To Love Honor and Deceive (DVD)

AVERAGE TV MOVIE COMES TO DVD
TO LOVE HONOR AND DECEIVE is one of those somber, serious-themed tv movies of the late 90s that offers competent performances wasted on a connect the dot script, that once again shows the underhandedness of our dear friends with the FBI.

Vanessa Marcil gives a good performance as Sydnee, a devoted mother whose world is shattered when her husband and young son are killed in a boating accident. After their deaths, however, Sydnee finds out some disturbing news: hubby had an affair with her best friend (Rosalind Chao), and lo and behold, he was a smuggler, extortionist, and quite a few other things she never dreamed about. Thomas Gibson (Greg and Dharma) sleepwalks through his role; James Wilder plays the handsome detective who falls in love with Sydnee; and Leland Orser plays the asthma-plagued FBI agent with his own agenda.

It isn't a bad movie, but it's slow pacing and excess padding keep it from being truly memorable.

vanessa marcil.
I watched this last night , and I loved it Vanessa marcil is a great actress. I loved that hunky detective Great pair vanessa and him. I really hated her husband. but It had great acting and a great cast.

great movie
i ordered this movie without ever seeing it, mainly because it starred vanessa marcil and thomas gibson, and im a huge fan of both. it was a typical lifetime-style movie,with a good plot. i enjoyed it a lot.

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Happy Feet [HD DVD]

Great movie that looks amazing in HD!
First of all, this is simply a great movie. The narrative is brought to life with humor, action, important life lessons, and conservational commentary. The voice actors all give 5-star performances and the animation is incredible.

But, this being the Blu-ray disc, I'm going to focus on the picture and sound.

The animation by itself is simply breath-taking; easily one of, if not the best looking CGI feature to date. But in HD, it's brought to life even further. Every feather on the penguins is apparent, every flake of snow falling through the air and I'd almost go so far as to say every molecule of water! This is the best looking animated feature you can get on Blu-ray now. It's definitely the show-off piece when people ask "How much better does HD look?". The leopard seal was particularly mind-blowing to me.

Another hook is the sound. While I wouldn't say this is the best sounding movie on Blu-ray, it definitely puts sound to good use and ranks pretty...

An objective look at a polar-izing movie.
South polar-izing in this case, but it's hard to miss the fact that some people really love this movie and some really...well...don't.

I just saw this movie twice over the past three days, and here's my take on it, with the upsides and the downsides.

The upsides were:

The animation technology! Some of the animation, especially the backgrounds, was drop dead gorgeous. I don't even have HD, and I was mesmerized by how beautifully done some parts of this movie were.

The misfit becomes a hero. It hit sort of close to home for my wife and I because we have a special needs child and have often felt like Memphis and Norma Jean. What went wrong? We sigh a lot and wonder what will become of him. I quietly hope he will develop some great talent some day. We'll see.

An environmental message that wasn't too heavy handed. The humans are not presented as evil, just as being who didn't know what they were doing. Once they discovered the...

Happy Feet.. Made me happy
I loved the movie, it had me swaying to the music and singing right from the beginning. I loved the characters.. I chose to get it in full screen version due to I'm not a big fan of the wide screen version.. I loved the movie from beginning to end.. I watched it along with my parents and they're a tough bunch when it comes to movies, But my mother loved it especially, I think she must have laughed and kept a smile through the whole movie.. My fathter, whose an even tougher critic to watch movies with enjoyed it also.. I even him him laughing a few times and saw him smile, so all and all, it was worth the buy.. Thanks amazon!

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Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

FANTASTIC PICTURE AND SOUND!!!
First, the negative reviews below need checking out. The one saying that half of the players won't play it is bogus. It has been determined only two models of Blu-ray players haven't been able to play the movie, not half! Second, the one from Wiggins is obviously a HD-DVD fanatic. Check out his other reviews and you will see he only knocks the two recent Blu-ray titles but gives glowing reviews to anything HD-DVD. It is obvious he doesn't have FF or Day After Tomorrow, that he is just rehashing news to scare away anyone from buying anything Blu-ray. Very immature.

I played the FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer movie last night and it is gorgeous. The story isn't that great, but did we buy Hi-Def for story? No, the visuals make up the story. And, wow, the clarity of the images is something to see, definitely one of the best to come out on Blu-ray. Breathtaking at times in the depth. There is a DTS track, too, which sound phenomenal! Together, audio and video, make a...

Still Pretty Fantastic
Of all the sequels we've been fed this summer, I have to admit that "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" best meets its expectations. While other major sequels ("Spidey 3" and "Pirates 3") take a decidedly darker tone, "Surfer" kicks up the fun a notch. This should be expected since the previous film and the comic that it is based on is a lot more lighthearted and family-oriented than other films and books of this genre. In "Surfer," director Tim Story isn't tied down to an origin story. He is given free reign of the action in the film and does not let anybody down. All of the original core actors (Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis) have returned (including good ol' Doom, Julian McMahon). The newest addition to this film is the Silver Surfer, the galactic herald of Galactus, a cloud-like being that consumes planets to stay alive. I won't go into comic geek mode, but just know that Galactus is not a cloud in the comics. I do think that the...

Awesome Movie, Effects look great in HD
I thought this was a great action flick. Looks great in High Definition. Worth the extra $ for the Blu Ray Disc.

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Fruits Basket - Vol. 3 - Puddles of Memories

Je t'aime! Mon amour! Bon voyage!
The second volume of the "Fruits Basket" anime ended with the revelation that Hatsuharu and Momiji would soon be attending high school with the others.

So it's not surprising that the high school hijinks ensue once these weird teenagers join the student body. And though there's plenty of goofiness from Yuki's fangirls and his long-estranged brother in "Fruits Baske Vol. 3 - Puddles of Memories," it has some very bittersweet themes in many of the episodes. For a series with such a sparkly happy heroine, it's remarkably dark.

The first day of school gets off to a rocky start, with Momiji dressing like a girl and Haru getting into a "black" bustup with the pompous class president. But then the news arrives that Akito is about to visit the school -- and Tohru bumps into the mysterious head of the Sohma family. And though he's pleasant and warm toward her, she catches a glimpse of the true, malevolent personality behind the mask.

And more members of the...

Perfect
This is a wonderful seller. Awesome product and the quickest speed ive seen recently. I would with out a doubt recommend this seller for future purchases.



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Catwoman (Widescreen Edition)

This movie was terrible...
...and I loved every minute of it.

I went into this movie as a not expecting much - but hoping to be entertained and I was. The movie was bright, colorful and camp as Christmas.

Like the other reviewers said - it has nothing to do with the comic lore - but if you can get past that and want to see a cheesy super "hero" movie - then go for it.

I had a good time and sometimes that's all you want from a movie.

AMAZING JOB!!! Halie Berry!
I recently watched this movie for the 1st time the other day. I was very impressed. I didn't find it cheesy or stupid. I give it 5 stars. It's nice to see some female superheroes out there. I love the action in this film & She looks amazing! MEOW!!

Critics don't know anything at all...
This movie was by no means AMAZING, but it was entertaining. I expected it to be terrible from all the negative buzz it got from critics. It really wasn't all that bad. Sure, the graphics could have been better, but I've watched pretty much every single movie that has been out for rent recently and it stands out as one of my favorites.

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Civic Duty

Paranoia fuels the leap from being vigilant to being a vigilante
I was always surprised in the wake of 9/11 that we never heard of an instance where an Arab looking passenger got up to use the lavatory on an airplane and was attacked by the other passengers. With tensions and suspicion both running high I thought such incidents were inevitable, but if they happened I never heard about them. There was the incident where six Muslim clerics where pulled off of an airplane in Minneapolis because the pilot received a note from a passenger pointing out there were "Arabic men" on the plane, but that has been the exception rather than the rule (the airport in Minneapolis is apparently just a place where strange things happen if you pray in Arabic or go around tapping your foot too often in a restroom).

"Civic Duty" is a 2006 film that deals with the sort of paranoid over-reaction to the terrorist attack that I had suspected might become commonplace. Terry Allen (Peter Krause) has just lost his job as an accountant and without work to keep his...

Better Than Anticipated
Pros: Great acting throughout; Peter Krause is incredible. All extras fill their respective roles convincingly, as well. Directer put great emphasis on the details, which, in this movie, is important. Story/Plot is simple due to its symbolic nature, making it easy to follow. Awesome camera work lends to the unsettling nature of the film. Great cultural/stereotype contrasts, though sometimes over the top.

Cons: Message is too heavy-handed, taking away some realism. Film tends to be dramatically claustrophobic. It does not matter if it was intended, it still needed air.

Where They Went Wrong: There is an anti-American diatribe against American Foreign Policy to rebut the cruel treatment of women in certain Middle-Eastern countries. This did nothing to lend to the films credibility and came off as ridiculous, unfair, and one sided. Conflicts (wars) are completely different than inhumane domestic policy. Even if those conflicts are wrong. The whole screed was a...

Great suspensful thriller with an important message !
When I was reading the back of this DVD I was thinking to myself, well it could be a good movie, but from the very moment it got started it grab me, and was captivating until the very dramatic end.

Terry is a good looking middle class accountant, who is age wise either in his late 20s or early 30s. His life clearly takes a turn for the worse, when he is suddenly and unexpectedly laid off. Now, the problems with his wife begin: there's the impending question of how to pay their mortage on their new home, and most of all how soon Terry will get another job, to make ends meet. But all these problem pale in comparison to Terry's newest obsession with his Middle Eastern looking neighbor. To Terry he is behaving increasingly suspicious and fits neatly into the profile of an islamic extremist and terrorist.

This new obsession which he discovered soon starts to drive a big wedge between him and his wife. She simply dosen't at all approve of Terry's suspicions. Needless...

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Deal or No Deal

deal... yes!
The DVD game of Deal or No Deal is pretty good. Growing up with old Nintendo games, I'm really amazed how realistic some of the things in this game are. First of all, you should know Howie Mandel moves around on stage, exactly how he does on the TV show, and will frequently ask you the same questions he asks the contestants. He asks YOU questions, and pretends like YOU are the contestant. It's really spectacular if you love the TV show just how close to the *real* thing the game is.

You select the numbered cases by pressing the up, down, left or right buttons on your DVD player remote, and hit the OK button to select. It's really that simple. It's much easier than anything I've ever done before. The very second you put the game inside the DVD player, it starts up immediately. I can't believe how simple it is!

I can't think of anything to complain about. When you select a case, you are treated to many funny lines from Howie himself, looking into the...

Great fun
WE've had lots of fun with this game. The opening of the cases are a bit slow but builds excitment like the real game. FUN FUN FUN

Fantastic Game for 2 or 10
This is a very fun game to play with just one other person or a group. I would highly recommend it.

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The Year Without a Santa Claus (Deluxe Edition)

Heat Miser & Nestor on DVD -- Amazing Picture Quality!
Plenty of other folks have gushed (properly so) about the nostalgic content of "The Year Without a Santa Claus" (hereinafter "TYWSC") so I'll concentrate on the technical quality of the DVD release:

The picture on this disc is unbelievably bright and sharp -- undoubtedly worlds better than it looked when we all watched the original CBS transmission in 1974. It makes me wonder if they did any digital processing and cleaning up of the original print. I really enjoyed the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" DVD release earlier this year, but the picture quality on TYWSC is far superior both in terms of clarity and vividness, and the animation and set design are also more detailed and elaborate than in "Rudolph." While not of Nick Park caliber, perhaps, the stop-motion animation is more than adequate: Both our 7- and 3-year old were transfixed throughout the whole show. You will be surprised by how great the picture looks. The original mono...

"Deluxe Edition" ("remastered"?) No Improvement In Either Picture Or Sound
First, let me say that I own this movie because it still retains it's charm more than three decades later, and still get a kick out of it. I can recall watching it on TV when I was a kid, and would sing the catchy Miser's songs. So having it on hand to watch it every year at Christmastime is a pleasure.

I was looking forward to upgrade from my older DVD of YWASC to this "Deluxe Edition" since I was keen on seeing a couple of documentaries and noted the product being advertised as "Newly Remastered". Well, in looking at the ORIGINAL 2000 DVD release, I realized that it is quite sharp in picture, as well as having a decent mono audio track. I noticed there were scarcely any grain or dirt on this print. So maybe I could not see a need to upgrade after all, and, as it turns out, I was correct in my assumption. I rather like to make picture comparisons with different DVD releases of a favorite movie, and I did the same with YWASC. Much to my surprise, the image is not only NOT...

Mister Green Christmas is back!
Thank you to whoever saw fit to re-release this film onto video! I grew up watching it on TV every Christmas, and just love Heat Miser & Snow Miser! For the longest time, you couldn't purchase this on video, and my local video store's rental copy had mysteriously vanished. I was overjoyed to see it available again and snatched it up. My young daughter now is addicted to this wonderful stop motion animated classic, and watches it frequently. For those who enjoy the songs, you might want to check out the CD, A Classic Cartoon Christmas Too by Nick at Nite records, as it features both the Heat Miser and Snow Miser songs on it! Too much fun!

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The Wiggles: Live Hot Potatoes!

Fantastic video, great to save for a concert memory
If you've ever seen the Wiggles live, then you know just how fantastic their live shows are. This video is a must-have for nothing else, a keepsake. It's full of stuff from their recent tour, and even has Santa in there at the end. They go around looking for Jeff again, complete with the blow-up balloon. My little one went upstairs and grabbed his guitar and was playing along with most of the show. Then he went after his keyboard and gave me the guitar and we played together! You can't passively watch the Wiggles - you just have to get up and dance along. They do such a fantastic job too - it never ceases to amaze me the amount of time an thought that goes into their shows. This video gives a glimpse of what they did here in the US - they showed them driving in the Big Red Car, going under signs for Columbus, then driving into the auditorium and the next thing you see is them driving out in the Big Red Car onto the stage. That about floored my husband, who is a teacher as...

Impressed on how far they have come (especially live!)
I bought this and had high hopes after Top of the Tots and Santa's Rockin' - those were not that good as far as the Wiggles go.

This new live show has a whole band on stage, elaborate sets and everyone appears to be singing. My son, 2 yrs 2 mos, was very intereseted in the new format of a concert. They did more close-ups, split screens, etc, not just a wide shot of the stage as in older concert footage.

The only complaint I have is at times the words and their mouths seemed off on the DVD. Not that they weren't singing, just a technical difficulty of the production of the DVD. Extras are just so-so and I wish they would list the run time to tell the actual length of the feature show only. Over all, I'd say it's pretty darn good Wiggles. And we have almost ALL of the dvds/vcr shows that there are!

By far the best Wiggles video Ever!
We own 6 Wiggles videos and this one is always in the DVD Player. Our 2

Samurai 7 - Vol. 4 - Battle for Kanna

Battle of Kanna Village
I have only seen the first two episodes of this disc and it was subtitled. Well including the first 3 english DVD's. This one gives you exactly what you would expect, the bandits attack Kanna Village with impressive numbers, but the samurai and villagers repell the attack in the first episode. In the second the Samurai lay a trap and let them selves be captured. All and all theres alot of action, story line flows pretty well and the chars are likeable. Katshiro the inexperienced of the samurai becomes much more then a sniveling wanna be and shows what he can really do as well in the second episode. If your in to the series dont stop its definitly worth it for this disc. I hope this review helped.

A wonderful adaptation of Kurosawa's work...
Volume 4 just continues to drive home the fact that Samurai 7 is a brilliantly-done anime revamping of Seven Samurai. This volume is particularly interesting because it explores how the group of seven, once seemingly-unstoppable, reacts to the loss of one of their own. You also get to see the growing changes among the farmers of Kanna as they no longer depend solely on the samurai for protection, but begin to take an active part in the village's defense. I plan on ordering Volume 5 in the next day or two; I can't stress how good of an anime this series is.

The Inevitable Happens Earlier Than Expected...
Before I review this DVD, I want to say this: IF YOU HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED OR PLAN ON PURCHASING THIS VOLUME, DON'T READ THE INSERTED ART BOOK UNTIL YOU WATCH THE DVD, AS IT WILL RUIN THE ENDING. That out of the way, I also want to say that I didn't expect what is contained in this volume of Samurai 7. After having seen Seven Samurai, I know the conclusion of that movie ends with the battles with the bandits. This version of it does not, as will be seen in the next and final two volumes.

(POSSIBLE SPOILER) Of all the volumes, volume four is the truest to the movie so far (and by the looks of it, it will remain so). It details the battles with the bandits and even has one of my favorite moments in the Seven Samurai movie, and that is the death-toll countdown of the bandits, though in this version it's a little abbreviated. It also has some other memorable moments, like Kyuzo's scouting mission; yet of course everything has the new GONZO spin placed on this series. But the...

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Christmas Miracle at Sage Creek

Feel Good Family Western
As more westerns hit the screens, it is refreshing to find a family western that stresses loyalty and portrays the importance of bonds between family and friends, and even more amazing when that film blends this between cowboys and Indians.

"Miracle at Sage Creek" hits this mark; it is a story about two families, era 1880's Wyoming settlement- one lead by a bitter patriarch rancher and the other a mixed white-Indian household. David Carradine plays the father/grandfather who, blinded by the loss of his wife at the hand of Indians, ultimately finds forgiveness and acceptance of his Indian neighbors- his eyes are opened to see that it is the community and love for each other that matters most.

Also refreshing is to see the strong friendships the children of these mixed families have for each other, and how they are both taught by their parents to seek guidance- one through prayer to God, and the other to the "Great Spirit"- albeit to lien not on their own...

A Western you should take the kids to see...
I picked this one up as a free rental because an earlier film would not play properly. My decision process went something like; hmmm... a film with Kwai Chang Caine and Pocahontas in it has just got to be good. So much for my sophisticated thought processes.

Some times it really is that simple, however. David Carradine did not disappoint in his performance and neither did Irene Bedard, who, for those folks who don't read the credits, was the speaking voice of Disney's Pocahontas. Wes Studi, who plays the father of Irene's character, absolutely shines in his role.

It is a modern classic Western that has all the things that made the Western genre king in times past, and quite possibly will bring it back to dominance in times to come. In some ways, it is reminiscent of an old Disney film like Old Yeller, though it is blessed with a happy ending.

The values portrayed and celebrated are those I would want my children exposed to. For the cast and crew...

Nice Film
This was a good film. The director did an awesome job and must have wanted to do a real family story. I would not hesitate letting my kids or grand kids watch this movie. The actors were great, I love Wes Studi and David Carradene. The role of Daniel played by Fred Griffith was a great touch that brings the story to a close. I had not heard of Fred Griffith before this movie but I'm now looking for other movies he's been in.

I would definately reccommend this movie to anyone at any age. I wish I could say that about more movies.

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Jindabyne

A haunting vision of human culpability . . .
This disturbing domestic drama takes a situation from a Raymond Carver story (already adapted for Robert Altman's film "Short Cuts") and dramatizes it in a far more unsettling way than Carver or Altman did. Four men in a small town in Australia get away from the women in their lives for a while by going on a fishing trip. When they get where they're going, they discover the body of a murdered woman but choose to put off notifying any authorities until they've finished what they came for - fishing. This insensitivity is the cause of an emotional upheaval that in the original story alienates one of the wives from her husband. In this film, the ramifications are much broader, disturbing the entire community and, because the victim is an aboriginal, triggering the outrage of her family and tribe.

To what extent the men's failure to act is racist or simply chauvinistic, it's difficult to say, since they are unclear themselves about what they've done. It seems to represent a...

A Murder and Its Implications for a Town's Families
JINDABYNE is a disturbing, somber little film from Australia - a film with profound observations about ethics, racism, the fragility of marriage, the vulnerability of children's minds, and the desperate need for respect for beliefs and peoples outside the mainstream. Beatrix Christian adapted the screenplay from one of Raymond Carver's brilliant short stories, 'So Much Water So Close to Home': it has been said that Carver had 'the ability to render graceful prose from dreary, commonplace, scrapping-the-bottom human misery' and this story embodies all of those traits. As directed by Ray Lawrence with a cast of excellent actors, JINDABYNE will likely become a classic movie - if enough people will take the time and commitment to see it.

In a small town called Jindabyne in Australia a group of four men depart their families for a fishing trip: Stewart Kane (Gabriel Byrne), Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis) and Billy (Simon Stone). While fly fishing in the back...

Needed To Peak Its Head Above The Murky Waters
Stewart Kane (Gabriel Byrne, Vanity Fair) heads out with his local Jindabyne, Australia fishing buddies for a weekend of rest, recreation, and relaxation. But when Stewart discovers an aboriginal woman's body floating face-down in a river, things appear to have turned out for the worst. The largest casualty of the weekend is the men's commonsense. They don't hike out of the ravine, and instead finish their fishing weekend with some great catches. Then they head out and report the body.

The town and the men's lives quickly turn into a mess. The local media swarms them, and accusations of aboriginal prejudices rear up from the local natives. Stewart's wife Claire (Laura Linney, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) senses the deeper meanings of what her husband and his friends did, but has to battle with it through her own mental illness...

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Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane

Coffee, Tea...Or Zombie?
FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: OUTBREAK ON A PLANE is a direct-to-DVD release that exists independently of George Romaro and John Russo's zombie franchises that started out sharing the same grave. So to speak. Their NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is an iconic zombie film that started the whole trend of the horror subgenre and created international fans.

Scott Thomas has done a lot of episodic television and low-budget films, and he has the right sensitivity - if you can be sensitive about zombies - to this kind of film. In addition to directing the movie, Thomas also helped write it with Sidney Iwanter and Mark Onspaugh.

There are no stars in this feature, but there are some guys who've been around the block. David Chisum plays Special Agent Truman Burroughs, one of the good guys. You might know him from the television soap, ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

Richard Tyson plays US Air Marshal Paul Judd. Tyson has been a major player at times in big movies, such as the...

Not bad for what it is, and it is what it is
The title says it all. Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane is exactly what it says: a glorified D-horror movie that should have basically been called Zombies on a Plane. Surprisingly though, Flight of the Living Dead isn't all that bad, and in spots it's actually kind of enjoyable to boot. There isn't a whole lot in terms of plot to be found here (like I said, the title says it all and tells you everything you really need to know), but there's enough bloody fun to be had here. The blood and gore effects are decent enough for a low budget, direct to DVD horror flick, and there's some familiar faces to be found here including Pet Semetery's Dale Midkiff and The Mummy's Kevin J. O'Connor. It's campy and kind of goofy, and if you're reading this, chances are you already know what you're getting with Flight of the Living Dead. As an afterthought, maybe New Line should have released this theatrically instead of Snakes on a Plane.

Crazy nonsense but fun.
Well it would be easy to expect this to be a prime turkey but it turned out to be more fun that I was expecting. Central plot...well the title says it all. Now it all depends on the skill of the director in what turned out here, as rampaging zombies on the confines of a passenger aircraft sounds like horror movie gold on paper, and it would take a serious dope to mess up what is essentially a very simple idea for a fun horror film. And for the most part things flow along pretty well...but you will have to swallow some of the biggest doses of unreality ever seen in a horror movie. Worst of all is the cliche ridden array of passengers we have here. Squabbling teen couples, a policeman and his prisoner charge, cuffed together, scientists who try to hush up the deadly zombie outbreak because it was their fault that it was on board, four or five sexy stewardesses with mini skirts and stilettoes, celebrity golf pro and pouty wife, even the obligatory nun ( I kid you not). Although there are...

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Peach Girl - Vol. 5

A Wild Ride. Very Nerve Wrecking
Peach Girl is a good series. It's definitely meant for girls. That doesn't mean that a dude can't find it entertaining. Emotions don't have sex boundary. Momo is a high school girl who has a crappy best friend and 2 really cool guys that want to date her. Her best friend is determined to make her life hell. This anime explores her relationships with both of her guy friends and the decision she makes on which one to become lovers with. Momo is a great character. You really feel for the troubles she encounters, and want her to be happy.

The animation in this series is pretty good. The voice acting is as well. I've always liked Cherami Leigh. She's not the main character, but she's great. The soundtrack in this is also very fitting. It's a very drama and it keeps you wanting more. I highly recommend it. Especially to a younger teenage audience.





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Species IV - The Awakening (Unrated)

Species IV---The Awakening ( * 1/2)
SPECIES IV is undoubtedly the weakest of the four movies in the SPECIES canon, an unrated direct-to-video release that, like all one-a-half-star movies is both very good and very bad at the same time.

The lovely, luminescent and incredibly blonde Helena Mattsson plays Miranda, the half-human, half-alien creature. Ms. Mattson is far more reminiscent of Nicole Kidman than Natasha Henstridge from the original SPECIES. Her acting is fine, but not arrestingly good.

SPECIES 4 falls down simply because it's essentially a retread.

Miranda, a gifted college professor, is under the watchful eye of her Uncle Tom (Ben Cross), in reality the genetic scientist who created her from a mix of female creature DNA and human female DNA. He has never told her who and what she is. Miranda falls ill. Her illness causes her feral aspects to become dominant. Uncle Tom tries desperately to cure her, resorting to some very questionable tactics to do so. The ethical Miranda is...

Good acting...Script needed work...
The actors were good in this film. I agree with the other reviewer about the 'rest stop" scene being awkward, but even more awkward was the scene where she tries to get her uncle to breed with her. THAT should have been omitted. However, the actors DID save that scene with some dignity in tact, since the producer(s) left it in. It did stick true to the ideal that Tom loved Miranda like a daughter and couldn't conceive of such an act, so she left to find someone else. I liked the plot and such--just not that particular scene. The rest stop scene was awkward, but if the other scene had gone totally left, it would have ruined the entire movie. At least Helena Mattson was not miscast and she did a great job, and so did Ben Cross.

Terrible in every way
While new star Helena Mattsson will most likely take your breath away, there is absolutely nothing else in "Species: The Awakening" to keep your interest for more than five minutes. As a big fan of the original Species and to a lesser degree its first sequel, it's painful to watch these straight to video sequels turn the series in to straight up sci-fi cheese. Every trace of intelligence the series once had has been flushed away with the past two "films". "Species: The Awakening" is simply a boring, poorly acted, poorly scripted piece of garbage with terrible "rubber suit" special effects and laughably bad dialog. Even beautiful women like the aforementioned Helena Mattson can no longer save this series from imploding on itself. Sil would be turning over in her grave.....

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1408 (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

An above- average, atmospheric horror thriller
1408 is one of the best film adaptations of a Stephen King story, and is highly atmospheric. I too am growing weary of movies masquerading themselves as horror films these days, when all they offer are ludicruous plot lines and excess gore, violence and gratuituous sex.

By comparison, 1408 exceeds all expectations when taken for what it is - an intelligent horror movie that despite being rated a tame PG-13 delivers chills, thrills, and a strong performance by its lead actor, John Cusack, as well as a good supporting role by Samuel L Jackson. The story centers around a jaded author, Mike Enslin [John Cusack] who pens 'true horror' books but is actually a skeptic who doesn't believe in the afterworld or entities associated with it. He receives a cryptic postcard one day that tells him 'Do Not Enter 1408' -being a room in the Dolphin Hotel in NY, where Enslin has left behind a painful past.

The rest of the movie picks up pace very quickly and viewers are in for a...

A Good Movie Made Stronger By Masterful Pacing...
My wife and I went to see 1408 the other night. It was a birthday gift--otherwise she'd never have gone. She hates horror movies.

Interestingly, we both ended up enjoying the movie.

I read (or should I say listened to?) the short story prior to seeing the movie. Much like I prefer the movie version of the Shawshank Redemption, I prefer the movie version of 1408.

John Cusak is great. He usually is. Samuel Jackson gives a wonderful performance. Whoever the little girl actress is--she also did a remarkable job.

The ending rocks (I promise I won't spoil anything).

What makes this movie a little stronger than most horror fare is this:

1. The pacing is great. Things never go over the top by being too intense for too long. This has been a big issue in horror films lately. They lose their suspension of disbelief from too much emotional weight. I don't know about you, but I find myself mentally withdrawing from such stories to...

Great movie... wrong ending. This is not what you saw in theaters!
First things first. This is one of the best horror movies I've seen in years. I'm happy that three of my favorite, recent horror films (1408, EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE and THE RING) have been PG-13. They rely more on great writing than gore. The two-disc DVD of 1408 had a second disc with the director's original ending, which was a bit of a downer. I understood why it was reshot, as the ending shown in theaters framed the action with a bit more meaning and a bit less nihilism. Anyway, I bought the blu-ray version for the better picture quality and the slimmer, space-saving package. In checking the packaging, it looked like the blu-ray was pretty much the same as the two-disc DVD. WRONG! THE BLU-RAY HAS THE DIRECTOR'S CUT ENDING! Nowhere on the package is this indicated. Granted, the ending seen in theaters is available in the special features as an isolated scene... but I don't want that. I want what the package implies: the theatrical cut in the blu-ray format. So, buyer...

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Family Feud 3rd Edition

Bought as a gift, recipient loves it
I bought this as a gift for my Uncle, I made him a gift basket with 3 different game show DVD games, and he loved it. This game was fun and easy to use. Would recommend.

Family Feud
This is a fun game. The lady I bought this from was extremely nice as the first copy did not work. No problem with the second copy.

Family Fun = Family Feud
Not exactly like the show, however our family and friends have enjoyed playing this version.

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Egyptian Bellydancing Advanced

Advanced Egyptian Bellydance
I really enjoyed this video. The different rhythms are described. Hilary does give some instruction while she is dancing, although not all the moves are explained. The performance is great and the music is very good as well. The vintage dance postcard collection is awesome.

Quality problem
This dancer is definitely gifted in what she does- also inspiring for dancers with fuller figures-so this is good for those who don't mind poor picture quality.

Old school fundamentals
I liked the approach to the dance. It is old school but with a different perspective which I found helpful. It is not slick or super modern but it has a solid real flavor and I learned quite a bit from watching it.

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Chonda Pierce - Stayin' Alive... Laughing!

Good Clean Comedy
Chonda Pierce does great "down-home" comedy, primarily aimed at women, but doesn't leave the men entirely out of the picture. Her brand of comedy talks about differences between how men and women view their world in such a funny way, that you can't help but laugh. She is also an excellent singer and mixes her two talents to create hilarious parodies of popular songs that you'll want to hear many times. More importantly, however, is that time near the end of each program when she will tell a story from her personal life that will tell everyone that no matter how deep their personal pain is, Jesus is there to bring you back to life. While the phrase "You'll laugh, you'll cry" has been heard in many places, here it really is the truth. I have most of her programs and enjoy them all.

Laughing With Chonda
This DVD is for all who love to laugh. Chonda is such a cut-up! Love her quick wit and she also has a great set of pipes. Five Stars for Chonda.

Very Good
Chonda cheered me up eventually with this movie. It's a bit irreverent and slow about the first third of this DVD. She makes fun of various people and keeps saying "Naked, naked, naked..." She jokes about the differences in many Christian churches. Later she points out the humor in how some men in the church frown on anti-depressants while the drug of their choice is in their own pockets. She talks about Adam and Eve and how we can find joy even though we mess things up.

She suggests that even though Eve ruined the world, she was able to find joy. I believe what Eve did was heroic because she was seeking knowledge to help create children (which God had commanded her to do). The only way for her to do that was to take the fruit and realize her sexuality (nakedness) and accept responsibility for the consequences. I found Chonda's conclusions inspiring and uplifting despite our different views on this.

I would like to view this again. The funniest part is in the...

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Evan Almighty (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD)

Evan Almighty is Mighty Entertaining
The review I read in the USA Today suggested that this movie was a stinker. But I think the critics dropped the ball. This was a fun movie, and a great choice for the whole family. Evan Baxter is the former Buffalo news anchor who has just been elected to Congress with the lofty campaign slogan "Change the World."

This inspires God (played by Morgan Freeman) to speak to Evan about building an ark. God is angry that the beautiful Appalachian mountain vistas he has created are being destroyed by those desiring to create huge residential areas. He is upset with those who want to destroy the natural beauty of the world.

Animals start following Baxter around two by two, and (like in the Tim Allen flick "The Santa Clause") he begins to look like his predecesor (Noah).

Evan becomes alienated from his congressional colleagues and from his family, but by this point in the film, he is convinced that he is doing the work of the Lord.

As the plot...

GREAT movie on Courage, Faith, and Hope
This is a GREAT movie inspite of the reviews given to it by certain critics. (especially critics who happened to compete with it's opening debute). This movie is NOT about a man building an ark, although that appears to be on the surface. It is about a man who is forced into circumstances which seem to be unalterable, taking him further away from his own personal aims in life only to find himself again. He must surrender his own life's plans for plans that appear completely incongruent to his own by Divine interference. He is pushed to the edge of his sanity while his stable and well grounded wife watches him hopelessly slip away. Ultimately, when his own strategies fail, he surrenders to his divine mission and plunges into his project whole heartedly at the cost of his job, family, and his reputation. Steve Carell plays the role so beautifully, full of laughs and humor, drama and tears. And Morgan Freeman, who plays God, is so wonderfully warm and true, he touches the hearts...

This may sound a bit strange...
But FINALLY I can watch a movie with my mother! I'm in my mid twenties and our tastes just tend to run so opposite on everything. I saw this and then saw the rating (which suprised me considering Bruce Almighty) and we agreed on it. And it was very entertaining.

I actually enjoyed the fact that cussing was kept to a minimum (if at all) and so was vulgarity. I loved Morgan Freeman's portrayal of God and the fact that they kept the sense of humor.

Steve Carell WAS very restrained in this movie, as compared to his other roles, but I thought he did an excellent job. I've seen more than 1 review stating that it wasn't as good as 40 Y.O. Virgin, but it's a completely different kind of comedy and his character is very different.

I also didn't really find it sacrilegious or making fun of religion. Some people love that type of humor. I find it tiresome. So for me that was a plus.

In conclusion: yes, it can be a family film, but it can also be...

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The Best of Jack Benny

"Well!..."
MILL CREEK box sets offer good-to-average-quality audio and video transfers of public domain material at a most reasonable price.

The Jack Benny Program aired on radio from 1932 to '55. Many of that show's scripts were recycled for television, beginning in 1950. Benny's CBS-TV series ran until 1965. The core cast (on radio and TV) changed little over the decades: Dennis Day replaced tenor Kenny Baker early on; Bob Crosby (Bing's younger brother) took over for bandleader Phil Harris in 1952.

At one time or another, almost every Hollywood, radio and TV star guested on Jack's show. This four DVD set offers only a fraction of Benny's 258 television episodes, yet the viewer is provided an excellent illustration of his popularity within the "Showbiz" community.

An unrelated highlight of this collection is a 1943 documentary about Hollywood's war efforts. Among the 58 cameo appearances here are: Benny, W.C. Fields, Louis Armstrong, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn,...

Best of Jack Benny
An excellent collection. Although some of the episodes are available elsewhere, about half aren't, including some real rarities. I hadn't seen the HONEYMOONERS sketch before, with both Jack and Dennis Day doing credible impressions of Ralph and Ed. Besides Jack's own shows, there are other appearances like 2 TV plays he starred in, an TV special TELEPARADE OF STARS and a BING CROSBY SHOW he guested on. At it's very reasonable price, it is worth getting for the more unusual items, even if you have the more common ones. For the newcomer, this is the perfect introduction to Jack, with classics like HOW JACK MET MARY and the CHRISTMAS SHOPPING show, which has a wonderful performance from Mel Blanc.
Having said this of course, what we really need for all 50's U.S. comedy classics like Jack, BURNS AND ALLEN, BOB CUMMINGS and BILKO are complete season by season sets like has been done so well with I LOVE LUCY...and how about a complete collection of Jack's later hour specials, like the...

Absolutely delightful
When I ordered this, I was expecting excerpts from Jack Benny programs. Instead, to my surprised delight, there are entire programs, most complete with Lucky Strike cigarette commercials. LSMFT. Young people don't know what those letters stand for (thank goodness), but if you are old enough to be a Benny fan, the letters are indelible in your brain.

There are some very funny bits and the great characters associated with Benny: Rochester, Mary Livingston, Don Wilson, Mr. Kietzel, Mel Blanc, the race track tout, etc. etc. And then there are the guests, Fred Allen, Eddie Cantor, Johnny Ray singing "Cry," Marilyn Monroe, Vincent Price, Liberace, Humphrey Bogart--a veritable who's who of show business stars in the 1950s.

The programs hold up very well. They are still funny. They are still warm and wonderful.

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Tim

Gentle, Interesting Romance
Before Mel Gibson became the controversial director of the edgy hit, "The Passion of the Christ," he starred in an almost forgotten but award-winning 1979 movie, "Tim." It is an understated, yet excellently crafted love story.

Tim Melville has the innocence and desire to love of Forrest Gump, but is not the cartoon of a character as Tom Hanks portrayed. He lives with his soon-to-be-married sister and parents in a small, working class home.

Like in 1981's "Gallipoli," Gibson is a young Australian, complete with an accent. Here, he is a slow, but gentle laborer who does yard work for Mary, an older woman, played by Piper Laurie.

Slowly, they discover that although 20+ years separate them, they are falling love. His parents and sister protect him and want the best for him. They show mixed feelings about the relationship that Tim and Mary do not realize exists.

This is a romance, but it is also about the love of Tim's father for his son, and of...

Mel Gibson at his best!
"Tim" is a wonderful Australian story of the relationship between a very handsome, though mentally and emotionally challenged, young man and an attractive transplanted American older woman. The innocence of it is what is so powerful!

Mel is absolutely believable as the over-protected adult son of two working class parents and jealous older sister. When he meets Mary (Piper Laurie) his world is changed in an instant as he goes about doing yard work at her elaborate home. What develops between them is rarely seen in films today, a slow and progressively blossoming relationship.

I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship between Tim and his sister, the affection between the parents and Tim, and Tim's unraveling bond with his dad, but the movie is top notch nonetheless.

The story has some very sad moments, and the lighting is terrible in some areas of the movie. But with Tim's sweetness of spirit and brevity of wardrobe, he is utterly...

TIM IS TOPS...
This is a gem of a film, starring the underrated Piper Laurie in the role of Mary Horton, a well-to-do, but lonely, business woman, who befriends Tim Melville, a very nice, good looking day laborer, earnestly played by a very young Mel Gibson. Tim happens to be a little simple. His family describes him as being "a few short of a full quid".

While he does work around her house, Mary gets to know Tim, as well as his working class family. As time goes on, a deep fondness that ripens into love develops between the two. He brings her out of her shell, and she teaches him to read and explains concepts that will enable him to function better in the world around him. Based upon Colleen McCollough's book of the same name, this is a very well acted-film, with fine performances by the supporting cast, as well as the leads.

The quality of the DVD, however, is bargain basement with no additional features. Moreover, the DVD picture is best described as grainy. This is...

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Fate/Stay Night, Vol. 6: The Holy Grail

Great ending to a great series.
I accidentally ran across the anime while searching around for other stuff and was intrigued on what it was about. Most of the time I wouldn't pick up an anime just by the look of the cover, but this one looked appealing to me so I decided, hey what the heck! I'm glad I did pick this one up, it's definitely a keeper. I'm not going to spoil it for those who haven't seen the ending yet, but it definitely caught me a bit off guard. Great ending in my opinion. The animation quality and voice acting(Japanese and English) is superb. Great story line that will definitely grab your attention. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes some action and drama. 5 stars.

Well worthwhile
Great series. I highly suggest it. It is hard to come by now but Amazon offered the best price on this volume, hands down.

Possible Box Set?
Ever since Geneon halted prodution, I wonder when they resume and what box set look like, lets just hope they resume.

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The Wiggles: Yummy Yummy

Not as good as "Wiggle Time" but . . .
"Santa" brought the Wiggles "Wiggle Time" video to our house and my two daughters (ages 2 1/2 and 5 years of age) LOVED it, as did all of their friends. I particularly liked that the girls were up dancing and actually getting some exercise during the entire video, unlike most videos where kids are inclined to just sit and watch. For that reason I immediately ordered the "Yummmy Yummy" video.

The girls do love this one but my primary reason for ordering it . . . the "stand-up, dance and move" rather than "sit and stare" factor . . . isn't nearly as good in this one. There is much more down-time (as in 'sit down') on this one.

Still, THEY do enjoy it. If I were choosing between this or Wiggle Time as a parent, I'd recommend that you choose "Wiggle Time" in a heart beat for your kids, for gifts, etc.

Also, I do agree that the puppets are kind of creepy and, while they don't bother my children, they don't...

EXCELENT VIDEO - except for puppets
After seeing the previews on Barney Videos we bought the video tapes. We've had Yummy Yummy for about 2 weeks now and my son absolutely loves them. However there are a couple of scenes that frighten him. there are Puppets who are suppose to look like the characters on this show performing a song. They are a frightening portrayal of the 4 characters. When their scene come up, my 2 year old says "Scary.." and covers his eyes while I fast forward the scene . It gets scarier as you watch it in fast-forward. Other than that my son is enthralled with the Wiggles & always asks to watch it before & after day care. It is a video with lots of physical participation. My husband & I end up joining our son with all the dance moves. It is so great seeing our son's face light up when we put on their ( the WIggles ) video tape. We also purcahsed Wiggle Time. Our son loves that video and we have just currently ordered Wake Up Jeff. We can't wait.

Great fun!
This is the video your looking for if you've seen the preview on Barney video's of the Wiggles. This has the Monkey song on it. My kids (5 and 21 months)think these guys are wonderful. They begged for the tape after seeing it advertised on Barney. We went looking for it at Toys R Us and with no luck came looking for it here. Thank goodness I found it and the kids get up and dance and sing with it. Its great. They can even spell DOROTHY, you'll see. Even Dad and I find ourselves singing the songs. I plan on buying Wiggle Time soon for them as well. This is for sure a tape that won't sit around, it will be watched a lots of times...

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Captain and Tennille in New Orleans

Wonderful music!
This dvd contains some wonderful music, including: "Black Water" and "Dr. Jazz". Fats Domino also performs "Walking To New Orleans". Buy this and spend a wonderful hour with a talented and dynamic duo!

Captain and Tennille in New Orleans
I love the Captain and Tennille in New Orleans DVD because it shows them in New Orleans. I love everying on this DVD.

Two of the greatest performers and a" Happy Together" Couple
Captain & Tennille have been our favorites for a lot of years, and since they don't perform anymore, it is so nice to have them talking and singing and touring New Orleans. It is a nice clear video and I enjoy watching it. They are a fun couple, and her voice is the best!

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That Baby DVD

We love this DVD!
That Baby DVD is a wonderful change to the kids DVD's out there. Our family loves watching this dvd.

Great DVD
My kids and I both enjoy the DVD - it is a welcome change from the ususal toddler tunes!

This is a must have for kids!
I recommend this DVD to all my friends and they ALL not just love it, but are crazy for it! The songs bring back memories, but also create new ones as I see my children entranced by the music. The voice of the lead singer is soothing to us all, the music is phenomenal. Its the only CD we all never tire of (and that says a lot). The DVD is mesmerizing to my kids, they adore it. Rarely is there children's music that grown-ups can fall in love with, but this is just that! This CD/DVD comes with my highest recommendation!

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King of the Cage: Big Stars, Best Knockouts - The Evolution of Combat

KOTC KO's and Reality Stars 2: Vital Info
This is a 5 DVD set.

Disc 1 & 2 is "KOTC Reality Stars 2". This is a compilation of fights from cast members of The Ultimate Fighter reality series. These fights are pulled primarily from King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge events. They are fights from early in these fighters careers, as they were making their way up to the big leagues.

Disc 1:
Kendall Grove Vs. Hector Ramirez
Joe Stevenson Vs. Ryan Painter
Rashad Evans Vs. Jaime Jara
Forrest Griffin Vs. Steven Sayegh

Disc 2:
Shonie Carter Vs. Fernando Vasconsuelos
Diego Sanchez Vs. Shannon Rich
Keith Jardine Vs. George Allen
Dan Christison Vs. Eric Pele

Discs 3,4, & 5 is "KOTC Greatest Knockouts Volume 1-3"

Disc 3: KOTC KO's Vol.1

Duane Ludwig Vs. David Ibarra
Sean Sullivan Vs. Curtis McWatters
Antonio McKee Vs. Chris Brennan
Vernon White Vs. Todd Medina
Shad Smith Vs. Duane Ludwig
Tony Galindo Vs...





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Shape Pilates Workout: Makeover Your Your Abs, Butt and Thighs Fast!

Abs-olutely one the best pilates workout for your abs, thighs, and buns!
i bought this because i need another workout to rotate with my denise austin's hit the spots pilates (which i love too). this caught my attention in that it includes a resistance band, is from shape, and support breast cancer at the same time.

i do not regret the purchase at all! i tried it for the first time last night and LOVE IT!

it's 30 minutes of abs, thighs, and buns workout that you can definitely feel even if you work out daily. the addition of the resistance band give your core the much needed extra push that really burns your abs, thighs and butts.

it includes a 10 minutes bonus upper body sculpting that use the resistance too.

i'm not a beginner but neither am i an intermediate and this work out is not hard to do at all, yet very effective. it was, in fact, very enjoyable. all the moves are done in a way that i do not find boring. i can see myself working out to this everyday.

if this workout doesn't give you results, i...

Disappointing
I love the Shape Bikini Body Camp DVDs, that's why I purchased this Shape DVD. But it turned out to be very disappointing. The reasons are:

1. Not really for your abs or butt
During the 30-minute workout, I did feel the burn in my thighs and ONLY my thighs. The exercises for abs and butt aren't very effective and I did not feel much at all in these parts.

2. The exercises for thighs aren't well designed
Instead of exercising two legs alternately, they let you do the right leg exercise all at once, then do the left one all at once. This way, my right leg is already too sore to move on in the middle of exercise while my left leg doesn't feel much. Then the same thing happens when I switch to my left leg. I feel it would be much more doable and effective if they let me exercise each leg for a shorter period of time but repeat more than once.

The part I do like about this DVD is the bonus part. It provides a 10-minute upper-body sculpting and...

It's just ok...
Shape Pilates Workout: Makeover Your Your Abs, Butt and Thighs Fast!

I have another Lizbeth Garcia's Pilates DVD and because i liked that one so much, i bought this one. I have to say i wasn't impressed with this DVD. There is more emphasis on the thighs and a little bit on the butt, but there is not much for the abs. There are also two girls doing the workout with her but you can see how they start to sham towards the end. I recommend her "Pilates on the ball" DVD more than this one: )

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The Reef

Undersea robbery
Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)

1. Boy fish meets girl fish
2. Bigger boy fish has his lateral eyes on the same girl fish
3. Boy fishes compete to win girl fish's fin in marriage
4. You already know how this is going to end

You'll get a strong feeling of déjà vu when watching this movie. Not only are the underwater locations familiar, especially the reef, the ocean current and the shipwreck, but the characters also, like the shark, the turtle, the jellyfish, the shrimp, the pelican, the starfish and the "henchmen". There's even a bit of "The Karate Kid" in there when a wise old ninja turtle helps out the underdogfish.

You'll also find that the majority of the scenes have been done before in other movies, and better. Taken on its own it's an average kids' movie, but the "borrowing" is so blatant that it's impossible to classify it as an original movie.

You've seen most of this before in Finding Nemo, The...

Not for young, young kids unless you skip the begining
The was the first film which made my 2 year-old cry. At the begining of the film you meet the parents in the sludge of Boston, talking about moving to the reef. Then the net comes and gets all of them, mother, father, and child. The child escapes but the mother and father are dragged away in the net leaving the child crying "mom, dad..." and then he is sad for for a while while traveling to the reef with a bunch of porpoises. Seeing the parents carried off was too visual with crying out over and over, and didn't have to be part of the film at all. How about the parent decide to move and they all go there? It wouldn't have changed the rest off the movie at all. My 12 year-old, husband, and I didn't like that they had to put this strife in and it, and in a really upsetting way. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the film other than traveling with the porpoises but they all could have traveled with the porpoises. Later having it said that, your parents are sushi now kid, didn't...

Great to pass off the afternoon
Got this under 10$ and im glad i bought it. Some reviewers hate it cause
it looks like other movies. Ive seen all other movies like Shark's take and
nemo...but when you like a movie, you want to see more of it...so this
movie is like a extension of other movies that i like... Cant lose with
this deal.
Anyway i enjoyed the reef, and cant wait for more computer animated movies.

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Baby Mastermind: Animals

INFO...
Entertain and educate your baby at the same time with this colorful show! The program includes a series of images and sounds designed to acquaint your children with the world's wonderful animals.....
Your little masterminds will be entertained and enlightened by this delightful early education Baby Mastermind Series. Each program features pictures, sounds, and music designed to acquaint your baby with the wonders of the world, including animals, numbers, letters, colors, and objects, as well as the amazing sights and sounds of the natural world.





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La Nina de Los Hoyitos

As lively as back then!
Watching this film was like a trip back to my happy childhood. Great quality, neat sound tracks. I loved it.





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The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly World!

Pretty Good, But Not The Best Wiggles Video
We have all the Wiggles videos and each one is a little different, but this one (the latest available in the U.S.) is maybe too different for our taste. There's more talking, less dancing and singing. Also, the "weird" songs are even weirder on this video. However, I don't think you can ever go wrong with the Wiggles, so I would still recommend this video. If you are just getting into Wiggles, the best videos are Wiggle Time, Toot Toot and Yummy Yummy. Wake Up Jeff and Dance Party are older, but still very good. I'm sure with time, this video will grow on us too.

Not as Wiggly as some but still Wiggly Fun!
My daughters (1 and 2.5 years old) are Wiggles addicts - we have Wiggles videos, cds, toys, books etc. They love all the Wiggles videos they have but probably this one is played the least. I think because the songs are a bit more mellow than some of the other ones when they can jump and dance around. I find this is a good video to calm them down before bed, where something like "Hoop De Doo, It's a Wiggly Party" - is full of fast paced songs which are perfect for a energetic dance around the lounge room or to play at a birthday party.
The video is great and features some well known Australia and New Zealand singers with songs that made them famous. It's an interesting collabaration with the Wiggles twist given to songs that have been around since I was a child.
The Wiggles really enjoy what they do - I highly recommend any of their videos, cds and if you get the change to see them live - you won't be sorry!

Different for the Wiggles, better each time I watch it.
This is a little different style for the Wiggles. They enlist the help of several Austrailian and New Zealand song writers and performers for several of their songs. They manage to make all the songs lively and catchy with the exception of poor Tim Finn who really missed the boat on children's music revisiting his 80's hit Six Months is A Leaky Boat with a slow tempo and phrases like "the tyranny of distance", but he tried. I still get his song stuck in my head and our beloved boys brought out some of the best choreography for that song to liven it up. I probably didn't make any friends with that opinion, but it just is not a children's song!
I wasn't sure about the video at first, but the choreography in all the songs is very good and it really gets better each time I watch it. My 19 month old really likes it. Not as good as 'Toot Toot' but mutch better than 'Wiggly Gremlins'. Which kinda stinks. No offense.

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Mike Marino: New Jersey's Bad Boy of Comedy

Joisy Boy Kills
This is a solid release.New Jersey born and raised stand-up comic Mike Marino comes across as a wiseguy / goombah comic, the kind who would be comfortable in a Tony Soprano world. This shtick works because Marino is able to use the stereotype to set up his jokes and also rise above it at the same time. His first stand-up comedy DVD, New Jersey's Bad Boy of Comedy, was, in my opinion, a long time coming but is well worth the wait. If you have his CD you'll recognize many routines but this time you get to see them and a lot of the fun in Mike Marino New Jersey's Bad Boy of Comedy DVD is watching Marino perform as this stand-up comic really uses his body language to add to his material.

Could not stop laughing,almost died LMAO still!!!
We went to the Borgota this summer in Atlantic City and saw Mike live.It was non stop laughs from his first word.He is an amazing comedian.We laughed so hard we had tears streaming down our faces ,I swear I couldn't breathe!It was a packed house and everyone was going crazy,laughing.It has been a very bad year and a half I lost my mother inlaw ,my mom,my grandfather,2 dogs, and had my last dog on her last legs.It was the first time in a long time I laughed,it was the best show I have ever seen.At the end of the show I bought his CD and DVD ,I thanked him for the laughs and he told me to be on the lookout for Marino's his new TV show that's coming out soon.I also am Italian and come from Jersey but even an Eskimo living in an Igloo would love this guy,he is a comedic genius.If you or somebody you know could use a laugh please buy his DVD.

STARTS GREAT, THEN PUTTERS OUT
Not sure what happened. For about 20 mins the laughs were there and then it just went down hill.

This was my first chance to see this comedian so when the show started off with a bang, I was happy I had selected this for viewing.

Now? I am uncertain if I would watch him again.

Usually comedians need to warm up in their act, get into momentum and then the laughs start rolling. Here I witnessed the opposite.

I would have to see very high reviews on another one of his stand up acts to consider giving him a second chance. Disappointed.

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Go Diego Go! - Safari Rescue

Magical Diego fun.
I really like Diego because it teaches animal facts and encourages viewer interaction. Many of the mystical/magical episodes are framed as a mythology or as the characters jumping into a book. This DVD does not present it that way. The first episode is longer and strongly magic themed, the other two are not.

Dolby Digital: English Stereo, Spanish Stereo and French Stereo.

3 Episodes:
Diego's Safari Rescue: Elephants are turned into stone by a mosquito-turned-sorceress. Diego, Alicia and Baby Jaguar go to Africa to help Juma find a magic drum to turn them back. In the English version the episode has mixed in Spanish and Swahili words which seemed to be too many. My toddler was getting used to learning the Spanish words, but an extra language as well as the Spanish seemed a little overwhelming--he didn't repeat either language that episode.

Panchita the Praire Dog: Diego and Alicia help a prairie dog find a place to resettle her family...

more Diego DVD with a Spanish track please!
My son loves this dvd! He doesn't find it confusing in the least. We only wish more Diego DVDs were available with a spanish track. Im writing this review in the hope that some producer will start adding Spanish (and other language?) tracks to all the DVDs! there's a market out there for this!

¡No Diego No!
Overly complex-even for Diego. Fails to engage our Dora-loving toddlers. The Spanish track is exhausting to follow due to the bizarre nature of the English/original story. I loved the idea of Diego in Africa (I'm half African), but it gets lost amid the truly weird - versus creative - stories. Back to Dora for us.

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Three Days of Rain

worth watching
Hmmm, my impression of Three Days of Rain is significantly different (and more positive) than most people. Actually, I'm surprised only three people have reviewed this film here on amazon. It seems like the kind of movie that should have become more popular.

I really loved what the writers were going for here- take a variety of storylines involving completely different people living in Cleveland, reveal to us their own personal problems and situations, let the story unravel slowly while allowing the viewers to "expect the unexpected", and don't expect *too* much of a brilliant ending.

I personally didn't mind the ending one bit. Yes, it could have been better, but who knows, maybe that's just my expectations being set too high- maybe all along the writers wanted to deliver something relatively simple and down to earth. After all, the rest of the film was simple and down to earth, why should the ending be any different?

Yes, there was really only...

Chekov meets Altman
Terrific ensemble type film with four stories overlapping. Loved Peter Falk as the old drunk. A role he has waited his entire life to play. Also, the story about the girl watching her own baby is heart breaking to say the least.

sorry, no car chases
Life is not always beautiful, and this movie is about as close to real life as people can stand to watch when they aren't personally involved. Is there perfect closure to the story lines? No, but I think they do have a certain 'the sun has risen on a brand new day' kind of feeling. Not that the new day will be perfect, but that life continues, and we are stronger for having lived through the bad times.

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The Wiggles - Getting Strong

A breath of Fresh Air
I bought Getting Strong for my 2 year old son who is a huge Wiggles Fan. We have all of the DVDs that are out. I was afraid that Getting Strong was going to tank with him because this is the first DVD with Sam as the yellow Wiggle. To my surprise it is a big hit. Not only with my 2 year old but with my 4 year old. Finally a DVD that they both agree on.
Getting Strong is not like any other Wiggle DVD. Each Wiggle has an equal part in the singing and dancing. You actually hear Jeff sing!!!! It is colorful and has very catchy songs. This DVD also is very educational. The Wiggles teach colors, letters, shapes and letter sounds. The seem to have focused on education then song this go around. Not to say the songs are not cute as always.
For those who attended Wiggle World at Six Flags, these are the songs that were playing on all of the rides.
Very cute! Way to go!

Too Boring for younger viewers
We were so excited to see the first DVD with Sam featured. It is educational but too boring for younger viewers. My son is 2 and loved Wiggling around the Clock, Sailing, and Toot Toot probably because they have so much singing. Getting Strong is a lot of talking. It reminds me of Sesame Street and would probably be most appropriate for 4 yrs. and older. The DVD is well done- nice costumes and backgrounds. Has some favorite Wiggly Dancers and many new dancers, band players, and children.

Solid debut for Sam Wiggle
Greg Page was always going to be hard to replace -- his voice is remarkably pleasant and he had a winning way about him -- but Sam Moran surprises in his first video outing. His voice is different from Greg's, but very fine -- in some ways, more polished. He also has an amiable manner, and immediately won over my two-year-old daughter. Judging by her chatter, Sam rivals Murray for the title of her favorite Wiggle character. I agree with the comment that the digital backgrounds are a drawback, but as the digital work goes in these kinds of videos, what we see here isn't bad.

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Veggie Tales: The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's

"Tutu, I Don't Think We Are in Kansas Anymore."
Larry the Cucumber has a problem. He's broken something of his dad's. In fact, he's considering running away from home so he doesn't have to face his dad. Fortunately, Bob the Tomato has a solution for him, our story for this episode.

In Kansas, Darby (Jr. Asparagus) is bored with life on his father's floss farm. He wants to go to Ha's, an amusement park in the area. When his father says they can't go, Darby runs away with his pig, er dog, Tutu. But before he gets far, he is swept up and taken to Munchieland. From there, he sets out to follow Yellow McToad to Ha's, along the way making friends with a Scarecrow (Mr. Lunt), a Tin Man (Larry the Cucumber), and a Lion (Pa Grape). But what will happen when he runs out of money? Will his father forgive him?

We also get a new silly song, "Monkey." By the time it is over, you will definitely know the difference between a monkey and an ape. Just don't take it as far as Larry does.

I guessed that Phil...

This is a riot! I definitely recommend.
So, can I just tell you that the Veggie Tales Rock? We just recently purchased this DVD and my kids, 6, 4, & 2 have watched it no less than 50 times. We've traveled between states the last two weeks, and the kids watched this in the car. The second this DVD is over my kids yell, CAN YOU START IT AGAIN? I am telling you, they watch it 3 or 4 times in a row. I have only heard it while driving and have not even been able to watch it, yet, and I laugh the whole way through. They jokes are so funny, and my kids don't even realize where they come from, ('Tin man. Rusted!') So funny!
I personally am not uber-religious, but I am determined to raise my childred to be good people, and always to be kind and think about the consequences of their actions, and effects on others, and these videos each have several good lessons in them that the kids don't even realize they are learning. We also have some really good conversations about WHY things are happening in the movies, which sparks my kids...

They're Not In Kansas Anymore
In this latest story from the people at Big Idea, the VeggieTale gang takes on the parable of the prodigal son by parodying THE WIZARD OF OZ. At the beginning of the segment, Larry is fretting about having broken his father's toy water buffalo and what his reaction will be. Later Bob reads a letter from a viewer who is afraid that God will no longer love him because of the things he has done in life. Thus Bob begins the tale of THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF HA'S. The story follows young Darby O'Gill (another shout out to the folks at Disney) as portrayed by Junior Asparagus. Darby lives on a dental floss farm with his father. Times have been tough and they are having difficulties bringing in the crop. Darby really wants to go to a new amusement park that has just opened up, The Land of Ha's. His father explains that they just don't have the money. Darby insists that he can go with the money that his father has been saving for him, but his father reminds Darby that that money is for...

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Fullmetal Alchemist - Vol. 2

KILLER ON THE ROAD AND RAIL
Volume 2 of Fullmetal Alchemist takes us back in time to the beginnings of Ed and Alphonse's quest to become State Alchemists. First, they must board a train to meet Roy Mustang, their sponsor for the state test, only to find that terrorists have seized it! If they can live through that, there's an even harder task before them. They must pass the Alchemy Exam to even enter the program and find a way to restore their bodies back to normal. Mustang rooms them with a brillant if somewhat strange alchemist named Shou Tucker, who rumor tells was able to create a talking chimera. He also has a young daughter named Nina. While all this is going on, a serial killer is stalking the streets, killing innocent women at his leisure. His next victim might be someone Ed and Al know!

Volume 2 had moments of darkness and light. Its humor and playfulness, especially with the interaction between Ed, Al, and Nina was very wistful. But there is a tragedy beneath it all, and when you inject...

I See Now What Everyone's Talking About
It took me a long time to find my way to Fullmetal Alchemist but eventually, after getting so many recommendations and reading all of the many, many reviews, I decided to take the chance on what I had thought appeared to be a childish series. Now, two volumes in, I have no regrets. FMA has proved to me with these four episodes that it has everything that makes an anime great, including a good story, lovable characters, fluid animation, with an emotional soundtrack backing all of this. This series certainly is shaping up to be everything that the critics say, and I can't wait to hurry on to the next volume in line.

First, however, the review for Fullmetal Alchemist: 2: Scarred Man of the East.

In volume one, the story begins with the Elric Brothers journeying to find the Philosopher's Stone, but soon after it takes a trip into the brother's dark past. This volume continues along in that thread, showing the history of how Edward and Alphonse became associated with...

Among the best
I am not a spring chicken, so I get introduced to anime through my daughter. Some of it is fluffy love stories or improbable characters or situations that appear from nowhere to solve the day. Full Metal is none of these. The characters are believable even when they are a talking metal suit of armor. Ed and Al are young boys. Their mother dies. They desparately want her back. They do something forbidden. They pay. And they learn what the costs are. The world is a confusing place. They navigate, sometimes on their own and sometimes with people who they meet along the way. Not everyone is who they seem at the start. Finally they confront the costs of their and other peoples violations of the rules. Through the story there is humor and growth. The story is told from their point of view. They do not give in to the tragedies that surround them and keep fighting for the truth and for each other. I highly recommend this series for young teens and old fogies (that's me). Much better than most...

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28 Weeks Later (Widescreen Edition)

A worthy successor to the original.
28 Weeks Later... (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 2007)

So Alex Garland didn't write the 28 Days Later... sequel, nor did Danny Boyle direct it. I felt a bit better about this after hearing that the reason for both was time issues/contractual obligations (both were involved in the much-anticipated Sunshine when this got off the ground). So they brought in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intacto) to both co-write and direct. I was still a touch leery walking into the theater, but the end result is that the movie was not as good as I'd hoped-- but a great deal better than I expected.

We start off with a group of survivors holed up in a cottage at the beginning of the outbreak (if you saw the original, the opening scene happens, presumably, while Cillian Murphy's character is still in a coma). Two of the people stuck there are Alice (Catherine McCormack) and Don (Robert Carlyle). During dinner one night, there's a pounding on the door, and they admit a young boy (Gary Robert...

The perfect horror sequel
When I heard that this was coming out, I was not expecting much. The original is arguably THE zombie classic (discounting the hysterical "Shaun of the Dead") of the last decade, but the sequel involved almost none of the original minds that brought us the stark terror of "28 Days Later", which combined the threats of cataclysmic disease and it's deadly effects on the mind which caused those infected by what became known as the "Rage Virus" to viciously and relentlessly attack the uninfected, either killing the victim or spreading the disease. A sequel had potential of course, but it seemed like it would be a by-the-books popcorn affair. Boy, was I wrong.

People complained that the first film started too slowly and was boring for the first twenty minutes; I disagree, but that issue has been addressed nonetheless. The opening sequence flashes back to another group of survivors during the original outbreak. Their fate is one you won't forget; it is startling, chaotic,...

The virus returns!
I'm always weary of horror sequels...they usually just don't cut the mustard (Loved "The Ring" but its sequel was miserably bad!). This sequel lives up to its entertaining predecessor and may actually be better than the first!

The story picks up six months after the virus ravaged London, with a couple (played by Catherine McCormack and the talented Robert Carlyle) who are living with a group of survivors in a boarded up home. Soon, however, their quiet hideaway is attacked by a group of blood thirsty "ragers" and Carlyle's character shows his true cowardly nature, leaving behind his wife to be killed and saving himself, above all others.

When we next see (Carlyle) he is being reunited with his children in an area sanctioned off by the US government and Nato. With snipers set up to watch the safe zone and giving complete medical exams to clear the returning citizens, the project looks to be a successful attempt to eradicate the virus infected zombies and the...

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Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (Unrated)

A surprisingly good and enjoyably gory B-horror treat
The original Wrong Turn had it's moments, but the direct to DVD sequel surprisingly outshines it in almost every way. Wrong Turn 2: Dead End finds the pack of forest dwelling inbred cannibals stalking the cast and crew of a reality TV, Survivor-esque show. What results next contains the basic, somewhat predictable horror elements, but Wrong Turn 2 is so gleeful in it's delivery that you'll look past it's shortcomings. The opening scene is worth the price of admission alone, the gore effects are surprisingly good and wonderfully grisly, and legendary Black Flag frontman and punk pioneer Henry Rollins heads a surprisingly decent cast that also includes Erica Leerhsen (the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake) and Daniella Alonso (who dealt with another group of inbred cannibals in the recent, and dreadful, Hills Have Eyes 2) as well. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and as long as you don't either, you'll have a blast with Wrong Turn 2. All in all, if you're looking for a fun...

Nice Surprise..Gorier and better than the first
Wrong Turn 2
Is one of the best straight to video horror movies and especially sequels I have seen.
The gore is abundant and the effects are very well done.
Henry Rollins is the stand out in the cast of good actors..
I loved wrong Turn and had reservations about liking this one but it did not disappoint in the least.The characters were likeable and the mutants were taken to a new level by adding female monstrosities and incestuous siblings.
I have watched it about 4 times already and will watch it many more times .
When I find a slasher movie especially a slasher in the woods movie I like from this era I'm so pleased because I'm a big fan of the early 80's slashers but every once in awhile a new movie comes out that satisfies me like Wrong Turn and wrong Turn 2.
Don't listen to the haters ..It's a great slasher flick.
I actually like this one better than the first because it's unapologetically politically incorrect and oozes in your face gore...

Best Direct to DVD/Sequel in a long time!!!
Wrong Turn 2 was a pleasant surprise viewing!!! I love the star of the 1st Wrong Turn film, Eliza Dushku, BUT this sequel blows the 1st one away!!! The gore is awesome and the terror train keeps going from start to end on this one!!! The script is cool and features some familiar faces in the flick such as Henry Rollins (Punk Rock and Poet God) and "Erica" from Blair Witch 2 (and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake).

The effects are awesome. The gore is on high octane yet is superbly effective within the storyline. People are blown up, axed, gutted, shot with arrows--they're even put through a grinder!! This family is more gruesome than both clans in the Hills have Eyes and the newer Texas CHainsaw Massacre Flicks!!!

This is a great gore horror flick to watch, with a decent story, acting and effects. If you love horror flicks, skip renting it and just buy it! It won't disappoint!!

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