2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] Sale

Buy 2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]. From Roland Emmerich, director of THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and INDEPENDENCE DAY, comes the ultimate action-adventure film, exploding with groundbreaking special effects. As the world faces a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions, cities collapse and continents crumble. 2012 brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover.

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Now this is how you destroy the world. Roland Emmerich's 2012 pounces on a Nostradamus-style loophole in the Mayan calendar and rams the apocalypse through it, gleefully conjuring up an enormous amount of Saturday-matinee fun in the process. A scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) detects shifting continental plates and sun flares and realizes that this foretells the imminent destruction of the planet. Just as the molten lava is about to hit the fan, a novelist (John Cusack) takes his kids on a trip to Yellowstone; later he'll hook up with his ex (Amanda Peet) and her new boyfriend (Tom McCarthy) in a global journey toward safety. If there is any safety. The suitably hair-raising plot lines are punctuated--frequently, people, frequently--by visions of mayhem around the globe: the Vatican falls over, the White House is clobbered (Emmerich's Independence Day was not enough on that score), and the California coastline dives into the Pacific Ocean. Unlike other action directors we could name, Emmerich actually understands how to let you see and drink in these vast special-effects vistas--and they are incredible. He also honors the old Irwin Allen disaster-movie tradition by actually shelling out for good actors. Cusack and Ejiofor are convincing even in the cheesiest material; toss in Danny Glover (the U.S. president), Woody Harrelson (a nut-bar conspiracy-theorizing radio host), Thandie Newton, and Oliver Platt, and you've got a very watchable batch of people. Emmerich hasn't developed an ear for dialogue, even at this stage in his career, and the final act goes on a bit too long. This is a very silly movie, but if you've got a weakness for B-movie energy and hairbreadth escapes, 2012 delivers quite a bit of both. --Robert Horton



Stills from 2012 (Click for larger image)

2012 (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] Review


I'm giving this 5 stars to help balance out the stupid, ridiculous 1 star reviews. There are certain people who like to say that the good movies are bad and the bad movies are good. They like the movies that lose money, are boring, and have no entertainment value. They prefer movies to have no special effects and nothing that's fun or entertaining. In other words, they like bad movies and they hate anything that's popular and successful. 2012 is one of the top grossing movies. I wouldn't say it's a great movie in every way but it has amazing disaster visuals and provides good entertainment value. It's a good movie to watch on your big HDTV and hear on your surround sound system. Also the story is fairly interesting. 2012 is certainly much more watchable than a terrible movie such as "Children of Men." People who trash popular entertainment such as 2012 think they're so smart, but I think they're idiots. I happen to have a very high IQ myself and I much prefer blockbuster movies over the boring little garbage movies that the critics praise.

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Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (Sci-Fi TV Miniseries) (Two-Disc DVD Set)

Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (Sci-Fi TV Miniseries) (Two-Disc DVD Set) Sale

Buy Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (Sci-Fi TV Miniseries) (Two-Disc DVD Set). The spectacular epic that began in the Emmy Award-winning Frank Herbert’s Dune mini-series continues in this dazzling new journey into sweeping interstellar intrigue and visionary sci-fi adventure! On the desert planet of Dune, the ancient prophecy has been fulfilled: the rule of the legendary Muad’dib has triggered a miraculous transformation of the arid wastelands. But as always, the Great Houses of the Empire are alive with rumors of conspiracy, plotting and betrayal. And when Muad’dib no longer wields absolute power as the Emperor, his young son Leto Atreides and daughter Ghanima face the prospect of a disastrous civil war on Arrakis - and chaos on a galactic scale. Now, with the future of the vital Spice trade in the balance, the destiny of humanity itself will depend on the courage, strength and otherworldly wisdom of The Children of Dune!

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Conspiracies abound in Children of Dune, Sci-Fi Channel's praiseworthy miniseries sequel to Frank Herbert's Dune, loyally adapted from the Herbert novels Dune Messiah and Children of Dune by John Harrison, who passed directorial duties (due to a scheduling conflict) to Greg Yaitanes, a 31-year-old TV director and Dune neophyte tackling his biggest assignment to date. Uninitiated viewers face a disadvantage; it's best to read Herbert's books and/or see the first miniseries before plunging into this remarkably coherent tangle of political intrigue, unfolding 12 years after the events of Dune.

To his horror, Maud'Dib--Arrakis emperor Paul Atreides (Alec Newman, reprising his Dune role)--has become the unintended figurehead of a violent dictatorship, and his enemies are multiplying. Vanishing into the desert, he waits as destiny shapes his twin heirs Leto II (James McAvoy) and Ghanima (Jessica Brooks), who must contend with their scheming aunt Alia (Daniela Amavia) while Princess Wensicia (Susan Sarandon), of the enemy House Corrino, plots her own attack on Maud'Dib's familial empire. Exiled Atreides matriarch Lady Jessica (Alice Krige, giving the film's finest performance) returns to Arrakis, where the enormous, desert-dwelling sandworms face an uncertain future. As always, the spice must flow, and the universe's most coveted commodity remains at the center of this richly detailed and physically impressive production. Special effects range from awesome (fly-over shots of the capital city, Arakeen) to awful (the saber-tooth tigers look like Jumanji rejects), and Dune devotees will endlessly debate the miniseries' strengths and weaknesses. Some may desire more action to punctuate the film's inherent verbosity, but consensus will surely conclude that this is Dune done right, with monumental effort and obvious devotion from everyone involved. --Jeff Shannon


Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (Sci-Fi TV Miniseries) (Two-Disc DVD Set) Review


I have no complaints about CHILDREN OF DUNE (2003), as it's by far the best adaptation of Frank Herbert's novels to date. CHILDREN OF DUNE is filled with breathtaking scenes, pretty ladies, good acting throughout, and a certain intellectual mystique about it. It's relatively light on action, but makes up for it with relevant, tangible, easily-grapsed scenes that slowly unravel a deep and rich storyline. Alec Newman gives a great performance, as his character (Paul) has more depth, and more attitude. The environments and lighting of most of the scenes is spectacular, and really adds to the film. I thought that the Dune 2000 environments were crude and clearly lower budget caliber. Dune gets a facelift in this one, almost to the point to where the viewer is spoiled. Oh, and the music.....it's fantastic, and once again, they got it right. Overall, CHILDREN OF DUNE is a pleasure to watch. If you like intellectual sci-fi with all its politics and conflict, then this film is for you. One more thing.....it was almost refreshing to see very modern-looking wardrobes of the actors. It was shocking at times, because it looked like 2003 fashion. I believe that they overdressed their characters in Dune 2000, so this was a welcome (and somewhat surprising) change. 9.5/10 You can buy Cheap Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (Sci-Fi TV Miniseries) (Two-Disc DVD Set) online fast and easy, Shop Today!.

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Ponyo (Two-Disc Edition)

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Buy Ponyo (Two-Disc Edition). Welcome to a world where anything is possible! Academy Award winning director Hayao Miyazaki (2002, Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away) and legendary filmmaker John Lasseter together with Disney bring to life a heartwarming and imaginative telling of Hans Christian Andersen s classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid. A young boy named Sosuke rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and they embark on a fantastic journey of friendship and discovery before Ponyo s father, a powerful sorcerer, forces her to return to her home in the sea. But Ponyo s desire to be human upsets the delicate balance of nature and triggers a gigantic storm. Only Ponyo s mother, a beautiful sea goddess, can restore nature s balance and make Ponyo s dreams come true. Ponyo will delight your family with its magnificent animation and timeless story.

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Ponyo confirms Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki's reputation as one of the most imaginative filmmakers working today. Loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," Ponyo is a magical celebration of innocent love and the fragile beauty of the natural world. The daughter of the sea goddess Gran Mamare (voiced by Cate Blanchett) and the alchemist Fujimoto (Liam Neeson), Ponyo (Noah Cyrus) begins life as an adventurous little goldfish. Chafing at her father's restrictions, she goes in search of adventure and meets Sosuke (Frankie Jonas), a good-natured 5-year-old who lives by the sea. Sosuke adopts Ponyo and quickly wins her heart. Fujimoto uses magic to bring her back, but Ponyo's love for Sosuke proves stronger than his elixirs. She transforms herself into a human girl and returns to him during a spectacular storm at sea, but her metamorphosis upsets the balance of nature, precipitating a crisis only Gran Mamare can resolve. Ponyo contains fantastic moments that suggest dreams-- and reassert the power of hand-drawn animation to create memorable fantasies: No effects-laden Hollywood feature can match the wonder of Ponyo running along the tops of crashing waves on her way back to Sosuke. Ponyo is closer in tone to My Neighbor Totoro than Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, and will appeal to audiences of all ages, including small children. The #1 film in Japan in 2008, Ponyo earned more than ¥14.9 billion (over US5 million) to become the 8th highest grossing film in Japanese history. (Rated G: A few scary moments, alcohol use) --Charles Solomon



Ponyo (Two-Disc Edition) Review


Ponyo (which is also known as Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea) is a film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. For this film, Miyazaki chose to make a completely 2D film, and not utilize any 3D computer effects. This approach gives Ponyo a very distinct feel when compared to some of the more recent films that have been produced by Studio Ghibli. However, I believe that the simplicity of the animation really works well with the story being told in the film. Ponyo is a very family-friendly film, and can be enjoyed by both younger and older viewers alike.

There is one bonus feature on the first DVD, which is a roughly three-minute documentary titled, "Disc Introduction - Meet Ponyo." This documentary features Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, who were involved with producing the English dub of the film.

The second disc in the set has a set up menu as well, which allows you to choose between English and Japanese audio. The features are split into two sections: "Original Japanese Storyboards" and "The World of Ghibli." Just like on Disney's previous releases of Studio Ghibli films, the "Original Japanese Storyboards" is simply a version of the film with storyboards.

The menu for "The World of Ghibli" is split into two sections: "Behind the Studio" and "Other Ghibli Worlds Preview." It starts out with five documentaries, which run anywhere from 2-5 minutes, discussing various aspects of producing Ponyo (and some also briefly touch on some of Miyazaki's other works). These subtitled documentaries feature either Hayao Miyazaki or Toshio Suzuki (the producer). This is followed by a nine-and-a-half minute excerpt from a Japanese documentary about where Ponyo is set. This is followed by a roughly eight-minute documentary about how Joe Hiashi scored some of Miyazaki's films. Then, there are the original Japanese trailers (which are two trailers that run for three-and-a-half minutes). The final feature in this menu is "Behind the Microphone," a six-minute long documentary about recording the English dub of Ponyo.

The "Other Ghibli Worlds Preview" has sections for My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Castle in the Sky. Each one has a short documentary featuring Miyazaki.

On this disc, there is also "Enter the Lands." In the menu for this feature, there are elements from all of Studio Ghibli's films, but only elements for Ponyo, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and Castle in the Sky can be selected. For Ponyo, there is a character quiz. For the other three films, you see a short promo, and then 3-4 page menus with clickable elements (characters give you character bios, and other items react when chosen).

If you are a fan of Miyazaki, or you enjoy the films of Studio Ghibli, then you should see Ponyo. Even though some of the features on disc two of the Disney DVD set are a little disappointing, this is a DVD that should be in the collection of any anime fan.

I wrote this review after watching a copy of this DVD that I checked out through the King County Library System. You can buy Cheap Ponyo (Two-Disc Edition) online fast and easy, Shop Today!.

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Into Great Silence (Two-Disc Set)

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Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world s most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks quarters for six months filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. One of the most mesmerizing and poetic chronicles of spirituality ever created, INTO GREAT SILENCE dissolves the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. More meditation than documentary, it s a rare, transformative experience for all.

DISC ONE, THE FILM:
Breathtaking 16:9 anamorphic transfer, created from Hi-Def elements
U.S. theatrical trailer
Optional English subtitles

DISC TWO, THE EXTRAS:
The Making of Into Great Silence : With behind-the-scenes footage,
location photos and handwritten notes from the monks
Additional scenes, including a segment on the preparation of the
Carthusian s world-famous Chartreuse liqueur
Night Mass
The Carthusian Order : An informative guide to the rules, architecture, and
daily schedules of the monks and the monasteries
Extensive photo, poster, and press kit galleries
And more!

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Into Great Silence (Two-Disc Set) Customer Review


The screen silently opens to reveal a lone monk quietly and deeply in prayer. He is so still one wonders if this is really a photograph. But, ever so slight movements from his mouth assure that this is indeed no photo and the camera simply continues to linger on his entranced like kneeling form.

From there, a title card quotes 1 Kings concerning how the LORD was found not in the earthquake or in the lightning, but in a small whisper (19:11-12). Thus begins "Into Great Silence," Director Philip Groening's spiritual odyssey into the simple monastic lives of the monks of the Carthusian Order; one of the most strictly ascetic monastic orders within the Roman Catholic Church.

Philip Groening had originally sent a letter of request to film the lives of the Carthusian Order based at the Grand Chartreuse. Twenty years later they accepted his request. Groening lived and worked among the Order while filming.

Rather than rely on a more traditional narrative format found in other documentaries, Groening aims at seeing that the film's flow is more in harmony with this movie's title. And, he does it most beautifully and provocatively, making this film one of the richest spiritual experiences recorded as more of a contemplative work than a typical documentary.

We receive an inside view into monks' daily lives, from their hours of prayer, to labor out in the garden, and in other simple activities like one certain monk's feeding of cats, which makes for an entertaining and amusing scene. We also witness the passing of time and seasons changing at a deliberate pace. Day darkens into night, and night passes by to be illuminated again by day. The snowy cold winter melts into the bright sunshine of Spring, and then back into Winter all without hesitation and acceptance as if through the monks' eyes.

The Order's Rule involves a Vow of Silence, but on Sundays, the brothers are allowed to walk outside and engage in conversation with one another. They make the most of this time. And, a scene with the monks sliding down a snow covered hill in winter reminds viewers that though they're in a strict Order, the brothers haven't forgotten how to have fun!

This way of life is shown to bring peace and joy. A sense of peace and joy which is shared to the audience by a blind monk who speaks directly to the camera; one of the few talking spots in a film truly dedicated to Silence and the spiritual realities beneath. The film conveys the Order's way of life in its motto: "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis, which is Latin for "The Cross is steady while the world is turning."

★★★ Read More Reviews ★★★

Flags of Our Fathers (Two-Disc Special Edition) [HD DVD]

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Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/22/2007 Run time: 132 minutes Rating: R

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Description




Thematically ambitious and emotionally complex, Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers is an intimate epic with much to say about war and the nature of heroism in America. Based on the non-fiction bestseller by James Bradley (with Ron Powers), and adapted by Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis (Jarhead screenwriter William Broyles Jr. wrote an earlier draft that was abandoned when Eastwood signed on to direct), this isn't so much a conventional war movie as it is a thought-provoking meditation on our collective need for heroes, even at the expense of those we deem heroic. In telling the story of the six men (five Marines, one Navy medic) who raised the American flag of victory on the battle-ravaged Japanese island of Iwo Jima on February 23rd, 1945, Eastwood takes us deep into the horror of war (in painstakingly authentic Iwo Jima battle scenes) while emphasizing how three of the surviving flag-raisers (played by Adam Beach, Ryan Phillippe, and Jesse Bradford) became reluctant celebrities – and resentful pawns in a wartime publicity campaign – after their flag-raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in the most famous photograph in military history.

As the surviving flag-raisers reluctantly play their public roles as "the heroes of Iwo Jima" during an exhausting (but clearly necessary) wartime bond rally tour, Flags of Our Fathers evolves into a pointed study of battlefield valor and misplaced idolatry, incorporating subtle comment on the bogus nature of celebrity, the trauma of battle, and the true meaning of heroism in wartime. Wisely avoiding any direct parallels to contemporary history, Eastwood allows us to draw our own conclusions about the Iwo Jima flag-raisers and how their postwar histories (both noble and tragic) simultaneously illustrate the hazards of exploited celebrity and society's genuine need for admirable role models during times of national crisis. Flags of Our Fathers defies the expectations of those seeking a more straightforward war-action drama, but it's richly satisfying, impeccably crafted film that manages to be genuinely patriotic (in celebrating the camaraderie of soldiers in battle) while dramatizing the ultimate futility of war. Eastwood's follow-up film, Letters from Iwo Jima, examines the Iwo Jima conflict from the Japanese perspective. --Jeff Shannon

Beyond Flags of Our Fathers

Other World War II DVDs

Essential DVDs by Director Clint Eastwood

Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley

Stills from Flags of Our Fathers (click for larger image)

Flags of Our Fathers (Two-Disc Special Edition) [HD DVD] Customer Review


This DVD is blu ray and really looks crystal clear on my HDTV! Great interactive menus and docudrama included.
The picture is set in WWII and has that "look" about it. It's NOT your TV, it's the way it was filmed. You know the story, six Marines raise the flag on Mt. Suribachi, in February of 1945. A picture was taken that mesmerised the country and the three marines that weren't killed, in the meantime, were sent on a bond tour that raised more money than ALL previous Bond tours combined! You learn about the men who raised the flags(yes there were TWO flags raised that day. The flag that became famous and which the picture won a Pulitzer prize was hardly even noticed when these Marines changed the first flag out, because a politician wanted that first flag) in a way that was never told before. Great story, well filmed! The actual war scenes are graphic, but the main story is about the men who raised the flag and less on the actual battle.

★★★ Read More Reviews ★★★