Crossroads

Starring:Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The Celestine Prophecy is an action-adventure adaptation of the hit novel by James Redfield, a film that moves so swiftly it can be difficult at times to absorb the New Age philosophy tucked into Redfield's multiple, so-called Insights. Matthew Settle plays an American history teacher who travels to Peru to look into the discovery of an ancient manuscript that foretells the arrival of a new spirituality. The Peruvian government and Catholic church, threatened by something that might supplant traditional religion and mainstream values, harass and arrest the scientists and enlightened souls who discovered the manuscript. Our hero becomes involved in a dangerous effort to keep the document from official hands; along the way, he's introduced to the prophecy's major principles, which arouse his dormant spiritual abilities. Annabeth Gish, Hector Elizondo, and Jurgen Prochnow are a welcome presence in this light and sometimes confusing, if casually engaging work that requires repeat viewings to fully hear its interesting message. --Tom Keogh

More Celestine Prophecy on Amazon.com

Philosophy, Hollywood Style: Films for Fans of The Celestine Prophecy
The Making of The Celestine Prophecy
The Novels of James Redfield

Stills from The Celestine Prophecy (click for larger image)

Product Description

Based on James Redfield's worldwide best-selling novel, The Celestine Prophecy is a spiritual adventure film chronicling the discovery of ancient scrolls in the rainforests of Peru. The prophecy and its nine key insights predict a worldwide awakening, arising within all religious traditions, that moves humanity toward a deeper experience of spirituality.

Customer Reviews:

It's No Accident..........2007-06-23

It's no accident that the whole Celestine Adventure gets rolling for protagonist John Woodson after he receives news he's being laid off from his high school teaching position due to faculty budget cuts. Indeed, the primary premise of the Celestine Prophecy, both the book and the movie, is that we are all being called to "open up" to the Larger Reality of life, but to do this we first have to "let go" of our material preoccupations in order to experience the ultimate spiritual truth of existence.

It's also no accident that the film came out when it did, in 2006, and that in 2007 the American economy begins its terminal downtrend toward complete systemic collapse. Synchronicity you say? Well of course! We are now about to live the Insights from start to finish (or something quite similar) on a collective scale. But there isn't much time left. In fact, if you follow the Mayan Calendar, you know 2012 is the year when "time" runs out! All this simply confirms the film's main premise: that we aren't in control of our lives as we thought we were, but that Something else most assuredly is, and is moving us toward some kind of Divine Consummation in very short order, provided we stay awake and "in the flow" of things.

Think it's an accident that you came to this site and read this review? Think again! Better yet, go beyond thinking altogether and get the movie. It's no accident, I assure you..:-)

Must see.......2007-06-11

Must see for those interested in opening their awareness of what's really going on with and between people that would have us compete, rather than being close and working with each other for the good of all.

Puts what many are already trying to achieve on the planet in a relatively simple form to assist us to become more aware of the possibilities and gifts available for all.

Looking forward to the next in the series of James Redfield's Celestine visions.

not quite as good as the book.......2007-06-08

but very engaging and attention holding. I enjoyed it very much but I AM glad I read the book first. Helped a lot with understanding.

As good as the book, uh, not really.......2007-05-28

As far as how the product arrived, the shipping process etc, it was all good. As far as the product itself, has a lot of good actors for an underground kind of movie. Helped explain many concepts in the book and captured the essence of the Celestine Prophecy completely. Seeing auras portrayed so clearly comes off as a little unbelievable, though.

Short and sweet.......2007-05-28

Missed a lot of info from the book, But got the point in the movie. It was very well done, show all your friends, Can't wait till they make another movie on other parts of the book.

Average customer rating:

Next Best Thing To Being There
Gem of a DVD
Great Concert Captured on DVD
An Amazing Array of Talent!!
Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD

Crossroads Guitar Festival
Starring: Eric Clapton , J.J. Cale , B.B. King , James Taylor (XVII) , and Rocky Frisco
Director: B.B. King , and Ron de Moraes
Manufacturer: Warner Strat. Mkt.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Live at Montreux 1982 & 1985
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ASIN: B0002Y4T92
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Amazon.com

Although it could have been twice as long, this double-DVD set effectively captures over three hours of highlights from one of the most comprehensive and diverse collection of guitarists ever assembled for a single event. Recorded over three days in June of 2004 to benefit Eric Clapton's Crossroads Center in Antigua (as do the sales of this set), the show is not surprisingly heavy on the rootsy blues and country that comprise Clapton's primary inspirations. But it also includes folk (James Taylor), gospel (Robert Randolph & the Family Band), fret-shredding rockers (Steve Vai who delivers a dazzling performance), jazz (John McLaughlin), and, most interestingly, Indian classical music (a stunning piece from Vishwa Mohan Bhatt).

Most compelling are the rare and sometimes unusual collaborations. Joe Walsh and Taylor clown around on "Steamroller Blues," and Booker T. & the M.G.'s back both Joe Walsh on a rollicking "Rocky Mountain Way" and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo tearing into a sizzling "The Neighborhood." Clapton and J.J. Cale share the stage as do Clapton and Carlos Santana, and a show-stopping blues summit with Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughan, Hubert Sumlin, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Clapton is a treat for all involved.

There are some shortcomings. The event isn't presented in chronological order--different stages, days, and backing bands are shuffled with Clapton's own set scattered throughout--ZZ Top's closing is a bit anticlimactic, and there are many omissions due to time constraints. But every act rises to the occasion, and this expertly recorded and shot DVD gives the viewer a front-row seat to a once-in-a-lifetime experience. --Hal Horowitz

Description

In June 2004, some of the greatest living guitar players and their bands gathered at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, for a three-day festival to benefit the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. It was the ultimate concert for any music lover, featuring one legend after the other: Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, James Taylor, Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Walsh, John Mayer, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Santana, ZZ Top, and many more. This 2-DVD set beautifully documents the event and contains over 4 hours of content. Planned extras include in-depth artist interviews, a mini-documentary, photo gallery, alternate angle, and more. Royalties from the DVD sales will benefit the Crossroads Center.

Customer Reviews:

Next Best Thing To Being There.......2007-05-13

Guitar enthusiasts and all music lovers should make a point of taking time out to enjoy this talent-packed, inspirational two-DVD set. Awe- inspiring performances from the very best musicians each showcasing their unique sounds and styles. It's exhilirating to experience moving and passionate guitar at it's finest. Buy it today!

Gem of a DVD.......2007-04-20

This is one of those special cases where you can watch this over and over again. Every performance is great! ZZ top, Steve Via, and Joe Walsh are in top form.

Great Concert Captured on DVD .......2007-04-11

Great concert captured on DVD. Price on Amazon.Com cannot be beaten.

An Amazing Array of Talent!!.......2007-04-02

Eric Clapton did a fabulous job in organizing a rare collection of guitar talent to perform at this three-day festival in Texas. It is as much a treat to see the legendary bluesmen Buddy Guy and B.B. King onstage with Eric, as it is to see fret-shreddin' Steve Vai, Jimmy Vaughn and Johnny Lang.

The music is blues-based, but many different styles and flavors are present: old-style blues, cultural (Indian), jazz, blues-rock and rock. Although there were time considerations in editing the footage of this CD, the "best of the best" is represented here.

One of the key highlights of this show is Robert Randolph, a new Jersey native, who played the pedal steel guitar in a cross between the styles of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I have never seen anything like it and he clearly made his mark in this performance, appearing onstage several times.

Some of the tunes were inspirational enough to pick up the guitar, turn on the amp and play along, as some of my favorite musicians played onstage. I would recommend watching in this in 5.1 on a home-theater system, as the presence of the music is much more realized.

I disagree with Amazon's assessment that ZZ Top as a closing act was anti-climactic. The group is monumental in the history of rock and they are at the top of the Texas blues-rock genre. I saw it as befitting to have them close this show, especially in the state of Texas.

Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD.......2007-04-01

FANTASTIC....Some of the best music performed by some of the best musicians around. Enjoyed every minute! !

Average customer rating:

Harp and Guitar
OK Movie
for blues lovers
A fun little piece
This movie has a great story, an incredible soundtrack and great characters

Crossroads
Starring: Ralph Macchio , Joe Seneca , Jami Gertz , Joe Morton , and Robert Judd
Director: Walter Hill
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Search for Robert Johnson
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Crossroads Guitar Festival
Elusive Light & Sound 1

ASIN: B0002A2WDQ
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Amazon.com

The legend of Mississippi blues master Robert Johnson has served as a fountainhead for generations of blues and rock musicians, as well as a powerful fable for the dark, often violent mysteries of delta blues. Johnson's mythic deal with the Devil, in exchange for his extraordinary musical gifts, has become a fixture in blues lore and an example of the enduring pull of superstitions that can be traced back to Mother Africa and Yoruba deities. Producer-director Walter Hill (The Long Riders, Streets of Fire) sought to put this uniquely American mystery on film, but when he was unable to secure a script devoted directly to Johnson himself, Hill bravely decided to proceed with a more oblique, allegorical story that retold the Satanic bargain through a fictionalized drama set in the present day. In this 1986 feature, the hero is Eugene, a classically trained guitar virtuoso pulled toward the earthier powers of blues. When he stumbles across a lost blues legend, Willie Brown (a real blues figure and Johnson peer known for his partnerships with Charley Patton and Son House, among others), Eugene begins an odyssey back to the delta country and the crossroads of the title, where both Willie and Johnson had traded their souls for blues power, to help the surviving bluesman renegotiate terms.

An opening sequence, shot in sepia-toned black and white, dramatizes Johnson's own supernatural encounter, as well as one of the bluesman's historic Texas recording sessions, and Hill's visuals combine with frequent collaborator Ry Cooder's reliably authentic slide guitar to offer a promising glimpse of cinematic conjury. Even the satanic villain--a grinning huckster named Scratch--honors the trickster figure familiar to African American superstitions, rather than a generic devil. Willie Brown (Joe Seneca) is likewise a convincing link to the blues past, but Hill's central casting choice--Ralph (The Karate Kid) Macchio--sacrifices all for marquee value, a Hobson's choice that casts a shadow of unintended parody across the film. Macchio's earlier character, not Scratch, haunts this film, and even a nifty duel between Eugene, his slashing fretwork supplied off-camera by Cooder, and Scratch's ax-wielding henchman, heavy metal virtuoso, and one-time Frank Zappa protégé Steve Vai, can't safely rescue the film. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Harp and Guitar.......2007-06-15

If you like harmonica and guitar you'll love this movie. It's like the devil went down to Georgia with harp and guitar. Good storie good music.

OK Movie.......2007-05-09

Ralph Macchio got to play a semi-grown up and there was blues. It was a fine movie. Joe Seneca was always good.

for blues lovers.......2007-04-30

Released on VHS tape in the middle of the Eighties, this film is now available on DVD (Region 1 code). It is the (light) story of a trip through the blues and its roots. A young white guitar player (Ralph Macchio) meets in a hospital an old black bluesman (Joe Seneca) and they decide to leave together for the Delta, looking for the crossroads where the bluesman sold his soul to the Devil when he was young and there try to break such contract. During the journey, they establish a master/pupil relationship (Ralph Macchio seems to be specialized in such roles: do you remember Karate Kid?) and go through some hardships till they reach the crossroads and meet the Devil. This meeting leads the two friends to the final challenge: if the young guitarist beats Devil's pupil (Steve Vai) in a blues competition, the old bluesman's soul will be saved. This is the highlight of the film, where the two competitors challenge each other playing blues standards in their different ways: by one hand Steve Vai (in a very good form) plays his pieces in an aggressive "hard-rock" style, while, on the other hand, the boy (but with Ray Cooder's hands! Look at the end titles to discover the real player...) plays his guitar in a slide traditional way, with a bottleneck. This is the story. As for the rest, the film is a just a comedy, with a mix of flavors, lightly served: Robert Johnson's life, Faust, Karate Kid, and - fortunately - some good music, performed in the topical parts of the show (apart from the final duel, there are some nice performances in two-three moments of the film). So, do not surprise if this film will not win any Oscar, but the "crunch" sound of Macchio-Cooder's Telecaster, played with an old valve guitar amp, still sounds very nice to electric blues listeners.
P.S.: the soundtrack is available on CD but WITHOUT the songs of the final challenge.
Riccardo Frau
Italy

A fun little piece.......2007-04-07

Not every thing that I find entertaining has to have merit nor worth. This has neither. It's just entertaining. The story holds extra merit if you are at all familiar with the Story of Blues Guitarist Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil at the crossroads in exchange for playing the Guitar.

This movie has a great story, an incredible soundtrack and great characters.......2007-03-19

In the 1980s there was a great blues music revival, much like the sixties, except the young musicians who created it were more knowledgeable and better educated than the generation before; probably because they were the children of that generation and were standing on their shoulders.
Some of this revival took place in cinema with movies "The Blues Brothers", "The Commitments" and this one.
These movies actually helped the entertainment mainstream find it's way to great black artists like B. B. King, John Lee Hooker and many others who never had more than cult followings previous to this.
Many sixties blues fans never knew where the Crossroads was or the significance of Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited", the legend of Robert Johnson, the fabulous musical history of Clarksdale Mississippi or Highway 49.
This film explores those modern American legends as the historical (there really was such a person who was a noted bluesman) yet fictional (this story is fiction) character Willie Brown, played by Joe Seneca; takes a Juilliard of music student on a tour of the Mississippi delta on a quest to redeem his soul from the devil by a guitar duel to the eternal death with Jack Butler (played by Steve Vai).
The strongest point in this film is the music itself; the soundtrack by Ry Cooder and including his incredible jam with the great Steve Vai.
If you're white and a blues fan, this movie is a fantastical microcosm of the aforementioned white blues revivals. If you're black and a blues fan, it's a slice of Black Americana being discovered by the mainstream and you can probably enjoy it tongue in cheek if you're a hardcore music fan.
I loved it.

Average customer rating:

Good Teen Tale
a great touching funny movie
No ghosts, but funny in a sweet and melancholy way
One of the Best Films of All Time
depressing

Ghost World
Starring: Thora Birch , Scarlett Johansson , Steve Buscemi , Brad Renfro , and Illeana Douglas
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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Ghost World
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ASIN: B00005T30L
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Amazon.com

If you've ever felt alienated by the world around you, Ghost World will offer laughter, tears, and reassurance that you are definitely not alone. Adapted by Daniel Clowes and Crumb director Terry Zwigoff from Clowes's acclaimed graphic novel, the movie spends summer vacation with high school graduates Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlet Johansson). They inflict little tortures on the denizens of urban sprawl, wielding scathing irony as a defense against a "ghost world" full of pop-cultural lemmings and uncertain futures. But when Enid picks a 40-ish vintage-record collector (Steve Buscemi) as the target of her latest cruel prank, she finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him ("he's the opposite of everything I completely hate") and is forced to confront her own crushing loneliness. This combination of deadpan sarcasm and deeply compassionate humanity makes Ghost World a rare and delicate comedy, with an ambiguous ending that suggests tragedy or hope, depending on your own point of view. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Thora Birch (American Beauty) and Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation) "sneak into your heart and stay there" (Rolling Stone) in this "eerie, masterful movie" (Movieline) from the acclaimed director of Crumb. Co-starring Brad Renfro (Deuces Wild), Illeana Douglas (Stir of Echos) and Steve Buscemi (Fargo) in "the best role of his career" (Movieline), Ghost World is a "smartly strange comedy [that] stands out like the Taj Mahal" (Time)! While their classmates head for college, Enid (Birch) and Rebecca (Johansson) focus their energies on tormenting those around them - from a goofy convenience store clerk (Renfro) to an eccentric art teacher (Douglas). But when they zero in on an oddball loner (Buscemi) looking for Miss Right, their seemingly innocent meddling threatens to shatter one of their hearts not to mention their lifelong friendship.

Customer Reviews:

Good Teen Tale.......2007-06-23

This film is a teen tale with some substance as well as humor. When Enid graduates from high school she's slow to grasp the realities necessary to cope in the adult world. Reluctant to get a job, her best friend starts to distance herself from Enid since she rebels against maturity. Enid reaches the height of her selfishness when she plays with the emotions of an older man who is a social misfit trying to find love and acceptance in the world. Young Enid learns a bold lesson in cruelty when her actions snowball, causing hurt to herself and others. There are funny and memorable characters.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

a great touching funny movie.......2007-05-18

i was hiking at griffith park in los angeles and when i got home this was playing on showtime. i loved it. first of all thora and scarlett are really hot. being as i collect stuff too i related with steve buscemi character who is a very talented funny actor. i think enid is hotter than scarlett but they are both at their peak here. the whole tone of the movie was very funny to me. the ending was cool, some say she killed herself but i just think she went to a strange place to start a new life like she wanted to. a personal fav.

No ghosts, but funny in a sweet and melancholy way.......2007-05-11

The phone rings. Enid says, "Aren't you going to answer that?"

Seymour says, "I have no desire to talk to anyone who wants to talk to me."

He picks it up anyway and listens and then says, "That's my mother."

I just about cracked up.

Well, the whole movie cracked me up. It's a work of art from indie auteur Terry Zwigoff whom I recall as the director of the edgy documentary Crumb (1994). For some reason, as I was watching this, I thought it was directed by Todd Solondz who directed the amazingly real and funny Welcome to the Doll House (1995). I imagined this as a kind of high school/out of high school progression from the junior high school of Welcome to the Doll House. It could be, actually, with Thora Birch playing an older Dawn Weiner and having all those bad things happen to her, but still managing to survive it all. Both Enid Coleslaw and Dawn Weiner are amazingly true to life and also amazingly talented and unappreciated outsiders in this arbitrary and capricious world. Birch (whom I remember vividly from American Beauty 1999) in her glasses and all those campish outfits over her rather ample figure was just outstanding.

Scarlett Johansson who plays her friend Rebecca was as vivid as my high school date on prom night and actually prettier (I have to admit). She was also outstanding. Both Johansson and Birch are charismatic in a way that will glue your eyes to the screen. They play ultra cynical slackers who love to satirize the world and their fellow creatures as they hide their vulnerability from themselves. They are so cute.

Steve Buscemi plays Seymour, a kind of autobiographical alter ego of cartoonist Daniel Clowes (thus Enid's last name, "Coleslaw") who wrote the comic from which he and Zwigoff adapted the movie. Buscemi manages a tricky part calling for old school dorkishness, vulnerability and self-consciousness portrayed in an ultimately winning and sympathetic way.

There are a lot of amusing insider "trivia" comments about this movie at IMDb, including the fact that Sophie Crumb, daughter of Robert Crumb, did the drawings in Enid's notebook. One of the most amusing is this: "The actor who plays the high school principal in the graduation scene also plays one of the customers in the porno shop. This was not intentional--Terry Zwigoff cast him as a porno shop customer forgetting that he also played the principal."

Right.

See this for Zwigoff who has the eye and the ear of a genius, a man who knows the hearts of his characters and the mass culture they live in, and how to satirize them both, but gently with affection.

One of the Best Films of All Time.......2007-05-08

I've loved this movie since it came out in theaters. With an amazing cast of cult and mainstream stars, you cannot go wrong. Steve Buscemi and Thora Birch shine as the main characters, Seymour and Enid, while Scarlett Johannsen is great as Enid's motivated friend and foil, Rebecca.

I love the comic, and this movie is a nice complement to it. Even if you're not familiar with the comic, this movie will make you take a look at life, school and the BS that pervades all aspects of society.

Enjoy!

depressing.......2007-04-01

I generally like movies that portray people on a search for meaning and bleonging, such as About Schmidt and The Royal Tenenbaums. This movie followed a young woman on such a journey, and while there was some good humor along the way, it became very dark and depressing in the second half. Unlike the protagonists in the other movies I mentioned, the main character was very self-centered and thought that a meaningful life would just happen. She hurts people around her repeatedly and causes herself a lot of pain. I can see where someone might like this movie who's into the whole life-is-meaningless thing, but I could have passed it up.

Average customer rating:

Thought provoking
A favorite!
Beautifully filmed, emotionally moving
So much truth in less than 2 hours
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Loggerheads
Starring: Bonnie Hunt , and Chris Sarandon
Director: Tim Kirkman
Manufacturer: Strand Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Another Gay Movie

ASIN: B000E0WJUK
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Amazon.com

For such a quiet and understated movie, Loggerheads has a lot of ambition: In addition to being a gay love story, it's also about the push and pull between parents and children, the hairline fractures in a marriage, and the delicate balance of a neighborhood. A troubled woman (Bonnie Hunt, Return to Me) seeks out the child she gave up for adoption; a gay motel owner (Michael Kelly, Dawn of the Dead) takes in a handsome drifter (Kip Pardue, Imaginary Heroes); and the wife (Tess Harper, Tender Mercies) of a preacher (Chris Sarandon, The Princess Bride) frets that a gay couple has moved in across the street. All of their lives will intersect as Loggerheads subtly draws out their secret losses and desires. Maybe too subtly--trying to avoid melodrama, the movie may have avoided some emotionally potent scenes. But the cast is superb throughout, all giving vivid and genuine performances; there's not a false note through the entire film. Also featuring Robin Weigert (Deadwood) and Michael Learned (The Waltons). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Thought provoking.......2007-07-04

A rather slow paced movie, which does not take us wherw we want to go, but a truly emotionable film that is finely crafted by a great cast and crew. Up there with my very favourites.

A favorite!.......2007-05-29

I enjoyed this film, a lot more than i orginally thought. In the days after seeing it, i could not stop thinking about it. Loggerheads will remain one of my favorites, up there with "A Beautiful Thing" and "The Line Of Beauty". The sound track is amazing, perfectly suited to te film.

Beautifully filmed, emotionally moving.......2007-04-09

What an incredibly moving film - I am an adoptee that searched for her mom, only to find that she had died many years ago. This film is right on in the representations of adoptees and mothers searching - the acting is so true to life and the images have stayed with me. This is one of my absolute favorite films ever - I was moved to tears many times. Incredible film -

So much truth in less than 2 hours.......2007-03-05

I watched this film for a second time to confirm my initial assessment. I found myself in tears each time. As a gay man and an adoptee, I've spent a half century looking for that film, that book, that story expressing the constellation of truth which is my experience, my life. In LOGGERHEADS, I found that truth.

The time line of the story seemed, at first, a not very straight line and the resulting uneasiness is really a part of the truth of an adoption triad. A biological mother never forgets her baby, especially on his/her birthday. An adoptee never forgets his/her biological mother, especially on his/her birthday. And, an adoptive mother never forgets that she shares her adoptive child with another mother some place, especially on the child's birthday. As an adoptee, I've learned personally (and from other adoptees) that even fifty years does not lessen the uneasiness of place I inhabit in life.

Lastly, this film is a tribute to the love of mothers for their children and the love children for their mothers even in estrangement and separation. In this way, LOGGERHEADS, is an important contribution to the many stories of our often complicated lifes and the superb performances, of each cast member, honor the humanity of each one of us.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.......2007-02-02

Michael Learned, where have you been? I was studying your face onscreen trying to figure out where I had seen you before. You looked so gaunt and yet so streamlined in LOGGERHEADS I had no way of connecting you with the many characters you played in your heyday, except by the agonizing pain in your eyes. As many reviewers have noticed, you must have been directed with exactly the same strokes as your fellow players Tess Harper and Bonnie Hunt, for all of you constantly wear the same expressions of anguish, as though each had been hit over the head by a giant rubber mallet, so we see nothing but shellshocked pain. Then I remembered, you were on THE WALTONS.

And also I remember you played the part of Marlon Brando's wife in APOCALYPSE NOW and all of your scenes cut before release, which must have been painful for you. That sort of broken look remained on your beautiful face all throughout LOGGERHEADS, for your character has a lot of guilt to burn off, for she forced her teen daughter to give up a baby and she's never been the same since.

I hadn't seen you, Tess Harper OR Bonnie Hunt in years and years, and all of you were just super in the movie. I guess it's a truism that Hollywood doesn't know what to do with its actresses of a certain age, but happily you all got tangled up in this sophisticated, time travel picture, in which the many different seasons of a cute guy's life get explicated with thousands of close ups of your grief-filled eyes. They should re-do this movie every year or so, and all of you could switch parts and next time you could play the minister's wife and Tess Harper the teen who gives up her baby, etc.

Average customer rating:

Crossroads: Business in the front, Party in the back....
I must admit it was...
Don't take it too seriously - it delivers!
It's actully good when you get past Britney
It's OK.

Crossroads
Starring: Kim Cattrall , Beverly Johnson , Kool Moe Dee , Dan Aykroyd , and Bahni Turpin
Director: Tamra Davis
Manufacturer: Paramount
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Glitter
Britney Spears - Live from Las Vegas
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Britney Spears - Live and More!
XXX (Widescreen Special Edition)

ASIN: B00005JKWM
Release Date: 2002-07-23

Amazon.com

Pop idol Britney Spears stars in this sweet coming-of-age movie about three childhood friends who've grown apart, but find out they may still have a lot in common. After graduating from high school, Lucy (Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana), and Mimi (Taryn Manning) decide to take a road trip to L.A. to audition for a record label. Along the way, there's a lot of heartbreak and female bonding (not to mention a lot of midriff-baring--in her first scene, Spears jumps on her bed in her underwear, singing along to a Madonna song), as each of the three girls learns more about herself and life. Crossroads could have been trite schmaltz, but the script has some grit and the direction is fresh and relaxed--and, most significantly, Spears is far more sympathetic and engaging than you might expect. Also featuring Dan Aykroyd and Kim Cattrall. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Crossroads: Business in the front, Party in the back...........2007-05-10

Sadly, I am a sucker for films that nearly everyone has knocked over backwards. I want to discover, myself, if these occasionally hidden cinematic gems are still hiding or if big corporate Hollywood has just smeared them enough to nearly wipe them out of film existence. With "Crossroads", there was enough plague surrounding it that friends nearly shunned me for weeks knowing that this film was in my house, more-so in my DVD player. Yet, I found persistence, and I watched with open eyes - twice actually, so that I can fully develop the sheer strength that "Crossroads" had to offer. Well, friends, Romans, and fellow cinephiles out there, I can now officially add "Crossroads" to the list of horrid films that everyone quivers over yet has actually never seen. I have seen "Crossroads", and I can stand up on a soapbox and announce that it is not the horrid trash everyone speaks about, but it also isn't worth the film it is printed on. This was a cookie-cutter film, produced by Hollywood to benefit the distribution of CD sales and promote the already growing popularity of one Britney Spears. This was not a film, but a platform from Ms. Spears, and by listening to the commentary, you begin to realize the power that this young girl once had - I stress the word "once". Now, two kids and several tabloids later, I am not sure that this film could even see the light of day.

To begin, because that is always a good starting point with films of this nature, I must take a step forward and say that the acting wasn't excruciating, but it was painful. It was obvious that our three leads, Spears, Saldana, and Manning, were quickly becoming strong friends - and that friendship translated well onto the screen, but it was their individual stories and accomplishments that created the pain. In one scene, we saw this trio as little girls - friends without a care in the world - then instantly we are pushed into the awkward high school dark ages where nobody is friends with anyone. Riffs have been issued, and we are asked to rediscover who these characters are again. Matching them with their young counterparts is easy, but when their mouths open, it is another world all together. Spears leads with a hodgepodge of different characteristics. She dances sensually in her bedroom, unrobes nonchalantly in front of her lab partner, but is most avid about doing the right thing when it comes to morality and truthfulness. There is even one scene where she hangs up on her father, no doubtably instilling the correct visions into her impressionable teen fan base. She couldn't give us a straight character to save her life. Coupled with the annoying Zoe Saldana who tries the hardest of the group, but cannot seem to quite understand the life surrounding her. Then, painful to write, there is Taryn Manning (who gets better with each film) using every cliché redneck white-trash persona possible to define her character. It isn't bad enough that we have Spears fading in and out of her "real" character that to have Manning use "y'all" like it is Shakespeare - yikes. Again, the acting isn't bad (I have seen far, far, far worse), but it isn't Juliard - closer to flunking out of Acting 101.

I have mediocre respect for director Tamra Davis. The woman that gave us the hysterical and near cult-classic "Billy Madison" as well as "Half-Baked", has also turned out slow duds like "Gun Crazy" and, surprise, "Crossroads". Her talent seems to be all over the place instead of choosing projects that will continue to define her. Listening to the commentary, it felt she did this to 1) work with Spears, 2) she needed the rent money, and 3) it was an all girl cast - her youthfulness will be returned. Not exactly the typical reasons artist create on a blank slate. With Davis, I wanted humor, darkness, or anything that would make me remember why I loved "Madison" or "Half-Baked' - ANYTHING - there was nothing. Did I expect it with "Crossroads", probably not, but it would have been nice to see something that was uniquely hers. Road movies are made weekly, and it is those road films that try to bring something new to the genre that stand out and bring more to the table. Wasn't "Billy Madison" just a take-off of "Back to School"? I just question the ability of Davis without a studio baking and thankfully she has taken her raw, rotten talent to television only to further infuse the masses.

We are left with nothing more than the story. What story did "Crossroads" tell? How about one lone girl's quest to find herself and loose her virginity? Does that sound right? Again, this wasn't rocket science writing, yet it seemed amateur from the first word. We know who Spears' love interest is going to be from the beginning, the "take" at the end is given away within the first twenty minutes, and the only strength to this entire film is a scene with Dan Aykroyd saying "I was a Ghostbuster, a Blues Brother, and Conehead - I did this film for my kids". I believe that sums up this whole story in a nutshell. Needless to say, the story lacked any depth, and there was one scene where we attempted to bring real life to the screen with a rape, an accidental death, and our old friend, "underage drinking". Thankfully, Spears could push beyond all this and finally sing her songs near the end, the obvious finale to the film that was started. The ending point didn't match with the starting point in this film.

So, I watched this film. Everyone will have to at one point in their life, I just shortened the inevitable. Again, it wasn't the worst film ever made, "Glitter" still ranks below this, but there wasn't any value in the final performance. Spears didn't push for this film to be made because she wanted to be an actress, she wanted more face time with an audience that seemed on the fence about her ability - and as time has shown, we didn't make the best assumption. The acting wasn't horrible, but everything else was so we are left with a sour taste in our mouth coming from all directions. I will not, nor suggest this film to anyone except my wife, who thought it was better than "Clerks II".

Ouch. I will end on that note.

Grade: ** out of *****

I must admit it was..........2007-01-07

soooo good! if you are a teen/preeten who just wants to watch a nice happy ending movie you will love it. if you want a movie with morals and stuff like that this is not the movie for you.

Don't take it too seriously - it delivers!.......2006-08-12

No, Crossroads isn't a "good" movie. If I wanted to see a "good" movie, I'd watch Forrest Gump of Field of Dreams. But Crossroads gave me exactly what I wanted at the time - entertainment, a silly plot, and a chance to laugh at Britney Spears. Seriously, this movie can be fully enjoyable to watch if you sit back and relax and don't take it seriously! It's not SUPPOSED to have character nuance, good writing, or plot quality, so don't review it as if it should. The movie is merely meant to entertain young girls, and it does just that. It's actually really funny, especially at certain "serious" moments. I recommend it for a girls movie night.

It's actully good when you get past Britney.......2006-06-25

Ok all those people that hate Bristney Spears get over your selfs and if you want to see this movie watch it if not dont but dont judge it if you havent seen it. I actually enjoyed this film and would recomand it to people who like feel good movies adn espesailly for teenagers. The story is sweet and inocent a groip of friends on a cross country trip. I liked it becouse it shows life in early 2000. It will be fun watching it in 20 years and saying to your kids Britney Spears was the it thing and that's what people did. The acting was good you cant expent much from this movie. Overall you cant expect much but it's enjoyable.

It's OK. .......2006-05-29

There are bound to be some trashy reviews of this simply because the reviewer does not like Britney Spears. These reviews should not be read as they are simply attacks on the person.

This movie is about youth and learning the hard way. It would not be real to make a movie where young adolescents are well behaved, don't explore and push the envelope. Unfortunately in the real world there are teen pregnancies and alcohol consumption, so for a movie to reflect that, it should not count against it as in it's own way, the movie shows the downside of these things.

This movie was not spectacular and it probally won't be remembered, except by some die-hards, but then there are many movies like that. There were a few instances in this movie that were completly not believable. Firstly, singing a cheesy pop rendition of a rock classic for karaoke in - of all places - the Jazz capitol of the USA, that be New Orleans and getting a rave response just did not make the grade. Secondly, things just seemingly to fall into place so easily, such as the girls making ends meet - and then some - when they left with nearly nothing is another unbelievable feat that just doesn't happen in the real world.

Nonetheless, this movie is about young women finding themselves, and who they are through exploration and taking chances (even if the odds were unbelievably in their favor - but that's not the point) and learning to stand on their own.

Enjoy it for the novelty and don't expect the world.

Los Lonely Boys - Cottonfields and Crossroads

Average customer rating:

Wonderful story about real people
Los Lonely Boys - Cottonfields and Crossroads DVD
Los Lonely Boys - Cottonfields and Crossroads
The rest of the success story of Los Lonely Boys
It's not just about the music...

Los Lonely Boys - Cottonfields and Crossroads
Starring: Los Lonely Boys , and Joseph Thomas Campos
Director: Hector Galan
Manufacturer: Xenon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Los Lonely Boys - Live at the Filmore
Los Lonely Boys - Texican Style (Live from Austin)
Sacred (W/Dvd)
Los Lonely Boys - Live at Blue Cat Blues
Sacred

ASIN: B000KF0DDE
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful story about real people.......2007-03-12

This was worth the wait, I enjoy Los Lonely Boys and have always enjoyed the fact that they are regular hard-working guys,with a God-Given talent to produce music.

Los Lonely Boys - Cottonfields and Crossroads DVD.......2007-03-09

Great DVD of the Garza brothers growing up and become the amazing musicians that they are. It's not a "music video", its a documentary, and a very interesting one.

Los Lonely Boys - Cottonfields and Crossroads.......2007-03-09

Great down to earth story of three young musicians and the influence from their Father supporting and encouraging the three brothers love and interest in music.
A very strong family bond, setting the foundation of love and respect for each other and their music.
The behind the scenes views on these three brothers is depedicated on this DVD is done very well.
Los Lonely Boys never forget their roots and where they came from and where it all started for them.
I would have liked to have seen more music performance as well as candid non-formal performance, but what is filmed on this DVD, is well represented of the brohters none the less. A must have if you're a Los Lonely Boys fan of their music.

The rest of the success story of Los Lonely Boys.......2007-02-19

Well now, baby, I'm from Texas
And I just wanna let you know
'Bout the ways of life and livin' baby
On them Cottonfields and Crossroads

That's the first verse of Los Lonely Boys' song "Cottonfields and Crossroads". It is a blues song that talks about rural West Texas and the part of town that we don't always get to see.

In turn, that song title is applied to Hector Galan's documentary of the early part of Los Lonely Boys ascent from (very) young men backing their dad, to taking creative control themselves, to becoming an Austin, then national favorite.

And you know what? Mr. Galan takes us to that same part of town in those same rural West Texas towns to show the influences on los hermanos Garza.

Not in a sad or exploitational way, but as a means of setting the scene for the explosive arrival of Los Lonely Boys and Texican Rock and Roll.

For those of you not into long reviews, here's the summary. GO BUY THIS DVD.

What should you as the buyer know in advance? (Yes, I'm convinced you'll buy!)

This is a documentary, not a rock concert flick (although a couple of songs have been added for the DVD release). While several songs are included as backing to the flow of the movie, this is about the boys, their father and mother and families, and a few others who have an insight to offer along the way.

There's been some criticism leveled that the interviews are so tight that they constitute more of an advertisement than an explanation or expansion. Come on. There's not 10 years worth of celebrities and critics to line up and interview - but there are people who know the heart and soul of LLB available to talk to the camera. Advertisement? Lengthy press release? I don't see it that way, and no one else that I have spoken to about the film has seen it that way; in all fairness, I am an avid LLB fan.

As stated above, the documentary sets the stage for LLB's burst onto the music scene by going back in time in San Angelo to show what it was (and is) like in some ways and coming forward (both at beginning and end) to LLB playing for the home town crowd.

The movie's timeline stops before the band's meteoric rise to take the Grammy for "Heaven" - but all of the joy is present, as is the personal charm of the boys. Henry describing the definition of success will surely touch you.

And there's a fair amount of pain as well as the family splits so that Dad's dream can be followed. One thing we don't get to see is the effect of all those miles and all those shows on the boy's individual families, which is a shame only in that the wives and children have also helped pay for LLB's success.

So, reader and potential purchaser, let me again offer that this DVD deserves a place in your collection.

If you are a fan anyway - as are the more than 14,000 members of the LLB Street Team - maybe you've already got a copy, and if not, go get it!

If you only have radio exposure to LLB by way of "Heaven", I recommend you pick up a copy of the DVD and see the backstory up close and very personal.

I can think of any number of places where this film would also be very, very valuable in the classroom - whether music or history class.

Where to find the DVD? Here at Amazon and a couple of other outlets. Order Texican Style, the music DVD of a huge show here in Austin while you are at it.

Where to find LLB on the road? Go see the schedule at [...], and take my strongest recommendation to see a live LLB show.

And as for LLB themselves?

Still funny, thoughtful, down to earth guys, earning a living to support their families doing something that they truly love to do.

Still very much the home town San Angelo boys...but you knew that, cuz they told us so...

Yes some day I'm gonna go back, baby
And I'm gonna live on my own
But you can only find us baby
On them cottonfields and crossroads

God bless...

It's not just about the music..........2007-02-19

On the West Texas cap rock, where winter winds howl and summer winds blister, an amazing metamorphosis took place. From hard pan clay and the hard scrabble life of three brothers, Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza, emerged the fresh, vibrant sound known as Texican rock-n-roll. Director Hector Galan captures this evolution in his heartwarming documentary, "Cottonfields and Crossroads".

La familia es todo becomes the underlying pulse of the film. Father-and-son conflicts, father-and-son dreams fill the screen with the gamut of human emotion. Picking cotton or picking guitar were Enrique Garza's sons' choices in the poor, rural area. Watching Galan's excellent depiction of the family's trials and triumphs puts you IN the Garza shoes and lets you walk a mile.

It's not just music; it's not just trying to stay alive. It's not just faith. It's an electricity that flows through Henry's eloquent guitar riffs, Jojo's amazing bass and Ringo's powerful drums. It's a unity that crowns tight harmony. It's brotherhood and it's family. And the Garzas' hearts, as well as their story, are large enough to welcome us all.

Orale!

Magnolia Belle

Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads...

Average customer rating:

Guitar Lovers Delight
The Masterpiece <> <> <>
Uncommon Presentation
Some Good Performances
Will someone please give Mary J. Blige a mirror?

Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads...
Starring: Eric Clapton
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

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Crossroads Guitar Festival
Eric Clapton - Live in Hyde Park
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Live at Montreux 1986

ASIN: 6305610460
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

It's been quite a road for Eric Clapton: from blues purist to rock guitar god, from country-pop balladeer to classic rock icon, and on to his current status as all-around legend, playing everything from straight blues to neo-soul. Those different aspects are all on display in this concert, taped at New York's Madison Square Garden to raise funds for the guitarist's drug and alcohol rehab center in the Caribbean. Of course, we get a healthy dose of Clapton the frontman during the nearly two-hour show, from the predictable "Layla" and "Tears in Heaven" to "River of Tears," perhaps the best song from his 1998 Pilgrim album (heard here in a more gospel-tinged arrangement). But it is as a collaborator or accompanist that he really shines, whether he's adding some tasty slide guitar to Sheryl Crow's "Different Kind," generating some real heat with saxophonist David Sanborn during a fiery "Little Wing," or harmonizing and trading guitar licks with Bob Dylan during a good-timey "Crossroads." Sure, Eric Clapton backing up Mary J. Blige may seem a little strange, but by the time he encores with a rousing "Sunshine of Your Love," it's clear that a good time was had by all. --Sam Graham

Description

On July 30, 1999, Eric Clapton put together a stellar band and invited a few friends--Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, and David Sanborn--to perform a one-night-only concert in New York City's Madison Square Garden as a benefit for Clapton's Crossroads Centre at Antigua. 170 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Guitar Lovers Delight.......2007-02-06

If you enjoy good music preformed by a variety of musicians, buy this DVD.
Just watching other musicians appreciate the talent of the people playing with them makes it worth it, I would also recommend Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, You will enjoy both!!

The Masterpiece <> <> <>.......2005-06-16

I believe this DVD to be one of Eric's greatest pieces of work -showcasing his fantastic talent - untouched by anyone - the music was truly heartfelt and held intense meaning for Eric as well as the CAUSE for which it was held. TRULY MAGNIFICENT <> <>
L. Barnes

Uncommon Presentation.......2004-01-03

I adore Clapton, and own all of his DVD's. I have to rate this one at the bottom of the list, though it is worth the purchase just to get the rare "Little Wing" performance. He uses the same arrangement/approach that the Dominos used, and it is good. After that, I have to agree with the other reviews here that critise the choices of selections from the concert that ended up on the DVD. I would really enjoy seeing the songs that were deleted, rather than the great, but oft repeated warhorses like "Sunshine of Your Love", and yet another "Tears in Heaven." There are just so many wonderful choices in his past repetoire that he NEVER performs now like "Strange Brew", "Forever Man", or "I Am Yours" that would be precious to many of his fans! But to avoid misunderstanding, I must say that what is here is predominantly great. (The only blatant exception being the horror of what is done to the usually poignant "Old Love" by a keyboardist that I have never seen with him before. I "skip" over that song always!)

The guests are somewhat unusual, though mostly pleasing. Sheryl Crow is fine, Bob Dylan is excellent, Dave Sanborn is probably good, (I rarely take note of horns), but the Mary Blige section is, ...well, ...unexpected!.

Clapton's backing band is mostly the same folks that are usually with him; Andy Fairweather-Low, Steve Gadd, and Nathan East with Katie Kissoon & Tessa Niles. They are always enjoyable to hear. (He later dropped the girls from his 2002 tour, and I missed them on "One More Car"/Rider). I have read that he sometimes determines his song selections according to the capabilities of his backing group. If that is so, then I would appreciate a little variety in the players he recruits - time is moving on, and I would love to hear/see him do some of the afformentioned tunes before he hangs up his new, graphic strat forever!

Some Good Performances.......2003-11-11

There are excellent performances by Clapton, Sanborn & Crow. The Blige and Dylan performances were not so good. A mixed bag. The other Clapton dvd's are probably better. Not a keeper but a good 1 off rental.

Will someone please give Mary J. Blige a mirror?.......2002-12-01

If you were there you know it was a magical night. If you were not, then this concert is an acceptable substitute. Every minute with Clapton is a gem throughout this performance. The down spots: the aforementioned, in the title, Mary J. Blige (could not wait for her to finish, what makes her a "friend"?), and Cheryl Crow. Cheryl needs a chrome pole and a garter so folks of that kind can place dollar bills in it. She repulses me because she refuses to take singing lessons. Well, if it makes you happy!!! Edit out Mary and Cheryl and you have a great show. At least Eric had the good sense to include Tessa Niles and Katie Kissoon, unlike the 2001 tour! ("Drowning in a)River of Tears" is a high point of the show, as was the appearance of Bob Dylan who performed more than made it on this video. I guess Mary and Cheryl used up his space on the disk!

Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads

Average customer rating:

Bitter Lemon Revival
Great blues DVD
Historical Value to Blues genre
If you love the blues, you'll love this
Dull

Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads
Starring: Big Jack Johnson , Jack Owens (II) , Roosevelt Barnes , Junior Kimbrough , and Lonnie Pitchford
Director: Robert Mugge
Manufacturer: Shout Factory
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009VU35
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Amazon.com

This superb documentary vividly illustrates the enduring vitality of country blues, an idiom that most mainstream music fans had presumed dead or, at best, preserved through more scholarly tributes when filmmaker Robert Mugge and veteran blues and rock writer Robert Palmer embarked on their 1990 odyssey into Mississippi delta country. What Arkansas native and former Memphis stalwart Palmer knew, and Mugge captured on film, was that the blues was not only alive but still intimately woven into the daily lives of rural blacks.

Palmer, a former rock musician and Memphis Blues Festival cofounder best known for his bylines in The New York Times and Rolling Stone, had already chronicled the saga of Southern blues in his seminal book that provides the film's title. He's an astute guide, and Mugge underlines this role by pairing him with British rocker Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), whose avid interest in the music makes him an effective foil.

The film's real triumph, however, rests in the team's success in capturing modern day blues survivors and inheritors playing in the bars, juke joints, and barns of delta country. Palmer, who had returned several years earlier to the delta to capture these artists for his scrappy Fat Possum label, introduces us to the now-amplified but still elemental blues of R.L. Burnside, the late Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes, and other keepers of the faith. Mugge, whose profiles of Al Green, Sonny Rollins, and other musicians probed their cultural and artistic contexts with intelligence and sensitivity, captures both the music and the milieu in crisp color footage. Deep Blues thus triumphs as a testament to the blues' deep roots and an unintentional eulogy for Palmer, who would pass away in the mid-'90s just as the gut-bucket music of Burnside and Kimbrough served notice that the blues were alive and kicking. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Bitter Lemon Revival.......2007-03-21

Hi,my name is Steve Kaplan.I play the keytar behind Big Jack Johnson in the movie DEEP BLUES.I just released a cd called "BITTER LEMON REVIVAL".If you liked the movie call 901-355 7210 and order my cd for 12$ plus shipping and handling tot 13.95$ Order today!!! They could pull this ad anytime! Sincerely
Lemon Bitter Kaplan

Great blues DVD.......2007-02-21

For someone wanting to get a feel for some relatively modern Delta blues this is a great documentary. Lots of gritty feel to the setting and characters here. The tracks were recorded with great attention to quality. Of especial interest is the portion about RL Burnside as this was his re-discovery! His music career really took off from here! Also, Jesse Mae Hemphill's solo performance is absolute magic, very powerful.

If you like the blues you can't go wrong with this DVD.

Historical Value to Blues genre.......2007-01-04

Deep Blues was refered to me by an artist who amazed me with his talent one night at the Aligator Soul in Everett WA. Ryan played delta blues very well, I saw several folks in the crowd stop eating their meal to listen to this man in his 30's belting out the blues on his dobro. After his show I talked with him asking him how he came to know delta blues so well. He said he had watched "you see me laughing" and many video's on blues but desired to see "Deep Blues". As a blues artist and fan I had to have this video so I bought it, I have watched it several times over and will continue to draw from the rich history of where it started, learning from many of the artists the main stream has not heard of, simply put Deep Blues is a must for blues fans and aspiring artists alike it will help you keep the blues alive.

If you love the blues, you'll love this.......2006-11-03

This is a great documentary of true Mississippi Delta Blues. I've been searching for this since it was first released in 1992 and finally found it on Amazon. I've had the soundtrack since 1992 and still consider it one of my all-time best blues recordings. If you love the blues, you'll love this and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Dull.......2006-10-03

I'm a big fan of the blues. I even play a little country blues on the guitar. That being said, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, I have found this to be a really dull read. The book just seems to ramble along, trying to romanitize the blues instead of just giving the facts. I already understand the magic of the blues. I didn't need a book convincing me of that magic. It was also difficult to keep track of the chronology of the development of the music.
The author talks a lot about African rhythm when, in fact, African rhythms have little to do with the blues. Discussions of rhythm would be more appropriate in a book about jazz. I found myself skipping ahead in hopes of finding something interesting. Alas, I did something I don't often do once I start a book--I stopped reading it.

Average customer rating:

Superb film
It is that which we hide from others that most defines us.
great movie
The Damages of Suppression
Gutless

Don't Tell
Starring: Giovanna Mezzogiorno , Alessio Boni , Stefania Rocca , Angela Finocchiaro , and Giuseppe Battiston
Director: Cristina Comencini
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Incantato
Don't Move
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ASIN: B000FUF6SQ
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Description

When Sabina's father dies, she is left haunted by a terrible dream that becomes a living nightmare. She seeks out her only sibling hoping to find an answer… while keeping her daunting journey a secret to those she loves most.

Customer Reviews:

Superb film.......2007-04-28

This award winning Italian film tackles a difficult issue in a subdued but dignified manner with great acting along the way. The title, "Don't Tell," sums up the main question behind the film. When should you tell about deep secrets?

The film's answer appears to be always. Sabrina's problems come from covering up her childhood suffering caused by her fathers' sexual abuse of her as a child. Will she ruin her retationship with the famous actor who loves her so? Of course he did cheat on her when she was with her brother in the states but he does not think it important.

Relationships are very fragile in this drama which easity could have degenerated into a melodrama but the fine film avoids that danger and delivers a subtle but nevertheless real emotional impact.

It is that which we hide from others that most defines us........2007-01-24

Or something like that. It seems that this is perhaps the central theme of this beautifully directed Italian drama.

A woman is troubled by a dream of being molested by her father, and is afraid she has awakened a memory that she has repressed for years, so she goes to America to visit her estranged brother and his family and try to talk about the sensitive subject matter and address issues that might be troubling her.

Don't Tell covers the delicate ground of child molestation and how, as adults, the victims try to deal with the painful memories. It also covers other very emotional territory, like the cheating nature of men (every man in the film at some point cheats on his lover, leaves her, talks about having done so, etc.) I don't know if that part of the story is in the original novel, or if it was added because the film was directed by a woman. Either way, it feeds the relationship doubt that women already have.

Don't Tell is a very moving and superbly acted film. There is not a lot of action, but the intensity of the story carries the movie along, until the end when a strange montage on a train really detracts from the ultimate impact of the movie, and seems like it will leave most viewers, myself included, simply feeling confused.

It's definitely clear why this film was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2005 Academy Awards, and if you're in to troubling dramatic films, this is definitely one to check out.

great movie.......2006-11-24

The writing and directing were fantastic, and Ms. Comencini was able to get wonderful, moving performances from everyone in the film. Highly recommended.

The Damages of Suppression.......2006-08-20

'La Bestia nel cuore' ('The Beast in the Heart' released in the USA as 'Don't Tell') is an intense Italian film written and directed by Cristina Comencini that tackles subject matter so visceral that the telling of it requires complete concentration from the audience in order to feel the power of the impact at the end. It is a tough film to watch because of the story, but it is a superb film to watch because of the excellent cast and production crew.

Sabina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) is introduced to us in a cemetery where she is arranging for the interment of her dead parents: the mood for the story is subtly set. Sabina is a dubbing actress for translating films into Italian, a 'sell-out' acting job compared to the life of her live-in boyfriend Franco (Alessio Boni) who is a stage actor being tempted to accept a role in a TV series which pays more money than the stage. Sabina confesses she wants to get pregnant, she does, and with her pregnancy she begins to have nightmares of shadowy childhood memories. She is afraid to discuss these with Franco, or with her best friend Emilia (Stefania Rocca) who is blind and has been in love with Sabina since childhood. It seems the only person with whom she can confide her secret fears is her brother Daniele (Luigi Lo Cascio) who has moved from Italy to Charlottesville, VA where he is a professor at the University and has a happy family life with wife Anna (Lucy Akhurst) and two children. Sabina flies to the US to be with her brother and in the course of their reunion the two siblings uncover the beasts in their hearts: sexual abuse from their father now departed. How this discovery alters their lives is the dénouement of the film.

There are many subplots - infidelity on the part of Franco while Sabina is away, a lesbian relationship that develops between Emilia and another of Sabina's friends Maria (Angela Finocchiaro) - and Comencini draws subtle parallels between these twists along side the main story of incest discovery. Yet without concentration, these subplots can become distracting.

The acting is on the highest level and the changing locations are shot by cinematographer Fabio Cianchetti with sensitive respect of the nuances of suggestion encased in each place. The uncredited musical score is an admixture from Robert Schumann's piano sonata to contemporary works and serves to heighten the actions and mood. In Italian with subtitles. A film well worth watching. Grady Harp, August 06

Gutless.......2006-06-22

Reverently directed by Cristina Commencini, seriously acted by the sublime Giovanna Mezzogiorno ("Facing Windows"), "Don't Tell" ("La Bestia Nel Cuore") fails to make much of an emotional impact despite its central theme of child abuse.
Sabina (Mezzogiorno) has a happy marriage but disturbing dreams are troubling her and these dreams drive her to the US to visit her brother, Daniele (Luigi Lo Cascio) to sort things out, get some answers and hopefully find peace.
The problem here is that this highly c