5 comments about Ice Princess (Widescreen Edition).

1. This movie is great for a rainy afternoon. Though rather predictable, a movie like this should be exactly that.
   
   Miss Trachtenberg, as the protagonist, is able to glide effortlessly from physics geek to skater chic, while remaining completely sincere and convincing in both halves of her role.
   
   Kim Cattrall portrays her complex, driven, yet deeply troubled character splendidly.
   
   Hayden Panettiere and Joan Cusack provide great support to the main characters.
   
   The soundtrack is excellent, as can be expected of a Disney film. With artists like Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere providing a bubbly score.
   
   All in all, it's a fun and enjoyable, charming family film.



2. I found the dvd quite entertaining but I like the fact that it shows young people that you can 'have roots and wings.' The fact that the title character could use her head and her athletic ability is great.



3. So many people are saying "It's a great message - following your dreams." Sure, that is a good message. But when the Disney writers teach young girls that it's "fantastic" to be an ice skater and nerdy/geeky/boring to be scholastic, then we have a problem. It's movies like these that tell girls that they should focus on dresses, makeup, and hair (which is fine if their life isn't consumed by it...) and dream to be world-famous figure skaters. But getting a full scholarship to Harvard to study physics? Why would any girl in her right mind throw that away to pursue a silly dream where you'll be famous for a couple years and then everyone will forget about you??!!!
   
   Girls need more messages showing how they can excel in math/science/engineering especially if it's obvious they have a talent for it. They can pursue something more worthwhile than skating around on the ice.
   
   Parents - don't buy this for your daughter.
   
   I gave it two stars instead of one because it was kind of fun to watch... I just don't agree with the message.



4. I AM TAKEN PHYSICS AND THERE WERE SOME ERRORS IN THIS MOVIE FOR EXAMPLE: At the party, Casey states that "velocity times momentum equals acceleration". This is false; velocity multiplied by momentum yields only mv2, which is just kinetic energy multiplied by two. This isn't an expression for acceleration, and is not fundamentally meaningful. In fact, force divided by mass equals acceleration.



5. I purchased this film for my 6 and 8 year old neices and they really enjoyed it. It's a great family movie with a positive outcome.

5 comments about Blades of Glory (Full Screen Edition).

1. I would recommend this movie to anyone. Will is hilarious and cast compliment him well.



2. Excellent condition and arrived very fast and efficient! Very pleased and will definitely order again! Thanks for making me so happy!



3. The talented polished comedic stars make this movie goofy good. Will Ferrell (always funny no matter what he does - SNL skits and Legend of Ron Burgandy) plays the sexy skater Chazz Michael Michaels, Jon Hedder (who was a hit in Napoleon Dynamite and now on 30 Rock) plays Jimmy MacElroy, the angelic faced blond former child skating protegee.
   
   Chazz and Jimmy are thrown out of skating as they did not want to share a gold medal and started a fist-fight on the winner's podium. A tough coach realizes there is a "weasel clause" that they can now compete as partners, no matter how absurd it looks.
   
   Chazz and Jimmy smooth skate and never get off the plot that they are skating stars, unwillingly thrown together, because they love what they do and want to regain the championship..
   
   Despite their conundrum, the duo won awards previously and combining their talent upsets the brother and sister team Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (played by real-life husband and wife Will Arnett and Amy Poehler (now in Parks and Recreation).
   
   Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg try to sabotage MacElroy and Michaels in their efforts to regain the Championship. Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly from The Office) plays their younger sister who is used to spy on the skating of Chazz and Jimmy. Jimmy falls for her.
   
   Poehler and Arnett are wonderful as the evil antagonists and give many laughs as they show their true colors. Blades of Glory runs over with one-liners, goofy looks, laughs, and great wacky comedy. It simply glides well as a story.



4. I have this movie and it funny and great. One of my favorites of Will Ferrell. I don't like all his movies but I love this one.



5. not very good. There are some funny moments. You know what it will be before you watch it.

5 comments about Flashdance.

1. Flashdance stands out in my mind as one of the most iconic films of the 80s. That's not to say it had a large political impact, pressured social movement or even significantly changed lives. But it did leave a lasting impression on pop culture. If you pay attention to music videos it's impossible to count the number of times the final scene of Flashdance has been parodied or honored. Even in the modern pop culture world Flashdance gets its share of nods. The two that are coming to me as I write this: a scene from Shrek 2 and the movie Billy Elliot. In the case of Shrek 2 - it's just one of many films that have parodied the over the top dance sequences performed by Jennifer Beals throughout the course of the film (the one in question being the dramatic bucket of water dump with her back arched in a chair). If you can't imagine what I'm talking about just rest assured - you've seen it parodied at least once before.
   
   Alex Owens (Beals) works as a welder by day amongst the men whom she entertains by night as an exotic dancer. Only, her exotic dances reek of experimental and self-expressive over the top choreography. Practicing every night, she dreams of studying at the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance. During her nights spent dancing and talking with her friends the stand-up wannabe cook, fellow dancer and her newfound boss-turned-beau she inches closer and closer to the resolve necessary to put in an application to the school.
   
   Flashdance, as I've said, is iconic. Love it or hate it, its influence on every dance film afterwards can't be denied. Like any 80s movie it has its fair share of montages to skip through the training sessions and nights out. The character Alex Owens marks an odd twist on the strong female character. Unlike the Ripley's of Horror or Eva Perons of Drama, Alex Owens knows what she wants but lacks the resolve to do anything about it. In fact, as far as strong female characters go, Alex blazes an odd zigzag both away and towards the furthering of strong female leads in one stroke. While requiring the encouragement and nods of both her grandmother and boyfriend when it comes to applying to study at the conservatory, in every other field of her life she's fiery and knows exactly what she wants. It's an odd contradictory pair of qualities to instill in the same character and it, oddly, strengthens the plot while weakening the character.
   
   Looking back at Flashdance, it's important to remember that the song "Flashdance - What a Feeling" won the Best Song Oscar for 1983. The song permeates the entire film with various reprisals popping up almost every 10 minutes until its final full play-through in the final scene. Every dance movie you've seen that came out in the 90s used the formula laid down by Flashdance. Girl wants to dance. Isn't sure of herself. Spends time building resolve. Applies. Succeeds. Hell, even Billy Elliot follows that route; in which case you can replace "girl" with "boy".
   
   Jennifer Beals, as an actress, is a mixed bag. She pulls off Alex Owens convincingly for about 85% of the movie and only ever falters in the more dramatically serious elements where her performance just seems to fall short of capturing the given scene's gravity. Dance-wise she's tremendous, or at least I think it is. Keep in mind I'm pretty uneducated in that aspect of the Arts.
   
   DVD Extra Features:
   
   The "I Love the 80s" Edition of Flashdance has little to show for itself on the extras front. With little more than subtitles and additional audio tracks the disc feels quite empty. To perhaps counterbalance that shortcoming, the "I Love the 80s" Edition comes with a 4 track CD of 80s hits by a-ha, Echo & the Bunnymen, INXS and Erasure. It's certainly a respectable musical lineup but let's be honest - 4 songs on a CD don't make up for a lack of audio commentary or featurettes.
   
   Flashdance holds the rare title of being one of the few 80s movie classics that's created a legacy for itself from its highly memorable dance sequences - even if you've no interest in the film, because maybe you think it's too chick-flick-like, let me remind you: it's iconic movies like this one that help you understand the references and homages present in the modern films of today. See it for research for all I care but Flashdance is a piece of cultural film history.



2. I remember when the film came out. The big deal that was made about it.
   
   I caught it on pay cable TV. I liked it.
   
   Music is the best part of course. The Oscar winning song & the other hit songs from it.
   
   With the DVD it is good to FINALLY see the film widescreen.
   
   STILL TO THIS DAY THE EDITING BETWEEN JENNIFER BEALS & Marine Jahan
   WHO DID THE DANCING IS A PUT OFF. Why? The wigs. Simple. The far away shots of Alex dancing when it is when you can tell that was NOT Jennifer by the bad wigs.
   
   The 80's package. A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
   1. THESE HORRIBLE LITTLE FLIP OPEN DVD PLASTIC CASE
   2. NO EXTRAS AT ALL, NO MAKING OF OR ANYTHING
   3. The 80's DVD package here comes with a CD with it. SO, YOU WOULD EXPECT SONGS FROM THE FILM, REMEMBERING OF COURSE AN OSCAR WINNING SONG & SEVERAL HITS. NOPE, 4 songs NOT related to the film.
   
   Small part with Cynthia Rhodes who had the larger part in Dirty Dancing. And, character actress Micole Mercurio who also appeared in While You Were Sleeping & The Client & Robert Wuhl from Batman, Bull Durham & Cobb.
   
   Buy this edition ONLY if you are a fan of the film & DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE FILM.



3. What makes a classic? Heart, inspiration, joy, and chance - this one has them all and a kick-a** soundtrack to boot!



4. In Adrian Lyne's FLASHDANCE, a young woman, Alex (Jennifer Beals), strives to achieve success as a classical dancer, but economic forces require her to work as a welder by day and an exotic dancer by night. Standing in her way is an abundance of profound social obstacles, not the least of which is her boss at the welding factory, Nick (Michael Nouri), who is also her boyfriend. Alex strives to be accepted into a prestigious ballet academy, and she is furious when she realizes that her boyfriend might be pulling strings for her behind the scenes. Along the road to self-discovery and independence, Alex also struggles to accept love, come to terms with her own stubbornness, and find the inner strength to turn her lofty dreams into reality. Flashdance, really surprised me, It has a great storyline with even better music and dancing. Jennifer Beals, at her best. The highlight of the movie is definitly when Jennifer dances to Flashdance(What a feeling), by Irene Cara. A great movie for all ages.



5. The seller was so fast getting this dvd to me. It was a last minute Christmas gift for my husband, and I was so excited it arrived much quicker than expected. Thanks!

5 comments about Ice Princess (Full Screen Edition).

1. This movie is great for a rainy afternoon. Though rather predictable, a movie like this should be exactly that.
   
   Miss Trachtenberg, as the protagonist, is able to glide effortlessly from physics geek to skater chic, while remaining completely sincere and convincing in both halves of her role.
   
   Kim Cattrall portrays her complex, driven, yet deeply troubled character splendidly.
   
   Hayden Panettiere and Joan Cusack provide great support to the main characters.
   
   The soundtrack is excellent, as can be expected of a Disney film. With artists like Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere providing a bubbly score.
   
   All in all, it's a fun and enjoyable, charming family film.



2. I found the dvd quite entertaining but I like the fact that it shows young people that you can 'have roots and wings.' The fact that the title character could use her head and her athletic ability is great.



3. So many people are saying "It's a great message - following your dreams." Sure, that is a good message. But when the Disney writers teach young girls that it's "fantastic" to be an ice skater and nerdy/geeky/boring to be scholastic, then we have a problem. It's movies like these that tell girls that they should focus on dresses, makeup, and hair (which is fine if their life isn't consumed by it...) and dream to be world-famous figure skaters. But getting a full scholarship to Harvard to study physics? Why would any girl in her right mind throw that away to pursue a silly dream where you'll be famous for a couple years and then everyone will forget about you??!!!
   
   Girls need more messages showing how they can excel in math/science/engineering especially if it's obvious they have a talent for it. They can pursue something more worthwhile than skating around on the ice.
   
   Parents - don't buy this for your daughter.
   
   I gave it two stars instead of one because it was kind of fun to watch... I just don't agree with the message.



4. I AM TAKEN PHYSICS AND THERE WERE SOME ERRORS IN THIS MOVIE FOR EXAMPLE: At the party, Casey states that "velocity times momentum equals acceleration". This is false; velocity multiplied by momentum yields only mv2, which is just kinetic energy multiplied by two. This isn't an expression for acceleration, and is not fundamentally meaningful. In fact, force divided by mass equals acceleration.



5. I purchased this film for my 6 and 8 year old neices and they really enjoyed it. It's a great family movie with a positive outcome.

5 comments about The Cutting Edge.

1. DVD came in perfect condition and we have enjoyed it several times already. Thank you.



2. I already owned the plain version of this, released in 2001. The only extra on that version is the original theatrical trailer.
   
   I just bought the "Gold Medal Edition", released 2006, because it was cheap and it had some extras that I didn't have on the other disc. (I haven't watched those extras yet, so I won't be reviewing them here.)
   
   However, I noticed something very interesting. I played them side-by-side, using two computers with identical monitors that are calibrated identically. I noticed several differences in quality. Then I switched the DVDs to the opposite computers and played some of it again to verify that it had nothing to do with the monitors or computer settings.
   
   The Gold Medal Edition runs 1hr:37min:17sec -- 97min, as advertised on the back of the case. The plain 2001 version runs 1:41:24, also as advertised on the back of its cover (it rounds up to 1:42). This doesn't seem to be from a difference in content, though. When playing them side-by-side, starting them off in perfect sync, they quickly become unsynchronized (ironic, considering the content... synchronized skating...). The Gold Medal Edition runs faster than the 2001 version. (The physical DVD itself isn't running faster; it's the way the film was transferred during production of the DVDs.) IMDB claims 1:41 running time (101min), which would suggest the 2001 version is correct; however, I don't know where IMDB got that data -- whether it matches the actual theatrical release or not.
   
   Also, the Gold Medal Edition is _not_ anamorphic. So if you have a 16:9 TV (like an HDTV), unless your DVD player or TV automatically compensates, you'll actually get letterboxing both on the top/bottom AND on the left/right. The 2001 version is anamorphic, so there's a good chance it will look better than the Gold Medal Edition on 16:9 TVs.
   
   Finally, the color balance is different, and the 2001 version looks more correct. One major thing I noticed is that when they're on the ice and/or wearing white, the whites look cleaner, brighter, and more white on the 2001 version. Whites on the Gold Medal Edition look yellow by comparison, and even a tiny bit green.
   
   The picture looks cleaner, brighter, better color-balanced, and just better in general on the 2001 release.
   
   If you can't find another version, the Gold Medal Edition is still ok, and you might want to buy that if you want the extras. But I'd recommend the 2001 version if you can find it, especially if you're picky about quality. The 2001 version has a fairly plain cover, with plum/purple text for the title. The cover doesn't mention anything about any kind of special edition. And the back cover will say "1 hour 42 minutes". (The Gold Medal Edition says "Gold Medal Edition" at the top, has white title text, and says "Approx. 97 Minutes" on the back.)



3. I was disappointed. I was hoping for a family movie, but this isn't one. The movie opens with a couple in bed. The guy can't remember the girl's name.
   Recommended romantic comedy: I.Q.



4. It is a quick moving movie with great camera shots. The story line is heartwarmingly romantic about two Olympic skaters. One is a Hockey Player and the other is a 'couple figure skater'. And how there paths collide. The comedy is light hearted and but real to the characters being portrayed. You feel thier struggle and share in their truiumph. And laugh with their relationship. It is a feel good movie all the way through.



5. - Doug's confession to his blue-collar buddies in a crowded bar: "I've been doing a little... figure skating."
   - Doug's incredulous brother: "You've been doing what?"
   - A confused voice from the back of the crowd: "Finger painting...?"
   
   A manly man's guilty pleasure: I happen to think that THE CUTTING EDGE is a really good, fun movie, even with the sissy venue and the pretty, pretty outfits. It helps a guy viewer's sensibilities, though, that D.B. Sweeney plays a gritty, down-and-out hockey player who reluctantly shifts to figure skating.
   
   She thinks he's a neanderthal. He thinks she's, um, temperamental - but maybe the voice-over in the movie trailer said it best: "She has a nickname that rhymes with 'rich.'" 45 seconds away from the Olympic gold medal, and then it all falls apart for gifted figure skater Kate Moseley and her just-not-cutting-it partner. Elsewhere, when Doug Dorsey suffers a horrible injury on the ice, it spells the end of his hockey career. Where else can Doug turn to but... pairs figure skating? He's willing to give it a try. His prickly new partner, Kate, is more skeptical, to put it nicely. She rages at her Russian coach, "What is this? Final stages of Ukrainian alcohol psychosis?" Not surprisingly, Kate Moseley goes thru skating partners like tissues (8 partners in 2 years). But we all know it's gonna work out... eventually. That is, after heaps of Kate's smirky "Toe pick!" remarks.
   
   Not that the story breaks any new ground or anything, but even though it unfolds in conventional ways, it's graced with terrific dialogue, snappy heated banter, nicely developed character arcs, and, most notably, marvelous performances by D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. And it's no surprise, really, that their roles here are what folks remember most about them. In the bonus feature, Sweeney recounts past experiences in which he'd tripped on something and some stranger had inevitably called out, "Toe pick!"
   
   Sweeney and Kelly bring a palpable heat, some really nice chemistry. D.B. Sweeney is likable from the start, coming off as a regular cat. Moira Kelly has the trickier part because her character is such a, uh, demanding diva. But we eventually do get to see her vulnerable side, and your heart goes to her. Still, she's really great at delivering that offended, nose-turned-up look. Anyway, the contentious rivalry, the training montages, the class war (he comes from a working class community, she's from a filthy rich family), the falling in love unwillingly, the big skating finale at the end as they go for the gold and break out the unholily brutal Pamchenko Twist... these are all easily predicted signposts. But how can you not get pulled in? THE CUTTING EDGE is irresistible stuff, and very romantic.
   
   This DVD is the "Gold Medal Edition" and includes three bonus features: a sneak peek at THE CUTTING EDGE: GOING FOR THE GOLD (which, by the way, features neither D.B. nor Moira and isn't nearly as good); the original theatrical trailer; and "THE CUTTING EDGE: Reflections from the Ice" - an 11-minute-long retrospective as Sweeney and Kelly reminisce about their experiences in making the film. We learn, among other things, that both leads had to learn how to skate in prepping for this movie and that Moira Kelly broke her ankle in the first week of shooting.

5 comments about Blades of Glory (Widescreen Edition).

1. I would recommend this movie to anyone. Will is hilarious and cast compliment him well.



2. Excellent condition and arrived very fast and efficient! Very pleased and will definitely order again! Thanks for making me so happy!



3. The talented polished comedic stars make this movie goofy good. Will Ferrell (always funny no matter what he does - SNL skits and Legend of Ron Burgandy) plays the sexy skater Chazz Michael Michaels, Jon Hedder (who was a hit in Napoleon Dynamite and now on 30 Rock) plays Jimmy MacElroy, the angelic faced blond former child skating protegee.
   
   Chazz and Jimmy are thrown out of skating as they did not want to share a gold medal and started a fist-fight on the winner's podium. A tough coach realizes there is a "weasel clause" that they can now compete as partners, no matter how absurd it looks.
   
   Chazz and Jimmy smooth skate and never get off the plot that they are skating stars, unwillingly thrown together, because they love what they do and want to regain the championship..
   
   Despite their conundrum, the duo won awards previously and combining their talent upsets the brother and sister team Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (played by real-life husband and wife Will Arnett and Amy Poehler (now in Parks and Recreation).
   
   Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg try to sabotage MacElroy and Michaels in their efforts to regain the Championship. Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly from The Office) plays their younger sister who is used to spy on the skating of Chazz and Jimmy. Jimmy falls for her.
   
   Poehler and Arnett are wonderful as the evil antagonists and give many laughs as they show their true colors. Blades of Glory runs over with one-liners, goofy looks, laughs, and great wacky comedy. It simply glides well as a story.



4. I have this movie and it funny and great. One of my favorites of Will Ferrell. I don't like all his movies but I love this one.



5. not very good. There are some funny moments. You know what it will be before you watch it.

5 comments about Ice Castles.

1. The following reviews are for the original, not the 2009 remake. The new movie is a snoozer, so beware.



2. This movie was so good. This movie had heart and even though it's a remake of the original which I never saw I did loved this movie. I was just lucky it came to me at my public library during the Olympics because I think it made it more enjoyable, seeing the real thing on television and then watching it on DVD. If you have never seen the original or if you have then I highly recommended either buying it or renting from your video store. You won't be sorry either way.



3. This movie will show you one way to overcome disability. Watch it to find out how.



4. I also saw the older version of this movie and I like this one better. It's such a heart-warming, tear-jerker movie that any caring person would love.



5. This was a great movie- I love all the familiar Nova Scotia scenes, and being able to recognize local people as extras. It made the movie interesting on another level, in addition to a wonderful story line.

5 comments about The Cutting Edge - Chasing the Dream.

1. In short, this was a requested gift for my dad, well, I got it for him, and he LOVED it! My favorite personally is the original, but he loves all 3 of them! Based on my dad's experience since he has the movie, I rated it 5 stars.



2. I absolutely LOVED this movie and i thought it was the best out of the three..although i HATED the fact that Jackie was divorced(I'm a romantic and i wish she was still with Alex)..anyways..i liked this movie because it was different from the other two,story-wise. Even though some parts were a little disappointing..it was still a great movie! i enjoyed it very much and i would like to add that Matt Lanter is HOT AS HELL!!



3. I'VE GOT ALL THREE MOVIES, AND THIS ONE IS JUST AS GOOD. IF YOU LIKE ICE SKATING, YOU'LL LOVE THIS MOVIE,



4. love the sappy movies with happy endings. This movie is right up my alley, a nice story.



5. I love these great endings.The Stars have great facial expressions and i enjoyed this movie the best of the 3.

5 comments about The Cutting Edge - Gold Medal Edition.

1. DVD came in perfect condition and we have enjoyed it several times already. Thank you.



2. I already owned the plain version of this, released in 2001. The only extra on that version is the original theatrical trailer.
   
   I just bought the "Gold Medal Edition", released 2006, because it was cheap and it had some extras that I didn't have on the other disc. (I haven't watched those extras yet, so I won't be reviewing them here.)
   
   However, I noticed something very interesting. I played them side-by-side, using two computers with identical monitors that are calibrated identically. I noticed several differences in quality. Then I switched the DVDs to the opposite computers and played some of it again to verify that it had nothing to do with the monitors or computer settings.
   
   The Gold Medal Edition runs 1hr:37min:17sec -- 97min, as advertised on the back of the case. The plain 2001 version runs 1:41:24, also as advertised on the back of its cover (it rounds up to 1:42). This doesn't seem to be from a difference in content, though. When playing them side-by-side, starting them off in perfect sync, they quickly become unsynchronized (ironic, considering the content... synchronized skating...). The Gold Medal Edition runs faster than the 2001 version. (The physical DVD itself isn't running faster; it's the way the film was transferred during production of the DVDs.) IMDB claims 1:41 running time (101min), which would suggest the 2001 version is correct; however, I don't know where IMDB got that data -- whether it matches the actual theatrical release or not.
   
   Also, the Gold Medal Edition is _not_ anamorphic. So if you have a 16:9 TV (like an HDTV), unless your DVD player or TV automatically compensates, you'll actually get letterboxing both on the top/bottom AND on the left/right. The 2001 version is anamorphic, so there's a good chance it will look better than the Gold Medal Edition on 16:9 TVs.
   
   Finally, the color balance is different, and the 2001 version looks more correct. One major thing I noticed is that when they're on the ice and/or wearing white, the whites look cleaner, brighter, and more white on the 2001 version. Whites on the Gold Medal Edition look yellow by comparison, and even a tiny bit green.
   
   The picture looks cleaner, brighter, better color-balanced, and just better in general on the 2001 release.
   
   If you can't find another version, the Gold Medal Edition is still ok, and you might want to buy that if you want the extras. But I'd recommend the 2001 version if you can find it, especially if you're picky about quality. The 2001 version has a fairly plain cover, with plum/purple text for the title. The cover doesn't mention anything about any kind of special edition. And the back cover will say "1 hour 42 minutes". (The Gold Medal Edition says "Gold Medal Edition" at the top, has white title text, and says "Approx. 97 Minutes" on the back.)



3. I was disappointed. I was hoping for a family movie, but this isn't one. The movie opens with a couple in bed. The guy can't remember the girl's name.
   Recommended romantic comedy: I.Q.



4. It is a quick moving movie with great camera shots. The story line is heartwarmingly romantic about two Olympic skaters. One is a Hockey Player and the other is a 'couple figure skater'. And how there paths collide. The comedy is light hearted and but real to the characters being portrayed. You feel thier struggle and share in their truiumph. And laugh with their relationship. It is a feel good movie all the way through.



5. - Doug's confession to his blue-collar buddies in a crowded bar: "I've been doing a little... figure skating."
   - Doug's incredulous brother: "You've been doing what?"
   - A confused voice from the back of the crowd: "Finger painting...?"
   
   A manly man's guilty pleasure: I happen to think that THE CUTTING EDGE is a really good, fun movie, even with the sissy venue and the pretty, pretty outfits. It helps a guy viewer's sensibilities, though, that D.B. Sweeney plays a gritty, down-and-out hockey player who reluctantly shifts to figure skating.
   
   She thinks he's a neanderthal. He thinks she's, um, temperamental - but maybe the voice-over in the movie trailer said it best: "She has a nickname that rhymes with 'rich.'" 45 seconds away from the Olympic gold medal, and then it all falls apart for gifted figure skater Kate Moseley and her just-not-cutting-it partner. Elsewhere, when Doug Dorsey suffers a horrible injury on the ice, it spells the end of his hockey career. Where else can Doug turn to but... pairs figure skating? He's willing to give it a try. His prickly new partner, Kate, is more skeptical, to put it nicely. She rages at her Russian coach, "What is this? Final stages of Ukrainian alcohol psychosis?" Not surprisingly, Kate Moseley goes thru skating partners like tissues (8 partners in 2 years). But we all know it's gonna work out... eventually. That is, after heaps of Kate's smirky "Toe pick!" remarks.
   
   Not that the story breaks any new ground or anything, but even though it unfolds in conventional ways, it's graced with terrific dialogue, snappy heated banter, nicely developed character arcs, and, most notably, marvelous performances by D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. And it's no surprise, really, that their roles here are what folks remember most about them. In the bonus feature, Sweeney recounts past experiences in which he'd tripped on something and some stranger had inevitably called out, "Toe pick!"
   
   Sweeney and Kelly bring a palpable heat, some really nice chemistry. D.B. Sweeney is likable from the start, coming off as a regular cat. Moira Kelly has the trickier part because her character is such a, uh, demanding diva. But we eventually do get to see her vulnerable side, and your heart goes to her. Still, she's really great at delivering that offended, nose-turned-up look. Anyway, the contentious rivalry, the training montages, the class war (he comes from a working class community, she's from a filthy rich family), the falling in love unwillingly, the big skating finale at the end as they go for the gold and break out the unholily brutal Pamchenko Twist... these are all easily predicted signposts. But how can you not get pulled in? THE CUTTING EDGE is irresistible stuff, and very romantic.
   
   This DVD is the "Gold Medal Edition" and includes three bonus features: a sneak peek at THE CUTTING EDGE: GOING FOR THE GOLD (which, by the way, features neither D.B. nor Moira and isn't nearly as good); the original theatrical trailer; and "THE CUTTING EDGE: Reflections from the Ice" - an 11-minute-long retrospective as Sweeney and Kelly reminisce about their experiences in making the film. We learn, among other things, that both leads had to learn how to skate in prepping for this movie and that Moira Kelly broke her ankle in the first week of shooting.

5 comments about Ice Castles.

1. This is far from a believable story: a top ice skater losing her sight and then becoming even a better skater after becoming blind! Hmmm......I don't think so.
   
   However, the girl - "Alexis Winston," played by Lynn-Holly Johnson - is such a beautiful and sweet person that she alone makes the movie worth watching. Johnson was an accomplished skater in her own right, so she makes the skating scenes look realistic.
   
   The bad news was the character, "Beulah Smith," portrayed by Colleen Dewhurst, an annoying butch-like foul-mouthed woman, the opposite of Johnson. Her bad mouth prevents this from being a good family film, which it could have been.Familiar '70s actor Robby Benson plays Johnson's boyfriend, but he's not all that likable, either.
   
   This is mainly Johnson's film......and who's complaining?



2. I am a sucker for love stories...and ice skating - so I loved this movie. I remember seeing it when I was a teen - and I still enjoyed it now that I am "over 40".
   It sends a good message also - you can do anything when you set your mind to it & work hard. The love of family & friends goes a long way!



3. I think I wore out the VHS tape watching this when I was a kid. It's still a very sweet, inspirational movie about the power of love and endurance in difficult circumstances. I grew up in a small town that looked very similar to the one in the movie and the snow and the small town bowling alley and ice rink and the grain bins and old tractors looked instantly familiar. I skated on an iced over slough and had to clear off the snow with a shovel just like Lexie did. I notice some complaints about the rough language and Lexie having an affair with a 20-something guy. Neither bothers me overly. It's a product of its times and 70s films were very into "real" language and settings far more so than the slick, overproduced films we see today. I think the girl was also over the age of consent then and probably now. It's a coming of age story. It's about the blending of innocence and experience, the lost dreams of Lexie's father and small town coach and her own aspirations as much as it is a feel-good sports movie. Lexie also has sex with the newscaster and with her childhood sweetheart Nick, so consider yourself warned if that sort of thing bothers you. I watched the movie for the first time at around age 11 and I think I got what the movie was trying to say at that time and wasn't particularly bothered by the language, all of which any child who doesn't live in a plastic bubble will have heard before, or of the sexual relationship, which is only implied.



4. This is a great movie! This story also infuriates me!
   To watch an innocent young girl fall into the hands of a older man who doesn't have her best interest at heart, and then watch her reaction when her boyfriend condemns her for "cheating" on him, is not only heart breaking, but infuriating.
   Where was her boyfriend when she needed him, BEFORE all this happened? Is a 16 year old girl supposed to know how to handle all of the emotions created by innate talent, sudden fame and extreme beauty when constant temptation is hovering? I need to watch this movie again just to find out if her PARENTS WERE EVEN ALIVE!



5. The marriage of Maria Braun, Summer of 42,The innocent,Love story, Ice castles, and Don't look now were the most arresting, reminded and emblematic love movies during the seventies. Not only because the unerring fatal tragedy that nestled behind these unforgettable moments of elusive happiness, that never could materialize themselves by the well known destiny's caprices. The first two during the WW2 and the four last ones due the sudden fatality.
   
   "Ice castles" looks like - at first sight - as a primary love story. A promising talent from Iowa who is really disposed to participate in Olympics, sees how the disgrace stoles the only chance to be part of the selected sporting elite. And how, despite this irreversible fact, the love is capable to undertake the unexpected mission: to redeem itself and rescue the best of ourselves.
   
   Despite of the fact I was in my middle twenties made me to preserve into my emotional environment, the haunting musical score of Marvin Hamlisch and the youthful freshness of their protagonists.
   
   Maybe, for this actual generation, the film may seem a mite dated. But far beyond nostalgic and aesthetics considerations, this film will remain in the memory and hearts of all of us who still believe the love is not only the most excel human passion but besides, the driving force of the human soul.