Prometheus (Blu-ray 3D/ Blu-ray/ DVD/ Digital Copy)

4-Disc Collector's Edition Analysis
I'm reviewing the 4-Disc Collector's Edition. I'll go through each disc individually to give you a good idea of what you will be getting, and which version you should purchase. But first, let's briefly discuss the movie itself.

If you haven't seen the film yet, you will still undoubtedly be aware of the polarized reception it received. Some love it, some hate it. Instead of giving you another opinion on why it's the best/worst film ever, let me tell you what to expect. PROMETHEUS is not a horror film. Certainly it has structural similarities to ALIEN, and there is one scene that I would consider very "stressful." But overall, the film is what I would classify as a "concept drama." That is, a drama that doesn't focus on characters, but rather on concept. Don't let any of the tense trailers fool you, this movie was meant as a discussion piece, not an adrenaline rush. You can decide whether it succeeds or fails when you watch it yourself.

Onto the discs...

Take the Scientist's Survival Pop Quiz v2.0!
Are your survival skills as finely honed as the scientists aboard Prometheus? Let's find out...

You, a scientist, have landed on a distant planet with a team of fellow scientists in search of alien life. What would you do in the following scenarios?

1. Upon first arrival and entrance into what appears to be a manufactured cave structure, you deploy very high tech scanning and mapping probes. Do you:
A) Also send out your android crew member to evaluate any possible danger and then wait for the probes to finish scanning and mapping before you begin exploring?
B) Brazenly charge forward into the unknown and maybe consult your equipment's discoveries later, shrugging off any blips of alien life as an equipment malfunction?

2. While traveling through the cave structure on this alien planet you discover the presence of oxygen in the air. Do you:
A) Keep your space helmet secured tightly because there may be any number of unknown elements,...

A Return to SciFi
"Prometheus has landed." You've all no doubt seen the bombardment of television advertisements ranging from ESPN collaborations with the NBA Finals to Coors Light ads featuring the impressive ship landing on an alien surface. Ridley Scott defined the science fiction horror genre when he gave us an absolute perfect film in 1979: "Alien." There is nothing I can fault with this film. It's the perfect blend of science and horror. It uses suspense rather than gore. It rarely shows us the creature lurking aboard the ship, yet we feel like we've been forced to stare at it's disturbing makeup for hours. In fact, the alien (or "xenomorph") is only seen on screen for a total of 4 minutes. In a two plus hour film. You'd swear he was staring you in the face the entire time. So, when Scott announced two years ago that he would be revisiting the universe he helped redefine, I was ecstatic. I followed the film when it was known simply as "Alien 5," then "The Untitled Ridley Scott Alien...

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Big: 25th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray]

an expertly told modern fairy tale
This film still contains Tom Hanks best performance in my opinion. Big is an expertly told modern fairy tale that captures perfectly the innocence and the enthusiasm of youth. This movie gets flawless performances from all the actors and actresses involved. It reminds us all of when we were young and Big is a testament to why we should always stay young at heart.

Big is among my favorite films of all-time and I honestly can't see any reason why someone would dislike this movie. In fact I believe it is the best movie to be made in the 80's and it's huge heart will allow Big too stand the test of time.

The best of the body swap films...
... and there's no body swapping in it!

This film has aged really well; the comedy and dialogue is really sharp, the acting is believable and there's never a dull moment. Instead of going over the story, I want to quote what screenwriting legend, Robert McKee wrote about the film which rings true; "At the crisis, Josh [Tom Hanks] faces irreconcilable goods; an adult life with a fulfilling career and the woman he loves verus a return to adolescence. He makes the mature choice to have his childhood expressing with fine irony that he at last became 'big'. For he and we sense that the key to maturity is to have had a complete childhood. But becuase life has short-changed so many of us in youth, we live, to one degree or another, in a false sense of maturity. BIG is a very wise film."

Sure the toys have changed and yes, Billy Idol is tied to the soundtrack but the message still remains the same. This should be required viewing for all families.

"Extended" edition ?
Experience tells me there's two kinds of "Extended editions": the first are the ones in which the director was forced to do something against his will to fit the movie to a certain length (see Terminator 2, Aliens, Blade Runner, etc.), and the second are the ones in which the outakes weren't all that damaged so the studio took a strictly merchandising decision.
BIG EXTENDED EDITION is obviously the latter but don't let that discourage you, this is one of the funniest films of the 80s and there's is no question it was the one film that took Tom Hanks from OK TV star to bona fide movie star.
My favorite scene: the eating of the "little corn". I loved learning from the extras that it was totally the product of improvising at the last second !
This is an excelent DVD, it's just that my next viewing of it will be by choosing the original cut.

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Simpsons: Season 16 Molded Head

Contains Bonus Episode!
An unexpected treat of this Season 16 box set is that it contains "Holidays of Future Passed", which aired only two years ago and is in full-screen format instead of widescreen. In future volumes, there should be direct-to-DVD episodes of "The Simpsons" which have not aired on TV. That would be something.

My collection continues, Amazon rocks!
I have favorites from all seasons. Sure, some of the humor isn't as funny as earlier seasons, but each season still has its gems and is enough for me to continue investing in them.

I pre-order through Amazon when I know I don't have time to head to Best Buy (who have the Collector units available immediately on the shelf) and its always quick & easy. Thanks Amazon!

Nuff Said
Its the Simpsons and they totally rule. This particular item is NOT the 3 dimensional plastic character face version. In case you are collecting that alternate version of Simpson's DVDs. This is the flat box version. Long live the Simpsons.
RIP Mrs. Crabapple-Flanders.

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The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season

Simpsons! I am older than most think out there and should be watching PBS or something but...
The Simpson's Treehouse of Horror series is simply funny and clever! I can watch these things over and over. I have stopped watching regularly but whenever I have seen all of Archer or the Venture Brothers, the place I head to is Fox's best animated family!

Homer At the Bat
This classic Simpsons episode is great. The graphics are a little outdated but that's because it's from season 3. This episode is baseball themed featuring many old baseball greats such as Roger Clemens and Ken Griffey Jr. along with many more.

Family
I love this season. The cartoon artists are great. I can't wait for more seasons to be released.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Rick

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A Good Day to Die Hard

Come On, It's John McClane!
I agree with other reviewers who are wondering where all the bad reviews are coming from! It's a DIE HARD movie so you know exactly what you are going to get when you pay your money at the box office. If you are a DIE HARD fan, this movie gives you exactly what you are expecting... ridiculously crazy action. No way John McClane can survive another bad situation - but you know he will because it's John McClane and you can't wait to find out how bad he gets beat up in the process. If you don't like this kind of action, don't watch it, but for what it is supposed to be, this is a good movie!

Not a Die Hard Movie
This is a difficult film to review.

Die Hard 5 is not going to please you if you are hoping for a film like the first Die Hard: underdog good cop in a situation over his head struggling to make things turn out right while the government/cops etc. try to to handle the situation.

The GOOD:

This film is an excellent action movie with a couple of ridiculous scenes--like the transition from bridge to road below, or from chopper to roof, etc. You'll understand. The action is incredible and beautifully shot. The car chase alone is a new experience, the way the bystanders and cars get tossed about. It's unlike any chase scene I can remember. The only disturbing part is how many innocents John must have killed! lol. His son has a few cool CIA gadgets. There are a few nice plot twists. On it's own, the film is a fun ride, fun to watch, thrills unfolding in a novel way.

But . . . it is not Die Hard. It is a weak reflection of the series we adore...

It's a Good Time To Try Harder
Yes, John McClane is back. That's good, except this particular outing is not exactly the best of the quintet. In fact, at best it probably ranks somewhere around the fourth or fifth of the bunch. The franchise is getting lazy. REALLY lazy, but more on that in a minute.

On the flip side, you probably didn't come to this one to think, anyway.

This time McClane is in Russia: his estranged son Jack (Jai Courtney) has turned up in Moscow, charged with murder, and he's copping a plea deal by testifying against a highly popular political prisoner whose trial could bring down a (need I say it?) corrupt high-ranking Russian official.

But as always, there are complications. As the commercials tell you, his son is a CIA spy, deep undercover, and the only thing about him that's real is his deep-seated anger at his father. Regardless, John flies out to Moscow (filled in for nicely by shots of Budapest, Hungary).

Given the immensity of the case...

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The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season

Breakout season for America's first family
The Simpsons second season is where the writers and producers really began to test their mettle and delve away from the standard "reality" that grips most sitcoms. In short, they realized this was animation and they would be able to do more and push the characters farther. The focus in the 2nd season was still primarily on Bart, but there were other great moments.

Bart Gets An F -- Bart is in danger of being held back in the 4th grade, so me makes a deal with the class brainiac Martin Prince.

Simpson and Delilah -- Homer finds a miracle hair tonic and scams the nuclear power plant medical insurance into paying it. He discovers that a full head of hair leads to success. (Guest voice: Harvey Fierstein)

Treehouse of Horror -- the show that started a grand tradition of The Simpsons Halloween specials. James Earl Jones lends his voice to read Poe's "The Raven."

Two Cars In Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish -- Bart catches a 3-eyed mutant fish in a pond near the nuclear...

America's Favorite Family
These are the episodes I grew up with! Simpson fans have been waiting for a collection like this for a long time. Well, the wait is over! The following are the first ten episodes and a brief commentary.
1) Bart Gets an F: Bart fails yet another test and makes a deal with Martin...tutoring in exchange for lessons in coolness. Martin relishes his new persona and abandons the deal. Bart tries his and still fails, but he manages to impress Mrs. Krabappel into giving him a D.
2)Simpson and Delilah: Homer's new head of hair transforms from a lazy slob into a young go-getter...at least Mr. Burns thinks so. He awards Homer a new position and an assistant named Karl. Eventually he loses his new hair and new career.
3)Treehouse of Horror: The first in the annual series. First tale finds the Simpsons in a haunted house that drives them mad. In the second tale the family is abducted by Kang and Kodos. The final segment is Homer's interpertaion of "The Raven".
4)Two...

Episodes, Interviews, Music Videos... and Butterfingers!
As good or better than the Season 1 set of discs. These discs are jam packed full of quality entertainment... twenty-two episodes from their 2nd season, commentary, 2 Bart videos ("Deep, Deep Trouble", and "Do the Bartman"), 3 different Butterfinger commercials, still photos, DVD easter eggs, and a special Emmy awards presentation. Animation is sharper - even the rougher (Season 1) Simpson's are fine with me. Comic wit is bolder and cruder. Over a decade of prime time animated TV and I still have not seen an episode I haven't liked.

Season 2 episodes in order:
"Bart Gets An F"
"Simpson And Delilah"
"Treehouse Of Horror I"
"Two Cars In Every Garage And Three Eyes On Every Fish"
"Dancin' Homer"
"Dead Putting Society"
"Bart Vs. Thanksgiving"
"Bart The Daredevil"
"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
"Bart Gets Hit By A Car"
"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"
"The Way We Was"
"Homer Vs. Lisa And The 8th...

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The Simpsons: The Sixteenth Season [Blu-ray]

Contains Bonus Episode!
An unexpected treat of this Season 16 box set is that it contains "Holidays of Future Passed", which aired only two years ago and is in full-screen format instead of widescreen. In future volumes, there should be direct-to-DVD episodes of "The Simpsons" which have not aired on TV. That would be something.

My collection continues, Amazon rocks!
I have favorites from all seasons. Sure, some of the humor isn't as funny as earlier seasons, but each season still has its gems and is enough for me to continue investing in them.

I pre-order through Amazon when I know I don't have time to head to Best Buy (who have the Collector units available immediately on the shelf) and its always quick & easy. Thanks Amazon!

Nuff Said
Its the Simpsons and they totally rule. This particular item is NOT the 3 dimensional plastic character face version. In case you are collecting that alternate version of Simpson's DVDs. This is the flat box version. Long live the Simpsons.
RIP Mrs. Crabapple-Flanders.

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Enough Said

Gandolfini, Louis-Dreyfus exquisite in 'Enough Said'
While this is still going to be a movie review, it's also one of those rare occasions where a massive amount of bias - in this case admiration, will likely overshadow anything and everything that's said about this particular film. This is due largely to the tragic death of a man that will go down in my book (and many others) as one of the greatest actors to ever grace the big or small screen. Of course, I'm referring to James Gandolfini - a beloved individual that was taken well before his time. He was a man with immense talent that saw no bounds, starring in arguably the greatest television show of all-time, The Sopranos. But, before he starred as the loveable gangster, Tony Soprano, he made his everlasting mark in films, like Get Shorty, True Romance, and The Mexican. Since the conclusion of The Sopranos in 2007, Gandolfini took on much more reduced roles, acting in supporting roles, such as Zero Dark Thirty, Not Fade Away, and Killing Them Softly. Thankfully, in one of his...

4.5 stars--- outstanding yet bitter-sweet relationship drama
"Enough Said" (2013 release; 93 min.) brings the story of Eva (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a middle-aged divorcee whose daughter is about to go off the college across the country. As the movie opens, we see Eva make house calls to her clients to provide massages. One evening, Eva tags along with her friends to a party, and there gets introduced to several people, including Albert (played by James Gandolfini), also a middle-aged and divorced (we later learn that his daughter is also about to go off to college). Eva also gets introduced to Marianne (played by Catherine Keener), a well-known poet who is lonely and hires Eva to give her massages (and bend her ear about her lousy ex). Eva and Albert go on a first date, and things are going surprisingly well. Meanwhile Eva is dealing with her daughter's pending departure. At this point we are about 30 min. into the movie, and to tell you more of the plot would surely ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how...

James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Nicole's Holocener's best film yet
Nicole Holofcener has directed a handful of movies that few people have seen. They have fallen into a category of "women's movies" that most men steer clear of lest they become gay or something. I've seen them all ("Lovely & Amazing" is my favorite) and I'm still straight. And while her movies are far from terrible they are not terribly memorable either. "Enough Said" is her best feature yet and yes, it's OK for a man too.

A large part of the attraction is the late James Gandolfini who plays Albert, a bit of a slob, but funny and adorable. Albert is divorced from Marianne (Holofcener regular Catherine Keener). Together they have a daughter heading for college. Although Albert is a key character in the storyline, his counterpart, Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has multiple relationships to deal with. If you've watched Louis-Dreyfus over the years, you should be able to appreciate her dead-pan humor, much of which is displayed all over her face. That talent comes across...

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