Dream Street Live Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the best live in concert videos I've ever seen. The quality is great, and the guys voices sound excellent. They're also very talented dancers, and entertaining to watch. They perform 12 different songs off their album.
1) Let's Get Funky Tonite
2) Sugar Rush
3) Gotta Get the Girl
4) This Time
5) I Say Yeah
6) Someone To Hold Me Tonight
7) They Don't Understand
8) Jennifer Goodbye
9) Hooked On You
10) Dream On
11) Feel The Rain/Rain
12) It Happens Every Time
I recommend this video to all Dream Street fans. It's a must have!

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Watch as Greg, Matt, Frankie, Jesse, and Chris master dance moves and mesmerize the audience as they sing the hits from their CD. Songs: Let's Get Funky Tonite, Sugar Rush, Gotta Get the Girl, This Time, I Say Yeah, Someone to Hold Me Tonight, They Don't Understand, Jennifer Goodbye, Hooked on You, Dream On, Feel the Rain, It Happens Every Time.DVD features: Behind-the-Scenes Footage; Photo Gallery; Cast/Crew Biographies.

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Dennis the Menace (Special Edition) (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Dennis the Menace", directed by Nick Castle, is based on the hit 60's sitcom, by the same title.
PLOT SUMMARY: Mason Gamble stars as Dennis Mitchell, a young kid who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. He doesn't MEAN to cause trouble...he just well, does. Walter Matthau stars as Dennis's grumpy next door neighbor, Mr. Wilson, who can't STAND Dennis. When Dennis's parents go away (Robert Stanton and Lea Thompson), Dennis must stay with the Wilsons, and Mr. Wilson is extremely unhappy about this. But when Dennis gets out of line, Mr. Wilson gets so angry that he yells at Dennis, which makes Dennis run away. That's when the real trouble begins...Dennis encounters an old neighborhood thief, Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd), who kidnaps Dennis, and soon Dennis learns that Switchblade Sam has stolen some items from the Wilsons' house (and others from his neighborhood), so it's up to Dennis to save the day.
MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: I haven't seen this film in a long time, but I remember it well. The acting from the entire cast is great. The storyline is light-hearted and fun. Mason Gamble was a perfect choice for Dennis. The directing is wonderful, too.
From the looks of the DVD, there is going to be some great special features. The bonus features will include a behind-the-scenes featurette, a documentary on Dennis the Menace, a special "memories" document with Mason Gamble, a conversation with Walter Matthau, and another conversation with writer and producer, John Hughes. The DVD will also include trailers and a DVD-ROM game. The DVD will be available in wide screen format.
I highly recommend "Dennis the Menace".
Score:
89/100
B+

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Hank Ketcham's popular comic-strip kid comes to uproarious screen life in Dennis the Menace, from writer/producer John Hughes, the creative force behind the family mega-hits Home Alone and Beethoven. Young Mason Gamble is all-boy, all-menace, all-Dennis right down to his slingshot and dog, Ruff.DVD Features:Challenges:Dennis's Tin Can ChallengeDVD ROM Features:Garbage Contraption gameFeaturette:Behind-the-scenes featuretteInteractive MenusInterviews:Memories of a Menace, a 10th anniversary visit with Mason Gamble; conversations with Walter Matthau and John HughesScene AccessTV Special:Original network special "A Menace Named Dennis"Theatrical Trailer:Trailers of this and the sequel "Dennis the Menace Strikes Again"

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Red Hot Chili Peppers - Off the Map (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I wasn't sure what to expect from a RHCP's live performance with John Frusciante back in the lineup. By far my favorite guitar player they've had, I didn't know if he could still play after his drug abuse problems in the years away from the band. Their "Californication" did little to alleviate those fears, his playing and soloing being so sparse and sort of un-practiced sounding. Don't get me wrong. "Californication" is a great album but it's much different from the chops galore "Blood Sugar Sex Magic". (And I don't mean that as a slam-BSSM is a masterwork in no small part due to Frusciante's intricate, interweaving lines throughout).
"Off the Map" put all my doubts to bed. Frusciante plays his [behind] off. Just check out "If You Have to Ask". Shredding, but he's so much more than than just a shredder. Something magical happens when his Strat, through a Wah, hits a Marshall. It's the tone for sure and then his note selection and use of space that really sets him apart from "shredders". I had read recently in a guitar magazine interview that he's trying to change his style, henceforth the new, sparse approach he's used on the last two albums. It's pretty funny to watch actually. When they play the new songs his playing shifts dramatically to the new style he's developing.
And don't let me forget Chad Smith and Flea. They are powerhouses here. Flea's gone from slapmaster (oh, he can still slap!) to improvisor and it suits him well. Chad is like a rock holding John and Flea's improvisations together.
This is a fun and inspiring dvd. The only reason I don't give it a 5 star review is because it does falter here and there. But that's what you get when your live show isn't prerecorded canned [stuff] and you take musical risks. That where the fun happens with these guys.

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Off the Map is the first concert home video since 1991 from one of rock's greatest live experiences, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Off the Map is also the band's first concert DVD--the only way to witness the funk-funk-rockmetal-rap musical orgy of one of today's most popular bands. Songs: Around The World, Give It Away, Usually Just a T-Shirt #3, Scar Tissue, Suck My Kiss, If You Have to Ask, Subterranean Homesick Blues, Otherside, Blackeyed Blonde, Pea, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Easily, What Is Soul?, Fire, Californication, Right On Time, Under The Bridge, Me And My Friends.

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Startup.Com (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Startup.com" is a fascinating, but slightly flawed documentary following the lives of several men who founded a dot-com in 1998. (Work leading to its creation had started months earlier, but wasn't included in the documentary.) The principal dot-com founders were Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, Tom Herman and Chieh Cheung. Kaleil and Tom were high school friends. Shortly after the company's official launch, Chieh's involvement was terminated after Kaleil and Tom decided to buy him out. They believed Chieh wasn't doing enough, in spite of Chieh's time, work and money invested prior to the company's official launch.
For the most part, the first third of documentary is devoted to Kaleil's efforts to obtain venture capitalist (VC) investment into the new company. The combination of his efforts and unbridled VC risk-taking of the 1990's succeeded in Kaleil securing $50-million in VC investment. At the company's launch, it had eight employees. After several months of hard work and the hiring of a lot more staff, the company's website was finally launched. Within about a year, the company's total employment exceeded 200 employees, but the joy didn't last long. Personality conflicts between Kaleil and Tom lead to some unpleasant consequences. Also, like most of the dot-com's created in the 1990's, the amount of money earned through the company's website paled in comparison to the amount of invested capital and the money squandered by the company.
Sadly, the creators of this documentary (Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim) focused far too much on Kaleil, not enough on Tom and very little on Chieh. The quality of the documentary would have been far better had more time been devoted to Tom throughout the film, and more to Chieh at the beginning (prior to the company's launch). No narration was provided in the documentary. Instead, it was shot much like a reality television show using small hand-held cameras, but occasional subtitles provide the viewer with time references and employee counts. Highlights in the documentary include an actual CNBC interview with Kaleil (when the company was worth $50-million with venture capital) and his brief meeting with then U.S. President Bill Clinton.
The real value of this documentary is fourfold:
(1) The eagerness of 1990's venture capitalists to willingly invest millions of dollars into companies with unsubstantiated and exaggerated business plans.
(2) The squandering by dot-com's of millions of invested dollars
(3) The strain put on long-term friendships when money and cutthroat business practices get involved.
(4) Seeing some of the faces and narcissistic egos behind dot-coms.
For these reasons, I rate this documentary with 4 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it to any former or current dot-com employee, to anyone that invested and subsequently lost money in a dot-com or to anyone that wants to form his/her own company.

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Over the Edge (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over the Edge is as relevant today as it was when it appeared in 1979, maybe even more so. It's a teenage rebellion movie in the best tradition of films like Rebel Without a Cause and The Blackboard Jungle. I can't think of a movie that better depicts the boredom of the American teenager in a sub-divided suburban wasteland where nothing to do becomes a full time activity.
New Granada is a planned community in the middle of nowhere. It's a resounding success. At least the adults want to believe it is. They make money, make deals, and want to attract business and create something in the middle of nowhere, a shiny happy place to live, away from the big city. Meanwhile the kids are stuck in limbo with nothing to do and nowhere to go save a Rec center run by an older hippy woman who lets the kids drink, smoke, toke, and generally make a science out of boredom.
Carl is a good kid from a good home, but he's beginning to fall in with the wrong crowd of kids, one of whom is Richie (Matt Dillon in his first film), a rough and tumble teen who sparks the now all too believable climax. The photography is beautiful and lends the film an eerie quality as it depicts New Granada as an ambitious moral failure, a new but already rotting development. The money to build a promised shopping mall and bowling alley has run out, leaving the kids with a Rec center that is eventually shut down by a police force (led by Dough Boy from Taxi Driver) that puts the pressure on until something has to give.
It's supposedly based on a true story, but which true story is unimportant. There are countless New Granadas in America, and the film was shot in a planned community in Aurora, Colorado. The landscape is bleak, with a consistently gray and grainy sky. The 70s trappings, the promise of 'Tomorrow's City...Today' and the grim reality of its cultural bankruptcy all create a depressing and desperate atmosphere. The powder keg finale probably seemed unlikely and over the top in 1979. Not so today as we're reminded of another Colorado suburb named Littleton.
Like Kids, the cast of Over the Edge actually look to be the appropriate age they are depicting (not your typical Hollywood 25 year olds playing high school students). This film is a sharp contrast to the popular teen films of the 80s such as the John Hughes oeuvre and even Fast Times at Ridgemont High. While kids today are more plugged into the outside world (literally) with computers, the internet, video games, and a greater exposure to mass media, the themes of alienation, frustration, and parents who are trying to save their kids but more concerned with property values are still relevant. Today, however, the more kids have to do, the more scapegoats people can find for their actions in the wake of events like Littleton.
Highly recommended, if you can find it. This is screaming for a proper DVD release.

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"Tomorrow's city...today" is how the planned suburban paradise of New Granada promotes itself, but something has been left out of the plans. No one is paying attention to the town's teens. Jonathan Kaplan directs this hot-blooded cult classic (a 1979 London Film Festival Outstanding Film Award winner) about kids left to discover their own values and coming up with enough drugs, booze and discontent to push everyone Over the Edge. Fourteen-year-old Matt Dillon makes his screen debut as the kids' charismatic, doomed leader Richie. The anthemic soundtrack by Van Halen, The Ramones, Cheap Trick and others provide the film's rock-n-roll heart. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Jonathan Kaplan, Screenwriters Charlie Haas and Tim Hunter and roducer George Litto Theatrical Trailer

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My Boys: The Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)Thanks to a marathon TBS aired last year around Oscar time, I finally got to see some back-to-back episodes of the TBS original series My Boys. But not all of them. Just enough to get me hooked on the show.
Thanks to the Sony DVD release of My Boys - The Complete First Season, I can finally watch all 22 episodes from the show's brilliantly funny first season completely unfettered. The marathon, of course, was just an appetizer. With this Season One DVD, you get the main course with all the fixins. My Boys - The Complete First Season is a 3-disc set featuring all 22 episodes in Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) video; English 5.1 audio; English, French subtitles; Closed caption; plus a host of bonus features including featurettes, deleted scenes and more.
My Boys stars lovely Jordana Spiro (who sounds like Kristen Johnston from 3rd Rock from the Sun) as Penelope Jane "PJ" Franklin, a tomboy sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times whose life is surrounded by men, both professionally and personally. Playing the pivotal roles of PJ's guy friends are Kyle Howard (The Drew Carey Show) as rival sportswriter and former love interest Bobby; Reid Scott as pretty boy radio DJ Brendan; Michael Bunin as odd and quirky memorabilia store owner Kenny; Jamie Kaler as excitable skirt-chaser Mike; comedian Jim Gaffigan as PJ's married, sarcastic and sardonic older brother Andy; plus Kellee Stewart as Stephanie, PJ's best gal pal, who schools her on the fine art of modern dating. Look for memorable guest appearances from Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) and Nicole Sullivan (The King of Queens) as Kenny's hipster friend Trouty and very pregnant girlfriend Kimmie.
Though presented from a female point of view, My Boys, replete with baseball analogies (narrated by Spiro) and naturally witty dialogue exchanged over ritual poker games and drinks at the bar, offers plenty of fun and entertainment to both male and female viewers. Not to mention great production values, not unlike those of Sex and the City. My Boys - The Complete First Season is definitely a welcome addition to any TV DVD collection which I highly recommend. Here are the episodes, plus extras and how the discs will be configured:

Disc 1:
Pilot
Mixed Signals
Team Chemistry
The Slump
The Show
Clubhouse Cancer
Free Agent
Superstar Treatment
Disc 2:
Managers
Take One for the Team
When Heroes Fall From Grace
Released
Baseball Myths
Promise of a New Season
Off Day
Ethics
Disc 3:
Dirty Little Secrets
Second Chances
Douchebag in the City
States of Hoffman
110 Percent Solution
Rome, If You Want To
Special Features:
* Life in the Press Box: Behind the Scenes Featurette
* P.J.'s Rules for Sports and Dating: Featurette
* No Crying in Baseball: Outtakes and Bloopers
* Favorites in Sports: Montage of Sports from the Show
* Sports Quiz with Cast and Crew
* Riding the Pine: Deleted Scenes
* Bonus Minisodes: Diff'rent Strokes "Mr. T and mr. T"
Silver Spoons "Me and Mr. T"

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A comedy/drama centering on PJ Franklin a twenty-something female sports writer for the Chigaco Sun-Times, whose 'family' consists of a bunch of lovable guys who share all her favorite pastimes - sports, poker and beer, but finding a boyfriend and making a future for herself can be tricky for a girl with so many men in her life! Starring hot new talent Jordana Spiro (Must Love Dogs).

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The Witches (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Witches" is one of my favorite films. The film combines the substantial filmmaking talents of Nicholas Roeg with the wonderworking of Jim Henson and an unforgettable performance from Angelica Huston. Every time I watch this film, I find something new to like about it.
Since I have seen the film numerous times, I was a bit disappointed that the DVD did not contain any special features, such as a commentary from the filmmaker or one of the actors. Other than the most basic chapter selection, the DVD does not offer any of the bonuses that one would like to see. Fortunately, the film itself is so good that it is worthwhile to buy this disc in spite of the substandard packaging.
From the very beginning of the film, we are thrown into an imaginative world where witches reside in literally every small village and where no child is safe in any country. As the credits roll across the screen, Roeg treats us to a ride on a broomstick, to a witch's-eye view of the frozen Scandinavian countryside.
The film then introduces us to Luke and his grandmother, the protagonists of this tale. We learn that the grandmother has long been fighting the witches and even has lost part of her finger in the struggles. After tragedy strikes the young boy's parents, the pair travel to England, which is literally infested with witches. Fortunately, Luke has been well-warned how to recognize them and can play safely in his tree house when other children would be in grave peril.
The delicious irony compounds when the grandmother takes Luke to a seaside resort hotel for her convalescence. It is the precise time when all the witches of England are meeting under the cover of the Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children. In a closed-door session, the witches remove their wigs and uncomfortable, yet practical, shoes, letting us see them in all their repulsiveness. The Grand High Witch (played to perfection by Angelica Huston) reveals her plan to turn all the children of England into mice. Of course, the witch's plan goes astray, and tables are turned on all the witches in one of the most delightful scenes in all of modern cinema. Every time I watch it, I think to myself how much fun it would be to make a film like this one.
This is a charming, delightful film with enough diversions to keep children fascinated, told with enough skill to keep adults interested. It is a keeper, worth watching many times.

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From the great Muppet creator Jim Henson comes this classic bursting with enchantment and adventure. Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston stars as the Grand High Witch in this exhilarating tale.Year: 1990

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You Are Not Alone (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)DU ER IKKE ALENE (You Are Not Alone) is a 1978 Danish landmark film written by Lasse Nielsen and Bent Petersen and directed by Nielsen and Ernst Johansen. When the period during which this film was made, a time when gay theme movies were all but verboten, this little film is a brave, delicate, tender, unpretentious tale of the bonding, both emotional and physical, that occurs between two young boys in a boarding school in Denmark. The story develops slowly and insidiously, a fact that makes some viewers find it boring or slow. But for this viewer the pacing of the story is intricately involved in this tale of the fragile first attractions that occur in young boys: everything is new, and nothing is rushed - it just happens and evolves.
Kim (Peter Bjerg) is a young prepuberal youth living with his parents: his father (Ove Sprogøe) is headmaster of a boys' school and his mother (Elin Reimer) is in line with the father's hardline standards. Though not a student in the school, Kim does associate with the young high school age boys and finds one lad in particular, Bo (Anders Agensø), a role model who shows concern for Kim and with whom Kim bonds, emotionally and eventually physically. The manner in which this occurs is never acted out but merely suggested in the most discreet and beautiful way. But we watch as this bond develops more strongly, with each of the boys nascent to the situation in which they find themselves.
The classmates are a varied group - normal kids in a normal school situation - until one of the boys Ole (Ole Meyer), who is somewhat of a trouble-maker, posts magazine pictures of nude women in his dorm room. Reprimanded by the headmaster he is put on probation and when he ultimately posts the contraband pictures in the dorm restroom, he is threatened with expulsion. His classmates band together to protect him and Ole is maintained in the school.
Other sidebar stories that pepper the screen are swimming hole escapades where the injury of one of the boys calls forth the empathy of the entire class; there is a vignette where an older woman tries to teach one of the boys the beauties of physical love; there is a shower scene that finds Bo and Kim gently observing each other; and there is a class project for graduation that is supposed to be an enactment of the 10 Commandments, one episode of which is assigned to a student filmmaker.
It is this finished class project film, shown before the faculty and the parents, that is based on the commandment 'Love thy neighbor' and it is a beautifully wrought scene of Bo and Kim embracing and kissing in one of the more honest and sensitive moments on film. The 'non-story' film ends without an audience response: it simply fades away to a tune that speaks of 'You are not alone - there is someone like you ahead.' No, this is not a film about nudity or raw sex. Instead this film is a brave exploration of the normal period in growth when boys search for role models and find their first sensations of love emerging. It is delicate, beautifully filmed and acted, and is one of the early forays into same sex love that works on every level. Grady Harp, December 06

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Unflinchingly honest and boundlessly lyrical, the exploration of sexual awakening in You Are Not Alone was a turning point in world cinema. At a Danish boy’s boarding school in the late 1970s, Bo and Kim are naive young classmates, whose friendship blossoms into a childlike love affair. When their friend is expelled for a prank involving lewd posters, the student body bands together to strike against the school and its authoritarian headmaster. Lasse Nielsen and Ernst Johansen’s classic film is a groundbreaking meditation on innocence, rebellion and love.

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The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)Elijah Wood plays Huckleberry Finn, a young boy growing up in the pre-Civil War South. Huck's father is a drunken troublemaker, and is rarely around. The boy has been taken in by two kindly old women who are trying their best to civilize him, but aren't having an easy time of it. Huck lives for freedom and adventure, and the river is constantly calling his name. His best friend is a slave named Jim (Courtney B. Vance), and the two look out for each other, more-so with every passing day. When Huck's father Pap returns for the boy one night, having heard that he's inherited a nice some of money (for those days), the boy is desperate to escape. Trapped and left alone the next day in his father's run-down cabin, Huck escapes and fakes his own "murder." He takes a boat to Jackson's Island, where no one lives and hardly anyone visits, and there he runs into his old friend Jim! The two best friends go swimming, fishing, and have a generally great time, when Jim tells Huck that he's run away and is planning to head down river and then up to the free states. After a personal struggle with the idea of playing abolitionist, a dangerous thing to do, Huck agrees to help his friend escape slavery. The two soon find themselves heading down the river, but at a faster pace than they had expected. They have discovered that Jim is wanted not only for being a runaway, but also for being Huck's "murderer." Huck and Jim have several interesting experiences throughout their journey, including getting mixed up in a tragic family feud, nearly getting caught several times, and teaming up with a pair of con artists known as the King and the Duke (played wonderfully by Jason Robards and Robbie Coltrane). It's here where they meet three lovely sisters (Anne Heche, Laura Bundy, and a young, and very cute Renee O'Connor) and decide to help the girls at their own risk, rather than go on with the cruel scam they were being forced to act out by the two conmen.
I'm soooo happy this wonderful film has come to DVD. This is a perfect film in so many respects. The casting is perfect, the camera work is gorgeous, and the spirit of adventure, friendship, drama, and fun is portrayed perfectly in every scene. True, this is not very similar to the book, Tom Sawyer isn't even mentioned. For a perfect interpretation of the book in the form of a wonderful film you need to get the version starring Patrick Day, which is only on VHS right now as far as I know. You'll want to get the 2 tape version if you can find it, rather than the edited 1 tape version. But while I love the Patrick Day version, this one is by far my favorite. It captures everything I feel a Huck film should, in a shorter, more exciting and to the point story than the book tells. True, it's been Disney-fied, but being a Disney fanatic, I don't mind at all. My feeling is they usually improve the stories they take on. This film is loaded with adventure and friendship, which is the main reason I'm such a Tom and Huck fan, and Elijah Wood really shines in the starring role. His chemistry with Courtney B. Vance is perfect! I had nearly worn my VHS out by the time this film came to DVD. The extras are nice, but there aren't THAT many. It could have delivered more in that department. But remember that this is a Disney DVD, and one they seem to have given low priority, so I'm just glad it's been released on DVD and has any extras at all. My favorite film of all time, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, was given zero extras, and Hocus Pocus, another fave, also had none if I recall correctly. Anyway, I definitely recommend this film for families, Tom and Huck fans, and just pretty much everybody! It's a perfect movie for a rainy Saturday night, baking something sweet and cuddling with someone special.

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Climb aboard for an extraordinary version of Mark Twain's sweeping adventure when Walt Disney Pictures presents THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN. It's the unforgettable saga of a mischievous youngster and a runaway slave on a wild expedition to freedom. As the pair take the ride of their lives down the treacherous Mississippi River, they run into an entertaining assortment of offbeat characters and face one challenging adventure after another! You won't want to miss this sensational telling of Twain's classic tale -- an action-packed mix of thrills and excitement!

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Entourage: The Complete First Season (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Fame, fortune, luxury, and letting it all go to your head; agents, managers, publicists, and everyone else that will lie, cheat, or steal to get a piece of you; and remembering your real friends. These are all key ingredients that make "Entourage" thoroughly entertaining, as well as freighting when you think about how it's based on reality.
I take the show as a cautionary tale; the entertainment industry is where I have just barely started to get my feet wet. There is a lot of truth in this fictional show: either everyone wants a piece of you or no one knows your name and can't spare a minute of their time. From my limited time spent dealing with people of the industry, on either coast, I have already found more jerks and egos-out-of-control than I care to recount. "Entourage" does an excellent job of exposing the dangers of the L.A. lifestyle, while simultaneously managing to present them in a thoroughly enjoyable manner.
The superficial world that is the entertainment business is navigated successfully through the four different personalities that make up the entourage. The four personalities of the Rising Star, Has-Been, Bum, and Level-headed Average Guy balance out the cast and provide a character for everyone to enjoy or relate to. Their friendship and their dependence on each other make the characters a success, as well as a success in the world of the show.
Jeremy Piven's role as agent to rising star, Vincent Chase, is thoroughly entertaining as well as aggravating. He's not quite the villain, but the perfect embodiment of the guy you don't want working against you. His quick one-liners and perfect delivery make it a joy to watch the show, whereas a real-life encounter with a guy such as him would probably make you want to deck him.
"Entourage" is rife with inside jokes, but not enough to lose the average viewer. Instead, the average viewer might just see the show as a bunch of losers whining about the good life and living high off the hog without really working. I enjoy it, but it's certainly not for everybody. I see it as another example of why I don't, and never want to, live in Los Angeles.
Show business is unlike any other business: they work by their own rules and decide who to let into their little clique. It's about as safe as sleeping in a pit full of vipers, but our glimpse at what it's like to live on top is good a one.

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ENTOURAGE:COMPLETE FIRST SEASON - DVD Movie

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The Little Vampire (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Witty, well-acted kids flick that parents will enjoy as well.
A very winning cast, great location, superb kids' story to work with, good production make for some campy scariness for kids with entertainment for mom and dad as well. Charming little movie that appeals to the kid in all of us.The predicament of the cows really did make me laugh out loud.
The acting by one and all was excellent, especially Richard E. Grant as the head of the vampire family. He brought a non-threatening, yet nerve wracking (well, for kids, anyway) presence to the movie. His charming powers over Mrs. Thompson were hysterical, and the entire cast did very well with this movie.
One for the kids that mom and dad will enjoy sitting through, which is a rarity anymore, except for the likes of Shrek.
Oh, and I can't omit Rollo Weeks, as The Little Vampire himself. He was so charming, so perfectly nailed the role of Rudolph. As well as the role for arguably the cutest kid in movies, Jonathan Lipnicki, as Tony Thompson. The crush Anna had on him was acted out adorably by Anna Popplewell, as well. There was just great acting all around in The Little Vampire.
A job well done by all involved. Entertaining, campy, scary enough for the little ones without freaking them out even slightly, and still entertaining for the adults.

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Jonathan Lipnicki (Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little) stars as 9-year-old Tony who befriends a young vampire named Rudolph who asks Tony to help him find an ancient amulet that will grant Rudolph and his family their ultimate wish ... to be human again.DVD Features:DVD ROM Features:Original theatrical website; Ability to jump from the script to the scene in the movieFull Screen Version:Widescreen and fullscreen versions of the filmInteractive MenusOther:Three interactive kid-friendly games; Hilarious vampire and monster jokes; Easy-to-make recipes for spooky snacks; 5.1 Surround Sound and 2.0 Stereo SoundScene AccessScreen Saver:Cool flying vampire cow screensaver

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The Kite Runner (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Khaled Hosseini's THE KITE RUNNER was one of those first novels that captured both public interest and the hearts of the many who read this story of childhood unconditional love and redemption set against three stormy decades in Afghanistan. Though Hosseini was approached about the story's adaptation to the screen soon after the novel was published, there seems to have been a rush to get the visual form of the poetic novel before the audience, a journey besieged by unsuspected political intervention and criticism by the Afghan government. But after seeing the film, this intrigue heightens the intent of those involved in translating the book to film - writer David Benioff and director Marc Forster.
People may argue both sides of whether or not the dialog be in Afghan languages (Dari, Pashtu,Urdu) with English subtitles or be in English throughout: the choice of using both languages is severely hampered by the decision to place the Afghan translations in an overlay on the screen while the English subtitles are place off the viewing field. A small point, perhaps, but one that makes the first viewing of the film difficult to follow visually. As far as the actors are concerned, the two young lads who were chosen to portray Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) are perfect: closest of friends living in a household where one (Amir) is the son of the master of the house and the other (Hassan) is the son of the grounds and house keeper - a factor that serves to underline class differences that will later become increasingly poignant. The boys are inseparable, reading stories together and flying kites in competitions - each lad specializing in one of those pastimes. But disaster crumbles the boys' victory in the kite flying contest when Hassan is beaten and raped by the town bullies while Amir cowardly runs for safety, deserting his friend. Suddenly the Russians invade and that change factors into the need for Amir and his father to move to America where Amir is educated and becomes a writer. Twenty years pass. After the fall of Afghanistan to the Russians and subsequently to the Taliban, Amir (now actor Khalid Abdalla) receives a telephone plea from Hassan's father to return to Kabul. Amir, now married and a successful writer, feels the need to return to amend for his past omission as well as to assuage Amir's fears. When he arrives in Kabul he encounters a war torn country he no longer recognizes, discovers past secrets as to his and Hassan's true identities, and sets out on a journey to bring closure to a childhood love and promise. It is a touching tale of redemption and the strongest echo of the magic of the novel.
THE KITE RUNNER as both novel and film will appeal to all audiences sensitive to scars that wars leave on children and adults alike. For this viewer the film lacks the intensity of the book in that the time spent with the childhood of the two boys feels secondary to the personal journey of the adult Amir. But that is not to say the film is less powerful in the end: the story is one that leaves an imprint on the audience that last long past the ending credits. Grady Harp, March 08

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Amir is a young Afghani from a well-to-do Kabul family; his best friend Hassan is the son of a family servant. Together the two boys form a bond of friendship that breaks tragically on one fateful day, when Amir fails to save his friend from brutal neighborhood bullies. Amir and Hassan become separated, and as first the Soviets and then the Taliban seize control of Afghanistan, Amir and his father escape to the United States to pursue a new life. Years later, Amir – now an accomplished author living in San Francisco – is called back to Kabul to right the wrongs he and his father committed years ago.

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Stephen King's It (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie rules! I'm a huge fan of the book, and I can say that the movie really does it justice. The whole story involves a group of kids, all "losers", drawn together by a supernatural force to confront an ancient evil that takes the form of a malignant clown.
Tim Curry was, I think, born to play Pennywise the Clown. Sadistic, waddling freak with his doughy, grinning white face, red wet lips stetched as wide as his ears. In his clown form, he is able to charm the younger kinds, but he becomes the fears of the older ones, taking them down into his sewer dungeon to feed on them. The kids that finally beat the monster, Big Bill and Haystack and Bev and the rest of the Loser's Club, manage to force It back into It's lair, not dead, but nearly mortally wounded....
Driven by a feeding cycle, It rises again decades later, and the Loser's Club, now forgotten in adulthood, is drawn back together to face the monster one final time. This was originally made-for-television, so the movie is only capable of so much, but I think that fact alone gives the movie special merit. The casting was pretty much dead-on (especially in the case of Pennywise) and the special effects were surprisingly good. Probably the fact that the film makers were incapable of going the hack-and-slash rated-R route helped to improve the suspense and the atmosphere. The book was great, and the movie was great. I would recommend them both. I think that the humble perfection of a classic good versus evil story can sometimes be overlooked. The purity of a tale in which you can easily lose yourself. And that's just what It is. Two big thumbs up from me.

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Based on the King Of Horror's 1986 Best Seller, "It" is a jittery, jolting excursion into personal fear. "It" raises goosebumps-and brings out the stars. Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Annette O'Toole, Tim Reid, John Ritter, Tim Curry and Richard Thomas star in this thriller about a malevolent force in a small New England town.

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Billy Elliot (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Beginning with an exuberant title sequence, this charming, offbeat, coming-of-age story revolves around Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell), the younger of two sons of a widower coal miner (Gary Lewis) near Newcastle in Northern England. It's 1984, and the National Union of Mine Workers is engaged in a long, bitter strike, marked by street battles with riot police and protests against the busloads of scabs crossing the picket lines.
Following the family tradition, Billy is expected to learn boxing at the Everington Boys Club where, instead, the 11 year-old becomes enthralled by the girls' dancing class, led by a chain-smoking teacher (Julie Walters) who soon recognizes his raw talent. He loves watching Fred Astaire in old movies and is instantly drawn towards the ballet class, but when his macho father and rabble-rousing brother (Jamie Draven) discover he's taking ballet classes, they ridicule Billy - "Lads do boxing and football and wrestling, not friggin' ballet!" - forcing him to hide his slippers under the mattress and sneak off to class. Then come the auditions for the Royal Ballet School and Billy's defiantly joyful, foot-stompin' "I Want to Boogie" sequence.
What makes this heartfelt English import such a gem is the collaboration of screenwriter Lee Hall, cinematographer Brian Tufano ("Trainspotting") and former stage director Stephen Daldry ("An Inspector Calls"), who - despite the simplistic predictability of the plot - create eccentric, lovable characters and evocative imagery. One haunting sequences focuses on a little neighborhood girl dragging a stick along a brick wall, which dissolves into a phalanx of plastic police shields. Another involves the father grimly chopping up Billy's mother's beloved piano for needed firewood. While some of the authentic, heavily accented dialogue may be indecipherable to some, the musical soundtrack, combining classical and pop, is terrific.
In the title role, newcomer Jamie Bell embodies awkward determination, juggling grim reality with a surreal fantasy world, explaining, "Just because I like ballet doesn't mean I'm a pouf!" As Billy's father, Gary Lewis ("My Name is Joe") is tough-yet-tender, and Julie Walters ("Educating Rita") scores as Billy's crusty yet compassionate teacher. ("I feel like a sissy," Billy tells her. "Well, don't act like one," she retorts.) Jamie Draven and Stuart Wells lend strong support. Jean Heywood is touching as Billy's senile grandmother, whom he tenderly cares for and who repeatedly recalls, "I could have been a professional dancer."
While the bleak setting, in the 1984 miners' strike in northeastern England, is reminiscent of "The Full Monty," the energetic mood evokes "Flashdance" - and it was a bit hit at both the Toronto and Cannes Film Festivals. On the `Lund Movie Scale' of 1 to 10, "Billy Elliot" is an exhilarating 9. Combining comedy and poignancy, it's all about being able to express yourself.

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BILLY ELLIOT - DVD Movie

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STOMP Live (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)It is rare for stage shows to get a video release. You can count the DVD releases of still-active Broadway shows on one hand and have a few fingers left over. STOMP, thank goodness, is tossing that rule into one of their oft-used and abused trash bins.
This DVD features a full performance of the wonderfully entertaining stage show, filmed in the UK on the same stage where many of the show's segments were created.
Even after a decade and a half, STOMP still defies easy description. Part concert, part theatre.... Impossible to pigeonhole. But it is 100% entertaining and fun. In STOMP, the world is your drum kit.
I've attended ten performances of this show since 1995 and I never grow tired of it. This DVD is a perfect souvenir of the performance.
There are quite a few bonus features on the disc, including a peek at some new bits being developed for future versions of the show. You also get performer bios, interviews with STOMP creators and directors, an alternate take of one show segment, and a few other bells and whistles.
A few years back saw the release of "STOMP Out Loud" on home video. It featured bits from the stage show and new material created especially for the pay-cable program, but it wasn't the complete show. Not even close. I liked "STOMP Out Loud", but I was a little disappointed that I wasn't getting the full stage show.
But now it's here!!
I cannot recommend this DVD enough. Fun, fun show. Even my fuddy-duddy friends who don't like theatre love this show.
Great disc, good crisp picture and sound.
I've only had it 24 hours and I've already watched it twice.
My personal favorite segment is "Hands and Feet", perhaps the most rhythmically complex and interesting part of the show. It is carefully structured and choreographed but also allows room for quite a bit of improvisation, like a jazz routine.In a perfect world, someone would figure out how to mesh the magic of STOMP with the zany and creative juggling of The Flying Karamazov Brothers......

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Eight performers take the audience on a journey through sound and music, where rhythm is the only language...STOMP has grown from its beginnings on the streets of Europe into an international sensation, with touring productions all over the world, and long running shows in London, Las Vegas and Broadway. This special performance brings together performers from the West End, New York and Vegas for the very first time, to Stomp's home town and the theatre where many of the routines were originated: Brighton Dome.Instantly recognizable household objects take on new life as percussive instruments in the hands of each of the Stompers: brooms, cigarette lighters, water bottles, basketballs and more are each explored for their sonic potential. Dance meets rhythm in "Hands and Feet" and Stomp takes to the air in "Suspension", where the entire set becomes a musical instrument. The show climaxes with the "Bins" routine: a ten minute rhythm extravaganza in itself, using trash-cans, oil drums and plastic drums with trash-can lid combat sequences...Combining physical comedy and athleticism, it's a highly charged performance from an idiosyncratic group who could only come from the world of STOMP.

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