Guinevere

Starring:Sarah Polley, Stephen Rea, Jean Smart, Gina Gershon, Paul Dooley, Carrie Preston, Tracy Letts, Emily Procter, Sharon McNight, Gedde Watanabe, Carlton Wilborn, Sandra Oh, Francis Guinan, Oded Gross, Grace Una, Jasmine Guy, Danny Kovacs, Brian Frank, Debra Engle, Johnny Radzik
Director: Audrey Wells
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) a Wall Street yuppie obsessed with success, status and style is also a serial killer who murders, rapes and mutilates both strangers and acquaintances without reason. A Police detective is on his trail as Bateman s mask of studied, distant cool begins to fall apart.

System Requirements:

Running Time 102 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the "me" culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, "We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation." Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-06-18

This is my favorite movie of all time. Christian Bale drew me in when I first saw this movie. Every movie he is in, he always seems to be on top of his game. Sure some of his movie havent been all too great, yet he still puts on a hell of a show. I love the book as well, which is more explict then this. Its a great move.

great movie.......2007-06-15

I've got more and more respect for Christian Bale the more I see his movies. This one is excellent.

do you like phil collins?.......2007-06-13

I love this movie, I have since I rented about 5 years ago. I dont' really understand it, I guess I should read the book, but I think It's a really well done movie. Of course Bale is great, i love him as bateman and I also loved the period of the film. The special features on this edition are a different story. The version I already had only included one short featurette that was interesting, but short, and left me wanting more. So, naturally I thought I struck gold with the "uncut killers edition". Too bad most of the special features have NOTHING to do with the movie. A group of about 20 totally random people comment, one at a time, on new york in the eigthies for about an hour. I know that sounds weird, and it is, but its true. TOTALLY RANDOM people that had nothing to do with the movie (most of them). Honestly, I havent watched the movie yet, the special features were all I could handle at the time. There are 5 deleted scenes that add up to about 2 minutes, so this was barely worth it, only because I love this movie so much.

Simply the best!.......2007-06-10

This is Christian Bale at his best,his performance oozes class. Classic performance in a classic movie. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Buy it. Now I must return some videos...

American Psycho.......2007-06-08

This is one of my Top 5 all-time favorite movies. Also in my Top 5 are Fight Club and Very Bad Things...if that gives you any idea of what you're in store for.

Best when viewed after dinner, while sipping wine, about 11pm-ish, with a significant other.

Average customer rating:

Kevin Smith's best film...
An almost mature film from Kevin Smith...
A must own DVD
Kevin Smith in a nutshell.
An ingenious comedy with a residual sadness

Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection
Starring: Joey Lauren Adams , Ben Affleck , Casey Affleck , Matt Damon , and Dwight Ewell
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CX9D
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Amazon.com

Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh

Description

Chasing Amy is the third installment in the "New Jersey Trilogy" from award-winning writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma). Cult comic-book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend Banky (Jason Lee), and his own misgivings about himself. Filled with Smith's unique ear for dialogue and insight into relationships, Chasing Amy offers a thoughtful, funny look at how perceptions alter lives, and how obsession and self-doubt skew reality.

Customer Reviews:

Kevin Smith's best film..........2007-05-18

Chasing Amy, the third film in Kevin Smith's classic New Jersey trilogy (along with Clerks and Mallrats), just might be the best of the bunch. It packs Smith's usual envelope-pushing dialogue about sex, relationships, etc. and showcases some great comic performances. If you're feeling tired of boring Hollywood fare, Chasing Amy provides a refreshing slap in the face.

Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Bounce) plays Holden McNeil, a comic book artist who's still looking for the right woman. While attending a comic-book convention with his roommate and Bluntman & Chronic co-creator Banky (Jason Lee, Almost Famous), he meets Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), and they quickly hit it off. Holden is convinced that he's met future girlfriend material. However, there is one minor problem: She's lesbian, a fact that's conveyed in a hilarious bar scene.

After he gets over his initial shock concerning her lesbian preferences, Holden enters into a fast frienship with Alyssa. Their close bond is a source of tension between Holden and Banky, who believes that she's bad news (and perhaps is a bit jealous). As Holden and Alyssa's relationship becomes more intimate, he must also come to grips with her wild past. Whether or not you buy into the film's surprising resolution, there's no denying that it's a ballsy one.

Smith's writing is so sharp that almost any actor (or non-actor) can come off looking good. That said, Jason Lee gives a classic comic performance, spouting off numerous un-PC lines, whether introducing a young toddler to his collection of porn magazines or asking Alyssa about her lesbian habits: "Since you like chicks, do you just look at yourself naked in the mirror all the time?" Affleck delivers solid work in a gutsy role. How much you like or hate Joey Lauren Adams will depend heavily on how you cope with her nasal, high-pitched voice.

Of course, a Kevin Smith film wouldn't be complete without the presence of Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith himself), and their scene is a keeper. While dining with Holden at a restaurant, the two offer relationship advice that's alternately poignant and hilarious.

With a writer/director as daring as Kevin Smith, odds are there will be some scenes in his films that you won't like. However, that's a small price to pay for the many hilarious scenes you do get, and it's also part of the reason that Chasing Amy rewards repeat viewings.

An almost mature film from Kevin Smith..........2007-04-04

This is Kevin Smith's best film. It isn't perfect, but it has a lot of real emotion in it, even though Smith nearly ruins it with his usual oversexed, Generation X schtick. I think the reason this film works well for the most part is that it's really quite sincere in its best moments. Kevin Smith was dating Joey Lauren Adams (the lead actress here) at the time, and had problems dealing with her past. So he made this film as a cathartic experience, and maybe that was good for him to do so (even though him and Joey broke up, so it kind of all was for naught...oops). Anyway, you really believe Ben Affleck falls in love with Joey here, and his scene where he declares his love feels very real and sincere (something Gen X types like Smith are NOT known for). But when Joey just gives up being a lesbian right away for Affleck, it doesn't really feel authentic. Her character was a bit of a whore when she was young, she found lesbianism, now Affleck brings her back to straightdom? It's not entirely believable, but Affleck (in probably his only decent performance before he became a celebrity) is rather believable in this scene. And in the scenes immediately following it, Joey's character seems to be really in love with Affleck. Unfortunately, Smith throws in too many over the top sexual references (the scene where Joey Adams and Jason Lee talk about oral sex injuries is ridiculous and just there to be "in your face"), and the scene where Ben Affleck proposes a menage a trois between Jason Lee and Joey is ridiculous. Affleck somehow gets the idea in his head that Jason Lee has been in love with him his whole life (despite Lee talking about his oral sex injuries with women earlier on), which is completely out of place with his character. Affleck proposes this in front of a TV playing "video aquarium" for some reason. But I really like the ending of this film. It's left totally open, and Smith should be commended for ending the film like that. The film is a bit of a mess, with some questionable character motivations, but it has its good moments, and it's Smith's best film in my opinion.

A must own DVD.......2007-03-16

This is one of my all time favorite movies; I have probably seen it over 10 times and I still don't get bored with it. Great dialouge and very believable and beautifully flawed characters. Joey Lauren Adams shines in this and it's the only movie I like Ben Affleck in. But be warned, this movie might break your heart.

Kevin Smith in a nutshell........2007-02-27

It perfectly blends his potty mouth with sensitivity and good dialogue.This one and Jersey Girl is widely hated by the typical fans,but they're missing out.It's an unpopular formula that turns many away.You get the ones who like dick and fart jokes who don't appreciate the romance,and you get the other half who like the romance but hate the off-color jokes.For those of you with a taste for both,I reccomend this.

An ingenious comedy with a residual sadness .......2007-01-27

Chasing Amy is an intimate look at relationships and the uncompromising effect of regret. It is extremely rare to watch a comedy that will actually make you think.
This is by far Kevin Smith's most personal movie. It's low budget, the acting is bad (yes even by Ben Affleck), but it's still really enjoyable. Plus, the message is huge--follow your heart and ignore the distractions.
Holden(Affleck)is a comic book artist who falls in love with Alyssa(Adams), a woman who might have a questionable past. Then some rumors surface and her past endeavors start to become quite intrusive to him. Holden's insecurities boil over and puts their happy relationship in deep jeopardy.
This movie is hilarious, touching, and thought-provoking. A one-of-a-kind film.

Average customer rating:

An awesome movie to begin with, and Blu-ray makes it so much better
Hey Paul!!!
My Favorite Movie ~~~ * * * * * 5 Stars!
Great film, so-so Blu-ray
Video Quality Review (Blu-ray)

American Psycho [Blu-ray]
Starring: Christian Bale , Willem Dafoe , Samantha Mathis , Bill Sage , and Reese Witherspoon
Director: Mary Harron
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000H5TVJY
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Description

Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a Wall Street yuppie, obsessed with success, status and style, with a stunning fiancee (Reese Witherspoon). He is also a psychotic killer who rapes, murders and dismembers both strangers and acquaintances without provocation or purpose. Based on the controversial novel, the film offers a sharp satire to the dark side of yuppie culture in the '80s, while setting forth a vision that is both terrifying and chilling.

Customer Reviews:

An awesome movie to begin with, and Blu-ray makes it so much better.......2007-06-12

This is a great film, but I'm not going to go into the writing, acting, or directing, here - I like to rate the quality of the video, audio and extras when it comes to Blu-ray, because I think that's what people want to know - they can get all that other info off of a movie rating site.

So how is the quality - in a word: FANTASTIC! The video quality is awesome, as only Blu-ray can provide, and the sound is captivating. I've heard people complaining about the transfer of this film and I disagree. The "washed out" or "grainy" look people are complaining about has nothing to do with the transfer - it's just how the movie is supposed to look. The washed out affect is there to reflect the mind of the killer, and how he sees things.

Another great bd to add to your collection. I highly recommend it.

Hey Paul!!!.......2007-04-11

This has to be one of the best movies ever made. Christian Bale put on one of the greastest performances by actor that i have ever seen. He really deserved an oscar for the role. As far as the picture quality of the movie for blu-ray, I would have to say it is outstanding. One part in particular stands out, when Patrick Bateman Peels his facial mask off his face I think the picture jumps thru the screen. Its as though your looking right at him. Go Buy this movie and you won't be disapointed.

My Favorite Movie ~~~ * * * * * 5 Stars!.......2007-03-19

This movie has a wonderful soundtrack. Christian Bale is magnificent! His character is one that is inside everyone, and the ending has a great twist that I have found to leave some confused. I watched it twice before really understanding the ending. This is a movie you can watch over and over because of Christian Bale's character, Patrick, having such a weird sence of being, and very misunderstood sence of humor! I can not recommend this movie enough! The color is very brillant as well.

Great film, so-so Blu-ray.......2007-02-18

I'm a little ticked at LionsGate, I thought the shaky picture quality of the first wave of Blu-ray's was a thing of the past, now this. There is "ringing" and dirt in this transfer and I think given the limited number of Bluray titles out there, they ought to make a more concerted effort at keeping the quality higher than this. I guess I was expecting more, and reading the faint praise of the other two reviews, I see it's not just me.

Video Quality Review (Blu-ray).......2007-02-07

In a word, theatre. A bit of dirt, a touch of grain, some obvious edge enhancement at times, even somewhat muted contrast but still nice if flat coloring, great flesh tones, and plenty of detail gives this blu-ray transfer a night at the local cinema feel. I didn't mind it. Not that this type of transfer should be encouraged but given the material I sort of liked the look. Reminded me of when I used to go out to see a movie. Truth be told the print used needs some cleanup and titles needing some cleanup should get it before going HD. My rating is a little generous but given the film's setting of the decadent 80s the weathered megaplex look, even if due to lack of care, worked rather well.

(PS3 - 1080p projector - 92")

Average customer rating:

Without Go Fish there'd be no L Word
A must have for your collection!
worst lesbian movie I've ever seen
Go Fish vs. The L Word
Surprisingly Good

Go Fish
Starring: Guinevere Turner , V.S. Brodie , T. Wendy McMillan , Anastasia Sharp , and Jamika Ajalon
Director: Rose Troche
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005BKZK
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Amazon.com

Go Fish won acclaim in its initial release in 1994, probably because of its irreverence in gazing at the lives of a group of young lesbians in Chicago. The film was directed and cowritten by Rose Troche, who went on to make Bedrooms and Hallways with the help of Guinevere Turner, her then-partner and star of this film. (Turner later appeared in several films and collaborated with director Mary Harron to bring the nearly unadaptable Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho to the big screen.)

Go Fish is an audience film in that it needs a crowd to make its in-joke mentality pulse. In fact, it's hard to believe the film transcended its target demographic despite the fact that in its heart of hearts it's an old-fashioned love story. It feels amateurish upon solo home viewing, though retaining an iota of charm for its low-budget clunkiness and funkiness. While it basically tells the story of a young lesbian (played by Turner) looking for Ms. Right, and conforms to a standard scenario in that love is always found where it's least expected, it benefits mostly from Troche's ability to wring some wit out of "dyke drama" and, with her insider's point of view, poke gentle fun at it with a relatively sharp stick. --Paula Nechak

Description

A film-festival favorite, this "groundbreaking picture" (The Hollywood Reporter) is a candidand honest look at women in love that is "visually audacious, full of surprising charm and highly entertaining" (Variety)! In her directorial debut, Rose Troche (Bedrooms & Hallways), along with her co-writer and lead actress Guinevere Turner, delivers a lively, warm-hearted romantic comedy about the quest for Ms. Right that is "original, witty and delightful" (Los AngelesTimes)! Feisty, beautiful Max (Turner) is an outgoing young woman looking for romance. Tired of hearing her whine about the missing "X" factor in her life, Max's roommate sets her up with bashful, olderbut homelyEly (V. S. Brodie). Needless to say, there's no sign of fireworks! But just as Max begins to think that she is destined to be alone forever, she discovers that some oflife's best surprises come in plain, brown paper packages.

Customer Reviews:

Without Go Fish there'd be no L Word.......2007-01-17

Crtiticze all you want, but without Go Fish breaking the ground that it did, we'd have no L Word. While the production values are low, hollywood was not shelling out millions of dollars tomade for, by and about lesbian films. This film is historical and paved the way for lesbian representation. Hate ot or Love it...we are here because of it.

A must have for your collection!.......2007-01-11

This is a good movie that is well written, acted and a good message as well. A must have for the lesbian collection! It was a low budget film that was creatively done. I highly recommend it.

worst lesbian movie I've ever seen.......2006-12-23

My and girlfriend watched this movie and we hated it. It was senseless and we had to stop it when it was around 35 min. I couldn't watch it no more. It was horrible. My girlfriend gave it to her best friend and she said it was the worst lesbian movie she had ever seen... I agree!

Go Fish vs. The L Word.......2006-11-05

Like many of the other viewers who reviewed "Go Fish," I was initially so repelled by this movie that I shut it off half way through. At the time I had just begun to date women and I was disturbed by the way that this movie represented the lesbian community. I found myself thinking "This is not me. This is not how I want to walk through life. This is not how I want to be seen by others." The experiences of the women portrayed in this film did not (and still do not) represent my experience as a lesbian. Ironically, this is one of the main arguments made by critics of the L-word.
In a way, "Go Fish" is a foil of the L-Word; comparing these two features may be more interesting and enlightening than watching either one alone. It has been argued that the L-word is normalizing or "mainstreaming" the queer community and thereby misrepresenting the actual experience of lesbians--but by only representing a specific subculture of the lesbian community, doesn't "Go Fish" ultimately do the same thing? Wealthy, conventionally beautiful lesbians do exist and have sex with other wealthy, conventionally beautiful lesbians (even if they are a minority).

While in the process of figuring out my own identity and role in the queer community, I found it difficult to stomach a depiction of lesbians who are so completely removed from mainstream society. One reviewer suggested that people who write negative reviews of "Go Fish" have internalized the ideas that this movie is trying to dispel. I can see their point--many people who are gueer struggle with internalized homophobia and may shun a film that depicts lesbians without all the airbrushing. Plainly, many viewers (including myself) do not WANT to see themselves in this movie because it is unconventional and "unattractive."

It's no coincidence that one word which repeatedly comes up in reviews of "Go Fish" is "ugly." The lesbians in the L-word are "hot." Shane is "hot"--people of all genders and orientations want to watch Shane and Carmen having sex. The popularity of this show speaks for itself--I believe that the beauty of the characters in the L-word has contributed to making lesbians (and lesbian sex) appealing to mainstream society, and maybe it's a means to an end (the end being equal rights). But just because people will tune in to watch Shane and Carmen having sex doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to change their minds about gay marriage... And where does this leave lesbians like Max, Ely and Moira (not surprisingly, the LEAST popular character on the L-word!) who don't fit the model?

The big question is... Are we only acceptable to society when we're young, attractive and having hot sex--but not when we want to adopt children, pay taxes together or be politically active? By purchasing and supporting a the L-word and being repelled by "Go Fish" am I just buying into a revised version of homophobia? Do I only watch the L-word because it helps me feel better about being who I am?

Surprisingly Good.......2006-07-15

It's funny that a lot of people are claiming they were "duped" by the cover of this movie, thinking it was going to be about two hot straight-looking girls getting it on. That's exactly what I thought when I saw the cover, which is why I never rented the movie after years of seeing it in the video store. Then after seeing almost every lesbian film there is, I decided, finally, to watch Go Fish, and was shocked when I realized the main characters weren't straight-looking at all (accept for Turner, who seems a little akward playing a butch but tries to pull it off the best she can). I was surprised that I actually ended up liking this movie a lot better than a lot of other lesbian films I've seen, even though the acting is stale. But you have to bare in mind that the movie was extremely low-budget, didn't have any big-name backing, and was basically homemade. I was also a little shocked to find that this movie was made in the early 90s, revolutionary for it's time. As for the comments people have made about the attractiveness of the actors, grow up. The whole point of the film is that looks aren't everything, and yes, in real life, we do sometimes fall in love with people who are, godforbid, unattractive. And you'd think that in the 21st Century people, especially within the lesbian community, wouldn't be as misogynistic as to say "we only want to see hot girls making out." As far as the "duping" cover of this film, I think it's sad the producers had to use it to trick people into buying it, since so many people are too shallow to see past the fact that the characters in this film, except for Turner, aren't beautiful, and that's the whole point, by the way. It's also ironic that so many people who posted hear are saying "Go Fish" sucks, rent the "L Word" instead, when the writers and directors of "Go Fish" are two of the "L Word's" creators (Troche and Turner). The story line is a bit immature but fun, and the film brings up a lot of important issues about gender and sexuality and includes people from all different races and backgrounds (another rarity, even in lesbian films). Anyway, this film is going to remain a lesbian classic inspite of its amateurishness and the bad reviews people have given it.

Average customer rating:

BDSM TAKES A SPANKING WITH THIS PIECE OF THWAX!
SPANKING FOR FUN
saturday nights all right for biteing.
WTF?
Wow! Bondage people are as dull + boring as us normal people

Preaching to the Perverted
Starring: Guinevere Turner , Christien Anholt , Tom Bell , Charlotte Weston , and Julie Graham
Director: Stuart Urban
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Fetishes

ASIN: B0000AZT4G
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Description

A young infiltrator named Peter is dispatched by moral crusaders, led by Member of Parliament Henry Harding, to gather evidence for a private prosecution against fetish and S&M clubs in Britain, where many activities are still illegal. Peter is thrust into the sex-glamour shock of these big clubs and parties. He soon becomes infatuated with a sex goddess from New York, Tanya Cheex. Her outrageous show and lifestyle at the House of Thwax theatens to send her straight to jail.

Customer Reviews:

BDSM TAKES A SPANKING WITH THIS PIECE OF THWAX!.......2007-05-06

As this movie was both written, produced and directed by the same man -Stuart Urban, then he's the one who should be severely disciplined and humiliated for this pathetic comedic look at London's BDSM scene. Being British myself and knowing what could have been made of this fascinating and erotic subject, makes it even more painful. As a movie there is no sense of structure, no sense of comedic or satiric form. It's all been done before and much better back in the 1970's when British studios were really turning out "Sex-Coms" on an assembly line basis. Brit's love the whole culture of spanking, domination, black stockings and alike. And once upon a time they knew how to get us all aroused and to give us a few laughs in between the whacks and the kisses.

This film seems to have more slaves in it than "Spartacus" and as for anything remotely erotic to get you in the mood, well it's a torture in itself just to watch the going's on let alone wanting to join in!

SPANKING FOR FUN.......2006-12-22

"PREACHING TO THE PERVERTED"

Spanking for Fun

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"Preaching to the Perverted" (Netflix) is a very strange movie. Once you get past the S/M theme you will find an enjoyable experience, one that blew me away. T is somewhat ingenious in the way it deals with a subject heretofore not handled on film. Just the way it uses color is amazing and the message that it sends forth is one we should all adhere to--that we can all share a common bond regardless of life style.
The story is simple. A staunch Christian becomes involved in sado-masochism and bondage and falls in love with a dominatrix. I have never understood the S/M scene and this movie doesn't help me understand in any way but it did show a side of it that I had never considered. I am sure that the entire film is much more literate to those involved but the jokes are wonderful and easily understandable. You may need a strong sense of humor and not easily offended by caged people and beatings. This is not an insight into that scene but more about how dreams come true. Here is an interesting, amusing take on a subject thought of as taboo by many. It is nice to see a refreshing movie on an aspect of life that is only whispered about. Beautiful imagery, costumes, make-up and set design as well as brilliant photography and a sensitive and smart script put this film on my tope twenty list.
Gwin Turner, as the dominatrix, is spectacular. As a visiting S/M instructor from America who goes to England to whip the British scene into shape steals the entire movie. That she is found appalling by a Member of Parliament is the theme of the movie. When a spy is sent to a kinky sex club to find out what is going on, he is soon sucked into that world. Some of the quirkiest scenes come fairly late into the film and you have to stick with it long enough to get to them but once you do the payoff is well worth it.
The acting is wonderful and the characterizations of members of that scene are exceptional. And all in the entire movie is very entertaining. The way the movie handles the Christian issue is done with taste and we see that their objections to the life style are so ingrained in them that they seems to act without thinking about what they are doing.
I have no idea what led me to this movie. I had read nothing about it nor had I head of it. I simply found it by browsing Netflix assuming that it was a gay film--which t is to a certain degree. I had no expectations so when I sat down t watch and found myself getting involved in it, I was pleasantly surprised. What it really is seems to be is a romantic comedy all dressed up in leather.
Dealing with issues of censorship and consenting adult behavior is not easily tacked on the screen and even though the film is somewhat serious, there are moments of hilarity as it deals with topics that are very difficult but are in need of being addressed. It does tend to glamorize bondage, domination and sado/masochism as opposed to the traditional seedy look about it that we are usually given (if you saw "Cruising", you know what I mean). It strikes a chord about a subculture whose image has been colored by what the public thinks about it and this film gives it a new shot of energy even though it was made ten years ago.

saturday nights all right for biteing........2006-03-19

With this movie you enter the world of british bondage (all be it glamourized for the movies) and get a glimps of what "normal" people are scared of, and hopefully come to any understanding with many misconseptions. the movies is well done, and has a good plot line, unfortunatly the movie is base completely around heterosexuality, but even thou its a good movie for all.

WTF?.......2005-06-17

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is an insult to the entire BDSM culture. Not only is the acting horrible but they should have spent the money they did on the sets & costumes on script. I fail to believe this "Dominatrix" would fall for some loser idiot like him. Also, I like how the police & right-wingers "can't get close enough to catch them" even though their "dungeon" has a giant door off an alley that is wide open during daylight to move sets around. This is stupid with a capital S!

Wow! Bondage people are as dull + boring as us normal people.......2005-05-09

It seems that all there is to the bondage scene is people going to special clubs with silly customs and talking about if they are the one in charge or the one to serve.

Woah! So much to intrigue my non-BDSM mind!

Rosie O' Donald(?) and Dan Ackroyd probably demonstrated the lifestyle as well in Exit to Eden.

Average customer rating:

A Welcome Documentary

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
Starring: Randy Barbato , Ang Lee , Alice Wu , Jonathan Caouette , and Michael Musto
Director: Lisa Ades , and Lesli Klainberg
Manufacturer: Wolfe Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000H5TUWM
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Amazon.com

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema is constructed with interview snippets featuring a wide array of actors, directors, and festival organizers, to portray our last century's history of same-sex films. Dealing mostly with American film, minus acknowledgment of a couple European directors such as Chantal Ackerman, Fabulous! tells the story, by citing filmic examples from each decade, of post-war repression in the '40s and '50s, the gay civil rights struggle of the '60s and '70s, AIDS in the '80s and '90s, and the blossoming of new gender genres in a contemporary setting. With timelines to contextualize conversation, Fabulous! leads the viewer through discussions of Kenneth Anger's seminal 1947 work, Fireworks, to Warhol, through Derek Jarman, John Waters, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, all the way into Brokeback Mountain's current success. Interviews with independent film icons such as Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, John Waters, critic B. Ruby Rich, and Outfest's Stephen Gutwillig, make this an enjoyable journey through the minds of Hollywood's auteurs. More actual film footage of some difficult-to-see underground pieces would be nice, but clearly this documentary is an introduction to the history of transgressive cinema, meant to urge people to investigate further. --Trinie Dalton

Description

The most entertaining gay history lesson you've ever had. Picks up where The Celluloid Closet left off! The superstars of gay and lesbian cinema shine in this amazing overview of LGBT film history. Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema is packed with smart interviews and a tremendous array of film clips from the greatest movies of the genre celebrating more than half a century of queer independent filmmaking from Kenneth Anger's pioneering, Fireworks (1947) to the smash hit blockbuster Brokeback Mountain. Starring John Waters, Wilson Cruz, Guinevere Turner, Peter Paige, B. Ruby Rich, Gus Van Sant, Alan Cumming, the list goes on.

Customer Reviews:

A Welcome Documentary.......2006-12-28

"Fabulous: The Story of Queer Cinema"

A Welcome Documentary

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

A welcome addition to any video library is ?Fabulous: The Story of Queer Cinema?. It not only is a history of our movies, it is the history of our lives as recorded by the movies. We have come a long way and what makes this documentary so special is the way it tells the story of contemporary GLBT history.
?Fabulous? investigates the emergence of the gay and lesbian film movement from when we earmark that the gay liberation movement actually started, the 1960s, through the rise of the new queer cinema movement of the 1990s and the rise of gay film festivals, and the acceptance by our movies by the establishment along with the new predominance of gay characters in the mainstream as well as what is currently happening. And it is done exceptionally well. We learn that the story of our movies is aligned with what was going in the world and that certain events allowed for the gay movie to blossom. The movie is presented along with a timeline and we can actually see what caused a change in the world?s acceptance of our films.
The movie contains interspersed interviews with some of the movers and shakers of the gay cinematic movement including John Waters, Todd Haynes, Alan Cumming, B. Ruby Rich, John Cameron Mitchell (he is so cute!), Don Roos, Gus Van Sant and scores of others (37 people are interviewed).
We have always yearned to see our lives on the silver screen and for so long we were not able to (in some cases in Arkansas, we still can?t). The films discussed in ?Fabulous? are the ones that have affected our lives. Those interviewed give great insight into the field of our cinema and share what movies were and still are important to them. ?Fabulous? recounts the history of GLBT cinema through those who have been involved in it.
In retrospect it seems that gay film was always in the forefront of independent cinema and some of these movies are not only queer films but important ones as well. Today queer film is everywhere as ushered in by Ellen Degeneres and ?Will and Grace? on TV to the success of ?Brokeback Mountain? and ?Boys Don?t Cry? produced by major studios. Not so long ago we did not have the opportunity to see ourselves on the screen and now it seems as if we are everywhere. In the past it was stereotypes and very sad and depressing stories that defined us. Now what was the norm seems to have become the exception. Who would have ever thought that shows like ?Queer Eye?, ?Queer Duck? and ?Boy Meets Boy? would have be so popularly watched by so many?
The road to this point was not an easy one as explained in this documentary but it is important to know, as I learned here, that there always was a road. In the beginning there was not a lot of traffic but times have changed. The stories that are related here are sincere, uncut and explicit and it seems to me that the story of our films is really the story of us. We really have come quite a way.
Some of those interviewed relate some very personal stories. Heather Matarazzo and John Cameron Mitchell express their feelings from the bottom of their hearts. One of the most interesting parts of the film as what they relate how they felt when they saw their first gay film.
This is such an important movie in that it is both entertaining and educational. I do not think I will ever look at another gay film the same way ever again. I will now appreciate what it took to reach the point so I can indeed look at them and enjoy. Gay film should never ever be taken at face value. Each and every film is to be cherished, even if it is lousy, because it tells our story through sweat and tears and hard work. This is what makes this movie so special. If you get a chance to see it, I am sure that you will agree. I am so thankful that we have this documentary and I can only hope that more like it will follow.
_________________
Amos Lassen

Average customer rating:

Heart-breakingly Real
A film for the artists
A gem ...
Given the cast I am shocked there is no awe in this one
Like Harper's mother, Mrs Sloane, I too, am without awe.

Guinevere
Starring: Sarah Polley , Stephen Rea , Jean Smart , Gina Gershon , and Paul Dooley
Director: Audrey Wells
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 630574453X
Release Date: 2000-03-14

Amazon.com

Sarah Polley has built a reputation on her eerie calm--most of her performances seem dominated by an icy, implacable stare. That's why her performance in Guinevere is such a revelation. Polley plays Harper, a young woman from a wealthy but troubled family who's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. At her older sister's wedding, she meets Connie (Stephen Rea), a photographer as old as her parents, with whom she begins an affair. Their relationship--partly an education in the arts, partly an escape from the repression of her family--takes a variety of twists and turns, none of them predictable, all of them questionable, all of them genuine. The movie is clear-eyed about the situation: Connie isn't idealized, and is in many ways a creepy older man, neurotic and self-aggrandizing, but he also offers a kind of emotional support that Harper has never had. Whenever the movie seems to be turning into some bohemian fantasy, something happens that returns it to earth, sometimes with an uncomfortable jolt. It's unsettling, insightful, charming, scary, absurd, and all too real. All the performances are excellent--Jean Smart, as Harper's mother, is smart and cuttingly bitter; Rea is by turns sweet and manipulative, honest and self-deluded. But above all, Polley displays a combination of vulnerability and steely determination that makes Guinevere utterly compelling. The ending is curious--I still haven't made up my mind about it. But for a movie as committed to the contradictions of human relationships as this one, there's nothing wrong with that. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Screen favorite Stephen Rea (MICHAEL COLLINS, THE CRYING GAME) stars in this sexy, humorous story about a young woman's discovery of life and love in the arms of an older man! Born into an affluent family of overachievers, awkward young Harper Sloane (Sarah Polley -- eXistenZ, Go!) was always the odd one out ... until a brilliant photographer, Connie Fitzpatrick (Rea), focuses his attention on her! Now he's about to show her a world of possibilities she'd never imagined! But even as Connie begins to guide Harper out of her shell, it's ultimately up to Harper alone to show her disapproving mother ... and the whole world ... her true potential! Also featuring Gina Gershon (THE INSIDER, FACE/OFF) -- you'll be charmed by the acclaimed performances in this warm, award-winning motion picture!

Customer Reviews:

Heart-breakingly Real.......2005-07-13

I'd highly recommend this film to anyone, but especially to any
female artist, musician, actor who has come of age. This isn't
so much about a May-December romance: it is about the student/mentor bond which can be incredibly strong and intense,
and an aging artist who through Harper, is trying to hold onto
his past youth and the artistic potential he once had.

This could have been such a sappy movie, but the acting and writing kept that from happening. I agree with another reviewer - it was NOT predictable, and the acting was so real.

Sarah Polley is great, but Stephen Rea absolutely broke my heart.
These characters were not romanticized: they were multi-dimentional, human. There was good and not so good about them.
Connie Fitzgerald did manipulate and seduce Harper, but it was also clear that he really loved her. It was clear as well, that Harper knew what she was getting herself into and it was her choice ultimately.

My only reservation was that some of the family members (father,
sister) were one-dimensional to the point where it was hard to
believe. Perhaps that was how Harper saw them, or perhaps that
was done to set-off the volatile emotional intensity of the mother (Jean Smart, who was also good), and the repressed/about-to-emerge artistic intensity of Harper.

I am a die-hard Stephen Rea fan after seeing this film.

A film for the artists.......2005-07-12

At first glance this film seems like a bad American TV movie, it is certainly shot like one. However 10 mins in you start to realise that this film has a little bit more going for it than that. The film follows the story of a girl in her early 20s and her journey into adulthood. On the way she falls for an older man, battles her parents and gets more than a glimce into the life of an artist. This film is perfect for anyone struggling with artistic asperations, think "American Beauty" meets "Lost in Translation." That's all you need to know, now go buy it!

A gem ..........2005-05-06

This isn't your typical "Hollywood/male fantasy fulfillment" version of a May-December romance, but neither is it one which sits in bitterly moralistic, harsh judgment of such relationships, or of the people who get themselves into them. Just when you think the film is about to veer off into either "mainstream, happy ending" territory OR "heavy-handed cautionary tale" territory ala the Lifestyle network (where every single movie shows women as victims and men as amoral, abusive monsters), it fools you by taking a different, more complicated, and utterly compelling path.

Except for one character (Sarah Polley's mother), the film stays away from one dimensional, oversimplified caricature. Speaking of the mother (played with surprising venom by Jean Smart), the character gets accolades from several reviewers of the movie for a scene in which she dissects the relationship between her daughter and the older man. Her so-called "insights" have been hailed as "brutally accurate, right on," etc.

I disagree. I think some people missed the point of that scene, in that the mother -- who is obviously seething with bitterness and resentment -- tosses off careworn cliches about certain men and certain relationships which, while they have some measure of truth, are far from being wise or wholly accurate. What the character says reveals just as much about her insecurities and issues as it does about those of her daughter and her daughter's lover.

It's really one of those subtle, thought-provoking treasures that almost demands discussion after you see it, especially if you're in a relationship with someone significantly younger or older than yourself. Trust me when I tell you, this surprisingly sweet and uncompromisingly tough movie does not end up where you think it will, though it doesn't try and "shock" you with a contrived, surprise ending, either. It's at once both beautiful and difficult to watch, romantic and pragmatic, confusing and contradictory, neither wholly perfect or wholly flawed, much like real life "May-December" romances and the people in them.

Given the cast I am shocked there is no awe in this one.......2005-05-06

The best scene in "Guinevere" belongs to Jean Smart and it is also the scene that exposes the fatal flaw in this 1999 drama from writer-director Audrey Wells ("Under the Tuscan Sun"). Smart plays Deborah Sloane, who has discovered that her 20-year-old daughter Harper (Sarah Polley) is shacked up with Connie Fitzpatrick (Stephen Rea), a photograph and drunk (not always in that order) who is older than Deborah. Harper is the latest in a series of young girls that Connie has taken under his wing as his "Guinevere," but Deborah does not know about all that. What she knows is that someone older than she is happens to be having sex with her daughter, and Deborah has a theory as to why this is happening and why Connie does not like women his own age. When she asks what Harper has that she does not, her answer is "awe." Harper can look at Connie with awe, whereas Deborah, who has been around, cannot. The problem is that neither can we.

You have to understand that Deborah is a rather unsympathetic figure in this film, destroying a dinner with her family by her insistence that they read the fortunes in their fortune cookies and add "in bed" to the end. But she is devastating right about Connie and that is why this film does not work for me. I have no problem with the idea that a story about an artist who goes through a series of young women who act as his muses and protégés. We meet most of the rest of these Guineveres during the course of the film and some of them are played by Gina Gershon, Sandra Oh and Jasmine Guy. But what we do not get to see is any evidence that Connie is any sort of artistic genius. There are some decent black & white photographs but basically you have to take the film's position that he is worth of emulation let alone awe. The most demonstrative talent Connie shows in the film is to (euphemism warning) make her extremely happy while she is still dressed (okay, not so much a euphemism as being extremely vague).

There is even less of an idea in the film that Harper would be a worthy protégé, or muse for that matter. This is rather odd because as an actress Sarah Polley usually makes her characters seem pretty smart (not Julia Stiles smart but certainly in the Jodie Foster range), and here she only comes across as clueless without a sense of direction. Connie must look better to Harper than her family or going to Harvard, but that is not really saying much, and when we see her at the end of the film and she is clearly a confident young woman, there is no real reason to give Connie the credit. So I cannot help but think that if Connie wants to do the Svengali routine, he could do better than Harper. If I am thinking that, then clearly "Guinevere" is not working despite the solid cast. The fault is not in the performances, but in the script.

Admittedly the problem can be that I am of the wrong gender to appreciate a film that is essentially a female coming of age story. Certainly that is an almost microscopic movie genre in comparison to male coming of age stories (which might actually cover most movies being made today now that I stop and think about it). I also have a problem with the idea that given a choice between Jean Smart and Sarah Polley (abstracted to the general level of a woman in her forties versus a woman in her twenties) the choice is obvious, and that would be because I know what the former has that the latter does not. But the main complaint remains that while I might be able to buy Harper and Connie are lovers I cannot accept them as student and teacher, and ultimately that is what is supposed to make "Guinevere" more than just another older man/younger woman movie, even if it is told from her perspective.

Like Harper's mother, Mrs Sloane, I too, am without awe........2004-06-09

This movie is the male-fantasy of every photographer who has ever picked up a camera in hopes of bedding a bevy of pretty girls.

Average customer rating:

Excellent
great movie
do you like phil collins?
Simply the best!
American Psycho

American Psycho (Unrated Version)
Starring: Christian Bale , Justin Theroux , Josh Lucas , Bill Sage , and Chloë Sevigny
Director: Mary Harron
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004U8H4
Release Date: 2000-09-05

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-06-18

great movie.......2007-06-15

I've got more and more respect for Christian Bale the more I see his movies. This one is excellent.

do you like phil collins?.......2007-06-13

Simply the best!.......2007-06-10

This is Christian Bale at his best,his performance oozes class. Classic performance in a classic movie. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Buy it. Now I must return some videos...

American Psycho.......2007-06-08

Average customer rating:

you just don't want to part with this film..
Excellent portrayal of the artistic process...
Insightful Examination of Black Lesbian Indentity
A Trip Out Film!
This is a wonderfully creative film with a great storyline.

The Watermelon Woman
Starring: V.S. Brodie , Lisa Marie Bronson , Cheryl Clarke , Emmy Collins , and Irene Dunye
Manufacturer: First Run Features
ProductGroup: DVD
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