The Perez Family

Starring:Melissa Anne Acosta, Trini Alvarado, Ranjit Chowdhry, Ellen Cleghorne, Celia Cruz, Roberto Escobar, Vincent Gallo, Billy Hopkins, Anjelica Huston, Gustavo Laborie, Angela Lanza, Alfred Molina, Jose Felipe Padron, Chazz Palminteri, LÃ¡zaro PÃ©rez, Ruben Rabasa, Bill Sage, Marisa Tomei, Diego Wallraff
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Like his free-spirited cousin Dora, the Explorer, eight-year old animated character Diego Marquez makes his film debut, an animal rescue extravaganza based on Nick Jr.'s show, Go, Diego, Go!. The preschool program focuses on animal exploration and discovery while incorporating Latin American culture, Spanish vocabulary, and plenty of audience participation. Based on the sweeping success of the series, The Great Dinosaur Rescue applies the same winsome elements to an original storyline that starts in a dinosaur museum with some fun facts about the fascinating reptiles. When Diego, Dora, and Baby Jaguar hear Alicia tell a story about a Maiasaura who got separated from her family, they know it's time for a rescue. With a little help from viewers, the team jumps back in time to the age of the dinosaurs to find Maia and return her safely to Egg Island. But the journey has some obstacles to overcome--including muddy pits, rocky cliffs, and a rumbling volcano--which require teamwork, cool gadgetry, and Diego's unique ability to communicate with animals. Preschoolers are invited to interact with the story as Diego rouses them--often in Spanish--to "Stand up!" and stretch, stomp, and jump. Integrating repetition, music, and movement, the film (like the series), is a standout for teaching problem-solving skills along with an appreciation of the animal kingdom. The 50-minute VHS ends with a computer-like game offering a question/answer review of the story; the 92-minute DVD includes two bonus episodes, "Diego Saves Baby Humpback Whale" and "Rescue The Red-Eyed Tree Frogs." (Ages 3 to 5) --Lynn Gibson

Product Description

"It's Diego and You to the Rescue!" From the creators of Dora the Explorer comes a whole new adventure - Go Diego Go! This animated, preschool, action adventure series stars Diego Marquez, an 8-year-old bilingual, Latino, animal rescuer with in intense love of nature and the animals around him. In each episode Diego partners directly with the view on a high stakes animal themed adventure.

Customer Reviews:

Great for Diego lovers!!.......2007-06-10

This DVD is worth ever penny. My two sons love to watch this on road trips. Not only do my kids like Diego, but they love dinosaurs. If your kids like Diego this is the video for them!!

Diego is great.......2007-05-07

I purchased this DVD based on other peoples' recommendations here on Amazon. My granddaughter absolutely loved it. (She is 31 months old.) She is really fascinated with Dinosaurs and I didn't even know that she had just been introduced to Diego. I can highly recommend it.

Interactive and Educational.......2007-04-18

My 2 year old son is enjoying this interactive dvd. The content prompts the toddler to respond via words and actions rather than just passively watching the visual content. It also introduces concepts like helping others in trouble, working in a group, solving problem and various others. I am happy to see my son enjoying this dvd.

Big Hit!.......2007-03-21

My grandson is a big Diego fan! He love's this show. Entertaining for him and grandma too! Don't miss this one!

Very Enjoyable!!.......2007-02-25

My 2 year daughter absolutely love Diego. At first she was into Dora but she loves and dances to all the Diego songs and I find myself singing along with her at times. So this disc is definitely a thumbs up.

Average customer rating:

DVD learning and entertainment

Go Diego Go! - Wolf Pup Rescue
Starring: E. Austin Valentine , Rosie Perez , Sebastian Arcelus , Jake T. Austin , and Gabriela Aisenberg
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Go Diego Go! - Diego Saves Christmas!
Go Diego Go! - The Great Dinosaur Rescue
Go Diego Go! - Underwater Mystery
Go Diego Go! - The Great Jaguar Rescue
Dora the Explorer - World Adventure

ASIN: B000FZETL6
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Description

"Go, Diego, Go!" is an animated, preschool, action adventure series starring Diego Marquez, an 8-year-old bilingual, Latino, animal rescuer with an intense love of nature and the animals around him. In each episode Diego encourages his viewers to participate in his high stakes animal themed adventures.

Customer Reviews:

DVD learning and entertainment.......2007-01-04

My granddaughter loves Diego and Dora. Seems there is some controversy about them, but our family loves them. They are colorful, well thoughtout, with great different characters and different animals. Always positive outcomes with showing the desire to help. The interactive part is very entertaining for the young ones and educational.

Average customer rating:

It's an okay movie
Not What I Expected
Family Friendly Fun
mind-numbingly awful
*ICE CUBE* does it again

Are We There Yet?
Starring: Ice Cube , Nia Long , Aleisha Allen , Philip Bolden , and Jay Mohr
Director: Brian Levant
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000803BQC
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Amazon.com

Ice Cube has turned his frown upside down with the family-friendly screwball road movie Are We There Yet? We know the actor/rapper can use his trademark scowl to be funny (the Friday and Barbershop series), or to be mean (Boyz in the Hood)--but can he use it to melt kids' hearts? That's the question Are We There Yet? answers with a resounding yes for youngsters in the audience (which will be the lions' share), but it'll probably be an emphatic shrug for the grownups. The contrived plot has Cube playing a wannabe-player (as in ladies' man) and ex-player (as in washed-up minor league baseball star) who now owns a sports memorabilia business. His partner, played by Jay Mohr is just a throwaway, as is the talented Nia Long, the single mom that Cube sets his blinged-out sights on. To try to get in her good graces, he offers to transport her two bratty kids in his pride-and-joy Lincoln Navigator for a joy ride to a distant city where she's attending an emergency business meeting so they can have a New Year's Eve celebration together. This kiddies version of Road Trip and Planes, Trains and Automobiles has its cute moments, but plenty more gross-out moments which will please the kids no end, especially as the Navigator gets more and more trashed. Suffice it to say they all learn about each others' good sides and hearts are suitably melted all around--until after the credits roll, then you'll probably forget about the whole thing.--Ted Fry

Customer Reviews:

It's an okay movie.......2007-05-12

Not a bad movie. Not a great movie, but not bad either.

Not What I Expected.......2007-05-07

We saw the move, "Are We There Yet?" in the theater and really enjoyed it, so we decided to purchase this DVD. It would be a good movie for kids if not for the swearing and bad attitudes of the children in the movie. We probabbly will not watch the DVD again (at least not with kids).

Family Friendly Fun.......2007-04-12

There is nothing great in this film, but it does have its moments and is pleasing entertainment. Ice Cube believably loses his bad-boy image, Nia Long is always both pleasing to watch and believable in this limited role, and the child actors are cute, but they always look like they are acting. These same two kids again play brother and sister later with Eddie Murphy in Disney's "The Haunted Mansion."

The script is cliche-ridden and predictable, and the direction is pedestrian at best; however, the film is also enjoyable in spite of these flaws. We get a typical guy all hot for a woman whom he discovers later has kids that are resentful of anyone trying to take their father's place. This "road" story has Ice Cube, hoping to get in the good graces of the very hot Nia Long, take the kids to see her in Vancouver, Canada where she is working because her lame ex-husband has bailed out on having the kids (again . . . ). The trio start off hating each other, but end up feeling like a family before all is said and done.

Some good moments: the slow, painful distruction of Cube's Lincoln Navigator, the wacko deer, and the good-intentioned, but easily fooled truck driver. Again, this is harmless family fun entertainment even with it's "been there, done that" feel.

mind-numbingly awful.......2007-04-01

In some sort of alternate universe where Ice Cube does ridiculously lame hack family feel good movies comes "Are We There Yet", possibly the worst movie to come out of 2005. The acting, plot, and overall concept is just so god-awful, a better title would've been "Please, Please God, is it Done Yet?"

*ICE CUBE* does it again.......2007-03-27

I really enjoyed the movie. I think that it is a movie that the whole family can enjoy. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. Definitly watch it with the kids.

Average customer rating:

Great fun, visually beautiful, and a kid's introduction to Mayan culture
Apocalypto, the Musical Comedy
The Other City of Gold
On The Road with the Children
Cartoon Nudity

The Road to El Dorado
Starring: Armand Assante , Tobin Bell , Elton John , Kevin Kline , and Kenneth Branagh
Director: Don Paul , and Bibo Bergeron
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Animated
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CXG7
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Amazon.com

In its third foray into animated features, DreamWorks came up with something unfortunate: the routine animated picture. Plagued with production problems (it was originally conceived as a mold-breaking PG-13 adventure), the likable film is a Hope/Crosby-style road picture about two scalawags who stumble upon the Latin American paradise of El Dorado, the mythical city with riches of gold. Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline are quite fun as Miguel and Tuilo, two Spanish con artists who are shipwrecked in the New World with a scene-stealing horse. The pair follow a map to the secret city where their loyalty will be tested: do they return home rich men or continue to live in this paradise? Of course there are some obstacles: a high priest (Armand Assante) is locked in a power struggle with the benevolent chief (Edward James Olmos) and the perfunctory girlfriend (Rosie Perez) puts the two friends at odds. Like too many of the animated features of its time, The Road to El Dorado impresses only on a visual level (it's drenched in gorgeous greens and golds). The story and Elton John's songs are quite forgettable; only Branagh and Kline's playful banter keeps the film alive. The PG rating is for some bare backsides and a suggestion of off-screen sex that should soar right over the little ones' heads. Slick and light, it's a fine 83-minute entertainment for ages 5 and up, including the nondiscriminating adult. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Great fun, visually beautiful, and a kid's introduction to Mayan culture.......2007-03-25

Wow, I wouldn't add another review of this movie except that some of the posted ones are sooo bizarre!

We first rented this movie when my daughter was maybe 5 and loved it. There are several sequences where the color and animation are just stunning, and the buddy-movie plot in a historical setting is very funny and (somewhat) educational at the same time. The story involves two Spanish con-artists, Tulio and Miguel, who are accidental stowaways on Cortez' ship and end up in El Dorado, where they are received as gods. Although no specific location for El Dorado is identified and story elements are borrowed broadly from Meso-American culture, the imagery is largely Mayan, and the woman with bigger dreams who helps our Spanish heros is named Chel, no doubt taken from the Mayan goddess Ix Chel.

I find it bizarre that some reviewers find a few seconds (literally) of rear nudity of cartoon characters who are bathing to be objectionable for children. Children are likely to be last ones who think this is unusual. And the suggestion that there is implicit sex in this movie is even stranger, unless you are talking about the fact that children are depicted in some scenes (and we all know where children come from!) Adults can read what they want into the relationship of Tulio and Chel, but I had no problem with my daughter seeing this either when she was 5 or now that she is 8.

A more serious issue than the sex that isn't there is the theme of human sacrifice. This was indeed hard to explain to my 5-year-old, but certainly no worse than many other 'kids' movies, and much easier than explaining the daily news. The actual implied deaths in the movie are limited (if I recall completely) to an anonymous skull on the beach and the sadistic priest's assistant, whom one understands to be murdered in a cutaway scene that shows no actual violence. The scene in which heros Tulio and Miguel are being pursued by a giant stone jaguar was a little scary to my 5-year-old, but is viewed as fairly tame now that she is 8. Overall, it's a far less violent movie than things like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the ubiquitous shoot-em-up TV cartoons (or old cartoon standards like Huck Hound and Road Runner). It is certainly less violent than most of the Bible or kids' movies based on it such as Prince of Egypt. More importantly, the message is clearly anti-violent, and the off-screen violence is not glorified as something noble, ethical, patriotic, or the will of God.

A historical element that was more difficult for a 5-year-old to comprehend than why there was human sacrifice is why the Spanish were received as gods, and what exactly that meant. Sometimes it's good to be forced to explain theologcical concepts and how they vary among cultures to 5-year-olds. It can help sharpen your own understanding or ability to communicate it.

From a historical perspective, the good chief/sadistic priest dichotomy is an overly simplistic view of how sacrifice functioned in meso-American cultures, but it seemed about right to introduce kids to an unsavory historical topic, and works in the plot as the standard good/evil conflict that many or most stories revolve around. There are other historical and cultural tidbits that may not all be exactly in the correct context, but nevertheless introduce kids and many adults to details of Mayan and broader meso-American culture. For example, the movie is appropriately set in 1519, the year when Cortez actually did set out (from Cuba, not Spain) to Mexico, and landed first on Cozumel, a major pilgrimage site for the temple of the goddess Ix Chel, before heading on to conquer the Aztecs. The movie features in fairly accurate way the ball game that was a central cultural element of Meso-American cultures and is a key element in the Mayan creation myth (Popol Vuh). In one scene, Miguel takes a turn as a voladore (a person who swings upside down suspended from a tall pole). I don't know if the Maya specifically had voladores, but they are a ubiquitous and colorful feature of Mexican tourist spots, including at Maya ruins.

I rented this movie a second time (and eventually bought it because I like it) this year to help my daughter understand who the Maya are (and were) before we took a family vacation to Cozumel. Although it might not be as accurate of a cultural depiction as the books I also got for her, it is safe to say that she was more easily engaged in the movie. Fortunately, she also got to meet real Maya and see how they live now. I took the movie along on our trip and watched it with the entire extended family, who all enjoyed it immensely and laughed frequently (ages 8-80).

Apocalypto, the Musical Comedy.......2006-12-13

Because, really, what better topic for easy laughs with the kiddies than ritualistic human sacrifice?

We really enjoy family movie night at our house. With kids of 13, 10, and 7, it can be a challenge to find something that a) no one has seen and b) has at least some appeal to all three. We came home from the video store with this movie with a rare consensus. By the time it was about 2/3 over, my wife and I had an even rarer consensus, we needed to turn this movie off. I can't say what happens after the point where we stopped, but the Spanish Conquistadors meeting with the Aztecs didn't seem like it would be good fodder for a children's movie. It is a measure of how bad this movie is that none of our kids objected.

Did I mention that the movie was bad? Bad, bad, bad, baddity-bad-bad. One of the worst children's cartoons I have ever seen. Possibly the worst ever. How is it bad, you ask? Let me tell you:

1) Bad plotting. I went in to the kitchen to make popcorn, and I missed the scene that introduced the European Villain (c'mon, it's a movie that includes Aboriginal Americans, how can there NOT be a European Villain). That's how little he was on the screen. Yet, fast forward to the ultimate conflict, and there he is, making a reappearance. Imagine Star Wars with Darth Vader showing up in the opening scene, and then only reappearing at the end to shoot at Luke outside the Death Star. That's what it was like. Bad.

2) Bad singing. I was listening thinking that it sounded like a bad Elton John impersonator who had cribbed from The Lion King. No, it actually WAS Elton John. I can't believe Sir Elton has not paid to have his name expunged from this turkey. This has to be the low point of his career. Elton, seriously, if you read this, if you ever need money this badly again, give me a call. I'll try to help. Bad.

3) Bad topic. I hope the idiot who gave this the green light lost his or her job. Murderous indigenous culture as a comedy vehicle? What's next? An animated musical comedy version of The Diary of Anne Frank? The whole time watching it, I had a creeping dread as to how they were going to deal with this. Bad.

4) Politically correct badness. Of course, the Aztecs were just a bunch of fun-lovin' pacifists with one bad apple leader. Of course they had magical powers that came from their superior communion with nature. Of course they were all fit, friendly, strong, and beautiful. Riiight. Bad.

5) Bad as in inappropriate. The female lead was drawn by someone who thought Disney's Pocahontas looked too childlike and demure. There is swearing for the sake of swearing. There is a love scene that, I kid you not, showed the male character, when interrupted, rising up from "off camera" between the female character's legs. None of this even advanced the plot. B-A-D.

6) Bad vocal talent. Kenneth Branagh's Royal Shakespeare British, Kevin Klein's American-pretending-to-be-British, and Rosie Perez's "you-got-a-problem-with-that" Puerto Rican are not so bad individually, but they were atrocious as a combination. Actively distracting, although, given the rest, maybe that was a good thing. Bad, bad, and bad.

So inappropriate, unentertaining, and politically correct, other than that, it was great.

(Did I mention that I thought it was bad?)

The Other City of Gold.......2006-10-31

I'm a big fan of the old 1980s cartoon series "The Mysterious Cities of Gold", a series about a couple of Spanish kids exploring the New World and discovering many strange things. A few years ago, there was no sign of it on video or DVD (and as far as I know, there still isn't), but a fan site did mention there was a DreamWorks animation coming out in cinemas called "Road to El Dorado", featuring two Spanish guys exploring a mysterious city... of gold! The similarities end there though, and this film is still pretty entertaining.

Tulio and Miguel are best friends, who live by their wits in the streets of Spain. They win a map to El Dorado, the famous New World city of gold, in a game of dice. Unfortunately, their opponents discover their dice are loaded, and in the duo's escape, they get caught on Hernando Cortez' ship bound for Mexico. (Don They are caught, then escape with a boat and a horse, and after many days in shark infested waters, run aground at exactly the place where the map begins. They discover El Dorado, and it's people mistake the two men on a horse for two of their gods, and pay tribute to them. The two men decide to take advantage of this misunderstanding and ask for gold and a ship to get home. But curiousity, a beautiful Mayan woman, and a bloodthirsty priest undo all their deception, and they are caught out several times. Will they make it out of El Dorado with their lives, or will the people allow them to stay?

The two best things about this film, I think, are the colourful design of the New World and the banter between Tulio and Miguel (played by Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh). They seem to be having a lot of fun in their roles, and though some of the dialogue is modern sounding, it's not cluttered with cheesy cultural references like some more recent animated features. Jim Cummings (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Darkwing Duck) does the voice of Cortez, and though the tone of his words are all too familiar if you've watched his cartoons, he does a good job at capturing the bitterness and the greed of the man. The music, by Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer is pleasant enough too.

Special features on the DVD include a director's commentary with Eric Begerson and Don Paul, a fairly interesting making of documentary, a behind-the-animation montage, narrated by the crew, the original theatrical trailer, and Elton John music video, in which you see the singer animated. He looks very peaceful as a cartoon...

Worth a look for fans of adventure.

On The Road with the Children.......2006-07-05

My kids love this movie, when we are in the car traveling all I have to do is pull out this DVD and there is instance silence.

Cartoon Nudity.......2006-06-07

Just a quick note for parents of young children- This movie has, in addition to some of the other suggestive scenes, some very raunchy scenes of exposed behinds, which was something that neither I nor my eight year old daughter were prepared for.

I really don't find the tone of this scene to be appropriate viewing for an eight year old. This scene could have been portrayed much more mildly and without the brazen and extended nature of the posterior nudity.

My daughter had never seen anything of that nature before and I was not aware that a Disney movie geared for children would be allowed to have those types of scenes. Partially my fault for being way out of touch with movie ratings, but I saw Disney and thought it was a "G" movie.

If I had known that it was for 13 and over, I never would have allowed her to watch it. In case other parents are new to the movie rating scene, this movie really is for way older children. I still don't think it necessary to have such an extended scene even for 13 year olds.

Average customer rating:

After months
Very Thought Provoking
Beautiful.
Exceptional in Every way
what is death with dignity?

The Sea Inside
Starring: Javier Bardem , Belén Rueda , Lola Dueñas , Mabel Rivera , and Celso Bugallo
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00080Z53O
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Amazon.com

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 2004, The Sea Inside is a life-affirming film about a man who wishes to die. That may seem like a massive contradiction, but in the hands of director Alejandro Amenábar (Open Your Eyes, The Others) and actor Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls), this fact-based Spanish drama concerns the final days of Ramón Sampedro, the quadriplegic poet who waged a controversial campaign for his right to die. He was denied this right for 30 years, and ultimately arranged for his own assisted suicide, but this remarkable film--and Bardem's keenly intelligent performance--examines the hotly-debated issue of assisted suicide with admirable depth and humanity, just as Sampedro did until his death in 1998. For Sampedro, death was preferable to severe paralysis (he even refused to use a wheelchair), but the film does not suggest a "disposable" attitude toward disability. Instead, it's a thoughtful meditation on life and love as gifts to be cherished, and a challenging drama that begs each viewer to examine their own personal beliefs about what makes life worth living. You may not agree with Sampedro and his ultimate denial of life, but The Sea Inside will urge you to ponder how you would react under similar circumstances, and that makes it a profoundly meaningful film. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Academy Award nominee Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) delivers a powerful and sensitive portrayal of a quadriplegic who fights to win the right to end his life with dignity. Based on a true story.

DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Director Commentary Deleted Scenes: Documentaries:"A trip to The Sea Inside" Making-of Storyboards: Theatrical Trailer:

Customer Reviews:

After months.......2007-05-27

I will be writing a review for a film I have seen months ago. In the first place, what urged me to see this film was the impressiveness of the idea of two women falling in love with a man who is totally disabled. Then, while I was watching it, I had to question the line between life and death and how thin it can be sometimes. What I remember explicitly from the film now is how it presented love. It seems with this film that love is not only in what we do for the others but also in doing the things for the others which they want us to do and being able to see the world with the eyes of the others and being able to understand them. The sea inside is a beautiful film to see..

Very Thought Provoking.......2007-05-15

I had to watch this for one of my classes and I was amazingly surprised by how wonderful the movie was. I did not mind reading the subtitles in the least. It was a very powerful, thought provoking movie that inspires discussion. It is also a very good movie to test your moral issues. The actors are amazing and the plot is well laid out, with a very artistic approach to some aspects of it. I thought some parts of the movie were slow though, but overall, I would watch this movie over again gladly.

Beautiful........2007-04-10

I avoided this movie for a long time even though it looked like "one of those movies" I'd like, because the description just sounded so dreary and depressing. Yeah, I shed a few tears, but it was a beautiful movie. I shouldn't have put it off. Give it a try.

Exceptional in Every way.......2007-04-02

I cannot say enough about this film. The subject speaks for itself, so I won't comment on that but what proves inspiring is that this is a total love story (not only between a man and a woman). The acting all around is exceptional, and Xavier Bardem, under the direction of Alejandro Amenabar, creates a very appealing Ramon Sampedro without oversentimentalizing a subject which could have otherwise been sensationalized. Combine this with a thoughtful, interesting, philosophical dialogue, that leaves the viewer mentally revisiting the film long after its conclusion.

what is death with dignity?.......2007-01-25

I don't think this film adds anything new to the debate about so-called "death with dignity" or the right to end your own life. But it is a tender and nuanced treatment of the subject that raises the major questions and includes the major stakeholders--the legal system, a religious priest who is caricatured as moralistic and uncaring, friends, and a three-generation family that lives with and cares for the quadriplegic Ramon, who after a diving accident 26 years ago wants to end his life since, he insists, it is a life with no dignity. Ramon's brother adamantly objects: "nobody kills anyone in my house." Others are not so sure. Four women in particular loom large in the film's plot. I will not spoil Ramon's final choice, which to the film's credit is not clear until the very end. The Sea Inside is based upon a true story in Spain, and was voted Best Foreign Film for 2004. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Average customer rating:

Fun Movie!
Portrayal Seems Genuine !
The Mother-Daughter Thing
Great Gift to Women of All Sizes & Aspirations
Its a good movie but...

Real Women Have Curves
Starring: America Ferrera , Lupe Ontiveros , Ingrid Oliu , George Lopez , and Brian Sites
Director: Patricia Cardoso
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000AM4P90
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

While My Big Fat Greek Wedding broke box-office records in 2002, Real Women Have Curves did a better job of keeping it real. Set in the vibrant environs of East Los Angeles, with a breakthrough performance by Latina newcomer America Ferrera, this comedic drama takes a familiar subject--a bright teenager struggling to define her identity--and turns it into an authentic celebration of feminine empowerment. Eighteen-year-old Ana (Ferrera) has scholarship potential, her first boyfriend, and a chubby figure that her similarly overweight mother (Lupe Ontiveros, perfectly cast) won't stop harping about. Mom insists that Ana work in her sister's dressmaking sweatshop, continuing a family tradition that can only break her spirit. How Ana defies this fate--and how director Patricia Cardoso captures the proud tenacity of several full-figured seamstresses--is what makes this film (adapted from a play by Josefina Lopez) so uniquely refreshing. Greek Wedding made more money, but Real Women--which is just as funny--makes a lot more sense. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A $6 million box office theatrical run followed awards and acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. Should Ana leave home, go to college and experience life? Or stay home, get married, and keep working in her sister's struggling garment factory? It may seem like an easy decision, but for 18 year-old Ana, every choice she makes this summer will change her life. Right now, she may be making clothes for less shapely women. But Ana is about to discover that real women take chances, have flaws, embrace life, and above all have curves!

Customer Reviews:

Fun Movie!.......2007-05-07

I loved this movie....it is exceptionally well acted, witty, with a smart and biting script. Though it's technically a "chick flick", I think men would enjoy it also (although maybe not admit that). I saw it on television and liked it so much I wanted to see the unedited version. You can never go wrong with a movie made by HBO, and is something that you will want to pull out of the drawer and watch again and again.

Portrayal Seems Genuine !.......2007-04-11

Great movie for all ages. This film is very enjoyable and it can be appreciated by any age group. Laughed through most of this mainly upbeat film.

Characters are portrayed very authentically and believable.

Nothing too far fetched (except maybe the underwear dancing factory workers), though that was a hysterical scene.

Loved it !
Recommend it !

The Mother-Daughter Thing.......2007-03-27

I liked this movie a lot. It's not a powerhouse, it's what I think of as a "whisperer." I watched it months ago, and there are some particular moments that keep playing in my mind, still, because I could really feel them. I'm far from being a Latina, but I love Latino/Mexican/Central American culture, so I watched this movie expecting it to be aimed at an audience much younger than me. I love "Ugly Betty" and thought seeing America Ferrera in one of her movies would be interesting. There were several mother-daughter scenes in this movie which really brought forth long-buried memories of exchanges with my own mother, moments where you realize how uncomfortable you're making your mother and you can't help it. As an adult I realize what those moments were, and they don't seem so large and terrible now, but at the time they were. This movie brought them back into focus and made me realize the importance of growing up, of becoming your own person, and the necessity for every daughter to have the courage to "step over" their mother and become herself. It's interesting to watch Ana come through the process and finally realize how HARD her family works to make her able to take that step over. On another note, I am appalled and disappointed at how many fans of Ms. Ferrera have posted on various sites that they love her, love that she's not the usual lookalike skinny stick-insect, and then finish their post with something like, "she'd be prettier if she'd lose weight." It's mean and false. This movie also made me go back and watch "The Joy Luck Club" again, another excellent mother-daughter reflection.

Great Gift to Women of All Sizes & Aspirations.......2007-03-09

It is so wonderful to have a film about women learning to just be who you are, regardless of class background and/or size. A great story of accepting yourself and others, and demanding that you be accepted for who and what you are.

Its a good movie but..........2007-01-25

Its a good movie but i was a bit dissapointed. it would of been much better if 1.the mom had realised woman can do stuff like go to college too. 2.the sister had raised the prices on the dresses so that the factory got more money. 3.the sister started her own shop with dresses for heaver woman. 4.ana had seen her boy friend again. i don't think you should buy this movie but to rent it, its great!

Average customer rating:

Cheesy
A very good story filled wit hope.
a lift of the spirit for anyone with a serious illness
Simply Heart warming!
"Everything Is The Blue Butterfly"

The Blue Butterfly
Starring: William Hurt , Pascale Bussières , Marc Donato , Raoul Trujillo , and Marianella Jimenez
Director: Léa Pool
Manufacturer: Monterey Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000EPFCN6
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Description

His mother persuades a renowned entomologist (William Hurt) to take them on a trip to the Costa Rican rain forest to search for the butterfly, leading to an adventure that will transform their lives. And so, their journey begins. A journey of courage, redemption and love. Inspired by a true story, this is a magical film about a courageous young boy and a jaded man who chase a dream, and whose lives are forever changed.

The only way to catch a miracle is to believe in it...

Awards: Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival, Chicago Int'l Children's Film Festival

Written By: PETE McCORMACK

Starring: WILLIAM HURT, PASCALE BUSSIÈRES, MARC DONATO

Directed By: LÉA POOL

DVD Features: • Mariposa Azul: A True Story
• The Actor's Experience
• About a Blue Butterfly Garden
• Photo Gallery Video
• Printable Games & Study Guide
• Trailer

monterey media and the producers of The Blue Butterfly, recognize the commitment of these outstanding organizations and hope to raise public awareness of the vitally important services they provide. In addition, monterey media will make a contribution to the charities.

Customer Reviews:

Cheesy.......2007-07-01

I watched this movie expecting it to be a heartwarming adventure. It ended up being a sentimental load of crap. It was so bad, as my eight-year-old sister said, "I wish the boy would have died of cancer!" The bugs were cool, but it was boring, and the plot smelled like a stink bug. I would rather have gone to the dentist. The best part was the credits. Save yourself the trouble, and don't watch this movie.

A very good story filled wit hope........2007-05-14

I never know Nature could be so beautiful and a story fill you with so much hope.

a lift of the spirit for anyone with a serious illness.......2006-08-08

The photography of this movie and the story are incredible, can help many individual with serious illnesses that have given up hope.

Simply Heart warming!.......2006-07-12

This movie brought tears and a smile. Inspired by a true story, a terminally ill ten year old boy's dream is realized when a Scientist who admits he's 'not good with kids' agrees to take him with him to the rainforest to seek out the almost mythical/magic-like Blue Butterfly. The movie is deeper than it seems, and we realize that all of life is a true miracle and capable of its own mysterious magic. I found this story inspiring!

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

"Everything Is The Blue Butterfly".......2006-06-19

'The Blue Butterfly' is based on a true story about a terminally ill ten year old boy who is granted his dying wish to go to the Amazon and try and capture the elusive blue butterfly. Added by a reknowned entomologist and his loving Mother the journey of a lifetime begins and before its conclusion everyone involved discovers there's more to life than any of them could have ever imagined.

A film to be enjoyed by the entire family. Moving, Uplifting, Mystical and Inspiring!

Starring; William Hurt, Pascale Bussieres and Marc Donato.

Average customer rating:

I liked it like that!!
Wepa que viva Puerto Rico!
Attempt
sweet
perfect love story

I Like It Like That
Starring: Lauren Vélez , Jon Seda , Tomas Melly , Desiree Casado , and Isaiah Garcia
Director: Darnell Martin
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00023GG94
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Amazon.com

A Latina woman from the Bronx shakes up her life--which consists of a difficult marriage and three kids--by taking a job at a Manhattan recording company. Playing the central character, Lauren Vélez has a captivating rough beauty that suggests her suspension between misery and grace. Director Darnell Martin also has a kind of unpolished approach that keeps the film looking a bit amateurish. But Martin's observations of and insights into the heroine's world--a slice of American Latino life that hasn't been particularly well represented on film--are original and potent. Griffin Dunne is very good in a supporting role as the heroine's exploitative boss. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

I liked it like that!!.......2007-06-20

This movie has been out for years but I just stumbled upon it recently on late night cable TV.

I loved it! It was wonderful. I loved the emphasis put on the Puerto Rican community, I loved the up close, gritty look at average New York life. I loved the interactions between Chino, Lisette and the kids, they weren't perfect parents, but they loved their kids. I just loved how realistic it all was.

I'm a black woman, born and raised in California, I have no idea how life in the Bronx is but I definitely related to a lot in this movie.

My favorite character was Alexis, she was a trip!

5 stars!

Wepa que viva Puerto Rico!.......2007-01-17

This is one of my all time fave movies. Jon Seda did an excellent job as he always does. I especially loved seeing my idol from childhood Rita Morena ( and fellow Humacao resident) act in this movie. This movie is a must see! So much good Boricua acting going on!

Attempt.......2006-11-12

I think this movie made a decent attempt to capture the struggle of living in poverty as Nuyoricans. It has a good amount of poignant moments from beginning to the very end and also its equivalent share of wacky hilarious moments, which I wont spill and spoil for you that should buy this movie if even you are latino or not, it doesnt matter. I think anyone can relate or try to the struggles we personally face or others do. I think the fact that I expected too much realism, being Puerto Rican myself, was a reason why I could not digest the exaggeration it portrayed. If you want more realism about what it truly means to be hispanic or want to know more and you are not , please, please check out Manito I promise you will not regret it and will feel so much more moved than this movie.

sweet.......2006-11-06

As a Lauren Valez fan I would have loved this film even if she just came on screen and recited the alphabet. This is a sweet film about the trials of relationships when you have friends and family involved. Jon Seda is great as a tough working father whose wife and family is his Achilles heel. Lauren Valez is the young mother who has to think fast when her husband ends up in jail. Fans of either actor would like this film, it's from the early 1990's, and you can see that their acting skills were still being honed at this stage. I really did like the film though, especially the ambiguous ending. Not bad for a Friday evening treat after a hard week at work.

perfect love story.......2006-07-09

I have always loved this movie. It made me cry and it also made me laugh.If your a young woman or man you will love everything about this movie.

Average customer rating:

Heartbreaking story of patriotism and heroism
Propaganda for the Masses
One of the all-time-best war films
One of Washington's Greatest Performances
Still a great movie after all these years

Courage Under Fire
Starring: Denzel Washington , Meg Ryan , Lou Diamond Phillips , Michael Moriarty , and Matt Damon
Director: Edward Zwick
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005221J
Release Date: 2000-12-26

Amazon.com essential video

A year after a devastating friendly fire incident during the Gulf War, Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is in a Washington, D.C., desk job assigned the rudimentary task of overseeing a Medal of Honor candidate who died in the war. However, the case and soldier in question are a political hot potato--Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) is America's first female soldier to be killed in combat.

Serling soon finds discrepancies in the case of a downed Medevac helicopter in the rocky Kuwait territory. What unfolds in flashback are several versions of Walden's tactics (à la Kurosawa's Rashomon) to rescue the soldiers and survive the downing. As with Glory, Director Edward Zwick's cast of unknown and famous faces always comes off as the real article. Walden's crew is especially convincing. Matt Damon as the medic comes off as the giddy scaredy-cat when telling his story to Washington. In battle he's a flawed, humorous soldier. The most surprising work in the movie is done by Lou Diamond Phillips (as the group's gunman), whose career had been headed to straight-to-video oblivion.

Then there's Ryan. She has done well with dramatic work in the past (When a Man Loves a Woman, Flesh and Bone) but has never been able to escape the romantic-comedy image. With dyed hair, a light accent, and the dramatics of the situation, Ryan finally has an enduring dramatic film. Even though she has half of Washington's screen time, her brave and ultimately haunting performance makes Courage something special, right down to its curious but rewarding final scene. --Doug Thomas

Description

When Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is asked to review the posthumous candidacy of the first woman (Meg Ryan) to receive a medal of honor, he finds himself plunged into an apparent cover-up surrounding the actions that led to her death. As he struggles to uncover the truth, he also finds himself forced to confront his own tormenting demons. Matt Damon co-stars in this powerful and provocative drama.

Customer Reviews:

Heartbreaking story of patriotism and heroism.......2007-05-21

Denzel Washington, appointed to review the record of Captain Karen Emma Walden, nominee for the Congressional Medal of Honor, finds an underlying story of betrayal on the part of both her comrades-in-arms and a military elite eager to use her story for propaganda purposes, while confronting the bitter shadows of his own past.

Set in Gulf War I, the movie is an eerie forerunner of Jessica Lynch - a brave woman soldier who fell victim to the machinations of the military she served. Well worth a view.

Propaganda for the Masses.......2007-05-06

This film is nothing more than Hollywood liberalism propaganda to adjust the viewer with the idea that women in combat is okey. The fact that Meg Ryan represents a mother who is killed just goes to show how little respect we have for women today. The reality of mothers killed in this current mess of Iraq should be an outrage to all Americans. But then that would interfere with football and American Idiot (Idol), wouldn't it?

One of the all-time-best war films.......2007-04-10

Courage Under Fire tells the story in Rashomon-like fashion of a decorated but troubled soldier (Denzel Washington) investigating whether a helicopter pilot (Meg Ryan) - killed in action in the first Gulf War - should posthumously receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The film can be enjoyed on many levels - as an action film, a mystery, and as an extremely moving exploration of honor and redemption.

Denzel's great performance, a brilliant script, and superb direction from Ed Zwick characterise this excellent film. Definitely well worth seeing.

One of Washington's Greatest Performances.......2007-03-30

Courage Under Fire will always rank as one of the best movies Denzel Washington ever made. Powerful, compelling, weighty in tone and subject matter, this film deals with real-life, complex issues and does so with wonderful direction, a great script, and outstanding performances.

Washington plays a high ranking officer during Operation Desert Storm who loses his command in a friendly fire incident, and find himself reassigned to the branch that investigates medal nominations. He is given the particularly controversial assignment of recommmending or not recommending a female officer killed in action for the Medal of Honor. As she would be the first woman to receive this honor, Washington's every move is scrutinized, and his investigation provides a lack of easy answers or direction.

Washington's Lt. Colonel Sterling tries to perform well in his new assignment while dealing with the guilt and trauma over his own military career. Meg Ryan plays the medal candidate in flashblacks, and Matt Damon and Lou Diamond Phillips play soldier under Ryan's command during the incident for which she has been nominated for the Medal of Honor. All of these performances are excellent, and issues such as what constitutes heroism and bravery in wartime, the difference between duty and sacrifice, and how does one accept making an unacceptable mistake are all explored without offering pat, resolved in two hours answers.

This is a great film and one of the best of its kind ever made.

Still a great movie after all these years.......2007-02-25

This was one of my favorite movies from the 1990's.

A great many things have happened since then to make anyone want to forget this movie, but one day I saw the DVD on Amazon listed for this ridiculously low price, so I got it.

Ah, how things have changed! In 1996 when this movie was made, Meg Ryan was at the peak of her career - she'd been named Woman of the Year by the Harvard Hasty Pudding Society in 1994, and could have just as well been named "America's Sweetheart". She had built up such a reservoir of goodwill for the sweet and lovable characters that she played. Then, in 2001, she turned 40, and had an affair with Russell Crowe while making "Proof of Life" (another movie that I loved at the time, but have since forgotten). She then fell into a full-blown mid-life crisis and basically went nuts, wrecking her face, her public image, and her career. At age 45, she's too old now for the innocent sweetheart roles that made her career, and she hasn't been able to move on to the few wife/mother/divorcee/career woman roles that Hollywood offers to middle-aged actresses. And so she has almost disappeared from the big screen.

At the time, playing the hard-nosed Captain Emma Walden in this movie, Meg Ryan was making a major departure from her usual roles, which only made the story of her character even more poignant. Yes, Captain Walden screamed and cussed at her men and behaved like a "dyke" (that's a quote from a character in the movie, not my opinion, by the way), but we, the moviegoers, all knew that was still good old sweet Meg Ryan underneath that crusty exterior.

Denzel Washington played the deeply conflicted Col. Serling, and this movie would be one of several in the 1990's that would establish him as an A-list superstar.

Lou Diamond Phillips played the angry, callous, and tortured Sgt. Monfriez. Wow! Was it in 1987 that he made "La Bamba"? He was great in that movie and in this movie! And unfortunately those are the only two movies that he's made that I even recognize, as his career fell off into mostly B-movies and TV guest roles.

Matt Damion! I didn't even recognize him in this movie, playing the medic Ilario - he was so young and thin back then. This was one of his first big roles, before he became a star with "Good Will Hunting" and "Saving Private Ryan".

Ah, and of course, there was the background setting of what was known at the time as the Persian Gulf War, but now is usually referred to as the First Iraq War or Iraq War I, to distinguish it from the current quagmire, Iraq War Part Deux.

So no wonder the price of this DVD has dropped like a rock! Subject matter - Iraq War I - who wants to remember that one anymore? Key star of the movie - Meg Ryan - wrecked her image and alienated her fanbase. Time for a clearance sale!

But, this is still a great movie, and it will bring a tear to your eyes.

The story of "Courage Under Fire" is a fiction, but many elements came straight out of the news stories at the time about the real Iraq War I.

I have always thought, for instance, that the idea for the character of Captain Emma Walden was based on the real-life Major Marie Rossi, a Chinook helicopter pilot who was killed in the war. Right before the invasion began, the extremely photogenic Rossi had appeared on national TV in an interview with CNN, talking about flying into combat and facing the possibility of dying in the war. A few days after the interview was broadcast, she and her crew were killed when her helicopter hit the support wires of an unlit microwave tower and crashed. I remember seeing her in the interview and then hearing of her death, and it was quite sad.

Friendly fire was a major element of the news stories from Iraq War I, with the photos of grieving soldiers who had discovered that their friends had died from friendly fire.

"Courage Under Fire" unfolds its tangled storyline in classic "Rashomon" fashion. An ex-tank commander, anguished by his role in an episode of friendly fire that is being covered up by the Army brass, is re-assigned to a desk job to investigate pending medals, one of them being a Medal of Honor to be awarded to the first female soldier to be given such a medal for heroism in combat. His investigation turns up several versions of what happened before he discovers the truth, which turns out to be yet another variety of "friendly fire". And thus fortified, he is also able to address the truth of his own involvement in the friendly fire incident as well.

The final scene of the movie is poignant, mysterious, and lingers in the mind. I still think about it today. It is a replay of an earlier scene in the movie, with one new bit of detail.

It is the morning after the tank battle, and Col. Serling is standing next to the burnt-out tank of his friend, who lies dead on top of the turret. An Army Medevac helicopter that had landed to pick up the wounded takes off in front of him, and Col. Serling looks up, and we see, for the first time, that the pilot of this helicopter is none other than Capt. Walden. She seems to be smiling at him. Is this really how that moment in time transpired? Was she on her way to the battle that would play out in the rest of this movie and go on to earn her the Medal of Honor? Or is this just a trick of Col. Serling's memory, and he is seeing Capt. Walden in his dreams, placing her at this awful moment in time, and she is smiling at him in approval because he has finally gained absolution for both of them by uncovering the truth?

Average customer rating:

family movie
Pretty good for a book adaptation
A Painted House (DVD) based on novel by John Grisham
Read it instead.
-An American Story--

A Painted House
Starring: Scott Glenn , Arija Bareikis , Robert Sean Leonard , Melinda Dillon , and Logan Lerman
Director: Alfonso Arau
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0000C3I8M
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Amazon.com

Even by the high standards of the Hallmark Hall of Fame, A Painted House is well above average. John Grisham's well-received "lawyer-free" novel was respectfully adapted by Patrick Sheane Duncan (Mr. Holland's Opus), and director Alfonso Arau (Like Water for Chocolate, A Walk in the Clouds) brings just the right touch of toughness and delicate nostalgia to Grisham's semi-autobiographical remembrance of boyhood in rural Arkansas, circa 1952. Grisham's alter ego is 10-year-old Luke Chandler (well played by Logan Lerman), and when tempers flare into violence between the Mexican migrant workers and itinerant "hill people" hired to harvest cotton on his grandfather's farm, Luke--who has witnessed a murder--must decide whether to expose the killer or keep the crime a secret. Filled with warm grace notes and a perfect cast including leather-faced Scott Glenn and Melinda Dillon (as Luke's grandparents), A Painted House juggles multiple crises (including devastating rainstorms) with strong family values, capturing the humor and hardship of farming life at a crossroads of fading tradition and inevitable change. Combining elements of To Kill a Mockingbird and Places in the Heart, this is a purebred Hallmark production in every respect, earning a badge of pride for everyone involved in its making. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Until that September in 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in that long, hot summer when 10-year-old Luke Chandler comes of age, two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men - come through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries flood Luke's world. A murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman catches Luke's eye.
A fatherless baby is born, and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white.
As young Luke watches the world around him, he shelters secrets that could shatter lives and change his family and his town forever.
A memorable adaptation of John Grisham's life-affirming story, A Painted House draws on childhood memories and "local lore" from his Arkansas roots.

SPECIAL FEATURES :

Full screen version

Digitally Mastered

2.0 Dolby surround

Production Notes

Cost and Credits

System Requirements:
Running Time: 98 Minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

family movie.......2007-03-13

It keeps you thinking. It has a great theme of family and closeness. The story of one boy and his families hardships living by the river.

Pretty good for a book adaptation.......2005-09-01

I was curious about this film because I had recently read - and enjoyed - the book by John Grisham. And well, yes, the book IS better, but who would expecte anything else? The movie version still is very good indeed, the acting was good. Scott Glenn played the grandfather very convincingly and Logan Lerman gave a promising performance as young Luke Chandler. These two worked well together and they are the main characters. Although some slight story adaptations were made, the film still stays true to the book (John Grisham himself was involved in the project). There should have been a little more focus on the character of Cowboy, since his part in the story got bigger towards the end and only little background about the developing conflict between him and Hank Spruill (a very good performance by Pablo Schreiber as the angry young man) was really given - whereas in the book the conflict builds gradually. The final - and fatal - fight between the two also differs from the book version, but the way it starts here was probably necessary to make it work (see my comment about the lack of development). Apart from a few minor upsets, this is a fine and entertaining film.

A Painted House (DVD) based on novel by John Grisham.......2005-08-03

An excellent movie breathing life into the story and characters as depicted in John Grisham's story.
I loved the book and this film really does it justice. A must have for any John Grisham fans.

Read it instead........2005-01-27

If you see it you'll never want to read it, a great book to read. The movie didn't carry the half of it.

-An American Story--.......2004-09-18

Having listened to this book on tape, my husband and I were delighted to see that Hallmark Hall of Fame had turned this wonderful story into a film. We were not disappointed.

This story takes place in Arkansas and is set in September of 1952. The Chandler family owns a farm. They grow cotton and hire both, Mexican migrant workers and Hill people, to pick their crop. The two groups clash when they meet on the Chandler farm. The story is told by 10 year old Luke Chandler. Logan Lerman gave a memorable performance as Luke. The entire cast was good, and we also enjoyed Scott Glenn in the role of Luke's grandfather.

John Grisham's books are always captivating, but this is my favorite. I wish that he would write more stories like this one. It gave us a look at America in a different era when baseball was an American past time and families worked together for a common goal. It also showed the relationship between the farmers and migrant workers who shared the responsibility of harvesting the cotton.

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