DVDpedia : Library : Title : H

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 142

Summary: Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", because it's another grand slam for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the arthouse success of "Y Tu Mamá También", director Alfonso Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry face a new and daunting challenge: Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J.K. Rowling's book, considered by many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge. This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry (the fast-growing Daniel Radcliffe) and his third-year Hogwarts classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination (loyally adapted by ace screenwriter Steve Kloves), "The Prisoner of Azkaban" is a Potter-movie classic. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 152

Summary: Here's an event movie that holds up to being an event. This filmed version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", adapted from the wildly popular book by J.K. Rowling, stunningly brings to life Harry Potter's world of Hogwarts, the school for young witches and wizards. The greatest strength of the film comes from its faithfulness to the novel, and this new cinematic world is filled with all the details of Rowling's imagination, thanks to exuberant sets, elaborate costumes, clever makeup and visual effects, and a crème de la crème cast, including Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, and more. Especially fine is the interplay between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his schoolmates Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), as well as his protector, the looming Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). The second-half adventure--involving the titular sorcerer's stone--doesn't translate perfectly from page to screen, ultimately because of the film's fidelity to the novel; this is a case of making a movie for the book's fans, as opposed to a transcending film. Writer Steve Kloves and director Chris Columbus keep the spooks in check, making this a true family film, and with its resourceful hero wide-eyed and ready, one can't wait for Harry's return. Ages 8 and up. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 1950

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Classics

Duration: 105

Summary: It's always a small surprise to revisit this movie and realize what a subtly dark performance James Stewart gives as an alcoholic who claims he keeps company with a six-foot-tall, invisible rabbit. As Elwood P. Dowd, the actor emits a faint whiff of decay and spirits, yet Stewart also embraces Dowd's romanticism and grace with splendid ease. Based on a hit play and directed by Henry Koster, the film is terribly funny at times, especially whenever Elwood decides it's only polite to introduce Harvey to complete strangers. The supporting cast can't be beat. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical:

Studio: Revolution

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 122

Summary:

Theatrical:

Studio: St Clair Vision

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 809

Summary: I flipped out when I saw this recently in a store, and knew immediately that it would be going home with me. NINE old and hard to find Hitchcock movies for TEN bucks?? HELL YEAH!



I just got it so I can't say anything yet about the quality of the discs except that my first peek at "The Lady Vanishes" proved that the sound and overall picture quality could have been a lot better. But come on, for ten bucks, you get what you pay for, am I right? And as someone in no position to pay for the lovely but very pricey Hitchcock collections in all the fancy packaging, I was more than pleased to shell out ten dollars for this hidden jewel.



Did I mention that it costs ten dollars???



There are three discs total, each with three movies on it and a special feature. I will come back and edit this review with details as I take my time enjoying the product!



DISC ONE:



"Blackmail" (1929) -- Hitch's first sound film, but still "silent" as in there are title cards in place of spoken dialogue. The "sound" is music and effects. It's about a young engaged woman who is blackmailed by an artist.



"The Lady Vanishes" (1938) -- One of Hitch's best, hands down. Far superior to Jodie Foster's recent pretender "Flightplan". It's about a young woman who befriends an older woman on a European train, only to fall asleep and wake up to find the woman replaced by someone else, and everyone around her insisting that nothing has changed. She must prove that her friend is missing and hidden somewhere on the train. The film starts a bit slow but winds up becoming a fast-paced, very suspenseful ride that still retains a clever dash of comedy.



"Rich and Strange" (1932) -- I've actually never seen or even heard of this one! I can't wait to see it. Here's the description from the back of the packaging: "Fredy and Emily, a young married couple, decide to take a cruise around the world after then come into a sizeable inheritance. While on the cruise both Emily and Fredy become romantically involved with the wrong people, and end up broke. Forced to journey home on a cargo boat, the couple sadly realizes that the worst is yet to come."



EXTRAS: Three original trailers for Hitchcock classics "Dial M for Murder", "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief". Whoever compiled these obviously has a thing for Grace Kelly. These are nice, but I just wish they had included trailers for movies that actually appear in this set. Oh well. Did I mention that it costs ten dollars?





DIC TWO:



"Sabotage" (1936) -- "Karl Verlok leads a secret life as a paid terrorist, which has lead undercover agent Ted Spencer to move in next door to Verlok and his wife Sylvia. Feeling that something's up, Verlok sends Sylvia's younger brother to deliver something for him, only the young man doesn't know he's delivering a time-bomb. Based on Joseph Conrad's novel 'The Secret Agent.'" I've never seen this one either, but it sure sounds good!



"Secret Agent" (1936) -- "An ever-windeing tale of deception: Secret Agent revolves around British novelist Edgar Brodie and secret agent Elsa Carrington. Their search for a ruthless murderer takes them to Switzerland, through the Alps and a train to Greece. Will a surprise air attack bring an end to their search and their lives? Based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham."



"The 39 Steps" (1938) -- Classic Hitchcock. One of many films he did that center around an unwitting person being drawn into a web of terror and suspense, and being the only one who can save the day. This is also based upon a novel, and it was one of Hitchcock's biggest early hits.

**The audio and picture quality on this movie are HORRIBLE. You will not be able to understand the dialogue in several sections, no matter how much you rewind, and the print is full of scratches. If thsi movie is one of the main reasons you buy the collection, just know that you WILL want to invest in a remastered copy, eventually.



BONUS FEATURE: Rare radio appearance by Alfred Hitchcock! This feature is a radio broadcast that plays over a wonderful poster gallery of Hitchcock's film releases -- including some international posters in German and French. If you're like me, you'll have to experience this extra at least twice! I spent the first time so enthralled by the posters that I forgot to listen to the broadcast! :-)





DISC THREE:



"Number 17" (1932) -- I have another copy of this that my mom picked up in a dollar store, but I still haven't seen it! It's basically about a gang of jewel thieves pursued by Detective Gilbert, and involves a train sequence that preludes his future as a quinessential director of movies with pivotal scenes in trains.



"The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934) -- Hitch later remade this in the 50s with Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart. This is the original, and I can't wait to see it! One of the couple's friends is murdered, and before he dies, he whispers a vital clue to them that they must then solve, before it's too late!



"The Lodger" (1926) -- "Quiet and secretive Jonathan Drew has just rented a room in a London boarding house. Coincidentally, his arrival overlaps with the brutal murders orchestrated by Jack the Ripper. The Lodger is the first movie to be designated as a true 'Hitchcock picture'. A gem for collectors."



BONUS FEATURE: "About Hitchcock"





One *major* drawback is that NONE of these discs have subtitles of any kind, not even English for the hearing impaired. So don't buy this present for a deaf friend, and if you have a deaf friend who is upset that they can't enjoy the movies with you, just write them a note explaining that it only cost you ten dollars.



Overall, however, this ENTIRE PACKAGE is "A gem for collectors"!! The big expensive Hitchcock collections have his better known and later films, which are all available individually as well. This one has early stuff only, most of which I personally have never seen anywhere else. If you're as die-hard a fan as I am, you'll want this in your collection even if you CAN afford the higher-end stuff. The only thing that would make it better would have been more trailers, more extras, and a booklet of some kind. Instead, all you get is the discs themselves. But the crazy thing is that I would have gladly paid $30 for this set, as is. And instead I got it for ten.



TEN!!!



Don't let this bargain pass you by!!

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Fox Network

Genre: Television

Duration: 972

Summary: He pops pills, watches soaps, and always, always says what's on his mind. He's Dr. Gregory House (Emmy nominee Hugh Laurie, "Blackadder"). Producers David Shore, Bryan Singer, Katie Jacobs, and Paul Attanasio haven't rewritten the hospital drama--at heart, it's a cross between "St. Elsewhere", "ER", and "C.S.I."--but they've infused a moribund genre with new life and created one of TV's most compelling characters. More than any previous medical procedural, it resembles Attanasio’s underrated "Gideon's Crossing", but "House" is lighter on its feet. As fascinating as he is, the show wouldn't work as well if it were all House all the time (that would be like Sherlock Holmes without Watson or Moriarty). Fortunately, he's joined by an intriguing cast of characters, portrayed by a combination of experienced vets (Omar Epps, Lisa Edelstein, Tony winner Robert Sean Leonard) and new faces (Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer). Aside from the complicated cases they tackle each week, the sparks really fly when House's brilliant, if naïve charges are put to the test--and as the head of a teaching hospital, it's his job to test them (although his tough love approach is constantly landing him in hot water with Edelstein's administrator). From the first episode, "House" attracted a talented array of guests, including Robin Tunney ("Pilot"), Joe Morton ("Role Model"), and Patrick Bauchau ("Cursed") as Spencer’s father. In addition, Chi McBride and Sela Ward appear frequently (with Ward returning for the second season). Viewers who first watched these 22 episodes on Fox will be gratified to note that the music has survived the transition to disc, such as the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," as featured in both the pilot and season finale ("Honeymoon"). The only apparent omission is the credit theme (Massive Attack's "Teardrop") from the pilot. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical: 1969

Studio: White Star

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 65

Summary: And now for something completely rare. This 1968 television special is essential for connoisseurs of British humor and, of course, Monty Python completists. A pre-Python John Cleese teams up with Michael Palin and Graham Chapman (with invaluable assistance from co-"Fawlty Towers" creator Connie Booth and Tim Brooke-Taylor) for sketches that serve as a master class in demonstrating insincerity, inefficiency, and all-around rude behavior "to help people become more neurotic." The tricky bit, Cleese teaches, "is to never push the unsuspecting victim too far. With skill and tact, we can keep tensions bottled up for weeks, months, eventually you may induce a nervous breakdown, or better still, actual damage to the brain cells." Cleese and company portray very irritating parents, moviegoers, waiters, and partygoers. Of special interest to Python fans will be an auto mechanic sketch that anticipates the classic "Dead Parrot" sketch, as well as the job interview sketch that later found its way into the Python repertoire. This time capsule gem is, as Cleese observes at one point, "effective, but not very subtle." "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 111

Summary: The Coen brothers ("Raising Arizona", "Fargo") have become the most consistently original filmmakers in the land. In a salute/reworking of the fast-talking comedies of the '40s, we follow Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) and his amazing rise to the top. But he's only a puppet for the evil Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman), who wants the company for himself. The Coens' design is the real star, and their first big-budget film will stimulate movie fans. The story weakens in the middle, but you will find very few films that move with this much imagination. As a Kate Hepburn hybrid, Jennifer Jason Leigh is wonderful in an almost unplayable role. The less you know about the film, the better it plays, so just think of it as "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" mixed with "Brazil" and every journalistic drama made before 1960. Cowritten by Sam Raimi. "--Doug Thomas"