Art Store Discounts

Reviews

I was so surprised at how fast this was delivered. It came just before Christmas, and I thought I had ordered too late for it to arrive in time. Thanks!

Great product, quick shipping, only complaint is product more expensive than buying in the stores.

Bought this for my daughter. But I must say, Jacob Black is easy on the eyes.........

all i have to say is Ohmigaud!!!!! he is sooooo sexy when hes mad and he may have a rokkkin bod and terrific features but i LUV his persenality!!!!!

Reviews

Received the Jacob Black movie poster instead of the Jacob group poster ordered, but was charged the higher price of the group poster. It was very disappointing, but Santa can't do exchange so got stuck being ripped off.

I happen to hate Twilight with the fire of a thousand suns, but my little sister adores it, especially this character. She now has him leering at her from her ceiling when she wakes up every morning, so hey, at least it made her happy! The package arrived well wrapped, and the poster was the size I was hoping for. If only the guy had had his shirt off, too. I'm pretty sure my sister would have just spontaneously combusted.

Reviews

Fantastic compilation of Old American Songs! This album was recorded about a decade ago, today - Nathan Gunn is a well known and respected opera singer, a title he truly deserves. You might check out his other album - John Adams: Shaker Loops; The Wound-Dresser; Short Ride in a Fast Machine

If American's could appreciate their art songs the way the German's, the French and the English appreciate their classical art songs, Nathan Gunn would be in the same league as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. It doesn't hurt Mr. Gunn's career that he is a handsome fellow but music isn't about looks especially when you're listening to a CD. Nathan Gunn is truly an artist and should be recognized as such. And these beautiful songs, if one takes the time to read the poetry and tries to appreciate how the composers and the artist interpret the words, these songs can be a revelation. The U.S has the equivalent of Schubert & Debussy in Samuel Barber, John Musto, William Bolcom and some of the others represented on this disc. Think like a poet and you will fall in love with this music, Mr. Gunn's interpretations and his absolutely beautiful voice.

I wasn't crazy about this one. I absolutely love "Just Before Sunrise", but this one is just annoying. He has an incredible baritone voice, but the piano accompaniment and the song selection . . . Buy "Just Before Sunrise". It's incredible!

Nathan Gunn's baritone voice is a delicious blend of velvet and dark chocolate. These are art songs and may not be to everyone's taste, but if you listen to them for what they are and the voice behind them, they are wonderful. Glad I caught him on 2nd Cafe to find out about this album. There are a couple of songs that may be familiar, but most of them are the type of songs my daughter learned with her voice teacher. LOVELY, LOVELY album.

There'd be 5 stars if I liked all of the songs, but I don't. (You might.) I have a problem with some American song writing: it seems to me (perhaps wrongly) that too often songs sound alike in the sense that they seek to hang onto the musical coattails of, say, Ives or Copland. Others sound to me as cousins of "Oklahoma" or "Carousel". Despite my carping, I did enjoy this CD, in large part because Gunn knew just how to get into the mood of each song. Besides this, he has a rich, robuist voice and used it nimbly.

Reviews

Over the years, the sparkling, quirky, haunting songs of Charles Ives have been interpreted by many of the world's great singers. I first encountered many of them through Jan DeGaetani's still-moving recording with Gilbert Kalish, which remains one of the best ever of some of these gems. But now we have a stunning new collection from baritone Gerald Finley, with his fine pianist Julius Drake. They have created not only one of the most definitive readings of Ives' songs to date, but one of the finest recitals of the year, period. The pleasures and surprises are almost too many to list, beginning with Finley's mellifluous voice, immaculate diction, and theatricality that helps shape these songs with unusual clarity. As just one example, consider the first part of "Memories" called "Very Pleasant," evoking the anticipation of sitting in the audience, waiting for a performance to begin. As the final word, the singer blurts out, "Curtain!" and Finley is the only one I've heard who throws his voice far away, as if the shout is coming from one of the stagehands, waiting in the wings. Not only does this make the ending more prototypically "Ives-ian," but the song makes more sense with the unexpected change in point of view. Some of the quieter songs are just ravishing, such as "Ich Grolle Nicht" and "When stars are in the quiet skies," both with intimacy and control to spare. One of my personal favorites, "Like a sick eagle" (text by Keats), shows Finley's exquisite precision in navigating quarter-tones, creating a languid image of a dying bird slowly circling in the air. Drake is more than just an accompanist in all of these, in piano parts that are often fiendishly complex, such as "General William Booth Enters into Heaven" or the marvelous "The Cage." The winsome "Ann Street" and poignant "The Greatest Man" both end abruptly, with tiny offhand phrases that Finley nails perfectly. And there are treasures such as the rarely recorded "Slugging a Vampire" -- as swift as the title might indicate -- and the equally delightful "1,2,3." One could go on and on in endless detail about the entire array of 31 songs (chosen from the 114 available), but the best thing is just to get to the most pleasant part: listening. If I have a small quibble (and make no mistake, it is very small), it is that Hyperion's gorgeous, rather tranquil cover art gives no clue to Ives' wild imagination, and to the blazing work by his two outstanding interpreters here. (It looks more like a cover for something by Delius.) But it hardly matters, when both of these artists are in such rapturous form -- and captured so effectively by Hyperion's engineers. The sound, recorded in All Saints Church, East Finchley (London) is a model for projects of this kind. A release that is sure to go down as one of the finest Ives recordings ever.

I have to admit I've had exposure to relatively unheralded American composer Charles Ives' work only twice in the past - the first was baritone Nathan Gunn's vibrant sampling of three Ives compositions on his 1999 debut recital CD, "American Anthem", and the second was soprano Deborah Voigt's recent recital disc, "All My Heart", in which she impressively opens the recording with seven hymn-like selections. With his acute dramatic sense and unobtrusive masculine tone, Canadian baritone Gerald Finley manages to bring his own impressive vocal shadings and consequently turns out to be the ideal muse for Ives' eclectic and unique song selection. Thirty-one of the composer's over 100 songs are covered here, some as short as 28 seconds ("Slugging the Vampire"), but each very individual in feeling and character. Expertly accompanied by the accomplished Julius Drake on piano, Finley deftly performs an immensely diverse range of material from the traditional lied format of "Feldeinsamkeit" and "Ich grolle nicht" to the haunting pastoral images of "The Housatonic at Stockbridge" to the youthful zeal of "The Greatest Man" to the swooning romanticism of "When Stars are in the Quiet Skies" to the funereal dirge of "Thoreau". The adventurous sequencing of the tracks also provides the right dynamic to the program. For example, a Brahms-inspired lullaby ("Berceuse") is followed by a passionate diatribe against poverty ("West London"), which is then followed by a sentimental war ballad ("Tom Sails Away"). In one selection, the tonal change occurs midway through the song - the aptly titled "Memories (A) Very Pleasant; (B) Rather Sad" starts out as a jaunty account of an exciting night at the opera, while the second half becomes a wistful piece of nostalgia using the same tune. My favorite performances on the disc are the stunning evocation of a French chanson, "Elegie"; the highly dramatic poem, "General William Booth Enters Into Heaven", full of jarring of rhythms and shouts of "Hallelujah!" to evoke the religion-fueled stanzas; "Charlie Rutledge", in which Finley evokes a bit over-the-top Texas twang to bring a blackly comic touch to an oddly tragic story; and the touching title song which closes the disc - a moving ballad consisting of three verses from three different sources - a love poem, a psalm and a Yale song - yet together quite compatible. I was quite impressed with Finley's portrayal of Robert Oppenheimer in John Adams' "Doctor Atomic", staged by the San Francisco Opera last fall, and also his moving performance as the title character in Benjamin Britten's "Owen Wingrave" (a 2001 cinematic production on DVD). This recording shows that he is able to translate his dramatic skills with dexterous ease into a recital setting.

I have always wondered why there aren't a few readily-available recordings of the complete 114 songs of Charles Ives. Not just that it would be cheap to produce (piano and vocal only, filling up about 3 CDs), and not just that this is one of the most significant collections of American songs ever written (along with Gershwin's), and not just that these songs loom large in the overall Ives canon along with the Symphonies and Piano Sonatas.... It's mostly that they are just plain enjoyable to listen to and some of the most "accessible" Ives there is. Interestingly, it's a Canadian baritone and a British pianist coming through here with a great selection of 31 Ives songs covering the wide range of moods -- nostalgic, experimental, free-wheeling, silly, profound -- found in these miniature masterpieces. Let's hope they keep going and record the entire 114 (and that Hyperion survives the absurd legal trouble they find themselves in -- help them out by buying some of their CDs this month!)

Charles Ives, that wondrous American iconoclast, wrote 114 songs, songs that vary in content from comedic to nostalgic to patriotic to German lieder (!) to operatic. Here brilliant baritone Gerald Finley and his gifted piano collaborator Julius Drake have selected a fine range of that output in 31 songs that not only demonstrate the spectrum of Ives' creativity, but also give notice that Canadian Gerald Finley may just be the foremost authority on how Ives' songs should be performed. Included in no particular order (except thoughtful programming!) are such very familiar songs as 'General William Booth Enters into Heaven', 'When stars are in the quiet skies', 'Serenity', 'Tolerance', and 'Ann Street' along with the lesser known early German lieder composed in his early formative years. One of the revelations on this elegant recital is 'The Housatonic at Stockbridge' which lends text to the extraordinary last movement of Ives' orchestral 'Three Places in New England'. Finley's diction is impeccable and his baritone voice is pliant throughout his wide range. He conveys the essence of these texts as well as any interpreter ever has. Julius Drake provides exemplary piano accompaniment. This is one of the finest recordings released this year. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Reviews

Not only is this movie amateurishly horrible, it's not even a movie in my book. Actual movies have plots and last longer than 46 minutes. Perhaps this is some type of deconstructionist film, rebelling against the idea of having an actual plot or hiring actors who actually know how to act. As the movie opens, we learn that a dangerous female vampire has come to earth in her spaceship. Two would-be "admirers" in a back alley soon wind up dead and drained of blood (although we don't get to see any of the actual bloodletting). Next we see a young divorcee moving into a new home (with director Bob Gonzo giving himself a completely unnecessary cameo appearance as "the landlord"). I found it quite humorous to see that all of her belongings had no trouble fitting into her little sports car. The vampire and her "close" roommate take an immediate interest in their new neighbor, but they spend most of the time rolling around on the bed together going out of their way to not be very erotic at all. Necks are licked and a few (but certainly not all) pieces of clothing are shed-this is the bulk of your lesbian vampire action right here, and it's barely even R rated activity. Eventually, the new neighbor is exposed to the seemingly hypnotic charms of our alien vampire lady, and that's about it. Two far from competent cops pop up a couple of times searching for the "vampire killer," but their scenes actually slow down a story that is already as sluggish as molasses in January. There is almost no dialogue in this film, and the few spoken lines we do get are pretty obviously dubbed for some unknown reason. The acting is as wooden as the vampire-killing stakes you might find in other vampire movies (but not in this one). About 90% of this short movie consists of repetitive shots of women caressing each other to the accompaniment of very bad music. The only good thing I can say about this movie is that the vampires' fangs were pretty impressive; it's too bad we didn't get to really see them in action on some poor slob's neck-the bloodletting, like the eroticism, is assumed but never made explicit. The only possible reason you would have for watching this movie is a love of vampirism in all its forms-even then, you will be disappointed. Caress of the Vampire is worth no one's time or money.

This movie is one of the best lesbian soft-core movies I've seen and if like this film then you'll like the rest of Seduction Cinema's movies.

What a poorly made film. Some bad films are funny albeit unintentionally. Some are so bad, that they reach cult status.This is not one of those films. This is just something you would give someone to cure them of insomnia.What a pitty we can't give half stars in reviews, beacuse that's all this deserves.Oh yes, I got the 'special edition / keep case'Keeping the case was what I did, so it didn't turn out to be a total waste of money.

I have been collecting Vampire, and Vampire-erotica movies for several years now. It is my missfortune to own this one, it is the worst movie I have ever seen. If you know anyone who was associated with the making of this movie, pleae don't let them use a video camera again.

I guess it depends on what kind of sex you are in to. The sex scenes are perfectly timed and the plot, well, a four year old could follow it (Not that you should show a four year old this kind of movie.) I found this movie very interesting and very enjoyable. My copy is wearing out due to the amount of times that I've watched it. I sujest, no, I demand that you buy this movie is you like mostly views of womens breasts. I will admit that there are some less than professional parts to the movie as in, the sound is obviously pre-recorded (Hey maybe the actresses couldn't handle walking and talking at the same time) but you must admit that the acting was very convincing... I can't give this masterpiece any other rating accept five stars because I loved every second of it. Great.

Reviews

Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) finds out his charming next door neighbor, Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) is a bloodthirsty vampire who is feasting off the women of his neighborhood. In desperate need of help, he enlists the aids of his nerdy friend, Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffreys), his whiny girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse) and an out of work actor, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell) who plays "The Great Vampire Killer" on Primetime. Charley's problem is that no one believes him and his time is running out since Jerry is looking for his first opportunity to silence the snooping teenager for good. Directed by Tom Holland, "Fright Night" offers loads of humor, horror and suspense yet many of todays younger audience will probably find this movie dated. After all, it has none of todays technical wizardry that is CGI. It appears every Fantasy, Science-Fiction and Horror film of today is saturated with it. I personally do not mind CGI if it is well done and in a fantasy element but so far, every attempt to create decent fright effects in horror films have failed miserably and I strongly feel that CGI is aiding in the death of the horror genre. I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to revisit these films. The special effects are brilliant and there is nothing more effective than seeing 3 dimensional beings in terrific vampire make-up. Apparently Chris Sarandon spent several hours in the make-up chair (gotta love those elongated fingers) and I am sure Amanda Bearse and Stephen Geoffreys, the other 2 vampires, did too but the end result was probably worth it as "Fright Night" is one of the greatest vampire films Hollywood has given us in the last 25 years. Just like Joe Dante's classic "The Howling" and John Landis' epic "An American Werewolf in London" which still reign supreme as far as werewolf movies are concerned. The same can be said for this gem. The pacing in this film is virtually flawless as the action, horror and comedy are shifted around from one scene to the other and boredom is not an option given to the viewer. The performances are also worth mentioning because the entire cast delivers in spades. They must have really enjoyed making this film and it showed. Roddy McDowell is his usual brilliant self, from his quirky mannerisms to his facial expressions. The man utilized his talents yet managed to give his co-stars their time to shine. Chris Sarandon is effectively charming. You can clearly see how women would be attracted to his looks and cool demeanor. He is after all portraying a modern day Dracula who seduces and kills with ease. Amanda Bearse was also a revelation. She is pretty enough as Charley's girlfriend possessing all the qualities of the girl next door and all the charateristics of a jealous girlfriend. Once infected however, her metamorphoses is stunning and she is almost unrecognizable as a sultry vamp. That is of course before her final transformation and once the fangs come into play, she resembles a Carly Simon-esque freakshow in need of serious dental work. The young lead, William Ragsdale, also turns in a good performance but his foolish character may have some viewers rooting for Mr Vampire. But where will the horror genre be without these nonsensical teenagers? Those who never lived the 80's will probably be shocked at the amount of cheesy fashion sense draping our actors. The younger generation must remember this movie was made before their time and should forgive the 80's tackiness. It is unfortunate that many great films were made during this fashion disaster decade and sometimes the actors wardrobes provide unintentional laughs. The film also starts off almost resembling a B grade, low budget horror schlock fest but thankfully within the first quarter we are reassured of it's high quality. Those who haven't seen "Fright Night" and are serious horror buffs need to check it out. The cast, direction, special effects and make-up effects are all top notch and this movie was cool way before "Buffy", "Angel", "True Blood" or the "Twilight" saga ever came into the picture. Highly Recommended.

I decided to write up this review since this is the "scary season." "Fright Night" is one of those great chillers that takes every cliche about vampires and somehow makes it all work well. Chris Sarandon, a very underappreciated actor (Prince Humperdink from "The Pricess Bride" and the voice of Jack Skellington), plays vampire Gerry Dandrige to a charmingly oily, serpentine perfection without being remotely campy. Stephen Geoffreys, who plays uber-geek best friend "Evil Ed," lightens the mood of the film with sometimes horrific comedy, and Amanda Bearse ("Marcy D'Arcy" from "Married With Children) and William Ragsdale are perfectly cast as teenagers caught up in a battle of wits and wills with Dandridge. But, the icing on this cake is Roddy McDowell's homage to Peter Cushing as the embittered, washed-up B movie vampire movie star who manages to find both his dignity and his faith as he comes to the ultimate realization that vampires DO exist and he is the unlikely choice to do battle against them. McDowell's performance was so fine - alternatively funny and prosaic - it is worth watching this film to see how an older actor can still turn in stellar performances, who uses the script and props without letting them overpower his range. It is such a pity this wonderful actor has since passed on since "Peter Vincent, Vampire Killer" is arguably one of his best roles. The movie does have scary parts, so I would be leery of showing it to kids under thirteen. Just a really, really fantastic vampire movie and well worth watching. RECOMMENDED.

When it comes to horror of any genre, Vampires don't typically sit too high on Sid's priority list. It's not that the thought of a blood craving creature isn't scary but for some reason most of these film portray vampires as being a bit fruity. However there are some exceptions to our opinion with one being the 1985 classic Fright Night. A perfect blend a scares with laughs makes this one perfect for Sid's horror Octoberfest, and even gets the vampires into the mix. This one brings back memories of being very young which always adds a lot in the way of sentimental value. Fright Night is centered around young Charlie Brewster, his old lady, and annoying half pint buddy Evil Ed Thompson. Charlie is a horror movie junkie who spends most late nights watching some fine b(sounds a lot like someone we know). One night while watching a vampire flick he notices his new next door neighbors and they seem to be getting rid of a body and becomes very unnerved. The more he watches the neighbors the more he starts to think they're actually vampires. After telling his friends, who think he's nuts, he decides to enlist the help of his favorite washed up actor who plays a vampire killer in b movies. Seems logical. Now that he's assembled his crew of a couple high school kids and a old man it's time to take down the vampire neighbors which doesn't go so down too easy. Fright Night turned out to be just as good as it was nearly 24 years ago, just naturally a little less scary. It's a classic for a reason. It's even one of those feel good older horror films that could become an annual watch around the Halloween season simply for the memories it brings back. We even may hand out an woody award to the squeaky voiced Evil Ed for Hey Baby of the year. All around it was just right for what we'd hoped for in the vampire department. It certainly was enjoyed now as it was many years ago and comes with strong recommendation from the old boy Sid.

How great is it to be scared one minute, and laughing the next? So it goes with Fright Night. Campy, yes, but this movie has everything going for it. Chris Sarandon is perfectly cast as the sexy vampire. I'd prey to get bitten by him. Buy it, or rent it for that matter, and you won't be disappointed. Classic horror movie.. they just don't make them like this anymore! Go get em' Peter Vincent!!

This is a classic 80's vampire movie. In this some times comical movie, we follow Charlie Brewster, a typical horror movie loving teen, and his friends with their normal teen lives. Normal, that is, until some one moves into the old house next door and decides to "fix the place up." Charlie notices some strange goings on next door, and poor Charlie, no one believes him. Not his Mom, his girlfriend Amy, or best friend, "Evil" Ed. And good luck trying to explain to the police what he sees them carrying into the cellar. And the whole time, the vampire is on his trail. This is my fav horror movie, and probably one of my favs period. I love Chris Sarandons role in this movie, he is like the ultimate vampire. He is sultry, and sensual. Every one in this movie did such a great job, I totally love this movie. I know just about every line, and never tire of it. Scary, and might have you waking from a nightmare needing some hot cocoa! But watch out, the microwave never melts the marshmallows right!

Reviews

This movie will keep you on the edege of your seat, the acting is great the special effects can't get any better. Very entertaining movie.

The movie is great and was brand new, bu when i first got it and took the plastic stickers off the dvd the some of the paint was removed from the dvd case, on the whole right side black to white. shipping was fast though

Blade's creators both director Stephen Norrington and screenwriter David S. Goyer have proved it is possible to adapt comic book characters to the big screen without making them look absurd. Blade comes vividly to life from the moment you first see him, in an outstanding opening sequence that sets the tone for the action-packed film that follows. From that moment onward you are pulled into the world of Blade and his perpetual battle against the vampire race and the man who makes other contemporary slayers (Buffy) look like amateurs. Armed with a samurai sword made of silver and guns that shoot silver bullets, he lives to hunt and kill "Sucker Heads." This still is Snipes' best action performance to date. Pitted against our hero is a cast of villains led by Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), a crafty and charismatic vampire who believes that his people should be ruling the world, and that the human race is merely the food source they prey on. Born half-human and half-vampire after his mother had been attacked by a blood-sucker, Blade is the ultimate nightmare towards the vampires. Apparent throughout the film is the fluid grace and admirable skill that Snipes brings to the many breathtaking action sequences that lift this movie into a league of its own. The influence of Hong Kong action cinema is clear, and you may even notice vague impressions of Japanese anime sprinkled innovatively throughout. Like previously mentioned this movie couln't be any greater with Snipes being at the top of his game playing Blade, a comic book adaption also to perfection by the ledgendary Stephen Norrington and David S. Goyer.

Love this movie, it definitely stands the test of time. Great action, and pure Snipes!

Actor & producer Wesley Snipes may have finally found himself an action movie franchise that he can sink his teeth into with British director Stephen Norrington's "Blade," a well-made, imaginative, adrenaline-laced vampire chiller based on the Marvel Comics' super hero. Last seen in "U.S. Marshals," Snipes heads up a first-rate cast that includes Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Dorff, N' Bushe Wright, Udo Kier, and Traci Lords. "Blade" synthesizes the exotic swordplay of the "Highlander" epics, the double-digit body count ballistics of a John Woo thriller, and the martial arts pandemonium of a Jackie Chan opus to spawn a horror movie several cuts above your ordinary vampire fare. If the sight of blood, especially torrents of bogus blood, turns your stomach, avoid "Blade." "Blade" takes its cues from renegade vampire sags like Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996) and Kathryn Bigelow's "Near Dark" (1987) rather than those venerable classics like Tod Browning's "Dracula" (1931) with Bela Lugosi and Neil Jordan's "Interview with a Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" with Tom Cruise (1994). The Snipes hero must have chose the same guy who tailored "Mad Max" and "The Terminator" in what essentially constitutes an apocalyptic version of Fran Rubel Kuzui's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992). "Blade" qualifies as a tour-de-fang chiller with darker humor than "Buffy," top drawer special effects, and an infectious techno-pop soundtrack. Lowbrow escapism that it ranks as, "Blade" benefits chiefly from scenarist David S. Goyer's solid, seasoned writing skills and atmospheric, innovative helming by sophomore director Stephen Norrington. Scenarist David S. Goyer provides an invigorating screenplay. "Blade" bristles not only with lively action and adventure, but also an intelligible plot that the characters go to extreme lengths of describe and discuss. When you consider that Goyer has penned scripts for such movies as "Dark City," "The Crow 2: City of Angels," "Robert Heinlein's The Puppet Masters, "Demonic Toys," and "Kickboxer 2," then you know he qualified as the ideal choice to pen the script. Goyer's revenge fantasy script never leaves you in the dark about a bloody new world where its embattled but immortal hero Blade wages a perennial war against vampires. Goyer shows impressive flexibility in co-opting vampire mythology. At one point, a half-blooded vampire smears on sun screen lotion to shield himself from the sun. Jealous vampires put one of their vampire enemies to death by gradually exposing him to sunlight at dawn. Meanwhile, our hero uses an ultra-violet light to singe unruly fangsters. About the only vampire trait left out by Goyer is the ability to shape-shift into a bat. A vampire infected our protagonist's pregnant mom with its venomous blood while she was carrying Blade in her womb. Delivered by Caesarean section from his dying mother, Blade emerges as neither totally a human nor truly a vampire. He can walk in sunlight without risk, and neither silver nor garlic an faze him. One villainous vampire admires Blade when he observes that Blade has "all of our strengths and none of our weaknesses." The filmmakers milk dramatic tension from Blade's growing tolerance to Whistler's (Kris Kristofferson of "Convoy") anti-venom serum. The chance that Blade may not revert to his vampire origins not only lurks in the background but also contributes to the suspense. This element of uncertainty generates anxiety and it endows the protagonist with an Achilles' heel that make shim more believable and charismatic. Legendary vampire hunter Abraham Whistler (a grouchy Kris Kristofferson with a gimpy leg) found Blade as a juvenile roaming the streets and living off the blood of derelicts. Transforming Blade into a super hero with injections of a blood substitute, he serves as Blade's stepfather and ordnance maker. Surprisingly, Whistler lasts longer than most sacrificial characters. Loosely modeled on the Roman god Vulcan who forged weapons for the gods, Whistler trains Blade to kill vampires with extreme prejudice. Blade approaches his crusade with the enthusiasm that Charles Bronson mustered for killing muggers in the quintet of "Death Wish" movies. Not surprisingly, more than enough vampires survive from other parts of the world for Blade to combat in the sequels. Wows, does "Blade" ever leave itself wide open in its wrap-up in Russia for a sequel! Anyhow, the vampires in "Blade" are not tooth fairies. Organized into a powerful, global underground syndicate, Dragonetti (Udo Kier) presides over them as a Corleonesque godfather of sorts. The scene in the shadowy conference room with vampires dressed in suits is effectively creepy. Kier's Dragonetti is a pure-blooded fangster in a world of full and half-blooded vampires. In "Blade," the cities of the world have been practically undermined by vampires. Vampires have gained leverage in the business and politician arenas. These vampires own the police so they control the law. As the snotty, upstart Deacon Frost, actor Stephen Dorff plays the half-breed vampire who Dragonetti turned. Frost harbors greater ambitions than Dragonetti. The elder vampire prefers to co-exist with mortals and abide by their treaties. Frost demands that the vampires dominate humanity. Secretly, Frost has been translating an ancient vampire text which will enable him to resurrect a vampire blood god. Frost wants to revive this demon, but he needs the missing link: Blade's blood. Frost calls Blade "day-walker," because the vampire bible has prophesied Blade's unique genetic make-up. If he can revive this blood god, Frost can control the House of Erebus that rules the undead, and vampires can emerge as the dominant force in the world. The splashy finale in a phantasmagoric vampire temple with skeletons bursting out of the mouths of vampires in a storm of jagged lightning bolts owes a little to "The Fifth Element" as well as "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" (1958), but this scene is fully and logically integrated in Goyer's script. Sure, "Blade" amounts to nothing more than bloody pulp fiction. Nevertheless, Goyer and Norrington have reinvented vampire thrillers. "Blade" is entertaining, somewhat cheesy, but technically proficient hokum done with considerable technical prowess. Congratulations Stan Lee! Film lovers will groove on the multitude of special features, particularly the enlightening commentary tracks. For example, the train in the tunnel was NOT there; it was inserted during post-production with digital special effects.

Reviews

After watching Blade 2, this movie was a bit disapointing, not as hardcore, but still entertaining. Jessical Biel is hot, but they didnt use her hotness the right way which made this movie kinda weaksauce, Ryan reynolds is funny, but they didnt use him right either, made the movie even more watered down, this movie is definitely not as good, not as hardcore as Blade 2. I was disapointed so i give it 3 stars since its not a bad movie.

Blade is my all-time favorite vampire movie along with Bram Stokers Dracula. I remember on a whim going to see Blade back in 1998 with a buddy of mine and we both absolutely loved it. It was sleek, sexy, exciting, well acted, and featured some absolutely stunning martial arts choreography by Mr. Snipes. Blade 2 was also a lot of fun. While it wasn't quite the classic Blade was it still had many of its predecessors good traits. It was an enjoyable romp and neat to see Blade fight someone as strong or even stronger than himself. Then we get Blade Trinity... I kept an open mind when I heard Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds would be staring in the movie as Blade's new sidekicks, but I was a bit nervous about those choices. Jessica Biel, great to look at, and she does well in chick flicks. Jessica Biel as a butt kicking vampire slayer, well I was very apprehensive about her being able to pull that off authentically. Ryan Reynolds, I have never liked him in anything I've seen him in. He plays the same character in every movie, a sarcastic one-line cracking doof. But still, Parker Posey and a plot pitting Blade against the original Dracula, well I thought to myself, "how bad could it be?" Oh my was I ever wrong, it turned out to be worse than I could have imagined. To sum up what ultimately dooms this movie, well I put that in the title of my review. To elaborate a bit, Jessica Biel is a completely unbelievable vampire slayer. Her martial arts choreography is poor and stiff looking, as though she was never comfortable with the whole "punching and kicking thing." She looks great in her outfit, but this chick is much better suited to being someone's love interest in some chick flick, wearing pretty things and shopping at the mall. She is what I like to refer to some women as a girly-girl, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! My girlfriend is a girly-girl and I love it, but she has as much inclination to punch someone out as I do to perform brain surgery. Ryan Reynolds... well what can you say about his character other than incredibly, annoying and unfunny. Not a single one of his one-liners illicited a laugh out of me, more like a groan. His character is so annoying that even Wesley Snipes appears annoyed with him for much of the movie. While Jessica was a bad casting choice, Ryan absolutely destroys the movie with his constant banter. Why didn't the directer restrain this guy and stop him from spewing so many stupid one-liners? It appears he was given free reign with the script to add all the little unfunny jokes he could think of and it comes off with disastrous effect. Thank you Mr. Reynolds for single handily ruining this movie. The final nail in the coffin was put there by Mr Snipes himself. He looks bored and annoyed through much of the film, like he's going through the motions. I think he knew what a turkey the movie was going to be and probably just thought of it as a paycheck during the filming. Dominic Purcell as Dracula was okay, not terrible but also not memorable. And Parker Posey was way too hammy in this movie, overacted is a better way of putting it. Kris Kristofferson makes a return, but why I don't know. He had a small, forgettable role in this movie unlike the first two. Another paycheck based actor for this third film, I think so. In closing, this movie will never join my collection with the first two. It was a very disheartening way to end such a great series. You never want to go out on a bad note like this. I read Welsey Snipes was so upset with the movie and the critical reviews it received he said it would be his last Blade film. Blade without Wesley is not a Blade movie, so I really hope they don't attempt a 4th movie unless he's in it. They also need to get a director and writer committed to making a serious film that shows respect for the characters and history of the first two movies. I do hope they make a 4th film that is everything a Blade movie should be, as I hate to see the series end with a movie like Trinity.

Blade Trinity is a wonderful movie but takes a different path then the first two. If you are looking for a good action flick with humor thrown in, Blade Trinity is definitly for you.

Marvel Comics didnt support this series like the others. matter of fact, Stan Lee didnt have the decency to appear in any of the movies, yet Wesley Snipes still created a Blade that no one else couldve pulled off. and this particular movie had the comedic Ryan Reynolds in it with his incredible one-liners. i rated this a 5 star because despite all the odds Blade still did it!

Blade Trinity: 1/10: Press reports at the time of Blade: Trinity's release claimed that star Wesley Snipes went off the deep end and tried to kill the director David S. Goyer. Lord knows he could have gotten away with it. Show the jury this movie and let the acquittals fly. After two better than we deserved films the third Blade is a mess. For one thing the casting director is insane. The good guys consist of Snipes, Gabby Hayes (Kris Kristofferson), Elektra (Jessica Biel), Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds), a retarded guy, a blind woman and Newt from Aliens. The good guys have a "club" called the Nightstalkers. (What no Darren McGavin). Biel fights with an overtly plugged iPod playing horrible techno. (I would think being able to hear would be important in hand-to-hand combat) Reynolds's character spouts off endless one liners (most of them remarkably lame) and is saddled with the name Hannibal King. (Also needless to say remarkably lame) and fights with a light saber bow. (Please see above). Speaking of lame we have the bad guys. We have wrestler triple H (who cannot act), Parker Posey (who cannot speak with the fangs in her mouth) and best of all Dracula (Who calls himself Drake. Thinks he is in a Highlander movie. He is also a pacifist piece of Euro trash that looks like he fell of a Harlequin romance book cover. And is easily the least convincing screen Dracula I have ever scene (I'm including both George Hamilton and Mel Brooks in this equation). The script is awful (even if you remove Reynolds's one-liners), the film was edited in a Cuisinart, the continuity was done by the blind girl, and the plot consists of bad guys finding good guys headquarters, then good guys finding bad guys headquarters. If your still not convinced a contribution to Mr. Snipes potential legal defense fund is in order let me remind you. Parker Posey is the head vampire and has a climatic battle with Van Wilder. You can make the check out to cash.