Life On Mars (UK): The Complete Collection

Life On Mars (UK): The Complete Collection Review

The COMPLETE set of episodes for the UK variety of 'LIFE ON MARS' is compelling viewing for crime and mystery fans. Now, with the entire series assembled into one package, the difference between this gritty cop in 2 worlds can be fully compared to the US duplication. The debate will forever rage, but you may find that this UK series is bang-on for several reasons.

A young Manchester detective is struck by a car and sent eventually to intensive care in a coma. However, Sam Tyler (John Simm) is hearing, thinking, and seeing regardless of the fact his body is immobile, speechless, and unresponsive. Doctors, wife, cops look for signs of life, continuing life-sustaining machines and measures, as Sam tries to get his message through.

In the meantime, Sam also returns to a police station with an arrogant, brute commander, Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) leading the team. But it's in 1973, complete with perfection in sets, costumes, props, and antiquated police procedures as well as techniques. Sam remembers the modern style of police work and tries putting it to work in this location, this time, with this drinking, hot-head, abusive boss. It leaves both men frustrated at each other on a regular basis. The conflict between the characters is played brilliantly by the 2 stars.

Crime after crime, is investigated through the series, while Sam tries to make contact with the modern world from his comatose-like stage in a hospital bed. The jump from modern to 70s in issues and times is well done, leaving a continuing plot over the episode crime plot always dangling for its own suspenseful end. There is even romance conflict from both ends of Sam's existence. The show seems to have it all, something for everyone. Even the surprise ending that leaves one desiring more of Life On Mars.

Annie Cartwright (Liz White), is the bonny looking policewoman of 1973 who is a "friend" of Sam, often taking his side. You'll love her (how do you say 'hot' in British dialect?). Ah, the British accents. It's no wonder, the US tried to keep it going--but alas, without the UK stars. Worry none about accents: SUBTITLES AVAILABLE.

If you have not tried the UK version of this original version which was recast and rewritten in an American version, it is highly recommended. Then, make your own personal judgment.

"LIFE ON MARS" is unrated, but not for children. If rated, it would likely be PG-21, R, or, in a few fast scene flashes, more. Put the kids to bed first.
....The series cleverly uses period music and recording artists at key spots in the episodes. Included, but not limited to, are artists and songs: David Bowie, "Goodbye Yellow House Road", "The Sweet Hellraiser", Barclay James Harvest, "In the Shining Sun", David Cassidy, Moody Blues, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Elton John, "Rocket Man", Whiskey in the Jar, Traffic, Cream, "Crossroads", The Sweets, "Love Lies Bleeding", Israel Kamakawiwi'de, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Changes", and of course, "LIFE ON MARS."
....16 episodes, about an hour each.
EXTENSIVE BONUS MATERIAL-detailed on this COMPLETE set's listing.

Best time travel tale since "The Wizard of Oz".

Life On Mars (UK): The Complete Collection Overview

"Not your mother’s procedural drama" --Entertainment Weekly

"Intelligently entertaining" --USA Today

Seen on BBC America

"An intoxicating treat" --Variety

"One of the best TV series ever made" --San Francisco Chronicle

Crazy, in a coma, or back in time? Struck by a passing car in modern-day Manchester, detective Sam Tyler (John Simm, State of Play, Doctor Who) wakes up in 1973, where he’s the newest member of his old police squad. Sam’s respect for proper procedure and 21st-century mentality clash mightily with his bullying boss, DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister, Cranford). Still, Sam gamely adapts to crime solving in this retro world, despite hearing strange voices that call him back to his former life. When he bonds with sympathetic policewoman Annie Cartwright (Liz White, The Fixer), Sam wonders: does he really want to return?

Winner of two International Emmys® for best drama series, Life on Mars is "an entertaining collision of bare-knuckled police-procedural realism and mind-blowing surrealism" (TV Guide), acclaimed by critics and fans alike.

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The Enemy Below

The Enemy Below Review

Robert Mitchum is a survivor from his previous ship and is now commanding a US destroyer escort. Curt Jurgens is a survivor of the Battle of the Atlantic and is trying to stay alive to carry out a mission. Both men meet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in a deadly duel of wits. For me it was not so much a matter of good versus evil but men versus the Atlantic as both the German and American ships are damaged and we see two battles, man against man and man against the sea. Both battles are never ending.

Mitchum is saddled with a wardroom of reserve officers with little real knowledge of the sea and has to make do with them. Jurgens has a ship of battle tested men whom he is leading. The contrasts are start at times as we see that one of the men working with to destroy the German submarine is a watchmaker in civilian life and now is working a depth charge rack aboard Mitchum's ship. Jurgens has one officer steeped in the Nazi line and his treatment of him is quite interesting as we see how well he dismantles the officer's arrogance.

In the end, both captains have a wary respect for the professionalism of the other. One might wonder about the respect for a man who's duty is to sink a ship on sight and without warning and maybe condeming the entire crew to death in one form or another. Remember that in the Pacific, US submarines were doing the same thing to Japanese ships.

Overall I found this movie to be a realistic portrayal of life at sea in the US and German navies in the middle of World War II. I highly recommend it.

The Enemy Below Overview

It's Mitchum vs. Jurgens as the commanders of an American destroyer and a German U-boat play a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The Enemy Below Specifications

In The Enemy Below Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens are respectively captains of a U.S. destroyer and a German U-boat whose vessels come into conflict in the South Atlantic. Both are good men with a job to do, the script noting Jurgens' distaste for Hitler and the Nazis and engaging our sympathy with the German sailors almost as much as the Americans. Made at the height of the cold war of the 1950s, the film delivers a liberal message of co-operation wrapped inside some spectacular action scenes and a story which builds to a tense and exciting, moving finale. --Gary S. Dalkin

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How Green Was My Valley

How Green Was My Valley Review

When I first saw this movie on a small grainy tv in the 60's didn't have a opinion about an old "english" movie. I saw it again in the 90's,I was impressed how much the movie changed, certainly wasn't me.This movie captured the feeling of my family and being a young child in a large family during WW2,it brings back a lot of fond memories. Sometime later I saw r.mcdowell on tv,possibly tcm,he told the amazing story that the movie was filmed in malibu,they started filming in june,finished in august and in the theaters in september.Thats' another reason for being called the greatest generation,they sure were privledged to have a citizen kane and valley to choose from.I always went to the movies to be entertained but in this zero generation,I look forward getting a blu ray version of valley,The movie probably will change again. p.s. A few years back,a notable hi-end movie person said "what we have now is heavily stylized,slick s--t.

How Green Was My Valley Overview

Sixty year-old Huw Morgan looks back on his life as a boy (Roddy McDowall) in a small Welsh mining town. His reminiscences reveal the disintegration of the closely knit Morgans, and his devoted parents (Donald Crisp, Sara Allgood), while capturing the sentiments and issues of their time. Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon co-star in this acclaimed screen classic, the story of one family's dreams, struggles and triumphs.

How Green Was My Valley Specifications

John Ford's beautiful, heartfelt drama about a close-knit family of Welsh coal miners is one of the greatest films of Hollywood's golden age--a gentle masterpiece that beat Citizen Kane in the Best Picture race for the 1941 Academy Awards. The picture also won Oscars for Best Director (Ford), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography; all of those awards were richly deserved, even if they came at the expense of Kane and Orson Welles. Based on the novel by Richard Llewellyn, the film focuses its eventful story on 10-year-old Huw (Roddy McDowall), youngest of seven children to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan (Donald Crisp, Sarah Allgood), a hardy couple who've seen the best and worst of times in their South Wales mining town. They're facing one of the worst times as Mr. Morgan refuses to join a miners union whose members have begun a long-term strike. Family tensions grow and Huw must learn many of life's harsher lessons under the tutelage of the local preacher (Walter Pidgeon), who has fallen in love with Huw's sister (Maureen O'Hara). As various crises are confronted and devastating losses endured, How Green Was My Valley unfolds as a rich, moving portrait of family strength and integrity. It's also a nod to a simpler, more innocent time--and to the preciousness of memory and the inevitable passage from youth to adulthood. An all-time classic, not to be missed. --Jeff Shannon

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24: Season Eight [Blu-ray]

24: Season Eight [Blu-ray] Review

The last televised season of "24" is among its best.
Despite the fact that some of the plot triggers and devices that set things in motion have been exhausted more than a few times in previous seasons, season 8 manages to be relentless, gripping, emotional, thought-provoking and, most of the time, realistic and believable.

After two unremarkable seasons, the creators of "24" manage to masterfully pull it all together again, for the last time.
The result is a solid season that avoids the pitfalls that made parts of the latest seasons laughable - namely preposterous characters and plot lines, like the terrorist father of Jack and the miraculous resurrection of Tony in seasons 6 and 7, respectively.
In here, the impression that the writers have come up with unnecessary events just to keep the episodes coming and justify the name of the series is almost non-existent; the general effect created can be best described as "give me more before it ends".

Possibly the best achievement of season 8 is the successful creation of the character of President Hassan (portrayed by Anil Kapoor), a leader of a foreign nation that develops to be one of the most memorable and admirable characters of the show. Kapoor manages to pour depth and complexity to his character in a relatively small number of episodes in a series that has become more action than character driven over the years.

Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer is excellent as usual. He has had several seasons to grow and improve, and though he has played Jack for such a long time, Sutherland is not careless or tired but focused and resolute and the viewers will still find it intriguing and exciting to see how Jack would react to the impossible situations brought to his doorstep time and again.
Wait for the revenge attack he embarks on in the third part of the season and witness one of the most violent, bloody and angry campaigns he has ever engaged in the show - and prepare to enjoy every minute of it.

For the last time on Television, get ready for the wild ride of "24". It will be missed.

24: Season Eight [Blu-ray] Overview

Hang on for the adrenaline rush of a lifetime as Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland) unveils darker secrets, faces deadlier conspiracies, and is thrust into more extreme action than ever before in Season 8 of 24! As Day Eight unfolds, Bauer races against the clock to prevent the assassination of a Middle Eastern leader on a vital peace-making mission. Meanwhile, a deadly terrorist threat against New York City intensifies and builds towards an explosive climax.  Relive the electrifying final season of TV's most groundbreaking series ever, including a surprise ending you simply must see.

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En la Puta Vida (Tricky Life)

En la Puta Vida (Tricky Life) Review

EN LA PUTA VIDA is a very well made, polished, intelligent film from Uruguay that begins as what seems to be a comedy and develops into a provocative drama - much the way events in life mimic such changes. Director and co-writer Beatriz Flores Silva knows her way around tough subject matter and is able to bring out sterling performances by a very fine cast.

Elisa (the very beautiful and talented Marianna Santangelo) is a hairdresser with two children, born of different fathers, who lives with her mother while trying to convince her latest paramour Garcia (Augusto Mazzarelli) to leave his wife and marry her. She dreams of having her own Salon in the rich district of Montevideo and will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. When her life falls apart and she is desperate to make enough money to open her Salon, she is invited into the world of fast money (prostitution) by her best friend Lulu (Andrea Fantoni), and enters the tutelage of Madame Dona Jacqueline (a terrific cameo by Graciela Esuder!). In her new role Elisa encounters the handsome but wily Placido (played by Silvestre) who invites her to bed and to Barcelona, Spain with promises that she will make so much money that she not only will be able to send money back to her children, but also have more than enough to open her Salon in the fanciest part of her native Montevideo. Elisa and Lulu join other prostitutes in this promise of wealth and fly to Barcelona - and unexpected white slavery. There she works her corner but is in the presence of a gang of Brazilian transvestites controlled by a mob. She is arrested by a policeman-with-heart Marcelo (the very handsome and gifted actor Jose 'aka Josep' Linuesa) and when her 'man' Placido reveals himself for what he is (a greedy, heartless pimp), Elisa works with Marcelo to uncover the mob violence of the streets to gain a return to her beloved Montevideo. How the story ends is left to the pleasure of the viewer.

Apparently this story is based on some degree of fact: in the 1980s to the present many Latin American women have been promised wealth in joining the prostitution business in Spain only to become victims of white slavery. Director Silva is able to make this rather terrifying reality into a story that, though sensual, is never in bad taste: the story is more important that portraying the sex-for-sale scenes. Mariana Santangelo is a very fine actress and this film is just the right vehicle to put her in the ranks of international stardom. The photography in both Uruguay and Spain is beautiful, the musical score is exceedingly well written and evocative, and the end result is a film that opens the door for Uruguayan films to be taken seriously. Highly recommended.

En la Puta Vida (Tricky Life) Overview

Studio: Venevision Intl Films Release Date: 02/05/2008 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: Nr

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Mrs. Miniver

Mrs. Miniver Review

In wartime England, Mrs. Miniver shows the lives a middle-class family effected by the war.
Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson) lives a simple life with her husband and children. They are honest, hardworking people, soon to have their entire lives turned upside down by World War II. When both her husband and son enlist to fight for the British, Mrs. Miniver is left to face the homefront by herself with her younger two children. A strong woman, she discovers that the war is not just taking place between the soldiers, but it is a war effecting every man, woman, and child, and she does her upmost best to keep up sanctity within her home, and community. A real tear-jerker, this movie plays on your emotions like no other. You feel the loss, pride, commaraderie, relief, and hope of the characters. Wonderful performances by Greer Garson, Teresa Wright, Walter Pidgeon, Dame May Whitty, and Henry Travers.

Mrs. Miniver Overview

Winner of six Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture, this memorable spirit-lifter about an idealized England that tends its prize-winning roses while confronting the terror of war struck a patriotic chord with American audiences and became 1942's #1 box-office hit. Greer Garson gives a formidable Oscar(R)-winning performance in the title role, comforting children in a bomb shelter, capturing an enemy parachutist and delivering an inspirational portrait of stiff-upper-lip British resolve. When Hitler did his worst, Mrs. Miniver did her best. Year: 1942 Director: William Wyler Starring: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon

Mrs. Miniver Specifications

A movie doesn't win seven Oscars for nothing. A glowing Greer Garson (Best Actress) commands the screen as Mrs. Miniver, a middle-class British housewife whose strength holds her family together as World War II literally hits their home. Walter Pidgeon as her architect husband seems to be the prototype for future TV dads in this affecting portrait of love--familial and romantic--during war. But the relationship between Mrs. Miniver's college-age son (Richard Ney) and the upper-crust Carol (Best Supporting Actress Teresa Wright) is filled with inherent drama--as the war speeds up their young love, it also has the potential to doom it. The 1942 film, which also won for Best Picture and Best Director, is filled with colorful characters, snappy dialogue, and sensational plot twists. Although you spend much of the movie dreading that one of the Minivers will become a casualty of war, when it finally happens, it's not what you anticipated. Exactly what you'd expect from a legendary film that lives up to its billing. --Valerie J. Nelson

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Monk: Season One & Two

Monk: Season One & Two Review

Tony Shalhoub plays a likable role as a former police detective (and current for-hire detective) in San Fransisco, while portraying his struggles with OCD in daily life. Just a great show! Family friendly (for the most part - no nudity, inappropriate language, offensive material, just the occasional "murder"), and a series both my husband and I love to watch! You can seriously waste a whole weekend plopped on the sofa watching this DVD series (though is it really a waste to watch Monk?..I don't think so!)

Monk: Season One & Two Overview

Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 04/20/2010

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The Crossing

The Crossing Review

As far as movies go about the American Revolution this is one of the few that kinda try to get it right. A few historical inaccuracies but overall I enjoyed it very much. If your a fan of the American Revolution I'd reccommend this.

The Crossing Overview

Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 02/11/2003 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: Nr

The Crossing Specifications

Every American knows that George Washington crossed the icy Delaware River in the War of Independence, if only from Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's famous 1851 painting. The made-for-cable-TV historical drama The Crossing, scripted by Howard Fast from his novel, corrects at least one piece of historical invention--Washington did not stand and pose for the occasion of Leutze's portrait--but, more importantly, it frames the event in the real-life drama that made it a decisive moment of American history. Jeff Daniels makes a fine General George Washington, the quiet, dignified, and increasingly desperate leader of the volunteer Continental Army. By December 1776, six months after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the tired and hungry army had retreated to the far banks of the Delaware River, a mere fraction of the original 20,000-strong force. Knowing that defeat means the end of the revolution, Washington takes the offensive in a dangerous surprise attack that turns the tide of the war. Like the sprawling Civil War epic Gettysburg, The Crossing takes one incident of the Revolutionary War and digs into the whys and wherefores that make it vital history. It lacks scope and spectacle--major battles appear more like modest skirmishes--and lapses into patriotic fervor at times, but it brims with rich historical detail and comes alive with the stories of officers, soldiers, and a very human George Washington. --Sean Axmaker

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Secretary (2002) (Ws Dub Sub Chk Rpkg Sen)

Secretary (2002) (Ws Dub Sub Chk Rpkg Sen) Review

One of those take it or leave it, hate it or love it movies, Secretary is an on the edge yet non-judgmental look at BDSM, or, to the squares out there, Bondage Domination Sadomasochism.

Innocent and self-destructive, and recently released from a psych ward, Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) self-mutilates to make up for her poor self-esteem and repressed sexual submissiveness. After taking up typing she applies for a job as a secretary for E. Edward Grey (James Spader), an OCD lawyer with an apparently bustling law practice. As the two grow to know one another, they learn a shared appreciation for an unorthodox physical, psychological, emotional attraction that transforms Lee from a pathetic girl next door into a more confident person and unleashes the creepy sadist sequestered inside Grey's calm demeanor.

Gyllenhall and Spader act perfectly, but I suspect it's because they're perfect for the role. She conveys emotion perfectly in this role because she appears to be a person of great emotional fragility and considerable deferment. On the other hand, Spader delivers every role in his own collected style that's a bit too good not to be partially truthful. I can't imagine any other actor in either role.

Romantic and taboo at the same time, the plot flows well with some dark humor filling the gaps between BDSM scenes. Beautifully filmed shots of long hallways in which secretaries must crawl to their master and hard desks on which delicious derrieres receive rosy handprints. Highly recommended.

Jason Elin

Secretary (2002) (Ws Dub Sub Chk Rpkg Sen) Overview

Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has a few strikes against her when she applies for a secretarial position at the law office of E. Edward Grey (James Spader). At first the work seems quite normal but soon, in between typing, filing and coffee making, Lee and Mr. Grey embark on a more personal relationship together, crossing the lines of conduct that would give any human resource director the vapors!

Secretary (2002) (Ws Dub Sub Chk Rpkg Sen) Specifications

This kinky love story features a standout performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal, an offbeat young actress in her first starring role. Gyllenhaal plays Lee, a nervous girl who compulsively cuts herself, who gets a job as a secretary for Edward, an imperious lawyer (James Spader, an old hand at tales of perverse affection). Edward's reprimands for typos and spelling errors begin with mild humiliation, but as Lee responds to his orders--which are driven as much by his own anxieties and fears as any sense of order--the punishments escalate to spankings, shackles, and more. Secretary walks a fine line. It finds sly humor in these sadomasochistic doings without turning them into a gag, and it takes Lee and Edward's mutual desires seriously without getting self-righteous or pompous. Certainly not a movie for everyone, but some people may be unexpectedly stirred up by this smart and steamy tale of repressed passion. --Bret Fetzer

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Away from Her

Away from Her Review

Away From Her is less about alzheimers and more about endearing and everlasting love-a love that can survive anything. Well, that is actually not entirely true, since the love in this film ends up being one-sided. We see a husband and wife, married for decades and never apart from each other, suddenly being torn apart when they discover she has alzheimers. It is all very moving, especially the performances by Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. Pinsent especially plays the faithful, yet lonely husband beautifully. I love that his performance is never over-the-top and though you can tell he is hurting, hides it very well. Though there is hardly a flaw to this film, one thing that irked me and stayed with me is the awful plot device they used in regards to Christie's stay at the nursing home. Upon admittance, the patient must not have a single visitor for 30 days. Well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened once the 30 days were up, and her husband tried to visit her. It disturbed me to no end. That annoyance aside, I really loved this film, and its serenity and ability to move me with simple, yet powerful performances.

Away from Her Overview

Married for almost 50 years, Grant's (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona's (Julie Christie) commitment to each other appears unwavering. Their daily life is filled with tenderness and humor; yet this serenity is broken by Fiona's increasingly evident memory loss - and her restrained references to a past betrayal. For a while, the couple is able to casually dismiss these unwelcome changes. But when neither Fiona nor her husband can deny any longer that she is being consumed by Alzheimer's disease, the couple is forced to wrenchingly redefine the limits of their love and loyalty - and face the complex, inevitable transition from lovers to strangers.

Away from Her Specifications

"I'm going," says a lovely, understated Julie Christie, in a heart-wrenching moment of recognition that Alzheimer's is slowly descending on her. "But I'm not gone." Away from Her, the directorial debut of young Canadian actress Sarah Polley, allows two themes--the growth of love, and the limits of the mind--to intertwine, uplift, fall, and rise again, throughout its arc. What should be relentlessly depressing is instead a film of great courage, humor, defiance--and a quality that Christie's character, Fiona, calls out in another defining moment: grace.

Away from Her chronicles a love story between Fiona and her longtime husband, Grant, played with bearlike stolidity by Gordon Pinsett, as the couple struggle with the onset and acceleration of Fiona's Alzheimer's disease. Moments of lucidity and wry observation pepper Fiona's decline, and Christie gives an unforgettable performance as a woman who is both ordinary and singular to those whom she's touched. The story is set against a frigid Canadian winter, with fields of snow as a background underscoring the bleakness of Fiona's diagnosis; yet life is constant and surprising, in the call of a meadowlark or the resurrected memory of a skunk lily. A scene of Fiona out for her daily cross-country ski shows Christie's gorgeous, sensual face in closeup against the snow, framed by a babushka, reminding the viewer of a similar scene of the decades-younger Christie in Dr. Zhivago. It's impossible not to be touched by the gifts of this extraordinary actress, through the life of this everywoman, whose very presence is shot through with grace. --A.T Hurley

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John Wayne 20 Movie Pack

John Wayne 20 Movie Pack Review

This was bought as a present for my husbands birthday. He is a really big John Wayne fan. He grew up watching these classics with his grandfather. Although there is only 1 color movie in the pack, they are all still great films.

John Wayne 20 Movie Pack Overview

John Wayne, one of the greatest Western actors of all time and an American icon, has twenty of his classic films presented to you in this value-added pack. Ride the range with The Duke, as he brings his own brand of Western justice to the sprawling plains and burning deserts.

Included:

American West of John Ford, The

Angel and the Badman

Blue Steel

Dawn Rider, The

Desert Trail, The

Hell Town

Lawless Frontier, The

Lucky Texan, The

Man from Utah, The

McLintock

Neath the Arizona Skies

Paradise Canyon

Rainbow Valley

Randy Rides Alone

Riders of Destiny

Sagebrush Trail

Star Packer, The

Texas Terror

Trail Beyond, The

West of the Divide

Winds of the Wasteland

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The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby Review

A Classic F.Scott Fitzgerald Novel turned into a Good Movie but not great.
It is worth viewing and for the Movie Collectors. ****

The Great Gatsby Overview

Adaptation of the Fitzgerald novel about a dashing enigmatic millionaire obsessed with an elusive, spoiled young woman.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 8-AUG-2006
Media Type: DVD

The Great Gatsby Specifications

This adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, puts costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. It's certainly a handsome try, and perhaps no movie could capture The Great Gatsby in its entirety. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. No, the problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the Jazz Age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton

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Shall We Dance?

Shall We Dance? Review

This is a slightly long but utterly charming and often laugh-out-loud (and sometimes eyes-tear-up) film that was justifiably a massive hit in Japan. Unlike the horrible American remake, it's not driven primarily by star power, and it's not dumbed down or otherwise changed to otherwise appeal to us Americans. Any of us -- dancers or not -- should be able to relate to the movie themes of longing, hope, and fulfillment; we can relate to feeling trapped, to doing the right things for the wrong reasons (and vice versa), to worrying about how others perceive us, and to overcoming challenges when we finally figure what we've gotta do and why :).

That may all sound a bit philosophical and boring, but don't be deceived. This movie has slapstick, funny lines, at least one crazy wig, a wacky bathroom scene not involving a congressman or illicit behavior, and much more. So do rent or buy this movie; you won't regret it!

Shall We Dance? Overview

Here's the irresistible comedy treat that had critics and audiences cheering all across America ... and inspired the new Hollywood hit starring Richard Gere (CHICAGO), Jennifer Lopez (MAID IN MANHATTAN), and Susan Sarandon (DEAD MAN WALKING). A middle-aged workaholic's incredibly dull life takes a funny turn when he signs up for a ballroom dance class -- just to meet the sexy dance teacher. But when he finally muscles up the nerve for lessons he winds up with a different instructor and her colorfully eccentric class of beginners! And now he'll have to step lightly -- and do some fancy footwork -- if he expects to keep his new secret passion from his family and friends! You'll love every minute of this crowd-pleasing motion picture!

Shall We Dance? Specifications

On his evening commute, bored accountant Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) always looks for the beautiful woman who gazes wistfully out the window of the Kishikawa School of Dancing. One night he gets off the train, walks into the studio, and signs up for a class. Soon Sugiyama is so engrossed in his dancing he practices his steps on the train platform and under his desk, and becomes good enough for competition, compelling his wife to hire a private investigator to find out why he stays out late and returns home smelling of perfume. Among the colorful characters Sugiyama meets is his coworker Aoki (Naoto Takenaka), who transforms himself from geeky systems analyst to hilariously flamboyant (and bad-wigged) lounge lizard. Aoki explains to Sugiyama, "When I finish work, put on the clothes, the wig and become Donny Burns, Latin world champion, and I start to move to the rhythm, I'm so happy, so completely free." Here lies the chief charm of Shall We Dance, the contrast between the ultracompetitive women of the studio--including the one who caught Sugiyama's eye, Mai (Tamiyo Kusakari)--and the men who dance simply because they enjoy it. This 1996 film is somewhat comparable to the flamboyant Aussie favorite Strictly Ballroom, but Shall We Dance is especially noteworthy for contrasting the boldness of social dance with the buttoned-up societal mores of Japan, where people avoid public displays of emotion. Even in Japan, the joy of dance is irresistible. --David Horiuchi

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Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise)

Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise) Review

After waiting so many years, The Promise is now on Danielle Steel's 2 DVD Collection. My wife and I watched this movie when it first came out in the 70's and loved it. It is a great love story and Stephen Collins and Kathleen Quinlan have wonderful chemistry together.

We have not seen the other 3 movies in this set yet as we just got the DVD, but for the price you pay on Amazon for this 2 disc set, The Promise alone is worth every cent paid!

My wife and I are 60 and this movie brings back so many wonderful memories for us.

For the new generation, watch it. We're sure you will love it as much as we did and still do. After all, love is universal and transcends generations.

Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise) Overview

Collection of made-for-TV movies based on Danielle Steel's romance novels about the pain and joy of love.
Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: NR
Street Date: 01/09/07
Wide Screen: no
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
Language: ENGLISH
Foreign Film: noSubtitles: no
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: yes
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve

Danielle Steel 2 DVD Collection (Palomino / Secrets / Star / The Promise) Specifications

Girls, this is just what the doctor ordered: A cozy, romantic boxed set of some of Danielle Steel's best escapist films--like the best of Lifetime Movie Network condensed into two fabulous discs. The set contains four films, including the little-seen but deeply involving The Promise, starring a lovely young Kathleen Quinlan and Stephen Collins, pre-7th Heaven--even pre-Sisters. The two play college sweethearts whom fate brings together in a jarring, violent way--forcing them to make a chain of decisions that will affect their lives forever. Quinlan and Collins have believable chemistry and their longing is palpable. Bonus: the production values are extremely high, including a score by David Shire, and direction by Gil Cates (perhaps most famous as the director of the Academy Awards broadcasts). The other films include:

• Palomino, a tale of worldly city gal finding her inner ranch hand--and true love in the arms of a wrangler--in rugged California horse country. Lindsay Frost and Peter Bergman have palpable sexual tension, and the always-welcome Eva Marie Saint makes a memorable cameo.
• Secrets, starring Josie Bissett (an actress talented enough to lead her own TV series) as a soap star who finds the juice and intrigue off camera every bit as knotty as her show's plotlines.
• Star, with Jennie Garth and Craig Bierko as lovers for whom time, distance, and enormous difference of circumstance matter not when they unexpectedly reunite years later.

So heat up the tea and popcorn; this disc is a perfect girls' weekend, whether you have several girlfriends joining you or just your own sweet comfy self. --A.T. Hurley

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Barbarians at the Gate

Barbarians at the Gate Review

This is the film version of the 1989 leveraged buyout of the RJR Nabisco, one of the biggest buyout in history until that time. James Garner plays F. Ross Johnson, the CEO of RJR Nabisco who tried to buy out the shareholders and takeover the company and he played it very, very, well. The other actors were also well casted and the script moved along. The film had a dated feel to it, but the subject matter is certainly still current. (I guess corporate greed never goes out of fashion!) This DVD wasn't as enthralling as watching "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room", but it was fun. I enjoyed it.

Barbarians at the Gate Overview

WHEN THE CEO OF NABISCO DECIDES TO BUY OUT THE SHAREHOLDERS AND TAKE OVER THE COMPANY, NO ONE IS PREPARED FOR WHAT HITS THE FAN IN THIS COMEDY ABOUT BIG BUSINESS AND BIG BUCKS.

Barbarians at the Gate Specifications

This HBO original comedy, adapted by Larry Gelbart (Tootsie) from the book by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, concerns one of the most compelling tales of corporate buyout madness in the go-go 1980s. James Garner plays F. Ross Johnson, CEO of RJR Nabisco. Following failed and expensive efforts to sell a smokeless cigarette to the public, Johnson decides that he's had enough of navigating around the wrath of the company's stockholders. Drawing up plans to buy RJR Nabisco outright, he soon finds himself outmatched (though still determined) in a race for the prize with takeover king Henry Kravis (Jonathan Pryce). The ensuing battle is both bitterly funny and full of acid-tinged insights into the '80s greed that changed corporate America forever. Besides Gelbart's great script and Glenn Jordan's competent direction, the star of this exciting film is Garner, who is absolutely wonderful as the gracious Johnson. --Tom Keogh

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Love's Unfolding Dream

Love's Unfolding Dream Review

Whenever you see the words "based on" you know the film isn't going to follow the original story...as proves the case in this series. I don't usually like films that are "based on" - particularly if I have loved the original stories - but I did enjoy this series directed by Michael Landon Jr. If you can accept these aren't the stories of the books written by Christian author Janette Oke, they are an enjoyable set of films of love & faith to watch in their own right. "Love's Long Journey" is my favourite in this series, but this film is a close second.

In this film:
Belinda Tyler has grown up and has a deep longing to be a doctor - a dream that is supported by her family. When Dr. Jackson advertises for an assistant, Belinda is there like a flash. Dr. Jackson believes women should be at home & isn't keen on having her work for him, but with faith & hard work, Belinda starts winning hearts who believe she should be in the profession. These include a wealthy dowager whom Belinda nurses back to full strength, Dr. Jackson himself, & visiting lawyer Drew Simpson. Belinda has always thought that to succeed as a doctor, her other dream for love would have to take second place. Only then Drew Simpson arrives to invade her heart. After his initial surprise at Belinda's choice of profession, he comes to see she is perfect for the job & supports her dream...now he just has to convince her that she can train to be a doctor and be married to him also!

Buy the series:
Janette Oke the Love Comes Softly Series: (Set of 6 DVDs) Love Comes Softly; Love's Enduring Promise; Love's Long Journey; Love's Abiding Joy; Loves Unending Legacy; Loves Unfolding Dream

Love's Unfolding Dream Overview

Based on the book from award-winning author Janette Oke comes the next chapter of the Love series and introduces audiences to the new generation when Missie's daughter Belinda struggles with her dreams of becoming a doctor and her feelings for a newcomer in town.

Love's Unfolding Dream Specifications

Another generation of spunky pioneer women wrestles with love and life in Love's Unfolding Dream, the sixth in a series of movies based on the Christian romance novels of Janette Oke. Belinda (Scout Taylor-Compton), the adopted daughter of Missy and Zach Tyler (Erin Cottrell and Victor Browne of Love's Unending Legacy), aspires to become a doctor--but though the local doctor needs an assistant, he believes women should stay in the home. As Belinda fights this prejudice, a young law student named Drew (Patrick Levis) comes to her frontier town and soon sparks Belinda's heart. Meanwhile, Missy fights to help a woman whose husband is threatened by his wife's increasing education. Love's Unfolding Dream, like the other movies in this series that began with Love Comes Softly, follows the successful formula of good-looking young people frolicking in a tidy pioneer fantasy (even a moment of gruesome surgery doesn't have a spot of blood), combining wholesome romance, religious values, and homespun feminism. The storytelling is brisk and efficient, the performances comfortable and earnest; Compton, in a role that's 180 degree turn from her starring turn in the 2007 version of Halloween, makes a charming heroine. Fans will find Love's Unfolding Dream as satisfying as the rest of the series (though some lovers of Oke's novels may be dismayed that this movie, like some of the others, alters the book's original storyline). Also featuring Robert Pine (CHiPs) as the cantankerous country doctor. --Bret Fetzer

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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Review

This lines comes from a conversation between Victor and the Creature where he describes the intense mix of love and rage swirling inside of him. "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" was somewhat maligned by critics which is a surprise to me given that it is the best, most beautifully acted, written, and produced version of the classic horror stoty. It's also the only version true to Mary Shelley's vision. Despite the criticisms, I watch the movie in awe, as ot captures very element to such superb and emotionally devastating levels, it ranks as one of my favorites of all time. Want a cast? Kenneth Branagh, Helena Bonhan Carter, John Cleese (unrecognizable), Tom Hulce, Iam Holm, among others and of course, a stunning performance by Robert DeNiro as the creature. The Creature, as in Shelley's version, is articulate, sympathetic, and terrifying. An abandoned, deformed child in a world that reacts with cruelty and rejection, leading him to lay siege to his maker and all he holds dear. Everything is spot on. The cinematography is no short of exhilarating, both in its panoramic shots of the swiss alps to it's candle lit interiors. The score by Patrick Doyle is robust, sweeping, and romantic. Branagh the director does not shy away from brutality and gore and the visual and make-up effects are superior and visceral. This is the definitive version in my mind. It looks stunning on Blu-ray as this is a Sony catalogue title, it has been given a painstaking remaster and its a revelation and will send your standard copies to the trash can. Superb and will remain a favorite of mine for years to come.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Overview

Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Aidan Quinn, Ian Holm and John Cleese star in Branagh's acclaimed adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. True to the original, here is the story of a young doctor whose obsession with death leads him to create a life. But his "creature" crafted from the bodies of convicts and the brain of a brilliant scientist, is a hideous mockery of humanity. And when the creature realizes he will never be accepted by men, he seeks revenge on Dr. Frankenstein and his family. An inspired adaptation that's emotionally complex and truly terrifying.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Specifications

Let's be honest: this should be titled Wretched Excess' Frankenstein. Swooping, wild, bloody, and energetic, this is bad moviemaking from the best, which makes it all the more lovable. Kenneth Branagh plays Victor Frankenstein, a man so obsessed with conquering death that he decides to create life. What he gets, after a protoplasmic mud wrestle, is a Mean Streets monster (Robert De Niro) that isn't particularly happy to be back from the dead or thrilled about all the stitches. Helena Bonham Carter may, at several points in this film, actually be channeling Ramtha. The supporting cast couldn't be peopled with better performers (Tom Hulce, John Cleese, Ian Holm) but they all look like they're ringside at some Ultimate Fighting competition. A must for any midnight movie collector for the shock factor alone. A hoot. --Keith Simanton

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