Living the Life

Starring:Katrina Gibson, Melida Prado, Jay Hernandez, Yvette Cruise, Angela Alvarado, J.D. Evermore, Roberto Alvarez, Roger Velasco, Jay Michaelson, Abel Soto, Natalie Pena
Director: Alex Munoz
Studio: Dej Productions Inc
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

trippy
not meant to be watched sober
Heroic attempt at visualizing Pete Townsend's story
Pure genius
WOW!!!

Tommy
Starring: Dick Allan , Ann-Margret , Ben Aris , Arthur Brown , and Eric Clapton
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Hair
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The Who - The Kids Are Alright (Special Edition)
Tommy (1975 Film)
Tommy (1969 Original Concept Album)

ASIN: B00000K3TV
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Amazon.com

If you've ever wanted to hear Jack Nicholson sing (or try to) or marvel at the sight of Ann-Margret drunkenly cavorting in a cascade of baked beans, Tommy is the movie you've been waiting for. As it turns out, the Who's brilliant rock opera is sublimely matched to director Ken Russell's penchant for cinematic excess, and this 1975 production finds Russell at the peak of his filmmaking audacity. It's a fever-dream of musical bombast, custom-fit to the thematic ambition of Pete Townshend's epic rock drama, revolving around the titular "deaf, dumb, and blind kid" (played by Who vocalist Roger Daltrey) who survives the childhood trauma that stole his senses to become a Pinball Wizard messiah in Townshend's grandiose attack on the hypocrisy of organized religion.

The story is remarkably coherent considering the hypnotic dream-state induced by Russell's visuals. Tommy's odyssey is rendered through wall-to-wall music, each song representing a pivotal chapter in Tommy's chronology, from the bloodstream shock of "The Acid Queen" (performed to the hilt by Tina Turner) to Nicholson's turn as a well-intentioned physician, Elton John's towering rendition of "Pinball Wizard," and Daltrey's epiphanous rendition of "I'm Free." Other performers include Eric Clapton and (most outrageously) the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and through it all Russell is almost religiously faithful to Townshend's artistic vision. Although it divided critics when first released, Tommy now looks likes a minor classic of gonzo cinema, worthy of the musical genius that fueled its creation. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

trippy.......2007-06-10

if you want to see the epitome of a trippy, psychedelic rock musical, this is for you

not meant to be watched sober.......2007-06-05

this movie was, im sure, (althought i havnt tried myself... and wont) was made to be watched while under the infulence of... anything really..but watching it sober just makes the songs drive you flippin crazy (its quite repetative) and the story make no sense...in fact the subject matter is as bad as a clockwork orange so i definately do not reccomend this film for anyone under 18. But the cast is impressive.

Heroic attempt at visualizing Pete Townsend's story.......2007-06-04

`Tommy', directed by famous auteur, Ken Russell, may be less notable as an important movie in its own right than as evidence of the importance of Pete Townsend and The Who's achievement in realizing this most notable of stories in a virtually pure Rock dialect, in the very alien genre of Opera, or even of musical theatre in general.

(Note that while I will not argue against `Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' as the most important Rock album of all time, `Tommy' has always been closer to my heart, reinforced by the fact that I saw TheWho perform the music of `Tommy' live, just four days after the original release of the album. Just so you know where my preferences lay.)

While there have been several essays in fusing Rock with other genres, especially in using Rock as the music for dramatic works (see `Hair', `Godspell', `Jesus Christ Superstar'), Townsend succeeded not only by coming up with a really original story, but also by limiting himself almost exclusively to classic Rock instrumentation. (The most notable exception to this fact is John Entwistle's French Horn riffs.)

If you want to get the story of `Tommy', see my review of the album. I applaud Russell, the director and co-writer, with sticking remarkably close to the original plot and music, in spite of the fact that the original album contains a scant 70 minutes, with at least one famously boring long track, the `Underture', at the end of the original first vinyl disk. The main problem with the movie may be that Russell rarely succeeds on improving on his source material. An example of what I mean is the song `Singing in the Rain', which appeared in at least three movies before its being made the famous centerpiece of the movie of the same name, with the great choreography and performance from Gene Kelly, accompanyied by umbrella, lamppost, and downpour. This was a great use of pre-existing material.

In Russell's case, only the three scenes in which the movie's most famous guest performers appear come close to elevating the material to new highs. These are the scenes with Eric Clapton as the preacher, Tina Turner as the acid queen, and Elton John as the Pinball Wizard. All three give superior performances as both singer and instrumentalist, but Russell's business and his special effects ohh-la-la may not work as well as he would have hoped. Other scenes, especially ones featuring the famously madcap The Who drummer, Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie and some of Russell collaborator Oliver Reed's scenes really don't seem to work as well as they might. Ann-Margaret does better than Reed, but this will probably not be at the top of her resume.

The finest thing about the movie is that Townsend's most brilliant premise behind the plot does not get lost in Russell's realization. In fact, I'm even tempted to say that Russell teases out of Townsend's lyrics some meanings which may have escaped me during my zillion or so listens to the album. With Daltry's journeyman acting, Russell is able to depict the `autistic' Tommy, made deaf, dumb, and blind by suggestion rather than by physical deformity. The next best thing about the movie is that Russell and his musical staff which stretched Townsend's score to fill some empty corners here and there do not make any major changes to Townsend's arrangements. The score is still basicly played by the gloriously energetic The Who ensemble of vocalist Roger Daltry and friends, guitar(s) (Townsend, Clapton, and rhythm), base (John Entwistle), and totally insane drums of Keith Moon, plus piano, French horn, and minor grace notes here and there.

Since Russell preserves the integrity of Townsend's music, this is an excellent view for fanatic `Tommy' fans, and even for those who have a special interest in either Ken Russell or the more exotic corners of Rock, especially `The Who' lore. Unfortunately, as a cinematic achievement, it is no match for some of Russell's other works such as `Women in Love'.

As one who saw The Who (with Keith Moon) do 'Tommy' live, I can say that the movie offers more than just watching The Who perform on stage, and that's saying a lot

Pure genius.......2007-05-23

One of the key titles of the seventies and of the counterculture spirit, and a truly "tour de force" of surreal and sarcastic visual invention. Iconoclast and subversive british director Ken Rusell filmed in 1975 this satyrical rock opera with synthetic and rabidly mesmerezing visual imagination using many of the icons ( from psychodelic designs and underground imaginary to the musical pop stars of the moment: Tina Turner; Elton John and Eric Clapton make self-parodic cameos in the movie ) of the age so as some of the topicals of Hollywood melodrama to build a sardonically kitsch revision of the british Establisment; the cynicism and obscure interests of organized religion and the star system deliriums through the story of Tommy: a blind, deaf and dumb middle-class child who becomes a sort of messiahnic pinball star. Music and lyrics by the mythical band The Who.

Widescreen edition.

WOW!!!.......2007-04-29

It is actually an extraordinary movie - sometimes we initially don't perceive the quality of a particular work of art, then later on we finally grasp how great it is. The stupendous amount of work on the director's part, to invent and make happen the scenes of this movie, floors me. Everything in this story is actually symbolic not "over the top" any more than our sleep-time dreams are "over the top". The singing is perfectly good, and there's nothing wrong with Jack Nicholson's or Oliver Reed's singing, just like in most musicals it is desired and enjoyed, and it fits in perfectly well, that actors sing in their ordinary untrained voices. And the musings and discoursings on the subject of spiritual enlightment (which is what this movie and this story are really all about - bravo Pete Townshend for such a brilliant tour de force - how can such a young man have understood so much?), rendered entirely symbolically, are quite deep, extraordinary and... enlightening.

Average customer rating:

Born on the Fourth of July [HD DVD]
Starring: Seth Allen , Amanda Davis , and Tom Cruise
Director: Oliver Stone
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000OHZL26
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Average customer rating:

WOW
Over and Over
Outstanding Musical Bio
one of my favorite movies of all time!
American Aristocracy.. wher are they now?

De-Lovely
Starring: Kevin Kline , Ashley Judd , Jonathan Pryce , Kevin McNally , and Sandra Nelson
Director: Irwin Winkler
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

De-Lovely
Beyond the Sea
It's De Lovely - The Authentic Cole Porter Collection
Night and Day
The Very Best of Cole Porter

ASIN: B00067BBLY
Release Date: 2004-12-21

Amazon.com

It's astonishing that one man could have written so many memorable songs, but musical gems keep popping up in De-Lovely, about the life and loves of Cole Porter. Played by Kevin Kline (In & Out, A Fish Called Wanda), an elderly Porter is summoned by a mysterious director (Jonathan Pryce, Brazil) to view his own story, which unfolds as a series of theatrical tableaux. The movie is open (if a bit chaste) about Porter's homosexuality, but argues that the love of his life was still his devoted platonic relationship with Linda Lee (Ashley Judd, Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls). Unfortunately, the narrative suffers from the fate of many biographies; by trying to cram in a person's entire life, it ends up a collection of snapshots without depth or context. The parade of celebrity singers (Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow) were apparently chosen for their jarringly modern vocal mannerisms. --Bret Fetzer

Description

"The most unusual and enchanting musical in years" (Roger Ebert), this cinematic ode to legendary composer Cole Porter is at once buoyantly fun and "heartbreakingly beautiful" (Liz Smith). OscarÂ(r) winner* Kevin Kline (The Ice Storm) is "perfection" (Rolling Stone) as the elegant and deeply complex Porter in a film that offers "knockout performances" (Gene Shalit) from Natalie Cole, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette and Robbie Williams, and "melancholy, wit and style to burn" (The Philadelphia Inquirer)! From Paris to Venice to Broadway to Hollywood, the lives of Cole (Kline) and Linda (Ashley Judd) Porter were never less thanglamorous and wildly unconventional. Though Cole's thirst for life strained their marriage, Linda never stopped being his muse, inspiring some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century.*1988: Supporting Actor, A Fish Called Wanda

Customer Reviews:

WOW.......2007-06-01

This was surprisingly good. I sat there mesmerized by the qualities of the music, the video, the acting, and the storyline. On a par with "Chicago."

Over and Over.......2007-05-27

Not only did this give wonderful insight to the famed composer Cole Porter, Kevin Kline (one of the most underated actors around) was mesmerizing. I play it over and over also to hear the great soundtrack!

Outstanding Musical Bio.......2007-05-15

Great movie. Fabulous scoring to the theme. A great way to present Cole Porter's life and music.

one of my favorite movies of all time!.......2007-05-11

The story of Cole Porter's life, and his wife Linda Porter. I love this movie. After viewing, I found myself humming the songs of the famous Cole Porter, of which many I did not even realize he wrote.

The acting in this movie is exquisite. Both Kevin Klein and Ashley Judd are perfect in their parts as the married couple. She is beautiful and elegant, and clearly you see how he could be inspired to write songs for her/about her/because of her. How lovely it is that such a powerful woman inspired songs that are enjoyed by millions of people.

Another greatness of the movie is the Cole Porter songs that play throughout. His music as sung by modern artists is penetrating, and tells their own part of the story.

American Aristocracy.. wher are they now?.......2007-05-08

Style is timeless and Porter: the man and the music, was the definition of style.

True Im from a future generation than his, but whats is it that makes me relate to his music in such a way? It tranecends time, language, space... the movie takes us through the life and love of maestro porter.. and BTW enjoy the gifted singers who appear throught all the movie..yet what Im always intriguied is by the way this american aristocrat always seemed to be soaring above vulgarity and popularistic masses.. a true gentleman

Yes the movie takes us through his "closet issues" .. yet in a way that humanizes him and reveals the larger-than-life spirit of his wife.

If you are like me, transported to the days of black-tie and elegant taste by the music of Cole Porter, you can never be tired of seeing this movie..

go on., start to sing .. bees do it..

Average customer rating:

How good it is can be purely subjective.
Good despite a few flaws
Charly shows its age
Pulls at the heart strings....
Charly review

Charly
Starring: Claire Bloom , William Dwyer , Leon Janney , Barney Martin , and Skipper McNally
Director: Ralph Nelson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Flowers for Algernon
The Diary of Anne Frank
Awakenings
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Anne Frank - The Whole Story

ASIN: B0002KPHWY
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Amazon.com

Adapted from Daniel Keyes's novel Flowers for Algernon, Charly must be viewed as a soap opera of and for its zeitgeist--the halcyon '60s, when "natural" was nirvana, the air hummed with the mantra "Everybody's beautiful," and all ills stemmed from institutional monoliths such as Science, Government, Education, Religion. Accordingly, Charly (Cliff Robertson) is a 30-year-old retardate whose doofus sweetness makes him superior to most able-minded folk, whether they're the bigoted dolts he sweeps floors for or the ambitious scientists who see him as the human equivalent of Algernon, a mouse they've surgically (but impermanently) smartened up. Naturally, post-op Charly, sporting a genius IQ, "sees things as they are." Trotted out as the neurosurgeons' poster boy, he stands up to the "learned" audience--shot as faceless, inhuman interrogators. He's every '60s flower child, berating his "elders" for blighting their brave new world.

The one gift Charly gets out of becoming Brainiac is sex. In a lengthy montage resembling a retro TV commercial, he and his special-ed teacher (Claire Bloom, madonna with eternal Mona Lisa smile) romp through an Edenic outdoors, their embraces hallowed by sunlight glinting through leaves, moonlight glinting on water, and sappy Ravi Shankar music. (Stylistic clichés also include embarrassing outbreaks of split screens and multiple small screens within the frame, notably when rebellious Charly turns biker.) Robertson's performance is well-meaning but hokey. Still, in the penultimate moments when Charly begins to slide back into retardation, the actor achieves a genuine tragic gravity, and he became a surprise Oscar winner for his pains. --Kathleen Murphy

Description

From the classic Daniel Keyes novel Flowers for Algernon comes this "moving" (Boxoffice) and unforgettable adaptation. Featuring an Academy AwardÂ(r)-winning* performance by Cliff Robertson and a "shrewd, talented" score (Variety) by Ravi Shankar, this timeless tearjerker is "definitely one to see" (Cue). When a mentally retarded man named Charly (Robertson) undergoes experimental brain surgery, he is miraculously freed from the prison of his own mind. As his IQ soars to genius proportions, Charly's eyes are opened to a world he's never truly seen. But when the effects of his operation inexplicably begin to fade, Charly must find a way to halt his regression before his own mind destroys his life, his newfound romance and the man he's become. *1968: Actor

Customer Reviews:

How good it is can be purely subjective. .......2007-06-02

Unliike many reviewers, I saw this movie when first released before I read the book. Like many movies of its period this one has a distinct 60s flavor to it in many respects. Like movies from the 70s, many of the production qualities of this movie's time seem incredibly dated. But hindsight can put that kind of stamp on any time period (anyone ever watched an episode of "Miami Vice" in hindsight with a straight face?). So just when one saw "Charly" for the first time makes all the difference, as does which they did first- read the book or saw the movie. The impact it had on me when I first saw it was tremendous. I wanted to see it again but before that occurred I read the book. I probably enjoyed the book much more as a result. I agree that the two have dramatic differences, but that has always been the risk when adapting a movie from the book. Robertson gives a solid, award winnng performance that evokes pathos, though today it seems a bit over the top. The direction and camera work are reflective of the late 60s, which unwittingly seems to make this movie that much more of a time capsule, almost worth watching for that reason alone- almost! But that detracts from the film at hand. One could argue that if this movie was produced in a different decade it might still bear trademarks indigenousness to that time and place. When younger I demanded films that suited my taste buds of the age I was at that time. Since then, over the years I've watched lots of movies from different time periods that I either hadn't seen before, or now viewed differently. But generally that didn't take away from the appreciation originally instilled in me for a movie. I still find many scenes in this movie heartbreaking, particularly the sequence in which intelligent Charlie can't escape the vision of what inevitably awaits him once the experiment wears off. Just how that was accomplished by the film is irrelevant. Some movies demand remakes. Others are remade merely to add contemporary flavor in some shape or form and should never have been remade. In between those two there is a wide gap of grey, which is where I feel this movie falls. There are numerous films that don't find a contemporary audience due to the time it was released. I still know many who either haven't seen "Rosemary's Baby" or couldn't make it through it because they could taste the 60s while watching it. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a great film. Not to compare the two films directly, but it can be argued that "Charlie" suffers in the same manner. Though great movies withstand the test of time, to me, how much you enjoy "Charly" is purely subjective. How will good films from today look 20-30 years from now?

Good despite a few flaws.......2007-02-25

Daniel Keyes's Flowers for Algernon was voted one of the greatest stories of the past 25 years when I read the story in junior high in the mid-60s. Eventually made into this movie, I enjoyed it despite several points where the movie departs from the book and gets pretty hokey, when the director should have had the sense to stick with the original book. As has been mentioned before, the photo montage sequence of Charlie with Miss Kinian and Charlie's riding off on the motorcycle was almost embarrasingly bad (maybe they were recalling the movie, "Then Came Bronson," from the same period). But overall Robertson's portrayal of Charlie was engaging and believable and the scene where he addresses the assembled scientists is certainly very memorable as a demonstration of his newly attained genius. "Brave new loves, brave new hates," was how he summarized the coming age, a quote which turned out to be more prescient than anyone could have imagined. The movie in many ways epitomizes the 60s fascination with personal transformation through chemical means, and if only genius were so easily attainable as taking a drug. We may never achieve such advanced brain science but for its time the movie was a poignant and credible portrayal of fleetingly attained but ultimately lost genius.

Charly shows its age.......2007-02-18

Cliff Robertson plays the mentally challenged Charly Gordon in this so-so adaptation of Daniel Keyes's short story "Flowers for Algernon." Robertson volunteers to be a human guinea pig after an operation on the brains of mice have shown them to appear "smarter." Indeed Charly becomes a genius, after which he falls in love with his clinician (played by Claire Bloom). Director Ralph Nelson plays up this romantic element using all the cinematic clichés of the late 60s - falling leaves, pastel colors, soft music - perhaps new and different at the time, but pretty hard to take today. Worse is that Nelson's attention is drawn away from the real point of the story - the results of the experiment and what it says about the way we view each other, though the best scene in the movie is where Robertson lectures a roomful of doctors about their arrogance as he holds the dead mouse Algernon in his hand, a victim of the experiment - as Robertson will shortly become as well. Keyes's short story is dramatic and probing where this movie goes flat and flakey. Robertson won the Academy Award for his efforts.

Pulls at the heart strings...........2007-01-10

I purchased this movie to watch with my 8th grade language arts class. We had recently read "Flowers for Algernon" and I thought that the movie would be a good suplement. I was correct. The children, all 13 and 14 year olds related with this movie much easier than the text and when we went back and reviewed what we read they brought a bigger perspective and the conversations really picked up. I would recomend this movie to anyone that teaches and would be reading "Flowers for Algernon" or to anyone who is interested in Mental Retardation. This is a science fiction film but can really pull at your heart strings. Have a tissue close-by.

Charly review.......2007-01-04

I find the story hopeful and sad together. It is a great story.

Average customer rating:

Its keen eye for detail makes for a wonderful movie experience...
Jamie Foxx revives the American Legend
Ray
Outstanding movie - an instant classic
Ray

Ray (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Jamie Foxx , Kerry Washington , Regina King , Clifton Powell , and Harry J. Lennix
Director: Taylor Hackford
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JND5
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Product Description

Jamie Foxx (Collateral) stars as the one-of-a-kind innovator of soul who overcame impossible odds to become a music legend. Ray is the triumphant and remarkable story of one of America s true musical geniuses, Ray Charles. From his humble beginnings in the South through his meteoric rise to the top of American music charts, Ray s inspirational journey is a tale of hope, redemption and the power of the human spirit. "Ray is Electrifying" hails Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. Witness the incredible true story of a musician who fought harder and went further than anyone could imagine.

BONUS MATERIALS:
Feature Commentary with Director Taylor Hackford
Deleted Scenes
Extended Musical Scenes
Stepping into the Part
Ray Remembered
A Look Inside Ray
Theatrical Trailer
Cast and Filmmakers

System Requirements:

Running Time 153 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Jamie Foxx's uncannily accurate performance isn't the only good thing about Ray. Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood), the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself, and as he did with the life of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba, director Taylor Hackford gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Ray's rise from "chitlin circuit" performer in the early '50s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Foxx expertly lip-syncs to Ray Charles' classic recordings, but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honors Ray Charles without sanitizing his once-messy life. --Jeff Shannon

More on Ray Charles

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (CD)
The Genius of Ray Charles (CD)
Ray Charles and Betty Carter--Dedicated to You (CD)

Genius & Soul--The 50th Anniversary Collection (CD)
Ray: A Tribute to the Movie, the Music, and the Man (book)
More Albums by Ray Charles

Customer Reviews:

Its keen eye for detail makes for a wonderful movie experience..........2007-06-21

A lot of love circulates around Jamie Foxx's Oscar winning performance here, and yes he did do a wonderful imitation of the real thing, but to me `Ray' has a lot more deserving areas to give consideration and appreciation. For one, the set designs are brilliant, the lighting and mood of just about every scene is fantastic and the musical numbers, while all actual recordings, are choreographed in such a way that you could swear Foxx did all his own singing. Case in point, there is a scene where Ray is singing in a club and in the recording some of the first words out of his mouth are mumbled and so to make it authentic Jamie knocks the microphone off balance for a moment. It's the little touches like that one that make this movie authentic, accurate and worth while.

I did enjoy Foxx, so don't get me wrong, but I did feel that his work in `Collateral' was more deserving of the praise. The main problem I have with Foxx's performance is that he invests so much time and energy into getting Ray down that he forgets to infuse enough of himself into the performance to make Jamie the actor stand out aside from Ray the character. But, with that little jab of criticism I will admit that he's a force on screen and demands you pay attention.

That said, to me the real star of this film is the man behind the camera, Taylor Hackford. His acute eye for detail is fantastic here, and is a huge step up from his previous work. Technically `Ray' is far from my favorite biopic, even in the year of the biopic it falls short of perfection and or utter brilliance, but when `Ray' hits its mark it hits it with such beautiful depth and clarity that it makes up for its minor shortcomings. Did it deserve a `Best Picture' Oscar nomination? Not really, but I'm not going to whine about that too much.

Another aspect of the film that shines like a diamond among pearls is the impressive female supporting cast, all of which deserved any and all recognition and praise for they all were essential in not only developing the man that was Ray into a full blown character study but they were also pertinent in making `Ray' the film a film entertaining and relatable from beginning to end. Kerry Washington, an actress I've just fallen in love with over the years, gives such a brutally honest performance as Charles wife, the woman who stands by her man and supports him despite his addictions to drugs and loose women. Regina King gives probably the most explosive performance of the bunch as Margie, one of Ray's backup singers and his obsessive secret lover. Her brilliance on screen is matched only by her spunk and heart and it's a true pleasure to watch her chew each and every scene she encounters. Sharon Warren also does a splendid job as Ray's mother and is sure to stand out as a remembered favorite.

The life of Ray Charles was a hard one, full of deceit, drugs, women and pressure. He was abused, taken advantage of and used and on the other side he abused, took advantage of and used others in the process, but the true story of Ray Charles is a story about overcoming our weaknesses and growing into the person we knew we had in us all along, the person who has been dying to come out but just needed to opportunity. My one big disappointment with this film is that it never truly shows us the recovery Ray made. We see his struggles, his problems and his faults. We see him finally realize he needs help but we never see him truly change, we just read about it in a montage of newspaper clippings that litter the final frames of the film. It's a small quaral I know, but it's one I'm not ready to let go of. If the ending had only added as much depth as the begging and middle had then maybe this would have been a more deserving film to me, but in the end, even with my issue included, `Ray' is still a wonderful biopic, one that I'm happy to have seen and will most definitely see again.

Jamie Foxx revives the American Legend.......2007-06-06

The movie "Ray", directed by Taylor Hackford, is a compelling drama about the journey of a man battling against poverty, racism, and of course, overcoming his blindness, in order to express his talent. It is based on a true story about the life of a black musician named Ray Charles.

Ray Charles' youth was filled with tragedy, from watching his younger brother drown to losing his sight at the age seven. His mother taught him to take care of himself and not to depend on anyone for help. Ray grew up strong and independent, and his passion for music, which was a strong influence in his life before the loss of his eyesight, never faded. As a teenager, Ray set out on his own shortly after his mother's death and made his way across the United States from Florida to Seattle. Soon after arriving in Seattle, Ray's real journey of making himself renowned began.

Jamie Foxx holds the challenging role of Ray Charles and greatly depicts the latter's life in this movie. "Ray" is an interpretation of the extraordinary life of Ray Charles who, in spite of his inability to see, became a wonderful musician and internationally renowned performer. The task of playing the role of a person the whole world knows is very difficult, but doing so and playing the role of a blind person at the same time seems impossible! Well, Jamie did it. During the whole span of the movie, it feels as if Ray Charles is really back with us. As the movie unfolds, we discover a character so full of life and passion that it seems real. Foxx's musical abilities further complete the portrait, not imitation, of Ray Charles. Indeed, the film features many of Ray Charles songs and it does a good job of tracing his music career.

However, Jamie Foxx's acting skills are overshadowed by the length of the movie, which is 150 minutes long and holds a lot of repetition. Also, we are under the impression that the director is trying to cram every important fact of Ray's life into the whole 2 ½ hours. It would have been possible to remove from 10 to 20 minutes of scenes that render us impatient and seem unnecessary, however this would have made it hard for the director to input many of Ray Charles' hits in the movie, which somewhat makes up for the waiting.

In addition to the lengthiness of the movie, the large emphasis on Ray's personal life, instead of showing us more of the making of his music, was exasperating. Alright, it doesn't hurt to know that Ray was a womanizer who often got high on heroin, but brutally showing a side of Ray Charles that is unknown to most people may not be what every audience is looking for. What's more the film is supposed to captivate our attention, not bore us. A lack of suspense and drama would certainly be the cause for that: I felt my attention weaving on and off during the whole movie.

As a whole, I think that "Ray" is an excellent movie which reveals many of the problems our society faces today and shows the competitiveness present in the world, notably in the music realm. The long length of the movie is forgiven thanks to the outstanding acting of Jamie Foxx. However, I still believe that naming "Ray" as best movie of the year 2004 is a stretch. At least we were able to relive the numerous hits that Ray Charles wrote during his successful career.

Ray .......2007-05-27

I loved this dvd. Jamie Foxx does his greatest work yet. The supporting
cast was great too.

Outstanding movie - an instant classic.......2007-02-14

It took me a long time to finally get round to watching 'Ray'. The wait was well worth it - this is a terrific biopic - but not just a biopic, this is an outstanding movie on any terms.
Whether a fan or not (I wasn't) most everyone will be aware at some level of Ray Charles' music. He's made that big an impact. This movie endeavours to show two periods of his life. The principal part of the movie follows his rise to fame, and corresponding fall into drug use and infidelity, climaxing in his redemption, kicking the habit, and recommitting his lfe as a husband and an entertainer. The second strand is told in flashback, showing Ray as a boy, before and during the process of him becoming blind - explaining (perhaps a little too neatly for some peoples taste) his need to escape into drugs, and how he managed to overcome the constraints of blindness with the help of his mothers tough guidance. His mother is clearly the key character in his life, teaching him firmly but with love how to enhance his sense of hearing and touch in order to compensate for his blindness. His mothers words echo frequently through the movuie when she says, 'Always remember your promise to me. Never let nobody or nothing turn you into no cripple.'. These two tales interweave almost seamlessly, showing not just the facts but the effects on the older man of the younger mans history. As an adult, the cinematography might be beautiful and the tones warm and rich, but Ray the man is shown warts and all - this is a man who used people shamelessly, not least the women in his life, and the movie does not shirk from showing him in those terms. This has the effect of really drawing you in. Instead of a whitewashed version of his life, you feel you are scratching the surface of a person just a little here, and it makes for fascinating viewing because it rings true.
Taylor Hackford the director has done an incredible job of creating striking visuals, from the dusty ochre coloured streets of his youth, through to smoky bars, and on to the over the top glitz of LA and swanky nightclubs - all the period settings ring true and are shot to perfection. You can tell this was a labour of love - in fact, Hackford bought the rights to the story back in 1987, but could not find a studio release - it was only after independent financing that Universal studio stepped in to facilitate its release. It must be a matter of some satisfaction to him that Ray Charles was able to see the first edit of the movie before he died, before the movie was actually released.
Then there is the acting - much has been said of Jamie Foxx's acting here, and it's all true- he embodies the part in a way which is uncanny - his efforts, going to Braille school, wearing prosthetics which made him blind during shooting, studying Ray Charles himself, have really paid off. However this is a performance made up of more than gimmics and prosthetics, this is the performance of a lifetime, giving the character real depth and depth of reality. Then there is the supporting cast - i cant even name them, because every role in the movie rings ttrue, a credit to the casting and to the actors.
All in all, sure there are bound to be more truths to be told about his life, but this will certainly be the best biopic made of his life, and comes at a most fitting time. terrific cast, script, cinematography and direction - a real winner.
post script - almost left no room to mention - the 2 disc version comes laden with extras on both the movie and ray - with delted scenes and extended musical scenes. Worth watching, when you think that Jamie Foxx did all the piano playing himself!

Ray.......2007-02-03

Jamie Foxx delivers the goods in this movie. To give the Oscar to anyone else would have been a crime! Five stars for the movie and Mr. Foxx!

The Living Sea (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

Average customer rating:

Simply Awesome!
Great viewing for the whiole Family esp on a HTPC
Great Stuff
The Living Sea (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)
Almost as good as being there live

The Living Sea (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)
Starring: Meryl Streep , Laura Martin (II) , James A.R. McFarlane , Dr. William Hamner , and Jennifer Rock
Director: Greg MacGillivray
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00022PYZC
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Amazon.com

The films from IMAX have come to be known for their cutting-edge cinematography. They don't disappoint with The Living Sea, an Academy Award-nominated documentary exploring exotic marine locales. Using dizzying aerial and time-lapse footage, they provide underwater imagery usually accessible only while wearing fins and a mask. From heavy-surf Coast Guard drills off the coast of Oregon to jellyfish in Palau to North Atlantic humpback whales, veteran IMAX cameraman and director Greg MacGillivray takes viewers on a vivid journey into some of the world's most breathtaking environments and shows us some of the rarest and strangest marine life. Ten years from conception to finished product, this documentary's intended message is the importance of protecting the "world ocean" by displaying its wild beauty and diversity.

The Living Sea does an excellent job showcasing the more visually satisfying aspects of the sea (standout footage includes schools of jellyfish performing a graceful migratory dance and a giant cuttlefish changing brilliant colors for the purpose of camouflage), although ultimately it fails to shed much light on the hows, whys, and urgency of marine conservation. However, despite the short running time (unfortunately characteristic of IMAX productions) and a soundtrack that only true Sting fans will fully appreciate, this film proves to be a remarkable treat for the eyes and is sure to elicit heartfelt oohs and aahs from anyone who loves the sea. --Ed Noble

Description

The Living Sea (40 min.) takes you to the world's oceans, traveling to Palau, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Alaska, Nova Scotia and the Red Sea. Explore the mysterious depths and come face to face with life-sized humpback whales when you dive into "The Living Sea." Swim with thousands of golden jellyfish and witness the bizarre spawning behavior of giant clams. Surf in Hawaii, deep-sea dive in Palau and test your courage with the Coast Guard in some of the world's roughest seas! Follow a remotely operated vehicle 3,000 feet down through the ocean depths to view strange creatures (one as long as a football field!) which live where sunlight never penetrates. The Living Sea celebrates the "world ocean"--its beauty, diversity and importance to all life on earth. Music by Sting; narrated by Meryl Streep. Ever wonder "how did they do that?" "The Making of 'The Living Sea'" (37 min.), shot in High-Definition Video, takes you behind the scenes. Disc 2 includes the complete feature in Microsoft Windows Media High Definition, playable on your PC.

Customer Reviews:

Simply Awesome!.......2007-05-31

Some of the most beautiful underwater shots I have ever seen! I love the soundtrack. Some of Sting's best instrumentals. Could have done with a little less narrative but oh well. I've watched the DVD over and over again. I highly recommend it!

Great viewing for the whiole Family esp on a HTPC.......2007-03-17

Great viewing for the whiole Family especially on a Home Theater PC and HDTV. This is HD at its best!!! educational and fun. A Classic.

Great Stuff.......2007-02-11

It's so nice to see nature on my TV in living color, wonderful background without sound, great program with sound. It's like going to the aquarium without having to worry about comfortable shoes!

The Living Sea (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition).......2007-01-12

Excellent video especially in HD i have ordered others in this series because of its educational content

Almost as good as being there live.......2006-03-16

A great visual feast of color and the fantasia that accompanies the underwater world. Informative, without being dull. Meryll does a good job of telling us why we love to dive and love the ocean!!

Average customer rating:

REQUIEM FOR A SONG
I love it!
Instantly into my "top 10" all time!
What could be more IRONIC than a deaf DJ?
A very good, very different movie

It's All Gone Pete Tong
Starring: Paul Kaye (IV) , Beatriz Batarda , Kate Magowan , Mike Wilmot , and Neil Maskell
Director: Michael Dowse
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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It's All Gone Pete Tong

ASIN: B000A7LR6Y
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Description

Based on a true story and Winner of Best Feature Film at Toronto Film Festival and Gen Art Film Festival, Paul Kaye (Best Actor, U.S. Comedy Arts Festival) stars as Frankie Wilde, the legendary British DJ and musical mastermind of the underground club scene whose career is cut down at its pinnacle by unthinkable tragedy - the loss of his hearing. Darkly funny and inspirational, with fierce performances by both Kaye and Kate Magowan ("24 Hour Party People"), as his sex-crazed Mrs.,you'll laugh and gasp but cheer him on as he struggles out of the abyss to reclaim his life and reputation.

Customer Reviews:

REQUIEM FOR A SONG.......2007-05-21

IT'S ALL GONE PETE TONG is an absolute stunner. The central character has varied interests, substantial amount of money to blow on women, family, alcohol and drugs. He is at his best when he is the center of attention; scenes in the film make you want to cheer him. There is one seen in the film which is almost the MOST disturbing 2 minutes I have seen in a long time. This movie is what you and I wait for all year. My favourite scene in the film involves the central character (F.W) and the time he discovers his own worthlessness without ears. Massively inspiring. The kind of film one quotes. Amazing cause it has an Aviator like charm to offset your heart in it's own profound yet not so humble discourse.

I love it!.......2007-03-10

Guys,
this movie wasn't exported to Italy but I watched it on the flight Milan - Miami...it was incredible! I bought it on Amazon because the feeling of the Dj deaf playing and hearing the music with the human contact of the foots, with a Mac exploding the audio waves, has no words to be described!

Instantly into my "top 10" all time!.......2006-11-05

It's All Gone Pete Tong is excellent from first to last scene. Paul Kaye is amazing. It's a movie that should be seen multpile times- it gets better and better. Besides just having a great story line and premise, the direction is great, the use of music and sound creates lasting emotion. The way they edit the sound to toggle between Frank's deafness and what is just normally happening from scene to scene is so well done that you'd have to concentrate on how they do it to understand it, because it flows so seemlessly and naturally to let the viewer feel what he's going through. This movie is funny, dramatic, original and so well made in every aspect that I would recommend it to everyone. Own this movie and pass it on- people will thank you.

What could be more IRONIC than a deaf DJ?.......2006-10-06

Consumers love IRONY! I can sum up this film in one sentence: DJing, drugs, hummus and sex...silence...newfound appreciation for life. What makes this film great is not the fact that Frankie Wilde does drugs, rather, its HOW he does drugs (see it and you'll understand what I mean). Same thing with his DJing. The fact that he DJs is well-and-good, but you have to see HOW he DJs (pre- and post-deaf). Frankie is a special character and Paul Kaye nails this role (as he says in the DVD extras, "God, I've waited a long time for this job."). Speaking of DVD extras...WATCH THEM. Frankie the spokesmodel for Oman Whiskey, Frankie on a cooking show, Frankie on an interview with a news anchor, Frankie's Rabbi (played by Paul Kaye), among other gimmicks...classic. In regards to credentials...WINNER GEN ART FILM FESTIVAL, WINNER U.S. COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL, WINNER TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL. And the soundtrack...exceptional club music. Particularly, Reflekt's "Need to Feel Loved" (Seb Fontaine & Jay P Remix). I guarantee you will RE-WATCH this film over and over again. Maybe you'll even take a step back and have a look at your own life?

Note: THIS FILM IS A WORK OF FICTION. IT IS A "MOCK"UMENTARY. DON'T BE FOOLED. The fact that the directors and actors deliver such a compelling final product, where consumers actually believe it is real, is testament alone that this film is a keeper.

Please feel free to disagree with my opinion; let us compare opinions, invite a few more points of view, and debate, like the humans we are.

A very good, very different movie.......2006-06-11

I've watched this movie twice. The first time I believed the first frame of film which reads something like "This film is based on a true story", something like that. It was hard to watch for me because it brings out a lot of emotions. I sometimes didn't know if I should laugh or feel bad about the guy's situation. Then I read these reviews here on Amazon and saw that someone compared it to Spinal Tap and that it actually is not true at all. I watched it a second time and for some reason knowing that it was not true it really allowed me to just laugh and I did that much more than the first time. The tennis scene with the humus was hilarious and really remined me of Spinal Tap. If you like Spinal Tap you should like this, although this is a lot darker. Just remember that it isn't true.

Average customer rating:

Its keen eye for detail makes for a wonderful movie experience...
Jamie Foxx revives the American Legend
Ray
Outstanding movie - an instant classic
Ray

Ray (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Jamie Foxx , Kerry Washington , Regina King , Clifton Powell , and Harry J. Lennix
Director: Taylor Hackford
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | African American Cinema | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0006OD444
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Product Description

Running Time 153 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

More on Ray Charles

Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music (CD)
The Genius of Ray Charles (CD)
Ray Charles and Betty Carter--Dedicated to You (CD)

Genius & Soul--The 50th Anniversary Collection (CD)
Ray: A Tribute to the Movie, the Music, and the Man (book)
More Albums by Ray Charles

Customer Reviews:

Its keen eye for detail makes for a wonderful movie experience..........2007-06-21

Jamie Foxx revives the American Legend.......2007-06-06

Ray .......2007-05-27

I loved this dvd. Jamie Foxx does his greatest work yet. The supporting
cast was great too.

Outstanding movie - an instant classic.......2007-02-14

Ray.......2007-02-03

Jamie Foxx delivers the goods in this movie. To give the Oscar to anyone else would have been a crime! Five stars for the movie and Mr. Foxx!

Average customer rating:

Great Movie
Can I give this film 6 stars??!!
You have to see this movie!!!!!!
WOW-Gotta see this film! You'll never forget it....
A heart-warming tale....

Wildflower
Starring: Beau Bridges , Susan Blakely , William McNamara , Reese Witherspoon , and Patricia Arquette
Director: Diane Keaton
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007JZU4
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Amazon.com

Director Diane Keaton brings a tender touch to Wildflower, a Lifetime cable-TV movie showcasing early-career excellence from Reese Witherspoon and Patricia Arquette. Witherspoon's big-screen debut in The Man in the Moon had premiered shortly before this movie's original broadcast in 1991, and a year earlier, Arquette had starred in a Keaton-directed CBS Schoolbreak Special, The Boy with the Crazy Brother. These rising talents are well served by Sara Flanigan's teleplay, closely adapted from her popular juvenile novel Alice. Set in the mid-1930s, the story follows two compassionate teens (Witherspoon, William McNamara) who discover and ess

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (CD)	The Genius of Ray Charles (CD)	Ray Charles and Betty Carter--Dedicated to You (CD)
Genius & Soul--The 50th Anniversary Collection (CD)	Ray: A Tribute to the Movie, the Music, and the Man (book)	More Albums by Ray Charles