Rescue Me: Season 5, Volume 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I was kind of worried after watching season 4 it wasn't as good as the first 3 seasons. I feared the show had reached it's peak. Season 5 shot that idea down quick,fast,and in a hurry! I am currently working in Iraq (not in the milatary)so I don't get to see them til they come out on DVD. I was disappointed when I saw it was only 1 of 2. But I got the first so late I didn't have too long before to 2nd was out. Back to the review everything you loved about seasons 1-3 is back. The action,drama,and most of all comedy is back and better than ever. You will be glad you didn't give up on the series. A must have for anyone who likes a show.

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The season continues as Tommy's drinking begins to spiral out of control. Sean recovers from his illness and heads back to work where Tommy's temper problems still get him in trouble. Needles and Lou both have new women in their lives, providing endless entertainment around the firehouse. Meanwhile, Tommy's womanizing ways begin to catch up to him when he finds himself caught between Janet, Sheila, and an intriguing newcomer. Tensions boil over in a shocking turn of events during a late night at the bar, leaving Tommy Gavin in serious jeopardy in the hottest season yet.

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Felicity - Sophomore Year Collection (The Complete Second Season) (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a huge Felicity fan - I was not a big tv viewer prior to its pilot and never real got into the whole WB thing (hated dawson's creek - do any teenagers really talk like that? Please!)
Felicity was great because I started watching it as a freshman and I know it's corny but I almost felt like I was growing up with her, because it was SO real and true. It so closely resembled things in my college experience and my friends' college experiences. I felt like each season we saw her grow and change into a new individual (loved the change of theme song in season 3).
The first season was new, innovative, hopeful, inspiring. It was like being in college - lots of doors were opened and everyone wanted to see which way she'd go.
Season two is great because you start to see the other characters come to life. Ben develops, starts to become a person who actually deals with his problems rather than ignoring them and being a jerk. Some people think that season 2 became too relationship/love-centered - but that's life, for sure, and when ISN't life about love and falling in and out of it!?
Season 2 picks up where 1 left off and just keeps getting better! Check it out!

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Studio: Buena Vista Home VideoRelease Date: 12/26/2008

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Samurai X - The Motion Picture (Rurouni Kenshin) Review

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(More customer reviews)To get it out of the way first, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie--I am huge fan of the Rurouni Kenshin series, and the movie, while not quite as good as the series' best parts, succeeded in giving me more of the same stuff I love so much (as long as you don't watch the horrific English dub--even compared to the series' English dub it's horrible).
Now on to the important part--the confusion that has been steeped upon this release. Here's what everyone should know, but seems to ignore (at least in reviews): "Samurai X" is the American title used to replace the Japanese title, "Rurouni Kenshin," when this movie and the OVA's were released by ADV. The original series (it came first, only after the comic) is being released under its original title by Anime Works. The Kenshin OVA's (under the American titles "Samurai X: Trust" and "Samurai X: Betrayal") were made later as a prequel to the series, chronicling the early days of Battousai the Manslayer/Hitokiri. By the time the series begins, 10 years later, the main character Kenshin has given up his past role of Battousai in order to somehow make up for his evils, so he lives as a wandering swordsman (note: not a samurai by any means, ever!) who refuses to kill. The Rurouni Kenshin movie takes place around the time of the series--as in, the same supporting cast appears, and Kenshin is currently a wanderer. Not only does the movie's story occur within the context of the series, but stylistically it fits as well.
Comparing the RK movie to the OVA series, in terms of story or style, is useless. They are two completely different works based on the same series, one made to portray the dark and violent aspects of Kenshin's early life, and the other meant to act as a direct companion to the material in the series. One reviewer relates the series and OVA's as being two seperate universes, and the movie an amalgamation of the two. Well, that is just flat-out wrong. All three works have been created along a timeline in terms of story, and in the case of style, have been created to reflect the period of Kenshin's that is being chronicled. The only reason the name "Samurai X" was given to the OVA's and movie was to make them look "cooler" for an American audience by Sony & ADV after they acquired the rights. The American name says nothing about the contents.

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The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Shigure Takimi watched his friends and family get slashed down in the name of freedom and prosperity. Now he and a band of desparate rebels have sworn to settle one final score. Only one man stands in their way: Rurouni Kenshin. Will the former assassin take up his sword to fight again? When Shigure discovers Kenshin's true identity and his fight becomes a personal vendetta, the young hero will have no choice.

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The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Volume Four Review

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(More customer reviews)The critically ABC Family series "THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER" received a lot of attention during its first season as the series took on the challenges of teenage pregnancy. Showing us the ramifications of being pregnant as a young teen but also the responsibilities and difficult choices one needs to make as a single mother and also showcasing the challenges of teenage sexuality and peer pressure.
"THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER" focuses on the life of teenager Amy Juergens (Shailene Woodley). Your typical girl next door. A 15-year-old who plays the French Horn in a band and part of a typical American family ala dysfunctional. During a summer at band cap, Amy met her high school band's "player" Rickey Underwood (Darren Kagasoff) and with one very quick one night stand, this teenager had her life change in ways she would never imagine. The first season of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" focused on Amy dealing with being pregnant and the months leading to her giving birth and having to decide between giving the baby up for adoption or keeping it.
The second season began with Amy wanting to raise the child on her own but depending too much on her mother Anne to help her out. Anne (played by Molly Ringwald) is strict and wants Amy to learn that having a baby has major challenges and to make things complicated, Anne is pregnant herself and not knowing if the father is her ex-husband George (played by Mark Derwin) or her new boyfriend.
In volume 3, we have seen changes with the friends as Benjamin (played by Kenny Baumann) who is Amy's boyfriend is starting to feel left out, especially as Amy wants the baby's father, Rickey (played by Darren Kagasoff) involved in the baby's life. Ben ended up going to Italy after the recommendation of his father and while there, met another girl.
Meanwhile, tragedy hit Grace Bowman (played by Megan PArk) as her father was killed in an accident, vulnerable and at her lowest of low, Jack (played by Greg Finley) ends up helping his ex-girlfriend and eventually, the two become boyfriend and girlfriend once again. And the two start to discuss having sex once again. As for Adrian (played by Francia Raisa), she starts to become more self-conscious about her sexual promiscuity.
"The Secret Life of the American Teenager - Volume Four" features the second half of season two with 12 episodes on three DVD's.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"The Secret Life of the American Teenager" is presented in widescreen (1:78:1) and for the most part, the picture quality is satisfactory for this drama series. Also, it helps that the series features various settings, including multiple outdoor shots which definitely makes the PQ for the DVD much better.
Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The series is front and center channel driven, dialogue is clear and understandable and music comes out quite clear from the front channels. The series is not the type of series that utilizes special effects or the use of the surround channels but if you have a modern home theater receiver and a 5.1 or 7.2 setup, definitely worth selecting audio on all channels on the receiver for a more immersive soundscape.
Subtitles are in English SDH.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"The Secret Life of the American Teenager - Volume Four" comes with a few special features on disc three. Included are:
* Behind the "Secret" Scenes - (44:06) Featuring the following short featurettes: With Mikaela Pt. 1 - (1:44) Featuring an interview with Allen Evangelista (Henry) and Amy Rider (Alice), With Mikaela Pt. 2 - (2:14) Continuing the interview with Allen Evangelista (Henry) and Amy Rider (Alice) and the two end up interviewing Mikaela, Shooting Hoops - (1:14) Featuring the Daren (Ricky) Kagasoff with his brother Justin and actor Greg (Jack) Finley shooting hoops during a break on the set, Megan Talking to Canada - (:49) Since Megan (Grace) is from Ontario, Megan talks about a Canadian working in Hollywood with director Anson Williams ("Happy Days" Potzie) and Music Scoring - (2:32) The composer for the series talks about working with a great music crew.
* Cast on Family - (5:02) The cast talks about what they expect from their characters and what has made their series a success.
EXTRAS:
"The Secret Life of the American Teenager - Volume Four" comes with a slipcover case and also included is an exclusive sneak peek to "Ashley Juergen's Secret Diary".
JUDGMENT CALL:
I have been a big supporter of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" since its debut on television for the most part, for the first three volumes, the series has had its fair share of ups and downs. This second half of the second season, seems to be a bit of a mixed bag.
One of the biggest problems the series now faces is that it is becoming to mundane as sex is the storyline that seems to have consumed each episode of the fourth volume, there are no new teen characters for which the main core can move towards. If one person has a problem, it's like the character has disregarded all their other friends (and has no other friends) and can only confide in one of the people who happens to be a main character.
As much as I like to believe everyone has been brought together because of Amy's pregnancy in the first season, these teenagers were all part of some click and have left it to become friends with each other and what made "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" so unique was that it nearly covered the challenges of today's teenager. Now, it feels as if the writers have no where else to go. If one had to create a relationship conflict, it has to be within the group of core characters and I have to admit, this latest volume has literally frustrated me with its direction in writing.
The series reached its high point when trying to showcase high school life, teenage pregnancy and the challenges that teenagers face when it comes to peer pressure but it has become a series that focuses too much on the sex amongst its grownups and teenagers and it seems like the writers don't know where to go.
Even a series "Degrassi Junior High" has been able to find ways to overcome the group dynamics by varying storylines in which the group is not always hanging out with each other. Even "Beverly Hills 90210' (and it's current incarnation) has found ways to utilize other teenagers, other adults into the storyline.
The problem with the series now is that its far removed from how things were with the core characters, some which is understandable but some direction in storyline decisions which I find mundane, contrived and becoming too kitsch. The series has had it share of surprises but Ben and Adriana and now Adriana may be pregnant?
Amy, the young parent and former band member will always have challenges and there is so many storylines to explore with that. Meanwhile, her younger sister Ashley has transformed from this rebellious youth, to now the character who is hanging out with Adrian and Grace. She's younger, the writers should be able to find storylines that reflect challenges of young teenagers at her age, trying to fit in high school, without having to force her to become friends with people of Amy's age group. There is no reason Ashley should even be hanging out with Amy's friends. She's mature for her age, please writers... give her some new friends, introduce some new characters without having to force Ashley to hang out with Amy's circle of friends.
As for Ben, the storyline with him going to Italy, had the potential to be much stronger. If anything, he could have came back with confidence, a new relationship and for the most part, the writers played his character well...with his confusion around his feelings towards Amy. But once again, the writers feel the need to do this sex swapping and in this case, with Adrian. I see where the context of revenge on both sides leading to this sexual pairing but it could have been with someone else outside of the group.
Grace, the cheerleader, the person who has gone through major changes since her father died. I felt that this was a good storyline for her character but there has to be a breakaway from Jack. She's a beautiful cheerleader, who I am sure can attract other jocks or guys at that school without having to resort to Rick or Ben. There is no need for this beautiful teenager to be stuck within her own group. She's popular, she now has issues, then go with that.
As for Jack, the jock of the bunch, I thought it was great how they explored with his character earlier on of trying to pair him with an African American young woman but then the writers ended up going back to having him mess with Adrian and back and forth with Grace. Similar to Grace, Jack is popular, he's a jock and I'm not expecting a "Friday Night Lights" storyline but I'm sure there are other cheerleader friends that wouldn't mind challenging Grace for Jack's attention. Or at least, using his poor choice of decision making and leading him astray with other things other than sex.
I do feel that Adrian and Ricky's part of the series works well. Adrian is always going to have these issues especially with sex and I have no doubt the writers are going to showcase the repercussions of her easy going lifestyle in the next season. For Ricky, I see him wanting to get more involved in his child's life and the writer's did a good job for volume four.
Overall, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" needs to take some risks, utilize new characters who show up from time to time but somehow preventing these characters from shacking up with each other all the time. The series is...Read more›

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In the wake of their breakup, Ben and Amy explore new relationships, though their attraction still lingers. Meanwhile, Ashley tests her parent’s limits, and Anne wants to remarry George on their next anniversary, but will he be able to wait that long? Relive every moment of televison’s celebrated drama – uninterrupted, plus enjoy fascinating bonus features, with The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Volume Four.

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Three Colors Trilogy (Blue / White / Red) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)The late great Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski cleverly "adapted" the three French ideals -- liberty, equality, fraternity -- into three thought-provoking modern-day dramas about people who cope with personal losses and tragedies. In BLUE, the first of the trilogy, a widow tries to set herself free (and gain liberty) from her emotional baggages. The second film, WHITE, is about a jilted man's outrageous plot to get even (thus, equality) with his ex-wife. The last film, RED, which is also Kieslowski's final film before he died in 1996, is about a lonely old man who is embittered by the memories of his youth and finds accidental companionship (fraternity) with a young model. All three films are understated in their tone, economical in their dialogs, elliptical in their editing and plotting (there are some mind-boggling flashbacks and flash forwards in WHITE), and haunting in their atmosphere.
The references to the three French ideals are actually quite tenuous, and in fact more and more so as the trilogy progresses. BLUE is the only one that deals with the ideal of "freedom" (albeit emotional freedom) in a concrete way, inviting us to ponder its meanings and its attainability. WHITE treats the concept of "equality" in a rather subversive and satiric way, and it clearly wants us to rethink its meanings rather than accepting it at face value. And RED has to do with "fraternity" only circumstantially, and has more to do with the issue of destiny, and how our past is linked to our present. The three films are set not just in France, but also in Poland and Switzerland, and WHITE has primarily Polish dialogs. Hence, a sort of universality is intended.
The three films are also linked in various ways. All three films involve an unfaithful lover who dies, in one way or another. All three films involve a chance encounter between the distressed protagonist and a sympathetic observer -- the widow and the mistress in BLUE, Karol and Mikolaj in WHITE, the retired judge and the model in RED. Both BLUE and WHITE are about people who move to new surroundings to escape from his or her troubled pasts. And RED, ironically, is about someone who never leaves his home in order to wallow in his self-pity.
Kieslowski had done this sort of thing before. In 1988, he "adapted" the Ten Commandments into ten one-hour, modern-day dramas, collectively titled DECALOGUE, that make us rethink the meanings of the commandments. In the segment for "Thou Shalt Not Steal," for instance, we witness the kidnapping (the theft) of a child from her adopted parents by her natural mother, who thinks she has a right to her custody. Thus, it turns clear-cut moral ideals into real-world dramas that have no clear-cut solutions or judgments.
Miramax released long-awaited Region-1 DVDs for the Three Colors trilogy, and they all have superb video transfers and rewarding extra material. Kieslowski expert Annette Insdorf provides excellent running commentaries for all three films. She analyzes the visual, aural, and editorial techniques, the thematic significance, as well as how the final films deviate from their original screenplays. She points out that Kieslowski films often deal with abstract concepts, such as fate, death, and grief, in very concrete ways. She makes an observant remark about the apparent twist of fate in the opening of BLUE: if the hitchhiker were picked up by the family, the ensuing tragedy might not occur. She points out that the dream-like wedding scene in WHITE, which many assume is a flashback, could also be a flash forward (a very interesting, and plausible, notion). She offers her interpretations to the many symbolisms in the films, such as the frequent fades to black in BLUE, the recurring shot of a stooped old person at a garbage bin, the significance of the concerto music in BLUE, the tango theme in WHITE, and the bolero score in RED. She also explains the intentionally cryptic endings of WHITE and RED.
Each disc comes with several featurettes that comprise about 100 minutes of interviews and commentaries by the cast and crew, Insdorf, film critic Geoff Andrew, and film director Agnieszka Holland. The BLUE and WHITE discs also contain some early short films by Kieslowski: CONCERT OF WISHES, THE TROLLEY, THE FACE, THE OFFICE. All three discs contain a fascinating segment called "Kieslowski's Cinema Lesson," in which the director explains his intentions in one particular scene. The WHITE and RED discs contain behind-the-scenes footage of Kieslowski giving directions on the set. For Kieslowski fans, perhaps the most poignant clip in these supplements is that of Kieslowski announcing his retirement at the '94 Cannes festival, included on the RED disc.

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Miramax Home Entertainment is proud to present BLUE, WHITE and RED, the acclaimed films by director Krzysztof Kieslowski. Hailed by filmgoers as some of the most absorbing, engaging, well-crafted dramas in recent memory, the box set of BLUE, WHITE and RED Each DVD disc includes lengthy bonus features. BLUE: Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche ("The English Patient," Best Supporting Actress, 1996) stars as a young woman left devastated by the unexpected death of her husband and child. She retreats into the world around her, but is soon reluctantly drawn into an ever-widening web of lies and passion as the dark, secret life of her husband begins to unravel. WHITE: Sexy Julie Delpy ("Before Sunrise") stars in a mysterious tale of a man whose life disintegrates when his beautiful wife of six months deserts him. Forced to begin anew, he rebuilds his life, only to plan a dangerous scheme of vengeance against her. Winner of the Best Director Award at the Berlin Film Festival. RED: Irene Jacob ("The Double Life of Veronique") stars as a young model whose chance meeting with an unusual stranger leads her down a path of intrigue and secrecy. As her knowledge of the man deepens, she discovers an astonishing link between his past and her destiny.

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Dawson's Creek - The Complete Series (Seasons 1-6 Plus Series Finale) Review

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(More customer reviews)These are possibly the best DVD's any Dawson's Creek fan can own. Each season is amazing. I do find it cheaper to order the DVD's individually. I ordered them new from amazon, and ended up paying only $107 dollars for all six seasons plus the finale. Sometimes Amazon will have sales, like Buy One Get One Free, or they will mark the DVD's 50% off. Depending on how fast you want them will decide whether you pay the extra money or not. These DVD's are a must for any Dawson's Creek fan!!

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Dawson's Creek - The Complete First Season: Kevin Williamson (the Scream movie series, I Know What You Did Last Summer) created this engaging drama, which chronicles a group of young friends' passage from adolescence to young adulthood in the small coastal town of Capeside, Massachusetts. Based on Williamson's own experiences growing up, "Dawson's Creek" focuses on fifteen-year-olds Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes), who have been friends since they were five and are trying to cope with the way their friendship is changing now that their hormones are raging. Add to the mix their friend Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and the new girl in town, Jen (Michelle Williams), and you can count on extra twists to the drama in their already turbulent lives.
Filmed on location in Wilmington, Durham, and Raleigh, North Carolina, this first season marks the beginning of an unforgettable journey that explores the agony and the ecstasy of teenage life. Can the kids of "Dawson’s Creek" really grow up without growing apart? Starring James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, and Oliver Hudson.

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Second Season: The saga continues in this thought-provoking second season. Set in Capeside, a small coastal town near Boston, "Dawson's Creek" tells the story of five teenagers struggling through adolesence. Dawson Leary an introspective dreamer, and Joey Potter a precocious tomboy unaware of her beauty, have been best friends since childhood. Pals Jennifer, Pacey, and Jack (Kerr Smith) join them as they live, love and learn.

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Third Season: It's a new season and a new semester for the Capeside friends. With the pressures of high school increasing and senior year just around the corner, Dawson, Joey and the rest of the gang have a lot of planning to do. Along with pals Pacey, Jennifer and Jack, they deal with sex, ethics, jealousy and more.

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Fourth Season: It's senior year for Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen and Jack! After spending the summer together, Joey and Pacey find it difficult to keep their romance going with the realities of school, college applications and their strained relationship with Dawson. Dawson rediscovers his true life's dream, Jen turns over a new leaf after getting a new boyfriend, and Jack tries to rebuild relationships after revealing he's gay.

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Fifth Season: In the series’ fifth season, the gang makes the transition from adolescence to adulthood as they embark on their first year of college. Joey, Jen and Jack all move to Boston for college and try to adjust to life in the big city while Dawson pursues his dream of attending film school in Los Angeles and Pacey stays behind in Capeside to work. The fifth season also featured regular guest appearances by Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), Sherilyn Fenn (Darkness Falls) and Busy Phillips (Freaks and Geeks). During its six year run, Dawson’s Creek was honored with the GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Dramatic TV Series," nominated for a TV Guide Award for "Favorite Teen Show" and garnered three wins at the 2001 Teen Choice Awards.
Dawson's Creek - The Complete Sixth Season: It's a season of discontent for the Dawson's gang, with broken hearts and interrupted dreams causing major friction for all. Joey and Dawson rekindle their romance but the flame quickly dies out when he reveals he had a romance with an actress in L.A. - the same actress who's coming to Boston to star in Todd's movie. Audrey's dad helps Pacey get a job and makes her singing debut with Emma's band, but her inner demons threaten to destroy everything. And Jen faces the biggest challenge of her life - one that will have a lasting effect on them all.

Dawson's Creek - The Series Finale (Extended Cut):

Part One: It’s five years later and Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen and Jack are reunited in Capeside for Dawson’s mom’s wedding. But the celebratory mood comes to an end when they receive some heartbreaking news.

Part Two: As the gang faces a future more uncertain than ever before, Joey struggles to come to terms with her true feelings for Dawson, Pacey and her current boyfriend. When she finally does, she surprises everyone with her decision.

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Kyle XY: The Complete Second Season Review

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(More customer reviews)For those who so thoroughly enjoyed Season 1 of Kyle XY, Season 2 continues the story with some new twists and new characters, while wrapping up loose threads from Season 1. After the death of his mentor, Adam Baylin, Kyle returns to the Trager family, who keenly felt his absence.
Kyle continues to work on developing his abilities under the tutelage of Tom Foss (Nicholas Lea, Alex Krycek on "The X-Files"), while keeping his activities secret, which strains his relationship with his newly adopted family. He also pursues a relationship with Amanda, the neighbor girl he doted on in Season 1.
However, in Season 2, Kyle is no longer the only one of his kind. Shortly before a bomb takes out the laboratory where Kyle was created, a female like him emerges from her pod and runs wild in Seattle, until the company that created her reprograms her into Jessi, Kyle's friend/enemy. She is almost his complete opposite, unafraid to even kill.
The Trager family's lives remain interesting as well, as Steven is hired by the very company controlling Jessi, Lori and Declan's relationship is strained by Declan's keeping Kyle's secrets, Nicole provides therapy to Jessi, and Josh reaches the age of 16, and gets a girlfriend named Andy (yes, she's a girl!) who is suffering from a serious illness, which inspires Josh to do a lot of growing up in this season, while still maintaining his singular wit.
The longer season allows for more dramatic storytelling, leading up to a startling cliffhanger, which begins on TV in January. Interesting timing for the release, eh?
But for all that Kyle learns in this season, it seems clear that he has barely begun to scratch the surface, and may always be attempting to answer the tagline question: Who is Kyle XY?

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He is not alone. Prepare for twice the excitement with the mysterious arrival of Jessi XX in the captivating sci-fi drama's jaw-dropping Season 2.0. What is Jessi's connection to Kyle, and might she carry the answer to the ultimate question: Who is Kyle XY? Breakout star Matt Dallas reprises his role as Kyle, the phenomenal young man with an enigmatic past. Unlock coveted secrets from Season One and delve into a new level of thrills in Kyle XY: Season 2.0 -- Revelations. Experience 13 episodes on three discs, including a round-the-clock look at the worlds of Kyle and Jessi, and get an exclusive sneak peek into the show's future. It's a twisting, turning drama that will have you hooked from the very first episode!

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August (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Bottom Line:
Weaving an unmistakable atmosphere of gloom over the story of an arrogant dot-commer attempting to keep his dying company afloat several months after most other such companies have collapsed, director Austin Chick elevates August into quite a little modern tragedy; it was panned by critics but between the electric performance by David Bowie in the film's final act, a wonderfully sour Rip Torn, and the aforementioned direction by Chick there is a great deal to like in this already-forgotten picture
3/4

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AUGUST follows Tom Sterling (Josh Hartnett) as an aggressive, young dot-com entrepreneur who fights to keep his start-up company afloat.Tom finds himself on a personal and professional downward spiral as he struggles to reunite with girlfriend Sarrah (Naomie Harris), attempts to regain control of his company from his apathetic investor Ogilvie (David Bowie), and must deal with age-old family wounds with his father, David (Rip Torn) and his brother Joshua (Adam Scott). The film also stars Emmanuelle Chriqui as Morela and Andre Royo as Dylan.

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Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season One (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sadly, I must say that I'm probably considered an old guy to most of the reviewers of this "Degrassi: The Next Generation" boxed set. At twenty-eight years of age, I'm probably twice as old as most of these folks. But that doesn't matter because I really love this boxed set. I grew up watching the original Degrassi shows on PBS in Louisiana. Though the cast was roughly two years older than I was, I found myself relating to a lot of them. The new series allows me to catch up with some of my old favorites, as well as introduces me to a new crop of kids going through that great life-changing period we know as junior high and high school.
This new DVD set brings us the first season of the new series. Many of the kids are still pre-teens in this season. We are introduced to Emma, J.T., Toby, Manny, Ashley, Paige, etc. We're also introduced to some of their parents. One of the parents is very familiar to us old folks. Emma's mom is Ms. Nelson, or Spike, from the original show. She'll become quite close with Emma's media immersion teacher, Mr. Simpson. Once again, the old folks will probably, recognize Mr. Simpson as Snake from the old show. Another returning favorite is Joey Jeremiah. You'll remember him as the goofy kid that wore a fedorah. Many of the older castmembers show up for a class reunion at the end of episode two.
The new cast is fun to watch. It's funny how kids these days still deal with many of the same problems that other teenagers deal with. Everything from sex to drug abuse to first loves is dealt with. There are a few new trials and tribulations these days, however. One such temptation is internet romance, which gets Emma into a sticky situation. Another subject dealt with is Ashley having to come to terms with the fact that her father is gay. Though homosexuals have been around forever, I think that this is the first teen show that deals with this particular situation. Spinner is on behavior-controlling prescription drugs(ritelin, forgive the spelling). Jimmy uses those particular drugs to give him an "edge" at basketball. J.T. and Toby check out a little internet porn and, as usual, those blasted parents catch them. These are just a few of the "newer" problems that are addressed on the show.
Some of the problems that have hampered teens since the dawn of time are addressed as well. Toby crushes big-time over Emma, who is captivated by Sean. Sean, meanwhile, comes from a busted, alcoholic family. Paige manipulates her friends to get what she wants. Terry is overweight and thinks that no one will ever like her. Liberty fears failure in the classroom, etc., etc. What you get is a teenage soap-opera that deals with real issues.
Granted, some of the "problems" are hokey and 100% cheese, but this helps break the intensity of some of the dramatic moments. The acting isn't superb, but it wasn't with the original show, either. What you end up with is a program that teens and pre-teens can watch without feeling like they are being preached to or lectured. The characters are believable and they deal with their problems in the same way as any average kid would these days.
The DVD extras are fun. There is karaoke, where you get to sing the theme song. There's a casting call section where you get to see some of the youngsters try out for roles. A blooper reel is included, and some deleted scenes as well. One of the best deleted scenes for us oldsters is one which catches us up on a lot of the old characters from the original shows.
I recommend this boxed set to anyone who wants to relive the old days of their youth. More importantly, I recommend this set to teachers and parents who want to teach their kids without having to hammer a speech down their throats. Kids connect with the characters on this show, and that makes life a little bit easier to deal with once they realize that they aren't the "only one" who has to deal with any of their particular teenage problems.

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The Ultimate Box Set Has Arrived!Are you ready to experience Degrassi: The Next Generation like never before?Fans... hold on to your fedoras!Because the Next Generation of Degrassi has been born on DVD!This Degrassi: The Next Generation Ultimate Box Set includes: two DVDs that hold a whopping 450 minutes of episodic footage from the first season of the series, one bonus DVD boasting more than 100 extra features and exclusive Degrassi: TNG locker decor.It's a brave new world as the Next Generation of Degrassi confronts all new issues.But, this environment is much different than the one faced by generations before.It's filled with the Internet, body piercing, hip-hop and more opportunities for pitfalls than ever.Remember when meeting pen pals wasn't risky?These kids may be more media savvy than their parents, but they aren't necessarily more sophisticated.A whole new generation ventures through the trial and tribulations of adolescence, with a one-hour kick-off episode (featuring favorites from Degrassi's past) and a cliffhanger that you won't want to miss.Watch Emma and "next generation" classmates, Manny, Toby, J.T., Liberty, Sean , Ashley, Paige, Terri, Spinner and Jimmy as they encounterpressure, temptation and revel in the glory that comes with being young.Kick back and enjoy Degrassi: The Next Generation... The Ultimate Box Set.More than 100 Extra Features!Enjoy Degrassi: The Next Generation like never before with: 15 Director's Cut Episodes Degrassi Karaoke Degrassi Photo Album Character Descriptions Cast Biographies Deleted Scenes Oops and Bloopers Original Television Promos PLUS.... On the Casting Couch: Audition Tapes Unveiled AND... EXCLUSIVE Locker Décor!

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Ugly Betty: The Complete Second Season Review

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(More customer reviews)Warning! Some spoilers contained in the following review!
All in all, Season Two of UGLY BETTY was, like Season One, an utter delight. It certainly was not timid in its story telling, trying to keep true to its roots in telemundo by pushing storylines that beggared credibility, sometimes perhaps crossing the lines of believability, but all in all having a lot of fun.
There were too many plotlines to attempt any summarization, but suffice it to say that if you didn't care for one - and there were some that I definitely didn't care for (primarily Wilhelmina's theft of Bradford Meade's sperm upon his death and then having Christina carry Bradford and Wilhelmina's baby, though secondarily the storyline of having Gene Simmons temporarily feature as Amanda's supposed biological father [like most people I've talked to, I just find anything having to do with Gene Simmons to be more than a little distasteful]) - just wait a week or two and you'd find others you might like instead. That said, the one arc that extended the length of the season was the two men in Betty's life: Henry, who she loves and with whom she continues a romance that is fated to end as soon as his ex-girlfriend Charlie gives birth to their child, and Gio, who is deeply attracted to Betty and tries to engage her interest even while she remains with Henry. Both Christopher Gorham who plays Henry (who I previously loved in JAKE 2.0) and Freddy Rodriguez (who I loved in SIX FEET UNDER) do a great job of making both of their characters really interesting. I found myself wanting Betty to be happy with both of them, though obviously she could only end up with one.
But to be honest, the real appeal of the show lies less in the story arcs, which while good are not particularly outstanding, than in the fine ensemble cast and the great collection of characters. I perpetually found myself less than riveted by what was happening than in whom it was happening to. Ultimately, I think that might be the show's weakness. With its roots in telemundo, the show has an indelible and inescapable frivolity. By its very nature, it lacks any potential to become much more than a nice way to pass time. That being said, it is time that I do enjoy passing.
I am extremely anxious, however, about the show's future. Season Three is going to feature some absolutely massive changes to the show. Shortly after filming concluded on Season Two it was announced that the production was going to relocate to New York City. At the same time it was leaked that Rebecca Romjin, who has been delightful as Daniel's sister/former brother Alexis/Alex, was going to have a greatly lessened involvement in the series in Season Three. To make matters worse, there were rumors that some actors were unwilling to move to New York full time and might have their character's become less central to the story. The most worrying of these is Eric Mabius, who has young children and a home in L.A. After Betty his Daniel Meade is easily one of the most important characters on the show. Having him on less than a full time basis could significantly change the entire texture of the show, and I suspect not for the better. Also, while I believe having the show filmed in the actual city where the action is supposed to take place (though I suspect that the neighborhood in which Betty's house is supposed to be located will continue to be CGI) will be a great boon for the show, I fear that the changes could give it a very different feel from the first two seasons. This could very easily cease to be the show that we've all known and loved.
Fearful or not, I will try to be optimistic. Hopefully the cast will remain more or less intact with the move to New York. I will also hope that the producers reconsider the lessened role for Rebecca Romjin and that Eric Mabius stays with the show fulltime. And I hope that having the possibility of on location shots in New York outweighs any disruption leaving L.A. creates. Season Two ended, as with Season One, with some major cliffhangers, but this year not all of the anticipation was created by the story. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the show remains as much fun as it has been in the past.

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UPC:786936754230DESCRIPTION: Betty Suarez is smart, sweet and hard working. They only problem is that she s not thin and beautiful like all her co-workers at Mode, the high-fashion magazine where she works. The only reason the publisher hired her to be his son s secretary is that he thought Betty was someone who Daniel would never sleep with. Betty s hard work and determination earns Daniel s respect, as she helps him find his way through the shark infested waters of the fashion industry.

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Against All Odds (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Director Taylor Hackford doesn't make a lot of mistakes. But he points out one in the deleted scenes area of this disc. When I saw it back in 1984, I didn't understand what the heck Jeff Bridges was doing flying around Mexico to throw James Woods off the train while Rachel Ward went to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza (an awesome spot I visited back in 1995, by the way). The deleted scene helps make this clear and really enhanced my enjoyment of the film.
Whether you like the movie or not, the chance to see the seaside ruins of Tulum and the astronomical temple of Chichen Itza is worth it. No one apparently had been allowed to film there before. And Jane Greer is great as the quietly wicked mother of Ms. Ward.

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Melrose Place: The Fifth Season, Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)At last, season 5 lands, albeit volume 1.
Thankfully, CBS DVD are having a change of heart with Melrose and are getting it back on dvd after abandoning it last year in the u.s., and in 2007 in europe... due to poor sales, i believe.
(although, as of feb 09, melrose season 3 has been again delayed in europe...it didn't arrive feb 9th, instead now due late may, but i for one gave up on waiting for these releases and am thankful for the region 1 releases i can get)
THE DVDS:
On this set, you get part one of season 5 on a 4 disc set- episodes 1-20 of 34. (As i recall, episode 18 (Great Sexpectations) is a two parter, which aired as a 2 hour episode during the february sweeps season of 97, subsequently this was split into 2 separate episodes in other countries. on the case, it's named as just one episode of 19 on the set... but i believe we are getting 20 episodes). regardless, we are getting slighlty more than half the season, 17 would have been half..
volume 2 will probably be a 3 disc set of the 14 episodes left (i hope this will come in april or may, Dynasty had volume 1 in august, volume 2 in october last year of season 3, so i hope we're given a simliarly short gap between volumes).
The set includes:
Disc 1: Living With Disaster (Sept. 9, 1996)
Over Dlck's Dead Body (Sept. 16, 1996)
Moving Violations (Sept. 23, 1996)
Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love (Sept. 30, 1996)
Un-Janed Melody (Oct. 28, 1996)
Disc 2: Jane's Addiction (Nov. 4, 1996)
Young Doctors in Heat (Nov. 11, 1996)
Mission: Interpersonal (Nov. 11, 1996)
Farewell Mike's Concubine (Nov. 18, 1996)
Nice Work if You Can Get It (Nov. 25, 1996)
Disc 3: Sole Sister (Dec. 2, 1996)
Quest for Mother (Dec. 9, 1996)
Crazy Love (Dec. 16, 1996)
The Accidental Doctor (Jan. 6, 1997)
Escape From L.A. (Jan. 13, 1997)
Disc 4: Eyes of the Storm (Jan. 20, 1997)
Better Homes and Condos (Jan. 27, 1997)
Great S-e-x-pectations : parts 1 and 2 (Feb. 3, 1997)
Catch Her in the Lie (Feb. 10, 1997)
(By the way, episode summaries are returned to the packaging this time, when you open the case, episode titles and summaries are evident)
THE SEASON:
As for the show itself, season 5 was great for me... a lot of changes occurred during the season, particularly cast changes but the show still didn't lose it's momentum, it's ability to shock, it's strong plots and stories and characters that we cared about... at least not until the finale of the season ... season 6 never took off, the show couldn't recover from the mass exodus by the end of season 5. So, this was it really, the last enjoyable season, in years 6 and 7, fans didn't really connect with the new characters or care about them..
But this is a very satisfying season, because the characters we all knew and loved bowed out with strong stories.
There was Kimmy's cancer battle and battle to hold onto Michael's affections once Megan and him became serious,
Sydney finally got to be her own person this year... and not just Michael's lapdog....in season 4, she became nothing but a comical extra to other people's plots.. this year she found love, first with Carter and then with Craig... and wasn't the finale build-up great... Syd taking on Amanda and putting her and D&D out of business!
Alison and Jake seemed to settle down and were ready to start a family, but Alison got cold feet in the end and ruined it all....
Jane, well jane just lost it for the first part of this season! It was nice to see her get back that nasty streak we saw in her early in season 4 before Richard wore her down... I hated Jane the victim, so I was rooting for her crazy stalking of jake and alsion! Plus, it was nice to have a nut in action since Kimmy was mellowed out this year!
Other pluses this year..
Amanda got her spine back, season 4 and the parezi brothers saga made her such a victim too. She lost her edge... But this year, she was back to her bitchy self trying to assume control of d&d.
Taylor was a nice addition to the cast. Her devotion to Peter by the end of the season was shocking, hitting herself with a door to make him think he was abusing her! Genius, just what Kimmy would have done!
Of course, we did get lots of duds/ copies in the cast this year in anticipation of the exodus: kyle was a copy of jake (the macho hothead stereotype), Sam was the new Alison (starting off a nice girl), Jennifer was meant to be the new Syd (fat chance!) Taylor was the new Kimmy etc.
Somehow, the copying of characters didn't really effect the show this year... it was only when the characters we loved had gone in season 6 that it was clear the producers had made big mistakes in allowing so many central character's leave although most had run their course truthfully. The Split Season Problem:
It isn't ideal to have seasons split but i see amazon are today offering it for $26.99, and that is half what i paid for seasons 3 and 4 on amazon on their release date so maybe volumes 1 and 2 of this season will work out similar to what we paid for complete seasons in the past (before sales, reductions). ultimately, fans have to accept that we are a niche market- it's the old supply and demand scenario--not enough people are interested in buying this series to make it profitable, so we have to be prepared to pay some premium to make it viable to release the show any more... and split seasons is this premium.
In short, it is a a pain, it isn't truly necessary BUT I for one am simply glad that season five (the last truly enjoyable season) is making its way to dvd at ALL.
We have a choice: accept what we are getting and be grateful for small mercies and just accept that Paramount could easily do without the hassle and effort of releasing a series that has to date not been very profitable. Paramount can and will make more money, easily and quickly with other titles like CSI etc which have mass and current appeal, Melrose on the other hand won't make them much.
I don't like siding with Paramount ... I know it would be fairer for us as consumers to get complete seasons ... but the past year has taught me to be happy with what we get.
So, enjoy!

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Item Name: Melrose Place: The Fifth Season, Vol. 1; Studio:Paramount

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Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)LDTOL is one of the best TV shows ever. It's right up there with the 1st season of Michael Mann's Crime Story from the mid 80's. This is the show HBO's Deadwood wishes it could be.
Start with the opening credits. The editing and the theme music of the credits themselves are worth the price of admission and a good precursor to the overall quality of the show. To break it down further, the opening shot of the credits, Call on his horse coming into town, is a knock out image. If they'd put it on a poster I'd buy it.
The characters in the show are complex and richly drawn, a testament to the quality of the shows writing. The tension between Call and Moseby is the highlight but all of players in LDTOL mesh seamlessly to the greater good of the show.
And finally, the actors. To hell with Will and Grace, the Clay Moseby character is the one Eric McCormack was meant to play. (And hopefully, the one he'll be remembered for once the immediately forgetable W&G leaves the air.) Scott Bairstow as Call completely dominates every scene he is in. Tracy Scoggins and Kelly Rowan are smoking hot but their sensuality is relentlessly downplayed through the course of the series.
Finally, the one big quibble.
The set comes in a five disc package. Why the creators couldn't manage the simple task of placing these episodes in their chronological order, by air date, is beyond me. For the serious fan who wants to view them in their intended order this is the sequence to use. (Note: the number in parens is the actual episode number. For the last two numbers, 1st Number- the CD, 2nd Number- Episode No. on CD in their order on the set).
__1st_______2nd________3rd________4th_________5th
(1)_1-1___(5) 2-1____(9)_3-1____(13) 4-1____(18) 5-2
(2) 1-2___(6) 1-4___(10)_3-2____(14) 4-2____(19) 5-1
(3) 1-3___(7) 2-4___(11)_2-3____(15) 4-3____(20) 5-3
(4) 2-2___(8) 3-3___(12)_3-4____(16) 4-4____(21) 5-4
_____________________________(17) 4-5____(22) 5-5Starting with the end of disk one thru disk three they completely shuffled the deck with the episode order. The long narrative arcs and the character developments are scrambled to the point of distraction.
IMO you don't need any extras (director's commentary, promos, whatever) for this series. The quality of the writing, the acting and the production values sell themselves. If the bozos who packaged this set could just get the order right they would really have something.

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Featuring 22 Episodes! The untamed glory of the Old West as it really was returns when Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years saddles up for another season of high-spirited episodes, with a new look and an exciting cast of characters struggling to survive on the wild frontier. The year is 1880. Curtis Wells, the locale of Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years, is now a boomtown on the Montana frontier. When neighboring Sweetwater was left in ashes by a prairie fire, its whores and desperadoes took up residence in Curtis Wells, changing its character forever. Newt Call has come back to the town after living the past two years on the trail as a bounty hunter. Call is a man whose past has left its scars. Having left Curtis Wells a few nights after the explosion which killed his beloved Hannah, Call went on a downward spiral, aimless and soulless, eventually hitting bottom. Coming back to the town has reopened some of those old wounds for Call, not the least of which is his unresolved business with Clay Mosby, the man who coveted his wife before the fire took her. Mosby has made Curtis Wells his personal dominion. Behind his charming, roguish facade, he is a ruthless businessman, swift and severe with those who cross him, ready to shape the town to his own dark vision. Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years brings to life all the grit, romance and excitement of the West--an untamed world where anything is possible.

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Veronica Mars: The Complete First Season (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)WARNING: SPOILERS!
The 2004-2005 will hopefully go down as one of the most important seasons in recent television history, not because there was such a plethora of great new series-there weren't-but because it was the beginning of the end of the dominance of reality programming and the rebirth of the scripted television show. The two shows that are getting most of the credit for the sudden demise of the reality show are the two mega-hits on ABC, LOST and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, but I hope that UPN's lovely VERONICA MARS will get at least some credit. If LOST and VERONICA MARS are the face of things to come, rather than WIFE SWAP or THE SWAN, then the future for TV could be very bright indeed.
Of all the series that were developed in the wake of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, VERONICA MARS hues most closely to the original (especially in Buffy's high school years) and is one of the best. [October 2005 addition: VERONICA MARS in its second season is highlighting the ties to BUFFY not merely by bringing BUFFY regular Alyson Hannigan back for a brief appearance, but having Charisma Carpenter as a semi-regular and BUFFY creator Joss Whedon as a guest star in one episode in November. Salon.com did its part by awarding this years Buffy Award, for the best show on TV neglected by the Emmys--and named for the Best Show ever ignored by the Emmys--to VERONICA MARS.] If we were to describe the original recipe for the show, it is about 50% BUFFY, 20% NANCY DREW, 15% BEVERLY HILLS 90210, and 15% TWIN PEAKS. In other words, the show is about a super cable blonde high school student who takes on do-badders and tilts the scales of justice, who is an amateur female sleuth, whose escapades all take play in her upper class high school with a contingent of working class students, and who in her spare time investigates the mystery of the death of her best friend Laura Palmer . . . er, ah, I mean Lily Kane.
At the start of the series, Veronica can look back at a very bad year. Her best friend died; her father, the former sheriff, was fired because of disapproval of his handling of the investigation; her boyfriend, Duncan Kane, and the brother of the deceased Lily, has broken up with her; because of her father's firing and the snubbing of her by Duncan and his friends, the formerly popular Veronica finds herself ostracized by her fellow students, especially after her drugging and rape at a party provide her with the label of being a party girl (all expressed by the superb theme song "We Used to Be Friends" by The Dandy Warhols); and in the aftermath of her father's firing, her mother mysteriously disappeared and hasn't been seen or heard from in months. But Veronica is nothing if not resilient, and she is not one to passively take the misfortunes that life heaps upon one. In other words, she has spunk, as well as a quick and inventive wit and lifetime supply of street smarts. Upon being made ex-sheriff, her father sets up as a private detective, and Lily serves both as his receptionist and aide, and ends up having a bit of a practice at school once her reputation as one who can resolve awkward situations begins to spread. By the end of the season one might find Veronica struggling with three mysteries at once, the ongoing one of Lily's death, as well as whatever her father is working on, and some friend at school.
All in all, I found the first season to be thoroughly fascinating and persistently entertaining. The structure of the narrative is a bit of a blend of the long-story-arc episode and the stand-alone episode. Each episode will move the core story for that episode forward, while also taking up any of a number of the ongoing mysteries. And there are a host of mysteries. For instance, we wonder about who are the biological parents of who, whether the have been inadvertent incestuous relationships, and characters who run away to escape the difficulties. Through it all it the utterly unflappable Veronica, utterly determined to get at the truth of things. By the end of the season the big arc for that season-who killed Lily Kane-is solved, thanks to Veronica.
Veronica Mars is a great character who is more than aptly handled by the extraordinarily cute Kristen Bell, who is perfect for the role except for the fact that she is a bit too old to be playing a high school junior. She is so otherwise perfect for the role it is easy to overlook the age gaffe. Although Veronica is a transparent girl-power heroine in the tradition of BUFFY, she stands apart from other such heroines such as Max Guevara and Sydney Bristow in not having especial super powers or abilities, and has no special mystical destiny. What is Veronica's special power? Her quick wit. That's it! She just thinks faster than others. She emerges as both a great strategic and tactical thinker, always two or three steps ahead of everyone else, always anticipating what someone else's response is going to be. Very rarely is she surprised by someone, or unable to response instantly to a variation.
The rest of the characters form a nice and believable group of characters. They largely fall into the competent and outstanding categories. In fact, the only three I would not place merely into the competent category are Enrico Colantoni, who is superb as Veronica's dad Keith. Though they sometimes disagree on things, throughout the show they are obviously the greatest of friends, and when they need to be, great colleagues. Keith tries to protect his daughter, but he also knows that she is someone of rather prodigious abilities, so he doesn't always try to stand in her way. He has a great kid, and he knows it. The only other cast member I think deserves especial notice is Jason Dohring as the mercurial Logan Echolls, who at various times in the course of the season is sadistic, vulnerable, angry, magnanimous, courageous, cruel, tender, grateful, selfish, and romantic. If you don't like him one week, wait a couple of episodes and reevaluate. One bit of casting irony should be noted. Francisco Capra plays Weevil, the head of the local motorcycle gang. In fact, he is a member of one of the most thoroughly connected families in the history of Hollywood, his great grandfather being the great director Frank Capra, his grandfather one of the great power brokers in Hollywood, and he father nearly as active in a host of tinsel town activities. So much for his outsider cred. Nonetheless, Capra, despite being the ultimate Hollywood insider, does a good job as one of the school's bad boys.
All in all, this was a great first season, with a great series of storylines, one of the best season-long mysteries to be unraveled in ages, and a group of characters we come to care for. The show ended with most of the loose ends tied up, probably in part an instance of defensive writing on the part of the production team. With a bevy of rather shocking cancellations in recent years, a lot of writers decide to end a season as if they were ending the season. WONDERFALLS is a great example of this. We are sure to see more. Thankfully, UPN renewed VERONICA MARS, so we'll get to see the spunky, resourceful, irrepressible high school sleuth back in action for a least one more season, and hopefully for more. And maybe, just maybe the powers-that-be in Hollywood will realize that this kind of quality scripted television with long story arcs, and not forgettable, cheap, unrehearsed reality shows are what viewers really want.

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In the wealthy, seaside community of Neptune, California, the rich and powerful make the rules. Unfortunately for them, there's Veronica Mars, a smart, fearless 17-year-old apprentice private investigator dedicated to solving the town's toughest mysteries. Veronica used to be one of the popular girls, but it all came crumbling down around her after her best friend, Lilly, was murdered, and her then-sheriff father, Keith, was removed from office for naming Lilly's rich father as the lead suspect. During the day, Veronica must negotiate high school like any average teenage girl. But at night, she helps with her father's struggling, new private investigator business--and what she finds may tear the town of Neptune apart at the seams. DVD Features:Deleted ScenesExtended takesGag Reel

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A Man and a Woman (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)And this ain't it. But it's all we got for now, so heh.
"Un Homme et une Femme" holds up quite well some 32 years hence. Younger viewers may not realize that a lot of the montage devices and tricks that may seem 'dated' were actually popularized and/or invented herein by Claude Lelouch. I actually found myself rewinding to watch the color sections a couple of times, especially the mid-film sequence scored to Francis Lai's achingly sentimental and lovely "Stronger than Us" as Anouk Aimee (the world's most beautiful woman) and Jean-Louis Triginant stroll the Deauville shore and muse on art and life. The tinting and grain of those sections - the boat ride, Anouk remembering her dead husband (Pierre Barouh) as he sings "Samba Saravah" to her - set a trend I pine for again.
The story? Well, thin, even by today's lughead standards (widower and widow fall in love against some lovely French scenery shot in winter), but it's obvious Lelouch was going for something that was quite new, then: a marriage of film and music that was not a "musical" per se, but rather, the forerunner of MTV (well, MTV with a soul, let's say). Cut loosely but thankfully not on-the-beat to Lai's jazzy/lush mid-60s score, Lelouch suceeds darn well. The freeze-frame ending cued to the final electric piano note, and that moment when Anouk Aimee pauses for the longest time and says to Jean-Louis, "You never told me about your wife", are two of my favorite filmgoing moments.
"Un Homme et une Femme" is emblematic of a world-view which I, for one, wish would take hold of folks again and topple the psychotic-trash-nihilistic consciousness now dominating pop culture. It was thoughtful, romantic, inward and outward at once, loving of sentiment but not wallowing in sentimentality, sophisticated, in love with love and with being alive in the world... not afraid of seeming tender. If any of this strikes you as square or passe or naive, then, this ain't your movie.
Let's hope the DVD gets released in French. Daria could use some alternative programming to 'Sick,Sad World', as could some of the rest of us.

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From director CLAUDE LELOUCH (And Now...Ladies and Gentlemen) comes this 1966 classic, a tender, visually exciting film of revitalizing love: a race-car driver (JEAN-LOUIS TRINIGNANT) and a movie script girl (ANOUK AIMEE) share a romance filled with humor and truth, intertwined with the demands of career and parenthood. Winner of OscarsO for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay.

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Watch Out Review

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(More customer reviews)There's been a lot of buzz about this actor Matt Riddlehoover (one very easy on the eye man) and this director Steve Balderson. I had to check it out for myself. The disc contains some 4+ hours of material. The film - with and without commentary - plus over an hour of bonus video blogs. I've seen a lot of movies, but nothing quite like this. I'm still trying to absorb what I saw and heard. This is a keeper to watch again and again and well worth the price of admission. Act 1 is way-over-the-top-bizzaro-titillating comedy. I kept thinking - where is all this leading? Act 2 take an unexpectedly darker turn until the end. There's ample nudity - OK, more than ample. Someone ask Matt Riddlehoover if he did his own "stunts" and he said "why, yes I did." I'd say this film is a must see to believe, but that's just my opinion. I'll be waiting for Part 2!
Sidenote: click on Steve Balderson's name.

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Matt Riddlehoover gives an extraordinary, bravura performance as Jonathan Barrows, * a man who falls in love with himself, literally. Barrows is attracted to his own body, carries out an erotic relationship with a blow-up doll that resembles him, and takes pleasure in rejecting the advances of his many admirers. He descends into a world of carnivorous priests and Prozac-popping Polish prostitutes and eventually assassinates the world's most popular pop-diva. You strange creatures, Barrows declares, you are nothing more to Me than a meal at the fast-food restaurant of life. But who will end up being devoured? Based on the best-selling novel by Dr. Joseph Suglia, WATCH OUT is extraordinary, a film which settles down into your consciousness and is still there days later. Most directors would not have the balls to show this... The combination of Steve s direction and Riddlehoover s performance... It s masterful film-making. It leaves you in awe. * *(MJ Simpson, UK)

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The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Ultimate Edition) (1923) Review

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(More customer reviews)...although this new Image release which replaces their 1999 edition is likely the best that we'll see until someone can afford to do a full scale restoration. David Shepard and Film Preservation Associates are to be commended for making this look as good as they have considering the limited funds they have to work with (Shepard once said that Kevin Brownlow and Photoplay Productions spend on one reel what he spends on an entire film) and the source material which appears to be 16mm. There is no significant new footage here but the film has been speed corrected which accounts for the longer running time. The print seems to be the same as the 1999 release with lots of scratches throughout but the image is sharper and the toning of certain scenes is better.
Aside from the condition of the print what really keeps this from being the "Ultimate Edition" is the score by Donald Hunsberger. Hunsberger is a fine conductor (check out his Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings) but the music he compiled is too lighthearted overall and not sombre or medieval enough to enhance what's going on during the movie especially toward the end (the compiled score used for the 1999 version was far more appropriate). A darker score like the one Ennio Morricone did for the 1912 RICHARD III would help to undercut the melodramatic elements of the story and some of the performances. Once again a score can make or break a silent film.
Lon Chaney remains a marvel as Quasimodo, fully inhabiting the character beneath the makeup and the natural speed transfer restores his performance to what it should be. The medieval sets and vast army of extras also continue to inspire awe 80+ years later. The disc comes with program reproductions, 3-D glasses for old stills, and commentary from Chaney scholar Michael F. Blake. So fans of HUNCHBACK and Chaney rush out and be sure to get this edition for your DVD collection. I just wish that someday someone with unlimited funds can really produce the ultimate edition (ala METROPOLIS, BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) that this classic deserves.

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Lon Chaney stars as the gentle outcast Quasimodo in the first film version of Victor Hugo's classic novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Paris of 1482 was meticulously recreated on the back lot of Universal Studios for this powerful drama that turned Chaney into a screen legend -- now presented in the ultimate special edition of this timeless classic. Mastered in high definition from an original multi-tinted print. New symphonic score compiled by Donald Hunsberger, adapted and conducted by Robert Israel. Recorded in Europe in digital stereo. Insert essay and optional audio essay through the film, both by Michael F. Blake, author of two books on Lon Chaney. Facsimile reproduction of original souvenir program. Gallery of Original 3-D stills (3-D viewing glasses are included with this DVD). Extensive gallery of 2-D stills including production shots, scenes and advertising materials. Behind-the-scenes footage of Lon Chaney out of makeup on the set.

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