Take the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, add a dash of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling Dead Man's Chest, a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry--plot is definitely not the... Learn More
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The silent PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has probably been available in dozens of VHS and DVD editions over the years. Virtually all are based on the very heavily re-worked 1929 reissue, the version almost everyone knows--probably even unaware that it isn't the original release and how unlike the original film it is. In fact, the original 1925 version doesn't seem to exist any longer in a decent print: only scratchy, blurred, grainy "play-at-home" 16mm prints survive. Sadly, the original version contained better camera set-ups, better editing, a more coherent story, more consistent acting and direction, and it runs 107 minutes to the reissue's 92 (at the same 20 frames-per-second projection speed of the period).
Erich von Stroheim's credit doesn't appear on Merry-Go-Round, though he wrote the story--about a caddish Count (Norman Kerry) in Old Vienna falling in love with a virginal commoner (Mary Philbin)--and began directing the film. "Von"'s obsessive, budget-busting methods had already tried producer Irving Thalberg's patience, and after a few weeks' shooting, Stroheim became the first director in history to be fired from a picture. Some of his footage survives, including an eerie suicide leap from a bridge and the Count's introduction in his absurdly grandiose bedchamber, but Rupert Julian, the undistinguished replacement director, shot the majority of the film. It shows. Stroheim's attempts to place his story within a textured portrait of Austrian society were scrapped, as was a... More Info About This DVD Director(s): Rupert Julian - Erich von Stroheim DVD Release Date: Released the 08 April 2003 Usually ships within 5 to 6 days
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I must admit, having seen various incarnations of this classic on video, that I expected very little, vis-a-vis the DVD version. Boy, was I surprised! This is yet another triumph by Blackhawk Films. The image quality is superb, with color tintings that greatly enhance this seminal silent film. Lon Chaney is, of course, magnificent as the demented and malformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House. His most well-known role (deservedly so, how DID he create that extra-ordinary make-up?) is a timeless one, as a man longing for love, but who can never obtain it. This version features a beautiful symphonic score by Gabriel Thibaudoux, and as far as silent films go, a very impressive one. A newly mastered version at the correct running speed of 20 frames per second, from the original 35 mm... More Info About This DVD Actor(s): Lon Chaney - Mary Philbin Director(s): Edward Sedgwick - Ernst Laemmle - Rupert Julian - Lon Chaney DVD Release Date: Released the 14 August 2002 Usually ships within 24 hours
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... THE ULTIMATE EDITION 2 DISC SET (Image/Milestone): WOW! I remember watching the restored Metropolis and wondered when someone would ever restore Phantom and Nosferatu as beautifully. Well, they're coming close. This isn't quite the restoration job of Metropolis, but damn, it's gotta be the absolute best that's available. As far as the three DVD's reviewed here, this by far is the best in clarity and dare I say, it's a gorgeous restoration worthy of the most jaded film buff's archive (all that's missing is MAGICIMAGE's Filmbook on the film as a companion piece). The film is tinted throughout, with the addition of the Handschiegl color process during the Apollo scene which I'd never seen before being a nice touch. Steve MacQueen's commentary provided some great insight into the movie's... More Info About This DVD Actor(s): Lon Chaney - Mary Philbin Director(s): Edward Sedgwick - Ernst Laemmle - Rupert Julian - Lon Chaney DVD Release Date: Released the 27 November 2001 Usually ships within 24 hours
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