5 comments about You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's Vacation Parties.

1. Mary-Kate and Ashley are look'n very cool on the cover! I love the background the twins are on. I also like their idea of puting the" Hawaiien Beach Party" first because of the water on the cover. As I mentioned in my title I love the clothes M+K&A are wearing on the cover ( I think the clothes are from the fashin line). The onley reason I gave the video four stars is because I have one episote out of the three.



2. This dvd is is value for money! as an Australian I am unable to go to the stores to get the parties so these dvd's are heaven sent! I don't find these boring like the other reviewers and I am 20 years old so I guess it depends on what you like. I love watching this dvd and the other parties (school dance & favourite) you can just sit down, sing along with them and be a kid again...which is basically what Ashley & Mary-Kate wanted to acheive with these.



3. A sure 5-star-DVD! This DVD contains Hawaiian Beach Party, Ballet Party and Christmas Party. They're all so funny and cool! Christmas Party for Christmas! ;) And the two others when you feel for it. All the episodes includes really cool songs and in Christmas Party you even get to rock on with Jingle Bells Rap! :) Just buy this DVD if you LOVE Mary-Kate and Ashley! You won't be sorry!



4. great for that i chose a ballet party for spring break summer vacation will be hawaiian beach party christmas wiil be suprise! a christmas party! what about fall break? perhaps another ballet party or a beach party i dont know!



5. Today is the 2nd of August. And I don't still have this DVD. I ordered it on the 27th of June.

No comments about Nick Picks - Holiday.

3 comments about Christmas Miracle at Sage Creek.

1. Good movie for the whole family. I was one of the townspeople in the movie. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed being part of making it.



2. 
   I like the movie, it was good movie starring David Carradine, Wes Stiudi, Irene Beddard. It let you what can happens when people get together and changes one who thought all people are bad.



3. The movie was done real well and we will enjoy watching it over and over again. It was a surprise on how well it was done. Thank you

5 comments about Carols From King's / Choir of King's College, Cambridge · Stephen Cleobury.

1. This DVD has three separate parts - the Christmas program televised in the UK in 2000, made up of carols and Christmas readings; a conversation among the three living Directors of Music at King's - Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger, and the current incumbent, Stephen Cleobury; and what must have been the first of such carol programs recorded in the chapel in 1954.

   The choir is best known for its annual radio broadcast of "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" which began in 1929 and has been heard on public radio stations in the USA since 1979.

   Quite frequently, BBC Television have recorded a holiday program which is like Nine Lessons and Carols but is not "it." "It" is the live radio broadcast. Full stop. This recording is of the television program.

   The 1954 recording will be of interest to King's fanatics and choral directors who will enjoy the leisurely tempi of Boris Ord, the director of music in that day. And the conversation will be of interest mainly to the hardiest fans of King's and its choir and musical leadership.

   The glory of this DVD is the carol service with readings from the recorded-for-television program in 2000 which is given a sumptuous visual treatment with audio to match, and a wide ranging array of Christmas music from the very well known to the ought-to-be-very well known.

   I have never seen the chapel and choir shown as magnificently as it is here. This DVD is the very closest thing to being in the chapel as the afternoon light fades to blackness, and this choir of sixteen boys and fourteen men, carries your spirit into places you can only imagine.

   (I produced the original Christmas Eve radio broadcast in the USA over two decades ago, so I have been to the chapel and heard the choir often over the last twenty-five years. This is a "must have" recording, and if you don't have a DVD player, then this recording alone should be the strongest encouragement to do so.)

   Surround sound is included, and based on a couple of hearings, I guess I'm going to have to invest in that new technology to hear the remarkable acoustic of King's Chapel even more wonderfully than it already is in stereo.

   [Update as of 2/26/02: A "[...] colleague" encouraged me to upgrade to surround sound, and needing no more excuse than that, I have, and can report that the result produces in me the same emotional effect that being in the chapel for Evensong does. It just takes my breath away.]

   A remarkable accomplishment in terms of program, images, and sound. In a word, "awesome," but in the original sense of that word.




2. I found Carols From King's while browsing in NYC. It was a featured selection so that I could put on the headphones and check it out. Wow! I'm not that impulsive but it was an immediate buy. I'm also not a fan of chorus/choir music - at all. This is .... well if God himself wanted proof of why we are worthy of anything .. I'd put this DVD on.

   I normally wouldn't even write a review. Someone has done a fine job of that but I noticed two things - the gentleman didn't have surround sound and also was involved in the broadcast of this in some way in the past. So, I thought that some people might be hesitant to purchase based on those issues.

   Please, if you want to hear something glorious do yourself a favor and purchase this DVD! Somehow they not only captured the terrific voices, the grand organ but they also were able to intelligently capture the reverberations off of the stone walls. You will believe that you have a ticket to the actual performance.

   Caveats: The audio options are DTS 5.1 recording and 2.0 PCM Stereo. The 2.0 stereo is quite good but the DTS option is the only way to fly. So if you don't have DTS decoding you might want to pass - until you get it.

   (...) Naxos of America is distributing this in the U.S. (originally a BBC/Opus Arte production). (...) This is a pity as the time to market this title was two months ago. I've also seen this listed as Chorus from King's (1954). This does this DVD a disservice as it would appear to be just some old recording made into a DVD. (...)




3. I'm a wee bit out of season reviewing this DVD in September,but it was amongst a batch of classical items that my local retailer was offering at seriously reduced prices.Needless to say my wallet was out faster than you could say "Silent night",and I hastily hauled it back to my Highland hideout.
   Now,I've been a regular listener to the "Festival of nine lessons and carols" for many years now,and it's been my wont to spend Christmas Day wandering the snowy hills and glens near my home.Come 3pm I make quite sure to tune my portable radio (a very good Roberts "R972" if you are in the market for excellent broadcast sound on the move !) into the BBC to catch the solo (must surely rank as one of the most nerve-wracking program openings of all time !) treble's first ethereal annunciation of "Once in royal David's city".It always gives me Goosebumps and strangely this lone voice from one of England's greatest Christian chapels is quite simply the catalyst "sine qua non" that makes you (wherever in the world you may be ) feel that Christmas Day is truly upon you,and it's impossible to envisage a future festive season from which this absolute institution will be absent.

   Until now,I've just had to use my imagination to actually visualise the service as it takes place in the incomparably beautiful King's College Chapel,Cambridge.Therefore,what an absolute treat to sit back and watch this beautifully presented disc,and finally see the choir and clergy stand ready for the procession in front of the glorious painting,"Adoration of the Magi" by Rubens.It's almost worth while pressing "pause" right there and then and just admiring that gorgeous still image for about half an hour or so ! In fact,you might just wear out that pause button because there is a host of sumptuous images to come and despite the fairly restricted camera angles available due to the unusually long oblong shape of the chapel,we get some stunning shots of the windows and plenty of that near-miraculous "fan-vaulted" roof that apart from defying gravity almost defies belief that it was actually built (in 3 short years from 1512-15) by human hands.

   Forgive me if I leave the technical and scholarly analysis of the actual singing (glorious,in my humble opinion)to other reviewers with rather more of a musical education than I've experienced,and just tell you that I found the whole viewing of this year 2000 service a most moving and marvellous experience,despite the fact that I was watching it almost exactly three months out of season.Amongst several highlights for me was the lovely rendition of "In the bleak mid-winter".Naturally it's the Rossetti poem we all know and love,but perhaps the arrangement by Harold Darke (the choir's conductor during the war years) is not the usual one that you,or I are most familiar with.Nevertheless,it's quite gorgeous and I really thought the choir sung as a completely integrated body in this particular carol.Also particularly affecting was the touching rendition of the anonymous (set to music by B.Chilcott) "Shepherd's Carol".There is that lovely line in the second verse "Silence more lovely than music" ,which as a sentiment is completely disproved by the beautifully floated delivery from our talented choristers !

   There is a menu option that allows you to cut out all the readings and spoken parts and just listen to the music in sequence,but useful as this is,I think it's a shame to so drastically edit the service as broadcast,and besides the delivery of the various college and city representatives are attractively earnest and sincere.One big surprise was the appearance of the renowned singer Robert Tear (himself a former choral scholar at King's and now Honorary Fellow) who read (most effectively) a poem by William Drummond.

   The two superb bonus items on this DVD are the fascinating "time-capsule", first ever TV broadcast of the service from 1954 when Boris Ord was Director of music.The sound is understandably a bit "care-worn" but when the quality of performance is as good as this it doesn't really matter,and your ears soon adjust to the audio soundworld of nearly half a century ago.Amazing to see the iron control that Ord has over the choir and this seems to be a hypnotic rather than physical influence on his part.

   The second bonus is a most civilised and charmingly courteous conversation between the three most recent Directors of Music that takes place in the studious and scholarly atmosphere of a room overlooking the college quad.The legendary Sir David Willcocks and the only slightly less legendary Sir Philip Ledger and Stephen Cleobury (Director of the 2000 service) gently reminisce about their respective periods in charge of the choir.I found it fascinating to listen in on their shared anecdotes and it really gave me some good insights on the pleasures,pitfalls and profound pride that is involved in running such a national choral treasure.

   I can wholeheartedly recommend and endorse this Christmas "cracker" of a DVD to you,and quite honestly,if it has the effect of putting me in the festive mood on September the 25th;then just imagine what it will do for you on the day itself !




4. What can one say? -- this is the Choir of King's College Cambridge performing their renowned Christmas offering, Nine Lessons and Carols.
   
   But avid listeners to the Christmas Eve radio broadcast of Nine Lessons and Carols may be disappointed on a few counts. Much of the 2000 service on the DVD comes across more like a performance made for BBC television (which I think it is) than as a service. As such, it at times lacks the emotion of the live radio broadcast.
   
   Poems and such are often read, replacing some of the traditional scripture readings. I find that a travesty. And, unlike the radio broadcast, we aren't treated to a boy chorister reading the first scripture lesson. Not having a very British, very earnest boyish reading of the first scripture lesson takes away an important part of the Nine Lessons experience. You might as well have Kid Rock sing the first verse of Once in Royal David's City.
   
   The camera work is often mechanical focusing on the same choristers over and over again, while neglecting others.
   
   And it ends badly with the ending organ voluntary truncated.
   
   The music is still wonderful, of course, with excellent sound, rising above the aforementioned shortcomings. Those with good surround sound especially rave about the sound quality. My speakers and surround sound are both a bit dated, but I was still impressed myself.
   
   And, a nice touch, the chapel slowly darkens during the performance as it does on Christmas Eve.
   
   A special historic treat on the DVD is the first ever television recording of the Nine Lessons service from 1954. Of course, the sound and picture are not up to 21st Century standards. But this recording retains much of the gravity, emotion, and realness of the service that today's television productions can squeeze out. The historic nature of this recording alone makes this DVD worthwhile.
   
   The conversation between the last three directors of the King's College Choir is also of interest to any fan of the choir.
   
   Although the 2000 production should stick more closely to the wonderful traditional Christmas Eve service, this is still an excellent DVD. I played it for hours and hours as soon as I got it.
   
   Mark Marshall is the author of God Knows What It's Like to be a Teenager.



5. Since the 1960s the BBC has done a TV show recorded earlier in the month of the Choir of King's College singing Carols. It is a hour show and is based on the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. It is not the Service, but gives much the same readings and lessons. The TV show has freedom of lessons and number. Thus you will find a reading from a sermon, a poem, etc.
   
   My favorite item on the DVD is the 1950s first TV broadcast which is based more on the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. The sound is not equal to the newer items, but that issue aside, it is a great dvd.

5 comments about A Statlers Christmas Present.

1. Had an old recording of this, and liked it, and this is nice too.



2. Can't complain when the Statlers sing...humor, harmony, and the holidays. It doesn't get any better than that.



3. I gave this as a present, and the recipient seemed pleased. If you're a Statler Brothers fan, you'll probably like it!



4. Was very happy with the speed of delivery. Love the Staters and the cd were in perfect condition



5. This is a great addition to my Christmas collection. I love the Statlers & never missed their show on TNN when they had it. This brought back many memories of those shows. Thank you.

No comments about The Man Who Saved Christmas.

5 comments about The Christmas Wife.

1. The Christmas Wife has been one of my all time favorite movies for over 10 years now and I never get tired of watching it.
   As a matter of fact I watch it at least 3 times every Christmas season and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes good sentimental movies.



2. This has remained the movie to laugh about. It's such a horrible movie with no plot. In the end, nothing happens. There is no action, no drama, and no comedy. What's left? Nothing. Watching grass grow would be more action filled than this sleeper.



3. Sweet,sentimental movie that intrigued my youngest three children and disappointed them at the end. They wanted the traditional happy ending. The mystery kept my husband and I curious and wondering,too. It is a well made film for people not jaded by video games and fast action flicks. It made me think quite a bit afterwards, about marriage, family, and loyalty.



4. Thanks for making the gift search so easy! I'll be back for other great buys!



5. This is an excellent Christmas classic starring Jason Robards and Julie Harris, and brilliantly directed by David Hugh Jones. The story is about a widower named John Tanner (Jason Robards) who uses an escort service to find a Christmas companion with the stipulation that the woman must be about his age, and they sleep in different bedrooms, at a service fee of $500. The service provider (Don Francks), since his assistant is gone for the holidays, and he doesn't have access to the file, promises to provide him with a list of names to choose from. When John Tanner is called by the agency to meet the service provider at a hotel guest area, Tanner is reluctant but agrees, and then he learns that the woman named Iris (Julie Harris) wanted to see him incognito from a distance before she wants to go with him. Eventually the two meet and set a date and time to be picked up at a local bus stop and then drive to the secluded family cabin next to a lake.
   
   Iris is beautiful, about the same age as John Tanner, nervous, quiet, and mysterious. She appears to be a reluctant participant in his company and refuses to answer any questions, which deepens the mystery. The Christmas eve is somewhat uneasy for both of them but the Christmas day gets better than expected. When John is getting to enjoy the company, she announces that the date is finished and would like to go home and she doesn't want to visit him again. It is at the end the viewers come to know that she is in fact married to the service provider and the idea behind this farce was to earn the badly needed service fee of $500 to pay their family bills. Both Julie Harris and Jason Robards offer brilliant performances as the two "older couples" trying to spend Christmas together. This movie is reminiscent, to a certain extent, of another great classic "On Golden Pond." This is an excellent movie for viewing on Christmas day with your family and it is very highly recommended.
   
   1. On Golden Pond (Special Edition)

No comments about Barbie in the Christmas Carol (Spanish).

5 comments about Halloween : Extended Edition.

1. Halloween Goes Blu
   
   John Carpenter's "Halloween" was, is and will remain the best horror movie placed on film and now Michael Myers can murder in high definition blu-ray. This 1978 low budget movie couldn't afford hi tech effects, so Carpenter brilliantly manipulated the greatest fear of all fears, "the element of surprise." I first saw this movie in the theater when released along with 4 other friends. 3 of those friends walked out they were so frightened, as did other movie goers. The remaining diehards like myself who stayed, frequently jumped 2 inches out of seats as ear piercing screams filled the movie theater with a deep sense of dread, panic and terror. I have owned the movie on VHS, Laser Disc, DVD and now Blu-Ray, it is the only movie ever I felt so strongly about to own every format. Through the years I have talked with others who enjoy this movie and we discuss the small little errors that even John Carpenter himself has talked about. However, there is one huge error in this film that to this very day I can not find one other person who caught this major mistake. If I ever someday have the privilege to meet or talk with John Carpenter I would be most curious to ask if he himself knows of the mistake. Until such time I will go to the grave keeping this huge flaw a secret. Blu-Ray lovers, the HD format in "Halloween" does exactly what it should do, making it worth the upgrade from standard DVD. The HD visuals are awesome giving this 30 year old fearful tale a makeover fit for the walking dead. For the first time ever in all formats the enhanced HD sound track gets the surround sound almost right. The only recommendation while watching "Halloween" in blu-ray is during the beginning credits while Carpenter's spooky theme song is playing, adjust your home theater audio channels. You will find the blu-ray enhancements on the center speaker will require extreme find tuning to match the other speakers. Failure to adjust the center channel will easily throw off your complete sound separation experience. Other than that, take a seat all you good couch potatoes, relax, take your shoes off, don't fear the reaper, and enjoy "Halloween" renewed. Halloween gets a rating of, "7 Potato More". Michael Couch Potato.



2. This is one of the most great movies from 70's, it's one of my favorites. It's a classic movie.



3. Halloween. What a perfect title for a Horror movie. It's hard to believe back in 1977 that there had never been any movie, let alone a Horror film, that incorporated that title. And what good usage it got. Written, directed, and even musically scored by John Carpenter (with great assistance by then girlfriend Debra Hill), this was truly a film that brought Horror to it's roots, leaving an impact that only George Romero's Night Of The Living Dead did ten years earlier. Showcasing a deranged killer by the name of Michael Myers who in childhood murdered his sister in cold blood on Halloween night, only to escape his asylum to return to his Illinois home to hunt down babysitter (and eventually known little sister) Jamie Lee Curtis 15 years later, was truly an amazing film that never exploited the genre, keeping the imagination and terror flowing within the viewers mind rather than blatantly on the screen. For it's time it was the number one profitable independent film ever made, and after almost thirty years, it still terrifies and never grows old. A true classic film. Every single DVD collector should own it....
   
   But which one?
   
   Not in the sense of sequels, but rather in which version of the original should you add to your collection. You see, this film has had the DVD distribution rights by Anchor Bay Entertainment (now known as Starz), and they have re-released this classic now a total of six times. So I would like to compare the two most popular versions to see which one should be for you, the "Restored" or the "25th Anniversary"
   
   Starting with the "Restored" version, this DVD was authored way back in 1999. However, it was personally restored by Halloween original cinematographer Dean Cundey, trying to preserve as much of the look of it's original theatrical run. This version has been released a whopping three times. But for the film's "25th (2003) Anniversary", Anchor Bay remastered the film yet again for another release "Halloween 25", this time taking the remastering process in their own hands, something of which Cundey was not happy with. You see, comparing the two's video, you'll notice that each are different. One point is brightness and sharpness. In the Cundey version, overall picture is dark and not as sharp while for 25 the white levels have been raised and it's overall color saturation has been lowered. To me, while the original with it's dark blue hue running throughout looks good, at times it's hard to see certain shots in the dark. The 25th version has fixed that, even going as far as making the film look more natural. As for sharpness, the 25th beats it by far. Audio wise, each film seems on the same level, so a tie there, but it's the video that should be considered when purchasing: the Cundey-more true to the original film/the 25-a sharper, more realistic picture.
   
   Next would be the use of the disc space. Restored is one of those discs that wanted to cater to the early 2000's audiences of giving them both a widescreen and a fullframe on the same disc. Because of this, the bitrate is pretty small for both presentations. However, the 25th is a 2 disc set that only offers on Disc One the Widescreen presentation, and it's Divimax as well. But to be honest, it's bitrate isn't up to say Superbit quality. It's better, but with a total of four audio tracks to choose from, the entire dual layer disc is only used by 75%, and that other 25 could have went to more video bitrate, but alas it's not. But to me, the bitrate still is higher on the 25, not to mention it's compression is four years younger than Restored, so 25 wins again.
   
   Finally is Extras, Restored has a 30 minute documentary called Halloween Unmasked 2000, narrated by Twisted Sister's Dee Snider. Why is he on here than just being a popular fan, beats me. But on 25's second disc is a whopping 87 minute documentary called A Cut Above The Rest which expands on the original and gives much greater detail on the film. 25 also includes another ten minute featurette called On Location, going back to view all the houses and such that were used in the film that Restored does not include either. And if that wasn't enough, 25 has the original Laserdisc commentary by John Carpenter with additional vocals with Jamie Lee Curtis and Debra Hill. This might be the best extra 25 has over Restored, because it's got to be one of the most personal commentaries I've ever heard. Carpenter doesn't hold anything back, a must listen. And sure, both have the same trailers, TV Spots, and such, but again to me 25th Anniversary wins this one too.
   
   But the main reason why I'm writing all this is because back in 2007, Anchor Bay decided to stop releasing the 25th Anniversary and instead re-issue the Restored version. Why, I'm not sure. Dean Cundey was never happy with 25, and maybe his name on the back of Restored's box was a selling-point, I don't know. Maybe the 25's cover was confusing buyers because it looks a little like sequel H20's version? But I do know for your money, the 25th Anniversary is still the best way to go. What's sad is to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the classic film, Anchor Bay is yet again double-dipping it's audience by releasing a six disc collection featuring Parts 1, 4, 5, the NBC-TV edit, the 25 Years Of Terror special and a Blu-Ray version of the original. But again, both the DVD and Blu-Ray (BD version rumored to be a video-hybrid of both) are from the 1999 Cundey master (but the Blu does have the Cut Above special and commentary too). It would have been nice if the DVD was the 25 so fans could have both versions, but no, 25th Anniversary seems lost now.
   
   In conclusion, if you want the best overall 1978 Halloween package, go with the 2003 25th Anniversary Edition. More extras, a more realistic picture, and a commentary to die for. Ratings-wise then from me is:
   
   Restored: (8.5/10)
   25th Anniversary: (9.5/10)
   
   Thanks for reading,
   RedSabbath



4. Although I have the movie, I anticipate seeing it every year around Halloween. Love it. Michael Myers is so sneaky and quiet. Never know his next move. Silence is deadly...



5. As a rabid horror fan, I've never been certain why so many other horror fans go "ga-ga" over this 90 minute film of predictability. It lacks any suspense. Albeit, Zombie's "reimagining" was MUCH worse. This film is so bland and dull. Carpenter's orchestration is the best "thing" to come out of this film. The characters are dull and lifeless, there is obviously NO talent involved within this film.
   
   I must say that the story written for "Friday The 13th One" is far superior to this jive. I simply do not like this film. The character is never given any light of purpose. Horror fans are a savvy bunch, we deserve better DEBRA HILL!

5 comments about Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

1. I eagerly anticipated sharing this 'new' classic Christmas movie with my family and young ones. And after playing the DVD, I was definately not disappointed with the story: It's definately a classic.
   
   However, I was greatly suprised at the quality (or total lack thereof) during the film itself. Not only was it dark and grainy, but parts of it changed color for a few split seconds at a time. (Kind of looked like a homemade vcr to dvd conversion).
   
   The movie is a great family friendly holiday movie....but I would definatley pass on this DVD edition unless it is an absolute favorite. It would be much better to wait on a better future edition.



2. 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.



3. it is touching and funny. Has a great moral and shares the true meaning of Christmas without being preachy



4. This has got to be one of the BEST Christmas Movies around. Saw it years ago on Lifetime TV, taped it, and lost it. I was so glad to have found it here to get one for myself and my sister.



5. I remember loving this movie when it was on TV in the early 80's. I have looked for it for several years, and just recently found it here last month. It's just as cute as I remember it. I'm glad I finally found it on DVD. It's a tiny bit cheesy, but it's still cute.
   
   I disagree with the comments regarding quality. No, it hasn't been remixed for 5.1 surround sound or video quality improvements, but it looks just as good as it did in 1983 when it was broadcast on TV. In reading the reviews before I ordered, I was concerned that it would look like a bootleg or something, but it does not. It's just fine for what it is.