Customer Reviews

DVD & Video Guide 2004 (Video and DVD Guide)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ten years ago, long before Istarted surfing the web, I purchased my first ever copy of what was then called VMG. As I was passionate about movies (and still am), I read every single review there was in the book, and in the end it looked as tattered as hell. I still have my first copy, it's yellow-brownish and torn, and for me symbolizes my great love for this book and for movies.

I've leafed through Maltin's guide quite a few times, and the "video and dvd movie guide" is hands down the best there is. Here's why:
Five stars to turkey, a rating system flexible enough for nuiances, and there are also the 1/2 ratings, i.e ***1/2. This allows for great accuracy in reviews, as opposed to the broad strokes which a four star rating sometimes uses.

The book is very easy to read, the title is highlighted, the stars are bold and clear (unlike in Maltin's). Not to mention the Turkey!

The fabulous cast and director indexes. Today, at the Internet age, you can log on to imdb.com and find complete filmographies, but in the past those indexes taught me a great deal about cast and directors body of work. And it still does. Sometimes I don't feel like opening the computer to find something.

This is a no nonsense guide. It's totally unpretentious, it usually shows a movie true worth, without over analizing, without apologies. It is impossible to agree with everything in the book, yet I've seen hundreds of films which appear in this guide, and as far as I'm concerned, it stands at about 90 percent hit, 10 percent miss.

So, ten years later, I'm still buying the new editions of this book. It was and still is a great tool for me, and it taught me a great deal about movies.

People Magazine was right. This is THE BEST.

I also own a stack of other film encyclopedias but for weight and manageability this is the best of the lot. The book is around 2 inches thick - but is the size of a novel and you can hold it in one hand. It is a full resource (with over 18,000 titles!), easy to carry around and has a full listing of directors and cast at the back along with Oscar winners. Overall the reviews are not very good and they are limited to just four of five lines at best. I mostly do not use it for the reviews though. It is more of a "find a director or star that you like and quickly flick through the index and the corresponding works to see what else they have done". For that it is very impressive but if you are looking for in-depth reviews then you should go elsewhere for the more unmanageable volumes and Arnold Schwarzenner to help carry them around for you.

We've been using Martin & Porter's guides for about 5 years now. We keep buying it each year because it is so excellent. The reviews are insightful and the various indices (such as Directors Index and Actors Index), as other reviewers have noted, are both useful and enjoyable. We use this guide to help us determine what films to buy and it has given us great guidance to some terrific movies. Highly recommended.

If you haven't discovered this gem of a book, please do!! This book is for anyone who loves movies! The reviews are very informative, and it is so easy to look up whatever movie you want information on. I also love the section at the end of the book, that lists cast and director indexes. There is just so much information in this book! It's fun, whenever you have a few extra minutes, to just browse through the book. I have found movie listings of some entertaining movies that I wasn't even aware existed! I always look forward to this time of year, because I know Mick Martin and Marsha Porter will be putting out their newest Dvd & Movie review book!! I did want to also mention, this book is available with larger print, for those who prefer that choice!! If you love movies, you will not be disappointed with this book. So please try it and see!!!!

I was all set to title this review "head and shoulders above Maltin's guide, 4,000 more reviews of movies that can actually be purchased" But now I see that statement is not entirely true. Who wouldn't prefer a guide devoted to films you can actually buy instead of wasting space on movies that have never been released on home video, and as such are virtually impossible to find? And all this for a dollar less than Maltin's. But what if Martin/Porter are wrong? So far I've found two movies that haven't been released in the Martin/Porter guide. They are also reviewed in Maltin's guide and correctly identified as unavailable. Plus, there are some films that Martin/Porter don't review, but Maltin does, then again the reverse is true. The main reason I switched is that I have used Maltin's guide since 2001, and all of them with the exception of the 2003 guide have fallen apart in one way or another. The 2001 guide actually split in half. I think that I'll stay with Martin/Porter for at least another year and give them a chance to correct their errors, but getting your hopes up that something is available only to find out that it is not is quite frustrating.

With over 18,000 film reviews and right at 1616 pages there is no way one will agree with everything that Mick Martin & Marsha Porter will have to say. However this is the ultimate movie dictionary. A vital tool for a film buff on any level. This guide is by far the guide with the least missing links, I've read many other film guides (Ebert, Maltin, Bones, ect.) they are not as complete as "DVD & VIDEO GUIDE 2004" By Mick Martin & Marsha Porter. Stars and Directors are flawlessly included. If you've directed one movie,.. your listed. If you've played a key role in one film,.. your listed. An actor or director doesn't have to be a famous celebrity to be included in this guide. That's why I call this guide a movie dictionary. Thruthfully I disagree with alot of their star ratings and reviews. But that's to be expected. My review is not based on how many movies I loved and they hated. It's based on the fact that over all, as a whole.. it's the BEST! This fulfilling guide isn't lazy, believe it. Now buy it!

I have been buying the Martin & Porter Video Guides for more years than I can remember. Because they were the first ones to offer a section in the back: Actor Lookup ("Cast Index"). Each Actor is listed, with all the movies (mostly) they have made. That is just a Huge bonus for me. I mean ANY guide can review movies!

I first became acquainted with this series when I came across the 1990 edition of the movie guide. Densely packed with films and short reviews and ratings that accompanied them, it served as a guide to my mother when she owned a video shop at the time. The old and tattered copy became an enduring companion, a volume that I would love to browse through, reveling in it's clipped information on movies of various languages and genres.

Feeling that I needed an update to the DVD age, I purchased this edition. Containing more reviews and the same well-written brevity that I was familiar with in the '90 edition, the 2004 edition is an attractive guide on what to watch.

There are several compromises to the numerous additions, though. With the added films to review, the reviews have become much shorter, too much in many instances that they barely scratch the surface of what should be conveyed. One of the wonders of the DVD format is the recent influx of boxed sets which feature comprehensive and definitive editions of the works of particular individuals and genres in filmdom. Releases by the works of great directors, producers, actors, and genres such as those on silent film, horror, documentaries, etc., have been a delight to the senses for the home viewer. Unfortunately, these wonderful products are not reviewed. I would also have preferred the 1-star rating to be used, as with the number of films included there will inevitably be films of this standard. And of course, one doesn't always agree with the reviews, some being so distant to one's opinion that the reader can't help but shake or scratch his/her head.

Criticisms aside, the "Dvd & Video Guide" is still the guide to use on selecting what films to view in the notoriously inconsistent world of cinema. Credit to Mick Martin and Marsha Porter for continuing this wonderful series which is still the best in the market.

The reviews are great in VDG. The best part is the actor and director index in the back of the book. I've never found another guide with this in it.

Martin and Porter rates movies from one star (Turkey) to five stars. In addition to major thearical movies they also include TV Movies. Each review includes a brief description of the movie as well as a list of cast members. They also include an extensive caste and director index. They also include a list of the major academy award winners.