Kakaku：995 saved$9.95
Rhino Theatrical
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Good film) 『Overall, Japan's War In Colour is a rarity- and a must see for historians of war and war buffs alike. The scenes of color footage, especially that from American airplanes, is devastating- far better than not only contemporary war films, but anything Hollywood has put out since, and if one recalls the video game-like atmosphere surrounding the First Gulf War, it will surprise one to see how eerily similar scenes from half a century were, as we hear tailgunners lock in and obliterate their targets with great precision; sometimes even shooting fleeing Japanese civilians in fields or on beaches. But it is more than a mere filmic experience. It captures a human quality too often missing in war films, be they fictive or documentary. There is an ambience to this film which, because it is in color, heightens the sense of reality and immediacy of the ghostly images before you. Almost all of these people are likely long dead, yet, there they are, not in grainy black and white, but, as the old tv slogan went, in `living color.' Their living, then hollowed, expressions core into a viewer like only the naked image can.
Finally, this film also sets the record straight about the neglected `Pacific War'- that it was even bloodier than the `European War,' accounting for close to 50 million of the 80 million people killed. Such truths are often not touched in documentaries where political sensitivities are heightened, and for that reason I doubt this DVD will be a big seller in Japan. Yet, for these and many other unenumerated reasons, I cannot recommend Japan's War In Colour highly enough. And, as a cherry (blossom?) on top, it once again proved my gut has never has never let me down. Nor will it let yours down. It is simply a masterful film, in both conception and presentation. Take that, Mr. Burns!』
(Amazing archival images, problematic presentation) 『The producers of this documentary (and others in the series) have obviously spent a great deal of time and effort in tracking down the remarkable color footage and restoring it. However, they've also made the decision to convert the original 4:3 images to 16:9 -- obviously to satisfy those who've already bought their widescreen TVs. This cropping of about a third of the image from the top and bottom of the frame results in the frequently painful butchery of the image. Since the whole raison d'etre of the series is to present these rare images (as documentaries, the programs are efficient but unremarkable surveys of their subjects), this mutilation seems inexplicable. The material itself is worth five stars, but the presentation drags down the rating.』
(Great Visual Piece; Average Documentary) 『I love studying world history and particular the Far East. This DVD has some commendable aspects...primarily the footage. Also, the angle and time taken to show what happen in the immediate aftermath of Japan's Defeat to the U.S. was very, very good. On the other hand, as a documentary is was average at best Indeed, in its weakness, I almost felt like there was an undercurrent of "Japan bad" and "Great Britain and U.S. good" (why the the title "Japan's War" even suggests a bias) that I found bothersome and tedious.
War is often far more complex than we realize. Japan, like any nation, was not without fault and failure, but there were other forces in play other than Japanese militarists in Tokyo (i.e., American warships in their inland sea between Shikoku, Kyushu, and Honshu; the oil and steel embargo, and the British model of expanision). The Rape of Nanking, albeit terrible, is nowhere near as exploitive or onerous as what Emperor Chin (Mainland China's First) did to the 250,000 - 1 million slaves who built and died making that "Great Wall", or Great Britain's Opium Wars birthed from purposeful introduction and promotion of the drug to the Chinese, or the U.S. twice-over push on Cherokee land and the eventual Trail of Tears. What I am saying is that a good documentary forces us to recognize that failure, destruction, and tyranny do not happen overnight, and are not exclusive to a particular people. Indeed, there is not a major civilization or people group on the planet that has a perfect record. Stick to the facts, reduce the commentary, and let me as the viewer measure the information out against other records. Overall, the DVD is worth what you pay; it does have merit, and I would still recommend it as part of several different views on the war.』
(Interesting - but a bit dull) 『I was intrigued to see some of the recorded history of Imperial Japan in color. Unfortunately, this was a dull presentation and a one time viewing experience. Shortly after watching the documentary, I donated this DVD to my local library.
』
(The face of evil) 『It all seems so much more horrible in color. The faces more evil. The crimes harder to comprehend. It feels like a more recent event in color. More of an event today than distant past that b&w creates. Sometimes graphic always compelling, a very good watch.』 『It was assumed no color films existed in Japan until the victorious U.S. forces arrived in 1945. This DVD is remarkable proof that those assumptions were verifiably false. Now you can discover the story of a nation at war from its rare color films, plus letters and diaries from those who lived through it. Almost all the material in this color documentary has been recently discovered and allows the viewer to expereince Japanese culture and events from an entirely new perspective. Subject matter includes Imperial Japanese troops in 1931 Manchuria, remarkable domestic scenes of 1930s Japan, preparation for war in 1939, and images of occupation in 1940s Shanghai.』
Kakaku：296 saved$2.96
Homevision
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Does not hold up well) 『 This farce creates characters which are too easy to lampoon, and has few moments of real humor. Good idea for a movie, but a lot of dragging parts, not well realized, and doesn't hold up well over the years. Furthermore, it's obvious that recurring comedy elements draped with fanciful music borrow heavily from Woody Allen's "Bananas". Not a classic. Sky above and mud below throw-in is a snoozer.』
French colonials learn their country is at war with Germany, they, in a fit of "patriotism" attack their German neighbors who reside up river. as i look at the world in 2008..especially the USA i see history repeating itself. If you wonder why these things happen read " the dark side of man"』
(Bareopera) 『I bought this dvd mainly for the bonus movie Sky Above Mud Below. I've been looking for a release of this on dvd for some time. This great documentary should have been the main title of this disc...』
(A funny, effective and surprisingly gentle satire on hubris, racism and La Gloire) 『What day should be chosen to attack the Germans just up the river, ponders the French in flea-ridden Ft. Coulais, in the Ivory Coast? "You can't go wrong choosing the Lord's Day," urges one of the two priests, with the other nodding enthusiastically. Please note that elements of the plot are discussed, but nothing that also isn't mentioned on the back-cover of the case and in the accompanying insert
Black and White in Color tells the story of a motley group of Frenchmen, including a few shopkeepers, at a colonial outpost in Africa who learn belatedly that World War I is underway. Since a German outpost, with three Germans, is just a few miles away, La Gloire and honor dictate an attack. Of course, the real fighting will be done by hastily recruited natives on both sides. The fort's young teacher, Hubert Fresnoy (Jacques Spieser) had heard that there is a sensible German and says he wants to try to negotiate. With La Gloire, that would be impossible. The shopkeepers demand French honor be sustained with an immediate attack on the Germans with whom they'd been trading (and unknowingly sharing their wives) just days before.
And off they go. The shopkeepers, two priests and two wives are carried in palanquins by natives. The hastily recruited and untrained native soldiers are armed with old rifles and some slightly damp powder. They're led by the tired and realistic Sergeant Bosselet (Jean Carmet) only three years from retirement. The teacher reluctantly tags along. And they all -- well, the whites -- stop for a picnic just before the battle starts. War, they appreciate, can be great fun as well as a source of great pride. Unfortunately, the Germans have machine guns. As the native troops stagger back, the whites hastily pack up the food and dishes and head quickly back to the fort. Surrender seems the logical next step to the shopkeepers, even though no one has yet seen a German. But La Gloire prevails: No surrender...as long as the Germans stay away!
Now the amusing part really begins. The teacher, who had been ridiculed by the shopkeepers as being all brains and no heart, decides to step in. He convinces the sergeant, who needs all the brains he can find, to back him up as he plans for the defense of Ft. Coulais. Before long we begin to notice that the teacher is not only training the troops, he is turning the fort's colonial society on it's head. The casual corruption of the self-inflating shopkeepers is exposed. Positions of authority are being given to natives. The teacher's mistress, a black woman, accompanies him to another picnic, and this time the wives and shopkeepers find themselves shaking her hand.
All good things come to an end, of course, and so does World War I. A British company led by a Sikh captain marches into Ft. Coulais with bagpipes playing to inform them that the German colony is now a British colony. The war is over; the next-door enemy has become an ally. And the teacher, a Socialist, who was well on his way to becoming a benevolent and anti-colonial dictator, is last seen wandering off with his German counterpart, who is also a Socialist.
This was director Jean-Paul Annaud's first film. It's a wonderfully sardonic, amusing movie about hubris, patriotism and racism, and surprisingly gentle. Those who believe that "glory" can come without a steep price, who believe war is a great adventure as long as it's experienced at a distance, who believe whites are intrinsically superior, all take their share of ridicule. "White men are stronger than black men. Why?" shouts a priest. "Because they have a better god!" comes the well-rehearsed answer. Of course, in his own language one native says to another, while the white sergeant slaps away an insect, "Didn't I tell you white men attract flies?" In one quick scene a native who had been facing Mecca and praying quickly disappears into his hut and reappears wearing a cross just as the priests arrive.
In a commentary on the DVD Annaud says that the movie is a fable based on reality, "how white people behave with natives. Even today it is appalling." The movie is more than this. How people often think about war is appalling; how people get caught up in La Gloire is appalling. Annaud skewers all of it.
The DVD looks very good. The disc contains several extras, in addition to the interview with Annaud. The most noteworthy is the 88-minute film "The Sky Above, the Mud Below" which documents a team of scientists journeying into unexplored parts of New Guinea and finding tribes of people who'd never seen anyone except themselves. Producer Arthur Cohn was responsible for both films. The DVD case also holds a four-page insert with an excellent essay about the film.』
(Noteworthy) 『When "Black and White in Color" won the 1976 Best Foreign Language Movie Oscar, I made a mental note to see it some day. I eventually bought the DVD in order to do so. What captured my attention was that it was a film from the Ivory Coast. I don't know if they ever hit the charts again. Indeed, this comes across as a European product but I will leave the credit to some Ivory Coaster with a French name.
It is a satire on colonialism and, generally does well in that arena. The synopsis is that WWI breaks out in Europe and the word reaches the small enclaves of French and German neighboring territories in equatorial Africa. Each of the two colonies involved seems to have less than 10 actual French of Germans in their midst. It would have been easy enough to say "To heck with the war, we'll sit this one out". But no, someone gets the idea to act quickly and take over the other. What to use for troops? Well, that's where the native Africans come in. By playing out this story with such small numbers, the director/writer Jean J. Annaud is able to demonstrate the obvious; the victimization of the aboriginals in an event they have no stake in. This is well-coupled with the apparent oblivious attitude of the Europeans who give themselves all credit for success, when it occurs.
I admit that I was hoping for a bit more than I got but I am glad, after all the years, that I was finally able to see "Black and White in Color". There are a lot of great foreign language movies out there and this is certainly one that's worth the price of admission.』 『Winner of the 1976 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Black and White in Color is a voracious and timely satire on racism, colonialism, and war. Set in the Ivory Coast during the First World War, a group of bungling French colonials learns that their country is at war with Germany. Spurred on by a capricious moment of patriotism, the Frenchmen decide to attack their German neighbors. In French with English subtitles』
Kakaku：1499 saved$14.99
MPI HOME VIDEO
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (The Honeymooners in color) 『The Color Honeymooners was on CBS Saturday nights from 1966-1970. I'd look at the TV Guide and tell my father, "The Honeymooners are on." That was becuase Gleason did not do these hour-long skits every week. He alternated with his variety format. I grew up with this version and I remember thinking at the time that Shiela MacCrae was the one and only Alice. The earlier B&W epsiodes were not shown at the time so I had nothing to compare it to. I enjoyed the singing and dancing. Gleason, Carney were in true form and still were able to belt out in song and comedy. I never cared for Jane Kean as Trixie. She shouts her lines and says them as if she's reading a book. Macrae was OK, but she didn't have the punch that Audrey Meadows had. Seeing these episodes again after all these years makes you feel like its going home week, especially if you grew up with the Jackie Gleason Show. However, now that I've seen all 39 of the half-hour Honeymooners, I have to say those are much better.』
(This Is NOT "The Honeymooners"!) 『As a die-hard fan of the old black&white Honeymooners, I find it hard to believe that anyone who loves the old Honeymooners would even remotely like this tripe! In my opinion, The Color Honeymooners is just an attempt to capitolize on the popularity and success of the real Honeymooners.
The treatment that us Honeymooners fans are receiving at the hands of the DVD studios is disgraceful. While the original 39 episodes of the real Honeymooners is a good product at a fair price, the release of the "lost" episodes is an overpriced disgrace (I will not purchase the lost episodes until and if such time as they are released either in proper season sets or as a complete unit and at a fair price)- and this Color Honeymooners is pure garbage at Broadway prices...not even deserving the name "Honeymooners". Singing and dancing and "guest stars"?! Sorry...THAT is NOT the Honeymooners! They can call it The Honeymooners, and have the same characters and some of the same actors.....but this show bears no resemblence to the real Honeymooners...and if you love the real Honeymooners, it is doubtful that you'd even remotely enjoy this.』
(Gleason and Carney- How Sweet They Were!!) 『"The Jackie Gleason Show" featuring "The Honeymooners" from the 1960's unfortunately gets compared to "The Classic 39" episodes that were filmed during the 1955/56 Televison Season. Silly comparsions between Shelia MacRae/Jane Kean versus Audrey Meadows/Joyce Randolph for one. First, Audrey Meadows was originally asked to reprise her role as Alice, but declined because of her marriage to Bob Six which lasted for many years until he died. Same applied to Joyce Randoph who did not want to relocate to Miami and was basically retired from acting. Both MacRae and Kean would evenually grow into their roles as Alice and Trixie as one can see from this particular volume. As much as I like Audrey Meadows, one can argue that Pert Kelton was better than Audrey Meadows as Alice. The character of Alice was extremely important to the show, but only Gleason and Carney were irreplaceable as Ralph and Ed. I'm a huge "Honeymooners" fan and I find the musical episodes from 1960's better than the original incarnations done from "The Jackie Gleason Show" in the 1950's. Just watch the "Lost Episodes" and you'll see what I mean. The musical numbers, particularly the numbers done by Gleason and Carney together demonstrated what great timing they had. Gleason and Carney sang the songs very much how Rex Harrison did in "My Fair Lady" with perfect pitch and tempo. I particuarly like the songs "Let's Consolidate", "It's Not Knowing That Can Drive You Out Of Your Mind", and "You've Got To Have An Angle". They were written by the talented songwriting team of Lyn Duddy and Jerry Bresler who for 4 years wrote the music for "The Honeymooners". Some fans complain that the songs and dances slowed the episodes down. I disagree because the songs and dances embellished the show from their 50's version. It's amazing that "The Great One", Jackie Gleason never won a Emmy for his performance as Ralph Kramden. He should of as you can see from the 60's version of "The Honeymooners." I hope MPI Video will continue to release future volumes of "The Color Honeymooners". 』
(Great to have, but missing one episode) 『I already own the first two Color Honeymooners DVDs and eagerly look forward to Volume 3 and beyond. But I was very disappointed that this edition skipped over the episode entitled "Life Upon the Wicked Stage". It's a remake of one of the best Lost Honeymooners offerings, which was titled "Songs and Witty Sayings", where Ralph and Norton do a funny mind reading act. Unfortunately, while there were supposed to be 9 shows included here, MPI dropped this one. I called a rep from the company and was told that they had to delete the episode due to music rights issues. However, I noticed that this very show is aired on the cable TV at present. I would much rather have the show edited on DVD instead of not at all, and it's my hope that MPI returns to it and includes it in a future volume.』
(The Honeymoon continues-Miami Beach style!) 『MPI continues its' release of the Honeymooners sketches taken from the colour series of Jackie Gleason Shows,Dec.17/66 to April 26/67. And how sweet they are too.These sketches were all basically remakes of shows done a few years before now in colour,and of course with the added musical accompaniment.But they didn't disappoint then and they don't now.The classic 39 Honeymooner episodes filmed in 1955/56 had been going strong in syndication since they went off the air.In some markets they would run both back to back,to great success.Furthermore Gleason himself knew that there would be the inevitable comparisons from those older shows to the newer ones and he made sure he gave the audiences both live in Miami Beach and at home his level best.And he succeeded in spades. It all started back in late 1963 when Gleason happened to mention to a New York columnist that he sure wouldn't mind doing future shows in a sunnier and more golf oriented climate,like California(Gleason was an avid golfer).This caught the eye of the PR man for the Miami Beach tourism board one Hank Meyer who jumped right on it to invite Gleason and his entourage down to perform their shows in their fair city.After some some speedy negotiations it was all set and Jackie and his crew trained it southward into Miami Beach the following year. Miami Beach rolled out the red carpet for the troupe who had the new Jackie Gleason auditorium set up especially for his show.Basically what the home audience saw then and now is a glorified stage show.It was taped on a Friday night live,edited for the hour format,and broadcast the next night nationwide.Jackie also got a myriad of other perks such as his home and attached office looking directly out onto a local golf course.And of course his infamous golf cart built to look like a small Rolls Royce and loaded to the nines with every kind of liquor imaginable.But what he got in perks Miami Beach gained 100 fold.Every broadcast started out with those famous words that are still remembered well today:"From the sun and fun capital of the world,Miami Beach...",as the camera quickly comes in toward the shoreline on crystal blue waters.The tourism bucks Miami and indeed all of Florida made on his show are really incalculable. For about seven years The Jackie Gleason Show again reigned supreme in its' Saturday Night timeslot until the early seventies when about that time the head of the CBS network discovered a new term called "demographics".It didn't matter how high your ratings were(Jackies' were always high) but only if you fit that 18-34 year old age group that the TV gurus now believed they should be paying the most attention to.They felt Gleasons' show wasn't in the "loop",as it were, and cancelled it. But that was about four years away at the time of the airing of the shows that are on these three discs.All of which have been transferred quite well with the odd few film flaws but pretty much all inherent in the product.Like the previous Vol.1 these shows have been cut down to varying degrees.These shows would have run closer to the 55 minute mark when first aired,while each of these rarely hit 50 minutes and most well under.From what I can tell they have mainly excised the opening banter where Gleason would come out and talk to the audience before going into the sketches.Whether this is what MPI is doing or the way the film now exists I can't say as MPI so far has refused any correspondance I have thrown their way regarding this very subject.If I ever find out I will certainly let you know immediately. In conclusion this new release of the Honeymooners sketches from the colour era of The Jackie Gleason Shows are pure delights.There are only eight epsidoes in this release,one less from the previous volume and there are no special features whatever.However each and every sketch is sure to please those old enough to recall the series when it first aired or any new fans of the Great One.』 『The Color Honeymooners (a/k/a The Jackie Gleason Show), a top-rated comedy/variety program aired, from the sun and fun capital of the world Miami Beach! on Saturday night from 1966-70 on CBS-TV. This long-running series marked the final weekly TV show for The Great One.
Reprising their famous characters from The Honeymooners, the cast was led by Jackie Gleason (Ralph Kramden) and Art Carney (Ed Norton). Newcomers Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean played long-suffering wives Alice and Trixie. Like popular variety series of the time, the show s format was a clever combination of new comedy sketches coupled with classic Honeymooners bits. Plenty of big name guest stars and a generous helping of singing and dancing rounded out the hour.
Regulars included Gleason s glamorous Glea-Girls; the June Taylor Dancers; Sammy Spear and His Orchestra, and announcer, Johnny Olson.』
Kakaku：995 saved$9.95
Legend Films
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Stooges in the 21st Century) 『The Stooges' famous intro music, "Three Blind Mice," takes me back to a simpler, happier time. A time without color, a time with grainy film, a time with Shemp...
Well, maybe that wasn't such a happy time after all! But, fear not, your nostalgic fantasies need not go unrealized because of technological limitations, because now you can watch the fabulous Three Stooges shorts in full, re-mastered color! (Nothing can be done, however, about Shemp.)
Classic movie house Legend Films has taken several of the boys' most distinguished shorts, including the fan-favorite Disorder in the Court, applied its trademark colorization process to them, and the result is wonderful. In fact, the colorization is so faithful to reality (through extensive research, I understand) that you might be aghast at the director's use of bright colors, until you consider that they were selected to look unique when shown in the day's standard grayscale.
Though the shorts are billed as being in color, and this is in fact the highlight of this particular DVD, Legend has also provided the untouched black and white versions along with their rainbow-imbued counterparts, so you don't have to make a choice between the new experience and the nostalgic one, you can have both for the same price.』 『A collection of four classic Stooges shorts re-mastered and in color for the first time. The DVD includes both color and black-and-white versions. Disorder in the Court (1936) The Three Stooges are key witnesses in a murder trial, and create havoc in the courtroom. Brideless Groom (1947) Shemp inherits half a million dollars from his rich uncle, provided he gets married-in seven hours. Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947) The Three Stooges run a tailor shop and all hell breaks loose when they try to capture a bank robber to get the reward. Malice in the Palace (1949) The Three Stooges set out to find a hundred-carat diamond from the cursed tomb of King Rutentuten.』 fetish『 The Color of Pomegranates 』
『 The Legend of Suram Fortress/Ashik Kerib 』
『 Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Special Edition) (1964) (Sub) 』
『 The Conformist (Extended Edition) 』
『 La Jetee/Sans Soleil (Criterion Collection) 』
『 L'Avventura - Criterion Collection 』
Kakaku：346 saved$3.46
Kino Video
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (The Kandinsky of Cinema 2) 『A feast of colour (but see below), human beauty, abstract design, music and sheer otherness.
The opening intertitle nervously alerts us that this isn't a biography of the Armenian poet Sayat Nova, it's a portrait of his inner world, employing allegories and symbolism from the medieval Armenian troubadour tradition. The nervousness belongs to film overseers Goskino, who were so dismayed by Pomegranate's anti-Sovietism and anti-Socialist-realism - not to mention its artistic untameability - that they re-edited it to (among other things) omit at least one key scene. It really is a biography, it just isn't Goskino's idea of one. It employs a series of tableaux, voice-over renditions of Nova's poetry, and traditional music to tell its visually stunning, narratively enigmatic, story.
Part of what bothered the censors was the film's mysticism: unavoidable, you'd think, in the story of a poet who becomes a monk. What may have particularly alarmed them is the way in which the mysticism isn't so much stated as made part of the film's design. Paradjanov's colourful abstractions take us out of the 'real' world and inside Sayat Nova's impression of it. As in Nova's poetry, certain objects, repeatedly cited, lose their everyday meaning and gain a new significance. Paradjanov's abstraction, like Kandinsky's, is intended to efface realism in order to transport us into a mysticism that's literally hard-edged - that's what the bright colours and harsh architectural details are for - and never soft-headed. (And his mysticism is like Kandinsky's too: he seems to conflate God's truth with the artist's creative impulse.)
As for the DVD presentation by Kino: First, Pomegranates is in Armenian, not Russian as stated on the container. Second, there are no French subtitles. Third, it's 78 minutes long, not 88. The film ends abruptly - that's probably the Soviet censor's fault, but the unwary are going to be left wondering what Kino did with the rest of it. In fact, the extra ten minutes belongs to a Paradjanov short, Hagop Hovnatanian, listed separately on the container.
More seriously, the film appears to have been transferred from a VHS version. The image flickers, the colour shifts, and the sound at times is distorted by a sibilance like a radio station not quite tuned in. Given the apparent beauty of Paradjanov's original colours and the importance of the soundtrack (composed mostly of music and natural sounds; it's been described as acting in polyphony with the images), the result is like the Pietà after some lunatic has taken a hammer to it. It's still the Pietà and therefore still a thing of unparalleled beauty - that's why it gets five stars - but you wish someone had warned you about the current state of the object before they charged you so much money to see it.
This isn't entirely Kino's fault. The director's cut is apparently lost, assuming it still exists: finding anything in the former USSR's film vaults being a matter of random chance. This probably is the best available version of an essential film. But: I recommend buying it as part of the boxed set The Films of Sergei Paradjanov. Not only are the four films all of a piece and unlike anything you're likely to see elsewhere, but the other three are much better presented than this one.
Kino makes up for its sins against art - to the extent that it can - by including two good extras. The first is a 57-minute documentary, Paradjanov: A Requiem. It contains clips from early Paradjanov films currently unavailable in the West, and extensive footage of the director from 1988. Paradjanov, a Walt Whitman look- and act-alike, rambles entertainingly on just about everything, along the way dropping nuggets about his films (Pomegranates owes its design to Pasolini's Oedipus Rex) and his time in jail. In the Seventies he served over four years of a five year sentence of hard labour, and was latter arrested again; that was part of the fall-out from Pomegranates. The film was finally released in its present form in 1978; its director wasn't allowed to work in cinema again for 15 years, when he undertook Legend of the Suram Fortress.
The other extra is the above-mentioned Paradjanov short on a 19th-century Armenian painter, Hagop Hovnatanian, whose work provides a further clue to the film's visual inspiration. Quoting from armgate.net ("The Armenian Cultural Gateway"): 'The main sources for Hovnatanian's artistic approach and his pictorial language were the traditions of the mediaeval Armenian manuscript illumination and folk art. Absorbing and interpreting these traditions in his own fashion, Hovnatanian took national painting to classical heights, securing himself the fame of the last mediaeval and the first modern Armenian artist.' A creative synthesis much like Paradjanov's in Pomegranates.』
(Fascinating and unusual film) 『The Color of Pomegranates (made in 1968, and also released under the name Sayat Nova) is not really a conventional movie. It is more like a series of tableaux "inspired" by 18th century Armenian poet Nova. It is nonetheless fascinating, and should be required viewing for anybody interested not only in Armenian culture but in cinema in general (or, if you wish, the visual arts). This movie has inspired many artists, including some music videos (admittedly not among the arts' highest form), including REM's "Losing my Religion" and Deep Forest's "Sweet Lullaby". There is a heavy homoerotic subtext to many of the tableaux, and as a matter of fact, Paradjanov would later spent several years in jail in the Soviet Union accused, among other things, of homosexuality. Though released under international pressure, it would take him another 16 years to make another movie, shortly before his untimely death in 1990.』
(An amazing achievement....) 『This is one of those films that you can't make any literal sense about it. It's all images. It's like Fellini's Satyricon, Greenaway's Prospero's Books, and, to a lesser extent, Argento's Inferno. But WHAT IMAGES! This is a magnificent, breathtaking beautiful, poetic, painterly masterpiece. You could freeze any frame of this, and they would look like medeval paintings come to life. Paradjanov did not make many films (the Soviet authorities made life a living hell for him because of his outspoken views on politics and his nationalistic leanings), but the ones that he did will always live. No one in this world made films like he does. They are so unique in world cinema. This is an abstract film about the Armenian poet Sayat Nova. It is not a literal biographical film. It is a film that enters into the poet's world. Many have complained about the transfer by Kino. It is not great, but the fact that this film has survived at all is a miracle in itself. And it's Paradjanov's original cut too. The conditions in which it was made were not very good, so it is possible that the film stock Paradjanov shot on was defective, or very worn. One little known problem with Soviet filmmaking was that many crews had to share equipment with each other, and that it wasn't the greatest to begin with. That might be why the film looks faded and old. But the fact that we have it is magnificent enough. The documentary, Paradjanov: A Requiem, is very good. It is not filled with talking heads analyzing Paradjanov's films and life. Most of the film features Paradjanov himself. It contains the final interview he did. He is fully alive and very boisterous during the whole film. He is still very outspoken about life in the USSR (which was falling apart by the time this film was made), and he is just amazing to behold. The film has clips from many of Paradjanov's early work, none of which has ever been released here. This is definitely worth picking up.』
("Sing. Sing. Sing. Die") 『Its unfortunate that there are some bad reviews of this DVD. I suspect that KINO's bad reputation precedes them here. They are, of course, well-known for dishing out a terrible print and charging an arm and a leg for it. This is certainly the case with their Legend of the Suram Fortress/Ashik Kerib release. Those are inexcusably bad.
It is not true of The Color of Pomegranates. For once, KINO has done right, and the negative criticism, I think, is just plain wrong for the most part. This is a film made in the 60s in the Soviet Union by a Georgian film-maker that was cut and then later banned. The chances of a print like this surviving are pretty slim; that it has survived, and in such good condition, is a miracle.
A cleaner, less washed-out print of this film is known, and has been released on DVD in other Regions. What makes KINO's release remarkable, however, is that unlike those releases, KINO's version is Parajanov's original cut of the film, which resurfaced in the West in the 80s.
Other than the colors being a little washed, the image on this disc is extremely clean and clear. The audio suffers at bits, but it isn't terribly distracting. The only real drawback is KINO's consistent problem with burnt subtitles; its impossible to remove those gaudy yellow tags from the image. Fortunately, this is a film with very little dialogue, most of which is spoken over intertitles, so its not a huge drawback.
Beyond that, KINO deserves a lot of praise for serving up some really outstanding extras. A ten-minute short by Parajanov, "Hagop Hovnatanian" is included, also looking quite nice. The short consists mostly of still-photography of paintings and objects; it may have been pulled together from one of projects Parajanov was forced to abandon before Pomegranates.
The second extra is an hour long film, completed just after Parajanov's death. This is worth the price alone for Parajanov fans. Most of the film is narrated by Parajanov himself, from one of his last interviews, put together beautifully with footage from his films, many of them rarely seen. I can't stress what a great documentary this is: Parajanov speaks candidly about his troubled career, his time in prison, the avant-garde in Russian film, his admiration of Dovzhenko and Pasolini ("he is a god to me"), and much more.
Anyway, pick this up without reservation. Credit where credit is due: KINO has put together a great disc here.』
(Stunning) 『The print is not great but then again I doubt KINO could have afforded to do a full restoration based on 2000-tops sales at $15 a clip wholesale, if even. We're lucky to have this at all. A beautiful film--I will never forget the non-linear, dreamlike magic from my first viewing years ago.
I notice a resident of Seattle thinks that the director pretty much deserved to be sent to a gulag for his work, and seemingly for his sexual preferences too. Hmmm. The movie seemed to summon up something hateful in at least one viewer. Democracy being what it is, a "Report This" seems in order and I'm sure if Amazon gets a lot of them perhaps the offending comments will evaporate. I only admire the right of free speech when someone has something, let's say, intelligent to say.』 『Studio: Kino International Release Date: 04/03/2001 Run time: 145 minutes』
Kakaku：446 saved$4.46
Legend Films
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Imagine an enchanted fantasy world of timeless characters and magical moments where nothing goes right for toy makers, Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee. Based on the originalBabes in Toyland, this movie is a dazzling spectacle of 6-foot wooden soldiers, Mother Goose characters and the beloved team of Laurel and Hardy. This holiday classic is perfect for the Christmas season. In color and expertly restored, this film will surely become a part of your family holiday tradition.』
Kakaku：1999 saved$19.99
Rock 'N Learn
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (money well spent) 『Buy this DVD....my 2 year old daughter loves this..I personally thought it was goofy, but she learned all her colors and shapes in less than a month..』
(My kids absorbed every last bit of this DVD) 『How many 3 year olds can tell you what a nanogon, octogon, or decagon is? Thanks to this movie, both my 4 year old and 3 year old know their shapes, colors, and numbers. This is one of those movies that will drive you crazy, because your kids will want to watch it every day.
This DVD not only captivates your children throughout the entire show, but actively teaches the whole time. I thought my kids were just memorizing the movie without actually learning, but my children are now able to recognize various shapes outside of this movie. It does the standard square, circle, triangle shapes, but also includes ovals, ellipse, hexagon, octogon, etc. (up to 10 sided shapes).
I've since bought other DVD shows made by this company, but truly nothing compares to this one. I highly recommend it for anybody with younger children.』
(Loud) 『Was loud and wordy but worth getting. My two year old asks to watch everyday.』
(Judge for Yourself ... Watch a Preview of the DVD Online ...) 『You can preview excerpts from this DVD online at www.rocknlearn.com. Reading a review is one thing, but seeing it for yourself BEFORE you buy is even better. You can even let your child view the excerpts and see if he/she appears interested in the DVD, which is what I did.』
(It's very upbeat, interactive and engaging) 『This is the best video that introduces COLORS&SHAPES in one. Our first was a gift but was worn out due to extreme heat. I had to get it again coz my son is badly looking for it. Libraries don't even have a copy of it. This is very upbeat, interactive, and engaging. It introduces the basic colors first and later interacts with you with some color practice. It gives your child enough time to give the answers being asked. It won't just let your child watch but even participate with the video as well. Same thing goes with shapes and numbers. They even explains how shapes differ from one another in a very hip rendition. My son truly loves this particular selection of Rock n Learn. This is their best so far. It's a fast way to learn colors, shapes and numbers in one. It sinks in well. I even find myself singing some tracks even after the video is done. But this runs pretty long. Approximately 46 minutes. So you have to cut it into 2 viewing so as not to expose your child to too much tv.』 『Join Rollie Roundman, Trollie Triangle, and Rockford Rectangle for a learning adventure full of songs, laughter, and games. Children will enjoy counting objects by color, shape, or a combination of both. Even gifted learners will be challenged by advanced colors (maroon, turquoise) and shapes (polygons, ellipses). Recommended for ages 3-5. AWARD WINNER! Dr. Toy 10 Best Audio-Video Products Early Childhood News Awards, Directors' Choice Recognition USA Today, Kids' Picks 』
Kakaku：149 saved$1.49
Winstar
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (an answer I would happily email to J. but Amazon not set for that) 『Actually there were color films (real as opposed to hand-tinted ) as early as the 20's and the first tech. equivalent was Becky Sharpe in the mid-thirties. But it was expensive - and expense affected all true black film of the period covered in this DVD heavily (expense of sound left Micheaux as the only really indepent black filmmaker after 1930 and it affected strongly reshooting, etc. which resulted in lower quality films). As per the black/white thing - my suspicion is that was left out due to the Micheaux standard that lighter skin was superior to darker (not my theory - see Bowser, Bogle,+ on Micheau)- a feature of both his books and his films. He used the "drop of black blood" about his heroines but he also had his villains darker skinned (for a wonderful modern version of that see Frank's Place episode where Frank is informed that a club he has been invited to join uses the paper bag test.)』
(Wonderful documentary with extras!!!) 『This is a wonderful documentary about early African-American cinema. Why the subtitle "Black Southern Cinema"? I'm not sure but perhaps it is due to the fact that these movies were made during the Great Northern Migration of Southern-born African-Americans who made up the majority of the audience for these films. The two bonus films, "The Blood of Jesus" and "Go Down, Death" make this DVD a bargain if you are interested at all in early Black Cinema. I just hope that some one will do some restoration on other films from this period and get them out on DVD. Film is such a perishable medium. Getting them into digital form is so important!!! Before they're gone!!!』
(Black Movie History: Excellent) 『This documentary examines films created by black directors and actors, for black audiences from the start of the 20th century to the Second World War. Here, black and white (plus female and male) film critics discuss various movies from one director to the next. It's jumping off point is that Black Americans not only protested the ultra-racist "Birth of a Nation," but they also produced cinematic work to counteract it. It ends by saying that this film history died with segregation. Who could have known that something so wonderful depended on something so oppressive?
Two things about this film surprised me. First, it oddly enough had "Southern" in its title. Though many of the movies discussed spoke of the North and cities as dens of evil and the South as innocent and pure, these films were made during the Great Migration. At no point in the film do they say only Southern black audiences watched these works. Instead of pointing out region, they should have pointed out the time period in the title. All the films discussed were in black and white (being that technicolor wasn't invented until the decade after WWII). Surely, they could have made some catchy title using the term "black and white."
Secondly, when discussing Micheaux, they did not focus on interracial romances. I once met a descendant of Micheaux's who gets a paycheck every month based on his ancestor's ouvre. He said most of his films dealt with that topic. In articles on Micheaux, I heard that a classic plot of his movies is that black men and white-looking women can continue their romances once the women find out that they are part black in some way. In this century, decades after the Loving v. Virginia decision, I am surprised that this is omitted. Those type of relationships are generally no longer taboo. So why avoid bringing it up here?
As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as too many African-American documentaries. Thus, I definitely encourage all black folk, but also any film or history enthusiasts to see this work. We have a history that goes way beyond rappers-turned-actors, Spike Lee, Poitier, and even blaxploitation flicks. This work truly made me proud.』
『A portrait of independent African-American filmmaking in the southern region of the United States prior to World War II. An incredible body of truly independent filmmaking made under the most hostile set of circumstances, including racial prejudice, unima』 『A fairly obscure topic--independent African American filmmaking in the decades leading to World War II--is given a thorough and informative treatment in this 55-minute documentary, produced and directed by Tom Thurman. Various scholars and historians discuss the factors that were brought to bear on these endeavors--including the church and Christian morals (damnation and the devil, often literally depicted, are recurring themes), life and prejudice in the Deep South, the simple need for entertainment, and so on--and the ways that they influenced the black community. Clips by such artists as Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams, and Eloyce Gist are provided, while among the DVD bonus features are two complete films,The Blood of JesusandGo Down Death(each about an hour long). And while they tend towards the crude and stereotypical, these filmed morality plays are fascinating to watch.--Sam Graham』
