DVDpedia : Groove Quantize DVD Library : Title : L

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Mca Home Video

Genre: Horror

Summary: Bolstered by the success of "28 Days Later", "Shaun of the Dead", the "Resident Evil" movies and the hit remake of his own "Dawn of the Dead", George A. Romero returns to the horror subgenre he invented with "Land of the Dead". The fourth installment in Romero's zombie cycle (and the first since 1985's "Day of the Dead") presents a logical progression of events since 1968's horror classic "Night of the Living Dead": Zombies (also known as "stenches" for their rotting odor) are the dominant population, and they've begun to show signs of undead intelligence and gathering power. The wealthiest survivors live comfortably in a luxury high-rise within a barricaded safe zone, ignoring the horrors of the outside world while armed scavengers stage raids in the zombie-zone to gather much-needed food and supplies. Simon Baker and John Leguizamo play mercenaries-for-hire; Dennis Hopper is their nefarious boss; and horror favorite Asia Argento (daughter of "Suspiria" director Dario Argento) plays a former hooker recruited into Baker's scavenger squad. While none of this seems particularly fresh or inspired, "Land of the Dead" benefits from hints of the social satire that made Romero's earlier zombie films so memorable. Not so much funny as gruesomely peculiar, Romero's plot isn't as inventive as it could've been, but as a big-scale B-movie, "Land of the Dead" delivers a handful of shocks and horror-celebrity cameos (including gore-masters Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero) that should keep horror buffs happy until the next zombie opus comes along. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 101

Summary: Pile together a blue-ribbon cast, a screenplay high in quirkiness, and the Sundance stamp of approval, and you've got yourself a crossover indie hit. That formula worked for "Little Miss Sunshine", a frequently hilarious study of family dysfunction. Meet the Hoovers, an Albuquerque clan riddled with depression, hostility, and the tattered remnants of the American Dream; despite their flakiness, they manage to pile into a VW van for a weekend trek to L.A. in order to get moppet daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) into the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Much of the pleasure of this journey comes from watching some skillful comic actors doing their thing: Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette as the parents (he's hoping to become a self-help authority), Alan Arkin as a grandfather all too willing to give uproariously inappropriate advice to a sullen teenage grandson (Paul Dano), and a subdued Steve Carell as a jilted gay professor on the verge of suicide. The film is a crowd-pleaser, and if anything is a little too eager to bend itself in the direction of quirk-loving Sundance audiences; it can feel forced. But the breezy momentum and the ingenious actors help push the material over any bumps in the road.-- "Robert Horton"


Beyond "Little Miss Sunshine"
More Dysfunctional Family Comedies
More films from the stars of "Little Miss Sunshine"
More Independent Films Turned Sleeper Hits Stills from "Little Miss Sunshine"

Theatrical: 1976

Studio: Warner Studios

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: Along with the 70's cultural phenomenon 'Star Wars' and the later monumental 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind', 'Logan's Run' injected enduring respectability into the science fiction genre helping give way to the studios willingness to produce big budget sci-fi. Though there had been earlier successful financial ventures into the field of science fiction ('Planet Of The Apes', 'Westworld', etc.) the release of these three would push the genre over-the-top and open the door for all the mega-buck blockbusters that have followed.Distinguished by dazzling special effects for it's time, 'Logan's Run' continues to gather a strong cult following even within the core of today's sophisticated film fans. The combination of intelligent storytelling, a superb synthesized music score interpolated with some orchestral arrangements and both inspired set and scenic design prove too irresistible for nearly everyone. But perhaps what provides the movie it's biggest reason for longevity is the exemplary cast; featuring Michael York, Jenny Agutter and Richard Jordan in the three primary leads, their terrific performances propel this cinematic treat. Besides the star trio 'Logan's Run' also has memorable portrayals by Peter Ustinov as the "Old Man" and Roscoe Lee Browne as "Box" a robot sentry that York and Agutter encounter during their attempt to find the secret paradise of Sanctuary. The two veteran film actors steal every scene they're in; Browne is actually inside the robot mechanism making all those movements we see - and his resonating voice imbues the odd-looking sentry with a foreboding sense of evil. Ustinov reportedly adlibbed much of his own dialogue at the insistence of the film's director Michael Anderson. The "Old Man" will be etched into your mind forever once you see this remarkable performance. 70's pop culture sensation Farrah Fawcett appears briefly in the pivotal role of Holly, just prior to the launching of the television series "Charlie's Angels".Since it's release in 1976 'Logan's Run' has been superceded by many science fiction and fantasy films of superior quality, aided immensely by the many technological advances in computer generated animation and all areas of special effects. Personally I find that only a few them achieve the same inestimable factor of entertainment that this film does. Also, like me the film's many ardent fans, most of whom have fond sentimental memories of this film, do not forget it's importance to this genre or fail to recognize it's influence upon several movies that have followed in it's wake.

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: AV Channel

Genre: Action

Duration: 78 mins

Summary: Lone Wolf and cub battle against their most powerful enemies yet. In the fourth instalment of the series, Daigoro is kidnapped by his father's most dealy enemy Retsudo- head of the Yagyu assasssin clan. Hired to kill a the delicious and deadly Oyuki- a lady ninja who confuses her enemies by fighting topless- the Lone Wolf must fight for his son against an army of assassins in the biggest body count battle in Samurai history.

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: AV Channel

Genre: Action

Duration: 86 mins

Summary: The carnage continues as Lone Wolf and Cub return for their fifth adventure. Assasssins for hire- Lone Wolf and Cub are drawn into a violent web of intrigue that leads to their arch enemy Lord Retsudo. Five of the greatest warriors of ancient Japan are sent to destroy our beloved and bloody duo in a superb samurai splatterfest.

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: AV Channel

Genre: Action

Duration: 84 mins

Summary: Lone wolf and Cub return for their final battle. The ultimate confrontation between the masterless Lone Wolf and Retsudo of the evil Yagyu clan is the bloodiest of the series. Lone wolf must use all of his skills to attempt to survive against an army in the frozen wastelands where the snow runs red with blood.

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: AnimEigo

Genre: Action & Adventure

Summary: I wanna mention up front that though this is probably only a 4 star movie overall, action movie's are held to a lower standard in my book, and by those standards this is a 5.



This movie's not big on plot, but I'll talk about it some anyway. In the first film, Sword of Vengeance, which I haven't actually seen, Ogami Itto, the Shoggunate assassin, is framed for treason and his wife is murdered by the Yagyu clan. Thus he is now a Ronin, and he and his young son Daigoro wander the country as assassins. In this film they are hired to assassinate some guy to prevent the Awa clan from losing their secret dye processing method, or something like that, while they are continually hunted by the Yagyu clan. The man they need to assassinate is being guarded by the 3 Gods of Death, who wield a spikey-fist, a mace-type thing and a claw hand, whom Ogami will need to defeat in the final showdown.



The 2 protagonists are quite appealing. Ogami is your standard vengeance-seeking, morally dubious hero who is taciturn and isolated. Perhaps not the most original characterization in the world, but it's a good one none the less. And what can I say, Daigoro is a cute kid. Their relationship adds a greater emotional depth to the film, and not in the traditionally manipulative use of children in film. i.e. you sympathize with Ogami when Daigoro is in danger because Ogami is his father moreso than because Daigoro is a little kid. The villains are alright too, though they don't really do all that much other than fight. There's a bit of evil laughter on their part which seems a bit forced, but it's not to big a deal. Other than that the acting is generally more than competent, though it's harder to judge this sort of thing when you don't speak the languange.



This film is beautifully shot, with lots of great outdoor locations. Lotsa nice long shots as well, which remind of Leone's westerns and accentuate the landscape too. The dune filled desert at the end is particularly stunning. Overall the film has great atmosphere.(The scenes where Ogami listens to the drums of the Kurokawa are especially atmospheric) The music is good enough if not remarkable. It suits the material, but nothing really jumps out at you. The action scenes are just great, as they ought to be in an action movie. These are nice, old fashioned actions scenes where you actually get to see what's going on, and the camera actually sits still. It's melee stuff, of course, but always with weapons. Though the fight at the end is good, the ones with the female Shinobi and Kurokawa in the forest are the best. This series is most famous for its extravagant, over the top gore, and it doesn't disappoint. Limbs fly, arteries spray 20 feet or more, faces are cut down the middle etc. The most notable scene comes early in the film where, a pack of female Shinobi slowly dismember their opponent, eventually leaving him a limbless and rather dead torso. Despite the stylized nature of the gore this film isn't camp. Though the gore is over the top, and some of the moves they use in battle can be a bit whacky, the film is very serious and professional otherwise, and always plays the material straight.



Well, what else is there to say. It's got great action, which is all you need for an action movie, and some good atmosphere and cool characters to boot. Definitely worthwhile.

Theatrical:

Studio: AV Channel

Genre: Box Sets

Duration: 510 mins

Summary:

Theatrical: 1973

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 112

Summary: Raymond Chandler's cynically idealistic hero, Philip Marlowe, has been played by everyone from Humphrey Bogart to James Garner--but no one gives him the kind of weirdly affect-less spin that Elliott Gould does in this terrific Robert Altman reimagining of Chandler's penultimate novel. Altman recasts Marlowe as an early '70s L.A. habitué, who gets involved in a couple of cases at once. The most interesting involves a suicidal writer (Sterling Hayden in a larger-than-life performance) whom Marlowe is supposed to keep away from malevolent New-Ageish guru Henry Gibson. A variety of wonderfully odd characters pop up, played by everyone from model Nina Van Pallandt to director Mark Rydell to ex-baseballer Jim Bouton. And yes, that is Arnold Schwarzenegger (in only his second movie) popping up as (what else?) a muscleman. Listen for the title song: It shows up in the strangest places. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Summary: The extended editions of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings present the greatest trilogy in film history in the most ambitious sets in DVD history. In bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's nearly unfilmable work to the screen, Jackson benefited from extraordinary special effects, evocative New Zealand locales, and an exceptionally well-chosen cast, but most of all from his own adaptation with co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, preserving Tolkien's vision and often his very words, but also making logical changes to accommodate the medium of film. While purists complained about these changes and about characters and scenes left out of the films, the almost two additional hours of material in the extended editions (about 11 hours total) help appease them by delving more deeply into Tolkien's music, the characters, and loose ends that enrich the story, such as an explanation of the Faramir-Denethor relationship, and the appearance of the Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor. In addition, the extended editions offer more bridge material between the films, further confirming that the trilogy is really one long film presented in three pieces (which is why it's the greatest trilogy ever--there's no weak link). The scene of Galadriel's gifts to the Fellowship added to the first film proves significant over the course of the story, while the new Faramir scene at the end of the second film helps set up the third and the new Saruman scene at the beginning of the third film helps conclude the plot of the second. To top it all off, the extended editions offer four discs per film: two for the longer movie, plus four commentary tracks and stupendous DTS 6.1 ES sound; and two for the bonus material, which covers just about everything from script creation to special effects. The argument was that fans would need both versions because the bonus material is completely different, but the features on the theatrical releases are so vastly inferior that the only reason a fan would need them would be if they wanted to watch the shorter versions they saw in theaters (the last of which, The Return of the King, merely won 12 Oscars). The LOTR extended editions without exception have set the DVD standard by providing a richer film experience that pulls the three films together and further embraces Tolkien's world, a reference-quality home theater experience, and generous, intelligent, and engrossing bonus features. --David Horiuchi

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Summary: It took some time, but at last the third and last episode of the LoTR saga is in the cinemas. Surely, I would fully recommend anyone to go and watch it, even if it's only because this episode completes the cycle. And of course, everyone will do so. But although the movie is a really fine one, it's not up to par with its two predecessors. Why? First some pros:-First-rate acting. The roles of Sam (Sean Astin), Eowyn (Miranda Otto) and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) are my favourites throughout the movie, but their colleagues (Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Elijah Wood and the rest) are also pretty good. There's no moment you'd consider them unbelievable or so. These actors are really perfect. The only strange person in the film is Denethor, who is too much of a weirdo here. -As you'd expect: great special effects. During the battle for Minas Tirith, Aragorn and his men are aided by some mysterious folks I won't spoil, but they look pretty amazing. The city itself is also beautifully animated, and I couldn't believe that it was all just computer animation. Oh, and those monsters! The flying dinosaurs of the previous movies return, but there are also some other birds flying around. Furthermore, some gigantic mammoths, ugly trolls, again a massive amount of orks, and much more. And when the evil land of Mordor finally falls (... Oh really? Does it?), it unleashes one final earthquake that is magisterially animated. -Of course, the simple fact that Jackson and friends have been able to breathe new life into Tolkien's books should be praised in any way. Some great humour too, by the way: our Dwarf Gimli has not lost his sharp tongue. And there are some undeniably heroic moments, such as Eowyn fighting at Minas Tirith (no more details...). The end of the story is also solidly done.But unlike all those LoTR high-priests on this page, I wouldn't say the movie is without its flaws. Of course, filming such a great epos will deliver some problems, and I respect that. But the way Jackson handles these problems nevertheless is a bit irritating at times. Here are a few cons:-Gollum / Smeagol appeared to be a somewhat schizophrenic guy in the second movie. But this time, his whole person is focused at just one thing: stealing the ring and killing the hobbits. He is not the split-into-two-minds-guy anymore, instead he's just evil. Too bad. Still though, he speaks of 'we', as if he still has his good side with him. But we don't see anything of that good side here. Additionally, I began to HATE that Gollum completely, because there were at least three scenes in the first hour where Gollum was saying the same boring line, you know: "hehehehe, Smeagol's gonna kill the hobbitses, hehehehe, and then he takes the precious, and the precious will be his, hehehehe". OK, if he'd say this one time I would not care, but now, almost the entire beginning of the film focuses on that nasty guy.-Where is Saruman? It is a bit too easy: just saying in the beginning of the movie that "Saruman has lost his power" and then ignoring him completely. He was the most important bad guy of the previous two movies! Even his loss of the Palantir is not showed. Why oh why? -Frodo's journey through Mordor is quite perverse. He does not meet ONE ork on his way! The whole land is empty! Yeah, "because the orks had all gone to the gate", blah blah blah. If that Lord Sauron would be really mighty, he would not have allowed a stupid hobbit to cross his land so easily. I expected that the journey through Mordor would be the most exciting part of the film, but it turned out to be the easiest one. -'The Fellowship of the Ring' showed us the history of the ring and the beginning of the fellowship. And some fighting with mysterious black knights and orks. That was all interesting. 'The Two Towers' was centred on the heroic battle at Helm's Deep, and the adventures of Frodo and Sam with Gollum. Still refreshing. But here, in the third movie, there is just another Helm's Deep-like battle (now at Minas Tirith), and then another one, at the gates of Mordor. And in the meantime, there are again Frodo, Sam and also Gollum talking about his precious. It feels as if everything is recycled over and over. And unlike the previous parts, there are just too many heroic moments in this movie. You know, twenty mountain-peaks form a very boring highland together. And yes, the story is oh-so-predictable. But so is the book, so Jackson and co. can't help.Those are some negative comments, and I could add that the music was terrible at times (I like the Wagner and Mahler-style, but this music sometimes was like hammering on a steel pan), and more. But don't think I hate the film. In fact, I like it very much, but when you like a movie, the less good parts of it are all the more annoying. And I wanted to warn for that: don't expect the most brilliant movie you'll ever see. You might like it all the more after all when watching it with fewer expectations. It's good, even essential for everybody who has seen the first and second part, but not THAT good. 4 Stars.

Theatrical:

Studio: Fox Home Entertainme

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: While Lost in Space may never enter the pantheon of great television programming, the 1960s sci-fi show certainly has its charms, all of them in evidence on this first volume of episodes from the second season. Produced by Irwin Allen, who would later be responsible for blockbuster disaster films like The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure, these 16 episodes from 1966-67 (spread out over four DVDs) find the show undergoing some changes, both technically (from black & white into color) and in terms of tone (more campy and tongue-in-cheek, especially as the season goes on). The latter is due in large part to the performance of Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zachary Smith, who puts the "arch" in archvillain (it was his meddling that got them all lost in the first place). Harris's portrayal of Smith as cowardly, duplicitous, pompous, and not a little fey often goes right over the top, but the other characters (including Guy Williams as Prof. John Robinson, June Lockhart as his wife Maureen, and young Bill Mumy as Will) are so bland and generic that Harris, the family robot, and guest stars like Strother Martin and Wally Cox offer the only available relief. The Lost in Space storylines are predictable (almost always involving some alien-related jeopardy prompted by Smith's greed and foolishness) and the special effects and production values won't excite anyone used to the wonders of the digital age. Still, this is television, where budgets are smaller and schedules much tighter, so lowered expectations are in order anyway. Some users may feel shortchanged by the absence of extra features, or by the fact that the set doesn't include the entire season (the second part is available separately). But the transfers are good and the DVD menus easily navigable. But on the whole Lost in Space devotees--and there are many of them--should be well satisfied. --Sam Graham

Theatrical:

Studio: Fox Home Entertainme

Genre: Television

Summary: As its second season progressed, and as these 14 episodes from 1967 attest, Lost in Space continued to swap science fiction for comic fantasy, and the show's ratings went into orbit. While Star Trek satisfied a smaller audience of serious sci-fi fans on NBC, Lost in Space (airing Wednesday nights on CBS) delighted a younger audience with the cheesy adventures of "Space Family Robinson," stranded on an isolated planet that nevertheless played host to an abundance of alien visitors. Here they include operatic Vikings, a disembodied mechanical head, a spacefaring buccaneer, a Scottish bagpiper in a haunted castle, and, in the deliriously entertaining episode "Revolt of the Androids," a silver-painted super-being whose primary purpose is to "Crush...Kill...Destroy!!" It's all harmless family fun, offering equal amounts of tongue-in-cheek whimsy and some scary highlights that kids, then and now, will find instantly unforgettable. Yes, it all looks quaint and innocent by present-day standards, and it's painfully obvious that series creator Irwin Allen didn't know what to do with the Robinson clan, a wooden variant of Ozzie & Harriett in V-necked velour, with June Lockhart playing happy homemaker while patriarch Guy Williams spent most of his time repairing damaged equipment. It's just as well, since season 2 is dominated by the scene-stealing duo of Dr. Smith (played by Jonathan Harris in the role he was born to play) and the sarcastic Robot B-9, who plays a scolding R2D2 to Harris's duplicitous, flamboyantly feckless C3PO, the latter delivering alliterative insults (like "you ingot of ingratitude!" and "you nickel-plated nincompoop!") in virtually every episode. Guest stars like Albert Salmi, Al "Grandpa Munster" Lewis, and John Carradine are in on the game, adding weekly flavor to a series that shares much in common with such later kid-stuff as H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost. Some may find it hopelessly ridiculous in retrospect, but Lost in Space still offers fun aplenty for those who enjoy its anything-goes approach to low-budget fantasy for the young and young-at-heart. Unfortunately for devoted fans, vintage 1966 radio interviews with Lockhart, Williams, and Harris are the only extras in this well-mastered four-disc set. --Jeff Shannon

Theatrical: 1967

Studio: Fox Home Entertainme

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: It's the third and final season of the far-out tales of TV's most lovable space crew! Complete your mission with these intergalactic adventures! Join in as the Jupiter 2 crew attempts to finally return home to Earth, with more help from the wily Robot B-9, more antics from master meddler Dr. Zachary Smith, and of course, more "Danger, Will Robinson!" Along with out-of-this-world extras not available anywhere else, this collectible DVD installment of Irwin Allen's LOST IN SPACE presents the final 9 episodes of America's favorite space family

Theatrical: 1967

Studio: Fox Home Entertainme

Genre: Television

Summary: It’s the third and final season of the far-out tales of TV’s most lovable space crew! Complete your mission with these intergalactic adventures! Join in as the Jupiter 2 crew attempts to finally return home to Earth, with more help from the wily Robot B-9, more antics from master meddler Dr. Zachary Smith, and of course, more "Danger, Will Robinson!" Along with out-of-this-world extras not available anywhere else, this collectable DVD installment of Irwin Allen’s LOST IN SPACE presents the final 9 episodes of America’s favorite space family.

Theatrical: 1965

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Video

Genre: Television

Summary: It is great to see these shows complete and uncut in their original broadcast order with the "Continued Next Week" cliff hanger titles preserved along with the "... last week as you recall..." opening narration. I am very glad they kept that in. It wouldn't be Lost in Space without that. The box set packaging is something new and nearly ideal -- There are 8 single-sided discs in 8 individual packages -- far better than some silly fold out packaging or two-sided disc packaging I've seen in other box sets. Seven discs with four episodes each and the 8th disc has one episode and the original version of the pilot "No Place to Hide" and a "CBS Advertiser Pitch" feature used to sell the show to advertisers. Although the first pilot was shot in color, the DVD has the black and white version rescued from the trash bin by video pirates several years ago that was sold at conventions and broadcast once on the SCI-FI Channel. I don't believe an intact color copy exists, but we can always hope one is found for a later special edition DVD. Dr. Smith and the Robot were not a part of the original concept and the Jupiter 2 was originally called the Gemini 12. The video transfer is an "accurate" film transfer with no edge enhancement which might explain why some other reviewers said the transfer quality was less than perfect. On a regular TV, it looks perfect. On an HDTV monitor it looks like film. Good contrast and black levels. The DVD copy is equal to the source film. Even the original pilot looks clean. This is a definite buy. The season holds together as good SF - unlike the camp of seasons 2 and 3. This is the Lost in Space we all remember and like best. Nothing to criticize here. Great job all around. I'm glad it is finally available. Thank you 20th Century Fox.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Reel

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Duration: 130 mins

Summary: In the not-too-distant future, Earth is on the verge of total collapse and survival lies in colonising outer space. All hope rests on the Robinson family, whose mission is to establish life on Alpha Prime, the only other habitable planet in the galaxy. However, when their spacecraft is sabotaged by traitor, Dr. Zarchary Smith, they find themselves hopelessly lost in space and flying headlong into some out-of-this-world dangers...