Carlos Oscar: Life Is Crazy Good!

Brings tears to my eyes!
Carlos is a very funny comedian. This new DVD had me and my family laughing so hard, we were crying! Good, clean entertainment. Quite often it is very easy to relate to his "real-life" stories.

Laugh along with the whole family!!!!!!!
You might ask yourself "what ever happened to comedians that said something funny instead of just shocking me?"

Carlos tells funny stories and brings you along for the ride. He tells you stories from the point of view of a husband and father and you can relate and just laugh. He proves that you don't need profanity to make people laugh. If you want to have a nice family laugh then this is the DVD for you. You can watch this DVD with anyone and not be embarassed about the topics.

BUT make no mistake, you WILL laugh.

Good job, Carlos. Where is new stuff?
It was very funny at first and somewhat at the second times. Good, not a violent a cursing humor. Can be watched in the family circle. I donated my copy to the library.
Carlos can keep working on his non-violent, life observing, and realistic humor. Smart people make fun of their own selves. Stupid or insecure have fun of others. Carlos is smart.

Click to Editorial Reviews

My-Hime Z: My-Otome, Vol. 1

$!@#ing Gorgeous
If you liked My-Hime, you're gonna love this one, and if you've never watched it you're still gonna enjoy My-Otome regardless, because the stories are not related, so it's perfectly safe to start with this one.
The music and the characters are beautifu and I think the story and the series in general are WAY better than My-Hime. It's kind of weird because some of the original characters are also present in this one, but it's almost as if they were actors playing a different role, because some of them don't even have the same personality.
If you were a fan of Shizuru from My-Hime, I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU GET THIS ONE. In My-Hime, she didn't have much of an influence on the story until the final episodes, but in this one, she is one of the most important characters and deservedly and effortlessly takes the spotlight on ocasion; just watching Shizuru fight in the first episode is worth the whole $21.99. If you watch your Anime on a good sound system, I suggest you turn the...

A Good Start
Arika dreams of becoming an Otome. On the planet Earl, Otome serve their master and country. They are considered a strong military power on their own, so they are very coveted by all the nations. Arika's mother was an Otome. In hopes of becoming one herself, Arika joins the Garderobe Academy. Garderobe Academy is where young women train to become Otome, but only a select few actually gain the honor. Here Arika gains new friends and enemies very quickly. Her unusual circumstances make her a controversial figure.

This is a pretty good start. It's not really a sequel to the original My Hime series. It has a similar plot, and some similar characters, but it's not connected to the events of the original. You can watch this one without seeing My Hime. At this point I've watched half of this series, and I prefer the My Hime series. I liked the character, Mai, better than the main character in this one, Arika. The characters in this show aren't as good as the 1st series. On the...

ANOTHER GOOD ANIME
5 STARS because it is very funny with action/adventure,it is worth watching also it is done well & creative .ARIKA makes it funny with a few other characters.Now what i do not like is when they speak of deaths & wars.The prices was simple also.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Mystery of... Episode 1: Shooting Stars

great entertainment and very positive
My grandson just loves the characters and animation, (he is age 5)also
the story is very engaging and motivating.

A MUST HAVE!!!!
I bought this video for my kids and not only did they love it, my wife and I both thought it was awesome for kids. The characters were great to watch. Tol was engaging and Dr. Iz was awesome. My children really enjoyed the IZOTRONIC song and dance in the extras. Bring on Episode Two!!!

Fun for the kids
I bought this DVD for my Niece's They are always glad to get a DVD from aunt Cat (Smile) They really enjoyed the music and animation in the beginning and then added there own ideas about shooting stars when the kids on the DVD gave their opinions.
I must admit that I enjoyed watching the extras. Especially the one that gives a more detailed explanation about shooting stars for the older kids who love space.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Flight Check Bombers

exactly what it says
This is a little dry, even for an aviation enthusiast. However, it is exactly what it purports to be...an instructional video on how to fly these planes. They are still enjoyable.

Flight Check: Bombers
These are original WWII instructional films. The B-17 film has deleted a two-minute comedy introduction, which was painful to watch anyway.

The B-26 film almost turns into a movie, with the "green" Corporal Flight Engineer inadvertantly dumping most of their fuel while trying to transfer it from one tank to another. They make it back to base on one engine, all the while using the incident as a learning experience on emergency procedures. The instructor sagely warns that "you can't turn a B-26 into a dead engine or it will spin out". This is one of the myths about the plane that Jimmy Doolittle went from base to base dispelling later on as the B-26 got a reputation for being a "Widow Maker". One does get a keen sense of the complexity of the plane and the fact that it was a "hot" plane to fly.

The Corporal later gets demoted to Private and assigned to extended KP. Of course, nothing happens to the Officer Pilots who were so pre-occupied with teaching and...

For that l person who loves war birds
For the special guy (or gal) who loves everything about bombers, this is definitely the book to get for him.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Better Sex Through Yoga Intermediate, Vol 2

Solid workout, low production values
For anyone who practices yoga regularly, BSTY vol. 2 provides a light, fun workout for "off" days. The production value is low (home movies) and it can be difficult to hear the instructor at times. The music is a bit imposing at first but not overly distracting once you become engaged in the workout. The entire workout runs approximately 40 minutes (~25 min. of floorwork, including 5 minutes of guided relaxation at the end) Outside of a few cheesy tones and a couple of references to the "sexual core", the program is fairly tame. A beginner could work up to this program fairly quickly. Experienced yoga practitioners might want to start with volume 3. Though there is not a lot of detailed instruction during the workout, the special feature section offers more guidance on the poses. All in all, a solid workout that targets the ab/pelvic muscles.

A decent yoga practice focused on strengthening core muscles
The title of this video is likely to turn some people off, but it's actually a half-decent yoga program focused mainly on strengthening your core muscles (or "inner sexual core" as it's referred to in the video). The practice begins with several series of sun salutations, adding 3-legged dog, pigeon, and warrior poses to make each series quite challenging (14 minutes total). Next comes 8 minutes of standing postures. This section begins with simple, dance-y hip rolls and stretches then moves on to balancing postures and forward bends, including an extended wide-legged forward bend. The longest segment of the video is the floor work (19 minutes). You will start on your stomach for locust and then flip over to your back for a challenging table/boat series. Also in this series are lying twists, bridge pose, and seated forward bends. Following this, you will do core abs work which includes a pelvic lift series performed with the legs in 3 different positions. Finally, there are some...

They keep getting better...
I started with 1, and was very skeptical.
I moved up to 2 becuase 1 was a great start to yoga. A bit challenging..but it kicked me in the butt, and got me to 2 quickly.
I love these DVDs. They are a great reason to start doing yoga.
I honestly took one class years ago and was a little off-put by the spiritual stuff. It was relaxing, ubt a litle too stuffy. these dvd's are just fun, and sexy, and get me"centered", but also get me energized, and feeling really good about my body.
My wife thinks it cool I'm doing yoga, and she has NO complaints in the bedroom anymore. I' m defintley more aroused and "into it' than I used to be, and for that, so is she.
can't wait too get to 3
Highly recommend.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Number 23 (Unrated Infinifilm Edition) [DVD]

This is an excellent movie to the person with an Imagination
I feel I must correct a bunch of bad talk about this movie. First off, you have no clue as to how it is going to end, and is possibly the best movie ever created to keep your mind in question to the very last minute before it slaps you.

People have talked badly about the scenes where "Jim" is acting as a detective, but it is supposed to be portrayed in how a regular guy would see things happening, if he were imagining himself as the character in a book he were reading. It has the feel of a comic book to some degree, because it is portrayed in an artistic sense and not a literal, serious acting sense.

The story is one of the most brilliant I have ever witnessed, and all the acting was as it should be. Me and everyone I questioned agreed that Jim plays a more convincing "Mentally Insane" person than Johnny Depp even came close to in "Secret Window". Very surprising how well Jim Carrery did, in fact. If you like something that will really make you think, or enjoy a...

3.2 Stars
When I saw the preview for NUMBER 23, I thought it was going to be a great film. The concept of the number 23 being part of some global conspiracy is a great idea for a mystery thriller. Also, Jim Carrey has done a great job of choosing roles that display the full range of his acting talents, not just ones that show his comic prowess and I was looking forward to seeing him in a mystery thriller film. But instead of a mystery thriller, I saw a hacked up film that barely qualifies as a mystery, has no thrills, and very little suspense.

Carrey portrays Walter Sparrow, and older man married to a younger woman named Agatha (Virginia Madsen) who works in a bakery. Walter works as an animal control specialist. Apparently Walter's job isn't all that exciting, but it is something he enjoys doing. At the end of the work day on his birthday, he gets bitten by a stray dog. He chases the dog until he looses him in a cemetery. The incident causes Walter to be late meeting his...

Loved every minute
Though I'd read reviews before seeing the movie, I decided to see Number 23 for myself. I like Jim Carrey more in serious roles and this one did not dissapoint. Though a bit predictable, I loved every freaking minute, especially the viginettes of Carrey's Walter character imaginaging himself as Det. Fingerling. A brilliant performance of a man coming unhinged by memories which may or may not be his own--and a wife who may or may not be a murderer. All in all, very clever and enjoyable.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Run

Loving and fighting and dancing in Delhi
RUN is a decent film which I do recommend. I'm on an Abhishek Bachchan kick right now, and, so far, I'm feeling fairly good about the movies I've bought and watched starring him. RUN isn't by any means a classic. But you'll have fun with it. RUN is another typical Bollywood film in that it drowns its audience in a deluge of genres. It's a mishmash of Action, Comedy, Romance, Drama, and Musical. It's two and a half hours long, which also seems to be a Bollywood innateness. Due to its cinematic nature and playing length, RUN, like the majority of the Bollywood features I've seen, has its share of high points but also the predictable low points. Obviously, it's challenging to make movies this long and have every minute be a celluloid gem. Run, unfortunately, suffers from its plot being advanced too slowly and also from losing its focus from time to time.

Let's get the basic plot points out of the way: Siddharth (Abhishek Bachchan), nicknamed Sidhu, comes to Delhi to further...

Love it!
I love Abhishek! It was a great movie! The songs were my favorite part. Also the DVD came in great condition.

good movie
need to watch this movie. vijay raaz takes it all. if u r a fan of vijay raaz and have not watched this movie, buy it now for collection and check out vijay raaz play in this movie. i could not stop laughing, u can feel ur stomach.

Click to Editorial Reviews

With You

With WHO?
The film"With You"might more aptly be titled"WITH WHO?",or "With What?"...This is the sort of thing that college cinema students do as a class project..Don't get me wrong here,some of that stuff is really well done,given the budget limitations and inexperience of both cast and crew,but inorder for any film to work you have to have a coherent SCRIPT..This is the major flaw with"With You"...
A 20-something white collar worker,a college grad,is tired of his nine to five gig ...He quits his job,abruptly,burning his white collar bridges behind him,arranges with his old college chum,a"Rush" music fan and drinking pal who now manages(owns?)an ice cream palor,to move to some out of the way rural town and start over...Starting over,in this case,means sweeping the floor in what appears to be a hardware store for an old guy named Mr.Klein(hardly what one would expect a college grad to be doing,but just one more of the flaws in this script)..The college grad has rented a room that overlooks...

I wish I could give it a 0
I received this movie in damaged condition so I returned it for a refund. HOWEVER, I saw it at a friends house and it was AWFUL. Of course, it's homemade quality, terrible lighting, and shaky camera work. You can barely hear the actors but the sound effects are loud. The movie was stupid, the plot, was foolish, and the fright factor was non exisitent. The movie had a couple spiders, shadowy figures, a drop of a telephone book, and a tipped over bottle for action/scare. WOW! This movie was painfully dumb. Don't waste your time and ESPECIALLY do not waste your money.

FINALLY, a true scare with class!
If you're disgusted by the typical brainless blood-and-guts gorefest featuring dumb teens & a stereotypical serial killer, THIS is the movie for you! In fact, I've been waiting for a movie like "With You" for a long time, & my friends all feel the same. The suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat & slowly builds toward the final - & unexpected - scene! VERY SCARY!The story itself is appealing with a small-town setting, old ghost stories, & a main character anyone can relate to. It was fun to watch

It's amazing what was obviously accomplished on a small budget, & would like to see more from this team!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Suzuka, Vol. 2

A great romance series
Yamato moves in with his Aunt, who runs an apartment complex and bath house for women. His neighbor, Suzuka, turns out to be a classmate and he becomes captivated by her beauty and determination. He joins the track team to become closer to her and try to understand her. Suzuka is a hard sell with a damaged heart, and Yamato is going to have to get the gold to impress her.

This is one of the best romance animes I've seen. It's a very touching and emotionally heavy story. There are lots of great characters and plot twists. The thing that makes this anime great for me is the character development. You really get a great understanding of the characters and why they think the way do. There is nothing about this anime that isn't fantastic. I think anyone can get a lot of enjoyment out of it. It's a great buy.





Click to Editorial Reviews

Nooma: Today 17

from the cover
How much time and energy do we spend wishing things were how they used to be? We often think about times in our past when things were different and want our lives to be like that again. Some of us have even come to believe that our best days may actually be behind us. But if we're in some way hung up on the past, what does that mean for our lives now? How are we and those around us affected if we're not fully present? If we're longing for the way things used to be what does that really say about our understanding and appreciation of our lives today? Maybe we need to learn to embrace our past for what it is, in order to live our lives to the fullest, right here, right now.

Excellent, as always!
Rob Bell uses his talents in great ways! Anything in the NOOMA series is worth checking out again and again...and 'Today' is no different. I highly recommend this to anyone! It's great for group discussion or for individual viewing. It will definitely push you to think and will cause individual growth. Excellent, as always!



Click to Editorial Reviews

Champions of the Wild: Primates, Pandas and Bears

Great adventure into the wild
The animal footage can not compete with BBC or the newer National Geographic videos, but there are some classic scenes here. The narrative and exploration of some of the greatest conservationists is another worthy element. If you're interested in the basic historical and scientific aspects related to saving these species, then I recommend this educational collector's edition.





Click to Editorial Reviews

Mumma Bhai M.B.B.S.

OUTSTANDING
What happened here? People weren't expecting much from this film but it somehow managed to be the movie that changed Sanjay Dutt's life yet again. This film is funny, uplifting and brings tears to the eyes too. Tell me one film that does all that? It touches your heart, breaks it, wins it and owns it. It was heartening to see Sunil Dutt act with his son. Boman Irani is superb as a bald professor. Gracy Singh is loveable. Easily one of the top 20 films I've seen in Bollywood.

My Rating - 9.4/10





Click to Editorial Reviews

Chalte Chalte

If this is going to be your first Bollywood movie...pick another!
I LOVE Bollywood movies. I saw my first "Kahbi Kushi" at a film festival and I was hooked. The love scenes were so sexy (And yet nobody even kissed! Amazing!). I loved the dancing and singing. I laughed at the silly misunderstandings. I cried (a LOT). Since then I've purchased many and loved most of them. Except this one. The first 30 minutes or so are as charming a Bollywood plot as any of the other movies. Poor boy sees rich girl, falls madly in love, follows her to another country, and woos her away from her family-approved wealthy fiance. Cute. But now there's 2 plus hours left of movie to go. And their relationship gets ugly. He can't get past her family's wealth and, though she never complains about their living situation, he's in a constant state of drama - scheming to succeed, blaming her when things don't go well...they split up, he makes a drunken scene outside her aunt's home.... Blah, blah, blah. As hammy as Shah Rukh Khan can be at times, he's never been...

Mixed feelings
Some beautiful scenery early on and nice romantic sequences but somehow it degraded onto some of the worst aspects of couple bickering and lack of generosity in the SRK character. His bad behaviour in this movie really doesnt have much of a redeeming feature and is not something I like to hang out with. The movie ends with some reconciliation then more bickering.
Don't they learn? (as in other Indian movies) They are either as dysfunctional as each other, or this relationship has a 'use-by' date.
I usually like these two actors but this is one DVD I decided not to hang onto even though I have quite a few with SRK. Not a favorite.

Not my favorite
Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl is already engaged to another. Boy chases girl across the world to try to woo her. Girl loves boy. They live happily ever after. That's the first 30 minutes of this movie. And if you've ever seen a Bollywood movie before, you know there's at least 2 and 1/2 hours left. So what do they fill it up with? Bickering. Mindless arguing that continues through nearly every minute of the movie. The movie was fine the first time through... though with all that fighting 3 hours seemed like 3 years.... but I'll probably never watch this one again. On my list of Great, Good, and Terrible Bollywood movies this is on the low end of Good. But it was good to see both Shah Rukh Khan and Rani again. They're wonderful!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Premonition (Full Screen)

What emotions would you experience if you had one?
I really enjoyed this movie, and I like Sandra Bullock's movies anyway. This movie was about a woman who has dreams about her husband's (upcoming?)death. The dreams are in between dreams and reality. It's like she is flipping around between 2 dimentions. In one, he's dead. In another, he's alive. They are somewhat chronological. Each "dream" seems so real. Some seem to be visions of things that COULD happen, IF things progress on a certain track. As you expect, she goes through "am I nuts?" She tries to get help, but she is getting confused herself as to what is reality and others are not really able to help. Once she begins to track things on a calendar, she begins to get a handle on the situation. Then she starts to ask herself IF this is going to happen, can I stop it? Am I guilty of killing him if I don't? What the heck do I do?

Some people may not like the way this movie seems to flip around a bit, but many people who have premonitions or visions do not have them like...

Thought provoking
If you didn't like the Lake House, you probably won't like premonition.

I really liked Lake House and rather enjoyed Premonition. The great thing about Premonition is the thoughtful sub-story, of why you love, how much you love, and how it affects you for good and ill, and though this seems like a movie you don't have to watch closely, if you want to get that part of it you will.

If you are expecting an action oriented time travel movie, you will be disappointed, but if you want a thought provoking story about deeper emotional issues, then this is a film you should enjoy.

Premonition or Just Plain Crazy?
One day, everything is fine. The next day, the woman's husband dies in a car crash. The next day, she wakes up, and there he is drinking his morning coffee! The next day, he's dead again and funeral arrangements are being made! Every day of the week is a different day, and they are all mixed up! What is going on? Is the woman crazy, confused, or what?

Be prepared to keep guessing and to keep being wrong until the end of the film!

Sandra Bullock gives a great performance as the grief stricken widow Linda Hanson. This is a film you will want to see more than once to put the pieces together. It's part Sixth Sense, part Lake House, part something totally unique. Great movie!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Armaan DVD

A great Bollywood film, but......
First of all, I'll say that the picture quality could have been better. My copy is from Eros International.

This movie has four very important popular Bollywood actors and actresses. First of all, it has Amitabh Bachchan, probably the most important Bollywood actor in all of India. (His son married Aishwarya Rai, one of India's most famous international actresses (Bride and Prejudice, The Mistress of Spices, Devdas, Mohabbatein, etc) And it stars Anil Kapoor (best known now for "Slumdog Millionaire") and Priety Zinta (from Mission Kashmir), and Gracy Singh (from Aamir Khan's "Lagaan: One Upon a Time in India). With a cast like this, you'd be expecting a fabulous film.

But for me, I really hated Priety Zinta's role in this film. She's a spoiled rich b*tch and her behavior has allowed someone to die because of her petty selfishness. I have to forget that this is just a movie, but her behavior was really upsetting.

This film is about a doctor and a...





Click to Editorial Reviews

Insan

Derivative. INSAN offers nothing new, and it offers it well.
To be blunt, ANSAN is merely okay. I got thru it without wincing and even managed to enjoy certain scenes within the film. Bollywood star power fuels ANSAN as it boasts on its roster the likes of Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, and the two sexies Esha Deol and Lara Dutta. But the film ends up wasting these talents by unveiling an uninspired and hackneyed storyline.

Here's the plot (and I'm typing it listlessly): ANSAN introduces four men and lays out their interlocking stories. First is the very intense policeman Ajit Rathor (Ajay Devgan), who still burns to catch the terrorist who murdered his wife. Next is Amjad (Akshay Kumar), an outgoing and opinionated Muslim who drives an autorickshaw (taxi) and, once in a while, delivers a sermon or two about politics and religion (you know, the "Can't we all just get along?" schtick). At times, he's also a mediator between acrimonious Muslim and Hindu factions. A not so fun fact about Amjad: Years ago, his brother Munna vanished without...





Click to Editorial Reviews

Perfect Creature

What does it mean to serve?
What does it mean to serve? This is the moral quandry that faces the vampires of the Brotherhood, a race of genetically-engineered beings whose moral duty it is to protect their fellow sentients - mankind.

This fascinating reworking of the vampire legend is set on an Earth similar to our own, but with some notable differences. The most important, of course, is the existence of bloodsuckers, who were created by primitive science and breeding projects sometime in the early 18th century. At first, these new creatures were hunted by mankind, burned at the stake and slaughtered. However, they eventually merged somehow with the Catholic (or possibly Anglican) Church, to create a new religion, one with a main tenet espousing vampires as God's servants to mankind.

The background of this alternate Earth is a little hazy, and that's the reason why I subtracted a star (I would've liked to know more about this world), but that doesn't detract from the story, which is a...

tantalizing plot but not quite complete
The plot is potentially tantalizing and fascinating. It's a vampire movie with more than a simple twist, it is a 180 turn, the vampires serve humanity (no not on a platter, but as the scientists and religious leaders). The whole movie feels like you are trying to catch up, having entered into the story half way through and having missed lots of important facts and details. This is not a real bother, just takes some time to put things together, the big problem is that the movie also feels like it stops a chapter short of a satisfying ending. The movie revolves around the nature of the brotherhood and the nature of the individual vampires, an individual versus collective motif. The question from the two brothers viewpoints is "is this who i really am?", either the one brother who conforms entirely to the collective's wishes or the other brother who goes rogue and kills.

It is a potentially neat and interesting theme. Even to look carefully at a piece of it would make for a...

I want to see more!
The look and the feel of "Perfect Creature" was refreshing. It is seldom that I see a movie, these days, that can make me feel the characters emotions and draws me into the story so thoroughly. I certainly would like to see more of Dougray Scott (yummy) to quote someone else. When will a sequel be made?

Click to Editorial Reviews

Pinjar

indian cinema at its best
Against the background of the traumatic partition of Pakistan and India, this movie tells the story of a woman (Puro/Hamida)whose life is swept away by events that she does not control or understand, but who refuses to surrender entirely to them.

Puro (a hindu girl) is kidnapped by Rashid (a muslim man)the day before her marriage as an act of vengeance in a feud between their two families. As a hindu of her cast, Puro's life is finshed because she has been tainted by the kidnapping and her family reject her. She must now accept the marriage offer of Rashid, her captor, who is in love with her.

However, Puro makes it clear that this marriage is an act of desperation and that she absolutely hates her captor/husband. This way begins her new life as Hamida. And from this point Rashid begins his efforts to win his wife's heart and to find redemption for the sin which he feels he has committed against her. The opportunity to prove his worth to his beloved Hamida comes...

Mutual Captives
"Pinjar" portrays the life of a young Hindu girl named Puro as it unfolds during the separation of Pakistan from India. A Mulsim man named Rashid kidnaps her the night before her wedding as an act of revenge against her father. As planned, Puro's kidnapping brings her family into social disgrace, and they refuse to accept her back once she has been violated; she has no choice but to marry Rashid. While it is obvious that Puro is an innocent victim of the vengeance between the two families, it is less obvious that Rashid is just as much an innocent victim. The same combination of vengeance and traditional gender roles that shape Puro into someone passive and helpless, force Rashid to be an aggressor against his will.

The movie spends a lot of time idealizing Puro's youthfulness. The early musical numbers dramatize her relationship with her brother and portray her as bringing joy to her family through her beauty and playfulness. This idealization sets up her fall from...

"Nothing For The Daughter"
Note: Hindi with English subtitles.

An honest, poignant tale set in Pakistan just prior to the 1947 partition of Pakistan from India. Puro (Urmila Matondkar), a young Hindi girl is kidnapped shortly before her wedding by Rashid (Manoj Bajpai) a Muslim man from a neighboring village. The kidnapping is in retaliation of a wrong commited some years earlier.

In spite of the grief felt by Puro's family the Father refuses to go to the authorities and fight for her release. After all she is only a daughter, the cost of paying for help from a corrupt police force simply wasn't worth the money and the trouble it would cause between himself and the authorities as well as the local Hindu and Muslim communities. Thus Puro is left to make the best of it.

The hardships and disappointments suffered by Puro in her new life and marriage to Rashid become a micocosm of the larger problems facing the diverse community-at-large comprised of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Tehzeeb

One of the best films I've seen
Touching, real yet romantic - this is a beautiful film that explores the complicated relationship between mother and daughter. In the end one realizes life is too short to hold grudges and that people should be appreciated while they're still alive to know that they are. Sad yet lovely. Highly recommended film!

Worth Watching
Complicated mother-daughter relationships always have the makings of a good story, but especially so when the mother is a famous singer who neglected her children for the sake of her career and the daughter witnessed her beloved father's death but hid the weapon so her mom wouldn't go to jail. Actress Shabana Azmi is brilliant as the selfish, driven Rukhsana. Her adult daughter Tehzeeb (played by Urmila Matondkar) is a content, middle-class housewife, happily married to Salim (Arjun Rampal) and the caretaker of her mentally challenged sister, Nazneen (Diya Mirza). Rukhsana and Tehzeeb struggle to reconcile--and both want to, no matter how much they lash out at each other--and in the process, glimmers of insight make the reasons for their discord less black and white. When the gun that killed Tehzeeb's father resurfaces and a tragedy occurs, the truth of what happened the night he died comes to light, leading to a somewhat unexpected, bittersweet end. The only things marring this film...

unique mother-daughter movie
tehzeeb is a story of a mother and her 2 daughters, one who is mentally challenged..urmila shows her versatility as one of bollywood top female actresses by portraying the daughter of a famous singer...the movie presents a honest believable story which explores the relationship between the two..also there is an excellent performance by tehzeebs husband..he is the only real male presence in the movie...not your typical urmila dance em up...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Love

Something Different
Set in a New York that it is rarely seen in movies, among scarred emigrants from around the world, the film combines noir and drama, comedy and tragedy, European style and American genre, multiple viewpoints and story-lines-- and all that on no budget. Unique and original, permeated by a melancholy streak underneath the action, the film might not be for everyone, but for those who like something different from predictable mainstream formulas, it could be a very pleasant discovery.

Wonderful Film
What a fantastic film, not to be missed. Sensitive and thought provoking with terrific performances all around, especially Al Nazemian as Ali.

It is not good, it is fantastic!
I saw the movie twice and I like it, especially video editing new ideas! You have to see it to find out about it. Fantastic!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Dr. Ravi & Mr. Hyde

Solid independent documentary style comedy
With the digital revolution today, any idiot with a desktop computer and a camcorder can make a movie. This is what Ravi Godse, the character, writer, and director of the independent comedy movie DVD Dr. Ravi & Mr. Hyde is told early on in the movie by one of his friends. The friend is right; Ravi is an idiot -his wife will vouch for it-- but he is not just any idiot, he is a very special, determined idiot. Dr. Ravi And Mr. Hyde may not have the production values and acting skills of a Hollywood blockbuster comedy nor the smaller budget and lesser acting skills of most independent movies but it is better than many, many other independent films I have seen.

Dr. Ravi Godse has a midlife crisis and decides to make a movie. It is what Godse does with the premise, himself as a character, and the real life characters around him that make this independent comedy work.

Groovy movie
"Dr. Ravi & Mr. Hyde" is an independent film written, produced, and directed by Dr. Ravindra Godse--who also starred in the movie. To watch the movie is to get a glimpse into the life of a man at a creative crossroads in his life. It is funny and quirky with a solid life lesson.

The plot of the movie is simple. A successful physician finds himself in the midst of a full-blown midlife crisis. Don't worry, parents, he doesn't turn to little red sports cars, drugs, or buxom blondes. His new passion is filmmaking.

He is driven to, as the opening theme proclaims, making a groovy movie. His family is inconvenienced, his associates avoid him, and his finances are diminished. There are plenty of jokes--ones that everyone will get and some that may be a bit over some folks' heads. It's a fast-paced movie. There were times when it became necessary to stop the DVD and replay a scene because we were still recovering from the previous punch-line.

Dr. Ravi's goal...

Dr. Ravi demontrates you can have a mid-life crisis while pursuing your dream
I liked Dr. Ravi & Mr. Hyde and recommend it highly. It is a good-natured comedy filled with medical, situational and pop culture humor in which Godse plays himself as a witty physician who pursues a single-minded dream of making "a timeless, classic" movie.

On a personal note, I believe the mark of a good movie, regardless whether it is a Hollywood blockbuster or an Independent film, is whether you wind up thinking about it afterward. For days I thought about some of the scenes and funny lines contained in Ravi. What impressed me is how filmmaker Dr. Ravi Godse, who loves word plays, delivered jokes to make deeper points that reveal insights into a physician's psyche. After all, doctors are people, too! But the thing I most will take away what filmmaker Dr. Ravi Godse created is how honest the movie came across.

Well done!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Simply FOBulous

some really hiLARious moments!!
Story is very consistent with 21st century Vietnamese/Chinese young adults in main-stream America. Thuy & Van are sooo hilarious!! The scene in the karoake room was really funny! Dung's sacrifice scored him a pretty good catch! Xuan has definite potential in future roles!!

Simple Yet FOBulous
Rich Cranor is a very prolific artist and Simply FOBulous is his most ambitious and ernest film to date. As with his previous work, this film blends humor and substance to defuse stereotypes and confront the challenges unique to Asian American cultures. Cranor is to Seattle's International District what Woody Allen is to New York.

Little Budget, Big Heart
For a little indy film it certainly has some kick. It is definitely better written than most of the stuff that comes out of Hollywood. I think that with more money and time it could have been a well received feature film. I would recommend everyone checking it out. It's definitely not perfect, there are some spots that don't quite work but over all it's well thought out and well done. Congrats to the film maker. You have definite put together something new and worthwhile. I can't wait to see your next film.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Nomad: The Warrior

An epic in every sense of the word
When the only other Kazakhi film on people's minds this year is a Jackass-style pseduo-documentary comedy about a bumbling Kazakhi reporter named Borat, it's probably hard to get people interested in a Kazakhi war epic. Much less one with subtitles. Especially when the cover makes it look like a 300 knockoff or a Gladiator wannabe. But Nomad: The Warrior stands on its own as a sprawling desert landscaped, bloody battlefield epic piece of cinema.

Mostly set in Kazakhstan in 1710, Nomad follows the story of a young man who is born to fulfill the prophecy of uniting the three warring sects of his country to rid themselves of their violent enemies once and for all. Spanning over 30 years, the film never flinches as it uncovers intense hardcore battle sequences staged with Braveheart-esque grandiosity. Heads will roll and warriors will run screaming and flaming off camera, all under the watchful eyes of directors Sergei Bodrov and Ivan Passer. The washed out desert landscapes...

Beautiful, simple
A beautiful film with a straight forward and sufficient plot. There was even something endearingly sweet and charming about it despite all the fighting.

Thanks for a hero who is strong and is just a nice guy with inner strength and warrior skills and does not have to rub our face in it with bluster and swagger! These visual cliches could have worked too, but it has been done countless times by John Wayne, Bruce Willis, etc. Becker was a refreshing alternative that worked for me given the script. His people had been waiting for a prophesied warrior-leader -- and he was up to his destiny without having to be theatrically charismatic. In fact he was raised learning to conceal his identity and destiny and that helped make his modesty and quiet strength work for me. Of course the deviation from warrior-hero stereotypes and uncomplicated script also offered fresh meat for the critics who apparently expected it to be in competition with other epics and used them as standards...

Nomad: The Warrior
I really liked this movie. One because I am history buff and an epic fighter movie fan as well. This is entertainment with a good source of pride and nationlism for their country "feel" Is it perfect? No, but it does have enough sword play and horse scenes to entice any action appreciation watcher. The pass on a horse through a column of arrows is impressive and nerve racking. Some say this is low budget, I think not, and while it is not a Scott Ridley film, it is worth a see and I bought the DVD because I don't go off what a cover looks like, I go for content. I lucked out on this one. Ask yourself this? Did you want to research the topic more? Where the swordfights impressive? Could you do them? If this movie truly stunk, I would say so, it is far from that, and I really like it. Enough said.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Scent of a Woman [HD DVD]

Simply Riveting
Of all the movies that I have seen that has moved me, Scent of a Woman was the one that did it. A highly emotional movie which starred Academy Award Winning Actor, Al Pacino who portrayed Ret. Lt. Col. Frank Slade, and Chris O'Donnell as the young fresh faced student of the prestigious Baird School, Charlie Simms.

Charlie(O' Donnell) takes a job caring for Slade(Pacino), a washed-up, decorated military man who clings to his Jack Daniels, so he can earn enough money to go home for the Christmas Holidays. Along the way, Slade takes the young man through different turns during the Thanksgiving Day weekend in New York City not knowing what the boy will expect. While the unpredictable occurs, Charlie contemplates his fate with his school honor--a conflict of interest with who is your real friends and who are not.

The entire movie wraps around relationships and how strangers can make a difference in a little over 2 hours and 37 minutes. For one weekend, Charlie and Slade...

By far my favorite movie
When I first heard of this movie, I had no clue what it was about. My friend and I saw a teaser poster with Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar dancing the tango labeled "Scent of a Woman". Putting two and two together, we went into the theater thinking we were watching a love story until the movie started. Whoops. Despite my misgivings in the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised. What I found was a riveting story of mentor-mentee relationship. I love movies that involve the master taking young grasshopper under his wing. Except master is not Mr. Perfect himself. Both the student and the teacher learn from each other's weaknesses. And despite Lt Col Slade's struggle with his misfortunate blinding accident, his Army core values were still in tact. Hard-working and willing to give up a Thanksgiving weekend to look after an embittered retiree, Slade sees an underlying goodness in Chris O'Donnell's fragile, fence-sitting character, Charlie. Like most young men his age, he was...

The Tango Scene
Little is said about the tango scene, thus far. That allows me the pleasure of being the first to talk about the interesting things that are going on there.

Frank, an ardent admirer of the beauty of women, and an afficionado of the Tango, finds himself with an opportunity for a special moment, a situation, in which he proceeds to charm a sweet flower of a young woman, so well embodied in Donna, with his manner and his words. Tango music is swaying in the background, compellingly played by The Tango Project.

Frank asks Donna if she can Tango; she had wanted to learn, but her Michael didn't. Frank offers her a lesson, then and there. She hesitates, blushes, smiles, and finally submits to his " seduction." They escort each other to the dance floor. Aware of Frank's blindness, Donna instinctively holds him closer.

"Por un Cabeza" begins. Frank leads her, gently and masterfully, through the beautiful ritual of the Tango. She seems to move as one with...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Weeds: Season Two

Terrific drama
Yes, it's a drama all right, despite the half-hour format. The tone of its second season reminds me more than anything of the venerable "Six Feet Under": it's extremely funny, and extremely smart, and it moves from ultra-dry sitcom territory into much darker places (and back) without warning or apology.

"Weeds" casts its satirical throwing stars in 360 degrees. While drug warriors get their well-justified comeuppance, we more libertarian types don't get off exactly scot-free. Just the right medicine when it comes to a debate that's been all but shut down in more mainstream circles.

Not that you need to have an opinion about pot politics to enjoy the razor-sharp dialogue or, failing that, Mary-Louise Parker's big brown eyes and diabolical deadpan delivery.

This series is addicting, no pun intended.
I love the television series WEEDS on Showtime.

It's great! Why? Well... it has a variety of factors that make it good, one being the casting. The entire cast of this show helps make what it is, a great drama.

The plot is obviously a bit risque but it draws you in and begs to be tollerated. After a while, you get intrigued in the storylines and get hooked on the suspense. Every now and then, you get a lil bit of sadness and or romance to trigger up some emotions. Otherwise, your rooting with either laughter or applauding the extreme efforts some of the cast members go to just make it.

The story does not just evolve around Mary Louise Parker but other charachters as well. Therefore you are not drowned down with one single plot but multiple storylines that play well within eachother.

If you are looking for a edgy new aged series to plop down one weekend and engulf yourself in, this show has got to be it.

You'll be rooting for...

Brilliant!!!!
This show is so great on so many levels. You love these characters and all their faults. I love this show because it shows that all things aren't as they seem. They are screwed up and they screw up and they all have their baggage to deal with. You feel their pain and the series is funny, serious, silly and heartfelt. The writing is excellent! The only think I don't like about it is the episodes are only 30 min. They need to be an hour!!!! I will buy this when it comes out and look foward to season 3 in aug!!!!!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Comedy Zen

To my surprise.....
I actually enjoyed this. The only Asian comedian I knew of is Margaret Cho and I was sooooooo sick of her "My mom" impressions. Then Dat Phan (who is also in this DVD)followed suit with doing impressions of his family....is there nothing else to talk about in the Asian community?!?!?! But for the most part, a good 90% of the comedians (out of 20?) were solid!!!! The host Joe Guilla was very good and fresh for each episode. Susan was funny and is a cutie. Steve Byrne cracked me up. And Bobby Lee is always a riot. What caught me off guard was when I saw a white comedian, Thom Roads, go up!!! I thought this was an Asian showcase....well he started to speak about his trials and tribulations of his apt. in Chinatown and how the community treated him...funny stuff because I can relate!!! Quality wise, at times, it would've been good if they got a real editor because there were a few little audio blunders and crappy cuts but overall, it was very watchable. There were a couple of dud...





Click to Editorial Reviews

Black Lagoon Volume 2

Just Getting better!
This anime had Extreme violence and strong language. It not rated PG, it rated 16+ age. This anime use the "F" word a lot, mostly on every episode.
For a price of $22.99 for 4 episode is a great price $5.75 for each episode. Run time's 100 min. is about 1 hour and 40 min. This DVD had 5.1 DTS audio(english) and 16:9 anamorphic wide screen. So it look and sound great in your HDTV and surround Sound system. The anime had good plot about a group of outlaw at Southwest Asia. There a lot of shooting than the first volume. In this volume contain semi-nudity, there a little love story between Revy and Rock. There're two good part in this volume is the maid's a very sexy maid name Roberta(is a woman), who's armed, carry a shotgun(cleverly disguised as an umbrella), second part is the next Volume of Black Lagoon, which Revy and Roberta will fight each other. This's going to be HOT! I don't want to spoil anyone until you see it.
But overall is a great DVD that worth your money, This...

Black Lagoon...Full Speed Ahead
The Saga of the Black Lagoon and it's unsavory crew continues as protagonists Rock and Revy, visit the gloomy remains of a German U-Boat to retrieve a Nazi-era painting. While inside the wreckage, Rock confronts Revy over the morality of their looting this wreckage and gains further insight into her brutal, nihilistic attitude...it all culminates to a fast-paced, exciting gun fight against neo-nazi storm troopers on board their ship. Unfortunately, for viewers of the Japanese version, hearing sea-faring, neo-nazi Sturmabteilung spout their overconfident bravado in Japanese robs these episodes of some of their realism. Next, Rock spends a day working odd jobs for Dutch with a reluctant Revy...still sore from their exchange in the submarine, Revy doesn't take too kindly to Rock's challenge that she look inside herself and confront her inner demons...Black Lagoon continues to be an exciting and at times, profound, anime. (The PG rating seems a little bit low given the high levels of...

Mindless gun fights?
So now the fighting really begins, as the Black Lagoon crew get into it with Neo-Nazis. Well, kind of, these guys are really no match for our Heroes. Er...I mean they are no match for the pirates...or, to be honest, no match for Revy. The exchange, on the phone, between the real Nazi and Dutch is interesting and suggests another future exchange.
There is some tension between Revy and Rock but not really sure where that is going because I can never see them hooking up. Revy is WAY too unbalanced to be trusted with anything but a gun or a slice of pizza. She is, after all, nothing but a weapon. A mad, insane, unbalanced weapon.
Than there is the Maid. Who shows up just in time to force us to buy the next DVD.
No extras, no really plot twists. Not sure this story has a point to it but I will continue to follow it. Bought the third DVD because, frankly, I got it cheap. Really cheap. And want to see what Roberta does.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Contract

The contrarian
After seeing all the one star reviews, I almost didn't watch this movie. I'm glad I ignored them. I actually liked it. Question. How many action movies have you seen where one untrained guy or a few untrained people go against all odds fighting highly trained, well equipped mercenaries, rouge government agents, etc, etc? Answer: Just about all of them, so why complain it. For an action movie, I thought this was pretty good. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but for those of you thinking about watching this, I have one friendly comment. Make up your own mind about it. If I decided not to watch movies based on bad reviews, I can tell I would've missed a lot of good movies. My opinion... good entertainment. Good popcorn movie. No one in this movie is going to win "best-actor"... but who cares!!!

Exciting political thriller...
A well done, low-key medium octane thriller, The Contract works on quite a few levels offering up plentiful helpings of drama, thrills, action, and intrigue. The story revolves around a father and son learning to reconnect and trust one another under tense circumstances after becoming inadvertantly entangled in a dangerous criminal plot. Though there are certainly some scenes of violence, the film isn't buried in heavy amounts of gore or extreme violence and was the perfect Friday night thriller for us all including our 18 year old nephew. Fun, exciting movie; Morgan & Cusack are always in top form.

Enjoyable popcorn thriller...
Enjoyable if not derivitive thriller with perfunctory performances by leads Morgan Freemand and John Cusack. The storyline is thin, the characters are thin, but the film is beautifully shot, had some wonderful set pieces (the cliff scene) and some moments of nice suspense and action. A few of the action sequences are extremely well executed and surpisingly quite thrilling. On the downside, the movie definitely plays it too safe, there's certainly nothings screaming "extraordinary" in any sense, and is lacking verisimilitude. Still, it's a pleasant and very scenic journey, has some memorable moments, and John Cusack and Morgan Freeman even when only mediocre are still always fun to watch on screen.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Beyond the Grave 20 Movie Pack

20 fright film obscurities
Except for some stock footage of Bela Lugosi's eyes, none of the "biggies" of mid-20th century horror are to be found on the BEYOND THE GRAVE 20 MOVIE PACK. Your more standard public domain fright films aren't here either. These 5 double-sided DVDs will be "new blood" for aficionados of obscurities, but for the beginning collector this one might not be the best place to start your horror movie library.

Another unusual MILL CREEK DVD set is the CHILLING CLASSICS 50 MOVIE PACK. There's a lot of famous actors here in many lesser-known films.

.
The following alphabetized program list includes 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings, country of origin (if other than USA), years of release and principal actors for all titles.

(2.2) The Beast Of The Yellow Night (Philippines/USA-1971) - John Ashley
(3.2) The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) - Jason Evers/Virginia Leith
(3.8) Cathy's...

Serious Problems
I bought this set expecting average-to-poor transfers of 20 B-movies - my expections were very, very low, but so was the price and I like B-movies. Unfortunately, not all of the DVDs in this set play in any of my three DVD players at home (none of which have had problems in the past), and at least one movie has been edited, based on descriptions of the movie read elsewhere.

Some of these 20/50/100/250 movie packs get good reviews, and the drive-in one that I also bought is turning out better, but I would advise against this set due to the editing and unplayable DVDs.

Swell Psychotronic Film Set
Overall a really nice set for fans of oldie horror movies! Image quality is not always crystal-clear, but then these films used to look pretty grungy when they used to show them on late-night TV anyway!

Click to Editorial Reviews

John Grisham's The Rainmaker (Special Collector's Edition)

This is Damon's show.
Matt Damon was a relative unknown when he was tapped to play the hero of "The Rainmaker", based on a novel by John Grisham & directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was a twist of fate that launched Damon's career and definitely lifted this movie. (Ironically, Matthew McConaughey got his start the same way- being an unknown cast in a movie based on a Grisham novel.)

The plot is a classic David-vs-Goliath story- fresh out of law school Matt Damon sues an insurance company for denying treatment to a family with cancer. Ultimately Damon triumphs- the righteous cause succees and the system works. Damon is a major talent, as evidenced by his performance in this film. He's shy, unsure of himself, but basically a good person committed to doing what's right.

I wasn't too impressed by the rest of the cast- Claire Danes is a talented actress but fails to shine here. Danny DeVito is okay as Damon's law partner, and Jon Voight comes across as a none-too-interesting...

Great courtroom drama putting the insurance industry on trial will be available in anamorphic
I will not dwell on the details of this John Grisham story that puts the insurance industry on trial. The purpose of my comments are to let Amazon viewers know that Paramount has set July 24, 2007 for release of this wonderful movie as an anamorphic Special Collectors Edition. For those of you contemplating buying this DVD, wait until July for a nicer version without those black bars. I hope this is of help to my fellow Amazon viewers.

Great Movie, Fair Disc
The Rainmaker 2.35:1/Dolby Digital 5.1 Paramount Pictures

The first adaptation of a John Grisham tale that I've really enjoyed, "The Rainmaker", directed by Francis Ford Coppola, looks at the life of a poor young Southern lawer, Rudy Baylor(Matt Damon, in a great performance) as he battles against an insurance company and it's staff of lawers(led by Jon Voight).

Baylor is battling for Donny Ray Black, a young man who's insurance claims have been turned down time and time again; Kelly Riker(Claire Danes), who lives in continuing fear of her abusive husband and Miss Birdie, an older woman who simply wants to keep her money from her greedy offspring.

This is really the best of the Grisham adaptations and I'm fairly positive it's the hand of director Coppola that has it rising above the rest; the film is crowd-pleasing sure, but it's also very smart and very well acted, with a lot of rich dialogue and some very interesting and entertaining characters. Danny...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Thomas and Friends: Thomas Gets Tricked

Thomas's first performance
This was Thomas's first video ever. It establishes Thomas, Edward, Gordon, and Henry as characters they would be for the next ten years. Edward is a kind engine who likes to help people. Gordon's an express engine who loves pulling coaches and he hates pulling freight cars. Henry is a engine who doesn't like the rain but he is willing to do his work. Last but not least Thomas is a cheaky little engine who wants to see the world. In this video Henry gets stuck in a tunnel and he won't leave becasue it will spoil his lovely green paint with red stripes. He finally comes out to help Edward pull the express when Gordon can't. This tape also introduces James but he's not really in it until the last episode and he doesn't have a speaking part in that one. James learns a Lesson helps establish James in the next video. This tape is great for people who really want to see Thomas in the old days.

Must see before all others!
I believe that in order to benefit from the Thomas and Friends videos, you should see them in order, (and you will benefit). This is a great starter-off of the series, narrated by Ringo Starr, ex-Beatle member.

The stories are as follows:

Thomas Gets Tricked- Thmas has fun playing tricks until a mishap occurs that leaves Thomas "dizzy."

Edward Helps Out- Edward the Blue Engine finally gets to run out on the line and also helps Gordon up a hill.

Come Out, Henry- The story follows Henry, a green engine with red stripes who is afraid of getting them wet, which causes trouble.

Henry To the Rescue- Part 2 of Henr's story. After being shut up in a tunnel in Part 1, Henry finally comes out.

A Big Day For Thomas- Thomas wants to pull coaches, and gets his chance, but something happens...

Trouble for Thomas- Tired of fetching coaches, Thomas wants to pull FREIGHT CARS! Edward offers him his load, but wise engines know about freight cars!

Thomas Saves the Day- When an engine,...

OUT STORY STOPS ARE:
1. Thomas Gets Tricked

2. Edward Helps Out

3. Come Out Henry

4. Henry To The Rescue

5. A Big Day For Thomas

6. Trouble For Thomas

7. Thomas Saves The Day

Click to Editorial Reviews