March 16th, 2010 — Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight (8) Pieces of Brocade Tagged Download Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight (8) Pieces of Brocade Online, Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight (8) Pieces of Brocade, Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight (8) Pieces of Brocade Streaming, Stream Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight (8) Pieces of Brocade, Watch Eight Simple Qigong Exercises For Health - The Eight (8) Pieces of Brocade Online
I was introduced to the benefits of Qigong by a good friend a few months ago. I noticed that it had immediate physical benefits. I had been searching for a practice that would help increase my physical energy.
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This is a wonderful introduction to Qigong for beginners. I bought the video on the recommendations of the reviewers here and have not been disappointed. Plus it is a very reasonable cost compared to the other options.
Dr. Yang gives very clear and concise explanations of the theory behind the poses. The exercises are simple to do. I have started with the sitting exercises and am doing them morning and night the past few days.
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I suffer from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia and bought this to improve the energy flow in my body. I have been feeling very weak lately due to lack of sleep and stress and found that the poses gave me immediate benefit by taking a layer of pain off my body. I am sleeping better too. I will check back in 3 months to update the benefits.
Also it became clear to me from watching the DVD that the problems I am having are energy problems. After doing the exercises I could feel the chi flowing in parts of my body that have been blocked — namely my feet and arms. I also noticed that my kidneys are extremely sore and probably depleted. I was shocked. These exercises made me more aware of what is really going on in my body.
The sitting exercises are great for those who need to take it slow. To the senior gentleman who was upset that Dr. Yang didn’t go into modifications. Yes, you are right, but you needn’t worry if you can’t stretch all the way to your toes. Just stretch as far forward as you can comfortably do. He also says in his analysis that the repetitions are guidelines — and to do what you can.
A great DVD. I can’t wait to see how I’m feeling in a few months. The DVD made me realize that I need to renergize my kidney’s and I am buying herbal tea and herbs to assist in that process. I for one am tired of exercise that pushes the body past it’s limits. This set of poses works with the body that you have now!
I can only add to the other rave reviews.
I have tried other qigong videos, but this is the best one.
The explanations are clear, and the quality of the DVD is excellent. There is no distracting background or new age gobbledigook. You can get a good workout in 20 minutes regardless of your age or physical condition.
Well worth buying.
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March 16th, 2010 — Winx Club - Battle for the Codex - Season 2, Vol. 2 Tagged Download Winx Club - Battle for the Codex - Season 2, Stream Winx Club - Battle for the Codex - Season 2, Vol. 2, Vol. 2 Online, Vol. 2 Streaming, Watch Winx Club - Battle for the Codex - Season 2, Winx Club - Battle for the Codex - Season 2
DISC ONE
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GANGS OF GARDENIA
THE WRONG RIGHTERS
MAGIC IN MY HEART
THE FOURTH WITCH
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EXCHANGE STUDENTS
HEART OF CLOUD TOWER
SHADOWS IN BLOOM
DISC TWO
THE FIRST CHARMIX
TROUBLE IN PARADISE
LAST RESORTS
DARKENSS AND LIGHT
DESPERLY SEEKING BLOOM
STORMING SHADOWHAUNT
THE ULTIMATE POWER COUPLE FOR THE OTHER EPISODES LOOK AT SEASON 2 VOLUME 1 THANKS
Great video and audio quality! My niece and I love to watch this series together.
It does not have subtitles on any of the disk which was disappointing.
For an American dub of the original Italian series, it is not that bad.
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March 16th, 2010 — The Grapes of Wrath Tagged Download The Grapes of Wrath Online, Stream The Grapes of Wrath, The Grapes of Wrath, The Grapes of Wrath Streaming, Watch The Grapes of Wrath Online
“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loos’d the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on.” – Battle Hymn of the Republic.
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In 1936, John Steinbeck wrote a series of articles about the migrant workers driven to California from the Midwestern states after losing their homes in the throes of the depression: inclement weather, failed crops, land mortgaged to the hilt and finally taken over by banks and large corporations when credit lines ran dry. Lured by promises of work aplenty, the Midwesterners packed their belongings and trekked westward to the Golden State, only to find themselves facing hunger, inhumane conditions, contempt and exploitation instead. “Dignity is all gone, and spirit has turned to sullen anger before it dies,” Steinbeck described the result in one of his 1936 articles, collectively published as “The Harvest Gypsies;” and in another piece (”Starvation Under the Orange Trees,” 1938) he asked: “Must the hunger become anger and the anger fury before anything will be done?”
By the time he wrote the latter article, Steinbeck had already published one novel addressing the agricultural laborers’ struggle against corporate power (”In Dubious Battle,” 1936). Shortly thereafter he began to work on “The Grapes of Wrath,” which was published roughly a year later. Although the book would win the Pulitzer Prize (1940) and become a cornerstone foundation of Steinbeck’s Literature Nobel Prize (1962), it was sharply criticized upon its release – nowhere more so than in the Midwest – and still counts among the 35 books most frequently banned from American school curricula: A raw, brutally direct, yet incredibly poetic masterpiece of fiction, it continues to touch nerves deeply rooted in modern society’s fabric; including and particularly in California, where yesterday’s Okies are today’s undocumented Mexicans – Chicano labor leader Cesar Chavez especially pointed out how well he could empathize with the Joad family, because he and his fellow workers were now living the same life they once had.
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Having fought hard with his publisher to maintain the novel’s uncompromising approach throughout, Steinbeck was weary to give the film rights to 20th Century Fox, headed by powerful mogul and, more importantly, known conservative Daryl F. Zanuck. Yet, Zanuck and director John Ford largely stayed true to the novel: There is that sense of desperation in farmer Muley’s (John Qualen’s) expression as he tells Tom and ex-preacher Casy (Henry Fonda and John Carradine) how the “cats” came and bulldozed down everybody’s homes, on behalf of a corporate entity too intangible to truly hold accountable. There is Grandpa Joad (Charley Grapewin), literally clinging to his earth and dying of a stroke (or, more likely, a broken heart) when he is made to leave against his will. There is everybody’s brief joy upon first seeing Bakersfield’s rich plantations – everybody’s except Ma Joad’s (Jane Darwell’s), that is, who alone knows that Grandma (Zeffie Tilbury) died in her arms before they even started to cross the Californian desert the previous night. There is the privately-run labor camps’ utter desolation, complete with violent guards, exploitative wages, lack of food and unsanitary conditions; contrasted with the relative security and more humane conditions of the camps run by the State. And there is Tom’s crucial development from a man acting alone to one seeing the benefit of joining efforts in a group, following Casy’s example, and his parting promise to Ma that she’ll find him everywhere she looks – wherever there is injustice, struggle, and people’s joint success. In an overall outstanding cast, which also includes Dorris Bowdon (Rose of Sharon), Eddie Quillan (Rose’s boyfriend Connie), Frank Darien (Uncle John) and a brief appearance by Ward Bond as a friendly policeman, Henry Fonda truly shines as Tom; despite his smashing good looks fully metamorphosized into Steinbeck’s quick-tempered, lanky, reluctant hero.
Yet, in all its starkness the movie has a more optimistic slant than the novel; due to a structural change which has the Joads moving from bad to acceptable living conditions (instead of vice versa), the toning down of Steinbeck’s political references – most importantly, the elimination of a monologue using a land owner’s description of “reds” as anybody “that wants thirty cents and hour when we’re payin’ twenty-five” to show that under the prevalent conditions that definition applies to virtually *every* migrant laborer – and a greater emphasis on Ma Joad’s pragmatic, forward-looking way of dealing with their fate; culminating in her closing “we’s the people” speech (whose direction, interestingly, Ford, who would have preferred to end the movie with the image of Tom walking up a hill alone in the distance, left to Zanuck himself). Jane Darwell won a much-deserved Academy-Award for her portrayal as Ma; besides John Ford’s Best Director award the movie’s only winner on Oscar night – none of its other five nominations scored, unfortunately including those in the Best Picture and Best Leading Actor categories, which went to Hitchcock’s “Rebecca” and James Stewart (”The Philadelphia Story”) instead. Still, despite its critical success – also expressed in a “Best Picture” National Board of Review award – and its marginally optimistic outlook, the movie engendered almost as much controversy as did Steinbeck’s book. After the witch hunt setting in not even a decade later, today it stands as one of the last, greatest examples of a movie pulling no punches in the portrayal of society’s ailments; a type of film regrettably rare in recent years.
“Ev’rybody might be just one big soul – well it looks that-a way to me. … Wherever men are fightin’ for their rights, that’s where I’m gonna be, ma. That’s where I’m gonna be.” – Woody Guthrie, “The Ballad of Tom Joad.”
“The highway is alive tonight, but nobody’s kiddin’ nobody about where it goes. I’m sittin’ down here in the campfire light, with the ghost of old Tom Joad.” – Bruce Springsteen, “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”
Also recommended:
John Steinbeck : Novels and Stories, 1932-1937 : The Pastures of Heaven / To a God Unknown / Tortilla Flat / In Dubious Battle / Of Mice and Men (Library of America)
John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1936-1941: The Grapes of Wrath, The Harvest Gypsies, The Long Valley, The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Library of America)
Steinbeck Novels 1942-1952: The Moon Is Down / Cannery Row / The Pearl / East of Eden (Library of America)
John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962: The Wayward Bus / Burning Bright / Sweet Thursday / The Winter of Our Discontent (Library of America)
America and Americans and Selected Nonfiction (Penguin Classics)
John Steinbeck, Writer: A Biography
East of Eden (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Of Mice & Men
Viva Zapata!
The Ox-Bow Incident
This is it! This is the movie to show to your preteen children to give them an understanding of what it means to struggle for something, for the barest of necessities.
John Steinbeck and John Ford did America proud, allowing us to look inward to discover solutions for our social problems. As a country we would do well to do the same again.
Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) and Ma Joad (Jane Darwell) are the central characters of this film, but many other, richly defined, roles can be found here. The young husband who deserts his wife because he’s ashamed that he can’t provide for her … the waitress whose, somewhat hardened, heart is softened by the plight of the Joads … the Grandfather who dreams of California and eating grapes while their juice runs down his chin … the grieving father warning the Joads of the hard times ahead in California … and who can forget the family friend who refuses to leave Oklahoma, and slides further and further into insanity as his entire community disappears.
Each secondary member of the cast has something invaluable to add to the story and the standout is the great John Carradine as the disillusioned, x-preacher, Casey. It is Casey who helps Tom to recognize the injustice in their ‘migrant’ world, and Casey who provides the supreme sacrifice and catalyst for Tom’s promised future of being “there” for the little guy.
Yes, this movie can fall victim to overt sentimentalism, but the underlying feeling of injustice is probably the main ‘character’ in the story. While it’s overall theme can be depressing, you can’t help but smile when Ma Joad says “We’re the people that live.”
I absolutely love this movie, I think you will too.
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March 16th, 2010 — Blades of Glory Tagged Blades of Glory, Blades of Glory Streaming, Download Blades of Glory Online, Stream Blades of Glory, Watch Blades of Glory Online
When going in, my expectations were neither high nor low. I guess I figured that, to use Will Ferrell movies as my metrics, it could not possibly be as good as Anchorman but it had to be better than Talladega Nights (Yes, Talladega Nights was THAT bad).
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Sidenote: It’s true. I basically set two extremes and figured it would fall in between. If you didn’t happen to catch my common sense approach and think me a genius, you have fantastic taste in geniuses.
Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) is the by-the-book, media-darling for the sport of figure skating. Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) is the exact opposite, though his bad-boy, sex-object image still allows him to post scores comparable to those of MacElroy. One day they end up in a fight that gets them banned from competition until they come across a loophole. They can compete again, but under the circumstances they must compete in pairs…together. Basically, like Napoleon Dynamite, if you are looking for a plot to this movie you’ll never find one. If you want a movie with a decent balance of physical comedy and Will Ferrell making crude jokes, Blades of Glory may surprise you.
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As long as you take the movie at face value and remember that you are not seeing a movie that is geared towards providing any entertainment other than cheap laughs for dirty jokes, this is a movie you should enjoy. Any time you try to go beyond that and search for something more you will be disappointed.
If I may be so bold, it might have been the worst career move ever for Jon Heder to use his own voice in his role as the title character in the love-it-or-hate-it comedy Napoleon Dynamite. The popularity he gained by his part in that movie has given him new opportunities, but they have been small parts because, well, when Jon Heder is in a movie, you have Napoleon Dynamite in that movie. He may continue to fight the up-hill battle of shrugging that stigma, or he can accept his fate. Blades of Glory may have been the first step towards that acceptance. Rather than trying to play support in a cheesy RomCom, he took a “starring” role as the patsy in a slapstick comedy. I can describe his character by saying that he is a tortured soul who was adopted by a billionnaire sports fan who gives him every advantage to succeed in the sport of figure skating, but it is probably easier to put it in terms which are a little easier to understand: In Blades of Glory, Jon Heder is the butt of just about every joke. As that guy, Heder succeeds.
I never got hooked on “Arrested Development,” but since its demise Will Arnett’s name has popped up more and more. I expected that his part in Blades of Glory would be bigger than it was, but it was certainly big enough to see why his popularity is rising.
As long as Will Ferrell makes a movie like this every few years, I will forgive him for however many attempts he wants to make to break into “serious” roles. A few of his comedic roles since Anchorman have seemed forced. In Blades of Glory, like in Anchorman, Ferrell seemed really at home in the character. It was a part that just let him do what he does best. Maybe what I am saying is that when Will Ferrell is womanizing, it makes me laugh hysterically.
Will Ferrell springboards off the success of Talladega Nights and lampoons another niche sport in Blades of Glory, a satire of figure skating. Although his character is more akin to his self absorbed and perverse Ron Burgundy, the film relies on the same formula that succeeded in his Nascar film, as joke after joke is leveled at the sport most of us don`t quite “get”. The plot is full of one movie cliché after another, everything from a romance ruined when one party misinterprets a precarious situation to a breakneck chase to reach the arena in time to compete, but as long as you understand going in what to expect, this is a solid Will Ferrell film.
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March 16th, 2010 — Bigger, Stronger, Faster* Tagged Bigger, Download Bigger, Faster*, Faster* Online, Faster* Streaming, Stream Bigger, Stronger, Watch Bigger
“Bigger, Stronger, Faster”, the new documentary from Chris Bell, and produced by many of the people who have worked on Michael Moore’s documentaries, is a very entertaining, level-handed look at the use of steroids in America.
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“Bigger” is better than your average documentary for two key reasons. Chris Bell is a likable, very real guy and he guides us through this maze of information much like he probably learned about it in the first place, giving us an in depth look into the use of steroids and how they have affected both the practice and perception of sports in America, and to a lesser extent, the world.
The second, and perhaps more important reason this film sticks out is because it comes from a personal place in Chris’ life. As he quickly explains during the beginning of the film, he was the middle of three children, all boys, who grew up with a loving, overweight mother and a loving, but busy with work father. In an attempt to stand out from the rest of the kids, each of the brothers decides to take up weight lifting and try to become famous as wrestlers, hoping to follow the likes of their heroes, Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger into the limelight. They each transform their chubby bodies into bulky muscle powerhouses, but the fame is still fleeting.
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Chris’ older brother, Mark, actually makes it into the WWE, but his role is that of the guy who always gets beaten up by the more powerful and more famous wrestlers. He doesn’t last long. So he starts to take steroids.
Chris decides the way to make it into the limelight is to move to Southern California, to be closer to the action, and the auditions. He naturally ends up at Venice Beach and gets a job working in Gold’s Gym, the place made famous by many weightlifters and body builders, by Schwarzenegger and Stallone. In a particularly telling moment, Chris speaks with one of the gym members, a man well past his prime who continues to work out at the gym, and lives in his small van in the gym parking lot. You can tell from the expression on Chris’ face he sees the similarities between them as he looks at the guys living quarters. You can almost see him pray that he won’t end up in the same situation; homeless, working out, continuing to hope for stardom.
Chris’ younger brother, Mike, had development problems growing up, so he decided to follow his other brothers into weightlifting and bodybuilding. This focus clearly helped him to improve his life and his attention to detail, but he also decides to try to improve the workouts through the use of steroids.
Chris knows his brothers use steroids, but he has stayed away from them. He wonders why one of three children would feel the need to do things the ‘right’ way, the harder way, and stay away from the drugs? This is what leads him on the journey through this documentary.
The best scenes involve Chris and his family. On a visit home, he talks to his mom, a perfectly likable, overweight, middle-aged woman who spends her life as a stay-at-home mom. As they talk, she makes a batch of her famous bar cookies for a local high school sports team. It is unclear why she still makes these for the local high school, but it is clear the bars are both very good and not low fat. Chris claims his mother doesn’t know that his brother use steroids. She may not admit it, but you can tell she knows. Late in the film, Chris has dinner with his brothers and mom and dad and steers the conversation towards steroids, hoping that his brothers will finally admit it to their parents. Mom asks a few questions, giving the brothers an opportunity to come clean. But they keep their secret. And so does mom.
As he meets with and talks to his brothers, we learn each of their stories and they couldn’t be more different.
But Chris also seeks to understand the influence of steroids throughout sports. He speaks with many people, both pro and con, amateur and professional, and it appears that everyone is using some sort of enhancement. As the tagline for the film states “if everyone is doing something, can it be illegal?”
He talks about how heartbroken he was when he learned Hulk Hogan was using steroids, despite all of the famous wrestler’s encouragement to get bigger through hard work. He talks about former NFL player Lyle Alzado’s sickness, which the NFL Player attributed to the use of steroids. Interestingly, the footage from an interview used in the film features Maria Shriver in her pre-Mrs. Ahnuld career. He talks about Stallone and interviews both Carl Lewis and Floyd Landis. These moments, interspersed with graphics, and other amusing methods of presenting the message, combined with the personal side of the story, make for compelling viewing.
There are also a few scenes from an old after school special featuring Ben Affleck dealing with the side effects of using steroids. These scenes provide a welcome moment of laughter because they are so over the top and heavy handed.
I think Chris may have actually found his entry into the limelight. I could easily see him parlaying this film into a television series or series of specials, ala Morgan Spurlock. They have similar personalities and Spurlock has made a number of films and season 3 of “30 Days”, the series of documentaries he makes for FX is currently airing. Chris is an extremely pleasant, likable person who clearly listens to his subjects, whatever their position, taking everything in. As he presents both sides of the argument, he appears to be genuinely interested in what they have to say, waiting for them to finish and for his mind to process before forming an opinion of his own.
Chris Bell’s “Bigger, Stronger Faster*” is a brilliant documentary. His triumph is to crystallize the steroids debate into its effects on a single family: His own. The stars of the film are the Bell brothers – big brother Mark (aka, Mad Dog) is a would-be WWE wrestler; younger brother Mike (aka, Smelly) is one of the world’s top power lifters; and writer/director Chris – no less addicted to perfecting his physique – balances his bodybuilding obsession with a degree from USC Film School. His unique blend of interest and career path has given us a fascinating film.
Here’s the thing: his work is neither ardently pro- nor anti-steroids. But, as its subtitle (”the side-effects of being American”) implies, Bell notes what happens when three young brothers obsessed with wrestling (we see family tapes of them re-enacting WWE plotlines) have the various heroes of their youth (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hulk Hogan, and Sylvester Stallone as notable examples) subsequently revealed as pharmaceutically-fueled.
It’s a testament to Bell’s skill as a filmmaker that the unexpected standout is Smelly’s wife, Andie. Attractive and articulate, she emerges as the soul of the film. She comes across as a decent, trusting person. Without belaboring the point, Bell makes you see her as testament to his brother’s depth and inherent goodness. Her presence also evokes feelings of betrayal in the film-goer when Smelly begins to waffle on his “no more steroids” vow at the end of the film.
Despite the glut of documentaries that have flooded the film world over the past two years, this one ranks at the top of my list.
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March 16th, 2010 — The Last Days of Left Eye Tagged Download The Last Days of Left Eye Online, Stream The Last Days of Left Eye, The Last Days of Left Eye, The Last Days of Left Eye Streaming, Watch The Last Days of Left Eye Online
This documentary is straight and -apart from some entirely unnecessary censorship- fairly unedited honest compilation of the video footage from Lisa’s last days in Honduras. Some information and videos from her childhood and TLC life are inserted where appropriate to provide background information to the stories she tells to her friends and to the camera. This creates a quite informative picture about her career and some of her roots, but more importantly, it makes me feel like I can participate in one small piece of her very private life. It lets me have a very close look at her own, off-stage personality with all the twists, chaos, brilliance and these incredibly good energies inside… It’s quite some time now that Lisa has left this planet, but I keep missing her a lot. If there is an afterlife, I guess she happily shakes up heaven now and keeps the good souls of our ancestors dancing in the skies (having a lot of fun in piece rather than just “resting” there).
This documentary follows Lisa around during the last few weeks of her life. Throughout the journey, we learn many inside stories, leading up to the tragic death. Lisa was full of life, and you could see that she had so much she wanted to get done, yet it all got cut short. This documentary shows Lisa at all angels, and she finally speaks the truth about everything leading up to her final day. A must see for everyone!
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March 16th, 2010 — Once Upon a Time in America Tagged Download Once Upon a Time in America Online, Once Upon a Time in America, Once Upon a Time in America Streaming, Stream Once Upon a Time in America, Watch Once Upon a Time in America Online
Okay, a four hour gangster movie is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, especially when the pacing is absolutely glacial and DeNiro and Woods aren’t on-screen for about half that time because of a childhood flashback that’s longer than some full movies. But, if you take this movie on the terms director Sergio Leone sets, it’s a richly rewarding cinemeatic experience. I’ve heard the film described as “an opium dream of a gangster movie” and the pacing seems to justify such a response. But it’s slow and richly detailed, and a little odd at times, for very good reasons that pay off in spades by the film’s emotionally titanic (though slightly anti-climactic} finale.
Despite what can seem like turgidness on first viewing, this film is likely to stick to your ribs and merit repeat screenings. DeNiro smolders throughout, while James Woods delivers a teriffic scenery-chewing performance. The story is friendship (and betrayal, of course)–or is it Romulus and Remus? Greek tragedy, perhaps? Godfather parts 1 and 2 rolled into one film? Yes, and more. And viewers familliar with Leone only through his spagetti westerns are in for a surprise: Leone is a world-class film-maker here, capable of stunning beauty and cruelty, often within the same frame.
Does it really need to be this slow? Does the flashback to childhood need to be almost and hour and a half long (don’t worry–it’s absorbing enough in its own right to keep you from noticing)? Does the the chronology need to be so screwy? Does that darn phone need to ring so long? Absolutely.
Fans of Woods, DeNiro, Leone, or gangster movies in general canot afford to pass this film up. The supporting cast, especially the young actors playing the gang members in thier childhood, is also consistently stellar. Best viewed on a cold wintry afternoon when you’ve got plenty of time. Opium not provided.
“Once Upon A Time In America” is director, Sergio Leone’s stunning tale of organized crime and the destruction it unleashes into the lives of four life-long friends. Robert DeNiro headlines a cast of great talent that includes Joe Pesci, Treat Williams and James Woods. When this film first premiered in 1984 it was 229 minutes. However, the subject matter was considered so violent and shocking, and the pace so methodically slow that nearly 40 minutes were excised for general exhibition, rendering the story line practically incomprehensible. I am pleased to say that this new 2-disc set at last gives us the story as it was originally intended, full of robust characterizations, enthralling action sequences and filled with the sort of memorable moments that have reminded me why we all go to the movies – to be entertained (not overwhelmed with way-too-many, ultra-slick digital effects!).
Warner Brothers 2 disc set does have its drawbacks. First, the movie itself is spread over two discs and, there is no polite way to say it, the interruption is obtrusive. The break happens right in the middle of a crucial scene. Interruption aside, the DVD is marred by considerable film grain and a bit of digital grit that make most of the images digitally harsh instead of creamy smooth. Many scenes offer remarkable clarity and depth while others, mostly night time or dark scenes suffer from a loss of fine detail that disappears into a haze of undistinguished muddy blacks, browns and blues. Edge enhancement, pixelization, shimmering and aliasing are present throughout the transfer, sometimes distractingly so. The audio is remixed 5.1 and is strident and lacking in tonal bass.
Extras: Pretty much a retrospective and audio commentaries. Some toss away stuff. That’s it, that’s all!
BOTTOM LINE: For its sheer mastery in the art of cinema story telling, I recommend “Once Upon A Time In America”. The transfer leaves something to be desired but hey, it’s nice to have this American classic back in the spotlight and, finally, in its full running time.
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March 16th, 2010 — Top Hat Tagged Download Top Hat Online, Stream Top Hat, Top Hat, Top Hat Streaming, Watch Top Hat Online
The fourth Fred & Ginger (F&G) movie, Top Hat is considered by many to be the quintessential one and is my personal favorite. In the Top Hat musical number, Fred cleverly uses his gentleman’s cane as a “machine gun.” And the ever-so-tender cheek to cheek number where he is singing and dancing with Ginger makes me feel like I am dancing in heaven as well. A deleted scene in some prints in which Bates (Eric Blore) insults a policeman, is present in this DVD.
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A running commentary with Ava Astaire McKenzie (daughter) includes background information about the supporting actors and trivia, such as the significance of the ring Fred wears in the film. And even though Ginger rides the horse in this movie, we learn that Fred is the real horse lover. Ava admits she does not know everything about her dad and his career, which adds to the authenticity of what she does know and contributes.
A behind-the-scenes look, the featurette, “On Top: Inside the Success of Top Hat” explains many intricacies and attention to detail in the making of the movie. Nothing is left to chance. You will appreciate all the names in the opening credits. It includes interviews with Ava Astaire McKenzie, archivists, and biographers with a mix of F&G photographs and film clips. (Run time 18:20)
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“Watch the Birdie” is a comedy short with a young Bob Hope playing a prankster on a cruise ship who himself gets “pranked.” It’s sort of a let down after Top Hat, so I am not sure why it’s included on the same DVD. (B&W, Run time 18:16)
“Page Miss Glory” (1936) is an old Merrie Melodies cartoon about the exploits around a bell boy in an upscale hotel. It has a touch of Busby Berkeley near the end. (Run time 7:43)
Theatrical Trailer (Run time 1:02)
Many times when the subject of old-time, classic movies comes up, my father inevitably brings up the story of how as a child he was given a quater on his ninth birthday and sent off to a local Baltimore, movie theatre with his friends to see the now classic movie musical, “Top Hat”. Just recently I purchased the DVD box set, “Astaire & Rogers Collection, Volume 1″. Naturally, the first disc I viewed was “Top Hat”. Well after seeing this disc, I now know, why my Dad over seventy years later, is still talking about this wonderful piece of cinematic, movie magic. To paraphrase an old Humphrey Bogart line, “this is the stuff that dreams are made of”. Where do you start with what makes this movie great? You have to start with the pure magic of Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers working together. This film is pretty much this duo’s creative peak. You have Fred Astaire acting, cracking jokes, singing and best of all DANCING! If you wish to ever to see pure creative genuis at work, before your very eyes, then just watch this man’s feet and body language. Astaire shows such elegance and grace, that he has now become the very definition of those words. As for Miss Rogers, her skills have been quite underrated in the past. You know the old cliche saying, “she could do anything he could do…but she could do it backwords (and in heels)”. It’s true! This pair’s artistry and creative gifts perfectly match each other. My personal favorite moment in the movie is the extended dance sequence between the two during the song, “Cheek to Cheek”. In the begining of the scene, when Astaire sings “I’m in heaven…” and then repeats the phrase, you really do believe him! The two dancers glide along the dance floor as though they are in a dream. When the music majestically swells and he dips her, there is truely a sense of romance and sensuality, that is completly overwelming. It really is a classic scene from movie history. Astaire & Rogers are joined by a classic cast of comic, character actors, who forever will go down in cinematic memory. There is Edward Everett Horton, who plays Astaire’s stuffy show producer. He is the ‘King of the comic, double-take’. His man-servant is played by the humorous actor, Eric Blore, who reminds me of a school boy, who knows he’s played some sort of naughty prank. Horton’s wife is played by actress, Helen Broderick, who seems to have made an art form out of delivering her lines with irony & sarcasm. Finally there is comic actor, Eric Rhodes with his hilariously way over the top, Italian accent (he puts Chico Marx to shame!) and his foppish ways. The songs in this film have now become popular standards, that have become engrained in our culture’s musical consciousness. All are written by Composer, Irving Berlin and include classics such “Isn’t This a Lovely Day”, “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails”, Cheek to Cheek” and “No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)”. While countless performers have covered these songs, it is the Astaire & Rodgers renditions from this film, that is in our collective memory. Finally mention should be of the movies’ beautiful costumes and especially the almost fantasy-like, art decco, stylized sets which seem to effortlessly transport the viewer to another world. Remember, this film was released during the height of the ‘Great Depression’. It was tough times for many movie patrons back then. Well, for one hour fourty minutes through the singing, dancing, comedy and the fantastic visuals it must have made folks forget their troubles. These days I suspect this film can still work it’s wonderful movie magic! The DVD picture itself is crystal clear and highlights the beautiful B&W photography. The sound is O.K. for a film from 1935. Extras include a short featurette on the making of the film, commentary from Astaire’s daughter, a theatrical trailer, a Warner Bros. cartoon and a Bob Hope comedy short. For a night of great escapist entertaiment, I highly recommend the classic film “Top Hat”! Dad certainly liked it!
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March 16th, 2010 — Reptilicus Tagged Download Reptilicus Online, Reptilicus, Reptilicus Streaming, Stream Reptilicus, Watch Reptilicus Online
Imagine what an Ed Wood movie would be like if he had a large budget and government support, including shutting down a major city and the used of the Armed Forces. Yes – THIS is what you’d get!
Sid Pink got his ticket punched when he made “Angry Red Planet”, which single-handedly saved AIP’s bacon. Sid travelled to Europe looking for distributors for “Angry Red Planet”, and met Danish film wheeler-dealer Henrik Sandberg, who invited him to Copenhagen, and the rest is history. His AIP bosses gave him the go-ahead for a monster pic that would feature the “beauties of the Danish countryside”. Pink also had permission to block off Copengahen’s main square whenever he wanted, plus all the unpaid extras he could use. (In one scene, a local bicyle club rides their cycles off of a raising drawbridge for no other reason that it would look neat!) Even the Danish Army and Navy were at Pink’s disposal: tanks, cannons, and a cutter throwing live depth charges.
Just to keep interest up, a Danish-language version was filmed at the same time as the English. Ann Smyner, a Danish actress, got top billing but SHE looks ridiculous in a jaw-dropping array of “country girl”-style dresses that make Mary Ann look like Ginger. Mimi Heinrich, another Danish ingenue, comes across MUCH better. Carl Ottosen, a Dane whose English was about as good as my Uzbek, plays the American general who takes over the Danish military (obviously HE got dubbed in). The entire cast seems to have learned their lines phonetically, giving them the aspect of having been recently thwacked in their collective heads by a two-by-four. But all this pales when the marionette “Reptilicus” comes into it’s own. Only “The Giant Claw” can boast of a sillier-looking monster – this thing is downright pit-i-ful.
And yet – how can anyone resist this glorious mess? An entire scene devoted to a local singer belting out “Tivoli Nights” as the monster approaches the city, not as filler, but because Pink was so much in love with Copenhagen! A dirt-dumb janitor who decides to stick his arm in an aquarium just to see if that eel really *is* electric (and yup, it is….).
You can catch scenes of this astonishing movie in old episodes of “Beverly Hillbillies” and “The Monkees”, among others. In it’s way, it came to symbolize the entire zeitgeist of 60s drive-in/cheapo monster movies, but I assure you, it wasn’t for lack of money or logistical support. This one must stand as perhaps the purest example of NO TALENT.
Riff away!
The 3 stars is for sentimental reasons. It scared the daylights out of me when I was a kid. Yes, it was in the day when you could ride your bicycle on a 10 mile ride as a 10 year old with your mother not knowing about it, end up at the State theater in the middle of the city and see a matinee for four bits. When done with the 10 cent Dots, 25 cent soda and popcorn, you and your buds could speculate about the mysterious and terifying ending for hours on end. Even though it is a horrible movie by today’s standards, it was on the big screen and as I recall the theater was full. It was a great way to spend a summer afternoon in air conditioned splender. Sure this would be a good candidate for Mystery Science Theater 3000, but it still is one of those Movies that reminds one about a purer and simpler time and famous freinds no longer seen. “EEEEH! REPTILICUS!”
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March 16th, 2010 — Across the Universe Tagged Across the Universe, Across the Universe Streaming, Download Across the Universe Online, Stream Across the Universe, Watch Across the Universe Online
Julie Taymor once again uses her considerable innovative magic to create a film that not only is mesmerizingly beautiful to watch, but also a ’semi-documentary’ about the world changes that occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s as young people for the first time spoke out against the war in Vietnam, the death of Martin Luther King, and the senseless mayhem that extended from the battlefields of Vietnam to the streets of America, all set to the significant, timely music of the Beatles. It sounds like an impossible juxtaposition of themes and ideas, but in Taymor’s hands it succeeds.
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Opening in Liverpool, England (where the Beatles began their impact on music and thought) we met Jude (Jim Sturgess), a working class boy with the gifts of an artist who decides to set off on a sea journey to meet the father he has never known. Once in New York he meets Max (Joe Anderson) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) who represent the wealthy class, but who both show roots of rebellion against the comfortable norm and an objection to the war that is festering like an abscess in the rice paddies of Vietnam. Jude meets his janitor father in a union that is anticlimactic, and in disappointment he falls in with Max, living the artists’ life in the Village with free-wheeling singer Sadie (Dana Fuchs), her beau/guitarist JoJo (Martin Luther) and their newest tenant Prudence (T.V. Carpio), an Asian girl trying to find her place in a confusing world. The group eventually bond with music and rebellion mixed with free love and the passion that they can make a difference, while around them racial crises are at a peak and the draft tags many of the young men (including Max) for the war they cannot condone. From all of this turmoil the story builds to a climax leading to some very touching scenes that convey the spirit of the times and the overriding importance of love and understanding in a world torn apart by political and racial crises.
The cast is strong with each of the actors singing their own versions of various Beatle songs very well (the division between singing and spoken dialect favors the former). But the real magic comes from Julie Taymor’s mixture of hallucinogenic visuals, wonderfully choreographed crowd scenes, and ingenious movement from reality scenes displayed on the television to the reactive scenes of the world as viewed through the eyes of the youths and the lyrics of the songs. It is at once touching in its ability to recreate a particular period of history and wholly entertaining in the inventive use of music/dance/visual effects/drama. This film is important now and will only increase in stature as a document of that troubled but exciting time in the history of the world. We can only wonder why the youth of today are not responding to the Iraq War in a like manner, or, more uncomfortable to consider, why we, now as adults, can’t muster the same degree of distress about the myriad traumas that are still happening ‘Across the Universe’. Grady Harp, April 08
If it were possible to go into the mind and film the imagination, if one could actually get a glimpse of a creative spark and present it as a movie, the end result would look something like “Across the Universe.” Here is a film so vibrant, colorful, and imaginative that it practically flies off the screen. It’s not something you simply watch; this richly detailed musical fantasy is something you fully experience, from the stunning visuals to the brilliant soundtrack. Few films have successfully incorporated previously written song material into an original story; one notable exception is Baz Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge,” in which songs by Elton John, David Bowie, Madonna, The Police, and many others were interwoven. “Across the Universe” gets its inspiration from the music of The Beatles–every song fit the story so naturally, it’s almost as if they were specially written for the film.
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But as much as I enjoyed it, I can’t help but feel that I’m the wrong person to review it; not only have I never listened to the music of The Beatles, I also never lived through the 1960s. “Across the Universe” explores the dynamic atmosphere of that era, from the artistic movements to the social unrest to the turbulent political climate. I can’t pretend that I know what the filmmakers were saying or why they were saying it, and I certainly don’t know what point The Beatles were trying to make. But I can still appreciate this movie. And I do; “Across the Universe” thrives on energy and ingenuity, and it isn’t afraid to tell a simple yet effective love story through music.
The plot focuses on Jude (Jim Sturgess), a young dockworker and artist from Liverpool. He travels to America in search of his father, who was stationed in England during the Second World War. Jude is led to Princeton University, and it’s there that he meets Max (Joe Anderson), a freewheeling college student with no apparent goals and no apparent desire to reach any goals. The two instantly click, and for a while, they have a lot of fun. So does Max’s sister, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a college freshman whose clean-cut appearance masks a progressive mind. As soon as life in New Jersey gets boring, Max and Jude decide to leave for New York, where the Bohemian life can be lived to the fullest. They take residence in a small apartment, already inhabited by Sadie (Dana Fuchs) and her band.
After a while, Lucy joins the group, much to the dismay of her conservative parents. She and Jude quickly fall in love. But as the social climate gets more intense, their relationship gets more complex. The Civil Rights Movement is in full swing, as is the Vietnam War; such unrest cannot be ignored. Ever since losing her high school sweetheart to the War, Lucy’s political views have taken a sharp turn to the left–she’s now a militant activist, dedicated to bringing about social reform and an end to war and violence. Her feelings only grow stronger when Max is drafted and shipped off to Vietnam. All this puts a strain on Jude and Lucy’s relationship, and it only gets worse when Lucy begins collaborating with a radical organization. Can their love survive this turmoil?
Woven all throughout is a myriad of songs, all of which perfectly capture the emotional impact of a given scene. When Max and Jude first meet, “With a Little Help from My Friends” accentuates their high-spiritedness. The drama of “Let It Be” overflows during a race riot, in which a young boy is killed. Confusion and frustration overwhelm as Jude and Max sing “Strawberry Fields,” and images of dripping strawberries make an especially strong impact. A love-struck cheerleader named Prudence (T.V. Carpio) sings “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” with regret, knowing that the girl she’s dreaming of will never feel the same way. The power of “I Want You” is felt as Max is dragged through an army recruitment center; dancing, squared-jawed soldiers are prominently featured, as are half naked draftees. At one point, they forcefully carry a miniature Statue of Liberty into the jungles of Vietnam.
The four most creative song-numbers feature cameo appearances. Joe Cocker sings “Come Together” just as a guitarist named JoJo (Martin Luther McCoy) enters the city. It’s a highly choreographed sequence, featuring a chorus line of prostitutes and office workers. “I Am the Walrus” is a psychedelic trip featuring Bono as the leader of a busload of hippies. Eddie Izzard plays a showman named Mr. Kite, whose circus–”The Benefit of Mr. Kite”–is a bizarre mixture of the fantastic and the frightening, featuring a cast of blue-skinned performers that are anything but human. Salma Hayek appears as a nurse during Max’s rendition of “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” As he lies on a hospital bed, he tries to get a handle on the fear, anger, and physical pain that have been holding him back.
By the time we hear “Hey Jude” and “All You Need Is Love,” the sentimental side of the story hits us like a ton of bricks. And that’s exactly what we want. One of the simplest pleasures imaginable is to be young, in love, and free; this movie does a masterful job of giving the audience that same feeling, if only for a little while. “Across the Universe” is one of the most delightful, inventive, and refreshing films of the year, a perfect blend of music, story, and character. To see it is to be emotionally rejuvenated.
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