Hmm? Another April DVD

I Think my last DVD Blog must have been from March. Oh well. This order was mostly non-fiction science and travel but I did go back through the work of several stars looking for things I missed. I reviewed John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Lana Turner, and Gregory Peck plus I looked at the work of Robert Taylor for the first time. Wayne, Bogart ,Grant and Peck each had such long and distinguished careers that I'm still not finished buying all their major movies. Spellbound and the Man in the Gray Flannel Suit are major films Gregory Peck made that have been out of print for a while, and John Wayne made so many popular movies that it could be while I finish buying all of his. Lana Turner and Robert Taylor were both major idols in the 40's but their earlier films are lessor known today and hard to find but I'll keep trying.


The Movies

Back to Bataan - John Wayne and Anthony Quinn lead Philipino rebels against the Japanese in WWII.
Operation Pacific. John Wayne and Ward Bond are submariners fighting the Japanese in WWII.
Sea Chase John Wayne, Lana Turner, Claude Akins, Alan Hale Jr. James Arness and Tab Hunter are German Merchant Marines fighting Nazis on borad while running from British destroyers.
High Sierra Humphrey Bogart is gangster Mad Dog Earle and Ida Lupino is his moll with Joan Leslie Arthur Kennedy and Cornell Wilde.
They Drive by Night. George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart Alan Hale. Bogart before he was a star, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino steal the show.
Humphrey Bogart Signature collection Vol 2. This collection has several Bogart Films I think we should have Across the Pacific and Action in the North Atlantic are WWII vintage while Passage to Marseille has the Michael Curtiz Directing Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre. All Through the Night is an oddball pre-WWII Humphrey Bogart comedy drama that I've never seen.
My Favorite Wife is a screwball comedy with Cary Grant, Irene Dunne and Randolf Scott.
Penny Serenade a re-teaming of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne in a total tearjerker.
People Will Talk Joseph Mankiewicz directs Cary Grant, Jeanne Crain, and Hume Cronyn in a comedy drama that everyone seems to like.
Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in a 40's screwball comedy.
Indiscreet Another fantastic pairing of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
Love Finds Andy Hardy Teenagers as they never were or always should be, or Mickey Rooney Judy Garland and Lana Turner.
Ziegfeld Girl Jimmy Stewert in a musical? But Hey, his girlfriend in this movie is a young Lana Turner and Hedy Lemar is in here too with songs by Tony Martin and Judy Garland.
Imitation of Life, a five hanky tearjerker with Lana Turner John Gavin, and Sandra Dee. It's a remake thats better than the original.
Quo Vadis Robert Taylor Deborah Kerr, and Peter Ustinov, in a stunning specticle of Caligula's Rome.
Bataan Robert Taylor fights the Japs in the Big One-WWII.
Waterloo Bridge. I got this one because of Robert Taylor but I needed it for my Vivian Leigh collection too.
Knights of the Round Table Robert Taylor looked really good as Ivanhoe so they let him be Lancelot with Ava Gardner as Guinevere.
Bob Hope Collection with Alias Jesse James, Boy did I get a Wrong number, Facts of life, They Got Me Covered, I'll take Sweeden, Princess and the Pirate and Road to Hong Kong. Okay I bought five dogs for two gems.
Five Pennies Danny Kaye plays jazz great Red Nichols (There are a ton of Big band Jazzers in this movie including Bob Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Red Nichols plays horn for Danny).
Spellbound Alfred Hitchcock directs Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman with sets for the dream sequence created by Salvadore Dali.
Bavid and Bathsheba Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward. Wonderful biblical Hokam.
Pork Chop Hill Gregory Peck and an all star supporting cast fight the last battle of the Korean War.
Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Gregory Peck Jennifer Jones, Frederick March, Lee J Cobb, in a highly acclaimed 50's view of corporate America.


Television
Jane Austen's Emma
Fortysomething With Hugh Laurie of House

Non-fiction
Unlocking the great pyramid.
Nova-Lightning
IMAX - Ring of Fire
History Channel Presents: the Brain
Perfume: the Story of a Murderer
GED Mathematics
Math Video Tutor: Fractions Thru Algebra
Passport to Europe England, Ireland, & Scotland
Passport to Europe France & Italy
Passport ot Europe Germany, Austria, & Switzerlnd
Globe Trekker Greece
Globe Trekker th Middle East
Globe Trekker Chile and Easer Island
Globe Trekker Iceland and Greenland
Globe Trekker Argentina
Globe Trekker Peru
Globe Trekker Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
Globe Trekker Tahiti and French Poynesia
Globe Trekker Bolivia
Globe Trekker Panama & Colombia

April DVDs

For the April DVD order I reviewed the movies of Val Kilmer, Charlize Theron, and Nicole Kidman, plus I bought a handfull of Blu-rays and continued purchasing complete seasons of the '100' best Television shows. Oh and as always there is a smattering of customer requests and non-fiction DVDs.

The DVD's

August Evening - This is a recent (2007) Spanish Language Indie film by up and comer Chris Eska. It won four Film Festival awards including Best Picture at the Woodstock Film Festival.
Batman Forever - Val Kilmer, Nicole Kidman, Jim Carey and Tommy Lee Jones.
Cold Mountain Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, and Natalie Portman. It didn't win all the Oscars it was supposed to but the critics loved it.
Curse of the Jade Scorpion Woody Allen, Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, and Charlize Theron I think it must be a right of passage or something for everyone to do a Woody Allen movie.
Dead Calm Great suspense on the high seas with Sam Neil, Nicole Kidman, and Billy Zane. (Some say it's Nicole's best role.)
Dogville An innovative film by controversial director Lars Von Trier with Nicole Kidman Lauren Becall and James Caan.
Doors Oliver Stone's homage to 60's icon Jim Morrison with Val Kilmer and Meg Ryan.
El Rincon De La Virgenes I don't have a clue why I bought this, but it's director, Alberto Isaac, is an award winning Mexican Director. It must be a minor classic I ran across but now I don't remember.
Ghost and the Darkness. Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer hunt man killing lions in Africa.
Ghost Breakers Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. Bob Hope back when he was at his funniest.
Interpreter Directed by Sydney Pollack with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn but they needed a better script.
Milagro Beanfield War Robert Redford directs a rich cast including Ruben Blades Sonia Braga, Melanie Griffith and Christopher Walken in a movie based on the John Nichols book.
Nobody's Fool/Fat Man and Little Boy I bought this double DVD for Nobody's Fool. It's out of print and I couldn't get it any other way, but with Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith, and Bruce Willis it's a must in any library collection.
Others An Eerie high quality ghost story with Nicole Kidman.
Real Genius. Val Kilmer does revenge of the supernerd.
Serenity A movie based on the Firefly TV series this movie has spunk and spirit. I like it a lot better than the critics do. I never saw the TV show but I enjoyed the movie.
Sweet November Keanu reeves and Charlize Theron in a remake of the same name.
That thing you do. Tom Hanks directs Liv Tyler and Charlize Therone among others.
Thunderheart Val Kilmer, San Shephard, Fred Ward and Graham Greene. Val Kilmer investigates a murder on the Pine Ridge Oglala reservation in South Dakota.
To Die For Nicole Kidman, Casey Affleck Matt Dillon, and Joaquin Phoenix all star in a black comedy.
Trapped a taut thriller with Kevin Beacon and Courtney Love kidnapping Charlize Theron's and Stuart Townsend's daughter.
True Romance Violent and over the top but Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Bronson Pinchot, Chris Penn James Gandolfini, and Samuel L Jackson. Oh and Written by Quentin Tarantino.
Two Days in the Valley Danny Aiello, James Spader, Eric Stoltz, Jeff Daniels, Teri Hatcher, Marsha Mason Charlize Theron. Whew! LA Crime Special.
Waking up in Reno Billy Bob Thorton, Charlize Therone, Natasha Richardson, Patrick Swayze, Penelope Cruz in a redneck Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.
What Dreams May Come Robin Williams & Cuba Gooding in a special effects take on the Divine Comedy.

Blu-Ray

Amadeus
Being there
Casino
Groundhog day
Halloween
Ironman
Men in Black
Pretty Woman
Raging Bull
Serenity
Transformers

Television

Happy Days: the Complete Second season
Happy Days: the Complete Third season
Jefferson's the complete Second season
Jefferson's the Complete Third Season
Little House on the Prairie: Season 2
Little House on the Prairie: Season 3
Seinfeld Season 3
Seinfeld Season 4

Non-Fiction

Frank Lloyd Wright: a Film by Ken Burns
Trinity & Beyond: the Atomic Bomb Movie
Wondrous Secrets of the Ocean Realm

Another DVD Order

I think this was my February DVD order, and it's a continuation of several themes I've been working on lately. Some time last year I bought a number of television shows, mostly complete first seasons, and they were hugely successful so I've been scrambling to buy more. I've also been revisiting actors at random looking for movies I missed before or were unavailable when I looked before. I've also been trying to build up my non-fiction, how to do it, documentary, history kind of stuff.

TELEVISION

All in the Family: complete 2nd season
All in the Family: Complete 3rd Season
Andy Griffith Show: the Complete First Season
Andy Griffith Show: the Complete Second Season
Andy Griffith Show: the Complete Third Season
Barney Miller: Complete Third Season
Cosby Show: Season 2
Cosby Show: Season 3
Cosby Show: Season 4
Have Gun Will Travel: Complete Third Season
I Love Lucy: the Complete Third Season
I Love Lucy: the Complete Fourth Season
I Love Lucy: Complete Fifth Season
Murder She Wrote: the Complete Third Season
Murder She Wrote: the Complete Fourth Season
Wanted Dead or Alive: Season 2

Movies

Algiers: Not quite a classic but everybody, knows or should know this movie. Even Pepe le Pew mimics Charles Boyer when he takes the cat in his arms and says; "Take me to the Casbah"
Classic Sci-fi Ultimate Collection 1 & 2 I finally found a collection that has the Incredible Shrinking Man.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Steve Martin and Michael Caine on the Rivera.
Gary Cooper Collection. Beau Geste! This one has Beau Geste! Its got some of his other hard to get movies but do you guys know how long I've been trying to get Beau Geste!
Gregory Peck Film Collection with Arabesque (Sophia Loren) Cape Fear (The good one) World in His Arms, To Kill a mockingbird, Captain Newman M.D. and Mirage (with Peck Walter Matthau and Dianne Baker)
I Love You to Death Kevin Kline, Tracy Ullman, William Hurt and Kenau Reeves in a black comedy.
Matt Helm Lounge, Dean Martin does his tongue in cheek imitation of James Bond.
Red Rock West A straight to cable modern noir that's gained a lot of respect. Nicolas Cage Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn Boyle and J T Walsh.
Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Terrorism for fun and Profit with Robert Shaw, Walter Matthau, Martin Balsam and a terrific supporting cast.
They Were Expendable. John Wayne in one of the most underrated WWII films Directed by John Ford and his usual cast of character actors.
Ultimate Flint Collection James Coburn as secret agent Flint in these James bond ripoffs.
Who'll Stop the Rain Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld, Michael Moriarty.

Non-Fiction-Self Help.

1 2 3 Magic: Managing Difficult Behavior in Children 2-12
Denise Austin : Get fit Daily Dozen
Denise Austin: Hit the spot 10 5 minute workouts.
Kathy Smith lifts weights to lose weight.
Kathy Smith Total Body lift.
Yoga for Beginners.
Yoga for stress Relief