Carolina

Starring:Julia Stiles, Shirley MacLaine, Alessandro Nivola, Randy Quaid, Edward Atterton, Azura Skye, Mika Boorem, Jennifer Coolidge, Alan Thicke, John Capodice, Lisa Sheridan, Ambyr Childers, Daveigh Chase, Lauri Johnson, Michael Panes, Dwight Armstrong, Steve O'Connor, Daniel Raymont, Laura Elizabeth Ford, Audrey Wasilewski
Director: Marleen Gorris
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Peter O'Toole adds another Great One to his list of indelible performances: as Maurice, a frail but defiantly horny London actor in his sunset, O'Toole lays bare his weathered face and sophisticated soul for a marvelous portrait of mortality. Maurice, who mostly hangs out counting pills and parsing obituaries with his fellow old-trouper Ian (Leslie Phillips), is roused to play Pygmalion one final time... not on stage, but in life, as Ian's gauche, callow niece (Jodie Whittaker) comes to live with her uncle. It would be very easy to turn this set-up into a heartwarming drama, but screenwriter Hanif Kureishi (My Beautiful Laundrette) has never been one to warm hearts. Unless it's on his own terms. As Maurice takes his Venus under his frail wing and imparts a few old-school instructions to this junk-culture lass, Kureishi and director Roger Michell hit just the right notes of clumsiness, grace, and regret. Everybody's good in the film; Jodie Whittaker does nicely by the task of creating a rather ordinary young woman, and Vanessa Redgrave turns up as Maurice's patient, long-suffering ex (about whom there is nothing ordinary). But it's O'Toole's show, and the grand old actor gives a performance without a hint of grandness, except where it might fit. When he sighs a valedictory, "There really isn't anything else," you know a life's experiences and mistakes are distilled in the wisdom. --Robert Horton

Description

Academy Award® nominee Peter O'Toole (2006 Best Actor) leads a powerful cast to deliver a charming and poignant portrayal of Maurice, an aging veteran actor who becomes absolutely taken with Jessie - the grandniece of his closest friend. When Maurice tries to soften the petulant and provincial young girl with the benefit of his wisdom and London culture, their give-and-take surprises both Maurice and Jessie as they discover what they don't know about themselves. Featuring brilliant performances from a superb supporting cast, VENUS is a witty and wise celebration of how the greatest lessons in life can come from the most unlikely places.

Customer Reviews:

Desire and death...........2007-06-30

Not the death of desire, which this film tells us is ever alive. The flashing blue Lawrence-eyes are rheumy; the always spare frame is now fragile; the striking handsomeness bears the marks of time and a life hard-lived; the once powerful voice an echo of itself. But Peter O'Toole the great actor, is still in there, strong and vital, and he brings dignity to a very delicate piece about an old man's continuing desire for female beauty, and the life represented there, even on the precipice of eternity. And for that, this film is worth seeing.

O'Toole's Maurice feels mortality in every breath, and the indignities and infirmities of old age are present in every waking moment. He passes the time playing corpses in TV shows, and trading pills with his ancient friends. His has been a life lived selfishly, in service to his own pleasure, as is tellingly revealed in the very nice scene with his ex-wife, played by Vanessa Redgrave. The old ham finds infatuation with a rather fatuous young woman and this final dance with desire will bring some insight to the object of his affection and some final reflection to the old "player".

This is difficult material, an old man's lust or love for a young woman, but it was presented honestly in that both parties are using the other for their own purposes, until perhaps the end. If they are changed by one another, it is in subtle small ways, and while the ending may seem a bit too neat, the relationship limned before has been carefully constructed.

I found great care in the presentation, treading a fine line. It is a wistful film about final days and the heart's ever longing. Or, as Peter O'Toole says, it's about a dirty old man and a (trampy) young woman. It is both. Not for everyone, I found it worthwhile.

Utterly REVOLTING.......2007-06-26

I wonder at how so many viewers heap high praise upon Peter O'Toole for his role of Maurice Russell in "Venus". Depraved, dirty, and disgusting, the arthritic Maurice clings to anything that allows him to revel in his own decrepitude. Enter the slag-heap Jessie, his "Venus", and grand-niece of his closest friend, Ian.

Jessie is, if possible, even more despicable than Maurice. She mumbles incoherently in most scenes, a trait exacerbated only by her thick English-midlands accent; she also manages to masticate like a troll, food flying from her mouth every time she's attempting to feed. Maurice, who happens upon the trampy girl when she is shoved upon her unsuspecting uncle as a would-be caretaker, wastes no time plying her with booze and baubles.

He rhapsodizes about his fame and how utterly determined he is to pursue his own hedonistic code despite soon facing the grave. She takes advantage at every turn, landing a stint as an artists' model as the coup de grace of his favor.

A particularly horrific scene is where "Venus" offers Maurice a chance to bestow three osculations upon her bared shoulder. She does this throughout the movie, proffering tasteless little fondles as payment for jewelry, fine dining, etc. O'Toole's ghastly, grinning death's-head hovers for long moments next to the young female's nubile head -- and the resulting image is enough to have the viewer reach for the Mylanta.

Honestly -- this is hardly a triumphant or exultant film. In the end, Maurice, who has been soundly pummeled by Jessie's young man (whom she invites to visit at Maurice's home, at which point she tells the old man to take a hike [literally] so that she and the bloke can have a poke = so classy!), rapidly deteriorates (he's been managing to do so in nature's course throughout the film in any event) and drops dead at the seashore.

And a good riddance to bad rubbish.

Poor Vanessa Redgrave is underplayed in her portrayal of Mrs. Russell, Valerie, whom Maurice had abandoned decades before, replete with their three young children under age six. Why they've never properly divorced is confusing; why Valerie still entertains him, in the most civil and welcoming manner, is truly mystifying. She even shows immense grace at Maurice's funeral reception, when she offers to help the useless Jessie.

After having viewed this piece of cinematic trash I was elated that Peter O'Toole was, yet again, refused the honor of an Oscar win.

"Can I touch your hand?".......2007-06-24

As a Peter O'Toole fan, I had to see "Venus" and unlike most reviewers here, I loathed it.

The central character is Maurice, a veteran actor (brilliant performance from Peter O'Toole) who's at the end of his life. When considering all the elements that make a life 'good' can we say that he has had a 'good' life? Well he has financial difficulties, health problems, and as the story unfolds, it's revealed that he has a broken marriage in his past and is alienated from his children. While he enjoyed youthful good looks and a certain amount of fame, in old age he faces disease, loneliness and, of course, inevitability, death. Solace is found in the company of friends, but it's also through a good friend, Ian (Ian Phillips) that Maurice meets Jessie (Jodie Whittaker), a young girl he calls Venus.

The relationship between Maurice and Venus is one of the problematic elements to the film. She's not averse to letting grope Maurice her as long as there is a reward. Frankly, she's a hideous character whose bad judgment and moral vacuity leads to tragic consequences. Maurice suffers from the classic Pygmalion syndrome--justifying an absurd relationship with a much younger woman under the guise that it's some sort of even trade. But it isn't. Their relationship is grasping, and exploitive, but why on earth does the script then have to gloss over all this darkness and convert it into lustful, affectionate whimsy?

This would have been a much better film if the character of Venus didn't morph into a Pollyanna apologist at the end. She feels 'bad' and an apology apparently makes events 'right.' Furthermore, this happy ending is endorsed by the role of ex-wife Valerie (Vanessa Redgrave). We know that she's hard up for money (Maurice says she should apply to the children for assistance), and the little he manages to earn is spent on baubles for Venus. But in spite of years of disappointment and betrayal between Maurice and Valerie, the film has to sew up a happy ending with Valerie leading the adulation. This is a film about an elderly man with sexual longings who hooks up with an exploitive, crass young girl. Why make it all warm and fuzzy? The superficial, cliche-ridden, sentimental redemption angle is nauseating, and with a script written by Hanif Kureishi, I really expected more--displacedhuman

Master Class of Lovely and Seemingly Effortless Screen Acting........2007-06-24

"It's difficult to pull off May-December romances in movies, mainly because they're so creepy. As often as not, the movie doesn't even acknowledge the age difference, casting men in their fifties opposite girls in their twenties, with nothing in mind but the potential box office returns. Peter O'Toole, plays a British actor in thrall to a friend's grand-niece, nineteen-year-old Jessie (Jodie Whittaker). Don't go, "Eww." From his 1962 starring debut in Lawrence of Arabia to his hilarious turn in My Favorite Year, O'Toole is that rarest of species: an actor of stature who is also a movie star of genuine glamour. The new movie Venus miraculously manages a deft balance of all this. Of course, this is no traditional romance, but more of an odd, tender friendship, not unlike that of Lost in Translation (2003)." Peter Travers

The British always know how to do it right. May -December romances can be so bad, but 'Venus' is all above board. Both Peter O'Toole, Maurice and Jodie Whittaker, Jessie, are straight forward and keep nothing back. Maurice is a working actor busy with plays and television. He usually plays dead people, and his colleague Maurice Ian, Leslie Phillips, tells him it is good practice. Their humorous bickering sets the tone for the rest of the film. Ian's grand-niece is coming for a visit, and he expects that she will care for him such as c,ooking and cleaning. The girl that actually arrives is more of a modern teenager, Jessie, with modern teenage selfishness. While this drives Ian into fits, they actually intrigue Maurice. He engages her in conversation, and his way of telling the truth does not repulse her. Later, he offers to buy her a drink, and she discovers that, as an actor, he's "a little bit" famous. But though Maurice is having trouble with his prostate he is still very much of a charmer, someone that loves the limelight, so says his wife, Vanessa Redgrave. For some inexplicable reason Maurice left her and their three children for another woman. At one point in the film he declares his love for her and what could have been.

It is given that Maurice and Jessie, who he soon dubs "Venus," are going to get along better than either one of them anticipates, but almost nothing else about their relationship goes the way they anticipate.
Maurice is too old to have anything more than what he calls "a theoretical interest" in sex, but that theoretical interest takes some interesting turns. Neither one is a sweet person, and that prickliness and the bite the superb writing keep things from getting maudlin or sentimental. It becomes evident that what motivates Maurice is not lechery but a kind of yearning envy of Jessie's youth and a longing for his own.

"For though it looks to be about things fleeting and ephemeral, "Venus" touches, without forcing anything, on what matters most in life: love, friendship, connection. It's about aging and what keeps you alive, about the getting and passing on of the wisdom of a lifetime. And it is done with such surpassing skill on both sides of the camera that we can't help but marvel at it all." Kenneth Turan

The screenwriter Hanif Kureishi and collaborator-director Roger Michell. Kureishi, have come up with a smartly written script. And director Michell, knows how to produce line readings that get all the juice out of deliciously offbeat lines like: "Oh, just kill them, kill the young, exterminate their disgusting happiness and hope."

The British pop singer Corinne Bailey Rae, provides several tunes for the film's soundtrack. She has a sort of laid-back quality to her voice, which can croon over one verse and then soar joyously over the next, but she also feels genuine. She's a perfect addition to the movie's mood and part of the reason for its lightness.

"The movie belongs to O'Toole. This great, dazzling actor is his best performance since My Favorite Year (1982), and he's unquestionably in top form. He has the power to take this lecherous, sorry old fool and make us feel his weight, but also make him the most charming, most exciting fellow in town. Who wouldn't want to hang out with him, regardless of age?" Mark Dujsik

Such poignant remarkable performances by all of the actors, but particularly Peter o'Yoole and Jodie Whittaker. A film about love and friendship, and how we can let our feelings go and in the right hands our feelings will be handled with care.

Highly, highly Recommended. prisrob 06-23-07

Lawrence Of Arabia (International 1-Sheet), Framed Movie Print

One Night With the King

Man of La Mancha

Bravo..........2007-06-23

Wow, what a stirring masterpiece of filmmaking. The level of verisimilitude surpassed anything I have seen in recent years, if not decades. Probably going to be much more poignant to the over 40 crowd, however, the dynamic between Maurice and Jessie makes this equally as accessible to a younger crowd on a different level. I laughed, I cried, I learned...

Average customer rating:

Superbly done.
What happened to Lady Windemere's Fan
Wild About Wilde? A Strangely Subdued Retelling Of A Literary Classic Left Me Wanting More "Wilde-ness"
Total ripoff of Wilde's other works
nice. quite nice.

A Good Woman
Starring: Helen Hunt , Scarlett Johansson , Milena Vukotic , Stephen Campbell Moore , and Mark Umbers
Director: Mike Barker
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000F3UAFC
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Amazon.com

Scarlett Johannson and Helen Hunt give Oscar Wilde's popular play Lady Windermere's Fan a lavish jazz-age treatment in A Good Woman. An adventuress (Hunt, As Good as It Gets) flees scandal in New York and lands in Italy, where she crosses paths with a young businessman (David Hasselhoff look-alike Mark Umbers) and his very upright young wife (Johansson, Lost in Translation). Before long, tongues are wagging about the adventuress and the businessman, possibly driving the wife to a rash act. A Good Woman retains Wilde's plot--though its 19th century moral concerns don't have the same punch in 1930s Italy--and tosses aside most of his impeccable dialogue, sprinkling his clever epigrams here and there in the otherwise undistinguished dialogue. Johansson, perhaps the most physically sensual actress since Brigitte Bardot, is miscast as the moral prig; Hunt, looking pinched and austere, is miscast as the jaded courtesan. The movie's great saving grace is Tom Wilkinson as a rich man who hopes Hunt will warm his older years. Wilkinson brings a worldly benevolence to every moment he's on screen, making the lines that weren't written by Wilde sound as crisp and wise as if they were. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Superbly done........2007-05-24

Good acting, witty dialogue, good social critique, superb directing. Had to watch it three times.

What happened to Lady Windemere's Fan.......2007-05-13

I really enjoyed this film, primarily because Oscar Wilde was (is) a master of conversation. However, I didn't realize the source of the screen play until I heard the name "Windemere" and then "Fan", when everything came clear that this was the Wilde play brought to the screen. But only a so-so effort. I thought the lead characters were poorly cast. This doesn't mean they were poor actors, it just means they were not convincing in the parts. Helen Hunt is usually funny and clever but doesn't strike me as a seductress or a "woman of the world". The best and most believeable actors were the supporting cast, who unfortunately mumbled some of the better lines. The Oscar Wilde play was a comedy of manners and a social commentary on the English upper class, but alas this was largely missing in the movie. In fact, the pace and crispness of Wilde's wit was subdued due to the slow pace of the film. However, this was still a fun movie, beautifully filmed and costumed. I thoroughly enjoyed the film because even the flaws in this film couldn't destroy the superb wit and conversation that characterized Wilde's work.

Wild About Wilde? A Strangely Subdued Retelling Of A Literary Classic Left Me Wanting More "Wilde-ness".......2007-03-19

Some people like to skydive or rock climb for adventure. I must admit, at this stage in my life, adventure (for me) is jumping into a movie that I know absolutely nothing about and hoping for the best. Daring, huh? Such is the case with the vaguely titled "A Good Woman." I knew it starred Helen Hunt, Tom Wilkinson and Scarlett Johannson--and that was enough to lead me on the "adventure" of discovering this film. Imagine my surprise, then, (about a third of the way through) when a character named Windermere was purchasing a fan for his wife--and I suddenly realized I was watching a strange modernization of Oscar Wilde's classic play aptly entitled "Lady Windermere's Fan." I felt pretty foolish, I must admit--but I don't entirely blame myself.

Instead of the claustrophobic drawing rooms in 1890's England, "A Good Woman" is fashioned in Italy of the 1930's (an odd choice considering the political climate at the time--which is conveniently never mentioned). The Windermere's are now Americans. And what was once Wilde's comedy of manners has become a rather stilted drama with occasional one-liners that fans of Wilde's works will recognize. I certainly have no problem with re-imagining a classic work, such as this. But "A Good Woman" keeps the storyline of "Lady Windermere's Fan" while jettisoning the elements that make it an effective social commentary. The intimate settings of the play establish a world where gossip is an essential part of daily life, the wicked interactions are all anyone have to occupy their time. By opening things up to the Italian countryside, this seems to be less relevant. It's as if the primary characters are engaged in a different movie from the supporting players who make mockery of them.

"A Good Woman" tells the story of Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt), a seductress that has made a career of manipulating the egos of wealthy men. After being chased from American society, she settles in Italy where her path crosses with a young aristocrat named Windermere and his bride (Johannson). Windermere's relationship with Mrs. Erlynne sets the tongues wagging. It's best not to reveal too much of the plot for those unfamiliar with the play--but again, the film's screenplay loses much of Wilde's language, flow, and intricate comedy. Only the talented and British supporting players, led by the sublime Wilkinson, seem to be trying to maintain Wilde's spirit.

Still, this is a handsome production. But no amount of lush scenery and exquisite costuming can hide the film's truly fatal flaw. No offense to Helen Hunt, or her fans, but her interpretation of Mrs. Erlynne leaves much to be desired. With a stilted cadence to her speech and a pinched expression, Hunt never convinces us that she could be the irresistible creation that she needs to be. Johannson is somewhat vacant in her role, as well, but that is better disguised by her character's naiveté. It is Wilkinson, in particular, that completely saves this production. With much needed humor and charm, "A Good Woman" is inexplicably salvaged by a man! While this isn't terrible by any stretch, it's unlikely to send new viewers to seek out the works of Oscar Wilde--and that's a real disappointment. KGHarris, 03/07.

Total ripoff of Wilde's other works.......2007-03-12

Viturally every other sentence is borrowed/stolen from Wilde's other works. "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" seems to be a favorite of this film's writer. Uninspired, to say the least!

nice. quite nice........2007-01-12

short movie. very understandable and to the point. funny and very interesting. the banter that goes on b/t people in the movie is very entertaining and thought-provoking. provides ample subject matter for a long and interesting discussion b/t viewers.

very nice movie.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant
Big disappointment
A quirky delightful movie
Vintage Shirley!
Dramatic wolf in romantic-comedy sheep's clothing

Carolina
Starring: Julia Stiles , Shirley MacLaine , Alessandro Nivola , Randy Quaid , and Edward Atterton
Director: Marleen Gorris
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001WTWD8
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Description

Julia Stiles (MONA LISA SMILE) and Academy Award(R) winner Shirley MacLaine (1983 Best Actress, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT) star in CAROLINA, the endearing romantic comedy about a young woman (Stiles) trying to escape the eccentric ways of her wacky Southern family and meet the man of her dreams -- a nice, normal available guy. Finding him appears easier said than done until she meets a handsome and debonair Englishman. Will Carolina's dream turn into a nightmare when she introduces her perfect guy to her less-than-perfect family? And what will her best friend Albert have to say? As funny and charming as SWEET HOME ALABAMA, this Southern belle is sure to sweep you off your ever-loving feet.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2007-06-05

This Movie is fantastic, a real Girl night movie. Ths dvd itself is brilliant!!!! I love it, amozon rocks

Big disappointment.......2007-05-17

I rented this movie because I love chick flicks and have enjoyed some of Julia Stiles' other films (e.g. Save the Last Dance, The Prince and Me, Ten Things I hate About You). Also enjoyed Shirley MacLaine in In Her Shoes. I thought it was unusual that I hadn't heard of this film before, but after watching it, I can see why. The script and plotline are BEYOND cheesey, even for the average chick flick fan. My advice? Get something that better utilizes the skills of these talented actresses. (Even if you are an avid chick flick fan!)

A quirky delightful movie.......2007-05-15

This is a hilarious movie, Shirley MacLaine at her best and darling daughters. Julia Stiles was special.

Vintage Shirley!.......2007-05-14

An enjoyable film --- a bit rowdy and brash --- but it was fun watching Shirley MacLaine a bit over the top in the role of the grandmother. An excellent performance by several young actors and actresses, and in particular, Julia Stiles.

Dramatic wolf in romantic-comedy sheep's clothing.......2006-07-14

Carolina stars Julia Stiles as a young woman named Carolina who has trouble finding love. Her dilemma is ironically underscored by the fact that she works for a television game show called "The Perfect Match." One day Carolina meets a handsome, rich, available Englishman on the set of the game show and she becomes romantically involved with him. Carolina doesn't notice, however, that her best friend--a handsome, eligible bachelor and her next door neighbor--is jealous of her new relationship. One of the running jokes in the film is that the best friend writes romance novels under a pseudonym--using a woman's name. Only Carolina knows his secret and there are a couple of funny scenes in which people talk to the best friend about his books without knowing that he's the author. Carolina's romance problems are further exacerbated by the existence of her eccentric family. How will her new prim and proper English boyfriend react when he meets Carolina's family?

Shirley MacLaine plays the role of Carolina's grandmother who raised Carolina and her two sisters because their dead-beat, drunkard father was not at all interested in raising them. The grandmother herself is quite a character and has unorthodox child-raising methods. In a scene from Carolina's childhood Carolina is arguing with her sister and the grandmother hands them both butcher knives and sends them out to an alley to fight out their differences. When someone questions the grandmother about her decision, she responds "don't worry, they're not that sharp." Despite the grandmother's unusual childrearing techniques, deep down she loves the kids very much. In general the depiction of Carolina's family is over the top. The butcher knife scene ends with the father showing up in the alley with Carolina's newborn youngest sister in a laundry basket. He leaves the baby on the ground for his mother to find and raise and then he drives off in his pick up truck. This Deus Ex Machina prompts the end of the knife fight, explains the introduction of a new character and demonstrates the incompetence of Carolina's father, but the father comes off as being a pathologically incompetent parent.

The biggest problem with the film Carolina is that it seems to be two different films at the same time--on the one hand it is a romantic comedy about a young woman searching for Mr. Right but overlooks her best friend who is secretly in love with her, on the other hand it is a comedy-drama about a young woman coming to terms with her extremely dysfunctional family. Mixing these two different genres could potentially work; sometimes it works in the film Carolina, sometimes it doesn't. The problem is that romantic comedies generally tend to be light and fun, but some of the dramatic scenes involving Carolina's family are serious and/or depressing--more drama than one would expect from a romantic comedy. Finally, the film has a rather abrupt ending.

This is a flawed film, but it has enough going for it to recommend it. While the combination of two different tones can be jarring at times, I think the film makers deserve credit for trying an unusual combination. However, it probably would have been a better film if they dropped the romantic comedy elements and focused more on the characters in the family. Julia Stiles is a talented actress and she is up for all of the different scenes that the script requires from her; I'm just not sure that the audience will be prepared for all of the drama in this film if the audience is expecting a straight-forward romantic comedy.

Average customer rating:

Carolina Moon
Starring: Carolina Moon
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000S1KUMO
Release Date: 2007-09-11

Product Description

Carolina Moon, starring Claire Forlani (TV's CSI: NY), Oliver Hudson (TV's Rules of Engagement), and Emmy and Golden Globe® nominee Jacqueline Bissett (The Deep, Rich and Famous), debuted on Lifetime Television.

Tory (Forlani), who has a gift for psychic visions, returns to her hometown to make peace with her troubled past and put to rest the ghost of Hope, her brutally murdered childhood friend. She soon discovers that Hope's death was only the first in a string of murders that have continued every year since that terrible day and the sociopath has been waiting patiently for Tory's return. She now has two choices: use her supernatural powers to catch the killer or end up his next victim under a Carolina Moon.

Average customer rating:

Fun Bike Film
Supercross-ed
Excellent Transaction!!!!
I Be Like Huh?
Some Good Stunts, Not Very Good Direction

Supercross
Starring: Steve Howey , Mike Vogel , Cameron Richardson (II) , Sophia Bush , and Aaron Carter
Director: Steve Boyum
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000BO0LOU
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Description

Welcome to the high-intensity, high-octane world of Supercross, the extreme sport where gravity knows no limits. Brothers KC and Trip Carlyle are up-and-coming motorcycle racers with limited opportunities, unlimited potential, and dreams of becoming champions. When KC's big break comes in the form of a lucrative, corporate "factory" sponsorship, the brothers are torn apart, becoming bitter rivals both on and off the track. But when a tragic accident threatens their Supercross dreams, the brothers must cast aside their differences -- and fear itself -- to defy the odds and take the checkered flag!

Customer Reviews:

Fun Bike Film.......2007-05-22

i have admitted i like this cheesy fun bike movie. it's put together nicely although i have agree with some of other reviewers that it was'nt the best in terms of story, but hey nobody perfect. i do say that there is enough plot to follow along with it, sure it's like all the other underdog films of the past decade, you can pretty much figure out how it will end. but you will end up cheering for these guys anyway. the stunts in this film are wonderful.

PG-13 For Lauguage.

Highly Recommended For Lazy Afternoon.

Supercross-ed.......2007-05-17

Good movie, good cast, sexy guys and girls. And of course once you add the drama, BOOM..... a movie! It's good to see actors Steve Harvey of 'Reba' and Sophia Bush of 'One Tree Hill' cast as another character and out of their element.

Excellent Transaction!!!!.......2007-05-08

Super Fast shipping. Excellent transaction, movie in perfect condition as promised. Highly recommended!!!

I Be Like Huh?.......2007-01-21

The closest cousin to this film in the family of cinema has to be "You Got Served." Both films place cardboard cutout characters on screen to provide backdrop to a commercial for a niche hobby. The thing that is wrong with this strategy is that everybody involved in these hobbies would probably be offended by the lameness of the movie itself. You just couldn't look at it and be like, "Yeah, that just totally represented what I am all about." Anybody who watches this will recognize it as the utter crap that it is. The only thing that it does right is keep the images flashing in front of your eyeballs fast enough that you don't nod off. That means that I didn't suffer through this the way I would a truly sleep inducing stinker such as "Laura's Star." But just because your eyeballs won't fall asleep doesn't mean that your mind won't because everything about this production is brain dead. The biggest offended is almost certainly the script. Line after line had me pondering just how the script got approval from 20th Century Fox as it truly sounds like it was written by a 3rd grader trying to impress me with his toughness.

We are treated to a tale of two brothers who like to race their bikes. One is studious and sells out as fast as he can, while the other is a slacker thus providing boring and obvious conflict. Once K.C (Steve Howey) sells out he starts in on lecturing his brother on how he needs to grow up and other things of that nature. The implication is clear, he is desired by corporations for his maturity and everybody should fall in line like him. That mindset only lasts so long as his new corporate buddies have only one plan in mind for him and that is wingman to their star Rowdy (Channing Tatum). You know where the story goes from here as we get a lesson on how you should never play second fiddle, which is fine but a little contradictory considering that the film is little more than a wingman for Mountain Dew, Honda, and Papa John's. If you listen closely you can even hear them slip in an ad for Las Vegas ("What happens in Vegas...") that undoubtedly didn't come free.

The whole point is to set up a race (on the biggest stage of them all!) between K.C and his former lord and master. But I didn't care at all. I did spend some time wondering about the racing footage itself as for all I know it was just stock footage considering that it served no purpose plot wise. I was also amused by the perplexing casting decision to pair grizzled, nail spitting Robert Patrick with useless pretty boy Aaron Carter as father and son. In the opening credits Clear Channel showed up, something I had never seen before. Since they are now notorious for backing the wrong war it should come as no surprise that they now backed the wrong movie. Paid for by knuckleheads, made by knuckleheads, for knuckleheads. Watch at your own risk and don't expect anything interesting or in the least bit thought provoking. **

Some Good Stunts, Not Very Good Direction .......2006-10-31

I'll make my review short not to spend too many words on writing about what you have already known. I only say two things; `Supercross' is about the world of Supercross competition, and very short (80 mins). If I may add one more thing, you don't find anything else in the film.

`Supercross' stars two young actors Steve Howey and Mike Vogel as two brothers who race motorcycle, but as you know, the film is made primarily for the purpose of showing the Supercross action scenes. So if the film is virtually full of clichéd items such as brotherly jealousy, father-like mentor, or big competition that concludes the film, it is perfectly OK with me. I actually do not care if one character gets badly injured during a race and is confined to bed, and the same person shows up again, only several days after the terrible accident, walking and even hopping on crutches as if it's only an ankle sprain.

What really matters is the race scenes, which need more improvement. Don't get me wrong here because I am not talking about the races or the stunts themselves. Stunt-turned-director Steve Boyum shows a lot of shots of the Supercross bikes flying in the air, but he shows alarmingly little concern as to how to present them to us viewers. The camera overuses the same angles and the same techniques (like slow motion and fast-forwarding) over and over again. The shots of the dirt race course and the audiences (both real ones, I think) themselves are shot fine enough to convey the feeling of watching the real race, but as the director shows little skills in narrative, we have to listen carefully to the announcer's voice to know who is who, or who is winning.

Those things deprive the film's actions of the dramatic tension of the race scenes. Watching a flying bike may be a really exciting experience, but you need more than that to make the race truly thrilling and exciting. After all you can watch the real ones at the Supercross competition, so why make a movie?

Average customer rating:

All star cast.
My Favorite of this Series
An Excellent Account
ABRAHAM
Really good movie

Abraham (The Bible Collection)
Starring: Richard Harris , Barbara Hershey , Maximilian Schell , Vittorio Gassman , and Carolina Rosi
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
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Jacob (The Bible Collection)
Joseph (The Bible Collection)
Moses (The Bible Collection)
The Bible Collection
The Bible Series Box Set

ASIN: B0006J28K0
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Customer Reviews:

All star cast........2007-03-24

Very accurate according to the Bible. Great cast and very clean. Would definatly recommend this movie to my family. Actually, most of them have already seen it. Barbara Hershey did such a wonderful job.

My Favorite of this Series.......2007-02-18

This entire series of Bible stories by this Italian production group is simply splendid. These are relatively low cost films but they are very skillfully produced to maximize the quality of the story being told. Of course we Christians and Jews will sit around and pontificate about every little error or short cut the movie script incurs, never the less, it is ultimately left to the actors and directors and their considerable skill to pull off what I consider to be, for the most part, some of the most successfully done Bible story dramatizations that have ever been produced on film, with or without a big budget. My favorite is the story of Abram, the movie Joseph coming in a close second along with the movie, Moses, coming in a close third or even equalling Joseph. All of the rest of these movies hoover in second or third place together as far as I'm concerned. Bravo bravo - Please make more! My five stars applies to this complete series of movies - Obviously some are done a little better than others, but the effort is exemplary.

An Excellent Account.......2007-02-01

I think that this was the first movie made for the Bible Collection. It set a high standard for excellence in terms of presenting a dramatic story and in terms of presenting material from the bible. Most often, when one of these aspects succeeds, the other fails. In this case, both are done well.

The story is of the patriarch, Abraham. He is called by God to leave his home and settle in a new area. He is promised that he will become the father of many nations. Throughout his sojourn, there are times when his faith or that of his followers falters. At these times, they will do things other than what they are commanded by God and generally have problems result from it. In the end, the promise is made good even though both Abraham and his wife are well past the age where these promises would seem realistic. God keeps promises.

The other impressive thing about this presentation is the way it works in a host of details from the biblical story that are rarely dealt with. Since the story of Abraham is not one of the most popular for depiction, this may not be apparent to some but I noticed details which seldom make it into sermons or Sunday School presentations.

The whole, though, is greater than the sum of the parts. It is an excellent account.

ABRAHAM.......2007-01-09

Right now I am deployed to Iraq, and I happen to be in the Land of Ur. The Zigurrat of Ur, which IS the house of Abraham and it is located under 5 miles from where I am. I have visited the Zigurrat, it is an experience I will never forget and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to be in such a place. The Movie Abraham only adds to my astonishment and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Because if it wasn't for Abraham being a most humble, good and holy man for the word of God, who knows what would've happened. Take Abraham's word, not mine.

Really good movie.......2006-11-28

For anyone interested in the Biblical account of Abraham this movie stays true to the biblical text for the most part. It catalogs the story of a man with whom the Jew, the Christian and Muslim find common ground. There are a few parts of the movie that are a little long. That is why I gave it a 4. There are just a few places that the movie could have been cut a little to keep from dragging the story. However, Richard Harris was astounding as Abraham. The other actors did good but as usual Harris was brilliant.
The story told in this movie picks up when Abram has left UR and is settled in Haran. It follows him down through the desert and his adventures in Canaan. The movie keeps the story rooted in Sumerian culture which is important to understand when one is studying the life of the patriarch. There is also in the movie a strong portrayal that Abraham was seeking for fulfillment by having a God to believe in. I think that this is most likely accurate when compared with the writings of the Bible and Josephus. Overall this movie is good, accurate, and a great teaching tool for churches and schools to use.

Average customer rating:

More?
More real than Project Runway...

Seamless
Starring: Anna Wintour , Lazaro Hernandez , Pharrell Williams , Karolina Kurkova , and Arthur Elgort
Director: Douglas Keeve
Manufacturer: Arts Alliance Amer
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Unzipped
Yves Saint Laurent - His Life and Times/5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris
Project Runway - The Complete Second Season
Notebook on Cities and Clothes
Project Runway - The Complete First Season

ASIN: B000DN5VFS
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Product Description

Having immortalized designer Isaac Mizrahi in his award-winning documentary UNZIPPED, director Douglas Keeve takes another behind-the-scenes look at the intensely competitive world of the fashion industry with SEAMLESS. Like a grittier version of the reality-television series PROJECT RUNWAY, the film follows ten fashion-design hopefuls as they vie for top-prize in a contest created by Vogue magazine and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Focusing equally on the art of fashion design as well as its more cutthroat business demands, Keeve's thought-provoking doc is bolstered by cameos from real-life fashionistas Anna Wintour, Vera Wang, and the irrepressible Mizrahi himself.

System Requirements:

Running Time 75 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

More?.......2006-09-25

As a fan of Project Runway, I was thrilled to learn about Seamless, a documentary of the fashion world and young designers.

I truly enjoyed Seamless as it did portray the reality of the fashion world and struggles of the young designers to make it. (Like Heidi Klum always say, "one day you're in; the next day, you're out".) These designers are aware that fashion is highly competitive where many don't make it or experience short-lived success before folding. Those that are still existing and struggling, especially after 9/11, are in dire need of finances or mentorship. This is where Vogue, noted fashion designers and other "head honchos" come in to help out, via competition.

I do wish that the documentary was longer by following the other designers or by covering more aspects of fashion designing, production, etc. I liked how the documentary followed their personal lives, which made them like regular people... Doo-Ri and the fire, Alexandre and his transcontinental separation from his wife, and Lazaro and Jack's adjustment to one's relocation.

Overall, I truly enjoyed Seamless as it was educational yet entertaining.

More real than Project Runway..........2006-07-03

I'm a fan of Project Runway and found I liked this little documentary very enjoyable. Seamless gives us a very real look into a struggling fashion designers world, no 8 hour challenges, no making clothes from flowers; just real people trying to get their struggling business to become a thriving, money making business. The 3 featured designers/design partners had all different personalities and made me want to go research them more.

Average customer rating:

Great Instructional Video
Outstanding Tool
Disappointing

Water Dog 2nd Edition
Starring: Charles T. Jurney
Manufacturer: Mid-Carolina Media
ProductGroup: DVD
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Water Dog: Revolutionary Rapid Training Method
Family Dog
Game Dog
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Gun Dog

ASIN: B00007AXTA
Release Date: 2002-08-01

Description

This is the "bible" for dog owners who want to simply and quickly train their retrivers for basic and advanced waterfowl hunting. Combining the time-tested techniques of Richard A. Wolters with the newest proven methods of dog training, have the retriever you've always wanted in a few short months. Running Time: 87 mins. with 48 chapters and added upland training for retrivers.

Customer Reviews:

Great Instructional Video.......2007-03-22

If you want to train a waterfowl retriever. This DVD is all you need. I have read almost all his books, specifically Water Dog twice. This DVD covers all the basics and beyond.

Outstanding Tool.......2006-03-09

Really good and informative. Lots of info especially how to go step by step... Would have given a five but I think this DVD shows older dogs for training examples rather than dogs that should be puppies.

Disappointing.......2005-03-05

I have the Water Dog DVD and Book and purchased the Game Dog DVD and book. The book for both is outstanding. The Game DOG and Water DVD is the same video on DVD. Do not waste your dollars and purchase both DVD's. It is a waste of good money. Purchase Game Dog only. I have not seen Gun Dog but wanted something more with Upland dog training. Maybe Gun dog is the trick.

Average customer rating:

'Lower City' will wear on you pretty quickly
Not the Brazil the tourists usually see
At least the heat of this film does jumps out at you.
Where's the droop? not in this film
Triad

Lower City
Starring: Lázaro Ramos , Wagner Moura , Alice Braga , José Dumont , and Maria Menezes (II)
Director: Sérgio Machado
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures / Umvd
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City of Men
Battle In Heaven
Lie With Me
House of Sand (Widescreen)
Favela Rising

ASIN: B000GNOGW4
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Description

Plot Outline: From the filmmakers who brought you CITY OF GOD and THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES, comes this sexy Brazilian drama chronicling a love triangle between two best friends, Deco and Naldinho (CARANDIRU's Lázaro Ramos and Wagner Moura), and a sultry, beautiful young girl, Karinna (Alice Braga, CITY OF GOD). Burdened with unbridled passion, the threesome navigates the "lower city" of tropical Salvador Bahia, stumbling through a treacherous landscape of sex and jealousy. Suffocated and unable to go on, the three must accept one another as lovers, adversaries and ultimately friends; learning to overlook the defiance of their actions and joining one another down an unthinkable path. A startlingly intimate debut from director Sérgio Machado, LOWER CITY bursts with a sensuality and energy emanating from the unflinching performances of the vibrant young cast.

Editorial Reviews:

Sara Brady, Premiere Two lifelong friends, Deco and Naldinho, fall for the same lady of ill repute (City of God's Alice Braga) when she hitches a ride on their cargo boat in this steamy drama from Sergio Machado (the 2001 doc At the Edge of the Earth).

The Bottom Line: An even sexier take on Y Tu Mama Tambien, this time in Portuguese.

A.O Scott, NY Times . . the woman in question is Karinna, a dancer and prostitute played by Alice Braga (''City of God''), one of the most forthrightly and powerfully sexual screen actresses in the world. Ms. Braga, niece of the Brazilian actress Sonia Braga, brushes aside any hint of glamour and gives a tough, candid performance.

The look of ''Lower City'' is impressively naturalistic. Toca Seabra's cinematography makes the sweat and grit of Salvador almost palpable, and the music, by Carlinhos Brown and Beto Villares, provides a sweet, lusty throb.

DVD Features: · Making of featurette · Deleted scenes · US theatrical trailer · Palm Previews · Weblinks

Customer Reviews:

'Lower City' will wear on you pretty quickly.......2007-03-07

The first six plot keywords in IMDB sum up - in an unintentionally humorous way - the essence of 'Lower City':

* Cockfighting
* Nudity
* Blood
* Sex
* Boat
* Prostitute

Yup, that's basically your entire movie right there. It's not the type of film you want to watch while your mother-in-law visits, because it's a real seat squirmer. In fact, another reviewer on these pages made mention of being at "Lower City's" premiere and passed along the observation that there was a lot of seat-squirming in the audience. No doubt.

While I think the film does a fantastic job showing depicting the squalid underbelly of a teeming Bahia, the 'plot' is sort of a loop of those key words - the characters have a boat; they meet a prostitute; they have sex on the boat; they go to a cockfight; they fight there and there's a lot of blood; they go back to the boat; they have sex; there's a fight; they have sex. At the end of the movie, they fight, there's a lot of blood, and the prostitute cleans them up. You get the idea.

I salute Alice Braga for her bravery here in this role. She really leaves nothing to the imagination. And I really liked Wagner Moura ('Naldinho'), who struck me as a Brazilian Mark Ruffalo, both in terms of looks (a striking resemblance) and acting chops. But, there's not much of a plot here. I think 'Lower City' will wear on you pretty quickly.

Not the Brazil the tourists usually see.......2007-03-06

This movie won awards?? You've got to be kidding, were the judges wearing blinders and ear plugs?? This movie was very good at showing the humid, sweaty, smelly, rancid low life in Lower City (hence the name?) Is Alice Braga related to Sonia Braga?? I didn't care about the characters they were just too stupid, I felt bad for the chickens that had to fight to the bloody death for their sweaty, dumb as dirt, owners. No plot, just humidity and B.O. Don't bother.

At least the heat of this film does jumps out at you........2006-11-10

"Lower City" was quite good. As a whole, I enjoyed this film but was far from being blown away. All three of the leads are give an opportunity to make an impression. The script however, leaves a bit to be desired. After watching this yesterday the movies that came to mine was City of God/ Amores Perros/ Y Tu Mama Tambien simply because it was to be expected. It is one of the good films that had recently came out of South America. However, "Lower City" doesn't quite live up to its comparative brothers but does manage to create a feel of its own. I empathized with each of the characters and felt they were played brilliantly by the actors involved. There was a real sense of raw passion with the helplessness of the poverty/ crime lifestyle they find themselves in.

In this film we have two childhood friends, Deco (Lazaro Ramos) and Naldinho (Wagner Moura) whom both meet Karinna (Alice Braga), a stripper looking for a cheap ride to the city of Salvador, in exchange for sexual favours with the boys. Deco first, and Naldinho later, fall in love for Karinna, who likes both of them, forming a triangle of love and jeopardizing the friendship of Deco and Naldinho. "Cidade Baixa" is a real and cruel triangle of love, having the landscape of the red light district in the lower zone of Salvador and the environment of hopeless people that lives in the limit of the marginality of the society, prostituting, robbing, and fighting for surviving. The plot is actually unpredictable, with many possibilities and an open end. But the great surprise is the unknown actress Alice Braga, niece of Sonia Braga, performing a very erotic and searing character and dignifying the name of her aunt.

Even though this is a low budget movie it exhales sexual tension and mild eroticism. The pace of the story does dips in the middle but the end delivers excitement and resolution. If you are a fan of Brazilian movies like myself, this is a must watch since it's casted by two of the new generation of great Brazilian actors.

Where's the droop? not in this film.......2006-09-16

I was fotunate to see this movie with Ms. Braga and director at the Miami Film Festival last February. Gritty? yes if you grew up in suburban America behind a mall. The real streets of Salvador are alot more dangerous when not being filmed. The sexual tension was maintained to the point of making many in the audience squirm in their seats.
I really loved the story and Braga was outstanding. She recieved a standing ovation at the screening.

Triad.......2006-07-06

Though Sonia Braga's niece, Alice Braga generates a lot of heat, "Lower City" as a whole tends to shrink away from her innate sexuality and screen presence.
The story involves two men (Deco and Naldinho) and one woman (Braga as Karinna) all of whom love each other both sexually and platonically: a situation rife with conflict that never really materializes on screen due to director Sergio Machado's droopy, lax handling of this material.
The obvious comparison here would be with "Y tu Mama Tambien" but "Lower City" pales in comparison to "Mama's" knowing, intelligent and sexually-charged mise en scene.
Deco and Naldinho are lifelong friends and their attraction and eventual bedding of Karinna gets in the way of their friendship as neither is mature and sophisticated enough to be able to exist as a threesome though worldly Karinna would have no problem being the jam in this Pb&j sandwich.
On the plus side there is palpable life and energy in the Brazilian locales which are appropriately steamy, wet and decayed: if only you could say that about "Lower City" as a whole.

Average customer rating:

Great movie on so many levels
David Thewlis at his best!
Naked: An organic masterpiece
Brutality And Brilliance--A Nasty "Naked" Treat
Essential, Quintessential, Profound, and Disturbing

Naked - Criterion Collection
Starring: David Thewlis , Lesley Sharp , Katrin Cartlidge , Greg Cruttwell , and Claire Skinner
Director: Mike Leigh
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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Bad Timing - Criterion Collection
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ASIN: B000A88EV4
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Amazon.com

In between his breakthrough film (Life Is Sweet) and his world sensation (Secrets and Lies), filmmaker Mike Leigh created his most abrasive and daring film, Naked. This "Angry Young Man" for the 1990s follows an acidic wanderer (Cannes award winner David Thewlis) who observes a corrosive Britain. An intellectual, bitter film filtered with debauchery and black humor, Naked follows the bemusing Johnny as he crosses in and out of doorways, drifting into old acquaintances and new lost souls. It is more of a character film than sheer entertainment and thus it can be hard to watch, but it offers one of the great performances of the 1990s. Thewlis would have been an Oscar shoo-in if he'd worn a tuxedo and repressed his emotions. He didn't, and his brilliant work went unrecognized in mainstream America. --Doug Thomas

Description

One of the essential films of the 1990s, Mike Leigh's brilliant and controversial "Naked" stars David Thewlis as Johnny, a charming, eloquent, and relentlessly vicious drifter in London. Rejecting all those who would care for him, the volcanic Johnny hurls himself into a nocturnal odyssey through the city, colliding with a succession of the desperate and the dispossessed and scorching everyone in his path. With a virtuoso script and raw performances by Thewlis and costars Katrin Cartlidge and Lesley Sharp, Leigh's panorama of England's crumbling underbelly is a showcase of black comedy and doomsday prophecy, and was the winner of the best director and actor prizes at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

Customer Reviews:

Great movie on so many levels.......2007-06-26

I highly reccomend this version of Naked. David Thewlis and Mike Leigh are on the extras and they both add a new dimension to the film. My very old VHS version completely pales in comparison.

Buy it, you'll be glad you did!

David Thewlis at his best!.......2007-01-26

I first rented this movie not knowing really what to expect. I had heard from a friend of mine overseas that this was a wonderful movie, something I just had to see. I had fallen in love with Thewlis's performance as Remus Lupin and just needed to see more that he had been in. At this point I had already watched some other movies with him in impressive roles, namely Gangster No. 1, Black Beauty and Total Eclipse, which I thought were all wonderful Then I finally watched Naked and I was blown away!

His Johnny is not a nice man, not by any sense of the word. He is rude, demeaning, cocky, and doesn't care a lick about anyone, including himself I am sure. But he is also intelligent and funny in a sort of sadistic way, and I found that I could not help identifying with this character. What a brilliant piece of art and look at humanity this film is, kudos to Mike Leigh for making such a rough and tumble look at the darker side of things.

My husband recently bought me the Criterion Collection Naked and I even got him to watch, and later admit to enjoying, the movie. I would comment on my favorite parts, but there are too many to point out. Every supporting actor in this really makes each scene different and each has its own feel and chemistry between the actors. All involved did a wonderful job.

Oh and to the Remus Lupin fans (which I am of course, fangirl to the end!), there is a joke in there about werewolves that is pretty funny, given that he made this movie years before Azkaban. :)

Naked: An organic masterpiece.......2006-12-16

Mike Leigh's organic masterpiece, Naked, is a raw, unflinching character study of a man on the run from himself and everyone around him. The setting of his journey takes place in the midst of poverty and loss of social identity during the thick of the Thatcherism era. With Naked, he integrates the environment into his narratives much more deliberately than most others. We get a sense that Mr. Leigh has a lot to say. He delivers biting commentary on society, and how it affects the relationships of its characters. All of the characters could even be viewed as a fragmented alter ego of the director, acting as translators for all his pent up anger and honest views of society under Thatcher. In a sequence of literary symbolism, in which the main character, Johnny, wanders through the grim, decaying streets of London, happens upon Archie, "the Scotsman with a tick," who is pacing around violently, repeatedly shouting (for his girlfriend) "Maggie!" But, nobody answers. That minor narrative device, speaks volumes about how Margaret Thatcher (i.e. Maggie) did not respond to her people due to the lack of involvement on the wellbeing of the middle and lower-class society.

The environment, in which he creates, becomes a crucial factor in transcending his message, and by doing this he creates more depth and universal meaning in his stories. A process that defines this realism is his approach to creating the dramatic narrative through lengthy improvisations during the development process. He never reveals his intentions to the story until he captures it freely, and then creates the characters, molding them in an organic manner.

Although Naked is a fairly heavy movie by mainstream standards, its subject matter is highly socially relevant, emotionally moving, tragically beautiful and strongly acted by its leading and supporting characters.
David Thewlis's performance is simply brilliant. The collaboration of Leigh and Thewis during their extensive creative process and character developement conjures up a truly tragic and unforgettable character study through improvisation. Mike Leigh planted the seeds, but David Thewlis breathed life into Johnny, immortalizing him.

If you are passionate about films, this movie should not be missed. One of the best british films of all time, in the underrated, yet highly prominent era of British independent cinema.

Brutality And Brilliance--A Nasty "Naked" Treat .......2006-10-08

Having seen this movie upon its release in 1993, I remember seeing a tough, brutal little picture with a great leading performance by David Thewlis. I didn't actually remember liking it, however. Thirteen years later, I've had the pleasure of revisiting Mike Leigh's "Naked" in its Criterion issue. And being older and more savvy, I've discovered the film as if it were my first time viewing it. And what a lot of pleasures there are to be had in "Naked."

First, David Thewlis is brilliant! The ferocity of his performance captivated audiences around the world and won him Cannes and other acting honors, but no Oscar nomination. I would contend that if this movie were released now, with Mike Leigh and David Thewlis better known and respected, the outcome would have been much different. All the performers bring a realness to the film that make it so effective, but it is Thewlis's show.

Thewlis's Johnny is a despicable human being. He is rude, violent, petulant, unwashed, selfish, and totally at odds with anything even resembling humanity. He proceeds to make his way through London meeting up with various characters each more loathsome or desperate then the last. It is a bleak portrait, at best. Every woman, inexplicably, is drawn to Johnny. I mean--what a catch, huh? Some might label the film misogynistic, and it's treatment of women isn't glamorous--but I'd contend that the men are all ogres as well which helps balance things out.

So why is this movie great? Sounds like a nasty piece of work (and it is). But aside from the blistering performances, the film is scathingly and brutally funny. The impeccably literate script actually has something to say about the modern world, about philosophy, about the human condition. It's a tremendously smart black comedy. And Johnny becomes one of the most well-spoken and funny antiheroes in modern movie history. It's refreshing for a movie that is so brutal and tough to be so intelligent as well. And for all you despise about Johnny, there will be a grudging respect too. You understand why people are drawn to him.

I've thought about this film many times since I rewatched it last week, and now I've felt compelled to add my two cents here. Check it out. A nasty masterpiece. KGHarris, 10/06.

Essential, Quintessential, Profound, and Disturbing.......2006-09-18

The greatest movie that many Americans have never heard of, "Naked" won best director and actor at Cannes in 1993. The action revolves around Johnny, played by David Thewlis, who rampages across the London night in a series of encounters in which he uses, abuses, and hurls vitriolic scorn laced with brilliant humor. Everyone Johnny meets is twisted in some way, and the effect is only heightened by the couple of seemingly sane people the film offers, amongst them Johnny's original love interest played by Lesley Sharp.

In one scene Johnny is admitted into an empty office building watched over by a security guard, and rages aloud his dark world-view that includes both time and space, and the illusion of the present, "But you're not in it now; you're not in it now," because the future is constantly kicking the present in the behind. He is as merciless to a tourettic stutterer as he is ultimately to himself, and Johnny pushes to the very brink of madness in a film that uniquely captures the razor-thin divide between genius and savagery.

From a brutal landlord's wonderfully mangled French to another superb performance by Katrin Cartlidge, "Naked" stands testament to the sheer raw power and insight that occasionally graces our screens.

DVD:

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DVD

DVD

Jerusalem, the Covenant City

Totally Rosie

Delibes: Coppelia -- Royal Ballet [2000]

DVD: Wayne's World 2

Die Wicherts von nebenan, DVD 03