5 comments about Walk the Line (Two-Disc Special Edition).

1. Here we have the rather luscious and dangerous Joaquin Phoenix channeling Johnny Cash in WALK THE LINE. At the literal heart of the movie is Cash's longstanding and long-unrequited love for June Carter (the ever ebullient Reese Witherspoon finally being allowed to put her Nashville accent to good use) and the trials and travails he must suffer before finally settling down with the love of his life. From the foot-stomping power of the very first scene, music is the thread that binds these two restless hearts and what makes the movie even more remarkable is that Phoenix and Witherspoon did all of their own singing!
   
   (Originally published on the website of author Teresa Medeiros at www.teresamedeiros.com)



2. Being A Johnny Cash fan, I loved this movie...
   Joaquin Phoenix really resembles "The Man In Black"
   
   Reese Witherspoom resembles June Carter
   the only question that I have is :Couldn't they( the people at
   the movie studio ) have taught them how to sing?
   
   I'm tired of movies in which the stars only lip synch to the sound track( Sweet Dreams is the best example of this fraudulant practice)
   Since ,this is a biopic ,I'd Expect Joaquin Pheonix to at least to play the guitar,instead of faking it!!



3. James Mangold, the director who brought us such flawed but interesting
   films as Copland and Girl, Interrupted, has done it again. He has
   crafted another flawed but interesting film, Walk The Line, named after
   one of Cash's biggest musical hits; this one on the life of Johnny
   Cash. Actress Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for Best Actress for her
   portrayal of Cash's wife June Carter Cash, of the famed Carter Family
   singers, and while she's solid, competent, the award she won is merely
   another way for Hollywood to elevate the bankability of sexy young
   starlets- think Marissa Tomei, Mira Sorvino, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia
   Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Hilary Swank, Renee Zellwegger, Charlize
   Theron, and now Witherspoon. Financially, for the long term of the
   industry, this makes sense, so that, even decades from now, films they
   appear in can bear the Oscar imprint.
   
   Joaquin Phoenix, who portrays Cash, however, is completely out of his
   league as the infamous Man In Black....Cinematographer Phedon
   Papamichael adds little to the film. His framing and vistas do little
   to enhance texture of the scenes, nor do they add an unconscious poetic
   element. Despite globetrotting, Cash's life is portrayed as static and
   dull, and the love story is nothing great. What Mangold does not grasp
   is that the real reason cash is worthy of a film is because of his
   singing and songwriting. When will biopics about artists actually focus
   on the art, and not the soap operatic stuff? But, if they are going to
   focus on the peripherals, one would think they'd play up the
   fascinating stuff, the legendary stuff, not the usual crap all people
   go through, for that merely shows that the subject is like the viewer,
   when the fascination stems from what the subject has that is NOT like
   the average person. In other words, as the saying goes, always print
   the legend over the truth. Walk The Line never trots down that alley.



4. I was always a mild fan of Cash's music, so I wasn't entirely devoted to seeing this movie. I did not see it until obtaining the DVD, and at that moment I fell in love with it.
   
   Honestly, I don't know all that much about the man's life so I am not here to be the historical critic. Even so, I believe that this is more or less factual minus the obligatory artistic license. All I know is that it made for a great, great movie.
   
   Joaquin Phoenix... I don't know how he is in comparison to the Man in Black, but I love him and I thought he did well. He has that stoney gaze and voice, at least. Reese Witherspoon certainly earned her Oscar.
   
   With me, I like a good story, and that is what this movie had. Plenty of heart, intrigue, character, and emotion. Yes, I wept.
   
   I don't think this is just for Cash fans. This is for anyone who loves music and a great story.



5. this may be a good movie but I paid for my order and never received it. I am disappointed about this. I know it is not the sellers fault; they did ship it; but I never received it . I may try to order it again.

5 comments about Mr. St. Nick.

1. I remember seeing this a few years ago and was delighted to find it on DVD. I'm a fan of Kelsey Grammer and he makes a great Santa! It's a great story of a "playboy" who is heir to the throne of Santa, but doesn't want the job. Then throw in a pair of wacky crooks and a little romance and you have a great Holiday film! Will he want his rightful position as Santa? Watch and find out!
   
   I would like to note that this DVD does not play on all DVD players. I own a Toshiba DVD player and it won't play correctly, however, on my fathers JVC it plays just fine. Go figure. I own other movies from Hallmark and I've never had this problem.



2. This is a good entry for the christmas movie genre. Yes it's predictable in it's intent and content. If you like old fashion movies ( 30's 40's ) you'll like this movie. There seems to be a trend in the christmas movie genre to have a younger image attached to the santa claus persona and this is no exception to that trend. We are talking in the last maybe 10 years or so of course. The leads are good and play their characters out very convincing. Of Kelsey Grammer is Kelsey Grammer but he's utilized in a good way. Ana Ortiz is well cast as the good girl next door trying to make it in America with typical yet dopy ( immigration agent nardo ) obsticles in her way. Once again this is a christmas movie with cliche's abounding thru out. If you are looking for lite fare with no car chases and good family fun this is your movie.



3. This is a family-friendly Christmas movie that boasts all the great qualities of films of a bygone era. One could easily imagine this film in glorious black-and-white featuring Academy Award Winners of the 30's and 40's.
   
   The story of a playboy discovering that he has now become Santa is filled with humor. Of course, there is an evil woman bent on taking the hero away from the true love, and some low-life "grinches" who are determined to ruin Christmas by discrediting our Santa. The only surprise here is that Kelsey Grammer makes a really cute and believable Santa. He makes that beard and suit look GOOD!



4. If you like Kelsey Grammer, you will like this DVD. Interest and new twist for a Christmas movie. Fun and entertaining. Not well publicized after its TV debut.



5. A very cute movie Christmas movie that isn't all about kids. It's nice to have a departure to something a bit more grown-up.

2 comments about Happy Doodle Holidays.

1. I got this DVD for my daughter for Christmas. She really enjoys it along with all the other Doodlebop DVD's.



2. Very happy with this video and I'm very impressed with how quick we got the video. Thankyou Amazon.

5 comments about An Irish Holiday.

1. This DVD has something for everyone.

   For those who are proclaimed affecionados of Irish culture, this gem is a treat. It provides a conglameration of some of the most influential literary figures (i.e. Frank McCourt of "Angela's Ashes") and musicians (Phil Coulter and Máire Brennan from Clannad). The participants alone make it worth having in your library.

   For those who just want something for the holiday season, one would not go wrong with this presentation. The presentation volleys between some of the most traditional and regional (Irish) holiday songs and relaying scenes from a dinner where the guests relay some of their favorite Christmas memories.

   Try this edition with a glass of port or an Irish coffee as the snow falls outside. I would wager you have something that will fast-become a Christmas holiday viewing tradition.




2. I really enjoyed watching this DVD, you feel like you are sitting around the table with the guests, listening to their stories, laughing and singing along with them. It has a real cosy feel and even though I am in Australia and there is no snow falling, it still has that wonderful Christmas feel.
   I bought a copy for myself and a copy for my daughter to give to our Irish dancing teacher as a Christmas gift, she loved it as it is something she can keep forever and share with her own family, plus it made a nice change from more chocolates!
   
   From the DVD case-Filmed at Slane Castle and over a beautiful Christmas dinner, listen to Frank McCourt read from Angela's Ashes and Jean Butler recalling her introduction to Irish dance. Watch ANOM as they perform a holiday dance routine. Enjoy The Celtic Tenors, Moya Brennan (Clannad) Maura O'Connell and Brian Kennedy singing seasonal Irish songs.
   Let yourself be swept away by the spirit and charming allure of this Irish Christmas gathering.



3. I thought this would have been about an Irish Christmas music and some of it was, but it was some sort of TV special with guests that i did not recongize and some discussion of the holidays. The music was great the discussion was boring.



4. 
   A stunning array of Irish folk singers gather together to perform some traditional Irish music. Amongst the performers are Maire Brennan, Maura O'Connellm, Brian Kennedy, and Phil Coulter.



5. This DVD was a replacement for the VHS tape I had, so I knew exactly what I was getting. The production is wonderful and anyone that is "head-over'heels" with Ireland like my family members are, must have it. It has become one of the Christmas rituals in our family ( along with Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas). All the performances are of high quality. I even enjoy watching it "off-season".

4 comments about America's Funniest Home Videos - Home For The Holidays.

1. These DVDs weren't too different from the usual episodes of AFV you'd watch regularly. In fact, there was no subtitles/captions option (some of the audio - kids' esplly - needs captions).
   
   The best-of-best contest had more commentary/discussion/etc than funny videos.



2. The newer episode with Tom Bergeron is better than the other two older ones with Bob Sagat - who I think is a freakin idiot, by the way. As soon as you get a few good laughs from a handful of videos, Bob's embarrasingly awful humor gets you all ticked off again. I recommend hitting the mute button when Bob is on the screen - you'll enjoy the videos a lot more.
   By the way, Tom Bergeron rules. He has made AFV the best it has ever been.



3. These are okay, some are very funny but most are cut too short, not funny or ones that you've already seen. The kids will like it, though.



4. Everything went just fine, it did not take to long for it to arrive and it plays fine.

1 comments about Family Fireside Christmas.

1. This is a wonderful DVD with the option of playing Christmas Carols, a yule log that you can set on your tv with sound effects of a burning fireplace or music with the yule log. I enjoyed this dvd very much, since I do not have a fireplace, it is a great video substitute. The DVD also tells the story of Jesus birth and Scenes from the Holy land. A nice inspiration to get into the "Christmas Spirit!"

5 comments about Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas in July.

1. A fan of the Christmas classics as well, I feel that this sequel works quite well with the other films. Is it long? Perhaps. Is it scary? Not really. It does get dramatic just as much as it is cheerful. We get to see the Origin of Rudolph's Nose as well as Frosty's Hat.
   
   In the spirit of Christmas, this film is well worth it. In July? Absolutely, especially when the winter temperatures seem to be gone forever and you begin to reminisce about winter and such.
   
   Overall, this film grows on you, just because if you saw it as a child, you have a personal bond with it.



2. I guess the highlight of this feature film is that we finally get to see Frosty the Snowman in Rankin/Bass's trademark stop-motion puppet-animation process, Animagic! Now, don't get me wrong, the original TV specials "Frosty the Snowman" and the sequel "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" were great but I think we all wish that they were done in puppet-animation like Rudolph, Jack Frost and Santa Claus. Unfortunately, that may be one of the only highlights of this film.
   
   At a running time of over 95 minutes, there is very little to keep the story rolling. There is also an over abundance of non-sensical plot twists and flashbacks that even I found confusing, let alone the children this movie was targeted for. And unless your child is a fan of showtunes (and c'mon what child isn't?), then the songs which appear every few minutes will most likely bore them.
   
   The plot concerns the evil King Winterbolt who was put into a long deep sleep by the magical Lady Boreal. Upon awakening, he finds there is a new king of the North Pole named Santa Claus, and decides to make him get lost in a blizzard courtesy of his snow-breathing dragons so that he may once again rule the North Pole with his evil ways. The only problem is Rudolph's nose, which he decides must be extinguished for his plans to be carried out. In one of the many flashback sequences we learn that Rudolph's shiny red nose which came from the magic of Lady Boreal, will go out if it is ever used for bad purposes, even once.
   
   King Winterbolt decides to offer Frosty and his family magic emulets that will allow them to visit the great 4th of July Circus by the Sea without melting, but only until the "Final Fireworks Fade on the Fourth". Santa Claus agrees to pick them all up when the fireworks end and whisk them back to the North Pole before the Frosty and his wife and two children are turned into puddles of water.
   
   But, Winterbolt's snow breathing dragons whisk up a storm to keep Santa and Mrs. Claus from reaching the circus in time. Meanwhile, Winterbolt gets some help from a mean-spirited reindeer named Scratcher, and the two decide to use their sneaky ways to blackmail Rudolph into using his nose for bad.
   
   If this seems confusing, imagine actually watching this film or better yet, imagine a child watching this film! Like many of R/B's later efforts, this one is rooted more in the magic and mystical style of "Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" than the fairytale-ish style of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".
   
   There are some crazy songs which I found very amusing, like "Don't Let The Parade Pass You By" which is sung by Ethel Merman in her crazy style. There are also some special guest stars including Jack Frost from "Jack Frost" and Big Ben the whale from "Rudolph's Shiny New Year". In fact, there are a lot of nice touches and this film with the three biggest stars of Christmas could have been really good, if only the writing were better, some of the songs were scrapped and the running time was shortened.
   
   If you are a fan of Rankin/Bass's work, you will not want to miss this one although you most likely will have trouble getting your kids to sit through the whole thing with you.
   
   **Warning!!** The DVD release of this film has the sound very badly out-of-sync which annoys one throughout the movie! Because of this I lowered my rating for this film from 3 to 2 stars. I'm surprised that Warner Bros would allow a DVD to be released like this, and what's worse is that the former VHS release did not have this problem!! Shame on you, Warner Brothers!



3. Thank you so much. Amazon was the first time I have ordered anything on line. My 3 year old Granddaughter was thrilled with her new (hard to find) DVD.I will be back to your site. You made ordering so easy and delivery was great..A satisfied customer..
   
   Barb



4. 
   
   I always loved these cartoons growing up, i always looked forward to christmas because of all the cartoons, but unfortunatly they dont play them on the tv anymore. i have 3 little kids any they watched them every single day.i think these cartoons are the best, and im an adult and i still look forward to watching them.



5. Many used to recall ABC originally aired most of the Rankin/Bass Ani-Magic stop-motion specials while CBS aired Rudolph and the animated Frosty (of course, the Frosty spin-off, Frosty's Winter Wonderland was aired on ABC).
   
   So witnessing the original special on ABC was definitely a treat and the fact both were actually put into Ani-Magic rather than just animation. The clever thing I loved about Rankin/Bass was how they could take something and give it a unique spin.
   
   'Christmas in July,' was originally a name of a film, and later used by retailers as sort of a connotation of Summer Sales. But here, Rankin/Bass put a whole new unique origin behind Rudolph's red nose. Apparently before St. Nick wound up at the North Pole (with great allusions to the other Rankin/Bass specials, by the way), there was a wicked wizard known as Winterbolt.
   
   After centuries of observing his ruthless, and apathetic ways, the Lady Borealis decided on taking action and sealing the wizard into a deep sleep with her magic. Regrettably, as Time marched on, Lady Borealis realized she could no longer contain the vile wizard. So with the remaining bit of her magic, she placed a spell upon a young reindeer, and as a result, he inherited a glowing red nose.
   
   Ironically, Winterbolt discovers things have changed at the North Pole, and decides to spoil Santa's reputation with the children of the world. Inspired by his infamous genie of the staff (which obviously the Genie was getting his schemes from the Brain), Winterbolt uses his Ice Dragons to whip up a horrible winter storm on Christmas Eve. But as the story goes, Rudolph saved the day (note, no mention of Yukon, Hermie or the Snow Beast is mentioned here, which makes one wonder if the Snow Beast was once in the employ of Winterbolt, but let's not start analyzing here).
   
   Naturally, Winterbolt isn't thrilled with this outcome, until he discovers if Rudolph dares use his nose for a selfish and wicked purpose, the reindeer's nose will be extinguished. After a brief futile attempt in doing so with the direct approach, Winterbolt retreats to his castle and learns about Milton, the Ice Cream man.
   
   Every July, Milton comes and picks up a batch of ice cream for the Sea Side Circus at the Beach from the storehouse Santa lets him use. Except this time, Milton has his own problems. Milton's in love with the circus' tightrope walker, and naturally proposed to her. But on the day of their wedding, an evil carney has come to foreclose on the circus. (Here Ethyl Merman plays not only as the tightrope walker's mother, but owner and ringmaster of the circus.) And unless the circus can raise the money in time, there will be no more circus.
   
   Mind you, this show was done in the Eighties, so you have to suspend some disbelief, since Winterbolt jumps at the chance for a scheme. Here, Milton suggests if Rudolph and Frosty come back with him, people from miles around would pay to see them. Though Frosty's kids and Crystal would love to go to the circus, Frosty reminds them if they went to the beach in July, they'd instantly melt.
   
   Enter Winterbolt, who kindly pretends to help the Snow Family with special amulets to protect them from the heat. The catch, the amulets' powers cease when the final firework on the Fourth fades away. Naturally, it doesn't take Columbo to see what ol' Winterbolt has in store.
   
   Anyway, rather than spoil the rest of the plot for you. This was one of Rankin/Bass' better holiday excursions because it was the first one to use several past Rudolph and Santa Claus specials to tie-in some of the backstories as well as provide a means for moving the plot along.
   
   Now the interesting thing I note about 'Christmas In July,' was the writers currently were using specials which were aired more frequently on the networks. Because you'll notice a lot of cameos from characters from the current past specials, but at the same time, you wonder what happened to certain characters from the original specials of both Rudolph and Frosty. But the good thing here is, the story is rather well-conceived, you don't really care too much about continuity here.
   
   And the real funny thing most people don't remember, before ABC Family started airing this special in July. I can recall when local cable channels started doing 'Christmas in July,' gimmicks for Summers sweeps, and the first thing they'd air was this special. However unlike this DVD version, the syndicated version had been edited for time constraints, so sometimes the altered one made no sense in several spots.
   
   Overall, 'Christmas in July,' was one of those great specials you'd see in a blue moon, and was one of the rare ones which wasn't marred by commericalism you now see in most Holiday specials, or contain preachy morals as well. It was just fun to watch. Whether you're watching this during the Holidays, or on the Fourth, 'Christmas in July,' is definitely a purchase worth getting.

5 comments about Walt Disney Christmas.

1. I LOVE this video. I am a Classic Disney junkie and I love this compilation of some of the old Christmas cartoons. I like the old cartoons as I feel they are more family appropriate. This video has some of the best cartoons on it (my favorite being Pluto and the Christmas tree with Chip and Dale living in it). It's a must own!



2. We received this video when my sons were 3 and 6 years old. This Christmas Eve (2001) they asked to see the video and so we pulled it out and dusted it off. You see, my boys are now 17 and 20 years old. I was so amazed at how much they still love this video. They knew every word to every song and sang them all.They remembered which character did which silly thing in every story/song. They spoke of what they had thought when they were little as they watched the video. It was a special time for us to share this with them again.



3. I bought this video when my children were very young. We watch it every holiday season, without fail. The really old cartoons show how far animation has come since then, but they are also the most charming and easiest to enjoy! The laugh of Santa Claus is pretty much the only "vocals", but, well, what else do you really need at Christmas time. The first video is a singing-only sound track, but it is really cute. The frozen rabbit thawing when his girlfriend kisses him reminds us all of the power of true love. Enjoy with your family, year after year...



4. I have enjoyed this movie ever since we got it about ten years ago. These cartoons have been a favorite for my family for a long, long time. My mom really enjoys the old Santa Claus on the cartoons. We watch this every Christmas as a part of our Christmas movie tradition. It is pure Disney holiday magic in one small videocassette.



5. I really don't understand the brass at Disney...they have several gems in their vault (namely this Christmas special and the Halloween Treat special) and they are only offering them on VHS? I urge them to dust off the cobwebs on these amazing cartoons and transfer them to DVD so the true fans can enjoy them properly. I want my kids someday to be able to appreciate these classic Disney cartoons as much as I did growing up. I believe they could make a ton of money on this, therefore I wonder why the hesitation?

5 comments about Teletubbies - Christmas in the Snow.

1. My ONLY complaint about this video is that it is so long. Two videos is a little bit much in my opinion.

   The positives are that this video is typical of all Teletubbie videos. There are short segments that provide good stopping points with little shows between the Teletubbies shows. They are fun and gentle and encourage hugs and respect. They are fun.

   My young daughter, who is 2 still likes Teletubbies. My son, who is 4, has recently outgrown the Teletubbies. So that might provide potential buyers of an age range (0-3/4) when buying this video.

   Enjoy.




2. We are big fans of the Teletubbies in our house, so to find a holiday DVD for our daughter was really a treat. In this installment of Tubby bliss, the Teletubbies are introduced to snow for the first time. Their adventures, from 'sliding' down hills to making a 'Snow Tubby', are a hit with my daughter, and the snipets of 'Christmases from Around the World' are interesting for us all to see. And there's a bonus segment of 'Teletubbies Everywhere', which always draws smiles. We found this to be a nice diversion from the 'usual' Tubby stuff...:).



3. We bought Teletubbies Christmas in the Snow a few weeks ago for our 15 month old (13.5 months adjusted-preemie)...Figured it would be the typical teletubbies fare-which it was- but once again it explored many cultures and their handling of Christmas...My husband and I both loved watching the various Christmas activities of other nationalities...Really cool stuff! We may incorporate some into our next holiday celebration aside from our existing italian and german traditions...Oh and my little guy just loved it!



4. My children adore the teletubbies and watching them play in the snow is great fun (especially since we live in the South and don't see much snow). We are fans of all the teletubbies videos!



5. I absolutely love this DVD because it has so many entertaining clips that differ from the rest of the series because of the unique snowy environment. My daughter loves to watch the Tubbies go sliding down a snowy hill and build a snow Tubby. The clips of real children around the world celebrating Christmas are also a lot of fun, and the music from those clips is carried through the rest of the video.

1 comments about Elf [UMD for PSP].

1. My son loves this movie and especially since he can watch it on his psp