Sunday, October 13, 2013

A Beautiful Life



A wonderful love story
I completely disagree with the review below expressing disappointment with this film. I loved it. The female lead undergoes a complete transformation from a shallow, money-hungry manipulator to a loving and caring person. She starts out being uninterested in the advances of the male lead, but after realizing her life is empty, she seeks him out. Meanwhile, he has been badly injured and forced to retire to a life of dependency. She goes to extraordinary lengths to find him, and proves her love by caring for him in his time of need. Qi Shu probably does the best cinematic portrayal of a woman who is absolutely in love that I have ever seen.

Like most Chinese films, this one has a few corny moments, but I liked the film so much that I've watched it several times, which I rarely do. Qi Shu really gives a tremendous performance, and he's very good as well. If you want to watch a heart-warming love story and are willing to let the plot evolve, you shouldn't be disappointed...

A Chinese Melodrama That Left Me Emotionally Unconnected To The Central Relationship
Chinese Director Andrew Lau, perhaps best known for the thrilling "Infernal Affairs" saga, tries his hand at something a bit softer with the romantic melodrama "A Beautiful Life." As the first scenes of "A Beautiful Life" unfolded, I truly believed that I was going to love this movie. It is certainly well made and its stars, Shu Qi and Liu Ye, are inherently appealing. They have a terrific chemistry and play off each other exceedingly well. And yet, as the film progressed, I realized that I didn't really care about either protagonist and certainly not their journey together. Qi is painted as a selfish manipulator (with zero redeeming value) and Ye ends up being a doormat for her every whim. Look, I'm not saying that people don't form unhealthy relationships like this in real life, but Lau genuinely wants us to care about this train wreck of a pairing. And I didn't. I tried, but I couldn't. You know that the film wants you to believe in the inevitability of true love conquering all,...

Good Movie
This is a good movie. The actors do a great job. The woman, Peiru, is a successful real estate agent in Beijing, who has personal issues, and so drinks too much. Fang is a quiet, hardworking, honest police officer. They meet by chance. They meet by chance a couple of times. She asks for his number. Although it is never stated, it seems as though she recognized how solid and stable he was and was drawn to him, especially since she's all over the place in her personal life. There was never any romantic pursuit from him. I think he thought she was out of his league. She kept calling him to get her out of messes or to help her out. He always did even though he began to see that she was an emotional mess. I really liked Fang. The actress playing Peiru is really beautiful and she's a good actress. When the twist in the story comes, we see how they weather the storm. It is a very Chinese story of endurance of hardship. Those who are used to the high action movies of the West...

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WWE: Survivor Series 2011



WWE Survivor Series 2011
I attended this show live, so this review is from a slightly different perspective than the others for this DVD. Live this was a very good show, mostly for the crowd reactions and because the Rock was simply tremendous. He didn't do a whole lot, but what he did was great, and simply being there made the show worth while. Nobody who attended this show live or purchased the event on Pay Per View spent their money to see anything or anyone but the Rock, and his appearance was going to make or break the show. In this case, The Rock made the show. The undercard was what it was; I've been to many shows with much better wrestling but what was here was fine. Both the opener and the WWE championship match were very good matches, and the main event was good because of the atmosphere and Rock just being there. I would recommend buying this dvd just to own a piece of the Rock and Madison Square Garden, and the rest of the show isn't bad either. Matches are rated out of 5 stars...

Survivor Series 2011
For the most part, this show will be remembered for the Rock returning to MSG, and not much else. It's a subpar wrestling show, and an outstanding entertainment event.

United States Title
Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. John Morrison:
I don't know what genius decided to leave Zach Ryder out of this match when the show was in NYC and they have been brewing a feud between Ziggler and Ryder for weeks.. Nonetheless, as usual Morrison and Ziggler put on an outstanding match as probably only the two of them could do. Great opener, and a HUGE pop for Ryder when he runs out at the end.

Diva's Title Lumberjill Match
Beth Pheonix vs. Eve:
The lumberjill concept sucked, but Eve and Pheonix always put on above average diva matches. The ending was pretty cool too, with another huge reaction from the crowd.

Survivor Series Elimination Match
Barrett, Rhodes, Ziggler, Swagger & Hunico vs. Orton, Sheamus, Kingston, Sin Cara & Mason...

Never Before, Never Again...And We Don't Mean WWE On Twitter
United States Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison - From the start of the match, the MSG crowd made it very vocal who they wanted to see as the challenger in this match instead of Morrison. This match had tons of back & forth action with some standout highlights like Morrison's trademark leaping side kick off the second rope & corkscrew dive over the top rope before Dolph was able to hit Morrison shortly afterwords with a neckbreaker, both men trading sleeper holds, an impactful swinging DDT, the fameasser, and of course Vickie Guerrero's involvement. Great opener but what made the audience pop more than anything else was who made an appearence after the match.

Lumberjill Match: Divas Champion Beth Phoenix vs. Eve Torres - As expected in a lumberjack match, the people on the outside did get involved as Beth was thrown in when she was dropped onto the outside while Natayla did try to get involved from the floor. Both girls started off strong with Beth easily dropping...

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Fright Night (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)



Fang-tastic, Fun and Freaky
The Review:

Hollywood is recycling movies, cranking out remakes, reboots and prequels so fast that Fright Night is just one of TWO remakes released in the same week in August. But unlike the Conan reboot, Fright Night hits it out of the park. I confess to never having seen the original Fright Night, so I'm a tabula rasa so far as preconceptions of what Fright Night should be. I can't tell you how well the new Fright Night stands up to the original. What I can tell you is that this new Fright Night alternates perfectly between funny and thrilling. Starring Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Imogen Poots, David Tennant and Toni Collette, Fright Night is long on talent and short on filler. It moves at a brisk pace until it turns on pacing afterburners (in a good way!) about halfway through.

Anton Yelchin plays Charley Brewster. He and his single mom, Jane, played by Toni Collette live in Las Vegas and in a nod to the real world the economy is weak resulting in dozens of...

"Welcome to Fright Night...for real......again."
Okay, I am a HUGE Fright Night fan. I even enjoyed Fright Night part II, despite it's weak spots(less threatening and interesting villains, semi-rehash plot line). The original Fright Night has all the things I love about that special time called the 80's in horror; boisterous special effects, tongue firmly in cheek, monsters, and really great make up effects and ever evolving visual effects. It was a love letter to Hammer vampires and a send up of the 80's slasher trend that dominated the era and knocked over the traditional monsters. I had heard about this remake several years ago and was aghast. Nobody wanted Hollyweird to stay away from Fright Night more than me. I was so shocked that the remake turned out to be not only good, but surprising, and totally fun.

Now I know some horror fans, fanboys in general really, automatically hate something when it's remade, and hate something when the remake changes or rearranges things from the original. Let me warn you...

It was o.k!
While I don't share the same enthusiasm as others when it comes to this film that doesn't mean that I didn't like it at all. I appreciate the fact that they tried something new, but I couldn't help but feel like I could have been watching any other vampire movie besides Fright Night. I am an 80's baby, so I grew up a big fan of this movie, and if it were left up to me personally I don't think they should have even bothered with a remake. Remakes only show how unoriginal and uncreative Hollywood has become. With that said, let's discuss what I didn't find interesting, and that's the angle they took with this Peter Vincent. While I appreciate that they tried to make him a modern day version of Roddy McDowell let's keep it real. This guy was more like a rock star than a vampire hunter, real or fake, in my own opinion. You barely see this guy besides on television, and when Charlie finally looks the guy up he does absolutely nothing besides run and hide until the end of this movie. The...

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Spin City: The Complete Sixth Season



Spin city
Great show. What can you say about Charlie sheen? He is great and so is heather. Funny show. Watch it.

Very funny
Was a very good series, worth watching! Great cast, Michael J Fox returns for a few episodes. Recommended if you enjoy Charlie sheen.

Sheen
If you miss Charlie Sheen ref. 2 1/2 Men, you might want to buy Spin City , that same persona that made Men good comes through in SC

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Kill Katie Malone [Blu-ray]



Good Visuals - But Boring & Unoriginal Story
Kill Katie Malone is a step above most straight-to-video horror flicks in that the visuals are quality, but it has little more to offer besides that. The movie tells the story of three friends in college that decide to buy a ghost on an online auction site, and receive a mysterious box soon after. But after opening the box, a series of tragic events occur to people around them, and one of the trio tries to discover a means of reversing their fate.

This was the first feature film by director Carlos Ramos Jr, which is a surprise considering how well it was shot. The cinematography was good, as was the color correction. The cast is made up largely of TV actors, so the performances are a bit better than what you'd expect for most low-budget horror movies. Some horror aficionados may also appreciate that the malevolent spirit in the movie almost never appears in a visible form, which gives the movie a similar vibe as the 1982 film "The Entity."

That being said,...

ONE RED ROSE
I don't recall the picture on the cover being part of the movie. Three college kids purchase an Irish ghost on-line. The spirit grants them wishes, but also protects them at the cost of others. The ghost, for some reason, likes to redecorate, and is not very good at it. The film is low budget. The gore sequences take place off camera to avoid the idiotic special effects that kill low budget productions. Instead they spent their money on a good script, some fair acting and direction. Better than an Asylum production. Makes for a fair rental.

The movie has the same scare potential as the paranormal series, without the annoyance. The movie sets up for a sequel with some real potential.

Some bad language, no sex, no nudity.

Surprisingly Entertaining for a Low Budget Movie
This is the story of three college students that buy a ghost (evil ghost) on an auction site. Not Ebay, but the other one. One student wants to buy the ghosts and the other two loan him the money, due to the fact most college students are broke and can't afford to buy ghosts online for $50. Sure that might sound like the makings of a comedy and it does have its moments of light heartedness, but this is a scary movie. The ghost comes in a box, and once the box is opened strange things happen and people get hurt or killed.

Kill Katie Malone is a low budget film with sparingly used quality special effects. They do a lot with a little. These are unknown actors (and actresses), so don't expect the charm, wit and laughs that movies like Scream brought, but they do a better job than most scary movies. The scares build to a boil toward the end with a good climax.

Oh and if you're some sort of Dean Caine fan, he's in this movie less than five minutes. At least the worst...

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Monica & David



An Affectionate Look At Love, Marriage, And Responsibility Within The Down Community
At the beginning of Alexandra Codina's affectionate documentary "Monica & David," we're hit with a statistic that shows just how much life expectancy figures have increased for those with Down Syndrome in the last thirty years. As these individuals are more commonly living full lives, of course it is to be expected that they want to share in the same sort of successes and happiness as everyone else. To illustrate this point in a very personal way, Codina set about documenting a year in the life of her cousin Monica. Monica, a 35 year old with Down, is about to embark on a storybook wedding with her beloved David, who also has Down. The film chronicles the days leading up to the marriage until their one year anniversary. It's a heartfelt journey that is not without its struggles, but it is certainly a trip worth taking. If you've been affected by knowing someone with Down Syndrome, this is an easy recommendation--but it is also an enlightening piece that illustrates the...

Fantastic Film!!
This is such an amazing documentary. Ali Codina did an excellent job of showing the ups and downs of Down Syndrome. This is an excellent film for parents of kids who have Down syndrome to watch. I was lucky enough to see it about a month after my son (who has Downs) was born; it gave me such a sense of relief and motivation. I was able to see that my son will have many of the same experiences that other adults have, and that his potential is high if I continue to work with him. Monica and David are an inspiration to me and my husband. Thank you!

An Affectionate Look At Love, Marriage, And Responsibility Within The Down Community
At the beginning of Alexandra Codina's affectionate documentary "Monica & David," we're hit with a statistic that shows just how much life expectancy figures have increased for those with Down Syndrome in the last thirty years. As these individuals are more commonly living full lives, of course it is to be expected that they want to share in the same sort of successes and happiness as everyone else. To illustrate this point in a very personal way, Codina set about documenting a year in the life of her cousin Monica. Monica, a 35 year old with Down, is about to embark on a storybook wedding with her beloved David, who also has Down. The film chronicles the days leading up to the marriage until their one year anniversary. It's a heartfelt journey that is not without its struggles, but it is certainly a trip worth taking. If you've been affected by knowing someone with Down Syndrome, this is an easy recommendation--but it is also an enlightening piece that illustrates the commonality we...

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WWE: The Best of King of the Ring



Looks Decent
Disc 1

The Noble Scroll

King of the Ring Finals Match
Bret `Hit Man' Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
King of the Ring 13th June, 1993

Kings and Champions

WWE Championship Match
Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna
King of the Ring 13th June, 1993

King of the Ring Finals Match
Owen Hart vs. Razor Ramon
King of the Ring 19th June, 1994

A True King

Kiss My Foot Match
Bret `Hit Man' Hart vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler
King of the Ring 25th June, 1995

Intercontinental Championship Match
Goldust vs. Ahmed Johnson
King of the Ring 23rd June, 1996

New Breed of Royalty

King of the Ring Finals Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
King of the Ring 23rd June, 1996

Disc 2

Mark of Distinction

WWE Championship Match
Shawn Michaels vs. British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith
King of the Ring 23rd...

All Hail The King
Before concepts like Money In The Bank existed, there was another event where a superstar on the roster could be elevated to the next level & become a breakout "man to pay attention to" star in one night...the same concept that helped the career of some who would go on to become a WWE/World Champion & enter Hall Of Fame. This concept is called King Of The Ring & this DVD, hosted by King Booker (not Booker T...KING BOOKER complete with accent) takes a look back at the best moments of not only the tournament but the original PPV itself that was around for a decade.

Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - This was the finals of the first King Of The Ring tournament (technically the first one on PPV) with Bret coming into the match wrestling one more match than Bigelow throughout the night causing Bret to have injured fingers & leg & back coming into the match. Bigelow just kept overpowering Bret including tossing him over the top rope to the floor early in the bout before targeting...

really good
I recommend it for your kids looks really clear and i got it around the time they estimated. Good !

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