The Shaggy Dog (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this as a dvd for home use. I won't repeat the story as others have done so already. I loved the story. The plot was well put together and solid. The acting was wonderful. I have watched it a couple of times now and enjoy it more each time I see it. I really am enjoying the fun of this film. I'd suggest to folks to just relax and watch a terrific and humorous film. It is made to be light with family values of what counts in life.Tim did an outstanding job as he always does. The chasing scenes with Tim on all fours becoming a dog; the dog behaviors as a human had me rolling. It is one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. As an adult I loved it and would buy it again. I'm thrilled to see Disney making such terrific and wonderful films. It was tastefully done. The caged scenes were carefully done. No bad language just a wonderful film that can be enjoyed as another eventual classic among the Disney films. And no I didn't perceive this as a film geared toward small children. Perhaps pre-teens and up would be my guess. To demean the film based on the expectation that tiny children would appreciate the story is not realistic nor does it do justice for what the film is. It is a wonderful film with a great storyline!!

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Comedian Tim Allen unleashes all the outrageous fun in this doggone hilarious update of Disney's comedy classic! The adventures begin when workaholic Dave Douglas (Allen) is accidentally transformed into a lovable dog. Now as Dave digs to uncover the mystery, this overworked dad wants nothing more than to stop fetching ... and get back to fathering. But before he does, he's about to discover that being man's best friend gives him a curious insight into what it takes to be a great dad! The tail-wagging fun continues with bonus features to howl about including bone-tickling bloopers, deleted scenes, and a special bark-along bone-us feature dogs will love!

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Escape From Alcatraz (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)Seldom do Amazon.com reviewers agree on ratings for films they watch, but for this one, the vote is in and it is unanimous. Escape from Alcatraz is a winner.
Director Don Siegel is pitch perfect from beginning to end. Many reviewers who have been to Alcatraz comment on the realism of this film. Siegel gives us an inside look at what it might have been like to be imprisoned on "the rock." From the black hole of solitary confinement to the painfully small individual cells of the prisoners, Alcatraz was a nasty place meant for only the nastiest criminals.
One of these prisoners is Frank Morris, expertly played by Clint Eastwood, who is transferred to Alcatraz, gets into a fight with an inmate who wants to make him his "punk," and spends time in the black hole. When he gets out of solitary, Morris begins to plan his escape. Several reviewers comment on the fact that Hollywood does not get these facts straight, but I didn't much care. I was pulled very quickly into Morris's plans and then the actual mechanics of the breakout, which were genuinely interesting and toward the end, had me sitting at the edge of my chair as I waited with suspense to see how the story would end.
The escape is obviously central to the entire plot, but the life of prisoners at Alcatraz is also dramatized expertly by Don Siegel. The warden, Patrick McGoohan, is aloof and professional, but he has a mean streak, which makes life harder than it needs to be on the rock. Frank Morris is smart enough not to get mad, but to get even, and this he does with three other inmates who assist him in the breakout. The warden and his guards are constanly on the alert for any suspicious behavior and we hold our breath from time to time as the escape plan is almost detected.
At last the time comes and we go step by step with Morris and two of his crew as they head for the icy waters surrounding Alcatraz. The fourth member of the crew hesitated and was left behind. This appears to follow the real-life events as mentioned by other reviewers.
Did Morris and his buddies successfully navigate the treacherous waters surrounding Alcatraz? I'll leave that question unanswered. Viewers can decide for themselves.
What is certain, at least to the reviewers of Amazon.com, is that Escape from Alcatraz is a well-made, highly suspenseful film from beginning to end, and it is one of Clint Eastwood's best roles -- that's saying something. Highly recommended!

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Filmed on location on Alcatraz Island, this is an account of the only three men ever to escape from this maximum security prison.Genre: Feature Film-Action/AdventureRating: PGRelease Date: 28-MAR-2006Media Type: DVD

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Beloved (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)This story holds a deeper meaning. It is about something coming back to haunt us all. It is about sins that we commit that never really go away until we can learn to forgive ourselves and those who have offended us. It is about putting the pieces of the mirror of life together and looking deeply into it to see what is really in our souls.
Supernatural evil forces surrounding us can scare us in movies, but what should really frighten us is how we have treated people throughout time. How we have enslaved people in many ways and have treated them as less than human. This story echoes these thoughts.
This is a deeply moving film that must be given your full attention to understand the complexities. I was literally captivated: body, soul and spirit. I was glued to the couch, too scared to go anywhere. ;>
The opening scenes are very violent and shocking. If you didn't read the reviews you would really be wondering if you wanted to keep watching the movie as I did. However, they cleverly showed you only enough to make you terribly curious. What throws a dog against the wall? That is why I was watching to find out what the heck had just happened. It is like a puzzle and you have to pick up a piece here and there. For the mind that analyzes everything...this is a dream movie.
The story does not play out in a sequence of events as some stories do. It slips back into time, dragging out the horrific past and adding bits here and there to make you want to understand the entire story. I thought this was very cleverly done.
The basic story running on the first level is about Sethe's life. She is a slave who escapes from a cruel Kentucky plantation called: "Sweet Home." Paul D was also a slave and yet he seems to have more inner strength even though he has seen it all. Sethe is obviously very troubled from her experiences and is determined not to let her children experience the horrors of slavery. She and her family are living on a plot outside of Cincinnati, Ohio eight years after the end of the Civil War.
When slave hunters threaten to take her children back to the plantation, she kills one of her daughters.
She continues to live with her second daughter Denver after her two sons run away. The murdered child then haunts their shack with a red glow until she actually returns in bodily form. Reality and the supernatural are blended together to make this the most creepy movie you will ever see because the creepiness is so subtle it takes you off guard.
Oprah is incredible as an actress. Kimberley Elise (Denver) and Thandie Newton are incredible in their roles. I have never been so freaked out by anyone's facial expressions in my life. The things Thandie Newton can do with her face rival the best. Kimberley's eyes were at times almost ethereal. Danny Glover adds a much needed calm to the movie as he seems to be living in reality most of the time.
Perhaps this movie did not do well because it is more for those who are very patient and caters to a smaller audience with eclectic tastes. This is not really for the mainstream audience. I thought the movie was quite long. Some movies are best viewed at home when they are of this length. The setting in which you view a movie is often very important to your enjoyment.
Rare, vivid, provocative, authentic, intelligent, complex, artistic, scary, emotional, beautiful, sad, delirious, confusing, secretive and overall, great story telling.
~The Rebecca Review

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Oprah Winfrey (THE COLOR PURPLE) and Danny Glover (LETHAL WEAPON IV, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS) play the unforgettable lead roles in a powerful, widely acclaimed cinematic triumph from Jonathan Demme -- the Academy Award(R)-winning director of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. On a difficult journey to find freedom, Sethe (Winfrey) is constantly confronted by the secrets that have haunted her for years. Then, an old friend from out of her past (Glover) unexpectedly reenters her life. With his help, Sethe may finally be able to rediscover who she is and regain her lost sense of hope. Also featuring outstanding performances from Thandie Newton (GRIDLOCK'D) and Lisa Gay Hamilton (TV's THE PRACTICE) -- you'll agree with critics everywhere who've hailed this landmark adaptation of Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel as one of the year's finest films!

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Death at a Funeral (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)WHY? A gag filled story filled with humor in a situation that's not supposed to be funny. You have to like this type of off-the-wall comedy drama. It is quirky humor. You have to decide if you like this US version or stick with the UK original of 3 years earlier. Both have great, top stars, doing awesomely in the roles of unusual characters through a bazaar affair.
Chris York is the deceased man's son in America. Well done. Or do you prefer a British Matthew MacFadyen taking a giant leap from Mr. Darcy in "Pride & Prejudice" for his work as the same character in the British film? Both top actors, both convincing, and creating laughs, although playing a solemn role. Directors have both done well with the same script. Even the blackmail amount of 15,000 pounds was accurately converted to 30,000 US dollars. Neil LeBute (US film) gets the most out of an American cast, Frank OZ (actually British born) puts together his cast and the story, which is as imaginary as OZ-the-Wizard's tale. Both the US & UK versions come with a munchkin-size star, Peter Dinklage (Frank in US; Peter in UK) who is fantastic in a difficult role, made only more difficult and strange in the US version due to skin tone significance. Dinklage is the only cast member to do the same role in both films.
The question is "Why?" first and then "Which?" for the viewers. Which may be best decided by buying both and making your own comparison. If you are one of the public that likes viewing the same movie multiple times, this story will give you some diversification in repetition, WITHOUT LOSS OF QUALITY.
You'll laugh till the film's end, when the bereaved son, after a day of mishaps, delivers a touching, philosophical ending that seems alien to all that happened beginning with the delivery of the wrong body to the family home on the morning of this "Death at a Funeral."
So do you want American scenery or British? American accents or British? English subtitles or ENGLISH??? This remake of a British hit for the American public reminds me somewhat of a British TV series "Life on Mars: UK Series" that was redone for American TV. Why? But both versions have their fans. There I preferred the UK.
Bottom line. If your not looking for depth in a movie, just weird stuff, this will fill your basket, US or UK. It's like picking your favorite chocolate variety--it all tastes like chocolate, and it's good.

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A funeral ceremony turns into a debacle of exposed family secrets and misplaced bodies.Studio: Sony Pictures Home EntRelease Date: 08/10/2010Starring: Keith DavidRun time: 92 minutesRating: RDirector: Neil Labrite

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