A pretty recopilation of Aardman art films
935117
A pretty recopolatory about Aardman productions. It's not the deninitive art and making book about this fantastic company, but it's a  decent a economic book. For more animation books pics enter in my account;)
1414868
As usual, great & terribly amateurish art is presented side-by-side.  Which is which may be a matter of personal taste, but I know what I like, and I keep wishing the excellent will one day outnumber the dreadful.
Highlights this volume:  John Blackburn's Coley in "Body Heat", wherein the voodoo bi-boy helps a confused husband come to terms with who he really is;  "Visitation Rites" by Sean, where leather-clad bikers meet (and "meat") campground guys;  "The Sons Of Ramus" by Joe, a dive into Greek mythology with decent art if not very strong visual storytelling; "Link Up" by Kurt Erichsen, a fun story about a computer nerd with some nice cartoony art;  and one-page cartoons by Gerard Donelan.  Blackburn gets to shine IN COLOR on both front and back covers this time, and in fact the back is possibly my very favorite single illo of Coley I've seen to date.  Can you say... "HHHHHOT"??
960372
Anchor Bay Entertainment has begun releasing the lesser-known Hammer films in an economical 'two-fer' format, following behind MGM and their 'Midnight Movies' format.  That's great news for those of us who haven't gotten around to purchasing these films individually, as they were originally offered, but bad news from those who have already bought the films when they were originally released to DVD in the single movie format at full price.  The discs and special features offered though this set are the same as when they were offered in a single disc format, but now they are two for the price of one.  I can't help but wonder if the original releases weren't selling very well, so Anchor Bay recovered them and re-released them in this more economical 'limited edition' sets.  Who knows?
Anyway, the first film, The Four Sided Triangle (1953) is a decent melodramatic science fiction thriller dealing with, what I figure was a relatively new concept at the time, of human cloning.  The story involves mainly three individuals, Bill, Robin, and Lena.  Bill, coming from a solid background and a wealthy family, is the practical one, while Robin is the flipside of the coin, coming from a poor family, exhibits the dreamer-like qualities of a true visionary, but also suffers the highs and lows of what could be considered a manic-depressive personality.  Lena is sort of in the middle, obviously desired by both men, although she can only choose one.
The men, fresh back from college, develop a machine that can perfectly reproduce anything, and this opens up a wealth of possible opportunities, and also allows Bill to profess his love to Lena, prompting their marriage, much to Robin's dismay.  Robin, bored with the practical applications of the machine already, looks towards new frontiers of duplicating organic matter, and decides one the process is perfected, he should like to duplicate Lena.  It works, but not without complications.  All in all, not a bad movie, and it seems pretty original for the time, even though it does borrow from the Frankenstein mythos a little bit.  The film is slow moving, so patience is required.  The surprise ending seemed a bit contrived and fantastical, but the production values were pretty good, making for an interesting, if drawn out, experience.
X - The Unknown (1957) is the much better of the two films here, presenting a very intelligent and wonderful science fiction story that presents the notion of an ancient life form that lives within the Earth and rises through a fissure, seeking out sustenance in the form of radioactive materials.  Dean Jagger stars and presents a thoroughly likable character surrounded by a strong supporting cast.  Some of the horror elements were quite a bit more visceral that I would have expected, but made for fun and interesting viewing leading up to a suitably climatic finish.
I really liked the notion that the creature, a giant blob of inky, gooey material, wasn't from outer space, but something that has been on this terrestrial plane for a long time, much longer than man.  I also appreciated the complications that developed as the characters discerned information about the creature, providing real depth to the story, and elevating this film above the average 'creature feature'.
Both films look and sound great, with minimal deterioration present in the prints provided, and contain the special features related to their original, independent releases, with The Four Sided Triangle disc containing a Hammer World of Horror episode titled The Curse of Frankenstein and X- The Unknown disc the World of Horror episode titled Sci-Fi and an original trailer for the film.  Also included in the case are two reproduction cards for promotional material on each film.  A great value if you are coming in late in the game, and it does say limited edition on the front of the case, so supplies may be limited.
Cookieman108
3998383
Warner Archive is true to their word, Volume Two is right on schedule. Believe me the prints here look EXCELLENT! It seems all the films are from 35mm prints. The Bowery Boys films have changed hands several times. The last time was when Warner Brothers bought the television rights back in the early 1970's. Most prints are several generations away from the camera negatives, yet this collection looks beautiful. Even "Spook Busters" (which has always been a problem) looks better than ever.

An extra bonus is having "The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters" & "High Society" in their original 1.85 Scope versions! It's an absolute joy!

Support Warner Archive, and get this set. BRING ON VOLUME THREE!!!
2288214
I was lucky to think ahead and purchase this art book before the film was released. I'm really glad I did, because the visuals are amazing! The bits of backstory on the characters and their environments make for a fascinating read. Being able to see the artwork of the artists who worked so hard to put this film together is a real treat, and an inspiration for any aspiring artist.

A great purchase, and a must-have for the library of any RoTG fan.
2038045
I'm not going to go in depth, like I did with volume 3 (I don't think I have the strength), but I will say this is a really great collection of offbeat short films -- comparable in quality and variety to volume 3 (some online reviews I've read argue that volume 1 is still the best -- these people don't know what they're talking about).

Some highlights include LE BAGMAN, the first film, which is quintessentially Tromatic (an eensy weensy bit of plot and TONS and TONS of hilariously ridiculous homemade gore); EMILY, about meeting your in-laws and killing to make them happy; JOHNSON 2: THE PASSION OF THE JOHNSON, a hilariously dopey detective parody; and the AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE-ish cartoon THE PASSION OF THE KINGDOM REBELS.  There are actually many more I'm not mentioning, but just discover them for yourself.

In his amusing introduction at the start of the DVD, Troma president Lloyd Kaufman talks from the set of his upcoming film POULTRYGEIST and claims (jokingly?) that volume 4 is the best Tromadance collection ever, so there won't be a volume 5.  Considering the combined merit of volumes 3 and 4, I suspect volume 5 would have a lot more goodness, so let's hope it's not true.
1593080
First the good news--we get a solid transfers of early Hitchcock with some minor and major classics early in his career. Studio Canal has done a nice job with these and while the transfers aren't scratch free, they look quite good given the age of the source material and quite a bit better than some of the earlier releases of public domain sources. This boxed set (once you open it) looks like an old bound copy of a script. The outside has a photo of Hitch (which reminds me of a deathmask)from the Universal archive.

The first two films in the set "The Ring" and "The Manxman" were made the year after the success of "The Lodger" (which would been shelved when studio executives thought it a disaster. Luckily, Michael Balcon stepped in a man who championed Hitch early in his career and the film was a wild success). "Murder!" is an early talkie (sadly the German version isn't included. It would have been nice to see for comparison sake as it was shot with a different cast on the same sets).  In the early days of film alternate versions were shot for other markets where they might be popular usually with a different director. Hitch spoke German since he worked early on in that country shooting films and absorbing much of the early German expressionist styles that he would reference throughout his career)so directed it himself. "The Skin Game" and "Rich and Strange" (the latter an early Hitchcock classic) are also included. A pity that "Blackmail" (Hitch's first talkie that was also shot to be shown as a silent film) isn't included as well.

The bad news is that we don't get any feature length commentary tracks by Hitchcock historians and film scholars (which is just as well if these things bore you). We do, however, get a new 15 minute featurette focusing on Hitchcock's early life, his collaboration with his wife Alma (who is often overlooked--we must remember that it was team Hitchcock collaborating which consisted of Hitch, his wife Alma and whomever their current favorite writer was)and the development of his early style. It features interviews with USC Hitchcock Professor Drew Casper, director Peter Bogdanovich, Hitch's daughter and screenwriter/film historian Steve Haberman. We have a generous amount of clips from the set illustrating their points. I do wish that "The Lodger" had been included in this set but that's a pretty minor point (although honestly it does belong here as an example of his developing sense of style). Also missing is Hitch's "Number 17" which would have been a natural to include in this set even though the plot is a bit confusing, it's a fun ride.

This is an excellent collection of early minor classics as Hitch developed his film style. It's clear that he was influenced by seeing other directors such as Fritz Lang and FW Murnau but he had already begun to develop his own distinctive voice as a film director. This is a good set to get and is a pretty inexpense handsome package for fans.
3723747
The Animatrix is a collection of nine animations commissioned and produced by the Matrix writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski. The animations vary from fairly simple "A Detective Story" to state-of-the-art "The Last Flight of the Osiris.
I found the collection of animations to be quite interesting -- both from an artistic point of view and from a storyline point of view. Even though "A Detective Story" is the least sophisticated piece technique-wise, I found the story the most enjoyable. The realism of "The Last Flight" was just incredible. "The Second Renaissance" and "Kids Story" give a lot of background to the Matrix storyline.
This DVD is great for fans of "The Matrix" looking for additional background as well as people who like animation. Those like me (who found "The Matrix Reloaded" a bit long in the tooth) will most likely find the DVD just OK. If you haven't seen "The Matrix", then skip this DVD.
There isn't much in the way of DVD extras - only some director's commentary for a few of the animations. The one I watched had English subtitles. Interesting, if you have the time to watch but it didn't do much for me.
Recommend: Yes to Matrix/Animation fans
Watch again: Probably not
1658453
An interesting, if widely divergent, collection of tales of Wonder Woman.  The talent in both art and story runs the gamut of fantastic to awful.  If you can get it at discount, go for it.  But to be honest, it isn't worth the full price.  3.35 out of 5.

Gothamazon by Gail Simone (writer); Ethan Van Sciver & Marcelo di Chiara (artists).  When the villains of Gotham band together to take out Batman, Oracle must call for help.  Wonder Woman must learn how to combat these unusual criminals.  Luckily both Catwoman and Harley Quinn are ready and able to give advice.  The artwork is marvelous, crisp and clear, so well-defined, simply beautiful.  A quick, almost AU story.  The idea of Diana learning to defeat the Gotham baddies in her own unusual way is well thought out.  4 out of 5.

Defender of Truth by Amanda Deibert (writer); Cat Staggs (artist).  Circe is causing havoc until Wonder Woman arrives to save the day.  She also takes a moment to help a young admirer when he is teased for liking her (boys have to like boy stuff, not girl stuff).  The art is not as crisp on the previous story.  In fact, it is quite blurry in spots.  The story was extremely sparse.  The best scene was probably with the boy.  3 out of 5.

Brace Yourself by Jason Bischoff (writer); David A. Williams (artist).  This is an adorable look at a young Dianas life and how she trained to become the woman we know.  The determination and cheekiness on the childs face was well drawn.  3.5 out of 5.

Taketh Away by Ivan Cohen (writer); Marcus To (artist).  After some unfortunate remarks about the Gods on television, Diana finds her strength and powers gone.  Great look at Dianas inner strength.  Good art, reminds me of the styles of the 1970s.  3.5 out of 5.

Bullets and Bracelets by Sean E. Williams (writer); Marguerite Sauvage (artist).  Diana as a rock star.  A little preachy, a little weird.  Art is not as refined.  My honest reaction to it was more Josie and the Pussycats than Wonder Woman.  3 out of 5.

Morning Coffee by Ollie Masters (writer); Amy Mebberson (artist).  Wonder Woman is called to London to help stop Catwoman.  Very simplistic artwork, yet it is quite engaging.  Poor dragon, gets beat up for just doing his job.  3.5 out of 5.

No Chains Can Hold Her! by Gilbert Hernandez (writer and artist).  Okay, Wonder Woman on steroids.  Diana fights cheesy killer robots and lizard-like aliens.  Story and art majorly suck.  Sorry, Gilbert, but it does.  Even the Original Wonder Woman art wasn't this horrible.  2 out of 5.

Attack of the 500-Foot Wonder Woman by Rob Williams (writer); Tom Lyle (artist).  Byth of Thanagar is tearing Gateway City to bits.  Wonder Woman, Atom, Hawkman, and Hawkwoman must save the day.  Not too bad.  Decent art, good story.  3.5 out of 5.

Ghosts and Gods by Neil Kleid (writer); Dean Haspiel (artist).  Well, heres a current Arrow villain, Ras al Ghul, fighting Wonder Woman and Etta Candy in their search for a stolen purple ray device.  They are joined by Deadman, a murdered circus performer who has been directed to help balance justice.  Actually, the artwork in this tale reminds me quite a bit of early Wonder Woman, particularly the 1950s-1960s.  Not a bad tale.  3.5 out of 5.

Dig for Fire by Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman (writers); Gabriel Hardman (artist).  Dianas mother has directed her to travel to Apokolips to search for two missing Amazons.  An exciting tale and great art to accompany it.  Well done, a great finish to the collection.  4 out of 5.
606033
In 2005 Disney and Chronicle Books published this collection of Pixar images in celebration of Pixar's 20th Anniversary. It is comprised of one hundred high quality, full colour postcards printed on thick card stock. When I ordered this set, I imagined that it would be 100 images taken from the various Pixar animated movies. It is a lot more.

There are actual images taken from the films.

There are 'story board' images as well as an assortment of concept art.

I really like the images of the actual movie posters from various countries.

I have mailed out many of these cards and they have been very well received by friends around the world.
3521369
A good collection for the $. I liked the first two B&W movies. Interesting alternative cinematography in Angry Red Planet, especially in the Martian city shot.
798302
<div id="video-block-R3MMUIH1R6IZQ" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1oRDoucqkS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71aUrUVB9iS.png" class="video-slate-img-url">&nbsp;I'm impressed but also left with some mixed feelings after going through the book.

Let's start with the good.

This book comes with a slipcase as well, just like the first Thor movie artbook, but the book is even thicker at 272 pages. It feels good just looking at how thick the book is.

Since the first book has already covered the character designs for the main characters, coverage for them is smaller here and focuses instead on the subtle design changes. The bulk of the character designs are for the Vanir, Marauders, Malekith, Algrim, Kurse and Dark Elves. The enemies have more pages. But overall, there are lots of great designs and variations to look at, as well as some props. There are the head prosthetics and final film stills to look at.

Concepts for the locations are amazing, especially for Asgard which is really beautiful. However, the art can sometimes be a bit rough and have a very CGI look. Many of the environment art are printed huge, sometimes across two pages, but some don't seem to have the resolution to go that big and result in less than sharp images. At least they captured the mood and atmosphere well.

Storyboards for selected sequences are included, some are animatic storyboards.

Now for the bad part.

Some of the designs are too dark. I know the movie is called Thor: The Dark World, but still... The details fading into darkness thing can be a bit overkill in this book. I have a difficult time making sense of the interior of the Dark Elves' Ark. Much is shrouded in darkness. Many of the character designs also have their details lost into the black. If I'm reading a comic book, that's pretty stylish use of black, but this is a concept art book so I should at least be able to see stuff clearly.

The concepts are good but the quality is marred by the images being less sharp and too dark at times.

Overall, it's still worth a buy because it's a decent artbook with plenty of stuff to see.

(See more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
701489
A few years ago, George Lucas appealed to fans by reluctantly releasing the original theatrical versions of his Star Wars films.  Needless to say, they were released as bonus features to the special editions without upgraded audio and a non anamorphic transfer.  This wasn't really a set for the fans; rather, it was a cash in.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see Ridley Scott introduce the old theatrical version of Blade Runner stating that it was cleaned up and remastered so the viewer could watch Blade Runner whichever way he or she preferred.  It's a pit of the fan touch that makes this collection so wonderful.

There are a load of special features in this collection that make it worthwhile.  Most notably is the direct involvement of those originally behind the film - especially Ridley Scott who provides commentary on the final cut and is present throughout the Dangerous Days documentary.

The Dangerous Days documentary has to be one of the most thorough accounts of any one film, tracking the film's origins through its present cult status.  There is one feature that highlights one of the film's age old questions: is Deckard a replicant.  Amusingly, Frank Darabont, director of Shawshank Redemption, is interviewed, making a case against him being a replicant.

Then there are a slew of deleted scenes and promotional materials.  There's even a featurette about the posters.  How detailed can you get?  Probably the jewel in this set for fans is the work print version.  It's a curiosity piece, and while its inclusion is mandatory, it'll probably only get a couple spins on my dvd player.  The final cut is so beautiful, you really don't need any other version except maybe for nostalgia.

The final extra is the package itself, a plastic briefcase, featuring a plastic shiny origami unicorn (great at parties for making your friends think THEY'RE replicants) and a replica of the car driven in the film.  There are also a nifty lenticular picture encased in glass featuring Harrison Ford and some cards detailing some of the production art.

As for the film itself, after 25 years, Blade Runner doesn't show its age, celebrating a time when special effects were a true art form.  There is no CGI here.  Instead  Ridley Scott provides a visually arresting film depicting a dark, souless future.  You can spend hours detailing the metaphors found in the film as Deckard searches for replicants in a very dehumanized world, ultimately questioning his own humanity.  There are characters who have such depth that they are some of the most memorable scifi characters ever.  The somewhat manic Roy Batty, violent, poetic, and tragic, is still amazing to watch and listen to as he is so beautifully portrayed by Rutger Hauer.  The quest for humanity by all the characters is a universal theme that has inspired films both in and out of the realm of science fiction films for years and has made this film a classic.  If you are a real fan - you need to pick up this package - it's indespensible.
2049272
This is a collection of The Batman Adventures issues 7-12 and is very cool. The art is somewhat different from the show, as it is more cartoony and over-the-top. None of this takes away from the stories, though. There  are some nice insights into the backgrounds of several of the Rogues  Gallery's members that fans will find very interesting, especially on  Killer Croc. This is a very good compilation that leaves me wanting more.  And so will you.
1624688
Collected together in this cute box set; "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", "The Marvelous Land of Oz", "Ozma of Oz", and "The Emerald City of Oz" are all unfaithful yet fun version of their literary counterparts.  Created in the late 80's, these cartoons definately fall short of today's computer aided offering...but still hold a unique charm that stems from the source material.  Beginning with "The Marvelous Land of Oz" the stories stray far from the stories (with Dorothy not even appearing in the book "The Land of Oz" but playing a huge part in this version) with "Ozma of Oz" being the biggest offender of the bunch (not much of the original story is left here kiddos).  The voice acting is well suited and the animation is typical of its time.  Die hard fans of the "Oz" mythology beware...but nonetheless, these movies are entertaining and a definate treat for children.
2911918
This is a massive--and I do mean massive--slab of a coffee table book, and you will need a very sturdy coffee table to put it on. The 1960s is, for me, the vortex around which all 20th century popular culture swirls, and rightly or wrongly, I have no interest in the later volumes. I like my super-heroes smiley and fun and colorful, not dark, depressing, and mean, so this is my comfort zone, and it would have been difficult for Taschen to get it wrong. I could quibble about which covers were used, and which were given prominence, but somebody has to make the final choice, and this is a good selection.

It was certainly brave (some would say foolhardy) to include several representations of DC's pitiful attempts to be hip and groovy and down with the kids, as well as so many of their embarrassing efforts to imitate Marvel's parodies and bullpen stuff. If I have a complaint, it's that some of the more goofy stuff could have been condensed down (it's right that it was included) to make way for some of the more major attractions.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Batman TV series given attention, given Warner's persistent burying of it, and for me, the highlight of the book was around thirty pages devoted to the show's media coverage and merchandise and some very rare images (not unseen, but not the usual stuff either) including foreign film posters and reproductions of Norman Saunders' beautiful trading cards artwork. I have only two gripes: no picture/s of Yvonne Craig as Batgirl, and most glaringly, nothing at all on one of my favourite Silver Age titles, World's Finest, which often featured superb concepts and covers from Curt Swan, my hero. In my opinion, this was some of his best work. Particularly amusing are the bundles of covers on similar themes, such as weddings, deaths, and the old dumping of the costume and quitting routine, which unfortunately do serve to highlight just how cliched these storylines were. Otherwise, this is recommended without further reservations. Like the other reviewers, I wanted more on the major characters, with perhaps just token references to the comedy, war and romance titles.

Purchased from Amazon U.K., and reviewed there October 1st, 2013. If you enjoy this, you really should seek out the Two Morrows book on the 1960--1964 Silver Age comics, and the wonderful PBS book and DVD on Super-Heroes from WWII to the present day, all here on Amazon.
256323
This is a great collection of rare old films, lovingly selected, restored, and scored by noted accompanist Ben Model.  The comedians assembled here will be unfamiliar to most people, and you won't find any Chaplins, Keatons, or Lloyds among this group.  Image quality varies, but all have been reproduced as clearly as possible, and always with excellent contrast and, where missing, nicely reproduced credits and intertitles.  Viewers will differ on personal favorites, but my choices would be the Billy Franey short THE WATER PLUG (familiar gags, but well done), Clyde Cook's THE MISFIT (more familiar gags, again done well), and Paul Parrott's SHOOT STRAIGHT (seemingly the prototype for many Warners cartoons to follow).  The "Out of the Inkwell" Fleischer brothers cartoon MECHANICAL DOLL is utterly charming.  The Elgin Watch Company industrial THE HOUSE OF WONDERS, seemed like a curious inclusion, but turned out to be (for me, at least) fascinating viewing, and a sad reminder of our country's once formidable industrial might, long since parceled out to other countries.  This collection isn't for everyone, of course, so those of you with closed minds regarding silent and/or black-and-white films should probably think twice before purchasing.  Everyone else should be pleasantly surprised, however, and be sure to view the DVD's credits.