Waiting

Starring:Don Allen (VII), Amorika Amoroso, Joe Canuso, Colleen Casey (II), Hannah Dalton, Aida Davis, Mickey Goldhaber, Lloyd Kaufman, Will Keenan, Maureen Kelly (IV), Kerri Kenney, Kurt Knobelsdorf, Steve Lippe, Bobbi Martino, Tim McKenna, Harry Philabosian, Bill Robertson (III), Rocco Rosanio, Christopher Thompson
Studio: First Run Features
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Season Two of Waiting for God further exemplifies the comedic prowess of stars Graham Crowden and Stephanie Cole, as Tom and Diana, the feistiest personalities at Bayview Retirement Home. This season, viewers are also introduced to residents like Basil, the "sex pistol," fodder for Tom and Diana's acerbic wit. As in Season One, these unlikely friends sarcastically examine every aspect of aging, with unparalleled bitterness and theatrical panache. If some of Season One's episodes verged on dullness, the narratives in these episodes are loftier, providing more food for thought and room for creative scripting. Episode One launches the season with a funeral scene in which people take cell phone calls, and Tom and Diana discover they're at the wrong graveside. The rest of the segment is devoted to musings about life after death. In episode seven, Diana tries to help host the Glamorous Granny competition with a friendly demeanor, but cheer is too unnatural to her. The jokes this season are more morbid, the humor more sardonic, making it a more poignant critique of elderly living.

Sexual tension between Tom and Diana remains ambiguous this season, though Diana flatly rejects Tom's invitation to move in with him in Episode Two. Diana's staunch feminism is repeatedly elucidated when she takes offense with various situations, such as the Granny contest, or when a pretty new woman moves in on Episode Three, attracting the attentions of Bayview men. Diana's spinster appeal grows, though one wonders if and when she will ever let her guard down. Tom's character is deepened as well, as he confesses his loneliness and trains to be a Death counselor for those grappling with impending end. As much as the characters have changed, though, they will remain familiar to those who have appreciated them from the beginning. --Trinie Dalton

Description

At the Bayview Retirement Village the elderly are expected to grow old gracefully, enjoying their final years in peace, quiet and comfort... but not if Tom (Graham Crowden) and Diana (Stephanie Cole) have anything to do with it! In Season Two, Tom and Diana continue to be rebel senior citizens determined to squeeze the most from life before meeting their Maker. Mysterious thefts at Bayview set Diana and Tom off on a bit of sleuthing; however, the ingenuity leads Tom into hot water as he finds himself taking the rap for a shoplifting offense. Diana defends him as "the most harmless, boring person in the world." Meanwhile, Harvey, the despicable manager of Bayview, has determined to cut costs by employing a group of short foreigners...

DVD Features:
Biographies:Cast bios
Featurette:Funny Women Featurette - Stephanie Cole

Customer Reviews:

Love these 'old' people.......2007-06-22

What a joy to watch Diana and Tom's first season again. Fell in love with them years ago and very happy to finally have my own copy. I want to 'grow up' to be Diana Trent, and find my Tom Ballard, too !

Season 2 even better.......2007-06-13

Season 2 is better than season one...now lets have 3 through 5, which are already out in the English PAL version!

Return to Bayview!.......2007-06-02

"Waiting for God" is the ultimate BBC comedy on aging. Tom Ballard(Graham Crowden) and Diana Trent (Stephanie Cole) wreak havoc in and around the Bayview Retirement Community, much to the chagrin of Harvey Baines (Daniel Hill) who runs the place and the confusion of Jane Edwards (Janine Duvitski). Please take note: the series has a definite beginning, middle, and end. Most of the episodes do stand alone - however, I would like to suggest seeing them in order. IF YOU HAVEN"T SEEN THE FIRST SERIES/SEASON, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER THAT BEFORE WATCHING THESE! Waiting for God - Season 1

For those who already know Tom & Diana, there is no better treat than a return trip to the Bayview Retirement Community "for the almost dead." The second series should include ten episodes of the battle for respect as waged by Tom and Diana. Some of the hijinx in store from the second season discs include the introduction of Daisy for two episodes ("just what I need - a real life Major Barbara banging about the place") who increases a rift between Tom & Diana; Tom's policy of telling ONLY the WHOLE truth; and the hilarious hip operation which conflicts with Sarah's wedding. However, there are three must-have episodes: "Glamourous Grannies" in which Diana bets Tom she can be nice to everyone for a week; "Young People" which involves Harvey's latest scheme to be rid of Diana on the grounds of morality; and finally, "The Boring Son," in which Tom's son Geoffrey (Andrew Tourell) leaves his wife and moves in with Tom driving everyone nuts in the process.

The British have a wonderfully understated way of presenting the trials and hassles of aging. This series is the best to come over from England, and let's hope A&E/BBC continue to release the show!

Diana and Tom Wreak More Havoc.......2007-04-14

This is the Second Series (they have series in the UK not seasons)of the great Waiting for God. Based on the 300 minute running time, there are 11 episodes in this series.

Funerals - Tom and Diana are tired of all the boring funerals and decide that they should have a better send off.

Tom Dates - Since Diana only wants to be friends, Tom decides to date the new resident.

New Girl in Town - Tom's romance continues until Diana decides she doesn't like the competition.

Shoplifting - Diana and Tom catch one of the new resident's shoplifting but when they try to cover for her, Diana is accused of shoplifting.

Diana's Niece - Diana's niece comes to a visit and announces her wedding. But Diana sees through his polished veneer.

Sarah's Wedding - Diana's niece's wedding is pending and Diana is in the hospital. But nothing will stop Diana from the nuptuals.

Harvey's Plan - Harvey has a plan to cut costs and make more money for him.

Geoffery Moves In - Geoffrey leaves his wife and moves in with Dad.

The Vicar - It's another funeral but the Vicar has a nervous break down during the funeral.

Unruly Kids - Geoffrey goes after his wife and leaves the kids to watched by Tom and Diana.

The Job - Diana decides to get a job.

Stephanie Cole and Graham Crowden shine as the two oldsters. Lets hope that they continue to release more. This makes 18 of the 47 episodes.

Waiting... (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Another underated comedy from Ryan Reynolds
WAY FUNNIER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE!
this movie is hilarious
Funny as hell..
It's okay, more Dane Cook please!

Waiting... (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds , Anna Faris , Justin Long , David Koechner , and Luis Guzmán
Director: Rob McKittrick
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CPH9PM
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Amazon.com

The bitter, vengeful world of waiting tables gets the Clerks treatment in Waiting.... A new employee (John Francis Daley, Freaks and Geeks) gets trained at Shenanigan's, a banal theme restaurant where the bored employees play a game of flaunting their genitals. The staff includes a snarky waiter (Ryan Reynolds, Van Wilder, The Amityville Horror) who lusts after the underage hostess; a waiter suffering from crippling pee-shyness (Robert Patrick Benedict, Threshold); an oracular dishwasher (Chi McBride, Roll Bounce); and a conflicted waiter named Dean (Justin Long, Dodgeball), who's just been offered a promotion to assistant manager--a job that offers more money, but threatens to trap him at Shenanigan's for the rest of his life. Waiting... is a loose shamble of a movie--the only thing resembling a story is Dean's life crisis--but that's part of its charm. It's a tricky thing to depict tedium without being tedious, but Waiting... pulls it off; some jokes smack of forced sitcom writing, but most of the humor feels genuine, as if it came from writer/director Rob McKittrick's personal experience. A future cult film. Also featuring Anna Faris (Lost in Translation), Luis Guzman (The Limey), and rabidly adored stand-up comic Dane Cook as..a cook. --Bret Fetzer

Description

A hilarious comedy about frustrated waiters, stingy tippers and dicey food, Lions Gate Films' WAITING... stars Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris and Justin Long as young employees battling boredom at Shenanigan's, a generic chain restaurant. A waiter for four years since high school, Dean (Justin Long) has never questioned his job at Shenanigan's. But when he learns that Chett, a high school classmate, now has a lucrative career in electrical engineering, he's thrown into turmoil about his dead-end life. Dean's friend Monty (Ryan Reynolds) is in exactly the same boat, but he couldn't care less. More concerned with partying and getting laid, Monty is put in charge of training Mitch (John Francis Daley), a shy new employee. Over the course of one chaotic shift, Mitch gets to know the rest of Shenanigan's quirky staff: Monty's tough-talking ex-girlfriend, Serena (Anna Faris), Shenanigan's over-zealous manager, Dan (David Koechner), and head cook Raddimus (Luis Guzman), who's obsessed with a senseless staff-wide competition known only as "The Game"... Featuring crazy busboys, unsanitary kitchen antics, and lots of talk about sex, WAITING... is a hysterical, behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant industry, and an affectionate ode to those lost, and thoroughly unproductive, days of youth.

Customer Reviews:

Another underated comedy from Ryan Reynolds.......2007-06-28

This movie is to restaurant workers as Super Troopers was to cops. A very funny movie. Much love to the goat!

WAY FUNNIER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE! .......2007-06-13

It is always a good feeling to watch a movie that you think is not going to be that good and getting more than you bargained for! This movie is pretty damn funny and I laughed out loud many times watching it. Not much plot,just low brow humor at it's best! The DVD has a great transfer and some funny extras.

this movie is hilarious.......2007-04-20

this is a really funny movie. although the guy from the mac commercials is a tool, but he is the lame dude in all the funny movies lately, he sucks, but the rest of the movie sucks. oh yeah and dane cook blows too, i wouldnt of known he was the cook if my brother didnt tell me. but besides those two cakes, the movie is really funny worth buying a cheap copy of on amazon fo shizzle

Funny as hell.........2007-04-10

this movie is hilarious. i thought it was funny as hell. it was kind of disgusting. but funny. I really can't say more than what i did. see the movie man.

It's okay, more Dane Cook please!.......2007-03-08

This was an OK comedy. It could have been way better seeing as it had the benifit of comedic genius Dane Cook and the minds that brought us Van Wilder. If you have worked at a restaurant like Fridays or Applebees, it would probably be funnier, but it missed a mark and leaves the watcher unfulfilled. It'll pass teh time though. I suggest you rent this one.

Average customer rating:

Absolute Classic Comedy
Stool Boom!!!
Not their best, but still fun!
Interesting mockumentary, now I see why
Parody as Art

Waiting for Guffman
Starring: Lewis Arquette , Bob Balaban , David Cross (II) , Paul Dooley , and Brian Doyle-Murray
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005LC5D
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Amazon.com

One of the funniest films in many a moon was hiding at art house theaters in 1998. Former Saturday Night Live comedian and Spinal Tap member Christopher Guest creates the ultimate parody of small-town dramatics, Waiting for Guffman. Corky St. Claire (Guest), an overwhelming drama director hiding out in Blaine, Missouri, thinks he has found the vehicle to put him back on Broadway: the city's 150th anniversary play, Red, White, and Blaine. As rehearsals start, we learn of the town's history ("the stool capital of the world") including a brush with a UFO. The mockumentary follows the various townsfolk wishing for stardom: Parker Posey as a Dairy Queen clerk, Catherine O'Hara and Fred Willard as stage-struck travel agents, Matthew Keeslar as the town's bad boy, and Eugene Levy (who cowrote the film with Guest) as a dentist who dreams of glory on the stage. The film is a hoot from beginning to end, and be sure to watch the closing credits. Fans of Guest's deft dry humor should not miss his other parody of the entertainment world, The Big Picture (Kevin Bacon as a student filmmaker who goes to Hollywood). --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Absolute Classic Comedy .......2007-05-21

I have probably seen this 15 or 16 times, and every time I watch it I catch another hilarious detail, whether it be a line in the songs that I hadn't noticed before, or a nuance in the performances, or some other detail...every single member of Guest's "troupe" is at their best here. This flick just cracks me up. Corky is one of Guest's most memorable characters ever and the songs about Blaine are a riot. This is in my top 10 comedies of all time, easily, and my favorite of Guest's "mockumentaries."

Stool Boom!!!.......2007-05-12

Seriously one of the best comedies ever made. This film is brilliant. If you have ever done any form of community theatre you will understand why. You have to see it. Probably the best of all the Guest films.

Not their best, but still fun!.......2007-05-08

This isn't as good of quality as IMHO as Best in Show or A Mighty Wind, and of course This Is Spinal Tap, but still fun to watch.

Interesting mockumentary, now I see why.......2007-04-09

I didn't enjoy "For Your Consideration" but I decided to give director Christopher Guest another chance by seeing "Waiting for Guffman." Guest plays as Corky a quirky stage director celebrates his small town's history by putting on a play featuring local residents. Having recruiting a fun cast of SCTV and SNL make this one of the most creative comedies I've seen. It has many funny moments, especially from Corky. At times, I'm sure what the actors had to go through was embarrassing, especially when Willard and O'Hara were doing their duet. A way that that was put into perspective for me was when our school put on a performance of `Bye Bye Birdie', and the person who played Gloria Rasputin, a glitzy dancer who is not very good, commented how embarrassing it was to be bad.

The photography was amateurish, especially in the beginning, but that gave it a more authentic feel to the documentary-type it is. However, if this is all supposed to be a documentary, then there are a few shots that don't seem right. The townspeople are knocking on Corky's door, and then we see Corky sitting in the bathtub. Also, right after scene was done in the musical; we follow the actors going backstage. If the camera was just in the audience, how can it get on stage?

Much of the dialogue was obviously improvised, and it tells. Whenever someone just got a whiff, they went on to talk about whatever, and it's often very funny. Some of the deleted scenes on the DVD are just improv, especially from Fred Willard, who is just hilarious.

Something that makes this different from other movies is that there is no background music, because this is supposed to be a documentary. It really put more of an authentic feel. Another point that I loved is the combination of a regular movie and an ensemble movie. Instead of having some well-developed characters or no characters to care about, Guest put in deep characters, that have back-stories that we actually care about, and it's amazing that he can put all of it in 80 minutes. "Waiting for Guffman" is a very funny piece that isn't as much about the bad actors but the interesting story that goes on behind the scenes. If you enjoy quirky pictures that can be uneven but also funny, this is your type of movie.

Parody as Art.......2007-03-02

I wrestled with whether "Waiting for Guffman" is caricature, parody, or burlesque. I settled on parody, but really "Guffman" is simply an intelligent, warm, funny film with very strong performances. Granted, to truly enjoy this film, you have to bond to the "mockumentary" format and style. I loved "Best in Show", so it was a real treat to see much of the same cast with different characters.

In my opinion, what makes it all work is the kindness of the film and the sincerity of the performances. The subject matter and setting of this film could encourage a mean-spirited style. The setting is the fictional small town of Blaine, Missouri, but it could be Anywhere, USA. The subject is the staging of a musical celebrating the town's sesquicentennial and using local talent. So, the film could skewer small town folks, and poke mean fun at amateur theatre. But it doesn't, and that's what makes it good.

There are some wonderful individual performances here. My favorite character is the smokin' hot Parker Posey as Libby Mae Brown, a DQ employee cum actress. Her gum-chewing monlogues are great. Then there are the local "stars" of community theatre, Sheila and Ron Albertson. The Robertsons are well played by Catherine O'Hara and Fred Willard. Their audition scene (a choreographed rendition of "Midnight at the Oasis") was brilliant. Eugene Levy turns in a charming performance as town dentist, Dr. Pearl, who finds his performer within. Christopher Guest does a good turn as Corky St. Clair, a gay director hidden in the closet, complete with fictional wife. His divo-style temper tantrums show me that he's observed quite a few tempermental artists in his day.

There are many good scenes in this film. The details and touches matter. I liked the work of Bob Balaban (Russell from "Seinfeld") as the conductor and usual director of the pageant, Lloyd Miller. He was aghast at the auditions, he was miffed at being under Corky's direction, he was alarmed at the lack of singing rehearsal. When he stepped in as director after Corky pulled a divo and left the production, he felt vindicated and assertively took charge. The scene where Corky is asking the town council for additional funding is wonderful. Very nice touches were provided by Don Lake as town historian Phil Burgess. He helps us bond to the town by telling us the town history; how Blaine is the stool capital of the world, about the UFO encounter, and the whistlestop visit of President McKinley. This makes us care about the town, and the actors make us care about the people, so naturally, we care about the production that follows.

And what a production it was! The production was called "Red, White, and Blaine", and it covered the history of Blaine, complete with alien (played by a half-blind Dr. Pearl). The tension and excitement backstage is palpable. Part of the tension arises from the anticipated visit of Guffman, who will ostensibly evaluate the suitability of the show for Broadway. The overture to this spectacular, conducted by Balaban's Miller was a lot of fun. Check out the trumpet player doubling as tympanist. There are great audience details; the pride of Dr. Pearl's wife, played by a seriously made up Linda Kash, was touching. The emotional response of Councilman Steve Stark, played by Michael Hitchcock, was genuine. His response was driven by the fact that he couldn't be in the show.

Kudos to Lewis Arquette, Christopher Guest, all the crew, and this wonderful ensemble of actors. It is a piece of work they can all be proud of.

Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Tom and Diana are Magical
I Want To Be Diana When I Grow Up
Excellent!!
Great subtle humor.
Waiting For God

Waiting for God - Season 1
Starring: Stphanie Cole , Graham Crowden , and Daniel Hill
Director: Gareth Gwenlan
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Waiting for God - Season 2
Mulberry - The Complete Series
One Foot in the Grave - Season 1
'Allo 'Allo! - The Complete Series Five, Parts 1 and 2
Good Neighbors - The Complete Series 4

ASIN: B000EOTUTE
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Amazon.com

It's strange that a British comedy series in the tradition of Monty Python and Mr. Bean would sit fifteen years before being released on DVD. However, Waiting for God's humor has less slapstick mixed in with its dark, dry wit, making its style uniquely relevant to facing old age and death. The first seven episodes are collected on this disc: Welcome to Bayview, A Trip to Brighton, Cheering Up Tom, The Christening, Fraulein Mueller, The Psychiatrist, and The Helicopter. In each, elderly citizen Tom Ballard (Graham Crowden) and his grumpy spinster friend, Diana Trent (Stephanie Cole) overcome boredom and malaise within Bayview Retirement Village, having some adventures outside its confines (like when they drive a Porsche to Brighton in "A Trip to Brighton"), but mostly relying on conversation to entertain themselves. Waiting for God exemplifies smart writing paired with solid acting, since there is little dramatic action to distract from its premise. As a result, Tom and Diana's characters have well-rendered personalities, making their conversations pleasantly predictable. Tom always fantasizes, believing he can enact change, like when he stages a hunger strike against Bayview's food in "Welcome to Bayview." Diana is the quintessential pessimist, her nose always buried in a novel or in a game of solitaire to pass time until death. She's bitter towards people who "revere everything ancient except themselves." Diana and Tom bond over broken families and a love of sarcasm, and their unlikely friendship is both realistic and entertaining. Plots against their refusal to accept senior citizen status grow heated, as in "The Psychiatrist," when Harvey, Bayview's manager, aims to prove Tom and Diana mentally incompetent in order to confiscate their rights. In "The Helicopter," Tom and Diana sneak a ride in a helicopter, causing panic and chaos amongst their caretakers. Instead of poking fun at the elderly, as does the other British comedy about an old couple, Keeping Up Appearances, Waiting for God satirically highlights the absurd notion that our elders are incapable of living intelligently. --Trinie Dalton

Description

At the Bayview Retirement Village the elderly are expected to grow old gracefully, enjoying their final years in peace, quiet and comfort... but not if Tom (Graham Crowden) and Diana (Stephanie Cole) have anything to do with it! Meet two elderly eccentrics who refuse to put up with the appalling food and condescending staff, in the hilariously cynical BAFTA-nominated comedy that won Stephanie Cole a British Comedy Award in 1992.

Customer Reviews:

Tom and Diana are Magical.......2007-06-28

I was so happy to receive this DVD as I miss seeing Tom and Diana on my local PBS channel. The clarity of the DVD was excellent, much better than the TV version. The wit is typically British and wonderful. Though I have seen all the episodes, I never tire of watching them again. I'm hoping to be just like Diana when I retire; just as outspoken and unflappable! A wonderful escape from the horrible choices on TV.

I Want To Be Diana When I Grow Up.......2007-06-07

...and I'm working on it! I too will probably end up being the terror of some as-yet-unsuspecting "facility". Meanwhile, at 75, I'm working a job and a half, supporting myself and three cats, and thoroughly enjoying life and my friends.

This series does a wonderful job of pointing out that those of us who are "senior citizens" (I only use the term about myself when I want the discounts) are perfectly capable of living as useful citizens who can contribute their knowledge and experiences, have one whole hell of a lot of fun, and not have to be "managed".

Are Tom and Diana exaggerated? Probably. But they are great characters, perfectly cast. While enduring the physical infirmaties of age, they scheme relentlessly to outwit their relatives and the Bayview administration, giving us a hilarious and highly unorthodox view of aging. You will laugh yourself sore at their conversations and their adventures. You will also feel their deep concern for each other and their fellow residents, usually masked by outrageous actions and speech.

Some of the funniest moments occur when Diana "borrows" her niece's Porsche, Diana and Tom disrupt a boring christening, put on a great "senile" act for a visiting psychiatrist, and make hash out of the aspirations of a local politician. Never underestimate the power of an old lady hanging out of a helicopter doing aerial photography.

Why did it take so long for this series to be issued on DVD? Now that it has, let's hope we eventually have all of it available. Season 2, here I come! My trusty VISA card trembles in terror every time a bunch of these great British comedies makes it to DVDs.

Excellent!!.......2007-06-04

Excellent British comedy. Love the Diana and Tom characters. 5 stars all the way.

Great subtle humor........2007-06-02

I liked it better than my husband. But hey, he's older than I am. Ha Ha.

Waiting For God.......2007-05-14

Have been waiting for this series to be released on DVD for years now. It's just so typical of great British whit and humour, together with fabulous actors.

Average customer rating:

A feel good film for ALL women!!!!!
Waiting to Exhale DVD
Understanding!
Desperate women who need to BREATHE.
Read the book and saw the movie!

Waiting to Exhale
Starring: Whitney Houston , Angela Bassett , Loretta Devine , Lela Rochon , and Gregory Hines
Director: Forest Whitaker
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000ILEE
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Amazon.com essential video

Based on a novel by Terry McMillan, this weepy melodrama about four African American women and the men who wronged them became an instant cultural phenomenon when it was released back in 1995. It's easy to see why Exhale struck a nerve: the movie boasts an attractive cast of African American actresses and personalities, including Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, and Lela Rochon. Unfortunately, though, Exhale sags under the weight of its soapy, crisis of the week plotting and relentlessly cheery "you go, girl!" optimism. And African American men, cast here as insensitive lovers and pigheaded materialists, get the very short end of the feminist stick. Perhaps moviegoers were simply responding to the brilliant soundtrack by R&B superstar Babyface, who provided the movie's only real groove. --Ethan Brown

Description

Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett star in this funny and touching film about four women who find strength through their rare and special relationship. Savannah, Bernadine, Robin and Gloria are all searching for the Real Thing: true love. Bernadine thought she had it, until her husband left her for another woman. Savannah and Robin are successful in business but their love lives are bankrupt. And divorcee Gloria is getting back in the game by flirting with her new, very eligible neighbor. Based on Terry McMillan's best-selling novel, and featuring the #1 smash hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," "Waiting to Exhale" is the film you and your friends have been waiting for! Original score by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.

Customer Reviews:

A feel good film for ALL women!!!!!.......2007-07-04

I have to say that this is one of my favorite films of all time. Everyone did a good job in this film, especially Whitney Houston. My favorite character in the film would definitely have to be Bernadine. This film makes you laugh, cry, and also makes you aware of the fact that you do need friends to get you through the difficult times, especially when it comes to dealing with no good men!!!!

Waiting to Exhale DVD.......2007-06-15

Great Movie! I am glad to have it as part of my collection.

Understanding!.......2007-03-09

As a female, I enjoy watching what men call Chick Flicks but never watched them more than I had to. I enjoy horror movies, suspense, actions...
Watching Waiting to Exhale when I was a bit younger, I did not totally understand the concept of their struggles, often wondering why it is that the one girl would repeatedly put herself through a man that obviously did not really want anything to do with her but for sex only to hook up with a man that she obviously is not attracted to just for him to treat her coldly in the workplace. I could not understand why Bernie would burn some of her husband's belongings even the car then have garage sale with the rest, I could not understand why Gloria was hung on her very gay son's father hoping he would come back to her, I could not understand why Savannah would not hook up with the hunky fine chocolate brother... I could not understand why most of the things happened, but going through life itself, having children and friends I now do understand, which is why I decided to purchase this movie for my collections. Because inside of every female, there is a Savannah, Bernie, Robin and a Gloria.

Desperate women who need to BREATHE........2007-01-23

At first I loved this movie, it was one of my favorites. As a young lady who just turned 21, at that time I completely related to their struggles. A year later, I re-watched the film with more maturity. Surprising, my perspective of it was totally different.

Essentially, it is the story of four horny black women who think men are the key to happiness.

Yes, everybody craves sex at some point, some people more than others. The audience can resonate with their lust for sex, the characters' weaknesses, and minor faults. Still, after watching the movie a couple times, I realized that the characters in this film are simply naive.

I'm not trying to imply that females should be totally independent, and should never desire to date. However, they need to have standards!

Since the four characters are desperate for sex and a stable relationship, they lower their standards. This compromises their self-respect, morals and personal interests in order to "get a man". Obviously, they lure the sleaziest men the world has to offer. Even the four characters know that the men they're dating are worthless, as they repeat to themselves throughout the film. Nevertheless, the ladies waste time on these dogs in order to fuel they need for sex and attention.

At the end, it seems that they find more solidarity and happiness amongst each other. Though they don't seem to have fully learned from their mistakes, and seem likely to repeat the immature behavior.

To conclude, they need to breathe first, and with that added energy, they should cultivate some sense.

Read the book and saw the movie!.......2007-01-04

Read the book and saw the movie! NEXT!

Average customer rating:

Waiting... (Unrated and Raw) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Don Brady , Pat Hazell , Wendie Malick , Luis Guzman , and Alanna Ubach
Director: Rob McKittrick
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Comedy | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000PMGS6S
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Description

Always remember the cardinal rule of eating out: Never mess with people who handle your food! Ryan Reynolds (VAN WILDER), Anna Farris (the SCARY MOVIE series) and Justin Long (DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY) star in this hilarious comedy about the band of mischievous waiters, waitresses and cooks just waiting to show guests how extraordinary the service at ShenaniganZ restaurant can be.

Christopher Guest Collection (A Mighty Wind / Best in Show / Waiting for Guffman)

Average customer rating:

You either love it or hate it----and I love it
i've talked about brittish comedy at its best but now here's american comedy at its best
great films, poor packaging
Three great movies, but what's so special about the price?
Fantastic Movies, Terrible Presentation

Christopher Guest Collection (A Mighty Wind / Best in Show / Waiting for Guffman)
Starring: Christopher Guest
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000ALFVF
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Amazon.com

A Mighty Wind
There's A Mighty Wind a-blowin', along with the gales of laughter you'll get from Christopher Guest's third exercise in brilliant "mockumentary." After tackling small-town theatricals in Waiting for Guffman and obsessive dog-show contestants in Best in Show, Guest and his reliable stable of repertory players (including Fred Willard, Parker Posey, and Bob Balaban) apply their improvisational genius to a latter-day reunion of fictional '60s-era folk singers, a comedic goldmine that Guest first explored 30 years earlier on The National Lampoon Radio Hour. Collaborating with costar and cowriter Eugene Levy (who gives the film's funniest performance), Guest is so delicate in his satirical approach that the laughs aren't always obvious, and the subtlety can be as wistful (as in Catherine O'Hara's performance as Levy's auto-harpist partner) as it is hilarious. Some may wish for more blatant comedy, but that would compromise the genuine affection that Guest & Co. have for the music they're spoofing. --Jeff Shannon

Best in Show
Christopher Guest, the man behind Waiting for Guffman, turns his comic eye on another little world that takes itself a bit too seriously: the world of competitive dog shows. Best in Show follows a clutch of dog owners as they prepare and preen their dogs to win a national competition. They include the yuppie pair (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock) who fear they've traumatized their Weimaraner by having sex in front of him; a suburban husband and wife (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara) with a terrier and a long history of previous lovers on the wife's part; the Southern owner of a bloodhound (Guest himself) with aspirations as a ventriloquist; and many more. Following the same "mockumentary" format of Spinal Tap and Guffman, Best in Show takes in some of the dog show officials, the manager of a nearby hotel that allows dogs to stay there, and the commentators of the competition (a particularly knockout comic turn by Fred Willard as an oafish announcer). The movie manages to paint an affectionate portrait of its quirky characters without ever losing sight of the ridiculousness of their obsessive world. Almost all of the scenes were created through improvisation. While lacking the overall focus of a written script, Best in Show captures hilarious and absurd aspects of human behavior that could never be written down. The movie's success is a testament to both the talent of the actors and Guest's discerning eye. --Bret Fetzer

Waiting for Guffman
One of the funniest films in many a moon was hiding at art house theaters in 1998. Former Saturday Night Live comedian and Spinal Tap member Christopher Guest creates the ultimate parody of small-town dramatics, Waiting for Guffman. Corky St. Claire (Guest), an overwhelming drama director hiding out in Blaine, Missouri, thinks he has found the vehicle to put him back on Broadway: the city's 150th anniversary play, Red, White, and Blaine. As rehearsals start, we learn of the town's history ("the stool capital of the world") including a brush with a UFO. The mockumentary follows the various townsfolk wishing for stardom: Parker Posey as a Dairy Queen clerk, Catherine O'Hara and Fred Willard as stage-struck travel agents, Matthew Keeslar as the town's bad boy, and Eugene Levy (who cowrote the film with Guest) as a dentist who dreams of glory on the stage. The film is a hoot from beginning to end, and be sure to watch the closing credits. Fans of Guest's deft dry humor should not miss his other parody of the entertainment world, The Big Picture (Kevin Bacon as a student filmmaker who goes to Hollywood). --Doug Thomas

Description

A MIGHTY WIND: Documentary-style Comedy. Christopher Guest follows up his acclaimed ensemble comedies Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman with a docu-comedy about three folk groups from the 60s who reunite for a memorial concert in New York City following the death of a legendary folk manager. BEST IN SHOW: The tension is palpable, the excitement is mounting and the heady scent of competition is in the air as hundreds of eager contestants from across America prepare to take part in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest events of their lives -- the Mayflower Dog Show. WAITING FOR GUFFMAN: A town of Blaine, Missouri is preparing for celebrations of its 150th anniversary. Corky St.Clair, an off-off-off-off-off-Broadway director is putting together an amateur theater show about the town's history, starring a local dentist, a couple of travel agents, a Dairy Queen waitress, and a car repairman. He invites a Broadway theater critic Mr. Guffman to see the opening night of the show

Customer Reviews:

You either love it or hate it----and I love it.......2007-01-03

I admit to an unexplained fondness for clever parody and satire. These three films by Christopher Guest fall right into my slot. Each highlights a different form of unwarranted self-importance, but rarely crosses the line of easy insults or demeaning caricature. The realism is ----well, very real (although it doesn't go to 11 as in an earlier semi-related film).

All the characters are clearly drawn from real life. Although employing many of the same actors in diverse roles, the films allow each individual improv performer to shine a unique light that fully illuminates the target subjects. My two 20-ish daugthers and I often quote from these films. The biting wit is timeless. Outstanding talent, craftsmanship, and creativity forms the heart of all these stories. Very, very funny stuff.

i've talked about brittish comedy at its best but now here's american comedy at its best.......2006-08-18

great and hillarious!!! a mighty wind, best in show, waiting for guffman...i have watched theses movies countless times and it still shockes me how funny and side splitting these perfectly hillarious movies are!!!

a must get for everyone out there!!!

great films, poor packaging.......2005-02-04

The DVDs are great. They have lots of great extras, including commentary on additional scenes, insightful commentary in general, cast bios, etc. I was disappointed in the packaging -- flimsy cardboard and are smaller than more traditional packages.

I received these as a gift, and I think that as a gift, they are great.

I have watched these films over and over again and enjoy them each time. The acting is incredible and it amazes me that it's improvised -- the actors make it look so easy, which means it must be difficult! In A Mighty Wind, all the actors sing and play their own instruments, with some learning just for this film. Great dedication to their artform.

Three great movies, but what's so special about the price?.......2004-01-12

I'm tempted to dock one star mainly because you'd actually pay LESS buying them separately than in this "special" package. ($14.99 each for Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, $23.76 for Mighty Wind = $53.74). The three-fer costs over $55. What gives? Well, I suppose you save something on shipping.

Regardless, these three films are easily worth the money at either price.

Fantastic Movies, Terrible Presentation.......2004-01-09

Boo, Warner Brothers!!!

You've taken three amazing movies and packaged them terribly.

I was extremely excited to have received this "box set" for Christmas, until I unwrapped it. It's three seperate loose DVDs with no box to tie them all together. And to add insult to injury, all of the DVDs are encased in the old-school type packaging with the cheap cardboard cover and black "snap" latch.

Very disappointing. Warner Brothers SUCKS! They really need to work on how they showcase their work on DVD in the future. They could take a real hint from New Line which always releases their best films with pride and flair.

Customer Reviews:

I'm still waiting.......2006-07-20

Workplace comedies are something that strike a chord in us all -- most people have held less-than-glamorous tuition-paying jobs, and sometimes resented the people we have been forced to deal with politely. No tips. Annoying coworkers. Twerpy customers who just don't get it, at all.

That's the main idea of Rob McKittrick's "Waiting...", a pale imitation of Kevin Smiths' breakout film "Clerks." It could have been a delightful comedy in the vein of "Office Space," but alas, we get a pale, rather cliched comedy with a few gem-like moments.

Mitch (John Francis Daley) is starting his first day on the job at Shenanigan's, and he rapidly learns that the ropes are tangled and grubby. There's a philosophical dishwasher (Chi McBride), a smart-aleck, the nice guy with issues, a snarling dominatrix, and a sexpot waittress. And that's only the beginning...

Though Shenanigan's seems normal, there are drunken parties, crazed employees, and food seasoned with dandruff. With disdain for the customers and for each other, the employees spar, stare, and make jokes that will instantly offend gays, women and people with Down Syndrome. Can Dean (Justin Long) manage to get a decent job, or will he sink into the mire of Shenanigan's kitchen?

Anybody who has ever worked a minimum wage job like this will know that it's a gold mine for comedy. I myself have fond memories of a coworker going ballistic when a customer demanded that she spread the cream cheese for him. Unfortunately, that kind of delightful comedy isn't present. Instead, we get armpit-noise-level stuff -- bodily substances being spread on food, and so on.

Even crude films can be funny... but this one isn't. It's just moronic. McKittrick tries to spice it up with stuff like the "Penis Game" and workplace Lolitas, but it's a bit like trying to rescuscitate a week-old dead moose. Even the name of the restaurant is lame -- okay, Shenanigan's, we get it. The place has shenanigans. It's not really very funny anyway.

The characters are all cliches of the slacker worker, and they are so uniformly nasty that you really hope they rot behind those counters. It's a credit to the actors that they manage to inject any humour at all; Daley of "Freaks and Geeks" fame is the most entertaining character of all, and the only one that shows a spark of life.

The only thing that could be as bad as working at Shenanigan's is watching a gross-out comedy full of obnoxious stereotypes. You won't laugh. You'll just leave feeling bitter and queasy.

Incredible.......2006-01-12

This is an incredible movie. I saw it in theatres the day it came out. I have my phone alarm set for the minute I get out of school on Febuary 7th (when it comes out on DVD) to go get it.

BUY IT

Average customer rating:

Hilarious comedy - highly recommend it!
Hilarious, True and Funny
AWESOME MOVIE!!!

Waiting... (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Don Brady , Pat Hazell , Wendie Malick , Luis Guzman , and Alanna Ubach
Director: Rob McKittrick
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000CPH9QG
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious comedy - highly recommend it!.......2006-08-02

What "Office Space" is to Dilbert-like cubicle dwellers, this movie is to restaurant workers. The movie follows one day in the life of a kitschy, Chili's or Applebee's-style restaurant known as ShenaniganZ, and the various personalities that work there. Every hilarious situation that a typical retaurant might have is shown, from bitchy customers (who then get "very special" treatment of their food) to busboys who are gangsta rapper wannabes, to a waiter who has a phobia of using public restrooms, to a waitress who yells at the top of her lungs at every little thing that ticks her off, to perhaps the funniest long-running joke in the movie, the infamous "penis-showing" game, where the cooks attempt to display their genitals to unwitting fellow employees as part of a point system. Contorting the genitals into various shapes, like the "goat" the "brain" and the "batwing" earn you extra points.

Just non-stop hilarity, with all the typical customer archetypes represented as well - the bitchy woman, the redneck hick, the foreigners who pretend that they don't speak English or understand American tipping ettiquette, to an old classmate who drops in to taunt his less-successful former chum.

Not as gross or raunchy in style as the "American Pie" series, this movie is still a bit edgy and I wouldn't watch it with small children.

Hilarious, True and Funny.......2006-03-31

Anybody who has ever worked in any service industry should and can appreciate this movie....As a Floor Capitan in an above average resturant I would have sworn they filmed it in my establishment at times....As I watched - I saw so many people that fit the characters in the movie in my own place....As the saying goes on the box - "Never upset anybody who comes in contact with your food!" This goes along with what my own father told me when we first came to the USA. People get off your cell phones and watch this hilarious movie.

AWESOME MOVIE!!!.......2006-03-03

I thought it was like Clerks but in a restaurant instead of a convenience store.
However I would love to know why the full screen version costs so much more than the widescreen version. I didn't pay $3000 for my 53" TV to have only a 25" picture.

Average customer rating:

A Formidable Achievement
What a let-down!
An Abomination
A great collection for novices and seasoned Beckettians alike
A real score for Beckett aficionados

Beckett on Film DVD Set
Starring: Barry McGovern , Johnny Murphy , Alan Stanford , Stephen Brennan , and Sam McGovern
Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg , Neil Jordan , and Kieron J. Walsh
Manufacturer: Ambrose Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006FXQN
Release Date: 2002-07-22

Amazon.com

The hugely ambitious Beckett on Film project gathered together 19 different directors to turn the 19 stage works written by Samuel Beckett into films. The range is vast--from the 45-second Breath to the two hours of his most famous play, Waiting for Godot--but all the works reflect Beckett's penetrating obsessions with memory, regret, and the simple, excruciating experience of being. Not every film succeeds--like all great theater, Beckett's plays demand interaction with a live audience to express their full intent--and though scholars tout Beckett's every word as genius, several works are slight (Catastrophe, Ohio Impromptu, or What Where will leave many viewers unimpressed). But all the plays feature Beckett's uniquely distilled language; the greatest of them--including Waiting for Godot (in which two tramps pass the time while they wait for someone who may never come), Endgame (in which a blind man and his lame servant bicker and joke as the world declines), and Play (in which a love triangle is bitterly recalled by two women and a man in urns)--are astonishing in both their potent humor and piercing grief.

Though Beckett's stature drew in an impressive array of directors (including Anthony Minghella, Patricia Rozema, and Neil Jordan) and actors (including Jeremy Irons, Julianne Moore, Alan Rickman, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Michael Gambon, and John Gielgud), some of the finest work comes from relative unknowns. But the gem of the collection is Krapp's Last Tape, about an old man revisiting his life through recordings he has made throughout his years. It's the perfect marriage of text, actor (the incomparable John Hurt), and director (Atom Egoyan, The Sweet Hereafter); in their hands, the play spins from deeply funny to deeply sad, all with only the slightest dim of the light in Hurt's eyes. --Bret Fetzer

Description

The first ever cinematic screening of all 19 of Samuel Beckett's plays. The acclaimed Beckett on Film project brings together some of the most distinguished directors and actors working today. Directors include Atom Egoyan, Damien Hirst, Neil Jordan, Conor McPherson, Damien O'Donnell, David Mamet, Anthony Minghella, Karel Reisz and Patricia Rozema. The exceptional acting talent involved includes Michael Gambon, the late Sir John Gielgud, John

Hurt, Jeremy Irons, Julianne Moore, Harold Pinter, Alan Rickman and Kristen Scott-Thomas.

Probably the most significant Irish playwright of the 20th century, Beckett has influenced generations of directors and talent in film, television and theatre.

Several of the films from the Beckett on Film Project have been exhibited at international film festivals around the world including New York, Toronto and Venice.

Programs in the series include:

* Waiting for Godot (running time: 2 hours)

* Not I (running time: 14 minutes)

* Rough for Theatre I (running time: 20 minutes)

* Ohio Impromptu (running time: 12 minutes)

* Krapp's Last Tape (running time: 58 minutes)

* What Where (running time: 12 minutes)

* Footfalls (running time: 28 minutes)

* Come and Go (running time: 8 minutes)

* Act Without Words I (running time: 16 minutes)

* Happy Days (running time: 1 hour 19 minutes)

* Catastrophe (running time: 7 minutes)

* Rough for Theatre II (running time: 30 minutes)

* Breath (running time: 45 seconds)

* That Time (running time: 20 minutes)

* Endgame (running time: 1 hour 24 minutes)

* Act Without Words II (running time: 11 minutes)

* A Piece of Monologue (running time: 20 minutes)

* Play (running time: 16 minutes)

* Rockaby (running time: 14 minutes)

* Plus a 52 minute Documentary on the making of the Beckett on Film Project

The series includes 19 plays & a documentary on 4 DVD's plus a Souvenir Book in an attractive Giftbox set.

Customer Reviews:

A Formidable Achievement.......2006-07-02

The fact that this DVD set exists at all is cause for ecstatic and superlative praise: at last we have nearly all the plays of one of the 20th century's most technically innovative--but also emotionally affecting and eloquent--dramatists, available together in professional productions created with sympathy, respect for the author's intentions, and often inspired insight into these works' theatrical potential.

Because this box set presents the work of 19 different directors, each working with a different play, it is inevitable that this collection would be uneven: the most disappointing performances, in my opinion, are drawn from the most familar works: Endgame, in particular, suffers from an awkward rhythm and rushed delivery which violates both the general sense of the work as well as several of its most memorable and touching sequences.

There are nonetheless many very pleasant surprises among these performances, none more welcome than Julianne Moore's extraordinary rendition of "Not I." John Hurt's version of "Krapp's Last Tape" will similarly, I think, come to be regarded as definitive, as will the idiosyncratic collaboration among David Mamet, Harold Pinter, and the late Sir John Gielguld in "Catastrophe." Most revelatory of all is the rendition of "Rough for Theatre II," which turns what reads in print as an ostensibly inconsequential fragment into a nuanced and perhaps uniquely detailed contribution to the Beckett canon.

Perhaps the greatest mystery in a package promising to be "the comprehensive cinematic interpretation of Beckett's plays" are the omissions here, most surprisingly his several works--"Eh Joe,' "Nacht und Traume," "...but the clouds," among others--for television. One also wonders, given the extraordinarily generous resources at the producers' disposal, if it was only the Beckett estate that prevented a mounting of the author's great deskdrawer drama Eleutheria, or the early fragment "Human Wishes."

The fact that this set is easily available, and that it contains so many highlights, ultimately overrides any disappointments. The price of this collection probably puts it out of reach of all but the most devoted fans of Samuel Beckett--which is also a shame, because many of these performances would refute the unreflective complaints that Beckett's work is boring, emotionally arid, or depressing. Were the set less expensive, it would help win for Beckett a popular audience commensurate with his contribution to contemporary literature and theatre. But for those of us lucky enough to own a copy, there is much to enjoy, contemplate, and re-play for years to come.

What a let-down!.......2006-04-27

I have seen this twice through now & have concluded that the best places to experience Samuel Beckett's quintessential words are on the printed page or on obscure stages (like San Quentin prison).

Most of the productions in this package seek only to bring attention to themselves (the single exception being John Hurt & Atom Egoyan's perfect Krapp's Last Tape) - they are for the most part overdirected & overacted to the hilt.

An Abomination.......2006-04-15

With great anticipation and relish i awaited this accumulation of the works of probably one of the greatest playwrites of the 20th century. Having seen a short promotional film of the project, my eagerness was picqued.But, alas, flash, star-worship and diminished expectations rule once again in this travesty. Having actually not even been able to sit through the Endgame of this set, and having also seen the foolish, punk-flash version of Breath, and the unsympathetic and misunderstood, braindead interpretation of Not I, i am so appalled i nearly whipped this weighty and overly expensive set, frisbee-like,out the window.
It never ceases to amaze how so much star power can do so much damage. Remember the Broadway travesty of Godot a few years ago with Robin Williams?
So, Engame is a beautiful performance. all the Gaelic colloquial nuance of Beckett's language,perfectly understood and delivered in a heightened naturalism that is a joy to behold. The only problem is, one can NOT behold it because of the hack direction. Done in obsessively Television Direction School multi-camera work, anytime a charecter speaks or moves he is held in extreme talking-head close-up. next actor speaks, close up for him, then back to the other actor and so on and so on until the stomach of the viewer churns from this sea-sick demntia of camera close-ups,reaction shots, two shots and flashing long shots. So you don't have a play, or a film, you end up with a Television show of utter convention and utter unwatchability. i suggest people stay away from this possibly well-intentioned but decadent and unwatchable and expensive lump of Beckett Meets Hollywood by way of London.

A great collection for novices and seasoned Beckettians alike.......2006-03-10

The greats of the Irish and English stage and screen come together in this masterfully produced collection.

Conor McPherson's version of "Endgame" nearly justifies the price tag all by its lonesome. The acting is dynamic and finely tuned, and McPherson's lens captures every detail. Other standouts include "Ohio Impromptu" (starring Jeremy Irons in a tour de force double role), "Rough for the Theatre I", and "Rough for the Theatre II" (where Jim Norton and others turn this uneven early work into an emotional time-bomb).

Not every adaptation is up to par. "Not I", starring Julianne Moore, takes the high modernist idea of actor-as-automaton a bit too literally, blurring the language into incoherence and robbing the script of its rich texture. "A Piece of Monologue" also misses the mark in this low-energy adaptation.

All in all, though, I would heartily recommend this collection, especially to academics and serious theater artists. It is clear enough to serve as an representative introduction to Beckett's work, and it is masterful enough to enrich a seasoned Beckettian's understanding of these plays.

A real score for Beckett aficionados.......2005-07-07

Not to gush, but many of the versions in this set far surpass my expectations of film adaptations of theatre. For instance, "Endgame" is brilliantly realized, with finely nuanced acting. Top talent on both sides of the camera, often visually arresting works. Really great stuff for any Beckett or experimental theatre enthusiast. Pricey, but worth it.

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