Robots (Follow Along Edition)

Not Ice Age, but still quite funny
As reviewers, it's natural for us to compare an artist's work to his/her previous album, movie, book, etc. In this case, it becomes "natural" to compare "Robots" to the previous animated hit by Fox, "Ice Age". If we do this, "Robots" comes out lacking against its frozen predecessor. It is not as novel in terms of its intent and also the script is not as powerful (perhaps because it's also tougher to relate to inanimate beings such as robots, than it is to relate to animals or humans). But still, it is a funny (though predictable) movie, with touching moments and plenty of excitement all through it. I particularly enjoyed the ride that Rodney is put through when he arrives in Robot City, in order to get to the headquarters of Big Weld, where he dreams of working.

The humor can be argued to be more adult-oriented, but still with proper supervision, I totally see it being fit for children. The fact that our 18-month old was jumping out of his seat halfway through the movie is...

Just fantastic
Animation is a hot genre these days, thanks to the phenomenal success of Pixar's multi-million dollar blockbusters "Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc," and "Finding Nemo," and DreamWorks' "Shrek." These studio giants have opened the door for other, smaller companies like Blue Sky Studios to release innovative and high-quality movies, such as their first film, "Ice Age" in 2002, and their new, more ambitious endeavor, "Robots."

Visually, "Robots" is stunning, both in the look of the world and the creativity of its inner workings. The colors are vivid and the setup is ripe with potential for visual gags. The first half hour of the film is especially entertaining, beginning with Rodney's "delivery" as a baby. In the robot world, babies are delivered in boxes and are put together like children's toys at Christmas.

The characters, led by an all-star cast of distinctive voices, are fun too, especially Broadbent's deliciously evil Madame Gasket and Williams's high-energy...

I laughed, but was a tad disappointed...
I adore Robin Williams in most things he appears in, but this little movie was not up to his usual standards, and that disappoitned me.

In fact, I was expecting to watch a show along the lines of Cars or Monsters, Inc. and this one was nowhere near as good as they were. However, the being said, it IS a good little movie.

One of the things I noticed about it that makes it a bit different from other cartoonish type animation movies out right now is that this one had a lot of adult innuendo that the other movies don't have. While a younger child, of say age 3-9 or 10 might not notice it, my son was 11 when he watched it, and he got a lot of the 'adult' innuendo in the jokes. He was slow on the uptake, but on one scene, he turned around and looked at me and said, "Oooohhhh, I GET it now!"

While I liked the movie, and so did my daughter and son, I found myself diappointed in my expectations of what this movie would be about and what it would be like. If you...

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Mirror Wars - Reflection One

This deserves minus stars.
If there was ever an instance where Amazon needed to seriously consider allowing a product to be given a negative rating, this is it.

This abomination of a movie was produced, written, and directed by a Russian crew, but watching it, it felt more like it was created by a truckload of lobotomized monkeys. Russia - the culture that gave us Dostoevsky, Peter the Great, and Nabokov. It boggles the mind that something like Mirror Wars could originate in the same gene pool. But... coming from a country that's given the world both Mark Twain and Jerry Springer, I guess I don't have room to talk.

At any rate, this was an atrocious movie. Absolutely horrible. The plot, as far as I could tell, revolved around a terrorist (played by Malcolm McDowell, in what is surely some sort of career death-wish) who decides to steal a new Russian stealth jet-fighter prototype so he can use it to assassinate the US President. What this guy's motivation was, I really couldn't tell...

Good movie in its genre
This is a good action film, it shows a plot about global terrorism, espionage, counter-intelligence and all these stuff. It's really interesting for the lovers of aircrafts that they used real Sukhoi fighters for this movie. European productions never use this kind of elements and they don't often invest in high budget action movies. The weak point was the acting, they did it good considering they were most beginners, but not a big deal. I highly recommend this movie for action/airplanes lovers.

It grew on me
I was looking for something different to watch and saw a couple of actors I liked in this movie but almost everybody gets killed in it. Probably the truth only the Kremlin would know so well. It reminded me of Mission Impossible and I liked the music during the credits. No it isn't the best movie ever made but its a good one for somethimg different. I got on the Internet trying to find that song played during the credits and this outfit is pretty big world wide. I connected with the Russians in this movie. They did not downplay the US's power. That airplane was coming out of the sky either by them or by the US, but I won't spoil the ending for you. Watch it with a good attitude and it might grow on you too!

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Dante's Peak [HD DVD]

Enjoy the fireworks
The 'old-fashioned' disaster movie scenario enjoyed a brief resurgence in the latter half of the 90s. After the success of Twister and ID4, films like Hard Rain, Titanic, Armageddon and Deep Impact followed in its wake. Like the two competing asteroid movies, Dante's Peak was in competition with the imaginatively named Volcano as THE Lava flow of 1997. Which one is better? Well, comparing the two is like comparing an atomic blast to a popping pimple.

Pierce Brosnan is Harry Dalton, a Vulcanologist (or James Bond in disguise if you want) who predicts a major eruption in the quaint Pacific-Northwestern town of Dante's Peak. No one wants to listen to him since the town has just been named the 2nd most desirable place to live in America and is in the early stages of a thriving economy. It's the politics from Jaws all over again. Despite being shouted down by his superiors, Harry sticks around to keep his eye on the imposing mountain and woo Mayor Wando (Linda Hamilton), who is...

An explosive treat!
Dante's Peak seems like the ideal place to live... the serenity of the mountainous landscape and the friendly atmosphere seems to wipe out the fact that the town is nestled at the base of a dormant volcano. However, when the U.S.G.S. begins to pick up signals from the volcano that indicate a possible eruption, they send Harry Dalton (Pierce Brosnan) to investigate. While there, he befriends town mayor Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton) and informs her of the risks. When he begins to get the city council into an uproar, his advisor shows up to cool things down and wards off any ideas of an eruption. But the symptoms begin to grow, and soon, ash and rock are flying in the sky as the mountain explodes upon the small township. It's a race for survival for Dalton and Wando, as they must search for Wando's children and get them out before the impending final showdown with the volcano. Digital Domain's special effects contribute so much to the story, making it real and placing its...

Dante's Peak
In 1997 there were two eagerly anticipated volcano movies released. Dante's Peak was more of a blockbuster hit, with more entertainment value, but not very accurate from a geologist's standpoint.

Had it been based on reality instead of Hollywood, they all would have died early in the movie. You can't drive through lava. Since it can get up to 2000 degrees, the vehicle would have perished immediately. I also don't know many metal objects like a small boat that can survive direct contact with acid elements and remain floating indefinitely.

With all that said it was a good entertaining movie. Pierce Brosnan is always a must see!

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The Astronaut Farmer

This "Farmer" Has A Dream
Let's take a quick look at a couple of key elements of the new film "The Astronaut Farmer", starring Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern and Tim Blake Nelson.

Charles Farmer (Thornton) and his family live on a farm in a small town called Story, Texas. Farmer has dreamed of traveling into space and now uses the family's large barn to build a spaceship called The Dreamer. He has managed to convince his wife, Audie (Madsen) that he can do this. His son, Shepherd (Max Thierot) helps him build the spaceship and will presumably run mission control. Their two younger daughters are basically the cheering section and provide Farmer with a reason to live the dream.

Okay, so right away, "The Astronaut Farmer" has various telltale signs of a fantasy film or a tall tale. Charles Farmer, a farmer, lives in Story, Texas and builds a spaceship called The Dreamer. Clearly, "The Astronaut Farmer" is not a true story, a story based in reality. It is a fable, a story of...

Barn Burner
A man wearing a spacesuit rides horseback across the sand dunes of a barren desert. He moves right-to-left, which spells trouble in movies' silent language. There, he finds a calf that has strayed from its mother, lying in the sand. With a firm but gentle hand, he returns the lost beast to the herd.

It's a scene whose incongruous visual elements reminded me of the 1968 sci-fi thriller Planet of the Apes. But this isn't some spaceman marooned in a strange place; it's the movie's earthbound hero, a Texan named Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton). A graduate of the University of Texas aerospace engineering program and one-time member of NASA's astronaut program, Charlie left the space agency decades ago to run the family ranch after his father's untimely death. Yet, through all the years of operating the ranch and raising his own family, he hasn't let go of his dream of defying gravity.

In his barn, Charlie works obsessively, day and night, to build a rocket that...

GOOD UPLIFTING FILM BUT, NOT TOTALLY ABSORBING!
I watched this movie this weekend and I expected it to be a little better than it turned out. It's a good movie with fine performances all around. It just didn't pull me in like I wanted it to and it seemed a bit long even though it's only a little over a hour and a half. It's certainly worth watching and it does have an uplifting ending so you may want to rent instead of buying it.

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24x24 Wide Open with Jeff Gordon

Unparalleled Access to Mr. Gordon
From what I am reading, and what I am hearing inside the industry, this documentary will provide unparalleled access to Jeff. As I understand it, Jeff allowed the camera crews to follow him just about everywhere - into the team hauler for pre-race pep talks, inside the compound at Hendrick Motorsports, aboard his private jet, into business meetings with his sponors and on and on. This is a unique chance for all of us fans to get to know the real Jeff, both on and off the track.

The show is narrated by Patrick Dempsey, and contains a host of celebrity interviews ranging from Rick Hendrick and Ray Evernham to Jay Leno and Wayne Gretzy. This is really cool!

The TV version will air on TNT right before the Pepsi 400 on July 7th. But, the DVD version contains a lot more footage.

Gordon fans will love this.

Good Stuff
I happen to be a big Jeff fan, and have been
since he started. This video is good for the
fact that it shares a little of his day to day
activities, and some personal downtime, and a
little about his business.
As far as racing moments, could have been a lot
better. Like the title says it is kinda' 24 hours
with Jeff, although I didn't come away sure that
most of it was filmed in ONE 24hr period.
If you want his career highlights and a lot of
racing action, this is probably not going to
satisy you. I'm sure the best of that is yet to
come.
Picture quality is subpar, I thought the lighting
and look was a little on the dark side.
I still liked it, but probably not his best DVD.

Could have been a lot better
A big fan of NASCAR I looked forward to this take on the behind the scenes of Jeff Gordon documentary. The DVD was fairly good, but seemed a little dry and slow in its delivery. As expected there are a lot of wonderful comments made about Jeff and his successes but it is taken a little too far and becomes repetitious. I think this DVD actually is somewhat of an injustice to Jeff and his accomplishments based simply on the way the thing is put together and delivered. Whether you're a Gordon fan or not, there is really nothing on this DVD that you don't already know or have seen. I would save your money until a better documentary comes out.

The 2 star rating is based entirely on the way this thing is produced and not on Jeff Gordon himself who as I mentioned is much more deserving than what this DVD delivers.

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Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids (Follow Along Edition)

too scary
The antagonist in this movie is a very scary looking ghost-white spider with a big human-like face, a huge chin and sharp white teeth contrasting against a blood red mouth. He made me raise my eyebrows just before sending my three year old screaming and running from the TV. He shows up in the background in the initial wedding scene, when Miss Spider is getting married, muttering something about why isn't she with him; odd content for a young audience. Then he shows up mouth wide open ready to gobble one of Miss Spider's eggs that was dropped from a branch on the way to the egg sack. The egg does get rescued by some flying bug in the knick of time. We just stopped watching the movie after this point. We won't be watching it again until I know which scenes to skip a priori.

Spiderific!!
We've been playing this DVD for my daughter since she was about 8 months old and she enjoys the colors!!

They're just so vivid that it caught her attention early on and she hasn't let go. Now, at 16 months, she still enjoys watching it while she eats on her high chair and it's the only way to keep her still for a while.

We bought this DVD with a package containing Stellaluna at Costco, and a freebie for the High Five musical group, but nothing has caught my daughter's attention more than this DVD. Growing up with the Disney movies myself, I tried to get her into those movies but they're simply boring for her (of course, she's too little ;-)

Of course, I've enjoyed it, too :-) and always play it for visitors, children and adults, and they always get hooked.

My wife is always laughing at us because my little one and I just get into the movie and don't pay attention to anything else, that's how good it is!!

Two thumbs up!

Adorable!!!!
My daughter Lily loves Miss Spider. I rented this for her and she has watched it every day. I"m going to buy it for our vacation. The movie has all the bright colors like the book and the voice of Brooke Shields as Miss Spider. It is not loud and it is very soft and well done. The DVD has extras that are well worth the money. David Kirk reads the book and there are also more stories. Miss Spider also talks about all her kids and their names and personalities. You can't miss with this purchase and get the book too.

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Hijas de Su Madre: Las Buenrostro

Hilarious Mexican Dark Comedy
This movie moves fast & is hilarious. It is great casting of some of the very best actresses in Mexico with the lead Matriach of the Black Widows being the well known, Evangelina Elizondo. The Madre keeps & adds to the women's fortune by having them each marry wealthy men and killing them off when they need more funds or the men cause difficulties. The movie title is a play on words/phrases that only someone from Mexico City would actually understand and find amusing. I am not certain why this movie is not in the Top 10 or certainly Top 100 lists of Spanish movies. It has a tight, fast paced story, & comedic drama that touches on a unique brand of Mexican feminism. The movie is excellent and I would put it right up there with any Pedro Almodovar comedy. I recommend this to those that enjoys a good comedy, foreign movies, Spanish speaker or student. The Mexican director is Busi Cortes. I am not familiar with her work but will look her up to see what else she has done. I...

para dormir
Un elenco exhorbitante carente de parlamentos con sentido comun. La historia es buena pero vagamente trabajada. Para un dia de lluvia y a falta de cualquier otra pelicula o evento de ver, pues resuelve.

Excellent seller, the movie more or less
the seller was excellent but the movie wasn't i expect more from this movie becouse i like the mexican movies but i gave them a 3 of 5 stars

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Bulletproof [HD DVD]

A Great Team
I really liked this movie for a couple different reasons. First of all both Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler are two of my favorite comedy actors. Both these guys seem to draw off each other very well and make a great team. I also liked the story and the little twists and turns it takes close to the end. There are also a few scenes that are the funniest stuff I've ever seen Sandler do. If you're in to crime, action, and most of all comedy movies then I definately say buy this movie

An enjoyable, underrated action/comedy flick
In Hollywood, several comedy stars who make action flicks usually get laughed at- and they usually get laughed at pretty bad. Sure, it would be interesting to see someone like Jim Carrey or Robin Williams do an action movie,but that will probably never happen, and once comedy star Bruce Willis proved that he could pull off an action movie("Die Hard")while Eddie Murphy has a talent for both action and comedy as well. So, if you take a look at Adam Sandler and his movies, and if you thought that you would never see Adam Sandler do an action movie, then you are wrong-because Sandler's 1996 film with Daman Wayans, "Bulletproof" does have some comedy in it, but there is a lot of action in it as well.

The movie starts off with Sandler portaying Archie Moses, a small time car thief and a drug dealer in Los Angeles. His best friend is Rock Keats (Wayans)who is also a car thief. Moses and Keats have been friends for a year. Meanwhile, Moses is working on a drug operation with a...

This movies is really good
Bullet Proof is a great combination of comedy and action. Wayans and Sandler are perfect for their characters; melding each of their comedic styles without loosing personal flavor. One of the best comedy/action movies I have seen. My only complaint is the film's occasional predictability.

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Dead Silence (Rated Widescreen Edition)

Creepy dummies will make you scream
One day, Jamie (Ryan Kwanten) and his wife find a box with no return address on their doorstep: It contains a ventriloquist dummy. When Jamie goes to buy takeout that night, he comes back to find his wife's been murdered and her tongue's been cut out. He becomes the number one suspect in Detective Lipton's (Donnie Wahlberg) investigation. Upon returning to his hometown of Raven's Fair to bury her, he begins to think that there might be more behind his wife's murder than he first thought. The old poem about Mary Shaw and her 101 dolls to scare the kids might have been true after all. He starts digging and soon finds out a lot of nasty things about Raven's Fair.

From James Wan and Leigh Whannell, co writers of the Saw films comes a creepy killer doll movie. James Wan, who's directing his second film (he only directed the first Saw film), masterfully directs this very atmospheric film; the fog, eerie lighting, zoom outs, and gloomy score by Charlie Clouser (also a Saw veteran)...

GOOD OLD FASHIONED HORROR FILM ! DOLLS ARE SCARY!
What a breath of fresh air this film was to watch!.....or should I say a breath of good old fashioned "Universal" chills? I finally watched this movie and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of creepy atmosphere it had. The dolls in this movie are freaky looking and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up more than once while watching this classic style fright flick.

This is a "ghost story" in every sense of the words and ventriloquist dolls are very, very scary! There are some clever plot twist and excellent camera work in this spooky thrill ride that plays like your riding through an old creepy dark ride at an amusement park or carnival. I also found that the use of 'silence'("Dead Silence")when things are about to go wrong, was ingenious and it worked like the music in 'Jaws' did, whenever it went silent you knew something bad was going to happen! This is one of the cleverest horror movies I've seen in a while and it has little or no gore.

The...

'Dead Silence' will not be what you hear watching with friends.
This is a real CREEPSHOW DELIGHT with lots of surprises in store. Extremely
well directed, and it keeps you thinking trying to figure what is going on. No teenybopper-slasher film, but something to be appreciated by 'Gourmets' of horror, and I used that word for a reason. Yes, there are some plot disconnects with everything not being linear-but that was on purpose and not the result of some bad directing. Crank up the microwave with some popcorn [TWO bags], sit back and just ENJOY! Good Horror Flicks are hard to find and this one is good, IN SPADES!
Rod Serling would love it were he still around, and he is counted among the masters in story telling.

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Last Stand

Descent movie
I don't know if this is Russ Par's first film, however I am impressed. I found this to be a pretty descent movie with a great cast. This movie takes you through, what I suspect, the many roads that comedians and aspiring actors/actresses can end up taking and experience filled with the good and mostly the bad. Just like the movie says, it is about the drama behind comedy. What I liked best was how the movie showed the characters' pasts and what brought them to doing comedy. I also liked the dose of harsh reality given to show that the path to success in Hollywood is not easy and it can be a tough grind that not everyone will endure to the end. I would recommend this film.

I noticed there's only 2 responses about this film because blacks don't know about it.
This movie had a good cast and DJ Russ Parr who's a black radio dj in Baltimore, Maryland did a good job for his first film. I hope to see more films from him. Anthony Anderson, Guy Torry, Tami Roman who used to be married to former NBA player Kenny Anderson and Darrin Henson did a good job. I'm pissed that Blockbuster Video doesn't have this movie so blacks can check it out. I'm willing to bet that a lot of blacks don't know about this film because Blockbuster doesn't have it and Hollywood Video probably doesn't have it either. I hope blacks do some research about this film and find it online so they can buy it and watch it. This film did a good job of showing how stand up black comedians go through good times and bad times trying to make it in the comedy business. Kevin Hart was funny too. He had me rolling when he was beating up and arguing with his doll who was a part of his comedy act LOL.

pretty interesting film
this film is about people who are comedians who are dealing with real life situations and trying to make it the best way they can. this film touches on alot of subjects and it will make you think. it was a pretty good film, it went in alot of directions. very interesting.

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High School Musical, The Concert - Extreme Access Pass

Could've been better if they sang live
I bought this DVD for my daughter who is a die-hard fan of the TV movie and anything associated with it. Actually, the whole family loved the movie.

In addition to the songs from the movie, the DVD also includes songs by Ashley Tisdale, Carbin Bleu, and Vanessa Hudgens. What's disappointing with this DVD is that the concert is about 90% lip-synched. As far as I can tell, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel lip-synched all of their songs. I think the only one who got to sing live were Drew Seeley and (I think) Vanessa Hudgens.

But I guess it's kinda understandable that singing is not live since they are not really concert performers and doing a tour such as this one can take toll on one's voice; thus, they resort to lip-synching. Well, it's not as if they're the only ones who do it. I've seen concert videos of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Madonna where they also do this. I guess it's already a norm for concerts nowadays...

Just awesome
I just love this dvd the perfomances are awesome and the singing and dancing are awesome too. My dvd came with a High School Musical 2 poster inside the dvd case. Also Ashley and Vanessa songs are on this dvd.

I Loved This DVD.
Well i'm lucky i saw this DVD before anyone. I have some friends who work for the Disney Channel, and one of myy friends edits the DVD's so i saw this DVD. The High School Musical movie was great but the singing in the Live Concert is much better and sounds really real not fake like in the movie. This DVD is a must Have!!!

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Return Of Doctor Mabuse

Return of dr. Mabuse
Nice, decent little black and white German import from the 60's....Gert Frobe is good as the police inspector and Daliah Lavi makes a beautiful reporter/heroine....interesting show for those who have a taste for this sort of thing.....

Solid pulp-style escapism
If you like over the top pulp style action and mystery, you'll like this film. While it's a little odd to see Gert Frobe playing a solid police inspector, he does it well. And Lex Barker (Tarzan in the 1950's) turns in a solid performance as well. It's not a serious film, and you can make fun of parts of it. But you have a vile villain and his insidious plot. A damsel in distress looking for her father. And a legion of mind controlled minions who work to carry out the sinister plan of Dr. Mabuse. Really, you don't need much more (popcorn anyone?) to have an enjoyable afternoons movie.

who did it? where'd they go?
The Return of Dr. Mabuse is a really old detective story that was probably considered horror back in the day. Ha! Nowadays it's "horror" for the wrong reasons, lol.

It was released in 1961, so don't expect any flashy colors or groundbreaking special effects to grab your attention. However, it's actually not that bad of a movie. Oh sure, I'm giving it 3 stars, but I can think of a few other old films that so are unwatchable they aren't even worth the time of day to review. This one though, is pretty decent. It tells a nice Scooby Doo-like story that is probably about as believable as Scooby Doo, but still worth watching because it does manage to keep you interested in what's going on.

It mostly centers on one cop and a young 21-year old woman who goes around trying to find out about the mysterious deaths surrounding a prison. There's a few twists that are worth noting, but I won't spoil them for you. There's also some surprising looking deaths that will...

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Mail Call: S.N.A.F.U. (The History Channel)

Mail Call: S.N.A.F.U.
This DVD should have been twice as long. One can never have enough R. Lee...

Now THIS is some Funny S#@*!
If you're a fan of Mail Call or it's host R. Lee Ermey, you definitely don't want to miss out on this DVD. The bloopers are damn funny, and there's a nice collection of special chapters along with it. The only problem I had was the hour went too quick and I was hungry for more.

Thanks for the laugh, Gunny!

Pleased
I purchased this as a gift and the receiver loved it. The only thing is the language is definitely strong, but it's very funny.

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The War [HD DVD]

Heartwarming family drama?
I went into this thinking it would be a fairly lighthearted view of one family's troubles living in 1970 Mississippi. After one viewing, I was shocked. Shocked enough to end up watching it three times in two days.

Are people really so mean to one another? Adults will stand by while a child gets beaten by a gang? People will purposefully ram other cars when they break down in the road? Children will fight and do life-threatening dares for property? You bet. This reality was what made this movie so compelling and unique in a world of bland, "let's not be controversial" movies.

It isn't perfect, by any means. It's too long, has too many sub-stories to successfully complete them all, and is downright cheesy at times. But in terms of acting, Costner combines the haunted vet and nuturing father together believeably, and all the children are well done (there are some great faces, really interesting to look at). The most interesting relationship was between the three...

The War
I rented this first of all for Kevin Costner, but was surprised after watching why you never heard more about this movie, It was fantastic! Every actor and actress did great jobs, but both Elijah Wood and Kevin Costner stood out. It never really had a certain plot but yet it did in the fact that it focused on war from three sides....The real war Costner went through....The war the children fought to try and fit in.....and the war that everyone of us fight inside ourselves. If you don't walk away from this movie with a twing inside something is missing. I would highly recommend this for the whole family to watch and learn from. And yes I cried at the end.

What's worth fighting for...
The war is a very good movie with a very good slogan (what's worth fighting for..) It's an amazing story and the actors are heartwarming. Everyone acts really well, but Elijah Wood deserves some extra credit here. He proves once again that he's one of the best actors of his age. The war is a movie with a great concept and great scenes, especially the one with the treehouse. In this movie they focus on the real war, but also on the war with yourself and the war between children (treehouse scene). It's a must see movie.

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Black Snake Moan

Love, Redemption, and Blues
I was drawn to this movie because I enjoyed director Craig Brewer's earlier film, "Hustle and Flow". If anything, I liked "Black Snake Moan" even better. The movie combines tawdry and lurid components with a tale of love, forgiveness, and hope. I don't think the film is exploitative. Instead it suggests in a simple way how sensual and redemptive parts of life often complement each other.

In thinking about this movie, I was reminded of George Eliot's novel, "Silas Marner", the bane of every high school student. In Eliot's novel, Marner, an embittered miser finds redemption when he raises Eppie, an orphaned girl, from childhood to young adulthood. Similarly, "Black Snake Moan" tells the story of a middle-aged black American man, Lazarus, portrayed by Samuel Jackson, who feels embittered when Rose, his wife of 12 years, leaves him for his best friend. Lazarus happens upon a young scantily dressed white woman, Rae, played by Christina Ricci, who has been beaten and left...

"Snake" and a Chain
So, let me get this straight. The Deep South. A young, white woman (Christina Ricci) who is also a nymphomaniac, ends up on the doorstep of an aging, black blues singer (Samuel L. Jackson) and he decides to chain her to his radiator. Have I returned to another era of filmmaking? When I first heard about this story, I did a double take. "Black Snake Moan" could be very bad; there are a lot of inherent problems with this story. Or it could be very good; the synopsis has so many weird, uncommon elements that it almost guarantees it will be something wonderful. I am happy to report the latter is true.

I didn't love "Hustle and Flow", writer - director Craig Brewer's last film, but I liked it. I just wasn't won over by the story of a pimp who wants to become a rapper. If there's anything we learned from the film its "Don't you know it's hard out there for a pimp".

So when I first heard about "Black Snake Moan", Brewer's follow-up, I was not excited. Then I started to...

Very Unique and Entertaining
Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) directs his second mainstream film and John Singleton produces. Black Snake Moan stars Samuel L. Jackson as Lazarus, a religious man living in a small southern town. Lazarus is also a blues musician. His demons are that his wife left him for his own brother and for this he is riddled with anger. Christina Ricci plays Rae, who is an overly promiscuous girl who is traumatized by a history of child sexual abuse. On top of that her boyfriend Ronnie has left to join the National Guard. Ronnie is played by Justin Timberlake. After Ronnie leaves, Rae ends up having a pretty bad evening that leaves her scantily clad and beat up in the middle of a dirt road. She is left on a road just in front of Lazarus's house. After helping her get better, he soon comes to find out who Rae is and what kind of reputation she has. Lazarus sees this as a sign from god that he must heal her of her wickedness in order to receive some redemption for himself. So he ties her...

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The Wings of Rean, Vol. 2

Not as confusing as the first volume and more character development
With episode 3 and 4, I actually enjoyed it because now things are a bit settled down, you can focus on the characters and get a little bit more of character development than too many images and battles from the first volume.

I really do feel that "the WINGS of REAN" is a story that needs more than six episodes to tell. With so many characters and so many things happening, it's really easy to get lost with this anime but unlike the first volume with fighting and characters all over the place, you get to see character development. How Lyukus and her mother don't get along. How Lyukus is really compassionate towards Amalghan and how he shows the same thing back for his former friend's (and now enemy) daughter.

If there is one highlight from this series, it's episode 4 and it's one of the most spontaneous kissing scenes you will ever see in an anime. I was quite surprised of how much was put into that kissing scene but nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

Again,...





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Inuyasha, Vol. 55 - The Bond Between Inu Yasha and Kagome

The End of the Anime but not the Manga
This is the Final Volume in the Inuyasha anime series containing episides:

164 - Possessed by a Parasite: Shippo, Our Worst Enemy!
165 - The Ultimate Key to Defeating Naraku
166, 167 - The Bond Between Them, Use the Sacred Jewel Shard!(I and II)

This is not the 'end' of Inuyasha. The ending of the anime series coincides with Volume 36 of the manga (roughly, chapter 356) and continues the story until the last manga volume 56.

The End is not the "End"
There is one tricky thing about watching Japanese anime versus readingthe original manga that inspired it. Sometimes the two are not quite the same due to the fitting of the story to the medium. If you've only experienced the American incarnations of either, you might be surprised at the differences between the Japanese and Americanized versions.

Thus,when the last episode aired here, many have been distressed that the story seems to end unresolved. The anime loosely follows the manga for about the first 370 some-odd chapters, but what then? I strongly recommend reading the manga as it is still going on and promises some really amazing surprises as well as some truly heartwrenching moments. I too, was alarmed when the series seemed to cut off without resolving some sticky issues, BUT, it's much easier to handle if you know that Takahashi has not yet reached the end of her epic series and in Japan, the number of published chapters has just passed 500. Enjoy the series...

This is not the end
this is not the end of the animee seires they are just taking a break so that more of the manga can be witten. that is how it works.

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Being John Malkovich [HD DVD]

I agree with Roger Ebert- THE film of 1999.
Don't get me wrong- I loved American Beauty. I was shocked by The Sixth Sense. I was moved by Magnolia. But for me, the movie in 1999 that made me sit back and say "wow" was Being John Malkovich.

I am sure you know the plot, and words wouldn't help to describe how original (and ingenious) it is. The film works on so many levels- it is a screwball comedy, an existential discussion of the nature of existence, a study of sexual identity, and a satire of the modern desire to "escape" from life. On top of all of that, it is darn entertaining to watch!

The characters (played to perfection but Cusack, Diaz, Keener, and Malkovich himself) are all well-drawn, and the actors do a fantastic job- wait until you see Diaz, unrecognizable in frizzy hair and frumpy dress.

The directing is top notch as well. Spike Jonze (of Three Kings fame) has made a wise choice- he recognizes the script is the star and has directed a film without any flashy camera work,...

"Being JM" is incredibly original thanks to cast, screenplay
"Well, there's this guy...." That's all that some viewers could really come up with when asked to describe "Being John Malkovich", the latest film starring Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener and John Cusack. Oh...and John Malkovich is in it, too. This movie is so original, I can't even begin to explain this movie, other than that it was intelligent, fascinating, and hilarious. Because of the originality, it is completely unpredictable: you are so completely in the dark trying to guess what is going to happen next, that you end up not even bothering to guess-which makes a great movie-going experience.
Cusack plays Craig Schwartz, a puppeteer who believes he is not just a puppeteer, but an artist. Diaz, in a wig that makes her nearly unrecognizable, plays Schwartz' animal-loving wife, Lotte. Cusack, upon the realization that he might not make it as a puppeteer, decides to get a day job, at a place on the seventh and half floor of a New York skyscraper. It...

Who do you want to be today?
In case, you don't know, that's a line from an Oingo Boingo song.

Being John Malkovich is a movie about people. John Cusack is an unemployed puppeteer who gets a new job in a very peculiar place: the 7 & 1/2 floor of an office building. He soon discovers a tunnel into the mind of movie star John Malkovich.

That's the plot at it's most basic. Trying to summarize this movie is like trying to explain what color looks like to a blind man. It is a shockingly original, amazing film. It was truly robbed of an Oscar for best original screenplay: while American Beauty was good, it wasn't as good as Malkovich and not nearly as original.

The direction by Spike Jonze is strange and surreal. There aren't a lot of bright colors or beautiful shots, but the movie really draws you in with it's dark, strange atmosphere. As I said before, the screenplay is utterly brilliant. The movie kind of reminds me of Terry Gilliam's Brazil - only it's not nearly as maddening to watch.

The...

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Standing Still

Crafty
These "slice of life", realist drama-comedies are far from my favorite genre, but as a serious movie buff, I've seen tens of them over the years, and Standing Still is right up there with the best of them.

The only flaw I can find, really, is the title, which is a bit enigmatic (not that I mind enigmas, but it's a bit out of context here). A better title would have been "Secrets", or even "Shuffle" if something less obvious was desired, as the plot is focused on an event--a wedding--that brings a wide range of people together, some unexpected, almost all with some kind of secret, and reshuffles them in various ways--often through revelations of their secrets.

Realist movies can easily become unfocused or boring--after all, that's true of most folks' lives if we were to follow them around with a video camera and expect people who don't know them to be entertained watching the results. But Standing Still manages to create suspense, tension and a healthy dose of...

So-so
I got this movie in a orderly fashion and it was not as funny as I thought it would be. To make up for that it had depth to it.

awesome
I really enjoyed watching this movie, I thought it was fun big fan of amy adams
and I thought Adam Garcia was super cute! no complaints..

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And So Died Riabouchinska

At last!
After releasing only selected episodes in volumes (4 episodes in 1 DVD), it is good to see that Universal Home Entertainment is finally releasing this show in season box sets (and hope that they continue to release the remaining seasons in the future).

Premiered on October 1st, 1955, this wonderful series ran for seven seasons, and afterwards for another 3 seasons as "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour". This set contains the first 39 episodes of Season 1, told by the `Master of Suspense', Alfred Hitchcock. The episodes include:

01. Revenge

02. Premonition

03. Triggers in Leash

04. Don't Come Back Alive

05. Into Thin Air (aka The Vanishing Lady)

06. Salvage

07. Breakdown

08. Our Cook's a Treasure

09. The Long Shot

10. The Case of Mr. Pelham

11. Guilty Witness

12. Santa Claus and the 10th Avenue Kid

13. The Cheney Vase

14. A Bullet...

Good Evening, Mr. Hitchcock!
I haven't seen "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" since it was last shown on TV Land quite a few years back. This show is one of the best anthology series ever and deserves to be shown and enjoyed. Thankfully Universal has seen fit to release season one on DVD. All 39 episodes (yes, 39!) of this incredible show.

The one constant element throughout the series is the presence of Alfred Hitchcock with his dry, macabre sense of humor. This show made the well-respected film director a huge TV personality of the 50s and 60s. It was part of his deal with CBS that he would direct many of the episodes but as it turned out he directed only 17 segments during the series entire run.

Many well-known actors from film and television made appearances on the show during it's run. In this season one set you can expect to see Aunt Bea (Frances Bavier), John Forsythe, Cloris Leachman, Joseph Cotten, Peter Lawford, Barry Fitzgerald, Carolyn Jones, John Cassavetes, Charles Bronson, Claude...

Beware! Some episodes are edited
It's very hard for me to type this, because I thought this was going to be a stellar set -- but alas some episodes are indeed edited.

Example: "Salvage" ends with Gene Barry shooting Nancy Gates. After he pulls the trigger, the next scene on the DVD is Hitchcock saying (after the usual comedy), "We'll be back next week." Then the end credits roll. I knew something was missing, so I went back to my 10-year-old VHS recording (syndicated TV version) of this episode and played it. There, Hitch does indeed come back BETWEEN the end of the show and the farewell till next week outro. It's about 30 seconds of footage with Hitch explaining, "He would have gotten away with murder, but ..." This is CRUCIAL footage! And since it's included in the syndicated TV version, Universal can't say it isn't included on the DVD because the footage is "lost."

Sigh. Why can't Universal get it right? Double-sided discs are one thing; releasing edited shows is another. What,...

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Noein - To Your Other Self, Vol. 4

Excellent
In the future a war is raging between inhabitants of alternate dimensions. Haruka and Yuu are middle school friends. The war spills over into their dimension. Soldiers tell Haruka that she has the power to end the war. The soldier that tells her this is the future version of Yuu. Dimensions are crossed and alternate versions of the characters are encountered. Can these children avoid their tragic future and change their destiny. Or will they be victims of a tragic fate.

My god this anime is good. The animation is great, the soundtrack is cool, and the characters are very compelling. Noein has a very complicated plot. Sometimes it's a little heavy, but it's great and brilliantly written. There may be a few plot holes, but it's kinda hard to pinpoint because of the story's complexity. This anime also has a lot of good drama in it. The drama keeps you interested and gives you a reprieve from the heavy and complex story.

Don't be intimidated by all the physics and...

Great show
My husband and I love this show. I just hate how series end leaving you wanting more.



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Isolation

A hidden gem of a monster movie.
I went blind into `Isolation'. I must've read reviews on it before since I put it in my wish list, but I didn't remember anything about it. Honestly, I thought it was a Asian black haired horror movie because of the cover of the DVD. Then when I read the back (after already having ordered it), I was quite intrigued, but still thought it was gonna be another `so-so' movie.

To say the least, I was very surprised with this movie. Talk about a throw back to good horror. First off this movie doesn't treat you as a dummy. It assumes you can understand what is going unlike Hollywood who has to explain EVERYTHING nowadays. I absolutely loved that because it makes the movie seem more real, even though it's a monster movie. Second, the atmosphere was unbelievable. Another great throwback. The setting, the scenery, the lighting... all reminded me of some old great movies such as The Thing and Alien. I felt cold and wet. I could smell the cow manure. I could sense the feeling of being...

INTENSE!!! A great addition to the horror collection
Something has gone horribly wrong at the farm. Some shady scientists perform some fertility tests on a cow. And there are some disastrous results, to say the least.
Isolation is a unique, terifying little gem. I am very suprised this is relatively unknown. Everything is done exceptionally well--acting, pacing, script, effects--it all adds up to an entertaining, frightful good time for any serious horror fan.
(You popcorn horror fans stay away) 4.5 stars

Interesting sci-fi horror
As a previous reviewer has mentioned, there have been some pretty good offerings in the horror genre from Britain [The Descent]and yes, Ireland recently and Isolation is definitely worth a watch. The setting is a rural farm somewhere in Ireland I presume, and the cast of characters [human that is] is made up of Farmer Dan, a female vet, a scientist, and a young couple, Jamie and Mary [who are on the run from Mary's disapproving brothers]. The premise: the farm is the setting for a biogenetics experiment, and a cow births a genetically mutated calf...the rest of the story deals with the repercussions of this event. Though the plot seems rather simple, the story moves at a steady but suspenseful pace and the stalking of the prey [the humans & other cows on the farm] by the predator makes for compelling and scary viewing. Though there is some allusions to other movies like Alien, The Fly etc...I still found it to be quite an enjoyable and intelligent sci-fi horror flick that is worth a...

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Van-Pires Transform: Mission Demolition, Vol. 1

Niki Shea STARR Van-Pires
The Evil Rock Band STARR made that Van-Pires TV show so exciting./ Niki Shea on Drums Luke Luv on Guitar Zane Fix Vocals & Jerry Moon On Bass, I saw them live and have there CD's and I'm so glad they were on this show. Not only the musical performance but there acting. They made it a 5 Star recommendation. Great DVD !!





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Arnie the Doughnut... and Other Fantastic Adventure Stories (Scholastic Video Collection)

Delicious
The video is done very well. Much better than a standard book that just shows static images with a voice-over text. There is some animated movement and all the comic asides are presented. My daughter and I have read this book so many times that we were able to quote along with the movie the first time we saw it.
The other videos on the disc are OK. The real winner here is Arnie the Doughnut.

Laurie Keller rocks!
If you don't have any Laurie Keller books in your collection, you are missing out because all of her books are clever, witty and quirky. And now that Arnie is on DVD...he has become a star. You and your children will LOVE Arnie!!

arnie and the doughnut
Great stories - well told. Particularly love Roberto the Insect Architect - inspiring for kids who want to follow a dream.

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Tokko, Vol. 2

Rock'n
This movie is great. Not much more to say than that. If you watched the first one, you'll want to see this one.





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Four Last Songs

A Bittersweet, Gentle Comedy and Love Story
FOUR LAST SONGS is one of those little films that quietly turns a little comedy about seemingly incongruous situations into a finely spun series of love stories: father and daughter, man and woman, disparate brothers, lonely widows, and a village that loves its heritage. Writer/Director Francesca Joseph understands her craft and blends a well-paced story with a fine cast. The result is a heartwarming evening of entertainment.

On a small Mediterranean island (Mallorca/Balearic Islands) lives an odd group of expatriates. Larry (Stanley Tucci) is pianist from classical training who makes his living playing piano bar while he pines for the purity of classical music such as that of a deceased composer who lived on the island once wrote. His long term girlfriend Miranda (Jessica Stevenson) practices yoga and supports Larry's dreams. Sebastian (Hugh Bonneville) is a well to do, would be impresario who lives with his perpetually drunk and miscreant brother Dickie (Rhys...

A Real Little Gem
This movie is a real, little gem and has become one of my favourites! It is therefore quite disappointing that BBC Films as the producer hasn't been released it in Europe so far.

The story revolves around Larry (Stanley Tucci), a mediocre and chronically unsatisfied musician who has settled in the ex-pat community of a remote island village in the Mediterranean. Despite being tiny, the village is also famous for having been the home of a celebrated European composer. Although Larry initially hoped to absorb some of the dead man's glory, his modest talents have instead confined him to playing the piano in a local bar.
In a last effort to make his mark, Larry convinces the composer's widow (Marisa Paredes) to allow him staging a gala concert as tribute to the composer. However, his plans are increasingly put into jeopardy by the embittered widow's jealousy towards her husband's muse (Emmanuelle Seigner), who possesses the partiture of the master's unpublished last work,...

Lovely setting, Great Idea, But a Bit Weak Nonetheless
Disclaimer: I know most of the people on whom the characters are (loosely) based, and the area of the production (the village of Deia on the island of Mallorca), and the house in which it's set. I even happened to meet the director as they were getting ready to shoot the film, so I should have a natural tendency to praise this piece.

On the flip side, I've been a writer and, as a young pup, a movie theater manager, so I see a lot of film and video, which perhaps makes me a bit more, um, particular about film making.

The good stuff: The scenery is glorious, with or without the "homesick factor." The opening shot of the little church atop the mountain, with the several-hundred-year-old terraces of olives and fruit below, makes you want to call Iberia and book the next flight to Spain. The restaurant at the Cala, where you first see Miranda and Larry playing music together, is beautiful (great food, by the way) but looks more glamorous than in real life...

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