Telstar

He heard a new world...
Hey, what do you know? Someone finally thought that Americans would pay to see the Joe Meek story on the small screen. For those who haven't heard of him (nearly everybody), Joe Meek was a forgotten legend of rock history--the most famous producer you've never heard of. Working in his home studio in the pre-Beatles 1960s, he wrote and produced a string of hits, misses, and completely berserk productions; the most famous single he wrote was the namesake of the film, "Telstar". It sold five million copies worldwide, was the first song by a British group to hit #1 in American, proved to the British Invasion bands that a great deal of money and fame awaited them in the States, and was named after a communications satellite.

The movie compresses the last six or seven years of Joe Meek's life into an hour and a half of frenetic activity, doomed romance (Meek was gay at a time when it was criminal to be a homosexual in Britain, whether or not one actually had sex with members of...

Moments of greatness
3.8 stars

This started out so well that I thought I might be in for one of the best movies I'd ever seen. The exceptionally crisp opening scene stuffs about five minutes of exposition into one, then a truly exemplary credit sequence not only provides endless split-screen eye candy but also clues us into the basics of where we are and how we got there. Genius, one of the best opening few minutes of any film I can think of.

Buuut, then things begin to slow down and never really pick up. Con O'Neill is very good indeed, as are almost all of the actors, but the script is about 30 minutes too long. The story drags on and as Joe's life unravels so does this film. By the end I was just glad it was over.

Spacey's opening scenes are wonderful and you'd hardly recognize him. But then his Brit accent seems to fade as the film goes on and his role loses its lustre. It was funny to see portrayals of the young Ritchie Blackmore and Mitch Mitchell (his gun scene is a...

Sad but Enjoyable!
Although it left me feeling rather sad, I enjoyed this biopic of record producer, Joe Meek's tragic and muddled life. Well cast characters with Con O'Neill playing Meek himself. From the early days with John Layton, the film documents Meek's rise to fame. When Billy Fury's backing band, The Tornados, who recorded Telstar, had the biggest hit to come out of the shabby studio, all should have been rosy, but royalties were hard to come by and there was no money to pay the musicians. Things get even worse when a French composer accuses Meek of plagiarism and royalties are kept on hold, leaving Meek slipping further into debt. The ill-fated affair with Heinz Burt, depression, drug addiction, all took their toll and led to murder and eventually suicide.

Lots of familiar faces appear in the cast, Kevin Spacey (Major Banks), Pam Ferris (the landlady) JJ Field ( Heinz Burt), James Corden (Clem Cattini) Ralf Little (Chaz Hodges).
Well acted, and the sixties soundtrack is great...

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Burke's Law - Gene Barry

Episode from a classic TV show
Amos Burke is a millionaire (back in the 1960's when a million dollars was still a great deal of money) who interrupts his glamorous and luxurious lifestyle to serve as a police captain in the L.A. homicide division. Each episode (including this one) is a murder mystery mixed with sophisticated and witty comedy, where suspects are played by outstanding actors, some already famous and others about to become famous.

Great Series - Bad Video Quality
Burke's Law TV series: 4 stars
This video product: 1 star

Problem #1: I purchased this Amazon Instant Video episode of Burke's Law for download and streaming. I find it interesting that Amazon classifies this as a "movie" and therefore they are charging more than the normal price for a "TV episode". The running time is only 51 minutes -- which is the average running time for most of the episodes of this 60's TV series. But since it was the only "episode" available for digital download, I paid for the extra cost so that I could add it to my library. I am nursing the fish hook wound in my mouth now.

Problem #2: Now I can understand that TV episodes and movies of this age are going to have some imperfections in the video quality. That is certainly understandable considering the age. But what I object to is having the production company that generates the digital format of these old episodes plaster the lower right corner of...

Love The Oldies
I enjoy watching old or classic shows from the past. Burke's Law was one of my favorites. I wish I had been able to access more episodes.

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Roadie [Blu-ray]

Real People Who Love Music With Some Very Real Problems
Jimmy was a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult all his adult life who has - painfully and wrongfully according to him - been fired by the band and left by them somewhere in the wilds of Michigan. With nowhere else to go, he makes his way back home to Queens where he has not been since his father's death many, many years before. He has barely spoken with his mother in the interim and now he overstates his role with the band to her - manager, writer, producer, etc. He tries to collect himself to deal with this massive setback, but he is not making the situation any better with angry calls to the band's actual manager.

I think that roadie is one of the coolest jobs in the world next to rock star and Jimmy does as well. I, too, would have major problems dealing with his rude awakening after so many years and the loss of his livelihood and dream.

Out for some butter for his Mom's famous tuna melts, Jimmy runs into a high school classmate who is and was quite a butthead...

Roadie gives look at what happens when lights go out
By Jim Clark, publisher Lee County Courier, Tupelo, MS

Jimmy Testagross (Ron Eldard) has been living his dream for over 20 years. He has been a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult. The key words are "has been." Blue Oyster Cult has quit filling large arenas and have cut back on equipment and personnel. Jimmy is a victim of that downsizing.
Since Jimmy doesn't have any other skill sets he limps back home to his mother.
He hasn't seen her or talked to her since his father died. She is developing Dementia. The band continues to tour in South America but Jimmy's repeated calls go unanswered.
After seeing what has happened to his mom he makes up a more successful Jimmy. He says he's become the band's manager, even produced and written some songs for them and is simply visiting before he must get on the road again because, "they are lost without him."
Downtrodden he walks into town to get a drink. There he becomes reacquainted with his longtime nemesis Randy Stevens...

Some movies just speak to you
I'll admit a bias here: I'm a small-town guy who headed to Hollywood to pursue my musical dreams. As it turns out, this movie had little to do with music and musicians--it had a lot to do with a man returning home to the neighborhood of his youth, lost, and in that it succeeded wonderfully.

It's no surprise some have labeled Roadie "slow" or "boring"--character studies eschew the busy-ness of plot-driven movies for the subtle, the understatement. There were many moments in the film where I expected it to decay into melodrama or the big message, and above all I applaud the writer(s) and director for avoiding that. This is Death of a Salesman type fare, a story about a man who thought he knew what his life was about suddenly faced with a new, harsh reality. For some, life plays out in big dramatic moments--cancer, heart attack, accident--but for many more it plays out in small pieces of entropy, and that's the case here.

Certainly my small town background and four...

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Carnage

So typical of parents
This was a great and fun/funny film. A drama where two kids parents meet at ones apartment to decide "how to handle" the situation where one of the boys hit another boy with a stick, knocking out teeth. Who's fault was it? Who should apologize to whom? Should the parents get involved? Should they also take responsibility for their kids aggression and the others timidness? We learn the issue of aggression and short comings might be more so with the parents, than with the kids. And that poor hamster? A film by Roman Polanski, more so a short dinner theater type play brought to film. The shortest film I've seen in a theater. 1 hr 15 min. But great stars, fun plot. Things go from simple casual attempt(s) between two sets of parents with coming to an agreement concerning responsibility for their kids actions, to the parents engaged in something close to total WWIII. With a little apple cobbler tossed in (and up) along with way, plus way too many social cocktails in the mix. And a busy cell...

Another Roman Polanski gem
So what happens in NYC when parents of two boys decide to have a private meeting in order to resolve a conflict between their children? Meet two couples, who are equally concerned about well being of their 11 year old sons. Two boys got into a fight and the fight got physical. Before long, one boy is grounded and another one nearly looses his tooth. Surely, these young people need to be punished and thought a lesson; so - their parents decide to meet and assess what to do next.

The entire movie is entirely set in a NYC apartment of one of the couples. It starts as civil and cordial meeting between two pairs of concerned parents and turns into, well - carnage. In nearly two hours, we see these four people fighting it out with each other in words. It starts as one pair of parents against the other, but then lines become blurry as aliences between them start to shift. Every now and then, pairs would re-group, but then things would fall into a chaos again. It is witty,...

"You Murdered A Hamster" - Nancy Cowan
"Carnage" opens like the play it is adapted from and is directed by Roman Polanski. Penelope Longstreet (Jodie Foster) along with husband Michael (John C. Reilly) invite the Cowans to their apartment; Nancy (Kate Winslet) and her work-consumed husband, Christoph Waltz.

The Longstreets feel it necessary to discuss the reason why their "victim" son was struck, and badly hurt, by the "maniac brutalizer" Cowan's son. Michael would simply appreciate an apology from their child, although Penelope seems to have her own agenda and intends to push it.

Penelope and Nancy have a tremendous amount of tension between them which is palpable from the onset. Michael appears personable, overly generous and friendly ... at first. Mr. Cowan is on the cell phone constantly as a pharmaceutical lawyer and much more absent in the genesis of the conversation.

The 'go-around' all plays out in the living room as you can sense the air suck right out of the room. It becomes...

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Arthur's Travel Adventures

We Love Arthur
watching or reading you just can't go wrong with Arthur. The stories are engaging for children of all ages and even adults.

Arthur's travel Adventures
Classic Arthur episodes. Kids love it! What's not to like? Includes episodes on finding the "Ocean Zone" and going on the Read family vacation.

Arthur's Travel Adventures
My 4 year old grand daughter enjoys DW as much as her brother Arthur. Some days it is quite decision over which DVD to watch. Good messages.

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Investigating the Afterlife

Realistic and SCARY!
If you're interested in ghosts or the paranormal, this flick is a serious treat!

We've all watched ghost hunting "reality" shows on TV, and going into this documentary, I was wondering what could they possibly show I haven't seen. Well, as it turns out, PLENTY.

Most ghost hunting programs - and films, for that matter - are so determined to frighten that they spend alot of time flash-cutting, trumping up fakey "results", and building heavy, overbearing "spooky" sound design. By contrast, INVESTIGATING THE AFTERLIFE shows what the experience of ghost hunting is really like - the patience required, the psychology, and ultimately, the terror. Instead of "trying" so hard to be scary, INVESTIGATING THE AFTERLIFE actually is. The process of paranormal investigation is played out, and as a result is WAY more intense and gripping than the editorially manufactured stuff you've seen on TV.

Amateur ghost-hunter Shane Free dares to do something so many of us...

Ghost Hunters wannabe
Not much happens on this DVD. If you've watched Ghost Hunters, you know the drill. While Shane and his friends had some "personal experiences," they aren't terribly convincing to anyone not experiencing them - that is, the viewers.

The production values are good, and the cost of the DVD is pretty low. But at 66 minutes, it still seems overpriced. Especially since those 66 minutes are pretty dull.

I actually suggest it!
This was probably the best amateur ghost investigation documentary I've seen. The footage and sound is clear. The evidence is presented very matter of fact without embellishment. I am very impressed by this. I suggest it highly to anyone that is interested in ghost investigation.

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Diary of a Nymphomaniac (English Subtitled)

Arthouse Exploitation That's More 'Art' Than 'Ex'...
This tale, based on a best-selling book by Spanish novelist Valerie Tasso, centers on a woman who, since her first sexual encounter, has had a strong desire to explore the heightened sense of arousal and euphoria she experiences each time she has sex. Her appetite is almost unquenchable, her lovers many and varied. She lives by the credo her grandmother (Geraldine Chaplin) instilled in her, not to deny herself the pleasures of life, whatever they be.

When she thinks she's finally found true love and all that comes with the Cinderella complex, the dream dissolves, becoming a dark nightmare as she discovers the man of her dreams is insanely jealous, petty, paranoid, violent and abusive. So much for attempting to live out a 'normal' life, she then returns to the barrage of sexual escapades of an insatiable appetite by taking a job at a high class brothel.

The movie is anything but sleazy or exploitive, contrary to what I've written, and there are no moral judgments...

EXQUISITE MOVIE!!!
I absolutely loved this movie. With time it'll become a masterpiece of female empowerment. A taboo subject treated tastefully, the execution of the movie is excellent, the script, the settings, the photography, the art, the music, the direction, everything is done very well. But, I must say Belén's performance is flawless, she mainly had all the responsibility of the movie on her shoulders, and she delivers a brilliant performance. As Valeria Tasso said: "The most difficult and wonderful dress a woman wears is the nudity and Belen wears it with dignity, honor and attitude". This film is absolutely thought and action provoking, I'm very glad films like this are being presented, specially in Spanish, where in name of the "religion and decency" the nymphomaniac is still something that is valid. This movie presents a portrait of a woman who looks for love in all the wrong places, she wants intimacy and she looks for it through sex, she ends up in toxic relationships that put...

not a smut film, but a smart film that.......
...tackles the life of a single woman who seems to have an overwhelming sex desire until it ruins her. She find love, finally, but she finds out too late that not only love makes your world wonderful, too much love kills too. I had to admit that I thought this would be those kind of films where you only cares about the undressing scenes and how many times copulations take place in the name of art or some avant-garde erotica nonsense, but this movie is more than skin deep.
Interesting perspective regarding the subject of love and desire. Great storyline and a taboo issue done with careful respect.

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Western Double Feature - Angel and The Badman & The Outlaw

just a thought
I liked angel & badman didn't like the outlaw. Story line was good angel & badman too much russell in outlaw

good pair
a pair of good movies can watch over and over.love the early john wayne stuff the lone star stuff lol



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Heater

INFO...
This examination of the lower classes takes its two characters on a road movie the only way the impoverished can travel--on foot. This amusing societal study watches Ben (Gary Farmer - The Score, Powwow Highway, Ghost Dog) and The Man (Stephen Ouimette - X-Men, The Adjuster), two homeless men with only one possession between them, an electric space heater. Despite cold December weather, the partners are unable to use this modern invention to warm up since they have no outlet to plug the device into. What follows is a poignant and often hilarious chronicle of the two men's journey from the inner city to a suburban shopping mall, battling bitter cold, callous fellow humanity and their difficulty in clinging on to one another.... Full Cast List... Stephen Ouimette as The Man, Tina Keeper as Nurse, Joyce Krenz as Landlady, Gary Farmer as Ben, Sharon Bajer as Long Haired Woman, Jan Skene as Customer Service Rep, Wayne Nicklas as Large Officer, Martine Friesen as Social Worker, Arne...

You need a heater to warm some people's hearts
I really love Indie movies. I am ashamed to say that this movie will only appeal to a small audience. But if you watch this movie, and you are patient, it will work its magic and you will be rewarded. I rated it 4 out of 5 because it was watchable, compelling, and who makes movies these days with this kind of under-stated pathos? The movie centers around a big, tall, polite and perceptive, under-achieving (is that a proper or adequate adjective to apply to any human?), native American man and his smaller, excitable pal-for-a-day who seems to possess to varying degrees, cases of Tourette's, kleptomania, and one or two other psychological problems. (Yes, I was reminded a bit of Cuckoo's Nest but this film is not the emotional star studded roller coaster ride of Cuckoo's.) Filmed in the cold wintry climes of Canada (Winnipeg, Manitoba) right before the Christmas holiday, HEATER reminds us that the coldest thing around the holidays is often the behavior of humans towards other humans. And...

So realistic
I lived in Winnipeg for 5 years and I love to pull this movie out and remember familiar spots in the city. It also makes me glad I don't live in that cold climate anymore. It's a great flick, especially for anyone that has spent time in Winnipeg.

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Curse Of The Revenant

Old Black & White Silent Movie
No color it's done like the old black and white silent movies, no problem. Most of it you have to read. Dialog only on a couple of parts here and there the rest is silent. I didn't really like it, or the plot which started out great creepy to then became boring. Silent film movies are cool I've seen some great ones.n The silent film movie ( Nosfaratu ) though not one of my top favs is better that's just my opinion. Like the actors in it though

Underground Horror At Its Weirdest
Thank you to everyone that rented this underground horror film. Or just found this page through surfing. Or just accidentally came across this page somehow. I hope you check out the trailer for the film. The link is below...

[...]



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Oasis

An unexpected and magical romance.
This is one of the toughest and most uncompromising love stories ever told, with the precision of a surgeon and brutality of a neutron bomb. It will be among my favorites at the end of the year.

It's the story of two mentally disabled, both of ignored and unwanted by their families and society, finding love and solace in each other. I would say more except it might ruin the experience for you, so you will have to take my word that it's great.

The story never becomes melodramatic like most Korean productions, nor does it glorify their disablements as a badge of innocence like so many Hollywood films (as Gump did). The film treats its subjects fairly without embellishment, and sheds light on the process of unwarranted societal prejudices. You might not like how the romance ends, but it is frustratingly real.

Both of the acting talents, re-united again from director's previous film Peppermint Candy, are truly impressive. Sol Kyung-gu gave his character...

A Very Good Human Drama: Excellent Acting!
"Oasis," is a very poignant film from director Lee Chang-dong. The film gives powerful acting performances by the female lead Gong-ju (Moon So-ri) and her counterpart, the male Jong-du (Sol Kyung-gu) which are both masterful. As the films narrative begins, Jong-du (Sol Kyung-gu) has been released from prison. Jong-du is a sociopath who is unable to hold a job and has been in prison three times: for attempted rape, drunkeness which caused an accident, and armed robbery. He decides to visit the family of the man who was killed by his brother. He took the rap for his brother in the accident which sent him to jail. However, the family is moving out when he arrives, leaving a seriously disabled woman [the husbands disabled sister] behind.

The woman is named Gong-ju (Moon So-ri). Moreover, Jong-du finds himself attracted to this woman, who can barely control her body: She has cerebral palsy. When he returns at a later date, however, a very disturbing event occurs [No spoilers: I...

A Very Different and Poignant Love Story...
Even in Romeo and Juliet love is being brought to the audience through an agonizing tragedy where the two families disagree with their love. Director Chang-Dong Lee utilizes a similar tragedy in his Oasis where he enlightens the viewers of a much more contemporary issue where the two protagonists find themselves rejected by their own families. However, it is within the tragedy that humanity is given an opportunity to grow and show that love does reach beyond vanity and self-importance.

The opening shot displays an embroidered depiction of something resembling an oasis emerging from underneath the shadows of the night, as a tree outside throws its nightmarish shadow over the the embroidery. The camera finally reveals a small oasis in the middle of a desert with a Indian woman, a boy, and an elephant. This initial sequence continues for almost two minutes. A time that might seem like an eternity for introducing the title of the film. However, these two minutes will also...

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Mindfulness for Urban Depression

ARTFUL AND MINDFUL...
In his video, "Mindfulness for Urban Depression", Ira Israel speaks to both the prevalence of, and remedies for, anxiety and depression in contemporary society, in a highly intelligent, personable and artful way. The information offered is beyond valuable for all. I particularly LOVED the dynamic quality of the video, with its changing urban landscapes, and artistic craftsmanship...ultimately delivering an uplifting and delightful experience, centered on a difficult topic. Grab it, you'll be glad you did!

Helped My Stress & Anxiety
This video is much better than the majority of self-help books I have read, and believe me, I have read a lot of them. I have watched it several times already, and every time I feel calm and peaceful afterwards. This is really saying something because no one has ever described me as calm. Anxious, yes- calm, no. The narrator's voice is very reassuring, and you feel like he really cares about you even though you aren't there with him in person. The images are really beautiful, too. I highly recommend this video to anyone who is anxious, stressed, or feeling low. I can see it helping a lot of people.

Enlightening!
Ira Israel presents a natural treatment for depression and anxiety that rejects the pharmaceutical approach to these all too common modern day afflictions. Ira is highly qualified and knowledgeable on the subject and presents clinical information in an interesting and understandable way. The video is beautiful to watch, and Ira's narrative is both instructional and inspiring. Yoga devotees and novices alike will find great value here. You will watch this video again and again. I am a fan.

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The River

Rich and Insightful...
that's the quote from Variety that's on the DVD box, and I couldn't agree more. The acting in this film is top notch. The film follows a range of characters over the course of one autumn day in Finland. Included among them are a gay couple trying to keep their affair secret, an adulterous wife, and a young mother contemplating suicide. The film manages to portray all of its characters in a very real and believable way. Unlike some "day in the life" films, this one manages to be an ordinary day with some very extraordinary events. Two thumbs up!!!

Frustrating...
...in a bad way. "The River" (or "Joki") takes a painfully familiar formula (ex. Robert Altman's "Short Cuts," as if we needed another), sets it in Finland, and leaves its viewer stranded. The film is structured around a woman who appears to be attempting suicide by drowning her and her baby in a river; the side-stories follow from there. Unfortunately, the "we're-all-connected" theme of the film feels less genuine than even the the most uninspired of the subgenre. The film feels more like a bunch of half-assembled ideas patched together solely because the director didn't know how to conclude (or leave interestingly inconclusive) each story. The sad part is that the film is far from dull; yet your endurance through the entirity may seem futile by the end-credits.



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Wild West Outlaws - 10 Classic Films (2 Disc Set)

Wild West Outlaws
I have the older version of this collection from 2009 and most of the films are watchable, but are bad quality. To note, these are great movies. The quality of these movies aren't like they were filmed from a TV, but probably from the original film's negative, but weren't remastered.

Movies included are:
God's Gun (Jack Palance & Lee Van Cleef)
The Hanged Man (Steve Forest)
One-Eyed Jacks (Marlon Brando & Karl Malden)
Paradise Canyon (John Wayne)
Under California Stars (Roy Rogers)
Angel and the Badman (John Wayne)
Vengeance Valley (Burt Lancaster)
The Old Coral (Gene Autry)
The Proud and the Damned (Chuck Connors)
Twice a Judas (Klaus Kinski)





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Looney Tunes Show: Season 1 V.3

Great Show, Terrible DVD
I have to say that this show is hilarious. I have watched just about every episode and the show has steadily gotten better since it premeired. If I had one complaint its these terrible DVD sets. Both Season 1 parts 1 and 2 have only had 4 episodes each. Its the same with this DVD set. Just 4 episodes. For 13.49. Not a very good deal at all. Its disappointing that such a good show has gotten such disappionting DVD releases.

A Little "Looney" Goes a Long Way
Th-th-th-that's NOT all, folks. It's time for the rundown of "The Looney Tunes Show - Season 1, Volume 3" DVD. The four episodes are as follows:

"The Foghorn Leghorn Story" - Daffy becomes the lead character in Foghorn Leghorn's new movie. Meanwhile, Bugs and Yosemite Sam discover a seemingly priceless vase. (WARNING: This episode has a rather painful fistfight sequence. Just sayin'.)
First Appearance: Foghorn Leghorn (Believe you me, after being seen in a music video in each of the previous volumes, it's about, ah say, it's about time that barnyard bigmouth made an episodic appearance. First time, that is. Also, there's the character Miss Prissy, who's credited as "Mama Foghorn" in this episode.)

"Eligible Bachelors" - Bugs and Daffy auction themselves as bachelors for bidding, and they get some unexpected dates: Lola, who whisks Bugs away to Paris; and Granny, who tells Daffy her times and adventures in France during WWII whilst they clean her...

Looney
This is an updated version of the old Looney Tunes we all grew up with. I enjoyed them. I still prefer the old cartoons better. Kids enjoy them.

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Nature: Raccoon Nation [Blu-ray]

more like raccoon planet
I'm a Chicagoan and this documentary said raccoons are flocking to big North American cities. However, here they are roadkill down every other street. I'm afraid of them in that I heard they can be rabid. However, while it doesn't surprise me that mice, pigeons, and maggots thrive in human environments. It shocks me that those slow-moving raccoons do. This work points to the ways that we may as well start discussing raccoons in the same breath that we bring up dolphins, octupusses, and other "smart animals."

The work said that raccoons are helped in many ways. They have opposable, hardworking front hands like we do. They are cared for and trained by their mothers like we are. They have more food sources because they are omnivorous. They are nocturnal and thus avoid human detection. But in the same way that viruses seem to get stronger each time modern scientists come up with vaccines. Raccoons in urban areas are adapting and improving mentally. Believe me: I...

Beautiful filming, confused story.
This is a fascinating account of raccoons moving into the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. It happens that large areas of Toronto are older-type construction with detached garages and fenced-in yards. These make it easy for raccoons to forage for food and find places to live. Raccoons are extremely resourceful, intelligent, have considerable physical ability and survive well in an environment like this. Food, as it happens, was plentiful. The photography was excellent. If you like "critters," you will love the filming.

On the other hand, the movie postulates the development of an urban "uber raccoon," as though this is going to be some kind of monster taking over cities and towns. They suggest that their problem-solving ability with locks and latches is almost human-like and paint a picture of a non-existent threat of super-intelligent beasts. They are admittedly very adaptive animals who are simply using their skills to exist, feed themselves and make more raccoons...

Not bad.
This is probably as interesting as a documentary about raccoons can get.

It had some very interesting facts about raccoons that were new to me. Some unique footage as well, particularly a mother raccoon trying to help her babies get through an awkward, upside down crack in a farm shed.

The pace of the documentary slows down a bit after the middle.

Overall a pretty cool documentary about raccoons. 3.5/5

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Second Knock at the Door

You Must See This Documentary
There are so many reasons to see "A Second Knock At The Door." It tells an important truth, no matter how heart-breaking the stories of the families are. The way the story is told allows each person to come to a conclusion based on facts and the truth. There is no sensationalism. It doesn't steer you. It takes you through facts, real footage and introduces you to real families who experienced friendly-fire and lost a loved one. All sides are presented fairly and objectively. Of course, I had an emotional response to the fact that US soldiers are and have been killed by other US troops. The way the families were told and treated was not acceptable and this documentary will surely prevent other families from the double heartbreak the families in the documentary went through. You feel that both issues; friendly-fire and how families are notified are addressed. If you support our troops, you have to see this. If you are against war, you have to see this. Everyone needs to see...

An education without answers
Whatever you think you know about friendly fire, throw it out the window.
Granted, we all know it happens... In the very tidy way that has always been presented us, one would assume there is nothing more to tell - except for now.

The aftermath, cover-up, and lack of humanity exposed in this documentary dispel the illusion in a raw and factual presentation that leaves the viewer without the answers we are accustomed. We are left instead with compelling questions, an unsettled mind, and a place where empathy becomes sympathy. To what end and purpose are these actions taken? How is this justifiable? Who is accountable? These are just some of the reoccurring questions that plague the families of our lost and are now brought before us in 'A Second Knock at the Door' with the only answer being, "there is none".

wonderful a must see
This is a must see documentary about the lies of friendly fire cases. I went to see it because one of my dear friends Jesse Buryj was one of these cases featured. The things our goverment covers up and makes these poor families go through is heartwrenching. Yes there is death in war , but the lies that come ontop of it are horrible . I recomend everyone see this ...,.

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Racket Squad, Volume 10

The Racket Squad series
This entertaining "bunco squad" police series ran for 3 seasons from 1951-1953, and though there were almost 100 episodes, less than half of them are currently available on DVD. Besides this, the manufacturer Alpha Home Entertainment only releases 4 episodes per DVD, and the shows do not run consecutively. For this Racket Squad Volume 10, you will find the following shows:

HOME WRECKERS, Season 2, 1952, Episode 28, Show #41

ROMANCE UNLIMITED, Season 3, 1953, Episode 31, Show #94

SALTED MINE, Season 2, 1951, Episode 11, Show #24

STAFF OF LIFE, Season 2, 1952, Episode 30, Show #43





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Outlaw Justice

add to your john wayne collection
two of my favorite movie icons. this is a real bargain, two great films for a low low price, what a deal.

Valentine
I ordered this for my husband for Valentine's Day. He loved it. It came in a tin DVD case. I got a great gift and good price.



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Wallace & Gromit: World of Invention [Blu-ray]

Wallace & Gromit are back....well, sort of....
I anticipated that this release would be just what it is: a variety type show with wrap-arounds starring W&G. Fun stuff to be sure, but make no mistake: this is NOT a new set of adventures with our pals.

While it's great to have them back, it is a far cry from previous releases.

By all means; if you are a huge fan (as we are) pick this up and enjoy - and maybe even learn something. Just don't bring any expectations from previous adventures.

OMG, Some of you have got to be kidding
OK, OK, we too were surprised when we got it out of the library that it was Wallace and Gromit hosting a show about inventors and their inventions, and not a series of Wallace and Gromit shorts with all their crazy inventions.

Well the fact is it is so amazing, we are buying it for gifts for young and old alike. You will be stunned by the REAL inventions out there, and the stories behind them. If you have a curious mind, or you want to inspire curiosity in a young one, then this is a movie for you.

And as a reminder it just has short cute vignettes of Wallace and Gromit, but the real stars are the REAL inventions.

Good - but pay attention to what you're actually buying!
I recently received this and watched it with my 7 & 10 year old sons. This is a series of National-Geographic-flavored-but-cool-enough-to-compete-on-Saturday-morning shows (Children of the 70s, think Big Blue Marble). Segments are introduced by our friends from Wallaby Way, but the core of the show is real-life footage of inventors, hobbyists, and tinkerers showing off their cool gadgets. They have a segment on Theo Jansen, the guy who makes those amazing wind-driven walking 'animals' that stalk beaches. Cool stuff. The level of the engineering is ~2-3rd grade. My 10 year old thought the inventions were cool, but he definitely could have handled more detail. The 7 year old liked it after his initial disappointment that it wasn't a 'real' Wallace and Grommet show. Overall, absolutely worth a look, but make sure you're aware what you're buying!

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Black Butterfly

An Earnest Effort: This Urban Drama Has Its Heart In The Right Place, But Never Fully Rings True
There is a confident matter-of-factness that serves the understated appeal of Mark Harris' "Black Butterfly" quite well. In its quiet moments, the film does a good job establishing a believable and supportive middle class family. The story revolves around Mahogany Monae as a promising high school swimmer with dreams of Olympic glory. She is a good student, an ideal daughter, a loving influence on her disabled brother, and a loyal girlfriend. The early sequences in the film really get you to appreciate Monae as a character and her interactions with those around her stand in a very positive light. In many ways, you know that this idyllic world must be headed for a speed bump. Soon, the girl's entire existence is going to be shattered by a random act of violence and this event will have long range repercussions on all that love her.

The set-up of "Black Butterfly" is both simple and effective. While the dialogue and performances do have moments where they come across as...

surprised i liked it
i rented this from redbox expecting it to be corny or just stupid and i really enjoyed it, it had a coupla corny moments but it is worth purchsing. I liked it way better than i expected and it was well worth the rental price.

Stellar acting from some...a story we all know
While the writing was, at times, overwrought and preachy, the performances were solid.

I was particularly impressed with the Mahogany Monae and Lionel Gentle. Monae, while a bit old for her role and Gentle, a bit young for his, delivered nuanced performances, in spite of the heavy handedness of the script.

While the subject matter is tough to watch, I was impressed with the movie overall and would recommend it.

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Arthur & the Invisibles 2 & 3-New Minimoy Adventur

Good Sequels
I just saw these available today on amazon on demand (Roku). We really enjoyed the first one, but I was a bit apprehenvise since these were direct-to-video releases. However, the cast and the production (effects) quality were very good. Some of the voice cast changed, but Freddie Highmore and Mia Farrow are back as the main Human characters. Actually, we saw part 2, and rented it on demand and watched it before we realized there was a third part! Luckily Part 3 was also available so we watched it right after Part 2. So if you liked the first one, I recommmed these.

Good Movies
My daughter loved the Arthur first so I bought her 2 & 3. She really liked them although she liked the first one better. Overall these are great movies for the price.

ARTHUR &THE INVISIBLES 2&3 DVD
Good movies, but not as good as the first,as far as the story. Excellent animation and live action combo.

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Yo Gabba Gabba: There's a Party in My City! Live Concert

Very cute!
My youngest daughter loves Yo Gabba Gabba, and this movie is very entertaining for her. She doesn't take her eyes off it!

Exciting music + Interesting performance + No subtitles or words displayed on screen to sing along
This show is interesting and colorful. The music is exciting.
What I don't like is it has no subtitles or words displayed on screen. So, it's hard for the kids, their parents and teachers to sing along. In some cases, the adults want to sing along to encourage their kids to sing and dance.

In this regard, I think one of the better DVDs is VeggieTales Sing Yourself Silly.

Get Up and Move!
We were actually fortunate enough to see the "Yo Gabba Gabba: There's a Party in My City!" when it was here in Chicago and my boys still talk about it. It is perfect for them to watch the show whenever they want or take it in the car. There is lots of singing and dancing which I love because it gets my boys up and moving. I mean really how could you not want to dance along? Its also very energetic since Lance was actually performing it live.

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American Pie 2 (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

A fair sequel...
Man, there are few movie sequels that are as good (or better) than the original movie, but AP 2 is one of them!

I laughed a lot, the general feeling is that the cast is really enjoying themselves and is tuned to the task ahead. Very good indeed.

heard they are preparing a third one (Called AMERICAN WEDDING, I guess). I hope the third part of the "trilogy" be as godd as the frst two movies.

Also, this was a message to the Wayan Brothers, who [messed] up totally the second SCARY MOVIE. It proved that they could have written a better sequel.

Prepare for Reviewination
Don't you hate sequels that are just clones of the original movies with ten times the action and one one hundredth the plot? Well, then you'll be happy to hear that American Pie 2 isn't one of those movies. The plot, which doesn't play a significant part in either, is different: the four friends, back from their first year of college, have decided to rent a lake house on Lake Michigan and throw the biggest and best party that the town has ever seen. Also, Jim (Jason Biggs) is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) the hot Czech girl that he almost scored with the previous year, and he is taking lessons on how to please girls from Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), his prom date. During these sequences, we, the audience, begin to realize that Jim and Michelle are meant to be, and part of the fun is watching how oblivious they are to it. But the best part is, the entire cast is back, although, there is a shift in importance of characters. The four main guys don't...

American Pie 2 at College.
American Pie was such a smash hit in 1999, the sequel of 2001 is just as good. The five mains guys: Finch, Oz, Stiffler, Kevin and Jim return as college men.

The story starts out with Jim on his last day of his college freshman year. His nerdy father is coming to pick him up and as he walks in Jim's dorm, he's getting laid with a blonde chick. So Jim goes home, Nadia calls him and says she's coming to see him at the end of the summer.

Now, Jim must prepare himself for Nadia because she wants to sleep with him. Now the five guys go out and rent a beach house for the summer to party and meet girls. He doesn't know how good he is in bed so he goes to find the band geek that he got lucky with after prom last year. She tells him he [isn't good]. So she decides to help him out.

Meanwhile, the guys are painters working on a house where two chicks live that Stiffler thinks are lesbians. So see what the guys do to find out. A lot of funny stuff happens here. Now at the end of the...

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Five

Leaves you wanting more
This short film had a realness to it that is rare in movies about children. I really felt like I spent the summer looking into the world of a five year old girl and her loving but struggling parents. I love that nothing goes wrong. And there isn't a plot---no big problem to solve. Just an ordinary summer for a little girl whose life is just starting. We get a glimpse into the danger and struggle she may encounter in the far future but for now she is just a precious perfect child living in American poverty.

I loved this film! You'll wish it were a full length feature!

Drama at its best
Good performances, A very realistic, and authentic feeling, and setting, make this one of the best dramatic pieces I have scene in a while.



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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "Reflections on the Current Scene"

Interesting discussion
This show was previously advertised as a 1975 episode on feminism (since corrected). Mr. Buckley introduces the show by saying it's unusual for two reasons: there is no set topic (we get to see what was "in the air" in that moment in time), and it is not a debate (since they generally agree),

The conversation takes place at the University of Hawaii, with 3 student panelists on a couch, and several more students seated on the floor Romper Room-style in between the stage and the couch. The most prominent subjects of discussion are Spiro Agnew's war with the press and overpopulation. Perhaps revealing myself as a youngster having caught only the tail end of the Firing Line run on TV, it's fascinating seeing this free-range survey of the political conversation of another age, especially with one of the participants providing the perspective of a previous age (Mrs. Luce contributes a few anecdotes from the 1920s to illustrate the conversation).

I must say that I...





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A Cinderella Story / Another Cinderella Story / A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song (Triple Feature)

the cinderella stories
I liked it. I have always enjoyed the story of cinderella and found that each movie had an interesting twist on the story. It was enjoyable to see how each heroine got her prince in the end. If only real life had happily ever after endings like finding one's prince.

Great movies that I can watch with my daughter.
I have a young girl who loves to watch movies with me but I was growing tired of always watching the barbie and other such little girl flicks. So we decided to try these. She loves them, they are funny and engaging and we have a great time watching them together.

The girls like it.
Good value for the money, three for the price of one. The girls like it!! Video and sound quality are both good.

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The Swell Season [HD]

Courageous film making with a heart
Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard were not prepared for what happened to them. Writing a devastatingly beautiful and emotionally honest love song "Falling Slowly" propelled a low budget labor of love "Once" to heights they hadn't imagined possible. The musical tale of two lonely people with bruised and battered hearts who meet on the streets of Dublin struck am emotional chord with movie goers and culminated with an Oscar win for "Best Song". It's hard to know how many fans of the movie even knew that the two were actual musicians and friends for many years, Mr. Hansard heads the critically heralded but under appreciated Irish band The Frames. He befriended the Irgl family while touring the Czech Republic and was immediately impressed with Marketa's musical abilities and did what he could to encourage her to develop her talent. The music chemistry between them is almost immediate and they develop a fruitful partnership. Glen feels at home in the Czech Republic and records a solo album...

An Intimate Rock Documentary Charts The Twin, And Often Divergent, Paths Of Love And Fame
Like many, I fell in love with the duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova with the unexpected hit movie "Once." This tiny movie, made for almost no money, catapulted the pair into indie prominence and even won them an Oscar for Best Original Song (one of my favorites--Falling Slowly). To capitalize on their seemingly instant success, the band (named The Swell Season) hit the road for a two year world tour. But what is the price of instant notoriety? Hansard, who had been working for musical success for many years, was ready and willing to make the commitment that fame dictated. Irglova, on the other hand, was a more reticent partner for whom success came out of the blue. The tour and their fundamental differences put a strain on their real-life romance. With a subtle fly-on-the-wall appeal, the documentary "The Swell Season" chronicles this tumultuous period through amazing highs and disappointing lows. It is a tribute to their artistry, to their music, and to their friendship even...

The sharp black and white photography matches the mood of this story of the "price of success"
My fellow Amazon reviewer - K. Harris - has pretty much covered the plot, and back story, of this film, so I won't repeat much of what he (?) has written. This 2011 90-minute documentary, shot in black and white on what appears to be HD digital (the images are sharp) is part of the almost never ending story of Irish Singer-songwriters Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. The film of their meeting and beginning as performers was captured in the film "Once". This current film documents their careers beginning after their success for winning the Oscar for the Best Song ("Falling Slowly") and follows them to their current status as performers, but no longer lovers. And, now "Once" has been brought to the Broadway stage as a musical (with the Original Cast album being released today!).

This film has THREE Directors and, while the concert footage - and there is a lot (including 8 musical performances among the 10 deleted scenes - an additional 45 minutes - in the bonus features) -...

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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "Vietnam and the Intellectuals"

A clash of world views
Chomsky is erudite, articulate, and unflappable, but Buckley transcends. It is intellectual dialogue unseen on TV today and well worth watching. My 25 year old son was fascinated, people his age now see little of this kind of debate/interview. Interviewers on the major networks today lack the brainpower to even attempt to really explore ideas, and pro and con panel debates degenerate into shouted sound bites, with no one able to moderate the discussion.

A forgotten art
My thread title is in reference to the forgotten art of earnest, intellectual, vitriol free discussion, where-in you always walk away rubbing your chin, not fulminating at the cheap shots or vapid rhetoric which is all that's available today it appears. Susskind, Cabot, Buckley they are gone and are not coming back sadly.

Firing Line cds/dvds were here to fore available through a laborious ordering system at Stanford, the Hoover institute, I am very happy to see them here, there are many others not yet transcribed, and can be found at Hoover as well.

I won't remark on the segment itself, except to say it is very illuminating in that it sketches one of the chasms' neatly the pathos ala conservatism and neo liberalism/progressivism. Enjoy.

A young Chomsky versus the last of the American Intellectual Conservatives
Engrossing. By illustrating the faults of the Truman Doctrine, and the folly of American interventionism, Chomsky shows us just how much of a box the right was in during the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Instead of embracing a Burkean conservatism, and calling for the end of foreign wars, the right in America instead, took up the mantle of furthering the foreign policies of what then was the American left, and then actually extending them to a kind of absurdity. This paradoxical position, was one that Buckley would argue from till the bitter end, and it still resonates today in the neo-conservative movement. Although I believe Chomsky to be a somewhat failed utopian, with his ideas of anarcho-syndicalism, he is probably the worlds foremost intellectual, and whether or not you agree with all his positions, his brilliance is inarguable. The most important thing that this debate illustrates though, is the bankruptcy of the American Right and Left. I miss Bill Buckley. His show allowed for a type...

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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "The Future of Conservatism"

Wish These Days Were Back!
I just recently got to watch this. It's excellent. I only wish it (the program)were longer.

Wilson?!
In one sense, any Firing Line interview from the 1960's is worth owning as history if nothing else. If I recall correctly, this aired after the 1966 election and they discussed nearly the exact same stuff Republicans are discussing today following the 2008 election. It's interesting to hear how little has changed.

I was rather floored, however, to hear Goldwater speak fondly of Woodrow Wilson. Was this is a function of the time and a yearning for authoritarian rule? Or is there something I really don't understand about Goldwater? Buckley doesn't explore this point, but I was surprised to hear it.

In the end, I enjoyed the program and I'm glad I bought it however there isn't much here that'll likely lead me to watch it a second time. Interesting, but not riveting.

Buckley and Goldwater in 1966
In 1966 William F. Buckley's show "Firing Line" was just beginning its long run. One of the show's first guests was Barry Goldwater, who had lost the prior presidential election. In this episode the two discuss the future of conservatism after Goldwater's defeat and the passage of the liberal legislation of the mid-Sixties.

Goldwater was prescient on Medicare and on the ultimate ideological homogenization of the two major political parties. Buckley and Goldwater also examined the concentration of power in the presidency, mused on the likelihood of defeating an incumbent president and of a GOP win in 1968, and discussed the possible roles of Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon in the Republican Party. The two also discussed foreign policy, touching on Vietnam, China, and Communism.

Some of the topics in this episode of "Firing Line" are dated, but others are timeless, including the discussion of some of the challenges conservatives seemingly face in any era...

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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "The Decline of Christianity"

Young Billy Graham evangelizes William F. Buckley
One hundred years from now, what will future generations think when studying the partisan circus-barker sideshows that pass for "news" today?

I could not be more different from William F. Buckley and could not disagree more with his views, but I tell you this: We are a poorer society without his sober exploration of today's issues.

Buckley's gift took the form of boldly unafraid interviews of the most powerful voices of that volatile era of change; a tone, balance and intellect we are desperately in need of today. The screeching of extreme opinions we currently suffer serves only to deafen ears and paralyze progress.

This interview is a fascinating historical snapshot of 1969, when Nixon "I am not a crook!" was president, the Vietnam war and protests against it destroyed falsely-hallowed institutions and idealism of peace-and-love was extinguished with the murder of its leaders. America was seething with rage.

Buckley's theme is decline...





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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. - "Capital Punishment: Truman Capote"

These are excellent programs....
I would like to buy all of these programs if i could afford them all....I found this "capital punishment " expose very very interesting to coin a phrase popular in this era....

Love this series
See Reagan before election and do not (!) miss Groucho. Excellent. Enjoy the master at work. Relevant, incisive and wicked.

Interesting, but not fascinating
As a writer, I admit I loved the movie Capote, and was intrigued by the prospect of seeing a bit of his personality in an interview situation. I don't know if it was the interviewer, or the nervousness of Truman, which was evident as he is obviously not a person who is normally set in a position to comment on such a serious subject and was probably quite prepared beforehand to make his statement, it was a bit, dare I say, boring. Capote, I'd heard, had a flamboyant and fun personality, but in this interview you won't even see those famous glasses. He takes a sort of middle ground on capitol punishment, that it is not such a deterrent as it is often not performed with consistency, and it is evident that he hasn't really made up his mind but has thought a lot about it. If the story in the movie, Capote, is true, he was overcome with emotion with his involvement during the writing of In Cold Blood, which I have yet to read. But I'm sure he did not want to disappoint anyone, nor become...

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Helen Keller in Her Story

Helen Kellers' words set to video with real footage and photographs
"Helen Keller In Her Story" is a documentary which was produced and directed by Nancy Hamilton and was originally released in 1955. It is in black and white and was distributed by Hearst in 1992 in VHS format.

This documentary takes the story of Helen Keller as written in her autobiography, and is narrated by actress Katherine Cornell. It won an Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary in 1955.

The narration is done over original footage of Helen Keller and some older material are still shots of photographs. While hearing about the life of Helen Keller it is fascinating to see her in motion in the video images.

We see Helen Keller traveling all over the world. We see how she can communicate using sign language. We see Keller reading Braille including reading her Braille Bible which she says she reads each morning and each evening. We see her typing using a regular typewriter as well as a Braille typewriter. Later we see her trying a device which...

Plenty of rare footage
Excellent video for all the reasons listed in Amazon's official review and-- contains the only known recording of Anne Sullivan's voice!

Every thing you wanted to know about Helen keller
Very informative, used it as an intro to the book for a high school ESL class. Lengthy but the kids loved watching how she learned to speak. It is black and white and it is narrated in proper English.

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A Firing Line Debate: Resolved: That the Senate Should Ratify the Proposed Panama Canal Treaties

Ronald Reagan debates William F Buckley Jr
In William F Buckley's "Miles Gone By", Buckley calls this debate (and Reagan's stand on the issue) as a key factor in Reagan garnering base support and ultimately the 1980 GOP nomination for the Presidency. The issue of the ratification of these Panama Canal Treaties literally split the Republican party in two and you will see what I mean when you watch this. Reagan along with Pat Buchanan, adviser John S McCain (former Admiral not the current Senator), and one other argue that ratifying these particular treaties are not good for the country. They argue that the Senate should hold out for a better deal before going through with the ratification. WFB Jr, George Will and two others agree with the Carter Adminstration on this foreign policy issue because they claim that the US owning the Canal fuels the arguement for America's enemies that the US is an imperialist colonial power.

This all occurred long before my time so I needed to educate myself with the details of the...





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A Firing Line Debate: Resolved: That the Evolutionists Should Acknowledge Creation

An old debate but surprisingly relevant today
This was an all-star debate about evolution and I really enjoyed it. The debate was also interesting because the way the two sides came at the debate. William F. Buckley's team starts out thinking that evolution requires that we accept there are only materialist forces and therefore precludes the role of God in creation. While the scientist on the other side Kenneth Miller obviously believes in only materialist causes are at work in evolution his team of completely disavow this position and freely admit that God could have been involved in all aspects of evolution; yet they argue as if only materialistic causes were in play. Along with Kenneth Miller, Eugenie Scott and Michael Ruse are all atheists, Barry Lynn is not. Barry is the person that sounds the most incoherent in the debate because he insists that belief in God is compatible with evolution but constantly argues during the debate as if God had nothing to do with evolution and we were the product of random chance...





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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "Firing Line 1966-1986: Personalities"

Outstanding
You just don't see interviews and conversation like this on TV anymore. The entire Firing Line series is worth the watch. Whether you agree with him or not, Buckley is just plain brilliant.





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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "Defense and the Democrats"

Verbal missiles disarmed
One of New York's finest politicians in recent times, Sen. Patrick Moynihan(Democrat)withstands the bright studio light and verbal missiles that Bill Buckley sends him with with unflinching candor. Whether United Nations ills or foreign diplomacy shortcomings, these two products of academe engage in modest close combat at the close of the Carter administration. Senator Moynihan, a distinguished published scholar, served over 5 administrations with distinction and fairness, couches his arguments in historical detail. In time they explore the fragility of the in-coming(Reagan)administration poised on the edge of another military-led build-up of the nuclear arm race with Russia. Moynihan emphasizes impartially throughout the discussion the deadly path the U.S. faces as a nation which could lead us to Afghanistan and the festering thorn of Iran. Unlike today's lobby-politicians, Buckley and Moynihan both concede error with quick recall and candor, never sinking away into vagueness.(so...





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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?"

Only One Bullet Counts, Never Mind the Twelve Others
Seven years after the death of "our last patriarch,"(RFK) the conspiracy trail winds down, but not out. Here, at a southern university, Mr. Buckley confronts the former skeptic, Allard K. Lowenstein, a young, former cynic with regards to conspiracy theories, who rises to the occasion to reveal in one hour the contradictory facts never fully revealed weighed against the government's "stated" and publicized facts openly. After viewing this hour raptly, I was dumfounded that I heard for the first time an alleged tie to the Bush family, repeatedly throughout. (I guess the Bush elder was on the investigating committee)No matter. At that time, the country had suffered the Watergate mess, a farcical House re-investigation of the JFK assassination that called no eye-witnesses with contradictory testimonies,and the ascendancy of a lone independent journalistic team (Woodward/Bernstein), who vanished on the D.C cocktail trail. The only journalist to look beneath the surface of domestic things...

Interesting history
Long time fan of the show and so glad to be able to watch it online. Great to get it at such a low price, will watch many of them in future.
This one a look at an assasanation theory I forgot about, and don't believe. Interesting to see such a smart guy go off the rails with this.



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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. - "The Economic Crisis"

Milton Friedman....a man who tried to warn the West of the dangers of socialism.
I am poorly educated in the field of Economics....but Friedman was a sage who explains things so simply that one of my limited learning in this field can still learn.

Friedman and Buckley, what fun
Milton Friedman was just so amazing; both brilliant and articulate. He was both in this too brief discussion with Buckley.

Two Giants
Buckley with an economic giant. Loved it! I have watched this a number of times. I love Friedmans simple explanations of concepts or ideas. He has a great way of explaining concepts in laymen's terms.

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From Time To Time [HD]

Beautiful Childrens' Adaptation
Based on a well-known children's book series by Lucy M. Boston, From Time to Time is a sentimental and touching story about ghostly encounters in the aftermath of wartime.

Although WWII is drawing to an end, there are still a number of British soldiers unaccounted for -- among them is the father of young Tolly (Alex Etel), who has been sent to live with his grandmother (Maggie Smith) while his own mother attempts to use her political connections to discern his father's whereabouts. Moving into the old manor house, Tolly becomes fascinated with its romantic and frequently tragic history. The paintings in the main hall tell a story of past generations and over a hundred year old mystery. But that is not all the secrets the old house contains, for after a ghostly encounter, Tolly becomes convinced the place is haunted. But it seems to contain more magic than that, for sometimes he encounters specters... and sometimes he is the ghost in their world. Weaving in and out of time,...

A good story, especially if you like time travel themes
Being a fan of Downton Abbey, I was attracted to this movie when I saw the names of 2 cast members, Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville. I was also intrigued that the writer of this film is the same person who created Downton Abbey.

This film is set in an old manor in Great Britain near the end of World War II. A teenage boy, Tolly, comes to stay with his grandmother, who lives in the manor. At the beginning, Tolly questions his grandmother about portraits of family members long past. From that point on, he has quite an adventure.

If you want to know more, you'll have to wait for other reviews or just watch the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

One of my favorites
This movie is delightful, superbly written and filmed, with first-rate performances from Maggie Smith, Alex Etel, Hugh Bonneville, Timothy Spall, et al. And, since a another reviewer has done a fine job of describing characters and events, suffice to say that thanks to all involved in this production, the movie is so engrossing and entertaining it seemed to be over before I knew it. It's a gem.

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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "How Should Ex-Communists Cooperate?"

no thanks
boring I have no idea why anyone would rate these as 4 or 5 stars other than to annoy people as they are looking through movies

Mediated by Roy Cohn
Well....

What do you want me to say, the most evil man ever to blow coke at Studio 54, trying to be a voice of honest moderation and discussion.



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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. - "The Dalai Lama Looks Back"

I missed this when it originally aired in the 80's.
Two things were missing from this interview. The first was the Dalai Lama's interpreter. There were two assistants there but they didn't have enough ability to translate English to Tibetan and couldn't help him very much with the questions. Buckley didn't seem willing or able to speak in more simplified English and so missed out on what could have been the Dalai Lama's complete response to all the questions. The Dalai Lama is extremely intelligent and his confusion with some of the questions was due to Buckley's speech pattern and choice of words not the Dalai Lama's inability to grasp them.

Wm F Buckley Jr meets the Dalai Lama
This episode of Firing Line is from 1979, the Dalai Lama's first visit to the States. The very urgent and passionate topic is non violence in the face of Communist aggression. Buckley, the Dalai Lama and the third man, a former diplomat and cabinet member from Jimmy Carter's crew, all urgently want to know if it's possible to stand up to aggression and triumph with non violence. His Holiness' English is very basic and he has to fit refined thought into coarse language ability, but he does manage to it more or less. Actually, Wm Buckley is harder to understand than HHDL. It's nice to watch this clip together with the April 2012 Piers Morgan interview with HHDL. His views are unchanged, but now he can express himself and argue closely for his approach.



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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. "The Future of the GOP"

brilliant time capsule footage!
Okay...this is from a program a year prior to Nixon's election as President...he is rehabilitating himself not only from the defeat by JFK for President but also the crushing defeat for Governor of California where he said...you won't have Dick Nixon to kick around! Knowing what we do about the rest of this man's history and our own , watching this program is a stunning revelation...I enjoyed it very much. The quality of the video was broadcast and first rate! Recommended to history buffs and political junkies.

Nixon, Buckley, and intelligent discussion
Back in the day, political discussions on Firing Line were presented without the vitriolic, hysterical, and slanted rants that pass for conversation on Television shows today. Richard Nixon and William F. Buckley discuss the future of the Republican Party as well as then topical issues such as the disenchantment with LBJ. Ironically, Richard Nixon became President, won the biggest re-election mandate in history but lost support from many people including Republican leaders, because of the Watergate scandal.

But this is seven years before the rise and fall of President Nixon, and he is as bright, outspoken, and even mentions FDR as a good salesman for the Democrats. One of the books that came out after Nixon's election was called "The Selling of the President." Television and Social Media have been the tools of spin doctors who handle style. The "new Nixon" had a team that showed the future President as a "fun guy," who could appear on the then-smash hit, "Laugh-In."...

Needed now more than ever.
In the age of Obama, William F. Buckley, Jr., is needed now more than ever. At least he survives in his Firing Line program; the Big O will disappear from view.

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Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. - "Borges: South America's Titan"

You won't see these types on interviews on television anymore
No sex, no violence. Just two people discussion literature in an adult fashion. No flash, no searching for titliating details. Some wit, lots of candor, honesty, and intelligence. All relics of the 20th century, seemingly lost forever.
Buckley's interview style mixed with Borges willingness to talk about anything, is a pretty good mix. It is sometimes difficult to understand Borges, at least at first, until you tune into his cadence.
But overall, a refreshing conversation with one of the greatest writers of the 20th century about writiing, writers, and literature in general. If you have a genuine interest in any of these topics, you will enjoy the interview.

Exceptional Dialogue between two giants
Though Borges evinces the intellectual wear of old age, with some of his peregrinations on issues not bearing on the posed question, he provides answers that offer a good deal of insight into the mind of this giant. Buckley's inquiries are often addressed very laconically, but nonetheless the interaction between the two never proves insipid.



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Sidewalls (Medianeras - English Subtitled)

A hidden treasure.
This is a movie to watch when you are alone late at night by yourself. A time when you can enjoy the solitude of life when the only shadows cast a show by candle light. Charming. Lovely. Smile.

Viewing This Is Like An Ordinary Housecleaning Day Only To Discover A $100 Bill Under The Sofa Cushions!
This rare breed of a movie jumped right out and surprised me, completely. I did not view the trailer as I am usually not in the habit of any longer. By not doing so, I imagined the movie would be a more typical romantic comedy--I was so far off with "typical".

Directer Gustavo Taretto and Cinematographer Leandro Martinez paint a portrait of an apathetic Buenos Aires in a state of decline while at the same time infusing it with a web designer (Martin) and an architect, (who hasn't built a single structure in 2 yrs.) Mariana.

A "country of tennants" as larger buildings are torn down in favor of smaller being built: "shoeboxes". You may feel a bit claustrophobic or even angry upon your first impressions. The stark reality of what is/has been going on to a once beautifully thriving city is depressing at least.

The condition of the city can become very moody and at the same time filled with a subtle humor from the two protagonists. The balance of...

New way to understand material and digital spaces
A new and interesting perspective to examine the way produced spaces (material or digital) shape our daily lives.
Fresh, clever and romantic comedy with the inevitable local Argentinean touch.
Highly recommended.

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + UltraViolet Digital Copy)

This is not a remake of an original adaptation
When American filmmakers decided to put forth a second adaptation of the Swedish vampire/drama/horror film, "Let the Right One In", a mere two years after the first one had been released in Sweden, I was pretty angry. Like many other geeks who'd seen the original adaptation of the Swedish novel, I thought that not enough time had passed(2 years)since the release of the first film, and that there was certainly no justification for the second adaptation. Additionally, the Swedish "Let the Right One In" adaptation was an unbelievably well made film(a classic in my opinion)and I believed that an attempt at an American adaptation so soon after the advent of the original film was somewhat disrespectful. "At least allow the original film to occupy its place in the horror pantheon for at least a few years before some hack director is given permission to besmirch the legacy of the first film with his/her adaptation," is what I'd said to myself after becoming privy to the announcement of the...

Exceptional; improves upon an already fantastic film
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has a rather large fan following and for good reason. The 2009 Swedish film is incredibly solid and well-acted with just the right amount of wrong. The two sequels that followed had their own uphill battles (switching directors, lower budget, etc) and weren't necessarily bad, but just failed to capture that raw emotional tenacity the original film offered. When news of a remake began making the usual rounds, there was a fairly large uproar amongst the internet community (isn't there always?), especially when it was announced Noomi Rapace wouldn't be returning as Lisbeth Salander. Most American remakes aren't directed by David Fincher though and while it isn't vastly different in comparison to its Swedish counterpart, Fincher has at least improved upon what was already a fantastic piece of cinema.

The opening of the film was a bit unexpected. "The Immigrant Song" cover by Trent Reznor and Karen O plays over these really fluid visuals that are...

Why This Dragon Flies SPOILER
After viewing the fairly well-produced and well-adapted "Girl" trilogy of films (based on the Millennium novels by the late Stieg Larrson) by director Niels Arden Oplev, the question, "Why see yet another version of this same story?" (even if it is done in English, Hollywood style) may just cross one's mind especially in a diminished economy where frugality renders duplication superfluous. However close to the perfection of the author's vision Noomi Rapace's performance might have been, Rooney Mara's incarnation of Lisbeth Salander seems more nuanced; she smolders with anger and vengeance like her predecessor, but withdraws in pretty silhouettes with a psychological vulnerability that endows her with even more antisocial magnetism and hints at the underbelly personal history yet to be revealed.

Even though easy-on-the-eyes Daniel Craig, as the intrepid journalist Mikhal Blomkvist, more than adequately portrays the likeable character with a winning, almost unconscious...

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The Dragon Lives Again

Had a ball watching this movie!
I wasn't sure about this film until I purchased the DVD and watched it very carefully. My, my! It was worth it! This movie was so hilarious and full of action that I could not believe what I was seeing! Bruce Lee in purgatory fighting his way back to earth against Dracula, James Bond, the Exorcist, the Godfather and a few others - with the help of Popeye (yes, Popeye the Sailor) and Caine (from the Kung Fu TV series)! The dubbing helped with the laughs. You have to see it for yourself to believe how funny this flick is! I am still laughing! I highly recommend this movie to anyone. It will surely get a person out of a bad mood very quickly! I guarantee it! The only problem is the DVD transfer. It is obviously from a VHS source (you can tell). However, the surrealism, action and comedy got my mind off of that minor fault. I don't want to spoil anything else (and there are plenty more things I can mention that are in this film) so I'll just say, "Find this movie. Buy it. Watch it. Enjoy...

great movie
great movie. My uncle really enjoys these types of movies so i got it for him. I'm sure he enjoys it.

welp
case was broken to pieces when I opened it and the disk looked like it had been scratched with sandpaper. film quality also outstandingly poor. thanks.

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