America's Next Top Model - Cycle 1 (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)I had never seen ANTM until the Fall of 2004, having missed the first two seasons. I have zero interest in fashion, but heard that, as far as reality shows, it was one of the most entertaining. It was always being talked about and quoted in Entertainment Weekly. So, during an ad break in one of the early episodes of LOST, I flipped over to ANTM. I've never flipped back to LOST and have been watching ANTM ever since.
The show is incredibly entertaining. And season 1 (which I had never seen until it was released on DVD) is a great season. You have all sorts of conflicts. The devout Christians vs the atheist being the biggest one.
The DVDs are well put together. Three discs. Four episodes on the first two and the finale on the final disc.
The only extras are three, short featurettes (each 5-10 minutes in length). One about the casting, one about the making of the show, and a final one about the two Jay's. They are fun, but nothing special. To be honest, when it comes to TV on DVD, I'm more interested in the show than any extras so I'm not upset with the set.
The set is well worth picking up. Even if you don't care about fashion or modelling. The cast makes the show work. A very entertaining series.

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AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL: CYCLE ONE has 14 beautiful contestants taking part in a series of tests over the course of the series to determine who has the sheer strength, will and attitude to make it as America’s Next Top Model. Along with Tyra Banks, notable fashion editors, photographers and agency reps judge the girls each week and decide who should pack their bags and go home and who becomes one step closer to being America’s next top model.

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Understanding the Canon Speedlite 580EX II/430EX II Review

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(More customer reviews)I agree w/another reviewer, the title is misleading. 98% of the time they are using additional equipment, light stands, multiple flashes, reflectors, filters, etc. while in a studio setting. It was a helpful DVD on lighting but didn't teach me much about my flash and how to properly use it by itself and in various conditions. Its basically, "heres a model in our studio. Ok, now shes on a beach but we still have our reflectors. Heres some still life back in the studio." The first 20min is a lighting primer before blowing through the flash's buttons w/o a thorough explanation on each one. They went through certain things far too quickly and spent more time than necessary on other subjects. For example, I didn't need to see multiple times how to change a setting through the camera's menu or on the flash itself. They do give demos but they weren't sufficient enough for me and the flash was never used stand-alone other than to show you that it gives horrible pictures by itself. If this DVD taught me one thing, its that I need to buy more equipment.
A more accurate title would have been "Using your Canon flash in a studio setting" or "Unlocking your flash's potential" because obviously to get into lighting and really take advantage of the versatility of a Speedlight, you must buy additional equipment and take the flash off the camera. The flash is just one of the tools they use to get the pictures they want and it happens to be a Canon 430/580EX. You would not let your friend borrow your flash one day and hand them this DVD along with it, thinking it will teach them how to use it because it won't. They'll just sit there thinking, "oh, thats nice but I don't have any of those things..." and "hey, could you slow down when you go over the controls, what they do and how I should use them? More comparison photos would also be nice."
As for production values, well, it's fairly drab presentation and I'd have appreciated voice overs while showing them taking pictures instead of having to stare at the guy talk, constantly switching his eyes from the camera to nearby cue cards. You look at him seemingly for 1/3 of the DVD. The rest of the time is spent in the studio or looking at the back of the flash and it's buttons. So is it worth the coin ? Ehhh, its decent and helpful information on LIGHTING but you're able to find this sort of information for free online at various lighting/strobist enthusiast sites. Its not a complete waste of money but this DVD could certainly use a new name.

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Your new EX II Speedlite from Canon can be the most powerful accessory in your camera bag Understanding how the Speedlite controls work is important, and this DVD takes you through its operations, step by step. Your host, Tim Mantoani, demonstrates these fabulous flash units in a series of real world examples. Whether you use one Speedlite or a hundred, Tim’s approach will help you create the best photograph possible. This DVD picks up where the manual leaves off, helping you to integrate flash photography into your image-making arsenal. Tim Mantoani has been a professional photographer for over twenty years. Shooting everything from professional athletes and celebrities to fashion and products, his work has appeared in numerous national ad campaigns and magazines.Format: NTSC video, All Regions.Running time: 65 minutes

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The Boys Are Back (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The essence of THE BOYS ARE BACK is "fatherhood", i.e. what it means to be a Dad. It's an absolutely lovely film absolutely worth seeing.
Joe Warr (Clive Owen) suddenly finds himself a single father when his young wife Katy (Laura Fraser) precipitously dies of intestinal cancer. Joe, the lead and oft-on-the-road sportswriter for Melbourne's major newspaper, must now connect with his six-year old son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty). Coming to visit from England is his 14-year old son from a previous marriage, Harry (George MacKay), whom Joe pretty much abandoned to his first wife years before on their divorce.
THE BOYS ARE BACK is about male bonding - father with motherless son, father with fatherless son, brother with half-brother. In this clubhouse, the women, whether it be Joe's mother-in-law Barbara (Julia Blake) or potential new significant-other Laura (Emma Booth), are almost intruders.
Filmed mostly on Australia's striking south coast and with a soundtrack featuring haunting songs by Iceland's Sigur Rós, this film contains what is perhaps Clive Owen's finest and most nuanced performance to date. I wouldn't be surprised if Owen is nominated for an Oscar for this role, which is the best by a male actor I've seen in 2009.
Too often, I think, the societal presumption is that children of marriages broken by death or divorce are better off with mothers, that fathers are somehow less loving and less skilled at parenting. At least in this must-see film, that is emphatically not the case.
I left the screening keen on THE BOYS ARE BACK more than I can adequately express.
P.S. 1/21/2010 Now that 2009 is finished, I must say that Owen's performance, while not THE best of 2009, is one of three best, joining Morgan Freeman of INVICTUS and Jeff Bridges of CRAZY HEART. Good company, that.

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Clive Owen delivers a critically acclaimed performance in THE BOYS ARE BACK, the heartwarming and uplifting drama about a man who is suddenly thrust into the role of single parent. Successful sportswriter Joe Warr (Owen) finds himself completely unprepared to raise his rambunctious 6-year-old son Artie and juggle the challenges of a demanding job, running a household and the possibility of romance. Determined to bring joy back into their lives, he develops a revolutionary approach to parenting no rules, no chores. It's a home filled with love and chaos and then Joe's estranged teenage son comes for a visit. Inspired by a true story and filled with emotional honesty, this poignant film will touch your heart and lift your spirits.Bonus Features include: THE BOYS ARE BACK: A Photographic Journey With Optional Commentary By Director Scott Hicks, A Father And Two Sons, On Set

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The September Issue (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)...something very important, and that is THE THIRD DISC.
I am not going to review the movie, but the DVD itself. The extra material is superb. It is fantastic actually, and these are for the true admirers of fashion and VOGUE. Could there be even more? Yeah, sure... They could have included the basic bios of the subjects, more pictures, VOGUE through ages, pivotal photos from the magazine archives, even more footage with the fashion designers and models etc. Still, over 90 minutes of extra material is just great.
But you know what is even greater than this version?
The THREE DISC VERSION that Barnes&Noble has to offer.
This elusive third disc in question includes a 25 minutes of footage from the preparation of the legendary Costume Institute Gala. It is just amazing. You get a lot of Anna here, and no Grace actually, however, you get to witness the MET event preparation including the decor, some peacocks, even Naomi Campbell, Cate Blanchett and Michael Bloomberg, and more of Anna being fashion's true 'Eminence Grise'. Her influence is immense, but this third disc truly proves how prominent she is, outside the high walls of VOGUE or the intimidating fashion shows. amazon.com version of the DVD doesn't include this third disc. I suppose the moviemakers and studio did cut a deal with B&N, for an even more special and exclusive release just for them.
I have learned about this edition and got excited. And I went to B&N today, and picked up my copy. It is more expensive than the 2 disc amazon edition -understandably- but so worth it, in my opinion.Disc I:
Movie
Some extra materials
Production photosDisc II:
Extra materials (with Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Andre Leon Talley, Thakoon etc.)Disc III:
Footage from Costume Institute Gala preparation/red carpet

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An intimate, funny and surprising behind-the-scenes look at VOGUE’S legendary editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her team of larger-than- life editors, this is the captivating story of how they create the must-have bible of fashion: THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE. At the eye of this annual fashion hurricane is the two-decade relationship between Anna and Grace Coddington, incomparable creative director and fashion genius. Through them, we see close-up the delicate creative chemistry it takes to remain at the top of the fashion field. Now, with the biggest issue ever hanging in the balance, Anna and Grace confront the runways of Fashion Week, the back rooms of the world’s biggest designers, the high-stakes photo shoots – and each other – as the VOGUE team scrambles to find the perfect look for each page. Director R.J. Cutler delivers this riveting look into the world of fashion that is as fun, fabulous and fast-paced as the world it captures.

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Born into Brothels (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)In order to photograph in the red light districts of Calcutta, India, photojournalist Zana Briski lived there for several years. Though many of the residents were wary of her camera, Briski found that the neighborhood children were unafraid and curious. So she began teaching them photography, giving each child a point-and-shoot film camera with which to photograph his or her environment and providing classes on technique and editing. This eventually resulted in international acclaim for the children's photographs and media coverage for Briski's unusual photo classes. "Born Into Brothels" is a documentary of Briski's class of young photographers filmed by Zana Briski and Ross Kaufman about 2 years into the project that has become known as "Kids with Cameras".
The best thing about "Born Into Brothels" is that it allows the children to tell their story in their own words. Zana Briski's class of 8 photographers -who call her "Zana Auntie"- are children of prostitutes, born and raised among the harsh realities of Calcutta's Sonagachi red light district. There are 5 girls: Kochi, Tapasi, Shanti, Puja, and Suchitra, and 3 boys: Manik, Gour, and Avijit, ranging in age from 10 to 14 years, but mostly pre-teens. The documentary is dominated by interviews with the children and by their photographs, with occasional voiceover or footage of Zana Briski. The filmmakers are commendably respectful of the children and their decisions. These kids understand their situations very well and tend to be philosophical about it, yet many of them yearn for opportunities to escape life in the brothel. Interestingly, the kids are not fatherless children of single prostitutes, as I might have expected. Many of their mothers' are married and live with large extended families.
"Born Into Brothels" lets the kids talk about themselves, their families, and their world. We sit in on their photo classes, accompany them on photo field trips to the zoo and the beach, and sympathize with Zana Briski's frustration as she struggles with bureaucracy and prejudice to find boarding schools that will accept children of sex workers. We also see the kids beaming with pride and having some fun as they enjoy international success and a bit of fame in India as well. Zana Briski has obviously done a great deal of work and invested a lot of emotional energy in a project that may change the lives of a handful of children if she is lucky. But even if the kids lives' turn out no different than their parents', photography has broadened their outlook and given them some great experiences. "Born Into Brothels" is an engaging documentary of that process. To learn more or purchase prints, visit www.kids-with-cameras.org .
The DVD (Thinkfilm 2005): There are text bios of Zana Briski and Ross Kaufman. "About the Photographers" includes text bios of the children, which are useful in figuring out who is who.

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A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, BORN INTO BROTHELS is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in Calcutta's red light district, where there mothers work as prostitutes. Spurred by the kids' facination with her camera, Zana Briski, a New-York-based photographer living in the brothels and documenting life there, decides to teach them photography. As they begin to look at and record their world through new eyes, the kids, who society refused to recognize, awaken for the first time to their own talents and sense of worth. Filmmakers Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski capture the way in which beauty can be found even the seemingly bleakest and most helpless of places, and how art and education can empower children to transform their lives.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Andy Goldsworthy's Rivers & Tides Review

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(More customer reviews)For those who are not familiar with Andy Goldsworthy's work, he creates sculptures from nature, using rocks and tree branches and grass and anything else around the location he has chosen. He has decided specifically to create scultpures that will only stand temporarily, as he searches for a better understanding of life, death, and the passage of time. This film does a fantastic job of exploring the creative process and amazing things that can happen when an artist continues to experiment and look for new opportunities. Through this discovery, Goldsworthy passes on to us his philosophy and unique perspective on the world. It is truly a visually beautiful film and worth watching on that merit alone. For those of us who are artists, it is a must-see, both to learn and identify with someone who has a beautiful understanding of the world.

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Wildly praised by the nation's top critics, the smash theatrical hit RIVERS AND TIDES is a mesmerizing, poetic and curiously contemplative portrait of revered Scottish sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, whose long-winding rock walls, icicle assemblages and other intricate, druidic masterpieces are made entirely of materials found in the wild.Gorgeously shot and edited by director Thomas Riedelsheimer, RIVERS AND TIDES is an intoxicating study of the fragile relationship between man, art and nature.

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