The worst Best Picture winner ever???
	First off, let me explain why I purchased the AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS DVD in the first place, sight unseen.  One, I was trying to collect as many notable films of the 1950's as I could on DVD, to add to my personal library.  Two, it was the winner of the 1956 Best Picture Oscar (how bad could it be, right?).  And third, it was on sale at my local wholesaler.  So I figured, what the hey, I'll take a chance.

Talk about a COLOSSAL disappointment.  I'm a huge movie buff.  I'm only 32 years old, but I love all sorts of films and genres from different periods and countries.  I love old black   white and silent films, and I don't shy away from foreign films either.  I'm also a huge fan of Warner Brothers' 2-Disc Special Edition DVDs.  I try to keep an open mind about all the films I see, but I just can't come up with any convincing arguments to either buy or watch this film/DVD.

To start, there is NO GOOD REASON why this film should be 3 hours long.  It could have very easily been edited down to 2, if not 90 minutes.  There is almost no script to speak of, and what little there is consists of trite exchanges and banter with barely 2 memorable lines of dialogue.  There are endless shots of open seas or country, followed by about 30 seconds of dialogue, followed by EVEN MORE endless footage of different locales.  There is no real drama or comedy going on to drive the film, and the pacing is absolutely DREADFUL... I found myself hitting the "fast-foward" button on my remote on more than a few occasions, simply because I knew I wasn't missing any dialogue and the establishing shots would go on for 1 or 2 minutes STRAIGHT!

Secondly, the entire cast is virtually wasted.  David Niven is always a delight to watch, but is never given a chance to make Fogg truly shine.  He has one demeanor that he holds throughout:  stiff and mannered, with little or no variation.  Cantinflas, who supposedly was one of the highest paid comedians in the world at the time 80 DAYS was produced, gives us little reason to believe how or why he was such a sensation (other than doing his own stunt work).  He's mildly amusing at best, and his accent is so thick and mumbled that I had to rewind and replay some scenes with the "subtitle" button on.  As for the "noted" cameos... again, the actors/comedians are given little to do and barely play to their strengths and familiarity.  The only cameo actor who stuck out as having any real performance or impact was the great John Carradine (can't miss that voice!).

It's hard to believe it took THREE different writers to come up with such a frustratingly bland, lifeless and unfunny script (not to mention headscratchingly illogical... when Cantinflas rescues the Shirley MacLaine Princess character, wouldn't she fall in love with HIM, her actual rescuer, rather than the cool and distant Fogg, who only ordered the rescue?  Talk about a missed opportunity for some genuine comedy!).

Although this film obviously has some fans, I wonder if it's only because of some overriding nostalgia factor, whether it was seeing it for the first time back in 1956 or on TV as a child.  Other than that, I can't understand how anyone could seriously recommend this film.  Yes, it's beautifully photographed, and the costumes are great, but THAT'S IT.  I can't believe that 80 DAYS won the Best Picture Oscar of 1956, a year that also gave us GIANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE KING AND I, THE SEARCHERS... hell, even FORBIDDEN PLANET or INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS should have won before this overblown moving postcard.

I'm sorry to say that I probably won't bother watching this film again and will most likely end up reselling my DVD copy (if anyone will take it!).  Certainly my most disappointing DVD purchase EVER.  Don't say you weren't warned!


Awful!
	This final season is just ridiculous...and not in a good way.

When the Wayans abandon a project, then you know it is unfunny and over. Just look at the Scary Movie films.

Kelly Coffield left because the producers wanted to use Alexandra Wentworth more. A huge mistake! Kelly was hilarious.

Save your money and avoid this stinker season


When the wayans, J.LO, Kelly Koffied left then so did all the talent
	When shows do final seasons usually they go out with a bang. But saddly this shows last bullets in this shows gun was a bunch of blanks. Now dont get me wrong, it was funny, I'll give it that, that's the only reason it got 2 stars, but season 1-4 raised the comedy standeard so high and were so funny but this season was a huge failure IN LIVING COLOR wise. So I'd recomend this for the series collectors like me. meaning I have season 1-4 and although I didnt like season 5, I'd feel uncomplete without it


Classic Film But Terrible Video Transfer
	This is a wonderful film. Some may say it's a bit slow paced and perhaps it's not geared for the MTV generation's pace of visual stimulation. Nonetheless, patience has it's rewards for anyone who cares to take a  chance. It appears that every last detail in this film was molded by the  director, Tati. Unfortunately, the video transfer on this edition is so  terribly soft, as though the telecine was not in focus. It's a crime that  such a great film could not have been treated with greater care. One only  hopes that a DVD transfer of superior quality is in the pipes


No Power
	The book of Acts is a book of power!  Sadly, this is what is lacking in the DVD presentation.  The minute I began watching I knew it was going to be a weak (acting) rendition of the story.  Thankfully, it is word for word from the Bible, which is why I gave it two stars.  Reading through the book of Acts one can almost feel the electricity of the Holy Spirit working in and through the lives of the Apostles and believers.  All of that is lost in the DVD presentation.

I would not recommend this DVD.  Stick to the Book instead


Not Objective Comparison between two company
	I did watch that and I did not liked cause I know good detailed information about this history. This DVD is making polishing Boeing  company instead Lockheed won this techonology war ! It is 2 hours long and Boeing appears most of the times. There is no good explanation how Lockheed is performed that outstanding job. It all talkes about Boeing and at the final it again declares Boeing bla bla good bla bla succesfull at stealth jobs. I think the director was from Boeing Compan


Meh...
	I don't know what to say about this...it was interesting but not wowing by any standards. It was semi-enjoyable to watch with interesting graphics and the concept is novel too. But the music SUCKS and thats half the DVD right there. Recommend renting or borrowing from a friend. I wouldn't buy this DVD again


The Sixth Sense Wanna Be
	Ok,  I'll addmit this had some pretty stunning moments here and there but other than that this was a yawn.  This film is trying to jump on the japanese horror bandwagon.  It really doesn't take a genius to figure out this plot.  I mean as soon as the main actress enterred the cabin and heard her husband in the next room I turned to my girlfreind and told her the whole film's plot and sure enough I was right on the money, only I thought it would of ended 20 minutes earlier but oh no, it had to keep going and going...just end allready, I get it!


I was very disappointed
	I am a big fan of martial arts films  --  having lived in Taiwan.  However, this one was over-hyped in my opinion.  The love affairs in the DVD were unbelievable at best and even absurd at times.  I often enjoy the melodrama and over-acting of Chinese films, but I gagged a few times on this one.  It was down-right goofy at times.  I really wanted this one to grab me, but it did not.


Totally conned
	While it may be true that the "camera doesn't lie," when you take 600+ hours of footage and edit them down to 6, you have a lot of leaway to manipulate.  Immediately after finishing the film, I would have given this movie 4 stars.  It's very well crafted and kept my wife and me fascinated for all eight episodes.  After we finished watching it, however, we wanted to know more, so we started gathering information from other sources.  Very quickly, we discovered that we had been conned.  Jean-Xavier de Lestrade clearly knew what would make a compelling story, and he crafted the footage to tell that story.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be the real story.  We felt so betrayed.  We'd spent 6 hours watching what was purported to be the truth only to discover that huge amounts of evidence had not been shown (much less explained) and that the documentary clearly was more spin that revelation.  If you want to see a well-made film that will keep you amazed and guessing, definitely see this film.  If you want to see something that reflects reality, I would look elsewhere


desperation
	Controversy courted the release of this film and people went to see it for the actual depictions of sex between the actors, thinking somehow it would be pornographic or titillating. But this film showed two desperate, middle-aged strangers (with all their flaws abundantly clear) meeting once a week for no-strings-attached encounters. The fact that the audience sees graphic moments adds only to the "desperate", tawdry, pathetic feel of their relationship. Naturally, one of the two of them becomes too curious and wants to know more about the other partner, one of the greatest pitfalls in the dangerous pursuit of anonymous encounters: sooner or later, anonymity is not good enough anymore.


Skip Color, Go Directly To The Black-And-White
 	I'm not sure why Sony, which now owns I Dream of Jeannie, decided to colorize the first season of this series.  Whatever the reason, you can readily tell by looking at the prices here on Amazon.com that the original black-and-white version of the first season is worth a lot more.  The reason for that is simple--I Dream of Jeannie was originally broadcast in black-and-white.  And for a television fan like myself, that's the ONLY way to watch the first season.

The episodes themselves are just as I remember seeing them.  Since I wasn't around in 1965, I'm pretty sure I've never seen these without the cuts that have been referenced here.  But to me, they're still pretty good.  The theme music, in my opinion, is every bit as good as the second theme, introduced when Jeannie went to color in 1966.

The one thing that truly will drive the purists nuts is the fact that Sony stripped off the old Screen Gems animation from the end of every episode.  That logo was attached to so many classic shows from the 1960s and 1970s, and it is consistenly rated, along with Viacom's old blue V of Doom, as the scariest logo in the history of television.  The new Sony outro doesn't pack the same punch.

Still, if you liked Jeannie way back when, you'll love it now, especially since you can watch it anytime you like, without commercial interruption


Best American Animated Film Ever
 	If you don't own this dvd you need to add it to your collection. In my opinion it is the best american animated film ever released


The Bone Collector
 	Denzel Washington is great but Angelina Jolie he is even better. The movie itself is pretty scary, to tell you the truth it's not pleasant. There are some parts you don't really need to see. The plot of the movie is interesting and keeps you wondering what is gonna happen next. I recommend watching it with somebody, cause it's not pretty. But it's a good movie.


a gem!
 	I rediscovered this after a long time. This is a great series.I had never seen this in its entirety and look forward to seeing the third and fourth which I understand is not out yet.Its a gem, love the storyline and costumes.,so authentic looking and of the period,even the dialogue.I wish there were more of this genre


Reminiscing.......
 	I bought this movie for my coming of age daughter to watch with me.  I enjoyed it so much in high school and was not surprised that she did also. Times and styles may have changed, but I believe that teens still go through needing the sense of belonging as these teens in the movie did. Simple, but great movie.  My only regret is that it wasn't close captioned


Great Dreamworks animated movie!
 	R.J. The Raccoon (Bruce Willis) was just looking for something to eat as he stumbles into his bear friend's (Nick Nolte) cave and accidently destroys his food, he has an entire week to find almost every scrap of food for him or else he dies. He finds a family of animals (Gary Shandling, William Shatner, Wanda Sykes, Steve Carrell, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Avril Lavigne) and uses them for his scheme to go over the large hedge near their territory to the suburbs where they steal food from the humans. Later on, the home-owner Gladys (Allison Janey) hires professional exterminator Dwayne (Thomas Hayden Church) to kill them but can RJ save his own life or his new friends's?

Extremely entertaining and fantastic CGI animated comedy from the makers of "Shrek 1  and  2", "Antz" and "Madagscar" Dreamworks provides great realistic CGI and laughs for everybody. There's also heart in this movie and shows the meaning of what it is like to have friends and be one's true self instead of being selfish! Steve Carrell's character Hammy the Squirrel steals the show here as the best character in the movie, it's a wonderful and hilarious movie that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

This DVD has some good extras like two sneek previews to "Shrek 3" and "Bee-Movie", audio commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette, VerneTech commercial, games, meet the cast featurette and gallery.

Highly recommended! the best Dreamworks animated movie since "Shrek 1  and  2"


The First Woman in the Workplace Film
 	9 to 5 was the first film to address the glass ceiling.  It takes a look at the workplace from a woman's view.

We first meet Violet (Lily Tomlin) who has been working for Consolidated Companies for 12 years and has been overlooked for most of them.  She trained her current boss and has the bruises to prove it.  Judy (Jane Fonda) is the new girl in the office.  She is a divorcee (he left her for his secretary) and has never worked for a living.  Rounding out the heroines is Doralee (Dolly Parton in the film debut). She is the personal secretary of Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman) and everyone thinks she is "banging the boss".

But the fun starts when Violet is passed over for a promotion to a man she helped train.  She then blurts out that Hart has been spreading rumors that he's been having an affair with Doralee.  And an employee is fired for a small infraction. This sends the three women to the local bar to drown their sorrows and they bond.

Each comes up with their fantasy way of killing the boss.  Judy is a big game hunter with Hart as the prey.  Doralee plays role reversal and Hart ends up on a rotisserie spit.  But Violet wants it to be like a fairy tale where she is Snow White and the wicked witch and poisons Hart.

The next day, Violet accidentally poisons Hart's coffee.  When falls out of his chair and is knock unconscious, Violet thinks she killed him.  This leads to an all out comedy chase with Violet steals the wrong corpse.

The next day to the ladies surprise, Hart shows up.  The ladies regroup in the restroom but Roz overhears them and reports it to Hart.  Hart confronts the ladies but they wind up kidnapping him to find some incriminating evidence.  The find something but it is going to take some time to get the evidence.  Over the next six weeks the ladies run the office in Hart's absence.  Hart escapes but the ladies changes have brought notice and Hart is not above taking someone else's glory.

The subject matter here is very serious.  So to do it as a comedy is very daring and it works perfectly.  This is a film that many people identify with.  Everyone has had a boss or a teacher that oppressed them.  And this film is what we all would like to do to these oppressors.   You will laugh until it hurts.

DVD EXTRAS:
Commentary by producer Bruce Gilbert and stars Lily, Jane and Dolly

9 to 5 @ 25 - a 25 minute featurette with interviews with Gilbert, writer director Colin Higgins and stars Lily. Jane, Dolly and Dabney Coleman.

Deleted Scenes - 10 mostly expanded scenes or alternate takes.  The problem is without some kind of commentary we do not know why the scene was cut.


Great reference
 	I wanted to do a grad school paper on something I was interested in researching and I picked Hip-Hop. After working for an underground Hip-Hop magazine, I'd already familiarized myself with a lot of information that I was too young to understand (being born in '81).  I visited the University of Hip-Hop in Chicago, interviewed underground artists, and went to breaking shows in the Illinois area.  Although I thought I was very familiar with Hip-Hop, after working with this magazine, I realized I knew NOTHING.

So when I was given the chance to do my research paper, I knew that I would be able to learn even more than I already knew from working for the magazine.  I watched the three parts of "Beef" first and saw an ad for this movie in the Extras section.  Honestly, the first thing that caught my eye was how gorgeous Mr. Wiggles was...but then after fully watching the preview, I realized this was the PERFECT movie for me to find out more about breaking.

This movie documented the founding members, discussed the four elements of Hip-Hop, gave a lot of background information on Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, talked about the different techniques in breaking, the label "breakdancing," the media's dilution of breaking, the first movies that breaking was showcased in, new breaking groups...just a bunch of "firsts."  It was a great reference for my paper, I enjoyed watching it, and I could watch it over and over again.  I have a lot of respect for the founders because without them, headz wouldn't have this beautiful culture to express ourselves physically, mentally, and verbally


Incredible movie for guys!
 	If you like action, shooting, explosions, fire, pain, torture and revenge, this is a movie you'll love.  And, it stars one of the best actors in the world who is completely believeable in this role.  A great storyline with intriguing twists plus situations and settings that are very close to reality.


john singleton kept it real.
 	he kept it real thats all i can say. aw yeah those people talkin bout its too much cussin. what u expect im from the hood and every other word i say is a cuss word. i just cant help it. everybody in the hood cusses. but anyways..


The Sentinel; a review of
 	Frankly, the idea of a Secret Service Agent having an affair with the President's wife is way out there in the first place. (Michael Douglas not withstanding).  If you like Keefer Sutherland (as in TV's 24) you will probably like this movie (his name could have been Jack Bower in  this flick too.  I thought it had good action, writing, acting and directing.  I would not mind seeing Keefer and Michael teamed up again on the same side.  I bought the dvd, but then again I collect movies for the actors.


must have for broadway lovers
 	i saw this show on PBS and was so enthralled with it that i just had to order it.  the performances are priceless from folks who have passed on.  i don't know of any other way to be able to see Yul Brynner's commanding King and I performance.  Loved it


Shaking the Crime Stick!
 	I had been aware that once there was a show called "Mr. Show", starring Bob and David, and that it had been on HBO. But I had never been compelled to buy any of their DVDs until this weekend, when the power of Satan...um, compelled me to pick up the first two seasons. All I gotta say is: Praise Satan for leading me to this glory!

The first season, comprised of four episodes, is fantastic, with flashes of brilliance on "The Gay Porno Video", but it's the second season that really will make you a fan. Such oddities as F.F. Woodycooks, Only The British Can Fly, Child-Labor Comedy Writers, the Iguana, and Jeepers Creepers: Semi-Star unleash the funny like you'd never believe.

Mr. Show proves that there is a market for intelligent, hilarious sketch comedy...on cable, or in the case of KITH and Monty Python, imported from other countries. But Mr. Show is homegrown, it's comedy at a breakneck speed, and there's never a dull moment in either season. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn how to fight crime with a "crime stick" and ice cream, and enjoy tofu-based products while your business goes to hell...led by a red balloon.

"The security guard and I shared something in common...Me!


Very funny; cutting edge laughs
 	This comedy volume is absolutely great.  While I'm a fan of the series, I thought this volume was more cutting edge than the next.  Definately don't watch Season 3 before seeing these seasons, because this is intellectual comedy that builds on previous episodes to some degree.  It doesn't move as fast as some comedy out there, but it all fits together better than most of what is on TV today


Unforgettable and wonderful
 	I have loved this movie ever since I saw it on television and watch it whenever it is on (it's been some time now) and I plan to buy it.  Waterston has never been better as the understanding and loving father.  I didn't realize when I first saw it that Reese Witherspoon was the daughter (that was before Reese Witherspoon became Reese Witherspoon).  A heartbreaking, beautifully acted and must-see film.  Rings true to life.  They certainly don't make movies like this anymore, and it's a shame


Classic Epsiodes
 	Some classic episodes indeed.  All In The Family broke new ground in television sitcoms.  The world ws changing and liberalism was making its presence in many households.  Archie Bunker's old fashioned values were being challenged.  It is certainly a bit scary how prejudiced Archie Bunker's views were.  Organizing petitions against minorities moving into his neigborhood?  Not willing to donate blood for the fear it will save someone of a different race or religion? Quite a shock to the system especially when its seen today where society is very sensitive to what you can say because it might offend someone.

Certainly a great show that makes you think about differing points of view and how we have evolved since the 1970's.  Carol O'Connor, Jean Stapelton, Sally Struthers, and Rob Reiner portray a slice of pie in ever changing times.  All In The Family spawned off may other great shows such as The Jeffersons, Maude, and indirectly Good Times.  This first season was certainly a reverred one.  Just look at it with an open mind


Civil War
 	Great movie, great actors for such a sad part of the U.S. history ! It is great to see in this movie some men who really existed (especially "Stonewall" Jackson). We don't know if the personalities showed into the movie were really like this or if it is a pure fiction, but at the end of the day it's not very important, because the historical interest is preserved


could be 5 stars
 	..without jessica alba.let's imagine the same film as "the deep" with jacqueline Bisset...a real sexy looking woman not a " teenager chica lookalike"with very poor acting..It seems the same director had a better choice in "blue crush".
The rest is absolutly great and represents a great moment of adventures.
buy i


shocking and a very hooking story
 	see this
it will shock you
move you
thrill you
excite you
chill you
freak you out
it's one amazing, strange movie
it really takes a while to understand it at times
but it has many valuable lessons one can learn
Witherspoons performance is shattering and remarkable among other things. a great movie. will be seen more times then I can count the next times I play it in my playe


Pretty Good!
 	I liked this work out. It is very easy to follow. The instructor, who is very likable, gives good instructions.  She gives each dance move a "fun" name, so it is easy to remember. I do this work-out when I want to work-out, but do not have as much energy as usual or I will do it as a warm-up to another work-out. It always puts me in a good mood. I liked that it contains a good warm up and an isolation section. If you are looking for a hard-core dance fitness work-out that leaves you grasping for air as you are drenched in sweat, this is not for you. If you are looking for a fun, easy work-out, then this is for you


Beginners Quigong
 	Good introduction to Qigong.  Mirror image instruction would have been helpful for some of the more complex moves and even some moves with back to the camera would have been helpful.  Overall relaxing and precise.


Salsa
 	of course i enjoy this movie, i ordered it after so many years of searching for it... i love salsa music and the dancing..


Wants, Needs, and Accessibility
 	JULIE JOHNSON is a quiet little film that deals with the frustrations facing a New Jersey housewife and mother who married and birthed before she graduated high school and finds herself in a rigid relationship, longing for knowledge to change things.  She considers herself stupid, sneaks Science magazines to read when her overbearing husband isn't around, and finally gathers the courage (while staring at the stars one night) to change her plight.  She takes a computer course, passes her GED and with the constant support of her dearest girlfriend gathers the courage to get out of the stifling marriage with her husband and study to improve her lot in life.  Along the way she discovers other secrets about herself, buried in the facade of a life she has led.  She changes, relates to the world in a different way, and refuses to settle for returning to 'the old life' when her husband returns promising her change.  Her relationship with her girlfriend proceeds to intimate levels, but in the end this friendship cannot last, as her girlfriend doesn't have the same goals.

The story is simple, but in the hands of the writers Wendy Hammond and Bob Gosse and with Gosse's fine direction, the entire cast gives us an ensemble of disparate characters in whom we can all believe.  Lili Taylor plays the lead with extraordinary skill and as her girlfriend Courtney Love gives a bravura performance.  The remainder of the cast (Spalding Gray, Noah Emmerich, Gideon Jacobs, Mischa Barton, et al) is likewise strong.  But it is Taylor's film and she offers one of her most poignant performances of her career.  A thoughtful, sensitive, engrossing film.  Grady Harp, September 0


NOTHING LIKE LIVE EDWIN
 	If you sort of like Edwin McCain, get this DVD, watch him live, and you will fall in love. He has such passion for his music that can only be seen, and felt during live performances. His amazing voice, is just as amazing live, and he and his band, can JAM!! The energy is high, and its a great time!
I had the priviledge of meeting him, and blubbered like an idiot, but he is just as cool a guy as he seems. He really appreciates his fan base, and understands how important it is for us to see him live. Im glad that finally, I can share with my friends who have never see Edwin live, what an amazing artist he really is!!!!


ER Season 4 DVD Review
 	The much-celebrated fourth season of NBC's long-running medical drama, ER, is the recipient of two 1997-1998 Emmy awards, three 1997-1998 Screen Actors Guild awards, and one 1997-1998 Golden Globe award.

Fans of the show will be treated to roughly 16 hours chock full of trauma intertwined with personal and professional relationship trials between the doctors, nurses, support staff, and patients. The unrated six-disc set includes 22 episodes, Spanish and French language subtitles, and numerous special features including outpatient outtakes, a "Cutups" gag reel, "Anatomy of an Ambush", and the "Ambush live post-show". Outpatient outtakes allow viewers to watch deleted scenes straight from the cutting room floor, while the "Ambush" special features include analysis and discussion of the live episode as well as the subsequent celebration among the cast and crew.

The fourth season is ripe with talented and beautiful actors - some of the most adored cast members in ER history. The primary cast includes returning favorites George Clooney (Dr. Doug Ross), Anthony Edwards (Dr. Mark Greene), Noah Wyle (Dr. John Carter), Julianna Margulies (Nurse Carol Hathaway), Gloria Reuben (P.A. Jeanie Boulet), Eriq LaSalle (Dr. Peter Benton), Laura Innes (Dr. Kerry Weaver), and Maria Bello (Dr. Anna Del Amico). Also returning are Paul McCrane (Dr. Romano), William H. Macy (Dr. Morgenstern), and John Aylward (Dr. Anspaugh).

New stars to the ER this season include Alex Kingston (Dr. Corday), Mariska Hargitay (Cynthia Hooper), and Yvette Freeman (Nurse Adams). Recurring and special guest stars include Lisa Nicole Carson, Telma Hopkins, Dan Hedaya, CCH Pounder, Chad Lowe, Jorja Fox, Alan Alda, Harold Perrineau Jr.

This season also plays host to intense storylines, and, of course, emergencies. The DVD set begins with the legendary "Ambush" episode-ER's live season opener. Additional ighlights of the season include:
Dr. Greene dealing with the aftereffects of his mugging, his estranged family, and his wavering feelings for Hooper;
Dr. Ross losing his father, and potentially his fianc  and career;
Physician Assistant Boulet dealing with HIV and the stigma associated with it;
Benton's relationships with his newborn son, his girlfriend Carla, and his budding relationship with Dr. Corday;
The negative impact Synergix (an ER management firm) has on the lives of the staff;
Carter trying to cope with his drug addicted cousin and personal issues with the remainder of his family;
And much more!

The fourth season ER DVD is a must have for die hard ER fans, as well as for anyone who just loves a well-written, well-established drama.


Kevin's dance unforgettable
 	A very successful comedy. Highly recommendable. Players are magnificent.
Especially the final scene involving Kevin Cline's dancing act is unforgettable. Enables people to overcome deeply rooted prejudices about
sexual practice.Sociological context significant.Leaves fine trails in spectators' brains


KK Can Dance
 	I quite enjoyed watching this film, which is why I give it four stars, even though I think there are some things about it that are seriously problematic. So, why did I like it? Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Kevin Kline (in that order) and also a passably funny script -- at least one that is well structured for a feel-good viewing experience.

Joan Cusack is wonderful here. Her blow-up at her wayward fiance after he stands her up  is fantastic, and the scene where she stumbles from a bar out into the street, screaming "Is this the Twilight Zone?" at which point she collapses on the hood of Matt Dillon's car (in her wedding dress no less) -- well, that scene is adorable, especially considering that it ends with some truly touching readings of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet -- a play that itself explores competing definitions of masculinity. Yes, here is the heart of the film (so I cannot comprehend another viewer's criticism that the bride is given nothing in this film; she's obviously going to marry the movie star, and get to eat cheetos into the bargain). Matt Dillon is, as ever, the essence of cuteness, and a much more desirable husband than Kevin -- um, I mean Howard.

Kevin Kline does a decent job of mimicking Howard, a repressed gay man. But it still feels like mimicking, rather than acting. Here is also where the problems begin. I guess wearing a bow-tie means you are gay. And, similarly, the Barbra Streisand gag is beaten to death (and beyond). How many times can the viewers tolerate being told that all gay men like Barbra??!! Come on! Also, Kline's attempt to appear gay simply by giving us a limp hand gesture . . . Not only is it not enough; it's really kind of humiliating.

Nonetheless, the final scene does give "Mr. Holland's Opus" a run for its money, and I can't deny it: I did really have fun watching this movie. It's basically a sound little production, well structured, reasonably well written, and Kevin Kline can dance


Hooked From The Start
 	I'm not big on anime, but watching one episode got me hooked.  The voices, the animation, the story, the characters and the music all blend so seamlessly that it is a joy to watch Samurai Champloo.

Each and every episode just engrosses you deeper and deeper into the story line leaving you wanting for more.


Samurais meet hip-hop
 	If you are bored with Kurosawa's faithful decpition of historical Samurai (and who would be?), if you think the Samurai genre has been overused and outdated...then get ready for the hip-hop remix version of the age old genre: SAMURAI CHAMPLOO.  Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, the man who brought us Cowboy Bebop and 2 shorts in Animatrix, with character design by Kazuto Nakazawa, Kill Bill vol. 1 fame, we are treated to a world that would have made the Wu-Tang Clan feel right at home.  The action is off the wall with the two main characters treating us to two styles of fighting that are the very antithesis to each other. One follows the strict laws of bushido while the other adheres to a style that can only be described as being the breakdance of sword play.  The music is all modern hip-hop, no moody asian flare here.

The story is about the adventures of these two warriors as they escort a pessant girl across Japan in search of a samurai who's only distinquishing characteristic is that "he smells like sunflowers."  Lack of money, food, and patience is a recipe for disaster and wacky hi-jinks in this adventure-comedy.  Rated 16+ (the equivilent of R in the US) for bloody violence and language.  A must for any samurai genre fan


A MUST Have.
 	I loved this play.
Tyler Perry and his ability to make you laugh ( and cry ) is a blessing from God.
You can watch this with everyone in your family.


WINNER  FOR  VISUAL  EFFECTS . . . EVEN  TODAY !
 	"The Good Earth" must be considered a "milestone movie." As yet, there is no DVD  but one packed with out-takes about the making of this film would be especially welcome. There was no Oscar given for outstanding visual effects until 1939; otherwise, "The Good Earth" would have 'taken home' that award!

The lovely Luise Ranier did  win "Best Actress" award. The 1937 movie was based on Pearl Buck's novel that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. Interest in "The Good Earth" was revived in Fall 2004 when it was selected for "Oprah's Book Club".   Perhaps women's rights advocates should also give it a boost?

The story is about China in the 1900s.  A simple farmer, Wang Lung, is 'given' (by his father) the slave O-Lan, for his bride.  I do not remember much from childhood about this film, but I definitely do not recall Paul Muni having such a mouthful of teeth! (special effecrs?!) Luise Ranier  had won an Oscar the previous year for her role in the "Ziegfield Follies" -- what a contrast!  Here she is the completely docile, loyal wife; as someone wrote, she was bound to her husband in "eternal servitude."  And her devotion was betrayed.  Partly through the machinations of "Uncle".  At every time of crisis in the story along comes (GROAN!) the crafty, manipulatve uncle (Walter Connolly) who whines  and  wheedles - - inserting humor (?) into the script and at the same time destroying family amity.

From the Internet Movie Database are the prophetic words of former slave O-Lan:  "When I go back in that house, it will be with my son in my arms. I'll have a red coat on him... and red flower trousers... and a hat with a gilded Buddha and tiger-faced shoes, and I'll go into the kitchen where I spent my days as a slave and into the great hall where the old mistress sits with her pipe, and I'll show myself and my son to all of them."  (Smiles, contented)
Wang Lung:  "Well... Now, I... I haven't heard you speak so many words since you came to this house."

Isn't the photography impressive for having been shot nearly seventy years ago? I found the quality of framed camera shots surprising  and  the production of many scenes quite amazing.  READ  Susan Wong's  wonderfully perceptive review on amazon.com.

Today's movie-goers don't seem to care about "true life" documentation in films,  but animation couldn't convince as the 1930s true-life locusts do! That tired word "awesome" truly fits this vintage film:  the choking drought  and  famine, the beautiful  'condensed' story of harvesting when they must survive the fury of a storm,  and the terrifying  scenes of revolutionary uprisings.

REVIEWER mcHAIKU  HAILS THIS FILM, and others that made an impact on my childhood!


Heartbreaking
 	I've seen this movie on TV a few years ago, but it just wouldn't leave my mind, so I ordered the DVD.
It's one of those movies you won't forget, because everyone of us has some kind of 'coach', as Mitchell calls it.
Morrie is a great coach, and if you watch this movie, you will see why it is so heartbreaking. An old, wise man, a long lost friend, who teaches the last course in his life. At home. One student.
A must have seen


Be Very Afraid
 	What a cast! Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William L. Petersen, Amy Brenneman and Alyssa Milano are all terrific in this taut thriller about an innocent girl (Witherspoon) and her seemingly perfect boyfriend (Wahlberg). Of course, the boyfriend is really a borderline psycho and a stalker. Wahlberg turns in a spectacular yet subtle performance. William Petersen (CSI) is outstanding as the Witherspoon's concerned father who has way too many issues himself. This film is a hidden gem. Buy it . . . you will not be disappointed


Very Well Made
 	Otto Preminger's EXODUS is a very well made film. This is a big film and director Preminger is a master at handling films of this scale. He is a master technician and he tells this story on that level rather than showing anything highly stylistic in nature. Well, that is Preminger's style, straighforward and technically proficient movie making.


Sweet, innocuous, kids love it!
 	My children (ages 6 and 11) absolutely love HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. My son's drama club is preparing to perform it this spring, and he's very excited about trying out for a part. I enjoyed watching it as well. The musical is set in a fairy tale high school, but what musical isn't a fairy tale? Puppy love and teen rivalry ... all done in a family-friendly Disney way. Walt would have been proud


There is no happy love!
 	Ouzon explores the feminine universe through the lives and times of 8 women around the sudden crime of the only man of the house. 8 women, every one of them with their affective lacks, their tribulations. Little miseries, sorrows and disillusions. Each one oft them is potentially suspicious of having murdered Marcel.

The admirable photography and colossal arrangement of a beautiful stage, with a sublime red carpet that remind us Bergman in Cries and whispers plus the visible and well deserved homage top Alfred Hitchcock (Vertigo) expressed warmly in the last quarter of the film, plus the additional musical numbers make of this film an absolute and delicious feast to your senses.

A must-see!


J.J. Abrams once again proves his worth
 	This is, as most critics agreed, the best of the trilogy.  Abrams' crisp direction keeps this film moving at breakneck speed from start to finish, including a few twists along the way.  I was thoroughly entertained by this outstanding action film.

The only thing I DIDN'T like.... the short pause in the middle of the film, probably for a change between the dual layers.  VERY annoying!


a must buy
 	if you are interested in computer history and the fight between microsoft and apple still very hot today this is a must have dvd


I want more Macho Man
 	There is not enough footage on the feud with Macho Man Randy Savage. I prefer to see entire matches and more in depth behind the scenes regarding the whole story. What did the Macho Man think about it? Unfortunately we can never get to hear from Ms Elizabeth. Would these be included in a future Macho Man DVD set? I was always wondering if that was even legal to use a snake to bite another guy, especially in front of a huge live audience including kids. I was totally shocked when I first saw that on TV back in the 80's. Yes, that's hardcore. Deadly scary hardcore! That should not happen in the first place. The story involving Steamboat is well covered. It is a good example of how dangerous certain things can be. It is easy to think of something to do but actually doing it is another thing. There should be a line which should not be crossed. How can a real heavyweight guitar be used by Honky Tonk to hit Jake over the head? Human error? Hm... Nowadays Tripe H is using a hammer to hit others on the head. I guess a guitar is not a big deal by today's standard. Enough is enough. We don't need accidents! They may be an unevitable part of sports, but not part of "entertainment."


Great movie, worth a better translation.
 	I'd give 4 stars for this DVD release.  The movie itself has a special place for anyone who grew up watching soviet movies.  To relate the atmosphere of an old 60's soviet "eastern" is not easy to an american viewer, and I believe a better english dubbing could do this movie a better justice.  Besides that, it's a must have, particularly for any russian ex-pat


Life goes by fast.If you don't stop and look at it,it could pass you by.
 	One of John Hughes best films,Ferris Bueler made me laugh harder than any other Hughes film. The though of one high schooler having an entire town behind his back makes you wish you were him.I love this film


Girl Play
 	I was amased at how very well acted, directed and written this movie was. The dialogue was sharp and you might have to watch twice to get all the subtle quips. Everyone was well cast. It is great movie for anyone and transcends the lesbo-film cliche. It transcends because the themes are universal and you forget it's a "gay" movie. If you hated "Go Fish" like I did, you'll love this movie and go "whew" for this film - it saves our lesbian cinema souls! Buy it! you won't be sorr


Werner Heisenberg, King of Noir.
 	Leave it to the Coen Brothers to make Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle the crux of a film noir, and darned if they don't make a good case for it in "The Man Who Wasn't There." (Typically, they put their argument in the mouth of a loutish lawyer who can't even remember Heisenberg's name.) Chain-smoking nebbish barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) makes the only decisive (and dishonest) action of his life, and thus begins a chain of events that ends in the doom of himself and several, mostly not-so-innocent, bystanders. In "The Man Who Wasn't There," the phrase "decisive action" is an oxymoron; everything Crane and the other characters do is governed solely by chance. Everything that happens--from the wrong stranger turning up at the wrong time to a horribly timed punch in the face--changes everything forever, and always for the worse. Set in 1949 in Santa Rosa, Calif. (a tip of the hat to Hitchcock and "Shadow of a Doubt," perhaps?) "The Man Who Wasn't There" looks perfect. Like every other Coen film, it's a marvel of production design, and the genius photographer Roger Deakins nails to a tree the dusty black-and-white look of such classic noirs as "Double Indemnity" and "Out of the Past." Thematically, however, "The Man Who Wasn't There" resembles nothing so much as a much more elegant, much better acted remake of Edgar G. Ulmer's "Detour," in which the characters drift in a low-rent Sartrean hell, totally the victims of fate. But whereas "Detour" is more than the sum of its parts, "The Man Who Wasn't There" is less. The Coen Brothers may believe in chance, but on the screen they leave nothing to chance, so that everything in "The Man Who Wasn't There" is TOO perfect. In the end the film has the same overstudied, clinical quality that afflicts every Coen film except "Fargo." (It must be admitted, though, that only one Coen film--"The Hudsucker Proxy"--is ruined by that quality.) The acting is as superb as in any Coen film. Thornton--in a role that is nearly wordless except for the voiceover narration tying the plot together--burns a hole in the celluloid with his intense, hangdog gravity. There are also glittering supporting performances by Frances McDormand as Thornton's philandering wife Doris; James Gandolfini as her paramour and boss; Jon Polito as a shady businessman; Michael Badalucco as Thornton's motormouth brother-in-law; Scarlett Johansson as the teenager Thornton chastely fancies; and especially Tony Shalhoub, nearly stealing the picture as Freddy Riedenschneider, defense attorney extraordinaire.


funny movie
 	next friday was so much better than the first one. with much more funnier scenes. and this movie is reccommended for everyone


Goes to Show: you got to fight for love sometimes
 	This is a sweet comedy with alot of formula but it works! Sometimes you have to fight for love and it takes something like a movie star moving in on the girl to push you to action. Predictable but funny. Isn't love worth fighting for


Oh, the things this kid does...
 	Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is a kind of hero to every high-school aged young adult out there. He's the kind of guy whom we all want to be, really. He acts like he doesn't have a care in the world, and lives life to fullest. The opposite of this guy would be his best friend Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), a sort of uptight worrywart who deserves to be brought out of his shell by the easygoing Ferris. In this film, Ferris fakes out his parents into calling it another "sick" day for him, his ninth to be exact. In order to convince just about everyone that he is really sick, he consults his collection of electronic sound effect equipment for the process. Another antithesis of Ferris is his life-is-not-fair sister Jeannie(Jennifer Grey) who suspects something is up, as does the sly-but-not-so-slick Dean of Students, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones).
It's funny how so many trains of thoughts seem to dominate this movie and in the events that happen For instance, Ferris says that he has to keep coming up with new illnesses in order to make 10 sick days. It's amazing; people, like his parents who are most easily duped, would think that this one sick kid when in reality, he's having a ball. However, knowing that if he gets cauught and may not graduate, he decides to make this one count and be worthwhile. Ferris and Cameron bail out Ferris' girl Sloane (Mia Sara) with a dead grandmother ploy, and together the trio spend the day doing the town in Chicago driving the '61 GT convertible (Oh, yeah!). This movie has a special message and feeling to it that's as old as time. It's about conquering fears mostly and just really appreciating life. For after all, as our hero says: "Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop to take a look every once in a while, you might miss it." That's the moral of the story, really.
"Bueller...Bueller...Bueller?" Not here, but he'll be there in your own home sharing his funny but wise philosophies of life, and showing you how to open your eyes in making the most of every day


Inspiring and well-made
 	Highly enjoyable tale of the life of Marty Maher, the Irish immigrant who rose from humble waiter to become West Point's beloved athletic trainer and football coach for more than 50 years. Despite personal tragedies, and through two World Wars, Maher inspired generations of young men who came through the distinguished Army officers' academy, including future legends like Omar Bradley and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Tyrone Power is excellent and compelling as he portrays Maher from young idealist to elderly sage, Irish accent intact all the way. The scenery and West Point pageantry is fun to watch (although some of it looks like it was filmed inside a studio -- but much else looks like it may have been filmed at the Military Academy). Interestingly, there's not really all that much football in this film -- there's a little, but it's mainly the story of Maher and his family, and the young men he came to love like his own sons. With the flame-haired Maureen O'Hara as Maher's Irish wife Mary, giving a  radiant performance. Sentimental in that '50s way, of course, but the legendary director John Ford (working with a cast made up of many of his favorites) always puts a bite behind the sweetness


You really can personalize it...
 	When I read the description it mentions being able to personalize your workouts.  I thought, "Yeah, right."  But you really can pick and chose and combine what you want.  You can combine high intensity arms with low intensity abs and medium intensity cardio.  It is up to you.  Or you can choose from the basic low, medium, or high intesity workouts.  This is a great workout DVD and Denise is pretty easy to follow for the most part.  I'd recommend it for anyone of any workout level who wants to exercise in the privacy of their own home


Great documentary on a great director
 	PBS did an outstanding job in putting this documentary together.  It covers his entire life and career and includes scenes from some of his lesser known and much more difficult to find films.  The documentary includes many interview pieces with Kurosawa himself which gives you some added insight into what the man was really like.  Also, there are comments from noted Japanese film historian Donald Richie.  As a Kurosawa fan watching this on PBS when it aired, the hour and forty five minutes seemed like about half an hour.  It is an excellent documentary about perhaps the greatest director of the twentieth century


An Insanely Funny Comedy for those with the RIght Background
 	This is a work of genius. It is creative, original, funny and well done. That being said, it is probably not for everyone.

This wonderful takes as its starting point a couple of very minor character from Shakespeare's HAMLET. These are the stars of the show. In Hamlet, they are merely a couple of friends of the prince called in to help deal with Hamlet's melancholia. They appear briefly and are gone. The last mention of them comes when the royal court hears a message that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. They are merely there to drive forward the story of the prince.

In this work, the hapless two are called in for the same purpose but the story centers around them. The spend the entire film trying to figure out what is happening to themselves and to those around them. As they discuss existential questions, the tragedy of Hamlet plays out around them. It is quite funny but some background helps.

It helps a great deal if you are comfortable with Elizabethan speech. Whole pieces are lifted from Shakespeare and the added dialog is of the same style.

It helps if you are familiar with Hamlet. That makes understanding the context easier.

It is great fun if you have some knowledge of physics. Rosencrantz spends the whole film on the verge of making monumental discoveries in basic physics but is thwarted at each turn.

It's is fun.


cutting edge comedy
 	Nothing quite like this show for the writing and character talent.  Every one of the major players in the series has a talent for overacting that even William Shatner would envy, and even without the writing the facial expressions and delivery are frequently close to hysterical.  As anybody who has seen this show knows, the writing is very original and energetic but is able to transition seamlessly into double-entendre and innuendo with a cleverness usually reserved for British comedy.  (Although, as "children" of the Three Stooges, Americans are, I think, accustomed to somewhat heavier-handed comedy.)

For those who don't know this series, it definitely is too bawdy to watch with kids (I wouldn't let mine watch with me until they are at least 20, by which time they will probably find this material boring).  If you are assembling a comedy collection, however, this series fills a unique niche.

My only complaint is that the packaging is a bit second rate.  It doesn't even come in a box, but rather in a little "accordion-folder" package which is neither aesthetic nor practical (can't stack) nor particularly protective.  It is also hard to remove the disks from the center catches without damaging them (I chipped one first thing out of the box despite expecting trouble, but fixed with carefully trimmed packaging tape; works fine)


Absolutely Beautiful!
 	I am a huge anime fan, and this is by far the best.  Lemme just say, God I can't even find the words to describe to you how wonderul this series is.  It inspires hope and takes the viewer on a journey into myth and fantasy.  The whole series is actually based on a true story in Japan.  A few hundred years ago, the entire population of wolves in Japan became extinct.  There are people there, even today that report wolf sightings occasionally :)

If you're a fan of wolves, or looking for something a little different, CHECK THIS DVD OUT!

The musics great, the drawing is perfect -- not just a random bunch of stills like most animes, but actual movement!  You get 4 episodes per DVD, each is a little over 20 minutes long.  This DVD includes:

19. A dream of an oasis -- this episode takes place right after the incident at the keep.  Kiba finds a place where he is truly happy, and wonders if he has finally found paradise.

20. CONSCIOUSLY -- this is by far my favorite episode in the entire series.  It has gorgeous music, and the scene by the lake will stay with you forever, just brilliant.

21. Battle's Red Glare -- Orcom's men are fighting against an enemy, and the wolves are caught in the middle.  We see a lot of Blue in this episode (she's so cute as a puppy :) and Cher.

22. Pieces of a shooting star -- The group decides to cross a sea of ice, but it turns out not to be such a good idea :(  Toboe goes crazzy and we finally getta see the runt kill some stuff.

I can't say enough about this series -- unless you've seen the whole thing, you can't judge it.  It's made by the same people as "Cowboy Beebop" and this DVD is preparing us for the typical BONES conclusion ;)  The next DVD is way sad and very depressing; no matter how tough you are, you will be crying by the end


Not just a rehash of The High School Reunion Collection
 	Okay...when I heard about The Brat Pack Movie and Music Collection I was pretty sure that it was probably just a rehash of The High School Reunion Collection which was released several years ago.  Both sets were released by Universal.  Fear not, I am here to tell you about the differences.  The first thing that is painfully obvious about this set is the choice of movies.  Like it's closest cousin The High School Reunion Collection, The Brat Pack Movie and Music Collection includes the exact same movies-"The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles" and Weird Science."  The cover art on the DVD's is the same, no new bonus material with each film that I detected.

It has been mentioned time and time again that the choice of movies is a bit off.  No one even really pegged this acting group "The Brat Pack," until around 1985.  Molly Ringwald was one of the best known Brat Pack members and "Sixteen Candles" helped to start the whole Brat pack phenom but no one ever considered "Weird Science" a Brat Pack movie. Trust me, I remember the 80's.  It always seemed like it would make more sense to include "St Elmo's Fire" or "Pretty in Pink" in with this set.  This is painfully clear with the bonus music disc included.

The music CD includes the following songs-"True" by Spandau Ballet, "Tenderness" by General Public, "If You Leave" by OMD, "Weird Science," by Oingo Boingo, "Oh Yeah" by Yello (which was in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", Pretty in Pink by the Psychedelic Furs, "Don't You Forget About Me," by Simple Minds and "I Go Crazy" by Flesh For Lulu.

Why include music from "Pretty In Pink" and not include the movie?  On to the packaging.  The packaging is very unique and makes the set worth owning.  I own over 100 TV on DVD and box  sets and nothing is like this.  The DVD's are held in what is literally a three ring binder and the DVD's are in sleeves instead of jewel cases. On the back page of the binder is a pop quiz.

For the most part it is very similar to The Highschool Reunion collection but it's nice to have the bonus CD and the cool packaging.  However, it would have been nice if Universal would have given fans who bought the previous set a little more inspiration to purchase this new collection. One must assume they must not own the rights to "Pretty in Pink" (it's listed as a Parmount DVD) because that is easily one of the best known Brat Pack movies and it seems insane that it is not included in a set with the term Brat Pack associated with it.


Wanted:  More films like this one.
 	One of the many reasons we love movies is how they make us feel, how they make us react. "Dave", a wonderful Ivan Reitman political confection is one of those rare movies we watch over and over again to get that warm fuzzy we all need from time to time. Kevin Kline shines as the President's sweet natured slightly goofy stand in after the The Chief Executive suffers a major stroke while boffing an aide. The rest of the supporting cast also turn in exceptional performances as does the film score music which frames the film beautifully. The relationships between Dave and the First Lady as well as Dave and the head Secret Service man at the White House are especially touching. I absolutely love this movie. You will too.


Greatest injustice since Sacco and Vanzetti
 	The question at hand in the film Paradise Lost is not as much did these three teenagers commit this heinous act, but rather was there enough evidence to convict them for the murders. The answer, presented by material in the film, is an unflinching no. There was only speculation and rumor to convict the three.

The film's strengths are that it doesn't preach, at least not in an overly wrought narrative, and it contains intimate moments with the accused and their families as well as the families of the victims. I can understand the pain and confusion of the victim's families. What is hard to understand is the bloodlust and need for revenge and retribution that immediately takes hold of them. The victims' families are the most terrifying aspect of this film. At one point the mother of the Byrnes child says in a hateful and spiteful tone "I hate them... I hate them and the mother's that bore them."

Is there anything wrong with being hellishly angry with someone who has butchered your child? No, quite natural really. But the point of this film is that judgment was passed on these kids long before the trial even started. I imagine the Bible belt is a very scary place to be raised in... I'll have to ask Brad Pitt what he thinks about it some time.

On the issue of the prosecution. They had next to nothing. A very questionable confession from a terrified kid, Jessie, with a 72 IQ, hearsay from a couple of kids who claim they heard Damien bragging about the murder but have no proof, a knife found behind Damien's house which doesn't match the wounds on the bodies, and the assertion that because Damien read about Wicca, he must be a Satanist.

To look at the three kids is also an interesting aspect of the film. Jessie, a very small and slow kid seems a bit lost in the world. His IQ is low but he has no previous records of any type of behavior that would associate him with murder. Jason speaks in short breathless words and seems also to suffer from a low IQ. Damien is the key to everything in this film though. The defense made the key mistake of letting Damien take the stand for two reasons. The first reason is that Damien appears to have ADD and after the first 10 minutes of questioning he sort of fades away and answers in bland yes and no's. The second reason, and the most important, is that Damien is obviously extremely bright. Normally this wouldn't seem to be a problem but judging from every single person the filmmakers put on camera, smart people are hard to come by in that area of the world. Damien scared them.

All of this adds up to the fact that there was not enough evidence to put these kids away and there were other, more sinister and shocking, suspects that needed to be pursued. The war rages on for the West Memphis Three and it is indeed frightening to think that they did it, and terrifying to think they didn't


The Beat of a Pirate's Heart.....
 	If you judge this movie using the same checklist you would for "A Beautiful Mind" or even "Lord of the Rings" you've missed the boat. This movie is a bit more foolish than the others and that is what's so great about it. See this movie through the eyes of a child and allow it to make you laugh, to gross you out, to surprise you with its clever twists of plot, to amaze you with heroes that defy all odds, and to capture your imagination with peculiar pirates' treasures.


A Very Good (But Sad) Movie
 	All of these bad reviews confuse a movie they didn't like with a badly made movie. This is a very well made movie, with perfectly competent performances. The tone is quite serious, and the ending won't cheer anyone up. But then there are many people who loved Titanic, which I found utterly depressing. More to the point, though, who cares about the problems of these rich kids? Not me. The REAL reason to watch this is to see Molly Ringwald at her most beautiful. And if you enjoy this film, check out Less Than Zero, another gloomy but solid ( and  underrated) '80s film. The WORST '80s film is Bright Lights, Big City - don't say I didn't warn you!


I loved it
 	This is a wonderful movie to keep the kids (and quite possibly yourself) entertained during an otherwise-hectic holiday. I laughed, I cried, (really, I did) and I just really enjoyed it


Everybody has a "Madea" in his/her family!
 	I'll admit that I'm a Johnny-come-lately to the "Madea" series, finally seeing this compilation at the insistence of my teenaged niece. Creator Tyler Perry and his alter-ego, the opinionated, pistol-packing, chain-smoking (never lit, by the way) "Madea," have starred in several successful stage plays and subsequent theatrical film versions to the delight of fans, mostly African-American, nationwide.

Though the stories feature the tried-and-true clich�d characters (the belligerent teenager, the devoted wife, the straying husband, the vixens, the lotharios, etc.) and situations (infidelity, promiscuity, straying from the church, comedic funerals, obnoxious and overbearing family members), Perry's productions also introduce a bit of spirituality with each story's ending dependent upon DIVINE INTERVENTION making things right. Some of the acting performances are a little over the top, and the musical selections, though sung with gusto and relish by the gifted vocalists, are weak in the lyrics department; however, as a whole, the respective productions are entertaining and inspirational.

Perry has tapped into a market that is unconsciously ignored by Hollywood, and is having great success on both the stage and screen.

This compilation lets the viewer experience and/or revisit those money-making stage shows.


Movie Review
 	Inliked the film in the theater and I like the film now.  The plot does not drag and does not bore


Better of many older submarine thrillers
 	I was really impressed by this film and I must congratulate Hollywood for presenting the Soviet war machine in such a realistic way. The direction was fine, the actors well chosen, the script very good and Harrison Ford's acting top quality. I think this film was superior to older ones like "The Hunt for Red October" or "Crimson Tide" whose story was rather flat and predictable. The key advantage of the film is the intense psychological charging of the crew's attempts to cool the damaged reactor and the marvellous portrait of traditional Russian self-sacrifice


Thrilling, Mesmerizing, and Revealing
 	Kids will be kids! Within being a kid is the freedom to be intuitive, honorable and brave. These raw qualities displayed so well by the young man in the movie allows even adults to spring to the occasion of the pure gut feeling of "love." Risk becomes only the next step. Susan Sarondon is superb in her charactor of strength, courage, wit and willingness to go up against the BIG, tough bad guys with all the money and power. Tommy Lee Jones is convincing as he portrays one of the money and power "fools.


We Were Soldiers
 	This is an excellent movie if you like war flicks. It made me angry being from the Vietnam generation also. It shows how pointless war is and what a waste of good men. The acting from all the cast was top class. I highly recommend this movie. It may be slow at first, but the action later is amazing


Action Drama/Comedy and super music.
 	Richard Dryfuss and Holly Hunter are fabulous in this wonderful remake of "A Guy Named Joe". Full of great flying, laughs with John Goodman, and a special appearance of Audrey Hepburn in her last film. You'll love it


Absolutely fantastic musical, deplorable DVD case
 	I'm giving this item five stars simply because the disc itself is grand - you receive one of the greatest MGM musicals ever conceived and it's bolstered by quite nice extras. That much you can be assured of.

I'm writing this particular review because of Warner Bros. insistance on using fragile, cheaply made cardboard sleeves rather than the standard plastic dvd cases.

The problem with these Warner cases is that the pins holding the disc can break if even the slightest pressure is applied to the case, rendering it's capability the actually hold the disc useless. And unlike the plastic cases, the Warner ones cannot be replaced save for returning the disc to the original purchase place or attempting to contact the manufacturer (good luck with that, by the way).

Another problem lies with the fact that it's made out of cardboard - when you remove the anti-theft stickers almost invariably the sticker will peel some of the artwork off the cover. This can occur even when you're carefully attempting to slowly peel the sticker off.

The reason I feel the need to mention this is I own dozens of Warner movies, and well over half of them are damaged in this manner and irreplaceable outside of purchasing a new one (not likely, Greedy Bros.)

To be fair, Warner has finally began producing plastic cases with some of their newest releases - the top-notch Film Noir and Gangster collections offer the films in splendid little plastic cases. But titles like "Kiss Me Kate", "Rebel Without A Cause", "Broadway Melody of 1940", and even "Wizard of Oz" are still only available in these sad cardboard cases.


Great Play! You should get this!
 	I loved this play. It provided drama suspense, comedy, inspiration, and great music. Tyler Perry has done it again.

Sit Back Relax and enjoy the message


"Am gonna be on Television !!!!"
 	A deeply emotional film about Addiction, Love, and Family just to some, but when you watch this film you take something with you , something to be greatful for that everyone takes for granted, LIfe. Each character in this film has a heart breaking unhappy ending, really depressing movie but worth a look at least once. Marlon Wayans and Jennifer Connelly were extremely good but Ellen Burstyn broke my heart her performance Rocked


Electric Company Still Rocks!
 	I teared up when I heard the music from the theme song to the Electric Company for the first time in 30 years. I grew up with this show and now my children are learning from it too. Thanks to whoever arranged to have it released on DVD.  It was and still is a great show


Not the best quality but worth the money spent
 	I agree with some of the reviews where the quality is not as good as say Baby Einstein videos, however, I still recommend this video for children just learning to speak or with speech delay. My two year old son was not frightened by the woman in the black turtleneck although I agree that the facial expressions are pretty bland.  I love the tips on helping your child with speech and language at the end of the DVD. My son is already trying to make new sounds since watching for only a few days. The video has given us new ideas on helping our son progress with his speech and language development. Hope this review helps those that are on the fence about purchasing.


Not every film was shot in widescreen
 	According to IMDb, "Moulin Rouge" was shot in 1.37, not widescreen.  Therefore you're not losing that much to view this in 1.33 (full screen) format


Very interesting..
 	I really had no idea what life was like for photographers who do this kind of work. I'm a photographer but not this line of work. It was an interesting glimpse into their lives. I wouldnt say you will learn much about photography but you do learn what kind of issues they have to deal with being on location in foreign countries, personal techniques or styles of certain photographers and hear what they look for when shooting. Some places conditions were less than desirable but they got some amazing shots to make it worth it.


"Keep movin, Tyler. Gotta keep movin."
 	One of the most beautiful and sympathetic movies ever made about wolves, Alaska, and the Inuit, I could watch this movie over and over and not get tired of it. A mid-level analyst who just happens to be in the right place at the right time (he has his doubts early on)is chosen to go North to investigate the Arctic wolf and its impact on the caribou population. Along the way he encounters a host of intriguing characters, including a crazy-like-a-fox entrepreneurial bush pilot looking to make some sort of big score, a number of wacky bit players who I can easily imagine were not actors, but the real deal, and every bit as eccentric as they appeared; and an endearingly sage old Inuit of few words but many eloquent silences.

The investigator, Tyler, is not at all sure that he's up to the demands of the job, but forges ahead regardless, played with practical flair by Charles Martin Smith, a perfect choice for the lead here. I would be at a loss and panic-stricken if left alone on a frozen lake in Alaska, as his character Tyler is; Tyler takes it all in stride, trusting it will all be good in the morning, even though it is established early that for all the fact that he was chosen for this mission, he goes into it with a deep-seated terror of wolves.

After the assistance of the old Inuit man in getting centered on his path - and the abrupt disappearance of his benefactor, who has a way of coming and going that magicians would envy - Tyler finds himself deep in the bush country and immersed in the world of wolves before he realizes how completely they have taken him over. Knowledge and observance quickly negates his fear, and he is brought to a serenity of spirit and understanding of his place in the world that makes me wish I had the courage and stamina to go out and try it too.

A caveat: there is a culinary moment in this movie that might cause the squeamish some distress. Do what I did at the crucial moment; look at the ceiling, or recite to yourself, "It's only chocolate, it's only chocolate." You'll know when it gets close; they don't spring it on you; and it IS just chocolate.

Highly recommended for the whole family.(Oh one more caveat; if skinny-dipping adults offend you - briefly skinny-dipping, and not flagrantly overt - then maybe this isn't your movie.)


Look out, Mickey, they're coming for you!
 	About a young scientist (played by Charles Martin Smith) who goes to the Arctic to study wolves, their survival, and their effect on the caribou herds (he proves they are not killing the caribou, as it had been assumed). He is a fledgling in the wilds, but learns to become as resourceful as the wolves. He notices the wolves eating mice, and begins to do the same himself - a supreme irony in this Disney film. The first half is excellent, compelling and beautiful to watch; but the second half is marred by an incessant pounding away on a man-as-encroacher bad guy message and a confusing man-as-wolf Indian mysticism presentation. It's wonderfully photographed, though, and the soundtrack is stunning


"Yo Ho Little Fish Don't Cry Don't Cry, Don't Cry"  ~  Right of Passage On The High Seas
 	Who could ever forget the image of happy-go-lucky Manuel Fidello (Spencer Tracy) turning the handle on his little accordion box singing in that gentle, infectious Portuguese accent, "Yo ho little fish don't cry don't cry". If you're a fan of classic films you know this is a scene from Spencer Tracy's signature movie, `Captains Courageous' released in '37.

Plot: Harvey (Freddie Bartholomew), an Ill-mannered rich kid falls overboard off a luxury vessel and finds himself adrift until a passing merchant fishing ship pulls him out of the sea. He is taken under the tutorage of his rescuer, a friendly Portuguese fisherman named Manuel. Harvey is initially hostile to the thought of having to obey orders and work for his room and board until the ship returns to dock, but eventually comes to understand the important lessons in life being imparted by Manuel. Before his adventure at sea is over he'll learn what it means to be a man.

This is without a doubt my favorite Spencer Tracy film and a story the entire family will enjoy. It's beautifully filmed with a tremendous cast which includes along with Spencer Tracy and Freddie Bartholomew the legendary Lionel Barrymore as Disko and John Carradine as Long Jack


Underappreciated
 	After Spinal Tap, this almost sweet film seemed at first a letdown.  But like ST, it is right on.  These wonderful performers can grab a character and hang on to it so well that even when it's satire, it's real.  If you hate even the idea of folk music, skip it--or watch it to laugh at all those dorky people.  If you were there--I was--it's a real hoot(enanny)!  Sadly, here in California, they were to be found en masse at every local 99 Cents Only stores.  I realize this is not for everyone, but neither was Spinal Tap.  Give it a try


"WE CURE NOTHING, WE HEAL NOTHING!"
 	When you talk about the one motion picture that fully encapsulated all the angst and nihilism of the `70's generation you're talking about Paddy Chayefsky's brilliantly written black comedy, `The Hospital' which was released in `70.

A contemporary, dysfunctional, urban hospital serves as the microcosm of America's failure to deal with not only the physical maladies of the twentieth century, but the mental and emotional illnesses as well. George C. Scott stars in the role of Dr. Herbert Bock, hospital administrator. Dr. Bock is already tittering on the edge of insanity. His wife has left him, he's estranged from his children and he's in the grips of a mid-life crisis causing him to call everything he once held dear into question. When a bizarre series of unexplained deaths begin to occur within the ranks of the hospital staff Dr. Bock is left to ponder the nature of sanity and whether he can continue to function in a world gone mad.

With great performances by George C. Scott and the lovely Brit Diana Rigg, `The Hospital' is a thought-provoking film that will elicit discussion and debate. Watch it with a friend


You'll be in stitches!
 	It's a [more vulnerable] Patton in a white coat, running a hospital, and it's all great fun, with a good story from an Oscar-winning script.  You have to love it when Scott dresses down a bureaucratic nurse in that gravelly bellow. You half-expect him to finish her off with "There are brave men DYING out there!"


Loved It
 	My favorite DVDs are concerts, festivals, unplugged etc. I was going to buy the CD and Amazon pointed me to their DVD. I prefer DVD surround sound to CD stereo. Plus you get something to look at. I heard the Demon Days songs on the radio, and liked them alot. This is an excellent DVD. You may want to check out Bonnaroo, Cross Roads, String Cheese, even the Doobie Bros. Oh yeah and Eric Burdon and the New Animals


Awesome!!!
 	Season 5 is one of the best of all! Archie and mike are still doing what they do best....arguing about anything and everything. The best part of the whole season is when Archie finds out that the meathead has bought the Jedderson's old house next door...Arch's expression is PRICELESS!!! I'f you buy this set u won't be sorr


Beautiful Film
 	Most likely this review will not be very helpful to anyone, but I wanted to comment on how beautifully done this film is.  I am a long time U2 fan and had seen Rattle and Hum, but didn't get around to purchasing the DVD until late 2005.  The fact that the music is wonderful is a given, but the cinematography is just astounding.  I love how you get to see everything from every point of view.  You get to see what the band sees on and around the stage, including the breathtaking sea of fans.  You get to see what the fans see -- the spectacular lighting and silhouettes.  You get to hear what the guys think and feel off-stage as well as on.  And of course you get the passionate music.  The film is as beautiful to watch as it is to listen to.  I couldn't ask for more


Fun for Lucy Lovers
 	It is a wonderful complement to my Lucy collection. The Tango scene is some of her best physical comedy!!


My wife is from Ohio
 	The story of a young award winner of a filmmaker's competition going through the trials and tribulations of trying to get "his" first feature film made is given a wonderful treatment by Christopher(Spinal Tap)Guest. It's a cynical and hysterical look at how Hollywood is bent and how it can make anyone bend and eventually submit to its neurosis.

Unlike many of favorable reviewers I'm not a fan of Christopher Guest's later works and that's not just because I'm envious of him being married to Jamie Leigh Curtis(lucky dog). I don't find Guffman or Best of Show more than mildly amusing at best. Save for Bob Balaban in Guffman(When Sparky comes back, I almost bust a gut).

Sometimes artists do their best work up front. I like Woody Allen's first three pictures the best(What's Up Tiger Lily, Take the Money and Run, Bananas). I think this is the case here. Guest hit gold. Great script, terrific performances by an incredible ensemble cast. A near genius(I'm gonna steal one of the other reviewer's word here because it's so perfect, kudos and thanks) "turn" by JT Walsh delivering two of the greatest non sequiturs in film history(alas, another "great" dying so soon before his time like Warren Oates and Robert Shaw). Fabulous work by Martin Short, Teri Hatcher, J,T, Walsh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Fran Drescher, Dan Schneider, Jason Gould, Wakter Olkewicz and seriously I could keep writing names for another 5 or 6 lines. There are tons of people in this sublime comedy.

Its only drawbacks are that it has the misgivings of be made in the Eighties with all its trappings and a rather sloppy reunion scene(Bacon/McKean)that comes off as way too cloying. Other than that this is a rare comic treat for anyone who can see the cynical side of Hollywood.

Someone said comparing this to The Player was like comparing Bagger Vance to Caddyshack. I'm not quite sure which one is suppose to be good and which is suppose to be sub-par. Caddyshack is a classic and so The Big Picture. I am a big, big fan of Altman and The Big Picture is even par with The Player. If either were more biting I would give the nod to The Big Picture. Though, Richard E Grant's performance is almost as good as Walsh's.

Nick's(Kevin Bacon)flights of fancy are hysterical. This is an inspired and unfortunately one-of-a-kind comedy.


A Classic Haunted House/ Ghost Story
 	First of all, I have lost count of the ammount of times I have seen this movie but every time I watch it I get goose bumps. This is how affective the movie is.

George C. Scott (of "Patton" fame) plays a composer who rents a house to live in while he teaches and tries to cope with tragedy. Soon the house begins to exhibit strange occurances and Mr. Scott begins to investige the house's history. This is all you need to know about the plot because anything else would ruin the film.

This movie is all about atmosphere. There are no scenes of gore and slaughter like so many big budget horror films nowadays. This film does not need to gross the viewer out. The Changeling simply tells a great story as the viewer learns about the house and witnesses the haunting at the same time as the characters. You are pulled into this film because it entertains and frightens with ease. There is nothing "in your face" about the scares.

This film is for fans of the 1960's film "The Haunting" or anyone who just enjoys a good ghost story. Don't even bother to rent it because it cheap enough to buy and I guarantee you'll watch it more than once. I have recommended it to many people and I never heard a negative comment. For the full effect, wait until night to watch it and then watch it alone. See how many times you glance over your shoulder.


Forgotten Comic Character Fun
 	Peter Palmer and Leslie Parrish are excellent in this fun, politically skewering musical comedy. The songs are upbeat fun, especially "Put Em Back" sung by the wives of the new muscle men who express no interest in their mates


A Terrific Musical - I Has Spoken!
 	LIL ABNER is a delightful comedy-musical with stronger emphasis on comedy than most movie musicals.  This film version of the Broadway hit musical that was based on the legendary comic strip looks fantastic on DVD in a beautiful print with it's comic book coloring.  It's also superbly cast.  The film's producers did take a risk hiring two unknowns to play Lil Abner and Daisy Mae - Peter Palmer (who starred in the Broadway show) and Leslie Parrish - but they are perfectly cast and excellent in the roles (it's hard to picture any major male movie stars of the period as Abner anyway, although Daisy Mae might have been played by a number of buxom blondes of the era). It's a shame neither Palmer or Parrish went on to much movie work after this although both were quite active guest starring on television for many years. Both are mighty fine delectable representations of their sexes appeals, as the Dogpatch crowd might say.

It's true that perhaps only a few of the songs are memorable - notably "Jublian P. Cornpone", "A Typical Day in Dogpatch", and "Put 'em Back The Way They Was" which is sung by five hillbilly cuties including the very young Valerie Harper ("Rhoda") and Beth Howland ("Alice") but most of the songs are good-humored  and enthusically put over by the cast and dancers most of whom were in the original Broadway show.  Jerry Lewis has a funny walk-on cameo and the gorgeous Julie Newmar and Stella Stevens have amusing secondary roles. Most of the ladies in the picture are making their film debuts here, including Donna Douglas as the busty hillbilly girl (a few years before becoming famous as one on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) who wants "to broaden our horizons" and is informed by Mammy Yokum (superbly played by Billie Hayes) that she her horizons is broaden enough.  There's quite a bit of political satire in here as well (with politicans with such apt names as Mayor Dogmeat and Senator Jack S. Phigbound) and the Sadie Hawkins Day sequence (a Dogpatch storyline that became a pop culture phenomeon of it's own with many high schools for years having an annual  "Sadie Hawkins Dance" in where girls would be the ones to ask guys for a date years before this was considered "acceptable") is a lot of fun.  But then so is the movie.  As a Yoakam says when they really mean it - "I Has Spoken!"


Funny Carey, interesting adaptation
 	I saw this movie before I read the books. The books are much funnier, and contain so much more than was able to be put into the film. Still, I liked the film and especially Baby Sunny. I thought Jim Carey was an excellent mad uncle after the family treasure and his facial expressions (as always) brought the character to life. I think that even though many things were cut from the first three books of a long series in order to put it all into a feature length film, the essence of the story was captured, and is entertaining. But I do recommend reading the Series before or after watching the film


Best 3D IMAX Film
 	"Haunted Castle" and "Alien Adventure" are great, but the concept and dimensional enjoyment of "Encounter in the Third Dimension" makes it better than the other two.  The film is an excellent way of showing how 3D started and how it works with lots of prime examples thrown in, other than the entire movie itself.  I do wish the mine ride was longer though (the one which ends with the big, round, stone ball slamming into the tunnel) and there was more shown of the T3 Experience.  Sure, the Jules Verne "Journey to the Center of the Earth" ride certainly makes up for it, but the effects in the shorter example were awesome, like the bats.  Best of all, the film doesn't look all that dated CGI wise for a 1998 production.  Now I've definitely got to get the sequel "Misadventures in 3D" DVD.  Noticed something stupid in the credits for "Encounter".  Instead of saying "Cassandra Peterson as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark", it redundantly reads, "Elvira as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark".  Unlike the other 3D IMAX films, this one is good either in stereo depth form or 2D wise.  Of course, the best is 3D since that is the whole point of the story anyway.  I highly recommend this movie to all 3D collectors


A Classic that alot of people over look
 	Lets face it Woodey Allen has produced so much a few of his things sort of slip past some of us.  I have found this one did for many people.

It's the kind of movie you watch more then once you have to wonder did the actors fill in some of those lines 'improv' or were those w. allens?


Wow!
 	Love this DVD SO much! The actors are super, and the story is hilarious!
If you liked the first one, GET this one


Unique and Entertaining,
 	The first thing you will notice with this one is the strange animation. It's hard to even describe really... But expect some disoriented backgrounds with some CGI thrown in. The plot however, is excellent. The main focus is about a author is going around collecting ghost stories. He constantly runs into a trio of outlawish justice seekers. They do what is called "committing" someone for their sins. These first 4 episodes deal with single episode told stories but all are great. This anime is highly reccomended for the horror fans out there


The GIG continues...
 	This volume gets right to the heart of the plot, and raises important questions. Who really is Gohda? Where is the next refugee threat coming from? Who tried to kill the Prime Minster, and what roll does he play in the Individual Eleven? Is there a terrorist virus causing another stand alone complex? Can Togusa finds his way clear of criminal charges? Also, we all know The Major, but what of her past?

Disc: 4 episodes in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (English and Japanese)

Episodes:
1. Ambivalence
2. Trial
3. Affection
4. Selecon

Upcoming Releases:
Ghost in the Shell: SAC Official Log 1 - scheduled release date 10/25/05
Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd GIG Vol. 3 - scheduled release date 1/26/06

NOTE - If you see any anime items for sale that seem to cheap, they are BOOTLEGS. DO NOT BUY!


Romantic Comedy Goes to the Dogs
 	Lady and the Trap has been an enduring Disney classic for 50 years now and it's amazing how well it holds up after all that time.  The hand painted animation is beautiful and the story and music are top notch.  This film is an example of Disney animation at its classic best.

But calling Lady and the Tramp a great animated film is really selling it short.  It's a great MOVIE, period.  Lady's idyllic life is shattered and bad boy Tramp comes to her rescue.  While he begins his relationship with Lady in the dog house (sorry, couldn't resist), he slowly redeems himself in her eyes and love conquers all in the end.  If you've seen any romantic comedies from the last several years and compare it to this movie you'll realize that a story about two dogs is actually more romantic and more funny than virtually any similar film featuring humans.  Watch Lady and the Tramp and you'll know why this film is still so loved after 50 years.


I liked it better than the radio program itself...
 	I have been a casual fan of the radio version of "Prairie Home Companion" for decades, although I seldom listen to more than 30 minutes of it at a time, usually only if I am driving somewhere on a Saturday afternoon when it is being broadcast. I read seven or eight reviews of the movie before getting around to seeing it, and while most critics kind of liked it, there were a few grumbles. However, I thought the film was excellent, and the fantasy sequences which bother some people were needed to cut down on the sweet and nostalgic elements that bring the radio show its steady fans. I liked all the casting, too. Robert Altman is not a favorite director, but when he is good, he is very good, as in "M*A*S*H* and "Nashville." When he is bad, he is terrible. But here, I thought he done good. Same with Garrison K. I trashed his recent novel in an Amazon review, but I liked him in this.


A bittersweet love affair in modern Italy
 	This is the best film I've seen in perhaps six months or more.  The direction by Turkish/Italian director Ferzan Ozpetek is consistently interesting, intriguing, beguiling and ultimately satisfying both emotionally and intellectually.  The film is beautifully cut, and the acting, particularly by the fascinating Giovanna Mezzogiorno who plays the young mother of two whose name is also Giovanna, is first rate.

The story begins in a bakery during World War II when Davide Veroli (Massimo Girotti) is a baker's apprentice.  We see him among the great earthen ovens and the warm loaves as he makes what appears to be a sprint out of the cave-like establishment.  But he is pounced upon by the baker.  They wrestle, a knife is grabbed and apparently the baker falls and there is blood on Davide's hands as he runs out into the streets.

Cut to modern times as Giovanna and her working-class husband, Filippo (Filippo Nigro) are crossing a bridge in the city.  They meet an old man who seems lost and disoriented.  He can't remember his name and he has no identification.  Filippo takes pity on him and against his wife's wishes takes him home with them to their apartment.  We know because of the man's age that the mystery of who he is has something to do with the men in the bakery scene from World War II.

But his story is only tangential to the central story of the film which is about Giovanna's brief affair with the man next door, Lorenzo (Raoul Bova), whose apartment window faces hers.  This is a love story, a bitter-sweet one--which all great love stories should be in some sense, since life itself is bittersweet.  It is framed by, and contrasted with, another love story, that involving the older man from many years ago.

The tension in the film revolves around the resolution of the affair between the married Giovanna and the handsome man who will soon be leaving the city.  Will she abandon her marriage and her family for the excitement of a new man?  Because the police can find out nothing about the old man, and because Giovanna's heart softens toward him, and because he is an elegant man of refinement, especially in the pastry arts--Giovanna's dream is to be a pastry chef--the man is allowed to stay for a while and the two are drawn together into friendship, the old man and the young woman.

That's enough of the plot--the development, the denouement, and the resolution of which are beautifully realized in both an artistic and an emotional sense.  Instead let me say that the feel of modern Italy with its racial tensions and its old world versus new world differences are nicely expressed as the past makes itself felt on the present.  The dialogue is wonderfully expressive and gives us the sense of authenticity and the kind of realistic effect seen only in the very best films.  This is the first film directed by Ozpetek that I have seen, but it won't be the last.

But see this for Giovanna Mezzogiorno whose beautiful and expressive eyes and natural demeanor will hold you to the screen


Delight and challenge
 	This film is a real delight, but it also has a message about our consumer culture. Don't miss the deleted scenes: I'm sorry the director cut out the "saints in the loft" in particular -- what a powerful image! But it's there on the DVD -- so enjoy this marvelous charmer of a film


Good DVD
 	This is a very good, well made dvd which is fulled of idea to prepare dinner for your family.


Clear, easy directions for delicious foods - and the BLOOPERS are funny!
 	I bought this at (yep, you guessed it) the grocery store, which was a very clever marketing concept on Martha's part. There was only one DVD left. It contained Classic recipes for chicken, beef, fish, vegetarian and other main dishes. If you think you ALREADY know how to make classic, everyday dishes such as meatloaf, think again - because Martha's variations may put a whole new twist on your usual standards. Her use of fresh herbs truly does make a difference and the glaze on her meatloaf was one I hadn't tried before. My family loved it.

    There is also a section with Bloopers (yes, Martha's mistakes or mishaps while filming a scene - slips, falls, etc). There are 12 different cupcake variations and an extra section on kitchen tips (I learned plenty of new things from this section).

  I have to admit that I looked at the Bloopers section first, intrigued by the idea of actually seeing Martha make mistakes.. and I only wish there were more of those. They were funny, especially the one showing Martha pulling an X-rated carrot from her garden. You'll have to buy the DVD to see the rest. It is a very short section, however.

  Then I watched the DVD from start to finish and marveled at the quality of the production, as well as HOW MUCH information was packed into this DVD. From start to finish, each recipe was demonstrated clearly. I intend to use this one with my youngest child because it is a perfect introduction to some classic recipes, from roast chicken to meatloaf. They may not be made the way you are used to making them but in one case that was an advantage...the meatloaf recipe was far better than my standard version and the glaze was delicious (do be aware of your oven's peculiarities, however, and cover the top to keep the glaze from burning; uncover just long enough to brown). It would be best, of course, to use an oven thermometer and know your oven's actual temperature since 350 in one oven may not be 350 in another - those dials may be inaccurate.

  But don't make the mistake of thinking this is only for beginning cooks (although it'd be a perfect housewarming gift for the college graduate who is just setting up house). There are plenty of new recipes, especially a squash casserole which I am dying to try on my vegetarian friends, after having tested it on my family and getting rave reviews. In fact, one of the nicest sections of this DVD was the Vegetarian one. Each of those recipes looked delicious.

   Martha's mother is featured in some of the segments and that was a pleasant surprise. She and Martha chat as they cook and the whole atmosphere is nice and casual.

   No matter what you may think of Martha Stewart, this DVD is a top-notch, quality production with tons of useful info.

   The DVD can also be inserted in a computer to get a list of menus and other features.


Altman's overlooked 70s masterpiece
 	Often overlooked, Robert Altman's 'The Long Goodbye' is arguably one of THE films exemplifying the 1970s and, although far less dark, ranks alongside Antonioni's 'The Passenger'.

Propelling Marlowe into the opulent, 'promise' of the west coast 1970s USA, Altman allows the story to unfold around a classic murder, mystery story and the stunning cast help to create an atmosphere of parochial 'goings-on' that can subsequently be seen in the works of David Lynch, Tarrantino and, more recently, the 'Sopranos'.  The late, great Sterling Hayden gives an unforgetable, bullying, volatile King Lear-like performance as the ageing, impotent, alcoholic writer, and Mark Rydell's 'dangerous' violent character anticipates that which Martin Scorsese and Joe Pesci create latterly in Goodfellas/Casino. Moreover, there's an uncredited cameo appearance of a moustachioed Arnold (Schwarzenneger) as a 'heavy'.

However its Elliiot's Gould's brilliant (Oscar deserving) performance as Philip Marlowe that helps to  seal this film's status into the canon of GREAT films.
Gould creates a sharp, amiable, chain-smoking, wise-cracking 70s detective whose 'quirky-alone' livestyle allow him the freedom to give his own Chandleresque, talking-to-himself dialogue (...'it's alright by me...') whilst interacting with a diverse range of characters within the narrative. With respect to this, there's the continual variation of the haunting melody, 'The Long Goodbye' that is re-worked throughout the film thus floating the narrative structure within changing and moving events and themes yet anchoring it to the overall thread of the story itself.

Altman's direction is that of a genius at work: the back-drop of the oceanic tug and wash of the tide as seen through the windows of the seductive though manipulative Eilleen Wade's windows (Nina Van Pallandt), together with slightly surreal and erotic appartment  setting of Marlowe's flat make this film unforgetable. There's also the tension associated with the 'journeys' to Mexico: a theme used in more recent (great) films including 'Lone Star'; 'Traffic'; and, 'The Three burials of Melquiades  Estrada'. Who can deny the impact of the opening 'cat' scene and the final 'chapter' of the film  set within the avenue of trees; the 'oh-too-late' figure of Eileen Wade heading in the opposite direction to Marlowe who ironically celebrates his parochial sense of closure by playing the minature harmonica.

 If ever a film rated as a '6' for special merit and sheer enjoyment then this is one of the elite few deserving of such an award! I urge you to watch or re-watch this film and savour a work of pure genius. As a commentator and fan of such a seminal film, I can only hope that Robert Altman and-or Elliot Gould can provide a commentary-enhanced (Criterion edition )DVD


One of the movies my Mom likes that I'll actually watch!
 	I could watch this over and over again! It's so funny! The person who dissed women's manly handshakes is a sexist! But anyway, I would seriously recommend buying this if you want something funny to watch! Definitely 5 stars and your kids would probably like it too.....for one viewing per 5 months. Don't force it on them is my advice!!
Rock o


Lost - The Complete First Season
 	WOW! THE PLANE CRASHES AND THE STORY GOES ON THE STARNGE ISLAND. THE SURIVIORS, THE KILLERS, AND OTHERS...WHO IS WHO BEFORE THE CRASH, AND WHO BECOMES WHAT AFTER THE CRASH.

LOST START AS SIMPLE TALE OF AIR CRASH BUT AS THE STORY GOES FORWARD WE LEARN THE BACK STORY OF EACH SURVIVOR, THERE LINKS WITH OTHER SURVIVORS  AND WHAT THE ISLAND HAS SHOWN THEM.

END OF EACH EPISODE LEAVE YOU WITH A QUESTION MARK, WHICH GIVES YOU SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, AND SOMETIME DESTROY YOUR ATTENTION TO YOUR FELLOW MEN.

GO ON AND GET LOST IN ONE OF THE BEST T.V THRILERS OF OUR TIME.