We Have a Pope

We have a winner!
I was highly impressed with this gem of a film, one that obviously understood the beauty of a subtle and meaningful approach to a controversial subject without shying away from inserting needed moments of humor and charm. Tackling the idea of doubt, insecurity and wavering faith, `We Have a Pope' addresses a concern that may not be thought of very often but one that deserves our attention. By centering the affair on a newly elected Pope who feels inadequate and quite frankly overwhelmed by the assignment bestowed on him by God, `We Have a Pope' adds a serious depth to the age-old topic of personal spirituality. With a blisteringly authentic performance by Michael Piccoli, this beautiful film moves with grace and highlights emotional assertions that one cannot help but feel akin to. Piccoli should be up for Oscar consideration, but that won't happen. The way he balances out this conflicted man's fears and enchantments is astonishing to watch. Such a soulful performance, one...

"Food for Thought"
This unusual and sad tale does a really nice job of recreating the pomp and circumstance of Vatican rituals and politics. There is a strong farcical element, however, that takes up too much viewing time and detracts from the seriousness of the story--namely a wacky psychoanalyst organizing a volleyball tournament for the Cardinals. Otherwise, this film is pretty unique and provides some useful philosophical food for thought.

(2.5 STARS) "Habemus Papam": Intriguing Idea Not Fully Developed
"Habemus Papam" ("We Have a Pope") is an Italian comedy drama directed by Nanni Moretti ("The Son's Room"). Michel Piccoli plays Cardinal Melville, who, after being elected Pope, insists that he cannot take the office and flees the conclave. The story may remind you of a William Wyler classic, but the intriguing premise is less effectively used here.

The director's bold attempt to portray a pope as a human is a worthy one, but his approach is tame at best. Michel Piccoli is wonderful as Cardinal Melville, but even the veteran player like Piccoli cannot make the character of Cardinal Melville credible, because the unfocused script fails to delve into his personality as deeply as it should. His interactions with people in Rome do not reveal much about the person for which the film is made. The reference to a stage drama (Chekhov ... what else?) is too obvious. After all, we are all actors.

Moretti himself plays a psychiatrist, who is called in to talk to the newly...

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Outback Treasure Hunter

G'Day Mike rowe
Mike Rowe and Australians what a combo they are! This episode is good times down under. Its hilarious to see the locals keep the crew guessing where are they going next. Enjoy!

Where's the REST of the 'season'??
I've seen all four of the episodes thus far... and it's obvious by now, that there aren't any more coming. WHY? Am I to believe after over 250 dirty jobs just in the USA alone, that they could only find four shows worth in all of AUSTRALIA? Come on! Something happened, and they aren't being straight with us. (The Discovery Channel, not Amazon.com... They have no say or control over what The Discovery Channel does anymore than I do) I want to know... What happened? WHY are there no further episodes? From 'Down Under' or anywhere else, for that matter. There is a literal whole WORLD of 'Dirty Jobs' to explore! It took them years to see many of the jobs in the good ole USA, and I'm to believe there are NONE to be had in a country like AUSTRALIA?? Give me a break. Discovery Channel watchers are among the most educated people ever to live... Don't treat us as stupid! We can take the truth.

Love this show!
I would recommend getting this in a regular format, instead of HD because, if the internet connection isn't very good, it will show in standard form anyway. But I love this show sooo much, I was so sad when it was cancelled.

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The End?

Its a Fantasy World
It was OK. I still find it hard to believe people their age act this way and I guess that's why I watch it, because it seems so unrealistic. Sort of a fantasy world. Its so unbelievable that its funny and entertaining at times.. I cant believe their parents treat them like children. They must be supporting their parents financially to put up with them.

It's boring
With Snooki being pregnant it was just focused on her whining and the problems with Jenni and Roger and that got to be pretty boring as well.

Love this DVD!!
Loved Snooki and Jwoww!!! Season 1 was cool with them finding a place in Jersey City and living togeather before moving forward with their boyfriends.

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Final Tears - Short Film by Jeffrey Moscone & REOG

World's Longest Corona Beer Ad
Summary: World's Longest Corona Beer Ad

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Full disclosure: Libertad Green, who plays Wife #2, is, in reality, my wife, which is why I'm giving this "ad" Ten Stars.

Corona beer is one of my favorite beers, so I agree with what seems to be the moral of this story: Corona beer makes everything better! (It may not solve any problems, but it makes them easier to deal with, and if you have cause for celebration, what better way to celebrate, than with a Corona?) Your wife is tired of being alone? You're spending too much time at work and your favorite bar? Drink Corona! Your wife leaves you? Drink Corona! You get engaged or married? Drink Corona! You discover your wife has a cocaine habit? Drink Corona! Your wife attempts suicide? Drink Corona! Your wife burns your house down? Drink Corona! You get a divorce? Drink Corona! Your wife tells you she wants to have sex with other people? Drink Corona! You discover your...

Good Find!
This is a must watch! love it! Kinda sad but in a good way! Rease Etzler is sexy!!! I could feel the emotion of each character! Hope this becomes a full length feature one day!



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The Legend of Spartacus

Spartacus Still Deadly
First, for those that may not have seen Spartacus on Starz and are looking to get into the series via DVD based on its popularity, Spartacus: Vengeance is season 2 of the show but technically the third season. After the excellent 2010 5-star season premier under the title Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Andy Whitfield who played the lead role of Spartacus tragically died of cancer. Whitfield embodied Spartacus; he was a believable, imposing, rough, tough character that made viewers feel like they were watching the real guy from circa 70 BC. His untimely illness left the studio scrambling to decide how to or if the series would continue. Ultimately the studio decided to produce a prequel that ideally would give Whitfield time to recover after treatment, but sadly Whitfield relapsed and passed shortly after production of the prequel.

The prequel was called...

By Jupiter's.....beard, they've done it again
Fans of Spartacus: Blood and Sand and the prequel Gods of the Arena: Draw near, that I may break words with you.

Know this in advance: there are parts of this second season (or third, depending on how you're counting) of the Spartacus saga that _you will not like_. But the gods do not favor such thoughts! WE are for Spartacus: Vengeance, preferably on Blu-ray, which has had noticeably better picture and sound quality than the Starz broadcasts. Bend ear, and I shall give good reasons to make purchase:

- The story is on a par with, possibly even better than, Blood and Sand. It's different - how could it be otherwise? - but more complex and on a much grander scale. The same goes for the setting. Spartacus has always featured impressive camera work and CGI, and this time around it is, at times, literally jaw-dropping and...

Did you see that!
I've not bought the blu-ray of season 2 yet but I will. I have the prequel and season 1. I'm a big fan and was devastated when I heard Andy Whitfield was ill and then died. He was perfect for this role. He was awesome. The new guy is doing ok. If he was the original Spartacus I'm thinking we'd all be saying he's awesome but Andy set such a high bar I don't think anybody could have matched or bettered him. Anyway. Season 2 in my opinion is a little different to season 1 for me. I liked seeing the gladiators being trained, fighting in the area and seeing the twisted plots unfold in the house of Batiatus. Now that season 2 is out in the open with so many different locatnions it's obviously not the same. However, season 2 has got better and better with each episode. Last Fridays.... I think episode 5... was the best episode yet! I was yelling OMG! and my girlfriend was screaming!!! really she was. When Ganacus comes back and enters the arena only to fight against....????? I...

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Yabba Dabba Don't! [HD]

Very interesting!!!!!
I often wonder how some of the mega collectors part with part of their "precious". I am a collector and have memories with every piece so I can see how it is hard to let go of some things. This show shows that it is bad when a collection goes overboard and how you need to fix it.

I'm biased; that's me on there
I couldn't resist buying the episode - I'm the guy who evaluates the Hot Wheels, LOL! We had a lot of fun shooting the episode, and Elyse is a pleasure to work with.

Decent show, amazing host, abhorrent little creeps
The show is a decent idea, people who want a more interesting hoarder format will enjoy this show. The host of the show is attractive, smart and appears too know a lot about everything. She really is the saving grace of this show, because of how terrible all the guests are. They are all so in love with their stupid collections, and most of the people do not even take care, they are all basically hoarders with focus.

They all remind me of Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, they are all impossible and it seems like the only thing that matters to them is their craptastic stuff. Joe a comic collector is really bad he has 30,000 every day comics that are practically worth less. He has a woman in his life despite his weight and obvious mental instability, if I were him i would have moved on with my life, I can tell based on the "where are they now article" that he has not changed, nor does he want to.

I have been watching the different shows, and it is so...

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Tangled

Worthy Addition to Disney's Classic Films
*contains some spoilery bits*

Tangled, Disney's version of the oft-refashioned folk tale Rapunzel, is the studio's 50th animated film and one that is destined for classic status.

The Synopsis:
This latest retelling begins with a tiny piece of sunlight falling to earth and a magical golden flower sprouting where it lands. The flower, and its ability to restore youth, is discovered, used and kept secret by Mother Gothel. When the kingdom's beloved queen falls ill, a search for the flower (apparently its existence wasn't *completely* secret) is successfully undertaken and the healing potion brewed from it restores the queen's health. The flower's magical abilities are also transferred to the hair of the queen's unborn child, Rapunzel. When Mother Gothel discovers this and learns that the magical properties are only retained as long as the hair remains uncut, she kidnaps Rapunzel and raises her as her own child. Claiming that she wants to keep Rapunzel safe from...

*Amazing Disney Film*
Tangled is an amazing movie! The story is very well written and the pace of the movie never gets boring. Alan Menken's score is breathtaking! Easily one of my favorite Disney movies of ALL TIME, and I grew up in the second golden age of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty And the Beast, ect.
I have seen the movie twice in the theater. I cannot recall EVER going to the see a movie a second time in the theater. I actually might see it again in 3D as it was stunning! Also One of Disney's best villains in my opinion. The psychological aspect of Mother Gothel is deep.

Don't miss this new age Disney classic. Perfect for everyone in your family. It will warm your heart, make you laugh and cry and gives you that Disney magic feeling we have been waiting for since Beauty and the Beast! Amazing!!

I cannot wait for this to come out on Blu-Ray. I even thought about getting a 3D tv..Yeah this movie was that good in 3D for me...haha

Perhaps The Greatest Disney Animated Movie Yet
Disney is very unpredictable. They crank out the movies; some great and some not so great. But their animated movies are a little more trustworthy; most of them are brilliant family fun. "Tangled" may perhaps be the best Disney Animated production yet!!

Tangled is the story of a girl named Rapunzel (played by Mandy Moore), who was kidnapped as a baby and put in a tower, where her "mother" (played by Donna Murphy) takes care of her, telling to stay indoors, where it is safe. Now, 18, Rapunzel's dream is to see (up close) the mysterious floating lanterns that are released through the sky on HER Birthday each year. Her mother forbids it. And thus enters Flynn Ryder (played by Zachary Levi). Flynn Ryder is a wanted thief who stole the crown of the long-lost princess. He seeks refuge in Rapunzel's castle while her mother is away. Thus begins a long adventure; seeking the mysterious floating lanterns, escaping palace guards and evil captors, finding true love, etc...

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Travel With Kids: Paris

Helpful
We are planning to visit Paris next year with a 9 year old. This was very helpful. We don't feel as overwhelmed as we did, worrying about what and how to see Paris. Thanks





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Dead Soon

creepy eepy....
this film proves that there are still movies out there with substance . Good writing , good casting .....I've recommended this film to at least 3 people. I really enjoyed the commentary with writer ,director Michael Morris. Fun stuff. ....wouldnt surprise me if this film became a cult classic......just say's.....

Fascinating psychological thriller
Dead Soon is a creepy and compelling exploration of psychosis. From the opening sequence, we're drawn into a riveting, surreal world. What really happened at the well? Is Alena telling the truth, or is she making it all up? The film accomplishes that rare achievement: we really care about the main character, and her psychological process is intelligently drawn. As the film progresses to its devastating conclusion, we're with it all the way. Strongly recommend.

Twisted horror-think puzzle
The movie starts out pretty fast with the chase scene to the well. As the mystery builds around what is tormenting the girl, it begins to twist and turn into different possible answers for what lies beneath. Aleece Jones is an actress to watch. This is definitely low-budget indie fare, but I was relieved it didn't follow the typical indie horror formula. More of a thinking person's puzzle.

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The Gay Amigo (1949)

"Western Triple Feature ... The Cisco Kid - Duncan Renaldo ... VCI Ent (2008)"
VCI Entertainment presents "CISCO KID: WESTERN TRIPLE FEATURE - DUNCAN RENALDO" (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Here's adventure, here's romance, here's O'Henry's famous Robin Hood of the Old West --- the Cisco Kid featuring Duncan Renaldo as Cisco and Leo Carrillo as his comical sidekick Pancho, in the first film Martin Garralaga plays Pancho --- relive those thrilling days from the early '40s and '50s when romance and drama took us down the dusty trails and the plains to exciting adventures.

The first feature -- THE CISCO KID RETURNS (aka: Daring Adventurer) (16 February 1945) (64 min/In Glorious Black & White)
Directed by John P. McCarthy, Produced by Philip N. Krasne

Storyline, first time appearance of Duncan Renaldo as the Cisco Kid with the kidnapping of a young girl who is the heir to money left by her murdered father --- marriage and a beautiful senorita comes into the picture and Cisco is up to his old tricks of bringing the guilty...

Superb job all around
VCI has done a superb job all the way around. Wonderful transfer and picture quality for the Cisco films that, until today, was only available on VHS in poor quality transfers.

Recommend the Cisco book from the University Press by Francis M. Nevins as a companion piece.

Classic western, antiquated title
These films are just fun. Yes, they portray stereotypes but the enlightened person can appreciate the era. I watched this when looking for films that were produced in Pioneer Town, CA.

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Dreamin' California's Coast - Malibu to Big Sur

Interest in Trip to Area
I saw this Travel scope on PBS and decided to rent it to see again with with my wife. I thought the episode highlighted the main attractions of the this part of the coast that we have not visited.





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The Ranger and the Lady (1940)

A great Roy Rogers film
This is a really fun Roy film. Its one of his rare historically set movies and has a good script, good production values and a top supporting cast. If you are'nt into the more musical and modern Roy movies you will like this one.

Roy Rogers
The King of the Cowboys and Trigger. What can I say - - it's Roy Rogers! A must if you are a fan. B-westerns are alive and well and this one is better than most.

Quality Entertainment
If you long for a good western movie, you'll enjoy this.
Ranger and the Lady

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Passage through Chile's Tierra del Fuego around Cape Horn

Cape Horn video
Delightful overview of area around southern tip of South America. Good video primer for travelers and cruisers around Cape Horn.

like going there!
Like going there in luxury and comfort! Impressive to see the site of so many shipwrecks. Felt sorry for the cold birds though.



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Heroes of Horror

Heroes of Horror Collection
Typical black and white horror movies you could watch on TV on a Saturday morning back in the 50's and 60's. There are so many horror movies from that time period but these compilation companies seem to use the same old tired movies over and over. I have seen many horror compilations and box sets from this era and they all have the same flicks. You would think that one the these companies could create a package with some variety. Anyway, the flicks are OK, the quality could be better but again, keep in mind the time frame and transfer to DVD. One word of caution, the tin is very nice but the plastic inserts that hold the DVD's make it extremely difficult to release them. Be careful not to crack the DVD when attempting to take it out. Personally, I took out the plastic inserts and discarded them and put the DVD's in paper sleeves inside the tin.





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Entrance

A Tense, Affecting Character Study
Entrance

You're best off going into 'Entrance' blindly, without watching any trailers or knowing too much ahead of time. This is a well-paced, expertly crafted indie movie that took me by surprise. When I watched it I wasn't even aware what kind of movie it was, and there's no better way to approach this one. This movie does not represent the status quo. Those looking for something unique, effective, and unexpected should not miss this opportunity. You can even stream it for cheap just to check it out. I highly recommend supporting these filmmakers instead of the latest mainstream big budget releases.

Intensity In Ten Cities
All I can say is woah! I didn't know what to think going in (a friend recommended the film), but this movie delivered. What starts as a slow character piece spirals off into creep-ville. The anxiety and anticipation bubbles over as the film draws to an end. Loved it!

Close to home
Most of this film deals with a real life horror: creepiness. As a woman I found myself identifying with certain plot themes (which I won't go into to not spoil anything) And that is what I find captivating about this film, the entanglement of horror with worry; that the horrific, larger than life events that the protagonist experiences are paired with those of daily life.
If you want to be disgusted, watch Takashi Miike. If you want to be disarmed, watch Entrance.

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Dawn on the Great Divide (1942)

Best wagon train scene ever!
I haven't seen this copy, so I don't know if they will publish this review, but I already have the movie. The almost-ten-minute wagon train scene near the beginning is priceless. It's constantly, slowly moving and done so well you really get the feel for what such a trip must have been like. A variety of people from that era are characterized rather well for a B western. There is tragedy at the beginning which leads to Mona Barry doing a rendition of "Rock of Ages" acapella which, along with her short commentary about herself after, will break your heart. I've never heard anything like it. Tears flow every time I watch it. Great stuff Mona, wherever you are.

Again Buck gets to hold a baby and call him "little shaver". I love that. Buck does a solid job as always. This was his last movie before dying in the Cocoanut Grove fire in '42. The story line is good and there is the occasional nifty quote - "I've got to hand it to you Easterners, you sure are slick with the...

WHEELS OF FATE
This movie was taken from a story by James Curwood entitled "Wheels of Fate", and for me that title fits much better than "Dawn on the Great Divide". The years 1941 and 1942 saw several of the Rough Riders films made and though this movie is good, it doesn't have the jump that many of the others have. This was the last film for Buck Jones, and it is not his best performance, as he looks somewhat tired and it affected his performance.

His leading lady, co star actually, was a gal born in England, trained in Australia, named Mona Barrie. Before dying in 1964 she racked up quite a few movies, as well as stage performances, and she truly turns in a very memorable performance in this film. For me, she saves this movie.

The cast of stock characters is good with the usual suspects on board, especially Roy Barcroft, and Raymond Hatton, did they ever make a western without Roy Barcroft. And an extra treat is a very young Tris Coffin who plays Mona's husband but ends up...

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Dawn of the Great Divide (1942)"
VCI Entertainment and Monogram Pictures present "Dawn of the Great Divide" (1942) (digitally remastered), although The Rough Riders had a short run, they turned out some of the best B-Westerns ever to grace the Saturday Matinee screen...our story is the final of eight in the Rough Riders series is a better than average oater...Buck Jones (Buck Roberts) and Raymond Hatton (Sandy Hopkins) continue with the same characterization...Tim McCoy was placed on active duty in WWII, replaced by Rex Bell (Jack Carson) as the third member of the trio...Buck and Sandy are leading a wagon train loaded with railroad supplies to expand the West...our favorite villain Harry Woods with Roy Barcroft, Robert Frazer, I. Stanford Jolley, Reed Howes and Bud Osborne are up to no good...disguised as Indians during the attacks they plan to stop Buck at all costs...the three Buck, Sandy and Rex Bell are working undercover and have the situation well in hand, if you don't believe it check with the Monogram...

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Outdoors with Eddie Brochin Eye in the Sky Hunting for rabbits with Chase the Red-Tailed Hawk

Great for the Price
Grest for the price. I would recomend this to any falconer of any level, an apprentice, or a master. All in all great video on falconry.





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Godforsaken

Godforsaken
This is a dark movie, well acted, and almost hard to figure out on first watching, unless you pay close attention to the story line. However, it is worth a second look. It's the story of a fallen angel, who seeks redemption after the death of a child he was assigned to protect. There are a number of twists and it has a surprise ending. Thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Since the actors did a fine job, I'll over-look a few things that'll be distasteful to the "angel loving" crowd.
I live in Germany. This movie was filmed in England and France. Hence the paraphrased school rhyme:

"I've seen London,
I've seen France,
I saw an angel with NO underpants!"

The back of the DVD case says "WARNING! THIS FILM CONTAINS SCENES OF BRIEF not SO brief NUDITY,
ADULT "AC/DC-action" SITUATIONS, LANGUAGE f'-BOMBS, AND VIOLENCE adult & baby killings."

I have to admit, while this WAS NOT the faith-based film I was expecting, it was --- at least --- thought-provoking.
If you decide to watch this film I have to tell you --- without any spoilers --- the following:

===> There ARE different KINDS of angels. There are TWO in this film.
===> There is a scene of a male angel kissing a Catholic priest.
===> A [human] woman has graphic (not brief) sex with a down-on-his-luck(and back) angel.
===> There are SEVERAL graphic murders in this film.
===> You MIGHT have to watch it TWICE to fully understand...

Not What I Expected
For some reason I thought this was a faith-based movie. It's not. And on top of that, it was pretty awful. Not your fault however. You don't make movies. You just ensure we can choose from a humungous variety and for that I am grateful. Note to all: (1) Do not be fooled by the title (even the info provided tends to throw you off); (2) this movies contains both is sexual content and violence; and (3) the acting is terrible. I cannot believe I even allowed one star.

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Tokyo Drifter

One of the most brilliantly edited films I have seen!
The only reason Seijun Suzuki's "Toky Drifter" is getting four stars instead of five is because the story gets hokey and hard to follow at times. But what a wallop the visual fireworks and rapid-fire, jump-cut editing pack! "Tokyo Drifter" is easy to understand after viewing it a few times, but initially the story takes a back seat to Suzuki's inventive, French-New-Wave style of creating the images, which are breathtaking. "Phoenix," a reformed killer for the Yakuza, dreamily walks around Tokyo after quitting the racket, expecting to be executed. But when he is called back into duty to help rid the city of a rival gang, the film "drifts" into a surreal mix of equal parts Luis Bunuel, Sam Fuller and Jean Luc Godard. The action never lets up, and the film is a wonderfully funny mix of comedy and violence. The performers even break out into song at unexpected times, although the film is certainly not a musical. You just never know what...

Stylish
A stylish gangsta piece of work by the great late Seijun Suzuki. If you've watched Kurosawa or Ozu then this is much different. More comparable to Kinju Fukasaki(BATTLE ROYALE). Not as good as BRANDED TO KILL but a fine Criterion piece none the less. A lonely soul gets pulled back into one last score to settle. Visually masterful and the score is brilliant. A little slow at times but the action is pretty much non stop throughout. Plus a big payoff at the end. I know you will be amazed with what you see. Quentin Tarantino may not admit this is one of his inspirations for RESOVOIR DOGS, but when you have the blue room, red room, white room, etc, it's hard not to believe there's some sort of connection there between Mr. White, Blond etc. A must see film if you're a lover of art and crime noir. One of Seijun's top 5 films.

another unusual gangster film
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This film follows a retired killer named Tetsu who continues to receive threats from people and is asked to help take out a rival gang.

This film is shot in full color and has some interesting tricks done with that. There are parts where the color changes and 'differentials' of color from one side of the screen to the next. It is very difficult to describe but you know what they say. "a picture is worth a thousand words" I would suggest you see it for yourself if you are interested.

The film also has an excellent theme song which reminded me of the songs by Kyu Sakamoto, best known for his song "Ue O Muite Arouko" and known outside of Japan as "Sukiyaki."

There is also a 20 minute interview with director Seijun Suzuki on the DVD as a special feature.

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Purgatory Comics

An Indie Treasure Trove!
In our everyday quest to unearth cinematic genius, we are faced with the seemingly insurmountable task of wading through thousands of dubious titles, hundreds of ambiguous descriptions, and a handful of potential contenders. For the brave, this process involves diving into the murky, uncharted territory of indie flicks. We know the risks associated, the countless hours lost to mediocrity, the frustration, the angst. Most of the time we feel slighted, realizing too late that our high hopes for that "dark comedy" is nothing more than an amalgamation of shoddy camera angles, cheap lighting and bad jokes.

We remain undaunted, though, in our search for greatness. And occasionally we are rewarded with gold.

Enter Purgatory Comics.

The film premiered in 2009 at the Lancaster Area Film Festival and comes in at a cool 90 minutes. A 2010 Long Island International Film Expo winner, the film's awards included both "Best Long Island Feature Film" and "Best...

Funny, quirky & completey enjoyable
One of the reasons that I enjoyed Purgatory Comics so much is that the characters are completely believable. You either are, or know people just like these--and you don't have to be a comic book fan to relate to the trials and tribulations of these guys and gals (although it wouldn't hurt). This is a quirky story about finding yourself, but cleverly told with humor and--dare I say--intelligence (even though I roared with laughter at the scenes of comic-book reading nerds fantasizing about hot porn stars). This was a well-directed and delightful 'slice of life' film that could never have been produced by a big budget Hollywood production company. Watch it and enjoy!

bad acting, worse timing
I could not get past the first 10 minutes. It felt like I was watching a high school play. The pause after every line was unbearable...

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Marshal of Cedar Rock (1953)

Trip down memory "Lane"
This western saga has Rocky Lane tracking down an escaped convict hoping to find the hidden loot. As it truns out, the escaped convict not only is innocent, but helps Rocky Lane uncover a fiendish plot to swindle farmers out of their land before the railroad gets to Cedar Rock. Marshal of Cedar Rock is the 36th entry in the Rocky Lane series of 38 features. By the time it was made (1953) Republic had cut the length of these movies from 60 minutes down to 54 minutes. Rocky Lane movies were different from the Autrys and Rogers in that they had no music or love interest. Just action throughout. The tape has a clear picture that will look even better if you enable the soft picture mode on your VCR. for $9.99 Marshal of Cedar rock is a gem you want to miss!

Allen Rocky Lane.
Good action hero. Had solid screen presence. He was likeable, and kids could
trust his persona on screen. He never let them down. His message and character
stood out most of the time in his films.



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Torture Dungeon

A Masterpiece
If I were to tell you anything about this film, it would spoil your experience. Rent it, turn the lights down, spray lysol all over your living room, invite a couple of bums in to warm up, a couple junkies to shoot up and a couple of deviants to give the room some atmosphere, and allow yourself to be transported back in time, to Times Square, circa 1970.





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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

"You're all going to die..."
Just when you thought the original was disturbing, gross, disgusting, and frightening, now comes the updated version, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," which knows no limits when it comes to gore and intensely terrifying moments. Is it a remake? Not necessarily. However, it is more like a movie that pays tribute to a great classic by offering its own vision of a well-known nightmare of limbs and guts.

While characters and some of the story has changed, the deranged and murderous plot remains the same. An unspeakable turn of events (I will not give away how it all starts, as it is very different from the original) lands a group of teens in a nightmarish maze that throws a mutilated man who wields a giant chainsaw in their path. Not to mention the "crazy" family that turns out to be just as vicious and murderous. For these teens, a safe place is nowhere in their short and painful future.

As I said in the beginning, this is not a remake. Nor is this a...

She said they were all going to die and she wasn't lying
Well, this 2003 remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" creeped me out. Of course I waited until late at night to watch it, which is what you were supposed to do with a horror movie, because lately even when a horror film has a good start, such as "Jeepers Creepers," they almost always end up being laughable. Now, I will not go so far as to say this is a great horror film, and I am not suggesting that it replace the raw power of Tobe Hooper's original in any one's mind, but it sure creeped me out more than anything I have seen in a while (except for last month when I watched "The Exorcist" again).

What does this remake have working in its favor? Well, first the film is selective in what it takes from the original. We have the same beginning with the grainy film and the same narration talking about "one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history" (again narrated by a now considerably more famous John Larroquette), and we have the same basic idea that a...

As Remakes Go, This One Aint Half Bad
I had to wonder, initially, why anyone would go through the trouble of remaking a "classic" that already had numerous sequels to begin with. I came into it with "low expectations," in other words. But I must say that after watching it a couple times, I'm not disappointed with the effort.

The only reason for knocking it down to 4 stars is the clumsy framing device. It strives for the same sort of verisimilitude that the original had. Grainy archive footage of some State Investigators going down into the basement of the house of notoriety, filming the grisly scene. It's obviously not original stock footage, but just some attempted levity on the part of the filmmakers. It doesn't work. Yes, we all know that the original film was based on a true story, at least loosely. The actual dude who was the mass killer lived in Wisconsin, not Texas, but that's beside the point.

What this remake does deliver on is "fear factor" moments. The actors portraying the crazies really...

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Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (Uncut)

Better than the Original
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back is a sequel to the 2006 horror film Rest Stop, about a crazed pickup truck driver terrorizing a young couple at a deserted California rest stop. It wasn't a very good film but the sequel manages to out do the original, rising to passable horror fare. Tom (Richard Tillman) is the brother of Jess who disappeared in the first film along with his girl friend Nicole. Home for two weeks on leave from the army, Tom decides to go in search of his missing sibling. He's joined for the ride by his girlfriend Marilyn (Jessie Ward) and his buddy Jared(Norris). Evidently, because Marilyn doesn't like Jared, the goof is forced to drive his own beater of a car from Texas to California.

We're treated to a replay of the "Driver's" origin. He was just a bumpkin picked up by a family of religious zealots (nuts actually) in their RV. He's killed but is resurrected as a silent spirit, haunting the highways around the rest stop for victims to torture and kill...

Get the regular DVD
Get the regular DVD.

I just finished watching my purchased copy of "Rest Stop: Don't Look Back" on Blu-Ray, and that's the last Warner disc I'll ever pre-order to buy.

The regular DVD of this title is chock full of extras (deleted scenes, alternate ending, commentary track, trailers), but there is nothing but the movie on the more expensive Blu-Ray. No extras at all - nada - not even the trailer! What a rip-off!

Don't Buy the Blu-Ray Version!

Don't look back? Even Lot's wife would stare straight ahead.
While this sequel fills in some of the holes presented in the timeline and story of the original Rest Stop movie, it is nonetheless unfulfilling horror with a deserted California rest stop and bathroom as a set.

Following the disappearance of the morons from the first movies, Tom (Tillman) is home on leave from the Army and looking for his missing brother. Immediately I knew he was an idiot because he had on PFC rank but called himself a corporal. Along for the ride is his alcoholic girlfriend Marilyn (Ward) - who probably would have acted better if actually drunk - and a complete train-wreck of a best friend named Jared (Norris). Animosity between the two sidekicks leads to this being a two car journey from Texas to California, and the dork is driving a beater that smokes more than a Memphis rib joint. First stupid decision of many.

Upon arrival in California, the ginger best friend gets isolated in a port-a-potty because of his IBS, and it gets tipped over...

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The Slowest Gun in the West (1960)

Mild Laughs at Western Cliches
Phil Silvers was a great comedian. He pulls a few laughs from this ridiculous story of a cowardly man who pretends to be a gun fighter. When Jack Benny shows up for a few minutes at the end, there are a few more laughs.
The humor is absurdist. mainly poking fun at Western televsion and movie cliches. One can see this as a much too long sketch on a variety show or more generously as a precursor to "F Troop" the quite hilarious Western series spoof that ran for a few years, a few years after this.
This is strictly for Phil Silvers and Jack Benny fans.

The Slowest Gun in the West
What's not to like? A classic Phil Silvers comedy - and maybe it's corny. But still great fun to watch.

old comedy
old black and white western from the sixty's with Phil Silvers.enjoyed it very much and it was free because of amazon prime.

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Crimes At The Dark House

Another Cheapie jackpot!...
TALES OF TERROR is another great collection of public domain horror movies! No, these are not digitally remastered, spotless masterpieces. These are movies that are available to any company (and there are tons of them) that wants to put them out. So, why pay 10-20 times as much for the same scratchy movies?? Here's the run-down: THE WHITE GORILLA- An hour-long stinkfest about a guy in a white go-rilla suit in the jungle. Actually 2 movies spliced together! Pretty dull indeed! THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH- Barbera Steele is a vengeful ghost, out to fulfill her mother's curse. Good spooker! THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE- Horribly editted pile of offal! Barely makes sense, and Erica Blanc's infamous naked coffin dance is gone! Ugh! CONDEMNED TO LIVE- Ralph Morgan is a guy doomed to suck the life from others. A good flick! THE HEAD- Awesome german mad science spectacular about a psychotic doctor and his keeping a disembodied head alive! includes a Hunchback, strippers, and lots of...

Great Bargain for the Horror Film Fan
These are the films included in this 12-DVD collection. Some have been on other collections, some are new. There are a few Tod Slaughter gems and enough rarities to make this worth your while.

1. Amazing Transparent Man, The

2. Ape Man, The

3. Bat, The

4. Bowery at Midnight

5. Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The

6. Chloe, Love is Calling You

7. Condemned to Live

8. Crimes at the Dark House

9. Crimes of Stephen Hawke, The

10. Crypt of the Living Dead

11. Curse of the Headless Horseman

12. Devil Bat, The

13. Devil Monster

14. Devil's Daughter, The

15. Devil's Messenger, The

16. Devil's Partner

17. Evil Brain from Outer Space

18. Ghost Walks, The

19. Hands of Steel

20. Head, The

21. Ironbound Vampire, The

22. Island Monster, The

23. Long Hair of...

You get what you pay for
When you are reading those books of film reviews (I'm talking mainly horror here) and you come across an obscure movie and think you'd love to see that - because the reviewer says it is so good, or maybe because they say it is so bad - but you think you'll never get the chance, well these 50 Movie Packs are probably the best chance you'll get to see some of those movies. I have 5 of these sets Horror, Science Fiction, Chillers, Nightmare Worlds as well as Tales of Terror. I bought them to see some of the aforementioned movies at a reasonable price. Some of the films on these sets can be purchased in better versions but they are more expensive. If you like one or more of the movies here you can buy a better version later. Anyone expecting razor sharp images, perfect colour and high quality sound should look elsewhere - you get what you pay for with these sets. The quality varies from good to awful, but I've yet to find a title that was so bad, picture or sound wise, that it was...

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Queen of the Damned [Blu-ray]

Yep...it's damned
*sigh* Where to begin? When Interview with the Vampire (the movie) came out when I was in sixth grade, I was immediately hooked, and I devoured the original 4 Vampire Chronicle books one after the other. I fell in love with Lestat, I felt Louis' pain...it was wonderful. When I heard they were making a movie version of Queen of the Damned, I was glad, yet surprised, because The Vampire Lestat (book 2) is actually my favorite of the series, and I would have liked to have seen that as a movie. Now begins my rant.
There's plenty of things I could say about this movie doing no justice to the feel and/or deep and layered plot of the book. However, since it is a movie and not the book, I'll try not to get that specific (i.e., Marius didn't make Lestat, but that doesn't make that much of a difference...does it?) What really [ticked] me off about this is that instead of taking one book's plot and trying to fully develop and explain the story, they shoved a bunch of [junk] into ninety...

Not that bad...
I think people went into this movie thinking that they would hate it. Especially some fans. I'm an Anne Rice fan and I'll say this: it doesn't follow the book completely, but I liked it quite a bit.

To sum it up, Queen of the Damned is actually made up of the second and third books of the Vampire Chronicals consisting of chunks from both Queen of the Damned and The Vampire Lestat. It may be called Queen of the Damned, and the posters focus on Akasha, but it really is about Lestat (which is what Queen was about anyway.)

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this movie, but went into it with an open mind. I liked Interview, but didn't care for the choice of Tom (over the top) Cruise as Lestat. The choice of Stewart Townsend was WELL casted as he slithers about reeking of sexuality, just like Lestat; too bad he wasn't the original choice for Interview.

In terms of the storyline, to incorporate or base a movie on both books is a difficult task that can fail and unfortunately,...

"Queen" is damned
Literary adaptations are a tricky thing at the best of times, but "Queen of the Damned" is to "Lord of the Rings" what Ziploc bags are to fine china. Adapted from Anne Rice's novel of the same name, "Queen" is overstuffed, flashy, disjointed, and sure to offend Rice's die-hard fans.

The Vampire Lestat is back. Only now Lestat (Stuart Townsend) has awakened and joined a nu-metal band, becoming a universally adored rock star -- and proclaims to the world that he wants vampires to not hide anymore. Needless to say, this proclaimation makes him hotter than ever among humans, but irks his fellow vampires no end.

But his music is more than popular -- it somehow wakes the ancient Egyptian vampire Akasha (Aaliyah), who is the mother (or grandmother, or great-grandmother...) of all vampires. Akasha is incredibly powerful, able to walk out in the sun and burn her enemies alive. And she's besotted with Lestat -- except that he learns that she is more evil and destructive...

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Fight or Flight

See attached Irish Times Article
THE IRISH TIMES
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

[...].

Knocking on the door of success
Peter McCarthy threw himself into Thai boxing to heal the mental scars of an assault and ended up selling the resulting film door-to-door, writes ARMINTA WALLACE .
IF YOU BOUGHT a DVD on the doorstep recently from a guy with a sad story and a sunny smile, and you haven't watched it yet, for goodness' sake dust it off and put it into the machine. Made by Good Dog Films, the documentary feature Fight or Flight is well worth a chunk of your time - which is perhaps why it's beginning to attract attention on the international circuit.
The film, which took six years to make, has already picked up awards at festivals in Hamburg, Toronto and California, and is in the running for another couple of prizes in Wisconsin and New York's Long Island over the next couple of weeks. Last weekend it was pipped at the post for an Irish Film and Theatre award, in the editing...





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A Letter To Elia

Five stars for the movies themselves, BUT...
There's no question that many of the films in this collection are among the greatest movies of all time, but there is a major quality control issue in the release of this set. I just received a new, sealed copy, and while the packaging itself is very handsome, I was stunned when I took the discs out to examine them. In the set I received, EVERY one of the 18 discs had scuffs, scratches and what appeared to be flecks of adhesive on the playing surface. The DVD of PINKY in particular looked liked it had been scraped against a rough piece of metal. I can only assume this was the result of careless handling somewhere in the production process. My advice to anyone thinking of purchasing this pricey set is: if you really want to add the rarer films like VIVA ZAPATA! and WILD RIVER to your collection right now, you might take a chance and get it. Otherwise, I would hold off until these titles are (hopefully) released individually in the future.

Great films marred by 20th Century Fox's disregard for customers.
From a motion picture standpoint most of the films in this collection are "must sees" for any one who loves movies, or are a serious student of film. Unfortunately if you bought this box set your chances of enjoying these movies have been compromised by the cheap and shoddy way that 20th Century Fox has chosen to release it. Instead of providing individual DVD cases for the DVDs, the discs are packed into a booklet. However the glue that has been used to keep the booklet's pages together have gotten on to the discs rendering them defective. In the first set that I received of this collection, more than a half dozen of the discs had multiple globs of the glue on them and could not be played. Additionally almost all of the discs in the collection had scratches, scuff marks and some even had finger prints on them. Apparently 20th Century Fox has no quality control or regard for the consumer otherwise the disgraceful packaging of this set wouldnt have occured. The second...

Wish Tree Grows in Brooklyn Would be Issued Separately
I think this is great for collectors who don't have many of the films but many of us have many in this collection.
TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN is absolutely wonderful and deserves to be issued separately. I can imagine how many high
schools alone would buy it. They could do it in their CliffsNotes series like they did with JANE EYRE and ANNA
KARENINA. I am greatful to TCM for showing TREE often and they have a terrific print. Another great film, SUNRISE,
was never issued separately but at least it was in its own case and many copies turn up on e-bay. For me, the greatest child performance is still Peggy Ann Garner's in this film and there are terrific performances by Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell and James Dunn. Please, 20th Fox, put this out as a separate entity.

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Flame Red [HD]

If you like "Life" you'll like "The Mentalist"--no spoilers review
This TV show, in its first season, is, like "Life," a police procedural with lots of flavor--in this case, a former phony psychic who, years ago, talking insultingly about a serial killer on his psychic TV show.

The killer was watching the show, apparently, took offense, and proceeded to murder the guy's entire family.

After much soul searching, our hero quit his pseudoprofession and now works with a police agency doing for crimes what Gregory House does for his hospital--solving the cases no one else can solve. He uses his ability to read people and situations that stood him in good stead during his stint as a phony psychic.

Of course, like the cop in "Life" his merry, mischievous exterior conceals an iron core of permanent, near-psychotic rage. The Mentalist works with the police agency he works for in order to find the serial killer to killed his family, and he has told his boss there, in merry seriousness, that if/when he finds the guy, he will...

Simon steals the show... and my heart
I am just a teenager, and generally not interested in the stuff my parents love to watch (currently they're obsessed with "24"), but one evening I decided to settle down with them and check out what they were watching, and it happened to be, "The Mentalist." It was love at first sight.

The Australian-born star, my heartthrob Simon Baker, stars as the coy and undeniably hot guy with brilliant mentalist abilities who "just pays attention," Patrick Jane. After criticizing a serial killer on a TV show (sorry Simon, but how dumb can you be???), Jane returns home to find his family slaughtered by the very killer, Red John, to get revenge on him for his earlier actions on TV. Shocked and heart-broken to the core, Patrick decides to change his ways and use his abilities for better purposes, seeking out the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI)and offering his help on serious crime cases. The season continues as it sheds some light on Jane's past and as he grows closer to his...

Casefiles of a Different Drummer
The Mentalist: The Complete First Season

Christie and Conan Doyle can be blamed for the flawed genius crime fighter with that unique quality with Sherlock Holmes, Ms Marple and Poirot. There have been later takes on this theme such as Nero Wolfe. More recently its been Monk, Columbo, Mrs Fletcher (Murder She Wrote), Profiler and Medium.

This isnt serious crime investigation and thankfully its not meant to be. Enough with the real life police/hospital dramas that are usually quite frankly an overglorification of a generally unattractive, nasty and messy business (believe me I work in the crime area).

Shows like those beforementioned and of course The Mentalist are pure entertainment and totally detached from reality and that's why I like them. What makes these shows so successful is a quirky character with a unique special quality, an actor able to translate the role well to the...

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Bad Blood

pretty good
if you like these kinds of shows it's pretty good funny,scary,and you wonder if this stuff really happens but I wouldn't spend money one it again.

Very fun and consuming show but too expensive for 22 min of video
Hardcore Pawn n- Very fun and fascinating. Its addictring and time consuming show. Very expensive at $2 for 22 min of video per episode,

Technical problems annoying
The show is great, otherwise we wouldn't have paid so much. I think it's a problem with amazon. A few episodes will work just fine and then we get errors - loading- up date flash player. Once we restart our laptop all errors are gone. It's a hassle and we did say something to amazon. In response we got " sorry we are working on the problem". At least they know about the problem.

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Richard III

Even More Impressive in the DVD Format
Those who criticize Laurence Olivier and Alan Dent -- co-authors of the screenplay -- for taking certain liberties with Shakespeare's play should also criticize Shakespeare for taking certain liberties with the historical material on which he often relied so heavily. In this instance, Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, Vol. 6, and various Tudor Historians. In my opinion, such quibbling is a fool's errand. This much we do know about the historical Richard III. He was born in 1452 in Fotheringay Castle, Northamptonshire, the youngest son of Richard, Duke of York. He was created Duke of Gloucester by his brother, Edward IV, in 1461, accompanied him into exile (1470), and played a key role in his restoration (1471). Rewarded with part of the Neville inheritance, he exercised vice regal powers, and in 1482 re-captured Berwick-upon-Tweed from the Scots. When Edward died (1483) and was succeeded by his under-age son, Edward V, Richard acted first as protector, but...

One of the greatest Shakespeare films...
Only two of Orson Welles' Shakespeare films rival "Richard III" for the title of greatest Shakespeare movie ever made. That said, Olivier's film may contain the most sheerly enjoyable performance any actor gave on film. His Duke of Gloucester is the definitive performance. Elia Kazan once said Olivier had a certain girlish quality, and that quality is used in the film: His Richard is seductive--a prancing, charming monster whose voice sounds like "honey mixed with razor blades." But one look into his black eyes, framed by false hawk nose, violently angled eyebrows and fright pageboy wig, will tell you that he's also stone-cold pure evil. Richard enacts all our homicidal, plotting fantasies as he cheerfully knocks off all his stuffy relatives and rivals.

Olivier emphasizes the black comedy and wittiness of Shakespeare's play, which he cut and refashioned into a star vehicle for himself. Though Sirs Gielgud, Richardson and Hardwicke co-star, they don't make...

a fine release of a great film.
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

Lawrence Olivier directed and stars in this great movie. As this is a Shakespeare release, I see no need to write a synopses. The acting is incredible and the photography is great also.

The Criterion Collection has done a fine job releasing this in a double disc set. It includes footage that was recently rediscovered and not seen for many years prior to the release.

The special features are:

"Great Acting: Laurence Olivier" A 1966 interview with Lawrence Olivier conducted for the BBC, a 12 minute featurette/trailer for the film as well as a theatrical trailer. There are also production and publicity photos and lobby cards. The film also has an optional audio commentary track by Russell Lees and John Wilders.

This is a must for Shakespeare fans.

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Alien Raiders (Raw Feed Series)

Terrible Title, Great Movie
Moderately scaled indie film, but really quite excellent. Just pretend the title doesn't exist. Tape over it with your own, more clever title. But it's a very tight script; the "robbers" from the beginning have a sordid history that unviels throughout the film, but you're only told what you need to know to enjoy the movie and wonder about these people. The action is tastefully full of gore, but rarely does the movie hold too long on the squishiness. And there's no UFO, ignore the cover, but there are aliens.

Anyway, it's a solid 85 minute romp, and I'm really glad I saw it. It plays on some cliches, flips over others. Tis a good time.

-Enigma1066

Got Your Shopping List?
Wow! Finally! I have found a new sci-fi/horror that isn't lousy. And let me tell you, with all the junk coming out lately, it wasn't easy. I took a chance on this one and was rewarded with a film that manages to combine just about everything in the genre and explain it all at the same time. The film is fast paced, the special effects are good and you don't have someone telling you what has happened. You pick it up in bits and pieces and put them together. A bunch of robbers hit a supermarket and start picking off customers by having one of the robbers touch them. They happen to come in just as the detective of the local police department is leaving. The robbers don't want money and turn out not to be robbers after all. They are a group of self-made commandos looking for someone (or thing) in particular. That's it. I can't go any further without spoiling the film. It's an Independent Film with a good cast and comes at a great price. Get it - You'll enjoy it.

Stop Reading Now and Watch this Movie
Don't be put off by the terrible title and stupid DVD cover, "Alien Raiders" is a taut well-done thriller, but the less you know about it the better, so your best bet is to not read anything else on this page and just watch it.

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Dolph Lundgren is the Killing Machine

Awesome!
Great movie, my husband and I loved it! No matter how old he gets, he will always be a great actor!

Bad
Dolph never was an actor but he is still a S... Kicker. I had a difficult time counting the number of people he killed or broke their arms.

Lundgren is Hitting his Prime.
About halfway through the movie I thought it was going to be like a Rocky movie and I do believe it had that potential. But somewhere the potential was lost. Maybe it was when the lead character had sex with his ex-wife before she checked on the well being of her daughter. That's something that absolutely wouldn't happen in real life. I was a little disappointed that the potential was lost.

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Brawler BD/DVD Combo [Blu-ray]

Brawler Rocks
Brawler is a finely crafted film with fascinating characters, charming and gritty effective settings, exciting action including some of the best fight scenes on film today, and an original and compelling score. To get a taste of the film watch the Brawler trailer available on YouTube. Not sure what this guy from Seattle who gave it one star and made all sorts of negative statements is up to, frankly doubt he watched it. From his other Amazon reviews he appears to be a cyber bully. Brawler is a great independent film, one of the best I have seen in a long time. Highly recommended.

Brawler
Great movie filmed by a new orleaian in New Orleans !! It is a action packed thriller start to finish !

Awesome movie!
I mainly bought this because I saw the devil's carnival in wich marc senter, he plays bobby, was in. The price was great, the acting was on fire, and I love the story!

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Sublime

Excellent
I am a physician who has dealt with people going through similar experiences. This movie is quite thought provoking in this regard. I tend to agree with a prior reviewer that those who trash it are either looking for a slash movie or do not have the intelligence to realize the implications of this movie. This movie is quite deep on a number of levels. The acting is excellent, the photography is excellent, the plot is intriguing and thought provoking. I would highly recommend it to people who like to do some thinking while watching movies. And to those who watch a lot of movies and enjoy something out of the ordinary. Exraordinary in fact.

Caution Horror Fans
Due to the the intensity of the reaction to this film by fans of the horror genre (who are so disturbed as to spoil the story in their reviews) I thought I'd throw this in, for what it's worth:

SUBLIME was an experiment on nearly every level. Raw Feed is a Warner Bros. experiment to make "horror" films within the BROADEST definition of the genre. Films designed to be released directly to DVD.

John Shiban, Tony Krantz and Daniel Myrick would each make a film in 15 days for a budget of roughly 1.5 million dollars. Any one of them essentially could do whatever they wanted to do - to play into the genre, to satirize it, to bend it. Mr. Krantz's notion was to take the present atmosphere of fear and doubt that has pervaded our world; the very real statistics about "health care"; and the horror of the Terry Schiavo case, and make a movie.

My involvement in the film came out of my close friendship with Tony. Inspired by an Ambrose Bierce short story "An...

Smart film marketer to entirely the wrong crowd
For what it's worth, I enjoyed Sublime. Was it a tad too long....absolutely, but that is a forgivable point. I believe that this film is getting bad reviews primarily because it was marketed to the wrong crowd. I think that had this film been presented as a psychological thriller with some supernatural overtones, I think it would have been received much better.

The acting is quite impressive, and so is the writing and cinematography. Kudos to all of the individuals who were involved in the making of this film as I find that they have all gone above and beyond their call of duty considering the time and budgetary challenges that this movie presented.

I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys stories which challenge you and make you think and talk about what you just saw. If movies like Memento, Insomnia, Jacob's Ladder and anything that Lynch or Cronenberg have made adornes your DVD collection, then Sublime will make a good addition!

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The First 27 Days

One of the best seasons of survivor ever
Russell Hantz is the king of survivor. He is the best strategic player the game has ever seen. Without anyone knowing he threw socks in the fire, and poured out water bottles. He even lied about being in Hurricane Katrina. It's crazy that you still root for him even after he does all these things. He is the king of the hidden immunity idol and finds three in the game without any clues. He convinces people to flip alliances and is responsible for 80% of the people voted out of the game. He tries to create an alliance with every one and figures out who is on his side and who isn't. If you threaten Russell you got to go. Russell may be the reason his team loses every challenge because he sabotages the camp. He doesn't need the numbers at a merge because of his master manipulation. A lot of people in the game only get showed 2-3 times talking the entire game because Russell is much more interesting and he's got a lot to say. Buy this season if you are a fan of survivor.

SURVIVOR
I would recommend the series Survivor to all who love adventure, drama, backstabbing, love and reality. I watch them over and over can not get enough, Wish they would come on more often..

One of the best seasons ever
we started and finished this season in two days. Hands down, one of the best seasons thanks to one scheming character. The winner of the show is disappointing, but it begs some interesting questions about the show's morality.

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Somers Town

Somers Town Movie Review
Somers Town (2008) is fresh and lighthearted coming of age story that has real-life charm and drama. It is serious yet fun look at growing up. The people you meet and the situations you get into, as well as your dreams, truly shape who you are. Being filmed in black and white gives it a clean feel that enables you to focus on the events and characters without distraction. The original music by Gaven Clark is refreshing and perfectly fits the style of the film.

Tomo (Thomas Turgoose) has just arrived by train in the Somers Town area of London after leaving his hometown of Nottingham. He is an extremely open and chatty young man that befriends a lady, Jane, on the train. Meanwhile, Marek (Piotr Jagiello) is walking with his dad (Ireneusz Czop) to his job where he is working on a new track for the train. Marek goes off on the town taking photographs along the way. That evening Marek and his dad head home for some diner that Marek cooks up in their cramped kitchen. They enjoy...

Of Europe unified
A well-behaving catholic teen son of a Polish migrant slavering in London (none pushed him there, of course, just an ex-wife attempt to save a family by starting a life completely different) met and brought home a local homeless offspring to furthe rembrace England's culture by selling home goods to drink, snore and masturbate in a bath pool.

However, his strong father kicks out a tenant unwelcomed, suggests to newly wed and guys travel to Paris to reunite with their sweet-heart Maria they kissed in the UK already.

Eventually, it is a pre-sequence to The Dreamers with correlation on further European Union's developments.

Winning small film, bleak but engaging
3.8 stars

I enjoy the Film Movement concept, and this is another small, low-budget movie worth a view for fans of this sort of coming of age flick. The two leads are solid, the film shot in pleasingly grainy black and white until near the end, and it's a sleek 70 minutes. The story and locale are both pretty bleak, featuring council block flats and that sort of Dickensian feel that London delivers so well. But there are rays of light, not only in the central friendship but, somewhat uniquely, in the single father and his son's connection, which is both realistic and free from the standard tropes. No beatings or abuse, just two guys trying to understand each other with respect. Very nice.

Some decent humor, plenty of quiet irony, and an oddly pleasant dour feel make this worth watching for fans of smaller, mellow character studies.

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Absolute Power Part 1 [HD]

Nice storyline
My son loves ben ten and now with it on demand he can watch them all the time just with that it would play the whole season together.





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The Eye of the Beholder [HD]

awesome
Just gets better already have to order the next season. Tomorrow my son will be so happy to watch his movies





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Abuelo

Short and sweet
Adorable short film with perfect casting. Emily does a believable transformation from sullen pre-teen to a girl who forms a tentatively loving relationship with her abuelo. Quite a few scenes were packed in this film's 15 minutes, but my favorite was the dance hall.





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Charlie's Dilemma

I liked it:/strong>
This was a sweet short film. I liked how it was written and directed. Also, the actors did a great job.

Cute film
Well acted, nice story line. Some of my favorite parts were all the ladies throwing themselves at Charlie. Enjoyed it!



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The Four Feathers

A Rousing British Adventure Comes To Criterion--A Sweeping And Beautiful Epic
To the modern eye, certain elements and attitudes on exhibit in Zoltan Korda's 1939 adaptation of "The Four Feathers" may appear dated. That's to be expected, really, and shouldn't discourage any real movie lover from appreciating this British epic of unlikely heroism. Once you get past a rather heavy handed beginning--there is much pointed discussion about what makes a man, bravery versus cowardice, and the supreme glory of British imperialism--a terrifically outlandish, but spectacularly entertaining, adventure starts to unfold. With sweeping desert vistas, gorgeous British estates, spectacular battle footage, and impressive location shooting--this is really a film begging for a Criterion restoration as the previous DVD presentations were relatively underwhelming. The film boasts Oscar nominated cinematography, and it deserves to be appreciated and admired for the spectacle that it truly is!

The story revolves around Harry Faversham (John Clements), a British officer...

A first rate, rip-roaring adventure story
Thank god I gave this movie another chance! A few years ago I watched this film on a local public television station. The print they showed, however, was old and worn, with hundreds of lines and specks marring every scene. Also, the color was so badly faded that it almost looked like it was filmmed in black and white.

But reviewing the film on a newly restored and enhanced print was nothing short of a revelation. It was frequently gorgeous to look at, and the high quality of the print allowed me to focus on the story. Many of the scenes were filmmed on location in the Middle East, which greatly added to the appeal of the movie (in American epics of the thirties, even the Crimea and India ended up looking like the Mojave Desert for obvious reasons--reminds me of the funny scene in the second Austin Powers movie, where Austin casually remarks while driving down a road that is clearly on the California coast, "Isn't it amazing how much the coast of England looks like...

RULE BRITANNIA
There are films that are classics since the day they are released. This film is one of those. Zoltan Korda shows his elegance and skills presenting us a typical adventure.

Based on the novel by A. W. E Mason, it is the story of young Harry Faversahn born and raised to follow the military life like all his ancestors. Pity that his father is an obssesed of the glories of the Empire, and that his friends bored the child telling stories about battles, slaughters and Baklava (the scene with C. Aubrey Smith explaining the battle with a pineaple and some walnuts is one of the best in the story of cinema).

But Harry is a good boy so he joins the army, trains all day and even has time to conquer beautiful Ethne. With that Harry decides to leave the army, but good things do not last forever, so in the evening of his engagement party his regiment is call to arms. To Egypt to fight against the wicked Egyptian rebels. But Harry refuses and so his former best friends send...

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A Night to Remember

Best Titanic movie yet.
Cameron's film has its moments, but in truth I only liked it for the chance it gave me to see a great old ocean liner brought to life again on screen. In "A Night To Remember", the effects are not nearly so impressive, but the story is far better. It's very much in the style of a docudrama, but its a docudrama about one of the most fascinating and enduring stories in all of history. I don't quite know why Cameron felt it necessary to tell a soap opera melodrama about two fictional lovers and use one of the most dramatic stories in all human history as nothing more than a backdrop. "A Night To Remember", based on Walter Lord's outstanding book of the same name, tells the story of the disaster itself. Kenneth More plays a heroic Second Officer Lightoller, and the film actually makes him out to look a little better than he did in reality - he lowered several of the lifeboats less than half loaded, and permitted no men at all to get in, even when the boats were ready to lower and no...

a gripping classic
For all the special effects and color cinematography of recent years, few films in the disaster genre have been able to top this amazing film of the fateful voyage of the Titanic; it is smartly written, with extraordinary cinematography (by Geoffrey Unsworth) and brilliantly acted by a cast of mostly unknown actors, although the star, Kenneth More was famous in England. American audiences will probably only recognize David McCallum (Illya Kuryakin in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. series) who plays a radio operator, and Honor Blackman, who gained fame as the Bond Girl with the naughty name in Goldfinger, who has a small part as the wife of a brave and stoic man, and the noted British actor Laurence Naismith, who is marvelous as Captain Smith.

Even though one knows the end, the tension runs high, and we get caught up in lives of the people aboard "the floating palace", and how they handled their dreadful fate. The characterizations are beautifully developed, which is rare in this...

Frightening and Fascinating
Unlike other film versions of the famous maritime disaster, "A Night To Remember" does not attempt to romanticize the sinking of the Titanic via fictional characters playing out a superficial and often implausible story--and demonstrates that the basic facts are far more fascinating than any soap-opera-bubble that can be imposed upon them.

As frequently noted, the film has a somewhat documentary feel that adds considerably to its tension. Less frequently noted are the remarkable performances of the ensemble cast, playing characters who fight to retain their integrity in the face of rising panic. Unlike the soapy 1950s Stanwyck version or the overblown James Cameron film of the 1990s, there are no easy endings for those who are trapped, no love recognized at the last moment or sustaining memories of brief shipboard happiness to float them forward through life: at the end there is only darkness and death--mitigated, sometimes nobly, by the human kindness and sacrifice...

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Travel with Kids: England - Bath & Stonehenge

My review
Another great film full of tips and tricks for traveling with children. This film aids in removing the stresses of traveling with young children, by supplying viewers with child-friendly places to eat and visit. A good film whether you plan to travel or not!





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Overlord

Special features practically outdo the film
"Overlord" is a curious film that blends archival footage into a fictional account of a typical British soldier preparing for the D-Day invasion. While I found "Overlord" lacking as a narrative, it was a worthy cinematic experiment and should be of particular interest to anyone interested in World War II.

Made in England in 1975 with the help of the Imperial War Museum, "Overlord" was not released in the United States until 2006. This long overdue DVD release helps atone somewhat for the film's long absence from North American markets.

"Overlord" is a short sometimes choppy story that manages as well as might be expected to integrate actual footage of Nazis and Allied troops in action including bombing raids and their devastating results. While the focus of the story is on one soldier's enlistment in the British Army and training for D-Day, it is an at times powerful meditation on war's effect on individuals. "Overlord" specifically examines the mindset of...

"A smaller and smaller part of a bigger and bigger machine...." (3.5 stars)
One young British soldier, who celebrates his 20th birthday while training for the impending D-Day invasion, writes a letter to his parents and tells them that as time passes, he feels like a smaller and smaller part of a bigger and bigger machine.

Being a small component of a massive device is the central idea behind Stuart Cooper's "Overlord," an odd, hazy, child's-fever-dream of a movie that uses staged black-and-white scenes interspersed with actual archival footage from World War II.

We follow Tom (Brian Stirner) through a drab, dispiriting round of basic training; his experiences are interspersed with separate scenes of battle, of invasion and aftermath to illustrate events going on "meanwhile" all around him, events leading up to Normandy.

The movie is a truly unique visual experience. John Alcott shot the storyline scenes (just before he began work on "Barry Lyndon") and the movie has a look not unlike "The Elephant Man," or its thematic...

EXTRAORDINARY
This incredible film is a dreamlike recreation that mixes real vintage footage with original film as it follows an ordinary young British bloke from his military induction to D Day.

Wonderfully evocative on every level. The photography is extraordinary. Powerful images shimmer next to the sublime. The very human dilemma of how to make sense of life and war has never been told better. A great film.

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Johnny Guitar Watson - In Concert: Ohne Filter

Five Stars +
What a gas watching Johnny Guitar doing what he did best! Johnny Guitar Watson, for the uninitiated, was a true rock n roll pioneer who influenced a large number of people without ever having a number of big hits of his own to speak of. A multi-instrumentalist who played guitar, bass, keys, drums, and some brass, too, Johnny was the first to lose the image of the world-weary, downtrodden blues musician to become the original, big-pimpin' Mack Daddy. He moved from the blues and jazz in the 50s to rock and r&b in the 60s to pure funk in the 70s and beyond, always keeping a finger on the current culture's pulse.

This is Johnny late in his career (he died in '96) performing for a German TV show in front of a live studio audience. His band is smoking, the crowd is receptive, and the selection of songs run from slow blues from his early years (Reconsider, Baby)to his funkiest dance numbers (A Real Mother For Ya). I was so happy to come across this on Amazon video!
RIP...

didnt watch all of it
started to watch the show wasn't very interesting so I turned it off. I really expected of a lot more

JGW is the best.
Johnny Guitar Watson is an amazing character. He's a showman and an amazing musician with a strange, strange sensibility. A bluesman who was inspired by Funkadelic, he changed what he did and came up with a lighthearted, fun, and groovy style of funky RnB that was the musical forefather of people like Andre 3000 from Outkast. Check out his album "Family Clone" if you want to see what I mean.

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Critters 2 (1988)

I love it!
I dreamed to see the film for a long time and finally when I did rent it I watched it twice. I had tears in my eyes when Lee died, needless to say I am an imotional person but there aren't too many movies that could make me cry. My best friend loved it as much as I did and we both ended up buying it. The idea of Critters is original and no matter how many years go by, it was, is, and always will be my favorite movie.

Slightly inferior than the original
The sequel to Critters, Critters 2:The Main Course is a little worse than the original. This time the film becomes more of a comedy than anything else ie. at this stage we now realise that the Critter quartet series is an entire spoof on other horror material. In fact Critters 2 earned it it's most prolific (if you can call it that) scene with the man dressed up in an Easter Bunny suit. I'll say no more! Still quite watchable on a boring Sunday evening.

More Critter Action
I'll have to admit. Critters 2: The Main Course does have more action in it, just not as very good as the original. Still it leaves off where the first Critters ended. I liked it just as good as the first Critters movie.

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