Funeral

The Funeral
$19.95
Juzo Itami was a great. The Fox Lorber production of his DVDs are far superior to the Gameon releases. The lighting is darker on those releases which is why I am seeking out the Fox Lorbers that are still available despite higher cost.
The rating is still 5 stars as Itami deserves credit for his work.
I hope his other films not released in the U.S. will be released and executed properly.

The History of Death: Burial Customs and Funeral Rites, from the Ancient World to Modern Times
$19.95
This book is full of photos, but lacks substantial information on death on any one culture and instead, breezes over "factual" information of several cultures. This book is a waste of money if you are hoping to add to your reference collection on death, burial customs, funeral rites, and especially mortuary furniture (coffins, caskets, mausoleums, urns, hearses,etc.).

Funeral
$14.98
This is the first review I have ever written on amazon and it might be the last. I have listened to many albums and I have been captivated by some very special albums that seem to capture my very soul. This album ladies and gentleman is one of them. I borrowed this album from a close friend who said one thing to me before he handed me the album..." Listen to the entire album 3 times". Fate has it that it sat on my cd stand for 3 years. Last month I decided to give it a spin and needless to say I have been hooked. I have no words for how great, how awesome this album truly is. It would be a crime against your ears, a crime against man, a crime against your soul not to hear this.

Please I beg you, hear me and listen to me very closely. This is the the best album I have ever heard since OK Computer. Better that Stankonia. Better that Kid A. Better that Stop Making Sense. I kid you not. I was completely sucked in by the emotion that was infused into every melody, its almost heartbeaking. The peaks and valley are truly awe inspiring and leave you breathless at every turn. I don't know when the I was going to find my Beetles, my Weezer, My Nivana.... but I have arrived and the destinations name is my "Funeral"

I have heard their live show is even better than the album and if that is the case then be prepared to crown the new "greatest band in the world". I will be at the throne, bowing gracefully to the new kinds of rock. Not even Jesus can stop the Arcade Fire now.

Antony

Four Weddings and a Funeral
$14.98
Classic comedy. All the supporting case is stellar. Except Andie MacDowell. She's not believable (is she really attractive enough to follow around at all these weddings?) and at this point in her career, she wasn't that good an actress. Or maybe this is her being good and in that case I just don't think she's all that and a bag of chips.

The funniest scene in my opinion is Hugh stuck in the pantry.

As for the DVD, I have the 1999 disc and it's as bare-bones as you can get (i.e., non "Deluxe Edition"), although it does include a 'Collectible "Making Of" Booklet'--wow! Hopefully the extra bucks get you some extras? Mike Newell did a fantastic Director's Commentary for Donnie Brasco so here's hoping.

It's hard to believe that a romantic comedy was nominated for Best Picture (1994). Then again it seems like the Academy was big into nominating a British film almost every year in the 1990s.