5 comments about Donnie Darko.

1. Imagine you were going to be killed but you could see another future for a few days. A future where you are relatively happy and life has some meaning. But in even that future bad things happen. I suppose this is just a slice of everyday life with an alien that looks like a big rabbit given evil shots. I enjoyed the movie but it is by no means entertaining. When a young man has no future even in a dimension where he survives a jet engine hitting his room, but his girlfriend is ran over and killed, I think you get the point. Although this has a cult following it does have limited watchability by the general public. Most everyone will be glad they saw it as the acting and directing are excellent. The movie's story on the other had is a little strange and may not suit all tastes. We see a few days in the life of a teenager struggling with typical problems but hanging over his head like Damocles sword is his life, the life of a girl he loves, and the life of another man that kills someone by accident. Good soundtrack. Good quality DVD with good replayability to fans. - C. Luster



2. Well, the first intriguing aspect of Donnie Darko is the fact that it combines quite a bit of variety into the movie. I like the fact that it's a science fiction movie mixed in with a little bit of (black) comedy and stars a teenager just like you or I, a bit of a teenage aspect to it, but not in any phony way like anything that Not Another Teen Movie makes funs of. Considering that fact, the acting is great, it's nice and long (long movies are pretty much necessary to make character development), and it pretty much knocks down some barriers on the teenage aspect, more realistic and not stupid like one would think of a teenage movie.
   
   Just buy the damn thing.



3. The Good Things
   *Very interesting filming style. Lots of vivid, memorable imagery. Good special effects that don't overwhelm the film.
   *Rather interesting story (although it's very weird and hard to figure out; at the very least, everything came into full circle though).
   *Interpreting the story is only half of the fun. There are also many thought-provoking elements regarding theology, the nature of humanity, the nature of youth, and the nature of space and time.
   *Characters are good; acting was great. I could almost relate to the title character, as he tried to stand up against so many self-righteous adults.
   *Frank is probably the freakiest bunny rabbit I've ever seen.
   *Good music.
   
   The Bad Things
   *Good luck trying to figure it out! Aside from being strange, it's also quite complex.
   
   Definately the strangest high-school film I know of, but also probably the most thought-provoking. It's definately more than a story about a schizophrenic kid; there are many different elements, both visual and in the content, that are crammed into the film. At the very least, it will leave you trying to figure out the plot. Then, perhaps you'll be thinking about the characters or the themes. It's definately food for thought.
   
   The DVD has good video and sound quality. The two-disc special edition includes a fifty-minute production diary, about forty minutes of fan cult featurettes, some storyboard comparisons, and the trailer.



4. Bizarre and Brilliant! I love the way this movie plays with reality and imagination. The viewer is thrown into the world of a bi-polar, highly intelligent young man, Donnie Darko, who is sleepwalking his way toward disaster. There is a strange way to prevent all the tragedy and the 'way' is exposed after Donnie's near death experience awakens him to the possibility of portals and time travel. Will he go back through the portal to save lives, even though it may bring an end to his own life? I love tales that 'bend the brain', and this one sure works on the ole noodle.
   
   Chrissy K. McVay - Author



5. Donnie Darko is what happens when Stephen Hawking gets high and writes a film. This dark, surreal movie is brilliant if a little confusing. The director's cut is MUCH easier to digest, as all the cut scenes actually EXPLAIN what the hell is going on. If you enjoy the ideas of Theoretical Physics, hallucinations, and/or insanity you should check out Donnie Darko.

1 comments about Invisible Monster.

1. Republic Pictures present "INVISIBLE MONSTER" (1950) (167 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- is a 12-Chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Richard Webb, Aline Towne, Stanley Price, Lane Bradford & John Crawford, relive those thrilling days week after week venue brought you to the theater, as you were mesmerized in your seat waiting for the final chapter ... exciting action within 12 episodes from the Republic Serials department, released in June 8, 1950, the plot line has Insurance Investigator Lane Carson (Richard Webb) vows to hunt down the "Phantom Ruler" (Stanley Price), a master criminal who has discovered the secret of invisibility and will stop at nothing in organizing an invisible army capable of dominating the world, one of the best of the later Republic cliffhangers ... the once fabulous Republic Studio serial machine turned out true masterpieces of action during the late 30s and early 40s ... remember this serial from the Saturday double features at our neighborhood theater ... 12 breathtaking chapters come across with all the gusto Republic Studios has to offer.
   
   Under Fred C. Brannon (Director), Franklin Adreon (Associate Producer), Ronald Davidson (Screenwriter), Stanley Wilson (Original Score), Ellis W. Carter (Cinematographer), Cliff Bell Sr.(Editor), Sam Starr (Editor) ------ the cast includes Richard Webb (Lane Carson), Aline Towne (Carol Richards), Lane Bradford (Burton), Stanley Price (The Phantom Ruler), John Crawford (Harris), George Meeker (Harry Long), Keith Richards (Doctor), Dale Van Sickel (Otto Wagner, alias 'Frank Martin'), Tom Steele (Bill 'Mack' Haines, thug), Marshall Reed (Roadblock Cop), Eddie Parker (Stoner, barn thug), Bud Wolfe (Harding, a thug),
   Carey Loftin (Dirk, dynamite thug), David Sharpe (Garage Watchman/Armored Car Guard), Duke Taylor (Second Roadblock Cop), Guy Teague (Decoy & Dumptruck Thug), Ken Terrell (Kern, office thug) ... great stunt work by the Republic stunt personnel Tom Steele (stunt double: Richard Webb ), Dale Van Sickel (stunt double: George Meeker & Roy Gordon) --- don't leave the theater until the final chapter ... another winner from the vaults of Republic Serials --- this is a must watch for the serial buffs in all of us.
   
   BIOS:
   1. Richard Webb
   Date of birth: 9 September 1915 - Bloomington, Illinois
   Date of death: 10 June 1993 - Van Nuys, California
   
   Special footnote, Richard Webb was a film, television and radio actor, he appeared in
   over 50 films including many westerns and films noir including "Out of the Past" (1947),
   "Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (1948), "I Was a Communist for the FBI" (1951) and
   "Carson City" (1952). Today, he may be best remembered as the star of the 1950s
   TV series "Captain Midnight", based on the long-running radio program of the same name.
   In the 1970s Webb became a writer, publishing four books on psychic phenomena.
   
   2. Fred C. Brannon (Director) ("The Black Widow" (1947)/Serial)
   Date of birth: 26 April 1901 - Louisiana, USA
   Date of death: 6 April 1953 - Los Angeles, California
   
   Second special footnote, "King of the Rocket Men" has a truly amazing mid-air chase in one of its early
   chapters, ending with a startlingly realistic piece of stunt work as the rocket man flies in pursuit of
   a plane, Brannon also directed episodes of the "Commando Cody" (1953) television series.
   
   If you're into vintage serials as I am, why not pick up a copy of the following titles from VCI Home Video:
   VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:
   1. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)
   2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
   3. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
   4. Captain Midnight (Dave O'Brien)
   5. Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere (Judd Holdren & I. Stanford Jolley)
   6. Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)
   7. Don Winslow of the Navy (Don Terry)
   8. Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (Don Terry)
   9. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)
   10.Fighting Kit Carson (Johnny Mack Brown)
   11.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
   12.The Green Archer (Victory Jory)
   13.Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
   14.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
   15.The Lost City (Kane Richmond, William Stage Boyd & George Gabby Hayes)
   16.Lost City of the Jungle (Russell Hayden & Keye Luke)
   17.Mandrake the Magician (Warren Hull & Dick Curtis)
   18.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)
   19.The Painted Stallion (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
   20.The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
   21.The Return of Chandu (Bela Lugosi)
   22.Riders of Death Valley (Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo & Buck Jones)
   23.Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)
   24.Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)
   25.Sky Raiders (Donald Woods & Billy Halop)
   26.Undersea Kingdom (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
   27.Winners of the West (Dick Foran, Harry Woods, Roy Barcroft & Charles Stevens)
   28.Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
   29.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)
   
   Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author: Trail Talk) and Bob Nareau (author: The Real Bob Steele) as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!
   
   Total Time: 167 mins on VHS ~ Republic Video ~ (5/30/1995)

5 comments about The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

1. The Lost World Jurassic Park is probably better then the first Jurassic just because the plot is all ready set in motion and some of the same characters from the first return in the sequel. The Lost World also has a great range of dinosaurs from the cute but deadly compsagnathus to the swift Velociraptor to the largest carnivourus dinosaur in the jungle, the Tyrannosarus. The movie is action packed and moves at a very fast pace. The accuracy of the height, weight and looks of the dinosaurs is so breathtaking! I would highly recommend to anyone who loves dinosaurs or is a fan of movie monsters! 5 out of 5 stars!



2. But I wasn't expecting it to be as good.
   It's basically JP1 poorly remade.
   Some of the actors come back, some don't.
   Jeff came back, with his annoying kid.
   All in all, I didn't care for it.
   JP1 had no story but it didn't need one because the dinos were something we had never seen on the big screen so realistically.
   JP2 also has no story, well........there's a new island. Whoopee!!!
   The novelty of seeing realistic dinos has worn off.
   So has the charm of this franchise.
   Believe it or not I actually liked part 3 better than two.
   Probably because Sam Neil came back.
   The other big issue I had with JP2 was the blatant environmental head beating moviegoers took from the filmmakers.
   And the eating of the guy at the end, the businessman who wanted to open a new park.
   GIMME A BREAK!!!
   Stop PREACHING, I go to movies to be entertained not lectured about the evils that men do.
   There are plenty of movies that tackle the whole "horrors of the world".
   I don't want it from an action/sci fi movie.
   I don't recommend this JP installment.
   Bad writing, bad directing, the series is "almost" out of ideas.
   PASS!!!



3. The first JP movie was very flamboyant, colourful and fresh. This movie feel a bit gloomy, realistic and simple. I really liked this film for it's realism, it does not have the great story the book gave us, but it's still up there with the first film. I did expect a bit more variety of dinosaurs in this film though, the only real new players are the Stegosaurusses, Compys and one brief shot of Pteranadons. I did want the movie to be even a bit more darker and would have liked more scenes at the compound and less Trex scenes. If you look at the bonus material in this dvd you get to see some great concept art that never made it to the movie. The trailer scene is one of the greatest scenes of the JP series though. The music was a bit of a let down, the drums are beautiful in some places, but overall it misses the strength of the first soundtrack. Also I'd really like to see the 2 deleted scenes added back into the movie, especially the Pete Postletwaite scene which builds a lot of character.



4. Not sure why so many people seem to dislike this film. Laugh if you like, but I think it's the best of the entire series. After watching the first one, I found myself aching to see what Spielberg could have done with the dinosaurs in a big city environment and boy, did he ever deliver in this one! I stood up and pumped my fist in the theatre when the T-Rex first appeared on the outskirts of the big city and let out a deafening roar -- serving notice to the populace that total mayhem was about to ensue. Spielberg takes us on a fun-loving, even nostalgic trip back through the Monster/Sci-Fi films of the '50s and '60s by "freshening up" the whole genre. It's a terrific fantasy that any American boy would love to watch -- nothing but good, old-fashioned fun. And isn't that what movies are supposed to be anyway? In a word, this film is "awesome"!
   
   Chris H.
   Florida



5. Actors:
   
   Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, Pete Postlethwaite, Vanessa Lee Chester, Arliss Howard, Richard Attenbourgh, Peter Stormare, Harvey Jason, Richard Schiff, Thomas F. Duffy, Ariana Richards, and Joseph Mazzello.
   
   Plot:
   
   Four years after the original disaster at Isla Nublar. John Hammond (Attenbourgh) has lost InGen to his nephew, Peter Ludlow (Howard). Ludlow and others (Postlethwaite, Stormare, Jason and Duffy) plan to capture dinosaurs from Isla Sorna, where Hammond bred his dinosaurs before moving them to Isla Nublar. Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) is persuaded by Hammond to go to the island, after finding that his girlfriend (Moore) is stranded on the island. He and others (Vaughn, Schiff, and Chester) travel to Isla Sorna. They find Malcolm's girlfriend and are soon stranded on the island, along with Ludlow and his team. They soon escape, but one captures a Tyrannosaurus and transports it to San Diego. The T-Rex is unleashed on San Diego, but is soon captured.

3 comments about I Married a Monster.

1. I enjoyed this movie. It had a nice creepy feel to it, and an interesting sort of retro style. It managed to convey a sort of scary undercurrent lurking in suburbia. Everything looking perfect, but feeling terribly wrong. It was set in the 90's but used a lot of 50's conventions (probably a nod to the original "I Married a Monster from Outer Space"). The cast was a good one, and it had a nice build up as the wife finds out her husband is not what he seems. I'm waiting for this one to come down in price.



2. Those who enjoy 1950s sci-fi classic movies will enjoy this -- there are many nods to the original "I Married a Monster from Outer Space," and other movies from that era. The cast is very good, especially Burgi as the monster-in-human-clothing, and the effects are nicely done. If you're looking for another "Alien," skip this movie. But if you enjoyed "Them," or "The Day the Earth Stood Still," it's right up your alley.



3. When they need the new version of "It Came from Outer Space, "It Came From Outer Space II (1995) ASIN: 6304140703, better graphics were added. However they lost the original feel of, "It Came From Outer Space (1953) ASIN: 6303046436.
   
   Yes, the graphics were updated on this movie. But you are in luck. This movie maintains the feel and the pathos of the original movie. It may even be better. The actors do not overwhelm the characters. And in several places you even feel like saying "stay in the car." I hope the price comes down on this movie. But if it does not, it is still worth purchasing. I would trust these people with a remake of " Them!"
   
   In the meantime another new sci-fi movie worth watching is Out There (1995) ASIN: 6303965954. It is expensive but well worth it.
   
   It Came From Outer Space ~ Richard Carlson

3 comments about A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings (Señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes) ENGLISH SUBTITLES.

1. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, excuse me if Ive mispelled the name, offers such a wonderful world of fantasy and yet such insite. I've watched this film again and again. Amazing. Not since I viewed "Seet Movie" was I so moved.



2. The dubbing of this film makes it difficult to follow. The actors' lips do not move in tandem with what appears to be dubbing in to Spanish. (The original may have been in Portuguese, filmed in Brazil.)

   There are, however, several interesting cinematic expressions of the magic component of García Márquez's new literary genre, magical realism. Making a movie out of a García Márquez novel or short story certainly gives the privilege of being able to depict, on film, extraordinary and magical events. The director of this film certainly had "literary license" to think up the surrealistic events you will see. Think of it as the cinematographic equivalent of expressionism or surrealism in painting (artistic movements often begin in painting and only much later find expression in literature). Expressionism portrays reality in broad strokes, making it more beautiful in an impossible way.

   This movie tries to be faithful to García Márquez's effort to portray (an often difficult) reality in a way that produces fascination and wonder. The film only partially succeeds; sometimes I found there was both wonder and puzzlement as to what was going on.

   The young actress portraying a protagonist has a beauty (candidly depicted in the film) that carries the film in some parts. Her youthfulness is well portrayed, as are her potential and her sexuality.

   Viewers enjoying this film should definitely see the intriguing and wide-open film "Eréndira", based on García Márquez's gem of a novella "La increíble y triste historia de la cándida Eréndira y su abuela desalmada" ("The incredible and sad tale of innocent Erendira and her heartless grandmother").




3. I was looking for a video of this short story by Marquez because my high school class was reading it in school. I borrowed the tape from a local library before I bought it to see if we wanted a copy in our library.
   I thought the movie was very true (overall to the author), and I enjoyed how closely the director kept to the story, but then the second half changed dramatically from the first half, so much that I became very thankful that I previewed the tape before I showed it to my class.

   There was quite a bit of profanity in the second half, AND there were several sexual scenes that could not be shown in the classroom. These scenes were not in the short story, so I guess they were added to give some spice to the video, but I thought it was very unnecesary, and of course, now my students can't enjoy it in class as we had hoped to do after we read the story. Obviously, Hollywood isn't the only production area that adds 'T & A' because they think it will help sell the video.

2 comments about X-Men: Deadly Reunions.

1. Wolverine is mad.... again. He's stormed off to the artic for a little R&R. But what he finds is none other than his most hated enemy.... Sabertooth. When Sabertooth threatens an entire village, is Wolverine good enough to save the day? END



2. Great episode with the classic battle between Wolverine and Sabertooth. Plus it also deals with Wolvies love for Jean which I hadnt expected the Series to go into

5 comments about The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.

1. I was buying this DVD for Nostalgic reasons, I had never seen the film, but they always show pieces of it in other monster movies it seems.
   
   I wasn't expecting an award winning feature, just the typical monster movie fare. This was a good movie, the monster was the most realistic looking of it's genre, acting was on par with other movies of this time period, and much better than that of monster movies which were made more recently.
   
   What I really wanted to know, prior to purchase was that this DVD would be in a condition similar to the rest of my collection, that it would play well, and be something I could comfortably loan to friends and family.
   
   This DVD more than met all of my expectations, and left no doubt in my mind that I could trust the person I bought it from to provide quality products in the future, and that those products would be as advertized.



2. Love this movie for many reason. Childhood memory, excellent effects for its time. But the main reason is, this is the film that inspire Toho. Thank you Warner for this dvd release.



3. A product of 1950s science-fiction mania, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS went on to not merely become a big hit in its day, but to become one of the most iconic of all sci-fi films of any cinematic era. One of the first of many giant-monster movies, BEAST also heralded the coming of the atom-age monster, paving the way for everything from GODZILLA to GORGO and even THEM!. Ray Harryhausen is especially remembered for the special effects that brought the eponymous beast to life, and they hold up very well today. The "Rhedosaurus" is no paltry CGI illusion, but a truly terrifying full-scale monster. The difference may surprise younger movie-goers who think every fantasy creature should look like the low-budget CGI creations often seen on the Sci-Fi Channel. The Beast is an entirely different breed of animal, and Harryhausen's creation possesses an awesome physical presence on-screen. But while the monster itself gets all the good press, the rest of the movie is high quality as well. The script is perhaps a bit slow, but it does try to develop the fantastic plot with some attention to realism, while the main characters are fairly well developed and sympathetic for this type of film. The fiery climax at Coney Island is a great payoff for an excellent all-round fantasy picture. The DVD was a Christmas gift last year, and one I know I'll watch over and over again. If you like 50s-style science fiction, BEAST is one of the special ones.



4. Eugene Lourie made the same film three times and this one is the best of the three, though the other two: THE GIANT BEHEMOTH(1959) and GORGO(1961) are pretty good as well.
   When an atomic bomb goes off near the Artic Circle it unleashes a sleeping giant Rhedosaurus that soon begins moving south toward it's place of birth near NYC., destroying fishing boats, lighthouses or whatever is in it's path.
   Paul Christian plays a welcomed french-speaking scientific hero-type giving the role a more unusual slant. Kenneth Tobey (THE THING...FROM ANOTHER WORLD, IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA)) plays his military role from memory as does friendly professor Cecil Kellaway who gets swallowed up in a diving bell. Other familiar faces abound including King Donovan (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS), Frank Fergeson (Mayberry's Foley the butcher), Jack Pennick (John Ford regular) and James Best (KILLER SHREWS) in one of his earliest screen appearences. Pretty Paula Raymond (HAND OF DEATH) is better than most as the female love interest.
   However..., even though the army can't kill the beast, it take future Spaghetti Western superstar Lee Van Cleef just one shot to do him in! Sergio Leone must have been watching this one.
   A TRUE CLASSIC of 1950's sci-fi, right up there with THE THING..., THEM and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Not to be missed.



5. I first saw The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms in 1953 as a small child and thoroughly enjoyed this film. When I first saw it I would have rated it at five stars but would only rate it today at three. This DVD was an excellent transfer and was beautiful.
   
   I thought the DVD was excellent and a very good value. The film itself was literally hand made by the famous Ray Harryhausen for well under $200,000, and then sold to a studio for $400,000. It went on to earn millions of dollars and to become a film classic. His technique was improved and perfected over the years resulting in some of our favorite fantasy movies.
   
   I remember seeing advertising for the Beast pasted all over the Bronx in the summer of 1953, and asking my mom to take me to this film which she did not wish to see. She asked my poor old grandfather to bring me to the theater and since he was always agreeable, he consented.
   
   I then saw this movie with my grandfather at a local neighborhood theater one Sunday afternoon in the old Bronx. The kids in the LUXOR Theater loved the film and were roaring with assorted comments. I guess my grandfather, who was "baby sitting" for me, did not enjoy it nearly as much. He snored his way through the entire film and only woke up to ask "How much longer is the movie and are you enjoying it?"
   
   His snoring blended in with the low rumble of the Beast very nicely and the kids seated around us laughed between their bouts of yelling. This childhood memory demonstrated to me that my grandfather could indeed sleep under any and all conditions, something he boasted he could do going back to his boyhood in the old country when working on the farm. Grandfather was definitely not a science fiction fan but a good scout.

5 comments about The Scorpion King.

1. I like sword fighting movie. This movie has lots of humour and action. Kelly Hu looks beautiful. Even though the plot is not original but the film greatly entertains me.
   
   I own it.



2. It has violence, more than action. The storyline is poor and unoriginal. The acting is generally speaking nominal. Two-Stars does it.



3. "The Scorpion King" was the first spin-off from Stephen Sommers' sequel "The Mummy Returns" acting as a prequel. This allowed Sommers to tell us a bit more about the fascinating character of the Scorpion King. Although this origin story tidied up different story strands left unanswered in the first film (and revised how the main character got his name slightly in a way which didn't contradict but complimented the original story but also gave us a character slightly different than what we ended up seeing in "The Mummy Returns"), it manages to stand on its own quite well even without any of the original characters (how could they be in a prequel? Well, perhaps Im-Ho-Tep could have figured in somehow but this does take place BEFORE his time)included in from the first two films. Although it wasn't quite up to the quality of "The Mummy" or "The Mummy Returns" in terms of originality, it's a solid b-movie spin-off of the series and very entertaining in its own right.
   
   By the way, there is a direct-to-video sequel without The Rock. I haven't seen it but was initially a bit confused believing this to have been a direct-to-video release (it wasn't although I recall that now when I first wrote the review I had forgotten about its brief but profitable theatrical run)which acts as a prequel to THIS film according to all descriptions. It comes out on August 19th. Whether or not this was a direct-to-video or theatrical release isn't important what IS important is the quality of the movie. I've seen some direct-to-video sequels that have been good and bad so that doesn't impact the quality of the film itself (unless it's a Sci-Fi Channel original movie--those are mostly bad, cheap looking and is an example of everything that is WRONG with Sci-Fi Channel in contrast to "Doctor Who"(which the BBC produces), "Eureka" and "Battlestar: Galatica"
   
   For those who have seen the movie (and if you're reading this I'm going to assume you have. If not and you want a synposis of the plot that's provided at the end of this review), you probably want to know how this looks on Blu-ray. As with "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns", "The Scorpion King" receives a nice transfer marred only by the over use of Edge Enhancement and Digital Noise Reduction to reduce film grain.
   
   All of the extras from the DVD edition (both the original edition and the reissue) are ported over to this fine release and this does include the U-Control feature(something carried over from Universal's HD-DVD releases) that will allow you to customize the extras including watching picture-in-picture commentary and behind-the-scenes footage.
   
   Written and produced (but not directed)by Stephen Sommers, "The Scorpion King" is an entertaining sword and sand epic that is filled with humor and just enough camp to make the film work. Director Chuck Russell does a great job of setting up the action sequences particularly one that takes place in a cave during a sandstorm as Memnon's men hunt for Mathayus. Russell does a terrific job of setting up the action and creating a suspenseful sequence in what could easily have been a muddled scene.
   
   Russwell does a good job of introducing Sommers' humor and story elements that are unique to this film. The Rock does a solid job in the lead role although its not exactly a stretch for him as an actor (does it matter really? This is an action film with the emphasis on the word ACTION), he makes a believable lead for the film.
   
   
   A prequel rather than a sequel, this spin-off tells us about Mathayus (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)who is among the last of a dying breed of mercenary fighters hired to kill a sorceress Cassandra(Kelly Wu) who can see the future. Memnon (Steven Brand)uses Cassandra to predict the outcome of his battles as he takes over kingdoms. The result is that those who would oppose often give in without a fight.
   
   When Memnon kills Mathayus brother and leaves him for dead, Mathayus makes it his mission to exact both revenge and complete his task.
   
   "The Scorpion King" manages to become an enjoyable and fun prequel to Sommers' hit films. It's not "Citizen Kane" (or "The Godfather") but doesn't pretend to be either. "The Scorpion King" may not be as inventive,original or suspsenseful as either of "The Mummy" films but it is strong enough so that it could easily have been released to theaters and done well. Although it does display Sommers' writing moving towards the camp tendancies that hamstrung "Van Helsing", Russell's smooth direction rescues the film from becoming an overbearing campe fest.



4. Please stop saying this is a straight to video movie. It was in the theatres, I saw it in a theater myself.



5. AS I LIVE IN EUROPE, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WATCH THIS BLU RAY DVD.
   THE FORMAT WAS NORMALLY "ALL REGIONS" BUT I GUESS THAT ONLY THE PEOPLE WITH A REGION 1 APPARATUS COULD WATCH IT. SO I SPENT MY MONEY FOR NOTHING. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. I WANTED TO SEND IT BACK TO AMAZON BUT FINALLY I CHANGED MY MIND BECAUSE I WOULD I HAVE LOST MONEY.
   SO I'LL NEVER PURCHASE THIS KIND OF DVD AGAIN.

No comments about Dr. Temple Grandin Video - Sensory Challenges and Answers for Persons with Autism.

5 comments about Outer Limits: Inheritors 1 & 2.

1. This really is a bitter-sweet love story. The story begins with war scenes and the near Death of a soldier. During the life saving surgery,there are several rather unusual events that forshadow future events. The whole story seems to revolve around the 50/60's paranoia of the unknown or communist invasion/subversion,then the story then becomes a mystery as more people are searched out for sinister and or unexplained abilitiesduring theinvestigatigation it is noticed that severly ill or hurt or damaged children are dissapearing. The ending is a beautiful and actually unexpected.



2. Arguably OL's best single story.

   Four soldiers from Vietnam suffer what should be mortal head wounds in the same theater of war, recover with astronomical I.Q.'s and curious new interests, and have something no human being can have: a second brain wave pattern. More interesting still, all four soldiers' second brain wave pattern is identical. The soldiers disappear, manage to meet each other through no mechanism our suspicious government can fathom, and act in concert toward the aim of building an interstellar spacecraft - and their leader is collecting a number of crippled children for a one-way trip to...somewhere.

   This is a truly brilliant episode, the only one in the second season where producer Ben Brady's prosaic police procedural formula actually worked to excellent effect. Robert Duvall is the senior agent investigating the case, who alternately comes off as monomaniacal or correct in his diagnosis of the situation as a bit of extraterrestrial invasion and kidnapping. The four infected soldiers are wonderful, Steve Ihnat as the leader striking exactly the right note as a gentle and righteous man, yet one compelled against his will to perform acts even he isn't sure the outcome of. And the kids are adorable (keep your eyes peeled for the young Morgan Brittany), making the potential menace of the situation all the more palpable.

   The only problem with this story is its sometimes artificially inflated melodrama. This is more than counteracted, however, by the intelligent and sensitive script, the mature performances of the entire cast, and an incredibly satisfying and emotionally moving finale.

   Unquestionably one of OL's superior episodes, not to be missed.




3. The writers outdid themselves on this one. Excellent story. Saved the best for the only double length episode. Shows what a higher intelligence is capable of which we sometimes lack. If your a true outer limits fan BUY this one. Well worth the extra dollars. Don't wait before it goes OOP. Sincerely, Joe Sudek



4. How often the "awe and mystery" of the outer limits was overstated! But not here: Not only does the episode have that rarest of all science fiction qualities before 1970 -- characters with heart, inner conflict and depth -- but it puts into our heads such fundamental questions as "what is the mind"? "What is intent"? "Can unilateral action ever be ethical?" This may be the only episode of TOL that ever made me cry...



5. The most groundbreaking episode of a groundbreaking series The Inheritors is a treatment of multiple fascinating subjects. They vary from the question of what is human to what a sufficiently advanced technology could accomplish, were they to set their minds to it. More importantly, it looks at their possible ethics and how that might impact on how that civilization does things.

   Admittedly, the method by which the four protagonists are gathered up and advanced is rather unlikely, but once you get past that its a really interesting story with few holes in either its storytelling or science. Indeed, despite having been written for TV in 1964 the physics still holds good - remarkably so in that current thinking suggests that everything shown is possible.

   Well worth the investment.