Lust, Caution (Widescreen Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ang Lee breaks through again with a masterful adaptation of Eileen Chang's short story, Lust/Caution (like what he did with Annie Prolux's similarly brief story, Brokeback Mountain). While the hype seems to be mostly misplaced on the controversial acrobatics displayed by Tony Leung and Tang Wei in bed, Lee's storytelling leaves one breathless.
The love story unfolds against the backdrop of 1930's Japanese-invaded Shanghai where tyranny and suffering were synonymous. Nubile Wang Jia Zhi played by Tang Wei joins the resistance movement and gets herself drawn into the role of a spy to crumble the traitor, Mr Yee. In between the espionage and wild climatic trysts, both of them unknowingly embroil themselves in love and deceit, much deeper than they would have liked themselves to.
Tang Wei, as a newcomer to cinema, is impeccable. Her evolution from a wide-eyed country girl to a seductive temptress is enough to make the hardest of most men, in this case, the distrusting Mr. Yee fall for her. Wei acts pretty much on instincts and her body language does wonders at seducing the somewhat vulnerable Mr. Yee played by multiple-award winner Tony Leung. Wei breaks down in the memorable scene where she's talking to the resistance leader on her unyieldingly sacrificial role that is both a torment and insidious attack to her emotions.
As usual, Tony has the penchant for playing dark brooding men and in this instance, an evil Chinese traitor. He does not act. His presence already commands attention as the cynical no-nonsense minister. The pivotal sex scenes, split into three parts, are not just there for visual enhancement. They actually convey the shift in roles between the two throughout their complex relationship. The raw emotions displayed on their faces were enough to convince anyone hard-hearted to think twice about the essence of love. I must say these are some of the best bed scenes you'll ever witness on film.
Of course, the supporting cast of Joan Chen as Mrs Yee and Wong Lee-Hom as Tang Wei's resistance compatriot, Kuang Yu Min, is every bit just as spectacular. In the end, the story about love is bittersweet. You'll also see how fervent the resistance movement, which puts the enemy above self and others, was through Wang Jia Zhi's eyes. Lust Caution is 157 minutes' of rewarding watch that will linger on in your minds well after the credits roll. (A+)


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Provocative, thrilling and passionate, Lust, Caution is the daring new film from acclaimed Academy Award®-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Set against the backdrop of a transforming country,a young woman finds herself swept up in a radical plot to assassinate a ruthless and secretive intelligence agent. As she immerses herself in her role as a cosmopolitan seductress, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game that will ultimately determine her fate. Erotic, breathtaking and suspenseful, this award-winning film is being called "exquisitely beautiful" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) and "lushly sensual" (Leah Rozen, People).

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The Erotic Dreams of Jeannie Review

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(More customer reviews)The Erotic Dreams of Jeannie is, you guessed it, a softcore parody of the "I Dream of Jeannie" television series. This was my first Retromedia title, so I didn't know what to expect. From the description of the release I was a little worried that I wouldn't get too much actual softcore. Fortunately, that wasn't the case, and what they advertise about the release isn't really what ended up on the DVD: "Full of parody, political satire, and hip insider humor ...". Okay, I can agree on the parody, but political satire? Hip insider humor? I must have missed that part. "... a laugh-filled special effects-laden spoof ...". Now this is accurate. There were many places I was laughing at the pathetically bad special effects that were used.
But, on to what counts. This video delivered nicely in the sex department. There are six sex scenes. Three are boy/girl, two are girl/girl, and one is boy/girl/girl. All the women were gorgeous and included pornstar Nicole Sheridan and softcore veteran Beverly Lynne. There were two other women who were also very attractive. The sex was decently explicit and filmed well. The sounds of the actors were still audible during the scenes and all scenes went to completion.
Extras included a still gallery and a commentary track from a couple of people involved in the movie's production. I listened to a bit of it, and it sounded interesting, so I'll probably go back later and listen to the whole thing.
This is a good video, but Retromedia could have done better. The actual movie only ran about sixty-five minutes. But in order to pad out the runtime to make it appear like a full length film, the opening and closing credits are stretched out to run as long as they possibly can. There was plenty of opportunity to fit in one or two more sex scenes. They also need to advertise their product better. Like I said before, it isn't very clear that this is a softcore video, and I can imagine people passing it up because of that. I also had no idea that Beverly Lynne was in this video until I watched it. She's a softcore hall of famer. Why they didn't have her name on the outside packaging is beyond me.
For the price, this is a good release and I recommend it. I'll probably be checking out other Retromedia releases, but they aren't going to achieve the distinction of studios like Playboy or Surrender unless they improve their quality and value. They've got some beautiful women and talent, they just need to use both of them more effectively.

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In a remote cave in Moronico, an Army major uncovers a strange treasure chest containing a beautiful bottle with one sexy surprise: a gorgeous genie (Nicole Sheridan)! Back in America no one believes his story, and soon the Major's in hot water with his future father-in-law who, along with his daughter, is plotting to get his hands on Tony#s $6 million inheritance. Packed with parody, political satire and hip humor, here's a laugh-filled, effects-laden spoof that'll leave you breathless!

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Shortbus (Unrated Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I will admit, One of the main reasons I wanted to see this movie was because of the buzz about it being one of the most sexually explicit movies ever made in the non-porn industry. I didn't really expect to find the movie interesting, I just wanted to see what everyone was talking about.
The first minute or so was nothing but explicit sex and I almost turned the movie off thinking it was going to be pointless, that this was all there was to the movie, but I had nothing better to do so I kept watching.
This movie is not porn, nor is it erotica. This movie IS an uncensored look at the truth about love and sex, and is probably one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is brutally honest, thought provoking, intense at times, and funny at others. These are characters that we can relate to, because they are real.
I can not say enough positive things about this movie, it is art, it is truth, it is exceptional.
It will definitely be a part of my DVD collection.

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From the director of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ comes SHORTBUS, an exploration into the lives of several characters living in present-day New York as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex. Male and female, straight and gay, the characters find one another – and eventually find themselves – when they all converge at a weekly underground salon called "Shortbus," a mad world of art, music, politics, and polysexual carnality.One of the true sensations of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, presents sex and sexuality as never before seen in mainstream entertainment, and promises to be one of the most talked-about films for months – and years – to come.

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Tell Me You Love Me - The Complete First Season (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love HBO shows so when I found this on sale for $19.99 I grabbed it. I wouldn't recommend paying more than about $30 for it - if I'd paid more I would have been very disappointed. I haven't had an experience with a show like this before - by the second episode I thought it was one of the best TV shows I'd ever seen, up there with "Six Feet Under". It was fascinating to see a very realistic view of four different relationships, shown very realistically, even including very real sex scenes. That somehow made the couples even more human. By about the seventh episode I got tired of the characters' slow, meandering everyday lives, and the whining. I started thinking the sex scenes were just interfering with the progress of the story, and I realized, it's difficult to maintain interest in very realistic lives when you're living one yourself every day. I guess I learned I enjoy more drama and excitement in a TV show than I realized.

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Sex. Life. This is the story of three couples trying to stay afloat - and one woman's efforts to show them how to do it. HBO's newest adult drama series explores issues of intimacy - through the point of view of a 20-something couple, prenumpital concerns and fidelity are examined, while the series' 30-something couple confront their failed attempts to start a family, coping with the effects it has on their sex life. And after two kids and 12 years of marriage, a couple in their early 40s question why their love and devotion hasn't translated into physical intimacy in nearly a year. Tell Me You Love Me explores the telling, everyday moments that can make or break a couple's commitment to one another, both emotionally and physically.

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Survival Island (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)The original title for this late night cinemax fare was "Three" and it is the brain child of Billy Zane and his (real) wife Kelly Brook who both co-star in this by the numbers thriller. So as for the plot we have a rich couple (Zane and Brook) on a fishing trip with friends. The boat promptly sinks and the couple, along with the poor deck hand Pablo, wash ashore on a deserted island with no food, and a few supplies. Most notably goggles, a lighter, and obviously plenty of razors and shaving supplies as throughout their long stay on the island they all appear perfectly groomed. The laws of late night cimemax kick in and a love triangle developes with the expected results. I was entertained on my first viewing, mostly due to topless Kelly Brook and as another viewer mentions, there is a twist at the end. Overall this effort by Zane and Brook is a notch above the standard late night cinemax flick. I give three stars to "Three."

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Three arrive…one survives. Wealthy businessman Jack Matson (Billy Zane) and his beautiful wife Jennifer (Kelly Brook) are on a vacation in the Caribbean. Their vacation is cut short, however, when handsome Latin boatman Manuel (Juan Pablo Di Pace) accidentally causes the yacht to sink. Washed ashore a remote island and left for dead, Jack and Jennifer find that they must fend for themselves if they are to survive. But when they find that they are not the only survivors on the island, a primal and erotic tale of survival and jealousy ensues when Manuel appears and develops an attraction to Jennifer. As life becomes more and more competitive--and dangerous--on the island, Jennifer must decide to follow her heart or her instincts if she is to survive.

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Gia (Unrated Edition) (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a terrific movie and I was thrilled to see Angelina Jolie playing this part, (I first saw her in Hackers). But in case you don't know this, the DVD is missing 6 minutes of the movie. the only way to have the extra 6 minutes is to have gotten the original release on VHS (or recorded in from HBO). After Angelina became more popular, 6 minutes of her nude scenes were deleted from later re-releases of the movie including this DVD. But it still is a good movie.

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Dante's Cove: The Complete First Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Dante's Cove is set in a small town on an mysterious island.The residents of The Hotel Dante are gay,bi.lesbian and straight....and are all young and gorgeous.
They are plunged into a world full of intrigue,secrets and romance,when the towns sinister supernatural past comes to life.
I saw these first 2 episodes when they aired and it is pretty much a gothic soap transported to today.A fun show with enough storyline to be entertaining with a gorgeous cast showing a lot of bare skin to enjoy.
In a nutshell,about 100 years ago a sorceress named Grace, played by Tracy Scoggins (anyone remember her from the Dynasty spinoff, The Colbys?)finds out her one true love is gay and like any demon will do,seeks revenge.She imprisons Ambrosius and he is held captive until modern times when he is accidentally released from his chains by a kiss from Kevin,the hotels newest resident.Now the past and the present collide as Grace and Ambrosius continue their feud and the residents of the hotel pay the price.True love battles to overcome the forces of evil and Kevin may be the first victim.
Will Kevin find true love with Toby?or will Ambrosius claim Kevin for himself?
Will good triumph over evil?or will Grace have her final revenge?
At least now I can watch the rest of the series once it airs in september and maybe I'll find out.

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Studio: Wea-des Moines VideoRelease Date: 08/08/2006

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Cruel Intentions 2 (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Now, I liked the first CRUEL INTENTIONS starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (it was entertaining in a sick, twisted kind of way, and the production values were great), but I didn't even know they made a sequel until I saw this on cable! Well, after watching it, now I know why I've heard nothing about it. This was apparently supposed to be a television series called "Manchester Prep", but it's clear why it was rejected -- the subject matter is just too risque. There's more gratuitous nudity and sexual innuendo in Cruel Intentions 2 than in the original film.
This movie stunk worse than a New York subway car in August without any air conditioning. You thought the lesbian kiss scene in the first movie was a little over the top? Man, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Cruel Intentions 2 is really nothing but a soft-porn B-movie. The first movie was a "modern retelling" of the "classic" story Dangerous Liaisons. Cruel Intentions 2 is a "prequel" that leaves almost no taboo unexplored. Since this is a "family" site, I will not go into any graphic detail here. Suffice it to say that virgin eyes should not behold what transpires in this movie (Scenes like an innocent freshman girl getting aroused while learning to ride a horse, twins in a shower, Valmont's stepmother giving him a massage...you get the idea).
Anyway, consider this a public service announcement: beware if you turn on your tv and are flipping through the cable channels and you come across a little movie called CRUEL INTENTIONS 2. Or if you see this on your videostore shelf. Or if you were thinking of buying this film. The production values and the acting and the story are nowhere near as good as the original. You might find some of the nudity and erotic content enjoyable if you're looking for that sort of thing... ...You have been warned.

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CRUEL INTENTIONS 2 - DVD Movie

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Caligula (The Unrated Edition) (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)I will concentrate on the movie's historical accuracy (or its lack of it), since the previous reviews seem to either have overlooked it, or claimed that it is "historically accurate", or on the opposite extreme, that it totally ignored history.
"Caligula" does have some merit from the historical point of view, surely already present in Gore Vidal's original script. It's also very weak in many points.
The bare events of Caligula's life and reign are actually quite accurate. It may surprise many viewers that most of the secondary characters - Emperor Tiberius, Senator Nerva, the praetorian prefect Macro, Tiberius's grandson and Caligula's rival for the succession Gemellus, Caesonia, Chaerea (who murdered Caligula), his sister Drusilla - were all historical and, as far as the facts have come down to us, their portrayal in "Caligula" was fairly accurate, at least according to some ancient authors.
Tiberius did retire to the island of Capri in his last years and did invite the elderly Nerva to join him there, and ancient authors do claim that he indulged in sexual perversions there. Nerva really committed suicide as shown in the movie.
The conversations between Caligula, Nerva and Tiberius, probably by Vidal, really reflect contemporary views and issues - for instance, the deification of Julius Caesar and Augustus, Tiberius's predecessors: Tiberius was totally cynical about the whole thing, whereas Caligula firmly believed it. Throughout the movie, many of Caligula's lines come straight from ancient authors.
On the other hand, Nerva's comment on Caligula's "gift for logic" seems to owe more to Camus than to ancient sources - still, a nice touch, I thought.
Tiberius's murder by Caligula and Macro, Caligula's removal of Macro and Gemellus, his incestuous relationship with Drusilla, her death, his marriage to Caesonia, her giving him a daughter, his increasing tyranny, his farcical invasion of Germany and attempted invasion of Britain, and his murder by his own guard - are all historical facts, and on the whole not too inaccurately shown in the movie.
On the other hand, the movie's biggest weaknesses from the historical point of view are (1) the way it *looks* and (2) the suggestion that Caligula's and Tiberius's depravity were somehow "normal", part of Rome's "decadence".
The sets and clothes all look more like something from a Fellini film than from ancient Rome. Tiberius's palace on Capri is perhaps the most unrealistic, along with that ship, and the execution machine - and countless details.
The clothes aren't very realistic, either. Romans were more casual about nudity than we are today, and I suppose that their clothes might reveal much some times. But I doubt that Roman ladies would be as casual about parading half-naked as portrayed in the movie (I mean in normal situations, not the sex scenes).
Moreover, it's simply not true that "orgies" such as that portrayed in the movie were common among the Roman upper classes. Actually adultery - also on the part of males - was an offense punishable by death, at least for the upper classes (this didn't cover prostitution). The vast majority of the Roman senatorial class would, and did, find behavior such as that of Tiberius and Caligula scandalous.
However, Caligula's in cognito wanderings through Rome after Drusilla's death give perhaps for the first time in a movie a good impression of what ancient Rome actually was at night - dangerous, dark, chaotic, where no person of means would venture without an armed escort.
I also enjoyed the glimpse of what an emperor's routine largely consisted of, with Tiberius and Caligula stamping their seal onto endless piles of official documents.
"Caligula" was obviously intended to be mainly a pornographic movie - Bob Guccione made sure of that. But it also, at some point, was intended to have a core of historical accuracy, which is why Gore Vidal was asked to write the script.
This core is still present in the movie, and it's not true that you don't learn anything of Roman history by watching it.
But of course, I know that that's not what most people will watch it for. So perhaps Guccione was right.

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Before Rome. Before Gladiator. The most controversial film of all time as you've never experienced it before! Combining lavish spectacle and top award-winning stars, this landmark production was shrouded in secrecy since its first day of filming. Now, this unprecedented special edition presents a bolder and more revealing Caligula than ever before, with a beautiful new high-definition transfer from recently uncovered negative elements and hours of never-before-seen bonus material! From the moment he ascends to the throne as Emperor, Caligula enforces a reign like no other as power and corruption transform him into a deranged beast whose deeds still live on as some of the most depraved in history. Malcolm McDowell (NBC's top-rated Heroes, Rob Zombie's Halloween, A Clockwork Orange, Time After Time, If..., Cat People and O Lucky Man), Helen Mirren: 2007 Academy Award & Golden Globe Winner for The Queen; 2007 Emmy & Golden Globe winner for HBO's Elizabeth I; star of hit TV series Prime Suspect and films including National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Calendar Girls, Excalibur, The Mosquito Coast, and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover), Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter, The Ruling Class, My Favorite Year, Venus, The Stunt Man), John Gielgud (Gandhi, The Elephant Man, Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, Alfred Hitchcock's Secret Agent, and Academy Award-winning role in Arthur). Supporting cast includes a wide array of European cult actors including Teresa Ann Savoy (Salon Kitty), John Steiner (Mario Bava's Shock), Leopoldo Trieste (Cinema Paradiso), Mirella D'Angelo (Tenebrae), Paolo Bonacelli (Mission: Impossible III) and Adriana Asti (The Best of Youth).

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Dante's Cove - The Complete Second Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the second season of the guilty pleasure "Dante's Cove" (think of it as a cross between "The O.C." and the old series "Dark Shadows", but with gay erotic content that makes "Queer As Folk" look like an afterschool special), the hunky boys and beautiful girls who live at Dante's Hotel are living and loving, while still having to deal with the problems caused by its previous inhabitant, exiled warlock Ambrosius, and his ex-girlfriend and eternal nemesis, the witch Grace.
This season, they're joined by a mysterious, more powerful witch, Diana (played by Thea Gil, previously of QAF). As we rejoin the gang, somewhat naive Kevin is tired of living under Toby's shadow, wants to get a job and become more self-sufficient, which makes Toby insecure about their relationship. Seeing this as a chance to get Kevin back into his clutches, Ambrosius updates his image ("Call me 'Bro!") and tries to dazzle the young man with a fast car and to-die-for beach house. Toby's ex Adam (recast this year, for the better) gets involved with Ambrosius as well, and gets hooked on a local drug with supernatural origins. Meanwhile, Van gets further into dabbling in magic, with a book she found on the beach, learns the truth about Ambrosius and Grace, and takes desperate measures when her girlfriend Michelle says she has to choose between the magic or their relationship. The five (apx.) hour-long episodes also reveal a former boyfriend of Kevin's visiting the hotel, Adam's involvement with a gay afterhours sex club, the resort's handyman trying to seduce boss man Marco, more background on the two child ghosts that appear to Toby, as well as much more detail on the ins and outs of Grace's and Ambrosius' powers, and how they must ally themselves with a hotel guest in order to battle it out by the upcoming Solstice. Comic relief is provided by the appearance of an old porcelin doll, which has a spell causing anyone who touches it to fall in instant lust with the next person (male or female) they see.
Critics say "This is nothing more than a gay soap" and point at the often over-the-top dialogue and occasional overacting. Hey, it is what it is, and it works on that level exceedingly well, as most "guilty pleasures" should! They definitely cranked up the "camp" quotient a notch or two this year, with Tracy Scoggins as Grace (trying to teach young protege' Van the nuances of black magic) losing her cool and occasionally seeming to be channeling Agnes Moorehead in "Bewitched"! The photography, music and eye candy is outstanding, and I found myself powerless to avoid going through all five episodes in one sitting.
Note that the format of this 2-DVD set can be a bit confusing, in that there is a top menu to choose the episode you want to see (which should obviously be viewed in order), and then a submenu to play that episode (No option to view all episodes on the disk consecutively.) The second disk also includes some excellent extras, including deleted scenes, interviews with the cast, "backlot" featurette and "coming out" stories by the three openly-gay cast members. It isn't Emmy-worthy, but a fun diversion for you and open-minded friends. I'm under a spell not to give it anything less than a full five stars out of five.

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(Gay & Lesbian) Since its premiere in 2005, "Dante’s Cove" has grown from a cult sensation to a gay cultural phenomenon. Fun and provocative, the show has seduced thousands with its unabashed and unapologetic delivery of sex and camp, placing itself as the ultimate guilty pleasure. Season 2 is even more outrageous with the introduction of more deadly secrets, more intriguing twists and most importantly, more hot-bodied stars!

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Show Me Yours: The Complete Series (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)i thought this show would go the way of some shows and never, ever get a second life on dvd. you have no idea how excited i am that this isn't true! smart dialogue, sexy characters and hot love scenes. what a fabulous show. viva la "show me love"!

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The Battle of the Sexes Has Never Been Funnier…The Hit Oxygen Channel Show – Completely Uncut and Unedited
With a new book deal, a fabulous apartment and a stable relationship, psychologist turned sex expert Kate Langford (Rachael Crawford) is living her dream. But when her publisher pairs her up with the arrogant yet irresistible PhD, Benjamin Chase (Adam Harrington), for her next book, Kate realizes she still has a lot to learn.

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