Stomp the Yard (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)STOMP THE YARD comes as a pleasant surprise to those of us who have yet to be introduced to 'stepping' - a sport/dance form that is not break dancing, not hip-hop, not modern dance, not clogging, not ballet, but instead is an exhilarating display of rhythm, physical dexterity, and creative choreography that makes this little film well worth watching.
The story is minimal and hackneyed and serves basically as an outline for the dance performances. DJ (the enormously talented dancer/actor Columbus Short) is sent from Los Angeles to Atlanta's Truth University after his conviction for street brawling, a fight in which his brother (Chris Brown) was killed. Once on campus DJ is works for his uncle as a gardener and is soon courted for his step dance skills by two rival fraternities. One fraternity gains DJ's attention and he pledges. Of course there is the requisite love conflict (the beautiful Meagan Good as April), who just happens to be the girlfriend of the rival fraternity step leader (Darrin Henson), and the usual undercurrent of familial dichotomies between DJ's humble background and April's influential father bring the tension to the front: the result is DJ's triumphant performance in the annual stepping competition between the two fraternities. The ending is predictable but sensitive and with a message.
The real star of the film is the magnificently choreographed and executed dancing, performed by the actual cast members. Director Sylvain White and his choreographers center their attention on the big sequences and the result is very fine entertainment. In addition to the gifted Columbus Short and Darrin Henson the cast includes such fine actor/dancers as Brian J. White, Ne-Yo, Laz Alonzo, Oliver Ryan Best, Richmond Duain Martyn, Justin Hires, and many others. It is difficult to resist the excitement of the commitment of this fine cast to the introduction of step dancing to the public at large. So much talent! Grady Harp, May 07

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A young man from Los Angeles attends a historically black university in Atlanta to avoid a prison term and soon learns the history of Greek fraternities and step dancing, sought after by rival fraternities he joins the underdog group hoping to win the national step competition.ional step competition.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: PG13Release Date: 2-OCT-2007Media Type: DVD

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Bounce (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)While waiting in an airport, Buddy Amarol (Ben Affleck) meets Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn) a writer. The two men get to talking, and it becomes clear, Greg, wants to get home to see his wife, and kids. Buddy, scheming to have a one-night-stand with Mimi (Natasha Henstridge), also hanging around the airport, decides to be a "nice" guy, and give his plane ticket to Greg.
Buddy is stirred out of sleep by sirens, he quickly turns on the television to find out the plane he was supposed to be on has crashed, killing all the passengers.
Tormented by what has happened, Buddy turns to booze, eventually landing him in rehab. Once sober, Buddy sets out to meet Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow), the wife of Greg. After a brief stalking period, the two actually talk and begin falling in love. But all is not so perfect for this couple, as a videotape of Buddy and Greg at the airport surfaces, throwing Abby into a state of wonder, and confusion.
"Bounce" is not the cute movie the trailer's depicted, but actually a dark love story, that is somewhat creepy. Affleck, and Paltrow are likable in their roles, and they do work well together, but it isn't enough to carry the whole movie.
If there is nothing else to watch, "Bounce" will pass the time, but many will come away from the film disappointed.
Nick Gonnella

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Buddy Amaral (Ben Affleck), a cocky, self-absorbed ad executive who--in desiring a tryst with the gorgeous Mimi (Natasha Henstridge), a woman he meets at the airport--gives up his plane ticket back to Los Angeles to writer Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn). The plane crashes, and Buddy begins a downward spiral of alcoholism and self-loathing until he undergoes rehab. Once out, he decides to pay a visit to the dead man's widow. Abby Janello (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a struggling real estate agent with two young sons. She slowly befriends Buddy and falls in love with him while Buddy struggles with the guilty secret of his connection to her husband's untimely death which could destroy their relationship.

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School Ties (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)This film might have seemed "strained and obvious" to some of the other reviewers here, but if you are Jewish and grew up in the 1950's, you'll relate to it very well. Especially the part about having to violate the Jewish holidays in order to play on the team -- a conflict that still arises for Jewish students today.
I've used this film very successfully in high school discussions and in classes on antisemitism. And yes, things like this really did happen to Jews -- and still do. The question of whether or not to stay "in the closet" and "pass" or be yourself and get rejected is an issue for other minorities, too. If you work in any area of multicultural studies and/or dialogue, you should add this film to your library.

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A young man from the wrong side of the tracks gets a football scholarship to a private school, which will lead to his entrance to Harvard. He is well accepted at the blue blood school until it is revealed that he is Jewish.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: PG13Release Date: 13-AUG-2002Media Type: DVD

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Pay It Forward (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this movie to be a compelling and moving cinematic experience, with outstanding, well nuanced performances by Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, and James Caviezel. It is a bona fide tearjerker. Those who enjoy that genre of film should love this one.
The movie opens up with a hostage scene being played out in a residential neighborhood, with cops everywhere. A reporter arrives on the scene only to have the cops try and give him the bum's rush. While the cops are distracted by the reporter, the perpetrator leaves the scene in a sports utitlty vehicle, but not before crashing into and totalling the reporter's car. A mysterious stranger materializes and hands the reporter the keys to a new jaguar, saying that he is giving it to him, no strings attached, since he seems to have run into a little car trouble.
The movie then cuts to a scene four months earlier. The viewer is taken to a seventh grade class room where, in a wonderful scene, student, Trevor McKinney, played by Haley Joel Osment, takes his teacher's assignment of doing something that could potentially change the world to heart. His teacher, an intelligent and controlled man, played by Kevin Spacey, whose burn scarred face masks the scars on his heart, gives out this assignment cavalierly, not really expecting that any of his students will come up with something of real note.
It turns out that Trevor, intelligent and introspective, comes up with an idea whereby he performs a potentially life changing good deed for each of three people. They in turn each do the same for three people. He calls his idea "pay it forward". It is your basic pyramid scheme with a twist. Some of the things he does will tug at your heart strings. Some of them will tickle your funny bone. One thing is for sure, unless you are made of stone, you will be moved.
Meanwhile Trevor's stressed out mom, played by Helen Hunt, is a single parent, holding down two jobs. An alcoholic in the throes of a recovery, she does the best that she can. Split from Trevor's dad, himself an alcoholic who used to batter her, she is struggling to keep on even keel. When Trevor's execution of his teacher's assignment results in what appears to be a potentially life threatening situation, it causes his mom to hit the roof and go to the school, where she confronts the baffled teacher.
Ultimately, Trevor's mom and his teacher are brought together, through the contrivance of Trevor. What initially seemed impossible, becomes a reality, and a relationship blossoms. It turns out that they have more in common than was initially thought. Meanwhile, Trevor's plan is catching on, and a number of wonderful scenes in the film illustrate this.
What happens in this film will, at times, thrill and delight you. At other times, what happens will surely move you to tears. Some may call the movie manipulative and schmaltzy. It is simply just an old fashioned tearjerker.

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HOW MUCH IMPACT CAN ONE HEARTFELT IDEA HAVE? A JUNIOR-HIGHSTUDENT'S CLASS PROJECT IDEA IGNITES A CHAIN REACTION OFGOODNESS AND CONSEQUENCES. THE BOY'S IDEA: WHEN SOMEONE DOESYOU A FAVOR, DON'T PAY IT BACK, PAY IT FORWARD.

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