THE GOONIES (1985) 25TH ANNIVERSARY BLU-RAY REVIEW

1985 was a great year to be a kid. At the movies that summer you had not only BACK TO THE FUTURE, but another Steven Spielberg production, THE GOONIES. I had both movie posters hanging on my walls that year.

THE GOONIES was, and still is, a favorite for many who grew up in the era. It was an old fashioned adventure story. I remember going to the video store after seeing GOONIES, and looking for something like it. There was nothing. There are so few films like this that it is no wonder it caught on.

Without having seen the film in a few years, I was surprised by just how well it holds up. The dialogue (written by Chris Columbus) is still very funny. I was a bit surprised by the language. Not that I was offended now, or even then, but a PG rated film for kids with bad language? That just doesn't happen today.

I'm sure Josh Brolin would like you to forget his shorts and sweat suit wardrobe now that he is an Oscar nominee, but the cast is still quite good. Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, and Jonathan Ke Quan also appear. Jeff Cohen's Chunk is much funnier than I remember him being. Robert Davi, Anne Ramsey (best known as Mama from THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN) and Joe Pantaliano play the bad guys. And who could forget Jon Matuszak as Sloth?

Previously released on DVD in a special edition a few years back, the Blu-Ray contains the same extras. These include a video commentary reunion track (which gathers together the entire cast and director to watch the film together), a selection of deleted scenes, a vintage featurette, and the Cyndi Lauper music video, the full 12 minute version (this was during her wrestling phase).

The new Blu-ray is housed in a box set with some fun extras. The box is slightly larger than a standard DVD case, about the size of the SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE box sets. The disc itself is inside the box in a standard Blu-ray case.  Included in the box are

• A board game, based on the movie.

• A small replica of a 1985 promotional magazine (which I believe I bought at the movie theatre back when the film came out).

• A reprint of the recent EMPIRE MAGAZINE reunion profile of the cast.

• There is also a collection of storyboards, with the stills of the finished scenes on the other size.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

A favorite film of many, now on Blu-ray, this is worth buying.


THE GOONIES 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION will be available on Blu-ray November 2, 2010 from Warner Home Video. You can also download it on iTunes

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK (2010) DVD Review

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK just finished its three part run on PBS. It is now being released on DVD and available at ShopPBS.org.

Feinstein is one of the champion's of the "Great American Songbook", the classic American standards from the 1920's to 1940's. These are songs, written by the likes of Johnny Mercer and the Gershwins, that became famous through Broadway shows and musicals that are still heard today. Feinstein, through performances, tries to keep the music alive for future generations.

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK follows him on several of these performances. From travelling to the shows, through rehearsals, we see him at work.  There is some great footage of his performances here, especially a piano duet with Marvin Hamlisch. Along with the performances, Feinstein tells stories about the songs and the writers and artists who popularized them.

But the real fascinating part of the documentary focuses on Feinstein's work to preserve the history of the era.

Feinstein travels the country, meeting with families of musicians and fellow collectors, going through their archives. When he isn't performing, Feinstein collects sheet music and recordings that he digitize to preserve.

The film follows Feinstein as he digs through storage units and homes. At one point, he visits legendary NY TV personality Joe Franklin. Franklin's office is like something out of HOARDERS, piles stacked high with memorabilia. He even tells Feinstein that he has ten storage units throughout the city with more memorabilia.

While I was well aware of who Michael Feinstein was going in to this documentary, upon finishing, I became enough of a fan that, dare I even say this, I wish a reality show were made of his life. His visiting some of these people was so fascinating, preserving the legacy of the music, it would make for a show that could not only educate audiences on the music and the performers but entertain through the meeting of such interesting people.

As it stands, MICHAEL FEINSTEIN'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK is one of the best TV events of the season.

WHAT IS ON THE DVD?

This is a two DVD set. The three one hour episodes are on one disc.

The second DVD contains over two hours of footage. And what footage it is!!

There are unedited music clips, everything from Frank Sinatra performances for Italian TV, to films made for the troops in WWII. My favorite of these is a complete Bob Hope hosted performance with Betty Hutton singing "Murder He Says", Lana Turner cooking a steak (as the troops wanted to hear a steak sizzle) and Judy Garland singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

Following the archive footage are several complete musical numbers of Michael Feinstein performing. There is one featuring a fun duet of "You're The Top" with David Hyde Pierce.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

Even if you have no interest in the Great American Songbook, this is a wonderful and fascinating film. It is well worth picking up.


MICHAEL FEINSTEIN'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK is available now only at ShopPBS.org

TOY STORY 3 (2010) BLU-RAY REVIEW

While the year isn't over yet, I think it is safe to say that TOY STORY 3 may just be the best film of 2010.

That may not be saying much, as this has been a terrible year for film. But it also stands as one of the best films of the past several years.

Pixar has done it again with a film that works not only as a sequel that is as good and possibly better than the previous films, but as an animated film that works as well for adults as it does for kids.

TOY STORY 3 picks up with Andy, the owner of the toys, going off to college and packing up his toys. They are sent out to a local day care center. The toys plan a break out.

TOY STORY 3 has it all. It is very funny, the animation is, of course, wonderful, the action scenes are on par with any other action film you are likely to see, and then there is the finale. I won't give anything away, but if you don't find yourself fighting back tears, you may be alone.

The film is being released in a 4 disc Blu-Ray / DVD combo pack with 2 Blu-Rays, a DVD, as well as a disc with a digital file.

The extras include:

DISC ONE

The first Blu-Ray contains the film with the following extras.

DAY AND NIGHT (6:05) - The short film that played with the film theatrically.

BUZZ LIGHTYEAR MISSION LOGS: THE SCIENCE OF ADVENTURE (4:24) - Buzz and friends learn about science in this short made with NASA.

TOYS! (6:37) - A look at all the different characters in the film.

DISC TWO

This disc also contains the film with the "Cine-explore" commentary, where on screen videos and graphics further explaining the making of the film. There is also a secondary commentary with animators.

THE GANG'S ALL HERE (10:24) - The voice talent talks about what it was like making the film.

GOODBYE ANDY (8:04) - A look at the making of the finale.

ACCIDENTAL TOYMAKERS (3:59) - How a film about toys led to actual toys being made based on the characters.

A TOY'S EYE VIEW: CREATING A WHOLE NEW LAND (5:29) - How the Disney Parks based attractions on the films.

ROUNDIN' UP A WESTERN OPENING (5:47) - The making of the opening sequence.

BONNIE'S PLAYTIME: A STORY ROUNDTABLE (6:31) - Creating the Bonnie character (and how she was partly inspired by Gilda Radner).

LIFE OF A SHOT (7:00) - An analysis of everything that went into the making of the opening sequence.

MAKING OF DAY AND NIGHT (2:05) - A brief talk about the making of the short.

PATHS TO PIXAR: EDITORIAL (4:40) - Pixar editors talk about their work.

STUDIO STORIES - Three terrific animated shorts (WHERE'S GORDON (2:18), CEREAL BAR (1:38), and CLEAN START (3:05)) with Pixar animators telling stories of their workplace.

There is also an extensive PUBLICITY section with trailers and shorts made to publicize the film. Also included is a commercial for LOTS OF HUGGIN BEAR, and a making of segment of how they got it to look like an 80's commercial.

The DVD contains all of what is on disc one, along with the extras PATHS TO PIXAR, THE GANGS ALL HERE, A TOY'S EYE VIEW, and STUDIO STORIES from disc two.

SHOULD I BUY IT?

Of course you should. 

TOY STORY 3 is available on Walt Disney Home Video

The Great 2010 DVD Purge

While a lot of people like to brag about the thousands of DVDs they own, show off photos of their setups online, I finally realized I just had way too many DVDs.

I had stacks and stacks of DVDs that I had never seen. It had gotten to the point that I don't even watch the DVDs I WANT to see because I feel guilty neglecting those I haven't seen. I had to stop this, and focus on what I WANTED to see.

I have one cabinet that is filled with DVDs, while the rest of my collection (which I never counted but had to be well over a thousand, if not in the thousands) was stored in boxes, and boxes, and boxes stacked in various corners. I try to be an organized person, but being a movie fan, and having very little space, this was how it had to be.

It got to be too overwhelming.

So, I figured it was about time to get rid of a lot of my collection.

As I've mentioned in the past, I was a big fan of the old TV series CLEAN SWEEP, where organizers come in, take all your clutter, and force you to go through it. That is what I did.

I started off going through my boxes of DVDS, sorting them into three different areas, KEEP, GIVE AWAY / TRADE IN TO AMAZON (as I didn't want to worry about the hassle of selling), and TOSS.

This may come off as a sacrilege to many DVD fans but yes, I did throw away DVDs (although I wish I had waited as I found out about Amazon's trade in program after throwing dozens, maybe over a hundred, away). Mostly they were DVDs bought five to ten or more years ago. If a DVD was non-anamorphic or full screen and has since been upgraded? Goodbye. If it was a DVD I bought just to see in the days before I joined Netflix (or Netflix had it as a VERY LONG WAIT) and then realized it was no good? Into the trash it goes. All those poor quality public domain DVDs bought at the dollar store? They are gone too.

For the rest, I got a few hundred dollars worth of credit at Amazon trading others in. For those that I couldn't trade in (review copies, etc), I passed them along to family members.

I have to admit though, I have been getting obsessed with this process. I am now constantly going through my collection, looking for titles to get rid of. I WANT to find DVDs to go.

My policy now is, for each new DVD I get, I have to get rid of two.

The sad thing is, when going through my DVDs, do you realize how many are still sealed? How I never even watched I'd say 80-90% of what I had? This has become a very depressing process. If only I had kept the money that I had spent on these DVDs.

All the DVDs I bought thinking "Oh, this will be fun to watch sometime." That time never comes. The DVDs stack up and, before you know it, you are days away from appearing on an episode of HOARDERS.

There were genres or stars or directors that I would buy their films, only to lose interest in them over the years and wonder why I had all these films that I didn't even really like in the first place.

So, what did I keep? Surprisingly, a lot of TV on DVD. These are probably some of the most rewatchable of my DVDs. I think that will mainly be the focus of my DVD collection now. I'm not one to watch films multiple times. But I've seen some episodes of TV shows 20 to 30 or more times.

Along with my DVDs, I also went through my VHS and Laserdiscs.

Of the VHS, 95% of them are gone. I haven't hooked up my VHS player since I got a new TV, so what is the point of holding on to them? There are a few titles I am holding on to, but I may just end up getting rid of them in the not too distant future. And in looking at them, from the way they have been stored over the years, several have deteriorated, with the tape inside turning white. Even a few I would have wanted to keep ending up going because they were in such bad shape.

And, as much as I hate to say it, 99% of my laserdiscs are gone. I sold off most of my collection years ago. But what I had left, I couldn't even give away. So, while it was fun while it lasted, they had to go. I haven't hooked up my laserdisc player (if it even still works) in at least five years.

My advice to others, don't wait ten years to do this. Every year, go through your DVDs and clear out what you won't / don't watch.

You will feel a lot better when you do.

DISNEY NATURE: OCEANS & CRIMSON WING Blu-Ray Reviews

Disney continues their series of DISNEY NATURE films with two new releases, OCEANS and CRIMSON WING: MYSTERY OF THE FLAMINGOS. These documentaries continue the Disney nature legacy that goes back to the days of the Disney True Life Adventures.

DISNEY OCEANS is a look at the world's oceans. From the directors of WINGED MIGRATION and featuring narration by Pierce Brosnan, the film is filled with stunning photography of undersea life. Seals, sea lion, crabs, jellyfish, whales, sharks, they are all here, along with several species that you have probably never seen before.

The extras on the Blu-Ray include:

DISNEY AND NATURE: CARING FOR THE WORLD WE SHARE (7:54) - Focusing on Disney's commitment to conservation with clips going back to Walt Disney himself talking about the issue.

MAKING A WAVE: DISNEY'S FRIEND FOR CHANGE MUSIC VIDEO (1:50) - Clip of a Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato music video.

The film can also be watched with "Filmmaker Annotations", a sort of picture in picture pop up commentary track.

CRIMSON WING: MYSTERY OF THE FLAMINGOS could also be called MARCH OF THE FLAMINGOS. The film is about a flamingo migration in Lake Natron in Northern Tanzania. It follows the flamingos from courtship through the raising of baby flamingos. If you were a fan of MARCH OF THE PENGUINS and have an HDTV, this should be a must see as, not only is it as interesting a story as the other film, the flamingos with their colors look pretty amazing on Blu-Ray.

The extras on the Blu-Ray are:

LAKE NATRON DIARIES (19:42) - A five part documentary on the making of the film.

SCREENSAVER (5:12) - A montage of the best moments.

There is also a clickable LIVING PLANET with facts and video clips that pop up when you click on various parts of a globe.

Like with OCEANS, the film is available with "Filmmaker Annotations"

Both are available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Walt Disney Home Video.

ALL IN THE FAMILY SEASON SEVEN (1976-1977) DVD Review

ALL IN THE FAMILY was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1970's. It was the top rated series on TV for much of its run and continued to be a popular series in syndication in the years following.

Sony has been releasing the series in season sets for the last several years. They have now turned it over to Shout! Factory. Shout! has just released season seven.

Season seven features the 1976-1977 season. This year saw Gloria and Mike with a baby. After five years of being number one in the ratings, it slipped a bit this season.

The episodes in this three disc set are:

DISC ONE

ARCHIE'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER (Parts 1 & 2 & 3) - Archie has an affair with a waitress and Edith finds out.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT STORY (Parts 1 & 2) - Archie is fired.

ARCHIE'S OPERATION (Parts 1 & 2) - Archie has an operation.

BEVERLY RIDES AGAIN - A transvestite visits.

DISC TWO

TERESA MOVES IN - The Bunkers rent out a room.

MIKE AND GLORIA'S WILL - The Stiviks make up their will.

MR EDITH BUNKER - Edith becomes a TV star after saving someone's life.

ARCHIE'S SECRET PASSION - Archie meets an old girlfriend.

THE BABY CONTEST - Archie and Barney enter their grandchildren in a beauty contest.

GLORIA'S FALSE ALARM - Gloria thinks she is pregnant again.

THE DRAFT DODGER - Mike's friend, a draft dodger, comes to visit.

THE BOARDER PATROL - Teresa invites her boyfriend to stay over when the Bunkers are away.

DISC THREE

ARCHIE'S CHAIR - Archie's chair accidentally gets sent to an art gallery.

MIKE GOES SKIING - Mike tries to get Gloria to go on a ski trip with him.

STRETCH CUNNINGHAM, GOODBYE - Archie gives a eulogy for Stretch Cunningham.

THE JOYS OF SEX - Edith gets a book to improve her relationship with Archie.

MIKE THE PACIFIST - Mike gets in a fight.

FIRE - The Bunker house catches on fire.

MIKE AND GLORIA SPLIT - Mike spends the night with Archie after getting in a fight with Gloria.

ARCHIE THE LIBERAL - Archie's lodge is accused of discrimination.

ARCHIE'S DOG DAY AFTERNOON - Archie accidentally hits a friends dog and takes it to the vet.

There are no extras.

ALL IN THE FAMILY SEASON SEVEN is available now from Shout! Factory.

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN COMPLETE SERIES (1980-1982) DVD Review

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN aired for 21 episodes over two years, 1980-1982. This has long been a favorite of many growing up in the era. It has finally been released on DVD from the Warner Archive.

The series is set in the post apocalyptic future. After a runaway planet in 1994 causes "cosmic destruction", Earth is destroyed. Two thousand years later, it is reborn with Thundarr and his companions Princess Ariel and Ookla the Mook. With the help of his "sunsword" (think lightsaber with the light from the sun) the trio fought all sorts of creatures along the way in the ruins of what once was Earth.

Despite being the perfect age for the show, and being well aware of it airing, I never watched the series. I was too busy watching PAC-MAN and RUBIK THE AMAZING CUBE. I don't think I had seen an episode until the recent Warner Home Video release of the SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS 1980's COLLECTION. That set had a very good documentary on the series.

I would say that the series bears a close resemblance to He-Man, only He-Man came later so that could be said to be a rip off of this. Or, I could point out that the series is just a reworking of CONAN, but one of the men behind this series was Steve Gerber, the co-creator of the comic book HOWARD THE DUCK (which before it was the campy film was a cult favorite of comic fans).

The Warner Archive has released a four DVD set of all the episodes. Each disc contains five or six episodes. As with other Archive titles, there are no extras. Each disc is made up of a simple either PLAY ALL or EPISODE SELECTION option. Each episode looks quite good.

For fans of the series back then, who want to watch it again or introduce it to their families, this is sure to be a welcome addition to your library.

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN is available now at the Warner Archive.

Humphrey Bogart on DVD and Blu-Ray

Humphrey Bogart is one of those actors who is so well known, so imitated, that you probably can do an impression of him even if you have never seen one of his films. He is one of the most popular actors of all time.

That said, it wasn't until recently, watching one of his lesser known films on Turner Classic Movies, that I finally noticed just what a great actor he was. Often times, when a star is as popular as he is, you take their acting ability for granted. In this minor film, he proved to be even better than I remembered him to be.

And now, Warner Home Video is celebrating his legacy with three new releases, including the premiere of two of very best films on Blu-Ray.

The most ambitious release (not sent for review) is HUMPHREY BOGART: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTON box set. This is a 24 film set, on 13 discs of the films he made for the studio.

The films included are: Petrified Forest / Marked Woman, Kid Galahad / Black Legion, San Quentin /The Roaring Twenties, Dark Victory / Virginia City, Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse / Invisible Stripes, High Sierra / They Drive by Night, Maltese Falcon / Across the Pacific, All Through the Night / Brother Orchid, Action in the North Atlantic / Passage to Marseilles, To Have and Have Not / The Big Sleep, Dark Passage / Key Largo, Casablanca / Treasure of the Sierra Madre

On the 13th disc is THE BROTHERS WARNER, the recent documentary on the studio.

Also releasing from Warner are two of Bogart's best loved films releasing for the first time on Blu-Ray.

1941's THE MALTESE FALCON is often cited as one of the greatest detective stories ever made. It is hard to argue that. The story of Sam Spade and his hunt for the title object, this is even more notable for the fact that this was John Huston's film debut. One of the great first films.

The disc is filled with extras including.

• Commentary from biographer Eric Lax

• THE MALTESE FALCON: ONE MAGNIFICENT BIRD (32:05) - A 2000 documentary on the film.

• BECOMING ATTRACTIONS (44:45) - A TCM special, hosted by Robert Osborne, looking at the trailers for Bogart's films.

• BREAKDOWNS OF 1941 (12:53) - Another fun segment with bloopers (mostly blown lines) from that year's Warner films.

• MAKEUP TESTS (1:16)

• There are also three radio broadcasts, a Lux Radio broadcast from 2/18/1943, the Screen Guild Theatre (9/20/1943) as well as an Academy Awards Theater broadcast.

• There are also trailers for SATAN MET A LADY as well as THE MALTESE FALCON

• The film can also be watched in "Night At The Movies" mode, with trailers, shorts, newsreels and cartoons shown before the film.

1947's THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE is yet another of Bogart's most quoted films. "Badges?.. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!". People may use that line, yet aren't even aware it can from this film.

Once again, John Huston is behind the camera directing his father, Walter Huston to an Academy Award winning Supporting performance in this film about Gold prospectors in Mexico.

This is yet another extras filled disc.

• Commentary from Eric Lax

• JOHN HUSTON: THE MAN, THE MOVIES, THE MAVERICK (2:08:13) - A 1988 documentary hosted by Robert Mitchum about Huston's life with interviews with Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Michael Caine and more.

• DISCOVERING TREASURE: THE STORY OF THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (49:57) - John Milius narrates this look at the film with interviews with Martin Scorsese, Leonard Maltin, Robert Osborne and more.

• 8 BALL BUNNY (7:08) - The Bugs Bunny cartoon where he takes a penguin home, only to meet Humphrey Bogart, as his TREASURE character.

• There is a LUX RADIO THEATER Broadcast from 4 / 18 / 1949

• The film can also be watched in "Night At The Movies" mode.