Handy Manny: Manny's Green Team

Enjoyable and fun for the entire family and educational as well!
You break it, we fix it!

Welcome to the world of Sheetrock Hills where Manny Garcia, a bilingual Latino handyman helps save his city (from breaking down) with making repairs with his team of talking tools. The children's CG animated series is created by Roger Bollen, Marilyn Sadler and producer Rick Gitelson (known for writing/producing for animated shows such as "Rugrats", "LazyTown" and "Dragon Tales") and is shown on Playhouse Disney.

With the upcoming celebration for Earth Day on April 22nd, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is releasing a special Handy Manny DVD titled "MANNY'S GREEN TEAM" with five episodes that revolve around using good sense for green consumption of energy, such as using solar power and more.

"Handy Manny" focuses on the following characters:

Manual "Manny Garcia - Voice acting by "That 70's Show" actor Wilmer Valderrama. Manny is half Puerto Rican and half Mexican. He is the repairman that many people call...

My grandsons love it!
My grandsons are big fans of Handy Manny. They requested a Handy Manny DVD and loved this one, so we are all happy!

Good Show
Good kids show. My toddler loves it.
Learns basic things and entertains.
Clean and active with good stories that all can relate to.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Thomas & Friends: High Speed Adventures

Review from www.firrkids.com
I think you just can't go wrong with Thomas & Friends. The programs always contain positive messages, they are wholesome in nature and yet still exciting enough for children to enjoy. There are always great lessons in that the characters make the same types of mistakes that everyone is prone to make. We see the consequences from being in a hurry or just plain fooling around, becoming jealous of others or lying to cover up mistakes.

These episodes feature the new CG animation, which means better facial expressions for the trains and townspeople. As always, the same great life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation are most certainly included.

In Thomas and the Billboard, Thomas becomes upset when he is inadvertently excluded from a photo taken of all the trains. Although it was a genuine mistake by the photographer, Thomas heatedly blames another train, which causes a whole new set of problems.

Steady Eddie refers to Edward, one of the older...

Love the new Thomas series
This DVD is a new series where Thomas and every characters are animated. It's pretty neat to see them animated and move more than just their eyes and their mouth expressions. PBS started playing these episodes and I'm glad they are finally out on DVD for when we travel. My 4 year old LOVES Thomas and I have to admit I was pretty excited when these episodes came out on tv too.

My Preschool Class Loves this movie
I bought this movie for my 3 year old son. At first he was not happy about "talking thomas" and wanted to watch an old Thomas movie. The next day he asked to watch "talking thomas" and enjoys watching it every time now.
I am also a preschool teacher, and for a special treat on Fridays we watch a movie. I brought in this movie to watch, every single boy I have LOVED it and always ask me if we can watch "Talking Thomas" for movie day.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Slumdog Millionaire

Epic. Touching. Horrifying. Romantic. Uplifting.
Slumdog Millionaire deserves a place among the masterpieces of world cinema. Praise is pouring in for this brilliant film, directed by Danny Boyle from a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy adapted from a novel by Vikas Swarup.

The settings move from the bleakest - the slums outside Mumbai, where our hero, Jamal Malik, lives as a child with his older brother Salim - to high rise vistas and no less than the Taj Mahal. The story ranges from the worst despair and heartbreak to the noblest sacrifice and most romantic love.

We are introduced in the opening moments to the young adult Jamal, played by Dev Patel. He is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and has just answered the ten million rupee question prior to the end of the show. His next question will be worth twenty million rupees, an unimaginable fortune to the average Indian. The arrogant, primping star of the show, played with artificial charm concealing an oily narcissism by Anil...

Love over gold
I saw this movie back in the Christmas season last year with some reluctance. Were it not for a good friend edging me on I probably would not have bothered. I incorrectly sensed that it was just another drippy foreign film about drippy people living on the edge and getting lucky.

Boy was I wrong.

This is such a smart, cleverly woven story with a classic twist--reminding me of Dickens--and all the stuff we love about life, but what's really striking--and I just watched this twice on DVD--is the precious love that is expressed here.

Lump in throat anyone?

Goosey bumps, too?

I just lap it up. Call me a sucker--but I had to re-play the last two minutes over and over again--where our hero brushes his sweetie's scarred cheek...and you either already know or will know the rest. It just kills me every time.The quintessential message is: LOVE OVER $$, GOLD, whatever, ANY DAY!

Amen.

Bogus special features
Do not buy this DVD if you are interested in the special features listed on the box and at the Amazon site. This DVD does not contain the making of, the deleted scenes or the audio commentary. The special features contain only trailers for 4 other movies. The movie is great, but the main reason I bought the DVD was to watch the making of. This false advertisement was a complete disappointment.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Big Journeys

Berry Interesting...
On this DVD, Strawberry Shortcake has grown up and can drive a car... and then travel around the world with her friends. There are some new characters I'm not familiar with, such as Banana Candy, Peppermint, Tea Blossom and Tangerina to name a few. Not my favorite Strawberry Shortcake DVD, but still berry cute and teaches positive messages. So far my favorites are "Berry Blossom Festival" and "Let's Dance". Overall, I would recommend this DVD for any Strawberry Shortcake fan.

Featuring popular cartoon character Strawberry Shortcake on a new road trip adventure
Young children ages 3 to 6 will enjoy watching "Strawberry Shortcake Berry Big Journeys", a new DVD in which the 'pint sized' Strawberry Shortcake, along with her friends Angel Cake, Rainbow, and Banana Candy, engage in two new adventures - 'Strawberry's Big Journey' and 'Around the Berry Big World', a colorful pair of road trip journeys where they learn that having a positive attitude will help to overcome any obstacle. When Strawberry Shortcake wages the Pie Man that she can travel around the world in 80 days, there are bound to be high excitement indeed! With a total running time of 44 minutes, English and Spanish language tracks, and captioning, the DVD format also allows bonus features that include three greeting cards, a character gallery memory book, and DVD-ROM printable coloring pages. "Strawberry Shortcake Berry Big Journeys" is especially recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library DVD collections for children.

We love Strawberry Shortcake
If your daughter is a fan of SS, she'll love this movie too. I loved SS as a kid and enjoy watching the movies with her. It has some cute song I find myself even humming.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Autopsy (After Dark Horrorfest III)

Surprisingly not terrible
I'm not exactly sure why, but I was expecting Autopsy to be a pretty bad entry in this year's After Dark Horrorfest. Well, Autopsy ends up being one of the better entries in this year's lineup, as it provides ample amounts of blood, gore, and entrails, and even a slight wicked sense of humor along the way. The story is typical slasher fare: a group of hard partying friends coming back from Mardi Gras wreck their car, and wind up at a creepy clinic run by the strange Dr. Benway (played by Robert Patrick, William S. Burroughs readers should definitely recognize the not-so-good doctor's name). Before you know it, they're picked off one by one, and wind up in some ultra gorey demises. While Autopsy offers little in the way of ingenuity, it does deliver what horror fans and gorehounds are looking for, and it does both groups justice as well. The acting is all over the place, and we really don't end up caring for any of the characters at all, but in the end, Autopsy winds up being a...

Loads Of Fun And Loads Of Gore - Only The Lame Final Moment Keeps It From Being The Best Of 2009's "8 Films To Die For"
The last of the "8 Films To Die For" that I watched this year is also probably the most "enjoyable." Whereas the other films seemed to want to encourage my suicide with grim themes and cold atmospheres, AUTOPSY harkens back to the old days of horror with gleefully over-the-top psychos and buckets of gore.

This is not to suggest AUTOPSY is the best film of the festival, but it is perhaps the most wildly entertaining. The threadbare story is of five college kids in Louisiana who end up in a car crash. Next thing you know, they are being whisked away to a nearby hospital, sharing an ambulance with a man they ran over, who they are told had left the hospital prior to an operation.

It becomes clear as soon as they arrive that this is not General Hospital! The nurse methodically separates each kid from the others, until only our leading lady, Emily, is left wondering the deserted halls looking for her friends. Soon enough she will be fleeing the resident "mad...

Autopsy
Really enjoyed Jenette Goldstein's campy performance. Some great lines, lots of gore, twisted humor. Too bad the young performers played it straight.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Goosebumps: The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight

3 Scary Tales from R.L. Stine
The R.L. Stine "Goosebumps" book series has been popular for years, and my three children enjoy watching the new series on DVD. This disc contains three scary episodes: "The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight", "Don't go to Sleep", and "Calling all Creeps".

In the first episode, Jodie and Mark go to their grandparents' farm to spend the summer. Upon arriving, the children sense something different from the times they were there previously. The field is full of scary scarecrows, plus, the hired hand is acting very strangely. But, the terror begins when the scarecrows come to life!

In episode two, Mark Amsterdam is jealous of his older brother and sister getting to do whatever they wish. Mark wants to move his bedroom to the upstairs attic. Before moving, he goes to the attic and falls asleep. During his nap, he has a strange dream that convinces him that things are better they way they are.

In the final episode, Ricky Beamer publishes an ad in the...

Scarecrow's at their best!
My kids love this! My husband and I enjoy it also. Great way for us to agree on a Family movie together!

Happy consumer
This movie and a couple others were ordered for my brother. We they came he was very excited. The movie was in excellent condition.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Happily N'Ever After 2: Snow White

Nauseated
I happened to watch this against my will at the preschool I work at. This is probably the worst children's movie I have ever seen. I have to warn parents, caregivers and educators of young children not to view this because it was extremely uncomfortable to watch.

The Cons
- The animation is terrible. It's extremely awkward to watch the badly-rendered characters move so unnaturally. Think early version of the Sims or worse.
- The content is garbage. Snow White is a spoiled brat for most of the movie. The evil stepmother's apple causes Snow White to spew mean gossip about everyone in her kingdom (a boring, petty, and anti-climactic alternative to the poisonous apples in other versions of Snow White). She learns how to treat others kindly, but that transformation happens in 5 minutes of screentime, and I'm still stuck on the previous 60 unbearable minutes of her brattiness.
- The soundtrack is bad mainstream pop/hip-hop that's incredibly cringe-inducing.
-...

STUPID
Like many reviewers said, the animation is awful. Not appropriate for little kids. Not sure who the target audience are?

Wit and Originality of #1 is TOTALY absent here, Rent ONLY
The family (wife and kids 8 and 9) thoroughly enjoyed the tongue in cheek wit and originality of the first HNA. There is a reason this cheap remake went straight to DVD. Here is the quick and dirty (or should I say fairly ugly).....

Story and dialogue is inane and could have been written by a 8 year old. All of the originality of the first is lost in the repetitive valley girl/cool kid blabbering of snow white and her friends. In addition, the "story line" if I dare call it that is a complete remake of the "tip the scales by the wizard's minions" of the first movie but the minions have completely lost their charm and wit. There is of course the nice wholesome message of the spoiled privileged royalty looking down their noses at the poor lower class and snow white's inevitable redemption but it is so "in your face" that it is best suited to a toddler or a bright golden retriever. In all fairness, the kids gave it 3 stars but I dropped it here so you won't have to suffer this...

Click to Editorial Reviews

2 Fast 2 Furious (Two-Disc Limited Edition)

Hot guys and Hot cars
2 fast 2 furious lives up to its title- somewhat. it isn't the fastest or the most furious, but it's airheaded and fluffy enough to move quickly without being attatched to the strings of an actual plot.

But its lack of an intriguing storyline doesn't destroy its fun factor. the souped up hot rods polished to a fine sheen speeding down the streets of miami make for some rather satisfying guilty pleasures.

And if you'd rather feast your eyes on something more than oversized hot wheels in a rainbow of colors, you won't be disappointed. the men have the pleasures of drooling a little puddle over shapely women, but we girls definately aren't left out in the cold.

Studly Paul walker with his charmingly innocent grin, and his accomplis Tyrese with his toned body (and urge to constantly rip his shirt off) would make any girl faint (if they weren't sitting in a chair)

if you want something quick, that doesn't require too much thought, is loaded with eye candy, light hearted, fun,...

2 much 2 excitement
Just as good as the first one, to bad Vin Diesel did not stay on. But Paul Walker, that handsome man, was great. I would recommend everyone to look at that movie also.

Excellent!2 Fast 2 Furious is a great movie!
2 Fast 2 Furious is a awesome movie that you should defiantly see!This is even better than the original Fast and the Furious in many ways. 2 Fast 2 Furious has a better storyline and better special affects.Even though Vin Desiel isn't in this one,who really needs him anyway?Tyrease is cool in this one.The acting is very good here too.This is a must see in my opinion.I'm sure you will probably enjoy it.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Side Effects

A satirical but not quite scathing indictment of the pharmaceutical industry
At the very beginning of "Side Effects," our heroine, Karly Hert (Katherine Heigl), tells us that she sells drugs for a living, quickly adding that she does it legally. Karly is not a drug pusher; she is a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company. Writer/director/producer Kathleen Slatery-Moschkau worked several years in just such a job, so her objective here is to air the industry's dirty laundry and possibly convince you that drug pushers might not be that bad in comparison for the simple reason that the drug companies do not take as much of your money.

Katy is hired by the company, not because she knows anything about pharmaceuticals, but because she is a babe. However, Katy is not really comfortable in a corporate world where making money is the bottom line and her boss prefers that she wear panty hose is she is gong to wear a skirt. On the other hand, when they hired her they gave Katy a company car and that is nothing to sneeze at. Then Katy meets Zach Danner...

So bad, it's good
This movie has a lot of strikes against it - the different "locations" are frequently the same room with furniture rearranged. Narrative devices like text on screen or interlude interviews are picked up and abandoned at random. Subplots (in particular, those involving Karly's best friend and the rest of her family) are never resolved, and the dialogue is frequently clunky exposition of company rhetoric. Many of the supporting actors are obviously not in the same league as the main players, and it's not hard to predict the plot points of the film.

But the movie has heart and a winning lead actress in Katherine Heigl, and this movie has become one of my guilty pleasures. As a medical professional, I have heard all of the arguments for and against drug reps as depicted in this film, but the scenes where Karly shows how hard it is to do her job were particularly convicting. Corporate ethics aside, these are personal issues, and most of these people are just trying to pay...

Izzie vs. Big Pharma
I enjoyed this film for two reasons:

First, Katherine Heigl. Being a huge fan of Grey's Anatomy and of Katherine Heigl I had a hunch I would enjoy this movie, but her performance was even better than I expected. This is a bigger film role than normal for her, but she tackles it with ease and shows much more of her range than she does on Grey's. She gets the driven, determined quality of the character perfectly, and gives all of her frustrations a great comic quality. She's a very talented dramatic actress and this film suggests that she's an even better comic actress. Her timing is near perfect. And yes, she's devastatingly attractive and charming (was there any doubt there?). I hope this opens doors for her...

Second, the message. I happen to be a veteran of the pharmaceutical industry. I hope everyone can see this film and get a glimpse of the marketing practices of big pharma. It's fictional, obviously, but however hilariously absurd and gross the...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Renovation Nation: Save Water, Save Money

Tips for Conservation
This dvd was okay. I purchased it by mistake...I was looking for garden shows. I hope Amazon considers broadening its selection of garden landscape resources. There are a few patrons who would enjoy a greater selection to help improve our means of beautifying the land.





Click to Editorial Reviews

The Cake Eaters

life can be as sweet as you make it.
I wasn't really sure if I wanted to see this film; a Twilighter friend of mine ranted and raved that it was a must watch(although she was yet to see the movie, and knew little of the plot besides "Bella"(Kristen Stewart) was in it) but being the independent and existential film enthusiast that I am, I rented it with high expectations.

The Cake Eaters is a story about 16 year old Georgia(Kristen Stewart) who lives with Friedreich's Ataxia, a disease that she knows will kill her, if her overprotective mother doesn't drive her crazy first.

While spending time with her grandmother(Elizabeth Ashley) who is her one escape from her mother, she meets Beagle(Aaron Stanford) an older boy who works in her schools' cafeteria, and has plenty of problems of his own.

Beagle is still dealing with the recent loss of his mother, when his estranged brother Guy(Jayce Bartok) comes back into town dragging his crushed dreams of being a musician along with him. And not to...

Georgia on my mind
Kristen stewart is magical in this film. Mary Stuart Masterson is the magic fairy in this film, Melissa Leo was marvelously seen on flashbacks but Bruce Dern is the one that tops the Cake. You will not recognize Aaron Stanford here, since he plays no X-man mutant, but a young imploding dutiful son.

The title of the film is explained in the director's commentary in case you are wondering. I won't spill it because you need to watch the film and be mesmerized by the beauty of Cake Eaters. Yes I said beautiful because there is no other way to qualify this film.

Such incredible, talented people gathered in this indie film will make you feel good about your own life. The message of the movie will leave you asking for seconds of this Cake.

Kristen Stewart's Georgia character is the best of her long career, her second being Melinda on the film Speak (also an indie film).

Great Movie
First, I love Kristen Stewart. Not because of Twilight, although I did enjoy the books and I did appreciate the movie. But lets be honest, Twilight was not one of the best written movies. You know it, I know it, and everyone else knows it.

Cake Eaters, however, was fantastic. Kristen Stewart plays a young girl, 16 i think, with a muscular disorder and she is curious about the opposite sex. She meets a young man who has just lost his mother and they instantly have an attraction.

There are a couple other side stories going on that are entertaining. All the stories share the same amount of screen time but my main interest was towards Kristen Stewart and Aaron Stanfords relationship. Bruce Dern did a fantastic job as well.

I would highly recommend this movie if you are a fan of Kristen Stewart. I would also recommend Into the Wild. I cannot wait for The Runaways, K-11, and Welcome to the Rileys to come out.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Columbus Day

Somewhat frustrating film - a few good things, but overall diffcult to watch
From the previews and the box, I believed this was a "heist" movie, or about a thief's last big score (like the Score with Edward Norton, or the Italian Job).

In fact, it was quite different. It's a "real time" movie - Val Kilmer plays a thief who is waiting in a park. He has just finished his score, and is waiting for the buyer.

Much of the movie is him on the phone, trying to locate the buyer (there is a small twist here), talking to his ex-wife, ex-girlfriend, and child on the phone. The other major focus is a little boy he meets at the park, and they form a unique relationship. And there are some flashbacks which tell us how he ended up in the park.

Overall, though, it's frustrating. First, I don't know who decided that 90 minutes of waiting in the park & talking on the phone could be exciting to watch. Second, Val Kilmer plays a dumb thief, whose personal life was in ruin. His partner (on the phone) apparently has a mental disability - and it...

Yikes
The movie opens reasonably well, Val Kilmer is chasing a guy with a brief case, yells to him, shoots him, and takes the case. He then runs away and gets attacked by 3 or 4 guys trying to steal the case back. The fight is fairly well filmed, the action is decent. Val escapes with the case. From here forward the film falls apart. We spend too much time following Kilmer's run to Echo Park. Once at the park, Kilmer makes a few phone calls from a pay phone and we are treated to an awful split screen with him and the person on the other end. There is some very sappy strings royalty free music that plays in the background. And every time the film goes into flashback, it is preceeded with a clip in 25% slowed motion. Both of these techniques are way overused and are extremely difficult to use in the most skilled hands.

Most of the film is spent with Val Kilmer walking, sitting, or phoning in the park. There's a supposed deep relationship he builds with a young boy in the park. I'm...

surprisingly good film
My expectations for this film were low, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The script won several awards, and the acting, especially in the scenes between Kilmer and Thompson (the kid from Role Models), is fantastic.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Baccano: Volume Two

Baccano is amazing
1930s immortal gangsters, need I say more? How about a train robbery with 8 different sides to it? How about amazing music? Beautiful art? Full and unique characters? More suspense than you can blow up with an arsenal? I love this show. It quickly replaced every other anime I've seen in the last 10 years as my favorite.

Not for kids
The anime is just amazing with great loveable characters music that gos with the anime so well. Baccano capture the mafia feel so well make you wish you were born in the 30's it's a must buy

Even if someone kills them, they never die
I'm really sorry if I convinced people not to buy into this series in volume one. This second disc of events surprised me.

"Baccano!" looks to be one of the best series of 2009, with a plot stretching over 150 years involving witchcraft, the devil and immortality.

This isn't a secret--fans of disc one already know that characters such as Firo can regenerate themselves even after they die. However, episode seven takes people way back in time to the 1770s.

Why the 1770s? Well, one of the mobsters, Maiza Avarro, was an alchemist who helped the passengers gain immortality with the assistance of a special elixir. They also gained the ability to eat other people into the palm of their hand. One of the passengers, Szilard Quates, wanted to spread this immortality, but Maiza isn't giving him the secrets. In rebellion, Szilard eats Maiza's brother Gretto, and countless other people, inciting the passengers to chase him off the ship.

However, Szilard...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Dana Gould: Let Me Put My Thoughts In You

Dana Gould Shares Three Very Important Lessons
1. Don't call your daughter the "C" word.
2. If you're going to eat a chocolate cock, pretend it's an ear of corn.
3. Never blow 5 dudes out of spite.

Funny stuff, marred by production
Dana Gould has funny material on this DVD and he keeps the pace going. There's only one spot where I got a little squeamish.
What made this DVD hard to watch was the photography. They decided to use one harsh spotlight and little or no fill lighting, so there's this dark shadow stalking Gould on the wall immediately behind him for much of the show. I found it distracting. Perhaps this was intentional to go with Gould's reputation as an alternative comic. Too me it just seemed low budget.
Another part I didn't like was Gould's glaring into the camera. I'm not familiar with his work but I'm guessing this is a trademark move. The DVD seemed to grind to a halt, though, when Gould was stop and stare directly into the lens.
To me, this says Bob Odenkirk should stick to writing and performing and not directing.

Genius
Like George Carlin, there is no one like Dana Gould. His mind is what comedy is all about. Dana really is one of the greats, always has been.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Care Bears: Cheer, There & Everywhere

Great DVD
It's 8 episodes of the new Care Bear series on CBS. Great show, my daughter loves it. Very colorful. I find myself watching it too. The old version of Care Bears was on when I was little. I was excited to see the new version of the Care Bears, more modern. The show has lessons on caring and sharing. Real cute. Look it up on CBS, they have clips of the show for preview.

4 STARS
I give this DVD 4 STARS. This is my first Care Bears DVD and they are so cute, it's almost hard to criticize them at all. The stories are wholesome, cute and fun, although not as educational as some of the other shows for this age group. There were a lot of previews before the show starts. Episodes are: Growing Pains, King Grumpy, Cheer, There & Everywhere, A Case of the Grumpies, Gobblebugs, Grizzle-ized, Two of a Kind, and Stand Up and Cheer. My daughter seems to like it (she's 2). Overall happy with the purchase!



Click to Editorial Reviews

New York City Serenade

Boys Being Boys--The Sweetest "Bromance
Frank Whaley's "New York City Serenade" is a modest film that is somewhat successful at achieving its limited goals. At its core, the film is an ultimate "bromance" between two life long friends played by Freddie Prinze Jr and Chris Klein. As an aspiring filmmaker, Prinze is the more stable of the two--having a devoted girlfriend (Jamie Lynn Sigler in an underdeveloped role) and a burgeoning career. He's just been invited to a film festival to showcase his 6 minute film, which appears to be dreadful, but we've all got to start somewhere! Klein, on the other hand, is a musician who lives for drink and ladies. He seems to have alienated himself from his wife and distanced himself from his daughter (in an underdeveloped side story).

In a film such as this, you have to ask yourself if the characters are really people you'd like to invest 100 minutes of your life to follow. I'm not sure my answer was "yes" for "New York City Serenade." Prinze, with little provocation or reason,...

The jittery Vacancy/Pulp Fiction guy helms a film
Freddie Prinze Jr goes for another NYC light drama/light comedy piece, his second in as many years, and once again it fell quite flat. I cannot short him in one instance towards the end when he lets loose into a tirade that probably showcases his talent better than those films combined; a rare little gem for him. Otherwise the writing tanked this from the get-go.

We have a story surrounding four friends plugging their way through bachelorhood in the city. Through the coarse of two trips we suffer their "bonding" time, one involving all four to a friend's funeral, and another with just Klein's and Prinze's characters showcasing at a film festival. The writing was so inconsistent that the film could not decide what it wanted to be. We get 20 minutes of character intro about how this group will go to underage parties for sex, steal random stuff, cheat on a fiance, and so on - but when one of the guys tries to take valuables offered to him, his buddies get upset..? The first...

Good light movie to relax.
A good light movie to relax. No drama, but lots of twists and turns.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Planet Earth, Vol. 3: Great Plains/Jungles/Shallow Seas

Magnificent!
I really like shows about nature and this series does an excellent job.I always get depressed at the end of the programs though,because the endings are always the same.All the Magnificent species of the Earth are losing their habitat and becoming extinct,because humans kill,destroy,and pollute everything they come into contact with.We'll soon get our own turn at extinction,because the way we live is unsustainable.Someday,long after all humanity is gone from the earth,the sun will still rise each day and the Earth and it's natural wonders will flourish once again.

Planet Earth DVD
If you like the Planet Earth episodes, volume 3 is another great addition to your collection.

Good Earth
The DVD was a must see...very well done...it will hold your attention. The pictures were awesome and mind blowing. I really enjoyed it and found things I did not know the third time I watched it. I will order more of these DVDs.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Tell No One

A very exciting thriller: Hitchcockian intrigue keeps you guessing throughout this French "Fugitive"-style film
This is a very exciting thriller, in the tradition of American films like The Fugitive, but with a unique edge that makes it distinctively French and deliciously diabolical. It is certainly darker (and funnier) than The Fugitive, but it is no accident that there is an American feel, since it is based on a book by Harlan Coben.

Eight years after his wife's brutal murder, new clues emerge that lead police to once again suspect that Alexander Beck may have killed her. At the same time, he begins to think she may be still alive, and is frantic to find her before he is arrested as a suspect for another related homicide. Director Guillaume Canet keeps you guessing as the plot thickens, revealing bits and pieces of the past as new circumstances help Beck to see that he didn't know his wife as well as he had thought.

The film looks great, with editing and camera work that helps to achieve a...

A Virtuosic Mind Twister of a Film
TELL NO ONE (Ne le dis à personne) succeeds on every level for this viewer. Based on Harlan Coben's novel and adapted for the screen and directed by Guillaume Canet, this is one of those intricately complex French films that is much in the same mode as the 1955 film LES DIABOLIQUES. Nothing is as it appears at first and even when the mystery is explained in what appears to be a systematic, cohesive manner, the 'real story' remains a conundrum. It is a brilliant little film well worth multiple viewings to fully appreciate all of the aspects of the fine acting, cinematography, direction and musical scoring.

In a misty opening we discover Alexandre Beck (Fran

John Wayne: The Ultimate Collection: 25 Movie Classics (Legends Series)

Correct Content Listing
The information provided above concerning the types of programs included in this collection has a couple of errors. This does not collect two previously released John Wayne sets; rather, it expands the 20 film set with different versions of some titles.

There are not three complete serials in the set. SHADOW OF THE EAGLE does contain all 12 chapters; however, THE HURRICANE EXPRESS is in the edited, feature length form (80 mins.) even though the opening credits list "12 Chapters." THE THREE MUSKETEERS is also in edited form under the re-release title DESERT COMMAND (71 mins.). For those that are curious, MCLINTOCK is taken from a pan & scan source.

What's also missing in the above information is that Disc 3 contains 80 minutes of trailers (32 in all). It should also be pointed out that Mill Creek has packaged the DVDs in little envelopes that sit inside the plastic case. This might be easier for some people to flip to the disc they want, and I'm sure it...

Duke's pre-Stagecoach career (re-issued)
MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT's JOHN WAYNE-ULTIMATE COLLECTION 25 MOVIES is a re-issue of their ULTIMATE JOHN WAYNE COLLECTION. Only the cover art has changed.

It combines their JOHN WAYNE, THE EARLY YEARS and JOHN WAYNE 20 MOVIE PACK into one convenient box set. There's 20 films here as well as three complete 12 episode serials. The 18 programmers and one of the features are westerns; the serials aren't. In all these, Duke portrays a pilot. An additional bonus TV documentary, "The American West Of John Ford," is hosted by Wayne (and others).

This excellent package is a must-have for all fans of Duke.

Related item:
ROY ROGERS 20 Movie Pack is another excellent DVD set...

More good rated than first thought
After checking out these 25 films in Videohound, I found that there are some gems here. Most are watchable and entertaining, but to make it easier for the potential viewer to understand, these are definitely watchable: Blue Steel, Riders of Destiny, Sagebrush Trail, Winds of the Wasteland, West of the Divide, Angel and the Badman, and McLintock. Adding the cost of shipping and handling for these alone (if you can find them), is $21. This is a keeper.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Marley & Me (Two-Disc Bad Dog Edition)

Stayed Faithful to the Book
'Marley & Me' is a great adaptation of the novel by Josh Grogan. It kept all the emotional elements as well as the fun. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson had amazing chemistry together in this heartfelt film. It is more than just a dog movie, surpassing hit dog films such as 'Beethoven,' '101 Dalmations,' and 'Homeward Bound.' This film concentrates on the family and how a dog affected the lives of this family for both good and bad. It's a good representation of a young couple and how they evolve as they have children and move on in life. Along with it, is shows the life cycle of a dog, which is something that rarely gets shown honestly in films. It shows the good, the bad, and the painfully tragic elements of having a dog. The end of the film is very true to the book and I'm glad because it is probably the most important part of the story and it's nice to see it portrayed honestly for fans of the book.
Overall, I think viewers will enjoy this film. Jennifer Aniston is...

Bad Dog Edition for the Fans!
There are quite a bit of extras on the "Bad Dog Edition" that fans of this film will no doubt enjoy exploring.

There is a collection of 19 deleted scenes with optional commentary by director David Frankel. We see John and Jenny go house hunting in Boca Raton. There is more footage of them choosing to adopt Marley. Naturally, there is more of Marley's antics as well.

"Finding Marley" takes a look at the 22 dogs used in the film. One dog in particular had the most screen time. We see how his trainer got him to do various things and it is amazing to see how well trained he is.

"On the Set with Marley: Dog of all Trades" is an "interview" with the dog that played Marley including on the set footage provided by a camera located on the pooch's head.

"Breaking the Golden Rule" features the cast and crew talking about how Marley & Me is not a dog film per se but about the Grogan family. The cast speaks admiringly of each other and, of course, the...

Good if you're looking for something different...but put the kids to bed first.
There is a lot of controversy about this movie....it seems like people either love it or hate it. I'm in between....

I did not see Marley and Me in the theaters but being a dog-lover since I was born, I was interested and borrowed the DVD from my boss a few days ago as my mother wanted to see it as well.

For all you who have heard from lots of angry parents claiming "false advertising" and "deceiving trailers", I'd like to confirm that yes, that is somewhat true. If I had young brothers or sisters or children of my own, who wanted to see a cute and funny family dog movie, "Marely and Me" is not the movie that comes to mind here.

This for two reasons:

One, the movie's focus is on the marriage of a new couple and their struggles through a married life. It doesn't soley focus on the dog, he more so takes a backseat in most of the film, apart from the first hour or so. Children will adore the puppy Marley in the beginning, but their attention...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Baby Einstein: World Music

Boooring
I purchased this video hoping to find joyful music from the world: polkas, tango, mariachis, african music.
But you can't find any of those.
The dvd is a collage of images with music composed by the baby einstein musicians, which doesn't represent the Music of the world.
It is very boring. My children, who are the Baby Einstein biggest fans hardly look at it.
Dissapointing.

Mellow World Music done the Baby Einstein way
Get out your drums, shake your maracas and flip a rainstick. The Baby Einstein World Music DVD features songs and music from around the world in performed in the typical mellow, synthesized Baby Einstein fashion. Images from each of the seven continents and a variety of musical instruments accompany the music. Jane the jet setting monkey flies a plane over a spinning globe and takes babies and kids along for the journey. The monkey also stars in the silly puppet shows that break up the segments, each segment featuring a different continent. The DVD includes a few new play modes: "Grow with Me", "Select a Segment" and "Discovery Cards." The main feature runs 37 minutes.

We prefer viewing mode 2 over viewing mode 1. Intended for toddlers and kids, the "Grow With Me" viewing mode (#2) plays the images along with text and spoken language, instead of just visuals and music. Also, the kids really enjoy the DVD when I bring out some instruments for them to use while viewing. The...

Can't live without it!
This is the one trick in our hat that NEVER fails. Our now almost a year daughter has been enjoying this dvd since about 6 months. She LOVES this! I don't let her watch alot of tv, but have tried a few other baby einstein dvds and barney, seseame street etc... Doesn't really care for any of it, but this one dvd. So she watches it a few times a week and never gets tired of it. The music is great...and generally very fun to watch. I do have to say that the typical baby einstein dvd is pretty boring. This is not. One of our best purchases!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Hannah Montana: Keeping It Real

Five hilarious and fun "Hannah Montana" episodes for Miley Cyrus fans and the whole family!
In the latest volume of the popular Disney television series, a total of five hilarious and fun "Hannah Montana" episodes to satisfy the Miley fans and the entire family!

Having a child that is a big fan of various Disney series, "HANNAH MONTANA" has been part of our household family viewing for years. So, suffice to say that I have watched many episodes of "HANNAH MONTANA" to get a good feel of what the series is about and that the DVD releases tend to revolve around a certain theme than episodic episodes in order. Thus here comes a new "HANNAH MONTANA" DVD titled "KEEPING IT REAL" showing a lesson to viewers that one should be true to themselves.

For those not familiar with the television show that launched the career of pop star, Miley Cyrus, "HANNAH MONTANA" is a popular Disney Channel television series which started back in 2006 and revolves around a family of three.

Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) is a normal teenage girl but when she goes on...

greAT
i loved this product. i will definately be buying again if need to. will definately recommend to others to buy.

great item
this product was in great condition and very fast shipment.will definitly buy from this person in the future. thanks for the product

Click to Editorial Reviews

Billy the Kid 20 Movie Pack

Billy the Crabbe had nerves of Steele
Fifteen titles in MILL CREEK's BILLY THE KID 20 MOVIE PACK have never been previously issued by this manufacturer.

The "Billy the Kid" movie series recasts an outlaw gunslinger as a hero. The real "Kid" wasn't as noble or noted.
Henry McCarty (alias "William Bonney") was gunned down at age 21 and would've faded into obscurity if his killer, Patrick Garrett hadn't published a fictionalized biography, "THE AUTHENTIC LIFE OF BILLY, THE KID." Over time, the Kid's legend grew. At last count, 21 men died at his hands. This number is wildly inflated.

As for the cinematic Billy, Buster Crabbe played him in 13 programmers in 1941-43. Many of that number are here, as are Crabbe as Billy 'Sunset' Carson. Al St. John, who's "Fuzzy" in this series, was the nephew of Fatty Arbuckle. In the silent era, St. John had a penchant for leaping into the air with legs pointed in opposite directions. Sam...

Bang for the buck
I give this five stars for being a good collection of Buster Crabbe and Al St. John oaters. Twenty B&W films at a low, low price. They're not Academy Award winners, but they're easy to watch fun for someone who wants to give his stressed out brain a rest. The following list is the actual playing order from disc 1 to disc 4 (five films on each disc):

1. Billy the Kid Trapped (1942) - 58 min.
2. His Brother's Ghost (1945) - 52 min.
3. Billy the Kid's Range War (1941) - 56 min.
4. Billy the Kid's Gun Justice (1940) - 62 min.
5. Shadows of Death (1945) - 59 min.
6. Devil Riders (1943) - 57 min.
7. Frontier Outlaws (1944) - 57 min.
8. Gangsters' Den (1945) - 59 min.
9. Panhandle Trail (1942) - 40 min.
10. Blazing Frontier (1943) - 56 min.
11. Oath of Vengeance (1944) - 55 min.
12. Wild Horse Phantom (1944) - 55 min.
13. Billy the Kid in Fugitive of the Plains (1943) - 50 min.
14. Western Cyclone (1943) -...

Billy the Kid 20 movie pack
I love any type of westerns, older and newer ones. Can't go wrong for the price!Take a chance and purchase this, it is worth it, if you love westerns!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Serenity Travel Series Volume One [Blu-ray]

My HD Screen Saver
I Love this Blu-Ray !! Do not sit down and watch this like a regular movie, cause if you did, you'd feel like a stoner afterward. ...or perhaps that's your goal.
Who am I to judge LOL. It's v-e-r-y relaxing.
I play this disc while drinking my morning coffee, as I'm working out (inspiring and uplifting), or hanging out with the kids. The visuals are beautiful 1080p HD!! I noticed that the BD pop-up menu gave credit to thewindowchannel. I visited their site and it gives you a good idea of what you can expect to see on this disc.
I docked it 1 star because the pop-up menu was a bit of a mystery until I found it by luck. Otherwise, for the price and quality, you can't go wrong. Cheers.

ambient. scenic. television.
I agree that the description is perhaps not the most informative. It is definitely not a documentary, but more similar to Sunrise Earth. That said, it is so much more beautiful and engaging. It contains 16 scenes set to continuously loop (and a "pop-up" menu to select an individual scene to loop - imagine waterfalls, clouds, crashing waves, even a ride through the canals of Venice) This Blu-ray is Soothing and Meditative, taking you beyond the old fireplace and aquarium discs of the past. The footage is stunning and I found the footage used by several leading HD display manufactures at an industry trade show to demonstrate 1080p resolution and clarity.
Definitely a MUST HAVE for your next dinner party or to show off your new system.

Scenery
This is a fine introduction into the possibilities of high definition or Blu-ray TV. It is also good to have on the large screen to lull one to sleep. There is no plot--no dialogue--but few people, except along the canals of Venice. But there are beautiful shots of beaches, waterfalls, etc.

In short, this is better than a great many films with actors and plots and dialogue. It never goes beyond pretty, but that is sufficient.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Ogre (Unrated)

OGREat, another monster name Title
The Sci Fi Channel has taken it upon themselves to create the equivalent of the good old drive-in, Monster Of The Week event. Even though most of the viewers don't remember such things that is exactly what these flicks are. Cheep CGI has replaced cheep rubber suits or the rare Harryhausen spectacles. Now impossible monsters like the Ogre, Cyclops, and Basilisk are reviving the good old "monster movie".It's not about acting; that helps. It's not about plot. At least not original plots. It's all about 21st Century 91 minute comic books. "Show me the Monster!!!! Bring on ithe impossible stuff!"
Man against monster is the stuff of cave paintings. And that is why they are a guilty, or shameless pleasure and always have been ever since Edison first screened his version of Frankenstien in 1919.
If you cann't have fun with this stuff, change the channel and keep your crabby attitude to yourself.
Every Saturday when another one of these shows up, Forry Ackerman must smile...

Ogre on the loose
These 1-Star reviews are hilarious. What were these people expecting, "Citizen Kane"? An award-winning film? Look at the dvd cover and the name of the film "Ogre." Why would anyone even waste their time on a flick like this if they didn't at least embrace them as guilty pleasures?

Directed by Steven Monroe and written by Chuck Reeves, 2008's "Ogre" is a low-budget tv monster flick in the manner of "It Waits," "Sasquatch Hunters" and countless other Syfy movies. These films are the modern counterpart to the low-budget creature features of decades ago like "Gargoyles" (1972), "Prophecy" (1979) and the Kolchak: The Night Stalker films/tv series. You either enjoy these types of pictures or you don't. I do. As reviewer John Patrick Fischner so perfectly puts it: "Imagination and legend is... about good and evil and the power of selfless courage against impossible odds. There is nothing more heroic than man against monster."

THE PLOT: Four youths hike into rural...

not the cute green kind
Syfy movies are tricky things. They are usually made to capitalize on a trend, or to optimize searches on Google, or to confuse grandmas who are Christmas shopping for their grandchildren. It pays to be derivative, especially if the budget is relatively small, like so many Syfy movies are.

Once the original inspiration has faded, it's easy to forget why the movie was made in the first place. Ogres have been long a part of folklore before they were associated with being green and disgusting. And there's the rub - Ogre was inspired by Shrek.

That's right, Shrek. As evidenced by its tagline: No Donkey. No Fairy Tale. Just TERROR.

I have to agree. When I watched Shrek I kept thinking: You know what this movie needs? An ogre that eats people. A plague. And immortal 1800s-style Puritans who believe in magic.

You might think that a movie about a man-eating ogre would be set in a time when people believed in such things. That's part of Ogre's...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Seven Pounds

Mysterious Movie Will Leave You Thinking
You spend most of this two-hour film wondering "what's the story
regarding the lead character?"

Will Smith, as a low-key "Ben Thomas" will keep you guessing. The last
20-25 minutes is when you find out, and it's a shocker....but you knew
something dramatic was going to be revealed. Until then, Smith, plays
it mysterious, almost stalking people. You know he has a good reason
for doing it, but it's never really explained, once again, to keep us
guessing until the end.

All of it, including a on again/off again but touching romance with
Rosario Dawkins ("Emily Posa") might make some viewers frustrated or
wanting to quit this film.....but don't because the final long segment
puts all the pieces of this puzzle together.

This is a two-hour film and not the typical action-packed macho Will
Smith film. In fact, the most shocking aspect might be seeing the
drawn, sad face of Smith throughout this story. It...

Let the symphony of this film unfold before you
I grew up watching Will Smith on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, so he's a familiar face that I enjoy seeing. I truly think he's at his best in the drama category. His has such a soothing quality to him that can speak volumes in a couple words or a look. No one else could have played an IRS agent that doesn't immediately get a door slammed in their face.

For once, the plot was not spoiled before I could watch this movie on DVD. Usually you can't help but hear all about it before you see it. So I went into this knowing nothing, and while it's not completely surprising how it unfolds, it works in an amazing way.

For some, they will have a very large, elephant in the room problem with a film that concerns suicide(don't worry, not spoiling for you...this is the opening scene). This is a movie that develops like a symphony, slowly building before you. It will break your heart, but let you see that some people do have the best of intentions. They're willing to sacrifice...

Besides redemption, Seven Pounds is a great movie about compassion
Seven Pounds is an outstanding and very UNDER RATED movie. Those who didn't like this movie probably have a limited understanding of what it means to show compassion towards other people. From the special features commentary, that came with the DVD, the movie's concept was mildly based on an actual event. Seven Pounds has to be watched, not from a critical eye as to whether this movie achieved this or that, but, from the point of view of someone who is telling their story and you are the viewer. If you ignore the few negative reviews, and enjoy the movie for the compassionate theme it's portraying, you will have a better appreciation for life that transcends the daily problems we sometimes face. The chemistry between Will Smith and Rosario Dawson was great. The movie flowed well; and, the accompanying music enhanced the essence of the feelings being conveyed. If you haven't seen this movie yet, don't let the trailer (for this movie) mislead you; the movie is not as suspenseful as it...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Pearl Harbor-Waking the Sleeping Giant

A Decent Collection for History Buffs
This collection of World War II documentaries features stories of the American response to the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. Film by and narrated by some of Hollywood's finest, such as John Ford and Ronald Reagan(!), these classic narratives highlight battles throughout the Pacific theater of the war as the Allies attempt to drive back the Imperial Japanese forces, which had conquered much of the Pacific islands and lands in Asia. Witness the strength and reserve of the American armed forces as the country rises up to face the challenge of the aggressive foes to freedom and democracy.

I think this is a decent collection of documentaries, History buffs and people who enjoy watching old documentaries about the Wars will have a great time watching these 9 episodes. The quality of some of these documentaries is not great, but overall I think it's a good watch. Enjoy ! :)

Disc 1
- Appointment in Tokyo (1945) B&W 111 Minutes...

DVD review & rating
Another DVD that had SOME "duplicate facts & figures", but was still VERY informative. The story of Pearl Harbor is a tragedy that will continue to "baffle/intrigue" historians and others for a LONG time to come. Positive transaction over all.

Sad but educative!!!
Great yet sad documentary,but very educative!!!!! This will teach many how and why we live in a country that will defend us!!! That is just the way I see it!!! I Am using my right as a free citizen of this country.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Goosebumps: Return of the Mummy

Scary Stories From R.L. Stine
The "Goosebumps" collection of DVDs have been big hits with my 3 children, and "Return of the Mummy" contains 3 scary episodes.

In episode 1, Gabe visits his uncle and cousin in Egypt. Gabe's uncle has been working on an archaeological dig and has uncovered the tomb of a mummified prince. But, the mummy doesn't like being disturbed and he's soon chasing after Gabe and his family.

In episode 2, Jeff Carter's dad has sent a sarcophagus to their home. Plus, Jeff's sister Kim has a nasty habit of scaring him. Soon, Kim and her friend have Jeff believing that the mummy in their basement will come to life and catch them. Unfortunately for Jeff and Kim, the mummy DOES come to life!

In the final episode, Eddie and his friend Hat are frustrated because a know-it-all girl in their class is showing them up. They decide to lure her to Muddy Creek and into the waiting arms of the Mud Monsters. But who will end up getting caught?

The Goosebumps...

Three More Spooky Tales
Here are three more Goosebumps tales to watch around Halloween.

In Return of the Mummy, young Gabe is visiting his uncle in Egypt, where they find the tomb of a great prince, but there is a curse on the tomb. Mummies come alive to stop them from opening the tomb.

Don't Wake Mummy has Jeff Carter receiving a gift from his archaeologist father - a 4,000 year-old-mummy!

Eddie and Hat are going to scare a friend of theirs at Mud Creek, but there is a Mud Monster waiting for them.

The latter is my favorite of the three episodes. Each episode is G rated with no blood or gore, so it is safe for the entire family to watch it.

Goosebumps: Return of the Mummy
Bought for when my Grandkids come to visit. They watch this one over and over between visits. Not an adult kind of show but they were made for children in the 1st place!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Schoolhouse Rock: Earth

Schoolhouse Rock! Earth' makes a wonderful educational tool for parents or teachers
"Schoolhouse Rock!' makes its return just in time for Earth Day (on April 22nd) and educating children on recycling, protecting the Earth via the ocean, the rainforest and more! "Schoolhouse Rock! Earth" makes a wonderful educational tool for parents or teachers wanting to educate their children through music about taking care of the planet.

Back in the early 70's, an animated series known as "Schoolhouse Rock!" captured the attention of young Americans as it was seen on television but it became very instrumental in helping people learn about mathematics, grammar and science.

The animation was from an idea based by David McCall who knew his son was having problems with multiplication tables, but his son was able to know the lyrics to the popular songs of that time. So, what if children remembered the lyrics to songs that were educational. McCall eventually created animated versions of the songs and they were sold to ABC for their Saturday morning lineup and...

School House Rock SAVE THE Earth
I got this based on the wonderful School House Rock songs from my childhood and as my 2 year old is really into geography and the earth, I thought this would be wonderful for him (it is titled "Earth" after all). However it does not mention much about Earth but rather what humans are doing wrong and offers a few suggestions on how to help. As my family is already environmentally conscious, my son just had a look of "what the...??" on his face while watching this.
Most of the songs are not very good or catchy and some are rather heavy handed.

I will admit it is my fault for not looking into it more before getting it but just be aware these are lessons in saving the environment.

All New Content This Time
If you want the definite classic Schoolhouse Rock collection of cartoons that aired in the 70's the 30th Anniversary Edition is the one to get. Last year they released what they called the Election Collection to capitalize on the 2008 Presidential election, and it was mostly a stunted selection of classics with a single brand new cartoon. Suffice it to say that was a bit of a disappointment considering what you are getting. This time around you get all new cartoons and songs with Schoolhouse Rock: Earth.

There are no recycled videos here. Everything in this DVD is newly created content that is themed around the planet Earth, its ecology and conservation. You get 12 brand new songs (plus one bonus song) in this collection. Here is the track list:

1. Report from the North Pole
2. The Little Things We Do
3. The Trash Can Band
4. You Oughta Be Savin' Water
5. The Rainforest
6. Save the Ocean
7. FatCat Blue: The Clean Rivers Song
8...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Broken (After Dark Horrorfest III)

Not for everyone, but I sure like it
I'll open with a warning: as fond as I am of "The Broken," I suspect few others will share my enthusiasm. Lots will like it, a few will hate it (particularly the ending), but it is so tailored towards my not always conventional horror movie ideals that few will admire it the way I do. Also, my nonexistent expectations probably colored my response a bit. (I've watched it twice now and enjoyed it no less the second time, but the initial impression can last even in later viewings.) So consider this a caveat for my readers, if any.

"The Broken" is perhaps the most praised entry in the years After Dark Film Festival set (faint praise, no doubt), and is a brief, extremely stylish and moody exercise in low-key horror. Make no mistake, those looking for visceral horror will be met with lengthy, near silent scenes where the disturbed protagonists wanders about the empty apartment, trying to understand her peculiar situation. (The moments of overt horror are effective, but rare,...

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
Watching "The Broken" is like playing an endless game of Clue without ever finding out who killed Mr. Boddy. It's a mystery without a solution, a tense psychological drama that reveals nothing other than how tense and psychological it is. It plays mind games only with itself, leaving the audience to watch from the sidelines in a bored, confused stupor. The idea behind it is intriguing, and for a time, it successfully builds itself up. The thing is, the act of building is pointless if there's no height requirement. At a certain point, it becomes painfully clear that the story will only keep building without ever reaching anything. I do give it credit for creating the right atmosphere; the characters inhabit a moody, subdued world where nothing seems safe, not even a person's own home. But atmosphere can only go so far, even in a horror film. It also needs an understandable story with an ending that doesn't leave us with more questions than answers.

It doesn't help that "The...

Flawed but Recommended
Are you the type of viewer who is easily put off by plot holes and ambiguity in a horror film? If so, you might find THE BROKEN more frustrating than enjoyable. however, it has so much going for it. Some truly creepy scenes, some incredibly well-done nail-biting suspense sequences, exquisite yet not overly-showy cinematography, highly effective use of locations, nerve-wracking subversion of the everyday into the macabre, and solid if not outstanding performances. I found myself somewhat frustrated with the lack of at least a little explaantion of what was going on, especially towards the end. THE SIXTH SENSE this is not, folks. Resolutions are far from neat. Also, the paranoia could have been mined and focused further. However, for something unusual which still pays off in the gore-n-violence department, this is definately worth a look. At times, it even comes close to echoing the "no one believes her" chills of the original STEPFORD WIVES, ROSEMARY'S BABY and the 70'S version of...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Disturbed

Amateurish, But Watchable
"Disturbed" is yet another low budget, direct toDVD slasher film. The actors are clearly non-professionals, shots occasionally go out of focus, the storyline's been done a thousand times before, yet the movie is still pretty entertaining.

The story involves a serial killer who escapes from the nuthouse(or prison, the film wasn't too clear on this) to seek vengeance on the Congressman who put him there. Unfortunately, the Congressman's out of town and his three teen children are home alone. Predictably, the killer cuts down anyone in his path to get to this family.

The film makers were clearly inspired by "Halloween". The escaped maniac is silent and expressionless throughout his killing spree. He doesn't wear a mask, but anybody can see he's essentially a Michael Myers clone.

What makes "Disturbed" slightly better than other straight to video slasher flicks is that it takes a little more care in establishing its main characters. Sure, they're not...

A really bad movie -- until one dramatic scene changes everything
Once again I find myself trying to understand why I don't dislike a film as much as I really should. Disturbed doesn't really have a lot going for it - the same old cookie cutter storyline we've all seen about a hundred times before, a lot of really bad acting, a weird minor character whose odd behavior is never explained, and the most cliché of endings. Obviously, this is a low-budget film; it's also something of a family affair, as both the cast and the crew are riddled with Aldridges (Randy Aldridge writes, directs, produces, and plays the killer in the film, so it looks like Disturbed is largely his brainchild).

The basic plot centers around a murderer who manages to escape prison and decides to seek revenge on those who put him in jail in the first place. High on this list is a Senator Fontaine, whose three children just happen to be at home alone while he is away on business. Ashlee Fontaine (Melissa Deverian) is the oldest and most responsible of the three...



Click to Editorial Reviews

Donkey Punch [Unrated]

Terror 101: How To Survive A Porno Film for Dummies
As a setting, the horror, thriller, and suspense genres have had a mixed amount of luck out at sea, despite the location being ripe for fear. From the high-brow cinematic treasures like Knife in the Water (1962) to the A-list cast Dead Calm (1989), the hokey Ghost Ship (2002), and the average Below (2002): the enclosed, isolated atmosphere of the ocean can create the setup for many claustrophobic movies dependent on tension. One such film is Donkey Punch: survival horror about a group of youths that become torn apart when one of them dies during a yacht cruise. Lines are drawn amongst those on the boat and violence and murder begins to spiral out of control. Do note, that the word "Donkey Punch" refers to a dangerous and depraved sex act, which serves as the catalysis for the events that take place. As a terror ride Donkey Punch is much better than most, with much of the last hour of the film well near riveting, even if much of what is done is expected.

Despite some of its...

Assinine
The movie's title should tell you all you need to know about the artistic ambition of the filmmakers. A Donkey Punch is not a boxing term or a beverage served in a bowl at parties. It's an act of violence perpetrated during sex - possible mythical (I'm naive in these matters) - in which the aggressor punches his partner hard on the back of the neck causing involuntary muscular contractions. So Donkey Punch is to four-legged mammals what Dirty Sanchez is to unwashed Mexicans and Strawberry Shortcake is to fruity deserts.

The film opens in sun-kissed Ibiza where a group of pleasure-seeking English boys pick up a gaggle of fellow countrylasses in a bar and, after plying them with champagne, invite them back onboard their private yacht for after party. The girls are soon installed on said vessel, glass in hand, bikinis likewise. Once the drink starts to flow and the industrial-strength amphetamines kick in, the youngsters pair off and go below deck to, er, cement their new...

New Title: Idiots on a Boat
Basically, "Donkey Punch" is about a bunch of idiots who do really stupid things for about an hour and a half. The "film" concerns another one of those "we killed someone and lets cover it up" plots. Of course, nothing goes the way the characters want and they all end up paying for their transgressions. The problem with the film is that the characters are all isolated on a yacht out at sea. While the yacht is pretty cool, there is not many places to hide or do much else so the tension is more or less evaporated and comes down to who is going to kill who next. None of the characters seem to behave in any sort of realistic way and thus I must assume they are all idiots. The film contains some full frontal male nudity which I guess was thrown in so that there would be something to talk about. What was not included was any sort of plot or characters that were at all interesting. This same movie might have made a better comedy.

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Minis

d-money
At first, I thought this was going to be a SHORT film. But then I did a LITTLE research and came to find out it was much more SIZABLE. I guess, in the end, I was the one selling it SHORT.

The genius of Valerio
I was in a real low point in my life when I decided one fateful day to rent this off of youtube! it took a few minutes but once my eyes crossed, I zoned out, blood poured out of my eyes, and my bowels released, I found the genius in Valerio's directing/producing/writing/composing style. Jesus came to me and helped me turn my life around. I'm now volunteering at the local YMCA teaching other underprivilaged "little-people" how to meet their very own Dennis Rodman. God bless you Valerio Zanoli. Bless you.

Great!
Awesome movie one of my favorite movies starring Dennis Rodman the movie quality is good as well no problems with the dvd to report either.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Souvenir: The Stolen African Art

A gem of a film
Souvenir is gripping, thrilling and emotional. It's a mystery/thriller film with so much substance, it really pulls you in as an audience member. The characters are provocative and their relationships very unpredictable. It is also a great portrait of Los Angeles with unusual locations shot in a most creative way. Although I liked the music, I thought it may have been a little over done. Overall, the timely topic, story and style add up to a very enjoyable film experience.

Worst Movie Ever
I showed this film in my class. This movie is indescribably bad. I had read several reviews, which indicated it was taking a serious look at the exploitation of cultures. I quote: "Souvenir is one of the few movies out there that shines light on one of the hottest themes of today's art world - illegal appropriation of art." This is a poorly acted, exploitive, misogynistic film that uses sex to try to make it interesting. DO NOT RENT THIS FILM, it is terrible! My class clapped at the end, because, it was OVER! At least we were able to laugh.

Stolen African Art That Kills Time And Little Else, Unfortunately...
It saddens me to be the bearer of bad news, but this film is NOTHING like the previous reviewers claim; most of them must have associations with the film, which is somewhat common on Amazon. It is NOT a mystery, it is NOT a thriller, it is NOT well-directed and it is NOT a good film. I know, you're probably thinking to yourself, "Well, this is one bad review out of five" (and usually I myself disregard the one bad review in the bunch, as there's always someone out there you can't please, no matter how hard you try). But my profile on Amazon clearly indicates most folks find my reviews helpful, so you'll have to judge for yourself after reading (or ignoring) my criticisms. I considered it to be dreadfully disappointing and boring. Thankfully, it clocks in well-under 80 minutes, but it seemed like two hours. Stolen moments about stolen artifacts, no more, no less, IMHO.

One-third of the way through the proceedings, you kind of get the idea what's actually going on, who the...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Voices (After Dark Horrorfest III)

Best Asian horror film of the past year
"Voices" is a creepy, supernatural thriller revolving around the paranoid belief that those dearest to you may want you dead. Interestingly it's based on the best-selling Korean manga "Two will come" which I read a few years back. I loved the plot, the clever direction, the beautiful cinematography and the many visceral thrills that give us gore fans plenty of eye candy.

I saw the film in a theater in January and the main reason I relate to the story is that every day you read in the news papers and see on TV how husbands kill their wives, brothers kill their sisters and parents kill their children. This film smartly exploits the fear that this could happen to you.

I love Asian horror films and this is clearly the best and most original one to come out of Korea in the past year or two and the strongest film from this year's "8 films to die for" series.

Very Entertaining Despite Its Flaws
Sometimes I think that many reviewers are simply too lazy to understand films with indirect communication. I've heard people complain that "Asian horror movies don't make sense", which is usually just a roundabout way of saying, "I'm too lazy to figure them out." However, there are some films that prove to be very difficult to understand (e.g., Spider Forest) or simply don't make the slightest bit of sense at all (e.g., Marronnier). "Voices" (aka "Someone Behind You") is one of those projects that is most definitely a bit too vague for its own good, so it's understandable that many viewers have serious problems figuring this movie out.

This is a shell game kind of movie that tries to bait the viewer into red herring traps from start to finish. Don't be fooled, this is simply and solely about a demon (in human form) who is one gigantic scumbag that uses varying degrees of manipulation to coerce and/or control human beings for his own sick little games and perverted...

Fairly Good K-Horror Yarn - Middle Of The Road Entry in 2009's "8 Films To Die For"
What if your family and friends were suddenly obsessed with killing you? That is the scenario explored in VOICES, an Asian horror film in this years 8 Films To Die For festival.

This was the second film I chose to view of the 8, trying to go in order of least to most interest. I didn't care much for REINCARNATION from the first festival, and honestly have seen few Asian horror films that I liked, so I didn't bring a very high expectation level to this one. I can say that, despite some flaws, I liked it more than I expected.

The film begins with an inexplicable scene of a kid having witnessed a horrible murder in his own home, and then moves swiftly to our main character Ga-in Kim, who witnesses her Aunt being flung from a balcony at her own wedding, and later sees her brutally stabbed by her other Aunt (NOTE: the film is not shy in covering the screen with buckets of blood and gore). The surviving Aunt tells Kim that she had been jealous of her sister, and...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Come Hell Or High Water

Well done independent western
This edited version of "One-Eyed Horse" is faster paced and more dynamic. Mark Redfield and Richard Cutting deliver memorable performances that should launch their careers significantly. This will not be the only time we hear from director Wayne Shipley. He has the touch.

A classic tale of hate and revenge !
A human tragedy set in the old west. This movie is interesting, moves quickly in most places, and reminds us all of the futility of harboring hate and revenge for a lifetime. There are at least 3 of the 7 deadly sins at work in this film. Kick back and enjoy it some rainy afternoon for what it is....entertaining and thought provoking.

Revenge With A Twist
This adult western revenge story with a bit of a twist in the ending is very well acted by all the principal members of a cast of unknowns. It also looks good, especially for an indie. It doesn't have much blood and gore, but if you want an involving western story give this one a shot.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Sesame Street: Being Green

Daughter loved it!
My two-year-old loves this video, and I actually don't mind having to watch it over and over again. Paul Rudd is entertaining, and the show does a great job explaining what "being green" means and what they can do to help the Earth. Great message for Earth day and every day!

this is a must have!!!
I bought this DVD for my 2 1/2 year old cousin who adores Elmo and it was a great buy. The songs are very catchy and i cant help it but to sing along. We play it in the car, at home and every where we can. The video is very informative about "going green" but i think an older child would appreciate the message better.In addition to all of this, Elmo looks so adorable green!

Lessons for Little Ones
Anytime Elmo teaches, little ones learn better. Even parents who carefully monitor their kids' television time will enjoy this video.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword

Another good one!
I enjoyed this Scooby Doo. It is fast paced and entertaining. The animation continues to be top notch and there is no better voice cast. Our family enjoyed the Japanese setting and the story line.
However, it is another entry where the "monster" is real, albeit full of fantasy. I wish the makers of the new Scooby movies would stay with the "Pirates Ahoy" and "Loch Ness" ideas, the traditional type of story where the bad guys are just people. I like the resolution that it gives kids.(No matter how improbable the solutions seem to be for adults!) And it IS what has made the Scooby Doo franchise so successful.
I would rate "Samurai Sword" as way better than the "Goblin King" which we disliked enough to give away, but not nearly as good as "Chill Out"

Great movie for kids!
My 3 year old and my 5 year old love this movie. Anything Scooby Doo is great by them! Buy this and you will probably laugh a few times with your kids. My son started Karate, this really gave him a smile when he saw Scooby and Shaggy doing karate like he does.

Won't let you down.

Scooby Dooby Dooooo
Characters remain constant throughout scooby doo movies and we love seeing them through their scary adventures! I always love watching my son get excited about these tales because I know he wont have nightmares afterwards!

Click to Editorial Reviews

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Great DVD Release
Instant Star has been a popular teen favorite the past few seasons. Fans of the show will be pleased with the DVD release of the first season. The season one DVD includes the first 13 episodes of the show. The downside is that season one aired so long ago these episodes seem like light years ago. It would have been good if they would have released the first and second season together on DVD.

The first season chronicles Jude's semi rise to stardom. After winning the Instant Star competition she receives a record contract with G Major Records. Her producer is "Little Tommy Q," who used to be in a boy band named Boyz Attack. Tommy is all grown up now and he is her producer who she has a crush on it seems. Adding to the story is her close relationship with her male childhood best friend Jamie. At this time in the series, Jude is still in high school and living with her parents who are still married. Her sister Sadie is a little older than her but they attend the same...

Love
I've been a fan of this show for a few years. The price was finally right for me to scoop it up. The episodes are better than I remember, especially since it doesn't have the commercials. The special features were a pleasant surprise. I love deleted scenes. I would recommend anyone who liked this series to pick it up or as present to any music loving teen.

Instant Star
Instant Star is a Canadian television program starring Alexz Johnson as an adolescent music competition winner; she plays Jude Harrison. After its release, the program's popularity rose amongst teenagers, particularly in the United States and Canada.

The show chronicles Harrison's experience in the recording industry whilst focusing upon character development. In each episode of the show, Jude Harrison must deal with the problems and challenges of both her musical career and her personal life, as one weaves into the other.

In season 1, she faces dilemmas and choices in her relationships, dividing her feelings between the loves in her life, such as Tommy Q. (her producer/soul mate, who is played by the dreamy Tim Rozon), Jamie (a life-long best friend who is played by the charming Kristopher Turner ), and Shay (a major rap artist/ex boyfriend), while also recording with G-Major Records.

These people are important to her music - the one thread that ties...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Gun Justice Featuring the Lone Ranger

Loads of Fun with a hearty hi-yo silver
Lone Ranger fans will truly enjoy. Not only do we have the Tv Lone Ranger that almost everyone born between 1930 and 1985 know and love, but the ultra-rare 1938 serial. This one is about as much fun as the TV or radio show. The picture is a tad blurry and could stand remastering, but its tolerable if you are of the generation that still remembers black and white television and movies. The serial is a well-told early version of the tale of the ambush of the LR and his fellow Texas Rangers, and his dedication to a life of crime fighting as a result. The serial's major story of a crooked politician who tries the use the state of Texas as his own financial fifedom is well told and keeps you excited through each chapter.

The viewer may compare this to the original 1949 episodes of the TV show with the beloved team of Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. This beings with the later version of the tale of the Texas Ranger ambush and the rescue by Tonto. (NOTE-Contrary to present-day...

smiles all around
My grandchildren are adrdent fans of Roy Rogers ans friends. They were all smiling at this gift. Good character building films.

hi ho silver away
this is a really good value compilation of old tv western series as with most of these sets there is some duplication picture quality good as is the sound considering the age of the material.WELL DONE

Click to Editorial Reviews