Spike & Mike's Twisted Animation Festival

Starring:Jennifer Wilson (III)
Studio: Lumivision
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Clever, funny and different
Don't like Clooney, what are you Looney?
Interesting Adventure film set In Iraq after Gulf War 1
Good movie
Very ordinary...

Three Kings
Starring: George Clooney , Nora Dunn , Ice Cube , Holt McCallany , and Mykelti Williamson
Director: David O. Russell
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00003CX74
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Amazon.com

A confident hybrid of M*A*S*H, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Dr. Strangelove, Three Kings is one of the most seriously funny war movies ever made. Improving the premise of Kelly's Heroes with scathing intelligence, it explores the odd connection between war and consumerism in the age of Humvees and cellular phones. Writer-director David O. Russell's third film (after Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster), it's a no-holds-barred portrait of personal conscience in the volatile arena of politics, played out by one of the most gifted filmmakers to emerge in the 1990s.

George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze (director of Being John Malkovich) play a quartet of U.S. soldiers who, disillusioned by Operation Desert Storm, decide to steal $23 million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's army. Getting the bullion out of an Iraqi stronghold is easy; keeping it is a potentially lethal proposition. By the end of their mercenary mission, the Americans can no longer ignore wartime atrocities (and neither can we--the film is boldly unflinching), and conscience demands their aid to Iraqi rebels abandoned by President George Bush's fickle wartime policy. This is serious stuff indeed, but Russell infuses Three Kings with a keen sense of the absurd, and the entire film is an exercise in breathtaking visual ingenuity. Despite a conventional ending that's mildly disappointing for such a brashly original film, Three Kings conveys the brutal madness of war while making you laugh out loud at the insanity. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Clever, funny and different.......2007-06-23

David O. Russel's 'Three Kings' is a hard film to lock down into a particular genre. It combines elements of a war movie, a comedy and a drama, and manages to do it very well. People wanting to see lots of big guns and bombs should stay well clear, there are video games to keep you amused. Anyone who appreciates witty, clever and slightly off beat films is well advised to see it.

Telling the untold story of the Gulf War, with Saddam's army more worried about shooting rebel Iraqis then allied soldiers, was a brave move in Hollywood, because many people don't want to know that a democratic uprising in Iraq was being crushed while the Allies sat by in the desert. Rather than being an action movie, the film develops into an exploration of three soldiers and the human development caused by their experience of the war, and the extraordinary circumstances they place themselves in.

Many innovative and experimental cinematic styles are used nicely, and solid performances are recorded by Clooney, Wahlberg, Jonze and Cube. The characters are portrayed as normal human beings, both noble and flawed at the same time, and even the Iraqi soldiers are seen as people rather than typical war movie bad guy cannon fodder. This film genuinely showed me the desperation felt by many Iraqis for the Allies to help them as they starved and fought desperately against Saddam.

One of my favorite films, and probably one of the most underrated films of its time

Don't like Clooney, what are you Looney?.......2007-05-13

Sorry about the title, Three kings was not a movie I chose to see on the big screen. My wife recommended it and I found it was an entertaining flick. Not a desert storm movie like Jar Heads, a different take on an old story line.

Interesting Adventure film set In Iraq after Gulf War 1.......2007-04-09

A group of Gi's in Kuwait following the first Gulf War find a map on a prisoner that leads them back across the border on a gold hunt. The country is in a state of chaos with Sadam's soldiers taking their revenge on anti- Sadam citizens. The GI's get caught up in a more complicated situation with refugees then they planned on.
Well conceived and written with excellent special effects, this is a hard movie to categorize. It's sort of Oceans 11 goes to Iraq, A combination military adventure/heist movie with some interesting social commentary and moralizing thrown in.
All three of the principal actors do a good job but Ice Cube is particularly good in this. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg are fine in their respective roles.
Definitely entertaining and different.

Good movie.......2007-03-30

This is a good movie that starts out as an adventure and slowly changes into a morality movie. I like it and think its setting is contemporary and timely.

Very ordinary..........2007-03-23

This was a critically lauded film, so when I went in, I had high expectations. Roger Ebert himself called it a masterpiece. I saw it, and it was certainly interesting, but I immediately forgot about it right after I left the theater. There really isn't much depth here. It's more reminiscent of getting a quick rush from something, then after it wears off, you don't even remember how you felt afterwards. I remember a scene where a cow is blown up, but other than that, it's hard for me to remember anything about it. It ultimately was very ordinary, and not a really deep film about war.

Average customer rating:

A legacy for my children...
History in video
Funny and Entertaining Documentary
"Keep hope alive..."
a great contemporary documentary

When the Levees Broke
Starring: Spike Lee
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000J10F14
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Amazon.com

Director Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke is the definitive document of he unmitigated disaster that was, and is, Hurricane Katrina. It's also a contemporary manifestation of an ancient tradition: an oral history, told by the people who lived it, with no narration and only the occasional use of archival cable and broadcast news footage in addition to Lee's own film. And a grim tale it is, an "American tragedy" subtitled "a Requiem in Four Acts," each of them about an hour long ("Act V," appearing on the third of the set's three discs, is a lengthy epilogue with new material not included in the original HBO broadcast) and focusing almost exclusively on New Orleans, as opposed to the Gulf Coast region in general.

Act I sets the scene; as the hurricane nears the Crescent City, some residents leave town, while others stay behind, figuring they'll just ride the storm out (Mayor Ray Nagin's "mandatory evacuation" order rings fairly hollow, as there's no public transportation provided for the many who don't own vehicles and thus couldn't get out even if they wanted to). The real problems begin after Katrina makes landfall on August 29, 2005. Displaced New Orleaneans crowd into the Superdome, soon to become a living hell for those stuck there; the incredibly poorly engineered levees break, flooding some 80 percent of the city; and people start dying by the hundreds, victims of drowning, lack of food, water, and medicine, and other causes. And so it goes. Act II finds the survivors struggling to keep it together while the federal, state, and local assistance they've been promised fails to show up; Act III traces the dispersal of these so-called "refugees" (as one man puts it, "Refugees? You mean they took away our citizenship, too?") all over the country, not knowing where their families, friends, and neighbors are, or even if they're still alive; and Act IV deals with the slow rebuilding of the city while insurance companies refuse to pay claims and money keeps going toward the Iraq war effort instead.

Several themes predominate here. One, of course, is the appalling performance of authorities on nearly every level, who ignored specific warnings about the levees and then professed ignorance after the fact; Lee doesn't have to go out of his way to make George W. Bush, FEMA chief Michael Brown, and other members of the Bush administration (not to mention his own mother) look bad, as they do an excellent job of that themselves. Another is the shameful ineptitude of the response; it's hard not to be disgusted when it's pointed out more than once that while we were able to provide supplies and assistance to Indonesians within two days of the 2004 tsunami, American citizens were virtually ignored for five days or more. Most of all, When the Levees Broke (which includes optional commentary by Lee for all four acts) leaves us feeling the sheer rage of the poor and dispossessed of New Orleans, where the population is 70 percent African-American. Confronted with the ignorance, arrogance, and callousness of the people whose job it was to protect them, they can point to just one cause: racism. --Sam Graham

Description

One year after Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, director Spike Lee presents a four-hour, four-part chronicle recounting, through words and images, one of our country?s most profound natural disasters. In addition to revisiting the hours leading up to the arrival of Katrina, a Category 5 hurricane before it hit the coast of Louisiana, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts tells the personal stories of those who lived to tell about it, at the same time exploring the underbelly of a nation where the divide along race and class lines has never been more pronounced.

Customer Reviews:

A legacy for my children..........2007-06-28

I am from New Orleans and I am a victim of Hurricane Katrina. I lost my home as well as 98% of all of my possesions. Luckily, I was able to evacuate to a relative's house in Baton Rouge (about 75 miles west of N.O.), so my family and I were spared the immediate aftermath and the horrific conditions experienced by those who were unable to get out of the city.

Through this film, however, I was able to feel the pain and loss of my neighbors and friends. It was very difficult for me to watch and I broke down and cried several times. New Orleans is my home and will ALWAYS be my home. No matter where I go or end up living (I have relocated and now live about 30 west of N.O.), New Orleans will forever be a part of my soul. If you are not from there, you probably wouldn't understand. It was so damn difficult to see familiar places and people undergoing such a tragedy.

A piece of my heart died on August 29th, 2005 and another piece died when I watched this film, but I HAD to see it. It is important for eveyone to see this film because it raises many questions that have yet to be answered. How can such brutal and barbaric conditions be allowed to continue for so long in one of the richest countries in the world? Why did it take so long to get help? Why was the city so unprepared for such a catastrophe? Why have the problems NOT been solved 2 years after the event?

I still don't know any of the answers.

All I know is that I must own this film. I must have it to show my children one day (my daughter was 2 at the time the storm hit and my 2nd child is on the way) so that they never forget where we came from and the many mistakes our generation made when trying to deal with this crisis. Hopefully, others will show this to their children as well so that they can learn from these mistakes and make sure that something like this never happens again.

The ONLY pet peeve I have with the film (it's a small one) is that it seems to take the point of view of the black, underprivileged portion of the city's population. Yes, these were the majority of those that suffered in the aftermath, but Katrina affected EVERYONE in this region. I felt that the objectivity of the film should have been a bit more balanced.

As for the reviewer who thought this film was funny, I wish you peace and hope that one day your heart will be softened and you will learn to have compassion for your fellow man. Yes, New Orleanians suffered, but we are ALL citizens of the planet Earth. When a man dies, we are all diminished because we are all a part of mankind.

History in video.......2007-06-26

...such a sad account but an accurate representation of recent acts of racism, "white privilege", and the powerlessness of African Americans in the U.S.

Funny and Entertaining Documentary.......2007-06-26

I really enjoyed this documentary, from a sociological point of view. This documentary showed the brute savageness of anarchy. These residents of New orleans are pure animalistic savages 10,000 years behind the rest of civilization. To watch their lives unfold in this tragedy is an experiment I found fascinating.
I laughed and was entertained for hours. Recommended!!!!

"Keep hope alive...".......2007-06-17

As did many, with baited breath, I anticipated the release of Spike Lee's, When the Levees Broke. Unfortunately, this piece focused more on racial injustice than the failed emergency response of the aftermath. As are most issues related to the treatment of African Americans in this country; especially when it involves the south, this piece was heavily immersed in racial finger pointing. While I can give Lee a thumbs up for much of the footage, I'm disheartened that he failed to properly address the economic attitude of the out of step and disenfranchised African American community of New Orleans. Moreover, that no one has grasped the notion that experience rules all is remarkable. For instance, the Israelis' remarkably rapid responses to major castrophies is in direct correlation to the frequency with which they happen. While it's true that the gross lack of coordination on several levels; state, local and federal to name a few, added to the tradegy of Katrina, to place the blame solely at the doorstep of the federal government was grossly unfair. Last time I checked, this country embraced capitalism and democracy, not communism. FEMA is not a rescue organization: "FEMA works in partnership with other organizations that are part of the nation's emergency management system. These partners include state and local emergency management agencies, 27 federal agencies and the American Red Cross." (This quote was found at FEMA's website on the about us page.) And that list includes the local Police department, the local Fire Department, the city planners, the emergency medical professionals and so on. At the end of one of the tapes Mayor Nagen points out the differences between himself and Mayor Rudy Guiliani & Katrina and 9/11. He points out that 9/11 was essentially a contained event; in effect, quarantining the emergency site. And that's true! But what he failed to mention was how quickly New York City's first responders COORDINATED AND EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTED their efforts, completely overlooking the comical and inept nonexistent local cohesion of New Orleans first responders. It doesn't matter whether you like Mayor Guiliani or not; the fact is, he was downtown with his first responders. They all converged on ground zero like hungry locusts and started responding. (To be fair: An in-depth analysis of Mayor Guiliani's contributions reveal several shortcomings; in fact, many people believe he was more of a hindrance than help). In any event, the response seemed measured and methodical, coordinated and rehearsed and above all, professional. Something else that's rarely mentioned is the level of assistance the victims provided one another. It's now evident that in New Orleans that was not the case. BLACK ON BLACK crime soared during the Katrina aftermath. Looters, to include the police department, were caught on film; no less, stealing and looting. Isn't their motto to protect and serve? People were stealing TV's and DVD's, clothes and everything else and to what end? Electricity wasn't restored for months. If not anything else, it was a poor showing of character for some of the city's first responders. I think you would've been hard pressed to find the cops stealing during the 9/11 crisis. Keep in mind this is not condemnation of those who stepped up with intregrity. Nonetheless, this behavior has been famously celebrated by the residents of New Orleans for years. The Superdome population seemed completely paralyzed. Instead of quarantining victims' into categories, ie the sick, the weak, the young, the old, the hurt, etc; which is to be expected during major castrophies in a modern society, the citizens organized a prayer march. Talk about bringing a knife to a gunfight? These are the situations that bore leaders. If the entire population could be convinced that a prayer march was an effective means of addressing the catastrophic situation at hand, then poverty should be listed as the least of New Orleans disenfranchised populations' problems'. Most people set back as if they could do absolutely nothing except wait. Another critical question that needs to be answered is why African Americans seem so reticent about tackling or addressing the development of BLACK ON BLACK crime? And why didn't Spike Lee take the opportunity to address this phenomenon in his piece. I suspect our nation would've witnessed the exact same scenario in any and/or all of the nations major cities. It's well known that most of America's major metropolitian area's are African American strongholds, Detroit, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami and several other cities have similiar demographics. What received no coverage was the plight of all the so-called "white-trash" in the country-side who were also seperated from their lives and loved ones. They also received little, if any, timely assistance from the government. On steel horseback and keeping hope alive, Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton made their requisite appearances and speeches. While Jackson didn't make an appearance in the piece, he's recorded as referring to the situation at the Superdome as a "Slavery" type situation. What's most sinister about these two phonies and their ilk is their impeccable sense of timing. These two never pass on an opportunity to address the camera's and effectively innoculate and brainwash a gullable African American audience. Another glaring misappropiation was the constant inference to slavery. OH MY GOD! First a paralyzed population questions the response of the government, but to complain about the lack of sympathy exercised on behalf of the help was infuriating. Soldiers have families too! But to compare the military staging effort to the slave trade took the cake. All military efforts in that situation involve a certain measure of disassociation to accomplish the mission. Soldiers cannot empathize or sympathize with rescuee's and properly accomplish the mission.
For the record, every ethnic group on the planet has suffered atrocities on behalf of another group. China, by way of Japan, The Irish; by way of the British, the Tutsis, by way of the Hutu's. And haven't the Jews been punished by everyone at one point or another? And who was it that coined the phrase, "Hymietown?" In any event, both men have lined their silk pockets by eloquently misleading the poor, disenfranchised masses; mostly African Americans, about the shortcomings of a nation, by focusing on the misgivings of our past with misleading; yet, sympathetic prose. For example, Jackson's famous rallying cry is "Keep hope alive," but the quote in it's entirety reads, "Keep hope alive, but never satisfied." And Lord knows he's been true to form. The inference is satisfaction once delivered, renders the deliverer useless. Translation, no more fancy speaking engagements, civic invitations or special inside the loop priviledges. Jackson has had several opportunities to put his money where his mouth is. To be honest the behind the scenes powerfully elite in D.C. have for years all but begged him to run for Mayor of that city, and he has on every occasion refused! Because, he said, "Being an elected official doesn't give me the room to manuever effectively." Translation, he does not want to be held responsible or accountable for public failures. Which puts into question the legitmacy of his Presidential bids. Not to be outdone, the Rev. Al Sharpton is a master at spinning what others say. Granted; given their tremendous political success, to be so well connected and having had for a long time, access to the world's finest educational institutions, the first family, immediate an otherwise, seem surprisingly aloof in public. It's quite evident that the Bush family has lived among the socially elite for so long, that they are completely disconnected from common class America. Although the first First Lady's comment about the new plight of some of the victims was a bit abrupt. It was delivered without malice and with good intentions. It was poor form of Sharpton to capitalize on the manipulation of that comment in the heat of battle. For the record, I know that our country garners a checkered racial past; especially down south. Hell everyone knows our past, but the fact is, sooner or later you have to learn to do for yourself. Sooner or later you have to implement a personal life strategy to find success. Parties and prayer (the well advertise means of expression in New Orleans) have never and will never suffice as an effective or efficient means of addressing poverty. I'm not a religious scholar but doesn't the inscription read, "God helps those whom help themselves?" And if that's the case, doesn't the translation mean you CANNOT depend on the government or God or anyone else for the matter, in times of need? Case in point Katrina.

Here are some points I think Lee failed to properly address:

1. Why didn't the Mayor set up shop at ground zero and use the media's cameras to communicate directly with FEMA and the White House? Provocative maybe, but given the circumstances, effective!

2. What happen to the city's first responders?

3. How come this piece didn't address the extremely high level of BLACK ON BLACK crime committed during the aftermath?

4. How could they respond without military assistance?

5. How come we didn't hear more about the intense animosity between the Mayor and the Governor?

6. How come the piece didn't delve deeper into the why's and why nots of modern building strategies of civic protection not investigated like that of other nations, ie the Netherlands, Japan and China?

7. How come the decision making City Council members weren't identified, questioned and held to task on camera?

8. Why didn't we see or hear about the shortcomings of the insurance agencies? They completely abandoned the entire Gulf coast. Some of these people paid on there policy for more than 50 years.

9. Why didn't the Coast Guard and other successful agencies receive more attention?

10. What are the ensuing plans for keeping this from ever happening again? Who's involved? How much does it cost? And are other cities following suit?

In the end, New Orleans has become famous for what some have said is their unique way of life (corruption tolerance). From the very beginning politicians have been famously corrupt in that city. And from the beginning the citizens have celebrated and supported renogade behavior. Case in point; Congressman William Jefferson, indicted on federal bribery charges, after the FBI found $90,000 in his freezer. The Speaker, understandably so, wants him out, but the National Black Caucas is protecting him. I submit to you the audience, that if, as an elected congressional representative, you cannot find a better place to hide ill-gotten gain than a freezer, that you may be too stupid to run for office, let alone re-election. And it's episodes like this that are the real drag on African American progress. If the citizens of New Orleans continue to fail to see how these and a history of other highly publicized, yet locally acceptable representative shortcomings affect their tenuous existence, then broken levees are the least of their concerns.

a great contemporary documentary.......2007-06-13

Not a Spike Lee fan I was enthraled at this films scope and insight. It not only changed my view of our government's role in disaster relief it also showed its callus disregard for the poor caught in this kind of situation. A new approach is needed in dealing with disaster relief and "heads should roll" in dealing with the last people in charge!

Average customer rating:

Classic Comedy
Beware of 80's movie ratings!
It's about time this came out on DVD.
Fantastic combo of Python & Pirates
Classic movie, another closet hit by the Monty Pythoneers

Yellowbeard
Starring: Graham Chapman , Peter Boyle , Cheech Marin , Tommy Chong , and Peter Cook
Director: Mel Damski
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FDEV48
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Amazon.com

Yellowbeard, a comedy cast with the all-star comedians of the 1980s, is a unique, corny spoof on pirate films. Like a Mel Brooks movie, Yellowbeard's plot is a series of ridiculous events, á la Airplane, circulating around Yellowbeard's (Graham Chapman) discovery that he has an "intellectual" son. Brain versus brawn is the film's theme, as Yellowbeard is forced to take his kid on a booty-hunt, since the pirate's ex-wife, Betty (Madeline Kahn), tattooed the treasure map on their child's head. As the bumbling British, including Harvey "Blind" Pew (John Cleese) and Gilbert Murvin (Marty Feldman), sail The Royal Navy Frigate to trail Yellowbeard's ship, The Lady Edith, The Spanish Main, captained by El Nebuloso (Tommy Chong) and El Segundo (Cheech Marin) follows in close pursuit. Three ships in constant battle on the open seas make for multiple comedic situations reminiscent of Monty Python. Directed by Mel Damski (Charmed, Lois & Clark), Yellowbeard has a made-for-TV cheesiness, though the talent of the actors, not to mention its off-kilter British humor, rescues the film from utter stupidity. --Trinie Dalton

Description

For twelve years, Yellowbeard (Graham Chapman) has looted the Spanish Main, making men eat their lips and swallow their hearts. Caught and convicted -- for tax evasion! -- he's sentenced to 20 years in St. Victim's Prison for the Extremely Naughty. In a scheme to confiscate his fabulous treasure, the Royal Navy allows him to escape and follows him to the Spanish Main, where saucy tarts, lisping demigods and some awful puns and punishments await. Starring a who's who of comic cutups and cutthroats including Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Cheech and Chong, Marty Feldman, Peter Cook, Madeline Kahn and more!!!

Customer Reviews:

Classic Comedy.......2007-06-27

Many great comedic talents in this movie spoof of pirates. Like Mel Brooks meets Monte Python. Very fun movie to watch. Movie is rated PG but there is some "pirate language" and some brief nudity. After you see this you will say that Yellowbeard is more of a pirate than Jack Sparrow!

Beware of 80's movie ratings!.......2007-06-18

Unfortunately, this is not a PG rating according to today's standards. I was very disappointed that during the second half of the movie they decided to throw in an island full of topless women. I chose not to finish the movie. Also, there are a number of references to rape, and even a couple of scenes where the act of rape is being implied. For some reason, it seems that many movies from the 80's had to throw in inappropriate 2 second blips of random nudity, and they were still able to slap a PG rating on the production.
If it weren't for my disappointment, due to the crudeness of the show, I think it would actually have been a fun movie. The acting was better than I had planned on (there are a bunch of classic actors in this), and there were some really funny scenes. Unfortunately, filth ruins a movie for me every time. If it weren't for the garbage in this movie I would have given it at least 3 stars.

It's about time this came out on DVD........2007-06-15

Classic comedy. One of my favorite movies.

Fantastic combo of Python & Pirates.......2007-06-13

if you like Python & Pirates, you'll love this!

Classic movie, another closet hit by the Monty Pythoneers.......2007-05-30

My wife and I have been looking for this movie on DVD for years, and we are tickled that we finally found it. It is an ensemble cast of comedy characters from the 1970's; the Monty Python crew (shy of Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin), Cheech and Chong, and most of the cast of Young Frankenstein; Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Kenneth Mars, and Madeline Kahn ... and then there's Peter Cook, James Mason, and more.

A very under rated film -- although it is very silly and slapstick.

Average customer rating:

Very entertaining, very clever
If you figured it out you're almost as clever as the kid next to me
Appearances Can Be Deceiving...
I expected more...
Hated it...

Inside Man (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Denzel Washington , Clive Owen , Jodie Foster , Christopher Plummer , and Willem Dafoe
Director: Spike Lee
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000GFLKF8
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Amazon.com

Spike Lee scored his biggest hit to date with Inside Man, an unconventional thriller with fascinating details in the margins of its convoluted plot. The screenplay (by first-timer Russell Gerwitz) could've used a few more rewrites; it moves at a brisk pace but in hindsight a lot of it doesn't make sense. That makes Inside Man more fun to watch than to think about afterwards (when you discover plot holes big enough to drive a truck through), but it's curiously involving, especially as NYPD Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) struggles to outsmart a high-stakes bank robber (Clive Owen) who, along with a well-trained crew of accomplices, has seized control of a Wall Street bank, turning what initially looks like a hostage crisis into a personal crusade to expose some mysterious evil secrets. As you might expect from the director of Do the Right Thing, Lee seizes several satisfying opportunities to examine post-9/11 issues of racial prejudice and domestic terrorism, and the mysterious "problem solver" Madeline White (Jodie Foster), as eerily sinister as she is vaguely defined, is worthy of her own movie. With the benefit of his most stellar cast to date (including Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor), Lee seems more interested in character details than well-crafted suspense, but that doesn't stop Inside Man from being engrossing, subtly amusing, and quirky enough to qualify as a welcomed break from the formulaic thrillers that are Hollywood's bread and butter.--Jeff Shannon

Description

Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, Academy Award nominee Clive Owen and Academy Award winner Jodie Foster star in this intense and explosive crime thriller. The perfect bank robbery quickly spirals into an unstable and deadly game of cat-and-mouse between a criminal mastermind (Owen), a determined detective (Washington), and a power broker with a hidden agenda (Foster). As the minutes tick by and the situation becomes increasingly tense, one wrong move could mean disaster for any one of them. From acclaimed director Spike Lee comes the edge-of-your-seat, action-packed thriller that The Wall Street Journal calls "a heist film that's right on the money."

Customer Reviews:

Very entertaining, very clever.......2007-05-22

As others have indicated, if you think you have it figured out, you will be totally surprised before the end. As suspense films go, everything fits together when you get to the end with nothing that suspends belief (unlike another film I recently saw). The acting is very well done.

I gave the film only four stars because of the thoroughly gratuitous use of one very frequent four letter word. Its use is so over the top that it takes away from everything else. I saw the film in a theater. Some months later we were on an overseas flight and "Inside Man" was the in-flight movie. There were small children on the flight. I wondered how that would work, given the ubiquitous use of that word. Well, the word never occurred anywhere in the film! Further, no one's lips were out of synchronization with the dialogue at any point. I have since read that Singapore will not allow films with foul language in them. Apparently, film companies must shoot two versions of the same film. They could give us films with less objectionable material, but choose not to do so. They even have the same films with less objectionable material already available. Can I give Hollywood two stars only?

If you figured it out you're almost as clever as the kid next to me.......2007-05-13

This kind of movie prompts you to take wild guesses, but what is fun is the process and class of the movie. While the kid in the theater next to me figured it out from the start, while having some small mistakes, there was nothing lost in seeing how it all went down and the slight surprise at the end. Inside man is a feel good example of an old and dying art of the con man movie. Technology is getting far too perfect for these kind of brilliant man versus the system type movie. With the need of hacking eye scanners, finger print machines, motion sensors, time locked safes, security systems with off-shore staff that is awake twenty four hours a day, and even more things we can't even imagine but someone else did coming into play you need to be a billionaire to be a thief in the first place. So these movies will become more and more rare, so we should enjoy them while we can.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving..........2007-05-10

I have to start out by saying that as an avid movie watcher I generally try to keep an open mind when approaching a movie. With that being said there are a couple of directors that I find this to be a particularly hard task to succeed in, Quentin Tarentino is one such director and the other is Spike Lee. I have to say that whenever either of these two critically acclaimed directors releases a movie (or a `joint' as Spike Lee prefers to label them), I find it difficult to get too excited about seeing them, and sometimes I don't end up seeing the movie at all, though I try to make an effort because you never know when one might hit you just right. So, when I saw the trailer for the upcoming Spike Lee movie "Inside Man" starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owen, I was somewhat interested in it simply because I enjoy both actors' work; however, Denzel had done a Spike Lee movie before that I didn't like, so that didn't guarantee that I would enjoy him in this one. Over time I saw more trailers for the movie and read what the film was to be about and I have to say that for the first time ever, I was actually excited to see a Spike Lee movie, but whether my anticipation was misplaced or completely justified would remain to be seen.

"Inside Man" presents us with the story of a brilliant criminal mastermind (Clive Owen) who has devised the perfect bank robbery and subsequent escape without being caught by the law. However, when the plan is hatched events quickly begin to spiral out of control and the police are fast on the scene led by a cunningly smart detective (Denzel Washington) who will not rest until the situation is contained. Just when negotiations are beginning to take shape between the criminals and the police, a government power broker (Jodie Foster) interferes throwing this delicate matter into a state of uncertainty where one wrong move could spell disaster for all involved.

After watching this movie I quickly came to the conclusion that even though I generally dislike most Spike Lee movies, even he can surprise me sometimes. "Inside Man" was a wonderfully constructed cat-and-mouse thriller that was completely engrossing and a genuine surprise to me, and was by far the most mainstream Spike Lee movie to date. The story was well paced, full of twists-and-turns that you don't see coming, and the dialogue was so well-written and at times an absolute joy to listen to, especially the many exchanges between Denzel Washington and Clive Owen's characters. The acting was terrific from all actors involved, each actor was given so much to work with, which is often a rarity in an ensemble piece like this one, where there are so many A-list actors gathered in one film, generally one or two of them get shorted on development. A lot of the fun I had in watching this movie was trying to figure out the various motives every character had or which side they were truly on, so many of the characters had hidden agendas you really didn't know what to expect from any of them, which made the experience all the more enjoyable for me.

As I said earlier I'm not by any means a Spike Lee fan and enjoying this movie doesn't change that fact, but for me to have been even remotely entertained by this film is a feat in and of itself. With all that being said, I think it would be nice to see more independent-type directors, such as Spike Lee or Quentin Tarentino, make more mainstream films and maybe, just maybe, I would like their work a whole lot more than simply one movie here and there.

"Inside Man" is rated R for violence and language.

I expected more..........2007-05-07

This is one of those movies that probably would have worked better as a novel than a movie. The slow pacing left a lot to be desired. I was expecting something more brilliant than what was presented here. Dalton Russell's who, what, and when explanation was fine, but he definitely short-changed us on the why. Why the heck did he care how Case made his money? None of the robber's where Jewish. How did he learn of his past if no one else knew? Once Dalton and Ms. White had their little dicussion, hence, telling the audience the real deal, I was bored waiting for Det. Frazier and his crew to catch up. Then I wasn't rewarded well enough for the wait. Why was Dafoe in this movie? have the acting gigs dried up that badly that he's taking parts that could have easily gone to a glorified extra? Foster was good, wouldn't mind having her job. Overall, it's just okay. I like Washington more when he does character pieces compared to his action/thriller/ heist stuff. I can rarely tell those characters apart.

Hated it..........2007-05-04

I know this movie won't be shown at the boys and girls club! It is awful.

Average customer rating:

Monty Python is always a pleasure to watch.
Funny, funny, funny
Monty Python
First Try At Python....What Took Me So Long?
Controversial?

Life of Brian
Starring: Terence Bayler , Peter Brett , John Case , Graham Chapman , and John Cleese
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Special Edition)
Monty Python's the Meaning of Life
The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset
Blazing Saddles (30th Anniversary Special Edition)
History of the World Part I

ASIN: 6305388458
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Amazon.com essential video

"Blessed are the cheesemakers," a wise man once said. Or maybe not. But the point is Monty Python's Life of Brian is a religious satire that does not target specific religions or religious leaders (like, say, Jesus of Nazareth). Instead, it pokes fun at the mindless and fanatical among their followers--it's an attack on religious zealotry and hypocrisy--things that that fellow from Nazareth didn't particularly care for either. Nevertheless, at the time of its release in 1979, those who hadn't seen it considered it to be quite "controversial."

Life of Brian, you see, is about a chap named Brian (Graham Chapman) born December 25 in a hovel not far from a soon-to-be-famous Bethlehem manger. Brian is mistaken for the messiah and, therefore, manipulated, abused, and exploited by various religious and political factions. And it's really, really funny. Particularly memorable bits include the brassy Shirley Bassey/James Bond-like title song; the bitter rivalry between the anti-Roman resistance groups, the Judean People's Front and the People's Front of Judea; Michael Palin's turn as a lisping, risible Pontius Pilate; Brian urging a throng of false-idol worshippers to think for themselves--to which they reply en masse "Yes, we must think for ourselves!"; the fact that everything Brian does, including losing his sandal in an attempt to flee these wackos, is interpreted as "a sign." Life of Brian is not only one of Monty Python's funniest achievements, it's also the group's sharpest and smartest sustained satire. Blessed are the Pythons. --Jim Emerson

Description

The Gospel according to Monty Python: In Judea, a boy is born in a manger a short distance from and about the same time, as Jesus Christ. Three wise men from the East are for a time deceived by this proximity into believing that he is the promised Messiah, but it soon becomes apparent that he is, in fact, only a hapless peasant named Brian. However, the "Life of Brian" causes plenty of commotion for the Roman Empire and leaves him desperate to escape his burgeoning popularity.

Customer Reviews:

Monty Python is always a pleasure to watch........2007-05-26

The cast of The Life of Brian seemed to have as much fune making the movie as I did watching it. There is always a touch of the sacreligious in th e work of the Monty Python team and the Life of Brian can strik some people harshly. But as in most of their works the tewam seems to be having fun with a story that could have been.

Funny, funny, funny.......2007-05-24

A slight bit of deep tongue-in-cheek stupid slap stick humor, but, hey, that's what these guys are all about. Laugh a little, laugh a lot.

Monty Python.......2007-05-07

at their best. a Laugh out Loud movie. Irreverent, yet pleasing.

First Try At Python....What Took Me So Long?.......2007-04-23

On a friend's strong recommendation, I just got done viewing the Life of Brian. I am glad I did. He had raved about how funny the movie is, so I finally relented and gave it a try. There are many laugh out loud moments in this film. Very witty and smart dialogue, and satirical looks at the way people donduct themselves when in a large group of people. From Brian's "mom" to the song that closes the movie, this film boasts some sheer hilarity. I enjoy smart films, even when the smart is in the form of satire. A movie like the Lif of Brian further illustrates how mediocre many of the new Hollywood comedies are (Talladega Nights, R.V., etc.).

I recommend this movie. Granted it can be described as an acquired taste, yet I found the taste fast to acquire. Four stars.

Controversial?.......2007-03-26

With by far the majority raving over this trite and predictably British schoolyard humour since its release, I would hardly ever have called it 'controversial'.
Seems the vocal Christians were surprisingly mum over this one. Could have sent this 5 star rating down a few pegs if they'd spoken up against what they would have called mockery and blasphemy.

Average customer rating:

queen
The best!
I wanted to eat it all ... in one bite
Si existiese una máquina del tiempo, yo no iria a woodstock, yo iria a Queen Live at Wembley!!!
God save the Queen!!

Queen - Live at Wembley Stadium
Starring: Freddie Mercury , John Deacon , Brian May (II) , Roger Taylor , and Spike Edney
Director: Gavin Taylor
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

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Queen - On Fire at the Bowl
Queen + Paul Rodgers - Return of the Champions
Queen - Greatest Video Hits 1
"Queen - The Platinum Collection: Greatest Hits I, II & III"
Queen - Greatest Video Hits 2

ASIN: B00009P1O2
Release Date: 2003-06-17

Customer Reviews:

queen.......2007-05-14

great concert and sound, but after seeing the band live it's hard to compare a dvd. worth the purchase, great song mix.

The best!.......2007-04-11

A great live concert by an a amazing band. Everyone should own this dvd, and every frontman should study the excellence of freddie mercury. The best frontman in history!

I wanted to eat it all ... in one bite.......2007-04-11

Wow-- DVD at home--with Bose sound sure beats the 8 tracks and wedge speakers in my 69 Mustang. Beats the turntable and nickles taped to the needle and giant home made speakers (thank you Radio Shack). Always liked Queen-- this is my first Queen DVD and it is great. Nice variety. Freddie whips up the crowd.... goose bumps. Program the DVD to play REPEAT. I like this better than vinyl-- Night at the Opera.
Another One Bites the Dust-- good for pregame in the locker room.

Si existiese una máquina del tiempo, yo no iria a woodstock, yo iria a Queen Live at Wembley!!!.......2007-04-06

Moralmente me siento obligado a escribir en relacion a este DVD. Para mi, este es el mejor concierto que dió queen, algunos comentan que mejor son los de los años 70 (live killers, paris, Raimbow,etc) Yo creo que este concierto reune todo lo mejor, ademas, este es queen en su mejor epoca (dicho por ellos mismos en las entrevistas) Freddy Mercury dió lo mejor de si, tal vez por que sabia en aquel momento que posiblemente nunca mas lo iba a poder hacer. Este concierto lo tengo en VHS desde hace 15 años y siempre lamenté que no estuviera el set completo (en el cd si aparecen todas las canciones). Es muy grato ver el impromptu (demostrandole a los que dicen que freddy ya en los 80 no tenia voz)el tremendo registro vocal que tenia, siguiendo con el brighton rock solo de brian, (para mi el mas completo y el mejor de todos los tiempos) seguido de una de mis canciones preferidas Now im Here. El concierto fue planificado de tal manera que arrancara con mucha fuerza, pasando por canciones olvidadas como in the lap of the gods, llevandolo a un punto mas intimo en un recital umplugged, donde tocan canciones de rock & roll rindiendole tributo a sus origenes rockanroleros, para luego recobrar energias y terminar de manera contundente con el clásico we are the champions. Este concierto reune lo mejor de queen, es el legado que nos dejó la mejor banda de rock en directo. Es mas, si existiese una máquina del tiempo, yo no iria a woodstock, yo iria a Queen Live at Wembley!!!

Adicionalmente este dvd trae un segundo cd con un ensayo inedito nunca antes visto de queen unos dias antes del concierto. Tambien trae algunas tomas del concierto del dia anterior(yo no sabia que este dvd fue grabado el segundo dia de concierto, ya que el primero llovió) y un documental del concierto en si, si no me equivoco, extraido del documental Magic Years.

Si te gusta queen, este dvd no debe faltar en tu coleccion. Lo recomiendo ampliamente.

God save the Queen!!.......2007-03-31

Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Taylor and Deacon!!

No more words are necessary...this DVD is amazing!

Average customer rating:

Being John Malkovich [HD DVD]
Starring: Orson Bean , Ned Bellamy , John Cusack , K.K. Dodds , and Richard Fancy
Director: Spike Jonze
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

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The Big Lebowski [HD DVD]
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Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000OHZL44
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Description

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a struggling street puppeteer. In order to make some money, Craig takes a job as a filing clerk. One day he accidentally discovers a door… a portal into the mind of John Malkovich (played by John Malkovich)! For 15 minutes, he experiences the ultimate head trip - HE is John Malkovich! Then he's dumped out onto the New Jersey turnpike! With his beautiful office mate Maxine (Catherine Keener) and his pet-obsessed wife (Cameron Diaz), they hatch a plan to let others into John's brain for just $200 a trip. See what all the critics are talking about.

Jackass - Number Two (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

A guilty pleasure for my "child within"
Two goes too far...
Insane
POSSIBLY THE FUNNIEST FILM IN CINEMATIC HISTORY!!!
Surprise! 'Jack'(a--)-in-a-Box

Jackass - Number Two (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Willie Garson , Tony Hawk , Stephanie Hodge , Mat Hoffman , and Rip Taylor
Manufacturer: Paramount / MTV
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Jackass - The Movie (Unrated Special Collector's Edition)
Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Widescreen Edition)
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The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Crank (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000JLTRJK
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Amazon.com

Jackass Number Two could be alternately titled " From Bowties to Bunny Ears: What Will Chris Pontius Be Wearing Next?" Like the first Jackass movie, Johnny, Bam, Chris, Steve-O and the gang are all here. This "sequel" is full of stunts, pranks and one-liners, and contains more defecation, more male nudity, more scream-worthy moments and of course more uncontrollable laughter. The film opens with a rather well directed cinematic piece: the entire Jackass gang running from a stampede of bulls. From there it takes off into the hysterically exhausting world of Jackass. The bulls are actually in quite a few stunts, one of which has "leader" Johnny Knoxville using himself as a red flag, and getting spearheaded by a charging bull. Ah, good times. Some of the stunts include: "Beehive Limo", "Fart Mask", "Red Rocket" and a fake terrorist plot which boasts the improve line, "Where I'm going, I don't need luggage." Bam gets branded, they fish for sharks with Steve-O as bait, Johnny catches Anacondas with his bare hands, the list goes on. The gem in this collection of antics has to be the offensive interactions with the innocent people on the street by Johnny Knoxville and director/actor Spike Jonez, while disguised as a very old man and woman. Celebrity guests partaking in stunts include extreme sports legends Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman. The movie culminates in a beautifully choreographed, fantastical and dangerous musical number not to be missed. Throughout the movie it is apparent that the Jackass gang is older and a little more worn, especially when Bam pleads, "Please God, don't let there be a "Jackass 3". For fans of the TV series and the films, a trilogy may be just what the doctor ordered. The DVD extras (deleted scenes, unrated material and two pretty funny music videos) are more of the same and worth the watch, though some of it is not for the faint hearted. --Rachel Moss

Description

Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and the entire crew from the popular MTV franchise return in the most insane DVD of the year, jackass number two. Available in both rated and "too hot for theaters" unrated versions, jackass number two pushes the limits with all-new stunts, pants-wetting practical jokes, fun with bears, bees, snakes, bulls, sharks…and other REALLY bad ideas.

Customer Reviews:

A guilty pleasure for my "child within".......2007-06-30

Ok, this movie is pointless, stupid, violent, at times very gross and shows alot of skin and is alot of fun. I really like the jackass movies even at my age a man in his early 40s. It really does bring out the "child within" and adolscent side of an adult that can be alot of fun. They do the things that you were afraid of doing when you were their age and getting hurt. Yeah, you can watch the movie, do the things that they are doing (in your mind) and you are not the one that is getting hurt or making a fool of himself. What a bonus!!!! LOL Ok, seriously this movie is alot of foolish fun. See it as such when you view it and never take it seriously. I will say that you should watch the special features "outtakes and deleted scenes" because there are alot of stunts that are not shown in the movie plus some good frontal male nudity to boot. I highly recommend this movie to anyone that really likes to cut loose within thier own home safely on the couch and likes to laugh their butts off!!!!

Two goes too far..........2007-06-23

I dunno I just don't think watching people do permanent damage to their friend's bodies is all that amusing. Seems like Jackass on MTV (and the first movie) had more clever pranks while this one was more about inflicting pain and damage. I'll admit that I turned it off at the point Steve-o did a sort of reverse beer bong, so maybe it picked up after that point...but that didn't seem likely.

Insane.......2007-05-30

Bought for a 14yo teenage boy who screeches with laughter every 5minutes. Not my cup of tea watching grown men make complete arses of themselves.

POSSIBLY THE FUNNIEST FILM IN CINEMATIC HISTORY!!!.......2007-05-27

I'm not even remotely a fan of Jackass but I had watched the first movie, and when I was going to see number two I kept thinking there was no way these guys could out do themselves with this one. Man I was so wrong.
This movie had me laughing so much I had to take asprins because I had gotten a headache. There are to many parts in this movie that had me rolling all over the floor (especially the switcharoo in the bed, the small toilet, bad grandpa).
I'm even compelled to say this movie could even be the best sequel to date since Godfather Part 2.
Well don't take mine or anyone else's word for it, go and see it.

WARNING: DO NOT EAT ANYTHING BEFORE AND DURING THE MOVIE.

Surprise! 'Jack'(a--)-in-a-Box.......2007-05-11

Seeing the previews on a review show, `Jackass 2' looked like a barrel of fun. I saw stuntmen propelled in the air for "Fire hose Rodeo," skiing down a stairwell with artificial snow, and a mini loop motorcycle stunt. What I was expecting was `Candid Camera' meets "X"-treme sports novelties. What I mainly got was a "hybrid"* of 'Fear Factor'. I was misled.

Favorably, it all starts out with a bull run that is harrowing and impressively shot. Later, one of the best scenes is a Hollywood movie parody. (Even though there's no plot, per say, the scene is so impressive, that if you must see it, I wouldn`t dare spoil it for you.) In their defense, they certainly are inventive with every stunt they pull.

Then, it gets morbid. Sight gags with snake bites, stunts with shattered glass, and leeches shown to host on a man's "private parts" and his eyeball are definitely an acquired taste. In one scene, a "phallic" image is branded to one stalwart's b--t. To ensure authenticity, they have to show the blood afterwards with participants writhing in pain and onlookers laughing--like it were `The Three Stooges' gone `Gladiator`. (I don't remember laughing at people getting hurt since I was six, but, maybe, it's just me.) Granted the stunt men are professionals and their caveat--to paraphrase, "Don't try this at home, kids--" is amply posted, but I didn`t find it entertaining. Male b--t shots, feces, vomiting, and actors dressed as elderly people with fake genitals hanging out of garments are the obsessive bill of fare presented. (To their credit, their inventive hijinx is only fractionally represented here.)

I felt like I had entered an impressive carnival and left a freak show that mainly made me feel queasy.

"Let the buyer beware?" Maybe. Not asking for a refund, I, nonetheless, would like other thrill seekers to make an informed decision before entering this circus tent.

*with elements that remind one of the initials associated with Marquis de Sade.

Spike Lee Joint Collection (Clockers/ Jungle Fever/ Do the Right Thing/ Mo` Better Blues/ Crooklyn)

Average customer rating:

Spike Lee - The Man
You really get ur money's worth
Good selection!
YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!
A Fantastic Collection That Is Very Affordable

Spike Lee Joint Collection (Clockers/ Jungle Fever/ Do the Right Thing/ Mo` Better Blues/ Crooklyn)
Starring: Spike Lee Joint Collection
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

School Daze
Malcolm X
Bamboozled (New Line Platinum Series)
4 Little Girls
Get on the Bus

ASIN: B000E40QC4
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Product Description

Five groundbreaking films from prolific filmmaker Spike Lee come together in this collection. Starring such heavyweights as Rosie Perez, Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and John Turturro in career-defining roles, the films include CROOKLYN, DO THE RIGHT THING, CLOCKERS, JUNGLE FEVER, and MO' BETTER BLUES. See individual titles for descriptions.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Clockers
Based on the riveting bestseller by Richard Price, this 1995 crime drama was directed by Spike Lee with such authority and authenticity that it has the hyper-real quality of a stylized documentary. Fully capturing the thoroughly researched detail of Price's novel, the film focuses on Strike (newcomer Mekhi Phifer), a young, ambitious "clocker"--or drug dealer--who works the streets of his New York housing project, selling drugs for a local supplier named Rodney (played with ferocious charisma by Delroy Lindo). Just as Strike is struggling to get away from his dead-end life of crime, another dealer is murdered in a fast-food restaurant and local detectives (Harvey Keitel, John Turturro) consider Strike the primary suspect. In cowriting the script with novelist Price, Lee uses this murder mystery to explore the plague of guns and black-on-black crime in America's inner cities, in which drugs and death are familiar routines of daily life. The film doesn't pretend to offer solutions, nor does it dwell on the problem with numbing insistence. Rather, this taut, well-acted film takes the viewer into a world often hidden in plain sight--a world where options seem nonexistent for youth conditioned to have little or no expectation beyond a probable early death. Lee and Price are deadly serious in handling this volatile subject (which incorporates racism, powerless law enforcement, and political indifference), but Clockers is also blessed with humor, insight, and humanity. It's one of Lee's most confidently directed films, signaling a creative maturity that Lee continued to develop throughout the 1990s. --Jeff Shannon

Jungle Fever
Spike Lee's 1991 story about an interracial relationship and its consequences on the lives and communities of the lovers (Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra) is one of his most captivating and focused films. Snipes and Sciorra are very good as individuals trying to reach beyond the limits imposed upon them for reasons of race, tradition, sexism, and such. Lee makes an interesting and subtle case that they are driven to one another out of frustration with social obstacles as well as pure attraction--but is that enough for love to survive? John Turturro is featured in a subplot as an Italian American who grows attracted to a black woman and takes heat from his numbskull buddies. --Tom Keogh

Do the Right Thing
Spike Lee's incendiary look at race relations in America, circa 1989, is so colorful and exuberant for its first three-quarters that you can almost forget the terrible confrontation that the movie inexorably builds toward. Do the Right Thing is a joyful, tumultuous masterpiece--maybe the best film ever made about race in America, revealing racial prejudices and stereotypes in all their guises and demonstrating how a deadly riot can erupt out of a series of small misunderstandings. Set on one block in Bedford-Stuyvesant on the hottest day of the summer, the movie shows the whole spectrum of life in this neighborhood and then leaves it up to us to decide if, in the end, anybody actually does the "right thing." Featuring Danny Aiello as Sal, the pizza parlor owner; Lee himself as Mookie, the lazy pizza-delivery guy; John Turturro and Richard Edson as Sal's sons; Lee's sister Joie as Mookie's sister Jade; Rosie Perez as Mookie's girlfriend Tina; Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee as the block elders, Da Mayor and Mother Sister; Giancarlo Esposito as Mookie's hot-headed friend Buggin' Out; Bill Nunn as the boom-box toting Radio Raheem; and Samuel L. Jackson as deejay Mister Señor Love Daddy. A rich and nuanced film to watch, treasure, and learn from--over and over again. --Jim Emerson

Mo' Better Blues
With Mo' Better Blues, the story of a young trumpeter's rise to jazz-world stardom, Spike Lee set out to counter Clint Eastwood's cliché-ridden biopic of Charlie Parker in Bird. But the final product, a slick, glossy drama (with hip-hop jazz provided by Gangstarr no less), is just as superficial as the numerous Alger-esque stories of music stardom to which movie audiences are accustomed.

Denzel Washington gives a typically charismatic performance as the trumpeter in question, as does Wesley Snipes as his sax-playing rival. And as with most Spike Lee films, there are numerous solid performers in small roles such as Bill Nunn, Latin-music star Rubén Blades, and comedian Robin Harris. One character, however, attracted unwanted attention: John Turturro's role as an unscrupulous music-industry exec. Critics called the Turturro character, who is at once money hungry, swarthy, and perpetually shrouded in darkness, a classic anti-Semitic caricature. But the charge seems almost irrelevant in Spike Lee's cartoonish, overstylized world of impossibly hunky jazzmen, curvaceous hangers-on, and incessant bebop. --Ethan Brown

Crooklyn
Spike Lee's semiautobiographical, 1994 film about the good and bad times for a Brooklyn family in the '70s has passion and nostalgic good feeling, but it is also a mess of random reflections and arbitrary storytelling. The centerpiece of the movie is a little girl (Zelda Harris) who views the ups and downs of her parents' experiences (mom and dad are played by Delroy Lindo and Alfre Woodard), and who navigates the life of her neighborhood. Lee tosses in a lot of '70s detail (watching The Partridge Family) and other diversions (Harris's journey through suburbia), but he has no master sensibility controlling the flow of it all. The film is more wearying than anything, although bright spots include Lindo's fine performance as a talented man suffering from irrelevance. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Spike Lee - The Man.......2007-06-20

They could have put a movie on the other side of Crooklyn :(, Im still extremely satisfied. This is a piff collection. Spike did a great job capturing the essence (the lighter side) of emotion of every day life living in relative poverty like he did in Crooklyn. Watching these movies made me feel as if I were an invisible character.

You really get ur money's worth.......2007-05-14

I really like this collection, even though I thought it should have included his first work, school daze, instead of Clockers, u get five dvd's for the price of 1.

Good selection!.......2007-03-21

The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not a 5 is because not everyone will be happy with all 5 Films in this Collection. Point blank is that this a must get. You cannot beat the price for a good selection of quality American films. Very satisfied!

YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!.......2007-03-16

5 CLASSIC FILMS BY ONE OF THE BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN DIRECTORS OF ALL TIME FOR $20.00! IF YOU THINK THIS ISN'T A GREAT DEAL THAN OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A PROBLEM! MO BETTA BLUES IS ONE OF THE MOST WELL PUT TOGETHER PIECES AND IF YOU ENJOY THE FILMS I SUGGEST LISTENING TO THE ACTUAL SOUNDTRACKS.

A Fantastic Collection That Is Very Affordable.......2007-03-12

There are a few artists who come to mind - Peter Max, for example - who strongly believe that their craft should be accessible to fans at any income level. Simply, art is solely not defined by its high price tag.

With the release of the Spike Lee Joint Collection (Clockers/ Jungle Fever/ Do the Right Thing/ Mo` Better Blues/ Crooklyn), the legendary film maker is making a very strong statement in the movie industry on producing an extraordinary product at an affordable price.

This is Economics 101 at its simplest, five movies for the cost of a couple of movie tickets at most theaters. It is as much a collection for fans of Lee's career as it an outstanding sampler for those just getting into his style.

And it begs a very important question; if Lee and Max - along with others - can do it, why isn't this practical approach done industry-wide within the arts?

Average customer rating:

Great Kinetic Movie Making
Great Documentary about Ali's Fight with Foreman
Great Documentary
One of My Absolute Favorite Films
El amor propio y la grandeza

When We Were Kings
Starring: Muhammad Ali , George Foreman , Don King , James Brown , and B.B. King
Director: Leon Gast
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

Boxing | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection
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ASIN: B00007ELEK
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Amazon.com essential video

Decades ago, documentary filmmaker Leon Gast attempted to complete a feature about the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" championship bout between boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. Sundry complications, though, held up the project until its release in 1996. It was well worth the delay. From Gast's perspective of modern history, the six weeks Ali and Foreman were forced to spend waiting in Africa for their fight to take place now looks like an important moment in America's cultural understanding of African American roots. In a nutshell, Ali had been stripped of his heavyweight champion title because his opposition to the Vietnam War-era draft had landed him in prison. Reigning champ Foreman agreed to a Don King-promoted match in Kinshasa, but after all parties got there the fight was put off. Gast captures the charismatic Ali, in the ensuing days and weeks, going out among the people and getting to know them while the more reclusive Foreman keeps to his own company. Meanwhile, King brings over black American artists such as James Brown and the Spinners to mix it up with African musicians. The sense of excitement and connection is thrilling, as is the boxing footage of Foreman and Ali finally taking swings at one another in a titanic duel. Writers George Plimpton and Norman Mailer, each of whom was covering the fight as journalists, are on hand to recollect the details. Whether you're a fight fan or not, this is a unique experience and a fascinating insight into America's sense of identity. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great Kinetic Movie Making.......2007-04-24

Certainly one of the greatest sports movies of all time, and one of my favorites. I can't think of an athlete in public life who has brought me more pleasure than Muhammad Ali. This movie serves as a record of the man and his times, brilliant, funny, charismatic, and athletic.

Great Documentary about Ali's Fight with Foreman.......2007-04-08

I am a huge fan of Muhammad Ali. He had such confidence in himself (at least outwardly) that he taught me how to have confidence in myself. I have been inspired by his strong spirit.

You get a good snapshot of this in When We Were Kings. Ali is heavily favored to be knocked out by George Foreman, who enters this fight against Ali 40-0 with 37 knockouts.

But watch Ali draw strength from the African people in Zaire. Watch him as he focuses on both his training and in the PR for the fight. Watch him mix it up with James Brown in a concert in the days leading up to the fight. Soak in all the eyewitness commentary of Budd Schulberg and George Plimpton and others who were in Zaire.

This is a well made period piece, capturing Ali in the days prior to one of his best nights ever. Excellent!

Great Documentary.......2007-03-27

Great Documentary. It gave us a new perspective about Muhamadd Ali 's personality and all the details behind this fight. Definitely, a collector's item.

One of My Absolute Favorite Films.......2007-03-21

I was going to say that it was my favorite documentary, but it transcends the form and puts its shadow across any type of movie you could think of. "When We Were Kings" is as inspiring as it is educational; the fight between Foreman and Ali will show you a philosophy so profound and so sharp it'll feel as if a glove is making contact with your cheek.
Absolutely stunning, recommended for all - never before has being "up against the ropes" had such awesome effects on my thinking.

El amor propio y la grandeza.......2007-03-08

Este es un clásico. No es acerca de boxeo, aunque puede disfrutarse algunos intercambios. Es acerca del valor, del quererse a sí mismo. De buscar con audacia el propio camino. A diferencia de las especificaciones técnicas del DVD, tiene SUBTITULOS EN ESPAÑOL. Pienso usarlo en mis clases de administración para ejecutivos de empresas. Un ejemplo, extremo y NECESARIO. EMOCIONANTE ¡¡¡¡¡¡

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