Showing posts with label 5 stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 stars. Show all posts

Herbie the Love Bug Collection (The Love Bug/Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo/Herbie Goes Bananas/Herbie Rides Again) (1969) Review

Herbie the Love Bug Collection (The Love Bug/Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo/Herbie Goes Bananas/Herbie Rides Again) (1969)
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Here you'll find all the theatrical movies about Herbie, the VW bug race car that has a mind of his own.
Up first is "The Love Bug." Released in 1969, it introduces us to Herbie. Jim is a down on his luck race car driver who needs to win. When Herbie follows him home, he begins to find himself winning. But will he turn his back on the car?
"Herbie Rides Again" followed in 1974. With only the car coming back, this time around he's trying to help a widow protect her home from an evil developer who wants to tear it down to build a skyscraper in it's place.
1977 brought us "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo." Herbie is reunited with Jim as they head to France to make a grand come back in the famous Monte Carlo car rally. As if a comeback weren't enough, Herbie has fallen in love with another race car and jewel thieves have hidden a precious diamond in his gas tank.
Finally, "Herbie Goes Bananas" came in 1980. Herbie is traveling south of the border to a race with his new owner when he gets involved with smugglers and a pick pocket. You never know, he might even wind up in a bull fight.
These movies have different levels of fans. As with any franchise, they are uneven with the first being the best. Still, I watched them all as a kid multiple times and they still have a nostalgic charm for me. I was thrilled to add them to my DVD collection.
This set is a bundling of the movies that have previously been released separately, so if you've already bought them, there's no need to get them again. "The Love Bug" gets a fantastic treatment with two discs and plenty of extras. The extras do deal somewhat with the sequels, which is a good thing, because the rest of the movies are movie only versions. "The Love Bug" and "Herbie Rides Again" are wide screen, while the other two are full frame. The picture has plenty of dust and grain to show its age, but it still looks sharp and is plenty watchable. Audio is full surround. While it won't blow you away, it sounds great.
Any fan of Herbie will want to get these movies. No, they aren't brilliant film making, but they are fun escapism. What else do you need?

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Herbie Goes Bananas - English/Spanish DVD- Set in exotic locations in Central America, the internationally renowned Herbie, everyone's favorite "love bug," demonstrates his special brand of "car-isma" and high-octane humor in this action-packed, stunt-filled comedy outing. The fun begins when Herbie sets sail for Rio de Janeiro's Grande Premio racing competition with his two new owners. En route, they get sidetracked by a smuggling syndicate, pestered by a pint-sized pickpocket, and bullied by a raging bull. Laughter shifts into high gear in this zany Disney comedy! Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo - DVD- Herbie, the VW with heart, adds some international flair to his lovable personality! Upon entering a Paris-to-Monte Carlo road race, Herbie falls hood over wheels in love when he encounters a sleek, sporty, light blue Lancia. Also vying for Herbie's attention is a gang of jewel thieves, who've ingeniously hidden a stolen gem in Herbie's gas tank! Thus begins a madcap chase across the French countryside that only The Love Bug could create!Herbie Rides Again - DVD- Herbie is back in gear -- revved up and ready for more madcap comedy adventure in this sidesplitting sequel to Disney's popular smash hit, THE LOVE BUG! This time Herbie's leading lady is award-winning actress Helen Hayes, superb in the very first screen comedy of her illustrious career. Aided by co-stars Ken Berry and Stefanie Powers, she's out to save her beloved Victorian firehouse home from the wrecking ball of greedy real estate tycoon Keenan Wynn, Disney's most lovable villain. It's up to Herbie and his bug battalion to "come through in the clutch"! Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a really great time!The Love Bug - DVD Special Edition- For the first time ever you can enjoy this timeless classic in a Special Edition DVD. Fully restored to look and sound as it was originally intended, it also features hours of exclusive bonus materials your entire family will enjoy again and again. He's the star who provides the most laughs per gallon. He's Herbie, the lovable car with a mind of his own. Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett join Herbie in this revved-up comedy classic. Jones plays down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas, who reluctantly teams up with the little machine. Douglas thinks his sudden winning streak is due to his skill, not Herbie's. He finally realizes the car's worth when a sneaky rival plots to steal Herbie for himself. But it's Herbie who'll steal your heart in this wildly fun roller-coaster ride of a movie you'll never forget!

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Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Living Color (1937) Review

Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Living Color (1937)
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First the good:
This is by far the best compilation of Mickey shorts available to the public to date. Disney produced 87 Mickey shorts in the 30's - by far the most prolific period of Mickey Mouse Cartoons (there were only 120 made from 1928 to 1953). 27 of these shorts are contained on this disc, which constitutes more than half of the color Mickeys made. He was already a sensation before he went to color; these shorts firmly established him as an American icon. To the animation fan, it can be argued that this disc contains some of the best cartoon "acting" of the golden age of animation. By no means should a serious fan avoid this disc.
The not so good:
These shorts have not been remastered. I'm not even sure they come from the best available print. Some of these shorts have looked better on the "Ink and Paint Club." The cartoons in this package contain flaws that some could consider unacceptable, or at least annoying - colors going out of register (albeit probably not noticeable to the casual viewer), a few sound problems (rare, but a bit annoying), dust and dirt. Watch the "Brave Little Tailor" in the scene where Mickey kills the seven flies. The amount of film debris present is alarming - it almost looks like it's snowing. Some have said that the recent remastering of Snow White has resulted in an ultra-clean presentation that takes away from the period animation. Well...this disc certainly doesn't present THAT dilemma. It's not unacceptable as the good far outweighs the bad. But I would have thought Disney to spend a bit more time on presenting the best possible versions of these pieces.
Overall:
An absolute must for the animation collector. Concerning the comments about the mastering - it's highly unlikely that Disney will remaster these shorts in another package. Grab it while it's available as this is supposedly a limited release of 150,000 copies....

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A collection of twenty-six animated shorts in color starring everyone's favorite, Mickey Mouse, released between 1935 and 1938. Introduction by Leonard Maltin. Cartoons: The Band Concert, Mickey's Garden, Mickey's Fire Brigade, Pluto's Judgement Day, On Ice, Mickey's Polo Team, Orphan's Picnic, Mickey's Grand Opera, Thru the Mirror, Mickey's Rival, Moving Day, Alpine Climbers, Mickey's Circus, Mickey's Elephant, The Worm Turns, Magician Mickey, Moose Hunters, Mickey's Amateurs, Hawaiian Holiday, Clock Cleaners, Lonesome Ghosts, Boat Builders, Mickey's Trailer, The Whalers, Mickey's Parrot, Brave Little Tailor.

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The Big Blue (Director's Cut) (1988) Review

The Big Blue (Director's Cut) (1988)
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I first saw this movie in France and absolutely fell in love with it. I live in the states and when I rented it in the U.S. I could not understand why Eric Serra's soundtrak was not used and why they cut out so many scenes and changed the ending (what a bad call! ). I strongly recommend to all Americans who saw the American version to do yourselves a favor and buy the DVD Director's Cut(Version Longue). It's a completely different movie (so to speak). This is definitely my all time favorite movie, and am ecstatic to have it on DVD. Yeahhh! Thanks to Amazon the Americans will finally have their chance to own a phenominal movie!

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Experience the peril and intensity of free-diving the world s most dangerous sport in The Big Blue. Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr Breaking The Waves) and his friendly rival Enzo (Jean Reno The Professional) are considered masters of free-diving and have made a career out of this one-of-a-kind competition. Jacqueslife-long obsession with diving comes from his unusual bond with the sea while Enzo thrives on the challenges of its inherent danger. In his travels Jacques meets Johanna (Rosanna Arquette Pulp Fiction) who is attracted to his innocent qualities and follows him across Europe to share his adventures triumphs and ultimately tragic bond with Enzo. With breathtaking underwater photography and matching musical support from Eric Serra (The Fifth Element) The Big Blue immerses you in a life and death adventure you ll never forget.System Requirements:Starring: Rosanna Arquette Jean-Marc Barr and Jean Reno.Directed By: Luc Besson.Running Time: 168 Min. Color.This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.Copyright 2000 Columbia TriStar Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:DRAMA Rating:R UPC:043396039278 Manufacturer No:3927

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Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Goofy (1941) Review

Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Goofy (1941)
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Here is a list of all forty-six Goofy cartoons--year by year--contained on this new Disney Treasures collection:
1939-"Goofy and Wilbur" (Goofy's first official "solo" short)
1940-"Goofy's Glider" (The first in the long-running "How-to" series)
1941-"Baggage Buster", "The Art of Skiing", "The Art of Self-Defense"
1942-"How to Play Baseball", "The Olympic Champ", "How to Swim", "How to Fish"
1943-"Victory Vehicles" (Could have been released under the delayed "Wartime Cartoons" Disney Treasures collection)
1944-"How to Be a Sailor", "How to Play Golf", "How to Play Football"
1945-"Tiger Trouble", "African Diary", "Californy er Bust", "Hockey Homicide"
1946-"A Knight for a Day", "Double Dribble"
1947-"Foul Hunting"
1948-"They're Off", "The Big Wash"
1949-"Tennis Racquet", "Goofy Gymnastics"
1950-"Motor Mania", "Hold That Pose"
1951-"Lion Down", "Home Made Home", "Cold War", "Tomorrow We Diet", "Get Rich Quick", "Fathers Are People", "No Smoking"
1952-"Father's Lion", "Hello Aloha", "Man's Best Friend", "Two Gun Goofy", "Teachers Are People", "Two Weeks Vacation", "How to Be a Detective"
1953-"Father's Day Off", "For Whom the Bulls Toil", "Father's Weekend", "How to Dance", "How to Sleep" (the last of the "How-to" series made for the big screen)
1961-"Aquamania"
Though this collection is "The Complete Goofy", it would have been nice to include the two cartoons Goofy did with Donald Duck ("No Sail" and "Crazy with the Heat") in 1945 and '47, respectively (probably saved for a later Donald Duck collection in the DT series). Also, "How to Ride a Horse" and "El Gaucho Goofy" (taken from "The Reluctant Dragon" and "Saludos Amigos", respectively) were re-released in an animated short format in the 1950's, but are obviously unnecessary to include in this collection. Goofy also appeared in "Freewayphobia" and "Freewayphobia #2" (both in 1965) which also appears to not be included here (probably because these were educational films produced extensively during this time by the Disney company).
Many of the above-mentioned Goofy shorts contained controversial scenes that have been removed and/or altered by the Disney company in recent years. This collection is promising that they will all be uncut--so let's hope they will be seen the way they were originally seen if only for the historical context. Last year's "Mickey Mouse in Living Color" and "Silly Symphonies" collections lived up to that promise, though the "Disneyland USA" set had some perplexing cuts.
This collection is one of three exciting, new releases this December in the second wave of the continuing Disney Treasures series (and extremely limited edition--125,000 appearing to be made instead of the 150,000 last year). There were supposed to be four releases again this year, but the intended fourth (Disney Wartime Cartoons) was delayed for reasons--as of this writing--unexplained by host/compiler of the DT series, Leonard Maltin.
The other two releases for this year: "Mickey Mouse in Black and White", and "Behind the Scenes at the Disney Studio."

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With a gentle, childlike innocence, Goofy has delightedaudiences for 70 years. For the first time ever, celebrate Walt Disney'slumbering, lovable, and eternally loyal everyman in this retrospectiveof his classic animated shorts and enjoy the heyday of one of the mostpopular characters in cartoon history. Unlike the rest of Disney's"mouse pack," Goofy didn't become a major movie star overnight. Thiscompilation of shorts begins with the Goof's first starring role. Thevolume also includes animator Art Babbitt's original descriptivereference of all things Goofy, the original voice behind the Goof, PintoColvig, and an exclusive interview with the current voice of Goofy, BillFarmer. You'll also have the opportunity to see theatrical posters andother memorabilia, a selection of story drawings, and backgroundpaintings. After all, it's the Goofy thing to do. Featuring exclusiveintroductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.

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