Ophelia Learns To Swim

Hilarious film by the author of "The Woman Director"
Cult film writer/director/producer Jurgen Vsych, after 28 short films, makes her feature debut with "Ophelia Learns to Swim." You can read about the making of this film in Vsych's recently published memoir, "The Woman Director," the first autobiography ever written by an American female filmmaker.

"Ophelia" takes the "Hamlet" story and turns it on its head. Julia Lee plays Ophelia, a young woman who was a brilliant student but has let her I.Q. plummet 60 points so her boyfriend won't be intimidated. Her existance seems to be on course to mimic her namesake in HAMLET, but her life takes a strange twist when a witch shows up on her doorstep and whisks her away.

Ophelia is introduced to the witch's friends: Superheroines Mother Nature, The Chocolatier, and The Librarian, who are battling their villanous counterparts Virginia Svelte (the hysterical Hilary Shepard-Turner), Cosmetic Chick, and The Doucher. Ophelia must decide which side to join - the underpaid,...

Ophelia Learns to be Human
I really enjoyed the film. I hope they will be playing it on the Independent Movie Channel more often.

I think with the right marketing, it would be really big with women's rights groups and with people who enjoy good wacky comedy.

Particularly clever was the subtle way in which the author/director/writer raised issues of equality and the human rights, often sticky subjects people don't like to be preached to about during their entertainments. Also, the overtly symbolic use of names and characters added to the zany, surreal under-girth of the narrative. The acting was authentic and honest, if a bit over the top in some moments (to be expected in this kind of fantasy/comedy of the absurd).

Ophelia herself combines the charm of an innocent with the sex appeal of a female at the dawn of womanhood. It is easy to empathize with her plight: a dotting but vacant and eventually spineless boyfriend, a pushy, mean-spirited, selfish, alcoholic father, a brother...

Cute idea, nice sense of humor, but falls flat
Ophelia learns to swim is many things, it's a feminist comedy (not necessary a contradiction in terms), a superhero parody and a coming of age story. It's also an ultra low budget film with some talented performers.

Ophelia is an ordinary girl taken for granted by her family and her boyfriend. Then she's kidnapped by the Broom Witch and the Council of Superheroines. She takes on their antifeminist foes including the smoking villainess Virginia Svelte.

There's a lot of sincerity in the film, the Superheroines are always making speeches about women's oppression and social issues. There's also a bit of parody, the film is not afraid to make fun of its issues but the jokes fall flat, the low budget is apparent and really it's not very entertaining.

There's potential. Julia Lee and Lauren Birkell in particular put in good performances, but in the end there's really no reason to seek this movie out.

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Thor

Epic, heroic fantasy.
Thor is Marvel's best superhero movie yet. It is even better than the first Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk films. It is also the most visually stunning of any Marvel film, with gorgeous fantasy settings, great costumes, and spectacular special effects.

In the same way as Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight worked just as well as a crime drama as a superhero movie, Thor works just as well as a standalone fantasy film. Even if I had not known that I was watching a comic book movie, I would have been just as happy with the story. In fact, I would say that you don't actually need to be familiar with the characters or the comic mythology to enjoy the film.

The story is set half in Asgard, the realm of the gods, and half in our world, Earth. Thor, the son of the king of Asgard, the wise Odin, is a proud and arrogant king-in-waiting. He makes a foolish mistake that brings his world to the brink of war and his father exiles him to our world as punishment, and...

MUCH more than I expected
I went to see this with our 9 year old son, honestly not expecting very much. While I have enjoyed Portman and Hopkins in a number of roles, I felt this would be just another comic book hero movie with a bad script, extremely predictable character development, and unoriginal attempts at humor.
I was wrong...
Not only did I AND our 9 year old boy enjoy THOR, our 13 year old daughter, 15 year old goddaughter, and two more of our daughter's friends enjoyed it...ALL 3 TIMES WE SAW IT!!!
That's right...I saw THOR with our kids 3 times. Granted, this is a bit over-killed, but we thoroughly enjoyed the movie every time and plan to purchase it on opening DVD release day. Here's why:
1. I felt it was age appropriate.
2. Was it violent, sure...was it gory, no.
3. It had clear lines of good and bad, treated well with a myriad of complexities that led people to their struggles...so it felt honest.
4. I thought it was a GREAT play into the Avengers movie that...

Thor
Comic book fans get a lot of flak for being nerds, dweebs and geeks; or at least they used to. Now comics are en vogue as millions of people attend geekfests like Comic Con; although whether that's to see the movie and television stars in attendance remains to be seen. Comic book characters are our mythology, they rival the super powered beings and gods of ancient Greek, Mesopotamian, and Viking mythology. We as humans have always felt this need to look up to higher powers to sort out our lives, believing that the fate of our race is better left in the hands of someone capable of bending the rules of physics. It's only natural then that eventually the worlds of comics and ancient mythology would collide as it does in the new Marvel movie Thor.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the arrogant first born son of King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) of Asgard, and the rightful heir to the throne. When Thor commits an act that could lead to war between Asgard and the Frostgiants, with whom they...

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Lucky Miles

Nice work
A funny comedy of "board people", their dreams of Australia and reality surrounding as three of a group walk through a desert towards unknown.

liked it
interesting characters, great story.hard to understand the accents at times, sad but, very funny also,nice scenery eventhough desolate another world

A Nice Surprise
Decided to take a risk on this one and found ourselves a decent flick. It's funny, a good story, and has some adventure.

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Femmes Fatales

Interesting
I consider this to be an Asian version of a Lifetime movie. The central characters are all female. It is an interesting view of a different culture. So often we are given one dimensional views of Japanese culture. This film offers a different perspective and shows that despite the cultural differences we face the same issues and problems. The film shows the consequences that infidelity, abortion, jealousy, and child abuse can have on an unbalanced mind.

Dont ake them mad
Very interesting look at Japanese culture. You think mild and submissive but this movies showed people of any culture have their bad thoughts and actions.

Femmes Fatales
Pointless documentary type film attempting to be memorable stories about women committing murder. Little character development and no identification with characters for viewer

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The Phantom Lady

Ella Raines Shines In Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady may have been overshadowed in 1944 by the release of the two classic noir films; Double Indemnity and Laura, yet Robert Siodmak's psychological thriller still maintains an acknowledged position among the genre. Siodmak lures viewers through rain slicked streets, back alley jazz clubs, and post midnight rendezvous. Adapted from a Cornell Woolrich novel, Phantom Lady is similar to Wollrich's later work Black Angel, in that a man (Alan Curtis) is wrongfully accused of murder, sentenced to death and can only depend on his secretary ( Ella Raines) who desperately searches for the only alibi (the phantom lady) that can exonerate him. Franchot Tone recieves top billing as a psychopathic socialite with twitching hands, but it is twenty-three year old Ella Raines who deservedly steals the spotlight . As Carol "Kansas" Richman, she seduces simple minded Elisha Cook Jr., an orchestra drummer, during one of his performances. In a classic cat & mouse...

Worth seeing several times.
A good hardbitten yarn, with effective use of shadows and night time backdrops. The scenes in which the female protagonist tails the bar-keeper through the subways and streets of New York are impressively eerie. The same peaches and cream protagonist then dresses up as an uncanny floozie---you can almost smell her cheap perfume through the VCR. The jazz drum scene involving peaches and cream/floozie and Elisha Cook Jr is high charged sex in a thinly veiled, naughty noir way. (It is far more erotic than the more explicit sex one sees in contemporary films.) The psychopath behind the intrigue is frightening and believeable. This is a great flick.

Another great adaption from Woolrich
Cornell Woolrich is the unsung hero of this and many other films. His little stories bashed out at a tremendous speed simply make great films. Hitchcock used Rear Window to create one of his best films. Other directors have used his stories to great effect. The recent Original Sin is the latest in a very long and distinguished list.

With a great story line of a man sitting on death row while his friends race to find evidence of his innocence, Siodmak really produces the goods in this film. One sequence, in particular, the jazz jam session, is as close to a sex scene as film makers could go in those days. The scene alone puts this film in the master class. Great cinematography, some good acting and briliant direction add up to one of the best film noirs in circulation.

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Episode 3 [HD]

The Zombie Next Door: BBC's Original And Emotional Take On The Zombie Craze
While I have an undeniable soft spot in my heart for the flesh eating undead, the zombie genre has been a bit overworked lately with projects (whether in film, TV, or books) of varying degrees of quality. Let's face it, the walking dead are everywhere! I'm certainly not complaining, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to find entertainment that still feels fresh and vital. So if you're looking for something a little different, look no further than "In The Flesh." This three part miniseries for the BBC takes a familiar concept and completely reworks the genre. Less a horror thriller than a social commentary, this domestic drama examines a world in which zombies return to a cognitive state and attempt to return to society. But is the world ready to cohabitate with this perceived threat?

The premise behind "In The Flesh" is pretty dazzling in its audacity. Forgiveness, retribution, prejudice, and loyalty are all concepts that face a small Lancashire village still haunted...

Flippin the script
Always been a huge fan of Zombie/Apocalyptic movies, so when I found out this series had come out and was available on Amazon instant video I was extremely excited, especially since The Walking Dead wont come back till this fall. I wasnt sure how this show would turn out, seeing as its a different aspect of how a Zombie apocalypse could turn out. After seeing Warm Bodies,(which was a great Zombie film btw) and the way they flipped the script on Zombie movies, I was hoping In The Flesh would turn out the same way in a sense; but for Zombie TV shows. I can say I am extremely satisfied. After watching just the first episode, I couldnt help but thinking how good the show really is, especially the way they they portray this Partially Deceased Syndrome. I feel its more realistic to the way the government, and society, would go about controlling and trying to medicate the Partially Deceased, because of the way the government presently plays a huge role in the Pharmaceutical market. I am...

Sci-fi with brilliant filmaking!!!
If you didn't catch this 3 part mini series, now's the time. Get your popcorn ready for a creative, thoughtful and masterful ride!!!

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Love is the Drug

Makes You Thankful its Not You
These are well done crime mystery shows. The premise of the show is that "normal," "happy" relationships can go really really bad when you introduce a third or fourth person into the mix and this usually end up with someone in the morgue.

If you like the documentary crime show genre I would definitely recommend this series.

Story not complete
The story wasn't complete. It would be nice if someone took the time to get the complete story and tell the complete story for once.

On par with ID's other programing
I like this show well enough with two exceptions.
#1.The opening song. Can the ID network please spend a few more dollars and get something better? The only upside is It's very short.
#2. Several of the shows are about crimes that have appeared in other ID shows. Is it that hard to find cases that don't over lap?

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Five Graves to Cairo

Billy Wilder's best of Action/Thriller/Suspense WWII
Here's one of Billy Wilder's earlier works which has his magic touch - by far the best director Hollywood ever produced; an action-packed WWII thriller.
With a complete story, actors, scenery, photography, and drama and his intangible ability to draw you into the story without knowing it - and ring's every emotional nerve you have. A genuine genius at storytelling and beautiful workmanship to look at.
Franchot Tone, one of the cruelly underrated finest actors and the breathtaking Ann Baxter will tear you apart.
Superb supporting cast of Eric Von Stroheim (sp), and Akhim Tamiroff (sp) et al, all make this thriller spin together seemlessly. A genuine suspense mystery with the threat of action everywhere. One of my favorites.
The stunning and exceptionally talented very young Ann Baxter is delicious and excellent, as also in the Fighting Sullivans and The Razors Edge (an oscar). Gawd she was lovely.
Don't miss this. You'll also get a taste of Billy...

"FIVE GRAVES" TREASURE BURIED IN VAULT FOR YEARS, EXHUMED!
If you're a fan of the old WWII era black & white historical dramas, you'll absoultely love this one. Filmed on a relatively low budget in one primary location, a hotel located near El Alamein and other desert battlefields that were traded back and forth between Allied and German forces. Directed by Billy Wilder, this is one of his best. Akim Tamiroff and Franchot Tone round out a cast with Ann Baxter and Erich Von Stroheim as Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox. Von Stroheim was given carte blanche to cast and train the German troops for the film, specifically their actions, behavior and wardrobe, right down to buttons on their uniforms. Everything had to be completely accurate. Wilder's economy of direction in this film permitted the actors to spread their wings as it were, to make beleivable characters shine within a somewhat claustrophobic interior set [location].

But don't take my word for it! SEE IT FOR YOURSELF! I've been trying to locate a Region 1 copy for...

A classic work of the times
This is one movie I recommend to everyone. It captures a period of WWII and simplifies good and bad. It's about the ordinary citizen making a small effort that will make a difference. My first exposure to Franchot Tone, whose intriguing character opposite Anne Baxter and Von Stroheim keeps you glued to the screen.

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Azul ATR72-600 - Oceanic Delivery [Blu-ray]

One of a kind
First, this is an unusual flight, since we're delivering a short range regional prop all the way from France to Brazil. Second, it's four hours of video, all of excellent quality. Third, there's almost no filler, which is a first for a Blu-Ray from Just Planes. Fourth, it's got the most thorough cockpit presentation you will find anywhere.

Fifth, there are long stretches from each angle. My biggest (maybe only) complaint about the Blu-Rays is that Just Planes keeps making them out like a movie. They are chronological, switching angles frequently. Here we get some of that, but we also get long periods where they stick with one point of view, replaying the sequence in time from another camera. It is great. With a couple caveats. They sometimes jump a couple minutes, so it's discontinuous. They sometimes play stupid music over the visual instead of giving us ATC. They sometimes superimpose two cameras on top of each other, which I find basically unwatchable...





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Last Round

overall oplnlon of show
I think the show is getting a bad rap overall. People believe they cant be broke due to the fact their a T.V. show. They are not members of the actors guild. So they don't receive the big salary and very little per episode residuals. They were just happy to have a show to display RJF's ability to repair, modify, restore and produce protypical to finish weapons with style. Yes, it is lamely labeled a drama/action series. Do you think Will Hayden is not seriously worried about his staffs future. I think his opening statment about safety is heartfelt. Rember that he is a Veteran and has seen first hand the carnage that firearms can cause. His loss of Socom order was real. You didn't see 10 barrels appear to help the show. I believe Vince really bought barrels in a lot sale as I have done myself. The 250% markup was due to his hatred for Will. Whether real or percieved from treatment as a master gunsmith. I think the network was to blame for the breakup in their rush for layers of drama...

Best season
I'm not a gun person at all but for some reason I like this show. Iv watched all the episodes, and this new season is by far the best.
They took a whole new rout with the production.
The production crew now asks the cast questions, and the whole season is just so drama filled and you can sense the tension between all the cast members.
But I will say this season feels a lot more scripted than seasons past.
In one of the episodes, will says that the shop can't even make payroll. There's no way they can't be making payroll. They are on a fricken tv show! They are getting paid for being on the tv show, and they are getting increased sales from people who have seen them on the tv show.

Great show
I suggest this show to anyone who loves guns and would like to seem them built, is an addictive show to watch.

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VeggieTales: The Penniless Princess [HD]

Great movie
Veggie Tales teaches childern life lessions and this one does the same. I was not dissapointed and my 5 year old and my 2 year old loves it.

KIDS WILL LOVE
GREAT ENTERTAINMENT & QUALITY MESSAGE. KIDS WILL LOVE IT. ADULTS WILL ENJOY AS WELL. HIGHLY RECOMMEND VEGGIE TALES. BEST REGARDS.

We loved it, and we have watched again and again!
Loved the message and we always love the videos with a positive girl message :) You can't go wrong with Veggie Tales!

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Give And Take And Take

Impressive budget movie!
I got this and had low expectations for it as the sleeve looked quite hammy and obviously low budget and i normally buy more expensive looking independents. BUT - this took me by surprise to see a non-american flick portraying themes that I guess Londoners dont see everyday but it is done in a way that it knows it ain't all serious. Lead characters are good and should aspire to more and the direction is good considering he had to take charge of alot. Music is kinda avante garde in a couple of the pensive moments of the film - very effective but i prefer the uptempo themes tunes. In all i would recomend anyone who wants to see a crime independent from some definite up-and-coming talent!

Some trivia for Give & Take & Take
Trust me - buy this film and you will have a load of London East End gangsters raining down upon your astonished face. What a ride! It's a gritty thriller, and if you don't like that, it's romantic. Good solid effort from all involved. I'm a big fan of low budget flicks and did some research and found the following information on the film which could one day make part of an excellent documentary. Enjoy and buy this film!

1 The director demanded total realism at all times, to the extent that police were called to the 'beating up' scene and arrested cast and crew! Of course it all got straightened out over a cup of tea and a coconut macaroon!

2 The Ford Escort chase in the car park at the end is actually a clever homage to Tomorrow Never Dies (James Bond), a little known fact is that Pierce Brosnan learnt to drive in a red Ford Escort.

3 Contrary to popular belief the film-makers did not have permission to film in most of the locations they used and...



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Popcorn on the High Seas

Great fun
I know that reality TV is alot of fake acting & there's some it in the show. I watch it for the tanks. The Dunkin Donuts one was fantastic.

I do like these guys...
I have enjoyed these guys from the beginning. Their creativity on the tanks they build is amazing and their interaction with each other is hilarious. This episode was funny and I do love the tank they built for the archaeology room was great.

This show is always amusing.
I love the characters on the show and the constant drama. I have learned about fish and fish tanks. Intact the show inspired me to get a fish tank! Mine isn't as fancy as the ATM guys' but it love it!

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Hannah Has a Ho-Phase [HD]

Great Romantic Comedy!
This film is witty, funny and written in a manner that successfully captures all the ups and downs of dating in this day in age. The writers create a plot that draws you in with a carefully crafted script filled with hysterical jokes, raunchy colloquy and a story that really explores in-depth the relationships between characters and their quest to find love despite all their past mishaps. Most romantic comedies are hard to watch, but this one is awesome...I loved it and you will too!

Good Movie
I thought this movie was very enjoyable. It's a fun movie if you aren't looking for anything too serious or deep.

A Three
Ehh... I've seen better. Hard to keep interest. One character kind of looks like the bearded hipster from the NBC TV show Revolution (not a bad thing just an observation).

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Fear House

Fear House
The holy grail of low budget movies; one location, 5 (or so) cast members, and mysterious, gruesome murders.

It's an interesting premise. A group of people find themselves trapped in a house they can't escape from and one by one, each gets confronted by and then dies by their worst fear.

The pacing picks up in the second and third acts as the victims try and figure out what is the nature of the cursed house they are trapped inside of and how to escape with their lives.

The usual slasher flick morality message (ie. any teenagers that have sex will be killed) is skipped over and a much harder target it shot for. Instead, the victims are confronted by a past they are trying to escape from before being served up their just desserts. In one case, the negligent woman who let her sister drown gets decapitated, and in another, the self-involved and greedy agent gets smothered. We get to enjoy the guilty pleasure of their demise.

For those that enjoy...

Fear House
I enjoyed this movie, some scary moments, was interesting to see how and if they would escape. I would recommend this movie.

FEAR HOUSE- A Great Director Is Born
Relatives and colleagues of reclusive writer Samantha Ballard track her to an isolated home in the California desert where they discover her some nine months later severely traumatized. She greets them with a grim announcement that they will die if they attempt to leave the house.
After Samantha's ex-husband and his girlfriend suffer horrible deaths while trying to escape, the others realize that she was serious. They begin to scheme a safe way out even as the malevolent force that rules the house stirs the worst fears of each of them, causing them to wonder: Can they escape the evil house before their fears kill them all?
When I viewed "Fear House", I got the same feeling as when I viewed the film "Phantasm" in 1979, that the horror genre may have a new talented director. Of course Don Cosscarelli went on to have a good cult following of his films (Phantasm 5 is in production) and I feel director Michael Morris may have a better future ahead of him.
"Fear House"...

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Weekend at PJ???s

Freaken Awesome Danny Masterson N Micheal Cassidy!!!!
It is halarious n Danny Masterson N Micheal Cassidy r funnier than hell!!!! I just love them 2 men!!!! I Want people tune in watch show bc it great!!!!

Fantasic Four
This show is so funny and light humored. A great show about how friends poke fun at each other out of love. I Iove it. I watch this with my boyfriend. He does too.

Funny!
Once you watch you will notice how close the cast is and how much they seem to enjoy working together. That makes the show easy to watch because everyone is having fun.

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Fall Flurry

Hey Amazon, where's the rest of the season???
My stars are for the show, not for availability via streaming. Where are the rest of the episodes? IMDB's website shows a lot more than 4 episodes.

Great but where is 5th episode?
Love Love the show.... on Discovery their is a 5th episode (season finale) why can't we get it on amazon streaming? Really would like to see it.

Amazing!
I love the Kilcher family, they are so inspiring! Being a young homesteader in Mn, watching them helps push me foreword on hard days.

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All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

I trapped the funeral singers
One thing that people will never grow tired of speculating about is death. What happens to us? Where do we go? What is waiting for us?

"All My Friends Are Funeral Singers" never really asks those questions. Instead, this delicate, dreamlike film focuses on a house full of "funeral ghost" ghosts, and a young lady who lives alongside them. The first half is a meandering, messy nonplot, but it later gels into a haunting meditation on

Zel (Angela Bettis) lives in her late grandmother's old house, but not alone. For many years, she has lived with several ghosts, including a suicidal bride, a flapper, a randy priest, an embittered actor, a blind band that plays music all day, and a silent little girl. By day, Zel works as a psychic and a medium, while the ghosts meander about their own business.

Then one day, the ghosts see a bright light outside, and attempt to go into it... you know, the way dead people are supposed to. But they're unable to leave the...





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All or Nothing [HD]

What a Tearjerker!!
OMG!! I'm retired Army (MALE) and I teared up while watching with my wife-sad that she had to die on the show due to her "real life" alcohol problems. I hope she get's the help she so desperately needs and has a support group. Too early to cast our vote on the "new cast members". But the reality is that we get transferred approximately every 3 years-so the show is true to Army life! Hope the show continues (with good scripts) as it brings back memories of our 23 years in the ARMY (my wife gets much credit as she was my ROCK during many tough deployments). Gotta love Army Wives!!!!

I am hooked on Army Wives.
I spent 2 weeks watching seasons 1-6. Then I just HAD to go to Amazon to see the first 10 episodes of season 7, so I can start watching episodes as they air this Sunday! This series is absolutely addicting.

I've been watching from the start.
I was really worried after Claudia Joy died that the show would really suffer but I'm finally starting to like all the new characters in this season.

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American Cannibal

Fact or Fiction? You Decide
In "Network," his frighteningly prescient satire from 1976, writer Paddy Chayefsky only half-jokingly envisioned a day, in the not-too-distant future, when some innovative producer, knowing exactly the kind of programming the viewing public wanted to see, would create a series in which each week a different person would be assassinated on live TV - all to boffo ratings. Well, thirty-some-odd-years later, that day may have finally arrived, at least if "American Cannibal: The Road to Reality" is to be believed. This is a documentary that appears on the surface to be "straight" but which, one can only hope (and one frankly suspects), is actually a put-on. And if the movie ISN'T a put-on, then society may be more far gone than even the most pessimistic social critics have hitherto allowed themselves to imagine.

Nowhere in the movie do the filmmakers tip their hat as to whether this is a "real" documentary or simply a cleverly disguised facsimile of one. Each viewer is left...

Biting satire
Didn't know what I was getting into with this movie(like the contestants in the show). Really enjoyed it. Great for a peak into the dim, dark world of "reality" TV. Cynical humor. Underrated. So much better than so much out there.

American Cannibal
It is amazing what people will do for fame and fortune. Perry Grebin, the director and producer, did an excellent job. I'm looking foward to other movies he will be producing and directing.

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RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 5 Uncensored

This show has it all!
Let me first say that I don't usually like reality shows. All they do is tear people down for entertainment. This show is not like that. Even though it is a reality show there is such a postive message "If you can't love yourself how the hell are you going to love somebody else?" Even when someone is eliminated Ru has kind words to say to each one before they sashay away. Not only is RuPaul's Drag Race funny but there are a lot of touching moments where the queens share their back stories. Once you get to know the queens it makes it personal and you really start to route for them. Some of them make real progress through out the season (Jinkx) and you route for them even more. Drag really is an art form. From the makeup to the costumes to the performance it is exciting and entertaining. Of course there are also the cat fights. I have to say this is the bitchiest season ever. I thought Sharron Needles and Phi Phi O'Hara were bad last year but they had nothing on the fights this year...

The show itself is 5-stars, getting it through Amazon is 3, here's why
I am addicted to this show, but don't have cable or the time to go out every Monday night for the weekly shows at the gay bar (Tuesday morning class is inevitably missed if I do). For past seasons I'd just watch the day after for free on Logo, but because it's streaming and the quality tends to fluctuate, there is constant buffering, etc. So I thought buying it through Amazon would afford me better quality which it only kind of does. It takes a while for it to "warm up" and actually show in HD, and if I pause or stop viewing it takes forever to start again. Now, I wouldn't mind that so much if two things were true: if the price were lower (especially as an Amazon prime member, I feel like shows that are already online for free elsewhere shouldn't cost so much per season) and if the Untucked episodes followed as they do on LogoTV's website. If Amazon Prime Instant video wants to compete with Netflix (and other TV providers, but who even uses those anymore?), they have to actually offer...

Fab Fashion, Talent, & Back-Stabbing Bi^%hes That Make You Feel Sweet!
I LOVE wonderful fashion, and that is perhaps my greatest draw to this show. These Queens are fantastic performers, and they are really ran ragged! I knew who RuPaul was before, but never had seen him/her perform! Great sense of humor, and as is true of any great comedic feat, RuPaul actually brings genuine love to task, too. Inspiring to watch a show that is decidedly gay and not holding back! Not for kiddos, there is a lot of sexual innuendo. My favorite winner thus far has been Sharon Needles--I literally cried when she won! Thanks RuPaul for giving us the most awesome drag performances in the comfort of out very own homes!!! Love You!!!

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Mike in the House

Wonderful
Another great season. This show is original and very funny. The actors are great. Mikes mother---where did they find this woman. She is really different and wildly funny. I just love her. You start laughing the minute she comes on the screen because you know something unconceivable is going to come out of her mouth. Mike and Molly are just as cute and funny as they can be. And I love Mollies mother and sister, what a conglomeration of personalities mixed together. And lets not forget Mikes partner and his partners grandma. If you want to see something different, not the same old same old comedy, give this a try and you won't be disappointed.

Never short on Laughs when I match this show!!
I just cannot get enough of this show! The season second is just as funny as the first. I have been waiting for a show like this for a long time. This is a TV show were everyone can either relate to one of the characters, or knows someone that can.

Mike and Molly meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting were they both are trying to lose weight. After their initial first meeting they're having second thoughts about starting a relationship, but with some pushing from family and friends they decide to give love a chance.

Not only are Melissa McCarthy (Molly) & Billy Gardell (Mike) characters hilarious, but I just love Molly's sister Victoria, and her mother Joyce. Every character on this show brings something extra special, and that's what keeps me laughing, and tuning in every week. The writers of this show are comedic Gods. I hope this show continues for many, more seasons to come!

Consistently hilarious and heart-warming, this is a terrific second season!
It is always a treat to discover a situation comedy on broadcast TV with an ensemble cast this strong combined with scripts this great. The writing for Mike & Molly (M&M) relies far more on clever zingers than slapstick (rather in the style of The Golden Girls, one of my all-time favorite comedies). And though there are plenty of sexual references, the humor maintains a happy medium between gross-out male humor and female-centric, chick-flick comedy, making it a show aimed fairly equally at both men and women.

Every performer on M&M does a wonderful job at comedic acting, an extremely challenging task, and I completely agree with Melissa McCarthy's Emmy win for her portrayal of the female lead, Molly Flynn, a plus-sized fourth-grade teacher living with her boozy mother Joyce (Swoosie Kurtz) and oversexed younger sister Victoria (Katy Mixon). But so many of the actors in this show deserve an Emmy, in my...

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Dischord

Ewwww
Oh why did I watch this film all the way to the bitter end? The film was too smart for it's own good. Yes I get it, two married musicians, one is jealous of the other; brother who had a difficult childhood and maybe did some evil things; retired cop that still wants to be on the job; and a homeless beachcomber that speaks in riddles - yes all kinds of conflict that reflected the title. Ha, the film is about musicians, dis...chord instead of discord; sorry I blew the only joke in the film.

Oh the story line, the mystery, will Gypsy go back on tour, why did she leave, when will the brother get caught, who will figure it out....it was all just so darn obvious. The acting was just slightly a cut above daytime soap opera. The film is billed as some kind of love triangle that never remotely happens. And the film is not rated and is supposed to have a sort of drive in appeal. Well that never happens either. Frankly, if they'd never shown the two dead women with no clothes on, the...

Beautiful Music
I was really surprised how the violin sounded and the movie as a whole was very well done and the acting as well. Really worth a Watch. Never let go of your dreams.



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News Night 2.0 [HD]

It felt like being back at CNN
Much has already been said about the show's quality as a TV drama, the great acting and inspired writing. I want to focus on something else.

Having spent more than two decades at CNN Center in Atlanta, until two years ago, as a writer and producer, the show is a brilliant success in conveying what it feels like to be in a newsroom like that, especially when there is breaking news.

In particular, the episode with the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford was absolutely true to life. Another reviewer criticized the dilema the team felt as other networks were reporting that she was dead and they were under pressure from network executives not to fall behind on the story. At the climactic moment, the anchor Will McAvoy makes the call on air and offers only the information about the shooting: "Here's what we know so far..." Which, of course, we know to have been the right call.

The factual context is right. NPR did report that Gifford had been killed;...

One of the Most Intelligent and Informed Series Ever on Television
Brilliant, Briskly Intelligent Writing was the title for this review when this enormously successful series premiered in June 2012. For some reason Amazon did not make this available either on Video On Demand or in a place where reviews could be written. Now the first season is complete - having finished last night with one of the finest shows of the season. And with the soon to be released DVD set of the first year, we can finally discuss it. To start with, the following response was to the first opening show:

A new series launched on HBO with a star-spangled episode `We just decided to'. As conceived and written by Aaron Sorkin it is a timely, incredibly intelligently written show populated with some of our best seasoned actors as well as some very fine actors on the way up. This is the kind of television that reminds us that at one time the news programs informed us about current events and ran a continuing commentary on the development of events in this country and...

Does he have to be right?
I've been an Aaron Sorkin fan for a long time. His dialogue is brain candy for me: regardless of whether I agree with what he's saying, the eloquence and the rhythm are thrilling and addictive. I don't think you need to believe he's right in order to enjoy the show. That said, I usually do agree with him, and The Newsroom is no exception.

It's rare to turn on the news and get anything more than the cheap thrill of watching someone from the left fight it out with someone on the right. The anchors themselves take a passive role, and yet if they wanted to, they really could challenge the speakers, couldn't they? Force them to defend their statements with verifiable facts? And in so doing, help the viewers to evaluate the merits of the argument on each side?

The Newsroom is a pleasurable fantasy about what that might look like. And I can't help but think that the hostility the show has drawn (Google it; you'll find a lot) is mainly from people who find it easier to...

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Black Sun

Essential film
Quite simply one of the most remarkable films ever made.

The true story of an artist who was suddenly blinded without prior warning.

He describes the process of going blind, the changes in his life since he became blind, and his changed outlook on life.

Makes one thankful for every minute of life.

The film is a narrative with atmospheric and emotional music plus scenes relevant to the artist's life story.

It should be shown in all schools to pupils in their early teens.

As important a film as one might ever see.

Not quite brilliant
The premise of the film is very strong, and the nonchalant way the protagonist relates what for most of us would be a disaster (i.e. to be struck blind in an attack) is very powerful and touching. However, the fact that the images - for me - lack another layer of meaning is not a plus. I had hoped for something as allusive as 'Sans Soleil' but in the end I found most of the image work lackluster and formless. I stayed riveted to the voice over and the revelations of his strange life 'post blindness' but I could as easily have listened to an audiobook.
Good, but not great.

EXTRAORDINARY
This is one of those extremely rare, life changing true stories. When you watch it, you will truly learn what grace, dignity, determination, gratitude, and courage mean and you will also realize how much of life's wonders and how many of its priceless gifts we manage to foolishly take for granted each and every day.

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¡Vivan Las Antipodas!

An Intriguing Example of Visual Poetry: A Sensory Experience As Opposed To A Traditional Documentary
I really liked the idea behind the lushly photographed "Vivan Las Antipodas." Filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky has prepared a study of contrasts when looking at the modern world. An antipode is a place on Earth that corresponds to another location if you travel directly through the planet's diameter. As so much of this world is made up of water, there aren't that many actual inhabited antipodes, but "Vivan Las Antipodas" examines four pairs. Admittedly, seven of the eight areas that we visit are sparsely populated at best. But this is more about examining images, creating a sort of visual poetry. With no narration and very little dialogue, the movie is not for every taste. But I thought it was an effective travelogue that benefited from interesting camera work, intriguing edits and transitions, and a beautiful score.

The four antipodal pairs documented:

1) The rural community of Entre Rios in Argentina is opposite the bustling vision of Shanghai, China...





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And Martha Stewart Have a Ball - Part Two

Rich Viewing
After an awkward attempt with 'Outsourced' the small screen returns with another sitcom involving the economy. This time, they get it right.

This CBS sitcom examines how two 'different' young women attempt to make ends meet in the current American economy. Max (Kat Dennings) has always been working class, but poverty is a new and really unpleasant surprise for Caroline (Beth Behrs). She had been rich, until her family lost all of it's money from dad's ponzi scheme.

The odd-couple friendship successfully works because they are both genuinely likable characters. They are both discovering what the world is currently like while struggling in a low-paying service sector job. This is where the storylines and comedy comes in.

Caroline is gennuinely shocked to discover what a 'public dental clinic' looks like. Or some people must delay obtaining their needed treatment altogether until pain is intolerable.But she proactively realized that selling off her...

sassy Max and the hot blonde giraffe...
Even in unfortunate situations like the recent scandals that have rocked Wall Street, and affected the future of millions of investors, there are opportunities to create humor. Created by Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings, CBS's 2 Broke Girls, is a comedy set in New York City featuring two women from completely different ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, who come together as coworkers, only because one has lost her fortune, due to her father's involvement in a financial scandal. This is a well-cast show with pretty good writing, but it is often a little too crude than it needs to be, with frequent references to sex, drugs, and crime.

The series stars Kat Demmings as Max Black, a waitress in a small restaurant in Brooklyn. She's street smart, a little hardened and cynical, and has a bit of a gutter mouth, but underneath that rough and crude exterior, there's a warm caring person. Beth Behrs is Caroline Channing, a slim blonde beauty who bears more than a...

I am in love with Kat Dennings!
Seriously, I love her SO MUCH! I have never seen an actor who could deliver the snark line after line after line, and keep it as amazingly fresh and well delivered as she does. She has a great team of writers giving her AWESOME lines to deliver, and they are awesome. Even just her delivery of surprise lines like "NO WAY!" is awesome.

My wife and I first saw her in Thor, and loved her in it (she was really the only part of that movie we liked), and we were pleasantly surprised to see her in 2 Broke girls alongside Beth Behrs -- even though Beth really just serves as the primary thing-to-be-mocked.

Make no mistake, 2 Broke Girls is raunchy. It is NOT for younger viewers. The pilot alone should send that message. And I can see where the claims of racism, etc. come from. But, if you are willing to acknowledge that all sides are getting shot at fairly, and there isn't real racism, sexism or anything else terrible on display (just uncomfortable at times), then you...

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A Foreign Affair

over-looked gem!
Billy Wilder was such a genius in film-making,it's astounding. What really set him apart, I think, was his knack for knowing who to cast in what role. What really gives this film its kick, is Marlene Dietrich in a role that proved once and for all that yes, she can act!
Set in Berlin right after the end of World War Two, and at the beginning of the American occupation of their sector of Berlin,
the film is really a dialogue on the human trait of survival through the worst. The main charactors are bent on surviving their individual circumstances, as each interacts with the others in the story.
Dietrich portrays a former Nazi lounge singer, keeping an American officer sugar-daddy so she can stay alive and well in Berlin, John Lund plays her American officer on a leash, and Jean Arthur is the upright(and uptight) US congresswoman from Iowa who throws a wrench into everybodys life by arriving to check on troop morale.
This film has many truly wicked one-liners, and...

A Marlene Classic!
An Iowa congresswoman (Jean Arthur) is sent to the ruins of Berlin after the war to check on the moral of U.S. troupes. What she finds is a bunch of soldiers having too much fun with the German women, including an Army Captain, (John Lund) who is having too much fun with Marlene Dietrich, a local caberet entertainer and Nazi. Arthur tries to expose Dietrich's Nazi past, while at the same time Lund is trying to protect her. And of course, Arthur falls in love with Lund in the process. The comedy is directed by the great Billy Wilder, who flew a film crew to Berlin to shoot scenes of the bombed-out city, making it look like the entire film was shot on location. Dietrich was given 3 songs to perform in the film, "Illusions", "Black Market", and "Ruins of Berlin". She had returned to the role that made her famous almost 20 years earlier. At first, Dietrich didn't want to do the film because of her characters association with the Nazi party...

An almost unknown classic by a great director!!
Hard to believe this film is barely acknowledged today,except in maybe a cultish way. If Carroll Reeds' THE THIRD MAN was the great post-war Vienna must-see, Billy Wilder's A FOREIGN AFFAIR must be the great post-war Berlin must-see. This one starts out with some of the best aerial footage of bombed-out Berlin ever seen. The ruins seem to go on for miles. Certain burnt-out US soldiers main concerns are making a killing on the black market, and making a hit with the local Frauleins. Mr. Lund's character says it best, that he,like many of his peers, is sick of the battles, politics,phony causes, and just wants to live, if that's possible. The civilians go from one moment to the next in earnest persuit of mere survival. The naive US Congresswoman(Arthur) wants to "reform" these military slackers,but she slowly realizes her cause is pretty pointless. Then we have the sultry cabaret singer (Dietrich) living in a bombed out ruin,who may have some answers to nasty questions about...

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Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Unrated Cut (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

You might feel guilty enjoying this.....but don't let that stop you!
Let's start off by clearing the air a little bit: if you are looking for the next best picture nod and/or the next great fantasy epic, this is not it (and, quite frankly, I'm curious as to why you thought this one WOULD be it). If, however, you can enjoy movies without deep character development or scenes of life-changing consequence, then this is a movie that I highly recommend. I can unequivocally state that this movie did not make me re-evaluate my life, nor did I shed a single tear over, well, anything in this movie due to its emotional narrative...but it was so much fun! I'm someone who can watch best picture movies that stretch your brain and emotions and enjoy them intensely - I am also someone who can fall in love with a movie simply designed to entertain, and, well, I fell in love with this one. I felt that each character was played correctly and hit the tones they were supposed to. There was plenty of action and - contrary to popular opinion - there WAS a plot. I went to the...

Hansel & Gretel all grown up
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is like a bloody and F-Bomb filled version of Van Helsing. In this case, that is a good thing. Van Helsing was pretty bad, but they pushed this one far enough with the R rating to please the horror fan inside me. The witches look nice and creepy and most of the CGI is well done. Jeremy Renner (Hansel) is a fantastic actor, though he is mostly wasted here and Gemma Arterton (Gretel) is more of the focus based on her looks and her character's personality. Famke Janssen has fun with the lead evil witch role. This film barely runs 90 minutes and it is light on story and high on action, but I had a good time watching it. Worth a future rental if you don't mind turning your brain off and just enjoy the fact that it is not as bad as you feared it would be.

Oh, the IMAX 3-D was better done than most non-blockbuster type action films.

Edit (7/6/13): I had to knock it up a star after watching the Unrated Cut. Still a very fun movie upon...

Hansel and Gretel the after math!
My grandfather and I saw this film Saturday night. I knew I would enjoyed it but I really loved it! I loved the story line that after Hansel and Gretel encountered their first witch as children they make it their holy mission to be witch hunters. And there was a twist with Hansel and Gretels mom. I also thought they picked great actors for the movie and Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton were of course the ones that shined. I was surprised critics hated this movie but don't go by what they said, if you like magical twists on fairytales go see it. I will warn you that this is not a movie for children. The witches were very frightening and they made me jump. And there's a lot of cursing and violence so it's not for the little ones. I hope you enjoy it like I did. This film I felt kicked Snow White and the Huntsmans butt by far.

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Moles (Topos)

Dystopic Underworld of Moles .... Topos
Sci Fi movie, good acting ... got allot of potential. A good close-ups of Lautaro Delgado as El Topo main character and his family. I never have seen him in such acting before. The story itself is quite sweet but the events on how it happens got me rather bored after some time. Not much changing of events like you would know what will you go through, difference in class for above and below etc. Worth to watch if you like deep thoughts over how sanity and insanity develops in hope and hopeless methods.

Does David Lynch have relatives in Argentina?
I found it very original, and very strange. It kept my attention, but I couldn't get lost in the story or characters because I was too busy going, "Huh?" and "Who would think of such a thing?" I want to know what they're smoking down there.

Well worth watching
A good story. The development and transformation of the main character was amazing. The subtitles weren't very distracting. However I wish I knew the language as there were a few bits of dialog that were lacking translation.

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Sengoku Basara: Complete Series - Season 1 & 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Japanese History just Got a Lot More Awesome!
Based on a video game series that itself turned Japanese history into a comic book, this is the coolest anime show I've seen in quite some time. You see, the "Sengoku" of the title refers to the "Sengoku" or "Warring States" period of Japanese history, which lasted over 100 years and saw constant battle as numerous factions fought for territory and control. Several of the characters are even based on actual people...but here they are given flashy, colorful outfits that make them look like medieval superheroes/villains, weild badass kung-fu weapons, have nicknames like "One-Eyed Dragon", "Tiger of Kai" and "The Devil King", spout dialogue that sounds like Shakespeare on testosterone(it's cooler than it sounds), and use DBZ-style super powered martial-arts moves that defy the laws of physics. One character even has a motorcycle handle bars and exhaust pipes on his horse! If you think that sounds over the top...well, that's the whole idea.

I'll admit that some of the...

Finally
I finally watched both seasons and its alright in my opinion a prefer a good plot with straightforward action and none of the silly hijinks but its pretty good still



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A Summer in the Cage

Insightful
I liked his description of living in a room with bipolar and the fact that the bipolar monster can grow bigger until you are a little tiny defeated person curled up in the corner or you can accept the fact that you have to share the space in this room with the bipolar monster and then get up and stand up to it and do the best you can.

I thought this was a good film worth watching. There was real honesty and sincere interest in its approach. One of the biggest disappointments one with Bipolar has to bear is to have so few people in their life be willing to take the time and make the effort to educate themselves about it so they can be more understanding and of greater help to the sufferer. I wish there were more who would. Being bipolar is often a lonely world to live in.

Thank you for making this film. People with this disorder deserve a voice. We have already been robbed of so much in life, including our true potential. This mental illness is not who we...

It's okay
An interesting view into a life dominated by bipolar disorder was a bit scary for me, as it hits close to home. This was about a videographer who filmed 5 years of bipolar- the good parts, the bad parts, the sad parts. It was a decent film that left me wanting to know what happened after the camera turned off the last time.

The cage - How true
I have read several books on Bipolar, and wondered what it would be like to see it in action in a movie. This movie gave me a better idiea of Bipolar and the hell one goes through, hover, I would like to see a Bipolar movie in a story form.

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Monsieur Taurins

Quirky and heartfelt road movie
"Alexander Hahn, director of the celebrated Latvian film Midsummer Madness, returns with a quirky and heartfelt road movie in Monsieur Taurins. This quiet -- and at times intimate -- character study successfully reproduces a substance-over-style, low-budget documentary tone to examine the life of its curious protagonist, Gunar Taurins (played with restrained eclecticism by Gundars Abolins). When Gunar travels to France, hired to find a suitable property for a wealthy friend's new home, his impulsive, bumbling habits and uncanny ability to run into bad luck leads him into crossing paths with a string of unusual characters who are just as flawed -- and unsettlingly real. As a tragi-comic hero, Taurins may not be a particularly likeable character -- nor is he meant to be -- but rather serves as an excellent cautionary figure in these turbulent economic times." (Canadian Film Institute)





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2-Pi-R

You'll never find us, but victim or perpetrator, if your number's up... we'll find you".
Many new concept shows capture the public's interest and develop quite a fan base their Freshman Year. But, if you have ANY decent experience with Sci-Fi or Dystopian series, you know that the vast majority of them fall flat on their Sophomore Faces! From Terra Nova, Heroes, Falling Skies, etc., some end at the 1st year, some limp along into the 2nd before cancellation, and then the unfathomable few struggle with the die-hard fans until the plug is pulled. (I've been one of those fans of all three examples.)

So, when a series like PERSON OF INTEREST, which is described by some as a "Cop Procedural Show" can not only make it past the first year but into a second one, there's cause to celebrate! Yes, this IS a Cop Procedural Show but with so many subtle twists and turns to it. The first year was pretty basic: it introduced the viewers to the Core Four: Finch; Reese; Carter and Fusco. (no need to write about them if you're reading a 2nd season review). Each week there was a...

My second Amazon Review because POI is just so amazing
This has to be one of the best TV shows I have ever seen. Great cast and always changing plots so you never know where the storyline will be going. Every show is worth watching at least twice to pick up on the nuances you missed the first time.

Already looking forward to Season Three.

A great continuation of an awesome show (spoiler alert)
I first found out about the show, "Person of Interest" by accident via Wikipedia. When I read about how it involved a former Green Beret/CIA operative using his skills to prevent violent crimes, I was already interested (I love movies/shows like The Bourne Series and 24 where highly-trained former soldiers/agents put the smack down on bad guys), but I figured I wouldn't be able to watch it 'cause I didn't have TV and it wasn't on Netflix. Last Christmas, when I saw the first season on DVD, and I bought it. I was instantly hooked and practically devoured all the episodes. I quickly realized that Season 2 was going on, but I despaired because there was no way to catch up with the episodes.
Fast forward to a few days ago, I checked on Season 2 on Amazon to see when it would come out on DVD, and I found out - much to my joyful surprise - that I could purchase the episodes on Instant Video. So that's exactly what I did.
I am very happy to say that Season 2 does not...

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Flight: The Genius of Birds [Blu-ray]

Flight
In the best sense of the word, FLIGHT is not so much an argument for intelligent design, as it is a picturesque, graceful tribute to the genius of birds, to honest sense and level-headedness. Let me name anything heavier-than-air that flies, and I'd expect you to show me an instrument designed and engineered--and here's the key--by someone capable of design and engineering.

Helicopters are made of materials found on earth. How long, one might suppose, would those elements need be blown about by wind and sea and time and chance before a helicopter emerged?

FLIGHT says little more than that. But in making the obvious more obvious, it reaches beyond blueprint to visual beauty, beyond execution to emotional ecstasy. Who among us hasn't wanted to fly? Flight's investigation of birds will both amaze and uplift. One cannot ask for more. The film puts our heads on alert and our hearts on the wing.

In February of 1969, a stunning, larger-than-life Boeing 747...

Beauty and Function: Design, not Darwinism
"Flight" gives is a case for intelligent design from avian abilities. It is well-narrated (overall), brilliantly photographed, and philosophically compelling. However, the argument itself deserved more development. Nevertheless, please watch it yourself, with an unbeliever, and with your family. Darwinism has no clue how to explain flight and other features unique to birds. It's "just so" story is far inferior intellectual than that of intelligent design. Here is an example.

1. A 747 is obviously designed. Not because we know where they are built, but because of their nature: complex and specified for flight.
2. Hummingbirds are far more complex than a 747 (or any humanly-made airplane) and are, of course, specified for flight (and complex feeding through their amazing tongue, etc.).
----
3. Therefore (a), by a fortiori, the hummingbird is designed.
4. Therefore (b), the hummingbird is not the result of mere unintelligent causation (natural selection and...

Highly recommended
This very colorful, informative, well-documented film is all about birds, focusing on a few examples including hummingbirds, starlets, and arctic terns. It also covers the design of the wing, feathers, and the muscle and bone structure, showing in excellent animation how birds are designed to fly as well as their development. At the end it covers some evolution theories as well as design arguments. Highly recommended.

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Cartoon College

Interesting for any audience
Cartoon College is unexpectedly interesting. I didn't have any knowledge on the subject, but learning about the art of cartooning was just as amusing and refreshing as the characters that were featured. I really enjoyed this documentary. There is a lot of heart in it

Fantastic Documentary!!!
I wasn't super interested in comic books before watching this film, but I still really, REALLY liked this documentary. It was very interesting to see the process of making a comic book and to see how the artists drew their cartoons. Cartoon College basically gives the viewer a glimpse inside the process of the artist, of the comic book artists specifically. What was really great about this film, however, were all of the people that were featured, they are honestly as likable and quirky as the characters they depict. I highly recommend it.



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Snitch [HD]

Dwayne Johnson electrifying in 'Snitch'
In Snitch, Dwayne Johnson stars as John Matthews, a trucking distribution owner that agrees to work with the federal government to be an informant after his son, Jason (Rafi Garvron), is sent to prison for the intent to distribute narcotics. After striking a deal with the DEA, Matthews (undercover) partners with one of his employees, Daniel (Jon Bernthal), an ex-convict with connections to the drug world. Barry Pepper, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nadine Velazquez, Benjamin Bratt, and Susan Sarandon round out this star-filled cast.

Now keep in mind, Dwayne Johnson has been one of my favorite athletes since the first time he won the Intercontinental championship - so I'm pretty biased here. Regardless, to see The Rock come full circle from a young WWE superstar through this role in Snitch is an absolute accomplishment for him, and it's incredibly exciting for all of his millions and millions of fans. Without question, this is by far the best acting performance from Johnson...

WOW!!!
I don't think some of the reviewers of this movie watched the same version I did. I was on the edge of my seat, pushed back in my seat, adrenaline pumping like fresh water from a spring, even a few tears!! I thought this film was superb to say the least. I think all kids should be required to see it. I took my daughter and granddaughter to see it and we all loved it. I was even recommending it to strangers after I saw it. Cannot say enough good about this film or the acting. Totally loved it from beginning to end. The fact that it was based on a true story made it all the better. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie!!! I will definitely add this one to my collection as soon as it's available on DVD. Debbie M.

brains and brawn
Dwayne Johnsonian's new film Snitch is not nearly the generic action-thriller that I was expecting based on the generic trailers that seem so desperate to make you believe it is so. Snitch is surprising in a lot of ways, for one thing it is actually more thoughtful and has ideas and a point of view on current affairs regarding our legal system, it is more powerful than you might suspect and it is an exciting change of pace for a wrestler who wants to be an actor.
Not to make it sound so trivial, this is to be fair Johnson's best work, as of yet. Though he isn't a fully capable dramatic actor, as of now, he is a lot better than you probably have a right to expected and here he gets to flex a different set of muscle than he usually does.
Johnson plays John Matthews, a trucking company owner, who's estranged son, Jason (Rai Gavron) finds himself in trouble with the law, and I mean serious kind of trouble, like ten years behind bars kinda trouble. It seems that Jason foolishly...

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Burn Notice: Season Six

Has BURN NOTICE become too dark? No.
Most people that love BURN NOTICE like I do, love it because it has a certain formula that's proven was working for four seasons. Breezy, smart, well-acted and fun. That was the status quo.

Then Season Five came along, and things started to get shaken up a little as showrunner Matt Nix decided it was time for a new status quo. A new, decidedly more devilish villain, Anson (the fantastically wormy Jere Burns) had come along, framed Fiona for murder and set Michael up to do his dastardly bidding in order to keep Fi out of prison. Last season ended up with Fi turning herself into the authorities, putting Anson on the run, and leaving Michael alone and desperate to do whatever he had to do in order to get Fi out of prison.

This particular side of Michael hadn't really been exposed before because we're not really used to seeing him this desperate to catch the bad guy, but even more so, we see his greatest vulnerability: The people he loves, and as this season proves,...

Keeps getting better
It is quite amazing how this show can keep me interested after all this time. I enjoy the excitement and anticipation for every episode to come. Keep up the great work Matt Nix.

This is a great show
I dont care what anybody says, sure the show started with 4 main characters that worked really well as a cast. That doesn't mean it sucks now. If you want a show to go on, you need to mix it up. Adding characters (Jessie) and changing the intentions of Michael Weston (from surviving to finding out who burned him to trying to get Fiona out of prison etc...) is what keeps the show (and others like it) interesting.

I personally accept change and understand the reasoning behind it. There will always be critics though. Let me ask you all a question. If they kept doing the same thing over and over that they did in the first season (a burned spy trying to hide but helping others in the process) how could you possibly stay interested in the show? The underlying storyline changes per season while the sub stories change per episode. This is a concept that will keep viewers interested in "Burn Notice".

Thats all I have to say about that.

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Korea: The Forgotten War

Korea "This was a War"
Great Documentary, sat down with my Dad and watched the two DVD's in one sitting, my dad is a Korean War Vet and the explanation of this war from beginning to end was very accurate!

The Korean War: The Forgotten MISTAKE
This war could have been stopped. Both sides made big mistakes in the conflict. So I think all of those who fought in the war are heroes.



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Two Mules for Sister Sara [Blu-ray]

DVD contains 9 minutes more footage than the VHS version
I compared both VHS and DVD and they trimmed out tons of scenes here and there for a total of 9 minutes cut on the VHS version. why did they trim those before? Some of the cut scenes include Sara and Hogan traveling, and some are scenes like in the saloon, and in the hideout with the rebels.
Also the DVD picture shows much more from side to side and a lot more on the top and bottom compared to the VHS version fans of the movie have had to live with for years. The quality of the picture is fantastic. This is probably the best improvement over VHS I have seen.
They also changed the cover from the old VHS version! It still looks great on the DVD, but the old VHS version showed the Mexicans and French fighting! why did they remove that? This is an action type western movie. If you see the cover it almost looks like it might be a romance movie. They should not have changed the cover.
There are a few times when Hogan shoves Sister Sara over a wall or into a tree by placing...

A masterpiece!
Hogan (Clint Eastwood) an ex Civil War soldier is a drifter looking for not so easy but definitely shifty ways of making money. He runs into 3 men molesting a naked woman (Shirley MacLaine) in the desert. Defending the woman, he kills the men and discovers the woman he saved is a nun. Together they embark on a mission to help the Mexican rebel army blast a French fort on the 4th of July. Eastwood is in it for the money; Maclaine for humanistic reasons. The guns are blazing, the French are all over the place, and Eastwood and Maclaine are falling in love. There is only one problem: MacLaine is a nun... or isn't she?

Outstanding western with great action, witty repartee, wonderful characters, surprises and what not. If you haven't seen this classic by now, boy have you been missing...

We make a good team
In an inspired bit of casting, sexy and effervescent Shirley MacLaine is cast against tough and laconic Clint Eastwood. The result is a frothy little frontier romance that is two-thirds wonderful. The last third, when TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA returns to its action roots and involves us in a long rebels versus the establishment battle scene, is more an intrusion than a culmination. I would have liked twenty more minutes of Eastwood-MacLaine and hang the rotten French colonial garrison.

This is a funny and straight-forward love story that bears comparison to the best teamings in action history; TWO MULES doesn't embarrass itself when set against any of the John Wayne-Maureen O'Hara films, which is about as high praise as I'm capable of.

My favorite element - throughout the movie MacLaine rides the smallest mount I've ever seen. The burro she's saddled to is shorter than many domestic dogs, although both rider and mount maintain as much dignity as the...

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History of Christianity. Lecture 16 of 30. Medieval Monasticism.

Indepth view of Christian history and practice
Dr William Neidinger's series on the history of Christianity has filled in the gaps in my knowledge. The lecturer is an archeologist, a historian, and reads the ancient languages of Christianity. He tells the story respectfully and shows no trace of any prejudice. The history of Christianity is far richer than one imagines.





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Nicky's Family

Nicky's Family
An astounding and well made documentary which brings a miracle of caring and nurturing of the human soul. It shows the remarkable blossoming of Sir Nicky Winton's effort to save over 600 children from the Nazi regime, into an incredible gift of giving through thousands of people who descended from these rescued children and even further. I praise the man and praise those who brought this documentary to us as a reminder of what simply caring and loving and helping others can do.

Great Story!
This was an amazing, uplifting, and inspiring film! It is a must see for EVERYONE! This a rare film for all generations to see together.

Amazing
Well done documentary about amazing man, who saved 669 children, the end of
the movie is overwhelming
Good film for younger generation.

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Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete Third Season

All in the Family...
"Rizzoli & Isles" returns for a third fun season on TNT in the summer of 2012, featuring the often hilariously mis-matched partnership of Angie Harmon as street-wise Boston cop Jane Rizzoli, with Sasha Alexander as the highly intelligent but socially clueless medical examiner Maura Isles. Bruce McGill and Lee Thompson Young return as Vince Korsak and Barry Frost, Jane's partners on the homicide squad in the Boston Police Department.

Season Three offers much emphasis on the complicated family lives of Jane and Maura. In the very first episode, Jane and Maura must work through the issues created by Jane having shot Maura's gangster father at the end of Season Two. Jane's own father, estranged from her mother Angela (a priceless Lorraine Bracco), returns to create hate and discontent by demanding an annulment and parading a much younger girlfriend, who will get involved with another cast member, to the consternation of Jane and Maura. Maura, already hosting Jane's mother...

Wonderful show, but
This is a great show when they stick to stories and the relationship between Rizzoli & Isles; but the side stories of the baby and Jane's really unexplainable fixation on Casey (a character and actor I like, but where is the value added to the series?) and Maura's birth-mother wanting to establish a relationship with Maura for Maura's body parts. Really, you think these are good side stories? The season ender was awful, just awful. Second string story-lines and writing all the way! It was such a great show in the past, I really hope they can straighten this situation out! My daughter is giving up on the show, the seasons ender was such a huge disappointment. I do not understand why they have made such poor story decisions this year. I read somewhere that it is because Jane and Maura have such a strong relationship, they were afraid people would think they were gay. What are we in the 50s? Women can have a strong relationship and still be not be gay. Perhaps they should...

rizzoli and isles
everything rizzoli and isles is awesome. the show rocks and is the best ever. i have found this show to be the best

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Harvest of Empire

An excellent look at our "hidden" history and it's impact
As an American who traveled to El Salvador, Nicaragua and Colombia so I could return home to expose the government death squad activities to my fellow citizens, I found this a very powerful look at this hidden history. It is critical to understanding our Latin immigrants to understand the "why" and "where" of this history, their history, our history. This documentary is a powerful and humane exploration of the "roots" of much of this immigration and of the "soul" of our nation.

I prefered a DVD. I could not show the documentary to my students because of this.
I preferred a DVD. I could not show the documentary to my students as a result. I would like a DVD please. It is a good documentary.

The author sure did his research!
It really opens your eyes to our hegemonic USA!!!

WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY DVD AS WELL!!!

EVERY US CITIZEN SHOULD READ THIS!!

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Artois the Goat

great movie and lots of fun
When the main character seeks the secret of perfect cheese, he seems to find the secret to life and love. I thought this movie was funny and beautifully filmed in and around (I think), Texas, and has some imaginative direction and characters. This movie is definitely for the indie fan and has been in several film festivals. My rec: get it!

Cheesy & fun comedy!
1 Disc Widescreen Edition, being released July 27, 2010

"Artois the Goat" was written and directed by Cliff and Kyle Bogart. It is a comedy about lab technician Virgil struggling with his desire to be with his true love, Angie meaning he would have to move to Detroit and accept another boring job and his self-actualization quest to become a goat cheese farmer and impress her with his creativity.

This film is a very endearing, amusing, and sometimes surreal and dreamlike. Virgil played by Mark Scheibmeir is a wide-eyed dreamer who gets excited about exotic flavors of cheese the way someone might if they found buried pirate gold. Luckily his girlfriend, Angie played by Sydney Andrews is a perfect match for him and shares his passion. She too is more thrilled by opening a mysterious box and finding cheese than if it had contained an engagement ring. Unfortunately her family is of a non-dairy frame of mind and with Angie's job transferring her to Detroit, they are...

What a movie!!!
A must see for cheese lovers. The message is universal. I have already watched it a dozen times in as many days.

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The 67Th Annual Tony Awards

EXCELLENT
Excellent ....2hr 17 min of pure entertainment.....makes my love for Broadway and New York....so much greater....as always Neil Patrick Harris as always was at his best.





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Popcorn

Good, Fun Horror Flick
I have always had a soft spot for this movie. What I enjoyed most about "Popcorn", is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a fun little movie, and provides some laughs and chills. And I loved the idea of an all-night horror-fest in an old theater as the setting. I also got a good chuckle at the movie titles the students run for their midnight movies; "Mosquito!" and "The Stench". As a huge fan of 50's & 60's B-movies, I got a kick out of the filmaker's tribute to a bygone era of horror. There are some unique kills in "Popcorn", very little gore, no nudity and very little language.....I still am not sure why "Popcorn" has an "R" rating? The special effects are pretty good and hold up well a decade plus later. If you are hoping for another "Halloween" or "Friday the 13th"...look elsewhere. If you just want some harmless, horror movie fun along the lines of "April Fools Day" then give "Popcorn" a try.

Buy a bag, go home in a box
Popcorn -- It gets stuck in your teeth, it makes your fingers greasy, it makes you thirsty, it's an entertaining movie about a psycho killer murdering kids at an all-night movie marathon.

Before horror movies became slick and stylish, staring today's "hottest" actors, there were terrifying movies like "Popcorn". Fun, enjoyable and bloody! "Popcorn" is filled with the screams and jolts that you expect from a horror movie, and the powerful storyline and acting that you don't. The murders are creative and brutal, leaving you unsure of who you should cheer for - the killer, or his victims.

Surprise appearances by Dee Wallace-Stone ("E.T.") and Ray Walston ("My Favorite Martian"), make "Popcorn" the perfect movie to watch during those chilly Autumn nights.

Interesting Find
Here is a title that doesn't get much notice among the Jason's and Freddy's. The short version of the story involves students doing an all night horror marathon at an old movie theater that was the scene of a horrible murder 15 years ago. The crazed film maker killed his entire family on stage save for 1 daughter. Back to the present, the lead character Maggie thinks she may be the daughter that escaped, and the killer who wears other people's faces may be her father out to finish what he started. Very little blood and cursing, and no nudity. This is a more gentle horror film. I think it is worth a watch, it holds up pretty well.

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