Abanico - Kadena de Mano Basics

Far Beyond Basic but explict enough for a beginner
If you dont know yet...Kadena De Mano means chain of hands...it is a close range art developed by a very respected man in the Filipino Martial art community, Max Sarmiento. The applications on this DVD were are based upon 12 striking angles derived at least in cooperation from those of Angel Cabales' Serrada Eskrima, which of course is a bladed art. Mike Inay was a student of these two masters... Basically this DVD shows three separate counters for each of those 12 angles to immobilize your attacker (at least) or cripple him (at worst) then a knife disarming technique and a takedown for EACH of those counters...thats a lot of information, and it was all designed with practicality in mind Ive had mine for a year and Im still working through the information...give it a try.





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Nature: Cold Warriors - Wolves & Buffalos

Awesome Wolf-video
I watched this video already , and I can guarantee , it's amazing/powerful connection bet Wolves & Bison . That's the main reason , I will shop that soon as well I honestly , strongly recommended for "those" who possess a "Wild-feelings inside" , no regret ...
Sincerely ,
RW

Great Nature Film
This item was purchased for my grandchildren & they really enjoyed it. Would like to find more of these types of films.



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Randy Rides Alone - Digitally Remastered (Amazon.com Exclusive)

An Undercover Investigation
Randy Rides Alone, 1934 film

A man on a horse looks down from a hill to a walled home. He enters the "Halfway House" to find two bodies! A player piano runs on. A cabinet is open. A wanted poster has a message. Six men ride up, one writes a note. Blamed on circumstantial evidence? A woman comes out of hiding. What does she know? A store owner rides out of town to visit some men and change his clothes. But Rogers' money couldn't be found by the bandits. Miss Sally visits the jail. "You don't look like a killer." Randy Bowers was sent by the "Adams Express Company". "The prisoner got away!" Shots are fired. Will Sally sell the "Halfway House"? No. Randy is pursued but gets away, and returns. The Sheriff and his men return, then pursue Randy across a creek. Randy escapes but is caught by that gang.

Their boss forces Randy to join. Can they force Sally to sell out? The gang has dynamite planted in case of an attack by the law. They bring in Sally and lock her up. Can...





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John Dies At The End

As a stand alone movie, it's pretty awesome. As an adaptation, not so much.
This movie is losing a star because of how poorly adapted it was. We all know that adaptations are iffy and even hardcore fans of something will accept before viewing that a movie will leave parts out, some of those parts their favorites. But many very important character developments were left out as well as very chilling and mind-blowing elements. The first hour was a wonderful experience, even with the few minor changes. The last half hour was rushed and confusing, jumbling up several sub plots in a very lazy way.

~THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. SPOILERS WILL BE MARKED WITH A STAR~

I'll start out with the PROS:

-Great casting, great acting. Dave and John were portrayed just as they should have been and Chase Williamson's facial expressions and line delivery were especially good. John was just as ridiculous as he should have been and his whole demeanor was very "book John". Doug Jones is one of my favorites and I loved that he was Robert North (changed to...

Its only flaw is that it should have been longer
I'll begin by admitting that I'm an unapologetic David Wong fan-boy; I own both the JDatE novel and the sequel in hardcover, and I've been following the progress of this film since day one of the announcement. The release of the film has been on my mind for months, and I watched this tonight with my heart in my throat.

Is it as good as the book? No.

It's also not as long. And it's in a completely different medium. And there is absolutely no way on earth that the film could EVER have looked and sounded exactly the way that I imagined it. The film is quite altered from the text in some places, and yet beat-for-beat in others ... and sometimes, the changes were jarring. Many of my favorite lines and scenes from the book didn't make the cut, and some of the changes were inexplicable to me.

But for fans of Wong's writing, this a damn good adaptation: created by people who truly love the source material ... even if, in some instances, it seems like they...

A soy sauce revelation
"John Dies at the End" is based on the novel by David Wong (a pseudonym for author Jason Pargin). It's director Don Coscarelli's ("Phantasm," "Bubba Ho-Tep") first feature film in ten years. The horror comedy did make the rounds at certain film festivals in 2012, but is getting a limited theatrical run in certain markets in 2013 and is already available on demand. If you've never read Wong's novel, you don't really know what you're getting yourself into. Reception thus far has been mostly negative labeling the film as incredibly bizarre without much of a payoff, but that isn't entirely accurate. Speaking as someone who's a stickler for solid writing in cinema, this is a rare instance where a film can still be pretty enjoyable without everything making sense.

Dave (Chase Williamson) is sitting in a dimly lit Chinese restaurant telling his unbelievable story to a reporter named Arnie (Paul Giamatti) and it's a doozy. After Dave is able to analyze everything about the change...

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Ember Days

Like buying a zoo of mythology!
I first bought this film because I needed another DVD case but, after a crazy mishap between a pencil sharpener, eels, and a box of condoms, I found myself watching the film. I'm unsure if it was my curiosity with dreadlocks or my distrust of Christian theology but I found the film... educational. I give the film 5 stars for great cinematography, acting, and for the comprehensive features and usability the rituals rituals in Ember Days.

Micro budget movie with great music
I loved the sound track and this movie way out preformed its budget. The actors worked for free and provided their own costumes.

Poorly made!
The best thing about this video was the theme song and Becca Kelso. The rest was awful! I was sorry Becca was even in it. She's great, but the rest was poor, poor, poor!

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Hello Dolly! [Blu-ray]

The Last Great Hollywood Musical
The debates over this film have been raging for years, and now that HELLO, DOLLY! has been released on DVD, they're likely to continue for years to come. Opinions are certain to vary, but let's clear up a few misconceptions right from the start -

After 20th Century-Fox purchased the screen rights to HELLO, DOLLY!, producer/screenwriter Ernest Lehman was fairly certain he'd be asking Carol Channing to recreate her stage performance for the film - that is, until he saw her in the 1967 movie THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE; to put it as delicately as possible, her features didn't translate well to the big screen. Fox executives were equally doubtful about Channing, so the search began for a new Dolly. After flirting with (and subsequently dropping) the idea of Elizabeth Taylor, the leading candidate became Barbra Streisand. The powers-that-be suspected (correctly) she was headed for major film stardom, and they hoped a fresh, younger Dolly would give the multi-million dollar project...

Dolly Delights
HELLO DOLLY has received a bum rap over the years. Its oversized budget and colossal New York-circa-1890 back lot set is said to have sunk 20th Century Fox. This is far from the truth.

Now, almost 35 years later, DOLLY can be seen in proper perspective: it's a well-done, old-fashioned movie musical. Its only sin is that is dresses up a flimsy Broadway musical in the form of a big-time movie musical. Let's face it, HELLO DOLLY's book features situation-comedy type scenes of hiding in closets and mistaken identities. It doesn't have the weight of the Nazis (i.e. SOUND OF MUSIC) or the Americana of OKLAHOMA. It is, nevertheless, frothy fun -- with a great, hummable score!

Barbra Streisand is also blamed for accepting the role of Dolly Levi, too. Dolly should be middle-aged; Streisand was 27. Also, Carol Channing was famous for the part (she won a Tony for it) and Streisand is considered to have "stolen" the movie from Channing. (I personally could not fathom watching...

THIS DVD IS AWESOME
I got my advance review copy for the region 1 release of Hello Dolly and had to write a review here. This is one of my favorite films, and I will concentrate on the tech specs for the disc. It is enhanced for widescreen 16:9 and says Dolby Surround on the packaging but is actually Dolby Digital 4.0. This is one of the best sound transfers I have yet seen for a classic film. There's no doubt that original master tapes were used for the sound transfer. The seperation is so good, the voices of the singers move from left to right with extreme clarity, and when the entire cast is singing, it reminds me of the best of the RCA VICTOR recordings, the ensemble comes at you from all around including the surround. I give the sound a 5 out of 5.

The video quality is another story and a good one. This is flawless, it is like watching a new movie. It is so clear it almost seems like 3d on my Sony front projector. The colors have been restored and I believe the transfer was from 70mm negatives...

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Dream

I am satisfied with this great purchase!
I do not know much to say about my purchase. I am a huge Kim Ki Duk fan. I love his movies ( The Isle, 3 Iron, Time, Bad Guy) and I love Korean cinema and culture in general. I even went as far as to learn the Korean language which I use often. The shipping was quick I hardly had to wait, even though this is a DVDR the packaging and picture quality and sound where top quality. As for the film, it is a dark surreal fantasy film using both Korean and the Japanese language between the two main characters. I recommend this film for any Kim Ki Duk fans, or anyone willing to watch something different than the typical Hollywood over budget blow everything up or silly romantic comedy.





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Hemingway & Gellhorn [Blu-ray]

3 1/2 stars for HBO biopic with a sizzling Nicole Kidman
This HBO film is more about the career and life of Martha Gellhorn who became Ernest Hemingway's third wife. Don't get me wrong, Clive Owen's Hemingway gets equal screen time with beautiful Nicole Kidman's Gellhorn but as she puts it at the end of the movie, she won't be a footnote in someone else's life.

With a close up of Kidman as a now 70-something subject of an interview, the opening scene gives the viewer an idea of the quality that would persist throughout the next 2

A Barefoot Dream

Sometimes hope is all you need
`A Barefoot Dream' is an inspirational film based upon the actual experiences of retired Korean footballer, Kim Shin-Hwan in Timor-Leste (East Timor) portrayed by Park Hee-Soon as Kim Won-Kwang.

Kim Won-Kwang ends up in Timor-Leste in 2003 following yet another of his get rich quick schemes. However, Timor-Leste only having gained independence in 2002 after years of fighting Indonesia for independence is overwhelmingly poor and suffused with residual tensions. There is little more than the hopes and dreams of its people.

In his continuing quest for wealth, Kim Won-Kwang is not at all likeable and you really begin to wonder if it is an accurate portrayal of Kim Shin-Hwan. It isn't until he is accused of taking advantage of the kids' dreams of playing professional soccer for Indonesia, their only way out of the dire poverty, to make money and challenged to a match that he begins to have a change of heart.

With Kim Won-Kwang's eyes set on winning the...





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The Baytown Outlaws [Blu-ray]

Yesss
Great movie! Great acting. Loved everything from the creative storyline and direction to the bits of humor among the intensity. Language and graphics aren't for weak stomachs, but it needed raw for impact and was very engaging. I'm going to keep my eye out for anything else Barry Battles creates. This was fresh and super entertaining.

Grab a gun and get crazy!
Had a GREAT time watching this movie! If you love a shoot em' up then give this one a try. The action is non-stop and the characters are just plain fun to watch. The language us really rough, but if you can overlook that you'll have a great time.

Better than it had a right to be.
No idea where this movie came from, but it completely exceeded expectations. Great action, totally solid work from everyone involved... completely fun and campy... ridiculous without being annoying. If you're the type of person who likes this kind of movie -- you know who you are -- then you should totally watch Baytown Outlaws.

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The Sorcerer and The White Snake [Blu-ray+DVD+Digital]

Fantastic Movie
This was a great movie. I was truly surprised how good it was. There were some fantastical Kung Fu scenes, but the story was not soley about Kung Fu. As another reviewer said it was a re-telling of a legend. The film was visually stunning and rich. The character development was average but spoken reference to the main characters back stories helped fill in the gaps. one of the many things I loved about this film was its boldness of stepping into the realm of old asian cultural mythology and presenting it as a reality that all the characters in the film accepted as their reality. It was a cautionary tale of love between humans and demons, an exploration of the Jet Li's assumptions (as the head of a buddhist monastery), a demonstration of faith by the buddhist monks, and a beautiful but subtle revelation of layers of buddhist belief, which unfortunately will be missed by the average american viewer. All of this in a Jet Li Kung Fu movie! what could be better? I love this film and will...

Beautiful and Super Sweet
This was a very sweet film, more than I expected. The imagery is really beautiful. It's a simple story told simply. It reminds me of the fairytales I read to by daughter. However, it is increadibly touching love story and pulled tears from both my husband and I. It was a pleasant surprise.

Beautiful Love story...
This movie is a combination of love story, kung fu, and art. It s not a pure kung fu art movie but in a love story side, please read words and you would see how beautiful it is.

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Crush [Blu-ray]

MUCH TO LIKE....With a flaw (or too many desserts!)
I really loved a great deal about this movie and I still think it's very worthwhile. However, there is a flaw that prevented it from becoming a small cult classic. They try way too hard to keep the audience off balance. I never thought I would call that a flaw. This is a very rare instance where they should have kept the plot slightly more derivative and stuck with the formula. I won't give spoilers. I just kept thinking through the first half of the movie how much better it seemed than impressions I formed from reviews. A certain moment arrives in the movie and it simply changes the atmosphere, not because it was implausible, but because it simply tried too hard. It was like when I made this girl I liked in college two cheesecakes for her birthday because I couldn't decide which one was the best. I was completely genuine, the cheesecakes were awesome, but you can guess the effect.

With that out of the way, I want to say how much this movie really had going for it...

YOU KISSED THE WRONG GIRL
The film centers around Bess (Crystal Reed) and her crush on Scott (Lucas Till). Bess is the socially awkward new kid. She seemingly lives alone in a house while working at a book store. Scott has looks, brains, and athletic ability. All the girls drool over him. Jules (Sarah Bolger) is his girlfriend who he breaks up with because he needs to concentrate. (Seriously, can you believe a guy wrote this?)

Other people include teammate Casey (Preston Davis) who believes Scott is a ball hog. Scott's dad is protective and is always going out to work. And Jeffrey (Reid Ewing) has a crush on Bess. Their relationship is encouraged by an older woman and confidant (Meredith Salenger) who works at the bookshop.

Accidents happen to people around Scott. We get to see the arm or hand of the person who is revealed to us about an hour into the film when our fairly decent mystery turns into "Misery."

I couldn't help think that the song "Love Stinks" would have made a...

Where Death Strikes with Shocking Suddenness
You know it's coming - but when homicide hits in this movie, it comes with the speed of a rattlesnake strike. It's swifter than the eye can capture, and it's more sinister than any thuggish attack could ever be.

After a shocker of an opening sequence, the movie proceeds at a slower pace for a while. We see the very socially awkward and involute Bess yearning after the handsome jock in her school. The tension builds as we wonder how far her obsession has taken her in the past and is taking her in the present. Almost everyone is suspect though.

This is a good effort at a psychological thriller. The protagonists really talk with each other - or at least exchange more telling texts. So we get to know them better than we do in the average thriller that's being cranked out. Their motivations aren't always very clear or consistent, and the writers perhaps did some reaching for a different, interesting resolution. But I think you'll find this movie worth your time...

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Eastbound & Down: Cast & Creators Live at PALEYFEST

Kenny F***ing Parks!
After seeing this you can't help but come to the conclusion that Danny Mcbride really is Kenny F***ing Parks! Hilarious interview with cast, writers and producer.





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Reef Life Of The Andaman

Fabulous video!!
Fantastic video with amazing shots. Very good quality and great comment. A perfect gift to a diver heading for the Andaman and for those who like the magnificent underwater life!

Beautifully shot and very informative
This video is beautifully shot and edited and is a fantastic watch.

However, if education is what you are looking for you can turn on the captions to get detailed and scientifically accurate insights into the many and varied species covered.

I rate this a must see video for those planning to dive in the Andaman and a great memory jogger for those lucky enough to dived there already. And if you are just a fan of underwater videography sit back and enjoy!

Out of this world!
I've seen this movie 1 time in full, 1 time in half, and a handful of times in sections (10 minutes here, 30 minutes there, etc.).

Quality is outstanding.

I would love to see a 3D version.

This is a true classic.

In my opinion, if you have seen this work of art then it is impossible to rate less than 5 stars.

Nick and his team should win awards for this beautiful "ocean" picture <----see what I did there?

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Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony

Beautiful and accurate
This movie is an excellent introduction to a little-known conflict. I lived in the Saharawi refugee camps for several years and know people who have been tortured by the Moroccans as well as several of those interviewed. The information presented here is compelling and heart-wrenchingly true, and I was very impressed by the 1975 footage and the interviews they were able to obtain. Politicians were bluntly honest in a way rarely seen.

Informative, engaging and well done.
Bardem's activism is powerful. The status quo must end! For the sons of the clouds to return to their families and for justice and democracy to return to the western sahara.

Biased
Movie is biased. Missed to mention who is really behind the suffering of the refugees besides Morocco. The Movie didn't mention how these people were really made refugees. Did not mention the plight of Algeria on this conflict and how without it, this conflict would have never existed. Fail to mention the independent Western Sahara is supported by Cuba, Algeria, Libya of Qaddafi..
I don't know where the Last Colony in the title came from. The Spaniards believe the last colony is Gibraltar as they still demand for its return to the mother land Spain from the British.

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Great Barrier Reef

Just average
The usual BBC quality just isn't here . An annoying host,multiple high speed scenes,and a very dumbed down script.
There are some beautiful scenes but it feels like it was written for children. Underwater scenes of the narrator in scuba gear ,talking to the camera are very annoying.
It's not unwatchable,but I have no desire to rewatch the shows.

Solid Production
This is a solid production and was enjoyable to watch. I absolutely loved the time lapse sequences and there are some great underwater shots. I would say 4 stars and not five because it does not quite live up to the great Planet Earth, Africa, Frozen PLanet or Life but still worthy of being in your collection. I actually found the narrator refreshing and it cetrainly did not hurt the production at all. Overall there are not quite as many jaw dropping shots as seen before in the epic works. Highly recommended.

RIVETING! As close as most might get, do not miss the chance
I put this up on my second screen, intending to do odds and ends on my primary screen, but very quickly found myself giving the film my undivided attention.

In no way do I agree with any prior criticisms of either the underwater voice, which I found totally appropriate, of the use of high speed photography, which was both essential and in my view, ultra professional. Some of the stuff shown here has never before been captured (e.g. parrot fish building its nightly mucus page) and other stuff just blew my mind, such as the rare coral spawning, the launching of male and female eggs from coral.

I had no idea, plain and simple. This film is educational, entertaining, and enchanting.

This is, as another reviewer has noted, three movies in one, to which I would add: 185 minutes, with each of the three segments roughly 60 minutes in length.

For myself, I could only marvel and the hundreds of hours it must have taken, of patient seemingly endless...

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Woochi: The Demon Slayer

Imperfect but a total blast if you like this sort of thing like I do
I bought this based on a trailer I viewed on another Cine-Asia production I purchased: Detective Dee & The Mystery of the Phantom Flame [Blu-ray]. This movie comes out of Korea, whereas "Dee" is a Hong Kong film (I rated "Dee" at 5 stars). "Woochi" also goes under a couple of alternate titles including Jeon Woo Chi (The Tao Fighter) and Jeon Woo Chi (Taoist Wizard).

Though listed as playable in region B/2 (Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand) when I bought it, this is another Cine-Asia production that appears to be region free (i.e., I can play it on my US of A cheapo Magnavox blu-ray player). However, just like the Detective Dee film, trying to play most of the extras, such as "deleted scenes," resulted in the...

Another Cut Film
The American version is CUT shorter than the original. The Korean release is 135 minutes, this cut from Shout Factory is only 115 minutes. The info on Amazon is not correct. I almost made the mistake of purchasing it.

Great fantasy martial arts movie
This was a great sorcery martial art film. It had some great fight scenes and cool sorcery and some funny humor. Woochi is worth the price.

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Gate of Hell (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

A Tragic Obsession in 12th-Century Japan
In 1953, Teinosuke Kinugasa (1896-1982) directed and co-adapted the historical play entitled "Jigokumon" (English transliteration of the Japanese title), which was written by Kan Kikuchi (1888-1948). The film's name (the same as the play) translates into English as "Gate of Hell", and was released theatrically in the U.S. in 1954. The story takes place in 12th-century Japan during the Heian period and at the start of a revolt. During the confusion and fear running rampant through the royal palace in Kyoto, a lady of the court, Lady Kesa (Machiko Ky

Celebrating Life in Union

Wonderful documentary! Do not Miss!!
Gladys Bensimon has made an extraordinary film about a group of former Cuban political prisoners from the Cuban Revolution. Narrated by Andy Garcia this is a story that Must be told- and it is told beautifully! Now men, they meet weekly in Union City NJ. We get a most revealing look at the hopes they had in Fidel and the Revolution, which proved so false. Witness this testimony for yourself in this excellent film! Experience the human resilience, community and brotherhood!!!

Honest and Thoughtful...I learned a lot
I never knew much about this side of the Cuban situation....I knew Castro was a monster, but to see how these people were affected and to showcase their absolute strength when they lost EVERYTHING....this was truly eye-opening. Highly recommended. Bravo.



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Father's Day (Blu-ray)

Violent and zany film gets good blu-ray release
Ahhh, Father's Day...where to begin? The violence. The butt rape. Revenge. Demons. Strippers with chainsaws. Maple syrup. Tasty berries. A sexy priest. A gay prostitute. Did I mention the stripper with the chainsaw?

Father's Day is a wild, violent, sometimes trippy, sometimes old-school, always fun little flick best viewed at night (the film even opens with a commercial telling you you're watching it late at night, a midnight movie so to speak) and with a group of friends who are ready to laugh.

Boy watches father raped and killed, gets eye cut out, grows up, wants revenge, kills wrong person, goes to prison, 10 years later is let out, seeks peace in the woods. That's only the first 5 minutes! What happens next will please fans of other Troma releases, as well as fans of "Hobo With A Shotgun" and "Planet Terror", two other films that are a little more well-known but equally as good.

The film gets even crazier when our group of heroes go to hell,...

Wow, this movie is nuts.
The guys who made this are clearly insane. Violent, weird, and funny, this is everything you want in 90 minutes of escapism. Highly recommended!!!

Father's Day ???
Yep Father's Day from the twisted minds of Astron 6 & Troma don't think you can get much more twisted than that come a warped flick about a "Father's Day" killer. This group will take you on one wild ride. This set is great comes with movie on Blu-Ray & DVD with DVD loaded with extras and CD Soundtrack of film which is pretty cool.

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This Is Our Time [Blu-ray]

A Remarkable Movie
My thoughts:

This is Our Time is a remarkable movie. As the credits rolled down the screen, I just sat there, quiet and thoughtful. I remember the conquer the world, I can do anything elation of college graduation. This story portrayed a gamut of emotions and experiences young adults can face after the final exams are history. This is Our Time is so relevent, not only to young adults, but to older adults, too. There are many of us who feel like life has passed us by, or we should be changing the world. Instead, we're just doing our everyday thing. God has purpose for us, in us, and through us. I've reviewed many movies, but this one really stands out. It's not a feel good movie, it's a deep thought movie. I think it is well worth your time and attention.

I watched this with my family. If you're concerned about the leprosy, it is not shown during the movie. It is safe to watch with your family. There is a three minute video at the end that explains...

DVD This Is Our Time strong message of courage, love, and compassion
Monday, April 15, 2013
This Is Our Time To seize God's calling,

Django Unchained (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

If John Ford and Kinji Fukasaku had a baby....
I really liked Django Unchained, or as I like to call it: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence right through the eyeball and then the bullet continued through about 7 other torsos, shot out from a guy's belly button bringing a plume of intestines with it, ricocheted off someone's jugular vein, then snapped the cord holding up a chandelier causing said chandelier to plummet like a lead balloon, crushing the skulls of various evil varmints and polecats and then plunging into an occupied outhouse where the dynamite was also stored, causing the outhouse to explode in a crimson rain of blood, guts and offal.

But I guess all that wouldn't fit on the poster.

Django has everything you'd want in a movie, action, humor, suspense, drama, and even some romance, all washed down with gallons of blood. Did I mention some beautiful western vistas? it's got those too. And there are plenty of refernces to some of the geat westerns of the past, some of them only visual so pay...

Exactly what I wanted and expected from a Tarantino Western
Yes it's violent and bloody, and yes, the "n" word is used liberally throughout the movie, but it's a Tarantino film taking place in pre-Civil War South for pete's sake. What would you expect?
All three leading actors were amazing. Fox & Waltz were insanely good. Beautifly shot and a compelling story that I was never quite sure how all would be resolved (other than knowing a bunch a folks were gonna die).
In honor of Roger Ebert, I give it two thumbs up. R.I.P. Mr. Ebert.

A vision of history that only Tarantino can bring us...
As an avid fan of Quentin Tarantino, there's a level of quality that I expect from each film that he makes. I expect to connect with his characters, but not necessarily like any of them. I expect to see a film that satisfies the film geek in me. More than anything, I expect to see a film that entertains throughout the prerequisite bloated running time.

"Django Unchained" is nearly three hours long. But it never feels that long, it entertains and surprises every step along the way. When I first checked my watch, we were already two hours into the film. All of Tarantino's films are usually about this long. Tarantino has been having fun with fictionalizing historical periods lately. This started with 2009's "Inglourious Basterds", which was easily one of the best films of that year. My eighty-something year old grandmother, who lived through the time that the film depicted - World War II - said that if events actually happened as they did in that film, that we would be living...

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Man of the Month: Ho Chi Minh, 1966

Use for High School Class
I teach a Modern Asia history class and was looking for videos that my kids could watch. Although this video is slow, the analysis provided by its commentators is great. This is a primetime TV special from 1966 hosted by Walter Kronkite. It tries to cover Minh's rise to power. This video covers how Vietnam could have been helped by the West but was shunned. Thus, there was a possibility the USA could have avoided conflict. It also offers analysis of what intellectuals (not hippies) thought of the Vietnam War. One man says to the effect - Vietnam is an underdog to beat the USA, the US is not France, but if anyone can do it Ho Chi Minh has the resolve to see it through. No interviews with the Vietnamese or American politicians, but still a great Walter Kronkite special. Recommended to have some background knowledge before watching this video.





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Bruce Lee, the Legend (Documentary) 1977

love it
how can you go wrong with bruce lee documentaries? I love it as I do with all things concerning bruce lee

Best Bruce Lee Documentary
I used to have this documentary when I was younger on VHS! I was happy to see on amazon to buy. Now I have it on my computer and kindle.



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Goodbye Charlie

Cute but Intelligent Comedy
Vincente Minnelli directed this lively and intelligent version of George Axelrod's play about a gangster who dies and returns as a very lovely female: Debbie Reynolds. She has to convince Tony Curtis that she or he is really back! This is one of those great color CinemaScope situation comedies that were so popular back in the good old days of the 60s. You have to accept the situation to enjoy the plot and appreciate the humor. The cast also includes Pat Boone, Walter Matthau, Martin Gabel and Ellen (McRae) Burstyn. This is a real product of that feel-good time during the 60s. I always enjoyed this film.

Great film, BOTCHED DVD transfer!
I have eagerly been awaiting a proper digital release of "Goodbye Charlie" since the advent of the DVD format. Unfortunately, this Fox "Cinema Archives" DVD is anything but a proper release of this colorful, 1964 CinemaScope classic.

My current home video of this film is an "unofficial" DVD I had imported from Asia. The quality is less than desirable, but I bought it several years ago as a placeholder until Fox released the film. Remarkably, my import of this film is of better quality than this Fox Cinema Archive release. The major problem? Fox has cropped the picture from the original 2.35:1 to 1.33:1. In layman's terms, this simply means that Fox has released the film with huge sections (nearly 40%) of the picture missing. The result is a poorly framed picture that has been mutilated to a "full screen" picture.

This is a great little 60's comedy, but Fox's total disregard for its back catalog of classics has resulted in a film that is practically unwatchable...

An truly twisted '60s sex comedy
Woah! Call the Gender Studies class in to explain this one to me... Debbie Reynolds stars as the feminine reincarnation of a no-good philandering wolf named Charlie; Tony Curtis is the best (and perhaps only) friend who was dragooned into reading the eulogy at Charlie's funeral. Of course, when Debbie shows up on the beach naked and with amnesia, Curtis at first gets drawn into the mystery, and then falls in love with... his old best friend(!) Where to begin? This has Reynolds ogling other girls in the dressing room, Walter Matthau (who had shot Charlie at the beginning of the film) hitting on Reynolds, Charlie golddigging with a hapless rich boy (played by Pat Boone) and finally, the romantic scenes between Curtis and Reynolds... the levels of homoeroticism in this film are so multifarious and bizarre, that it's truly, astoundingly mind-boggling. I really wish I could know more about the genesis of this project... How this project got green-lighted in the first place is a source of...

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Repo Man (Criterion Collection)

18 years later, still my favorite movie
Repo Man is completely unclassifiable. Funny, dark, biting, thrilling, confusing, action, adventure, it's all there. Emilio Estevez plays Otto, a "white suburban punk" living in LA's sprawl, with a nowhere job that he loses in the film's second scene. When his hippie parents admit they sent his college fund to a TV preacher (We're sending Bibles to El Salvador!), Otto meets Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), a cocaine-driven Repo Man who needs an extra driver. Otto joins the firm and soon learns the Repo Code; Bud's version (You see, a Repo Man gets himself INTO tense situations), and the other regulars at Helping Hand Auto share their philosophies too. Light finds Bud's view tedious but is willing to handle shoot-outs when he's not reading parodies of Scientology (Diuretix), Miller seems completely neuron-fried (The more you drive, the less intelligent you are), and Oly is along to make a four-pack. (Did you notice the four experienced Repo Men are named after beers?) Let's go get a...

A Proud One Among Many
Every decade, there seems to be a movie that defines the angst of the culture and the subculture, the collective feeling that something is wrong with the establishment. To call this zeitgeist is misleading; these films don't reflect the spirit of the times as much as they somehow tap into the opposite - they manage to create an all-around sense of unease about the state of the world. In the 1960s, it was The Graduate and the bombshell look at the end. For the 1990s, Fight Club identified many things wrong both with pop culture and those acting in rebellion against it. For the Reagan-saturated 1980s, the distinction falls squarely on Alex Cox's debut film Repo Man. In one of his first roles, Emilio Estevez plays Otto, a street punk who loses his job and college savings in the same day due to misunderstandings and television preachers. At the end of his rope financially and mentally, he agrees to make a quick 20 bucks by helping experienced repo man Bud (Harry Dean Stanton). Realizing...

"I don't want no commies in my car. No Christians either."
Alex Cox sends up the Reagan era in a black comedy about car reposession. With a stellar soundtrack and lots of quotables, Cox is the precursor to the Coens and Tarantino. Cox sends up everything but the kitchen sink-suburban life, televangelism, nuclear fear, UFO conspiracies, commercialism, self help cults, and more I'm sure I missed here. Straight up lo-budget classic if you have a taste for irony and absurdity.

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A Certain Scientific Railgun: Season One, Part 1

Funny and light-hearted but has a serious side
This review is based off of the fan subbed anime, I won't be able to review the English voice acting for obvious reasons at the moment, I will most likely update this post once the DVD's are released.

This anime is a spin-off of "A Certain Magical Index" taking place in the same locale, Academy City, but focusing on one of the side characters from Index, Mikoto Misaka.

A little background for those who haven't seen "Index". Academy City is a place that focuses on the research and training of espers, or telekinetics. Everyone attending school here is ranked by their esper abilities from Level 0, no perceptible ability, to Level 5 which is so powerful, that only 7 out of the entire population of the city (2.3 million) have attained that level. This brings us to our heroine Mikoto who happens to be the 3rd highest ranked level 5 in Academy City.

Mikoto is a classic tsundere character, she is strong and protective of her friends, but has a very soft side...

Entertaining Action Comedic Series But Also One That's Pretty Generic As Well
Overall if you've seen the series A Certain Magical Index then you know the character of Misaka Mikoto somewhat, a young highschool tomboyish girl with quite a temper and the electric power to back it up. The series is pretty much of the previous mentioned series but this one focuses more on the character of Misaka and her friends who also live in Academy City. The first Kuroko Shirai who not only being a teleporter but also a member of Judgement the Academies school enforced semi-police force for the city then you have another member of Judgement as well as the third friend of the four Kazari Uiharu who while not having any powerful Esper abilities still has a keen mind and advanced expertise in computers closing the group is Ruiko Saten who is Kazari's best friend and like her has a keen mind though more interested in the latest urban legends and gossip more then anything else also Ruiko is what is called a level 0 someone who shows no discernible esper abilities during her test...

Not As Good As I Had Hoped
If you are interested in this series, chances are you have seen A Certain Magical Index. This is a spinoff of that show. While Index was a pretty good series, this one is average. It doesn't really have the dramatic flair or the great characters that Index had either. Railgun follows the daily life of Esper, Mikoto Misaka. When I say daily life, I mean exactly that. Her friends and her school life, with a little action from time to time. The most interesting people in Mikoto's life were Touma and Index. They only make a few short Cameos in this spinoff.

The series is divided up into several story arcs. A couple of them are mildly entertaining. One of Mikoto's friends gets hold of a device that can increase ones esper abilities. The problem is, it has a dangerous side effect. An unlikely character is also the culprit in this case. There is also an arc involving one of the Judgement members that works with Shirai (Mikoto's room mate), as she comes to terms with her past by...

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At the Gate of the Ghost [DVD]

Good Story
I expected this to be a grand martial arts movie with lots of action scenes. Instead I found a really well told story with lots to consider. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A very, very good movie.
Incredibly interesting and well made movie. The premise of three different interpretations of the same event by three different people, all with something to gain is intriguing. The young monk who is seeking the truth is very well played. This is a quality movie that deserves a wide viewing.

Great action film
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie. Am an avid martial arts fan, this movie did not disappoint. I highly recommend it.

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Not Suitable for Children

Reproductive Sex
Diagnosed with testicular cancer, a weekend-party-arranger stops to play for fun but desperate for a female willing a kid with him to produce as clocks ticked for his surgery.

Personal revelations follow such quest for fulfilling a time-sensitive goal.

It seems, this work, unwittingly, is a good parody on talking of family values and sex-as-pure-reproduction only. Accurate lovemaking-scenes add to run of a screening enriched with swearing and sexism.

Much sweeter than I expected
I thought this would be a very raunchy movie, but it turned out to have more more heart than you would think. Some people might find it slow, but I find that slower indie movies are much more realistic and easier to relate to. I will mention that it might offend some people's sensibilities. Obviously there's sex - an mildly extended blowjob scene, and some tastefully done full on sex scenes in the middle. Obviously premarital sex and babies, and treating reproduction as a business arrangement. Lastly they throw in some cocaine, which I found rather jarring and unnecessary. Still, funny movie with a core that I think a lot of people can relate to.

Okay until the ending
Overall, I liked this movie. It dealt with the polar opposite of what most movies about "baby fever" are focused on. This time it's about a guy who finds out he won't be able to have children and suddenly, he finds himself questioning what he wants out of life.

There were some very predictable parts, but that's to be expected with a movie that's meant to be a rom-com. The character development of Jonah was good through the movie. Like another reviewer stated, there were times that the movie seemed to be slow, but when dealing with the subject matter - it made sense for more "showing" versus telling to happen.

My biggest complaint was the ending. It felt unfinished. Even just a small snippet of Jonah and Stevie in the not-so-distant future would have made it feel complete. Had there been a true conclusion/finale, I would've given it 4 stars.

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Save the Date

Save the Date
A real film about how life sort of just happens. very relatable story and characters. The story plays out like events would in life and that was what made this movie so great. if you enjoy stories that are more realistic then this is for yo Lizzy Caplan and Alison Bree are stellar and you will fall in love with them. The dialogue is key in this film so enjoy and pay attention. i will say the last scene wasnt my favorite but the rest of the story makes up for it

good, honest, more!
Really enjoyed this movie and the dark humor was a nice departure from the standard, cliched romcom. Sad at times and i wish it didn't end where it did (not that i'm always opposed to ambiguous endings), but I'd definitely watch it again! Loved the cast and in particular thought Lizzy Caplan did SUCH a credible job with the role.

Great quirky movie
Lizzy Caplan steals your heart as a complex, self gaurded 30something who has love thrown at her when it's the farthest thing she wants. She most choose between the love she has become comfortable with, and the rebound guy turned soulmate. As well as her sister's (Alison Brie) wedding witch she feels obligated to help with. Great performances from Mark Webber, Geoffrey Arend and Martin Starr also.

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Cheech & Chong's: Animated Movie [Blu-ray]

Classic!
Very funny mix of old and new jokes. Several skits make up this cartoon version of everything you know and love about Cheech & Chong. From the drugs, girls and celebrities, you will laugh at something and feel it fits well with the existing Cheech & Chong collection.
I'm glad there is something new out by these two hilarious nutjobs and figure I'm probably not alone there. They have a ton of fans, and all of them are going to find this cartoon pretty groovy!

Light up & enjoy!
If you're lighting up right now, then this one is for you. If not, you won't get the jokes and anyway what are you doing watchin' a Cheech & Chong movie in the first place?

Funny Stuff
These guys really crack me up. I love this movie. It really doesn't matter if the animation isn't up to Pixar standards since it's really all about the comedy!

I love these guys so much that if either of them were to run for congress, I'd vote for them in a heartbeat over 98% of the people that are currently congressmen! When it comes to everyone's (well, the more intelligent portion of our population) favorite recreational herb, they make more sense than most of our nation's so-called leaders!

I recommend that everyone purchases this just to support the legendary comedy duo even if for no other reason. If you get a few laughs, and you will, then count them as the icing on the cake.

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I, Me Aur Main

EXCELLENT MOVIE
GREAT movie great picture lovely music dancing and the star please except that the movies are great I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO LEAVE FEED BACK I JUST KNOW they are excellent.

Good movie
I don't know why the movie did not well in teathers. I LOVE IT!!! It has a message. And it is not far from real life. Love John Abraham. Good actor . Prachi is very good. Very cool girl.



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The Salzburg Classical Music Festival, 1945- 1955

Not 100% as advertised and very short, but fun (especially if you speak German)
Whoever prepared the blurb and packaging of this 24-minute black and white German-language documentary film (no English subtitles!) didn't know either the German language or classical music particularly well, so the description is not 100% accurate.

The title SHOULD have been "Austrian Summer Music Festivals, 1951" and not "The Salzburg Festival, 1945-1955," since the film concentrates on events that occurred in 1951 only, and contains no other footage earlier or later than 1951.

From the 1951 Salzburg Festival, we get to see some nicely chosen snippets of both musical and dramatic events, including a bit from Hugo von Hofmannsthal's morality play JEDERMAN ("Everyman") and Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT (in the German translation as WIE EUCH GEFAELLT), as well as scenes from Mozart's operas IDOMENEO (conducted by Solti that year) and THE MAGIC FLUTE (conducted by Furtwaengler), plus a bit of one of Rudolf Paumgartner's Mozart "Serenade" concerts. We also get to see...





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Roland Fantom-X DVD Video Training Tutorial Help X6, X7, X8

Very clear and well organized
This DVD helped me get acquainted with the keyboard much better than the regular instruction manual could have. A must have for any Fantom-X player.

Review
This was a gift for my brother in law. We received it quickly. He enjoys using this product. I would recommend it.

Good intro
This video serves as a good general introduction to the Fantom X, but really does not go into enough detail, or show enough examples of using the keyboard, how to assign triggers, recording, short cuts, etc. Might as well just read the manual. Ugh.

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War of the Wildcats [Blu-ray]

DVD Please....A Gem Among The Duke's 1940's Films
This a John Wayne film like no other. Take it from a huge fan that's seen most of his movies. Although this is not classified as a comedy, the Duke's turns in a sly performance full of great one-liners and facial expressions that had me rolling. Its action adventure in the oil fields and it's very entertaining and fun. Wayne is Cowboy Dan Somers and he competes with oilman Jim Gardner for oil lease rights on Indian land in Oklahoma, as well as for the favors of schoolteacher Cathy Allen. It has a good supporting cast including George "Gabby" Hayes.
You will never see the Duke quite like this in any other role. If you're a fan of the Duke, this film is a must so track down a copy while you can. It was originally titled "In Old Oklahoma" and then reissued as "War of the Wildcats" If we cross our fingers, maybe this will be re-released on DVD as it deserves to be.

Buyer Be-Aware
You need to know that this is NOT a professionally produced DVD. Rather it is a burned (copied) DVD using a DVD-R. (Another reviewer questions the "legality" of this DVD but I don't know anything about this.) The DVD label and case insert are poorly done. The quality of the actual movie is fine and compares to other old B&W movies of the time that have been released on DVD. This is a good (not great) early John Wayne movie. My only concern is about the quality of the DVD that was used to burn this movie. Is it a high quality DVD or not? I don't know. So, how long will this DVD actually last. That remains to be seen. But, alas, this is apparently the only way to get War of the Wildcats (aka In Old Oklahoma). So, I would give the movie at least 3 stars, but the DVD only 2.

Pirated Homemade Phony
This is a great film but the person that made this DVD, the case and DVD cover was an amateur. This is a homemade phony. The images on the DVD case front cover and the DVD are blurry and the back of the case which usually has a movie summary, actors and all sorts of copyright, production info, and other things was totally blank. I returned it to the Amazon legal department. This film was not released on DVD in Region 1 although it should be. BUYER BEWARE! This is a rip-off.

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Flirt [Blu-ray]

A Hal Hartley masterpiece
Hal Hartley appears to be an acquired taste... I have only seen 3 of his films so far (this, the flat-out brilliant Trust, and the okay Henry Fool) but he's clearly one of the most underappreciated American directors working today. I think the delivery of his dialogue is what kills it for most people. It's very deliberate and generally not filled with an overkill of emotion. I find this approach allows me to listen to what the characters are actually saying (as opposed to just how they're saying it). That Hartley's one of the few screenwriters with something to actually say really seals the deal.
I don't want to suggest Flirt lacks emotion though. It manages to pack in more complex emotions that most more histrionic films. In one scene, a man threatens another with a gun, reconciles with him, embraces him, has a change of heart, and shoots him. A woman who witnesses this, hearing some music that begins to play, begins to dance, caught in the moment, slips to the ground, and...

Tour de Force in three acts and no special effects
I went to see this film at a cinema festival one thursday evening in 1997. I returned the next day, same theatre, same movie, same time. By the end of the second viewing I was still taken aback.

Flirt is filled with hazy tenderness. As in "Trust" or "Surviving Desire", Flirt is filled with Hartley's staple meaning-of-life questions, making the film a delicate three ring circus: NY, Berlin, Tokyo. The setting may change, but the questions are the same. Like most of Hartley's work, Flirt didn't get much mainstream attention. I find that rather adequate

If you love Hal Hartley this is for you
This film is built from a device Hal Hartley used in his early films: looped repeating conversations/actions. I have always been delighted by these moments- especially the clinic conversation in "Trust." Here we see the same storyline played out three times in three different locations by three different casts to varying conclusions. Several of the Hartley regulars are present which is always a plus and Hal himself makes an appearance. This is a lighter film than "Amateur", more of a throwback to his early work. If you loved "Simple Men" and "The Unbelievable Truth" this is the film for you.

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Roland (Boss) BR-1600 DVD Video Training Tutorial Help

Great Video For BR-1600 Owners, get it now !!
I purchased a BR-1600 digital recording studio about a year ago and made a few demos with it for my band. I already had some experience with home 4 track cassette recorders and previously owned a BR-8 ( also by Roland )
I was not too thrilled at the price of this DVD , but after reading about it in a Yahoo group for BR-1600 users I figured I'd get one.
I have learned alot of new tricks and tips from this video. The "how to program the drums and Bass loops" section is worth every minute. The narrator of the video is the demonstrator and he is very good with this thing. The instruction manual is very good , but you know how they go... 500 pages of "tech talk" and section after section after section of comfusing pages.... After watching this video I now have a better understanding of the unit and can program it much better. If you have a BR-1600 and are not a "whiz" at it yet... you should get this. Overall useful to beginners and experienced users alike...

Get the best out of your BR-1600 with this manual
I recently bought the BR-1600 and as I am a musician and NOT a technician, I thought I could do with some help getting the most out of this machine. It takes you step by step through all the features but you should not discard the written manual as some basic knowledge is required. This DVD was not available through Amazon.co.uk although it plays perfectly well on my (British) DVD player and TV. Just check that you TV takes NTSC format. Anyone who wants to know the BR-1600 should get this DVD.

Musician Reviews The Br-1600 DVD
I purchased the BR-1600 machine about four years ago. I am still trying to gain proficiency on this machine. It is a very, very complex recording device. As DVD presenter/audio engineer, Mr. David Wills says, "It is far from being a little demo machine." The BR-1600 machine includes a 71 page introduction manual and a 300 page directions manual that reads like original Japanese, translated into English. The pages of both my manuals are worn, dog eared from usage. I purchased the BR-1600 DVD Training Tutorial to aid my failed attempts and frustrations with trying to master this monster. This DVD compresses all the BR-1600 features and functions into 110 minutes. I've seen the entire DVD three times, and studied selected chapters. The end result is the DVD is really a complete usage overview, rather than a thorough training course for BR-1600 owners. BR-1600 features are visually articulated with more emphasis rather than repeated efforts made to educate the user. As for...

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Day of the Killer Tornadoes, 1978

Extremely Informative...
This is a great piece of work regarding the April 3, 1974 "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes and severe weather which struck many states, but hit Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Alabama quite hard. In fact, this DVD highlights Xenia, Ohio, Brandenburg, Kentucky, and Limestone County, Alabama.

It is done in narrative form interspersed with victims of the tragedy speaking in their own words about their experiences. One of the major heroes of the day was weatherman Gil Whitney of WHIO-7 in Dayton who accurately alerted the town of Xenia about the approaching tornado. I only wish they had given some more time to him and the bulletins he issued. Another hero was Bob Stewart, the Xenia, Ohio, city manager whose quick thinking and organizational skills helped pick up the broken and half demolished town and start the long rebuilding process.

This is a re-enactment but a very good one. If you are interested in weather or weather-related events, you should get this...

Day Of The Killer Tornadoes, 1978
This was a very good depiction of the tornadoes in 1978. We lived close to Xenia in 1978 and saw some of the devastation.



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Korea: South-North Meeting [Korean Propaganda]

An amazing piece of history.
This collection of realtime videos is a great boon for people who want to experience what it was like following the end of the Korean War. Great video of important people giving speeches, like Kim Il Sung. The fact that it is all in the original Korean language gives it a feeling of true authenticity, however English subtitles would aid tremendously in increasing the enjoyment of watching history in the making.





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Tascam: 2488 / MKII / Neo Tutorial

Well spent $$
Excellent video, covers almost all the features of the 2488. The host not only explains each function but shows the keystrokes and demonstrates how to record some guitar and vocals. If you are new to home recording there is even an introductory section titled "Recording School" which explains the basics of recording. I started recording on my 2488 immediately after watching this video. The visual demonstrations are like they say `Worth a thousand words'. I learned faster watching this video than I would have by reading the manual.

Tascam 2488 Neo DVD Tutorial
This DVD tutorial is excellent. A must have for anyone purchasing the Tascam 2488 Neo. Building on the original Tascam 2488 DVD, it also includes updates for the 2488 MKII and the all new 2488 Neo. The DVD is easy to navigate and gives you the ability to quickly get familiar with all functions of the 2488 and goes well beyond the standard manual (which is not exactly all that user friendly). The host provides real-time, hands on instruction and clear how-to examples that will enhance your use of the 2488 and get you up-to-speed in no time at all. Highly recommended!

Tascam 2488 /MKII/ Neo DVD Tutorial
The tutorial is very very good, It will get you started with the 2488 much faster than just reading the manual. It should encourage you to experiment with some of the ideas in the tutorial before setting up for an important recording session. The respect for the 2488 as high quality recording equipment is apparent in the enthusiasm expressed in the tutorial. The importance of understanding the signal path from mic to disk is properly stressed so that mapping your setup eventually becomes second nature.

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Cloak and Dagger [Blu-ray]

The parts are greater than the whole.
Fritz Lang was one of the world's directing treasures, yet too few people know his name. With credits such as M, Metropolis, The Woman in the Window and The Big Heat (as well as many brilliant lesser-known, often German-language films), he helped to *invent* many genre conventions that are now cliches. He is also one of two filmmakers who really influenced Hitchcock in concrete ways (Val Lewton being the other).

In many ways Cloak and Dagger is ahead of its time, and in others it is disappointingly dated. It offers several great scenes but loses its way several times as well. It starts out with some overly pretentious scenes as American nuclear scientist Gary Cooper is approached to help the Allies rescue a brilliant scientist held behind enemy lines. Then there are a couple of nice fights and some good direction and rising suspense as the mission gets underway. Then, it becomes a story of Gary Cooper meeting and falling in love with Lilli Palmer, a devoted but despondent member of...

why does everyone think its dated?
i loved the film and the action scenes were well made.i never got the sense it was dated and i enjoyed the film all the way through.gary cooper acted nicely as always and this film is one reason why gary cooper is my favorite actor.

Coop, As A Snoop!
Cloak And Dagger was made in '46, barely after the end of WWII. It is filled with the horrors of war and dangers of espionage, especially when attempted by scientists that have been recruited for the causes of their respective countries. The Coop-man makes a very interesting clandestine figure. The black and whites of this noir film are rich in texture, the shadowy contrasts, artistic. Robert Alda is both irritating and loveable as Pinky, and Lilly Palmer is a surprise as a possible romantic role to play off Cooper. The language of the movie contains Fascist and Nazi phrases which heighten the uneasiness of viewers as we await each new frighening development. The reason to watch any such movie is for the nail-biting suspense of seeing how the characters will get out of each new scrape and of course the main reason to watch it is Gary Cooper. He does not disappoint. His acting always appears effortless.

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Any Day Now

Touching family drama
I saw this movie about a month ago at the Landmark E Street Cinema in Washington, DC. Glad to see this now finally has a DVD release date.

"Any Day Now" (2012 release; 94 min.) brings the story of Rudy (played by Alan Cumming) and Paul (played by Garret Dillahunt), how they meet in California in 1979, and fall in love. Rudy comes to care for his neighbor's teengage boy with Down syndrome (Marco, played by Isaac Leyva), as Marco's mom is a drug addict and in any event doesn't care for Marco one bit. Eventually Rudy wants to adopt Marco and Paul (an attorney) tries to build a legal case for it. This of course creates all kinds of problems, as the justice system is not designed/prepared for a gay couple to adopt. To give away more of the plot would ruin your viewing experience so you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out, although I will just say that I did not see the end coming AT ALL.

Several comments: first, while this movie is about a gay...

DONUTS ARE POISON
The film takes place in West Los Angels 1979, but clearly it is about legal cases currently in the system.

Rudy (Alan Cumming) is an out of the closet female impersonator,and not a very good one. While on the job at Fabio's he meets Paul (Garret Dillahunt) a man who looks like Jon Voight out of "Midnight Cowboy." They become an item. Rudy lives in a run down apartment next to a coke-prostitute named Marianna (Jamie Anne Allman). She has a son, Marco (Isaac Leyva). Marco has Down Syndrome and Marianna is a terrible mother.

When Marianna gets busted for prostitution and drugs, Rudy cares for the child in order to keep him out of a foster home. Paul joins the family as they become the emergency legal guardians of Marco. When Paul's lifestyle becomes exposed, prejudices abound and lives change dramatically.

The film is well acted. The action moves slow, but steady. The film contrasts the gay care free disco music of the era to the angst of our gay couple...

Excellent
Saw this movie with my boyfriend in the theater, it was a change of pace from mainstream Hollywood. It touched on a topic that is usually left alone. It was a risk that the directors and writers took but a rewarding one. I was impressed and recommend it :)

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Star Trek V: The Final Frontier [Blu-ray]

Moronic, or Misunderstood?
With the new release of the Special Collector's Edition of Star Trek V on DVD, I thought it would be a good time to review the picture.

What can I say? ST:5 is weak on many levels.

First, the ship's crew is way too small, less than a skeleton crew (they had like, what, five trainees besides the Classic cast?). Second, the ship is far more buggy than it should be. It's not as if General Dynamics builds these things, after all, it's suppossed to be a starship! A few bugs, sure, but to be in as bad a shape as the new ship is strains credibility.

Then there's the whole "barrier" thing. As any Trek fan worth his toy tricorder knows, the "barrier" is not at the center of the galaxy, but at the edge. It's also supposed to be pink, not Indiglo blue. Of course, they simply should have called this new "barrier" something else, but be that as it may, this kind of slip highlights a certain basic sloppiness in the production. Also, the ship gets there way too quickly, and the skeleton crew...

Cap'tin!, I canna take much more!
So much potential, wasted.

This could've been a really good film if only. If only they'd thrown out everything, or at least almost everything. Here's a few of things that will take away from your enjoyment of Star Trek 5, LAMBADA, I mean "The Final Frontier"

The special effects are sub par. There's a few shots of the Enterprise near the beginning that aren't bad, particularly the beauty shot of the ship and the moon, nice touch. But unfortunately, it's one of the few actual shots of the Enterprise you will see in ST5. Here's a hint for the producers of Trek. Fans like the ship, we like to see the ship, please include exterior shots of the ship in your films whenever possible. Other effects include the horrible "planet" beyond the "great effects barrier" that looks more like a visual depiction of Vicks Vapor-action than a planet. Really all the effects seem quite crude in comparison to other trek films; maybe they blew the budget getting Shatner to...

Better Than Its Reputation
Kirk v. God, and Kirk wins? An egotistical set up for a movie, but Trek V is better than it's reputation. The film has several positive attributes which are often overlooked:

1) A strong emphasis on character development, particularly with Spock, Kirk and McCoy. The campfire scenes are classic, and there are few moments in the film series which match the drama of McCoy confronting his "inner pain."

2) Final Frontier was the closest in spirit to the original series. The plot and (unfortunately) the special effects are reminiscent of such classic Trek episodes as "Who Mourns For Adonis."

3) Sybok, the "passoinate Vulcan" and half-brother of Spock, is an intriguing antagonist for the main characters.

4) Jerry Goldsmith delivered what I feel is his best Trek score for this installment.

What's keeping this movie from being one of the best in the Trek cannon?

1) The worst special effects put on film since the invention of the...

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History of the Eagles [3DVD]

Blu ray package includes a previously unreleased 1977 concert exerpts
I first caught this documentary on the Showtime channel in one setting (Parts 1 & 2). It was originally broken down in 2 parts. The first part shows the band members in their formative years and ends with their eventual breakup in 1980. The shorter part 2 deals with their lives afterwards, ending with their Farewell 1 Tour in 2005. Together the film runs a little over 3 hours. Certainly for Eagle fans, it is time well spent. Even if you're not a fan, it chronicles the seeds of a rock band in the 1970's.

The early lives of writing partners Don Henley and Glenn Frey is well detailed including some interesting home videos. We see an early association with Jackson Browne and a brief time backing up Linda Ronstdat. We get a no holds barred look at the inner turmoil that comes with the growth of a rock band. We see the early comings and goings of band members leading up to a bitter breakup with lead guitarist Don Felder.

One thing that comes through is the...

A Quintessential American Band
Love them or hate them, The Eagles are a band that ran up a string of hits through the seventies that defined much of the decade. They've been accused of being narcissistic, overtly mellow, egotistical, and other things not all that complimentary. "The History Of The Eagles" spells all this out in detail, which makes it almost indispensable for fans of the bands or for folks who wonder how a seventies band made it though the music industry.

While the band was centered around the songwriting axis of Glenn Frey and Don Henley, every band member, past and present, gets a say. It's a warts and all approach, often unflattering but frequently compelling. Managers, producers, album cover artists and fellow musicians (Bob Seger, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and more) get their say. The music drives the narrative, sticking closely to the evolution of tha band as they release their consecutive albums, up to the acrimonious split around 1980.

However, the movie is broken...

A missed opportunity...
Before all the how can you review something that is not even released yet bashing begins, let me first off say I watched the 3 hour documentary twice. While all the live footage and classic era interviews are golden, the 1977 Hotel California concert footage is definitely the cream de la creme. Secondly, the press release for this has been released. Everything you saw in the 3 hours will be released with no additional bonus documentatry footage. Also about 8 tracks from the 1977 concert will be released as a dvd part of this package. Why not just release the whole darn concert? I've got a boot of one of the shows filmed during the tour, but the concert footage show in the documenatary is definitely master film...so why not just release the entire concert???? Why only pieces of a show??? It's 2013...why not give the fans the real deal...

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Gangster Squad (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy)

The Ultimate Movie Review! -[...] - @tss5078
This film has received many bad reviews, but not because it's a bad movie. The truth is it's just not what people expected it to be. When you hear about a mafia movie, you expect an epic, inside look like with Goodfellas or Casino, but Gangster Squad is from the cops point of view and more like The Untouchables. Gangster Squad is based on a novel and is about an off the books LAPD operation aimed at bringing down Micky Cohen. In the 1940s, LA had a growing mafia problem on it's hands, and Mickey Cohen was set to become the next Al Capone. Unbeknownst for decades, the LAPD sent a group of cops, who didn't play by the book, after Cohen and by going after his business interests, they attempt to destroy his growing empire. The story is a great one, well deserving of a film adaptation, but what people didn't like was how it turned into an action film. This story has all the makings of an epic mafia drama, an you will be hard pressed to find a better performance than the one Sean Penn gives...

Hard ball...
"Gangster Squad" is an old-fashioned crime-fighting thriller set in the L.A. of the late 1940's, complete with period sets, a solid cast, and a suspenseful story. It claims to be based on a true story, but the average viewer probably won't worry about the history. The average viewer will be too busy wondering just how vicious the fight between two-fisted mobster Mickey Cohen and a group of vigilante cops is going to get, and who might get hurt in the process.

As the story opens, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) is staking out his criminal turf, while most of the police force has been paid to look the other way. The police chief (a grizzled Nick Nolte) taps honest police sergeant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to set up an off-the-books gangster squad. With the help of his wife, O'Mara picks five other police officers prepared to take on Cohen and his mob. Among them is Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), O'Mara's army buddy, who also happens to have a very dangerous thing going with...

WELCOME TO LOS ANGELES
This is a fictionalized version of the story of LA gangster Mickey Cohen, excellently portrayed by Sean Penn who looks nothing like him. The action takes place in 1949/1950 and is not shot in black and white. Combat veteran Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) is asked to form a squad of elite men to take down Mickey Cohen, but not as cops, but as a gangsters hitting his places one by one.

John has a pregnant wife (Mireille Enos) who would rather leave town than have her husband take on the mobster. Saddled with the fact it won't happen, she helps her husband assemble a squad which includes Jerry (Ryan Gosling) a playboy cop who is seeing Mickey's girlfriend (Emma Stone). Emma Stone has played too many down to earth women to pull off a swanky mobster girl. She looked like a kid who was playing in her mommy's make-up box. Perhaps that was the genius of the film as she was to suppose to be a small town girl out of place.

Jerry uses a pick up line from 1941 comedy "Hold...

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Manborg

An Intentionally Campy Sci-Fi Spoof That Achieves Its Modest Goals, But Shouldn't Be Oversold
The ZERO budget sci-fi spoof "Manborg" is going to be one of those movies, I suspect, that will really divide its audience. Rumored to have been made for a couple of grand (at most), this tiny indie aims at mocking the action/adventure epics that proliferated in the eighties with a distinct video game aesthetic. I always worry when I see these extreme indies proclaimed as the "best movie ever" by enthusiastic supporters. Despite their inherent charms, setting such a lofty bar BEFORE someone sees the film might just be skewing expectations rather high. This is an underground film that is meant to be discovered and appreciated by the right audience. It will never be a mainstream hit. And whether you love "Manborg" or hate it (and there will be many in both camps), it's probably a film that is better served by NOT overselling it. Personally, I'm super impressed that filmmaker Steven Kostanski put this project together on the cheap. He attempts and achieves a film that might easily be the...

Schlocktastic!!
This is an homage to every bad, over budgeted, 80's sci-fi actioneer ever made. It's self-consciously horrible, and glories in every second of its awfulness. If you love bad movies, this will be the best money you've ever spent!

awesome! 80's cheese
I love this movie yes its cheezy but its so awesome! if you take Robocop ,master's of the universe and you throw in mortal kombat you get MANBORG!!!

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Bruce Lee: Way Of The Dragon / Game Of Death

Two Bruce Lee films united on one DVD
You get more of the same with Shout! Factory's Bruce Lee Double Feature of "The Way of the Dragon" and "Game of Death." Much like the double feature of "The Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury," this release is the Fortune Star version of the films. However "The Way of the Dragon" is nine minutes longer than the version that came with The Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection. While there wasn't enough time to actually sit through both versions of the film, Tang Lung (Bruce Lee) wandering around the airport didn't seem very familiar as he sticks his fist down his throat in front of a boy eating ice cream and then tries to order eggs at a diner but is given five bowls of soup instead. Tang Lung searching for a toilet so often (at least three times) and running away from a naked woman who picks him up once he gets to roam felt new as well.

Mini reviews for "The Way of the Dragon" and "Game of Death" were also written a few years back.

"'The Way of the Dragon' is much more...

Don't need DVD!
Great films but I really don't see why again on DVD especially on this cheap two on one dvd thing. Fans here in north America have been waiting for the Bruce Lee movies on blu ray for years. I got the Japanese blu rays released by paramount pictures on 2012/11/09. They are region A same as in north America, they have English soundtrack (no English subtitles) and the picture is great compared to dvd & considering their age.

Twin Bruce Lee films
These were two of his great films & in excellent condition. They made a great addition to my collection of films.

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Silver Linings Playbook

This is why we go to movies
This is why we go to movies. Silver Linings Playbook is that rare breed of movie where all the moving parts got put together in exactly the right way. The dialogue is sharp, witty, insightful, funny, and often brutally honest. It respects and holds true affection for its characters and the wonderful ensemble cast makes it look easy. The direction, editing and soundtrack are spot on. It is a future classic and the best movie of the year.

Pat is an underachieving substitute high school history teacher who has just been released from the Karel Psychiatric Facility after spending an eight month court-ordered stint for nearly beating the history teacher to death when he finds him in the shower with his wife. His doting, eternally optimistic mother brings him home hoping that the worst of his previously undiagnosed bipolar symptoms are under control. But his refusal to take his meds and an unfortunate incident concerning Earnest Hemingway and a window quickly dispels that...

The Year's Best Ensemble In A Big Hearted Comedy About Love, Family, And Redemption (And Football, Dancing And Mental Illness)
David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" is a big hearted and nearly irresistible concoction that presents one of the year's most unlikely romances. I've been a huge Russell fan since his debut with "Spanking the Monkey" and "Flirting With Disaster" is one of my favorite flights of outrageousness. Russell can have an edgy cynicism about his eccentric characters, but he knows how to make an audience identify with even their most offbeat characteristics. Make no mistake, "Silver Linings Playbook" is loaded with an expected array of troubled souls. But the most remarkable thing about this film (and its screenplay) is the amount of compassion it shows to just about everyone. With a stellar cast including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and John Ortiz, the movie boasts easily one of the best ensembles of the year. Each of these actors is given a fully written character and each makes a huge impression in the screen time allotted...

Bravura Account of Quirky Love. Lawrence is Jaw-Dropping.
I didn't expect to like this film since I've disliked Bradley Cooper's past roles and because the script sounded shallow and formulaic. Initially, I thought they'd included De Niro as a come-on. In fact, the only reason I saw the film was because of Jennifer Lawrence, whose sophisticated performance in WINTER'S BONE convinced me I'd seen the breakthrough of a gifted actress.

Well, I was wrong about Cooper, wrong about De Niro's inclusion, wrong about a formulaic script, and dead-on about Jennifer Lawrence. Simply stated, this quirky, brilliant story of the evolution of love between two world-worn, emotionally troubled people -- against the chaotic background of family madness -- was one of the most satisfying, funny and affecting movies I've seen in recent years. In terms of clarity, continuity and heart, it surpasses the book on which it was based.

Since others have described the plot on this page, I will say that millions of viewers who have not seen the film...

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