Less filling than our full-length reviews but still informative, our DVD capsule reviews offer technical and supplemental information for each release, along with a quick look at whether the title is any good and/or entertaining or enjoyable.
Length: 40 minutes
Screen Formats: Full Screen
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Sides: 1
Extras:
Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
The Making of Africa's Elephant Kingdom - 52+ minute look at the film's production, including clips from the film, behind the scenes footage and interviews with those associated with making the film.
Trailer.
Africa's Elephant Kingdom takes you into the heart of the continent and face-to-face with the great elephants of Africa. Featuring spectacular cinematography and the amazing picture and sound quality that comes from the giant-screen IMAX film, this is the story of one elephant clan's struggle for survival as it travels across vast stretches of land in search of dwindling sources of food and water. Wide and high above Africa, the camera travels over waterfalls, rivers, plains and forests. Large groups of elephants move across the plains. One comes closer. He is massive, weathered, and craggy. He is the Old Bull, our storyteller, and it is through his eyes that the film dramatically unfolds.
Jim Frawley's Camera Test - 13 minutes of rough tests of various Muppets out in the field.
Muppetisms: Brief comedy segments featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Pepe & Rizzo.
Trailers for "Muppets From Space," "Jumanji," "Buddy," "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland."
You'll be seeing stars (Orson Welles, Steven Martin, Bob Hope and more) as "The Muppet Movie" tells the rags-to-riches tale of Kermit the Frog's leap to fame and fortune. It's Hollywood or bust when a small frog in a small swamp hears about a big audition in Tinsel Town. Against all odds, Kermit hits the road to the big time with only his bicycle and his dreams. Along the way, he meets a beautiful actress (Miss Piggy), a stand-up comedian (Fozzie Bear) and a whole troupe of talented friends who join Kermit as he heads West.
Marking the lovable Muppets inevitable transition to the big screen after a successful TV program, as well as earlier appearances on "Sesame Street" and Kermit's arrival on the scene on "The Tonight Show" decades ago (back when Steve Allen was the host), this 1979 garnered two Oscar nominations (for Best Song and Score) and delighted kids and adults alike with it unique style of Muppet humor, logic and storylines.
Also marking the first time that the creations appeared in "real life" settings and did so in full view (the most notable accomplishment of that was watching Kermit ride a bicycle with moving legs - a big technical feat for that day and age), the film may have been weighed down a bit by too many distracting cameos by the likes of Milton Berle, James Coburn, Madeline Kahn, Telly Savalas and Richard Pryor among others. Yet, much like their TV show, the Muppets and their charm emerged unfazed and the film was and still is a cute and charming piece of entertainment that the whole family can enjoy together.
Running audio commentary by director Oliver Stone.
Running audio commentary by military supervisor Captain Dale Dye.
"Tour of the Inferno" - 53+ minute look at director Oliver Stone's involvement in the Vietnam War and how it influenced this film (with footage from the war, the film and interviews with various cast and crew members).
Theatrical trailer and 3 TV spots.
Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery - Various color photos taken behind the camera in the making of the film.
Poster Art - 4 of the film's posters.
Brief Production Notes on glossy DVD case insert.
Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young, naïve American who, upon his arrival in Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. While his two commanding officers (Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe) draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and the one they fight with each other, the conflict, chaos and hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to man's highest value…life.
Length: 123 minutes
Screen Formats: 1.85:1, 16x9
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Sides: 1
Extras:
Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
Running audio commentary by director Oliver Stone.
"Into the Valley of Death" - 62+ minute documentary about the events in 1980s El Salvador and their influence on the film (including archival footage, clips from the film and interviews with various people associated with the film).
8 Deleted Scenes.
"On the Set" Photo Gallery - 46 photos from the film.
Theatrical trailer.
Brief Production Notes on glossy DVD case insert.
It's 1980. Young men, woman and children are being brutally killed in a bloody civil war in El Salvador. It's a horrific setting, but a perfect one for Richard Boyle, a sleazy war photojournalist whose career needs a jumpstart. Armed with his camera, Boyle joins the front lines in an attempt to capture atrocious but valuable images of the pain and horror. But with each picture he takes, he catches a tragic side of humanity that ignites his long-buried compassion. And he unexpectedly discovers something that will changes him forever - his soul.
Too long, uneven and occasionally overbearing, this 1986 film is nevertheless often powerful and quite compelling. Marking writer/director Oliver Stone's first real big budget foray behind the camera - after penning and directing films such as "Midnight Express" and "The Hand" respectively - as well as quite a year for the then forty-year-old filmmaker (his seminal Vietnam picture, "Platoon" was also released that year), the auteur created an intriguing character study here set amidst the political unrest and turmoil of the titular third world country.
Based on the real life experiences of free-lance correspondent Richard Boyle - who co-wrote the screenplay with Stone - the film purposefully oozes and exudes sleaze and grime and features a standpoint performance from James Woods reveling in both. The actor plays the part - that's seemingly so perfect for him that one could come away with the impression that it were written specifically for him, or at least with him in mind - with all of the appropriate gusto to make it work, and it clearly does so.
With decent supporting performances from James Belushi and John Savage, the film racked up two Oscar nominations (Woods for Best Actor and Best screenplay for Stone and Boyle's script). While it certainly won't be for everyone's tastes, the film is a terrific character study that may suffer from some propagandist tendencies at times, but it still manages to be mostly interesting and engaging throughout.
![[Screen It]](/images/underground_header.jpg)
![[Platoon]</TD](/images/posters/dvd/big/platoon.jpg)
![[Salvador]</TD](/images/posters/dvd/big/salvador.jpg)