Musical Instruments

Reviews

Yes, I received the holder in two pieces. It was broken, the holder from the base. Luckily my husband is a welder and was able to tact it back together. It is a nice product but the shipping department placed it in a envelope instead of a box, so it didn't have a chance to come in one piece. When you pay for shipping/handling you expect it to come in one piece. Please take another look at your shipping method.

I bought this for a tweenager. It is much larger than I expected. I would like to have seen a little smaller version. construction is OK... Patina appears a bit marginal.

Best I've ever found...no more stuck-to-the-wall organizer preventing me from having easy access to the back! Finally I can move the earring organizer rack where I please and how I please. How wonderful!

This item was poorly constructed, damaged during shipping or both. Had the item cost half as much, I would have expected this. For an item that will cost over $20.00 by the time it's shipped to you, and only consist of a few wires and metal bands, the least you could expect is an appearance that it was put together carefully. The large wire scroll like frame appears racked and thus makes the metal bands all look bent. Painted finish was so thin that it was already rubbed through in several places when we received the item. It will do the job but should have cost much less for the quality.

this thing is awesome, i now have all my earrings organized and i can hang some necklaces on the sides as well.

Reviews

I have been searching for a necklace holder and this is the perfect one! It has a very pretty shape and is able to hold pretty much all of my necklaces. I love this rack and am very pleased with my purchase. It arrived in great condition and was shipped right after I purchased it. I would certainly suggest this product to anyone looking to better organize their necklaces!

I bought this for my mom for xmas and one for myself. Both of us were very pleased with it. It's very affordable. It's plain and simple yet elegant because it resembles a harp once you've got necklaces hanging on it. It's sturdy and has plenty of room for many necklaces.

This necklace holder is perfect for my necklaces. It is very tall, so even my longer necklaces fit on it. It looks great on my shelf and I couldn't be happier.

The necklace holder is a nice size with the hooks extending out far enough to hang more than one necklace.

Works perfectly to store my necklaces and bracelets! I can fit quite a bit on here, yet it still fits well on my small bathroom sink.

Reviews

These bulbs work great, and it was nice having the longers harps for some of my older lamps that the bulb wouldn't have otherwise fit in.

Great idea to combine the larger harps with the CFLs. Work great and installation takes less than a minute.

I hated to pay for new harps and bulbs just to get a 3-way for my living room lamps. After extended research, this is the only combination that would work for me. I hope hat they will come up with a shortr bulb to accomodate the average lamp harp.

The harp and bulbs were easy to install. They are a definitely brighter than the regular 3-ways I used to use though, even on the lowest setting. The lowest setting has the brightness of the middle setting of a regular 3 way.

Reviews

I purchased this CD when I was pregnant and wanted music I could play for my belly. I only used it a few time while pregnant but decided to try it after the baby was born. My daughter hated her car seat and would scream and scream anytime we were in the car until I found baby mozart!! Now anytime she is upset (or anytime we get in the car) I turn this CD on and she is instantly calmed down!! I dont understand it but it works!! She is now 11mths old and it still works!!

I bought this cd for my 9 month old baby to play in the car until we can get a dvd player. She loves her Baby Einstein dvd's so I was hoping that this would help soothe her car ride. She would get very agitated about having to be restrained while in the car. But when we got the cd and played it for her while we were in the car it was like magic. She did keep looking for her movie but overall the music was welcomed and now we can ride without crying to get out of the car seat.

I must admit, I am not an audiophile. I cannot tell from one symphony to another. It is therefore appropriate to call me a "gut lover of classical music." So, if you want an academic analysis of the tone, harmony and tempo of the music in this product, better click to the next review. I am a dad who loves my children. I am thrilled with the effect this CD has in our day to day routine. It surprises me how my two year old every morning and every night, after awakening or before going to bed pushes the "play" button in the CD player to hear "Baby Mozart." Honestly, I did not teach her to do it. The music soothes her into "resting mode" and tunes us finely to either a good day or night. I would enjoy it if the makers of this product would open a "Baby Mozart Radio," through satellite and online. We enjoy Baby Mozart.

The computerized instruments sound so cheezy and tinny. Why in the world doesn't Disney produce this thing properly so that infants (who pick up on every little thing) can learn the proper sound of the music? The musical selections are so great -- the baby friendly classics, of course -- but they just ruin it with the orchestration! Also not sure what this has to do with your child becoming a Baby Mozart. It doesn't purport to teach anything -- it is a basic music CD that contains, well, music. There is another product, Trebellina, that has some of the same classical music, and other genres as well, and teaches babies the notes, instrument names and sounds and other useful tidbits.

I used this cd whit my baby in her play time and she love it.

Reviews

I love this CD - I am a Mozart fan and I own many complete works - but this 'taster' just makes me want to listen to more - Mozart!

The CD's had scratchy sounds throughout all of the music. So it is not good at all.

I was eagerly looking forward to this Decca compilation, but although the music is superb, the inconsistent volume was very annoying. I was constantly adjusting the volume control. This lets the whole thing down in my opinion, and is inexcusable from a world class company such as Decca. I doubt I'll bother playing it again. I bought a second one as a gift, but won't be inflicting it on anyone - have just sold it on Ebay.

I just cant say enough about this collection. It used to be that you had to spend a fortune to get Mozart's best hits; a few on each album. Now, you can buy them all at once and dirt cheap! very nice

This CD I heard first on KUSC, L.A.'s publicly supported classical station during one of their fund drives. I had already made my yearly donation and couldn't afford the additional donation requirement to receive Essential Mozart as a gift, so I meekly bought a used copy from Amazon. I had to have it! It is a beautiful representation of Mozart's work. By the way, if you are looking for a good classical station where you can get informative tidbits about the composers, KUSC is it, and it is available to the world through their computers. Just remember to send a donation every year or so if you like the station.

Reviews

I enjoy this type of music. For relaxation, it's great. Great for background music when I'm working.

Not as labeled by the producer. I am a SUCKER because I bought this CD set as described by the producer. I paid $12.47 to learn a valuable lesson. I will never buy another product again without reading the AMAZON reviews. I do not know what I was thinking taking a title at face value. I will blame it on lack of sleep. I use RELAXING classical music to get to sleep. These CDs contain such music but it is interlaced with VOCALS. The human voice can be stimulating and in some operas and chorals it is. Disc one gets you almost asleep with two relaxing instrumental tracks and then WHAP vocal. And disc two begins with the Bach vocal "SLEEPERS, WAKE!". I screwed up royally. If I had just read the reviews. David Raasch: "...vocals"; Nancy Sanka: "If it wasn't for the opera."; Serratia Jones: "Apart from the vocals."; James Stewart: "...offset by disturbing operatic voices." It is a good CD of great music but the vocals are stimulating NOT relaxing. I DO NOT recommend this set of CDs for anyone to use when trying to get to sleep. This is not unique. It seems that many "relaxing" CD collections are made by sadists who have two or three bands of soft music and then insert a hoedown or a march. It is all very frustrating for the sleep deprived. I noticed of the eighty plus reviewers there were only three verified purchasers and some reviews read like they were using the sample clips to make the review which is like reading the first two sentences of each chapter of a novel and then making a review. Many five star reviews seem written from the same script and some persons made multiple five star reviews separated by time. None verified purchasers. This CD set appears to have been hyped by the MADE FOR TV crew. So sad. But they got me! I played percussion in a symphony orchestra and concert band and snare drum and then cymbals in a military marching band. I truly appreciate good classical and march music.

GOT IT FAST.....LOTS OF MUSIC TO SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO AT THE END OF THE DAY OR ON A WEEKEND WHERE YOUR JUST TAKING IT EASY.

This is a good listening classical music. For classical lovers try this one too.

I'm sorry to insert a question here rather than a review, but Amazon hasn't listed track times on this website so I can't answer the question myself without buying the CD: I understand that these are not the musical works in their entirety, but are these at least whole movements, or are they actually excerpts (i.e., shortened "themes" or other snippets)? It makes a big difference, at least to me. I agree with the reviewer that said that you miss a lot if all you get is the slow movement of a concerto, but if that movement itself is edited you don't even have the arc of experience that the composer intended for that movement. Another reviewer referred to "startling ... cuts" between vocal and instrumental pieces which also made me wonder .... Thank you!

Reviews

I remember being shaken up by this when I was a youngster. After watching it for the first time in over 30 years, I was very disappointed by the script. The concept is great but the script feels so so false. I just kept thinking that this isn't how people would really act. Nor did it dig at all into the various social, moral, ecological & philosophical complexities.

ON THE BEACH is a powerful film based upon the novel by Neville Shute about the end of Mankind due to the lethal radiation drift down and across the Southern Hemisphere of the Globe following a nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere. The acting is strong and the screenplay and direction are smart and lean, with just enough energy and pacing to relay the story and the implications of the horrors of mutually assured destruction resulting from a catastrophic nuclear confrontation between Nations. The movie was released in 1959, however, the screenplay sets the time into the (then) future of the early 1960's. President John F. Kennedy saw the movie and was so moved by it that he was motivated to create a secret dialogue with the leader of the Soviet Union at the time, Nikita Khruschev, regarding the cessation of further atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. As a result of the ensuing communications between these two World Leaders, a ban on atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons was agreed upon, and remains in place to date. If done correctly, honestly and powerfully, the right films can change the World. ON THE BEACH is one of them.

I saw this movie when it was first released. Definitely dated, it has its moments. Gregory Peck is excellent in the role of a submarine captain, and the rest of the cast is good. It was one of the best Cold War doomsday thrillers. The remake is terrible. Buy this film used.

This may have been an exciting movie in its time, but in today's world it drags on and on and on. And it is more than the lack of graphics that are so common in today's films. It was the humdrum storyline and lackluster dialog. Both were excruciatingly slow and boring. The love connection between Gardner and Peck just wasn't there. Anthony Perkins was okay, but his hysterical, zoned-out wife was too cliche. Old movies always have at least one hysterical female who can't cope with the present situation. We saw endless shots of huge cities laying barren and empty. Not one car was on the street, not even parked at the curb. Did they all go and park their vehicles in the parking ramp before they died? There were no bodies in the street either. The nuclear devastation in this movie was too clean, which is a horror in itself. I expected a brisk wind to kick in ten minutes before the movie ended to blow the radiation out to sea, thus sparing those who were still alive (you know how old movies are). It was a nice surprise when that didn't happen, so I give the movie credit for that. All in all it isn't a real bad movie. It's just awkward and slow. Painfully slow and drawn out.

Returning to this movie 20 years after last watching it, I was struck by its utter gloominess. You might say given the premise of the movie that mankind (apart from some aussies) has been wiped out and the remainder will likewise be wiped out by the coming cloud of radiation pre-destines the movie to be grim. But I wonder did it necessarily have to be so. I think the most off-putting aspect of the story is the fact that the survivors en masse, faciliated by the Aussie Government, decide to kill themselves by taking tablets (presumably some sort of poison). No opposition to this is noted in the film, which is surprising, as one would expect a large number of people to have opposed what is suicide. Not addressing this issue made the film appear unrealistic. Even now 40 years on, euthanasia is greeted with horror by many. Gregory Peck, the captain of the US sub, is his usual gentlemanly self in the movie whilst the Eva Gardner characther is difficult to feel for. The decision by the US guys to head back to the US in their sub to die at home does not make sense:would they not have died of radiation poisoning before they even reached the US? I have given the film 4 stars because notwithstanding the unremitting gloom, the film resonates and evokes a different time when people were fairly obsessed with thoughts of mutually assured destruction and thus the film documents important aspects of social history.

Reviews

I wouldn't watch it again. This is a very so-so movie. All the gushing reviews here had me expecting otherwise and I usually dig Steve Martin, but this movie is tepid at best. The romantic chemistry is pretty nil. The comedy.. well, I laughed once or twice. It's half drama, half fantasy/absurd. For drama, Shopgirl is a lot better. For comedy, there are much better Steve Martin movies. So what does this picture offer? Well, some tongue-in-cheek jabs at life in L.A., which I could appreciate having lived there for a while. It ends on a positive (and predictable) note. But mostly, I was waiting for it to end. A seriously lukewarm affair. Rent before investing is all I can say. Or please buy mine.

What can I say that hasn't already been said before? I was mesmerized by this film when I first saw it in theatres back in 1991. To me, L.A. Story is the quintessential fairy-tale/romantic comedy of Los Angeles. The city itself plays a central part in this story. New York and San Francisco are wonderful places in their own right, but Steve Martin sums up that certain something about L.A. that makes it the wonderfully peculiar, romantic, dreamy, quirky, and iconic city that it is. This film also has some of the most memorable film quotes (they certainly rank among my favorites): Harris: Let us just say I was deeply unhappy, but I didn't know it because I was so happy all the time. Harris: I'll have a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon. (I thought this was a joke... until I started seeing people order oddball drinks like this at Starbucks stores which were beginning to crop up all over Southern California in the early 1990s.) Harris: Why is it that we don't always recognize the moment when love begins but we always know when it ends? Harris: Forget for this moment the smog and the cars and the restaurant and the skating and remember only this. A kiss may not be the truth, but it is what we wish were true. Harris: SanDeE*, your... your breasts feel weird. SanDeE*: Oh, that's 'cause they're real. Sara: Why didn't you tell me you had just broke up with someone? Harris: How do you know I just broke up with someone? Sara: Because when men just break up with someone, they always run around with someone much too young for them. Harris: She's not so young. She'll be 27 in four years. Sara: What did you have in mind? Harris: Well, I was thinking of taking you on a cultural tour of L.A. Sara: That's the first fifteen minutes, then what? Harris: All right, a cynic. First stop is six blocks from here. Sara: Why don't we walk? Harris: Walk? A walk in L.A.? Harris: Sitting there at that moment I thought of something else Shakespeare said. He said, "Hey... life is pretty stupid; with lots of hubbub to keep you busy, but really not amounting to much." Of course I'm paraphrasing: "Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Harris: So there I was jabbering at her about my new job as a serious newsman - about anything at all - but all I could think was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful and yet again, wonderful. Harris: Ordinarily, I don't like to be around interesting people because it means I have to be interesting too. Sara: Are you saying I'm interesting? Harris: All I'm saying is that, when I'm around you, I find myself showing off, which is the idiot's version of being interesting. Harris: There comes a time in a person's life when it's now or never. It's now or never. Let me read to you from this book of poems: "O pointy birds, o pointy pointy. Anoint..."

If one wanted to do a mural for the town you grew up in, the town you experienced life within, the tow you call "home", how would it happen? Would paint and a blank canvass be the conventional and only method? Steve Martin, comedian at large, thinks not. In 1991 he wrote and starred in a Hollywood vehicle that shows his love for that western part of America - specifically the town he resides - Los Angeles. Continuing my quest through LA (which began with "LA Confidential" and continues with "LA Takedown" and "LA Without a Map"), Martin's film was a welcomed trip into the honesty of comedy, the ability to create smart jokes for audiences, and finally, be able to pull emotion from a story which involves a riddled electronic billboard. With characters centered in depth, comedy that sparks from the absurd and transforms into chaotic, and finally that underlying sense of fantasy - Martin proves again (beginning with "Roxanne") that he is more than just a zany comic, but an endearing member of Hollywood with true talent hidden behind the "Pink Panther" façade. Why does "LA Story" work and remain an unsung hero within the era of 90s cinema? This is one of those films that when walking through the video store, or randomly thumbing through the television stations, may just pass you by. It is a subtle box with Steve Martin merely wearing skates in what seems to be a mid-dance pose. It isn't a grabbing photo, but then again, this isn't a grabbing film. This is subtle, smooth, and relaxing - "LA Story" is a film that requires numerous viewings, not because it is a deep story, but because of the scope of what Martin is trying to say. If the phrase "How Daddy is Doing" doesn't mean anything to do, than you need to reexamine this film. Everything fits in this movie. The actors are superb, playing into the world of absurd coupled with common, the acting is direct and whimsical, and the music enhances the experience. This is the perfect film for rainy days, spring afternoons, cold winters, or just about any other moment of life. There are jokes that will make you laugh out loud and others that will make you think. This is a film about falling in love - and it works. As I write this review, I cannot wait to watch this movie again. This is a film I watched in the mid-90s and continue to watch, recommend, buy, and dedicate to friends and family - which is a rarity in today's standards. Grade: ***** out of *****

LA Story is a delight to watch. just wondering if this version has deleted scenes as a special feature. There is a deleted scene with John Lithgow as a producer of a musical play meeting with Steve Martin at an outdoor cafe that is so funny. The language used was a ratings barrier that would have limited the audience at the time.

I've just re-watched L.A. Story. It's one of my favorite movies ever. It's a nice love story, it's quirky, it's hilarious, it's seminal, and it's brilliantly filmed and cut.

Reviews

I picked one up 2nd hand and my daughter has about worn it out. Best $2 investment i made. There is good entertainment value as well as morals. Highly recommmend for the kids.

Reviews

"When I saw the pictures and the explanation of the story, I thought it was a coarser, scarier and darker anime. But once we started, I realized it had less violence and more heart." - Mie Sonozaki ----- Before anything else, you need to understand the following: Witchblade is, first and foremost, a character-driven drama, rather than an action series. It has some fighting, yes, but the vast majority of the episodes are spent focusing on character development. Everything else comes a distant second. At first the suggestion is that it's going to be a The Devil Lady, 'monster of the week' type, but that isn't the case. Whoever decided to market Witchblade as a violent, fan-service heavy title wasn't too bright. Likewise, the person who came up with the idea of taking the title of a popular American comic and then creating an entirely different story, with an all-new cast, didn't make the wisest of moves. By attempting to pass-off a slow-paced, heartfelt and very human drama as a generic action title with added boobs, all Gonzo achieved was getting the wrong type of viewers; pushing away the types who would appreciate a family drama about a mother loving her daughter with all her heart and being willing to do anything for her. Judging the series based on the revealing Witchblade forms and boob sizes, it's hard not to expect an utterly tasteless anime. But you know what? Sex only occurs ONCE during the entire series, and NOTHING gets shown--the two involved kiss and then it's the morning after. That pretty much sums Witchblade up: there's a lot of cleavage but, that aside, Witchblade is surprisingly tasteful. In truth, there isn't even a huge amount of action once series gets past the introduction period. :: Story :: 6/10 Six years prior to the start of Witchblade, Tokyo had been left devastated by a catastrophic earthquake. Two people were found alive at the ground zero of the quake: a 17-year-old woman (later named Masane; her having lost all of her pre-disaster memories) and a baby (Rihoko). Only the maternity diary held by the woman pointed towards them being related... Once the series gets going, the two are heading back to Tokyo on the run; desperate to stay together and not be separated by the child welfare organization (created after the quake, to 'help' children). As jobless Masane struggles to keep Rihoko, she encounters the 'monster' responsible for a string of nasty murders, and that's when what had been sleeping within her for six years awakens--the power of the 'Witchblade'; something that has existed since the beginning of time, selecting its (female) hosts and forcing its hosts to give into their lust and destructive urges. Masane then gets caught between two organizations who seek the Witchblade, ending up working for one (Douji: a major weapons supplier) to support her life with Rihoko and hunted by the other (NSWF: in charge of the child welfare organization and with links to genetic research). I'll be honest here: the story of Witchblade is full of anime silliness, ranging from fat men disguised as killer microwaves, genetic experiments, and women who use 'Cloneblades'--lesser, copied versions of the ever mysterious Witchblade. It's never explained why the weapons Masane hunts target random females, or why the Witchblade only selects women as 'hosts'... or what the Witchblade actually is. And I couldn't help but see most of the twists coming in advance; the writers actually intentionally spelling out how the series would end in order to impact on the viewers' feelings progressively rather than shock them. While it does have a B-movie sort of entertainment factor in its favour, if I were to score Witchblade based only on its story, it wouldn't be very flattering... But this is where the negative ends because, like I've already pointed out at the start, the characters are where it's at. The story is no more than a means to an end; the backdrop for lots of excellent drama. :: Characterization :: 9.5/10 Masane (nicknamed 'Melonie' because of her boob size!), the lead of the story, has nothing going for her apart from her six-year-old daughter, Rihoko. She isn't incredibly sharp, has no skills of note and, really, only has her love for her daughter. The child welfare organization try to separate them; Masane's ability to transform into a scantily-clad, sexulized version of herself (thanks to the mysterious Witchblade attached to her wrist) puts her in danger and powerful corporations involve her in their troubles, but, no matter what stands in her way, she fights to protect and give a better life to the one she loves the most. Loud, simple-minded, direct type of characters tend to be hard to like and easy to hate, but Masane is very endearing. There are many simple things that made her into a likable character, such as when she went into a blind panic after learning that her daughter had been hurt; Masane ending up running out of her apartment barefoot. She's often called a primate by her 'boss', Takayama, because of how she acts without thinking and says what's on her mind, but that's what's so lovable about her: her honesty, maternal instincts and selflessness. It's little surprise that she eventually wins over even Takayama with her natural personality as the series progresses - she's just impossible to not like and respect. The supporting cast backing up Masane aren't too shabby, either. Rihoko basically 'mothers' her own mother by shopping, cooking and caring for the more absent-minded Masane, and her being so mature at such a young age makes her have instant likability. Takayama plays the role of Masane's stern and somewhat awkward middle-aged boss, giving her orders to hunt down rogue 'weapons' for money, and it's his banter with her that provides much of the comic relief--the two later also becoming much closer; the writers doing a wonderful job of humanizing him and showing his softer, caring side as the series progresses. The rest of the cast are less developed and involved than the main three but all play important roles; the residents where Masane and Rihoko live, though never getting much time individually, are responsible for the 'family atmosphere' always being in the air during the more relaxing periods, for example. :: Art / Animation + Sound:: 8.5/10 The first thing that made me think, 'Wow, Witchblade might not be so horrible, despite the title and fan-service!' was its opening. I watched/listened to the opening by chance, and as soon as I heard the fast-paced, exciting beat and saw the visuals that accompanied the music, which included a close-up of Masane's eye and a tear coming out of it, I just knew I had to watch it. The first opening is THAT good--even the 'GIVE ME YOUR XTC!!!' lyrics going with the show itself. Gonzo went on to regret changing it halfway through since they replaced the far less impressive second opening with the first for the final episode. In terms of the overall art and animation, the best word to use when describing it is consistent. Why? Because Gonzo are known for running out of budget and forgetting to animate towards the end. That wasn't the case with Witchblade, though, since the final episode featured fluid animation; Gonzo not being reduced to showing movement through lines on the screen and actually showing the characters running. Aside from a few instances of laziness where there wasn't animation and a few stills were linked, it was great to watch. Even Japan's obsession with breast jiggling got attention throughout! And, though I can't say Masane's HUGE, could-suffocate-with-ease breasts appealed to me personally, overall the art did look pleasing. As for the soundtrack, I have to say: it's excellent. One track that stands out is one used for action quite frequently; a track with an eerie edge and... a woman breathing in an 'erotic' manner in the background - the track having an action-oriented beat. I was ALWAYS pumped for the action - my attention focused - simply because of the music. Towards the end, I recall drums starting beating after what had been a nice 'family life' sort of episode, and I just knew some sweet action would be coming my way. If a soundtrack is good enough, it can make something great into something even greater, and that's the case with Witchblade. :: Overall :: 9/10 Witchblade has its flaws: the story isn't anything special, Gonzo appeared to run out of ideas at the death and just ended it, and the near enough naked girl-on-girl battles might be off-putting for some. However, the good by far outweighs the bad, and the characterization is at such a level that, if you're anything like me, you won't give a toss. Once the introduction was over and time had been given for attachment to the characters to form, I was too engrossed in their struggles to concern myself with negative thoughts about a robotic monster with the head of a bug and the like. To sum it all up: If you go into Witchblade expecting nothing, you might just get everything in return. It's always rewarding to find a gem, and in my eyes Witchblade is a gem that deserves to have more people look at it. Do yourself a favour and watch it!

The anime describes with fine details the relationship between a mother and a child. In one part, the story have just one weakness point difficult to accept. The screen is very good but sometimes, there are side-stepped lines. The heroin is often in the same jean and tee-shirt. Girls in little clothes. But, the show is beyond average. It lets a good souvenir. Very bad : on the second disc, impossible avoiding 2 minutes of Evangelion, so when you see ten episodes, one by one, you totalize 20 minutes of forced publicity. And, I appreciate kitchen and food but I see more and more anime, and they often talks ans talks about food, it becomes so boring. The first was XXXHolic. In Claymore, no food ... My top anime for the moment, from Funimation : 1. Shigurui 2. Basilisk 3. Witchblade

This show far exceeds most of the anime that has come over in the past six years. For one it actually has a plot, it's characters are somewhat well rounded, and have personalities. Two it's not full of pre teen girls who are supposed to be sex symbols, like so many of them. Three it's not full of poor me crybaby heroes. Four, it actually has a conclusion. It wasn't a show that started out well then falls apart in the last three episodes. My one complaint would be the opposite of the flat chested sex symbols. The girls are way too well endowed. Which I will still take any day over the other sort.

The graphics and sound on this version is far better than the 5 disc dvd version. However, the DVD version did come with more artwork. Despite having less artwork in the sleves, I gifted the DVD version to a friend after seeing how much nicer the Blue ray is.

This series has great visual action sequences and awesome characters but the plot is somewhat lacking depth and although the action scenes are great, there isn't a whole lot of it. Still all in all I really enjoyed this anime. Great voice overs that you can recognize from Noein and Samurai 7 and quality blu ray visuals. Hope there is more to come!

Reviews

I remember being shaken up by this when I was a youngster. After watching it for the first time in over 30 years, I was very disappointed by the script. The concept is great but the script feels so so false. I just kept thinking that this isn't how people would really act. Nor did it dig at all into the various social, moral, ecological & philosophical complexities.

ON THE BEACH is a powerful film based upon the novel by Neville Shute about the end of Mankind due to the lethal radiation drift down and across the Southern Hemisphere of the Globe following a nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere. The acting is strong and the screenplay and direction are smart and lean, with just enough energy and pacing to relay the story and the implications of the horrors of mutually assured destruction resulting from a catastrophic nuclear confrontation between Nations. The movie was released in 1959, however, the screenplay sets the time into the (then) future of the early 1960's. President John F. Kennedy saw the movie and was so moved by it that he was motivated to create a secret dialogue with the leader of the Soviet Union at the time, Nikita Khruschev, regarding the cessation of further atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. As a result of the ensuing communications between these two World Leaders, a ban on atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons was agreed upon, and remains in place to date. If done correctly, honestly and powerfully, the right films can change the World. ON THE BEACH is one of them.

I saw this movie when it was first released. Definitely dated, it has its moments. Gregory Peck is excellent in the role of a submarine captain, and the rest of the cast is good. It was one of the best Cold War doomsday thrillers. The remake is terrible. Buy this film used.

This may have been an exciting movie in its time, but in today's world it drags on and on and on. And it is more than the lack of graphics that are so common in today's films. It was the humdrum storyline and lackluster dialog. Both were excruciatingly slow and boring. The love connection between Gardner and Peck just wasn't there. Anthony Perkins was okay, but his hysterical, zoned-out wife was too cliche. Old movies always have at least one hysterical female who can't cope with the present situation. We saw endless shots of huge cities laying barren and empty. Not one car was on the street, not even parked at the curb. Did they all go and park their vehicles in the parking ramp before they died? There were no bodies in the street either. The nuclear devastation in this movie was too clean, which is a horror in itself. I expected a brisk wind to kick in ten minutes before the movie ended to blow the radiation out to sea, thus sparing those who were still alive (you know how old movies are). It was a nice surprise when that didn't happen, so I give the movie credit for that. All in all it isn't a real bad movie. It's just awkward and slow. Painfully slow and drawn out.

Returning to this movie 20 years after last watching it, I was struck by its utter gloominess. You might say given the premise of the movie that mankind (apart from some aussies) has been wiped out and the remainder will likewise be wiped out by the coming cloud of radiation pre-destines the movie to be grim. But I wonder did it necessarily have to be so. I think the most off-putting aspect of the story is the fact that the survivors en masse, faciliated by the Aussie Government, decide to kill themselves by taking tablets (presumably some sort of poison). No opposition to this is noted in the film, which is surprising, as one would expect a large number of people to have opposed what is suicide. Not addressing this issue made the film appear unrealistic. Even now 40 years on, euthanasia is greeted with horror by many. Gregory Peck, the captain of the US sub, is his usual gentlemanly self in the movie whilst the Eva Gardner characther is difficult to feel for. The decision by the US guys to head back to the US in their sub to die at home does not make sense:would they not have died of radiation poisoning before they even reached the US? I have given the film 4 stars because notwithstanding the unremitting gloom, the film resonates and evokes a different time when people were fairly obsessed with thoughts of mutually assured destruction and thus the film documents important aspects of social history.

Reviews

To begin, I was extremely pleased with the quality of disks and artwork of jackets and casing. Most of the disks even featured well-placed animated menus with appropriate music. However, some of the later discs lacked the animated menus, and I would label the entire set as lacking in extra features. The commentaries were limited, which isn't a huge problem to me, but they were spoken by the english voice actors, which I thought to be rather upsetting. No "making of" information or conceptual art. What it does deliver are an increasing number of funimation advertisements and our favorite "Mr. Stain" shorts, which can be amusing, but were rather oddly placed. Still, the discs were of high quality, and the cover art was quite spectacular. Samurai 7 is an excellent show, and a must view for fans of anime or Akira Kurosawa (although Kurosawa himself might not have been too thrilled with the additions to the addaptation). I am impressed with the depth of the characters and the stunning animation. I was overall pleased with the production.

Well, what can I say? Samurai and mecha like samurai? Bring it on! This series, based obviously on Kurosawa's tale, covers the journey of a couple of villagers trying to save their village, and the Samurai who join them. the story and the detail, both, are of the highest quality. The sound, as well, is very good. If the series is lacking, in any way, it is in the same manner that most anime lack. That is the apparent need to have one or two "cute" or humorous or buffoonish type characters, that while intending to bring levity to the series, in fact bring it down a slight notch as there presence, to me, distracts from the tale being told. Apart from that gripe, I found this series compelling and almost too difficult to stop watching until the series was complete.

I have always been a lover of anime, but this one is one of my favorites. I saw a few of the episodes about six years ago and just couldn't pass this opportunity up. I must say that I still LOVE it. The action is well-choreographed and there is good meat to the storyline. None of the characters just hang out in the background while others bask in the glory. Each character has their own past(some grittier than others)demons to deal with. Each character grows throughout the series instead of remaining stagnant. My family (who aren't anime buffs like myself)actually watched this show with me for the two days it took us to finish it. So if you like samurais, kick butt action, and a deep storyline, and well dimensioned characters purchase this boxed set. You won't regret it.

At the time, I purchased this anime set because I was just getting into anime, and a friend recommended getting this series. Samurai 7, very briefly, is about a group of villagers who go to the city to recruit seven samurai to help the villagers rebel against the Nobuseri. Obviously there is more to it than that, but that's what the series is based on. I didn't want to get into a lot of the storyline, or what this series is actually based off of, because a lot of other reviewers have already hit those areas. Instead I want to focus on the things that I liked and disliked in this series. By far the graphics and the music is what makes this anime awesome. Some of the fight scenes are just ridiculously beautiful looking. I am not sure if it CGI or not, but the series is worth watching just for its breath taking fight scenes. The music is well orchestrated and flows just as beautifully well with the amazing picture. The story is pretty solid, though I was surprised at how they could stretch it out that long. This anime could have ended with a lot fewer episodes, but then it wouldn't have been as good. After a while some of the episodes become dry and boring, and you can tell where the storyline is going. It's obvious that the creators wanted the series to go longer, and thus its gets dull at parts. That is my main beef with this series, and my other beef is with the characters and character development. Some of the characters are awesome and their development over the series gets better as it goes on. Kambei for example is just all around the likeable aged hero, and Katsushiro, as the series progresses, goes from being a dolt to a great warrior. But some of the characters are downright annoying. Kikuchiyo the cyborg has some pretty silly one-liners. And some of the other seven warriors aren't even in the series that much! All in all, this anime is pretty decent. The storyline is very one sided, and the fact that it gets stretched over 26 episodes makes the anime seem boring at times. The characters could have been done better as well. However, the amazing drawing and battle scenes really make up for the depressing parts of the series. Honestly, I would say rent or buy this cheap, because there is a lot of hype behind this series, but at $25, that's not a bad price. I am going to get rid of my copy, just because I can never actually see myself watching it again.

A great copy of the series. Wonderful story with a few surprises. DVD quality was great. Played like a charm.

Reviews

I make lamps and bought this product to see if I could use it and it works perfectly.

Reviews

We decided to go for an economical 4 head VCR and bought this unit. Unfortunately, it did not perform as well as we had hoped. The sound quality is the biggest drawback. The volume has to be turned way up to hear, but then we get a lot of back-ground noises(hissing..etc.) Other than that, there haven't been any other problems, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, even at such a low price. Sometimes you get what you pay for.