Blood of Heroes (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was glad to see this movie finally get released on DVD. My friends and I saw this back when it came out in theaters, and it worked well for what it was, a movie about a post apocalyptic sport where the goal is to put a dog skull on an opposing teams' post starring Rutger Hauer? We were so there. And we weren't disappointed.
Rutger Hauer is Sallow, a once great player in the sport, made a mistake of getting too close to a woman outside his class, and is now reduced to playing matches outside of the system, in the rugged, barren, waste world. His team of 'juggers' consists of five people, including himself. There's Young Gar (Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio), Mbulu (Delroy Lindo), Big Cimber (Anna Katerina), and Dog Boy (Justin Monjo). Each player has his or her own responsibilities, but the main goal is to protect the runner, as that is the player that handles the dog skull, and will ultimately decide the outcome of the game based on his/her ability to place the skull on the opposing team's post. The sport is quite brutal, leading to severe injuries, and, sometimes, even death. No penalties, no rules, anything goes. Sallow and his group travel from town to town, challenging the home team, squeaking out a living. The ultimate goal is to win enough games for the honor to petition the league to compete in the league, opening up a world unknown to many as league players are treated very well. Joan Chen plays Kidda, a wannabe runner who gets into Sallow's clan when Dog Boy is injured. Poor little Dog Boy...anyway, as she learns the ropes, Sallow's team advances, and finally collects enough dog skulls (victories) to petition the league. What happens then? Watch and find out...
I enjoyed this movie, even though it's a familiar story. The game, the players, the weapons, it was all very well thought out and the characters motivations seem simple at first become more complicated. The end game will have you rooting for the underdog, even if you don't care for the movie itself. I would have liked to given this movie another star, but I found the DVD presentation to be somewhat lacking. Where's the clarity? The most noticeable problems are with the darker scenes. The definition was very poor, providing a muddled at best picture. I am surprised Lions Gate couldn't find a better copy to put on DVD. And since I saw this in the theaters, I know it was originally presented in wide screen, but not here. And the sound is pretty poor. At least you can view the subtitles, to see what is being said, but why should you have to? A very disappointing release of a great movie.

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Pit Stop (1967) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one awesome movie from director Jack Hill(Spider Baby,Coffy,Foxy Brown)!!! It's a about the wild and crazy world of figure 8 style racing!!! Plenty of footage of this wild sport is in this flim!!! This DVD revved to the max with oodles of extras and this cult classic deserves every on of them!!! The commentary with Jack Hill and Johnny Legend is ultra cool and very informative!!! The featurette is mega cool too!!! This disc also has many more extras including trailers and more!!! It's also enhanced for 16:9 TVs!!! In Classic Black and White!!! A true 60's classic!!!

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Auburn Tigers: 2010 Perfect Season & Championship Review

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(More customer reviews)This offer doesn't include the championship game. I have seen all 14 games available elsewhere on-line for $108 or so (hint: think Bentonville), but this is still a great deal for the 13 games. They are all from the actual TV broadcasts (e.g. ESPN, FOXSS, CBS - not AU Network). But the picture is misleading.

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Original Fabulous Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Review

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(More customer reviews)The strong use of colour in this film - sometimes vivid, sometimes very fine & subtle - predates & goes beyond most western psychedelic film experiments (It was made in 1961) : A large measure of this is due to the inventive & frequent use of monochrome - eg orange sequences, then blue, then red etc - akin to but generally surpassing such techniques in early cinema (Melies was one of Zeman's heroes). "Baron Munchausen" goes beyond the methods of both early film & later experimentation not primarily because of its technical skill - exact & inventive though it is - but because of the combination of this with the poetic depth of the film in general. There are also sequences where the screen is subtly divided into different swathes of colour ( again a technique reminiscent of Melies ).
However the film is not some sort of delerious dream or descent into madness (although it does have lots of fun!). Nor is it in any way "amateurish" ( as has been suggested in a well-meant sort of way, elsewhere ) - Such a term can only be used if one takes the hollow slickness which is present in so many Hollywood films as some sort of yardstick of definition.
Zeman's "Baron Prasil" exists in a totally different sort of Universe : It is essentially - & completely - romantic, graceful & poetic (as well as being full of a warm & gentle humour - & also containing strong antiwar sentiments; a recurring theme in Zeman's work). The flowing & exact pace of the film brings forth a world of love, beauty, imagination & adventure.
Imagination is the key : The character of the Baron is no longer the Baron of other versions : ie he is not (or at least is only occasionally) an endearing but mainly vainglorious braggart; instead his function is to effortlesly display the sheer beauty & magnificence of fantastical dreaming when its motivation comes from a heart of gold.
His chivalry (although gently satirized in places) is genuine. Impeccably played by Milos Kopecky he is in effect a spiritual guide to the protaganist ("Joey" - Tony in the Czech language original) - introducing him to the underlieing spiritual beauty of life & honing his ability to love, dream & create. Even when he (the Baron) is undercut by events, his indomitable, expansive & generally self-composed reactions are an education in courage & spiritual freedom.

Many more things could be said about the film : The complete harmony achieved by Zeman's use of mixed media animation ( the Gustave Dore inspired storybook-type drawings which are used as backdrops for live actors, a puppet whale of incredible charm, popart-style spacesuits, etc), the graceful presence of Jana Brejchova as the Princess Bianca di Castello Negro, the warmth & perfection of Zdenek Liska's opening theme & his other soundtrack music - to mention just some.

Terry Gilliam is known to have been influenced by Zeman; what perhaps isn't realised is that if you view Zeman's "Baron Munchausen" & Zeman's films "A Jester's Tale" (1964) & "The Stolen Balloon" (1966) (all very wonderful films) - together these contain most of the styles of animation to be seen in Monty Python (although the satirical content is not generally the same) - as well as many other additional techniques. "The Stolen Balloon" even contains a Souza-type march very similar (though not identical) to that used in the Python theme! I hope this doesn't sound too unkind as Gilliam is a brilliant bloke & without his version of "Baron Munchausen" perhaps Zeman's version might never have got a video release.
Also : Relatively huge critical attention is given to directors like Godard & Kurosawa ( & in a different sort of way to Ray Harryhausen films ) - If even part of this were given to the work of Karel Zeman, then his genuinely romantic film art - & incredible entertainment - might become more readily available to all who are open to such wonders.
( It would also be nice if Jiri Trnka - & others - were likewise to receive such increased critical attention. )

To conclude : This film is perfection - (& if anyone can re-release this video or any & all of Zeman's films; Please, please do). With reference to it on video : It would be still better if a subtitled version were available - as the fine acting is also evident in the subtle tones & inflections of the original cast; more so than with most foriegn films.
This is particularly true of the title role: Kopecky's voice is an integral part of his characterization ( as described above ). Having said this - the dubbing in the present version is actually quite reasonable.

This is spiritual-romantic art at its best : It is a fairytale fully imbued with the poetic spirit. Its values of love & warmth are similar to - though as art it is in other ways quite different from - the original Winnie-the-pooh books or the animation work of Oliver Postgate & Peter Firmin in the U.K.
As you have probably realised by now - it is my alltime favourite film! And as such I cannot recommend it too highly.

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Oliver Stone Collection (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here we have one of the greatest collections of film work ever assembled by a filmmaker. The work of Oliver Stone stands as one of the greatest creative bodies of work in the history of film. And sure, they are brilliantly filmed, written, performed and photographed, but Stone's work is appreciated because of the power and influence it weilds. Unlike typical directors, Stone's films make us think and look at ourselves in the mirror. Some of the films here like "JFK" and "Natural Born Killers" serve in fact, as important film documents of the 20th century. "Wall Street" is a brilliant study of greed in American society. It uses the world of the stock market as a backdrop to explore the themes of ambition, greed, lust and power. "Born On The Fourth Of July" is one of the best films ever about Vietnam, a powerful story about a man who thought he was doing the right thing for his country and returned a crippled, disillusioned man. "The Doors" is the greatest rock film of all time. Val Kilmer gives a stunning performance, almost on the verge of possession, as Jim Morrison. The concert scenes are amazing and with the authenticity of a documentary. It's also an effective study of how excess can kill a great artist. Then comes "JFK," the best film in the collection. Here Stone paints a disturbing, powerful portrait of the forces that killed John F. Kennedy. It is a study of how politics and power work in the world. "Natural Born Killers," a stunning stylish wild ride, is a brilliant satire about violence and our obsession with violence in the world. "Any Given Sunday" is the best football movie of all time! I was a little disappointed with the extra documentary, "Oliver Stone's America," which is interesting and watchable but is just a simple conversation. The extra Charlie Rose interview in the "Natural Born Killers" DVD is enough. But here we have work that is obviously done by a genius. He is willing to cross the line to present something that opens the eyes and mind. His films are haunting, hypnotic, stylish, intelligent and provocative. This special collection is jam-packed with extra material. "The Doors" and "JFK" are special two-disc editions that have deleted scenes and in the case of "The Doors," a special making-of documentary. Be warned, "Natural Born Killers" is not the Director's Cut, but the original version. However, edited scenes found in the Director's Cut are on the DVD. Oliver Stone is probably the most important American director currently producing films. This is a unique, powerful collection of film, of provocative art.

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The six films included in this collection are (in chronological order) Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, The Doors, Natural Born Killers, and Any Given Sunday. Also included is Oliver Stone's America, a documentary about Stone's films and career, featuring clips, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and Stone's early student film Last Year in Vietnam.

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