Kevin Richardson's Natural Bodybuilding DVD- Naturally Intense- The Workout Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an awesome video...Kevin is very intense and shows the routine he uses. It is even more inspirational to know that he is natural. If you want to pick up your intensity...watch this DVD.

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Champion Natural Bodybuilder, Kevin Richardson's natural bodybuilding video, Naturally Intense,shows the high intensity workouts and principles that enabled him to transform himself from a 125lb teen into a 225lb ripped to shreds natural bodybuilding champion- without the use of steroids or drugs of any kind! Training only 20 minutes three times a week Kevin has been able to mould a world-class physique while still maintaining a balance in life. You don't need to spend countless hours in the gym, to achieve your goals, and Kevin's Naturally Intense approach allows for bodybuilding to truly be a healthy and wholesome pursuit. Having successfully trained hundreds over the past 16 years, he is truly the modern guru of natural bodybuilding.Along with his workout partner, future fitness sensation and drummer extraordinaire, LaFrae Sci, you will see exactly how Kevin trains. No camera tricks, no out takes, just pure hardcore training that show some pretty fantastic examples of pushing it to the limit and beyond. The incredible weights lifted and the phenomenal physiques prove without a doubt that you do not need drugs or special supplements to realize the upper levels of human physical development. The DVD is filmed at the legendary hardcore Fifth Avenue Gym, a bodybuilding mecca co-owned by Kevin, which has been the birthplace of bodybuilding champions since it first opened in 1979. Critically acclaimed in reviews in Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness Magazine, the video is a definite must for anyone interested finding out what it really takes to make their bodybuilding and fitness dreams a reality. Visit Kevin's Official Website at www.naturallyintense.net.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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King (History Channel) Review

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(More customer reviews)This dvd has to be the best documentary that I've seen on Martin Luther King Jr. It actually goes in depth to show what he was going through in his personal life, how the movement was affecting his health, and also touches on other movements he was involved in that stretched to include all races, not just African Americans. A definite must have.

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Go beyond the dream to discover the man. Forty years after Martin Luther King s assassination, HISTORY, with newsman Tom Brokaw, takes viewers through the extraordinary life and times of America's civil rights visionary. KING goes beyond the legend to portray the man, the questions, the myths and, most importantly, the relevance of Dr. King s message in today s world. Includes a rare interview with his son, Martin Luther King III, as well as associates from the civil rights campaigns and contemporary figures such as former President Bill Clinton, Condaleezza Rice, Bono, Forest Whitaker, Chuck D and others.

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Comedian (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Comedian" chronicles Jerry Seinfeld's return to the comedy club circuit after dismantling his sitcom in 1998 and retiring his well-honed live routines in the HBO special "I'm Telling You For The Last Time."
And though the documentary has lots of stand-up comedy, as well as appearances by comics such as Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Garry Shandling, Robert Klein and Bill Cosby, this is not really a concert movie. It's actually a glimpse into the business of entertaining and the process behind making an audience laugh. "Comedian" is a funny movie, but it's really more about the humor of anxiety and self-doubt than punch lines.

Shot on digital video by Christian Charles (who directed Seinfeld's snappy American Express commercials) and crammed with excellent jazz and pop music, the movie follows Seinfeld and a young comic named Orny Adams as they hit the road, work on new material and perform on "Late Night With David Letterman." Adams -- keyed-up and hypersensitive -- doesn't fare as well as Jerry but given that he's sharing space in a movie with one of the most popular television personalities in history, he kind of has the deck stacked against him.
And yes, Seinfeld, after being out of the spotlight for a while, does remain an interesting personality, even more so when caught on a relatively candid camera (Jerry curses?). His backstage conversations with Leno, Cosby, Rock and Colin Quinn reveal a guarded camaraderie, and fans who spent a significant chunk of the '90s chuckling at the misadventures of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine will probably find it amusing that Seinfeld still actively worries he'll bomb in front of a crowd.
But for all Seinfeld's agonized fretting over writing jokes and winning the audience's approval, anybody who puts in 40-plus hours a week at an office probably won't find much sympathy for a guy who has been given hundreds of millions of dollars doing the very thing he loves to do.
Nevertheless, "Comedian" is a sharp, insightful, wry and occasionally stinging piece of business.

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Jerry Seinfeld is a working stand-up comic again. COMEDIAN is a candidly revealing, intimately observed, and often very funny look at what it takes to be a comedian. On-stage, Jerry delivers his hilarious brand of observational humor. Off-stage, he struggles with difficult material, confronts self-doubt, revels in small successes, and accepts help and support from friends and colleagues, including Colin Quinn, Ray Romano, Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, Jay Leno, and Bill Cosby. COMEDIAN also discovers the sharp wit of rising young comic Orny Adams -- outspoken, insecure, and fanatical about becoming the "next big thing." What emerge are two fascinating journeys by two contrasting personalities who have some surprising parallels.

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Grey Gardens - Criterion Collection (1976) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Grey Gardens" is a one-of-a-kind documentary exploring a mother-daughter relationship. These aren't just two anonymous people though; instead, the film chronicles Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, "Little Edie," who just happen to be the aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The filmmakers, Albert and David Maysles, initially intended the film to be about Jackie's sister, Lee Radziwill. However, after being introduced to Edith and Little Edie by Lee, they decided to shift the focus.
What makes these two women so interesting? First, they live in a giant decaying mansion (the titular "Grey Gardens") in luxurious East Hampton. The family was extremely wealthy at one time, until Edith divorced and lost most of her money. She apparently stayed in the 28-room Grey Gardens mansion despite a lack of money for upkeep. The women show pictures of themselves from years earlier, and they were obviously beautiful society scions. However, they became more and more isolated from society as they hunkered down into their mansion At one point, the mansion was even raided by East Hampton officials, who wanted to evict the pair due to the unsanitary living conditions. Jackie subsequently helped them clean up the mansion.
All of this action, though, occurs before the film starts in 1975 (some of the back story is presented in pictures and newspaper stories). In fact, in the documentary, not much new happens: the women continue their bizarre existence in the mansion and argue. They argue a lot. Every conversation is filled with their remembrances of better times, when Little Edie was desired by wealthy men and Edith carried on an affair with a pianist. This life is so far removed from their current surroundings, and their regrets about that disparity quickly surface. Apparently, Little Edie had been living in NYC in the 1950s, before her mother had her come back home to take care of her. This arrangement was only supposed to be for a short time, but 24 years later, they are still at Grey Gardens and arguing.
Although the movie focuses on relatives of a very famous woman, the themes of living in the past and experiencing regret are so universal. The women have in many ways a typical mother-daughter relationship, but it's also so atypical. Quite simply, they live a rather deluded existence, arguing so passionately about past events as though it still mattered or was in the present. Neverthless, the women are fascinating on so many levels, including Edie's fashion style. Throughout the film, Edie models numerous outfits that she's created, all accompanied by a turban. Whether she's bald or just loves turbans is never explored. Funnily, Edie's bizarre style has become somewhat of an ironic fashion inspiration; the DVD even features Todd Oldham explaining that he has actually used Edie's fashion sense while designing a number of outfits!
Some people have criticized this documentary for a variety of reason, including calling the filmmakers exploitative. I don't think that the Beales were exploited - they are both intelligent although somewhat deluded women and likely understood the implications of participating in this filming. Others have said that the material is somewhat suspect - are the Beales "worthy" of a documentary? That's a judgment call each viewer will need to make. I enjoyed it - the film is like nothing else I've ever seen. Although the Beales are deluded at times, their relationship is like a Tennessee Williams play sprung to life! I wasn't able to turn away, and I know that these women will stick with me for a long time. Most highly recommended.
The DVD extras include original trailers and a fascinating commentary track featuring the Maysles and their associates. They fill in many of the blanks about the film. Fortunately, the DVD includes subtitles, as the women constantly talk over each other during their arguments. You needn't miss a single word of this hypnotic documentary.

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Meet Big and Little Edie Beale-high society dropouts, mother and daughter, reclusive cousins of Jackie O.-thriving together amid the decay and disorder of their ramshackle East Hampton mansion. Five years after Gimme Shelter, the Maysles unveiled this impossibly intimate portrait of the unexpected, an eerie echo of the Kennedy Camelot, which has since become a cult classic and established Little Edie as fashion icon and philosopher queen.

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Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Review

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(More customer reviews)On February 20, 2005, the end of an era was blown out not with a whisper but with a bang. Dr. Hunter S. Thompson chose that day to end his own life by committing suicide with one of the many guns he owned. It was a loss for a generation that grew up reading him in Rolling Stone Magazine, a loss for fans and a loss for journalism.
While two films (WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM and FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS) were made about his life, it is only now that Hunter reaches the screen in his own words, in his own actions via the newly released documentary GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON. And what a treat it is to see and hear him speak for himself.
The film looks back at the entire life of this maverick that changed the face of journalism by making it not just about looking at issues from the outside in, but from the inside out. Gonzo journalism often placed the writer into the scene of what was being written about since that writer was actually there. Gonzo journalists write as participants as opposed to voyeurs. And Hunter was a definite participant.
The film begins with his youth covering the usual biopic necessities of what possibly made him choose the direction he did. But it moves forward to his youth when he chose to be a writer and pursue that dream. Not only did he pursue it, he got involved in it.
The first break Hunter found was when he commingled with the motorcycle gang the Hells Angels to find out just what they were all about. The pieces he put together on the gang were wrapped up into a book titled HELLS ANGELS that was considered the quintessential source of information on gangs. A falling out with the gang led to Hunter's moving on to another topic.
Those topics were wide in range but always confronted with the brutal honesty as seen through the eyes of Thompson. Be it the Democratic convention in Chicago where the peace and love generation was beaten down by those in power or the great American dream demolished in his eyes as the city of Las Vegas, Hunter took typewriter ink to paper and using wit and a skewered sense of words defined the world for his generation.
Hunter's involvement in politics is shown ranging from his own run as sheriff of Aspen to his following the campaign trail in 1972 elections. Having been alive to witness the end of an era with the assassinations of both Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, Hunter found hope in the form of George McGovern. But that was never to be.
But all things change. And this is where the truly sad part of the story of Hunter S. Thompson slopes downward. The involvement with drugs and alcohol combined with the glory brought on by celebrity status took its toll on Thompson. No longer able to blend in without being recognized his ability to cover a story changed as did his life.
The movie is an examination of a writer whose works are still read today. The director uses interviews with people who knew Hunter intimately like his wives, son and business partner to those who got to know him while he covered their stories. Sonny Barger of the Hells Angels, Ralph Steadman, George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone and more all find screen time discussing this amazing author. Each has their own personal vision of who Hunter was and how he affected them.
What we are left with is the story of a man who wanted to change the world only to have the world change him. In some ways for the better, but not always. The words of Thompson describing flying bats and lizard people during hallucinogenic experiences were perhaps nowhere near as frightening as the real life demons he confronted as his life changed. Perhaps it was one of those demons that urged him on to commit the final deed of his life.
What one walks away with after watching this film is perhaps a little more understanding of the man. Perhaps you walk away with an interest in finding those items that he wrote. But more than anything you walk away with a feeling of loss at never having appreciated him to his full extent while he was here with us. A dynamite film that informs, entertains and shines a light on a true talent.

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Oscar® winning director Alex Gibney presents a probing look into the uncanny life of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson inventor of gonzo journalism and author of the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Accompanied by an iconic soundtrack, this fast moving, wildly entertaining film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson s life from his intense and ill fated relationship with the Hell s Angels to his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern s 1972 presidential election.

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9/11 - The Filmmakers' Commemorative Edition (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This film is the "accidental documentary" made by French brothers and film makers, Gedeon and Jules Naudet. The brothers were making a film about a young fire fighter during his 9-month probationary period. With the help of their friend, firefighter James Hanlon, there were given nearly unlimited access to all the goings-on at the firehouse, Engine 7, Ladder 1, on Duane Street in Lower Manhattan, less than ten blocks from the World Trade Center. Little did the brothers know that they would be the witness to history, just three months after they began their project.
Gedeon is the older brother, and the avid film maker. But, by the time of 9/11, an additional camera had been purchased for Jules for "camera practice." Jules is with the Battalion Chief, Joseph Pfeifer, and 13 other fire fighters from the house, filming as they investigate an odor of gas at 8:46 am on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001. They are standing in the path of the plane as it flies over and hits Tower 1, and Jules is filming the entire time. His is the only footage of the attack on Tower 1. The reaction of the firefighters is immediate, as they take off for the Trade Center, a place they previously would visit up to five times a day on a shift. They know the Trade Center perhaps better than any other firehouse in Manhattan. But, nothing has prepared them for this.
What transpires is the only known footage of the struggle of the firefighters inside Tower 1 as they try to figure out what to do in the chaos and confusion. They had seen it all, they thought, but this was something they hadn't prepared for. The film is very sensitively edited, so you don't see the blood or the gore or the bodies, you only hear about them. The focus in this film is on the brotherhood of the firemen, what was going on in the towers while the rest of the world looked on, helplessly. How men who make less money than half of the City are the ones who rush into the burning buildings, and who do not hesitate to lay down their lives while saving others. It is the tale of a true brotherhood, of men who are doing jobs handed down to them from generations before. It is more than a story of 9/11, it is the story of the world of New York fire fighters.
Before 9/11 happens, we see the inside of the firehouse, how the young "Probie", Tony Benatanos, is brought into the fold, how the firemen interact and eat together and needle each other. The French brothers did not set out to make a documentary on 9/11, certainly, but fate dealt a hand. This is the most extensive, mind-boggling film, and the DVD contains extended interviews with the firemen, who have seen so much, but still seem to be in shock about what they saw that day.
James Hanlon narrates this film beautifully, and the brothers are interviewed describing that terrible day. The firemen are truly amazing, the footage is incredible, and, if you only see one documentary on this horrible day, this is the one to see. It truly portrays the victims, the heroes, and the survivors sensitively, honestly, and shockingly. It is unforgettable.

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9/11 THE FILMMAKER COMMEMORATIVE 2002 - DVD Movie

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Tucker - The Man and His Dream (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)This 1988 movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by George Lucas, has good acting from Jeff Bridges, Martin Landau, Frederic Forrest, and Joan Allen in the larger roles. Smaller supporting roles were also handled well by Christian Slater, Jay O. Sanders, Nina Siemaszko and Mako.
As reflected by the DVD cover, the movie is filmed in a splashy 1940's advertising style, and uses warm gold and sepia tones and some impressive camera work to tell the tale of the development of the "Tucker 48" automobile, also known as the "Torpedo" after its sleek lines (for the times), of which only about 50 were made. For its time, it had many innovative features, including a rear-mounted engine, seat belts and padded dash, push button controls, and a third central headlight that would turn when steering. The large, 4,800 pound behemoth got about 20 MPH.
In a somewhat dichotomous framework, the movie shows the result of American "Yankee ingenuity" coupled with the eventual demise of the Tucker due to pressure by the Big Three automaking competitors. Taken to court for fraud with the accusation that he would not deliver on the promise of producing a car, Tucker in fact is found not guilty, and had actually produced about 50 cars, though his business was effective ruined.
Tucker had other successes however. Just before World War II, he developed an armored car that was so fast at 80-plus MPH, the Army did not want it because they thought such vehicles should only go about 35 MPH. However, the rotating gun-turret used on top of the vehicle, the "Tucker turret", was used on American bombers, such as the B-17 and B-24, thoughout the war.
Although his business partner Abe Karatz (Landau) is quite upset that the car business folded, Tucker tells him..."It's the idea that counts, Abe, and the dream." Tucker died in 1956 from lung cancer at age 53.
The reasonably-priced DVD has the wide-screen movie, an excellent original 15-minute long 1948 promotional film made by the Tucker company (with or without commentary by FFC), a mediocre short "making of" collection of cast/crew interview clips mostly from 1988, a decent commentary by FFC, and the usual setup features.

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THE STORY OF PRESTON TUCKER, THE MAVERICK CAR DESIGNER AND HISILL FATED CHALLENGE TO THE AUTO INDUSTRY WITH HIS REVOLUTIONARY CAR CONCEPT.

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Capote (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Believe me when I tell you that this is one of the best films of the year. It is a complex and multi-layered work of art. Truman Capote, under assignment from the New Yorker magazine, explores a terrible murder of a family of four in the American heartland. He asks his childhood friend from Monroeville Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee, to act as his assistant and together they will explore the murder and its impact on the community for a magazine article. Phillip Seymour Hoffman delivers the acting performance of the year playing the role of the cognitively unique Capote. Catherine Keener was superb playing the solid strength of Harper Lee.
When the killers are soon caught and Capote sees the half-Native American Perry Smith, an odd chemistry develops and Capote becomes obsessed with Smith. Yet Capote manipulates the two murderers and even pays for their first court appeal in order to obtain more information for the article that has now developed into a book. Clifton Collins is excellent in the role of Perry Smith and Chris Cooper is excellent as the head of the Kansas division of the FBI.
Capote had a rare gift, the ability to make himself totally vulnerable through painful self revelation, so as to obtain entry into soul of his target. He does this with Smith and they begin a careful relationship whereby they reveal themselves to each other like chess players, each making careful calculated moves so as to obtain the maximum amount of information and manipulation of the other party.
Harper Lee confronts Capote asking whether he has fallen in love with Perry Smith, but Capote says that he and Smith are the same person, only Capote ran out the 'front door' and Smith ran out the 'back door".
Capote names his book "In Cold Blood" but keeps this information from Perry Smith. Eventually you begin to realize that cold blood is the mental state that Capote had to assume to manipulate the killers long enough to extract the full story of the murders from them.
As the book nears completion, Capote begins a mental breakdown. He may actually love Perry Smith and thus regrets his death but also he knows the execution must occur to bring closure to the book so it can be published. Thus when Capote wishes Smith to die he is cast into guilt and grief; but when he wishes Smith to live, he is cast into depression over the lack of closure of his masterpiece.
One of the most wise plot devices in this film was to contrast the fall of Capote with the rise of Harper Lee and her wonderful novel "To Kill A Mockingbird". Capote sinks into depression and alcoholism laced with mounting self pity while Harper Lee gains acclaim first for her novel and then for the film starring Gregory Peck. On the night of the gala opening of "To Kill A Mockingbird" Capote attends the festivities in a drunken depressed stupor and is so self absorbed that he can't even offer his supportive best friend, Lee, congratulations on her novel and film.
What do we make of this film? It is incredibly well done and demonstrates that no act of mercy is totally pure, no act of cruelty is totally evil. It was Capote's incredible skills that allowed him to manipulate the killers to gain the story that made him the most famous American living writer; but he sold his soul to buy the story and he never recovered from the wound.
This is mature film-making at its best!

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In November, 1959, the shocking murder of a smalltown Kansas family captures the imagination of Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman), famed author of Breakfast at Tiffany's. With his childhood friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), writer of the soon-to-be published To Kill a Mockingbird, Capote sets out to investigate, winning over the locals despite his flamboyant appearance and style. When he forms a bond with the killers and their execution date nears, the writing of "In Cold Blood," a book that will change the course of American literature, takes a drastic toll on Capote, changing him in ways he never imagined. Stellar performances from Hoffman and Keener, as well as Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation) are why critics are calling Capote a "must-see movie."

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With a Song in My Heart - The Jane Froman Story (1952) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie has never been released in ANY format so this is a cause for celebration for this highly sought after flick. Many fine reviews have already preceded mine (considering it is not yet available) so I will not rehash the plot but give what I hope will be interesting insights into the making of this fine film.
Susan during her contract with FOX were her most visible superstardom years and it has always struck me a bit odd little has been released by the studio considering a quarter of their budget was wrapped up in her movies alone. She was the only star at Grauman's to place her hands, footprints and signature in cement embedded in gold dust. Hayward's famous long red tresses were insured for a million dollars and could only be trimmed a half inch. She was allowed to have it cut shoulder length since she bore some resemblence to Jane Froman. She spent hours in the recording booth watching Froman sing the songs used on the soundtrack, noting her every gesture and movement which explains why her lip syncing job is one of the best on celluloid. Her lavish wardrobe was not for glamor but character, as Froman was voted consistently one of the top 10 best dressed women of her time. Her elaborate dance routines took weeks of rehearsal and during one shot, her breast was flashed during a daily rush and and had to be reshot. A young Bob Wagner credits his success to Hayward for taking him under her wing. This was his first major film albeit a small part and he had to cry in one scene while Hayward was singing which he found difficult to execute. Hayward deliberately had the camers focused on the back of her head during the scene as she prompted him to tears. In the 70's he remarked on THE TONIGHT SHOW what a tremendous help she was to a young struggling actor. Susan was not one for making friends with her peers; however, the ascerbic Thelma Ritter as her nurse and companion became life-long friends. Ritter who was also nominated for an oscar should have won. She was overlooked by the Academy 6 times and never received an award of any type. Poor judgement indeed.
Susan made many top money making films for Fox and was always voted one of the top 10 most popular movies during her tenure with FOX yet few have been released and this is her only Oscar nod during her contract with the company. She was cast in big budget movies and given interesting scenes to appeal to her creative talents and despite the overblown budgets, she always managed to bring a close intimacy to the moviegoing public. The next year after SONG she was given her best and most overlooked role as the maligned Rachel Jackeson in THE PRESIDENT'S LADY co-starring a fairly junior Charleton Heston. He was one of her better male leads as their chemistry on screen crackled with electricity.
This grand scale musical was the biggest moneymaker in it's category for 1952 and she was voted the "Most Popular Female Star of 1952" and won a Golden Globe award. Here it is...and it's a long time coming. This one woman show leans towards sentimentality at times, but Hayward never allows it to become maudlin. Under her cabable hands she has managed to give one of the finest musical performances in film history.
This is a classic movie for everyone in the family to enjoy. Sit back and watch a real pro at work here. She is that rare combination of beauty and talent that is seldom found in Hollywood.
A one of a kind movie with a one of a kind actress--the great Susan Hayward. And it is tragic she died at the age of 56 just as she was returning to movies and having great success in important made for TV movies (at a time when this medium was usually silly fare).
ABOUT TIME!!!! More FOX, please!!!

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WITH A SONG IN MY HEART - DVD Movie

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Coco Chanel (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Coco CHANEL became a courageous, confident, fiesty and brave young woman when she was orphaned after her monther died and her father left her and younger sister at a convent in France. This is a very interesting story, well directed, filmed in beautiful France which demonstrates how CoCo faced each and every hardship in her life with grace and confidence, giving her continued hope for her future. Above all the negative, jealous people, CoCo maintained her focus, her infamous style and her dignity.
A must-see for anyone interested in how CoCo Chanel started in fashion, and for young women to view ways of overcoming hardships in life.

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Academy Award winning actress Shirley MacLaine stars as Coco Chanel in this critically acclaimed film that charts the rise of one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. From her humble childhood and early days as a young dressmaker's assistant, to her passionate love affair with a dashing Englishman and ultimate success as a pioneering fashion icon, Coco Chanel is the story of a glamorous woman who was hard to love and harder to ignore. Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominated, Coco Chanel is a must-see film for every lover of fashion and romance.

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Ray (Widescreen Edition) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very good movie that houses an exceptionally great performance by Jamie Fox as music legend Ray Charles. I must confess that as a genre, the biopic is not my favorite, especially of figures as well known as Ray Charles. We usually receive in such films distorted portraits of them, or undeserved adulation. RAY is one of the more balanced biopics I have seen. Ray Charles is presented as a musical genius who had managed to overcome physical disabilities that would have stopped most others, but it doesn't attempt to mute the serious and unflattering personal moral problems he had with drugs and his exploitative treatment of women. Nor is he revealed as a moral saint or loving person. Though pleasant with others for the most part, Ray is shown as a proud, independent, and slightly self-absorbed, a bit selfish in his treatment of women. As a result, Ray Charles emerges in the film as a believable human being, capable of unfortunate decisions, but also extraordinary music and the occasional powerful moral stand, such as when he refuses to perform in a racially segregated crowd in a venue in Georgia. In fact, the film is built around three foci: his early childhood when he witnessed the death of his younger brother and gradually lost his sight; his musical career from 1948 until the mid-1960s; and his heroin addiction. The film ends with his overcoming his heroin addiction, which also-as numerous music critics have noted--corresponds to the end of the peak of his career as a creative musical performer. Charles continued to make albums after getting off heroin, but all of the great songs that we associate with him were written and recorded while on heroin. For the last forty years of his career, his sets consisted almost entirely of songs he made famous in the fifties and early sixties, with covers of songs by other musicians. There has been a long debate as to whether his addiction somehow aided his musical creativity, but even if so, no one would have wished him to continue to endanger his health and life.
Jamie Fox will without any possible doubt receive an Oscar nomination for this performance. This is considerably more than a good impersonation of Charles: it is almost as if Fox channels him. As much as I loved other biopics of music legends like THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY or WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, throughout each I was conscious that Gary Busey was playing Buddy Holly and Angela Bassett playing Tina Turner. I completely forgot that Jamie Fox was playing Ray Charles, and despite being quite familiar with him, imagined that I was actually watching Charles onscreen. Yes, he does a killer impersonation of Charles, but he manages that first on top of that provides an amazing dramatic performance. This is great acting, not merely a great impersonation. The only performance of recent years of an actor portraying a prominent entertainer as superb as this is Robert Downey in CHAPLIN.
I also really loved the look of the film. Since it ended in the mid-1960s, the entire film was essentially a period film. There was a sense of visual veracity from beginning to end. I loved the cars, the clothes (especially the ties! - am I alone in thinking that the 1950s was the great decade for neckties?), the interior decors, the furniture. The scenes in the shanty town where Charles was a child were very effective.
The cast aside from Fox was quite strong, made up mainly of relatively unknown performers. There were many other things to enjoy about the film. Of course, the music is absolutely sensational, consisting either of remasters of original Ray Charles's recordings, or new recordings for which Charles provided the vocals. I also loved the relationship in the film between Charles and Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records. There is nothing of the stereotypical relationship between artist and executives that invests so many of the stories of musicians in the 1950s and 1960s. Ertegun is rightfully remembered as one of the truly great figures in the recording industry, someone who was in it more for the music than for the money, and who treated his artists with a degree of respect that was too frequently absent. The film does a good job of presenting Charles's dilemma: ABC-Monument made him an offer that he simply couldn't refuse, yet at the same time we are all aware that Charles was, in a way, screwing Atlantic over by leaving them for ABC-Monument. All in all, I loved this warts and all approach to the subject matter. There is absolutely no question that Ray Charles was one of the most astonishing performers of the fifties and sixties, and doing all he did despite his blindness is an amazing saga. He truly was a genius, even if he was a somewhat flawed person. But you have to love the way that he managed to overcome his personal shortcomings to become not merely one of the most successful but one of the most beloved musical performers of his age.

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Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here is how haute couture is made. Valentino employed 100 seamstresses and owned one sewing machine (which no one would use). In the film, you see how each dress was lovingly designed and assembled and how the 45+ year partnership of Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giametti produced runway show after runway show. These partners clearly inspire the love and loyalty of their staff.
You see the sense of style that pervades the life. The entertaining, the travel, the pampered pets.
While the film is a fully positive portrait of this marvelous fashion house and its two leaders, the future looms. The company was sold in 1998 (and then again). The corporate owners don't appreciate the art and want more handbags, shoes and ready to wear. There are glimpses of this pressure as the film leads up to Rome's "45 Years of Valentino", a retrospective with pageantry worthy of its subject.
The film has a genuine quality. Some shots, being candid, won't have the perfect balance and people hesitate in speech. You see the tension in the preparation for big shows.
While others will not appreciate the film, if you are interested in the art of fashion, this is a must see.

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A critically acclaimed look into the life and times of legendary fashion designer Valentino. The film documents the colorful and dramatic closing act of the fashion icons celebrated career, tells the story of his extraordinary life and work, and also explores the larger themes affecting the fashion business today. But at the heart of the film is the unique relationship between Valentino and his business partner and companion of 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti.

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Maya Lin - A Strong Clear Vision (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)This documentary film is a unique experience for which it is difficult to find a comparison. On a basic level, the film discusses several projects of artist/architect Maya Lin, a young Chinese-American woman who unexpectedly won the design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial while a Yale student. Her design, a departure from conventional expectations, is now famous, and is the most visited memorial in Washington D.C. Some of the strong feelings that the Vietnam War elicits in people, especially its veterans, is touched upon in moving live scenes at the Memorial and in the controversial hearings that were held in the wake of the design's selection. The experience put Maya Lin in a national spotlight and forced the student to mature very quickly addressing the grievances of veterans and others. In the end, with some minor site additions, the Memorial stood as designed, with the names of all the soldiers who gave their lives in Vietnam etched in its simple, polished, reflective granite. Other works of Maya Lin, including the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama; the Yale Women's Table; and others demonstrate a similar simplicity and poetry that is both moving and powerful. There are moments in the film, as simple as when the artist is working at her drafting table, that suggest something both beautiful and spiritual, providing a deep insight into the creative process of this noted public artist.

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Studio: New Video GroupRelease Date: 05/27/2003Run time: 83 minutesRating: Nr

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Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just had the opportunity to see this documentary at a local independent theater. I thought "Banjos and Africa? Random! But could be fun..." I was so so so underestimating the power of this film! The music is nothing short of tremendous (one piece in particular, in the first quarter of the film, is virtually guaranteed to leave you breathless and astounded), Incredible, passionate voices and remarkable instruments combine to form sounds that will grab your soul and shake it.
Bela is fun to watch as he interacts with African musicians of various calibers. I love how unassuming he is, and how he speaks (as one of the African musicians points out) perfectly through his music, although his mouth sometimes fails him. What a remarkably talented and humble guy!
All in all, 5 stars +++. I went home and bought the MP3 album immediately, and can't wait to buy the DVD. :)

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THROW DOWN YOUR HEART - DVD Movie

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Princess Kaiulani (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm happy that someone did take the inspired action to make a movie about Hawai'i, that isn't all about the sexy hula girls and mai tai's. This movie has meat to it. The reason I say this is a must see movie for Hawaiians and Hawaiians at heart is that it makes you think. It makes you want to read and research your Hawaiian geneaology and Hawaiian history. The movie makes you to want to learn the TRUTH! As Hawaiians we must unite to move forward, we must educate our children like our ancestors did. We had a 90 percent literacy rate in the 1800's and early 1900's, our ancestors would be ashamed of us wasting our intelligence and not cultivating our youth to learn. I'm saying this to all people, educate your children!
The movie was very moving, a love story, with a beginning, middle and end. When we describe love, we tend to look at just the best parts and skip the ugly. Although the movie wasn't completely factual, it was a good depiction of how the time was and the politics of the day. How can you summize a person's life in 120 minutes? It's just a brief moment in time that is covered. Some of the facts were missing in the story, she did die on the Big Island and maybe that should have been shown, but there was enough sadness that we all know and understand.

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The Pursuit of Happyness (Widescreen Edition) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Pursuit of Happyness" is an unabashed tearjerker about the American Dream and commitment to family in the face of great odds. It was inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, who spent some time in the 1980s homeless while trying to care for his young son and make it through a stockbroker internship. The film is fictionalized but stays true to Gardner's struggle for success and dedication to his son. Gardner's autobiography, which goes by the same title, was actually published after the film was written. In San Francisco, 1981, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) can't make ends meet selling portable bone density scanners, while his embittered wife Linda (Thandie Newton) waitresses 2 shifts a day. Chris spies a man with an enviable sportscar on the street one day and asks him what he does for a living. He's a stockbroker. So Chris decides that's what he'll be. He must be at the top of his class after 6 months in Dean Witter's competitive internship program to be hired. Meanwhile, Chris has no wife, no money, no paying job, and a 5-year old son (Jaden Smith).
A story of hardship and hard work, paternal love and frustration, could easily be too saccharine for words. It's saved from this fate by Chris Gardner's desperation. Behind his indomitable pluck, Gardner is truly desperate. He has no money, no home, uncertain prospects, and the responsibility of providing for a young child. He hides his circumstances from his colleagues. He's spends an inordinate amount of energy chasing errant bone scanners around town. He compromises his ethics. His single-mindedness eventually takes a toll on his son. Chris is struggling for his life. And his financial problems are something the audience can understand and may themselves fear. That's why "The Pursuit of Happyness" works so well. Credit is due Will Smith's Oscar-nominated performance and Italian director Gabriele Muccino's understanding of intense emotions painted with small strokes.
The DVD (Sony 2007): There are 4 featurettes, the song "I Can" by Bebe Winans and Dave Koz (5 min, audio), and a feature commentary. "Making Pursuit: An Italian Take on the American Dream" (17 min) interviews Gabriele Muccino, Will Smith, and the producers about choosing Muccino to direct. Muccino talks about filming in San Francisco and working in English. "Father and Son: On Screen and Off" (7 min) recounts casting Jaden Smith after auditioning hundreds of other children, and Will Smith talks about working with his son. "The Man Behind the Movie: A Conversation with Chris Gardner" (12 min) interviews Gardner about his participation in the film, and Will Smith talks about learning from him. "Inside the Rubik's Cube" (6 min) is a fun short documentary on the persistent popularity of the Cube. There is a nice audio commentary by director Gabriele Muccino, in English. Muccino tells us how he got the job, discusses themes, recreating the 1980s, Will Smith's trust, locations, and some technical details. Subtitles are available for the film in English, French, Spanish. Dubbing available in French.

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Will Smith stars in the inspirational true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman who's struggling to make ends meet. When his girlfriend Linda (Thandie Newton) walks out, Chris is left to raise their 5-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Smith) on his own. Chris' determination finally pays off when he lands an unpaid internship in a brutally competitive stockbroker-training program, where only one in twenty interns will make the cut. But without a salary, Chris and his son are evicted from their apartment and are forced to sleep on the street, in homeless shelters and even behind the locked doors of a metro station bathroom. With self- confidence and the love and trust of his son, Chris Gardner rises above his obstacles to become a Wall Street legend.

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Jean-Michel Basquiat: Radiant Child (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)We saw Tamra Davis' Basquiat documentary at the 2010 Dallas International Film Festival. For those of us who've seen and enjoyed Julian Schnabel's very good 1996 film Basquiat (featuring an outstanding turn by Jeffrey Wright in the title role), Davis' work is a good companion piece. For those of you who've not seen Schnabel's film, "The Radiant Child" serves as a good intro to both Basquiat's work and to the man who laid behind the ever-growing myth.
Davis was a friend and contemporary of Jean-Michel Basquiat. She had the stroke of fortune (and the insight) to record a series of interviews with him at the height of his art-world popularity. Though the production value of those interviews is relatively poor, they're fascinating and serve as the core of the film. They pierce the aura of Basquiat the artist and growing legend to reveal his inherent fragility, his soft-spoken nature and the increasing burden of living up to the 'Basquiat' mystique/brand he created.
The other interviews painstakingly compiled by Davis add flavor and flesh out the re-telling, but it's Basquiat's own words and haunting image that will stick with you. I especially liked Basquiat's comment that not a single line or stroke in his works was by accident. This is backed up by one of the interviewees who noted the immediate appeal of Basquiat's work: that he had a unique hand, i.e., one which crafted a line that could only be produced by him. Davis also does a great job producing tales and evidence of the artist's prodigious work ethic and output. In his comet-like career, he produced over 1,500 pieces of work. Davis captures compelling tales of friends and clients showing up at his apartment and finding every surface - walls, refrigerator, other appliances - filled with imagery from his fervent brain.

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In his short career, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a phenomenon. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker Samo in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side scene, sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200 and became best friends with Andy Warhol. Appreciated by both the art cognoscenti and the public, Basquiat was launched into international stardom. However, soon his cult status began to override the art that had made him famous in the first place. Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary, but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad; as a successful black artist, he was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is Basquiat's own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man. Featuring interviews with Julian Schnabel, Larry Gagosian, Bruno Bischofberger, Tony Shafrazi, Fab 5 Freddy, Jeffrey Deitch, Glenn O'Brien, Maripol, Kai Eric, Nicholas Taylor, Fred Hoffmann, Michael Holman, Diego Cortez, Annina Nosei, Suzanne Mallouk, and Rene Ricard, among many others.

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