The Vigil (for Kurt Cobain)

Starring:Damon Johnson, Donny James Lucas, Allan Franz, Trevor White, Tahina Awan, Jane Spence, Brendan Beiser, William MacDonald (II), Sheila McCormack (II), Claire QuerÃ©e, Jessica Rain, Gwen Chambers, Emanuela Daus, Eric Fell, Stacy Graham (II), Geneviere Kidd, Matthew Lyons, Dean Marshall, Kerry Platt, Matthew QuerÃ©e
Director: Justin MacGregor
Studio: Vanguard Cinema
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Great Movie
Shallow and multi-layered
Alpha Dog Unwatchable
Stuck in the middle again
Just as I anticipated

Alpha Dog (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Bruce Willis , Matthew Barry , Emile Hirsch , Fernando Vargas (II) , and Vincent Kartheiser
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NO39FG
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.com

With harrowing intensity, Alpha Dog dramatizes one of the most tragically notorious murders in recent history. Ripped from the headlines, writer-director Nick Cassavetes' flawed but riveting crime drama (a polar opposite to his previous film, the romantic hit The Notebook) is based on the real-life case of Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer in California's San Gabriel Valley who, in 2000, became one of the youngest men to appear on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. Names and details have been changed, but the criminal circumstances remain the same: With family links to organized crime, Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) is on the warpath against Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), a sleazebag addict who owes him money. Fate intervenes when Johnny and his stoner pals including Frankie (Justin Timberlake) encounter Jake's 15-year-old half-brother Zack (Anton Yelchin) and hold him as collateral until Jake pays his debts. What begins as a casual, seemingly harmless situation escalates into a crisis of capital crime, as Alpha Dog employs split-screen, docudrama, and mock-documentary interviews to chronicle a tragic tailspin of reckless events and lawless behavior.

Cassavetes himself became part of the real-life drama when prosecutors (hoping to locate then-fugitive Jesse James Hollywood, who was captured in 2005) gave him legally controversial access to their case files. Alpha Dog clearly benefits from this inside information, and while the film's grueling depiction of underage squalor (including rampant drug and alcohol abuse) is inevitably off-putting and at least partially exploitative, there's no denying that Cassavetes has worked wonders with a well-chosen ensemble cast including Timberlake, who contrasts his music-industry stardom with a convincing performance as a likable, not-too-bright party animal who quickly gets in over his head. The film is ultimately compromised by Cassavetes' ambitious attempt to cover too much dramatic territory, but like his father John before him, he demonstrates a remarkable skill with actors (including Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, and Harry Dean Stanton in supporting roles), and Alpha Dog is full of powerful, dangerous moments that aren't easily forgotten. --Jeff Shannon

Description

They grew up together in the suburbs of LA, living their own version of the American dream, with every day a blur of partying and looking for the next thrill. Johnny (Emile Hirsch, Lords of Dogtown) is the leader in their sordid world of drugs, greed, power and privilege. But when he is double-crossed by another dealer, things quickly begin to spiral out of control, and an impulsive kidnapping leads to a shocking conclusion. Justin Timberlake (Edison), Sharon Stone (Bobby) and Bruce Willis (Lucky Number Slevin) co-star in this powerful and controversial film.

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-06-27

Alpha Dog is a really great movie. Emile Hirsch did a great job as always and for you Justin Timberlake fans, this was a really good performance by him. JT is the man in this, and the nice guy. I would recommend this to anyone that likes a good kidnapping movie, but be forwarnd, if you get sad or cry real easily then you probably shouldn't get this because something huge happens and its not very funny.

Shallow and multi-layered.......2007-06-24

Alpha Dog is a great B movie. The actors are meant to speak in real time scenes with realistic everyday dialog, meaning it should come off as a false reality TV show like The Office, where "realistic" acting is done well. Instead, we get movie acting, which makes much of the dialog seem forced. Still, the movie is enjoyable for its gratuitous violence, swearing, and drug use. The beginning of the movie is a typical over the top gangster vs gangster scenario, with the middle of the film played as a no holds barred teen party movie. For a while, the seriousness of the story is cast aside as the comedy, action and excess becomes enjoyable on a base level. Rather than be preachy, the movie is left to be enjoyed as a movie, until the film shifts into a serious, sombering "based on a true story" morality tale that might be found in the "free rental" section of Blockbuster. While characters are based on real people, as characters they are left to thrive in their movie reflection of life, but as reflections of people they gain an extra layer of sympathy and identification. Alpha Dog actually changes from "mindless crime drama" to "mindless party movie" to "serious based on true events tale," which would seem like a bad choice, but it prevents the entire movie from being dragged down. From the first half of the movie, learning or self growth seems unlikely. Morality and realistic consequences are nowhere to be seen in the beginning, yet the beginning movie cliches become transcended by the characters, so that a false gangster scene becomes obviously false as the movie progresses, making reality more noticeable and tragic. The use of flashback, counted days, and numbered witnesses creates an ominous caution that is not over the top, but drags the viewer in and out of the fantasy movie world. In the end, the actors aren't real people, and the poor special effects drive home the point that this is just a movie meant to look like reality, but this creates a more startling movie as we imagine the true reality behind it. Alpha Dog is paradoxically mindless and shallow without insulting the viewers intelligence.

Alpha Dog Unwatchable.......2007-06-14

If you are an adult with brain cells Alpha Dog will be unwatchable. I had to turn it off after torturing through 45 minutes of watching adolescent males posturing with grotesque levels of ignorance. If there was action, suspense, plot, any shred of meaningful dialogue, I may have been able to watch the entire film. But who wants to pay money, and waste two hours, watching a room full of partying teens act stupidly? The characters are so painfully dumb it is torture to watch. The world of the uneducated and brash American teen age boy is not one I want to go to. Maybe there is a social message or commentary by the end of the film, but if you value your time and intelligence pass on this worthless peek into the world of drugged out teens

Stuck in the middle again.......2007-06-12

I have to say that I didn't have the greatest expectations of this film. After watching it, turns out it's better than I thought. Not saying it's a great movie but it's not bad either. Somewhere in the middle. It's inspired by a true story and it reminds me of Bully but without the unnecessary, overexposed nudity. I actually favored their decision to mark every witness that saw the hostage with the captors. Especially the bystanders who have no connection to any of them whatsoever. The acting was pretty good but the entertainment value could've been better.

Just as I anticipated.......2007-06-10

After becoming fasinated with the "Jesse James Hollywood" story about a year ago, I was ecstatic to learn that a movie would be released concerning the events. I think the movie is excellent but also extremely troubling. To have an idea placed in your mind about what that poor boy went through in the end is the most horrifying picture. I cried until there were no tears left. I knew the story like the back of my hand, but I never really GOT it until seeing this film.
I would recommend this movie to anyone old enough to view the sex, violence, etc. it contains. I would highly recommend reading up on the true story the movie is based on before seeing it.

Average customer rating:

Great Movie
Shallow and multi-layered
Alpha Dog Unwatchable
Stuck in the middle again
Just as I anticipated

Alpha Dog (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Bruce Willis , Matthew Barry , Emile Hirsch , Fernando Vargas (II) , and Vincent Kartheiser
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Deja Vu
The Hitcher (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000NO39FQ
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-06-27

Shallow and multi-layered.......2007-06-24

Alpha Dog Unwatchable.......2007-06-14

Stuck in the middle again.......2007-06-12

Just as I anticipated.......2007-06-10

Robert Rodriguez Mexico Trilogy (El Mariachi / Desperado / Once Upon A Time In Mexico)

Average customer rating:

Awesome!
"Boy with camera" grows up
Greatest Trilogy Ever
Loved it!
The best.

Robert Rodriguez Mexico Trilogy (El Mariachi / Desperado / Once Upon A Time In Mexico)
Starring: Antonio Banderas , Salma Hayek , Johnny Depp , Mickey Rourke , and Eva Mendes
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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From Dusk Till Dawn (Dimension Collector's Series)
Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
Desperado: The Soundtrack
Mexico and Mariachis: Music From and Inspired by Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi Trilogy
Sin City - Unrated (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B000ASDFI6
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Description

EL MARIACHI: All he wants is to be is a mariachi, like his father, his grandfather and his great grandfather before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun, the mariachi is playing for his life in this critically-acclaimed film debut from director Robert Rodriguez. Financed with earnings from a month-long stay in a research hospital, this astonishing action adventure was shot with no second takes, using borrowed equipment and a talented cast of unknowns. The riveting result is a wild bullet-dodging ride through a world of bandido violence, from the suspense of the opening shoot-out to the tragedy of the unexpected conclusion. With little more than a great story and a lot of heart, Rodriguez has created pure movie pleasure, setting new standards for independent filmmaking, and establishing himself as an unquestionable talent. "An enormously entertaining movie." (Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES). DESPERADO: Antonio Banderas, Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin and Quentin Tarantino star in this stylish shoot-'em-up described as a south-of-the-border Pulp Fiction. Director Robert Rodriguez follows up his legendary debut film, El Mariachi, with this sexy sequel about a mysterious guitar player (Banderas) searching for vengeance against the men who murdered his girlfriend. ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO: Leaping back into action, gun-slinging, guitar-toting hero "El Mariachi" is back in town in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, as director Robert Rodriguez delivers the epic final chapter of his pulp Western trilogy. Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias and Willem Dafoe ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO is a full-frontal assault.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-06-08

An absolutely terrific box set and a must have for all Robert Rodriguez fans. The Mexico Trilogy is great fun and the box set, with all three movies as well as all special features from the individually sold films, is quite a bargain at only $21. A great buy for sure!

"Boy with camera" grows up.......2007-03-24

Starting with "Bedhead", and traveling through the Mexico Trilogy (sprinkled with a little "Spy Kids" here and there), you can see him educate himself and develop into a talented film maker. And he shares what he's learned with his audience along the way, by including his "Ten Minute Film (and Cooking) Schools".
You get the feeling, watching the special features included with the DVD packages, that he never sleeps, and that he needs to control all aspects of his creations, so that they are HIS and no one elses. This is a fine way to be (think Orson Welles); but I hope he can keep a grip on reality.

Greatest Trilogy Ever.......2007-02-12

I watched all three of these movies. Fantastic. It's your typical shoot'em up movie with a vengeance. Great Price for all three. Does not take away from shelve space. Perfect.

Loved it!.......2007-01-04

Bought it for the second movie - Desperado - which I loved, but ended up loving the first movie - El Mariachi - even more! Even though it's subtitled and in Spanish, it gives the beginning of the story and is campy and gritty, obviously low-budget but it's great. If you like foreign films and anything to do with Robert Rodriguez, you'd love this set of movies and it'd be worth adding to your collection.

The best........2006-11-10

What is there to say... These movies have it all from drama, comedy, action, ect... If you're a dude get it for the action and gun fights, and for you ladies d'uh its got Antonio Banderas for you in there. Anyhoo stop reading this and buy it.

Average customer rating:

good movie
It doesn't get any more gratuitous than this...
AMAZING
Top Of Their Game
Johnnie Depp is the Man!!!

Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Starring: Pedro Armendáriz Jr. , José Luis Avendaño , Antonio Banderas , Rubén Blades , and Miguel Couturier
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Desperado (Special Edition)
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Secret Window
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ASIN: B0000WN140
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Amazon.com

Guns, guns, guns! And a few explosions as bodies fly through the air and crash into tables and fruit stands. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, like all Robert Rodriguez movies, is all about the kinetic kick of high-velocity action. Johnny Depp, blase and whimsical, plays a CIA agent who's drawn guitar-playing gun-slinger Antonio Banderas (long black hair flopping over his face like the ears of a Labrador puppy) into a ridiculously convoluted plot to overthrow the Mexican government. Along for the ride are a craggy-faced rogue's gallery including Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Ruben Blades, and (to balance things out) the smooth, tantalizing complexions of Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek. For sheer trashy fun, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a step down from its predecessor, Desperado--but Desperado set the bar pretty high. For coherent storytelling, look elsewhere, but for action razzle-dazzle, this is your movie. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Robert Rodriguez returns with the mythic guitar-singing hero, El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), in the third installment of the El Mariachi/Desperado trilogy. The saga continues as El Mariachi makes his way across a rugged landscape on the trail of Barrillo (Willem Dafoe), a kingpin who is planning a coup against the president of Mexico. Enlisted by Sands (Johnny Depp), a corrupt CIA agent, El Mariachi demands retribution, and the adventure begins. The character, made famous by Banderas, remains a slinger of guitars and guns, a tragic and bloodied hero, but a survivor forever.

Customer Reviews:

good movie.......2007-05-07

I really enjoyed this movie on Dvd. Now I have to for psp for travel.

It doesn't get any more gratuitous than this..........2007-01-03

If gratuitous violence and gore are in your tastes, you will like this one. Johnny Depp's talent as an actor is obvious but that alone cannot carry this one above the blood-spatter and dismemberment. There are some that like such movies, more power to them. If you are on a low-gore diet, you will want to avoid this one.

AMAZING.......2006-11-03

I absolutely loved this movie. Johnny Depp is such a diverse actor and I love seeing him work.

Top Of Their Game.......2006-10-10

Sure this movie is silly. It's over the top and at times confusing. It's highly unrealistic and savagely brutal. It's also my favorite movie ever. The energy, the colors, the characters, the performances, the settings, the editing, the action sequences, the cinematography, the prodiction design...All top notch. Robert Rodriguez hits all the right notes in this gritty, violent psuedo-western; Antonio is the perfect fit in his best part, and Johnny Depp adds one of the most colorful and refreshing characters to a nice ensemble cast(inc. Mickey Rourke and Willem DaFoe). This movie just goes all out in what it's trying to do, and as far as I'm concerned it's more than successful. Some of the best one liners and action sequences you'll find in any movie, period. I'm just waiting on the prequel that details the life of Agent Sands before he came to be involved with this movie. Could be interesting if Depp would do it...

Johnnie Depp is the Man!!!.......2006-08-15

Review disclaimer:
Please note: This movie was reviewed on my PSP, not the DVD. Also, not sure why Amazone has a "fun factor" for this "movie" not game? Confusing!

As said in an earlier review, Johnnie literally steals the scene, every scene he is in. The whole "eye-hole" with a patch, whoa, blew my mind!

I loved this movie! You will too! Why not rent or purchase from this website? Today!

MC White said: Check it out!!!

Average customer rating:

Crazy Seattle Teens
Casey is NOT clinically depressed.
An underrated gem!
A movie for true romantics
Drew Barrymore's best movie

Mad Love
Starring: Chris O'Donnell , Drew Barrymore , Matthew Lillard , Richard Chaim , and Robert Nadir
Director: Antonia Bird
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305433917
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Description

Chris O'Donnell (BATMAN FOREVER, THE BACHELOR) and the seductive Drew Barrymore (CHARLIE'S ANGELS, BOYS ON THE SIDE) fall hard in MAD LOVE -- the wild and sexy story of two passionate young people who take to the road for the incredible adventure of their lives! Straitlaced Matt (O'DONNELL) is immediately captivated by Casey (BARRYMORE), the beautiful and unpredictably rebellious new girl in town who refuses to play by the rules! But when they're faced with permanent separation, they decide to leave everything behind and run away together ... and run head-on into the kind of passion, fun, and excitement you won't soon forget!

Customer Reviews:

Crazy Seattle Teens.......2006-04-15

I'm not sure what I was expecting going in to see this movie for the first time, but I did not find it in "Mad Love." This movie reminds me of "Fear," partly because of its location and the age of its cast, and the two movies certainly have their parallel's, but there is no self-tattooing or killing of the family pet. Much more of cult hit then mainstream, Drew Barrymore carries this movie. You definately have to take the movie for what it is because the more you think about it the less plausible it becomes. This movie could go either way with its viewers, its just all about personal preference.

Casey is NOT clinically depressed........2005-08-24

This movie is cute, but not factual. I always worry when I see mental illnesses treated as interchangeable. Drew Barrymore's character Casey exhibits class bipolar symptoms, which include irrational thoughts, suicidal depression, and wild mood swings going from risk taking mania to the immobility of depression. I just wish they'ed been able to portray it for what it was. Of course making a movie about clinical depression symptoms wouldn't have involved the car stealing and drama. Just lots of Drew sitting in her room, unable to muster the energy to find Chris O'Donnell interesting. Not as good a movie, I suppose.

An underrated gem!.......2005-07-23

This film is about a high schooler named Matt (Chris O'Donnell) who has a crush on free spirited Casey (Drew Barrymore), so he finally gets the guts to ask her out, and they go to a punk rock concert together. They start to really like each other, and become boyfriend and girlfriend. One night, Matt sees Casey fighting with her parents, and she tells Matt that her father thinks Matt is a bad influence and that her father doesn't want Matt to see her anymore. Sooner or later, Matt hears that Casey has been put in the hospital, due to the fact that she tried to commit suicide by taking sleeping pills. Matt helps her escape, and the two lovebirds take a road trip against parental wishes. Along their way to Mexico, they encounter a sellsman who tries to hit on Casey, and Casey begins to experience depression episodes again. Matt learns that Casey is Bi-Polar, and he tries to comfort her the only way he knows how. He decides his only option is to get her help, so he decides to call her parents. She attempts to commit suicide again, telling Matt that she doesn't want to be sick anymore and that she doesn't want to be locked up. Matt talks her out of it, and they return home, so that Casey can recieve medical treatment. This film may or may not sound interesting, but it's a great film nevertheless. Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell give excellent performances. Recommended.

A movie for true romantics.......2005-07-05

Ah...mad love. This movie was on HBO ON DEMAND and I decided to watch it one lazy summer day. I really got into it, mainly because I felt like I could relate to some of the things in the movie. Drew Bareymore plays a great role, as a depressed teen trying to break the habit and find love. She does..but her parents don't approve of the young man who lives across the lake...you know the deal. They run away and "try" to make it on their own. She can't deal with being away because she really is mentally ill and the tears started to flow because she ends up in a hospital writing letters to him at the end. God! I cried and cried and cried! Tragic love story...definately add it to your collection today.

Drew Barrymore's best movie.......2004-11-19

...and probably chris o'donnel's best movie too. IT starts off as a very enjoyable movie at first, then it peels away it's cover to show a very sirious side. And in the process Drew Barrymore's acting is fantastic. If only she stayed that way instead of making worthless unmentionables like Charlies Angels. ANd Chris Odonnel is along for the ride. His quiet tempermental acting shouldn't work with Drew's fierce character, but somehow it does. The only complaint is that Odonnel is usually the same in all of his movies, and this one doesn't change. His just like he was in Scent of a Woman, but he's still enjoyable. A movie fan's favorite.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
An unforgettable and thrilling movie...
wow
Realistic story and tremendous ensemble acting
Tells it like it is!

The Waterdance
Starring: Eric Stoltz , Helen Hunt , William Allen Young , James Roach , and Elizabeth Peña
Director: Neal Jimenez , and Michael Steinberg
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Uncovered

ASIN: B00005RDRI
Release Date: 2001-12-18

Amazon.com essential video

This 1992 drama written by Neal Jimenez and codirected by him and Michael Steinberg (the two worked together on the underrated Bodies, Rest, and Motion) stars Eric Stoltz as a successful novelist who becomes paraplegic following a hiking accident. Jimenez, who personally lives with the same condition, gives us an insider's point-of-view on the first terrible days, weeks, and months of adjusting to paralysis, and its effect upon relationships, work, and sex. But the film is also about other kinds of unexpected turns in a life, in this case Stoltz's immersion in an instant community of fellow paraplegics, as well as his reevaluation of an affair with a married editor (Helen Hunt). Stoltz is in great company: besides Hunt's thoughtful, sensual presence, the cast includes Wesley Snipes as another patient, Elizabeth Peña as a sympathetic nurse, and William Forsythe (Palookaville, Raising Arizona) in an outstanding performance that encourages one to reconsider his often one-dimensional career. Despite the bleak subject, The Waterdance is an enormously entertaining and often funny movie that keeps a lid on pity and explores the rediscovery of life, self-respect, and honesty following a disaster. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2006-12-04

I couldn't believe there in a movie like this, Tells about the ups and downs when you break your neck, three mens find what its like.

An unforgettable and thrilling movie..........2005-07-25

It's funny how your life can change in a second... To attend ''The Waterdance'' for the first time it was an unforgettable experience, the way you need to get used to a new way of life it can seem frightening, and to notice that there are other people going by a similar situation it can help you to go on.

Eric Stoltz's performances and mainly of Helen Hunt (oh man!, Helen is the purest and graceful woman in earth...) are wonderful, Wesley Snipes also surprises in one of your last serious roles. A film simple and at the same time deep that doesn't get to leave us indifferent to the message that is transmitted: enjoy each moment of your life...

Really to a film as that the any hour is not attended!!! (sorry, it's a Brazilian expression...).

wow.......2003-07-12

i watched this finnally after my mom said it was good. i loved it. where were you all my life?

Realistic story and tremendous ensemble acting.......2002-12-23

This film never received the attention it deserved, although this is one of the finest pieces of ensemble acting, and one of the most realistic stories I have seen on screen. Clearly filmed on a small budget in a real V.A. Hospital, the center of the story is Joel, very well-played by Eric Stoltz. Joel has been paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, and comes to the hospital to a ward with other men who have spinal injuries. Joel is in love with Anna, his married lover, played by Helen Hunt, who shows early signs of her later Academy-Award winning work.

Although the Joel-Anna relationship is the basic focus, there are many other well-developed characters in the ward. Wesley Snipes does a tremendous job as the angry Raymond. Even more impressive is William Forsythe as the bitter and racist Bloss. I think Forsythe's two best scenes are when he becomes frustrated and angry at the square dancers, and, later, when he feels empathy for a young Korean man who has been shot in a liquor store hold up. My favorite scene with Snipes is the in the roundtable discussion of post-injury sexual options.

The chemistry between Stoltz and Hunt is very strong, and they have two very intimate, but not gratuitous, sex scenes. The orgasm in the ward is both sexy and amusing. There is also another memorable scene where Joel and Bloss and the Korean boy take the specially-equipped van to the strip bar. It's truly a comedy of errors as they make their feeble attempts to get the van going to see the "naked ladies."

The story is made even more poignant by the fact that the director, Neal Jimenez, is paralyzed in real life. This is basically his story. This film is real, not glossy or flashy. To have the amount of talent in a film of such a small budget is amazing. I recommend this film to everyone I see, because it is one of those films that even improves on a second look. It's a shame that such a great piece of work gets overlooked, but through video, perhaps it can get the attention it so richly deserves.

Tells it like it is!.......2002-01-21

As a person with severe mobility impairment, I viewed this picture with interest. I give it my fullest recommendation. It is definitely the best motion picture I have seen on the subject of serious disability and the adaptations required by those who deal with it. Some succeed, some don't, but the movie tells its story with accuracy and compassion.

Average customer rating:

Fun show to watch
Shades of Mediocrity

Checking Out
Starring: Peter Falk , Anthony Giangrande , Dan Byrd , Gavin MacLeod , and Joey Gray (II)
Director: Jeff Hare
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Little Miss Sunshine
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The Prestige

ASIN: B000JJ4FKI
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Product Description

On the eve of his 90th birthday, eccentric, celebrated thespian Morris Applebaum (Peter Falk) summons his three grown children to his Manhattan apartment for a festive shindig no one will ever forget. Because when the party's over, Morris plans to take his "final exit". No, he's not ill or unduly depressed; he just wants to go out the way he's lived: on his own terms. Now it's up to his hilariously angst-ridden offspring to put aside their own excess baggage and convince Morris that it ain't over till the fat lady sings!

Customer Reviews:

Fun show to watch.......2007-01-24

Well written and well acted. Full of surprises you would not expect.

Shades of Mediocrity.......2007-01-18

Take a story line with more miles on it than Peter Falk and cram it full of sit-com cliche and you have "Checking Out." The only thing missing was the laugh track. Rather than waste your time on this much ado about nothing, check out Falk as the dying Dad in 2005's "Things About My Folks," with Paul Reiser.

Average customer rating:

4.5 stars for this tragic movie
#14 Mexican Film Ever per SOMOS Magazine Survey
Power, Fanatics and Religious Hypocracy

Canoa
Starring: Manuel Ojeda , Alicia del Lago , Enrique Lucero , Gerardo Vigil , and Salvador Sánchez
Director: Felipe Cazals
Manufacturer: Desert Mountain
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Las Poquianchis
El Apando
La Pasion Segun Berenice (The Passion of Berenice)
Rojo Amanecer
Herod's Law (La Ley de Herodes)

ASIN: B00008H2HZ
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Description

Canoa is a compelling story based on the actual event that occurred on September 14th 1968 in the mountainous town of San Miguel de Canoa. A group of employees from Puebla University set out on a hiking excursion to a nearby mountain. Mistaken for radical communist agitators by a domineering local priest, a mob of townspeople are incited to riot, resulting in the brutal murders of several of the young men.

Customer Reviews:

4.5 stars for this tragic movie.......2006-05-18

misunderstandings can be deadly.. So it is in this fine Mexican film about a group of workers who are mistaken for communist students and brutalized by a crazed town of religous fanatics headed by a hypocritical priest and mayor... I had never heard of this movie but the picture on the front of the dvd really captured my attention and the reasonable price tag made it worth taking a chance... I'm glad I did.. this is a very relevant movie that more people should watch.

#14 Mexican Film Ever per SOMOS Magazine Survey.......2004-08-02

It's not listed in the horror genre, but it certainly impressed upon me some of the most horrific remembrances I have ever taken with me from a film. Making it all the more frightening, of course, is the fact that this is a true story, one that has been repeated with fairly recent incidents in Guatemala. What's worse, many of the villages of rural Puebla still survive in a similar state of sinister surroundings, to which any astute climber of La Malintzin or Citlalteptl can surely attest.

Back to the film, Canoa starts out with a documentary feel which looks surprisingly crisp and modern. We are introduced rather scientifically to the rural area of Puebla State where the film will take place and some of its principle characters. Much of this is portrayed thru an "interview" with the character knows as "el testigo" (the witness) played by Salvador Sanchez (Salvador, La Ley de Herodes). Much of the film focuses on the students, some of whose faces fans of Mexican television will certainly find familiar from novelas. While none of them provide particularly compelling performances, the film is carried along very well by the supporting cast, including Enrique Lucero (The Magnificent Seven, Macario) in a dark and brilliant performance as the priest, Jorge Fegan (Rojo Amanecer) as the police comandante, and a chillingly sober Ernesto Gomez Cruz (Midaq Alley, La Ley de Herodes, El Crimen de Padre Amaro) in probably his best performance.

The DVD has great widescreen video and stereo sound quality, and the subtitles are optional for Spanish speakers. My recommendation: a must-buy for fans of Mexican cinema, especially at this very reasonable price. Certainly worth checking out for anyone with an interest in Mexico or expanding their horizons.

Power, Fanatics and Religious Hypocracy.......2003-10-09

This move is in part a scripted documentary (but fictional as far as the filming) and part awesome images of the total chaos created by brainwashed masses who attentively go to mass. An important film for Mexican Cinema, it has startingly images of hate, there is little rhetoric mentioned in the film, we see people acting on what their hearts feel is right. What I do find great about the film is that you actually get to see the mind set of many people going through the first stages of Industrailzation by way of the first steps of Globalization. Although lynch mobs are not as common in Mexico as might have been, this TRUE STORY reflects the living mind set of belittled small town life in Mexico, well at least a side of it that people should know about. Quite humorous at times, it in no way sways away from its truths, the last 20 minutes of the film are powerful. The transfer is great considering it is a film rearly mentioned in popular media (especially in Mexico), the negative was in a good enough condition for viewing, although you do see an occasional vertical line here and there, but barely noticable. The sound is good, but I really did not expect permier sound for such a film (1975). Made in a time where B movies ruled in Mexico, this gem of a film shines out of a list of other great films released by Desert Mountain Media. In letterbox presentation, stereo 2.0 in Spanish with removable English subtitles. Cast Biographies, interactive menus and chapter selections. For one thing I must appreciate the resurecction of the film, another is the decent quality. This film is heavily awared in Mexico, quite popular world wide, it acutally won Best Picture at the Berlin International Film Fesitval. Not for the light hearted, striking images of corruption, innocence and hate.

Average customer rating:

A film made brilliant by one actor
Great action film with a bit of humor.
GAWD AWFUL
Don't forget the first one to...
Are you a MexiCan or a MexiCant?

Once Upon a Time in Mexico / Desperado
Starring: Antonio Banderas , Salma Hayek , Johnny Depp , Mickey Rourke , and Eva Mendes
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

El Mariachi (Special Edition)
Blow (Infinifilm Edition)
After the Sunset (Widescreen New Line Platinum Series)
Donnie Brasco (Special Edition)
The Mask of Zorro (Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B0000WN14U
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Amazon.com

Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Guns, guns, guns! And a few explosions as bodies fly through the air and crash into tables and fruit stands. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, like all Robert Rodriguez movies, is all about the kinetic kick of high-velocity action. Johnny Depp, blase and whimsical, plays a CIA agent who's drawn guitar-playing gun-slinger Antonio Banderas (long black hair flopping over his face like the ears of a Labrador puppy) into a ridiculously convoluted plot to overthrow the Mexican government. Along for the ride are a craggy-faced rogue's gallery including Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Ruben Blades, and (to balance things out) the smooth, tantalizing complexions of Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek. For sheer trashy fun, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a step down from its predecessor, Desperado--but Desperado set the bar pretty high. For coherent storytelling, look elsewhere, but for action razzle-dazzle, this is your movie. --Bret Fetzer

Desperado
It's Sergio Leone meets Sam Peckinpah meets Quentin Tarantino in this ultraviolent, mythological shoot-'em-up by auteur Robert Rodriguez. In Desperado, Rodriguez creates larger-than-life, genre-tweaking stock characters and puts them through their paces. As they stride bravely through an Old West lightly dusted with camp humor, they're periodically called upon to nimbly dodge bullets and fireballs through outrageously choreographed displays of Hollywood pyrotechnics. In this bigger-budget semi-remake/semi-sequel to Rodriguez's indie sensation, El Mariachi (made, famously, for $7,000), Antonio Banderas is the darkly charismatic El Mariachi, the Mysterious Stranger in town; Steve Buscemi is perfectly cast as his weasely, motor-mouth Comic Sidekick, laying the groundwork for El Mariachi's entrance by spinning saloon stories to build up his legend; Cheech Marin is a standout as the Bartender, who really knows how to handle a toothpick; and gorgeous Salma Hayek is, well, the Girl--treated to the kind of full-blown, slow-mo introduction the movies traditionally lavish on beautiful new stars. It doesn't add up to much, but it's a kick. Be careful not to blow out your speakers with the DVD's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

A film made brilliant by one actor.......2004-08-31

This film is a fun, silly, at a glance three and a half star film. However Johnny Depp, as a mad CIA agent, gets it up to five stars. He is very funny, stylish, suitably psychotic and by the end, though his character is pretty horrible, you feel sympathetic to him and want him to win. The person who wrote the one star review of the film should realise the blood on J Depps face is meant to be styalised. Depp also ad libs tons of great lines. Well done Mr D!

Great action film with a bit of humor........2004-06-15

How could anyone not love this film? It's got more of the wonderful action we saw in Desperado and the same great humor. Depp was amazing. Who couldn't appreciate the humor of him wearing the CIA shirt out in public or the little lines like "Are you a Mexi-Can or a Mexi-Can't?" As for those who say it's "Unbelievable" It's fiction...It's supposed to dance on the edge of unbelievable...else it wouldn't be fiction. The only beef I have with thte film is the repeat of the "you killed my woman, prepare to die" idea. Great film though, well worth your time...try to see Desperado first though.

GAWD AWFUL.......2004-03-15

OMG it was SO disjointed and over the top ridiculous!!! e.g., one scene (the typical running away from bad guys, shoot-outs
galore, etc.,) Bandaras is up a flight of stairs, he puts his guitar case down and stands on it and surfs down the stairs
to hit a guy and lands right under him with a gun pointing
up at the guy's maracas...*rolling eyes* A#1 and first and foremost, a guitar case like that made for acoustic guitars would not support a child's weight, let alone a grown man and watching him stair-surf was just laugh out loud funny at a moment that was supposed to be serious...another scene a guy's guitar shoots flames out of the end of it then immediately after his friend puts his guitar case down,it sprouts wheels and he pulls out a remote control (like those little cars
at radio shack?) and it rolls under a jeep and he pushes a button and it blows it up...GODZ OKAY!!!

Johnny Depp is supp to have his eyes gouged out at one point and
the blood on his face is so perfectly painted it looks like THE CROW makeup or something, it also looks purple not red...the writing is just horrid beyond the realms of madness, I've never seen anyting so bad. They had like 8 plots going on at once, dream sequences that you didn't know if they were dreams or what was happening, if someone got shot they flew thru the air backwards about 100 feet in the air (this happened over and over and over and over ad nauseum...). Bandaras didn't seem righteously PO'd, etc., etc.,

Man, it was SO unbelievably bad...

There were also 2 characters that were were killed in Desperado
that showed back up (the bartender-Cheech Marin, and the really bad-ass guy w/blades, no explanation of how and why they rose from the dead..Wm DaFoe as a Mexican (if you can envision the blatant miscasting of that one), and Mickey Rourke as some guy we could never figure out who exactly he was supp to be or what
his purpose was really toting a little Chihuahua thru the entire movie...

SAVE...YOUR...MONEY...it gets one star for Rodriquez's amazing ability to take a small budget and film breathtaking action scenes--mostly by his own hard work and inovation and workaholic nature, but IMHO when the action scenes are more important than writing a plot that's not a convolted mess, wow okay, what a waste of time and money.

Don't forget the first one to..........2004-02-20

Both of these movies are amazing, though I was all too happy that I was able to see El Mariachi before either of them. The first movie was done almost entirely volunteer with a budget that barely covered the cost of the ammunition -- and yes, at that shockingly low price-tag -- it was that good that it rated two sequels!

Lots of southwest machismo flavor, guns, musicians, tragic love, what more could one want from a movie aiming for the top of the genre.

Desperado first disjointedly continues from El Mariachi (believe me, if you saw E.M. first, you would have at least a few confused moments when viewing Desperado the first time). Once Upon a Time in Mexico picks up from where Desperado left off and the flash backs throughout the third movie do a reasonable job and tying the series together. The plots for all three are fantastical and legend, but all three movies work the genre style for all they are worth and end up way way way on top. Did I mention the astounding cast? It's not just the stars -- they've pulled out some pretty legendary supporting actors to boot.

Five stars for the fact that in addition to being astoundingly fabulous movies -- each one of the three is able to stand as a solid movie unto itself without the other two. Four stars for the set -- only because the set doesn't include El Mariachi, which I think everyone should watch at least a few times. I think it is about time that El Mariachi garners due royalties along with its American companion sequels...

Are you a MexiCan or a MexiCant?.......2004-02-09

This is not the type of film that will delve into your deep psyche and come up with something profound.

It's guns, action and more guns.

In my opinion Johnny Depp absolutely steals every single scene he is in. He's got his character, Sands, down and you can tell he's really into his role.

Antonio Banderas is excellent at reprsing his role as el Mariachi and Salma Hayek is great eye candy and does faboulous stunt work!

Amazon.com

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format.

Customer Reviews:

good movie.......2007-05-07

I really enjoyed this movie on Dvd. Now I have to for psp for travel.

It doesn't get any more gratuitous than this..........2007-01-03

AMAZING.......2006-11-03

I absolutely loved this movie. Johnny Depp is such a diverse actor and I love seeing him work.

Top Of Their Game.......2006-10-10

Johnnie Depp is the Man!!!.......2006-08-15

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