Michael

Starring:John Travolta, Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, Bob Hoskins, Robert Pastorelli, Jean Stapleton, Teri Garr, Wallace Langham, Joey Lauren Adams, Carla Gugino, Tom Hodges, Catherine Lloyd Burns, Richard Schiff, Calvin Trillin, Donald J. Lee Jr., JoAnn Fregalette Jansen, David Harrod, Jane Lanier, John Hussey, Margaret Travolta
Director: Nora Ephron
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
After the box-office success of Phenomenon, John Travolta continued to charm audiences with this 1996 comedy-fantasy in which he plays a grubby angel who's got one last good deed to do before heading back to heaven. Living peacefully in the rural Iowa home of an old, friendly motel owner (Jean Stapleton), the winged Michael (Travolta) is hardly the image of a perfect angel. He's scruffy, unshaven, eats sweetened cereal by the box-full and chain-smokes all day long. But when tabloid reporters (William Hurt, Robert Pastorelli) learn of Michael's alleged existence and head to Iowa to check him out, Michael soon realizes that it's his task to see that Hurt falls in love with an "angel expert" (Andie MacDowell) and breaks free from his habitually cynical attitude. There's more to the story, of course (and Chasing Amy fans will recognize Joey Lauren Adams as a waitress who charms the angel), but Michael is more about the effect that this enchanting angel has on the earthbound humans around him. Whether he's chipping away at Hurt's skepticism or attracting a crowd of women on a truck-stop dance floor, Michael is an enchanting figure, and Travolta plays him with just the right tone of humor, reverence, and effervescent charm. Sure, it's lightweight fluff, but director Nora Ephron specializes in lightweight fluff, and Michael is the kind of feel-good movie that never wears out its welcome. --Jeff Shannon

The Secret (Extended Edition)
Average customer rating:

Highly Recommend

the Secret DVD very good

Very Dissapointed

Specifics to Life's Success

Not so secret, Secret

The Secret (Extended Edition)
Starring: Rhonda Byrne , Paul Harrington , Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith , and Neale Donald Walsch
Director: Drew Heriot
Manufacturer: TS Production, LLC
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

New Age | Health | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
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Product Features:

The Internet's #1 Smash Hit -Law of Attraction- Movie

New Extended Edition

Experience The Secrets discussed on Larry King & Oprah

Behind the Sceens, Outtakes and Commentary

ASIN: B000K8LV1O
Release Date: 2006-10-01

Product Description

The new "extended edition" of this ground-breaking feature length movie presentation reveals The Great Secret of the universe. It has been passed throughout the ages, traveling through centuries... to reach you. This is The Secret to everything - the secret to unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth: everything you have ever wanted. In this astonishing program are ALL the resources you will ever need to understand and live The Secret. For the first time in history, the world's leading scientists, authors, and philosophers will reveal The Secret that utterly transformed the lives of every person who ever knew it... Plato, Newton, Carnegie, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Einstein. Now YOU will know The Secret. And it can change your life forever.

Amazon.com

Not really a movie or documentary, The Secret is more of a video seminar, a presentation featuring a series of authors, philosophers, doctors, quantum physicists, entrepreneurs, and spiritual practitioners expounding on the powers of The Secret (probably the most well-known of the presenters is Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and The Success Principles). What is The Secret, exactly? "That principle can be summed up in three simple words: thoughts become things," proclaims writer Mike Dooley, author of Notes from the Universe. Put it another way, it's The Power of Positive Thinking and how it can be applied to attracting more money, better health, and relationships; in short, happiness. (There is a rundown of topics on the DVD Chapters menu).

Most of the material here is given in a straightforward manner, with the presenters simply talking into the camera to address the audience directly, which is good because it avoids the trap of pretense. On the other hand, the quick edits between presenters (would it hurt to let them say more than one sentence at a time?) don't help because it reduces many of their points to palatable sound bites and aphorisms. To many viewers, this may make the program come across as a series of nice ideas not rooted in reality. Plus it's somewhat spurious to claim that The Secret was well understood and practiced by specific individuals like Plato or Shakespeare (it's well known that some of the historical figures noted didn't exactly live happy or even prosperous lives, despite their achievements). But still, the primary message is one of positivity and hope for everyone. So what to make of it? In the end, programs like this generally find an audience that is open to the message, and many will probably find it to be a source of inspiration. Others will approach it with a good deal of skepticism or dismiss it as another way of marketing happiness the masses. It simply won't resonate with everyone, but if it resonates with you, you're likely to enjoy it and get a lot out of it. Those looking for more on The Secret might want to check out the companion book by Rhonda Byrne. --Daniel Vancini

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommend.......2007-07-04

This movie was such an awakening. For the people who bash it, its ok to have your opinion but just to let you know my brother is Jose Vallenilla AKA Funky Joe famous in puerto Rico. He had cancer in his tongue, brain, stomach with an 5% percent chance of living. He told me that he visualized himself living in the future and over the time through intense treatment after a year he was cancer free. He said this on television "I will not die of cancer i might slip and break my neck but cancer will not end my life. Now he is one of the most repected man in puerto Rico. He enwealthy and happy and he recommended this movie to me. Im glad i watched it.

the Secret DVD very good.......2007-07-03

I thought this was a very good review of the book however I would recommend reading the book more than just looking at the DVD.

Very Dissapointed.......2007-07-03

I was informed by someone that this movie would help a person with bipolar and was suffering with depression very seriously, such as me. There was nothing to help me with whatsoever. I am disabled and cannot work, so all I did was spend a great deal of money that I do not really have, and learned nothing in order to help my problem. I just pray that no one else makes the same mistake.

Specifics to Life's Success.......2007-07-03

This movie is well worth your time and effort if you are "serious" about learning how to better your life in general or specifically. It is the information that we all learn,or are offered to learn, in increments as we go through life but it is given here all at once.

Not so secret, Secret.......2007-07-03

Find Me: How Psychic Detectives from Around the World Have Banded Together to Find Missing People Co-author of Find Me

This movie is a great introduction to what the Masters have been teaching for years. I have used these principles in my life and my teachings for 20 years, and have a wonderful life and universe to thank :)

Average customer rating:

The End of an Era
Good show comes to an end
Help me out...
More real then most
The right time to end a fantastic show

Stargate SG-1 - Season 10
Starring: Ben Browder , Amanda Tapping , Christopher Judge , Michael Shanks , and Claudia Black
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Stargate Atlantis - The Complete Second Season
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Stargate Atlantis - The Complete Third Season
Babylon 5 - The Lost Tales
Heroes - Season 1

ASIN: B000PMFRTC
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Description

The final Season comes to DVD! In season 10, Vala, a former Goa'uld host turned freedom-fighter, joins SG-1 in their battle to defend the galaxy from the holy war of the Ori. Meanwhile, relations between the Jaffa and Earth continue to be strained. It all comes to a sizzling end on the finale.

Customer Reviews:

The End of an Era.......2007-07-02

I remember the original Stargate SG-1 movie and while it was good, I think Richard Dean Anderson and Daniel Shanks made a better team than Kurt Russell and James Spader. Stargate offered an exciting journey to distant lands in a blink of an eye and the journey was usually quick, saving more time for adventure.

But after season 8, Stargate got too familiar, always fighting the Gu'ald. The addition of Ben Browder and Claudia Black seemed too reminiscent of Farscape. But the addition of the Ori as a new formidable opponent made the series sizzle again!

Season 10 continues Stargate SG-1's battle against the Ori, one of the most powerful enemies ever concocted. The search for Merlin's weapon against the Ancients that would also destroy the Ori leads one on a quest where even the Gu'ald team up with the SG-1 team to help defeat the Ori. The Ori can transform humans into their oracles and spokesmen and it is interesting to see Daniel Jackson as an Ori. But buy the DVD and see what happens next!

Stargate SG-1 may not be the cleverest series, but it offered quality entertainment to the family for 10 years. I doubt if StarWars could continue as good a series for 10 years. Even though the 100th and 200th episodes were campy and goofy, the 200th episode did have references to Farscape and a tongue-in-cheek view of the show. Stargate offered a look inside each character and although we hoped something would happen between Jack O'Neal and Samantha Carter, it was nice to see Daniel Jackson and Vala as a couple. The show's ending was bittersweet but it's nice to know that there will be movies following.

The series finale did not go out in a bang, or a whimper. It was tastefully done and unexpected. There was a LOT of loose ends and I hope the movies will resolve these. I will get Season 10 to finalize my box set collection. You should too because it will become a SciFi classic!

Good show comes to an end.......2007-06-18

This is one of the best of the seasons that I have seen. If there was one problem than it was that they pushed the losing a team-mate thing too far and the need to drag Vala's father into this particular season was really unnecessary. There were some really good episodes in this one my particular favorite was when they were dealing with the cloned Ba'als and the camping trip that they took. But all in all this was a good season. Seeing it come to a close is hard, but it'll end with a bang and I look forward to those two movies when they come out.

Help me out..........2007-06-16

Someone will have to help me out here. I have watched the first two seasons of this series, and frankly, it is not good. Do they get better as the seasons go on? Compared to others in this genre, and other TV Series of any genre, this series, the first two years, at least, are infantile. The acting is bland at best. The story set-ups are done without any imagination. The premise is very quickly worn out. This actually went for ten seasons?! I'm sorry, I cannot figure out the target audience. The same folks who like other stuff like this cannot like this one.

More real then most.......2007-06-15

This show was the best scifi show ever, I am not one for science fiction, it's boring and unrealistic; however Stargate was something of anomaly it was actualy entertaining and seemed realistic. I think it had a lot to do with the Air Force's influance on the show and how the characters were writen. Stargate SG-1 will be missed Immensely by many people including me. I hope that the dvd movies are a success so there will be more in the future.

The right time to end a fantastic show.......2007-06-14

As much as I would love SG-1 to go on forever, I know that ending at the landmark tenth season is the right thing to do in order to make sure such a wonderful series goes out with the dignity and respect that it deserves. SG-1 broke the mold in terms of special effects, production values, and sheer entertainment. It was able to look at the sci-fi genre in a different light, much like Farscape was able to do. It could make fun of itself while retaining its integrity, and it wasn't so dark and self-righteous as shows like Battlestar Galactica that it couldn't have a goofy episode here and there.

With the promise of at least two movies and the open door for more, the tenth season ends quietly and perfectly. Looking back, I realize that after O'Neill left, it just wasn't the same show. It was a lot of new characters, a new enemy, and a completely different angle. And while this did a lot to freshen up the storylines, it just wouldn't have held past two seasons of Mitchell leading the team. What was wonderful about the tenth season was Vala. She was a truly unapologetic character with a great storyline, and even though her bombastic character had the potential to be a scene-stealer, the amazing Claudia Black knows how to give as much as she takes. Her relations with each member of SG-1 and General Landry are incredibly entertaining and brought season 10 up to a whole new level.

Overall, the stories remained entertaining and meaningful, and the wonderful characters that we've know for ten years remained true to themselves while the newer characters remained true to the Stargate universe. Season ten feels like a good time to wave goodbye to an old friend without ever regretting a single moment of it.

Average customer rating:

No Sniping About This One!
WATCH THIS SHOT
Shooters DVD review
Did I Mention The Exploding Heads? Hard-Ass Action Escapism
Refreshingly Right on Target...

Shooter (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg , Michael Peña , Danny Glover , Kate Mara , and Elias Koteas
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000Q6GUTI
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

A movie that would not have been out of place in the run of paranoid-political thrillers of the 1970s, Shooter works an entertaining variation on the assassination picture. Mark Wahlberg, carrying over good mojo from The Departed, slides neatly into the character of Bob Lee Swagger, master marksman. Swagger has retreated from his duty as an off-the-books hired gun for the military, having become disillusioned with his government (switching on his TV at his remote mountain cabin, he mutters, "Let's see what kind of lies they're trying to sell us today."). Ah, but the government needs Swagger to scope out the location of a rumored attempt on the life of the president, so a shadowy government operative (Danny Glover) begs Swagger to use his sniper's skills to out-fox the assassin. From there--well, spoilers are not fair, since the movie has a few legitimate shocks and a very nice wrong-man scenario about to unfold.

A novel by the Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Stephen Hunter gives the movie a logical spine, even if the premise itself is the stuff of conspiracy theorists. Wahlberg gets support from Michael Pena, as a skeptical FBI agent; Kate Mara, as a trustworthy widow; and Ned Beatty, trailing along memories of Network, as a supremely cynical Senator. Along with the well-executed action sequences (the previously unreliable director Antoine Fuqua gets it in gear here), the movie includes a few potshots at the Bush administration. No, that doesn't put Shooter at the level of The Parallax View or All the President's Men, but it provides some tang along with the flying bullets. --Robert Horton

Beyond Shooter

More Sniper / Hit Man Movies on DVD
More DVDs with Mark Wahlberg
The Novel

Stills from Shooter (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

No Sniping About This One!.......2007-07-04

Mark Wahlberg is great in this movie about a sniper who worked for the government being called out of retirement, allegedly to do a job in the interests of national security. Something goes awry, and suddenly Wahlberg's character (Swagger)is a fugitive. There is a nice plot here with a well-timed twist. There is also plenty of action with car chases, gun fights and explosions galore. It ends in a most satisfying way. Danny Glover and Michael Pena also star, and give solid performances.

WATCH THIS SHOT.......2007-07-02

SHOOTER (DVD).

Shooter is based upon the novel Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter. I enjoyed the novel some years ago; I enjoyed the movie last night.

Gunnery sergeant Bob Lee Swagger( Mark Wahlberrg) is a sniper. He's been recruited by Spooks to a special mission that only he is good enough to do. He gathers up his trusty .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle and takes a couple of practice shots, then agrees to do the mission. Of course since Spooks are involved he is set up for something that he didn't do, Spooks are notorious for weaving a web of deception and double crossing.

The movie follows Swagger across the country making one outrageous shot after another. In the end Swagger pulls off a twist, gets the girl and saves the day. All in all a very satisfying movie.

Gunner July, 2007

Shooters DVD review.......2007-07-02

This was the single worst adaptation of a good action novel into an incomprehensible film I've ever seen! Ghastly in every way, the producers and director chose to ignore the book's excellent plot, change the venues and the characters, mess up the action scenes and obfuscate the story line. The casting was terrible with Glover as the Colonel, a young chick as the love interest, and a Hispanic as the FBI agent. Most of the dialog was impossible to follow and the whole script failed. Wahlberg was especially bad as the hero and the film was filled with mistakes and hardly rates a single star. Avoid it unless you want to watch total confusion and the destruction of the story line in a good book.

Did I Mention The Exploding Heads? Hard-Ass Action Escapism.......2007-07-02

"Muscles bulge and heads explode in "Shooter," a thoroughly reprehensible, satisfyingly violent entertainment about men and guns and things that go boom (heads, mostly). Did I mention the exploding heads? It is an admittedly primitive pleasure, but I do love watching stuff blow up in movies (heads, not so much). There is something unaccountably gratifying, at times reassuring about watching the screen -- the bigger the better -- become engulfed by surging waves of liquid orange, in the image of a car exploding into the air like a rocket, in a room, a building, a boat, a truck, you name it, shattering into confetti."
Manhola Dargis

Mark Wahlberg plays Bob Lee Swagger, (whoever thought up that name is a genius) a former Marine sniper. He is a loner and probably emotionally wounded by the death of his partner on a failed mission in Africa. Bob Lee Swagger takes off with his dog to a mountaintop ranch where he can live alone. Retired Col. Isaac Johnson, played by Danny Glover comes a calling one day, and causes Swagger to come back into the game when the colonel plays the patriotism card. There appears to be a plot to kill the President, and the colonel needs Bob Lee to predict how it will happen before it happens so he can stop it. In no time Swagger is on the run as the most hunted man in America. "Shooter" reminds me of the old Hitchcock films of a wrong man fingered for a crime. In this instance, the guy is framed and can only clear himself by hunting down those actually culpable.

Plot holes are too numerous to mention. The characters are all stick figures. Good guys do good, bad guys do bad, and there is little about motives, sentiments, emotions, backgrounds or beliefs that would allow the actors to build a character. The villians rely on physicality, and at times it is laughable. mark Wahlberg plays a clean, decent, good old loner, 'Shooter'. Wahlberg also could use a few more lines. The movie has an ending that we can guess at the get go. Do the good guys win?

I am from the live-free-or-die State and this movie reverberates with that philosophy. There are more weapons, bullets, fire, burned bodies, blown off heads, exploding houses and heads than seems possbile for one movie. But, there is something in this movie that attracts me and held my attention. Was it the bad guys were so bad, or the good guys were so bad? Entertaining, gritty and laughable in parts, but the parts equal a sum and a whole. The scenery was gorgeous and the filming extraordinary.
Recommended. prisrob 7-01-07

The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Refreshingly Right on Target..........2007-07-01

I almost dismissed "SHOOTER" as another film w/out any coherent plot and a straight-to-dvd snooze, however, there's something a bit more subversive at work in this latest action thriller from director Antoine Fuqua(Training Day). The film is based on Washington Post film critic Stephen Lemkin's novel, Shooter greatly surprised me, I ended up really liking the film.

The story is about an ex-gunnery sergeant (awkwardly)named Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), who is a die-hard american patriot, proud and willing to lay down his life(if needed) in the service of his beloved country. Trained as a covert scout sniper, Swagger's got an eye for laying waste to targets that are far beyond the range of most normal riflemen. Disgraced during a black-ops mission in Africa that gets his best friend/spotter killed, Swagger retreats to the mountains of Wyoming, only to be lured back into service by the shady Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover, whose braces provide the most unintentional hilarity in Fuqua's film; the lisps are priceless). Asked to map out a hypothetical assassination attempt on the president's life, it's not long before Swagger finds himself framed for a murder he didn't commit and on the run from the long arm of the corrupt, morally twisted law.
Swagger is aided by his best friend's widow, Sarah(super-hottie Kate Mara)and a rookie FBI agent(Michael Pena) to try to uncover the truth and to clear his name. Ned Beatty star as the manipulative U.S. senator and super-babe Rhona Mitra also stars.

Although there are jabs a-plenty aimed at the current Bush administration, the film unfolds like an old-school action flick; replete with stylized walks filmed in slow motion. Plenty of stuff gets blown up big time; Wahlberg gets to mutter plenty of giggling-inducing lines--" I don't think you understand, these people killed my dog" is one of the more amusing lines. Fuqua shows off what he does best in this flick: making frenetic action scenes that look unbelievably sexy but brutally violent, mostly at the same time(with style).

Shooter rages against the political machine beneath it while appearing mindless on the surface. It comes off as a blend of slightly lefty agitprop while at the same time it maintains some deeply red state beliefs about, among other issues, the right to bear arms. It's an adrenaline pumping, widely entertaining big-budget shoot-`em-up that delivers the goods.

PICTURE: 2.35 ratio ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN. The PQ is near-fllawless--you can see every scrap of debris and flaming body(parts) in every detail. Colors are radiant, sharpness is impressive and blacks are very crisp. There are minor instances of enhancements but it doesn't ruin the presentation.
AUDIO: 5.1 Dolby Digital English rack delivers the right punch for the job while the dialogue has absolute clarity. There is the option of a French track w/ removable English subtitles.
EXTRAS: Director Fuqua sits for an informative commentary track that walks the viewer through everything from the visual effects and the film's realism to the politics of the film and his reactions to the material. The featurette "Survival of the Fittest: The Making of Shooter," details the creation of the film, while the second featurette "Independence Hall," features the film's military advisor talking about the film's pivotal assassination sequence.
There are 7 deleted scenes that are playable separately or all together.
Trailers for Zodiac and Black Snake Moan complete the disc.

Overall: Despite its jabs at the government, and the occasional macho-cheesy(if funny) dialogue, SHOOTER comes out as a highly entertaining action thriller that every action-buff will want in their collection. It delivers what it should, pure popcorn entertainment w/ a touch of a political conspiracy that is a good diversion from a day's work.
RECOMMENDED! (Highly Recommended for action fans)4 1/2 stars!

Average customer rating:

This one truly broke new ground, even for the bold frontiers of cable television!
Western history
South Dakota
A Dissapointing End To A Critcally Acclaimed Show
TV Redemmed

Deadwood - The Complete Third Season
Director: Michael Almereyda , Davis Guggenheim , and Timothy Van Patten
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000NVI2GU
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Amazon.com

The final complete season of HBO's remarkable Deadwood series is full of surprises and devastating experiences as the nascent, dangerous town prepares to join Dakota territory in 1877. As in the previous two seasons, the question of who will control the town's resources, assets, and people drives much of the drama, affecting all manner of relationships and alliances, often between the most unlikely people. The dominant storyline in Deadwood: The Complete Third Season concerns upcoming elections for mayor and sheriff of the mucky, gold-mining town. The real juice, however, is not so much between the individuals running for office as between two power brokers each trying to steer the results toward their own purposes. Saloon owner and Deadwood's puppetmaster, Al Swearengen (Ian McShane sustaining his brilliant peformance in the previous two seasons), works closely with incumbent lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) on retaining the latter's seat. But Bullock himself has difficulty surrendering his penchant for taking unambiguous action and relying on few words, especially when he has to act like a politician and deal with people such as George Hearst (Gerald McRaney, playing the real-life father of William Randolph Hearst). Swearengen's rival, Hearst--a self-made industrialist who gained his fortune through mining--has every intention of overtaking Deadwood, with his eye particularly on the lucrative mine owned by Bullock's former lover, Alma (Molly Parker). (The violence Hearst employs to get to Alma's claim will stun many Deadwood fans.)

Meanwhile, Bullock's old friend, Sol Starr (John Hawkes), runs for mayor against the feckless E.B. Farnum (William Sanderson), and tries to navigate through his difficult relationship with Trixie (Paula Malcomson) as she grows enraged by former lover Swearengen's manipulation of her and everyone else. Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert) is encouraged to become a public speaker, telling of her misadventures with General George Custer, and she commences a lesbian relationship with Joanie (Kim Dickens), the saloon owner who is becoming increasingly despondent and suicidal. Bullock's relationship with his wife, Martha (Anna Gunn) continues to deepen and become more of an influence on him, Wyatt Earp comes for a visit, and a newcomer to town, Jack Langrishe (Brian Cox), an old friend of Swearengen, attempts to open a theatre. As expected, the season finale concludes with the long-awaited election, but HBO's decision to bring Deadwood to an end required creator David Milch to wrap everything up in a pair of two-hour movies. Still, The Complete Third Season is very satisfying on every level, and will always be, along with the rest of the series, a television landmark. --Tom Keogh

Description

(Rolling Stone) "The Best Drama on Television" is back with the third season on DVD! Timed to coincide with Father's Day, HBO will release Deadwood: The Complete Third Season DVD on June 12, 2007. Watch as the lawless era of Deadwood comes to an end. This DVD is loaded with bonus features including two featurettes, audio commentaries and more.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Audio Commentary
Audio Commentary
Audio Commentary
Featurette

Customer Reviews:

This one truly broke new ground, even for the bold frontiers of cable television! .......2007-07-04

I'll state up front that I never did get used to the one word that got thrown around like water in this series but that was offset by so much that was good about Deadwood. For one thing, who would ever have thought a Western series would use language reminiscent of Shakespeare? The dialogue actually had me thinking about language and its power, pretty deep stuff for a show that depicted life in the late 1800s. Ian McShane, playing the heavy, was my absolute favorite in this series but other actors certainly were nearly as memorable- including a nearly unrecognizable Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane, pulling out all the stops.

I expect this series will remain a cult favorite and, in time, become even more of a collector's item. I doubt we'll see the combination of skillful dialogue, great characters and interesting plot developments - and in a Western, too!

Western history.......2007-07-04

This was a unique program. I don't know how the writer, producer etc saw this in the beginning but by the third season it had become a testimony to how the west was built. This season takes us to the very edge of civilization. Two forces fighting for control of a town that is just beginning to taste civilization. Violence - yes, graphic sex - yes, bad language - loads of it, but tremendous acting and a story worth the telling. Which force, good or evil, will triumph determines whether the town will survive or die. Perhaps the greatest picture of this development is the children walking through the muddy street to a new shcoolhouse. Alas, we do not know how the tug of war finished, just as the walk of the children was not finished, but we can hope. This is one of the best depictions (maybe the only one) of how a western town developed. It ended, one supposes, because the gold (the audience) petered out, or at least some company guru thought it did. The town was shot in the back while still holding aces and eights.

South Dakota.......2007-07-04

This is such a great series that it's too bad it's coming to an end. It brings western's back for us to enjoy.

A Dissapointing End To A Critcally Acclaimed Show.......2007-07-02

Deadwood has quickly become a cult classic with its endeering characters, riveting plot, and colorful language. Season one and two were awe inspiring representations of the Deadwood camp and the lives of those who lived in it. From the first episode of Season one I was entralled in the story of Sheriff Bullock, Ale Swearenger, and Wild Bill Hickock. I have eagerly awaited the third and possibly final season of Deadwood for almost five months now. Having watched it, in its entirety, I am horrendously dissapointed in the quality of its character, direction of its plot, and incompletness of its story especially in its later days. There were rumors on there being two additional movies made in order to "wrap up" the series. The ending of this season was so unbelievably dissapointing that I coudnt think of how a movie could finish what was always, until now, an amazing cinematic adventure.

TV Redemmed.......2007-06-29

Perfect, wonderful, gripping, not one bad second in the entire series. Buy it, watch it, watch it again. I am truly sorry the series is over. You don't need me to go over the plot details and historical accuracy - I just want to recommend it.

300 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

I loved this movie!
Have never enjoyed so much going to the movies, I couldn't care less about what anyone else says about the film, it ROCKS.
Running with Kings
Easily ...
Entertaining!

300 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Gerard Butler , Lena Headey , David Wenham , Dominic West , and Vincent Regan
Director: Zack Snyder
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The History Channel Presents Last Stand of the 300 - The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae
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ASIN: B00005JPLW
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Amazon.com

Like Sin City before it, 300 brings Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's graphic novel vividly to life. Gerard Butler (Beowulf and Grendel, The Phantom of the Opera) radiates pure power and charisma as Leonidas, the Grecian king who leads 300 of his fellow Spartans (including David Wenham of The Lord of the Rings, Michael Fassbender, and Andrew Pleavin) into a battle against the overwhelming force of Persian invaders. Their only hope is to neutralize the numerical advantage by confronting the Persians, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), at the narrow strait of Thermopylae.

More engaging than Troy, the tepid and somewhat similar epic of ancient Greece, 300 is also comparable to Sin City in that the actors were shot on green screen, then added to digitally created backgrounds. The effort pays off in a strikingly stylized look and huge, sweeping battle scenes. However, it's not as to-the-letter faithful to Miller's source material as Sin City was. The plot is the same, and many of the book's images are represented just about perfectly. But some extra material has been added, including new villains (who would be considered "bosses" if this were a video game, and it often feels like one) and a political subplot involving new characters and a significantly expanded role for the Queen of Sparta (Lena Headey). While this subplot by director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) and his fellow co-writers does break up the violence, most fans would probably dismiss it as filler if it didn't involve the sexy Headey. Other viewers, of course, will be turned off by the waves of spurting blood, flying body parts, and surging testosterone. (The six-pack abs are also relentless, and the movie has more and less nudity--more female, less male--than the graphic novel.) Still, as a representation of Miller's work and as an ancient-themed action flick with a modern edge, 300 delivers. --David Horiuchi

Description

The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Director Zack Snyder, Writer Kurt Johnstad and Director of Photography Larry Fong
Deleted Scenes:with Introduction by Zack Snyder
Featurette:The 300- Fact or Fiction? (RT: 24:31 Historians, authorsÂ and filmmakers reveal how much of the film was based on fact.); Who Were The Spartans: The Warriors of 300 (RT: 4:24 Touches on the customs and ways of life of the Spartan that werent explicitly shown in 300 but were used by the actors and filmmakers Ã,Â to help build their characters.); Frank Miller Tapes (RT: 13:00 Ã,Â We'll show how the outspoken Miller continued to push his limits to realize his epic graphic novel in the world of film
Other:Webisodes: Behind the scenes peeks on the set of 300 (RT 20:00)
Photo gallery:RT 3:39 Rapid fire stills from the first day of production to the last.

Customer Reviews:

I loved this movie!.......2007-07-04

I thought this movie aesthetically amazing. Being a classicist, you have to try to overlook the historical inaccuracies in films like this (I was ranting and raving upon leaving the theater after seeing Troy). At first I was skeptical when the commercials starting airing on TV, but the more they aired the more the film intrigued me. The plot and dialogue was enough to hold my interest, but I'm a sucker for action sequences. Again, I thought this movie was great. To me, it combined the aesthetics of Passion of the Christ with Gladiator and even a smattering of the Lord of the Rings.

Have never enjoyed so much going to the movies, I couldn't care less about what anyone else says about the film, it ROCKS........2007-07-04

It was one of those weekends where my girlfriend and I wanted to go to the movies but didn't knew which one to see.
Out of being totally uninterested in all the other ones showing we went to see 300.
After seeing it I felt like the entrance fee was totally paid back to us in entertainment, we were rocked, thrilled, it was one of those movies were everything just clicked from the visuals to the sound track and the action... whoa, the action of the movie... awesome. Even my girlfriend kept talking about it for weeks...
After that day I measure how much I enjoyed a film comparing it to 300.
Pirates 3, Shrek 3, Spidey 3, transformers, the simpsons... they all pale in comparison to 300, the real winner of this movie season.
Don't listen to people that talk about how it is not historically true, or that just complain about smaller stuff in the film.
It is just pure entertainment, you will hardly take your eyes of the screen, buy it...
I know I will.

Running with Kings.......2007-07-04

Rather than going into another detailed description of the film I would prefer to give my responses to the underlying strata of the story. When I left the movie theater many quetions came to mind, such as: What are my own 'Hot Gates', at what point of difficulty would I draw an invisible line in the sand with the words: 'This is where I stand, This is where I fight?', even though the odds at winning or survival are a million to one?

What in my life would be valuable enough to defend with my life 'to the last breath?'. How many souls before and after King Leonidas had the same vison of the dawning of a new age, an age of freedom? And has this age really arrived? And would it not be preferable to die a glorious death at the prime of life, still with strength and capabilities, instead of 'rusting away' slowly?

I also though of the loss of an era when there was beauty and honor in war and battle, when the rules of engagement were adhered to. Or, perhaps, as P.D. Ouspensy once wrote in one of his books, when the Devil smilingly said to the protagonist: 'The stake is on nobility' as they watched men marching off to yet another war, perhaps I am too caught in the same illusion?

And yet I know, that so many individuals, the great - and the unknown small, were and still are - willing to lay their life down, and fight to the last breath, for something they themselves strongly believed in.

The overall whole of the film left a deep impression on me, the dreamlike atmosphere of the colours, the formations, the suggested inner strength of the men and woman, and the feeling of one-ness and unity among the warriors, the bond between King and Queen.

It reminded me of the mysterious force that the Andalusian Poets spoke of, the invocation of the 'Duende' the mystical force that comes to the poet, the musician, the Bullfighter, when death is a strong possibility, 'the mysterious power which everyone senses and no philosopher can explain, the spirit of the earth...he exhausts, he burns the blood..with ideas, sound or gesture, the duende enjoys fighting the creator on the very rim of the well'

King Leonidas - we will remember you.

Easily ..........2007-07-03

... the most disappointing film of 2007. Proves that style does not substitute for content.

Entertaining!.......2007-07-02

Filmed in similar fashion to Sin City but in my view this is a far far better film. Good story, good character's and good acting too. Sin City certainly lacked in those areas to my mind. Anyhow, back to 300. In a nut shell I highly recommend the movie and enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, lives up to the hype and has the edge over the similar movie "Troy" also.

Average customer rating:

BE WARY - jms has a poor track record with these "stand-alone" stories
Real Potential and good news for B5 fans
I've seen a bit of it
75 minutes ?
New Babylon 5!

Babylon 5 - The Lost Tales
Starring: Bruce Boxleitner , Tracy Scoggins , and Peter Woodward
Director: J. Michael Straczynski
Manufacturer: Warner Bros.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Stargate SG-1 - Season 10
Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers
Heroes - Season 1
Babylon 5 - The Movie Collection
Ghost Rider (Two-Disc Extended Cut)

ASIN: B000PHX8RA
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Description

Times change. Dangers remain. 10 years after he became President of the Interstellar Alliance, Sheridan prepares for a fateful Babylon 5 reunion that could prevent Earth's impending doom...if he will also compromise his core principles. Meanwhile, commander Lochley confronts an unexpected interloper on the way station - a being whose presence makes the B5 freeport the crossroads between heaven and hell. In Voices in the Dark, Series creator J. Michael Straczynski reunites with stars Bruce Boxleitner and Tracy Scoggins in two richly imagined stories set after the events of the original series. Richly imagined, too, is Straczynski's vision of the 23rd century (including a dazzling New York City) - a vision made more spectacular via filmmaking technology unavailable during the original series.

Customer Reviews:

BE WARY - jms has a poor track record with these "stand-alone" stories.......2007-06-26

The original 5-year-story was fantastic. Mysterious aliens, a war between the various races, and mythology/allegory. One of my coworkers described it as "shakespearean". If you haven't seen it, you should buy it NOW. Best sci-fi ever produced for television. (If you're short on cash, season 2 is a good place to start.) (Season 2 has lots of action & probably the best writing of the whole show.)

But.

When J.Michael Straczynski started writing stand-alone stories like "Thirdspace", "River of Souls", and "Legend of the Rangers" what he produced was pure drek. It was watchable, but only just barely. I have no reason to think "Lost Tales" will be any better than those poorly-conceived, poorly-written stand-alones.

If I'm wrong, I'll update the review to reflect a higher score.

Real Potential and good news for B5 fans.......2007-05-19

This is a great concept that allows JMS to directly market to B5 fans. It gets the broadcasters out of the way which is great. This works because B5 has such a large established fan base. However we need to wait and see how well it was implemented. Personally I am waiting with bated breath.

I really hope it works because there is so much more to do. I would love to see the Centauri trilogy and the continuation of Crusade in the following sets. The one regret I have is that Andreas Katsulas is no longer around so no more G'Kar. He was such a major character and a great actor that his loss will be felt dearly. If this was BBC they would just get someone who vaguely looked like him and add the makeup but am not sure that would for either JMS or the fans. As for Girabaldi's hair, I am not too worried, after all that is what wigs are for :-)

I've seen a bit of it.......2007-04-30

At the New York Comic Con in February, JMS showed a couple of versions of the opening sequence. Once was with completed CGI but no music. Once was with music but incomplete CGI. It wouldn't be right to give a detailed description but I can tell you that the CGI is excellent and that the opening sequence is wonderful, pure Babylon 5 and even manages to give a 'nod' to Andreas Katsulas. The music is also great.

To correct a previous review, the disk does only have two stories - one on B5 and the other on the Presidential starship. Galen, as I undertand it, will be in some key scenes in both stories but doesn't have a segment of his own.

Oh, and the Director's Blogs are a hoot.

75 minutes ?.......2007-04-28

Run time: 75 minutes.

Are they kidding? For two stories? That means each one is less than the length of an episode.

As Ivanova once said in a classic episode of Babylon 5, "I'll wait in the car."

Rather than assume its going to be good, I'll wait to hear if someone whose opinion I respect gives it a thumbs up.

New Babylon 5!.......2007-04-27

Although I can't deny I wish JMS had chosen not to start things out with a Lochley story (Pretty much any other main character would have been preferable) I am really looking forward to this disc. New B5 for the first time since the failed Legends Of The Rangers movie. How cool is that?! The release date is still over three months away and Lost Tales is already at number six in Amazon's sales rankings. Hopefully high sales will mean more Lost Tales in the future.

Average customer rating:

"I aim to cure you of your wickedness"
Hot, Sticky, Slimy, Gooey
The Best Film I've Seen in 2007
Different and Refreshing
Very Unique and Entertaining

Black Snake Moan
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson , Christina Ricci , Justin Timberlake , S. Epatha Merkerson , and John Cothran Jr.
Director: Craig Brewer
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000PY52EU
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Amazon.com

The lurid scenario--a nymphomaniacal white trash nymphet (Christina Ricci) is held prisoner by a bitter bluesman (Samuel L. Jackson)--gives way to an affecting tale of redemption in Black Snake Moan, writer/director Craig Brewer's follow-up to the acclaimed Hustle & Flow. Lazarus (Jackson, Jungle Fever, Pulp Fiction) finds Rae (Ricci, Monster, The Ice Storm) beaten unconscious on the road in front of his backwoods house. After bringing her inside, he learns of her wanton ways and decides to exorcise his own demons by curing Rae of her sexual compulsion. Black Snake Moan could have been terrible, but Brewer takes his story seriously enough to dig into the genuine emotions of such a situation (though along the way he certainly flirts with sexploitation overtones--several scenes look like they were plucked straight out of a hitherto unknown 1970s trash classic). Ricci, Jackson, and the supporting cast (including pop star Justin Timberlake, giving a surprisingly good performance as Rae's boyfriend) treat the characters with respect, honesty, and humor. The result is off-kilter and maybe a little too fond of its sleazy cinematic forbears to truly hit the emotional notes it's after, but Black Snake Moan has considerably more substance than its marketing would suggest. --Bret Fetzer

Beyond Black Snake Moan

The Soundtrack
More Music Stars on DVD
More DVDs with Samuel L. Jackson

Stills from Black Snake Moan (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

"I aim to cure you of your wickedness".......2007-07-04

Read it an weep, and with that one line of absolution spoken by Sam Jackson, Black Snake Moan takes you on a journey of faith, salvation and redemption of the two main characters Lazarus and Rona, two people who have suffered and endured hard times throughout their lives. Lazarus is trying to come to terms with his wife of 12 years leaving him for his younger brother. Rona is a woman who has suffered unmentionable sexual abuse since her childhood and therefore acts out the part for others to prey upon her. One night after a night of hard, careless partying she is beaten and left for dead on the road near Lazarus's house. Not knowing what to do but help her, Lazarus takes it upon himself to bring Rona back to health, only to discover that she has far deeper scars and problems than the physical ones left on her face. He is then determined to make her well, and through faith and the belief that "God saw fit to have us cross paths" he does so the only way he knows how. The two ultimately develop a friendship under unusual circumstances, and through music which Lazarus has sworn off for so long, the two heal one another unknowingly. The cords struck by Sam Jackson playing "Black Snake Moan" will resonate through you and send chills down your spine, which also turns out to be the turning point between the two characters in the film. This was a fantastic film I thoroughly enjoyed with Sam Jackson and Christina Ricci. My only disappointment was that Justin Timberlake was cast in this film, but fortunately with his roughly 10 minutes of screen time I can tolerate it. The soundtrack is phenomenal, and if you are as big a blues fan as I am, both the soundtrack and DVD are well worth purchasing. Black Snake Moan delivers superb acting by Jackson and Ricci, a fantastic and originally written story with a soundtrack to carry it every step of the way. I highly recommend this film, seeing is believing.

Hot, Sticky, Slimy, Gooey.......2007-07-04

"Black Snake Moan" is a sticky, gooey, sizzlingly hot erotic mess that doesn't make a lot of sense, but its raw sexuality is so rare in movies that it's damned welcome. This is a movie that brings new meaning to the expression "Chain her to the kitchen".
Samuel L. Jackson has to fight the temptation to guzzle demon whiskey and play even more demonic slide guitar, Christina Ricci has to fight the temptation to bang anything in pants and Justin Timberlake has to fight the temptation to act badly.
I enjoyed the silly Jim Thompson-styled pulpy vibe of the film and loved the dirty electric slide guitar playing in the bar scene. Jackson isn't a bad blues singer, not bad, he's alright. I thought this was one of the best films with blues taking center stage. Excellent!

The Best Film I've Seen in 2007.......2007-07-03

From the writer/director of "Hustle & Flow" comes "Black Snake Moan," the best film I've seen in 2007. It's a unique film that features two terrific performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci, both delivering their best performances in years. It also features another star-making performance by Justin Timberlake (who recently impressed me in "Alpha Dog"). The film stars Ricci as Rae, that girl that lives in every city in America and is usually referred to as "the town slut." After her boyfriend Ronnie (Timberlake) leaves her for a stint in the Army, she begins getting more and more destructive; eventually, she is almost raped, beaten, and tossed out in the road. Lazarus (Jackson) has recently been left by his wife for his brother and when he finds the young girl lying in the road he takes responsibility for curing the "sickness" she has.
So, naturally, he chains her to his radiator. When she finally wakes up, she's shocked at first but eventually grows to love Lazarus...And soon, they realize that Lazarus is not just helping her but they're helping each other. This is a great film and, as a result, it's been hailed around the world as such...But it hasn't quite garnered commercial attention and this is sad. It may not sound like the kind of movie that will appeal to a massive audience, but it's a movie that I think people will find themselves enjoying. It's a fable about love, redemption, and sex...The story could've gone in many different directions, but writer/director Craig Brewer keeps it all together and takes what could've been a completely meaningless story and makes it almost life-affirming. Jackson is an actor who never fails to impress, but he's an actor who has made more bad movies than good ones. Here, I'm not going out on a limb by saying it could be his best performance (and maybe even his best film) since "Pulp Fiction." Ricci has always been an actress that's impressed me, but she hasn't done much worth noting over the past 5 years. That makes her comeback here all the more impressive. She combines all the right notes of vulnerability and sexual animosity to make this performance incredibly believable. As for Timberlake, he didn't impress me as much here as he did in "Alpha Dog" but he definitely leaves me asking where he got his acting chops? If he chokes a pretzel and ruins his vocal cords or something, acting could definitely be a fall back for him. Brewer is quickly joining the ranks of great writer/directors and his 2nd film is even stronger than his first.

GRADE: A

Different and Refreshing.......2007-07-03

Black Snake Moan sure has a weird hook. Setting: Deep South. An older black man who plays the blues keeps a white nymphomaniac on a chain to cure her of her horniness. About half-way through, my husband turned to me and said "And why exactly did you think I would like this movie?" I winced and said I thought it would have blues as more of a central theme. But guess what, he stayed around and pronounced it a good movie after all! His summary is the best: "everyone has their struggles, and you are never really free of them."

The performances are exceedingly strong, the setting of Tennessee bucolic and beautiful. You really feel as if you are in this small, rural town where everyone knows each other.

Black Snake Moan is bold, and really gives you a sense of empathy for the different characters. Most importantly, it provides hope that if you have your own struggles, someone will be out there for you as well, not to judge you or cure you, but to love you.

Very Unique and Entertaining.......2007-07-02

Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) directs his second mainstream film and John Singleton produces. Black Snake Moan stars Samuel L. Jackson as Lazarus, a religious man living in a small southern town. Lazarus is also a blues musician. His demons are that his wife left him for his own brother and for this he is riddled with anger. Christina Ricci plays Rae, who is an overly promiscuous girl who is traumatized by a history of child sexual abuse. On top of that her boyfriend Ronnie has left to join the National Guard. Ronnie is played by Justin Timberlake. After Ronnie leaves, Rae ends up having a pretty bad evening that leaves her scantily clad and beat up in the middle of a dirt road. She is left on a road just in front of Lazarus's house. After helping her get better, he soon comes to find out who Rae is and what kind of reputation she has. Lazarus sees this as a sign from god that he must heal her of her wickedness in order to receive some redemption for himself. So he ties her up to a giant 40 pound chain.

The film has a great atmosphere. It comes off as sticky and sweaty throughout and plays with that imagery as the characters develop. It consistently offers references to blues music and the characters are loud and full of life. It comes off as exploitative in some ways but that is ultimately done for a greater cause. Samuel L. Jackson is always good, even in really bad movies, but this is one of his best roles in many years. The real star here though is Christina Ricci who I've always felt is doing whatever she wants for now but one day she will be hailed as one of the best actresses around after a performance that hits the mainstream just right. Unfortunately for her though Black Snake Moan has not yet been a commercial success. None of that really matters though because it is still a very good movie although both Jackson and Ricci are even better than the screenplay and direction demand.

Some people say the film is hypocritical for sexualizing Rae and offering several erotic scenes with her, while at the same time presenting a negative view of sexuality. Firstly, I disagree that the film portrays sexuality as a negative but instead portrays excess as a negative. I did not feel hammered down by any messages that sex is wrong. Secondly, Black Snake Moan is definitely not meant to be erotic. It certainly rings of exploitation films but by watching Rae's transformation away from nymphomania and toward stabilization, away from her history of abuse to some degree of resolution, away from vulnerable to honest and confident, and away from being naked to being clothed; I can't help but think this is a fiercely unsexy film that is against hypersexuality alone. To be pro-spirituality and critical of actions often perceived as sinful is not puritanical and not even necessarily anti-sex. I would even argue that this movie uses religion only as a tool, but healing in general as its primary message despite the powerful Christian overtones. No matter how you look at it Black Snake Moan is, above all, a film that reinforces morality. It also happens to be quite entertaining.

Average customer rating:

Must See
Boring - not what I expected
The Royals Side of the Death of Diana Saga
Great film, good performances, but not fully true to history
good flick--wonder if it's true

The Queen
Starring: Helen Mirren , Michael Sheen , James Cromwell , Sylvia Syms , and Alex Jennings
Director: Stephen Frears
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JPAO
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

Helen Mirren reigns supreme in The Queen, a witty and ingenious look at a moment that rocked the house of Windsor: the week that followed the sudden death of Princess Diana in 1997. Diana's death came at just the same time that Prime Minister Tony Blair (played by the bright Michael Sheen) was settling into his new government--and trying to figure out the delicate relationship between 10 Downing Street and Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren). A large portion of the British population was trying to figure out the Windsors that week, as Elizabeth remained stiff-upper-lip and largely mum about the death of the beloved princess. In Peter Morgan's skillful script, we watch as Blair grows increasingly impatient with the Royals, who are sequestered in their Scottish estate while the public demands some show of grief. Prince Philip (James Cromwell, in good form) clumsily decides to take Diana's sons hunting, while a sympathetically-treated Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) displays some frustration with his mother's eerie calm.

None of this conveys how funny the film is, or how deftly it flows from one scene to the next. Director Stephen Frears (Dirty Pretty Things) deserves great credit for that, and for the performances, and for the movie's marvelous sense of well-roundedness; you could see this movie and groan at the cluelessness of the Royals and their outmoded existence, or you might just sympathize with showing reserve in a world that values gross public displays of emotion. But either way, you'll marvel at Mirren, who makes the Queen far more alert and human than one might ever have imagined. --Robert Horton

Beyond The Queen

The British are Coming! Kings & Queens on DVD
Helen Mirren Essential DVDs
The Queen: Music From the Motion Picture by Alexandre Desplat

Stills from The Queen (click for larger image)

Description

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Actress, Dame Helen Mirren gives a spellbinding performance in THE QUEEN, the provocative story behind one of the most public tragedies of our time — the sudden death of Princess Diana. In the wake of Diana's death, the very private and tradition-bound Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren) finds herself in conflict with the new Prime Minister, the slickly modern and image-conscious Tony Blair. THE QUEEN, also starring Academy Award® Nominee James Cromwell (Best Supporting Actor, BABE, 1995), takes you inside the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government for a captivating look at a vulnerable human being in her darkest hour, as a nation grieving for its People's Princess waits to see what its leaders will do. Suspenseful, heartfelt and riveting, it's a fascinating story you won't soon forget.

Customer Reviews:

Must See.......2007-07-04

What can I say that hasn't been said about this wonderful film? I was surprised at how narrow it was in it's scope; no Fergie or Andrew, not much else but the immediate royal family and the Blairs. That's what makes it great--it's a glimpse into the tiny world that they live in every day. Even the princes were more "background" than characters. Loved the whole "hunting" metaphor and the emotional reaction of the Queen to the stag. Ironic. All performances are spectacular; I personally thought Blair's wife was hysterical. The real footage that was interdispersed throughout the film was wonderful and brought back so many memories. Sniff. You'll love this film.

Boring - not what I expected.......2007-07-03

Everyone seems to truly love this movie - I was bored to tears. Although it gave a nice overview of the events of the week of Diana's death and was very informative, I found the acting to be dreadfully boring and the direction was lacking. James Cromwell is one of my favorite actors and even his performance was abrupt and overall did not flow well. This movie could have been a million times better if it had a better director.

The Royals Side of the Death of Diana Saga.......2007-07-03

I think the movie is fair and reasonably balanced. with the exception of Helen Mirren and James Cromwell the rest of the film is horribly mi-cast. I remember in 1997 during " that week " wondering how the British people could turn on the Queen given Diana's antics from 1993-1997. My heart really went out for her when she had to come back to Buckingham Palace and read the silly notes left on flowers by people. After all her years of service from the age of 15 fixing British army trucks during the blitz during WWII to the hard resconstruction years after the war, devoting herself 24 hrs a day to the British people , what was going through her mind as she faced those crowds that day and had to hear their applause for making her come down from Balmoral I can only guess. I think what Tony Blair says about Diana & the Queen in this film was awesome, How could The Queen lead the world in mourning of a woman who threw everything she offered to her back in her face and in recent years has spent 24/7 trying to destroy all those things she holds dear ?. I think Christopher Hitchens documentary "Princess Diana: The Mourning After", hit the nail on the head. One thing I did not like about this movie was the way the Queen Mother was portrayed. Every Royal book written about her portrays her as 100% opposite the way this movie showed her. The producers of The Queen need to read some WWII history.

Great film, good performances, but not fully true to history.......2007-06-29

Love Helen Mirren, (and loved her as a younger Elizabeth I in the HBO 2-part series as well, look for it!)and all the cast is excellent as well. But after reading Tina Brown's Chronicles of Diana and YES I know its' a rehash of what we all "know" of those years and that particular soap opera, but the last chapters of the book after Diana's death, are fascinating in that they are the same time period shown in "the Queen". According to people who were there, servants, officials and the like, the emotional sense of how the family reacted toward the young princes, William and Harry, has none of the coldness and emotional "lets just get on with life" attitude implied in the film and in the review, top, which says "Prince Phillip clumsily tried to help by taking the boys hunting." (paraphrased). Well, these boys had spent their summer vacations riding and hunting at Balmoral all their lives, and this is what they thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn't something their stuffy old grandfather forced them to do. The book describes the entire Royal family rallying around the boys---Princess Anne, Charles' sister, brought her 20 yr old son and 16 yr old daughter, to help entertain their cousins, and she herself made a project of taking the very emotionally fragile Harry under her wing, and taking him riding and hiking out in the Balmoral hills alone. Charles pulled out family albums and spent time going over the past good times the family had had. Prince Phillip their grandfather, in particular, was very protective, showed "gruff tenderness" and did make sure they hunted,rode and kept active, as opposed to brooding and staying glued to the maudlin TV coverage. Actually, for the benefit of the boys, the Queen ordered all TVs and radios removed in the castle. The outdoors life is one the family is used to and enjoys. Those who criticised the Royals for having the boys there in Balmoral instead of exposing them to the hysterical crowds in London...well, I don't know which would give them more nightmares in years to come but I can guess. Also, other little tidbits in the book of that week were once when Prince Phillip came on the intercom when the decisions about the State funeral were being made and broke in, shouting, "those boys have just lost their mother...they are not a commodity..." Brown, the author quotes her source as saying "you could hear the voice of a real grandfather." Later, it was Prince Phillip, not Charles who talked the princes into walking in the moving spectacle of the royal men behind the cortege. He told the sobbing William, "If I walk, will you walk with me?" And during the long walk to the Cathedral, spoke quietly to the two boys of the famous sights they were passing, speaking softly the whole way there. All these vignettes, which would have made all the Royal more human, were left out of the film, good as it was, there was an agenda, that doesn't have to be spelled out. The Queen could admire a royal appearing stag, later shown beheaded...but her love and her husband's love for the grandsons was never shown, nor was the love of the whole family for the boys or for each other, despite all Diana had done to blacken the reputation of that family in the press. Not that they're perfect, just human.

good flick--wonder if it's true.......2007-06-29

Helen Mirren walks like the queen, talks like the queen, and ultimately quacks like her as well. Good performances.

Average customer rating:

Promise
Please don't make Lex a wimp
Great but missing something.
The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre
This show never stops giving.

Smallville - The Complete Sixth Season
Starring: Tom Welling , Kristin Kreuk , Michael Rosenbaum , Annette O'Toole , and John Glover
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Heroes - Season 1
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ASIN: B000N6SE4U
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Customer Reviews:

Promise.......2007-07-04

Season 6 started out as a disappointment...it had the feel that the characters were 'pulling away' or 'dis-interested' as most shows do that are spinning their final season. The Episode Promise, however, seemed to kick things back into place and go from there. I am biting my nails down to the bone waiting for season 7, and have pre-ordered season 6 already. yea!

Please don't make Lex a wimp.......2007-07-01

Hmmm....I kindof agree with most of the negative comments of the show I have read, although I did like subterranean, well at least the last 3 minutes of Lex in his dark suit walking the aile of 33.1.

I have to admit that I'm beginning to like Lex more than Clark since he has more dimensions to his character, especially when he saves Clark when he was caught under metal in the underground base. I was hoping that Lex would have built his army but was extremely disappointed in the last episode where that last phantom destroyed his army in the lab...what was that all about? Just when I think that Lex is so smart and cunning, something stupid happens to ruin his carefully, intelligently-plotted, laid out plans to take over the world.

I do like Lana, she seems hotter now than ever, but I too am getting tired of Clark holding on to her. A man of steel with a fragile heart?...Time to kill her off, or at least put her on the sidelines, being Lex consort again in the future.

I thought the Justice League formation was cool, but having Peter Pan, no-power Green Arrow leading it, just didn't do anything for me. I'm glad they forgot about him in the last ending episodes.

I also am wondering how they are going to pull off putting Clark with the cape and nobody recogning him. Is Clark going to kiss all of them and make them forget (like in Superman II)? I also agree with some comments about having more flight and fight scenes. I didn't care too much about Bizarro at the end...With so many cool, evil characters superman fought, they had to take that one?

Also, time for Lex to know about Clark's powers. I know he knows, but might as well make it official.

The only last recommendation (my point of view) is to stop tearing down Lex's character just when he's making great strides. What's up with the wedding scene when he breaks down when he kills the doctor because he wants not to lose Lana. Please... If Lex is to rule the world, he has to have a 'darth vader' like character, some weakness sure, but not a total breakdown (no, I'm not a Star Wars fan). His character is great, and the actor is fabulous, but please don't turn him into a wimp.

Overall, I think the writers/producers are doing an excellent job with the series.

Great but missing something........2007-06-19

To begin, I like this show. Can't help it. This is one of the few television series I actually watch with any kind of frequency or deliberation. I enjoy the story, charaters, special effects, and a dozen other things...But like any real fan, I find myself discussing futilely with my family (who are also hooked) what should be changed. The series has gotten progressively darker and unlike in other seasons, the sixth season doesn't seem to have any feel-good episodes to releave the intensity. And also, this close to donning a cape and no one is going to recognize Clark? Time to pick up those glasses! And considering all the powers Clark has now, I wonder why the Robin Hood copycat (aka...) and his team weren't a little more impressed. I mean, he should be so out of their league! Still, I intend to buy it. Though there may be some episodes I woudn't care to watch too many more times, I especially enjoyed "Sneeze", "Rage", "Subterranean", "Tresspass", and "Noir" (Tom Welling does a great Clumsy Clark). I think "Justice" could have been worked a little more but it was good, too. Then there was "Combat" which was tough but amazing. All in all, definitely worth owning.

The Good, The Bad, and The Bizarre.......2007-06-12

This season for me was disappointing. To me this was not ventage Smallville. The season premiere, the season finale, the wedding, and an episode here and there, were actually ok. But to me it seems like when Smallville moved to The CW, the graphics weren't even close to last season's. In this season, the focus was actually more on the supporting characters (Lex, Lana, Chloe, etc.) rather than Clark. Which is fine, but I just think they should have given them better storylines than what they had. And I know that The CW network had to have budget cuts, but even the shows they showed in high definition (Smallville, Gilmore Girls, etc.) just looked better last year on The WB than they do on The CW. I brought that up because the graphics on Smallville just seemed to be used more towards the season premiere and finale and not the rest of the season. I mean bottomline, this season was disappointing with some of the storylines and the development of the characters wasn't up to the level it should have been. I mean if it was up to me, I would just download the episodes I enjoyed, and not buy the season 6 box set. But if you are a die-hard Smallville/Superman fan, then this set is for you. I was just hoping for something more concrete this season than what they put out.

This show never stops giving........2007-06-11

I have all of the previous seasons on DVD and granted some shows I skip more often than others but as a whole this show probably has the best short-tern and long-term story arcs of any show I've watched on Television. Even the most boring shows keep my attention and wanting to see next weeks episode to find out what happens. This season like others finished up some old story lines and started created some new ones. Lana's "birth" and Chloe's metor power is probably the most interesting and will probably be explored next season. Can't wait to get this boxset!

Average customer rating:

Fabulous insight into a Mafia Family
Couldn't have cared less
Opening Sequence and the Twin Towers
woke up this morning...
Awesome 1st season of one of the best TV shows of all time

The Sopranos: The Complete First Season
Starring: James Gandolfini , and Edie Falco
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CXOP
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: Like 1999's other screen touchstone, American Beauty, the HBO series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood.

The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatization of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchmen and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed.

The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland

Description

On January 10th, 1999, America was introduced to two families that would make history: The Soprano family headed by Tony Soprano, and The Soprano "family" headed by ... Tony Soprano. ' 'Four Stars! The first gotta-watch, gotta love, Gotti-like TV series of 1999. Across the board it's an A-plus.' ' - The New York Post ' 'Achieves a fresh tone to match its irresistibly winning concept.' ' - The New York Times

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Biographies
Episodic Recaps
Featurette
Interviews

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous insight into a Mafia Family.......2007-07-02

Can't vouch for the accuracy of the surroudings (what do I know about NJ)nor what a Mafia family is supposed to be like ( is anyone gonna admit they can?) but from an english perspective -just wish BBC could still make drama even half as good as this .

After 2 episodes you will be hooked - just raced thru 1st series - Episodes 1-13 . Brilliant script , great gags - had me & my mates in stiches , fabulous looking girls - lots of T&A , rocking intro soundtrack - plus a truly complelling performance by james Gandolfini .

nuff said - get it or you'll get wacked as Tony might have said .

Couldn't have cared less.......2007-07-01

Many viewers clearly loved the characterizations and found the mixture of mundane family life with mafia family life to be brilliant, but I disliked this show because I found the characters pathetic and dull. Most of what I remember is a bunch of glowering punctuated by a few arguments and gunshots.

The bulk of characters seem to represent a very mediocre brand of evil. They are human failures not because they gleefully engage in villainy, but simply because they are incompetent at living their lives. The acting, sound, and camera work were all quite competent, but since I was bored by the story, it was all wasted effort as far as I'm concerned.

Certainly I'm aware of how popular the show is; the only other negative reviews seem to consist of people who can't deal with language or feel unfairly stereotyped. I figured I should take the time to say some people simply didn't think this was a very good drama.

Opening Sequence and the Twin Towers.......2007-06-28

I didn't remember seeing the first season (and perhaps 2nd), but I did recall that the shot of the Twin Towers was removed from the opening credits. I was curious to see if the original opening would be on the DVD. Well, ya, there is a shot of the towers, but it appears to me as though it is a shot of the side view mirror of Tony's SUV with the image of the towers in the reflection. Does anyone know if it was always that way? If so, that simple shot was very prophetic; foreshadowing that, soon after, the towers would only be in our past. If it is not original, it was a well thought out adjustment.

woke up this morning..........2007-06-26

I am a diehard Sopranos fan. I still have that Journey song bouncing through my head from the very last episode. So what is a 'made fan' supposed to do now that the only series I watched is now over? Start watching from the very beginning. I've been a fan since season 1 but how refreshing it is to watch it all again. It is amazing to see how young everyone is back from season 1. The intro to the characters and all the little nuances that you pick up is amazing. The storyline of Tony in his first session with Melfi, how conniving his mother was, Uncle Jun and his old school ways. Most amazing to me how virile and full of hope Tony seems to be and how much he changed over the years beaten down by the life he leads. Incredible writing and incredible acting. A dvd for the ages. Bada Bing!

Awesome 1st season of one of the best TV shows of all time.......2007-06-22

This is a fantastic box set that collects my favorite episodes, the very ones that introduced Tony, his family, and his whole sick crew to millions of viewers worldwide. A friend first introduced me to the Sopranos after picking up the DVD's in the UK (they didn't show Sopranos as a regular series in South Africa). After the first 2 episodes I was hooked, and started buying the subsequent seasons. Now I can't get rid of my Soprano addiction, and find myself in a state of depression whenever I finish a season and have to wait for the next one to be released on DVD. What makes this show so compulsively viewable is the humanization of Tony and his cohorts, allowing us to see them as real people with real problems, and not as these merciless hitmen without a care in the world for anybody. Christopher Moltisanti is by far my favorite character, with Tony a close second. In this season we see Tony's first confrontation with his "Uncle June" and the discovery by his children that their father is "mobbed up." The central storyline revolves around Tony's panic attacks that forces him into the offices of Dr Melfi, a psychiatrist, who more than once regrets taking on Tony as a patient. There is plenty of drama and character development as well as action and an awesome theme song which I just can't get tired of. The Sopranos is well worth it. The only problem is that once you start with the first season, you will find yourself compelled to buy all of them. Enjoy!

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