Speed of Life

Starring:Scott Caan, Leo Burmester, Mia Kirshner, Anthony Ruivivar, Geoffrey Cantor, Sally Stewart (II), Cesar L. Aramburu, Mtume Gant, Peggy Gormley, Matt Servitto, Byron West, Kate Rigg, Solomon Cobitt, Brenda Denmark, Chad Coleman, Jacinto Taras Riddick, Michael Kaycheck, Damian Young, Otto Sanchez, Thomasina Thomas
Director: Rob Schmidt
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Typical of Linklater....talky, uneven, occasionally insightful, occasionally banal and tiresome...
Was a good effort
A Great Piece Of Work.
Sort of awake
Real

Waking Life
Starring: Louis Black , Julie Delpy , Adam Goldberg , Charles Gunning , and Ethan Hawke
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Baraka
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ASIN: B00005YU1O
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Amazon.com

Waking Life is a film that never settles down. Or maybe it never wakes up. Regardless, Richard Linklater's animated meditation seems to strike a perfect balance between the plotless meanderings of Slacker and the unquenchable knowledge-seeking of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. Any way you look at it, this is a weird, original movie.

As he attempts to figure out what separates dreams from reality, the protagonist (Dazed and Confused's Wiley Wiggins) hears an earful from everyone he stumbles upon. Ramblings range from the scholarly (Linklater's former college professor Robert C. Solomon gives a monologue) to the banal (of which there are plenty). Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Steven Soderbergh, and Adam Goldberg all get animated cameos, basically playing themselves. The dream-centered dialogues eventually grow mind-numbing, but that's OK; the animation steals the show. Each frame of the movie, which was first shot with live actors, was painted over, and the process renders a distorted and trippy collage of sights and sounds. Linklater's film is ultimately quite poignant, but, as with any good journey, you'll need to sit through some fairly tedious moments before reaching the destination. --Jason Verlinde

Description

From the director of Slacker and Dazed and Confused comes one of the most imaginative animated features ever made. This funny, ingenious film, which Rolling Stone Magazine calls "nothing short of amazing," explores the fascinating question: "Are we sleep-walking through our waking state or wake- walking through our dreams"? Join Wiley Wiggins as he searches for answers to lifes most important questions in a world that may or may not be reality in the "most visually alive movie of the year." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times)

Customer Reviews:

Typical of Linklater....talky, uneven, occasionally insightful, occasionally banal and tiresome..........2007-06-16

I like Richard Linklater more as a person than a filmmaker. Here is a good example of his work. The ideas put forth are interesting and necessary, but the film overall is very ponderous, talky (almost all of Linklater's films are talky), pseudo-intellectual (like his generation, Gen X), and kind of boring in spots. The conversations veer from passable to banal, and the rotoscoping, while interesting, isn't really groundbreaking. Rotoscoping has been done for quite some time, but it looks better than it used to, because of digital technology. The film is average. I like Linklater's intelligence and ambition, and he's very personable in interviews, but his work is usually disappointing. It's not terrible, but it's not as good as it can be.

Was a good effort.......2007-06-12

This movie takes the risk and gets silly at times. It is a series of monologues (Or an alternative description would be 'ramblings'). There is not, however, anything deep or eye-opening about it. Rather just observations from an 'altered' state of mind. As a whole, it comes off as pretentious. The rotoscoping technique used is different but not terribly inventive or original. I wasn't impressed but it was a good effort.

A Great Piece Of Work........2007-06-02

This movie can be a barrage for the senses and can make you doubt what you might think is reality. I was moved greatly by this movie and I have loved ith from the first time that I saw it. Some of the theories in it may seem so far out there because you have never really thought about them that way before, but once they are presented to you they kinda make sense. If you like to think outside of the box then give this movie a shot and you won't be disappointed.

Sort of awake.......2007-05-12

Unique unearthing of subjects which sort have lived in the ether of American thought for the last ten years or so. Subjects and presentations range from the 'would you please just shut up' to 'that's odd and interesting' variety.

Good to know that films like this can still be made. Every once in awhile nice to see something for people who enjoy thinking and aren't embarrassed to say so.

Real.......2007-04-03

What is REAL??? This film shows something to discuss... is this reality?? Yes!! But... are we or am I in a dream?? Does that matter???

If u like this film, read from Peter Berger n Thomas Luckmann "The Social Construction of REALITY"

Average customer rating:

Thre is no double standard for George Sand
Excellent, Entertaining Satire
ho hum
Wickedly halarious!
Art does not apologize!

Impromptu
Starring: Judy Davis , Hugh Grant , Mandy Patinkin , Bernadette Peters , and Julian Sands
Director: James Lapine
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Immortal Beloved
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ASIN: B00005UJYA
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Amazon.com

Still more Victorian country-house shenanigans: novelist George Sand (Judy Davis, affected but pretty darn charming) has eyes for Franz Liszt's young protégé Chopin (Hugh Grant, solid as always, but burdened by a silly Polish accent and a script that never lets him stretch out), but various lovers, jealous rivals, and Chopin's own overdeveloped sense of propriety conspire to confound her. Impromptu is witty but overlong--probably 20 minutes of hijinks and repartee, not to mention several completely gratuitous and redundant characters, could have been sliced from the film. Davis plays Sand as an impetuous, overgrown tomboy, outraging her genteel hosts by wearing pants, chomping cigars, and falling off horses; her coterie of artist-friends assure us, in a series of naked plot devices, that she nonetheless has a heart of gold. It's all good silly fun, and about as feminist as your average Def Leppard video--the other two developed female characters are ugly stereotypes: a featherbrained, feckless social climber (Emma Thompson, who once again proves she's up for anything) and a spiteful, back-stabbing shrew (the ever-capable Bernadette Peters). Director James Lapine clearly belongs to the Dr. Quinn school of historical accuracy, so don't expect to learn anything about the period or the artists themselves. Impromptu is far more Melrose Place than Mrs. Dalloway, or perhaps best described as an episode of Entertainment Tonight set in the 19th century. --Miles Bethany

Customer Reviews:

Thre is no double standard for George Sand.......2006-09-04

James Lapine is best known as a playwright and director. He is most famous for his collaborations with Stephen Sondheim including Sunday in the Park with George, Passion and Into the Woods. He brings this talent to the big screen.

George Sand was a great French writer. Since society thought that women should be subservient housewives, George wanted to fly in the face of society. She wrote under a man's name and dressed like a man. She treated men as playthings. Therefore, she was the scandal and titillation of Paris.

That is until she is introduced to the shy Polish composer Frederic Chopin. When she hears his music, she becomes enchanted with him. But Frederic wants nothing to do with such a notorious woman. So George decides to give Frederic a woman that he wants.

This is a brilliant romantic comedy with a cast of up and coming actors. Judy Davis has always chosen interesting role from her early Australian films to her television roles. This is another great meaty role for Judy and she eats it up. Hugh Grant was a relative unknown when this film was made but this film would be the first of the quintessential Hugh Grant characters. In supporting roles are Lapine regulars Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin. Also in the film are early roles by Emma Thompson and Julian Sands.

If you are looking for something witty and intelligent, Impromptu is definitely the film to watch.

DVD EXTRAS: NONE

Excellent, Entertaining Satire.......2006-08-28

I would unreservedly rate Impromptu five out of five after two viewings, the reason being it's the most successful period drama I've watched that combines history and farce in a most effectively entertaining manner.

Each of the main characters (practically everyone has a distinct voice) are imbued with nothing short of humour and definitive caricature - a steadfast George Sand, a neurotic Chopin, an irreverant Musset, a virile Delacroix, a hyperbolic, quietly intellectual and mild Liszt, a haughty, spiteful and duplicitous Marie D'Agoult and a hysterical Countess who has been so effectively parodied as the patron of minor talents but huge inheritance.

As with countless of historical dramas, Impromptu has not been spared a degree of measurement with regards to historical accuracy. I feel that a certain dispense from the facts is acceptable, so far as they remain relevant, and conducive to the development of the story and in this case, the humour.

Emma Thompson has proven time and again, her mastery of period drama and her multi-faceted talents.

Judy Davis and Bernadette Peters are truly brilliant and entertaining in their convincing and riveting portrayals of Sand (whom you love to emphatize with) and D'Agoult (whom you love to hate), eventually placed at loggerheads.

The DVD also comes with a French voice-over not found in many films of French background filmed in English. The dialogue is much more hilarious than the original in English! (especially with George Sand and Marie D'Agoult's parts)... A boon for viewers who wish to improve on their non-native language.

The soundtracks are strung together in a most admirable fashion, beginning most lightheartedly with Chopin's fleeting-paced but good-natured Impromptu in A flat, the theme of Sand's "romantic calling" in Chopin's first Ballade and the Fantasie-Impromptu near to the end of the film, which should be familiar to almost any viewer.

Lush orchestrations have been "mixed" in certain parts with the original solo piano excerpts to enhance the dramatic flow. Musical purists need not be overly concerned with this mild cosmetic effect.

Overall, it is a film I would recommend without hesitation to lovers of classical music, historical drama and comedy.

ho hum.......2006-08-10

Feels like a stage play -- and not a very good one -- a stage play with the stilted dialogue and lack of action that plague that genre. Hugh Grant, the biggest star at the center of this film, is vulnerable and feminine, and the rest of the cast arranges itself around him. So far so good.

But really in the final analysis, this is not the most compelling film in any category in which it might offer itself. Historically, it's a bit off (the youngsters hitting their palms together "YES" telegraphs the extent to which this is not a well researched historical film); the "art for art's sake" message is way too heavy-handed; the script, the cast, the cinematography, the music -- all of it feels way too choreographed. I could have passed this one up with no disadvantage to myself or my sensibility.

Wickedly halarious!.......2006-03-17

What fun! What fun! It is delightful to see such a refreshingly witty and playful film. Judy Davis is wonderful as the tomboyish George Sand (though slightly over the top at times) and gives the role quite a bit of depth and comedy. Hugh Grant plays her quarry, Fredrick Chopin, and even dons a wavering accent for the part. The cake, however, is taken by Emma Thompson here in her before-stardom days. She plays a culturally deprived Countess who invites the geniuses of the day to her country home where many of the madcap endeavors take place. Her performance alone makes this film worth watching.

The setting is France in its most romantic years, where George Sand scandalized the towns by her illicit love affairs, one after the other. An obstacle is met, however, in the frail form of Chopin, whose music she first heard and fell in love with. The fortunes are against the pair, mostly in the form of her devious friend Marie who actually wants Chopin for herself. Her numerous broken relationships with previous lovers get a bit annoying and dull at times but the rest of the film makes up for it.

A scene I particularly enjoyed was the farce-play put on by the 'geniuses' that positively humiliates their hosts and accuses them of being 'stupid'. It's so halarious watching Emma Thompson's face falling bit by bit as she realizes the play is actually about her.

All in all, a film worth watching, and, while it is not meticulously-crafted, is still great fun for the performances and sheer comedic power. This is will have you in stitches many times throughout.

Art does not apologize!.......2006-03-13

British period pieces all carry the same themes. Two kindred hearts fight either for or against each other throughout the entire film until finally one succumbs and we are left with the cliché "happy" ending. The story behind Impromptu is no different, but what makes it a bit more enjoyable than your typical film of this genre is the wiry excitement of the cast. In other films you may find yourself struggling to stay awake with the blandish of characters, hoping that sleep with not christen you into the ending, but not in Impromptu. Director James Lapine has amazingly gathered a very talented cast of actors/actresses like Hugh Grant, Mandy Patinkin, and Emma Thompson, to carry his film, but what shames me to say is that it does not create cinematic perfection. These actors/actresses all have talent in which they demonstrate accordingly in this film, but (cause there is always a but...) by the end you feel as if you missed their greatest of scenes. You feel as if you have been cheated out of their greatest potential. This realization is formed by the film's shabby editing, it's misleading story, its emotional-less connection of characters, or the randomness of the ending. Either way, even with the greatest players having fun with their roles, Impromptu slowly flushes itself down the period-piece toilet because it focuses itself to greatly on the actors while sinking the rest of the story.

To begin, as I mentioned before, the greatness of the actors giving nearly 100% to their characters is a charm that is missed in so many other period piece films. Impromptu kept me awake and excited about what would happen next entirely due to the characters. Some may laugh at the portrayal of Chopin by Hugh Grant, but he contains himself well and shows that he may have some acting "chops" under that flopsy hair of his (even with his fading German accent). Emma Thompson is hysterical as the dimwitted hostess, while Mandy Patinkin's Jiminy Cricket-esque character Alfred De Musset definitely needed more screen time. Judy Davis did well with her character, I just have trouble with her "I need to win an Oscar with every role" type performance that Davis is notorious for giving us with every film. The only actress that I despised throughout the film was Bernadette Peters' role. Peters is a decent actress and has proven that she can handle some heavy performances, but her role as the "evil" friend in this film was extremely out of her league. You cannot portray "corruption" in Peters' eyes; it is just physically impossible. When all of these actors are together on screen, especially during their sinister performance at Thompson's house, one cannot help but be pulled into their world. Excitement, humor, and an aura of charisma surround these characters, alas; it is what Lapine did with the rest of the film that utterly destroys it.

Sarah Kernochan's story is not what is lacking when you examine Impromptu's problems. She has amazing characters, funny situations, and socially challenged themes; it is the direction of Lapine that internally destroys the film. The movement between the characters and situations were flawed because Lapine couldn't quite grasp the quickness of this film. From the beginning it is established that these are some of the greatest minds in British history together on screen, so why did we have to pace through the film as if they were also the oldest characters in history. There were times when I felt that Lapine saw the odd pacing of the story and told his actors to speed it up on screen. This only caused more of an issue because you cannot ask the characters/actors to carry the film on their own; they need a dedicated story to complete it. Then, when Lapine tried to counter by focusing a bit stronger on the story, he lost his characters and we, as audience members, missed out on possibly some great moments with our actors. Impromptu eventually became a big battle of tug-of-war, where on one side the actors (doing a great job) were pulling the film, and on the other side was Lapine pulling, trying to decipher how to correctly balance the pacing and story of this genre. While this was interesting to watch on screen, by the end of the film it is obvious that the film missed huge chunks of opportunity. Characters moved without reason, bonds were illogically formed, and hatred was built upon mismatched moments. It was utter and total chaos.

What I am most disappointed about with this film was the lack of development towards the social oddities that surrounded our characters. Here we have the amazing opportunity to witness a great author and the rarity of cross-dressing. In this film we had the opportunity to develop why a powerful painter only drew dead animals. In this film we had the opportunity to explain the passion of love, the morbid curiosity of death, and the duels that combine the two. How about the opportunity to see the competition between Liszt and Chopin? There were so many opportunities just lying on the floor, that by the end of this film I felt like Lapine cheated me out of so much opportunity. Earlier I mentioned my concern about missing out on our characters because Lapine was struggling too hard with the story, it is these opportunities that I believe hurt us the most. I was angry that we had such strong characters, amazing actors, yet no excitement in developing them. This was just another heartache in the Lapine "Hall of Shame".

Overall, as a character film, Impromptu was fabulous. If you would like to see the crème de la crème of British cinema doing their best, then this is the film for you. On the flip side, if you would like to see a director's talent train wreck the entire picture, then Impromptu is also your film. Typically, as a critic you find yourself upset with the actors, the mushy themes, or the ominous lacking of direction, for Impromptu, the latter would best describe the failures. Lapine bit off more than he could chew and thankfully had strong actors to pick up the slack. Sadly, that couldn't save this sinking ship. Lapine had so much potential with Kernochan's story that I do not think he did his homework well enough. Impromptu could have been a darkly entertaining story that could have evoked historical conversation, but instead left most of us scouring the streets looking for anything to latch onto. I will adamantly maintain that it was due to Lapine's horrid direction that this film failed to ever take off into mainstream cinema.

Grade: ** out of *****

Average customer rating:

Life changing and spiritually transformative
full out exuberance!!!
Transformed in an Afternoon
The beauty of New York City
Speedy Magic

The Cruise
Starring: Timothy 'Speed' Levitch
Director: Bennett Miller
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Live From Shiva's Dance Floor
Crumb (Special Edition)
Bukowski - Born Into This
The Passenger
The Squid and the Whale (Special Edition)

ASIN: B000E5N65M
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Customer Reviews:

Life changing and spiritually transformative.......2007-05-15

If you've ever felt like a transit system might be on your side, or like the weather might be conspiring against you, then you might find a familial rapport with Speed. An eccentric who refers to "masculine turns" and referring to the Brooklyn Bridge as his friend, Speed will take you on a whirlwind tour of the city that never sleeps like you've never seen it before.
Thanks to this film, I had the blessing of spinning between the twin towers, a la Speed Levitch, almost exactly one year before 9/11. Twirling around, as he did in the film, marveling at the magnitutde of the universe, wondering why we so often forget the importance of being child-like, I knew this moment was significant.
This is my favorite film of all time and I do not say that lightly. Speed has changed the way I think about and interact with the world. I am one who does not often like to see movies repeatedly, but I get something new each time I see this one. It is funny, charming, simple, and important. If you've ever had a love affair with a flower, see this film. If you never have, and never intend to, watch with fascination as Speed relays his experience of the universe.

full out exuberance!!!.......2007-03-11

I first saw this movie in the 90's and instantly fell in love with it. The Cruise is an insightful, albeit, quirky love affair between a man and a city. Timothy 'Speed' Levitch is an ultra poetic soul who finds beauty in the aspects of life that everyone else passes by without notice. The Cruise is more than a movie, its a way of life. A particular way of viewing the everyday world that surrounds us all. If you are looking for a tour of New York as a metaphoric journey through your own soul... this movie is for you. If you are looking for directions to Nieman Marcus...choose something else. Thank you Speed and be wary of the anti-cruise...it's everywhere.

Transformed in an Afternoon.......2006-12-30

I fell in love with a man who had no car, no permanent home, no flashy form of monetary income and a bout with acne. Granted, no one would describe me as fastidious, nor have I ever stepped into a pair of sexual slacks, but I teeter constantly between a hackneyed existence and the pursuit of a non-grid-plan lifestyle. To me, civilization really is "a giant repression melting into suppression so that you never say what you mean." I began crying of great relief and hope the moment Speed uttered the first sentence in this documentary and, yes, Speed, you transformed me in an afternoon. Thanks to all of those involved in the creation of this film. Here's to keeping The Cruise alive. Sharon Cole--Philadelphia, Pa.

The beauty of New York City.......2006-11-05

NYC is an ugly place.
Its beauty is in your head regardless of whether you've seen the place or not.

The Cruise is a poem in the mind of Timothy Levitch whose forum is the top level of an NYC double-decker tour bus. His subject is that beautifully embellished city in his mind.
Bennett Miller put the film together so that Levitch's spontaneity, love

Speedy Magic.......2006-08-24

Being a native New Yorker myself it was inceridbly refreshing and intriguing to see Speed's outlook on the city. His bright witicisms and factual nuggets about New York are fortified by a genuine passion for the city as well as life in general. Most people consider NYC a calous place with no subtly or beauty. This film shows that NYC is in fact a gentle giant through a poetic and humorous tour-bus guide. The B+W stock adds to the sentimentality of the film, which is great if one wants to learn about the city in a more unorthodox, but still incredibly informative way. ONe of my favorite documentaries ever.

Average customer rating:

An interveiw only
Alright
One Of The Best Music DVDS On The Market
The making of a great album
Decent DVD

Classic Albums - Metallica: Metallica
Starring: Metallica , and Classic Albums
Manufacturer: Eagle Eye/Pioneer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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Classic Albums - Nirvana: Nevermind
Classic Albums - Iron Maiden: The Number of the Beast
Classic Albums - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon
Metallica: Year and A Half Parts 1 & 2

ASIN: B00005Q2Z2
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Amazon.com

The making and continued influence of Metallica's commercial breakthrough (known simply as "the Black Album") is entertainingly recounted in this must for Metallica fanatics, especially those who are interested in the recording of one of hard rock's most sonically breathtaking albums. Drummer Lars Ulrich, singer James Hetfield, and producer Bob Rock take up the lion's share of the interviews, and their reminiscences a decade after the fact include many juicy tidbits (like Ulrich and Rock loathing each other by the time the recording was finished, or that the final mix was nearly ruined by a digital clicking sound on the master tape--luckily, a successful remastering was done). The Dolby 2.0 Stereo sound is appropriately pummeling, even if we are treated to mere excerpts from the songs, videos, and even some of the original demos. Classic Albums: Metallica adroitly summarizes a pivotal moment in hard rock history. --Kevin Filipski

Description

The story of the making of this remarkable album is told here via exclusive interviews with band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted, archive footage and performance, and contributions from producer Bob Rock. We revisit the original multi-tracks of the album, as well as listen to previously unheard demo recordings.

Featuring the five singles from the album, Enter Sandman, Sad But True, "The Unforgiven", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Nothing Else Matters", this is the compelling story of one of the biggest selling albums of all time, a true Classic Album.

Customer Reviews:

An interveiw only.......2007-02-03

This is strictly an interview with metalica,It is not a music video so dont be fooled by the cover.I bought it and got screwed.

Alright.......2006-03-08

Its alright but i knew all the information ahead of time before watching it but u strongly recommend getting a year and a half in the life of metallica it has the same information but it goes more into detail and is alot longer

One Of The Best Music DVDS On The Market.......2004-11-01

Metallica's self-titled DVD on one of their albums, which is known as "The Black Album"( album is actually self-titled, but because the front and back of the album is all black, it earned it's reputation as "The Black Album")is one of the best music DVDS on the market. This DVD goes behind the scenes into the making of the album; there are interviews with band members James Hetfield, Jason Newsted, Kirk Hammet, Lars Ulrich, and producer Bob Rock. You get to listen to previously unheard demo recordings, and the five singles off of "The Black Album" are on this DVD: "Enter Sandman", "Holier Than Thou", "Sad But True", "The Unforgiven", and "Nothing Else Matters". I also enjoyed the exteneded interviews for the DVD, and it was very interesting when James Hetfield told the behind the scenes stories for when he wrote "Nothing Else Matters" and "The God That Failed". Hetfield also talked about how he and the band members in Metallica faced difficulties in their childhoods( parents getting divorced, family members dying)and how music was what guided them through all the tough times in their childhoods. If you enjoyed "The Black Album", you definitely don't want to miss the DVD.

The making of a great album.......2004-04-14

I actually got this dvd for my birthday, and i wasnt really sure if it would be good coz i'm not a huge fan of documenteries, but i gotta say i was not disappointed with it.
Although i would've liked to see maybe more of the video clips for the singles instead of just little clips from them it was interesting hearing them talk about songwriting and how they wrote the album etc.
It's also their 1st album with producer Bob Rock and he has some interesting things to say.
Some highlights are Kirk's solo on wherever i may roam, watching them at the mixing boards playing around with the sound and hearing all the seperate guitar parts, and all the little clips of their live shows. It also explains what inspired the S&M concert.
If you're a die-hard Metallica fan or interested in songwriting and good music, then i reccomend this dvd.

Decent DVD.......2003-06-06

I watched this at a friends and will probably eventually buy it but I have a few other Metallica videos I want to replace with DVD first.

Customer Reviews:

Speed of Life.......2006-06-20

"Speed of Life" is an independent film that is incredibly under the radar, even for an indie movie. I'm surprised that a moivel ike this didn't get a lot more publicity than it did, because it is a really really great and powerful movie. It stars Scott Caan as Drew, an ex-heroin addict and college dropout who spends his time caring for his invalid father (Leo Burmeister, who's really good). Then Drew meets Sarah (Mia Kirshiner) and his world is turned upside down. As Sarah draws Drew back into his old habits and Drew's friend Satan enters the picture, the movie progresses to a final shocking climax. In many ways, although this isn't a movie I should compare it to, this movie is like "The Brown Bunny". Except with that film, the end gave the film purpose. In this movie, the end just shocks us. The movie, for the first half, basically plays the same way. Nothing incredibly exciting happens. I'm going to keep this short, but Caan, Kirshiner, and Burmeister are incredible and if you have somehow stumbled onto the movie...Do not hesitate, see it.

GRADE: A-

Very nice.......2005-09-23

What I felt most touching about this movie was how devoted this son was to his father. And the director didn't pretty anything up. He shows the son actually changing his father's diapers and you see everything! It just makes the situation all the more real. And the son deals with the stress of this by turning to drugs and alcohol which is understandable. The ending is shocking and heartbreaking. It's a very good movie.

Good acting, great cinematography, beautiful story.......2004-12-21

OK... so my initial interest was prurient. Scott Caan in various stages of undress.... I'm there! This movie has much more to recommend it than fleeting moments of eye candy. Caan's portrayal of devoted son trying to make the most of a bad situation. The internal conflict over what's right vs. what's necessary is clear, but not melodramatically dwelled upon. Anguish doesn't need to be torturous.

This movie deserves much more attention than it received when it was released.

For Scott Caan fans only.......2003-02-06

I am a huge Scott Caan fan and have been waiting for this DVD to come out since it premeired in 1999 at Sundance. I really have no words to describe this movie. It was too... up to be good. But too real to be bad.The relationship between Drew and his father was beautifully demented and hard to watch and throughout the movie you just ended up feeling sorry for everyone. The best part was the chemistry between Scott and Mia Kirshner. Other than that I would recommend this movie only to fans of either one of them. On the plus side, Scott Caan hasn't looked this hot in a wife beater since Varsity Blues.

Get up to 'speed' on the superb acting of Scott Caan.......2003-02-04

I've been a huge admirer of Scott Caan ever since I first saw him on the big screen. The son of the great James Caan, his pedigree may well be taken care of, but he still had a lot to therein live up to. And he did so in an amazing list of acting jobs that include 'Gone In 60 Seconds,' `Novocaine,' `Varsity Blues' and even the cheesy 'American Outlaws' and 'Ready To Rumble'. In 'Speed of Life' Caan is the central character that takes care of his `fast-fading' father in much the same way a new mother would take care of her newborn. Finally pushed to levels he never realized he could feel, Drew (Caan) turns to drugs to relax, but ends up losing his job, his common sense and finally his judgement. That all said, it's Leo Burmester's ('The Abyss,' `The Neon Bible') role as Caan's relapsed father that steals the show and the heart strings well before the tortured end.

Average customer rating:

great dvd
Anthrax : "Alive 2 ; The DVD"
Can't Wait to See it
"NOT" what you may expect
sick show

Alive 2: The DVD
Starring: Anthrax
Manufacturer: Sanctuary
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Anthrax - Anthrology:No Hit Wonders
Live in London
Judas Priest - Rising in the East
The Arsenal of Megadeth
Whitesnake - Live in the Still of the Night (Deluxe) [DVD/CD Combo]

ASIN: B000ADKTN0
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Customer Reviews:

great dvd.......2006-07-04

This DVD rocks! The best thing about it, besides the good camerawork with the Pasonic DVX 100's and the sound, is the EDITING. No quick cuts, no spinning, no headaches or nausea. Great creative job by whoever was behind this. And killer show. I was there..

Anthrax : "Alive 2 ; The DVD".......2006-03-13

This is a SICK SHOW. Anthrax gets back to their roots here, and lays down one incredible live show here. All of the old classics are performed, and they don't miss a beat. The original line-up, and one kick as set....

What are you waiting for?? This is a classic peice of Metal History, BUY IT ALREADY!!!!

Can't Wait to See it.......2006-01-27

I haven't actually seen this, but I did see Anthrax's Among The Living tour at a little joint in Wichita, and then 3 more Belladonna era shows after that. That's why I can't wait to see this DVD. However, Spitz is my favorite member, so I'm a little bummed to see a post that they don't show much of him. Anthrax isn't Anthrax if any of these guys aren't in the band. Dan Lilker is a great bass player, but he's not right for Anthrax. John Bush, whatever, that definitely wasn't the Anthrax that people who went through high school with Belladonna at the helm want to hear (kind of like Van Halen without DLR). All I can say is I've seen them 4 times and I'm really glad to see that this DVD is out. I know it's good.

"NOT" what you may expect.......2006-01-21

Yeah, it was really, really cool to experience this DVD! OK so the sound is great, visuals great, camerawork was competent but during the concert, they hardly ever showed SPITZ at all...and the little hercules went and got all JACKED up and didn't even get airtime. What's that about? The phobic closet Danny lover/haters? Bad choice not showing the DAN!! ALso, there were some points where Joey didn't really seem convinced of what he was saying as crowd talk filler. I believe from what I can see and hear of Joey for him to be a pretty nice and straight up guy. Maybe I might've remembered hearing something about that reunion tour not lasting or someone dropping out? I need clearance and closure on this. So, someone up top set me straight on this, I'm not going to their website. Buy the dvd.
Anthrax rock the living ace outtof the set. Some songs missing...whatever, I'm just glad about this event! I notice a lot of posters go on to "bitch" or "pee and moan" about details like picture quality and SUPERPAPHONIC STEREO DEREO SOUND and things like that not being up to their standars and for that reason...don't buy the product. Dude...you sound like my ex girlfriend..you know, it's not really too cool for "guys" to sound like chicks. OK? I assume most reviewers are guys like me. Maybe not. No money involved. Sounds good. Money to buy the dvd, maybe, huh? Oh yeah.

Charlie Benante seems like sort of a low key grudgedickens, but whatever. He's a bastage of a drummer! Bello struk me as being kind of annoying as hell too what, what, whatever. No one lays it down like Frank Bello. I used to rock these guys on my toshiba back in 89 with Among the living on paperroutes and anywhere else!!
Crazy too think that these guys were such a huge/almost bloodstream influence for so many cool people, like the fans!!
Buy this product even though I ended up contradicting myself about being a nitpickin' bitchnaz.

sick show.......2005-11-28

Let me just say that i was at this show and its great that they captured it almost entirely on this dvd perfectly. They left out the little Dime tribute thing they did and Got The Time but other then that this is it. It looks and sounds killer and Joey hasn't aged a day. A must have for any Anthrax or classic thrash fan.

Average customer rating:

Love this movie
The grass is greener
Fairly interesting look at the married life.
A Responsible Dream
If you liked 'American Beauty'....

Metroland
Starring: Christian Bale , Emily Watson , Lee Ross , Elsa Zylberstein , and John Wood
Director: Philip Saville
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 0783240252
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Amazon.com

Metroland, based on Julian Barnes's first novel, is a tale of midlife, middle-class malaise reminiscent of Ang Lee's The Ice Storm. It's 1977, and shaggy-haired thirtysomething Chris (Christian Bale) has a lovely wife (Emily Watson) and baby, a solid office job, and a nice house in the London suburb of Metroland. Life is good, until the surprise arrival of old chum Toni (Lee Ross), whom Chris has not seen for 10 years and who was his accomplice in teenage shenanigans and heady visions of a bohemian life abroad. Toni, an inveterate ladies man and rootless poet, disdains his old friend's bourgeois milieu and feels it his duty to revive Chris's passion for women, art, and rock & roll. Meanwhile, Chris can't stop fantasizing about his steamier days as a 20-year-old in Paris with his sultry French girlfriend, and fails to notice that Toni covets his wife and that she has sexual desires of her own. While there's a palpable sexual energy in the movie's proceedings that adds a certain zing to the themes of angst and longing, their eventual epiphanies are disappointingly benign. Lee Ross's swashbuckling Toni and Emily Watson's intelligent, knowing wife carry the movie. --Rebecca Wright

Customer Reviews:

Love this movie.......2005-07-19

It's one of my all time favorites. I love Christian Bale too. I have seen this movie many times and I still like watching it. I just wish I would have gotten it on DVD instead of VHS. DVD's last longer.

The grass is greener.......2002-05-09

This is the first movie that I've seen that depicts a good marriage in a realistic way. Married people are not immune to wanting to have sex with other people, they just weigh those wants against the value of their marriage. This film takes a look at one man's quarter-life crisis spurred on by the arrival of his devil-may-care childhood buddy. It is an exhamination of what one has versus what he invisioned he would have, and a realization of whether or not he is happy. This film is a glimpse at life, not sappy or overly-dramatic, just good.

Fairly interesting look at the married life........2002-02-02

Some people assume that they will stay young and single forever. Sleeping around, partying, no familial responsibility...sounds pretty good right? "Metroland" takes a look at the life of Chris (Christian Bale). Chris is a married thirty-something living in a nice part of town and has a stable job. All seems content in his life. Then one day out of the blue, his old buddy Toni shows up. Toni tries to bring Chris back into his world of the single life filled with hot women, smoking pot and hanging out at parties. This causes Chris to take inventory of his current life and the decisions he has made. Some of this film is in flashback. It shows Chris as a 21 year old photographer in Paris, where he meets the carefree Annick (played wonderfully by Elsa Zylberstein). He eventually meets Marion (Emily Watson), who is another Brit like himself currently in France. She develops a very low-key bond with Chris and eventually they marry. Was it the right choice?

"Metroland" has a superb cast which plays their roles in just the right manner. Where this movie falters, however, is the mediocrity of the script. An introspective movie such as this should have much more powerful and memorable dialogue than it has. Hardly anything ever really comes out and grabs you. It just kinda rolls along and eventually reaches its conclusion. It could've been a great look at the choices we make and where it ends up placing us in life. As it is, however, it falls short of greatness...but it's still worth a look.

A Responsible Dream.......2001-05-13

Christian Bale stars in "Metroland" as Chris, the early-middle-aged British suburbanite who is suddenly forced to dredge up all his bohemian, idealistic questionings from his early twenties when his old poet-buddy Tony (played by Phillip Saville) shows up. Emily Watson must have sparked many a crush among male cinema-goers, as Chris' mildly stodgy, yet keenly intelligent and feisty wife. Maybe it's just because I'm at a time in life (33) when someone like her is highly attractive, but, well, I thought she was a total babe. But beyond my reaction to her personally, the movie in general has the feel of a real slice of life. This is a set of occurences that many people can relate to, things that strike a real chord.

A few reviewers have commented that this movie lacked a real climax. What did you expect, car chases? Huge explosions? Some kind of cosmic epiphany, perhaps? I think the essence of the charm of this movie can be summed up by Chris' wife's simple obsevation that Tony, the rootless wanderer, is jealous of Chris. Romance and wild times are fine for a couple years when you're young. "Young" in this sense being a socially constructed state, after all -- many people in the world expect to be married and having children, or are busily preparing for it, in their very early twenties, instead of being out drinking and cavorting with Parisian babes. Still, if you are bourgeois enough not to have felt internal forces driving you to get married immediately after high school, as people in many neighborhoods do, after all -- then this movie will speak to you. The point of this movie is that sooner or later, at SOME point, be it at 18 or 30, everyone grows up, and maybe that fact is something other than the zenith of heinousness. I like this movie.

By the way, for anyone out there who likes the basic story of this film, my favorite Julian Barnes book (he wrote the book this movie came from) is "The Porcupine." It's a much more political, different kind of story, but it's really provocative. It makes good use of Barnes' characteristic ear for dialog, and his deft characterizations. If you like Julian Barnes, you should find a copy of "The Porcupine."

"Metroland," at any rate, is positively worth scoping out. Two thumbs up.

If you liked 'American Beauty'...........2000-11-12

you'll love METROLAND, a gentle, bittersweet British film that explores the extremes of middle-age male sexual frustration in the same way - sans violence, of course. Christian Bale, oft cited as one of the biggest stars on the Internet, demonstrates why with an incredible range portraying Chris Lloyd at ages 17, 21 and 35. Subtle changes of mannerism and perspective make Bale's work very satisfying - none of that 18-to-80 aging make-up for Bale!

Customer Reviews:

The Making on the Best Ever Hard Rock Album.......2005-09-29

This a must for any fan of Metallica or Hard Rock!
An in depth look in to the making of a legand album!

Metallica - Classic Album (UMD Mini For PSP)

Average customer rating:

An interesting watch

Metallica - Classic Album (UMD Mini For PSP)
Starring: Metallica
Manufacturer: Eagle Vision USA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Universal Media Discs | Stores | DVD | Video
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Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast Classic Album (UMD Mini For PSP)
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The Offspring: Complete Music Video Collection [UMD Mini For PSP]
U2 - Rattle and Hum (UMD Mini For PSP)
Green Day: Bullet In A Bible (UMD Mini for PSP)

Accessories:

Sony PSP I.Sound Theatre With Wireless Remote
Sony Intec PSP 18-In-1 Pro Starter Kit
Sony PSP Media Manager
Sony PSP Headphones with Remote Control

ASIN: B000BVNRPI
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Description

Featuring the 5 singles from the album: "Enter Sandman", "Sad But True", "The Unforgiven", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Nothing Else Matters", this is the compelling story of one of the biggest selling heavy metal albums of all time.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting watch.......2006-02-15

Was really wanting some actual full length music videos allong with this but it did not deliver. When the cover says "cuts from" thats what they mean. It was interesting to watch to see how the band started with thir first album and how they progressed. Seems like I would have watched this on "Behind the Music". Man I wish they had included the actual music videos on this. Why did they classify this as UMD Music when all it is is a documentary.

So all you get is the main feature running about 40 something minutes going over the five singles from the Black Album. Enter Sandman, Sad but True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I may roam, and Nothing Else Matters. And it has Im guessing another 40 something minutes in some additional interviews.

It wouldn't have taken much to put the actual music or even the video's on this UMD MUSIC selection.

Kinda dissapointed but still an innteresting watch. You do get to hear some of the origional riffs and clips of the progression of the making of the songs.

Average customer rating:

Out of the Loop is right

Out Of The Loop
Starring: Metallica
Manufacturer: Locomotive Music
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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

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

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Metallimania: Metallica Rockumentary
Review: Kill Em All to St Anger (Eng Sub Dts)
Classic Albums - Metallica: Metallica
Metallica: Year and A Half Parts 1 & 2
Cliff 'Em All!

ASIN: B0009WPL3U
Release Date: 2005-07-19

Customer Reviews:

Out of the Loop is right.......2006-02-23

by Tim O'Neil
PopMatters Associate Music Editor

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Few bands in the history of rock have commanded as loyal and unquestioning a fanbase as Metallica. Their devotion to their fans is legendary, and the reciprocated appreciation has seen the band in good stead through all the turbulent episodes which have composed their career. Regardless of how many fans may have moaned when the band finally sang a power ballad, or went "grunge' and cut their hair, or when they went to war with Napster, there would always -- and probably will always -- be a massive hard core of devotees who will pledge their fealty. The periodic eruptions of controversy serve only to chip small pebbles off the surface of an incredibly huge institution -- a fact proved every time the group goes on tour, playing the largest arenas across the world. It's a frighteningly intense example of devotion just outside the experience of many in the supposed musical mainstream -- but there is a large group of superfans for whom the hunger for all things Metallica can never be satisfied.

All of which means that a product like Out of the Loop will undoubtedly find a receptive audience. This is a damn shame, because sloppy, exploitive filmmaking like this should not be rewarded. It came as no surprise, on exploring the disc's bonus features, to learn that Out of the Loop (a surprisingly honest description of the film itself) is a product of the same company that produces all those interminable Maximum... interview discs you always see clogging up the shelves. I'm sure they sell pretty well because they keep making them, but it's pretty sad that any fan would willingly pay money for a disc of public domain interview snippets.

The same principle applies here. The back of the DVD advertises "over 40 minutes of in-depth interviews with the band and those close to them" -- which not, I suppose, blatantly false, but close enough to gall. The band only appears in scattered snippets taken from previous television interviews. The "those close to them" quotient is filled by a boatload of, well, hangers-on would probably be too harsh a word for them -- basically, a bunch of folks who knew them years ago, mostly acquaintances dating back to their days in the Los Angeles and Bay Area metal scenes. The closest we actually get to the band's inner circle is, um, Kirk Hammet's brother-in-law.

What little value this film has comes from the fleeting sense of community imparted by interviews with the folks who played and partied with the group "back in the day". The Bay Area metal scene seems very much like a close-knit family, with bands such as Testament and Angel Witch representing the spirit of the sometimes fractious times. But as much as the interviewed subjects attempt to ply their knowledge off as first-hand experience, there is something slightly pitiful about the abject obeisance represented by their position, the home-town guys who watched their friends become one of the biggest bands in the history of the world.

But the fleeting -- and I do mean fleeting -- moments of interest are few and far between. There are far more examples of cringe-worthy gaffes such as the statement that "Kirk Hammet grew up in the Berkeley area of San Francisco", or the absolute desperation of an in-depth interview with Kurt WIlliams, Metallica's head truck driver. The guy who drives the rigging truck gets more on-screen time talking about what swell guys the band are at parties than any discussion of the recording of the band's albums, any of them. But it's not hard to see why, because most of the folks who appear on the film are in no position to know anything about the inner workings of the band beyond the point where, basically, their careers began.

Because of the film's proudly unauthorized status, there's not a lick of actual Metallica music to be heard anywhere. Instead, the producers hired a (literally) faceless thrash trio to bang out some unbelievably generic hardcore tunes to play in the background. There are a lot of long transitions and chapter headings -- all of which undoubtedly designed to keep the running time up despite the dearth of actual material -- so the viewer hears a lot of this crap in the course of an hour.

Everything about this DVD reeks of crass exploitation at its worst. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know that there are thousands of diehard Metallica fans who will gladly fork over cash in exchange for the merest hint of a connection to the group. The pitiful extras -- a discography printed onscreen in tiny white letters, a bare-bones trivia game filled with questions taken directly from the movie -- can only feebly attempt to mask the fact that this is the living definition of an insultingly superfluous cash-grab.

- 13 October 2005

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