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.


This is reality....
 	What's so 'ugly' about this movie?  Because it depicts the truth?  To all you parents out there, this is exactly what teenagers do on a daily basis.  I know because I was once a teenager too, and this movie hits the mark.  This is what happens when parent's don't have a solid relationship with their kids.  This movie is not ugly, its just the straight up truth which most people don't like to recognize.  It's up to us as parents to guide our children in the right direction so this type of behavior can be minimized


Scarlett..a perfect ending to a perfect movie
 	I loved Gone with the Wind.  This movie lets the lovers of Gone with the Wind know what happens.  It is a great ending.  But set your mind and be aware that the Rhett leaves something to be desired and Scarlett too...but it is a good movie and I love knowing the ending


Should have been Jurassic Park II
 	This is the sort of sequel that should have been made in the first place. The premise is sillier than the first film (which was pretty silly itself), but the characters are appealing and the action is streamlined and intense. Enjoy the ride and try to forget that "The Lost World" ever existed


Great Movie!
 	My girlfriend told me about this movie.  Up until then I have never heard about it.  This movie was alot better then I thought it would be.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  It kept me on my toes the entire time


One of a kind.
 	When I sat down to watch a movie called Three Woman with the knowledge that one of the three woman is Shelley Duvall, my first reaction was that I would be better off drinking a nice, tall glass of toilet water. But, that reaction was short lived. It is rare for me to enjoy a movie that I was determined to hate from the first second, but this movie forced me to pull a 180. The ominous feel of the movie gripped my attention within the first five minutes and never let go. It is a trance like movie. I found that I couldn't stop from watching yet, I didnt know why I was watching. Very bizzare, and very mezmerizing. Not a movie that will be enjoyed over and over however.


This documentary was a bit weak
 	9-11 was meticulously planned out by our government. If people do not believe me, go read and study that day like it was your babay and you'll find the truth. I was a bit skeptical at first as well. Now my eyes are open to the totalitarian states that we live in. This isn't the UNited States of America, this is the beginning of a NEw World Order. Don't believe me, we'll probably never know, because we'll be spoonfed our news on the war in Iraq by the Corporate Media that controls and censors what we see and DON'T SEE! Don't think so? You, along with millions of other ignorant idiots who choose to follow the war in Iraq by watching CNN (Censored News Network), or Fauxnews. It pains me that people still don't realize that there is no fight for democracy in Iraq. Its a fight for Imperial Ambitions, we need Iraq for Oil, and to set up a puppet government so it doesn't scare Israel, our ultra conservative evangelical christian politicians can sleep better knowing their holy land is out of the hands of "radical muslim fundamentalists." No one will know until people actually open up a damn book and read for yourself, instead of relying on "experts" who "know" what is going on. I thought we were intelligent people, us Americans? Most of you can't even figure out wat the problem really is. Its our corrupt government


excellent adaptation
 	I am a big fan of the book and thought the film version did it justice.  Beautifully filmed; excellent performances


"ha ha ha, you didn't say the magic word, ha ha ha..."
 	I read the book in middle school and watched the movie shortly afterwards.  A few of the characters were switched around, but I was so impressed with the adaptation. A thriller that still makes me nervous and jumpy - the kids in the kitchen scene and when Mr. Arnold's arm drops on Ellie's shoulder as she's trying to turn the generator back on, for example. There have been countless lines I've memorized and quoted at appropriate and innapropriate times, due to my obsession.

And after watching it more than 25 times, I've come to appreciate it more. Great cast - Sam Neil is my favorite. Richard Attenborough is a little too cute and nice, but I liked his white clothing, the hat, and the amber cane. Wayne Knight was incredible as Nedry, the slob. He's as likeable as ever, though somewhat the villain. I always hate it when he dies. Jeff Goldblum fit the description of Ian Malcom from Crichton's novel well. Crichton sparked my interest in Chaos Theory, sometimes called The Butterfly Effect. I am a firm believer in it. And of course, in the novel and film, Malcolm was right. "Life finds a way..."

(In Chaos Theory, the system is very sensitive to small changes in external conditions, and "random" --unpredictable-- events result from the "normal" equation/setup, because there is never a fixed set of outcomes; the system is unpredictable because of its complexity. Hammond thought his system was without error, that he was in complete control. He believed that the dinosaurs would fail to reproduce because all were engineered to be female, but he was wrong - the dinosaurs evolved because of the replacement amphibian DNA that was used to fill in the gaps in the dinosaur DNA. This DNA gave the dinosaurs the ability to change sex in order to reproduce, "survive," in a single-sex environment. And it turned out that Hammond was wrong about many other equations - things are not as black and white as he thought, and it is problematic to predict long-term behavior of his animals.)

Love the scene where the lawyer is eaten while sitting on the toilet.

We watched the Mr. DNA segment in a high school biology class. I've always thought it explained the process very well for something that is complicated (though I found Mr. Hammond's live speaking lines to be unrealistic...was he really planning to be there for each tour?).

The kids were kind of annoying. I didn't notice this until I was a little older, but Lex ("I prefer to be called a hacker") uses Silicon Graphics' 3D file system navigator to turn power back on in the park. Their logo is on the monitor. If only UNIX were as popular as Windows is now...

Anyway, the soundtrack was classic - it was the first CD I bought, back in the mid-90s.  Tonya Harding skated to the theme at the 1994 Olympics, or some other competition. I only liked her because of her excellent music choice


A late 1960s social satire with De Palma and De Niro
 	"Greetings" is an offbeat satire from a very young Brian De Palma starring an equally young Robert De Niro.  The vignettes focus on three friends.  First there is Jon Rubin (De Niro), an aspiring filmmaker who has the idea of creating "peep art."  This would consist of filming "private moments," and then letting people view them through tiny windows, thereby re-creating the Peeping Tom experience (more of this in De Palma's much better 1970 film, "Hi, Mom!").  However, if you are expecting to see an amazing performance by one of the great actors of his generation in an early film, you are going to be disappointed.  De Niro comes off as overly mannered and a bit forced in his performance, especially in comparison to his two co-stars.  His best moment is off-screen as he talks a woman through going to bed for his peep art (she repeatedly forgets not to talk).  But he is a lot better two years later and had a decent career, at least until he started making credit card commercials.

First there is Lloyd Clay (Gerrit Graham), a conspiracy nut so obsessed with the JFK assassination that a half-naked woman sleeping in his bed is just another opportunity to show that the paths indicated by the bullet holes do not match up (unless JFK was shot while standing on his head).  Lloyd shares his deep, dark thoughts directly with the viewing audience as he argues vigorously to convince us he is right.  But sometimes he finds people in the real world to assault with his blow-ups from the Zapruder film that reduce the assassination to a Rorschach test.  Finally, we have Paul Gerald Shaw (Jonathan Warden), who would like to find the right girl.  His problem is that he has his induction physical and going to Vietnam will really hurt his love life.  Fortunately, Lloyd and Jon are fully of ideas as to how Paul can get the army to reject him, everything from pretending to be gay and coming on to the sergeant (Lloyd's idea) to volunteering to shoot not only the Vietcong but also any American troops of color (Jon's brainstorm).

There is no real narrative thread here, which is hardly a criticism because "Greetings" is more of an ancestor of "The Groove Tube," "Saturday Night Live," and "Second City TV" in the history of contemporary sketch comedy with a heavy satirical bent.  The difference is that what De Palma and his friends come up with in "Greetings" is more experimental guerilla theater than really polished sketch comedy.  But there is something compelling about its enthusiasm, which makes us forgive the filmmaker and his actors when things go on a bit too long.  De Palma has admitted to being influenced by Godard and the French "Nouvelle Vague" cinema, which inspired going out on the street and trying to improvise scenes (only they did not have enough film to improvise, so they ended up rehearsing most of the film to save money).   But even in this early work, De Palma is clearly into doing everything you can do with a movie camera (inter-titles, split-screen, slow-motion, fast-motion, etc.).

"Greetings" is a historical footnote in cinematic history inasmuch as it was the first film in the U.S. to be given an "X" rating (later changed to "R," which is what it would qualify today because of some of the shots of nude women).  In terms of social history "Greetings" represents some of the counter-culture politics of the late 1960s.  It had been almost thirty years since I first saw "Greetings" and "Hi, Mom!"  Back then they constituted part of my first real exposure to radical thought in terms of what was out there on the streets.  If you see just one of these films, interested in how De Palma was cutting his teeth as a director before he made his name with "Carrie" and "Dressed to Kill," then "Hi, Mom!" is the choice (the "Black in America/Be Black Baby" bit is the must see segment of that satire).  But if you are interested in De Palma's career or counter-culture comedy from the late 1960s, then check them both out


Scared me away from the bathtub when I was 15!
 	THis was the first scary movie I ever saw in the cinema, and it made a strong impression on me. The bathtub scenes were so eerie that I only took showers for a few years after I saw this movie at 15 - that is how much it scared me. I have since watched it as an adult and was able to keep it in healthier perspective, although I do have to say it is pretty scary and well done. Watching it many years later, I was surprised that it lacked a lot of the 70's cheese that you see in many films from that era. The carpet and some of the clothes were funny, but it didn't detract from the film. Glad I bought it


Enchanted
 	This is a great family movie, a fresh take on enchantment stories. It's rather in the style of E. Nesbit's books, using contemporary references. I find it far superior to many of Disney's usual works. It's enjoyable for adults and kids


An Enchanting Fairy Tale
 	Ella of Frell (Anne Hathaway) is an unusual child.  As a baby, a bumbling fairy godmother named Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox) gave her the gift of obedience.  Every time anyone gives her a direct command, she must obey.

Despite, or maybe because of, this "gift," Ella grows to be a headstrong woman.  She goes against the conventional wisdom of the realm when it comes to ogres, giants, and elves.  Current rules state that these creatures are dangerous and must perform certain jobs only.  But Ella campaigns for their equality.

She is also one of the few women in the realm who doesn't swoon at the site of Prince Char (Hugh Dancy).  When the two meet accidentally, Char finds this distain quite refreshing and immediately begins to fall for the headstrong young woman.

Trouble is brewing at home, however.  Ella's stepsister Hattie (Lucy Punch) has figured out Ella's secret.  Now, Ella finds herself doing things she would never willing do.  So she leaves home and sets out to find Lucinda to give the gift back.

I had missed seeing this movie in the theater, and finally got a chance to watch it.  I missed a real treat.  The movie is funny from start to finish, and I had a grin on my face the entire time.  While the story is a bit predictable, it isn't super preachy.  The cast does an amazing job bring their characters to life.  The only drawback to the movie is the special effects.  While some worked well, most of the time they weren't up to today's standards.

While the main audience might be teen girls, this is one adult male who loved it.  It's sweet, charming, and entertaining.  What more could you want


Biggest Winner 5 disc DVD workout
 	Get ready for this workout. The beginner DVD's are butt kickers for a 1/2 hour workout. The advanced DVD's are killer. I definitely got my money's worth with this set. There's no excuse not to be in better shape if you have this product.


All About the Benjamins
 	All about THE Benjamins is a funny @$$ movie.Mike Epps is funny. The  polt of the movie is very interesting and funny. I recomend that you watch it soon if you have not seen it yet.
                                                      :)


This is Fun
 	The series was always delightful because it was fun, done with panache and done with a little tongue in cheek. Pierce Brosnan was great and Stephanie Zimbalist was a wonderful partner. Loved 'em both. Nice to be able to see it again because I enjoyed it so much and because there is nothing on TV like it today.


Aeria Gloris, Aeria Gloris
 	Once again the saga of Motoko Kusanagi refuses to fall into the popular mold - as manga, as a pair of feature films, and now a TV series, it combines the classic crowd pleasers of the science fiction of a not too distant time,  a topnotch group of secret agents, and a beautiful woman with a story line that isn't fraid to stop and contemplate the complicated world where the line between mechanical and human, program and soul, get crossed every day.

What you will see for most of these last few episodes is the dismantling of Section 9 when their efforts to get to the bottom of the Secretary General's plot result in danger to the nations politicians.  This invites retaliation and everyone goes undercover and, eventually, fall into the governments hands.  All the Laughing Man's efforts seem to come to naught and theire is every sign that this series is about to have a very nourish ending.

Well, all I'll tell you is that the ending is worth all the trauma of getting there.  These three episodes really focus on the characters of the Section 9 team in unexpected fashion.  And even the Tachikoma's make a reappearance.

This has been a contemplative series.  First the ethical questions raised by the Laughing Man and human cyberization, then the even more difficult issues of what life is or can be.  In these episodes Kusanagi reveals a personal philosophy which is both chilling and evocative of the samurai code.  She is a modern Tomoe Gozen, unendingly loyal to Arimaki and fiercely defiant in battle.

This has been a series with considerable depth that echoes but never slavishly imitates, the work that has gone before.  A fine piece of work from both an artistic and an entertainment point of view


Rolling Photo Gal
 	I like pretty much all of Annie Leibovitz's photography, and if you have noticed her work on magazine stands you'll probably enjoy the book too


Spellbinding! Supernatural super film!
 	Its original idea challenges  us to look  in a new way at the things we don't have the answers for. Kevin Costner is Joe Darrow, an emergency doctor, who's pregnant wife Emily, also a doctor ,dies in a tragic accident in Venezuela while he's  in Chicago and trying desperately to reunite with her. Joe doesn't find her body and this leaves him haunted. His emotional pain is beyond belief, he buries himself in work. One day he remembers that Emily asked him to check on her paediatric cancer patients and he starts visiting them. Then unusual things begin to happen. The children who have had near-death experience have seen Emily and are trying to pass a message. Joe Darrow's already shattered world is now turned completely upside down. He is forced to change his beliefs. This is  dramatic and painful process and its end is a TRIUMPH of one of the greatest love stories ever told! Kevin Costner's performance as Joe Darrow is absolutely brilliant. His extraordinary talent shines in this complex and emotionally demanding role!

Dragonfly is a profound film. Its magnificent end is  affirmation of life and a great inspiration. After all :"It's belief that gets us there"


the futures only hope is the president of the nra charlton heston
 	ok sue me,i love this piece of cheese from the 70's. a remake of sorts of the last man on earth,heston is a doctor who used a expermental sereum on himself after a bio war has wiped out most of the world. the people who are left are albinos who can't get out in the sun(i.e. vampires,as they were in the book), and they want heston to die for his crimes(he is free of the germ and was an army doctor so they blame him for the end of the world. heston spends his days tracking them and killing them and his nights whole up fighting off the mutants.
  this was a staple of late night t.v. and for some reason the sunday afternoon movie. you can tell in the stunts that it's not heston and some of the speachs are well corny, but the movie even with it's down beat story is fun and can be scary for younger kids(still i would be very careful about letting young ones see it as it has some nude scenes in it)
    the widescreen transfer is very good as is the sound and the extras are small but very nice


There is something tragic about being 50 (recommended)
 	SUNSET BOULEVARD is a drama that reveals the unsightly day-to-day world of forgotten and upcoming actors behind the pomp pretense. Joe Gillis (William Holden), a writer running from a pair of automobile repossessers, holds up in the garage of an apparently abandoned mansion on Sunset Boulevard. While walking around the dilapidated structures and evaporated pool, he is shocked to discover it's occupied by old silent-film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson).

Living with a devoted chauffeur, estranged from Hollywood and forgotten by fans, in Desmond's mind, she is still a star working on her next big roll in a script she has been scribbling for years. Knowing the script doesn't have a chance, as a writer, Joe looks at this as an opportunity to "fine tune" it to earn some extra cash. However, the working relationship is not all that tidy. It seems lonely Desmond is looking to sponsor a gigolo. His payment is a warm place to stay at night, a closet full of clothes, nice meals, private "parties," and Desmond's ever-present company.

If it were possible for Desmond's self-admiration to be supplanted by anything, it would be the possessiveness for Joe's affection. Young Joe needs a break from such austere surroundings and eventually goes out to a party with real people and meets a girl engaged to an old friend. Through a series of secret rendezvous they begin to collaborate on a script with real potential and, naturally, develop feelings for one another. The girl may be willing to sacrifice her engagement but breaking free from the tentacles on SUNSET BOULEVARD is a formidable challenge.

With some of the most memorable quotes in Hollywod, this is a wonderfully produced "noir-comic" drama by Billy Wilder that well projects the intense emotions, not only of each character, but of the large group of people in the entertainment industry they represent. Other highly acclaimed movies that fit in with this genre are ALL ABOUT EVE, AN IMITATION OF LIFE, and WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE. A gem on the DVD extras is the history of fashion legend Edith Head.

Movie quote: "There's nothing tragic about being fifty. Not unless you're trying to be twenty-five.


Kowsy
 	This movie is possibly one of the best movies I have ever seen.  Christopher Nolan is a genius along with all of his other movies.  This movie is very unique and will never get old


Great ocean shots in the Bahamas
 	I grabbed this flick from the shelf on a very wet and miserable day at my local Target....  craving the Summer sun and needing an island vacation....

The cover appealled to me for these reasons and I admit I was not at all disappointed in the movie.  The scenery was indeed spectacular.  The underwater diving/snorkling scenes were clear, crisp, and just what the doctor ordered.  Even the sharks and rays made it all quite beautiful.

OK, enough of the shallow stuff....  the movie was indeed much like the 70's flick "The Deep" which I enjoyed back then as well.  The characters of Jared and Sam were pretty believable - poor, honest, and happy folks (most of us would love to really be this happy - let's face it!) The introduction of Bryce (played by Scott Caan) really created an interesting balance of characters and how each reacted to the many dangers, twists, etc.

Overall, the bikinis and the buff guys added to the adventure many of us would love to have in our generally boring lives.  Would I want to deal with Tiger Sharks?  No, but a little excitement would beat the heck out of my boring 9-5 job every day.


The best live-action film yet for Walt Disney films!
 	This film is the best film that Disney has in it's live-action collection! Every actor and actress gives their all in this great adventure that brings the ride to life. I really like all the extras on the disc as well I like seeing how the film was created, looking at deleted scenes, learning about the history of real pirates, and learning how the park ride was developed through the eyes of Walt Disney himself


The quality of the movies makes the waiting more eventful
 	Update (Jan 27, 2006):
I am still waiting for this 3-pack placed last October. I have repeatedly asked the company to delete items listed on its website that it does not have. I am glad that Amazon has finally removed its original listing of this 3-pack (NEW) from its website.
Jan 27, 2006

I am still waiting for this 3-pack to be delivered for, initially, the Thanksgiving holiday, followed by, as promised by representatives of Amazon, Christmas. I doubt if Amazon actually has this item for New Year's day (2006). Forget to mention that I ordered it on Oct 27, 2005 and today is Dec 26, 2005.
p.s.
I received another update this morning indicating that the item will not be shipped until Jan 27, 2006. I am going to keep waiting until somebody admits that Amazon does not have this item at all


ONE OF THE BEST SUBMARINE "TRUE-STORIES" FEATURES RUSSIAN HEROES
 	IN A NUTSHELL: UNDERRATED - UNDERVALUED - UNDEREXPOSED -

Excellent submarine thriller with the added attraction of having been based on a true historic event! It is hard to believe how poorly this excellent film did at the box-office.

Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson are ideally suited as Soviet naval Captains, and as believable as their rebuilt authentic K-19! Kathryn Bigelow who Directed and Produced the film did an incredible job, which can be better appreciated by viewing the 3 excellent featurettes that are included on the DVD.

BOTTOM LINE: THIS NEW KIND OF SUB FILM IS A PART OF HISTORY

If you enjoy submarine films this is one of the best. If you enjoy thrillers, this film delivers enough edge-of-your-seat tension and authentic submarine situations to satisfy both the submarine-movie and thriller-enthusiast in anyone.


Worth the hype
 	ok even for a guy, I thought the hype might be a little more than it was worth, but to my amazement I thought is was a great story and lived up to all that I have reviewed.  I would suggest the movie to all.


Hector Elizondo is great in remake of "Eat Drink Man Woman"
 	Hector Elizondo is an actor of uncommon skill.  Aside from his superlative work as a Doctor on "Chicago Hope" he has been often cast as a sideman in films - the trusted aide, the sympathetic boss - but often in supporting roles.  In "Tortilla Soup" he takes the leading role in a Mexican-American remake of Ang Lee's "Eat Drink Man Woman".

He plays Martin Naranjo, a Mexican Chef so gifted that all who eat his cuisine proclaim him an artist.  The movie has delightful flourishes where we see dishes being prepared, then eaten, that are so delightful that you can almost perceive the wonderful aroma leaping from the screen.  Martin is has lost much of his sense of taste, which he thinks is a cruel irony, but his Cuban partner reminds him that Beethoven composed his greatest symphonies after he had lost the sense of hearing.  Martin also has 3 daughters who he has raised sinced becoming a widower 15 years ago.  Elizabeth Pena is Leticia, the pious schoolteacher who is invited to ask the blessing prior to the family meals although she turns a simple "grace" into mini-sermons.  Jacqueline Obradors is the saucy Carmen, who was encouraged to get her MBA by Martin, but has difficulty balancing the borderline ethics of large business deals with her growing realization that she is not pursuing her passion - as her father did with his wondrous cooking.  Tamara Mello is the youngest Maribel who finds herself torn between the pressure to go to college and to "find herself".  Constance Marie is family friend Yolando, who is the same age as the older sisters and is coming to the end of a dissatisfying marriage with a young daughter who Martin dotes on.  Raquel Welch is Yolando's mother, Hortensia, who is also without a man and plainly has designs on the compassionate and accomplished Martin.

The film depicts the evolution of these various characters as they come to terms with the progression of their love lives and professions.  At the beginning of the film all of the characters are single.  By the end they've all been paired off in one manner or another, some in a manner more satisfyingly realistic than others.  Raquel Welch is a bit of a distraction in the film.  At age 61 she has a show-stopping beauty that few woman would aspire to at age 25.  In a film full of attractive performers she doesn't "look her age" enough to blend into the story.  She plays the part of geriatric bombshell jester and in a nice ensemble this role sticks out like a geriatric bombshell jester.

The movie otherwise has some realistic and positive things to say about aspirations and relationships and I would recommend it if only to watch Hector Elizondo around the dinner table and in the kitchen.


What more can I say...
 	It is the ultima of CGI video game movies. I must buy for Final Fantasy addicts.


Just 'Breathe' in the Joy of this Special Tale
 	RESPIRO is one of those Italian treasures of a film, this time written and directed by the insightful Emanuele Crialese, that isolates humanity in a place where all the joys and  foibles of living become cogently the entire point of the story.  RESPIRO mixes the gut-level Italian response to life with the surreal flights of fancy made famous by Fellini.

Lampedusa is a Mediterranean island between Sicily and Tunisia that is baked by the sun and is far enough away form the culture of Italy to be a return to the native.  The population is all involved in fishing.  On this picturesque island lives Grazia (the beautiful and talented Valeria Golina) who appears to be a wonderfully free spirit but is actually a bipolar personality.  She lives happily with her fisherman husband Pietro and her children: teenage Marinella (Veronica D'Agostini), Pasquale (Frncesco Casisa - a very fine little actor!) and Filippo (Filippo Pucillo).  The boys adore their mother and their father and often make excuses for their mother's wild behavior patterns to the villagers who view her as a menace.

When Grazia's actions come under scrutiny by Pietro and he considers the advice of the grandmother (Muzzi Loffredo) who occasionally gives Grazia tranquilizing injections when her manic side surfaces and suggests Grazia needs psychiatric help in Milan, Grazia runs away to hide in a grotto, her whereabouts are known only to Pasquale.

The little village mentality merges and the people search the waters for what they feel must be the death of Grazia, only to discover on St Bartolo's Day that Grazia is blithely swimming in the ocean.  How this affects the village and the lives of this tender family is the secret of the movie: revealing the ending would dissipate the joy of RESPIRO.  Suffice it to say that the closing footage will simply take your breath away!

This little treasure of a movie has some of the most imaginative photography - both above and below the surface of the surrounding ocean - of any film you'll see.  The music by John Surman is pitch perfect and atmospheric.  The way director Crialese  captures the folklore-like behavior of the youngsters' games, and the married-to-the-sea philosophy of the villagers, is utterly magical.  This is a movie that celebrates those raw emotions of being human that seem to be eroding into the cultural pablum of contemporary society.  RESPIRO is a glowing reminder of the worth of a return to Eden.  In Italian with English subtitles.   Grady Harp, November 200


Get the Trilogy Set Instead
 	I enjoy all three of the the Jurassic Park movies, though I think  and quot;The Lost World and quot; is a bit weak.  While I think that anyone who enjoys action movies, monster movies, or horror movies should own all three, I find it difficult to recommend this set because there is a set that contains not only the three movies, but a fourth DVD containing substantial background information on the making of the movies.  I give this collection four stars only because the larger, more comprehensive collection is available and if you liked the first two, you will definitely like the third movie


A Slow Spin in the Porcelain
 	I'll make this short and sweet.  I used to work in spin.  I did advance, which is creating media events for politicians.  In other words, for a time I was one of those people that manipulated public thought by the way in which we delivered information.

I'll let others speak to the eerie connections to Orwell's foresight.  I'll let others write about how effectively the film makers make the case.

That which is represented in this piece is true.  The observations are astute.  The prognosis is grim.

I wholeheartedly recommend this film to anyone who clings to the belief in the ideas of the founding fathers.  Buy it.  Watch it.  Watch it again.  Share it with friends.


Excellent Artistry
 	Watch this and be inspired by the awesome Herbie Hancock.  The recording sessions are great.  The music and the movie flow along like a terrific jazz solo, riffing on all kinds of themes but Herbie brings it together into a whole.  Just watching him play on the piano is a treat.  If you're not that familiar with this living jazz legend, check this out and you'll admire both the man and his music


Very intense and provocative
 	Your milage may vary; but I found this movie white-knuckle intense and extremely provocative.  There is little danger of giving away the plot; it is not particularly complex.  Three stupid, arrogant American teenagers tempt fate by crossing an unguarded gate from Finland to the former USSR, which at the time was very much the USSR and a Very Bad Place for Americans.  They make photographs of themselves on the wrong side of the gate.  So far so good, but then they get lost and go the wrong way right into the hands of the Russians who mistake them for spies.  Some interesting subplots are also happening that keep things moving, that I'll keep a secret for ya.  I can promise you one thing:  If you are American, after seeing this, you'll salute the flag, think real hard before traveling overseas and I'll bet you never photograph yourself on the wrong side of an international border


Godly Funny
 	Bruce Almighty is a great movie. It about a newsreporter, Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey), that has a bad day a work(gets fired) and thinks that God is punishing him. So God (Morgan Freedman) meets him at a warehouse and tell Bruce that he can have all his powers. Then Bruce has fun with the God powers gets his job back, but sometimes its hard to be God. You'll have to watch the rest of the movie to find the rest out. :)
Their are some great parts in the movie like when he gets a monkey to crawl out of a guys butt, when he gets prayers, it saids "You got prayers" instead of "you got mail".
Overall the story was pretty good and funny. If you want to have some good laughs and giggles, watch this and some scenes are not appropriate with children. hehe. Though it is PG-13.
Rating 9.2/1


Funny
 	Here is the reason why somebody like Bruce cannot be a God. Simply because the world would suck!!! And his life too. It's a very good movie. It shows that people can't always have what they want. Very interesting and unpredictable plot. Hilarious


The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1969, Vol. 3
 	Excellent, great camera work, very good sound and commentar


Superb packaging...
 	This 2 disc set is packaged in a very nicely made large metal box with room for the other volumes in the series if you feel the need to remove them from the original cardboard packaging (you'll lose your Otaku status if you do). The box is well adorned with imagery from the series and is a very good idea and generous from Bandai considering that we'd have bought a normal cardboard box with joy. Thanks Bandai - appreciated


Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer...And "I'm Old Fashioned"
 	In some of Fred Astaire's movies there's only one excellent reason to watch, and that's to watch Fred Astaire. In You Were Never Lovelier there are three other excellent reasons. Rita Hayworth. Jerome Kern. Johnny Mercer. The four of them have concocted a romantic and funny South American fable that features some great dancing by both Astaire and Hayworth and some memorable songs by Kern and Mercer.

Eduardo Acuna (Adolphe Menjou), a wealthy Buenos Aires businessman, has four beautiful daughters, and in the Acuna family they must marry in age order. The eldest fulfills her responsibilities and the two youngest have beaus they're now anxious to share vows with. But the second eldest, Maria (Rita Hayworth) is in no hurry. She wants romance and charm and the men she meets are just panting boys. Then she sees Robert Davis (Fred Astaire), a very charming, down-on-his-luck dancer, singing Dearly Beloved at her elder sister's wedding. He tries to chat her up; she stares him down. Then the plot intervenes. Before long she knows what she wants. Robert knows what he wants. Eduardo Acuna knows what he doesn't want...a down-on-his-luck dancer in the family. From then on it's songs, dances, romance and misunderstandings, which moves into songs, dances and romance. The plot feels sluggish at times and there's way too much Xavier Cugat and his orchestra, but Astaire and Hayworth are at their peak, Kern has written some memorable melodies and few could top Mercer at lyric writing, none in Hollywood.

Hayworth not only was a gorgeous creature, she was a gifted dancer; many think she was the best Astaire worked with. Technically, she not only handled the steps Astaire created, she did so without a hint of effort. After you've watched the dances a couple of times, go back and watch again, but this time concentrate on her face and her hand and arm action. She gives every indication of being utterly relaxed and enjoying herself, even in the fast tap routines. She seems naturally to find the most graceful attitude for an extended arm, a turn of her head, a raised hand. She may not be quite as good as Astaire, but she's good enough.

Among the stand-out routines are:
--The Audition Dance. Robert shows up at Acuna's office and demands a chance to show his stuff as a dancer. From there Astaire takes off on a fast tap routine that takes him all over the floor, onto Acuna's desk, the sofa and chairs. He works into the dance a cane, a rug, the drapes and Acuna's head.

--I'm Old Fashioned. This is probably the best romantic wooing dance Astaire did. It's all fluid motion and spontaneous recognition, danced on the elegant, polished outdoor landing of Acuna's mansion. Rita Hayworth is a vision, and matches him step for step. We move from Maria declaring with humor and assurance that Robert's the man for her, to Robert's protestation that he's just a guy from Omaha, Nebraska, to the dance that brings them closer and closer together until we know through the dance that a love match has just happened. The funny exit through the doors and back into the living-room, bumping into each other, each giving way, bumping again and then going in together arm in arm hits just the right note. The dance works so well in part because Kern and Mercer came up with a classic:
I'm old fashioned,
I love the moonlight,
I love the old fashioned things.
The sound of rain
Upon a window pane,
The starry song that April sings.
This year's fancies
Are passing fancies
But sighing sighs, holding hands,
These my heart understands.
I'm old fashioned
But I don't mind it.
That's how I want to be,
As long as you agree,
To stay old fashioned with me.

--The Shorty George. This fast tap routine starts out with Maria visiting Robert at a rehearsal. He sings The Shorty George and she takes a couple of lines. He looks surprised that she knows the song. He starts to dance and invites her to join him. Hayworth stays right with Astaire and looks like she's having the time of her life.

--You Were Never Lovelier. Robert declares his feelings for Maria, but more misunderstandings occur. Finally, everything is resolved. Robert shakes off some knight's armor he was wearing (there is sort of a reason) and appears below Maria's bedroom window in black tie. She rushes down...and off they go dancing while all the members of the Acuna family look on approvingly. And the Johnny Mercer lyrics and Jerome Kern music brings us to the happy end:
You were never lovelier, you were never so fair;
Dreams were never lovelier,
Pardon me if I stare.
Down the sky the moonbeams fly to light your face;
I can only say they chose the proper place.
You were never lovelier, and to coin a new phrase,
I was never luckier
In my palmiest days.
Make a note, and you can quote me, honor bright,
You were never lovelier than you are tonight


BY THE SEA BY THE BEAUTIFUL SEA
 	CITY BY THE SEA is a movie that is propelled by its rich performances, particularly those of Robert DeNiro and Frances McDormand. Both Oscar winners, they infuse their characters with such humanity and imperfection, they make this movie much better than it would have been in other hands. James Franco, although obviously  and quot;in and quot; to his performance, comes across attempting to repeat his Emmy award winning role as James Dean. The mannerisms, the false bravado, the hurt and pinched face, are trademarks of the late Dean, and Franco seems to enjoy using them again. William Forsythe approaches a caricature of his role, but it's still spinetingling enough to make your skin crawl. Anson Mount as the moralistic cop Dave Simond, gives a strong, understated performance, showing that all cops aren't bad. George Dzundza as DeNiro's partner is also good, as is Linda Emon, as his wife in a very touching and sad scene where DeNiro confronts her after Dzunda's death---apparently at the hands of DeNiro's son.
 The movie is to be commended for giving us characters with flaws, and in understanding the way some relationships never fully materialize or heal.
 The film has some marvelous cinematography of the old Asbury Park area, and has an ending that while not totally satisfying is real.
 A good movie


Excellent, but mis-titled
 	Rather than "Menace to Society", this movie should be titled, "The Unfortunate Victims of a Racist Society". My heart bleeds for the real-world counterparts of these young men, caught up in the unending battle for survival in South-central LA, and other such areas all around the country.

I understand that we all make choices, but how many do these young men have? It is a racist, exclusionary society that has condemned them to their fate; to die violently at the hands of their own brothers. Its sickening. Society is more of a menace to these young men, than they are responsible for being a menace to society.

Having said that, the movie itself is excellent. It's gritty and real to the 'nth' degree. Movies like this should be a huge wakeup call for the 'powers that be' in this country, but the reality is that the grave lessons it teaches will pass unnoticed


A Very Nice Surprise
 	I wanted to see a movie one evening, and it really didn't matter what movie, I just wanted to get out of the house, and get to a theater. I looked at the listings and decided to see "In Good Company", and I'm certainly glad I did. I found this movie to be very entertaining, and very enjoyable to watch. I thought this movie really showed a new edge to Scarlett Johansson as well.
In a way this movie was also an eye-opener on todays' corporate America, and its' all too often pitfalls. Nicely produced, acted, and directed.


Seduced by an oven of witches?
 	This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I saw it when it first came out and ten years later it's still just as funny. Basic plot: Ted is a bellhop at an expensive hotel and he's ALONE on New Year's night. Anyone who's had a bad night/day on the job can relate to Ted as he encounters the most 'unusual' situations. From the witches who need his 'secret' ingredient to make their potion, to a gangster's bratty kids, a gun toting psyco who likes to play kinky sex games with his wife and finally all the stories tie into a hilarious ending with a room of drunken Hollywood people who want to make Ted part of their hazardous (and very gross) bet. I don't want to give too much away but I will say that I will always love this movie and it has one of the best endings ever. If you love a good, dark comedy this is the movie for you


Pippin dvd
 	I loved Ben Vereen in the show. Wanted the music for my ipod, too. Very satisfie


Hospital Horror
 	Hospitals are inherently spooky.  Scenes of so much pain and death, the very walls soaking up the agony through the years, they can slowly affect the minds and souls of those that work there.  The hospital in "Infection" ("Kansen") is in particularly bad shape. Losing money, unable to keep staff, the doctors and nurses working there are under-qualified and desperate.  Into this unstable environment comes a strange patient, with a black, infectious rash.  Slowly, the rash spreads, revealing a terrifying disease that liquidates the insides of a human's body, slowly driving the staff insane with fear and anticipation.  But all is not as it seems, even then.

I'm impressed that, even watching as much J-Horror as I do, "Infection" still managed to creep me out.  It was unexpectedly good.  Director Masayuki Ochiai knows the things in a hospital that can make you cringe, and he uses them to their fullest extent.  He also keeps you guessing as to exactly what kind of horror movie this is.  Is it about a devastating biological infection?  Are those ghosts?  Is that a serial killer?  All of his images and slow revelations of the story keep making less and less sense, disorientating you just when you think you have a handle on it, until the final page is revealed and it all comes crashing home.

"Infection" isn't quite a gross-out flick, like "Ichi the Killer," but it definitely relies on visual shock for its scares while keeping a good atmosphere.  If anything, it manages to combine the creepy mood of J-Horror ghost films like "Ring" while still delivering on cringe-worthy gore.  One scene in particular had me going.  When you see the movie, you will know what it was.

As part of the "J-Horror Theater" series, and directer by a relatively new-comer who's experience has mainly been doing horror TV shows, I didn't have high expectations for this film.  I thought it would be a cheap job, done to cash in on the current J-Horror fad.  I was wrong. It is quite a well made little horror flick, not outstanding or groundbreaking, but really excellent for what it is


it's awesome!!~~~
 	i find the breakdown of each step concise and easy to follow.  the instructions also contain tips for safety which is an assurance for beginners like me.  would be sharing this with my pals and recommending it to whoever wants to lear


Terrific portrait of life confronted with death
 	At Ikiru's opening, I started to have real doubts about the film. I had heard that this was Kurosawa's best, and the film was built up just enough to come crashing down.

Luckily, that didn't happen.

The narrator of the film reminded me of Criswell's narrations to Plan 9 from Outer Space. The film seemed to say too much and show too little. Then as the narrator continued during an extremely long take of our hero Mr. Watanabe at work, something clicked. The long duration of the shot and the narrator's continued breakdown of the man's less wholesome characteristics gave the impression that he was breaking down our lives, that the narration is coming from the back of our own minds, and that we are powerless to silence it.

That floored me, and for the rest of the film, I remained awe-stricken by this humble yet miserable man. Takashi Shimura gives one of the greatest performances I've seen since Raging Bull. Here is a guy whose really pissed off at the world, but he's smart enough to know he has only himself to blame for the mediocrity his life has been dealt. The horror on his face when he learns of his cancer will remain with me for a long time.

There are points at which the film seems to drag on, but never without purpose. When he dies, having finally given meaning to his existence, his coworkers and family members recount the final days with pity, confusion, and finally admiration. The scene lags, which makes us that much more insulted by their ignorance


sexy and sharp "cops and robbers" film with a twist.....
 	This is a great film that preceded the onset of the "JLo."  "Out of Sight" is a great showcase for Jennifer Lopez's talent as an actress.  It is a shame that she hasn't been presented with more great roles, like that of Karen Sisco, in this film.  Karen is a D.A, who carries a rifle and a jaded attitude. She has a chance encounter with charming, compulsive bank robber Jack Foley (George Clooney).  Their encounter is made especially intriguing because it takes place following his would-be kidnapping of Sisco in her OWN car. It is no surprise that sparks fly.....however, this doesn't downplay the complexities of their star-crossed encounter.

Some of the greatest strong points of this film include the juxtaposition of flashbacks, incorporating trick camera work and voice overs.  What's more, this film was shot in a very bare bones style.  We don't get a sense of romance, so much as a feeling of stark reality.  The colors are dark, the dialogue between the characters is honest, real and simply wonderful.  This film has a potential for mass appeal, due to the fact that, though it does get gritty and violent, that doesn't downplay its intelligence or originality.  Violence is counterbalanced by genuinely funny scenes, as well as more introspective glimpses at how the characters turned out as they did.  This is definitely a great date film!!


Out of Sight
 	This was one of the best movies of 1998, but for whatever reason did not attract a large audience.  When I try to think of superlatives to desribe it, the one that keeps coming to mind is "cool."

Most of the coolness factor is owed to two things:  Steven Soderbergh's steady directing and the chemistry between the actors, especially George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. Back before we knew that Clooney would go on to channel the same character in virtually all of his roles, he defined suave in this movie.  And back before she was J.Lo, Lopez was that IN LIVING COLOR fly girl with the big ole butt trying to make a name for herself as a film actress.  Here she gives the best performance of her career.

While all of the cast (Ving Rhames, Dennis Farina, Albert Brooks and Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson in cameos) is solid, after Clooney and Lopez the real star is Don Cheadle.  He is quite convincing as the prison boxer Snoopy.  He oozes rage and steals every scene that he's in.

Plots based on books by Elmore Leonard tend to be above average, but are mostly dependent upon the colorful characters he writes.  Thanks to the talent of all involved, this movie is one of the best


Surprisingly enjoyable...
 	I didn't think it would be that great and only saw it for Joshua Jackson, but the plot twists were really good and I enjoyed it a lot. And of course, Kate Hudson, whom I adore, (even though I didn't pay much attention to her in this one). But yeah, I really liked the end. And this is where I first heard of Norman Reedus. Then I saw the Boondock Saints. :-D This is a good movie and is very underappreciated.


Funny Action Movie
 	WOW. This movie is outrageous. It was a great movie for both Ice Cube and Mike Epps. They were both great in Next Friday, so I was ready for this movie. I recommend this movie to those who enjoy comedy with their action. There is a lot of both here. I also recommend Friday After Next, because Ice Cube and Mike Epps are in that as well


2nd GIG vol1
 	if you are a GHITS SAC fan this DVD is a must,
series wise the dvd contains 4 new episodes and the tachikoma stories are back as well, in fact the tachikoma's are now back in action in the series Too. Graphic wise, 2nd gig drops the funny pastel look of the first season and returns to its dark look as it was in the first movie, the CG is allot more fine-tuned and the action is awesome!!!, the opener has also improved significantly for the series!!!, Sound wise the series is awesome as usual 5.1 DTS Japanese  and  5.1 DTS English, with stereo for both and there are English subtitles if you chose to run it with Japanese audio.
Overall they squealed SAC season 1 perfectly, this not a series to miss if you're a shell fan!


Great Workouts!
 	This DVD has wonderful workouts.  I think the flexibility of 10 min. workouts to target certain areas is a fabulous idea.  It keeps me motivated to keep going.

The DVD doesn't work as it should - you should be able to pick 3 different workouts and it will play the ones you've picked in order, this doesn't work, so I just pick the ones I want to do, one at a time and then I'm able to workout the areas I want


Delightful
 	I have a few friends who "don't like cartoons". I guess they were brought up on Hannah-Barbara drek and it turned them off of the whole genre. When I run into this attitude,I pull out Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoroto show them the beauty, subtly, and power of animation.


Amazingly well done
 	I first watched this performance on PBS Great Performances. It is amazing. I'm very happy to finally find a complete version of the stage show on DVD. Rachel York does a top-notch performance in the leading role. The rest of the cast is up to par. There have been other reviews that say the music is dated, or other such nonsense, but do not pay heed to them. Premiered in 1948, the musical is based on The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare),  and the music and lyrics are done by Cole Porter. Sometimes referred to as his masterpiece (which I agree with), the production never drags or disappoints. The lyrics are extremely witty (a trademark of Porter). The music keeps you humming along for days.


Best American Comedy Since Sienfeld
 	This show is great. The 5th Season was considered so-so by critics but it is truely halarious. See 'The Ski Lift' for a classic Curb episode


"Very little of life is completely under one's control"
 	Happiness can be delicate. In just one swoop, it can stolen out from under you, just when you least expect it. The results can be often devastating - some can never recover. The family in the Italian film The Son's Room has found such happiness, but when tragedy suddenly strikes, they're engulfed in a whirlwind of grief and paralyzed with heartache.

Grief is perhaps the most tangled of human emotions, and the vagaries of sadness, love, and anger that comprise its essence are often very difficult to portray. Luckily, co-writer, director, and actor Nanni Moretti avoids all the usual clich s in this delicately nuanced and subtly acted film. The Son's Room is indeed a moving and weighty depiction of one family's attempts to heal after sudden death strikes them.

Moretti stars as Giovanni, a successful psychiatrist with a busy practice treating the assorted neurotics of the picture-perfect Northern Italian coastal town he and his family call home. Giovanni is a mild-mannered and kindly man, who has a sort of passive and submissive approach to living.

Giovanni also has a lovely family: he's happily married to gorgeous book publisher Paola (Laura Morante) and shares what he considers a close relationship with his teenaged daughter Irene (Jasmine Trinca) and son Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice).

He presides over his wife and two children with a kind of flaccid authority, enveloping them with the same deceptively passive doctoral concern with which he counsels his psychiatric patients. He supports, and heals, less by what he says than by what he doesn't say. He quietly coaches Andrea in soccer moves, while encouraging Irene to be more competitive at basketball.

Perhaps it's an ominous portent of what is to come, but the film opens as Andrea and his friends have been accused of stealing a valuable fossil from the school's Science department. Giovanni and Paola are surprised to find they entertaining the idea that their son may in fact be guilty as charged. However, no one takes the incident that seriously.

If this is the only drama that affects Giovanni's serene life, nothing prepares him for the sudden tragedy that occurs one sunny Sunday afternoon. Called away from home by a desperate client, Giovanni cancels his plans to go jogging with Andrea; and it's a fatal choice that haunts him for months to come.

The accident, when it happens, is so unexpected. The loss giving rise to sorrow, rage, tenderness, and the inexplicable feeling that hope is no longer possible. The family, emotionally fractured, is unable to continue on. Plunged into unimaginable grief, Giovanni attempts to carry on with his life, but bereft of his objectivity, he finds he's no longer able to function as an analyst.

The Son's Room, with it's subtle acting and its pensive, emotionally layered story, remains a startling testament to the delicate nuances of grief. And it's as though Moretti has invited the viewer to spy on a deeply personal event in the life of a very ordinary family. Like a fly on the wall we witness the sadness, the regret, the empty dinners and the overwhelming feeling of whether they could have done anything to stop the accident.

Moretti, whose eyes glitter with knowledge from within a bland, bearded, professorial face, gives a wonderful performance, as does the classy Morente as the beautiful, anguished Paola. While Giovanni wanders dazed through a theme park, numb to the grief, Paola fields a desire to talk about the absent child.

A savior for the family arrives in a letter addressed to the deceased, and when the writer appears on the family's doorstep, she offers the grace note that reminds them of the means by which happiness eventually repairs itself and the unavoidable fact that life goes on. There's no catharsis here, only a heartfelt exploration of what it means to grieve. Mike Leonard August 05.


What Men Do
 	This series is awesome, and I am incredibly happy to have it to watch over and over.  It speaks to the depths of the soul of a man.  Having experienced intense pain, though not in war, I find the emotion and the comeradery very intensely satisfying in this series.  This bonding is what men were meant to do, not just in war, but in our every day battles.  The sense of brotherhood among people with only one major event in common is instructional.  I recommend this for any group of buddies, or even church groups


A Sober Mel Gibson delivers an excellent performance
 	Very good acting and a fantastic script put this movie at the top of the list of must see movies of this decade.

You have to decide for yourself about the spiritual quality and message but I personally thought it was well done.

Joaquin Phoenix puts in his usual top notch performance


I see that "I Heart the Huckabees" is meant for a selective audience.
 	This movie is obviously not for everyone. It's not a comedy that you just put in and sit back and be shut down the old cranium for the two plus hour's. Nope, instead you get the muscle a-cranking. Huckabees requires you to really pay attention and think and take everything in. This film explores several questions mainly dealing with the connection between one person and to the heart, soul, and body of every other thing in existence in an ever-changing world. This film is a big orgy of questioning. And who doesn't like questioning? This film, in its own right, is very original and thought provoking that goes above and beyond any form of typicality of films.

"Huckabees" offers us an impressive cast with Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Isabelle Huppert (one of my favorite international actress's) and Naomi Watts. Most notable performances by, namely, Dustin Hoffman as it's nice to see him in an exceptional role. He hasn't really been given a great script and chance to portray a great character since probably 1997's "Wag the Dog." It's very nice to see Hoffman play a great character, as Bernard, the quirky husband half of the existential detectives. Also, most notable is the performance of Mark Wahlberg, as Tommy Corn, another client of the detectives that befriends Albert. Tommy is a fire fighter who has his own environmental concerns as he refuses to ride on the fire truck and rather, rides a bike to the fire saying, "We'd all be heroes if we stopped using petroleum." Mark Wahlberg is hilarious in this movie and has his best performance since probably "Boogie Nights" and "Three Kings." However, this movie is much more of an ensemble performance than anything else. The ensemble's performance in this film is terrific and the chemistry between each character is flawless.

The most credit to this movie goes to writer/director David O. Russell. Russell has obviously something going on up there in the cabeza to extract such a story. But the story is amazingly written. The script is out of the ordinary yet genius and comes out as one of the most intelligent films out there and hilarious at that.


Madea Does It Again
 	She just keeps getting better and better.  I love this woman, she makes us all look at ourselves and laugh over situations that are hurtful.  I personally will keep an open mind and try to copy some of her down to earth common sense a lot uf us have let go of for whatever reason.  Way to go girl..


arrested development is back for more
 	One thing about Arrested Development that I forgot to mention in my previous review is how the humor holds up nicely over the years.  What I found funny last year when I was watching the show is JUST as consistently funny now.  In fact, now that I understand the style of humor better, I think the show is even funnier now.

Fox had something good cooking with Arrested Development.  It seems whenever a show doesn't get the ratings a network wants, a network will move the show to another night and timeslot in the hope of achieving better ratings.  It VERY rarely works, and sadly Arrested Development is another example of this.

I can't blame Fox for pulling the plug.  After all, they tried their hardest to promote the show.  I remember Sunday nights watching the Simpsons and during the commercials the people at Fox REALLY wanted viewers to tune in.  The writers of the show should be proud that Fox tried very hard to keep it on the air.  It's just unfortunate people didn't want to watch it.  I still believe if more people were willing to pay attention to the characters on the show and made a solid effort to get involved in the twisted storylines instead of assuming the show should be like a regular laugh track comedy, Arrested Development would be around today.

As it stands, 53 episodes are all we have of this great show.  Honestly, it's not enough, but will have to do.

Do we really NEED anymore laugh track comedies?  Aren't there more than enough of them on the air now?  Most of these shows people won't even recognize when they hear the name of them because there's so many.  Most comedies that feature a laughing audience are exactly the same, and they blend together.  One plainly obvious joke after another.  I'm bored just thinking about it.  We've reached a time when television has changed with all sorts of reality shows and whatnot, and changing the format of the comedy genre to a direction similar to Arrested Development is the right move, in my opinion.  The times need to change.

People make a big deal about Arrested Development because there's really NOTHING else like it on television.  That's why the show deserves all the 5-star ratings it has received here on amazon.  People wouldn't be praising the show so much if there wasn't a good reason for it.  Trust me, there's a reason for all the positive reviews.  Buy one of the DVD season sets, pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave, watch the show *carefully* and experience the joy so many people are raving about.


GOOD BUT ONE PROBLEM
 	THIS IS A GREAT DVD ABOUT CAGE MATCHES. IT HAS A LOT OF VIOLENT MATCHES ON IT AND A LOT OF CLASSIC CAGE MATCHES. BUT THE REASON WHY I I AM GIVING THIS 4 STARS IS BECAUSE MOST OF THE MATCHES ON HERE ARE JIPS.(MATCHES JOINED IN PROGRESS.) IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF ALL THE MATCHES WERE FULL. BUT ON DISC 2 IT HAS 7 FULL MATCHES BUT THAT IS STILL NO ENOUGH MATCHES. THIS DVD IS WORTH A BUY BUT REMEBER ONLY 7 MATCHES ARE FULL


This DVD kicks your butt!
 	I've been doing this DVD workout for two years, and I still can't make it all the way through the "level 2" workouts.  This video is incredibly challenging, but I like that I can do the "level 1" workouts and have the goal of making it to the next level one day.  No other DVD can accomplish what Tamilee does in 15 minutes.  This really makes me value how efficient she is at giving you exercises that are really challenging and in a short amount of time.  I am always sore the next day when I do her workouts.  This is a great DVD


Hilarious documentary.
 	I am absolutely in love with this movie. It's a real documentary, not a mocumentary, but it is hilarious. The special features on the DVD aren't amazing, but the movie itself is absolutely wonderful


Teenaged Sexual Repression Captured Vividly by Kazan's Sure Hand and Wood's Best Onscreen Work
 	In the same way he was able to extract a searing performance from Andy Griffith in 1957's "A Face in the Crowd", master director Elia Kazan gets similarly stellar results from Natalie Wood in this classic 1961 melodrama about youthful sexual repression in rural 1920's Kansas. In the same year as her Maria in "West Side Story", she has never been more affecting then she is here as Deanie Loomis, the local butcher's daughter deeply in love with Bud Stamper, the son of an oil scion and the high school football hero. They are the senior sweethearts everyone expects to marry, but both have to battle constantly with their sexual longing and their grasping parents.

The ruling moral code restricts Deanie more than Bud who ends up cavorting with a good-time girl named Juanita. The indiscretion overwhelms Deanie who attempts suicide and ends up in a sanitarium for her fragile mental state. A few years later with their lives on divergent paths, they meet again to come to terms with each other. While the whole film is beautifully executed thanks to Kazan's sure hand and William Inge's screenplay (his first directly for the screen), it's the last fifteen minutes that really resonate with the characters expressing their emotions with a minimum of dialogue. Otherwise, there are plenty of heated moments of melodrama along with soap opera elements familiar to anyone who has seen 1955's "Picnic" based on Inge's successful Broadway play.

At her most beautiful, Wood is wondrous as she moves fluidly from innocently infatuated to obsessive to resigned. As the none-too-bright Bud, Warren Beatty is charismatic in his film debut and makes Deanie's powerful fixation completely understandable. There are several standout performances among the supporting cast with Audrey Christie pitch-perfect as Deanie's unsympathetic mother, Pat Hingle in blowhard mode as Bud's power-hungry father, and Zohra Lampert as Angie, the self-effacing waitress Bud meets at Yale. The classic Wordsworth poem from which the film's title is derived makes a fitting coda for this movie, and I still feel the intractable sense of longing in the two lead characters every time I see this movie. The 2001 DVD unfortunately has no extras


Best Batman volume!
 	This is the best Batman volume yet! The old Robin ( Dick Grayson ), travels around the world and becomes Nightwing. A new Robin fights by Batman's side ( Tim Drake ), and Batgirl is part of the group. Many villains look different. Clayface looks more like clay, and Bane looks more and act more like a freelance assasin. I will now tell you how good each episode is.

      Disc 1:Holiday Knights=A
             Sins Of The Father=A+
             Cold Comfort=A-
             Double Talk=A-
             You Scratch My Back=A
             Never Fear=A+

      Disc 2:Joker's Millions=B++
             Growing Pains=A++
             Love Is A Croc=B+
             Torch Song=A-
             The Ultimate Thrill=B+
             Over The Edge=A++

      Disc 3:Mean Seasons=B+
             Critters=A-
             Cult Of The Cat=A
             Animal Act=A+
             Old Wounds=A++
             The Demon Within=A

      Disc 4:Legends Of The Dark Knight=A-
Superman Episode-Girl's Nite Out=A
             Mad Love=B++
             Chemistry=A
             Beware The Creeper=A++
             Judgement Day=B+


Back to the Future - the Trilogy
 	The "Back to the Future" trilogy was excellent.  The item was in perfect condition and arrived quickly.  My husband, who owns a DeLorean, was happy to get the whole story and we have enjoyed watching the old movies.


simply excellent  movie
 	This is my favorite movie. I like it all: screenplay, director, actors, etc. Believe it brilliant


Comprehensive
 	The boys take the stage on their hometown for a "silver" anniversary concert and pull out all the stops. Guest stars abound along with a host of other musicians add to the celebration and the crowd was indeed rabid. All the songs are represented here that CT fans expect and are delivered with verve. All band members are represented here, and even former bassist Jon Brandt joins in for his album cuts. The DVD offers up a nice selection of extras including Rick Nielson hamming it up for the camera off stage (and on stage of course). Cheap Trick wails and all is right in the world. Now for the negatives from this release. Sound is just okay, after some heavy EQ work I was able to get a very good sound from my Sony 5.1 system, but camera work is indeed lacking. Cameras used for long shots had badly overexposed pictures much of the time and many of the handheld shots were in wrong position, but that may have been an editing problem. All in all I give the performance 5-stars and production 3 stars (a very generous 3-stars).


Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - True Entertainment
 	This 1954 musical release is just too good/too fun to pass up. Adam (Howard Keel - oh my god, what a voice) needs a wife and zeros in on Milly (Jane Powell) to drag back to his Oregon Territory farm and six unruly brothers. The tiny beauty has a backbone and rises to the challenge. Milly makes believers out of them. The brothers decide they want wives of their own and kidnap more cuties from town. Whoops, they forgot to drag the preacher along too and the pass gets snowed-in for winter.

The songs are lovely, the story charming, but it's the dance choreography that brings me back again and again. There are two numbers in particular which showcase the brothers' dance skills, and they are outstanding. Julie Newmar of Catwoman fame is one of the kidnapped cuties. They stick her in the back or whisk her out completely for the more involved dance routines, but who cares, it's Julie Newmar


Brainy Baby RIGHT BRAIN
 	You know you have a hit on your hands when even your boys want to sit and watch this wonderful video over and over again! I pass them walking around the house humming the music and even asking for art materials to try some of the things they have seen in the video. Best educational video I have seen for motivating the creative side of children and it has motivated me to buy other Brainy Baby videos. Try it-you won't be dissapointed!


Sad story, but in a feel good way. More than meets the eye.
 	This movie may not be for everyone, but to me it's highly memorable.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT:

This isn't your ordinary "travel back in time to alter the futures of people you care about"-flick (Back to the Future--although, granted, it was better made and more entertaining).
Butterfly Effect is really about (in alphabetical order) acceptance, chance, charity, choice, grownup love, hope, identity, opportunity, regret, and sacrifice.

Some reviewers mentioned the quality of acting.  Here are my thoughts:
Kutcher to me always seemed an innocent, caring, small town fellow more than the fun guy most of us might know him as, and that's why I wasn't surprised to see him pull off this role.
Amy Smart was good mostly, but glaringly off-key at times (granted she had to show more range the the other actors)


Great movie to own, 4 1/2 stars!!
 	This definitely is one of the best movies to own!! If you haven't seen it yet, you should... If you've seen the movie "Blood In, Blood Out", then you should definitely see this one... if you haven't seen either one, then i reccommend you buying them both as a combo pack or separately (if you want to save $$)...

I don't know which one i love more out of the two, because i know i've watched each movie more then 30 times... Both movies are pretty similar to each other... but "Blood In, Blood Out" kinda focuses on the 3 brothers, and the paths each of them takes, where as "American Me" focuses on the paths of the main characters in this movie (like Santana, Puppet, Lil' Puppet, etc).. but not only does it show their lifestyles, but it also focuses on how its having an effect on their families, and how their families feel about the life that their kids are leading... "American Me" i think involves more of the family in this picture and culture (La Raza) then "Blood In, Blood Out" does... it also shows its origin, like the Pachuco's (Zoot Suit's, Zoot Suit riots).. This movie is pretty close to 5 stars in my book... To me i think it definitely is 1/2 star better then "Blood In, Blood Out"...becuase this one seems to have alot more of a story line to it, and more characters its focusing on... both in and outside the prison walls..

If you're not sure about owning it, rent it first... but i can pretty much guarantee that you'll eventually end up owning it


Watch the Road
 	An intriging suspense film with a shocking ending.  The clues are obvious throughout the film, but the viewer is, nevertheless, surprised and possibily amazed.  Alan Rickman shines as David Weinburg, the social climbing husband. His performance shows his versality as an actor. For viewers who like suspense Dark Harbor is a must


One of the best concert films.
 	This excellent DVD gives us a remarkable version of Martin Scorsese's film. It has been color corrected by Scorsese himself, and remastered for superior sound quality.
The concert on Thanksgiving Day in 1976 was the final concert of The Band, with its original lineup. Numerous special musical guests enhanced the occasion. The Band were clearly at the top of their game that night, despite whatever personal tensions may have existed between them. Classic songs like "Up on Cripple Creek", "Stage Fright",and "They Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" are given excellent rendtions. The guest stars seem to be having a good time, with backing by The Band themselves. Ronnie Hawkins does an outstanding "Who Do You Love". Dr. John does his classic "Such A Night". Joni Mitchell performs her underrated "Coyote". A high-kickin' Van Morrison rocks the house with "Caravan". And blues legend Muddy Waters does a spectacular "Mannish Boy". In a "making of" featurette, Scorsese says Waters' perforance of this song was almost not filmed, because most of the cameras ran out of film. Fortunately, one cameraman caught the whole song, so we can have this excellent performance.
 Neil Young, Eric Clapton,and Bob Dylan are just some of the other performers in this outstanding lineup. Scorsese also provides excellent behind the scenes interviews with the members of The Band.
 The DVD also incudes two commentaries. One features Scorsese and Robbie Robertson, the other features Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and guests stars Hawkins and Mavis Staples. They all have good stories to tell, and serve to enhance the film quite well. A previously unseen jam, and an eight page booklet written by Robertson round out the DVD.
I highly reccomend this DVD to this classic film's many fans


Cradle Of Crime!
 	Welcome to the Lower East Side, where the high-rise apartments of the super-rich abut the tenements on the riverside. Here Joel McCrea, a poor would-be architect, is infatuated with rich girl Wendy Barrie, while poor girl Sylvia Sidney pines for him, all the while trying to save her younger brother from a life of crime on the streets. Into the scene strides Humphrey Bogart as a wanted killer, coming home to try to reconnect with his mother and an old flame. Intersecting with the adult storyline is that of the Dead End Kids (in what would be the first of many screen appearances), of which Sidney's brother is the leader.

The film is based on a play, and boy can you tell. The studio set is deeply obvious as such, and the structure is too carefully symmetrical. The social symbolism is subtle as a sledgehammer, and the script is too caught up with being Worthy. Bogart's performance is a striking one, however, and his character stands out as fully realized when compared to the walking Social Messages incarnated by Sidney and McCrea. The Dead End Kids (also known as the East Side Kids, the Bowery Boys, and the Little Tough Guys) would show again the following year in Angels with Dirty Faces, and viewing the two films together is instructive, showing, among other things, the difference between MGM's gloss (which sat uneasily on a gangster story) and Warner's far more convincing grit.

The mono track is in good shape. The print is in pretty good shape, but there's no hiding the fact that this is a film from 1937. The trailer is here, and nothing else. The menu is basic.

Once celebrated with Oscar nominations, this film now seems rather silly compared to the Warner gangster films of the same period. But it has a definite historical value, and certainly deserves its release


NIcely done, but quite condensed
 	This continuation of the Anne series on screen is very well done, and captures the flavor of the characters and story as well as the first installment did.  The only problem is that it drastically condenses the three books it supposedly covers.  What it really does is just focus on a few key incidents, and drastically truncates Anne's college and teaching experiences.  Morgan Harris and family have been created to very basically cover the story components of Roy Gardner, Sophy Sinclair, Old Mrs. Gibson and Pauline, and Elizabeth.  This installment ends with Anne and Gilbert becoming engaged.
I highly recommend it - just don't expect the same level of detail as "Anne of Green Gables" provided


Hoo-Ray!
 	What a complilation!  Much better than what availiable out there on him. It was good to see some of the old clips from the Sixties of Marvin.  I know that there's got to be more. I especially liked the clip with Tammi Terrell.  I was great to see her flirting with him while they were performing.  That's the stuff of legends.  I hope Motown continues this series of DVD's with their other acts.


Once and Future Hamlet
 	Brilliant is an often overworked phrase, but in the case of *Hamlet* starring Mel Gibson, the word cannot be used enough.  For brevity's sake, I will save Zeffirelli's cudos for another time and place except to say that he has done a good thing.  This review is for Chris Devore and his beautiful working and dramturgy of the more than difficult Shakespeare script.  Devore somehow makes it better.  Were he in London, late 1500's, he would have been a collaborator, making Will's work the pearl it is today.  My only plea is that, at some date, we will get to see Gibson give the advice to the players which was omitted so that other pieces could be spared.

This may have been Glenn Close's best work.  This is not a complaint, but rather a sign that anyting else she may have or has done cannot be any better than this wonderful, small role.  Ophelia (Close) has an important commentary that must be heard in order for the play to work - Will was no fool - and it needs a Close to do it.

Alan Bates has been a staple of English theatre and screen and has delivered many fine parts (such as Gabriel Oaks in *Far From the Madding Crowd*, 1967).  As Claudius, the regicide and brother of Hamlet, Senior, Bates makes you believe that his reign could have been noble except for that one small cancer, that flaw in his character - very clintonian and very believable.

I have wanted to kick Ian Holm's ever since Ash hurt Ripley in *Alien*, 1979.  I have to keep reminding myself that he really is that believable and that I really don't hate him, It's the character he has created so well.  His body of work is repleat with characters of such believability that you forget his name - IAN HOLM - until he does it again, the next time, in the next movie.  If films were strictly Hasidic, Holm's version of Polonius would be Kosher.  There is not one piece of ham in his entire performance. It is worth the purchase of the DVD just to see him act.

Everyone is good in the movie and there is not time to talk about all of them.  But a note to those whose noses are airbourne and won't tolerate anyone but Olivier as Hamlet.  There are several uneven performances in his excellent movie.  There are no uneven performances in this piece.

Finally, we come to the mad prince of Denmark.  It is most astonishing that I watched this epic again after Mel's dark night of the troll, thrashing about in complete insanity, arguably brought on by hard likker, frustration, and stupidity.  Yet with all said, Gibson IS the essential Hamlet.  You will find no other actor who delivers the goods the way the Cruiser from the Boozer does.

You know this is true, not just by watching the exquisite performance on the DVD, but by Gibson's own marvelling at what was accomplished, not because of some actor's raison d'etre, but rather by the actor's very ability to understand that he is dealing with things that go beyond the ken of normal humans.  IS Hamlet crazy, or crazy like a fox?  And when is he crazy we get to hear Mel say in the devastating interview he made for the DVD release many years gone by.

So, enough from me.

If you want to see the best Hamlet ever, buy this DVD and feast.

- Dick Anderso


"I know that you cannot live on hope alone."
 	Harvey Milk was the elected supervisor of District 6 in San Francisco when he was murdered--along with Mayor George Moscone on November 27, 1978, by fellow supervisor, Dan White (who later claimed the infamous "Twinkie defense"). The film "The Times of Harvey Milk" firmly places the murder of Milk, a gay politician, into the politically significant context of the times. The crime, the verdict, and the sentence served were all shocking. This film tells the story behind the headlines.

Milk was a stockbroker on the East Coast, when he decided to pull up roots and head for San Francisco. He opened a camera shop on Castro Street and quickly earned the name of "Mayor of Castro Street" for his enthusiastic community involvement. His interest led to several failed attempts to run for city office, but when the city's elections ran by district--rather than citywide--Milk became the newly elected supervisor for the Sixth District. Milk's enthusiasm and talent for politics thrived in city hall.

The film includes photographs, newsreel footage, and many interviews with those who crossed Milk's path in a professional or personal capacity. Milk was passionate about public transportation, rent control, and the rights of seniors and gays. White, on the other hand, found San Francisco's Gay Day "obscene." Eerily, there are several photos of Milk that also include his killer--clean cut, ex-fireman and family man, Supervisor Dan White. The film explores the flavour of the times--San Francisco was becoming a gay Mecca, and there were some people who couldn't adjust to that fact. Senator John Briggs, who called San Francisco "the moral garbage dump of the nation" was fighting to get a proposition put on the ballot that would allow gay teachers to be fired. Milk fought this ballot tooth and nail, and it failed.

The film "The Times of Harvey Milk" includes two discs. One disc contains the film, and the other disc is packed with extra features--including coverage of the film's premiere in Castro Street, a Dan White update, 1st and 25th anniversary events of the crime, director's commentary, the Academy Awards 1985, and a photo gallery. For those of us who remember the headlines, "The Times of Harvey Milk" is a fascinating documentary that places the crime firmly in the context of its time--displacedhuma


The abyss of drug addiction
 	The Danny Boyle directed "Trainspotting" was a somber view with some comedic overtones into a group of Scottish heroin addicted losers.  While the film garnered accolades, I found it to be profoundly disturbing as the seemier side of addiction was vividly depicted.  Ewan McGregor playing Mark Renton and his crew which included "Full Monty" star Robert Carlyle, as violent psycho Begbie, swing back and forth between kicking the habit and falling back in love with allure of a scag high.

Congregating in a filthy, deplorable shooting gallery the gang is shown in graphic manner getting high.  As a group they're abhorent of authority and employment and motivated only by scoring their next fix.

McGregor attempts to kick the habit by locking himself into an apartment with needed supllies.  Remembering the constipation from a previous attempt he goes out to score suppositories.  In a humorous scene, cramps force him to use the filthiest toilet in Scotland into which he drops his precious suppositories.  He then dives into the disgusting toilet to retrieve them.

McGregor eventually does clean up complete with cold turkey induced horrific hallucinations, escaping to London and working as a realtor.  His buddies follow him there and reel him back into the life.

McGregor and Carlyle and two other buddies eventually have their dreams come true,........the big drug deal.  They manage to complete the deal for 16,000 pounds which McGregor decides to steal.  He intends to use the loot to start a straight and clean life anew.  Fat chance


A sweet story that pulla at the heart strings
 	Calling all "black sheeps of the family" - it is never too late for your family to come around.   In this simple yet powerful story, April and her mother learn that sometimes, those we have the most conflict with are those who are MOST like us.  Painful as it seems, we must all come to terms with dissapointment and overcome our personal fears of rejection when revealing our true selves.


You guys need to stop being so serious about this movie
 	Awesome movie, great for laughs. And you don't have to be high to enjoy it. This isn't Ghandi or Shawshank Redemption. It's not supposed to be the best movie ever made. But it does give you the laughs, so just keep laughing and stop taking it too serious


Excellent movie ... A good fathers day gift
 	An excellent movie about a smart conman who eventually ends up rendering his skills to the FBI.

The movie is not just about this, but a lot of subtle things like the relationships between Abagnale and his dad.

Some of the scences were very well picturized
-The silent mutual giggle which Abagnale(Leonardo) and his dad exchange as they walk out from the School principal's office
-When Tom Hanks enquires with Abagnale's dad if he know where Leonardo is, his dad replies that 'If you had son, you will know that it is your son whom you love more than anything else'

Overall, it is one of the best movies I have seen. Everything in this movie deserves 5 stars


Nice work
 	This DVD is explaining things better than the previous version, where there were lot of gaps in understanding some of the areas of quantum theory etc.

Some of the theories are wonderfully animated and explained.  The crytal-photography on water meditated upon by the Japanese monk was especially awesome.

They have tried their best to explain stuff that cant be easily explained by the western(modern)science .... ofcourse.....it ends in letting you ponder....they have left most of it there.  There after one has to go into religion and spirituality - particularly one place where to begin looking for would be at the "Sanathana Dharma" teachings


Best 9/11 Documentary Out There.
 	Warning! This is not for children. Seeing death, real destruction, and authority figures unable to cope with what happened on 9/11 is not for the young.

With that being said, this is the real deal, what you probably didn't see on the nightly news. Great camera work and behind the scenes storytelling puts you in the middle of New York City that fateful day.

If you never want to forget what happened The Day that Changed America, you must have this dvd.


a must-see
 	This documentary gives a brief introduction to Al-Jazeera, which, if you didn't know already, is the main arab language newschannel. It is a source which has won a great deal of respect in the arab world for it's willingness to go where other, stated-owned and controlled arab networks won't tread. In this sense it is more than a mere arab CNN in that it stands out more in the general landscape of arab media.

The filmmakers here interview Al-Jazeera personel, as well as some american journalists, and the american official which liases with Al-Jazeera for Centcom, the american Central Command in the present Irak war (which happens to be 30 miles from Al Jazeera headquarters). It covers the timeline from just before the war, to just after Bush anounced main millitary operations to be over.

By striving to be neutral, the documentary allows you to see how Al-Jazeera see themselves and how they conceive their mission in the world. They are very disappointed in the United States, but adhere strongly to its values.

Also interesting is how being "on the arab side" gives them a very different perspective from western media in spite of the fact that they clearly espouse its values, like when they are angered by Pentagon protests at their having showed images of US prisoners, when western media routinely show Iraki POWs.

An unexpected insight the documentary affords you is that it lets you see just how incompetent millitary media management can be. The american liaison doesn't speak a word of arabic in spite of being assigned by his goverment to the most important arab news source, and as if that weren't enough, he is barely articulate in english and clearly doesn't know anything about the local context and history. Another instance of bungled media operations is when centcom tells journalists about the deck of cards with the most wanted iraki officials, but doesn't have the foresight to have some to give to journalists, irritating the very people they are trying to win over.

All in all it's a compelling watch which gives you a good look into the producers of news in the west and arab worlds. It gets four stars rather than five because of it's sometimes amateurish handling of flow, which makes it at times a bit unfocused


"We have the video....."
 	I found this DVD to be well produced and engaging to go along with the POWERFUL content.  Fantastic.  Loads of deleted scenes that are very worth watching


Great all around movie
 	This movie will make you laugh, cry, and think.  It's definitely a good date movie.  Bring a box of kleenex though


classic pacino 70s movie
 	seems like there was a time in the 70s where mainstream filmmakers took their art and their audiences seriously. this gem about courtroom corruption is one of pacino's best movies and his final courtroom monologue is as good as any in film


ONE OF THE GREATEST SEQUELS EVER MADE!
 	This has to be the best of the Alien films! This film, although not as scary as the original (I mean that it did not scare me as much as Alien), it is much more exciting and enjoyable than the first. Also, this would have been an ideal conclusion to the series. Go on, buy the Collector's Edition of the first and this and enjoy


One of Leslie's best
 	I was a bit skeptical about jogging in my home, but wanted a little boost from the two mile walk I had been doing. If you are at all skeptical, DON'T BE! I have used 4 of Leslie's programs and for me, this one takes the cake. It's fun, it's fast paced, and it works up an awesome sweat. You can feel the calories burning with this one. It's well worth the 10 or so dollars.


excellent
 	Product was in great condition. I got the product quickly and was very satisfied.


Stunning, Deep  and  Mysterious
 	I woke up this morning with a burning desire to remember the end of Fellini Satyricon.  Someone is mortally wounded, the blonde guy?  And lies there dying, watching his best friend go off with the boy they both desired, Gitone, and some dancing leaping black guy....  I think.
   I've seen it probably 9 times, it always was a favorite when I was a teen and older, but I haven't seen it for years.  But it was so visually entrancing, and so truly pre-Christian -- that is, made from that standpoint, which movies seldom are or can be!
    I just remember the wonderul images, a boat rising in the mist, the strange tenement bldg they (Ascylto and Encolpio) live in, the sea monster, the bacchanale, the hermaphrodite's cavern, the Minotaur.....  endless, splendid, dreamlike images on and on....
  [I wonder why it is Italians are such master of the visual in this manner; I think of Visconti, Antonioni, even Scorsese and the American-Italians -- maybe it's that Renaissance artist legacy?]

From my buddy:  Like you, I saw it a few times, decades ago.  The images are so strong and mysterious. Images that render volumes of emotions that are so deep, echoing a memory that is never realized. Modern day, Scorsese manages it. Zefferelli too.
That is true film-making. Even the older films from De Sica capture images that are unforgettable. Wells has done it.
But what you're talking about, is, I suppose, secular in nature. Icons derived from the human experience that has meaning from within the human soul. Not from an outward omnipresence of theology.  Satyricon is almost existential, as a presentation of true human nature. Done with frame-paintings. And framed in such a way that is evocative.  Amazing dream art!