Monday, September 30, 2013

Season 1 Pt. 1



Happy Mama
I bought this DVD for my mom for christmas.she used to love watching this show way back when it was a T.v seires. She was so super excited when she opened this on Christmas. Thank you Amazon for having such a great variety of everything. Very happy ;-)





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Minor Details



A great movie
My children really liked this movie and watched it about 4 times in a row.
They enjoyed it and will watch it again again I am sure - they really like the actors in the movie.

very cute
Very cute and clean film. We need more clean family films, without the use of the Lords name in vain, without profanity, without crude humor, without immodesty. Thank you for this and I hope there are many more to come.

Minor Details
Nice kids movie. Don't expect an in depth mover with a great plot as this is not the movie. It just a light fun kids movie.

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Little Spirit: Christmas in New York



Entertaining and Enjoyable!
Although several reviews I read online for this children's movie were negative, my children adored it! For my 4 year old, she was enthralled by the story. With Danny DeVito recounting the story of a boy who lost his beloved dog, Ramona, when he moved to NYC, my daughter was riveted by the children in the film, the unique animation, and the "Little Spirit." A genuine story of love, moving to a new place, and difficult family changes, we watched this enchanting Christmas tale several times. I would recommend this film to people with small children everytime!

A new Christmas Classic
Little Spirit is a great new addition to the animated Christmas classics. The tale of the boy who loses his dog in Central Park and then has to rely on the kindness of strangers to get her back has a wonderful world peace message. Plus it's very funny and exciting. The animation is gorgeous and the music is wonderful. I highly recommend this film for family viewing.

We like it
We liked the little spirit movie, but I don't understand why in every movie there is always a part where there is someone mean and my 3 1/2 yrs is still too young to see this but when he his older it will definitely be a great movie.

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Adoration



Reason unmoored . . .
From first frame to last, I had no idea what was going to come next in this thought-provoking film from Canada. Others here may attempt to sum up the plot, but the dream-like, stream of conscious connections that lead from one scene to the next are what I found fascinating. The movement is back and forth in time, until it's hardly clear what the "present" is, while one assumption after another about characters and their motivations is turned on its head. What you think is true turns out to be only sort of so, and each revelation pulls you in even farther.

This is a movie for grown-ups, asking questions about the post-9/11 world we live in and wanting us to make sense of the fear and confusion around terrorism. Characters are not totally clear cut. A schoolboy, his teacher, his uncle, his grandfather, and his dead parents all draw our sympathy at times and then behave in ways that make us question their judgment.

Meanwhile, as a story about the boys' parents,...

Deeply flawed but deeply `deep' as well...
Soaking in Atom Egoyan's `Adoration', I sit here wondering if my analysis is really all that accurate. The film, while flawed in my eyes, is so controversially provocative that I wonder if it is `better' than I'm giving it credit for. It may very well be. I have a feeling that `Adoration' will fare the same way as Van Sants `Elephant'; a film that resonates deeply with me over time yet always feels like a film I should consider a masterpiece can't quite bring myself to.

The film revolves around a kid named Simon who concocts a strange plan to deceive his entire school by placing himself inside a real life story about a failed terrorist plot. When doing an exercise in French class, he gets inspired and begins to translate a news story in the first person, from the perspective of the son of a man who attempted to blow up a plane. His teacher, who also happens to be the drama teacher, eggs him on until he invests so much of himself into this story that it begins to become...

Blow up
I am new to this (Canadian?) director's work, so I can't compare this movie to his previous ones. I don't know if it is better or not, but I do know that it is quite good enough to be worth my time.
A high school student is encouraged by his French teacher (who also does the Drama group) to enact and develop a scenario, which is based in a true story, as if it was his own: the boy's (Palestinian?) father had put explosives into his mother's travel bag on a plane to Israel, while she was pregnant with the boy. The bomb had not exploded. The boy, Simon, reads `his story' to his class and then on the net.
The `drama' grows out of hand and proliferates in chat rooms. Simon lives with the fiction and makes wild statements. He gets feedback from people who were on the real plane that had been supposed to blow up. He is called by Neo- Nazis who proudly parade their Holocaust denial tattooed on their skin. He is called by a young woman who makes her grandmother show her camp number...

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The Christmas Choir



Not your typical Christmas Movie
This is a good movie. It isn't just a mindless romance of a single parent at Christmastime--as so many Christmas movies are. There is a romance involved, it just isn't the whole story.

Peter is a workaholic accountant who has just been dumped by his fiancee. He meets a piano player in a bar who can sense he is down and invites him to "come home" with him. "Home" turns out to be a homeless shelter run by an outspoken nun who is trying to quit smoking. He spends the evening there, makes a donation and leaves, never expecting to return. But after seeing one of the homeless men the next day being pushed along for loitering, he returns to the shelter and helps serve dinner, much to Sister Agatha's surprise. But he wants to do more. On the way home he sees a group of carolers on the street receiving donations. He has an idea and returns immediately to the shelter to discuss it with Sister Agatha. He wants to form a choir as a way for the men to earn some money for Christmas, but...

Pleasantly surprised
Have always appreciated Jason Gedrick's performances & this proved to be another good role for him. It was enjoyable for the Christmas season & would have been any time. He, following a disappointment in his life, rose to the occasion to help a group of street people improve their lives by giving back just as the hero (Jason) had done to overcome some problems in his life. Everybody lived happily everafter!

Christmas Dvd
I watched this movie last year and loved it so much I decided to order it this year so I can enjoy watching it over and over again. It's one of thise movies that gives a message and has that warm feeling when the cast comes up.

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Modern Warfare Collector's Set



Misleading title, but still worth watching.
I recently purchased this DVD at Target for $2.00. When I picked it up (with several other Echo Bridge 3 - 4 Movie titles) I was not expecting much. But then again when you are paying less than you would on Amazon.com it is still a great deal. While most of the DVDs I purchased were only worth 1 watching, this DVD was different. It includes several stories related to Vietnam and other recent wars (nothing on Afghanistan or Iraq though). The storytelling, interviews, and dramatizations is excellent. Definitely worth the purchase if you can get it cheap enough.

Thank you amazon!!!!
Quite possibly the work of the decade. Seriously these films are brilliant. Acting, plot, special effects are all superb excitably what I expected! I'm still shaking from watching all 393 mins. of it. Special forces untold stories (top left) by far the best one. Buy multiple copies you won't regret. Plus free shipping!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Misleading Title
I bought this DVD thinking it was (as the title indicates) about modern warfare. The closest to modern that these documentaries got was the marines training which I'm guessing was filmed in the '90s. It targets missions in Granada, Somalia, Panama, Desert Strom, and Vietnam. Those take place in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. I guess I'm too young for this to be 'modern.' They are descent documentaries that aired on TLC and Discovery Channels. All-in-all I was highly disappointed.

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Classic TV Christmas V.1 / Angels We Have Heard on High



Fun
Some of these episodes have better transfers, others worse. And some of them have a decidedly more "Christmasy" feel to them. The Annie Oakley episode in particular wasn't one that you'd really sit down on Christmas Eve to watch, and the Robin Hood one had little if anything to do with the holiday at all. But the "Date With an Angels" episode--starring a youthful Betty White--might make the purchase worthwhile by itself (though it does appear on a better DVD collection offered by Amazon, Christmas TV Classics, Vol. 2). Despite the poor transfer, the Burns and Allen ep also is a solid offering.

I've been buying up old TV episodes on DVD for several years ago, and if you enjoy that sort of thing as I do, go ahead and buy this. You won't be sorry because it's inexpensive, and the included CD actually isn't that bad.





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Bakugan, Vol. 5: The Game Is Real



good deal
happiness in a box, my sons were so happy with thier videos, living on an Island we do not have a lot of choices locally to shop from, so amazon is the way!

Great Gift!
I got this DVD as a birthday gift for my son's Bakugan theme party. He loves it so much that he's been watching it day and night. Product arrived quickly and in perfect condition.

Good series
Easier to buy these then collect off cable. Getting them in order helps the series make more sense. Looking forward to getting the rest

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Wuthering Heights



A suprisingly powerful version
I've probably seen every film and TV version of "Wuthering Heights" (in addition to having read the book several times). When I ordered this DVD I wondered if it would really add anything to my collection. The answer is yes. The actors manage to pull off the most difficult task for this story: Making the characters sympathetic. Considering that faithful family servant Ellen is the only voice of normalcy and stability in a nest of emotionally driven and self-centered people, most of them obsessed with revenge, self-destruction, and/or death, that's a feat. (The four episodes are titled "The First Revenge," "The Second Revenge," etc.) Angela Scoular as Cathy Earnshaw comes across as wayward but often enchanting--in many films Cathy is just a, ahem, female dog. A young Ian McShane plays Heathcliff. He has the same deep (but somewhat less gravelly) voice as in "Deadwood," the same semi-scarcastic, semi-Shakespearean delivery--and having not yet acquired jowels, he's broodingly handsome...

Quite Aweful Plot; Acting Was Excellent
First off, I am not rating this film as a romance, nor am I critiquing how well Ian McShane or Angela Scoular can act in misfitting roles. Instead, I am critiquing this adaptation of Wuthering Heights in comparison to Emily Bronte's novel, which I have read numerous times.

Now, let me say that this adaptation of Wuthering Heights, 1967, is NOT worthy of being called a BBC classic, as the cover tries to convince the potential buyer.

Why?

Answer: Because the plot of this production is horribly badly because it alters important dialogue. It is the equivalent of a Hamlet production, by the BBC under the label "classic," where Hamlet says "Should I kill myself or no?" instead of "To be or not to be, that is the question?"

Yet, the plot is not the only problem. Also, Ian McShane is too old to play Heathcliff, at least the teenage scenes (which have been altered into youth adult scenes thanks to horrible script-writing).

Born in 1942,...

Wuthering Heights BBC
This is an early recording of Wuthering Heights by the BBC and is in black and white. Despite this it seems to have more atmosphere than later productions, acting is good, and seems to be quite an accurate rendition of the book. Very pleased with this but beware - this is a USA zone DVD (if in UK, check playable zones).

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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Holiday TV Comedy Collection



All the titles in full !
House M.D.: Damned If You Do - 2004
The Office: Benihana Christmas - 2006
Psych: Gus' Dad May Have Killed An Old Guy! - 2007
30 Rock: Christmas Special - 2008
Monk: Mr. Monk And The Miracle - 2008

This is a really good selection of Christmas-themed American TV comedy / comedy drama. As I don't have cable (I live in the UK) I'd never before seen The Office, Psych and 30 Rock but this selection is all the more refreshing for that. There isn't a weak episode among them.
This would make a great Christmas present for anyone who enjoys quality TV as there are no schmaltzy Christmas episodes. If you're looking for Christmas specials from the 60s and 70s/80s I heartily recommend Merry Sitcom!: Christmas Classics From TV's Golden Age [DVD] and TV Sets: Holiday Treats [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC].

Not very Christmasy
Christmas collections of TV shows like this are among my favorite DVDs out there, but this collection is lacking primarily because only "The Office" (which is without a doubt the strongest of the five shows here) and "30 Rock" truly are Christmas-themed. The other three merely mention Christmas as a backdrop to an otherwise-standard plot.

Nobody buys collections like these because they just want to see these shows that much. If you just wanted to see typical episodes, you could watch whole seasons on DVD. These collections are put together for people like me who are looking for holiday fixes.

By the way, I have no idea how "Psych" ever got popular, if this is a typical example. Full of overacting, it seems more cut out for a Saturday morning series in 1992 than anything on prime time.



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Malachi Farrell at Work - The Making of La Gegene



The Making of La Gégène






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Natural Born Killers: Director's Cut



Violence as a media event
"Natural Born Killers" is not about glorifying violence; it's a chilling parody of the American fascination with violence. The quick changes from color to black and white and back again, interspersed with animated sequences, point up the satiric nature of the movie.

Mickey and Mallory, very well played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, are two killing machines without heart or soul or conscience; their only redeeming virtues are their love for each other. They aren't meant to be sympathetic characters and they're not, but Oliver Stone's direction makes them pale in depravity besides some of the other characters -- the sadistic warden, the despicable detective and his morbid fascination with Mallory, Mallory's nauseating, sexually abusive father, and above all, Robert Downey's superb characterization of the media pimp who feeds off blood and gore.

The last scene in the movie, of Mickey and Mallory on the road with their two children, and Mallory...

Degradation of American Culture on Display!
Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers is one of the most unique artistic visions in the last ten years. Some call it short-sighted, narrow, sensory overload, a bomabstic explosion of useless gas, or a pathetic exuse of a movie. Those who describe Natural Born Killers as such are missing the point or are perfect examples of it. The film is the most accurate film account of the 90's American culture. Mickey ( Woody Harrelson ) and Malory's ( Julliete Lewis ) dis-allusionment with the media, conservatism, morality, and life and death are all a primal revolution from the material enslavement of society. Watch the opening sequence with the dramatic and purposesly hallow transitions between color and black -and-white and violence and romance to see Stone's observations on 90's culture and the 80's influence upon it. The Rodney Dangerfield Sitcom section ( Roseanne anyone! ), sexually graphic animation, sexual abuse of children, Rodney King style beatings, Mickey and Mallory's...

A Masterpiece. Brilliantly Nightmarish And Thought-Provoking
Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers" is not just a movie, it is an experience. It is a wild, dark ride that serves as a study of today's culture and it's fascination with violence. This movie is not so much about the killers, but about how the killers capture the public. The screenplay is masterfully structured with moments of vicious rage, deepness, dark comedy and powerful visual images. The film is hypnotically watchable due to the great mixing of different film formats, camera angles, colors and the breathtaking cinematography of Robert Richardson. "Natural Born Killers" is a great study of where our culture is going. Stone is a genius of cinema, one of the greatest directors there has ever been. This movie is effective, provocative, feverish and driven. It's electrifying. In fact, it's not as violent as you may think it is. It's the break neck speed it goes at and it's intense feeling. "Natural Born Killers" is both intense and...

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Battlestar Galactica: The Plan



Not Your Typical BSG
I started watching The Plan really skeptical; I read all the reviews here, and thought it was going to be mediocre at best, as all the negative reviews seem to be saying that in unison.

However, I was really pleasantly surprised. I can understand how some people might be disappointed with The Plan, it doesn't, after all, answer some of the questions left hanging in the air after the series finale. It doesn't have the space battles or insane intensity of some of BSG's better episodes. It doesn't include some of the most important characters (Laura Roslin, Apollo, Starbuck).

But The Plan was never planned or written, I think, as a nostalgia film that is supposed to exploit our feelings for these characters to milk us for some cash. Instead, it has decided to do something bold: to tell an entirely new story that connects with what we already know, happening at the same time as what we've seen during the first two seasons of BSG.

It's the story of how the...

Much better than BSG Razor
Despite being a huge BSG fan, I wasn't really looking forward to "BSG: The Plan". After BSG: Razor failed to impress, I wasn't expecting much from The Plan. Fear not, The Plan, hereinafter referred to as TP, actually works. It plays like a filler episode, exploring various mysteries which the writers never fully explained to the viewers. TP follows a chronological order, beginning before the Cylon attack, going to "33", "Water", "You Can't Go Home Again", "Litmus", "Six Degrees of Separation", and ending with season 2's finale of "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II". Kudos to director EJ Olmos and writer Jane Espenson for seamlessly threading in the new scenes and better fleshing out previously thin characters.

Mysteries such as the following are explored...

- Who did Caprica-Six meet with on Caprica, after talking with Gaius Baltar in the marketplace?
- Did Boomer really blow up the water tanks?
- How did Shelly Godfrey escape from the Galactica...

You might be missing the point...
I am not going to preface this with any grand statements about being a BSG fan from day one. If I am taking the time to write this, you should suspect that already.

This movie really works in that it is a quiet story in a very noisy room. It is about how life finds ways to disrupt our plans but not always in a bad way. It is about reconciling what you think you want with what actually want. It is about learning "the truth" isn't always in the safe black and white places we create. It is about love in all its forms.

First, about the nudity. It exists. Get over it. BSG was never a "family friendly" show given its themes, so if you were expecting something different here, then you are about to be sadly mistaken. There are no basic cable broadcast guidelines to satisfy, so a story can be told in whatever way the storytellers wish. The nudity is not gratuitous or in your face, so deal with the fact it is just another adult theme that BSG can use without...

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Control Tower



I have already forgotten it!
This movie was not memorable at all. I saw it two days ago and don't even remember what it was about. That's how I know it sucked!
I just remember the acting was terrible.

Decent for a low-quality show, but just that.
I'm not sure who may be voting that may have been involved in the creation of this direct-to-VHS wonder- but I'd suggest that most of the votes here were.

It was cute, and passed the time, but it was no darker than anything you'd see on TBS. The plot/etc was just as paper thin as well. This could have been condensed into 15 minutes and saved time. It was rather boring, and honestly, I think the credits/music video at the end were the best part of the entire show, and that's what kicked it up from 3 stars.

That said, if you have some free VOD bucks, you could do a lot worse than this.

Low budget throw-away!
I got this short film because I wanted to try out Amazon's video on demand on the cheap.
That's just what I got. It is a story about a preacher with quite of bit of lust in his heart.
Several of the women are very attractive with one blonde named Anne McDaniels who is quite spectacular.
The film ends with a eighties MTV style video featuring a Tiffany look-a-like.

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Cowboys Don't Cry/Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave



True to Hank! Corpus Christi, Tx.
Greatest portrayal of Hank I've seen. We know it ain't Hank, but if anybody's been there, that's how it would have been. You know what I mean. Love it. I found this double dvd at Wal Mart for five bucks. What a steal!!! I'm gonna buy more and give'm away to Hank afficionados!!!

Hank Williams Fans might or might not like
I enjoyed both these movies, but wonder if other Hank fans will. All in all, some cheap entertainment that I enjoyed.

Great!!
Fast shipping, product in perfect condition. Bought this for a Birthday gift and he was so happy. He loved it and has watched it twice already. Thanks for great service!

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Road To Bali - 1952 - Color (Digitally Remastered Version)



Nice post-WWII fluff
Production values aren't what we have become used to, but the remastering is nice. I'd say the Road to... series is of mainly historical interest; everyone ought to watch at least one of the Road movies to get an idea of what our parent's watched and the kind of humor that these two were so good at.

memories
Shared this old movie with my daughters, and the 10 year old laughed her way through it. It brought back old memories, and made some new ones.

Great trip down memory lane
As a young person I loved all the "Road" movies made by this trio. They were great fun - and still are! I thought the audio and video quality of the streamed movie were as good as the original, and the colorization was well done. I'm not one of those 'purist' movie buffs, and I thought the colorization definitely enhanced the viewing experience. Highly recommend.

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Saturday, September 28, 2013

Casi Divas



super entertaining!
I totally LOVED the movie, it's surprising, adventurous, smart, deep, and very funny! not the kind of cookie cutter american romantic comedie, in one word: brilliant!

A fun and moving journey
I saw this film in the theatre and LOVED it!! It looks like a comedy (and much of it is), but it is so much more. It is funny, dramatic, full of surprises, thoroughly entertaining, and very moving. It also has wonderful acting, great cinematography, and beautiful music by Hans Zimmer! A DON'T MISS FILM!!

So, SO much better (and more touching) than I ever expected!
A wonderful, vibrant, funny, and touching film from Mexico, about the search for a new star when one of Mexico's most popular telenovelas (soap opera) decides to recast the female lead in a film version of the insanely popular series. A handful of girls from various parts - and various social/class backgrounds - of Mexico vie for the role ... and the film, while very funny, also touches on some of deeper issues that are a part of life in Mexico today. Loved it!

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Urban Drama Four Feature Collector's Set



These was old collectables to have
Enjoying the DVD's and will share with family and friends, I am sure they will be excited to see it as well.





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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Two-Disc Special Edition)



Big Screen Version
This is the IMAX version of the movie. This is similar to the Batman 'Dark Knight' blu-ray where the IMax scenes are shown bigger than the rest of the movie. Bare in mind the whole movie is not like this, it is standard size 16:9 except for the fight scene's in the middle and end of the movie. But, on both dvd and blu-ray. This version also boasts a slightly different cover. The cardboard slipcover is totally different, the inside cover is very similar except it has Bumble-Bee instead of Megatron.

The movie itself kick's ass if you're into giant robot's duking it out over control of the Earth (and Universe!). Don't expect much in the way of plot, but you've read all that in the other reviews. I would recommend this if want to see Transformers 2 IMax version, plus it contains a few extra seconds of bonus scenes during the fight scene's. I couldn't tell you exactly what or where (I saw this in IMax at the theaters, then bought this version upon release). If you live...

If you loved transformers as a kid you will love this
I hear a lot of flack against this movie. So many people complain about sequels these days. Of course the second one is never as good as the first. When you see the first movie of a series, everything is new and exciting, the characters are larger than life and its everything and more than you expected because you never expected it. For god's sakes, the movie was created from cartoon characters. If you watch the old shows, the plotlines of the "Transformers" cartoon were cheesy, the animation was sub-par and the action was canned; And we loved every bit of it. The fact is; the show was about robots from another planet that can change into ordinary vehicles fight other robots that can change into other vehicles. There was no real story, that's not why we loved the "transformers". We loved them because they were cool. The movie is just that. "Cool" Micheal Bay didn't set out to solve world dilemmas with this movie. His focus was not to create a love story that trumps "The...

Too much
I felt like I was beaten over the head with this movie. I can stand, and even enjoy, a non-stop action movie for around 1:45, but 2:30 of that with hardly any attempt at a story? No way, too much for me! The four adults in our group were all just worn out by the end, no enjoyment at all. One toddler (who can usually sit thru most movies no problem) was bored well before it ended. Three teen-aged boys all loved it, though even they admitted there was no real story and they just liked all the action and special effects. The two girls with us weren't too interested. For what it's worth, none of us parents really thought the sexual innuendo was really that much, especially after reading criticism of it. BTW, we all liked the first one. I probably liked it less than the rest, but even though I never was into the Transformers as a kid, and thought the dialogue was really hokey, I did like it quite a bit and did buy it. This second one...don't even think I'd ever own it or even...

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Orphan



Surprisingly Good and Intense
When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought "Oh God, another one of those movies." But I was surprised that after I'd gone and seen it, I'd actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

Isabelle Fuhrman is the "orphan"; that is, 9-year-old Esther who seems a little strange and morbid despite the adopted parents instance attraction to her. When violent events began taking place that are connected to Esther, the parents began to suspect that there is more to the little girl than appears.

Fuhrman definitely was the right choice for the role of Esther; she has an attractive face and her youth doesn't strain her acting abilities which were very convincing. I won't lie though; the movie was very grisly, and even I had to turn away from the screen a few times. Even the twist ending really shocked me, and I'm not easily shocked. I really think that despite how it looks, give it a shot, because it wasn't a bad little movie. It was well acted, well thought out, and...

Remarkable Isabelle Fuhrman Drives This Tense Suspense Thriller!
I saw this film when it opened on July 24, 2009. Mixed reviews from fans and critics were the usual flair upon its release, but something struck me about this movie. The film went on to gross $37 million at the box-office despite the thrashing it took from critics, but everyone couldn't help but notice the Oscar-nomination worthy performance of its 12-year-old star Isabelle Fuhrman. I just viewed the film on DVD for the first time since its theaterical run and I'm still seeing just how riveting and engaging this movie really is.

"Orphan" is NOT a horror film. It's more along the lines of a SUSPENSE THRILLER. When I think of horror films, I think of sex-crazed teenagers being sliced up one-by-one by a machete-wielding maniac (Jason Voorhies, Freddy Krueger, Micheal Myers, etc.). The only real weapons wielded here is just a hammer, a knife, and a .38-caliber pistol. You think scary when it comes to horror films and "Orphan" isn't scary. Has some frightful moments, yes, but...

You've Been a Bad Girl
"There's something wrong with Esther," say the ads for "Orphan," and indeed, there is. I could just end the review with that, as it does pretty much tell you everything you need to know about the main character, an adopted girl who promises heaven and delivers hell. But then I'd miss out on the opportunity to tell you about all the other great things it has to offer. This is a truly great horror movie, ambitious enough to be frightening and absorbing, confident enough to toy with the conventions we know all too well, mature enough to rely on the talents of actors instead of the sex appeal of teenagers. Its greatest achievement is transcending the cliché that is the precocious yet evil child, and while I'd like to elaborate on that, I'm afraid the nature of the plot doesn't allow for such details. Regardless, what happens is most likely not what you think will happen, which is to say that you'll actually be surprised.

Esther is played by Isabelle Furhman, a...

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Trudie Styler's Warrior Yoga



Interesting but not challenging enough
Ok, so I did this dvd this morning and all I can say is "interesting". This dvd is not your typical vinysa yoga class. It isn't challenging but you do get a good stretch without breaking much of a sweat, at least I didn't.

Trudie and her yoga, pilates, dance teacher lead the class outside in lush surroundings. The dvd has an unusual flow in that everything is done on one side (about 24 minutes) and then repeated on the second side. I felt like I had hit repeat segment on my dvd player. The sequence is as follows (might have missed some but basically this is it):
- tadasana to chair, reach out palms and fall forward to standing forward bend; rise to tadasana. Repeat 3x
- child's pose to snake thru to cobra to camel with hands on ankles or floor behind you. Repeat 2x
- cobra to one handed camel. Sweep around to other side and repeat 2x.
- Down dog to one legged split. alternate legs. Repeat 2x.
- one legged split to pigeon.
- Down dog to...

Great DVD! Spiritual and Challenging.
I love this DVD! I am an intermediate yoga practitioner for over 15 years. My favorite DVD's are Rodney Yee for energy, Ali McGraw yoga mind and body, and Shiva Rea yoga shakti. Add this to my favorite list!

This is not a power work out, but it is challenging. It has a lot of "flow" and is very spiritual. It is very different than just doing "the same old sun salutation". I felt like I stretched areas and used muscles that I do not normally use. I can really get lost in the spiritual flow of this workout. There is a quality to Trudie and James that draws you into the workout. I like both the mediations included. I haven't done the 25 min workout yet.

I have already pre-ordered their next two DVD's due out in Dec. Also just purchases Sting's new DVD.

Love it!
True it's not all that challenging, but gentle flow of the poses is very relaxing. It's going to be one of my favorites to use when I want a restorative session.

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Killing Emmett Young



Worth watching for strong acting
Emmett Young (Scott Wolf), a homicide detective, has only a short time left to live. He meets a government agent (Gabriel Bryne) who convinces him that the best way to die is to put out a hit on himself. Emmett agrees and hires a hit man (Tim Roth) to kill him sometime in the near future, but he's determined to solve his case before his time is up. This movie is worth watching for Scott Wolf, Gabriel Bryne, and Tim Roth. Wolf is charming and believable (watch how much of his acting is what's behind his eyes) He's instantly sympathetic and likeable. Tim Roth always has a restrained intensity ... even when he does little I believe his character is capable of anything. The payoff is always the twist, many times, and in this case, its in his unexpected and shocking vulnerability. I wish the movie would have given more to the abilities of the actors. The plot is predictable, ends abruptly, and although adequate, not intriguing in itself. The acting is what makes this film worth...

DARK LITTLE SURPRISE
This movie is in lots of bargain bins, and regretfully so. Filmed in 2002, KILLING EMMETT YOUNG is a very unusual, well acted little thriller with excellent performances. Scott Wolf (Party of Five) delivers a solid and convincing performance as the title character, who after being diagnosed with a painful terminal illness, decides to hire a hit man to kill him to spare him the agonizing death. Gabriel Byrne plays the sly ex-FBI agent who suggests this to Young, and Tim Roth is excellent as the ex-cop who becomes Emmett's hit man. Khandi Alexander plays Young's partner, a seemingly cold fish who has a heart buried under a tough exterior. The movie has a serial killer subplot that is important to Young to solve before his demise. The plot shifts however when the lab results reveal something quite different than a terminal diagnosis.

Director Keith Snyder keeps the pace interesting and you're wondering just who the serial killer might be.

The ending is a little...

Great story, great acting
I picked up this movie in the bargain bin and decided to give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did! This story is tense and strong. Both Scott Wolf and Tim Roth play good guys, it's just that they're motivated by different things. Roth sees Wolf's character as "the man he could have been" and takes the hit job as a personal vendetta. Then, as time progresses and he takes a new mind set, his outlook changes and you find yourself rooting more for his character than Wolf. But there are no bad actors in this film. I was never a Party of Five fan, but Wolf's acting here is nothing short of amazing! The story ends a little too abruptly (and with a major plot thread left out there), but I was still very satisfied with the movie when it was over. By the way, it gets its rating mostly from the language (and there's not really much of that) and the subject matter of the serial killer. If they'd just toned down a couple of the words, this could easily have passed for PG-13. A strong, compelling story...

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The Elephant King



The Elephant King is a must see!
Coming in under the radar in today's film industry is nothing new, but The Elephant King came in low and is going to strike hard. Wonderful performances from a talented cast only scratches the surface. The imagery and cinematography coupled with the honest story telling make for a must see film. If there's going to be a stand out performance, Jonno Roberts as the conflicted Jake, delivers a powerhouse emotional roller coaster of ride that should not be missed. Ellen Burstyn is at her amazing best and the beautiful Florence Faivre is both stunning and troubled and can not help but hold the viewer's heart in the palm of her hand. Tate Ellington's Oliver meshes the whole story together seamlessly. Writer-Director Seth Grossman has much to be proud of. Even the use of Thailand as the back drop presents as stunning, haunting and frightening all at the same time. Do not miss this movie.

The decadence of Thailand in a solid indie
The character of Thailand is represented well here and not just in the hedonistic way. The countryside and Buddha lifestyle get spliced into the film in such a way that nothing is too overplayed.

The story follows a reclusive American brother traveling to Thailand in hopes of recovering his wayward expat brother from a self-induced immersion into the Thai lifestyle. In short order we see the underexposed-to-life brother finding love, pleasure and indigenous beauty that both captivates him and wakes his soul. Some nice performances from all of these unknowns, with the usual solid showings from Burstyn and Sommer. The outcomes are believable and the infamous Thai pleasures are covered in a tasteful way.

The DVD is of decent quality with both 2.0 and 5.1 options, but the subtitles are a little frustrating. Anytime someone speaks Thai they did not translate so there are entire conversations where body language and scene placement are the only cues as to what they are...

mislead by other reviews
When I watch a movie set in Thailand, I like to see some of the beautiful country. That was largely absent, most of the action taking place in the big city. It's a movie about a nerd that visits his jerk brother, who is abusing his relationships with his family, his university employer, and everyone else that comes near him. Using favorable exchange rates, he is able to let his self-centered tendencies blossom.
His brother visits, either to try to get the jerk to come home, or maybe just to cure his own blues.
I hoped to see a cinematic movie with a good story. This is a story of a jerk and the awakening of his depressed brother. The awakening is well-done, in that he wakes up to both good and bad elements of life.
As the other review said, the acting is good. If that's the kind of story you like, you might try this one. If you want to see something more pleasant, and more visually beautiful, then look elsewhere.

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Category 7: The End of the World/Full Force Nature, Vol. 2



Category 7 comes after Category 6!
Ok, the Category 6 movie covered the destruction of Chicago by a super hurricane, and now the Category 7 movie continues in a couple of news clips from the 6 movie, and now we come to a new threat. The end of the world is coming in a Category 7. Washington is on the verge of crumbling to bits, and the only thing that can stop the full fury of these storms is simply by turning off the power.

Our hero, Tornado Tommy,played by Randy Quaid, apparently survived his encounter in Chicago when the twister picked him up in his SUV. You see him in a full body cast because TA DA...his SUV got thrown into Lake Michigan! Now he's back on the road and has the wacky impression that he's UNTOUCHABLE because of his little trip through the air in the Chicago disaster.

In this movie, you see the Eiffel Tower toppling over like a domino and the bizarre head of a cackling toy clown from some theme park crash into a random office building. Then you see an elderly preaching couple who...





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Kevin Nealon: Now Hear me Out!



KevIn Cleans My House RULES!
ATTENTION CONTEST ENTRANTS!! For those of you submitting reviews - be sure to read the official rules here:
[...]

As for the DVD itself - what I love about Kevin Nealon and this special in particular, is that he can be funny without being crass. Some might find that odd given his often obscene character: Doug Wilson on "Weeds". Butwhile his "Weeds" persona is hilariously funny in its own right - it seems to be far from Kevin's true comedic talent.

With his decades in the business its no surprise that he's a real stand-up comedy pro. He drops dry, comedic, one-line, non-sequiturs with complete ease. And his stage persona is immediately likable, he's the kind of guy you just wanna sit and have lunch with.

It's easy to go blue and curse for laughs... thankfully Kevin Nealon doesn't need to go there. So give him a shot and Hear Him Out already!

HILARIOUS
If you like Kevin Nealon or know anyone that does, then you need to get this dvd!! It's a great price and perfect gift for any Kevin Nealon fan!!

Great stuff!
Kevin Nealson, comedy veteran, delivers some great laughs. Using both new material and the style that made him famous on weekend update, Nealon gives one of the strongest sets I've seen in a while.

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Blue River / Gone to Texas



Western Movies
I like just about anything Sam Elliot is in, but his westerns are all one of a kind. He never leaves you wanting. His performances are all hard hitting and his persona seems to have been made for western movies. Even in the tired old Gone to Texas screen play rewrites He still keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Gone to Texas / Blue River
We ordered this DVD for the Gone to Texas video and it was very good. Blue River was an extra for us. It too was very good, but only a cameo showcase for Sam Elliott. Both were worth the purchase if you are a Sam Elliott fan.

Blue River/Gone to Texas
Blue River had only a guest appearance of Sam Elliot, Gone to Texas dragged, Boring, Don't waste your time or money on this one........

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Aussie & Ted's Great Adventure



Who are the animals on the DVD cover?
Let me start my saying the movie was harmless, the kids didn't hate it -not sure they really liked it -. NOW let me say you will not see a single animal (real or stuffed) that is pictured on the DVD cover. The 'family' that is pictured on the back -Dean Cain being the father- is in the movie, but the animals pictured are NOT... just a little confusing. There was a very quick one line that described why the dog was Australian, but I really don't think it added to the movie. I think the writers thought it would give it more interest. They were wrong. I would definitely never buy or recommend anyone purchase this. We rented it for 99 cents, and still feel a little cheated.

Good Movie
I showed this to a group of 3rd and 4th graders. They enjoyed it very much. It was a little predictable, but safe for a school setting.

My grandaughter loves this movie!
My grandaughter thinks the little dog is so cute. And she really likes following the many adventures of Ted. if your child likes animals, this is a good movie for you.

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Kenny Chesney: All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan (Christmas Classics: The Yule Edition)



GREAT GIFT
I am a huge Kenny fan so I had to add this to my collection. Thank You for having it!!!

Kenny Chesney DVD yulelog, All I want for Christmas is a real good tan
It's the same album that's been out for a few years, but now we have the enjoyment of being able to listen to the Holiday Collection while watching a yulelog as well as a watching a snowy cabin or inside a nice cottage ready for the holidays. I think this is an awesome idea if you want to listen to your album while having a great scenery to look at during holiday gatherings!!!!



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Friday, September 27, 2013

Staunton Hill



Don't believe the (fake) hype!!!
I am going to assume that the reviewers are family or friends. If not, they need to see more horror films.

I'll just give you the lowdown in a few points.

Story-Several young people are walking through Virginia in 1969 and meet up with a crazy family. There is a little more to the story but that is the setup. Wow, original!

Acting-It wasn't completely horrible since they mostly talked for the first hour.

Gore-Nothing happened for the first hour and then there were maybe two decent scenes, but nothing you haven't seen if you've watched any torture-porn type movies in the last 5 years.

Scare factor-Zero! I don't know what else to say. There was no tension whatsoever. I swear that there was more tension and suspense in a Disney movie. I am not kidding!!

There is more to complain about but I'll just leave it that Cameron Romero should stay away from making movies and leave it to his father. I haven't liked all of George...

What a huge disappointment
Just finished watching this movie, as a matter of fact the credits are still rolling, and I must say I have not seen such bad acting and horrible plot in some time. I was so excited to see it after all the hype I read about it, and being such a fan of camerons father, I thought how could I go wrong. Well was I duped. I wonder if the vidoe store will give me my []back. The amazing thing is that 6 veral young adults cant fight there way away from an elderly woman in a wheelchair, an obese woman who cant take 10 steps without running out of breath, and her half wit son. Seriously, how stupid do they think we are. My Recomendation..... Dont waste your time.

Not too bad...
Kind of a 70's throwback, and of course it is pretty well a texas chainsaw rip-off,
but really a decent flick, especially considering the garbage that passes for horror at
your local cinema. It is worth a watch, and like I said, nothing ground breaking here,
just a decent horror flick for a saturday nite...

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Handel's Messiah Rocks



Handel's Messiah Rocks Makes a Lasting Impression
Handel's Messiah Rocks, starring MiG Ayesa, LaChanze and J. Robert Spencer, delivers a ground-breaking experience. It infuses a newfound passion and emotion into Handel's Messiah that will captivate people of all ages. The creators pay the utmost respect to the classic work and retain its essence, yet add layers that enrich it.

The powerful trio of stars delivers in every piece. Ayesa demonstrates an impressive range, a beautiful voice, and a stunning ability to convey emotion. LaChanze combines gorgeous vocals and stage presence, and Spencer displays a strong voice and a dramatic edge. Keith Lockhart and members of the Boston Pops are in prime form.

Handel's Messiah Rocks features an ideal pairing of artist with mood and musical style. LaChanze radiates joy, especially with the triumphant and uplifting He'll Come In Glory, and the smooth as honey How Beautiful. J. Robert Spencer raises the intensity level in He Is Fire, joining the soaring electric guitars to...

Wonderful
After watching this version of Handel's Messiah on PBS, I immediately wanted the dvd. I ordered it as soon as it was available and really enjoy this rock version. It is so full of energy.

The Amazing MiG
An absolutely entertaining and joyful production. You won't be
disappoined! I LOVE it!!

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Dance Flick (Unrated)



I'm Being Fair Here
First of all, u need to know that Dance Flick is a PARODY/SPOOF movie. Meaning it's a movie that is poking fun at OTHER movies/storylines. If u watch this and don't know that then you will definitely not understand what it is they're making fun of. If u haven't at least seen the movie "Save The Last Dance" before u watch this, then Dance Flick will seem like a big inside joke that you don't get. With that being said, there are some funny moments crammed in here, but the question is are they funny enough to outweigh the unfunny moments? The part where Megan's mom gets hit by 3 cars and then as the cars drive off separately u see LINDSAY, BRANDY, and then HALLE on the license tags all got a laugh out of me, i can't lie.

One problem is it tries to spoof WAY too many movies, it should have stuck with the whole dance spoof theme. The concept of spoofing the never ending saga of recent dance movies like Step Up & Stomp The Yard is actually brilliant idea, and could have been a...

Dance Spoof - Funny, but Overdone at Points
Background:

The Wayan brothers are well known for their comedy/spoof genre movies. Between 2001 and 2006 they produced the Scary Movie Series (4 movies). With all the recent successful dance based movies such as: Save the Last Dance, Step Up, Stomp the Yard and You Got Served, the Wayans decided to produce Dance Flick as a spoof of all these movies.

While the idea was certainly original, this film was not well executed. Firstly, it is just too short, only 83 minutes. Next the storyline did not gel properly, it seemed like they were trying to force too much into too small a space, the result being that the actors were left on a lurch trying to make everything appear to be funny.

The biggest let down of this movie is the excessive dependence on the gross jokes. They relied way too much on these, in this movie they really pushed the bar too much on the gross jokes. This was the really killer for this film.

The Spoof:

A poor guy,...

A few laughs - but give the BD supplements a shot
I was primed to give this a much lower rating as it was not that funny, but then I watched all of the special features and bumped it up a couple stars. The parody film run still appears to be trudging ahead with three more spoof films this quarter alone; This one has what appears to be the majority of the Wayans family involved (I counted 15 total on cast and crew). I laughed more at the little background stuff people will skip over (tap water labeling, the Cheney tanker, the school posters) as the sight gags did nothing for me. The writing got a few good jokes in there but I suppose growing up in the Airplane era of spoofs has me jaded as to what is funny in farce films.

The Blu quality is excellent, even in the night/action/dance scenes. The DTS is used extensively and obviously by a soundtrack listing your sub gets a significant test. They apparently had the budget to make this sound and look good so you get your money's worth from that avenue. The special features...

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Hurricane in the Rose Garden



Finally a Nigerian-American cultural Bridge
Kudos to the excellent cast of this warm, heart warming movie that bridged the cultural divide between Africa and America. We enjoyed the comedy, so warm, it was a long time coming for this type of movie.

I strongly recommend it.

Exciting and excellent!!!
Wonderful story, well written, beautiful casting. Excellent actors. The director did a good job , simply put,very good movie. I wonder if the mom is an African, good actress. Five thumps up!!

Hurricane in the Rose Garden
This movie was ok. It was low budget and, reminded me of an Nigerian movie. Overall, I would probably not have purchased it because the story line was not very developed and, the acting was not very good. Except for Tanji Miller, the rest of the actors seemed unprofessional. Overall it was a 3. It was definitely not worth more than the few dollars I paid.

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Animal Holiday



Perfect for young animal lovers
My toddler loves this DVD. Educational and fun, she learns about the arctic and its animals. The music between segments is upbeat and inspires dancing around the living room. How many not yet three year olds know what narwhals are and where they live? No gory moments. Just great information and very age appropriate.

Cute AND Educational
My 5 year old twin daughters LOVE this movie! We have the VHS version, so no bonus features or anything. It is April, and they still want to watch this movie. They have learned so much about animals I had never even heard of! At their age, they are like sponges. They remember everything! It is kind of cute because "Santa" tells about the animals. The footage is incredible, and the information is just right for elementary age children (and adults!) It is only 30 mins. long, which I love.

Great Bonus Features
The DVD is a must have for cheery, young animal enthusiasts. This DVD brings the best of the Arctic Kingdom right into your living room. Watch as sea otters seem to scramble along the top of water, or polar bear young slide into their igloos for safety, or experience the awe of seeing real reindeer along with their furry antlers! Not only is the DVD great, but the Bonus Features are fantastic! I should know, I designed them!! There is a "Guess Who?" game with a zoomed image of an animal, and the child must choose the correct answer from an assorted list of other animals. The "Sound off!" game allows your child to learn what noises are assosciated with each arctic animal. The "Interactive Quiz" is a narrated quiz which asks some multiple choice, but mostly True/False questions for you child to ponder and hopefully learn from. All the quizzes reinforce learning and never make a child feel bad for answering incorrectly.

This could arguably be the best children's animal...

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HIT Favorites: Frosty Friends



Dvd
My 2 year old loves it and it was in great condition! Perfect for keeping him busy while I'm trying to get stuff done

The kids love it!
Bought this video to celebrate the newly fallen snow in MN. My boys, ages 3 and 5, absolutely love it -- they actually sit still and watch it! Barney has a great Christmas lesson -- that giving is more important than receiving. Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder are both episodes with snowy themes. As their mother, my only grumble is with the "Pingu" show... it is nothing but pure nonsense! The characters don't speak any intelligible or understandable language -- they just grunt -- and the plot focuses on the main character playing pranks on his buddies (meanwhile the penguins who appear to be adults are making wine! not exactly a kid theme -- although my kids don't understand what they're doing). It's just weird. BUT, that episode is only about 5 minutes long. Wish they hadn't included that. Otherwise a great video!

Great Wintertime Tales!
Frosty Friends is a new DVD from HIT Entertainment featuring some of Aidan's favorite characters. There are six holiday episodes each staring Barney, Bob the Builder, Pingu, Thomas & Friends, Kipper, or Fifi and the Flowertots. Each episode has a Christmas theme and is perfect to add to any Holiday collection, but I honestly think Aidan would watch this DVD even in the summertime!

When I showed Aidan this DVD he was immediately excited as he is all of the sudden in love with Bob the Builder, with Thomas in a strong second place. I thought this DVD was super cute and I love how it has a little bit from each character, which opened up Aidan to some other characters that he hasn't seen before and it keeps Gavin interested since he likes Barney. It is also a nice that episodes have themes and teach great lessons!

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Hick Trek and Star Warp'd Sci-Fi Double Feature



Ahh, the taste of good cheese...
Wow! They just don't make movies like this anymore... in a garage that is. So if you take the production value saavy eye out of the equation, you'll realize these things are FUNNY! Some great gags in both flicks to be sure...

Two-buck chuckle
Comes pretty much as advertised. Star Warp'd is a claymation amalgam of Star Trek / Star Wars characters with assorted other sci-fi staple characters thrown in for chortles. Fans of the Robot Chicken style will approve, though it's got a less "mature" theme overall. For Hick Trek, think the usual humor (?) associated with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour ilk and you'll be fine.

Neither has a deep story. Both consist mostly of silly bits, definitely a few cringe moments included. Some sequences in Hick Trek are not suitable for younger children, while the central joke in Star Warp'd is fart humor; get by that tidbit and it's amusing enough. A couple of jokes in both are spot-on and are themselves worth the dollar or two spent. Also, the ending sequence of Hick Trek - with pacing and dialogue stolen from a particularly familiar movie - is done very well.

My expectations were not high, but I did like it, for what it's worth. Cheap laffs but worth a look - or two;...

Funny!
It's just what you would expect from the title. A little primitive but well executed. Fun and stupid all at once!

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FDR, Part 3



2008 Collection Updated to include Bill Clinton. A must for history lovers.
This collection of 17 DVDS (grouped in 3 DVD cases in a slipcase) is an updated version of the 2008 PBS Home Video set, which only went through President George H.W. Bush to include the addition of the program on President Bill Clinton. (To my knowledge there were no American Experience documentaries on the later President Bush - W - and President Obama is just ending his first term.).

The earliest subject is Theodore Roosevelt ( a program originally aired in 1998 along with 5 of the others) and now covers 11 consecutive Presidents (with one exception - Eisenhower! - will they ever get around to him?) Though packaged together until the "umbrella title" of "American Experience" these show were produced and directed by different people but all appear to be well balanced and objective. I've seen a few of these stories on either TV broadcast or on individual volumes over the years. There is almost 39 hours (!) of material in this set, so I'm still working my way through...

Great coverage of history
I haven't even finished the series yet, but I am learning so much through the first couple of episodes. The videos provide great information on the successes, failures, qualities and flaw of former POTUSes.

Please bring it back to Prime!!
I watched four episodes of this series before leaving for vacation and then was looking forward to watching the remainder when I returned, but it is no longer offered by Amazon Prime. Please bring it back!! It is wonderfully engaging and humanize a the people in the White House. Wonderful!!

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Mist: Sheepdog Tales - The Round Up



The best
Again, just LOVE the entire series! Great talent and wonderful stories. Clean and safe. The only complaint I have is that I can't get the latest series in the USA yet!

Mist: Sheepdog Tales Round Up
Cute and adorable! With a precious little in the "wholesome family entertainment" category "Mist" is a refreshing alternative. We started the "Mist" series after searching for some "dog-lovers'" movies. Mist is a "sheepdog project in the making". Entering the human world with little or no idea or what to expect. Great for Mist after a few trials and errors, oh and personality conflicts she is able to win the respect of owner and fellow small creature companions. While the cinematography is a shade less that "Hollywood" super glossy and glittery quality, you actually forget that minor detail as you become totally absorbed in Mist's daily antic. Bravo!

sweet children's stories
I actually bought this video (and other Mist videos) for my border collie to watch. She really loves them and gets very excited when they're on. She is very content to sit in front of the TV as long as the video plays. Does that make me a bad mommy? My husband and I also ended up enjoying the series. Such sweet innocent stories! I wish more episodes were available here in the US.

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My Life in Ruins



See for yourself
Why are there so many critics in this world? This is a sweet, fun movie that opened up a chance for many to see places in Greece that can not be filmed for commercial reasons. Kudos to Nia for gaining approval to film in such fantastic places as Delphi, Olympia and at the Acropolis. This is the perfect movie for a light, summer night or for when you just need a "pick me up." See for yourself. Greece is a magical place and it was a delight to see it on the big screen. Nia is charming on and off screen and I think she is terrific. You go girl!

"This Is Comedy, The Greeks Invented it"
The 2009 release 'My Life in Ruins' turned out to be a totally unexpected surprise. The scenery is magnificent, the storyline and dialogue sharp and the cast of uniquely quirky characters will keep you throughly entertained from beginning to end. The budding romance between tour guide Georgia (Nia Vardalos) and bus driver Nico (Alistair McGowan) was really quite charming and tourist and self-designated funny man Irv (Richard Dreyfuss) was clearly the secret ingredient that made it all work so well.

I particularly enjoyed the way the film incorporated an ongoing subtext suggesting that the Greek Gods may be subtly interacting with the tour and tourists. It was just the right touch of whimsy and depth to supply an added dimension to this delightful romantic comedy.

Laugh out loud often!
I saw this movie a few weeks ago at the theater. I found it very entertaining and informative. It took me to places in Greece that I would love to visit. Nia is funny, sexy and believable. In the year 2000 I went on a tourist bus tour of Europe and this movie surely brought back many fond memories. Every bus tour includes many diverse characters, with a believable love story, this makes it very entertaining. I have recommended this movie to all my friends.They should own it.The filming is exquisite showing the sites of Greece like a travelogue.I left the theater feeling as I had been thoroughly entertained.

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

The Way to Happiness Movie



Be THAT pebble in the pond~!!
I was a little leary to view this at first, L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology just isn't my thing, and I am very eclectic. Their tenets and principles are far-fetched and way out there, in my honest opinion. When the video first began it started out with how to keep yourself cleaned and groomed as well as, how it is your responsibility to let others know they need to do the same. I was groaning and rolling my eyes, over the hokeyness of it, but then, after the first 20 minutes the video takes a different light. You come to realize that the montage that is always playing in the background is in reference to what was being said by the narrator. STOP...REWIND~!!

As well, you begin to realize that the people reoccurring on the screen are doing a silent vignette about each of the lessons that each chapter depicts. You see how each of their actions affects those around them, how the world is more than you the individual perceives it. With lessons on infidelity,...

The Way to Happiness: A Common Sense Guide to Better Living
I'm 70yrs old and FINALLY someone wrote a Common Sense guide to being alive. This is Brilliant. Absolutely incredibly Brilliant!

Great for my young daughter
I bought this movie to be able to show to my young daughter to get her familiar with some of the basic ideas of how to live life and be happy. She loved the movie (her favorite was to practice) and she insisted on getting a copy of the book for herself.

This movie helped answer some of her questions on how she act around her friends and how to make sure everyone stays happy.

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Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas



Kind of misleading
This video has four Dora episodes on it, which is nice, but only one of them is Christmas themed. My daughter was disappointed that Dora's Christmas Carol was not included on this video.

great gift
all the granchildren and great grandchildren love dora and who wouldn't she is a delight and inspires children to be kind

A Much-Loved Gift
I gave this video to a 5 year old girl who collects everything Dora and she loves it. Her mother said she watches it over and over.

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An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving



Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving is great holiday movie!
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving is one of Hallmark's better holiday movies. Not as "sweet" and predictable as most Hallmark movies; this one has some "bite" to it, and that makes it believable. All of the actors are excellent, giving their characters depth--even the youngest boy is very, very good. As always, Jacqueline Bisset is a pleasure to watch--she is always so compelling in any of her roles. To be believable as a grandmother is a feat in itself, for she doesn't seem old enough even now.
Having never read the Alcott story this is taken from, I have no idea how closely it stays to the short story, but it is a fine movie on its own. I definitely give it 5 stars!

A Heartwarming Holiday Film
This is a great Thanksgiving movie. It reinforces the messages of the holiday--being grateful for what we have, not forgetting those who have helped us along the way, helping those less fortunate even when we don't have much to share, forgiving those who have wronged us, and being sorry and trying to make reparations for the wrongs we have done.
The main characters are strong in their performances and even though the ending may not come as a great surprise, there are twists along the way.
The dominant theme is the seemingly life-long strain between a mother and her adult daughter. Throw in a little romance, a disapproving neighbor, sisterly jealousy, a scandalous past, poverty, scarlet fever, and a rambunctious little boy, all woven around the Thanksgiving season and you have a story that will hold your interest.
In one scene the young widow accuses her mother of having married her father (who was quite a bit older) for his money and only had a child (herself) so that...

Good Holiday Film
This Holiday film is based upon Louisa Mae Alcott's book of the same title. It is set in New Hampshire shortly post Civil War and follows a young widowed mother's determination to carry on with the rearing of her three children in spite of the hardships that come about as a result of the loss of their father in the War. Things look pretty bleak nearing the Thanksgiving Holiday and the children, wishing to have a nice Thanksgiving Day dinner for their mom decide, without their mothers knowledge, to turn to their heretofore estranged but wealthy Grandmother for help in making their wish come true. Not to give away the pretty predictable plot or ending, suffice it to say that there are plenty of unexpected surprises for everyone along the way. Not one of Jacqueline Bissett's better known films but her acting is passable as the young widowed mom.

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The Haunted Airman



Not great...
I'm sure that most of the renewed interest in this film is because it stars Robert Pattinson. If that's your motivation you won't be disappointed with his performance specifically. He was brooding, handsome, and believable in the title role.

That being said, this movie doesn't have a lot to offer otherwise. At the end of the movie I felt like I had missed something important. Maybe I'd have to read the book to fully understand what was going on, but this movie didn't give me a lot of incentive to want to do that either. Throughout the entire story it was hard to see the motivation behind the characters actions. I don't believe it was that the actors failed to effectively portray the story, I think that the script (or maybe the book itself?) was fundamentally flawed somehow. There just wasn't enough backstory to understand how the characters became the way they are emotionally. Additionally, the movie did a very poor job explaining how the characters' relationships with...

A descent into madness
A tour de force for Pattinson as he takes center-stage in a film that has him playing a very different role that he did in Twilight for sure. A seriously wounded airman, Jugg (Pattinson) is sent to recuperate at a secluded mansion and instead finds himself a victim... a victim of nightmares and visions. The complex conspiracy that comes to light is fueled by those around him, those he ought to trust.

Pattinson fans will thoroughly enjoy this film. Based on the novel 'The Haunting of Toby Jugg", the BBC production is well crafted and, like classic horror films, shows a slow descent into madness for the lead character. If you're a fan of Pattinson, this is a must see as he IS this film from start to finish!

Atmospheric and creepy adaptation of an occult classic
"The Haunted Airman" sees Twilight's Robert Pattinson flex his acting muscles in a demanding role. The story itself is based on "The Haunting of Toby Jugg" (1948) by Dennis Wheatley, an author famous for his thrillers and occult novels in the 50s and 60s (notably "The Devil Rides Out" which was also made into a movie by Hammer Studios). I read the original story and loved it, and that is why I picked it up (not because of RP's role in it though I must say I was impressed by his performance). By the way, this is a BBC production.

The story centers around Lt. Toby Jugg (Rob Pattinson) who is hurt in action during WW II and becomes confined in a wheelchair. He is taken by his aunt Julia (Rachael Stirling) to recuperate at the remote country clinic of Dr Hal Burns (Julian Sands who last impressed me in Boxing Helena). Soon enough, Toby realizes strange things are afoot as he begins to experience strange visions of spiders and other curious goings-on.

This plays out...

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The Besieged Fortress



Six-Legged Apocalypse Now
Yo straight-up, this is the greatest bugumentary ever made! There are all kinds of crazy camera angles inside this teeming megalopolis of seething insecticism, and at its horripilated core the heaving mass of the queen daily pumps out 30 000 drone-clones to feed the maw of evolution's fangs and claws. Weird purplish lights glint and glimmer inside the queen's body as the war drums that are the abdomens of weaver ants beat against quaking leaves and finally summon ant armageddon. A terrific battle ensues under lightning and rain, and the resultant walls of mud finally carry the dying, damned, and doomed down into the dark recesses of a dirt-and-spit labyrinth. John Cusack's narration is pitch perfect over top of the deathmatch, neither under- nor overstated as the micro is translated into the macro.

Discoveriffic
If you like watching Discovery channel, this is right up your alley. Definitely too drawn out in certain parts and probably longer than it needs to be but awesome all the same. Who knew that Termites were an advanced society? Kinda joking, but it's seriously amazing. I know one of the other reviews said something about CG, but I think they just sped up some parts and played with lighting effects. After all, if you go stake out a termite nest for 2 years your going to have some crazy wild life epic-ness occur. It's not Hollywood type of drama, it's 'penguins' type of drama. Expect dramatized documentary. Ta da.

Very entertaining
The macro photography of the termites, ants, and a few other insects is stunning. I found the action of the insects fighting to be more dramatic than most of the action films I've seen recently. If you are looking for a very entertaining movie about insects, here it is.

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Snow 2: Brain Freeze



A very good movie
I want to tell you that I now own both Snow and Snow 2Brain Freeze and have watched them several times. I think that it is a very good movie for the whole family and am very happy that I own them. I am disabled and all I do is watch movies and try to rate them in my movie book. I have about 15,000 movies now and yes that is a lot but I do enjoy each and every one. You will love the movie if you buy it.

Pity if it really is presented at 1.33:1
A fun sequel to "Snow" it actually reunites all the major characters from the first film and is great holiday viewing. Tom Cavanagh is charming as always (sort of as if "Ed" were Santa) and it's wonderful to see Ashley Williams again.

However, it's a pity if it's really 1:33.1 as described as it aired on ABC Family not only in 1.78:1 but also in HD; it would be a shame if DVD viewers get the sides of the frame chopped off.

Snow 2 Brain Freeze
It is truely funny and laughs galore for the family, though I caution about very young children, its always nice to see a cast comeback together for a secqual.

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NASCAR: Greatest Dominators & Greatest Finishes



Good Nascar DVD
This is a great NASCAR DVD. There are two TV programs that showcase some of the greatest finishes and best drivers in NASCAR history. Both programs are a little over a half and hour in length and are very entertaining. The Bonus features on the disc feature 2 bonus races the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers from Darlington(Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch) and the 2007 Daytona 500(Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin). Both are about an hour in length and are two of the best finishes in NASCAR history and are probably the best part about the DVD.

NASCAR
Okay - really, I don't like NASCAR, I think it is boring. But, I have a friend who loves it and I thought this would be a great gift, turns out I was right. He likes it.

Xmas Gift
My brother in law thoroughly enjoys the video, has spent numerous hours watching the video and cant wait for nascar to start

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Family Adventure Collector's Set: Spirit Bear/Sign of the Otter/Spirit of the Eagle/White Fang



family adventure collectio
Bought this because Graham Greene was in spirit bear. was very good, and a good movie for children to watch.

movies for family
my grandchildren love to watch these kinds of adventures and so do i great to pass the time with too

This collection is ok.
I'm a fan of Dan Haggerty, but these movies didn't hold my attention. It may be good for your children.

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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Three Tenors Christmas (Christmas Classics-The Yule Edition)



Men with Voices of Angels
I am such a big fan of the Three Tenors it might be unfair for me to review their Christmas CD. Their blended voices are beautiful and take you back to sitting in a church pew singing the caroles of the season. A calm, and peace and joy reaches out to you from their music taking you to those mornings in church during the Christmas season.

The Three Tenors Christmas(Christmas Classics-The Yule Edition
I gave this DVD to one of my best friends and she said "that this was one of the best christmas gifts that she had ever gotten!" She really loved the fireplace and had it on for hours at a time:)

"Yule Log Kitsch + Glorious Christmas Music", What's Not to Love?
I really enjoy the whole "Yule Log on Christmas Day" idea accompanied by Christmas music. But (1) the television stations do not always show it and (2) Christmas music is of uneven quality, at best. Sometimes you have many songs that you would not choose yourself. And, (3) last year my local station did the Yule log combined with a radio station--meaning there were commercials throughout.

So the first thing this dvd offers is the Yule log burning in the fireplace--and it fit widescreen format perfectly.(There are two alternative views).

But, of course, what is so wonderful about this is the music. This is the same repertoire of Christmas songs, same recording, as the "Three Tenors Christmas". Since I just saw it yesterday (PBS pledge drive), I think it is actually improved by not seeing them and just hearing them instead.

Why? First because some of the close-ups are a bit...distracting. Also, because if you have company over it is easy for them to just...

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Mirageman



"He doesn't fly. He doesn't have a cape. He doesn't even have a Batmobile. He takes the bus."
- A television journalist, reporting on Mirageman: "Witnesses say that the individual is taller than 6'3," of muscular build, and was wearing a ridiculous, somewhat feminine, outfit."

In crime-ridden Santiago, Chile, Maco Gutierrez (Marco Zaror) lives a solitary existence. When not doing that nightly grind as a club bouncer, he mostly confines himself at home and works out like mad and hones his martial arts skills. He also regularly visits his institutionalized younger brother, a victim of a brutal assault (as was Maco). It all changes when, while out jogging one evening, Maco thwarts a home invasion. The beautiful woman he rescues turns out to be a local television reporter, and she promptly submits a piece about her mysterious savior (Maco had gotten a hold of a mask).

This broadcast is seen by Maco's traumatized brother and there is a startling improvement in his near catatonic behavior. The image of the mysterious savior has captured his imagination and this...

Rented, watched twice, bought, gave away, bought another!
Fans of comic book and martial arts heroes, this is an essential item for that library, and one to pull out because no one has ever seen it. A great flick that even my 5 year old daughter got and loved! We let her martial arts instructor borrow it and I could tell by the look in his eyes, it was best to let him keep it... well, because he loved it. This is a cool flick... hmmm... been half a year, time to watch it again.

Great little action gem
Well it's more of a diamond in the rough. The low budget shows but fortunately, the sheer brilliance of the action scenes carry this movie. I would like to see the lead actor do more movies, with better production values.

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