Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (Unrated and Uncut) (2006)

Talladega Nights is a very, very funny movie that spoofs Nascar without actually making fun of it and its fans. In fact, this movie can actually appeal to people who don't even care for Nascar.

Will Ferrel teamed back up with Adam McKay (the duo who produced/made the great Anchorman) to make this story that plays a lot like if Days of Thunder had been approached as a comedy instead of a dead serious (and unintentionally funny) film.

While other people are focusing on the film itself, I would like to focus on the this whole mess of the PG-13 theatrical cut being released in wide and full screen along with (what is unfortunately a common practice) a "UNRATED/UNCUT" versions that boasts "13 additional minutes of footage".

Now, for one thing, the theatrical cut was 108 minutes and actually could have used some more tightening. This is a 100 minute movie at most. I don't have a problem with people putting footage back into a DVD version of a movie if it's stuff that belongs and actually makes the movie better.

This is a case, in which it doesn't. The additional 13 minutes cause some scenes that were funny in the theatrical cut to drag on until they're at an interminable length in some cases. The added footage actually dilutes the humor in places.

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But the alarming thing about this so called "UNCUT" version is that the movie actually ELIMINATES A FEW MEMORABLE SCENES THAT WERE PRESENT IN THE THEATRICAL CUT. The scene in which a young Ricky steals his mom's car while she's in a convenience store is gone, which totally destroys the whole part in which Ricky volunteers to drive his team's car by saying "I wanna to go fast".

Also, the scene in which Ricky calls Lucious at Lucios' car wash to tell him he's racing again at Talladega is gone as well. This scene showed just what Lucious and his pit crew had been up to during Ricky's hiatus from racing.

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If they had left everything in the theatrical cut and just added footage, I maybe could have lived with it. But the fact that they cut footage out is a travesty and false advertising to people who loved the movie in theaters.

Most of the added footage just grinds the movie to a halt and like I mentioned before, as funny as the movie is, it was still about 8 minutes too long even in the theatrical cut.

There are very few cases in which I feel that an extended version of a movie was superior (lord of the rings trilogy, 40 year old virgin) and in most cases it's just a case of DVD producers putting out an early cut or something of a movie that was tweaked after the fact during test screenings. This is how the unrated cut of Talladega Nights comes across.

So, if you loved the movie in theaters, just stick with the PG-13 theatrical widescreen cut. If you haven't seen the movie before, I would see this cut first before testing out the unrated cut. Many will share the same opinion that I have about this.

I'm really sick of pointless "unrated" cuts coming out that just shoe horn back in footage that was taken out for a good reason to begin with.

Before you buy this DVD you must know this is not the movie you saw in the theatre. The cover art says uncut, that is a boldface lie. One of the funniest scenes in the movie, when young Ricky drives his mother's car has been deleted. It is not in the deleted scenes, it has been removed as if it never existed.

Other scenes have been altered to add material that was rightfully let out of the theatrical release. The new material is not funny, and ruins the pace of the original. I was very disappointed that Sony would offer this mishappen DVD as the original movie. A great cry of protest should ring out to the studios letting them know that alteration of a product for DVD release is not acceptable.

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Everybody in my theater was cracking up throughout the entire movie. This is my favorite Will Ferrell movie by far. He really nails the part and doesn't abuse his comic gifts. John C. Reilly as his best bud, Gary Cole as his wacky father, and the french rival, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, are great as well. I really haven't had this much fun watching a comedy at the theater in a long time, there are just so many lines that are destined to become classic. I will be adding this one to my DVD collection for sure.

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I can see why this film did not do particularly well in America's megaplexes. While it's no "Team America: World Police" in its slams on America's society and sense of itself (or the profanity), there's more than enough pointed observation and mockery of our American lives in here to turn off all the American moviegoers who loved "Anchorman" so much. Me, I thought it was hilarious.

What better guy to be a racing bad guy than a Frenchman? These days the French are almost a default enemy, a generic sort of oppositional bad guy, not nearly as bad as, you know, The Terrorists, but still someone Fox News and Rush and O'Reilly and all of us can easily get behind and hate together, as Americans. Yeah, in their first meeting and his very first scene Sacha Baron Cohen's brilliant Jean Gerard breaks Ricky's arm, but it comes down to a matter of manly pride and promise, and not out of malice; and Ricky started the fight (America, get it?). Gerard comes off as fey and ridiculous (Cohen is so damn good), but he's also portrayed as worldly, sophisticated, learned, introspective, even noble. His ultimate secret is that he's been looking for a champion for years, for someone to beat him so he can be free of racing and move on to his true life's pursuits. Does anyone else see the legendary Lancelot in this portrayal? Hell, we've even got one of the film's characters talking of King Arthur and his betrayal by Guinevere, right around the time of Ricky's fall.

And those wonderfully funny shots at Middle America, right from the start. I mean, the wonderful Bobby family mealtime is Domino's, KFC and Taco Bell and 2-liter bottles of Coke on the table. And that's what they eat every night, with a ridiculous grace involving alternate visual incarnations of Jesus and thanks for the wife's wonderful hoo-hahs, and culminates with a nice family fight. And the two boys are foul-mouthed, attitude-barking little hellions who need a slap in the face (thankfully they get it, but they're still mighty funny). The big family celebrations take place at Applebee's. Ricky and Cal bond over the phone watching inane cable television. Yeah, that's America today, buddy. it's all over this film.

The product placement, of course, is mind-blowing, absolutely numbing. But what do you expect, given the subject?

Loved Andy Richter as Gerard's husband, Gregory. He should've had more screen time, but I can see where the homosexual marriage bit didn't test too well for Amercian release. Also loved the cameos of Elvis Costello and Mos Def, really very strange and funny.

This "unrated" edition doesn't really give you that much extra. There is only one instance of R-rated language in the entire film, and there's no nudity. The only violence is Gerard's breaking of Bobby's arm, which could be considered to be relatively graphic, but at the same time it's pretty hokey. Even the special features and extras don't deliver on what most will want out of "unrated" content--it's all PG-13 clean.

The special features aren't really that great. As in the greatest of Southern-fried Burt Reynolds car films, the end titles roll over some pretty good gags. But, hey, there's a gag reel, too, but it's over in about six minutes, pitifully short given the huge amount of improvisation that obviously went into a number of scenes. The extended and deleted scenes were plentiful enough, and I could see why they were deleted; most of them weren't that funny.

Bottom line: This film is the simple, trite tale of the rapid rise and rapid fall, with the expected redemption and happily ever after resolution, set in Modern NASCAR. There's plenty comedy to keep most folks laughin'. This film is no indictment of NASCAR; if anything, it's an extended commercial. But if you're smarter than the average bear and look beyond the mere slapstick, then you'll see some relatively well-developed satire about Our America, what makes us tick, how we think, and how we view The Other.

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I like the movie, don't get me wrongrented the uncut. Actually scenes were cut out of the version i remember seeing in the theater. Example.. When rickey is a small child and drives his mothers car. Not in the uncut.

I noticed 2 scenes which were possibly additional. Rickey bobby delivering pizzas on a bus and talking to another passanger. Secondly before his nascar says "ME" on it, its advertising for male thongs. Thats itJust buy the regular version. The deleted/extended scenes are 60% of the outtakes during the credits (various spinoffs of when Rickey was in the hospital) and an extended scene of when Rickey comes home and Cal married his wife.

Just don't expect anything great on the uncut version... i do not think the uncut-ness would even make the movie approach an R rating.

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If You Are the One (Import) (2009)

If you are looking for a Hong Kong or Hollywood romantic comedy do not buy this movie. This is a modern Chinese romantic comedy in the manner of Big Shot's Funeral also by Feng Xiaogang and his favorite male lead, Ge You. Xiaogang uses outrageous premises that are put into motion in modern China's reality. The roles of the women Xiaogang puts opposite Ge You are excellent especially if you have seen them in their other bodies of work. Let me just say the segments of dating are delightfully humorous in the pursuit of a non-perfect mate for our "hero".

The dating segments build up what the story is about, finding love with the right person in a country where there are too many choices. Instead of him finding love he accepts a bargain to settle for someone he rejected. She has realized that she can never have the person that she loves but knows that life is not complete without a companion.

To start out their new life together they must go to Hokaido, Japan so she can end the old relationship and start their life together. There is excellent Chinese humor while they are in Japan (you will laugh when he becomes a loyal Yakuza) as we learn his reluctances and it is very serious as we her reluctances. You might even think it is going to be a Chinese tragedy but it does end up in a Chinese way as a romantic comedy. Some parents may not want to share this film with their children as some of the conversation are frank and there is one extremely short shot of nudity from behind (so beautifully shot, set and choreographed that it is not gratuitous).

If you want a sappy, happy-go-lucky romantic comedy skip this movie. If you want a serious yet funny movie about love then do not skip this movie, it is the one.

Chinese film "If You Are the One" is a romantic comedy, and a unique one at that. The story is about a forty-something single male Qin Fen (Ge You) looking for his future wife on the internet. One interesting thing about the mild-mannered guy (and very wealthy because of his strange "invention") is that he is a very honest person. Qin Fen says he is not handsome; he is not looking for someone like Angelina Jolie. He is just an ordinary man who wants to settle down.

Some of his blind dates turn out to be very unique. One beautiful woman tries to sell something unexpected to him; another is a pregnant girl who wants him to be her baby's father; even a male shows up. During his unsuccessful effort to get married, Qin Fen meets a beautiful flight attendant Smiley (Qi Shu, "The Transporter"). He at first passes up a chance to date her, but later a strange twist of fate bring them back together, and Smiley, with a little secret of her own, agrees to marry him only on one condition, a condition that few males would feel comfortable with.

The romantic comedy is directed by Xiaogang Feng ("Assembly" "Legend of the Black Scorpion"), a renowned director with a string of box office hits in mainland China, and by watching his "If You Are the One," you know why he has been successful. Shot against the backdrop of modern lifestyles of China, the film closely follows the story of two characters you can relate to, played by the talented cast. The story itself is nothing new, even slow-moving to some, but occasional humor (often clever references to modern Chinese society) and the director's authentic touch given to the characters make the entire film believable.

Unanimously well-acted, the film also greatly benefits from the breathtakingly beautiful landscape of Hokkaido, northern island of Japan. One huge disappointment for me is the film's wrap-up part that I think is a bit shorter than it should be, and the role of Vivian Hsu that is smaller than I expected. Still the romantic comedy is worth watching, entertaining, humorous and life-affirming.

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This is the highest grossing film of all time in China. Hard to believe, as it's not really a remarkable film, except for Shu Qi, she's remarkable. When she asks her date if he believes in love at first sight he responds "I loved the first sight of you!" It's a very pleasant film. Funny, slightly quirky, it's an intimate study of two people's vulnerability, and it's thoroughly Chinese. I'm sure some of the humor was lost on me due to the fact I don't speak Mandarin! And Ge You's Mandarin accent is as thick as syrup. He does a great job playing a forty-something guy who's made his lot in life selling zany inventions and now has a very specific set of criteria he's looking for in a mate to settle down with. He meets Shu Qi and the two of them continue to meet, almost just to spite one another, neither believing there is anything there for the two of them. But love has an odd way of growing just my virtue of time spent together. This is a great 'date' movie.

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Once again I see a movie from China that knocks me out and I reflect on how sad it is that so few people will see this. As of today, this will be only the seventh review for a movie that has been out since 2008. On the other hand, there are probably hundreds of reviews for any of a number of retreaded, predictable, juvenile, CGI-driven, product peddling, Pixar'd, cloying, and/or disturbingly violent movies that can't hold a candle to the beauty, emotional power, and sheer loveliness of If You Are the One.

Chinese favorite You Ge and the lovely Qi Shu play the two main characters and imbue their performances with nuance, genuine chemistry, and emotion. Throughout the two hours, I was moved to guffaws of laughter as well as lip-quivering tears. Xioagang Feng's poignant contemplations on love, relationships, marriage, and heartbreak struck nerve after nerve in me.

It saddens me that what passes for wisdom in Hollywood offerings usually reflects not so much our shared global humanity but rather our peculiar self-absorbed ethos and our superficiality. There are movies that are quite good (I just saw The Descendents and it was very good), but the vast majority is the equivalent of fast food garbage that appeals to the lowest common denominator. Indeed, there might be no better reflection of the decline of our society than the low number of well made movies coming out of Hollywood. How sad that, more often than not, Pixar makes the movies that touch us emotionally.

I apologize for this rant embedded in a review, but when I see such a beautiful motion picture as this one, I think how fortunate I am to have a fiancé who is Chinese to even bring this director to my attention. I hope to pass on this rare find to you. Indeed, this is the kind of experience you want to share with your fellow citizens. Isn't that what these reviews are really about? Isn't it about offering your opinion for the benefit of your brothers and sisters so that they might share in what you experienced (or be forewarned)? Highly recommended.

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This is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Story of love and regret, and abounding with more love. Very touching.

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48 Hrs. (2013)

great chemistry between two high powered actors makes this one of the best films of the action buddy genre Nolte and Murphy are off the charts good togrther

I can only say that if I had a choice to buy this again or not, I would without hesitation! I'm glad I did this time around!

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Boat That Rocked (2009)

This is the British version of "Pirate Radio" and is formatted for Europe. I play it on my computer and it works fine. There are some big differences, making this purchase rewarding if you are a fan of "Pirate Radio". The characters are developed better in this version. Sometimes different music is used. The scene of Mariannne's second visit is staged for the night they become illegal which is highly improbable. The American cut is much better for this scene. The assistant of the Labor Party bad guy, Kenneth Brannaugh, actually boards the ship and the inference of sabotage is established. I remember in real life the suspicion that the Royal Navy planted a remote detonated mine on a radio ship. At any rate this version is very entertaining and a must for "Pirate Radio" fans. The music is great.

The Boat That Rocked AKA Pirate Radio is set in 1966. When Great Britain was only playing rock and roll 45 minutes a day. There was a group of DJ's on a ship in the North Sea that's playing rock and roll 24 hours a day. Of course their are those who want this to end at any cost. This is also a coming of age movie for early rock and roll and young love.

I have no idea why this movie has been out since 2007 and no one has seen it. It is a quite long movie, but keeps your interest to the end. This is not a no name movie. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Kennith Branagh, Talulah Riley and many more.

Pirate Radio aka The Boat that Rocked must have one of the best soundtracks since A Hard Day's Night (1964). This is one movie you should not MISS.

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Released in the US recently as Pirate Radio, the DVD and BD discs have already been released in other regions as The Boat That Rocked (UK, Oz), Good Morning England (Fr), and Radio Rock Revolution (De). When you see the number of outtakes on the DVD (45 min worth), and the love the director has for each one (by way of his introductions), you can understand why the film is long. Decisions, decisions. Some of the best stuff ended up on the cutting room floor, but its inclusion would not have moved the plot forward, he claims. (A long scene in which Rhys Ifans describes to young Carl why he returned to Radio Rock, set in a Mexican cantina, is particularly poignant.) All the disc jockeys in the film are very "real". Ralph Brown as Bob sort of reprises his role as Danny in Withnail and I. Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Count, the token American, is as irreverent as the rest. Tom Sturridge is perfect as the lost boy, a fatherless, virgin, 18-year old sent to the ship as punishment. Kenneth Branagh, as the civil servant wanting to sink the ship, is an old-school villain born many, many drinks short. But music is king here, and the tracks are sometimes chosen to reflect the names of characters in the film. Too long? Maybe, but I bet you watch each one of the outtakes once you start. Perhaps it should have been a miniseries!

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There was a period of my life during which for more than 12 years I played in rock bands, worked as a DJ in rock stations, wrote for 3 different rock magazines and a newspaper, and lost a lot of money organizing rock concerts, but man, what a gas! Were? Doesn't matter and that's another story. So this movie was more than sweet memories and like living all over again for me. Never worked in a pirate radio station though, but those days are long gone. With Internet Radio Stations, the mp3 players and music downloading, with musical magazines going virtual, with the prostitution of the music industry and the general media, it's no longer fun. I've interviewed well known bands and people in the real rock world, but now days there's nothing worth covering and few things worth playing, mostly metal. Basically, radio, as we know it, is dead and so is printed matter. Ask any radio station manager, newspaper editor and any book editor. Not everybody is thrilled with things like the iPad.

Anyway, let's get to the movie `cause if you liked this one, then you're gonna love "Almost Famous" (also with Philip Seymour Hoffman) and hell, why not, "FM", "Good Morning Nam" and even "American Graffity", the way I did. "The Boat That Rocked" (a.k.a. Pirate Radio) is a fiction movie based on real facts. That is: by 1967 there were about 20 pirate radio stations in the UK which played a Top 40 format, forgotten and probably forbidden in the Victorian norrow minded BBC. In the early 60' there were two well known pirate radio stations broadcasting from offshore ships: Radio Caroline and Radio London. The movie takes from them. There was also a government act in 1967, the "Marine Broadcasting Offences Act" ("Marine Offences Act" in the movie). It was something ridiculous then and even now, but concerning the arts and technology all governments tend to be quite illiterate. The bottom line is that even today there are over 100 pirate radio stations in the UK alone. Why? The same old story. Official radio stations live on commercials and on payola. Yes, I worked in several and I knows how it works. So, there's music that they'll never play and only the pirate radio stations will be able to cover all the rainbow of music that people want to listen to. That's why I love Internet Radio, specially those commercial free stations. I don't know of any offical radio station playing, for example, psychedelic rock now days. Thus the success of the Internet Radio.

The plot in the movie is great. Simple, straight, honest, comic, with some hints of drama, but the essence is there, the music is there. The life DJs lived, and beleive me, those DJs in the movie are too clean and decent. Well the movie is too clean in that matter. There are some insinuations about drugs but you won't see anybody smoking pot or dropping acid or getting really plastered. The stag party was too decent for guys that are supposed to be rock DJs in the mid and late sixties of the 20th century. Anyway, one gets a lot of laughs and a Hollywood end.

The OST is great but there are a few mistakes that can be explained only by the fact that the person in charge of it, chose a specific song because of the moment in the movie. For instance, Hendrix' "The Wind Cries Mary" is from the album "Are You Experienced?" released in August of 1967 long after the period which is established in the movie, but there's a very nice touch of homage towards Jimi in the scene were Quentin (excellently portrayed by Bill Nighy don't miss him in "Wild Target") enters the lower deck of the ship just to find DJ Mark surrounded by naked girls exactly as in the cover of the 1968 "Electric Ladyland" album. Hilarious. Another song is Jeff Beck's "Hi Ho Silver Lining", a single from 1967. So is Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". You can hear The Who with "Won't Get Fooled Again" from 1971, but it wasn't included in the OST CD. I don't understand why David Bowie's 1982 "Let's Dance" was chosen for the closing credits of the movie. It's even included in the OST CD. Bottom line, again, it doesn't matter, the music is far out.

Although there are a couple of Stone's tracks, they are not included in the OST. Copyrights I suppose, Mick and Keith think they're still poor. Arthur Brown's "Fire" was also left out. So was "Little Saint Nick" by The Beach Boys. And so was Ennio Morricone's theme "For a Few Dollars" and several other.

Some mistakes I won't excuse: the Capitol and A&M labels on the records shown in the movie were designed in the 70's; there's a modern Panasonic headphones in one scene, you don't play a 45 singles at 33 RPM, slim straight arms for turntables and tape reels were introduced in radio stations many years later (specially the arms), there's a drum head that I'm sure wasn't there around those days and man, anyone who's worked in a radio station knows what'll happen if you climb the antenna during transmissions. And finally, we didn't call them condoms, but Johnnies.

The cast in perfect. I already mentioned Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy, but not far behind are Rhys Ifans (unforgetable in "Notting Hill") as rock star DJ Gavin, Kenneth Branagh as the Hitlerian looking and dictatorial Sir Alistair Dormandy and Jack Davenport as the sleasy assistant Twatt (yes, with two ts at the end). Definitely a movie for all ages. For those who like to remember through music and for those who weren't born and have the interest and curiosity to find out how it was.

(P.S. From personal experience I know that record players are supposed to be flat horizontal in order to play and at the end of the movie there's no way they were leveled)

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...this movie is made in the spirit of the time. You can pick it apart with facts but pirate radio changed the music world in England (the boats were mostly in the Southern North Sea) and the guys who did it were larger than life! The music is the joy of the film held together by some funny jokes and a threadbare plot. Enjoy it for what it is an homage to an integral part of the music scene in the 60s in the UK.

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Gross Anatomy (1989)

"Gross Anatomy" is a predictable, but heartwarming, little film about five eager first-year medical students. I appreciated the occasionally goofy medical humor and the fine performances from all the actors, notably Christine Lahti, as a rigidly serious, if ultimately well-intentioned anatomy instructor This film has been sadly overlooked for years; it deserves more than a passing glance.

For my opinion the year of 1989 it has been one of the most exciting years in the history of cinema. Three movies from this particular year changed my life. First Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, second Dead Poets Society and third is Gross Anatomy. the last one i saw it the first time in TV but i loved it right away. This movie mixtures two of my favorite items. Colleges and relationships. It has believable and true characters and most of all it has Daphne Zunigha. Its directory it is honest and modest but above all some melancholy corresses the story. I think the character Matthew Modine plays is a genious who he dosen't know he is genious. I loved it and i am waiting for the european edition of the movie because i cant buy it yet.

Dont miss it either youare med student or not...

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Gross Anatomy follows one year of new medical students who end up together in a lab group and deal with the tribulations of their stressful assignments and responsibilities in order to pass. Matthew Modine plays the somewhat stereotypical "hotshot streetsmart bad boy" with some hidden insecurities, and his love interest, fellow medical student Daphne Zuniga (of Spaceballs) plays a more serious headstrong type who somewhat disappointingly goes for Modine a little too fast and soon to be totally realistic.

While the movie may be labeled as a Romantic Comedy, there honestly is not much comedy to be had in this film as it is not all that funny, nor does it really try to be. While the film mostly should be labeled a drama, there are few comedic influences as well as a vibe that almost promises a comedy but never really delivers, albeit a few scenes. No, this is mostly a fast-paced drama that at first feels as if it will not fare too well, except that during the second half of the film (and the cast's 2nd half year of medical school) tensions begin to arise, friction between lab partners and love interests as well as friction between students and professors.

What makes this film work is that while the script is not too daring on comedy or memorable choreography or even dialogue, it doesn't ever really try to be, but seems more concerned with building characters, ones in which reveal themselves throughout the school year in forms of deeper insecurities and stresses. While the characters do try and keep a professional attitude at first, the tensions of medical school assignments soon begin to weigh them down, thus they end up depending on each other emotionally more than they originally thought they would need to. This builds a set of characters who may not be the funnest people in the world, but are in fact VERY REAL. And that is where the film strikes gold. Some characters do surprising things that end up getting a few either kicked out or quitting. One throughout the film can either very much relate to it; either by the tension of taking on such a difficult field of study or seeing characters become downright raw with one another yet virtues such as forgiveness and grace play a tremendous part, thus the film does an excellent job of almost unconsciously exploring many degrees and angles of the human psyche and heart, showing that there is so much more to us depending on what situations we find ourselves in.

I for one very much enjoyed the movie, not because it made me really laugh or cry or tense up, but because the characters felt more downright HUMAN than most movies I've regularly seen.

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Gross Anatomy (1989) is a very accurate depiction of what medical school is like, but with a special twist: a carefree slacker of sorts (Joe Slovak) doesn't want to conform to the serious mindset that often accompanies being a medical student. Slovak's attitude and brilliance seem to work throughout the film, but is tested periodically by his peers and instructors who grow frustrated and impatient with his relaxed approach. If it were real life, I think that everyone he came in contact with would respect his down-to-earthness. Joe Slovak marches to the beat of a different drum, and for that, he is a refreshing character. "Hey.......tomorrow's tomorrow!!!!"

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You won't get large explosions, incredible lines, or wonderful camera work in "Gross Anatomy". What you will get, though, is a beautiful and realistic character portrayal of five clean cut kids who are trying to achieve the dream of thousands of students in this country: To become wonderful med students.

Matt Modine has to be one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. In this film, his development is staggering. From the moment you see him, you think "this kid is special". To see this beauty materialize during the course of the movie is unforgettable.

The film does a superb job of juxtaposing Christine Lahti's character (Dr. Woodruff) with Modine's. You can understand her dream of making her "best students into top doctors" and how Modine may fit this role. Modine's medical partners do a fine job of depicting some of the other practical problems that first year medical students may face.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining film that will leave the thoughtful viewer thinking about his own character development, perhaps juxtaposing it against one of the several fine characters in this film.

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Needless Collection 2

After watching Needless collection 1, I was pumped for the second collection to be released.

However, in my opinion, they flubbed up.

All my reviews are short n sweet. No spoilers either. Here ya go!

Animation was still rockin in quality. No complaints there.

But the story and the ending ha! There were points I was like, huh? Continuity was completely outta whack! The interactions between two of the main characters made absolutely no sense in collection 1, once you see their past in collection 2. It's almost like a different set of people took over on this collection and wanted to convey completely different ideas. And the pace of the story was here and there...which brings me to the ending. Anti-climactic and quick. Haha! I actually laughed when it was done. They lead up to the end fight, big boss battle, DONE!! Ha! No closure at all.

If you seen collection 1 it left you with a nasty cliff hanger. And you been waiting for this puppy. Sorry yall. You'll wish you hadn't seen it if you were watchin for the story!! But if you were watchin for the action...Boom!! Gotcha covered! I gave it a three, jus because I dig anime action. It rates a rent anyhoo. Have fun!!!

Go itty bitty cutsy girl squad!!!

I love having complete collections not only does it save more space on your book case but it also has all the episodes that you can watch again and again. This anime had pretty artwork and i love the plot just wish they made more of this anime.

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This is the climatic finish to the Needless first volume and ironic enough, you could live without ever seeing this. The girl fight in volume 1 was long and drawn out, but one of the BEST anime throw downs EVER! If Paula Dean saw that, she would say, "It's good, ya'll."

But she wouldn't tell her sons to watch this volume. It is clunky, it is listless, really I felt like it was a watered down version of what came previously. In this volume, Satan fights Adam and Priest fights Adam, Cruz's sister is revealed, but none of it sparks like it should.

I will say from a story perspective, this is a stronger showing. The story really saved this; it had me interested and invested until the end. We get to meet priest and Eve in their youth and they are charismatic. Priest especially was very likable.

He had big pink eyes, awww

Well, after the lengthy flashback, the remainder of the story is a bit foggy. First of all, we have a huge crowd watching the fate of the world be decided, but we never really hear from it. We literally don't hear them although we see them. Then suddenly, the crowd is gone. I never wanted the crowd there in the first place; I knew it was too much choreography for this particular production to tackle. And, they didn't. And, they managed to create here one of the most despicable anime characters of our times, ******, and they let *** off with a slap on the wrist. Yes, much like in Spider Man 3, the worst villain skates.

Finale! Needless is a "Wham Bam, Thank you, Sam" Anime. The ending comes super swift. SO fast you almost miss it and forget about catharsis. They show the characters in "the future," but obviously not distant because Cruz is still 13. Well, there is this half done slow motion part and the characters freeze frame off to....I'm not sure what. Needless ends as it lives: one more WTF moment for the road.

This volume is NEEDLESS, yes, but...so is that second slice of pie, that tattoo of Grace Slick on your chest, or that recent bad romance you waited ENTIRELY too long to end .... and you still call them. I say sink your teeth into this sugar laden anime.

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Basically

Needless is an anime that has a lot of sexual references and scenes that could be questionable to people with high morale values but for those of us who just don't care, it's good fun.

Basically if you've followed on from the last volume the group are still fighting in that huge room, needless to say the beautiful girls squadron(As they're called in the dub) are fighting the group and getting into random perverted positions that either show their panties, or in some ways their half covered chests.

Cruz's sister joins the fight as does the guy named Satan, again more fighting in the room, what is it now, like 10 episodes in this room? Anyway this volume does introduce a few flashback episodes that try to explain things and a clash between Satan and Adam Arklight, the whole Adam Arklight vs Adam Blade, and more battles than you can imagine.

It's a good series, just its so perverted at times, I enjoyed it personally and found it funny.

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The battle between Blade's team versus Simeon's Girl Force continues in this second and final collection of this series. If you saw the first half, then you already know that this anime is a action-comedy full of wacky characters, humor, clichés and panty vision fights. Needless is a homage to sci-fi movies, anime, video games and fan services all combined in one package, however there are a few downsides that are notable in its conclusion.

CONS:

The heroes are fighting in Adam's fortress but most of the fights take place in just one floor.

The second ending theme doesn't fit with the cliffhangers at the end of the episodes.

The final episodes are full of back story.

The show in its randomness tries to be serious in the final episodes, and for a comedy THAT never works.

Plot holes.

PROS:

English and Japanese audio.

The second half of "The Secret of Saint Lilly Academy" shorts.

Same fan service, same action and same humor from the first half.

Second Opening.

I enjoyed the first 12 episodes and the first half of this second collection, but the final episodes felt rushed and this is my biggest complaint because it's the same problem MADHOUSE does to most of its anime, just like in Claymore and Death Note Madhouse gave a "1-2-punch ending", where you are left to wonder if that's the manga's ending. Overall unlike many shows out there Needless was full of many unexpected surprises. 4 out of 5.

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Let the Bullets Fly (Collector's Edition) (2010)

Fast paced, beautifully choreographed, and downright silly, Jiang Wen's Let the Bullets Fly is what you'd get if combining the action and comedy of John Woo and Stephen Chow. Wen, who also co-stars and co-wrote the script, reportedly agonized over the writing to the point where he went through 30 drafts until he finally got it right. While the multiple characters and multiple double-crossings can get a touch convoluted and hard to follow, Wen's film is frequently hilarious and pays homage to classic Hollywood movies better than many Hollywood productions do.

An old school Western at its core, Let the Bullets Fly has the dusty old look of a John Ford film, with Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo also a clear influence. Don't be confused by seeing so many stylistically different directors referenced, as the film mashes up and switches genres at the drop of a hat, making for a wildly off balance experience that is an absolute blast.

Set in 1920s China, the story begins with an expertly staged train robbery by a bandit leader who claims to be the infamous "Pocky" Zhang(Jiang Wen). The only people left alive are Tang(Feng Xiaogang), a jittery con man who has bought the governorship of a place called Goose Town after the guy who was supposed to take over died en route. Along with him is the old governor's treacherous wife, now Tang's mistress. Zhang, who sees a chance to earn some real cash in Goose Town, spares Tang's life but assumes his identity as the governor, bringing the weaselly trickster along as his couselor.

Their arrival in Goose Town is met with drums and much celebration, except there's one who isn't so happy to see them make it safely. The dusty old town, which despite the Asian architecture looks like it's due for a tumbleweed crossing, is already under the iron grip of local gangster named Master Huang(Chow Yun-Fat). Huang shows his arrogance and ultimate displeasure by only sending his favorite hat to the introduction party, and from there let's just say neither side will be having each other over for tea.

Well, that's not completely true. Huang, who has killed off all of Goose Town's other governors, immediately sees Zhang as a threat and sets out to undermine his authority immediately. Zhang wants to string Huang up by his neck, but not before taking every last bit of his money. Good luck following their often mystifying schemes, as the story seems to have been developed intentionally to leave you scratching your head. Between Huang's goons and Zhang's seven-man squad, all of whom where the same masks at different stages, it's impossible to keep track of what's going on at times. Throw in some body doubles, a fake "Pocky" Zhang, and Tang's consistently inconsistent allegiances, and Let the Bullets Fly is often the height of lunacy.Perhaps as a by product of Wen's struggles perfecting the script, he seems a little confused how to wind down such a roller coaster in a sensible way. At 130 minutes, it's too long by about twenty minutes, and with so many swirling subplots a couple of the less important ones could have been cut without damaging the momentum one bit.

And yet it's undeniably fun, and the characters all memorable. Wen, who is as charismatic an actor as he is one of China's elite directors,is the perfect foil to Chow Yun-Fat's scene chewing villainy. The pace is brisk and never slows down, nor do the many homages to other of Wen's many influences. When you can somehow emulate George C. Scott's Patton and still have it make sense you're doing something right. Already the highest grossing production in Chinese history, Wen has an undeniable hit on his hands, one that would fare well if given a chance here in America.

If you require your Chinese movies to be ponderous, self-serious period dramas, then this is not your movie. I think this is the reason why this movie does not get higher review ratings. Also, if you don't like movies that require you to pay attention from start to finish or you miss something important, again this is not your movie. This is also not a preposterous kung-fu movie, thank goodness. This is action comedy, like Indiana Jones or those awful Tarantino ripoff films, but with much better humor. The movie is dialog-driven, which can be demanding when reading subtitles; but it is worth the effort, as clever dialog is the strongest merit of the film: lots of puns, quotables, double-entendre, farce, and idiomatically entertaining profanity (this is the movie with the "F you" scene, where everybody ends up shouting "F you" at each other back and forth). This movie is hilarious, brilliantly acted by the three main stars, and very clever. Chow Yun Fat is especially outstanding, I never knew he could do comedy; he had me laughing almost every time he was on screen, this is my favorite role that I've seen Chow in. If this movie doesn't make you smile, then you are probably dead inside.

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The box office of this movie is the 2nd in China for all time. The first one is Avatar. This is the best Chinese movie in my opinion. Three top Chinese actors showed they excellent performance in this movie. A must buy blu ray. I own the Hong Kong editon for a much higher price at the first day of 2011. I don't know how the English Audio, but I think it's better use Chinese Audio and English subtitle.

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"Let the Bullets Fly" ("Rang zidan fei") stars Chow Yun-Fat, but you will soon realize this is no ordinary action movie, the moment he appears on the screen in a double role as a "villain" Master Huang and his "body double" mimicking him in a farce-like scene. No, bullets may fly, but Chow Yun-Fat's latest movie is not a John Woo-style hyper-intense action film that you might be looking forward to.

In fact, Chow Yun-Fat's role is more like a supporting one, as the film's star is Wen Jiang (who also directs) as a smart bandit Pocky Zhang, who, disguised as a newly appointed mayor, has just arrived at Goose Town, a provincial town relentless Master Huang dominates. It is nearly impossible to summarize what follows, twists and turns resulting from their never-ending conflict. All I can say that "Let the Bullets Fly" contains intrigues and double-crossing, but not the "action" you have seen in "Hard Boiled."

Set in 1920s, China, "Let the Bullets Fly" looks like a spaghetti Western with more chaotic and outrageous events. Many characters die in a violent (and sometimes silly) way. Most female characters are relegated to marginal roles (even Carina Lau disappears unceremoniously). Wen Jiang adopts a hodge-podge style of narrative that may remind you of either Tarantino or Kusturica.

With several familiar faces from the Chinese film industry, the film has already become one of the hugest commercial hits in mainland China, but "Let the Bullets Fly" may owe its success to what its story suggests in the subtext. It is often pointed out that the film is really a political parable masked as entertainment. Naturally Wen Jiang as director would not admit that, though even non-Chinese audiences would sense the film's satirical jabs at what he thinks constitutes the modern society of China. Sadly, however, most of the references would be lost on non-Chinese speakers like me.

Probably the 132-minute film, of which structure seems bloated, should be watched and appreciated in this context. Even so, however, I couldn't help feeling that the film's quirky charms would be more effective with more restrained direction.

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'Let The Bullets Fly' is a funny, classy, profane Chinese spaghetti western with rice noodles and hot sour sauce substituting for spaghetti.

The film's humour goes over the top (with CGI assistance), with one of its funniest and most reference-laden scenes of a train holdup by bandits in 1920 warlord China during the first few minutes leading into the titles. The steam railway engine belches smoke, like any fire chariot... but wait, it's being drawn by horses. All that smoke is from the biggest Sichuan hotpot you've ever seen, that almost fills a luxurious private carriage in which a new provincial governor (Ge You), his wife (Carina Lau), and counselor (Feng Xiaogang) are carousing and banqueting as they journey to their new post, protected by a second carriage full of highly alert Republican guards armed with ancient matchlocks. All are unaware that they are targeted for ambush by bandit leader Zhang (Jiang Wen).

This is the fourth film directed by Jiang Wen, a famous Chinese actor who extends the noodle western metaphor of this film by acting and directing, somewhat in the footprints of Clint Eastwood, but very much in his own style. This is a funny movie with high production values, humour darker and less accessible to non-Chinese audiences than that of Jackie Chan without the martial arts showmanship and slapstick that Chan brings to his films. The film is not at all in the familiar historical epic/kung fu genre of Chinese movies recently popular in the west.

The script, by Jiang Wen, is adapted from a story by Sichuanese author and satirist Ma Shitu 马识途, 'Dao Guan Ji' 盗官记 ('Tale of the Bandit Official'), from his fictional work published in 1983, 'Ye Tan Shi Ji' 《夜谭十记》('Ten Night-time Tales').

Jiang Wen's cast is well chosen, with particularly good work by his four very capable lead actors, including himself. The most recognizable member of the cast to western audiences, Chow Yun-Fat, plays against type as a villain, Huang, the mob boss of Goose Town. One of China's favourite cinema clowns, Ge You a Chinese Cantinflas shows great comic timing throughout in the role of conman Ma Bangde. Carina Lau has the only standout female role as the much-widowed governor's wife. Jiang Wen himself plays the wily, whimsical bandit leader Zhang.

The Emperor Motion Pictures Blu-ray release available through Amazon resellers has excellent image and sound quality, and a second special features disc. Unfortunately for most of the non-Chinese speaking audience, the sound track options are only Mandarin, and unusually Sichuan dialect. The English sub-titles are good, but being necessarily abbreviated cannot carry all nuances of the script, or even its Chinese profanity.

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Holy Man (1998)

There's no way to put into words how it feels to come from a film having taking something special away. After having read many reviews on Holy Man, both here and elsewhere, I've come to the conclusion that this is one of those movies most people just don't get. This is indeed the age of crudity, where shock value is held in higher regard than genuinely good storytelling and uplifting characters. This film succeeds on all fronts by offering itself not just as a hilarious comedy(which it certainly is), but also as a means to convey a message that's too often ingnored and scoffed at. Let's face it, most people today are master cynics, unwilling to accept any positivity but always ready to rebuke something. It seems to me, that's why this film was not a comercial success.

Eddie Murphy has created a phenomenal character in G and plays him with enough love and abandon I found myself smiling all the way through. Forget wondering exactly who G is. If you're really spending time on that, you've failed to see the point of the story. Besides, some things are best left to the imagination. Ambiguity doesn't have to be a scary concept.

The love story between Goldblum and Preston isn't perfect, but their performances-particuarly Goldblum's-are worth seeing. All in all, my only complaint is that their aren't any special features to speak of and letterbox format stinks. Otherwise, let go of yourself and rent this wonderful film. Watch it with a close friend or a loved one. You'll be glad you did!

I know it isn't exactly what you might expect from Eddie Murphy. And of course it is not classic Sci-Fi. Nevertheless, it deals with subjects that have been present in SF since the very beginning. Alienation of man, consumism, manipulation from the media.

I find some similarities between this movie and Truman Show, which I consider to be SF too. Not all Jim Carrey fans seem to like TS, because it's different from the kind of comedy he is known by. The same goes here to Eddie Murphy. He is not wildly funny, he is a spiritual character who gets the best from people around him.

And the character who really makes this movie, for me anyway, is Jeff Goldblum's character. It is he who goes through a transformation, and makes us think if we are going in the right direction.

I actually loved this movie, and recommend it to everybody, although you shouldn't expect an average comedy, but a deep thought-provoking movie instead.

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Look, the biggest complaint I have with the people that have reviewed this movie is they keep comparing it to other Eddie Murphy movies and it's just not. That would be like comparing The Majestic to The Mask and saying it wasn't Jim Carry's finest... It's a good movie but it is a very special movie. The jokes aren't a laugh a second but the good messages are. I don't think it should have recieved the Oscar or anything like that but it's none the less enjoyable, smart humor. Quit watching it with a running track of Nutty Professor in your head and just take it for what it is. A quality movie that really does have some good comentary on american ethics. I'm giving it five stars not because I think it's the best movie ever made but because it dares to be different than a lot of things that are already out there. Yes it could have been just another Daddy Daycare... but then there would just be two kinda average comedies instead of two feel good movies.

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The movie is not funny, but it is well written, and I particularly enjoy seeing Goldblums thought process, wrestling with himself over right and wrong, while G is always one step ahead of him, knowing that Goldblum will ultimately do the right thing. I was supprised at how intellegent this movie was. Wow, why is this movie was so harshly criticised by other Amazon visitors?

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This has got to be one of the funniest Eddie Murphy films there are. He was a religous man on a pilgrimage. Suddenly after meeting Ricky Hayman, he is transformed into a QVC type host. The situations are laugh out loud funny and should be enjoyed by people of all ages. It does in fact have a PG rating.

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The Girl Next Door (Unrated Edition) (2004)

There is a point in "The Girl Next Door Unrated Edition' (which I received and promptly devoured, extra's and all, in one sitting) where the movie is in danger of changing in tone and focus from American Pie to Showgirls, but luckily for the movie and viewers it recovers itself and ends in a definite teen comedy spirit.

I never saw this movie in the theater so I cannot comment on what has been added to this "unrated edition" but there is certainly quite a lot of nudity, but nothing involving the main actors. There are some graphic scenes at a strip club (including lap dancing) and we get shots of one of the main actors watching a porn video at home. There are some nude scenes from behind of both principal actors Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert, but as Hirsch points out on Side B of the disc (where most of the extras are located) the movie used a stand-in for those shots.

I have a word of caution regarding the list of extra's on the Amazon page. One is titled a scene specific commentary by Hirsch and Cuthbert. What we have here though is not a commentary for the whole movie from the two stars, but rather several scenes on the flip side of the disc in which the two actors both give separate commentary.

Largely (and unjustly) ignored at the box office this teen comedy starts of really well and within the first few moments had me rolling with laughter. The movie starts with a montage of sorts, we see the jocks, brains and cheerleader-types all stating, for their entry in the yearbook, what they "will always remember."

Then there is Matt (played by Hirsch) who is pondering this question. Sure, he has had a successful academic career as illustrated by his acceptance to Georgetown but he really hasn't done anything memorable in his senior year of high school.

That's about to change for Matt though with the arrival next door of Danielle (played by Cuthbert), who plays a breathtaking beauty house-sitting for his neighbors.

Entranced by her Matt is unable to stop himself from watching Danielle undress in the window opposite his bedroom but he is spotted. From that moment he is on a rollercoaster ride. Danielle, amused and evidently attracted to Matt, shows him the excitement of living on the edge, from running naked through the streets to moonlight skinny dipping in his school principal's pool.

Just as everything seems to be going so well between Matt and Danielle, Matt is shocked when one of his best friends Eli (who is a connoisseur of porn movies and full of in-experienced sex advice) shows one of his porn movies in which Danielle is the main star.

Foolishly following some of his friends advice, the two part company and moments later the movie changes tack and takes on a decidedly darker and more serious tone as Matt becomes sucked into the shadowy world of the pornographic movie industry.

What follows is both inventive and highly amusing. How will Matt afford to get into Georgetown? What will become of Danielle? These are just some of the questions in this entertaining movie that borrows heavily and liberally from a number of the John Hughes movies of the 1980s and the AMERICAN PIE movies of more recent years. The movie ends on a high note in a conclusion that is both satisfying and enjoyable.

Now onto the part that most readers of this review are more interested in the extra's. On Side A of the disc we have an OK director's commentary from director Luke Greenfield and an at times amusing and at other times fascinating trivia track.

Then on Side B of the disc we have the aforementioned seven to eight scene specific commentaries from Hirsch and Cuthbert (Hirsch curiously has one more) and deleted and extended scenes with optional directors commentary. None of these scenes are of any particular value to anyone but completists or fans of the movie. They add nothing to the feature, but do have a curiosity factor to them. They also chose the better of the two endings also.

Of more interest is an amusing featurette in which actor Chris Marquette (who plays Eli in the movie) poses as a porn producer and lures in all too interested men (there'e a cute blonde on the bed afterall) who get decidedly less interested (for the most part) when the girl is replaced by a big burly guy.

We are also offered a stills gallery and a VERY short gag reel as well as trailers for a couple of other like-minded movies in addition to one promotional trailer for several other Fox titles. There is also a trailer for THE GIRL NEXT DOOR with the subtitle `Dirrrty,' which in reality isn't really that much of a big deal.

All in all, this is a good and entertaining movie, it seems to lose its footing half way through but successfully and engagingly returns to top form before the final credits roll. This is a definite must-buy for fans of the movie and the genre and certainly great entertainment

The honest answer is no.

And that is extensive to the unrated version of the movie.

Why? Ok let me se...

For a movie that is only 5 or 6 years old, the transfer shouldn't look older than it does. The transfer is just a modest upgrade of the less-than-reference quality picture included on the original DVD.

Too much noise/grain and inconsistent color levels are the main offenders here, with the occasional edge enhancement creeping in as well. Night time and indoor scenes have the most issues, but our first reveal of Cuthbert in a wet, white shirt looks near-perfect, picture-wise. Colors are mostly set to a permanent dull hue, and in some instances are muddy, which is surprising given the quality of most Fox offerings. Trust me, this isn't blu-ray quality.

So if you have the DVD version of it, stick to it and don't change it for the Blu-ray version, you can even find a DVD unrated adaptation of it, plus you won't loose money on it!

As for the extras and unrated part:

The 16 Deleted or Extended Scenes are definitely worth watching. You have a play all option with commentary from director Greenfield. One scene featured actress Amanda Swinton losing it when she had to put a condom on Klitz, who wore a fencing mask to do the scene. She struggles to keep a straight face and loses it at the end. Most were cut for pacing purposes, which is a shame, because a lot of these scenes had moments of genuine emotion that really humanized the movie. We also get the original ending that get this Greenfield cut because people at the test screenings thought Matthew was in the White House when he's standing in front of the Capitol Building...anyways...

The movie's first trip on Blu comes with most of the bonus content present on the unrated SD release.

* Audio Commentary by Luke Greenfield

* Scene Specific Commentary by Emile Hirsch

* Scene Specific Commentary by Elisha Cuthbert

* "The Eli Experience" Featurette

* "A Look Next Door" Making-Of Featurette

* Gag Reel

* Deleted and Extended Scenes (Including the Original Ending)

* Theatrical Trailer, "Dirty" Edition

The only extra missing from the previous SD release is the Pop-Up trivia track, but viewers aren't missing much. The stand-outs here are the director's commentary and "The Eli Experience" featurette. The unrated version is nine minutes longer, but they are nine minutes that do nothing for the movie but increase its running time, and pad it out with an extra few seconds of nudity. So for you people, that means the disc gets the DVD equivalent to a Cable Ace award.

"The Eli Experience" is a riot. Chris Marquette, who plays Eli, goes to the Adult Industry Expo, held during CES, and mingles with the porn stars. In a Howard Stern moment, hulking ex-pro wrestler Matt 'Horshu' Wiese walks up to men at the expo asking them if they want to make out with him. Man this has to be seen!

As for "A Look Next Door" is a standard making-of EPK, and the Gag Reel runs three minutes long as features many on-set screw ups. It's funnier than most gag reels, but it's not worth a repeat viewing.

The movie isn't awful, but you would think the Blu-ray version is better than it really is. The direction is component, but unremarkable, the performances are fun but not unified, and the Blu is one of the weakest catalog titles Fox has released on the format so far. Watch the movie; it's acceptable rainy day entertainment. But don't trade in your DVD for the supreme BD experience, because it is not there. Ironically, most of us wouldn't have seen the movie in the first place if they didn't agree to casting Elisha Cuthbert.

Buy The Girl Next Door (Unrated Edition) (2004) Now

Teen comedies always turn up big business at the box office, this is generally due to the fact that the creative forces behind these movies include plenty of crude humor, sex, and nudity as can be allowed under the MPAA ratings system. Most of the time these teen comedies are a dime-a-dozen, opening big and fading shortly thereafter, with little lasting appeal with audiences. However, there have been some successes in the genre that have had more staying power than others, examples would be "Animal House", the `Scary Movie' franchise, and the `American Pie' series. With those examples of successful teen comedies, they all have some common traits in which they share, basically they are packed full of sex, nudity, and crude humor and language. However, one thing these examples of successful teen comedies, and even the unsuccessful ones lack is any amount of heart or soul in the story. In 2004, Fox Studios produced yet another teen comedy to appease the masses for a short while, "The Girl Next Door". Starring Elisha Cuthbert (TV's "24") and an unknown lead actor named Emile Hirsch, "The Girl Next Door" would stand out from the other teen comedies that have come before it or even after it, for this movie contained the one thing that I said was lacking in those others, that is heart and soul.

"The Girl Next Door" is the story of 18-year-old Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch), a straight-laced, overachieving, good boy who has never really lived life to the fullest. That is, until he spies his incredibly sexy neighbor (Elisha Cuthbert) changing in the window, and finds that through his desire to be with her, he will do anything and everything to be with her. But, Matthew gets thrown for somewhat of a loop when he discovers that his perfect `girl next door' is actually a former porn star, who is trying to forget about the life she used to lead. Now, Matthew's sheltered life quickly begins to spin out of control as he attempts to help his new girlfriend leave the life she knew to embrace the life she longs for.

The reason I feel this movie is far and above those other teen comedies I listed, some of which I enjoyed by the way, is like I said earlier "The Girl Next Door" contains plenty of heart and soul in its story. This movie isn't simply about having sex, yes there is that obligatory teen comedy element in this movie, but this movie is actually about the discovery that sex isn't the only thing to look for in a relationship with someone. To prove that point the main character in the story, Matthew, who by the way is played perfectly by Emile Hirsch, is forced to learn that to have a true meaningful relationship with a woman, he must get past his lustful desire to only want the physical body, with no regard for the emotional side of the woman. A lesson he has to learn the hard way, and it forces his character to mature throughout the story, until finally he is able to have a committed relationship with this `girl next door', as he discovers that she is more than just a beautiful woman, and former porn star, and in fact that she is a person with real feelings. And all she asks of Matthew is that he move past her former life and see her for who she truly is.

The writing in this story is better than most contained in this type of movie, generally the story is fairly thin, and is pretty much there to link each crude joke to the next or to bridge the gap between sex scenes; however, in this movie the story is the main focus, yes there are the crude jokes and a couple of sex scenes, but the story isn't simply a minor plot device to get the audience to these obligatory teen comedy sequences. The actors all do a very good job of bringing their characters to life, and appear to be enjoying themselves immensely with the roles they've been given. Elisha Cuthbert and Emile Hirsch share a great chemistry that helps to elevate this movie to almost a romantic comedy level, instead of just teen comedy. Timothy Olyphant ("A Man Apart" and "Scream 2") makes several appearances throughout the film as a shady porn producer, and he manages to steal almost every scene that he's in, and actually provides Matthew with some rather sage advice, though inadvertently I might add.

If you are a fan of teen comedies, but are perhaps tired of the same old thing, then check out "The Girl Next Door", I promise you it is more than your average teen, gross-out sex comedy.

"The Girl Next Door" is available in both rated R and Unrated editions, both contain language and sexuality/nudity.

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this movie is the perfect blend of teenage immaturity and perversion we have all come to love thanks to movies like american pie and likes. it has your average high school student makes good grades, president of the student council, etc. who falls in love with the lady who is housesitting his neighbors house...he falls in love with her only to find she is a porn star, and things go downhill for him from there. this is a movie to be watched not as a teenie bopper flick but seriously, it has a perfect blend also of comedy and drama. fans of the american pie type of movies, and fans of porno both should love this one, it will go down in history.

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THE GIRL NEXT DOOR looks for all the "Unrated Version" stamps that unfortunately hide the figure of Elisha Cuthbert on the DVD box like this is a moron audience directed chick flick. But inside the poorly advertised trappings is a nice little light film that is far better than the average movie aimed at the school age audience. Credit director Luke Greenfield and his writers David Wagner and Brent Goldberg for instilling some sense of dignity and tenderness into this story about hormone-pumping highschool kids.

Much of the success of this film must also be credited to Emile Hirsch who is surfacing as an actor to watch (if anyone has a chance to see him in THE MUDGE BOY you'll know what I mean). He plays Matthew, a bright but naive highschool senior who depends more on his brain than his sexual prowess to make it through school. His two fellow nerdy friends Eli (Chris Marquette) and Klitz (Paul Dano) may always be on the lookout for their first sexual experience, but the three boys do represent the saner side of teenage life.

The story involves a new neighbor for Matt, one Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert), an ex-porn star who moves next door to housesit. Slowly Danielle entices Matt into showing her around her new town, plays a few cute tricks on him until the playing field is level, and their adventure can begin.

Trouble enters when Danielle's 'producer' Kelly (Timothy Olyphant) appears to re-claim his 'property' and Matt discovers Danielle's background. The remainder of the film deals with how Danielle and Matt interact with Eli, Klitz and the entire highschool bunch and involve the town in a staged scandal that has its own rewards.

The dialogue is fairly clever and more interested in matters of the heart than in matters of the toilet, and in the end there is much to be said for the philosophical stance the story takes. The acting is good to excellent (especially fine are Hirsch, Cuthbert, Olyphant, Marquette and Dano) and the pacing is brisk and warmly entertaining. I'm not sure why the 'Unrated' label is placed because this is a rather tame movie despite its subject matter. If it is there as a marketing ploy, it didn't work in the theaters. Maybe it will have a happier life as a DVD! Grady Harp, March 05

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