La Cage aux Folles (Criterion Collection) (1978)

American audiences tend to resist foreign films for some good reasons. Sure, its tough to keep up with subtitles at times, and yes, sometimes the translations are lacking the depth the filmaker intends to convey. But this is a film that can and should be enshrined in the Movie Hall of Fame as one of the funniest, most endearing films ever released. Audiences who are willing to put up with subtitles will quickly find themselves hysterical and at last, on DVD, "La Cage Aux Folles" deserves to find a new audience, a new generation that appreciates broad humor, with a few good lessons thrown in.

Americans are familiar with the story, since "La Cage" was turned into a successful Broadway show and then a huge money-making comedy "The Birdcage" featuring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams in the lead roles (not to mention a young Calista Flockhart of "Ally McBeal" fame and Dan Futterman who is brilliant in "Urbania.") But "The Birdcage" as funny as it can be, fades by comparison to the original, with star making performances by Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault as the leading cross dressing couple of the French Riviera. Where "The Birdcage" allows for broad humor that both confronts and appeases the typical homophobic US audience, "La Cage" offers no apologies, and rests on its own merits as a farce without limits. When Tognazzi teaches Serrault how to "walk like John Wayne" you quickly forget the language barrier, and give up on Robin William's own attempts to educate the shrill Lane in the English version. Somehow, the fact that these characters are French adds a dimension of humanity that is lacking in the "Birdcage." Even the setting on the French Riviera (versus the buff and tough South Beach in the American version) adds to the three dimensional aspects of the characters. There is a sleazy-humor at work here that has been toned down tremendously for the American version, and that can only be captured by a cast that is uniformly superb, endearing, and wonderful. Oscar nominated for its leading performer, Tognazzi, as well as its superb direction, THIS is one of the funniset movies ever made in ANY language. If you love Robin WIlliams movies, and enjoy laughing, BUY THIS FILM you will be more than glad you did, and you'll find yourself literally hitting the pause button in order to GAWFAW your way through it.

If there were SIX stars for movies, "La Cage Aux Folles" would warrant six-and-a-half!

Since others have already expounded on the enduring comic nature of the movie itself, I'll restrict my comments to the DVD. I'd give the movie about 4 stars, but the DVD transfer I would award only 2.

Why? The film quality is not only substandard, but on occasion the frame jumps, as if somebody had bumped the telecine during the process. Additionally, the audio is VERY poor, not only varying in loudness, but at times the French audio track is not even synchronized with the lip movements on screen.

This would be worthy of a re-do by Criterion or other reputable production company...please?

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This review refers to "La Cage Aux Folles" DVD/MGM world Films..

If you will be viewing this film for the first time, and have already seen the more recent American version with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane("The Bird Cage"), you will find it very difficult not to compare this one to it. The Bird Cage was a wonderful and lavish production that paid homage to this original French Film, and did it quite well. I also consider that a 5 star film.

The stories although, BC has added some footage and a few more complications to the story, are just about identical. Young Laurent comes home to visit his father.Renato (Ugo Tognazzi)is the owner of flamboyant cabaret, featuring some wonderful acts by drag queens. Laurent informs Dad, that he is getting married. Although very young, Renato is happy for his son. But wait..there's more; his fiancee's parents are ultra-conservative,more then that, her father's political career is based on high morals.Her parents are on the way to meet "the family", and Renato must tone down his apartment, and then there's Albin(Michael Serrault)...Reanto's very feminine lover..what to do with HIM?

The French humor, although a bit more subtle then it's American cousin, is a real laugh fest. Serrault is every bit, the whining, campy, drag-queen, we have come to love as Albert(Nathan Lane in BC). Tognazzi, is wonderful as the father trying to cope with both the moody Albin, the needs of his son, and the in-laws to be.

Director Edouard Molinaro is brilliant in his direction of this farce. I viewed this last night, after not having seen it for many years, and i am still smiling as I write this review. I loved La Cage as much as I did the first time.. If you loved Bird Cage, gives this one a try, it'll charm your socks off!

The DVD is not the most pristine transfer I have seen for a film of this age. Just a little grainy, and maybe the colors could have been brightened up a bit, but there wasn't anything that distracted me from the absolute joy of this film. There are no special features, other then a theatrical trailer.(If you view the trailer, you will see that the film has been restored to some extent). The sound is Dol Dig(mono). It may be viewed in French(original) or English, and has optional subtitles in English, French and Spanish.The film is presented in a letterbox format of 1.66:1, which is listed as the original theatrical release.

If you are a fan of French Films and humor, farces in particular, I highly recommend this film. Just want to check it out, to see the film Bird Cage was based on?...makes a great weekend rental.

Merci Beaucoup....Laurie

more foreign language films recommended:

Three Colors Trilogy (Red / White / Blue) [Import](All-region)(Remastered)

Honey for Oshun (Miel Para Oshun)

Queen Margot (Koroleva Margo)

Dangerous Liaisons

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This original french version is far better than the campy Ameian version. The leads are played by great actors who know how to work the screen. I still laugh each time I hear Zaza's screech. This movie also deals with a major issue, which gives it a reality flair!

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It pays to overcome both aversions to foreign films and homophobic sentiments to enjoy this film, which is now already a classic farce that has already made it into a Broadway play and an Americanized version, "Birdcage," with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. The original, however, stands out as especially spectacular, largely due to the talents of actor Michel Serrault who went on to the sequel, "La Cage Aux Folles 2," to demonstrate his acting abilities to an even greater degree.

The story tells of the owner of a gay nightclub, La Cage Aux Folles, one Renato Baldi (Ugo Tognazzi), whose son Laurent (Rémi Laurent) comes home to inform him he is getting married. Because his father has come to live a very openly gay lifestyle with his partner, Albin (Michel Serrault), a drag queen who performs in his club and who is very openly effeminate in real life as well, Laurent is very concerned that his father make a good impression on his fiancée's conservative family, who happen to be involved in politics and are very concerned about negative publicity. The only problem is that the fiancée, Andrea (Luisa Maneri), has also told a little white lie to her family that her fiancé's father is a cultural attaché. Of course, the lie ultimately breaks down when the families meet. The groom's father invites the mother, Simone (Claire Maurier), to come, but then Albin decides, without informing anyone, to dress up as a woman and pretend to be the mother, and the result is classic farce as anyone could expect. To make matters worse, when the truth is out and the bride's parents want to storm out in anger, they discover that the press are outside waiting; the only way they can leave is by way of the gay club that they so loathe and, even worse, to do it in drag to escape detection. The irony is as perfect as any farce writer could want it; the ultra-conservative father of the bride (Michel Galabru), who has been fuming all day about "the honor of his party," is suddenly forced to dress up like a woman, and when he confronts his conniving chauffeur (Venantino Venantini), who has been accepting bribes to give tips to the press about his employer's whereabouts, he lets him have it full in the face.

This film is one that will give you a laugh for sure. It's worth the price and worth having in your collection.

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Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Kung Fu Hustle is among my favorite films, not because I am a die-hard fan of Stephen Chow, but because I really liked the wild mix of comedy, adventure, crime caper and martial arts action. Most notably the excellent fight choreography by legendary Yuen Woo-Ping(who is also responsible for the fight scenes of Kill Bill vol. 1, Fearless, The Matrix, Hero). As I said, I love KUNG FU HUSTLE and am very much looking forward for its sequel in 2008, so forgive me if I am a bit biased. (I will try my best not to lose my objectivity)

The New "AXE KICKING EDITION" soon to be released by Sony is actually the REGION-3 Hong Kong release which I have. (I am certain)The Hong Kong release is still the one to go for if you have a multi-region dvd player. Since I almost know for certain that only fans of the film will be interested in this new edition, I will skip the plot summary. ( for those of you who haven't seen it, you may look up my review under the original U.S. DVD.)

I will go straight to the differences between the previous dvd release and this new "Axe-kicking edition"(original Hong Kong release):

Mild spoilers ahead---

Scene 1; The landlady throws her husband out of a window and drops a flower pot that ended up on the back of his head. The original cut showed a small pool of blood coming from his face, but the U.S. version digitally omitted it. The blood now appears as part of the film.

Scene 2; Sing heckles/insults the residents of Pig Sty Alley and gets hit in the tummy by a woman. The original cut showed Sing spitting up blood which landed on the woman's face, but the earlier U.S. version digitally removed the blood (though some still appeared around Sing's mouth). The blood now appears in this release.

Scene 3; This may be more offensive to others; it takes place on the eve of the big attack on Pig Sty Alley. The Hong Kong cut showed a man taking a d--p onto a piece of paper as the camera panned by, but the American version digitally removed the offensive feces. Now the paper is no longer blank. "Mr. Poo" makes an appearance!

Scene 4; Sing confronts "The Beast" in the casino, he gets hit hard on the chest twice. After the 2nd hit, blood sprays on The Beast's face and Sing is shown reeling backwards from the force of the punch with blood spurting from his mouth. The U.S. version PREVIOUSLY removed both of these sequential shots.

Scene 5; Also in the casino, Sing's head is hit on his face, hammered into the ground by The Beast. After the first hit, The Beast's bloody fist is shown emerging from the floor in slow motion...but the U.S. version removed this shot entirely.

Now for the DVD Picture and Sound quality--

2.35 Anamorphic Widescreen. The Picture is extremely sharp with solid Black levels. Colors are natural and enhancements are not noticeable. CGI effects suffer a bit of softness. But the transfer is clean and nice. It is the Hong Kong transfer from what I can tell.

Sound is in 5.1 Dolby/2.0 surround in English, French & Cantonese. I am a bit disappointed why Sony still didn't include the Cantonese 5.1 DTS track as in the original Hong Kong release. Why?!

EXTRAS: Stephen Chow interview--Bloopers/outtakes--Featurettes: w/ Yuen Woo-Ping, Oliver Wong(Production designer), Shirley Wong(Costumes)

Storyboard comparison--trailers--audio commentary

CLOSING: Kung Fu Hustle is one of the more entertaining (if not the most fun in 2004) imports. It mixes pop culture blends, over-the-top comedy, hard-hitting action while maintaining a profound respect for the spirit of Kung Fu. This new region 1 release is a bit confusing, while it contains the original cut of the film, it misses the original special features and the powerful DTS Cantonese Language track. I wouldn't advise a "double dip" for fans who own the first REGION 1 dvd, but for fans who doesn't own the movie, pick this new version up. However, the lack of DTS sound is a huge minus for this version. I STILL prefer the ORIGINAL Hong Kong region-3 release!

RECOMMENDED!! (Timidly)

I didn't know what to expect when I went to see "Kung Fu Hustle" in theaters but I'm a big fan of Chinese foreign films and needless to say it exceeded all expectations. It's a mobster movie like you've never seen before set around the 1930s. The Axe Gang wear nice, fancy black suits, and after killing some apparent foes in the beginning of the movie the credits show flashes of the "tough" gangsters doing a strange sort of dance in unison I couldn't help but chuckle at with unparalleled delight. At that point I knew this was going to be an interesting film and I was absolutely right. Legends with inhuman powers arise from the unlikeliest of people, crushing the Axe Gang's superiority and pride of being the "bad-asses" you should fear for your life from. They in turn hire countless assassins to wipe out an entire village but their attempts prove futile as the population contains more than just weak farmers and housekeepers... I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of "Kung Fu Hustle" (think Looney Toons meets Kill Bill) and recommend it to anyone who looks for odd, quirky movies that are also smart and creative, yet totally out there. The subtitles didn't even bother me as I find that most films in Chinese sound much better in the original language verses being horribly dubbed in English (ie-House Of Flying Daggers).

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Stephen Chow's follow-up to 'Shaolin Soccer' (which was virtually killed in US market) is totally different from 'Shaolin.' 'Kung-hu' is a comedy, sure it is, but the star/director Chow takes this martial arts very seriously, and the film itself gives more emphasis upon martial arts actions (including silly ones) than the parodies or sight gags. And look, the film is credited with TWO choreographers -Sammo Hung and Yuen Wo Ping!

[THE STORY] is set in pre-Revolutiona China. The city is ruled by ruthless mobsters 'Axe Gang,' and now remember, they are really ruthless. Even though they dance like 'Cotton Club'-Meets-'Gangs of New York' style. And of course, they wield axes while dancing in the street.

Then our hero Sing (Chow) enters. He wants to join in the 'Axe Gangs,' and to prove his 'ability' as gangster (whatever it is), he tries to extort money from the locals living in the 'Pig Sty Alley.' What he didn't know was, the people are much, much more strong and resourceful than he expected.

The plot may sound rather pointless, and in fact it is. In short, it is about two wannabe gangsters, and the fights between gangsters and the residents of the 'Alley.' You see several references to other films, but the film's greatest merit is not them. It is kung-hu action.

[ACTIONS] For Stephen Chow shows unexpectedly exciting fight sequences between the unique characters -assassins who use musical instruments like invisible swords (and this scene is very violent), the tailor and cook who fight like devil, the Landlord and Landlady, and The Beast ... yes, he fight like a beast, or a toad (literally).

[THE STAR] Stephen Chow as hero Sing displays considerable martial arts skills, especially in the finaly act which goes like the climax of 'Matrix Revolutions' -and Chow is better than Keanu! -but it is the extraordinary supporting actors that really are rivetting. The hen-pecked landlord by Yuen Wah (known as 'magnificient villain' in Hong Kong films) and his chain-smoking wife landlady by Yuen Qiu (coming back to screen after almost 30 years) are real scene stealer, always surprising us with their outrageous personalities. And wait for 'The Beast' by Leung Siu Lung (himself a major Kung-hu star during the 70s, and comes back to movie after 15 year hietus) whose initial appearance as a bald and plump middle-aged is very deceptive. And look for Yeun Cheung-Yan (as a suspicious-looking seller of 'kung-hu manuals'), brother to Yuen Woo Ping and action choreographer of 'Charlie's Angles.'

The film may not as funny (and silly) as 'Shaolin Soccer' and if so, that's because Stephen Chow really respects the art of kung-hu and its masters. It is still a comedy, and it is often funny, but perhaps you should see it as an action film -with ridiculously exaggerated fight styles based on the traditional kung-hu. So, my advice: Don't think, just feel, and enjoy yourself.

Read Best Reviews of Kung Fu Hustle (2004) Here

Kung Fu Hustle on Blu-ray looks/sounds excellent. I already own the DVD version of Kung Fu Hustle, but watching Kung Fu Hustle on Blu-ray is a vast improvement. With its vibrant colors and incredible sound, Kung Fu Hustle is definitly one of the better Blu-ray releases I have seen so far.

Just like the DVD, the Blu-ray version is also loaded with extras:

-commentary with Stephen Chow, Lam Tze Chung, Tin Kai Man, and Chan Kwok Kwun

-42 minute behind-the-scenes featurette (in Chinese with English subtitles)

-2 deleted scenes

-30 minute candid Ric Meyers interview with Stephen Chow (in English)

-5 minutes of outtakes

-trailers for Resident Evil 2, Underworld 2, and xXx

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Fresh from the worldwide triumph of Shaolin Soccer, Stephen Chow surpassed its critical and commercial success with Kung Fu Hustle. He took the winning formula he perfected with his previous film and elevated it to a more ambitious scale. He also wisely decided to have Sony distribute his movie in North America instead of Miramax who notoriously bungled the release of Soccer. The results were a modest success because, unlike Miramax, Sony knew how to market Chow's movie.

As he did with Shaolin Soccer, Chow uses CGI in very clever ways to express his ideas visually. The action sequences play out like live action Looney Tunes cartoons as he playfully pokes fun at over-the-top, pretentious action spectacles like The Matrix: Reloaded. Kung Fu Hustle is bursting at the seams with one hilarious visual gag after another. In one scene, Sing is chased by a grumpy, bossy peasant woman and they chase each other through the countryside like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Chow understands that the enjoyment in watching his movies is reveling in the visual spectacle of them. His movie has the visual inventiveness of ten movies.

Kung Fu Hustle is a movie about other movies. It playfully quotes from such diverse movies as Spider-Man and The Untouchables. One of the pleasures of watching this movie is to see what film it references next. Meanwhile, Kung Fu Hustle continues to top itself with one breathtaking action sequence after another, each one building up to the penultimate showdown. Chow's movie is so eager to please, such an unabashed celebration of movies that it makes the ones that come out of Hollywood every year look boring and outdated in comparison.

There is an audio commentary by Stephen Chow, actor Lam Tze Chung, Axe Gang advisor Tin Kai Man and actor Chan Kwok Kwan. If you're reading the subtitles of this track it is near impossible to figure out who's talking and so you just have to go along with it in the hopes that some relevant information will appear on screen. They go into detail about the filmmaking process in this informative and engaging track.

"TV Special Behind the Scene of Kung Fu Hustle" is a 42 minute look at how this movie came together hosted by two of the film's stars. This is an entertaining and well-made featurette that is a step up from the usual fare that populates DVDs.

There are two deleted scenes that feature the residents of Pig Sty Alley trying to convince the two kung fu masters to save them and more footage of Sing's initiation into the Axe Gang.

"Ric Meyers Interview with Stephen Chow" is a nice conversation between the two men. He talks about some of the cinematic influences on this movie as he comes across as a very smart and articulate fellow.

Also included is an "Outtakes and Bloopers" reel that is a very funny collection of blown lines.

There is also an impressive collection of 15 TV spots!

Finally, there is an "International Poster Exploration Gallery" that features all sorts of different designs adopting various styles and colour schemes.

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Sense & Sensibility (1996)

When Emma Thompson was approached with the suggestion to write a screenplay based on Jane Austen's first novel "Sense and Sensibility" (1811), she was somewhat doubtful because, as she explains on the DVD's commentary track, she felt that other Austen works, like the more expressive "Emma" and "Persuasion" or the sardonic "Pride and Prejudice" (already the subject of several adaptations) would have been more suitable. Four years and 14 screenplay drafts later (the first, a 300-page handwritten dramatization of the novel's every scene), "Sense and Sensibility" made its grand entrance into theaters worldwide and mesmerized audiences and critics alike, resulting in an Oscar for Thompson's screenplay and six further nominations (Best Picture, Leading Actress Thompson -, Supporting Actress Kate Winslet -, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Score for 20 minutes' worth of composition and Costume Design); and double honors as Best Picture and for Thompson's screenplay at the Golden Globes.

More than simple romances, Jane Austen's novels are delicately constructed pieces of social commentary, written from her rural Hampshire's perspective. Mostly confined to life in her father's parish, she was nevertheless well aware of early 19th century England's society at large, and fiercely critical of the loss of morals and decorum she saw in its pre-industrial emergent city life. Moreover, experience and observation had made her acutely aware of the corsets forced onto women in fashion terms as much as by social norms, confining them to inactivity and complete dependency on their families' and their (future) husbands' money. And among this movie's greatest strengths is the manner in which it maintains that underlying theme of Austen's writing and brings it to a contemporary audience's attention. "You talk about feeling idle and useless: imagine how that is compounded when one has no hope and no choice of any occupation whatsoever," Elinor Dashwood (Thompson) tells her almost-suitor Edward Ferrars, and when he replies that "our circumstances are therefore precisely the same," she corrects him: "Except that you will inherit your fortune we cannot even earn ours."

Rescuing much from the first draft dramatization of Austen's novel and amplifying where necessary, Emma Thompson and director Ang Lee ("who most unexplainably seems to understand me better than I understand myself," Thompson said in her mock-Austen Golden Globe speech) produced a movie scrupulously faithful to what is known about Austen's world and at the same time incredibly modern, thus emphasizing the novel's timeless quality. Paintings were consulted for the movie's production design, and indeed, almost every camera frame both landscapes and interiors has the feeling of a picture by a period painter. Thompson cleverly uses poetry where the novel does not contain dialogue; and again, she does so in a manner entirely faithful to Austen's subtleties most prominently in the joint recital of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 by Marianne Dashwood (Kate Winslet) and John Willoughby (Greg Wise), where an ever so slight inaccuracy in his rendition of a sonnet he claims to love foreshadows his lacking sincerity.

"Sense and Sensibility" revolves around Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, their quest for a suitable husband, and the sisters' relationship with each other. Emma Thompson maintains that she did not write the screenplay with herself as Elinor in mind and would not have been accepted for that role but for the success of her previous films ("Howards End," "The Remains of the Day"); yet, it is hard to imagine who could have better played sensible Elinor: "effectual, ... [possessing] a coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen [and thus considerably younger than Thompson], to be the counselor of her mother." And real-life 19-year-old Kate Winslet embodies sensitive, artistic Marianne: "eager in everything; [without] moderation ... generous, amiable, interesting: ... everything but prudent." (As an older actress was sought for that part, her agent presented her as 25.) An early scene in which Marianne recites Hartley Coleridge's Sonnet VII ("Is love a fancy or a feeling? No. It is immortal as immaculate truth") symbolizes the sisters' relationship and their personalities, as Marianne mocks Elinor's seemingly cool response to Edward's budding affection. (Mostly taken from the novel, the scene is embellished by the screenplay's sole inexactitude: Coleridge's sonnets were only published 22 years later). Yet, when all her hope seems shattered, Elinor, in a rare outburst of emotion, rebukes her sister: "What do you know of my heart?" only to comfort her again when she sees that Marianne is equally distraught.

Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman similarly perfectly portray the sisters' suitors Edward Ferrars and Colonel Brandon, both embodying the qualities Austen considered essential: simplicity, sincerity and a firm sense of morality. Willoughby, on the other hand, while entering the story like the proverbial knight on a white horse who rescues the injured Marianne, does not live up to the high expectations he evokes; he causes Marianne to unacceptably abandon decorum and, just as he misspoke in that line from Shakespeare's sonnet, his love eventually "bends with the remover to remove." Similarly, Lucy Steele (Imogen Stubbs), the near-stumbling block to Elinor's happiness, ultimately proves driven by nothing but an "unceasing attention to self-interest ... with no other sacrifice than that of time and conscience" (Austen) and is, despite a fortuitous marriage, as marginalized as the Dashwoods' greedy sister-in-law Fanny (Harriet Walter). Conversely, the boisterous Sir John Middleton and his garrulous mother-in-law, while annoying in their insensitivity, are essentially goodnatured; and marvelously portrayed in their flawed but warmhearted ways by Robert Hardy and Elizabeth Spriggs.

"Sense and Sensibility" came out at the height of the mid-1990s' Jane Austen revival. Of all movies released then, and alongside 1996's "Emma" (which has "Hollywood" written all over it) and the BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" (which finally established Colin Firth as the leading man in the U.S. that he had long been in Britain), Emma Thompson's "Sense and Sensibility" is one of those adaptations that future generations of moviegoers will likely turn to in years to come. And it is truly an experience not to be missed.

Also recommended:

The Complete Novels of Jane Austen (Wordsworth Library Collection)

Jane Austen Collection (Sense & Sensibility / Emma / Persuasion / Mansfield Park / Pride & Prejudice / Northanger Abbey)

Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)

Persuasion

Howards End The Merchant Ivory Collection

Shakespeare's Sonnets (Folger Shakespeare Library)

Sonnets from the Portuguese: A Celebration 0f Love

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Emma Thompson's adaptation of Jane Austen's novel and Ang Lee's direction of it prove to be a stunning and talented combination. This story about the complexities of love, society, and family won my heart in the first few minutes with its excellent acting, smart dialogue, and lush period setting.

The movie focuses primarily on the two oldest sisters of the Dashwood family Elinor (Emma Thompson) and her younger sister Marianne (Kate Winslet.) Elinor is practical and independent-minded, caught between her societal position as a woman and what she wants for herself. In contrast, Marianne is impetuous, artistic, passionate; she pursues her emotions as though nothing else matters. When both sisters fall in love with different men, they react very differently to the awakening of their affections.

The acting in this film could not have been any better. Although critics have complained that Emma Thompson is too old for the part of Elinor, she at once dispels all doubts with her expert performance. She becomes Elinor so thoroughly that it's difficult to imagine another actress tackling this role. As the romantic Marianne, Kate Winslet is charmingly breathless; she captures the essence of her character with seemingly no effort. Hugh Grant is awkwardly sincere as Edward, and the normally sinister Alan Rickman portrays with heartbreaking honesty the love-struck Colonel. To bring all this talent together, Ang Lee provides nuanced direction that captures both the beauty and the humanity of Austen's novel.

On the surface, this is a quiet movie, but underneath the turmoil of life whether in Austen's time or ours simmers. Viewers who enjoy character-driven films should love it.

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This recent movie adaptation of Jane Austin's "Sense and Sensibility" is just marvelous. Emma Thompson's enchanting screenplay is so close to the novel, and that's such a rare treat in a movie version. Yes, Emma Thompson is a bit old for the part of older sister Elinor but, she's so endearing, I'm willing to let it go. The supporting cast is very powerful, with performances by Kate Winslet, Greg Wise, Imogen Stubbs, Alan Rickman, and Hugh Grant toping off a fabulous ensemble. Winslet is especially wonderful as the younger Dashwood sister. She's completely sweet, young and innocent. Her heartbreak at the hands of handsome and dashing Willoughby is extremely powerful and emotional. It's an all around well acted movie. Lots of wondeful performances. This is acutally a very funny movie and so beautifully shot by Director Ang Lee. Every aspect of the movie is wonderful. It's treat for all Austin fans and an all around wonderful film.

Read Best Reviews of Sense & Sensibility (1996) Here

Jane Austen is a fine writer, but her wordiness tends to drain the life from many of her characters. Thankfully, Emma Thompson recognized the limitations of the novel and adapted her screenplay accordingly, enhancing the humor of the original story and heightening drama to make the film more captivating. A cast was then chosen, made up of very talented thespians, including Miss Thompson herself. Add to that splendid English landscapes, excellent directing, haunting music, and superb cinematography, and what emerges is a modern masterpiece.

This is no movie for action fans; it is far too cerebral and requires a serious attention span. For those who enjoy a good love story well told, this film delivers. The characters are three-dimensional and their dilemmas full of human drama, bound as they are by the morals and manners of the times. Three sisters and their mother are left virtually penniless by the stricture against females inheriting property then in place in English law. The half-brother to the Dashwood women receives it all, but his selfish wife talks him out of helping his stepmother and half-sisters. It is up to the two older girls---sensible Elinor and passionate Marianne---to seek their fortunes in romance while lacking a dowry to help them.

Elinor finds her soulmate in shy, retiring Edward Ferrars, brother of the selfish sister-in-law, a man lacking in the usual Victorian ambitions. Her budding romance is shelved when his sister makes it clear that Elinor is "unsuitable" for Edward. The sisters and their mother then go to stay in a cottage owned by a kindly relative, Sir John, and his mother-in-law, the irrepressible Mrs. Jennings. The old woman is a confirmed gossip and matchmaker, bound to see one of the two sisters hitched up to Colonel Brandon, the most eligible bachelor in the area.

Brandon first sees Marianne singing a melancholy song and is incurably smitten. She in turn loses her heart to a dashing young man named Willoughby, who is her ideal of a Victorian-era gentleman, complete with a pocket book of sonnets. Brandon, who loves her more than his own happiness, steps aside and even encourages their relationship, despite his dislike for the handsome rogue.

Things take an unexpected turn for the worse for both sisters---Willoughby abruptly drops Marianne and flees to London with no explanation and Elinor discovers that Edward is engaged to a shallow young woman named Lucy Steele. The ensuing twists and turns in the plot make this film both agonizing and entertaining to watch. Mercifully, everyone winds up happy at the end wedded to the right person.

The whole film is solidly done, but it is the acting that really shines. Thompson is perfect for the role of the calmer sister, while Winslett is brilliant as the mercurial Marianne. Grant is endearing as the gentle Edward; Rickman finally gets to display his considerable ability to act the part of a very good and unselfish man. The rest of the cast keeps pace with the leads, and Hugh Laurie is indescribably funny as the sarcastic Mr. Palmer. One very beautiful aspect of this movie, along with the tendency to get drawn into the story, is the evocative musical score that tugs at the heartstrings.

All in all, this is a wonderful example of a film genre that is so often overlooked in today's world---period romance. More movies like this one desperately need to be produced. Buy this one today because it's a gem, perfect for an afternoon of inclement weather with your own soulmate.

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Don't miss this movie! It's a brilliant adaptation of the Jane Austen classic and simply lovely to watch. Emma Thompson did an excellent job on the screenplay, and deservedly won an Oscar for her efforts.

I agree that in the age department, Emma Thompson was not suited to carry the role of Elinor Dashwood (who's supposed to be only 19). However, Ms Thompson's acting was brilliant and flawless, and as the story unfolds and draws you in, you hardly remember to notice or care about the age factor anymore. I thought Emma Thompson's portrayal of Elinor was not unlike the character of Margaret Schlegel (which she played in "Howards End") who's also a kind gentlewoman who loves too much and suffers inwardly.

As a story, "Sense and Sensibility" (S&S) has a far more serious premise compared to 2 other Austen works ie. "Emma" and "Mansfield Park". Perhaps this partly explains why S&S is the more highly-acclaimed movie (it was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars) compared to Gwyneth Paltrow's "Emma" and Frances O'Connor's "Manfield Park". In S&S, there are very sad scenes involving unrequited love, quiet suffering (Elinor's and Col. Brandon's) and long illness (Marianne's). Many scenes will make you reach for that box of tissues eg. when the always calm-and-collected Elinor burst into uncontrollable tears the moment she hears the (happy) truth concerning Edward Ferrar's situation, and when Marianne (still lying ill in her bed) thanks Col. Brandon softly (for all his help and kindness).

I also admire Alan Rickman's acting. He is perfect as Col. Brandon, a very good man whose love for Marianne is (sadly) unrequited. His love is of the best kind he doesn't court with (empty) flowery words, instead he displays so much care, concern, lovingness and tenderness by his every look towards Marianne and by his every action to make her well and happy. I was nicely surprised that in the movie, Col. Brandon looks more dashing and handsome than John Willoughby (to me anyway).

Kate Winslet's "Marianne" is adorable as well. She sings beautifully and has such grace and beauty that it's no wonder men fell in love with her at first sight.

I shall not give away the ending, of course. But for the benefit of any viewer who have not read the novel but wish for a better and more satisfying understanding of the final scene involving Marianne, just remember the following sentence which I quote from the novel:

"Marianne could never love by halves."

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Lay the Favorite (2012)

The girl playing the lead gets on your nerves, since she seems like she's on hyperspeed all of the time. Did Catherine Zeta Jones get a major face lift? And of course Vince Vaugn is in it, he's very funny. I liked seeing him and Bruce, they were great. But I expected more, in general. It was like watching squirrels run around in those little wheels things....I should have waited until it was ALOT cheaper, like in Prime....buyer beware--

Beth(Rebecca Hall) is a woman who aspires to be a cocktail waitress in Vegas. She has both brains and looks. She ends up working for Dirk, a bookie (Bruce Willis) who she develops feelings. Dirk has a jealous wife Tulip (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and a bad side when he loses, which causes Beth to get a job elsewhere. Beth eventually gets into trouble and needs help.

The film is based on a true story, so you didn't know where it is headed. The downfall of the film is that it has a narrow appeal. It is basically a modified chick flick. But it is for chicks who know something about book making. The phrase "lay the favorite" means betting against the favorite, i.e. you always take the points and the underdog, you never give points. Bookies make their money by having a balanced book. They need the same amount of money bet on a team as they do against it. They make their money from taking "the juice" which is a percentage of the winnings. If the juice is 10% and you bet $50 even money, you will net $40 in return. In order to balance their books, they will have to move money around and make bets with other books or alter the point spread. The point spread has more to do balancing the books then it does the ability of the teams involved which is why it sometimes changes from the beginning of the week to the end of the week. This allows a smart better to straddle his bet. The key to book making is to do the math and bet with your head, not your heart.

It is not an inside look at the gambling industry per se, but it gives you enough of a glimpse that you feel you need to know what is going on in order to enjoy the movie. The most unbelievable aspect of the film is that with all the money Dirk and his wife had, she drank Beefeaters Gin. I enjoyed Bruce Willis in this role. Rebecca Hall was refreshing. A light chick flick for people who know something about gambling.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, nudity (Jo Newman, Laura Prepon Donna from "That 70's Show")

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Such an established cast and yet failed on every level. Really disappointed that I spent ten dollars to watch this dud.

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Dull movie. No wonder it went to video. Zeta-Jones was hot to look at but they don't use her on camera much. She played a great character as a gamblers pampered wife, but the rest stunk.

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It wasn't exactly easy to make it to the end of the tone deaf comedy "Lay The Favorite." When I got there, though, I was in for a huge shock. The credits rolled and I realized that Stephen Frears was responsible for directing this! In case you haven't heard of him, the Oscar nominee has orchestrated some truly great films including The Queen, The Grifters, and Dangerous Liaisons. Well nothing could be further from these excellent films than this flight of fancy. Based on a true story, an expose on the world of gambling by Beth Raymer, the plot had the potential to be absolutely fascinating. In fact, I'd love to read Raymer's memoir. I think it would be very enlightening. But instead of a hard hitting drama, Frears has removed any sense of reality from the picture. I don't care that he wanted to make something light and comedic, but this isn't serious enough for a drama, funny enough for a comedy, informative enough for gambling enthusiasts, or rich enough in character so that anyone might actually care about what happens. In short, the movie has no idea what it wants to be and that is very apparent.

Rebecca Hall plays the central character as a chirpy stripper who is simultaneously brilliant and clueless. She dreams of the big time, she wants to be a waitress in Las Vegas! She gets involved, instead, with an odds-maker played by Bruce Willis. She's a natural at the game and soon becomes invaluable to the operation. Willis's wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) doesn't like the closeness between the two and this causes much friction. As Hall sets out on her own, she gets into some trouble from which she may not be able to extricate herself. Hint: It involves Vince Vaughn. It just might require a little help from her friends and a caper is afoot. And boy, there's no stopping this crew when they are joined!

One of my biggest issues with "Lay The Favorite" is that it is all over the map in tone. And none of it really works, nothing is developed in enough depth to get you involved. Even the gambling aspect of the picture is lackluster and pedestrian. I never cared about anything that happened. Willis seems to be sleepwalking, Hall is positively grating, and everyone else is pretty much wasted. Hall has a love affair with Joshua Jackson, but we never know the first thing about him. The character development is so sketchy as to be virtually non-existent. A few of the smaller roles scored and Zeta-Jones has presence. The experience, for me, had no real laughs, no real danger, no real romance. I've certainly been a fan of Frears, Willis and Zeta-Jones in other projects. Here, though, I'm hard pressed to tell you anything that I like about this misguided effort. About 1 1/2 stars, I'm not sure why I'm rounding up. KGHarris, 3/13.

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Nature Calls (2012)

This film raises serious questions, such as should I give my copy away or throw it out? Randy (Patton Oswalt) is determined to take a group of boys on a scouting trip. He persuades the kids with a corny scout video to the dismay of everyone and absconds with the kids to the woods. The film had potential, but didn't know which way to go. The frequency of crude humor prevented it from being a kid's film. The crude juvenile humor prevented it from becoming a good adult film. It should have appeal to an adolescent crowd, one too young for the rating.

The characters are poorly developed. Leonard, whose mother coddles him, is not utilized. Kent's attraction for the older women could have been made more for an adult audience, as long as the film is going that way. What was with the naked girl on the motorcycle? The opening scene was idiotic as scout masters take on the responsibility of informing a child his father has died.

Are there funny scenes? Yes. In spite of all the crudeness, there were scenes which made me laugh, but too few to put up with a poorly written production. At one point I thought they were going to mimic "Lord of the Flies," but that fell flat. I think a LOTF spoof would have worked better i.e. make Leonard a fat kid they call "Piggy" etc.

Watch at you own risk.

Parental Guide: Frequent F-bombs in front of children. Nudity (Jill de Jong model for Tomb Raider)

Movie lacked any real funny moments. The idea was a bit cool though. If this idea of the old scout master dieing in the woods and his son taking over was done in a serious note could be great. But a movie with a bunch of kids and couple guys just swearing the whole time at nothing, quite terrible.

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This movie is worth watching but if you buy it you will probably be disappointed considerably. Heed the fair warning.

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I've seen better comedy movies and this movie is not even worth watching...Anyone wants to buy this from me? Just message me.Better yet I'll just trash it.

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Poor storyline. Bad cast. Not recommended for children. Photography is really bad.

Streaming of the video is exceptional and never buffers.

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A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (2010)

This is a Chinese film (English subtitles) based on the 1984 Coen brothers' production of Blood Simple. I think both films are excellent and would be hard pressed to rank one above the other.

The basic story: Cheaters are discovered. Cuckolded husband is most unhappy and makes plans. Plans veer off course. People get . . . injured.

The eighties version was set in present-day Texas. The 2010 production is set in a small noodle shop surrounded by a desolate lunar-like desert region. The shots involving this landscape are somewhat surreal and often spectacular. The time may be the 1700's or 1800's; it's when guns were still a novelty in remote parts of China, and people rode their mustangs instead of driving their Mustangs. Time and place are significant factors in the Chinese movie; they are virtually irrelevant in the Coen brothers' film.

Director Zhang Yimou's version definitely has more comedy than the original. There's scarcely a giggle in the dark eighties tale. Related to this, a fundamental difference between the films is the portrayal of the wife's boyfriend. Actor John Getz's Ray is far more believable than Xiao Shenyang's Li. Li emerges as a strangely innocent buffoon. He provides a big part of the comic relief that is lacking in the original. There are also two helpers in the noodle shop who generate grins.

Yan Ni, portraying the Chinese cheating wife, brings a lot more passion to the film than Frances McDormand brought to the original. Sun Honglei is great as the ruthless and greedy police officer, Zhang. M. Emmet Walsh was also great as the slimy, slovenly detective, Loren Visser, who, like Zhang, equates infidelity with opportunity.

You don't have to see the original film to enjoy the recent production. But I did find it most entertaining to compare the two.

The Hollywood buzz about this movie was mostly negative with lots of comments about it being overly acted and overly directed. Frankly, I found the movie excellent with many flashes of the cast and director's great talent. The location of the Noodle shop on the edge of a great painted desert-like wilderness reminded the audience of an early 2,000 year-old version of the Howard Johnson chain motels and cafes. These inns were placed along roads so that travelers wouldn't starve or run out of water. The only thing that was missing was a series of stone signs reading "Last Water Stop For Two Day's Walk."

The movie was kind of slap-stick Chinese Theater, but it worked fine. Much has been made out of the director's adaptation, actually homage, of the Cohen Brother's movie "Blood Simple," but frankly most people won't even recognize that. This story works just as well in Chinese cinema as it did in America. The humor is funny, the characters are large and obvious, but oh so human. As is the usual case with this legendary director, the cinematography is wonderful. Some of the landscapes are stunning. Over-all the film also has a Clint Eastwood, Italian Western feeling about it. It's kind of a successful chop suey-spaghetti western. It's a very entertaining escape from the boring daily routine.

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The number of films I've seen more than 9 times within 3 months is limited to one: " A women, A gun and a Noodle shop". This is a remake of the film, "Blood Simple". That fact will not get in the way of the greatness of this film. I've never seen silence used in such a craftful matter. there are times when the quiet takes on the lead story telling point. You owe it to yourself to give this film a watch. I believe this is a true "sleeper".

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Another film that was showing in selected theaters only not where I live!!!!! Couldn't wait to get this one after seeing a brief trailer. This movie was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the whole shabang. Easy to watch, great goofy characters, comedy, fantastic landscape, wonderful cartoon costumes, sillyness, and wonders abound. Fast paced beginning a total improbable romp that is eye poping. Very hollywood, but with a Chinese sensibility.

Recommended for the "noodle dish" acrobatics as well. Made me want to chow down on those darned noodles!

Wonderful cinemaphotography whats new Zhang Yimou is an absolute master of cinemaphotography.

Go for it!

Want A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (2010) Discount?

In the opening of Yimou Zhang's "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop," a young wife of a tyrannical noodle shop owner buys a gun with three bullets from a traveling Persian merchant. Of course, she has a good reason. And perhaps she shouldn't have. A seemingly small decision she has made results in misunderstanding and strife among the characters. Some get greedy. Others make plans. All get involved in the chain of events that gets increasingly messy.

As you know, this is the acclaimed Chinese director's version of "Blood Simple." Not many directors would attempt to remake the Coen Brothers film, but Yimou Zhang thought differently. His effort "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop," it is certain, is a quite unique film. Its visuals are unforgettable, and so are the characters (at least, how they look). But sadly they are stuck in the slow-moving story. After the promising start (noodle-making scene is amazing), the film descends into sheer dullness. Things get repetitious (the methodical habits of a police officer are at first amusing, but soon become tedious).

The most impressive thing about the film is its stunning landscapes of the blue sky and the red desert. They are almost surreal. Another notable thing is that "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" sometimes looks like a stage production with colorful costumes of the characters. Actions take place in and around the noodle shop located in the middle of nowhere. The film's time is not specified. Perhaps that is not very important.

But frankly I don't know what "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" is all about. I don't know either what really made the director re-imagine the original in the first place. Like most Coen Brothers movies, this is a sort of "one-and-only" kind film, but whether you will enjoy the curious world of "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" depends on you.

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Clannad: After Story Complete Collection (2006)

First I am just a medical student, though I have taken film and media study classes I want people to know that I don't feel that I am in a position to make any grand claims and such. All the following of my review is just my opinion.

It would be impossible even given a book sized amount of text to describe the artistic and storytelling merit of this work. While I could praise this work for hours I will try to give people who are interested a quick overview. Truth be told, I am not an anime fan, in fact you can say I greatly dislike anime. I am also not a fan of love stories, romance, tragic stories, school life stories, or of Japanese works in which I had to read the English subtitles, but Clannad was all of this and it blew my mind. I have been searching my whole life for a work I could call a masterpiece and this was it. I was forced to watch this by a younger sibling and though I struggled within the first episode this work won me over. I have never seen a work so well crafted together in a combination of good storytelling; strong character development, artistic value, impressive visuals, and soul haunting music all weave together for form this beautiful masterpiece. It was because of Clannad that I was interested in what define "masterpiece", before Clannad I have seen the pinnacles of each medium (Citizen Kane, Watchmen, Ulysses, Hamlet, etc.) and I must say that Clannad part of that list.

Clannad was based off a Japanese visual novel (a medium we do not have here in America) and since it's visual novel release have been ranked as one of the greatest visual novels of all time, influencing many others, and has been called the Citizen Kane and Watchmen of visual novels for how it changed that medium from dating sims to psychological, mind bending, emotional stories. In the visual novel medium, there is an advantage to storytelling that other mediums don't have, the main one would be the amount of time and text length needed to tell the story. This allows the reader to interact and growth with the characters all them to become more emotionally attached when something happens to one of these characters. In fact the word count for the Clannad visual novel surpasses War and Peace, Atlas Shrugged, and Les Miserables combined. This translate well into an animated series (Clannad and Clannad: After Story) that in its own right may be the Citizen Kane of the whole animation medium. Thing done in the anime has exceeded what was expected of this medium, and for me personally this was the first time I ever saw what I could consider "true" emotions seen on film. When ever I watch a live action movie, no matter how much I feel for the characters in the end I still seem like actors acting. I never thought I would see animated characters portray emotions better than live actors until I show EP18 of Clannad: After Story, the combination of visuals and music as well as dialogue created such a heart moving scene; this surpassed anything I have ever seen in any story in any medium, even the original visual novel.

And while that this point you may think I am crazy or a die hard fan, I still don't like anime and don't consider myself a fan of Clannad, but regardless this does not mean I can't express my opinion on the artistic merit Clannad achieves. And I have not even gotten the music, all the music from the original soundtrack of the visual novel, was composed by the writer of the story and is one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever composed that touches hearts and emotions at the right moment. Every song is cued at the right time and recurring songs (like the Dango song that is Nagisa's theme song) create a feeling of happiness and nostalgia in the viewer. (Once tried to write a paper on the music of Clannad for a media class describing the beauty of the music and how it signals certain emotions at certain scenes. I got to 50 pages before I gave up knowing it would be impossible.)

While I do like Clannad it is far from perfect. There are many side stories and little things that may throw off viewers, but this still does not take away from this masterpiece. If the Mona Lisa had one tree in the background that was off it still does not change its artistic value. Same as Clannad. My only worries are that most people will be turned off by Clannad since it is an anime and such. But trust me and take the same challenge I give to my friends, if you watch from Clannad (Season 1) to Clannad: After Story (Season 2) Episode 18 and you can admit that you don't feel a thing, then that's fine, but most who do this admitted they cried and these are my military school friends in the Army and Marines who never admit they cried. This is a beautiful work and while I have seen shows and film that were tearjerkers for me these films always seemed to force the viewer in to a position where they had to cry, for Clannad this is real and you really feel it, emotions are not forced.

While in most tragic/tearjerker stories they bring you emotionally to a point so low that at most you will get a bittersweet ending with a hole in your heart. Clannad broke this trend and is the only fictional work I know that can take you to the lowest points of your soul to a happy ending. What amazes me the most for this "love story" is during the whole two seasons the main lovers do not even kiss once (not much less a sex scene which most love stories now a day think is needed). But even without a single kiss the hug they give each other at the very end was so touching and powerful it takes you from the depressing scene prior that made you cry your heart out and makes you want to stand and cheer for the beauty of this story and the happy ending they rightfully deserve. That one hug makes Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, and Titanic look like nothing.

This is truly an unrecognized masterpiece and I think as important to the storytelling media as much as Ulysses, Citizen Kane, and Watchmen were. This is highly recommended. And please don't go into watching this with high expectations just because of what I said, watch it normally and see for yourself. I understand that this may not be for some people and some will not like it though from talking to others it appeared that those who did not like Clannad never went through a tragic experience. It was only good for me because one of my close family members passed away a few years before I saw Clannad and I may have had a different impression if I did not go through that event. Though I think everyone could find something in this story for them to relate to. This is not just a romance, psychological, or tearjerking story, it also has comedy, and probably the only work I seen that have combine and done things that would otherwise never work into a masterpiece that does.

One blogger once posted a quick review of Clannad saying that "Clannad is the greatest story ever across all genres and media" and I have to agree.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I love this show. The characters are great, the stories are fantastic and it's just a wonderful show.

Having said that, the box sucks. This is the first anime DVD I've bought, so I don't know if this is common place, but the set comes with four discs that are just stacked on top of each other like I bought a hundred blank dvds. Usually when I get a DVD box set, the individual disks are in a sort of book where you can flip through and pick out an individual disk. I guess doing this saves space, but that's something else about the box that doesn't make sense. The disks take up a little more than half of the total interior of the box and the rest is filled with a white foam sheet. I want to take it out because it looks incredibly ghetto, but I'm afraid that if I do, the disks will fall out and get scratched in the box.

The actual disks are nice. This version includes the Japanese and English dubs as well as English subtitles. And the best part is, the signs are actually subtitled! I watched the original Clannad on Netflix, and I loved the show, but none of the Japanese text was translated. Usually it wasn't too hard to figure out what was going on, but occasionally an episode would end with a shot of a bulletin or some words on a chalkboard and anyone who doesn't speak Japanese is completely lost(and a few who might speak Japanese as well. I've taken Japanese for two years, and I was still struggling to read all of the signs).

Buy Clannad: After Story Complete Collection (2006) Now

Clannad and Clannad: After Story are two of my favorite anime's. Clannad: After Story picks up where Clannad left off, with Tomoya and Nagisa in a relationship. The story follows the ups and downs of their relationship, from bouts of Nagisa's sickness to Tomoya's struggles with his father and not wanting to be like him and wanting to take care of Nagisa. The pacing of the show is excellent and it never gets boring, it can go from hilarious hijinks (Nagisa's parents) to really tragic moments that make you feel for the characters and what they are going through. I cant remember a recent anime that actually made me care for the characters, it can be a real tear-jerker sometimes. Moving on from the story this anime also has some of the best animation you will find, its very crisp and clean. As for the audio department, the English dubs aren't bad but you lose some of the innuendo's and subtlety's of the Japanese audio track, as with most dubs in my opinion. I recommend using the Japanese audio with English subs. All in all if you like funny anime with a dose of drama and romance do yourself a favor and pick this up, you wont be disapointed!

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Clannad: After Story follows Clannad and is as good as its predecessor.

It is the continuation of one of the best romance anime series out there and explores relationships more deeply than the first series. It can certainly be a tear jerker so keep some tissues handy but it is a wonderful story with many uplifting and entertaining moments as well. It was moving and powerful. It is not as fast-paced as Clannad but instead focuses more on the relationships between the central characters and their lives together after the first series. It is different than Clannad but it is just as good and if you liked Clannad you will enjoy this series as well.

For me personally listening with Japanese audio and English subtitles feels "right" (versus English dubbed) but to each his/her own. Once again I applaud the team who created this series. An excellent piece of work.

Want Clannad: After Story Complete Collection (2006) Discount?

Clannad After Story starts off where Sentai Filmworks Clannad ends. Clannad is Sentai Filmworks best ever anime in my opinion, Made by Kyoto Animation just like Kanon and Air TV. I love most animes made by Kyoto Animation, if you like drama animes you would to.

25 episodes on four disks, Widescreen 16:9, Rated 13+ so just about anyone can enjoy this anime.

Special Features: Clean Opening Animation, Clean Closing Animation, Commentary with David Matranga (Tomoya) and Luci Christian (Nagisa).

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

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Piranha (2010)

Welcome to Spring Break at Lake Victoria! This year the college students have alot more to worry about than hangovers or STDs. A massive underwater earthquake opens up a mysterious chasm, releasing an ancient swarm of psychotic little fish. These little buggers are super hungry.

Let me just say that hot naked chicks make great fish food. This movie has a ridiculous amount of nudity and the most immaculate gore you'll likey ever see in 3-D! Seriously, these piranha can chomp through human flesh like a lawnmower through grass. Any appendages dipping into the water get instantly devoured down to the bone. Everywhere you look there are chunks of bloody arms, mangled legs, or human carcasses floating around. This has some gruesome effects that are great sick fun. Really it's an absurd, catastrophic mess.

To top off the awesome gore and plethora of topless women, we have a nice ensemble cast providing a good dose of comedy. Jerry O'Connell is especially hilarious as a sleazy porn director. Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) also does great. Elizabeth Shue, Ving Rhames, and several others lead the way. Eli Roth has a small role. Richard Dreyfuss even makes an appearance in a bit of a Jaws homage. Way too fun!

Director Alexandre Aja struck gold with this one. Piranha 3-D lives up to the hype and then some. It does have some minor flaws and/or cliched developments, but still it was the funnest time I've had in the theater in quite awhile. Don't miss it!

The Review:

Piranha 3D is a new film by Alexandre Aja, maker of the 2006 remake of the The Hills Have Eyes. Piranha 3D is unbelievably crude, gory and certainly not the best written film, but you know what? It's also a lot of fun. It's probably a better B movie than Quentin Tarantino's and Robert Rodriguez's Grind House (Death Proof and Planet Terror) of a few years ago.

Piranha 3D takes place over spring break in a picturesque lake town (the film was shot entirely on location in Lake Havisu). Inexplicably an underwater earth quake tears open a rift beneath the lake, revealing a deeper underwater lake (yes, that's probably redundant), which is home to prehistoric piranhas that have survived for millions of years. This setup is appropriately preposterous and we the viewers know the type of movie we're in for when the effect of the underwater quake creates a funnel that looks suspiciously like a toilet flushing. It's a super campy opening sequence that sets the tone for the rest of the film. What passes for the plot is hardly worth summarizing. Suffice it to say this unfortunate infestation by prehistoric pygocentrus nattereri is occurring when thousands of kids descend on the town for spring break. What follows is a series of gory dismemberments and naked frolics--in 3D!

Piranha 3D is a self aware send-up of the gore fests of the 70s and 80s like Jaws and the original Piranha. The stars are clearly having a lot fun with it, especially Jerry O'Connell as soft core porn producer, Derrick Jones, a send up of Girls Gone Wild impresario, Robert Francis, which is a nice segue way into the fact that this movie is a hard R. The fact that this wasn't NC-17 demonstrates the utter ridiculousness of the movie ratings system. Free Willy, this is not. There's as much T&A and probably more frontal nudity than one might see in Girls Gone Wild (alas I've never had the pleasure of seeing any of Mr. Francis' direct to DVD masterpieces). There's an underwater naked ballet featuring Kelly Brook and Riley Steele that goes on for damn near 5 minutes. It's awkward, but hilarious because of it, especially when you realize that they've been underwater long enough to have drowned halfway through the sequence.

Then there is the gore. "Over the top" does not even begin to describe it. Unlike movies like Hostel, which have been described as torture porn, Piranha 3D is so gory and self aware that its portrayal of aquatic violence is comedic. When I saw this movie opening night the audience laughed a lot in a good way. The 3D effects merely accentuated the film's crude humor and its ubiquitous gore. One of the members of the cast meets a particularly ignoble end in what is probably a 3D first, which I won't spoil for you here.

All in all, Piranha 3D is a rousing success at recreating a B-movie. The 3D is surprisingly well done and greatly adds to the over the top feel of the film. This is, however, not great cinema, but that's not the point. See this movie with people that appreciate schlocky horror movies and who have a good sense of humor. Don't see it with your parents and for heaven's sake don't take little children to see it. It is offensive, and it is crude and it is a lot of fun when viewed for what it is, which is a campy send up of the genre.

FTC Advisory: I purchased my own tickets.

Buy Piranha (2010) Now

Piranha 3D is a remake of the 1978 original film Piranha which was itself a parody of the classic film Jaws. The film was made by French producer Alexandre Aja best known for his remake of The Hills Have Eyes. You might be asking yourself: now why would Piranhas come out of seemingly nowhere and kill people? The storyline provides the answer: 1) There is a lake under a lake in which Piranhas have survived by eating their own kind in order to survive in this prehistoric lake and when an earthquake hits the Piranhas break loose 2) This is a "horror" movie (I'd say it's more of a horror-comedy), it doesn't have to actually make sense in order to enjoy. This is a remake of a movie that was really a parody of Jaws, let's put it that way.

I'd say a fun aspect of the film is how it's not that well-written but it makes for a fun B movie. One advantage the movie has is acting, except some characters that were rather goofy the acting in Piranha 3D is pretty good considering how this is a horror movie. The main characters especially were portrayed by good actors in which we actually do see a development to the point that we do care if they survive. The humor of the movie is similar to that of teen aimed movies such as American Pie and Sex Drive, not necessarily a bad thing unless you would consider that sort of humor juvenile. For instance about the humor, watching a penis eaten by piranhas with the 3D effect can only be funny or tasteless, you decide! Now the 3D effect worked very well to a certain degree I'm not sure how well it worked because I have not seen much 3D movies as of yet. Yet there were some pretty good effects and some good thrills resulted out of it. The Piranhas looked amazing and the death scenes (of which there are many) were done in an excellent gory way and looked like an actual death suffered due to Piranhas, it was convincing and not over-exaggerated like you might think it would be. A low point would be the ending as it's a big thrill but ends perhaps too suddenly and surprisingly (maybe a Piranha 3D 3 is in the works? Yes Dimension Films has announced that due to the success earned on the opening weekend by grossing over 10 millions there will be a sequel).

Was I disappointed with Piranha? Not really as I knew what to expect (even though some things were unexpected) and knew what kind of movie I was going into. Should you expect high quality from this movie? The answer is no but you should expect to have some fun watching it, especially with friends. Who would I recommend Piranha 3D to? To those who are looking for a fun mindless movie on a boring night, it's entertaining to say the least. One thing is sure if you think the movie misses the target it achieved (whatever it is) it misses in an amusing way. 3 stars out of 5, flawed but fun in the way that you enjoy a good B movie.

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Back when James Cameron's "Avatar" was released, there was a lot of talk about the future of 3-D movies about how much better the process had become with high definition cameras, about how they didn't simply throw things at the screen but actually immersed you in another world. In March of 2009, Josh Quittner of "Time" published an article about the 3-D revolution, particularly in relation to "Avatar," which had yet to be released. After seeing some finished footage, he concluded that the work was so absorbing and detailed that he awoke the following morning with the peculiar sensation of wanting to return to Pandora, as if it were real. "Cameron wasn't surprised," he wrote. "One theory, he says, is that 3-D viewing `is so close to a real experience that it actually triggers memory creation in a way that 2-D viewing doesn't.' His own theory is that stereoscopic viewing uses more neurons."

Given what was said at the time, what would Quittner say now about movies like "Piranha 3-D," a remake of Joe Dante's 1978 film? Hell, what would Cameron say, given that 1981's "Piranha II: The Spawning" was his directorial debut? Would there be any mention of triggering memory creations or neurons or wanting to return to anything? I have my doubts. They might, however, have a thing or two to say about a shot late in the film of two piranhas fighting over a severed penis, the victor eventually spitting out the half-eaten remains directly at the screen. The audience I sat with had plenty to say, although not in words so much as in loud outbursts of disgust and laughter; I clearly heard a guy a few rows behind me say, "Dude, ugh, dude!" This is the future of 3-D, folks. Cameron and Quittner should be proud.

I'm going out on a limb here, but "Piranha 3-D" is about as good as a film called "Piranha 3-D" can possibly be. It's a no-holds-barred celebration of campy horror bloody, brainless, and bawdy. It cheerfully assaults the senses and spits in the face of decency, not merely with scene after scene of relentless gore, but also with its exploitation of female anatomy, specifically breasts. Oh boy, but there are a lot of breasts in this movie, aided in no small part by real life adult actress Riley Steele and "Playboy" model Kelly Brooke. Director Alexandre Aja might as well have called it "Piranhas and Boobs 3-D."

Now that I have your attention, shall we get to the plot? In the sleepy little town of Lake Victoria, seismic activity ruptures the lakebed and unleashes thousands of carnivorous prehistoric piranhas from an underwater chasm. They swim to the shores of Lake Victoria, where hordes of loud, drunken, horny teenage tourists are in the thick of Spring Break tomfoolery. The local sheriff, Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue), and her deputy, Fallon (Ving Rhames), try to solve the mystery of how a half-eaten body washed up on shore; they join forces with a specially trained underwater research team, and as you can probably guess, the divers will not like what they find when they reach the chasm. Meanwhile, Julie's teenage son, Jake (Steven R. McQueen), is drawn into the world of Derrick Jones (Jerry O'Connell), a sleazoid Joe Francis parody filming his newest porn movie on a boat.

Julie manages to bring a live piranha to Mr. Goodman (Christopher Lloyd), the eccentric fish store owner and convenient piranha expert. This particular species, he claims, was supposed to have gone extinct millions of years ago; apparently, the ones that escaped the chasm kept themselves alive by feeding on themselves. Okay, I'll give him that one; we know that cannibalistic species can successfully procreate. But what about the fact that they have emerged from complete darkness and extreme pressure, meaning they would not be able to adapt to the light or to the shallow waters, meaning they wouldn't be able to reach the human flesh they so hunger for? Evolution has taught us that, in all likelihood, these fish wouldn't even have eyes.

But what a minute. Why am I applying logic to this film? It's not about scientific accuracy. It's about people being eaten alive. It's about severed limbs floating in the water. It's about moments of blood-soaked absurdity, like when a girl gets her hair caught in the propeller blades of a boat, pulling her scalp and face clean off her skull. It's about naked girls repeatedly shaking their chests. I wish it wasn't about severed penises and the fish that enjoy eating them, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad. I can't bring myself to say that "Piranha 3-D" is a good film, but it certainly achieves exactly what it wanted to achieve. You will laugh. You will scream. You will cringe. Assuming you're a straight male, you will be aroused for much of the time. It's sordid fun. All the same, I can't help but wonder if James Cameron, who revolutionized the 3-D experience, isn't somewhere right now sulking in shame.

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If you see this movie with the right crowd, you'll probably leave the theater thinking you've just witnessed the best thing ever put to film. If you pay $8.00 to view something called Piranha 3-D, I'm sure you know better than to expect anything more than a cheesy horror delight. This takes Snakes on a Plane to a whole new level. There is no getting around the fact that Piranha 3-D delivers everything you could possibly want in a carnivorous fish movie. Way more so than the late 70's original is a understatement. In a little under 90 minutes you get huge doses of nudity and some extremely sick and well done gore effects. The story is as simple as an earthquake waking up thousands of piranhas who have been feeding off each other in an underwater cavern for millions of years. They swim up through the crack in the earth and find themselves in the middle of spring break. Whoa, deep huh? To be fair, the acting is way better than what you would expect. The main kid wasn't annoying and Jerry O'Connell turned in a crazy performance, while Elisabeth Shue, Ving Rhames, and Adam Scott made the silliness believable by at least trying to act serious. Did I mention there are fun cameos by both Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd? Dreyfuss even sings "Show Me the Way to Go Home" from Jaws and seems to be wearing the same outfit.

The CGI fish looked good and the use of pratical make-up FX really did this film wonders. The carnage during the main attack has to be seen to be believed. The director, Alexandre Aja, says there are around 6 minutes or so that were cut to get this an R rating. I will be looking forward to the Director's Cut on Blu-ray.

This is the first 3-D film that I've seen done after the fact (I know it was shot with the format in mind) that manages to look okay. You don't really feel the depth of being in the movie like with Avatar and How to Train Your Dragon. It mostly relies on vomit, ugly fish, or body parts flying at you, but it didn't hurt my eyes or look too blurry.

I'm really surprised that most critics are taking a liking to it, but I guess even they can't resist pretty girls being torn to pieces by B movie creatures. Either that or they just enjoyed the decapitation of Eli Roth.

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To Die For (1995)

If you would like to see a really great performance by Nicole Kidman, pick up a copy of "To Die For" at your local video store. Directed by Gus Van Sant, screenplay by Buck Henry from the book by Joyce Maynard (both Henry and Maynard have bit parts in the film), "To Die For" is a wicked little gem of a film.

Kidman won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress for her performance, and frankly I thought she should have gotten the Academy Award (unless I remember incorrectly, I don't think she was even nominated for an Academy Award for it). But she is absolutely brilliant in it: chilling, funny, scary, sexy, and horrifically evil.

Kidman portrays Suzanne Stone-Maretto: a devious, calculating, self-centered woman who manipulates Larry Maretto (a very sympathetic performance by Matt Dillon) into marrying her, quickly tires of him when he tries to stand in her way of her greatest ambition in life, which is to be the next Diane Sawyer, and soon convinces her teenage lover to kill him for her. Sound familiar? "To Die For" was loosely based on the real-life story of Pamela Smart, who seduced her 15-year old lover into murdering her husband.

Joaquin Phoenix is Jimmy Emmett, the hapless student who becomes Suzanne's lover; Lydia Mertz is Alison Follard, a young girl who idolizes her; and Casey Affleck is Russel Hines, another student who gets caught up in the scheme. Illeana Douglas is great as Larry's acidic, loving sister Janice, who also gets one of the best lines in the film, and at the very beginning, no less; and Dan Hedaya is Larry's father, Joe Maretto. Dan Hedaya is a master of the "Believe me, you don't want to see me mad" performance, with obvious menace just under a calm surface. The casting is great, and the performances are all right on target.

Look for uncredited cameos by George Segal as a conference speaker, and David Cronenberg as...you'll just have to go see it.

Nothing like a little dark humor and feminine fangs to make a mash of the culture driven by 15-minutes-of-fame. In this case, a riveting Nicole Kidman as a perky, self-obsessed suburban nutcase who has big dreams of finding fame and fortune, even at the expense of her husband.

Directed by Gus Van Sant in his usual cobbled-together manner (hoary, quasi-documentary devices to propel the screenplay, regular flashbacks, direct-to-the-camera diction, etc..) based on Buck Henry's trippy adaptation of a novel by the same name. The result is a pleasantly watchable movie that moves quickly and keeps you guessing the limits to which our protagonist would limp to achieve her ambitious goals.

I felt that the premise, beyond its chirpy surface, is quite thought-provoking. If our perky weather reporter were to be successful in her quest then we could believe that total dedication to a quest is admirable and ultimately rewarded -regardless of the means employed. Can we condone murder though? Perhaps we are offered a tongue-in-cheek hyperbole that extremes are necessary if we are to escape our station in life.

This movie apart from amusing you will surely leave you with something to savor, not just off its theme but from the brilliant supporting performances of Casey Affleck, Matt Dillon and especially Joaquin Phoenix.

Recommended rental.

Buy To Die For (1995) Now

To Die For is an excellent, detailed portrait of a female narcissist. This movie is no comedy. If you ever have the great misfortune of tangling with one of these psychopaths, trust me, you WONT be laughing.

Nicole Kidman plays Suzanne Stone, the girl who grows up as the center of her family's never-ending attention, the Golden Child Who Can Do No Wrong. As life goes on, Suzanne hones her manipulation skills, and marries Larry (played by Matt Dillon), who reflects back to Suzanne the image of herself that she wants to believe and see. Perfect!

That is, until Larry demands that the marriage include him. In bed one morning soon after being wed, Larry wants to make love with Suzanne. She icily shoves his hand away saying "get your hands off me." She has to get ready for work, to "fix my face" for the world. It's performance time, and Suzanne is always on. Larry just doesn't get it. Their life is about HER, not them. When Larry broaches the topics of having children and her helping him out in the family restaurant business, Suzanne decides he has to go. This girl has global aspirations. She won't be marginalized with motherhood and a family business!

When Suzanne lands a job at a community TV station, she turns a small job fetching coffee and running errands into her role as the weather girl reporting from "The Weather Center." She soon executes one of her many grandiose schemes: making a documentary about high school teenagers in their natural habitat. Enter Joaquin Phoenix's character Jimmy Emmet, an introspective but deeply lost teenager who falls hard for Suzanne. She soon sexually manipulates Jimmy into doing her bidding, with promises of eternal love and "then we can always be together." Her blinding charisma engulfs Jimmy and friends Russel and Lydia, and of course she heartlessly kicks them all to the curb the instant she achieves her goal.

If you know anything about narcissism, you'll see all the high points in To Die For: grandiosity, complete disregard for the feelings of others, ice-cold manipulation, and lightning-fast betrayal once the narcissist has achieved her goal. You're seeing how a psychopath operates. If only the narcissists of the world found the same fate as Suzanne Stone. I strongly recommend To Die For.

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If you like your humor smart, wicked, ironic, and served on a silver platter, this one's for you. Buck Henry wrote the screenplay, which should say plenty about the level of intelligence and sly wit at work here. Nicole Kidman gives the performance of a career as a woman who looks, acts, and dresses like a Barbie doll come to life. She has completely bought into the myth that, frankly, we all believe to one extent or another. That is, being on tv is a good thing and validates a person, makes that person more real than real. Her obsession to be a tv celebrity is like a narcotic for her.

Suzanne Stone lives in a fantasy land, imagining that her role as the weather lady on a local cable access tv station will somehow be a springboard for Babwa Wawa type notoriety. Watching her voracious, yet somehow sadly innocent, ambition is both funny and horrifying. Kidman plays it perfectly, never winking at the camera. The story, though based on actual events, is little more than a vehicle for many wonderful performances. Her husband, played with real comic skill by Matt Dillon, has to go, he's just in the way. The stoner, semi-goth high school students she enlists for the hit, including Joaquin Phoenix, are charmed and subservient, amazed that a celebrity would pay attention to them. (As we would be if Oprah asked us to wax her car, which we probably would, because we also believe that being on tv is a good and important thing.)

Other inspired performances include George Segal in a splendidly cynical cameo, succinctly summarizing tv business reality. Dan Hedaya, who must get his 5:00 shadow somewhere around 9:47 a.m., is just right as the guy who settles the score. But the real sleeper is Illeana Douglas, narrator and Ms. Stone's sister-in-law. She smells a rat long before anyone else, and her wise-acre sarcastic delivery is terrific, especially as she gracefully skates over the evidence. That's cold!

Van Sant is a very interesting director. Drugstore Cowboy was as fascinating as it was disturbing. Elephant offered an amazing look at Columbine through the other end of the lens. Finding Forrester, a tad trite and commercial, did have heart. Good Will Hunting, yikes, what did we do to deserve the twin monsters it loosed upon the landscape? Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, one of the best books ever becomes one of worst movies ever. My Own Private Idaho. This movie, featuring an unnerving performance by the late River Phoenix, was chilling, haunting, beautiful, and absolutely brilliant. Van Sant is certainly capable of greatness, and Kidman is also. In To Die For they are both at their absolute best.

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Nicole Kidman plays the perfect psychopath in TO DIE FOR. The psychopath is the one area of psychology that no one has a cure for. Psychopaths lack moral impulse. They not only don't have the vaguest idea of what right and wrong mean, but they also don't understand why other people can get all exercised about violations of right and wrong. Kidman in the movie doesn't murder because it's calculated and she can get away with it; she doesn't even think that far ahead. And that's what makes acting a role like this so blamed difficult. Kidman pulls it off in what I regard as one of the two greatest bravura female acting performances in the past quarter century. (The other is Kate Nelligan in the 1981 movie, EYE OF THE NEEDLE.) If only the screenplay were up to Kidman's level, it would shake five stars out of me. There's a little too much fussing about with the teenagers, and some scenes last too long. A good editing job could have trimmed ten or fifteen minutes out of this movie and made it one of Hollywood's all=time best. But, given what we have, if you watch it only for Kidman's incredible, incredible performance, you'll get a lot more than your money's worth.

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This Is 40 (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2012)

My two daughters and I saw this movie in the theatre. It was so very true to real life and that is probably what made it so funny! A "must see" movie!!!

Those much younger (maybe in 20's?) probably wouldn't think it as funny, but still good comedy.

This was a cute little movie with quite a few memorable scenes. I was concerned about renting the movie because of other reviews but I'm glad we rented it for date night because it had us both laughing and talking. Give it a try.

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I laughed the entire movie ... Being 39 I can relate to the movie and family dynamic! My husband actually watched the entire movie without falling asleep. People read into the movie .. It's just a funny movie ! If it makes me laugh I'm happy :0)

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The director does a great job of capturing the hilarity of the mundane throughout this film. The always-present struggle with the fragility of life, of death, of how quickly life moves (particularly observable for adults with children, who serve as permanent bench marks of age) is part of the comedy of This Is 40.

We laughed. A lot.

My wife and I related to the scenes. There's a Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus element at work in the film, where husband and wife communication just looks downright laughable at times.

I'm not sure the movie resolves in clear way, and this was the part of the movie I failed to get the most. Most Rom-Com's have a problem/resolution element, and though there was a resolved problem, it wasn't clear exactly what that was all about.

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I was expecting to laugh out loud all through this movie, but many times I felt sorry for the characters and couldn't believe how disrespectful and hateful the children were. Definitely not the way I see my 40s as being.

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