his dream movie--and with an unimprovable cast. Sean Connery and Michael Caine are, respectively, Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnahan, a pair of lovably roguish British soldiers who set out to make their fortunes by conning the priests of remote Kafiristan into making them kings. It's a rollicking tale, an epic satire of imperialism, and the good-natured repartee shared by Caine and Connery is pure gold. In today's screen adventures, humor is usually imposed on the material by a writer or director trying to make some kind of cleverly self-aware comment ("Hey, we know it's a movie!"), but that sort of jokiness can create so much ironic distance that it pushes the audience right out of the picture. Huston lets the humor emerge naturally from the characters, for whom we wind up caring more deeply than we ever expected. The digital video disc includes a wonderful documentary on the making of the film. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• Widescreen

Reviews (96)

Love the movie, hate the DVD...
It seems to be a common complaint, but I am still amazed how willing some people are to overlook the flaws of the dvd and give it 5 stars.A two-sided DVD is simply inexcusable, it's not an exceptionally long movie, nor does it have an exceptional amount of special features.I remain convinced that if it were so inclined it could easily fit both the feature and the special features on one side of one DVD.Anyway, am I the only one who likes to get situated and comfortable when watching a movie? flipping it an hour into the movie is incredibly annoying.... and yes, I'm picky enough to give this movie the worst possible rating simply for that

A Real Mans Film
John Huston really earned his pay on this one! I think Kipling would of approved of it. What Stud has not dreamed of going out and carving his own Kingdom with the sweat of his brow, cunning and blood.If not don't look at this film but for the rest of us fix bayonet and charge.

GREAT Movie - but a BAD DVD release!
I first saw Huston's "The Man Who Would Be King" in a 2$-a-show movie theatre in Philadelphia in the summer of 1976 when, as a young actor, I was going to the movies (usually at this cheap theatre) almost every day.I was completely bowled over by it.Even in 1976, it was clear that this was the kind of movie we weren't likely to see again.Production costs were simply becoming too prohibitive.

Over the years, I've tried watching it again a few times on TV, but with the small screen, canned sound and frequent commercial breaks, I never finished it.Now, in these home theatre days, I bought this DVD release looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with this true epic from a great master of the movies.

How disappointing it was, that halfway through a slightly-over-two-hours-long movie and at a most inopportune moment, the movie stopped, the screen went black and I had to flip the disc to continue.In a longer movie with a planned intermission break this would not be a problem, but here it is simply unfathomable.It would seem that any intelligent production company would have put the complete movie on one side of the disc and then, if necessary, put the special features on the other, but no - here we have half the movie and all the special features on one side, and the other half of the movie (again with all the special features!) on the other.While this doesn't completely ruin the experience it does damage the continuity and lessen the viewing experience.

That warning having been given, this is a magnificent movie.(And a "movie" it is, rather than a "film" - exciting, entertaining, moving, but with no pretensions, nothing of the gritty artiness of the mid-seventies films that today can look so dated.)

The casting is as near to perfect as you could imagine.Huston uses both Connery and Caine brilliantly as a brace of thoroughly amoral yet endearing con men, getting the maximum advantage out of each actor's strengths.Plummer, in the smaller supporting role of Kipling, shines as an intelligent and compassionate man, if a little slow on the uptake.

But it is Huston who, to my mind, is the real star.A screenwriter-turned-director, he excelled at taught, intimate dramas like The Maltese Falcon and Treasure of the Sierra Madre.(TotSM, despite being virtually all exteriors, still feels as claustrophobic as Hitchcock's Rope.)However, often when he took on larger projects he seemed to lose focus.Not here!This movie is brilliantly paced, with its flashback narrative structure, building to its sweeping climax and then its heartbreaking, slightly chilling denouement.Even more reason to be disappointed with the unneeded interruption lessening the dramatic flow of the story.

Buy the DVD.Revel in this, one of the greatest movies of the action/adventure genre.But please forgive my anger at Warner Brothers for botching what should have been a great DVD release.
... Read more

Asin: 630469864X
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure