Weekend

Weekend is a film that can be blatantly described as a Gay/ lesbian film. But the irony of handing it that title is that Weekend itself is a terrific analyzation of the boundaries often placed between the gay community and the straight community. In this film we follow two gay men who have just met: Russell (Tom Cullen): A life Guard who is still a tad insecure about his sexuality, and Glen (Chris New) an outed artist who plans to go to America to flee the boundaries that hold him back in England. The film follows the two over the course of one weekend, the majority spent in Russell's small apartment, where the two men learn about each other, have sex, and have fascinating conversations pertaining to the stigmas placed on homosexuals in a "Straight" world. It is somewhat cliché now to describe a film as having a "documentary feel", but what other way is there to describe Weekend? Here is a film that is so intimate, so realistically acted and full of moments so private that it is impossible to look away. The performances are magnetic and unforgettable while the script is one of immense intelligence.

At its core the film deals with homosexual issues yes, but does that mean it is only for gays and lesbians? Only if you're one of those people who also think Spike Lee films and Roots are only for black people. If anything this is a film that should be viewed more so by straight people. It is a superb document on the humanization of homosexuals. It shows us that we all are pining for the same existential things: Acceptance and love. Those two things might be wrapped in different looking packages between different people, but beneath the exterior the same kind of love is there. For that insightful revelation alone I would recommend Andrew Haigh's Weekend, but there is so much more to it. It is an exceptional film that follows in the footsteps of such great films as Before Sunrise. and like that film it haunts you for days afterward. One of the best films of 2011 no doubt.

Pros: Very well acted, Great script, Kudos to putting John Grant in the Soundtrack.

Cons: None

One of the most romantic gay films I have ever seen. The reviewer before me must be even more cynical than I am to have totally missed out on the chemistry that these two have. They are not your typical gay characters, in fact it just so happens they are gay. No "after school special" or "Lifetime" feel here. No tragic illness or event. Just good conversation and attraction.

The end practically left me in tears. The relationship that builds between the two is a joy to watch.

I am not easily entertained and especially critical of film. I usually prefer more cerebral fare like David Lynch or Woody Allen. But once in a great while a film comes along that surprises you and touches your heart (and not by manipulation ala New Years Day, etc.). Sit back and watch these two very different people in a realistic portrayal of discovering each other and themselves.

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My partner and I saw this movie in NYC at the IFC Theatre a few months ago, and it really moved us. We're not young, not into drug culture, and weren't seeing it hoping for a glimpse of some eye candy. We had read a review in The New York Times, checked it on Rotten Tomatoes and seen what a high rating both critics AND audiences alike had given it, and that was the draw for us. What a raw and beautiful film...!!

The two lead characters in the movie have very little in common, at least in my estimation, except for the fact that they're both gay, young, attractive, and affected by the slings and arrows of surviving in a predominantly straight world. They're very opposite, and therein lies the attraction. Yes, they use recreational drugs like a lot of gay youth. I think the movie does a good job of exploring the demons that cause them to have the kind of low self-worth that drives many gay people to abuse substances. Yet, there is a beauty in the love that develops very quickly between them--despite their self-destructive tendencies. Much bubbles to the surface in their drug fueled time together that might otherwise lie dormant if substances weren't being used, and the crashing down of walls that is the result.

Seldom have I seen a film of such gritty honesty. It is uncomfortable seeing the story unfold. But somehow it manages to crawl under the skin with the precision of a microscope of acuity, revealing so much about what drives us gay humans to the extremes that a marginalized existence sometimes does. I thought it said more about how societal pressures, whether real or imagined, get in the way of gay people being able to just live and love. A must see!

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I always appreciate when a big DVD label like Criterion (they picked up the North American DVD/Blu-ray release) courts smaller noteworthy offerings that might not ordinarily receive a big distribution. Taking on Andrew Haigh's "Weekend" is certainly one of their more interesting offerings. Some might consider it a niche choice with its homosexual themes and same sex coupling, but "Weekend" has a lot to say about how people (of any gender or orientation) connect or don't connect in the modern world. It is a small film, to be sure, that is graced with both a minimalism and a naturalism that might remind you of Mike Leigh's most organic projects. The narrative takes place over the course of one weekend largely within the confines of an apartment. It is a piece that is bolstered by a thoughtful screenplay and two great performances. If you're looking for a big story, this micro-budgeted indie is NOT the picture for you. But if you enjoy realistic dialogue about the human condition, about life, about love and relationships--there is plenty to be admired here.

Basically, "Weekend" is structured as a brief encounter, a fleeting moment. A relationship in microcosm is played out over a couple of days. The film is completely understated and its quiet effectiveness might sneak up on you. It's a typical enough story, I suppose. Russell (Tom Cullen) heads out to a club looking for some action and as the evening comes to a close, he ends up going home with Glen (Chris New). Neither is under the illusion that this is anything other than a hook-up. In fact, it doesn't appear that the two men share much common ground. What follows is an encounter fueled by drinking, drugs, and sex. But unexpectedly, they also let down their guards and really start to connect. In many ways, "Weekend" is about that moment where two people fall in love. It's not a big or dramatic moment, but a subtle shift of how you view someone else--how you seem to fit. While the film does touch on some issues specific to the homosexual community, its underlying themes are much more universal than you might imagine.

The film played very well on the festival circuit, even picking up two British Independent Film Awards, one for Best Achievement In Production and one for Most Promising Newcomer Tom Cullen. Cullen is quite exceptional. His Russell is more aloof, more introspective, but as he starts to share more of himself--the openness and vulnerability are etched across his face. Chris New is believable and outspoken, cynical and frank, but with a need to connect maybe he doesn't even fully understand. If the thought of two men having sex or sharing intimacy bothers you, this might not be your first choice. But both actors really make this work, giving of themselves both physically and emotionally. In the end, it's bittersweet, real, natural, and unassuming. What it achieves, it does so quietly, unexpectedly and with surprising subtlety. Perhaps this tiny little movie is not for everyone, but for those that appreciate realistic adult drama--this is a weekend trip worth taking. About 4 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 5/12.

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My partner and I saw this movie in NYC at the IFC Theatre a few months ago, and it really moved us. We're not young, not into drug culture, and weren't seeing it hoping for a glimpse of some eye candy. We had read a review in The New York Times, checked it on Rotten Tomatoes and seen what a high rating both critics AND audiences alike had given it, and that was the draw for us. What a raw and beautiful film...!!

The two lead characters in the movie have very little in common, at least in my estimation, except for the fact that they're both gay, young, attractive, and affected by the slings and arrows of surviving in a predominantly straight world. They're very opposite, and therein lies the attraction. Yes, they use recreational drugs like a lot of gay youth. I think the movie does a good job of exploring the demons that cause them to have the kind of low self-worth that drives many gay people to abuse substances. Yet, there is a beauty in the love that develops very quickly between them--despite their self-destructive tendencies. Much bubbles to the surface in their drug fueled time together that might otherwise lie dormant if substances weren't being used, and the crashing down of walls that is the result.

Seldom have I seen a film of such gritty honesty. It is uncomfortable seeing the story unfold. But somehow it manages to crawl under the skin with the precision of a microscope of acuity, revealing so much about what drives us gay humans to the extremes that a marginalized existence sometimes does. I thought it said more about how societal pressures, whether real or imagined, get in the way of gay people being able to just live and love. A must see!

High Fidelity (2000)

It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't seen High Fidelity, or even someone who's just seen it once, how incredibly good it is. Take first the phenomenal John Cusack, who seems to make any film he appears in twice as watchable. Is there a more underrated leading man in this decade? I doubt it.

Then take into account the amazing support, knowns and unknowns Cusack's sister Joan, Tim Robbins, Jack Black, etc. even Zeta-Jones isn't half bad. Consider too the script, which is surprisingly faithful to Nick Hornby's (very good) book, and gives equal measure to comic and tragic relief.

Fianlly, the soundtrack. Can there be any greater song to sum up Rob Thomas (John Cusack's) final revelation after the film ends than Stevie Wonder's I Believe? No. High Fidelity is the complete package funny, touching, well-acted, scripted, directed, scored for, and unbelievably true to life.

And for all those sad Englishmen writing in to complain that the movie should have been set in Britian get real. I thank you.

If ever there was a movie that could be construed as an allegorical representation of my life, this is it. If ever there was a Romantic Comedy written primarily for men (as opposed to women & couples), this is it!

John Cusack plays your typical everyday kind of guy who just so happens to have the absolute WORST luck with women. Stability in his personal life is ever elusive and he continues to get dumped by the women he dates. Typically he is ditched because the girl "meets another guy, and....."

Like most men, Cusack's character wants to have things both ways. He wants to have continuity in his life, yet the idea of commitment scares the tar out of him. What if he takes that giant leap but isn't able to make it to the other side of the canyon? What if he meets an even more worthwhile girl 2 days after getting married? Ah, the variables of relationships that we men torture ourselves with.

Aside from the venerable Cusack the film also features Catherine Zeta Jones as the paridigmatic "perfect" girl who is continually just-out-of-reach for we mere mortals. She sizzles in her role and it's obvious that she relished the chance to play a sort of Supermodel-type girl who is a femme fatale.

There is a hilarious scene of Cusack's persona standing in the rain outside her home that perhaps every single heterosexual male will be able to relate to (from one point of his life or other). A nice touch in the story is how they bring out the fact that old boyfriends are incessantly contacting her to find out why she dumped them.

If you're interested in watching a Romantic Comedy that's a bit bleaker than most, this one might be for you. If you're a male like me who has undergone myriad rejections in his life, this DVD is a MUST see. For men like myself stories don't get too much more cathartic than this one!

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There are rare movies that you watch and you go "That's Me!" and these are especially great movies if the next thought in your head is "I'm an idiot!" I watched this movie and I missed fighting with an ex-girlfriend who is still a best friend. I think a lot of people will see it that way.

Anyhow, John Cusack whose niche seems to be playing losers (Better Off Dead, Say Anything, Being John Malkovich, Tapeheads, etc.) plays one of the most appealing losers since Lloyd from Say Anything. His girlfriend has left him. His career is running a failing record store. He decides to go over all his past relationships to figure out what went wrong. Worse is that his girlfriend keeps coming back for her stuff and you start to realize that she is perfect for him, even as she walks off to start something with the politically correct granola ponytail wearing upstairs neighbor played with smug self-satisfaction by Tim Robbins (in the scene where John Cusack wants to beat him senseless, Tim Robbins plays the part so you the audience would also like to beat him senseless)

Through a series of lists (five most humiliating breakups, five best songs about burning things up. four things that my extold her best friend to make her best friend hate my guts)his two friends at the record store (they fit the record store stereotype clerk to the hilt or comic book store clerk or any store with a cool selection. one's a jerk and the other one's a freaky loner) and a brief affair with Lisa Bonet (whose version of "Baby I Love Your Ways" SHOULD be on the soundtrack but isn't.) and the meetings with the previously mentioned five most humiliating breakups, the main character stops relating to the world as a carnival that's out to stick him in the lion cage and starts gaining perspective, even maturity.

By the end with John Cusack back with his girlfriend, you have absolutely no idea if they are going to stay together or break up again, but you really want them to stay together. If only to give the notion that it's worth growing up. This is a long movie, a movie with many subplots and counter subplots but an honest movie and a movie that will go down as one of the classics of honest romance movies in a sea of saccharine junk with plots that were written from a standard romantic plotline (they meet, they go out, they sleep together, they break up, they get back together in a funny sequence at the end, the audience falls asleep, etc.) Original beauty and it makes me hope that the rest of Hornby's books should also be adapted for the screen.

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My top 5 reasons as to why this is a must see film are as follows;

1)The story-The character played by John Cusack has reached his late 20's and he's just split up with his girlfriend of the past 2 years.He owns a 2nd hand record store and he's struggling to survive financially.His best frined are 2 fellow music loving eccentrics with whom he has this sort of love hate relationship.He knows he's coming to an age where he should maybe think of settling down and start making concrete plans for a secure future,yet he's been living in some sort of denial.It's the break up of this relationship that makes him suddenly question the way his life has been going.This is portrayed through the various scenes in the film but it's also totally original in the way that Cusack delivers this really funny yet at times pitiful narrative to the camera in a way that puts everything going on around him in a state of freeze-frame.He goes through the pain of trying to sort out his life during the course of the film.

2)Comedy-There are some really funny moments in the movie.The main character Cusack himself is a witty and yet comically pitiful figure.Even better are the two sidekicks he works with.They are musical snobs and the scenes in the record store are often hilarious as they deal with the less "musically-educated" customers who come to the store.One middle-aged customer who comes in to buy Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say..." is dealt with in the funniest put-down manner imaginable.The contrast between his two assistants is also a source of amusement.The cameos by Tim Robbins and Bruce Sprinsteen are also hilarious-especially Robbins who is a high-flying,world music loving,martial arts expert who also looks like some sort of new age hippy and worst of all he's living with Laura,Cusack's ex-girlfriend.The scene where he confronts Cusack in the record store is totall original and is also hilarious.

3)The Girlfriends-Cusack decides to give you a glimpse of his past life by telling us his worst 5 break ups in his life.Each one is so different and it goes from the time he was in 7th grade right up to current events.He tries to meet up with all these girls again to see if there's a pattern in to where he's going wrong-usually ending up in hilarious and unexpected consequences.

4)The Music-Well it's really good.As you'd expect from the owner of a 2nd hand record store it's not your average commercial stuff but a wide range of classics and alt from the 60's through to modern times.At one stage Cusack says "I'm going to now sell 5 copies of The Beta Bands 3 E.P's".As someone who often frequents record stores myself the scene was just so accurate as the customers hear this wonderful track for the first time and immediately go from just nodding their heads in rhtyhm to the music to enquiring as to who it is?Straight after the movie I dug out my own copy of the c.d. and started to play it again for the first time in years.

5)The top 5 lists-this was a particularly strong element in Nick Hornby's book from which the film is based.It's not only the variety of lists from funeral music,to break-up tracks-but it's also the way they are compiled,the useless trivia that precludes certain items,the arguments and dissing of other people's choices.It's the sort of useless arguments that many groups of guys of that age spend hours upon hours discussing.

All in all this is a really enjoyable movie.It's funny and it also has a "feel good" factor to it without being cringe inducing in a Forest Gump way.

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1. Its portrayal of the musically obsessed. The best parts of the film revolve around music and the film successfully captures the collector�s mentality and his obsessions. All three of the guys that work at the record store eat, breathe and sleep music. I am not as obsessed as they are but damn close and I have never seen this mentality on screen. If you love music you will like this film is only for the way it attempts to make all of its viewers music lovers. It puts into action the feelings that revolve around music. It is nice to see that others make lists of everything. Warning: After seeing this film you may stay up half the night listening to records.

2. The humor. This is a hilarious movie and its comedy is quite fresh and is a different form of humor that is a pleasant juxtaposition to today�s gross-out and stupid humor. It is nice to see that there are alternatives. A few scenes really show the film�s interesting brand of humor such as when John Cusack�s character Rob imagines beating up his ex�s new boyfriend Ian and every scene with Jack Black is great. He steals every scene he is in and makes the film worth seeing for repeated viewings. Much of Rob�s little observances about life are also very amusing but at the same time they sure do say a lot.

3. The acting. John Cusack is great as Rob who narrates his life for us on screen. John Cusack portrays Rob so well that we as the audience feel his every pain and victory and can relate it to our own lives. It is a hard role to play due to the fact that that through most of the film he is talking to the camera and does not have the other actors to fall back on. He pulls it off nicely though. Of course Jack Black is great and his character perfectly captures the essence of the collector. When he corrects Dick for accidentally putting a �the� at the beginning of an album title he verbalizes the compulsive-obsessive disorder known as �collecting�. The guy who play Dick is also great (sorry, not sure of actor�s name) as is Tim Robbins as Ian.

4. The directing. Stephen Frears does an excellent job of putting Nick Hornby�s book on the screen. He directs in an understated, non-flashy way and that is exactly what the film needed. He does add enough gimmicks to keep the film interesting but for the most part he lets the actors carry the film and in this case that is an excellent move. He obviously trusted his actors and that was a good thing. The credit sequences are among the highlights of his directing and very few films have interesting credit sequences.

5. The music. Everything from The Velvet Underground to Stereolab is used in the film to a high level of success. Each song fits perfectly and provides a strong backbone to the film. It helps to make the viewer understand the musically obsessed frame of mind. Buy the soundtrack too. Some of the most effective song�s are Stevie Wonder�s �I Believe (When I Fall in Love it Will be Forever)� and The Thirteenth Floor Elevator�s �You�re Gonna Miss Me�. Also it was nice to see The Beta Band get mentioned in such a flattering way.

So, a great film that all should see. I would give it four and a half stars for although it is great I reserve my five stars for true classics. This is close but not perfect. Still go see it.

Thanxs...

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In the Loop (2010)

"War is unforeseeable." It was an off-the-cuff comment by British government official, Simon Foster that brought down the wrath of the Prime Minister's chief enforcer and attack dog, Malcolm Tucker. In trying to dig his way out, Simon is then caught in another off-the-cuff interview talking about "climbing the mountain of conflict." In the meantime, US government official, Karen Clarke and General George Miller are hoping to short circuit mounting pressure for war on the US side. Thinking they've identified a like-minded Brit, they invite Simon to Washington to attend some conferences. Simon is sick of the know-it-all attitude of long-time staffer, Judy, so he takes the new hire, Toby. When Toby leeks details about the secret war committee meeting to CNN, the whole fiasco becomes a media feeding frenzy. Malcolm is less than pleased. He doesn't like to "learn anything about a British government official on TV unless they've died." And if words could kill, Simon would die a very brutal death, indeed.

If rough language offends you, do NOT go to In the Loop... consider yourself warned! For those who enjoy scathingly funny, take-no-prisoners dialog, In the Loop is high art. While the style of In the Loop is decidedly British, I believe American audiences, for the most part, will get on board with this one. Some of the accents are a bit difficult, but not impossible. It is impossible, however, to catch every line because of the unrelenting, rapid-fire pace of the dialogue. But in the end, most will catch more than enough to enjoy this film.

As I left the theatre, I overheard several conversations about wanting to stay and watch it again. This is an intensely funny movie... assuming it's your kind of humor... and you'll come away wanting to remember some of your favorite lines. But the filmmakers don't give you enough time to process one laugh line before firing the next one. This one will be on my want-to-own DVD list.

"In the Loop" is blisteringly profane (a full 10 on the "Deadwood" scale), but in a smart way; it received an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay. In a scenario that is probably closer to the truth than anyone would ever admit, an unfortunate British undersecretary answers a fairly bland question about the possibility of Mideast war during a radio interview. An awkward response to that unexpected query triggers a storm of political shenanigans in London and D.C. Hilarity ensues. James Gandolfini is the only name actor (for U.S. audiences), and his not-that-hawkish general is a delight to watch. Peter Capaldi plays the British prime minister's hatchet man with fire and brimstone that is awe inspiring. His f-bomb laden verbal attacks on... well, pretty much anyone within 100 yards, are jazz riffs of obscenity. Classic stuff, smart, razor sharp. Don't miss the deleted scenes; they're as funny as the best bits of the regular feature. If you love satire, you'll love this.

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If you liked The Office, Spinal Tap and Dr. Strangelove and you also don't mind the very frequent but highly effective use of swearing then this is a must-see movie.

To paraphrase one of the many rants from the British spin doctor, if you don't watch this movie "I'm going to tear out your shinbone, split it in two and stab you to f*****g death with it!"

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This is the smartest, funniest movie I've seen in ages. It is filled with a multitude of quotable one-liners that me & my friends will be using over & over again. Moreover, it ran for SIX MONTHS here in the Bay Area. It is destined to become a rep-house institution for the next decade and the DVD will become a cult-fave for many.

All I do is work and watch movies, basically, and this is the best film I have seen in years.

Here's my fave quote: "Why don't you take your cheese, and your backlog of Mojo, and your eighth of dope and ____ off!"

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This is a movie that some people really dislike. It contains a surfeit of vulgar and profane language largely from the character of the British prime minister's director of communications brilliantly played by Peter Capaldi. Also, it is satire, which is disliked by many people. The great American playwright George S. Kaufman once said that "Satire is what closes on Saturday night." The subject is a series of meetings in London and in Washington between U.S. and U.K. high government officials concerning the possibility of an impending war, presumably somewhere in the Middle-East.

Most of the actors in this film are new to me. Some of the actors playing the parts of Americans may well be British actors. These days, actors on both side of the pond can provide either American or British accents nearly perfectly. One actor, definitely American, is James Gandolfini, playing an American General who reputedly uses a live hand grenade as a paper weight.

The superbly written film portrays these officials who, in their attempts to avoid the outbreak of a new war, only manage to move both countries closer and closer to it. The cast and director of this fine film acquit themselves admirably. The opening credits state that part of the funding for this film was provided by the U.K. Film Council, an organization that has since been abolished in order to reduce government spending.

The film adroitly demonstrates the failure of human beings to communicate. To quote T.S. Eliot from one of his plays: "Men tighten the knot of confusion into perfect misunderstanding."

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Win Win (2011)

Tom McCarthy is a young gifted artist actor, writer, director who has gifted us in the past with such memorable small films as writer/director of 'The Visitor', 'The Station Agent', and as writer for 'Up'. He deals with simple people encountering complex problems and shows us how cooperative relationships make life OK. McCarthy both wrote (with Joe Tiboni) and directed WIN WIN and if there were two words that would best describe this film the title supplies them. It is real, touching without becoming saccharine, and populated by a cast of some very fine actors who deliver a very human story.

Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) is a sown on his luck lawyer in poor economic times who deals with elderly people as clients. His loyal wife Jackie (Amy Ryan) keeps their small house in Providence, New Jersey (McCarthy's home town, by the way) in order, managing their two daughters, the funky Abby (Clare Foley) and Stella (Penelope Kindred), in tow. One of Mike's clients Leo Poplar (Burt Young) is entering early senility and the court wants him placed in a home. Discovering that Leo pays good money for a guardian Mike accepts guardianship but moves Leo into a rest home, keeping his house locked up. Mike discovers a young 16 year old kid on Leo's doorstep and learns that the lad is Kyle (Alex Schaffer), Leo's grandson form Ohio who has run away from home because his mother (Melanie Lynskey) is in rehab and Kyle has escaped the abuse of her boyfriend. Kyle is taken in to the Flaherty family (tough Jackie melts and insists they support him). What Mike discovers is that Kyle is a Wrestling Champion and Mike happens to coach the high school wrestling team with his law partner Stephen Vigman (Jeffrey Tambor) and Mike's buddy Terry Delfino (Bobby Cannavale). Kyle's presence eventually leads the losing team to a winning position: Kyle is sensitive to the nerdy loser Stemler (David Thompson) and boosts the entire team's spirit. Problems arise: Cindy comes to town to claim Leo (and get his money) and hires lawyer Eleanor (Margo Martindale) to meet her aims. Mike's finagling of Leo's money backfires, Kyle loses faith in his new family, Leo only wants to go to his home, and all things seem to fall apart until unexpected changes occur in each of the characters.

Some viewers will see this as yet another 'Blind Side' type movie and that is a Positive! Too few films deal with the sanctity of the family and the manner in which true family relationships can improve society at large. Tom McCarthy has managed to create a tender, humorous, realistic, and deeply touching film. Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan once again prove they are among our finest actors, but it the surprise debut of Alex Schaffer, a 17 year old lad who has been a wrestler but has no prior acting credits, that makes this film glow. The cameos by Burt Young, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Cannavale, Melanie Lynskey, and Margo Martindale along with all the other minor characters are superb. This is a film to restore faith in human kindness a film that would benefit time together with youngsters and adults to observe how the world can tick. Grady Harp, August 11

This is one of my favorite movies. No special effects or exploding cars, just great acting in real-life situations. And it's its funny and sad too. Highly recommended.

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Paul Giamatti is probably the smartest actor in Hollywood. From "Sideways" to "Barney's Version", he chooses (mostly) very good roles that rely simply on smart acting and writing. "Win Win" is one of my favorite movies in a while, as it evokes the small town joy of "The Station Agent" with an original story that is accessible to all audiences. Having seen it twice in theaters, I look forward to owning it on Blu-Ray upon release. It's worth every penny. If the people giving awards at the end of the year forget this movie, they are to be shamed Giamatti, Amy Ryan, and everyone else involved did something special here, and you really should watch it.

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OK, I am not really good about writing about films, but this is probably the best film I have seen in a couple of years.

First off, I love Thomas McCarthy's work. Station Agent is probably my all time favorite film. Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan are also two of the best. This film is awesome.

I am not the kind of guy to over analyze stuff, I just like this film!

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I applaud Mr Giamatti for moving away from trite Hollywood fare to films with genuine character and substance. This is a well-written, superbly performed look into the struggles of real life. I'll avoid spoilers and the usual synopsis, but want to stress this isn't ham-fisted or angsty. Every actor is pitch-perfect, authentic dialogue, credible scenes...well done all around. Worth your time and money.

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Special Forces (2011)

Good military thrillers are hard-to-find, and that's probably because the field of cinema has long cultivated lesser soldier pictures masquerading as something bigger or grander than what they truly are. For example, a reviewer for the Hollywood Reporter draws a light comparison to the Rambo films ("a body count that rivals any of the Rambo films"), and, to be honest, I think that does a disservice to SPECIAL FORCES as well as it does Rambo. Rambo is clearly a fictional creation; sure, he's entertaining and a crowd-pleaser, but the men who make up true-life Special Forces teams have very little in common with and how Rambo goes about his job. Rambo is bigger-than-life. He's over-the-top. Real soldiers lie low much of the time, and they only rush into combat when either ordered or find it absolutely necessary.

It's a fine-line distinction, but it's one that should be made when discussing competent military thrillers like SPECIAL FORCES.

(NOTE: The following review may contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and character. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I'd encourage you to skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you're accepting of a few modest hints at `things to come,' then read on ...)

Elsa Casanova (played by the lovely Diane Kruger) is a war correspondent caught behind enemy lines in Afghanistan when she's taken hostage over some very unflattering pieces involving a local Taliban chieftain. Her captors take her deep into their Pakistan-stronghold, and the French call in a squad of Special Forces led by Kovax (Djimon Hounsou) to rescue her. A botched helicopter extraction leaves her and the soldiers with only one grim option: to brave this wild frontier on foot, trek across the mountains, and hope for friendly aide in Afghanistan!

To its credit, SPECIAL FORCES is a smartly made military thriller. There's a political undercurrent, as well, that for the most part supports the primary plot of good soldiers doing a dirty job, but the politics of the film put so much of the story in jeopardy. For example, the Taliban chieftain would appear to be exactly what the Taliban would want from a leader (he's ruthless, forcing Elsa to watch helplessly while they strangle a man to death in front of her), but we quickly learn that the man lacks the respect of the local Taliban elders. There's an interesting parallel running through the motion picture about how the press apparently doesn't respect the French government or its military, but, in the end, we pretty much find out that it's all been done for the sake of `character development.' Unfortunately, there's no way to make sense of what director Stephane Rybojad was trying to saw about the world and these people, but I've no doubt Stephane thought it was all pretty high-brow.

Those quibbles aside, a large portion of the rest of SPECIAL FORCES is extremely well shot, expertly choreographed, and quite thrilling. The rescue goes mostly textbook, but the extraction leaves these folks stranded behind enemy lines and needing to salvage a botched operation. As soldiers would, they comprise their own `game plan,' which leads to some solid action for fans of this genre. The last quarter (or so) of the film veers into some pretty dire circumstances for all involved, and, while I'd no doubt this is the story Rybojad wanted to tell, it's all pretty downright depressing for my tastes. Kudos for opting for realism, but, if it's realism you want, then I'd seriously question the logic of the skinny blonde waif with no body fat lasting as long as she did.

SPECIAL FORCES is produced by Easy Company, Studio Canal, Canal+, TPS Star, Banque Postale Image 4, A Plus Image 2, and Sofica Manon. DVD distribution is being handled through Entertainment One (E One). For those who might be wondering, this is `technically' listed as a French-language film which is a bit of a misnomer: yes, there's a wealth of French spoken in there, but there's an awful lot of English, as well. There is an English-dubbing track (2.0 only) available, if you don't want any French; I watched it in French with sub-titles, and I was surprised how much English there was. As for the technical specifications, it looks and sounds magnificent very clear and crisp images, excellent sound mix, and there's some wonderful John-Ford-esque vistas throughout the film. As for the special features, there's a handful of deleted scenes (nothing grand) and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it three minutes feature on a real-life Special Forces soldier who participated briefly as a character in the film. (My press materials indicates that the Blu-ray release includes an additional `making of' featurette.)

RECOMMENDED. Look, I love my patriotism just as much as the next patriot, but SPECIAL FORCES ain't no recruiting video for the French that's for sure. Also, it ain't any work any miracles for Pakistan's tourism business. It's a well-made, well-constructed military/political thriller for about 80% of the time, which ain't bad. However, its politics are all over the map (Are the Taliban bad guys? Are they good guys? Are they just misunderstood? Or is it the press who are our bad guys?), and the lack of a coherent message (not the story, which is all well and good) slows the picture down a bit. It's full of good performances and some very curious editing (way too many meaningless dissolves), but the script could've used a rescue mission itself in the last 30 minutes.

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Entertainment One (E One) provided me with a DVD screener copy of SPECIAL FORCES for the expressed purposes of completing this review.

As I sat down to watch the French film "Special Forces," I was poised to enjoy a complex story of tactical operations and international politics. And in the opening scenes, that's just what the movie seemed on the precipice of serving up. However, as the primary story line came into focus, it was clear that "Special Forces" really wasn't about an elite military squad in anything other than title. We see a couple of missions, but nothing of any real strategy is presented. I would have enjoyed these scenes a lot more if the screenplay had delineated just what made this squad so spectacular from a technical, intelligence, or stealth point of view. But as I said, this action endeavor isn't really about a special forces team per se. It is rescue picture. If you remember the tag line for Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," it stated that "the mission was a man." Here, the only objective is the rescue of a woman who happens to be a French war correspondent. In other words, the mission was a woman.

The terrific Diane Kruger (generally underrated) seems a bit out of place as the central character. A seasoned news vet, she attracts the attention of local Taliban leaders in Afghanistan as she pursues a very personal story. Soon, she is abducted by the subject of her story (Raz Degan) and put in harm's way. This rallies the French government (we're not given too much detail behind her import) to enact a daring rescue attempt at any cost. That's when our group of heroes (led by Djimon Hounsou) arrive on scene and get her out within a couple of minutes. No big deal. The rest of the movie plays as an extended chase through the desolate country as the squad and Kruger try to evade capture and death. Along the way, we'll learn a bit about all of them, but the harrowing journey will surely promise a death toll. Who will make it out alive, if anyone? That is the central question as Degan's men are relentless.

Much of "Special Forces" works better on a visceral level than on an intellectual one. The film's screenplay makes some dubious choices to enhance your emotional commitment to the material. The Taliban are faceless enemies represented solely by Degan. It seems surprising how personally invested in the pursuit he is, but the filmmaker is convinced the audience needs a big final confrontation with the symbolic face of evil. The men form a grudging respect for Kruger as well, but she never plays an active role in her own survival. As people are being brutally annihilated, they think she's a trooper for walking on battered feet. She never takes up a weapon and ends up being carried. She never comes across as heroic to me. And let's not get started on an ill-advised romantic connection. "Special Forces" was designed to be an epic and devastating war story. And some of it works, it's hard not to be swept up into the nightmare. The cast is strong but, in the end, too many false moments hamper a story that should have been absolutely unforgettable. Not a bad movie, but had so much more potential. About 3 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 2/13.

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Talk about a surprise. Amazing movie!!! Cinematography and acting, all top notch. Ok, I admit...the storyline has sort of been done before but, how could anybody bash a movie that is ultimately meant to honor fallen soldiers? Bottom line you can't (or at the very least, show respect). Thank You.

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As I sat down to watch the French film "Special Forces," I was poised to enjoy a complex story of tactical operations and international politics. And in the opening scenes, that's just what the movie seemed on the precipice of serving up. However, as the primary story line came into focus, it was clear that "Special Forces" really wasn't about an elite military squad in anything other than title. We see a couple of missions, but nothing of any real strategy is presented. I would have enjoyed these scenes a lot more if the screenplay had delineated just what made this squad so spectacular from a technical, intelligence, or stealth point of view. But as I said, this action endeavor isn't really about a special forces team per se. It is rescue picture. If you remember the tag line for Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," it stated that "the mission was a man." Here, the only objective is the rescue of a woman who happens to be a French war correspondent. In other words, the mission was a woman.

The terrific Diane Kruger (generally underrated) seems a bit out of place as the central character. A seasoned news vet, she attracts the attention of local Taliban leaders in Afghanistan as she pursues a very personal story. Soon, she is abducted by the subject of her story (Raz Degan) and put in harm's way. This rallies the French government (we're not given too much detail behind her import) to enact a daring rescue attempt at any cost. That's when our group of heroes (led by Djimon Hounsou) arrive on scene and get her out within a couple of minutes. No big deal. The rest of the movie plays as an extended chase through the desolate country as the squad and Kruger try to evade capture and death. Along the way, we'll learn a bit about all of them, but the harrowing journey will surely promise a death toll. Who will make it out alive, if anyone? That is the central question as Degan's men are relentless.

Much of "Special Forces" works better on a visceral level than on an intellectual one. The film's screenplay makes some dubious choices to enhance your emotional commitment to the material. The Taliban are faceless enemies represented solely by Degan. It seems surprising how personally invested in the pursuit he is, but the filmmaker is convinced the audience needs a big final confrontation with the symbolic face of evil. The men form a grudging respect for Kruger as well, but she never plays an active role in her own survival. As people are being brutally annihilated, they think she's a trooper for walking on battered feet. She never takes up a weapon and ends up being carried. She never comes across as heroic to me. And let's not get started on an ill-advised romantic connection. "Special Forces" was designed to be an epic and devastating war story. And some of it works, it's hard not to be swept up into the nightmare. The cast is strong but, in the end, too many false moments hamper a story that should have been absolutely unforgettable. Not a bad movie, but had so much more potential. About 3 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 2/13.

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An article is written by a French journalist named Elsa (Diane Kruger) with the intention of exposing the Pakistani warlord named Zaief (Raz Degan) for what he really is. Seeking retribution for being called "the butcher of Kabul," Zaief captures Elsa and her friend Amen (Mehdi Nebbou) and holds them both hostage. A French Special Forces team lead by Kovax (Djimon Hounsou) is sent in to rescue them, but when a stray bullet severs their only means of communication they find themselves journeying back to Afghanistan on foot.

The French war adventure film opens with what is quite possibly the most ridiculous music to try and accompany soldiers or a war. There are helicopters flying in the air, soldiers scouting out the landscape, and this extremely serious tone but it doesn't feel sincere because Big Audio Dynamite is blaring in the background. It just doesn't seem to fit the tone of the film at all. In the meantime, the rest of the score is completely generic. There's this guitar heavy piece that's used literally every five minutes or so. If the inadequate music wasn't enough, the film is edited like a bad music video with constant quick cuts, flashes of light, and even slow motion.

The first half of the film is nearly unbearable; there's no character development and these really lame attempts at humor. "We need to be set up at the landing site in an hour and a half." "Oh, no time to go shopping then?" It seems like "Special Forces" is just going through the motions at first. It's a rescue mission with no depth, but things begin to turn around once they reach the village. The action picks up and suddenly everyone realizes that, "Oh crap, we should actually be trying to invest in people's emotions here!"

Diane Kruger has the most draining performance. Elsa is put through hell and you can see the toll it takes on her both physically and emotionally. What's unfortunate about her is that she's so stubborn that it completely voids out rational thinking the majority of the time. She is given at least half a dozen signs and told just as often to leave the country, but decides to stay to try and protect her informer Maina (Morjana Alaoui) even though she never sees her after the opening scene. She's also given a gun by Lucas (Denis Menochet) and is told something along the lines of "just in case" and "you'll never know." Even when things go south, she's never seen using it. Instead she's given another gun later, which she also doesn't use. So Elsa can be a successful journalist and gain worldwide attention, but can't use basic logic even though her life in addition to eight others depends on it.

Djimon Hounsou has a really passionate performance, as well. He's so devoted to his mission and his men. Benoit Magimel as Tic-Tac is able to add some awkward charm. Raphael Personnaz is the biggest bad ass. The sniper exchange at the village is just insane. Raz Degan is fairly impressive as Zaief. While the character is pretty flat, it does seem like he does the best he can with what's in front of him. His cold eyes accompanied by his loathsome actions cause him to stand out in a sea of mediocrity.

"Special Forces" is incredibly similar to "Act of Valor" in story and tone. On the positive side, "Special Forces" doesn't feel as force fed as "Act of Valor" and has better, more emotionally charged performances in its second half. It could have been so much more though, especially if the first half of the film was written better and had more depth. You might actually care about the events that unfold in the process. "Special Forces" isn't very special at all. Predictable and run of the mill with terrible music and the most generic editing around, "Special Forces" feels like it lasts the 11 days it chronicles.

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Air Canada B777-200LR Polar Route (BLU RAY) (2012)

I have always enjoyed the Just Planes videos, and with the addition of high definition and Blu-Ray, they have gone to another level.

These are not scenery videos. We start with a lengthy explanation from the dispatcher, get the full treatment with the crew pre-flight, and fly two very long trips from Canada to Hong Kong, including take off, various activities in the cockpit en route, cabin activities with the flight attendants, and landing.

We have multiple cameras in the cockpit which is a new feature for the Blu-Ray discs, plus more video of the aircraft on the ground than we often get in this series. Quality of the video itself is amazing, scenery is awesome, crew explanations are great, and you get to see things a normal person would not.

A must buy for anyone who enjoys flight in the cockpit videos. There are nothing like these Blu-Rays.

The only caveat and my only wish for the future is that Just Planes stops trying to make it a literal movie. With the in the cockpit video and the out the window camera, and the length available in the Blu-Ray format, they should give us a chapters which are: window camera from push back to cruise, cockpit camera from window to cruise, window camera from top of descent to landing, and cockpit camera from TOD to landing. That would have made it perfect, instead of constantly switching from view to view. If you really want to concentrate on the cockpit activity, or really want to concentrate on the outside view, you are always a little frustrated.

The best blu ray I've ever watch, the 777 is an amazing and beautyful beast, thank you just planes, this one is a recommended.

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Bird With A Crystal Plumage (2009)

THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE

[L'Uccello dalle Piume di Cristallo]

(Italy/W.Germany 1969)

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (Cromoscope)

Theatrical soundtrack: Mono

Even those who don't care for writer-director Dario Argento's later baroque extravaganzas may warm to his debut feature, a well-received thriller in which an American writer living in Rome (Tony Musante) witnesses an assault on a woman in an art gallery and is subsequently targeted by the would-be assassin, a crazed psychopath who's been terrorizing the city with a series of brutal murders. Typical of an Argento thriller, the hapless hero's investigation unleashes a cycle of violence which culminates in a climactic unmasking that will take some viewers completely by surprise.

Loosely inspired by Fredric Brown's novel 'The Screaming Mimi' (filmed under that title in 1958), Argento's first film is a fairly straightforward thriller with horror asides, anchored by a strong narrative, an increasingly bizarre series of supporting characters, and a strong Everyman hero who slots the puzzle together piece by piece before realizing that the most important clue to the killer's identity was there in front of him all the time. Musante is given excellent support by English actress Suzy Kendall as his girlfriend (the scene in which she's besieged alone in her apartment as the killer hacks through the door with a knife is truly the stuff of nightmares) and Enrico Maria Salerno as the cop charged with finding the killer before he/she strikes again.

Despite Argento's prior screenwriting credits, including significant contributions to the script of Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1969), producers were unconvinced of his directorial abilities and wanted to pull him off the picture during the first few weeks of shooting, but Argento persevered under an iron-clad contract and ultimately proved his critics wrong with the finished product, a genuinely engrossing mystery punctuated by scenes of explicit horror.

The film puts a late-1960s Italian spin on the kind of movie that Hitchcock had already popularized in America, and is leavened with the same kind of uproarious humor: Salerno gets the best line of dialogue during a police line-up when he despairs: "How many times do I have to tell you? Ursula Andress belongs with the transvestites, not the perverts!" And later, an outrageously camp antiques dealer offers a jaw-dropping description of one of the killer's former victims: "It was said she preferred women. I couldn't care less I'm no racist, for heaven's sake!" Briskly edited by Franco Fraticelli, and featuring a brief appearance from distinctive character actor Reggie Nalder (MARK OF THE DEVIL, SALEM'S LOT) as an assassin-for-hire, "Bird" is arguably Argento's warmest, most humane thriller until TENEBRAE in 1982.

I really couldn't tell you why I have yet to watch every film in Dario Argento's filmography. A few years ago it was easy to claim ignorance of many of this Italian director's important works because it was often so difficult to find any of them in an uncut form. Fortunately, DVD arrived on the scene and salivating film fans with dollars to spend prodded numerous companies to start churning out any movie they could get their hands on to satiate the masses. It wasn't too long before practically every Argento film arrived on store shelves, with many of these releases being the uncut, unrated editions. Even Troma, the flagship of flaccid filmmaking, released a so-so version of Argento's "The Stendhal Syndrome." People outside of the world of Italian horror cinema have most likely never heard of Dario Argento, unfortunately. These days, more people are familiar with the director's beautiful daughter Asia than with the horror maestro himself. What a shame. Argento's films, at least the ones I have seen, are masterpieces of style injected with truly cringe inducing gore. And to think it all started in earnest with this engaging Hitchcockian thriller, "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage." Argento and his fans never looked back, but this is an apt starting point for those unfamiliar with this director's work.

An American reporter staying in Rome witnesses a truly shattering event one evening when he sees a gruesome assault takes place inside of an art gallery. Barred from interfering with the proceedings due to huge sliding glass doors, Sam Dalmas can only look on with horror as two figures, one clad entirely in black and the other a woman, struggle with each other over a very shiny knife. The person in black flees the scene of the crime, leaving behind the hapless woman with a knife wound to the abdomen. When Dalmas does his duty by calling in the police, his story leads the officers to cast a doubtful eye on the concerned American. The police insist that Sam stay in Rome until the investigation turns up some clues, much to the consternation of Dalmas and his pretty girlfriend Julia. It seems that Sam was planning to leave Rome, but all bets are off as more murders occur that the police suspect are linked to the crime seen by Dalmas. Moreover, Julia and Sam start receiving grim phone calls from an unknown person who almost certainly is the figure behind these crimes. Our hero is in a real fix, with his only supporters being his woman and a friend who works at a museum. At least the cops start to come over to his side as the bodies pile up, especially once they listen to those eerie phone calls. A unique sound in the background of one of these calls provides the break Dalmas needs to identify the killer he saw on that fateful night. The conclusion has more twists and turns than a cyclone.

"The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" helped inaugurate the era of the Italian giallo (Italian for yellow), so named because in Italy cheap paperback crime novels came with yellow covers. These are the films with the anonymous, black-gloved killers toting gruesome looking knives while stalking their mostly female prey. The crimes are often seen from the point of view of the killer, giving the audience the impression that they are part of the heinous murders. Argento plays the giallo for all its worth here, matching this disturbing technique with a great score by the inestimable Ennio Morricone and camera work rarely seen in the horror genre. The cinematography here is simply divine, with the director including a shot from the point of view of a man falling from a tall building and an ultra cool scene where the camera points at a lighted doorway from inside a darkened room. All these elements combine to make this film a taut thriller of enormously entertaining dimensions. Moreover, of the few Argento films I have seen to date, "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" contains one of his most coherent plotlines.

Gorehounds might find themselves a bit disappointed with the lack of the trademark Argento gore (no sharp corners to bash a head against here!) in this movie, but the stellar camera work, truly creepy scenes of murder and mayhem, and the strong performances from Tony Musante as Sam Dalmas and Suzy Kendall in the Julia role more than make up for the 'PG' rating. Still, that rating made me wonder a bit about what the people at the MPAA were thinking when they viewed this picture. There is upsetting violence here, along with some truly disturbing scenes that hint at where Argento would go in the future. The way the killer caresses those weird looking blades (one of which, I am almost certain, appeared in a later Argento film called "Deep Red") and the participatory effect the audience feels during the killings makes you wonder how this movie got off with such a mundane rating.

The DVD version of "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" is strictly bare bones: you get the film and a trailer, which is good considering its relative obscurity but could have been better. As others have said, the audio is quite muzzy at times and the picture quality isn't anything to write home to mother about. After viewing this picture and a couple of other Argento films, I must say I really enjoy how these movies mess with your mind. Just when you think you know what's going on, good old Dario throws another curveball. He does this in many of his films, but he does it here for the first time. What a joy it is to watch it today!

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Ever buy a widescreen movie and wonder if its true ws aspect? Even though it has the black strips at top and bottom something is very amiss with this print. The credits cannot be read as they run off the screen on one side or the other or both. The movie itself deserves four stars but while watching, it is evident thats its not ws ratio. Hopefully someone, perhaps Anchor Bay can give us the real deal.

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This blu-ray was discontinued months ago by Blue-Underground and is simply no longer available through normal distribution channels. Amazon has been listing this as "temporarily out of stock" and taking orders for well over a month: it simply is NOT available! Amazon needs to update their listing for this blu-ray.

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For many years, I'd felt that of the Argento films I'd seen, Deep Red (Profundo Roso) was easily my favorite. However, recently I ordered on DVD that movie, Suspiria, Inferno, and Bird Witb a Crystal Plumage. And while I'm glad to have all four in my collection, I've concluded that at least for the time being Bird has become my top choice, which surprises me.

Bird really benefits from the increased production values of DVD over VHS (I've owned a copy for the past decade): the cinematography (thank you, Vittorio Storaro & crew) is astounding. There are times when I feel like I can reach right out and touch buildings, foliage, people. It's that visually tactile. Also, the film is very tight. Little, if any, wasted space and it's a talky picture, too. Fortunately, a good chunk of the dialogue is funny, sometimes hilarious (check out the scene when protagonist Tony Musante visits a painter whose work looks to be a significant clue in a series of mysterious murders that Musante is investigating in tandem with the police).

The mystery's a good one, too. And the use of repetition works like repeated motifs/actions should: a fascinating revelation of the process of memory and how we may construct and reconstruct events through it. Though Bird's use of repetition looks something like DePalma's Blow Out (released over a decade later than Bird), it has more in common with that other late '60s enigmatic masterwork, Blow Up.

We also benefit from an imaginative musical soundtrack by the recent lifetime Academy Award winner, Ennio Morricone, who scored several of Argento's earliest efforts, including Four Flies on Grey Velvet (where has that gone?) and Cat o' Nine Tails. While I enjoy the pulsing, thrashing musics of Goblin in Deep Red and Suspiria, Morricone's pieces are more surprising and impishly playful in much the same way Argento plays with us including his use of a false ending.

Okay, so it's his first major direction. And the dubbing into English is, well, dubbing into English. But the suspense builds and builds, intelligently, leaving this viewer more than satisfied after repeated screenings. If you're into Argento and you've overlooked this one, please get with it! And if you're a newcomer to this horror/mystery master, this is an excellent place to start. And do see it on DVD.

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Ek Tha Tiger (Blu-Ray) (2012)

I would rate this movie second tier. Very good but not the best. It was a great plot about half action and about half romance. Both Katrina and Salman handled action and romance scenes equally well. The music video was great, especially Mashallah and Banjaara, but there were not enough songs. I liked the way that they utilized the music styles of the localities Ireland, Cuba and Middle East. Although not on a level with Wanted and Partner this is still a very good movie.

I was highly entertained throughout this movie. There was plenty of action, some awesome fight scenes, great song/dance numbers, interesting story. And beautiful people. What more could you want??

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If you are a fan of Indian Cinema, this is really a must see.

Super cinematography, and characters. Katrina Kaif is terrific.

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Great movie.. Good music.... Katrina did an excellent job. very believable caracter.. Salman excellent as usual. I will see ths movie over and over again. Recommend it highly......

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I was a great story line. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It kept my attention to the end. I would reommend this to others.

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The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971)

In the early 70's at Thule Air Base the main activity aside from drinking was going to the movies. A thriller called The Bird With The Crystal Plumage caught my fancy. Then some months later we saw Cat o'Nine Tails. I immediately recognized the director's style but found the movie lacking. My interest in Argento was revived when 4 Flies on Grey Velvet came along.

3 decades later, I've just seen Anchor Bay's stunning reissue of Cat which confirmed my original assessment stylish, funny ... but lacking the element of suspense or surprise to be found in both Bird and Flies. The cast is excellent.. The DVD is superb with an interesting group of extras including an interview with Argento and radio interviews with Franciscus and Malden. I do recommend the DVD but if you're on a budget, wait for a reissue of 4 Flies or run to your local DVD store today and snap up Deep Red.

Incidentally, since I've been acquainted with Argento's films for so many years, I'm surprised all Americans don't know them. Cat o'Nine Tails just lacks the edge to be found in the rest of his works. Certainly if you like giallo flicks, you'll want to see it at least once.

I had read somewhere that Dario himself didn't think highly of this film and Maltin rates it a BOMB. I was sceptical when I rented this one but in the end I was relieved that I did. It's actually quite good and it has a cohesive plot that keeps you guessing 'till the very end. There's no gore here to speak of but Argento keeps things lively from start to finish and the actors here are amazingly good (compared to many other Argento films). Check it out, it certainly doesn't deserve a BOMB rating, and also, it seems that Dario is never entirely satisfied with his old films, apperently he can't even watch them on t.v.

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I had many difficulties to see this movie from Dario Argento because it was not easy to find it in my country, but when I finally saw it, it really surprised me. Like THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE this second film from the Italian Master of Horror is very impressive. Again Dario used a calculating and very complicated plot, even more than in THE BIRD... This time with more colors and a fabulous score from Ennio Morricone. A great thriller even if Dario thinks it is his most disappointing film.

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Cat o' Nine Tails is generally considered second-tier Argento. In fact, Argento himself isn't too jazzed on it. But I find it to be an excellent Hitchcock-inspired suspense film. Yeah, it lacks the stylized, highly imaginative visuals of his later films, but that's not to say it lacks filmmaking verve and invention. Far from it. A must-have if you're an Argento fan, but I suspect it would have more appeal to a general audience than most of his films.

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I received the DVD for Dario Argento's The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971) aka Il Gatto a nove code when I bought a six DVD set from Anchor Bay Entertainment called The Fright Pack: Man's Worst Friends, which also included Parasite (1982), Lucio Fulci's The Black Cat (1989), Slugs: The Movie (1988), Bruno Mattei's Rats: Night of Terror (1984), and Zoltan, Hound of Dracula (1978). After watching the film, it seemed an odd choice for the set which features movies about animals attacking people, as there was no animals whatsoever in the film, only in the title. Actually, this was the second of a trio of giallo films made by Argento featuring animals in the title, the others being The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) and Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971). Written and directed by Dario Argento (Suspiria, Phenomena), the man often referred to at the Italian Hitchcock, this Italia-Franco-German production features Karl Malden (Nevada Smith, Meteor), Catherine Spaak (Murder Is a Murder), Pier Paolo Capponi (Defeat of the Mafia), Horst Frank (The Night of the Askari), Rada Rassimov (Baron Blood), Aldo Reggiani (Young Lucrezia Borgia), Carlo Alighiero (Blade of the Ripper), and James Franciscus (The Valley of Gwangi, Beneath the Planet of the Apes).

Franciscus plays Carlo Giordani, a newspaper reporter who stumbles onto the story of his career (maybe even his life), assisted by an aging blind man, with a penchant for puzzles, named Franco Arnos (Malden) and the man's young niece. It seems prior to a break-in at a genetics research laboratory, Arno and his niece just happened to in the area, and witnessed something with regards to one of the scientists who works in the facility. The next day the very same scientist dies horribly as he's pushed, accidentally on purpose, in front of a commuter train. Giordani, when not making time with the daughter of the man who owns the research facility, learns the company is involved in two secretive, potentially lucrative projects, one involving a miracle drug, and another involving a process for identification of potential criminal tendencies by studying an individual's genetic make-up. The leads keep popping up, but Giordani and Arno just can't seem to catch a break as the someone keeps brutally dispatching the witnesses before the men get a chance to talk to them...whoever's responsible for the original crime, in which it seemed nothing was taken, is going to great lengths to cover their tracks, even if it means killing...eventually the tables are turned on Giordani and Arno as their snooping draws the attention of the homicidal maniac and soon discover they're now targets. So who's this homicidal madman? There's plenty of suspects to choose from...whoever it is, they certainly don't have a problem getting their hands `dirty' with a little manslaughter...

I thought this was a really solid film throughout, with only a couple minor issues. One thing that surprised me was the excellent production values that went into the movie. Looks like most of the film was shot on location, which where chosen well. I thought most all the performers did very well, especially Franciscus and Malden. I don't know what it is about Franciscus, but he just has a real presence on the screen, one you can't help but feel compelled to keep your eyes on...certainly he's a good looking man, but there is another quality, a vigorous, manly man aspect. Watch for the scene near the end where he runs face first into a two by four being held by the killer...ouch! That'll leave a mark...I was impressed with how Argento kept the story moving along as well as he did, given the film is nearly two hours long. Some of it probably could have been excised, like the element of the storyline about the relationship between the owner of the genetic research facility and his daughter, played by Ms. Spaak. I'm really unsure what the point of that was, other than perhaps to overly develop the possibility that either one may be the culprit, along with a whole slew of other suspects, or just to creep people out (which it did for me). The one thing that stood out as the main shortfall involved the revelation of the identity of the maniac killer. There were no real clues within the story that ever pointed towards any one individual, so when the big reveal occurred, it could have been almost anyone who hadn't yet been killed. Oh sure, some additional supporting information was given after the fact, things regarding motive and such, but come on, anyone can do that...it's putting sly clues out their prior to the reveal that make a mystery truly fun and engaging to an audience. This may seem a fairly critical aspect considering this is a mystery, but I felt the majority of the film done well enough to compensate. I dunno, maybe the breadcrumbs were there, but I neglected to follow. As far as the deaths go, some get pretty nasty, particularly the guy pushed in front of the train...there's couple of strangulations, a face slashing, attempted poisoning, and more...I think my favorite sequence was when Franciscus' character was in the barbershop getting a shave with a straightedge razor. The barber is griping about reporters and how the newspapers are speculating that the maniac killer might possibly be a barber, due the proficiency the killer has with a sharp blade. During this time, we see the barber, through close ups, shaving Franciscus' face and throat, and his unease towards the barber's agitated state. Another scene I really liked was when Franciscus and Malden are in the graveyard, looking to dig up one of the recently murdered victims in order to follow up on a clue...the fun never ends with these two, I'll tell you what...all in all, a very stylish, sometimes creepy affair with a few vicious murders and a solid storyline.

Anchor Bay Entertainment provides an excellent, `re-mastered, uncut, uncensored', sharp-looking print of the film, in widescreen (2.35:1) anamorphic, on this DVD, along with a decent Dolby Surround 2.0 audio track. Special features include a featurette titled `Tales of the Cat: interviews with director Dario Argento, writer Dardano Sacchetti, and musical composer Ennio Morricone (14 minutes), two trailers, two TV spots, radio interviews with both Franciscus and Malden (8 minutes each), a poster and still gallery, talent bios, and a 5X7 reproduction of original poster art on an insert in the DVD case, the flipside featuring the chapter stops. One thing potential buyers should keep in mind is that there are numerous DVD releases of this film out there, and while I have yet to see them, I've rarely been disappointed with the quality on Anchor Bay releases, so even though it may cost a little more, it's probably worth it, in this case, to make sure which release you're thinking of purchasing.

Cookieman108

By the way, if I learned anything from this film, it's never to drink from a leaky carton of milk left on my doorstep, especially if a sadistic killer is out to get me...

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The Family that Preys (2008)

*Please Note: There May be Spoilers in My Review*

Tyler Perry has become one of my favorite actors / directors. He seems to, "get" what women feel / know and what we, as humans ahould always remember, that to treat strangers with respect as they may be angels in disguise.

Charlotte ( Kathy Bates ) and Alice ( Alfre Woodard ) have been friends for over 30 years. Charlotte is a rich woman and Alice is a middle class woman, yet their friendship has thrived for so many years. I have to say that if Anyone is Blessed to have a friend as wonderful as Alice, God has Blessed them, cause not too many people come around like her that keep you grounded and love you no matter what.

We meet Charlotte and Alice at the wedding of Alice's daughter Andrea. Charlotte is picking up the tab for the whole wedding, as Alice is her dear friend and Charlotte's own son decided to elope, so Charlotte can't do the whole Southern grand wedding thing for him.

I didn't like Andrea ( Alice's daughter ) at all when I first was introduced to her. To me, she was a spoiled, spiteful woman who had major issues with Charlotte and why her mom was allowing Charlotte to pay for her wedding. She was still dislikable through almost all the movie to me.

Charlotte's son, William Cartwright, played by, Cole Hauser, is a major leech, judging by the way his eyes undress Andrea, Sanaa Lathan, at her wedding. It's implied, then shown that William and Andrea become lovers, while their kind and supportive spouses know nothing about what is going on. Andrea's husband Chris, Rockmond Dunbar, and his brother-in-law Ben, Tyler Perry, want to start their own construction business, and Chris approaches William regarding a construction company and William can become a share holder in the new company. William does a usual ya-da ya-da, and a, "I will get back to your wife to get to you" jabber and then tells Andrea that he will fire her husband which she promptly agrees to.

Meanwhile, Alice and Charlotte decide to do a spontaneous road trip west to see and do whatever they feel like seeing and doing. You can see the special bond between the two women and the love they share, as Alice puts up with a lot of Charlotte's wild ways and spontinaity, yet manages to keep her faith and get Charlotte Baptized in the whole journey. It is on this journey that Alice discoveres that Charlotte has early Alzheimer's and doesn't want Alice to tell anyone especially her no good, power grubbing son.

Charlotte butts heads with her son who wants to rule the company. She knows he isn't ready to rule, so she hires Robin Givens to help run her company, much to her son's dismay and anger. William plans a secret meeting to oust his mother as head of the company, but Charlotte intervenes

, thanks to a forewarning by her not-so-favored daughter-in-law.

This movie has a wonderful way of making a person thankful for those that love them, for enjoying the life one has been Blessed with, and making the most of kindness to others. This movie made me mad at Andrea and want to slap her upside the head and tell her she isn't gonna get her, "other man", and to listen to her mom and sister, cause they know better. Made me appreciate the gift of my best friend and the love of my husband and how Alice's faith in God helped her every day through all her life's trials.

As with most Tyler Perry movies, I can not praise them enough for the messages and entertainment value he provides. You'll sit and watch this to enjoy a movie, but you will also feel your heart and conscience get bigger, just like the grinch in the Dr. Suess story did.

First of all if you are looking for some of that over the top comic that acting that Tyler Perry has it is not your movie. I admit I don't like that type of comedy.. Medea.. etc.. not for me. So it took me a while to find out that Tyler Perry is not all about the silly acting.

I LOVED Why did I get married, and also This Christmas and Meet the Browns had its moments but this is the BEST hands down. its NOT a comedy but a serious film about family, ties, loyality and being betrayed... it is ONE of the best films I think I have ever seen...

Perry has this reputation for these comic rolls and for some reason I can't understand everytime I see one of his movies I am one of the only white people in the theater.. his movies appeal to ALL types of people.. it is easy to relate too and the acting and writing are first rate.. try this.. you won't regret.. if you don't believe me.. rent it, after that you you will want a copy of your own... FANTASTIC FILM

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This is one of my favorite movies! There are moments were i was like in tears because this movie is filled with so many twist and turns. Sanaa lathuns charactor is horrible, she is so dramatic but she did a great job in this role. Tyler perry picked a really great caste for this movie, so if like his other movies the you'll love this one.It is a funny movie but it is also sad and there are times it will make you mad, but at the end everything comes together.

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What do you get when you mix a homey ghetto family with one of old money and prestige? You get people with all the warts and needs that people so often come with human beings with issues that hold claim to no class or social distinctions. Tyler Perry seemed to bring the two together in this film, bringing one up a notch and one down, or, maybe showing that there are no such distinctions when it comes to the human drama and that they were on the same level all along.

I can not praise this film enough. It truly, truly blew me away, and when it was over I felt slightly changed. Having been smitten with Tyler Perry since I saw a DVD of his stage play 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman', this film was a departure from his normal poignant humor and delivered a burst of the brilliant filmmaker he is fast becoming. 'The Family that Preys' is truly a remarkable work of emotional art one that will age like the finest of wines. ~ Taylor Siluwé, author of Dancing With The Devil

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This movie really inspired me. To be more grateful of your mother and sometimes, I can be mean to my mom without noticing and this movie really inspired me to be kind to my mother and be more aware of how I treat others. Great movie!

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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (Extended Edition)

Without giving away the added scenes they are a MUST for any Twilight lover!!!!... They are not really extended scenes but new scenes added in. There is not longer version of the wolves running or such but whole new scenes that blend well with the movie. I think they should have been in the original cut. Allot of films add in extra scenes that quite don't add to the film or slow it down but these added scenes for Part 1 really give the movie added punch! I just loved watching the bonus scenes. It was also fun not knowing where they will show up so it almost like watching a new movie!... Get this you won't regret it.

I did get my copy on ebay where they had The Twilight Saga Complete Collection Box Set. It has all 5 movies on blu ray plus digital copies of all of them. Also it includes the audio commentary as an option! And.... It has the Extended Edition of Breaking Dawn Part 1.....

The Digital copies on the 5 Movie Box Set are on Cinema Now which is a great free app for storing movies where you can watch them on any device without taking up GB space on your device. They also download. At first I didn't think I would like Cinema Now compared to iTunes but then I saw my Blu Ray player had the option and I can watch my movies at a press of a button from Cinema Now. Its also available on SmartTvs. So it cool to have all the digital copies! I thought this was the best deal out there.

the Industry needs to stop this crap , we allready bought your movie , I'm certainly not buying it for an Extra 8 minutes !! ...not enough the fans gave you 5 of the Biggest Grossing films in years & this is how you treat them ?

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8 Minutes,,,,really? Hollywood must be completely oblivious to the fact that the rest of the world is still in RECESSION!

Next, it's the second part this March, followed by the ''extended version'' this Summer, with the complete boxed set of all five films for Christmas!

ENOUGH ALREADY!

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The movie starts off differently than the original. There are newly added scenes in the movie that were key points in the book without giving you SPOILERS. I would highly recommend buying this movie for the big Twi-Hard fans out there who have also read the books. It will definitely give you more appreciation of the movie.

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I think that the time of the additional scenes is very short to consider as an excellent extended edition of this movie!

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Boogie Nights (2010)

"Boogie Nights" is one of those movies that defies categorization. It's about the porno industry, and has its fair share of sexual content, but never titillates. It's often funny but the humor is usually of the dark variety. Much of the content shouldn't be entertaining, but the movie succeeds grandly as entertainment.

It's the oblique nature of "Boogie Nights" that makes it so special. It's not a film that will give you pat answers; rather, it'll challenge you in a way few films do. What other movie in recent memory was able to take an explicit sex scene and make it sexually unexciting? "Boogie Nights" has just such a scene, and it serves one purpose: to de-glamorize the world of porno and portray it for what it doubtless is: a business where people do nothing but try to make a living.

"Boogie Nights" centers around the life and times (the late 1970's and early 1980's) of Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg, who's dynamite), who is discovered by porno impresario Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds, in another dynamite performance) and soon changes his name to Dirk Diggler and becomes a porno star.

Dirk's story is intertwined with the stories of others who share his world: coked-up porn queen Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), who plays surrogate mother to Dirk because she is legally barred from seeing her own child; Reed Rothschild (John C. Reilly), his best buddy and co-star; Rollergirl (Heather Graham), a porn performer who insists on "acting" with her rollerskates on; Buck Swope (Don Cheadle), a black porn bit player who dresses like Gene Autry and dreams of owning a stereo store; and Little Bill (William H. Macy), Horner's quietly enraged right hand man, whose wife literally does it with everyone and anyone and doesn't care if her husband sees her doing it.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson tells the characters' stories vignette-style, much as Robert Altman would.

In particular, Dirk's rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches story is alternately funny, horrifying, sad and uplifting. In particular, there is a scene in which a strung-out Dirk tries to make a drug deal with a crackhead dealer. Problem is, the cocaine he's trying to sell is fake, the dealer's house is full of armed thugs, and his friend keeps lighting firecrackers as the whacked-out dealer listens to Night Ranger's "Sister Christian". Anderson directs this scene so beautifully that the tension and fear is absolutely unbearable after a while, but the whole setup is so bizarre that you can't help but smirk your way through it. That's great directing, folks.

The performances are all standouts, but Reynolds' and Moore's are especially fine. In addition, the period feel (down to the Cheryl Tiegs poster on Dirk's bedroom wall) and music is right on target.

This is a brilliant film, and though it's too in love with its own brilliance from time to time, the flaws are greatly outweighed by the film's tremendous energy and superb performances.

This Platinum series is a noticeable improvement over the last release. Paul Anderson, the director, says this is the "definitve version" of Boogie Nights. While I agree with him in many ways, I STILL had the need for MORE supplemental material. The packaging is really nice. It opens like a book, revealing 2 attractive discs, one with the film, the other with supplemental material. Trying to release these discs with your fingers may be the hardest thing you ever did. They are VERY difficult to release from the case. This edition does not come with a booklet, but gives you plenty to read on the inner sleeves. Once you pop the DVD's into your player, you'll see that the menu's are simple and very easy to navigate. You can set-up your monitor with a simple 'color bars' set-up. The picture quality is beautiful. Color saturation is noticeably improved over the previous release, and overall the widescreen image is attractive and clean. The sound is also greatly improved over the previous release. It is cleaner and more vibrant and the stereo separation seems to be much more precise. The music sounds incredible and the vocals are clear and sharp. The firecracker scene at the drug dealers house sounds wonderful! The audio commentary is reason enough to get this DVD. Paul Anderson has almost every person you'd ever want to listen to on this DVD. They are all talking in their own vulgar and natural ways throughout the film, and most of the time, it is quite amusing and informative. This version has an additional few minutes of a deleted scene that is great to watch including Becky, Jerome and a car crash with Mark Whalberg driving! John C. Reilly is a really funny guy, and his scenes in this DVD, (The John C. Reilly Files), are a pleasure to watch. The DVD also includes the "Try" video, a nice little addition. In conclusion, I love this film, and anyone else who does should get this DVD. I recommend it highly, I just really wanted to see more supplemental footage, (probably because I love this film so much). Besides that, this DVD is excellent, great picture and wonderful sound, and the supplemental footage is incredibly entertaining. **By the way, go to the 'color bars' and let it play for about 30 seconds....something shocking will appear on your screen** Enjoy this DVD!

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Boogie Nights may not only be the best movie in the best year for film since 1976 but the best of it's decade. Mark Wahlberg sheds his Marky Mark persona by play Dirk Diggler, an up and cuming porn star who finds a family in his co-stars. Director Jack Horner, played by a resurgant Burt Reynolds, is the father figure to Dirk while Amber Waves (Julianne Moore) assumes the role of mother. It's a dysfuncial family at that but maybe the most stable a young man in the 1970's San Fernado Valley could have. Dirk starts out a wide-eyed kid from Torance who gets swept up by Horner and co. after a blow-up with his emotionally abusive, acholic mother. Paul Thomas Anderson directs with such skillful hand that we come to understand the decisions he makes but realize where it's going to lead. The assemble cast includes a lintany of names too long to metion all of them but particularly good is John C. Reilly, collaberating again with Anderson who'd given him his best role yet in Hard Eight. The reissued DVD is absolutely worthwhile even for those of you who already have the previous. The most notable inclusion is a Scorsese-esque scene in which Dirk attempts to come to Becky's aid after her marriage turns sour. In his voice over commentary PTA explains he wanted somebody in the film to get away clean thus decided to make the difficult cut. The other nine deleteds are just as good, nothing new but still as entertaining as they were when the DVD was first released. I hate to turn people off to such a fabulous film but I've found most people have a very strong reaction to it, you'll either love it or hate it, there's no middle ground here. And while I hate to discard great films such as Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction into a runners-up catogory I can't help but think this was the best film of the 90's and it's reach could easily span two decades if not for Raging Bull (which is given proper credit for inspiring the film's final scene). It's not to be missed!

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The Film:

Sprawling, messy, and relentlessly entertaining, Boogie Bights was, in my book, one of the two or three best films of the 1990s. Its themes include the innocence of an era, the relentless march of time, and the attempts of people caught in this march to create a family structure whether it be a traditional family or a non-traditional one. Like many of Writer/Director Paul Thomas Anderson's films, this is a real actors' showcase, with Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Don Cheadle, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, among many others, turning in bravura performances. But it is, of course, Mark Wahlberg who sells this film. I haven't liked everything he's ever done, but his unpretentious style really fits the character here.

The Blu-Ray:

This is the best this film has looked on home video. The New Line DVD, which was one of the best DVD discs in its day, was very good. This is better in every way. Blacks are darker and more solid, film grain is more evident, color is richer, and detail is much stronger. That said, this isn't a disc that will blow away some of the more CGI-heavy modern action material you can throw at your HD setup on Blu-Ray. Part of this is due to the way Anderson shoots scenes, with naturalistic lighting, focus, and different film stocks. When we're in a brightly lit scene with close ups, detail is very strong. I am glad that they didn't overdo this transfer and try to make it "overly" HD. There is little to no visible edge enhancement, and definitely no visible noise reduction.

Sound is very strong, with a 5.1 channel Dolby TrueHD that excels in almost every way. The music, so important to this film, is separated throughout the sound field with lots of detail.Dialogue is clear and never drowned out.

In terms of extras, we get almost all of the material from the New Line Platinum Series DVD. Two very entertaining commentaries, 30 minutes of deleted scenes (also with commentaries), extra improv footage, a music video, and the theatrical trailer are given to us. Unfortunately, all of these features are in standard definition, directly lifted from the DVD. We are also not given the "color bars" from the original DVD, which contained a blooper outtake of the prosthesis Wahlberg wore. I also would have liked to see the "Exhausted" documentary about John Holmes that Anderson used (and references frequently) as the inspiration for the documentary sequence in the film. It's not terribly long, and having it as a point of comparison to the filmed scenes would have been really good.

One final note this disc has NO commercials. You pop it in, get an FBI warning, a brief New Line logo, and then the movie starts up. No fuss, no muss. I LOVE IT.

Conclusion:

Anyone who is a fan of great cinema should get this movie. If, somehow, you've avoided seeing this and you have a Blu-Ray player, this is a must-buy. It's by one of the great young filmmakers of our era, and it may be his best movie. If you love Scorsese, Kubrick, Robert Altman, Oliver Stone, and the like, you'll love this.

If you have the DVD set already, I would say this is a still a recommendation. The picture and sound are quite a bit stronger, without a doubt, and you get almost everything from the original DVD extras.

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One tends to think of adult entertainment as a bastion of scumbags and perverts, but Boogie Nights presents a loving glimpse of the unacknowledged human face behind it all. It's a fun film, no doubt, but its morality play on human frailties is heartwarming.

The tail end of the 70s saw a small cadre of porn directors who honestly believed they could combine realistic raunch with an engaging plot. Lofty goal, and one that sure enough proved impossible to realize, with VHS forcing movies to be made cheaper and faster.

Boogie Nights chronicles the quick rise and demise of this so-called "artistic porn" business and the unusual people who participated in it.

To the extent that the film is a reflection of reality, its strengths lie not in its accuracy but in its warmth in relaying the hopes and dreams within this makeshift family.

As we follow a regular well-endowed Joe's rise to (and inevitable fall from) stardom, a handful of subplots seep in -the allure of stardom and the price some are willing to pay to attain it, the difficulty of rehabilitating after one's name has been tainted by association with porn, the compelling urge to belong.

There's much to be seen, literally. Thankfully genuine comedy lurks in the crevices. Characters are well-sketched, and we feel for most of them. Clocking just over 2.5 hours the film is not for the faint of heart, but the sheer vitality of bravura performances keeps us spellbound.

A word for the energetic camerawork. The movie opens with a five-minute unbroken crane shot that swirls around the streets of LA, then enters a club and circles the dance floor introducing us to almost every major character. This fabulous shot sets the standard for the rest of the film, a delight for anyone interested in this sort of thing.

In a nut, the film excels on many levels. As unabashed as it is touching, this is a film you have to see.

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