Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "LBJ and the Intellectuals"

Interesting, but loses focus and doesn't plumb much depth.
I was particularly interested in this episode because of the role charges of intellectualism and ignorance played in the previous Presidential election (Obama/McCain), and was disappointed in that regard. If there are parallels to be drawn from this discussion, they will be between Kennedy and Obama, and as of this writing there have been no acts of an Obama administration to criticize or defend.

The difficulty in this episode quickly shows itself: who exactly are "the intellectuals"?

The most interesting parts of the interview focuses on how LBJ is regarded in contrast to JFK, the first 20-30 minutes. There are real points to be made here, but even though "the intellectuals" is a durable category for much political discussion, and Buckley and Morgenthau agree most of the time on who they are, the conversation is of limited utility since a) it is never possible to precisely identify who they mean, and b) there isn't one of these "intellectuals" present to speak...





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Hunt To Kill

Can Austin Contend With The Wilderness, Villians, And His Own Daughter?
Steve Austin multi-picture deal with Anchor Bay films has resulted in another direct to DVD feature here in "Hunt To Kill." Austin stars as a Jim Rhodes, a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Montana, who has his daughter with him on Winter vacation with them having a strained relationship. She gets caught shoplifting & is being held in the local sheriff's office for him to come pick her up. Meanwhile a band of robbers in Las Vegas were betrayed by one of their own members of the team who takes off with all the loot leading the head villian Banks (Gil Bellows) to the same Sheriff's office where Rhodes & his daughter is. From there, Rhodes is forced to lead the band of criminals throught the wilderness with so many issues being dealt with such as the villians turning on each other, his daughter being held hostage while she's still having issues & conflict with him, and just trying to survive in the wild.

Most of the action in this movie consist of using weapons (shooting...

Terrific "B" Action Flick
I wasn't terribly impressed with the last Anchor Bay DTV action flick starring former wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, THE STRANGER, but as I'm always up for some testosterone-fueled cinematic mayhem, I decided to give the latest Austin vehicle, HUNT TO KILL (2010) a spin anyway.

I'm glad I did.

Austin plays a Border Patrol Agent named Jim Rhodes. After a bitter divorce that leaves him raising his teenage daughter Kim (Marie Avgeropoulis) alone and the brutal murder of his partner (Eric Roberts, picking up a check for a quick cameo), Rhodes accepts a promotion that finds him stationed in Northern Montana. But his quiet life in the woods is upset when a band of ruthless heist artists led by a sociopath named Banks (Gil Bellows, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, LOVE & A .45) roll into the neighborhood with a fortune in stolen bearer bonds. They take his daughter hostage, and coerce him into leading them through the wilderness and over the Canadian border. Of course, it...

Hunt to kill
Another fast action pack movie by Steve Austin.Well written story and produce.Secondary cast members played there parts well.Steve was great in this movie.

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Breaking Wind (Unrated)

LINDSEY LOHAN, PING PONG BALLS, AND A MULE
With a title containing all the wit and wisdom of a nine year old, I kept my expectations exceedingly low, i.e. Tempe Video level. The movie is NOT a spoof on "Breaking Dawn" but rather a spoof on "Eclipse." "Breaking Dawn" is spoofed the last few minutes of the film. Breaking wind is something grossly associated with the wolves and Bella. It is overly used in the beginning of the film as well as the low brow sexual humor is excessive. There is a discussion of size of all the main characters sexual organs. "Cavernous" was used to describe Bella (Heather Ann Davis) who subscribes to "Ebony Thunder" magazine.

Edward (Eric Callero) has some issues with sex that blue pills can't help. Frank Pacheco portrays a rather portly shirtless Jacob who engages in a lot of toilet, implanting, and marking territory humor.

The overly excessive low brow humor diminishes to a tolerable level after Danny Trejo explains the story of the wolves and vampires. It is a humorous story,...

Still a Better Love-Story Than Twilight!!!
In the vein of Taintlight and Vampires Suck comes another dirty spoof of those sparkly glampire movies. This movie is basically a spoof of 'Eclipse' with a few references to the other movies. The movie is filled with toilet humor and random jokes. Bella is still just as melodramatic as ever and in love with Edward. Obese Jacob often tries to sleep with her, but gets turned down as always. Victoria is building an army of newbie vampires to kill Bella. It's up to the dim-witted Cullen family to stop her and the army. If you like sick over-the-top jokes, you'll like BREAKING WIND!!!

a foolish spoof
If you enjoyed the five twilight films, this isn't for you. I thought this film would at least be watchable, it was not though. I tried to watch this movie, but after 2o minutes I couldn't stand this movie. This movie is just to stupid and lacks even a basic plot, im sure glad I didn't spend a lot of money on this film, as it isn't worth no more then 1$ total.

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Corman's World

A Fitting And Star-Studded Tribute To A True Indie Movie Maverick
Movie-making maverick Roger Corman gets his due in the fun and enlightening new documentary "Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel." One of my contemporary pet peeves is how everyone tells me they love movies, but then those same people have no sense of cinema history. I believe that to really love something, you have to have an understanding of it beyond what plays at the local mall! Corman is the classic example of someone who has always worked on the periphery of the traditional entertainment system, but who has left an indelible legacy within the film community. And I will pay Alex Stapleton's film the highest compliment: It made me want to go back and watch and/or re-watch a lot of films. From his cheesy low-budget films of the fifties, to a counter-culture leader in the sixties, to the master of exploitation in the seventies--Corman may not have always made good films, but he definitely seemed to have a pulse on what appealed to popular audiences. I think it's fair to...

CORMAN'S WORLD? HARDLY!
If someone had absolutely no idea who Roger Corman was, they would only get a fleeting and far-from-complete notion of him from this DVD. With way too much emphasis on his more recent, direct-to-video schlock one would hardly know that this amazing man is actually responsible for many, many very good movies! Why waste so much time on sleazy crap like DINOSHARK when Mr. Corman is responsible for both producing AND directing a damn good movie like FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND? We see the poster for X - THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES behind Mr. Corman in several of the interview segments - yet learn zip about it - or PREMATURE BURIAL or ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE or VON RICHTOFEN AND BROWN or SECRET INVASION and so many more fine films. The Vincent Price/Poe cycle is barely touched upon. More time is spent in this documentary razzing the notoriously bad THE TERROR than praising any of the truly wonderful Poe films. On the sole basis of this documentary, Mr.Corman comes across as merely a...

Part of His World Anyway
Any fan of the prolific B-movie mogul Mr. Roger Corman should enjoy this bio-pic/documentary about his life and career. It focuses mainly on his early films and later work, and skims over those in between. Unfortunately, some of those were some of my favorites, like Battle Beyond The Stars. Aside from that though, this was an enjoyable documentary about a film-maker who played by his own rules and did things outside the studio system that had never been attempted before. He was the first real indy film maker on the Hollywood scene as it were. There are a lot of big name actors featured in this documentary, and it was fun to discover some who I hadn't realized had got there big breaks in Roger Corman films. If that sounds at all interesting to you, then you'd likely enjoy this incomplete biography of one of Tinsel Town's most innovative and off-beat film makers.

~ Kort

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Broken Tower

A Filmmaking Experiment That Employs Interesting Techniques, But Leaves Its Central Subject Largely Unexplored
I am confident that many people who will review James Franco's "The Broken Tower" will declare it a cinematic marvel. I am equally sure that its detractors will call it an incomprehensible mess. This self-consciously arty exploration of the life and work of poet Hart Crane seems destined to divide its audience, and I suspect reactions will be intense and passionate. I guess I'll straddle the middle ground somewhat and call "The Broken Tower" an interesting experiment. Of course, if you are a fervent Franco fan--you will undoubtedly seek out this project as he is its star, director and writer. Its appeal to others, however, may be considerably more limited. On the one hand, the film's visual aesthetic is undeniably arresting. Franco borrows techniques from many of the masters in developing the film's beautiful black-and-white palette and sets up interesting and unconventional shots. From a technical standpoint, the film has a lot going for it. On the other hand, the film is notably...

A Brave Little Film that Finds a New Way of Communicating
THE BROKEN TOWER will likely never be on the list of best films made, so why award it five stars? Because this very fine art piece is the result of the devotion of James Franco to his craft. He worked directly with Boston College professor Paul Mariani, the author of a half dozen volumes of poetry, as well as several biographies of 20th-century American poets, including William Carlos Williams, John Berryman, and Robert Lowell: Franco based THE BROKEN TOWER on Mariani's similarly titled 2000 biography of Crane.

The subject of the film is the life and creative genius of Hart Crane, (July 21, 1899 - April 27, 1932) an American poet who found both inspiration and provocation in the poetry of T. S. Eliot, Crane wrote modernist poetry that is difficult, highly stylized, and very ambitious in its scope. In his most ambitious work, The Bridge, Crane sought to write an epic poem in the vein of The Waste Land that expressed something more sincere and optimistic than the ironic...

James Franco's impression of what Hart Crane was like
I must confess that I ordered The Broken Tower for the wrong reason, because I read that James Franco did something in it that gay men do all the time but non-porn actors NEVER do on film, even openly gay actors in flagrantly gay movies. That bit was kind of a bust, but I ended up liking the movie anyway, for less sleazy reasons.

I know next to nothing about Hart Crane, and I don't know a lot more after having watched this movie. It's not a biography by any means. My best guess would be that it's James Franco's impression of what Crane was like, and that's what makes it interesting.

It's oddly directed, with very many long, handheld, extreme closeups, filmed from about chest-level, of Franco (as Crane) walking the streets of various cities, usually looking up from just under his chin, but sometimes looking at the back of his head. That motif repeats often.

At least 70% of the spoken lines in the movie are Franco (always as Crane) reading Crane's...

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Lion of Judah [HD]

Love this sweet movie
I've seen this movie several times and it touches me every time. Its emphasis on love and freedom leaves me feeling really good.

Great!
Great movie, loved it! Nice alternative to the other children's movies. This teaches the kids God's love. I hope they come out with more movies like this. Great for Easter.

Lion of Judah, the movie
This movie was almost all about talking animals, which at first seemed very childish to me. I confess that I was worried the kids wouldn't like it. But by the end of the movie and the animals realized why Jesus died on the cross, even the teenagers were saying it was very good. So I would recommend it for children...it gives several good Biblical points, as well as just general animal silliness.

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Corman's World

A Fitting And Star-Studded Tribute To A True Indie Movie Maverick
Movie-making maverick Roger Corman gets his due in the fun and enlightening new documentary "Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel." One of my contemporary pet peeves is how everyone tells me they love movies, but then those same people have no sense of cinema history. I believe that to really love something, you have to have an understanding of it beyond what plays at the local mall! Corman is the classic example of someone who has always worked on the periphery of the traditional entertainment system, but who has left an indelible legacy within the film community. And I will pay Alex Stapleton's film the highest compliment: It made me want to go back and watch and/or re-watch a lot of films. From his cheesy low-budget films of the fifties, to a counter-culture leader in the sixties, to the master of exploitation in the seventies--Corman may not have always made good films, but he definitely seemed to have a pulse on what appealed to popular audiences. I think it's fair to...

CORMAN'S WORLD? HARDLY!
If someone had absolutely no idea who Roger Corman was, they would only get a fleeting and far-from-complete notion of him from this DVD. With way too much emphasis on his more recent, direct-to-video schlock one would hardly know that this amazing man is actually responsible for many, many very good movies! Why waste so much time on sleazy crap like DINOSHARK when Mr. Corman is responsible for both producing AND directing a damn good movie like FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND? We see the poster for X - THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES behind Mr. Corman in several of the interview segments - yet learn zip about it - or PREMATURE BURIAL or ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE or VON RICHTOFEN AND BROWN or SECRET INVASION and so many more fine films. The Vincent Price/Poe cycle is barely touched upon. More time is spent in this documentary razzing the notoriously bad THE TERROR than praising any of the truly wonderful Poe films. On the sole basis of this documentary, Mr.Corman comes across as merely a...

Part of His World Anyway
Any fan of the prolific B-movie mogul Mr. Roger Corman should enjoy this bio-pic/documentary about his life and career. It focuses mainly on his early films and later work, and skims over those in between. Unfortunately, some of those were some of my favorites, like Battle Beyond The Stars. Aside from that though, this was an enjoyable documentary about a film-maker who played by his own rules and did things outside the studio system that had never been attempted before. He was the first real indy film maker on the Hollywood scene as it were. There are a lot of big name actors featured in this documentary, and it was fun to discover some who I hadn't realized had got there big breaks in Roger Corman films. If that sounds at all interesting to you, then you'd likely enjoy this incomplete biography of one of Tinsel Town's most innovative and off-beat film makers.

~ Kort

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The Quest [HD]

This Movie stars Van Damme with Roger Moore
This Motion picture does have a plot.The movie has alot of action. It is a combination of a bloodsport, and kickboxer, but a better version I believe. The fight scenes are fantastic. Their is alot of fighting, and there is a lot of quality acting from Van Damme, and Ex-bond of the past Roger Moore[both are superb actors]. The only disappointment I have is that Janet Gunn did not play the hot babe who was after Jean Claude. The chemistry looked so so, it was there, but that magic was missing, the chemistry! I recommend this movie to all the old and new fans who like and admire Jean Claude-. A great motion picture!

a damme cool movie
I have seen this film so many times, and every time I think I love it more and more. Sure its a Van Damme movie which means its not up to par with most of Hollywood and it may be cheesy with its title and story, but I find it to be an original Van Damme story, with a very involved and entertaining martial arts tournament, even more enjoyable than that in Bloodsport.

The Quest is about a young man named Christopher Devoir (Van Damme), living homeless in NYC with a group of homeless kids. He gets caught stealing, and leaves the country sneaking onto a ship, promising the kids he will return. He then escapes the ship onto another, a last ship of the Buccaneers led by Lord Edgar Dobbs (Roger Moore, from the James Bond films). Immediately, he is sold secretly to the Thai on an island to be trained as a Muy Thai fighter. Months later, he runs into Dobbs again, and requires Dobbs to repay him for his dishonesty towards him. The Quest therefore begins, to find the golden...

Bloodsport II: The New Tournament!
The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)

1. Who is he? Christopher Dubois, whose story is too complicated for a one sentence breakdown
2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? No avenging needed, but he's got kids to feed.
3. Does he take his shirt off? The closest he gets is the tank top version of a thong.
4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? No sex, all business
5. Is there a tournament? Oh...YES there is!
6. Is training needed for this tournament? Absolutely, and all training takes place amidst the sweltering squalor of Bangkok Muay Thai fighting
7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? It probably doesn't count, but after a vicious spin kick in the final battle, JCVD stretches that extra little bit to show a slow-mo, suspended splits shot.
8. Does he punch someone in the balls? Patented by Ric Flair of wrestling fame, JCVD delivers the reverse heel to the twins
9. Does he do...

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Reuniting the Rubins

WOW
You take the great Cloris Leachman , mix in an extremely angry family of siblings, add many comedic and volatile situations and you wind up with a fabulous viewing experience

Funny and cathartic, too!
If you only know Timothy Spall from the Harry Potter films, you don't realize what a great comic actor he is! And if you even wondered what happened to "Pussy Galore" (Honor Blackman) from "Goldfinger", she's also a part of this terrific film. The cast will have your laughing, shedding a few tears and thinking of your own family, more than likely! I heartily recommend "Reuniting the Rubins" for teen and adult audiences.

Family reunion British style
The dysfunctional-family-holiday-reunion movie has been done many times. The Gathering, The Family Stone, and Home for the Holidays come to mind. Here is an entry from across the pond.

In this case, there is a bit of a twist: Dad is reluctant to gather his children together. They don't get along. He doesn't seem to like them much. (Don't worry, he's only pretending.) Grandma (Honor Blackman, who has aged beautifully from her James Bond days) wants the grand- and great-grandkids together for Pesach. Lenny, the dutiful son, hunts them down from all corners of the globe and persuades them to come back to the family estate. They have headed in different directions spiritually as well as literally. Eldest son Danny is a ruthless venture capitalist with an adorable and rather neglected son Jake. Daughter Andie is an ecological activist in South Africa. Son Yona is a rabbi with a lovely wife, two daughters and another child on the way. Son Nick is a Buddhist. When...

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Guitar & Journey of Two

Wonderful musicians
An absolute delight! The performances were stellar and the conversation interesting and informative.Would highly recommend this dvd to anyone who appreciates classical guitar and superb playing! Bravo!!





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The Book of Jer3miah

Gritty, Suspenseful Drama with a Surprising Twist
This is a conspiracy thriller along the lines of Lost and 24. With one very unique factor. The main character is a Mormon. Freshman college student Jeremiah Whitney has a gift. And a box. He finds himself caught in a global conspiracy as evil forces try to recapture the box and kill the people connected to it. Each episode is 8-10 minutes long. There are a total of 20 episodes which you can watch one at a time. But you won't want to stop. You can watch the whole thing all at once like a movie in about two hours. There's an awesome twist at the end. It has strong appeal for teens and young adults, and includes an online ARG (alternate reality game), for those interested in helping solve the mystery. This would be a great way for your kids to spend their down-time this summer. It's thematically rich, yet none of it feels preachy or heavy-handed. Just good, solid suspense in a gripping story where spiritual factors make the risks and the conflicts all the more exciting.

This...

Jer3miah on DVD is sweet!
I'm a fan of the webseries and when I heard it was coming to DVD I was way excited. And I wasn't disappointed.

The encoding quality is great and the picture looks about as clear as a DVD can look. The sound is clean too. The DVD is loaded with bonus features, including behind the scenes interviews, making of, a look at the trans-media storyline, and a few other things. Everything a fan could hope for.

Highly recommend if you're a fan of the show.

Fascinating "Jer3miah" blazes new territory for Mormon stories and online storytelling
"The Book of Jer3miah" is nothing if not unique. It's a web series made by a group of college students with a very successful transmedia component. It's a conspiracy thriller where advanced technology and promptings from the Holy Spirit both work to advance the story. The show is not without comic relief, but it takes some of the strange aspects of Mormon doctrine, history, and folklore that ground the story refreshingly, sincerely seriously--it's a rare thing in Mormon fiction, a story that would lose all of its power if transposed into any other religious tradition. It goes to scary, troubling places, asking hard questions about religion and morality, and it tells a fast-paced, twisty story.

The show isn't perfect--it takes a couple episodes to get going and there are certainly many traces of the unbelievably low budget. But, in many ways, these aspects don't really feel like drawbacks--there is a handmade quality to the series that is not only charming, it's inspiring...

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Lion of Judah

Love this sweet movie
I've seen this movie several times and it touches me every time. Its emphasis on love and freedom leaves me feeling really good.

Great!
Great movie, loved it! Nice alternative to the other children's movies. This teaches the kids God's love. I hope they come out with more movies like this. Great for Easter.

Lion of Judah, the movie
This movie was almost all about talking animals, which at first seemed very childish to me. I confess that I was worried the kids wouldn't like it. But by the end of the movie and the animals realized why Jesus died on the cross, even the teenagers were saying it was very good. So I would recommend it for children...it gives several good Biblical points, as well as just general animal silliness.

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Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu

Great stories but only two episodes
Both, my 7 and 9 years old kids have been big fans of the Lego Ninja Lego so i was very exicted to buy them that DVD.
By the way I purchased it brand new at ToyRus for $12.99 on their website.
What I like:
The story explains well how all the charaters came to be what they are today. The animation is great and the dialogues funny and very entertaining .
What I do not like :
There are only 2 episodes so the Dvd is not long.
Episode one explains how the two bothers Seinsi and Garmadon went separate ways and how Sensei had to find the four Ninjas.
episodes two introduced the 4 dragons and how the Ninjas were able to go in the underworld to rescue Nya.
That is it.
If you have been watching some of the clips avalaible on the Lego website they are exictly the same in the DVD.
Also in Mid January the Cartoon Network will preview THE CARTOON of Ninjago.
I am guessing it will be the same as the DVD.
In summary:
For 12 dollars my...

Total bummer - these are available online for free!
We were so excited to get this... but didn't realize it was just the first two episodes of the TV show which are available online for free on the Lego site. Bummer!

Ninjago is awesome!
This is a great new series of legos! My son loves them and he's 8! I love that LEGO is making movies for their toys...my son will watch these! And even though it's a little pricey for 2 episodes, I'm so thankful because they are clean and fun! The other stuff he wants to watch sometimes...not so much! Also, Amazon promised me the DVD on the day of release...the 27th...and I got it that day. Amazon is a life saver for me sometimes!

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The Bodyguard [Blu-ray]

Outstanding
When this movie first came out the critics panned it mercilessly and frankly I just can't understand why. I thought it was fabulous. Kevin Costner plays an ex-Secret Service agent hired to protect a spoiled, difficult to get along with diva receiving death threats. Whitney Houston portrays the spoiled starlet to perfection. The chemistry and interplay between Houston and Costner was electric. The music in the movie was also great.

There are really some key elements that made this movie extremely good. First, I thought the acting was top notch by all involved. The supporting cast really played their characters well, as did the stars. Secondly, the editing was outstanding. The movie and plot move along at a fast pace. There is not a dull moment in the entire movie. And finally, the plot was plausible (for the most part) and the mystery - who is the hit man - slowly reveals itself. Having watched the movie several times, there a several foreshadowings.

Overall I found it...

A special movie!
"You can be as you choose to be. It takes some discipline but it can be done."

I first saw The Bodyguard in a hot summer day. I waited in a long queue for my ticket and the theatre was fully packed. Tired and frustrated, I could not enjoy the film but it grew in me over time. It was different experience when I saw it again. In fact, The Bodyguard is a serious, original and very well told story. Love can be as real as me, sitting and writing here, and still be impossible and bitter-sweet. I can relate to this. Don't we all go through it at lеаst once in our lifetime?

I love Kevin Costner's performance as Frank Farmer. I find him very convincing in the skin of this tough, self-disciplined guy with a heart of gold. I admire Kevin's portrayal of Frank's emotional torment when he had to choose between his duty and his heart. Whitney Huston is surprisingly good and her enormous musical talent makes up for her lack of acting experience.

The...

"Wait!..." Not your average romance film
Wow...This movie is the best I've ever seen. It was supposed to go to Diana Ross and some other guy. I'm glad the roll went to Whitney. Diana would not fit this roll. Wow, three lines into the review and I'm already off task. Okay. Why should you give this movie a chance? Because it's amazing. Whitney proves she is a great actress and singer. Her voice makes this movie even better. The songs fit perfectly. And Kevin Costner, this movie alone makes me a fan, and I haven't seen his other work. It leaves you in suspense, as a mysterious stalker is following Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) step by step, waiting for the time to attempt in killing her. This movie has a dark atmosphere, which is something I love about it. It's not like most love stories. I was very unsure about trying this movie, because I get bored easily, and I'm not a big romance movie fan, but this movie is so different from a typical romance film. It doesn't just focus on the romance, it focuses on Rachel's career, the...

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Leslie Sansone: Ultimate 5 Day Walk Plan

You Choose! Totally Customize and Automate up to 10 miles+ options+ new moves
Exercise Videos are finally making a really good use of technology. With this 1 CD you can create
up to 10 different options from a pool of 5 walking segments and 5 toning segments in any sequence
you want.
Each of the five, 1 mile options is a 12 minute walk that is color coded so you can select them in any order you choose. You
can do the purple mile, then yellow, then an ab tone up , then a green mile or something in reverse.
Or you can choose from the segments of 2 - 5 mile workouts that Leslie has already pre set by day of the week. The funny thing is you actually have the option to do 10 miles in any sequence you choose. While that is not the intent of the program, it simply shows the flexibility of being able to mix and match workouts, doing a favorite walk twice or doing an all toning session.

Of course there are some new moves that keep the variety changing, especially if you use Leslie's line,the "walk-outs" can get boring without updating...

Five day walk plan
This DVD contains an indoor walking plan for five days, from Monday to Friday. For example, on Monday, you walk for about 46 minutes (the warm up, the 3 miles, and the cool down) and you do abdominal work for about 4 minutes, for a total workout time of just over 50 minutes.

Here's the "5 Day Walk Plan".

Monday (50:05)
3 mile walk (46:04)
Abs session (4:01)

Tuesday (1:02.24)
4 mile walk (59:01)
Arms session (3:23)

Wednesday (24:44)
1 mile walk (21:27)
Legs session (3:17)

Thursday (37:12)
2 mile walk (34:19)
Chest and back session (2:53)

Friday (1:14.18) This is the longest at over 1 hour and 14 minutes.
5 mile walk (1:10.45)
Full body stretch (3:33)

For long walks like on Friday, the flow is not as smooth as it should be because each mile begins slowly and then speeds up so that when you put them together, the long walks are a little choppy. But, I still...

Walk the Walk!
I am not sure why this is on pre-order because I picked up the Ultimate 5 Day Walk Plan DVD while in Target and yesterday I popped it in to walk my walk. This DVD is set up with pre-programmed walks for Monday - Friday or you can customize it by picking the color coded one to five miles you want to walk in whatever order you want to walk them. There is also a toning session for different areas (abs, arms, etc.) which are included one per pre-programmed days or again you can add what you want to the miles you like when customizing. And of course, a warm up and coool down walk. It may be the only WAH DVD you will ever need... Though I hope there will be many more to come! :0) It will be the one DVD I can take on vacation and still have a variety of walks for the week without have to choose several from my now 28 WAH DVD collection. My recommendation... ADD THIS WAH DVD TO YOUR COLLECTION! This isn't a hard walk but it will do the job of getting you moving.

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Betty White: Champion for Animals

4 STARS FOR BETTY WHITE'S LOVE OF ANIMALS
Is Betty White the most beloved woman in America? Reuters says she is "the most trusted celebrity in the world." Her remarkable charm and charisma oozes from the screen in this heartfelt documentary from producer Robert Kline. (Yes, that's the same Robert Kline that is doing a series on First Women at the Rancho Mirage Library.)

This heartwarming documentary takes you across continents as Betty shares anecdotes about her own cherished pets as well as memorable experiences with the organizations that make the world of animals available to all. I especially liked the heroic stories of military canine corps. The journey includes visits to America's national parks, world-class zoos and aquariums. Is there any doubt that we humans have a duty to protect and understand our fellow creatures with which we share our increasingly small and fragile planet? Betty White is a warrior for a worthy cause that, in the end, affects all.

CHAMPION FOR ANIMALS
Another short review, not because what is offered is bad but because there it little to say about it. There is no plot and Betty White whose name appears loud and clear on the front has little to do with the end product.

Snippets of interviews with White as she talks about her love of animals are mingled with documentary styled footage taken at various locales around the world. Beginning with some of the greatest National Parks in the US, the film shows wildlife from all of the countries and attempts to have the viewer realize the importance of preserving some of these areas. The best part about that is that it doesn't do so in an abrasive manner but shows each area and discusses the wild life located there. The viewer has the chance to make their own mind up about the importance of these areas.

White is on hand to discuss her love of the animals and some of the areas, even relating her own personal experiences with her family when she was a child visiting...



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Bomb Squad

not worth the time
this was really bad, the acting was bad, but the was really really bad was the sound editing, who ever did the sound on this film should be banned from the industry.

Intriguing
I understand this was a student film and had a ridiculously small budget and they did some amazing things with that budget. The CGI effects are better than many SYFY productions. The acting could use some fine tuning but I think that and the props all fall under the ridiculously small budget. I was impressed by the number of times the super beings used their powers and the basic story is sound though the dialogue and and few points along the way could use some tweaks.
I would very much like to see the potential reached for this film maker.

LOW BUDGET MST LAUGHER
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to this film which is why I didn't vote a "5". It is sad when the makers of the film have to shill their own product in an attempt to make a substandard project look good. If watching a quality low budget film is your thing try "Primer."

The film opens with 3 men in ski masks (and no gloves) robbing a guarded building of its glow sticks. On their way out they encounter the evil Wraith, a man in a black cloak hoodie and a cheap demon voice echo enhancer...oooooh scary, Darth Maul move over. These guys all have special powers, i.e. stop bullets, create fire, create lightning, and influence people with their glow in the dark contacts.

The movie shifts to 8 years later. Two of the Freeman kids visit super dad in prison and he imparts some of his power to them who in turn touch their siblings who also get power, turning them into a mini "Fantastic Four" to the dismay of their doting mother. It is during their visit he recaps the plot,...

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Central State: Asylum for the Insane

Paranormal Investigations
Interesting investigation on one of the most haunted places. Good video and really creepy EVP;s. The DVD director's cut has extended footage of the interviews and the investigations. ghostville.us

So frightening my wife had to stop watching it!!
Luckily, we rented this from our Library so it didn't cost us anything but the wasted time in watching. This thing is truly scary! It is actually shocking how lame it is. My wife couldn't take it after just 10 minutes and stopped watching. My 11 year old and I sort of zipped through the rest of it. The film has only ONE moment that is even worth watching as they do catch an unusual "orb" that is not a typical example that lasts for about 3 seconds. EVERYTHING else is complete rubbish. From the start we see that the motivation for this documentary is an eerie feeling and a curtain that is wrapped so that it vaguely resembles a screaming head from a distance during the shooting of a scene for another movie. They then show later the curtain is now untied and looks normal with no explanations or guarantees that no one was upstairs. Should have known just how flimsy the documentary would be from that I guess! SERIOUSLY, this film is crud on ice! During review of some evidence...

Could have been longer program
Excellent program talking about the history of Central State,...my only reason for giving it "three stars" was it wasn't not long enough of a documentary,...should have been a two hour program instead of only forty five minutes. Yes,there were some scary parts,but was still a good program.
Should have went deeper into the history and what went on inside the hospital. Other than that,it was interesting to watch.

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Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story

Based on true story
Not bad, especially for prime members since it is free. If you have an interest in this subject, it is pretty good. Don't take the version of some of the incidents in the movie as set in stone and representing exactly how things actually happened. As with all these types of movies, there is always some literary license given to tell the story. Just as with all witnesses, each have their own version of the facts. It tells the story and makes it work in the 1 1/2 hour time frame they had to tell it.

The movie stops at The Book of the New Covenants which Ervil wrote behind bars before his death. That is only half the story. Some members of his family picked up where he left off with his death and continued to enforce blood atonement of those he listed in that book. If you are interested in the subject material of the Church of the Lamb of God, Ervil and his followers after Ervil died, I suggest reading Scott Anderson's...

atleast the cast was all star
I decided to watch this because of Brian and William two amazing character actors. Also i am quite interested in cults or extreme religious groups. The description of the movie and the cast got me in the "door" but the script made me want run. I stayed throughout to give it a chance. Go for it you may enjoy it much more than I did.

Incredible history.
Hard to believe that this behavior of "blood atonement" existed in the late 20th Century. Cults can be quite dangerous.

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Hysterical Blindness

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Paris Is Burning [HD]

Defiance and Pathos
In the beginning of this film, one of the commentators says that he was told that he has two strikes against him: he is black and male. But in addition to that, he has a third strike: he's gay. "You're going to have to be stronger than you ever imagined," he is told. "Paris is Burning" is a documentary about gay black and Hispanic men who are tranvestites (men who dress in women's clothing) or transsexuals (people who have The Operation and become, biologically, the opposite sex). They come together and hold "balls" in which they compete in categories like "Executive Realness," "Opulence," and "the Boy Who Robbed You a Few Minutes before Arriving at the Ball." Although several of these categories seem like a satire of society at large, we are told by elder stateswoman/cynic/voice of reason Dorian Corey that "this isn't a parody or take-off. They are very seriously trying to pass as what they are dressing up as." The miracle of "Paris is Burning" is that director...

Brilliant time capsule
It's hard to believe that the goings on in Paris Is Burning is almost 20 years old. I saw it in a Midtown Atlanta theater in 1992, and was just blown away by it. The whole notion that people scrabble for a bare existence 99% of their time so they can shine for 1% sounds cute or depressing or trite, depending on your current level of treacle versus cynicism... But once you see people honest to God living that way, that patronizing distance is gone. A really good film. Really, really good.

ANY SHOPLIFTER CAN GET A LABEL...
I first saw this movie in 1991 during my first week at Hampshire College at some theater in Northampton Massachussetts. I was about 17 and had just come out as a latino gay male. I cannot begin to tell you how this movie impacted my life. Paris is Burning has given be comic material and one-liners for well over a decade. Regardless of class, race, or gender, my circle of friends can recite at least one brilliant line from the movie. The DVD has new outtakes and some choice commentary by the very wise and articulate Dorian Corey. Dorian discusses the lack of imagination that exists among today's youth as a result of their reliance on popular media for entertainment. Furthermore, the "ball scene" is a parody of the social paradigm, where roles are played and an outfit, designer label, or the ability to "pass", brings the marginalized individual one step closer to the "American Dream", if only for that fleeting moment on the ballroom floor. "At one time or another we have all lusted to...

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Red State [HD]

Smith gets serious.
Kevin Smith loves to make movies that alienate people; it's just his thing. His horror/thriller RED STATE isn't quite as potentially-infuriating as DOGMA, perhaps, but it's certainly right up there. The premise is simple: three teens seek sex from a woman who turns out to be the daughter of a Christian fanatic who has taken his religion to extremes. His family cult kills homosexuals, and even though the three teens don't fit the profile, they're close enough for government work. Speaking of which, the A.T.F shows up, and a Wacco-esque standoff ensues. Add in an epilogue worthy of the Coen Brothers, and some wise-cracking that is decidedly Smith's own, and you have an entertaining thriller.

The thing is, religion isn't Smith's target. Yes, Abin Cooper (a superb Michael Parks) and his daughter (Melissa Leo, not quite getting to shine) are religious in the extreme; but the three teens (among whom Michael Angarano stands out) aren't exactly likable either, driven more by...

Brilliant Movie From Kevin Smith and Co.
I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on the Red State tour when it made its way to Seattle. John Goodman gives a stunning performance and this tale of morality and the choices we make is a brilliant story. Critics of Smith's visual style will be surprised to see a movie as visually interesting as the story is gripping and the characters well developed and intriguing.
I love the shades of gray within the story. Everyone has their motives for their actions good and bad and much like real life, there are no clear cut good guys and bad guys. It's not that kind of story.
I am really looking forward to seeing it again and sharing it with all my friends who did not have a chance to see it while it was on tour.

More of an Exploitation Film Than a Horror Film; A Welcome Surprise from Kevin Smith
Red State has received more attention for the way director Kevin Smith controversially auctioned the film to himself at Sundance and then chose to distribute it, rather than the real novelty of the film; the fact that it's a horror film directed by Kevin Smith. At least, it's billed that way. Truth is, Red State may have elements of a horror film, but it also has the elements of an action film and the elements of a Kevin Smith film which makes it hard to confine it to one genre. This becomes a problem since the film never settles comfortably for a singular vision and all these elements don't mesh together well. It's imperfections as a film must be noted right away, but it remains a refreshing change of pace for Smith and shows that he does possess the capability to surprise people.

En route to his local high school, Travis (Michael Angarano) spots members of the Five Points Trinity Church protesting the funeral of a recently murdered, homosexual teenager. At school, even...

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Dirty War

Dead On Target!
As a fire fighter who has been part of many weapons of mass destruction drills with a large metropolitan fire department, I can tell you that this film portrays a dirty bomb explosion and its aftermath exactly as it would actually happen. It's frightening!

It is a very well made film. The charaters are well played, interesting and believable. The plot moves along at a good pace and is accurate and riveting.

I can't exactly call it "entertaining" because of the subject matter, but it is indeed a film every American should see. This is far scarier than any horror flick I've ever seen..... This could actually happen as portrayed....

Filmmaking at its informative, political best.
This film has rightly been compared to the brilliant 1989 series "Traffik." Obviously it cannot reach "Traffik"'s scope in 90 minutes, compared to over five hours. However, there is still the same intelligent approach to a complex issue, without the hysterical melodrama that an American film about the same topic would undoubtedly bring to the issue, like the overwrought "The Day After" did for nuclear war in 1983.

Much of the film reminds me of the compelling 1998 drama "The Siege." However, that film featured big Hollywood stars, necessitating "big dramatic moments" for them to show how well they can emote. There is none of that here.

The performances are uniformly excellent, but there is no lead, and there are no big character moments. We just get a serious look at a fictional attack on The City, London's financial district, from the point of view of the security services, the firemen, the government and the terrorists themselves, who are not portrayed as...

A very scary must see
I just saw this movie on PBS, it's about Islamic fanatical suicide terrorists setting off two "dirty bombs" in central London (a third was caught before setting off his bomb). The plot is very well done, and very scary, but the scariest thing was how clueless the authorities were in handling the aftemath!

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Truth About Kerry

Little Gem :)
Finished watching "Truth about Kerry" not long ago (DVD has arrived earlier today) and let me tell you, this movie is a MUST SEE :) For every STANATIC and not only, just for everybody who loves good movies. This movie has it all - great story, wonderful acting from everybody, but especially from Stana Katic, totally shocking ending which leaves you with your jaw on the floor. Great writing and directing, wonderful cinematography and wonderful cast. Independent movie at it's best :) Personally I think that if this movie had been released at least 4 - 5 years earlier, Stana would have been in completely different place with her film career. Every film director must see it and get Stana for the main parts in their movies. She's THAT GOOD :)

Also the music in the movie is beautiful, great job by Ciaran Hope, he deserves some awards for his score.

I know for sure that I'm going to re-watch this little gem MULTIPLE times :)

Wow.
First of all, you get to see beautiful footage of Ireland. Yay. (Yep. Sheep grazing on the mountain and everything!)

Emma decides at the last minute to not join her best friend Kerry on a trip to Ireland. While there, Kerry washes up on the beach dead.

Emma travels to the country to try and find out what really happened to her. She feels that the police did not do enough.

This movie rolls right along with you gaining some knowledge of how people from small villages in other countries conduct themselves.
It's a very different way of life there and Emma just wants answers. (I did imagine myself there blowing in like a tornado with my strong willed personality pissing off all the locals making demands left and right. Lol Hmmmmmm)

Everyone seems to have their secrets but even so Emma does gain a couple of new friends that help her during her investigation and are very kind to her.

Then...BAM!!!

Note: I gave the...

A very raw independent film
Quite enjoyable, with lovely cinematography and a plot that moved along well. The characters all have their secrets, and half the fun is trying to decide who has the biggest secret. The performances were all enjoyable- I especially liked the teenager Seamus. The end? Surprising, yes, but nothing earth-shattering.

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Down With Love [HD]

Doris and Rock--with a Twist!
"Down with Love" is a little gem of a movie that pays homage to the vintage 60s Doris Day-Rock Hudson films that were considered so witty in their day.

Although director Peyton Reed explains in his excellent commentary (more about that later) that the film was based on a montage of many of the 60s movies, the plot most resembles "Pillow Talk"--and Renee and Ewan are absolutely perfect.

From the clothes to the sets to the photography to the color to the split-screen "talking on the phone" scenes (much more suggestive than the originals!), this perfectly choreographed, beautifully written romp is just a blast, as we would have said back then. There is just enough of a "wink-wink" to let you know that the actors know that YOU know that it's all tongue in cheek"--but even though the satire is broad, it never spoils the fun.

David Hyde-Pierce is superb as the neurotic friend of Ewan (the old Tony Randall role), and Tony Randall himself makes a cameo appearance that is simply the...

Pure, Unadulterated Fun!
This is one of the cutest chick flicks I've ever seen. Romantic comedy? Well, sort of. Our heroine, feminist writer Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger) is out to change the world. How? By getting women to say "down with love," and adopt a more male life style--complete with sex a la carte!

Novak's plans are jepordized, however, when playboy journalist Catcher Block (Ewan McGreggor) is abadoned by his usual ladies. He is determined to stop Novak once and for all--using some very sneaky methods...

As other reviewers have pointed out, this movie is certainly lacking in substance. But who cares? You wanted a comedy, right? What this movie does have, in delightful abundance, is that old theatre charm. The acting, the comedy, and the special effects are all WAY over the top. But hey, not every movie is meant to be some deep, insightful masterpiece. If you do look beneath the surface, however, you will find one very important lesson: people are not always what they appear...

What a delight!
Admittedly, I was hesitant to rent this movie, thinking it would be a cheap knock-off of a 60s re-make, but I was completely surprised. I don't see how this movie lacks in substance. It has the same wit and whimsy as the Doris Day/Rock Hudson sex comedies, except with a slightly jazzed up version of the 60s. Nothing ever replaces the classics, but Down With Love certainly holds its own with charm, suggestive humor and a clever script with a slinky little twist.

Costumes are amazing, acting is superb on all accounts (most especially by the sublime David Hyde Pierce). It's made of the stuff that Hollywood used to be about, and sometimes it's nice to have that nostalgic break in the current trend of controversial politico-religious films.

Renee and Ewan's chemistry is so on par that it takes the Hudson/Day connection to another level. This is a must see romantic comedy about the battle of the sexes. Men and women alike will love it.

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Air Buddies [HD]

Worth it Just for Don Knotts
If I could split my review, I would give it three stars from an adult's perspective but--based on the reactions of my sons (9 & 11 years old)--five from a kid's. And I don't think it's just because we own a golden puppy.

Unlike the previous movies, the dogs talk in this one. A couple of the puppies are really annoying when they talk (and will sound incredibly dated in about ... well, now), but the new conceit works pretty well for freshing up the series.

The best part of the movie, though, was the pleasant surprise of hearing Don Knotts' voice one more time. He voices a (what else) deputy dog and it's like getting to listen to Barney all over again. Half expected him to call someone "Ange"!

Buy it for the kids, listen to it for the Knotts!

Surefire Winner For Kids
AIR BUDDIES is another take on the longstanding Air Bud franchise Disney DVD has pumped over over the last few years. Air Bud was a dog (a Golden Retriever, no less) that could play baseball, soccer, football, volleyball, and basketball. It only stands to reason that his offspring would be simply amazing as well. This DVD tells their stories, and there are a lot of laughs along the way.

Patrick Cranshaw and Don Knotts were two of Hollywood's finest character actors, and they were good in this film. They were joined by Richard Karn and Cynthia Stevenson, also veteran character actors and second bananas in top-rated shows like HOME IMPROVEMENT and DEAD LIKE ME.

The movie starts out with a bang, bringing the viewers into Air Bud's life as a dad with five incorrigable puppies that share his love of sports and his ability. However, the puppies are too much for the family, as shown when they gang up on the nanny and tie her up. At the same time, a villain sets...

Great movie
Rosebud is my favorite, cannot figure out how they got those puppies to do

everything they did. All AirBud movies are my favorites, but this one

with the "talking" is great. It may always have the same story lines but

it is interesting to see how they get out of the "fixes" they are in.

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The Films of Su Friedrich: Vol. 4 - Hide and Seek

Cinema That Glows
Hide and Seek Hide And Seek is that rare film that charms,touches your heart,and which paints joys and sorrows in which we see ourselves. Friedrich's effortless weaving of fiction and interviews is well known to her fans: like Godard(a different but still comparable film/video artist) she can make a tapestry of documentary,found footage,almost all the genres of cinema. Still, I think in celebrating her formal wonders people overlook how incredibly(not a overstatement) moving her work is:In some ways I'm reminded of Allison Anders film Gas Food Lodging. After perhaps 60 minutes I felt I knew the girls she shows growing up in the mid sixties. I saw my past in theirs(I'm of their generation) and was grateful for reliving a part of my adolescence. This is a lovely film showing the joys and stuggles we all go through (each in our own way). Hide and Seek shows what I love most about Friedrich's work:her way of showing...

Delightful
The film arrived fast and in perfect condition. It brought back wonderful memories for me and delighted my younger friends with its wealth of images of early adolescence in the 1960s.



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Groupie Girl

Great Hippies Nostalgia
This movie 'Groupie Girl' provides great insight into the true life of a hippie. It showcases the progressive maturity of a naive young woman who enters the the lifestyle and the decisions she makes that shapes her human character. In a sense this movie has a sentiment for every viewer, which is one of learning from decisions made as a young person. The acting isn't great, but it is the plot that drew me into the film. The characters are developed enough for the viewing audience to identify with the ones necessary to understand the point of the film, which is progressive maturity at a Tim that is confusing for teens as they enter adulthood. This is a b-movie with an intentional underlined plot and has a depth that is memorable-not Oscar material-but helps every person to identify with the folly and growth of the human spirit. Groupie Girl is the right movie for such an audience. That's why it gets four stars. However, the only disappointment is the brevity of the career of Esme Johns...

Good for people who like kitsch and mid-century production design
I love films that have a good story, most often, but sometimes I will watch a film simply because I want to see what people were wearing during a particular time period. This film falls into the latter category. It has a great 60s/70s look.

A Surprise Find
A shocking and honest view of how badly treated women were treated on the road by bands in the 1960s. This movie is the opposite of the summer of love crap dished out by American movie makers at the same time.

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Hemingway's Garden Of Eden

desire & creativity
I saw this film in December of 2010, and I wondered why it wasn't on anyone's Best of 2010 list because I really thought it was the best thing that I saw all year (and I see a lot of movies). Now I see that the reason no one mentioned it was because it was released in 2008 (although I never heard it mentioned until this years 2010 NYTimes Fall/Winter Preview edition mentioned it as if it were a new release).

Suffice it to say that this adaptation is perhaps more whimsical in tone than is Hemingway's posthumously published work Garden of Eden (every moment Richard Grant is on screen is going to have a measure of whimsy) but even with a dose or two of comic relief, this is pretty heady & pretty steamy stuff.

Jack K. Huston (unknown to me before seeing this film) plays a twenty-something Hemingway-ish writer living a splendidly bohemian low rent ex-pat existence in Paris until he meets a wealthy American (Mena Suvari) on a kind of art buying holiday. Once these two...

High on Visuals, Low on Intrique..
The Hemingway novel, Garden of Eden, was not published until after his death. It was an unfinished exploration into gender issues. The movie fails to capture this spirit of exploration and relies mostly on three beautiful bodies and faces to carry us past the contrivances of one character, Catherine. She seems to express her mean spirited alcoholism much better than her sexuality. As in the book, Catherine becomes the wife of David, a thinly disguised stand in for Hemingway. Their courtship is much too short, and their marriage equally so due to Catherine's insistence that they both sleep with a woman she meets called Marita.

If Catherine had been allowed to have a passionate side this movie might have worked. Instead she comes across as a cold, controlling manipulator who treats people like puppets she has purchased. Rather than being passionate about her sexuality, she spends the film acting out various skits with her puppets while drinking too much. After a few of these...

No remorse
This is one of my favorite books and I was anxious to see the movie version. It had good looking people and it was sort of about the book. But the book was about the nature of androgyny, role playing and a woman wanting to be a man because she felt powerless as a woman. The movie was about a threesome. Marita was a real disappointment and David was a bland cipher in no way a representation of Hemingway. Devil wasn't devilish. She had the look, her haircuts were great and she did an OK job, but she just didn't have the sexual spark needed to carry the story. I have no regrets about buying the movie, I wanted to see it and enjoyed it. But it could have been so much better.

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Ghost Stories: Walking with the Dead

Horrible
I want my 4 dollars back. This was the cheesiest movie I have ever seen, production quality was very bad and overall this was annoying.

Very good series
They made 4, or 4 that are on here and they were very very good. It showed good evidence and the boy Michael "the sixth sense" was based off of is in one. I enjoyed these. But make sure to watch all 4! :)



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Cleanflix [HD]

Fascinating and Thought Provoking
It was fascinating to get a behind the scenes look at the industry that stirred up so many headlines. As someone who used Cleanflicks (until I realized a lot of the movies simply don't hold up under the editing process) it was really interesting seeing how everything played out. I still think if someone owns a film, it's their right to do whatever they want to it (just like owning any other piece of art). But modifying it for general distribution does seem a little sketchy and I can see how the Director's Guild would want to step in and defend their art. Loved the styling of the documentary as well as the interviews.

CAUTION: The film compares edited to un-edited scenes so you can get an idea of what the editors were removing from the film. As a result there is some graphic violence and nudity so if you are an old Cleanflicks customer you may find it a little offensive. If you are comfortable with that, it's a fascinating and well-made documentary!

Loved it!
This documentary has everything a good documentary should have.

Informative.
Stylized.
Surprising moments.
and really gets you thinking.

What more could you ever want?

Interesting and (mostly) even-handed
A fascinating case study that raises a lot of interesting questions on all sides. Also relevant for me personally since I was an online CleanFlix customer before they were forced to close.

I found the documentary pretty even-handed. Except, there was a bizarre voice-over near the end about repressed desires always coming out - it's not attributed, so I guess its by the filmmakers themselves. (I personally have never bought into the "pressure valve" theory of psychology anyway - why should our brains be like a stream engine or something? Freud was wrong about that, I think.)

The film could also leave the false impression that everyone in Utah Valley is the same, that all of Utah is like Utah Valley, and that all Mormons are conservative Republicans. Not true.

Also, the statements by one of the interviewees were just blatant over-generalization, saying all Mormons are close-minded sheep blindly doing whatever their prophet tells them. Not true either,...

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Melinda And Melinda [HD]

an inventive reworking of familiar Woody Allen themes
For those familiar with Woody Allen's films there is nothing radically new here; but it is a refreshingly novel approach to his familiar obsessions for fans, as well as a nice introduction for newcomers. The central conceit of the film -- that the "same" story can be told quite differently from the point of view of tragedy and of comedy -- works as a clever reminder and allusion to films like Rashomon (in which the narration of events is shown to be inseparable from the values and perspectives of the narrator) but also as an intriguing reflection on Allen's own body of work that for some time was alternating between slapstick comedy and Bergmanesque drama. His best films, like Hannah and Her Sisters and Manhattan and Crimes and Misdemeanors have alternated between a tragic core and a comic and usually hilarious undercurrent. Here Woody Allen has opted for a separation between these, and told the whole story both ways at once. As a thought experiment it is a very intriguing idea,...

Come on People
It has been a while since I have wrote a review for Amazon, the only thing that could move me to do so is the hypocritical bad reviews for this film. Woody Allen is one of the last genuis directors we have. Everyone uses a seperate standard to judge his films. If this film were made by anyone else, then everyone would rave about it. This is the best film you will see this year, if you like artistic films. But some people feel this is "not up to Woody's standards." More about that later.

The film is, in its concept, more daring than 99% of the crap you will see this year, last year, or next year. Is the world comic or tragic, the film asks (in a world where films usually ask: how many explosions can I create).

Woody then gives us an interesting comic tale, and an interesting tragic tale, both well shot, well directed, and well acted. Let me repeat: both of these are IN THE SAME FILM! Woody constantly re-invents himself in an intelligent way...

A Tale of Two Melindas
It's strange that Amazon.Com doesn't offer Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda as I just saw it on DVD yesterday. That actually fits well into the film's theme - the existence of two parallel universes; For some, life is a comedy, for others, a tragedy.

A discussion between two writers as to whether life is a tragedy or a comedy ends with two radical reinterpretation of what is basically the same situation. In both, the distraught Melinda (Radha Mitchell, playing a neurotic female Woody Allen type) crashes an important dinner party, and spins the previously ordinary lives of the guests into mayhem. In both tales Melinda is part in a love triangle or two, and in both there is a suicide attempt.

Other than that, the stories couldn't have been more different. The 'tragic' Melinda is a suicidal divorcee, with two children she has no access to and a secret past, who comes to entangle the marriage life of her childhood friend Laurel (Chloe Sevigny). The 'comic'...

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Winter Vacation (Han Jia) (Home Use)

transcendent banality
It's been a long time since I was so involved in a movie where seemingly nothing happens, and which doesn't even give you a flicker of hope that something bold and dramatic WILL eventually happen. Much of this movie is composed of awkward, protracted silences (which only occasionally make the film's stark realism seem more implausible.)All you really need to know plot-wise is that the film revolves around a group of high-school aged (?) boys and the desperate attempts they make at injecting meaning into their vacation from school, although clearly none of them has the resources to go anywhere exciting, nor the psychic energy to renew the drab environment that they inhabit.

There's very little in the way of musical score or dramatic cuts, making for a film that absolutely has to stand or fall on the basis of its dialogue. When the characters do manage to stop being entranced by the boredom of their own surroundings and speak up, what comes out is frequently hilarious. Try to...





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Independent Lens: You're Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don't [HD]

"Love...that's a damn good thing to work with."
Lee Gorewitz is a spunky lady of later years who cracks jokes, readily gives out kisses, dances to Bobby Darin in the hall, and occasionally doles out some harsh words to her fellow residents in the assisted living facility. Lee also has Alzheimer's, and a pretty severe case at that. Confounded by the simplest questions such as what her favorite color is, Lee occasionally puts forth her definite (abet jumbled) thoughts on matters such as love, family, and yes, even Brooklyn.

This short but intimate documentary is a real gem, allowing Lee tell her own story without any assistance in the form of interviews with doctors, staff, or other professionals. The story she tells can be confusing the majority of the time, but hidden beneath those non sequiturs is a rich and genuine narrative of a winsome and spirited lady living her life to the fullest.
A remarkable piece you shouldn't pass up.

"Beyond The Sea" - Bobby Darin
There is a beautifully touching relevance to this particular documentary of Alzheimer's Disease as it is not like most of the clinical works that are out for viewing. This one will hit home for many people who have a loved one with A.D. also. I believe it is just that well done from more of a personal standpoint of the patient.

Lee Gorewitz is in the end stage of Alzheimer's Disease and is in a wonderfully staffed (which is crucial to a patient's dignity) facility exclusive to A.D. patients alone. I feel this is so very important especially because of the skilled staffing and attention to detail for their care.

I found each and every caretaker to be well trained, positive and capable in the caring for the patients present. There were plenty of activities happening all around and other people to interact with. The senses of the patients were stimulated often from a caring C.N.A., Nurse and/or many of the other workers at the facility.

Lots of...

Alzheimer's Disease sucks...but it CAN contain humor!
Independent Lens: You're Looking at Me Like I live Here and I Don't is a documentary well worth watching. My dad suffered from A.D. Watched him go downhill, memory, words, manual dexterity. From living at home w/my step mom, to daycare at a V.A facility, until his placement in an upscale Alzheimer's facility. He roamed the locked unit, constantly asking to be taken home. I have to admit, I didn't really want to stick around too long when visiting him...I became so depressed. I'm very glad this video was created. I can totally understand Lee's inability to clearly communicate her thoughts. Frustration, humor, anger, intolerance, little gems of memories released when the synapses occasionally connected. Dance, rhythm, singing. A plethora of feelings. My dad died in a Catholic hospital, hospice of sorts. Like I said in the title...Alzheimer's disease sucks...but it CAN contain humor! (I laughed while watching this movie!) xo Dad xo

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Jonah Hex [HD]

JONAH HEXED BY HOLLYWOOD HUBRIS
To begin, please understand two things about me:

1: I Love Westerns.
2: I`ve been a fan of the character 'Jonah Hex' for over 30 years.

In the comics, Jonah Hex caught my interest because of the gritty, hard-edged stories that featured a tough ex-Confederate soldier turned hard-case Bounty Hunter roaming the old West. I won`t belabor the details, but if you want a good idea of the tone of Jonah Hex; most fans liken Clint Eastwood`s "The Outlaw Josie Wales" to practically be a Jonah Hex movie. Jonah Hex would indeed ask the immortal question "You Gonna Pull Those Pistols, Or Whistle Dixie?"

The movie "Jonah Hex", while somewhat capturing the charaacter`s 'Attitude', unfortunately sees fit to muck it up with supernatural underpinnings and the sort of gimmickry that James West would laugh at ( ...I mean...c`mon...twin Gatling Guns mounted on a saddle? ...a gun that shoots lit sticks of dynamite ?? )

Jonah Hex --the character -- was NEVER...

Put a hex on it
I like steampunk. I like Weird West. I like comic book adaptations. I like movies that bust out of the usual genre cliches.

But it's not an unconditional love -- the loathing I have for "Jonah Hex" proves it. This movie is a bit like the evil love child of "Wild Wild West" and "Van Helsing," with all the bloodcurdling stupidity of the former and the flashy steampunky trappings of the latter. Josh Brolin does his best to salvage this messy undercooked stew of cliches, but honestly... there's no saving this movie.

Jonah Hex (Brolin) was a Confederate soldier who turned against his commander Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), and Turnbull got his revenge by killing Hex's family, scarring his face and leaving him for dead on a cross. Of course he doesn't die, but becomes a bounty hunter who can communicate with the dead just by touching them. All this is crammed in the first three minutes.

Then the president recruits him to hunt down Turnbull, who is...

If The Wild Wild West and Van Helsing had a love child, this would be it
I knew before sitting down in the theater today that this movie is getting nothing but trashed all over the place by critics, but I always go in with an open mind and usually end up disagreeing with them. Well, that's not the case here. First off, the movie is only 72 minutes long if you take away the end credits. They spent no time developing any of the characters, so I never really cared about any of them. Maybe a director's cut will be released on DVD, because this movie really needed another 30 minutes.

Josh Brolin is a fine actor and he is the best thing about the movie, but even he seems a little bored with the whole thing at times. He does get some good one-liners along the way. John Malkovich is just here for a paycheck. Talk about a villain that will put you to sleep. His whole evil plan has been done a million times before. We all know Megan Fox looks great, but can she act? The answer is still no. She's not too bad here, especially when compared with her previous...

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The Films of Su Friedrich: Vol. 5 - The Odds of Recovery

Unusual piece....
Freidrich's style presented an intimate view into illness, however her construction technique lacked the intimacy that I would have preferred to experience with a subject such as this.





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The Architect's Wife

Great Series
Love the writing, does not dumb down the audience. Very intelligent.
Dedicated and talented cast and crew. Wish there was a series 3.

Too Brief
I loved this show, I watched both seasons and really felt that they could have done more! I find the differences between the American and English legal systems very interesting and the cast was absolutely stellar!

Wonderful fun, he's special !
I loved this series, I hope there will be more ? ! Is there a Season 3 ? I wish you would make the series more
affordable however, Might Amazon 'consider' lowering the price for those of us that they know, watch this kind
of program & have watched it before and await the next series or any other film that this 'star' has been in?

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The Films of Su Friedrich: Vol. 3 - Sink or Swim

Absolutely Fantastic
Su Friedrich is incredible. How she is able to craft a story out of stories is mesmerizing. Her words have the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose. Her work is short, yet powerful. After forty-seven minutes, I had pages of notes, the same as a full-length feature, yet her films are by no means taxing to watch. Though her work has many layers, it is not impossible to understand. The film is well-crafted, well-written.
Honestly, I find many non-fiction films to be something of a bore, and I was surprised to be so engaged and fascinated by Friedrich. I watched this three times consecutively and several more times in my week's rental. Then I bought her collection of works. Really, truly brilliant.





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The Films of Su Friedrich: Vol. 1 - The Ties That Bind

Excellent: Wait for the End and You'll Thank Me
At first, and in the middle, you're likely to think this film a precocious waste of time. But wait. Trust me: I felt the same way. The end will prove worth your wait, and the wait isn't long. By creating strange intersections between everyday life in Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, and semi-current American events, The Ties That Bind generates a stunning effect. Patience is not a quality most moviegoers, including myself at times, possess, but this film doesn't ask much of the attention span and rewards what little is spent threefold or more.





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Home Schooling With Ishah Wright

This is garbage, full of advertisements
Buyer Beware! This is complete garbage. It is just advertisement. Please do not fall in this trap crap. I will definitely write more about this shortly.

I love it!
I bought this and truly love it! It is amazing! All should have Ishah Wright's, "Home Schooling With Ishah Wright," in their permanent video collection! I love the quality, too! Ishah is totally awesome!



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A Sort of Love

Protagonist frustratingly in transient faults
The lightness of the character protagonist belies an underlying constant: frittering away his life and resources on gambling. This weighs so heavily that one can only wonder at how very much more clever he could be in the court room and in life without horses and dogs to bet on. The court room scenarios are first rate, not heavy handed or arduous as is so often the case with such dramas from the US, and I enjoy seeing criminal life without guns. When all is said and done, the complicated family relationships, the complicated female relationships and the complicated colleague relationships, the law is the thing. He lives for it and would not have a life without it. This passion, albeit not totally fulfilling, sustains his life and his destiny. Well worth the character study.

Wishing for More T.V. Shows Like The Brief!
The Brief has become one of my favorite new shows from GB! I was surprised to find this legal drama when I stumbled accross it, because I thought I had seen most of the legal dramas from G.B. Then after watching the show and seeing the quality and interesting storylines I was extremly happy that I had found this show to watch.
On a side note of interest, I discovered and watched The Brief before I discovered and watched Jonathan Creek, another show from G.B., with Alan Davies staring. It was very strange, but also very telling of Alan Davies acting abilities, to watch them in this order. I suggest you watch both shows to see what I mean, but Alan Davies was a stand-up comedian before he stared in Jonathan Creek with no training as an actor.

Enjoyable.
Good series. Held my attention enough to want to see all the episodes. Enjoyed the characters, actors and stories. Giving it 3 stars because it was enjoyable, but doesn't hold up to better, seasoned British shows such as Prime Suspect.

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Who Got Lucky at Hastings?

Educational documentary of battlefield research
New battlefield research will enlighten even the most informed war historian. Evidence discounts myths, previous reports, and reveals new truths. The new look at major fields of war is comprised from detailed searches of historians, real footage, computer generations, geology, archeology, GIS maps, art, dramatizations, military figure interviews, strategists, meteorology, arms & warfare experts, artifacts, oceanography, and even psychiatry.

The History Channel presentation is unbiased, using all forms of entertainment as well as educational methods, not just narration. See old footage, and the present day scenes of where battles were fought. The detective work is intended to find out if history has been true to the reasons for the outcomes of these none battlefields. Myths are vanquished, lies revealed, and victor's names sometimes reversed. It is truly amazing viewing. Even my wife found each episode compelling, and educational.
A must-view set for any war...

Its nothing special
Love the History Channel, Military Channel, and all the documentaries they produce or I wouldn't have bought this DVD in the first place. But my review of this set is that its just 'ok' or maybe a little less, 2.5 stars tops and NOT worth the $40+ price. It isnt that the show isnt well done--the two cable channels mentioned make shows that are addictive for History 'geeks' like myself. But the episodes just don't have much 'juice' or suspense in my view. The big 'discovery' in most episodes is that terrain played a huge part in the battles they review and the outcome of who wins and why (Waterloo & Gallipoli in particular). Its all very well done and the computer graphics they use to recreate the effects of terrain and weather are all fine--they just aren't very 'exciting' to watch in my view. Its just a matter of taste. For me I was a bit diappointed with the show and wouldn't glowingly recommend to others it like I do other documentaries produced by the History Channel, certainly...

Great series
Enjoyed this series very much. I found it informative, enlightening and insightful. I wish there were more episodes made and more programs like this available on Amazon Prime.

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The Red Dahlia, Part 1

Classic British TV Detective Series
If you are an avid fan of Hollywood, perhaps, you should move on. This film is from Acorn Media. Therefore, it is a classic British TV detective series, which means there's lots of blood and gore and twisting plots. Also, being British, these features are as much about the crime as they are about the detectives themselves. This means that there's lots of drinking, politically-incorrect sexual relations, and questionable police tactics. These typically British coppers are very human -- and very flawed characters. I love it, but it may not be for you!

Smashingly realistic 21st Century London crime thriller
`Deadly Intent,' Bestselling thriller of Lynda La Plante, is gritty, fast action, violent crime, and edgy. La Plante (Crime Thriller Writer's Hall of Fame) again lets a sexy female scrap her way into the man's world of murder crime fighting. She's raised the TV acceptance bar for coarse realism of London crime fighting. The ongoing series is lead by Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes x2, Poldark: The Complete Collection), now DI Travis, with her pixie face and tight clothes. She has more confidence, and more suitors. DCS Langton (Ciaran Hinds- `Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy') is the tough, tetchy boss overstepping and infiltrating on the territory of case head, DCI Lewis (Shaun Dingwall).

SUBTITLES for all 3 parts (and bonus footage).
It opens with a Mexican doctor doing a realistic facelift. Ugh! [The filmed doctor was a real plastic surgeon doing the role. That's realism.]
One year later...

Great Series
Any series/movie with Ciaran Hinds is great! I have watched many of his movies/series and it is amazing the versatility he has an actor; no matter the type of character he plays, he turns into that person so much that you forget he is an actor!!! I will buy anything he has a part in! I'm waiting for the DVD release of the series "Political Animals" in which he plays a southern politician notorious for his woman chasing. His southern drawl is so believable and his portrayal is such that he is obnoxious, but at the same time you can't help but like him. Amazing actor!

My only criticism of Above Suspicion is that a series is so short and there is such a wait for the next one!

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