Generation Kill (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)As an Iraq veteran I was skeptical about watching this at first, thinking that it would be a "Hollywoodized" version of the war. Then a buddy of mine told me it was by far one of the greatest shows he's ever seen, so I gave it a go. Halfway through the first episode I was awestruck. Like the title of my review states, this show is brutal, relentless, and above all AUTHENTIC. Though I was with the Army, our job was very similar to these Marines in that we rode around in Humvees searching for the bad guys.
Anyone who has served in Iraq in a combat role will relate to these Marines all-too-easily. Well talk the same, have the same frustrations with the chain-of-command and understanding our mission some days (though thankfully my unit did not have anyone like "Captain America"), and deal with the same issues regarding supplies, lack of sleep, and fighting an enemy who the day previously may have been begging you for food.
Some viewers may be turned off by the extreme vulgarity and profanity, but fact is that is the way most "grunts" talk. And I think every Platoon or Squad in theater has its own "CPL Pearson." Fact of the matter is, none of us are saints and war does bring out mankind at both its best and its worst. "Generation Kill" shows both sides to the Marines in the rawest sense. One thing I like is that it does not attempt to take a political stance one way or the other on the war. Some may view the series as anti-war, given the way some of the Marines question their mission and why they are there. But again that is another reality of this war.
I never thought I would ever want to watch a movie or series about Iraq, however this is by far one of the best series I have ever seen, period! For anyone who is a veteran, knows a veteran, or just wants to know what the war over in Iraq is really like, "Generation Kill" is a must see!
SFC James Mace, U.S. Army
OIF III, 2004-2005

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Based on the national best-selling book by Evan Wright, Generation Kill is an authentic and vividly detailed 7 part HBO mini-series event that presents a uniquely epic and intimate portrait of the first 40 days of the Iraq war from the perspective of the Marines of the First Recon Battalion – a new breed of American soldiers.
The mini-series tells the story of these young Marines physical and emotional journey into the heart of Baghdad in those initial weeks, and how the war reveals to be much more complicated, problematic and tragic than anyone had contemplated. Many of the complications and problems that arise are due to the unwieldy military bureaucracy which the Marines confront in the midst of the war, the challenges of over-zealous and incompetent commanding officers, ever-changing rules of engagement, a non-existent strategy, severe deficiencies in necessary armor and supplies, and an enemy they don’t understand.
Generation Kill is a humorous and frightening first hand account of these remarkable men, of the personal toll of victory, and of the brutality, camaraderie and bureaucracy of a new American war. It is a profoundly insightful and realistic look at the risk, costs and ultimately, the failures of the war.
Written and produced by Emmy-award winner David Simon (the Wire), and also produced by the award-winning George Faber (Elizabeth I).

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Oliver Twist (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this DVD on sale in a Target store, so I took a chance on it. Luckily, I hadn't read the reviews here or I would have given it a pass. This production of Dickens' famous novel is the least faithful of all the versions I have seen, but I expected that going in. It's basically a stylistic rewrite of the story with a modern audience in mind. Had I been a Dickens purist looking for a mirror image of the book, I would have been appalled, as some reviewers here obviously were.
Instead, it's a fresh take on an old story. It doesn't pretend to be faithful. The result for me is that I was highly entertained, and as someone else has pointed out, instead of looking for how many deviations I could find, I was enthralled by the fact that I did NOT know what was coming next. This in effect freed me from the book, which I have read several times (yes, I like Dickens), and allowed me to judge this fresh approach on its own merits.
I was quite satisfied with the story as it stood on its own two feet, although the original story is much better. But that was a book (a newspaper serial, actually), not a 173 minute television mini-series. Were I to produce a faithful mini-series of Oliver Twist I would require at least ten hour-long segments. It's a very complicated yarn. (I'd love to film the chapter where Oliver is recuperating in the country.)
The cast is excellent for the most part. William Miller (Pieter in "Krakatoa") was an inspired choice for what he was intended to do: portray an appealing yet fearless version of Oliver--a boy who has been subjected to the dreary trials of a workhouse upbringing, yet because of his character has come through it all as a soft spoken, kindly little soul. Adam Arnold as Dodger presents a new "twist" on the character, who is shown as being quite sensitive and vulnerable, and in love with Nancy (who throws him over for Oliver). Bill Sykes is played by Tom Hardy, and while he looks fine in the part, his accent is so extreme I could only understand ever tenth word. He also suffers in my eyes because he's no Robert Newton. That holds true with every other actor who has played Sykes. Similarly, Timothy Spall is no Alec Guiness. I had a hard time swallowing his Fagin, but again this is a rewrite of the story and he does an adequate job with the writer's reconstruction of the character. Mr. Brownlow is played by the ubiquitous Edward? Fox (is he William, James or Edward? I wish he'd make up his mind).
If it sounds like I'm having fun with this review, it's probably because I had fun watching this DVD. The extra on the disk is a "making-of" documentary. I enjoyed meeting Will Miller, Sophie Okonedo (Nancy), and others. However, when you listen to the writer, Sarah Phelps, you begin to get an insight into why this Oliver Twist is so different from all the others. She strikes me as an angry, over-the-top liberal who has strong opinions on Dickens and other societal matters. She rubbed me the wrong way, but at the same time I did like very much what she produced. So there you have it in a nutshell.
The music didn't bother me one little bit. In fact, its spirited tone fit the revised character of Oliver very well, and I felt it was perfect for this particular production. William Miller is a handsome, lovable boy, and I was very pleased to see Oliver Twist as an engaging, sturdy and athletic youngster for once instead of the meek, frail waif we have always seen, a character who we are to pity. It's a fresh outlook. The rest of the cast, the authentic costuming and backgrounds, yes and even the heavily rewritten story, support this new twist on Oliver Twist very well.
It's a good movie. Don't miss it. Take the sour apple reviews with a grain of salt.

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This gripping tale of Charles Dickens's classic remains faithful to the spirit of the novel while delivering a modern, thrilling, tragic and occasionally comic edge. Oliver is born into poverty and misfortune - the son of an unmarried mother, who dies shortly after his birth. He is soon delivered to the workhouse, where the cruel Mr. Bumble oversees children tormented by starvation and suffering. When Oliver dares to ask for more gruel, he finds himself cast out and forced to make his own way in the world. Running away to London, Oliver meets the Artful Dodger and his gang, as well as the beautiful Nancy, and gets the first warm welcome of his life - but he is soon to discover that this kindness requires its own type of payment. As Oliver is drawn deeper into the dark and murky underworld, he remains unaware that the kind Mr. Brownlow is searching for him, while others - the brutal criminal Bill Sykes, the manipulative Fagin and the mysterious Mr. Monks - are vying to ruin and destroy his life.

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The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Single-Disc Edition) (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)WARNING: This edition DOES NOT contain all the special features available with the New Moon release. Summit did an evil, evil, manipulative thing with this DVD release and divided up the special features among multiple retailers.
On Amazon you have just the standard discs with a limited number of extras.
If you buy your version at Target, you get an extra disc with Deleted Scenes, Interview with the Volturi, Fandimonium, The Beat Goes On: The Music of Twilight, and Frame by Frame: Storyboards to Screen.
If you buy at Borders, you get extras including Extended Scenes.
And if you buy at Walmart, you get a Sneak Peek at Eclipse (which includes an Eclipse scene), Team Edward v. Team Jacob, Becoming Jacob, Introducing the Wolfpack, Jacob Fast Forward, Edward Fast Forward, and Shooting in Italy.
Summit's hoping you buy THREE copies so that you can get to see all the special features they divided up. Don't give them the satisfaction! Buy one and call it a day!

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In the second chapter of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series, the romance between mortal Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) grows more intense as ancient secrets threaten to destroy them. When Edward leaves in an effort to keep Bella safe, she tests fate in increasingly reckless ways in order to glimpse her love once more. But when she s saved from the brink by her friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), Bella will uncover mysteries of the supernatural world that will put her in more peril than ever before.

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Further Tales of the City. (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)This release consists of two disks. The first features all four episodes of 'Further.' The second, which I have yet to watch all of, contains the extras (those that I have seen are very good).
My only problem with this release is that instead of screening all four episodes uncut, they have released them as a feature length movie.
In Britain 'More' was released on video in the same format. The result was that all the scenes at the start of each episode that had the cast/production credits on screen were cut so I, the viewer, missed out on a number of scenes. I haven't seen the TV version of 'Further' so cannot comment on whether this dvd version has cut some scenes due to the on screen credits or whether they have included these scenes minus the on screen credits. 'More' was released as six episodes back to back. 'Further' should have been released this way as well.
The production is classy although there are a few dodgy shots here and there, such as establishing shots of the ship spoilt by rain drops on the camera lens.
Viewers of 'Tales' and 'More' should enjoy this release. Viewers new to 'Tales of the City' will probably find the characters in 'Further' a bit cold and would be advised to watch the first two mini-series before watching 'Further'.
Its hard to believe that in 2003 the first mini-series will be ten years old. Lets hope it doesn't take ten years to see the last three books developed for televison.

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ARMISTEAD MAUPIN’S FURTHER TALES OF THE CITY is the third installment of Maupin’s classic saga of San Francisco life.Set in 1981, the four-hour miniseries involves the residents of 28 Barbary Lane in a racy and rollicking adventure/mystery that leaps from Golden Gate Park to the home of a Hollywood icon to a remote island in the Alaskan wilderness.As usual in Maupin’s world, romantic entanglements abound. Landlady Anna Madrigal (OLYMPIA DUKAKIS) is stunned by her mother’s sudden arrival.Mother Mucca (JACKIE BURROUGHS) who runs a bordello in Nevada is in town to take care of personal business and meets a man from her past, Royal Reichenbach (JOHN MCMARTIN).When Mother Mucca introduces Anna to Royal, they find themselves in a rivalry over him. Madrigal’s tenants have their own stories from the past to unravel.Michael Tolliver (PAUL HOPKINS) is working at a nursery called "Best Laid Plants."He tries to get over being dumped by his former lover Dr. Jon Fielding (BILLY CAMPBELL) who went off to work on a cruise ship. Exploring his sexuality full tilt, Michael embarks on a series of sexual escapades involving cowboys, cops and Cage Tyler (JOHN ROBINSON) a closeted movie star. Michael's friend and neighbor Mary Ann Singleton (LAURA LINNEY) is challenged with a relationship problem of a different kind.Her boyfriend and upstairs neighbor, Brian Hawkins (WHIP HUBLEY) who has spent most of his adult life as a womanizer, comes to the realization that he wants to marry her.She, however, is hesitant to take the next step as she is focused on her career.Longing to become a serious reporter, but not given a chance by her station manager, she is forced to work as a daytime host of the "Bargain Matinee" show. Mary Ann’s late boss’ widow, socialite Frannie Halcyon (DIANA LEBLANC) is tormented by her daughter DeDe’s (BARBARA GARRICK) apparent demise in the Jonestown Massacre.Living on Mai Tais and sleeping pills, she refuses to accept that DeDe and her children, Little Anna and Edgar were killed.She seeks advice from psychics to help her find her missing daughter.When a fortune-teller convinces her that DeDe is indeed alive, she asks for the support of society columnist Prue Giroux (MARY KAY PLACE) to make her story public. When Prue refuses to get involved, Frannie calls Mary Ann to share her secret. Since Mary Ann is always searching for a good story, she is eager to meet in hopes of finally getting a break on the evening news. Meanwhile, Prue meets a mysterious homeless man, Luke (HENRY CZERNY) in Golden Gate Park.Immediately drawn to his intense charm, she falls madly in love with him.Little does she know that she’s opening Pandora’s Box when she attempts to bring him back to society with the help of flamboyant celebrity priest Father Paddy Star (BRUCE MCCULLOCH).Luke’s past is far more sinister than Prue could ever imagine. Then it’s revealed that DeDe Halcyon Day has spent three years in Cuba with her lover Dorothea (FRANÇOISE ROBERTSON) after escaping the massacre in Guyana.She ends up in a camp for gay Cuban refugees in Fort Chafee, Arkansas and finally calls her mother Frannie in San Francisco to tell her that she wants to come home. Through DeDe’s unexpected reappearance and a twist of fate, the storylines begin to intertwine and all of the characters in Maupin’s tales find themselves in the midst of an unpredictable adventure.

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The Way We Live Now Review

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(More customer reviews)How We Live Now is the 1870s novel written by Anthony Trollope (1815-1882, While Trollope is best known for his Barchester series dealing with the clergy and the Palliser series focusing on Victorian political life this novel of business and family life is considered one of his best novels (and he wrote 47!)
Mr. Melmotte is a European schemer who fleeces several prominent men to invest in a bogus railroad company. David Suchet stars in this role (best known for his Hercule Poirot
portrayal), The stout and middle aged Suchet plays Melmotte with genius and his presence is strong and memorable.
Shirley Henderson playing his abused and lovelorn daugher Marie is very well acted. Her love affair with the cad Felix
Carbury is drawn with superb depth in fine acting.
The love affair between Hettie Carbury and the engineer Paul
Montague (who has an American girfriend Winifred Hurtle who shows up to fight for her man) is very interesting as the triangle love affair is worked out during the course of the 6 hour Masterpiece miniseries.
The BBC production is sumptuous! Beautiful period costumes
and music add to the sheer enjoyment of this series!
Americans are sometimes bored because British programming
moves at a sloweer pace than many of our tv programs. They forget that these novels fulfilled the function of a soap opera as their stories were issued in monthly parts. Trollope is not as well known as George Eliot or the inimitable Dickens but any
of his novels portrayed on the screen is well worth the time to
view it.
Congratulations to the BBC and the outstanding cast of this
fine film!

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The Way We Live Now captures the turmoil as the old order is swept aside by the brash new forces of business and finance. Based on the novel by Anthony Trollope, this satire of Victorian society contains all the dynamic elements that made him one of the most celebrated and popular novelists of his day--the trials and tribulations of young love, the pettiness of the upper class life, the raw energy and excitement of the most powerful city the world had ever seen, and the greed and corruption that lay just below its glittering surface.
Episode 1: When infamous financier Augustus Melmotte (David Suchet) mysteriously appears in London, the city's impoverished aristocrats greedily court his favor. Felix Carbury, a charming but lazy young baronet, is one of the many gentlemen swarming around Melmotte's rich heiress daughter, Marie. Meanwhile, Felix's independently minded sister, Hetta, falls in love with a bright young engineer, Paul Montague, who is in town to approach Melmotte with an ambitious business propostion. Complications soon arise in business and love.
Episode 2: While Paul Montague throws himself into the booming railway business with Melmotte, the presence of his mysterious American friend in London threatens to jeopardize his chances with Hetta. Felix is forced to desperate measures to secure his future with Marie when he learns that her father is planning her marriage to a rival suitor.
Episode 3: Paul visits Mexico to have his worst fears about the railway construction confirmed. Returning to London he decides to confront Melmotte and resolve his romantic situation. Melmotte involves himself in increasingly ambitious business schemes while Felix gets himself into further trouble and Hetta recieves some devastating news.
Episode 4: Melmotte reaches the highest echelons of London society but the wolves are beginning to gather at his door. Paul takes his chance to act and Felix comes face to face with some tough opposition, while Hetta contemplates settling for second best. Climaxing in love lost, love gained, a death and some just desserts.

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The Starter Wife (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)You must forget Will & Grace when you watch the Starter Wife. Kiss Grace goodbye, this aint her. Messing shows how she can take the lead and keep this mini series moving. She plays an ex-wife of a Hollywood studio boss starts her life after her divorce
The supporting cast of Judy Davis, Joe Mantegna, Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls), and Peter Jacobson (Transformers & the Lost Room)mesh with Messing. Mantegna best scene is hom in drag-DONT MISS IT
On the whole, the mini series, which is based upon the novel by Hollywood Wife Gigi Levangie Grazer, the wife of Producer/director Brian Grazer, is a great story. It ranks up there will Jackie Collins's Hollywood series of books and movies
Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

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Primetime Emmy® Award winner Debra Messing (Will and Grace) lights up the screen in The Starter Wife!Follow the uplifting adventures of Molly Kagen (Messing), a Hollywood wife who must reinvent herself after being left by her movie executive husband.Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) directs a dazzling ensemble cast, including Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives), Miranda Otto (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers), Joe Mantegna (Bugsy) and Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls).Based on the bestselling novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer, this must-own 2-disc set includes all 6 liberating TV-hours of funny, empowering entertainment.Say "I do" to The Starter Wife on DVD!

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Degrassi Junior High - The Complete Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)In response to the previous review, I wanted to point out that this box set contains the entire Degrassi Junior High series. There were only 3 seasons. The next season is when the show switched over to the "Degrassi High" title. So the next season is techinically season 1 of Degrassi High, not season 4 of Degrassi Junior High. Anyway, this series is great and full of nostalgia for all of us 80's kids. The only reason I give the discs 4 stars is because the quality of the dvd transfers is not very good. There is a lot of digital compression/artifacting that can be seen in the image. But this is not bad enough to keep you from enjoying watching these shows again.

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Go to school with the show in a class by itself- and get real! Hailed as "groundbreaking," "powerful," and "totally authentic," Degrassi Junior High confronts it all-friendship, puberty, rumors, sports, studies, and more-with a refreshing ensemble cast and a unique teen’s-eye-view of life. Sometimes moving, sometimes shocking, but always believable, Degrassi Junior Highis a classic for teens of all ages. All your favorite characters and storylines are waiting-find your seat-school’s open!Includes all 42 episodes of Degrassi Junior High on 9 discs.DVD bonus features include Degrassi Between Takes--a documentary made during the filming of the original Degrassi Junior High series; bonus Degrassi Talks videos on topics such as drinking and drugs, trivia quizzes for all three seasons, downloadable computer wallpaper, and printable materials for educators.

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Tekwar (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been looking forward to this series for a while. Only one rant, where are the first 4 episodes. No Pilot, Tek Lab, Tek Lord or Tek Justice. How can it be a complete series without these.
It kind of pisses me off

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In the year 2045, an addictive computer-based reality drug called "tek" has ignited a war that stretches throughout society. Recruited by a mysterious benefactor to stop the advancing drug is Jake Cardigan (Melrose Place's Greg Evigan), a cop who teams up with a colorful array of partners as the government plots to stop him from revealing the truth. Also starring Eugene Clark (Land of the Dead) and Torri Higginson (Stargate: Atlantis), this riveting series is based on the hit sci-fi novel series by William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal), who also makes special appearances throughout these 18 action-packed episodes!

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The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)That quote by Bunk (Wendell Pierce) in the opening episode of the final season of David Simon's brilliant The Wire sets the stage for the events that unfold in these final ten episodes of the beloved HBO series.
Picking up from the fourth season, Mayor Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) is pouring money into the Baltimore school system, which prompts the police force to work without paid overtime, and also finds the ever self-destructive Jimmy McNulty's (Dominic West) wiretap on murderous drug dealer Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector) put to a premature end. Things begin to change however, when McNulty, along with Freamon's (Clarke Peters) help, manipulate and orchestrate an imaginary, homeless preying, serial killer that garners national attention, all in an effort to put Marlo away once and for all.
Also, much like the previous season focused on the broken education system, the fifth season focuses on the impact of the media in the form of the Baltimore Sun; as editor Gus Haynes (longtime series director Clark Johnson) deals with the downsizing of his staff, and the rise of a reporter (Thomas McCarthy) who may be making up his stories. In the meantime (proving that The Wire is indeed the most multilayered television drama ever created), other subplots abound, including a revenge driven Omar (Michael K. Williams) returning with Marlo in his sights; young Michael (Tristan Wilds) and Dukie (Jermaine Crawford) learn just how dire their situation is; Bubbles (Andre Royo) finds light at the end of the tunnel; and Daniels (Lance Reddick) prepares to take on the role of Commissioner. Most notably however is the impact of the actions of McNulty and Freamon; an impact that ends up effecting everyone in striking distance and beyond, and sets the stage for the final episode of the series, which is one of the most brilliant pieces of television to ever materialize. Not everyone walks away clean (or walks away at all) and rides into the sunset, but it is a perfect way to end a perfect series, and with appearances from familiar faces aplenty along the way, things couldn't have been wrapped up better.
All in all, the final season of The Wire further proves the frequently mentioned point of just how unbelievably good this show was, and how much of a shame it is that it never achieved the kind of uber-popularity that it deserved compared to many of HBO's other shows. Either way, longtime fan or late newcomer, there is nearly nothing better than The Wire, even to its bittersweet end.
"...you gotta keep the devil way down in the hole..."

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In the projects. On the docks. In City Hall. In the schools. And now, in the media. The places and faces have changed, but the game remains the same. Times are tough for the detail. Mayor Carcetti has slashed the departments budget to the bone. Police are operating without overtime some without cars and radios. Angered, McNulty is off the rails again and headed down a dangerous path of deception and lies that will ally him with an unscrupulous reporter. The drug trade still rules the corners, all you have to do is read between the lines.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryFeaturette

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Masterpiece Theatre: Monsignor Renard Review

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(More customer reviews)This is ,without doubt ,the worst Amazon product I have ever bought . I have the original on VHS. I was quite exited when I saw it advertised on DVD. Little did I know how badly it was edited. Almost one hour is deleted from the original and the ridiculous 'added' commentary is dreadful.Poor John Thaw,what would he have thought. . I can either put in the bin or let you have it back. Which do you suggest? JOHN GOLDSMITH,Birmingham,England

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MONSIGNOR RENARD - DVD Movie

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Impact Review

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(More customer reviews)"Impact" was originally a made for TV mini-series so it is lacking the big Hollywood studio "feel". This is actually a good thing if you want the drama and character development that is possible in a movie that is 3 hours and 10 minutes long.
No plot spoilers from me; the movie centers on the events that occur immediately after what is believed to be an asteroid hits the moon (which happens very shortly after the movie starts), the effects it has on the earth, and the efforts of the governments and scientists of the world to set things right... before the world is destroyed.
I am a Sci-Fi and disaster movie junkie, so I likely rated this higher than many movie purists would since there are a lot of scientific faults, implausible events, and has almost every cliché from just about every other disaster movie. The special effects ranged from laughable to outstanding, but the cinematography was actually very good. The acting was right on par for a TV movie and the characters well played and given time to develop.
While all movies of this type require some suspension of disbelief, there were several things that bothered me more than the obvious technical and scientific flaws, and the biggest was the portrayal of the government and military leaders as obstructionist and paranoid to the point where they would risk the lives of every person on the planet. That is a cliché that needs to be let go of.
Overall, this was a watchable and even enjoyable movie if you are a disaster movie fan.


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A rogue asteroid smashes into the moon in a tremendous explosion of rock and debris. Within days, disastrous abnormalities start happening on Earth. What started as the most beautiful and the largest meteor shower in 10,000 years unexpectedly becomes the catalyst for a potential collison between the moon and planet Earth. The world's leading scientists, Alex Kittner (David James Elliott, TV's JAG) and Maddie Rhodes (Natasha Henstridge, Species) have 39 days to stop the moon's course or the Earth - - and all of mankind - - will perish. Also starring James Cromwell (W. and The Green Mile). The countdown is on.

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Place of Execution Review

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(More customer reviews)I watched A Place of Execution on Masterpiece because I had read and loved the book. For the most part, the movie version was well done. There was good casting and great performances throughout. Unfortunately, the script changed too many key elements from the book -- and these changes detracted rather than added to the story. I don't want to go into specific detail about these changes because I'd have to put in too many spoilers in order to describe them. You'll have to read the book and watch the movie for yourself to decide what you think. I suspect if I hadn't read the book first, I might have like the movie more. If you'd like to read my review of the book, it's under the Kindle version of the book (no spoilers).

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On a freezing December night in 1963, 13-year-old Alison Carter took her dog for a walk on the moors in Scardale, a secluded Derbyshire hamlet, and was never seen again. For newly-promoted Detective Inspector George Bennett (Lee Ingleby), his first missing persons case his first chance to prove himself to his new bosses ultimately launched a superstar career. As the entire country watched his investigation, Bennett s obsession with the Carter case turned up enough evidence to see his suspect hanged. But though he was hailed a hero by the people of Scardale, and by his peers, the missing body of Alison Carter left a lingering cloud. It is that cloud that compels controversial filmmaker Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson) to turn her camera to Bennett more than four decades later. But when the film about this notorious case leads her to something more sinister, Catherine struggles to understand why questions from forty years ago have different answers today. Based on the novel by award-winning author Val McDermid, Place Of Execution is a gripping psychological thriller, told in the present and the past, that blurs the line between reality and illusion.

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Band of Brothers with The Pacific Part One Review

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(More customer reviews)That modesty and that sentiment seems to be shared by all the survivors of Easy Company, 506th PRI, and many of them can't hold back the tears as they mumble it. One of the great benefits of this marvelous series was the closeup interviews of the real men portrayed, those wonderful old seamed faces, breaking at last with emotion as they recall their experiences and the love of their comrades and the pain of loss of other friends. It moves me greatly, and I'm glad the Extras in this set has an extended documentary re-tracing the time-frame of the film with these real veterans recalling the action we've seen re-created.
Brought with loving care and fanatic attention to detail by producers Steven Spielberg & Tom Hanks and their carefully chosen band of producers, directors and actors, this is an unsentimental, near-documentary telling of the story of Easy Co. from training to D-Day, Hedge Row fighting, Operation Market Garden, Bastogne, into Germany, liberation of Death Camps, and the capture of Berchesgarden & Hitler's Eagle's Nest.
Throughout it all, the aim has been to tell it straight and get it right. They have done so in remarkable style. The truth HAS enough drama, and the various episodes reveal it. We get to know these men and care about them. We marvel at their endurance and the way they go about getting the job done, professionally, and with matter-of-fact, everyday courage. It is a true tribute to the Citizen Soldiers who won the war.
With 10 episodes and lots of extra goodies, presented within an exceptional package, there is just too much to review here. Some memorable moments: the harrowing jump into the explosive, tracer-lit night skies of Normandy; the assault on the 88's; Winter's killing the young German; the episode dedictated to the Medic; the monstrous artillery barrage on the men in the snowy forest of Bastogne; the shock of the farmer's wife on seeing the closeup hand-to-hand killing of the German by "Bull"; and finally, the incredibly moving scenes of the liberation of the Concentration Camp, and the final days of Easy at the War's end.
These last episodes are all the more powerful because we have followed Easy Co. and these men and have seen the death so random and arbitrary around and among them that a slow emotional tension has been built that we now realize with the intensity of anger/pity/horror at the Camps and the bittersweet joy and subsequent farewell of VE day.
I could cite great moments by each individual actor, and nicely played and effectively understated but powerfully emotional scenes but suffice it to say this is an ensemble piece with superb performances throughout. The quiet power of the different episodes underscores how wonderfully written the entire piece is, and with corresponding excellent direction and production values.
A one-of-a-kind production, having the time to tell the tale with detail and care, and with all involved doing honor to the men who lived it. And finally, there are those men, bringing it all back to the reality of real lives lived. Exceptional stuff.

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Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elite rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties, and whose lives became legend.

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Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Between 1999 and 2003, the unique sci-fi television series "Farscape" was aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in the U.S. Filmed in Australia primarily by Jim Henson Productions with assistance from several Australian production companies and some funding from the Sci-Fi Channel, the series developed a strong following and was under contract for a total of five seasons. However, various funding & political issues forced the premature cancellation of the show following the fourth season (a total of 88 episodes), much to the dismay of loyal fans who (for the most part, including myself) were greatly disappointed by the inconclusive events left in the final minutes of the final fourth-season episode.
However, under the leadership of Jim Henson's (1936-1990) son, Brian Henson (Jim Henson Productions' president & CEO), Jim Henson Productions was able to secure full control over "Farscape", allowing it to produce a four-hour mini-series in 2004 to provide a better closure for the existing four seasons than the final events of the final fourth-season episode. Entitled "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars", the four-hour mini-series was ostensibly equivalent to what the planned fifth season would have been, albeit much shorter, but in no way less wonderful or engaging as the original 88 episodes. On the contrary, thanks to Brian Henson's efforts (which included directing the mini-series himself), "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" was a fantastic, engaging and powerful conclusion for one of the best sci-fi television series that has ever been produced.
Seamlessly beginning where the final fourth-season episode ended, all of the cast members from the final fourth season returned in "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars". This includes the no-nonsense Earth astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder), his fiancée Peacekeeper Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), Ka D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), Chiana (Gigi Edgley), Rygel XVI (voice of Jonathan Hardy), 'Pilot' (voice of Lani John Tupu), Scorpius/Harvey (Wayne Pygram), Sikozu Shanu (Raelee Hill), Joolushko Tunai Fenta Hovalis (Tammy McIntosh), Stark (Paul Goddard), Utu-Noranti Pralatong (Melissa Jaffer), Skarin Emperor Staleek (Duncan Young), Skarin War Minister Akhna (Francesca Buller), Peacekeeper Commandant Mele-on-Grayza (Rebecca Riggs), Peacekeeper Captain Meeklo Braca (David Franklin), Ka D'Argo's son Jothee (Nathaniel Dean) and wormhole alien dubbed 'Einstein' (John Bach).
With exquisite special effects, superb direction, an engaging & consistent plot and excellent acting, I rate "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and very highly recommend it to all "Farscape" fans. Some of the many memorable scenes in "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" include Rygel's efforts to help restore John & Aeryn and the subsequent consequences, the various battle scenes both in space and on the ground, John's solution to war, and the birth. Many thanks go to Brian Henson and the many wonderful actors and film crew that brought "Farscape" back to life. On a side note, Ben Browder has received four Saturn Award nominations from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, of which he won one in 2002 for "Best Actor in a Television Series".

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FARSCAPE:PEACEKEEPER WARS - DVD Movie

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Meteor (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's unfortunate that Amazon doesn't allow for negative ratings, as this made-for-TV miniseries doesn't even deserve one star.
It's hard to know where to start with this one. First of all, the writing for this movie is atrocious. There are factual errors, logical errors and plot holes so bad that you'd swear they had to have been put there on purpose, because no one would mistakenly write something so wrong.
Then there's the direction. There are some very talented actors in this movie, and yet they act as if they're making a silent movie-era melodrama -- overacting to the extreme, making bizarre facial expressions, etc. Without revealing any spoilers, let's just say that one of the characters dies in the second half of the miniseries, and as he dies his body is wracked with convulsions that look like a stagehand is poking him with an electric cattle prod. It's actually funny. And what's with those unlabeled maps that seem to show the location of one of the scenarios? It's like the CGI department ran out of money and they left in half-finished interstitials.
I guess the most egregious fault with this miniseries, though, is the fact that it is completely BORING. So much of the narrative has nothing to do with anything else that occurs that it feels as if they took a two-hour TV movie and tried to stretch it to four hours by padding it with random unrelated storylines.
Oh, yeah, and the basic premise of this, a giant piece of space rock hurtling toward the Earth, has been done to death already.
So PLEASE don't waste your money on this piece of garbage. Buy DVDs of quality television. Heck, buy DVDs of mediocre television. Just don't reward the producers of this movie by giving them your money.

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Get ready for heart-pounding action, incredible special effects and edge-of-your-seat suspense! When renowned scientist Dr. Lehman (Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future) makes the terrifying discovery that a meteor three times the size of Mount Everest is plummeting towards Earth, he begins a desperate quest to save humanity. Battling government corruption and racing against the clock, Lehman and his assistant (Marla Sokoloff, "The Practice") strive to uncover the truth and avoid disaster of unparalleled proportions. Featuring a powerhouse cast, including Stacy Keach ("Prison Break"), Billy Campbell ("Once and Again"), Jason Alexander ("Seinfeld") and Michael Rooker (JFK), Meteor is the ultimate adrenaline-charged adventure. Stills from Meteor (Click for larger image)

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Fortysomething (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a long time fan of Hugh Laurie, and in my endeavors to try and collect everything I can possibly find that he's been in, I stumbled across this 2 DVD set. I am so happy I bought it! It is absolutely brilliant; Hugh's character, Paul, is somewhat of a cross between House and Wooster. I simply adore this show; the first episode in particular is truly hilarious: one of the many high points is when two of Paul's adult sons are fighting over a girl and Paul orders them to go to their rooms. Sex is a major theme throughout the series; one of the running jokes is that Paul can't remember the last time he and his wife have made love while his sons spend most of their time fighting over a pair of sisters. In spite of the sexual elements, I found the show to be refreshingly tasteful, especially compared to the majority of American shows. Further more, its obvious, at least in my opinion, that in spite of their problems, Paul and his wife were still quite devoted to one another. I'm sorry to say that I'm probably not explaining this show very well, but I can assure you that this is one of the best dvd purchases I've made in a very long time. If you like Hugh Laurie even a little, this is a must own.

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A man and his marriage on the verge of a hilarious meltdown How do you know when you’re having a midlife crisis? Maybe it’s when you can’t remember exactly where your wife works - or whether she works at all. Or when your children have a more active sex life than you do. Or maybe it’s when you start to hear the unspoken thoughts inside other people’s heads.Hugh Laurie (House) stars as Paul Slippery, an anxiety-ridden British doctor suffering from all those symptoms and more. His wife (Anna Chancellor, Four Weddings and a Funeral) has embarked on a new career and perhaps an extramarital affair or two. His three oversexed sons mock him without mercy. And at work he’s tangled in red tape and tormented by a flaky colleague. Guest stars include Stephen Fry, Laurie’s partner-in-comedy from shows such as A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jeeves and Wooster, and Blackadder. With its delightful cast and zany repartee, Fortysomething turns the fears and foibles of middle age into high comedy of the kookiest kind.

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Hoarders: The Complete Season One Review

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(More customer reviews)Hoarders: The Complete Season One
7 Episodes on 2 Discs (2010)
"Hoarders" on A&E is probably the most compelling show you haven't seen. It is an absolutely fascinating in-depth look at people whose entire lives have been utterly consumed by clutter and possessions, most of which are absolute junk. The inability to part with any of these items as small as a soda can to as large as a broken-down School Bus means many of them are facing threats of eviction, divorce, having their children removed from them, or even going to jail for criminal littering. There are over three million people suffering from obsessive compulsive hoarding in the United States and each episode tells two of their stories.
Hoarding is a psychological, painful disease where people are lost inside their own world with their stuff. Their stuff most of the time is more valuable to them than human relationships. In this show it can affect anyone as young as a seven year-old to as old as a woman in her seventies. These people are being asked to change by their landlords at threat of eviction, by their spouse or significant other on threat of leaving them, and for their own health and well-being as well as their families.
These stories are amazing! A woman whose children had already been taken away from her was trying to clean up so they could be returned and she put her foot down at throwing out an old 7/11 Mountain Dew slurpee cup. One young man is suicidal and suffering panic attacks and is under the impression that if he removes the dog hair all over his apartment, that somehow that will make his dog die faster. The saddest story that brought tears to my eyes was that of a woman in her seventies who was blind in one eye who could not stop taking in stray cats. She wanted to badly to save them but as her house was cleaned, the amount of cat skeletons in her attic, garage, etc. was heartbreaking. They found around 70 cats total, 40 something of them alive. The most disgusting story was in the first episode of a woman who hoarded food and could not even recognize properly when it was rotten and assumed all food frozen was still good from several years earlier even when green and accused everyone around her of having poor stomachs. One older woman is addicted to yard sales and has so much junk in her house and yard that she has had to move into a hotel with her husband and can no longer afford that and is more devoted to her possessions than caring about having a relationship with her children.
While all of their behaviors have gone into a downward spiral to the extreme, some have rational reasons for hoarding. One man believes collecting scrap metal in his yard is a valid way to save for his grandchildren's college funds some day. Many cannot bear to part with things that evoke certain memories, a gift someone gave them that they aren't using or their grown kids' baby clothes. Others are collectors of happy meal toys and stuffed animals believing some day they will sell them on Ebay -- but they won't. Depression-Era behaviors are passed down through generations making people prone to stocking up on items when they are on sale as if they'll never have that opportunity to purchase again and then they will forget they already have a bunch of it and continue to buy more until they are further into debt.
Each person/couple is offered a crew that is able to clean-up their house in two days as well as the help of a professional organizer and/or therapist....if the hoarder is willing to let them. Each episode demonstrates who can rise above their disease and finish the clean-up and who allows their problems to swallow them up. It is so sad with all the help being offered when a person still can't let go.
These pack-rats can get so absorbed that when put to the test to clean an area, they can spend the entire day or two in one bathroom or one corner of one room. The clean-up crew cannot act without the hoarders permission because just clean it up for them would allow the problem to begin all over again. The hoarder has to be involved in the process or the behavior will not change. The problem is that a hoarder's decision-making process is complex, slow, and emotional and it is very difficult to make progress. It is embarrassing and humiliating for them when the crew has to literally shovel up the debris and can find anything from animal droppings to human feces to mold or critter skeletons.
There are two complaints about the series: the use of black screens with white text to give exposition between scenes to pick up the drama and let new people tuning it catch up feels like it slows down the story immensely and would be much more beneficial to have a narrator/voice over giving the information. Also the DVD Menu does not have a "Play All" option on the main menu, that option is on the Scene Menu. Why wouldn't you play all the scenes in an episode? That button seems misplaced and is annoying because every time you select a new episode you have to remember to hit "Play All".
The series itself is interesting and absorbing from a psychological standpoint. I dare you to watch this and see if you end up cleaning your own house afterward.
Bonus Features:
There is additional unused footage of each of the stories that could not fit in the episode's time frame. There is more exploration into individual items they can't throw away and why. The series showed many successful decisions as well as failures for the hoarders and this shows more failures and lack of progress. A skunk was found in a dryer in one man's yard. One woman's children have a degenerative nerve disease unmentioned before that made it more difficult for them to walk around the house. Another woman's coupon collection could not be discarded because she said some places still accept expired coupons (from 2007).

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Take a fascinating look inside the lives of people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis.Whether they're facing eviction, the loss of their children, jail time, or divorce, these hoarders are desperately in need of help. In each 60-minute episode of Hoarders, A&E follows two people struggling to overcome their compulsive behavior while experts work to put them on the road to recovery. For some, throwing away even the tiniest possession a sponge, a button, an empty box is so painful that they won t be able to complete the cleaning process...no matter the consequences. For others, professional help and an organizer's guidance give them the strength to recover. At the end of each episode find out who has been able to keep their hoarding behavior at bay and who, despite help, is still lost inside this painful disease.BONUS FEATURES: Additional FootageDISC 1 (4 episodes, approx 188 min): Jennifer & Ron/Jill; Linda/Steven; Tara/Betty; Jake/Shirley; DISC 2 (3 episodes, approx 141 min + bonus): Kerrylea/Lauren; Patty/Bill; Paul/Missy & Alex; Bonus

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