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| 141. Roots | |
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| 142. Conagher Director: Reynaldo Villalobos | |
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Description Reviews (21)
Cast: Sam Elliott Conagher was written by Louis L'Amour (Lamoore) about life in the West around the end of the 19th century, with trouble with the Indians, rustlers, and a widow woman (Katherine Ross) tryimg to raise her children on a hard scrabble farm.Conagher comes to their aid. L'Amour was a student of Western history.He understood the common man, having worked as a cowboy, circus roustabout, merchant seaman, boxer and served in the U.S.Navy.He was also a prolific writer of Western fiction, among other things. This is not the first L'Amour story that Elliott has played in.He also performed as Tell Sackett in The Sacketts, which was an amalgamation of several of Louis's stories in that series on that family. This story of Conagher was one of his good stories, which you will find typical of L'Amour's writing...good entertainment. Joseph (Joe) Pierre
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| 143. The Sopranos - The Complete First Five Seasons | |
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Amazon.com Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, James Gandolfini's Tony is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. In its second season, The Sopranos repeatedly defies formula to let the narrative turn as a direct consequence of the characters' behavior, letting everyone in this rogue's gallery of Mafiosi, friends, and family evolve and deepen. That gamble is most apparent in the rupture of the relationship that formed the spine of the first season, the tangled ties between Tony and Livia, whose betrayal makes Tony's estrangement a logical response. Filling that vacuum, however, is prodigal sister Janice (Aida Turturro), whose New Age flakiness never successfully conceals her underlying calculation and opportunism. Soprano's relationship with therapist Melfi also frays during early episodes, as she struggles with escalating doubts about her mobbed-up patient. At home, Tony contends with wife Carmela's ruthless ambitions on behalf of college-bound Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler), as well as son Anthony Jr.'s (Robert Iler) sullen adolescent flirtation with existentialism--the sort of touch that the show handles with a smart mix of sympathy and amusement. In the brutal and controversial third season, The Sopranos justified its 11-month hiatus with some of its best, and most hotly debated, episodes. It continued to upend convention and defy audience expectations with a deliberately paced, calm-before-the-storm season opener that revolves around the FBI's attempts to bug the Soprano household, and a season finale that (for some) frustratingly leaves several plot lines unresolved. "Employee of the Month," in which Dr. Melfi is raped and considers whether to exact revenge by telling Tony of her attack, earned Emmys for its writers, and is perhaps Emmy nominee Lorraine Bracco's finest hour. Other story arcs concern the rise of the seriously unstable Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) and Tony's affair with "full-blown loop-de-loo" Gloria (Emmy nominee Annabella Sciorra). Plus, there is Tony's estrangement from daughter Meadow, his wayward delinquent son Anthony, Jr., Carmela's crisis of conscience, bad seed Jackie Jr., and the FBI--which, as the season ends, assigns an undercover agent to befriend an unwitting figure in the Soprano family's orbit. Though for some the widely debated fourth season contained too much yakking instead of whacking, and an emphasis on domestic family over business Family, in most respects The Sopranos remains television's gold standard. The season garnered 13 Emmy nominations, and subsequent best actor and actress wins for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco as Tony and Carmela, whose estrangement provides the season with its most powerful drama, as well as a win for Joe Pantoliano's psychopath Ralph. Other narrative threads include Christopher's (Emmy nominee Michael Imperioli) descent into heroin addiction, Uncle Junior's (Dominic Chianese) trial, an unrequited and potentially fatal attraction between Carmela and Tony's driver Furio, and a rude joke about Johnny Sack's wife that has potentially fatal implications. Other indelible moments include Christopher's girlfriend Adriana's projectile reaction to discovering that her new best friend is an undercover FBI agent in the episode "No Show," Janice giving Ralph a shove out of their relationship in "Christopher," and the classic "Quasimodo/Nostradamus" exchange in the season-opener, which garnered HBO's highest ratings to date. Freed from the understandably high expectations for the fourth season, heightened by the 16-month hiatus, these episodes can be better appreciated on their own considerable merits. They are pivotal chapters in television's most novel saga. From the moment a wayward bear lumbers into the Sopranos' yard in the fifth-season opener, it is clear that The Sopranos is in anything but a "stagmire." The series benefits from an infusion of new blood, the so-called "Class of 2004," imprisoned "family" members freshly released from jail. Most notable among these is Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi, who directed the pivotal season 3 episode "Pine Barrens"), who initially wants to go straight, but proves himself to be something of a "free agent," setting up a climactic stand-off between Tony and New York boss Johnny Sack. These 13 mostly riveting episodes unfold with a page-turning intensity with many rich subplots. Estranged couple Tony and Carmella (the incomparable James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) work toward a reconciliation (greased by Tony's purchase of a $600,000 piece of property for Carmela to develop). The Feds lean harder on an increasingly stressed-out and distraught Adriana to "snitch" with inevitable results. This season's hot-button episode is "The Test Dream," in which Tony is visited by some of the series' dear, and not-so-dearly, departed in a harrowing nightmare. | |
| 144. The Big Lebowski Director: Joel Coen | |
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It's about a man named Jeff Lebowski, who calls himself the Dude, and is described by the narrator as the laziest man in LA County. He lives only to go bowling, but is mistaken for a millionaire named the Big Lebowski, with funny consequences. The Dude is played by Jeff Bridges with a goatee, a potbelly, a ponytail and a pair of Bermuda shorts so large they may have been borrowed from his best friend and bowling teammate, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman). Their other teammate is Donny (Steve Buscemi), who may not be very bright, but it's hard be sure since he never is allowed to complete a sentence. Los Angeles in this film is a zoo of peculiar characters. One of the funniest is a Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro), who is seen going door to door in his neighborhood on the sort of mission you read about, but never picture anyone actually performing. The Dude tends to have colorful hallucinations when he's socked in the jaw or pounded on the head, which happens often, and one of them involves a musical comedy sequence inspired by Busby Berkeley. (It includes the first point-of-view shot in history from inside a bowling ball.) Some may complain The Big Lebowski rushes in all directions and never ends up anywhere. That isn't the film's flaw, but its style -- ala "Go" and "Swingers". The Dude, who smokes a lot of pot and guzzles White Russians made with half-and-half, starts every day filled with resolve, but his plans gradually dissolve into a haze of missed opportunities and missed intentions. Most people lead lives with a third act. The Dude lives days without evenings. Definitely a light hearted allround enjoyable movie -- something that deserves more than 9 reviews at Amazon! (as of this writing)
The film boasts quite a cast of actors including Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Jullianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, Ben Gazzara, Sam Elliot along with a few veterans of previous Coen brothers films like Steve Buscemi, John Tuturro, and Peter Stormere. So what is the film about? Well, I'll tell you...The film, which takes place in California in the early 90's, starts off with a little expository by a narrator known as The Stranger (Sam Elliot) giving us a little detail about the main character, Jeffery Lebowski aka The Dude, played by Bridges, who seems to have put on a bit of weight for the role, and sports long hair much like that he had when he was in the 1976 flopperino remake of King Kong. Anyway, the first thing you notice about The Dude is he is extremely laid back, very possibly a casualty of the California counterculture of the 60's and early 70's who seems perfectly content to take each day as it comes. While returning to his modest rental home one night, he finds two thuggish men waiting for him, one who soon acquaints The Dude's head with the inside of The Dude's toilet, while the other decides to despoil The Dude's living room rug in the manner of a unhousebroken dog. Seems these two men work for a smut peddler named Jackie Treehorn, and are looking to collect money owed to Mr. Treehorn by Jeffery Lebowski's wife, Bunny (Reid). Only thing is they got the wrong Jeffery Lebowski. Seeking reimbursement for his rug, The Dude visits the other Jeffery Lebowski, an older, well-to-do wheelchair bound man whose young trophy wife seems to have amassed quite a debt to a number of people, including Mr. Treehorn. This meeting sets into motion a complicated series of events including kidnapping which evolves into a mystery, a ransom request for one million dollars, a suitcase of dirty underwear, a stolen car, an altercation with nihilists, various beatings, guns, a bowling tournament, interpretive dance, a sexual liaison, a ferret, some drugs, painting in the nude, the removal of a toe, a wicky drug-induced dream sequence, copious amounts of profanity and even a death, all with The Dude right smack in the middle. Jeff Bridges is wonderful as The Dude, a laid back individual with a self awareness few possess having to deal with harshness put upon him by circumstances just always a bit out of his control. He ends up basically going with the flow, finally stumbling on a moment of clarity as the mystery resolves itself. The funniest scenes usually involve The Dude, his friend and bowling teammate Walter Sobchek (Goodman), and fellow friend Donny (Buscemi) as their conversations, riddled with ludicrous tangents, usually devolve into heated debates and personal attacks, usually with Donny getting the worst of it. One of the things I like so much about this film is there is just so much going on, much of which may seem unrelated to the main plot, but I think it's purposeful, weaving an thick, intricate, colorful tapestry right before your eyes and definitely requires numerous viewings, just to soak it all up. There is definitely a beginning, a middle, and an end here, but the path between is very convoluted at times, but not confusing, if that makes sense. Normally I dislike dream sequences in films, as they often tend to be a mish mash of stylistic tripe, but the one in this film was truly enjoyable and laden with symbolism relating to the events preceding it, and even utilizes a song I consider to be a classic in that of Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. It was funny, because the core of the story is based on a mystery, but I spent little time in trying to decipher it, as I was so intrigued with everything that was going on, the related and seemingly unrelated material. A word of warning, though, as I've mentioned before, there is a good amount of profanity throughout the film, so if you are easily offended, you might steer clear of this movie. The film is offered in both wide screen and full screen format, and the picture quality is good, but not as good as I would have expected with such a recent release. Some scenes seemed a bit dark, and there was a slight fuzziness at times, but nothing very notable unless you are seated very close to the screen (I normally refrain from getting so picky, but I've seen this film a number of times). Special features are pretty slim, including a 30-minute interview with the Coen brothers on the making of the film, along with a teaser trailer and cast biographies. I didn't care for presentation much, as after putting the disc in your player, you are directed to pick a format, wide screen or full screen, and the movie would start playing, skipping entirely over the menu, presenting it only after completion of the film, or by pressing the menu button on the remote. This is most common on older or extremely cheap releases (this was originally released in 1998, and then again in 2003 with no enhancements or changes). If any film was ripe for an enhanced special edition re-release, this is it. Cookieman108
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| 145. My Name Is Nobody Director: Tonino Valerii, Sergio Leone | |
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Description Reviews (68)
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| 146. Return to Snowy River Director: Geoff Burrowes | |
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Description Reviews (34)
As most of the cases, I prefer the first movie to "Return to Snowy River" though I think they both deserve 5 stars. One of the reasons is I enjoy the first one more is that Kirk Douglas played Harrison in the first movie. Yes, Brian Dennehy was superb in that role, I still like Kirk Douglas. All right, to the fine parts of the movie. Beautiful and magnificent scenery of the Australian mountains! Excellent acting by all actors and actresses, the suspense, action, and adventure will keep you on the edge of your seats! And Tom Burlinson sure know how to ride when he performs some pretty cool stunts while riding horses. Especially the earlier part of the movie where he proves that he can certainly ride better than Nicholas Eadie who plays the part of the jealous bad guy for Jessica's affection. I recommend this movie along with the first movie, "The Man from Snowy River". These movies are classics and one of the family movies I watch at home. Can't be missed!
As most of the cases, I prefer the first movie to "Return to Snowy River" though I think they both deserve 5 stars. One of the reasons is I enjoy the first one more is that Kirk Douglas played Harrison in the first movie. Yes, Brian Dennehy was superb in that role, I still like Kirk Douglas. All right, to the fine parts of the movie. Beautiful and magnificent scenery of the Australian mountains! Excellent acting by all actors and actresses, the suspense, action, and adventure will keep you on the edge of your seats! And Tom Burlinson sure know how to ride when he performs some pretty cool stunts while riding horses. Especially the earlier part of the movie where he proves that he can certainly ride better than Nicholas Eadie who plays the part of the jealous bad guy for Jessica's affection. I recommend this movie along with the first movie, "The Man from Snowy River". These movies are classics and one of the family movies I watch at home. Can't be missed!
So, what is the problem? It simply lacked the movie magic and spark and, perhaps, storyteller's art which made the "The Man from Snowy River" a success. I have watched "The Man from Snowy River" many times over many years, and still love it. I have watched "Return to Snowy River" perhaps twice. ... Read more | |
| 147. Tuesdays with Morrie Director: Mick Jackson | |
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However, Tuesdays with Morrie is heartfelt, somber, funny, and sad. The movie details a relationship (The film is adapted from a best selling nonfiction book) between a sports columnist, and his beloved professor which he learns is dying of Lou Gehrigs disease. What follows is a look at the short, poingant relationship they shared. You see, Morrie was a man of the world. He often showed a keen insight into the nature of man. He did much to teach his former student about life, often quoting W.H. Auden's poem "September 1st, 1939" The movie, as the book, is filled with philisophical, as well as practical insights. Deeply moving, even while not being cinematically brilliant.
Jack Lemmon was at his best in my opinion. Unless you've confronted death up close & personal and who hasn't by now or truly have a sensitive side, this movie will likley only distract you. Probably because you're too busy not being in the NOW! Slow down, watch it again, without phones or kids or talking .. just take it in and if it still doesn't touch you in some way then you're probably already dead! ... Read more | |
| 148. Walt Disney Treasures - On the Front Lines Director: Jack Kinney, James Algar, Perce Pearce, Clyde Geronimi, H.C. Potter | |
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Amazon.com Many of the wartime entertainment shorts are largely propaganda. Donald's nightmare of working on a Nazi assembly line in "Der Fuehrer's Face" is still hilarious slapstick. The grimmer "Education for Death" and "Chicken Little" have aged less gracefully. Disney's oddest wartime project was Victory Through Air Power (1943), a live action/animation feature based on Major Alex de Seversky's controversial book that called for the adoption of long-range bombers. By the time it was finished, air power was a reality. Front Lines also includes several health films made for the Office of Inter-American Affairs, and bond-buying shorts for Canada that reuse animation from Snow White and "Three Little Pigs." This collection of genuine rarities is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of animation, the Disney Studio, or America during WWII. (Rated G, suitable for ages 10 and older: violence, ethnic stereotypes, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon Reviews (30)
FILMS 1943 ENTERTAINMENT/PROPAGANDA SHORTS 1942 1943 1944 EDUCATIONAL SHORTS * = Created for Canada to sell their war bonds. ** = CIAA films (Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs) created to combat the German Nazy influence that was widespread in Latin American in the early 1940s. 1941 1942 1943 1945 1946 TRAINING FILMS 1942 1942-1945? There are a few war-related entertainment shorts not listed here - one or more might be added to this collection instead of what is listed above. 1943 1944 1945 The war years were a demanding time for the Disney Company. Most of their meager resources were devoted to the war effort. But this era contained a great deal of creative effort that might not have existed if not for the war. I have seen most of these war works, and I consider them fascinating and among the best of all of Disney's work. I much look forward to owning them on DVD.
The main thing about this collection is Mr. Disney's master hand behind each film. Quality animation (and expensive animation from the studio that elevated animation to an art on its own). They alert, inspire, teach and (last but not least) entertain. Some of these little gems are a bit violent and you should see them before deciding if they are suitable for your children. But anyway, these are great films and should be seen by anyone who want to see some of the best propaganda films aver made. It is all great if you check Nazi propaganda films at the same time... they are very different. In these here films Mr. Disney never lost his touch and the style that made his studio famous. In this double DVD you will find lots of things... one feature-length film (VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER - a trully memorable film that explains the importance or air power to american forces and also the strategical and logistic problems WWII represented to America). This is certainly a landmark film. The DVDs also contain an enormous list of cartoons (in the short form) that cover a large variety of subjects and moods. This is one of the best titles in the collection and an important piece of History. Should be treasured. The quality of the DVDs is outstanding... as everything that is made with care. I just don't understand why the tin cans are not numbered anymore (like the previous titles in this collection).
While not every single cartoon made during the War (Disney produced numerous "how to" films made only for those in the actual armed forces, clips of some are shown on these DVDs), it does include all the theatrically released features. Stars like Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Pete, Minnie and Huey, Dewey and Louie star in these wartime cartoons. Mickey Mouse only appeared in one short, using borrowed animation from "The Band Concert." There is also the full length animated WWII feature "Victory Through Air Power," which is considered to be amongst the rarest of all the Disney features. This DVD set is well worth the buy.
Disc 1 features 29 shorts. They range from entertainment with a patriotic edge, like "Donald Gets Drafted" or "Private Pluto," to shorts purely to help with the war like "The New Spirit" and "Out of the Frying Pan and into the Firing Line." There are even shorts used to fight disease in South America like "Cleanliness Brings Health" and "The Winged Scourge." I was surprised to learn from this disc about the films Disney was making for Canada even before the US entered the war. Of course, the highlight of this disc is "Der Fuehrer's Face" which finds Donald trapped in Nazi Germany. Disc two's main attraction is "Victory Through Air Power." This feature length movie was produced to bring the arguments of a book by the same name to more people. It makes a compelling argument that the Allies needed to build up their air forces to win the war, arguments about modern warfare that still apply today. Disc two also features a few of the educational shorts Disney produced during that time. Frankly, after viewing the two that are included in their entirety, I'm glad that most of them are just highlighted. I don't find watching a film on how to fire a gun or how to flush rivet that entertaining. There are lots of production galleries and even galleries of some project this Disney fan had never heard of before. Finally, we have interviews with Disney veterans Joe Grant, John Hench, and Roy Disney. This is a set that Disney buffs will want because it fills in some time in the studio's history. It also has interest for historians of all stripes as it presents a picture of life on the home front during World War II. Since the entertainment value of much of the disc is low, I took away one star. I probably won't go back to this set in the near future, but I was fascinated by much of what I saw here and am thrilled that the studio released this material so fans can view it today. ... Read more | |
| 149. Singin' in the Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition) Director: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen | |
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Amazon.com essential video Reviews (223)
In 1951, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen took a collection of songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown and - assisted by a pitch-perfect screenplay from the writing team of Adolph Green and Betty Comden - sculpted one of the great classic fusions of popular cinematic art and precision dance craft. It is the Citizen Kane of musicals: a virtual catalog of musical film technique, executed flawlessly. But that alone would not be enough to separate Singin' in the Rain from the kind of musical I can't stand (which is to say, just about every other musical ever made). No, what makes this one special is that it knows what it is and celebrates it. It never for a moment asks you to forget you're watching a movie and then grinds to a screeching halt for the musical number. Instead, it deconstructs itself before your very eyes (and ears) as a razor-sharp, self-aware satire of the movie industry - as well as a joyous expression of the pure ecstasy of great song and dance. In that sense, it is one of the few so-called musicals that actually achieves a genuine symbiosis of drama, music, and kinetic performance art. If all this sounds rather gushing and pretentious, so be it. This is great film-making. It is Rolex Oyster Perpetual film-making. This DVD edition sparkles with ultra-saturated colors, digitally remixed Dolby 5.1 sound, and some terrific extras (even if you're not particularly into musicals). My favorite sequence is the eerily fluid dance work between Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse against a Dali-esque background near the end of the film. Charisse is spellbinding as she trails a gravity-defying veil that must be 30 feet long. It hangs in the air, suspended by wind machines as she uses her extraordinary dance skill (and fantastic legs) to affect a wordless seduction of Kelly's naive, love-struck hero. Great stuff. Even if you don't think of yourself as the "musical type", give Singin' in the Rain a try. After all that heavy, bitter, existential cinema, it makes one helluva fine dessert.
There are so many high points to this movie -- the amazing cast, the songs, the choreography, and, most surprisingly, the satirical send-up of Hollywood and the "star system." The plot is well-known. Silent film star couple, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly, who also co-directed with Stanley Donen) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are America's sweethearts. At a Hollywood premiere of their latest romance, breathless fans ignore sidekick Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor, in perhaps the best sidekick performance in film history) and scream in delight as Lockwood and Lamont pander to their adoration. Nobody, however, seems to notice that the gorgeous Lamont never speaks . . . Her imposed silence Lamont has a voice that recalls a cat with its tail caught in a wringer, although Lamont is such a "dumb blonde" (bless Hagen -- nobody ever played this stereotype better!) that she is blissfully unaware of her screech. No matter, 'cause it's the silent film era, right? Wrong! Progress brings in "The Jazz Singer" and the era of "talkies." No longer will clever staging of press events suffice. Soon, Don Lockwood is staring career meltdown in the face as the first Lockwood-Lamont "talkie" sends the audience into hysterics. Not only is Lamont's screech audibly offensive, they can't keep the sound synchronized to the film, and the sound editing even when in synch is as amateurish as a high-school film production. What to do? Fortunately, Lockwood had fallen for young, beautiful Kathy Selden (a teenage Debbie Reynolds), a starlet in the making. Cosmo comes up with the idea of dubbing Selden's voice for Lamont's, and all is fixed . . . or not. Lamont, an imbecile but smart enough to know her value, insists on ruining Selden's career to preserve her own . . . and so on and so forth. The plot, ingenious as it is, is really secondary. The main delight in this movie is the amazing dancin' and singin' that the performers offer up. While most of it is pretty silly, campy stuff (particularly the Kelly-O'Connor set pieces), they simply dazzle. Kelly is the most robust, athletic dancer of his generation, and O'Connor, well, the man doesn't have a bone in his body. While the movie's most famous scene comes from Kelly splashing in puddles during the title track, the most amazing dance number has to be O'Connor's comic flailings in "Make 'Em Laugh," where he runs up walls, flirts with a mannequin, and generally pulls out all stops. Debbie Reynolds does a magnificent job keeping up with these two giants, and is generally a pleasure to watch, even though she's clearly outclassed as a hoofer. While some great old films seem to get better with age (think "Casablanca," "Gone With the Wind," and "Citizen Kane"), "Singin' in the Rain" is an American classic that does not hold up quite so well in some minor respects. For example, when breaking into choreographed step, Kelly, O'Connor, and Reynolds sometimes appear too rigid, with smiles frozen on their faces, which is incongruous to those raised on more modern musicals like "Moulin Rouge," where the dancers take a more naturalistic, emotional approach to their dancing. The dancing in "Singin'" holds up, but the performers were constrained by the expectations of their audiences, which somehow demanded that the performers "look pleasant" while dancing. Still, "Singin' in the Rain" remains one of the best tonics to a foul mood ever . . . I defy you to watch this movie and not feel a smile creeping over your face.
"Singin'in the Rain" remains my all-time favourite film. (No surprise, this.) It's not just another one of "those MGM musicals." It was released in 1952. Dated stuff? Not a bit. Unlike the marvelous "An American in Paris," which was done as a contemporary film to its time, "Singin' in the Rain" is a period film, and it's based in fact. This film (which started out to be a western for Howard Keel) takes a fond and loving look at the birthpains of the sound film (the "talkies). Set in 1927, with authentic equipment from MGM's own history (Debbie Reynolds drives Andy Hardy's old jalopy, the microphones are real), it details the frantic efforts to get on the sound bandwagon - no one was completely sure of the new technology. What makes the plot classic is the basis in fact. Many silent stars had totally unacceptable voices or speech (too nasal, unintelligible foreign accents, too high, too low, etc.) for sound production. The songs used were true to the period. Then we have the performers. Jean Hagen was nominated for an Academy Award for her role of Lina Lamont. The character (whose voice you don't hear for the first 10+ minutes of the film, although she's on-screen) is a one-of-a-kind. [Side note: the voice dubbing Lina's line is actually Hagen's normal voice, not that of Debbie Reynold's Kathy Selden.] Reynolds does an admirable job - it couldn't have been easy keeping up with her two male co-stars. It's still a joy to see Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh," and wonderful to see Gene Kelly teamed with a good male partner for "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses". Gene Kelly is, and always shall be, the best and this was done at his peak. Of course, for anyone who has been living in the back of a cave under a rock (or too young to appreciate it), the title number is a delight. It looks like one continuous take, it is so smooth. This was not the first appearance of the song, but it's the one we all remember. The sheer exuberance of Kelly's performance carries us right along with him. The extras with this set are valued items for anyone like me who is interested in the backstory of the era and this film in particular. And don't fuss for a widescreen version. This is the way it was. And now it always will be.
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| 150. Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere Director: Dewi Humphreys | |
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Amazon.com Reviews (36)
As for Neverwhere: it's good, but it could have (or should have) been great. The premise is interesting and the story is engaging, most of the actors are very good -- particularly those playing Croup and Vandemaar, not to mention the excellent portrayal of the Marquis. But it's let down by a somewhat strange combination of shooting on tape and lighting for film, or something or other, that made all the on location scenes look as though they were amateurishly faked. That coupled with the un-terrifying Beast of London, really let down the whole show. For me what made the DVD worth buying was the commentary by Neil Gaiman (yes it is on the DVD, strangely located under the individual episodes sub-menu). You get to hear all about the different locations used during the filming. And about what he thought worked really well, and what he was disappointed with. After all he wrote the book to put back in all the things that for one reason or another didn't make it in to the series, or didn't make it in the way he originally envisaged them. All very interesting. After watching the show and then listening to the commentary I really wanted to go and re-read the book... sadly my copy is somewhere over in London Above.
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| 151. Lonesome Dove Director: Simon Wincer | |
![]() | list price: $14.98
our price: $11.24 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: B00005Y6YB Catlog: DVD Sales Rank: 309 Average Customer Review: US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan |
Reviews (172)
The legend and the story live on in the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Larry McMurty and in this faithful video depiction of the classic story. A star-studded cast, headed by Duvall, Jones and Urich, along with one of the most beautiful western soundtracks ever composed make Lonesome Dove a viewing experience that you will enjoy time and again.
Although it does have the jarring breaks that marked where a commericial interuption had once been and it's share of television stars (Urich, Shroeder, Corbin); "Lonesome Dove" is movie big. Big stars. Wonderful cinematography. Great locations. An authentic look. A terrific score. The producers, cast, crew, and director went the full measure to ensure that this movie did not look or feel like a "movie of the week" production. Personally, I believe it, along with "Roots," to be the finest work ever done in the medium of television. It really does make you feel for its characters. The viewer will cheer and hope for them, and when tragedy occurs, as it does throughout the film, it will shake the viewer. Nobody is safe: comic relief characters, children, and, even, experienced Rangers. McMurtry drives home the message that death in the Old West could occur to anyone at anytime with shocking suddenness. In the end, Captain Call looks back and remembers his friends and comrades who did not return with him. As he does, tears come to the eyes of this taciturn character; and rest assured he is joined by many in the viewing audience.
By the way, my daughter and I loved this series when it was on TV and I purchased the multi-tape set VHS way back when. But the last tape was bad and Cabin Fever, the manufacturers/publishers, would not replace my bad tape (they never even answered my mail except to tell me how to orde | |