DVDpedia : Library : Title : J

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent. UK

Genre: Adventure

Duration: 100

Summary: A medieval comedy-adventure starring Michael Palin and directed by Terry Gilliam, "Jabberwocky" is an episodic adaptation of Lewis Carroll's surreal poem. Having previously directed "Monty Python and The Holy Grail" (1975) with Terry Jones, "Jabberwocky" marked Gilliam's solo directorial debut--is it coincidental that Jones is killed by the titular monster in the opening scene? Palin plays the naive Dennis Cooper, a man seeking his fortune just as the Jabberwocky is laying waste to the country. It's much the same world as "Holy Grail", with all the trappings of the romantic Hollywood epic being liberally coated with literal and metaphorical muck.
Palin's character causes unwitting mayhem wherever he goes--one stand-out scene involves the destruction of a maintenance shop for damaged knights-in-armour--though as much humour comes from exposing the foibles of the people he meets. And those people constitute a roll call of contemporary British comedy: Harry H Corbett as a sex-mad squire, Warren Mitchell's Mr Fishfinger, plus Annette Badland, Max Wall, John Le Mesurier, Rodney Bewes, John Bird, Neil Innes and John Gorman. "Jabberwocky" lacks the hilarity of "Holy Grail", but is a consistently amusing, exceptionally atmospheric, gleefully gory yarn which points the way to Gilliam's "Time Bandits" (1981) and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (1988).
On the DVD "Jabberwocky" is distinguished by an engaging and enthusiastic commentary from Gilliam and Palin, in which they delight in the amazing cast and ponder how such a handsome film was made. Otherwise the extras are a short sketch-to-screen comparison, three posters and three trailers (only one for "Jabberwocky"). Transferred anamorphically enhanced at 1.77:1, the picture is variable, with many beautifully lit indoor scenes looking fine, while other exterior, daylight shots appear washed out. There is some minor print damage. The sound is a revelation for a low-budget 1970s film originally released in mono. Given a full Dolby Digital 5.1 remix the tremendously detailed, rich and involving soundscape really brings Gilliam's world alive and puts many much more recent and expensive titles to shame. --"Gary S Dalkin"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Tai Seng

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 97

Summary: Whether you are a die hard Jackie fan or a passive visitor of the infinite Jackie video libraries you will find this "documentary" highly entertaining. This isn't a typical type of documentary because it features Jackie and his stunt crew showing off how the intricacies of their action sequences. It seems Jackie actually took the time to film this twice, one where he speaks his native language and another time where it is filmed in english. He didn't simply dub it, there are two sides to the DVD.
Pay attention as Jackie nails the camera while demonstrating how they use fake blood...what a pro!

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Drama

Duration: 115

Summary: Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) thinks he is going insane. Or worse. When his nightmares begin spilling into his waking hours, Jacob believes he is experiencing the aftereffects of a powerful drug tested on him during Vietnam. Or perhaps his posttraumatic stress disorder is worse than most. Whatever is happening to him, it is not good. Director Adrian Lyne sparks our interest and maintains high production values, but this confusing film chokes on its "surprise" ending. It owes much to Ambrose Bierce's haunting and more straightforward story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek." Written by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also explored the "other side" in "Ghost" and "My Life", it ultimately feels like an exercise in self-indulgence. A spirited performance by Elizabeth Peña outshines Robbins, who is surprisingly lethargic. "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Karmen Video

Genre: Action

Duration: 83

Summary: This is PAL DVD (EUROPEAN TV VIDEO STANDARD) region 5, officially released in Russia by studio "Karmen Video". DVD has two soundtracks: original SERBO-CROATIAN and RUSSIAN (voice-over), it also has optional (removable) RUSSIAN subtitles. CUSTOMERS FROM NORTH AMERICA and JAPAN: Please, make sure your DVD player supports PAL DVDS (Europe, Australia, and Asia) before bidding; otherwise you can watch PAL DVDS on computer with DVD-ROM.

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: A&E Home Video

Genre: TV Series / Comedy

Duration: 55

Summary:

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 92

Summary: Surprisingly lighthearted and witty, Paul Rudnick's "Jeffrey" (based on his off-Broadway play) was one of the first films to tackle the AIDS crisis without patting itself on the back or offering everything up in a sobering movie-of-the-week scenario. The titular Jeffrey (Steven Weber) is a happy-go-lucky gay man who suddenly comes face to face with the fact that AIDS has turned sex into something "radioactive." Paranoid in the extreme, he vows to become celibate--at just about the same time that hunky Steve ("The Pretender"'s Michael T. Weiss) saunters into his life, eyes twinkling and hormones raging. The only problem is that Steve, for all his muscles and charm, is HIV-positive, thus setting Jeffrey's deepest fears into motion. When it was written in 1995, "Jeffrey" struck a nerve in mining the fear that a number of gay men felt during the height of the AIDS crisis. Even just a few years later, though, Jeffrey's paranoia (what, he's never heard of condoms?) seems dated, and his behavior more self-damaging than self-aware--basically, he needs a slap upside the head as opposed to therapy. Still, Rudnick (who went on to pen the more mainstream "In and Out") is never one to pass up a witty one-liner or an opportunity to poke fun at anyone, and "Jeffrey" now stands as a hilarious, sometimes poignant portrait of gay single life and the perils of dating in a paranoid time. Weber's Jeffrey is simultaneously open to the possibilities of life and fearful to embrace them, and Weiss is, well... gorgeous and funny and sexy beyond belief. Still, it's Patrick Stewart, as Jeffrey's interior decorator best friend, who effortlessly steals the film with his cutting wit; in his mouth, Rudnick's lines are priceless gems. With a host of amazing cameos, including Sigourney Weaver as a conceited New Age maven, Kathy Najimy as her sad-sack follower, Christine Baranski as a high-society hostess for a roundup-themed charity dinner, and a top-form Nathan Lane as a gay priest who seems to have discovered the meaning of life--literally. "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Musical

Duration: 112

Summary: Before Andrew Lloyd Webber took over Broadway with his operatic productions and Tim Rice tossed in his lot with Disney's animated musicals, they were the young turks of musical theater and their rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" was their calling card. Director Gale Edwards's 1999 stage revival, which became the basis for this video production (also available on CD), takes the show out of ancient Jerusalem to an indeterminate mix of modern New York (complete with graffiti-scrawled walls and T-shirt garbed disciples) and timeless Rome. The grandly abstract sets, rainbow lighting, and striking costumes are more theater than cinema, but like the previous made-for-video Lloyd Webber-Rice production "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", the enormous soundstages give the director free reign to combine the mediums.
The setting folds fascism, intolerance, and revolution into a portrait out of time, robbing the play of its powerful historical grounding but injecting it with energy and insight. As Christ, Glenn Carter (who played the role in the 2000 Broadway revival) flashes his anger and rolls his eyes at Judas (Jerome Pradon) but cannot deny the truths of Judas's fears: "Every word you say today gets twisted 'round some other way." As Christ sees his cult of personality overtake his message and struggles with the fears of his sacrifice, he reaches within for faith and forgiveness, giving the show the spiritual dimension it so often lacks.
It's an entertaining, thoughtful, and well-sung production. Edwards avoids the tepidity of Norman Jewison's solemn 1973 film, driving forward with energetic editing and swooping cameras, and guided at all times by the dramatic, exhilarating score. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Bandai

Genre: Anime / Manga

Duration: 105

Summary: Written by Mamoru Oshii (the director of the cult favorite "Ghost in the Shell") and directed by Hiroyuki Okiura (a key animator on "Akira"), "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade" offers a violent but compelling vision in animation. The story is set in a fictionalized version of the recent past, when a repressive Japanese government is battling the Sect, a violent revolutionary organization that uses adolescent girls they call "Red Riding Hoods" as couriers. During a raid, Capitol Police Constable Kazuki Fuse (pronounced "foo-seh," voice by Michael Dobson) balks at killing Nanami Agawa (Maggie Blue O'Hare), one of the Red Riding Hoods. She commits suicide with a powerful bomb. While Fuse undergoes retraining, he meets Nanami's older sister, Kei (Moneca Stori), and initiates an odd romance. Soon both characters are caught in a web of plots and counterplots that center on the possibility that Fuse may be a "wolf," a member of a secret cabal within the Capitol Police.
"Jin-Roh" is drawn in a comic book style that recalls the work of the popular graphic novelist and film designer Jean "Moebius" Giraud; Okiura's skillful cutting and striking imagery transcend the limited animation. Although anime continues to grow in popularity in America, it's rare for a Japanese feature to receive even a limited theatrical release, as this one did: a dark, brooding film of exceptional power, "Jin-Roh" deserves to be seen by a large audience.
Suitable for ages 18 and up: considerable violence, profanity, and tobacco use. "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical:

Studio: ユニバーサル シグマ

Genre: Music

Summary: 音がいい。
カメラワークが豊富。
ただ、フルオーケストラ・プロのピアニスト
指揮久石譲だと、もっと素晴らしい作品に
なったでしょう。
そういう意味では、久石ファンだから楽しめる
一枚かもしれません。

Theatrical: 1969

Studio: White Star

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 68

Summary: And now for something completely rare. This 1968 television special is essential for connoisseurs of British humor and, of course, Monty Python completists. A pre-Python John Cleese teams up with Michael Palin and Graham Chapman (with invaluable assistance from co-"Fawlty Towers" creator Connie Booth and Tim Brooke-Taylor) for sketches that serve as a master class in demonstrating insincerity, inefficiency, and all-around rude behavior "to help people become more neurotic." The tricky bit, Cleese teaches, "is to never push the unsuspecting victim too far. With skill and tact, we can keep tensions bottled up for weeks, months, eventually you may induce a nervous breakdown, or better still, actual damage to the brain cells." Cleese and company portray very irritating parents, moviegoers, waiters, and partygoers. Of special interest to Python fans will be an auto mechanic sketch that anticipates the classic "Dead Parrot" sketch, as well as the job interview sketch that later found its way into the Python repertoire. This time capsule gem is, as Cleese observes at one point, "effective, but not very subtle." "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action

Duration: 88

Summary:

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Bandai Visual

Genre: Anime / Manga

Duration: 598

Summary: Hare is a 10-year-old boy living in the jungle with his mother, who one day adopts a cute little girl named Guu to live with them. There's a problem, though: Guu isn't all that she appears to be, and she has a habit of inexplicably devouring anything in sight...

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Bandai Visual

Genre: Anime / Manga

Duration: 336

Summary: Hare is a 10-year-old boy living in the jungle with his mother, who one day adopts a cute little girl named Guu to live with them. There's a problem, though: Guu isn't all that she appears to be, and she has a habit of inexplicably devouring anything in sight...