Arthur Christmas (Two Discs: Blu-ray / DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy)

A new Christmas classic
What a great film. This will become a Christmas classic that gets played on tv at Christmas time for decades. It is a shame it did not do better at the American box office as this film is a classic. Me and my daughter have been waiting impatiently for this to come out on Blu Ray ever since we saw it last November in the theater. If you are looking for a new Christmas classic to enjoy with your family and make apart of your family tradition, then look no further.

Pure Christmas Magic
I took the kids to see this in the theater. They absolutely loved it. The colors and animation are wonderful. It's a heartfelt, modern family story that takes a look at how we can lose sight of what's important when computer gadgetry takes over society. The clever writing answers all those pesky questions about how Santa gets around the world in one night, keeps track of all the kids' letters, and how the toys are packed into the sleigh. This really brings the magic of Christmas alive. I highly recommend it to kids of all ages who love Christmas.

Arthur Delivers Christmas
The story is smart and the character animation is stellar. I can usually find something to quibble with in any movie but not this one. It's fun from start to heart-tugging finish. This one goes in the permanent collection.

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever DVD

The Herdmans Strike Again!
Based on the children's novel by Barbara Robinson, with teleplay by the author of the book (hurray!), this video remains true to the book by the same name. A local church is doing the Christmas pageant for Christmas, and the family of 6 unsupervised, undisciplined children decide to get involved. They bully the other children so that they will get the main roles. Everyone is worried that this will be the WORST Christmas Pageant because the Herdmans are involved. The mother, played by Loretta Swit (MASH), shows patience and diligence, with unending hope that the whole thing will have a great ending. Despite the fact that I've been reading this book aloud to my elementary school students for years, I ended up in tears during the scene where Imogene discovers what Mary is all about. Definitely, OWN this video if you love what Christmas is really about!

Best Christmas Pageant Movie Ever
The Herdmans are the worst kids ever! They cuss, they smoke, they torture animals and people. AND they want to be in the church Christmas pageant, even though they have never heard the story of Christmas. This movie truly captures the true meaning of Christmas. See Faruza Baulk as a little girl as she narrates the story. I highly recommend reading the book first. It's a fast and easy read. It makes the movie SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE.

Touching movie
When I was in the third grade my teacher, Ms. Curtis, read this book to our class. I completely fell in love with the story and the characters. A few years later, around the Christmas season, this movie was on tv. It follows the book very closely. It has such a good message regarding tollerance of others. The real lesson in this movie is learned by the mom(played by Loretta Swit). I bought this dvd for my parents, myself, and my in-laws a few years ago. We have all made it a tradition that when things get to crazed and we seem to loose our Christmas spirit,in the process of creating "the perfect Christmas", we pop in this DVD and get a good reminder of the most important part to the season. I cannot wait until my three are old enough to really enjoy this movie and understand the message behind it. I highly recommend this DVD to someone of any age.

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Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection

Madea's Best Yet!!!
This is quite possibly the best Madea movie to date. Madea has a lot more screentime, making the movie better and funnier. There's hardly any random subplot drama at all. It's a flat-out comedy starring Madea and Eugene Levy. The jokes are hilarious and keep coming. Levy plays George Needleman, a dorky businessman marked for death by a crime family after his company goes bankrupt and he is framed for money laundering. Brian Simmons takes the case and suggests the Needeleman family stay at Madea's house. (That's when all heck breaks loose as she tries to teach them love and respect) Will George and Madea be able to find the money and give it back to the charities? I highly recommend MADEA'S WITNESS PROTECTION!!

THEY'RE WHITE FOLKS!
This is another fun improbable comedy from Tyler Perry. George (Eugene Levy) has been set up to run a fake charity investment scheme which launders money for the mob. He agrees to testify and along with his family is placed in a witness protection program which places them in Madea's home.

The family suffers from low self-esteem. Barbara (Doris Roberts) is George's mother. She suffers from dementia and jungle fever. George is married to Kate (Denise Richards) his second wife who doesn't get along with Cindy (Danielle Campbell) the rebellious back talking daughter from George's first marriage. Howie (Devan Leos) is the proverbial overweight son.

The film is funny throughout with a smattering of predictable laughs. Tom Arnold has a bit part in the beginning and Tyler Perry plays three roles. 4 1/2 STARS

PARENTAL GUIDE: No f-bombs, n-words, sex, or nudity. Some minor sex humor, such as a play on words such as "hard" and Madea mentioning her stripping and...

"ONE OF THE FUNNIEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR!"
Tyler Perry has done it again, and Madea's Witness Protection is One of his Best! At first Madea is asked to get involved, she wasn't going to, but an offer for Big Money was made she simply couldn't refuse. This fun-filled family movie is laugh-out-loud from start to finish. Madea is one-of-a-kind, and you never know what to expect from this character. Strong, witty, clever, and has a heart. No-matter what the situation is in different events, Madea will make you laugh, but deep-down inside, she has also helped others in different ways of emotional support. A Fantastic Comedy. Acting Performance Excellent. Loved the New York scene, but there are many entertaining scenes.A Must-See, Must-own! Very Enjoyable and Highly Recommended!

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Inglourious Basterds (Single-Disc Edition)

Blu-ray quality nice, but "Special Edition" not so special...
This is just a review of the Blu-Ray "2 Disc Special Edition" since there are plenty of reviews of the movie itself by reviewers far more qualified than I.

The video and sound quality is excellent and I have no complaints about that. But I have to give this 4 stars instead of 5, because, I just don't get some of the "marketing lingo" on this package:

* This version does NOT include a running commentary. None at all (not director, not actors, not cinematographer, nothing). To me this is really odd -- it seems that almost all DVDs released in the last 10 years have had some sort of commentary track. Especially with a Tarantino movie, this seems like something you really WANT to have.
* I think this is the only Blu-ray version available right now. It includes the "digital copy" but that is just a lower-res copy of a movie with DRM, nothing wrong with getting that with it, but that is one of the TWO discs in the "Special Edition"
* If this is the only one...

Very, VERY entertaining but could have been a classic.
One of the great pleasures of Quentin Tarantino movies is the wonderfully inventive casting that he employs. In PULP FICTION, he revived the career of John Travolta, made Samuel Jackson a star, pushed Bruce Willis into another echelon and even helped get Ving Rhames off to a good start. In JACKIE BROWN, he burnished Pam Grier & Robert Forster's careers. In KILL BILL, he reinvented Uma Thurman and reinvigorated David Carradine. Even in DEATH PROOF, he introduced the world to the amazing stuntwoman Zoe Bell and gave Kurt Russell the kind of part he's missed out on for too long.

And now, wonderfully, in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, he's introduced the American viewer to some stellar European actors, namely Melanie Laurent and particularly Christoph Waltz, now an easy favorite for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Tarantino also frequently tries the patience of his viewers with his rococo dialogue and insistence on constantly reminding us that we're watching a movie. In...

WARNING: This movie may not be what you are expecting...
This movie is really pretty outstanding. The opening scene is intense, frightening, shocking, and appauling all at once, and it sets up the entire film perfectly. I really had no expectations for this movie because I had read so many mixed reviews and none of them really said anything, so I actually thought this was a really good movie although a bit drawn out. The film is artfully done beautifully shot and extremely well acted.

Now here's why you may not like this quite as much as I did and why my wife absolutely HATED it.

What most expected from this movie:
1- Gore, action, and more gore and more action
2- A story that follows the Basterds as they wreak havoc on Hitler's army
3- Maybe a few subtitles as the film does take place in France after all
4- Classic Quentin Tarantino comedic dialogue

What the film actually is:
1- A character driven story HEAVY on dialogue and other than the last 20 minutes extremely light on...

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Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone [Blu-ray]

Vesion 1.01 Receives a Make Over
Like many fans out there, you're probably wondering what in the world the 1.11 rebuild of Evangelion is considering the 1.01 release is barely four months old. While FUNimation has confirmed that 1.01 was the beginning of four rebuilt feature film releases, 1.11 isn't the second one but rather 1.01 again with some of its lighting (lack thereof) issues addressed, the addition of 2-minutes of new scenes and a second disc including a bunch of extra material.

Hard facts first: The release is comprised of a two-disc set, with the feature presentation now coming in at comes in at 100-minutes with an appropriate PG-13 rating due to animated action, violence and some ambiguous nudity.

Language options are standard sub & dub fair, which means the viewer is given the option of running the original Japanese dialog track or an English dub, either of which is presented in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. The option to turn on English subtitles exists for either language choice as...

Blu-ray: A magnificent anime on Blu-ray release!
In 2006, Japanese fans and anime fans of "Neon Genesis Evangelion" received exciting news that in the Summer of 2007, the first of four Evangelion films based on the anime television series would be released in theaters. According to news reports, Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno watched the series from beginning to end and wanted to fix up a lot of questions and debates that fans had over the television series and most importantly, incorporate today's new CG technology for the film versions. Even furthering the excitement is that the original crew and cast have signed on to work on the new film.

So, with mass promotion in Japan, "Evangelion 1.01 - You Are (Not) Alone" became the #1 film in Japan making over $14.6 million (US), surpassing "The End of Evangelion" which brought in $14.5 million (US). A limited edition DVD was released in Japan in 2008 which came with a script, music videos and an "Explanation of Evangelion" feature and needless to say, fans paid dearly for...

I Have Seen - And It Is Good
I've been a big fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion for many years. I've watched all the original series (and barely made it out alive from 25-26) and absolutely love The End of Evangelion. When I found out they were remaking the series, I was both excited and concerned, but it turns out my fears were alleviated when I finally got to see Evangelion: You Are (Not) Alone.

Gainax took the first few episodes of the series, cleaned up the story, and redrew all the art, amazingly integrated CGI (especially compared to its poor modern usage in anime) and used a movie budget to make something that looks GOOD to watch in 1080p. If you're as big an Eva fan as I am, or even if you just liked some of the series, I'd definitely recommend Evangelion 1.11. They've changed enough of it to flow better in a straight 110 minutes of run time and I didn't want to stop watching for a second.

Now, the real question...

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Get Smart - The Complete Series Gift Set

Get it NOW ...now that's SMART!
I paid twice as much to Time/Life a year ago for this as BestBuy has it today $109..and I don't feel ripped off at all...its worth every penny.
EACH season has a bonus DVD chock full of amazing stuff from commercials to appearances on other shows (Andy Williams) to numerous EMMY awards wins..and a fabulous ROAST of Don Adams...his Eulogy...goodness they did this thing right..and the packaging..WOW..even more fun and functional. This is the best set of a TV series I own and I own many. If you are only a casual fan I'd consider buying each season as they come out....they are cheap at $16 and do not have the bonus disc..which is essential viewing for true fans! The prints are great..each episode has an intro by beautiful Barbara Feldon (Agent 99) ...this is one of my treasures along with the Twilight Zone complete series. I've dipped into this over and over in the last year and have never once regretted the purchase. For a kid who grew up in that era its great on so many...

"The old spy in the spoof trick!"
Smart. Maxwell Smart. The dumbest spy in the world, who fights on behalf of the forces of goodness and niceness, and succeeded in making democracy vs. communism a lot more entertaining. With the comic trio of Don Adams, Barbara Feldon and Edward Platt, this hilarious spy spoof is still funny today.

Don Adams is Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, a not-so-bright spy with an endless arsenal of strange devices and odd sayings. The bumbling spy at a top-secret government agency called Control, which is responsible for keeping the free world free. Backing him up is his beautiful partner/love interest Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) and his long-suffering Chief (Eward Platt) who puts up with Smart's constant mistakes.

Together with 99 (whom he marries late in the series), and the Chief (and his faithful dog Fang), Max battles the forces of badness and rottenness -- namely, the anti-Control called KAOS. They battle against their archnemesis Siegfried and a bunch of other KAOS agents,...

Would you believe ... FINALLY out on DVD?
As a dedicated spy nut, I was ecstatic when I heard that Get Smart was being released on DVD at last. Even with the anticipation, the set still managed to exceed my expectations. The box is set up to look like the elevator Max disappears into during the title credits. In addition to sharp, bright and clean episode quality, each season is loaded with extras, including commentary from both Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, numerous documentaries, a touching clip from Don Adams' memorial service and commentary from Barbara Feldon before EACH EPISODE. The set also includes the black and white pilot episode which I had never seen before. In short, this sucker is loaded. Nick at Nite hasn't shown Get Smart for years now, so those of you going through advanced cases of Max and 99 withdrawl can have your Get Smart cravings satisfied forever with this great set. Here's hoping the set will soon be more widely available so Amazon can offer it at its usual rock-bottom price.

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The Complete Bourne 4 Movie Collection (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne Legacy) [Blu-ray]

Beware if ordering this because it has flixster/uv codes.
I purchased this collection and while the DVD's are good, the flixster/uv redemption codes don't work. It said something along the lines of being outside of the UK keeps you from redeeming the codes. Pretty lame considering part of the reason I picked this up is to have access to the movies digitally.

Plastic broke
I had to return this because the plastic middle piece broke so the disk just floated in the box set

Great series!
My husband loves action movies. I not so much. However, this was a series we both watched and enjoyed. Just enough drama to keep my interest and an actual story line that was interesting.

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Anne Of Green Gables - The Sequel

Great movie; Sullivan Entertainment can't do quality DVDs!!!
First of all, "Anne of Green Gables-- The Sequel" is merely the Canadian name for "Anne of Avonlea", as it was renamed in the States. I see a lot of reviews here which slam the third movie, but that was "Anne of Green Gables-- The Continuing Story". I won't argue with this slammage, but the Amazon DVD offering at issue here seems, by the title and the photo, to be "Anne of Avonlea/Anne of Green Gables-- The Sequel". So on to my review:

I think this movie is a gem; quiet intensity and charm. You can read a million reviews of that aspect here: I'm concentrating on the disc quality, since no one else seems to.

First of all: this disc is a "flipper" (you have to flip the DVD over in the middle of the movie), but people accustomed to changing tapes in the middle of the show on the old VHS version aren't going to whine that much when they have to do the DVD equivalent. I know I didn't.

That said, the picture quality is the worst I've ever seen. Yes, the *worst*. Worse even...

Equally as charming as the first one
"Anne of Avonlea" is a brilliant companion to the original "Anne of Green Gables." This sequel combines the next THREE novels in the series --- "Anne of Avonlea," "Anne of the Island," and "Anne of Windy Poplars." Several characters are combined to make ONE specific character, but the story still remains very much Anne's story.

Now a little older, having taught at the public school in Avonlea for a while, Anne decides to try her hand at teaching at a private school in Kingsport --- a wealthy town mainly run by a particular set, the Pringles. It's a new and daunting experience --- especially considering that she can't seem to win over the students or the school board --- but her stubbornnes won't allow her to give up, and she charges forward with her usual determination.

There are several new characters, but we still have appearances by the old ones. We meet Morgan Harris, his intelligent daughter Emmeline, his mother and his sister, and of course we meet...

I know you already own this, but you want the commentary
The original mini-series of "Anne of Green Gables" ended with Anne (Megan Follows) on speaking terms with Gilbert (Jonathan Crombie), but still the only person in Avonlea who does not know that the two of them are meant to live happily ever after. "Anne of Green Gables" is adapted by writer-director Kevin Sullivan from the second, third, and fourth novels in the series, drawing primarily on the last one, "Anne of Windy Poplars" for her experiences teaching at a girl's school. There is also a major subplot regarding a rich widower who seems to offer Anne everything she has ever wanted that is largely Sullivan's creation; Morgan Harris (Frank Converse) is much older than Anne's other beau in the series. The important thing is that he keeps the ending of "Anne of the Island."

I am sure most of you love all of the Anne books and the first two films, which means the issue is why you should also pick up the DVD versions. The answer is simply...

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The Dark Knight (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray]

Great Film - Buy the Single Disc Version!
What has been said about the Dark Knight cannot be elaborated on - so I won't. The film is muscling its way into my #1 favorite comic movie adaptation of all time.

The reason for my review is in hopes of saving you some money. This double disc Special Edition doesn't deliver the price you pay for it. There isn't even deleted scenes!!! I would save your very hard earned dollars and buy the single disc version and wait for the inevitable ULTIMATE re-release that will come later on down the road.

But nonetheless, a great film - you will not be dissapointed; I just wish the studio would have given a better Special Edition release than what we have here. So enjoy!

The Dark Masterpiece Surpasses the Hype
Christopher Nolan has a vision. And whether you agree with it or not, he undeniably completes it in "The Dark Knight"--a vicious, engrossing, overwhelming, intelligent event- film that re-defines 'comic-book-flicks'. In Nolan's grim, dark-depiction of Gotham-City (the crime-ridden hell protected by legendary superhero Batman), the director strives to make everything real (something he began in the well-received "Batman Begins"). He makes it plausible, possible. And yet there's more to it: just as 'Begins' was a dissection of myth, the nature of symbols and heroes, 'Knight' is the escalation of that notion. It's a biblical- confrontation of 'good-and-evil', yet as 'good-and-evil' really exist: a conflict of ideals, something that can't be purely-defined but that is relative to a viewpoint. In Nolan's world, the line of villainy and heroism isn't crossed... it's non-existent. The bad-guys don't see themselves as bad-guys, and as such something so unnervingly-real comes across it might...

A little batpod & case info
Ok, the movie is a 5 star, this is a little info on the case and bat pod if anyone is curious about it size. We have it at work and I have already seen it. It is actually VERY small, the case and the bat pod. The bat pod is maybe 4"-5" long, and the case is just a bit larger then the blu rays. I was expecting a bat pod the size of the one available at in the toys at most stores which is 10"-12" long.
AT $50+ dollars, I would get the Bluray 2 disc and the $20 12" bat pod, which s a much better bat pod and value in my opinion.

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Beetlejuice (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Say it once, say it twice, third time's the charm!
When this movie first came out about fifteen years ago, my father owned a video store and every Wednesday night was "Beetlejuice" night. I'm older now, obviously, but I still cannot get enough of this movie.

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Adam and Barbara Maitland, two Connecticut yuppies who die prematurely in a car wreck. Within a couple weeks, their home is overrun by an ultra-trendy New York City family, Charles and Delia Deetz, and their Goth daughter, Lydia (played respectively by Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder). Adam and Barbara want their house back, and attempt to scare the Deetz's out of the house by wearing sheets and even by possessing them over dinner, making them sing and dance to Harry Belafonte's "Day O." Those attempts fail and enter Michael Keaton as Betelguese, "the afterlife's leading freelance bio-exorcist." The movie is dark without being scary and funny without being ridiculous.

In my opinion, one of the real gems in this film is the...

Off-color, Irreverent Hilarity
I love this film. Barbara and Adam Maitland, a young couple madly in love (played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) discover that they are not only dead but trapped in their home as ghosts waiting for the bureaucracy of the afterlife to set them free. When a New York couple (Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones) and their teenage daughter Lydia (wonderfully macabre Winona Ryder) move into their beloved house, the Maitlands want nothing more than to remove them. The problem is, the Maitlands are too nice to truly scare anyone. They meet a rogue ghost, the ribald, disgusting Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) who promises to drive the family away, with a few strings attached. Lydia, whose goals aren't that far from the Maitlands and who has a morbid, poignantly sad outlook, discovers the ghosts and tries to help them. But Beetlejuice has his own agenda.

The casting for this movie is perfect, with only Alec Baldwin's performance less than memorable. Michael Keaton is suitably...

Soundtrack CD sampler that comes with Blu-ray edition
I had a hard time finding this information when I searched for it, so I thought I'd type it up in case anyone else was wondering what comes free with your new Blu-ray copy of "Beetlejuice":

1. Danny Elfman - "Main Titles"
2. Danny Elfman - "Enter ... 'The Family'/Sand Worm Planet"
3. Danny Elfman - "The Aftermath"
4. Danny Elfman - "Showtime!"
5. Harry Belafonte - "The Banana Boat Song" (worth the price of the Blu-ray disc itself!)
6. Danny Elfman - "End Credits"

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ESPN Films 30 for 30: Survive and Advance

Exceptionally made.
"Survive and Advance" is another stunning documentary in the ESPN Films: 30 for 30 series and tells the story of North Carolina State University's 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball championship title. Told through the eyes of the players and staff, it's a recollection of wild, improbable success and a homage to one of the finest coaches to ever set foot on the hardwood, Jim Valvano.

As a documentary, and this holds true with most of the 30 for 30 projects I've seen, it's masterfully done. This is important because as any fan of documentaries will tell you, an outstanding director can make any subject matter interesting. My point here is that sports fan will obviously find value in this film, but it shouldn't be passed over by non sports fans, either. There's a message here that transcends athletics and it's presented beautifully.

For those unaware, Jim Valvano died of cancer in 1993. "Survive and Advance", while certainly based on a basketball...

An Absolute Must Have For Sport Fans........
Saw this on ESPN, recently. The only word I have to describe this documentary is Fabulous! Aside from being a tear jerker, it does a wonderful job of bringing back a reunion, 30 year, of the players, their commentary[from both teams], snippets of that 1983 season, Valvano, and of course the Wolfpack's monumental Final Four victory over that great Houston team anchored by Olajuwon and Drexler. This is a very well done documentary of a most exhilarating piece of basketball history, and one that belongs in every sports fan's library.

Sports
Now I am a huge fan of NC State Wolfpack since my Brother Attended there from '70-74'. No UNC in me!! This is the greatest team effort all year long to finally get that NCAA Men's Basketball Trophy!! Man a lot of tears have flowed for Jimmy Valano and Family that it still feels like it was a very long dream. God Bless Jimmy and All The Guys on That 1983 Championship team!!

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Anchorman - The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Full Screen Edition)

UNRATED- was uncalled for.
I LOVED this movie when I saw it in the theatre over the past summer- so I was pumped to see an "unrated" version come out on DVD.

Whomever was in charge of putting this DVD together yanked a huge chain on this release. I had expected the "unrated" version to be funnier than the theatrical version which I thought was one of the year's funniest movies, because in general, "unrated" cuts have been better than the "regular" release.

This "unrated" version skips a couple really great monents from the theatrical version, one instance is when Carell's character "Brick" utters "I ate a big red candle" during the party hangover sequence and they replace it with a joke that's nowhere near that great non-sequitor. Near the end of the film they edited out Ferrell's lines just before he picks up the phone in the bar (something about "once being an anchorman")which was more in line with the film's plot/angle than the new scene of Burgundy eating cat poop. A TERRIBLY UNFUNNY...

Situational comedy at it's greatest.
This movie is will Ferrell at his finest. From the opening credits he plays the bumbling anchorman known as Ron Burgundy in perfect form. When you buy this movie it will be for Will Ferrell's genius, he creates a character who is not simply a humorous idiot (that part is played by Steve Carell) but has motivation, sorrow, and even wit at times. The dialog and writing on this movie is brilliant, the lines aren't ridiculously cheesy or over the top stupid for sake of being funny. By the same token it doesn't feel as if every line reads like it took a conglomeration of 10 minds 30 minutes to create it.
Throughout it all Ferrell stays the man with below average IQ who is attempting to win his newfound love Veronica Corningstone and retain his job.
Great cast, great writing, thank you Will Ferrell.

The Legend of Ron Burgundy will live on!
I for one, unlike many reviewers here, thought this was one of the funniest movies that was made in 2004. People may pass this off as "stupid" slapstick humor, which is true in for the most part, but the basis for this comedy is genius.

The 70s anchor man is funny to begin with. Not to mention they poke fun at all the ignorance that was displayed by most people in the 70s. Such as littering, acceptance of sexual harassment, style of clothing, hair and a number of other corny things that we remember from the 70s, even if you weren't alive then.

This is filled with an incredible cast, and pushes satirical humor to the limits. Don't listen to all your idiot friends who says it sucks, just because they didn't get the satire. If the basis of the movie sounds funny to you, you will probably like it. It's a smart comedy. I know it had me tears.

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The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound II (Two-Pack)

Not Disney's Best HD Transfer
Fox and the Hound has always been a favorite of mine. The characters are great, the story is heartwarming to say the least. After buying a slew of the latest Disney Blu Ray releases (Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia, Bambi, etc) I was expecting another state-of-the-art fantastic 1080p transfer. Unfortunately, the Mouse House has not taken this title as seriously as some of the others in its vault. Instead of giving us a glorious, painstakingly perfect restoration, it would seem they opted for tossing in the insulting "sequel" Fox and the Hound II to make up for the slacking effort.

Now I won't say it looks awful. This Blu Ray is clearly a significant upgrade from the DVD, but it is also obviously missing the Disney touch I've come to expect. For example, at the bottom right hand corner of the picture you will see an occasional black line flicker in and out. Ordinarily Disney has gone in and removed these kind of print damages, through intense digital editing or by some...

30 years young and this??
I feel short of neutral about the Fox and the Hound movie itself. But that doesn't mean I'm not upset about Disney's HD transfer. It is quite clear that it didn't get the same remastering treatment as the other Disney classics. I guess because it's not as popular, Disney thought that they didn't need to spend as much time into restoring it. Well, that's just silly. If you're a fan of the film, demand that Disney rerelease it as a stand-alone title with a new remaster.

The Fox and the Hound: Underrated Disney Classic comes to good but not great blu
I always held a special place in my heart for this film. Its adorable characters were too much to take, and it was a great tale of friendship. It's sad how Disney chooses not to acknowledge this film much. What does it get? A stuffed animal in the Disney Store? Not even a mug, or pens. Just, recently, plush toys. It isn't like many Disney films. If you are a die hard fan of recent Disney, Disney Renaissance, and the classics, then you may not find it....to your liking. The film has some magic from Classic Disney, but, as it was in the odd years of Disney, it has that feel of a transgression for the studio.

Disney brings this wonderful film to blu ray, and, as i said, Disney doesn't acknowledge the film too much. Maybe that's why is didn't get a pristine conversion, but a good one. The colors are vibrant, lines visibly drawn, but there are problems. One problem that is most easily noticed is the fact that in certain shots, the drawn lines appear blurred. Now, i don't know if...

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Angels Sing: Christmas in Ireland

A Very Special Christmas Present from Libera
The wait is over. After a little over six years, Libera just released their new DVD. This time it is a recording of mostly Christmas music. Last summer (August 8 & 9, 2013) the group traveled to St. Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh, Northern Ireland to record the DVD in live performances so it could be released in time for the holidays. There is evidence that portions of the recording will also appear in the US on PBS television with Josh Madine as the guest "commentator."

Two years ago in August, I attended a Libera concert near Dallas, Texas. The lighting etc. on the new DVD reminds me more of that concert than the old DVD. As with the Texas concert, some of the older boys provide the lower parts of the music. This adds to the depth of the Libera sound with the younger boys providing the traditional Libera, "Angel Voices" experience. The large cathedral environment is the natural environment for Libera. St. Patrick's has a large, mostly open "stage" area that works very well...

Angel voices, indeed. Stunning concert.
Beautiful quality. The picture and sound are great and there are a few extras too (3 bonus songs, a behind the scenes clip, and Libera kids talking about Christmas). As for the concert itself, the music is phenomenal. Robert Prizeman's arrangements as usual are beautiful and perfect for the voices. The boys sing like angels as always. Stunning concert.

Beautiful music - beautiful voices - beautiful boys!
It's so nice to be able to pair angelic faces with those angelic voices! The DVD includes several "encores" in Special Features that the CD doesn't. Well done!

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