Bookmark this page!

Check out our new blog! We'll be posting great discounts and deals there often.

Classic DVDs

John Wayne 20 Movie Pack

Sales Rank:2947
List Price: $14.98
Lowest New Price: $5.00
Lowest Used Price: $3.34
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Format:

Box set
Color
DVD-Video
NTSC
Original recording remastered

Director(s):

Actor(s):

John Wayne, one of the greatest Western actors of all time and an American icon, has twenty of his classic films presented to you in this value-added pack. Ride the range with The Duke, as he brings his own brand of Western justice to the sprawling plains and burning deserts.

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

The Trouble with Angels

Sales Rank:2839
List Price: $14.94
Lowest New Price: $7.79
Lowest Used Price: $7.47
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Format:

Closed-captioned
Color
DVD-Video
Full Screen
Subtitled
NTSC

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Rosalind Russell
Binnie Barnes
Camilla Sparv
Mary Wickes
Marge Redmond

Actress-writer-director Ida Lupino got one of her unfortunately rare opportunities behind a camera making this 1966 family comedy about two mischievous students (Hayley Mills, June Harding) making life difficult for the nuns at a girls' convent school. Rosalind Russell has a fine part as a mother superior vexed by their pranks and outwardly chilly until the girls catch her in a more private moment of emotional release. The script has an anecdotal structure--it's sort of one thing after another with Mills's and Harding's troublemakers--but there is a rising sense that these two kids gradually develop some awareness of the pain and sacrifices of others. A fun and touching movie all around, with a nice twist at the end. --Tom Keogh

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

The Longest Day (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Sales Rank:998
List Price: $19.98
Lowest New Price: $9.44
Lowest Used Price: $9.37
MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)

Format:

Black & White
Special Edition
Widescreen
NTSC

Director(s):

Andrew Marton
Bernhard Wicki
Darryl F. Zanuck
Ken Annakin

Actor(s):

John Wayne
Robert Ryan
Richard Burton
Henry Fonda
Robert Mitchum

After seeing Saving Private Ryan, this epic tale about the Normandy invasion will look sanitized. But in its re-creation of events leading to the epochal battle, the film is captivating and grand, and the parade of famous actors who cross the screen naturally give the already charged action even more of a boost. Three directors worked on it: Ken Annakin (Battle of the Bulge), Andrew Marton (Crack in the World), and Bernhard Wicki (this film being his only credit). --Tom Keogh

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol. 1

Sales Rank:1600
List Price: $49.99
Lowest New Price: $34.98
Lowest Used Price: $31.84
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Format:

Box set
Color
DVD-Video
Full Screen
NTSC

Director(s):

Arthur Hiller
Arthur Marks
Gerald Mayer
Herbert Hirschman
Richard Kinon

Actor(s):

Raymond Burr
Barbara Hale
William Hopper
William Talman
Ray Collins

"You're that lawyer, aren’t you?" a reluctant material witness addresses the impeccably dressed man asking questions about her soon-to-be-murdered boyfriend. Yep, he's Perry Mason, and his reputation precedes him. In "The Case of the Lucky Legs," one of this three-disc set's twelve black-and-white episodes, a policeman who finds Mason at a crime scene greets him with an impressed, "Well." Mason inspires that kind of admiration with yet another heavy caseload of seemingly guilty clients on trial for murder. Episode after episode, one can only marvel at Mason's courtroom cunning that will allow him to identify the real culprit and make him or her squirm on the witness stand until they confess. The cleverly plotted episodes unfold with compelling twists and turns. In "The Case of the Spurious Sister," a husband is understandably confused that his no-good gambler wife, whose murder he ill-advisedly tried to cover up, should apparently turn up in Las Vegas and sue him for divorce. In "The Case of the Garrulous Gambler," a blackmail scam worthy of David Mamet takes a deadly turn. In only one memorable episode can viewers be absolutely certain of the innocence of Mason's client; it's private detective Paul Drake (William Hopper), who has been charged with the murder of a philandering married man who was involved in a hit and run. Through it all, Mason is characteristically cool and confident. In "The Case of Paul Drake's Dilemma," he jokes that his only concern about Paul is that he will be able to pay Mason's bill. Now and then, Mason will resort to unconventional methods to see that justice is done. In "The Case of the Blushing Pearls," he stages a little arson to roust a suspect from his hotel room. A Saturday night staple during its Emmy-winning nine season run, Perry Mason's pleasures are many, from Fred Steiner's indelible theme song, "Park Avenue Beat" to the character actors with the B-movie names (Lisabeth Hush in "Lucky Legs") and Mason's epilogue summations prompted by his befuddled staff ("Well, there's only thing I don't understand…."). This volume is a must for fans of Erle Stanley Gardner's iconic character who are compiling Mason's complete case history. --Donald Liebenson

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Bambi (2-Disc Special Platinum Edition)

Sales Rank:999
List Price: $29.99
Lowest New Price: $27.98
Lowest Used Price: $9.25
MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)

Format:

Animated
Closed-captioned
Color
Dolby
DVD-Video
Special Edition
NTSC

Director(s):

Wilfred Jackson
David Hand

Actor(s):

Margaret Lee
John Sutherland (IV)
Sam Edwards
Paula Winslowe
Marion Darlington

It always comes up when people are comparing their most traumatic movie experiences: "the death of Bambi's mother," a recollection that can bring a shudder to even the most jaded filmgoer. That primal separation (which is no less stunning for happening off-screen) is the centerpiece of Bambi, Walt Disney's 1942 animated classic, but it is by no means the only bold stroke in the film. In its swift but somehow leisurely 69 minutes, Bambi covers a year in the life of a young deer. But in a bigger way, it measures the life cycle itself, from birth to adulthood, from childhood's freedom to grown-up responsibility. All of this is rendered in cheeky, fleet-footed style--the movie doesn't lecture, or make you feel you're being fed something that's good for you. The animation is miraculous, a lush forest in which nature is a constantly unfolding miracle (even in a spectacular fire, or those dark moments when "man was in the forest"). There are probably easier animals to draw than a young deer, and the Disney animators set themselves a challenge with Bambi's wobbly glide across an ice-covered lake, his spindly legs akimbo; but the sequence is effortless and charming. If Bambi himself is just a bit dull--such is the fate of an Everydeer--his rabbit sidekick Thumper and a skunk named Flower more than make up for it. Many of the early Disney features have their share of lyrical moments and universal truths, but Bambi is so simple, so pure, it's almost transparent. You might borrow a phrase from Thumper and say it's downright twitterpated. --Robert Horton

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Some Like It Hot

Sales Rank:2009
List Price: $14.98
Lowest New Price: $4.37
Lowest Used Price: $4.15
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Format:

Black & White
Closed-captioned
Color
DVD-Video
Letterboxed
Widescreen
NTSC

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Marilyn Monroe
Tony Curtis
Jack Lemmon
George Raft
Pat O'Brien

Maybe "nobody's perfect," as one character in this masterpiece suggests. But some movies are perfect, and Some Like It Hot is one of them. In Chicago, during the Prohibition era, two skirt-chasing musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), inadvertently witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. In order to escape the wrath of gangland chief Spats Colombo (George Raft), the boys, in drag, join an all-woman band headed for Florida. They vie for the attention of the lead singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a much-disappointed songbird who warbles "I'm Through with Love" but remains vulnerable to yet another unreliable saxophone player. (When Curtis courts her without his dress, he adopts the voice of Cary Grant--a spot-on impersonation.) The script by director Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is beautifully measured; everything works, like a flawless clock. Aspiring screenwriters would be well advised to throw away the how-to books and simply study this film. The bulk of the slapstick is handled by an unhinged Lemmon and the razor-sharp Joe E. Brown, who plays a horny retiree smitten by Jerry's feminine charms. For all the gags, the film is also wonderfully romantic, as Wilder indulges in just the right amounts of moonlight and the lilting melody of "Park Avenue Fantasy." Some Like It Hot is so delightfully fizzy, it's hard to believe the shooting of the film was a headache, with an unhappy Monroe on her worst behavior. The results, however, are sublime. --Robert Horton

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Seven Samurai - 3 Disc Remastered Edition (Criterion Collection Spine # 2)

Sales Rank:3170
List Price: $49.95
Lowest New Price: $34.95
Lowest Used Price: $32.75
MPAA Rating: Unrated

Format:

Black & White
DVD-Video
Full Screen
NTSC
Subtitled

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Takashi Shimura
Toshirô Mifune
Yoshio Inaba
Seiji Miyaguchi
Minoru Chiaki

Hailed as the greatest film in the history of Japanese cinema, Seven Samurai is director Akira Kurosawa's undisputed masterpiece. Arguably the greatest of all jidai-gecki (or historical swordplay films), Kurosawa's classic 1954 action drama has never been surpassed in terms of sheer power of emotion, kinetic energy, and dynamic character development. The story is set during the civil unrest of 16th-century Japan, as the cowering residents of a small farming village are seeking protection against seasonal attacks by a band of marauding bandits. Offering mere handfuls of rice as payment, they hire seven unemployed "ronin" (masterless samurai), including a boastful swordsman (Toshiro Mifune) who is actually a peasant farmer's son, desperately seeking glory, acceptance, and revenge against those who destroyed his family. Led by the calmly strategic Kambei (Takashi Shimura, star of Kurosawa's previous classic, Ikiru), the samurai form mutual bonds of honor and respect, but remain distant from the villagers, knowing that their assignment may prove to be fatal.

Kurosawa masterfully composed his shots to emphasize these group dynamics, and Seven Samurai is a textbook study of the director's signature techniques, including extensive use of telephoto lenses to compress action, delineate character relationships, and intensify motion. While the climactic battle against raiding thieves remains one of the most breathtaking sequences ever filmed, Seven Samurai is most triumphant as a peerless example of character development, requiring all of its 2-hour, 37-minute running time to illuminate every essential detail of villagers and samurai alike, including an abundance of humor as Kambei's defense plan unfolds. In terms of its overall impact, Seven Samurai spawned dozens of copycat films (notably the American Western remake The Magnificent Seven) and cannot be adequately summarized by even the most comprehensive synopsis; it must be seen to be fully appreciated, and the Criterion Collection's 2006 DVD reissue is an essential addition to any definitive home-video library. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVDs
According to the accompanying booklet, "the picture has been slightly window-boxed (in correct original 1.33:1 aspect ratio) to ensure that the maximum image is visible on all monitors." The two-disc format was necessary "to maintain optimal image quality throughout the compression process," with dual-layered DVD-9's encoded "at the highest possible bit rate for the quantity of material included." The picture and sound quality are simply amazing compared to Criterion's one-disc release from 1998. The all-new, fully restored high-definition digital transfer takes full advantage of HD's clarity and crispness, resulting in picture detail far surpassing the previous DVD. This also applies to the soundtrack, presented in optional Dolby surround in addition to the remastered original mono track. The new transfer "was mastered in 2k resolution from a duplicate negative created with wetgate processing from the original fine-grain master positive" (the film's original negative is no longer available), and "several different digital hardware and software solutions were utilized for flicker, instability, dirt, scratch, and grain management."

The complete 207-minute film is accompanied by two full-length commentary tracks, including a new track combining the critical insights of film scholars David Desser, Joan Mellen, Stephen Price (author of The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa), Tony Rayns, and the dean of Japanese film experts, Donald Richie (author of The Films of Akira Kurosawa). Each scholar is given approximately 40 minutes of film-time, and their commentaries represent a unique opportunity to appreciate Seven Samurai from distinct yet complementary critical perspectives. The commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck (from Criterion's original 1988 laserdisc release) remains useful as a thorough analysis of Seven Samurai, primarily in terms of visual composition.

The 50-minute "making of" documentary, from Japan's 2002 Toho Masterworks TV series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create emphasizes Kurosawa's collaboration with co-screenwriters Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni, including production footage, crewmember interviews, and a reverent visit to the rural inn where Seven Samurai was written over a six-week period of intense seclusion. The two-hour "My Life in Cinema" interview with Kurosawa was recorded in 1993, with fellow filmmaker Nagisa Oshima serving as a gentle admirer, colleague, and well-informed historian of Kurosawa's career. "Seven Samurai: Origins and Influences" is a richly informative documentary that places Kurosawa's classic in both historical and cinematic context, examining its place in the jidai-gecki (swordplay) genre, its accurate depiction of samurai codes and traditions, and its stature as the prototype for many films that followed. The lavishly illustrated 58-page booklet includes eight brief essays on various aspects of Seven Samurai, each written by noted film scholars or film directors (including Arthur Penn and Sidney Lumet). Also included is a reminiscence by the great actor Toshiro Mifune, excerpted from a conversation recorded in 1993. Taken as a whole, the remastered three-disc Seven Samurai ranks as one of the finest DVD sets ever released. --Jeff Shannon

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Babes in Toyland

Sales Rank:2436
List Price: $14.99
Lowest New Price: $6.16
Lowest Used Price: $6.42
MPAA Rating: Unrated

Format:

Animated
Closed-captioned
Color
DVD-Video
Live
NTSC

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Ray Bolger
Tommy Sands
Annette Funicello
Ed Wynn
Tommy Kirk

Enjoy a happy excursion into the world of Mother Goose in Walt Disney's first musical production! All roads lead to magical, merry Toyland as Mary Contrary and Tom Piper prepare for their wedding! But villainous Barnaby wants Mary for himself, so he kidnaps Tom, setting off a series of comic chases, searches, and double-crosses! The "March Of The Wooden Soldiers" helps put Barnaby in his place, and ensures a "happily ever after" for Tom and Mary! This joyful musical fantasy is a delightful experience for the whole family!

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Casablanca (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Sales Rank:3297
List Price: $26.98
Lowest New Price: $11.61
Lowest Used Price: $9.95
MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)

Format:

Black & White
Closed-captioned
DVD-Video
Special Edition
Subtitled
NTSC

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Humphrey Bogart
Ingrid Bergman
Paul Henreid

A truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made. --Tom Keogh

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

The Hustler (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Sales Rank:875
List Price: $19.98
Lowest New Price: $10.47
Lowest Used Price: $8.99
MPAA Rating: Unrated

Format:

Black & White
Collector's Edition
Dubbed
DVD-Video
Subtitled
NTSC

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Paul Newman
Jackie Gleason
Piper Laurie
George C. Scott
Myron McCormick

Paul Newman shines as cocky poolroom hustler "Fast" Eddie Felson in Robert Rossen's atmospheric adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel. Newman's Felson is a swaggering pool shark punk who takes on the king of the poolroom, Minnesota Fats (a cool, assured Jackie Gleason in his most understated performance). After losing big and crashing into a void of self-pity, Eddie meets down-and-out Sarah (Piper Laurie in a delicate performance), an alcoholic blue blood who's dropped into Eddie's world of dingy bars and seedy poolrooms. Eddie regains his confidence and attracts the attention of a shifty, calculating promoter, Bert Gordon (George C. Scott at his most heartless), who offers to bring Eddie into the big money--but at what cost? Rossen brings his film to life with the easy pace of a pool game, giving his actors room to explore their characters and develop into a razor-sharp ensemble. Eugen Schüfftan earned an Academy Award for his shadowing black-and-white cinematography, as did art directors Harry Horner and Gene Callahan for their deceivingly simple set designs. Even in the daylight this film seems to be smothered by night, lit by the dim glow of a bar lamp or the overhead glare of a pool-table light, an appropriate environment for this tale of one man's struggle with his soul and his self-esteem. Newman returned as an older, wiser, cagier Felson 25 years later in Martin Scorsese's Color of Money. --Sean Axmaker

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Previous | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Next

Quick Links

Home
Amazon
Our Shops
Merchants
Reviews
Blog
Price Drops

Check out our new blog! We'll be posting great discounts and deals there often.

Classic DVDs

Quick Links

Categories