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- First reviewJune 5, 2009
- Last reviewJuly 25, 2009
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![It Happened One Night [1934]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/083fab7f-dcf3-4550-9a34-d24d6ac6092c.jpg)
The very definition of "screwball classic," this film is complemented by this excellent disc. The film is presented in its original full-screen (standard) format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The sound is in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. The print quality is exceptional, with a nice balance of blacks and whites. Audio choices are English and Spanish with subtitles in these two languages as well as Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai. There is also a commentary track offered by Frank Capra Jr. that focuses on the very creation of the film; though there are some pauses, it is definitely worth a listen. Other "Special Features" include a brief interview with Capra Jr. in which he discusses his personal relationship to the film. A "Vintage Advertising" section features 12 lobby cards and posters for the film. Also included is the hour-long Lux Radio broadcast of It Happened One Night, which originally aired on March 20, 1939, and includes the two main stars of the film, Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Theatrical trailers for the features Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Lost Horizon are also included. There are "Talent File" listings for Capra, Gable, and Colbert. A great disc for a great film.
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
It's amazing that this movie doesn't feel dated. It's 75 years old. Sure, some of the details are old fashioned but the movie remains as fresh as ever. The chemistry between Colbert and Gable is extraordinary.
The Plot: Rich girl, Ellie Andrews, married a musician King Wesley on a whim. Before the marriage could be consummated, her overprotective father whisked her away. As the movie opens, she jumps from her father's yacht to return to her husband.
On a bus she meets recently unemployed reporter, Peter Warne. He recognizes her and offers to help reunite her with King Wesley in return for an exclusive story. Of course they fall in love. Of course they are almost separated because of a misunderstanding. And, of course, they end up together.
Milestones:
The first "road" picture.
Possibly the first screwball comedy.
Clark Gable's only Oscar. (He didn't win for Gone with the Wind)
The first picture to win the top 5 Academy Awards -- picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay. Forty-one years later, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was the second picture to sweep the top awards (although Louise Fletcher really should have been in the supporting actress category.) Silence of the Lambs (1991) is the only other film to achieve this.
The first "road" picture.
Possibly the first screwball comedy.
Clark Gable's only Oscar. (He didn't win for Gone with the Wind)
The first picture to win the top 5 Academy Awards -- picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay. Forty-one years later, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was the second picture to sweep the top awards (although Louise Fletcher really should have been in the supporting actress category.) Silence of the Lambs (1991) is the only other film to achieve this.
It Happened One Night deserves all the accolades it has received and you'll be enchanted right up to the moment the walls of Jericho fall.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Thin Man Collection (7 Disc) [DVD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/304b2327-370a-41e7-956a-951dd4939472.png)
William Powell and Myrna Loy were one of the smartest and sexiest on-screen couples of the '30s and '40s as Nick and Nora Charles, martini-sipping socialites who solved crimes in their spare time in The Thin Man and its sequels, and this special DVD box set collects all six movies in the series. The material on The Thin Man Collection (including The Thin Man, After the Thin Man, Another Thin Man, Shadow of the Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home, and Song of the Thin Man) has been transferred to disc in its original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono. The dialogue for all six films is in English, with optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. The Thin Man also includes an alternate French dubbed soundtrack. Trailers for all six movies have been included. As a bonus, the set features a bonus disc with a documentary about the Thin Man series, "Alias Nick and Nora."
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
Nick and Nora Charles and their dog, Asta, travel around being witty and charming, living on her inherited fortune. And because, before they were married, Nick was a detective, he occasionally deigns to solve a murder that baffles the police.
Myrna Loy and William Powell pure delight.They were paired together in other movies over the years and they were always a great team. Unfortunately, the studio realized that they could sell an audience on anything and stopped worrying about giving them good scripts. As a result, the later installments aren't as good as the originals, but they're still lots of fun.
Trivia:
Nick Charles is not "The Thin Man." In fact, you never meet the title character in any of the movies.
That's Dean Stockwell (Al from Quantum Leap) as their son in Song of the Thin Man.
Both Loy and Powell absolutely HATED the dog.
Nick Charles is not "The Thin Man." In fact, you never meet the title character in any of the movies.
That's Dean Stockwell (Al from Quantum Leap) as their son in Song of the Thin Man.
Both Loy and Powell absolutely HATED the dog.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
If I had to pick a season of House to be my favorite, this would be it. Every season has it's great episodes (actually, with this series, every season has a dozen or so great episodes) but S2 only has 3 not good episodes as far as I'm concerned (Humpty Dumpty and the 2-part Euphoria.)
House still had his moments of happiness in S2. They've been few and far between since then. While I didn't like Stacy that arc introduced us to a side of House we'd never have seen otherwiise. We met his parents.
Season 2 was when we met House's parents, Wilson began manipulating House in earnest and Foreman showed his true self -- a slimy creep.
House DVDs never have great extras but the bloopers reel is pretty good and there are two episodes with commentary from David Shore and Katie Jacobs.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Create your own DVDs and CDs with this Mac Mini's double-layer DVD~RW/CD-RW SuperDrive. Enjoy wireless use with the built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth-capabilities. Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard included
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
My first computer was a Mac but I had switched to PCs for compatibility with my office PC. That's not a problem any more so I knew my next computer was going to be a Mac.
Last summer, my PC died. No matter how many times I measured, even the smaller iMac was an inch too tall for my workstation. I was going to have to have to lose the top shelf. That's when I decided to get a Mac Mini. I paired it with a 22" Samsung monitor which fits perfectly. My computer sits in a corner of the top shelf on top of my external drive.
You do lose some things with a Mac Mini. There's no built in camera. And it is slower than other Macs. The later has been addressed by Mac and the new Minis are faster.
If you buy a Mac Mini directly from Apple as I did, you can upgrade to a larger hard drive. Don't do it. A larger hard drive requires a special order and your computer will be shipped from China. You'll get it a couple of weeks later. Buy a second external hard drive instead. A faster processor can be done in-house. (I vote for the upgrade there.)
The reason I say a second hard drive is because you'll want to use one for Time Machine. That's part of the operating system. It backs up your computer every hour for a day, every day for a week and every week for a year.
There's myth that Macs are more expensive. Nope. If you use specialized programs, you'll have to buy it for either a Mac or a PC. But for a PC you have to buy every other program (including virus software.) So far I've spent $80 on MS Office. I do plan to buy a drawing program and spend the $30 to upgrade to Quicktime Pro. Everything else you could possibly want comes with the computer.
Apple's website has tutorials for all their applications and, if you live near an Apple store there are free seminars every day you can sign up for.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Features
3
Performance
4
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![Music from Big Pink [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8722/8722741_sa.jpg)
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
I went through 2 copies of this album on vinyl before buying the CD. This is worth owning for The Weight alone. The Band had 3 great singers and their harmonies in the chorus of this song is unique.
Chest Fever is my second favorite. Tears of Rage, I Shall Be Released, This Wheel's on Fire -- all of the songs on the vinyl version are worth listening to again and again.
I'm less familiar with the 9 tracks added to the CD. With vinyl I listen from beginning to end. On a CD I tend to skip from favorite to favorite. The additions are pretty good but there's a reason they didn't make the original cut on any of The Band's albums. They're not quite as good as the stuff they included.
What's great about it: The music
I would recommend this to a friend!
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One of MGM's most joyously rambunctious musicals gets a deluxe treatment for this special two-disc DVD release. This edition of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers from Warner Bros. Home Video features two versions of the film -- the original, shot in a special Cinemascope process at the aspect ratio of 2.55:1, and another filmed in a more conventional widescreen process at 1.77:1. Both versions appear in this edition, letterboxed in their proper aspect ratio and enhanced for anamorphic play on 16 x 9 monitors. The audio for the 2.55:1 version has been remixed for Dolby Digital 5.1, while the 1.77:1 version features a single-channel mix in Dolby Digital Mono. Both versions feature the audio in its original English-language version, as well as a dubbed track in French, with optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish also featured. Bonus materials include a commentary track from director Stanley Donen; a documentary on the making of the movie featuring Howard Keel, Jane Powell, and Jacques D'Amboise; newsreel footage of the film's premiere; a collection of trailers for Stanley Donen's pictures; and more.
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
When I'm down, I watch the barn-raising scene and immediately feel better. There's nothing delicate about the dancing -- it's sheer power, agiility and elegance.
"I'm a Lonesome Polecat," on the other hand, is laugh-out-loud funny.
Howard Keel (Adam) and Jane Powell (Milly) are the putative stars of the movie but they really just provide the basic plot device. Watching Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank and Gabriel woo and win their girls is where all the fun is. It's as politically incorrect as can be, but there's a sweet innocence to it that makes it inoffensive.
The video quality of the DVD is very good and, considering the movie is over 50 years old, they managed to provide excellent extras.
What's great about it: The dancing, the humor, the music
What's not so great: Adam and Milly are dull in comparison
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
Be prepared to suspend your disbelief. The second time the plane got buried under the sand and they dug themselves out, I had to try not to laugh. And dancing to the music on the radio in the middle of the day when they were half-dead from thirst did make me laugh. (It was included because the actors all have great bodies -- so what if it was absurd.)
Nvertheless, the action sequences are exciting and the scenery was beautiful. The extra track -- the making of -- was interesting. The parts with the actors were fun and I learned that the director was an egomaniacal jerk.
I'd recommend this movie with reservations. If you really like one or more of the actors, it's worth it. If you like action and don't care if it makes sense, you'll probably enjoy it too. Otherwise, there are many better films out there.
What's great about it: Physically beautiful, good action sequences
What's not so great: Completely implausible
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Enjoy all 23 episodes of this series based on P.G. Wodehouse's classic characters, arriving on DVD courtesy of A&E Home Video. Presented in 1.33:1 full-frame and offering audio rendered in English Dolby Digital Stereo, this release also offers a biography and filmography for Wodehouse.
Customer Rating
4
A great series that deserves better quality DVDs.
on June 13, 2009
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
I've been reading P.G. Wodehouse for years. I saw (and enjoyed) most of this series on Masterpiece Theatre when it first aired. And I'm a huge Hugh Laurie fan. Of course I own this set.
Before House, George from Blackadder and Bertie Wooster were Hugh Laurie's most famous roles. Bertie is the ultimate good-natured, harmless but helpless upper class Brit. The transformation is amazing. (If Tony voters were made to watch an episode of J&W before they watched House, he'd have a Tony by now.)
Stephen Fry is perfect as the perfect butler, Jeeves. And the stories were taken directly from Wodehouse's stories. What's not to love?
The answer is the video quality. It seems that A&E took a tape they had laying around, had it transferred to DVDs and sent it out. This series deserves better. (And there are no DVD extras.)
I had high hopes for the release earlier this month but it turns out it's new packaging on the same version of the DVDs. That is particularly galling as there is a clean, remastered version available in some regions.
If you like Fry, Laurie and/or Wodehouse, it's still worth it to have these. But be prepared to buy them again when a good-quality version becomes available.
What's great about it: P.G. Wodehouse, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry
What's not so great: To call the video transfer "adequate" would be charitable
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Band [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/8722/8722705_sa.jpg)
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
When I was in college my sister gave me this album as a present. I said thanks but didn't listen to it. I didn't like country music or country rock. Then one day, out of boredom, I put it on. Suffice to say that my albums from The Band were among the first in my collection to be replaced when I made the switch to CDs.
When this album was released, The Band was the group that had backed Dylan when he went (horrors!) electric. He picked them because they were great musicians and they proved it with this, their first solo release. The CD has some bonus tracks, mostly alternate takes. They're good but the reason to listen to this is for the classics.
My favorites are Rag Mama Rag and Up on Cripple Creek. They're infections, fun and gritty.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down has become a bit cliched over the years, in my opinion, but if you've only heard Joan Baez's version, you owe it to yourself to listen to the original. Robbie Robertson wrote it with Levon Helm's voice in mind.
The other members of the group are Garth Hudson and the sorely missed Richard Manuel and Rick Danko. All 5 were superb musicians.
What's great about it: Almost every song on the album is a classic
What's not so great: King Harvest Has Surely Come is a very boring song
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Gosford Park [DVD] [2001]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/b0db07df-4aa9-4182-b0da-12c4de1b1e1e.jpg)
The class conscious murder mystery that earned seven Academy Award nominations in 2001, arrives on DVD in a package sure to please both fans of Gosford Park and it's highly revered director, Robert Altman. The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format with a Dolby Digital 5.1 English soundtrack. Both English and Spanish subtitles are available and in a movie populated with heavy accents and overlapping dialogue, it's a feature likely to be used. Two "Feature Commentaries" are included on the Special Features. Altman, production designer Stephen Altman and producer David Levy narrate the first commentary and screenwriter Julian Fellowes voices the second. Fourteen "Deleted Scenes" are included with optional commentary. Most cuts are short and judicious, but there are a few choice morsels that add further enlightenment to fans, most notably, a mention of McCordle's plans to write Elsie into his will. The obligatory "Cast & Filmmakers Filmographies," "Theatrical Trailer" and "Coming Attractions" are also included. The best bonus material comes in two featurettes and a Q&A. "The Making of Gosford Park" looks at Altman's unique directing approach for such a large ensemble cast and "The Authenticity of Gosford Park" introduces us to three octogenarian advisors--a former butler, cook and housemaid--Altman used on set to instruct the actor's in their roles. Following a screening of Gosford Park at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation guild members asked Altman, Fellowes, Levy, Bob Balaban, Kelly MacDonald, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam and Ryan Phillippe questions concerning the movie. The taped session is one of the most entertaining and informative features on this DVD. While it's unfortunate that the divine Maggie Smith didn't participate, Northam's dead-on impression of the dame is definitely one of the Q&A's highlights. On a whole, this is one comprehensive, entertaining disc.
Posted by: JaneA
from New York, NY
Robert Altman created a particular type of realism with films such as MASH, Nashville and McCabe & Mrs. Miller. People talk at the same time. You drop strands of the plot and pick them up later. There is something very "wild west" about his style. You wouldn't expect it to work in an English country house in the 1930s. But it does.
A beautiful country home is the setting for a weekend party. The guests come as do their servants. Both groups have to fit in. It isn't always easy.
There are telling moments such as the easy snobbery of what those born to wealth display toward the nouveau riche and the members of the entertainment industry in their midst. Some of these are very subtle such as the fact that there is always a servant present. They are barely noticed by the people they wait on -- they might as well be part of the furnishings.
The mystery doesn't matter. It's simply a device to hang a plot on. What matters are the textures and personalities.
There were two annoyances for me. Stephen Fry (whom I love) played a toadying policeman who came across as a caricature. Perhaps that was the point -- emphasizing how badly he fit in. It didn't work for me. Kelly MacDonald played Mary, one of the servants. Mary is a central character but the actress was outclassed by all the talented performers around her.
Despite that, this is a lovely film.
What's great about it: Visually beautiful immersion into a world that no longer exists
What's not so great: A few characters just don't fit in
I would recommend this to a friend!
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