Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (2013)

The Mad Max films finish their transformation from the edgy, ultra-violent first movie to this kid-friendly adventure picture with slick production values and flawless photography. The violence is toned down and the fantasy elements are played up; unfortunately, this means the post-apocalytpic kick of the second movie (just about one of the greatest action flick -EVER!) has vanished. "Thunderdome" has some fine moments, especially the well-directed scenes with the tribes of children and the haunting images of the coda, as well a couple of good action sequences, such as the face-off in the Thunderdome arena, but it doesn't stay in your memory the way the first two films do. It is still worth seeing if you enjoyed the other movies in the series. Tina Turner's performance is certainly interesting, similar to Grace Jones turn in "Conan the Destroyer," which was made at about the same time.

Of course, if you've never seen a Mad Max films, don't start here. Go back to the first one (available in a great deluxe DVD), then work up to the best of three "Road Warrior" (available in a not so deluxe DVD), then you'll be ready for this finale -and this DVD doesn't have much in the way of extras on it either.

I'm probably one out of only a handful of people that thinks Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is just as good as The Road Warrior, and for different reasons, too. The Road Warrior was a spectacle of frenetically paced action sequences and it would feel like a complete retread if Beyond Thunderdome tried to do the same thing again. Instead, they added new elements, and the result is a very entertaining and imaginitive action/adventure.

Max (Mel Gibson) has just been robbed of all his belongings in the middle of nowhere in Australia. He searches for the thief and this leads to Bartertown, a unique society built upon methane energy dependent on pig manure, no less.

Max's search leads him to Aunty Entity (Tina Turner), Bartertown's lawmaker, who strikes a deal with him. All Max has to do is kill a certain somebody in Thunderdome arena and he'll get provisions in return. Not everything goes according to plan and Max is banished to the desert where he is rescued by a small group of lost children.

For those expecting the action of The Road Warrior you might be disappointed. While there is a good bit of action in Beyond Thunderdome, it's not as much as its predecessor and doesn't have as much energy. However, Beyond Thunderdome should be noted for having what is perhaps one of the best action sequences in American film history with the gladiator fight in Thunderdome arena between Max and the gigantic Blaster. The sequence is undeniably inventive and clever; it involves the two men tied to bungee cords that allow them to spring and leap throughout the arena and grab any weapons placed all around such as a mace, chainsaw, spear, etc.

What makes the film so good, though, are its successful attempts at creating complex societies. Bartertown is a sight to behold and is made all the more interesting by the rituals the "citizens" perform and the laws they obey.

As for the performances, Mel Gibson excels and gives a fine performance as usual. Tina Turner is a real surprise as the villainess; she certainly knows how to act and delivers a fairly good performance. Most of the supporting cast do a decent job with the material they're given. Angry Anderson, in particular, is quite humorous as the henchmen who rarely talks and mostly grunts, screams, and yells in exaggerated tones.

After Brian May's exciting score in The Road Warrior, Maurice Jarre takes over the job and composes a score that is quite poetic and, at times, lush and beautiful.

As with all the final scenes in the Mad Max films, this one ends perfectly. This time, we get the feeling that humanity has hope so long as men like Max are around.

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The third chapter of the Mad Max films can't possibly outdo the success of The Road Warrior, but it's a worthy successor, an exciting film with a very interesting story.

Mel Gibson's Max is back again and finds himself helping another group of ragtag characters. Max finds his way to a town called Bartertown and is forced to engage in a gladiator battle to the death. After refusing to kill his beaten enemy, he's dragged back out to the wasteland, there he's rescued by a group of tribal children. A small group from Bartertown is looking to escape to "The Promised Land" Max and some of his young rescuers lead the way.

Tina Turner is on hand as the wicked Aunty Entity, ruler of Bartertown. Bookending the film are two excellent songs from her as well. Mad Max "3" is a worthy sequel, while not as intense as the previous two, the story is thought provoking and while a bit slow paced, the ending is more than worthwhile. Maurice Jarre's music score isn't as intense but does create an appropriate epic atmosphere. George Miller and George Ogilvie are the directors and create both a sequel and a film that can stand on it's own.

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Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome receives a great deal of bitterness. This is expected, it is a follow-up to one of the greatest of all action movies, with action scenes that aren't as good. Granted, the action sequences in the movie are quite exciting, but they easily fall short of the grandeur of The Road Warrior.

Indeed, as a follow-up to The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome does not deserve a 5-Star Rating. But what Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome does manage to do is build upon the fantastic setting that was only hinted at in Mad Max and The Road Warrior. The wastelands depicted in the first two films are not enough to contain the skyhigh ambitions of the world that director George Miller has created. With the addition of Bartertown, characters like Master-Blaster, and the final jarring vision of civilization presented in the film's closing moments, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is still up to par with its much-loved predecessor.

A viewer expecting another Road Warrior will be disappointed; but a viewer that wants to go back to the nameless, post-apocalyptic world of this film's two predecessors will not be.

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George Miller's last installment in the Mad Max Trilogy. Although the film keeps up the apocalyptic setting and theme of The Road Warrior, the plot here's rather far-fetched and seems to undermine the dramatic elements of the film.

Mad Max is now a messiah who seeks to protect a settlement of naive followers against the intrusions of Queen Aunty Entity (Tina Turner), the leader of a hodge-podge city-state named Bartertown. She keeps her subjects entertained by holding gladiatorial contests in the town's Thunderdome; a caged dome in which the contestants lunge at each other with weapons while suspened in the air. Will Mad Max be able to protect his innocent followers from Aunty Entity's evil machinations?

The only fault I find with this film is having Mad Max as some sort of messiah. His followers seemed too naive and ignorant to have been able to develop a sophisticated settlement in the first place. Their virtual muteness accompanied with the silly da-da talk makes them rather unsympathetic characters as well.

This is the worst of the three Mad Max films that is undermined by a rather uneven plot. I would recommend renting this film more than buying it.

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Kingdom of War Part 1 and Part 2 (2006)

This was an excellent movie. Very good story line, actors, costumes and scenery were superb. This is one of the best Thai movies I have seen and I've had seen a good number of them. The fighting scenes were very intense and the weapons were authentic.

Seven years ago I saw THE LEGEND OF SURIYOTHAI, directed and/or produced by a cousin of the Thai Royal Family. I thought it was truly awful. Yet hope sprung eternal and when KINGDOM OF WAR came out I got it to see if/how far Thai film making had progressed.

Oops, the first disk of this two-disk Blu-ray was awkward, talky; a mush of cute kids and glum,

sour generals discussing their problems (maybe a set-up history lesson?) Radically boring. But thankfully mercifully short.

BUT THE SECOND DISK CAME ALIVE! Great in every respect. Writing, design, production,

characterizations, acting, battle action; it's long too; over two and a half hours.

I was amazed and delighted.

Disk Two's action historic drama doesn't have boring discussions as in that first

disk. Suddenly it seems nepotism is out and 21st-Century Thai film-making is in.

For Amazon's great two-disk Blu-ray price of $17.99, in Disk one you'll see Thailand's lush scenery, stunning temples, historically-accurate costumes and weaponry. (I spent seven years in Thailand, learning about this incredible country) Disk One is a true-to-life history drama of Thai wars with Burma (now renamed 'Miramar')

The real cinema treat is in the second DVD, which is much longer. And SUPERB in every aspect.

I collect Asian films (mostly Japanese and Chinese). They're having a real renaissance,

blowing Hollywood and Bollywood away). If this surprise film is typical of new Thai films,

then there goes my movie budget.

In the last decade Chinese and Japanese films have made giant leaps. For more welcome-to-a-new-age entertaining Thai films, see Chocolate. It's no period piece; taking place in modern-day Bangkok. There's also Bangkok Dangerous [Blu-ray] a Western-Thai collaboration shot in Bangkok, starring Hollywood's hardest-working actor of late, Nicholas Cage.

Both well-done action flicks offering keen looks at Thailand, unique and memorable.

A long-time fan of Thailand, I hope their films continue improving. In the meantime, to see how far Asian film has come, here are six surprising titles: HERO, LEGEND OF THE BLACK SCORPION, BATTLE OF THE WARRIORS, THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS and DEATH NOTE. All, wonderful!

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A very touching film of Siam empire history in blu-ray 1 & 2. I am longing for the 3rd part of this soon ...

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A very well-done production of this time of Thai history. Of course, it is drama not history, but it is nonetheless well-written, well-directed and exceptionally well-executed. I look forward to watching parts 3 and 4, as soon as they are completed and sub-titled in English. While I'm fluent in Thai, my grandsons need the sub-titles. For those who wonder who King Naresuan is, he is called "Naresuan The Great" because the original Thai kingdom was formed by him from the minor warring ethnic Thai states which had been conquered or forcibly allied to Burma. That kingdom is the direct predecessor to the present kingdom.

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This was a good educational film on Siam before it became Thailand and Burma before it became Miramar. I had the good fortune to visit Thailand and enjoyed the people and culture. For some of older folks I enjoyed going to the movies to see the musical masterpiece The King and I. However, like a similar foreign film called the Red Cliff I struggled with the first part of this 2 disk set trying to get a handle on which of the various Lords was on which side. The main characters were not a problem but, who was aligned with each was a big problem with me I just could not keep track. So with the subtitles and the foreign names it was tough. Still I would recommend this film for those who enjoy watching a fairly good foreign film.

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Blazing Saddles / Caddyshack / National Lampoon's European Vacation (Triple Feature) (2012)

great movies in one compact case makes more room for more movies on my shelve that makes it easier to get more movies.

A great comdey 3 pack and excellant value for the money. I love all the movies! Blue Ray quality is amazing.

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What can I say? Caddyshack is the greatest golf movie of all time. Don't take my word for it, it has been said by many of the world's greatest golfers. If you don't laugh, you are dead or need a heart transplant. Blazing Saddles has one of the greatest catch phrases of all time. "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges". Ok, it was originally used in "Treasure of Sierra Madre" but it wasn't funny then, it is funny in this film. Finally, European Vacation is just OK. Considering the price of this bundle, I considered Vacation a freebee. Watch these films a dozen times and pee your pants laughing.

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Bought as a gift for my husband.. 3 of his Favorites! Made for a Great Gift! All are very Funny!

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Amazing Grace

Anyone who has seen AMISTAD or ROOTS needs to see the Michael Apted directed AMAZING GRACE which predates and fills in so much of the political and humanistic tug of war that existed concerning the awful dirty business of the African Slave Trade.Hollywood could not have conjectured a more true film than the actual true and inspiring life of William Wilberforce,a revered heroic figure in England,who,with the help of other abolitionists and political sympathizers,takes on the English Parliament and wins legislation to finally end the Slave Trade in 1807.This movie is SO significant because it is this piece of history that leads other European nations to follow suit in subsequent years and eventually to abolish the trade worldwide.Michael Apted has skillfully rescued this story from being another biopic,and has turned it into a sweeping epic that rings historically true.

No finer actor could have been chosen to play Wilberforce than the Emmy Award winning Welsh marvel Ioan Gruffudd,pronounced YO-an Griffith( HORATIO HORNBLOWER,SOLOMON AND GAENOR,VERY ANNIE MARY).Gruffudd positively understands the heart and soul of Wilberforce,and delivers a tender yet dynamic knockout performance of this absolutely giant among men whose inner convictions and powerful and persuasive rhetoric eventually win over Parliament in a nearly twenty year life-and-death struggle.

This film brings tremendously true and historical understanding of the political machine that was (and frankly still is) in place from 1785 to 1807.Historical figures argue and debate their opposing views while the lives of millions of innocent Africans and the fortunes and supremacies of national pride hang in the balance.The film moves swiftly and is not preachy or at all heavyhanded in any direction.It simply tells and honest and riveting true-to-life story.Some characters and events are combined together to compact the screenplay,but no truth is lost in the outcome.

The film takes it's name from the famous 18th-century renowned hymn AMAZING GRACE,written by the Anglican minister John Newton,who had,years earlier,himself been an active and ardent participant in the selling of African flesh.John Newton is portrayed (a bit much like a crazy old celibate monk) by veteran actor Albert Finney in one of the smaller supporting supporting roles.Though much of what Newton says in the film is directly from his own memoirs,he was a married man,who,historically,valued his wife as his best friend.Now in his declining years,Newton,who has in later years been Rector of a London Church,is sought out by Wilberforce,who sat under Newton's pulpit as a child,to have the old minister help him in the cause of exposing the Slave Trade in all of it's ugliness.As was true in Newton's real life,Finney shows that this is the singlemost painful event in Newton's life thus making it next to impossible to discuss.The film directs Newton and Wilberforce over the course of the twenty years in order for the awful truth to come forth.Proof was necessary to persuade Parliament, and Newton was a key piece to passing the abolitionist legislation.

Up and coming actor Benedict Cumberbatch accurately conveys William Pitt The Younger,in his boyhood friendship with Wilberforce and his subsequent rise to Prime Minister of England.What is inspiring about their relationship is that all of their political idealism comes to fruition showing the power and perseverance that these two young men had in fighting an age old institution that threatened to destabilize all of England.Other historical figures in this film such as Lord Tarlton (the ever amazing Ciaran Hinds)and Equiano (Youssou N'dour),Toby Jones as Lord Clarence (this actor seems to be able to play EVERYTHING!!!) and actors Michael Gambon as Sir Charles Fox do the utmost to bring this film to the heart and consciences of the world today.

This film is simply NOT just another period piece drama or an "inspirational" film;rather it is an artfully scripted,deftly acted and directed and compelling piece of historical drama that all will benefit from viewing.Again,5 *****'s is not sufficient.May there be more films of such quality and substance made like this!

Excellent companion films would be A RESPECTABLE TRADE,THE MIDDLE PASSAGE,AMISTAD,THE VOYAGE OF LA AMISTAD, MANSFIELD PARK (1999) and somewhat ROOTS.

"Amazing Grace" is an exceptional film that chronicles the amazing true story of William Wilberforce, the man who spent twenty years in the British Parliament fighting to end one of mankind's greatest injustices: the slave trade. The film features powerful performances by an outstanding cast, including Ioan Gruffudd ("Fantastic Four," "King Arthur," TV's "Horatio Hornblower") as Wilberforce, whose faith and courage drove his fight for social justice. Albert Finney gives an amazing performance as John Newton, the former slave-ship captain turned pastor, and writer of the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace." Michael Gambon, Romola Garai, Youssou N'Dour, Rufus Sewell, and Nicholas Farrell give outstanding supporting performances.

The rest of the crew does a fantastic job of bringing the world of 18th/19th Century Britain to life. "Amazing Grace" is an amazing film that shows how men of faith can truly help change the world. Amazing Grace, indeed!

Grade: A

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I enjoyed the movie. The historical sets were great. The acting was very good. The dialogs had a ring of truth. The love story, although it was a minor part of the movie, was done well. The story needed to be told and the movie told it well. One of the bad points was the movie jumped around in Wilberforce's life quite a bit. Following the time shifts was confusing at times. As the movie went along, the plot was easier to follow.

I read a short biography of Wilberforce and I heard a talk on Newton. I can't claim any expertise on these men, but what little I know of them made me question the movie's historical accuracy. Newton had a congregation. He was not a hermit mopping up a church. He was a popular Anglican preacher. Finney did a great job in the part, but I don't think it represented Newton very well. Wouldn't a better charactorization have been a more historic portrayal of Newton who was a slave trader that became a slave of Christ by serving and preaching to all? Rather than a guilt-ridden old man?

I also wished the movie spent more time on Wilberforce's conversion and beliefs. Wilberforce was a thoughtful Christian who wrote books on what he believed. Wilberforce's stamina according to Wilberforce was his reformed faith. The movie just had him studying nature in a worshipful manner in his garden.

In summary, I liked the movie and I enjoyed it. The message needed to be told and it was told well. How England avoided a bloody civil war because of this issue and resolved the issues through a peaceful process was instructive. However, Wilberforce and Newton deserved to have a more accurate portrayal of their lives.

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I've long been a fan of William Wilberforce a man that God used greatly for a great cause: the abolition of slavery and the reformation of manners into the English society. Working at a private Christian school, I often refer to Wilberforce as an example to our students of what God can do with one man wholly committed to Him. In fact, I took sixteen of our students to see the movie when it was released and it had a very profound impact on their lives and thinking -they saw with their own eyes the struggle of Wilberforce's life, the great cause to which he gave himself fully, and the great joy that comes from a life given in service to the King of Kings.

While I strongly recommend that all Christians watch this movie, parents I'll warn you that the issue of slavery isn't easy to watch or understand at a young age -I would recommend this movie to middle school students and older, but probably not elementary-aged students.

There are some wonderful resources that you can get to accompany this movie for family discussions and devotions. While most of the Wilberforce books are lengthy, but excellent, let me tell you about a few lesser-known gems. First, John Piper has a great little 76 page book titled Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce -great read. This same material is actually found in another book by Piper that is simply outstanding -it is the third book in a series by Piper to reintroduce our generation to some of the great saints of the faith -Book Three is titled The Roots of Endurance and examines the lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon and William Wilberforce. Finally, one of my favorite finds is a 5 disk CD audio drama set titled Amazing Grace produced by the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre -you can listen to the lives of Newton, Wilberforce and Olaudah Equiano (a slave who purchased his freedom and was instrumental in the abolition movement in England).

So, purchase the movie, but also look for these additional resources to help deepen the discussion at home with your kids.

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AMAZING GRACE is a beautifully mounted, well-scripted, powerful film that reminds us that there were heroes in the late 1700s who vehemently fought the fight for abolition of slavery. Benefiting from a tight intelligent script by Steven Knight and directed with great sensitivity and fluidity by Michael Apted, the film captures the flavor of the turn of the 18th century into 19th century in England when slavery was a commodity the wealthy could ill afford to lose, and how the courage and perseverance of William Wilberforce created probably one of the first human rights movements on record.

William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) witnessed the horrors of transporting slaves from Africa to be sold around the world to wealthy plantation owners and to serve as cheap and disrespected servants to the British populace. Encouraged by a previous slave dealer John Newton (Albert Finney) turned contrite priest, his friend Prime Minister William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch), and the informed woman of his life Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai), Wilberforce bonds with a band of abolitionists including Thomas Clarkson (Rufus Sewell) and Oloudaqh Equiano (Youssou N'Dour) and begins long years of battling for abolition in the Parliament where cads such as Lord Tarleton (Ciarán Hinds) and the Duke of Clarence (Toby Jones) fight his every word.

One of the hallmarks of this fine film is the dignity it sustains: in a film that could have easily focused on depictions of slave abuse to make its point, it instead elects to keep the focus on the heart of the struggle against the inhumanity by subtle yet powerful means. The title of the film, of course, comes form the song the reformed John Newton wrote as he had a life altering experience to end his slave trading to fight for human rights. It is a haunting reminder that is used throughout the film in the score by David Arnold. The cast is uniformly excellent with not only first class performances by each of the leads, but also by superb cameos from such fine artists as Michael Gambon, Nicholas Farrell, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Jeremy Swift, and Stephen Campbell Moore. The atmosphere of both elegance and poverty of London is captured in the cinematography by Remi Adefarasin. This is an epic film with a powerful message that deserves the attention of us all. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 07

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Were anyone to suggest that a 'romance' between a guy and a blowup doll could become one of the more sensitive films of the year, it would be cause for derision that is, before viewing LARS AND THE REAL GIRL. The improbable story was written by Nancy Oliver (the writer of many episodes of the TV series 'Six Feet Under') and directed by Craig Gillespie who gathered a particularly strong cast of actors to present this examination of compassion and love for an emotionally injured young man by small town folks, reminding us that caring for each other is still a highly regarded value.

Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) survived a tough childhood only to become a loner terrified of emotional and tactile contact. He lives in the garage of his deceased parents' home while his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and pregnant sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer) live in the main house. Despite Karin's pleadings to be part of the family, Lars prefers to keep to himself. At his job his co-workers include Margo (Kelli Garner), who is more than a little attracted to the quiet and strangely distant Lars, and a fellow who finds ' life-size love dolls' on the internet. Lars orders one of the dolls and when 'Bianca' arrives, Lars finally has a girlfriend to share his loneliness. He introduces Bianca to Gus and Karin who find the situation strange, but at the same time see the happiness in Lars that has been missing. They encourage Lars and Bianca to see a doctor Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) who plays along with the concept that Lars finds Bianca real, and encourages Gus and Karin to be supportive. As it ends up the entire little town accepts Bianca and she is introduced to doing good deeds and be a vital part of the town, all through the kindness of people who love the 'delusional' Lars and care only for his happiness. How Lars gradually finds his way into the real world and copes with the understanding of his need for Bianca, the story comes to a tender ending, one that never for a moment feels like a sellout but maintains the dignity of all of the characters in the story.

This is a fine and thoughtful exploration of the needs we all have for understanding, compassion, and acceptance, and while there are some very humorous moments in this well-written story, the overall message is one of gentle love. Ryan Gosling is so fine an actor that he makes this rather complex character understandable and gains our empathy. The supporting cast is equally excellent especially Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider. Highly recommended viewing, this is a DVD many will want to own for repeated viewings. Grady Harp, April 08

Lars lives in one of the snowed-in Northern states; his town could be next to Lake Wobegone. He's painfully shy, in an utterly literal sense of the term he won't even visit his brother and sister in law in the house adjacent to where he lives. Maybe it's no suprise that he orders a customized, anatomically detailed love doll.

The surprise is that it comes to life for him. Everyone else sees a slightly creepy adult toy, but he brings "Bianca" everywhere to dinner with his brother and sister in law, to a Christmas party with his co-workers, even to church. He concocts an elaborate fantasy about why she says so little, why she needs a wheelchair, even why she needs to borrow clothing. A psychologist tries to address his delusion but, while it works itself out, recommends humoring him. And so, the entire community does. If they're going to treat her as real, they're going to do it right.

Therein lies the quirky charm of this movie an entire town rallying around one of their own, playing their part in his odd drama. If that's what's best for him and there's no harm in it, they'll do it. A few balk, of course, but only a few and not for long. They accept Bianca fully into their community, sometimes to Lars's dismay.

The happy ending (happy enough) makes this into a movie about redemption, but that over-simplifies this complex film. The premise looks like some modern-day fairy tale. Once set in motion, the movie carries itself forward with understated kindness, maybe even nostalgia for a small-town closeness, whether that closeness ever existed or not.

-wiredweird

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(4.5 *'s) Lars Lindstrom has all the foibles one sometimes associates with a ventriloquist. Socially inept and insecure, every encounter with even loved ones is full of awkwardness and fumbling. He has difficulty expressing himself and relating to others. At home he lives in the mother-in-law house (or garage as they say) next to his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law Karen (Emily Mortimer). One night a well-meaning Karen tackles him on the driveway to get him to stay for dinner. Needless to say he is almost traumatized by her good intentions. Work is as pedestrian as it gets: He works in a cubicle doing work on the computer for an unknown company. Co-worker Marla (Kelli Gardner) shows an interest in him, but even her overtures leave him flummoxed. Another co-coworker is friendly, but offers him his favorite porn. That is until he introduces him to his latest offering from "Real Doll.dot.com". Anatomically correct, the life-size doll gives Lars an idea.

Coming home to dinner once again, Lars is beaming about his new girlfriend. Gus and Karen are also beaming, truly enthusiastic and proud. Until they meet Bianca, the "real doll" who is seated with a conversing Lars. Lars is transformed. His speech is confident; his cheeks are reddened; and his outlook is happy. First comes shock; then comes acceptance. Not quite knowing what to do, Lars is so believable that they start to believe it too. They have him see a therapist (Patricia Clarkson), the general practitioner in their small Northern Wisconsin town, and the pastor gathers his flock together. Everyone starts to make jokes, but eventually they go along with someone who is truly delusional. Bianca starts to become real.

Billed as a comedy, `Lars and the Real Girl' is too often sad to be funny. Though profound and heartwarming, the laughs are often embarrassing because the situations of the protagonist are awkward. They elicit our sympathy. This isn't to say the film isn't a gem because it is. In spite of all temptations to pigeon hole this movie as cheesy or a screwball comedy, all the right components come together to make `Lars and the Real Girl' a wonderful little film and truly one of the best of the year. Without serendipity, this movie could have easily been a disaster.

(The extras are short but sweet: "The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl" (10:11) is worthy for the "real" affection the cast has for the film with reflections by Oscar nominated screenwriter, Nancy Oliver, and a specially articulate director (Craig Gillespie). 'A Real Leading Lady' (5:55) features Ryan Gosling ad libbing facetiously with his co-star Bianca about making the film. The deleted "Bathtub" scene is impossibly short, clocking in less than a minute--but the written explanation by the director is insightful. The rest are trailers.)

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Lars is a quiet and introverted kind of guy. He goes to work every day then he comes home to the garage apartment he lives in, adjacent to the house he grew up in and is now owned by his brother and sister-in-law.

As his pregnant sister-in-law's due date gets closer, Lars seems to emotionally and physically withdraw from his family and co-workers. Preferring to remain in the comforting small walls of his garage apartment, he starts garnering the concern of his sister-in-law. She fears he is too lonely and when all her attempts to include him and spend more time with him fail it seems all hope is lost. That is till he shows up to dinner one night asking if he can bring his new girlfriend. The excitement and relief Lars' family feels is short lived when his girlfriend ends up being an anatomically correct love doll he has named Bianca.

At the recommendation and guidance of their small town doctor/psychiatrist, Lars' family goes along with his delusion, and then manages to convince the entire town to do the same.

This movie had me laughing out loud and sobbing big ugly tears, I was charmed completely. The situations involving Bianca were equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. I have never wanted to hug a movie character more than I have wanted to hug Lars; my heart went out to him completely.

I have a friend who hated this movie for the exact same reasons I enjoyed it so much. I loved the fact that the entire town rallied to welcome Bianca, even though they thought it was nuts, just to help a member of the community. I loved all the zany adventures Bianca went on, and I loved the town they lived in. I loved the fact that it was far fetched, but mostly I loved it because that's how a town SHOULD behave. People should go out of there way and do things to help someone in need once in awhile.

With the help of the community, a wonderful doctor, his family and most importantly, Bianca, Lars heals. It's an emotional road to get there, but well worth the journey.

Cherise Everhard, July 2008

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Those are my people! That's my home land! Every face looks like one of my family, including Lars, who looks like a goofier me at the same age. The houses, the furniture, the downtown shops, the costumes, the church, the lake it's all museum-quality Upper Midwest. Minnesota to me, since that's where I'm from. Only the accents and the dialogue in general don't sound Minnesotan, and I kinda wonder why not.

Given that we're all Scandihoovians together here, I can make some sense out of this film by thinking of it as a Hans Christian Andersen tale, a lot like The Little Mermaid or The Faithful Tin Soldier. Bittersweet, artificial and witty, and solidly moralistic at the core. Otherwise, the improbability of the family's and town's response to Lars's delusion (that's the heart of the plot) would seem too improbable to accept, even on theatrical terms of "willing suspension of disbelief." I mean, we're a well-meaning folk, we Minnesotans, and we make trying to be nice the local interpretation of the Golden Rule, but we aren't THAT nice!

Ryan Gosling should get an Oscar for making an impossible role almost fully believable. Of course, Bianca should be a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actress.

In the end, it's "awful heart-warming", as my Uncle Einar would say, noncommittally.

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The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter's "The Thing" wasn't so much a remake as a reinterpretation of John Campbell's classic short story. Closer in spirit to Campbell's conception of the Thing, Carpenter's film was both critically lauded because of the suspenseful storytelling and critically attacked for the excessive gore. While the gore is at times quite excessive it fits in with the audience expectations after films like "Dawn of the Dead" (the origianl 1979 movie)and other films of the era.

What's amazing is how audiences are drawn into the story despite the fact that there are no characters we really, really like. We admire many of these men and their resolve but we don't like them. They're the product of their harsh environment and isolation. Mac (Kurt Rusell)is the helicopter pilot for an Antarctic science station. Their dull routine is interrupted by a team of seemingly crazy Norwegians pursuing a dog. The Norwegians are killed and the Americans are left without any idea as to what might have driven the Norwegians over the edge.

Blair (Wilford Brimley)pours over the Norwegian journal brought back by Mac and Cooper (Richard Dysart)and discovers that the Norewegian team discovered an alien spacecraft with an occupant that was very much alive. More importantly, it can change into any shape and take over anybody. Mac, Childs (Keith David) and the rest of the crew must destroy the alien before it can spread to the rest of the civilized world.

Previously released as a "Special Edition" in 1998, "The Thing" has been remastered for this edition.The anamorphic widescreen presentation is, I believe, the first time this has been transferred in the anamorphic format. The previous widescreen edition looked exceptionally good and comparisons between the two transfers reveal minimal differences except for the fact that the new edition is presented in anamorphic (i.e. with a higher resolution) picture. There are some minor digital blemishes that occasionally crop up as on the previous edition (which makes me suspect the previous master was digitally remastered vs. creating a new master). The 5.1 Surround Sound mix has tremendous presence and is exceptionally good with crystal clear dialogue. Ennio Morricone's marvelous music sounds particularly rich and detailed. There's no isolated music track which is a pity.

The special features are exactly the same as the 1998 edition of the movie. "Terror Takes Shape" is an 80 minute documentary on the movie that includes both new interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot. Carpenter, Kurt Russell, the other members of the cast,the optical effects and make up crew and screenwriter Bill Lancaster on all phases from conception to post-production. It's an excellent and informative documentary divided into the various phases of production.

We also see outtakes including the deleted stop-motion animation that Phil Tibbert did for the movie. Carpenter cut almost all of it out in favor of the physical effects because they didn't quite mesh as well as they could have. There's substanial behind-the-scenes footage, photos and the work-in-progress visual effects for the film. Essentially, this indepth approach makes "The Thing" as close to a film school as you'll likely find on DVD.

We also get the original theatrical trailer, storyboards and conception art. The "Visual Effects-in-Progress" featurette t gives you a clue as to how the visuals and effects changed during shooting. There's also an annotated production background archive with an essay on the production illustrated with excerpts from the screenplay with photos and production drawings. There's also a brief essay on the casting in text format along with production photos from the film.

The commentary track is the original one from the 1998 release featuring John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. As with the "Escape from New York" commentary track, "The Thing" commentary track is exceptional with interesting and amusing stories related to the production of the movie as well as behind-the-scenes tidbits that fans will find valuable. Both clearly enjoy each other's company more twenty years after their first collaboration.

The packaging has been redesigned. While it is pretty cool, it's not going to be really durable. The exterior plastic cover like that for "Stir of Echoes" looks really cool and wraps around the carbord and plastic inner case. The inner case has photos and images from the movie. The inside, curiously, looks like it was designed for a chapter sheet or booklet but there's nothing inside.

Though The Thing shocked with its new level of gore when it came out in 1982, popular taste has pretty well caught up to the gore factor. Now fans will be able to see it all in Blu-ray high-def.

The Thing takes its title from the influential 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing from Another World, a film it otherwise resembles only in similarity of location and a few plot points. (If you're interested in a less scary, more campy, funnier black-and-white version, with women in it, check out the older one.) The location is an isolated antarctic research station, cut off from radio contact with the outside world, where Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David and several other men unknowingly take in an alien creature that can adopt the form of members of the crew as it destroys them. They quickly find themselves in a desperate and paranoia-inducing situation, each not knowing who among the others might be an alien waiting to kill him. Internal organs are spread into view in various creative ways, while violence and tension build.

Director John Carpenter specializes in gritty, intense, violent suspense, and he doesn't disappoint here. Though it didn't do very well when it came out, maybe because it was up against the much cheerier alien E.T., it has become a favorite since.

The movie has already been released in HD at the same 1080p resolution the Blu-ray will have, so the transfer should be of similar quality. The HD transfer is very good, with strong color and good detail and sharpness, definitely improved over the standard DVD. The sound will be English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, with French DTS 5.1. There will be English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. *Update* 19 September: The early reviews verify that the transfer is high quality, as expected, with excellent picture and good sound (not much surround in a movie this old).

*Update* Universal has said in its promotional material that this release will include the extra material from the current DVD, but according to the early reviews, that isn't true. First, here are the special features announced in the main press release:

-audio commentary with star Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter

-U Control Picture in Picture

-U Control tutorial

-BD-Live

In addition, most of the 84-minute making-of documentary from the older DVD has been incorporated into the Picture in Picture (PIP) feature, meaning that you watch it in pieces in a window along with the movie. The rest of the special features from the older DVD aren't included. Just as a reminder of what those old features are, missing here:

-outtakes

-deleted stop-motion animation

-work-in-progress visual effects footage

-behind-the-scenes location footage

-behind-the-scenes photos

-storyboard and conceptual art

-annotated production archive

-original theatrical trailer

Again, those are old features that Universal has *not* included on the Blu-ray.

I'm not into gore, but the suspense is well done here, and Kurt Russell is in his element. Fine video transfer and good commentary make for a good package, but the missing features from the older DVD mean you may want to keep the old one too.

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Maybe someone said so in the DVD's documentary: 1982 was the right time for this movie. Nothing like it would be made today, or even a few years after its release. Even if a thematically similar film were made, it's almost a guarantee that it would use digital effects. This movie boasts the most incredible prosthetic effects ever seen, and I know in my gut that if it were made with computer graphics it wouldn't be nearly as good.

Okay, enough about that. I probably don't need to describe the movie itself, at least not from a plot perspective. Let me briefly cover technique: this movie is built for suspense. From the marvelous low-key Ennio Morricone score to the gold-standard cinematography of Dean Cundey, from the scene construction (I love the scene where the dog enters a crew room, and the scene fades out after we see the man's shadow turning no sting, no shock, just a fade out) to the realistic paranoia and fear building in the eyes of the men. I admit that paranoia movies are a personal favorite genre, but there are very few films that I can say made me sweat from suspense, and this is one of them.

One of the film's greatest strengths is the ensemble cast mostly familiar faces, but not TOO familiar, so you feel a kinship and empathy but you're not saying "oh, that's Richard Masur" the same way you would if it were Bruce Willis, for example. Sure, there's Kurt Russell, but he plays his role so perfectly that he just fits right in with everyone else. Then of course there's the ending, something John Carpenter excels at (the ending of his ESCAPE FROM L.A. made the whole movie for me) especially when in the dystopian mode... so here again we can make up our own stories over "what happened next."

The DVD presentation is packed with so many goodies it's hard to know where to start. An excellent documentary, enjoyable commentary, isolated score (selectable during the documentary), even some cut scenes...and so much more. The picture is fantastic, with such wonderful smooth blue hues so prevalent in the movie. For many years laserdisc owners were tantalised by rumours of a special edition with tons of extras, and when we finally got it (on both laserdisc and DVD) we weren't disappointed at all, and it was well worth the years of anticipation.

The movie is absolutely not for everyone, as its level of gore is quite high. Many people say they're distracted too much by the gore, but I seem to immerse myself in the film's atmosphere and it's never taken me out of the experience. An engrossing and extremely well-crafted film, and the same goes for this special edition presentation.

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Long after its debut, THE THING is finally getting the respect it deserves. I'm glad John Carpenter is young enough to be around to see it. This film was unfairly shunned when it came out because E.T. came out at the same time. Nobody wanted to see E.T. killing people, hence no one went to see THE THING.

Along with THE HIDDEN, this is one of the greatest horror/action movies to come out of the 80s. It should be on any serious horror fan's top ten list (it's number two on mine) and it is perhaps Carpenter's greatest film to date. Yes, I think it is even better than HALLOWEEN. This movie sticks closer to the original story ("Who Goes There") that both this and the older movie THE THING FROM OUTER SPACE were based on. The latter was more of a monster movie, whereas Carpenter's version is more of a psychological action film with a great dollop of paranoia. Kurt Russell and John Carpenter work so well together, and Russell does a great job here (along with the underrated Keith David). I hope they make more films together. Wilford Brimley, better known as the Quaker Oats man, is terrific as well. Actually the whole cast puts in amazing performances. On the DVD commentary J.C. says they all were really into their parts, and it shows. The "blood test" scene is a great example of how well they all worked together.

The special effects in this movie still look good. I honestly don't think they look dated at all. I imagine that if they did this today we would be inflicted with some dumb-looking CGI monster that would ruin the film and seem silly in a few years' time.

If you like this one, get the DVD. It has tons of extras and is worth the money just for the commentary by Russell and Carpenter. 10/10

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The movie itself is 5 stars no question. The picture quality on this Blu Ray is amazing. Contrast is consistent and blacks are deep throughout the film with very good detail. Colors are rich and the various hues of blue in the night scenes are pleasing. Greens, yellows and oranges, as well as the important reds (got to have have proper reds in a horror/sci~fi film) are all rendered properly, in this Blu Ray offering. Film grain is not distracting, and chroma noise is not an issue. Unfortunately I have serious issue with Universal for removing features on the Blu Ray that were present on the DVD for US customers, while keeping them in the UK version of the Blu Ray release. The lower stars rating is for this review is for this particular release of it.

I love John Carpenters "The Thing", but Universal Studios should be ashamed of themselves for releasing a Blu Ray version of the film with almost ALL of the extras REMOVED.

Inexcusable.

It's a shame Universal chose to do this, since this Blu Ray's picture quality and sound are both great. Purchase the Uk Blu Ray release instead. It includes the many extras not found in this US version. Does Universal Studios value their UK customers more than their US customers for some reason?

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The Aggression Scale (2012)

A mob boss (Ray Wise) wants his stolen money back and everyone who might be involved, killed. He also wants proof which requires the use of a Polaroid (seriously?). After 3 people are snuffed we switch to the subplot. A family of four...recently married move into a new home. The son Owen is creepy and silent. He is interested in things that kill. Lauren (Fabianne Therese) is his 17 year-old step sister who showers with her back to the camera...end of eye candy.

It isn't hard to figure out how this grindhouse plot and family drama come together. When Owen gets a chance to escape, rather than take it...cue heavy metal music as the quiet teen opts to fight 4 grown armed men. In this "Home Alone" tale, Macaulay Culkin is a psycho, who, like a cat, likes to play with its prey before the kill.

Derek Mears, one of the bad guys has that creepy Michael Berryman look to him, but acts more like a pansy. I found his character to be darkly comical as things happen to him. Dana Ashbrook comes across as George Cloony light. Good old fashion home break-in with some new twists. Excellent blood splatter. "B" movie fun. I would have given the film 5 stars had they played Talking Heads "Psycho Killer."

F-bomb, no sex, no nudity (Fabianne Thereseside breast). pot smoking

No two ways about it, this movie was awesome. I'll even say from start to finish on this, because the opening scenes definitely get your attention. Basically this movie is what Home Alone would have been like had Macaulay Culkin's character failed some anger management classes. Add to this premise one Dana Ashbrook who plays a menacing (and menaced!) villain and the ever awesome Ray Wise and the situation is complete. There's not much to say about creative camera angles, scrupulous sound editing, and innovative lighting. No, reader, this movie's strength is in the sheer cat-and-mouse suspense that inevitably and irresistibly builds, and yes, the ending is totally worth it.

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I'm going to try to NOT oversell the gritty indie "The Aggression Scale." This is a small, low-budget endeavor that succeeds on its own modest terms. But it is really best to keep your expectations in check, that way you might be pleasantly surprised. A hit at this year's SXSW Film Festival, "The Aggression Scale" tells a fairly simple story, allows for a slow build tension, and then packs a few terrifically unpleasant confrontations into its final act. But the less you know, the better. The movie is already being compared to another prominent and beloved film (both by the media and with other reviewers here). I'm not mentioning which movie, though. I happen to think that making this comparison devalues the twists that develop in the film's second half. I had been aware of this prior to seeing the film and as I watched the movie, I wished I hadn't known where exactly we were headed. In fact, I screened this with a friend and kept all secrets to myself. When things started happening, it had much more impact for him because he wasn't expecting anything in particular.

Truthfully, there's not much plot to director Steven C. Miller's third film. But guess what? It doesn't really matter. It's best not to scrutinize the film from an intellectual level, just hang on for the experience. I was no fan of his last movie, The Scream of the Banshee, which took a good idea and turned it into a most generic thriller. For me, "The Aggression Scale" definitely is a step in the right direction, but it's still quite rough around the edges. In this case, though, that works well for the movie which has a seventies exploitation type ambience. It's a gritty Grindhouse type of movie with loads of violence, a fascinating hero, menacing bad guys, and an occasional lapse of logic. But it works. "Twin Peaks" veterans Ray Wise and Dana Ashbrook join forces as the primary villains in the piece. Wise, a crime boss just out of jail, enlists his henchman (led by Ashbrook) to recover some stolen money. This leads to general murder and mayhem.

You want more story? Too bad. Nothing is particularly explained beyond this cursory outline. The bad guys soon go after a family at their desolate country home. And the rest of the story plays out as a cat-and-mouse game of survival. As I said, there are some nice surprises and much brutality. It's always good to see Wise although he doesn't have much to do here. The break-out performance is young Ryan Hartwig, who conveys a lot without saying anything. I liked "The Aggression Scale" for exactly what it is. It's not a great movie by any means, but it is an effective one on a visceral level. With moderate expectation, there's plenty to enjoy here as a guilty pleasure. About 3 1/2 stars, I'll round up for Hartwig. KGHarris, 5/12.

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"We don't have to do this clean, you go down this list and kill them all, then you find my money. You got 48 hours." When a recently released criminal gets out of prison and returns to his life he notices that $500,000 of his money has been stolen. After finding out who took it he hires a group of hit men to get the money back. Things go fine until they reach a house with a boy who fights back. Based on the preview I was intrigued at this. It seemed like a movie I would like but thought it could go either way. I have to say this was a huge surprise to me. This is not a movie for everyone because it is very bloody and violent. The best (and only) way to describe this is that this is an over the top extreme violent version of "Home Alone". If that doesn't want to make you watch it then I don't know what else to say. To me this movie was very fun to watch and I really liked it, it a morbid way. These revenge movies like this are one of my favorite type of movies. Overall, a very over-the-top violent version of "Home Alone" that I loved but is not for everyone. I give it an A...I know but I really enjoyed it.

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Home Alone meets Rambo.

Steven C. Miller's "The Aggression Scale" starts with "bang!" as hitman Lloyd (Dana Ashbrook) sends a message with his shotgun.

We quickly learn that Lloyd has been sent by mob boss Mr. Bellevance (Twin Peak's Ray Wise) to find a large sum of stolen money. Lloyd and his fellow crew Chissolm (Derek Mears from Friday the 13th), Freddie (Jacob Reynolds from Gummo) and Wydofki ("the knife man" played by Jospeh McKelheer from The Hamiltons) kill a handful of people before finally arriving on the new doorsteps of the Rutledge family.

Bill (Boyd Kestner) and Maggie Rutledge (Lisa Rotondi) are recently married, each with a teenager from a previous relationship. Lauren (Fabianne Therese) is Maggie's troubled daughter, angry at having to move across the country to a new house with people she barely knows. But it is silent Owen Rutledge (Ryan Hartwig) who has the bigger issues...a fact that Lloyd and his boys are soon to discover for themselves when they kick in the door.

Dread Central.com calls The Aggression Scale "one of the more unusual and clever games of cat and mouse fans have ever experienced before."

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The Nesting (1981)

For a person suffering from agoraphobia, the lead character, Lauren Cochran (played by Robin Groves) sure got around! Since the plot never really took full advantage of that, realistically speaking, I can't figure out why it was mentioned so often and used so little. She was literally running all over the place! And, it wasn't the least bit interesting. As horror movies go (and this one really didn't), you need to stay focused, on target. Pick a plot point and run with it, not just run!

The premise was almost too basic: a writer rents a house to write in and soon discovers it's haunted and that she might have some kind of connection to it. The owner of the house is an old geezer with a secret (the always dependable John Carradine). To round out the cast there are scads of local creepy people (all connected to THE secret), a nondescript boyfriend, and a rather snotty therapist. This isn't counting all the ghosts. The deaths are few and far between but rather well done (I especially love the sickle scene). I also liked some of the weird dream sequences. My only major complaint has to do with the casting of Robin Groves as the writer who never gets around to writing. She is thoroughly unsympathetic, I found her more annoying than likable. When you can't care about what the main character is suffering through, that doesn't leave much to hold your interest. It also didn't help that the pacing is a bit slow and the movie is too long.

THE NESTING Concerns an agoraphobic novelist (Robin Groves) who moves into a house that just might be haunted. Along the way, we are introduced to the impatient therapist, the ultra-goofy boyfriend, the cranky handyman, and an extremely nasty man named Abner (!). Thankfully, most of these jerks are subjected to horrible deaths at the hands of supernatural forces! This is a horror / thriller along the lines of THE SHINING, THE SENTINEL, BURNT OFFERINGS, etc., and has a solid story w/ a nice, twisty ending. Enjoy...

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A bit scary but what I like is how different it pales to other Horror movies of the era and of even now,despite the obvious later on as it unravels there is a sort of class about it,a classiness if you will that made the film enjoyable,The Creepy House and the author's strange behavior all make it worth watching.

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I saw this movie with a friend at a Drive-in shortly before I left the Pacific Northwest in '82. I thought it was a good flick and earlier this year began a search for the title. It took more than 4 months to find, but it was worth it! And to be able to get it on Blue-ray was icing on the cake. Thanks.

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The Nesting looks like it was shot in NY State, which is always a good idea because it has so many great locations that would work in a horror movie, and the makers of this movie found a house as archetypal to horror as the one in Psycho. There's no ghost story in cinema history like this that I've ever seen, and it delivers the good on atmosphere, shock, suspense, and has a few great scares to it. The late seventies and early eighties were a boom period for horror. The Nesting is one that didn't do that badly, but for some reason fell under the cultural radar for a very long time.

Blue Underground's claim that it's been "unavailable" on video is generally true. I remember seeing this one time, and one time only on cable in the eighties, never seeing it again until I bought this Blu-ray, incredible, but it was well worth the wait. As usual, BU has done a perfect job here with the transfer, both in sound and audio, boosting the sound up to an optional 7.1 mix. Everything here is real HD. Strongly recommended in every sense if you love horror.

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The Matador (2005)

Think you know Pierce Brosnan as an actor? Think again. This film reveals him as the anti-James Bond, a creepy assassin who suddenly grows a conscience in his waning years. No more REMINGTON STEELE, no more 007. This guy needs a serious injection of scruples.

When Julian Noble (Brosnan) is assigned to "rub someone out," there's no hope for his target. That is until one day he's contracted to take out a man in Manila and has a nervous breakdown, ending up face-down in a pile of donkey dung.

Then we move on to/flashback to Mexico City, where Julian meets up with Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear, ), a down-on-his-luck businessman who tries to befriend Julian in the hotel bar. But Julian's antisocial behavior gets in the way often and nearly forces Danny away. But they form a sort of twisted friendship and Julian takes Danny into his confidence while watching a bullfight and shows him how to function as a killer. Danny is both terrified and exhilarated.

Then, six months later, Julian shows up at Danny's house in Denver and ask for an impossible favor.

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Brosnan deserves an Oscar for his performance as the confused and embattled assassin. I never, ever, ever saw Brosnan but always the character he was portraying. He completely creeped me out, even when some of his humanity returned.

Greg Kinnear was excellent as Brosnan's alter-ego, a Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes guy who needs an infusion of toughness to get his life back on track. The film is strange like that, too. Both men give some of themselves to the other, but in the process lose a portion of what they once were. For Brosnan's character, that was definitely a good thing all the way around, but for Kinnear's, we're not too sure.

The scenes filmed in Mexico were beautifully filmed, too. The shots of the colorful buildings, the huge stadium built for bullfighting, the cheesy bars, etc.

If you want to see a movie that'll tickle that dark funny bone, you couldn't go wrong here. Brosnan is masterful!

Julian Noble (a witty, debauched, ironic Pierce Brosnan) is a hit-man for hire and at a crossroads in his life: after years of killing for money, bedding anything within sight and inhaling as much liquor as he can, Julian is having trouble carrying off his assignments. Has he developed a conscience? Is he bored? Does he no longer need the money? It's never really made clear but "The Matador" is one of those films in which the journey is much more fun and important than the destination.

Along the way, Julian hooks up with a nebbish Danny Wright (a perfect Greg Kinnear) and Danny's wife (Hope Davis) both of whom hilariously accept Julian at face value: they are both excited and turned on by Julian's occupation and welcome him into their home for conversation, bourbon and pecan pie.

Director Richard Shepard keeps a tight rein on the proceedings and though much of the action has to be seen to be believed, the film rarely bogs down in its own absurdity.

The revelation of "The Matador" is of course Pierce Brosnan and, with this part, he once and for all sheds any notion in anyone's mind that he can only play James Bond. His Julian is paunchy, grizzled, graying and fun as hell to watch.

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Now this is an unusual and quite enjoyable movie, with Pierce Brosnan like you've never seen before and with Greg Kinnear giving a hilarious and touching performance, best for both in a long time. I loved the quirky conversations, the no bs jokes, the bright color schemes, the glow of cardamom yellow, aqua and flame red in the background, flower beds and their drinks. This movie is full of flavor, shades and produces quite a few chuckles, but also has some nice moments that make it an enjoyable experience and gives a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Brosnan plays Julian Noble, an assassin that meets up with Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) in a bar in Mexico. Those two are as far from normal life style as possible in an exotic place; one just finished a "job" while the other has a semi successful business deal in the works. Julian finds out that it's his birthday and realizes he has no friends. As a secret killer, a hush hush man, he starts chatting with Danny at a bar and buys him a drink. The whole time the audience is made to wonder if he really wants to be friends or is Danny his next job. They talk and laugh, hit some rough spots, they get angry at each other, they laugh more, its back and forth like a husband and wife after thirty years of marriage. They argue all the time but they can't stay away from each other. They go to see a bull fight, that has a profound impact on their "friendship" when the bull fighter delivers the kill, Julian tells Danny who he is and what he does. He then proceeds to give him a hilarious demonstration of his talents.

I had a blast watching this, with fine performances from all the actors, witty dialog, jokes and offences, and scruffy, unshaven Brosnan, who paraded around in funky clothes and spoke words I never heard him utter. We watched him trot the globe form Budapest to Vienna, Mexico and Us to Danny's home and the trials and tabulations his failing career caused him. Once he's too tired to work, his midlife crisis hits him, he has no friends but Danny to help him out as his own boss it out to terminate the old dog, Julian himself. Half the fun was watching Kinnear and Brosnan collaborate, as they make a fine match, indescribable by words. It's a feast for the eyes and a holiday for my mind and a fun Thursday night movie to watch with someone close to share the laughs and gasps.

Kasia S.

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I saw this movie last October at the Milwaukee Film Festival with nearly 1,000 people (no joke) and the audience was laughing so hard; I missed parts of the movie. If you want a break from lions, apes, and wizards this is the movie to see.

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Pierce Brosnan has previously played Remmington Steele and James Bond. In this film, he plays a hapless hit man who lost his nerve to kill. This black comedy takes a large poke at the Steele/Bond legends that Brosnan have already done and made famous. Brosnan does this satire with a flair

When he loses his nerve, he chats with a simple man in a bar (Greg Kinnear). Kinnear's character reminds me of Albert Brooks's character from the bad remake of the IN-Laws..that is where the similar ideas ends. He befriends Bronson in his hour of need

Kinnear's wife is played by Hope Davis. This role is most lifelike I have seen Davis act since she did the role of Joyce in the film American Spendor

To give away the end would spoil the fun..just get it and enjoy it yourself

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

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Stuck (2007)

STUCK is one of those films that creeps up on you, teases you into thinking a comedy is in the making, then slowly reveals itself as what seems to be an exposé of our current manner of getting through life, of competing in the workplace, and of self absorption to the point of endangering those around us. The fact that the film is based on a true story as adapted by director Stuart Gordon and transformed into a bitingly satirical screenplay by John Strysik increases the impact of this well-crafted little low budget film. Watch it once for the gritty content of the story, then watch it again to appreciate all of the very dark (and very pointed!) humor in what at first appears to be a grisly tale.

Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari) works as a Nurse's Aid in a nursing home of senile elderly patients, giving some of the finest care for those entrusted to her talents. Brandi's compassionate work is noted by the supervisor Peterson (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon) who manages to trick Brandi into an even heavier work schedule by suggesting a raise in position. Excited about her possible promotion Brandi and her working partner Tanya (Rukiya Bernard) celebrate that evening with Brandi's boyfriend/drug supplier Rashid (Russell Hornsby) who gives Brandi a pill of Ecstasy and the mixture of the drug with the alcohol creates a mess of Brandi's mind.

The parallel story involves one jobless Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea) who lives in a tenement, is evicted because of past due rent, and becomes a street person, treated with cold (but satirical) mechanical responses at the Department of Unemployment. Left to sleep in the park he is befriended by another homeless person, given a shopping cart, and makes his way toward a midnight mission.

Brandi cum altered thought processes drives home, hits Thomas who comes sailing through her windshield badly injured, and out of fear and distress Brandi merely takes the 'stuck' Thomas home to park him in her garage, knowing that her boyfriend Rashid will help her. Thomas is conscious, unable to climb out of the glass of the crushed windshield and begs for help. How the stranded and injured Thomas is treated by the desperate but self-centered Brandi, by the frightened but macho Rashid, and by neighbors who fear intervention because of reporting an incident that would encourage police intervention and threaten their deportation as illegal immigrants results in an ending that shows how 'justice' can prevail!

The cast is first rate especially Rea, Suvari, Hornsby and Bernard. The direction is tight and maintains credible characters in incredible situations and holds the audience attention every moment. This is a fine example of how a low budget film, in the hands of pros, can be more successful that the big budget, less thoughtful movies that crowd our marquis. Grady Harp, November 08

If you'd like to be disgusted, search for the name Chante Mallard. What you'll find is the story of a drug/alcohol intoxicated woman, who hit a man named Gregory Biggs with her car while she was driving home. After the collision she completed her trip, parked in the garage, and proceeded to callously let Biggs bleed-out (officials believe he would have lived if given medical help) while she had sex with her boyfriend and no doubt did whatever else her morally decayed black heart desired.

Since no audience would appreciate simply seeing a man slowly bleed to death while stuck in a car windshield, the makers of this movie took some liberties with the truth. I'm ecstatic they did.

Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea) is down on his luck. Evicted, jobless, possession-less, he doesn't even have a place to sleep. When police wake him from slumber on a park bench, he's forced to make his way toward a mission.

Meanwhile, Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari miscast because Mallard is an obese black woman) is a soulless, selfish drug-abuser who is getting trashed and partying the night way. (Suvari really manages to pick out character roles that make me despise her) Many other reviewers may view her as "balanced", but since she's a drug-using drunk driver, and is a white girl with corn-rows which never looks good I'm going to go ahead and say that she's incredibly unbalanced and vile.

As if it were a surprise, she's blitzed out of her mind (thanks to X and alcohol), effing with her cell phone, swerving all over, and she blasts Bardo, mangling his legs and lodging him in the windshield. Drunk or not, people with a shred of humanity stop there and help the man. But not this intellectually, morally, and spiritually defective sociopath. Instead, she goes home and has the least appealing non-rape full-frontal nudity, sex scene in cinema history.

Ahh...the resolution. In real life, as I said before, it's boring. This movie, however, provides the resolution that Ted Kennedy sees in his nightmares. Brilliant. I won't ruin it, but the tight directing and believable acting accentuates Bardo's rage against the dying of the light.

Overall, I recommend this for people with mild tempers and no heart conditions.

COMMENTARY

Knowing the case beforehand, I watched the majority with a snarled lip. Such social apathy really brings out my misanthropy. This single instance serves as a harsh critical analysis representative of the insidious cultural decay that has wreaked havoc on the community, family, and morals of our society. It's an overtly sexual, me-first MTV-generation where every child is a precious little snowflake, nobody has respect for family, elders, or authorities, and selfishness all but negates personal accountability. People like Mallard are deserving of a special place in hell, and the fact that there is no doubt at least one person with sympathy for her only reflects society's decay. It's sad that the movie ending isn't the real ending, and that vile scum like Mallard are allowed to live, let alone be given the possibility of parole. With any luck (crossing my fingers), karma will make the rest of her life a horror movie.

Buy Stuck (2007) Now

The setup for Stuck seems pretty ridiculous, but it's actually based on a true story. After a night of partying, the young Brandi (Mena Suvari) commits a hit and run on a homeless man (Stephen Rea). Such a tragic mistake, and here's the horrible kicker--the guy is wedged tightly in the windshield of her car! Quite a crazy predicament, and Brandi is of course stricken with panic.

So what does she do? Drives home, drops some more ecstasy and has sex with her boyfriend. Just leaves the poor guy bleeding to death in her garage? Well, I suppose we all deal with stress in different ways.

I can appreciate the dark comedy of this story and realize it might be a statement about the current mindset that seems to be prevalent in our culture. People having a reckless pursuit of personal happiness along with a selfish disregard for responsibility. It also plays other stereotypes out to comical effect.

But the humor eventually goes from being subtle (a cop unaware of the car passing behind him with a bloody passenger on the hood?) to extremely silly (death by a ball point pen?) (ah geez). Oh well.

Overall, this was somewhat entertaining and original. This movie includes profanity, violence, drug use, and nudity. Written and directed by Stuart Gordon.

Read Best Reviews of Stuck (2007) Here

So, this is what is life in America? Joking aside, this is a terrific look at the consequences of the "culture of success" permeating the United States. Which is in fact no success at all, but mostly submission to bosses, bureaucracy and money. It is the law of the jungle in "Stuck", but when Stephen Rea, a victim of downsizing, gets stuck in Mena Suvari's windshield he seems still incapable to understand that his society no longer functions, and waits for her to get help. That never comes. I don't see this film as a black comedy but as an indictment, a suspenseful look at the effects of a socially inept landscape in some individuals fighting to maintain their status in the ranks of the low class (they are... stuck!). More insight and this could have been masterful. As it is, it constitutes a very enjoyable action film.

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A relatively low budget but searching and fascinating film. Our 'heroine' is Brandi who is presented as an attractive and caring young woman who works in a nursing home, sensitively taking care of elderly and senile people many of whom can no longer control their bodily functions. Not surprisingly, her somewhat smarmy supervisor tells Brandi that she is 'under consideration' to become the supervisor of other nursing assistants.

Next scene, however, shows her in a rather seedy cub where she meets and passinately kisses a guy who looks like he's a pimp and drug pusher. High on alcohol and drugs, Brandi leaves the club only to cell phone her pimp-looking 'friend', inviting him to come over. Brandi is clearly not attentive to her driving and hits a newly-homeless man who becomes stuck halfway in her shattered windshield.

Rather than stop and call 911, the cops or both--she incredibly drives into her garage with the moaning man still stuck in her windshied. 'You should have watched where you were walking.' She complains to her helpless victim, and goes into her house to call her pimp-looking friend for help.

The rest of the movie you've just got to see. It turns out that cute little Brandi is just about as selfish and self-centered as a human being could possibly be. She allows herself to be seduced by her pimp-drug pusher with the suffering, probably dying, victim only a few feet away. Later she yells at the bloodied man impaled in her windshield, 'Why did you do this to me?' and hits him in the head with a 2 X 4.

This movie is a scathing indictment of the 'ME' generation. Obviously Brandi is an extreme example of a generational model, but sometimes extremes make the point better than averages. Brandi is a good nursing assistant because such an occupation meets her talents and advances her cause. Brandi, at the very same time, is ruthless and completely uncaring about anyone or anything that disrupts the flow of her life.

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Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998)

I was one of the few people who actually saw this in a theatre. One of the most pleasant surprizes I've had, it's rare to walk into a movie that completely exceeds you expectations. If you haven't seen this before, you would do yourself a favor by NOT trying to find out much about the plot before you go in. You only need to know that 1)There's some gratuitous nudity, 2)It is more complex than it appears to be, and 3)Bill Murray will once again steal a movie with only a handful of lines.

The "Unrated version" didn't have a whole lot of extra skin, (undercutting the main marketing point for this release). However it did integrate several additional scenes that were available as "extras" in the original edition. It's nice to have them weaved into the movie rather than hunting them down after the fact trying to think of how they'd fit in. My favorite is the post legal battle lunch between Bill Murray and Robert Wagner; great lines, fun situation, and played perfectly.

Wildthings stands up pretty well to repeated viewings, I've watched my old copy probably twice a year since I bought it. It is a modern tight, complex thriller that doesn't have a dopey sticking point or obvious logic gap in how it fits together. How many times have you watched the latest and greatest hollywood thriller only to find some incredibly huge plot hole that renders the entire movie a waste of your time? Wild Things actually delivers, in my opinion setting a standard for being one the best of this type of movie (and certainly the best in the last 10 years or so). Some of the acting gets a little wooden, but it's more than compensated for by the rapidly unfolding and novel plot.

Hitchcockian with tan boobs would be the short review. If you haven't purchased the original edition, then get this one instead. I own both, and have no regrets on either.

Anyone thinking the unrated version is going to have extended motel or pool scenes will be sorely disappointed in this "unrated" version. I think there was maybe one extra scene. The difference in the two can be summed up using an expression of Adam Sandler's, "Big Whoppedee Do".

So if you have the "R" version already, save your $10 bucks.

UPDATE. Well this little gem has popped up on Blu Ray Wild Things (Unrated Edition) [Blu-ray] and those of us that bought it have the dilemma of whether or not to take the plunge and buy it again. I for one, am because its a great movie. Unfortunately, as with the earlier DVDs there are no extras. So now I own 3, yes 3 different DVD versions of the same movie. Oh, and I bought the soundtrack years ago too. LOL

Buy Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998) Now

"Wild Things" is a gloriously lurid and decadent little gem of a movie. I love movies that respect the intelligence of the audience while pandering to their base desires (most studio releases skip that first part), and "Wild Things" fits the bill perfectly.

The plot is well, the plot is twisted, in every sense of the word. The story that seems to be unfolding ends at the halfway point of the movie and then the real story begins. And in a technique I've never seen before, it continues through the ending credits, as director McNaughton gleefully fills in the holes.

"Wild Things" offers great, juicy turns from Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Theresa Russell, and especially Bill Murray as a hilariously corrupt small-time lawyer. Along the way we get lots of steamy, lurid peek-a-boo sex and nudity (which is so gratuitous it inspires genuine laughter), violence, and characters motivated by nothing more than pure greed. Put 'em together in the Everglades, and you have one hot movie.

I generally don't like movies that mess with the audience by hiding information, and then springing it on them later as a "twist." But twists work beautifully if the character is just as befuddled by them as the audience. Since "Wild Things" offers nothing but characters who think they have secrets and alliances but are actually only pawns in a game, every twist is justified.

This new "unrated" version incorporates scenes that aren't necessary, but are joyful anyway. If you have the original cut and you've got the money to throw around, go for it. If you haven't seen it, well, it's probably not for anyone. But if the thought of a wicked little Hitchcockian melodrama, dripping with sex and humor and directed with a wink, appeals to you, you can't go wrong with "Wild Things."

Read Best Reviews of Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998) Here

My review will pertain just to the extended "unrated" version of Wild Things.

People purchasing the unrated DVD of the 1st (and great) Wild Thing film hoping to see a substansial amount of extra sex and nudity are likely to be sorely disappointed.

Despite the label stating that this is "the unrated version too hot for theaters", it appears to be more of an initial cut of the film containing material that was left out of the final theatrical cut for good reason.

Most of the extra footage is just little dialogue bits here and there that state stuff a bit more obviously then what was given to the viewer the 1st time through in theaters.

There's also sort of an alternate part added to the ending that just makes no sense whatsoever as well regarding a potential genetic relation between Denise Richards and Neve Campbell's characters which would have added an incestuous angle to their lesbian relationship.

The only addition that I think really should've stayed in the movie is a admittedly nice extension to the makeout section in the pool featuring Neve and Denise. We now get to see Neve remove Denise's bikini top revealing her stupendous & breathtaking breasts with some very nice added kissing between the two hot actresses,

Since the film was kind of a tongue in cheek sendup of sleazy movies of this nature and didn't have a problem wallowing in said sleaziness, I don't know why the filmmakers cut this part out.

What I recommend doing is just holding onto the original R rated theatrical cut DVD (especially since the unrated DVD doesn't carry over the nice commentary track from the 1st release) and if you're a massive fan of the movie, pick up the unrated cut and get a DVD case that holds a DVD on each side. Then, just make your own 2 pack of the film this way as the unrated cut has some nice but pointless additions (like see Denise Richards washing her truck in very skimpy clothing) that hurt the flow of the movie but are worth having for the diehard fans of the film.

Just don't get rid of your original DVD like I mentioned.

A great, sexy and sleazy film nonetheless, but the unrated DVD is a complete wasted oppurtunity IMO.

Want Wild Things (Unrated Edition) (1998) Discount?

WILD THINGS is the epitome of the good looking contemporary thriller: all of the actors are in top form; the men are handsome; the ladies are ravenous; the story has more twists and turns than a Grisham novel; and the story setting fuses so effortlessly with the tale that it becomes another added element of mystery.

I had the good fortune of seeing WILD when it had its theatrical run, and, at that time, I wondered about the prospect of some unused footage. This thriller continued to re-invent itself -even through the closing credits -so I imagined that there were some elements that the director left on the cutting room floor so as not to bombard the viewer with information overload. Most of what's been restored here is passable: Kevin Bacon's character is fleshed out a bit more, but he ends up appearing more of a conspirator a bit too early in this version as opposed to the original.

However, the stunning Denise Richards, Neve Campbell, and (yes) Theresa Russell make this picture definitely worth exploring on subsequent viewings because they do represent three complex personalities: (1) the woman who can have it all and takes it; (2) the woman who wants it all and takes it; and (3) the woman who is deprived of it all but finds a way to take it anyway.

Also, think what you will of the talents of Bill Murray, but his short work here coupled with his star-power performances in GROUNDHOG DAY and LOST IN TRANSLATION truly show this man is in peak form when the script requires it.

Rediscover this guilty pleasure in its unrated form!

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Happy Feet (2007)

First of all, this is simply a great movie. The narrative is brought to life with humor, action, important life lessons, and conservational commentary. The voice actors all give 5-star performances and the animation is incredible.

But, this being the Blu-ray disc, I'm going to focus on the picture and sound.

The animation by itself is simply breath-taking; easily one of, if not the best looking CGI feature to date. But in HD, it's brought to life even further. Every feather on the penguins is apparent, every flake of snow falling through the air and I'd almost go so far as to say every molecule of water! This is the best looking animated feature you can get on Blu-ray now. It's definitely the show-off piece when people ask "How much better does HD look?". The leopard seal was particularly mind-blowing to me.

Another hook is the sound. While I wouldn't say this is the best sounding movie on Blu-ray, it definitely puts sound to good use and ranks pretty high. All five channels are used when appropriate, but Happy Feet does not utilize them as much as other films. Still, crank up the sound and the action scenes will blow you away.

All in all, this is an excellent movie made even better on Blu-ray. At this time, this is the Blu-ray disc to own for giving people lessons about HD.

South polar-izing in this case, but it's hard to miss the fact that some people really love this movie and some really...well...don't.

I just saw this movie twice over the past three days, and here's my take on it, with the upsides and the downsides.

The upsides were:

The animation technology! Some of the animation, especially the backgrounds, was drop dead gorgeous. I don't even have HD, and I was mesmerized by how beautifully done some parts of this movie were.

The misfit becomes a hero. It hit sort of close to home for my wife and I because we have a special needs child and have often felt like Memphis and Norma Jean. What went wrong? We sigh a lot and wonder what will become of him. I quietly hope he will develop some great talent some day. We'll see.

An environmental message that wasn't too heavy handed. The humans are not presented as evil, just as being who didn't know what they were doing. Once they discovered the penguins, they helped them out. At least this movie didn't stoop to the now very tired "man is bad" cliche message.

Interesting symbology. The "Memphis" character was obviously Elvis, and Norma Jean was Marilyn Monroe? The two icons of the 1950's give birth to a misfit who revolutionalizes music among a sort of authoritarian theocratic paternal oligarchy. Is this supposed to be something like what happened when rock 'n roll took America by storm in the late 1950's and early 60's? The fundamentalists preached against rock 'n roll, and the kids just wanted to have fun.

The music itself. I found it varied and rather enjoyable. I've never liked that "Somebody to Love" song by Queen, but I genuinely enjoyed the way it was rendered by the penguin choir.

Finally, extrapolating on the fact that penguin couples can identify each other out of the masses of penguins because each has a unique call. This I assume was the inspiration for the idea that penguins mate when they find "their song".

Now the downsides:

I found the adult penguin characters to be designed in a way that didn't make them particularly endearing to look at. I thought the penguins in Surf's Up (which anyone who likes this movie should see too; it's brilliant) were designed to look more fun and loveable. The hint of breasts on the female penguins just made them look sort of weird.

One dimensional stereotype characters. There's the overbearing authoritarian fundamentalists, the holy roller preacher, the "five amigo" wise guys, the skua bird gang, etc. There just wasn't much depth anywhere in the character department.

Very little genuine humor. A lot of what was supposed to be humor seemed forced, Disney Style. I was entertained throughout the movie, but I only really laughed two or three times.

And, one big helping of subliminal vulgarity. I read it elsewhere and so out of curiosity I freeze framed through the sequence where Gloria and Happy Feet emerge from their first swim and tumble through the snow, and yes it lookes like they went through the catalogue of sexual positions. That was crass, but then this movie is rated PG for a reason. I mean, what parent would think that a fuzzy little cute baby penguin on all the artwork would mean that they should allow their young children see it? Who would get that idea anyway?

So, a solid three stars for a movie that pretends to be for the little ones but richly deserves a PG rating and perhaps PG-13. Now, my happy keys gotta stop clickin'. Tippity tippity tap tap click!

Buy Happy Feet (2007) Now

I loved the movie, it had me swaying to the music and singing right from the beginning. I loved the characters.. I chose to get it in full screen version due to I'm not a big fan of the wide screen version.. I loved the movie from beginning to end.. I watched it along with my parents and they're a tough bunch when it comes to movies, But my mother loved it especially, I think she must have laughed and kept a smile through the whole movie.. My fathter, whose an even tougher critic to watch movies with enjoyed it also.. I even him him laughing a few times and saw him smile, so all and all, it was worth the buy.. Thanks amazon!

Read Best Reviews of Happy Feet (2007) Here

When I saw this movie, I was struck by two things how it looked and how it felt.

It sounds obvious, but I couldn't help but be struck by the artistry of the film's animation. "Happy Feet" had the appearance of a nature documentary, and I mean it in a good way. The filmmakers made a conscious effort to study penguin movement (maybe by watching "March of the Penguins?") as well as how the enviornment interacts with them. Simple backgrounds work as well, as they are able to capture the splendid vistas of an admittedly minimalist natural environment.

Now, it also was meant to be a "message" film, and those can always be tricky. I'm not a big fan of them because, when moviemakers attempt one, I get the feeling they assume the watchers are too stupid to get what they're saying without clobbering us about the head with them. It's worse when it's done with a "children's" film. There are two here taking care of the environment and not casting out those that are different and yet they're handled in a truly cool way. Yes, the uberconservatives may get in a bit of a snit when they see the forces against Mumbles are cast to appear like mean-spirited religious zealots, however this IS a great plotpoint. Outcasts (I speak from experience here) sometimes feel just that way beat on and thrown out simply because we're running against the popular tide. And the environmental point is handled, I truly believe, in a way non-humans would look upon it. Humans really ARE "aliens" in this world, and they aren't being necessarily "mean" in how they act toward animals. They may be just clueless to the harm they're doing.

A top-notch voice cast helps bring this off. Elijah Wood may yet be one of the most overlooked actors in Hollywood because he's able to bring off a tender, desperate Mumbles with only his voice (although the animators also gave him Wood's piercing blue eyes). We don't get to see often enough Hugh Jackman's verstility with accents, and here we are hearing him do a cross between Curly from "Oklahoma" (I strongly suggest anyone who hasn't yet see the filmed Royal Shakespeare version with him in it to do so) and Elvis without it seeming forced or artificial. There are really too many performances to list, and they're all first rate.

The tapdancing too is great. We only see a cartoonish replication of Savion Glover's moves, but he really sends off on sound as well. A carryover from his days on "Stomp."

The final verdict is an enthusiastic "buy it." Unless you don't happen to like penguins.

Want Happy Feet (2007) Discount?

First, this movie may be appreciate by kids, but its really made for big

kids, which will understand and appreciate it more. Great music, great

characters will entertain you with this eye candy of a movie. I did'nt

know what to expect, and viewing it at 23:00 it had to be good. By the

time the movie ended, i could'nt go to bed...cause my feet were dancing.

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