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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Family Guy, Volume Nine

I kinda feel cheated......
I've been a fan since January 31, 1999.. Bought every DVD including the random DVD's they release so Seth MacFarlane could make some extra cash (like he needs it). But now I'm starting to get a little upset with these half season DVD releases.. I really feel scammed. I almost feel like not buying anymore. Between netflix, hulu, and amazon prime I'm starting to realize that people like Seth MacFarlane cant hold my arm behind my back in order to have their shows on demand.. Let alone the fact that family guy has kinda gone downhill the past 3 years... Maybe a handful (2-3) are memorable. Lets take a stand and maybe they will go back to trying to make us happy instead of filling their pockets :)

About time...but what's with the wait?
I hate to add to the rest of the comments complaining about the release date fiasco (reviews are only supposed to be for people that actually purchased the item), but I did a quick look online and found that all of season 8 and the first couple of season 9 have already been released in other markets (as Volume 10) and the rest of season 9 has been released (after checking amazon.co.uk) as 'Volume 11'. What gives with the giant wait? In the same amount of time between Volume 8 and Volume 9's release in the US, region 2 got the next two volumes already released!

Season 8 is pretty decent in itself, but much of the series has lost its comedic spark and turned more serious. I don't know if FG will regain its hilariousness (the original writing staff before the long cancellation period was genus), but I do know that American Dad seems to have gotten the better writers (as per commentary/comic-con appearances by Seth, the writers of the two shows are separate and rarely interact...

Yep, its another Family Guy Volume.
Okay before i get started, why are there almost FOUR pages of previews dated before the DVD release date?

Anyway, the quality is pretty good. Audio is DD 5.1, A/V bitrates are standard for a Mpeg2 DVD. Nothing to complain about on the quality. I buy these things for the Extras. For some reason, only 5 of the 14 episodes have a commentary track, whereas every previous Volume from 3-8 had commentary on ALL episodes - so that was a letdown. Each disc also has fewer deleted scenes than previous Volumes, for some reason. But we get a "bonus" Cleveland show episode. Goody. Menus are fine, though basic. Easy enough to navigate what little there is, but each menu is the same. Not a REQUIREMENT of a good set, but indicative of the effort put forth to create this Volume. Naturally, every one is uncensored and there are alternate versions of jokes/scenes that could not be aired for S&P reasons.

For thoae complaining about the smaller number of episodes, every volume has...

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MotoGP 2011- Official Review

2011 moto GP review
Very well done and in the extras you have lap reviews of the tracks on board shots awesome :) I've been saving these since 1990 and this one is the best so far !!!

Want to go Racing?
Awesome Racing in this DVD... Must have for any racer's collection of movies. MotoGp, is the Best of the Best...



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The Rocketeer: 20th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray]

Review updated 20th Anniversary Blu-ray
Based on Dave Stevens' graphic novel (which was inspired by "King of the Rocketmen" a movie serial from the 40's), this retro fantasy is a blast (pardon the pun). Unfortunately, the DVD transfer is not so hot. Director Joe Johnston ("October Sky", "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and "Jurassic Park III")does a nice job with this feature film recreating the look of Hollywood in 1938.

BLU-RAY REVIEW:

Disney has given us a very nice looking Blu-ray debut for "The Rocketeer. Although the image is occasionally a bit soft the overall detail, depth and colors are far superior to every previous edition of the movie. The film looks exceptionally good for a film that is 20 years old.

We get a nice 5.1 lossless mix--it won't blow you away the way that, say, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon" audio might, but it's immersive and sounds extremely good with crisp, clear dialogue.

Special Features: Someone missed the boat at the Mouse house here--we get the...

A Wonderful Ride!
The Rocketeer is one of the most enjoyable action-adventure movies ever made. Everything about this film is wonderful. Director Joe Johnson perfectly captures the look and feel of Hollywood (or what Hollywood should look and feel like) during the 1930s. Great casting with Bill Campbell right on target at Cliff Secord, Jennifer Connelly as his best girl, Jenny Blake, Alan Arkin as Cliff's mentor and mechanic/inventor friend, and Timothy Dalton as the evil Nazi spy-movie star Neville Sinclair. Like Raiders of the Lost Ark, it is a homage to the film serials of the period, but with a lot more spit and polish. The special effects are great, the set decoration, costumes, makeup, all evoke the time and place perfectly. A wonderful script adapted from the graphic novel of the same name sets this movie apart from others in this genre. The dialogue is funny, fast and at sometimes furious. Campbell plays the All-American boy with a real gee whiz, almost Jimmy Stewart kind of charm. The...

Great movie, terrible transfer
This movie is clearly a five star film. It's exciting, fun, adventurous and great for kids, but also for adults! The photography is great, sets and costumes are authentic, and the acting is first rate. HOWEVER, this has got to be the worst DVD transfer I have ever seen. It looks to me like they took a widescreen 72 mm print and projected it on a screen, then rephotographed it on 35 mm... no kidding. Nearly every letterbox film I have goes from one side of my flat panel monitor to the other. This one is well within all 4 sides of my monitor... and the color is milky and faded and there is a grainy character to the picture. The sound is clearly stereophonic and wonderful... so why Disney can put out an amateur transfer like this is beyond me. Having said that, the film is not expensive and I still recommend it.... but Disney needs to re-release a clear transfer of this wonderful film. I will be worried about the quality of future Disney and Miramax films on DVD if this is how they...

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The Reflecting Skin

The finest poetic surrealism since Jean Cocteau
A unique and deeply moving film by Philip Ridley. The dreamlike atmosphere never becomes disconnected from reality, which adds to the impact. Humorously oddball scenes suddenly become serious and human, while moments of quiet introspection are often interrupted by a jolt of unexpected hilarity. The moments of beauty and poignance go well beyond anything David Lynch has accomplished -- though Lynch fans would certainly enjoy this movie.

The excellent musical score sounds like a cross between Ralph Vaughan Williams (or Gerald Finzi) and Philip Glass on an exceptionally good day. There are several well-integrated references to moody icons: Andrew Wyeth's paintings, the stuffed birds of "Psycho" -- and in the breathtaking final sequence, the sliver of a cloud slicing across the moon (here, the setting sun) as it does at the start of "Un Chien Andalou," the root of the surrealist film tree.

This is absolutely *not* a movie for everyone. Those who have no...

Not for your average movie-watcher
Well, this one has been on my favorite movie list for quite some time. I haven't been able to view it for several years now but I recommend it to those who enjoy the darker (or deeper) side of film-making. Digging into the memory banks, I vividly remember the spectacular cinematography and powerful use of colors throughout the entire movie. Even though the pace is slow, its a perfect mix of creative thought and human expression, with a potential twist of insanity and madness. While working in a movie store, I had the pleasure of finding a select few who enjoyed this film as much as I did. Cohen bro's and Lynch fans should be well satisfied... Hollywood fans, I suggest something else. This film will hit all the right nerves for those who have "danced around the campfire" but those who prefer to live along a straight line... just stay away, you may end up being one of the dissatisfied reviewers making no sense. I agree completely with the already stated theme...

American Gothic
This a highly original, creepily surreal film dealing with the loss of innocence, the depths of irrational childhood fears, and the dark underbelly of middle America. If this description makes it sound like a David Lynch film, you're not far off the mark. Ridley's film shares with Lynch's work the artful, compositionally balanced cinematography, the disquieting psychosexual undertones, and, yes, even the wooden characters. The one-dimensional archetypes that populate this film have been criticized by many reviewers, but, as in Lynch's films, the "flatness" of the acting/dialogue serves an important purpose: the characters are mere canvases for the depiction of aspects of the work as a whole. The overall mood of the film is paramount, and the various libidinal energy flows underlying it are best served by characters who act as conduits for paticular eruptions of perversity and other compositions of incident which manifest in discreet situation rather than autonomous personality. The...

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Switched at Birth: Volume One

L. Josh
My wife and I are both deaf. We personally thought, "Switched at Birth", was an excellent show! My wife and I agreed that some of parts reminded us of our experiences we went through with our hearing families. I felt this show would be a great example to help the hearing people understand better about deaf culture. Unfortunately, it'd shown on cable channel only instead of regular ABC channel. I am considering buying this DVDs for some of our families who need to learn about us. I hope it will give them a wake up call.

i want more
my mother nagged and nagged and nagged at me to watch switched at birth. i am not a tv watcher. im a book person, i movie person but tv, i just dont get around to it. One weekend im sitting on her couch and she asks, since im not doing anything would i like to watch switched at birth (which she still had on the dvr). Within the first couple of minuets i was glued in and by the end of the first episode i was at the point where i could watch it for hours and hours and hours. it was just that great. real people, real situations, great characters. its not just about 2 girls being switched at birth but thats just a part of the story. its about a wealthy mother (played by the wonderful leah thompson who you may remember from "some kind of wonderful" from the 80s) who never met her birth child having to learn to step up to the plate with her long lost deaf child "daphne" and get to know her. its about "bay" whos trying to find someone who she can connect with in her own family until...

Switched at Birth
it a wonderful and great movies.for all peoples. but peoples that have family's member with hard of hearing or deaf it great to have this movies watch it u will understand it better
.

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Nijinsky

Well Worth A Viewing
Hard to believe that "Nijinsky" is now a twenty-two-year-old film; its look and performances are so fresh that it could be the latest from Ivory-Merchant.

The film focuses on the period 1912-1913, when Vaslav Nijinsky was both at his height as a choreographer, and at his lowest point personally. He was under the guidance and domination of impresario Sergei Diaghilev in his work and his love life, and he was also being pursued by ballet groupie Romola de Pulzsky, who eventually met and indeed married him.

The film is based on actual events, but viewers should be aware that the script takes minor liberties with historical time frames, character motivations, and events to advance its story. The production is mounted most handsomely, with the London Festival Ballet helping to recreate Nijinsky's most famous works. The ballet sequences are beautifully filmed, but many suffer from being cut very short. However, "L'Apres-midi d'un Faune" is presented at decent length, and there is an...

Too Beautiful, So Fragile- And A Visual Feast For The Eyes
I'm not going to write too much about this exceptional film- The reviewer before me has already done a superb job. I will say this: I saw Nijinsky upon its first release in 1980, and I was impressed enough to return to the theatre again, to see if my original impressions were accurate. I was both enchanted and more than pleased by the entire production. I've read the definitive 1970 biography Nijinsky by Richard Buckle (in fact I still own it), and this film is as close as you will ever get to seeing a portrait of his time. Not only the man, but his peers, and events that shaped and inspired his turbulent vision are portrayed with great care and thought. The colors of the film are vibrant and rich, and true to the art of Leon Bakst, principal designer to the ballet troupe. I felt like I was transported to this marvellous age, when electricity was still a wonder, great luxury liners rode the waves, and the airplane was discovering the sky while the automobile and railroads crossed the...

DVD! DVD!! DVD!!!
Having fallen in love with THE RED SHOES and learning that the inspiration for the film was the Diaghilev-Nijinski story, I made it a point to get ahold of NIJINSKI. I wasn't really expecting much, since I had never heard of the film before, and so I was honestly surprised to find that it was such a good film. It's as good a film biography as the best of them, in my opinion, blessed with wonderful performances, plus it has a FASCINATING story, which takes it up a notch from there. (In fact, it had made me want to do some reading on the people in the film.) But for now, I'm hoping to encourage the designated gatekeepers to put NIJINSKY on DVD. So, 5 stars (although I would actually rate it at 4-1/2 with 5 for THE RED SHOES). NIJINSKY on DVD with a good historical comentary would be a jewel.

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Battleplan: A History of Military Tactics - 18 part series

A reissue of the previous Battleplan TV series
This DVD is a reissue of the Battleplan TV series released in 2007 wich had 5 discs. This newer version has 6 discs covering all the original material, plus a few more episodes/topics. I own the original show and love its combination of computer graphics and video covering topics like "Urban Warfare", "Deception", and "Raider Operations". This is a really good military documentary for not a lot of money and I recommend it. But, if you have the original series you aren't missing much with the addition of the 6th disc. Had I known that before I bought this documentay--I probably wouldn't have purchased it but their were no reviews and since this 'new' version is from a new distributor--they didn't bother telling the consumer that the product was already released! So I am doing my fellow military/documentary lovers on Amazon a 'solid' as 'Link" said on The Mod Squad. I gave my original series to a friend and have kept this 'upgraded' one for myself so everybody's happy but you might...

Good discussion of various battle tactics
This series was a pleasant surprise for me (unlike the previous reviewer, I had not seen the original series on TV). Each of the 18 episodes discusses a different battle tactic, such as blitzkrieg, flank attack, etc. Included are two examples, from two different conflicts, of each tactic. The narrator lists the key processes to each tactic, such as "objective," "intelligence," etc. and details how the commander met or didn't meet the requirements for the tactic. Most of the examples cited are from World War Two, but also included are tactics from the Korean War, Vietnam War, the French-Indochina War, the two Gulf Wars and World War One. I've seen many documentaries of World War Two, so it was enlightening to hear about the tactics used in some of the other wars.

I was not able to detect any errors of fact in the entire series, and I was carefully listening.

The price for this series might seem high, but remember, you're getting 18 full-length episodes. I found it...



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American Experience: The Amish

THE AMISH: The Truth Isn't Plain or Simple
The Amish are such an iconic part of rural America these days that it will startle viewers of this amazing two-hour documentary to learn: Just half a century ago, hundreds of Amish parents were jailed as criminals for refusing to keep their children in school past the 8th Grade. Eventually, a U.S. Supreme Court decision freed the Amish to maintain their own culture, including foreshortened education for Amish youth.

Flash forward to 2006 when the Amish response to a mass shooting of children at their West Nickel Mines school suddenly transformed them from quaint emblems of farming life--into globally celebrated saints of peacemaking. As a journalist covering religion in America for several decades, I wrote news stories about Nickel Mines. And, I have published interviews with the leading non-Amish authority on Amish life, the scholar and author Dr. Donald Kraybill. I also strongly recommend, The Amish Way:...

Highly recommended
I just got done watching this on PBS. Very well done and the most in depth Amish documentary I have ever seen. The minute the program was over I went scrambling on the internet to find out if it was available on video. Looks like tonight was the DVD release date. I'm in luck! Anyways, highly recommended. If you want to learn about the Amish, their lives in both a historical and religious view, both past and present, this is your movie. Very sad though was reliving the nightmare of the 2006 Amish school children murders. Feels like it just happened yesterday!

KATELAND
VERY ENJOYABLE....Looking at the Amish people there was something very different about them, maybe it was how they dressed, they looked separate to everyone eles. But they dressed very nice, seemed to be deeply religious people. Also hard working people. But i was amazed with their FORGIVNESS, by attending the funeral of the Murderer who slaughted five of their children. These people interest me, they lived in a very rural part of the country. Everything looked beautiful, and Especialy in FALL when the leaves on the trees were glowing in such beautiful colors. The Amish people looked healthy, due to them being Farmers had alot to do with it, with that healthy outdoor life. It certainly looked to be good air out that way. I think its somewhat of a pity as the children grow up, to leave their community for the bright lights, and a new life. As the number of Amish people will become less. I didnt altogeather agree in some of their beliefs, such as [If things go wrong, then its the will...

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Frisco Kid

Cagney tames the Barbary Coast
Although Cagney himself did not care for this film,( he called it dreck ) it is still an entertaining rollicking movie. Cagney plays Bat Morgan a penniless sailor, who after a series of incidents becomes ruler of the coast. His leading lady is the beautiful and talented Margaret Lindsay. His nemesis is Barton MacLane playing his usual cretinous brute,and the equally brutal and despicable villian of the thirties Fred Kohler. One of the highlights is the fight to the death Cagney has with Kohler. It is a savage and merciless fight and for its time very real. In the movie Cagney starts out as a nice guy with hardluck, but later decides its a dog eat dog world and so becomes a part of the corruption in order to survive. The film is action packed with fights, riots and vigilante mobs. Lloyd Bacons direction is assured and smooth and keeps the action moving. The film falters a bit with the love scenes, but then it picks right up with its tension filled action. The print is the best that is...

Frisco Kid
I've been looking for this DVD for years. It's one of my favorite James Cagney movies. It's a great narrative about life on the Barbary Coast, and shows the life styles of the City Fathers attempt to clean up the Coast.

Cagney rises above rather mediocre material
This film starts out rather implausibly. Sailor Bat Morgan (James Cagney) wanders into a Barbary Coast saloon and almost gets shanghaied by a trio dedicated to that business. He does manage to escape and is helped by a kindly Jewish tailor (George E. Stone as Sully Green). What's rather implausible is that Sully basically has to teach a sailor that has docked in the port of San Francisco what shanghaiing is and that the Barbary Coast is dangerous. Really? A seasoned sailor docking in San Francisco has never heard of the Barbary Coast or shanghaiing or why it is profitable for criminals? You'd think Bat Morgan was a common tourist from the Midwest with a defective GPS. What happens next was a little off-putting for a Cagney fan like myself. Naturally, Cagney's character decides to go back to the bar and teach those three thugs a lesson. How he did it left a bad taste in my mouth. Bat shanghais the shanghai-er as he is getting ready to take yet another unconscious victim to a ship. But...

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Disney's Little Einsteins: Mission Celebration (Spanish Version)

I love little einsteins
While this is not a full length movie, but three or four different episodes, it is still very good. My daughter loves the little einsteins and it is hard to find anything that is this educational. I have a college background in early childhood education and I would recommend this to any parent that is concerned with educational television. Plus, it exposes not only the child but adults to great classical music and artwork. Worth every penny!!!!!!!

Another excellent Little Einsteins video
If you already own the other little einsteins videos, than you know what you are getting. Its an excellent video filled with lots of education, classical music, new vocabulary, and it takes you around the world through the eyes of the Little Einsteins. My son who is 2 1/2 years old absolutley loves it. He responds to their questions, makes decisons along with the characters, and never gets tired of seeing this video (although I am!).

As far as children's videos go, this is another winner from Disney.

Another masterpiece!
My 3 year old just cannot get enough of these characters! Sings every word to their song! And their missions are always fun-filled and educational. I would highly recommend this DVD...we can't wait until the next one comes out!!

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Martha Marcy May Marlene

A Trauma that Bridges Past and Present
Martha Marcy May Marlene marks the debut of two talents, the director, Sean Durkin, and the actress, Elizabeth Olsen. Both actor and director show a kind of assured performance that seems relegated to those who are either new to a scene, when talent has been building up for some time and only now has had a chance to unveil itself, or to older creative types, who have enough success behind them that they no longer fear failure (the in-between is usually the tricky part). Elizabeth Olsen (and here I'm required to tell you that she is the younger sister to the famed Full House Olsen twins) plays Martha, a girl who has spent an indeterminate amount of time in a cult hidden away in upstate New York. She eventually flees the confines of the commune and is taken in by her sister and brother-in-law who own a spacious lake house in Connecticut.

From here the film is divided into two narratives, one chronicling Martha's ordeal in the Manson-like collective and the other detailing her...

Deeply Unsettling, With a Star-Making Performance from Elizabeth Olsen
A young woman called Marcy May (played by newcomer Elizabeth Olsen, remember her name) flees from an abusive cult and calls her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) to pick her up. Her sister, who calls her Martha, hasn't seen her in over a year and finds Martha deliberately vague about where she has been. Lucy brings her to the large home she shares with her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) and Martha's time in the cult is revealed through intercut flashbacks. Branded Marcy May by Patrick (John Hawkes), the charismatic leader, the commune consists of few men and many women, most from troubled backgrounds. The women are assigned individual duties, but the one they all share is to sleep with Patrick. The film wisely avoids giving too many details about the cult itself and what its basis is, but fills in all the necessary details otherwise.

This 2011 indie thriller marks the debut of writer/director Sean Durkin who has fashioned a quiet, powerful psychological drama that introduces the world...

Elizabeth Olsen can't quite save this unsatisfying psychological thriller
Put newcomer Elizabeth Olsen on the list of brilliant young actresses filling the movie screen these days. In this psychological thriller, twentyish Martha Marlene (Olsen) leaves home after her mother dies. We don't know why, but she severs contact with her older sister, Lucy (excellent Sarah Paulson) who is married to Ted (Hugh Dancy). Somehow she ends up at a commune of sorts, headed by one of those Charles Manson types, but without the visible menace. Patrick (good as usual John Hawkes) clearly runs the show for his collective of young women and young men. What happens to them when they get older? We do know that occasionally children are born, but against all odds they are always boys. Hmmm.

After Martha (now renamed Marcy May by Patrick) is sexually abused, she decides to slip away into the woods. She finds her way into town and calls her sister on a pay phone. It's been 2 years but Martha doesn't know where she is. She thinks it's in upstate New York. Huh...

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Steve Jobs: One Last Thing

clear and truthful documentary
Simple interviews of his life, friends and business ties. Seeing peoples views of him (good and bad) was insightful in and of itself. But, I found it very interesting when learning of a belief system Jobs had that I never thought of in such good words. Something he considered some decades before he died. Watch it, and learn something about how to live and work with your life, and wonder (as I am) of what people will say about you after you died what they may point out of what you left behind.

One Last Thing (that we have seen everywhere already)
This show is mostly regurgitated video from other show, hardly any new (or insightful) information included. I was very disappointed that it was advertised to be something that it isn't, fresh with additional content.

Still a good video, but not "insanely great".

Too Much Left Unanswered
Steve Jobs: One Last Thing is a good film, but unfortunately, there are so many others like it that tell the same story. It's just a shortened version of existing, longer films about the history of Steve Jobs. The subtitle "One Last Thing" seemed to suggest that the film might actually have more detail or insight about Jobs or his inventions than other films might. I looked forward to learning more about his journey in Buddhism or his supposed future plans for developing technologies that will impact the television industry. Either of those would have been fitting as "one last thing," but this film instead is sadly just a rehash of old information.

What the film does have is good narration and sequencing. It is easy to follow along with and explains the Jobs story visually with appropriate detail. Its use of first-person interviews with some of Jobs's old acquaintances is one of the few highlights. The...

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Fort Apache [Blu-ray]

A Study in Military Incompetence
This John Ford classic has all the requirements for a great film. While a bit sappy at times with the old army Irish types, Victor Mclaughlin got a second life with these films, there is still enough here to engage the intellect. Shirely Temple is interesting to see grown up. Her acting style certainly did not evolve much over the years.

What makes this film great are Fonda and Wayne, both playing roles opposite to their norm. Fonda is wonderfully arrogant and yet vulnerable at the same time. Wayne is humble and second fiddle for a change, he comes off well being the wiser, disgruntled subordinate. What really makes this film is the scenry an production quality. John Ford was painstakingly accurate with unifroms, equippment and gear. He provides a believeable image of army life, with all its pettiness and sense of honor. Everything is accurate down to the various bugle calls and the troop commands issued to the men. While there are obvious comparisons to Custer,...

Best of the Cavalry Trilogy?
The first, and in my opinion, the best of John Ford's so-called Cavarly Trilogy. "Fort Apache" is Ford's thinly veiled re-telling of the Custer-Little Bighorn legend. A subject that fascinated Ford, but he didn't want to be hemmed in by the history so he completely changed the names and locations so he could tell the story the way he wanted to tell it.

Henry Fonda plays a Custer-like Colonel who has seen his career's meteoric rise during the Civil War end with peacetime and an assignment to a frontier outpost. He resents this, and looks for an opportunity to earn fame and glory. He finds this opportunity at the expense of the Apaches who have left their reservation for good reasons. If he can defeat the Apaches then his career will certainly be boosted. Fonda's Colonel Thursday is a brave and competent officer, who does recognize some of the injustice and indignity that the reservation system has imposed upon the Apaches, but his lust for glory blinds him...

The 1st of John Ford's Calvary Trilogy
An all-star cast in a John Ford Classic. Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Shirley Temple, Ward Bond, Victor MacLaglen all give fine performances. The story centers on Fonda's character being assigned to Fort Apache against his will. He takes his anger out on the Indians with a result loosely based on Gen. Custer at Little Big Horn. The rest of the movie has all the elements that have made John Ford famous, action, adventure, humor, romance, and the spectacular scenery of Monument Valley.

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Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray]

A Biblical masterpiece
William Wyler's Oscar-winning BEN-HUR (1959), produced by Sam Zimbalist (who died of a heart attack near the end of filming) and based on a best-selling late 19th Century novel by Lew Wallace, is one hell of a movie experience. Watching a brand-new, pristine camera negative copy, I could not believe that the opening Nativity scene and the Resurrection finale were the same movie. There is just so much here. This remake of the 1925 silent epic, runs 3 hours and 45 minutes, including powerful roadshow bookend music by Miklos Rozsa. It takes its leisurely time in telling the story of a Jew (Charlton Heston) and a Roman (Stephen Boyd), raised as best friends, who become bitter enemies in the Holy Land of Jesus Christ's life. Director Wyler was always known as a painstaking perfectionist who would exhaust cast and crew by doing take after take after take of every scene. But the result for the audience is enthralling.

Wyler had never made a Biblical epic before and wanted to...

An Incredible Blu Ray Boxed Set!
I WOULD GIVE THIS RELEASE 10 STARS if Amazon allowed me to!

Ben-Hur is one of my all time favorite films. It is probably the single greatest performance ever given by Charlton Heston and the greatest epic ever filmed until the Lord of the Rings trilogy came along but still it holds it's head high and remains a timeless classic, just as good as it ever was, maybe better today!

Much has been written about the film itself, so my review will just cover the actual Blu Ray presentation and the included extras.

Many sets have been released with much ballyhoo and assorted trinkets and swag included in the box. Much of it is useless stuff you look at once, then put away and never see again. This is NOT the case with the Ben-Hur boxed set. Everything you get in this box set is of high quality and compliments the film itself. Speaking of the box itself, it is a very VERY nice embossed keepsake box that is protected by an outer covering and when opened reveals...

Low cost Blu-ray alternative
Great movie. My primary concern when I ordered was the movie would be cropped to 1.77:1. Based on information from other sources, I took a chance. Fortunately, the product details above are wrong. The back cover says the aspect ratio is 2.76:1, not 1.77:1. On my TV, it measures out around 2.65:1. It looks like this is discs 1 & 2 from the Ultimate Edition, so if you can forgo the books, nice case, and the special features on disc 3, this is a low cost alternative.

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War of the Arrows [Blu-ray]

Exciting
Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea, a lethal archer goes up against the Qing Dynasty to save his younger sister who was dragged away by invaders. Fans of kick-ass archery will be in heaven here. Both the protagonist and the antagonists use bows and arrows almost exclusively. The pacing is very fast, with the entire second half consisting of a footchase/shootout in a forest. Most of the action is grounded and realistic, with a few exceptions. Acting is solid too. Very exciting and totally entertaining.

For someone who is not a big fan of this genre this was excellent. Best movie like this since Hero. A must see. I say A.
"You're now Ja-in's father, you must take care of your sister until you die." After getting into an argument with his sisters fiancé Nam-Yi leaves his village before her wedding. When he returns he is told of the attack and kidnapping of his sister and sets out with his bow to get her back and exact revenge. As many of you may know I have never really been a big fan of these epic martial arts type movies. There have been a few I liked but not many. This one may be the best one I have seen since "Hero". This movie grabs you from the opening scene and is action packed and keeps you interested the entire time. The story and action are very well done and there is not a dull moment in this at all. There are some very brutal scenes in this but it's not over the top at all and it helps the story. For fans of this genre this is a must see. For those like me who can go either way this is still a movie that is very much worth watching. Overall, one of the best of this genre I have seen...

Great Movie!
This movie is very well done. The action is intense and riveting. From beginning to end, the movie will keep you glue to the screen. A rare telling of Manchurian attempted invasion of Korea.

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Mama I Want to Sing

Dont waste the time
Please dont waste your time watching this movie. It was horrible. First thing first, Lyn Whitfield was amazing, even though she appeared to lip sync her sermons. Patti can sing her face off ...PERIOD!!. Ciara on the other hand. Ciara, Ciara Ciara, where do i even start. Lets start with the fact that she cant act at all. Couple that witht the fact that she spoke and sang like a 12 year old the entire movie, yes even after she "made it". They could have chosen any number of truly talented singers to play this roll. Paris Bennett, who sang one of the track "I will" for example. The story line was all over the place, with no consistancy or follow through. The viewer is left to guess what happened to get them to where they were. Overall it had the potential, to be great and casting someone other than Ciara as the lead would have been a step in the right direction. Just my opinion

Mama!!!! Don't Make Her Sing!!
I was excited to watch this movie.. Since Ciara's record sales has been declining with each release... I thought maybe acting would do the trick... Ummm No!!

I won't be too hard on her because this is her first starring role in a straight to dvd movie..

The Script - WEAK!!
The Acting - WEAK!! (Exceptions: Patti LaBelle - Lynn Whitfield - Marvin Winans)

In my opinion I don't think this was a great role for Ciara. This role should have been played by someone with a soulful voice. Everytime Ciara opened her mouth to sing, it sounded like someone was scrapping their nails against a chalkboard. I'm a fan of Ciara's music, especially the songs she released off her first cd.. but this movie gets an one star movie.

My advice: Wait until this movie airs on BET... If this movie was called... Mama.. I want to DANCE!!! - Ciara would shine!!! but since it's not.. You know the rest...

There Was Much Said In This Movie To Give The Audience Something To Think About
I like the way the filmmaker did the opening; the sepia tone (warm brown tone) surely got my attention. It kind of had a feel of a classic movie - even though it wasn't in black and white - and I love to watch classic movies. I also enjoyed listening to Reverend Winter (Marvin Winans)singing right from the start.

Amara (Ciara): She's young Doris (Mariah Roberson) when the movie begins and she's using her beautiful singing voice for the Lord. Seven years later, she's singing in the club and then she gets a manager and rises to pop stardom. She remembered the words her father spoke to her when he was alive, but she took them out of context, the way some Christians misinterpret Scripture. But whatever choices she made when she stopped singing for Jesus, it was obvious she didn't stop caring about Him. Still, the question she asked her mother at the dining room table, she should have asked herself.

Doris' brother, Luke (Kevin Phillips): A gifted photographer and my...

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Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden [Blu-ray]

Must Have For Fans and Gaga Newbies Alike
I too saw her show live twice and watched this on HBO. I wasn't expecting the magic of the live show to come across on TV but it actually did! Which once again proves what a stellar performing artist she is. The odd fashion choices and other dichotomous behavior aside, this woman is incredibly talented and will have a long career in any kind of music she chooses whether it be pop or jazz. I applaud her politics and hope more will listen to her message of love, compassion and understanding for all.

GREAT SHOW!
This is a great capture of the two year long, Monster Ball Tour.
I'm not going to "compare" Lady Gaga to her peers but I would like to say, what I feel makes her stand-out is her ability to connect with her audience. She does this by sharing stories and humanizing herself throughout the show. This rare ability puts Lady Gaga at a level all her own. She reminds us that shes a human being just like everyone in the crowd and that even when no one else believed in her, she believed in herself. The other aspect that makes Lady Gaga standout from her peers is her technical talent....she CAN REALLY SING! Her voice is powerful and emotive. She also plays the piano amongst other instruments. Gaga is a musicians musician and a pop star rolled into one.

Anyway, this show is half Broadway, half rock show, and a whole lot of entertaining. Several interludes are cut from the show and my personal thought is that maybe getting the rights to the samples used in those interludes...

This blu ray is the ONLY way to "experience" this fabulous concert.
Not a big fan of Lady Gaga, or could I even call myself a little monster. But I am glad I made this concert purchase on blu ray instead of low res DVD. Even at 1080i, this is one beautiful picture! And I own many blu ray concerts and this ranks up there as the best. With all the different, brilliant colors there is no smearing or bleeding of the colors whatsoever. It is outrageously pretty to just look at!
The sound is presented in 5.1 or 2.0 Dolby Tru HD and is very impressive in the bass and surround sound envelopement.
If you own a blu ray player and like Lady Gaga, do your eyes and ears a favor and get this on blu ray instead of DVD. You will not be disappointed.
Or like me, become a new fan with this brilliant looking treat.
Crank it up!!!!
But hurry, before this blu ray is hard to find. Got mine as a Best Buy exclusive release when it came out.

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The Wiggles: Wiggletime

Wiggly Fun!
We saw the "Quack Quack" song on the beginning of a Barney movie and loved it so much I purchased this video. It's terrific! My 16-month old daughter loves it and so does the rest of the family (my 7 year old daughter, my husband and I). She dances and claps and says "Baw" everytime the ball comes on between songs. I find myself singing or humming the tunes even when the movie is over - they are very catchy and a nice change to the Barney songs I've heard a billion times in the last 7 years (not that we don't like Barney too)! I will enjoy watching my daughter grow with this tape and learn to follow along with the dance steps and songs. She has already learned how to do the quack, quack and cocka-doodle-doo motions from the repetition at the beginning of the Barney movie. It's too cute! I HIGHLY recommend this for young children of all ages. I'm sure it would be great in a daycare setting too - the more the merrier!

Not one of the kids sat still ! ! !
On the advice of a friend, SANTA brought the Wiggletime video for my two daughters (ages 2 1/2 and 5) as a Christmas gift. I had never heard of the Wiggles before. Truth is, I bought it from Amazon.com because I could use the gift certificate and figured I had nothing to lose but postage . . . WELL . . . I've returned to purchase the Wiggles other video (Yummy, Yummy) to keep and a couple Wiggles videos to give as gifts.

We had seven children here the day after Christmas (boys and girls) ages 2, 2 1/2, 4 1/2, 5, 5, 7 and 10 and every single one of them LOVED this video. They were on their feet the entire time it was on -- even the slower parts -- and didn't quit dancing and laughing during the faster songs. The day after our party, my children woke up and asked for the video first thing. They are up and dancing nearly the entire time that the video is on. I'm purchasing the second to gear up for winter when many days are too cold to get out and get some exercise. The...

Best Wiggles Video by far!
My nearly 3 year old son is a HUGE wiggles fan. He's also got a learning delay, and rarely talks. One of his first words was "wiggles" and to this day he speaks that word often (his delay means he often learns a word then "loses" it).

He knows the moves to the dances, especially 'Hot Potato' and 'Captain Feathersword'. If moms and dads get up and dance with the children, it makes for a good workout. We call it "Wigglecizing". ;)

What is even better, is that after they grow on you, you can stand to watch the videos over and over again, something I've been unable to do even with Disney movies (but especially with Barney!).

Sure, they're a bunch of dancing adult men looking a bit silly, but who cares?

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Baby Einstein: World of Rhythm

I expected a bit more
I've been a nanny for many years & rate these DVD's by the reaction of the children I care for. Currently a five year old and a just two year old. Purchased for viewing by the two year old that loves, loves, loves music and rhythm. If he's given two choices for Baby Einstein DVD's, this is rarely his choice. I don't personally feel the draw to this DVD as one such as Baby Mozart. It's just okay, even with videos like Baby Shakespeare beating this out when given the repetition of choice over time.

My 3rd Baby Einstein DVD
I got the Baby Mozart as a gift, and it has been wonderful, truly a lifesaver! My son loved it from the first time. Then I got Baby Beethoven, World of Rhythm and Animals Around Us. All good products, Mozart and Animals would get 5 stars, the other two - 4 stars.

Dance Dance
This video by far is my son's favorite!! We have almost every video out there and he can watch this one over and over and never get tried of it. We love the ending to this video, the disco dance off if so fun and cute to watch. He dances right along side the pupphets.

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London Boulevard

GIVE THIS FILM A CHANCE. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
To each his own, someone once said. I was mesmerized by this film on many levels. All of the negative comments are surprising to me. Perhaps we didn't see the same film.

Does the film lag in spots. Yes. Is the storyline a little 'Twilight Zone'? Yes. Is this a total waste of great talent? Not on your life! Everyone is perfectly cast and their work is spot-on.

It is, of course, Colin Farrell's movie. He is hard to dislike in any of his roles. There is an innocent sweetness about him in spite of all the 'bad boy' gossip that follows him around the world. He owns this role. Keira Knightley? Who on the screen is more enchanting than she is? No one. She is so vulnerable in this film. She is hauntingly frail, both physically and mentally. As an A List actress hunted down by the Paparazzi day and night, she is so believable. Perfect casting.

Ray Winstone has cornered the market in the UK as the Tony Soprano of England. I never get tired of watching him steal...

different
some may view this as a typical british gangster movie and if that's a turn off don't bother watching it. don't watch it for the supposed romance between kiera knightley and colin farrel. don't watch it because most people seem to hate it. watch it for the difference in language. nothing is a shock in this movie but it's well paced and provides a transport from reality for a little over an hour. isn't that what movies are for?

Gangster Flick Is A Blast
Brian DePalma was considered a master plagiarist by many. It's with little irony that "London Boulevard" reminds you of DePalma's "Carlito's Way". Director William Monahan also references Martin Scorsese which also ironically Monahan wrote the Oscar winning script for "The Departed" which was a reimagining of the Hong Kong crime thriller "Infernal Affairs". The question you ask yourself is Monahan's effort more than the sum of it's influences? The answer to me is a resounding yes. Similarities to other films cannot be denied but when done right you call it a homage. Monahan introduces enough unique fluorishes and twists to elevate it above mere copycat status. Colin Farrell is magnetic and macho as the recently released con who wants to go straight in a world that keeps pulling him into a life of crime. Ray Winstone adds another indelible portrait to his personal rogues gallery as a sadistic crime boss. David Thewlis nearly steals the show as the foppish manager of Keira...

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J. Edgar

Choose one name and go by it...
A scene at a clothing store in which John Edgar Hoover is told he has bad credit finds him telling them that they are incorrect, they must be speaking of another John Hoover. They ask if he is indeed John Hoover and he says yes but adds that he signs his name different ways, not usually just plainly as John Hoover but with his middle name or E initial included (his mother did always call him Edgar). The shop owner then tells Hoover to open up a new account and sign it with one name and to go by that name. John takes the application form and writes J. Edgar Hoover.

To me this scene is symbollic of the larger film. J. Edgar Hoover is a film about a man who, like many of us, had many sides and aspects that composed who he was. He was greatly conflicted about which side he should portray publicly and stumbled rather awkwardly in his younger years, illustrated wonderfully in the film, until finally deciding that J. Edgar Hoover was who he was going to be. That was the side he...

Masterful, Thought Provoking, Dark, Emotionally Powerful
Clint Eastwood, Dustin Lance Black and Leonardo DiCaprio join forces to understand the 20th century's most admired, hated and controversial man, J. Edgar Hoover (with a tour de force performance by DiCaprio).

Let me first say that when I first heard of this project in the works I virtually knew very little about the F.B.I founder. I had however seen great depictions by actors like Bob Hoskins, Vincent Gardenia, Billy Crudup and more recently by Enrico Colantoni. All good performances without a doubt but only two dimensional portrayals. Here DiCaprio creates a 5th dimensional character that the audience can try to more or less understand.

The film spans nearly 50 years in the history timeline, jumping timeframe by time frame and creating a rich tapestry of political drama and turmoil in our nation's history. DiCaprio plays both the young, ambitious and advanced Hoover as well as the old, embittered czar whom all politicians feared by the 1950's.Armie Hammer plays...

The Recalcitrant Daffodil
J. EDGAR is a cinematic accomplishment of the first order! From the screenplay (Dustin Lance Black) as acted by a host of consummate actors and directed with extreme sensitivity by Clint Eastwood, the sum of the parts is an extraordinary achievement in presenting a portrait of one of the strangest men in history. The manner in which the life and deeds and personality are woven together presents as full an image of a man of contradictions, a man who planned to have his personal files destroyed after his death in order to maintain the iconic image he so desperately desired, is nothing short of a work of dedicated investigation on parts of everyone involved. And electing to tell this story through the ever-changing chameleon aspects of this bizarre man by shifting from youth to old age in a constant parenthetical manner was a stroke of genius.

The rise of young John Edgar Hoover from a mother-favored child, through the emotional conflicts this mother worship produced, through...

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World of Colors

Uh-oh, another DVD on repeat
Well, I didn't want to buy this or anything like it at first because I am tired of watching the same things over and over again when the kids are watching TV. Then my wife pointed out that our youngest loves his Baby Beethoven DVD so much that he stops mid-play and starts laughing and smiling at the TV. He truly enjoys it and that was all I needed to be reminded of why we needed to buy this for his Christmas present.

Good
I started my 5 yr old grandson on this and he dud really well. I ordered this for a 2 yr. old granddaughter to start her off right.

Daughter Loves It!
Bought this for my 9 month old daughter, and it's one of her favorite Baby Einsteins that she's seen. My two year old nephew also loves watching it, he finds it so funny, but it is helping him figure out colors better (before blue was always purple to him). Some Baby Einsteins can be annoying to listen to day after day, but this one is actually fun to watch and diverse enough it doesn't get repetitive. It's one of my favorites now too :) Overall it is a great buy, and I love that we can use this for at least another year, if not more, before she outgrows it. One thing to note, this one doesn't have a 'repeat play' like other ones I've seen, so you can watch it through (25 min long), and then have to manually push to play again if you want that. Doesn't bother me, but I know some people do like the continuous play option.

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Lady and the Tramp (Diamond Edition Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging)

How could I NOT give it 5 stars?
Simply speaking, Lady and the Tramp is my favorite Disney film of all time! In my opinion, it is a 5 star masterpiece, and I would give it more if I could! I remember when I was just 4 years old, watching the characters Lady, Tramp, Jock, Trusty, and the Siamese Cats light up my eyes, as well as my TV screen, as no other movie (except maybe Pete's Dragon or Superman) has done for me before or since. The music and songs are especially enjoyable, especially "Bella Notte." And the thrilling climax (which I won't spoil for the peope who have yet to see it) ranks with the "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King" climaxes! I remember having to wait almost a decade for Disney to re-release this classic on video so that I could replace my worn-out taped version. Now that I have it on both VHS and DVD, and both editions are in widescreen, I can enjoy it for years to come as I never thought I'd be able to! Your kids will love it, and so will...

PERFECT
It was LADY & THE TRAMP that first brought Disney to my attention as a child; it remains one of the most supremely delightful animated films of all time. The dog characters are so richly compelling that they become real to you; anyone who ever loved a dog will recognize with what sheer brilliance the artisans have captured canine traits and physical pecularities. The romance between Lady and her Tramp ranks right up there with some of the most perfectly realized romances ever seen in the movies -- he is played with a breezy bravado; she with a fluffed up snootiness -- that their romantic dinner in the back of the Italian restaurant actually has you swooning. And the Peggy Lee-infused musical score gives this movie its most enduring, valuable gift -- it creatively and succinctly develops and elaborates each and every character, and imbues the look and feeling of the movie with an enchantment that transports you to that indesribably wondrous early-Disney place. Looking...

Overlooked Disney classic gets deluxe treatment on 2 disc DVD
Charming to a fault "Lady and the Tramp" continues to be an enjoyable movie fifty years on. "Lady and the Tramp" tends not to be as valued as other Disney animated classics and that's because the story isn't larger than life like the whimsical fantasy of "Peter Pan" and lacks the fairytale charm of "Sleep Beauty" the two films released before and after "Tramp". Featuring a number of marvelous songs and vocal performances "Lady and the Tramp" continues to be a fun film that merely wants to entertain and it does that in spades.

We get a full screen presentation of the film and a widescreen version of the film. Why? Because Disney realizes that the kids will probably watch this on the second TV in the house on occasion. The colors are rich, bright and alive. This puppy is flea free as there aren't any analog or digital blemishes in this marvelous presentation. The film was originally presented in 3.0 "stereo" with a center channel for dialogue for theatrical presentation and...

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A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas [Blu-ray]

An Awesome Dirty Christmas Classic!!!
This movie was a lot better than I was expecting. It's dirty, raunchy, hilarious and will put you right in the Christmas mood. You don't need to re-watch the first two movies to understand this new one. They spoof the claymation genre as a tribute to the classic Christmas specials we grew up with. They give a dirty twist to that infamous scene from 'A Christmas Story'

Harold and Kumar aren't hanging out anymore and have new best friends with new lives. When Kumar receives a package meant for Harold, he takes it to him, and that's when the chaos begins. Throughout Christmas Eve night, they must find the perfect Christmas tree, deal with the Russian Mafia, befriend a robotic waffle-maker, and ride with Santa Claus in his sleigh. If you love dirty raunchy movies and Christmas movies, this is the perfect blend for you. I highly recommend A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS!!!

I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS
This is a movie designed for 3D as things fly into the camera. The story line picks up 2 years later. Kumar (Kal Penn), the med student, isn't a doctor because he can't pass the drug test. Harold (John Cho) is rich and successful. He has a beautiful Latino wife (Paula Garcés) who has a lot of baggage, mainly Danny Trejo is her dad. Trejo's mom was killed by Asians. Harold and Kumar both have a new sidekick. We have a competition of sidekicks. Through a mishap involving a huge joint, Danny Trejo's 12 foot home grown Christmas tree gets burned down and now the foursome are on a quest for a new 12 foot tree in the heart of the city on Christmas eve. They carry with them an infant who seems to like illegal drugs.

On their quest they encounter Adrian (Amir Blumenfeld) the daughter of a crime boss desperate to lose her virginity; an evil clay-mation Frosty the Snowman; the Russian Mafia (who play Mafia Wars on-line); a Waffle-bot; the real Santa; and of course the...

Funny Film with Great Pop-Out 3D
I bought this because I was hungry for another 3D movie and it looked funny. It didn't disappoint! I haven't seen the first 2 Harold & Kumar movies, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this one. I laughed my butt off, and the 3D effects were plentiful. I'm always bummed when a 3D movie only offers added depth but no pop-out effects. This flick has both. If you're looking to add another 3D movie to your collection, I think you'll be happy with this one (unless you don't like like raunchy, politically incorrect humor and nudity in your movies).

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Motorcycle Gang

More than just a biker flick
Made for TV (Showtime) and directed by John Milius ("Conan the Barbarian," "Red Dawn"), 1994's "Motorcycle Gang" relays the story of a family traveling through the Southwest circa 1959-60 wherein they run afoul of a small gang of criminal bikers. The daughter is kidnapped and taken into Mexico. The father has no recourse but to take matters into his own hands. Will this crisis tear the family further apart or bring them closer together (i.e. a blessing in disguise)?

Jake "Gary's Son" Busey plays the charismatic bike leader and does it well. The father is played by Gerald McRaney (Major Dad), who's always perfect for father-type roles. The wife is played by Elan Oberon, who doesn't seem all that spectacular looks-wise until you see one shot of her at the motel (whoa!). One of the highlights is Carla Gugino (Silk Spectre in "Watchmen") as the daughter. The daughter's only 16 years-old but Carla was 22 at the time of filming.

There's an interesting subplot about...

This movie sucks!
what a piece of crap. I didn't expect much, but wow this is boring and it's supposed to take place in the 50's. Glad to see some of the bikes are modern day Japanese Harley knock-offs!!! The cover says "Strong performances from a talented cast", ummm not quite. Even if you got it for free it is not worth the 2 hours of your life you will never get back.

More than just a biker flick
Made for TV (Showtime) and directed by John Milius ("Conan the Barbarian," "Red Dawn"), 1994's "Motorcycle Gang" relays the story of a family traveling through the Southwest circa 1959-60 wherein they run afoul of a small gang of criminal bikers. The daughter is kidnapped and taken into Mexico. The father has no recourse but to take matters into his own hands. Will this crisis tear the family further apart or bring them closer together (i.e. a blessing in disguise)?

Jake "Gary's Son" Busey plays the charismatic bike leader and does it well. The father is played by Gerald McRaney (Major Dad), who's always perfect for father-type roles. The wife is played by Elan Oberon, who doesn't seem all that spectacular looks-wise until you see one shot of her at the motel (whoa!). One of the highlights is Carla Gugino (Silk Spectre in "Watchmen") as the daughter. The daughter's only 16 years-old but Carla was 22 at the time of filming.

There's an interesting subplot about...

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Neptune's Oceans

fine, but no repeat option
Unlike the first Baby Einstein's that came out, this series doesn't have the repeat option on the menu. That is very disappointing. And for that reason, we will not buy any more DVDs in this new Einstein series. Other than that, I was happy to see that they did not use all of the same material that was used in Baby Neptune. The music is ALL the same. But the clips are new. Of course, there were about a dozen short clips that I recognized from Baby Neptune. But definitely the chunk of the video was new material (unlike "World of Words", which was almost an entire repeat of "Baby Shakespeare"). Hope this helps.

OLD FAITHFUL
These DVDs are so near and dear to my heart. My 1 year old loves them, and my 7 year old still cannot help himself... He has to watch when shes watching. The music is so relaxing... I recommend highly

I LOVE Baby Einstein
My granddaughter had this dvd and just loved it, soI just bought it for my grandson. The video and audio flow so well...

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Waterworld (Blu-ray + DVD)

EXTENDED EDITION IS ABC CUT!!
A few years after Waterworld was released on video ABC aired an extended cut on public television. I have been waiting for a long time for the extended edition to be released and now it finally has been. While watching it I relied something that shocked me that is the ABC version, the cussing is gone, the violence is soften and some scenes have been cut out, and no Helen bare back shot. Even some of the sound effects and music has been changed. After doing more research I found this to be true. Instead of revising a 'true' extended edition Universal just put the ABC version on here (without commercials of course) and just added a 5.1 soundtrack to it. What a waste of money this was/is. I guess that's why it is only 15 bucks, I would have gladly spent 50 bucks for an unedited extended cut.

The greatist movie that never was
Waterworld is the perfect example of a director's dream that was flushed down the toilet. It had the capability to be the best movie of all time, but it was killed by a bad editing staff. I'm sure most people have never seen it, but there is another version of WaterWorld that was never released for the public, except through an airing on ABC in 1998. The original cut for the movie is 4 and a half hours long, and it would have been longer. There was a slave trading camp scene that was never shot because the set was sunk by a storm. The editing crew decided that no body would want to sit in a theater for 4.5 hour, so they cut out 2 hours of dialog. Thats 2 hours of story sent to the trash. I think that it was originally planned to release the full length version, but the idea was dropped when it bombed at the box-office. This is one truely amasing movie, that had the makings to be a modern epic. All the sets actually were floating on water, and all the mariner's boat...

Better Than Some Would Lead You to Believe
First off, I love the premise of the film and the musical score by James Newton Howard. It took me about two complete watches until I finally began to enjoy it. I liked how they used very little special effects and actually built everything you see on the water. The lack of CGI sets, vehicles and explosions are what caused Waterworld to be one the most expensive films ever made. Almost everything on screen was built by man, which is great in a world full of digital effects taking over the story in most flicks. This is one that I watch at least twice a year and it is worthy of any DVD collection.

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Clockwise

What a hoot!
This is Cleese doing what Cleese does best. Right, I mean insanity by inches.

He starts as a utterly rigid headmaster, the kind so precise that he stops in mid-sentence to make sure that the clock ticks when it should. Right. He sets out, at the precise moment, to accept a major award for himself and his school. Right?

Right.

Then just a little thing happens. A very little thing. He asks the way to the train - which is it? Left?

Right.

And right he goes. From that point forward, it's a comedy of errors. At each new error, Cleese's character adds a notch to the pressure. Step by step, the frenzy increases, new characters add their bits to the pressure ("sherry glasses", for example), until you expect everyone to burst a vein. Somewhere along the line, Cleese ends up in just his boxers, as required. The ending is very British, with all of the various police jurisdictions politely working out which characters go to which gaols...

Vintage British Comedy
This was clearly designed as a vehicle for John Cleese, cashing in on his international fame as Basil Fawlty. Here, as headmaster Brian Stimpson, he gets to engage in all the familiar Fawltyesque madness with great relish. However, it manages not to descend into meaninglessness and pedantry like so many comedy star vehicles tend to, since it boasts an excellent script by veteran playwright Christopher Frayn. It is all delicately paced, and nicely played out with typical British charm by a host of comedy regulars including Alison Steadman and Geoffrey Palmer.

The movie basically follows a day in the life of the time-obsessed Stimpson as he makes his way to a conference in Norwich, where he is to make a speech as the first ever grammar-school head to be made president of the headmasters association. Beginning with missing his train, we follow Stimpson in his ill-fated attempts to get to Norwich on time. Plenty of opportunity for mayhem and chaos along the way, as well as some laughs...

John Cleese at his finest!
John Cleese is the very precise, orderly and punctual headmaster of a common British public school. As such, he rules the school, students and faculty as strictly as possible. Due to his managerial excellence, he wins an award for best Headmaster of the year (a great honor coming from a public school,) and this is where the fun begins! In order to receive the award, he has to attend the award ceremony off in the middle of the English countryside, and getting there is all the fun! (Anything that can go wrong...)

This is, hands down, one of the best movies ever made, and I've been waiting years for it to come out on DVD! It's physically impossible not to incredibly enjoy Clockwise, especially if you're a Fawlty Towers fan. I remembered nearly every single scene in this film from when I saw it as a teenager over 15 years ago! It's that funny. You simply MUST see this movie! (And DVD is the best way to do it.) Enjoy!

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