Cake

Starring:Ben Baller, Dewey Canton, Peter Juwan Chung, Shawn Harris (IV), Archie Howard, Taylor Humphries, Rolando Molina, Mas Mor, Doc' Newman, Christian Redd, Margarita Reyes, Emilio Rivera (III), Emilio Rivera
Studio: Xenon
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
Making it big in L.A. isn't easy. Three lifelong friends risk their lives and their friendship when their drug racket gets them in over their heads. They soon find themselves running from the Mexican Mafia, the DEA, and each other

Layer Cake [Blu-ray]
Average customer rating:

Daniel Craig shows why he is 007

Great version of Layer Cake

Layer Cake [Blu-ray]
Starring: Daniel Craig , Kenneth Cranham , Dexter Fletcher , Michael Gambon , and Colm Meaney
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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Identity [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000IFQLG4
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Product Description

Planning to retire and begin a new life, Mr. X (Daniel Craig, Casino Royale), a successful West End drug dealer, has been asked for one last favor: to negotiate the sale of one million hitsof Ecstasy. Unfortunately for Mr. X, the pills were stolen from a Serbian drug lord who'll cut offhis head if he sells them. And with a London crime czar (Michael Gambon, Open Range & The Insider)promising to retire him permanently if he doesn't, Mr. X may be rightfully concerned about his future. Nothing worth losing his head over.

Customer Reviews:

Daniel Craig shows why he is 007.......2007-07-03

A fine movie that displays why Daniel Craig was chosen for the latest 007 films. One of the best of the recent British mobster movies, it is difficult to understand the Queen's English, but the action and storyline are far better than most of this genre.

Great version of Layer Cake.......2007-05-19

This is a A+ version of Layer Cake. The picture is stunning. If you want to own this movie definitely by this over a DVD.

Average customer rating:

"How to properly bake a cake. First, shoot the baker"
A last drug score that gets bungled in drouble crosses and misinformation, as expected
Miller's Tale
SLICK GANGSTER THRILLER WITH COLORFUL ACCENTS
Nice surprise

Layer Cake (Widescreen Special Edition)
Starring: Daniel Craig , Tom Hardy , Jamie Foreman , Sally Hawkins , and Burn Gorman
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009X7BDC
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Amazon.com

As its title suggests, Layer Cake is a crime thriller that cuts into several levels of its treacherous criminal underworld. The title is actually one character's definition of the drug-trade hierarchy, but it's also an apt metaphor for the separate layers of deception, death, and betrayal experienced by the film's unnamed protagonist, a cocaine traffic middle-man played with smooth appeal by Daniel Craig (rumored at the time of this film's release to be on the short list for consideration as the next James Bond). Listed in the credits only as "XXXX," the character is trapped into doing a favor for his volatile boss, only to have tables turned by his boss's boss (Michael Gambon) in a twisting plot involving a stolen shipment of Ecstasy, a missing girl, duplicitous dealers, murderous Serbian gangsters, and a variety of lowlifes with their own deadly agendas. As adapted by J.J. Connolly (from his own novel) and directed by Matthew Vaughan (who earned his genre chops as producer of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch), Layer Cake improves upon those earlier British gangland hits with assured pacing, intelligent plotting, and an admirable emphasis on plot-moving dialogue over routine action. Sure, it's violent (that's to be expected) and not always involving, but it's smarter than most thrillers, and Vaughan's directorial debut has a confident style that's flashy without being flamboyant. This could be the start of an impressive career. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Planning to retire and begin a new life, Mr. X (Daniel Craig, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), a successful West End drug dealer, has been asked for one last favor: to negotiate the sale of one million hits of Ecstasy. Unfortunately for Mr. X, the pills were stolen from a Serbian drug lord who'll cut off his head if he sells them. And with a London crime czar (Michael Gambon, Open Range & The Insider) promising to retire him permanently if he doesn't, Mr. X may be rightfully concerned about his future. Nothing worth losing his head over.

Customer Reviews:

"How to properly bake a cake. First, shoot the baker" .......2007-06-27

"Layer Cake" was slightly entertaining but fell flat for me. I still have to give credit to film director Matthew Vaughn for his first feature film. He made a name for himself producing the crime-comedy classics "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch". Vaughn abandons the cheeky and comedic nature of those two films and attempts to make a serious crime film. The results are decidedly uneven, as the movie is a stylish but hollow outing.

In here we have XXX (Daniel Craig) who is a man who wants to get out of the game when he reaches the height of his success. He finds forces that he can not control pulling him towards the life is trying to leave. He solves his problem and feels like he has won when suddenly there is one last surprise. Matthew Vaughn guides the film in a cool, professional manner but it lacks the needed energy. This film lacks the vitality, humor and whiz-bang camera work of the aforementioned Guy Ritchie crime flicks. It also lacks the character development and drama to work convincingly as a straight-faced crime thriller. The problem is that XXXX as presented here simply isn't an interesting protagonist. Make him likable or make him detestable, but don't make him bland and anonymous. The side characters, with the notable exception of the commanding Eddie Temple played by Michael Gambon, are similarly underdeveloped.

All this is particularly disappointing given that J.J. Connolly himself adapted his novel for the screen. I read this novel a while back and thought it was a great piece of pulp writing. Not only is the nameless narrator a distinct and dynamic character, he is surrounded by other well-defined characters, and the story includes heavy doses of humor and great intrigue and plot twists. Director Matthew Vaughn stated that many of the funny scenes from Connolly's screenplay were omitted in an apparent attempt to distance himself from "Lock Stock" and "Snatch". Additionally, some of the best characters from the book like Morty and Gene are underdeveloped stock characters in the movie, although both George Harris and Colm Meaney do as good a job as could be expected with what they're given. One issue I have is that if Vaughn was so dead set on making this a serious movie there was plenty of material to draw from in order to do a better job of developing and fleshing out the characters.

"Layer Cake" clocks in at about an hour and forty minutes and easily could have been a half hour longer, which would have provided ample time to build drama and make the characters more interesting. Certainly watch able but by no means remarkable so one slice of cake is more then enough for me.

A last drug score that gets bungled in drouble crosses and misinformation, as expected.......2007-06-18

In Layer Cake, Daniel Craig plays Mister X, a top drug dealer roped into one last score before retirement. As last scores tend to go, the deal gets bungled in double crosses, misinformation, and the conflicting motives of the different players. In the end, Mr. X pulls of an impressive stunt to satisfy the good guys, the bad guys, and the law, but otherwise, there isn't much to set this movie apart from the pack of crime and drug-score flicks. You've see this movie before in a couple other incarnations.

Miller's Tale.......2007-05-19

Good showcase for Daniel Craig, but those of you who come to LAYER CAKE hoping to see something of Sienna Miller, beware, she's in it for about 5 minutes despite her prominent placement on the DVD case. However she's nearly naked so that might be worth it for Miller fans. First she appears in a club, acting wild, clumping up and down on the dancefloor while Daniel Craig and his buddies look on. She's more Edie Sedgwick in this than she was as Edie Sedgwick, and introduced to Craig, she leans over him and slips her phone number into his breast pocket. Hugging her naif boyfriend, she mouths "Call me" to Craig, silently, but you could read her lips from fifty miles away. She's not much of a dancer, is she, but who cares.

The plot of LAYER CAKE is extremely convoluted and I expect that few people who watch it will be able to catch all of it. Even J J Connolly, who wrote the novel the movie's based on, and the screenplay, has said that a few of Matthew Vaughan's directorial tricks have left him befuddled and he forgot who did what to whom by the end of the movie. I think he also forgot to give Sienna Miller much of a part. Next time she runs into the film it's to have sex with Daniel Craig, which she begins with great abandon by pushing him down onto a set of satin sheets, then wriggling off of him to run into the bathroom and dress herself even more provocatively, with silk stockings and garter belt, than when she came in. It doesn't take her long, but by the time she gets back into the bedroom Daniel Craig's been kidnapped and stuffed into a laundry cart by two goons masquerading as Room Service. The look on her face is priceless as she surveys the mussed up bed and the empty room, disappointed in love again. "She's quite a ball of fire, isn't she?" my wife commented, with that tone of voice I always decipher as either deep fascination or absolute repulsion.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say," I countered. Finally Sienna Miller returns for her final scene which I won't spoil except by hinting that she begins the scene elated and "up," and ends it with a cry, thus proving she's capable as well as an eternal tabloid grabber. The rest of the picture is a good showcase for Daniel Craig, a sort of Scarface meets Memento.

SLICK GANGSTER THRILLER WITH COLORFUL ACCENTS.......2007-05-13

Don't you love films where the hero is in fact an anti-hero with no name or backstory? Right, nor do I. But this import from the land of pies and porkies is a sparkling romp through the seedy shenanigans of the drug mafia. I see several viewers likening it to Guy Ritchie's black-humor capers, but I suspect that's chiefly attributable to the theme (underworld) and the accents (the many colors of London).

Layer Cake thumps about on its business from the get-go and fritters no time on any buffoonery. Empires clash against rival empires, men are no superstars and bleed when their nose gets punched in, and the scuzzy cat and mouse game leaves little room for escape; only moments of courage, grit, and luck. Luck, most of all.

A pre-Bond Daniel Craig glitters as the glib man-with-the-plan, a rapid social climber in his industry forced to learn the cruel lesson that drug dealing cannot be quite the methodical, low-profile business that he has always wanted it to be. That treachery and even murder are occupational hazards of his world, and yuppie overconfidence its principal sin.

The script is punchy. Non-fat. Memorable lines. The music is pitch-perfect, and lends beautifully to the tension. Expect to have densely exciting layers created and then unraveled as you go along, not knowing exactly what will happen next. Right until the very denouement, which some may find contentious but one that I think installs just the kind of moral hook that seemed to have been missing from the entire film. I've always believed that the ending can make or mar a film, and this one here is a classic.

A fine production, as foxy as they come. What Lord of War was to gun running, this is to the dreary world of drug dealing. Highly recommended purchase. This one will stand to repeat viewings. The special edition DVD also has some excellent outtakes and deleted scenes.

Nice surprise.......2007-05-07

I purchased this movie based on several peoples recommendation. It was a nice surprise. The only down side is trying to hear all the dialog with the heavy English accents. I will need to watch it again.

Average customer rating:

GREAT MOVIE WITH A PLAYFULL SPIRIT!!!
"Where's my cake!?!".
You will have nightmares.
It's Father's Day.......
The most fun you'll ever have being scared!

Creepshow
Starring: Hal Holbrook , Adrienne Barbeau , Fritz Weaver , Leslie Nielsen , and Carrie Nye
Director: George A. Romero
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Creepshow 2
Stephen King's Cat's Eye
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
The Night Flier
Pet Sematary (Special Collector's Edition)

ASIN: 0790744295
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

Inspired by the controversial E.C. Comics of the 1950s--which also provided the title and inspiration for the popular Tales from the Crypt TV series--director George Romero and screenwriter Stephen King serve up five delightfully frightful stories. Utilizing comic-book panels, animated segues, and exaggerated lighting and camera angles, Romero and cinematographer Michael Gornick come very close to replicating a horror comic in film format. The results mix fine acting with the morbid sense of humor and irony that made the E.C. books so popular in their heyday. Actors such as Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, Ted Danson, Adrienne Barbeau, Ed Harris, E.G. Marshall, and even King appear in the stories, which include tales of a sinister father's day celebration, a mysterious meteor, seaweed-draped zombies, a monster in a crate, and a cockroach-phobic millionaire. Fiendishly fun fare from one of horror's most famous directors. --Bryan Reesman

Description

Five spooky stories, written by Stephen King, are shown in a format based on the popular horror comics of the 1950's.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT MOVIE WITH A PLAYFULL SPIRIT!!!.......2007-06-09

I have been watching horror movies for a long time, and I remember when this movie was released(my mother took me to the movies to see it; I still don't know whether that was a good or bad thing?!?!). Years had gone by and one day I saw this movie at the video store and just had to have it. This movie is graphic but very playfull(comicbook roots). Ther are five storys: First, A murdered father showing up for Father's Day. Second, A man (Steven King) discovers a meteor(intresting fact, This story is based on H.P.Lovecraft's "The Colour Out Of Space")Third, A man seeking revenge on his wife and lover. Fourth, A janitor and a college proffesor open a crate that the janitor found to a grizzly consequence. Last, and greatest, A hypocondriac in a germ free apartment gets an unwelcome visit by several thousand little unwanted guests. If you like horror comedy then check out this classic. well worth the time.

"Where's my cake!?!"........2007-03-31

This was just a great and fun anthology horror film from George A. Romero, it was also writen by Stephen King so you probably know what to expect when you have these two geniuses of the horror genre together this was deffinetely a high quality film. Creepshow was inspired by the horror comics Tales from the crypt from EC comics which were released during the 50's and were quite unique and a bit controversial during that period, these five tales were quite good and alot of fun to watch especially on halloween but still you could watch them at any time, during the beginning the title sequence is shot like a comic book and has some nice animation and then the live scenes happen where a bratty kid is playing around with his horror comic book then his dad finds out and gets angry and upset and well the story resolves at the end of the film when the boy gets his revenge, the boy was played by Stephen King's son so watch out for some bad acting these stories are not really scary but you wouldn't mind since they're alot of fun to watch anyway here is a short summary of these five stories:-

Father's day involves a family reunion, an ashtray and an unnatural desire for cake. Watch out for Ed Harris's corny dance sequence and the zombie that rises from his grave, very good storyline about revenge and retribution "Where's my cake!?!".

The lonsome death of Jordy Verill features Stephen King as a dorky and dumb farmer who discovers a meteor with all sorts of growth and fungus and decides to touch it, not a good idea since now hes about to turn into a plant. This is one of the worst storylines but the good thing is its short and doesn't take to long, there were some funny parts though.

Something to tide you over tells of Leslie Nielson's interesting plan of vengeance against the man who stole his wife played by Ted Danson. This was a very good and suspensfull storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Leslie buries Ted Danson's character in the sand.

The crate was one of my favorites and it has some wonderful special fx done by Tom Savini who made the effects for the monster in the crate that looks like its from another world and is quite creepy, the story is about a college professor who has a very loud and obnoxious wife played by Adrienne Barbeau who keeps embarissing her husband infront of everyone untill an opritunity comes along to get rid of her, this story has alot of twisted dark humor in it and some gore.

They're creeping up on you is about a rich and greedy eccentric executive type who has to deal with a roach problem, this is a very nice storyline that wraps up everything. Overall the film was a classic 80's horror film and is the best George Romero flick since he was more known for his living dead trillogy this film also showed that he could do other things beside that, great stuff and highly recommended. Make sure that you also watch the sequal along with this back to back, the best storyline IMO was The raft where the college kids get eaten by a creature in the lake.

You will have nightmares........2007-03-10

This film is essentially 4 stories woven to create equally frightening tales in true comic book format. Stephen King's brilliance shines in all four tales of murder, tragedy, love, betrayel and desperation. "Father's Day" still gives me the creeps. "Meteor Man" will leave you questioning yourself. "The Sea Lovers" will frighten you. Enjoy.

It's Father's Day..............2007-01-08

I grew up watching this movie whenever and wherever I could. I like to think that the writers of Creepshow educated me in how to handle life's many problems and keep a smile on my face while doing so. I was amazed at how the remains of Nathan Grantham, the murdered patriarch of the Grantham family exacted revenge on his ungrateful family and he even managed to get his Father's Day cake in the end. And for all of you people on the old ball and chain, look at the way in which Henry dealt with Wilma, his horrifying wife. This just goes to show us that sometimes, seeminlgy awful situations can work in our favor.

The most fun you'll ever have being scared!.......2007-01-07

Sometime after doing my review of Creepshow 2 did I realize I didn't review the original. And not wanting to disappoint my (2) fans, I have decide to put the disk back in, and give you my in depth opinion...George A. Romero("Dawn of the Dead"," Day of the Dead"," Martin")after huge success with "Dawn of the Dead" directed his another masterpiece-an anthology of five short stories called "Creepshow". The script was written by Stephen King, and the special effects were made by F/X wizard Tom Savini("Martin","Maniac","The Prowler"). The first story "Father's Day" is so-so-nothing special, but the zombie looks terrific; the second story "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verril" is the funniest, Stephen King steals the show as a Jordy,a goofy farmer, who finds a strange meteor; the third story "Something To Tide You Over" is my favorite-it's ghastly, creepy, funny and a little bit disturbing, again great make-up of the drowned zombies; the fourth story "The Crate" is the longest and goriest-there's a lot of suspense and plenty of gore mixed with black humour.Finally we are getting to the last story "Creeping Up On You"-an enjoyable story about cockroaches with some rather gross special effects. Overall I must say that I love "Creepshow"-surely they don't make them like this anymore. So, check it out! In fact, I will hold my breath as you do. Because I can hold my breath for a long, long time.

Average customer rating:

out of the ashes
Utterly absorbing!
Absolutely spellbinding and unforgettable
Excellent Movie!
One Million Stars***************************************************************************************************************

Out of the Ashes
Starring: Christine Lahti , Beau Bridges , Richard Crenna , Bruce Davison , and Jonathan Cake
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: Showtime Ent.
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ASIN: B0001DMW9S
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Description

In Out of the Ashes, one woman is forced to choose between two horrifying acts of evil, and ultimately finds the courage to make the right choice. Based on actual events that occurred during World War II that chronicles the life of Dr. Gisella Perl, a woman who lost her entire family and was forced to start life over in America.

Customer Reviews:

out of the ashes.......2007-03-24

A moving story, well told. Superb acting. Realistic and well produced. An invaluable adddition to any study of the holocaust

Utterly absorbing!.......2007-03-13

I missed this excellent show when it was on Showtime, so I got it when it was released on DVD. The story is a true account of a Holocaust survivor, made unique by the fact that the survivor was no ordinary person, but a gynaecologist, Dr Gisella Perl, who loses her family to the gas chambers, and has to do what is necessary to survive amidst the worst conditions imaginable...by working alongside the infamous butcher doctor, Josef Mengele. The movie is told via flashbacks, as in the present day, Dr Perl is interviewed by a panel considering her application for US citizenship and allowing her to practise medicine in the US. Although I sympathised with her character [played brilliantly by Christine Lahti], there were moments where I questioned some of her choices as a doctor in Auschwitz. BUT, this movie does make you think...how far would you go in order to survive? Would one's moral compass remain intact in the face of such cruelty, evil & banality? The story is one that is definitely worth viewing, the scenes at the camp are really gut-wrenching, and horrific, and the acting is excellent, so is the cinematography, evoking the hopelessness of the time. Worth multiple viewings.

Absolutely spellbinding and unforgettable.......2006-10-23

This film, based on the memoirs of Dr. Gisella Perl, is an incredibly powerful, moving, soul-searing, and unforgettable experience. Some people feel that there are too many books and movies about the Shoah, or that after awhile they all start to seem the same because the tale of horror is all-too familiar, but this film is moving proof that that's not the case at all. Every person's story was different and unique in some way. How often have we got something from the perspective of a survivor who was a doctor, and a female doctor no less, at a time when men largely dominated the medical field? Additionally, this story is told in the present day, with flashbacks inserted every so often, instead of told in a linear format or just starting in the present and then having the bulk of the movie be one long flashback before reverting back to the present.

Dr. Perl became the first female doctor, and the first female Jewish doctor at that, in her native village of Sighet in Hungary. Even though her father initially disapproved, ever since she announced her plans as a young girl, she proved to him that she could be an observant Jew, a good doctor, a wife, and a mother. Becoming a doctor didn't cancel out her faith or a more traditional female role, as her family had feared. She was well-liked and trusted by her patients, and was doing very well for herself and for her family. In addition to being an inspiration for having survived what she did, she was also living proof that women can have both a career and a family, instead of just one or the other.

In the present day (a few years after the war), Dr. Perl is being examined for American citizenship. Though she passed all of her medical boards to be allowed to practise medicine in the United States, the question remains of her character and if she collaborated with the Nazis. There's an ocean of misunderstanding between her and her three interrogators, men who were living comfortable lives while she and her family were being treated like sub-humans, while she lost her entire family and had to do the unthinkable to try to save her own life. People who were in the camps often had to do things that many in the outside world would consider immoral, uncivilised, or unthinkable, but one must understand that this was another planet, with its own set of rules and morals. No one should judge anyone else for having done something to preserve one's own life. It's not as though these things were done willingly or voluntarily. "Dr." Mengele seemed to have a great deal of liking and respect for Dr. Perl, and made her work in the excuse of an infirmary at Auschwitz, even once assisting with a Gypsy patient who was pregnant with her second set of twins, a woman who was later murdered after giving birth and taken to be dissected. She was also once called upon to give the infamous sadistic Irma Grese an abortion. However, Dr. Perl did far, far more good than harm, often risking her life to save her patients, doing things that she would have been shot for had she been discovered doing, such as hiding a sick woman during selections in the infirmary and using her and the other doctors' blood as the pretended blood sample of a woman who had typhus. And since her specialty was in gynecology and obstetrics, she gave about a thousand women abortions, performed without any tools no less. She knew that this would save these women's lives, and that if they survived, they could go on to bear another child someday, a child who would be born in freedom. Her goal, her driving force for surviving, was to continue helping to bring life into the world, keeping these Jewish women alive so they would keep their people alive and produce children who would continue to propagate their people, replenishing their ranks after how many people the Nazis slaughtered, a million and a half of whom were just children. It is this message that she is trying to get across to the men deciding her fate as an American citizen and as a doctor.

I'd highly recommend this film, both for its moving and gut-wrenching story and for its unique perspective and structure, quite different from what one usually expects from a film about the Shoah. Christine Lahti as Dr. Perl gives an absolutely brilliant performance, and everything is brought to life so vividly that one can almost feel as though one is right there in that moment, place, and time. I was even moved to tears a few times, something that rarely happens when I watch a film. It's the kind of thing that stays with one for a long time afterward.

Excellent Movie!.......2006-08-10

Showtime made some amazing movies. This is one. Christine Lahti plays Dr. Gisella Perl a gynecologist who was interred in Auschwitz. It's the story of how she saved other women and herself but how women also died partly due to her (which haunted her greatly). She was used by the evil Dr. Joseph Mengele and she tried and sometimes succeed in saving woman from his horrid "experiments". Her story is told in flashbacks while told to three men who are part of the INS. She wanted to be an American citizen and a doctor again.

I do not and can not understand how the German people allowed all the things that happened under Hitler's regime. I don't think they are any worse than any other people. If I did, I wouldn't have married my husband who is one fourth German-American and taken his German name. And America had "camps" for the Japanese-Americans. We didn't murder or torture them but they still had their freedom taken away. I think all people are capable of evil and it comes out in mob mentality.

I wish that we could see ourselves as one people and equal to each other. Today in America, I see the hate toward new immigrants, especially Hispanics. My son may marry a Puerto Rican and I'm sickened by the idea that she may be mistreated by idiots who hate her for being a Latina.

Will humanity ever evolve beyond such petty differences and allow each other to be who they are?

This is an excellent movie and Christine Lahti gives an outstanding performance.

One Million Stars***************************************************************************************************************.......2006-07-09

Christine Lahti's acting as Dr. Perl is the finest acting I have witnessed in my life. Thanks to the uncanny acting ability of all the cast and flawless production and typescript, one tumbles into the cummulative anguished soul and stays speechless and awestruck throughout. This film so aptly corners every conceievable theme of humanity I am awestruck as to how it all was accomplished. Lahti's acting defies Hollywood skillsets - there is a power within her coiling and striking each nano second throughout.

Average customer rating:

Once the shooting starts, it's great
Excellent
Piece of cake is good realism
Thinking about the war 30 years on
Squadron life

Piece of Cake
Starring: Tom Burlinson , Neil Dudgeon , Jack McKenzie , Tom Radcliffe , and George Anton
Director: Ian Toynton
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004W5P1
Release Date: 2000-10-01

Customer Reviews:

Once the shooting starts, it's great .......2007-06-12

If I could describe "Piece of Cake" in a single phrase I would use "off-centered." As noted by other reviewers, a good deal of the story unfolds in the Phony War period. This is not altogether boring, but frankly, the series should have concentrated on the 1940 Battle of France and the Battle of Britain (the latter of which gets dealt with rather peremptorily).

This being said, the flight scenes and combat are first-rate. For me, a particularly haunting bit was the last flight of the squadron commander Rex. The notion of a badly wounded man high as a kite on morphine trying to lead a squadron of fighters into the buzz saw of the Luftwaffe is sobering and pathetic to say the least.

So for anyone who rents or buys this, I would say if you get bored in the first several hours start fast forwarding it to the combat. You won't be bored watching that.

Excellent.......2007-05-28

I recalled watching this series many years ago and am delighted I now own the set of episodes. All WWII aviation buffs need to see this series.

Piece of cake is good realism.......2007-05-14

Let me say it was good - and why. I thought it was a movie and found it was a collection of a series of stories set in WW2. The realism was excellent in that it was not a modern day romance, but factual in how people related to one another a half a century or more ago.

Friends who have watched the movie with us liked it too...even though one said that she probably wouldn't.

My husband's only critic of the movie was that the Spitfires that they used were Mark 9's and not Mark 1&2's..as was the case in the time period of the movie.

The air combat scenes were excellent.

Thinking about the war 30 years on.......2007-02-13

Years ago I had a boyfriend whose dad had flown with the RAF. As we were in the midst of the VietNam War I'm ashamed to say that I viewed his stories with disdain. Thirty years and a lot of experience later, I realize that he and his companions sacrificed a lot and movies like Piece of Cake show that, while they were by no means paragons of virtue, what they did deserves our admiration and yes, our thanks. Like others, I was fascinated by the storyline and with every episode I tried to figure out who out of the original squadron was still left. And again I was reminded of my friend's dad and the few friends that he said came home with him. I agree with the person who wrote how frustrating it was not to be able to figure out who was shot because we often weren't sure, outside of the main characters like Rex and Moggy and Fanny and Chris, who was who. I do have one question which is who was the other flyer who was left? I think it was 'Haggis' but I thought that Haggis had been shot down in Episode 3 or 4. Oh and thanks to the reviewer who mentioned that 'Flash' became 'Inspector Lynley'!! It had driven me crazy trying to think where I'd seen him before!

Squadron life.......2007-01-11

A nice serie. Can enjoy the life of a Squadron in the times of War. Different caracters enjoyable. Flew Spitfires a little too early in time.

Average customer rating:

Rebecca
Pretty Good Re-make of Rebecca
Rebecca
Eyes like a snake
Rent don't buy

Rebecca
Starring: Anthony Bate , John Branwell , Jonathan Cake , Tom Chadbon , and Lucy Cohu
Director: Jim O'Brien
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
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Masterpiece Theatre: Frenchman's Creek
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Rebecca
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ASIN: B00008DDRZ
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Description

Daphne du Maurier's classic tale of romance, suspense and jealousy, Rebecca, is brought to you in this lavish adaptation. Set in elegant Monte Carlo and dramatic Cornwall in the 1930s. this drama stars Charles Dance (Gosford Park, The Jewel in the Crown)as the sophisticated Maxim de Winter and Emilia Fox (Pride and Prejudice) as the young woman who becomes the second Mrs. de Winter.

When Maxim de Winter proposes to such a young woman nobody is more surprised than the circle of society friends who learn the intriguing news, especially as his new wife is the opposite of Maxim's first wife, the beautiful Rebecca, who mysteriously died in a tragic drowning accident.

After Maxim takes his new wife back to his home, the ancient and magnificent Manderley, it soon becomes evident that the shadow of Rebecca is all-pervasive, nurtured all the more by the sinister gothic housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Diana Rigg, The Avengers, Mother Love, A Hazard of Hearts).

The new Mrs. de Winter beings to uncover the darkness of the past that taints the present and threatens to haunt her future...

Special DVD features include: Q&A with Diana Rigg; select cast filmographies; Masterpiece Theatre poster gallery; access to Masterpiece Theatre web site; scene selection; English audiotrack; and closed captions.

On one DVD9 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Full screen

Customer Reviews:

Rebecca.......2007-01-12

Dear Sir or Madam,

I cannot comment on this DVD, since I encountered a bad seller, and I did not receive the DVD. I cancelled my order in the end.

Pretty Good Re-make of Rebecca.......2006-11-06

In short, I am a fan of Hitchcock's work and have seen almost all of his movies and I agree that there is nothing like the original Rebecca (1940), which is my all time favorite. I also agree that no remake will ever come close to the original. Having established that, I was pleasantly surprised with this 1997 version with its beautiful scenary, good casting, fine acting and a different take from the original. I found myself glued to the TV and very much entertained. Yes, the movie is 3 hours long, but it is very well made and you get more details than what the classic offers. I think the reason some viewers are dissappointed is because they truly expect to see the 1940 version with Hitchcock's movie magic touches. No current director will ever have that type of unique and uncanny talent that Hitchcock brought to each of his movies. Having said that, I feel this 1997 version stands on its own as a pretty good film and worth taking a look if you don't expect this version to be an exact duplicate of the classic. I highly recommend this film version of Rebecca if you want to explore another take of this fine classic and if you don't expect this to be a Hitchcock film because it's not. I feel this version deserves 5 stars standing on its own and without comparing it to the original.

Rebecca.......2006-08-15

It looked like brand new and came pretty quickly. Thumbs up for me.

Eyes like a snake.......2006-07-30

There should be some sort of rule that if Alfred Hitchcock did it, then it should never be adapted or remade again -- you only compare it unfavorably to his work. In the case of the BBC's "Rebecca," it's high on story fidelity but lacking in gothic atmosphere, very slow, and with a cast that is hit-and-miss.

A young girl (Emilia Fox) is at Monte Carlo with her employer, where she meets and befriends the wealthy Maxim de Winter (Charles Dance). When she's due to leave, he asks her to marry him -- though he was supposedly heartbroken over his wife Rebecca's death -- and whisks her back to Cornwall, to his ancient family estate Manderley.

But Manderly is haunted by Rebecca's presence, partly because of the ominous housekeeper (Diana Rigg), who is still obsessively devoted to Rebecca. The new Mrs. de Winter believes that Maxim still love Rebecca -- until the horrific secrets of Rebecca's life and death are revealed. And a smashed boat with a body has been found in the nearby bay.

One thing you can't fault "Rebecca" with is fidelity to Daphne DuMaurier's original novel. This miniseries sticks like glue to the words and events of the book. Unfortunately it sticks a little too slavishly at times, which leads to the miniseries being rather long and kind of dull at times.

Not to mention the famed "window-suicide" scene, when Danvers tries to hypnotize her new mistress into walking out of a window. It's a powerful scene, but I'd love to see anyone try to spontaneously commit suicide from a tiny, high-up window about ten feet off the ground.

The BBC has always been terrible with ominous atmosphere. There is zero gothic flavor, no suspense, and that is what "Rebecca" should be about -- not a murder mystery. They stick to what they know, with lots of sumptuous British sets and period details, especially in the artificial glamour of Monte Carlo's hotels, and the costume ball.

The casting is spotty -- Emelia Fox is excellent as Ms. de Winter, looking mousy and childlike, but gaining new strength as she realizes how much Maxim needs her. Dance gives an enthusiastic but rather pallid performance. And Rigg does an amazing job with a terribly written character: Mrs. Danvers is turned into a pitiful figure rather than a frightening one, who breaks down crying in front of everyone.

But there is another big flaw -- we see all of Rebecca in bits and pieces. The power of the character is in never seeing this uber-femme fatale, and so seeing her entire body, bits of her face and hearing her voice all take away from it. Rebecca's "power" over Manderley seems to die when we see her.

Faithful but dull, "Rebecca" loses a lot of what should have made it shine, like gothic atmosphere, drama and an absent namesake. It's passable as a BBC miniseries, but try the Hitchcock version instead.

Rent don't buy.......2006-06-05

Since the Hitchcock version is out of print,I bought this version.It lacks the sinister atmosphere,suspense,and foreboding of the book and Hitchcock version.Lacking these qualities, the movie is plodding and rather boring. While Diana Rigg is intriguing as Mrs. Danvers, the portrayal of the characters of Maxim and the second Mrs. DeWinter are unsatisfying.The two have no chemistry, and I care about neither. Ultimately,I read the reviews to judge if I should purchase the movie.I will pass this version on to a friend but will not keep it in my library.Wish I would have rented it instead.

Average customer rating:

"How to properly bake a cake. First, shoot the baker"
A last drug score that gets bungled in drouble crosses and misinformation, as expected
Miller's Tale
SLICK GANGSTER THRILLER WITH COLORFUL ACCENTS
Nice surprise

Layer Cake (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Daniel Craig , Tom Hardy , Jamie Foreman , Sally Hawkins , and Burn Gorman
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Widescreen Edition)
Snatch (Special Edition)
Oldboy
A History of Violence (New Line Platinum Series)

ASIN: B0009X7BD2
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

"How to properly bake a cake. First, shoot the baker" .......2007-06-27

A last drug score that gets bungled in drouble crosses and misinformation, as expected.......2007-06-18

Miller's Tale.......2007-05-19

SLICK GANGSTER THRILLER WITH COLORFUL ACCENTS.......2007-05-13

Nice surprise.......2007-05-07

The Martha Stewart Cooking Collection - Martha's Baking Favorites

Average customer rating:

Very good value for the money!
My Review
Wowzer! What a Gem!
Love Martha Stewart!!!!
Marta's Baking Favorites

The Martha Stewart Cooking Collection - Martha's Baking Favorites
Starring: Martha Stewart
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Martha Stewart Cooking Collection - Martha's Favorite Family Dinners
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Martha Stewart Living Television: Martha's Favorite Cookies, Vol. 10

ASIN: B000BNTMJQ
Release Date: 2005-12-20

Description

Martha makes everything special, and baking is no exception. Martha's Baking Favorites features Martha Stewart's best recipes - from cakes and pies to cookies and so much more. Consumers will learn the best techniques and tips for creating delicious treats.

Customer Reviews:

Very good value for the money!.......2007-05-16

The DVD is very good. I especially like the printable recipes.
It makes everything look so easy, but I have the feeling Martha is not telling everything there is to know about the tricks one needs to get the same results... I am not 100% sure though as I have not had time yet to try any of the recipes out. Hopefully I am wrong.

My Review.......2006-04-07

Although there are some good recipes, I did buy the video to learn the techniques such as cake decorating, etc. I am unable to pull up this section of the dvd. It refers me to a web link to solve technical issues, but the link does not exist. Perhaps this is because I have a Mac. I'm not sure.

Wowzer! What a Gem!.......2006-03-24

Although I have Martha Stewart's new book on baking, I also purchased the DVD. This is such a warm and cozy DVD. I play it on my computer. There are nights when I just don't want to look at re-runs, and watch this instead. I call this my 'Baking class.' And that's what it is. A private one-on-one baking class with Martha! She has guests for some of the segments and they have lots of interesting things to share. The Red Velvet Cake is made by a lovely lady from down South who shares her secrets with not only Martha, but you. You feel as if you have pulled up a chair in the kitchen and are sitting there with them. A wonderful, wonderful learning tool. She goes all out to make sure you have all the pans and other items you will need to get started. Helpful hints, hands-on demonstrations. Some recipes with the hand-held mixer and some in the stand mixer. And even some by hand. I wish I had this DVD in 1991 when I first started baking for the first time. I cannot praise this DVD highly enough. It is an absolute must for anyone who is not a real pro yet but wants to be. You have such a long list of episodes to watch. And you can watch them over and over and over again. It's the next best thing to having Martha right there in your kitchen with you. This is better. You're in HER kitchen, and you don't have to do the dishes afterwards! How great is that?! Love this DVD. Please buy one for yourself and friends. You'll get a big hug if you do.

Love Martha Stewart!!!!.......2006-03-14

I was very excited when I found out that Martha would be releasing a series of DVD's. Every product that Martha Stewart puts her name on is of the highest quality. Fans will love this DVD!!!!

Marta's Baking Favorites.......2006-02-27

Is an excellent product. The bakers should do more of this dvd for the persons who doesn't have the naturally kitchen art. Thanks Patricia

Average customer rating:

Rome in transition
Great acting, great landscapes
Anachronistic sword and sandal
My Brain is Melting
Lacking historical accuracy! Why???

Empire
Starring: Vincent Regan , Emily Blunt , James Frain , Christopher Egan , and Jonathan Cake
Director: Greg Yaitanes , Kim Manners , and John Gray
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
ProductGroup: DVD
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Augustus
Nero
Julius Caesar
Pompeii - The Last Day/Colosseum - A Gladiator's Story
Rome - The Complete First Season

ASIN: B000AJJNLI
Release Date: 2005-11-29

Amazon.com

The lavishly produced six-hour mini-series Empire aspires to capture the flavor and grandeur of Rome--or, failing that, the flavor and grandeur of Gladiator, a highly successful movie about Rome. Most writers, including Shakespeare, use the assassination of Julius Caesar as a climax; Empire opens with it, then follows a fictional gladiator named Tyrranus (Jonathan Cake, Inconceivable) as he protects and substitute-parents Caesar's nephew Octavius (Santiago Cabrera, Love and Other Disasters), fated to be emperor of Rome. Many have complained about how Empire plays fast and loose--very, very loose--with historical truth (the series labored over accurate details while running amok with preposterous turns of plot, ranging from Octavius hiding out in a gladiatorial prison to the emperor-to-be's romance with a rosy-lipped vestal virgin). Of course, Shakespeare did his own embellishing and it worked out fine; alas, the writers of Empire are not our modern Shakespeares. The machinations of Rome play out with cheesy speeches and cornball declamations; even a powerhouse actress like Fiona Shaw (Empire obeys the Hollywood rule that hot-tempered Romans must only be played by emotionally repressed Brits) can't inject fire into this pompous, ponderous dialogue. The scheming between Octavius and Marc Anthony (Vincent Regan, Unleashed) briefly harkens back to the genuinely thrilling duplicities of I, Claudius, but only briefly. Cabrera looks like he'd be more comfortable with the machinations of The O.C.; Cake musters some dignity but in the last few hours does little but grimace, as if wondering where he'd parked his car. The dvd release has reintegrated some unrated, unaired scenes, but don't get your hopes up. The gladiatorial combat has all the finesse and suspense of locker room buddies snapping towels at each other; the lone orgy scene works hard at fleshpottiness, but nothing kills decadence like effort. There are only two extra features: A typically self-lauding making-of doc, accompanied by a demonstration of how Rome was assembled in a computer. --Bret Fetzer

Description

The epic event of the year comes to DVD in the mini-series EMPIRE. Complete with unrated and extended scenes, EMPIRE is presented for the first time as a seamless feature. The Roman Empire is plunged into chaos when Julius Caesar is assassinated and his power is passed on to his 18-year-old nephew Octavius. With his guardian, former gladiator Tyrannus, Octavius is forced into exile to escape those who wish to sever Caesar's bloodline permanently. Under Tyrannus' tutelage, Octavius prepares to face off against the treacherous Marc Antony and fulfill his destiny as the leader of Rome. EMPIRE boasts "powerful acting," says the Wall Street Journal, with a hot young cast that includes James Frain (24), Colm Feore, Jonathan Cake, Santiago Cabrera, and Emily Blunt. Filmed entirely in scenic Italy, EMPIRE tells the thrilling story of a hero's rise amidst the greed, intrigue, and lust of ancient Rome.~

Customer Reviews:

Rome in transition.......2007-02-03

This is quite an ambitious, entertaining and interesting work of historical fiction. The story opens just before the Ides of March and takes us through the beginning of the reign of Octavion (who would come to be known as Caesar Augustus). At the outset, it needs to be admitted that there are a great many liberties taken with history in this film. Even calling it a "representation" of what actually took place would be a bit of a stretch.

The story centers on a fictional gladiator named Tyrannus who is assigned to be Octavion's body guard after his uncle Julius is assasinated. One of the things that this movie DOES get right (historically) is that Octavion is portrayed as being right around 18 years old. That is entirely accurate. Octavion was this age when he went to Rome to claim his inheritance. Most movies I have seen that deal w/this time period portray Octavion as a grown man, which is false.

The movie does a good job of invoking some personages and cultural institutions of Rome that don't normally get a lot of air-time in movies about Rome. Among these are Octavion's best friend and best general, Agrippa. Another is Rome's greatest orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. The tradition of the Vestal Virgins is also tied into the story in a clever way.

A curious omission to this time frame is the character of Cleopatra. There is an Egyptian girl in the movie, but we're not told her name and she has such a bit part as to be almost an afterthought. Obviously the storyline demanded that they go in a different direction, but it's still somewhat odd to look at this period w/out Cleopatra being involved.

All in all, this is a fairly well done effort. The acting is solid and the direction is pretty good. The biggest fault that I can see is that it seemed incomplete. They failed to tie up some loose ends, and I found that irritating. The ending to me seemed to fizzle out somewhat instead of being dramatic. However, all-in-all, it's a good investment if you're a big fan of the history of Rome.

Great acting, great landscapes.......2007-01-09

A fine mixture of young and experienced actors, and the story of the Roman Empire is always interesting. Great landscapes.

Anachronistic sword and sandal.......2006-07-14

I enjoy Roman history, so I rented "Empire" on netflix. I admit, I could barely sustain my interest as I watched a group of gladiators fight (one with a full facial tribal tattoo), versus our hero, anachronistically attired Tyranus. Come on people. This is the height of the Roman empire. Characters are dressed like braveheart extras or rejects from the world wrestling federation.

Next, we see young Octavius flirting with a vestal virgin. Come on people? A vestal virgin? They were kept under lock and key and chaperoned. Roman women were not roaming around on the streets and speaking their minds to rich upperclass men unless they were loose.

This was overall, pretty cheesy, and worse boring- I'm having trouble maintaining my interest.

My Brain is Melting.......2006-05-26

GARBAGE! GARBAGE! GARBAGE! AAIIIEEEEEEE! My brain is melting.I have never written a review on Amazon before, but after sitting through this Turkeyosaur (I can't believe I watched the whole thing, I think I was mesmerized and rendered unable to respond by hitting the off-switch by an evil spirit)I felt it my duty to my fellow man and woman to warn them about it. This is the most ludicrous and ridiculous piece of junk ever reduced to celluloid. It makes Plan Nine from Outer Space look like a combination of Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird and Ben-Hur. Everybody associated with this thing would be banned from the film industry for life if there were any justice. It bears no semblance to history after the first twenty minutes, the only things even remotely historical are the names of the supposedly historical characters. The writing is awful, the acting is awful and everybody looks like they are walking through a grungy music video. Can't anybody make a decent historical costume drama anymore? The only decent ones of the last fifteen years have been Tombstone and Master and Commander, but this one is by far the worst. Has everybody's brain turned to jello? They're laughing at us, folks! Please, please don't support these fools and dumbdowners by buying this! I'm burning the copy I have as a sacrifice in an attempt to appease the muse of drama. My only regret is that Amazon won't let me post a lower rating.....

Lacking historical accuracy! Why???.......2006-05-08

Empire brings to the screen the rise to power of one of the most well known historical figures: Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus.
Nevertheless, it is a series that brings to life the director's version of how he would have liked Octavius' rise to be. The movie does not faithfully follow the sources associated with the well known Roman emperor (even though historians should have been hired to do just that), rather it is a film BASED on and INSPIRED by the legendary emperor, and therefore has a great deal of flaws and deviations from the truth.
One could list one after another the discrepancies that occur, and for those that have read/studied Roman History, it is common knowledge that the list would be very long indeed, some will say too long... From this very long list the most important alteration was in relation to the historical discrepancies regarding the "disappearance" of the co-regency between Octavius and Marc Anthony that seems to have miraculously slipped the writers' minds, not to mention that Julius Caesar is to have perished on the Senate steps, and not while sitting inside the Senate.
As other reviewers have also pointed out, the series starts off pretty well and it is mainly in the second half that Empire goes "Xena" on us.
Therefore, once it is established that this is a work of fiction and not an historical adaptation things change, though the problems do not go away, they just transform;
1) To start with, Empire is very biased against the Senate, the Patricians, and even/especially Marc Anthony!
2) Where is the piety and sternness associated with Augustus?
2) Octavius seems to be getting out of too many impossible situations too often.
3) The slave out of nowhere, Tyrannus, attempts to provide a Spartacus/Gladiator feel that does not need to be present in a film about Octavius.
4) No one recognized Tyrannus or Octavius in the Gladiator School (!!!)
5) Magonius was a little too dark to be a Roman General (of the 4th Legion).
6) The "Legendary 3rd" while interesting (!) was like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean and LOR's Return of the King more than anything else.
7) The nurse at Marc Anthony's villa was more Nubian than Egyptian.
8) Marcus Agrippa was a teenager!
And the list goes on and on...
On the positive side, the acting and cast are very good (overall).
Moreover, the setting, the dialogues and the costumes are also commendable!
Even though this is a Hollywoodish production and one should be more flexible and lenient when dealing with adaptations, one should also keep in mind that this is Octavian Augustus in question and not some petty, modern leader. Therefore, the only real problem arises when the majority of people (and most people have NOT read/studied the sources) who see the series start believing that events happened the way the film depicts/portrays and not the way they actually occurred. Consequently, due to these distortions, the movie establishes a very serious threat of producing armies of misinformed people who think they have accurate knowledge of Octavius Augustus when they really do not. That is NOT good!
The dead heroes would be turning in their graves if they knew what is being written and said about them by people who are either misinformed or are purposely out to distort the truth in following their own personal agendas.
Hopefully, more films will be made set in the ancient times, as the demand for them is definitely there, but please let's make them accurate.
In a nutshell, though not a masterpiece, Empire will provide for an evening's entertainment, especially for those with a soft spot for History and all things Roman, though you might not want to go as far as purchasing it.

Average customer rating:

Best to stick with the book
I'd rather do a 2K piece. . .
one of the better rowing movies
Now wait a minute...it's actually a good rowing movie!
Miracle at Oxford is Fantastic!!!!

Miracle at Oxford
Starring: Dylan Baker , Ryan Bollman , Johan Leysen , Geraldine Somerville , and Josh Lucas
Director: Ferdinand Fairfax
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:

The Boy in Blue
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Rowing Through
Mind Over Water: Lessons on Life from the Art of Rowing
ROWING AGAINST THE CURRENT: On Learning to Scull at Forty

ASIN: B00069FKUK
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Description

MIRACLE AT OXFORD stars Josh Lucas (SWEET HOME ALABAMA) and Dominic West (THE FORGOTTEN) in the inspirational account of a team rising to meet the ultimate challenge of winning back its honor! To Oxford University, "The Boat Race" - the intensely competitive annual rowing competition between Oxford and its archrival Cambridge -- is more important than the Olympics. So when Oxford's long winning streak ends in humiliating defeat, they vow victory the next year at all costs! But the method they choose threatens to tear the team apart while setting up a struggle between old-school traditions and modern rivalry! Now facing extreme pressure, they must rally together to achieve their one common goal -- restore the pride of Oxford!

Customer Reviews:

Best to stick with the book.......2005-10-19

I rowed at for my college at Oxford and literally devoured Dan Topolski's book True Blue. Though I suspect that the reaction of non-rowers (and people who are not wanting to relive their days in England) may be less enthusiastic, I could hardly put the book down. So I then moved on to the movie (the British version, True Blue, which I presume is the very same movie as "Miracle at Oxford." the movie was only okay. The writers did little to capture the tension that is so palpable in the book, and while some may think this terrible to say, the movie could benefit from a little Hollywood -- or a better British studio. Hate to say it --- but Oxford Blues, while certainly not a good movie, was much more memorable.

Read the book.

I'd rather do a 2K piece. . ........2005-04-26

I was excited to find this movie at my local video store this weekend - to be honest, I had never heard of the film before seeing it on the shelf. I almost wish I had left it there, though.

I rowed for my college while studying at Oxford more than 10 years ago ("We love you Worcester, oh yes we do. . ."), so I understand the sentiment behind the Boat Race, the importance of rowing in Oxford, the feeling of many Oxford students towards Americans and the lingo of rowing in Oxford (different from "crew" in the US). Accordingly, I was all set to be excited by this film.

Unfortunately, the acting was as wooden as the blades they used in the race, the story was thin, and by 2/3 of the way through the movie, I resorted to fast-forwarding to the rowing scenes.

I would suggest this movie for those people who spent time at Oxford and want to see scenes of early morning outings, Crew Dinners and other little vignettes that will remind them of their stint.

Otherwise, I'd take a pass. Oxford Blues is more entertaining.

one of the better rowing movies.......2005-03-02

I can vouch for the previous reviewer's suggestion of watching this while erging, because that's exactly what I did this morning. And, the true test, I kept finding myself pulling hard without even realizing it at strategic points in the plot.

I think it would be an OK film for non-rowers, but not a great one. Some of the characters are hard to tell apart and I haven't exactly figured out why the movie needed the priest character. Also, most of the Americans are stereotypically one-dimensional.

As a rower, I very much appreciated that they got the terminology right - they may not have cleared their puddles, but the coach commented on them. (In a good eight, when stroke seat's oar hits the water, the boat will be past the puddles left by bow seat's oar on the previous stroke.) The rowing wasn't quite world-class but was much better than in most rowing movies, not that there are all that many others.

The scenery is very nice to watch as well, both the towery spires of Oxford and the convincingly fit (especially in the brief shower scenes!) rowers.

Now wait a minute...it's actually a good rowing movie!.......2005-02-08

Okay, it might help to know something about rowing. I suspect that the majority of viewers of this film will be rowers, or at least the majority of people who appreciate it will be. And yes, I'm a rower. This is the (largely) true story of the 1987 Boat Race mutiny at Oxford, based on the book by the coach, Dan Topolski. The actors apparently trained for 6 months to learn how to row, and overall did a pretty fair job of it. While purists (as exist with every sports movie) can complain about some things (rowing nuances: like if they're going so damn fast, why aren't they clearing their puddles in the beautiful overhead shot near the end? And why are there hatchet blades [first introduced in 1991, and not even ubiquitous until a few years later] being used by the Cambridge crew in 1987?), it does a pretty good job, and it's nice to see a good rowing movie for a change (example of bad rowing movie: Oxford Blues). This English movie was originally released in 1996 as "True Blue"; one suspects that its recent DVD release in the US under its current name is indeed an attempt to capitalize on the success of "Miracle." But the story is based on fact (even though there are opposing viewpoints), and the sequence of events actually happened, including the Disney ending. The ringer Americans in the film are portrayed as major jerks, but there is minor redemption at the end for one; and again, this was certainly how Topolski saw it, and may have been as it really was. I also suspect that, unlike football, baseball, and basketball movies, just tossing out rowing terminology will be gibberish to the average viewer, as most people have at least a passing acquaintance with our most popular sports, but rowing remains, in this country at least, a bit more esoteric. I imagine this was less of a problem in the UK, where the Boat Race is a major televised spectacle (sort of like the Super Bowl) and British rowing icons are respected, revered, and knighted (witness Sirs Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent). So this film is doomed to be less well understood on these shores. But, while not outstanding in its writing and tying up loose ends, it's a very good movie, with tremendous on the water scenes, and reasonably well-acted. For anyone with a passing knowledge of the sport who is looking for a good (and true) tale, this is a worthwhile way to pass 2 hours. You may even want to watch it while erging*---might make that less painful!

*Erging: The verb developed from the machine, the rowing ergometer, known to all rowers as more of a torture device. They are shown in the movie as well.

Miracle at Oxford is Fantastic!!!!.......2005-01-16

This movie is absolutely fantastic, and this film has captured the magic of the race perfectly. But, I believe that if you are not a big fan of Rowing that you would still enjoy this movie for its superb performances by the actors, and I'm sure that people would appreciate actually seeing the actors row the race instead of some stunt double rowing it for them, because it truly is a heart wrenching thing to row at full pelt for 20 minutes. And I truly encourage everybody who reads this to see this movie.

DVD:

DVD List

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