Even the Rain

EVEN THE RAIN (También la lluvia) is a brilliant metaphor of a story written by Paul Laverty based on an actual event and directed with considerable skill by Icíar Bollaín, the great Spanish actress, writer and director. This film is one of those rare 'docudramas' that bring to light historical 'secrets' that beg to be shared. In 2000 an American water company bought the water supply from the Bolivian government and the citizens of Bolivia were banned from collecting rainwater which had become corporate property. This resulted in a violent protest against the government by the indigenous Indians and the citizenry of Cochambamba, Bolivia who claimed their rights to the natural gifts of nature even the rain. Laverty and Bollaín expose this injustice through a well-conceived story within a story.

Spanish film director Sebastián (Gael García Bernal), his cynical producer Costa (Luis Tosar), and crew including Antón (Karra Elejalde) have come to Cochabamba, Bolivia to shoot their film about Christopher Columbus (played by actor Antón Karra Elejalde) and his first explorations, revealing the way the Spaniards treated the native Indians: Costa has chosen the place because he can get cheap labor in using local actors and extras to keep within the small budget of the film. Sebastián is the compassionate one who wants the Indians treated well, hiring a mouthy young Indian named Hatuey/Daniel (Juan Carlos Aduviri) when he claims he and his family are being unjustly overlooked as actor candidates. The filming goes well, with the exception of some minor glitches for particular scenes the Indians find too dangerous, until a conflict develops over the governmental privatization of the water supply. Daniel becomes an activist against the government who plan a 300% increase in price of water the average daily income for the Indians is $2. a day! and the conditions in the city become unfriendly for the film to continue. Bloody violence and chaos breakout and many citizens are being killed or jailed. It is at this point that the caring Sebastián finally decides that he and his crew must flee, and with some role reversal, Costa stays behind to protect Daniel's family.

According to Bollaín, 'It was the gold 500 years ago, and now it's the water, which is the gold of the 21st century. Before it was the Crown of Spain and the pope who approved the conquest. Now it is the new theologians, the IMF and the World Bank. Again it's the word from above, saying, 'This is right.' The Spanish filmmakers in the film-within-a-film are caught in the middle. They have the attitude of neo-conquerors they go there because it's cheap. But they're also trying to make a film that casts a different look on the conquest. And it's an adventure.'

Iciar Bollaín directs this epic film with great dignity and with a keen observation of how history, even inadvertently, repeats itself. The cinematography by Alex Catalán and the musical score by Alberto Iglesias add immeasurably to the film's success. The cast of extras is exceptional and very well directed. Both Gael García Bernal and Luis Tosar deliver intensely considered performances as does Juan Carlos Aduviri as the key central figure Daniel. Hopefully this film, nominated for Best Foreign Film in the 2010 Academy Awards. In Spanish with English subtitles. Grady Harp, May 11

This is an excellent film based upon reams of historical evidence as documented by such acclaimed historians as Howard Zinn (A Peoples History of the United States) and David Stannard (American Holocaust) and others. Its subtle, if not so subtle, comparisons with the greed for gold and exploitation of Indigenous Peoples by the original conquistadors and other "discoverers" of the now so called Americas with the present day call for privatization of water by the International Monetary Fund is extremely poignant and moving. That "we the people" will not let elite policymakers in collusion with governments get away with exploiting resources, like water, fundamental to human survival was a major message that the world witnessed in the uprisings in Bolivia roughly a decade ago. Well acted and emotionally compelling, it is also interspersed with real life stories of sacrifice and heroism to help loved ones in need. Human Rights and Social Justice: Social Action and Service for the Helping and Health Professions

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The movie tells the story of Native South Americans who are fighting for basic resources to survive. The struggles that began with the Spanish terrorists hundreds of years ago (circa 15th century) continue into the present day in this film. It's worth viewing. It sparked my interest in learning more about present day Bolivia.

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Seems at times like being behind the scenes of a Werner Herzog film. The play of the filming of Christopher Columbus' first voyage and its effect on the natives against the current plight of the Bolivian cast working in the film while at the same time fighting for access to water in their city is remarkably effective in demonstrating how little has changed over the centuries. Insightful, funny, passionate, touching, and ultimately uplifting.

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Set in Bolivia, this Spanish film stars Gael Garcia Bernal (`Amores Perros', `Bad Education' and `Rudi y Cursi') as film director Sebastian. He is making a film in the Cochabamba region with his exec producer Costa (Luis Tosar `Cell 211', `Mr Nice' and `Miami Vice'). They have chosen the area because they are on a limited budget and know they can hire local extras for next to nothing.

At auditioning a feisty Indian, Daniel kicks up a fuss about not getting a screen test, Sebastian decides to take him on. They are shooting a film about Columbus set in 1511, and they want to use contemporary accounts as much as possible to keep it accurate. They are also keen to show how the Indians were exploited by the Spanish Empire and show a few good men who stood up for the Indians and the tyranny of the Church.

Things go well at first and the historical scenes are absolutely brilliant would make an excellent film in itself to be honest. But then they discover that Daniel is a leading activist against the privatisation of water or more accurately the theft of water, which is referenced in the title of the film. The local police enforce the foreign privately owned water companies policies and as water means life, it is only inevitable that the Indians will fight back.

So as filming rolls on, the five hundred year old events start to have a strange resonance with what is actually taking place in the present, and the parallels with the Conquistadors is only too obvious.

This then is a truly brilliant piece of cinema; you almost get two films in one or three if you include the people making a documentary of the making of the film. Yes it sounds complicated but it really works. The framing of the shots is superb, the scenery stunning, all the actors do an excellent job and some of the crowd scenes have a real feeling of documentary which all adds to the realism. It is also shamelessly emotional and I suppose it was inevitable given the subject matter and had me moved a couple of times, so I can not recommend highly enough. In Spanish, with some English and sub titles that are sometimes slightly obscured, but still alright, this is a film for anyone who likes their cinema slightly different or indeed likes world cinema. This was written by the uber talented Paul Laverty (`The Wind That Shakes The barley', `Sweet Sixteen' and `Route Irish') and I cant wait to see his next offering (`The Angels Share') until then I will watch this again as it is just that good.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

My wife and I, huge fans of `America's Next Top Model' and `Project Runway', were very excited about seeing this film. Why it took us this long still baffles me, but as of Friday night we had the pleasure of seeing `The Devil Wears Prada' and let me just say that it was quite the pleasure. Now, most if not all the praise has been heaped on the shoulders of Meryl Streep, and while she was outstanding, this film is more than just a Meryl painted canvas. There are four brilliant performances in this film and they all are deserving of praise.

First is Anne Hathaway who plays Andrea Sachs, a young aspiring journalist who takes a job working as Miranda Priestly assistant at `Runway Magazine'. Anne Hathaway proves with her performance that she's all grown up. No, that's not to take away from her more adult roles in more adult films like `Havoc' and the masterpiece `Brokeback Mountain', but here Anne proves that she can do adult comedy, not falling back into her teen goofiness that made her famous in `The Princess Diaries' but keeping everything smart and mature. She has enough poise and grace to match wits with Miranda, and she does so elegantly.

Next up is Emily Blunt who plays Emily, Miranda's first assistant (there are two, Andrea being the second). Emily has worked her butt off to get to where she is, slaving for the unruly Priestly and it's all about to pay off with a trip alongside Miranda to Paris. The only thing standing in her way is Andrea, for if Andrea fails miserably then it reflects poorly on Emily. Emily Blunt turns out I think the best performance of the bunch for she has enough sass, enough attitude and enough wit to make her pop out from the screen and stand out no matter who is sharing the screen with her.

Stanley Tucci also does wonderfully here as Nigel, Miranda's second in command. He is there to make sure everything is perfect, and also help Andrea adjust. Stanley always has done great backup work, playing second hand man to just about everyone, but here he really makes his performance his own and owns it. He delivers some of the funniest lines in the film but he never feels like the `token gay guy'...he's needed in this film, not filler, and he commands his scenes and really stands out amidst the crowd.

And then, of course, we have Meryl Streep who plays the ruthless tyrant known as Miranda Priestly. What I was most impressed about was the way Meryl underplays every word, every emotion, every scene, which is not what I expected. I really expected her to go all Glen Close and reincarnate Cruella but she didn't (thankfully) and instead turned out one of the most inspired performances of the year. She must have had fun playing the snooty self absorbed and above all selfish editor-in-chief of `Runway'. She lets us see inside her character briefly (when crying over another failed marriage) but her character is more about shutting off feeling in order to succeed and so we don't get to see the real Miranda because we're not supposed to.

Carried by these four brilliant performances `The Devil Wears Prada' is a fabulous film that will make you laugh and make you smile and will impress almost anyone. The script is brilliantly adapted from Lauren Weisberger's novel, and while it's not an exact replica (are any adaptations these days?) it carries the same wit but smoothes things out to make it more approachable and, in my eyes, more enjoyable. Bravo!

Meryl Streep is absolutely hilarious playing Miranda Priestly, the editor of the world famous fashion magazine "Runway". Along comes Andrea (Andi) Sachs for a job interview. She recently graduated from Northwestern University as a journalism major. Emily, the first assistant to Miranda, nearly snickers in Andrea's face as she looks her up and down and makes snobbish critical remarks about her unfashionable ordinairy clothes. Everyone in the office is calm, casual, and laid back until they learn Miranda Priestly is returning to the office when they go into "high alert".

The grand entrance by Miranda is superb, her haughty but elegant manner is perfect, with one breath and in one single sentence she rattles off six or seven commands to her assisant. Everyone jumps to attention and gets into action ... Andrea's interview is nearly cut short when Miranda notes she lacks the fashion background Miranda is looking for. However Miranda is won over by Andi's sincere work ethic and despite misgivings hires her. As second assistant, Andi manages to pull off miracle after miracle to make things happen for Miranda. It is when she does the impossible: obtains a publisher's copy of the latest Harry Potter book for Miranda's twin daughters that Andi's star at Runway begins to rise but at a huge cost to her personal life. Through a series of most auspicious but unexpected events, it is Andi who goes to the spring Paris fashion show with Miranda and a very select group of Runway staff. In Paris Andi comes to terms with her own values and resolves some personal struggles about her job and what she wants from life ...

The film is a parody about the serious competition which exists in the fashion and magazine publishing industries. The tensions, dramas, and back-stabbing are clearly evident. Dealing with the stresses and strains associated with trying to separate one's personal and professional life is very difficult. It becomes clear, the price of success means favoring work over family and friends . As Miranda Priestly said to Andi after returning from the spring Paris fashion show and as she stepped out from the limo amidst photographers and reporters: "They all want to be us" ... This film is most highly recommended a sparkling gem of a film. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)

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While this film highlights how a college student makes the leap from school to professional life, I also believe that it highlights Meryl Streep's enormous talent although she is not the lead character. She gives such a commanding performance as the dominant impossible boss. In fact there are several outstanding supporting characters such as Stanley Tucci. He is priceless as the guy you love to hate. A really good script, plus great actors equal a great movie!

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Well, I'm all over the map about this movie, I really am, finding something to agree with in almost every review here, including the least positive.

The positives are these: I adore the look and pace of the film, the to-die-for clothes of course, and the performances (first and foremost) of the great Streep as the towering, terrifying Miranda, the winning Hathaway as the perpetually harassed Andrea, the dependable Tucci as Miranda's long-suffering, witty-wise second-in-command Nigel, and the wonderful Emily Blunt as the bitchy, put-upon first assistant...uh, Emily. All of them--especially Streep, Tucci and Blunt--bring both bite and (mostly hidden) heart to what could have been a collective phone-in of annoying caricatures. And though we really only get glimpses of him here and there, I also enjoyed Rich Sommers's endearing turn as the sweetest of Andy's circle, Doug.

I am seriously ambivalent however, about what the message of this movie is supposed to be, especially to women, and the alarm bells really go off when--SPOILER ALERT--Andy reconciles with her sulky boyfriend, Nate, telling him he was "right about everything."

What? What exactly was he so "right" about??

I don't know about you, but I found Nate, the boyfriend character, absolutely insufferable through almost the whole of the movie. I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be the voice of reason that tries hard to keep Andy grounded and remind her what's truly important, but he came off instead as a sulky brat who could not accept his girlfriend's growing pains as she labored to cope with an impossibly demanding, first ever grown-up job that nothing in her easy-going schoolgirl existence had prepared her for. Were there no demands being placed on him in HIS choice of career? Was his job supposed to be the more important one?

Ditto Andy's best friend, Lily, who seemed to me increasingly more jealous of Andy rather than supportive of her; Lily too was pursuing Bright Lights-Big City dreams that demanded a lot from a young newcomer, after all, so how is it that she had such a hard time with Andrea's chaotic ups and downs? Where did Lily get off being so judgmental and disapproving? This is friendship? I watch these performances and can't decide whether actors Adrian Grenier and Tracie Thoms made poor choices in their playing of difficult characters, or if the characters as written were simply impossible to like. Either way, both were a whiny pain, especially Nate, and Andy's mea culpas to him near the film's conclusion were tough to take.

No one disputes that Miranda Priestley was a Boss From Hell who routinely wiped her feet on her young assistants, particularly Andrea, but we also see that ultimately Miranda was as human as anyone else, a glamorous workhorse whose alley-fighter smarts hid real pain, and it should be said that Andy--who was in the beginning quite smug in her disdain of all the fashionista "shallowness" that surrounded her--had a knocking down or two coming. (I loved the way Nigel simultaneously comforted and took Andy to task after an especially bad morning.) If Miranda put Andy through the wringer--and she did--well, she also taught her some important things (sometimes unwittingly) about hard work, hanging tough, and the choices we make in life to get to where we want to go (or need to stay). Andy could have quit at the end of her first week (I think I would have), but no matter how bad or insanely silly things got, she didn't, at least not immediately. On some level she became aware that she was getting an education she wouldn't get anywhere else from anyone else, and there was value in that. I think she knew that; I hope she knew that. I hope the audience does, too.

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This could easily be dismissed as another "little-fish-in-a-big-pond" story, but the wonderful script and fine acting by all sets it high above the rest. Meryl Streep was terrific, though she was allowed to show a soft side a few times, which took away from the "bite" that may have been implied by the title. (I had a boss like that, but mine was meaner and showed less sensitivity). Streep is not the main character, however, and Anne Hathaway shows command in the central role. There's excellent support from Adrian Grenier, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt. The shots of New York City (and of Paris) are grand and impressive, and, as one would expect, the costume designs are stunning, though few are original for this film. David Frankel's direction kept things moving at a swift pace, and the DVD extras are entertaining and informative. I enjoyed "The Devil Wears Prada" very much.

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TAE GUK GI-BROTHER HOOD OF WAR (Blu-Ray)

I thought this movie was very good. It has its flaws (which I will get into later), but overall, it's a very well done piece of cinema. This film, along with many others is proof that Korean movies, and by extension Asian movies, have grown up and are ready to seriously compete with Hollywood for global influence, audience and market share. I am impressed with Tae Guk Gi's attention to detail, special effects, cinematography and other high production standards.

Now, enough people here give you a quick synopsis of the story and adequate description of the plot, so what I am going to do is respond to some of the comments that other reviewers have made. I think my input might be helpful be cause I am a Korean raised in North America and can understand both worlds and explain things that were either misinterpreted or not clearly understood by non-Korean reviewers.

Some non-Korean reviewers have commented that it seemed like there was some over acting or acting "over the top" going on. Well, believe it or not, Koreans act like that in real life. They are emotional by nature, yell at each other a lot, slap around their younger peers, etc. Jin Sok and Jin Tae's mother collapsing after the train departs looks like something a Korean mother would do in that situation. What some non-Koreans would consider as "overacting" I would, as someone from a Korean background, consider realistic and normal (give the extreme situations that the characters go through). Anyone who thinks overacting is purposely going on in this movie needs to join the peace corp or something and get exposed to other cultures in different parts of the world.

One reviewer thought that Koreans fought unusually well given their supposed reputation at the time as poor soldiers. Well yes, South Korean soldiers did run away and retreat from North Koreans early in the war. South Koreans were badly underequipped and poorly trained because the U.S. thought their priorities in 1949 were in rebuilding Japan, not stop communism in the Korean peninsula. It's interesting to note that U.S. soldiers early in the war also broke and fled the field because they were fat and lazy occupation troops formally stationed in Japan. Jin Tae and Jin Sok were in the 1st ROK division commanded by the brilliant 29 year old general Paik Sun Yup. The 1st ROK division never broke or fled the field without orders. It reached Pyongyang before any U.S. units despite the fact that they didn't have as many motor vehicles and was largely a foot mobile unit. Thus, the scenes were ROK troops are fighting without U.S. support in the streets of Pyongyang are largely true. Speaking of General Paik, if any of you want to read a Korean War history book that's from a fair Korean perspective, read Paik's book entitled "From Pusan to Panmunjom." It's available on Amazon.

I understand that this movie has been compared quite a bit with Saving Private Ryan. I have to say that in the areas of intensity, dramatic power and overall sincerity, I believe Tae Guk Gi supasses Saving Private Ryan. However, in terms of battlefield realism and special effects, I believe SPR surpasses TGG. To me, the battlefield effects are a notch below SPR, but a notch above John Woo combat movies like Windtalkers. I mean, molotov cocktails exploding like motar rounds when they should really flash and flame modestly, machine guns blaze without spent cartridges being expended, the tanks look like an inaccurate cross between a Sherman and a Pershing, cannon rounds and grenades alike all seem to have the same size explosions, so on and so forth (btw, Jin Tae does not walk through a hail of gun fire from a "mini-gun". That Russian machine gun is not a gatling-type "mini-gun" it is infact a conventional, single barrel Pulemet Maksima obrazets, vintage World War 1. The cylindrical sleeve is to help keep that single barrel from overheating). Having said that, the battle scenes are nonetheless highly entertaining and better then 90% of all other war movies. However, due to those modest technical slips, I give the movie 4 and not 5 stars.

This 2004 Korean film is about two brothers caught up in the national tragedy of the Korean War. The older brother is large and strong and shines shoes for a living with the hopes of becoming a shoemaker. His younger brother is 18 years old and the pride of the family because he is going to college. We first meet these brothers in a happy time when their future looks bright and the older brother is planning to get married. But suddenly, war is upon them and the family is forced to flee their home in Seoul. The two brothers are forcibly drafted and we soon see them on the battlefield.

The older brother is determined to protect the younger one. He risks his life to go on dangerous missions because he knows that if he receives a medal, the younger brother will be able to get out of the army. The battles are gruesome and real and better than any I have ever seen. I understand that the director accomplished this with a very small budget and I have nothing but applause for him for this effort. There's a human side of every battle, and I felt real emotion watching them.

Somewhere along the line, the older brother turns into a monster of aggression. Not only does he show exceptional bravery, he also shows exceptional cruelty.

This story goes deep into the heart of Korean national identity. Both sides are equally cruel to ordinary villagers who are just trying to survive. But one thing is clear and that is the bond between the brothers even though they eventually wind up in opposing armies. This is a serious film about brotherhood. And it is also a film about Korea. Actually, it helped me understand what is happening there today.

The film is 2 hours and 20 minutes long and it didn't drag for one single moment. Something new is happening constantly, whether it is the relationship between the brothers, the different kinds of battles, or the horror in Seoul when the South Koreans are executing North Korean sympathizes and the brothers see their family involved.

If you hate watching war films, stay away from this one. This is surely one of the bloodiest I've ever seen. But if you are interested in history and in the impact war has on people, this film will help you understand. It might haunt your nightmares, but it is certainly worthwhile. War film buffs especially should make a note not to miss it. Highly recommended.

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TAE GUK GI (literally translated, is the name of the South Korean Flag) or THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR is one of the most consistently moving, desperately realistic, harrowingly poignant films about war in the international motion picture repertoire. While many directors and writers have prolifically produced films about the Civil War in the US, World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, and other wars from other countries, few have touched on the Korean War. Director Kang Je-gyu corrects that omission with this dazzling epic and in doing so, he elects to make the story of that war a tale of two brothers (a metaphor for the North vs. South Korean conflict ignited by the fires of communism versus capitalism).

Jin-tae (the strikingly handsome and fine actor Jang Dong-gun) shines shoes and works at small jobs to encourage his younger brother Jin-seok (the refined and delicate actor Won Bin) to study to go to college to be the saviour of their poor family. The degree of camaraderie of these two brothers is some of the most touchingly portrayed on film. The joy of this South Korean family fills the screen for the first moments of the film, only to change abruptly on June 25, 1950 when suddenly the North Koreans attack at the 38th parallel, forcing communism and death down the throats of the South Koreans. Jin-tae realizes he must join the South Korean army to protect his mistakenly conscripted brother from the horrors of war.

The remainder of the film explores the progress of this war with great detail, leaving no battle untold and visually depicting the atrocities of war more brutally than any other film of this genre. But overriding the visuals of the war is the relationship of the two brothers, their reliance one each other, and the gradual transformation of Jin-tae into a well-trained soldier bent on being a hero to gain medals, for in doing so, he is assured that the younger, worthier Jin-seok can return home to safety.

The poison of war infects Jin-tae's personality and he becomes obsessed with killing, a fact that eventually frightens Jin-seok into believing that his brother's criteria have changed for the worse. The two are split, Jin-seok is mistakenly taken captive as a 'communist sympathizer' when he briefly returns to his home, and when Jin-tae feels he has lost not only his brother's love but that his brother is dead, Jin-tae's rage drives him to join the ranks of the North Koreans.

How the truth of the misinformation that always accompanies war tears at the bond of the brothers is finally resolved in a way that explains the futility and madness of war as clearly as has been captured on film. Credit Director writer Kang Je-gyu and his extraordinary cast and crew with not only making us understand the elusive history of the Korean War, but also the universal lessons that we still fail to recall whenever conflicts merge into warheads.

The DVD is accompanied by a separate disc that includes the 'making of the film' and a lot of the history of the Korean War by scholars and veterans of that war. This is a monumental achievement that deserves as wide attention internationally as it gained upon its release in South Korea in 2004. A tough, yet ultimately tender film, with the sanctity of familial love at its roots. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, February 2005

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Nations do not fight wars. Citizens fight them, and these citizens are honorable men and women who serve their country willingly or, as history shows, by decree of a desperate government.

As a result, patriotism has become the unlikeliest casualty. Once welcomed in the trenches of battle, patriotism has lost its limbs, fought back from life support, and suffered shell shock. Once easily recognized, patriotism has become a bit of a chimera, an ideal more easily attached to definable characteristics than it is any single soldier. However, in the bitter end, patriotism is defined by the actions of these individuals who serve; it is rewarded by the nations who sponsor this service; and, more often than not, it is measured in hardships endured.

Such is the complex, ever-changing battleground of writer/director Kang Je-Gyu's "Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War."

In 1950's Seoul, Jin-Seok (Won Bin) and his older brother Jin-Tae (Jang Dong-gun) are enjoying a strong family life of perfect happiness. Suddenly, they find their lives turned upside down as soldiers of the South Korean government seize them all men aged 18 to 30 are taken and they are forced to take up arms despite their lack of training against the approaching North Koreans. On one brutal battlefield after another, the bonds of family are put to increasingly demanding tests as Jin-Tae originally driven by his responsibility to protect his younger brother continues to further exhaust his physical and emotional prowess despite the protests of Jin-Seok. He learns that he is a good soldier, one with a talent for inspiring others as well as an unanticipated thirst for killing the enemy. Eventually, these two brothers once bound by a love for family find themselves at odds within this new brotherhood of war, and the pressures to prove one another continue to exact heavier and heavier tolls as the war escalates. As circumstances evolve, the brothers inevitably find themselves on opposite sides of a losing conflict ... but can either find a path to redemption or reconciliation that can save both of them?

There are many elements of "Taegukgi" that elevate the film from the status of standard war film to a message of hope set against the backdrop of war. The film's scope is grand, dealing with the far more intimate themes of family, brotherhood, and personal responsibility when Director Kang Je-Gyu could have easily opted for banging the drum of nationalism. At its core, "Taegukgi" is the story of two brothers, a strikingly poignant analogy for the entire North Korea / South Korea dilemma. While the battlefield choreography is as frenetic as it is harrowing, it never takes the film's center: this picture is founded on relationships the human perspective to the world outside and it never falters. Instead of focusing on history, Kang Je-Gyu crafts every scene to highlight the thoughts, actions, and emotions of the participants of history, and, for that, "Taegukgi" deserves countless accolades.

Much like exploring the heart of darkness as depicted in American classics as Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" and Oliver Stone's "Platoon," Kang Je-Gyu forces Jin-tae to explore his own budding evil, and this journey is not without its own relative scars. Once a man has crossed over and embraced wartime madness, can he ever truly find a way out? Arguably, if "Taegukgi" suffers from any setback, it is that perhaps Jin-tae goes too far for an audience to accept his madness: believing his brother to have been killed by North Koreans, Jin-tae turns traitor once he is captured and seeks to wipe out every soldier serving South Korea. While the story offers the motivation for so drastic a change, it's hard to believe that the man who once fought so valiantly against the spread of Communism would suddenly choose to embrace it.

Still, it's a small diversion ... but it's necessary to bring the aspect of brotherhood full circle, to have these two unique men face their darkest hour, and to make one final statement on the role that family inevitably plays in every man's life.

Recently, thanks to the worldwide success of "Taegukgi" and 1999's blockbuster "Shiri," Director Kang Je-Gyu has signed an agreement with Hollywood's own powerhouse, CAA, to produce his next film in America. Only time will tell whether or not this agreement will afford some of the "Korean sensibility" to American films, but certainly having one of South Korea's premier directors breaking into the Hollywood film system is a tremendous advantage for fans of international film.

Only the passage of time will earn "Taegukgi" its rightful spot alongside the other great films dealing with the consequences of war.

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Once in a while, which in this case has been years, comes a movie that makes me want to rise above the meager existance to be something larger than life, to be part of the movie. This movie did that to me.

It started with the life of two brothers before the war, a life that was almost perfect until the war shatters it. Everything goes downhill from there. Despite all their best intentions, the two brothers helplessly watched their fate sinking and themselves drifting apart. Overall it's a very intense tragedy, dotted with only moments of hope and triumgh.

The unconditional love between the two brothers, tangled with cruelty of war, made the movie so heart-wrenching that it's almost painful to watch. I can't imagine what it feels like to be the little brother who had to carry this for the next 50 years, not knowing where his brother is, and with the pair of shoes to remind him that they had it perfect for a while.

Being a big war-movie fan, I have watched a ton of them. This one is definitely among the best. Comparing to "Saving Private Ryan", this movie gives characters a more human touch. "SPR" seems to moralize too much, no flaws, just hero's. The result is the characters came off plain and two-dimensional. Agree with some reviewer's comments that "SPR almost seems like nothing more than a visually stunning, flag-waving movie". By the way, I am a big fan of Steven Spielburg and Tom Hanks, so there wasn't any bias there. On a side note, "Band of brothers", on the contrary, is very good.

As for special effects, it's good. But we have seen it all in big-budget Hollywood movies, so that's not what made this movie special. It's the intense human emotion made this movie an unforgettable experience. Hats off to Koreans for making such a great epic. I think this one deserve an Oscar. If a movie like "Lord of the Ring" can win something, so should this.

The only complaints that I could think of are: 1. The movie can get quite sentimental from time to time, especially the music during the beginning of the movie. 2. The camera shakes too much during action scenes, probably deliberately, to create the chaos with a limited budget. But I don't have a problem with the length of the movie. The 2.5 hrs felt like nothing once you are drawn into the intensity of the movie. Actually when the movie finished, I wished it didn't have to end, or at least didn't have to end like that.

As for some reviewer shooting down the movie because of a Hershey Bar with barcode, give me a break. I would rather watch a movie like this with 10 bloopers than one that gets all the details right but doesn't touch a soul.

IMHO, Matt Zoller Seitz from New York Press wrote the most accurate review on this movie: "Tae Guk Gi bypasses academic concerns and plugs straight into one's emotions. To watch it is to understand another country's fears and dreams-an opportunity that does not come along every day."

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Marvel Blu-ray Three-Pack (Fantastic Four / Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer / Daredevil)

The Bluray transfer of these movies are great, and its very hard to complain for the price, but the original Fantastic 4 movie is missing many of the extras included with the old DVD version and the Daredevil disc has the director's cut, but is missing the theaterical version and many of the extras from the old DVD version. Only the Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer disc offers comparable extras equivalent to the old DVD issue. If you don't care about extras or added content, and like comic book movies (even ones that aren't the greatest), this set is a great deal.

If you were looking to replace your old DVD versions with comparable extras and HD quality, you may want to hold off on getting this in hopes that a superior version will one day be released on blu-ray.

One thing is for certain, if you've never seen the Daredevil Director's Cut you're missing out on a great film. (One that's remarkably better than its theatrical release) I'm glad they didn't include a copy of the initial release on Blu-Ray. That film should be ignored. Honestly, the DD DC is one of the best comic based films regarding any origin. It's better than Batman Begins, Spider-Man and Superman. The FF films are fun and look great in HD on Blu-Ray. Too bad there wasn't more story to go along with the popcorn fun. Overall, the price is right and every Blu-Ray collection should have these movies.

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OK, these are popcorn movies. So, just have to make that point clear. For its price, this is a great value. The movies look and sound great on blu-ray. Fantastic Four might not be the best superhero movie, but it's entertaining. Especially when you just want to turn off your brain and watch the special effects.

Daredevil, on the other hand, is quite a good movie. Definitely the best in the collection.

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He watched it all over the holiday break and he really appreciated this gift from me. I would assume he will re-watch all of three movies again.

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If only there are more sets of such variety movies. 3 movies for a reasonable price, really worth getting it!

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Big Miracle (Blu-ray & DVD Combo Disc + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2012)

My wife and I were living in Barrow back in 1988 when the three California Gray Whales got stuck in the ice near Point Barrow. It was an exciting time and we were eagerly waiting to see the movie --how Hollywood would tell the story. When the whales were first discovered, I had just started working as the newsperson for local radio station KBRW. Got busy very quickly!

It was great to see some places there again, like the Mexican Restaurant ---really named Pepes.

And young Ahmaogak Sweeney in the role of Nathan, who learns about the Inupiat Eskimos and their relationships with whales from his Appa, or Grandfather. Nathan also figures out a way to supplement his allowance when some 200 outside Media folks arrived in Barrow and wanted to get out to the Arctic Ocean ice where the whales were trapped.

He gathers up some cardboard and sells it to the reporters so their feet won't get cold standing on the ice.

I was out there on the ice and don't remember such a thing, but it might have been a good idea.

The movie is listed as "Inspired by a True Story." So we were prepared for Hollywood to stretch and substitute.

Two major ones: It was an Inupiat Eskimo hunter, Roy Ahmaogak, who first discovered the stranded whales, not a newsman.

And second ---the Barrow whalers do not hunt the California Gray Whales. They hunt the larger Bowhead whales.

The movie includes arguments that a quick rescue was needed so the Native crews would not hunt them.

The Whaling captains held their meeting early on, before most media arrived, and said they would do all they could to rescue the whales.

One of the movie's strong points is recreating the whales, barnacles and all. And correctly showing how local people and visitors wanted to touch the whales, and sometimes encourage them to hang on.

As two of my friends who were wildlife biologists said, it provided a rare opportunity to see such whales close up.

The movie also shows how the key to the apparent rescue was low-tech ----the Natives cutting out a series of breathing holes with chain saws and then the water circulators from two caring men from Minnesota which kept the beathing holes open. And finally the Russian Icebreaker which breaks through a pressure ridge standing between the whales and open water in leads.

Did the whales actually make it out and all the way down to their feeding areas off of California and Mexico?

The Federal official in charge declared that the survivors did. But they were not fitted with little transmitters. I'd like to think that they did. See the movie for yourself and see what you think

Earl

this is an awesome movie. this movie is based on a true story where three whales two adults and thier baby gets traped in the ice and fights for thier lives. when a news caster descovers that the whales are in trouble he broadcast it all over the news. when people descover how much the whales need help they help them. this was a really good movie and was heartwarming. if you have not seen this movie then i recommend you do

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This movie had a lot of potential, but...just wasn't a home run.

The story line was endearing based loosely on real events. I have to say that as much as we hoped to enjoy this film we were surprised at the general lack of quality acting from a number of the characters.

I think that my favorite characters were the guys from MN who flew to AK to try to help out. At the same time I was generally disappointed by Danson and Barrymore's efforts, and the young woman newscaster was appropriately annoying. I hesitate to be too critical, but my family and I agreed that we were happy that we waited to watch this film on DVD rather than paying to see it in a theater. And, having seen the movie, we all agreed that once was enough. That's from my wife and I and our 13 and 21 yr old daughters.

The special effects used to show the whales were adequate and did not distract.

All in all, 3 stars is all I can manage for this film.

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"In Alaska there are no simple rescues." While filming a story about a kid who can do sno-mobile tricks, reporter Adam (Krasinski) spots a strange sight. When he sends his report of three whales trapped in the ice with only days left to live it becomes national news. Now with the help of his Greenpeace girlfriend Rachel (Barrymore) and a few others the race is on to save the whales. After being totally surprised with how much I liked "Dolphin Tale" my expectations for this one were pretty high. Once again I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this movie. Almost immediately it sucks you in and holds you through all the highs and lows. This is also another movie that is based on events that happened when I was old enough to remember but I knew nothing about this. Not knowing what happened made the movie seem more tense to me and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Much like "Dolphin Tale" this is a great family movie that everyone, not just the kids will love. It is rated PG for language but other then a character saying Hell and bastard I don't remember anything other that that so you won't have to worry about what your kids are hearing. I highly recommend this as a great movie for family night. Overall, one of the best family movies in the last few years. A must see. I give it an A.

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Sometimes it takes a film about the environmental crises to bring to the attention of the entire populace that not only MUST we do something about our bruising of our natural environment, but that when certain people take action it does indeed make a difference. This is a gently made film that gets its point across in a warmly entertaining way and it is a true story!

Thomas Rose' book FREEING THE WHALES forms the basis for this story, adapted for the screen by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. Ken Kwapis directs. In brief summery (everyone knows this story by now), an animal-loving volunteer and a small-town news reporter are joined by a native Alaskan boy to rally an entire community and eventually rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.'

The cast is a large one with some actors only appearing briefly but in roles that show their professional an also their emotional support for placing this subject before the public. In the lead roles are John Krasinski, Drew Barrymore, Ted Danson and Tim Blake Nelson, but the remainder of the cast includes Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Baker, Kristin Bell, James LeGros and a fine supporting cast of Inuit actors and others.

The special effects are credible and deeply moving as the whales are released form their frozen captivity. The film adds much to the understanding of environmental problems and how multinational efforts are necessary to tame the destructive threats to the future of our globe. Grady Harp, January 13

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The Man Who Knew Too Much (Criterion Collection) (1934)

I have loved this early Hitchcock film since I was a child. Thanks to home video we were able to view it in our homes instead of cruddy looking TV prints. The public domain versions on video didn't look much better, but we could watch it when we wanted to. Criterion started a trend back in the day with immaculate Laserdisc transfers (boy those were costly!) and then DVD and now blu ray. I am so thankful they have survived all these years so they could bring us great transfers like this one into the hi def age. Who would ever think a little film like this would get the respect and care that it has deserved after all these years. So many people know about the American remake Hitch did and know nothing about this great classic. Well its time for the newer generation to catch Hitchcock's earlier British films thanks to Criterion and these awesome restorations. The Lady Vanishes always will be the cleanest and detailed of their restorations, but The Man Who Knew Too Much comes close. I have never seen this old movie look and sound as good. We can finally follow what is going on in the final scene! Images aren't lost in the shadows. This is one striking picture when you come to realize its from 1934. There are still a few soft spots and blemishes, but they are far and few between. I am so amazed how good the video looks, that I haven't even went through the special features (will love to hear the commentary). The movie survives on its own and doesn't need all the bells and whistles that special editions have (it is nice to have them though).

Criterion just keeps proving to me why they are my favorite when it comes to classic films on blu ray. Cannot thank you enough for releasing this great classic on home video (finally).

Bravo!

One of a series of Hitchcock classics made after the Master escaped making junk like "Waltzes from Vienna", "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was, according to Hitch himself the work of a "talented amateur". I would disagree with that assessment. While this version of "Man" may not have been made while Hitch was at the height of his powers as a director (the 1950's through, arguably, 1963), it shows the same attention to detail, brilliantly thought out and staged sequences that we would see in "The 39 Steps". After failed attempts to remake "The Lodger", Hitchcock finally got the chance to remake his own early work with the 1956 version starring James Stewart and Doris Day.

Hitchcock dreamed up the scenerio for "Man" while on his honeymoon but pitched the idea to producer Michael Balcon as an attempt to adapt one of the Bulldog Drummond stories popular at the time.

SPOILERS:

While vacationing in Switzerland Bob (Leslie Banks), Jill (Edna Banks) and daughter Betty (Nova Pilbeam)befriend Louis Bernard (Pierre Fresnay). During dinner the diplomat is murdered but not before giving Jill that will her to learn of an assassination planned in London. To keep Jill and Bob quiet their daughter is kidnapped.

END OF SPOILERS:

Featuring Peter Lorre in his first English speaking role, "Man" demonstrates that Hitchcock had already begun to develop his skills as a director of taunt thrillers.

In its own way, 1934 version of "Man" although less sophisticated and lighter in tone than the 1956 film, this more compact version of the same story displays wit and ingenuity.

Working in collaboration with the British Film Institute, Criterion has done a marvelous job of transferring this nicely done restoration. Most of the film looks exceptionally good with nice contrast, detail and many of the flaws evident in public domain versions of the film not a problem here.

There are, however, a couple of shots here and there that suffer from a soft image. Two shots of Banks in medium shot are extremely soft and I doubt that it was intentional. It's more than likely that these were the best available versions of those shots as the BFI painstakingly assembled the best version they could from the best surviving elements.

We get a thoughtful commentary track by Phillip Kemp as well as a featurette with film director (and author of an exceptional book on Hitchcock)Guillermo del Toro. The 1972 BBC documentary "The Illustrated Hitchcock" has been trimmed down to around fifty minutes for its presentation here giving a concise overview of Hitch's career. We also get an excerpt from Traffaut's early 60's interview with Hitchcock.

As with all of Criterion's releases, we get a booklet essay by Farran Smith Nehme.

This is a fine restoration by Criterion (at least to my eyes) and the extras are quite nice as well. Is the 1934 "Man" better than the 1956? I'd argue that they are very different films made for different audiences with each one of them having merit.

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Definitely the best this one has ever looked, or ever will....tense but brief, with Hitchcock's future self beginning to show like never before.... Criterion did a great job restoring this incredible film, elevating it miles above those lousy public domain prints we've all seen on tv.... Very different from the 1956 version with Jimmy Stewart--the shootout at the end was not in the later film, but it is welcome here, as it is very well done with a whole lot of lead flying through windows and doors and character actors.... Peter Lorre steals the show as he always seems to do, playing a maniacal bad guy who leads a group of boneheads who attempt to assassinate a political leader at a concert at the Royal Albert Hall during a performance of Storm Cloud cantata (used in the later film as well)....an almost perfect film that sometimes slips off-center from reality, to great effect.... Perfecto....

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Like most, I'm more familiar with the Jimmy Stewart-starring remake than the 1934 original. And by "more familiar with" I mean I didn't know the original existed until a few years ago. Smarter people than I can do a much better job comparing and contrasting the two versions. But I believe it stands up just fine on its own, even while I still prefer the latter version (though an included essay makes a strong argument for the original).

First, though, the restoration. It looks incredible. The film could be average and the restoration job would be worth five stars alone. Similarly, the sound is as clean and crisp as you could want. Criterion has knocked it out of the park again.

As to the film itself, it's immensely enjoyable. It lacks the nuance of the remake and the polish that Hitchcock developed as a director, but it's worth seeing for Peter Lorre's performance alone, his first in English. A performance he delivered, I might add, without knowing quite what he was saying, as he learned his lines phonetically on account of not actually speaking English at the time.

At the end of the day, it's classic Hitchcock presented by Criterion. What's not to like?

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The original version of Alfred Hitchcock's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Gaumont-British, 1934), has often been overshadowed by the director's 1956 remake starring James Stewart and Doris Day. That version always struck me as an overlong movie built around its popular co-stars, whereas the original is all about the story, which gets told deftly in just 75 minutes. The pattern Hitchcock laid down in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is revisited to varying degrees in films like THE 39 STEPS (Gaumont-British, 1935), THE LADY VANISHES (Gaumont-British, 1937), SABOTEUR (Universal, 1942), and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (MGM, 1959).

A husband and wife (Leslie Banks, Edna Best), vacationing in St. Moritz, come in possession of knowledge regarding an assassination plot, and have their young daughter (Nova Pilbeam) kidnapped in order to force them to co-operate with the assassins. One big advantage the original version has over the remake is the presence of the fascinating Peter Lorre as the arch villain. This was Lorre's first English speaking role, and he gives a performance that's expertly nuanced with oily menace and perverse humor. Lorre's character goes a long way in giving the film its distinctively dark atmosphere. Of course, the suspense is developed intriguingly, climaxing in the well edited Albert Hall sequence. But it doesn't end there; we then get an exciting shootout between the police and the criminals which reaches it's height literally as one of the kidnappers corners the little girl on the edge of a roof, by which time we're at the edge of our seats in pure, Hitchcockian style.

I'm a great admirerer of Hitchcock's British films, and it always frustrated me that THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH was only available in dupey, public domain copies on budget DVD sets. Happily, this is no longer the case. Criterion's fully restored Blu-ray release of this important Hitchcock work is beautiful, with a clarity to the image and audio that's never been available to us before. This commendable restoration, transferred from a 35mm nitrate fine-grain master print, is sure to renew interest in the original MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, and help put it in proper perspective as being superior to the remake.

The extra features will enthrall any Hitchcock fan: A commentary by film historian Philip Kemp, an interview with director Guillermo del Toro, "The Illustrated Hitchcock" interviews with the director conducted by journalist Pia Lindstrom and film historian William K. Everson, audio excerpts from Francois Truffaut's 1962 interview with Hitchcock, and a restoration comparison. There's also an in-depth booklet with an essay by Farran Smith Nehme.

Highly recommended.

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Rock 'N' Roll High School

Hey Ho! Let's Go! Listen up, kids. Rock 'n' Roll High School may have been released way back in 1979 but it still kicks the ass of any of those square MTV movies. Forget about Britney Spears and Mandy Moore's brand of bubblegum pop music and their equally bland movies they don't hold a candle to the unbridled power of those punk rockers from New York City, the Ramones!

From B-movie veterans like Paul (Eating Raoul) Bartel and Mary (Death Race 2000) Woronov to newcomers (at the time), P.J. (Halloween) Soles and Dey (Strange Invaders) Young, the entire cast has a lot of fun spouting the film's wonderfully inspired cornball dialogue ("If you don't like it, you can put it where the monkey puts the nuts."). The Ramones are good sports and mumble their way through the film and truly coming alive during the music sequences. The movie rightfully cements their reputation as legends.

Rock 'n' Roll High School embodies the essence of the punk rock music that made the Ramones famous. The film is bursting with youthful energy, a dose of good ol' fashion anarchy and is loads of fun to watch. These are also the ingredients that made Rock 'n' Roll High School a cult film. It was a commercial and critical failure upon its initial release but repeated midnight screenings, coupled with steady appearances on TV, have helped the film endure over the years.

New to this edition is a "Back to School: A Retrospective" that takes a look back at this cult film with new interviews with producer Roger Corman, Alan Arkush and cast members Clint Howard, Dey Young, Mary Woronov and Loren Lester and the surviving Ramone from that time, Marky. This is an affectionate, fun look at this movie with everyone reminiscing fondly about their experiences.

Producer Michael Finnell, screenwriter Richard Whitley and director Alan Arkush deliver an engaging and rather chatty audio commentary. The three men laugh and joke about working on Rock 'n' Roll High School. They clearly have fond memories of their experiences on the movie.

Another new addition is an audio commentary by Corman and Young. She admits that in reality she was more like Riff Randell than her character. There are several lulls but it is nice to hear these two reminisce about their experiences on the movie.

Also included is a dynamic theatrical trailer that gives away the ending! Definitely watch this last if you haven't seen the movie.

Gone is the Leonard Maltin interview with Roger Corman.

A real treat for fans of the Ramones are several audio outtakes during the filming of the concert sequence. These are the original audio tracks of the band in action.

While Rock 'n' Roll High School will appeal predominantly to fans of the Ramones (duh!), it is also one of those fun, goofy movies to invite friends over and watch with copious amounts of junk food on hand. Despite a lackluster transfer, the audio commentary and audio outtakes are worth the price of purchase for this fantastic cinematic oddity.

Being a Ramones fan, this movie has a special place in my heart. The commentary by the director , screenwriter, and producer is a real treat to liten to; you can feel their passion for film making and rock and roll. Most humorous is how they convinced Roger Corman to change the film from DISCO HIGH to ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL. Just a fun, fun movie. The DVD presentation is wonderful, though there are a few scratches from the transfer (What do you expect? It's Roger Corman!). And the audio outtakes are a must for Ramones fans. And with Clint Howard, Paul Bartel, and Dick Miller in the same movie, how can you go wrong?

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Rock, Rock, Rock, Rock, Rock and Roll High School.

That's how the song begins for one of the best Ramones songs and surely the most unique event in their history, a starring role in a feature film! I love movies with rock bands. A Hard Days Night, Head, and this film are probably my all time favorite "Band" films. When I was in high school and college, we had a ritual of going to see the midnight movies on most weekends. Usually they featured such "gems" as H.O.T.S. and Flesh Gordan, but occasionally you would come across a real sleeper. In 1979 I walked into Eastland mall to see a film I had never heard of and walked out a Ramones fan forever. It was still early in this films release, but it had already skipped most of the big theatres and gone straight to midnight showings. I guess a movie about a punk band (actually a straight up rock band) and a bunch 0f kids who blow up their school was never going to cross the 100 million mark. Made with virtually no budget and featuring PJ Soles, Clint Howard and Vincent Van Patten, along with the Ramones this movie is funny, has great tunes (Rundgren, McCartney, Alice Cooper etc), cute girls, and features a great scene where they blow the school up while the Ramones play the theme.

This movie came out right after PJ Soles had made her screen debut in Halloween and just before she played Bill Murrays girlfriend in Stripes. She was perfect for the role of the Ramones fanatic and she can sing too. She does a great version of Rock and Roll High School, upstaging the preppy cheerleaders in the gym. Clint Howard (Rons brother) actually has something to do in this film. He plays the school "dealer". Not in drugs mind you, he is the guys that sells you hall passes and gets you the makeout van for your hot dates. A very different role from all his walkon roles in Ron Howard films. The rest of the cast is well chosen and we even have a great villain in the evil principal Miss Togar. Someone you love to hate. Don't worry, she gets hers. This is just a great cult movie.

It was followed with a sequel, minus the Ramones and starring Corey Feldman. I don't think anyone ever saw that one. What was the point?

Highly recommended if you love rock band films. Get it while you can, it was out of print and was brought back after Joey died. It most likely will go out of print again.

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Fantastic late '70s B-movie, a true cult classic. The music is top-notch -both the live Ramones material and the soundtrack artists. If the visual gags and silly jokes don't get you laughing, P.J. Soles' outfits will. You gotta admire P.J. for her acting skills. She actually makes us believe that her character has a crush on Joey Ramone, who definitely does *not* fit the stereotype of a good-looking teen idol.

This DVD edition is a bit disappointing. First, the audio mastering isn't up to snuff. There are several spots when the sound is clipped or distorted, usually when there is a loud and sudden noise. Those problems weren't in the VHS version that I saw. Second, you can sometimes see scratches on the image, which is really lame for a DVD. Third, for some strange reason, this version cuts the final line of Tom's early scene in the school corridor, where he says, "I need to get laid".

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Rock `n' Roll high school is what a musical should be. The Ramones are one of the greatest bands of all time. No wonder this film is a classic, how can it not be a classic. It's got everything a classic needs. Dancing, great music, great story, and of course the Ramones. Riff Randle (P.J. Stoles) loves Rock `n' Roll and the Ramones. But as the schools new principle Ms. Togar tries to destroy Rock `n' Roll and make more strict rules, Riff has to save Rock `n' Roll and the school. The kids decide they have had enough. So they go to a Ramones concert and try to get them to make a song for the school called "Rock `n' Roll high school". Now in a all new remastered DVD with special features Rock `n' Roll High School is the ultimate musical to get. The commentary in this DVD was surprisingly not boring. Allan Arkush, Richard Whitley, and Michael Finnell discuss stories of the Ramones and the hard process of making this film. Lenard Maltin interviews Roger Corman (there's only 2 minutes of this) Roger discusses that if they didn't do Rock `n' Roll High School they would have done "Disco High". What I really loved was the outtake concert of the Ramones for the concert scene. They play two extra songs "I wanna be sedated" and Sheena is a Punk Rocker". If you love the Ramones, you got to see this film and you'll love them even more. In addition to this film you should also get Ramones Raw DVD.

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Devil's Advocate (Unrated Director's Cut) (2012)

Here comes a sharp, strong-voiced New York city lawyer with a lot of experience complemented by rare physical and mental powers. Played by Al Pacino, John Milton is a loner who wins cases by ignoring what is and isn't "by the book". While in the process of establishing a law partner, Milton runs across hot shot Keanu Reeves, who is yet to lose. Reeves turns out to become the perfect missing piece to the puzzle for Pacino. His character spends a significant amount of time with his new law partner in business and pleasure circumstances, in order to indirectly let his new friend know him better, to find out who he really is. As time passes, tension between the two businessmen arises and Keanu, the perfect defender/convicter sees his life unfold to become a total nightmare.

"The Devils Advocate" has been compared to "The Firm", but "The Firm" is more drawn out and isn't in with the fantasy or horror genre. Al Pacino really shows his stuff in this, with a more than believable performance that features numerous profound monologues that are always mastered by this Italian legend. His costar, Keanu, hits the target for the first time, bringing genuine emotion and class to the table. Overall, "The Devil's Advocate" is very intriguing, extremely well acted with some impressive special effects. I found this movie to be one of the best of the 90s.

This movie is actually a shocking wake up call in the moral department. If you follow my reviews, you know that I dislike modern shoot em up movies. But setting this aside, it is interesting how many movies inspire the wrong values. (Shoot everybody up, take down who stands in your way, fall in love, and live happily ever after. I could go on and on, but so many movies fall into this category.) Well, "The Devil's Advocate" seems to be a reaction against the amoral filth that often comes out of the movie theatres. The basic theme of this movie according to its director is: "Do I do the right thing, or do I survive?" The story starts at a courtroom in Florida. Lawyer Kevin Lomax realizes that his client is really guilty, but after a bit of taunting, he gets his client off anyway, and it's not hard to see that satisfying his ego was the main reason he did so. Well, Kevin gets an offer from a law firm in New York City to pick a jury for a client who DID steal millions. Again, Kevin comes through. The leader of this city firm John Milton (Al Pacino) then offers Kevin a job with a tempting salary. So far, this all seems part of the 'American Dream.' (Play some moral games to get to the top if you need to.) Apparently Kevin has gotten there, but the story is FAR from over. Sadly, some vital scenes were deleted for the purpose of time. (One is where Al Pacino says: "Leave morals to God. We have a job to do." Another sadly deleted scene is where Kevin's wife Mary Anne is sent into a room where sexual amoral games are going on.) At the risk of over simplifying a bit, with Al Pacino's well timed appearances, it becomes clear that the more moral games Kevin is willing to play, the further he can go. It is interesting that about half way through the movie, Kevin starts to treat his moral and religious mother with disrespect, and that the marriage between Kevin and Mary Anne starts to have serious problems. An obvious example is when Mary Anne gets a beautiful cut and dye hair job, but Kevin calls it: 'radical' and 'traumatic.' Why? He already has his eyes on other women. (Notably Christa Bella.) Another sadly deleted scene is where it was obvious that if Christa Bella had been present at the dance club, Kevin would have been willing to engage in adultery. The once happy marriage with Mary Anne has become a burden to him. (This is obvious when during a phone call, he lies to her about being at work and starts to get very short with her.) Well, Kevin continues to take the money as well as other things, at the expense of his morals. It is not until he realizes that his new client Alexander, IS guilty of several murders that his conscience starts to wake up. But even if our conscience has awakened, will we listen to it, or will we survive? Kevin realizes that after you have played too many moral games, backing out isn't so easy. And it isn't long before he realizes that Al Pacino is in fact the DEVIL. Perhaps the most frightening moment in this movie is when Kevin tries to blame the devil for everything that happened to him, and the devil can HONESTLY reply: "Wait a minute. Who MADE those decisions?" Another frightening thing about this movie is that we probably all have played moral games in our lives, and this movie confronts us with things we are probably ALL guilty of. Forget the grotesque devils and demons in horror movies who can make you do things. Any priest or nun will say that evil is simply the absence of God. And if the devil did make an appearance, he could very well appear fatherly and likable. And he probably would say things that SOUND good. This movie is proof that in horror, blood and guts are laughable compared to frightening truth that we may wish to avoid.

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I think I am finally going to have to admit that I like Keanu Reeves. Every movie I see him in, he's Ted. Ted the lawyer, Ted the Christ-figure, Ted the Buddha-figure, Ted the son of Satan, Ted the guy with the wife turning into a vapire, Ted the serial killer. He's just the same dopy guy in every movie and yet that character is really beginning to grow on me and I'm starting to realize that there is a difference between his roles. Maybe a subtle one but it's a difference. And he must be a very nice guy because he keeps ending up in all the great movies and despite how much I might be starting to like him he's still not THAT talented.

This is a movie of pure brilliant evil. Al Pacino would be great for the last 15 minutes alone when he's over the top, blaspheming against G-d, nature and the American Judicial System. But the fact that Pacino lets himself play it down for most of the movie is great. He's polite. He's suave and there's just something a little off about him. He also lets Keanu have most of the movie. Usually if you are on screen with Pacino, forget about being remembered unless you happened to be DeNiro, but in this movie the director and the actor know how to hang back and make Reeves look good.

Basically this movie is a parable about a lawyer without a conscience or at least without one that is going to stand in the way of winning. Due to his success he gets hired by a high-profile law firm with sinister undertones and begins to get a whole new breed of killers off. Oh yeah, the President of the law firm is Satan.

This movie has some beautiful scenes including the final denoument with Satan and Reeves as well as the empty street of New York City that Keanu Reeves walks over to get to his confrontation. Charlize Theron (sic?) is the unraveling moral fiber that undercuts Reeves' flirtation with the dark side. Where he makes choices and loses a little more of his soul, she goes insane and changes her Belinda Carlisle hairdo to the Belinda Carlisle-postcocaine hairdo.

This is an amazing movie. Brilliant and psychotic. Religious enough to please religious folks and blasphemous enough to entertain everyone else. Rent it, buy it and watch it over and over again.

One caveat: the lawyer as devil storyline has been done to death. It's great here but one wonders why the festering resentment against lawyers is so pervasive. Then again that is on of the few professionals besides drug dealer or hitman where people hate the successful practitioners. Oh well, occupational hazard for the neat cars and the big houses.

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Still a fine and intriguing film after all these years. No summaries or opinions on acting here; just a review of the transfer to Blu Ray.

Blu Ray Transfer Quality Review

Despite Amazon's refusal to separate the Standard Def release reviews from the Blu Ray reviews, I did not think that the Standard Def version was a bad release. That said, the transfer to Blu Ray is an improvement in terms of color resolution and contrast. There was no perceptible grain and no artifacting, stair-stepping or aliasing in any part of the film. The Blu Ray video is the star of this transfer with nice details in the shadows and a nicely saturated palate of color. Skin tones were as they should be as well.

The lossless audio is DTSHD 5.1 It is the front stage where the audio lives and shines. and while the audio levels are excellent and dialogue is clear and precise, even when the music score comes on, your center channel speaker will get most of the work. There is some small amount of panning across the front stage and light use of your LFE channel. The rear channels are used primarily for non discreet audio ambience with only one scene in the entire film where discreet channeling to the rears comes to play. The audio surprised me then as there had been no use of discreet rears throughout.

The Blu Ray version of The Devils Advocate is certainly worth the inexpensive prices it has been going for but, as I said, the standard def version wasn't too bad and the differences between the two are not night and day. The extras included the typical commentary, some deleted scenes that did not add much to the film and that's about it.

All my movie reviews are of this nature and focus only on the quality of the transfer to BluRay so check them and see if they are of help as well.

Hopefully, this review has been of some help to you in determining your purchase, hope I am on the correct path with a review of the transfer quality as opposed to providing plot summaries.

Thanks

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"The Devil's Advocate is one of those movies that sneak up on you, grab you and won't let go. The story is simple enough; a young fireball of a lawyer, Kevin Lomax, played by Keanu Reeves, who has never lost a case, finds himself in the middle of every defense attorney's nightmare, representing a slimy sleazeball accused of molesting little girls. Halfway through the trial he realizes his client is guilty as hell, which presents him with a dilemma: he can extend his winning streak at the price of losing his soul; or he can do the right thing at the possible risk of torpedoing his career. What's a young, up and coming hotshot to do? In no time at all, he and his beautiful, fatally naive wife (excellently played by Charlize Theron) are off to New York, where he has been recruited to work for a high-powered law firm headed by a omnilingual, diabolically clever lawyer named John Milton (Al Pacino looks like he had the time of his life in this role) and staffed by a bunch of hell-bound associates. While Kevin's career takes off, his wife descends into a miasma of loneliness, despair and finally madness; and when Kevin berates Milton for driving his wife into her personal hell, Milton reminds Kevin that God, whom Milton fears as much as he hates, gave us all a left-handed gift called free will; we are free to make our own choices, and we have to live with the consequences. As the feller says, you can't win 'em all. The film runs somewhat overlong but holds our interest throughout. There are many good performances in this movie and a few excellent ones, but when all is said and done, the film belongs to Al Pacino and his gleefully wicked portrayal of the devil incarnate. Kevin is finally left to make his own choice, which I'm not going to give away here; suffice to say that the film's resolution is a shock. Maybe you can't win 'em all, but director Taylor Hackford clearly came up a winner with this movie.

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Gantz (2011)

This movie turned out much better than I anticipated! It managed to capture the feel of the comic, while still being accessable to gantz newcomers (my wife also enjoyed it.) The extreme content from the comic has also been toned down severely. While some may see that as a negative, the film makers HAD to do it to appeal to a larger audience. I believe it makes the viewing experience much more enjoyable. So, if you are a fan of Gantz, japanese cinema, or manga/anime in general, check out this movie! *WARNING: WATCH IN JAPANESE! THE ENGLISH DUB IS INCOMPREHENSIBLY TERRIBLE!*

I must first say that this movie is an Salute, Tribute or Homage to the Anime Series so, with that being said its not for everybody. That's not a bad thing though, Because as a fan of the Series and as a person who was mad they cut the series after only 2 seasons I can gladly say I enjoyed watching the Live Action Version and comparing it to the Anime. Not everyone can handle seeing an animated show filled with Sex, Gore, Violence & a Sci-Fi story line all at once but, I sure can. If you do decide to get this Live Action version rest assured the US Blu-ray version is the best quality you can find. You get a 3 disc set at a good price and it has the DVD copy with it as well. IT has the Original Japanese Language as well as a English overdub. I personally could not stand the the English Dub and I just went for original language with really great subtitles. I know I'm not telling specific details about the film itself but, that's because I really want you to buy this Blu-ray or at least go grab the Anime. I Give this movie 5 Stars and an A++! So Go Buy it, Rent it, or borrow from a friend Its worth your time.

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If you enjoyed the live action adaptations of "Death Note" (2 films and a side story film), "20th Century Boys" (an excellent trilogy), "Kaiji: Gambling Apocalypse" (2 films) and "The Incite Mill", then you will enjoy the live action version of "Gantz". Nice blu-ray transfer. Good film. Raw action. Breath-taking fight scene with giant majin type characters kind of reminds you of the majin fight scene in "Sucker Punch" but more intense. Bring on a blu-ray release for the sequel "Gantz: Perfect Answer".

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You may not know this, but aliens are here. They're out to get each of us. Whether it is our essence or our souls or our humanity, they're bound to come for us, to take whatever it is they want from each of us, and there's nothing we can do to stop them. And, by the way ... some of us? When we die? We don't quite make it to Heaven or whatever serves as an afterlife. In fact, some of us get hijacked and put into service on behalf of the rest of us a kind of existential angelic life and we get sent out on missions to take care of these aliens.

I'll admit: I found the first half of GANTZ more than a little bit confusing. It's a serviceable adaptation of characters and themes introduced in a manga (by Hiroya Oku) of the same name, but I had the distinct feeling it could've used another round or two at the writers' table. Part of the confusion owes to the fact that the audience is clearly put through the moves alongside these characters just as they're struggling to understand all of it, we're struggling to understand all of it but I have to think there may've been a better way to accomplish it. Once the world and parameters are established, the film rises to another level, delivering accomplished action pieces one right after the other where lives are at stake.

Kei Kurono (played by Kazunari Ninomiya) and Masaru Kato (Ken'ichi Matsuyama) do a good deed by saving a man from an oncoming subway, but, when they're accidentally crushed by the train, they and several others wake up in a white room where a singular black orb named `Gantz' takes control of their lives and sends them out on missions to hunt down and kill aliens hiding on our planet. Is this Purgatory where they're forced to live out their days in service to a new God in exchange for giving them a second chance at life or have they truly passed over with no hope at ever having a normal life?

It's all a bit existential for a standard action/comedy, but, for the most part, it works, albeit I would've liked a bit more explanation in several areas. First, where does Gantz come from? Is he some angelic entity despite the constant use of science and violence to achieve his means and why is he the sworn enemy of these aliens? Second, why is it that no one else notices these aliens? In Barry Sonnenfeld's film, MEN IN BLACK, most aliens disguised themselves so that they wouldn't be directly detectable while living amongst humans, but these aliens are almost decidedly `alien' with a few exceptions. Third (and I'm treading lightly here so as to not spoil the climax), how is it they seemingly know about Gantz but no one else does? Perhaps in the manga upon which the film is based, it's all explained with a bit more clarity, but I found myself asking more questions than usual until the story morphed fairly well into an origins story for Kei; at that point, I realized that maybe it all made as much sense as it was going to, sat back, and enjoyed the ride.

It's all a mostly winning formula, though I'll have to admit that the action sequences seemed to drag on a bit more than absolutely necessary. At two hours and ten minutes, GANTZ felt much longer not in a good way and I felt the script clearly weighted down with more action over human elements than it needed to be, especially when you consider the message of the climax: Kei must choose between fighting his growing arrogance and, instead, fighting on behalf of humanity as a leader AND as a member of a team. It's a great message one with relevance for the characters and situations presented here but also one so elementary that GANTZ could've used a few more tightly-edited existential sequences.

GANTZ is a production of Nikkatsu, Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV), Shueisha, and the Toho Company. The disc distribution is being handled through New People Entertainment. This is a two-disc release, with the first disc serving up the film in Japanese or English dubbing (with English subtitles available). The second disc includes an exclusive director's interview, along with some trailers regarding other New People projects. It looks and sounds terrific, with some winning special effects though Gantz's `transporter effect' seemed awfully if not painfully slow for my tastes (but still nifty neat-o-keen).

RECOMMENDED. It's an excellent take on the whole "Men in Black" theme earthly protectors out to save mankind from some nefarious, dastardly aliens though there's very little logic as to where these baddies are from, what they want from us, and how it'll all end. Also, there's really not much insight into where Gantz as an entity came from, who put him/it here, and what it all means. In this outing, however, those considerations are secondary. What matters is Gantz is here, and the Gantz team is watching out for you!

In the interests of fairness, I'm pleased to disclose that the fine folks at MediaLab Public Relations provided me with a DVD screener copy of GANTZ by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.

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That above statement is actually part of the optimistic Disney-ish jingle the Gantz orb emits just before assigning its alive again crew its latest mission, and that this jingle is a bit reminiscent of Uncle Walt's "It's A Small World After All" theme just adds to the creep factor. Because I do think that the Gantz entity has a sense of humor, only it's the dark, twisted sort. A sense of displacement is the mood the film is trying to evoke.

You'd perhaps be better served if you hadn't yet read the manga or seen the anime version of Hiroya Oku's GANTZ. Because this cinematic live-action adaptation comes watered-down. Hiroya Oku was trying to illustrate a point with GANTZ by making it such a depraved read. In the manga, the lead character, Kei Kurono, is a perverted person who gradually, so gradually, becomes a better person. The movie portrays Kei Kurono as a decent guy from jump, and so it right away loses depth and resonance and what would've been intriguing character conflict. We're left with watching shallow characters playing out their parts onscreen; it becomes a chore to invest in them.

When college student Kei Kurono and his juvie pal Masaru Kato rescue a drunk who'd collapsed onto the subway tracks, they become fatal victims of a hurtling train. But instead of the expected dirt nap, Kei and Kato find themselves in a room occupied by an enigmatic black sphere and other confused persons resurrected from the dead. The black sphere is the Gantz, an alien entity who issues the room's occupants hi-tech black suits and weapons and then deploys them to kill other and malevolent aliens. Gantz seems to treat this as a game, alloting a time limit to the missions and afterwards awarding points to the players based on its own whim.

For the participants, though, the risks are tremendous, the death toll ridiculously high. Amassing one hundred points gives one the choice of either freedom from Gantz or reviving a fallen comrade. It's a cool conceit that doesn't get explored in this film. Maybe it comes into play in the sequel GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Except that this series of "games" is so damn bloody perilous that it's hard to picture anyone surviving long enough to accrue one hundred points. But if you've read the manga, then you know someone manages to do it.

The visual effects are wicked cool. The action sequences are staged dynamically. I didn't think much of the Onion alien, but the Boombox alien and the Buddha alien (with its multiple flashing swords!) are awesome. While the character aren't well developed, I do like the role switching which takes place between Kei and Kato. Kato is initially the heroic, take-charge guy, with Kei the more cautious one. But that gradually reverses itself as Kei learns that he's good at this game and as Kato's loathing for death and violence surfaces.

I admit that I'm a bit disappointed that the lewdness from the manga isn't translated onscreen. Believe it or not, that was part of the manga and the anime's draw. The characters and the situations in which they find themselves tend to be so bleak and deplorable that you're transported to this very dark place. This being a commercial effort, I guess I can see why they made Kei a wholesome protagonist. But, in the manga, the point of showing all the gratuitous violence and sex was to demonstrate Kei's growth as a human being and a leader. In this film version, we don't witness Kei's evolution or redemption. Still, this film, declawed and dumbed down and occasionally plodding, still comes recommended. Mostly, for the action bits. Also, see this with the English sub-titles. As other folks have already observed, the English dub is pretty silly.

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Casanova (2005)

If you're old enough to have seen the "Carry On" movies the first time around, or have watched them on DVD on "oldies night", (don't worry, we're not going to ask your age) you'll see the resemblance to this funny take on the world's greatest lover. Slapstick, double entendres and misunderstandings abound, as Heath Ledger tries to fill the trousers of the legendary lothario without getting a broken back in the process.

It takes place in 1753 in Venice, a time when no woman is safe from the charms of Casanova, not even those confined to the convent. Luckily for him he has friends in the right places and escapes being strung up for debauchery (a big word which in the movie means that he shakes a lot of bedsprings without the benefit of a marriage license)

After going one conquest too far, his friend the Doge insists that Casanova get married ASAP, or face exile from Venice. Exile is not a possibility, as we learn early in the movie that he has a very good reason for sticking around, so marriage it is, and the lady to whom he pledges his troth is not only a virgin, but extremely willing to be wed. In a classic case of bad timing, he then meets the one woman worthy of his affection, and she turns out to be a cross-dressing (but only when necessary to prove a point) feminist writer who hates every bone in his body. She unfortunately is betrothed to a corpulent but very wealthy lard merchant (Oliver Platt) whom she has never set eyes on before, the union having being arranged by her late father as an insurance policy for the family fortune.

If you're still with me after all that, things get even more complicated when Jeremy Irons shows up as Inquisitor Pucci, out for the bewigged head of Casanova as a gift for the hangman's noose.

The important thing is not to attempt to take this movie seriously as a period piece, or as a factual account of the life of Casanova. It is a historically set spoof of the life and especially the times of Casanova and should be taken with a pinch of salt or was that lard?

Amanda Richards, July 10, 2006

What a fun romantic flick about the infamous womanizer, Giacomo Casanova. Gorgeous settings, exquisite costumes, and lively music bring this wonderfully delightful story to life--not to mention the stellar cast! Heath Ledger stars, of course, with Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt, Lena Olin, and I have to include Omid Djalili (a great comedian actor!). I'm not a big Heath Ledger fan, but I really like him in this movie--he definitely portrays the womanizer role very well. I guess "Casanova" is considered to be a 'chick flick,' but guys can get a real kick out of this movie, too. (Believe me. In the movie theater that I went to, the guys were bursting with laughter just as much as the girls were). As stated in the movie poster, this is: "A partially true story about lies told, virtue lost, and love found." I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for some great, light-hearted entertainment. Expect plenty of laughs!! Enjoy!

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This is the first of Hallstrom's films that I've seen, and I gather it's by no means typical of his recent work. However, I found it immensely entertaining. It bears little reference to the Chevalier de Seingalt's life, but once you've got over that (ideally before you see it) it is highly enjoyable. The imaginative and brilliant photography of a Venice peopled with the colourful characters and costumes of the ridotto in the city's heyday makes the film worth seeing for that alone. Venice should always look this good; its inhabitants should always wear the costume of this period.

Then the acting is good and plausible. I spent some time trying to work out who it was that Heath Ledger reminded me of, and eventually realised that it was Russell Crowe, not so much in looks as something about his manner. Jeremy Irons is hilarious and others well up to par. The film was well-paced, building to a comic finale.

I think the great point is to grasp that the whole thing was clearly conceived as a sort of Commedia dell'Arte, knockabout farce with very little sex but plenty of misunderstandings, mistaken identities and laugh-out-loud moments. And, of course, love. I thought it was made in very much the manner that operas like The Marriage of Figaro or The Barber of Seville would have been conceived and performed in when they first came out in fact it shed new light on those for me.

Not a great film it's a bit too slight for that but a good, well-made, highly enjoyable romp.

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Casanova is a minor gem of a film. It is carefully bracketed as a memoir of Casanova, who is busy in his old age writing his memories in his famous book. However, this is worth paying attention to, because in a film of masks, deceptions and subterfuge, this too is perhaps the best of all possible masks. Giacomo Casanova may be many things to many people (particularly the women of Venice), but he is a very human being, if he would but know it.

After spending the greater part of his youth in pursuit of being the pursuer ('be the flame, not the moth,' he says as he gives advice to a young man in need of help courting his love) rather than the pursued, he has finally had to promise (the Doge and the Inquisition) that he will mend his ways and marry. But, in typical Casanova fashion, the woman he intends is the unofficial intended of another, and the woman he wants is not his intended, but intended to another. If you can't quite keep pace, you might be on to something. For Casanova's desire (not to be confused with his intended) is intended to another, whose identity Casanova 'borrows' to better woo her.

In the end, this is a fairly standard but well-done costume drama of mistaken identities, plots going awry, and love triumphant (of course it would have to be, for after all, this is Casanova). Heath Ledger plays a very serviceable Casanova (no pun intended, well, perhaps a little intended); Sienna Miller plays the fair Francesca, a woman with a brain far in advance of her time (she is some ways portrayed as a female da Vinci-esque character). Lena Olin plays Francesca's mother, who has arranged a marriage for Francesca, which certainly does not involve Casanova. Charlie Cox plays Francesca's brother, Giovanni, jealous of the attentions Casanova is paying to his unannounced intended across the canal (in an interesting twist, Charlie Cox played in 'The Merchant of Venice' the year before this film was made, together with Jeremy Irons).

I was very pleased with the role played by Oliver Platt, the merchant of Genoa (coming to Venice, a very subtle, witty reversal on Shakespeare) he played the intended of Francesca, a pupil of Casanova, a lard merchant of wealth and fame, and in the end one of the good guys. Tim McInnerny plays the hapless but good-intentioned Doge. However, highest praise goes to Jeremy Irons, who plays the papal visitor/inquisitor, Bishop Pucci, who, if he isn't threatening inquisitorial tortures on illiterate philosophers or falling over backwards in boats is promising to restore the virginity of young maidens. Irons provides a delightful mixture of terror and farce that plays in both comedic and dramatic ways, and he looks every inch the post-medieval bishop.

The sets are stunning of course, this was filmed on location in Venice, so how could they be otherwise? The music is well-selected and drawn into the overall film, using Italian and Italian-influenced compositions of the Renaissance and later periods heavily.

This is a fun film, with an unexpected ending in several ways, but love reigns triumphant, and Casanova (in a very interesting twist) both 'gets the girl' and continues his amorous ways but I'll not spoil it for you.

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this is a really cute funny romantic comedy. i thought that it was very well done and it was not completely focused around sex. actually i was surprised at how little romance scenes there were considering the R rating. this film probably could have been PG 13, but either way it was still great. heath ledger is the perfect casanova and while this movie is centered around him, sienna miller's role was also very good along with oliver platt and jeremy irons. the cast is great and so is the movie. i would recommend it to anyone just looking for something romantic and fun!

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