The Holiday (2006)

Nancy Meyers' "The Holiday" has been seriously dissed by most of America's film critics--including one who suggested that any man who goes to see it should be forced to pay with a crucial part of his anatomy instead of money. "The Holiday" is indeed a prime example of what is condecendingly known as a "chick flick," and it's not a movie you can make great claims for. But "The Holiday" succeeds outstandingly in living up to its title; it provides an audience with a two-hour vacation filled with charming, likable actors playing charming, likable characters. The movie is set during the Christmas holidays in which two women with man problems--Iris (Kate Winslet), an English journalist, and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), an L.A. producer of film trailers--meet over the Internet. On a whim, they decide to switch houses for Christmas; Amanda ends up in Iris's picture-postcard-pretty cottage in Surrey, Iris in Amanda's luxurious, gated mansion in Beverly Hills. There, they discover new romantic complications: Amanda with Iris's brother Graham (Jude Law) and Iris with a film composer named Miles (Jack Black). There's also a subplot about the friendship that develops between Iris and an elderly screenwriter played by the venerable Eli Wallach. Nothing that happens in the movie is at all original or consequential. I could even quibble about an inaccuracy or two in Meyers' screenplay (Cary Grant was from Bristol in Gloucestershire, not Surrey). But seeing "The Holiday" makes you feel happy and light of heart, which is all it sets out to do. While the film's appeal is necessarily greater for women, I also think most men will find this a more-than-serviceable date movie. Sometimes you want a movie that's rich, gooey and sweet, that contains no sharp edges and requires no sharp utensils for its consumption. In an increasingly abrasive world, the need for cinematic confections is greater than ever, and "The Holiday" fills that bill.

Two women. Two failed relationships. Two houses. One great romantic comedy. The Holiday is the story of two women, Iris (Kate Winslet in a poignant performance) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who swap houses for two weeks thinking it will help them get over their relationship problems. Amanda will take Iris's house in a small cottage just outside of London, and Iris will stay at Amanda's house in L.A. They will both meet someone who will help them mend their heart.

Let's get one thing out of the way: Yes, this is a chick flick, but a damn fine one at that! I'm not much of a fan of the genre, nor of Nancy Meyers' films, but when I saw this in theatres with my girlfriend last December, I loved it. I thought the film would've lost some of its charm on second viewing, but it hasn't lost one bit of it. With a running time of 136 minutes, you'd think it would drag but it feels like a 90-minute film.

The film has a few surprises and most of all, a great subplot around Arthur's (screen veteran Eli Wallach in a brilliant performance) character. The film goes back and forth between the two relationships, the one in the UK and the one in the US, which gives it a great rhythm. Nothing seems forced and it doesn't fall into the typical clichés of the genre. The dialogue is very well written, kudos to Meyers for that. The characters are interesting; Winslet (my favorite actress) shines in her role as Iris, the girl who falls for the wrong man. I usually avoid movies starring Cameron Diaz and/or Jack Black like the plague, but they were both really good in that one. Jude Law brought some class to his role. The supporting cast was very good (keep your eyes open for a cameo by a famous actor in the video store).

Overall, The Holiday is a very enjoyable film and you don't have to love romantic comedies to enjoy it. It's closer to Something's Gotta Give than What Women Want, and it's much better this way. Check it out, you won't be sorry!

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I don't think this decade has had much success with romantic comedies, but trust me that with "The Holiday", the 2000s have never looked better. I consider this film to be one that extracts the finest performances from Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz EVER, and once you see it, you will know what I mean.

Kate Winslet has acted in many good movies ("Hideous Kinky", "Holy Smoke", "Iris") but its ironic that her most poignant and well-written role comes in "The Holiday". You probably know the story already its about two women on two different continents who swap houses and lives after a chance meeting on the Internet but the treatment and above all, the DIALOGUE, is what drives this romantic comedy to the heights of that most rare animal a cinema classic.

And thats what "The Holiday" is. I honestly think that a genuine, feel-good film such as this should be embraced by the Oscar group, instead of their focus on typical epic films such as "Babel" and "Gladiator". This is where the magic is. Cameron Diaz especially, has never found a better vehicle for her goofy charm (yes, this is even better staggeringly better than "There's Something About Mary"). Jude Law, who has had his share of incredible dramatic performances in films such as "Wilde" and "Alfie", uses his effortless charm and natural screen presence to radiate such magnetism, that he is undeniably the most spot-on best romantic lead you would have seen for a while.

Audiences I saw this with claimed that "The Holiday" was at least twice as better than "Pretty Woman". No comparison. The films I consider really good romantic comedies would be "Never Been Kissed", "A Life Less Ordinary" and "Theres Something About Mary". However, "The Holiday" is all that, but the amazing thing is that it has a heart of gold and does NOT rely upon slapstick humor to make the dialogue and situations work.

Kate Winslets' character in fact, is one worth coming back to and studying, even from a film students' perspective. She infuses her role with so much wit and warmth, that we do not mind if this girl even ends up single in the movie we just want her to find herself. The scene where she dumps her boyfriend after three years of emotional abuse is absolutely wondrous the actress glows and gives off such electric spark that its impossible not to FEEL for this beautiful character.

Jack Black, in a superb cinematic role as a Hollywood music industry biggie, is never meant to be taken seriously as a love interest for Kate, much as some would like to think so. Their sad tale is of two people in two different bad relationships finding a friend again I loved how the end of this movie did not strive to hurriedly bring two people together rather, it allows space for the characters to breathe and live their emotions, which is why its so easy to take this film seriously, and which is why you MUST watch it.

Finally a film worth buying! I have waited so long for a movie of such depth, grace and respect for the art of film-making.

There are so many amazing scenes here Kate in her quaint cottage trying to commit suicide (a poignant moment filled with humor and grief all at the same time), Kate waking up in the lap of luxury in Los Angeles, the initial meeting between Cameron and Jude and their wondrous chemistry, the moment where they realize they are in love with each other, the moment where Cameron meets Jude's kids, and her ultimate realization that her selfish, unloving persona has been undone by this mans' love and the scene where she leaves it all behind to run back to the person she loves the most. There are SO many such moments during this movie. Consider this a return to form for Hollywood in general.

I would especially like to thank the makers of "The Holiday". I don't know if any of them read Amazon reviews, but as a critic of film, I find it so hard to like so many of the "serious" films out there today. Most of them are made to win Oscars, and then there are those tailormade to win Academy Awards. Either way, they're made to win something. And then you have the disposable comedies of the "Scary Movie" variety. But a film such as this makes me realize that the glory days of the 1950s and 60s of Hollywood still exist.

I must also state here that I only saw this film because I saw that it starred Kate Winslet. This is one actress that has never let me down throughout her amazing career and to find that she gave her best ever performance in this film made me all the more happier. She takes a beaten down, funnily written character and transforms her into a woman of great intelligence and feeling this is NOT Bridget Jones' Diary!

Which is why its obvious why these stars signed up for a movie such as this. On the face of it, "The Holiday" is a two-story arc that converges into one in the end about the love lives of two very different women. But it is so much more than that in fact, it is a meditation on love and hope in this day and age.

If my praise seems extravagant, all I can say is, buy this. Do not rent it, buy it. It is the pinnacle of working excellence for all three major stars Jude, Kate and Cameron, and it is by far the best romantic comedy of the 2000s by a long shot. Also, I find it hard to believe that anything more amazing than this would be released anytime this year.

Highly Recommended. Five Stars. Hollywood finally redeems itself and gets it right.

Read Best Reviews of The Holiday (2006) Here

Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet star as women who are simultaneously suffering from man troubles, and want to get away for a while for the holdays. Through a web site, they agree to swap homes for the holidays Amanda (Cameron Diaz) ends up in a storybook cottage outside London, while Iris (Kate Winslet) finds herself in an L.A. mansion.

The movie unfolds as two movies, cutting back and forth between their stories. Amanda meets Iris's brother, Graham (Jude Law), who turns out to be unexpectingly different than any other man she's ever met. Meanwhile, Iris meets Miles (Jack Black), a funny goofball of a guy who helps Iris lighten up and stop pining for the man who will never love her.

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"The Holiday" is a cute, romantic movie about two women, Amanda and Iris (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet), who both find themselves royally screwed over by the men in their lives. Amanda and Iris connect via a housing-swap Web site and agree to switch houses for two weeks in order to escape during the holidays. Amanda heads to England, where she is immediately swept off her feet by Iris's charming brother, Graham (Jude Law). Meanwhile, Iris arrives in L.A. and is blown away by Amanda's posh lifestyle. She befriends an elderly neighbor (Eli Wallach) who is a retired Hollywood screenwriter, and ultimately finds an unexpected new love interest in Miles (Jack Black), a film composer.

This is a fun little movie. I enjoyed the Amanda/Graham scenes most of all. Diaz and Law have excellent chemistry and make a great on-screen pair. I am a huge fan on Winslet and she did a great job in the film as well, but the scenes with her really dragged on a bit in the beginning. There were too many scenes where Iris was just sitting around lamenting about her cad of an ex-boyfriend. My other major beef with this film is that I do not understand why Jack Black is in it. Was no one else available? I have no problem with Black, but this just isn't his type of role, and there was absolutely no romantic spark of any kind between him and Winslet.

In spite of its few flaws, I still enjoyed "The Holiday" very much. It's a sweet romantic comedy that will make you laugh and smile.

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Battling Butler / Go West (Ultimate 2-Disc Edition) (1925)

**** = Go West video

*****= Go West story

****1/2= Battling Butler video

*** = Battling Butler story

To be fair, I compared the old "The Art of Buster Keaton" DVD 2005 release to this new blu-ray release using the same Sony Blu-ray player, up-converting the DVD to 1080i.

GO WEST (1925) 68 minutes

Video = While a credit is given to a Library of Congress/Packard Campus for audio visual conservation, there is little improvement here. Some scenes such as the one where Buster falls out of the train & goes down the hillside look way better here. In fact, almost all outdoor scenes are a little darker, bringing out more detail.

One scene originally timed wrong in the original release still looks wrong here. At the 23:22 mark during a night scene, Buster hears a Coyote and then we cut to a daytime scene of a coyote. Was this originally darkened for the theatrical release to look like nighttime, or am I missing the point and this is a joke targeted at "day-for-night" scenes?

Other scenes such as those outside the cabin, in the general store, and inside the freight car look almost the same, just sharper.

There are some new flaws in this transfer that were not in the old DVD which leads me to believe that either 1) an older sharper 35mm print was used for this transfer, or 2) the original 35mm print has suffered some new damage.

At 16:27 & 47:48 there is some Nitrate deterioration on the left side that was not there before.

At 23:59 there is a white emulsion scratch that appears and stays for a reel, this scratch is not in the old DVD transfer.

I find it hard to believe this is all a new 1080i transfer as there seems to be some up-conversion artifacting in several scenes. I had heard that some Buster Keaton films were transfered to lower resolution Hi-Defenition before 1080i became the standard. I don't know if this is true for GO WEST, but it appears that way.

Story = This is Buster in top form! Go West deserves better notoriety, it is almost up there with The General! Jobless Buster heads west and finds a job as a hapless cowboy on a cattle ranch. In general there is little plot, just Buster let loose on a cattle ranch to make his own misunderstood mayhem. But there is an underlying plot of a neighboring rancher trying to keep the cattle from this ranch from making their destination on a train. Now Buster gets to play on some real trains again! To go on about the non-stop visual gems of this feature would ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it before. So stop reading & click the "Buy" button.

BATTLING BUTLER (1926) 85 minutes

Video = The first change is a new Library of Congress/Packard Campus for audio visual conservation notice followed by a title card informing viewers of the story's origin as a play, then we get the MGM roaring (mute) Leo logo, all of which were not on the original DVD. After that the title cards seem the same, including another credit for the story to the original play. It is puzzling as to why this duplicate credit is made, but both seem to be in the original negative and not re-created for this video.

The image is so much sharper on this new transfer for Blu-ray that the camping scenes seem to jump off of the screen! The details of the trees in the woods is amazing! This definitely looks like a 1080i transfer & well worth the upgrade.

The only complaint I have is that the film negative blemishes are not cleaned up. Spots & scratches appear through out, heavier around the 10 minute reel changes.

Story = Battling Butler makes little use of Buster's unique qualities. Only the camping scenes in the first 17 minutes or so show off Buster's brand of comedy. I especially enjoy the fishing scene, it is pure Buster at his best. The next hour of the film is standard screwball situation comedy, you could have substituted Buster with Harold Lloyd and gotten the same film. The boxing scenes are done mostly without laughs, I think boxing comedies were done better with Charlie Chaplin or The Three Stooges. I kept waiting for their antics to liven up the film. This is not say the film is a failure, it is a fun situation comedy that lacks Busters special brand of humor.

PC WARNING = some may be put off by seeing the other boxer's wife with a black eye, suggesting the beating she got from her husband. This was to emphasize the threat to Buster when he would encounter the boxer.

The music seems to be the same exact music as used in the old DVDs. I didn't watch the entire DVD to see if there were any changes.

Overall I think there is a reason Kino paired these together. GO WEST may not be enough of an upgrade to warrant a Blu-ray purchase, but BATTLING BUTLER is. So you end up buying this for the upgrade. BUTLER is not a strong enough film to sell on its own, so others may buy this to get WEST.

If you are still unsure about buying this, then consider the NEW BONUS MATERIAL:

1) A rare 60 minute audio recording of Buster Keaton reading a proposed script for the western TV show "Wagon Train".

2) GO WEST a 1923 Hal Roach DIPPY DO DADS short performed by a troupe of monkeys.

3) A Gallery of photographs from the ORIGINAL 1922 stage production of THE BATTLING BUTLER.

4) Galleries of production stills for both films revealing un-filmed scenes.

5) Screenplay excerpts from a proposed 1947 remake of BATTLING BUTLER.

Any chance to see a Dippy Do Dad short is worth the price. And seeing stills from GO WEST that illustrate some un-filmed scenes are a pleasure to see.

I don't have the new DVD version of this Blu-ray to compare to, so i don't know how much of an upgrade it would be.

****** Contrary to Amazon's listing, the Blu-ray version is just a single (1) disc release, both movies and all bonus material are on one Blu-ray Disc. It is the DVD that is on two (2) discs.******

GO WEST (everything by Buster Keaton, 1925, 69 minutes) & BATTLING BUTLER (everything by Keaton what else is new, 1926, 68 minutes) have to both go here because I am tired of offering confusing reviews on these double-bill DVDs.

GO WEST was BK's homage some say parody of Charlie Chaplin films. I disagree strongly. BK was fond of parody and occasionally parodied Chaplin, but not here. For some strange reason, Keaton said this was his "best film". Apparently not his favorite film, which is also considered his best: The General (Enhanced) 1927. Here BK is "Friendless", a drifter from Indiana who ends up going West to cattle ranch. This film is excellent in that it shows the cruelty of ranching.

Essentially this begins with Friendless falling in love with a very sweet cow named Brown Eyes and he ends up successfully herding 1,000 head of cattle to the stockyard in Pasadena. (Though this was filmed on location in L.A., people always erroneously say it takes place in L.A.) There is so much hilarious fun I won't spoil anything. How can I? This film features innovative work such as the cow-mounted camera work and BK's uncanny ability with cattle.

As in College (see my review), this film shows a terrible momentary camera flare due to the sun. I suspect BK shrugged it off, unable to do anything about it, but it would never again appear on his films. It also has a hair-raising train ride and a cute ending that will have you rolling on the floor. I do not know why critics dismiss this fine work.

BATTLING BUTLER (BK at the helm again, 1926, 68 minutes) is one of the darkest and most haunting of Buster Keaton's films. This movie inspired not only the comedy ARTHUR but was also studied by Scorsese for RAGING BULL. Here BK plays millionaire playboy Alfred Butler, who falls for a gal and also discovers a rising boxing star whose name is Alfred Butler, called "Battling" Butler.

To impress his gal and her family (because in those days money meant nothing I guess), Alfred tells them he is the boxer "Battling" Butler. In a complicated and gothic plotline, poor little Alfred is sucked into the world of prizefighting and training hard. Here, as with GO WEST, BK is determined to show cruelty: the cruelty of the boxing world. As he does his dance with the real boxer's identity, he inadvertently gives the wrong impression with the other Alfred's wife.

BK shows up ringside to watch some training and encounters the boxer's wife again he had met her when she injured a heel and he gave her a ride. He asks, "How's your heel?" She points to the ring and says, "He's alright." Does that ever look bad! Funny! Like the mean, snarling villain BK played in his 1922 short FROZEN NORTH, here he steps out of his usual zone to give a terrific performance. Like his formal wardrobe, he is noble, stiff and formal. No porkpie could possibly enter this yet his girl's brother wears one. That BK!! Never a dull moment.

He of course marries his sweetheart near the beginning of the film, so the rest is all the tension mounting. It is unbelievable and prescient of Hitchcock in its suspense. The dean from COLLEGE here plays BK's trusty and troublemaking butler Martin. Not only does BK do his crying/foot-stamping routine to great effect here for the first and only time since his silent shorts; he also shows some serious acting chops in the great finale fight between himself and boxing Alfred. He kicks butt and looks vicious there is no comedy at all in that harrowing scene.

Only a word of caution: this film is sometimes panned by certain critics and I see it is not as popular as it should be. This has the most complex, fascinating story/plot of any of BK's films. If it lacks comedy, it is because BK was pushing some new frontiers as always. Do not rebuke his memory or refuse this film just because it leaves the comfort zone. What do you think Buster Keaton's whole life was about anyway?!

The viewer can examine the whole list of Keaton's Golden Years of film, and watch them all. What pops out is this: BK's 'life-motif' in his movies is that the average Joe can achieve his American Dream no matter what that dream is. You learn from BK that you must find what's really important whether it is a girl, a cow or a job after that, anything's possible and you can do what you wish.

Buster Keaton always pays homage to every American, to the American spirit. He IS the original American spirit. He is THE American film master, the master of all time, and he IS comedy. You'll see that American spirit here and in films such as COLLEGE, Our Hospitality: ULTIMATE EDITION (which makes BK America's Jane Austen) and THE GENERAL (see my reviews of all his greats).

You cannot call yourself a film fan and miss either of these two classics. Or for that matter, miss any of Buster Keaton's golden classics. You miss out on BK, you might as well give up watching movies.

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This is for the new Blu Ray Buster Keaton "Go West" and "Battling Butler." First of all let me state that I love all Buster Keaton, these films rank among my top favorites for Keaton. He was an absolute genius when doing what he loved best. I'm not sure what I expected but I have many restored silent films and restored Blu Ray films of different eras and this is a disappointment. Many scenes are washed out and as stated in another review, there are many scratches and other blemishes that I find distracting. The pictures are indeed sharper but overall I would be just as happy to watch the earlier versions KINO produced. The extras do nothing for me, the short is not my cup of tea and the other extras are just okay. Both films and extras are on a single disc.

Suggestion: unless you are a die hard fan and do not already own the KINO versions then certainly buy this disc as the films are wonderful and deserve a place in your home, but if you do own the earlier discs keep watching them, they are not so bad one must upgrade. Blu Ray for me should be a vast improvement in picture and or sound, such as the recent Red Shoes release or grand sagas such as Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. Black and White Silent films need restoring and I am thrilled that such projects continue to be done but I am not wildly impressed with the results here. (The Blu Ray Buster Keaton Steamboat Bill, Jr. is recommended as it is a vast improvement over earlier versions and offers a second version of the film.)

Read Best Reviews of Battling Butler / Go West (Ultimate 2-Disc Edition) (1925) Here

Regardless of the negative reviews about the print imperfections. The two films have never looked better. Go West is not so grey-scale as the previous DVD release, much more clarity, clearer and shows much more detail, especially as this is as good a print that is available.

Battling Butler, displays a beautiful Tinted print, clear, sharp and not as dull as the DVD release from the Art of Buster Keaton set.

There are not very many extras offered, but as these two films are considered the "lesser" of Keatons films I do not mind.

All in all you get two feature films in HD in pretty great condition on one blu-ray disc. Beautiful packaging and the films most importantly are great. A must for any fan.

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Exciting, enjoyable and the magnificent physical comedy of one of the greatest stars of all time...Buster Keaton!

Have you been wanting more Buster Keaton on Blu-ray! Kino Lorber has a new Blu-ray release planned for Sept. 2011 with the release of "Go West" (1925) and "Battling Buttler" (1926).

"Go West" is a film written and directed by Buster Keaton and it was a film in which Keaton wanted to capture the realistic scenery by filming in the deserts of Arizona (something that his film crew did not want to do because of the extreme heat). In fact, during the filming of "Go West", the film had to be reshot a few times because the film stock melted and the crew realized, the only way this film was going to be made is by quick thing and that was to submerged their cameras in ice to keep cameras operable and film stock intact.

The film also became one of Keaton's most expensive films ever made as it required a stampede of cows, especially having the cows walk through the city.

In 1925, the film didn't exactly do great in the box office but many years later, many fans of Keaton's silent films do feel that it's one of his most entertaining silent comedies.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Go West" (1925) and "Battling Butler" (1926) receives its HD release and are presented in black and white while the latter does have color-tinting. Having previously owned "The Art of Buster Keaton" Kino DVD boxset, I can easily say that these two films do look great on Blu-ray. The contrast looks great, the films look sharp and these are the best version of both films via picture quality to date.

While "Go West" is the better of the two when it comes to picture quality, both still manage to look better than its DVD counterpart in the fact that the whites and grays show awesome contrast, much more detail and black levels are nice and deep. You do see lines and white specks from time-to-time on "Battling Butler" but by no means does it take away from the viewing of these two films.

The fact that both of these films show no major nitrate degradation and are complete films is a major plus and have no doubt that Keaton fans will agree that the picture quality for both films are very good!

As for the audio, for "Go West", the music is composed and performed by Eric Beheim and "Battling Butler" features music arranged and directed by Robert Israel. There are no alternate soundtracks but for those who enjoyed the music from the previous DVD release, will be happy that they are featured in the Blu-ray release.

The music for both films are well done and compliment the film just perfectly!

SPECIAL FEATURES

"Go West" comes with the following special features:

Go West A 12 minute comedy short produced by Hal Roach and features the trained monkeys (The Dippy Do Dads).

60-Minute Audio Recording An audio recording of Buster Keaton working on a script proposal for the Western TV series "Wagon Train" (courtesy of Bob Bergen).

Photo Gallery Production stills from "Go West".

"Battling Butler" comes with the following special features:

Screenplay Excerpt A screenplay excerpt featuring text on the unproduced remake of "Battling Butler" written by Keaton in 1947.

Gallery Gallery of photographs from the 1922 stage production of "Battling Butler".

Photo Gallery Production stills from "Battling Butler".

EXTRAS:

"Go West and Battling Buttler" comes with a slipcase cover.

JUDGMENT CALL:

Once again, Buster Keaton fans are treated with two more films from the filmmaker's oeuvre showcasing his physical comedy as an actor but also his directorial and screenplay writing efforts in "Go West" and directorial effort for the film adaptation of the stage play "Battling Butler".

Both films precede his "The General" (1927) and "Steamboat Bill, Jr." but there was no doubt that Buster Keaton, a perfectionist, would cause concern with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with "Go West" as it was an expensive film that required multiple do-overs because of filming in the desert of Arizona proved to be problematic for the cameras and the film stock.

While "Go West" would showcase Buster Keaton as a cowboy, it was a silent comedy western that was unlike any Western ever made and still is a unique film that holds up perfectly well in 2011. In 1925, Buster Keaton brought in a large numer of cows to walk the streets of Hollywood. Just watching the scene of, who knows how many cows were featured, walking through the city of Los Angeles in broad daylight was accomplished.

It's probably the only film in which a woman is not Buster Keaton's leading lady but a cow named Brown Eyes who is his true friend throughout the film and the female that he is trying to protect. It really is an absurd film but it is a hilarious film that showcases Keaton's comedy. From being a cowboy that doesn't know how to milk a cow, nor does he know how to ride a horse or to lasso a young cow, "Go West" is a film that provides a lot of laughs but a stampede sequence that is literally shocking when you watch it today.

As for "Battling Butler", this is a straight-up Buster Keaton film that takes misunderstandings and lies to make for one exciting sports film. In fact, I'm not really sure if "Battling Butler" is the first boxing film ever created but what we do know is that it is an adaptation of a popular Broadway play that ran from 1923-1924 and that the film was Keaton's most financially successful feature film in the box office.

Keaton has said that "Battling Butler" is one of his favorite films, despite it being forced on him by Joe Schenck but it's a wonderful farce as we see Keaton put into a boxing role and having to go one-on-one with experienced boxers.

But in this screenplay, it diverts from the original Broadway play in the fact that fans do get to see Keaton's character Alfred Butler actually getting into a fight to protect his wife's honor.

But it's a hilarious film that is classic Keaton. Farce combined with Keaton's physical comedy, "Battling Butler" is highly entertaining!

And of the two films, I admit that I am more fond of "Battling Butler" in terms of story but admire the direction of "Go West" because how Keaton directed a large herd of cows through Los Angeles is surprising but yet an amazing thing to watch onscreen. Many decades before CGI and yet, Keaton as always ahead of his time, was able to make it happen.

As for the Blu-ray release, once again...these are the best looking versions of the film to date. In fact, I don't know if I can even watch my older Kino DVD's ever again because these films look so fantastic on Blu-ray. Granted, these films were never 100% pristine but the fact that the contrast and overall look of both films are an improvement from the original DVD release is a major plus.

The special features for this latest Blu-ray release offers different special features compared to the previous release. As I would have loved to see the special features on the behind-the-scenes of the making of both films, at least we are given a rare 60-minute audio recording of Keaton working on "Wagon Train" plus an excerpt of the screenplay for the "Battling Butler" 1947-remake. Sure, I would have loved to have additional choices for audio score but the Eric Beheim for "Go West" and the score for "Battling Butler" from Robert Israel which were used on the original DVD release are already wonderful and compliment the films really well!

Overall, if you have been watching the previous Buster Keaton films on Blu-ray, more than likely you will purchase "Go West" and "Battling Butler". If you are new to Buster Keaton, both films are highly entertaining...are they better than "The General" or "Steamboat Bill Jr.", in my opinion, definitely not. But these two films are still very entertaining and do a great job of showcasing Keaton's physical comedy but also his efforts as a director.

Enjoyable, entertaining and fun...these two Keaton classics are definitely worth watching and this Blu-ray release is definitely recommended!

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Anuvahood

Love this film! SOoO funny and the characters are all completely lovable, especially "K" played by Adam Deacon. You will find yourself rooting for him to win and laughing the whole way. The visuals and colors are great too, such a nice touch!

This is a fun and witty film about teens trying to live up to a certain reputation. It is a fun and light-hearted film that is perfect for just sitting back and enjoying the crazy adventure it takes you on!

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This film is sooooo funny! Made in respect of films like HOUSE PARTY and FRIDAY. If you liked those films you will love this.

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Just happened to come across this movie one day, and I love it. It is a real life setting with a comical twist.

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I loved Friday and I love British accents so the combination of the two makes for a hilarious film! Highly recommended for a good laugh. It totally cheered me up after a bad day!

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Doomsday Book (2012)

Zombies, robots and asteroids out of control! Yes, you've seen similar flicks on these subjects, but not covered in the fashion of "Doomsday Book"! The three vignettes in this film are markedly different, but each seems to flow seemlessly into the next, as we wonder how the world might end in each episode.

Perhaps the most enticing and maybe frightening is the innocuously-entitled "Happy Birthday," where a little girl calls up an alien website (they exist, don't they?) and accidentally ends up ordering, perhaps, the end of our planet!

A fascinating exploration into what might just happen in the near future; I recommend "Doomsday Book" to all adult audiences.

Today, as I write this, is December 23, 2012, and we are still alive. If you recall, the end of days was supposed to have been two days ago, on December 21. Happily, that didn't happen for now --, but the entertainment world keeps busy doing films about the destruction of life as we know it. Nothing wrong with that, I guess, but it is really good when a film with doomsday themes that make you think comes along an intelligent and plausible one, that is. "Doomsday Book" is such a movie. It is fascinating and overpowering, with many possibilities to ponder.

"Doomsday Book" is really three films into one, helmed by two different Korean directors. The first segment, "Brave New World," directed by Yim Pil-Sung, hits you in the gut, and you should see it a couple hours after having dinner, as it deals with the effect of an epidemic a la "Mad Cow disease," when people become zombie-like creatures after eating infected beef. We meet a young man on a date with an attractive young lady, and how, after eating in an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue, they get sicker and sicker. It follows the epidemic from the slaughterhouse all the way to the media frenzy created by it. And it is the media frenzy, I think, that steals the show, as it might remind you of the current state of the art of our media sensationalism. The second segment, "The Heavenly Creature," helmed by Kim-Ji-woon, is, in short, a masterpiece, one of the smartest films despite its length I have ever seen. It's about a robot that is member of a Buddhist monastery. He is the only non-human within all the humans. However, one day the repairman is contacted, because the lead monk believes that the robot is not well; apparently, it is claiming to be Buddha. The repairman can't find anything wrong with the robot, and the owner of the company, as well as his henchmen, arrive to the location, ordering the destruction of the robot as well as others of the same series, because it has become too intelligent and, thereby, a threat. The owner of the company asks, in regards to the robot, "Who could have known its greatest gift would become its mortal affliction? A robot must never construe or trespass on the domains of man." And there are, of course, philosophical answers to these arguments, which are explored in this awesome segment. The last part of the movie, under the direction of Yim Pil-Sung, and called "Happy Birthday," is about a meteor that will hit earth in a few hours, and the frenzy that it generates. The meteor is shaped as a number eight billiard ball, which coincides with a ball that a little girl lost from her uncle earlier in the film. Years later, while being in an underground shelter waiting for the meteor's impact, we find out the meaning of it all. Again, the director explores, in a hilarious way, the media frenzy over this event.

"Doomsday Book" gives us three stories or point of views about the future, at least two of them possible, and the other, with some imagination, might also be possible. It is intelligent filmmaking, not from Hollywood, but from South Korea. (South Korea, 2012, color, 114 min).

Reviewed on December 23, 2012 by Eric Gonzales for Well Go USA Blu-ray

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By their very nature, anthology films are a mixed bag. They'll contain two or three or four smaller stories essentially `shorts,' cobbled together into one complete film usually connected by one central theme. The upside is that, if the theme is flexible enough to support multiple interpretations, the audience is treated to an insightful exploration from different (and differing) perspectives. The downside? There can be several, not the least of which is the viewer ends up stuck in a loop supportive of that main idea where nothing all that original unfolds not once but twice, or thrice, or ... well, however many installments the producers managed to cram in there!

(NOTE: the following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I'd encourage you to skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you're accepting of a few hints at `things to come,' then read on ...)

Since DOOMSDAY BOOK is a collection of three short films, I'll break them down individually for clarity.

In the first chapter, "Brave New World," a brand new virus incorporated into the food supply by way of food recycling brings the city of Seoul to the brink of social collapse by turning its victims into zombies. The short is bookended with the tale of two young people who find one another on their first date once the chaos begins, they're forced by circumstances to go their separate ways; as fate requires, true love will find a way, and our lovers are re-united in the segment's closing moments. In between, the story develops its satirical themes, showing us in some rather comical fashion, how civic leaders de-evolve while the rest of the world looks on. Technically, it's all very accomplished with some impressive effects, but, in the end, I found much of it fairly routine `stock' for a zombie picture. On my five star scale, I'd give it a strong three stars.

The second chapter, "The Heavenly Creature," a temple's service robot supplied by the UR Corporation experiences an epiphany, leaving the monks to believe they've found the latest incarnation of Buddha. The narrative focus for the tale explores the confusion experienced by the service technician sent by the company to diagnose whether the android is reparable or needs a system recall. This segment from start to finish is nothing short of brilliant; it's chocked full of exceptional, probing dialogue with questions by real people trying to understand these curious circumstances and what it means for mankind. Also, there's a wonderful little bit involving a debutante and failed her mechanical dog that explores humanity at its most crass. Technically, it's exceptionally staged and photographed with some images the sight of the droid locked in prayer that'll stay with you long after the story ends. On my five star scale, this one easily earns the highest praise with a perfect score.

In the last chapter, "Happy Birthday," a little girl hoping to please her father logs on to the web and orders him a new eight ball for his pool table. Two years later, an unidentified meteor is heading straight for a collision with the Earth, and, to her surprise, she learns what role she may've played in mankind's impending demise. This installment is a weaker satire than the first chapter, mostly because there's little substance to the grand `reveal' (which I won't spoil); instead, the story takes a rather serpentine route to deliver the audience to its destination, and it ends up being relatively routine. I do think, however, that "Happy Birthday" could've been stronger with more focus on the comic characters it's a family, and they all clearly love one another despite their respective quirks. In this anthology format, there just wasn't enough time for it all to mean that much. On the five star scale, I'd give it a middling two stars at best.

The single greatest strength to DOOMSDAY BOOK in the three-story format is that the audience doesn't spend too much time with the lesser sections, making most of it feel fairly benign. The weakness as I prescribed in my first paragraph is that the directors delivered three stories of vastly differing appeal. Yes, they're all sci-fi, giving us a glance at possible (but not all that probable) futures, but when the first and the final chapters feel more than a bit incomplete, I come away not feeling I've seen the best these stories had to offer (with the exception of "The Heavenly Creature").

Still, I'd strongly argue that each of these ideas had great foundation for fuller pictures completely on their own. Granted, a full 90 minutes dedicated to the eradication of mankind by a magic-8-ball (not the game, but a legitimate 8-ball from a pool table set) may not seem all that revelatory, but you have to take it in context. I would've loved to spend more time in each of these visions, especially one where a robot uncovers its desire to pray, and that's something to think about.

DOOMSDAY BOOK is produced by Gio Entertainment and Timestory. DVD distribution (stateside) is being handled by Well Go USA Entertainment. As for the technical specifications, it all looks and sounds impressive, and each chapter boasts some very solid performances by all of the players. Also, I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't point out that the feature won the 2012 Fantasia Cheval Noir Award; and was an official selection of the 2012 Hawaii International Film Festival, the 2012 New York Asian Film Festival, and 2012 Fantastic Fest. Sadly, there are no special features to speak of.

RECOMMENDED. You like zombie films? Check! You like thoughtful heart-tugging science fiction flicks? Check! You like end-of-the-world tales told with more than a hint of irony? Check! Certainly, each piece of DOOMSDAY BOOK is solidly produced; but, as can happen all too often in anthology films, these stories end up wildly mixing influences and producing varying results. It's safe to say that I would have rather seen each installment expanded and turned into its own feature the zombie short had some solid ideas but methinks some of its dark humor was lost in translation, and the disaster from the heavens could've been elevated by more exploration of its decidedly quirky four main characters because, in their present format, there just wasn't enough. Only the middle chapter the robot who found enlightenment was strong enough to stand on its own, but I would've loved to have spent more time in that inspired, thought-provoking reality.

In the interests of fairness, I'm please to disclose that the fine folks at Well Go USA Entertainment provided me with a DVD screener of DOOMSDAY BOOK for the expressed purposes of completing this review.

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This film is in Korean with English subtitles. It defaults to no subtitles. The DVD lacks any commentary, which I would have watched on this particular film.

This production consists of three sharp stories, the first being my favorite.

The first feature smartly utilizes the story of the apple in the garden of Eden as a metaphor for Pandora's box. A rotten apple finds its way into the food chain as cow meal. Humans consume meat from the cow and get a "mad cow's disease" which causes them to act like zombies. The film claims it is a virus, but clearly it is prions. Oprah was right! I loved this zombie explanation.

The second feature is about a robot who develops his own conscientiousness and is proclaimed to be Buddha due to his enlightenment. This segment contains heavy speeches concerning how man has become slaves to his inventions to the point that they impact on his evolution.

The third segment concerns a young girl who orders an eight ball on line only to find out it is being delivered from outer space in the form of a huge meteor that will destroy the planet.

I love colorful Asian cinematography. This one has adopted an appropriate western sound track which gave it the feel of a Hollywood production. The characters were well done. The movie oozes with comedy and satire as well as philosophy. This is without a doubt one of the best "end of the world" films that have come out here of late.

Parental Guide: F-bombs in first episode (spoken and printed in English). No sex or nudity.

Want Doomsday Book (2012) Discount?

there are a few different stories on this Disc, from zombies to just strange end of the world stories to robots with a soul movie.

the movies are each very short, There is no real meaning, no action, no strong gripping Drama, not amazing acting.

it's even awkward at times and mostly seems like a waste of time.

if you think of a cool futuristic looking movie, do not watch this, this movie has nothing going for it.

the cover looks cool, but the robot is in only one short clip, and the rest if very boring.

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