The Hangover Trilogy [Blu-ray]

Disappointed in the set.
The Hangover trilogy is one of the most epic comedic cinematic experiences ever and this is how they deliver the set? It's a single case Blu-ray container... that's it. Very disappointed.

Amazon failed to live up to deliver on date it was released. Not the first time this has happen.
If I could say I loved the movies. Good thing I watched before ordering. I was suppose to get it today, Dec 3, 2013. But nothing .. Come on Amazon if you say you will deliver on the day it was going to be release then deliver. Still sitting in Laurel Md since 2am. I live maybe 3 hours away in Virginia.

I got the movies a five star due the movies not to Amazon



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Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs

As expected, Jillian delivers!!!
I may be biased because I am a fan of Jillian since the 30 Day Shred came out and I have all of her DVDs, but I got to say, she does not disappoint on this one. I consider myself advanced and I felt the burn on Level 1. Like she said, if it is too easy, just add weights and problem solved. But even without weights, it burns.

The only thing I noticed that was inconsistent is it says the workouts are 30 minutes long, but they are actually between 40-45 minutes long (Level 1 about 40min, Level 2 about 42min and Level 3 about 45min). I guess if you don't count the warm-up and cool-down, then they are 30min of strict strength/cardio training.

And for those people that get annoyed and actually pay attention to what she is saying, she complains a lot about people saying on Facebook and Twitter that her workouts are too easy and how that pisses her off and she mentions that a few times. Not a big deal, but I know people get annoyed about stuff like that...

Our Dedicated, Tough, "Artiste" Trainer Delivers Again (let the Jillian love continue)
Would there be any doubt that we would receive nothing but a tough workout from our beloved trainer? Yes, she still makes you want to reach through the TV and occasionally give her a smack down (with all the muscles she helped you form) but alas, you keep pouring it into your workout. I'm an athlete, 43 years old, mostly run trails and circuit train daily (with one rest day) so am in good shape but have room to improve (we all know staying fit is nothing but a ton of WORK - fun WORK.) I've been looking for something that focuses more on the backside and could barely wait all weekend for my Amazon package to arrive today. Even if you have not been an athlete or if you are trying this as a beginner, just take your time, honor yourself, and follow the beginner in the video. Just stick to it.

This quick review is about workout 1 and 2 and I did them back-to-back tonight. I may update later w/workout 3 but I just wanted to write quickly to say that Jillian herself says she...

Amazing video, amazing results!
I've spent my summer working through Jillian Michaels' videos...30 day shred in June, Ripped in 30 in July, then I started Killer Buns & Thighs for August. I was in good shape from the first two videos, but I couldn't believe how tough Killer Buns was! I do the video 3 days, then take 1 day rest, repeating until I've done each level for 9 workouts. I'm almost through my 9 days at Level 2 and I'm THRILLED with the changes in my rear and thighs!! I've lost a lot of the "fluff" around my upper thighs and butt...I never dreamed at age 44 (after years of "thunder thighs") that I'd get results like this. Yesterday, I grabbed a pair of my 16 year-old daughter's jeans by mistake. Just as I realized I had the wrong pants, my daughter walked in and said,"I can't believe you're wearing my black skinny jeans...but they look great!" You guessed it, I wore them all day! Thanks to Jillian Michaels, I'm rocking size 6 skinny jeans!

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Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus/Nestor The Christmas Donkey (Double Feature)

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (Rankin-Bass Productions)
I was very pleased to finally have this Rankin/Bass animagic film on DVD. I've waited over a decade to replace the poor quality bootleg VHS copy I had.

I would say that of all the Rankin/Bass Christmas-related stop motion "animagic" work this one is the most strikingly unusual. It has some excellent qualities that are lacking in other productions by the company.

A thumb high up for the script by Julian P. Gardner that manages to reduce the original source material by L. Frank Baum into a concise and remarkably true-to-spirit reworking.

The score by Bernard Hoffer is excellent. Including original songs (with lyrics by Mr. Gardner) that are a welcome departure from other productions that employ Jules Bass as a lyricist. I have no complaint with Maury Laws, the musical director of works like "The Year Without A Santa Claus", his work is always of a high standard. Unfortunately, Mr. Bass often produces labored and strained-for-a-rhyme lyrics to Law's...

This is one of only three stop motion Christmas classics left to be released
This movie is a Rankin/Bass classic and should be treated as such. (This is a DVD-R, unrestored version). About two years ago, WB finally released The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold and Pinocchio's Christmas in a boxed set with other Rankin/Bass classics.

The only Rankin/Bass stop motion Christmas classics that have not been restored and released on DVD as of today (Dec 11, 2009) are:
1. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
2. The First Christmas (aka The Story of the First Christmas Snow)
3. The Little Drummer Boy Book II

All three are owned by WB. Sooooo, hopefully these three will be released in a new Christmas boxed set - perhaps as early as next year - Christmas 2010!!

Why no DVD?
With all of the other DVDs of the old Rankin & Bass shows that are out, you'd think they would have found room for this one by now, but noooo...

Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, creator of "The Wizard of Oz," this unique interpretation of the Santa Claus legend is a stop-motion animation film by the same people who created the classic versions of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman." Young Claus is a human child found and raised by fairies, battling monsters and finding joy in bringing gifts to children. There was a traditional animated version in 2000 which was okay, but this stop motion version is a real masterpiece if you can find it.

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Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (Remastered Edition)

Spectacular visuals, nice extras, a few quibbles
The Program:

If I could find something new to say about Star Trek, that would be a feat in itself. Let it suffice to say that it's the most successful TV sci-fi franchise of all time, was a pioneering show in many respects, and is just darned entertaining to watch, whether you're a "true believer" or not.

Season One of the Original Series is a great place to start for newbies and fanatics alike. We are introduced to the Romulans, Klingons, Khan, Starfleet, the Federation of Planets, and the whole crew short of Chekov, who appears in Season Two. We are presented with 29 episodes, at least 6 of which are absolute masterpieces, and another 10 of which are really, really good. In this package, you'll get classics such as "The City on The Edge of Forever," "Where No Man Has Gone Before," "Balance of Terror," "The Menagerie," "The Devil In The Dark," and "Space Seed." Overall, it's the Original Series' strongest season, and it only has two real clunkers in the group...

Film is naturally HD
To rebut another review, anything professionally shot on 35 mm film, whether from the 1960s or 2007, is natively high-definition--that is, the amount of information that has been recorded on the MASTER is equal to or greater than HD standards. It's only the duplications that, until HD mastering, were of lesser definition. That's the reason studios at first were so hesitant to adopt HD DVDs--it diminished the value of their master if everyone had a copy as good. So when a film is remastered in HD from an original film master in good condition, it's true HD and not "extra pixels filling in empty space." Remastering, of course, can be done well or poorly, accounting for differing quality in the final product. Anyone who's seen these remastered episodes knows how fantastic they are--both for how great they look and, yes, how they show up the wooden sets and cheap costumes, etc. from the period. But that's part of the fun! What's astonishing is how well this show holds up in HD, and...

Finally, A Season Set Of The ORIGINAL Series!
With practically all of the Star Trek spinoffs now available as season sets, Paramount Home Entertainment FINALLY delivers the highly anticipated Star Trek - The Complete First Season on DVD this August 31, in an 8-disc collectible box set. The box will contain all 29 episodes - in airdate order - from Season One of the original Star Trek series, along with newly produced bonus features exclusive to this DVD release. The contents of the DVDs are as follows:
Disc 1: The Man Trap, Charlie X, Where No Man Has Gone Before**, The Naked Time
Disc 2: The Enemy Within, Mudd's Women, What Are Little Girls Made Of?, Miri
Disc 3: Dagger of the Mind, The Corbomite Maneuver, The Menagerie Part I**, The Menagerie Part II**
Disc 4: The Conscience of the King**, Balance of Terror, Shore Leave, The Galileo Seven
Disc 5: The Squire of Gothos, Arena, Tomorrow is Yesterday, Court Martial
Disc 6: The Return of the Archons, Space Seed, A Taste of Armageddon, This Side of...

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Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season

Thought provoking Season, both ethically and spiritually; Excellent!
I am a psychology grad student and what you could pick up from this show is incredible! The writers didn't just piece together plots out of nowhere when they had nothing better to do. The characters are all well developed and driven by the content over the years. Nothing is lost, everything, even characters that you have seen before are interwoven brilliantly from the beginning of the series up through the present, the sign of excellent writing! The best part about the production of this show is no film is wasted. You know how you watch 2nd rate shows or movies and there's absolutely no reason to have shown a scene, or they cut in the same useless scene later as if they don't have enough screenplay to make a typically-timed movie/show; that doesn't happen here! When there is a focus on a face the emotions are expertly carried by the characters from Sam & Dean to Jim & Cass. Even when they throw in a comical highlight or two it fits the characters perfectly. Now the music, hey I did my...

Best Season yet!
I was hesitant to say the least when I started watching this season. I did not believe the writers could possibly continue to create as well as they had in season 4. I am proud to say that I was mistaken. Not only did the writing make me wish the next episode was right at my fingertips, but the way they crafted the story to touch previous episodes from every seasons was impressive. I found myself re-tracing the steps of various characters in seasons 1-4 to find out their real intentions. I do not know if I would recommend this for anyone who hasn't seen the first 4 seasons. The writing is great and interesting, but if you have seen the entire story-arch, you will understand character's motives and the intentions of the writers much more. I must also add a note about the final episode, Swan Song. The creator Eric Kripke wrote this as his last episode (he will not be the person in charge of the series next year). From watching it, I can tell he intended this to be his masterpiece,...

Supernatural fan Lummi Nation, WA.
Jake Johnson, Washington Coastal Salish. I am a writer of fiction, poetry, and screenplay. I must say Eric Kripke is the man for putting this show out there for us to watch and be a part of. Supernatural is the best thing to happen to television since Rod Serling widened our mental state of being with The Twilight Zone. The Winchester family is the most intruguing in the history of fictisious hero families. The team of writers, directors, producers on down to the actors must have a love and dedecation to the show, it seems that way. I have seasons 1-4 on DVD and not one episode is a disapointment. This show rocks. As a writer who is picky with what he is entertained by, Supernatural is a sure winner, and should stand the test of time along side X Files, Star Trek, Twin Peaks and all the other shows from the depths of darkness. I advise, ney dare anyone to enter the world of Sam and dean Winchester. Check out this product, Eric Kripke is a sure talent, a name that will be remembered.

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The Rescuers: 35th Anniversary Edition (The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under) (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)

Bonus DVD Packaging
This review is not about the Blu Ray, which is outstanding in both the picture & sound. Instead, the review is about the packaging of the 2 bonus DVD's. Disney decided to go with a double case instead of a triple case. This resulted in the 2 bonus DVD's being stacked on one spindled on-top of each other, resulting in the top DVD being scratched. Surely Disney could have spent a few more cents & gone with the proper case to accommodate the 2 bonus DVD's & the 1 Blu Ray. A little disappointing for a company that always stood for quality.

The Mouse Giveth, the Mouse Taketh Away. Original Bonuses are dropped!
WHAT'S MISSING from the original DVDs?
The Rescuers' biggest casualty is the loss of a 15-page Scrapbook holding concept art, character designs, behind-the-scenes production photos, and publicity artwork. Also dropped, and of lesser interest, is "Under the Hat Villains", a 90-second Toon Disney short celebrating the studio's animated villains (including Medusa) with clips and some animator comments. The last omission from the original movie's DVD is "The Ultimate Case" set-top game, which let you sleuth around rooms to find Penny's missing teddy bear (with the Devil's Eye Diamond inside) à la Bernard and Bianca with clues from "Orville."

Lost from The Rescuers Down Under's original Gold Classic Collection DVD are its original theatrical trailer, a virtual DVD storybook, and a 16-question trivia game. And expectedly not resurfacing from inside its case are an Animals of the Outback booklet and chapter insert.

You may want to hold on to your original...

Disney Animated Classics #23 and #29: Two wonderful films that look better than ever!
The Rescuers was the last feature produced by Walt's legendary team of animators (the nine old men) and is easily their best since Walt's death in 1966. Released in 1977, The Rescuers is a delightful and heartfelt story full of adventure, poignancy and great characters. Both Bernard and Miss Bianca are wonderful creations that compliment each other. Madame Medusa may seem like Cruella De Vil but is not at all forgettable. The voice cast is spot on with Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor, Geraldine Page and the rest giving memorable performances and bringing unforgettable characters to life. The story of these two mice rescuing a little girl keeps you invested the whole time and you care for them very much. The Rescuers may seem a like a little obscure film but the truth is that is a Disney classic through and through.

Released 13 years later in 1990, The Rescuers Down Under was Disney's first official sequel produced by the main studio (not to be confused with a cheapquel). With high...

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Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Just to clear some things up...
For those of you who may be reading through the other reviews here on Amazon, and being turned off of this product due to all of the complaints of so-called "censorship", I feel the need to set things straight. You are not being told the whole story by the angry one-star reviews.

First of all, the missing (approximately) 15 seconds from the film has been missing since 1969. Most of us probably weren't even born at that time. So it's not like this isn't the Fantasia that we grew up with. Besides, Fantasia has undergone many edits over the years. The original theatrical version was only 81 minutes long (and included the 15 seconds of racism), the version on this new blu-ray/DVD release is 125 minutes (and does not include the 15 seconds of racism, but has 44 minutes of footage that has been restored since the original release). There have been almost a dozen re-edits of Fantasia since it's release in 1940, most of them to restore and repair lost or damaged footage, so making...

After some research...
After originally looking at this item and its reviews, I was worried that I wouldn't get the version I'd grown up with (I'm 26) - people were complaining about censorship and edits (one review said the movie was only 90 minutes long). I checked the VHS I own - it's 120 minutes. So, of course, I was concerned.

However, after looking into it, this seems to be one of the most complete copies that exists. I looked for images of the back of the actual box - the running times are listed as 125 minutes for Fantasia, and 75 minutes for Fantasia 2000. Both of these times are LONGER than their respective VHS times. The original roadshow release of Fantasia was 125 minutes long, so it sounds as if everything has been restored.

This leaves the censorship. The "censored" scenes haven't been in the releases of the film since 1969, so I'd never even seen them. After viewing the "uncut" version on YouTube, I have to say that this is VERY minor, and I don't miss it at all...

Bluray does Fantasia proud, but...
If you're looking for the highest quality presentation of Fantasia available, this is the set to purchase. The Blu-ray versions of both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 in 1080p are positively beautiful. Crystal clear animation with no discernible artifact (banding), lush grays and blacks, and the artistic beauty of Disney's animators at their best is featured in these two extravagant movies. And yes, the movie has been censored in that we're missing a portion of one frame for a few seconds thanks to some overanxious lawyers at Disney, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying what are otherwise superb video presentations. (One star lost to the censorship issue).

There's an additional downside. The prior release of this set was the Fantasia Anthology. This was a DVD (not Bluray) release with three discs. You'd not be faulted for thinking: "That set has three discs. This one has four. This one, therefore, has more content." You would, however, be wrong. In both sets, one disc is...

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Rocky: The Undisputed Collection (Rocky / Rocky II / Rocky III / Rocky IV / Rocky V / Rocky Balboa) [Blu-ray]

Video Quality Breakdown
If you are looking at this you know this is a classic series of movies. I am here to attempt to review the quality if the blu-ray transfer for each movie. I want a potential buyer to know what they are getting when it comes to a the video quality presented in this set

Case:

The design here is compact and neat. There is an oversized blu ray keep case that holds all 7 discs. The discs are in back to back holders.

Image Quality

Rocky :
This is definitely the best quality we have ever gotten. There is a question as to weather or not this is the best possible transfer we could get, but it is very difficult to judge something on conjecture. Anyway, the aspect ratio is 1.85:1 with a 1080p/mpeg2 transfer. This is the same remastering as the 2006 blu ray and we may not get a better version for a long time.

While watching the movie it looks very good, but there is significant noise on the screen at pints which can be distracting. This...

Enough about the price drop complaining, review the product!
Ok, I watched this set I borrowed from a friend and the picture isn't as bad as everyone says it is. Somewhere someone said they felt like they were watching a VHS tape...give me a break! While they obviously could have done a better job cleaning these up, they are for sure better than the DVD versions. But it's still a decent transfer...I'm sure there they will eventually be completely remastered.

As for those of you complaining about the price droppings...have you noticed the significant drop overall in blu-ray pricing? Now the blu-ray is becoming more mainstream, the prices are coming down! If there are no advantages to pre-ordering, then don't get it! Everyone has had a situation where they paid for something and later saw it cheaper and lost a few bucks. Amazon is still cheaper than going out to Best Buy or Wal-mart and getting it. Factor in that the majority of Amazon users don't have to pay tax and can have the items shipped to you for FREE, then that is even...

Best Rocky you'll ever see
The Rocky series is my favorite series of movies hands down. I know they are cliche and campy but I just adore them. This transfer is one of the best I've seen IMO. Now don't expect to watch Rocky I-V and it look as good as the Avatar blu ray because it just won't. But they are great transfers and the sound that is picked up on them that I've never heard before watching the old DVD releases is just amazing. If you like Rocky and are a fan of HD then you owe it to yourself to get this. The packaging looks great as well.

..And enough about the price drop. Seriously. If you want to complain, blog about it. Create a discussion on this product. Don't rate the product poorly because YOU paid too much.

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Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition

Double-dip is warranted
I suspect most fans of this film and Monty Python in general already own a copy on DVD. The bonus features in this new double-disc edition definitely make it worth the repeat buy. Most of the features from the Criterion edition (two commentary tracks, five deleted scenes, radio ads) are here. (The nice 1979 BBC documentary "The Pythons" is the only feature from the Criterion version missing from this new set.)

The new hour-long documentary included with this edition is worth the purchase alone. All five surviving Pythons are interviewed and offer a lot of insight into the film, from its conception, to the controversy surrounding its opening (in the US and in the UK), to its lasting standing as the Pythons' greatest work. (Yes, I know, many fans like "Grail" even more.) I'm always pleased to see up-to-date interviews with the team, now all in their sixties.

The other significant feature is an audio reading of the original script, recorded with all six members...

Blessed are the Cheesemakers!!!!
This is the 4th iteration of this movie that I have owned. My first was on VHS, then came the Criterion LaserDisc, which was followed by the Criterion DVD edition. I really wasn't expecting much of an improvement over the Criterion DVD since this is an older movie. Regardless of what version you own, if you are a Python fan, you are in for a HUGE surprise with this latest edition on Blu-ray. The picture is near perfection with only a couple of scenes where I noticed the tiniest bit of film grain. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was the remastered sound elements. After trying the different sound choices, I found the PCM soundtrack to be the best. I really wasn't expecting the sound to be that great for this movie, but BOY was I surprised. Sony has truly outdone themselves with this latest high def remastering of Life of Brian. This is the absolute best I have ever seen or heard of this zany film. There are details in the picture that I have NEVER seend before, and I have...

Monty Python's Life of Brian--Criterion Edition
You have to be a genius to be this silly. Monty Python has done a fantastic amount of research into Jewish history and the birth of Christianity to make a total mockery of the hypocrisy found in people who claim to practice these religions. As a deeply spiritual man, I found this film completely unoffensive. This film doesn't poke fun at those who are a part of their religion because of an informed, knowledgeable decision, but rather at those who believe what they believe despite all evidence to the contrary and can't offer any valid explanation for it. Most people have probably been embarassed by people of that sort even in there own religion. Anybody who thinks that Monty Python's sense of humor is stupid isn't smart enough to understand the vast amount of research they must have done to turn verifiable history into such a ridiculous commentary on unchanging human behaviour. From the political issue made out of Stan's irrational desire to be a woman so he could have...

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