DVD Collectors Online

The Pixar Story, a review by Dragonfire

Somehow I either missed or forgot that The Pixar Story was on my WALL-E DVD.  Then Sophie mentioned it in another thread and I got to looking and found that I had it.  So last night I decided to watch it.

I think it runs about an hour and 20 minutes long.  I honestly could have watched longer if there was more material.  I've loved Pixar movies since they started, though I didn't know as much about how the company began.  This covers John Lasseter first studying animation and then getting a job at Disney.  I had no clue that he'd worked there before.  That didn't go well at the time, but in the long run, what happened was probably for the best because that allowed him to take the job with the group that became Pixar when they were still part of ILM.  I enjoyed hearing about the early projects and even the trouble they had with Toy Story to begin with - because of Eisner wanting the story to be more edgy.  The most is shared about Toy Story, though there is a decent amount for A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, including how everyone at Pixar felt the material sucked while Disney said it was good enough...so they decided to start over.  That dedication to making a good movie with a strong story is why their movies have been so successful.  This was made in 2007, so the last few movies aren't included and there is only a short little clip of Ratatouille.  It would have been nice if there had been a bit more shared about some of the other movies.

There is a lot of footage showing them working on various projects over the years that I thought was really interesting.  Some footage of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen doing the voices for Toy Story is shown. Interviews with the different animators are shared and are very interesting.  Some of the people who have done voices for the movies are also featured.  Steve Jobs is featured - I wasn't completely sure of what his part in the company was before, though I had heard there was one.  The issues that came up between Disney and Pixar before Eisner was replaced is covered, along with how that situation worked out once the new guy took over at Disney - I have forgotten his name at the moment. 

This is wonderful and definitely worth watching for anyone who likes Pixar movies.

 

By the way...Eisner is an idiot.  I've felt that way for several years now, but some of what is shared in this about his decisions involving Pixar and animated movies in general just cements that feeling.  Thank goodness he isn't at Disney anymore.

(From The Pixar Story on May 27th, 2010)

The Adventures of Robin Hood, a review by addicted2dvd

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938/United States) Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley Writing: Norman Reilly Raine (Screenwriter), Seton I. Miller (Screenwriter) Length: 102 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono, Music Only: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Errol Flynn as Robin Hood
Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian
Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne
Claude Rains as Prince John
Patric Knowles as Will Scarlett

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Music Videos
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Introduction by Leonard Maltin
• Newsreel
• Vintage Cartoons

This is the first time I ever seen this one. And I must say I enjoyed it very much! I loved the story line... which I knew I would as I have of course seen other versions. Errol Flynn was great as Robin Hood... as was Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian. I also liked the sense of humor used for a few of the characters in this film. Most noted Robin Hood himself. Being a film from 1938 I was surprised to see this film be in color. I am guessing this was the reason for the one thing I did find a little overdone. The color and fanciness of a lot of the costumes. Over all a great movie I can recommend with ease.



(From January Movie Marathon: Actresses of Yesteryear on January 1st, 2018)

The Brady Bunch: The Complete Series, a review by addicted2dvd

CAST:
Robert Reed as Mike Brady
Florence Henderson as Carol Brady
Ann B. Davis as Alice
Maureen McCormick as Marcia
Eve Plumb as Jan
Susan Olsen as Cindy
Barry Williams as Greg
Chris Knight as Peter
Mike Lookinland as Bobby

This past Friday I watched the TV Movie Growing Up Brady. This instantly put me in the mood to watch this complete series set again. This is the second time for me to go through this set since I bought it 3 years ago. In only 6 days I watched all 5 seasons of the series.... and the bonus disc with contains 2 reunion movies and  2 episodes of the animated series The Brady Kids. This series started in 1969... the same year I was born. So while I never saw the original run of the series... like many people I grew up watching reruns. When I was a kid I never considered this to be a favorite series of mine... but good enough to watch. Then many years went by without me seeing any episodes. One day I walked in to find my daughter watching some episodes on TV with her grandmother. And she was enjoying it. So I decided to buy this set so she would have a chance to see the entire series. Ironically in the 3 years I have owned it she never bothered to watch the set. But as I was watching the set I found that I oddly enjoyed it more now then when I was a kid. I don't know... maybe it is a strong nostalgic thing. Maybe a reminder of simpler times. But it really grew on me.

Now, about this set...

The first thing to notice is the gimmicky packaging. In my opinion the packaging fails on all levels. It is not pleasing to the eye (come on... green shag carpeting!?!?). All the discs are housed in one (flower shaped) cardboard accordion envelope (Much like the two in the I Love Lucy complete series set). So I am always worried that the discs will scratch. In my personal opinion... the person that designed this packaging should have been fired as soon as he suggested it!

The discs themselves are the same discs that are in the individual season sets. So that means the only thing that makes this Complete Series set worth it is the addition of the bonus disc with the reunion movies and cartoons. Which I enjoyed the reunion movies a lot... so  that made it worth getting the set to me personally.

Of course the show itself is basically what you would figure from the time. A half an hour sitcom where all their problems are solved with a happy ending by the end of each episode (except for the handful of multiple part eps. of course.) The series did bring in quite a few familiar faces...

The Brady Bunch Guests:
- Marion Ross (Happy Days)
- Herbert Anderson (Dennis the Menace)
- Desi Arnaz, Jr.
- E.G. Marshall (The Defenders)
- Marcia Wallace (The Bob Newhart Show)
- David "Deacon" Jones
- Julie Cobb (Charles in Charge)
- Jackie Coogan (The Addams Family)
- Jim Backus (Gilligan's Island)
- Jay Silverhills (The Lone Ranger)
- Davy Jones (The Monkees)
- Don Ho
- Vincent Price
- Nicholas Hammond (Amazing Spider-Man)
- Joe Namath
- Melissa Sue Anderson (Little House on the Prairie)
- Ken Berry
- Natalie Schafer (Gilligan's Island)

The Bonus Disc...
As I said... there is 2 reunion movies which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately the whole gang wasn't completely brought back together for neither one of them. In the first reunion movie, A Very Brady Christmas, Susan Olsen didn't come back so the part of Cindy Brady was played by Jennifer Runyon. And then in the movie the Brady 500 (Which is actually the first 2 episodes of The Bradys edited together to make a movie) Maureen McCormick didn't come back... so the part of Marcia Brady was played by Leah Ayres.

While the 2 episodes of the animated series The Brady Kids was entertaining enough... they are my least favorite of the included extras. It isn't a cartoon I watched much as a kid.... so the interest just wasn't there for me as much.

Over-all I am glad I did add this set to my collection. The bonus disc makes the purchase worth it in my opinion. Though I don't know if I would double-dip this series just to get this bonus disc. If I already had the season sets I doubt I would have bothered.



(From The Brady Bunch: The Complete Series on November 17th, 2011)