Feast (Unrated Edition) (2005)

I saw this movie this past weekend at one of its very rare theatrical screenings (which happened to be at the theater where co-screenwater Marcus Dunstan used to work in Macomb, IL). What the film lacks in originality and budget it makes up for in attitude and ends up a fun, entertaining movie. The plot is a simple rehash of From Dusk Til Dawn, only this time it's monsters/aliens(?) attacking the bar, and the people are trapped inside, defending themselves like the folks in both the original and remake of Night of the Living Dead. The writers know what the audience expects from a film like this, so they throw a monkey wrench in here and there to dispel a few of the B-movie horror cliches, their tongues planted firmly in cheek. This movie is down right hilarious, but there are a few surprise moments. Don't expect to be scared, but there is plenty of blood and gore. As one person said on another site, the only element missing from the classic late 80's horror flicks is the gratuitous nudity No T&A!!! (Just a little bare cleavage). The character profiles which pop up when the characters are first introduced have a Tarentino feel to them, and are a hoot. If you like From Dusk Til Dawn, Jeepers Creepers, the Evil Dead or Tales From the Crypt movies, or Return of the Living Dead, then this movie is a must see.

This movie isn't perfect, but I'm giving 5 stars for effort. Despite the low budget and no name actors, Feast delivers a fast paced, gory and wildly entertaining ride that undoubtedly deserves more respect than many big studio horror films. Special Kudos to the film's first act, which has to be one of the most original set up's in horror history. The only problem Feast really suffers from is the formulaic structure. Some reviews complain Feast lacks a plot and they're right. The story is very simple. An eclectic group of people find themselves barracaded in a rural bar while a family of deadly abject monsters with huge teeth lurk around outside. What the monsters are or where they came from is only briefly explored but it doesn't matter. The story is about the humans trying to outwit the monsters and survive. Its substance comes from the sub plot which pits man against man inside the bar. A couple of pop culture icons do appear, most notably Henry Rollins and Jason Mewes, but overall the cast is a group of new faces. Fortunately, most of them do the best job they possibly could given the dialogue and deserve recognition for helping make Feast the entertaining gore-fest it turned out to be.

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Ok. Yes. The movie is not original. The monsters, well, we've seen those kinds before. The characters, of course these are cliche characters, the movie practically points that out to you. Yet the movie is probably the best American horror movie I've seen in the past year. I'll compare this to another movie I saw yesterday (I saw Feast movie just a while ago), that movie was another cliche movie called Are You Scared. That movie compared to this movie shows just how a cliche can work well (as in Feast) and work badly (as in Are You Scared). Both copy what we've seen before, but Feast revels in the passion, the gore, the humor, something that the other cliche lacks. Yes. Nothing new under the sun you might as well say, at least in the horror genre, but this can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you know your work in your hands. The people that bring us Feast know what we want, know what we like, and presents it in such a twist that keeps us glued to the action throughout the whole movie...something that many other movies out there in the horror field lack these days. I really hope that the director of this, along with the actors and actresses, along with the special effects people, go a long way and will be seen again. The movie kind of reminds me of an early Stephen King (as in The Mist or Pet Semetary) or Clive Barker (Books of Blood), fast, furious, bloody, funny, and want we want in our horror.

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I bought the DVD because of Navi Rawat. Love her in NUMB3RS and wanted to see her in something else. I also love the occasional horror movie, but they have to be ones that creep me out or have really "killer" special effects (pun intended).

FEAST moves a long at a rapid clip but ultimately progresses very little. The opening is interesting, especially when we see what happens to HERO right off the bat, but then it downgrades into a somewhat predictable slayride.

None of the characters were truly given the chance to come to life. They served the needs of the role, but little else. The tags identifying the characters were humorous and well done, I thought, but that was really about as much characterization as you got.

The special effects were good, and there was plenty of gore to spread around. The bar felt real because I've been in that part of the country and seen plenty of them just like it. The fact that the movie was shot almost entirely within the bar and maintained suspense is credit to the director and the actors.

FEAST is a good buddy flick for a night when you don't really want to get heavily involved in something but would like an hour and a half of diversion. You're not going to see anything overtly original, but there are some moments of the truly unexpected that do shine.

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F**k this s**t was the line. Well, I guess you can say what you want when your son is directing the movie and doing a right fine job, I might say.

Feast is a frenetic gore fest that takes the edge off with a lot of comic relief. Lots of pulling the rug out from underneath you and a very effective monster gimmick keeps the viewer involved right to the end. I not totally enamored with the cinematic style during the action scenes but after Savings Private Ryan this has been the norm and probably will be for a long time and besides it covers for a lot of budget constraints.

Overall, a lot of fun, who's going to win, who's dog meat. This is an excellent GreenLight entry. Highly Recommended

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Anatomy of a Murder (The Criterion Collection) (1959)

Based on the famous Traver novel, ANATOMY OF A MURDER is an extremely complex film that defeats easy definition. In some respects it is a social document of the era in which it was made; primarily, however, it is a detailed portrait of the law at work and the machinizations and motivations of the individuals involved in a seemingly straight-forward case--and in the process it raises certain ethical issues re attorney behavior and the lengths to which an attorney might go to win a case.

Paul Biegler (James Stewart) is a small-town lawyer who has recently lost a re-election for the position of District Attorney and who is down on his luck--when a headline-making case involving assault, alleged rape, and murder drops into his lap. As the case evolves, there is no question about the identity of the killer. But a smart lawyer might be able to get him off just the same and redeem his own career in the process, and with the aid of an old friend (Arthur O'Connell) and his formidable secretary (Eve Arden), Biegler sets out to do precisely that. Opposing him in the courtroom is Claude Dancer (George C. Scott), a high powered prosecutor who is equally determined to get a conviction... and who is no more adverse to coaching a witness than Biegler himself. The two square off in a constantly shifting battle for the jury, a battle that often consists of underhanded tactics on both sides.

The performances are impressive, with James Stewart ideally cast as the attorney for the defense, Ben Gazzara as his unsavory client, and a truly brilliant Lee Remick as the sexy and disreputable wife who screams rape where just possibly none occurred; O'Connell, Arden, and Scott also offer superior performances. The script is sharp, cool, and meticulous, the direction and cinematography both effective and completely unobtrusive, and the famous jazz score adds quite a bit to the film as a whole. Although we can't help rooting for Stewart, as the film progresses it seems more and more likely that Remick is lying through her teeth and Gazzara is as guilty as sin--but the film balances its elements in such a way as to achieve a disturbing ambiguity that continues right through to the end. If you expect a courtroom thriller with sudden revelations and twists you'll likely be disappointed in ANATOMY OF A MURDER, but if you want a thought-provoking take on the law you'd be hard pressed to find one better. Recommended.

Otto Preminger, who produced and directed this fine courtroom drama starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Ben Gazzara, had a knack for translating best-selling mid-cult novels to the screen (The Man with the Golden Arm (1955); Exodus (1960); Advise and Consent (1962) and others) usually in a nervy manner, sometimes heavy-handed, sometimes pretentious, but always worth a look. Part of his secret was star power. Like Hitchcock, he liked to go with big names supported by fine character actors. And part of his secret was his long experience in both the theater and films going back to the silent film era. He knew how to put together a movie. But more than anything it was his near-dictatorial control over the production (something directors seldom have today, and never in big budget films--Preminger's were big budget for his day) that allowed him to successfully capture the movie-going audience at midcentury.

This and Laura (1944) are two of his films that go beyond the merely commercial and achieve something that can be called art. Seeing this for the first time forty-three years after it was released I was struck by the fine acting all around and the sturdy, well-constructed direction. James Stewart's performance as the Michigan north country lawyer Paul Biegler might shine even more luminously than it does except for a certain performance by Gregory Peck three years later as a southern country lawyer in the unforgettable To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Lee Remick, in a frank, but imperfect imitation of Marilyn Monroe, co-stars as Laura Manion, the wife of army Lt. Frederick Manion (Gazzara) whom Bielger is defending on a murder charge. The defense is temporary insanity because the man he shot raped his wife. Bielger slyly gains sympathy for his client by deliberately allowing it to come out that Laura is sexy and flirtatious enough to drive any man crazy. Indeed, he tricks the prosecution into doing his work for him. George C. Scott plays Claude Dancer, a big city prosecutor, with snake-like precision while Gazzara manages to combine introspection and cockiness as the young lieutenant. Fine support comes from Eve Arden (best known as Our Miss Brooks on TV and in the movie of that name) as Biegler's loyal secretary and Arthur O'Connell as his alcoholic mentor. Kathryn Grant, who gave up a promising film career to marry Bing Crosby and have children, has a modest role as the murdered man's daughter.

I've seen many courtroom dramas, some real, some fictional, since this film first appeared, but I have to say it stands up well. The action (for the most part) feels realistic and the tension is nicely created and maintained. The resolution is satisfying and the ending is as sly and subtle as any country lawyer might want. Incidentally, if this movie had more total votes cast at IMDb, it would rank in the top one hundred of all time, which is where it belongs.

See this for James Stewart whose easy, adroit style under Preminger's direction found full range. Although he gave many fine performances, I don't think Stewart was ever better than he was here.

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This film hooks you in the first minute with Saul Bass' brilliant titles and Duke Ellington's music, and then has you caught for the duration in the next few scenes; the dialogue is sharp and intelligent, and at the age of 50, Jimmy Stewart gives one of the best performances of his illustrious career, as Paul Biegler, an attorney who would rather be fishing than getting fees for his work. Stewart is so natural, so real, and so immensely likable. He's the kind of guy you wish you could have in your family, but wily enough to argue a good defense in court.

Lee Remick has just the right amount of provocative sensuality as Laura Manion to make one wonder what exactly happened on the "fateful night" in question.

After playing Southern belles in both "A Face in the Crowd" (1957) and "The Long Hot Summer" (1958), Remick was offered the role of Laura because Lana Turner, who was supposed to play the part, refused to wear an "off-the-rack" wardrobe, and wanted dresses designed by Jean Louis (hardly what a Army wife would be wearing). It was a big break for Remick, and she makes the most of it.

The entire supporting cast is superb: Ben Gazzara as the intense Lt. Manion, Arthur O'Connell as Biegler's assistant and friend, Eve Arden as Biegler's loyal secretary. George C. Scott is Dancer, the Assistant State Attorney, and Joseph N. Welch, who gained fame for being the Special Counsel for the Army in the Army-McCarthy Congressional hearings, is a delight as Judge Weaver. Duke Ellington makes a cameo appearance as Pie Eye, and even Muffy the beer drinking dog does a great job. Otto Preminger's direction flows at a lovely pace, with a balance between the dramatic tension and thoughtful scenes tinged with humor.

There were Oscar nominations for Best Actor, Supporting Actor (both O'Connell and Scott), Picture, and Editing (all losing to "Ben Hur"), as well as Sam Leavitt's beautiful b&w cinematography (lost to "The Diary of Anne Frank") and Wendell Mayes marvelous screenplay adaptation of the Robert Traver best-seller (lost to "Room at the Top"), proving that 1959 was a great year at the movies.

I love courtroom dramas, and this is one of the best ever made; it's unpredictable, with a very authentic feel to it, perhaps because the author, using the pen name of "Robert Traver", was actually Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker.

Total running time is 160 minutes.

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The original aspect ratio of this film is 1:85:1 (see IMDB).

The US DVD box from Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment contradicts this, saying:

"This film is presented in a FULL SCREEN VERSION which preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio, approximately 1:33:1."

In civil society, this may be called false advertising. The box does not contain what the box says it contains.

The DVD itself warns as it begins playing that the film "has been modified to fit your TV". In other words, it was re-edited in the 80s or 90s by another (anonymous) director/editor using the notorious 'pan and scan' technique, which cuts off the right and left edges of widescreen films, and adds new camera movements and re-scales some images to make certain that the action remains on screen in the new, square-ish ratio.

Amazon's Internet Movie Database correctly identifies the aspect ratio. Columbia distributes THAT version in Europe (which is why when you search for this film on Amazon, the European release comes up too). If you buy that version in the US, you'll pay a little more, and you'll have to use a region-free dvd player to view it. Here's the link for that version:

Anatomy of a Murder European DVD

Your second option is to buy this movie from Amazon Unbox, which presents it in its correct aspect ratio:

Anatomy Of A Murder from Amazon Unbox

Your third option is to wait on buying this until they release the original.

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In addition to an incredibly great transfer of my favorite picture, Criterion Collection shows what a class act they are. No unskippable ads; but a disc filled with truly interesting, relevant extras. This is what the medium is supposed to be like.

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Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

If you have ever attended a family reunion or sat down at an extended family holiday dinner and thought to yourself "Who are these people? How could I possibly be related to them?" -then you will probably appreciate the hilarious and poignant indie film "Little Miss Sunshine."

Richard (Greg Kinnear) is the head of a mostly dysfunctional family and the author of a multi-step/self-help program that he espouses with the passion of a zealot. Sheryl (Toni Collette) is Richard's wife and arguably the most normal and high-functioning member of the family. Their son, Dwayne (Paul Dano), is a nihilistic and remote 15-year-old, who has either stopped speaking to his family because he can't stand them or taken a vow of silence to achieve a personal goal depending on who is explaining his behavior. Olive (Abigail Breslin) is the family's bright and effervescent 7-year-old, who is already starting to pick up some of the family's more unhealthy tics of criticism and self-doubt. Grandpa (Alan Arkin) is Richard's acerbic and outspoken father who was booted out of his retirement home for snorting heroin. Add to this murky Freudian soup Sheryl's brother, Frank (a wonderfully restrained Steve Carell), who is newly released from the hospital after a failed suicide attempt.

When a message is left on the family's phone machine notifying them of Olive's acceptance into the semi-finals of the Little Miss Sunshine talent competition in California, they decide to (mostly) put aside their personal agendas and take Olive to the pageant. The combustible road trip is fueled by the radically different personalities bumping up against each other within the close confines of a VW bus and exacerbated by a variety of obstacles thrown at them in what seems to be a cosmic conspiracy designed to prevent the family from reaching the competition.

When the family finally does arrive at the pageant, the weirdness well and truly begins. Now I am someone who really loves a good horror story, but the 6 and 7 year old contestants were far scarier than anything you might see in a George Romero movie. I will take flesh melting zombies over little girls in full theatrical makeup and provocative costumes (that just screamed "JonBenet Ramsey") any day. The whole pageant atmosphere was Fellini-esque and completely cringe-inducing. When Olive is finally called upon to do her performance piece for the audience (a real show stopper which I won't spoil by detailing), she is actually the most wholesome and entertaining part of the whole pageant.

Although this family bickers with one another almost constantly, they manage to close ranks and support each other when it truly counts. Part of the pleasure of watching this film was the talented cast, who looked like they were really enjoying themselves. A wonderful way to spend 90 minutes -and you will probably come away with a deeper appreciation of your own family.

"Little Miss Sunshine" is yet another quirky indie comedy, this time about a dysfunctional family roadtrip. Every character has the requisite wacky personality and/or oddball mannerisms (as is the case in every film of this type). The plot is minimal and contrived, existing for the sole purpose of forcing this unlikely family together. Handled incorrectly, I would usually loathe this type of film. So I'm pleased to report that "Little Miss Sunshine" is far more successful than it has any right to be. While I still feel as if this "little" picture was slightly overpraised upon it's release, it provides many laughs and works as screwball comedy.

One thing that sets "Sunshine" apart from similar indies is a stellar cast. Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette do fine work as the embattled parents. Abigail Breslin brings a refreshing blend of hope and delusion to the title character. Alan Arkin chews the scenery as the foul mouthed addict father--it's nice to see him again, especially in such a showy in-your-face performance. Steve Carell is surprisingly sympathetic as the depressive gay brother. And Paul Dano delivers the movie's best performance as the disconnected son who has taken a vow of silence. So even though this colorful, supremely eccentric bunch are character "types" as opposed to real people, the actors make it work. The moments of drama that appear succeed only because the actors make you care.

But, first and foremost, this is a comedy. And I forgave the calculated eccentricities because the film is simply funny. Outrageous and slapstick, yet smartly observant, this film earns your respect and laughs. It's a fun ride with many identifiable situations.

Beloved by audiences and most critics upon it's release, I would hesitate to overhype this film for the DVD market. A viewer who discovers this picture is likely to appreciate it's charms more than someone who goes into it having heard it's the best film of the year. "Little Miss Sunshine" is not particularly original (it shares many plot elements from "Vacation," in fact)--but it is extremely well done. KGHarris, 11/06.

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Little Miss Sunshine is easily my pick for best film of the year. At the same time, I won't say that you've never seen a movie like this one before. It treads familiar territory and dredges up some recognizable character types, like the silent broody teen and the dirty old man, but it doesn't belabor them; instead it reminds us why we find situations and individuals like these so relatable. It's a road trip movie. It's a dark comedy, but it's also something else altogether.

There are sight gags a plenty and some dysfunctional family fun that walks a fine line between trite and genius, but I (and 93% of the critics on ) believe that the performances tip the balance in favor of genius. Alan Arkin is extraordinary as the cantankerous, heroin snorting grandpa with a heart. Toni Collette and Greg Kinnear, as the emotionally fatigued married couple, have an onscreen chemistry that threatens to blow up at any minute. (Boo! Kenney, that's such a cheesy line. You can do better.--I know. I know. But I couldn't resist. Watch the movie and you'll see what I'm talking about.) And we all know Steve Carrell can be funny, but who knew he could play tortured too. And here's something that's entirely refreshing: a seven year-old character, Olive, who is more naïve than she is precocious, and an actress, Abigail Breslin, who pulled it off realistically. She did more than pull it off really. She sold it, and I bought every tear and toothy grin.

The opening sequence introduces the characters and their particular quirks in a series of one-minute shots, so the audience member knows right from the beginning who these people are and basically what's wrong with them. Most of their backstories are taken care of around the dinner table, and then the movie literally hits the road when the whole family piles into a cheerfully yellow VW bus to take Olive to California, where she has a chance, by way of the only stroke of good luck in the entire script, to compete for the title of Little Miss Sunshine and fulfill her beauty queen aspirations.

The storyline tackles some grim and seedy subjects: divorce, suicide, drug-use, romantic pitfalls, failed careers, and we don't always get to laugh our way through them. With this movie, just like in life, you've got to take the good with the bad. In fact, Little Miss Sunshine accomplishes the nearly impossible and makes us grateful for the tragedies that occur, because that's when we get to see who the characters really are. Like in the case of Dwayne (Paul Dano), the teenage son whose vow of silence prevents him from talking for the majority of the film. We don't even get to hear him speak until he experiences his great disappointment, and it's not long after he starts talking that he reveals himself to be much more affectionate and protective of his little sister than his angry facial expressions let on.

You might start to think that Dwayne's got the right idea when you notice that some of the film's best moments are utterly quiet. Nobody ever says the right thing in this movie. No problems are solved just by talking them out. In fact, most of the time talking just leads to more problems. These characters learn to take action, and they get the job done. While the results--you can't really call them solutions--aren't always satisfactory for them, for the audience they are never less than entertaining or cathartic for that matter.

Be prepared to laugh, hard and often, so much so that you won't see it coming when it's time to cry. I realize that at the beginning of my review I made it sound like Little Miss Sunshine might be borderline cliché, but that was just me anticipating other people's possible complaints, certainly not asserting my own. But regardless of how original you do or don't think this movie is, it delivers some big surprises. Some of them you might see coming, but I highly doubt you could guess them all--just wait until you find out what Olive's talent is!

I hate to use the term dramedy. I choose to think a movie like this one actually collapses genres rather than blends them. But nevertheless Sunshine offers a good mix of strong emotion and light-hearted farce for everyone to enjoy. For all you heady types, there's a healthy helping of Proust and Nietzsche in there. For all you who would prefer slapstick, there's a good dose of that too, along with some pretty funny one-liners as well.

This film has a lot to say about life and disillusionment, expectations and harsh realities, but it says it with a smile and sometimes through clenched teeth. Its message never gets lost in all the absurdity, and it wasn't lost on me either.

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"Little Miss Sunshine" has a brilliant cast and contains moments of pure genius. The story follows the exploits of a troubled suburban family as they drive across the country to enter their seven year old daughter in the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant. I am a big fan of both Greg Kinnear and Steve Carell, but in this case I think Carell did the better job as a formerly suicidal professor (and America's number one Proust expert). My favorite scenes in the film were of the interactions between Carell and Paul Dano as a angst-ridden teenager who has taken a vow of silence related to his desire to become an Air Force pilot (you'll have to watch the film for all the confusing details.) Dano and Carell manage to be both genuinely disturbed and genuinely touching, especially late in the movie.

The plot is more than a bit contrived and formulaic, although the last ten minutes were rather unpredictable. I found the film to get off to a very slow start, and the pace to be somewhat plodding throughout, although the last half hour is more captivating than the first hour. Although this is a movie about a family, this is not a family film, and the R rating is there for several reasons, not the least of which are very mature themes, and excessively foul language, especially from Alan Arkin. I was extremely pleased, though, that the film skewered the unfortunate scourge of sub-teen beauty pageants: I was genuinely creeped out by the young contestants (and their families.) The conclusion of the pageant was shocking and, while amusing, made a serious comment on contemporary mores.

The cast is talented, and the critiques of modern society, particularly the exposure of the false values of the winner and loser, are frequently on the money if you look past the superficial veneer of the movie as strictly a comedy. Despite the obvious talent that went into the movie, I was less enthusiastic than I expected, given my respect for the cast members: the pacing was often slow (particularly at the outset), and the script was full of gratuitous exchanges seemingly placed simply for shock value and a cheap laugh (e.g. Arkin's diatribe to Dano about virility) that went far beyond what was necessary to establish the lack of functional cohesiveness as a family unit. There are moments of unadulterated brilliance in the film, but it is by no means deserving of the highly effusive praise from such luminous sources as "Newsweek" and "USA Today."

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Others have already left a plot synopsis, so I'll be brief. This is the best movie I've seen in years. This film made me laugh,cry,and want to see more of the talented cast. The storyline is quirky it's a tearjerker and comedy rolled into one fabulous tale. This is a movie that will go on my "keep" shelf. Although the "F" word is used liberally, it's still a heartwarming story of a band of misfits that happen to be family uniting to make one little girl happy. It's fabulous!

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Young Bruce Lee (2011)

This is a very well done production dealing with the Bruce Lee legend/legacy. It shows what daily life was like in Hong Kong during the early years of Bruce Lees life. This is an authentic Asian production whose special features section shows other well done Asian productions which are available such as Confucius and Ip Man. This is a highly recommended movie.

This a great movie about a Great Man, it's not a Kung Fu movie, its about his life and how he became so Great!If your a fan of Bruce Lee this is a most for all collectors.

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The movie was awesome ... Learned alot of things about his life I didn't know about him ... The guy who played him did a awesome job

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I don't see anyone who knows, admires, and follows Bruce Lee's inspiring life and discipline not liking this one. It is a well done production. It is not an action movie, it is Bruce's story before he came to USA. I was touched, and inspired. The actor they casted, looks so much like him,and screams just like him. One thinks for moments that it was actually Bruce himself. Definetly a must have for Bruce Lee followers and fans.

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This is a must,for any fan of bruce Lee. Intro by his brother Robert, is the best I seen on a Bruce Lee story,it is not a kung fu movie, though it does have it, it is beautifully done, not fantasy like so many others, you learn about his youth,how it all began,excellent film quality, hope some day it will be english dubbed so others can enjoy,an amazing story of Bruce as a human being,and you believe the actor is really him.

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Machine Gun Preacher (2011)

I've read the book and seen the movie. The book will keep you awake at night and the movie will leave you breathless. It's one thing to read the words because you have to rely on your imagination to form the images from the author's words. Seeing those words accurately portrayed on the screen is incredible.

This is, bar none, Gerard Butler's crowning performance. Sam Childers pulled no punches about himself in the book and Butler truly brought the man to life on the screen. He isn't just an actor playing a part; in this movie it's almost as if he *becomes* Childers. The scene where he returns to retrieve the children he had to leave behind is, IMO, mindblowing. The scene in which he confronts and overcomes his crisis of faith is moving in the extreme.

I won't minimize: This story, in the book and on the screen, is horribly disturbing, and I can't stress that enough. However, it is incredibly powerful, thought-provoking, complex and heart-rending. Once you've seen this movie, you definitely won't forget it.

Honestly, I'd give it ten stars without hesitation...

I've seen the film 6 times in 6 different places all across the country, and I saw it with Sam Childers the first time he saw it. It's an amazing story about a nearly unbelievable journey by a man who went from crazy bad to crazy good, 'cos it takes a little crazy to do what he'd done as a young man and what he's done in Africa over the past decade. Fortunately there is less confrontation with the LRA in the area where the Shekinah Children's Village is near Nimule, South Sudan; and Sam Childers is spreading his feeding programs wider across central and east Africa where they're needed so badly, like in Somalia and Darfur. The book Another Man's War, the feature film Machine Gun Preacher and the upcoming documentary film will touch your heart in some fashion. Gerard Butler does a terrific job portraying both the old and new Sam. The Machine Gun Preacher DVD will be my gift for Christmases and birthdays for the next several years.

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I'm giving 5 stars to the trailer. The trailer advertised limited release. All the money spent to produce this film and then limited release? I live in the country in Texas. I will have to wait and buy the movie to see it. I read the book the movie was based on and then bought more books to share with friends.

I saw a review that said the movie under performed. Of course it would under perform on limited release! Then we're stuck with the garbage Hollywood puts out the rest of the year. Maybe it's just because the word Preacher is in the title.

Frustrated with Hollywood!

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This is one of the tougher movies I've ever tried to rate. It is entirely due to my difficulty in separating the story from the movie.

Here's the scoop. Sam Childers is a bad guy. We meet him as he's getting out of prison. He's a junkie biker. He has no reservations about inflicting serious pain on people. He wants his wife, who has found Jesus and a respectable job, to go back to being a stripper. After a particularly rough bout with drugs he begins to re-examine his life. He goes straight. Finds a job. Builds a church. Starts a construction company. Goes to the Sudan to help out there and finds he genuinely cares about the lives of those people. He's now on a mission.

This is certainly a great story. Here's a guy who's scraping the bottom of the barrel, turns himself around, and becomes a true, moving force in the lives of a tortured people. But I don't know if the movie itself is all that spectacular. The director, Mark Forster, has had some outstanding movies to his credit. He seemed to want to play this one straight, with little razzle dazzle. But it all seemed too familiar. I felt as though I'd seen most of these scenes before in other movies. There was too little here that was fresh. It was all very professional and tight. You could practically set your watch to it it was so evenly paced. Maybe that was the problem. It needed something to shake loose from the normal.

This is by no means a bad movie and it's easy to watch. During the closing credits the viewer is treated to actual footage of Childers and others depicted in the movie. This is a serious plus. Some might take exception to the Jesus thumping, gun toting point of view, but that's how the story goes. It just needed something to take it to the next level.

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I feel very fortunate to be one of the few people who was able to see Machine Gun Preacher in the theater, since it was not shown in very many places!! (For some UNEXPLAINED reason!?!) It was an EXCELLENT movie........very moving, POWERFUL, thought-provoking, and well-acted by everyone.....especially Gerard Butler! He absolutely nailed the character of Sam Childers. He was not a very likeable person in the beginning, as he was just plain no-good....into drugs, crime, etc. After a missionary trip to Africa, his whole focus changed into wanting to save the children from the LRA. It was an AMAZING transformation and one that really should be shared. Although it does have parts that are sad to watch, it IS based on a true story and it does make people aware of the unimaginable atrocities that still occur around the world! I can't wait until it comes out on DVD so that I can watch it again!!

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Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (15th Anniversary Edition) (1997)

Who doesn't want to go to their high school reunion, and show everyone they look better then they did then with success beyond anyone's dreams? This laugh out loud satire of course takes it to the extreme, but it is a fun movie. As the movie switches back and forth between the present and the past, we see how they were tortured in high school. Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow act well together with great screen presence. The supporting cast is priceless! Well done comedy!

Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow are Romy and Michelle, two ditzy blonde friends who live together in LA. When Romy runs into a high school classmate (Jeanne Garofalo, at her finest) the two women decide to attend their tenth high school reunion. Michelle and Romy decide to fabricate lives for themselvessuccessful careers, boyfriends, etc., to impress the people they went to high school with.

Using "like" after "like every "like" word "like," the two drive a Jaguar from LA to Arizona, reliving memories from the pastincluding old crushes and avoiding the "A" crowd of popular girls. While at the reunion, a lot of things (some of them improbable, to be sure) occur.

Although not of the highest calibre, this movie is extraordinarily funny, light comedy. It reminds us of what was good (or bad) about our high school years, while making us laugh at the same time about the foibles of the past.

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Love that quote. I actually had mono in college and lost about 10 pounds, but I wouldn't recommend it as a diet. Anyway, my college roommate and I would watch this movie when fighting stress, trying to hide from stupid people at college, and for relaxation (which means that we watched it about every other week). A most necessary escapism!

The opening scene, in which R & M are making fun of "Pretty Woman" ("As if the salesgirls there aren't bigger whores than she is"...."i get so happy when they let her shop!") is pretty much evocative of the whole movie comparing themselves with other women, shopping for jobs and men.

Another great scene is when they're at the club, looking for suitable men, and Romy gets away from one guy with the excuse, "I cut my foot before, and my shoe is filling up with blood."

A wonderful movie in general, especially for individualists who were never part of cliques, who despise people that still grade others with shallow high school hierarchy systems.

Laugh outloud funny, and Janeane Garafalo's character is a perfectly independent blend of bitterness, sarcasm, and bitchiness. "This dress exacerbates the genetic betrayal that is my legacy."

Especially enjoyed the 80s high school flashbacks. Dressing like Madonna for the prom, happily basking in their fashion skills and originality (but of course Billy had to ruin it). When one of the A-list crowd put the magnets on Romy's back, it was so tragic. As Michele said later, "You couldn't help that you had scoliosis!" Duh! Bullies who pick on people for traits that they cannot change should be dragged out into the street and shot (Garfield used to say that, I believe).

The reunion itself is both sad and a relief. The post-it notes lie was taken advantage of by the knocked-up Chrissy, who should be a laughingstock herself just for being pregnant and having a husband who's an alcoholic and manwhore (and who was never cute, in my opinion). Well, she does end up a laughingstock by the end of the movie, when the wind from the helicopter blows up her dress. Ha!

Also, Chrissy never satisfied her dreams of becoming a news anchorwoman/weatherwoman because of marrying early (which is rarely a smart idea), effectively forcing herself into a little hole unlike Romy and Michele, who have lived as they wanted to live, have had fun even though they aren't "successful" in the eyes of the world.

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Kudos to the other reviewer who mentioned why they don't attend High School reunions. I told my alma matar to put me on a do not call list but luckily I live 3000 miles away and my family left town as did I LONG AGO! The 80's flashback and songs carry this film. Romy and Michelle are an adorable duo who have lived their life on their own terms. Like many independent souls, the two were a pair of teenage girls who were desperate to fit in and only experienced social torture from the popular crowd. One very telling scene in the film was how one of their former tormentors, now a fashion editor for Vogue in New York, defended them against the former "hot girls" who still slugged them at the reunion despite being married (trapped), unhappy(of course), and pregnant (baggage). I agree, those who looked like shoe-ins for a life of success sometimes don't live up to their teenage glory.

This poignant moment reminds me of a Greek quote: "Whom the Gods adore they sent turbulence, turmoil and thunderbolts. Whom the Gods would destroy they crown with early glory"

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Almost ten years after the fact, "Romy & Michelle" endures as one of those personal Top Ten Feel-Good Movies that can be watched over and over with any kid or teen in your family, much like "Mrs. Doubtfire." When all else fails....

As a matter of fact, my college-freshman niece is receiving for Xmas this year a brand-new copy of the DVD and a stamper that says, "Let's Fold Scarves"!! R&M created traditions for us!

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Bird With A Crystal Plumage (2009)

THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE

[L'Uccello dalle Piume di Cristallo]

(Italy/W.Germany 1969)

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (Cromoscope)

Theatrical soundtrack: Mono

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Bodyguard (1992)

When this movie first came out the critics panned it mercilessly and frankly I just can't understand why. I thought it was fabulous. Kevin Costner plays an ex-Secret Service agent hired to protect a spoiled, difficult to get along with diva receiving death threats. Whitney Houston portrays the spoiled starlet to perfection. The chemistry and interplay between Houston and Costner was electric. The music in the movie was also great.

There are really some key elements that made this movie extremely good. First, I thought the acting was top notch by all involved. The supporting cast really played their characters well, as did the stars. Secondly, the editing was outstanding. The movie and plot move along at a fast pace. There is not a dull moment in the entire movie. And finally, the plot was plausible (for the most part) and the mystery who is the hit man slowly reveals itself. Having watched the movie several times, there a several foreshadowings.

Overall I found it a most entertaining movie both as a mystery, a thriller, and love story.

"You can be as you choose to be. It takes some discipline but it can be done."

I first saw The Bodyguard in a hot summer day. I waited in a long queue for my ticket and the theatre was fully packed. Tired and frustrated, I could not enjoy the film but it grew in me over time. It was different experience when I saw it again. In fact, The Bodyguard is a serious, original and very well told story. Love can be as real as me, sitting and writing here, and still be impossible and bitter-sweet. I can relate to this. Don't we all go through it at lеаst once in our lifetime?

I love Kevin Costner's performance as Frank Farmer. I find him very convincing in the skin of this tough, self-disciplined guy with a heart of gold. I admire Kevin's portrayal of Frank's emotional torment when he had to choose between his duty and his heart. Whitney Huston is surprisingly good and her enormous musical talent makes up for her lack of acting experience.

The Bodyguard has it all: action-packed scenes, cool lines, pearls of wisdom, tender loving and fantastic soundtrack! This film is definitely worth your time.

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Wow...This movie is the best I've ever seen. It was supposed to go to Diana Ross and some other guy. I'm glad the roll went to Whitney. Diana would not fit this roll. Wow, three lines into the review and I'm already off task. Okay. Why should you give this movie a chance? Because it's amazing. Whitney proves she is a great actress and singer. Her voice makes this movie even better. The songs fit perfectly. And Kevin Costner, this movie alone makes me a fan, and I haven't seen his other work. It leaves you in suspense, as a mysterious stalker is following Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) step by step, waiting for the time to attempt in killing her. This movie has a dark atmosphere, which is something I love about it. It's not like most love stories. I was very unsure about trying this movie, because I get bored easily, and I'm not a big romance movie fan, but this movie is so different from a typical romance film. It doesn't just focus on the romance, it focuses on Rachel's career, the stalker, Frank's resistance to grow close to his client. That's what makes this movie so special. I'm thrilled Kevin talked Whitney into this film, although it took her over a year to decide, it was worth it. No one could have done the roles better than Kevin and Whitney.

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This being written right after Whitney Houstons tragic death.

No matter who you are or the color of your skin, you will love her and Costner's performance and interaction(s).

The movie shows the balance of high profile people, between trying to have normal life and the reality of why they cannot.

This movie was the best work Houston had as a movie star. It's how I will always remember her, with that moving and powerful voice and sense of bottom line reality that God exists.

The torment is over...and now the fans of what she once was: "Will always love (and remember)..." The Body Guard is Whitney Houston. It is her role of immortality.

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Kevin Costner stars as a stoic ex-FBI agent who becomes the bodyguard for rock diva/good Mom Whitney Houston. He finds her lifestyle a bit much at first, but thanks to her cute son, he starts to like her (a definite no-no in the bodyguarding business). Someone is trying to kill her and there are very some intense moments as the stalker gets very close. But who hired the killer? That's the real question.



Whitney has a perfect voice and she sings many memorable songs. You'll rock to "Queen of the Night," and could there be a more bittersweet lovesong than "I Will Always Love You"? Their one romantic encounter is much too brief, but the chemistry is palpable. He's icy, she's hot; what a combination. Costner and Whitney are very sexy and also quite vulnerable. Credit goes to the excellent script as well as the stars' talent. This is a real chick flick: it's got romance, action, suspense, music, and a two gorgeous stars.

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Wild Target (2010)

WILD TARGET (2009) is one of the most enjoyable, relaxing and hilarious films I have ever seen. The British have a way with this kind of black comedy that we have yet to perfect, though we try.

The legendary assassin Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy in yet another cool-as-a-cucumber role of a lifetime) is reaching a midlife crisis. He falls for his latest hit, young swindler Rose (Emily Blunt in a role that actually fits her well). As she throws him off his game initially, he begins to like her immensely.

A fateful encounter in a parking garage introduces them to each other and to Tony (a sweet Rupert Grint), a bisexual pothead garage attendant who saves first the life of Rose, then Victor. They flee together, and a sort of sweet madness ensues.

It is not what you'd expect, and were it not for occasional foul scenes (which we can bear with a guffaw) I'd recommend such caliber of comedy for children. Sadly, black comedy of this caliber is not for children's innocent eyes. But here I'll leave this fantastic film, for you to discover and judge.

The cast is rounded out by crooked art collector Ferguson (Rupert Everett, appearing apparently because he needs the work) and the immortal Aileen Atkins as Victor's former-assassin mother and first teacher. (In a bit of a snit, she excoriates Victor for his crisis: "A Beretta! The gun of princes! For your SEVENTH birthday!") Also moving to me was Victor's white cat Snowy, who has the most wonderful MEOW.

With all the great talent here and others whose names I'm too tired to mention, I have to say a word about Rupert Grint. Rupert's a handsome, rising star with a flair for sweetness, drama and comedic skills I have often compared to those of Buster Keaton. Sometimes I wonder if old Buster from Kansas and Rupert from Stevenage are somehow related.

Rupert is the busiest of the HARRY POTTER 'children', with two excellent films under his belt already (CHERRYBOMB and DRIVING LESSONS). This, his third major film with major work to show for it, is his third film off the POTTER reservation. Here's a toast: a long and successful career for Rupert!

And a long, cult-classic status for WILD TARGET ... one of the best films (for its genre) that I have ever seen.

WILD TARGET is an English remake of the French film "Cible émouvante" (1993) which I am now anxious to see. I understand the great Jean Rochefort plays "Victor Meynard" in this original version.

Bill Nighy has a following in my store no matter what the film's theme is, and in this case he plays his age and character beautifully.

The story follows an aging hit man revered as the best at what he does, but an assignment to snuff a young klepto/con-artist played adequately by Ms. Blunt goes awry and the fun begins. It is like a bumbling Stooges act for the middle of the film as he decides to protect her instead, while also apprenticing a hapless young man. Nighy's mom is a little over-the-top by Eileen Atkins who I last saw in the nice film Evening, and the remaining cast is average to overly cheesy. The comedy tried to be dark as the body count goes up, but Nighy carries this overall without letting it get too slapstick.

The Blu specs are solid as the picture is clear, so much so that the background failings can be obvious (can see the rain outside nearby windows when they are trying to make it look sunny, crew reflections, etc.) and the DTS is mixed nicely. The car chase scenes are where the channels get used the most and it surrounds you just right. Unfortunately though Fox once again dumps this BD with nothing extra. The "On Target with Emily Blunt" lasts a few minutes and is immediately forgettable. You really want to have there be a making of documentary or commentary as quite a few questions come up about the production (why he holds the gun in such an obscure way throughout the film, locations, etc). 3.5 for the film and .5 for the Blu specs. Region coded A with English language only and subs in same. A light comedy that does not take itself too seriously, enjoy.

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Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) is an erudite, posh gentleman who also happens to be a professional hit man. Hired to terminate Rosie (Emily Blunt), a pretty young thief, he instead falls for her. On the run from the men who hired him, they are accompanied by a confused stoner (Rupert Grint) as they hide out till the coast is clear.

I always enjoy the wonderful Bill Nighy and he has many witty scenes early on; unfortunately, none of them are shared with Blunt or Grint. Blunt's character is thoroughly unlikable and she has no romantic chemistry with Victor; Grint's drifter serves no purpose in the story, he's awkward, and mumbles his dialogue. The film starts out promising enough as we watch Victor alone, but once the three come together it's absurd and silly.

This is an okay rental, just don't expect big laughs or a plausible script.

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I came across this as a complete lark, but found it well-made, well-acted, and pretty funny. The premise is great (what if the best assassin fell in love with one of his targets), and the character development is great.

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Wild Target is an off-beat dark comedy about a hit-man who changes his ways when he encounters Rose, a beautiful woman who was intended to be his next victim. After failed attempts to kill her, he can't seem to shake her, and soon finds himself connected to her. With the mission failed, Victor finds himself with Rose and a young slacker (Rubert Grint), as they are now the intended victims.

I don't mind understated comedy and love dry humor, but this film just didn't hit the mark (pardon the pun). Some comedies work at an understated level, but the story here just seems so stilted and dead in Wild Target. If there is any comedy ,it barely has a pulse, as many of the jokes are mistimed. Most of the acting seems uninspired and the script really lacks anything creative.

I differed from most in that I detested the film during the first half, but it kind of grew on me a little when we find more about the characters as they are hiding out in the second half. What I didn't like was that the resolution felt a little forced, and the main character's transformations a little contrived.

There were some enjoyable moments, though. I did think it was interesting to see Rubert Grint in a different kind of role, and there are moments when Victor actually is a bit of a sympathetic character. Over all, though, Wild Target is a bit average.

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The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum) (2002)

(Update 08/11/2012: Knowing what I know now, I've completely rewritten my reviews for the box set and individual titles from scratch, which might make some of the comments obsolete. But in exchange, I hope this review seems more in-depth now).

(Note: Since I can't fit all 3 individual reviews into one entry, I've essentially condensed it down to a general overview of the plot, A/V specs and presentation, and only a list of the special features for each. The numbers you see don't necessarily equate to technical perfection, but those are the average numbers based on each movie and rounded up to the nearest whole or half number. To read the individual reviews, use the links below).

http://www.amazon.com/review/R35Y9M58QPFCXE/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

http://www.amazon.com/review/RFJDO2K5251W2/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1BYXHJU8KPQFN/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Movie 5.0

The first time I ever saw this film series was from a total blind-buy. Previously, I never even wanted to touch it because I had this stupid, unexplainable bias against Matt Damon. To this day, I still can't remember why I had such feelings, but I'm glad I got over it, because The Bourne Trilogy is a masterfully-executed story that has changed the face of spy-thriller movies forever. The Bourne Identity starts with the discovery of a man found overboard. He has two gunshot wounds in his back, a Swiss bank account in his hip, and no immediate recollection of who he is. Coincidentally, upon reaching the mainland it seems that he's a master in firearms and fisticuffs when he instinctively disables a couple of poor police officers that just happened to mess with the wrong guy. When he gets to the Swiss bank, he finds a deposit box with a passport and his name: Jason Bourne (Matt Damon). But to his surprise, there's a slew of other passports with the same picture and different names, in addition to lots of cash and even a handgun. Upon setting out to Paris, he meets a woman named Marie (Franka Potente), and the two of them would go on to face assassins and conspiracies while uncovering answers to who he is.

In The Bourne Supremacy, we find the two in Goa living a life of peace after managing to escape pursuit. Meanwhile, an operation in Berlin to uncover a mole amongst the top CIA brass, led by Deputy Director Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), goes south when a Russian federal agent, Kirill (Karl Urban), infiltrates the deal and takes out the informant while leaving a fingerprint of Bourne to cover his tracks. When Kirill attempts to find Bourne and assassinate him, Marie is killed in his stead. And in a rage of anger, Bourne decides to aspire vengeance on all those who had been chasing him. But in the process, he would discover a few more things about his past that would change him for the better.

And in The Bourne Ultimatum, after a British reporter named Simon Ross (Paddy Considine) discovers a new Treadstone replacement agency called Blackbriar, led by Director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn), Bourne figures to find the source of Ross' information so he can finally get the answers he'd been searching for, as well as putting an end to these agencies. Upon Ross' assassination, Bourne instills the aid of former Treadstone handler Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and receives the benefit of the doubt from Pamela Landy as he makes his way back home to New York and discovers the truth to everything he had forgotten.

The Bourne movie franchise has made quite the name for itself. In the hands of Doug Liman, he not only managed to introduce an interesting character with a lot of mystery and intrigue to his background, but also a character we were able to sympathize for. He was a character that lost his memory, re-discovered himself, then tried to leave his dark past behind and escape a corrupt system. After Paul Greengrass took the reigns, he improved what Liman left on the table, further exposing the humanistic side of this character as we see him lose the part of his life he cares about the most. But despite that loss, his humanity would prove to be stronger than his vengeance as even more memories started to surface, making his journey for revenge turn into a search for redemption. And after finding his inner peace, he takes pursuit of those responsible in an effort to destroy the very system that had created him and brought about so much pain and suffering, not only to him, but to many of those involved throughout its history. At this point, I think it's safe to say that Matt Damon's portrayal of Jason Bourne has really cemented itself amongst the iconic spy heroes (next to James Bond and maybe Bryan Mills from Taken).

Video 5.0

Video codec: VC-1

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1, 2.35:1

Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

The video quality of the series is pretty much perfect aside from the first one. In my initial review a few years ago, I said I wasn't pleased with Identity, but did a pretty crappy job explaining it. After reading up on the technicalities of film-making since then, I've gotten a much better grasp on how to explain and describe these things. That being said, Identity looks very good in terms of black levels, colors, and sharpness. Looking at a lot of the outdoor shots, especially, and a few indoor, the picture retains enough detail that it makes for a pleasant image for the trilogy's initial entry in HD. However, it does suffer from low contrast, giving it a somewhat murky look, and there are several occasions when dirt and a couple of scratches from print damage pop up. It's not terribly distracting, but it is noticeable.

Supremacy, on the other hand, is a major step up. With the changing of director in Paul Greengrass, he gave the image a much more vibrant look that better accentuates all of the aforementioned qualities. Blacks are darker, colors are much more vivid, contrast is better-balanced, and the sharpness is even sharper. Just looking at the beginning scenes in Goa, there's a tremendous amount of color that really adds more life, and the rest of the movie follows accordingly. Some people say the saturation is a little too high, but I'm in the belief that it was intentional since Grengrass is such a visualist. And there's also a good amount of film grain as well, which again, I believe is intentional. So unless you don't like the color timing or are a grain-hater, then those are about the only problems you might have. Finally, Ultimatum has the same kind of photography, only with a difference of intensity. Supremacy ran a little hot in terms of color, but I feel it added to the overall tone of the film itself (Bourne getting hot and angry for revenge, hence the hot look to the picture). However, Ultimatum is essentially where things come full circle and the adventure ends. Because of that, this is probably about as "normal" of a color level as you'll get. So there you have it. Aside from the first movie, there's not much else to complain about.

Audio 5.0

Languages

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: DTS 5.1

Spanish: DTS 5.1

Subtitles

English SDH, French, Spanish

Again, aside from Identity, the audio is just about perfect. All three movies use the DTS-HD MA codec, and all of them sound fantastic. The only problem with Identity isn't so much the quality, but the quantity. As in the film itself just isn't as heavily-mixed as the others. In his commentary, Doug Liman stressed how he wanted to make Identity a drama first and an action movie second. Because of this, I think it reflects in the sound mix. The actual depth and quality to the track itself is pretty buoyant in terms of separation and directionality and gets especially aggressive during the fight with the first Treadstone agent. Rear speaker activity also gets a really good workout during the car chase sequence when cars start turning the corners. And dynamic range is excellent in the scene where Bourne is fighting Clive Owen's character outside the farmhouse.

Additionally, when Greengrass takes over as director for the sequels, the audio gets a tremendous upgrade, just as the video did. Even for as low-key as the opening scenes are in Supremacy, the dynamic depth alone is noticeably louder and more precise. Action sequences offer up even more aggressive mixing such as the fight between Bourne and the last remaining Treadstone agent. This scene in particular displays a very exact design that has no music and does a great job isolating its sound effects into the confines of that small, compact area, adding an extra layer of ferocity and tension to it. And the car chase in Moscow towards the end is brimming with activity as the vehicles skid, crash, and break all over the place. But even still, Ultimatum manages to top that. Immersion is outstanding from the crowd noise for the scene at Waterloo Station, isolation is more intense in the fight between Bourne and Desh, and the car chase in New York is a sonic masterpiece of mayhem and music. By the way, John Powell's score is another big factor to the overall sound of these films. His string and percussion works really help to compliment the storytelling that even exudes a subtle amount of LFEs through his awesome drum pieces. Outside from the one minor issue with Identity, all of these films sound superb.

Extras 4.0

There are quite a bit of extras, but if I were to highlight just one feature from each movie, I'd say at the very least(!) give the audio commentaries a listen. And if you like technical stuff, the U-Control Picture in Picture for Supremacy is well-worth a watch as well.

The Bourne Identity:

Audio Commentary (Director Doug Liman)

The Ludlum Identity (SD; 12:49)

The Ludlum Supremacy (SD; 12:41)

The Ludlum Ultimatum (SD; 23:57)

Alternate Opening and Ending (SD; 10:46 altogether)

Deleted Scenes (SD; 6:58)

Extended Farmhouse Scene (0:58)

The Birth of the Bourne Identity (SD; 14:31)

The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum (SD; 5:44)

Access Granted: An Interview with Co-Writer Tony Gilroy (SD; 4:03)

From Identity to Supremacy: Jason & Marie (SD; 3:37)

The Bourne Diagnosis (SD; 3:25)

Cloak and Dagger: Covert Ops (SD; 5:31)

Inside a Fight Sequence (SD; 4:42)

Moby "Extreme Ways" Music Video (SD; 3:38)

U-Control

The Bourne Supremacy:

Audio Commentary (Director Paul Greengrass)

Explosive Deleted Scenes (SD; 10:46)

Matching Identities: Casting (SD; 5:23)

Keeping it Real (SD; 4:58)

Blowing Things Up (SD; 4:00)

On the Move with Jason Bourne (SD; 4:45)

Bourne to be Wild: Fight Training (SD; 4:21)

Crash Cam: Racing Through the Streets of Moscow (SD; 5:58)

The Go-Mobile Revs Up the Action (SD; 6:49)

Anatomy of a Scene: The Explosive Bridge Chase Scene (SD; 4:40)

Scoring with John Powell (SD; 4:46)

The Bourne Mastermind (Part 2) (SD; 4:42)

The Bourne Diagnosis (Part 2) (SD; 5:39)

U-Control

The Bourne Ultimatum:

Audio Commentary (Director Paul Greengrass)

Deleted Scenes (SD; 12:22)

Be Bourne Spy Training

Man on the Move: Jason Bourne (SD; 23:58 altogether)

Roof Pursuit (SD; 5:39)

Planning the Punches (SD; 4:59)

Driving School (SD; 3:23)

New York Chase (SD; 10:46)

U-Control

Overall 5.0

So there you have it. If you've read my individual reviews for these movies, there's not much else I can say. The Bourne Trilogy is one of the best in its genre, and I'm really thankful for its influence in a lot of other recent entries (the Daniel Craig Bond movies and Liam Neeson's roles in both Taken and Unknown). It refreshed the genre with a mix of mystery, grit, and emotional depth that has really raised the standard. This box set is a very good deal, and I'm glad I made that blind-buy when I did. The A/V specs are essentially perfect outside of the first film, and they're all chock full of meaningful special features. If you haven't seen these films yet, make the time. You won't regret it.

I couldn't figure out how to open this set. I was tugging on the sides. Then I tried to slip the case off vertically. I was on the verge of forcing open the box when I decided to google the set, hoping to see something about the packaging scheme since there is no clear indication as to how to open it. Before you force this thing open, take note: The cover image of Matt Damon is a magnet. It flips open to the left, allowing access to the discs. Enjoy.

Buy The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum) (2002) Now

Perhaps the people who said this disc set has no extras haven't actually looked at the back of the DVD cases. Each movie has a lot of bonus material that is quite interesting. There is feature commentary with the director, interviews with cast members, deleted scenes, fight sequence planning, driving school, going on location, and lots of other really cool stuff (too much for me to write it all down here). If you are interested in how these movies were made you will really enjoy all of the bonus features.

Read Best Reviews of The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum) (2002) Here

This set is a silver box containing the individual releases of all 3 Bourne movies. The first thing I noticed was a new 2007 DVD of The Bourne Identity with the spine number 61103847. The package looks like the previous "Explosive Extended Edition," except this one's just called "Explosive Edition," and lists Feature Commentary by Doug Liman as an extra feature. I was looking forward to hearing the commentary, and when I plugged in the DVD, it wasn't there! Even though the disc itself says 2007 on it, it's exactly the same as the 2004 version. If you're not into commentaries, then this is a great set.

Want The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum) (2002) Discount?

Seriously, don't be fooled. You get this "Super Cool" silver box and when you open it...all it is, is the 3 movies as if you bought them off the used rack shelf for $5 each. Seriously, it's a waste of time. Just buy them separately. This is so much to the point that each individually wrapped movie has tape on them where the security tag would usually go.

The movies are THE BEST...but don't be fooled by this packaging. And the bonus material is a COMPLETE let down. There is so much they could have done...instead we get a documentary of the writer. It's interesting but still, I would have loved to see more on the stunts, Damon's acting, etc.

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Phantom Punch (2009)

If you are a boxing fan and if you care to know about the racial struggles of another black man see this movie. Bravo Robert Townsend you did and excellent job of directing this film and I'm just sorry I just viewed it. The story line, the acting, and the cinematography was ALL excellent. The fact that the story is true! I was definitely a Mohammad Ali fan, but I found myself rooting for Listen. I am a collector of movies and this ones now one of the top on my list. Excellent!

I had the chance to watch an advance screening of this film and am looking forward to owning the DVD to see it again. I was pleasantly surprised how great the acting was; Ving Rhames is terrific as Sonny L. Probably my favorite performance, though, was from Nicholas Turturro, who could give Joe Pesci a run for his money! At times, I had to remember that I wasn't watching a documentary (although I'm sure director Robert Townsend took a few liberties!)

With the language and occasional violence, obviously this is a film for adults. Highly recommended!

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Ving Rhames is Sonny Liston in a fascinating story of one of the most hated boxers of all time. If you know little about Liston this film will fill in the blanks.

Read Best Reviews of Phantom Punch (2009) Here

Great Movie about a true sportsman. Too bad his life had to end this way. at least he did not give in.

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I knew nothing about Sonny Liston before this film. All I ever knew was that I wanted Ali to win the fight between the two of them since I only developed an interest in the boxing world because of The Greatest. This film gave me an insite into this man's life and I was truly shocked by the things I learned. This is a film worth watching; albeit, I still wanted Ali to win his bout with Liston. Very good movie.

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The Player (2010)

"Players only love you when they're playing." --Stevie Nicks

Griffin Mill, whose name has a kind of ersatz Hollywood feel to it (cf., D. W. Griffith/Cecil B. De Mille), is not a player with hearts so much as a player with dreams. He is a young and powerful film exec who hears thousands of movie pitches a year, but can only buy twelve. So he must do a lot of dissembling, not to mention outright lying, along with saying "We'll get back to you," etc. This is what he especially must say to writers. And sometimes they hold a grudge. In this case one of the rejected writers begins to stalk Griffin Mill and send him threatening postcards. And so the plot begins.

Tim Robbins, in a creative tour de force, plays Griffin Mill with such a delightful, ironic charm that we cannot help but identify with him even as he violates several layers of human trust. The script by Michael Tolkin smoothly combines the best elements of a thriller with a kind of Terry Southern satirical intent that keeps us totally engrossed throughout. The direction by Robert Altman is full of inside Hollywood jokes and remembrances, including cameos by dozens of Hollywood stars, some of whom get to say nasty things about producers. The scenes are well-planned and then infused with witty asides. The tampon scene at police headquarters with Whoopi Goldberg is an hilarious case in point, while the sequence of scenes from Greta Scacchi's character's house to the manslaughter scene outside the Pasadena Rialto, is wonderfully conceived and nicely cut. Also memorable is the all black and white dress dinner scene in which Cher is the only person in red, a kind of mean or silly joke, depending on your perspective. During the same scene Mill gives a little speech in which he avers that "movies are art," a statement that amounts to sardonic irony since, as a greedy producer, he cares nothing at all about art, but only about box office success. His words also form a kind of dramatic irony when one realizes that this movie itself really is a work of art. As Altman observes in a trailing clip, the movie "becomes itself." The Machiavellian ending illustrates this with an almost miraculous dovetailing. This is the kind of script that turns most screen writers Kermit-green with envy.

Incidentally, Joe Gillis, the Hollywood writer played by William Holden in Sunset Boulevard--personifying all unsuccessful screen writers--actually does call during the movie, but Mill doesn't recognize the name and has to be told he is being put on, further revealing the narrow confines of his character.

In short, this is a wonderfully clever, diabolically cynical satire of Hollywood and the movie industry. This is one of those movies that, if you care anything at all about film, you must see. Period. It is especially delicious if you hate Hollywood. It is also one of the best movies ever made about Hollywood, to be ranked up there with A Star is Born (1937) (Janet Gaynor, Fredric March); Sunset Boulevard (1950); A Star is Born (1954) (Judy Garland, James Mason); and Postcards from the Edge (1990).

I must add that in the annals of film, this has to go down as one of the best Hollywood movies not to win a single Academy Award, although it was nominated for three: Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. I suspect the Academy felt that the satire hit a little too close to home for comfort.

--Dennis Littrell, author of "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!"

Can movies about the movie business actually be exciting and worth watching? "The Player" most certainly is an exciting and worth-while film that has many layers within it. At first glance, this appears only as an odd thriller that's both bizarre and unbelievable--but upon further investigation, you'll find out that this is something that is so much more than your ordinary thriller.

Griffin Mill is a studio executive that listens to movie pitches on a daily basis. Some pitches are great while others aren't as fantastic. One of the writers that Griffin never called back seems to have held a grudge against him, as he sends him threatening post-cards telling the exec that his days are numbered. Not knowing what else to do, Griffin decides to confront the suspected writer only to end up being involved in a murder. As he tries to cover his tracks and play it cool, it is clear that Griffin has been thrown into an uncontrollable scenario that could only be found in the movies.

I admit that the first time I saw this film, I didn't really know how to react to it. I didn't know if I liked it, but I knew that I didn't hate it. And, I confess that by the end of the movie, I was scratching my head in confusion. It was the second viewing where I really found out what the movie was all about and came to love it. The movie is not your typical thriller. It actually is more of a satire that targets the movie industry and movies in general. And, it's done in such a way that you really don't catch onto that with the first viewing, as you're caught up in the story and are convinced that you're watching nothing more than a thriller. This movie has a number of layers to it--even layers that I probably haven't caught onto yet. You know a film has unquestionable power when you are tricked into believing that it is something else the first time and then come to realize that it is something completely different the next time around.

The film is brilliantly directed by Robert Altman. There's no way in heck that the movie would be the success it is had it been under a different director. He knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. The acting from Tim Robbins and company is really a sight to see. It's also a treat to see so many cameos by different famous actors that we all know and love.

The DVD has a few goodies to offer for those who enjoy DVD extras. The picture is decent looking--nothing extraordinary, but decent. It says on the back cover that it was remastered in "High Definition," but I think improvements could've been made in certain areas. Extras on the DVD include commentary from the director and writer, a Robert Altman featurette, deleted scenes, the original trailer and more. A pretty nice package that doesn't disappoint with exception towards picture quality in some areas.

"The Player" is a superbly executed film that doesn't jump out right away to let you know what it is really all about. On the first viewing, the movie appears to be nothing more than an off-the-wall thriller, but on a second viewing you will come to find that it is something more. It's not a movie that will be loved by everybody, but for those who love odd films with hidden structures and meanings will absolutely love it. If you have an open-mind and want to take a chance by seeing something that isn't so ordinary, "The Player" awaits for you. -Michael Crane

Buy The Player (2010) Now

"The Player" is one of those fascinating comedic thrillers with one defined dramatic plot, and various subplots dealing with the movie industry. Player is not a fast paced thriller, but rather an intelligent and laid back story surrounded by Hollywood and the business of film making. Tim Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a studio executive whose main job is to decide which scripts make it to the big screen. When he starts receiving threatening postcards, he suspects they come from a writer whose script was turned down. Hence, he tries to identify the writer in order to pay him off and stop the blackmail. Apparently he found the writer , apparently not. Murder. Whoopi Goldberg's performance as detective Avery, investigating the murder, is simply wonderful and provides humor with her spicy language. For the rest of the plot, you must see the movie. Directed by Robert Altman (Gosford Park), Player's cast include Greta Scacchi, Peter Gallagher, Fred Ward, Lyle Lovett and numerous cameo appearances by familiar faces such as Lily Tomlin, Bruce Willis, Robert Wagner, Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts, Nick Nolte, Andie McDowell, John Cusack, to name a few. Besides the main plot, this is certainly a good perspective of how decisions are made in Hollywood, and the dynamics and politics of movie making . Player views the "film noir" and independent film making alternatives, and flirts with the concepts of dissociation of the big studios with the artistic ("Ars Gratia Artis") philosophies of the old days, those being replaced with the "money-making-happy-ending" driving forces of modern day Hollywood. DVD version.

Read Best Reviews of The Player (2010) Here

This is a great film about film execs in Hollywood. A good mystery with biting humor and insight into the power/control world of movie-making. Tim Robbins is excellent in the lead role and Robert Altman's directing is superior. The story is great, especially if you've been an actor, director, producer or anyone in dealing with stage or film making. This is a must have for Altman fans and for movie collectors.

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I saw THE PLAYER the first time in a packed theater in Santa Monica. The audience, which no doubt contained many people from the entertainment community, laughed knowingly throughout. I couldn't help thinking, though, that the biggest joke was on them. For if THE PLAYER depicts a corrupt environment, it's the people in that world that make it that way.

As usual, Altman gets all the details right: the receptionist being coached in the proper way to answer the phone; the asinine rationalizations of non-talents hawking fifth-rate ideas; or the constant shifts in fashion represented by my favorite joke, the running gag about the bottled waters. Also as usual, any deeper insight is lacking. Altman focuses on greed and power hunger, and daringly implies they may be the cause of Hollywood's problems. It's not much of a recommendation for a satire that it "reveals" something everyone knows going into the theater. (If the film showed the people around Robbins cognizant and accepting of his guilt, for example, or if it showed audiences reacting favorably to the mish-mash he ends up producing, it would have more punch.)

It's been said that every film about Hollywood tells basically the same story, and there's a reason for it. Stories, as works of art, have an inherent form. They are logical, and inevitably impose that logic on the events they recount. Hollywood is essentially illogical; it cannot be captured by story-telling, because no narrative can express its inherent flight from reason. Exaggerations like allowing an executive to get away with murder are momentarily diverting metaphors, funny twists which nonetheless pale before the daily insanity of a town running on bluff, incompetence, deceit and stupidity. Besides, if any Hollywood filmmaker came close to showing its real depravity, he'd never work again. Breaking Tinseltown's code of silence is its one unforgiveable sin.

THE PLAYER is certainly a reasonable addition to the films-about-Hollywood genre, and fits well on Altman's resume. It's moderately entertaining, and harmless enough as long as you recognize that its depiction of Hollywood is about as accurate as GONE WITH THE WIND's depiction of the Civil War. It flatters audiences into thinking that they're thinking, when in fact they are reacting precisely as planned. In short, pure Hollywood.

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