5 comments about Damn Yankees.

1. For a little over $ 10 , I got a piece of my childhood back...I have only seen this movie once in my life, and being a child I didn't see just how wonderful it is....and ALL the talent that was there!!!



2. Throw in some baseball and several catchy songs, and dust off that old Faust legend, and you get this breezy 1958 musical from Warner Brothers. Originally a hugely successful Broadway play, DAMN YANKEES returns most of the original stage cast, with Tab Hunter taking over in the lead role. And, having seen the uber-bland, very clean cut Tab Hunter in other films, I probably should've scoffed at his being cast in a showy song & dance flick except that, surprisingly, the man actually unveils a more relaxed, fun-loving side to him. So it all works.
   
   Joe Boyd (Robert Shafer) is a middle-aged, die-hard fan of the Washington Senators, and because the Senators are pretty awful, Joe is also a long-suffering fan. After grousing over another of his team's inept showings on television (with the Senators again getting pummeled by the Yankees), Joe exclaims "One long ball hitter, that's what we need! I'd sell my soul for one long-ball hitter." Moments later, the mysterious dapperly-dressed Mr. Applegate appears on his porch and an infernal bargain is struck: a long ball hitter for a soul. But with an escape clause which allows Joe Boyd to change his mind before a set deadline.
   
   Soon the woeful Senators have a new player on the roster, a 22-year-old powerhouse slugger named Joe Hardy (Hunter), or as one female reporter dubs him: "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo." Joe Hardy promptly leads his team from the cellar to contention and, ultimately, to a pennant race with the New York Yankees. You'd think Joe Hardy and Mr. Applegate would be ecstatic. But, no.
   
   It's that thing about absence and how it makes the heart grow fonder. Joe Hardy is having second thoughts. He misses the wife he'd abandoned, misses his old life as Joe Boyd. He's wandered back into his old neighborhood and managed to rent a room in his old house, all just so he'd be closer to a wife who's now decades older than him. And, of course, all this is stressing out Applegate. Fearing that he might lose out on this soul, he sics the demonic temptress Lola on Joe (She's irresistible, you fool!).
   
   For old-school folks like me, DAMN YANKEES is great fun. This movie rides on the playful, gleeful performances of Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon, and on the songs, several of which have managed to stick with me even after all this time. I savor them all, from Shafer and Hunter's poignant "Goodbye, Old Girl" and the exuberant "(You've Gotta Have) Heart" and "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo" to Verdon's seductive showstopper "Whatever Lola Wants." And then there's the mambo treat "Who's Got the Pain" (Erp!), also performed by Verdon and partnered up by noted choreographer Bob Fosse (and also Verdon's hubbie).
   
   So, yeah, this movie is tailored more towards comedy and musical numbers, so the baseball sequences aren't exactly what you'd call gritty or suspenseful. However, I dig the mythic, folklorish quality which Joe Hardy achieves, and I'm even reminded a bit of THE NATURAL's Roy Hobbs. Tab Hunter unexpectedly shows a lighthearted personality, and that doesn't hurt. But Ray Walston is exceptional as the beleaguered Devil, and Gwen Verdon really sells her sexy demoness part. Watching these two actors, I can see how the Broadway show ran for an astonishing 1019 performances.
   
   And, for whatever it's worth, the DVD also includes the theatrical trailer which, by the way, trumpets the title of this movie as "What Lola Wants" with "Damn Yankees" in tiny parenthesis right below it.



3. 1958 DAMN YANKEES directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen. Movie based on the big stage hit of the same name, uses all the actors from the play with the addition of a "Hollywood" name, Tab Hunter, who is very good in this movie. Story about a man (Tab Hunter) who sells his soul to the devil, played by Ray Walston, (in the role that made him a star), so he can play baseball for the Washington Senators and help them win the Pennant. Gwen Verdon, dancing Bob Fosse choreography, is certainly one of the reasons to see this film. She plays the Devil's assistant. She is great in the "Whatever Lola Wants" and the nightclub dance nuimbers. And you can see her future husband, Bob Fosse, dance with her in the "Who's got the Pain" dance sequence. The "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo." number with the baseball team is fun. Great songs, great dancing, great acting/story, what's not to like?
   
   The print and color on this DVD are gorgeous.



4. This is an old-time favorite at our house. The quality of the DVD was excellent.
   I have nothing to complain about.



5. I was very pleased with the product. The DVD quality was like new the only small problem is it was a gift and the case itself was smashed in on one side.

5 comments about Field of Dreams (Widescreen Collector's Edition).

1. Anyone expecting perfection from a film this old is nuts !! The blu ray is mostly excellent on my set(sony XBR). Classic, classic movie



2. How many men get to pursue their dreams? "Field of Dreams" is one man's quest to realize his one big moment. However, unlike most sports movies, the main character (Kevin Costner) isn't a star athlete, but rather a farmer who puts his faith in a mysterious voice from above. He goes around the country trying to figure out the connection between baseball and life - until he realizes it was all within himself. For sheer originality and creativity, the film is an easy 5-stars. The movie keeps you guessing and never fails to surprise. You certainly don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it - but you do have to accept that there are a bunch of baseball ghosts wandering around Iowa! Probably the best sports movie I've ever seen.



3. This is my all time favorite movie so I thought I would get a blue ray version. Blue ray version is nothing special when compared to any up-convert DVD version of the same movie. Blue ray did not have any wow factor when I compare it to other blue ray movies I have watched, like the recently released Star Trek movie which did produce that wow factor.



4. My husband tells me that the reason I don't appreciate Field of Dreams is because at heart, it's a movie about fathers and sons. I suppose that's true; at Christmas, my husband, his brother, his father, and his nephew (8 months old) all sat spellbound.



5. I watched this movie five times over the past several weeks and I still want more: first, to teach a class of high school kids how to analyze a film; then, to show it to the guys in my Friday night men's group. Through that process, God spoke to me: not audibly, like in Field Of Dreams; but He spoke nonetheless, and it may have changed my life, because Field Of Dreams has something in it that is a powerful catalyst for change. It's about lost dreams and the place to find them.
   
   It's about baseball; but baseball is just a metaphor for something bigger. It's about an Iowa farmer named Ray who hears a voice that tells him, "If you build it, he will come." He knows the Voice wants him to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield; which, oddly enough, he's willing to do because he thinks it will keep him from ending up like his dad - a man that "never did one spontaneous thing in his life." But he thinks the field is for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson - one of the infamous eight "Black Sox" that were barred from baseball for life in 1920 - so he will come and play baseball again... which he does, but that's not the reason for the field.
   
   Later, Ray gets a second message that tells him, "Ease his pain," which sends him off on a road trip to pick up Terence Mann - really J. D. Salinger, author of Catcher In The Rye, according to Shoeless Joe, the book on which the film is based - and a small town doctor named Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. Kevin Costner plays Ray, Amy Madigan plays his wife Annie, Ray Liotta play Shoeless Joe, James Earl Jones plays Terence Mann, and Burt Lancaster plays Moonlight Graham. Together they find their dreams on a baseball diamond in the middle of an Iowa cornfield. But, as wonderful as all this is, that is still not why Ray was told to build the field.
   
   At the climax of the film, Ray has to make a choice between selling his farm in order to keep from being foreclosed on, and risking everything in order to keep the baseball diamond. At that point, Terence Mann makes a little speech about what is best about America, and how baseball has marked the time throughout the years and helped keep us on track. Both he and Ray's daughter, Karin (played by Gaby Hoffmann), tell Ray that if he keeps the baseball diamond, people will come and pay to see it, and that will save the farm.
   
   But what is the baseball diamond, really? Several times, people ask, "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa," which is a funny line; but the truth is, it really IS Heaven, because it's the place where dreams come true, as Ray's dad later points out. Heaven has set down on a farm in Iowa in the form of a baseball diamond in order to redeem and heal some broken lives. Isn't that what God does? Isn't that what He did with the Tabernacle in the wilderness, with the Temple in Israel, and with Jesus in Judea? And isn't that what He's going to do one day with the New Jerusalem? He's going to set Heaven down on earth and all His people's dreams are going to come true.
   
   The heart of Field Of Dreams is Ray's relationship with his dad. He builds the baseball diamond because he's afraid of becoming like his dad. Ray and his dad didn't get along growing up: they both loved baseball, but they pulled for different teams; when Ray went off to college, he picked the one furthest away from his dad; he even told his dad he could never respect him because his hero was a criminal - Shoeless Joe. I was stupid like that once. I said and did stupid things to my dad because we didn't get along and I didn't want to end up like him. I think MOST guys feel this way, which is why this film speaks to so many of us in the place where they have our deepest pain.
   
   When the Voice says "Ease his pain," at first, Ray thinks he's talking about Terence Mann, which is why he went off to find him; and near the end of the film, when he sees his dad (played by Dwier Brown) as a young man, he says, "It was you," thinking that it was HIS pain he was supposed to ease. But Shoeless Joe corrects him in one of the most poignant moments in the film: "No, Ray, it was you." All this was done to ease Ray's pain.
   
   There's a valuable lesson here. Earlier, Shoeless Joe invites Terence Mann to go back with him and the other ballplayers to find out what's beyond the corn. Ray gets miffed because he thinks HE'S the one that should go back. After all, he built the baseball diamond, and it's his cornfield the players are living in. So he questions Shoeless Joe, asking point blank, "What's in it for me?" and Shoeless responds, "Is that why you did this, Ray - for you?" Of course, it wasn't. But he's starting to feel entitled. That's when he realizes what this whole experience has really been about.
   
   In the process of easing others' pain, he has eased his own. That is the nature of giving and self-sacrifice: "Whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25) Whatever we lose on earth we will find in Heaven. Oh, if only we would learn this lesson in America today - it would change everything! Ray risks everything to help others, and in the process, gains everything.
   
   Throughout history, and around the world today, people are risking everything for others, and in the process, they're finding themselves and their dreams. George Mueller, William Wilberforce, Mother Theresa, people who went to New Orleans to help rebuild, people who have gone to Haiti to help there... the list is endless. These are people who either built or are building orphanages, hospitals, schools, houses, churches, sports programs, arts programs, you name it... so that others can come and find their dreams. That was once the mantra of America: if you build it, they will come. It's even written in so many words on the Stature of Liberty. Do we still believe it?
   
   There is one thing that lasts, and that is really what this movie is about: the Kingdom of Heaven. When Christ left earth and walked back into Heaven, He turned to his team and said, "If you build it, they will come." Build what? His Kingdom. It's not a kingdom of bricks and mortar, nor even a kingdom of baseballs and bats: it's a kingdom of relationships. Only relationships last. That's why we're here.
   
   If you ask most middle Americans what they're building, they'll say, "A family." But is that about Christ and His Kingdom, or is that about you? Most people see their family as an extension of themselves; but your family is really just your team. What are you and your team building? If most of us were honest, we'd have to answer, "A kingdom of self," because that is what most of us are living for. Self doesn't satisfy, which is why everyone that comes to the end of themselves ends up at the throne of Christ with broken dreams, asking Him to fix them. It's not our broken dreams that Christ needs to fix, it's our broken relationships, beginning with HIm. He will give us new, better dreams, and it is those NEW dreams that will ease our pain.
   
   If we start living for Him instead of ourselves, and if we start building His Kingdom instead of our own, we will find our field of dreams. What physical talents and spiritual gifts have you been given? That is a clue as to what you should be building. Your work, whatever it is, can be a field of dreams for someone else, and, in the process, a way for your dreams to come true and your pain to be eased. It's a simple answer that has existed for two thousand years.
   
   What is the Voice telling you to build right now? If you build it, He will come. He will most definitely come.
   
   Waitsel Smith

5 comments about Baseball - A Film By Ken Burns.

1. Ken burns has captured the history of baseball in America and demonstrated how it parallels American history. It is a must watch for the baseball enthusiast and historian.



2. One only wishes the late John Chancellor were still around; his narration MAKES these dvds. Only disappointment? The "you will fall asleep immediately" 10th inning dvd.



3. Fantastic history of not only baseball, but our culture and nation as well, the good and the bad. Endless film and photography! Wish my dad was still alive, he would be thrilled with watching this wonderful documentary!



4. Watched the entire series numerous times. 20s-40s is my favorite. Endless interviews, rare footage and anecdotes. Inside baseball at its best.



5. Absolutely the history of baseball ever put together in any format. A must buy for true baseball fans.

5 comments about A League of Their Own.

1. When you stop and think about it out of the thousands upon thousands of feature films that have been made over the decades only a relative handful have been about baseball. I think that the best baseball film ever made was "Eight Men Out" which tells the story of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Also high on my list of faves are "The Natural", "Field of Dreams", "Bang The Drum Slowly" and the 1992 comedy-drama "A League of Their Own". In case you are not familiar with this film "A League of Their Own" stars Tom Hanks and Geena Davis and recalls the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League which operated in several midwestern cities from 1943-1954. I fell in love with this film the first time I saw it more than 15 years ago.
   
   The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a by-product of World War II. For a time in the early 1940's it appeared the Major League Baseball might actually have to shut down because so many of its players were going overseas to fight. A group of investors decided that a girls professional league might just be the ticket to temporarily fill the void being left by the men. Although this is a fictionalized account of the AAGPBL you will come away from this film with a pretty good idea of what took place all those years ago. What began as an experiment actually lasted for more than a decade! Tom Hanks stars as Rockford Peaches manager Jimmy Dugan, a retired all-star player whose career was cut short by the bottle. The film also stars Geena Davis in the role of Dottie Hinson star catcher for the Peaches and Madonna as the rough and tumble center fielder "All the Way" Mae Mordabito. But for me Lori Petty clearly steals the show as Dottie Hinson's insecure kid sister Kit who also plays for the Peaches. Director Penny Marshall does a spendid job here and I found myself really beginning to care a great deal about all of these charactors during the course of this fine motion picture.
   
   If you are like me you will experience the full range of emotions watching "A League of Their Own". You will laugh out loud, cheer on the team and even shed a tear or two along the way. Although the All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League is no more its legacy lives on at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY. I have seen the exhibit and it is quite impressive indeed. "A League of Their Own" is one of those rare films that can be seen and enjoyed by the entire family. There really is something in this film for just about everyone. I find that I enjoy this film more each time I see it. Very highly recommended!



2. Based on a true story, this film is a crowd-pleasing hit. Boasting an all-star cast including Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell and-what the hell? MADONNA?-Yes, THAT Madonna. The singer is in rare form in her film debut. I wish she'd given up singing, and become a full-time actress (don't get me wrong; I like Madonna and her songs, but this film proves she can definitely act). Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Rose O'Donnell, Jon Lovitz (in a hilarious cameo), Bill Pullman and ESPECIALLY Madonna do an excellent job in this thrilling movie. "There's no crying in baseball." The music (by Hans Zimmer) is brilliant. The directing is spot-on. Look for a brief appearance by Tea Leoni ("Deep Impact," "Jurassic Park III") and a rare on-screen appearance by Garry Marshall (director of "The Princess Diaries" and its sequel). The comedy meshes very well with the dramatic moments. Rated PG.



3. In the farm of Oregon Dottie Henson and Kit Keller are working on the farm. Sisters that do love each other, except when it comes to baseball. Kit wants to play in the league but is upset to hear that it is Dottie who is chosen to play for the AAPGL. (All American Pro Girls League) Dottie refuses to play unless Kit can come along. AAPGL was only made because of the World War II and all of the man were in the war. Along the way to the stadium they meet Marla Hooch who is a great hitter, but to most people not the prettiest girl. When they are going to try out they meet Doris and Mae because Doris threw a baseball at Dottie who caught it impressing Doris. They girls find out their new manager is Jimmy Dugan. Jimmy Dugan drinks a lot and is the worst manager until Dottie get through to him and he becomes a better person. Miss Cuthbert makes sure the rules are followed, no boys, no drinking or smoking until Mae poisons her meal. The girls go to party and Marla who had been overlooked a lot is noticed by a guy named Nelson. Dottie's husband Bob is in the army and when news comes that a man in the army has been killed it turns out to be Betty Spaghetti. After awhile, Kit feels that once again like at home she is behind Dottie's shadow. Dottie notices it to and asks to be transferred to another team. Of course Mr. Lovitz doesn't want the best player to be transferred so he has Kit transferred to Racine. Kit feels that Dottie did this on purpose. Kit plays for the Racine while Dottie plays for Rockford. In the final scene Dottie is crashed into by Kit and she drops the ball, letting Racine win, making Kit have her own stardom instead of being in Dottie's shadow. The girls have a reunion and they remember the fun they had together. Stylish, warm and fun to watch.



4. Amazing women who help change what and how women are seen and can do must watch really enjoyed



5. this film is about a group of seniors that reminisce their days playing on the women's baseball team in the 1940s. tom hanks plays their coach. this is the movie where rosie o'donnell and madonna also started up a friendship...i guess they found that they had some things in common. they made a great team together. also i love "This Used To Be My Playground". it's a sure tearjerker and heartwarming. it's a perfect song for this movie!!! it makes me want to reminisce of my younger days. the lyrics are haunting and very sad. this is only one of the movies where madonna makes a decent, good actress.

5 comments about The Sandlot.

1. I can understand why this is a likable film, but did anyone draw parallels to Rob Reiner's far superior "Stand By Me" from 1986?



2. A classic movie that we needed to have on disk. If you have kids, young or old or maybe not at all, this movie will take you back to the kinder gentler days.



3. Sandlot is one of those movies that you can put in at a party of any mix of people and it will be a hit for pretty much anyone. A safe bet for sure.



4. Awesome movie of all time for my boys. Can't watch it enough. Easy transaction



5. Classic feel good movie, the plot is somewhat predictable, the good guys win and evil is overcame. Great movie and loved the ending.

5 comments about The Natural (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray].

1. Roy Hobbs path to glory will reel you in, in this outstanding baseball movie...it's all fiction...but it seems so real. In one scene Hobbs, played by Robert Redford, knocks the cover off the baseball and nothing is left but a gobbled mess of strings. The opposing players and coaches look on in amazement. And so will you as you follow Hobbs through an assortment of characters...including amazing character actors like Wilfred Brimley, Richard Farnsworth and Robert Duvall, just to name a few. The cast is wonderful and the movie is simply a "must see" for a baseball player, young or old.



2. Just about everything positive that could be written about this film has, so I shall keep this one short. I saw the NATURAL when it was new & thought then, as I still do, that this is one of the finest movies ever made. The acting, cinematography, script, sets, wardrobe, editing and scoring are near or at perfection. Like fine art, this production even gets better with repeat viewings. In the early 1920s, a young aspiring baseball player is cut down by a creepy and mysterious female assassin who stalks and murders gifted athletes. Although our hero Roy HOBBS, (played by Robert REDFORD), survives, his recovery is insufficient to permit him to pursue his big league dreams. Following sixteen bitter years, he finds the courage and confidence to return to the game and claim his spot in sports history. During this course he faces his personal demons and discovers that he longs for home and the woman from his past that he still loves. Of interest to all who love a good movie with a strong moral base, this is one of those rare films that is practically all things to all people, as it is not only a moving drama but it has a magical charm that draws the viewer in. Indeed, Roy HOBBS' skill was near "magical" and the scenes involving the "Black Widow" and her silver bullet as well as the virtuous moral code that the film espoused, elevate this entry into a class all of its own. The NATURAL is so good, that it is one of the few films that both "chicks" and guys can watch together and enjoy. It also contains what is perhaps the most heart warming ending to a film that I have ever seen. This should be mandatory viewing (and study) in all film school courses. On a final note, I have seen both versions and believe that while the Director's cut was arguably not necessary, (the jury is still out on that one), whatever version you first see will probably be your favorite. If you become a rabid fan, you may welcome the additional details that the Director's cut adds to the story. This is Hollywood at its golden best and it leaves all other sports movies in the dust. Five out of five stars. This Gold Standard is most highly recommended!



3. i love major league baseball and this is a good baseball movie 4 the whole family



4. On a recent road trip I remarked to my 20 year old daughter and her fiance that this film held some important lessons for some of the self deluded invincible atheletes of today. To my amazement neither had seen the film. I immediately ordered the film when I got home watched it again and forwarded it to them. This story is timeless and still carries a forceful message



5. Contrary to what this page lists, the Blu-ray disc is the original theatrical version. I'm fine iwth that personally but thought everybody should know in case they feel taken for a ride by Amazon.

5 comments about Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Bueller... Bueller... Edition) [Blu-ray].

1. Ordered my dvd with no problems. Received it 3 weeks later with a smashed box but the dvd worked fine.



2. i am just happy i can watch this movie without it being censored. <3 matthew broderick. <3 this movie!



3. I love this movie, timeless is the word for it, even though the characters are alot older than now, but it could still be done today as it was then. A boy skipping school, with his friends to have "fun" during what seems to be close to summertime 72 degress in Chicago, come on that has to be summer weather for a town known for cold weather.
   The Blu ray did not look any better than I remember the DVD being on my Sony Bravia TV.
   But it still a classic and good way to remember the cast as they were in the hey day and to remember one of the greatest directors/writers/producers of the 80 Genre ( John Hughes died 2009)
   
   RIP John we will miss you.



4. As a movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off needs no presentation, is a classic! It was great see again this wonderfull movie. Altough, the extras could be a little better. Maybe the fact that in the 80's they didn't expect to insert this extras in the VHS's didn't help. The quality of the image and sound is great. Overall, a great Blu-ray and a wonderfull deal.



5. Besides the idea of all of us want to do what Ferris did in high school, the quality of the picture was very good, this is a very old movie, but the work they did was fine, the sound is not spectacular but I like it, they could virtualize it through the 6 channels and left anothers sound to be heard. I can advice u to bought this item is you like this kind of picture.

5 comments about Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season.

1. This is some of the funniest TV ever. If your a fan of prolific profanity and good ole fashioned bathroom humor with a witty twist then this is an absolute must see.
   
   Season two is slated to premier in 2010, now is the perfect time to catch up on the 6 episode season 1.
   
   From the guys that made Anchorman, and Taledega nights with some PineApple Express in there too.
   
   CLASSIC!!!



2. I can't believe how much Best Buy wanted for this series, considering how short it was. It is exactly what it is. Fast shipping, No complaints.



3. First 3 episodes are super funny! Can't wait to see if they continue the series. Made my whole family laugh out loud over the holidays!



4. This is one of the more funny shows I have seen in a while. I'm looking foward to seeing season two to see what will happen next.



5. The whole of this series and its effectiveness with audiences hinges on whether or not you have ever seen white-trash in all of its ignorantly willfull and hilarious nuances on a daily basis. If you have not then the liklihood of enjoying this series is virtually nil. But if, like me, you have, then you realize although the anti-hero of this series (Kenny Powers) is an unrelenting and shameless pig, he really does effectively capture the essence of some of the more ignorant from this strata of our society who have risen beyond its bounds based upon a specific skill in a given area. It is the effective personification of this willfully dark essence that makes this short-lived series almosts worth watching. Unfortunately, the plot arcs of the specific episodes and how they weave together diffuse most momentum for any possibilities of a crescendo-like moment; in other words: the show leaves the viewer with a constant state of stomach cramps because of pelvic congestion. In the end, it could have been a great series, but the premise in and of itself (a tragic character already at the bottom) left the writers halm-strung from the outset.

5 comments about Love and Basketball (New Line Platinum Series).

1. Item was received quickly. It was in great condition. Bought it for my son, no complaints.



2. The movie came in brand new with no scratches or anything but the dvd box did have a crack on the side but it was nothing serious.



3. I ordered the Love & Basketball DVD from iNetVideo. The first new DVD I received was lose in the DVD case and got scratched during shipping. I emailed them and they mailed another new one to me asap. That's awesome customer service and I will do business with this company again.



4. Eleven-year-old Quincy doesn't know what to make of Monica, a girl who can outplay any of the guys on the neighborhood basketball court. Soon he is infatuated with her and, much to his surprise, she is eager to become closer to him. Best friends all throughout the following school years, the pressure for each to be recruited by college basketball coaches brings them closer together and their love blooms beyond friendship. This movie shows the real love of basketball. Basketball is more than a sport and you could see that with this movie. This movie displays the hardships of becoming a basketball pro such as losing friends and lovers.



5. It's a true statement that there are a lot of these kinds of love stories out there. This brand of movie is made almost every week, but there are few films that (for me at least) are able to transcend their own genre as well as `Love & Basketball'. Sure, there are avenues of this film that don't sit as well with me as others, but the bulk of this film is fantastic, and Sanaa Lathan's performance alone is well worth the price of admission.
   
   Monica and Quincy grew up as neighbors. They have always had one of those quarreling sibling relationships, mostly due to their common interest; basketball. Quincy's father was a pro-ball player, and so his future seems predestined, while Monica's drive and dedication make her a better player, and an unlikely rival. As they grow up they stay friends, even if they are constantly at odds, until they realize that they are less like siblings and more like lovers. Basketball continues to divide them, as they split their focus and find that it is conquering them instead of them conquering it.
   
   While much of the storyline feels rather `familiar', there is something special about this film.
   
   For me, it is undeniably Sanaa Lathan. This girl is amazing, and this film marked the start of my personal love affair with her. She is not only physically stunning, but her talent as an actress is undeniable here. She is flawless as she balances Monica's life goals with her actual life, never taking away from her pained curiosity or her hearty dedication. The prom scene is especially memorable as her jealousies and insecurities are made subtly obvious. Her on-court scenes are filled with an intensity that only comes from a complete adoration of the game, and the strife she endures at the hands of her oppressive (albeit loving) mother is completely believable thanks to Lathan's remarkable understanding of her character.
   
   Oscar, you should be ashamed!
   
   I'm less impressed with Omar Epps, but he has never really been anything more than a pretty face to me. I haven't really seen his talent but I understand why my sisters love him. He has a genuine quality in scenes, but mostly he seems to be playing a character instead of playing a person (if that makes sense to you).
   
   A few `clichés' aside, `Love & Basketball' is an extremely good film that feels fresh and exciting and beautifully balances out the many aspects of the film that make it so wonderful. The script is rich enough (despite some generic relationship issues) to allow us to really get to know Monica and Quincy, on and off the court. Between their love life, home life and work life, `Love & Basketball' understands how to give each side of these characters a life all its own. Yes, the film is far more concerned with Monica than Quincy, and it shows, but that doesn't mean that Quincy's character becomes a stock character. This may be Monica's story, but Quincy is a BIG part of it.
   
   Take it from someone who is not a fan of sports or really of sports based movies; this is a movie you really need to see!

5 comments about Ferris Bueller's Day Off Bueller...Bueller... Edition (Special Collector's Edition).

1. Ordered my dvd with no problems. Received it 3 weeks later with a smashed box but the dvd worked fine.



2. i am just happy i can watch this movie without it being censored. <3 matthew broderick. <3 this movie!



3. I love this movie, timeless is the word for it, even though the characters are alot older than now, but it could still be done today as it was then. A boy skipping school, with his friends to have "fun" during what seems to be close to summertime 72 degress in Chicago, come on that has to be summer weather for a town known for cold weather.
   The Blu ray did not look any better than I remember the DVD being on my Sony Bravia TV.
   But it still a classic and good way to remember the cast as they were in the hey day and to remember one of the greatest directors/writers/producers of the 80 Genre ( John Hughes died 2009)
   
   RIP John we will miss you.



4. As a movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off needs no presentation, is a classic! It was great see again this wonderfull movie. Altough, the extras could be a little better. Maybe the fact that in the 80's they didn't expect to insert this extras in the VHS's didn't help. The quality of the image and sound is great. Overall, a great Blu-ray and a wonderfull deal.



5. Besides the idea of all of us want to do what Ferris did in high school, the quality of the picture was very good, this is a very old movie, but the work they did was fine, the sound is not spectacular but I like it, they could virtualize it through the 6 channels and left anothers sound to be heard. I can advice u to bought this item is you like this kind of picture.