5 comments about Sex and the City - The Complete Series (Collector's Giftset).

1. Bought this as a Christmas present for my fiancee. Upon finally completing the set, she noted that about 30% of the discs do not play everything on the discs, with some discs refusing to play at all. At first, I thought it was because the DVD player she has is older, but after trying the discs in three others, none of them play correctly. The discs themselves don't look to be scratched, but they don't play nonetheless. HBO should replace all defective discs, instead of taking the "we haven't noted any problems" stance, refusing to exchange discs.



2. Sex and the City - The Complete Series (Collector's Giftset)
   
   Every episode in a velvety book, what more can you ask for.



3. So glad I finally purchased this. Comes in a beautiful pink velvet case with all of the discs as well as a brief summary of each episode. Great show to pop in whenever; love it!!



4. OK, call me shallow, but I loved this show, which I think should have been called: Shoes and the city.
   
   The perfect female fantasy: 4 good friends, eating, shopping, looking for love, complaining about men... and then the best part... after 6 seasons, they morphed into Dangerous Housewives--yep the same formula with a great dash of mystery.
   
   Whoops, back to Shoes and the city. I've watched every episode. I love these women!



5. got this idem for almost half the price on AMAZON!!
   
   Great show, great price!!

5 comments about Ben-Hur.

1. I've always loved this movie and this collector's edition is outstanding, I'd never seen the original Ben-Hur before and although it was old it was very well done. You can't go wrong with this product.



2. Wow!!! I have loved this movie ever since I saw it when it first came out in 1959. My mother always took us to first run epic movies during spring break. Ben-Hur has always been one of my all time favorite movies. How nice to see it in a great DVD transfer. Picture and sound are great. It was nice to see that the 1925 version is included.



3. This cineamtic project should be a part of all video libraries. Much has been written about the movie. Seeing is believing.



4. The DVD was of quality with extras about the making of both the black and white and color versions. Of course the movie is the movie, there could be no improvement on that, but it did arrive in an expidient manner.



5. Younger people who have not seen Ben Hur have a treat in store for them. See the battle of galleys and thrill to the most exciting chariot race ever filmed. Reportedly the makers found an aircraft vapor trail had been filmed during the chariot race but they did not rerun the race because it could never be equalled. Ben Hur is one of the classic films of all time.

5 comments about Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition).

1. This movie is what changed my life and also what open my eyes in having knowledge of WWII, it also got me playing PC games like Medal of honor and Combat Flight Simulator and IL2 flight sims and Battlefield:1942 games. I live in south Georgia, so were surrounded by alot of wooded areas and when I go out side when the sun is setting I hear the birds chirp and in some cases in the movie there are simular scenes. Over all great movie, all the actors are some of my favorite actors of all time. This movie is a must have. I don't have this special edition yet, but I do have the widescreen dts/Dolbysurround sound edition.



2. I was very disappointed in this movie, overall. It contained parts that were very graphic, but other than that it really wasn't very good. After the shore invasion, the story really took a turn, and not for the better. I found the whole story boring.



3. This is an amazing movie. And the first seen of the Storming of Normandy was uterly shocking. Definitely a movie to own.



4. As a result of the largely inane dialogue that arises out of pop culture's rabid desire to impute a sense of hierarchy to aesthetic works, there has been a stupid tendency to exalt works that convey the abstruse, the obscure, the macabre, the anti-climactic, the anti-cliche if you will. But those who say that Spielberg is overrated or lacks the cerebral auteurism of a Kubrick, the uncanny ability to manipulate suspense and fear such as Hitchcock, the lugubrious quiddities of a Kurosawa, or the romantic wit of Woody Allen, are absolutely stupid, to say the least. Spielberg is arguably the greatest director ever, and indisputably the most influential (one need not look further than the preponderance of escapist films made after the 70's). It is no mere hyperbole to say that Saving Private Ryan is the bar none the greatest war movie ever made, and probably ranks among the top 10 or 20 greatest films ever made.
   
   The movie commences with a trip down memory lane, as we see an old man and his family clearly in distress. Intuitively we must assume the man seeks isolation--affirmed by his retrospection after he sees the grave of a soldier; the connection is not yet drawn though between this old man the grave at his feet. From the opening scene, wherein the audience bares witness to the pure and undistilled brutality of military carnage, Spielberg's technical virtuosity--unmatched in the history of film making--is no more apparent than when he uses the hand-held oscillations of the camera to convey a sense of presence to the scene. That is to say, the audience feels as if it is indeed part of the calamity it is privy to. The jarring immediacy of death--a motif revisited throughout the movie--appears at the blink of an eye as soldiers drop dead without even leaving their boats, and even more glaringly as we see soldiers drown, caught in the straps of their uniform and gear. Spielberg, chided as a sentimentalist, an unfair claim espoused by many who frankly don't know what the hell their talking about (such absolute labels are silly), conjures a sense of realism one doesn't see even in Full Metal Jacket (another great war movie, that pales in comparison to this). When bullets kill a soldier asking for advice in front of Tom Hanks, his death is not dramatized but a reminder that stagnancy in war is fatal. As for my last observation of the first scene--the piez de resistance--Spielberg curiously mutes all sound in the middle of the scene and the audience is temporarily transformed into first person viewer; cringing as men grab their intestines to keep them from falling out, recoiling as blood leaks from every orifice as soldiers run by, stunned when Spielberg, in a brief fusion of comedy and tragedy that Aristotle would be proud of, shows us a soldier with one arm turning in circles looking for his other arm. This, among many technical manipulations, represents a reprisal of conscience because in that brief 1st-person transference we are reminded of the omniscience of death and men, who must kill or be killed, die or effect death, lose pieces of their souls in war in a way that can only be shown in silence.
   
   This movie is not for the light-hearted, but violence, as many of the more acute reviewers have stated, is not gratuitous. Yes some of his movies are flawed, or are simply bad, and yes at times he values style over substance, some of which even lack the former, and yes he has made tons of money; but above all Spielberg is a genius and this movie should be added to the cannon of unequivocally great movies made in World & American cinema. I leave with a simple message: the greatness of a movie, a director, or indeed any art, lies in its ability to change a person--to laugh, to cry, to fear is not enough. If one leaves a movie with an altered perception of things, perhaps a heightened understanding, then that work of art is indeed great.



5. The slow beginning may bore most people, other than that the story revolves around why a Military Organisation is never ever 100% efficient. Gore wasn't extreme, probably 2/5 for gory.
   Not much extreme action, but when there's action they were great. 4/5
   Story line is wonderful and believable. 5/5
   Authenticity, 4/5

5 comments about Beauty and the Beast (Disney Special Platinum Edition).

1. We had this movie on vhs our daughter can watch this movie 2-3 times a day. (I can not) So each night we watch b 4 bed. She loves the songs and always looks for the "beast" when we go for walks in the woods. Getting the DVD is so much easier and the colors are much better.



2. Master of the castle, enchanted to find love or die to the curse, negotiation for love, a beast and then a gentleman, a hero to ward off the wolves, two finding each other and coming together on their own, a villainous Geston, and Belle confessing her love to a dying prince. Time is short, man must find love whether he wants to or not, too survive. Without love man's escape is death; he is desperate to find a woman who brings love, caring, and warmeth to his castle. A warrior well proven in battle, a slayer of his enemies, a builder of fortress strong, a man who confides weakness in none other, a bringer of fear and terror; he must find love or die; he must champion and win the heart of his woman. Death and lack of love combine into the awful monster.
   
   Pride and Prejudice shares a central theme, a powerful Lord, devoid of love, must find love or perish in despair; "if not Belle then who will he find to love him"; a prisoner of love, harsh terms, and brutal commands of control; a disclosure of vulnerable secret revealing hidden secret; a champion against evil rescuing the dame in distress; a soften of heart, a dinner, and a delightful dance; escape from reality through tales of excalibers swords, a Camelot story. The prince thought to possess love but instead discover that he had to win love. Love could not be commanded or possessed, it had to be freely given. The prince fell helplessly in love with the independent mind of Belle.
   
   Phantom of the Opera, a transformation from peasant girl to princess; to love is to be human; all are confined to roles more robotic, slaves within their domain to an ungrateful master; song and dance of the cups, forks, and saucers.
   
   Cinderella, the beast dies but the prince lives again happily ever after. The love of a father siding with Belle, believing in her, an eccentric fellow of no following, a genius before his time, a lost fellow in the woods, a man to be rescued by his daughter. The Romeo and Juliet scenario did not materialize, but the story has a strong potential for tradegy.
   
   Lancelot and Quinivere, the forbidden love between a Queen and her servant; the noble house falling for the love of a peasant; both forbidden by code and culture.



3. Beauty and the Beast is a most own classic in my humble opinion. As someone who watched the oringal movie tons of times I must say I was disappointed with the DVD. First of all, when you place the DVD and hit "play" it automatically plays the "Special Edition" which is an extended version with a new musical number (and cheesy animation). It's not a huge deal because you can change the DVD setting to play the original feature film but I feel the original should have been the default option. Second thing that bothered me about the DVD is that some of the AUDIO WAS CUT OUT from the opening song! Maybe it's just my DVD but I noticed two gaps in audio (since I know all the words). The first gap is after the two old ladies say "that girl is strange, no question" and the second break in audio is after she goes to the bookstore. The lyric "Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar, I wonder if she's feeling well" is cut out.
   
   Aside from that, the movie is great for all ages. The cut out audio makes me wish I hadn't gotten rid of my VHS version.



4. This product was advertised as a two disk platinum addition DVD set, Brand New. What we got was a cheap copy of the main disk! I didn't pay 46 bucks for a copy! I do NOT recommend buying from this seller!



5. Beauty and the Beast is simply the most transcendent animated film I have ever seen. Before it came out, I felt the same way about The Little Mermaid. When BATB came out I couldn't believe that TLM could be topped, but it was, and then some. There's no need to repeat all the other reviewers' remarks - I can only say I got into this thanks to my children, and I will be enjoying it for the rest of my life (along with a number of other Disney classics like Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp and Jungle Book). The characterizations, voice and animated, of all the characters is beyond description. This is the last Disney animated feature I've seen where I appreciated the computer-assisted animation (the ballroom scene is unbelievable). I consider Disney's output to have reached its absolute climax with this film - it's been all downhill since. You can see the difference once it became all computer-generated.

5 comments about My Fair Lady.

1. My Fair LadyMy wife appreciated this DVD as a valued favourite addition to her library.



2. I've noticed in reading the reviews already posted that most people want to debate the casting of the film, and that's fine. Others want to debate whether or not George Bernard Shaw would be angry at the ending (which he actually did pen for the 1930s version of Pygmalion.)
   That's all fine.
   
   But here is my honest opinion of the film, and it's romantic plotline. First of all, it's beautiful. The scenery, the costumes, and the music. But the ambiguity of the Higgins/Eliza "sort of romance" has always been one of my favorite things about this film. Why? Because the one thing good ol' George Bernard Shaw got right about this script (be it his original theatrical ending or the film ending) is that it shows us the different types of love between men and women. Not all love is eros and passionate. It is more subtle.
   
   At the age of 10, I found this ending incredibly frustrating. Now as I approach my mid-twenties, I find it real and heartfelt. Perhaps, Higgins and Eliza remain platonic. Or, maybe Higgins and Eliza decide to marry? Maybe she does run off and marry Freddy. This sort of thing is best decided by the individual. But one thing is certain, they are most wonderfully in love, be it conventional or unconventional.
   
   And that's just loverly.



3. After reading all these reviews, there's nothing else left to say about the story or the acting. Definitely everyone on this planet adores 'My Fair Lady' - it's a classic! Now, about this DVD edition (the first one): The restoration job is great. The quality of picture and sound is excellent. If you care about the soundtrack, the US edition has the right pitch. Most European movie releases do not use the right pitch. Dialogs and music (or songs) are played at a higher speed so they don't sound natural and the European DVD edition of 'My Fair Lady' is no exception. However, the US DVD edition maintains the correct sound and the audio part is exactly like on the movie soundtrack CD.



4. "My Fair Lady" is one of the greatest musicals of all time. Lerner & Loewe's score never violated the wit, elegance, and sophistication of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion." The songs enhance the story; lifting it up into the heavens! The 1964 film version won eight Oscars; including "Best Picture." Cecil Beaton certainly deserved the Oscar for his sumptuous costume design. But "Fair Lady" is about more than clothes and glamour. It is a brillant satire of the British social class system. All the great scenes and songs are intact in the film version. Still, the viewer is likely to feel emotionally detached from the fascinating relationship between haughty Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) and Cockney Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn).
   The film version loses its true sense of purpose in all the splendour of the visual design. There is very little impetus. "My Fair Lady" has been preserved here as a museum piece. I keep waiting for a spark of excitement and pace that seldom materializes. Everything is terribly static. The film is obviously shot entirely in a studio. I wish Warner Brothes had put out even more money so director George Cukor could have shot at least some of the film on location in London-- as Robert Wise did in New York City (partially) for "West Side Story" (1961) and Austria/Germany for "The Sound Of Music" (1965). Cukor won the "Best Director" Oscar for "Fair Lady," but this is far from his best work. That would be his masterpiece "A Star Is Born" with Judy Garland in 1954; or almost any of his films with Katharine Hepburn (see 1938's "Holiday" or 1949's "Adam's Rib"). So it is easy to see that Cukor had, indeed, earned his long-overdue Oscar by 1964.
   Rex Harrison also earned an Oscar for recreating his Tony-Award Winning stage role. But he is merely "walking through" the role of Higgins here. Similarly, Stanley Holloway, recreating his stage role as Alfred P. Doolittle, looks tired. I'm comparing Harrison & Holloway with their own much more inspired performances on the "Fair Lady" Broadway and London Cast Albums.
   Jack Warner did not invite Julie Andrews to re-create her Broadway and London stage triumph as Eliza Doolittle, leaving Audrey Hepburn to deal with the inevitable critical slings and arrows. Audrey was not allowed to sing the songs herself. Why somebody at Warner Brothes didn't transpose the songs into a different vocal range for Audrey is beyond me! A look at Audrey's own performances of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" and "Show Me" (on Disc 2) clearly demonstrates that she sang with more expression and deeper understanding of Eliza Doolittle in her own thin, whispery voice than Marni Nixon's soprano. Every time the voice switches from Audrey's own unforgettable voice into Marni Nixon's "California Cockney", I am disturbed, dismayed and lost! The documentary on Disc 2 features an interview with Marni Nixon, who comes off as EXTREMELY DEFENSIVE, desperately seeking to "Justify" herself in this instance, I am not finding any fault with Audrey or blaming her at all. Indeed, the film comes alive whenever Audrey is on screen. The great irony is that ("Just You Wait, Jack Warner, Just You Wait!!") Julie Andrews achieved great cinematic success, in short order, with "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound Of Music." And Audrey and Julie, both very "fair ladies," became good friends just a few years later.
   Sad to admit, but I feel that, as cinema, the story is better served in the outstanding 1938 B&W film version of "Pygmalion," starring the superb Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard. If you want the glorious Lerner and Loewe songs, I highly recommend the 1959 London Cast Album in Stereo starring Harrison, Holloway, & Julie Andrews.



5. Sadly, I had never seen this movie before purchasing it here. And this comes from a girl who adores Audrey Hepburn! But the moment the score began I was hooked at this humerous, enchanting tale of an very unusual Cinderella and Fairy Godmother. The music is perfect, suited to every emotion felt by every character, making for a bright, fun, and touching musical experience. The setting is grand, even for the streets of London (though it is probably not a good thing to romanticize poverty) but in the guise of the theatre it works perfectly. The direction is different, slightly wild, and dare-I-say incredibly imaginative. The very motions of the actors are brilliantly thought-out. The acting is spot on, especially by the great Audrey who rids herself of charm to play the most obnoxious street urchin you will ever meet. Even as she rises through the process of becoming a proper lady she never quite loses that earthy charm. It's a touching story full of vivid, wild characters and plenty of heart. As for the second disk, the geek in me loved the features that added plenty of trivia to my first "My Fair Lady" experience.

5 comments about The Happiest Baby on the Block - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (DVD).

1. This DVD gave my husband and I the tools needed to calm our colicky baby and get him to sleep. It is a must have for new moms.



2. Here's the deal people... A friend who worked at a day care center referred this "system" to me.
   
   Basically this stuff is voodoo, it works so well, that you can't not have it. The DVD is pretty short, but it's worth every penny...
   
   My child is actually very calm and collected, but for those times when nothing seems to work, it calms him down instantaneously... So if you have a child that won't ever calm, this may save your life...



3. This is a very exciting video to watch, especially as you see Dr. Karp almost instantly calming a baby down. It is nice and short, which is great since parents have so much to do with a newborn. It reviews the six S's, and I'd have to say that swaddling all night long has instantly helped my baby sleep longer automatically. I used to keep his arms out because he initally fights being swaddled, but as Dr. Karp says, this is normal. His little hands would wake him up when he'd get startled during sleep, and the swadding has really helped. The loud shushing also immediatly calms down my baby (when he is not hungry or has a dirty diaper of course).The swinging is also great and my baby will take naps in his Graco Sweet Peace Swing during the day, plus with the swing's vibrating option, it adds to the jiggle part that Dr. Karp talks about. My baby does prefer the tummy to tummy hold, although I tried the tummy to back hold several times as Dr. Karp shows on the video. As for the Sucking way to soothe your baby, I would suggest just giving your baby a pacifier to suck on instead of your breast if you are breast feeding(assuming he's not hungry). Although it would be very soothing for him to suck on your breast, I'd suggest not getting him accustomed to sleeping on it if you don't want him to live on your breast! The only down side of the video would be that you really don't need to watch the video many times once you know how to do the S's, so you may consider renting it or borrowing it from a friend. This is the only reason I would give it 4 stars.



4. It was good for me to stop my baby from crying.. Not amazing, but gives some pretty good tips..



5. I didnt know that calming your baby could be easily solved by knowing a few tricks like those. i recommend this video to all future moms. good luck. maya

5 comments about Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc).

1. My set had EVERYTHING captioned, even the the extra stuff. I can't remember any set I've ever seen with such a thorough job of audio accessibility; I was so impressed that I tried to email George Lucas or his company through his website. While the extra stuff might not seem like much, I enjoy it, in some cases more than the movie itself! To me, the captions there are even more important because walking interviews, background shots, etc. can be even harder to understand.
   
   THANKS Mr. Lucas!!



2. This LOOKS FANTASTIC on my Sony Bravia 40" 1080p LCD HDTV. I use my PS3 to upconvert and I just couldn't be more pleased.



3. This product was never received. The DVD's were to be a Christmas gift and a week before Christmas I had to go to the mall and pay a steep price in order to have the gift for the holiday. While the payment was refunded, the non-delivery was a big disappointment. However my son has enjoyed the videos and he now watches then with his own son.



4. For many years, we have watched these movies, over and over on VHS. They are my husband's favorites, along with the new movies to finish the story line. It is wonderful to watch the 'whole' story in sequence. These movies are 'keepers' for us and to keep them around for a long time, we replaced them on DVD, to watch them over and over in the future.



5. DVDs I would have given a 5 star rating but I had to take one of the disks in to a game place and have it polished. I was overlooked by one of the inspectors. I could have sent it back, but went to the other route first. I still was impressed by the price and quality of the product, afterall they were used..Thanks

5 comments about The Adventures of Indiana Jones - The Complete DVD Movie Collection (Full Screen Edition).

1. Indiana Jones is an all time classic for all ages.
   Who hasn't dream of being and archaeologist and travel around the world looking for adventures!
   I am really looking forward the new movie! And probably will buy the new combo box with all the DVDs!



2. I had been hoping to add the "Raiders" title to my collection at some point , imagine my pleasure upon finding this brand new boxed trilogy . I'll start my search here the next time I'm seeking a wanted movie.



3. Well, my reviews of the last two Indy movies still stand, but I STILL don't like "Raiders of the Lost Ark", now retitled "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark". Whoopee. Besides James Bond, Indy has to be the most imitated movie hero since Tarzan, but I can assure you, "Raiders" is NOT the movie that spurred the land office business in fedoras, short leather jackets and that spate of Indy-type TV shows in the mid-eighties...it was probably "Temple of Doom" that set it off. "Raiders" is still, to me, empty, stupid, cliched and tailor made for a non-discriminating mass audience, like Spielberg's other movies of that era. I don't know....I always liked the movies he's PRODUCED, directed by others, than his own movies....they're like that old joke about Chinese food...you're always a hungry ten minutes later, like the flicks are missing something....big time! "E.T.", "Close Encounters", "Raiders" and "Jurassic Park" have always struck me that way, and "Bruce" in "Jaws" always looked SOOOOOO fake, (and the movie wasn't the LEAST bit scary, either!) I've always felt burned after seeing a Spielberg movie! This is why I say it's obvious that Lucas and possibly Kauffman have both had their extensive hands in the latter two movies, which were much more enjoyable than the first.
   
   It's not easy being a completist, lemme tell ya! ;-)



4. The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade) - Widescreen Edition
   This a big picture but this collection is better than buy film by film, here you can find a Bonus Material very good desing.
   Buy it and enjoy.



5. One great collection. It comes in a nice case. If you grew up in the 80's - this is a MUST HAVE movie collection. Now with the new Indiana coming...your children will love it too.

5 comments about Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996).

1. This movie is wonderful. They follow the book very well and do a remarkable job with such a great story.
   If you are a Jane Austen fan and like the story to stick to the book, you will love this movie!



2. I have received my copy of the 10th Anniversary Collector's set and I think the colors are just perfect. Not washed out at all. Maybe they have fixed it since the special edition.
   
   Colin Firth is the best Darcy and Jennifer Ehle is the best Elizabeth Bennet. Whenever I read P&P I always picture the cast of this wonderful mini series in mind. Superb acting and production! I can never praise them enough.
   
   I saw the P&P 2005 version first and liked it a lot but then I discovered about this A&E version and loved it so much!
   
   The 2005 adaptation has nothing to this 1995 A&E adaptation.



3. The bBC A&E production is the longest and most lavish of the Pride and Prejudice films I have viewed. It fleshes out Darcey's character, which is helpful. The production is accurate in its recreation of dances, songs, etc., as well as being precise in its details in showing the contrast between the Bennetts and Bingley's higher society companions. The actress Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth) brings a sweet and fun quality yet she appears much too old to believe that Lizzie is "not yet 1 and 20". Though Ehle was 24 at the time of filming, she is a very mature 24 and would have suited playing a much older character, someone in her thirties. Colin Firth displays the right combination of emotions and you delightfully follow the subtle yet apparent changes to his behavior and character.
   
   The biggest criticism of the production is the overall too mature ages of the main characters as well as a lack of distinction of accents between the classes of characters. Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Darcey would NEVER have spoken the same accented English!



4. colin firth is in his finest form in this classic tale of presumption, misunderstanding, and, finally, love. loved every minute of it.



5. I love this adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I never liked Colin Firth before I saw this 5 hour miniseries, but now I love him, too. He played Mr. Darcy to perfection. Jennifer Ehle is very good also, as Elizabeth. I love that the screenplay stays very close to the book, both in dialogue and sequence of events. Not the case in all Pride and Prejudice adaptations. It doesn't feel 5 hours long. I've watched it more than once in the same day. A little extreme, I suppose, but I do love it that much. Not to take away from the Keira Knightley feature film at all, which is also very beautifully done and well acted, but this is the quintessential adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

5 comments about 101 Dalmatians (Two-Disc Platinum Edition).

1. Great movie- fun for the family- fun for all. One of the best Disney movie of all time.



2. As a lover of Disney films I was happy with my purchase of 101 Dalmatians, I truly enjoy Disney's earlier animation techniques and have loved this purchase. The special features were very informational and entertaining as well.



3. How can you go wrong with this Disney classic. They don't get much better than this.



4. This is a classic movie that children of all ages will love. My children loved it and now I am buying it for my grandchildren.



5. The quality of this edition is far better than when I saw it in the theater, and it blows my vhs tape away. The extra content is great. My wife and I really learned a lot of interesting facts about this movie from the interviews. I cannot believe the difference in quality of the picture compared to before.