Brainchild of cinematic genius Steven Spielberg, The Goonies is a thrilling fantasy adventure film for younger audiences - although adults will find it enjoyable as well. Foreshadowing the success of the Harry Potter films, The Goonies involves a series of tests and obstacles that a group of young kids must overcome in order to save the day. In a lot of ways, the film is like an Indiana Jones for kids - produced in such a way that kids can envision or fantasize about being in just such a situation.
The film follows the exploits of a neighborhood group of kids who call themselves The Goonies. Upset that they will soon have to part ways because of the forced commercial development of their neighborhood, the kids are enjoying what they believe will be one of their last meetings together.
But while Mikey, Chunk, Mouth, and Data (the nicknames of the Goonies respectively) are exploring Mikey's attic, they find a treasure map hidden in the back of an old picture frame. Purportedly, the map leads to the long lost treasure of the famous pirate "One-Eyed" Willy. Banding together with Mikey's older brother Brandon and two neighborhood girls, Andy and Stef, the group sets out to uncover the pirate's vast riches and thus save their homes from the wrath of the wrecking ball.
But a small problem stands in their way. The treasure map's starting point rests underneath an old abandoned house used as a hideout by the notorious Fratelli crime family. Brothers Jake and Francis, coupled with their deformed yet gentle brother and mean Mama Fratelli, are quite an intimidating force. When the Goonies manage to uncover the entrance to the cave that harbors their treasure, Chunk is left behind. The Fratelli's viciously interrogate the boy in an effort to find out what happened to his friends. But it takes a freak accident (spilled water falling down the hole in the fireplace) before they find One-Eyed Willy's secret passage.
With the Fratelli family hot on their heals, the Goonies must pass through a series of mental and physical obstacles set up centuries before by pirates intent on keeping undesirables away from their precious bounty. Interspersed in the action is a number of clever and humorous one-liners that add to the overall audience enjoyment of the film.
In the end, the kids discover One-Eyed Willy's monstrous treasure. But can they stave off the greedy ambitions of the Fratelli family? Will they manage to save their neighborhood with the newfound treasure? You'll have to watch to find out, and trust me, this movie is a lot of fun…
Each of the stars contributes to the film in his own way. Chunk provides many moments of comic relief with his endless whining, and Data's constant deployment of quirky homemade inventions, although stretching the limits of reality, are a welcome addition to a fantasy adventure film tailored for a young audience.
With the introduction of The Goonies DVD, an entirely new generation can discover the thrill and wonder of this instant cinema classic. Given its wide range of appeal to audiences of all ages and the exciting quest for hidden treasure, The Goonies passes the test as a definite must-see film. If you haven't seen it, or even worse - if your children have been deprived of seeing it - then I highly recommend renting this one…
marți, 27 mai 2008
The Phantom Of The Opera (dvd) Review
Nominated for 3 Academy Awards and 3 Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, The Phantom Of The Opera is one of the most talked about movies of 2004. Taking the smash commercial success of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage production to the big screen is no easy task, but long-time Hollywood director Joel Schumacher is more than able to get the job done. He takes an otherwise poorly written screenplay (minus the awe of a live performance no less) and manages to thrill the audience with the visual aspects of a film chiefly intended to rehash a successful stage musical. The costumes and set are simply magnificent, and Art Director John Fenner (Raiders Of The Lost Ark) helps Schumacher put together a fabulous production that's well worth a movie-goer's time…
The Phantom Of The Opera centers around a mysterious character who dwells underneath the Paris Opera House, imbibing himself on the music that emanates from above. Known as The Phantom (Gerard Butler), he wears a half-mask to cover the hideous facial scars that have plagued him since birth. A musical genius, the phantom is infatuated with the opera, and when he falls in love with the voice of a young chorus girl named Christine (Emmy Rossum - The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Mystic River (2003)), this love of the opera morphs into an outright obsession. The phantom provides Christine with one-on-one voice lessons, while during his spare time, he terrorizes the opera house in an effort to land his protégé the opera's leading role. When Christine finally rises to that position, however, she is reunited with childhood friend Raul (Patrick Wilson), and the two begin a torrid love affair. Vengeful and jealous, the phantom kidnaps Christine and holds her prisoner in his underground lair, and Raul is the only one who can save her…
Onscreen, The Phantom Of The Opera is weak by the standards of a traditional film. The cast does its best to make the most of a screenplay peppered with rigid dialogue - a script designed to sell "the music of the night". The supposed magnetism between Christine and Raul is non-existent and not really believable. As such, the audience is forced into believing that the phantom (who, by contrast, is quite charismatic in this rendition) would end up playing second fiddle to a man who makes Al Gore seem animated. Overall, however, other aspects of the film make up for this flaw…
Based on Gaston Leroux's 1925 novel of the same name, The Phantom Of The Opera loses much of its original edge given the phantom's transformation from a frightening and mangled lunatic to a watered down half-scarred/half-babe-magnet figure complete with likeable characteristics. But inevitably, that's the mark of an enduring franchise - its malleability in the realm of numerous genres and the public's willingness to embrace such changes. But arguably, the small changes in the original novel's plot were necessary to achieve Lloyd Webber's goal of a melodramatic and stirring Broadway musical boasting mass commercial appeal. In a year in which the Oscar nominations were mostly dominated by lower-budget, surprise hit films (such as Sideways, Million Dollar Baby, and Finding Neverland), The Phantom Of The Opera holds its own in many aspects (given its pre-production designation as a commercial success). But those who have not seen the stage version are unlikely to be won over to the ranks of the franchise's numerous fanatics. My advice is to definitely see the film if you've ever seen the stage performance or listened regularly to the soundtrack - otherwise, you might be disappointed. After all, no matter how good The Phantom Of The Opera translates to the big screen, there's a reason musicals are not the dominate genre in Hollywood…
The Phantom Of The Opera centers around a mysterious character who dwells underneath the Paris Opera House, imbibing himself on the music that emanates from above. Known as The Phantom (Gerard Butler), he wears a half-mask to cover the hideous facial scars that have plagued him since birth. A musical genius, the phantom is infatuated with the opera, and when he falls in love with the voice of a young chorus girl named Christine (Emmy Rossum - The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Mystic River (2003)), this love of the opera morphs into an outright obsession. The phantom provides Christine with one-on-one voice lessons, while during his spare time, he terrorizes the opera house in an effort to land his protégé the opera's leading role. When Christine finally rises to that position, however, she is reunited with childhood friend Raul (Patrick Wilson), and the two begin a torrid love affair. Vengeful and jealous, the phantom kidnaps Christine and holds her prisoner in his underground lair, and Raul is the only one who can save her…
Onscreen, The Phantom Of The Opera is weak by the standards of a traditional film. The cast does its best to make the most of a screenplay peppered with rigid dialogue - a script designed to sell "the music of the night". The supposed magnetism between Christine and Raul is non-existent and not really believable. As such, the audience is forced into believing that the phantom (who, by contrast, is quite charismatic in this rendition) would end up playing second fiddle to a man who makes Al Gore seem animated. Overall, however, other aspects of the film make up for this flaw…
Based on Gaston Leroux's 1925 novel of the same name, The Phantom Of The Opera loses much of its original edge given the phantom's transformation from a frightening and mangled lunatic to a watered down half-scarred/half-babe-magnet figure complete with likeable characteristics. But inevitably, that's the mark of an enduring franchise - its malleability in the realm of numerous genres and the public's willingness to embrace such changes. But arguably, the small changes in the original novel's plot were necessary to achieve Lloyd Webber's goal of a melodramatic and stirring Broadway musical boasting mass commercial appeal. In a year in which the Oscar nominations were mostly dominated by lower-budget, surprise hit films (such as Sideways, Million Dollar Baby, and Finding Neverland), The Phantom Of The Opera holds its own in many aspects (given its pre-production designation as a commercial success). But those who have not seen the stage version are unlikely to be won over to the ranks of the franchise's numerous fanatics. My advice is to definitely see the film if you've ever seen the stage performance or listened regularly to the soundtrack - otherwise, you might be disappointed. After all, no matter how good The Phantom Of The Opera translates to the big screen, there's a reason musicals are not the dominate genre in Hollywood…
North And South (dvd) Review
Based on the best-selling novels by John Jakes, North And South premiered as a highly celebrated and critically acclaimed television series in 1985. In the spirit of Gone With The Wind, the novels cover 19th Century America before, during, and after the Civil War. As with the Margaret Mitchell classic, Jakes creates a larger-than-life cast of characters to tell his story of struggle between a Union of States divided on the issues of human bondage and state’s rights, loyalty to one’s nation and loyalty to the state in which one was born, along with innumerable interpersonal conflicts lost in the sands of time… To tell his story, Jakes uses two families, the Hazard family of Pennsylvania and the Main family of South Carolina.
Boasting a star-studded cast, North And South is over 1000 minutes of riveting drama. Multiple discs cover the Civil War era with breathtaking cinematography, realistic settings, and the ever-increasing cauldron of conflict between North and South. You won’t want to miss this truly amazing series.
The North And South DVD covers all three books from the popular series, each a multi-disc set…
Below is a less than comprehensive summary of each book.
(Be Warned that the summaries below contain some plot spoilers)
BOOK ONE – North & South (561 minutes)
Book One of the North And South DVD covers the period prior the Civil War (1844-1860). Eighteen-year-old Orry Main (Patrick Swayze) prepares to leave his South Carolina plantation en route to West Point when he encounters an overturned carriage while leaving town. Aiding the passengers, Orry is introduced to the lovely Madeline Fabray (Lesley-Anne Down) to whom he provides a ride, giving her safe passage to the LaMotte plantation where her father and his friend Justin LaMotte (David Carradine) are waiting. Madeline and Orry agree to write each other while he’s away at West Point.
When Orry travels to New York, he meets up with a group of unsavory characters who try to rob him, but George Hazard (James Read) comes to his aid, and the two manage to fend off the criminals. George is on his way to West Point as well, and the two men strike up a friendship that continues through the duration of their schooling. While at West Point, they collude with others to rid the campus of menacing upperclassman Elkanah Bent (Philip Casnoff). The vindictive cadet vows revenge, and he gets it when George and Orry are placed under his command at a battle during the Mexican War. Bent sends the two men and their comrades into certain death, only to have his plan foiled by a Mexican retreat.
While fighting in Mexico, George meets his future wife Constance Flynn (Wendy Kilbourne). Meanwhile, Orry and Madeline experience a personal hell when Madeline’s father hides Orry’s letters from West Point. Thinking that Orry has forgotten about her, Madeline agrees to marry Justin LaMotte, who treats her horribly. With Orry and Madeline continuing their love affair in secret, George and Orry continue their friendship. The entire Main family, including Orry’s sisters Ashton (Terri Garber) and Brett (Genie Francis) as well as Main cousin Charles (Lewis Smith), travel to Pennsylvania as guests of the Hazard family. While in the North, the Mains are confronted by George’s abolitionist sister Virgilia (Kirstie Alley) and the differences between the North and South dominate the discussion, but George and Orry’s friendship continues unabated as they decide not to discuss such matters.
When the Mains return the favor and invite the Hazards to South Carolina, Virgilia creates a ruckus by aiding in the escape of Grady, a neighbor’s slave. Later, she marries Grady, and the two join John Brown and his freedom fighters. When Grady is killed, Virgilia enlists the help of Congressmen Sam Greene.
Meanwhile, Orry and George start a business partnership by opening a cotton mill in South Carolina. As the secessionist movement gains ground, the two continue to take comfort in the strength of their brotherly bond…
BOOK TWO – Love & War (570 minutes)
Book Two of the North And South DVD covers the beginnings of the Civil War and the war’s conclusion (1860-1865). Despite the growing talk of Southern secession, George and Orry continue to run their cotton mill and remain friends. George and Constance even operate an illegal stop along the Underground Railroad. But when Abraham Lincoln is elected president, the Southern states secede, and eventually war breaks out between the two nations. Orry’s sister Brett is in love with George’s brother Billy Hazard (John Stockwell) who is himself a West Point graduate stationed in Fort Sumter. The war drives Billy far away from his new bride Brett, while Ashton sees the war as an opportunity to profit. Using her husband James Huntoon (Jim Metzler) to climb the ranks of the political circuit, Ashton decides that James is not the best man to serve her interests. She begins a relationship with Elkanah Bent, who is using the war for personal profit by smuggling luxury goods past the Union naval blockade.
Meanwhile, the war tears apart both North and South. George works as an aide to Lincoln, while Orry works in a similar capacity for Jefferson Davis. During the course of the war, Charles meets a Virginia woman and falls in love with her. At war’s end, she bears his child, but dies shortly thereafter. In addition, Justin’s death finally gives Orry and Madeline the opportunity to marry. As the war wages on, it takes its toll on the two families. But despite the obstacles, they endure to the end. At the war’s conclusion, George and Orry are reunited, and the two men vow to work together to rebuild a broken nation.
BOOK THREE – Heaven & Hell (261 minutes)
Book Three of the North And South DVD originally aired in 1994, several years after the first two books aired. With Patrick Swayze now an established star, the character of Orry Main is written out of the television screenplay for the final book. Several other cast members reappear, but the writing deviates substantially from John Jakes’s original novel, creating a plot which fails to make sense. Seeing as how Elkanah Bent died in the previous book, it’s somewhat ludicrous to have him reappear in book three. In addition, the dialogue is often stiff and awkward, the plot uninteresting, and the entire book is not worth viewing. Stick with watching the first two books on DVD.
CONCLUSION
Despite the failure of Book Three to arouse any interest whatsoever, the North And South DVD is more than worth the price for Books One and Two. This is a thoroughly entertaining mini-series reminiscent of a prime time soap opera, one with a historical perspective. With a cast of characters likely to spark viewer fondness, compelling subplots, and fascinating costumes and set design, North And South is an epic of unrivaled quality. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed with the North And South DVD, despite the deficiencies of Book Three…
Boasting a star-studded cast, North And South is over 1000 minutes of riveting drama. Multiple discs cover the Civil War era with breathtaking cinematography, realistic settings, and the ever-increasing cauldron of conflict between North and South. You won’t want to miss this truly amazing series.
The North And South DVD covers all three books from the popular series, each a multi-disc set…
Below is a less than comprehensive summary of each book.
(Be Warned that the summaries below contain some plot spoilers)
BOOK ONE – North & South (561 minutes)
Book One of the North And South DVD covers the period prior the Civil War (1844-1860). Eighteen-year-old Orry Main (Patrick Swayze) prepares to leave his South Carolina plantation en route to West Point when he encounters an overturned carriage while leaving town. Aiding the passengers, Orry is introduced to the lovely Madeline Fabray (Lesley-Anne Down) to whom he provides a ride, giving her safe passage to the LaMotte plantation where her father and his friend Justin LaMotte (David Carradine) are waiting. Madeline and Orry agree to write each other while he’s away at West Point.
When Orry travels to New York, he meets up with a group of unsavory characters who try to rob him, but George Hazard (James Read) comes to his aid, and the two manage to fend off the criminals. George is on his way to West Point as well, and the two men strike up a friendship that continues through the duration of their schooling. While at West Point, they collude with others to rid the campus of menacing upperclassman Elkanah Bent (Philip Casnoff). The vindictive cadet vows revenge, and he gets it when George and Orry are placed under his command at a battle during the Mexican War. Bent sends the two men and their comrades into certain death, only to have his plan foiled by a Mexican retreat.
While fighting in Mexico, George meets his future wife Constance Flynn (Wendy Kilbourne). Meanwhile, Orry and Madeline experience a personal hell when Madeline’s father hides Orry’s letters from West Point. Thinking that Orry has forgotten about her, Madeline agrees to marry Justin LaMotte, who treats her horribly. With Orry and Madeline continuing their love affair in secret, George and Orry continue their friendship. The entire Main family, including Orry’s sisters Ashton (Terri Garber) and Brett (Genie Francis) as well as Main cousin Charles (Lewis Smith), travel to Pennsylvania as guests of the Hazard family. While in the North, the Mains are confronted by George’s abolitionist sister Virgilia (Kirstie Alley) and the differences between the North and South dominate the discussion, but George and Orry’s friendship continues unabated as they decide not to discuss such matters.
When the Mains return the favor and invite the Hazards to South Carolina, Virgilia creates a ruckus by aiding in the escape of Grady, a neighbor’s slave. Later, she marries Grady, and the two join John Brown and his freedom fighters. When Grady is killed, Virgilia enlists the help of Congressmen Sam Greene.
Meanwhile, Orry and George start a business partnership by opening a cotton mill in South Carolina. As the secessionist movement gains ground, the two continue to take comfort in the strength of their brotherly bond…
BOOK TWO – Love & War (570 minutes)
Book Two of the North And South DVD covers the beginnings of the Civil War and the war’s conclusion (1860-1865). Despite the growing talk of Southern secession, George and Orry continue to run their cotton mill and remain friends. George and Constance even operate an illegal stop along the Underground Railroad. But when Abraham Lincoln is elected president, the Southern states secede, and eventually war breaks out between the two nations. Orry’s sister Brett is in love with George’s brother Billy Hazard (John Stockwell) who is himself a West Point graduate stationed in Fort Sumter. The war drives Billy far away from his new bride Brett, while Ashton sees the war as an opportunity to profit. Using her husband James Huntoon (Jim Metzler) to climb the ranks of the political circuit, Ashton decides that James is not the best man to serve her interests. She begins a relationship with Elkanah Bent, who is using the war for personal profit by smuggling luxury goods past the Union naval blockade.
Meanwhile, the war tears apart both North and South. George works as an aide to Lincoln, while Orry works in a similar capacity for Jefferson Davis. During the course of the war, Charles meets a Virginia woman and falls in love with her. At war’s end, she bears his child, but dies shortly thereafter. In addition, Justin’s death finally gives Orry and Madeline the opportunity to marry. As the war wages on, it takes its toll on the two families. But despite the obstacles, they endure to the end. At the war’s conclusion, George and Orry are reunited, and the two men vow to work together to rebuild a broken nation.
BOOK THREE – Heaven & Hell (261 minutes)
Book Three of the North And South DVD originally aired in 1994, several years after the first two books aired. With Patrick Swayze now an established star, the character of Orry Main is written out of the television screenplay for the final book. Several other cast members reappear, but the writing deviates substantially from John Jakes’s original novel, creating a plot which fails to make sense. Seeing as how Elkanah Bent died in the previous book, it’s somewhat ludicrous to have him reappear in book three. In addition, the dialogue is often stiff and awkward, the plot uninteresting, and the entire book is not worth viewing. Stick with watching the first two books on DVD.
CONCLUSION
Despite the failure of Book Three to arouse any interest whatsoever, the North And South DVD is more than worth the price for Books One and Two. This is a thoroughly entertaining mini-series reminiscent of a prime time soap opera, one with a historical perspective. With a cast of characters likely to spark viewer fondness, compelling subplots, and fascinating costumes and set design, North And South is an epic of unrivaled quality. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed with the North And South DVD, despite the deficiencies of Book Three…
Must Love Dogs (dvd) Review
One of the least appreciated films of 2005 is Must Love Dogs, an upbeat romantic comedy about two recent divorcees. Directed and adapted to screen by Gary David Goldberg, veteran TV writer for such shows as MASH and Family Ties, the film offers a number of laughs and very little in the way of strained or forced moments. As usual, John Cusack’s character appears on the big screen as an amicable and enigmatic personality. Cusack and Diane Lane make for a good onscreen pairing, but the script is somewhat lacking in its ability to deliver. Much like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail, the concept and the couple are intriguing, but the unmet high expectations leave much to be desired…
Must Love Dogs follows the life of Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane), a recently divorced preschool teacher attempting to move on with her life. Sarah’s sister Carol (Elizabeth Perkins) is constantly nagging her to get out and meet Mr. Right, but her prodding does nothing to animate the borderline depressed Sarah. Nevertheless, Carol’s well-intentioned act of signing her sister onto PerfectMatch.com provides a handful of prospective leads. One of them is a recently divorced woodworking artist named Jake (John Cusack), and the two agree to meet in the park with their dogs. The encounter is a forgettable one, but the two develop a mild attraction to one another.
Meanwhile, Bob (Dermot Mulroney) the father of one of Sarah’s students, develops his own attraction for Sarah, forming a love triangle that leaves Sarah in utter confusion. As Sarah’s widowed father Bill (Christopher Plummer) plays the field with much greater success, it only seems to exacerbate Sarah’s disillusioned outlook. But when one of her father’s new female friends, the likeable and spunky Dolly (Stockard Channing) dispenses some of her own advice on life and relationships, it makes for a more interesting and humorous film. Caught in the lurch between two unknown outcomes, Sarah must choose the relationship that is right for her. But in the course of her hesitation, she risks losing the only relationship of the two which is truly worth her while.
Fun and oftentimes witty, Must Love Dogs has some great scenes and original one-liners. Based on the bestselling novel by Claire Cook, Must Love Dogs will never be confused with a deeply symbolic or Oscar worthy picture, and the plot itself is quite predictable. But the film manages to do the most important job a film can do: entertain. Although it suffers at moments from use of bad dialogue, it’s not a total throwaway film. Like another recent Diane Lane movie, Under The Tuscan Sun, the mandatory gay friend with attractive significant other is present for relationship advice. That’s just one of a variety of overused Hollywood clichés the viewer will encounter, along with the coincidence of Jake meeting Sarah’s father and Sarah’s end-of-the-movie race to embrace Jake, of which I must ask, why couldn’t she just wait until he got ashore? Because it wouldn’t make for a magical romantic movie ending, that’s why. Otherwise, Must Love Dogs is a likeable picture with many funny moments most will enjoy…
Must Love Dogs follows the life of Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane), a recently divorced preschool teacher attempting to move on with her life. Sarah’s sister Carol (Elizabeth Perkins) is constantly nagging her to get out and meet Mr. Right, but her prodding does nothing to animate the borderline depressed Sarah. Nevertheless, Carol’s well-intentioned act of signing her sister onto PerfectMatch.com provides a handful of prospective leads. One of them is a recently divorced woodworking artist named Jake (John Cusack), and the two agree to meet in the park with their dogs. The encounter is a forgettable one, but the two develop a mild attraction to one another.
Meanwhile, Bob (Dermot Mulroney) the father of one of Sarah’s students, develops his own attraction for Sarah, forming a love triangle that leaves Sarah in utter confusion. As Sarah’s widowed father Bill (Christopher Plummer) plays the field with much greater success, it only seems to exacerbate Sarah’s disillusioned outlook. But when one of her father’s new female friends, the likeable and spunky Dolly (Stockard Channing) dispenses some of her own advice on life and relationships, it makes for a more interesting and humorous film. Caught in the lurch between two unknown outcomes, Sarah must choose the relationship that is right for her. But in the course of her hesitation, she risks losing the only relationship of the two which is truly worth her while.
Fun and oftentimes witty, Must Love Dogs has some great scenes and original one-liners. Based on the bestselling novel by Claire Cook, Must Love Dogs will never be confused with a deeply symbolic or Oscar worthy picture, and the plot itself is quite predictable. But the film manages to do the most important job a film can do: entertain. Although it suffers at moments from use of bad dialogue, it’s not a total throwaway film. Like another recent Diane Lane movie, Under The Tuscan Sun, the mandatory gay friend with attractive significant other is present for relationship advice. That’s just one of a variety of overused Hollywood clichés the viewer will encounter, along with the coincidence of Jake meeting Sarah’s father and Sarah’s end-of-the-movie race to embrace Jake, of which I must ask, why couldn’t she just wait until he got ashore? Because it wouldn’t make for a magical romantic movie ending, that’s why. Otherwise, Must Love Dogs is a likeable picture with many funny moments most will enjoy…
Braveheart (dvd) Review
Long before The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson directed another cinematic masterpiece, Braveheart. Filmed against the backdrop of majestic mountains and rolling meadows, it tells the historically-based (yet not entirely accurate) story of William Wallace, a common man’s warrior who led the Scottish people in rebellion against King Edward I, also known as “Longshanks”. Written by Randall Wallace, an American tourist fascinated with a Scottish statue of his namesake, the script collected dust in Hollywood for over a decade before Gibson made the brilliant decision to put it on the big screen. Just like The Passion, it’s a decision he would not regret…
Set in the 11th Century, Braveheart catalogues the struggle of Scottish serfs who labor under the brutal oppression of English occupation forces. Amidst these terrible conditions, William Wallace (Mel Gibson) falls in love with Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack). Insistent on not sharing his wife (a proclamation by the king gives local rulers “first-night rights” to new brides) Wallace secretly marries Murron. Nevertheless, an English knight assaults her, sparking a fight with Wallace. Fleeing the village, Wallace believes Murron has escaped and will soon meet him at a secret rendezvous point. But Murron is captured and executed by the king’s emissaries.
Angered by his wife’s murder, Wallace instigates a local rebellion, slaughtering all the king’s loyalists in his village. As his rebellion grows, a distraught Longshanks (Patrick McGoohan) dispatches his fabled Northern Army to destroy it. But the heroic Wallace delivers a stirring speech to rouse his men, while deploying an ingenious battlefield trick to defeat the king’s cavalry.
With the power and legend of Wallace growing day by day, Longshanks relies on his daughter-in-law, Princess Isabelle (Sophie Marceau) to broker a truce. But Isabelle’s power is limited, and Wallace realizes his people can only win freedom if backed by the Scottish nobles. Their appointed leader is Robert the Bruce (Angus MacFadyen) who vacillates between his own idealistic views and his father’s pessimistic pragmatism. Will the nobles join with Wallace? Will the Scots win their freedom? Only history tells us the answer…
With elaborate costumes, vivid battle scenes, and a noble hero as its focal point, Braveheart is more than your typical run-of-the-mill action movie. Part history, part Hollywood heroism – its timeless idealism strikes a cord with every viewer. In fact, the movie itself led to a revival in nationalistic pride that fueled the successful Scottish independence movement of the 1990s. It’s a testament to the strength and character of the real life William Wallace. A thousand years later, his enduring legacy continues to transform the European landscape, and Mel Gibson captures the noble warrior’s passion with an awe-inspiring Academy Award-winning masterpiece
Set in the 11th Century, Braveheart catalogues the struggle of Scottish serfs who labor under the brutal oppression of English occupation forces. Amidst these terrible conditions, William Wallace (Mel Gibson) falls in love with Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack). Insistent on not sharing his wife (a proclamation by the king gives local rulers “first-night rights” to new brides) Wallace secretly marries Murron. Nevertheless, an English knight assaults her, sparking a fight with Wallace. Fleeing the village, Wallace believes Murron has escaped and will soon meet him at a secret rendezvous point. But Murron is captured and executed by the king’s emissaries.
Angered by his wife’s murder, Wallace instigates a local rebellion, slaughtering all the king’s loyalists in his village. As his rebellion grows, a distraught Longshanks (Patrick McGoohan) dispatches his fabled Northern Army to destroy it. But the heroic Wallace delivers a stirring speech to rouse his men, while deploying an ingenious battlefield trick to defeat the king’s cavalry.
With the power and legend of Wallace growing day by day, Longshanks relies on his daughter-in-law, Princess Isabelle (Sophie Marceau) to broker a truce. But Isabelle’s power is limited, and Wallace realizes his people can only win freedom if backed by the Scottish nobles. Their appointed leader is Robert the Bruce (Angus MacFadyen) who vacillates between his own idealistic views and his father’s pessimistic pragmatism. Will the nobles join with Wallace? Will the Scots win their freedom? Only history tells us the answer…
With elaborate costumes, vivid battle scenes, and a noble hero as its focal point, Braveheart is more than your typical run-of-the-mill action movie. Part history, part Hollywood heroism – its timeless idealism strikes a cord with every viewer. In fact, the movie itself led to a revival in nationalistic pride that fueled the successful Scottish independence movement of the 1990s. It’s a testament to the strength and character of the real life William Wallace. A thousand years later, his enduring legacy continues to transform the European landscape, and Mel Gibson captures the noble warrior’s passion with an awe-inspiring Academy Award-winning masterpiece
The Sting (dvd) Review
Recipient of ten Academy Award nominations and winner of seven, including Best Picture, The Sting is widely lauded as one of the best films ever produced. Written by David S. Ward, whose unorthodox genius has produced such Hollywood hits as Major League (1989), King Ralph (1991), and Sleepless In Seattle (1993), The Sting boasts a superbly well-written screenplay, ripe with perfectly constructed dialogue and a plotline riddled with suspense. Directed by George Roy Hill, who previously teamed with Paul Newman and Robert Redford to produce Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969), it paints a colorful picture of 1930s Chicago. Complete with gangsters, card games, illegal gambling, sex, and murder, what else could a movie lover wish for?
The Sting follows the life of a two-bit grifter named Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford). Hooker runs small-time jobs with Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) and Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe). Business is decent until they pull the con of a lifetime on a greedy numbers runner. Hoping for a few dollars, they end making off with several thousand. But Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), the organized crime boss whose money they stole, places a hit on all three men that results in Luther’s death. Caught in the crosshairs of dirty cop Lt. William Snyder (Charles Durning) and a mysterious hit man (Dimitra Arliss), Johnny follows the advice of his dead mentor and contacts the best conman in the world, Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman), in hopes of becoming his understudy.
Gondorff promises to pull “the big con” (the ultimate score for con artists), and to sweeten the pot, he promises to make the mark Doyle Lonnegan himself. Gathering a star-studded team of con artists, pick-pockets, and grifters, Gondorff and Hooker set out to take Lonnegan for millions. Together, they set up a rival gambling operation in Chicago under the names of Shaw and Kelley. Hooker (a.k.a. Kelley) endears himself to Lonnegan so as to win over the gangster’s trust. Convincing Lonnegan he has friend at the Western Union who can telegraph winning horses moments before a race is reported, Hooker gets Lonnegan to place a series of winning bets at Gondorff’s gambling parlor. Under the impression Kelley’s goal is to break Shaw (a.k.a. Gondorff) and take over his establishment, the two agree to one last bet, with Lonnegan set to place a million dollars of his own money on the line. It’s a bet Gondorff and Hooker intend for Lonnegan to lose… But one problem remains. The FBI is hot on the trail of Gondorff, and they’re determined to break his operation at any cost…
Far ahead of its time, The Sting redefined the Hollywood plot twist with its ingenious organization of multiple subplots. Newman is masterful as the veteran cheat Henry Gondorff, and it’s well worth watching the entire film just to see the scene where he out-cheats the ultimate cheat at cards. With a parade of eccentric characters, well-developed sinister figures, and clever exchanges of dialogue, The Sting isn’t your typical sensationalistic Hollywood potboiler. Like a great novel, the film takes some time to establish its characters and develop its plotline. Patient viewers will be well-rewarded…
The Sting follows the life of a two-bit grifter named Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford). Hooker runs small-time jobs with Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) and Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe). Business is decent until they pull the con of a lifetime on a greedy numbers runner. Hoping for a few dollars, they end making off with several thousand. But Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), the organized crime boss whose money they stole, places a hit on all three men that results in Luther’s death. Caught in the crosshairs of dirty cop Lt. William Snyder (Charles Durning) and a mysterious hit man (Dimitra Arliss), Johnny follows the advice of his dead mentor and contacts the best conman in the world, Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman), in hopes of becoming his understudy.
Gondorff promises to pull “the big con” (the ultimate score for con artists), and to sweeten the pot, he promises to make the mark Doyle Lonnegan himself. Gathering a star-studded team of con artists, pick-pockets, and grifters, Gondorff and Hooker set out to take Lonnegan for millions. Together, they set up a rival gambling operation in Chicago under the names of Shaw and Kelley. Hooker (a.k.a. Kelley) endears himself to Lonnegan so as to win over the gangster’s trust. Convincing Lonnegan he has friend at the Western Union who can telegraph winning horses moments before a race is reported, Hooker gets Lonnegan to place a series of winning bets at Gondorff’s gambling parlor. Under the impression Kelley’s goal is to break Shaw (a.k.a. Gondorff) and take over his establishment, the two agree to one last bet, with Lonnegan set to place a million dollars of his own money on the line. It’s a bet Gondorff and Hooker intend for Lonnegan to lose… But one problem remains. The FBI is hot on the trail of Gondorff, and they’re determined to break his operation at any cost…
Far ahead of its time, The Sting redefined the Hollywood plot twist with its ingenious organization of multiple subplots. Newman is masterful as the veteran cheat Henry Gondorff, and it’s well worth watching the entire film just to see the scene where he out-cheats the ultimate cheat at cards. With a parade of eccentric characters, well-developed sinister figures, and clever exchanges of dialogue, The Sting isn’t your typical sensationalistic Hollywood potboiler. Like a great novel, the film takes some time to establish its characters and develop its plotline. Patient viewers will be well-rewarded…
The Shawshank Redemption (dvd) Review
Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, The Shawshank Redemption amazingly failed to win a single Oscar. It’s amazing because it’s probably one of the top ten best films ever produced. Based on Stephen King’s short story ‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,’ the film transcends the typical intellectually and spiritually bankrupt Hollywood entertainment of the modern era with an onscreen artistry that is the closest we’ll probably ever see to poetry in moving pictures. With masterful performances by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, audience members will find themselves engrossed in a tragic story wrought with suspense at every turn…
The Shawshank Redemption focuses on the life of Andy Dufresne (Robbins), a prominent banker convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Sent to Shawshank prison in the summer of 1947, the inmates bet on which of the new arrivals will be the first to crack. Ellis “Red” Redding (Freeman), an institutional fixture and the man who can provide anything for a price, puts his money on Andy. But much to his surprise, Andy doesn’t make a sound…
Over time, Andy and Red develop a close friendship, and Red procures a small rock hammer for Andy. As the years go by, he procures other items as well, the most interesting being Rita Hayworth. Red acquires a poster of the screen siren for Andy, and business continues as usual in Shawshank. Along the way, Andy ingratiates himself with the notorious prison guard Byron Hadley (Clancy Brown) and Warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). Putting his outside skills to good use, Andy provides tax advice and tax preparation services to guards not just at Shawshank, but other prisons as well.
Eventually, in exchange for a comprehensive prison library, he ends up running a massive money laundering operation for Norton leveraging prison labor in exchange for lucrative kickbacks. But all goes awry when Shawshank’s newest prisoner, a young punk named Tommy (Gil Bellows) comes forward with shocking information. Andy, who’s spent twenty years in Shawshank prison, might be innocent after all… The revelation ruins lives and destroys Andy’s prison sanctuary, but it’s Warden Norton and his associates who are ruined when the beautiful pin-up Raquel Welch reveals her hidden secret…
Directed by Frank Darabont, producer of such hit films as The Green Mile (1999) and The Majestic (2001), The Shawshank Redemption is a film of absolute breathtaking perfection that ranks near the top of most lists of the best films ever produced. Thomas Newman’s musical score, reused in countless films in the years since its release, blends together with brilliant casting, memorable screen performance, and masterful set design to create an unmatched and timeless epic. If you haven’t seen The Shawshank Redemption, you aren’t just missing out on a great film, but a great life experience as well. Do yourself a favor and see this movie…
The Shawshank Redemption focuses on the life of Andy Dufresne (Robbins), a prominent banker convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Sent to Shawshank prison in the summer of 1947, the inmates bet on which of the new arrivals will be the first to crack. Ellis “Red” Redding (Freeman), an institutional fixture and the man who can provide anything for a price, puts his money on Andy. But much to his surprise, Andy doesn’t make a sound…
Over time, Andy and Red develop a close friendship, and Red procures a small rock hammer for Andy. As the years go by, he procures other items as well, the most interesting being Rita Hayworth. Red acquires a poster of the screen siren for Andy, and business continues as usual in Shawshank. Along the way, Andy ingratiates himself with the notorious prison guard Byron Hadley (Clancy Brown) and Warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). Putting his outside skills to good use, Andy provides tax advice and tax preparation services to guards not just at Shawshank, but other prisons as well.
Eventually, in exchange for a comprehensive prison library, he ends up running a massive money laundering operation for Norton leveraging prison labor in exchange for lucrative kickbacks. But all goes awry when Shawshank’s newest prisoner, a young punk named Tommy (Gil Bellows) comes forward with shocking information. Andy, who’s spent twenty years in Shawshank prison, might be innocent after all… The revelation ruins lives and destroys Andy’s prison sanctuary, but it’s Warden Norton and his associates who are ruined when the beautiful pin-up Raquel Welch reveals her hidden secret…
Directed by Frank Darabont, producer of such hit films as The Green Mile (1999) and The Majestic (2001), The Shawshank Redemption is a film of absolute breathtaking perfection that ranks near the top of most lists of the best films ever produced. Thomas Newman’s musical score, reused in countless films in the years since its release, blends together with brilliant casting, memorable screen performance, and masterful set design to create an unmatched and timeless epic. If you haven’t seen The Shawshank Redemption, you aren’t just missing out on a great film, but a great life experience as well. Do yourself a favor and see this movie…
A Christmas Story (dvd) Review
Adapted from humorist Jean Shepherd's hilarious memoir In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story has climbed the ranks of the annual holiday classic films list to claim its spot among the hallowed elite of the genre. If you’ve ever tried to lick a frozen telephone pole, or found yourself in a ridiculous bunny outfit on Christmas morning, then A Christmas Story is one comedy you won’t want to miss…
A Christmas Story focuses on one central character, fifth grader Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his all-encompassing quest to receive a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB rifle for Christmas, although I don’t think he realizes he could put an eye out with one of those things… Thwarting Ralphie at every turn are his mother (Melinda Dillon) and father (Darren McGavin) who seem absolutely oblivious to their young son’s dream.
Unable to come right out and say what he wants, Ralphie drops subtle hints around the house such as placing clipped-out magazine ads for the gun in his parents’ nightstand reading material. When prodded for his true Christmas wish, Ralphie blurts out that he wants a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB gun, but his mother’s only reply is, “You don’t want one of those. You'll shoot your eye out!”
A Christmas Story is filled with memorable scenes and highlights that have helped built a cult following around the life of a young boy obsessed with Christmas who is surrounded by a varied cast eccentric friends and family members. When Ralphie’s father beams with pride at his ability to win a newspaper contest, his proudly displays his prize in the front window of the family home, a three-foot lamp with a woman’s long, stocking-covered leg as its base. Embarrassed, Ralphie’s mother “accidentally” breaks it, sparking a war of words with her husband. Meanwhile, Ralphie dreams of saving the whole family with his Red-Ryder BB gun, thus earning the family’s undying gratitude.
One of the best sequences in the film involves a family trip to the local department store, where Ralphie and his little brother Randy meet with the store Santa Clause near closing time. Following a long, extended wait to reach the front of the line to see Santa, Ralphie is so brimming with anticipation to tell Santa what he wants that he can’t speak. So, Santa convinces Ralphie that he wants a football. But before Santa’s helper can push Ralphie down the North Pole slide, Ralphie blurts out his true wish, only to hear Santa’s reply, “You’ll shoot your eye out with that, kid!”
One of the best Christmas comedies ever made, although few come close to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story is a memorable holiday classic the entire family can enjoy. Much like It’s A Wonderful Life, the film has only grown in popularity in the years since its release. The timeless nature of its subject matter lends itself well to annual holiday viewing, and it remains one of a handful of “must see” films for the Christmas season…
A Christmas Story focuses on one central character, fifth grader Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his all-encompassing quest to receive a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB rifle for Christmas, although I don’t think he realizes he could put an eye out with one of those things… Thwarting Ralphie at every turn are his mother (Melinda Dillon) and father (Darren McGavin) who seem absolutely oblivious to their young son’s dream.
Unable to come right out and say what he wants, Ralphie drops subtle hints around the house such as placing clipped-out magazine ads for the gun in his parents’ nightstand reading material. When prodded for his true Christmas wish, Ralphie blurts out that he wants a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB gun, but his mother’s only reply is, “You don’t want one of those. You'll shoot your eye out!”
A Christmas Story is filled with memorable scenes and highlights that have helped built a cult following around the life of a young boy obsessed with Christmas who is surrounded by a varied cast eccentric friends and family members. When Ralphie’s father beams with pride at his ability to win a newspaper contest, his proudly displays his prize in the front window of the family home, a three-foot lamp with a woman’s long, stocking-covered leg as its base. Embarrassed, Ralphie’s mother “accidentally” breaks it, sparking a war of words with her husband. Meanwhile, Ralphie dreams of saving the whole family with his Red-Ryder BB gun, thus earning the family’s undying gratitude.
One of the best sequences in the film involves a family trip to the local department store, where Ralphie and his little brother Randy meet with the store Santa Clause near closing time. Following a long, extended wait to reach the front of the line to see Santa, Ralphie is so brimming with anticipation to tell Santa what he wants that he can’t speak. So, Santa convinces Ralphie that he wants a football. But before Santa’s helper can push Ralphie down the North Pole slide, Ralphie blurts out his true wish, only to hear Santa’s reply, “You’ll shoot your eye out with that, kid!”
One of the best Christmas comedies ever made, although few come close to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story is a memorable holiday classic the entire family can enjoy. Much like It’s A Wonderful Life, the film has only grown in popularity in the years since its release. The timeless nature of its subject matter lends itself well to annual holiday viewing, and it remains one of a handful of “must see” films for the Christmas season…
Wedding Crashers (dvd) Review
One of the funniest and most outrageous comedies of 2005, Wedding Crashers will have you falling out of your chair with laughter. Directed by the underrated David Dobkin, the film features now veteran Hollywood funny men Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in their first film together as the central headliners. TV writers Steve Faber and Bob Fisher author the screenplay, a breakout hit for both, that has to be considered one of the best written comedies of the year. Of course, it helps to have the perfect comic duo delivering the lines, and Wedding Crashers offers just that. The onscreen personas of Vaughn and Wilson compliment each other extremely well, providing a flux between the laid back approach of Wilson and the fast talking banter of Vaughn.
Wedding Crashers follows the lives of two business partners and best friends, John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn). Making their living as divorce counselors, they often mediate between warring couples. But in reality, neither man is married himself. They are, however, loyally dedicated to a set of principles: the wedding crasher rules. Adhering to a specific set of intricately engineered rules for crashing weddings, John and Jeremy share a common passion for wedding receptions and carefree bridesmaids.
When the new wedding season arrives, the two set out in earnest to schmooze with relatives, deliver masterful toasts, and conquer as many beautiful women as possible. No race, religion, or social caste is left untouched by their elite wedding crashing skills. But as the wedding season comes to a close with the ultimate crescendo, the wedding of Treasury Secretary William Cleary’s (Christopher Walken) daughter, the duo’s perfectly laid plans go awry. While chasing after the Secretary’s remaining two daughters, Claire (Rachel McAdams) and Gloria (Isla Fisher), the unthinkable occurs. John breaks a rule by harboring genuine feelings for Claire. Things are further exacerbated when John breaks another rule and accepts an invitation to spend the weekend with the Cleary family so he can get closer to Claire. Masquerading as distant relatives, John must fend off the advances of Claire’s mother Kathleen (Jane Seymour) while also attempting to eliminate Claire’s pompous boyfriend Zach (Bradley Cooper). Meanwhile, Jeremy is tortured by an extended weekend with the clingy and borderline insane Gloria and her crazy brother Todd (Keir O’Donnell). As John gets closer to falling in love with Claire, Zach gets closer to blowing the lid off their wedding crasher conspiracy…
Utterly hilarious in every way, Wedding Crashers features some of the funniest movie scenes of 2005. A brief appearance by Will Ferrell who plays the role of Chazz Reinhold, one of the original wedding crashers, makes the film doubly hilarious. Apparently, Chazz has discovered that grieving women at funerals are easier to pick up than bridesmaids. So, of course, he turns to funeral crashing. The comic sequence where Vince Vaughn gets demolished playing football is ancient slapstick, but hilarious nonetheless. Isla Fisher can be annoying at times, but her character is so ridiculously insane that it become funny to watch her after a while, and some of the pick-up lines and wedding crasher techniques are just as entertaining. Overall, Wedding Crashers is a film you’ll probably want to watch more than once. If anything, just to catch the laughs you missed the first time around…
Wedding Crashers follows the lives of two business partners and best friends, John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn). Making their living as divorce counselors, they often mediate between warring couples. But in reality, neither man is married himself. They are, however, loyally dedicated to a set of principles: the wedding crasher rules. Adhering to a specific set of intricately engineered rules for crashing weddings, John and Jeremy share a common passion for wedding receptions and carefree bridesmaids.
When the new wedding season arrives, the two set out in earnest to schmooze with relatives, deliver masterful toasts, and conquer as many beautiful women as possible. No race, religion, or social caste is left untouched by their elite wedding crashing skills. But as the wedding season comes to a close with the ultimate crescendo, the wedding of Treasury Secretary William Cleary’s (Christopher Walken) daughter, the duo’s perfectly laid plans go awry. While chasing after the Secretary’s remaining two daughters, Claire (Rachel McAdams) and Gloria (Isla Fisher), the unthinkable occurs. John breaks a rule by harboring genuine feelings for Claire. Things are further exacerbated when John breaks another rule and accepts an invitation to spend the weekend with the Cleary family so he can get closer to Claire. Masquerading as distant relatives, John must fend off the advances of Claire’s mother Kathleen (Jane Seymour) while also attempting to eliminate Claire’s pompous boyfriend Zach (Bradley Cooper). Meanwhile, Jeremy is tortured by an extended weekend with the clingy and borderline insane Gloria and her crazy brother Todd (Keir O’Donnell). As John gets closer to falling in love with Claire, Zach gets closer to blowing the lid off their wedding crasher conspiracy…
Utterly hilarious in every way, Wedding Crashers features some of the funniest movie scenes of 2005. A brief appearance by Will Ferrell who plays the role of Chazz Reinhold, one of the original wedding crashers, makes the film doubly hilarious. Apparently, Chazz has discovered that grieving women at funerals are easier to pick up than bridesmaids. So, of course, he turns to funeral crashing. The comic sequence where Vince Vaughn gets demolished playing football is ancient slapstick, but hilarious nonetheless. Isla Fisher can be annoying at times, but her character is so ridiculously insane that it become funny to watch her after a while, and some of the pick-up lines and wedding crasher techniques are just as entertaining. Overall, Wedding Crashers is a film you’ll probably want to watch more than once. If anything, just to catch the laughs you missed the first time around…
The Andy Griffith Show (season 4) Dvd Review
One of the highest rated TV series of its era, The Andy Griffith Show is enjoyed by people of every age to this day. The show centers around the world of Sheriff Andy Griffith of Mayberry. But the true series star is Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) in the role of the sometimes competent, always wacky sidekick. The onscreen magic between Griffith and Knotts is something to behold. Both men went on to storied careers in Hollywood with Knotts gaining numerous roles, such as that of Mr. Furley on Three’s Company, and Griffith as the lead star on the popular show Matlock...
The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Opie the Birdman” in which Opie becomes the adoptive father of several orphaned baby birds after he inadvertently kills their mother with his slingshot. Developing a personal attachment to the birds, Opie struggles with the notion that once they’re grown, he’ll have to set them free… Other notable episodes include “Barney’s Sidecar” in which Barney acquires a sidecar for his motorcycle a local auction, but his daily antics quickly have all of Mayberry up in arms, and “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” in which Gomer Pyle joins the Marine Corps in order to become a man, but he’s failing miserably until Andy convinces the drill instructor to take Gomer under his wing…
Below is a list of episodes included on The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD:
Episode 96 (Opie the Birdman) Air Date: 09-30-1963
Episode 97 (The Haunted House) Air Date: 10-07-1963
Episode 98 (Ernest T. Bass Joins the Army) Air Date: 10-14-1963
Episode 99 (The Sermon for Today) Air Date: 10-21-1963
Episode 100 (Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee) Air Date: 10-28-1963
Episode 101 (Gomer the House Guest) Air Date: 11-04-1963
Episode 102 (A Black Day for Mayberry) Air Date: 11-11-1963
Episode 103 (Opie’s Ill-Gotten Gain) Air Date: 11-18-1963
Episode 104 (A Date for Gomer) Air Date: 11-25-1963
Episode 105 (Up in Barney’s Room) Air Date: 12-02-1963
Episode 106 (Citizen’s Arrest) Air Date: 12-16-1963
Episode 107 (Opie and His Merry Men) Air Date: 12-30-1963
Episode 108 (Barney and the Cave Rescue) Air Date: 01-06-1964
Episode 109 (Andy and Opie’s Pal) Air Date: 01-13-1964
Episode 110 (Aunt Bee the Crusader) Air Date: 01-20-1964
Episode 111 (Barney’s Sidecar) Air Date: 01-27-1964
Episode 112 (My Fair Ernest T. Bass) Air Date: 02-03-1964
Episode 113 (Prisoner of Love) Air Date: 02-10-1964
Episode 114 (Hot Rod Otis) Air Date: 02-17-1964
Episode 115 (The Song Festers) Air Date: 02-24-1964
Episode 116 (The Shoplifters) Air Date: 03-02-1964
Episode 117 (Andy’s Vacation) Air Date: 03-09-1964
Episode 118 (Andy Saves Gomer) Air Date: 03-16-1964
Episode 119 (Bargain Day) Air Date: 03-23-1964
Episode 120 (Divorce, Mountain Style) Air Date: 03-30-1964
Episode 121 (A Deal is a Deal) Air Date: 04-06-1964
Episode 122 (Fun Girls) Air Date: 04-13-1964
Episode 123 (The Return of Malcolm Merriweather) Air Date: 04-20-1964
Episode 124 (The Rumor) Air Date: 04-27-1964
Episode 125 (Barney and Thelma Lou, Phfftt) Air Date: 05-04-1964
Episode 126 (Back to Nature) Air Date: 05-11-1964
Episode 127 (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) Air Date: 05-18-1964
The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Opie the Birdman” in which Opie becomes the adoptive father of several orphaned baby birds after he inadvertently kills their mother with his slingshot. Developing a personal attachment to the birds, Opie struggles with the notion that once they’re grown, he’ll have to set them free… Other notable episodes include “Barney’s Sidecar” in which Barney acquires a sidecar for his motorcycle a local auction, but his daily antics quickly have all of Mayberry up in arms, and “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” in which Gomer Pyle joins the Marine Corps in order to become a man, but he’s failing miserably until Andy convinces the drill instructor to take Gomer under his wing…
Below is a list of episodes included on The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD:
Episode 96 (Opie the Birdman) Air Date: 09-30-1963
Episode 97 (The Haunted House) Air Date: 10-07-1963
Episode 98 (Ernest T. Bass Joins the Army) Air Date: 10-14-1963
Episode 99 (The Sermon for Today) Air Date: 10-21-1963
Episode 100 (Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee) Air Date: 10-28-1963
Episode 101 (Gomer the House Guest) Air Date: 11-04-1963
Episode 102 (A Black Day for Mayberry) Air Date: 11-11-1963
Episode 103 (Opie’s Ill-Gotten Gain) Air Date: 11-18-1963
Episode 104 (A Date for Gomer) Air Date: 11-25-1963
Episode 105 (Up in Barney’s Room) Air Date: 12-02-1963
Episode 106 (Citizen’s Arrest) Air Date: 12-16-1963
Episode 107 (Opie and His Merry Men) Air Date: 12-30-1963
Episode 108 (Barney and the Cave Rescue) Air Date: 01-06-1964
Episode 109 (Andy and Opie’s Pal) Air Date: 01-13-1964
Episode 110 (Aunt Bee the Crusader) Air Date: 01-20-1964
Episode 111 (Barney’s Sidecar) Air Date: 01-27-1964
Episode 112 (My Fair Ernest T. Bass) Air Date: 02-03-1964
Episode 113 (Prisoner of Love) Air Date: 02-10-1964
Episode 114 (Hot Rod Otis) Air Date: 02-17-1964
Episode 115 (The Song Festers) Air Date: 02-24-1964
Episode 116 (The Shoplifters) Air Date: 03-02-1964
Episode 117 (Andy’s Vacation) Air Date: 03-09-1964
Episode 118 (Andy Saves Gomer) Air Date: 03-16-1964
Episode 119 (Bargain Day) Air Date: 03-23-1964
Episode 120 (Divorce, Mountain Style) Air Date: 03-30-1964
Episode 121 (A Deal is a Deal) Air Date: 04-06-1964
Episode 122 (Fun Girls) Air Date: 04-13-1964
Episode 123 (The Return of Malcolm Merriweather) Air Date: 04-20-1964
Episode 124 (The Rumor) Air Date: 04-27-1964
Episode 125 (Barney and Thelma Lou, Phfftt) Air Date: 05-04-1964
Episode 126 (Back to Nature) Air Date: 05-11-1964
Episode 127 (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) Air Date: 05-18-1964
The Office (dvd) Review
One of the most refreshing new comedy series on TV, The Office catalogues the inner-workings of a fictional Pennsylvania paper company called Dunder-Mifflin. The name itself alludes to some sort of bureaucratic labyrinth administered by dunderheads, and in reality, it is. Unfortunately, what makes The Office so hilarious is the ability of viewers to relate to the onscreen office culture. The branch office of Dunder-Mifflin viewers are privy to is managed by the politically-incorrect, borderline lunatic Michael Scott (Steve Carell). Using twisted logic to set company policy, worn out clichés as a substitute for leadership, and an endless array of corny group activities to lift employee morale, he creates an office atmosphere that makes the career of Dilbert seem desirable in contrast.
Carell, star of the recent box office hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin, shines in the role of the nutty and eccentric office manager, and his talents are well complimented by Rainn Wilson who plays the part of Michael’s butt-kiss, rule-Nazi lackey, Dwight Schrute. Dwight’s over-the-top antics conflict with the rest of the office, particularly co-worker Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) whom Dwight would like to fire. A charming unspoken office crush between Jim and Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) makes for an interesting and recurring subplot. Both Jim and Pam epitomize the remainder of the cast of Dunder-Mifflin employees who come across as logical, well-reasoned, and normal individuals. Normal people stuck in a bizarre world where idiots like Michael and Dwight preside over their working hours. Similar in theme to the equally funny feature film Office Space, The Office provides us with a much more excitable Bill Lumbergh lording over an army of Peter Gibbons-like worker bees. For creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who first experienced success with the concept in the UK, it’s a recipe for pure, unadulterated laughter.
The Office (Season 1) DVD features six hilarious episodes including the season premiere in which a camera crew arrives at Dunder-Mifflin in order to film a documentary. Naturally, Michael tries to portray himself as a brilliant steward of office productivity, while office enemies Jim and Dwight engage in a series of desk battles. Viewers also get a glimpse of the regular flirtations between Jim and Pam. Other notable episodes include “Diversity Day” in which Michael engages in a feeble and half-hearted attempt to shed light on office diversity, while alienating most of his employees in the process, and “Health Care” in which Michael, afraid of bearing bad news, delegates his authority to Dwight who creates an utter fiasco of the company health care plan.
Below is a list of episodes included on The Office (Season 1) DVD:
Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 03-24-2005
Episode 2 (Diversity Day) Air Date: 03-29-2005
Episode 3 (Health Care) Air Date: 04-05-2005
Episode 4 (The Alliance) Air Date: 04-12-2005
Episode 5 (Basketball) Air Date: 04-19-2005
Episode 6 (Hot Girl) Air Date: 04-26-2005
Carell, star of the recent box office hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin, shines in the role of the nutty and eccentric office manager, and his talents are well complimented by Rainn Wilson who plays the part of Michael’s butt-kiss, rule-Nazi lackey, Dwight Schrute. Dwight’s over-the-top antics conflict with the rest of the office, particularly co-worker Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) whom Dwight would like to fire. A charming unspoken office crush between Jim and Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) makes for an interesting and recurring subplot. Both Jim and Pam epitomize the remainder of the cast of Dunder-Mifflin employees who come across as logical, well-reasoned, and normal individuals. Normal people stuck in a bizarre world where idiots like Michael and Dwight preside over their working hours. Similar in theme to the equally funny feature film Office Space, The Office provides us with a much more excitable Bill Lumbergh lording over an army of Peter Gibbons-like worker bees. For creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who first experienced success with the concept in the UK, it’s a recipe for pure, unadulterated laughter.
The Office (Season 1) DVD features six hilarious episodes including the season premiere in which a camera crew arrives at Dunder-Mifflin in order to film a documentary. Naturally, Michael tries to portray himself as a brilliant steward of office productivity, while office enemies Jim and Dwight engage in a series of desk battles. Viewers also get a glimpse of the regular flirtations between Jim and Pam. Other notable episodes include “Diversity Day” in which Michael engages in a feeble and half-hearted attempt to shed light on office diversity, while alienating most of his employees in the process, and “Health Care” in which Michael, afraid of bearing bad news, delegates his authority to Dwight who creates an utter fiasco of the company health care plan.
Below is a list of episodes included on The Office (Season 1) DVD:
Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 03-24-2005
Episode 2 (Diversity Day) Air Date: 03-29-2005
Episode 3 (Health Care) Air Date: 04-05-2005
Episode 4 (The Alliance) Air Date: 04-12-2005
Episode 5 (Basketball) Air Date: 04-19-2005
Episode 6 (Hot Girl) Air Date: 04-26-2005
Crash (dvd) Review
Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winner of Best Picture, Crash is more than deserving of the critical acclaim surrounding its release. Probing the deepest recesses of racism, prejudice, and discrimination in modern day America, the film forces viewers to examine their own tendencies to create and foster stereotypes. More importantly, it does so in a way that doesn’t accuse, blame, or pursue a political agenda. In fact, Crash even touches on the shortcomings of political correctness and how some people have allowed outside perceptions to affect personal judgment, often to their own detriment. Written and directed by Paul Haggis, author of the Million Dollar Baby screenplay, Crash is a thoughtful piece of social commentary wrapped in a storyline ripe with conflict and suspense.
Crash follows numerous characters living in and around Los Angeles as they deal with racial perceptions, prejudices, and stereotypes in their daily lives. Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock) struggles with her inability to trust her own instincts following a car-jacking which leaves her teetering on the brink of a mental breakdown. Meanwhile, police officer John Ryan (Matt Dillon) harasses African-Americans as a result of the prejudices he developed following his father’s bankruptcy years ago. Lucien (Dato Bakhtadze) and his wife Elizabeth (Karina Arroyave) find their own biases and self-perceptions erupting to the surface of their marriage following a traumatic encounter with Officer Ryan. The consequences of Ryan’s hatred have a rippling effect, a theme which is repeated in countless other social exchanges between store owners, locksmiths, detectives, and hockey enthusiasts. In short, Crash sets out to jar its audience into recognition of the enormous consequences of racial prejudice, no matter how “minor” we may believe those attitudes may be.
The cast of Crash is superb. Don Cheadle completes his graduation from the front desk of The Golden Girls spin-off Golden Palace by turning in a second blockbuster performance within a matter of months (Hotel Rwanda would be the other). Like other characters from the film, Cheadle’s Graham is unable to fully develop due to time constraints, yet he manages to come across as a sympathetic and flawed character. The same can be said of Matt Dillon’s portrayal of Officer John Ryan. He isn’t a mere hatemonger skinhead, but rather a caring individual who developed detrimental prejudice based on past events from his childhood. In the end, like many of the film’s characters, the audience gets a glimpse of his good side.
Overall, Crash is an excellent film that lives up to the notoriety and hype. For the typical viewer, it will evoke myriad emotions – hatred of racism, loathing of man’s inhumanity to man, empathy, self-reflection, and an awareness of how one’s own prejudices may affect others. Paul Haggis brilliantly illustrates the consequences of widespread attitudes harboring racist, prejudicial, discriminatory, and stereotypical overtones. He does so without pointing fingers or assigning blame. Everyone is guilty; no race, gender, class, or ideology is spared. Crash also probes the depths of American prejudice by addressing the unintended consequences of both affirmative action and political-correctness. It’s this reluctance to strictly adhere to an ideological agenda that empowers Crash with its universal appeal. By not being preachy, the film is better able to relate its themes to viewers from every type of background and perspective. It’s an entertaining film. Hopefully, it also makes each us think twice about the way in which we relate to our fellow man. If so, then Crash is more than just a film; it’s a world-changing experience.
Crash follows numerous characters living in and around Los Angeles as they deal with racial perceptions, prejudices, and stereotypes in their daily lives. Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock) struggles with her inability to trust her own instincts following a car-jacking which leaves her teetering on the brink of a mental breakdown. Meanwhile, police officer John Ryan (Matt Dillon) harasses African-Americans as a result of the prejudices he developed following his father’s bankruptcy years ago. Lucien (Dato Bakhtadze) and his wife Elizabeth (Karina Arroyave) find their own biases and self-perceptions erupting to the surface of their marriage following a traumatic encounter with Officer Ryan. The consequences of Ryan’s hatred have a rippling effect, a theme which is repeated in countless other social exchanges between store owners, locksmiths, detectives, and hockey enthusiasts. In short, Crash sets out to jar its audience into recognition of the enormous consequences of racial prejudice, no matter how “minor” we may believe those attitudes may be.
The cast of Crash is superb. Don Cheadle completes his graduation from the front desk of The Golden Girls spin-off Golden Palace by turning in a second blockbuster performance within a matter of months (Hotel Rwanda would be the other). Like other characters from the film, Cheadle’s Graham is unable to fully develop due to time constraints, yet he manages to come across as a sympathetic and flawed character. The same can be said of Matt Dillon’s portrayal of Officer John Ryan. He isn’t a mere hatemonger skinhead, but rather a caring individual who developed detrimental prejudice based on past events from his childhood. In the end, like many of the film’s characters, the audience gets a glimpse of his good side.
Overall, Crash is an excellent film that lives up to the notoriety and hype. For the typical viewer, it will evoke myriad emotions – hatred of racism, loathing of man’s inhumanity to man, empathy, self-reflection, and an awareness of how one’s own prejudices may affect others. Paul Haggis brilliantly illustrates the consequences of widespread attitudes harboring racist, prejudicial, discriminatory, and stereotypical overtones. He does so without pointing fingers or assigning blame. Everyone is guilty; no race, gender, class, or ideology is spared. Crash also probes the depths of American prejudice by addressing the unintended consequences of both affirmative action and political-correctness. It’s this reluctance to strictly adhere to an ideological agenda that empowers Crash with its universal appeal. By not being preachy, the film is better able to relate its themes to viewers from every type of background and perspective. It’s an entertaining film. Hopefully, it also makes each us think twice about the way in which we relate to our fellow man. If so, then Crash is more than just a film; it’s a world-changing experience.
Al Gore’s Inconvenient Infomercial: A Movie Review
Who is the chubby, aging baby boomer waddling through airport after empty airport, wearily tugging along his 2-piece luggage roller? Hey, it’s not Michael Moore (again). Why, for heaven’s sake, it’s none other than a bored, disgruntled Al Gore, Jr. – the Man Who Personally Believes He Coulda/Woulda/Shoulda Been King! Well, at least Saturday Night Live believed him. Instead of ruling the Western World with a Green Fist, he’s starred in a new movie persuading us to stop using up so much energy. Meanwhile, Al Gore Jr. cruises about foreign capitals in one gas-guzzling, chauffeured Mercedes after another, pondering one very deep thought after another while solemnly tapping away on his Mac Powerbook. Earth to Al Gore: Actor Steven Seagal already nailed down the slick but glazed ‘poseur look’ about nine movies ago.
Is “An Inconvenient Truth” a documentary about Global Warming, or Al Gore’s microphone-grabbing, spotlight-snatching platform to whine about, and revisit, his presidential election loss, six years ago? Is former Veep Gore really hoping to educate film audiences about the very serious dangers of carbon dioxide emissions, greenhouse gases and abrupt climate change, or conniving to create a multi-media white paper for the Democratic Party’s energy agenda? We’re not sure, actually. Perhaps, it is because Al Gore, and the film’s executive producer Davis Guggenheim, were themselves confused as to the direction in which they were heading with this narcissistic political propaganda.
C’mon, a former high-profile Vice President of the United States shuffling through airport security like the rest of us hoi polloi? If so, then why didn’t the alarm bells go off? For those who missed it, in one scene Gore wore a belt buckle the size of a small dish, when passing through the airport’s metal detector. And it didn’t screech? Right! Or how about the scene where a pompous Al Gore (sans bodyguards) was hailing a cab in Manhattan, but no one recognized him? Well, perhaps that part was realistic. Who really cares about Al? Was the former #2 man doing a for-the-people inspirational routine, along the lines of “He Walks Among Us,” so that we’d buy his punch line about self-sacrifice at the end of the movie?
The man, who at one time claimed to have invented the Internet, more carefully documented his alleged 30-year personal campaign to help bring Global Warming to a screeching halt. Amazingly, he didn’t include footnotes with his film speech. We’re sure Gore was anticipating the “I invented the Internet” jokes and dutifully prepared his track record for audiences. He shamelessly dredged up memories of his old Harvard science professor, Roger Revelle, whom he once called into congressional hearings to have the scientist warn about CO2 emissions and rising water temperatures.
How seriously can we take ‘Scientist’ Al Gore? In a Washington Post article (March 19, 2000), Al’s grades and scores were questioned, during the presidential campaign, and the assistant headmaster at Gore’s private school, St. Albans, reportedly “chuckled at (Gore’s) science results.” He had scored so poorly.
Gore’s one constant, his glibness, manifests in this quasi-documentary. Mostly it’s a political infomercial, but for whatever reason Gore was so fervently pitching and hyping Al Gore was never made clear. He hasn’t quite grasped how serious the earth’s climactic changes could impact our civilization, other than flicking through multiple photos of receding glaciers and a few other tidbits. Gore mentions we might have 100 million refugees if sea levels rise, as if those many would actually survive. In contrast, Dr. Lovelock, author of “The Revenge of Gaia,” is forecasting the demise of billions of people under the same “earth is melting” scenario. Whom do we believe? We vote Lovelock, not Gore. After all, the politician admits, in a recent Rolling Stone magazine interview, Lovelock has forgotten more science than Gore has ever learned.
Whatever gravity the poseur portrayed during his supercilious narration, and in his deep-thinking (but awkward) poses, Gore nullified these moments with clumsy flashbacks to the 2000 presidential campaign. (Well, Gore reportedly did a lot of drugs in college, so we guess he's entitled to his flashbacks.) While he claimed in his movie to have moved on, the man still sounded downright bitter during this pre-campaigning film farce. His movie oozes contempt for the man who defeated him, and offers the same ill will toward anyone distantly related – family, business or otherwise – to the man who is now President of the United States. For those who helped keep him out of the White House or dissed him? He repays his enemies in a way only a screenwriter could: Gore adds his enemies to his movie.
Gore’s rapid-fire “subliminal images” are cleverly aimed at Florida and the 2000 presidential campaign. Take that Senator Katherine Harris! Guess which state gets submerged first when the polar ice caps melt? You got it, Florida. Of all the lakes in the world which are drying up, Gore selects Lake Chad. For those who have forgotten, it was the notorious “chads,” which cost Gore the presidency. Darn it Al, will you let it go? It’s been six years, you know. You LOST the election!
Film goers should wonder why an ex-tobacco farmer, and erstwhile U.S. presidential candidate (going 0 for 2 on presidential campaigns), has only NOW come out against fossil fuels because of Global Warming. What’s his agenda? To educate the public? If that is the case, then the filmmakers should have focused on the matter at hand – the earth is getting hotter, and we need a solution. Dr. James Lovelock’s mandate is simple: Nuclear energy is the single solution. Listen up, Hillary Clinton – you might have enjoyed Al’s ramblings, and said so in your pretentious New York Press Club speech last May, but where is Gore’s actual solution to the Global Warming crisis?
The self-righteous Al Jr. offers no solution in his movie. Even when asked by an audience in China for his solution, Gore spouts non-sequiturs – political rhetoric, but no word of a solution. The movie director deftly cuts away before Al can look even sillier, while we wonder why Al offered no solution.
The film shows images of a nuclear reactor, a wind farm and running water. Was the blustering Al or his bewildered movie director hoping the audience would choose a solution for them? At least Ross Perot, in his infomercials, had some solution for the ills then facing America. Al has none. Zippo. Nada. Just join Al’s crusade and start driving a hybrid car. Or did he mean a bicycle? After all, in one scene, Al boasts about the Chinese riding their bicycles and flashes a dated photo showing this. Wake up, Al, last we heard, the Chinese were driving Beemers and Benzes, not bicycles. Bikes are reserved for environmentalist weenies who can’t find a real job.
Al seems to be pro-nuclear, but claims there are problems with proliferation and waste disposal. In an interview with Australia’s The Age newspaper, published in November 2005, Gore told the reporter he was not “reflexively against” nuclear energy. Wearing his hat as a fund manager for the Generation Fund, he told the newspaper that investing in uranium mining comes down to sustainability. In another interview with “Grist Magazine’s” David Roberts, published in May of this year, Gore responded to questioning about the nuclear energy renaissance, saying, “ I doubt nuclear power will play a much larger role than it does now.” How’s that for naiveté in the context of dozens of countries having already announced their plans to advance their nuclear energy programs?
Perhaps, Gore will begin touting renewables, as Hillary Clinton has done on behalf of lapdog/energy guru Amory Lovins. We asked third-term Wyoming legislator, David R. Miller, who is also president of a U.S. uranium development company, Strathmore Minerals, about the madness over renewables becoming a serious factor for baseload electricity generation. Miller told us, “We were 100 percent renewable 300 years ago, 50 percent renewable 100 years ago and 30 percent renewable 50 years ago. Now, we are less than 10 percent renewable and shrinking fast.”
About nuclear energy, Miller added, “It nearly unlimited. We are learning to use better technology to make purer energy to do more for us.” Miller’s rebuttal on Al Gore’s message was emphatic, “Those that preach about saving the earth should practice what they speak, but the loudest voices are those that consume the most.” Miller pointed out, “Only the rich and idle have time to rail against too much consumption. But they want you to stop the consuming, not them.”
One could look deeper to better understand Al Gore’s ambiguity toward any solution. For example, is Al Gore’s family still a large shareholder of Occidental Petroleum? After all, his father took a consultancy with a subsidiary of the multi-national oil firm, upon leaving the U.S. Senate in 1970. Just in time to cash in on the oil embargo of 1973, Al Gore’s dad was paid $500,000 per year for his services. Al Gore Sr. also served as a company director. Why was Al Gore’s father on such great terms with Armand Hammer, the founder of Occidental Petroleum? Hammer was a good buddy of Josef Stalin and his Kremlin successors. Hammer’s dad introduced Little Armand to Stalin, who helped him build the Hammer Empire. All this in return for one small favor: Julius Hammer founded the U.S. Communist Party.
Have the sins of the father visited the son? For the past thirty or forty years, Al Gore has allegedly received a “mining royalty” check from Occidental Petroleum for zinc ore discovered on the Gore family property. Reportedly, Al has been paid about $20,000 annually for mining rights to the property. But, that’s just chump change. Long before the Buddhist Temple fund-raising fiasco in Los Angeles, Al Gore was involved in dubious political financings.
We didn’t look that much more deeply into Al Gore. Truthfully, why bother? Gore’s remorse appears rigged; his acting is pathetic. For example, his sister died of lung cancer, before the family stopped growing tobacco. He makes a really big deal about this in his movie (despite his own alleged chain-smoking habits as a college student). But he failed to mention he continued receiving royalties from his tobacco farm for years after his sister died.
Gore also forgot his vivid 1988 presidential election campaign speeches, defending tobacco farmers in the southern United States. Imagine Mr. Clean telling tobacco farmers about how he, himself, tilled the soil with his bare hands and picked dem dar tobacco leaves wit his own fingers! Our research shows Gore continued accepting campaign donations from tobacco companies until at least 1990. Instead of being truthful with his audience, Gore mentioned in passing that the reason he ran for President in 1988 was to give Global Warming some exposure. Hypocrisy or ambivalence? You decide.
In his film, Gore claimed to have changed the way he performed his congressional duties after his six-year old son was hit by a car and nearly died. Throughout his movie, Gore uses every personal tragedy to play upon the audience’s heart strings. What does that have to do with Global Warming? Nothing, but it aids and abets an otherwise insincere politician to better sell his purported sincerity concerning abrupt climate change. The message is good; the messenger needs to take up a new hobby. Like unsuccessfully running for president again so he can finally get his just deserves: “Strike Three, you’re outa here!”
Why pay good money to get bored out of your skull with this blasé movie? Save the $7 to $10 (or more) on “Al Gore’s Inconvenient Infomercial” by reading the same stuff for no charge whatsoever (and without the deep-thinking, brooding ex-politician who spends nearly all of his 100 minutes preaching in your face). Kevin Bambrough and Eric Sprott wrote a detailed report, covering a great deal, if not more than what the Gore movie attempted to discuss.
Is “An Inconvenient Truth” a documentary about Global Warming, or Al Gore’s microphone-grabbing, spotlight-snatching platform to whine about, and revisit, his presidential election loss, six years ago? Is former Veep Gore really hoping to educate film audiences about the very serious dangers of carbon dioxide emissions, greenhouse gases and abrupt climate change, or conniving to create a multi-media white paper for the Democratic Party’s energy agenda? We’re not sure, actually. Perhaps, it is because Al Gore, and the film’s executive producer Davis Guggenheim, were themselves confused as to the direction in which they were heading with this narcissistic political propaganda.
C’mon, a former high-profile Vice President of the United States shuffling through airport security like the rest of us hoi polloi? If so, then why didn’t the alarm bells go off? For those who missed it, in one scene Gore wore a belt buckle the size of a small dish, when passing through the airport’s metal detector. And it didn’t screech? Right! Or how about the scene where a pompous Al Gore (sans bodyguards) was hailing a cab in Manhattan, but no one recognized him? Well, perhaps that part was realistic. Who really cares about Al? Was the former #2 man doing a for-the-people inspirational routine, along the lines of “He Walks Among Us,” so that we’d buy his punch line about self-sacrifice at the end of the movie?
The man, who at one time claimed to have invented the Internet, more carefully documented his alleged 30-year personal campaign to help bring Global Warming to a screeching halt. Amazingly, he didn’t include footnotes with his film speech. We’re sure Gore was anticipating the “I invented the Internet” jokes and dutifully prepared his track record for audiences. He shamelessly dredged up memories of his old Harvard science professor, Roger Revelle, whom he once called into congressional hearings to have the scientist warn about CO2 emissions and rising water temperatures.
How seriously can we take ‘Scientist’ Al Gore? In a Washington Post article (March 19, 2000), Al’s grades and scores were questioned, during the presidential campaign, and the assistant headmaster at Gore’s private school, St. Albans, reportedly “chuckled at (Gore’s) science results.” He had scored so poorly.
Gore’s one constant, his glibness, manifests in this quasi-documentary. Mostly it’s a political infomercial, but for whatever reason Gore was so fervently pitching and hyping Al Gore was never made clear. He hasn’t quite grasped how serious the earth’s climactic changes could impact our civilization, other than flicking through multiple photos of receding glaciers and a few other tidbits. Gore mentions we might have 100 million refugees if sea levels rise, as if those many would actually survive. In contrast, Dr. Lovelock, author of “The Revenge of Gaia,” is forecasting the demise of billions of people under the same “earth is melting” scenario. Whom do we believe? We vote Lovelock, not Gore. After all, the politician admits, in a recent Rolling Stone magazine interview, Lovelock has forgotten more science than Gore has ever learned.
Whatever gravity the poseur portrayed during his supercilious narration, and in his deep-thinking (but awkward) poses, Gore nullified these moments with clumsy flashbacks to the 2000 presidential campaign. (Well, Gore reportedly did a lot of drugs in college, so we guess he's entitled to his flashbacks.) While he claimed in his movie to have moved on, the man still sounded downright bitter during this pre-campaigning film farce. His movie oozes contempt for the man who defeated him, and offers the same ill will toward anyone distantly related – family, business or otherwise – to the man who is now President of the United States. For those who helped keep him out of the White House or dissed him? He repays his enemies in a way only a screenwriter could: Gore adds his enemies to his movie.
Gore’s rapid-fire “subliminal images” are cleverly aimed at Florida and the 2000 presidential campaign. Take that Senator Katherine Harris! Guess which state gets submerged first when the polar ice caps melt? You got it, Florida. Of all the lakes in the world which are drying up, Gore selects Lake Chad. For those who have forgotten, it was the notorious “chads,” which cost Gore the presidency. Darn it Al, will you let it go? It’s been six years, you know. You LOST the election!
Film goers should wonder why an ex-tobacco farmer, and erstwhile U.S. presidential candidate (going 0 for 2 on presidential campaigns), has only NOW come out against fossil fuels because of Global Warming. What’s his agenda? To educate the public? If that is the case, then the filmmakers should have focused on the matter at hand – the earth is getting hotter, and we need a solution. Dr. James Lovelock’s mandate is simple: Nuclear energy is the single solution. Listen up, Hillary Clinton – you might have enjoyed Al’s ramblings, and said so in your pretentious New York Press Club speech last May, but where is Gore’s actual solution to the Global Warming crisis?
The self-righteous Al Jr. offers no solution in his movie. Even when asked by an audience in China for his solution, Gore spouts non-sequiturs – political rhetoric, but no word of a solution. The movie director deftly cuts away before Al can look even sillier, while we wonder why Al offered no solution.
The film shows images of a nuclear reactor, a wind farm and running water. Was the blustering Al or his bewildered movie director hoping the audience would choose a solution for them? At least Ross Perot, in his infomercials, had some solution for the ills then facing America. Al has none. Zippo. Nada. Just join Al’s crusade and start driving a hybrid car. Or did he mean a bicycle? After all, in one scene, Al boasts about the Chinese riding their bicycles and flashes a dated photo showing this. Wake up, Al, last we heard, the Chinese were driving Beemers and Benzes, not bicycles. Bikes are reserved for environmentalist weenies who can’t find a real job.
Al seems to be pro-nuclear, but claims there are problems with proliferation and waste disposal. In an interview with Australia’s The Age newspaper, published in November 2005, Gore told the reporter he was not “reflexively against” nuclear energy. Wearing his hat as a fund manager for the Generation Fund, he told the newspaper that investing in uranium mining comes down to sustainability. In another interview with “Grist Magazine’s” David Roberts, published in May of this year, Gore responded to questioning about the nuclear energy renaissance, saying, “ I doubt nuclear power will play a much larger role than it does now.” How’s that for naiveté in the context of dozens of countries having already announced their plans to advance their nuclear energy programs?
Perhaps, Gore will begin touting renewables, as Hillary Clinton has done on behalf of lapdog/energy guru Amory Lovins. We asked third-term Wyoming legislator, David R. Miller, who is also president of a U.S. uranium development company, Strathmore Minerals, about the madness over renewables becoming a serious factor for baseload electricity generation. Miller told us, “We were 100 percent renewable 300 years ago, 50 percent renewable 100 years ago and 30 percent renewable 50 years ago. Now, we are less than 10 percent renewable and shrinking fast.”
About nuclear energy, Miller added, “It nearly unlimited. We are learning to use better technology to make purer energy to do more for us.” Miller’s rebuttal on Al Gore’s message was emphatic, “Those that preach about saving the earth should practice what they speak, but the loudest voices are those that consume the most.” Miller pointed out, “Only the rich and idle have time to rail against too much consumption. But they want you to stop the consuming, not them.”
One could look deeper to better understand Al Gore’s ambiguity toward any solution. For example, is Al Gore’s family still a large shareholder of Occidental Petroleum? After all, his father took a consultancy with a subsidiary of the multi-national oil firm, upon leaving the U.S. Senate in 1970. Just in time to cash in on the oil embargo of 1973, Al Gore’s dad was paid $500,000 per year for his services. Al Gore Sr. also served as a company director. Why was Al Gore’s father on such great terms with Armand Hammer, the founder of Occidental Petroleum? Hammer was a good buddy of Josef Stalin and his Kremlin successors. Hammer’s dad introduced Little Armand to Stalin, who helped him build the Hammer Empire. All this in return for one small favor: Julius Hammer founded the U.S. Communist Party.
Have the sins of the father visited the son? For the past thirty or forty years, Al Gore has allegedly received a “mining royalty” check from Occidental Petroleum for zinc ore discovered on the Gore family property. Reportedly, Al has been paid about $20,000 annually for mining rights to the property. But, that’s just chump change. Long before the Buddhist Temple fund-raising fiasco in Los Angeles, Al Gore was involved in dubious political financings.
We didn’t look that much more deeply into Al Gore. Truthfully, why bother? Gore’s remorse appears rigged; his acting is pathetic. For example, his sister died of lung cancer, before the family stopped growing tobacco. He makes a really big deal about this in his movie (despite his own alleged chain-smoking habits as a college student). But he failed to mention he continued receiving royalties from his tobacco farm for years after his sister died.
Gore also forgot his vivid 1988 presidential election campaign speeches, defending tobacco farmers in the southern United States. Imagine Mr. Clean telling tobacco farmers about how he, himself, tilled the soil with his bare hands and picked dem dar tobacco leaves wit his own fingers! Our research shows Gore continued accepting campaign donations from tobacco companies until at least 1990. Instead of being truthful with his audience, Gore mentioned in passing that the reason he ran for President in 1988 was to give Global Warming some exposure. Hypocrisy or ambivalence? You decide.
In his film, Gore claimed to have changed the way he performed his congressional duties after his six-year old son was hit by a car and nearly died. Throughout his movie, Gore uses every personal tragedy to play upon the audience’s heart strings. What does that have to do with Global Warming? Nothing, but it aids and abets an otherwise insincere politician to better sell his purported sincerity concerning abrupt climate change. The message is good; the messenger needs to take up a new hobby. Like unsuccessfully running for president again so he can finally get his just deserves: “Strike Three, you’re outa here!”
Why pay good money to get bored out of your skull with this blasé movie? Save the $7 to $10 (or more) on “Al Gore’s Inconvenient Infomercial” by reading the same stuff for no charge whatsoever (and without the deep-thinking, brooding ex-politician who spends nearly all of his 100 minutes preaching in your face). Kevin Bambrough and Eric Sprott wrote a detailed report, covering a great deal, if not more than what the Gore movie attempted to discuss.
Dawn Of The Dead Is A Bloody Good Time
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Tagline: “When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.”
I’d like to start this review by committing horror movie blasphemy. Ready? Here goes. George Romero’s original three Dead movies are overrated (I’m not even going to comment on the train wreck which is Land of the Dead). While entertaining, they are also low-budget flicks with average acting and pacing about as slow as the shambling zombies depicted therein. Hardly the holy trinity which they’ve been made out to be.
And let’s not forget the much-lauded social criticism. Racism? Rampant consumerism? It’s all handled with the subtlety of a hammer to the back of the head. Listen, if I want social commentary in a movie, I’ll watch Gandhi or Norma Rae. When I sit down for a zombie movie, I want non-stop action and buckets of gore. Period. Anything else is just a bloody cherry on top of my horror sundae. It’s for these reasons (and others, which I’ll detail later) that I find the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead to be more satisfying than the original.
Adapted by James Gunn (Scooby Doo) from the original 1978 George A. Romero screenplay, Dawn of the Dead opens by allowing us to get briefly acquainted with the movie’s central protagonist, a pretty young nurse named Ana (Sarah Polley). But her safe suburban lifestyle is short lived, and a mysterious epidemic ensures that Ana is fleeing from ravenous zombies before the movie even hits the ten minute mark. She soon meets Kenneth (Ving Rhames), a tough-as-nails cop, and moments later they come across
Michael (Jake Weber), a soft-spoken but natural leader, Andre (Mekhi Phifer), a man with a questionable past, and Luda (Inna Korobkina), Andre’s pregnant girlfriend.
They take refuge in a sprawling shopping mall, but quickly run afoul of the
less-than-hospitable security guards C.J. (Michael Kelly), Bart (Michael Barry), and Terry (Kevin Zegers). More characters are added later, notably Steve (Ty Burrell), a smart-ass yuppie, and Andy (Bruce Bohne), the owner of a nearby gun shop. As the horrible infection spreads across the globe, and the situation becomes increasingly desperate, the characters come to realize that no help is coming from the outside. If they are to survive, they must take matters into their own hands. Luckily for us, that involves chainsaws,
armor-reinforced parking shuttles, and propane tanks rigged into makeshift bombs.
The action comes fast and furious throughout, and director Zack Snyder (helming his first feature film) does a nice job of pacing and getting us right into the thick of things. He does tend to overuse the slow-motion effect whenever there’s an explosion or cartridge ejected from a gun, but this can be forgiven because (a) it’s his freshman effort, and (b) it doesn’t really take away from this particular story. We’re also treated to some solid camera work, editing which maintains a fast pace but doesn’t confuse the viewer, and
excellent special effects with plenty of brains and blood to go around.
The soundtrack also plays a pivotal part in the film, adding an extra dimension to several key scenes. From Johnny Cash’s “When the Man Comes Around” during the opening credits sequence (which, by the way, is better than many full-length zombie movies), to “People Who Died” by The Jim Carroll Band and a lounge version of “Down With the Sickness” by Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, it’s beyond me why the studio chose not to release this soundtrack.
The acting is very strong for a film of this genre, and Jake Weber and Sarah Polley are particularly impressive in the roles of Michael and Ana. They both manage to bring a quiet sincerity to their roles, something not easily accomplished in a movie dominated by flesh-hungry ghouls and belching shotguns. The cast is much larger than the original, but each character is given a few moments to shine and let the audience identify with them.
True, nobody is fleshed out to the extent of, say, George C. Scott’s Patton or Denzel’s Malcolm X, but what do you expect from a horror movie? This isn’t Biography, folks.
Fans of the original Dawn will be happy to see cameos by Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and “Sex Machine” Tom Savini. There are several other nods to the original movie scattered throughout, and one gets the sense that the filmmakers had a great affection for their predecessor. But make no mistake, this movie stands on its own with a different cast of characters, different climax, and completely different ending. Comparisons between the two are inevitable, but ultimately unfair to both pictures. It’s like comparing the original Atari to the Xbox. Both are a blast, but one is simply hopelessly outdated when held up to modern standards.
It should also be noted that the movie continues through the end credits, so don’t run off as soon as the lights start to come up. If you do, you’ll probably leave the theater with a much different idea of what happened than those who stayed behind.
Dawn of the Dead updates a classic and improves upon it along the way. The action is faster, the zombies are faster, and the overall product just looks better. It’s a zombie movie for the modern generation and well worth the price of admission.
Tagline: “When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.”
I’d like to start this review by committing horror movie blasphemy. Ready? Here goes. George Romero’s original three Dead movies are overrated (I’m not even going to comment on the train wreck which is Land of the Dead). While entertaining, they are also low-budget flicks with average acting and pacing about as slow as the shambling zombies depicted therein. Hardly the holy trinity which they’ve been made out to be.
And let’s not forget the much-lauded social criticism. Racism? Rampant consumerism? It’s all handled with the subtlety of a hammer to the back of the head. Listen, if I want social commentary in a movie, I’ll watch Gandhi or Norma Rae. When I sit down for a zombie movie, I want non-stop action and buckets of gore. Period. Anything else is just a bloody cherry on top of my horror sundae. It’s for these reasons (and others, which I’ll detail later) that I find the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead to be more satisfying than the original.
Adapted by James Gunn (Scooby Doo) from the original 1978 George A. Romero screenplay, Dawn of the Dead opens by allowing us to get briefly acquainted with the movie’s central protagonist, a pretty young nurse named Ana (Sarah Polley). But her safe suburban lifestyle is short lived, and a mysterious epidemic ensures that Ana is fleeing from ravenous zombies before the movie even hits the ten minute mark. She soon meets Kenneth (Ving Rhames), a tough-as-nails cop, and moments later they come across
Michael (Jake Weber), a soft-spoken but natural leader, Andre (Mekhi Phifer), a man with a questionable past, and Luda (Inna Korobkina), Andre’s pregnant girlfriend.
They take refuge in a sprawling shopping mall, but quickly run afoul of the
less-than-hospitable security guards C.J. (Michael Kelly), Bart (Michael Barry), and Terry (Kevin Zegers). More characters are added later, notably Steve (Ty Burrell), a smart-ass yuppie, and Andy (Bruce Bohne), the owner of a nearby gun shop. As the horrible infection spreads across the globe, and the situation becomes increasingly desperate, the characters come to realize that no help is coming from the outside. If they are to survive, they must take matters into their own hands. Luckily for us, that involves chainsaws,
armor-reinforced parking shuttles, and propane tanks rigged into makeshift bombs.
The action comes fast and furious throughout, and director Zack Snyder (helming his first feature film) does a nice job of pacing and getting us right into the thick of things. He does tend to overuse the slow-motion effect whenever there’s an explosion or cartridge ejected from a gun, but this can be forgiven because (a) it’s his freshman effort, and (b) it doesn’t really take away from this particular story. We’re also treated to some solid camera work, editing which maintains a fast pace but doesn’t confuse the viewer, and
excellent special effects with plenty of brains and blood to go around.
The soundtrack also plays a pivotal part in the film, adding an extra dimension to several key scenes. From Johnny Cash’s “When the Man Comes Around” during the opening credits sequence (which, by the way, is better than many full-length zombie movies), to “People Who Died” by The Jim Carroll Band and a lounge version of “Down With the Sickness” by Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, it’s beyond me why the studio chose not to release this soundtrack.
The acting is very strong for a film of this genre, and Jake Weber and Sarah Polley are particularly impressive in the roles of Michael and Ana. They both manage to bring a quiet sincerity to their roles, something not easily accomplished in a movie dominated by flesh-hungry ghouls and belching shotguns. The cast is much larger than the original, but each character is given a few moments to shine and let the audience identify with them.
True, nobody is fleshed out to the extent of, say, George C. Scott’s Patton or Denzel’s Malcolm X, but what do you expect from a horror movie? This isn’t Biography, folks.
Fans of the original Dawn will be happy to see cameos by Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and “Sex Machine” Tom Savini. There are several other nods to the original movie scattered throughout, and one gets the sense that the filmmakers had a great affection for their predecessor. But make no mistake, this movie stands on its own with a different cast of characters, different climax, and completely different ending. Comparisons between the two are inevitable, but ultimately unfair to both pictures. It’s like comparing the original Atari to the Xbox. Both are a blast, but one is simply hopelessly outdated when held up to modern standards.
It should also be noted that the movie continues through the end credits, so don’t run off as soon as the lights start to come up. If you do, you’ll probably leave the theater with a much different idea of what happened than those who stayed behind.
Dawn of the Dead updates a classic and improves upon it along the way. The action is faster, the zombies are faster, and the overall product just looks better. It’s a zombie movie for the modern generation and well worth the price of admission.
Munich (dvd) Review
Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Munich is undoubtedly director Steven Spielberg’s best work since Band of Brothers (2001). At 2 hours and 44 minutes, the film moves along at a surprisingly quick pace. Spielberg makes adequate use of the time, providing added depth to the characters and illustrating the changes each undertakes in the course of his mission.
Writers Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, the latter of whom is best known for Forrest Gump (1994), team well together in producing a splendid screenplay. The characters are well-rounded and the dialogue well-constructed. Instead of aiming for zinging one-liners or melodramatic sound-bites, Kushner and Roth craft the film’s dialogue to mark the pace of the of story, illustrate character motivations, and make subtle but not overblown commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Overall, it makes for an enjoyable and worthwhile movie experience.
Munich chronicles the historical events of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany in which a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September storms the Olympic Village. While the entire world watches, 11 of the terrorists evade capture after murdering 12 Israeli hostages. Torn between calls for peace and vengeance, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen) orders Mossad to form a secret unit of assassins to hunt down and eliminate the perpetrators.
Mossad agent Avner (Eric Bana) is tasked with heading a team of five individuals composed of himself and four others known only as Steve (Daniel Craig), Carl (Ciaram Hinds), Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz), and Hans (Hanns Zischler). Each man is chosen for the unique skill set he brings to the table, and the group is left to its own devices when it comes to locating and killing the 11 terrorists who are scattered throughout Continental Europe. Methodically, they carry out the mission. But as they eliminate their enemies one-by-one, each man must grapple with the transformative influence such a job has on his perception of life, family, and country.
Munich is a superb film which performs well in exploring the common theme of black versus white and the gray areas in between. Given the wide range of differing accents, it’s sometimes difficult to understand the characters, but this becomes a strength because it heightens viewer senses and breathes life into the story. Much like The Passion Of The Christ, the use of subtitles and various accents doesn’t detract from the film, but instead helps transform it in a production seemingly more worthy of serious attention than an alternative cartoon-like, James Bond rendition. As such, Munich doesn’t spell things out for the audience like a typical Hollywood blockbuster. No dates or geographical locations appear onscreen, and character dialogue doesn’t insult the viewer by recounting historical events. To better understand what’s happening, it helps to know the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Overall, Munich is a solid film. It does an excellent job of portraying the conflicts between Arab/Israeli and Muslim/Jew without rationalizing or portraying either side as totally good or totally evil. Instead, the two sides are seen as fellow human beings, each longing for essentially the same human desires for peace, love of family, and identity with a homeland. Unfortunately, these desires are attainable only in the context of the other side’s defeat.
Writers Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, the latter of whom is best known for Forrest Gump (1994), team well together in producing a splendid screenplay. The characters are well-rounded and the dialogue well-constructed. Instead of aiming for zinging one-liners or melodramatic sound-bites, Kushner and Roth craft the film’s dialogue to mark the pace of the of story, illustrate character motivations, and make subtle but not overblown commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Overall, it makes for an enjoyable and worthwhile movie experience.
Munich chronicles the historical events of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany in which a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September storms the Olympic Village. While the entire world watches, 11 of the terrorists evade capture after murdering 12 Israeli hostages. Torn between calls for peace and vengeance, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen) orders Mossad to form a secret unit of assassins to hunt down and eliminate the perpetrators.
Mossad agent Avner (Eric Bana) is tasked with heading a team of five individuals composed of himself and four others known only as Steve (Daniel Craig), Carl (Ciaram Hinds), Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz), and Hans (Hanns Zischler). Each man is chosen for the unique skill set he brings to the table, and the group is left to its own devices when it comes to locating and killing the 11 terrorists who are scattered throughout Continental Europe. Methodically, they carry out the mission. But as they eliminate their enemies one-by-one, each man must grapple with the transformative influence such a job has on his perception of life, family, and country.
Munich is a superb film which performs well in exploring the common theme of black versus white and the gray areas in between. Given the wide range of differing accents, it’s sometimes difficult to understand the characters, but this becomes a strength because it heightens viewer senses and breathes life into the story. Much like The Passion Of The Christ, the use of subtitles and various accents doesn’t detract from the film, but instead helps transform it in a production seemingly more worthy of serious attention than an alternative cartoon-like, James Bond rendition. As such, Munich doesn’t spell things out for the audience like a typical Hollywood blockbuster. No dates or geographical locations appear onscreen, and character dialogue doesn’t insult the viewer by recounting historical events. To better understand what’s happening, it helps to know the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Overall, Munich is a solid film. It does an excellent job of portraying the conflicts between Arab/Israeli and Muslim/Jew without rationalizing or portraying either side as totally good or totally evil. Instead, the two sides are seen as fellow human beings, each longing for essentially the same human desires for peace, love of family, and identity with a homeland. Unfortunately, these desires are attainable only in the context of the other side’s defeat.
Titanic (dvd) Review
Nominated for 14 Academy Awards and winner of 11 including Best Picture, Titanic became a worldwide phenomenon upon its release in 1997. Written and directed by James Cameron, the producer behind such hits as Terminator 2 and True Lies, the film chronicles the tragic 1912 sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage while interweaving a classic love story. At 194 minutes, it’s probably the longest commercial blockbuster in recent memory. Apparently, the sinking of the ship mirrors the real life timeline of the original sinking of the Titanic and that’s the reason for the three-hour plus running time (or at least, that’s what I’ve heard). Nevertheless, unless you’re absolutely disgusted by overly idealistic love stories, it’s a film well worth watching.
Titanic centers around the life of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), a young woman onboard the celebrated launch of Titanic, the world’s largest luxury ship and a vessel believed to be indestructible. Accompanied by her social-climbing mother Ruth (Frances Fisher) and her arrogantly wealthy fiancé Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane), Rose is bound for the beauty and sophistication of Continental Europe. But her trip, and her life, take an unexpected turn when she encounters Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a vagabond artist with no money, zero social status, and a zest for life. Against the wishes of Ruth, Rose and Jack fall in love, incurring the wrathful vengeance of Caledon. But, in the end, only a disaster of epic proportions can break the couple apart.
With a number of standout performances by a star-studding cast, including previous Academy Award winner Kathy Bates in the role of “new money” heiress Molly Brown, Titanic is a truly memorable film. The scope and opulence of the fabled ship is simply breathtaking, and the costumes and props form a brilliant kaleidoscope of images from the past. Although an overblown and idealistic teenage love story was the true focus of the film, Titanic created enough action and suspense during the sinking to keep viewers who aren’t interested in such plots interested. Inevitably, most viewers will envision themselves in the midst of such circumstances, wondering how they would react. Parts of the film are narrated from the perspective of a present day speaker, and the flashback sequences are combined to good effect. Overall, it makes for an outstanding film.
James Horner composed the musical score for Titanic, and his efforts are one reason the film experienced such widespread success. With a number of brilliant and original scores already to his credit – Field Of Dreams (1989), Legends Of The Fall (1994), and Braveheart (1995) all come to mind – Horner expands upon his unique voice by creating a soundtrack that combines the lazy breeze of an Iowa cornfield with the majestic plains of Scotland. In addition, Celine Dion provides the breakout performance of her career with the hit single “My Heart Will Go On,” which in the movie is paired with the most famous scene from the film in which Jack and Rose stand on the bow of the Titanic and pretend to fly. Not surprisingly, I’ve learned that in the years since, many tourists have lost their lives trying to mimic them. So I don’t recommend you try that! But I do advise watching Titanic. If you can sit through the sappy, melodramatic love scenes and the accompanying dialogue, you’ll be blown away by the special effects, the costumes, the set, and the soundtrack.
Titanic centers around the life of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), a young woman onboard the celebrated launch of Titanic, the world’s largest luxury ship and a vessel believed to be indestructible. Accompanied by her social-climbing mother Ruth (Frances Fisher) and her arrogantly wealthy fiancé Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane), Rose is bound for the beauty and sophistication of Continental Europe. But her trip, and her life, take an unexpected turn when she encounters Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a vagabond artist with no money, zero social status, and a zest for life. Against the wishes of Ruth, Rose and Jack fall in love, incurring the wrathful vengeance of Caledon. But, in the end, only a disaster of epic proportions can break the couple apart.
With a number of standout performances by a star-studding cast, including previous Academy Award winner Kathy Bates in the role of “new money” heiress Molly Brown, Titanic is a truly memorable film. The scope and opulence of the fabled ship is simply breathtaking, and the costumes and props form a brilliant kaleidoscope of images from the past. Although an overblown and idealistic teenage love story was the true focus of the film, Titanic created enough action and suspense during the sinking to keep viewers who aren’t interested in such plots interested. Inevitably, most viewers will envision themselves in the midst of such circumstances, wondering how they would react. Parts of the film are narrated from the perspective of a present day speaker, and the flashback sequences are combined to good effect. Overall, it makes for an outstanding film.
James Horner composed the musical score for Titanic, and his efforts are one reason the film experienced such widespread success. With a number of brilliant and original scores already to his credit – Field Of Dreams (1989), Legends Of The Fall (1994), and Braveheart (1995) all come to mind – Horner expands upon his unique voice by creating a soundtrack that combines the lazy breeze of an Iowa cornfield with the majestic plains of Scotland. In addition, Celine Dion provides the breakout performance of her career with the hit single “My Heart Will Go On,” which in the movie is paired with the most famous scene from the film in which Jack and Rose stand on the bow of the Titanic and pretend to fly. Not surprisingly, I’ve learned that in the years since, many tourists have lost their lives trying to mimic them. So I don’t recommend you try that! But I do advise watching Titanic. If you can sit through the sappy, melodramatic love scenes and the accompanying dialogue, you’ll be blown away by the special effects, the costumes, the set, and the soundtrack.
Airplane (dvd) Review
Nominated for 18 Emmys and 15 Golden Globes in its thirteen season run, Dallas is the 1,000-pound gorilla of the prime-time drama/soap opera genre. Premiering in 1978 as a five-part miniseries, the show combines the classic sex and innuendo of boilerplate afternoon soap operas with the freewheeling adventure of Texas wildcats and filthy rich capitalist oil barons. The explosive combination of rampant love affairs and high stakes business dealings scored well with both men and women, prompting CBS to make Dallas the lynchpin of its Friday night lineup (back when people actually watched Friday night television). As a result, Dallas became one of the most successful TV series in history. In fact, the famous ‘Who shot J.R.?” episode (“A House Divided” Air Date: 3-21-1980) still holds its spot as the second most watched television show ever (the season finale of MASH is #1). With arguably the most memorable TV villian ever created, it’s little surprise that Dallas held the #1 or #2 spot in the Nielsen ratings for most of the 1980s decade.
Undoubtedly, the unrivaled success and popularity of Dallas was in large part due to Larry Hagman and his portrayal of J.R. Ewing. Hagman’s real life Texas roots, unique charm, and wholehearted commitment to his craft helped to create one of the most loveable villains in history, and his treachery is on fully display in season five. Although J.R. is a vindictive cutthroat, the audience grows to love his sinister smile in the aftermath of a one-sided business deal and/or a selfish act of calculating revenge. In sharp contrast, J.R.’s brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) brings the Ewing karma back into balance with his all-American smile and impeccable character. Patrick Duffy brings his own style of charm to the small screen, and it makes for an interesting clash of personalities.
The Dallas (Season 5) DVD features some of the best episodes of the series. The initial ones center around Sue Ellen’s attempt to leave J.R. once and for all. With Dusty and Clayton Farlow by her side, Sue Ellen (Linda Grey) begins a new life at the Southern Cross ranch in San Angelo. The ensuing war between the two over baby John Ross makes for some of the most enjoyable prime time drama ever produced. The onscreen chemistry between Hagman and Grey is simply magic. They manage to portray a believable love-hate relationship between a husband and wife, and it’s one of the ongoing conflicts which launched the show to the top of the Nielsen ratings for almost fourteen years (making it the longest running prime time drama in television history).
Below is a list of episodes included on the Dallas (Season 5) DVD:
Episode 78 (Missing Heir) Air Date: 10-09-1981
Episode 79 (Gone, But Not Forgotten) Air Date: 10-16-1981
Episode 80 (Showdown at San Angelo) Air Date: 10-23-1981
Episode 81 (Little Boy Lost) Air Date: 10-30-1981
Episode 82 (The Sweet Smell of Revenge) Air Date: 11-06-1981
Episode 83 (The Big Shut Down) Air Date: 11-13-1981
Episode 84 (Blocked) Air Date: 11-20-1981
Episode 85 (The Split) Air Date: 11-27-1981
Episode 86 (Five Dollars a Barrel) Air Date: 12-04-1981
Episode 87 (Starting Over) Air Date: 12-11-1981
Episode 88 (Waterloo at Southfork) Air Date: 12-18-1981
Episode 89 (Barbecue Two) Air Date: 01-01-1982
Episode 90 (The Search) Air Date: 01-08-1982
Episode 91 (Denial) Air Date: 01-15-1982
Episode 92 (Head of the Family) Air Date: 01-22-1982
Episode 93 (The Phoenix) Air Date: 01-29-1982
Episode 94 (My Father, My Son) Air Date: 02-05-1982
Episode 95 (Anniversary) Air Date: 02-12-1982
Episode 96 (Adoption) Air Date: 02-19-1982
Episode 97 (The Maelstrom) Air Date: 02-26-1982
Episode 98 (The Prodigal) Air Date: 03-05-1982
Episode 99 (Vengeance) Air Date: 03-12-1982
Episode 100 (Blackmail) Air Date: 03-19-1982
Episode 101 (The Investigation) Air Date: 03-26-1982
Episode 102 (Acceptance) Air Date: 04-02-1982
Episode 103 (Goodbye, Cliff Barnes) Air Date: 04-09-1982
Undoubtedly, the unrivaled success and popularity of Dallas was in large part due to Larry Hagman and his portrayal of J.R. Ewing. Hagman’s real life Texas roots, unique charm, and wholehearted commitment to his craft helped to create one of the most loveable villains in history, and his treachery is on fully display in season five. Although J.R. is a vindictive cutthroat, the audience grows to love his sinister smile in the aftermath of a one-sided business deal and/or a selfish act of calculating revenge. In sharp contrast, J.R.’s brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) brings the Ewing karma back into balance with his all-American smile and impeccable character. Patrick Duffy brings his own style of charm to the small screen, and it makes for an interesting clash of personalities.
The Dallas (Season 5) DVD features some of the best episodes of the series. The initial ones center around Sue Ellen’s attempt to leave J.R. once and for all. With Dusty and Clayton Farlow by her side, Sue Ellen (Linda Grey) begins a new life at the Southern Cross ranch in San Angelo. The ensuing war between the two over baby John Ross makes for some of the most enjoyable prime time drama ever produced. The onscreen chemistry between Hagman and Grey is simply magic. They manage to portray a believable love-hate relationship between a husband and wife, and it’s one of the ongoing conflicts which launched the show to the top of the Nielsen ratings for almost fourteen years (making it the longest running prime time drama in television history).
Below is a list of episodes included on the Dallas (Season 5) DVD:
Episode 78 (Missing Heir) Air Date: 10-09-1981
Episode 79 (Gone, But Not Forgotten) Air Date: 10-16-1981
Episode 80 (Showdown at San Angelo) Air Date: 10-23-1981
Episode 81 (Little Boy Lost) Air Date: 10-30-1981
Episode 82 (The Sweet Smell of Revenge) Air Date: 11-06-1981
Episode 83 (The Big Shut Down) Air Date: 11-13-1981
Episode 84 (Blocked) Air Date: 11-20-1981
Episode 85 (The Split) Air Date: 11-27-1981
Episode 86 (Five Dollars a Barrel) Air Date: 12-04-1981
Episode 87 (Starting Over) Air Date: 12-11-1981
Episode 88 (Waterloo at Southfork) Air Date: 12-18-1981
Episode 89 (Barbecue Two) Air Date: 01-01-1982
Episode 90 (The Search) Air Date: 01-08-1982
Episode 91 (Denial) Air Date: 01-15-1982
Episode 92 (Head of the Family) Air Date: 01-22-1982
Episode 93 (The Phoenix) Air Date: 01-29-1982
Episode 94 (My Father, My Son) Air Date: 02-05-1982
Episode 95 (Anniversary) Air Date: 02-12-1982
Episode 96 (Adoption) Air Date: 02-19-1982
Episode 97 (The Maelstrom) Air Date: 02-26-1982
Episode 98 (The Prodigal) Air Date: 03-05-1982
Episode 99 (Vengeance) Air Date: 03-12-1982
Episode 100 (Blackmail) Air Date: 03-19-1982
Episode 101 (The Investigation) Air Date: 03-26-1982
Episode 102 (Acceptance) Air Date: 04-02-1982
Episode 103 (Goodbye, Cliff Barnes) Air Date: 04-09-1982
Airplane (dvd) Review
Winner of an astounding, yet not unprecedented zero Academy Awards, Airplane is arguably one of the funniest movies ever made. Long before The Naked Gun, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker teamed up to write this outrageous comedy hit which spoofs the airline disaster movies prevalent throughout the 1970’s. Starring a diverse cast with a wide range of experience from Hollywood, Broadway, and the NBA, Airplane follows the exploits of a number of characters such as Ted Striker (Robert Hays), Roger Murdock (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and Otto The Inflatable Pilot (as himself), all of whom will keep you laughing in the aisles for one hour plus.
When ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker is released from the hospital following the mental strain of his war experience, he decides to seek out and reconnect with the love of his life, Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty), a woman who broke off their relationship due to Striker’s various problems (among which is a “drinking problem,” that is, Striker’s inability to pour liquid into his mouth!) Now an airline stewardess, Elaine is emphatic in her assertion that she will never get back together with Ted. Unwilling to take no for an answer, and certain he can prove he’s overcome the problems of his past, Ted follows Elaine on her flight.
All goes well until several passengers get sick. Victims of spoiled food, almost everyone on the plane stands on the brink of death as the pilots themselves pass out. One of the few who is not ill, Ted is called upon to land the plane in their absence. But his haunting war memories and fear of flying foreshadow a great disaster. With the help of Elaine, Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen), and Otto The Inflatable Pilot, Ted faces his fears and attempts to bring the plane in for a safe landing. Helping him from the ground are Steven McCrosky (Lloyd Bridges) and Capt. Rex Kramer (Robert Stack), a military man intimately familiar with the abilities of Ted Striker.
Interspersed throughout Airplane are an endless number of one-liners, oddities, wordplay dialogue, and crazy antics. This is one movie you might have to watch several times before you catch every great line, because the humor saturates every scene. You won’t find a single dull moment in Airplane. In fact, you might even learn a few disco moves from Ted and Elaine, not to mention Capt. Oveur and his co-pilot Roger!
With a truly impressive cast for a spoof, cult comedy classic (Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, and Leslie Nielsen among others), Airplane will forever remain among the hallowed elite of the best comedy films ever produced. Unlike most modern-era comedies, which tend to reflect many of the trends and fads of the day, Airplane seems to gain new altitude with each generation to which it’s introduced. Like Johnny Carson, its wit and humor transcends every level of American life, making for an enjoyable and laughable movie watching experience. As a result, Airplane is a no-brainer in the category of must-see films. If you haven’t seen it (hard to believe), then I highly recommend renting it immediately.
When ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker is released from the hospital following the mental strain of his war experience, he decides to seek out and reconnect with the love of his life, Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty), a woman who broke off their relationship due to Striker’s various problems (among which is a “drinking problem,” that is, Striker’s inability to pour liquid into his mouth!) Now an airline stewardess, Elaine is emphatic in her assertion that she will never get back together with Ted. Unwilling to take no for an answer, and certain he can prove he’s overcome the problems of his past, Ted follows Elaine on her flight.
All goes well until several passengers get sick. Victims of spoiled food, almost everyone on the plane stands on the brink of death as the pilots themselves pass out. One of the few who is not ill, Ted is called upon to land the plane in their absence. But his haunting war memories and fear of flying foreshadow a great disaster. With the help of Elaine, Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen), and Otto The Inflatable Pilot, Ted faces his fears and attempts to bring the plane in for a safe landing. Helping him from the ground are Steven McCrosky (Lloyd Bridges) and Capt. Rex Kramer (Robert Stack), a military man intimately familiar with the abilities of Ted Striker.
Interspersed throughout Airplane are an endless number of one-liners, oddities, wordplay dialogue, and crazy antics. This is one movie you might have to watch several times before you catch every great line, because the humor saturates every scene. You won’t find a single dull moment in Airplane. In fact, you might even learn a few disco moves from Ted and Elaine, not to mention Capt. Oveur and his co-pilot Roger!
With a truly impressive cast for a spoof, cult comedy classic (Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, and Leslie Nielsen among others), Airplane will forever remain among the hallowed elite of the best comedy films ever produced. Unlike most modern-era comedies, which tend to reflect many of the trends and fads of the day, Airplane seems to gain new altitude with each generation to which it’s introduced. Like Johnny Carson, its wit and humor transcends every level of American life, making for an enjoyable and laughable movie watching experience. As a result, Airplane is a no-brainer in the category of must-see films. If you haven’t seen it (hard to believe), then I highly recommend renting it immediately.
Animal House Review
Arriving on the scene in 1978, Animal House is the blockbuster frat house comedy that rewrote all the rules and created a generation of filmmakers hoping to replicate its comic genius. Original Saturday Night Live cast member John Belushi turned in a breakout film performance that made him a comedy rock star, propelling him to further fame with the release of Blues Brothers (1980). Tim Matheson also has his breakout role in the cult classic which features appearances by actors Mark Metcalf ("the Maestro" from Seinfeld), Donald Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon.
The film is set at fictional Faber College in the 1960s. Two incoming freshmen roommates, Larry Kroger (Tom Hulce) and Kent Dorfman (Stephen Furst), visit the various fraternities on campus in an effort to find a good group with which to socialize. But the two get more than they bargain for when the meet the guys of Delta House - a ragtag bunch of beer-swilling, womanizing, party animals. The group is the complete opposite of another campus fraternity, Omega House, headed by the snide, condescending preppies Greg Marmalard (James Daughton), Doug Neidermeyer (Mark Metcalf), and Chip Diller (Kevin Bacon). Favorites of Dean Wormer, the Omega House continually taunts Delta House and conspires with Dean Wormer to have the members of Delta expelled and their fraternity banned.
Leading the charge for Delta House is John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi), ladies man Eric "Otter" Stratton (Tim Matheson), and Donald "Boon" Schoenstein (Peter Riegert). Pledging Delta House, Larry and Kent are given the nicknames, Pinto and Flounder. Brought into the fold, they witness the true diversity of characters they are now brothers with. Otter seduces Dean Wormer's wife, and Bluto spits egg on Greg Marmalard while Boon and his girlfriend work through their problems.
Things go well for the men of Delta House until Dean Wormer calls them into his office and places them on "Double Secret Probation". With Omega and Wormer aligned against them, Delta House is kicked off campus and its members expelled. But the great men of Delta refuse to go down without a fight. With the Homecoming parade set to begin, they unleash a fury of revenge on Wormer and company.
At the conclusion of the film, we learn of the whereabouts of all the various characters. The timeless humor of this film makes it no wonder that it has ascended to cult classic status. An original and witty comedy wielding a trailblazing influence on teen/college comedies, Animal House has earned its place in the hallowed halls of American cinematic classics.
The film is set at fictional Faber College in the 1960s. Two incoming freshmen roommates, Larry Kroger (Tom Hulce) and Kent Dorfman (Stephen Furst), visit the various fraternities on campus in an effort to find a good group with which to socialize. But the two get more than they bargain for when the meet the guys of Delta House - a ragtag bunch of beer-swilling, womanizing, party animals. The group is the complete opposite of another campus fraternity, Omega House, headed by the snide, condescending preppies Greg Marmalard (James Daughton), Doug Neidermeyer (Mark Metcalf), and Chip Diller (Kevin Bacon). Favorites of Dean Wormer, the Omega House continually taunts Delta House and conspires with Dean Wormer to have the members of Delta expelled and their fraternity banned.
Leading the charge for Delta House is John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi), ladies man Eric "Otter" Stratton (Tim Matheson), and Donald "Boon" Schoenstein (Peter Riegert). Pledging Delta House, Larry and Kent are given the nicknames, Pinto and Flounder. Brought into the fold, they witness the true diversity of characters they are now brothers with. Otter seduces Dean Wormer's wife, and Bluto spits egg on Greg Marmalard while Boon and his girlfriend work through their problems.
Things go well for the men of Delta House until Dean Wormer calls them into his office and places them on "Double Secret Probation". With Omega and Wormer aligned against them, Delta House is kicked off campus and its members expelled. But the great men of Delta refuse to go down without a fight. With the Homecoming parade set to begin, they unleash a fury of revenge on Wormer and company.
At the conclusion of the film, we learn of the whereabouts of all the various characters. The timeless humor of this film makes it no wonder that it has ascended to cult classic status. An original and witty comedy wielding a trailblazing influence on teen/college comedies, Animal House has earned its place in the hallowed halls of American cinematic classics.
Grumpy Old Men Movie Review
One of the most superb comedies ever filmed, Grumpy Old Men showcases the multidimensional talents of two of Hollywood's most accomplished actors, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. With the additional brilliant comic performance of Burgess Meredith, Grumpy Old Men transforms from a gem of a picture into one of the funniest movies ever made. A sweeping commercial success, the film spawned the sequel Grumpier Old Men - a rare breed of movie that almost lived up to the quality of the original.
In Grumpy Old Men, lifelong friends and neighbors John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) trade jibes on a daily basis against the backdrop of the frozen Minnesota tundra. Maintaining a relationship that appears to be nothing more than a give and take of acerbic sarcasm, the two men actually enjoy a strong bond of kinship that has lasted all their lives. Widowed and retired, both men live a confined and comfortable existence, defined by routine ice fishing trips and visits from immediate family.
But John and Max both find new life when a rambunctious vixen named Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret) moves into the neighborhood. Ariel befriends both men who act as if they aren't interested in her because of their inner fears of leaving their comfort zone. It takes the actions of their friend, local fish store owner Chuck (Ossie Davis), to jar the two men from their comfortable, yet boring lives. When Chuck pays a visit to Ariel's house late one night, he rouses the jealousy of both men who instantly transform into competitors for Ariel's affections.
While Max seemingly has the upper-hand in the quest, the tables quickly turn in John's favor when Ariel communicates her feelings during a late night visit to the Gustafson abode… Meanwhile, John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah) and Max's son Jacob (Kevin Pollack) develop a romantic relationship with one another.
With John and Ariel becoming an item themselves, a wedge is further driven between John and Max who continue their feuding unabated. Only a true father can break up these two fighting boys, which John's father does… But will their friendship be ruined forever?
Flooded with countless one-liners, perfect delivery of insults, and an endless number of comic scenes, Grumpy Old Men is one of the most hilarious films you'll ever have the pleasure of enjoying. The onscreen magic between Lemmon and Malthau is unsurpassed by any comedy duo before or since, and the screenplay is expertly written. In fact, the closing credits may actually be more entertaining than the film itself, which is quite an accomplishment. As the credits run the course of the screen, original outtakes from the film are shown. Burgess Meredith steals the show with his matter-of-fact, coarse utterances, such as "Looks like Chuck's gonna' bury his bone!"
With well-timed humor, and the ingenious performances of several Hollywood veterans, it's no surprise that Grumpy Old Men ranks as a definite must-see film. If you haven't seen it, you have no idea what you've been missing. Trust me, you could rent a hundred films before coming across something that's even close to being as funny as this one.
In Grumpy Old Men, lifelong friends and neighbors John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) trade jibes on a daily basis against the backdrop of the frozen Minnesota tundra. Maintaining a relationship that appears to be nothing more than a give and take of acerbic sarcasm, the two men actually enjoy a strong bond of kinship that has lasted all their lives. Widowed and retired, both men live a confined and comfortable existence, defined by routine ice fishing trips and visits from immediate family.
But John and Max both find new life when a rambunctious vixen named Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret) moves into the neighborhood. Ariel befriends both men who act as if they aren't interested in her because of their inner fears of leaving their comfort zone. It takes the actions of their friend, local fish store owner Chuck (Ossie Davis), to jar the two men from their comfortable, yet boring lives. When Chuck pays a visit to Ariel's house late one night, he rouses the jealousy of both men who instantly transform into competitors for Ariel's affections.
While Max seemingly has the upper-hand in the quest, the tables quickly turn in John's favor when Ariel communicates her feelings during a late night visit to the Gustafson abode… Meanwhile, John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah) and Max's son Jacob (Kevin Pollack) develop a romantic relationship with one another.
With John and Ariel becoming an item themselves, a wedge is further driven between John and Max who continue their feuding unabated. Only a true father can break up these two fighting boys, which John's father does… But will their friendship be ruined forever?
Flooded with countless one-liners, perfect delivery of insults, and an endless number of comic scenes, Grumpy Old Men is one of the most hilarious films you'll ever have the pleasure of enjoying. The onscreen magic between Lemmon and Malthau is unsurpassed by any comedy duo before or since, and the screenplay is expertly written. In fact, the closing credits may actually be more entertaining than the film itself, which is quite an accomplishment. As the credits run the course of the screen, original outtakes from the film are shown. Burgess Meredith steals the show with his matter-of-fact, coarse utterances, such as "Looks like Chuck's gonna' bury his bone!"
With well-timed humor, and the ingenious performances of several Hollywood veterans, it's no surprise that Grumpy Old Men ranks as a definite must-see film. If you haven't seen it, you have no idea what you've been missing. Trust me, you could rent a hundred films before coming across something that's even close to being as funny as this one.
Honeymoon In Vegas (dvd) Review
One romantic comedy often overlooked by fans of cinema is Honeymoon In Vegas, a light-hearted, feel-good movie about two lovers overwhelmed by the temptations of Las Vegas. A relatively early film in the careers of both Nicholas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker, Honeymoon In Vegas should have been early indicator to audiences everywhere that these two would become Hollywood mainstays. Along with celebrated industry veteran James Caan (who plays a surprisingly similar role on the present TV show Las Vegas), the three combine to create an interesting, if not extremely hilarious, storyline which adds a new twist to the traditional conflict of the love triangle.
Jack Singer (Nicholas Cage) is forever haunted by a deathbed promise he made to his mother, giving his word that he would never get married. But the promise threatens to end his relationship with long-time girlfriend and true love Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker). So Jack proposes and the couple decides to race off to Las Vegas and get married. However, their trip to Vegas is soon interrupted when Jack is set up in a poker game by professional gambler Tommy Korman (James Caan).
With a single hand of poker, Jack loses $65,000 to Korman who promises to forgive the debt in exchange for a single weekend with his fiancée Betsy. Initially outraged at the setup, Jack sees the proposed solution as a way out of the debt, so he convinces Betsy to go along with the idea. But Jack soon becomes horribly jealous and changes his mind. When he goes to find Betsy, he's forced to fight against Korman and his minions who have arranged to keep Jack away permanently. Now, Jack must get to Betsy any way he can and tell her how much he loves her before Korman convinces her she's marrying the wrong man, and that the right man is no other than Korman himself.
One of James Caan's best performances, the character of Tommy Korman comes off as a somewhat likeable guy even though he plays the role of antagonist to our hero. The best characters are those that are multi-dimensional, and the director creates a great environment which allows the various cast members to act out the emotions of their characters. Put together, these diverse characters interact in exciting and interesting ways, making Honeymoon In Vegas a fun and enjoyable film.
Featuring several Hollywood icons, Honeymoon In Vegas is a character-driven romantic comedy capable of holding its own with any film in its genre. Although it never experienced the widespread commercial success of some of its contemporaries, the film nevertheless maintains a high level of entertainment value. If you haven't seen Honeymoon In Vegas, then I highly recommend it. It's worth the time. Due to its exotic settings and a well-written screenplay, Honeymoon In Vegas is a definite must-see movie.
Jack Singer (Nicholas Cage) is forever haunted by a deathbed promise he made to his mother, giving his word that he would never get married. But the promise threatens to end his relationship with long-time girlfriend and true love Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker). So Jack proposes and the couple decides to race off to Las Vegas and get married. However, their trip to Vegas is soon interrupted when Jack is set up in a poker game by professional gambler Tommy Korman (James Caan).
With a single hand of poker, Jack loses $65,000 to Korman who promises to forgive the debt in exchange for a single weekend with his fiancée Betsy. Initially outraged at the setup, Jack sees the proposed solution as a way out of the debt, so he convinces Betsy to go along with the idea. But Jack soon becomes horribly jealous and changes his mind. When he goes to find Betsy, he's forced to fight against Korman and his minions who have arranged to keep Jack away permanently. Now, Jack must get to Betsy any way he can and tell her how much he loves her before Korman convinces her she's marrying the wrong man, and that the right man is no other than Korman himself.
One of James Caan's best performances, the character of Tommy Korman comes off as a somewhat likeable guy even though he plays the role of antagonist to our hero. The best characters are those that are multi-dimensional, and the director creates a great environment which allows the various cast members to act out the emotions of their characters. Put together, these diverse characters interact in exciting and interesting ways, making Honeymoon In Vegas a fun and enjoyable film.
Featuring several Hollywood icons, Honeymoon In Vegas is a character-driven romantic comedy capable of holding its own with any film in its genre. Although it never experienced the widespread commercial success of some of its contemporaries, the film nevertheless maintains a high level of entertainment value. If you haven't seen Honeymoon In Vegas, then I highly recommend it. It's worth the time. Due to its exotic settings and a well-written screenplay, Honeymoon In Vegas is a definite must-see movie.
The Simpsons (season 7) Dvd Review
One of the best television shows of its time, or any time for that matter, The Simpsons has resurrected the prime time animation genre. A blockbuster series populated with eccentric characters from the town Springfield, it helped launch the upstart FOX network from second-tier network to a major player alongside CBS, NBC, and ABC. This success opened the door for a plethora of animated series, such as The Family Guy (1999), Futurama (1999), and King Of The Hill (1997). With some of the best and most consistent writers in television, The Simpsons has spent an unprecedented length of time as one of the funniest shows on TV. That’s quite an accomplishment given the level of excellence it takes to manufacture so many episodes over such a long period of time.
The Simpsons (Season 7) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Springfield’s Most Wanted” in which John Walsh, host of the FOX series America’s Most Wanted, summarizes various theories as to who shot Springfield tycoon Montgomery Burns. This show originally aired prior to the season seven premiere that wraps up this plot twist, but it appears on The Simpsons (Season 6) DVD. Other notable episodes from Season 7 include “King-Size” in which Homer’s dream of working from home leads him to pursue a high-octane regimen of unhealthy binge eating (in order to get fat enough to qualify for company disability), and “A Fish Called Selma” in which Troy McClure seduces, and eventually marries, Marge’s sister Selma in enough to resuscitate his fledgling Hollywood career.
Below is a list of episodes included on The Simpsons (Season 7) DVD:
Episode 128 (Springfield’s Most Wanted) Air Date: 09-17-1995
Episode 129 (Who Shot Mr. Burns?) Air Date: 09-17-1995
Episode 130 (Radioactive Man) Air Date: 09-24-1995
Episode 131 (Home Sweet Home-Dum Diddly Doodly) Air Date: 10-01-1995
Episode 132 (Bart Sells His Soul) Air Date: 10-08-1995
Episode 133 (Lisa the Vegetarian) Air Date: 10-15-1995
Episode 134 (Treehouse of Horror VI) Air Date: 10-29-1995
Episode 135 (King-Size Homer) Air Date: 11-05-1995
Episode 136 (Mother Simpson) Air Date: 11-19-1995
Episode 137 (Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming) Air Date: 11-26-1995
Episode 138 (The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular) Air Date: 12-03-1995
Episode 139 (Marge Be Not Proud) Air Date: 12-17-1995
Episode 140 (Team Homer) Air Date: 01-07-1996
Episode 141 (Two Bad Neighbors) Air Date: 01-14-1996
Episode 142 (Scenes from a Class Struggle in Springfield) Air Date: 02-04-1996
Episode 143 (Bart the Fink) Air Date: 02-11-1996
Episode 144 (Lisa the Iconoclast) Air Date: 02-18-1996
Episode 145 (Homer the Smithers) Air Date: 02-25-1996
Episode 146 (The Day the Violence Died) Air Date: 03-17-1996
Episode 147 (A Fish Called Selma) Air Date: 03-24-1996
Episode 148 (Bart on the Road) Air Date: 03-31-1996
Episode 149 (22 Short Films About Springfield) Air Date: 04-14-1996
Episode 150 (Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in “The Curse of the Flying Hellfish”) Air Date: 04-28-1996
Episode 151 (Much Apu About Nothing) Air Date: 05-05-1996
Episode 152 (Homerpalooza) Air Date: 05-19-1996
Episode 153 (Summer of 4’2”) Air Date: 05-19-1996
The Simpsons (Season 7) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Springfield’s Most Wanted” in which John Walsh, host of the FOX series America’s Most Wanted, summarizes various theories as to who shot Springfield tycoon Montgomery Burns. This show originally aired prior to the season seven premiere that wraps up this plot twist, but it appears on The Simpsons (Season 6) DVD. Other notable episodes from Season 7 include “King-Size” in which Homer’s dream of working from home leads him to pursue a high-octane regimen of unhealthy binge eating (in order to get fat enough to qualify for company disability), and “A Fish Called Selma” in which Troy McClure seduces, and eventually marries, Marge’s sister Selma in enough to resuscitate his fledgling Hollywood career.
Below is a list of episodes included on The Simpsons (Season 7) DVD:
Episode 128 (Springfield’s Most Wanted) Air Date: 09-17-1995
Episode 129 (Who Shot Mr. Burns?) Air Date: 09-17-1995
Episode 130 (Radioactive Man) Air Date: 09-24-1995
Episode 131 (Home Sweet Home-Dum Diddly Doodly) Air Date: 10-01-1995
Episode 132 (Bart Sells His Soul) Air Date: 10-08-1995
Episode 133 (Lisa the Vegetarian) Air Date: 10-15-1995
Episode 134 (Treehouse of Horror VI) Air Date: 10-29-1995
Episode 135 (King-Size Homer) Air Date: 11-05-1995
Episode 136 (Mother Simpson) Air Date: 11-19-1995
Episode 137 (Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming) Air Date: 11-26-1995
Episode 138 (The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular) Air Date: 12-03-1995
Episode 139 (Marge Be Not Proud) Air Date: 12-17-1995
Episode 140 (Team Homer) Air Date: 01-07-1996
Episode 141 (Two Bad Neighbors) Air Date: 01-14-1996
Episode 142 (Scenes from a Class Struggle in Springfield) Air Date: 02-04-1996
Episode 143 (Bart the Fink) Air Date: 02-11-1996
Episode 144 (Lisa the Iconoclast) Air Date: 02-18-1996
Episode 145 (Homer the Smithers) Air Date: 02-25-1996
Episode 146 (The Day the Violence Died) Air Date: 03-17-1996
Episode 147 (A Fish Called Selma) Air Date: 03-24-1996
Episode 148 (Bart on the Road) Air Date: 03-31-1996
Episode 149 (22 Short Films About Springfield) Air Date: 04-14-1996
Episode 150 (Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in “The Curse of the Flying Hellfish”) Air Date: 04-28-1996
Episode 151 (Much Apu About Nothing) Air Date: 05-05-1996
Episode 152 (Homerpalooza) Air Date: 05-19-1996
Episode 153 (Summer of 4’2”) Air Date: 05-19-1996
Taxi (season 3) Dvd Review
With its biting humor and eccentric characters, Taxi is widely lauded as one of the top sitcoms in television history. The brainchild of James L. Brooks, whose golden touch played a role in such hits as The Andy Griffith Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Simpsons, Taxi continues to entertain and gather generations of new fans through syndicated reruns. With a superb cast and great writers, the show introduced the world to the comedic talents of Hollywood mainstays like Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, Marilu Henner, Christopher Lloyd, and Andy Kaufman.
Taxi follows the daily operations of the Sunshine Cab Company, a New York City taxi service run by tyrannical dispatcher Louie De Palma (Danny DeVito). De Palma’s self-centered sarcastic remarks are often dispensed from the safety of his pathetically small office in the corner of the body shop, while various employees like Alex Reiger (Judd Hirsch), Tony Banta (Danza), and Elaine Nardo (Henner) socialize and plot against their common enemy. Add foreign mechanic Latka Gravas (Kaufman) to the mix and all the ingredients are in place for hours of endless laughter. As the characters deal with problems of varying degree in their personal lives, the audience is treated to some of the best comedy ever produced for the small screen.
The Taxi (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Louie’s Rival” in which Louie’s girlfriend Zena dumps him for a bartender at Mario’s. Danny DeVito provides another hilarious performance as the heartless Louie… Other notable episodes include “The Costume Party” in which the gang crashes a luxury yacht party in the hopes of meeting some famous people, and “Bobby and the Critic” in which Bobby happens upon one of the theater critics who recently bashed his performance.
Below is a list of episodes included on the Taxi (Season 3) DVD:
Episode 47 (Louie’s Rival) Air Date: 11-19-1980
Episode 48 (Tony’s Sister and Jim) Air Date: 11-26-1980
Episode 49 (Fathers of the Bride) Air Date: 12-03-1980
Episode 50 (Elaine’s Strange Triangle) Air Date: 12-10-1980
Episode 51 (Going Home) Air Date: 12-17-1980
Episode 52 (The Ten Percent Solution) Air Date: 01-07-1981
Episode 53 (The Call of the Mild) Air Date: 01-21-1981
Episode 54 (Latka’s Cookies) Air Date: 02-05-1981
Episode 55 (Thy Boss’s Wife) Air Date: 02-12-1981
Episode 56 (The Costume Party) Air Date: 02-19-1981
Episode 57 (Elaine’s Old Friend) Air Date: 02-26-1981
Episode 58 (Out of Commission) Air Date: 03-12-1981
Episode 59 (Zen and the Art of Cab Driving) Air Date: 03-19-1981
Episode 60 (Louie’s Mother) Air Date: 03-26-1981
Episode 61 (Bobby’s Roommate) Air Date: 04-09-1981
Episode 62 (Louie Bumps Into an Old Lady) Air Date: 04-16-1981
Episode 63 (Bobby and the Critic) Air Date: 04-30-1981
Episode 64 (On the Job: Part 1) Air Date: 05-07-1981
Episode 65 (On the Job: Part 2) Air Date: 05-14-1981
Episode 66 (Latka the Playboy) Air Date: 05-21-1981
Taxi follows the daily operations of the Sunshine Cab Company, a New York City taxi service run by tyrannical dispatcher Louie De Palma (Danny DeVito). De Palma’s self-centered sarcastic remarks are often dispensed from the safety of his pathetically small office in the corner of the body shop, while various employees like Alex Reiger (Judd Hirsch), Tony Banta (Danza), and Elaine Nardo (Henner) socialize and plot against their common enemy. Add foreign mechanic Latka Gravas (Kaufman) to the mix and all the ingredients are in place for hours of endless laughter. As the characters deal with problems of varying degree in their personal lives, the audience is treated to some of the best comedy ever produced for the small screen.
The Taxi (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Louie’s Rival” in which Louie’s girlfriend Zena dumps him for a bartender at Mario’s. Danny DeVito provides another hilarious performance as the heartless Louie… Other notable episodes include “The Costume Party” in which the gang crashes a luxury yacht party in the hopes of meeting some famous people, and “Bobby and the Critic” in which Bobby happens upon one of the theater critics who recently bashed his performance.
Below is a list of episodes included on the Taxi (Season 3) DVD:
Episode 47 (Louie’s Rival) Air Date: 11-19-1980
Episode 48 (Tony’s Sister and Jim) Air Date: 11-26-1980
Episode 49 (Fathers of the Bride) Air Date: 12-03-1980
Episode 50 (Elaine’s Strange Triangle) Air Date: 12-10-1980
Episode 51 (Going Home) Air Date: 12-17-1980
Episode 52 (The Ten Percent Solution) Air Date: 01-07-1981
Episode 53 (The Call of the Mild) Air Date: 01-21-1981
Episode 54 (Latka’s Cookies) Air Date: 02-05-1981
Episode 55 (Thy Boss’s Wife) Air Date: 02-12-1981
Episode 56 (The Costume Party) Air Date: 02-19-1981
Episode 57 (Elaine’s Old Friend) Air Date: 02-26-1981
Episode 58 (Out of Commission) Air Date: 03-12-1981
Episode 59 (Zen and the Art of Cab Driving) Air Date: 03-19-1981
Episode 60 (Louie’s Mother) Air Date: 03-26-1981
Episode 61 (Bobby’s Roommate) Air Date: 04-09-1981
Episode 62 (Louie Bumps Into an Old Lady) Air Date: 04-16-1981
Episode 63 (Bobby and the Critic) Air Date: 04-30-1981
Episode 64 (On the Job: Part 1) Air Date: 05-07-1981
Episode 65 (On the Job: Part 2) Air Date: 05-14-1981
Episode 66 (Latka the Playboy) Air Date: 05-21-1981
The Movie Review Of The Kinky Boots
First time in theatres on April 14th, 2006, Kinky Boots was release on DVD this past September 5th of 2006. Starring Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sarah Jane Potts, Ewan Hooper and many others, Kinky Boots is a combination of comedy and drama.
After his father dies, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton), is left to revive his father’s quickly dying shoe business. With each new obstacle, Charlie considers selling the business just as his father had done. That was all until the day he met Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who tried to help Charlie out of a beating. Lola's cross-dressing character gives the Charlie idea that just might bring his fathers business back into the black with the designing of boots for Lola and her other cross dressing friends. But Lola doesn't immediately win any favors with the men in company and nothing can prepare Charlie for the disastrous fashion show that spotlights his newest creation, not even the budding romance between him and his newly acquired assistant Lauren (Sarah-Jane Potts).
In a review by Chris Cabin, for http://www.filmcritic.com, he writes: "Edgerton, especially for a leading man, seems lacking in the charm department and doesn’t do anything with the role (he simply says the line in his accent for the most part)." That's a cold truth, but there has to be more substance to a leading character than the depth of his voice.
Chris also goes on to say: "Potts might have registered with talent if she was given more screen-time but most of the time is given to Edgerton and (thank God) Ejiofor. Where a one man show would usually fair okay with a contrived or lopsided plot (The Matador), Kinky Boots simply just doesn’t take the time to let us give a hoot about anyone but Ejiofor. If that was their mission, consider it accomplished." If that's the case, one might wonder why Ejiofor wasn't cast in the lead.
With reviews ranging from 75/100 by the Chicago Sun Times to 43/100 from The Onion, Kinky Boots is definitely not considered a "must buy movie". My best advice? Wait until it comes out on TV.
After his father dies, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton), is left to revive his father’s quickly dying shoe business. With each new obstacle, Charlie considers selling the business just as his father had done. That was all until the day he met Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who tried to help Charlie out of a beating. Lola's cross-dressing character gives the Charlie idea that just might bring his fathers business back into the black with the designing of boots for Lola and her other cross dressing friends. But Lola doesn't immediately win any favors with the men in company and nothing can prepare Charlie for the disastrous fashion show that spotlights his newest creation, not even the budding romance between him and his newly acquired assistant Lauren (Sarah-Jane Potts).
In a review by Chris Cabin, for http://www.filmcritic.com, he writes: "Edgerton, especially for a leading man, seems lacking in the charm department and doesn’t do anything with the role (he simply says the line in his accent for the most part)." That's a cold truth, but there has to be more substance to a leading character than the depth of his voice.
Chris also goes on to say: "Potts might have registered with talent if she was given more screen-time but most of the time is given to Edgerton and (thank God) Ejiofor. Where a one man show would usually fair okay with a contrived or lopsided plot (The Matador), Kinky Boots simply just doesn’t take the time to let us give a hoot about anyone but Ejiofor. If that was their mission, consider it accomplished." If that's the case, one might wonder why Ejiofor wasn't cast in the lead.
With reviews ranging from 75/100 by the Chicago Sun Times to 43/100 from The Onion, Kinky Boots is definitely not considered a "must buy movie". My best advice? Wait until it comes out on TV.
The Movie Critic Of United 93
Directed by Paul Greengrass and based upon the real-life actual terrorist events that took place on September 11th, 2001, United 93 takes a daring look at how that day affected those involved. This is the story of one of the four planes hijacked that day, the one that did not reach its intended target but crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take control of the plane. Expect a broad perspective from the Air traffic controllers, United flight 93 crew, passengers and their expectant families.
Released on September 5, 2006 and rated R for teenagers 15 and over, United 93 is factual perception of the tragic events of 9/11. Casted in this movie are: J.J. Johnson, Gary Commock, Richard Bekins and Polly Adams.
United 93 came out on top with reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Chicago Sun Times, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today and Reelviews, scoring 100 out a possible 100!
FilmCritic.com’s Sean O’Connell offers this description of the film: “Paul Greengrass draws on both fact and speculation with United 93, the writer/director’s nerve-wracking but deeply moving reconstruction of that dark day. His reality rotates around the air traffic controllers in New York, Boston, and Washington who were forced to deal with multiple hijackings in a frustratingly compressed time frame. Several of the actual controllers play themselves on screen, an inspired touch that adds appropriate realism to the film.”
He continues by asking the question that many ask when watching this film: “Is it too soon for this movie? That’s a personal question viewers must answer for themselves. Those willing to accept Greengrass’ version of history will be met by a balanced re-enactment that summons the fear and anger felt that day. United 93 carries with it the intense foreboding of an approaching storm. Our prior knowledge weighs like a brick placed on our chest, over our hearts.”
Released on September 5, 2006 and rated R for teenagers 15 and over, United 93 is factual perception of the tragic events of 9/11. Casted in this movie are: J.J. Johnson, Gary Commock, Richard Bekins and Polly Adams.
United 93 came out on top with reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Chicago Sun Times, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today and Reelviews, scoring 100 out a possible 100!
FilmCritic.com’s Sean O’Connell offers this description of the film: “Paul Greengrass draws on both fact and speculation with United 93, the writer/director’s nerve-wracking but deeply moving reconstruction of that dark day. His reality rotates around the air traffic controllers in New York, Boston, and Washington who were forced to deal with multiple hijackings in a frustratingly compressed time frame. Several of the actual controllers play themselves on screen, an inspired touch that adds appropriate realism to the film.”
He continues by asking the question that many ask when watching this film: “Is it too soon for this movie? That’s a personal question viewers must answer for themselves. Those willing to accept Greengrass’ version of history will be met by a balanced re-enactment that summons the fear and anger felt that day. United 93 carries with it the intense foreboding of an approaching storm. Our prior knowledge weighs like a brick placed on our chest, over our hearts.”
James Bond-casino Royale (2006) Review
Another James Bond movie made, another classic to add to your video collection. Nowadays, who isn't a fan of James Bond? This time, we have a new actor in the place of James, a British man by the name of Daniel Craig. I believe that he did a fantastic job as the main role, and they are already filming a new Bond movie with the same actor. Casino Royale is very different from your average Jame Bond flick. The action isn't as cartoonish, and the movie has a much darker feel than the others. For some, it's good news, and for others, it's bad news.
First the bad news, some girls will not have a fun time watching the movie. As they seldom look for dark, violent, and serious movies. I think that Casino Royale may have lost some female James Bond fans. I also think that the movie is missing a bit of emotion, as the new Bond is nearly emotionless. Which isn't a bad thing, I don't mind empty emotions in my movies, as long as the storyline and acting make up for it. But im not talking about my personal preference. The bottom line is that this years Bond, is nothing like the previous Bond. Some will like him, and some will not. It all depends on what you expect from a movie. In a nutshell, the ones who crave emotions from the main characters, may not like this movie. The ones who like more action, less talk, this film is for you.
I have a lot more to tell you on the good side of the film, before we get into the actual plot. There isn't as much action in the movie as all of the other Bond films, but it's more violent and ferocious. The storyline might be a little hard to follow, but after a few viewings, you gain the complete knowledge. Think of it like this: Each time you watch the film, you learn something that you didn't know from the previous viewing. A good amount of the movie takes place at a poker table. It may be a bit boring for some, but not for me. After all, who doesn't like to sit down and watch a very dramatic version of World Series of Poker? I didn't think so.
The film takes place in many different locations. From the Bahamas, all the way down to Europe. The locations make the theme of the movie change pretty rapidly. So why is the movie 2 and a half hours long? It's simply because a lot of things take place in the movie, various action scenes, information being discovered, which all leads from one thing to another, until the very dramatic ending, which I won't tell you. The main villian is very strange, and his role is more realistic than any other 007 film. What makes this film more realistic than the others, is how all of the events can actually happen in reality. Nothing over the top, and the events are similar to real life. No other action film I have seen contains such realistic events.
Overall, this is one of the better films of the James Bond series. It is one of the most unique action films I have seen, and I would definately recommend it to action movie fans, and James Bond fans. People from all over the world can enjoy this film, as it is likeable by many people. Casino Royale has been in theatres for 2 weeks, and has made a total of $94.2 Million, and is one of the most successful Bond films. If you are going to see an action movie in theatres, what can be better than this? Nothing.
First the bad news, some girls will not have a fun time watching the movie. As they seldom look for dark, violent, and serious movies. I think that Casino Royale may have lost some female James Bond fans. I also think that the movie is missing a bit of emotion, as the new Bond is nearly emotionless. Which isn't a bad thing, I don't mind empty emotions in my movies, as long as the storyline and acting make up for it. But im not talking about my personal preference. The bottom line is that this years Bond, is nothing like the previous Bond. Some will like him, and some will not. It all depends on what you expect from a movie. In a nutshell, the ones who crave emotions from the main characters, may not like this movie. The ones who like more action, less talk, this film is for you.
I have a lot more to tell you on the good side of the film, before we get into the actual plot. There isn't as much action in the movie as all of the other Bond films, but it's more violent and ferocious. The storyline might be a little hard to follow, but after a few viewings, you gain the complete knowledge. Think of it like this: Each time you watch the film, you learn something that you didn't know from the previous viewing. A good amount of the movie takes place at a poker table. It may be a bit boring for some, but not for me. After all, who doesn't like to sit down and watch a very dramatic version of World Series of Poker? I didn't think so.
The film takes place in many different locations. From the Bahamas, all the way down to Europe. The locations make the theme of the movie change pretty rapidly. So why is the movie 2 and a half hours long? It's simply because a lot of things take place in the movie, various action scenes, information being discovered, which all leads from one thing to another, until the very dramatic ending, which I won't tell you. The main villian is very strange, and his role is more realistic than any other 007 film. What makes this film more realistic than the others, is how all of the events can actually happen in reality. Nothing over the top, and the events are similar to real life. No other action film I have seen contains such realistic events.
Overall, this is one of the better films of the James Bond series. It is one of the most unique action films I have seen, and I would definately recommend it to action movie fans, and James Bond fans. People from all over the world can enjoy this film, as it is likeable by many people. Casino Royale has been in theatres for 2 weeks, and has made a total of $94.2 Million, and is one of the most successful Bond films. If you are going to see an action movie in theatres, what can be better than this? Nothing.
Review: Billy Wingrove : Learn Freestyle Football Vol 1
I'm very keen in freestyle football since last year, 2006. So I watched a few video clips on the internet to learn a few tricks. I thought I'd give it a go on this DVD and see how it can improve my freestyle soccer tricks. Here's the review:
There are several features on this DVD and all are guided by Billy himself.
First Part
Recommends proper equipment like the outfit, shorts, shoes and a soccer ball for freestyle soccer.Teaches some basic warm-ups like stretching knees and calfs before you start practicing freestyle soccer. Then some basic juggling soccer skills and simple stalls on each part from foot to head.
Second Part
You'll learn some intermediate skills like Guardiolas. You'll also learn on combining previous skills that you've learned to form a simple combination. There are 3 combinations showed in this DVD varying in difficulty levels.
Third Part
In this section, you'll learn on how to apply certain tricks in the soccer field. Billy will show you on a futsal turf on how to do soccer tricks like Penalty X, Cyclone and many more.
In between the 3 parts of this DVD will show Billy Wingrove's background, his favourite Premiership team, his career and where he started playing freestyle soccer.
My Recommendation
After watching this DVD for several times, I found that the DVD is useful for newbies in freestyle soccer. If you're unfamiliar to basic soccer skills, then this is the DVD for you because Billy will show step-by-step with slow motion in each soccer trick. But for those who are intermediates and advance freestylers may get disappointed because the lack of cool, hard-to-do tricks.
Overall the DVD has an excellent replay value and it's worth investing to start your freestyle soccer adventure.
There are several features on this DVD and all are guided by Billy himself.
First Part
Recommends proper equipment like the outfit, shorts, shoes and a soccer ball for freestyle soccer.Teaches some basic warm-ups like stretching knees and calfs before you start practicing freestyle soccer. Then some basic juggling soccer skills and simple stalls on each part from foot to head.
Second Part
You'll learn some intermediate skills like Guardiolas. You'll also learn on combining previous skills that you've learned to form a simple combination. There are 3 combinations showed in this DVD varying in difficulty levels.
Third Part
In this section, you'll learn on how to apply certain tricks in the soccer field. Billy will show you on a futsal turf on how to do soccer tricks like Penalty X, Cyclone and many more.
In between the 3 parts of this DVD will show Billy Wingrove's background, his favourite Premiership team, his career and where he started playing freestyle soccer.
My Recommendation
After watching this DVD for several times, I found that the DVD is useful for newbies in freestyle soccer. If you're unfamiliar to basic soccer skills, then this is the DVD for you because Billy will show step-by-step with slow motion in each soccer trick. But for those who are intermediates and advance freestylers may get disappointed because the lack of cool, hard-to-do tricks.
Overall the DVD has an excellent replay value and it's worth investing to start your freestyle soccer adventure.
Putting Your Plasma Tv In Its Place
Purchasing a new television involves numerous decisions. Once consumers have waded through the various features and made their selection, there is yet another decision that will be necessary. Finding the right location and method of placing a new plasma television is an important step in assuring optimal viewing as well as the safety of the new screen.
There are a number of viable options for the placement of a plasma television. These space saving flat screens can be mounted on the ceiling, on the wall, or placed on a stand. Some methods of mounting the screens are less costly, others allow for greater ability to save space, and some provide more flexibility to assure that the television can be viewed at different angles and heights. Looking at each of these options in advance will help consumers make the choice that will best suit their needs.
If a wall or ceiling mount is preferred it is important to realize that a plasma television can be heavy for its size and therefore wall studs or a ceiling joist must be present to support it. Any additional hardware needed for installation should be available with the mounting device purchased but will be dependent upon whether the television will be mounted on wood or metal studs/joists or concrete block. Therefore, consumers should go into the buying situation knowing where they wish to place their new plasma television and what type of structure is present.
A ceiling mounted plasma television can save floor space. A ceiling mount often has an extension pipe in addition to the mount itself to allow for comfortable viewing. Some owners use a "plasma lift" with a ceiling mount option that keeps the screen hidden until they are ready to use it.
Wall mounts can be flat, tilt, swivel or an articulated arm. A flat wall mount is generally the least expensive and is the greatest space saver as it adds only 2 inches to the depth of the display but because it is often fixed, does not offer a flexible viewing angle. Getting a tilt mount for a plasma television adds about 4-6 inches to the depth but is often used when needing to mount the display above eye level; such as over a fire place.
An articulating arm mount allows users to keep the display pulled back flat against the wall but also provides the flexibility of pulling out the display and turning/tilting it as needed.
Table stands are generally customized to the specific plasma television that is purchased but do tend to take up a bit more space. Some stands offer options that allow tilt and other movement of the display includingPurchasing a new television involves numerous decisions. Once consumers have waded through the various features and made their selection, there is yet another decision that will be necessary. Finding the right location and method of placing a new plasma television is an important step in assuring optimal viewing as well as the safety of the new screen.
There are a number of viable options for the placement of a plasma television. These space saving flat screens can be mounted on the ceiling, on the wall, or placed on a stand. Some methods of mounting the screens are less costly, others allow for greater ability to save space, and some provide more flexibility to assure that the television can be viewed at different angles and heights. Looking at each of these options in advance will help consumers make the choice that will best suit their needs.
If a wall or ceiling mount is preferred it is important to realize that a plasma television can be heavy for its size and therefore wall studs or a ceiling joist must be present to support it. Any additional hardware needed for installation should be available with the mounting device purchased but will be dependent upon whether the television will be mounted on wood or metal studs/joists or concrete block. Therefore, consumers should go into the buying situation knowing where they wish to place their new plasma television and what type of structure is present.
A ceiling mounted plasma television can save floor space. A ceiling mount often has an extension pipe in addition to the mount itself to allow for comfortable viewing. Some owners use a "plasma lift" with a ceiling mount option that keeps the screen hidden until they are ready to use it.
Wall mounts can be flat, tilt, swivel or an articulated arm. A flat wall mount is generally the least expensive and is the greatest space saver as it adds only 2 inches to the depth of the display but because it is often fixed, does not offer a flexible viewing angle. Getting a tilt mount for a plasma television adds about 4-6 inches to the depth but is often used when needing to mount the display above eye level; such as over a fire place.
An articulating arm mount allows users to keep the display pulled back flat against the wall but also provides the flexibility of pulling out the display and turning/tilting it as needed.
Table stands are generally customized to the specific plasma television that is purchased but do tend to take up a bit more space. Some stands offer options that allow tilt and other movement of the display including "plasma lifts".
Obviously any mount purchased will need to fit the specific plasma television selected. The television will have a pattern of holes on the back that will need to correspond to the screws on the mount. Some mounts also have adapter plates available that will match up to popular plasma television models.
Selecting the proper mount for a plasma television can help to assure that the television is stable and positioned so as to reduce the risk of being struck or knocked over. A proper mount can also help to assure optimal viewing and comfort and should be carefully considered to assure years of viewing pleasure.
"plasma lifts".
Obviously any mount purchased will need to fit the specific plasma television selected. The television will have a pattern of holes on the back that will need to correspond to the screws on the mount. Some mounts also have adapter plates available that will match up to popular plasma television models.
Selecting the proper mount for a plasma television can help to assure that the television is stable and positioned so as to reduce the risk of being struck or knocked over. A proper mount can also help to assure optimal viewing and comfort and should be carefully considered to assure years of viewing pleasure.
There are a number of viable options for the placement of a plasma television. These space saving flat screens can be mounted on the ceiling, on the wall, or placed on a stand. Some methods of mounting the screens are less costly, others allow for greater ability to save space, and some provide more flexibility to assure that the television can be viewed at different angles and heights. Looking at each of these options in advance will help consumers make the choice that will best suit their needs.
If a wall or ceiling mount is preferred it is important to realize that a plasma television can be heavy for its size and therefore wall studs or a ceiling joist must be present to support it. Any additional hardware needed for installation should be available with the mounting device purchased but will be dependent upon whether the television will be mounted on wood or metal studs/joists or concrete block. Therefore, consumers should go into the buying situation knowing where they wish to place their new plasma television and what type of structure is present.
A ceiling mounted plasma television can save floor space. A ceiling mount often has an extension pipe in addition to the mount itself to allow for comfortable viewing. Some owners use a "plasma lift" with a ceiling mount option that keeps the screen hidden until they are ready to use it.
Wall mounts can be flat, tilt, swivel or an articulated arm. A flat wall mount is generally the least expensive and is the greatest space saver as it adds only 2 inches to the depth of the display but because it is often fixed, does not offer a flexible viewing angle. Getting a tilt mount for a plasma television adds about 4-6 inches to the depth but is often used when needing to mount the display above eye level; such as over a fire place.
An articulating arm mount allows users to keep the display pulled back flat against the wall but also provides the flexibility of pulling out the display and turning/tilting it as needed.
Table stands are generally customized to the specific plasma television that is purchased but do tend to take up a bit more space. Some stands offer options that allow tilt and other movement of the display includingPurchasing a new television involves numerous decisions. Once consumers have waded through the various features and made their selection, there is yet another decision that will be necessary. Finding the right location and method of placing a new plasma television is an important step in assuring optimal viewing as well as the safety of the new screen.
There are a number of viable options for the placement of a plasma television. These space saving flat screens can be mounted on the ceiling, on the wall, or placed on a stand. Some methods of mounting the screens are less costly, others allow for greater ability to save space, and some provide more flexibility to assure that the television can be viewed at different angles and heights. Looking at each of these options in advance will help consumers make the choice that will best suit their needs.
If a wall or ceiling mount is preferred it is important to realize that a plasma television can be heavy for its size and therefore wall studs or a ceiling joist must be present to support it. Any additional hardware needed for installation should be available with the mounting device purchased but will be dependent upon whether the television will be mounted on wood or metal studs/joists or concrete block. Therefore, consumers should go into the buying situation knowing where they wish to place their new plasma television and what type of structure is present.
A ceiling mounted plasma television can save floor space. A ceiling mount often has an extension pipe in addition to the mount itself to allow for comfortable viewing. Some owners use a "plasma lift" with a ceiling mount option that keeps the screen hidden until they are ready to use it.
Wall mounts can be flat, tilt, swivel or an articulated arm. A flat wall mount is generally the least expensive and is the greatest space saver as it adds only 2 inches to the depth of the display but because it is often fixed, does not offer a flexible viewing angle. Getting a tilt mount for a plasma television adds about 4-6 inches to the depth but is often used when needing to mount the display above eye level; such as over a fire place.
An articulating arm mount allows users to keep the display pulled back flat against the wall but also provides the flexibility of pulling out the display and turning/tilting it as needed.
Table stands are generally customized to the specific plasma television that is purchased but do tend to take up a bit more space. Some stands offer options that allow tilt and other movement of the display including "plasma lifts".
Obviously any mount purchased will need to fit the specific plasma television selected. The television will have a pattern of holes on the back that will need to correspond to the screws on the mount. Some mounts also have adapter plates available that will match up to popular plasma television models.
Selecting the proper mount for a plasma television can help to assure that the television is stable and positioned so as to reduce the risk of being struck or knocked over. A proper mount can also help to assure optimal viewing and comfort and should be carefully considered to assure years of viewing pleasure.
"plasma lifts".
Obviously any mount purchased will need to fit the specific plasma television selected. The television will have a pattern of holes on the back that will need to correspond to the screws on the mount. Some mounts also have adapter plates available that will match up to popular plasma television models.
Selecting the proper mount for a plasma television can help to assure that the television is stable and positioned so as to reduce the risk of being struck or knocked over. A proper mount can also help to assure optimal viewing and comfort and should be carefully considered to assure years of viewing pleasure.
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