The Ultimate Matrix Collection

Great Collection For The Hardcore Fans
During the following I will intend to describe as best and briefly as possible this collection. I also will mention some differences between this collection and the original releases. Enjoy.

The difference between the limited and the unlimited editions are: The Limited Edition comes in a plastic box with trays, a Neo bust and an 80 page booklet that lists the extras of the 10 disks (yes, that's all it does). Besides this the sets are the same.

These two sets include all three films, The Animatrix, the film footage shot for Enter the Matrix videogame and 106 documentaries. The bonus disks for Reloaded and Revolutions are different from those included in the versions already released.

REMASTERD: The movies were enhanced so the films look brighter in color and richer in details. Don't worry it was not done by Gorge Lucas. The films are the same.

AUDIO: Also enhanced (not that it was necessary). Voices are stronger, gentle noises stand out more...

Enter The Matrix All Within Your Budget With This Great Set!
There's really no reason to go into describing The Matrix Trilogy. Unless you lived under a rock for the past ten years, The Matrix is one of the most original and influential Science Fiction films of recent memory. Starring Keanu Reeves and directed by The Wachowski Brothers (who recently gave us the live-action Speed Racer film), this tale of computers taking over the reality of the human race and a small group of survivors in constant battle to win back their independence, successfully blasted it's way through theatres between the years of 1999 thru 2003. Complete with two theatrical sequels and one direct-to-video animated film called "The Animatrix", it was THE complete tale to own on DVD. Each film was released separately on the format as two-disc sets complete with somewhat bloated extras (The first and animated releases keep the extras on the film disc). But back in 2004, Warner Bros. released the "Ultimate Matrix Collection", a whopping ten disc collection featuring a brand...

Finally the BD version!
Been waiting for this BD version for a while. I have the HD-DVD trilogy which was awesome. Before that had the 10 disc DVD version of the Ultimate Matrix Collection which was awesome.

The Blu-ray version is the best of them (except that it doesn't come with a Neo bust like the DVD edition did).

At the time of purchase and of writing this review the product info was wrong on the Blu-ray version. It claims it is a 10 disc set, when it actually is a 6 disc set, 4 Blu-ray's and 2 DVD's. I notified Amazon.com of this, but who knows when they will get around to fixing it.

Also it was said that this is a waste of money in another review because newer DVD players upscale. However this person must have never seen an upscaled movie compared against a Blu-ray or HD-DVD version of the same. There is a BIG BIG difference, I watch a lot of movies "upscaled" but all that does is allow you to watch a DVD movie on a HD TV, it improves the quality a little but not...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Gate (Special Edition)

It's About Bloody Time!
I have the original pressing of this on DVD, which is in full screen, but now I can finally have the widescreen version. So, if you're looking for a horror movie with tons of gore and blood spewing everywhere, this movie is not for you. This movie is for teenagers, and that's when I saw this movie. I watched it in theaters, and I was hooked. The movie has everything; humor, great special effects, and a lot of the actors are good. I won't write a summary of the plot, since there's one already provided by Amazon.com, so I'll just say that if you don't mind a bit of camp and some cheesy dialog, this movie is for you. I know I'm buying this the day it comes out.

Afterthought. After comparing both the original full screen version and this newly released version, I can without a doubt say that this is truly the wide screen theatrical version. Thank you Lionsgate for releasing it its true form. My hat is off to you.

Ah, Memories....
What horror fan didn't catch this movie on HBO or USA back in the day? I haven't seen this film in over 15 years, but when I did see it, I saw it MANY times. I recently watched it again to see if it was as fun as I remember. Usually watching a movie years later that you loved as a kid is a bad move coz you tend to be disappointed. After all, through the eyes of a child you don't look for or hang on to the inaccuracies. You're able to accept a premise no matter how far fetched, and acting no matter how bad. While I saw a bit of both, I was pleasantly surprised that the movie still retained all of it's fun factor. I still really like it! I'm gonna give you a quick rundown regardless of what the schmuck below says: Glen(a very young Stephen Dorff), and his teenage sister are left alone to mind the house while mommy and daddy are gone. After a storm, they discover a big hole in the backyard that we quickly find out is a gateway for demons to come through and take over the world...

80s horror that rocks!!!
While it's definitely overlooked by horror buffs everywhere, "The Gate" is definitely a classic piece of horror cinema from the generation that brought us so many great horror movies to begin with -- the 80s. It has every element needed for a successful -- if predictable -- horror film. Parents leave teenage sister, younger brother, and younger brother's metally disturbed metal lovin' best friend alone for the weekend. The two boys, playing in the backyard, dig up a hole that is actually the gateway to hell! A couple creepy scenes here and there (including levitation and weird writing on the walls) and BAM! The miniature, Play-Doh looking demons are running around the backyard and the house terrorizing all inside. Zombies bust through the walls, best friend ends up being abducted along with teenage sister, and it's up to the younger brother to save the day! (He does, don't worry). You MUST rent this one at the very least. It's too bad it isn't on DVD.

Click to Editorial Reviews

White Christmas (Christmas Classics-The Yule Edition)

Best Voice In Country Music
The best voice in country music sings all the Christmas songs you can think of while your tv screen acts like a fireplace.Cool.

Martina Christmas CD
Loved this CD, if you like Martina you must add this wonderful Christmas CD to your collection.



Click to Editorial Reviews

The Hills: Season Five, Part One

LC's final season
The Hills, Season Five Part One, continues on with the never-ending (but always entertaining!) drama that the show is famous for. While this season is the last for cast member LC (aka Lauren Conrad), whom the show is normally centered around, this season actually mostly focuses on Spencer and Heidi, while LC pretty much fades into the background for the majority of it. The season starts off with just as much drama as ever, when Stephanie Pratt brings Heidi to LC's birthday party uninvited, creating some tension. Spencer is less than thrilled that Heidi is hanging out with his sworn enemy, so he goes out to a bar for a "guys night", and ends up flirting with a bartender named stacey. When Heidi finds out about Spencer's flirting (At LC's party) she dramatically demands that she wants to get off the yacht that the party is being held on, and is surprisingly comforted by her old friend LC. The two girls have a teary talk, leaving Heidi hopeful for a renewal for their friendship at...

Bittersweet
Definitely a good show filled with drama! I was just sad to see Lauren leave (this was her last season). I recommend to anyone who has seen the previous seasons, Laguna Beach, or if in need of a new, fun show to watch!

Hills season 5
It was as it should be, a drama series about nothing that my Girlfriend really loves and it did what all the others did, kept her fixed to the couch till she watchesd every episode in one day

Click to Editorial Reviews

Audition (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

The less you know, the better
I had heard of "Audition" for months before actually getting my hands on a copy of the DVD. I basiscally knew what to expect -- slow first hour, horrific final half hour, leaving you guessing at the nature of what really happens. However, because I'd read so much about the film, I think I really cheated myself out of a truly visceral horror experience.

First, a short plot synopsis: Main charcter's wife dies. Seven years later, he's lonely and decides he wants to re-marry. To meet women, he holds an audition, casting for a fake movie, in order to easily meet young women. One particular young lady captures his fancy. But she is definitely more than she seems.

ATTENTION: This is NOT a Hollywood horror film. Don't expect the fake-scare red herrings, or the busty brainless chicks creeping into the attic to find out what that growling noise is. In fact, Audition contains few, if any, "shock" moments. Instead, the movie is a slow boil of disturbing creepiness that crescendoes into a...

Piano wire makes for a fun evening!
In the battle between men and women, who will triumph? Who knows, but Japanese director Takashi Miike's film "Audition" shines a particularly brutal light on this eternal conflict. Set in Japan, the film takes on additional significance considering what we know about the role of women in that society. I am far not expert on Japanese social roles or mores, but I imagine the stereotypical picture of a Japanese woman as a subservient figure to men is more or less an accurate one. Certainly, gender roles have changed somewhat over the last fifty plus years as Japan rapidly industrialized and assumed a western style political system. One hopes that some progress in this area has taken place there, but I am not so sure after watching this film. Apparently, the idea of a docile, ever ready to serve her partner woman still exerts a strong influence in that country. Otherwise, "Audition" would make little sense to its target audience. Completely independent of its effect on...

A+
AUDITION - directed by Takashi Miike (2001)
DVD/VHS
10/10
Japanese with English Subtitles
This film is un-rated and contains graphic violence.

Takashi Miike has accomplished drawing the audience in slowly with subtle and well-made storytelling that turns into a roller coaster ride of white-knuckle extreme terror. At first it seems as though Miike is presenting at straightforward family drama. Husband/father Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) widowed seven years prior decides under the gentle and humorous direction of his son (Tetsu Sawaki) it is time to remarry. Simple? Well, no. Aoyama's drinking buddy Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura) decides to hold a fake audition for a film in search of the perfect woman. The editing during this sequence has a natural rhythm and humor that highlights the whole facade as the numbers of unusual women are asked a series of questions. Enter Asami (Eihi Shiina), a former ballet dancer, who seems to have suffered in her past. Aoyama falls in...

Click to Editorial Reviews

NFL: A Tradition of Defense - The Chicago Bears

'Monsters of the Midway'...? Oh, yeah.
Born in 1952, I was just old enough to notice NFL football when the Bears drafted Dick Butkus at Middle Linebacker. I was a running back on my grade school football team but also a defensive back, so I LOVED Gale Sayers and gradually grew to love Mr. Butkus as well. To this day his style of play and his attitude towards opponents is why I love Chicago Bear football.

Butkus was one of those physically strong men who you can identify simply by shaking their hand. When he hit a guy, he folded up like a rubber table at the church social... and sometimes they stayed hit to the point of being carried off the field.

That kind of defensive punishment has been the hallmark of great Bear teams throughout their history and is documented in this video.

Butkus, Singletary, and now Urlacher... you get to see them all in action here. There have been other heavy hitters on the Bears' defense over the years (Ed O'Bradovich, Jim Dent, Gary Fencik, Otis Wilson and Wilber...

Hard Hitting Defense
This DVD, A Tradition of Defense: The Chicago Bears, is very good and complete as far as the history of great Bear Defenses is concerned. They go all the way back to the 20's and 30's with Grange and McAfee. Bulldog Turner, Buffone, George, Atkins, etc. are covered. Of course the 46 Defense is covered and my favorite character, Steve McMichael, made the all time team as a DT.

Bears Tradition
The DVD ranks the greatest Bears by position on defense so just for that it's a must have. It also contains a tribute to Papa Bear George Halas which any true fan would appreciate. The DVD is a little dated as a couple of Bears that are arguably the best we've seen at their respective positions, although mentioned, were not given the nod. In addition, players interviewed griped that Dent is still not in the Hall of Fame, an oversight which we know has since been rectified. Regardless of the above, I still enjoyed the DVD and I think any Bears fan would enjoy it as well.

Click to Editorial Reviews

PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal 2-DVD Set

Know this before you buy....it's Season 3 Lite
I guess since Echo Bridge can only obtain the rights for Season 3 of this show, they are going to rehash it over and over. For this edition, you have 16 of the original 22 episodes of Season 3 on two dual sided discs.

If you really want to see Season 3 (all 22 episodes), then I recommend Echo Bridge's PSI Factor Season 3. With that set, you get the episodes spread out across 5 single sided discs.

I really can't imagine the purpose of this release, other than to make money. I wasted mine, and I hope that this review is some use for those who've yet to take this plunge.

Titles Listed
As mentioned elsewhere, there are only 16 of the original 22 episodes from Season 3 in this collection.
They are:
1) Jaunt
2) Comings and Goings
3) Heartland
4) The Kiss
5) Absolution
6) All Hallows Eve
7) Palimpsest
8) Return
9) Harlequin
10) Little People
11) The Winding Cloth
12) Change
13) Valentine
14) Old Wounds
15) The Observer Effect
16) School of Thought

3/4 of the collection at half the price.... not a bad deal for the bargin hunter.

Not what i thought it would be
This isn't even a complete season! It doesn't play very well and some of the scenes just cut off. It isn't that big of a deal but I wish they didn't advertise it as a season when it's only HALF of one!

Click to Editorial Reviews