Sunday, October 13, 2013

Lucifer and the Magus



Well Duh!
An "amateur" film would of course not be a Hollywood movie. This is a nano-budget movie with high aspirations. Many aspects of this movie are in direct comparison with so-called Hollywood movies. Merely because there is no Hollywood budget doesn't make it less than the regurgitation from Hollywood that has money behind it. The story is important in this one, or at least the conversation between Lucifer and the Magus. Why do you think it was called that?

Basically, comparing a low-budget movie to a Hollywood production is completely bogus. People want to tell a story and don't necessarily want to make a cookie-cutter/formula movie, like Hollywood does, especially now with the re-makes (because they can't get good creative stories?), but those newbie productions can't get Hollywood backing. Why is that wrong? I have seen all sorts of bad movies coming from budgets, and from Hollywood.

Just because it comes from Hollywood doesn't make it a good movie. Some...

An Amateur Production
This is an amateur production of some sort, that does not resemble a Hollywood film in any way. I bought it based on the very high reviews given this 16 minute short film, on imdb.com, & I'm sorry I wasted my money on it.

Although the persons involved seem to have made an earnest attempt at film making, it falls far short on all of the normal criteria by which a movie is judged, & nothing new or different is presented here, in terms of plot, action, or dialog.

As a film, I give it 1*, & I add 1* because I think the persons involved made a sincere effort while lacking professional film-making skills.

It may have some appeal to a younger audience (perhaps 10-14 years of age?), but as an adult film, there is little to recommend it.



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Saturday, October 12, 2013

Faces of Findhorn



A great document!
This film delves into the place, the founders and the people that made it so magical. A must see for any individual that is interested in permaculture or sustainable living.

A good introduction...
This film provides a good introduction to the Findhorn community, and provides insight into both the accomplishments and struggles that the group faced as they grew into a larger organization.

The film makers also did an excellent job of providing an egalitarian view of the individuals involved in the Findhorn project, and gave equal face time to group members regardless of their status as celebrities in the wider culture.



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Happy Birthday



excellent effort
I would like to rate this higher than 2 stars, but I couldn't hear half of it. The producers need to work on their sound recording technique. It was still a great movie, though, I watched it all the way through, even though I missed half of the dialogue, because it was captivating and different. I found the visual effects distracting, at first, but I started liking them after a few minutes, because they really added to the other-worldly aspect of the film. It is worth the rental price, and to tell you the truth, I hope these guys make more horror movies, because I think they have something interesting to say, and they really add something unique to the genre.

Piece of crap
You have got to be kidding me. What a picec of crap. Can I give it a -5 stars? This is the worst movie I have ever seen. Stupid, ridiculous photography, ugly untalented actors. You name it, it is soooo bad. Give me my money back.

Well done old chap!
Ya know a first I wasn't sure about renting a low budget... Unknown Movie... But after I did... It Turned out to be a good purchase. The movie was Low budget and fun. Support the small guys!

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Mercury Undercover



5 stars is not enough! Top notch documentary.
This documentary, Mercury Undercover is by far the most informative, high quality well represented documentary about mercury that you will ever see! It connects the dots to any and all confusion about mercury and from all perspectives - the victims who suffer gravely from mercury toxicity, environmentals and from leading experts in the field - scientitsts, professors, doctors, dentists and attorneys. The illustration presented demonstrates exactly how mercury affects the physical body. It explains exactly how and why mercury is the #1 most common and hazardous substance presently on the planet that is UNNECESSARILY contaminating our atomosphere, people, wildlife, water systems, soil, fish and plant life/food. Most importantly - how unnecessary it is for this ongoing contamination to continue and how easily preventable it truly is. It points out the corruption taking place from the ADA, FDA, EPA, pharmaceutical companies and how they control or entire medical system - medical and...





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Faces In The Mirror



Hits the Heart
I watched the premier live on 8/30 and while it is definitely different than any movie, that I personally have seen, it still strikes right at the heart strings. The movie is about a man who goes home to bury a father that he never forgave for not being around during his childhood and even though there is only a small amount of actual talking between the characters you have no problem feeling the emotions from the music its set to. Quite honestly I do not watch movies to learn life lessons or see the emotions in it that someone else told me about, I watch them strictly for entertainment value and this is the first movie that made me say "Well that's me (male leads emotional state) in a nutshell". So it hits the heart and only one word is spoken before it does.

this movie dances
Boyd Tinsley ,always known to enchant us with his music has now accomplished the same on film.Through music and beautiful cinematography it tells a young man's story of coming to terms with the death of his estranged father and freedom that comes with being able to let go.The feelings and emotions that are experienced without the addition of much dialog are nothing short of amazing.Well done Mr.Tinsley and crew including wonderful performances by actors Ryan Orr and Jessica Mei Gershen .Bravo to all Looking forward to your next project with anticipation

What an experience!
"Faces in the Mirror" is not just a film, it is an experience. Boyd Tinsley uses this film to not only express his visions through vision, but through music as well. As you go throughout the film, even if you close your eyes you can feel what is happening in the plot just through the soundtrack. And while the musical experience brings you throughout the film, lead actor Ryan Orr brings you through the journey as well. His acting brings as much emotion to the film as the music does. Bringing both of these components together makes this film a great journey. I highly recommend watching this film and joining Boyd Tinsley in this magical experience! Congrats BT and RYAN!

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Deep Waters



Lovely movie
This film was quite unknown to me, but I'd always wanted to see it and I was pleased to see it released among the first batch of this excellent new Fox archive series.

It's a film that certainly deserves to be better known, a simple yet effective story with good local colour of the lobster fisherfolk of Maine, living a hard life in which tragedy is never far away. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it didn't disappoint me at all after such a long wait to see it.

Dana Andrews, Jean Peters, Anne Revere and Dean Stockwell all give excellent, believable performances in this gentle tale of an orphan finding his way again after the death of his father. The print used is very good and it's a nice clean transfer to DVD.

Oddly, the film doesn't begin with the Fox fanfare - a silly quibble I know, but I always like to see it!!

Well recommended, you will enjoy this - promise!

Pretty good family movie
I am always looking for good movies that I haven't seen 100 times before, and this fits the bill. It is a good family movie.



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John Paul Jones



John Paul Jones
The only movie portrayal done to my knowledge of John Paul Jones. That alone makes it worth while for any American history fan. Robert Stack does a pretty good job as the man and soldier. The movie is fairly historically accurate with some "Hollywood artistic" liberty taken and a bit of swashbuckling too. An entertaining movie all in all.

Not Bad
Hollywood has certainly done much worse than this movie. John Paul Jones was a major naval figure in the American Revolution, though seagoing operations in that war were overshadowed by land operations. His life is covered with an acceptable degree of historical accuracy in this movie. (It appears to me that the script was probably based on Augustus C. Buell's 1900 two volume "biography". For the facts, trust Samuel Eliot Morison's unsurpassed 1959 biography of Jones.) The normal artistic liberties are taken without changing the overall story. The filming and color are quite good. However, it suffers from very stiff acting, particularly from Robert Stack. The VHS tape has also suffered the cutting room floor treatment by trimming a widescreen movie to fit the 4:3 TV screen. Worth seeing once, it might be wisest to either rent or check it out from the library.

where's the DVD version?
It surprises me that so many terrible movies have been converted and released to a DVD format, while this excellent classic along with so many others have not for whatever reason.

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Bloody Kisses



Bloody Kisses = Bloody Hell of a good time!
A great little short from a new writing/producing talent, Billie Brannock and her team - watch out John Carpenter! An excellent sound track with great locations and set design. Can't wait to see more of Billie's writing in the future.

Wonderful Horror Short
Ready for Halloween? Your worst nightmare could come from those you used to know! I'm a big fan of shorts and also a fan of horror so I really enjoyed this little gem from Billie Brannock. The great thing about an Indie is no studio was telling them more blood or sex to sell. This little story takes you back to the days of Twilight Zone and Night Gallery when it was all about character development and atmosphere to set up a creepy little story about a guy who thinks he can get away with anything. Pricey for the length, yes, but a spider web full of fun.

A great horror short!
This was full of suspense and intrigue! The star did a fabulous acting job and his facial expressions were great. There was no excess blood or violence, just a lot of good scary suspense. The film has a soundtrack that reminds me of Carpenter's "Halloween" and is excellent. Though pricey it's a movie worth watching time and again. Can't wait too see more in the future!

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My Gal Sal



"The Pity Of It All" That This Film Is Not On DVD
I managed to obtain a DVD copy of this wonderful Twentieth Century Fox musical that was recorded off the Fox Movie Channel. Rita Hayworth, loaned out from Columbia, is paired with Victor Mature in this wonderful Techincolor extravaganza set in the Gay '90s. Paul Dresser (Mature) is a poor country lad who wants to make it big on the stage with his music. After he meets the comely Mae (Carole Landis, who after the first thirty minutes of the film, vanishes from the scene), he makes his way to a stage production, only to have the gorgeous redhead star Sally Elliot (Hayworth) laugh throughout the entire act. In retaliation, he takes Mae to one of Sally's shows and they return the favor. She then steals one of his songs and uses it in her act. Paul and Sally continually bring out the worst in each other, tempers flaring, cutting up each other's wardrobe, fighting the strong attraction that all this aggression masks. Typically, they finally end up together, despite all the misunderstandings...

My Gal Sal
This is a wonderful musical from Fox's golden era. In glorious technicolour, the story of a budding composer Paul Dresser,(played by Victor Mature) and his pursuit of Sal (Rita Hayworth) is a delight to the eye. The story is on par with many musicals of this time, but don't analyse it, just enjoy it.

To makes even better, this would have to be one of the best transfers from Fox, surpassing their restored musicals. It looked great pojected on a 100" screen.

Not the cheapest DVD around, but I'd rather pay the extra for such a quality DVD transfer.

Excellent product
I gave this to my husband for Christmas. He has wanted this movie since we saw it many years ago. The music is great, the dresses are beautiful, and Rita is gorgeous. The disc we received is excellent. The color is vibrant and the picture is sharp. We couldn't be more pleased with the quality.

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Friday, October 11, 2013

Nob Hill



Great Film.
Turn of the Century,San Francisco.Tony Angelo(George Raft)is a tough,but honest owner of Friscos largest bar.His star performer,Sally Templeton(Vivian Blaine)is in love with him.
After catching one of his bartenders stealing Tony fires him.The hood pulls a knife on him,but Tony disarms him and warns him not to come back.The same night a young Irish orphan Katie Flannagan(Peggy Ann Garner)comes looking for her uncle who was the crooked bartender.Not having the heart to tell her the truth Sally and Tony tell her the uncle has died and she can stay with them.
A few nights later,well to do Harriet Carruthers(Joan Bennett)comes in.Harriets brother is running for DA and they need Tonys help to get him elected.Harriet and Tony fall for each other and he agrees to help get him elected,much to the anger of Sally.
Whos Tonys pick?Sally or Harriet?Why not find out?
Keep an eye out for Alan(Fred Flintstone)Reed and Rory Calhoun.
Songs I Dont Care Who Knows It and I Walked...

Colorful Musical / Drama from 20th Century Fox
I would have given Nob Hill (1945) 4 1/2 stars, but
that's not an option...

I really enjoyed this colorful musical drama starring
George Raft, saloon owner in San Francisco, who's life is
drastically altered by the three women in his life: Joan Bennett,
a wealthy socialite from Nob Hill, Vivian Blaine, star entertainer
at Raft's saloon and young Peggy Ann Garner (special Oscar winner
for A Tree Grows In Brooklyn 1945).

The songs include: I Don't Care Who Knows It, I Walked Right In
With Eyes Wide Open, On San Francisco Bay, What Do You Want To
Make Those Eyes At Me For?, When You Wore A Tulip And I Wore
A Big Red Rose, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Hello Ma Baby,
Irish Lullaby and many more.

The dvd quality is excellent with rich and vibrant colors.
If you enjoy films from the 1940s, you will have a very good time
watching Nob Hill. There are no extra features.

For George Raft fans.
This a good copy of an old movie that gets on TCM or FMC. Fun to watch the little girl from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

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Klagger(2010)



As they say in Texas, a man's work is never done...
Awesomely isolationist, Klagger is a no BS approach to the horror genre, a minimal yet truly effective film that pits man against ghoul in an abandoned factory for one loathsome day on the job. Tightly paced and relentless, with great practical effects and wonderfully atmospheric sound design, Klagger is a killer addition to the horror canon utilizing some of the best elements of ghost and slasher films; Klagger is one man who can't be put down.

Welcome to the Party You are About be "Klaggered"!
The crispy fried KLAGGER in his own way tells how he became Southern Fried! No spoilers. This little fried morsel is but a taste of what could be one hell of a crispy delicacy; that will leave you hot around the collar and thirsting for more.

I liked the short-film for KLAGGER. Without giving too much away, KLAGGER reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING with its haunted building similarities and surprise ending. A long time fan of the THE SHINING, I could see myself and others getting excited to see KLAGGER in a longer format.

This was my first Casey Crow film and I was quite impressed with his direction. His slow, but steady pace of filming the factory, used the time allowed for this movie wisely. All the viewer has to do is pay attention to the bread crumbs, placed strategically to unravel the mystery surrounding KLAGGER.

Actually I gave it a 3.5 out of 5!
Char Hardin

To see the full review and other horror reviews go to...



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Grand Canyon Mule Ride



Grand Canon DVD
Grand Canyon! I showed this to s group of residents at an assistant living commujnityh, and
then I gave it to a friend who was writing an article about the Grand Canyon. He was
thrilled with it.

Great!
My nieces husband is in this video. So glad to have found it. Good for her family to have. Thanks!

MAGNIFICENT!
This DVD is a gem. Wilfred Brimley does a good job as narrator. His voice is filled with character, yet mellow and easy to follow.

The film starts at the canyon stable on the South Rim, where wranglers catch and saddle the mules in preparation for the day's ride. This brief behind-the-scenes footage is an extra treat. From there, we see the mules being led to Stone Corral and riders instructed (in a most entertaining way) about a few safety aspects. Then it's down the Bright Angel Trail...

The mule train stops at Indian Gardens for lunch, then continues on to the hair-raising Devil's Corkscrew. The day ends in the bottom of the canyon at scenic Phantom Ranch. Viewers get a peak in the kitchen and at the dinner table during serving time, which will make your mouth water. A few scenes later, it's sunrise the following morning and riders are in the saddle again, heading back up to the rim on the Kaibab Trail. This chapter of the film contains some of the most...

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The Doctor and the Girl



For a friend
An old doctor I met in Italy last year told me that when he was a young boy in 1949 he saw this film and it influenced him to become a doctor. He has not seen it in 64 years so when I returned to the US, I found it on Amazon & sent it to him. He called to thank me for my thoughtfulness and said that he has been enjoying reliving that moment that decided his life's career.

Hail Glenn Ford
It is fun watching this man grow older and more handsome in every movie I see of his. I have loved him since I was thirteen and I am now 65 years old. though he is gone now he is still appreciated..



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Elopement



Enjoyable
I bought this picture simply for William Lundigan but aside from him, it is an enjoyable picture with fine performances from all ....Clifton Web is a delight to watch, as usual and Ann Francis is intense and believable.

about time:
I saw this movie many years ago when I first got married. I thought it quite romantic. When I saw that they finally put it on dvd
I ordered it immediately. I love it. I was very happy that I didn't have to wait too long to receive it. Look forward to watching it
over and over.

HIghly enjoyable
As usual, Clifton Webb steals the movie with his looks and remarks. It is a very enjoyable comedy, a good print and a very capable cast. If you're a Webb fan, then add this to your collection.

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Cool Breeze



it was cool
i use to watch this film back in the day and i dug it for what it was. dug the title and had some old school cats around my way with that name. it was a easy watch and view.

70's black movies
I have just about every movie of it's kind in possession.The movie was one of the weakest in that genre, if you're a collector it has to be included to round out your collection.



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MichiGRIM



Creepy Fun!
If weird and creepy is what you crave, then add Michigrim to your list of must have dvds. Three short films of creepy fun!





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One Direction: All the Way to the Top



No
Ok I wanted something to listen to while writing my paper but this was unbearable. First off, this was made in the Up All Night days. Liam still had the wavy/straightened thing going on, Zayn's hair was very manicured, Niall still had his super rosy cheeks, Louis was still wearing red trousers and loving carrots, and Harry still had the super tight, fluffy curls. So much has changed since then and this is now irrelevant. Also, this was made in the Harry mania. The first hour of it is focusing on his 'womanizing' status as the front man of the band. I hated that portrayal of him then and I still hate it. He cared for Caroline and she cared for him. So what about her age? I liked her a lot better than Taylor. Also, Harry is not going to go solo/ do any movies. Like what the hell. This movie is awful. Do not waste your time.

It's Okay
It was not a big budget documentary. Talked a lot about Harry Stiles when the other guys are just as talented or more so. Pretty boring.

I love 1D
one direction is just so dam sexy get this movie because you will love it if your a directioner .

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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Titanoboa: Monster Snake



A little glimpse into the mysteries of Paleocene and a good general lesson about constrictor snakes
This is a quite good document about the discovery and analysis of remains of the greatest snake ever found until now. It also tries to reconstruct the life of this unique creature by using CGI, which allows us to have a glimpse into a still quite obscure but passionating time in Earth's history - the Paleocene (65 to 56 mllion years ago).

The remains of this gigantic snake were found in Venezuela, in coal mines of Cerrejon. It soon became clear that this creature, named Titanoboa cerrejonensis, was the longest, largest and heaviest snake ever discovered. It is considered that adult Titanoboa could grow as long as 15 meters (50 feet), had the diameter of 1 meter at the thickest part of the body and weighed as much as 1135 kg (2500 pounds)!

The description of the discovery and analysis of remains is quite interesting, although maybe slightly too long. It is followed by a general lesson about the constrictor snakes in which we can watch one of the scientists being...

Giant Prehistoric Anaconda
Great video for the person that likes giant snakes, you will also see Anacondas in the great Venezuelan Llanos and can compare some aspects of Titanoboa with them.

historic snake
For the person interested in Herpetology, fossil finds and true life facts this is the DVD for you... It answers the questions; of is it real, where was it discovered, when it was found and who found it, how many different disciplines contributed to it's completion for exhibit. Excellent presentation..

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You Can't Get Away With Murder



Black and White Prison Movie
If you like the old black and white prison movies, you'll love this one. I think Billy Halop did an awesome job. I always liked him as a Dead End Kid. Humphrey Bogart was a bad guy and was great as always. The quality was excellent. I was very pleased. I would like to see more Billy Halop movies on DVD with this kind of quality.

good B-movie
good B-movie,just about what you know you will get from a crime drama from WB at this time in movie history. The only huge surprise is Bogie playing a dirty rat!LOL!

classic
I'm a huge fan of bogart, this was a great classic movie,and don't forget billy halop,he was one of the dead end kids.

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Welcome To Sarajevo [HD]



Extraordinary reel life
As a journalist familiar with Yugoslavia and the tragedies of its breakway states, I was prepared to dislike this movie about foreign journalists working during the siege of Sarajevo. I thought, here goes Hollywood exploiting an abomination of the 20th Century. What I saw, in fact, humbled me and moved me to many tears. Director Michael Winterbottom takes an unflinching, docudrama approach, integrating real news footage of atrocities with his no frills production. There is no exploitation of suffering here. Winterbottom has an unabashed agenda: to shock, inform, educate and enlighten. It is hardly entertainment. The result, devoid of sentimentality, glamour and a neatly-packaged denoument, is refreshingly un-Hollywood. The characters played by Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei in a small role, Kerry Fox, Stephen Dillane and the fine Croatian actor Goran Visnjic, examine dilemmas journalists habitually face in war zones or not: how to remain objective, whether compassion is appropriate and...

A Balkan Tragedy
In the spring of 1992, news correspondents from around the world descended upon Bosnia to document the most horrific conflict Europe had seen since World War II. WELCOME TO SARAJEVO is the story of those correspondents and the surreal world they entered when they checked into their rooms at the Holiday Inn (which, as fate would have it, was located right on the infamous boulevard known as Sniper Alley; they couldn't have found a better place to view the action if they tried).

One of those correspondents, Michael Henderson (Stephen Dillane), has very little patience with colleagues like Jordan Flynn (Woody Harrelson) who always find ways of involving themselves in the stories they're covering. "We're not here to help - we're here to report," he says. But Henderson finds it increasingly difficult to remain detached from the carnage around him, especially when Serb artillery and Serb snipers start targeting Sarajevo's children. Frustrated by networks (who would rather...

Great movie
As many have said, this movie is perhaps not the best film of all time. But let's get realistic, this movie took the atrocities of the Balkan wars and presented it in such a way that normal viewers could feel outraged without feeling numb (like CNN made us feel during the siege of Sarajevo.) After watching this film I volunteered my services as a physician in Bosnia. After returning to America and watching it again I cried. I finally understood (1%) of what they went through. I recommend this movie to all, but watch to be informed not necessarily for cinematic excellence.

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The Substitute 4: Failure Is Not an Option [HD]



Sub-4 Will Take Your Breath Away!
Wow. First off, I just want to say that this movie is truly a significant achievement in the history of filmmaking. Treat Williams stars in this thrilling drama, that sends a humble mercenary into the very heart of a Neo-Nazi conspiracy. Set in the late 1990's, our mercenary-hero (armed with high-explosives and a Ph.D. in modern literature) becomes a substitute at a military academy, only to discover it's been overrun by Nazi-thugs and a world-class exterminator. Peppered with megabuck special effects, including a scene in which the intolerant Nazis blow up a minority owned power plant, this movie proves itself to be a treat (no pun intended) for the eyes, as well as the soul. You'll truly feel like you're part of the action as Treat crushes his students with a bulldozer, beats ass in the classroom with chalkboard erasers, and kills the Nazi-principal as he screams in desperation for "racial purity". Put the children to bed for this one! "Substitute 4: Failure Is not an Option"...

Well, it's no "Substitute 3"
Part four in what is arguably this decade's finest educator-themed action franchise. Treat Williams goes undercover in a Nazi military academy to root out the evil plot that lies within, battling an evil school commandant, brainwashed Nazi students, and a Korean guy whose presence is never adequately explained. You'd think a movie willing to go with a premise that ludicrous would have to be entertaining, but most of it is pretty dull. The movie tends to drag- there's far too many talky scenes about how much the evil white supremacist commandant (palyed by a sort of poor man's John Malkovich) hates atheistic multicultural liberals and not nearly enough action. The ratio of liberal sermonizing to buttkicking is badly miscalculated.

It gets two stars instead of one for a couple of good action sequences (I especially liked the death by bulldozer) and the presence of Treat Williams, who's much too good for this sort of thing. Overall, though, I wouldn't bother unless it's...

Not too bad (as far as sequels go)
As a big fan of The Substitute series (which explains the four stars), I didn't think it was that bad. Treat Williams gives his third performance as Karl Thomasson, and in this film he goes undercover(as usual) in a military academy to infiltrate a Neo-Nazi group. Lots of action, hand-to-hand combat (only to be expected from the Sub), and Angie Everhart provides some pleasing eye candy. If you're not too big on The Sub, this might not be the movie for you. If you are, it ain't that bad.

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Human Stain [HD]



POIGNANT THEME, GREAT ACTING, COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENT
Benton (of "Kramer vs. Kramer" or "Places in the Heart" acclaim) has always made movies with themes on the subtlest emotional vectors.

If you've read the marvellous but somewhat un-adaptable book by the same name (Phillip Roth's "The Human Stain") you'll know what I am talking about and in that case, watch the movie without any expectations of seeing a loyal adaptation because this isn't.

If you are not familiar with Roth's book, the movie's spinal theme may be racial prejudice, but it is really the story of a man deciding, late in life, to love the unknown what is beyond books, pride, even self. To learn that lesson is to turn a stain into a blessing.

Stylistically, I felt the theme could have been dealt with in a somewhat smarter way. Without giving too much away, the "scandal" at the heart of the movie really gets very little screen time which helps diminish its importance in comparison with Coleman's past. But we see so little of it that it belittles its own thematic...

Phillip Roth's Final Trilogy Tale Comes To Life On Screen
Phillip Roth's final tale in his trilogy, "The Human Stain" is set in the summer of The Year Of Our Lord, 1998. Otherwise known as "Impeachment Summer", during which the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky accusations took place, The Starr Report was released, and the whole sordid story of the infamous stained dress was on the lips of everyone, so to speak.

The film is told in flashback sequences with the narrator of the tale, writer and friend of main character, Coleman Silk's. His name is Nathan Zuckerman (a fabulous Gary Sinese). Incidentally, the character of Nathan Zuckerman is the author, Phillip Roth's alter-ego and is throughout the trilogy of novels.

Coleman Silk, played adeptly by Sir Anthony Hopkins, is a 71 year-old college professor at small New England Athena College. Coleman is wrongfully accused of racial slurs against a couple of absent pupils and loses his tenured position. This shocking news sends his beloved wife into sickness and before long,...

The Heartbreaking Chaos Of The Human Condition
This is a film that is a masterpiece not only for what it says but in the way it says it.

We have a man who looks white but is black, pretends to be a Jew, and lives a life of deception. We have a woman with a background that gives her every advantage but she is destroyed because she was molested as a child due to her ravishing beauty. At the very moment when these two finally find peace in each other's arms they are wiped out by the insanity of evil.

Coleman's story unfolds in a series of perplexing flashbacks that leaves the viewer confounded until we finally discover that Coleman Silk and the black boxer are one and the same. Faunia's story is equally confusing. It is unreasonable that this utterly gorgeous young woman is so casually willing to give herself sexually to a rejected Viagra dependant old man. Why is she merely scraping out a living for herself sweeping floors and feeding cattle when you sense that she has so much more to offer? What horror has...

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The Lookout [HD]



BUY THE RIGHT VERSION!!!!!!
So this is a warning to anyone who likes this movie and has seen it before. There are two versions of this film on Blu-ray! The one originally released back in 2007 with the silver swoosh running down the cover and the words "Beyond High Definition" in the bottom right corner is the one to get. This new one released by Echo Bridge has manipulated the aspect ratio of the movie so that there are no black bars on top or bottom! Essentially they've zoomed in on the image so you lose part of the picture on the right and left side of the screen. Don't let the low price fool you! This is a corrupted version of the film, and if you have any respect for the filmmakers' intentions for the look of the movie you will not purchase this version! Or, if you're like me and find out once you watch it for the first time, I implore you to return it and send Echo Bridge a message that we will not support the altering of films! Of course, if you haven't seen the movie before you would never notice the...

Noir suspense thriller with terrific performances work checking out
"The Lookout" got overlooked when it was released earlier in the year. This unusual thriller directed and written by Scott Frank focuses as much on character as it does on the tense, moody atmosphere. Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)had it all; he was a bright kid who also displayed talent in the hockey rink. Chris, his girlfriend and another couple are involved in a terrible car accident that leaves Chris brain damaged. He's unable to do anything more than simple tasks and can't even remember what change he should get back after buying a beer.

SPOILERS AHEAD**

When Chris gets sucked into a plan to rip off the bank where he is a janitor by smooth talking slime ball Gary Spargo (Mathew Goode), he finds himself over his head and with nowhere to turn. Initially Chris believes this will provide him with the start up money for a business he wants to start with his blind roommate Lewis (Jeff Daniels)but things spiral out of control and suddenly he has nowhere to turn...

Unexpectedly Smart, Brutal, And Uncompromising--"The Lookout" Makes A Tired Story Seem New Again
Within the traditional crime drama genre, it has become increasingly difficult to find serious minded films that don't play as "hip and ironic." Add a young leading man to the equation, and it's twice as likely that you'll end up with a movie filled with artifice and self-awareness. In fact, reading the description of "The Lookout," I was sure that this picture would be just another film where clever one-liners were more important than generating actual suspense and drama. I couldn't have been more wrong! "The Lookout" is a tough and believable entry in the arena of heist films. Bolstered by a powerful lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this film is both true to the conventions of crime genre and surprisingly different. The film succeeds with strong character development and provides an intriguing twist on the traditional protagonist.

Here, Gordon-Levitt plays a man coping with severe memory loss, control issues, and occasional motor skill inconsistencies...

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A Different Loyalty [HD]



A Moderately Successful Romance Set Within A Fairly Unenlightening Tale Of International Espionage
Having never heard of this small picture, I was curious to check out "A Different Loyalty." Based on a true story, and starring Sharon Stone and Rupert Everett--"Loyalty" aims to tell the story of one of the most successful British spies working for the Soviets. Everett plays this agent, who helped to steal nuclear secrets from the Americans among other deeds. Facing exposure, he must turn his back on an idyllic family life and flee to Russia to live out his days.

There are moderate successes within "Loyalty" which wants to be a Cold War thriller, of sorts, but mainly thanks to Everett. His performance is a thoughtful one, and he and Stone make a credible pair. Their courtship and family life are well played and interesting. When he goes missing, however, Stone must start facing the truths about her husband.

There is a tremendous, morally complicated story to be told here--unfortunately, "A Different Loyalty" isn't quite the picture that it should have...

Based on History
I found this a fascinating movie. It's based, of course, on the real life events of the Cambridge spies, particularly the most famous of them, Kim Philby. For some reason, they changed all the names of the spies in the movie. I don't know why they changed the names; I thought it would have been more effective if they had not.

Anyway, the film focuses on the life of Philby (a different name in the movie) and the wife he marries in Beirut. Philby famously left MI5 and took up the job of a journalist in Beirut from which position he presumably continued his work for the KGB. Upon discovering that he was about to be outted, he fled for Moscow, leaving his ignorant wife in the lurch. She at first was in denial, then travelled to Moscow and discovered the truth about her husband. In the end she separates from him, even though still being in love.

The movie portrays most Americans as boors of course. Philby is portrayed mostly sympathetically throughout despite...

3.5 stars for Sharon Stone's multidimensional portrait and unusual mating of spy novel & romance
Based in part on the lives of Eleanor Philby and British spy Kim Philby (1912-1988), "A Different Loyalty" is an odd and partially successful mixture of spy novel, history, and romance.

Rupert Everett plays Leo Cauffiled (the metaphor for Kim Philby, who was said to be among the most successful double agents of the Cold War) and Stone plays wife Sally. The story begins in Beirut where the pair meet, romance, Sally divorces her diplomat husband, and the pair marry. They enjoy happiness until Leo defects.

When Sally discovers Leo has been a double agent working for the Russians, she ignores the advice of American authorities and joins him in Moscow. The film takes mostly dark and ill turns afterward, and the ending is neither preidctable, satisfying, nor pleasant. The postlude indicates Leo stayed a Soviet until his death in 1988.

This movie is a lot like a made for TV flick in its first hour. Many of the events played out over time -- such as Sally's...

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Lantana [HD]



Something close to a masterpiece
In this starkly realistic examination of love and infidelity among the thirtysomething crowd from down under we learn that you may desire to cheat on your spouse, but it's better if you don't.

Leon Zat, a police detective played with an original and striking demeanor by Anthony LaPaglia, cheats on his wife and finds that his adultery compromises not only his marriage but his performance on the job. He becomes irritable and flies off the handle at things of little importance, and becomes consumed with guilt.

He is not alone. The marriage of John Knox (Geoffrey Rush) and psychiatrist Valerie Somers (Barbara Hershey) is falling apart as Knox seeks something from the outside and Somers is torn apart with the suspicion that he is having a homosexual affair, perhaps with one of her clients. Meanwhile Jane O'May (Zat's adulteress played by Rachael Blake) finds that she needs a man, or maybe two, other than her estranged husband. Even Sonja Zat (Kerry Armstrong)...

Subtle, Affecting Drama
One of the defining characteristics of the human condition is the inevitability of change, both physically and emotionally. Though most would deny it, one is not the same person at forty years of age that they were at twenty; the emotional growth one undergoes over a period of time dictates that it cannot be so. Unlike the changes one experiences during puberty and adolescence, however, that emotional growth is unceasing. It may be said, in fact, that "change" within that context is the only real constant in life; and the effects of this perpetual state of flux on any particular individual is determined by that individual's experiences and derived from a personal frame of reference. And the challenge of coping with the changes in our own lives forms a common thread that binds us together as a species, and it is those challenges and the ways in which we respond to them that forms the basis for director Ray Lawrence's affecting drama, "Lantana," in which he explores the disparate...

C O N N E C T I O N S
The year 2001 will go down in film history thus far at least, as the watershed Year of the Adult Thriller and "Lantana" is the latest example of this sub-genre. Others this year would be "Burnt Money," "In the Bedroom," "Dinner Rush," and "L.I.E." to name several.
All the Adult Thrillers have one or more of the following in common: a crime (usually a murder), several plot lines, mis-connection among the various characters, though they may be connected by marriage or birth and literate scripts involving adult material.
"Lantana's" central character, Leon Zat (Anthony LaPaglia) is a police detective conflicted about his impending middle age, his marriage and his recent affair ("2 night stand") with Jane (Rachael Blake) who has just broken up with her husband. Leon's wife,Sonja (Kerry Armstrong)knows something is wrong and is seeing a psychiatrist, Valerie Somers (Barbara Hershey) who turns up missing one...

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The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All [HD]



Not as good as first, better then the second
If you like the 1st movie, you will def. like the third one. This is much better then the second movie. Very fun to watch.

HINT: MOVIE MAY NOT WIN AWARDS

THIS ONE WASN'T AS GOOD
THIS TIME, THE MERCENARY BECOMES A SUBSTITUTE AT A UNIVERSITY TO FIND OUT WHO KILLED HIS FRIEND. NOT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TWO, BUT IT'S STILL AN OK MOVIE. HAS SOME GOOD ACTION SEQUENCES, BUT THE PLOT ISN'T AS GOOD THIS TIME AROUND. TREAT WILLIAMS IS STILL A GOOD SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT AS KARL, THE MERCENARY. IT'S STILL A LOT BETTER THAN MOST DIRECT-TO-VIDEO ACTION MOVIES.

SUBSTITUTE 3 Review
Second straight-to-video sequel to 1995's "The Substitute" has part-time mercenary, part-time substitute teacher Treat Williams taking over for a college professor who was brutally beaten by her juiced-up jock students. Williams and his new team of operatives are out to uncover a steroid scandal linking the university's football team to a local Mafia goon. Pretty good in a dumb Saturday afternoon movie type of way but the third act is more cheesy and full of holes then... well, Swiss cheese, I guess.

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Challenge To Be Free [HD]



Challenge to Be Free
This is an excellent true story, one of the gems of mountain man folklore, set in 1930's Northern Canada. This Mike Mazurki version is however, a rather sterile version, of the story. Made in a style akin to an early Walt Disney movie.

When you get passed the large animal cast. It's still a passable enough version of the mystery of the "Mad Trapper".

Outstanding
I have watched many many movies but this one, I've watched over and over again to the point of almost wearing out my VHS tape..

Here is a story about a man who just wanted to be left alone, to live his way, as god intended, but was interrupted by someones greed.. Put yourself in this man's place and see what you would have done...

This is an EXCELLENT movie to watch...

An all-time classic
As much hype and hoopla movies like A Bug's Life and Alladin carry with them ... movies like Challenge to be Free tend to fall to the side as unimportant figments of a different decade. This movie is not unimportant by any means ... it takes you on a wonderous journey ... leaving you in the end to realize the importance of trying to respect and understand the ways of not only the people around us, but the people we identify as our foes.

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Airspeed [HD]



"It's not good or bad, it just is."
Well, if you are looking for a good movie to make fun of, this is certainly it. The plot is rather ridiculous, and lacks realism to the max. Somehow a plane is struck by lighting, and this destroys several control components, and injurs the pilots. Somehow, the lights and radio are still functional, but a hole has been ripped in the side of the plane. But it's a good thing that the hole only sucks things out at oppoutune moments, but allows the girl to walk by without flying out of the plane on several occasions. And it's a good thing she has a cell-phone on board, for when the radio mysteriously explodes. And since there was no "do not attempt these stunts at home" disclaimer, I think I'll try jumping off the back of a refueling plane onto the landing gear of a nearby plane, hopefully suffering no personal injury, despite the high velocity at which I would be traveling.

Yes, a bad movie, but definitely worth seeing, it's a good laugh.

Oh yeah, and the box...

Elisha Cuthbert is great!
Elisha Cuthbert, the lead, is one of the best child actresses i have seen! I love this movie and hope it makes it to DVD!

Not Bad.....
A by-the-numbers thriller aimed at the family market (no real violence, the lead is a teenage girl). Familes concerned with what their kids get exposed to won't mind it. Anyone else will find it satisfactory, in that it keeps moving and usually keeps things in order:no outlandish plot twists or exasperating acts of stupidity to keep the suspense going. However, it is rather perfuctionary and, inevitably, disposable entertainment.

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She'S So Lovely [HD]



Disparity of response
If you read the various reviews of this movie, you will find an amazing array of responses to it. I think this is largely a function of the horrid marketing of this movie. When my friend recmmended that I watch it, I did a once-over of its packaging and decided I wasn't interested. He insisted, and so I reluctantly agreed to watch it. Despite it's packaging, this is not a sentimental romantic comedy in the "Pretty Woman" or "Look Who's Talking" vein. If this is the sort of movie you like, you should move on and not waste your time with this.

The movie is divided into two parts. The first focuses on the troubled relationship of derelict couple Eddie and Moe (played by real-life spouses Sean and Robin Wright Penn). Penn's character is dissolute, and puts Moe in the bad position of being vulnerable to the sleazy advances of a neighbor (played well by The Sopranos' James Gandolfini). When Eddie finds out what happens as a result, he becomes steadily unhinged. His performance in a...

In defence of She's So Lovely
What is it about a down and out romance like 'She's So Lovely' that seems to polarise an audience into those who see it as a trashy, confusing and unrealistic ride, and those of us that find it endearing, amusing and utterly, utterly charming. Perhaps we find a grain of truth within She's So Lovely that identifies with our own lives. Husband + wife team Sean + Robin Wright Penn deliver sterling performances and an unmistakable on-screen chemistry as they come to terms with their roller coaster relationship, and their sense of belonging in a changing society. Nobody plays the down on his luck,loveable loser quite like Penn, and Robin Wright Penn is a revelation as his ideal companion. This is the perfect antidote to all the high budget - low chemistry romance/dramas on the racks, combining superb acting and great dialogue, with an engrossing and uplifting story.

They Put The Mad In 'Madly In Love'
I've read interviews with Sean Penn wherin he laments the fact that this film was overlooked. But somehow I believe that they WANT this film to be 'underground'. Otherwise, how could they do such a poor job marketing it?

For starters, the title is completely misleading. "She's So Lovely" absolutely screams Romantic Chick Flick but this movie couldn't be further from that. Mabey the script's original title, "She's De Lovely," would have seemed clever once you'd seen the film, but they went with "She's So Lovely," which, frankly, (...). It makes no sense, has absolutely no relevance and misrepresents the movie.

Huge marketing error #2 is the packaging. One word: Horrible. My copy says "Demo Tape - Box Art May Vary", and I said to my friend "God, I sure hope so!". However, I see they stuck with the exact same blurry photos of the stars with a brown line over their faces...it looks like a preliminary effort for the screener box they never got around to finishing up.

I think...

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The Halloween Tree



Very entertaining, spooky treat
First let me warn you, this is a little too spooky for kids 7 and under. But it won both an Emmy Award, and an award from the Film Advisory Board. The film is based on a story by Ray Bradbury, and he narrates the movie. The movie is very different than the book, but than what movie isn't? The scary "Moundshroud" character keeps you guessing as to whether his intents are good or evil. He is wonderfully voiced by Leonard Nimoy, and if you have never heard him voice animated films, not only is he really good but you can't tell it is him!

In the story 4 kids,(3 boys and 1 girl) are preparing for Halloween night and find that their buddy Pippin is being taken away in an ambulance. No one seems to know whats wrong with him, and the kids seem lost without him as he is the one they all look up to. A mysterious character shows up by the name of Moundshroud, who tells them that his spirit has been taken by ghosts of Halloween past and they must come with him to capture Pippins spirit...

It's About Time!
If you're like me, you've been waiting for The Halloween Tree to be released officially on DVD for a long, long time...and now it's finally here! This is a bare-bones "burn on demand" release which means they make them as they are ordered (still very fast shipping). Because of this, we won't be seeing it sold in stores or at least for the time being. The only option on the disk is to "play movie" but the quality is just fine and a lot better than an old VHS tape, which was the only way to get it until now.

Due to the movie being straight from the Warner archives, it has not been remastered or restored from the original version but looks and sounds just as it would if you saw it on TV the day it aired. The packaging and art is great, except for the minor spelling error; "Kip" instead of "Pip".

This is an essential movie for any Halloween lover and has been a Halloween tradition of mine for quite some time. It's the perfect movie to get you in the Halloween spirit...

A fantastical view of Halloweens past
This animated made-for-television Halloween special has captivated me since the first time I saw it back in 1994. Based on Ray Bradbury's novella of the same name, the plot weaves together the Halloween traditions of cultures gone by with four modern-day children's quest to save the life of their friend, whose soul is also being sought by the mysterious and sinister Moundshroud (voice-acted superbly by Leonard Nemoy).

The only confusing section in this cartoon comes from the updated Celtic Samhain tradition. In his original novella, Bradbury included the wildly incorrect belief that the Celtic Druids worshipped Sam Hain, the god of death (of which there was actually no such thing). For the special, that horribly inaccurate section was re-written to discuss pagan witch traditions. While the end result of this content switch is much more satisfying, the story line does feel a little bumpy in this part.

This is spooky fare, but only mildly so. Little kids can watch it without having...

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Jurassic Park [HD]



The 3D is great with a couple cautions, TIP:deactivate BD-live to avoid BD advertising spam Aaarrgh
***This review really is for the 3D Blu-ray version. I preordered it and it arrived the day before official release :) ***

My wife and I watched it and the 3D is very well done, they clearly did full 3D mapping with curved shapes for faces and pixel infill behind things when you can now see around them. My wife found it as good as 3D gets. As an engineer with image processing background I noticed a few things like artifacts around fast moving stuff and places where (of course) things would not be in focus that were not originally in the plane of focus. I think if you don't go looking for flaws it will just be a great 3D experience, this isn't a cheap cardboard cutout change to 3D, it's the good kind.

The Bluray took a while to start up and then would repeatedly get stuck showing "downloading new attractions from BD-live"; until I turned off BD-live for the Bluray player. .... Update on BD-Live: It would seem that getting stuck at "downloading" was likely due to...

Jurassic Park Is Ageless...and in 3D It Deserves Six Stars!
I am writing this review after having seen the 3D-IMAX version of this movie yesterday at the theater. I can only hope this is the version being released later this month (April 2013).

All I can say is WOW! I and my family were immensely pleased. This is every bit as amazing as I remembered it, and then some.

The 3D was definitely a benefit here, and it heightened my appreciation of the movie. While of course Spielberg had no inclination that this would eventually go 3D, the movie has several sequences that really seem to have been made specifically for it. As anyone who has seen the movie can guess, there are all sorts of scenes that almost literally jumped out at the audience in the original, and they're even more super-charged here.

While this has to be one of the most-watched movies ever, I'm sure there are many who have never seen it -- in fact, I could tell there were a few in the audience nearby me, as they jumped more than a few times at key...

Probably the best 3D Blu-ray Available. Stunning.
My review pertains to the quality of 3D:

As someone who loves home theater 3D, I have probably every major 3D Blu-ray release, and I'm pretty sure this tops them all.

Literally every scene has been remastered for 3D conversion, and it shows. Its a beautiful, fun, and awesomely entertaining 3D showpiece. Exceeded my expectations in every way.

Also, the "Extras" has an overview of how they spent 9 months transferring the source material to 3D. You really can't go wrong with Jurassic Park 3D.. get it now.

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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

We Grew Wings: the untold story of the women of Oregon, Two teams.Two eras. Two Chances



Film Major: "We Grew Wings"
Just about every American Track fan could tell you about Steve Prefontaine, Alberto Salazar, Bill Bowerman and the Men of Oregon. But how many could tell you about the Women of Oregon? "We Grew Wings" does that and is required viewing for any true fan of the sport.

Ellen Schmidt-Devlin produced the film and introduced it to the media at the Track and Field Writers Association breakfast during the Olympic Trials. It debuted that week at historic McDonald Theatre in Eugene and was released on DVD this week.

Schmidt-Devlin's film introduces many to the stars of the 1985 National Champion team and the early stars of the Oregon Women's program; including Grace Bakari, Claudette Groenendaal and Leann Warren. The film also underscores the 40th anniversay of Title IX and its positive effect on Women's Track and Field.

Prior to the film, I was unaware of Leann Warren's excellent career at Oregon and her surprise qualifying for the 1980 Olympic Team in the 1500...

Potential was there, but focus and connectivity lacked
It is hard for me to write this, but I was greatly disappointed by "We Grew Wings". I have coached varsity girls track & field for almost a decade and attended the 2011 NCAA Championships in my home state of Iowa and own my share of "PRE" gear and posters, so I had several connections to this film. Yet, I actually fell asleep during it.

I wish I could give a glowing review, track & field needs it, women's sports need it, but "Ge Grew Wings" unfortunately failed to connect the two generations of teams more than the trivial fact that they were champions and runner-up in the NCAAs. I think the elements were there to make a great film, though. They could have added several back stories of how they recruited the right pieces. They could have added the aspects of their grueling training that made them 'team-first' athletes as another touch. Jordan Hasay sitting in a solo ice bath talking about group ice baths just didn't cut it.

I had hoped to show this film to...



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Jurassic Park III [HD]



Surprisingly good sequel is full of action and humor!
"Jurassic Park III" attempts to pull a new twist on the source material of the first film, taking us to a new place where new dinosaurs will soon be wreaking havoc on human kind. Does it work? Completely! Combining some very effective action sequences with some of the bets humor for a movie of this genre, "JP3" is a thrill machine that doesn't portray itself as anything more or less. One might sneer at the drawn-out franchise, but there's no denying how much fun this film can be on many levels.

The movie brings back the original character of Alan Grant (Sam Neill), who is now a college professor of paleontology. He hopes that his new theory of raptor intelligence will inspire his students as well as earn some funds for his research, though his students seem more interested in his experiences at Jurassic Park so many years ago, experiences he would rather put behind him than rehash to the world.

That is, until Paul and Amanda Kirby (William H. Macy, Tea Leoni)...

Odds are we won't leave this island alive
It would be nearly impossible to trump the first Jurassic Park film. People were blown away by that movie. The technology was cutting edge and the premise was nearly magical in its element of fantasy. Making a third installment to the series presents an obvious challenge. How do you uphold the level of entertainment set by the first two films? The answer: new dinosaurs...

In this film, we get the addition of a few new dinos. The Spinosaur, being even bigger and badder than the T-Rex, is the "guy on the block" now. Flying pteranodons are introduced on Isla Sorna, where they were once housed in a huge cage, now left to patrol the skies freely. The Velociraptors have also gotten an upgrade. They look a bit more menacing than the Raptors from the original Jurassic Park. These new additions are what make this film what it is.

The first film was set on lush pastures of modeled prehistoric land. The setting for this film is far more delapidated. This is the...

It's the sequel of a sequel, what did you expect?
Let's face it, 80% of us will go watch this movie if only because we want to recapture the thrill of the first (and still the best) Jurassic Park. Scenes of the the scientists Grant and Sattler meeting their first live dinosaur on Isla Nublar as well as the way T-Rex gobbled up the lawyer will always be remembered as the gems they are. Plus it had a great storyline to go with it (the book was better, tho).

Which brings us to JP3, the third instalment of the JP series. Sam Neil is back as Dr. Alan Grant, so is Laura Dern (in a minor role), and of course T-Rex. Grant accompanies two 'extreme adventurers' played by Tea Leoni and William H. Macy into Isla Sorna otherwise known as Ingen Corp.'s Site B. Their plane crashes (of course) and they are left to their own devices on the island battling the dinos. Like most sequels, the plot is minimal. "Build them dinos and they will come." must have been their motto. It was as if they didn't have a screenplay to begin with and...

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Chairman Of The Board [HD]



Not since "Becket" have I seen such an earnest endeavor
I have one word to describe the experience of seeing this movie - floored. Not since "Becket" with Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole (chronicling the unsteady friendship between Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury in 12th century England)have I been so impressed with performances by two actors. Larry Miller plays the antagonist with such deft nuance a lesser critic would swear he couldn't act, until the climax arises wherein he chews scenery until his gums bleed. Carrot Top steals scenes and hearts with a continuous stream of hijinks, tomfoolery, and shinanigans that makes us laugh until we realize at the end of the movie that he's also taught us how to love. I've seen this movie 74 times and I asked my wife to marry me during the museum scene the 4th time we saw it in the theater. I named both of my children Larry Miller. I can recommend nothing higher, not religion, not culture, not world peace, nothing.

An artist at his peak
I have been lucky enough in my lifetime to see Michael Jordan at his peak, Tiger Woods at his finest and Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid. It is a special feeling when you know you are a witness to greatness at a historical level. This movie gives you that chance. Carrot Top is just brilliant and gifted. I think we can all agree on that fact. His prop gigs have revolutionized high level comedy at a level on Gallagher and Jeff Foxworthy can relate to. I've seen his stand up act 231 times and never fail to lose control of my bladder. That being said, Carrot Top on the big screen given an oscar level screenplay is just heavenly. Courtney Thorne Smith continues her trend of dating top level leading men like Jim Belushi and Lewis from Revenge of the Nerds. I bet a lot of ladies wish they had her agent. Larry Miller is, well, Larry Miller. Nothing more needs to be said. He's in that Hanks, Gibson, Freeman pantheon of great actors of our lifetime.

This story is just gripping and takes...

Praise for Carrot Top in "Chairman of the Board"
Carrot Top once again proves that he is at the top of his form with this hilarious, and equally devastatingly funny film entitled Chairman of the Board. In it, 'Top' plays a kid who has just inherited a multi-national company from a complete stranger. Those who enjoy deep, meaningful comedy will delight with the antics as Carrot Top struggles to maintain control of his company while all around him people plot to topple him from his rightfully earned position. The camera is perfectly positioned to catch each one of Carrot Top's now trademark prop gags. I was delighted to take my niece to the premier screening and it is a delight to own this DVD. What's more interesting are the subtle themes of revenge, destiny and ironic comedy woven into the fabric of this movie - a modern day Hamlet.

Truly a delight!!

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Lovely Molly [HD]



NOT IN MOM'S KITCHEN!
The movie cycles back and forth between a home movie video that displays the time and date and a bad hand held camera that doesn't. Tim (Johnny Lewis) and Molly (Gretchen Lodge) get married in 2010 according to the camera, but don't move into her parent's home until a year later in 2011. We know that her parents, Ben and Tammy are deceased...in heaven watching the ceremony.

Tim is a truck driver who travels. He has installed an alarm system, one that goes off on occasion as if someone inside the house unlocks and opens the door. But they seemingly own no gun living in a rural area. Hannah (Alexandra Holden) is Molly's F-bomb dropping, pot smoking, blond sister. There is a mystery concerning the house and its past that Molly doesn't recall. She is creeped out by being alone in her childhood house. All this adds up to only one thing to horror genre fans who have seen this recently in too many films. However this film doesn't care if you gather this clue early as there is much...

Slow, gloomy, creepy
Spoiler free

This is a compelling horror movie for a few reasons. I am not claiming this is the most amazing movie in the world, but it ended up affecting me more than expected and for that I will give it a tip of the hat.

Why i liked it:

- Creepy throughout vs jump scares and gore.
- Events of the movie open for interpretation.
- The movie showed you things without context that just seem random, but later bring those scenes into context.

These things left me thinking about it long after the movie was done.

The found video parts were a mixed bag but in the end I decided that they were an asset to the presentation. there were a few really good video scenes while others were kind of pointless.

In the end I would reccomend people who prefer creepy over slasher type movies. The movie feels very depressing and thus it is not a very good date movie. I was in the right mode to let myself get absorbed by the movie,...

Slow-Burn
Sometimes the best horror movies only reveal their chills on repeated viewing. That's why, for me, atmosphere and creep are more effective than explicit gore and jump-out shocks.

"Lovely Molly" is like that. The first time I watched it I thought it was OK. Nothing too impressive, but certainly something I would pull out again on a lazy afternoon. The second time, I was amazed at how the whole thing seemed to fall into place for me. If anything, I found it more suspenseful and disturbing than I had the first time around. That's the mark of quality.

Huge praise to the actors, particularly Gretchen Lodge who does a fine job as Molly. Alexandra Holden is even better, I think, in the role of Molly's increasingly worried sister. And Johnny Lewis is excellent as Molly's husband. Such a sad thing that this likeable actor and talented young man (Johnny, not the character) was unable to counter his own real life demons.

One tip: make sure you have the...

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The Newest Pledge [HD]



TNP Review
TNP is a comedy as well as a learning lesson in my own opinion. One of the lessons i think is the most important is to be responsible or it may come back to bite you on the ass!





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Hereafter [HD]



It's a Matter of Life, Death, and Life After Death
Many of us have a terrible tendency to pigeonhole filmmakers into the genres we think they're best suited for. When I first saw the trailer for "Hereafter," I, like much of the moviegoing public, was unpleasantly surprised at the thought of Clint Eastwood having directed a supernatural drama. Given his recent triumphs with films like "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," "Changeling," "Gran Torino," and "Invictus," it just didn't seem like something he would have or should have done. As usual, I was reacting impulsively; "Hereafter" is an incredibly strong film, in large part because Eastwood resisted the temptation to treat it as a thriller. It certainly has mysterious elements, but for the most part, it's a poignant, thought-provoking story of how different people react to traumatic circumstances.

The common thread of the story is death - or, more accurately, what awaits us after we die. Although glimpses of a spiritual void are revealed, neither Eastwood nor writer...

Life, death and transcendence
A tsunami rushes in on an island resort where Marie (Cécile De France) and Didier (Thierry Neuvic) are staying. Both survive, but Marie almost drowns and has a near-death experience, with ghostly light and indistinct figures...George Lonergan (Matt Damon), an apparently psychic American in San Francisco, is pushed into giving a reading for Christos (Richard Kind), a business associate of his brother Billy (Jay Mohr); George resents doing it, claiming that his "gift" is really a curse...in London, twin brothers Marcus and Jason (Frankie and George McLaren) struggle to help their drug-addict mother (Lyndsey Marshal) keep it together enough so that they don't get taken away by the social services - but fate has tragedy in store for them. Three stories, linked by death, gradually coming together, gradually influencing each other.

The bulk of HEREAFTER is about coping; George copes with his unwanted abilities, feeling isolated from his brother and even from the...

Eastwood's Thoughtful Meditation on Life After Death
Eastwood the Director may wind up in history more well-known than Eastwood the Actor, and for the man who played Dirty Harry and The Man With No Name, in addition to brilliant starring roles in his own films such as Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby - that is saying something.

Hereafter is a film with three different plots headed toward a common destination. In one strand Cecile De France plays Marie, a Parisian Journalist who is saved from drowning in a tsunami and finds that she can't extricate her private and professional lives from the experience. Frankie and George McLaren play twin brothers Marcus and Jason. The brothers have a drug-addicted single mother and share the task of shielding her and themselves from the authorities before tragedy strikes. In the final thread Matt Damon plays George Lonegan, the character you know the other characters are moving toward.

George has the ability to talk to the dead through contact with people who have...

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DreamWorks Spooky Stories (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)



Great Halloween Pack/Blu Ray
Just received the DreamWorks Spooky Stories Blu-ray and I have to say, it's great. There are five features with both the characters from Shrek and Monsters vs. Aliens having some Halloween fun. In the same vein as other holiday specials like "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and "Garfield's Halloween Adventure", both my children and I enjoyed watching it together and so will you.

JoshuaC's Reviwe of Dreamwork's halloween dvd
This set has both of the Halloween shows that DW made for tv, but in addishion it has several new catoons never seen on tv or theaters; and the Shrek 3D movie from the Universal Studios attraction. The "Play All" feature weaves the old with the new, it starts w/a new one "Thriller"; where they mirrors the MJ mv. Then it leads into "Scared Shrekless" the tv special, followed by the short "The Pig Who Cryed Werewolf"; this starts as a "Rear Window" like story. One of the 3 pigs thinks there new neighbor (The Big Bad Wolf)is up to some thing, and it smells delicious. It ends like the Abbott and Costello movie "Hold That Ghost," with the heroes running off into the horizon; w/one the saying "I told u so!" This leads into the the "Monsters vs Aliens; Attack of the Mutant Pumpkins" another tv special. This is fellowed by the new cartoon "Monsters vs Aliens; Night of the Living Carrots"; this is a continuation of "Attack of the Mutant Pumpkins." It starts w/BoB in froint of a curtain, (like...

great halloween stories
We really like these 4 stories of Shrek and all the character in 4 different "scary" stories. Great for Halloween, but my 2 yr. old watches this movie at least once a day all year.

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Tai Chi 42 Form



Excellent format and detail
This is a great DVD for reviewing your Tai Chi 42 form. I would never recommend trying to learn a form from a DVD but, once you have learned 42 with an instructor, this DVD is excellent for reviewing details. Several different views (front, back, side) and the martial arts application of each of the main movements.





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Lonesome (Criterion Collection)



Nice re-discovery of a master of cinema.
This set was a pleasent surprise: "Lonesome" is an absolute masterpiece (despite what anyone says, is an example of cinematic creativity and the influence in it for those who see Murnau, Vertov, Eisenstein, possibly Leni or whoever that, this is very, very little and much, much better than The Crowd by Vidor); for me, one of the greatest films from the silent era (and one of the more affecting); also we have a very good silent: "The Last Performance" (with a great Conrad Veidt, good Mary Philbin and very good Leslie Fenton), with missing parts but complete in its narrative, and a very good talkie musical drama "Broadway"(despite some inconsistencies in the argument and some scenes some slow but better than other talkie "classics")with dazzling travellings and very good visual and sound editing and really good performances along the cast. Great reconstruction for the films by the another rediscovered Master of Cinema Paul Fejos. Buy it! It is a must-see. (Remember : He directed as a...

A very charming romantic comedy.
I rarely watch any of the bonus features on Criterion discs or any DVDs, for that matter, so I only watched 'Lonesome' on a whim and didn't bother with the bonus. I've only seen two handfuls of silent movies in my life, and was attracted to this one by the reliably attractive Criterion artwork and the director's Hungarian nationality, although the movie is as American as apple-pie.

What a movie! Off the top of my head it's my new favorite romantic comedy, and you'd be hard-pressed to find so many innovative shots and natural acting, outside of three rather-stiff talking scenes, in any other film. You don't have to do that thing watching Lonesome as with some other classic films where you make relative judgments the whole time ("It must have been in the vanguard of its time!") or desperately pan an otherwise-dull film for little nuggets of cinematic gold. Instead, Lonesome hooks you from the beginning with the humorously intertwined morning routine of two lonely people who...

Absolutely awesome!
Lonesome is one of the best silent films I've watched. The photography and the scenes
are magnificent. It's a very simple story but yet it's very enjoyable.
The restoration is awesome! I particularly enjoyed the scenes of New York City and
Coney Island as they looked in the 1920's. What a wonderful piece of nostalgia!
I would heartily recommend this film. I haven't even enjoyed watching the other films
in this set but I can honestly say it's more than worth the purchase price.

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The Heineken Kidnapping



This Dutch Import Has A Great True Story To Tell But Often Skimps On Details And Insight
If I'm being honest, "The Heineken Kidnapping" is one of the most frustrating films that I've endeavored to review in a very long time. This Dutch film by Maarten Treurniet has a fantastic true life story to draw from, but fails to provide much insight into the actual event even as it covers a lot of ground. Based in fact (although with the usual dramatic liberties), the film revolves around the 1983 case in which Freddy Heineken (yes, the brewing mogul) was abducted and held for ransom over a three week period. The culprits were low level, relatively inexperienced Amsterdam criminals who extracted millions for the industrialist only to be immediately ensnared in an International manhunt. Sounds like a great idea for a movie! And let me just say that "The Heineken Kidnapping" is an exceedingly well made and well acted movie. What frustrates me, however, is that its focus is so broad--you end up understanding very little about the actual incident. I don't feel as if the characters...

Sort of True Dutch Kidnap Thriller.
In 1983 Freddy Heineken head of the brewing giant that reaches the parts other beers just can not reach, was reached himself by a gang of petty criminals and along with his chauffer was kidnapped. They demanded a ransom of 35 million guilders. For those that know what happened to say anymore would be like saying of the film `Titanic' that it sank and there would be no surprises, but as I did not know an iota about this I will say no more of how it turned out.

The kidnappers were quite ruthless especially Rem as depicted in the film. It was his idea and he was the nastiest toward Mr Heinken, this is explained away as him blaming Mr Heineken for his father's alcoholism. His father having been a sales rep for twenty years for the company and saying there was an `unwritten law' that they had to drink with the punters - sounds like my ideal jib to be honest. Well Rem's father now runs a fancy dress shop but is slowly dying and Rem uses some of the wigs and stuff as disguises to...

(3.5 STARS) Based on True Event, But More Like Morality Tale Than Thriller
As the film's title suggests, "The Heineken Kidnapping" ("De Heineken Ontvoering") follows the story of a real-life kidnapping case of Alfred Henry (Freddy) Heineken in 1983, president (and grandson of the founder) of the namesake brewing company. Freddy and his chauffeur Ab Doderer were abducted by four masked men in front of the office and imprisoned for three weeks before they were finally released.

The Dutch film directed by Maarten Treurniet is short on detail about the kidnapping and its subsequent police investigation. The film pays more attention to the psychological aspects of those who were involved, especially Freddy Heineken (Rutger Hauer) and a young kidnapper Rem (Reinout Scholten van Aschat), whose father was formerly employed by the company Heineken. The story plays out more like a morality tale with characters, who, vulnerable in different ways, represent two opposite and contrasting social strata.

This is the strength and weakness of "The...

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Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 6



For those newly discovering Poirot, for fans upgrading image, Poirot is 6 star.
It's REMASTERED. Of course it's reissued as series 6. 4 Poirots. Previously aired/released episodes, but now with better picture. According to friends using Blu-ray, it's great if you have a large screen. Excellent on normal DVDs too. Sets being offered are in original UK airing order. I've listed episodes, so check and see if you already own them.
If not, this is a grand opportunity for those new to this Belgian with `little gray cell' who out-sleuths `The Yard.' David Suchet made Poirot famous. Philip Jackson plays Chief Inspector Japp in 2 episodes. Hastings (Hugh Fraser) Poirot's right-hand arrives in two episodes. Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) is back for one episode.

I've never been disappointed with Poirot. Agatha Christie stories always fantastic, but Suchet makes adaptations soar to new heights. Humor, scenic bliss, and costumes rival script brilliance. It's tough cutting books to 100 TV minutes. This series does it well. Trivially note: Poirot fictional...

Movie Collection 2 gets re-mastered in Hi-Def from original film masters.
For Series 6 LWT (London Weekend Television) ran out of short stories and reverted back to the two hour format used in season 4, drawing stories from the longer Poirot Novels. (Series 5 used the Short Stories.)
This would be the last series for LWT to produce Poirot. Granada Television would do a hostile take over of LWT and the Poirot series would go on hiatus until the A&E Network would pick it up in 2000.
Technically this would not be a real broadcast season as it was spread out over three years. It is just the last of the LWT productions.

The classic two hour mysteries are:

42 6-01 01/January/95 "HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS"
43 6-02 12/February/95 "HICKORY, DICKORY, DOCK"
44 6-03 11/February/96 "MURDER ON THE LINKS"
45 6-04 16/March/97 "DUMB WITNESS"

Even though these were filmed in 16mm, re-mastering them in Hi-Definition from the original 16mm camera films will produce a sharper image than the old 1995/1997...

Poirot Entertains Again
I have all the modern(BBC) David Suchet DVDs of him playing Poirot. All of them are very entertaining and are more enjoyable than 98% of anything else on TV. Watch them all and be happy.

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Area 407



Crash And Burn: An Amateurish "Found Footage" Thriller That Lacks Much Payoff
Utilizing the increasingly popular "found footage" genre that combines elements of the thriller into a faux documentary presentation, "Area 407" is never particularly effective at establishing its intentions. It's hard to discuss the flaws of the film without revealing too much, so I'll be purposefully vague. The movie charts a plane crash and its immediate aftermath in a desert region of the United States. The survivors of the crash face two imminent dangers (which I won't discuss) but the two threads don't really work well together. As the DVD cover positions the film as a monster movie, I'll say that particular element is handled reasonably well. You get occasional glimpses of the terror, but nothing of a full reveal until the very end. The more human side to the threat is a LOT more vague, unexplained, and frankly lacking in logic. I didn't necessarily hate "Area 407," it just offers little new to this overused film technique. You've seen similar movies and you've seen them...

This is really bad to be even considered a 'B' movie.
This is one of those "me too" docu-drama a la Blair Witch Project, where some footage was recovered somewhere, and then someone put it together for your enjoyment. Well, it could be an excellent thrill, but the production shortcomings are way too many. The main character is cute at the very beginning but becomes too annoying a few minutes into the movie. Not to mention some other heavyset character, that irritates everyone including the audience. I was all the time wishing that he would get kill the sooner the better. It also seems like a lot of parts are missing or never explained at all (well... let's assume those footage parts were never found... LOL).

What could have been an excellent plot, was just trashed by whoever filmed this crap.

If you are the type of movie watcher who likes the kind of movies that has no script, no director, and where nothing makes sense most of the time. This is it!!!

Stay Away At All Costs!!!
Let me break this down as honestly as I can: This movie was so bad my eyeballs wanted to throw up!! I am still traumatized at how lame and sorry this film is in every area: acting, direction, special effects, etc! EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MOVIE SUCKS AND BLOWS!! Do yourself a big favor and STAY AWAY from this one, you won't be sorry! I just saved you from calling the Poison Control Center for your eyes - trust me! This is nothing more than CELLULOID EXCREMENT! I feel like my Constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment was violated!

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