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Not an ideal choice for younger kids, this hip and violent animated feature from Disney was nevertheless a huge smash in theaters and on video, and it continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed Broadway production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is sabotaged by a rivalrous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking, and the music is more palatable than in many Disney features. But be cautious: this is too intense for the Rugrat crowd. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (339)

Well worth your hard earned money
This new two disc set for the Lion King is yet another masterful DVD production job by the Disney folks. The video and audio quality are top notch, with plenty of choices how to see the film (both original and extended). There are an amazing amount of extras included on disc two, it will take some hunting to find them all, and quite a bit of extra time to view the entire contents. A few are overly self promotional, but there is so much stuff here, just skip to the next item if that bothers you. Some of the games are actually fun too.

With both Lion King and Sleeping Beauty being newly released on DVD right now, if you can only get one of them, there is no question this is by far the better choice. The impressive animation, the story, the fantastic sound, the extras are all superior in this Lion King package. This still isn't my favorite Disney release (Roger Rabbit will always have that honor), but maybe top 5--certainly top 8.

Lion King Platinum is well worth the investment for your DVD collection. Your family will get many years of enjoyment from it.

The Lion King
The first time I ever saw "The Lion King" was on September 14th 1995, the day it came out on video. Strangely, I went to all of Disney's releases from "The Little Mermaid" to "Aladdin" (including rereleases of their older classics) but missed out on "The Lion King". Silly me. "The Lion King" is a masterpiece. The film is visually amazing. Some scenes stand out in particular; such as the wild-beast stampede and the opening sequence. The movie wouldn't be completed without the powerful score and songs, composed by Hans Zimmer and Elton John, respectively. The Oscar-winning "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and the ever-popular "Circle Of Life" are all here. The characters in this movie have also become wildly popular, especially Timon and Pumbaa. The villain, Scar, is the ultimate villian: evil and deceitful, yet wit and sarcastic. In this 2-disc special edition, the film looks like a video-game, in terms of sharpness and clearity. You won't believe of how smooth the image can be. "The Lion King" is a movie that deserves all the praise and success that it had gotten.

Earns its place among the old Disney classics
Animation films are incredibly tricky. Adults(or just mainly uptight people view animated films as kids only. However kids see them as great pieces of film that they "get". For once, Disney gets it right. This was really a powerhouse film when it came out and held the record for the biggest animated film of all time(until recently when a so-so film about finding a fish called Nemo came out).

Simba is a young lion in the Serengeti(they call it the Pride Lands though) who just can't wait to be king. However, he's a mischievous little cub who gets into trouble a bit easy. When a terrible tragedy strikes, Simba exiles himself where he meets a warthog and meerkat and develops a carefree lifestyle. Now an adult, he returns to the Pride Lands to reclaim the throne from his evil uncle, Scar.

Sounds a bit like Hamlet huh? But you won't care. Many impossibly catchy songs, funny moments and jokes and words that even appeal to adults(do you really think a kid would understand "illustrating the differences in your royal mangerial approaches"? Exactly.)

Voice acting is top notch, animation is absolutely gorgeous, and it's done by hand by the way, none of that Finding Nemo/Toy Story/A Bug's Life CGI stuff. There's a reason why this is considered the best Disney film but you owe it to yourself to find out why.

This is NOT a violent movie for kids
I'm sorry, but if you found this movie to be too violent for kids over the age of five, then you're robbing your children of a valuable experience. Yes, there is death. Yes, it is not a safe and simple death. But kids CAN handle it. An evil man killed a great man. It's not a theme that kids should enjoy, but it's one that is of particular resonance to us as Americans. This movie is simple, beautiful and moving- seemingly one of Disney's last treasures. While the Broadway show may be even more moving, this movie has the power to move us. I hope you'll see it if you haven't. I hope you'll let your kids watch it if you haven't. And I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have. Humbly submitted, -Matt Calcara, Overland Park, KS

Best movie of all times
I really love this movie it was so cute and the songs were great I gave my neice this movie when she was born and she watches it all the time and she is 7 years old now Thanks to everyone who created it your the best ... Read more

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Elia Kazan made his directorial debut with this adaptation of Betty Smith's novel about a bright, young girl growing up in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn, trying to rise above her tenement existence. Sensitively filmed by Kazan, and graced with wonderful performances by James Dunn as the wistful, alcoholic father and Dorothy McGuire as a strong-willed mother. Peggy Ann Garner won a special Oscar for her performance. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Heartbreakingly dissapointing
I read the astonishingly true book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I loved it- and understood it. I expected so much from the movie- but when it was finished, I was just dissapointed. I understand that sometimes parts of books had to be changed to make a movie. And yet... it was probably the small cast of characters, and the MANY alterations. Wherer is the cruel, evil Granpa Rommely? Why do the characters talk so FAST. They need to slow down, and relax. Where's Little Tilly, or Gussie? The movie, as I can call it, is cute. I would give it 2.5 stars. But, it shows a glossed over version of Francie's life. Francie was a child who lived in a world of brutality. She went to a school (from 6-10 anyway) where the teachers were CRUEL, and DIRTY. She wore smudged clothes, ripped, and patched. She never had enough to eat. The most refreshing aspect of the book was that she was able to find magic IN SPITE or all of this. But the movie changes a mature book into a G-Rated film.I will never hear the names Francie, Neely,Sissy and Katie, and see Peggy Ann Garner, Ted Donaldson,Joan Blondell and Dorothy McGuire. I will always see Francie as a skinny, ragged looking child, with wondering eyes, and a timid smile. I will always see Neely as a scruffy, ragged kid, with a little-boy grin on his face. I will always see Sissy as a dark-haired, full-figured ''bad girl'' sensitive beauty, and I will always see Katie as a wide-eyed, unexplainable fighter.The only acotr who captured the essence of the character is James Dunn as Johnny. Now HE deserved his Oscar. They took too much out of the book to make the movie good. Where's Aunt Evy, and Uncle Wille Flitmann? More importantly WHERE'S THE EXPLAINATION OF HOW KATIE AND JOHNNY MET. They just skipped right past that part. I have always read reviews of movies I loved- and seen one person who gives a 5-star movie (atleast 5-star to me) and gives it 2-stars for not following the book, and I feel angry. But in this case- I urge anyone who loved the movie to thoroughly read the book, then watch it again. The movie COULD HAVE BEEN SO GREAT! They should have followed Francie's life until the end of the book. They should have shown Francie and Lee, her true love. A part in the book read, after Katie had heard Francie call her ''mother'' instead of ''mama'': '' Mother! Katie remembered when she had called her mother ''mother'' instead of ''mama''. She had said ''Mother'' when she had been ready to marry Johnny. When she had called her mother ''Mother'' she had finished growing up. She had never said ''mama'' again. Now Francie.... And this is just the problem. The movie never fully ''grows up''. I hope someday, someone takes the time (though it will take a long time) to make a movie TRUE TO THE BOOK.If people loved this movie, wait until they see a movie that follows the book. They will be astonished at the difference!

What a Great Film !
From the opening scene, this movie hooks you in. It is the story of a little girl, Francie Nolan, and her family. The setting is turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. This film stands up to repeated viewings, something movies seldom accomplish. The basic story line centers around Francie, an intelligent girl filled with wonder. Her father, Johnny Nolan, loves his daughter and does everything he can to support her wishes. The mother is the serious, single-layered breadwinner of the house, and is often more concerned with public perception of her family than with the family itself. Starring Dorothy McGuire, James Dunn, Peggy Ann Garner, Lloyd Nolan and Joan Blondell, it doesn't get much better than this, folks...have some tissues readily available. Elia Kazan's direction makes tear-jerkers out of certain scenes, like when Francie throws her arms around her father and proclaims "I just love you so much, Papa". Another GREAT scene is when Papa is in Francie's room, just before going to look for a job. The piano scene. The tree catching scene....and on and on. A real classic.

Faithful to the book
Even though this movie has been around for quite a while, one wonders (and worries) how faithful the movie-makers were to the book, especially since the novel made a come-back thanks to Oprah and her gang. What a relief it was to find out that "A Tree Grows" was mostly like the book. One can only hope that McCrae's "The Bark of the Dogwood" will receive similar treatment when it is made into a film--let's hope so. I highly recommend this heart-warming tale of life in Brooklyn, even if it does have its ups and downs.

Francie's World
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a beautiful and thoughtful book. The screen version is one of my favorite films of all time. It tells the story of Francie, a poor girl growing up in Brooklyn at the turn of the 20th century. The acting, with Peggy Ann Garner as Francie, James Dunn as her father and Joan Blondell as Francie's aunt, is superb and evocative of that bygone era. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a movie that can be enjoyed again and again. You never get tired of it.

The Tender Passage of Youth
Betty Smith's heartfelt and timeless novel of a young girl's passage through her youth in the Brooklyn slums was transformed by director Elia Kazan into one of the most touching and deeply felt films ever made. It has that rare ability to break your heart one moment and make you smile the next. There is a tenderness here that has rarely been captured on film. Many point to Elia Kazan's flashier films, but it was this sentimental film that was his crowning achievement. There are moments in this film when even those who never cry at the movies will be moved to tears.

Peggy Ann Garner was so wonderful as the young and sensitive Francie, the Academy gave her an Oscar for Most Promising Juvenile Performer. James Dunn garnered an Oscar also as Francie's loving father, Johnny Nolan, a singing waiter with a gift for dreaming he passes on to Francie, who wants to be a writer. Francie's papa makes their hard life worth living and Francie worships him. He understands and adores her.

But when he isn't working, Johnny is usually drunk. Everyone in their poor neighborhood knows Johnny is a good man, however, and loves and respects him. He is the one who will find a way for Francie to attend the school she dreams of, even though it is far from their home. Francie's mother is the only one who doesn't seem to see how special Johnny is.

Dorothy McGuire gives another terrific performance as Francie's hard working mother, Katie, who tries desparately not to love her boy Neely more than Francie, and fails; tries desparately not to become bitter with the charming lad she married in her youth, but can't; and tries desparately not to let her heart grow cold and hard, and fails once more.

Francie and her family may live in poverty, but Kazan takes the time to show the joy that can be found in the small things in life. For Francie, her father represents happiness and living. Joan Blondell, as Katie's sister and Francie's aunt Sissy, with her free spirit and big heart, adds to Francie's joy in life. It is one of Blondell's finest roles.

It is Peggy Ann Garner's emotional performance, however, you will always remember. She brings a sweetness and sincerity to Francie that makes her unforgettable. Purchasing this film is an opportunity to own one of the true masterpieces in American cinema. It will touch your heart and remind you what Hollywood was once capable of, and make you wonder where it all went wrong. ... Read more

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Here's another example of TV giving James Woods the chance to stretch out from the intense-psycho roles he seems restricted to in too many of his movies. In My Name Is Bill W. he plays Bill Wilson, the overreaching businessman from the Roaring '20s who went on to found Alcoholics Anonymous. Woods gets plenty of chances to stretch out here in Bill's headlong slide to the bottom, through the terrors of the Wall Street crash (which amplifies a two-fisted drinking problem) and into the loss of everything he holds dear. Yet Woods also is convincing as the man who understands just how insidious his disease is and learns to try to take everything one day at a time. He receives strong support from James Garner as the alcoholic physician who teams with Bill to make AA a viable proposition. --MarshallFine ... Read more

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The "ROOTS" of "Alcoholics Anonymous"
Are you an alocoholic? Is someone you love an alcoholic?

It really doesn't matter. This movie, regrettably is available only on VHS, will give you insight, understanding, and hope. Hope, that most fragile of words, is the basis of this incredible made-for-TV motion picture.

Bill Wilson comes home from World War I a hero. He then conquers Wall Street. He marries the love of his life, Lois. He then discovers both a new god, a new lover, a new idol; the bottle. This unflinching film looks at the descent of of alcoholic into hell, and his journey back, guided, not by the spirit of Virgil, but by another alcoholic, Doctor Bob. Together, they find a "cure" for an "incurable" disease. The disease of alcoholism.

Neither could cure themselves, but together, they could find the way out of hell into if not paradise, at least life; life on life's terms.

This film has been called the AA "Roots." I won't take up that guantlet. This film stands alone. The performances by James Woods, JoBeth Williams and James Garner stand on their own merits. It tells the story of one man's descent into the hell of addiction < and YES, alcoholism is an addiction >, and his return to the land of the living.

Woods plays Bill W. with remarkable restraint, not denigrating into the hystrionics of Jack Lemmon in "The Lost Weekend"; as brilliant and well-meaning as that film is. Nor does this movie fall into high camp, as did "Reefer Madness" in the late Thirties.

Instead, in "My Name Is Bill W.", we see a man driven to the depths of despair. A man beaten is beaten into the dust. To quote Cecil B. DeMille, "the dust from which prophets and holy men are formed. . ."

Yet, this film is not preachy. It tells a story. A true story, all the more frightening, because it is true.

Watch this movie. Listen to its message of hope, of truth, of honesty, openness, and willingness. Hear the story of the damned, who somehow, someway, found salvation.

You will be moved. I promise you.

Wonderful Movie on The Birth of A. A.
As a recovering alcoholic myself, I find this movie an accurate and moving portrayal on the life of Bill Wilson and the early history of Alcoholics Anonymous. James Woods is always a marvelous actor, but here he delivers a tour de force performance as Bill Wilson. Also in the cast is the ever-delightful JoBeth Williams of Big Chill fame. James Garner plays Dr. Bob Smith, who, along with Bill, founded A. A. in 1935. Garner also co-produced the project. This was originally aired on television as a Hallmark Hall Of Fame movie in 1989. Very inspiring!

A MUST SEE FOR ANYONE IN THE 12 STEP PROGRAM
If you are recovering from any type of substance abuse and want to know the history of how Alcoholics Anonymous was founded, you MUST see this video. It tells the story of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith and their fight in overcoming their life threatening illness of alcoholism. This is the story on how AA got started and if you participate in AA you will gain a new perspective on how hopelessness can turn into peace and serenity in this incredible fellowship. If you've read Bill's Story in the Big Book, you will be amazed at how well this film was done!

NO HUMAN POWER
I saw an interview with James Woods, where he stated that the directors wanted to cut out the seen where Bill is standing by the window explaining to Lois how cunning, baffling and self-destructive his disease is, but inspite of all that what he really wants most right now is another drink. James Woods told them that if they cut it out, he would not accept the role because it is what every alcoholic needs to hear and identify with. I highly respect him for that and would like to say THANKS!!! The scene at the end were Bill is 12-stepping a newcomer is priceless. The seen where he's in the motel trying to get in touch with Dr Bob, will make any recovering alcoholic grateful that we don't have to go to the same lengths as he did to share their experience, strength and hope with another alcoholic to stay sober one more day. Great performances by all!

A Movie That Every Recovering Alcoholic Must OWN
I have watched this movie at least 6 times and never tire of it. As a recovering alcoholic it could be me in that movie and it makes me remember what it was like. I am also a proud member of AA and Thank God for Bill W. !! ... Read more

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A sweet tempered urban love story, Crossing Delancey argues that true love may be in the first place you look. Amy Irving is a single Jewish woman working at an upscale bookstore on the Upper West Side of New York. As much as she longs to be a part of the intellectual literary scene, she is tethered to her roots on the Lower East Side, where her old-fashioned grandmother is forever trying to fix her up. Irving has her eye on a handsome brooding author, but her grandmother enlists the help of a local matchmaker to fix her up with Peter Riegert, a quiet Jewish man who runs a pickle stand in the neighborhood. Soon she must decide what it is she really wants out of life and what love really means to her. Though a very traditional love story, Crossing Delancey has its moments of soul searching drama and an unlikely romance. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Literate, Charming Romance!
This is the movie that "Moonstruck" WISHES it could have been! Amy Irving and Peter Reigert star in this literate, well written, wonderfully acted New York story in which Upper West Side sophistication meets Lower East Side tradition. Irving's "Izzy" lives in a world of books, editors, writers, and intellectuals, while Reigert's "Sam" owns a pickle stand in the heart of Lower Manhattans old world Jewish community, the East Side below Delancey Street. Sam and Izzy are brought together when Izzy's old fashioned Grandmother hires a matchmaker to find Izzy a suitable man to finally settle down with. Tradition clashes with modern life in New York when Sam enters Izzy's world and forces her to look at herself and those around her.

"A joke and a pickle...for only a nickle."
I hate to use the word "adorable", but, I must. This film is just adorable. The story of Izzy, the sophisticated, independent, N.Y. City career girl (wonderfully played by Amy Irving), and "Sam , The Pickle Man", (also wonderfully played by Paul Riegert), is a heartwarming, funny, sweet love story. Izzys "Bubby" hires a marriage broker, hysterically played by Sylvia Miles, to "match-up" her granddaughter, "Miss Fancy", who she perceives as living a lonely life.."A dog should live alone !" Izzy is involved in the literary world, and aspires to an intellectual, sophisticated life, only miles away, but a million miles away from the old -world kosher existance of her beloved Bubby. Reizl Bezyk ,who was a popular star in Yiddish theater, plays Bubby, and she is really the outstanding character in this movie. Her practical, no-nonsense approach to life & love, with a kind of "you're born, you eat, you love, you die" mentality, is in direct opposition to granddaughter Isabelles (Izzy). She speaks in "Bubby-isms", and she is hysterical, implying the world in just a look. Izzy immediatley rejects the arranged match-up with Riegerts "Sam", the pickle man, simply because she can't get past the pickles. She sees the pretentious Russian author, to whom she is associated in her job at an old book store, as being more complementary to her. He is a cad who woos her with quotes from Confucious, and he can offer her the prestige and entree into the world of intelligensia that she aspires to be in. The ensuing conflict, between the world she hopes for, and the opportunity that's right in front of her... that she won't see, is very touching and funny. This is just a great little love story about sometimes finding what you're looking for in the most un-likely package, and not letting your pre-conceived expectations get in the way. It is beautifully filmed around wonderful Manhattan locations, and the soundtrack by "The Roches" perfectly complements the story as it happens. A terrific little "feel-good" movie... and you're gonna love that "Bubby."

Searching & Finding Meaning in the Middle of Romance
"Crossing Delancey" is presumed at first a romance, and it is. Deeper than the romance is a search for meaning. This two-level movie is funny with an undercurrent of a genuine plot stronger than the usual romantic comedy.

Part of the ego-driven, superficial but pretentious New York literary scene, Isabelle Grossman brings together writers and other literati for soirees feting the personalities behind the books.

Isabelle, or Izzy, herself is not a writer, but feels she is important because of the names and numbers in her Rolodex. She works hard and late, only to go home to an empty apartment. Her only love is accommodating the occasional lonely nights of a friend who fights with his wife. She tolerates his affections in what amounts to be no more than a recurring one-night stand.

Although Izzy's emptiness surrounds her, she never notices it, not even when her grandmother has a matchmaker attempt setting her up with Sam, a neighbor bachelor. Unfortunately for Sam, her intentions are set on Anton, a dashing, but caddish author whose books are bestsellers. He only wants her to appease his desires, and has no love for her, but she is blind to his true intentions. She curtly rejects another date with Sam.

With a single romantic signal, Pickleman Sam, the man she pushed away in a matchmaking dinner now effectively woos her heart into confusion. He had noticed her years ago and now happily accepted the chance to be introduced by the matchmaker. When he tells her this, a spark is lit. He isn't the suave author she begs for, and his lifestyle is more simple than those whose books are reviewed in the New York Times. She fumbles opportunity after opportunity to connect with Sam, but he is patient.

Anton makes advances that are alluring to Izzy as her heart tries to reconcile her fondness for Sam. This conflict causes Izzy to ask the important questions about integrity, meaning and happiness.

With the light, but poignant backdrop of her Jewish family and friends, this romance makes statements both serious and comedic. Outside of the periodic stereotyping of Jewish grandmothers, it works.

I fully recommend "Crossing Delancey."

Anthony Trendl

This Movie Needs to be out in DVD!
I saw Crossing Delancey when it first came out, 16 years ago. It is a wonderful story about New York, family, and learning that the person who, at first glance, doesn't fit into your world turns out to be perfect after all. I have recommended this movie over the years to everyone I know. The videotapes are getting scarce and I don't understand why it's never come out on DVD!

The charm of the pickle seller
This urban love story stars Amy Irving as a single Jewish woman who is balanced between two worlds: the literary life of the Upper West Side in Manhattan where she works in an upscale bookstore and the ethnic hotbed of the Lower East Side where her yenta of a grandmother is forever trying to arrange a marriage "with a nice Jewish boy."
Granny wants to fix her up with a quiet guy who runs a neighbornood pickle stand - and Amy's not having any of it. I mean, a PICKLE SELLER?? Come on, Granny!

But watch what happens...
A traditional romance, lovingly told. Enjoy it. ... Read more

Description

The next installment in the Harry Potter series finds young wizard Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) and his friends Ron Weasley (RUPERT GRINT) and Hermione Granger (EMMA WATSON) facing new challenges during their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they try to uncover a dark force that is terrorizing the school. ... Read more

Reviews (649)

Fascinatingly enchanting as it is entertaining
Summer vacation is a dreaded time for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) as it means having to endure the histronics of his mean aunt and uncle. Returning back to his Hogwarts School of Witchcraft would seem a much wiser option but Dobby the House Elf warns him of "a plot to make most terrible things" is in the brewing. With disregard of the warning, the boy wizard begins his sophomore year at the school of magic - and things happen - when his schoolmates are 'petrified' into statues. In fact this is only the beginning when he later takes on gigantic spiders, screeching mandrakes, Fawkes the phoenix and the fearsome Basilisk.

The second entry adapted from J.K Rowling's legacy has neither the epic sweep of the fourth book (The Goblet of fire) nor the mystery of the third (The Prisoner of Azkaban) but is nonetheless an engaging adventure and a riveting story. What's more with director Chris Colombus at the helm who shows more precision and familiarity after his first attempt, Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets is a majestic adventure filled with visionary sets and fluid CGI effects that astonishingly enhance the darker fantasy tale and adventure. The soaring adventure thrills with its enshrouding perils, awesome moments of wonder and enlightening morality and friendship.

It thus resembles more of an awkward adolescence stage in this saga for the three main casts. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grinch as Harry, Hermoine and Ron reprises their role with the loss of their innocence along with veterans Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, the late Richard Harris as the benevolent headmaster Dumbledore, Robbie Coltrane as giant Hagrid and Alan Rickman as Professor Snape. The new interlopers are equally scene-grabbing in their own rights: Kenneth Branagh does a rib-tickling interpretation of braggadocio Gilderoy Lockheart as well as Jason Issacs as the wicked Lucius Malfoy.

With a solidly ensembled cast and sumptuous sets, the second installment is fascinatingly entertaining as it is enchanting enough to sustain its 3 long hours without any misgivings.

Just as good if not better!
This DVD gives you a great movie, lots of special features, and great commentary from the stars and people behind the scenes. Just as good a movie as the first Harry Potter installment, this is definitely a great addition to anyone's DVD collection!

Not as goood as the book
This film is not as good as the book, but still a very good film. There are a few scenes from the book that I wish had made the final cut. It does drag a little after the climax, but those scenes are need to tie up loose plot lines as well as items that might have an impact in future editions.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets-Widescreen Edition
This movie was definately a great work of theatre and art alike. The entire movie was captivating, and while the director, Christopher Columbus, could of done better on some parts, this movie does what most do not, and it stayed true to the book. I loved this, and I watched it about 3 times before I was satisfied with it! Go get the movie and see it, and you'll see what I mean!!! The scenes with the Chammber of Secrets were beautifully detailed, giving you a clearer picture than even the book did! So buy this, sit back and be amazed by the production of Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts school of Withcraft and Wizardry! Enjoy!

Harry Does It Again! Better Than The First!
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" pulls off something that only "The Empire Strikes Back" has done. It's better than the first film! Not only is the story more interesting(though the first was tops as well), it's packed with even more wonder and imagination than the first as well. The castmembers of the first flick return, as well as Kenneth Branagh in a superb performance as Lockhart, the bumbling, vain writer of "Magical Me."

I'm sure the naysayers had a wonderful time bashing this sequel for its evil undertones. Students get "petrified" and the basilisk takes shots at Harry, but all in all, Harry prevails. He makes the right choices, does the good deeds and fights a good fight. How dare he promote such horrible values!

Please folks, I used up a lot of space harping on how kids need to have fun in my review of the first film. The same applies to this movie as well. Don't worry about your kid becoming a warlock or praying to Satan, just let them have a little fun. If you raise them right, you won't have to worry about any of that anyway.

The "Potter" books encourage kids to read and use their imagination. That's a good thing in my book. The movies encourage kids to use their imaginations as well.

You've just got to love something that promotes so many good things. We need more heroes like Harry. He's a good character to let your kids read about and watch on the big screen. He's caring to others, takes his studies reasonably serious(you might want to promote Hermione's study habits to your kids, though) and he always tries to do the right thing.

Overall this movie is fun and enjoyable for the whole family. Some of the scenes might scare the little ones, but this movie is worth explaining those scenes in order to get the message across.

Watch this one and have a ton of fun. It's great for everybody. Highly recommended. ... Read more

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Could this be the funniest movie ever made? By any rational measure of comedy, this medieval romp from the Monty Python troupe certainly belongs on the short list of candidates. According to Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide, it's "recommended for fans only," but we say hogwash to that--you could be a complete newcomer to the Python phenomenon and still find this send-up of the Arthurian legend to be wet-your-pants hilarious. It's basically a series of sketches woven together as King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail, with Graham Chapman as the King, Terry Gilliam as his simpleton sidekick Patsy, and the rest of the Python gang filling out a variety of outrageous roles. The comedy highlights are too numerous to mention, but once you've seen Arthur's outrageously bloody encounter with the ominous Black Knight (John Cleese), you'll know that nothing's sacred in the Python school of comedy. From holy hand grenades to killer bunnies to the absurdity of the three-headed knights who say "Ni--!," this is the kind of movie that will strike you as fantastically funny or just plain silly, but why stop there? It's all over the map, and the pace lags a bit here and there, but for every throwaway gag the Pythons have invented, there's a bit of subtle business or grand-scale insanity that's utterly inspired. The sum of this madness is a movie that's beloved by anyone with a pulse and an irreverent sense of humor. If this movie doesn't make you laugh, you're almost certainly dead.--Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (630)

one of the best comedies ever and dvd extras to rave about!
This is what dvds were invented for -- there are so many great features here! So in addition to seeing one of the funniest movies ever made, you can be entertained for hours with the extras, and the extras are terrific: subtitles in English, French or Spanish; audio track choices -- English (the original mono or a brand new full stereo version), French, a directors' (Gilliam and Jones) track or a commentary track with Cleese, Idle and Palin; a copy of the script overlaid on the film; a painstaking, hilarious Henry the IV-ish subtitle for those who don't like the film; a hard-of-hearing feature; killer rabbit easter eggs; animated menus using Gilliam's original animation; karaoke renditions of 'Knights of the Round Table', 'Sir Robin' and the 'Monks Chant'; a delightful 45 minute visit to the locations with Jones and Palin; an educational film about the 'other' uses of coconuts; Japanese versions of the French Castle and Knights Who Say Ni scenes, including references to the 'holy sake cup'; a 1974 BBC Film Night visit to a location site during filming; photos of tickets, press releases, reviews, posters, production stills and original artwork; trailers; cast credits (Palin played over a dozen parts!) with pictures of each character; a Lego knights version of the Camelot scene; pictures of sketches that were never used (a killer snail?!); a web link.

A lot of effort went into this special edition dvd, and it shows. I particularly enjoyed seeing Jones and Palin visit locations. They were in a jolly mood, their comments are interspersed with film footage, and they meet affectionate and funny fans along the way.

If you like this film you will love this dvd version; if you love the film, you wil adore this two-dvd set. An essential item for your collection.

Highest recommendation.

I Never Thought Looking For A Shrubbery Would Be This Fun!!
In the early 1970's the Monty Python troop (Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Terry Jones) stars from the immensely popular television series Monty Python's Flying Circus began producing, with the help of a fundraising concert headlined by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd (You lie!! No, I didn't!), initial photography on what would later become (from all my extensive years of movie watching) the single most unforgivably sidesplitting, enormously irreverent, shrewdly perceptive, unremittingly uproariously aggressive, gruesomely hysterical, and endlessly quotable comedies EVER. Not even Mel Brooks's Best Efforts (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) comes very close to the revolutionary medieval merriment sustained in this royal purebred of cult classics. BAR NONE. No contest here.

Endlessly stockpiled with hauntingly hysterical sketches that will probably never leave your mind (no matter how hard you try) including, The Knights Who Say Nei, The Self-Abusing Monks (Eah aay ess eay dom eay nay), The Black Knight, The Trojan Rabbit, the Ever-Appearing Verbally Abusing French (I don't want to talk to you no more!!!), The Enchanter Named Tim, The Killer Bunny, The Bridge of Death (What is the capital of Hysteria?), The Old Woman Named Dennis, and so many countless more great sketches to include here that I'd die trying. Monty and Python and the Holy Grail remains an ever-enriching mirthful cult-classic that just seems to improve with age. Since Columbia has a bountifully hefty new special edition of the Holy Grail out now there should be no excuse, if you've never seen it (I think I'll go for a walk!!), just drop everything your doing (including Bringing Out Your Dead) and go experience this life changing movie today. You won't be disappointed, just tell them the Knight Not Appearing In This Film sent you, and they'll know what to do.

As for the options on the special edition here's a run-down:

Disc One: -"21st Anniversary" cut of the film running an extra 24 seconds; -Anamorphic Widescreen; -Dolby 5.1 track; -Original Mono Track; -Audio commentary with Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin; -subtitles "for people who don't like the film" (you get the text from Shakespeare's Henry IV instead); -an "on-screen screenplay" feature which lets you read the screenplay as you watch the film; -"Follow the Killer Rabbit" feature;

Disc Two: "Three Mindless Sing-Alongs"; -"The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations" featurette; -"How to Use Your Coconuts" educational film; -"Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Japanese" (with English subtitles); -the BBC Film Night special "On Location with the Pythons; -an interactive cast directory; -still galleries with Terry Gilliam's original sketches and behind-the-scenes photos; -"A Load Of Rubbish" with mystery items; -unused ideas and other material; -two trailers
and web-links.

Both discs represent the absolute final word resource for EVERYTHING and I do mean everything you'd need to know about the Python's greatest film. An Absolute Necessity for any Python Fan!!

P.S. You can't base a system of government just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

What are you going to do, bleed on me?
excellent. Possibly the funniest movie ever made. Who could forget such a line as "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of eldeberries." This is a great movie and a great dvd edition that gives it justice. This is completely worth the money. A comedy Classic.

This movie didn't make me Run Away! (or) Run away FASTER!!!
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail is, by far, my favorite movie -and I'm sure it always will be! Being a truly hilariously-random film, this DVD does an awesome job of showcasing this fact to the highest extent. The killer white "rrrrabit" will live on in my heart forever, and I will always be knowledgeable that African swallows are non-migratory. What other movie has a group of knights requesting shrubberies -from King Arthur, no less- to create a 'two-level effect with a path through the middle'? Only Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The movie might sound strange as I mention these things out of context, but I assure you it is much stranger when Monty Python says it!
So, to conclude this review, I definitely give "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail" DVD a 5 star rating, as I know it will entertain millions for years to come. Enjoy!

The Lego Camelot Number Alone is Worth the Price
Who would have thought that, after nearly 30 years, the world's goofiest movie could be made even moreso? Not only is this DVD a comedy triumph (it would be simply if it were the DVD version of the classic film, in which a crew too broke to afford horses for King Arthur and his Knights changed history and college kids' banter forever by introducing coconuts as migrating props). Oh, no, this DVD is one that may become a standard for other DVDs. Just look at this list of extras above! To be sure, some of them are fluff. The "load of rubbish" selection is simply some receipts and a few odd notes. But most of it is stupendous.

The first disc contains the movie itself, along with some choices of how to watch it.... subtitles, commentary by directors Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam or by John Cleese & Eric Idle & Michael Palin. Then "for people who don't like the film", there's subtitles from Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part II". Now, these do not faithfully follow Henry IV verse by verse, but they do come from the play, and it's hilarious how the phrases Shakespeare wrote do actually match up with the action on the screen.

Disc Two contains several mementoes: a film of John Cleese, Terry Jones, and "Grail" production manager John Young (who also played the hapless "Historian" towards the end of the film, and the "I'm not dead!" guy) paying a return visit to Castle Doune , in 2000. At first it's fun to hear them reminisce at the filming site, but since it's a very small spot with nothing but a wall and a bit of ground, they appear uncomfortable and that quickly gets old. More interesting is the home movie made by the two Terries when they looked for prospective film locations in the seventies. Their excitement is palpable.

A somewhat painful scene (except for the chance it gives us to watch Terry Jones in action as a director) is the BBC documentary made during filming. The interviewer seems more interested in trying to be funny himself than in the Pythons. But there are several great comic extras, including words to some songs, a coconut skit, two scenes dubbed in Japanese, and best of all, an animated feature of the "Camelot" scene and song done entirely in Lego...must be seen to be believed.

Finally, someone has made good use of the storage space on a DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When a shark accidentally clobbers himself, a small fish named Oscar (voiced by Will Smith, I, Robot) just happens to be around, prompting everyone to believe that he killed the shark himself. This lie soon makes Oscar a celebrity, worshipped by the general mass of fish, wooed by a glittering golddigger (Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted), missed by his best friend (Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain)--and hunted by the godfather of great whites (Robert De Niro, Goodfellas). Can a vegetarian shark named Lenny (Jack Black, School of Rock) get Oscar out of this mess? The formulaic story of Shark Tale never reaches the giddy heights of Pixar's output (Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Toy Story) or the freewheeling comedy of Shrek, but it's capably told and impeccably animated--the sheer technical skill is stunning. Kids won't get the mobster jokes or the other pop-culture references, but they'll enjoy it nonetheless. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (145)

Rotten fish........
Now a days, when you see a computer animated film (especially from Dreamworks), you expect it to please not only the kiddies, but the adults as well. You assume there will be humorous references that some children won't be able to catch, but that the grown-ups will understand and find entertaining as well.

You count on a little something in there for everybody (i.e. Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Shrek, Toy Story).

More importantly, you hope the movie will strike the funny bone of both generations so that the film can be appreciated and enjoyed by both genres.

Shark Tale has very little of this, and what it does manage to muster up, is surprisingly unfunny. In fact, Shark Tale is a pretty horrible film altogether. Not all the star power in the world could make this film less than the dreadful bore that it is.

These fish live in a very adult-like society (think of New York underwater), but there is just no good adult humor in this film!!

Maybe kids will like it. But this is not an enjoyable film for us grown-ups. In fact, this movie is so bad, I won't bother to review its lousy story any further. There are plenty of other reviews that do that.

Be warned:

This fish STINKS......badly

The best thing for this reviewer about Shark Tale was the fact that I rented it and didn't buy it. Returning a movie never felt so good!

the commercials seem great, but the movie is boring
this seems like a good movie when you see the commercials. the animation is great, but this is definitley not Dreamworks Animation's greatest film. the movie is very boring.

Great animation and voice talents, but weak plot
Oscar (Will Smith) is in the wrong place at the right time when great white shark Frankie accidentally runs into an anchor and dies.Oscar, a very small fish and with a lowly job as a tongue scrubber, takes the credit for Frankie's demise and becomes famous as The Shark Killer.

Only Frankie's brother, vegetarian great white Lenny (Jack Black) knows the truth behind Frankie's accidental death, but has enough problems of his own trying to please his `Godfather' type father, Skyes (Robert De Niro).

When Oscar was a nobody, he could always count on best friend Angie (Renee Zellweger) to help him.Angie even gave Oscar her grandmother's pearl to help him out of his debts, but when he becomes famous he is sought after by gold-digger temptress Lola (Angelina Jolie).Oscar cannot hold onto his lies forever, and eventually must find out that friends can't be bought with fame and money.

`Shark Tale' barely deserves four stars, earning that simply on the beauty of the animation and the plethora of screen talents gathered together for the voices.The plot was rather weak, and at times even boring.While some of the jokes were funny, most were pretty lame, and the subversive advertising got to me in a negative way.Still, it's a pretty movie, and one that your kids will probably like better than you do.Enjoy!

Funny, but I'm not a very big Zellweger fan
This was pretty funny up until a few days ago, especially considering I use to be huge fan of Renee Zellweger, but that all changed, (I may not be a fan but congratulations Renee if you ever read this, tell your new love that the Make A Wish girl says hey).Anyway, like I said, the story's alright, I lovedthe storyline.My favorite part was actually when the shark was killed.In real life I can't imagine any person's last word being "Moron!!"so I pretty much cracked up at that.Overall, it was funny, but I only gave it 4 stars because of the recent Renee Zellweger thing.

Funny
A funny movie kind of like finding nemo.Good and funny.I didnt get to see in the movie.But i bought the dvd and well worth it. Renée Zellweger and Angelina Jolie are hot. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

East of Eden is an acknowledged classic, and the starring debut of James Dean lifts it to legendary status. John Steinbeck's novel gave director Elia Kazan a perfect Cain-and-Abel showcase for Dean's iconic screen persona, casting the brooding star as Cal, the younger of two brothers vying for the love of their Bible-thumping father (Raymond Massey) in Monterey, California, at the dawn of World War I. Massey is a lettuce farmer, striving for market domination with an ill-fated refrigeration scheme. Having discovered that his presumed-dead mother (Oscar^® winner Jo Van Fleet) is a brothel owner in nearby Salinas, Cal convinces her to finance an investment that will restore his father's lost fortune, but neither money nor the tenderness of his brother's fiancée (Julie Harris) can assuage Cal's anguished need for paternal acceptance that comes nearly too late. Kazan's oblique camera angles and Dean's tortured emoting may seem extreme by latter-day standards, but their theatrics make East of Eden a timeless tale of family secrets and hard-won affection. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (41)

DEEP & HAUNTING.
I first watched this movie on television when I was about 16, because I wondered what all the fuss was about James Dean. I soon found out: he was so unbelievably natural in his acting technique that the audience is captivated by his brilliance. This was Dean's film debut and he burst like a thunderclap in the public's ears, not to mention staid Hollywood, which came to both fear and admire the handsome, rebellious youth. In this haunting John Steinbeck tale, Dean is the neurotic half of twin sons belonging to Bible - reading lettuce farmer Raymond Massey, whose vast acreage stretches through the rich Salinas Valley in California. Aron (Davalos, in another powerful debut) is the well-adjusted upstanding son whose normal relationship with his girlfriend and his diligent pursuit of continuing his father's legacy is admired by the patriarch. Cal is very different from his brother and the troublesome youth mistakenly believes his father doesn't love him. A haunting scene has Dean introduce Davalos to their supposedly dead mother. The boys were brain-washed by their father into believing their mother Kate was some sort of angel: the truthful realisation that she's a financially successful Madam who operates a whorehouse in Monterey causes Davalos to become deeply traumatised. Many people will feel empathy for BOTH brothers during this powerful scene: it shows us that Cal is, if anything, REAL while his brother is somewhat sheltered and idealistic in comparison. The performances are all splendidly colourful and absorbing: Dean is unforgettable as Cal - for whom the audience feels empathy - Julie Harris is fine as Abra (she succumbs to Cal's raw sexuality) and Jo Van Fleet is excellent as the tough yet essentially tender-hearted tubercular Kate who likes her boy Cal because he "has sense" as she believes she does. Raymond Massey is fine as the puritanical father, Adam. Burl Ives is memorable as Sam: he quotes the Biblical passage which includes the picture's title. Some critical snobs say that the film was over-directed by Kazan but it made Dean an over-night sensation who acted with a unique naturalistic style and died a legend at the tender age of 24.

James Dean's Best Performance
Although this may be the least known of Dean's three major films, I think this is by far his best performance and the one that most fully explores his talent. Dean stars as the troubled son of Raymond Massey, always trying to please his father, but without much success. Richard Davalos is Dean's brother, and he has his father's love and the love of a sensitive young girl played by Julie Harris. The boys are named Cal and Aaron, which reminds us of Cain and Abel, and so does their relationship. Dean gives one of those raw, emotional performances that is sometimes almost uncomfortable to watch it is so real. The rest of the cast is also excellent, with Jo Van Fleet giving an edgy portrayal of the boys "lost" mother. The struggle for approval and the feeling of not fitting in is one that we can all appreciate, and it is sensitively and dramatically presented. The Steinbeck story is a classic, and in the hands of director Elia Kazan and his terrific cast, so is the movie.

Wonderful acting by James Dean and Jo Van Fleet.
East of Eden is a great, sprawling American novel by nobel prize winning author John Steinbeck. The film East of Eden, directed by Elia Kazan, dramatizes only a small part of the magnificent book. However, what the film does, it does exceptionally well, thanks to the riveting performances of James Dean and academy award winner Jo Van Fleet.

Much has been written about Dean as an actor and what is certainly true is that when he is on screen, you can't take your eyes off him. As young Cal Trask, Dean vies for the attention and love of his father, Adam, Raymond Massesy, with his twin brother Aaron, Richard Davalos. Cal is a loser, no matter what he does, and Dean portrays sensitively the conflict Cal feels as he grows to manhood unloved and uncared for.

The rivalry between Cal and Aaron for their father's love as well as the affections of Abra, Aaron's girlfriend played by Julie Harris, generates much of the action and dramatic tension of the film. All Cal's gifts are rejected by his father, in contrast to Aaron, whose presents are appreciated and valued.

Like Cain in the Bible, Cal has a dark side which he thinks comes from his mother Kate, who abandoned him at birth and whom he has discovered runs a brothel in Salinas, California, a short train ride from the Trask ranch. Cal introduces himself to Kate, played to perfection by Jo Van Fleet, first to try to learn about himself, who he is and why he experiences his inner rage and frustration. Later he will borrow money from her to invest in order to help his bankrupt father. Cal's investment in bean futures, just prior to America's entry in World War I, pays off, but his father rejects his money in a confrontation which moves us toward the dramatic conclusion of the film.

The scenes with Dean and Van Fleet are the highlight of the film and a treasure of American movie making. Both actors are electric with Dean drawing from his inner uncertainty and fire and Van Fleet, the consumate professional, using all her skills and intelligence. They approach one another gingerly, each testing the response of the other, not trusting themselves and their own emotions, and finally becoming frustrated with their inablility to connect with one another. These scenes are wonderful to watch. We should not expect a happy ending and we don't get it.

East of Eden, released in 1955, justly takes its place in a small list of fine American films, not just because of the great performances of James Dean and Jo Van Fleet, but also because it dramatizes timeless themes in a most convincing fashion. Those viewers who love the film and like to read will almost certainly enjoy the novel on which the film is based.

It's only a matter of time....
Given the nature and extent of Oprah Winfrey's influence, it is only a matter of time before this film -- based on the Steinbeck novel of which she is so fond -- is available in a DVD format. Let's all hope that the special features are worthy of our patience and forbearance in the meanwhile. It has been almost 50 years since this film first appeared, in the same year during which Rebel Without a Cause was also released. Both feature James Dean. I have often wondered to what extent his unique and abundant talents as an actor would have developed, had he not perished in a car accident immediately after the filming of Giant had been completed. Of course, we will never know. His was a compelling presence in each of only three films and especially so in East of Eden in the role of Cal Trask.

The basic story is derived from the Biblical account of Cain and Abel. Adam Trask (Raymond Massey) has two sons, both of whom he presumably loves. However, he favors Aron (Dick Davalos) because he (unlike Cal) never says or does anything to irritate him. Aron is "the good son," complete with a girlfriend Abra (Julie Harris) whom his father obviously adores. Of course, Cal feels resentment toward both his father and brother. He desperately wants his father's love. (Later in the film, he even tries to buy it with profits he earns from investments enriched by World War One.) Under Elia Kazan's brilliant direction, tensions build relentlessly to what seems certain to be a tragic conclusion. Feeling rejected by his father, Cal seeks out his mother who left her husband and sons years ago. Kate Trask (Jo Van Fleet) now owns and manages a brothel in another town nearby and has become wealthy. Cal climbs aboard a freight train so that he can visit her frequently. Over time, they develop mutual respect and affection. Finally the climatic moment occurs and then....

The acting throughout the cast (with one exception) is outstanding. Van Fleet received an Academy Award for best actress in a supporting role and Dean was also nominated for the award as best actor in a leading role. Burl Ives and Albert Dekker are noteworthy in their supporting roles. However, Julie Harris (age 30 at that time) seems to me miscast as the teenage Abra. As for Massey, he does the best he can with the role of Adam Trask, recycling elements of his earlier portrayal of John Brown in Sante Fe Trail. Most of Steinbeck's fiction is set in the Monterey area, as is East of Eden. Kazan and his cinematographer, Ted D. McCord, took full advantage of that uncommonly lovely area when shooting various exteriors.

Having seen what can be done to enhance the clarity of image and sound in other classic films such as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), I eagerly await the DVD version of East of Eden. Hopefully, its "special features" will also be special.

James Dean's Greatest Film
Alright its about time that the DVD for this movie came out. The movie itself I thought was incredible well made. The story was beautiful and some of the scenes were perfectly staged.
And of course there's James Dean. This is his best film. "Rebel Without a Cause" was good but over-done and a little rediculous at times, and Dean wasn't in "Giant" enough to warrent it being his best work.
All in all a great movie and the DVD needs to come out. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Amusing Story. Bland Movie.
"Calendar Girls" is a fictionalized account of the events surrounding the publication, in 1999, of a nude calendar featuring the ladies of the Rylstone Women's Institute of North Yorkshire, England. The calendar caused a media sensation in Great Britain and the United States on account of its photographs of women of a certain age performing quaint everyday tasks in the buff. In the film, Chris (Helen Mirren) organizes the calendar to raise money on behalf of her best friend Annie's (Julie Waters) husband, who is dying of leukemia. "Calendar Girls" dramatizes the challenges of convincing a group of middle-aged and older women to pose nude, garnering support for the project, and coping with the resulting flood of international publicity.

The cast is well-suited to their roles. The characters are all appealing. But "Calendar Girls" takes too much time to get off the ground and moves very slowly once it does. This "dramedy" isn't nearly as funny as it should be. It's just bland. The story of the WI calendar is really more interesting than this film.

As for "Calendar Girls" accuracy, this really is a fictionalized account. The characters do not represent real people specifically, except for Chris and Annie, who are based loosely on real women. Any strife between characters in the film is dramatic license. The calendar's photographer was not a stranger, but one of the ladies' husbands. The calendar was indeed intended to raise money for a local hospital's cancer ward on behalf of Angela Baker's husband, John Baker, to whose memory "Calendar Girls" is dedicated. And a similar 2004 calendar featuring the actresses in this film has been released as a further fund-raiser for charity.

The DVD: Bonus features include two mini-documentaries and four deleted scenes. "The Naked Truth" is a 15-minute documentary about the real story behind the infamous calendar. It features interviews with the women who organized and graced the pages of the calendar and its photographer, following the calendar's story from its genesis to this film's premiere. "Creating the Calendar" is a 6-minute short about filming the nude scenes and photographing the calendar for the movie. Captions are available in English, subtitles in Spanish. And dubbing is available in French.

Quiet and Likeable! Also (gasp) kinda sexy!
I went into watching CALENDAR GIRLS dreading it might be a female rip-off of THE FULL MONTY. No need to fear, because the movie is about a lot more than aping a successful indie formula. The movie centers on a group of women of Rylstone Women's Institute in North Yorkshire, England who through a tragedy decide to raise money for a hospital with their annual calendar. The only catch? These well-aged women are going to pose in the buff with strategically placed items of household drudgery hiding the naughty bits and pieces. And when the calendar comes out? They all have to deal with the infamy that comes along with posing nude. And deal with success as well! Or new found confidence.

It is a story rich dramatically and still just plain funny. The nudity is tasteful, and not all that revealing. Think Dianne Keaton's SOMETHINGS GOT TO GIVE flash, and you get the idea. And Helen Mirren and a STRONG cast give it all a dignified English air that plays well. I really loved this movie. It made me smile widely! And hammered home the message that beauty is in ALL forms. Everybody has a shine to them, and the 50 MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE are the ones with the courage to make fun of themselves and smile all the while. No body doubles here either! Yea for them! Brave women with "bigger buns!".

The DVD is a special treat. You get a documentary on the real life CALENDAR GIRLS who look a lot like their film counterparts. You also get to see the movie cast MAKING the calendar! Okay, maybe just TALKING about making it. Also you get some deleted scenes, and assorted trailers.

I'm getting sunflowers for my house just to remind me of people that always reach for the sun! Very nice image. We need more movies like this -- celebrating wisdom and friendship. And hey - it's just simple fun.

a smart, lovely comedy!!
This movie is inspired by a true story where these middle aged women go in the nude posing for their calendar which becomes a huge success! I really loved this movie for its wonderful acting and it was hilarious!! The whole way I felt like cheering the women on! This movie made me laugh out loud and its a great change from some other funny movies that all they offer is bathroom jokes and other stupid humor. This is a one of a kind smart hilarious movie!!

Marginal, at best
This is one of those small budget Britcoms that is supposed to be hilarious and all the trailer clips suggest that. Problem is it's not very funny, well-acted, or even mildly engaging. It's flat out boring. It is not a female "The Full Monty," as the ad campaign leads you to think. If that were the case I would have loved it. Others can re-tell the plot, but there isn't really much beyond these ordinary women in a small English town do a nude calendar to raise money and all the hinjinx prevail. Except there really are no hijinx. Just the usual stereotypical disapproving neighbors and officials, combined with the always surprising support from the most unlikely (wink-wink) circles. Been there--seen that over and over. It's as if every cliche in these types of movies were rehashed over and over.

Save your money. Frankly, I think the positive reviews on this are the true comedy.

a joyous comedy
One of the most delightful films of recent years, "Calendar Girls," a distaff version of "The Full Monty," is the true story of a group of middle-aged English women who became international celebrities when they designed and posed for a nude fundraising calendar that sold millions of copies worldwide. Julie Walters and Helen Mirren head a wonderful cast, with Walters as a woman whose husband dies of leukemia and Mirren as her best friend who comes up with the idea of the calendar as a way of both honoring his memory and raising money for the local hospital.

The risk for any "feel good" comedy is that it will become cloying, coy or cutesy. Luckily, "Calendar Girls" boasts an enormously witty screenplay and first-rate performances by its highly gifted cast. Each of the "girls" is given her own unique personality so that we see them not just as a group, united in this inspiring endeavor, but as individuals working through their own personal demons on the rode to the project's completion. The women face the expected roadblocks and snafus in the form of "shocked," disapproving voices in the community, but their belief in the rightness of their cause brushes all such problems aside.

This charming film provides more genuine, out-and-out laughs than almost any comedy of recent times. "Calendar Girls" is heartwarming, touching and inspiring - and what more could one ask from a "feel-good" film than that? ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Barbra Streisand made her directorial debut with this 1983 adaptation of the Isaac Bashevis Singer story about a young Eastern European woman (Streisand) who disguises herself as a male at the turn of the century in order to get an education. Except for an excessive musical score with too many songs and Streisand's tiresome tendency to play characters who suppress their beauty, the film is crisp and engaging, and the gender-bending love story complications are fun, if gimmicky. Streisand gives a smart, vulnerable performance and gets fresh work from costars Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (56)

A Triumph for the Director, Not the Actress
When "Yentl" was first released it proved to be neither the I-told-you-so triumph producer-director-star Barbra Streisand hoped, nor the total failure nay-sayers gleefully predicted. In years since, "Yentl" has become the punchline for many jokes (men who were dragged to see this with their wives or girlfriends can't seem to say enough nasty things about it), but most of those jokes aren't warranted.

As a director, Streisand has much to be proud of. She gets stellar performances from co-stars Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving (Streisand has proven herself to be an actor's director), the photography is lush and she makes the non-commercial story quite compelling. The movie's main weakness, though, is Streisand's work in front of the camera. Being miscast is nothing new for the star of "Hello, Dolly!" and "A Star is Born," but usually she's buoyed by her star power. In "Yentl," that star power is a detriment. This is a movie that needed an actress, not a star.

However, not many film actresses have Streisand's voice, and this is a musical, after all. The songs in "Yentl" (all sung by Streisand; fellow singer Patinkin doesn't even hum along) function as internal monologues, and as such they work fine in the context of the movie. But this is no "Funny Girl"--despite a finale that looks very similar to that movie's "Don't Rain on My Parade" sequence. There are few tunes that'll be stuck in your head by the final credits. Turning "Yentl" into a musical seemed more of a concession to the studio, anyway.

Despite its shortcomings, and despite what all those snarky husbands and boyfriends say about it, "Yentl" proved Streisand's formidable talents aren't just limited to singing and acting.

Why isn't this on DVD!
I just adore this movie. Great acting, sweet story, lots of culture and absolutely fabulous music... I listen to the soundtrack all the time.

Barbara Streisand is perfect at playing an intelligent, yet vulnerable woman in a time and place in which women were supposed to be illiterate and considered to be silly. Her father was a more forward-thinking man in a culture that considered teaching a woman to read something perverse and criminal. When her father dies,she loses everything... women can't read, own property or make decisions concerning the course of her life.

She decides that her persuit of knowledge of the holy scriptures is too important to let the opportunity slip through her fingers, so she cuts her hair and lives life as a male Rabbinical student. Life takes a twist she doesn't expect when she falls for her classmate and subsequently is forced to marry a young girl.

There are a lot of laughing-out-loud moments, but this is mostly just an extremely sweet story of love, sacrifice, tradition and freedom. It's definitely a feel-good movie that will put a lump in your throat. I highly recommend this film.

Poor Quality Copy
The VHS desperately needs remastering. If people want to see Babs dressed up like a man, then we need to get this released on DVD.
I know I can't wait!!!

LESS WOULD OF BEEN MORE
I love Barbra. I saw her final Concert in Los Angeles so I am a fan! I like this movie! HOWEVER I did not Love it! I think this movie is TOO LONG! Since this is Streisand's baby you can see every frame was a labor of love! If you want to see a great Streisand movie get "Funny Girl" However Barbra if your reading I would trust you would do a great job of acting and directing in the muscial adaption of Sunset Boulevard! You are the greatest star of them all!

There are moments you remember all your life...
... and seeing Yentl certainly was such a moment. The movie had a profound impact on my life when I was a girl of 14. More than 10 years later, it has not lost any of its message. "Revisiting" Yentl from time to time has helped me choose the path I really want to go. Some of my dreams have come true, but there is more to come, I am sure. It also gives me courage to do what I need to, like Yentl, and like Mrs. Streisand whose work as female director was groundbreaking at the time. Chapeau! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

OUR FAVOURITE WAIF
This was the first movie actually crafted just for Shirley and the kids should find it a fun diversion, even today. It's in this movie in which Temple sings her famed version of ON THE GOOD SHIP LOLLIPOP - while on an airplane! The supporting cast includes the little seen silent screen actress Lois Wilson who plays Shirley's mother (employed as a maid) and the talented Irishman, James Dunn - he won an Oscar for the happy alcoholic singing waiter in A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN - does well as Shirley's kind uncle. Cheeky Jane Withers (Remember Josephine, the plumber who endorsed Comet cleanser in the sixties?) plays Joy, and she's fun in contrast to Shirley's goody-goody personna- she's wild, mischievous, noisy, jealous, messy, angry and not particularly cute; she was eventually ranked second in popularity to Temple as a thirties female child star. Recommended for the little ones because these Temple films are inoffensive (with very few exceptions) and are expertly computer colourized!

Jane and Shirley light up the screen!
Shirley Temple and Jane Withers are a dynamic duo together as Shirley plays a orphaned child that everybody wishes to adopt and Jane plays a selfish brat who has no compassion for Shirley or anybody else. This movie is simply hysterical with the rude Joy (Jane Withers)and the funny and political Uncle Ned. I have never laughed as much as I did in any other Shirley Temple film! Shirley sings her trade mark song "On the Good Ship Lollipop" and will dazzle you with her charm. The plot of the story is easy for young children to follow and consists of tear jerkers, hysterical moments, and dramatic scenes. I have to say this movie wouldn't receive 5 stars without Jane Withers!

"Sweet Landings"....
This review refers to the 20th Century Fox DVD edition of "Bright Eyes".....

I've always been a sucker for little Shirley Temple singing "On The Good Ship Lollipop" and couldn't resist picking up this DVD.From 1934, this story takes you back to a time of innocence that just can't be done again in today's world. Shirley will tug at your heartstrings and you're happy to let her do it!

This story was tailor made for Temple's charms. Already having lost her father, "the best aviator there ever was", she is now the apple of they eyes of all the flyers at the airport.Espcially one,'Loop' Merritt(James Dunn), her father's best friend who loves her dearly.Shirley lives in the home of a wealthy but nasty couple where her mother is a maid. When tragedy strikes again, and Shirley's mom meets with an unfortunate accident, the fight begins over who will adopt this adorable orphan.

In the short span of 83 minutes, it's a story that has laughter, tears, adventure and lots of love. If you love Shirley..this is a must have. But it's not just the Shirley show...the rest of the cast is terrific. James Dunn, Jane Darwell,and Lois Smith will all touch you, but the two that nearly steal the show are Charles Sellon as Uncle Ned, an old curmudgeon who becomes a real softy around Shirley, and little Jane Withers...the brattiest brat there ever was. All this little tyke wants for Christmas is a machine gun!

I was very pleased with this DVD by 20th Cent Fox. Yes it was a bit on the grainey side, but the film, now 70 years old, showed no scratches, lines or cracks.I hope I look that good at 70! I nearly had a panic attack though when I read the back of the box and it said that this version was colorized, but don't worry, when you pop it in the player, the first thing that comes up is a choice of the original B/W or the colorized version..so you can watch both and see which you prefer. You also get the choice of viewing it in the newly enhanced stereo or mono.There are also subtitles in English(captions), and Spanish.

It's a nice one to watch during the holidays as a good part of the story takes place during Christmas.If you are a fan..introduce a new generation to Shirley. This a great one to start with.

Sweet Landings.....Laurie

One of her better movies.
The movie has the seen that the TV networks always have qued up with her singing: On the good ship lollypop.

One of the cutest films!!!
Shirley is VERY cute in this film. She plays a very unselfish and cute little girl who likes to help out and visit the airport. She basicially does not have to act in this film because the way her chartacter acts is how Shirley acts herself . (Notice that her name is Shirley in this film.)
It deserves a three star though because I didn't see much dancing in this film except for The Good Ship Lollipop, and when you watch Jane Withers and Shirley together you can feel guilty when you act selfish. ... Read more