Movie Info:
Writer: Mario Puzo
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, Rudy Bond, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D’Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $62.99

This is probably one of the hardest reviews that I have ever had to write. What does one say about The Godfather that hasn’t already been said in the past? This is one of the best movies of all time and is certainly the best movie series of all time. The story is addicting, the acting is engaging, and the direction is flawless. I shy away from calling any movie perfect, but I fail to see how these movies could have been any better than they are.

Marlon Brando was just one of the men considered for the part of Don Vito Corleone. Francis Ford Coppola wanted him or Laurence Olivier, who could not do the role, from the beginning. However, the studios looked at several other options including Ernest Borgnine, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Carlo Ponti, and George C. Scott. Burt Lancaster was never considered, but he did lobby for the role.

And then there was old blue eyes. Frank Sinatra was against both the novel, as a whole, and the idea of a movie being made, but at one point after he had talks with Coppola, he offered himself for the role. Coppola was adamant about Brando though and it’s obvious how that turned out. The studio paid him a paltry sum for the film, but that would not be something that changed the course of the film for the viewers.

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Curly Howard
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Sony Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates:1940-1942
DVD Box Set Release Date: August 26, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

When you are a kid there is just something funny about grown men smacking, bumping, kicking, and poking each other in the eyes. Over 20 years later (in my case, for others it could be much longer), it is still pretty hilarious. As a huge Stooges fan I look forward to each of these compilations as they come. Despite the fact that I have already had the chance to see a large number of these classic shorts, it is great to be able to revisit them. It’s even better to see them preserved in such good quality. Now I can watch them whenever I want, which is an extra special treat, considering these are rarely, if ever, shown on television these days.

The heyday for The Three Stooges was between 1934 and 1947. Prior to then, Curly was not a member of the group and Shemp Howard was the third Stooge. Curly replaced Shemp in 1934 and amused audiences until 1947 when he had a stroke. Shemp came back on the show at that time, with Curly’s blessing, until he would be able to return. Unfortunately, he never got back to the point where he was strong enough to handle the demands of filming. However, his contributions to comedy are still celebrated today, in sets such as this. This particular set pays close attention to the years 1940 to 1942.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, Adolphe Menjou, Don Ameche, Herbert Marshall, Ruth Chatterton, Dorthy Lamour, Joan Fontaine, Anne Baxter, Gene Tierney, Ann Blyth, Michael Rennie, Dennis Price, Linda Darnell
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release:Varies based on Movie
DVD Release Date: July 29, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon: $34.99, Walmart: $34.86

Classic movie buffs like to believe that Hollywood was set to a higher standard than it is today. In some ways that may be true, but you still see some rushed through productions and mismanaged celebrities. Sure, things seemed better back then but the grass always seems greener, doesn’t it? Still, there are celebrities that stand out from the pack in any generation. In the past, we have reviewed sets by class acts such as Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis. Now it’s time to look at Tyrone Power.

Funnily enough, the first time I ever heard the name Tyrone Power, was during the fabulous Bette Davis performance in All About Eve. It would be much later before I knew he was real and then later still until I had seen some of his work. From 1925 to 1959, Power starred in over 50 movies. Many people would consider him one of the most romantic leads of his time. Those who claim that would probably be right. Power had a very charismatic, old Hollywood charm about him that is sadly lost from today’s talented brood. Still, in sets like this you have a chance to look back and remember the most talented for what they did and the joy it brought people.

Power is part of an acting legacy that continued on with his children, but the acting bug in the Power family started with at least two Tyrones before him. When it comes to him specifically, he led a full life, known for not only his romantic word play, but the swordplay that came with his swashbuckling roles. He served in WWII as a pilot and eventually made his way onto the cover of a Beatles album (Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band). In 1959, Power had a heart attack while shooting, Solomon and Sheba and died. His legacy lives on to this day in all of his films and the sets they’re made available in, such as The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection .

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Writer: Gerald Green
Director: Marvin Chomsky
Cast: James Woods, Meryl Streep, Michael Moriarty, Joseph Bottoms, Tovah Feldshuh, Rosemary Harris, Deborah Norton, Sam Wanamaker, Fritz Weaver
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: May 27, 2008

I don’t remember when I watched my first movie on the Holocaust. I am going to wager a guess that it was one or two movies. I don’t know if it was The Diary of Anne Frank or Sophie’s Choice. All I know is that I have been addicted to movies on this subject for as long as I can remember.

Surprisingly, I do not remember ever hearing about Holocaust. Of course, due to the age of the mini-series I suppose it makes sense. It wasn’t on DVD, at least not until now, so it didn’t make a lot of sense to continue talking about the powerful message that it offers.

Just reading the title and seeing the box art, I knew that I would want to be the one reviewing this seven hour drama. Offering an incredibly young Meryl Streep, in one of her first roles, and James Woods, who was also just starting out, Holocaust is a fictional tale of one family’s struggle through the biggest criminal injustice in the history of the world. Powerful performances are turned in by the established cast and by names I have never heard of, by people who rarely worked in acting after this miniseries. While this was made prior to Streep’s major acting boom that would lead her to be perhaps the greatest actress of this generation, Holocaust certainly reminds us what she can do even as a less than central character.

Release Information:
Considering I was only just about to be born, only nine days from being born to be exact, when the final day of the miniseries aired in 1978, it’s no wonder why I missed the television broadcast. While the four evening mini-series made enough of an impression to be nominated for numerous awards it was not without criticism. Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel stated that the miniseries was “untrue, offensive, and cheap.”

Of course, he had a point. The series was not a true story. It is about an entirely fictional family. Wiesel was likely referring to the fact that the things that occurred could not have happened in the Holocaust that he remembers. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. I don’t recall seeing anything too outlandish, but I was not there, so my opinion is not one of authority.

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Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away three copies of Sophia Loren 4-Film Collection on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 11, 2008, which means you have until July 10, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:

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Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away three copies of Catherine Deneuve 5-Film Collection on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will begin choosing winners for this the week of July 10, 2008, which means you have until July 9, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:

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Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, Bob Peck, Ronny Coutteure, Margaret Tyzack, Lloyd Owen, Corey Carrier, Ruth de Sosa
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: April 29, 2008

The final installment of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones comes out at a time when the torch of adventure is being passed to a new generation, in the newly released Indiana Jones feature film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. With Harrison Ford aging, it was time for a new generation to get to be a part of the phenomenon those of us who grew up in the 1980s loved so dearly.

It’s an exciting time for Indiana Jones fans because not only is the new movie coming out at the end of May and The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three - The Years of Change DVD is being release, the original three Indiana Jones DVDs are being re-released by Paramount in mid-May. As a longtime fan of the series, I can say that all of these Indiana Jones releases make me feel a bit like a kid in a candy store.

For those who don’t know already, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones follows both a television series and four made for television movies that were all a part of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. The series and movies were later made into 22 feature length episodes. This became The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones. Volume Three is the last of the features and it has Chapter 16-Chapter 22 of the feature length episodes spread out across nine discs, with the final disc a set of bonus features. While this isn’t the best of the series, of which I’ve been lucky enough to own all three volumes, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Volume Three - The Years of Change certainly has many endearing qualities.

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Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, Virginia Bruce, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers, Buddy Epsen, Ann Sothern, Robert Young, Lionel Barrymore, John Carroll, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, George Murphy, Binnie Barnes, Jane Powell, Tony Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Walter Pidgeon, Ann Miller, Russ Tamblyn, José Ferrer, Merle Oberon, Helen Traubel, Doe Avedon, Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Dolores Gray, Vic Damone, Monty Woolley, Ann Sothern, Barry Sullivan, Carmen Miranda, Louis Calhern, Ricardo Montalban, Ann Harding
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Bros.
Release Date: April 8, 2008

I love musicals. There are romantic musicals. There are entertaining musicals. There are cheesy musicals. They really don’t make musicals like they did in the old days. Many big name actors have starred in musicals and while not every storyline for a musical is logical nor does it make a lot of sense the entertainment value of the singing, acting and dancing are what make these movies worth watching.

I had never seen any of the musicals in the Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3 box set collection. While I had heard of many of the actors and seen most of them in other movies, I’d only heard of Kismet out of the nine movies included in this box set. I figured the set couldn’t be all that bad. With names like James Stewart, Jack Benny, Lionel Barrymore, Eleanor Powell, Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Richardo Montalban, and Red Skelton, it is hard to argue about the quality of the acting, but I have realized that I should be prepared for anything. Luckily, while this certainly is a diverse group of films to put together in one set, I wasn’t too disappointed with what I found in this set.

Release Information:
The nine movies that are included in the Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory: Volume 3, were all originally released from dates that range from the 1930s-1950s. Hit the Deck was released in March of 1955. Born to Dance was released in November of 1936. Lady be Good was released in September of 1941.

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Writer: Casey Robinson, Dashiell Hammett, Lenore J. Coffee, Howard Koch, John Collier, Joseph Than
Director: Irving Rapper, Herman Shumlin, Edmund Goulding, John Huston
Cast: Bette Davis, George Brent, Mary Astor, Hatte McDaniel, Olivia de Havilland, Charles Boyer, Miriam Hopkins, Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Bros
Release Date: April 1, 2008

Throughout her career, Bette Davis dominated the silver screen. She starred in some of the best movies to ever be made, particularly in the 1940s era of filmmaking. This period of her career was where she was in her zone more than any other time.

It was during this period when Davis would be nominated for five consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actress. Between the years of 1938 and 1942, Davis was nominated each year. She would go on to be nominated for an additional four oscars. Over her career she would be nominated for eleven Oscars; one would be a written in nomination, two would be wins, and the rest would just be nods at her supreme acting talent. During her time as an acting powerhouse, in her prime, she would be known as the “Fourth Warner” and would briefly be named the president of the Academy. While she was only the president for a brief time, she was the first female president that the Academy had.

Bette Davis was one of the actors most deserving of the title ‘movie star’. She was a firecracker with immense talent who created the perfect persona of the evil and devious broad better than anyone ever has or could. On this, what would have been her 100th Birthday, Warner Bros and Fox have both put out Collectors box sets of a collection of some of her best films. This set, put out by Warner Bros includes The Old Maid, The Great Lie, All This and Heaven…Too, In This Our Life, Watch On the Rhine and Deception.

Being a Davis fan this set was an absolute treat for me. I am ashamed to say that I hadn’t seen many of these films, but they have quickly become favorites in the few times I have seen them to prepare for this review. This set is impressive for a number of reasons, the biggest being that many of these movies have not been released on DVD prior to this point.

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Writer: John Bright, Kubec Glasmon, Gene Markey, Oliver H.P. Garrett, Nick Grinde, Becky Gardiner
Director: Mervyn LeRoy, Michael Curtiz, William A. Wellman, Clarence Brown
Cast: Norma Shearer, Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, Humphrey Bogart, Ruth Chatterton, Barbra Stanwyck, Clark Gable
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: March 4, 2008

For as long as I can remember, I have adored old movies. To this day, I scowl and scream when they insist on giving a perfectly good black and white movie a colorized, modern makeover. There is no point in it because part of the beauty in these movies is the black and white look. While movies today are mass produced and are likely to leave your mind faster than they enter, the movies of old made an impression and they stayed with you. More thought was put into movies back then and the stars were of a higher caliber, needing more than a pretty face to be considered talented. This was back when love scenes consisted of a passionate embrace or a kiss (usually more intense than any love scene of today), and action films had a story to go with the gunshots or fights that would happen.

The Forbidden Hollywood Collections tend to be amazing because they offer some of the most entertaining movies from a time when censors were not prominent and the ability to offer racy content was available. Keep in mind, of course, that racy back then is still miles tamer than it is now. Nonetheless, this collection of Forbidden Hollywood looks at themes such as cocaine use, gangsters, women abandoning their children, former friends picking them up, infidelity, and much more.

Release Information:
Pre-Code Hollywood is an exciting time for Hollywood movies. There were so many options back then for excellent ideas that could not be stifled due to FCCs and ratings. It was all about the creative movement back then and it was done with complete class in every respect. Each of the movies in this set was made between 1930 and 1933. They include star power such as Norma Shearer, Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, Humphrey Bogart, Ruth Chatterton, Barbra Stanwyck, and even Clark Gable.

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