Madea's Big Happy Family: The Play (2010)

I have seen this Play live in Kansas City and I must agree. I laughed, cried, was angry, sad and happy. But thank god for the majority I was laughing. :)

It involved every emotion that we experience in life, and not to be dissapointed had quiet a few lessons in it.

As with every good comedy, you take someones hardship and make fun of it' a lot of people will laugh, because they can relate. The cast was the best he has had yet. Very talented all the way through and I had my favorites of course. "Yaaaa Trick!!!" lol

I have seen all of Tyler Perry's Plays, watched all of his movies. But with this one I wasnt even out of the Sprint Center and asked if they had the play on DVD. But was told I had to wait until november. :( sniff.

I have never ever in 40 years waited on any movie or play ...on anything for that matter for 6 month,

but for this I did.

Thank You Tyler for opening my eyes on a few things and making me laugh while you are sharing your experience and pain.

Buy it, trust me you will not regret it, it's worth every penny!

(Oh and this is my first ever review. Can you tell? lol)

I saw the play, the first night in Atlanta.... couldn't wait for this dvd to come out! Buying it as Christmas presents and stocking stuffers!

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I have seen all the Tyler Perry plays on dvd, and got to see this one live this is my favorite of all of them! This one literally made me laugh and cry, and the actors are just amazingly talented.

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I went to see the play live at the paramount with my dad and sister and love it. But when it saw it on DVD we laugh even hard, I like the way tyler add more comedy in to it. This one is worth every penny so enjoy it. Madea's Big Happy Family: The Play

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I have bought all the plays and movies of Mr. Perry, and in my opinion, this play was by far the best. The message of the play is as family, we should love one another, and really respect and honor our parents, because you never know when God may call them home. Tomorrow is not promised to us. The play has humor as well as sadness and the singing is GREAT. Don't want to give to much of the play away, but I will say, it was worth the money I spent for the DVD.

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Black Rock Shooter OVA Limited Edition Set w/ Petit Nendoroids (Blu-Ray & DVD Combo) (2012)

The Black Rock Shooter Limited Edition Set was amazing! Everything was awesome. But what they might want to include is the size of the droids. They were small enough to fit in the palm of your hand... either way they were still very well done and very cute. Everything was brand new and the box itself was very cool, the only problem I had was that my Dead Master figure had one of it's horns broken when I JUST opened the package. But it was an easy fix, all I need was super glue. Other than that, it was amazing! And the anime had subtitles for many languages. In my opinion, it is the best OVA I have ever watched. I would highly recommend buying this item if you love Black Rock Shooter, Huke, or if you are a hard-core anime fan.

I'd like to start by saying that Black Rock Shooter was an idea, a drawing, next was a song by Supercell, and now an OVA of epic proportions. [Burakku*Rokku Shu-ta-] is set in the year 2050 and the heroine is a young girl who became a living weapon and the last hope for mankind. Her weapons range from her fists or hands, black katana, and her black rock cannon, but the story has shots of another world with Mato Kuroi starting junior high school. She makes a great friend named Yomi Takanashi and their lives are good until the outcome of the two worlds collide and start combining before the two girls eyes. The music is awesome in this show because the majority of the tracks are recorded by Ryo who also recorded vocaloid songs for Hatsune Miku and the theme song for BRS is sung by Hatsune Miku. To end this without giving off the story, Black Rock Shooter is my favorite modern action/drama/fantasy animation of this generation and I will enjoy my collector box set and Black Rock Shooter THE GAME on PSP this September. I hope this review was helpful and informative.

If anyone want's further information regarding Black Rock Shooter feel free to ask me and I'll kindly get back to you.

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The film is great, original animation and art and story. The plot makes you wonder where everything is going but it slowly but surely leads to the inevitable.

The story is basically: Mato is a high schooler who befriends the new girl Yomi. They become close friends but one day something happens to Yomi. From the start, as this is going on, two characters in an alternate dimension are fighting. The fighters look an awful lot like Mato and Yomi and the connection between the two worlds is the mystery.

This collection also comes with storyboards, two chibi Nendoroids of Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master, and some promo stuff.

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This was a Christmas gift for my son and he absolutely loved it. It was shipped very quickly and packaged very nicely. Overall a great product.

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The "Black Rock Shooter OVA Limited Edition Set w/ Petit Nendoroids (Blu-Ray & DVD Combo)" is an amazing movie that beats record. I ordered it by the company "AOYAMA&CO. / bring JAPAN close to you!" and even received it 22 days before the estimate receive date! :)

Box including:

*Black Rock Shooter Nendoroid Petit

*Dead Master nendoroid Petit

*DVD n Blue Ray of the movie (7 language Sub)

*Frame Book of the movie (Japanese only)

I'm glade to have it and listening it over and over again.

the nendoroid petit are awesome, pretty a nice add to get those limited edition! ^^

the Nendoroid are pretty small but really cute too!

I know that it have Mato and Yomi Nendoroid Petit, so for those that want to continue the collection, it also have an other Black Rock and Dead Master Nendoroid Petit from the same compagny.

(little clue for completing a collection)

It also have the "Frame Book" of the movie in the box, but sadly I don't understand Japanese so... stuck at that point...

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The Vampire Lovers (1970)

I can't remember the author of that quote, but it fits this film well. A classic of latter-day Hammer Horror, The Vampire Lovers is a very good adaption of LeFanu's pre-Dracula vampire story, Carmilla (1870s). The aristocratic and drop-dead hot Ingrid Pitt plays the tortured vampire who not only lusts for blood, but for the love of young women--both forbidden to her, of course.

Peter Cushing adds his usual stoic, stiff-upper-class persona to the proceedings as he marshalls the fathers and male suitors of the victims against the power of the lovely undead. The wide-eyed innocent that falls under Carmilla's sway is played by Madeleine Smith--Mmmmm. Hammer gets the seduction scenes just right, mingling horror and eros with unexpected skill and taste. The sexual tension is high, and the scenes of bosomy women in bodices bearing huge fangs has always been a Hammer staple. I love it, myself.

The Vampire Lovers is competently acted, with a nice turn by Pitt especially, showing how unhappy she is and how she what she wants--love--will always elude her; what she needs--blood--will always cause death. Not that the movie gets too heavy into Anne Rice territory, but Pitt definitely brings some shading to her character. The atmosphere and sets are top-notch, and the story moves along at a leisurely pace, obviously holding to the original story.

I recommend this film highly to fans of softcore erotica, vampire films, and of course the tiny subgenre of lesbian vampires. You really could spend an hour-and-a-half watching far worse films. For $12, this is a real treat. Ingrid Pitt, Ingrid Pitt, where art thou?

This edition of the movie contains two scenes that have been previously deleted from other releases. The first scene is in the prologue with the decapitation of the vampire woman. The second scene is at the climax with several cuts reinstated between Peter Cushing and the demise of Carmilla. With these scenes finally added and a reproduction at standard play, this video is a must for any serious Hammer horror film fan.

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"The Vampire Lovers," directed by Roy Ward Baker in 1970, is the first in the Karnstein trilogy of Hammer films, all based quite loosely on Joseph Sheridan LeFanu's story "Carmilla." The Karnsteins are a clan of vampires, represented in this version by a bunch of scantily clad women. Ingrid Pitt stars as Carmilla, who also goes under the anagram names of Mircalla and Marcilla at various points in the story (yes, there is a story). The last of her clan, Carmilla is trying to rebuild, turning first to Laura (Pippa Steele), the daughter of General Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) and then Emma (Madeleine Smith), the daughter of Roger Morton (George Cole). Along the way she turns Mademoiselle Perrodon (Kate O'Mara) into a sexual slave. In the great tradition of Dracula and most other vampire films, Laura dies before anyone recognizes the marks of the vampire and then the goal is to save poor Emma from the same fate.

There is a lot in "The Vampire Lovers" that never makes much sense. Who is the countess (Dawn Addams) who travels with Mircalla? What is up with the black-clad vampire (John Forbes Robertson) who keeps hanging around? Supposedly Mircalla is the last of her clan, but maybe not. Mircalla keeps saying she loves her victims, but they all end up dead, which certainly does not help out her clan much. In the end it is clear that Hammer, aided and abetted by American International in this instance, was making a flat-out lesbian vampire film. As such, I can honestly say that you are not going to find a better one out there. Ironically, "The Vampire Lovers" ends up being more erotic than the vast majority of films featuring heterosexual relationships between the undead and their victims.

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This film is based on Sheridan LeFanu's "Carmilla", which had noticeable sapphic and surrealist elements. The lesbian theme is here reproduced, going as far as a PG (I presume it was released with that rating) would allow in 1970. It is in that and other aspects fairly typical Hammer: enjoyable, slightly exagerated,with some sense of atmosphere and fairly busty females. The interiors are colourful verging on lushness, with some of exteriors obvious sets. Peter Cushing gives his usual professional performance. Hammer films were derided by purists when they appeared in the 50s and 60s, but had a certain standard now appreciable.

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The Vampire Lovers

'The Vampire Lovers' is the first of the Karnstein Trilogy, and in my opinion the best. The film captures love, unhappiness and evil, which makes the film brilliant.

'The Vampire Lovers' is based on Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's Brilliant Vampire story 'Carmilla'. The Novel, and the film, is set in the Austrian Province of Styria.

The 'Evil' of this story comes in the form of Ingrid Pitt, who plays Mircalla Karnstein, a centuries old Vampire. Mircalla travels around Styria looking for 'fresh meat' (e.g Beautiful young females!) under Pseudonyms

of her real name, Marcilla and Carmilla.

She seems very lonely in the film. She wants Emma to be with her, I am not saying she isn't evil but there is a certain sadness about her character. I think Ingrid Pitt played the part well, some people say she was just good in 'nude' scenes but I think she is a good actress and especially good at facial expressions and showing emotions.

The cast of this film include Peter Cushing as General Spielsdorf, Madelyne Smith as Emma Morton, Pippa Steele as Laura Spielsdorf, George Cole as Mr Morton, Douglas Wilmar as Baron Hartog and a virtually mute John Forbes-Robertson as The Man in Black aka Count Karnstein.

'The Vampire Lovers' is a surprisingly close adaptation of Le Fanu's 'Carmilla and a ground breaking film for Hammer, as it was the first Hammer film to have nudity and first to get an X rating. After this film Vampire Films were very erotic and female Vampires made appearances in more and more films, including films by Jess Franco and other 'Euro-trash' film directors. This film did very well in the theatres and even spawned two sequels.

This film has a lot to offer the main character, as stated before, is very interesting. Though Mircalla is clearly 'Evil', you (the viewer) do sympathise with her. I love the funeral scene it is very effective and once again, as I have commented on before of times Ms Pitt uses her facial talents to good effect. I also liked the Bath scene (not just for the nudity) because there is a great chemistry between Carmilla and Emma, and until the end of that scene, Carmilla seems just like an ordinary girl.

Peter Cushing acts brilliantly, as usual, his General Spielsdorf is a very interesting character. Cushing portrays a devastated man very well.

There isn't a lot of gore but, in my opinion, too much gore would ruin the plot. Fans of Vampire films will not be disappointed.

Thank you for reading my review, I hope you find it helpful.

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Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)

Green Lantern: First Flight is an awesome film. It doesn't waste a lot of time on the origin (which takes place in the first few minutes) and heads straight to the action. Some people might see this as detrimental, but I like how the DC animated projects a lot of the time will just assume that you know the basics of what is going on. It saves a lot of time and allows the movie to start getting to the point.

First off, I was surprised at how brutal some of the violence was for this cartoon. I know that these releases are not necessarily tailor-made for children, but this is no JLU episode. People are impaled, shot, torn through walls into the vacuum of space, and there is pretty much non-stop fighting through most of the 120 minutes. I don't have any problem with that, but it might not be to everyone's liking.

Plot-wise, it's not Shakespeare, but we are talking about an action cartoon here. There is a hero, a villain and lots of cool use of the Green Lantern rings. Those were the only prerequisites I was looking for going in to this thing, and I was not disappointed.

The voice cast did a great job as well. If there is one thing that DC always does right, it is casting their voices. Michael Madsen as Kilowog was my personal favorite. Too bad he didn't have more voice time.

This might possibly be my favorite DVD project of theirs, which is saying a lot considering the fantastic Wonder Woman, New Frontier, and Gotham Knight DVD films. I sincerely hope they continue putting out quality releases like this one.

In the Marvel universe Daredevil is the Man Without Fear. In DC Comics that label falls to Hal Jordan, who shows no fear and brandishes a will of friggin' iron. I'm not one to be on Hal Jordan's jock but I've been reading comic books long enough to know just how much this guy's been put thru the wringer. Not only did he have to put up with Oliver Queen in all those socially relevant stories, but years ago Hal Jordan went insane and turned to the dark side but having your city murdered under your nose might do that. Dude became a mega-supervillain called Parallax and wreaked incalculable devastation. Later, Jordan sacrificed himself and eventually took up the mantle of the Spectre, after which he came back from the dead (coming back from the dead being only marginally more challenging than chewing gum IF you're a comic book character). In DC's line of direct-to-video original animated movies, it's only natural that the spotlight first focused on the Big Three. But, after Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, I can see why Green Lantern would receive the next animated feature film treatment. Hal Jordan, whether home on Earth or patrolling the perilous spaceways, happens to be one of DC's all-time big guns.

GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT spits on the slow burn set-up and instead plonks you straight into the thick of things. Within the first four minutes of the film the dying extra-terrestrial Abin Sur crash lands and bestows his power ring onto dashing test pilot Hal Jordan, and Hal then becomes the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. There's barely time to acknowledge Carol Ferris and her Ferris Air company before the new Lantern is whisked away to a hellacious deep space adventure. Cue the non-stop action. Just one of the reasons I dig this movie.

Hal Jordan is transported to the center of the universe, to the planet Oa, home to those immortal blue midgets known as the Guardians of the Universe. The Guardians, creators of the Green Lantern Corps, don't think much of humans. Sinestro, the intrepid Green Lantern of Sector 1417, has to talk fast to convince them to allow him to take Jordan under his wing. So off Sinestro and Jordan go, on a mission to learn the identity of Abin Sur's killer.

But there's an even bigger situation brewing. For a while now the Lanterns had been on the lookout for any sign of the yellow element, the only thing powerful enough to counter the green element, which is the source of the Green Lantern Corps' power rings. I don't think I'm spoilering things when I say that Sinestro isn't as noble as advertised, that dude actually leans closer to finkhood than to heroism. Near immeasurable power has corrupted Sinestro, to the point where he now believes that the end justifies the means and has no qualms at all about torturing prisoners for information. He doesn't think much of the Guardians and disparages them every chance he gets. In his new world order, there is no room for these immortal blue midgets. Sinestro very easily lives up to his rep as Hal Jordan's archnemesis. As a bonus, for those who've been reading up on recent Green Lantern stuff, Sinestro eventually dons his black and yellow outfit from the Sinestro Corps. He looks darkly resplendent in a fashionably despotic kind of way.

I'm so used to Hal Jordan being the experienced pro that it's sort of refreshing to see him being the newbie on the block and getting that rookie treatment. You know you're lowest on the totem pole when even the squirrel Green Lantern disses you. Still, soon enough, Hal Jordan is doing his thing, kicking space alien booty, piercing thru conspiracies, and generally proving his doubters wrong. I don't know that Hal's use of his ring is all that inventive or imaginative, but, man, there is such decisiveness and flourish to the way he puts his ring thru its paces. Surprisingly, my favorite ring manifestation was that giant golf club, although, since I'm old-school, I'm kinda glad there's a sequence in which the classic gigantic green fists come into play.

The pace is poppin', the thrills keep on comin', but not so much with the character development. Hal Jordan is Hal Jordan, brash and resourceful and brimming with bravado, even as a fresh-faced rookie and even when his ring is stripped away from him. But Hal just rolls with the punches. Sinestro is the most interesting person here, although not too many'll be startled with his good-to-evil arc. Several old GL favorites make the cut: Boodikka, Arisia, Ch'p, Tomar Re, and one of my all-time favorite Lanterns, Kilowog. Gratifyingly, Kilowog is given a big role and even gets to mutter "Poozer!" a couple of times.

The film takes advantage of its PG-13 rating. I liked the violence, but then again I'm a fairly sick mo-fo. Others might raise an eyebrow to scenes of impalements, necks being snapped, and even of a ring's energy beam lethally punching thru a body. The animation is mostly solid, but is at times shaky, and there's that one bothersome sequence in which Sinestro's normally magenta complexion mysteriously shifts to a more human color.

But, never mind, the animators do the job in conveying on film that epic cinemascope vibe that comes with Green Lantern's intergalactic exploits. GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT doesn't quite achieve Justice League The New Frontier (Two-Disc Special Edition)'s level of excellence, but it still places third on my list of favorite DC direct-to-video animated films so far (right after Wonder Woman 2009 (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)). The yellow element battery, created by the creepy Weaponers of Qward, looks impressive and menacing, and Sinestro's supervillain street creds are established when he almost dismissively takes out gangfuls (Corpsfuls?) of Green Lanterns. Again, this is a PG-13 picture, so characters actually die in this one, and sometimes quite horribly. Nothing says "Oh crippitycrap" like a shower of defunct power rings ominously klunking on the floor at the Guardians' feet. But, just when things look bleakest, check out who reclaims his power ring (no, it's not G'nort).

The special features are... okay. Disc One has: the widescreen feature presentation; the very promising exclusive sneak peek (7:49 minutes long) at the next DC Universe animated film SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES (based on Jeph Loeb's first story arc from the SUPERMAN/BATMAN comic book and starring the voices of Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, & Clancy Brown); in-depth featurettes on three original DC animated films JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER (10:43 minutes), WONDER WOMAN (10:25 minutes), and BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT (10:08 minutes); and a behind-the-scenes look (8:50 minutes) at Blackest Night, the DC Comics mega-event which resurrects the dead and has them wielding corrupted black power rings.

Disc Two has: Behind the Story with Geoff Johns as he discusses Green Lantern's mythology; the pretty friggin' great DUCK DODGERS episode: "Green Loontern"; Green Lantern Corps Character Profiles on Sinestro and the Guardians of the Universe; and 2 bonus cartoons from JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED: the very, very awesome two-parter "The Once and Future Thing," in which Batman, Wonder Woman, and the John Stewart Green Lantern pursue Lord Chronos and end up first in the Old West and then 50 years into the future. Hal Jordan shows up for a nano-moment in the second part, which I guess is enough of a tie-in to include the two-parter on this DVD. Not that I'm complaining. Watching GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT has got me all kinds of excited to see the live action film. Bring it, Ryan Reynolds!!

Buy Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) Now

Green Lantern First Flight: Two-Disc Special Edition

(Released July 28, 2009 by Warner Home Video)

Another Looong DVD Review by Joe Torcivia

With 1992's BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES, producer Bruce Timm began a roll of excellence in adapting DC Comics' characters and concepts to animation that continues unbroken to this day!

In GREEN LANTERN FIRST FLIGHT, Timm hits all the right notes, concepts, and character bits to create as perfect a Green Lantern film as could be imagined.

Everything is as it SHOULD BE. Test Pilot Hal Jordan is summoned to the crash site of the dying alien Abin Sur, receives Abin's Power Ring, and is transformed into Green Lantern! Little of the precious running time is spent on this well-known origin, and the transformation takes place between 3:45 and 4:10 of the film. THAT'S EFFICIENCY!

The balance of director Lauren Montgomery's film (again, as it SHOULD BE) is spent introducing the Green Lantern Corps, their masters the Guardians of the Universe... and the untidy matter of Sinestro. BIG kudos to writer Alan Burnett for working it all into little more than 70 minutes.

As a reader and fan of DC Comics since the Silver Age and all phases since, both good and bad I can say this film (Pardon) "RINGS" TRUE!

As is our custom in these reviews, we'll break it into CONS and PROS.

The CONS:

The Special Features: (For the "Two-Disc Special Edition")

There is NO COMMENTARY TRACK for Green Lantern First Flight.

There are "Promotional / Making Of" documentaries for OTHER DC Comics Animated Features Justice League: The New Frontier, Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess, Batman: Gotham Knight, and a very welcome "first look" at the upcoming "Superman / Batman: Public Enemies".

...But there is NO "Making Of" or "Behind the Scenes" feature on Green Lantern First Flight! Couple this with the lack of a producers' commentary track, and there is little or no information on the film you've just purchased though plenty of it on Warner catalogue titles. In all, there are NINE separate Special Features, and not one of them is actually about Green Lantern First Flight!

Credit Where Credit is Due: Much of the documentary material focuses on the current writers of the Green Lantern comics, Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi. And, so it should, as they have restored the Green Lantern mythos from a long run of mediocrity to renewed greatness.

BUT, there is virtually no mention of those who created said mythos in the first place!

Artist Neal Adams makes a cameo along the way, but there is not one word about editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Gil Kane who conceived the whole shebang early in the Silver Age of Comics! The Corps and its specific members, the Guardians, the Central Power Battery, the Yellow Impurity, the Planet Oa, Hal Jordan, and Sinestro and The Oath.

ALL of it sprang from the minds, words, and pencils of these talented individuals but you'd never know it by the focus presented here. Even writer Denny O'Neil, who (along with Adams) revolutionized the Green Lantern concept at the end of the Silver Age, is among the unmentioned. DC Superhero projects from WHV have usually been good or at least adequate on historical perspective of the source material. But, not here!

The PROS:

The Film Itself: No more spoilers than I've already given, but... YES! Simply, YES!

The Cast: Christopher Meloni as Hal Jordan and (especially) Victor Garber as Sinestro make a great pair of lead cosmic adversaries. Michael Madsen, Tricia Helfer, and John Larroquette are nicely cast as supporting GLs Kilowog, Boodikka, and Tomar-Re.

And a very special treat for fans of sixties television! Among the actors voicing The Guardians are old stalwarts William Schallert and Malachi Throne!

The Characters: Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris, Abin Sur, Kilowog, Boodikka, Tomar-Re, Sinestro, and The Guardians of the Universe.

Green Lanterns in lesser roles: Ch'p, Arisia, Saalak, Arkis Chummuck, and the "Big Head GL". There are surely many more that escaped my enraptured notice.

Other villains include Kanjar-Ro (from 1961's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA # 3) and the Weaponers of Qward.

No John Stewart, Guy Gardner, or Kyle Rayner, as this is the tale of Hal Jordan becoming Earth's first Green Lantern. They would all come later.

The Special Features: (For the "Two-Disc Special Edition") Two features on the current Green Lantern comics one overall and one specifically about the upcoming arc "Blackest Night". Though lacking in historical perspective (see the "Cons" section) they ARE very informative for those interested in being brought up to speed.

There are two "mini-features" one on Sinestro and one on the Guardians of the Universe. Neal Adams gets the "line-of-the-day" in the Sinestro piece: "We had TRIPLETS. Here's BOUNTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, and SINESTRO... Who's gonna be the BAD GUY? Sinestro's gonna be the BAD GUY I don't know why..."

Bruce Timm picks a favorite JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED episode that is tangentially related to Green Lantern: "The Once and Future Thing" Parts One and Two. Bruce T. KNOWS how to pick `em! This tale of Batman, Wonder Woman, and John Stewart Green Lantern vs. a wonderfully browbeaten, disrespected, and resentfully angry version of time-mastering villain KRONOS takes them from the Old West (with Bat Lash, El Diablo, and Pow-Wow Smith) to the future of Batman Beyond! (Yes, Bruce Wayne gets to meets Old Bruce Wayne! Wouldn't you feel cheated if he didn't?)

And the Crowning Glory of the Special Features: "The Green Loontern" a 2003 episode of the DUCK DODGERS TV show, where Daffy / Dodgers' DRY CLEANING is accidentally mixed up with Hal Jordan's (Ring included!) and Daffy is summoned to assist the Green Lantern Corps with a Sinestro-spawned galactic crisis!

It took FOUR WRITERS to pull off this crossover masterpiece Spike Brandt, Tony Cervone, and old WB hands Tom Minton and the great Paul Dini and they wring every ounce of Daffy-esque humor and admiration for the Green Lantern concept from this script, as perfectly as could be!

If you thought the character list of Green Lantern First Flight was something, check out who they squeezed into this 22-minute marvel: Duck Dodgers, Eager Young Space Cadet, Dr. I.Q. Hi, Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Katma-Tui, Kilowog, Tomar-Re, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, G'nort, Arisia, "the Diamond Green Lantern", Saalak, Ch'p, Boodikka... and (in keeping with casting sixties icons to voice Guardians) John Stephenson at his most regal and officious as Ganthet!

Great Line:

DAFFY/DODGERS: Hey, you know... In person, you REALLY DO look like THE DEVIL!

SINESTRO: (resigned) Yes, I get that a lot!

DUCK DODGERS has yet to be released on DVD, making this a TRUE bonus! If ever a single Special Feature was worth the price of admission, this is it!

OVERALL: Green Lantern First Flight Two-Disc Special Edition is a rousing success in both the feature itself, and the extras. If you are a fan of DC Comics (Now or Silver Age), the Warner Bros. DC Comics Animated Series or are just looking for a great introduction to the Green Lantern concept -Green Lantern First Flight is highly recommended!

Read Best Reviews of Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) Here

From Warner Brothers animation who gave us "Wonder Woman", "Justice League Frontier" and `Gotham Knights", comes DC's next direct to DVD installment "Green Lantern: First Flight". Directed by Lauren Montgomery with script written by Alan Burnett, the movie is a 75 minute ride in the beginnings of Hal Jordan as a member of the Green Lantern corps and incorporates several references in the story arc from "Sinestro Corps"collected in Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps comic monthly comic titles.

While testing out a flight simulator in Ferris aircraft, Hal Jordan (Christopher Meloni) suddenly disappears in a flash of emerald light. Taken to a remote area where an alien spacecraft had crash landed, Hal becomes the recipient of a ring of power, since its previous wielder, Abin Sur was mortally wounded. Hal was chosen by the ring because of certain qualities but before he becomes the ring's true user, he must prove his mettle to the Guardians. Sinestro (Victor Garber) takes Hal under his wing in the hunt for Appa Ali Apsa (William Schallert) who was responsible for Abin Sur's death and who has found the yellow source of power. While in the quest, Hal and the other Lanterns (made up of Kilowog (Michael Madsen) and Boodikka (Tricia Helfer) finally uncover Sinestro's secrets; he intends to destroy the central power battery that provides power to the rings of the corps members.

Think "Emerald Dawn" and "Sinestro Corps", then you may get a general idea as to what the movie is all about. The direction and screenplay keeps the story moving, with a lot of ring slinging scuffles while touching on the certain character attributes of Hal and Sinestro. I liked the part where Burnett displays the differences as to how Hal uses his ring as opposed to the other members' methods. Hal uses bats, guns, springs to get the job done; one may say that Hal is more creative with the ring's uses as opposed to other members merely generating force blasts and force fields. It was a good attempt at human qualities being brought into exposition when compared to the other alien members. Sadly I find this development very hard to buy into, as we don't see Hal being the recipient of the ring's workings--no definitions of will power and imagination are explored, I found it hard to believe that a rookie green lantern would be more adept with the ring. I guess the filmmakers are relying on fans of the comic series to fill in the gaps.

The movie also has several plot missteps. The Guardians are supposed to be one of the eldest and wisest races in this universe; also they are powerful telepaths--yet they didn't think of using their abilities to probe the dead mind of Appa. (I am thinking that the telepathy of the Guardians is more potent than Xavier's). It was just too convenient for Sinestro to know what to do to find the Weaponers of Qward. Also, I find it unbelievable that the Guardians only had one attack up their sleeve and then they yield to Sinestro. Sinestro, alone with one yellow ring could undo the entire corps? Sure his power battery was sentient, and the rings were vulnerable to yellow but really, these are the corps members who supposed protected the universe? They all felt a little too inexperienced to me and the rules of the green central power battery felt a little too underdeveloped.

Now for the ultimate question: Does "Green Lantern First Flight" display good ring-slinging action? Yes, it does. The encounters between Appa's gang of bug-aliens and Hal were very entertaining. The final fight between sinister Sinestro and Hal is reminiscent of their encounters in the comic series, with Hal utilizing the power of the green central power battery (ala "Emerald Dawn") to use against him. The fight was well-choreographed with a good exclamation point. It was a great touch to have Hal move two moons against the yellow central battery. The animation is fluid and nicely executed, the style of the art is similar to other Warner bros. animated features; the layouts are also very spiffy and cool.

"Green Lantern First Flight" is good, it has that child-friendly quality but mature enough (there is some blood and death) to entertain the adults. However, this "first flight" doesn't serve up enough character depth, Hal's psychological profile is a key element in its mythos. The movie is a little hollow, and most characters just disappear from the screenplay a little too quickly. I supposed it was Lauren Montgomery's intention to keep the pace moving to avoid too much dialogue, but in the end, the movie felt a little too short and felt a little rushed; it relied to heavily for fans to fill in the gaps. I sure wished that the other familiar faces of the GL universe played a more active part in the movie. Kilowog was underused; Ch'p the squirrel GL provided some humor, and familiar faces Arisa and Tomar also make appearances.

Despite its flaws, I found "Green Lantern First Flight" a decent entertaining entry in the DC universe. It does portray "green rookie" Hal Jordan as a hero right off the bat and the movie has loads of action to dish out. I like John Stewart, Alan Scott and Kyle Rayner...but Hal is still the best ring-slinger in my book.

Batman once said: "The most powerful weapon in the universe and all Hal could dream of is a boxing glove and a flashlight?" Let's hope for a sequel...

Recommended! [3 ½ Stars]

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As a kid in the early '80s, I knew all the major DC characters, but I was only submerged in the worlds of Batman and Superman because of their wild popularity. Since then, the world of comic books and heroes have finally infiltrated the mainstream and it's become much easier to delve deeper into the mythos of your favorite character.

Being able to watch an entire animated film about The Green Lantern is unbelieveable, not to mention the fact that it's on BLU-RAY! The success of the DC animated films is directly attributed to their quality production. Every aspect of the film is nearly perfect including the voice acting, the lush animation, and the packaging.

As with all the DC animated films thus far, the acting talent is carefully chosen. Christopher Meloni IS the Green Lantern. Even though he's one of my favorites, it's going to be difficult to to adjust to Ryan Reynolds after hearing Meloni do such a fantastic job at capturing Hal Jordan's occasionally rebellious and saracastic tones. It was great to hear BSG's Tricia Helfer and That '70s Show Kurtwood Smith, among plenty of other stars. GL: First Flight also includes the voice talent of Michael Madsen (Kilowog), Olivia D'abo, and John Larroquette.

The film combines comic book action and mixes in a little sci-fi, which satisfied the Star Wars geek in me. If you enjoyed the animated films Superman Doomsday, and Wonder Woman, I guarantee you will love this just as much. And as I mentioned, I was only a casual fan of Green Lantern before watching this film, but all it takes is one viewing and you'll consider yourself a fan. This is the best way to indoctrinate yourself into the Green Lantern universe. You'll witness the origin of Sinestro and how the Lantern and power rings function, which I was always a bit fuzzy about.

It's easy to wonder why some of the other DC characters haven't been exploited like this, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Green Lantern First Flight will get you primed for the upcoming live action film, so I highly recommend making it part of your collection.

Allow me to use my ring to create a big green thumbs up to DCU and WB!

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A Time to Kill (2009)

John Grisham novels are difficult to rate as movies. On one hand Grisham's work translates to well to pop culture that his books are almost cinematic. On the other, the "book-is-never-as-good-as-the-movie"-ism applies. Some of Grisham's books have been quite good"The Firm" was a terrifically exciting movie (Tom Cruise was letter-perfect for the role of Mitch McDeere), and "The Rainmaker" (which gave Matt Damon his start) certainly surprised me with a touching story of an underdog who upsets the system. Some have been mediocre to bad"The Pelican Brief" and "The Chamber" fit the latter category, "The Client" the former. "A Time to Kill", in my opinion, is the best of them all because the author gives his audience a tough choice to make about what justice is. Pack in some sterling acting performances and this is one pretty darn good movie.

The plot? After his young daughter is viciously raped and assaulted by rednecks (no, John Rocker doesn't have a cameo), Samuel L. Jackson guns down the two assailents on their way to court. He is subsequently put on trial by the local DA, and defended by an idealistic white attorney. Jackson's trial becomes a swirling tempest for local hatreds to be aired.

Director Joel Schumacher certainly surprised me with good work, despite being the man who made "Batman & Robin". It helps to assemble some serious acting talentSamuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey (the DA) are both recognized actors (Spacey having won an Oscar for "The Usual Suspects", and Jackson is *long* overdue for getting one himself), so the big surprise was Matthew McConaughey's sterling performance as the idealistic, passionate attorney who defends Jackson. McConaughey is a terrific actorlaid back, easy-going but with just enough passion and intensity. This movie put him on the map and it is easy to see why he is a talent in demand. Sandra Bullock and Ashley Judd have roles here but don't make much of an impression. Donald Sutherland and Keifer both have parts toothe former as Matthew McConaughey's mentor (a role he's quite good in, incidentally) and the latter as a local redneck.

Finally, a word about the plot: the best movies give us a sticky problem that can't be resolved easily. The tricky choice in "Crimson Tide" is a beautiful example of a decision that could go either way and gives the audience something to debate about afterwards. Here we're given a tricky choice vengeance or justice? Do we acquit Samuel L. Jackson because in our hearts he did what we all would do in his place? Or do we punish him for taking the law into his own hands? It's a rough choice to make, and the movie refuses to give us an easy answer.

Well done.

John Grisham's tale of justifiable revenge was one of the best films of 1996. When a black man kills the two white rednecks who brutally raped and beat his daughter it seems his conviction of the murders will be cut and dry. So when the small town's lawyer is asked by the man (played with masterful skill by Samuel L. Jackson) to defend him it seems a hopeless cause. But when the klan gets involved the case becomes personal.

This film is entirely unsettling because it makes us realize that events like this still happen in small towns throughout America, especially in the South. The themes of racism, of overcoming racism, of justifiable homicide, of justice outside the law are so superbly represented in this film that it seems impossible to me that this movie wasn't nominated for many Academy Awards. But alas, the past is the past. Chock full of great performances (especially Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kevin Spacey) and masterful direction by Joel Schumacher, A Time to Kill is one heck of a movie. A true classic.

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Okay, here's the deal: I love this movie. "A Time to Kill" is one of those flicks that I can watch over and over, so when I found it marked down on DVD at a local store, I bought it. I've long since spent more than the purchase price on renting it in VHS.

Matthew McConaughey is incredibly hot, and almost a decent actor. Samuel L. Jackson is fabulous, as usual (ohmigod). Sandra Bullock, I love Sandra Bullock (got a girl-crush on her a mile wide), and I love, love, love Oliver Platt in this movie. There's a moment when Sandra Bullock's character is frustrated at not being able to find the information she needs, and she says to Platt's character (a cheerfully shameless divorce lawyer named Harry Rex), "I've asked myself, 'What would Lucien do?' and 'What would Jake do?' and "What would my *father* do?' but I just can't figure it out."

And Platt's character says, "Well, there's your problem right there. You need to ask yourself, 'What would Harry Rex do?'"

"Okay, what would Harry Rex do?"

"Cheat. Cheat like crazy."

God, I love him.

And it's great having the movie on DVD. It makes it easy to fast-forward through the horrific scenes of the little girl being attacked at the beginnng of the film. There's no reason for anybody to have to sit through that more than once. ::shudder::

But there's a problem with this DVD. A big problem, that I think people should know about before they buy it. I wish I had known. I probably would have bought it anyway, but I'm still frustrated.

The movie is continued on the back of the disk. It's a two-sided DVD, and the first half of the movie is on the first side, and the second half is on the reverse.

Yes, you have to get up halfway through the movie, go over to the DVD player, and turn the disk over, just like this was 1975 and you were still playing records on vinyl LPs.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what in the everloving HELL they were thinking about, doing this. The movie isn't that long. There's not that much in the way of extra features on the disk. I feel like sending them an email, letting them know what I think about it, but there have probably been plenty of people who have already done that. I'll spend the time warning other potential buyers, instead.

Caveat emptor.

Read Best Reviews of A Time to Kill (2009) Here

What would it take to duplicate the cast of this film? Made only eight years ago I'd think today you'd break the bank putting together:

Matthew McConaughey

Sandra Bullock

Samuel L. Jackson

Kevin Spacey

Oliver Platt

Charles Dutton

Donald Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland

Patrick McGoohan

Ashley Judd

Chris Cooper

The story is in some ways rather straightforward. Samuel Jackson's 10 year old daughter is raped and tortured by two rednecks in the opening minutes. Mercifully, the girl lives through the event and the two rednecks are arrested. Thinking that in Mississippi they're going to be acquitted "like them boys raped that girl last year" Samuel's Carl Lee Haley asks Matthew's Southern Lawyer Jake Brigance if he'd "help him out if he got into some trouble", then takes an M-16 and shoots the rednecks on the way to a court hearing, destroying Deputy Chris Cooper's leg in the process.

The rest of the movie seems pretty straight-forward, almost predictably so. Jake is tasked with defending a black man in Mississippi of murders which were committed in full sight of many people, including Jake himself and several law officers. Kiefer Sutherland, as the brother of one of the rednecks, enlists the assistance of the Klan to make sure that Carl "gets it" and to make sure that anyone attempting to help Carl is also intimidated (killed.... houses burned.... etc....) In this movie the Klan is a living, breathing entity with apparently much leeway to conduct its nefarious business.

Donald Sutherland is the alcoholic lawyer mentor of Jake disbarred for some police violence during some political activism. Kevin Spacey is the ambitious District Attorney with a nomination for Governor in his back pocket. Charles Dutton is the black sheriff who doesn't hesitate to stand toe to toe with the Klan the scenes where Klan members are in any way subdued are due to this strong character. Ashley Judd is Jake's pretty Mississippi Sorority-Belle wife who initially thinks that Jake accepts Carl Lee's case to "prove what a big-time lawyer" he is. When the Klan tries bombing Jake's house Ashley packs up their daughter and heads to the grandparent's house. On the first day of the case a hotshot law student comes wheeling into town, played by Sandra Bullock, wanting to make her name stamping out the death penalty.

The story is told in a linear fashion, but the performances make this compelling stuff. The NAACP come to town to provide for Carl's defense, and the scene where Carl tells them "thanks but no thanks" brings a new closeness to Carl and Jake. The movie provides for some riveting moments from Jackson as Carl and McConaughey as Jake. I've read that Mr. McConaughey delivered the summation scene in a single take. It is an astonishing piece of acting. There are several shots of extras crying, and I can't help but wonder if this wasn't an honest response to his performance.

There is a scene before the last trial scene where Carl tells Jake that he has hung onto him as his lawyer because "you one of the bad guys, Jake. I needs the jury to see me like you see me". If there is a weakness in the way that the story is told, it's that the whole movie is told the way the all-white jury would see it. The other black characters are brief and one-dimensional. Carl Lee's wife is in several scenes looking concerned but with almost no dialogue. Since her daughter is raped and tortured and her husband is on trial, shouldn't we care as much about what SHE thinks as Jake's wife? We spend a fair amount of time watching what the Klan is doing. Shouldn't we be at least as interested in what the black community is doing?

Jake sets out to "prove a black man can get a fair trial in Mississippi". But can he prove that vigilante justice is ok even if everyone in the community knows that in race-hate-crimes in the world of this film black people can't expect fair treatment?

The movie reverberates with echoes of "To Kill a Mockingbird". Or at least it wants to. For a film of this type I can't think of a more admirable goal.

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Modern-day Mississippi, where segregation has ended, the Klan is dead, and blacks and whites are looked upon as equals . . . or are they? Under the brilliant direction of Joel Schumacher and based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham, A TIME TO KILL digs hard and deep into some of the most sensitive and controversial issues of our time.

After his 10-year-old daughter is raped and beaten by two local rednecks, Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) guns down the guilty men on their way to court. Matthew McConaughey comes to the rescue as the white, Southern attorney who defends him. With the help of a young, ambitious, brilliant law student (played by Sandra Bullock, who surprisingly received top billing for her small, but memorable role), a close friend and colleague (the always comical and entertaining Oliver Platt), and his disbarred mentor and teacher (the classic Donald Sutherland), McConaughey stirs up a lot of hatred and puts everything on the line to defend a black man. The film addresses racism, the Klan, vigilante justice and all the issues we commonly associate with "the south."

Another perfect role for McConaughey. He charms and captivates the audience as well as the jury. He's not too tough to look at for 3+ hours, too! Samuel L. Jackson . . . what can I say . . . one of the greatest actors in our time, he seems to effortlessly convert himself to any role he takes on. Sandra Bullock shines on screen, as always, with her lovable and down-to-earth personality. I don't see Oliver Platt enough, but when I do, I'm always pleased with his "fun" performance.

In this 1996 film, other supporting actors are also perfectly cast. In an earlier role, Ashley Judd plays McConaughey's wife. Keifer Sutherland plays a local redneck, brother to one of the rapists and Kevin Spacey is the local DA who prosecutes Carl Lee. You may also recognize two stars of TV's BOSTON PUBLIC, Nicky Katt and Anthony Heald. Excellent southern accents by all (Platt, Spacey, both Sutherlands). However, McConaughey's own Texan accent needed no alteration here.

Not having read the book, I'm not making a movie/book comparison here. Just a truly great movie with superb actors by the fist-full. A must-see film that easily earns 5-stars.

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Planet 51 (2010)

'Planet 51' was the last thing showing at our local theatre that I hadn't already seen. The previews and lobby displays (mis)led me to believe it was just another throwaway kids' cartoon, full of forced cuteness, predictable gags, and cardboard characters; but I had time to kill and the ticket was at matinee price, so I finally went in. Am I ever glad I did!

The obvious send-up of 1950s American culture is fun, and so is the shoe-on-the-other-foot twist of the human being viewed as the fearful alien menace, but if that's all a viewer takes away, he or she is missing a lot. There was plenty of unexpected satire that had me laughing out loud through much of the film. There is also a profound message that centering one's society around perpetual fear can cause more harm to a culture's core values than the thing being feared; however, the message very carefully doesn't get in the way of the humanity (alienity?) of the story.

The music was well done and really enhanced the fun. Visually, I loved the film. Character design wasn't anything particularly special, but the look of the planet itself was gorgeous. This is a cartoon, after all, not an overblown CGI extravanganza like Avatar, so you shouldn't expect photorealistic rendering of every tiny detail. The beauty of this kind of artwork is in the imaginative forms and colors, the simplicity of shapes and lines that enhance the story, not overwhelm it.

Actually, having brought the subject up, I suppose many comparisons and contrasts could be drawn that make Planet 51 a kind of Anti-Avatar. Here, the humans are neither conquering villains, nor paternalistic hero figures. People--er, beings--from both sides have to do their part on Planet 51 to bridge the misunderstanding of cultures and enable goodwill to prevail. That may not be the kind of dramatic plot it takes to engage some viewers' attention these days, yet it's exactly the sort of solid but gentle storytelling one should expect from the offspring of George Harrison's Handmade Films.

Plus, so far as I can tell, no one has yet suffered depression after viewing Planet 51. :)

My six year old son laughed throughout this movie. Tons of song and movie references (everything from Singing in the Rain to Alien) kept the adults interested, too. I was really surprised that a movie rated as having 'minor violence' actually opened with [story-within-a-story] footage of ray guns disintegrating people, but it didn't turn out too violent for us as a whole. I would think twice before showing it to a younger or more sensitive kid, though.

I think this movie is really underappreciated. It didn't have the most spectacular graphics ever, and the love story was admittedly predictable, but the altered perspective humans as aliens! was compelling, and the cultural references made for non-stop amusement. The adorable Rover alone would be enough reason to watch it again.

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I really liked this movie. It had an awesome storyline. I loved that it was set during the 1950's on Planet 51, but is modern day on Earth, because I really enjoy 50's pop culture. Lem is an 'alien' who thinks that the Galaxy is only 500 miles long. On a typical day, an astronaut named Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker lands on the planet and thinks he's the first, but he was dead wrong. All the residents believe Chuck is an alien who wants to eat their brains and turn them into zombies. Lem befriends Chuck and finds out that he's a good guy. The military take over Chuck's ship so they can dissect it. If Chuck doesn't get back to his ship in time, he will never be able to return to Earth. I highly recommend PLANET 51!!!

Read Best Reviews of Planet 51 (2010) Here

I had stayed away from this movie because of all the negative reviews, but my husband persuaded me to give it a try since it was playing at the dollar theater. We also brought our 5-year-old daughter along, thinking this was going to be a kids' movie. Well, though our daughter was entertained, I think this movie is best appreciated by adults who can grasp all of the pop culture references, especially those 50s sci-fi flicks. If you fall into this latter category, chances are you'll be entertained, as my husband and I (both movie buffs) were. The visuals are bright and colorful, and serve to keep kids' interest.

The story itself is a kind of twist instead of human being invaded by aliens (as was so typical of 50s sci-fi flicks), here we have an alien culture who are terrified of a human astronaut who inadvertently lands on their planet. The entire planet is populated by a race of green creatures with antennaes, and they all embrace the music of the 50s, read 50s comics, and generally live out the era. Chuck the astronaut's (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) arrival is greeted with horror as these green guys have come to perceive those not of their planet as humanoids, and it falls upon hapless teenager Lem (Justin Long), his best friend Skiff (Seann William Scott) and the girl of Lem's dreams, Neera (Jessica Biel) to 'rescue' Chuck. The baddies here are played by General Grawl (Gary Oldman) and mad scientist Kipple (a hammy John Cleese). When the story lags, it uses Chuck's cute robot dog Rover for gags. The movie references lots of classic movies such as Star Wars, Singing in the Rain, E.T., etc. which though hardly original makes it fun and entertaining.

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We love this movie, my 2 year old son has been watching it since we first saw it come on Starz and he absolutely loves Planet 51. From beginning to end it is a clever and entertaining movie for old and young.

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.

________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Read Best Reviews of The Matador (2005) Here

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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Deep End

-> BLU RAY

Excellent picture quality! Image cropped.

Highly recommended!

Music by Cat Stevens and THE CAN Soundtracks

Film: 8.5/10

Picture quality: 10/10

Aspect ratio: 16x9 = 1.78:1 (1.85:1 orig.)

Run time 24fps: 1 31'41"

Number of discs: 2 (BD + DVD)

Audio: GB

ST: GB o/-

Chpt.: 12

Region free!

Bonus:

"Starting Out" 78' (HD); Making Of

"Deep End: The deleted scenes" 13' (featurette on 4 deleted scenes not incl., seem to be lost for good)

Short: "Careless Love" (1976) 10' feat. Jane Asher

Trailer (HD)

28 pg color booklet

extra DVD with main feature + bonus

Studio: bfi

Jerzy Skolimowski, friend of Roman Polanski, for whom he worked on Polanski's first feature film, "Knife in the Water" and he himself had made great strides as a director previously making the film "Adventures of Gerard" which he seems to disregard its merits. But his next picture 1970's "Deep End" definitely placed him in high regard as a an auteur himself. Unfortunately "Deep End" with its disturbing final minutes, the reason Skolimowski was drawn to help write (along with Jerzy Gruza and Boleslaw Sulik) and direct the picture in the first place, an otherwise engaging coming-of-age story/comedy about obsessive love starring Jane Asher and John Moulder-Brown. Diana Dors has a brief role that is a bit over-lauded, but Moulder-Brown (who appeared in "Vampire Circus") and especially Jane Asher should receive extraordinary high marks. The film is especially well-photographed and edited with Cat Stevens and the Can providing much of the score. The sad thing here, is that you might be more familiar with the tune by Cat Stevens (as it appears on his "Tea for the Tillerman" album) than you would the film which is finally presented here in a stunning Blu-ray with a Reg. 2 PAL DVD from the BFI with loads of extras that the film truly deserves to have created about it. Also included is a trailer and a very lovely short film starring Jane Asher called "Careless Love" from 1976 by Francine Winham. "Deep End" really shows that Asher was quite an amazing actress giving a BAFTA nominated performance. See it now for an amazing cinematic experience. And remember, this is how truly valuable is what we leave behind.

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Meet Dave (2008)

Meet Dave is absolutely incredible. The movie centers around a crew of minute humanoid aliens from planet Nil. They are logical, emotionless creatures who do not know about things like love. They send a special device to Earth to drain the oceans and harvest the salt their main power source to avoid a massive energy crisis on Nil. In their ship, shaped like a normal-sized human being, the crew (the main characters being the naive Captain, the by-the-book No.2, the pretty No. 3, and the seemingly butch security officer No. 4 who discovers a different side of himself; as well as No. 17 the repairman and the Head Engineer, No. 10) discover new things about Earth through a woman named Gina and her son, Josh, who has found the orb that they had sent. Emotions start to rub off on the crew from the Earthlings.

I think a lot of people didn't see this movie because of Eddie Murphy. I've heard he is not a nice person in real life, so that might be why. To properly enjoy this movie, don't see it as a 'Eddie Murphy movie'.

Dave is a silly bit of fluff staring Eddie Murphy as both the ship (a ship shaped like a man in a white suit) and as the captain), a tiny 1-inch tall man. The ship and crew arrive on earth to drain the salt from Earth's oceans to save their homeworld. This is okay because earth is clearly a planet full of savages. However, as time passes and the crew of the ship becomes more attached to the 'giants' which surround them, they begin to reconsider their feelings on the matter.

I found this film kind of amusing. It isn't rocket science, and there are times when bathroom humor prevails (such as when the giant ship must dispose of food it has 'consumed' to look human). But this is probably something kids will enjoy.

Overall, I was amused enough to watch this film from beginning to end, although, I kind of wish we could've seen what happened to #2 Murphy's second in command, even if he did go a bit rambo at the end, he did have a bit of a point. Murphy's acting was amusing, and he really did a decent job of portraying the wooden, jerky and weird ship.

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Meet Dave is definitely an under-rated film, but the question is by just how much? Certainly Eddie Murphy has made some, well let's just say 'interesting' decisions when it comes to choices of movies to do. He turned in Oscar calibre work in Dream Girls, but then took a serious dive by doing the relatively pathetic Norbert (which probably cost him the Oscar for Dream Girls). Besides Dream Girls though, just what serious, or better labeled 'quality' work would anyone really remember Murphy from over the last several years? You'd have to go back to the original 48 Hours, or Beverly Hills Cop movies to find material that would generate any sort of consensus as being 'quality work'.

Murphy has turned out some family oriented, or at least youth oriented, films in the meantime including Daddy Day Care and the like, and the audience for that film seems to be the audience that is the target for Meet Dave.

The Dave that viewers will be meeting turns out to be a space ship filled with tiny humanoids that have come to retrieve a device that was sent to gather materials for providing power in the homeworld of the space travellers. The ship just happens to look like the captain who we see in the command chair, and of course the ship also resembles an Earthling which is supposed to make it easy for the space travellers to accomplish their mission while roving the planet. Nothing could be quite so simple though as the travellers have researched Earth culture from a few different sources, none of which provide a complete and detailed enough view of the world to really help them blend in. Along the way the inhabitants of Dave learn a lot about the Earth creatures and perhaps learn a lot about themselves as well.

The movie basically bombed in theatres, and seems to be flying below the radar on Blu-ray and DVD which is somewhat sad as it would be entertaining for most families. Take a chance and at least rent it and view it with an open mind and perhaps somewhat lowered expectations, you must might find it was worth the effort.

(Note that if half-stars were possible, I'd probably put this in the 3.5 range, more down in the 3 star range. I've rated it a little higher because it has been somewhat panned and under-rated, so I'm hoping the higher rating might balance out some of the non-love it may find along the way ;-) )

Read Best Reviews of Meet Dave (2008) Here

It was horrible to hear that this movie did not do well at the box office. I must admit that I wanted to go see it, but do to all the negative reviews, I waited for it on DVD. ALL THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS & CRITICS ARE WRONG !!!! This movie made me laugh throughout. How hard is it to make a clean comedy? It has to be real hard, because not too many people can do it. I just hope that this does not stop Eddie. Great movie for adults and children.

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Meet Dave is full of laughs and good, clean fun for all ages and all of your family. It has a good message for all people, in the end, too.

Too bad they didn't market it right last summer.

Kind of a weird set up, but Eddie Murphy and the other main characters were very good.

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Sherlock Holmes (2009)

After reading the reviews from some of the critics I was surprised by how many of them talked disdainfully about this movie as a divergence from the source material. I'm assuming many of them were relying on the old Basil Rathbone movies to color their interpretation of Holmes. They seem to overlook the fact that in the actual novels and stories penned by Doyle Holmes was an artistically tempermental, manic depressive, physically powerful individual who annoyed Watson by conducting experiments in their shared flat. He had been a prize fighter under another name, he was a cocaine addict and, according to "the Adventure of the Empty House" he was skilled in one of the earliest "mixed martial arts", Bartitsu (misspelled by Doyle as "Baritsu"). Watson was a formidable former Army doctor discharged due to complications from a shoulder injury sustained in heavy combat while serving in Afghanistan. In many ways their depiction in this movie is much closer to their depiction by Doyle than what we've seen in the past. I am especially gratified that they finally did away with the ludicrously out of place deerstalker cap that became a staple of the Holmes movies due to one of the original Padget illustrations and which made no sense for the character when he was in an urban setting.

From the opening when horses seem to be galloping from the back of the theater, through the gray skies and industrial grime of the exteriors and the dinginess of most of the interiors, relieved occasionally by gorgeous jewel toned luxury, this Sherlock Holmes is grittier and much more raw then its predecessors--a Holmes for the millenium.

Robert Downey's Holmes is a brilliant brat. He borrows Watson's clothes without permission, insults Watson's fiance at their first meeting, and drives Mrs. Hudson to her wits' ends, but he's also a guy who knows his way around a boxing ring and the one you want on your side when facing doom in the form of Lord Blackwood, an executed murderer who resurfaces at the head of a black magic cult bent on world domination.

Jude Law's Watson is an understated sidekick to the flamboyant Holmes, but their relationship is more of a partnership than in typical Holmes/Watson duos. It's fun to watch the verbal sparring and exasperation which underlying affection makes sparkling rather than mean. The supporting cast is excellent, as well. The movie plays fair with the viewer. When Holmes explains how the crimes were carried out, we realize we saw the same clues at the same time he did. No deus ex machina here--it's all elementary.

This Sherlock Holmes is neither Jeremy Brett nor Basil Rathbone. Viewers who expect to settle into a predictable detective yarn will be disappointed. This Holmes is edgy, action packed and slightly uncomfortable, but more believable because of it. It's smart and atmospheric, and well worth seeing.

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I've watched this version of Holmes a number of times now, and I must admit it surprises me in its subtlety and intelligence every time. As earlier reviews have noted, in the main this is actually a quite faithful representation of Holmes and Watson in light of the original stories (which I've read and, indeed, taught a number of times). At the same time, it's an excellent stylization of late Victorian England, and I think that's how it should be understood: at once a faithful interpretation that brings out all the pleasures of the original and a commentary on Victorian society as it transitioned into the twentieth century (which is, I'd hold, exactly what Doyle's stories were--a commentary on the modern). To quote from another well-known and frequently-adapted Victorian novel, it's "nineteenth century up-to-date with a vengeance."

The structure of the story itself could well be one of Doyle's original stories. It especially reminds me of "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," in which an apparently supernatural series of events turns out to have a logical explanation. This is what surprised me the most when I saw the movie for the first time: that it engaged Doyle's narrative strategies in film form. In fact, this engagement is incredibly detailed. For instance, the scenes early in the movie where Irene Adler visits Holmes at home exploit Doyle's typical doubleness: at first we get a strung-together series of events whose chain of cause and effect are unexplained. Then, later, we get a recap in which Holmes explains that chain in detail, supposedly to Watson but really to the viewing audience. This particular set of scenes is, I think, one of the most admirable in the movie. It works as an exploration of narrative (which was always Doyle's point anyway--see the numerous stories in which Holmes chides Watson for transcribing their "adventures" as, exactly, adventures, as opposed to scientific processes of reasoning), and it works so brilliantly because of the intelligence behind it. Even the soundtrack (by Hans Zimmer of Gladiator fame) underscores the narrative structure here: the first time the events are portrayed, they're given a particular musical theme, and when they're re-portrayed by Holmes they're given a theme that's the musical inverse of the original. It's an example of all the various elements of film-making coming together in a subtle and fascinating way to demonstrate a point.

This attention to detail, not to mention stylishness, is present in the entire movie. It has nary a narrative hole (with, I think, one slight exception, which I won't detail so as not to produce any plot spoilers) and its overall structure is admirable taut. In fact, the movie is littered with strikingly subtle details that remain unexplained (e.g. the recurrence of "V.R.", an abbreviation of "Victoria Regina," or "Queen Victoria") by Holmes's narrative explications--the sheer quantity of detail in the movie points to the fascination with, precisely, detail that fascinates Holmes. (To cite just one more example: when Watson hands a newspaper to Holmes early in the movie, it features an ad for "Fry's Chocolates," which was the family business that gave Roger Fry, one of the members of the Bloomsbury Group whose most famous member is Virgina Woolf, his fortune.)

The movie does take liberties with its source material, signally with the representation of Irene Adler. But it acknowledges that it's doing so in a number of clever, apparently offhand details. At one point, Watson notes that Adler has outsmarted Holmes "twice," which indicates that the movie is adding on to the canon of Holmes stories--in Doyle's corpus, Adler appears exactly once (in "A Scandal in Bohemia"), so Guy Ritchie openly acknowledges the extrapolations he's made in this movie. In short, the movie notes explicitly that it's an adaptation as part of its adaptation.

All of this works brilliantly because the actors are brilliant: Robert Downey Jr. displays his usual genius (shown in another recent action movie), Jude Law presents the kind of Watson that other adaptations have eschewed (an intelligent ladies' man quite in tune with Doyle's character), and Rachel McAdams represents Adler as a clever and daunting adversary, which is quite in keeping with Doyle's character. McAdams may be especially worth noting, as Adler is one of the most significant as well as mysterious characters in the Holmes universe--her character is probably the biggest departure from the original in the movie, and McAdams carries it well. The cinematography is stylish and the soundtrack is excellent and really catchy. There are a couple of faults--some obvious day-for-night shooting and some clear CG--but I'm willing to indulge these because of the movie's overall excellence.

Basically, this movie is exactly what Hollywood used to produce and what it wishes it could achieve now: an intelligent, entertaining, and subtle movie that invites some effort on the viewer's part but also entertains enormously.

I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Read Best Reviews of Sherlock Holmes (2009) Here

First of all, as of this writing, Amazon still states that this item is a three disc set, but this is not the case. The DVD and digital copy are included on the same disc, while a second disc contains the Blu-Ray version. This isn't an issue, of course, just a small clarification. Speaking of which, I've seen a significant number of complaints regarding the inclusion of the DVD/digital copy in the Blu-Ray version, with many complaining that they want neither and it's needlessly driving the cost up.

A simple comparison of this item against other Blu-Rays on Amazon proves this title costs no more than any other new release, and the DVD/digital copy is actually a very nice bonus for those who buy the film early. I, for instance, plan to loan out the DVD to friends who don't own Blu-Ray players. The digital copy is nice, I suppose, but I've never been bored enough to want to watch a film on my iPod or laptop. Besides which, like all digital copies, it expires a year from now. I'm actually glad it's included on the same disc as the DVD, because all other digital copies included on a separate disc I've ended up tossing out.

Upon loading the Blu-Ray into the player three trailers will run. This is, of course, typical practice. The irritating part is that the disc will not allow the user to access the menu from the trailers, and the user is forced to manually fast-forward through each trailer. A minor complaint, to be sure, but irritating nonetheless. The film runs 02:08:24 and the Blu-Ray includes ten bonus features (the DVD doesn't contain a single special feature). The included audio tracks and subtitles are in English, French, and Spanish. The first eight features are all collected in the "Focus Points" section and consist of eight 3-5 minute featurettes exploring a specific facet of the film (there is a "Play All" function included). Most of the titles are rather self-explanatory, but here's a complete rundown of the featurettes:

1) "Drawbridges & Doilies: Designing a Late Victorian London" (5:00) This feature highlights how the production designers suffused life into their vision of Victorian London with an acute attention to detail.

2) "Not a Deerstalker Cap in Sight" (4:15) This feature explains how the filmmakers decided to take the Holmes character back to his roots in the original Arthur Conan Doyle tales and compare the Downey interpretation against past cinematic versions of Holmes.

3) "Ba-ritsu: A Tutorial" (3:58) This feature explores how the filmmakers blended various real-life martial arts into the fictional version featured in the film, along with explaining how Holmes was a former fighter well-versed in martial arts in the original Doyle stories.

4) "Elementary English: Perfecting Sherlock's Accent" (4:04) This feature explores how American Downey refined his English accent for the film. Director Guy Ritchie observes that he preferred an American because it gives the Holmes character an "international" flavor.

5) "The One That Got Away" (3:44) This feature delves a bit into the psyche of Holmes, particularly his stance on love and his relationships with women.

6) "Powers of Observation & Deduction" (4:01) This features Lionel Wigram (writer & producer of "Sherlock Holmes") explaining why he was attracted to the project, along with what makes Holmes such an enduringly fascinating character.

7) "The Sherlockians" (3:03) The feature explores the diehard, borderline obsessive Holmes fans who organize annual meetings to discuss Doyle's life and works.

8) "Future Past" (3:08) This feature highlights how, with the aid of both sets and modern technology, the filmmakers were able to recreate the glory and grime of Victorian London.

The ninth feature is included in the "Behind the Movie" section and is called "Sherlock Holmes Reinvented" (14:06) This is a more involving feature which functions as an extension of the other featurettes. The filmmakers discuss why they felt attracted to the project and how they desired to stay true to the source material, as opposed to the cinematic versions of the past.

The most celebrated special feature here, prominently featured in the television ads, is the "Maximum Movie Mode". This is a sort of interactive film commentary with director Ritchie (running slightly longer than the film itself) that includes picture-in-picture still images, behind the scenes videos, cast and crew interviews, technical details of the film, and of course Ritchie's commentary. It's this sort of feature that truly makes a Blu-Ray special, aside from the enhanced high-definition image, of course. A typical film commentary simply has the director talking over the film, which can be informative but distracting. The "Maximum Movie Mode" is a much more entertaining commentary that even includes the option for user interactivity.

The content of the film itself is highly subjective, particularly with a character as famed and revered as Sherlock Holmes, and I don't feel particularly compelled to add my thoughts. As a Blu-Ray release, however, this title is every bit as impressive as it should be. I particularly appreciate how the special features didn't just shed light on the filmmaking process, but spent ample time discussing Doyle's stories, the various interpretations of the Holmes character, and the lasting legacy of it all. I'm proud to include this film in my collection. Five easy stars.

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Ok. For all those who are saying. "If you are looking for a faithful version, adaptation, etc look elsewhere..." I ask you: Have you actually read Sherlock Holmes or are you basing that statement on your image of Sherlock Holmes as has been portrayed in the past?

Where in all of the stories does it state that Holmes wears a deerstalker hat and walks around with a Calabash pipe? Sidney Paget, who illustrated the stories for The Strand magazine, interpreted the descriptions in the stories. That was his version of what Holmes might look like.

This new version is Guy Ritchie's interpretation and it is quite refreshing. In the stories, Holmes is a boxer, bare knuckle fighter, marksman, swordsman and an accomplished martial artist in addition to being brilliant at deduction and a master of disguise. There was only one woman whom Holmes was impressed by in his life -most of these qualities are portrayed in the new film so how is this "not faithful"? If anything, it is one of the most faithful movies to deal with Holmes that I have ever seen.

I will admit that for "classic" Holmes there is no better than Jeremy Brett in my humble opinion. His performance will never be matched. However, that is an entirely different interpretation of the character. I approached this new film with an open mind and was very pleasantly surprised.

Robert Downey Jr. is, in my opinion, a perfect fit for this role. His ability to reflect the intelligence, physical prowess and sardonic wit of Holmes was dead on. Jude law was exceptional as Dr. Watson. Not some bumbling, moronic sidekick of the past but a true companion possessing formidable skills of his own. Just as in the stories.

Downey and Law's performance was a pleasure to watch and they have great chemistry on screen. I was also very impressed by 19th century London. CGI has come a long way.

The main reason that I do not give this movie 5 stars is due to the plot itself which I will not go into here. (I don't like SPOILERS) I will just say that though we are most likely being set up for a sequel I felt the story could have had a little more meat on it's bones. Overall though, I thought it was extremely entertaining.

I still do not understand why there are so many saying that this new film is not faithful. Is it a word for word adaptation of the stories? No. The worst that could be said is that like Peter Jackson did with Lord of the Rings, Guy Ritchie has maintained the true "spirit" of the Holmes character -though I would say he has done much, much more.

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Brokeback Mountain (Blu-ray + DVD) (2005)

First off let me just say, wow, everyone was right, as a straight male I can truly say this movie touched me in a way no other film ever has. BBM definately deserved the Best Picture Oscar, and what makes me mad is that I really liked Crash, but thanks to the Academy I cant watch it without thinking, how could they choose this over a masterpiece like Brokeback.

So most of you already know the story so I'll tell you about how this film affected me. My girlfriend wanted to go see this movie last week and I was actually pretty excited. I saw the previews and thought wow finally something original from Hollywood after a year full of crap. So we went and after the movie was over there were of course people crying but I didnt know what to feel, I thought the ending sucked but the acting was pretty good.

Then I found myself thinking it over on the ride home, and all night I dont think I said more than two words to my family, and then as I was getting ready to go to sleep I started to tear up, I called my gf and she had the exact same reaction. Brokeback is a movie that definately touches you, not because its a gay romance, but because its a beautiful parable about loneliness, love, and what it means to be a man. I was reading a review about BBM and what it said was true. BBM was needed because the gay community has become a joke in this country, sure shows like Will and Grace and Queer Eye are out there but it just reinforces the stereotype that all gay men are fashion obsessed, feminine, and funny. Well I have gay friends, and most of them are just like me, theyre regular guys who do manly things and who just so happen to be attracted to other manly man because God made them that way. BBM definately does a lot of good in showing a more realistic side to the gay community.

So like I said I hated the ending at first, then I went back to see it this week because I couldnt stop thinking about it, and it was even better the second time, I realized that by ending the way it does BBM shows the courage and strength that gay men have to go through to come out. I found myself asking that if I were gay would I have had the courage to give up everything I ever knew to be with the person I loved. Honestly I dont know if I could, I can sympathize with Ennis because I grew up in his situation, my father and mother have always preached against the sins of the world, including homosexuality, I dont know how Id ever be able to tell them if I were gay. Likewise almost everyone has that doubt that Ennis has, that wish that you had done something to make you happy instead of making everyone else happy, wheter its pursuing a relationship, career, or dream, we all have our regrets in life. What gets to me the most and what caused me to become one of those weeping audience members at the end of the second viewing was that Ennis does what he does in order to protect Jack, and unfortunately it kills him. I truly believe it wouldve been different had Ennis & Jack bought that ranch.

The acting is phenominal, Heath Ledger gives one of the greatest screen preformances in history as Ennis Del Mar. Phillip Hoffman won the Oscar this year and I really liked his preformance, but Heath has so little to work with and yet is so heart wrenching. He's able to convey so much by just saying "Jack, I swear" than most actors could show in a whole film. Expect this role to pop up on AFI's list of greatest preformances sometime very soon. Michelle Williams is also a revalation, that scene where she sees Ennis and Jack kissing and essentially sees her world crashing down is so powerful without being showy, and Academy I have a serious complaint, Rachel Weisz, WTF? To say that her preformance was better than Michelle's in Brokeback and Amy Adams in Junebug, you have got to be kidding me, guess being pregnant buys you some serious points doesnt it. Now as for Jake Gylenhaal, the first time I saw BBM I actually didnt understand him, he didnt seem to have any sadness at seeing Ennis go that summer except for when hes in his truck, than I realized why, he was being strong for Ennis, he was essentialy saying im your rock. Its a tough preformance that you have to see more than once to truly appreciate but Jake nails it perfectly. Anne Hathaway as Lureen isnt really given much to work with, but that phone call with Ennis shows shes way more than just a one note actress.

Yes, im rambling but its because BBM touched me so much its hard not to praise this film. For all those giving it one stars, you obviously havent watched the movie, because its so much more than two guys having sex, which by the way probably consists of 30 seconds of screen time and almost no nudity save for a shot of Jacks butt which if you cant handle that than how did you ever get through the gym class locker room. Also for all those saying homosexuality is a sin, and BBM glorifies it, the characters end up heart broken and alone, if anything its an anti-gay film, or at least would be if the scenes between Jack and Ennis didnt show that these two men obviously love each other completely, and I was raised Catholic, I believe god loves every one of us and gay people are born that way, and I think theyre put on this earth to teach us what real love is.

Brokeback is definately an instant classic, and will go in my DVD collection right next to Citizen Kane and Million Dollar Baby as my all time favorites. And for those who felt it got shafted at the Oscars, dont worry, Citizen Kane, the greatest movie of all time got 1 Oscar for its screenplay, theres no doubt in my mind that BBM will be remmembered far longer than Crash, and that it will be way up on the AFI's list of the greatest movies of all time.

Love has no rules. It happens when we least expect it, often when we don't want it, many times when we can't handle it. It often times scares you, surprises you, shakes you down to your very core. Ennis Del Mar (a remarkable Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (an emotionally available Jake Gyllenhaal) find themselves thrown together because of a job: forced to spend many hours together alone in the wild, tending to sheep in a remote region of Wyoming....on Brokeback Mountain. They fall in love: a love that they soon realize only lives and breathes on the mountain.

It's 1963, pre American involvement in the Vietnam War, post Korean War: a time in the USA when life was simple, straightforward and the lines between the sexes and sex roles were crisply drawn and severely delineated. It was a time when men and women were pigeon-holed into unrealistic modes of behavior and anyone who ventured outside of these boundaries was thought of at best, weird at worst... perverted and in many states, criminal. Ennis himself, at an early age was witness to the ugly, disgusting results of a hate crime perpetrated on a Wyoming farmer who had lived many years with his partner. In most societies he would be venerated but in 1950's Wyoming... he became a target.

Director Ang Lee begins this film as both Ennis and Jack are waiting outside of a building, both looking for work, both down on their luck, both avoiding each other's eyes. We know, or those of us who have read the story know, what is to happen and so unfortunately we read more into that simple scene than there really is. But with all that aside, this scene of Ennis and Jack avoiding each other, dodging each others looks, staring at the ground, kicking up the dirt is nonetheless rife with sensuality and tension.

Ennis and Jack are inexorably drawn to each other through their proximity, loneliness and through a shared lack of tenderness and emotion in their lives: they are emotionally, physically and psychically bonded almost from the start. It is inevitable. It is Fate.

And so begins a Love affair that transcends social mores, time, marriages, children, extra-marital affairs and divorce.

Despite all that is going on in their lives, Ennis and Jack meet several times a year up on Brokeback mountain and rekindle and thereby re-ignite their emotional and physical attraction: there is no one around, they are free from their regular lives...they can love.

Much has been made of Heath Ledger's performance as Ennis and he gives what is without a doubt one of the finest performances of this year. Ennis is a quiet, stoic man and he is troubled and frankly scared by how deeply he feels for Jack. As he showed us first in "Monster's Ball," Ledger is capable of digging way deep down into his gut and imbuing his performances with an unflinching frankness and truth that we can neither ignore nor help to be moved by.

Gyllenhall's Jack is the younger of the two: he's fun, he's a little crazy and unfortunately he wants a lot, lot more than Ennis is able to give him. Gyllenhaal's hang-dog, frisky puppy of a performance is full of warmth and light: the kind of transcendent light that shines out from a soul full of love, understanding and acceptance.

"Brokeback Mountain" is devastating in both its presentation, its performances and its tragic denouement. This movie is not for everyone. But if you are willing to open up your heart and mind a bit to let in its beauty, emotionality and sensuality you will not be disappointed. In fact... you will be renewed.

Buy Brokeback Mountain (Blu-ray + DVD) (2005) Now

I want to mention two things about this movie. First, how brilliant it is. And second, how beautiful the blu ray transfer looks.

1. It's been six years since Brokeback Mountain hit theaters, and though I've watched the film countless times since, if I had only seen it once, I can promise you I would never forget it. It is a storyline that you dream about, relate to, cry over, reflect upon, write about, and become haunted by. I watch a lot of movies and enjoy plenty of them, but never has a film inspired me to analyze its story so deeply and to read books on it by film critics and touched fans. The fourth time I watched it at the theater, I took a notebook and filled pages with notes on the beauty of the poetic transitions and the development of characters. But even during my 20th viewing (or however many times it has been now) I discovered new richness and depth in the story.

Without going on and on, I suppose I should just say that I love this movie. But before I talk about the blu ray, I just want to point out that this is not strictly a "gay" movie any more than Titanic or Romeo and Juliet are straight movies. Love is a force of nature, as the tag-line says, and it is not bound to one sexuality or another. The movie is, simply put, a human movie about human life, desire, hate, mistakes, and many other universal emotions that make up us all. I recommend you see it and after it's over, I recommend you see it again. Like Shakespeare, the story is endlessly multidimensional and deserves multiple viewings to truly grasp it all. Obviously Annie Proulx's original short story is also required reading (I would suggest reading it before watching, but either way is fine) as it contains endless brilliance as well. The overall talent involved with this project is stunning.

But let's move on and talk about the blu ray.

2. The first thing I should mention is that this "100th Anniversary" new packaging from Universal Studios doesn't mean that there are any new features or remastered transfers that are different from the already available Brokeback Mountain [Blu-ray]. It does come in combo-pack format, however, which includes a DVD and Digital Copy of the film if that interests you.

As far as the picture quality goes, I feel pretty confident when I say that I was blown away by it. I saw the movie in theaters, on DVD, on TV, and just about anywhere else I could find it. On Blu Ray, it was a whole new experience. You can read labels on soup cans, feel the richness of the grass, and see foam in the spring waters. Without question, this is a scenic movie. It DESERVES to be seen in 1080p. If you have the DVD, great, it's pretty good too, but this is so worth the upgrade. The picture is so beautiful, sometimes I just pop it in the player on mute and let it run as a "screensaver."

The audio is also a joy. Gustavo Santaolalla's score is a masterpiece in itself and all the more beautiful in lossless DTS 5.1. Not to mention Heath Ledger's character is a bit of the shy type who mumbles as much as he speaks. I never had a problem understanding him, but the speech is noticeably clearer now for anybody who found that to be an issue.

As far as the special features go, they are just repeats from the DVD release and admittedly not very exciting. Worth watching, sure, but not especially noteworthy. In some ways I think that's a good thing, though. As much as I would love Ang Lee to do a director's commentary, this type of movie will effect people in different ways and consequently I don't know that I would feel comfortable if the artists behind it revealed too much. That can easily frame the story in a certain way and ruin it for those who are touched by it in other ways. As I said, this is a universally human story, and it's a great movie for fans and scholars to discuss and compare experiences, but when the film-makers themselves start talking it...it can potentially ruin things.

OVERALL: A+++ movie that will, without question, go into the Love Story Hall of Fame where it will stand next to other classics like Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and so many other touching classics, gay and striaght alike. As far as the Blu Ray, it also deserves an "A" rating for its beautiful HD transfer that is everything a fan could ask for and more. I highly recommend purchasing it.

And, if you are like the many who can't stop thinking about the movie and want to dive deeper into the literary genius of the story, here are some books that inspired me: Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay, Reading Brokeback Mountain: Essays on the Story and the Film, On Brokeback Mountain: Meditations about Masculinity, Fear, and Love in the Story and the Film, The Brokeback Book: From Story to Cultural Phenomenon, and Beyond Brokeback: The Impact of a Film.

Read Best Reviews of Brokeback Mountain (Blu-ray + DVD) (2005) Here

Brokeback Mountain is the tale of two cowboys, Ennis and Jack, who ranch sheep together one summer in the 1960's. One cold night, the two men huddle together in a tent to keep warm, and an explosive physical relationship erupts. They both agree that the night was a "one-shot deal," but somehow the two men keep finding one another again, throughout the summer. After the ranching gig ends, both men nonchalantly tell each other goodbye, but the separation is painful for both. Cut to four years later the men have gone their separate ways, married, had kids. But when they happen to see each other again, old feelings almost violently assert themselves, leading to a 20-year relationship that is by turns passionate, furtive, and tortured.

First of all, performances by Heath Ledger (Ennis) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Jack) are unbelievable. I cannot adequately describe the performance work in this film. Ledger, who I'd only seen in fairly superficial roles teen movies, not-so-great romantic comedies totally transforms himself for this role. Tight-lipped, sun-baked, and shamed, his Ennis provides the tension in the film that powers the plot through to its final, saddening conclusion. Gyllenhaal plays Jack, the more honest, self-accepting of the two men, with an emotion that is strong enough to be real but restrained enough to epitomize the tough guy image of a Western. Both lend a haunting quality to the various ways in which Ennis and Jack try to live their lives, denied of the one thing they truly want.

At the end of the day, Brokeback Mountain is a love story, the tale of two people who love each other but can't be together. This is not untrod territory in Hollywood. However, hanging this familiar storyline on a less-than-mainstream social topic for the movies homosexuality proves to be very powerful. The intensity of the two men's feelings for one another, and the delayed gratification that is the bedrock of their relationship, bring their experience into sharp focus for the viewer. Beautiful scenes of mountainous countryside and a strong, simple acoustic guitar accompaniment add to the poignancy. I just cannot recommend it highly enough. It will haunt you. It will make you think. It will move you.

Fair warning there is one brief sex scene between the two primary characters. If you don't warm to that idea, I recommend getting the film on DVD and fast-forwarding through that part. It is not worth missing the movie over.

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"Brokeback Mountain" is the story of two all-man cowboys that find love in each other. The film is unique because it is not the typical gay stereo-type; perhaps it is the first mainstream film ever made on this topic?

Ennis Del Mar (played by the very talented Heath Ledger) is a very quiet and rough around the edges kind of man. He doesn't show his feelings very well and is somewhat of a loner. Jack Twist (played by the equally accomplished Jake Gyllenhaal) is more vocal about his feelings and emotions, but can still be pushed around (although I did enoy it when he stood up to his bigoted father-in-law).

What makes this tale so bitter is that their's is a forbidden love. It is reminiscent of "Titanic" or Romeo and Juliet. Please keep in mind that the picture took place during 60's, 70's, and early 80's, in Middle-America where no one was openly gay, much less a cowboy. But, despite all their differences and personal demons both men loved each other more than life itself.

Anyone with connected eyeballs can tell that Ennis and Twist were deeply in love (this was not an affair, rather it was a serious relationship that lasted over two decades). It was proof that Twist loved Ennis when they were on the hill getting ready to leave after he playfully lassoed and punched Ennis. Twist looked so sad to have intentionally inflicted pain on his lover. But Ennis holed off and punched him, because no one was gonna make Ennis his fool. And it was evident that Ennis loved Twist when he sobbed like a baby on the street after they departed Brokeback Mountain separately.

The cinematography in this picture was absolutely stunning. The soundtrack is also amazing. I am certain that this picture is very Oscar-worthy.

I saw this movie about a month ago and I still can't get it out of my mind. It is a very full-toned and haunting picture. To say that it was the very best film that I have ever seen would simply trivialize it, because it is much more than just a movie.

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