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List Price: $39.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 41101
Released: April 26, 2005 |
| Our Price: $14.99 |
| Used Price: $6.44 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
In LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, after Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire's parents perish in a terrible fire, they are placed in the care of their uncle, Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), an evil fiend who is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune. The orphans travel from guardian to guardian, including herpetologist Montgomery Montgomery (Billy Connolly) and grammar-wise Aunt Josephine Anwhistle (Streep), but the worst guardian of all is Count Olaf. Plotting to steal the children’s fortune, Olaf disguises himself as his assistant Stephano and ship captain Julio Sham and keeps popping up in the strangest places. Just when the Baudelaires think things are getting better, something unfortunate happens!
Description of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2-Disc Special Collector's Edition):
If you spliced Charles Addams, Dr. Seuss, Charles Dickens, Edward Gorey, and Roald Dahl into a Tim Burtonesque landscape, you'd surely come up with something like Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Many critics (in mostly mixed reviews) wondered why Burton didn't direct this comically morbid adaptation of the first three books in the popular series by Daniel Handler (a.k.a. "Lemony Snicket," played here by Jude Law and seen only in silhouette) instead of TV and Casper veteran Brad Silberling, but there's still plenty to recommend the playfully bleak scenario, in which three resourceful orphans thwart their wicked, maliciously greedy relative Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), who subjects them to... well, a series of unfortunate events. Along the way they encounter a herpetologist uncle (Billy Connolly), an anxious aunt (Meryl Streep) who's afraid of everything, and a variety of fantastical hazards and mysterious clues, some of which remain unresolved. Given endless wonders of art direction, costume design, and cinematography, Silberling's direction is surprisingly uninspired (in other words, the books are better), but when you add a throwaway cameo by Dustin Hoffman, Law's amusing narration, and Carrey's over-the-top antics, the first Lemony movie suggests a promising franchise in the making. --Jeff Shannon
DVD features
Packed into the two-disc special edition of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is over two hours of serious behind-the-scenes features, deleted scenes, and interviews with the production staff. The most generous of these is A Woeful World, an in-depth overview of the production design with extensive commentary from Oscar-nominated production designer Rick Heinrichs. Kids who've read the books will enjoy seeing how creative minds transform the world of the books into a movie. "Costumes and Other Suspicious Disguises" is one of the most fun extras with footage of Jim Carrey comically ad-libbing as his different characters during the on-screen costume tests. The special features contained on the single-disc editions are also quite good, but most fans will find it worth it to pay the few extra dollars for this edition because of the insights it gives into the production. --Dan Vancini
A Message from Count Olaf
Dear Adoring Fan of Count Olaf,
Perhaps once every thousand years, a talent emerges that completely changes the way movies are made, orphans are orphaned, and heartthrobs throb. Often this talent has only one eyebrow, as is the case with one of the most cherished and admired actors scheming today. Surely you can you guess of whom I think.
No, you fool! I am referring to the One...the Only...the Unbelievably Handsome Count Olaf!
Or, as I like to call him, Me.
If you’ve already seen my performance in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, you must still be speechless. But if you haven’t, you are in serious danger. Just teasing. But you could be after I send one of my gifted henchpersons to your home!
So why not get my movie on DVD? This major motion spectacle has everything. Me, acting! Leeches, attacking! Orphans, almost falling off a cliff! Of course, if you are familiar with books by Lemony Snicket, you know that they include all of these things too, but most of what he says is lies, and the rest is completely boring.
There's never been a film that demands repeated viewing in quite the same way, with a diabolical genius writing you a letter that says, "I DEMAND REPEATED VIEWING!!!" Plus with DVD extras, you’ll get at least 20% more Olaf for your money. And... just for you, for an unlimited time only, I’ll throw in Aunt Josephine free with purchase.*
So, noble Amazonians, put down your hunting spears and exotic headdresses, and prepare to bask in True Greatness. Or, as I like to call it, Me.
Of course you may have my autograph!
Count Olaf
*Count Olaf will not be held liable or accept blame in any way for any and all liability, loss, damage, or personal injury (including death), without limit and without regard once Aunt Josephine is thrown in, due to the unpredictable behavior of hungry leeches.
Stills from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Click to Enlarge)
Violet, Count Olaf, and Klaus |
Aunt Josephine |
Count Olaf and Aunt Josephine |
Directing Jim Carrey |
Klaus, Mr. Poe, Sunny, and Violet |
Count Olaf |
Olaf Ascending |
The Baudelaire Orphans |
All Things Snicket
See a complete list of all Lemony Snicket's creations, including books from the Series of Unfortunate Events, calendars, and more.
The Essential Lemony Snicket Books
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ominous Omnibus, Books 1-3 |
The Situation Worsens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 4-6 |
The Dilemma Deepens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 7-9 |
The Slippery Slope: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 10 |
The Grim Grotto: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 11 |
A Library of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-10 |
Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf: A Series of Unfortunate Events Movie Book |
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography |
The Puzzling Puzzles Activity Book |
More from the Movie
Original Movie Poster |
Soundtrack |
Wall Poster |
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Computer & Video Games
For PS2 |
For PC |
For Xbox |
For GameCube |
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2-Disc Special Collector's Edition) Reviews:
As Twisted As Can Be 
2008-09-23 - I think this is a lush, mystical film with disturbing undertones and a twisted layout. I think Jim Carey is great, the soundtrack sets the tone of the film and the cinematography, costumes and make-up are well-done. I am a big fan of Disney productions, however. I feel this film could learn a few things from Disney, as it was lacking in areas that could have been done better. The child actors were all very good, however the script was written in such a way that did not allow them to really connect with the viewer or one another. The storyline was warped and taken out of context from the books. That was disappointing. This is supposed to be a film for kids, but came across as being more of a film for teenagers and teenage angst. I hope that, if there are future productions of Lemony Snicket, the directors will allow the personalities of the children to come to the forefront. Let them become characters the audience can care about.
One of the reasons this film did not do as well as it could have (and the same with Nannie McPhee) is due to the editing and the director's decisions to cut back on the run time of the film. I feel this is a mistake. If a film is 20 minutes longer by doing an effective job of connecting the viewers to the actors, we might be interested enough to see the movie more than just once. Directors sink thousands of dollars into making films like this. So, it would be nice if they take into consideration, the film could become a classic with a little more care to detail. That's what kids love, and kids grow up into adults like me. (Someone who saw Star Wars close to 10 times the first year it was out...)
Happy 
2008-09-21 - I,m very happy with my product. Good ship and time.
Congratulations for your sevice.
Thank
In a word
2008-09-11 - I think that anyone with a sense for comedy,tragedy, and suspense with the regular Jim Carrey twist would absolutely love this movie. Our American Legends Jim Carrey (The Mask, Bruce Almighty) and Meryl Streep (Manchurian Candadate, 2004; Adaptation, 2002) join with The three child stars Liam Aiken (Good Boy, 2003; Road to Perdition, 2003, Stepmom, 1998), Emily Browning and Shelby/Kara Hoffman to create a wonderful family drama. The Baudelaire Children (Browning, Aiken, Hoffmans) are orphaned from the death of their parents in a horrible house fire- and left with an enormous fortune. Now being followed my money-hungry Count Olaf (Carrey) into two homes other than his; Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly, a herpetologist that offers the children a good life, but is killed by Olaf, and Aunt Josephine (Streep), an over-paranoid house hermit who is also killed by Olaf. With Drama,Suspense and the ever-so-witty humor of Sunny Badelaire (which i particularly enjoyed),
One of my top ten favorites.
2008-08-28 - This movie has amazing visual presentation not to mention how fun it is.
I give it five stars because its based off in fantasy land and is just a nice escape from the everyday familiarities. Intellectuals would enjoy this film. Its more so not for the ruffians. Good chick movie.
O.K. 
2008-08-07 - It was O.k. It's not something I really really like It was kinda creepy but I give it 3 stars.
