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7885 3901 First off  allow me to correct a common mistake that was made by more than one reviewer here: This is most certainly not the first film ever made where animated characters interact with live actors. Pete’s Dragon (1977)  Mary Poppins (1964) and Song of the South (1946) all predate it  and if you want a lesson in cartoon history  so does Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). But that doesn’t mean Who Framed Roger Rabbit is not a landmark film. It was revolutionary for its degree of interaction between the toons and the human characters  done so perfectly that they seem completely natural at first glance  but then amaze when you take a closer look – little things like Jessica Rabbit pinching Eddie Valiant’s cheek  or Roger Rabbit hiding under the water in Valiant’s sink  or beneath his coat little details that took very creative special effects to be made convincing. It’s also unique and original in the fact that some of it takes place in the real world  featuring animated characters  and some in an animated world  featuring live actors; and in that manner  it predates Cool World  Space Jam and anything following.Who Framed Roger Rabbit is wonderfully funny  directed more at an adult audience than children. Bob Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd make a terrific impression in the lead roles  and manage to stay remarkably serious and convincing while conversing and interacting with entirely imaginary characters. Charles Fleischer is beyond brilliant in the voice of Roger Rabbit (as well as that of Benny the Cab) and Kathleen Turner as Jessica Rabbit is also terrific  a femme fatale so classic that it’s ridiculous. The entire film excels with intelligent humor that would appeal to both children and adults  and it’s a treat for animation buffs

52087 47978 I am really troubled by this Story and Entertained by the way it was presented.  The troubling part is that this is said to be a true story.***Stop reading if you don’t like spoilers.***The story starts with Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) running from what is an obvious raid on his place of employment  he’s hit by a car and then the story flashes back to 6 Months earlier.Daniel is a personal trainer at a local Miami Gym and he comes in contact with a very well to do Colombian-Jewish Entrepreneur.  The Entrepreneur’s name is withheld to protect the innocent but  needless to say  this guy hires Daniel as Personal Trainer and begins to tell him all about his success in life.Now Daniel attends a Johnny Wu (Never actually happened) seminar where he is convinced he is A doer and only needs to come up with a plan then make it happen.One thing leads to another Daniel recruits his two friends  Paul and Adrian  to come up with a plan of how they’re going to take the Entrepreneurs life  money  and property away to make it their own.Needless to say  this whole thing leads to kidnapping  extortion  fraud  attempted murder  a double murder  and two death penalties for 6 months of living the high life.The acting was decent overall but  playing three dumb  homicidal  muscle heads (no this is not an insult to weight lifters  these guys really were dumb) probably isn’t all that challenging.The movie itself was actually very entertaining disturbing

5701 3667 A near-perfect film version of a downright gloomy play  “The Glass Menagerie” successfully captures the atmosphere of futility and hopelessness that permeated the play and made it such a success. The choice  of actors is quite good  and I am thankful that the complete plot was  preserved  rather than attempting to alter it in favor of a more active  storyline. Eccentric  yes  depressing yes  effective – quite so. 4.0 14 14 1 

47191 40892 Keep your expectations low.  Really really low.  Do that  and you may be entertained at least.This movie has a ton of standard cliche halloween/horror movie fare such as : old mansion with a dark past/bunch of people died tragically/mysteriously bleeding walls  scantly clad women kissing each other  Type o Negative and other industrial/punk rock music  vicious circle of events tragic weakness in the monsters  halloween part gone horribly wrong  one person walks out  etc.  Not too much great to mention.  Very predictable.  Mostly lame.I would recommend renting this rather than buying it.  That way  you don’t waste your money in addition to the time.  Like I said… Don’t expect much. 1.0 4 7 0 

40957 15367 “””they dont make em like this no more…””well… you can throw that phrase out the window  because they DID!!!this is the movie  that if i were still a kid  i’d be done tied a bath towel around my neck like a cape  dashing thru my mama’s house pretending the broom was a sword… making swooshin’ sounds as i hacked a man down!this movie is so good  it brings back memories i aint never had!ahhhh  what coulda been!but it’s not too late for us… we got this movie to fuel our imaginations… this is original-star-wars-type-classic… you gotta get this.sum.” 5.0 3 6 0 

60198 18940 “I had only briefly read of Dorothy Day and didn’t really know much about her before I watched this movie.  Moira Kelly is very believable in her role as Dorothy  and I think the movie does a good job of portraying her life.  In a very touching scene Dorothy says to God  “”You really sneak up on a person  don’t you?””  This is so true.  Sometimes when we least expect Him.””The film’s description says “”Dorothy Day is no saint.””  I’m not sure if that’s true.  Saints are not perfect  only God is.  In one scene Dorothy says  “”I don’t think God will judge us on how successful we are at changing the world. I do think He will judge us on how faithful we are?””  She certainly was faithful.Having recently watched a movie about Mother Teresa and the poverty in India  I was somewhat surprised to see just how bad things once were in our own country. Dorothy  like Mother Teresa  was open to God’s words to her.  She  like all of us  had times when she felt God had deserted her.  Her words:  “”Where are you?  Why don’t you answer me? I need you!”” have certainly been mine own at times.” 5.0 7 8 0 

8994 32088 “In 1989  Nick Park partnered with Aardman Animation and released a twenty-five minute short film that created a worldwide phenomenon. It featured as its protagonists an eccentric inventor  named Wallace and his mute dog  Gromit. Wallace (lovably inept) and Gromit (silent but emotive) would become the cornerstone of Aardman’s style of stop-motion animation. Their popularity can be credited to the witty comedic writing  the quaint design of the plasticine models and most importantly to the brilliant animators  whose talents are virtually unlimited. Although Gromit never actually speaks  his facial expressions communicate all of his thoughts and emotions giving testament to the skills of the animation team. Since their conception Wallace and Gromit have starred in three short films  a series of “”mini-shorts””  a feature-length film  not to mention countless advertisements and commercials (mostly in the U.K. and in Japan).A Grand Day Out – 1989Wallace  all out of cheese  decides that his holiday should be at “”a place where there’s cheese””. He decides  rather impetuously  to go to the moon because as he says   “”Everybody knows the moon’s made of cheese.”” What follows is an hilarious montage sequence showing Wallace and faithful Gromit designing and constructing a rocket ship in the basement. After its completion he and Gromit take off and eventually land on the moon. There they encounter a patrolling gas oven (who for some reason has an antenna on his head and a police baton) that dreams of skiing. As you can tell  there’s little logic or reason in the story but that’s what gives it its charm.The Wrong Trousers – 1993It’s Gromit’s birthday and Wallace has spent the last of his money buying Gromit a ridiculously extravagant present. The “”Techno Trousers”” (a mechanized pair of legs that can take Gromit for “”walkies””) seem harmless enough but if they were to fall into the wrong hands  they could become a tool for evil. And of course they do. Wallace lets out a room (Gromit’s  in fact) to an unscrupulous penguin that turns out to be a professional jewel thief. With the “”Techno Trousers”” at his disposal  the penguin uses Wallace

99005 27506 “I just read a review that declares Ultimate Avengers 2 the “”Best Animated Superhero Movie of All-Time!”” I’ll go one better. It may be the best animated action movie of all-time  beating big boys like Titan AE  Transformers and The Iron Giant. Most sane people will soon agree that it certainly beats any single episode of Justice League  X-Men Evolution  Batman or Spider-Man. Some want to compare it to these TV series and their entire run but that’s apples and oranges. If Ultimate Avengers spins off in to a series  then there can be discussion. As it stands now  it sets the bar quite high for future releases.Ultimate Avengers 1 was good but it had pacing issues. This movie moves fast and keeps you entertained from start to amazing finish. This is a smart and surprisingly interesting film that really delivers. Calling this movie a cartoon doesn’t really seem right or do it justice. A+” 5.0 6 10 0 

6040 7043 “Ladykillers occupies a quirky cinematic space halfway between Mary Poppins and Psycho  a delight from the golden age of Ealing Studios which will remind you of the Sgt.-Pepper-charms of British eccentricity. But this is a movie with a dark  ironic energy which might well have influenced Stanley Kubrick’s directorial style  too. The dark  1955 comedy was directed by Alexander MacKendrick  beautifully restored and released on Blu-ray by Studio Canal.A talkative spinster-widow named Mrs. Wilburforce — who nobody takes seriously  most especially the police — takes on a lodger  a certain “”Professor”” Marcus  in her rickety old house perched over a smoky London railway yard. Played by Alec Guinness with artificial teeth and all the charm and composure of a child molester Marcus is actually a criminal mastermind planning a robbery upon a London armored car. Marcus and his four partners in crime plan and execute the robbery using the rented quarters in Mrs. Wilburforce’s house as a base of operations  concealing their covert discussions under the awkward guise of  of all things  pretending to be a string quartet.While the string-quartet shtick of non-musicians is a five-star stroke of genius  the core humor in the story is generated in the funny tension between the unsuspecting and long-winded Mrs. Wilburforce  and the small  eccentric gang of bumbling criminals who would like very much to get on with their work without her annoying interruptions. When their crime is discovered  the gang are subdued not by force but by the shame and guilt rained down upon them with deadly avuncularity by the good Mrs. Wilburforce and her coffee klatch of elderly spinsters.Ealing studios is legendary for it’s stylish black and white comedies from the 1950’s  but Ladykillers represented a departure from this norm  as it was shot in three strip Technicolor. This was a rather special and cumbersome technology that required a huge camera running three strips of film through it at the same time

55094 21612 Most of the fan consensus about Buffy Season 7 is that it petered out and ended on a stale note  especially in the very last scene where the remaining scoobies are cracking wise after having made it through a hellish battle and having seen some of their comrades and loved ones die.  Well  to borrow from Camus  there was more to admire about this season than to despise.  The good points:  Spike finally came off the bench and once more became a character of substance  instead of the paper tiger he had degenerated into over the past two seasons; Anya’s character was given way more depth and angst this season  (Selfless was one of the standout episodes); Faith was back in the game-any episode with her has consistently been one of the season’s best (see her return in Season 4 Angel  the two-parter in Season 4 Buffy); the new edition of principal Wood brought some nice ambiguity to many episodes; Caleb the preacher rocked-his nonchalant misogyny was truly spooky to behold; the many priceless moments-Anya’s speech to Andrew about why she isn’t running away this time (End of Days)  the split-screen scene of everyone’s obsessions of a nobody quarterback (Him)  Spike’s madness in the earlier episodes  and WillowWarren’s supplication to Tara’s spirit for forgiveness .  There were also some obvious shortcomings:  Andrew was a poor choice addition to the core group-he murdered in cold blood and for some reason the couple of tears he jerks passes for redemption in the Whedonverse and makes him a character to be cherished (Tom Lenk never came across as very funny to me  don’t know what Whedon saw in him….); Dawn goes from being tolerable in Season 5 and snotty in Season 6 to making you wish for that medusa episode that never happened….; The First never lived up to its potential-I thought it was a brilliant idea to have it manifest itself into Buffy’s previous villains  but aside from the first episode teaser  where were they?  Aside from one scene of the great Harry Groener interacting with Faith  all we got were Buffy  Spike and Druscilla; and what of the ubervamps?-how is it one of them can almost destroy Buffy and Spike  but by the series end it is almost like a bizarre musical the way everyone is casually dusting them?  To get the most from this season  take it on an episode-by-episode basis.  Standouts for me were:  Same Time  Same Place-the demon villain’s voice in this episode is a true freak-out experience  as is the moment he manifests and goes to work on Willow; Selfless-the everything you ever wanted to know about Anya

99558 13563 A man lies still in his bed as a semi-whimsical score begins to play softly behind.  A painted birdhouse hangs in the window; a slight breeze  a clean room of neutral colors.  The mans opens his eyes  his body stiff  and a whispy voice-over begins as the man embarks on what may become one of the strangest days of his life.  Ten minutes and several plot points later  the opening credits roll: Focus Features presents Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  I know the opening all too well.  I saw the film four times on the big screen before buying it on DVD the other day.The genius and apparent insanity of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation Being John Malkovich) strikes again with Eternal Sunshine  yet in a more breathtaking and emotionally charged fashion than ever before.  While reaching  but meanwhile utterly confusing mainstream audiences with his previous stories of love  freedom  and odd occurrences  the script of Eternal Sunshine reaches a compromise between reality and fantasy enough to satisfy both romantic comedy lover and Kaufman fanatic alike.The storyline itself is fairly straightforward:  boy meets girl  boy falls in love with girl  boy and girl argue  girl leaves boy.  However  there is twist.  In this case  Clementine (played outstandingly by Kate Winslet) decides to have her lover Joel (Jim Carrey) erased from her memory forever.  Yes  erased.  Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) has created a system to erase memories from the human brain  effectively eliminating a person or pet from one’s mind forever.Strange enough for Kaufman?  Not quite.The manner in which the story is told most notably carries on the screenwriter’s anti-mainstream tradition.  Through montages of special effects  trick photography

23446 8340 I don’t like cats  but I liked this movie. It is a fun film. I was not a Roddy McDowall movie fan  but here  as the persnickety neighbor out to get that trouble-making  clever  cat  he is quite funny. Haley Mills is charming  her boyfriend runs into a bit of bad luck. A couple of very funny scenes within a believable  fun  story. And then there’s that nosey neighbor lady making assumptions. 5.0 46 0 

25272 11193 I know that this movie came before the Blair Witch Project  but I also know that Blair Witch was a much better movie.One of the main selling points of this movie was that it was the first film to be shot digitally.  That is just an excuse for why it looks so bad.  As a film student I have  shot on a digital camera and the results look much better than what we are  shown here.Not only does this movie look bad  it also has horrible  acting.  At least Blair Witch hired real actors  not just thier friends.I have one final question for the film makers:  Why is a movie that is  supposed to be a mockumentary all of a sudden change that for the last  shot?  Seeing the killer with his camera doing his monologue over the dead  body really took me out of the mood.  The movie should have just ended with  the revelation of the killer. 1.0 3 6 0 

2084 47 “Fans like me who were first introduced to Robson Green as the intellectual and quite asexual Dr. Tony Hill on “”Wire in the Blood”” are in for a treat.  In “”Reckless””  a much younger Mr. Green plays another doctor with a much warmer  more open and comedic attitude that’s probably closer to the actor as he is in personal life.  Reminiscent at times of a young Mel Gibson  the impetuous and barely bridled sexual charisma that percolates under the surface of Tony Hill is let out in full display in Owen Springer and we are powerless to resist.  I can’t imagine too many men will cop to liking this movie  unless they are gay.  It unabashedly plays to female fantasies–how many gorgeous young men would actually stand in a pouring rain and say “”I think I’m in love with you””?  A completely unrealistic scenario  perhaps  but one guaranteed to leave a woman weak in the knees  especially delivered with such blue-eyed sincerity as Mr. Green musters.  The plot revolves around marital infidelity and not even the luscious Mr. Green can make that palatable  but we are willing to put aside our distaste because that blue gaze is hypnotic.  I haven’t even seen the second half yet  but I imagine that even more of Mr. Green’s juicy posterior will be on offer.  I’m not complaining about that!  I’m just surprised that the faintly pretentious “”Masterpiece Theatre”” would go with something so softcore and frankly titillating.  Alaistair Cooke might have rolled over in his grave.  If you’re a fan of Mr. Green from his police procedurals  tune into this for a completely different taste of his range.  Mr. Green is indeed a well-rounded actor  and I mean that in every sense possible.” 3.0 6 6 1 

24979 16834 “Let me put it this way; the trailers for the movie were more exciting than the movie itself. Sam Jackson ripped off the entire world with this piece of crap. I cannot believe that he’s that desperate for money  but it has become clear to me that he’ll take ANY role  any time and place. He’s the highest grossing star in Hollywood  but that’s not because of the quality of his movies – it’s because he accepts any script that comes his way and nickeled and dimed his way to the top of the heap. His limited range (mostly screams) is evidenced by his roles in “”Long Kiss Goodnight “Eve’s Bayou “The Negotiator “New Jack City  “”Pulp Fiction”” and the bit part in Goodfellas.”” and many more. He’s the same guy with a different hair piece.I am not going to even attempt to explain how much of a story you can get about a chemist who people want to steal a formula from. The last time this was done was in “”Darkman but even that movie had SOME redeeming qualities. Not so for “”Formula 51.”” Any time you see a black man wearing a kilt and carrying a golf club  you know you’re venturing into some strange territory.With the exception of “”Evildead  “”D.C. Cab”” and the “”Ernest Goes to …”” movies  this is the worst I’ve EVER seen. Don’t rent it and surely don’t buy it — that is unless you’ve run out of kindling for the fireplace.” 1.0 4 11 0 

8068 13552 Tarantino teams with Uma Thurman to invent one of the coolest characters I think I have ever seen in any movie to date. 2003’s “Kill Bill” is one of the best films of this year if not of all-time and it’s a damn shame that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is too conservative to realize how great it is.Uma Thurman stars as “The Bride” (her real name is actually bleeped out whenever it’s uttered) and she’s pissed as hell. She is a former assassin apparently on the verge of getting married after running away to restart her life after discovering that she is carrying her boss’s baby…only her boss  “Bill” (David Carridine) finds out and sends her former teammates to gun her down at the chapel…but wait  that’s just the beginning of the story. And it’s brilliantly retold  short and to the point  in a grainy black-and-white two-minute sequence at the film’s introduction. Bill is yet to be revealed. All we hear is his voice; soothing  yet dark and foreboding…and all we can see is The Bride’s pained face as she lies on the floor  sweating profusely and bleeding to death. She tries to tell Bill that she is pregnant with his child and it’s cut off by a bullet to her head.If you are trying to make sense of anything I have told you thus far  don’t. If you think I’ve given too much away  I haven’t. You see  The Bride WILL kill everyone she has set out to kill because that’s her motivation. Thurman’s character is practically invincible with the skills of the greatest martial arts fighter in the world and the momentum of a Mac truck. It’s HOW she kills that provides you with surprise and suspense. And if you’re thinking that this is a self-indulgent gore-fest with no plot  you’re very much incorrect.The Bride is smart and cunning and you identify with her cause. More so  I would imagine  if you were a woman watching this movie. In fact  you can’t call Tarantino sexist or mysoginist because almost every female character he writes is intelligent (save for Bridget Fonda’s character in Jackie Brown  but Tarantino adapted the character from the book  so that doesn’t count) and has the ability to play on the same field as men. In fact  Bill’s entire staff of killers  save for Budd  is a female so

9387 826 I don’t think so. Don’t be deterred by the long running time  it grabs you and doesn’t let go  and the last word to use in describing this film is “boring”.Death comes to call  in the form of smoldering Brad Pitt  on the wise and affluent media mogul Bill Parrish  played by an always-brilliant Anthony Hopkins. If the movie were entirely about their relationship  which goes from hatred and denial to warm humor and father/son almost constantly  it would be enough. For a little extra  however  we’re given the charming and stunning Claire Forlani as the compassionate doctor who falls in the love with Death  under the guise of Joe Black (Pitt). The catch: he’s in love with her as well  and she’s the daughter of Bill  the man who’s destined to leave with Death when he tires of live as a man. Cooperate politics  romance  sex  and witty thoughts on life and death complete this fabulous flim  rounding it out into perfection.Anthony Hopkins is wonderful as Bill  conveying every emotion you’d except with absolute genious  and even a suprising touch of warmth and compassion when it comes to his new friend

43677 29947 “I am one of Van Damme’s biggest fans and always have been. I am a martial artist and his films have always interested me  but I never pretended they were actually great movies from any other standpoint than they featured great fight scenes. I don’t think I have rated any of his recent films above a 3 and frankly  with some  that has been generous. Until Death gets a 4 from me. It is a rather gritty movie  like many of his recent ones (i.e. Wake of Death)  but has elements and scenes that raise it above subpar and any of the recent Seagal straight-to-dvd garbage.Movie Description:A Vic Mackey styled narcotics cop  Anthony Stowe (Van Damme)  is basically a cop who doesn’t care anymore as he has had his feel of seeing corruption around him and its influence on him (he is not necessarily a stereotypical good cop himself). Not only is he failing at his job  but also failing at his marriage (you will not like Van Damme for the first 30-45 min.). After a failed drug sting that was supposed to nab his former corrupt partner–Callahan–Stowe falls deeper into drugs and alcohol. Due to his drug abuse  he isn’t on his toes and gets ambushed and put into a coma. After awaking from his coma  he is a changed man who realizes he has a lot of wrongs to right. He goes about doing this and in the midst gets dragged back into the conflict with his former partner in an ultimate showdown.Plot – CIf you watch and think  “”Been there  seen that  you are probably right. Pretty much any gritty cop movie or television show has had a plot similar to the plot in this movie. There is no originality and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The movie sticks to the grittiness of a cop movie/television show and never lets up. There is a lot of graphic violence (i.e. hands being blown off  people being shot graphically in the head)  so it is not for the squeamish. The overall riding theme of redemption kicks in after Stowe (Van Damme) wakes up from his coma. The ending can be seen way before it happens and there are no surprises. Again  this does not imply it is a bad plot  just one that has been used many times before (i.e. Training Day).Character Development/Acting – C/CAs with most Van Damme movies  there isn’t much character development or acting. What is surprising with this movie is that Van Damme actually overshadows his fellow actors (which is usually the reverse) by doing a really good job at presenting a flawed

6040 2858 This is a biased review  OK? Why is this one of my personal favorites? I love the intensity of this film  the xenodochium (look it up!)  the scenes in Mr. Stone’s house  the entire cast  the military heavies (esp. Major Manchek)  the  decontamination procedures  Gil Melle’s unusually effective electronic  score. This film is so near and dear to my heart I doubt I can write an  effective review. Let’s try.Directed by Robert Wise  Andromeda Strain must be praised again for its stunning authenticity  its compelling story and the awesome technology evident in its sets and special effects. Even today  the science of The Andromeda Strain — its 1970 networked computers  electron microscopes  and xenodochium setting — holds up exceedingly well. . . such a refreshing change from so many fiction films with credibility gaps large enough to sail an aircraft carrier through them.An experimental Air Force satellite falls to earth  carrying with it an unknown and very powerful space germ  and wiping out the small town of Piedmont  New Mexico. Some of the nation’s top scientists are dispatched to find out what happened and retrieve the germ for study in a special laboratory  deep underground in Nevada. After they have been scrubbed and singed from head to toe and certified scientifically sterilized  Dr. Jeremy Stone and his cohorts proceed to find out what makes the Andromeda Strain tick

4567 13414 ‘Time After Time’ is one of those movies that still entertains 20+ years later  but those 20+ years have not been kind to it.H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) has invented (no big surprise) a time machine in the year 1893.  He has just shown his friends his new invention when one “friend” named Dr. John Stevenson takes off in the new machine.  Why would he do this?  He’s really Jack the Ripper  running from the police.  Wells travels to find the Ripper (when his time machine returns) before he can terrorize 1979 San Francisco.Okay  it’s far-fetched  but I’m willing to forgive the premise.  But we’re supposed to believe that after years of killings and evading the police  the Ripper would allow his identity to be discovered so easily?  I don’t think so.Time travel is a difficult concept to pull off in a story.  It’s got to be explained convincingly or at least plausibly without playing tricks.  Wells explains to his friends that the machine is solar powered.  Then how does the Ripper use it at night???  (Wells does too  for that matter.)The chase scenes do not work  especially in one case: Wells is chasing the Ripper through several downtown San Francisco buildings.  What would you expect in a chase scene?  Action  right?  Close-ups of the two characters with intense looks on their faces.  Strained breathing as one man races towards another.  What do we get?  Long shots of the two men making them look like two ants at a picnic.  (And SLOW ants at that.)  Sorry  not convincing.Also in the “not convincing” category is the musical score.  Don’t get me wrong  Miklos Rozsa is one of my favorite film composers.  He did great work in the 1940’s and 50’s.  That’s the problem.  The score sounds like it’s straight out of the 1940’s and 50’s.I won’t give away the ending except to say that it is completely implausible and unsatisfactory.  But judge it for yourself.Why three stars?  McDowell and Steenburgen are such good actors  they rescue the film from becoming a waste of time.  David Warner  usually a great villain  is not given enough opportunities to make him really believable as a really nasty  murderous Jack the Ripper.  Again  not convincing.The scenes between McDowell and Steenburgen work the best.  Also watching Wells try to survive 1979 San Francisco offers some good moments.  But unfortunately  ‘Time After Time’ as a whole has not (Dare I say it?) stood the test of time. 3.0 1 12 0 

19577 17139 “This movie is quite different from the previous two Patlabor films  which featured thick plots and excellent characterization against a backdrop of just-in-the-future Tokyo  where giant robots (known as “”labors””) do most of the work.  In Patlabor 3  however  the giant robots are all but forgotten and the primary story is that of a police investigation which takes an extremely dark turn.The familiar characters  the Mobile Police team  make only a quick appearance in this movie  and their Special Vehicles patrol labors don’t really seem to have much to do even then.  Most of the film centers around two detectives investigating why certain labors are being attacked near the shores of Tokyo.  Just as their search seems to be leading nowhere  they make a dark discovery in the bowels of a building which opens everything up  and suddenly anything seems possible.  I have to say  I started to watch this movie expecting something similar to the other two Patlabor movies  and I was quite surprised at the turns it took away from that angle — surprised in a good way.The odd thing is that  despite this  Patlabor 3 still feels like a Patlabor movie. The slow mood-setting shots of industrial Tokyo  the strikingly beautiful animation  the skillful creation of suspense  and the soft musical score all hearken back to the other two films.  There’s not a lot of connection in the story  but there’s still a great deal of connection in how the story is told.And

52103 11867 The old one was twice as good. the story is so jumbled is even worse than my room. the one scene that i wanted to see the most the skeleton scene was so messed up i could not even tell they were skeletons he did a strange cicus act that made the skeletons  hit each other with their weapons which was clearly a moronic attempt to look cool and save money. this movie reeks  and is not worth the money! 1.0 3 6 0 

59303 18937 “Season 4 on B5 is when it all comes apart and gets back together again for the characters and plot lines on this fabulous show.It’s a shame it’s not still on the Sci-Fi Channel or TNT because even rewatching the show again and again is a pleasure.  Luckily we have the DVD sets so all us “”B5’ers”” can continue to enjoy the experience.  I have no complaints about disc quality  not being a techie with a state-of-the-art video/audio system.  The dvd’s play nicely on my little cobbled-together group of boxes  and besides  I’m so absorbed in the shows I rarely notice glitches!The only other “”space opera”” that followed such a closely planned arc of stories was “”Deep Space Nine””  which is for my money superior to B5 in sets  acting  and special effects—the Star Trek bunch just had more money!  However  for pure entertainment with some excellent actors (who became better over the 5 years)  it would be hard to beat Babylon 5.  The 4th season is a wild ride on the wild side of science fiction television  and I highly recommend it to all its fans—present and future.” 5.0 3 5 0 

18203 3321 Saw this movie on cable a few years after it came out.  I didn’t think too much of it back then–but what a difference 20 years makes!  Taps is  without a doubt  one of the best teen angst movies ever made.  The unique twist here is that teens are (literally) fighting for increasingly anachronistic ideals:  duty  honor  and country.  Partly due to their methods & partly due to their militaristic demeanor  the society outside the school gates (good symbolism here) spurns their cause.  In the time since 1981  the trend has been to tolerate  defend  and even reward  abberrant behavior.  As a result  the film gets high marks for correctly predicting that these kids are on the wrong side of history.  The casting was also extraordinary with outstanding performance all around.  Cruise’s performance was especially strong–perhaps the best he’s ever done.  I also find it uncanny that this film was able to cast two of today’s top stars (Penn & Cruise) as leads.  These factors have actually helped Taps improve with age–an extremely rare achievement. 5.0 11 12 1 

8106 24393 This 1955  Fox vehicle for CinemaScope offers up fabulous scenery in the form of Greek locations and Sophia Loren.  The plot about salvaging a rare greek statue is inconsequential  but adequate.  Alan Ladd has little to do  but Clifton Webb entertains with his usual  urbane sarcasm.  As for Loren  this is the one that opens with her emergence from the sea wearing just enough to make it better than a nude scene; the first 10 minutes are worth the price of admission on their own.  Hugo Friedhofer wrote one of his wonderful scores for the picture  and it’s a major highlight  too.This Spanish DVD presents both an English and Spanish soundtrack (and optional Spanish subtitles).  The good news is that it’s presented in it’s original widescreen (2:55 to 1) CinemaScope ratio.  The bad news is that it’s letterboxed and not enhanced for 16:9 tv setups; it also uses the magnetic mono soundtrack for both versions instead of the original English 4-track  stereo sound.  As of 2010  this is the only version available in it’s original screen format on dvd so you’ll have to settle until Fox decides to release an anamorphic  stereophonic version in the US.The need for profits seems to have made many of the major studios very adamant about releasing classic films on dvd and blu-ray for US audiences  unless you pay premium prices for on-demand dvd-r’s.  What a shame. 3.0 6 6 1 

17712 1608 “In analyzing the plot of this movie  some things are immediately apparent.  If men dressed as women are this popular Janet Reno is a lock as Florida’s next Mr. ah Ms. Governor.  Also  an individual of confused sexual identity who is bewitched by a near-famous blonde?  Shouldn’t this be titled the Anne Heche story?  Finally  how could anyone come up with a more contrived plot?  This movie should elicit continual shouts of “”THERE IS NO WAY THAT WOULD HAPPEN.””  The true movie viewer should require more….” 1.0 7 139 0 

11139 12266 This movie and the books it is baesd on are both stolen from Stephen King’s novella  “The Langoliers”  and his novel “The Stand.”  But i guess the people who like this boring stuff believe that is it okay to plagurize good writing to get a “message” across.  Religous zealots  this is the movie for you!!  Unless of  you understand the bible.  People with independant minds beware! 1.0 413 0 

50437 4621 The late Ayn Rand was the supreme proof of George Orwell’s comment that only intellectuals can come up with certain ideas  because no ordinary person could be so stupid. This film  which is  quite simply  the most unintentionally funny movie I have ever seen is valuable only because it shows clearly why so many people who ranted (her name really should have been Ayn Rant)about the (very real) horrors of Communism in the years after World War One eventually wound up snugly in the grasp of Herr Schicklgruber and his little elves. (And  yes  I know that Rand wasn’t herself a Nazi; she just played one in print — and here  on screen.) Cooper’s architect is an embodiment of the way Hitler saw himself: a Promethean creator  rejected by the Establishment that didn’t know a genius when it saw one.It’s hard to know which of the film’s many inanities is the choicest. The idea that a “yellow”(i.e.tabloid)newspaper could get the masses of New York worked up into a riotous frenzy over — ARCHITECTURAL STYLES????? The proposition that  even after years of getting high-profile commissions  Cooper is STILL helplessly at the mercy of unfeeling mediocrities  who can kill off his entire career with one press release? The notion that one can be put on trial for the crime of not following mass taste?(In AMERICA????? — where the biggest problem has always been ESTABLISHING a tradition  not breaking free of one.)And  of course  like any good fascist  Miss Rand never concerns herself with corny old concepts like right and wrong. (“Beyond Good and Evil”  doncha know.)Cooper actually DID commit the act of vandalism for which he is tried; yet his acquittal is treated like a triumph of justice(presumably because no one Miss Rand cared about happened to get caught in that explosion he set off).And the homosexual subtext of this film -in the relationship between Cooper and his former enemy the publisher-is nothing short of hilarious.(When the boys plan their around-the-world cruise together

5602 6034 If you take it in stride you may find this movie very entertaining.  This movie does have gooding acting in it by all of the cast members and has star power. 4.0 4 8 0 

58 20847 “I really wanted to like Colonial House. I really did. I thought 1900 House was good  Manor House was better  and Frontier House was excellent. I figured by having a whole colony of people  this would be the ultimate living history. Unfortunately  this was not to be. My biggest question is did the Voorhees family even read the rules on the application  or did they go just to prove how 21st century they really are? I mean  she didn’t even TRY to live by the 1628 laws. Skinny dipping on the Sabbath? In 1628? INSTEAD OF CHURCH?? And how about Jonathon Allen? To really feel as if it were 1628  and to prove to all he would abide by rules of days gone by  Mr. Allen should have kept his homosexuality a secret until the final day  and especially to not come out in church! That would have proved to all that you were truly trying to live by 1628 laws. Come on folks! If this were truly the seventeenth century  both subjects would have been burned at the stake! If you’re going to sign up for a project like this at least TRY to abide by the laws and rules of the times!! That’s the whole point – to see if a 21st century human could survive in a different time period. If you want to skinny dip  fine. If you’re gay  fine. But neither was acceptable in the time period you were attempting to live in. Even the British guy ventured off to the future for a couple of days to go drinking in a modern pub. Why did you all sign up? To promote your political agendas? This is not a knock at anyone’s lifestyle – this is a frustrated viewer and lover of experiments like these “”House”” shows. All you proved to those of us watching was that you all couldn’t hack it. So you decided to make it almost into a 1960’s commune instead of a 1628 colony.To me  the attitude of the Voorhees family really brought the whole project down. Their 21st century ideals spread like a disease to the others in the colony except the first Governor  who was chastised by the rest for truly following the rules of 1628.At least the participants in the past “”House”” series  for the most part  made an attempt to live in the chosen period of which they were selected.I sure hope the powers that be are a little more selective in choosing people for any future experimental “”living in the past”” House shows. Colonial House was not worthy of the quality I’ve come to expect from PBS. It was as if Fox or WB took it over and tried to create controversy instead of a quality reality show.” 2.0 191 217 0 

6284 13341 I admit this movie was very dissapointing because in alot of eyes it turned out to be a let down and in some ways it was.My thoughts are it was an excellent film that described the life of Bruce Banner and how he came to hold the gene that would turn him into the Hulk.There was over the course of the movie too much going on at any one time that would distract you from what you were ment to focus on and after that scene would end you would have to repeat the scene because you missed something and in my eyes that isn’t good.The only really positive parts of the movie where the special effects & the action scenes. Eric Bana’s performance was mediocre at best and in parts of the movie it was very hard to take him as the character seriously.Apparently they are in the process of making a sequel and Eric Bana is even considering taking the part again  they aren’t using the same director and to me that’s a good thing because the movie had the potential to be the best ever and it wasn’t so let’s hope the new Hulk movie is better than the first which in my opinion was great anyway. 4.0 1 5 0 

12864 7101 It is a sign of Gregory Peck’s talent as an actor that although used to playing American Heros in films like to Kill a Mockingbird  he is totally convincing as Artiguez  a Spanish Communist living in France during the time of the Franco regime.Peck’s performance is matched by that of Anthony Quinn as Captain Vinolas  the Spanish policeman who sets out to catch him.Artiguez is a hero to the Spanish exiles in France  having spent the years since the Spanish Civil War crossing into Spain and robbing banks. Dispite this he lives in povety having given all the procedes from his robberies away.Vinolas is determined to catch Artiquez who has made a fool of him over the years. When Artiquez’s mother  who still lives in Spain  falls fataly ill  Vinolas gets the message to Artiguez knowing that he will have to try and see his mother before she dies.Both Vinolas and Artiquez are shown as real people  Peck plays the Communist bandit as a man tied of the life he has led although he is still true to his cause. Vinolas is a corrupt Policeman with a crippled wife and a mistress. However in church he promises God that he will give up his mistress  return a horse which he was given as bribe and take his wife to Lourdes if he catches Artiquez.Shot in black and white it is clear that neither Vinolas or Artiquez is a hero neither are either of them a villan.Omar Sharif  in an early role plays the priest who Artiquez’s mother sends to him warning him not to try and see her as Vinolas will be waiting.An film which should be much better known  not only for it’sunusal story but for the performances of it’s leading actors.Peck being to my mind one the most talented actors ever to grace the screen and anyone who does not love Anthony Quinn must have been born without a soul. 5.0 33 33 1 

11942 14502 gay and straight individuals because the inherent problems in the building of any relationship are identical no matter the gender mix.This film obviously has added interest to the gay community because finally here is a down-to-earth romance/relationship story applicable to their own personal experiences  because the relationship at the forefront of the tale happens to involve two men.  Interactions  routine love story trimmings  all the things we heterosexuals find familiar in the majority of motion pictures are here in very everyday  ordinary  and realistic events occuring between two people in their search for a partner who happens to be of the same gender.A large portion of viewers of either sex and any sexual orientation will be able to identify with a first meeting that comes off less than perfect  but germinates a spark of interest that continues to grow despite problems that insinuate themselves between two good people who may or may not be good for one another.  Just such an evolving emotional roller-coaster is encountered by the two nice  but very different  men in this really enjoyable film.Some of the deepest loves flourish between two people who are so busy convincing themselves and each other that they are not ‘right’ for one another that they totally miss the obvious until it smacks them on the lips.Eli and Tom (Dan Bucatinsky and Richard Ruccolo) allow themselves to be distracted by the baggage they have been busily packing since early childhood while their love grows up  around  and through their hang-ups and flowers despite their best efforts to thwart any possible positive romantic conclusion.Both male leads are believable in their sharply drawn characters.  The fact that one is a hunk and one a more a plain-joe makes the story more realistic.  Look around at the couples you know  both hetero- and homosexual.  Rarely are both partners eye-candy  perfect specimen  movie-star-type individuals.  Too much ego to squeeze into one relationship.That both these men had childhoods that were more than a little dysfunctional was also quite believable.  We are each products of our upbringing  some of us just take a little longer to become our own person.  For these characters  their past and parents definitely formed the individuals they were and obviously who they were was the very reason they fell in love.  Who each ultimately became was due mainly to what they offered each other in addition to their love.The straight-couple (Sasha Alexander and Adam Goldberg) and the cameos and supporting  cast (including Doris Roberts) were interesting and brought some diversity to the film  but I found I focused on the ups-and-downs and humor surrounding the main characters.This film has a lot to say  but entertains us thoroughly while reminding us of the less-than-perfect path that leads to perfect love.  Gay or straight  this funny and touching movie about the pitfalls of falling is definitely worth watching. 4.0 3 5 0

29851 35060 “This was well worth the wait. The picture is clear  crisp  and vivid. This 2-DVD set delivers the 3-part “”Scarecrow of Romney Marsh”” (I sat glued to the TV and thrilled to every minute of it as a kid) and the feature-length movie version that later surfaced on cable and elsewhere.As Leonard Maltin mentions in his commentary  the “”movie”” version was so skillfully edited that you won’t notice what’s missing until you watch the 3-parter and take careful notes.The justly-acclaimed actor Patrick McGoohan shines here. How many actors have pulled off THREE indelibly-stamped characters (The Scarecrow plusThe Prisoner – Complete Series Megaset (40th Anniversary Edition)andSecret Agent (aka Danger Man) – The Complete Collection Megaset 2007)? He plays the Vicar / Scarecrow as an emotionally balanced character with a clearly defined sense of right and wrong. The “”Joseph Ransley”” betrayal arc is handled beautifully. As The Scarecrow  McGoohan can be cackling like a demon possessed  but within a split second of removing his mask he is once again cool  calm  and collected.This film was a true rarity in the Disney universe. As a kid  I loved it. I thought McGoohan and his cohorts were terrifying. I eagerly awaited each weekly segment. As an adult  I can appreciate the beautiful cinematography  the tight script  the flawless acting.For you trivia buffs  British horror experts Hammer Studios crafted their own version of the Dr. Syn saga  “”Night Creatures  which can be found onHammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein).This is without a doubt the easiest and most sincere 5-star rating I’ve ever given to a film. Buy it…for yourself  your kids and their kids.” 5.0 8 9 0 

788 24894 Having been a big Trek Fan since my teen years  I am glad that generally  the recent incarnations of Star Trek (especially Deep Space Nine) have had good stories combined with better and more realistic special effects along with the basic trek theme which make it engaging and watcheable.The fourth season of Enterprise begins with the completion of the Xindi and Time War arcs and the exploration of other interesting threads left somewhat unexplored in earlier series  including the Romulans  the Vulcans  and the Andorians and Klingons.  I was very dissapointed to see this series cancelled quite early (one or two more seasons would have allowed things to unfold much more fully and in depth) but this series still manages to end with reasonable closure.  The highlights include the exploration of the evil ‘Mirror Universs’ in a double episode  the shedding of light on the main races in the Star Trek universe  and the foundation of the Federation. 5.0 5 5 1 

5541 8251 “””Mission Impossible”” is one cool movie.  It’s a movie forA. Those who like non stop actionB. A movie with a cool plot line (but be aware the plot can get kind of confusing  I had to watch through two or three times to completly get the whole plot.)C. Tom Cruise lovers   This is one the better Tom Cruise movies  and it’s also a good movie for those who like Ving Rhames  and Jon Voight they both played great roles in this movie as well.This truly is a good movie  and for all the action in it  you will notice very little if any language  and no nudity or sexual refrences.  So it’s a great action movie for adults and teenagers.” 4.0 3 5 0 

67884 3185 The MET opera’s previous production of Ballo  set in colonial America was premiered and recorded in 1980. Both Luciano Pavarotti and Katia Ricciarelli were at the height of their vocal powers and it shows. Pavarotti’s love for the score translates well to the screen  even though he may not be the most imaginative actor around. Ricciarelli is even more effective as Amelia; as a singing actress of the highest order  her interpretation is both strong voiced and well acted. Louis Quilico as Renato is in good voice and Judith Blegen is a dashing Oscar. Bianca Berini is a bit of a low point as Ulrica  not eclipsing Florence Quivar in the subsequent MET recording. Patane’s conducting is often at odds with his lead singers and the camera focus could be better at times  but this is a fantastic opportunity to see and hear both Pavarotti and Ricciarelli in their prime. 5.0 18 18 1 

24589 31333 A likable comedy with some famous comedians  it is an unlikable event in reality. This is a story which came out a prank by two brothers. Barry (Jonathan Silvers) places an Internet ad for his brother Todd (Jonathan Bray) on a gay website. When Todd goes to meet his date at a gay coffee shop he had no idea it was a man  Kelly (Wilson Cruz.) They both have a lot of things in common and a friendship develops. But everybody in Todd’s world  including his co-workers  starts believing that he is gay. His mother (Sally Kirkland) arrives into town to see the news and tries to be the newly understanding mother of a gay son.Kelly and Todd finally have sex as an experiment but proves what Todd has been saying all along  he is not gay. The movie ends with a reversal where Barry claims that he is gay (his mother thinks that he is doing it to get attention.) Todd and Kelly remain friends and even discuss about having a family.This movie is in the same style of Eating Out  with a similar dumb scheme. Even though Coffee Date is a pleasant comedy  the idea of gay men even considering to convert straight guys is preposterous. It is not in the genes and it will never happen. And this idea has been portrayed in many movies  DUMB!!!  The movie does have one redeeming quality  true friendship goes beyond all barriers. It gets a plus for that. 3.0 6 11 0 

13846 42026 “This was a good (not a great) and timely movie. The cast of William Hurt as Hank Paulson (Treasury Secretary)  Paul Giamatti as Ben Bernanke (Chairman of the Federal Reserve)  Ed Asner as Warren Buffett  Billy Crudup as Tim Geithner (President of New York Fed)  James Woods as Dick Fuld (CEO/Lehman Brothers)  Mathew Modine as John Thain (CEO/Merrill Lynch)  Ajay Mehta as Vikram Pandit (CEO/Citigroup)  Bill Pullman as Jamie Dimon (CEO/JPMorgan)  Tony Shalhoub as John Mack (CEO/Morgan Stanley)  Evan Handler as Lloyd Blankfein (CEO/ Goldman Sachs)  Ayad Akhtar as Neel Kashkari (Asst. Secretary for International Economics and Development)  Cynthia Nixon as Michele Davis (Asst. to the Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs and Director of Policy Planning)  Topher Grace as Jim Wilkinson (Paulson’s Chief of Staff) Michael O’Keefe as Chris Flowers (Bank takeover expert) and Peter Hermann as Christopher Cox (Chairman of the SEC)  was first rate.That said however  the plot prodded along even though it was clear that “”we the audience”” already knew the outcome and what would become the horrible punch line. While the financial meltdown was a difficult subject to turn into a movie script  having great acting made it less painful and more interesting. But in order to do so  the director was forced to “”spoon-feed”” the audience on the intricacies of the financial system to keep them in the loop of understanding. In doing so  they also were careful to remain politically neutral  even though responsibility and blame could have been attributed to one party and one President.I personally hate movies that fake political neutrality when reality calls for assessing blame and assigning responsibility. I also hate movies that create dialogue to do the thinking for the audience (and then spoon feed it back to us): that is dialogue designed solely to ensure that the audience “”gets it.”” However

7992 27356 “In “”Dogs  man’s best friend has become his worst enemy.  At a small California college town  domesticated dogs are mauling cattle.  Soon  a rancher is found dead.  Later  a motorcyclist and an elderly woman are attacked by dogs and dragged away torn and bleeding.  The bodies begin piling up  but the mayor refuses to believe that domesticated dogs are packing together and killing.  Before the night is over  many people will die.  Linda Gray of “”Dallas”” fame stars in this cult classic 70’s thriller.  Her death is reminiscent of the shower scene in “”Psycho.””  Overall  the acting could’ve been better.  I would’ve given “”Dogs”” another star if the presentation had been in widescreen in lieu of full.  The film and audio quality were better than expected but there are no subtitle or captions as given in Amazon’s advertisement.  If you love nature gone wild fims  such as “”The Swarm  “”Ants  “”Killer Bees “”Birds  and “”Frogs  then this film is perfect for you.  The alternate title is “”Slaughter.””  When you see the gruesome ending at the college library  you will understand why.” 3.0 15 15 1 

32615 14373 I find this to be the best modern (i.e. stereo) recording of this work either on CD or DVD. The conducting by Von Karajan is both dramatically effective and lyrically sensitive  comparable  I feel  to the well known Giulini EMI recording of five years earlier the orchestra and chorus are excellent  and the sound quality is of superior clarity  very good  moreover  by present day standards even though this recording dates from 1967. Finally  all the four soloists are among the leading singers of Italian opera  captured in their vocal prime and in excellent voice for this recording. I take particular pleasure in Ghiaurov because with him you have a true basso voice of ample weight and resonance  not a pushed down baritone (as is Raimondi on the Abbado DVD)  who also sings very expressively.As to its video qualities  the direction by Clouzot  one of the leading French film directors of the time  skillfully keeps one focused on the salient aspects of the performance  as one of the other reviewers  Todd Kay

9011 11900 I’ve been a Sigourney Weaver fan for about 20 years now without ever being convinced that she’s much of an actor. I’ve decided that she’s a female Harrison Ford – authoritative in heroic roles calling for steely resolve and clumsy at everything else particularly romance and comedy.”Map of the World” is a fine showcase for her flinty screen persona and astoundingly well-preserved bod (showing full frontal at age 50 must be a Hollywood record) but it can’t transcend its soggy Oprah-fied storyline. 3.0 4 10 0 

8246 11448 I want to laugh out loud at every Adam Sandler flick  but this one just didn’t do it for me.  Not that it was bad.  Unlike his other movies  which I would classify as “hilarious”  this one only rates an “amusing”.  This movie gave me the impression that it was done simply for a chance to do Hitler jokes and have Sandler dabble a little with magic.  It also seemed to be a big excuse to have all of Sandler’s friends join him in a movie.  There are actors from all of his previous films in this one.  Not that that’s a bad thing.  I just think it could have benefited from some better writing.  The jokes weren’t that funny and the characters were a little annoying at times.Enough with the bad.  On to the good.  The characters that inhabited this film were unique and brilliantly played.  The two wannabe Satan worshippers practically made the film.  I think the high point of the whole film was the scene at the end with Ozzy Osborne.  It was great!All in all  an amusing movie  but not one of Sandler’s better ones.  The only one that this one beats is GOING OVERBOARD (whatever you do  stay away from that one!). 3.0 6 8 0 

11595 3360 “…if you have the least interest in this film-BUY the new DVD.  It’s simply amazing.  I’ve scanned these reviews here  and apparently there was an earlier DVD issue that wasn’t up to par at ALL-but rest assured  this reasonably-priced “”Special Edition”” looks and sounds crisp  clean-and stunningly beautiful.  Obviously I loved the film when it was originally released  and plenty of others did as well-see reviews below.  But watching this new DVD the other night  I was struck at how amazing this movie really is: in the first place  it’s rare(to put it mildly!)for a film nearly 20 years old to not look “”dated”” at ALL-this one doesn’t.  It could have been shot yesterday.  I’d be willing to bet that in 15 years “”Shakespeare in Love”” *will* look somehow “”late ’90s””-it’s the norm for period costume pieces to wind up reflecting the styles of the times they were made  even if we can’t see it without the distance of years passing.  What an achievement  then for James Ivory  Ismail Merchant  and the designers/cinematographer/costumer…and the actors-!  Superb all of them.  The second audio track is  I’m afraid  a little superfluous(although it was enjoyable to hear the producers chatting away with Simon Callow-“”the Rev. Beebe””-and the only actor to record commentary  alas)…but it doesn’t matter a whit.  Truly one of those things where everything came together perfectly.  If you buy this  you’ll have a great shot at converting a few jaded kids(assuming you’ve got some around the house)to the glories of another time and place  and *real* romance(and just about the sexiest kisses you could ask for).  Enjoy!” 5.0 180 183 1 

2803 30385 Can’t believe how terrible Season 3 is.  After the cleverness  of the first two seasons  I was SO disappointed in this season.  For one thing  the main character of Mickey disappeared – he was the best part of the show.  I originally started watching because of Robert Vaughn and  although he is still there  the show is certainly not what it used to be.Very sad!!! 1.0 4 15 0 

54460 17182 We’re not talking classic here but this is a good example of the solid little B westerns the studios were churning out in the fifties. There’s a ton of action crammed into the modest 77 minute running time  from the opening montage of violent killings through to the final gun battle between the baddies and the town posse. Audie Murphy is his usual average self as The Silver Kid (yeah  it’s that kind of western where charcaters get saddled with dumb names like Brown Eyes and Sombrero)  but Steve McNally is good as the sherrif (making a change from his role as the villainous brother in the classic Winchester 73) and Lee Marvin adds solid support in a small role as a town heavy (it’s never really made clear whether he’s in league with the bad guys or not). Don Siegel who would go on to make Invasion of the Body Snatchers  Dirty Harry and The Shootist  directs with an eye for tough action (this is one of those rare fifties westerns where you actually see blood on the guys who are shot). Universal has come up with a beautiful full screen print. Sure there’s not much in the way of extras (theatrical trailer and that’s it)  but it’s not really the sort of film you can say a lot about. Good modest entertainment that I’m sure western lovers will enjoy. 3.0 23 27 0 

54291 2002 “Groundhog Day……comedy or philosophy flick?  I guess its subjective to the audience. People will enjoy it for different reasons.  It is nonetheless a classic.Brief overview:  Bill Murray plays a weather man who for unknown reasons lives the same day over and over again in Punxutawney Pennsylvania.  The day is February 2nd  groundhog’s day.  Each night he lays down to sleep  or dies and is reborn anew  again on February 2nd.First off I’d like to point out that this film sits on a foundation of lies and has affected many people’s lives in a terrible way:  It wasn’t filmed in Punxutawney at all.  The director and producers felt that Woodstock Illinois was more “”idealic”” and choose to do principal photography there…..this eventually led to envy and resentment on the part of the real life citizens of Punxutawney.  Over half the population of Punxutawney actually invaded the town and homes of Woodstock to enjoy what  after viewing the film  clearly was a more idealic town.  As murderous doppelgangers  they adopted the lives of the Woodstock folk and still live there today.  It was a sad turn of events unpredicted by the film’s creators.  If only they had thought of the consequences hundreds of lives would have been saved.With that out of the way…..I think the natural course of the film’s premise is going to take you through a very pure human emtional progression.  The original screenplay was lightly based on Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief which are: 1-shock/denial;  2-anger  rage  resentment;  3-bargaining;  4-depression;  leading to 5-ultimate acceptance.  I find it most interesting to see that this progression leads Murray’s character to the realization of the benefits of acting with morals.  This provides a great example that people do not need external threats of eternal damnation or rewards of heaven to act with good natured morals and to treat others with altruistic compassion.  At stage 4  Phil (Bill Murray) acts violently out of his depression of being trapped.  He kills himself in many ways.  He robs banks.  He goes joy-riding on railroad tracks.  Then when he finally accepts his fate  he knows when and where to be to help everybody in town that has a mishapt.  He catches a boy who falls from a tree  replaces a flat tire for some old ladies….and so on.Perhaps it is to be seen as a kind of divine working of the universe that it is only after this stage of acceptance when the repeating day ends and Phil finally gets to see February 3rd.  Also it is never revealed why Phil went through the whole thing or why it suddenly ends.Whatelse?- Um  Murray’s humor is borderline assinine  which I think is gggggreat!- Director Harold Ramis actually admits on his commentary that he helped write the theme song “”Weatherman””.  Once you hear this song you will wonder why anybody would ever admit to writing that horrid tune.- I’d like to know why there is no hot water in Phil’s hotel.  That is never explained  not even on the director’s commentary.  Its kinda like they just decided to do something odd without purpose.- Every religious fanatic thinks this movie is based on their particular faith.  Go figure!  Turns out the movie IS secular  even though writer Danny Rubin is referred to (never confirmed) as Zen Buddhist.In summary  it does snow in space.” 4.0 3 9 0

21851 14798 This is one of the best straight to video movies ever! It’s much better than “Lady and the Tramp 2”! While it is clearly targeted at girls younger than 13  my 9 year old brother and I enjoyed it  as well as both my parents. The mice love hearing the Fairy God Mother tell them the story of Cinderella  but when the story gets old  they go about writing more adventures. The first tells the story of Cinderella’s first day as a Princess. The Prince has to leave already for something important  and leaves Cinderella to plan and host a big party for royalty only. They try to teach her how to be a princess and have many rules that Cinderella dosen’t agree with such as not allowing commoners into the castle. She then realizes that her Prince loves her for who she is and she adds her own style to the party. In the second story  Jaq decides he wants to be human to help Cinderella in return for all the nice things she does for the mice. But when the Fairy God Mother grants his wish  he finds that he liked being a mouse better. In the 3rd and final story  love is in the air! Lady Tremain decides that if her two daughters  Anastacia and Drisella  aren’t good enough for a prince  she’ll fix them up with a duke or someone noble. But Anastacia falls in love with a baker wich is unacceptable to her mother. With the help of Cinderella she’ll win the heart of the baker and stand up to her mother! The last story is my favorite. Lucifer also falls in love with the cat from the castle  Pon Pon. While non of the characters sing a song(except for the Fairy God Mother sings “Bibidi Bobidi Boo”)  teen pop star Brooke Allison sings 4 songs wich sort of help narrate the storys. They are good songs that my family found their toes tapping to! If you loved the original like my family did  you’ll love the sequel! 5.0 4 10 0 

5783 1223 Okay  it’s Die-Hard-on-an-airplane the way _Speed_ is Die-Hard-on-a-bus  _Under Siege_ is Die-Hard-on-a-battleship  and _The Rock_ is Die-Hard-at-Alcatraz. But it’s a fine action flick and it beats the heck out of _Air Force One_.I like Kurt Russell; to my mind he’s never gotten the credit he deserves as an actor. And if (like me) you’re not a big Steven Seagal fan  you’ll be gratified to learn (about half an hour into the film) that he’s _not_ the hero of the story.This film probably couldn’t have been made today. In the post-9/11 world  every moviemaker is carefully shying away from the ‘Arab terrorist’ stereotype; the screen adaptation of Tom Clancy’s _The Sum of All Fears_ substituted neo-Nazis  and even the Gubernator took the safe route (using Columbian drug lords in _Collateral Damage_). But in fact  this script does a pretty good job of making clear that the head terrorist (David Suchet) is a loon who doesn’t represent even the views of his collaborators  let alone those of the larger Arab/Muslim world.Anyway  if you like a good action-suspense yarn  you’ll like this one. Sure  parts of it are implausible  but less so than in lots of other good action films. And Russell makes an excellent hero. 5.0 41 45 1 

52462 46550 Even if you know nothing about The Ring  or more  you think Wagner is too difficult for you  this Blu-ray will definitely change your mind.  I watched and listened to the music assuming I know nothing about The Ring. The drama is in the music itself. If you don’t know the plot (a summary is given in the pamphlet accompanying the disc) you will be imagining things that may be happening. It may be a totally different story than the one Wagner created  but it will captivate you during the 80 minutes this compilation lasts. You will probably recognize some of the music as it has been used in movies  commercials  etc.For those that know the plots and the music  you will go through the whole cycle in 80 minutes. It does not replace the complete cycle with voices productions and everything that an opera encompass  but it does a very good job at letting us enjoy the music and the drama it represents.The Blu-ray surround sound is just perfect  in particular for those like me who listen to it in full volume.  The camera work adds to the enjoyment of the music. Looking at the players while listening to the music makes you feel you are really there.I strongly recommend this Blu-ray to those who already know The Ring and in particular to those who don’t know it or are hesitant to try Wagner. 5.0 18 18 1 

5430 31565 So much of the reputation of Knocked Up concerns its oftentimes juvenile sensibility.  This standing is not without cause as the film is littered with jokes bout flatulence  websites devoted to nudity in movies and endless misogynistic and homophobic humor.  But somewhere lost in the cultural dialogue of this film is its heart  which focuses on two young people propelled into a situation neither is ready to tackle  but who are both seemingly motivated by good intentions and a desire to make the situation work.The young adults are the mismatched pair Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) and Ben Stone (Seth Rogen).  Scott is an up-and-coming assistant to Ryan Seacrest (in a great role where he lampoons himself)  and Stone is a slacker who has parlayed a small settlement in a traffic accident into a life where he can sleep all day  smoke pot with his friends and dream about a huge payday earned from building the Mecca of adult websites. .Despite his lack of goals  money  good looks or social qualms  there’s something just boyish and rascally about Stone that allows him to one night hit the beer goggle jackpot when he somehow finds himself in Scotts bed.  The two part ways  never expecting to see each other again  until the morning sickness comes a-knocking and Scott learns her one night of drunken decadence produced a spawn.The difficulties and joyous anticipation leading up the birth account for the meat of Knocked Up  as the two  attempt to find common ground and really want to love each other.  From it’s packaging and considering the film is the product of the minds behind The 40-Year Old Virgin  the laughs were to expected  but the touching life journey is a surprise.  Writer/Director Judd Apatow hit’s the magical formula of appealing both to the funny bone of vulgar young boys and to the Kleenex-taxing desires of middle-aged women. 4.0 11 14 0 

3360 20031 This little gem may be the best news out of Israel in years. There areno politics here  and no Ax to grind. Eytan Fox has simply given us apowerful  bittersweet love story between two soldiers in a remoteoutpost. It could be anywhere  in any army  at any time. It justhappens to be now  and in Israel.With great mastery  Mr. Fox has put together a stunning ensemble ofcharacters that are diverse  real  funny  and human. Outstanding areOhad Knoller as Yossi  commander of the unit  and Yehuda Levi as hislover. They prove that opposites attract: Yossi is a career man who hasstepped out of character to love Jagger  is afraid of discovery  andreluctant to declare his love; Jagger  so nick-named because of hisseductive ‘rock star’ looks (Mick was sexy  too  but never this sweetand seraphically beautiful)  is a free spirit who longs to live in theopen with his partner. The two fight over this just before a disastrousforay into dangerous territory. Their parting will break your heartwith its profound sense of lost possibilities and opportunities. Oneyearns for a happier ending for these two sincere  sensual

4688 38889 “I found this movie both incredibly derivative and predictable. We have seen this program  over and over and over again on Oprah  Jerry Springer or on those so-called reality shows (didn’t MTV and VH1 used to specialize in music?). Practically every black female author uses a variation of this plot line ad nauseum. This is less “”exposing”” reality than misandrist wish-fulfillment which in its own way perpetuates racism by perpetuating stereotypes. The only difference between this movie (and novel) and a typical Springer show is that being obese  unattractive  uneducated like “”Precious”” can not “”always”” be explained by being the victim of a rapist father  uncle or brother–or mother. Maybe the inner city environment is to blame  or maybe she has personality defects  or isn’t interested in eating properly or the way she looks. Maybe she’s bored in school. Maybe she’s has violent tendencies herself. Maybe she just doesn’t care.” 2.0 11 44 0 

6240 13353 Honestly  the best movie I’ve seen in a long  long time.It seems (after reading alot of the reviews) that this movie has its fans and its not fans. That its movement in telling its tale baffles and enrages some  and inspires others pretty much carries the hallmark of a great film. Films should do that  not just have you leaving the theatre or screen saying ‘That was garbage and I can’t even bother saying why’.Maybe it hits a certain relevance with me. After living in Los Angeles and the Hollywood area for a little while I’d swear to you that such a creature exists lurking behind a Winkies Restaurant. For all those that feel Harlem or New York City is a fearful place to be  I can tell you in all-truth that Hollywood at night is a far far worse place to be  where all those truly on the deranged side figured out that staying warm was a far smarter thing to do. And that the Illusion Factory that is Hollywood snares so many  and you can see the wasteland of it on its streets  just makes Mulholland Drive a powerful statement regarding illusions. I do not feel necessarily pessimistic in my attitude towards Hollywood or that part of California  but I know that being in it gives you an understanding of the un-reality which is that part of the world. It made Mulholland Drive for me  a reminder of things I saw in Los Angeles that seemed unbelieveable  but accepted as fact and something to strive for. And no  I did not go out to Los Angeles seeking fame  fortune and glory. I just like moving and changing the scenery.I was not at all confused by Lynch’s story. I knew it was important to watch everything taking place  to miss one reference would mean its relevance later on would not be as impacting. I knew enough to know that all would eventually reach to some ‘thing’ or conclusion  and I surely was not disappointed by its ending at all. By THE END I realised I had watched a great piece of filmmaking  probably the best since 1995’s The Usual Suspects. Mulholland Drive is suspenseful  intriguing

17287 12513 This movie is a philosophical wonder on the relationships between fathers and sons.  First off  you have a real life father and son portraying the two main characters.  And you have the two characters (a father and a son) who are looking to fulfill their losses in eachother (Bean having lost his father and the Sergent having lost his son’s love).  Then  of course  you have the windmill.  What healthy father/son relationship doesn’t involve “projects”?Unfortunately we see the older Sheen disintegrate.  He goes completely insane.  While the younger Sheen serves his time  learns many lessons about dealing with the human race  and moves on to a brighter future. 5.0 13 14 1 

15364 629 Actually  I exaggerate slightly; if you have never seen the original  then this will merely be a spectacularly AWFUL film.  If however  you are a fan of the first movie… Oh the horror  the horror!This film makes no kind of sense.  Not only does the legion of continuity errors make it flatly IMPOSSIBLE to reconcile this movie with the one that came before it; the numerous lapses in common sense are absolutely stupefying.  How  for example  could Ramirez and McLeod be aliens  on their home planet of Zeist  and still be named Ramirez and McLeod?  How is it that they did not recognize each other when they met on earth in the first movie  and yet had supposedly been close comrades before that on their home planet Zeist?  How does an atmospheric shield cause technology and pop culture both to regress to the 1950s?  Why are people driving 57 Chevy’s and flying in DC3s?  Holy cow!  words truly fail me when I attempt to explain how utterly stupid this film was.Sean Connery joins the not so exalted ranks of paycheck collectors in this movie.  Didn’t anyone ever tell him he was rich and successful enough already that he didn’t NEED to appear in wretched offal of this sort?If you are a fan of the original Highlander  and have not yet seen this movie  do yourself the greatest favor of your life  and avoid this movie as you would avoid an AIDS infected syringe.  It is THAT bad! 1.0 4 5 0 

17914 13834 “It’s not every director who can shoot an entire film with a hand-held video camera and make it engaging. But  for my money  that is precisely what director Matt Reeves has achieved with “”Cloverfield.”” I was admittedly quite torn about catching this in theaters last January. For every five people in my immediate circle who were praising this film to the high heavens  there were at least the same amount more who claimed it was just as bad as “”The Blair Witch Project.”” Much like that film  the camera does tend to shake. But  when you’re running for your life while still trying to document everything you’re witnessing  that pratfall is ultimately unavoidable. It did not  thankfully  detract me from investing my interest. And  unlike “”Blair Witch  I actually had a visual threat in the guise of a truly unique and terrifying creature to react to.That same creature  incidentally  makes its abrupt and unexplained arrival on the very night five young New Yorkers decide to throw a going-away party for one of their own. The first fifteen minutes of the film eases you into these characters  giving you just the right amount of insight into who they are and what they’re all about. But once the head of Lady Liberty comes crashing down the street outside their building  the real thrills begin! This ferocious invader standing nearly thirty stories high  is certainly a formidable threat in and of itself. But it soon becomes apparent to our protagonists that it is not  by any means

57599 49490 “This inimitable series continues amidst Midsomer’s deceptively bucolic hills and dales  whilst denizens inflict numerous creative demises upon one another. Three new  feature-length Midsomer mysteries are a welcome arrival. Of a fond and generous heart towards Midsomer  this would merit five-stars  but for the first episode and a fine cast of actors coping with material that is occasionally too contemporary  with less humorous banter between the main characters. These issues get ironed out. DCI John Barnaby is wonderfully played by Neil Dudgeon  while Jason Hughes has been given too little to work with as DI Ben Jones. On a musical note  loyal fans loved Midsomer’s iconic score  composed by Jim Parker  and performed on the appropriately weird musical instrument  the theremin. Ears perked at Midsomer’s spooky  inimitable opening notes. Unfortunately  a decision was made to replace the eerie theremin with a violin  resulting in a loss of continuity. There needs to be a return to charming but deadly places like Badger’s Drift  with peculiar  humorous puzzles. Like a lace doily blotched with tea  Midsomer’s coziness has a sinister stain  darkness seeps in at the edges.The running time of “”Midsomer Murders  Set 23″” is approximately 278 minutes; subtitles are available; Extras: audio commentary for “”The Dark Rider”” with Neil Dudgeon and director Alex Pillai

28000 9841 I love this movie and watch it every time it plays on on the tv!! Just great version of Scrooge. Donner is one of the best out there no doubt about that 5.0 3 11 0

34767 42516 “The first impression I got watching this is how similar the animation style and action sequences are to the JLA series. I thoroughly enjoyed it  and it was particularly refreshing to see appearances by some of my favourite characters such as Kang the Conqueror of Time. I also found the rendition of Wasp refreshing.However I am a die hard comic’s continuity fan and not a fan of the marvel live action movies. I love all the nods to the comic stories I remember reading as a child. Therefore the one thing that I found jarring and discordant  and which ruined my enjoyment  was Nick Fury. In this series he is a Negroid Male  which would not be a problem if that’s what he was in the comics – except that he was not – in the comics he was a European-American man. (If they did a Powerman and Iron Fist series would they make Powerman a white bloke? Hopefully not  you really should not mess with loyal-fan-nostalgia in this way when it is absolutely unnecessary.) Obviously they are copying the Iron-man movies  rather than the comics  and that is plainly ridiculous. The movie is an adaption of the comics in the first place.However  once you get past this and mentally block out “”Nick Fury”” every time he appears  the series is very enjoyable.The use of Hydra being led by the Red Skull  as opposed to the Nazis  in the Captain America episode was also a little discordant  but no so much. Reason being that in the comics Hydra actually had its origins in the Nazis regime if I remember correctly.Overall very good and I looking forward to the rest of the series being released.” 3.0 5 18 0 

66992 9080 “I’m surprised that “”True Confessions”” has received such a large number of enthusiastic and positive reviews.  To be sure the film stars  Robert Duvall (our greatest actor)  Robert De Niro (another great actor  despite making an ass of himself over the past 20 years or so)  and Charles Durning (an exceptional character actor).  And Burgess Meredith is terrific  as always.  Nevertheless “”True Confessions”” is just this side of unwatchable.  The main problem is the incoherent storyline.  The desperate and tortured attempt to connect the murder with the land developer’s corruption and the Archdiocese’s venality fails miserably and completely.  It’s irrelevant that the murderer and his victim are associated with the land developer or that the victim once briefly met the priest.  What does the murder have to do with the morally shabby relationship between the land developer and the Archdiocese?  Nothing.  To contend otherwise is sheer sophistry.  I’m all for tough-guy cynicism  but not if it’s ersatz  not if the price to pay for it is a plot devoid of logical interconnectedness.Give this movie a miss…you won’t be missing anything.” 2.0 5 8 0 

10771 41338 “I just finished watching the play and even though I laughed through some of this  and Madea was doing only what she does best  the ending left me wanting so much more. I liked the beginning. made me feel we talking about the recession here  but we get drawn into a nice church lady(Chandra Currelley) who is only given a few weeks to live after trying her level best to beat cancer. With that in mind  she tries to gather her children together along with her doctor to let her know what’s going on. You have one daughter Jackie(Cheryl Pepsi Riley) who is a plain jane Christian who does what she can for her mother; You also have another daughter with a mechanic husband  who stifles him so that he can’t be the man he needs to be  then you have another successful daughter(Tamar Davis)who also stifles her husband  but is carrying around a secret that rocks the family; on the son’s side  you have one son  already been in jail  with one baby momma  and one golddigger who wants her money by “”all means necessary”” even if he has go back to slinging; then another son  who is slow  but got heart. Add to the pot  a brother on crack who will steal anything not locked down  and you got a good play here. Also added to the pot  one wisecracking  crazy  bible toting

36693 1733 When I first watched this  I wasn’t aware that it was a comedy. The comedy is so subtle. It comes across as a drama  but is filled with quirky humor. The charaters are great and the acting is perfect. This is a movie that can be watched every year or two and be just as enjoyable. 5.0 1 6 0 

14963 46373 “When Iron Man 3 was first announced  I was indifferent…until I heard the news that Shane Black was writing and directing.  I liked Iron Man  so I went to the midnight release of Iron Man 2 with a few friends  and boy was I disappointed.  I even dozed off in the theater.  However  the news that Shane Black was now involved made my day.For those of you who don’t know  Shane Black wrote the first few Lethal Weapon movies and a slew of 90’s action vehicles (The Last Boy Scout being one of my favorites when I was a kid).  He finally got a chance to direct with 2005’s  “”Kiss Kiss  Bang Bang””  a criminally underrated movie  and then he didn’t do anything after that…until now.A lot of people are hating on Iron Man 3 online because of how much time he spends apart from the suit.  “”Call it the Tony Stark movie””  blah blah blah.  I thought this was a great touch  and it allowed Stark to go back to his roots a bit.  Others are upset because of the way a certain villian was treated  but I thought it added a great touch to the film.The comedy is on point  the action scenes are tremendous…including one where people are falling through the sky  and RDJ is  as always  charismatic as hell.It wasn’t perfect. but I really enjoyed it.Final Rating – 4.5/5.0.” 5.0 1 5 0 

22930 25390 The original Bad News Bears is an absolute classic which has aged well. There was no need for a remake; the fact that this movie was made anyhow is a tribute to the lack of creativity and aversion to risk taking in Hollywood. That said  the remake is entertaining  and had it been an original film I would have rated it four rather than three stars.The primary reason to see the new Bad News Bears is actor Billy Bob Thornton. He is the logical successor to Walter Matthau’s mantle. Thornton owns the character of Coach Buttermaker – a lewd  gruff drunk with no socially redeeming traits who still manages to exude a sleazy charm. Had he created this role rather than just expertly imitated it  it would have been pure genius  and as it is  it stands as a homage to the original.Oddly the remake manages to be simultaneously both raunchier and more politically correct than the original. Where the original film had Buttermaker getting endorsements from a bail bondsman on the kid’s uniforms  the remake has the endorsement of a strip club complete with dancers coming to the games as a rooting section for the team. Yet in the climatic scene of the aftermath of the championship game  where the original film had Buttermaker giving all the kids beers  in the remake he simply hands out near-beer robbing the scene of all of its edginess and power with its unwillingness to take the risks of the original.The kids in the movie were well cast and did a nice job of recreating the original roles. Here once again  this movie has the feel of a homage. The only innovation was to make the ethnic mix of the team more diverse.This movie is a must see for all Billy Bob Thornton fans – his performance here will not disappoint them. And though this remake can never replace the original  it is entertaining and stays fairly true to the intent and feel of the film that it is imitating. I thus give it a qualified recommendation.Theo Logos 3.0 18 19 1 

31018 37339 “This movie doesnt hit on all levels but c’mon Ive seen worse. Val Kilmer delivers the goods. So does Eric Roberts. The plot was better than most “”direct to dvd”” plots. Hey  I finished the movie…the story held my interest. Ok  its not TOP SECRET WILLOW  TOP GUN or REAL GENIUS. The 80’s are over. Val is just getting started.I smell a comeback.” 3.0 4 8 0 

17298 3347 “Craigmills  Yorkshire  1985: Ronald Craven (Bob Peck) is a detective with the West Yorkshire constabulary tasked with investigating allegations of corruption and ballot rigging within the infrastructure of the local miner’s union. A widower who lives with his student activist daughter  Emma (Joanne Whalley)  Craven finds himself confronted with the unthinkable when a shotgun-wielding assailant confronts him on the front lawn of his remote home and Emma is apparently ‘accidentally’ killed in the resultant carnage. A police manhunt is launched and as the grief-stricken Craven begins to make inquiries of his own  he inadvertently finds himself involved in a conspiracy that stretches from the corridors of Westminster to the stygian depths of ‘Northmoor’  a remote Nuclear waste storage facility on the Yorkshire dales  and which will take him far beyond the edge of darkness and into the hinterland where big business  corrupt government and state sanctioned execution walk hand in veiled hand.Make no bones about it  for a large swathe of the UK population  myself included  “”Edge Of Darkness”” is ‘the’ finest drama ever broadcast on British television and still the benchmark against which all others must be measured.Originally broadcast in the winter of 1985 at the height of the special relationship between Reagan and Thatcher  the Labour party’s most militant incarnation  renewed violence in Northern Ireland  and at a time when the British public’s dissatisfaction with the Conservative government’s ruthless economic policies and relentless courting of multinational business interests had resulted in wide-spread suspicion and cynicism of the establishment  the series was a smash-hit ratings winner which was repeated almost immediately  swept the BAFTA awards (British Emmys) and made a house-hold name out of the late  lamented Bob Peck.Veteran screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin’s script  for my money

66273 26607 “I’ve been a fan of this series from the moment it debuted in 1957  and loved practically every show produced. I equate this show as comfort food for the soul. I loved watching the boys (and parents grow) over the years  and loved every minute of it. Yes…it’s true…how many mothers actually wore pearls around the house? During the 50’s my mom’s dress of choice was a Muu Muu…but the casting of this show was superb…from all the parents..the boys….which I felt acted like real boys of the 50’s and early 60’s….their friends.. we all had friends like these…Eddie Haskell….what an inspired character!…the list just goes on and on..Lumpy  Gus Gilbert  Larry Mrs. Landers……etc. etc……. they all fit…and invited us as friends each week……The bottom line is  that when I watch most “”modern”” televsion these days.. I walk away from them feeling dirty  and feel that I can’t sit comfortably watching them with my family….I get sick of the sexual innuendo…and mean spirited “”jokes””HOWEVER  I always have a warm glow after watching a Beaver episode…yes…a lot of it’s hokey..but it’s GREAT hokiness…. the show doesn’t have to resort to crude ugly scripts for a cheap laugh…it does it with great writing  directing  and most of all believable actors…I grew up watching this show..and it brings back some very poignant memories… I just wish I could rate this with more than 5 stars…I have the first box set  and plan on getting ALL the seasons…try it…you’ll love it…you won’t ever find shows of this quality again on TV……. these are a real treasure!!ENJOY!!!!” 5.0 104 1141 

15446 16941 “The large cast in this is wonderful  from Cary Grant to virtually every contract player who has a line; the production values as well. It would be impossible to cast a film like this with that kind of wall to wall talent now; its a small monument to the lost studio system. The problem is that with an intriguing premise and Cary Grant going for it  the film falls short in comparison to what Preston Sturges could have done with it in one direction or Frank Capra in another. It straddles being a children’s tale or an adult’s tale with a child at its center  probably for calculated economic reasons. It almost moves you  it almost becomes a giddy satire  it almost makes you believe the story  but just stops short. The ending is just right. And watching Cary Grant dance through the theatrical role makes you dream about what he could have done with “”Twentieth Century””. With a Sturges rewrite polish  this could have been…but it isn’t.” 3.0 7 8 0 

71257 33061 This is ridiculous.  Just put out season 2 and 3 instead of trying to soak more money out of customers and fans. 2.0 11 15 0 

25287 29544 I love the series. It’s very uplifting. But the only one I know of that can’t release an entire season at once :(Never thought an angel would be passing the collection plate more than once during a service. I did pay for both volumes of the third season. Which was basically twice as much as it would cost me for an entire season of any other series.Sorry Monica  I’ll wait ’til they get bundled up from now on. 1.0 19 22 0 

72300 41322 I already had the previous release of The Deputy  and it sucked. This box set  however  is everything the other is not. Obviously  the quality varies  but every single one of the episodes in this boxset is at least good  quite viewable  thank you. I am very pleased with my purchase of this one. Thanks  guys for the upgrade. It’s exactly what I wanted. 5.0 28 29 1 

7821 158 Terry Gilliam’s Baron von Munchausen is a fantastic adaptation of the Munchausen stories into film and a great homage to the greatest liar in literary history.  Gilliam’s approach to special effects are quite amazing considering this film was made in 1989.  However the special effects to carry the movie as the story is not the most effective.  It seems disjointed and has a plot which barely flows.  Of course understanding that the film is supposed to be a conglomeration of several stories  we can cut Gilliam some slack.  This being said  I really think the film is a worthwhile watch and if you are studying the Munchausen stories this is a certain must see.  The cast is pretty close to all star including Robin Williams  Uma Thurman as a Botticelli-esque Venus  John Neville and even Terry Gilliam himself.This is a fun movie and a better film than the 1943 German Version although this earlier one is truer to the original stories.  For the Terry Gilliam fan this is of course a great movie but also fans of fantasy films.  Of course Uma Thurman fans will love this movie too.  I recommend the DVD highly:  the quality is better and there are a few nice extras.– Ted Murena 4.0 5 5 1 

5082 12477 A film destined to be a cult classic.  Benicio Del Torro and Ryan Phillippe star in this action packed  violent  dark comedy.  The two play people who were tired of the normal life and chose to go off the beaten path.  Sooner or later this leads them to kidnap Juliette Lewis  who is carrying a very prominent business man’s baby.  Now  the two of them are getting deeper into Mexico with two hit-men  Nicky Katt and Taye Diggs  the Police  and a Bagman (James Caan) after them.  This is a deeply ejoyable disturbing film that shows true grit in its’ greatest form.  The performances from every single actor are stunning.  Especially Benicio Del Torro’s.  And with a director Christopher Mcquarrie  also writing the script  who won the Oscar for writing the Usual Suspects script.  This movie couldn’t be better.  Watch this movie.  You’ll love it. 5.0 3 5 0 

9695 4117 “””Battle for the Planet of the Apes”” is the fifth and final film in the original Planet of the Apes series. It was released in 1973 and was produced by Arthur P. Jacobs  directed by J. Lee Thompson  and written by John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington. It stars Roddy McDowall  Claude Akins  Natalie Trundy  Severn Darden  Lew Ayres  Paul Williams  and John Huston.This is a film sequel that I do believe requires the viewer to see at least part IV before watching this film. You’ll be able to enjoy it if you haven’t seen the other entries  but there will be some unanswered questions if you are not familiar with the other Ape films.THE PLOT -It’s been twelve years since the events of “”Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”” – Due to so many Ape-uprisings  as well as a nuclear war among humans  the Apes have taken over the world. In a place called “”Ape City””  under Ape leader Caesar’s leadership  all Apes have learned to speak English  as well as do many other things. Almost all human beings have been enslaved by the Apes and are kept to serve their needs.Caesar and his human friend MacDonald desire for the Apes and humans to live in peace. However  a militant gorilla named Aldo believes the Apes should become more strict on the humans and that all humans are evil and violent by nature and must be punished for all their past crimes against Apes. Aldo plots with the other Gorillas to carry out justice.Meanwhile  a group of radiation-scarred human rebels who live amongst each other out in the desert  far away from Ape City and any Apes

603 1204 “How do you contain a Kong-sized woman on a king-sized bed?  Well  you won’t find out in this sleazy sci-fier.  Somehow  she grows to gargantuan girth in her bourgeois boudoir and still has space to swing a paw the size of small pachyderm!If you caught this dud at the drive-in  you might’ve thought you missed something when you smooched your date or figured the windshield was fogged.  But  no  the “”trick photography”” truly is so bad that the titular female often looks like a phantom.  And the sets are certainly so sparse that Ed Wood would’ve thought them too spartan.  The way the characters carry on  you might imagine that a space ray shrunk the filmmakers’ brains instead of spurring the protagonist into a growth spurt.  The heroine  for instance  wears a priceless diamond pendant to a local dive  where her faithless husband hangs out–and later “”hides””–with his floozy.  She manages to consistently shriek and steer her convertible in one motion and  better still  evidently constructs a well-tailored super-bra with her hammy  wrist-chained hands.  (It certainly couldn’t have been that screaming-mimi of a nurse who did it!)  Her bum of a hubby engages in a sustained fistfight with her aging butler  while a giant  thuggish alien treks the desert in a glowing globe.It’s all so awful that you have to wonder–and relish–what’s coming next!” 3.0 0 5 0 

37985 47753 Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal garnered Oscars for their war film The Hurt Locker a few years ago.  While planning a film on the fruitless hunt for Al Queda leader  Osama Bin Laden  the fugitive was eventually tracked down and killed after a decade.  The filmmakers subsequently expanded their film  gathered from several first-hand accounts  and the result is Zero Dark Thirty  a thoroughly detailed  complex study in the greatest manhunt in recent history.  It is a fascinating study in the tedious work of the behind-the-scenes faceless men and women whose intelligence gathering efforts and in some cases obsessive determination culminate in the most stunning of missions.As audio of frantic  desperate victims of the September 11 2001  terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center plays in the background  we flash forward a couple of years to the Middle East and a torture scene of an Arab prisoner witnessed by newly transplanted CIA operative  Maya (Jessica Chastain)  whose intelligence is matched by her sharp tongue and dogged stubbornness.  As part of a group of operatives sifting clues and leads to locate terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden  she comes into conflict with  traditional  out of date methodologies.  Her theory centers on a courier who could be the link to their target  but to identify  locate and follow this suspect proves confounding and fruitless over the years as other hopeful leads fail to pan out or prove deadly. More terrorist attacks occur globally and there is a greater sense of urgency when Maya stumbles upon a crucial  misplaced piece of information.  A remarkable series of interviews in remote  secret locations and painstaking surveillance result in a possible hideout.  The question is whether to take the chance of launching a strike mission based on imperfect

41007 20828 It’s over. The best  and most importantly  most consistent animated series to ever be cancelled from fox is at it’s end. but if you still want to buy more futurama stuff  buy the region 2 versions from amazom u.k. It’s an empty gesture  but boy will your dvd shelf look cool! 5.0 6 9 0 

14250 23214 Is it me or does Paul Giamatti always deliver? It’s fitting that like fine wine  you may have to watch this movie more than once to fully savor its richness. While Giamatti delivers yet another on target performance  it’s Virginia Madsen who anchors this film. Her performance opens your mind to the world of wine tasting and how  like tattoos  it’s a very personal and individual experience for all of us. Of course  the zany  madcap events of the boys last hoorah helps move things along too. It’s funny how relationships shape and direct our lives. Sideways offers so many things to it’s audience that it’s hard to pin down exactly what makes this film tick but in the end  I think it’s about vulnerability and in that respect Sideways delivers. 3.0 2 6 0 

10867 20729 “The premise of the show sounded interesting  so I bought the set out of curiosity  since many good shows have gotten cancelled before they could find their audience.The pilot started off well  right up to the point where they kick the poor hero into the “”Harsh Realm””.  From that point things went downhill in a hurry.  The Realm made no sense logically OR techno-logically. Nobody explains just why:1. They can’t just unplug the computers running the simulation. The computers have to exist in the Real World  at a known location. Pull plug  game over.2. The excuse that if they shut down the sim  the players in it die doesn’t hold water.  Even if the bodies are in the physical equivalent of a coma  you cut off a data stream  they wake up.Nobody dies just because the computer crashes in the middle of “”Doom 3″”  for example.3. This “”Santiago”” jacks in and out at will?  And *NOBODY* else can  including the system administrators for the computers? [cue sarcastic laughter]I don’t mind fantasy  but at least the background and characters should make sense.  This one didn’t.  I gave up even before the pilot episode ended.” 1.0 7 24 0 

91551 9981 “I waited and waited for Season three to come out. Why? Because it has the episode where Sulu is fighting with his shirt off. This was groundbreaking. It was the first time the American public was able to realize how sexy the Japanese culture really is. Nowadays  you have teenagers with numerous Japanese writings on their shirts and many people getting tattoos with Japanese characters. For instance  my friend went to a tattoo parlor a few years ago and got into the trend. He saw a cool looking set of Japanese characters and told the tattoo artist to put it on his bicep. My friend had no idea what it meant until a waiter at a sushi restaurant translated the characters for him. Turns out he had the words  “”Turtle Wax”” in Japanese on his bicep.  Anyway Sulu is a Japanese icon. His contribution and acting skills to the science-fiction community has made me make peace with the Japanese for bombing Pearl Harbor. I believe we are now official square.” 5.0 3 33 0 

14533 39657 “Awful!  One of the most overrated movies I’ve seen in ages.  I have not one good thing to say about this movie except it’s been done better so many times.  Try “”Scenes from a Marriage”” by Bergman.  The characters are stickboard figures with a dreary incomprehensible script and actors who do nothing to make the movie move!  Same dialogue over and over again.  If I had to choose (why would I) I would say my sympathies go to Dean.  I think he had more feelings than Cindy.I was watching my clock to see when it would end simply because I must have been in a mood to inflict suffering upon myself. Do something more useful with your time: sit and watch a flower grow!” 1.0 11 24 0 

16617 13085 These are 5 great movies from a wonderful director  and are finally available on DVD.  These are in direct contrast with the first collection  his “early  funny ones ” however.  Both “Another Woman” and “September” are serious dramas  and any humor in the other three are tempered with deeper dramatic elements  which has become his trademark style.  These films represent a mature Woody Allen  and are highly recommended to anyone who is interested in his more serious side.  All the films are great  despite what anyone says about “Shadows and Fog ” which seems to generally be underappreciated.  As for his films in the early 80’s (“Hannah ” “Zelig ” “Sex Comedy ” “Broadway Danny Rose ” “Purple Rose ” and whatever else I’m missing)  I think those are in set 3  to be released next.  The entire set is not to be missed.  Also recommended is the book “Woody Allen on Woody Allen” in which he discusses each of his films through “Manhattan Murder Mystery.” 5.0 11 11 1 

32890 23471 “I have been a long time Seinfeld fan  I still miss Thursday nights at 9:00 from time to time. However  I myself did not discover Seinfeld until Season 4. I had heard of the show but it was before “”everyone”” started watching it. So one night I was channel surfing and I came across the episode “”The Pick”” and I still remember laughing hystericaly throughout that entire episode and I still do everytime I see it  and I have been a huge Seinfeld fan ever since then.I was apparently not the only one that discovered Seinfeld during Season 4  because this is the season when it finally entered the top 25 in the ratings  and this was the season when it finally started developing the huge fan based that it deserved.Season 4 gave Seinfeld fans such classic episodes as “”The Pick””  “”The Contest””  “”The Outing””  “”The Bubble Boy”” and many more. These particular episodes were foundations to some of the other great ones to come in the later seasons. By season 4 the characters were fully developed  and the jokes and humor that Seinfeld possesed through its nine year history was at its most superb quality at that particular time.For the occasional Seinfeld fan that has maybe just started watching it since its been in syndication then this is the Season I would recommend starting with. Episodes such as “”The Pick”” just can’t be ignored as one of the greatest ever  and with Season 4 you will enjoy such hysterical moments througout the entire DVD.” 5.0 7 10 0 

1377 13552 “First of all  this won’t be like any Quentin Tarantino movie you’ve ever seen.  He often makes pop culture references and writes wonderful dialogue.  But in “”Kill Bill: Volume 1  he trades in great dialogue for great action sequences and great cinematography  and trades in spoken pop culture references for a one and a half hour long reference (parody) to the old  B-level kung fu movies of the past.  If you understand that he is making an homage/parody  you’ll love the film.My main disclaimer would be the violance.  If you have a weak stomach when it comes to realistic gore  come.  If you have a weak stomach for any form of blood/gore DON’T COME!  Arms are sliced off and heads go flying with huge waterfalls of blood pooring out like that body part was just a dam and there’s an entire lake of red hidden inside the body.  For example  a woman’s arm is cut off and blood squirts out for about five minutes.  And ten minutes later  you still see her rolling around on the ground  alive.  This is sort of a half disclaimer  because the way Tarantino makes fun of the old kung fu violance will mostly make you laugh  rather than mutter to your date “”this is so stupid.””My second disclaimer is its simple plot.  If you’re one who loves complex  “”you have to think every moment”” movies  then you may not like the film unless you’re looking for something different.  The plot is as follows: a woman (whose name is beeped out  played by Uma Thurman) is left for dead at her wedding after her former partners in assasination (the Deadly Viper Assasination Squad  or DiVAS) kill her friends and family  and wakes up from a coma four years later with revenge churning in her mind.  And then she goes out to get it.  That’s it.  But watch out for the twist at the end…it’s a killer!  A great way to end a film.But beyond these two reasons  which I didn’t really find as reasons not to see the movie

5058 15825 Roman Polanski became one of cinema’s most capable film directors  and THE TENANT is among his very finest works in or out of Hollywood.Polanski has an unparalleled ability to externalize and visualize human insanity  or impending insanity  and to portray that condition of mind on-screen in a way that is clear and understandable and palpable to a broad audience.Other filmmakers certainly have portrayed hallucination  for instance  but rarely do we see a film that requires no explanation  interpretation or telegraphing  regarding which images are delusional.Roman Polanski needs no such decoder ring.  He has a positive genius for devising images and shots which portray delusions as we would expect them to be; we quickly know what is illusion  what is reality and what is  at a given point in his story’s time line  still ambiguous for the story’s purpose.THE TENANT is a delectable treat for those viewers who can appreciate a journey into darkness  odd personalities  and extremely wry humor generated by nothing more contrived than human characters we’ve all encountered ourselves at some time or another.The film segues deftly and seamlessly — from serious moments  to undeniably hilarious moments  to moments of disturbing  frightening images leading inexorably to sub-climaxes large or small  of stark horror.THE TENANT is a fully formed film from start to finish

12133 2222 “People who call Life of Brian a “”heretical”” or “”blasphemous”” movie must have been the same people who thought the Martians were really invading Earth when Orson Wells’ War of the Worlds was broadcasted. They just weren’t paying attention. Not to spoil the movie for those who haven’t seen it  let’s just say that if you’re paying attention you will know that the movie is not about  nor does it mock  Jesus the person  the moral or religious leader  or the Chritian message.It DOES mock  though  authoritarian mentalities political and religious  and organized religion. It DOES mock fractured  narrow-minded political oppositions  more interested in protocol than in political action  which was MP’s commentary on the ineffectual British left in the late 70’s. It DOES mock fanaticism. The movie shows how the quest for personal fulfillment can often lead to absurd results  MP’s commentary no doubt to the human potential movement which was thriving at that time. Anybody who can recall an initiate of EST or who knows a Scientologist will know what I mean. And it DOES mock — in a commentary more relevant to England than in the United States  but which is increasing becoming relevant here — the effete nature of the Ruling Class. If you tend to be in favor of or gravitate to any of the above  you’re probably going to be offended and not like the movie.What Life of Brian does NOT mock is the Chritian message. The only character in the movie who is presented in a respectful light is the person of Jesus Christ who is seen giving his sermon on the mount.” 5.0 5 5 1 

19763 12737 Please don’t believe all the hype about Charlie’s Angels. The movie was weak and not worthy of buying ( rent only ). The movie was very unsatisfying and typical. Basically you watch 3 barbie dolls say catch phrases and beat up soft villians.  The action in the movie was not like I expected. I am tired of movies trying to be like The Matrix & Mission Impossible etc… The movie clearly did not try to bring anything new to the action scene. Crazy and stupid plot twists (just like The Matrix/Mission Impossible/Art Of War etc…) also help make this film fail to bring any originality. Please  if you have not already seen this movie and you’re going to see it don’t get your hopes and expectations too high. ( Rent Only ) 1.0 8 12 0 

98070 25551 The Brothers Grimm is a suspenseful light-hearted ghost story in the cinematic tradition of such movies as Pirates of the Caribbean  The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen  and Sleepy Hollow. The brothers  played by Heath Ledger and Matt Damon couldn’t be more enchanting in their roles in this fairy tale movie. Jacob  played by spectacle toting Heath Ledger  is the lovable underdog  an impractical poet who wears his gold heart on his sleeve. Wilhelm of course  couldn’t be more different as the devilishly dashing woman-chasing lead and older brother.The film is set in French occupied Germany and is quite amusing for history buffs. There  Jacob and Wilhelm have a run in with the French army. They’ve roamed from town to town making up fairy tales  but not only in the story sense! Jacob largely follows Wilhelm around documenting the folk tales of the various villages they weave their `magic’ around. When they are captured  the scenes involving the French general (Jonathan Pryce) are classically macabre in every sense- I don’t want to spoil any surprises so you’ll have to see the movie to find out why. Caravaldi  a captain in that army  played by Peter Stormare  becomes a permanant pest and an unexpected side-kick. The character is completely absurd with an Italian accent  hilarious yet creepy.With Caravaldi  the brothers find themselves embroiled in a real mystery when all the girls in the village disappear. The townsfolk are strange but the boys eventually warm up to the female lead  Angelika (Lena Headey) who leads them through the forest and tells them of the folk tales of her youth. There’s a little bit of that fairy tale magic mixed in with some European folklore which makes the movie interesting from an anthropological perspective… it makes you wonder what our folktales say of our history. The movie makes us imagine that these fairy or folk tales were real events  documented faithfully by the trusting Jacob. And there in the forest the brothers discover the truth behind the girls’ disappearance

63250 40498 “Is it so bad it’s good  or is it just plain bad?On the one hand  I realize that many people who know a lot more than I do about science fiction films  and about movies in general  consider “”Starcrash”” an important camp classic  along the lines of “”Barbarella”” or “”The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”” Judging from some of the comments here on Amazon and elsewhere  some of these experts looked forward to this DVD release more eagerly than perhaps any other film in recent memory. I also looked forward to it  even though I was not familiar with the film  because it did get several good reviews  and I always enjoy taking a chance and “”discovering”” new movies that I’ve not seen before. I WANTED to like it.But  on the other hand  let’s face it–“”Starcrash”” is bad. Painfully  excruciatingly bad. Here’s what it offers: 1) a disjointed  incoherent plot  2) truly terrible  somnambulistic acting  3) amateurish  laughable special effects  4) inane

29457 40825 Will Ferrell plays a genius supervillian named Megamind who ends up using his gifts for scandalous means after getting tired of being underappreciated and receiving the treatment of a social outcast. Brad Pitt plays his equally gifted rival Metro Man. Tina Fey plays a very energetic  vivacious  and upbeat woman named Roxanne that is very important to the character development of Megamind. The beautiful and uplifting message of the movie is that everyone has good in them. I also enjoy the message that seems to be tailored to both kids and adults that persistence can pay off even after multiple setbacks. There are plenty of scenes to make a person laugh. In addition  I like how the movie portrayed how a person that may seem like a villian on the outside is not always what they initially appear to be at the surface. In addition  the movie also sends a message that those that create mischief can many times be the ones that are yearning to be accepted and loved the most. All of the actors and actresses voiced their parts in a superb fashion. However  Will’s Megamind character really helped to increase the humour and life into this great animated movie.  This is definitely one of the animated movies to see this month. 5.0 43 51 0 

94053 11251 “The scenery in this DVD are gorgeous  but for a beginner it needs more detailed instruction and some of it just moves too fast.  I like workout videos that are attractively filmed but for yoga I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of beauty for instruction.  I was really looking forward to the stress relief workout but I can’t get through it.  Suzanne Deason might be a great yogi  but I’m having a hard time getting past her voice and find her direction had to follow.  The “”extras”” on poses and props are good.  Overall  a nice looking package but I had to get another DVD.  This one just didn’t give me enough of what I need right now – more detailed instruction and less distraction.” 2.0 7 7 1 

44601 17634 I really HATE Kim Bauer. She is pathedic! She is simply a moron. Her character will drive you nutz. I think the writer of the show purposely writes her as a complete dingbat to get on our nerves.Other than that  best show on TV. If you haven’t seen 24 yet then I suggest you start from season 1 (unfortunatly you’ll have to hate Kim’s Mom too). Then there is President Palmers wife. I’ll stop there.Jack Bauer is awesome. Once you get into the show you won’t stop. (you also won’t stop yelling at the TV when you see Kim being stupid.) 4.0 10 14 0 

33160 47971 Much of this movie seemed pretty decent  only marred by a few episodes of dumbness as far as I could tell. One of which was the cops knew the killer/kidnapper was still out driving around in a car  yet they send several regular patrol cars with lights flashing to surround his house to make absolutely certain he does not go home. Then they are pretty sure he went to his cottage  but after checking it over for a few minutes they ALL leave.But the idiocy really multiplied as the ending drew near. Dingle-Berry goes off to the cottage alone in the middle of the night without telling anyone where she would be and not bringing along a gun. She sifts through evidence in the cottage  contaminating it. She recognizes a unique sound from the 911 call  follows that  discovers the victim’s cell phone  yet still does not think to call the police and tell them about these discoveries.The ending is a bit dubious for its morality but is a lot more dubious for its impracticality and unbelievability. It mighta been a good plan they had  I guess  if they wanted to spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders and waiting for the police to knock on their doors with warrants for their arrests on murder charges. 2.0 11 16 0 

37777 21682 As a huge fan of the first film  The Bourne Identity  I was really looking forward to seeing the sequel.  The previews looked promising and I was pretty psyched up.  It ended up being somewhat of a disappointment – it definitely wasn’t a sequel that surpassed the original as in the case of Spider-man 2.The basic storyline takes place 2 years after the first film ended.  Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and his girlfriend Marie (Franka Potente) are living in India.  He’s still got much of his amnesia  but he’s slowly remembering things he did.  He sees an assassin (Karl Urban) and they make a run for it.  Bourne gets mad that Treadstone has come after him (at least  he believes it’s Treadstone) and in turn goes after them.The biggest complaint I have is the annoying camerawork.  For some reason the director felt the need to use hand-held cameras and jiggle them around… A LOT.  Several times during the film I had to look away from the screen and thank goodness I had tylenol with me for the headache!  Used sparingly in some action shots the jiggling camera might have been good.  This director used it practically the entire film.  Throughout most of the action scenes  you can’t even tell what’s going on!Most of the acting was good and the storyline was ‘ok.’  Most of the plot twists were predictable and there were plenty of old faces from the original film.  Overall  I was very much disappointed in the film.  I think with a better director the film would have exceeded my expectations.. unfortunately I left the movie theater with a huge headache and nausea.  Two stars.  Storyline and plot gets four  but the jiggling camera made it almost unbearable to watch. 2.0 3 7 0 

53820 20007 “There are probably two ways of looking at this film. Is this just another hoary entertainment depicting a one-man crusade of a disgruntled loner? Or is this a historical epic that throws some light on a hidden apsect of the U.S-Japanese relations? My view veers toward the former as all I was left with after having see the film is this feeling: Haven’t I seen this before? In a word  what’s the difference between Dance With Wolves and this one? Seen as a historical epic  this is positively bad. How those fully armoured warriors could exist in the mid nineteenth century Japan is anyone’s guess  not to mention the Ninjya. Isn’t this familiar? There was something of a vogue for things Japanese in the 80s when Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings was a big hit. Well  there were a bunch of Japan bashers too  given the economic imbalance that existed between the two countries back then. Things probably look a bit different now as Japan is positively seen as a U.S. ally or a partner in crime  depending on how you look at it  as the U.S. vows to dust all “”bad”” regimes off the face of the planet. That the film recieved rave reviews from conservative right-wing media and its cohorts in Japan is somewhat indicative of what’s really happening here  betraying the film’s psuedo-cosmopolitan outlook.” 2.0 3 8 0 

102401 39291 After a couple years of hesitation  CBS has finally released HGWT Season Four. In my honest opinion  Season Four is the best season of the series. Hey Girl replaces Hey Boy (the actor departed for a career opportunity that ultimately failed) and there is chemistry between Paladin and Hey Girl. I think it should be noted that the radio program of the same name had Missy Wong before the TV version premiered Hey Girl and I suspect the radio program influenced the decision to replace Hey Boy with a female.Some of the best episodes of the series appear in Season Four. I noticed that CBS also decided to release only half of the season. True  they will make more money splitting the season in half  rather than package the entire season in one box set as they did with the three prior seasons. It comes down to economics. The second and third season failed to meet the studio’s expectations so this was a compromise. And God bless CBS for continuing the release of HGWT Season Four. Here’s hope Season Five and and Season Six come out on DVD.Oh  yes  I co-wrote the HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL COMPANION for OTR Publishing with Les Rayburn. It was a labor of love. Yes  the book is still available on Amazon.com. No  this is not a shameless pitch  but rather full disclosure of my credentials as a fan and authority on the TV and radio series. If R.G. Bright had not done a thorough job with his Season Four review  I would have done the same thing. So please accept my review as a second motion vote for encouraging people to buy the DVD set. And Radio Spirits has released the radio program commercially on CD. If you have never heard the radio program  I recommend you check it out.5.0 40 43 1 

80293 38926 “I loved this movie.  The Norman Rockwell/””Leave it to Beaver”” view of motherhood never worked for me.  Life is a wonderful  funny  heartbreaking juggling act…and I think this film “”gets it.””  As I’ve raised my brood in a rural community  I was amused and fascinated by the film’s take on raising kids in the city.  Overall…the film fascinated me…amused me…touched me. It was one of the better films I’ve seen recently.  It’s smart  and the humor comes out of irony.” 5.0 9 11 0 

37300 1128 “Every now and then  a movie comes along that absolutely blows your world apart. It gives you a perspective on life that you never had before. It weasels its way into your psyche  unbeknownst to you  and takes root…becoming a major part of your inner workings. It’s like Inception! When I first saw Good Will Hunting (1997) in 1998 when it came out  I had no idea that 13 years later this little indie film written by two wet-behind-the-ear kids from “”Bahh-ston”” would be one of my favorite films of all time. I mean…these two guys  Matt Damon and Ben Affleck  are my contemporaries and I was 24 when this movie touched my heart and soul. That’s pretty incredible writing from two young guys in their 20s  which won them both Oscars for Best Original Screenplay. Good Will Hunting is firmly planted in my Top 25 films of all time. And I doubt it will ever leave. Especially because the film is as fresh and critical today as it ever was. Repeatedly  over and over  this movie gets to me like so few do.It’s a perfect film (5 out of 5 stars) about the inherent flaws and failures that go hand-in-hand with life’s greatest successes and achievements. The human condition  especially the condition of being a man  is flopped onto the operating table in Good Will Hunting and surgically dissected into all the psychological bits and quirks that somehow magically come together to create each of our lives. The emotional and intellectual depth present in the script the acting  the dialogue  and all the details of this film  belies its book cover. If by some odd chance you haven’t yet gone on this journey with Will Hunting  then by all means  get into this film now and for many years to come.I watched Good Will Hunting for the umpteenth time tonight  but for the first time in over a year and the first time in HD. Having seen the film in the theater

28878 32895 Let me start by saying that I love Anthony Hopkins and when I saw that he had his hands into every part of this movie  I jumped at the chance to watch it. That turned out to be a HUGE mistake! I do understand what Hopkins was trying to portray but what actually poured from his mind onto film was erratic and disjointed. I hate to bash anything with Hopkins’ name on it but I feel that people should be warned. (Stick with eating people Hopkins….please) 1.0 3 7 0 

65835 39162 “Jennifer Lopez is soo fun and looks great in this romantic comedy with Alex O’Loughlin  the chemistry is perfect  I laughed alot and it just made me feel great after I watched it.It is definitly a feel good movie  I watched it a couple times in theatre and all the people with me loved it too.Loved scenes with JLO and Alex when getting ready for pregnacy  cracked me up.Jennifer shows she can do comedy  now we want to see her back in drama which is her strongest like in films “”Out Of Sight””  “”Selena”” The Cell””  and “”An Unfinished Life”” as well “”El Cantante””.Great work Jennifer  looking forward to seeing more films.I’m definitly gonna buy this film on DVD/BluRay.” 5.0 3 6 0 

565 1148 Sin city is pretty much base on the name of the movie it’s fun  crazy and even sometimes scaryyou’ll love this movie for dvd and psp. 5.0 2 8 0 

89364 11512 “This movie is unrealistic and poorly made. By “”unrealistic””  I don’t mean that the concept of “”ordinary girl becomes princess”” is stupid. I’m always game for some good fantasy. But the way the characters responded to their circumstances seemed stilted and unnatural. Also  the happenings of the movie didn’t make much sense. Case in point: Near the end of the movie  Mia is crying in a broken-down car  wet and bedraggled  because she can’t make it to the royal ball  while her grandmother (the Queen) is about to announce to thousands of people that the Princess has abdicated her duties. Suddenly  the screen goes black  and in the next scene Mia is clean  dry  and dressed in a beautiful gown  making her royal entrance. Huh? This is just one example; over half the scenes are done like this. Basically  this movie was unacceptable to me  and I really hope that the books it was based on were better than this.” 1.0 2 13 0 

499 19203 “When the preview first premiered back in early 2003 I was stoked. I mean how cool was this going to be!!??!!?? Vampires Vs Werewolves! Yes the first reaction when seeing the preview was “”ok this will be a matrix clone in vision”” but still sparked my interest. Then after seeing the movie and after the huge disappointment with the Matrix Reloaded this movie was for me what the Matrix sequel should have been. From the very start of the movie you are sucked in the world and war of the Vampires and Lycans. Those who are not into such need not apply as this is a movie for fans who crave this type of story line. What was really great about this movie is the set up that is obvious of the huge back story that they will be able to elaborate on come the sequel. I do believe that this movie will have a HUGE cult following on DVD and the follow-up will be a fantastic success hopefully spawning more stories of the characters developed in this 1st installment. If you are a fan of Vampires and Werewolves you will be very happy with the final turn out of Underworld. Everyone in the movie plays their parts as they should. The look  sound and over all feeling are well played out and a great treat to fans of this sort of genre. Worth the purchase and you will be craving more afterwards.***On the techincal note for HDTV owners and Surround Sound systems.Both the picture and the sound get a BIG 5 out of 5.All the blacks are deep and rich. The sharpness and over all picture is fantastic for us HDTV owners.Sound wise even though no DTS track is offered the Dolby 5.1 mix offered is pushed to the max and will make your system thunder. This is top notch! Enjoy :)” 5.0 4 6 0 

14450 7212 “It’s astonishing how under-appreciated this film is.  Forty years of anti-Monkees propaganda from the hipper-than-thou media will take a toll  I  guess.  The Monkees are still sneered at while the Spice Girls are  “”musicians””  huh?  It ain’t a fair world.  A film no one who doesn’t know the  TRUE Monkees would ever believe they were capable of making  HEAD is  dazzingly subversive and non-linear.  The construction is like a wheel  the  theme pure Eastern mysticism  and the music is classic breezy Sixties  mind-expanding pop with doses of C&W and vaudeville.  What an all-round  group of entertainers those guys were  and how shabbily pop history has  treated them!  Truly a brave  demented  inspired  seamless  transcendent  voyage through the Bardo of Existence (howzabout a little mo’ steam?).  The  space movie of all space movies.  If you don’t understand it  you’re simply  not ready for it yet.”5.0 6 6 1 

80109 48347 “Disconnect presents a series of parallel stories who’s characters have a sixth degree kind of relationship  in the vein of 2004’s Crash.  Similar to 2010’s Trust these stories revolve around cyber communication.  The frequent switches in narrative keeps the film intriguing as a whole  and provides a multidimensional look at the way cyberspace affects society.  Unfortunately the last chapter’s finale forgets about the theme  and goes straight for soapy character drama.  Characters make such declarations as  “”You’re the one who exploits people!””  These lines obviously state the driving force of tension between characters  but don’t address the theme of the film.  They also don’t offer a logical conclusion to the stories  so much as abruptly halt them.  As a result  the film feels like a somewhat classy afterschool special—entertaining and well acted  but schmaltzy and not too smart.” 3.0 3 5 0 

506 10758 “First let me say this  plain  simple  racism is wrong.  Racism is more than just wrong though  it is pure evil.  One should never judge another by the colour of the skin.  One should never make presumptions toward another by the race of that person.  Yes this film could be said to have stereotypical blacks AND whites  but this film is not racism per say.  Simplistic yes  but then again  this is a children’s movie  not something you’d see as drama on cable tv.  Unlike most films of today  this film is truly suited for parents and their children.  The stories are important because they have life lessons that any body…no matter how young or old…can learn with a smile and a nod to the head toward wisdom.  Children can laugh out loud with their folks at the humor of rabbit  fox  and bear.  Song of the South is a well developed movie that might yes be showing a simpler time  but at least it shows something descent for those watching…unlike the two examples I am about to give toward what true racism is…Yes still so many people cry the racism card toward this movie.  I am a firm believer that racism is wicked  but those people calling this movie racism seem to be quite quiet in terms of what is seen in this day and age.  I am about to give two examples of what racism is  in comparison to the Song of the South. Example 1:  I turned on the comedy network the other day  during the day time  during hours that children can easily watch  and there were African American comedians laughing and snickering because they call each other the “”N”” word.  As if the “”N”” word was a joke?  I would like to remind those who use that word so frivolously of the painting by Norman Rockwell of the young African American girl in a white dress being brought to school.  If you know the picture  you know what I mean.  I doubt very seriously she’d say yes if you asked that girl if the “”N”” word was “”funny.””  Example 2:  Grand Theft Auto SA

59011 27895 “…..This was a brilliant bank robbery movie  but it was flawed mightily by a heavy handed display of “”all people are racist but black people”” in nearly every scene……They have white on arab (sikh) racism  white on jewish  jewish stereotypes  white on black (the captains comments to denzel  the beat cops comments to denzel on his getting shot by a black teen) etc etc.  It was not needed and was not central to the movie……I guess Spike Lee couldn’t make a movie without infusing racism in it even if it wasn’t at all important to the story……There is an element to the story in reference to what is being stolen that has a historical racist content but to infuse all other forms of racism into the story just turned me off.  I was not watching this to get preached to but that is what I ended up sitting through……Hey Spike  you took a screenplay that others wrote  used an interesting backstory method and had in your grasp a five star film.  By inserting racist dialogue and moments within the film you turned it into a 3.0 at best.  Shame on your for damaging an otherwise near perfect film!  Hopefully the producers realize that your tactic ending up cutting your grosses by 2/3 at least.  I am sure that when this was in theaters word of mouth was deadly for it……This could have been a classic.” 3.0 4 7 0 

42023 31706 I was lucky enough to have watched this series in high def via Dish Network. I recorded the shows onto DVDs since I thought they were excellent. Unfortunately  my DVD recorder only records in standard def (480i). Even though they are still very interesting and educational at the lower resolution  the wow factor is missing. That should actually be taken up another notch with Blu-Ray since it was broadcast in 1080i  but Blu-Ray will give me 1080p! Outstanding!The special effects  the subject matter  and the way in which it is all explained is absolutely top notch!Now that it has come out on Blu-Ray (which I am thrilled about) I will be buying it as soon as my budget permits! It is very worth seeing more than once  and seeing it in High Def is really spectacular!*** Update 4/26/09 ***I got it on Blu-Ray and as expected  it is spectacular! :)The colors and clarity are just as good as you will ever see on your big screen TV. I’d put it right up there with the Planet Earth series.I have already ordered the next two seasons in advance. Season 2 is due out in July  and season 3 in August. Cool! This is truly the best series ever on the subject of The Universe. 5.0 9 17 0 

116552 31411 “Thank you Shout Factory for making “”All In The Family”” season nine available.When Sony dropped the ball after making only seasons 1-6 available Shout Factory came to the rescue and made the remaining seasons 7-9 available to all fans of the series to complete their full series collections.I now own the complete series.I received my copy of season 9 yesterday and could’nt be happier.The first 6 seasons released by Sony have always had a video quality somewhat dark and soft.The Shout Factory releases are bright sharp crisp and clear.The packaging video and audio quality and price of the set are all great.What more could you ask for ?.I miss Gloria and Mike Stivic in season 9 although Stephanie (Danielle Brisebois) brings a fresh face to the cast.Now at long last fans of this classic series can own the entire series.If you love this great show buy it now you simply can’t go wrong.” 5.0 7 7 1

13321 14234 I have this DVD and look at it over 15 times. It was great!!! I have a blu-ray player and after watch the blu-rays of Jeff Beck  NIN  Queen etc   I just can say that this  DVD of Joe Satriani has bad sound and bad video quality. I hope it comes in Blu-ray of course if the master can be put on Blu-ray and receive a good trancription ! I will buy it !!! DVD IS DEAD !!!Let’s Blu-ray  NOW !!!1.0 1 12 0 

2583 37015 “My Top 10 Film List seems to get a little more expansive each year  but CHERRY BLOSSOMS is definitely on it. It is profound in its simplicity. The Plot: Wife (Hannelore Elsner) discovers that her husband (Elmar Wepper) of many years is dying. He doesn’t know it & she doesn’t tell him. She manages to arrange a trip with their adult chirldren living in Berlin  although he would prefer to stay home. The children aren’t informed about his condition. Wife dies unexpectedly. Husband is lost without her. He goes to visit son Karl who lives in Tokyo. Father hooks up with a young dancer. Karl assumes the worst.Those are the bare bones.What we learn about the relationships is where the more meaningful elements are revealed.For one thing  we learn that the wife has a more or less hidden love of the Japanese performance/dance called Butoh (boo-toe). It is not clear how this transpired since  until recently Butoh was not well known outside Japan. An understanding of Butoh is really helpful when viewing CHERRY BLOSSOMS  but not absolutely necessary. Key elements are illustrated by Tadashi Endo in a scene set in Berlin where the dancer is performing. The girl (Aya Irizuki) in Japan (who is rehearsing outdoors a performance involving a pink telephone with a long cord) is a dedicated Butoh performer as well.The colors of pink  green & white are found everywhere in the movie  but subtly increase in intensity when the husband goes to Japan. I think I became aware of this only towards the end of the film  but when I watched the film again it was much more apparent. Naturally this represents the colors associated with “”Cherry Blossom Time””–a sort of national event in Japan. I think the green symbolizes the leaves & the pink & white the flower. I also think white symbolizes death. It’s interesting how this color scheme is naturally enhanced in Japan  in the neon lights of Tokyo  in the food  and the kimonos quests all wear in an informal hotel near Mt. Fuji.As for Butoh  it emerged as a performance art in post-WWII Japan  partially as a reaction to the the restriction imposed on dancers by the traditional Nh. There are 2 main types of Butoh. One is the basically non-movement variety  and the other that relies on agility and at least some familiarity with traditional dance  even ballet. The images portrayed are more often than not visceral themes of death  blood–and eventual trandscendece. The artists are almost nude (with body paint) in many scenes. Elements of lighting & set are important & reflect post-WWI German expressionism. I believe it has influenced performers like Marilyn Manson

32213 4067 I’ll never forget watching the opening credits roll up and realize – this was shot at my old school! Making it a film filled with personal ironies…I just CAN’T manage to take Williams seriously  but his  performance was good and so were the others.  There were some beautiful  moments of cinematography  too.  Alas however  the (re)viewer from D.C. has  called it true: the film is stuffed with sanctimony and melodrama because  the filmmakers wouldn’t trust the viewers to draw their own conclusions.  The ‘bad guys’ were 2 dimensional and the phony crisis destroyed the film  for me (I had 3 schoolmates who attempted suicide  one successfully.)I  attended St. Andrews  where the film was shot. The headmaster  a former  English teacher promoted for fundraising successes  was remote and  disinterested in the students; we’d have been better off with the film  version! In fact I was sent to see him by my English teacher on one  occasion (for arguing in class!) and remember his total disinterest in  discipline – or ANYTHING related to student life!  The aforesaid  teacher  was the shadow of the film version: a smarmy phony who effected that  pedagogical routine ‘look on me as one of the boys’ (while I tell you what  Truth is!)Oh well. If you like “Tom Brown’s Schooldays” or  “Stalky and Company” you’ll probably enjoy this. 3.0 4 8 0 

91551 25404 Let me tell you  I was a big wrestling fan back in the days and I will only recommend Volume 1 in the anthology. Unfortunately I can’t stand wrestling after the late 80’s. Unknown fact until now: I was sitting in the front row of Wrestlemania 3. You can actually see me a few times (mostly the back of my head). Anyway  I was there and I actually got a momento from the event. It was a lock of hair from the adorable Adrian Adonis. When Brutus Beefcake cut his hair  Piper threw some of Adrian’s hair into the stands. There was this big lock of his hair and I outwrestled some pimple faced 12 year old for it. I still have it. With all the money I spend on my daily medications  I’m thinking of selling on some auction site. 5.0 6 11 0 

46670 35507 “Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is the head analyst for a top secret intelligence organization known as CONTROL.  Smart however valued he is as an analyst  desperately wants to become a field agent. He gets his lucky break when CONTROL headquarters is ambushed by rival terrorist organization KAOS and all the agents identities are exposed.  This  in turn  forces the unlikely partnership between Smart and the much more competent Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to thwart the plans of KAOS.The comedic genius of Mel Brooks applies to this film.  He was a creator of the original series  and a consultant and writer for the film.  His presence is felt in “”Get Smart”” with the farces and parodies that reeked of his comedic style.  After all  it is based on the show that Brooks helped create  but you don’t need to have seen or have knowledge of the original TV series to enjoy “”Get Smart”” the movie.  “”Get Smart”” is an incredibly funny undercover spy spoof and the entire cast blends together well and are all very amusing.The bottom line is if you enjoy Mel Brooks movies  you will enjoy “”Get Smart””.  If you are just in need of a laugh  you’ll get plenty.  So do yourself a favor  get a hold of this one and be prepared to laugh until your sides hurt.” 5.0 6 6 1 

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