Medieval Park

Who is the boy on the cover?
This movie was made in 1999. It reminded me of " Dr Who" episodes, as far as acting and atmosphere. Nice castle, cool dragon, but generally poor special effects. Certainly no CGI to liven things up. 90 minutes long and moves slow. "G" rated . Might be a good movie for the 7 to 11 year olds, maybe! Remember, this was made before most of us had computers in the house, or cell phones, or cool video games to play. So by todays standard this movie is not very exciting or interesting. It originally was titled Teen Knight in 1999. Along similar ideas, the 2003 movie " Time Line " was great, and PG-13 rated. So, if you enjoy Dr Who situations, without Dr Who, this movie is for you. Oh, the kid on the dvd cover is not in this movie!





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Chasing Liberty [HD]

Disappointed there is no sound track CD for "Chasing Liberty"
Mandy Moore, Annabella Sciorra and Jeremy Piven are absolutely wonderful in the movie.
Storyline could have been better.
There are many excellent scenes of Europe, which make me want to trek thru
many places (Washington, Prague, Venice, Austria, Berlin, Harvard U, London).
An excellent collection of great music is in the movie, in the same order:
- American Girl, by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
- The Seed, by The Roots
- If You Won't, by Jesse Harris
- Vivi Davvero, by Giorgia -- amazing Italian tune !
- If I'm not in love (with you), from Faith Hill's Breathe album
- Life will go on, from Chris Issak's Always Got Tonight album
- Puccini's Nessun Dorma, by Amici Forever -- always great !!
- To be with you, by Caroline Lost -- WoW !!!

----- For those who enjoy the music in the movie, here's the complete list (from IMDB) -----
(all original music in the film is by Christian Henson)
01. Goo Goo Dolls - Big...

A nice fun movie; the critics have been unfair
If you are tired of movies filled with computer graphics, tired of movies filled with explosions and destruction, tired of movies of teens doing things that will get them arrested, tired of movies about people with "real life problems", Chasing Liberty is a delightful, lightweight, fun (and funny), escapism movie that leaves you feeling good at the end. Yes the plot is a bit implausible and limited, but that is the fun of this movie. Mandy Moore is wonderful as Anna Foster, only daughter of U.S. President Foster, who is tired of living in a bubble. She wants to be a real teenager and experience life and love. Anna escapes the bubble, while on a state trip to Czech Republic, with the aid of someone (Matthew Goode), who turns out not to be who she thinks. Mandy has amazing talent for her age, and is set to be a superstar actress in the near future. She does not deserve to still be titled as a "pop princess" anymore. She is an actress in her own right, who can sing. She fills the...

Come on, you know you like it.
Let me just start off with yes, I love romantic fluff, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. This was a great piece of romantic fluff to watch on a lazy afternoon. It wasn't boring, the lead characters looked good, and it had a great soundtrack. Sure, you could drive a Mac truck through the plot holes, and I'd be pretty scared if the secret service was as dimwitted as they were in this movie, but it still did not take away from my enjoyment of the movie. If your a realist and hate quality cheese, save your time and money, and don't watch this movie. However, if you're like me and like happy endings, cute kisses, and leaving reality back in the real world, you may just enjoy this flick too. Good job, Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode!

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The Kite (Le Cerf-Volant) - Amazon.com Exclusive

Great storyline - pretty realistic
I'm Lebanese American and lost a lot of my Arabic when my father went back to Lebanon. I was looking for Arabic movies with English subtitles to watch and get used to the dialogue again. This movie surprised me. The storyline is really good and it's a sweet love. However translating the words to English, I can understand why the previous person who wrote their review didn't give the best reveiw. You will have to understand the culture to truely understand this story. It's so realistic on so many levels. I love Lebanon, and I vist my family a lot. Watching this movie kind of brings you into reality - how good we have it here in America. I really recommend this movie to those that love the language and the culture and understand it fully.

Niche Film
A subtitled Lebanese movie that may attract those with an interest in Middle East politics, customs and mores. A mix of serious drama, comedy and surreal interpretation that really doesn't seem to have much in the way of mainstream viewer appeal. More of a specialized niche film.



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Bank Roll

I Made "BANK ROLL" (a review from Doug Maguire)
The 1st thing you're probably thinking is, "5 Stars for your own movie -- IDIOT!" I was going to give "BANK ROLL" 4 Stars, because 4 is one of my favorite numbers and totally understand that very few movies are "perfect", but when I hovered over the 4 Stars and saw the ALT text was "I like it" -- well, I love this movie and that's why I had to click 5. I don't think "BANK ROLL" is perfect, but I do love this movie.

We worked on "BANK ROLL" for over a year and shot it in 6 months. The actors never got to see a full script as we were making up the story as we went along. So we would run cameras on a weekend day one month and rough out an edit to help us make sense for the next month. We used a few lights on our big "kitchen scene" at the top of the movie where it jump cuts to introduce all the characters and after that, it just seemed fake. I'm not a fan of using stylized lighting tricks or light sources that aren't natural to their environment. I respect those types of looks...

Weird - but good weird!
If you are looking for action, adventure, romance and suspense, then get another movie because Bank Roll is a slow-paced drama/comedy/independent film with unknown actors, but is actually quite amazing. The best way to describe it is "weird" and "good". It really made me laugh out loud at certain points where we had to pause and rewind things just to make sure I heard what I thought I heard. Almost the entire 90 minutes is dialogue driven where the bank robbers spend three days talking about everything under the sun except the heist they're doing. I kept forgetting it was a movie about a bank robbery as it felt more like Shakespeare in the park with swears! They DO rob a bank, I think. The way it ended made me scream, "NO WAY!" Then we listened to the cast audio commentary and I must say, I was a little disgusted and embarrassed. My husband, however, said this is his favorite feature. Guys were getting up to use the bathroom, they were all drinking and it's worth a listen if you like...



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Stolen Life (Amazon.com Exclusive)

A Psychologically Abused Woman in Modern China: A Very Slight Spoiler
Without spoiling the film, I'd like to add only slightly to Amazon's "Product Description":

Yanni, the main actress in the movie is living with her extended family who sees her as a waste of a person with little to no future. To everyone's surprise she is accepted to a college in Beijing. She goes, life opens up, the wonders of the world are hers to discover. For those who have visited China's Universities, all the sights are there, particularly those incredibly cramped (with sometimes as many as 7 student) dorm rooms. A wonderful and slightly older delivery man sights her, makes his move and they are in love. Soon Yanni finds out she is pregnant. Not surprisingly, while her lover remains committed, we are slowly taken out of the bright dorm rooms and even the streets of this "New China". The couple move to dwellings underground and we begin to wonder what this delivery man's intentions really are.

This is a powerful feminist movie, where you (man or woman,...

Sad but compelling independent film from China
Zhou Xun is one of the most compelling actresses working today and she grabs you right from the start in this film. She plays a young woman whose parents, intellectuals from the previous generation, have abandoned her for the most part, shuffling her off to live in near poverty with her granny and aunt. Then she's accepted into university, raising her class status momentarily, but falls in love with a truck driver, gets pregnant and her life unravels. There's subtle and deep social commentary embracing this extremely sad tale of family, love, and one woman's struggle to survive in modern China. I was very surprised by the script. It's softly brutal.

Sad but Probably True to Life
I enjoyed this movie if you can use the word enjoyed for something so tragic. It's a portrait of a blatant betrayal of trust. SPOILER ALERT: A girl leaves her dysfunctional home and gets involved with a boy. She becomes pregnant and the boyfriend talks her into having the baby by alluding to the fact that they will have a nice family together and somehow manage to make it financially even though they are totally broke. Nothing could be further from the truth as he has plans all along to sell the baby to another couple once it is born and then ditch the girl and find another woman to use the same ruse on. He is the perfect con artist and evil trickster. I found the movie interesting to get a glimpse of the gritty, underground world that many Chinese people live in which is no doubt all too true to life. The place they live underground in Beijing not only has little seedy apartments but also shops and places making food. A rather different and engaging movie. An eye opening view of one...

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The Fish Fall in Love (Mahiha Ashegh Mishavand) - Amazon.com Exclusive

charming film about interrupted love
This is a gentle film about lives and loves disrupted, the consequences of political exile, good food lovingly prepared, and a charming town on the Caspian sea. Contrary to a previous reviewer'r's opinion, it is not at all ambiguous if you watch and listen carefully. I've watched it three times so far and I like it more each time... The place itself is so seductive, I keep wanting to just be there...

Entertaining movie but not a must see
The movie is is about an Iranian woman who has a restaurant on the property of her ex fiance and when he suddenly returns she's afraid he'll take away everything. It's entertaining but I think it ends abruptly without giving closure for the story.

Important Subjects but Mediocre Rendering
Some important subjects were alluded to pertaining to the role of women in Iranian society but a lackluster, mediocre and incomplete rendering of those subjects left this audience confused and empty. The writer & director, if they are going to tell a story, they should finish their story however they think is appropriate and not leave it up to the audience to create their own ending. This ambiguity laden story telling style is a self-righteous attempt to be clever, intelligent and complex. But instead shows a lack of direction. The acting was flat, lacking emotion and depth. The story seemed to plod through many scenes and lacked impact where many opportunities to showcase Iranian culture presented themselves.

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The We and the I

Get Off The Bus: A Long, And Oftentimes Excruciating, Journey Into The Psyche Of An Urban High School Class
Filmmaker Michel Gondry hasn't exactly followed a typical Hollywood career path. Moving between music videos and eccentric indie films, Gondry is probably still best known for directing and co-writing 2004's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" for which he shared a screenwriting Oscar. In fact, his only apparent concession to the realm of big budget spectacles came with the ill-fated adaptation of "The Green Hornet" in 2011. Returning to a smaller scope with the claustrophobic "The We and The I," Gondry has again thwarted conventional expectations. This intimate picture casts nonprofessional actors as Bronx high school students taking public transportation home on the last day of school. That's it, just a bunch of kids riding the bus! At times harrowing and unpleasant, at others joyful and amusing, the students terrorize innocent passengers and one another on a seemingly endless ride across the city. No one ever gets on, which is curious, so the boisterous crowd dwindles as...

(3.5 STARS) Michel Gondry's Snapshot of Bronx High School Students: Lively and Experimental
Michel Gondry's follow-up to the 2011 action movie "The Green Hornet" is something of a cinematic and social experiment. In his latest work "The We and the I" a group of New York high school students (all played by non-professional teenagers) travel on a city bus. Set on a fictional bus line BX66, the film follows the stories of the ensemble characters crammed in the same bus - those energetic students after school, often noisy and even rude.

Michael (Michael Brodie) and Big T (Jonathan Worrell) are the loudest, taking up the back row. Laidychen (Laidychen Carrasco) and Niomi (Meghan Murphy) are busy deciding who to invite to the party. At first the bus is like a chaos, with so much pent-up energy of these students. The school tear is over.

Over the course of the afternoon bus ride, however, as the school kids get off the bus one after another, the bus ride becomes something different - something quiet and pensive, with some of the students showing another side...

Words fail to convey its unique greatness
I have only seen this film once, and expect subsequent viewings to reveal more layers of complexity. I am too boggled and besotted this morning after to do more than list the ways one might love this film.
I was at first upset that the film is not on Blu Ray, but be assured that the DVD is very well done, and looks fine, even beautiful on a big screen TV.
First, from my perch in mainly white suburbia, I appreciate the intimacy that permits me to gaze carefully at all the different shades and shapes of people who ride the bus on the trip home after the last day of high school. Ken Kesey's Kool-Aid Acid bus could not contain more physical and psychic diversity. Just compare this film to American Graffiti to see how far we have come in the presentation of adolescent emotional realism on film.
Second, is the miracle of film editing that concatenates fluctuating tender affects and nasty impulses into a coherent unfolding. See this film less as plot or character driven...

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The Croods

A perfect family film
This movie was some of the most fun i've had with a movie in a long time. It was hilarious, emotionally deep and original on every turn. The moral and underlining tone is as relevant as ever. Going against everything you know in order to survive and actually live your life is something we all must come to terms with and this movie hits the nail on the head. The graphics are incredible, the soundtrack is heart racing and dialogue is fluidly natural.

From the previews I did not expect it to be this good but I was pleasantly surprised. This is an absolutely perfect family film. It's hilarious, touching and relevant. Everyone should see this movie.

Croods - Taking Notes From Ice Age
I saw this movie at a prescreening event at my local theater. I went in without any expectations as I hadn't seen any of the advertisements other than movie posters. When I left the theater, I was more than pleased. The version showed at the event was in 3D. I found it to be very exceptional as I noticed it the whole way through without getting lost in it. It enhanced my movie going experience with the amount of depth that was perceived. It literally felt like looking into a box.

This is a movie that succeeds as a family movie. In my opinion, there weren't any questionable content at any point in the film. My kids enjoyed it and asked if we could buy it when it comes out.

One thing I did notice about this movie is there many elements taken from the Ice Age franchise. I don't want to divulge too much as to include spoilers but when watching the movie, I recommend you matching this movie against each of the Ice Ages and you will see many similarities...

All I can say is HILARIOUS MOVIE!!!!!!
The previews for this movie made me not want to see it at all, but I ended up taking my niece & nephew to it in the theater (both far apart in ages) and they both LOVED it, and I have to admit I did too! Actually everyone in the theater watching it was cracking up, it has a ton of hilarious lines from every character in it. Best part, it was consistently funny throughout, not just in a couple of scenes, with jokes geared for all ages. A very creative story too with the family obviously (The Croods) who are the last surviving cavemen family. Their curious teenage daughter Eep runs into a more humanly "evolved" guy, actually whose name is Guy who lets her know the world is coming to an end. The Croods are afraid of life where animals hunt you at all times, but when their cave is destroyed in an earthquake, they are forced on a journey with their survival guide, Guy to stay alive. A MUST WATCH ANIMATED MOVIE!!!! Best one I've seen in a long time! The writer/director -Chris Sanders, who...

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Golgo 13: Complete Collection

Review based on Price??? C'mon people!
So your upset about the price so you are going to give this amazing show a 1 or 2 star rating. Don't rate the damn price people. Besides the price Amazon has listed is way above everyone else out there and when it's released I'm sure they will drop the price when they aren't moving any sets. I can't mention other stores here by name or else Amazon will delete or edit the post...so I will just say other online stores that DEEPly DISCOUNT DVD's have the Pre Order Blu Ray set for around 75 and DVD set for under 60 (which I already did)...not bad for 50 shows plus extras. So you want to rate the show or direction, the extras, hell you don't like the cover art, or you got a paper cut opening it and the packaging made you cry then fine...but if you are going to rate something on price grow up. The new Corvette is expensive so it must suck right???...and everything in the dollar store is first rate? Really?? I have some tape from them that wouldn't stick to tar in the summer. Things are...

Instead of selling them separately, They now got Whole Set!
Since I already got them all when they were selling them separately year ago, Collection 1, 2, 3, and 4. But this time they're selling the whole set for $98.00 Dollar just the DVD (non-blueray disc), but if you want Blue-ray Disc it'll be $115.00 dollar. The entire set won't come out till Sept 17th 2013 I believe.

If Money isn't the issue, than I would get Blue-ray Disc. I noticed someone complains about the price on Blue-ray disc, he'll want to get DVD one the $98.00 dollar one instead. I think its reasonable price.. Because back than it cost me nearly $45.00 dollar just for each Collection.. so 4 Collection times $45.00 = $180.00.

See the huge difference on the price before, and now with entire set DVD is merely $98.00 dollar, but Blue-Ray disc is $115.00.

I'm thinking about getting Blue-Ray disc, not on release am thinking about getting it in Dec this year. Golgo 13 is a excellent series, I couldn't stop watching it after few time. >.<

Buy it for $68.98 on Ebay
This set is really awesome. :) Going to leave more of a review when I finish all of the episodes.
I changed my review from a 1 star to a 5 star because of the better price I found it for.

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Kilometre Zero (Amazon.com Exclusive)

"Our Past Is Sad..., Our Present Is Tragic..., Luckily We Have No Future" ~ Ode To Iraq
Note: French with English subtitles.

Released in '05 `Kilometre Zero' is a slow moving but darkly fascinating look into the cultural divide and national uncertainty pervading Iraq just prior to the fall of the Sadam Husein regime and the occupation of Bagdad.

Synopsis: The storyline centers around Ako (Nazmi Kirik) a desperate young Kurdish husband and father who dreams of escaping his homeland with his wife Selma (Elle model Belcim Bilgin) and infant son to someplace far away from the violence, death and hopelessness that has enveloped his country. When he is forced into the military and sent to the front line he waits for his chance to escape and his chance comes with the death of another soldier. He is assigned to escort the body back to the deceased mans family with the help of an Arab taxi driver. It's during their long drive that Ako makes his quest for freedom a reality.

Critique: While this film is rather lacking in entertainment value it does...





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V/H/S/2 [DVD+Blu-ray]

"No Safe Haven From The Ghosts, Zombies, and Aliens"
I can't lie, I absolutely loved "V/H/S [DVD]" so checking out part 2 for me was a no brainer. This go around is definitely a step up from the first and brings us stories that deal with a man who receives a bionic eye implant that lets him see ghosts "Clinical Trials", a bike ride in the park as a zombie outbreak occurs "A Ride In The Park", a trip to a religious cult "Safe Haven" and a sleepover that results in alien abduction "Alien Abduction Slumber Party". As I watched it seemed to me that each segment just got better and better except I wish they would of switched the last two segments with "Safe Haven" being the final tape before the wrap around.

"Clinical Trials" directed by Adam Wingard "A Horrible Way to Die" takes us into the last days of a man who receives a bionic eye implant due from damage to his original eye as part of...

Ghosts, Zombies, Cults, and Aliens... A Terrifying and Creative Horror Anthology...
(The following review may have potential spoilers, although most descriptions are as brief as possible.)

V/H/S 2 is a found-footage horror anthology. "Tape 49" is the frame story which follows two private investigators searching for a missing college student. When they arrive at the house, they find and view several VHS tapes hoping to track the young student. Instead, they find the following short movies:

"Clinical Trials Phase 1" follows a man who has received a new eye after a car accident - an eye with a built-in camera. When he gets home, he begins to hallucinate - things are misplaced, odd figures are seen, etc. This story works superbly as a jump-scare ghost story. It uses great suspense and the claustrophobic tunnel-vision to create effectively unexpected and consistent jump-scares. Some of the visuals are also eerie, and very creative. The acting of the lead was a bit off at times as his dialogue delivery felt unnatural - he didn't seem frightened...

Awesome!
It's a fun film for someone with an interesting taste in the unusual. Anyone who is tired of watching a Saw film every year would love the uniqueness this film offers.

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The Night of Truth (La Nuit de la Verite) - Amazon.com Exclusive

Tragic consequences of a civil war
The Night of Truth DVD exemplifies the tragic aftermath of African civil wars on its people. Memories and recollections of the unjustified killings,amputations,mutilation and other horrors of the war can be an exceedingly difficult and painful challenge for both opponents after the war when peace,forgiveness and reconciliation become the issue to tackle which is absolutely necessary for the rehabilitation,stabilization and reconstruction of their country. This recollection of atrocities committed is an extremely difficult challenge particularly to those who lost their loved ones during the conflict,let alone when they find themselves face to face with the perpetrators of the ghastly deed committed on their friends or family. Forgive or not forgive, forgive and forget,forgive but not forget,etc,in a variety of "flavors" affront the victims of the war. The French language with English subtitles just makes this movie more authentic,more interesting and more true-to-life. That is how we...

Memorable, brutal, as a murderer begs forgiveness.
This 2004 film is not for the light-hearted, as it deals with the horrific atrocities happened through the last ten years with two different groups of people in Africa. And more recently, there was a brutal slaughter of people one night. The two groups in the African country the Nayak and the Bonandés, will come together one night for a celebration of peace, and we follow the activities in preparation for the celebration, anticipating peace after a decade.

Forgiveness
The wife of the President of the Nayak national army, Edna is not forgiving person, haunted by the knowledge that her young son was horrifically murdered by cutting off his testicles and stuffing them in his mouth. She feels her dead son is not at rest until his death is avenged. Will she, and can she forgive as she confronts the man who begs her forgiveness that he horrifically murdered her son?

The film is tense, and you cannot help but watch the entire length, as the events unfold,...

the light beyond the endless night
Subtly directed, beautifully written, breathtakingly executed. "The Night of the Truth" (La nuit de la vérité) is a fictional story of two ethnic groups who are sawing the seeds of reconciliation after a ten year civil war. But it could very well be the real story of Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone or Liberia. Possibly conceived for an African audience by the rising African director Fanta Régina Nacro, the message behind the movie is simple and considerate: an African solution for an Africa problem is what can and will work best for the African people.

The storyline is simple. The movie starts at dawn the day in which a reconciliation pact will be signed between two fictional ethnic groups the Bonandé and the Nayak. The camera acts as a silent intruder in the lives of the two main actors and orchestrators of the war: the Nayak president (Adama Ouédraougo) and the Bonandé rebel leader, Colonel Theo (Commandant Moussa Cissé)...

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Enough! (Bakarat!) - Amazon.com Exclusive

A Very Human Story Set Amidst Political Turmoil and Very Realistic.
This is a film about the political strife in Algeria during the 1990's, and its impact upon ordinary lives. Amel, a Westernized woman, is also a doctor married to a journalist who is missing. It is understood that this is related to a series of articles he published condemning the current political situation.

Together with another woman from the hospital where she works, Amel goes in search of her husband, whom she believes fundamentalists have kidnapped and hidden in a remote section of mountains. Amel's companion is also a veteran of the war with France, and tries to use her connections with her previous comrades to trace Amel's husband. Throughout the movie we watch how these highly educated women are abused by men and treated with no respect.

The film is beautifully made, the actors terrific and the Algerian scenery quite spectacular. The ending is a little ambiguous. Why the writer/director did that is not clear. The ending certainly does not add to...





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Buffalo Boy (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Excellent Movie!
I expected the movie to be slow, but it was quite fast and entertaining. I liked how the movie did not touch on any political agenda. This is the one to watch for the beautiful scenary and excellent cinematography. I am glad this Vietnamese movie was introduced to the world audience.

buffalo boy
It's amazing!! scenery of landscapes are great!!! Story is really sad and much reflecting from the colonized time of Vietnam. Also having chance to see the big scale of many buffalos when they moved for foods!!The sound of water is beautiful when the buffalos moved on... Should be seen!!

Beautiful scenery with its remarkable sounds.
If you are interested in watching scenes of rural Vietnam, this may serve to become one of your collection. The sounds of rivers and water buffaloes which are blended with the rural landscape appear to be in harmony which sometimes make the viewer feel that he is in there. Although the cinematography is well worth it,the plot is rather weak and some of the scenes appear dragging which reminds me of some articles in National Geographic Magazines. However, the actors and actresses I think did their part well. We would welcome more movies about Vietnam.

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Of Love and Eggs (Rindu Kami Padamu) - Amazon.com Exclusive

Review
While I anticipate 'Of Love and Eggs' will be too slow for many, if not most, viewers, others will find value in its humanity. Set in a working-class Muslim neighborhood in Jakarta, Indonesia, the film revolves around the lives of three children.

After a short introduction by Rindu (Raisa Pramesi), a deaf girl, the film opens with Bimo's story. Bimo (Sakurta H. Ginting) lives and works with his older brother, Seno, as an egg seller in the shop opened by their mother who is now deceased (along with their father). He longs for the love of a mother and in trying to win over the young woman who lives across the street and also happens to like his brother provides the comedic moments in the film.

The film then moves on to Asih (Putri Mulia) whose mother left her and her father to presumably escape the abuse from Asih's father. Asih struggles with the loss of her mother.

Most poignant of all is Rindu's story and her reaction to the fundamentalists'...





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16 & Pregnant: The Complete Second Season

i love 16 and pregnant
because its my favorite program. i watch it over and over. i enjoy whats going to happen next love watching the children as they grow

16 and Pregnant: Season 2, Part 1
I love this series. It gives you a brilliant look into the lives of young women aged 16, when they first get pregnant. It shows the decisions of keeping a baby and parenting, giving the baby up for adopotion. It catches the hard decisions of what they have to do now, learning that they are still teenages, but are also now moms. I recommend it for anyone that is thinking of having children, even if you are older than 16. It shows the impacts of life change so much, and it is worth a deffiant watch.



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Fill the Void

Moving Orthodox-Jewish family drama
"Fill the Void" (2012 release from Israel; 90 min.) brings a very intimate look into the world of Israel's ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community. As the movie opens, we get to know Shira, an 18 year old woman who is keeping her eyes open about her marriage options (she secretly has her eyes on a young man whom she meets from afar in the dairy section of the grocery store). We also get to know Shira's older sister Esther, who is nine months pregnant with her first-born and due any minute. Then disaster strikes and Esther dies in labor, leaving a big void to fill in the lives of her loved ones: her sister Shira, her mother, and of course her husband Yochay, not to mention the new-born baby. It's not long thereafter that Yochay is contemplating offers for a new marriage, including one from Belgium, as well as one from Frieda, a friend of Shira's and Esther's, and also Shira herself at the insistence of Shira's and Esther's mother. At this point we are only about 30 minutes into the movie...

What would you do?
I enjoyed this movie because it gave me food for thought. It posed basic ethical and consequence questions in a fresh and interesting way. What would you do if you were placed in a situation where your potential future well being and happiness came because of another's death? How much does family loyalty and cultural norms mean to you in the face of your personal truth and honor?

Shira, the would be new wife of her sister's dead husband is confronted with these ethical issues. The writer and actors masterfully show us the journey to the final decision. This movie is also a touching and sensitive snapshot of an orthodox jew's outlook on problem solving; such as the community involvement, family closeness (sometimes positive, sometimes negative) and going to G-D in prayer for help.

I say well done and worth watching a few times to enjoy the quiet messages and symbolism.

Family tensions are universal!
I know a real life story like the one in the film, so I was intrigued. First, there is the general yuck factor about the situation, a widower marrying his deceased wife's younger sister. In the film, the protagonists have to get over that. I admit, I can't, but it didn't interfere with my enjoying this thoroughly entrancing film. The characters are so richly portrayed (and well dressed) and the window into this closed world is lifted. Shira's ( the younger sister ) innocence and doubts never quite leave her, even in the final shot, but that is what drew me in. A wonderful portrait of a close knit family in conflict.

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Kept and Dreamless (Las Mantenidas Sin Sueos) - Amazon.com Exclusive

coming of age in Argentina
A film very similar to "Mas que a Nada en el Mundo" about a 9-year-old girl struggling to cope with her drug-dependent mother during Argentina's economic crisis. There is a certain amount of humour, but the situations are still fairly grim - the film opens with a sequence in which the mother takes the money her own mother has given her to have an abortion to pay off a drug-dealer. The girl's father is absent and her attempts to meet him form an important through-line in the film. To be classified with those many other films in which the daughter is more mature than the mother. Unrated but equivalent to 'M' for language, drug references, and sexual situations. There is one extraordinary scene towards the very end of the film in which the girl's grandmother teaches her to insert a pad - although the camera maintains a respectful distance, it is still a full frontal nude scene of a young girl exploring herself and may be offensive to delicate US sensibilities (but presumably perfectly...





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Luxury Car (Jiang Cheng Xia Ri) - Amazon.com Exclusive

A Rewarding Examination Of Family Bonds In Extraordinary Circumstances
A most unexpected pleasure, the complex "Luxury Car" manages to gracefully link crime drama to a tale of familial obligations. Quiet when needed, brutal at times--the film's most stunning success is in establishing a truly realistic portrait of a man and his adult daughter. A schoolteacher, filled with regret and sadness, arrives in the city to locate his estranged son. Instead, he reconnects with his daughter who is working for an escort service. These two give lovely performances highlighted as much by what is left unsaid as by unnecessary dramatics.

Covering life's compromises and sacrifices, this is a gentle, but tough, picture. As more and more truths are revealed, it will either tear the family apart or bring them closer. The daughter is involved with some unsavory characters and the answers she finds aren't always easy ones. Heartfelt and moving, I really liked the multi-layered successes in this picture. KGHarris, 5/11.

Social drama with style
Wang Chao's film, Luxury Car, is an assured realisation of a compelling story of contemporary China. The story takes on a modern cinema noir tone, with interesting interweaving characters. Just to what extent and how those character's lives are entwined leads us to the story's climax. The film is carried by the beautiful Tian Yuan, a prostitute (Yanhong) working in a karaoke bar in Wuhan. Yanhong is visited by her father who, at the request of his dying wife, is trying to find out what happened to their son (Yanhong's brother). The really surprising character is the old policeman, who offers to help the father find his son. Here is a film from a masterful film director which shines a dark light, not only into contemporary Chinese society, but more generally into the lives of the disconnected and fragmented people that make up all consumer-oriented societies. Luxury Car is not a Hollywood film; instead it is a humble but perfectly made story, rich in character and offering real...

Really Well-Made Movie About Relationships
I sat down to watch this movie, thinking that all I was going to see was communist propaganda or just be difficult to follow. Was I wrong...

A aging schoolteacher goes to the city of Wuhan to search for his son - his wife is dying of cancer and it is her last wish to have her son visit her before death. He stays with his daughter, who is (and I'm sort of unsure) either a call-girl, escort, or a prostitute at a nightclub. While he searches for his son with a local policeman, the daughter is (secretly) doing her "job." She is also the mistress of the club's boss (who owns the item of the movie's title), who is nothing but a thug. I will stop there, because it becomes better and more complex. The conclusions to the narrative and sub-stories make the movie excellent!

How these stories intertwine, characters develop, and narratives unfold is really, really good. I have seen many Chinese-made movies; this one has a truly Western feel to it. Of course, it is a...

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He's Way More Famous Than You

Cult Classic in the Making
Humor may not be for the faint of heart (kinda like Bridesmaids-extreme-type-comedy) but funny as all hell especially if you know anything about the movie industry! Crazy comedy that holds no punches, be prepared for a self-debasing laugh fest that doesn't take itself too seriously (and you shouldn't either). Destined to be a cult classic!

Horrible vanity project
Not sure what Halley Pfeiffer hoped to get from this but it does nothing but make her look awful. if there's a joke somewhere, I hope it's on her. Excruciatingly terrible film and an embarrassment for everyone involved.

He's Way More Famous Than You
incredible. so funny. laughed out loud for a long time. felt so uncomfortable, it actually made me have to go the bathroom. the last fifteen minutes are killer. feiffer is a genius. so is spahn. they wrote something so awkward and hysterical. do more!

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Playing for Time [Blu-ray]

GUT-WRENCHINGLY GOOD
THIS IS A STUNNING MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE. IT COULD NOT BE MORE DIFFERENT THAN SCHINDLER'S LIST, AND I FOUND IT MUCH MORE INVOLVING AND CONFRONTING. VANESSA REDGRAVE IS ABSOLUTELY RIVETING IN THE ROLE OF FANIA FENELONG, WHO BECOMES PART OF A BIZARRE ORCHESTRA AT AUSCHWITZ, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER WOMEN. THIS ORCHESTRA IS OF COURSE AT THE MERCY OF THEIR CAPTORS, AND THEY ARE EXPECTED TO PLAY LIKE VIRTUOSOS (LUCKILY, MOST OF THEM ARE), DESPITING THE FACT THAT THAY ARE OFTEN HUNGRY AND SICK. THE WHOLE CAST IS AMAZING AND THERE ARE SEVERAL MOVING AND VERY HUMAN SCENES INVOLVING A FEW OF THE GERMAN CAPTOR'S, ESPECIALLY ONE WOMAN IN PARTICULAR. AS TIME GOES ON, DIVISIONS OCCUR BETWEEN THE (MOSTLY) JEWISH WOMEN MAKING UP THE ORCHESTRA, AND FANIA BECOMES EVERYONE'S MENTOR. (EVEN THOUGH SHE DOESN'T MEAN TO). THE WHOLE FILM IS DARKLY REALISTIC, COMPLETE WITH MOUTH-SORES, SHAVED HEADS, GRIMY FACES AND SUNKEN-LOOKING EYES. A HAUNTING, RIVETING YET (SOMEHOW) UPLIFTING FILM, IT IS STUNNINGLY SHOT, AND...

Playing for time
Very haunting.Has always stayed in my mind after seeing it over 10 yrs. ago. The horrible part is that actually happened! Who,s to say similar events could not happen again? God help us! Everyone should see this incredible,stirring and factual film.

WHY NO DVD ???
THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PIECE THAT SHOULD NEVER BE LOST. PLEASE SOMEONE DIGITALLY REMASTER AND LET'S HAVE A DVD. THE SCRIPT AND THE PERFORMANCES ARE HAUNTING AND OFFER SO MUCH DEPTH TO A WORLD GONE MAD WITH THE PARADOX'S OF PERSECUTORS AND VICTIMS BECOMING CONFUSED AND DEADLY.

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The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition [Blu-ray]

Just want the Trilogy? This is for you
■■ Just a Heads-Up, Amazon has merged reviews for The Dark Knight Trilogy, and the Dark Knight Trilogy Ultimate Collector's Edition (UCE). This is a review for just the Dark Knight Trilogy. I also have a review for the UCE which can also be found here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3SINGTZGPMNK1/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00DUCXFUC&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=
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Disregard all the naysayers claiming this is a money grab. No, it's called having a choice. Not everyone wants the Super Duper Ultra Rare Limited Collector's Edition, that's often filled with a bunch of useless physical items. Some people just want to have the trilogy and nothing more. For $30 (currently), you get just that, and even a little bit more.

You get the following in the Blu-ray edition:

Disc 1: Batman Begins Feature Film
Disc 2: The Dark Knight Feature Film
Disc 3: The Dark Knight...

Excellent
Just got mine in the mail. It does indeed come with UltraViolet copies of all 3 movies!

It also comes with:
A 64 page excerpt from "The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy."

Batman Begins: 1 disc (Movie and special features together)
The Dark Knight: 2 discs (Movie and special features are separate)
The Dark Knight Rises: 2 discs (Movie and special features are separate)

And a code for discounted memorabilia. I will be posting some pictures soon.

Hope this helps!

A Trilogy That Is Going To Be Hard To Live Up To


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Psycho II (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

A darn fine (and worthy) sequel
How can you top the original PSYCHO?

You can't.

But you can do it justice, and PSYCHO II accomplishes that. Its most important key to success, coming over 20 years after the first film, is the return of the same performers - Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and the HOUSE. Using the same exact house/motel set lends this sequel incalculable credibility and continuity. Without it, the movie probably would have been "just another sequel."

Perkins is simply outstanding as Norman (gotta love the way he says "cu- u- utlery") and Meg Tilly and Robert Loggia are nicely cast in their roles. The plot has a nice handful of twists throughout, and a whopper of an afterthought ending. Jerry Goldsmith provides a fine score, wisely avoiding the temptation to mimic Herrmann's original.

The DVD presentation is full-frame, but DON'T let that stop you from buying it. The film is open-matte, which means a widescreen version would simply MASK the top and bottom. In other...

Excellent, scary sequel. Shout! Factory ...another class act.
This blu ray is very well done. The box says 4.0 but is really 5.1 DTS-HD MA. This is an excellent horror sequel, the returning and new cast is great and the script, cinematography, music, and direction is top notch. The blu ray has extras a really good picture and audio. Very pleased, as I have been with all Shout!(Scream) Factory purchases: Piranha, Halloween II, The Fog, The Howling and now Psycho II.

As good as sequels get.
The original "Psycho," a classic in the great tradition of Hitckcock's many films, brought so much to the world of movies that it was hard to imagine that any sequel to a movie as stupendous as this would be any good. Sequels, especially those of the horror genre, tend to be very trite and uninvolving, which is why, after watching "Psycho II," I was in a state of shock over how good it actually was. Of course, it's not Hitchcock, and will never live up to the caliber of the first film, but for what it's worth, it gets its formula right and keeps it right.

The movie picks up many years later, after the horrific murders at the Bates Motel, and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) has just been released back into the world despite harsh protest from Lila Crane (Vera Miles), the sister who stopped at nothing to find her sister, Bates's shower victim. He returns to the motel, a drug-ridden sex house run by a sleazy man, and to his home, the place where his mental problems...

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Trekkies

Are You A Trekkie?
You might want to watch this documentary before you answer that question. Before I saw this film, I classified myself as a Trekkie. Boy was I wrong. The Trekkies in this movie are extreme. I don't even own one uniform, let alone two or three, and I've never been to a convention. This did not prevent me from enjoying this film. Denise Crosby, who "stars" in the documentary, visits several Trekkies, mostly at a convention in Pasadena, CA, and talks with many of the cast members of the various shows. The interviews with Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, James Doohan and DeForest Kelley about the first Trek conventions are great fun, as are the interviews with later cast members about the endurance of the franchise's popularity. The best interview is perhaps the one with Brent Spiner, who makes some rather amusing comments about fan artwork. Never does the film present the fans as objects of ridicule; rather, it is an attempt to...

An Interesting Subculture
Although I've watched many of the countless episodes of the original Star Trek and all of its spin-offs, as well as viewed most of the films, I wouldn't consider myself a big fan of Star Trek. Outside of the major characters and a few of the ships, I don't remember many names of planets, alien races, etc. As a matter of fact I really didn't have much interest in watching this film until I happened upon it one day on cable.

It honestly amazed me at how serious some people take this juggernaut that is "Star Trek." Some of the folks documented here seemed to be pretty normal, excepting the fact that they carry a phaser around with them. Others were just a little bit too serious for my taste, such as the lady who is addressed by her rank of "commander" at work and the man who has flirted with the idea of getting Vulcan ear implants.

With that stated, however, there are plenty of people out there who obsess over other things a little too much as well. For...

the point is made
This documentary really shows how ST has ingrained itself in all levels of the culture. At some point during this DVD, I was a little concerned for some of the individuals involved, but gradually by the end of the film reminded myself that the point of the ST universe is acceptance of all.

These people's passion drives them to be better people, and thats something no one should criticize. While bizarre at times, the people in the film follow Roddenberry's guidelines for life - were the world to do so, I doubt we would face most of the problems we now deal with globally.

The need to belong manifests itself in different ways for different people. ST is clearly an outlet for a rather large group to be a part of something larger than themselves. They don't hurt anyone doing it. They embrace different cultures and ways of life. They support each other with a common belief.

Who can argue with that?

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Leaving Limbo

What if you were in a coma for 19 years?
I really enjoyed watching this movie which had a lot to do with people who only thought about themselves. It is a good family movie without typical Hollywood language or sexual scenes. The story was very good and kept us wondering how it would end. There was a lot of forgivenss needed for a lot of people in the story. It showed what can happen when someone is dishonest.

Leaving Limbo
I'm so glad I watched this DVD! It is a story about accepting the life we are given, trusting in the path we travel, and having faith that our journey will lead us where we need to be.



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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - The Fourteenth Year

Two of the Best Episodes of the Entire Series are in Season 14
Y'all know me. I love Law & Order more than my luggage, especially the Lennie Briscoe Years. And I've been an avid fan of SVU since the very first episode aired. After 14 Seasons, I'm still hooked. (Besides, Ice T looks and speaks just like my older brother, which makes me almost all sentimental.)

Law & Order: SVU may be the last of the Law & Order franchise standing, but it's definitely not the least. The writers are pushing envelopes that are uncomfortable and scary, and the effect is thought-provoking. Season 14 gives us two of the stand-out episodes of the entire *series* -- "Monster's Legacy" and "Born Psychopath." I'd buy the entire season on DVD for just these two episodes; but there's so much more, including.... Wait for it... Drum roll, please...The Return of Criminal Intent's Detective Eames. Oh, yeah.

SVU has always been a personality-driven series, but this year, we finally see "behind the curtain" and into the character's private worlds in-depth...

Enter Barba
Previously on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; A dead hooker was found in a penthouse, an old face returns and a dead hooker ends up in Captain Cragen's bed. What follows is a two-part episode conclusion and the best season opener since season 2. Raul Esparza has a recurring role as ADA Barba. The most gutsy ADA since Micheal Cutter. Also there are familiar faces that show up. Some that haven't been on for a while like Detective Cassidy and Dr. Olivet. And one familiar face from the Law & Order universe shows up for the first time on SVU. Katherine Erbe makes a guest appearance as Alex Eames who is now a Lieutenant in charge of an Anti-Terrorist Task Force. It is something a true Law & Order fan has been waiting for since Criminal Intent's debut. Some form of an SVU/CI crossover. The real-life stories that influenced the episodes were some of the biggest and tragic events that took place over this past year. Season 14 is a great season whether or not you're a fan Law & Order, SVU,...

GREAT SEASON
4 THOSE OF U WHO WANT 2 KNOW WHEN SEASON 15 COMES OUT ON NBC, IT'S SEPTEMBER 25TH. THIS FOURTEENTH SEASON WAS GREAT AND I WILL ORDER THE DVD RELEASE THIS FALL. 2 BAD WE HAVE A WHOLE 'NOTHER YEAR B-4 WE CAN GET SEASON 15 ON DVD, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN RECORD THE ENTIRE SEASON ON TV AND KEEP IT UNTIL THE DVD COMES OUT.AS FAR AS SEASON 14, I'M DEFINATELY NOT SPENDING 42.00 4 IT. I'LL WAIT UNTIL THE PRICE GOES DOWN A BIT.

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A Musical Journey: Italy

a reissue
While I like this DVD, it is identical in music and visual content to one released years ago. It should have been marked as such by NAXOS.





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Hannibal: Season One [Blu-ray]

A Psychological Slow Burn: A Show That Stays Remarkably True To The Legacy Of Hannibal Lecter
I think it's fair to say that Hannibal Lecter became an American horror icon for most people with the Oscar winning film "The Silence of the Lambs." Personally, I discovered Lecter back in 1981 when author Thomas Harris introduced him in "Red Dragon." As a kid, I read this novel with a sick fascination and it was easily the scariest book I had read up until that point. Michael Mann adapted it into the film "Manhunter" in 1986 with character actor Brian Cox in the Lecter role, but it wasn't until 1991 and Anthony Hopkins that Lecter became incredibly popular. Hopkins revisited the role with another interpretation of "Red Dragon" and then "Hannibal," and has owned the role ever since. When I heard that NBC was helming a drama based on Lecter, I thought it was a disastrous idea! Network television is no such place for such evil! But I must say that the program has far exceeded my rather limited expectations. Created as a prequel to the events of "Red Dragon," the show has a...

Fascinating
Its hard not to compare this show to the Following with Kevin Bacon. On the surface, they're very similar. Tortured main character, gruesome murders, creepy psychopaths. Yet, they are, in essence, nothing alike. Bacon's character is a cliche. Will Graham, the protagonist in Hannibal, is so beautifully drawn, I can't take my eyes off him. He is a "special investigator" with the FBI. Those who work with him see him as fragile, so much so that they all seem to be holding their collective breath, waiting for him to shatter. The thing that makes him weak in their eyes is his stunning depth of empathy. This is how he solves crimes. Hannibal Lecter, a psychologist (and future notorious psychopath) who works with the FBI and Graham, has a different perspective. When Graham asks "how do you see me?", Lecter replies, you are "the mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by."

The production quality is high, the supporting cast is great. The show is smartly written.

I Savor This Show
Absolutely brilliantly done with a cast of characters whose acting talents are far superior to nearly every other on network television. You cannot surpass the level of depth of character development, the writing, where as they discuss real theories of psychology; build up, and character development between Will Graham and Dr. Lecter is unlike anything else on television and cannot be done with a movie.

Eventually we will view shows like this one not to be just a show, but rather a series of movies, each telling a story, where at one point a 2 hour movie will not be enough anymore to satisfy our palate for something as savory as this series.

This will become a classic.

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Something in the Air

Assayas' Rich Evocation of the World That Shaped Him
Something in the Air (aka Apres Mai), 2012: As the French title suggests, this film is less about the spirit of 1968 than about the slow but sure dissolution of that spirit. Assayas sets his film in the Paris of 1971 and focuses on a group of high school students whose main form of entertainment is covering their school grounds with revolutionary posters and graffiti at night. Assayas captures the excitment the kids feel when printing subversive literature and riding their mopeds to the site of yet another of their revolutionary night raids, but its also clear that he views them as hopelessly privileged and therefore more than one step (and social class) removed from the realities of working class conditions and revolution. The film is supposedly about Assayas' own youth but if this is a memoir it is an extremely strange one because we never get very close to the main character, Gilles. Its as if Assayas wants to revisit the era but is hesitant to revisit (or reveal much about) his...





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Legacy: Leonard Bernstien

A Loving Documentary and Performance of 'Enigma Variations'
If there is a more quintessential British composer than Elgar, I don't know who it is. And if there is a more quintessential work by Elgar than his 'Enigma Variations' the same holds true. Here we have, with Sir Andrew Davis conducting the BBC Symphony, not only a fine performance of the work, but also a documentary about the piece itself featuring Davis who tells us much about each of the people who inspired the individual variations while wandering about the beautiful Malvern Hills, Elgar's home, the Worcester Cathedral and environs. He elucidates the nature of the relationships between Elgar and his subjects. Periodically there are appropriate short film clips from the early years of the twentieth century including some of the composer himself. There is a particularly amusing clip, skillfully synchronized with the music, featuring several dogs running and jumping into a brook and back out again, while Davis talks about Elgar's friend G. R. Sinclair's bulldog, Dan...

Andrew Davis and the Elgar Enigma Variations
Since I teach a course in English music of the 19th and 20th centuries, this dvd came as a true boon. Andrew Davis'commentary on the "friends pictured within" and the composition of the work along with musical examples are splendid. The only negative I can come up with is the attempt to "bridge the gap" of 100 years by using actors in spots doing skits that were meant to interpret the music. This seemed an unworthy effort of a production that speaks for itself quite well. One portion of the dvd is commentary with music; the other a full performance in Elgar's Worcester Cathedral. There is also some historic footage of Elgar with his dogs. This is an absolute must for those interested in this landmark work.

An interesting life portrayed through a musical essay
One of the most interesting of Elgar's compositions is his Enigma Variations. Most of us have heard this work played and initially wondered who these people were. There is no better "essay" than Sir Andrew Davis' DVD with his hypnotic lesson by word and piano followed by his rendition with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. This is a DVD that is to be played more than once just to appreciate what Andrew Davis' lesson to each of us has been. All of us will hear the same thing but each of us will see and hear in a different context. One should be so lucky as I have been to hear Davis in an orchestral rehearsal and a voice Master Class. A truly great communicator.

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Halloween Home Haunts [Blu-Ray]

These Are Some Folks Truly Dedicated To Scaring Others!
Halloween gets a bad rap. Sure, maybe it has some unfortunate relation to some pagan celebration or some such thing. And, yeah, maybe there's much ado about witches and ghosts and goblins and trolls and such. Still, more and more, adults are branching out into all witches' hallow (or is that hollow?), taking it over from the kiddies (to a degree) and turning it into an even bigger cause for celebration. This DVD from Apprehensive Films and TheGrindhouse.net explores the three levels of dedicated Halloweening homeowners: from display to haunted properties all the way up to full-fledged separate businesses.

HALLOWEEN HOME HAUNTS is a modestly produced documentary that explores some of the `why' and `how' folks are drawn to their particular fascinations with October 31. It goes into some detail on some of the more prolific decorators - explaining how they accomplish what they do in transforming their suburban lawns into wonderfully horrific displays of the Undead. In its...

Entertaining Documentary
If you live anywhere near civilization, you probably already know that Halloween, for some people, is as popular as Christmas. Some folks will go to great lengths and expense to turn their houses and property into graveyards, ghost-filled hospitals, haunted mine-shafts, and just about any other scary backdrop you can think of. These are the people that make Halloween fun for adults. In HALLOWEEN HOME HAUNTS, we get a closer look at a few of these `home-haunters', and we get to see firsthand how they put together their attractions.

My buddy Hayes over at Hayes Hudson's House of Horror is one of these home-haunters, although he doesn't take it to the extreme like some of the folks in this documentary. This group of people might be called obsessive, although the results of their passion can clearly be seen in the crowds they draw.

HALLOWEEN HOME HAUNTS is shot well and looks good onscreen. The format of the documentary is more of an interview-style than an...

Not what I was hoping for.
I first sumbled onto this film by seeing a trailer on YouTube and( then later heard it on Hauntcast). The trailer looked really promising so I ordered "Halloween Home Haunts"

I must say that I was really looking forward to this little indie film. But soon after the movie started my heart started to sink. The documentary has a host and he's in every scene during an interview. (It reminds me more of a local News Report interview than a documentary)
The interviews are sadly dull and boring due to the fact that it has really nothing to do with the hardship of setting up the haunt or the pressure to make a prop in time for the Holiday. It's just the person gloating over their Yard/Home Haunt. Then after the interview it show the haunt with no one in it. But the problem in showing to Haunt is whoever filmed the Haunts didn't keep a flow of continuity. In all of the Haunts I had no idea where props were in comparison to others. (I've seen people doing a quick run of their...

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Shanghai Calling

An Enjoyable Way to Pass Two Hours
SHANGHAI CALLING is an entertaining "fish-out-of-water" romantic comedy, an American-Chinese co-production.

Daniel Henney plays a hotshot young Chinese-American attorney, born and bred in New York City. Hoping to make partner after winning a major case for his law firm, he is, instead, sent to Shanghai where he doesn't speak the language, nor is he comfortable with the culture. It also appears that he is about to blow a billion dollar deal for a major client of his firm.

Written and directed by Daniel Hsia, SHANGHAI CALLING has a likeable cast, which includes Eliza Coupe, Alan Ruck and Bill Paxton, as well as several amusing sequences. However, watching the film, I couldn't help thinking that it could have been much better had it not been a Chinese-American co-production.

Before I create an international incident, I should explain.

First, much of the dialogue in the movie is in Chinese, which is okay, but the subtitles are so small and...

New look at new China
As my wife and I watched this movie we realized how little we knew about modern China. By the end of the movie we also realized that people are people, both for good and not. Great characters and humor. Hint, by the end of the movie you will be cheering for the common, friendly Chinese. Loved it and will add it to our video library.

Cute movie
This was a funny movie. Very amusing. Asian American who is very American gets sent to Shanghai to work, and he didn't want to go.

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Britain From The Air: Building Britain

Fantastic photography..!
These "from the air" series of videos are fantastic for their excellent photography. They either used a very slow plane or a helicopter to get thees shots. From a "travel" point of view these videos show the best tourist attractions and the beauty of the country. I highly recommend these videos. Some can be previewed on your local PBS channel or Travel channel..(National Geographic, Discovery, etc)......





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Savannah

Although not yet in general release, saw this one on August 1, 2013
Actor Jim Caviezel was the name that grabbed my attention and convinced me to pay to watch this movie when it appeared in the on demand menu of my television. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Sam Shepard and Hal Holbrook also had roles in this film. I viewed it on August 1 , 2013 even though I wasn't expecting it to be available yet.

The film, based on true events, focuses on the true story of Ward Allen, a highly educated man who turned his back on conventional life - and his inheritance - to live freely on the Savannah River, hunting ducks and avoiding many of the "rules" of so-called polite society. He is accompanied by his long time friend, Christmas Moultrie (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Ward isn't afraid to offend those who try to get in his way, from government officials to the elite who think that duck hunting is a light diversion.His honest and open manner attracts the attention of a society woman, Lucy (Jaimie Alexander). She is equally out-spoken, somewhat...

Legends of the Fall in early 20th c. Savannah
Love story and tale about about yearning for a simple life involving an uncompromising outdoorsman, his aristocratic wife, and his freedman lifelong pal. Well told, great footage, beautiful scenery. It's not quite as good as Legends of the Fall, but it's the same kind of movie, set in the South in the early 1900's. Brought me to tears many times.

Quite Sad
The premise of this movie, in my opinion, is that utopias never last. Ward Allen was in his own utopia in the early years of the century as a hunter of ducks for market in Savannah, Georgia. Although he was Oxford educated from a family of means, he chose to live totally opposite the values of the rich. This movie is based on the true story of his life. His two close companions who helped fell and collect these ducks were a freed slave named Christmas, who lived to be 95, and a beautiful chocolate retriever named Rock. The movie was beautifully shot in Savannah, Georgia, with Jim Caviezel as Ward. He put his heart into the project with a well done portrayal.

The love developing between a privileged woman named Lucy and Ward seemed to be rushed. You see them making love on a hardwood floor (wow!), then quickly proceeding to be married. Lucy is then mortified to see her husband drunk either on a horse or in a bar (he loved whiskey). Check out how he sweet talks her to letting...

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Scenic Route [Blu-ray]

Kafkaesque Buddy Survival Flick
In the 20th century the term, "Kafkaesque" was commonly used to describe literature and films that were reminiscent of the writings of Franz Kafka. The term seems to have dropped out of common usage in the current century. Scenic Route should rightfully bring it back. Here we have a film that gets under the skin and leaves a transcendental bruise on the psyche.

Reviewers on other sites have noted Josh Duhamel's incredible depth in performance. He certainly has proven his chops as a serious actor in this role. However, Dan Fogler's performance was equally if not more impressive. Fogler's cherubic style as seen in such role's as Franklin in the Hannibal TV series is also present in Scenic Route. But Fogler goes even further here as he explores more dark elements of man's depravity.

Indeed, this film in general considers not only the evils man is capable of but just how close the darkness is to the surface. You may watch this film and question how easily you...

A fantastic movie that is very much worth seeing but won't get the audience that it deserves. I highly recommend. I say A-
"You stage a breakdown in the middle of the desert so we can talk?!" Mitchell (Duhamel) and Carter (Fogler) are best friends we have started to drift apart when they decide to go for a ride. When the truck they are in breaks down in the middle of a desert they start to argue about the directions their lives have taken. The argument starts to escalate and their friendship is pushed to its limits. Before I start I have to admit that the plot doesn't seem exciting or interesting at all but this is a perfect example of you can't judge a book by it's cover. While the plot isn't all that intriguing the acting is so brilliant that it gives the movie a tenseness and excitement that the idea alone can not. You really begin to feel for the friends and are so invested in them that you find yourself living and dying with them with every passing minute. It's to talk to much about the events without giving something away because each event builds on the one before it but I will say that this was a...

Stirs the Emotions
I enjoyed this movie. I hope it's a big commercial success because people need the message that it conveys, it seems to me. It's about friendship, anger (even murderous anger), betrayal, and survival. That's a lot for a cast of two to handle; the few others in the film played no significant role.

Two men, about thirty years old, find themselves stranded along an isolated stretch of desert road. One of the men, Carter (Dan Fogler) decided to take this remote route as a way to spend some time with his long-time buddy, Mitchell (Josh Duhamel). Their friendship goes back many years, but in recent times the two have grown distant.

Carter's old pickup truck dies on them. It dies in the wrong place: the nearest town appears to be sixty miles away. Lesson: stay on the main drag if you're driving through an area that looks like the surface of the moon.

It's very hot by day and bitter cold by night. They run out of water. It becomes an ordeal. And the two men...

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This Is The End

One of the funniest movies of the past few years: Laugh out loud, ridiculous fun.
With the amount of talent this has lined up, it would be strange if it was not a good time at the movies. Based on a short film called Jay & Seth vs. the Apocalypse, this movie ups the ante in every sense of the word. The comedy you have come to expect from Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride is top notch. The rest of the cast, all playing themselves, is also played perfectly. Injected with horror in fact, some right out of famous horror films like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, this movie also brings the scares and gore, although it never loses sight that it is a comedy, first and foremost.

When Jay comes to LA to party with Seth, they end up hitting a party at James Franco's new, druglord-type mansion. All the celebrities are there: the main cast of 6 mentioned above, Michael Cera, Rihanna, and others that I won't spoil the cameos for. Then, it comes to a crashing halt when the party is stopped by the oncoming End of...

Had its moments
Michael Cera's part and the argument between Danny McBride and James Franco regarding the "soiled" dirty-magazine, made this movie worth at least a rental.

All Good Comedians Go to Heaven
During the movie Paul, Seth Rogen (as Paul) spends much of the time making the case that there is no God. During This is the End, the Book of Revelation, the apocalypse according to the Bible, is played out by Rogen and a bunch a actors playing themselves with a ton of funny cameos. Okay, the movie doesn't exactly follow Scripture, but the implication of the righteous being saved while the sinners go to Hell is loud, clear and hilariously well done.

James Franco is having a Hollywood house party. His house is full of actors that you'd expect to see in a Seth Rogen film, along with some surprises. In what initially looks like another stoner movie about...well getting stoned...things get really crazy when the ground opens up and literally all Hell breaks loose. The 6 guys on the cover of the promo on this product page are left in Franco's house, and must figure out if there is a way out of the apocalypse,...

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The Mentalist: The Complete Fifth Season

You wouldn't want to miss this season
The fifth season of the Mentalist will take you even deeper into Patrick Jane's world. With the capture of Lorelei Martins, Jane is determined to use her in order to find Red John's real identity. Jane uses his wits, honesty, and even deceptions in attempts to "convert" Lorelei. We also get to see more glimpses of Jane's pasts, and (perhaps) learn more about Red John's background. In this season, Jane is more reckless, cunning, and charming than ever.

This season also explored deeper into the personal lives of the CBI team. Lisbon has her own nemesis, a criminal who she is more determined to catch than any other criminal. During this chase, she becomes quite obsessed with catching him. No doubt, she understood Jane's obsession with Red John more now that she, too, has someone who she wanted to catch so badly. As for other members, we get to see more of their personal lives as well: Cho and Summer; Rigsby and Van Pelt; and Rigsby and his father. These episodes allow us to...

Mentalist
This show is not your average cop show. The show is based in Sacramento, Ca., and I'm happy that some of it is actually filmed there. No doubt CBI's headquarters is filmed in L.A.'s film studios.

Yes this show did start off with Jane tracking down Red John - his wife and daughter's killer. Jane is still trying to catch this illusive serial killer. And having copy cats and "helpers" doesn't really help Jane get any closer to Red John. But for the past 5 seasons, this show has done a good job in showing that Patrick Jane has matured. He can be both obsessed in finding Red John AND being able to function in other activities: I.e. helping Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) investigate crimes. His job is after all a paid consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Simon Baker plays a really good "mentalist" in this show. "Mentalist" in Patrick Jane's perspective as an admitted fraud to psychic powers. I liked how he commented in one show how there...

CBI and the FBI Fight over a Red John Witness
In the fifth season opener, the CBI and FBI join forces to cover up the mess created when the FBI botched a CBI mission to capture Red John and a CBI agent is brutally murdered. Bertram is back playing politics with his FBI counterpart, and Patrick Jane is determined to crack captured Red John disciple Lorelei (EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI). The case of the week is a doozy - a double homicide with no apparent connection between the two victims. When the CBI and FBI are forced to play nice and investigate the double homicide together, Jane uses his skills to solve the case and to force the FBI to relinquish custody of Lorelei. Great start to the season.

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Slacker (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

The Film that truly defines life itself!!
Richard Linklater was always spawning ideas about our society and why do we live this way when we should take action. In his first film, Slacker, Linklater focuses on forty different college dropouts and their lives. This is a film I can't really explain to you. It's not necessarily a story, but more of a documentary on urban city life in Austin, Texas. The characters being portrayed are usually non-socialists who happen to drop by different groups and what discussions they come across. Linklater does a supreme job of capturing moments of thought processes and characters with flaws. He also happens to do many one shots in where the camera focuses on that one person and then progresses to the next even if it's only a few minutes. What I really love about this film is how it explains life itself. How our conspiracies form over time. How our obsessions are a part of us, and never falter because it's the only thing that makes us something. It's a highly recommended film that I believe the...





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Daddy I'm a Zombie

Stupid
My 9 year old daughter watched it and it was terrible, very random ,and it is a knock off of Tim burton. More of a teenage drama movie than a scary Tim burton movie that you would think it would be like. It is a waste of money don't get it.

Very cool
Daddy, I'm a Zombie is fantastic movie for children. My 7 year-old daughter and 9 year-old son loved it and I felt good about them watching a movie with a great message. The animation was also pretty good and characters colorful and endearing. Wish the rest of the films in this genre were as wonderful. Thanks!

amazing
i loved this movie it reminded me of tim burton all over again i love the animation and the charters wow it was colorful and semi gothic thats what i am and i loved it.

i will tell everyone of my friends to watch this when it comes out on DVD its that good.

i love the zombie girl awesome plus i might give this to my dad for fathers day or mabie just for myself i love this stuff its amazing i wish tim burton saw this he would be impressed with the animators of this movie.

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The Wolf Man [Blu-ray]

Monster Movie Heaven comes in a long-overdue deluxe edition
If you've been keeping up with the DVD releases of Universal Monsters, you might already know this is the 3rd time The Wolf Man has been released in the past 10 years. But this new deluxe 2-disc edition should prove to be the definitive release. In addition to a spectacular restoration (which is still not quite perfect, but probably the best the film will ever look on home video), there is an exhaustive array of bonus features. Actually, only two of them are new, but when added to the already excellent extras carried over from previous releases, this is simply a must-have for anyone with even a slight interest in the film.

But let's take a quick look at the film itself. The Wolf Man has always been my favorite Universal Monster. I think it's the combination of Curt Siodmak's poetic and gothically romantic screenplay, and the Everyman performance of Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot. Chaney will perhaps forever reside in the shadow of contemporaries like Karloff and...

The birth of Universal's most tragic monster character
Among the pantheon of classic Universal monsters, only Dracula and Frankenstein's monster stand taller than The Wolf Man. This 1941 classic starring Lon Chaney, Jr., is a must-see for anyone claiming any interest in horror movies. The film has exerted a huge influence on the art of bringing horror to life for over six decades now, thanks to the heralded make-up prowess of Jack Pierce, the tight and powerful script of Curt Siodmak, some impressive photography work, and wonderful performances from a truly stellar cast of actors and actresses.

There is just something different about The Wolf Man; I have a hard time viewing him as a monster Larry Talbot is a thoroughly sympathetic and tragic character. Dracula loves being a vampire, Frankenstein's monster is just an unfortunate victim of circumstance whose various body parts have already lived full lives, but Larry Talbot desperately hates the monster he has become. He's already a sympathetic character, coming home after eighteen...

Universal Fans Drop Everything and GET DVD ALREADY!
When Universal started putting out the classic monsters on DVD this fall, I just knew I'd have to wait a long time for the underappreciated Wolf Man. But no! On the heels of the OUTSTANDING discs of Frankenstein, The Bride & The Mummy comes another first-class offering. Like the others, THE WOLF MAN contains an excellent documentary as well as the trailer and a commentary track by a film historian. The print of the film is gorgeous. I don't care what your age is or when you first saw this amazing film, if you're a horror fan you simply must own this one.

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Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Exploitation? Quite Unfair
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the fourth feature film by British director Stephen Daldry. Daldry emerged in 2000 with his beautifully written drama Billy Elliot. He followed with progressively less impressive efforts (The Hours and The Reader) but still gave a decent effort with every new try. This film is written by Eric Roth (the writer of Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and produced by mega-producer Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men). The film is based on the book of the same name...

A Boy's Quest in EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE
A Boy's Quest in EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Ambitious in concept, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is the love story of a troubled boy whose bond with his father transcends death and events beyond his understanding. Director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Hours) has put together an interesting study in post trauma and rediscovery. It doesn't always work, but it still registers on an emotional level.

A funeral signals the death of a family member and a boy's alienation to the world. In flashbacks, Oskar (Thomas Horn), who has trouble communicating and may have Asperger Syndrome, adores his father (Tom Hanks) who challenges him with riddles and treasure hunts to meet people outside his apartment. Both father and mother (Sandra Bullock) are loving parents, and the world becomes an interesting laboratory for exploration and discovery. Life is idyllic until 9/11 when everything changes and Oskar is witness to his father's last moments trapped in one of the...

A Different Coming of Age Story
Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) shares an incredibly close relationship with his father, Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks). Oskar is an extraordinary child who has some very particular social quirks. His list is rather extensive and it's revealed that he was once tested for Asperger's Syndrome. However, Thomas Schell spends a great amount of time with his son and does everything he can to help him overcome his fears. However, on September 11, 2001 as the world changes forever, tragically so does the life of Oskar and his mother, Linda (Sandra Bullock), as Thomas was in the second tower of the World Trade Center when it fell. Linda attempts to move on with life, but Oskar refuses to move forward. A year later, he accidently destroys a blue vase while rummaging through his father's closet and discovers a key in an envelope simply marked "Black". Thomas constantly played games with Oskar and led him on journeys around the city, hiding clues and prizes in the most unexpected places. Oskar is convinced...

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Bystander Theory

An indy thriller that doesn't disappoint
This is the sort story-driven piece that Hollywood should take note of. Great pacing and a tight script make this independent stand out from the usual dialogue-chewing hipster pap that dominates the indy film scene.
It's a good little mystery with some JFK conspiracy, action, and suspense thrown in for good measure. The cast has a nice mix of newcomers and veteran character actors that you may recognize...most notably Brad Leland of Friday Night Lights fame as the grizzled host of a conspiracy radio program a la Coast to Coast AM.

It's not perfect, but strong performances, some complex plot twists, and a lot of heart go a long way to make this a strong first entry for writer/director Tony Zavaleta.
Recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film!!
I was very entertained by this compelling and provocative take on the mystery of the JFK assassination. Inspired by actual people and events the story has so many dynamic twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this film if you love history and enjoy a great mystery/suspense film.

Great movie.
As someone who has researched the JFK assassination, I enjoy movies based around its history. This movie is an intelligently scripted mystery/thriller with the assassination back story. The movie is based in Austin and Brockmeyer Tx, making for great scenery (what can I say, I love Tx). The twists and turns will keep you guessing throughout the movie. Happy to own it and will watch again.

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