DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Can't Hardly Wait

Can't Hardly Wait [Blu-ray]
From Sony Pictures
Average customer review:

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #4096 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
* Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
* Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
* Original language: English
* Subtitled in: Cantonese, English, French, Korean
* Dubbed in: French, Spanish
* Number of discs: 1
* Running time: 100 minutes



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This underrated teen comedy from 1998 is guilty of being a proud underachiever, and it doesn't bring anything new to the genre, but look closely and you'll find the makings of a much better movie buried under all the keg-party antics. The basic story is typical for this kind of comedy. A young, aspiring writer named Preston (Ethan Embry) has been lusting after class beauty Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt, from TV's Party of Five) for four years of high school, but he's never had the nerve to tell her. Now that they're about to graduate he's finally worked up the courage to write her a soul-baring love letter. At the raucous graduation keg party that takes up most of the movie's 98 minutes, Preston agonizes while Amanda's selfish jock ex-boyfriend tries to win her back, and delivering his love letter turns out to be more difficult than he ever imagined. What's interesting about Can't Hardly Wait has little to do with its attractive leads, however. The most engagingly real and entertaining characters are the misfits who show up in the subplots, including a geek (Charlie Korsmo) who turns into the life of the party, and a pair of old friends (Seth Green, Lauren Ambrose) who confront each other about their mutual needs and insecurities. There are some really good scenes between these two, and this modest movie has a few other pleasant surprises up its sleeve. That doesn't make it particularly good, but it does make it an agreeable waste of time. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

A Cult Classic Finally gets a special edition
Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt star in this teen comedy originally released in 1998 and now finally 10 years later we are getting a special edition DVD. So what can you expect from the 10 Year Reunion Edition DVD of Can't Hardly Wait? Well Extras will include:

* an original commentary with filmmakers and cast (no big deal as this was on the original DVD release)
* a commentary with filmmakers and cast - 10 Years Later
* Featurette "Huntington High Class of `98" Reunion
* Featurette "Can't Hardly Wait: The Making of a Teen Classic"
* Featurette "The Life of the Party"
* exclusive deleted scenes (at last)
* A You Know You're `90's If..." trivia game
* and the "Can't Get Enough Of You Baby" Smashmouth music video (which was also on the original release)

All in all it has the makings to be great. I am just happy this amazing movie is finally getting the attention it deserves!

Not another teen movie
The title of my review is very misleading because I actually really liked this movie! It was so funny and it lead to thousands of inside jokes with my friends. Oh and Seth Green was hilarious!

A Stinker.
Can't Hardly Wait starring Jennifer Love Hewitt leaves nothing to the imagination. Predictable romantic teen comedy, you know what the ending will entail and the acting is pretty lame. Seth Green is pretty good but doesn't he always play the doofus? Ethan Embry is soooooooooo annoying, he acts like a little lost puppy, you just feel sorry for this guy. I really wanted to like this film but it's pure silliness, don't waste your time people.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Dawn of the Dead (Unrated Director's Cut)

Dawn of the Dead (Unrated Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]
From Universal Studios
Average customer review:

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #3061 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: Unrated
* Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
* Formats: AC-3, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
* Original language: English
* Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
* Dubbed in: French, Spanish
* Number of discs: 1
* Running time: 60 minutes



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Are you ready to get down with the sickness? Movie logic dictates that you shouldn't remake a classic, but Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead defies that logic and comes up a winner. You could argue that George A. Romero's 1978 original was sacred ground for horror buffs, but it was a low-budget classic, and Snyder's action-packed upgrade benefits from the same manic pacing that energized Romero's continuing zombie saga. Romero's indictment of mega-mall commercialism is lost (it's arguably outmoded anyway), so Snyder and screenwriter James Gunn compensate with the same setting--in this case, a Milwaukee shopping mall under siege by cannibalistic zombies in the wake of a devastating viral outbreak--a well-chosen cast (led by Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, and Mekhi Phifer), some outrageously morbid humor, and a no-frills plot that keeps tension high and blood splattering by the bucketful. Horror buffs will catch plenty of tributes to Romero's film (including cameos by three of its cast members, including gore-makeup wizard Tom Savini), and shocking images are abundant enough to qualify this Dawn as an excellent zombie-flick double-feature with 28 Days Later, its de facto British counterpart. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker
Some may have forgotten, and others may never have experienced, the hilarious shocks that George Romero, Sam Raimi, and their fellow horror-meisters offered audiences a decade or two ago. The audacity of films like "Evil Dead 2" and the original "Dawn of the Dead" surprised audiences with surreal images of graphic, unnatural violence. In this remake of Romero's zombiefest, the director Zack Snyder brings back the cringe-inducing gore of yore as his flesh-eating zombies attack a Wisconsin mall in search of fresh meat (Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames among a cast of tasty others). The story hacks away most of the original film's satirical subtext of a consumer society gone wild, but it has retained much of the suspenseful action sequences and the fabulously disgusting makeup effects. The movie may be as mindless as a swarm of the undead, but it's fun in its splatter-filled way. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Movie: 3.5/5 Picture Quality: 4/5 Sound Quality: 4.5/5 Extras: 1.5/5
Version: U.S.A / Region Free
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
VC-1 BD-25 / Advanced Profile 3 / Advanced Profile 2 (U-Control)
Running time: 1:49:12
Movie size: 21,40 GB
Disc size: 21,96 GB
Average video bit rate: 17.10 Mbps

DTS-HD Master Audio English 4288 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 4288kbps (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 1536kbps)
DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
DTS Audio Spanish 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
DTS English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps

Subtitles: English SDH / French / Spanish

Number of chapters: 20

#Audio Commentary
#U-Control

Mediocre
Ok, so the 2004 Zack Snyder remake of George Romero's Dawn Of The Dead is better than his own fourth Dead movie, Land Of The Dead, but it's still not nearly as good as the original 1978 Dawn Of The Dead. The basic problem is that the film violates its own universe's rules so many times that the film falls apart narratively. One can get away with things that are illogical in real life, but not according to the film's own precepts. In contrast to the Romero canon, zombies in this film can run like Olympic sprinters. Why? No reason except the financial success of the British zombie film 28 Days. Also, in the Romero canon, anyone who dies becomes a zombie, whereas in this film you are zombified only by a bite. Yet, if so, how did the first zombie, Zombie Zero, come to be?
That said, this film is not bad, merely a solid action/horror flick that follows the same general pattern as the original Dawn Of The Dead, except that instead of four survivors in a mall there are a dozen or so. Illogic rules, as in all horror and sci fi films, and the plot is propelled by the characters doing the dumbest things possible, such as the climactic scene where they make a dash from the mall to a marina to head for an island they think will be safe haven.... For fans of the Romero canons there are a few cool cameos by Tom Savini (Romero's original makeup man), and Scott Reiniger and Ken Foree, from the original Dawn Of The Dead, with Reiniger as a military man interviewed on television, and Foree as a televangelist repeating his famed declamation from the original, `When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.' This, and a bevy of other little `moments', is enough for me to recommend the film as a solid reinterpretation of the superior original, despite its reliance on the `humans are their own worst enemies' mantra, although the DVD features make this a much stronger recommendation for those zombiephiles out there.

Another great Zack Snyder film
I love the style that Zack presents, a very good re-make. I haven't seen the original but i liked this movie.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Sesame Street: Abby in Wonderland

Sesame Street: Abby in Wonderland
From Sesame Street
Average customer review:

Product Description

Sesame Street's newest muppet, fairy Abby Cadabby, falls asleep and follows a Red Rabbit (Elmo) down a rabbit hole and in to a "Wonderland," where she encounters quirky and whimsical characters including Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (Bert and Ernie) and The Cheshire Cookie Cat. She also attends a silly tea party presided over by a Mad Hatter (Grover) who also can be a "sad" hatter or a "glad" hatter with the change of a hat. Will Abby find her missing magic wand and be able to get back to Sesame Street, or does the Grouch of Hearts (Oscar) have other plans?



Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #1263 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: NR (Not Rated)
* Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
* Formats: Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
* Original language: English
* Number of discs: 1
* Running time: 41 minutes

Customer Reviews

What a cute new Sesame Street character!
This is the first time I've seen the Abby character in the Sesame Street programs and she sure is cute! She has a darling voice which the little ones seem to find fascinating. Sesame Street always does a great job with their DVD's and they're a favorite here. It's nice that this one is a little longer at 40 minutes than the typical 30 minutes which seems to fly by.

The voices are cute, the movie is colorful with lots of activity and the story which is a take off on Alice in Wonderland with Abby taking the part of Alice is a good one. The Sesame Street cast takes the other parts, like the Cheshire Cookie Cat or Bert and Ernie as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee.

About the only thing I would change and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it isn't a "Fast Play" or auto start DVD. You have to wait for the menu to come up and click on play. It's nice to have movies which start over on their own like the Sesame Street Sleepytime Songs and Stories. But all in all, I'd say this is a good addition to the collection.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: The 40-Year-Old Virgin

The 40-Year-Old Virgin [Blu-ray]
From Universal Studios

Product Description

The outrageous and unforgettable comedy delivers more laughs in this all-new special edition filled with hours of never-before-experienced pleasures! With loads of new bonus features and deleted scenes, this hilarious 2-disc set is even better than the first time. Comedy sensation Steve Carell is Andy Stitzer, a nice guy who has somehow managed to go forty years without "doing it." When his pals make it their mission to help him score, their misguided advice takes him on a hilarious journey toward love.



Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #2605 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: Unrated
* Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
* Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
* Original language: English
* Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
* Dubbed in: French, Spanish
* Number of discs: 1
* Running time: 250 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Cult comic actor Steve Carell--long adored for his supporting work on The Daily Show and in movies like Bruce Almighty and Anchorman--leaps into leading man status with The 40 Year-Old Virgin. There's no point describing the plot; it's about how a 40 year-old virgin named Andy (Carell) finally finds true love and gets laid. Along the way, there are very funny scenes involving being coached by his friends, speed dating, being propositioned by his female manager, and getting his chest waxed. Carell finds both humor and humanity in Andy, and the supporting cast includes some standout comic work from Paul Rudd (Clueless, The Shape of Things) and Jane Lynch (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind), as well as an unusually straight performance from Catherine Keener (Lovely & Amazing, Being John Malkovich). And yet... something about the movie misses the mark. It skirts around the topic of male sexual anxiety, mining it for easy jokes, but never really digs into anything that would make the men in the audience actually squirm--and it's a lot less funny as a result. Nonetheless, there are many great bits, and Carell deserves the chance to shine. --Bret Fetzer

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Jazz Icons Series 3

Jazz Icons: Series 3 Box Set (8 DVDs)
From NAXOS OF AMERICA DVD

Product Description
**Exclusive Bonus Disc** Sonny Rollins: This collection includes two Sonny Rollins 1959 European concerts in which he is accompanied by recently re-discovered bassist Henry Grimes. Rahsaan Roland Kirk: performs Oliver Nelson's Stolen Moments backed by a cream-of-the-crop European rhythm section consisting of drummer Daniel Humair, pianist George Gruntz, and bassist Guy Pedersen.
A super-modest Sonny Rollins is interviewed in Stockholm 1959 before he performs Ellington's It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing at a blistering tempo with bebop-era standout Joe Harris on drums and Henry Grimes on bass.
Nina Simone: This collection includes a no-holds-barred Nina Simone live performance of Mississippi Goddamn followed by an interview with the Swedish program host. Features a 12 page booklet with liner notes by Ashley Khan, John Kruth and Rob Bowman.



Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #3889 in DVD
* Released on: 2008-09-30
* Rating: NR (Not Rated)
* Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
* Formats: Box set, Black & White, Dolby
* Original language: English
* Number of discs: 8
* Running time: 629 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Jazz Times Magazine
Jazz Icons is doing for jazz what the Criterion Collection has done for classic and important films.

Newsweek Magazine
The sound quality is first rate, and the performances are extraordinary.

eJazzNews.com, John Stevenson, September 2, 2008
These wondrous performances highlight the individualistic artistry of canonical jazz figures such as Sonny Rollins, Oscar Peterson, Lionel Hampton, Nina Simone, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. No doubt, this is an inestimable gift to posterity and to jazz pedagogy. . . These deluxe-edition DVD's also underscore a high degree of technical skill in the art of craft of moving image photography, and an equal level of appreciation for jazz on the European continent.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Knocked Up

Knocked Up

For fun loving party animal Ben Stone, the last thing he ever expected was for his one night stand to show up on his doorstep eight weeks later to tell him she's pregnant.

Cast

Seth Rogen ... Ben Stone
Katherine Heigl ... Alison Scott
Paul Rudd ... Pete
Leslie Mann ... Debbie
Jason Segel ... Jason
Jay Baruchel ... Jay
Jonah Hill ... Jonah
Martin Starr ... Martin
Charlyne Yi ... Jodi
Iris Apatow ... Charlotte
Maude Apatow ... Sadie
Joanna Kerns ... Alison’s Mom
Harold Ramis ... Ben's Dad
Alan Tudyk ... Jack
Kristen Wiig ... Jill

Plot

Slobby Ben and up and coming career girl Alison meet at a bar, and end up having a one night stand. Eight weeks later, Ben is shocked when Alison meets him and reveals that she is pregnant. Despite having little in common, the two decide that they have to at least try to make some kind of relationship work for the baby's sake. Written by ENGAGED!!!!

When Alison Scott is promoted in E! Television, she goes to a night-club to celebrate with her older married sister Debbie. Alison meets the pothead reckless Ben Stone and while having a small talk with Ben, Debbie's husband Pete calls her to tell that their daughter has chicken pots. Debbie leaves the place but Allison stays with Ben, drinking and dancing along all night; completely wasted, they end up having a one night stand. Ben does not use condom and eight weeks later, Allison discovers that she is pregnant. She calls Ben and they decide to try to stay together and have the baby. However, Ben needs to grow-up first to raise a family of his own. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil



Knocked Up [Blu-ray]
From Universal Studios

Product Description

The writer and director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin delivers another a hilarious hit comedy! They say that opposites attract. Well, for slacker Ben (Seth Rogen) and career girl Alison (Katherine Heigl), that's certainly the case - at least for one intoxicated evening. Two months and several pregnancy tests later, Ben and Alison go through a hysterically funny, anxious and heartwarming journey that leads to huge laughs in the most outrageous comedy of the year!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1221 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 129 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Unwanted pregnancy might sound like a risky subject for slapstick comedy, but Knocked Up is from writer-director Judd Apatow--so we are in the hands of a man who likes to push things. And like Apatow's predecessor, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up is a shaggy crowd-pleaser, a comedy strewn with vulgarity but with a sweet heart at its center. A one-night stand between the utterly mismatched Ben (Seth Rogen, his first starring role) and Alison (Katherine Heigl) results in said pregnancy, and the two people reunite for mutual support--even though they barely know each other. Ben's a slob who lives with four other guys, all of whom share the same stunted approach to maturity; Alison is a new on-air personality at the E! channel. That these two eventually develop a shared understanding and affection is perhaps the movie's biggest stretch (some of the male-humor jokes amongst the guys are idiotic enough to test anybody's hope of civilizing them).

Rogen and Heigl don't really jump off the screen, but, to be fair, the movie frequently needs them to play straight while the supporting cast cuts up. Virgin vets Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are around to supply some humor, as Alison's sister and brother-in-law, and the four idiots who live with Ben (Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Siegel, and Martin Starr) are in their own zone of sophomoric bad taste. Still, by 40-Year-Old Virgin standards, this movie doesn't explode, and it sometimes feels ramshackle to the point of not being thought out. Apatow's indulgence of actors creates some fine moments (Paul Rudd seems to have most of them), but it can also make a movie feel flabby, and this one is overlong by the length of a belly. --Robert Horton

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Chaos in Motion

Chaos in Motion [2 DVD]
Directed by Mike Portnoy
Average customer review:

Product Description

Dream Theater's Chaos In Motion World Tour kicked off June 3rd, 2007 in Milan Italy and ended on June 4th 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Chaos In Motion 2007-2008 captures it all. Legendary drummer Mike Portnoy has assembled over 3 hours of live performances spanning the globe. Complete with a behind the scenes documentary, live screen projection films, music videos and a never before seen photo gallery, Dream Theater bring their fans the ultimate tour souvenir.

Track Listing

1. Heroes of Our Time
2. Fire Still Burns
3. Reasons to Live
4. Heartbreak Armageddon
5. Last Journey Home
6. Flame for Freedom
7. Inside the Winter Storm
8. Warrior Inside

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #459 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Best of, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 270 minutes

Customer Reviews

A highly recommended purchase
I know some people like to write a song by song review of an album/DVD, but I don't really have the patience to do that, so I will just state my likes and dislike of Chaos in Motion.

THE PROS:

1.) The set list in my opinion is very good. Mike Portnoy tries to always give the fans a completely different experience from live album to live album, so it is nice to have tunes such as "Blind Faith" and "Lines in the Sand" on here. If you are a fan of Systematic Chaos (as I am) then you will also enjoy fan favorites such as "Forsaken" and "Constant Motion.

2.) The behind-the-scenes documentary is fantastic. It really gives the viewer an idea of what life on tour is like. Dream Theater are not a bunch of rockstars in the traditional sense. These are semi-normal people who have to make many sacrifices to do what they do for us. Aside from a tour of the stage, bus, and venues, there is a section where all the band members talk about one another from their own perspective which is interesting - for a DT fan at least.

3.) Musicianship is obviously fantastic. Jordan rips it up on the Zen Riffer (Key-tar)!! Labrie's vocals are just as good on this DVD as they have been on the past two live releases. The rest of the guys do their normal thing....normal for them....superhuman for many musicians.

4.) Promo videos and live screen production films are a great addition. This is just another example of how Mike Portnoy gives the fans more for their money. Any other band would just throw 15 or 20 songs together and say here ya go. Dream Theater is a class act though....

THE CON:

1.) The onnnlllyyyyyy thing that I can complain about is the video quality. Being that this DVD is a compilation of songs from different shows all around the world, the production value is sacrificed. It is not as sharp as Live at Budokan or Score. Don't get me wrong, it's not shot with a cellphone, but there is a noticeable difference in quality between this DVD and the aforementioned two live shows. I was disappointed...

Another GReat Dragonforce album, better than the first.
Dragonforce has definitely come a long way since the album sales of Inhuman Rampage hit, "Through The Fire And The Flames" was featured on Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock. They are on the tip of every metalheads lips. Ultra beatdown is a big step forward while maintaining the sound they had on Inhuman Rampage. The first song on the album, "Heroes Of Our Time", I believe is a great tribut to all the soldiers fighting in the war in Iraq and is worthy enough to be in, if there is going to be one, the next Rock Band or Guitar Hero videogame. I definitely recommended this album to any metalhead who is interested.

Chaos in Motion is the Perfect Title
After seeing somewhat of a mix of reviews for this new title so far, I wasn't real sure what to expect when I put Disc 1 in the DVD player. In the end, this is one Dream Theater fan that is well pleased with the release. An important note out of the gate though, as a couple of reviewers have pointed out, this is -not- another Score or Budokan. The production of this is run and gun, raw video footage both onstage and backstage.

But... that is the best part. This is closer to "5 Years in a Livetime" or one of the official bootlegs, in that it is a collection of footage that captures the essence of the band. Yes, you see that even prog-rock demigods are human. Small mistakes, personalities worn from the road, vocals off from a bad monitor mix or fatigue. If you want polished and perfect then buy Score. But to this former sound engineer, perfect isn't reality and sometimes I like the "uncut" version as is presented here.

The great part about this too is that it shows how hard working and talented these guys are. It is one thing to see the killer performances of a big show like the Score DVD captures. It is another too see the unrelenting energy these guys bring to show after show on the road across North American and Europe. I've not yet been able to make it to a live DT show, but given what I see on DVD you can count me in on the next tour.

As another review also points out, these guys are -great- at releasing live material with little overlap to prior DVD/CD releases. Each subsequent Rush show on DVD is getting more and more redundant, but each DT video is another piece of the big puzzle of their live career.

Now... throw in the second DVD with documentary and supporting material, and it makes this whole package a no-brainer for any real DT fan. For those of you that are fair-weather friends, well, buy it anyway. It will bring you closer to complete understanding and acceptance .

As for the one reviewer that says maybe this isn't so great for hard-core DT fans, well, he's not speaking for this one. Again, another thread in the incredible tapestry of Dream Theater!

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: The Jewel in the Crown

The Jewel in the Crown (25th Anniversary Edition)
From A&E Home Video
Average customer review:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2083 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 750 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Album Description
Adapted from Paul Scott's The Raj Quartet, The Jewel In The Crown focuses on the human and cultural entanglements of the men and women struggling to adjust to the drastic changes brought about by the end of the colonial regime. From Gandhi's call on the British to "Quit India" to the birth of an independent nation, this magnificent eight-part series is brought to life through intricate storylines and a sterling British cast including Academy Award-winning, legendary British actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft (A Passage to India) and Emmyr nominee Charles Dance (Alien).Filmed on location in England, Wales, and India, and rich in mid-twentieth-century historical detail, this best-selling series narrates a stirring finale to the British Empire in India.

Amazon.com
The Jewel in the Crown, adapted from Paul Scott's Raj Quartet novels, tells the story of the final years before India gained independence in 1947. It is rare for a filmed adaptation to successfully preserve the richness and complexity of a great novel, but this epic miniseries succeeds both as personal drama and historical panorama.

In 1942 Daphne Manners, a naive young woman newly arrived in the town of Mayapore, befriends Hari Kumar, an Indian-born journalist who has spent most of his life in England. With his dark skin and educated English accent, Hari feels like an outsider wherever he goes, but Daphne understands his plight and they become romantically involved. Their developing relationship is jealously observed by local police chief Ronald Merrick, a man haunted by his own demons. When the lovers are attacked in the gardens of the ruined Bibighar palace and Daphne is raped, Merrick seizes his opportunity, pins the crime on Hari, and has the young man jailed. Distraught, Daphne flees to her aunt's home in Kashmir, where she dies giving birth to a half-caste child. The focus then shifts to Sarah Layton, a young Englishwoman who becomes fascinated by the story of Daphne and Hari, and who will have her own encounter with Ronald Merrick.

The events in the Bibighar gardens become a symbol of the violent struggle for Indian independence, and other symbols--Daphne's bicycle, a length of butterfly lace, a picture of Queen Victoria on an Indian throne--appear and reappear, linking people and events. This helps to give coherence to the plot even as it spans five years and expands to include many characters whose lives intersect in complex and unexpected ways.

With a huge cast and breathtaking location photography, The Jewel in the Crown was an enormous undertaking when it was made in the early 1980s. Twenty years later it has lost none of its power, and it remains one of the best films ever made for television. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews

A Jewel of a Series!
If there was ever evidence of perfection on the small screen it's here in "The Jewel In The Crown". It's been 24 years since I last saw the show and I'm here to report that time has polished this jewel to a magnificent shine. Don't deprive yourself of experiencing drama at its finest. The DVD transfer may not be up to today's standards but the acting is beyond reproach and Tim Pigott-Smith gives a performance of a lifetime. Quite simply, it doesn't get better than this.

Old VHS quality, unfocused story w/too many characters
Yes, I agree that this transfer is terrible at best. I was shocked with the old VHS quality of this, there wasn't much effort to clean it up.

The second point I have is that only the first 3 hours based on the first book in the series seems focused and comprehensible to me. After that I found myself seeing too many characters that come and go and it not really continuing the story after that, what happened to the baby or the main heroines Indian lover? I think devoting 14 hours to just the first book would have been a better route.

I admit I have only watched the first disk so far but I almost completely have lost interest due to all the many forgettable and numerous characters with no real central story, who are these people and will any of this carry into the next episodes? It seems to be some mishmash about Indian independence in general after the first 3 hours.

Again I have not watched the whole series so it could be better and based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews it probably will come back to a coherent narrative, but I think they could have cut a lot of the characters and subplots and made this even better or more clearly delineated which novel each saga is based on.

A mere two cents............
A few years ago, seeing an advertisement for a low cost tour package of London and a number of other locations in UK, I very nearly took advantage of its great price.

While I was mulling over the idea, one of the things that came into my head was how much I would enjoy a side trip to visit Sarah Layton, whose location is revealed in "Staying On", another DVD people who loved the Jewel should find and watch. It was only some hours later that I remembered that Sarah was a fictional character, so real did those people who lived in the Jewel In The Crown become to me, through the genius of Paul Scott's Raj Quartet and the superlative production of the film on these disks.

I didn't take the trip, sadly, and, somehow, it would probably have left me somewhat unfulfilled, without Sarah there.

For me, there never has been nor ever will be a production to match this true Jewel. Would that American films could be one tenth so great!

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Roy Orbison: Black & White Night

Roy Orbison: Black & White Night [Blu-ray]
Directed by Tony Mitchell (II)
Average customer review:

Product Description

A special one-time event documenting one of rock and roll's greatest and most unique performances. Recorded live at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles Roy Orbison is joined by an eclectic ensemble of rock 'n' roll superstars. Highlighting this all-star line-up are Jackson Browne Elvis Costello T-Bone Burnett J.D. Souther Jennifer Warnes k.d. lang Bonnie Raitt Bruce Springsteen and Tom WaitsB. Orbison and fellow performers spend a scintillating hour performing many of his greatest hits.Songs: Only the Lonely Dream Baby The Comedians Ooby Dooby Leah Running Scared In Dreams Crying Candyman Go Go Go Mean Woman Blues It's Over Oh Pretty Woman Dream You Blue Bayou Claudette Uptown Blue Angel.System Requirements:Running Time: Approx. 65 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: MUSIC DVD/LIVE PERFORMANCES Rating: NR UPC: 014381495454 Manufacturer No: ID4954OBBD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1352 in DVD
• Brand: Image Entertainment
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Best of, Dolby, Live, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 64 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
Few early rockers were more gifted or less honored in their prime than the late Roy Orbison, whose vaulting tenor and vulnerable love songs conjured heartbreak and desire with operatic intensity. This 1987 concert special, originally broadcast on Showtime, came two decades after Orbison had retreated from pop's front lines, yet neither Orbison nor his music coasts on mere nostalgia: in every respect, A Black and White Night survives as a triumphant performance and a superb video production, as well as a first-rate retrospective of Orbison's hits.

Filmed in black and white against the streamlined art deco stage of the since-demolished Coconut Grove in downtown Los Angeles, the concert is buoyed by a remarkable cast of A-list Orbison fans who signed on as his accompanists. Under the direction of producer T-Bone Burnett, the stage band thus includes Jackson Browne, Burnett, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt, J.D. Souther, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, and Jennifer Warnes, along with the rhythm section from Elvis Presley's fabled late '60s and early '70s touring band. That astonishing lineup is all the more noteworthy for the restraint with which they collaborate--it's evident that those superstars came to honor Orbison, not upstage him, resulting in a gratifying cohesion to the performances.

Orbison himself sounds as powerful as ever, his soaring falsetto cresting as dramatically as it did on the studio versions of the hits that inevitably dominate. Those songs meanwhile confirm that his blue chip admiration society came as much for the caliber of his writing as for his ravishing voice: if he remains best known for the jaunty come-on of "Pretty Woman," Orbison was first and foremost a rock balladeer, capable of bringing lumps to our throats with such classics as "Crying" and "Only the Lonely," or conjuring romantic trances through such gentle charmers as "Dream Baby." On this night, he handled all of them with fervor and finesse. --Sam Sutherland

Amazon.com
Few early rockers were more gifted or less honored in their prime than the late Roy Orbison, whose vaulting tenor and vulnerable love songs conjured heartbreak and desire with operatic intensity. This 1987 concert special, originally broadcast on Showtime, came two decades after Orbison had retreated from pop's front lines, yet neither Orbison nor his music coasts on mere nostalgia: in every respect, A Black and White Night survives as a triumphant performance and a superb video production, as well as a first-rate retrospective of Orbison's hits.

Filmed in black and white against the streamlined art deco stage of the since-demolished Coconut Grove in downtown Los Angeles, the concert is buoyed by a remarkable cast of A-list Orbison fans who signed on as his accompanists. Under the direction of producer T-Bone Burnett, the stage band thus includes Jackson Browne, Burnett, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt, J.D. Souther, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, and Jennifer Warnes, along with the rhythm section from Elvis Presley's fabled late '60s and early '70s touring band. That astonishing lineup is all the more noteworthy for the restraint with which they collaborate--it's evident that those superstars came to honor Orbison, not upstage him, resulting in a gratifying cohesion to the performances.

Orbison himself sounds as powerful as ever, his soaring falsetto cresting as dramatically as it did on the studio versions of the hits that inevitably dominate. Those songs meanwhile confirm that his blue chip admiration society came as much for the caliber of his writing as for his ravishing voice: if he remains best known for the jaunty come-on of "Pretty Woman," Orbison was first and foremost a rock balladeer, capable of bringing lumps to our throats with such classics as "Crying" and "Only the Lonely," or conjuring romantic trances through such gentle charmers as "Dream Baby." On this night, he handled all of them with fervor and finesse. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

True Tribute to Roy Orbison
Quite possibly the last great tribute of the late Roy Orbison, this one night only musical masterpiece features some of the greatest musicians of the time. As a sign of respect, some of the greats like Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, and even Elvis' touring band got together to perform some of the great hits of Roy Orbison's catalog. What a treat it turned out to be. Perfectly mixed and produced, this great show would have been an honor to attend. Wish I could have been there.....

Best music DVD I ever saw.
Can you give something 6 stars? Just absolutely the best music DVD I ever saw.

This will be the one to have...
For the past few months, I have enjoyed the HD-DVD version of this title, and without a doubt, it was worth every penny. I can't believe I'm going to double-dip, but Blu-Ray has taken over my home wherever possible. No word yet on whether the disc will include lossless PCM Audio, which HD-DVD never supported. If you have Blu-Ray in your home theater or PC setup, this is a must-have!!

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: Taxi To the Dark Side

Taxi To the Dark Side
Average customer review:

An in-depth look at the torture practices of the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, focusing on an innocent taxi driver in Afghanistan who was tortured and killed in 2002.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #329 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Album Description
Oscarr-nominated director Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) investigates the torture and killing of an innocent Afghani taxi driver in this gripping probe into reckless abuses of government power. Disturbing and incisive, the Academy Awardr-winner Taxi To The Dark Side incorporates rare and never-before-seen images from inside the Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan and Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons into its exposure of the Bush administration's "global war on terror." This stunningly crafted narrative demonstrates how this one man's life and death symbolizes the erosion of our civil rights and how what it means to be an American has changed forever.

Amazon.com
Among the slew of documentaries inspired by the post-9/11 war, arguably none is more important than Alex Gibney's Taxi to the Dark Side. The story it has to tell, with compelling thoroughness and no recourse to rhetoric, should be as disturbing to Americans supporting the war as it is to opponents. In December 2002, Dilawar, a young rural Afghan cabdriver, was accused of helping to plan a rocket attack on a U.S. base, clamped into prison at Bagram, and subjected to physical torture so relentless that he died after two days of it. But Dilawar was innocent--and he'd been denounced by the real culprit, who thereby took the heat off himself and won points with U.S. forces by giving them "a bad guy." Dilawar was the first fatal victim of Vice President Dick Cheney's devotion to "working the dark side"--torturing, humiliating, and otherwise abusing prisoners in the "Global War on Terror." His story, developed in horrific detail with testimony from the soldiers who tortured him, and also from two New York Times investigative reporters, becomes a prism for slanting light onto the "dark side" policy and the mindset behind it. The program at Bagram was deemed such a success that it served as the model for Abu Graibh the following year in Iraq, and both prisons became pipelines to the detainee facility at Guantánamo, Cuba.

The film's impact is powerful and complex. We come to see the very soldiers who broke Dilawar's body and spirit as victims, too--and patsies of a policy that, from Cheney and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on down, ignored the Geneva Convention and shrouded itself (and commanding officers) in "a fog of ambiguity" while the grunts took the fall. A lot of these grunts testify here, and the accumulation of their individual perspectives on a shared tragedy is devastating. The latter half of the film features penetrating commentary from critics of torture as a policy (Senator John McCain was still one at the time), all of whom agree that it doesn't work and it only damages us. And for Theatre of the Absurd, there's a PR tour of (a discrete portion of) the Guantánamo facility, which turns out to be kinda like summer camp: "They get ice cream on Sundays." Finally, Taxi to the Dark Side isn't about torture or politics or the justness or unjustness of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Gibney is entirely correct when he says, "It's really about the American character and whether we have become something rather different from what we imagine ourselves to be." He's asking; he doesn't want it to be true. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

"God Mend Thy Every Flaw"/"Do the Ends Justify the Means?"
`Taxi to the Dark Side' is an eye-opener. Starting with the case of Dilawar, a taxi driver from Afghanistan, the documentary traces the lives of terrorist suspects imprisoned in Bagram in Afghanistan; Abu Graib in Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba. Showing ample evidence of beatings and abuse, the film has several photographs and much testimony with which to work.

Among the interviewees are some of the suspects who were either court marshaled or imprisoned for their offenses when the scandal became public. Pfc. Damien Corsetti, Sgt. Ken Davies, and Pfc. Willie Brand, among many others, testify about their roles and interrogation methods with the detainees. Effectively, the film makes connections with memos and other evidence to show that there was pressure for these subordinates to take "any means possible" to provide intelligence.

Before viewing the documentary, the news revealed some of the tactics of allegedly "a few bad apples". The use of mean dogs, long seclusion, handcuffs while shackling, beatings, and waterboarding are some of the methods recounted here. The movie also chronicles the brutal deaths of some of the inmates at these facilities.

The film also reveals that only about 7% of detainees were captured by U.S. forces, and many Pakistanis and Afghanis were given large money rewards for the capture of alleged terrorists. Between these pressures and some of the words of Former Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and Vice President, Dick Cheney, the documentary makes a compelling case about a "mean, nasty business" where weasel words like what's done in prison is in "the eye of the beholder" were used.

While I would still like to see a documentary that investigates the beheadings of allies, `Taxi to the Dark Side' presents poignant testimony for matters that went wrong. One of the best testimonies is by writer/director, Alex Gibney's father, Frank B.Gibney, a former navy interrogator, who said in regard to our conduct during war before 9/11, "It was what made America different." Much of the scandal was unveiled by New York Times investigative reporter, Tim Golden, yet some of the most convincing moments come from the life and senate questioning of Senator John McCain, who gives an authoritative presence to an unflinching film with a convincing composite.

Do the ends justify the means? `Taxi to the Dark Side' makes enough of a case where everyone will be forced to come up with an answer.

the horror
"Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one."
Friedrich Nietzsche

Well that quote came to mind as I watched this depressing 2007 Academy Award Winner directed by Alex Gibney (ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM -also excellent). This time Gibney explores America's journey into darkness that is the so-called "war on terror" (BTW people, when you hear the words "war on" before anything you can bet it is a total disaster.). I was reminded of Nietzsche's warning and then of other lines from that great source of dark and enigmatic quotations..."Man is the cruelest animal." "Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule." But back to the first quote, I think the men that got us into this situation already were nihilistic, souless beasts and so hardly did much changing. What we should realize is that *they changed America.* I am well aware of America's "mistakes" and sins of the past but things are different now... and many of us feel it. On top of that -and more importantly- sadly many, all too many, of the people they chased after weren't monsters at all, but just people. Regular people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Take the story of "a young rural Afghan cabdriver", named Dilawar. Turned out he was falsely accused of helping to plan an attack on American troops. Dilawar was tortured for about two days and died. He is presented here as "the first fatal victim of Vice President Dick Cheney's devotion to 'working the dark side'--torturing, humiliating, and otherwise abusing prisoners in the 'Global War on Terror.'" We are told his story by the very soldiers that killed Dilwar, themselves shown to both tools and victims of the implementation of the Bush policy. And we hear from two New York Times investigative reporters who do a fine job of exposing this darker side of American power -- a darker side the New York Times I cannot help but remember helped in their ways to bring us to.-- Ohhh I hope you are aware of that?! You didn't forget did you? That drum beat for war was pounding so very loudly at the NYT. The name Judith Miller ring a bell? Well, she's just *one* of 'em. The whole mainstream media let us down and let us NEVER FORGET it. The film also details what methods are used in torturing prisoners: you won't ever let a right-winger or Rush Limbaugh "Dittohead" trivialize torture and Abu Graibh and the prsion camp at Guantánamo.

Buy this or at least rent it and get others to see it too. While it is depressing it is fascinating to anyone with any interest in foreign policy and concern for our country and it's future. It is NOT to be dismissed as a mere anti-Republican, anti-Bush diatribe à la Michael Moore. This is an objective, sober documentary about a subject every American absolutely regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum should be in touch with and have intimate knowledge of. It is our business what our government does in our name and the blood is not only on their hands.

Be Prepared to Seriously Reconsider Your Complacency
About the only nice thing you can say about this administration after viewing this film is that you could probably not have made a similar expose about the treatment of prisoners in concentration camps in Nazi Germany during WWII. Still, it's a shame that we have to look to Nazi Germany to find a government that treated its enemies more despicably or a society more complacent about the heinous crimes committed by their government in their name.

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DVD Releases September 30, 2008: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
From IMDB

Five friends visiting their grandpa's old house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals.

Cast

Marilyn Burns ... Sally Hardesty
Allen Danziger ... Jerry
Paul A. Partain ... Franklin Hardesty
William Vail ... Kirk
Teri McMinn ... Pam (as Teri Mcminn)
Edwin Neal ... Hitchhiker
Jim Siedow ... Old Man
Gunnar Hansen ... Leatherface
John Dugan ... Grandfather
Robert Courtin ... Window Washer
William Creamer ... Bearded Man
John Henry Faulk ... Storyteller
Jerry Green ... Cowboy
Ed Guinn ... Cattle Truck Driver
Joe Bill Hogan ... Drunk



Plot

En route to visit their grandfather's grave (which has apparently been ritualistically desecrated), five teenagers drive past a slaughterhouse, pick up (and quickly drop) a sinister hitch-hiker, eat some delicious home-cured meat at a roadside gas station, before ending up at the old family home... where they're plunged into a never-ending nightmare as they meet a family of cannibals who more than make up in power tools what they lack in social skills... Written by Michael Brooke {michael@everyman.demon.co.uk}

The year is 1974. A group of five close friends are heading through the back roads of Texas en route to their grandfather's potentially vandalized grave. Among them are Sally Hardesty, and her invalid brother Franklin. They encounter an unpleasant hitchhiker (Neal) who slashes both himself & Franklin with a wicked-looking knife. The others manage to eject the hitchhiker from the vehicle, but shortly after wards, they are forced to stop & wander over to a small, sinister clapboard house nearby in hopes for gas. What none of them realize is that this house is the home of the ghoulish Leatherface (Hansen) and his evil, demented family of cannibalistic psychopaths. One at a time, the teens are murdered by the evil Leatherface in horrifying ways. Sally soon finds herself an involuntary guest at Leatherface's home, and flees into the night to escape the demented cannibal and his loudly-buzzing chainsaw. Can she escape the grim fate that befell her friends & brother? Based on the terrifying true story of Ed Gein. Written by Derek O'Cain

A group of five hippies on a road trip through the backwaters of 1970's rural Texas fall prey to a murderous cannibalistic family making up of a leather-masked chainsaw-wielding maniac, his knife-wielding grave robber brother, and their cannibal chief father and decaying grandfather. Written by Jayjay

Five friends visiting their grandpa's old house are hunted down and terrorized by a chainsaw wielding killer and his family of grave-robbing cannibals. Written by Helltopay27

Upon hearing that vandals have desecrated a graveyard where her grandfather is buried, Sally recruits her boyfriend Jerry, her brother Franklyn, and her friends Pam and Kirk to investigate. On a side trip to the grandfather's deserted farm, the travellers pick up a slimy hitchhiker who cuts himself and slashes Franklyn. After arriving at the farm, Pam and Kirk search for an old swimming hole--Kirk hears a generator and believes he can find some gasoline. He enters the house hoping to find the owner. Unfortunately, this is the home of the hitchhiker, as well as Leatherface, who has some surprises for the travellers consisting of sledgehammers, chainsaws, and assorted cutlery. Written by Rick Gregory {rag.apa@email.apa.org}

Sally Hardesty and her wheelchaired brother Franklin along with three friends travel to a cemetary where there have been grave robbings.To continue their trip, they pick a hitchiker. The hitchiker turns out to be crazy so they drop him off and proceed with the trip. They go to visit an old house where Sally and Franklins' Grandfather used to live . One follows a trail from the back of the house and that's when it all begins. Written by Robert E. Altmeyer {leatherface-007.@worldnet.att.net} Fixed up by HARRYPOTTER1928

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [Blu-ray]
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Average customer review:

Product Description

It has been called grisly, sick, and perverse," as well as raw, unshakeable, and the movie that redefined horror. It was attacked by churches, banned by governments, and acclaimed by only the bravest of critics. It stunned audiences worldwide and set a new standard in movie terror forever. In 1974, writer-producer-director Tobe Hooper unleashed this dark, visionary tale about a group of five young friends who face a nightmare of torment at the hands of a depraved Texas clan. Today it remains unequaled as a landmark of outlaw filmmaking and unparalleled in its impact as perhaps the most frightening motion picture ever made.

Bonus features include:
Brand new never-before-seen featurette with reclusive actress Terri McMinn entitled Off the Hook
Feature-length commentaries with director Tobe Hooper, cinematographer Daniel Pearl, actors Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danzinger, and art director Robert A. Burns
Featurettes The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth and Flesh Wounds
Theatrical trailers and TV and Radio spots
A tour of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre House with Gunnar Hansen
Deleted scenes and outtakes
Blooper reel and still gallery

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #369 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 84 minutes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
This sensational, extremely influential, 1974 low-budget horror movie directed by Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist, Lifeforce, Salem's Lot), may be notorious for its title, but it's also a damn fine piece of moviemaking. And it's blood-curdling scary, too. Loosely based on the true crimes of Ed Gein (also a partial inspiration for Psycho), the original Jeffrey Dahmer, Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows a group of teenagers who pick up a hitchhiker and wind up in a backwoods horror chamber where they're held captive, tortured, chopped up, and impaled on meat hooks by a demented cannibalistic family, including a character known as Leatherface who maniacally wields one helluva chainsaw. The movie's powerful sense of dread is heightened by its grainy, semi-documentary style--but it also has a wicked sense of humor (and not that camp, self-referential variety that became so tiresome in subsequent horror films of the '70s, '80s, and '90s). OK, in case you couldn't tell, it's "not for everyone." But as a landmark in the development of the horror/slasher genre, it ranks with Psycho, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. --Jim Emerson

Review
the Ultimate, the zenith, the most exhaustive possible celebration and dissection of this horror classic. I d even wager that no one will be able to put out a better one in the next 10 years --Fangoria

Customer Reviews

Who will survive, and what will be left of them?
If you're reading this review because you have never seen this film, stop now, navigate back to the product information page, and click "order". Created in summer of 1973 by Tobe Hooper, TCM has become one of the most recognized and influential horror films of all time. Achieving super cult status, spawning sequels, action figures, Atari games, it's safe to say that this one is a force to be reckoned with.

"The film which you are about to see, is an account of a tragedy that befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected, nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them, an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day would lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

The infamous monologue that is forever etched in the minds of horror lovers everywhere begins the tale of five youths who embark on a roadtrip across rural Texas to visit a relative's burial site. However, the trip becomes a nightmare as they one-by-one fall victim to a family of cannibalistic savages in the Texas backwoods.

Reviewing a horror classic as revered as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is hardly necessary as there is certainly nothing I can say about it that hasn't already been said. However when I see an overall rating of four stars for a movie like this, I am forced to throw my two cents in. TCM is a horror classic and will remain viewed as such for many generations to come.

The True Beginning
This is a concept that today remains disturbing. Purely the concept and characters are the sole reason to watch this movie. Shot on some of the worst equipment ever created and with virtually no special effects, this movie still is able to be extremely entertaining. The family of Leatherface is entertainingly dysfunctional, and is part of the thoroughly creepy concept. An amazing film for the lack of budget, and is truly a good way to expose the world to the demented.

Great Classic
I own the remake, I'd never seen the original before until recently. If your looking for a gore and blood fest in this movie, its not there. This is more of a darker type of movie. If your a fan of the remake that was released a few years ago, I'd say you'd like the 1974 original. I highly recommend buying this 2 disc edition the case and bonus disc are pretty sweet.

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