Wholesale and Distribution Movie Reviews

the show it self gets five stars. the dvd collection has very poor quality. it looks like it was done on a vcr at someone's house and burned on dvd. there was not even any liner notes. it looked like a bootleg when i received it. i loved the show and that is the only reason i an keeping it. NOT WORTH THE 70.00+ they are charging for it. hope this helps!

I remember that the only thing in 1994 was how important it was to watch MY SO CALLED LIFE with my mother... it was the only thing that brought us together and when it was over the time me and my mother spent together also started to be over... When it went off the air I could never find a more enjoyable show that could even relate to MSCL... so when I found out that they were putting it in dvd I went absolutely crazy... so when I finally bought it and rewatched every episode I became actually happy and it had been awhile since I felt this way so it was like finding a piece of my heart... The way I related to Angela and some of the other characters was unreal... I mean it was almost as Winnie Holzman had taken pages from my life and created this extraordinary wonderful show... I was so sad to see it go but I guess moving on is apart of life but really unable to do after rewatching every show... and I still do almost every weekend... This show is so relatable and so real and is just an all around beautiful show that is a much watch!!! From the creators to the writers to the cast... It is really a wonderful must have show!!!

It's impossible to overstate just how good this show is. Watching it again after so many years, I kind of expected to see a slew of flaws that escaped my notice before. But to my delight it's just as well written, acted, and produced as I remembered. If you have seen this show before, you can't help but want to buy it. And I heartily recomend that you do.

This movie(and commentary by Joel and the 'bots) starts out slow, really slow and gets funny mid way through. In the end it is great. Arch Hall Jr. provides most of the laughs. The MST3K shorts are better though.

Although this episode of MST3k featured one of the series funniest, and most memorable lines ("Watch out for snakes!!"), i still found the actual movie a bit too disturbing to really enjoy, even on the bad movie scale.
The basic premise: a young woman stumbles upon a "giant" living in the hills. and when her adventurer father goes in search of him, and ends up being kidnapped, she and her boyfriend set off on their own search. She ends up getting kidnapped herself, and the disturbing part...comes in the way her father basically "offers her" up to the giant in order for them not to be hurt. There are actually a few reasons this movie is uncomfortable to watch. There are some genuinely funny moments here, but unfortunitely, no amount of comic relief from Joel and the bots, can save this one.

I absolutely love this episode! There are so many funny things happening that every time I watch it I catch a new joke. This episode also contains some of the lines that have become "inside jokes" for later episodes, such as "Watch out for snakes!" I would recommend this episode, as it is one my favorites, as well as a favorite of many MST3K fans. I don't want to give too much away, just believe me - it is funny. Living in Minnesota I've been a fan of the show since they were on public television.

I sure hope Rhino keeps releasing these on DVD, since the reruns are no longer on the air. So buy this to show your support for MST3K so they keep on releasing!!

Containing what is footage from Megadeth's possible final tour, the Rude Awakening DVD is an absolute must own for any and every Megadeth fan. Featuring some of the most aamzing guitar work ever captured in a live video concert performance, Rude Awakening is a more than fitting swan song for one of the most legendary metal bands of all time. Seeing the band perform "Dread & The Fugitive Mind", "In My Darkest Hour", "Angry Again", "She Wolf", "A Tout Le Monde", "Mechanix", "Sweating Bullets", and "Peace Sells" on this DVD is almost as good as seeing the band in person; the audio and visual presentation is uncanny. While it would have been nice to see some other fan favorites like "Mary Jane", "Forclosure of a Dream", "Looking Down the Cross", "This Was My Life", "Countdown to Extinction", "Insomnia", "Diadems", and "Moto Psycho", this concert DVD is still phenominal.

Dave Mustaine and company shred through some of their best songs ever. Everything from 1985's "Mechanix", to 2000's "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" is included. No "Megadeth hits" are missing, but the tracks "These Boots", "Good Mourning/Black Friday", "Anarchy in the UK", "Skin O' My Teeth"
"Foreclosure of a Dream", "Crush 'Em", and "A Secret Place",
would have made a nice addition to an already wonderful DVD.
My personal favorites would have to be "Hook in Mouth"
"Ashes in Your Mouth", "Holy Wars", "Kill The King", and
"Wake Up Dead." Dave Mustaine, Al Pitrelli, Jimmy DeGrasso, and David Ellefson rip it up, like Megadeth always do, and take no prisoners, with a set that showcases their 15 year reign as the world's fastest metal band. Megadeth R.I.P. (1985-2002).

Megadeth is my favorite of the "big four" thrash bands (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax), Dave Mustaine is the god of speed metal. This DVD is great because, not only does it have a whole lot of great songs, but it also keeps the camera on Mustaine and lead guitarist, Al pitrelli's fingers and hands so you can watch all of the amazing solos up close; but don't worry there are plenty of drum shots as well. The songlist is great because it includes most of the old Megadeth classics as well as the newer material. My problem is that it doesn't quite have enough of the old classics. My opinion would be to throw out "reckoning day," "train of consequences," "almost honest," and "she-wolf" except the drum and guitar solo and fill that space with "foreclosure of a dream," "Looking Down the Cross," "Good Mourning/Black Friday," and "Recipe For Hate...Warhorse." However, all things considered this is the best concert DVD I own. The band runs through a 20 song set with Mustaine only speaking a few words and taking no breaks between the ultra-fast songs. The solos are absolutely mind-blowing and like I said it's got a great set list - Buy it!

The disclaimer on the box reads something like, "This is a concert DVD. It is meant to be listened to with the volume up." A great piece of advice, because that is the only way one can truly appreciate the depth of the Cure's musical genius.
Staged in Germany over three nights, it is the entirety of their classic albums "Pornography," "Disintegration," and "Blood Flowers" played live in a fluid, linear fashion. A unique experience in that you have only a few singles and a plethora of deeper album cuts, all of which sound magnificient here.
Smith's angst-ridden lyrics are haunting and poignant, offering the viewer/listener a new depth to these old Cure standbys. The unrestrained instruments and vocals flow well with the cinematography, and while the Cure has never been considered--to some--a live band, this DVD shatters all conceptions and assumptions, proving that while Robert Smith has aged, his music still withstands the test of time; "Plainsong," "The Hanging Garden," "Lovesong," "Fascination Street," "Disintegration," and "Bloodflowers" are classics old and new, played here in a fresh manner that leads one to change their minds about which versions of the albums are preferrable, studio or live.
Visually, it is stunning; with pans to the crowd, the band, and close-ups of Smith and company as well as focuses on the crowd, one has the impression that they are at the concert themselves. Energetic, bombastic bounding is downplayed by the moodiness of the lyrics, but this only enhances the performance; Smith is no Eddie Vedder or John Mellencamp; his is a quiet energy expressed through his playing.
This is a must-have for any Cure fan and anyone who can appreciate one of the founders of Modern Rock and a great stage show with awesome music.

An ok kiddie, this one is not for those not in the know. If you don't own at least a 5.1 surround sound system, you WILL NOT enjoy this top-notch performance to it's fullest potential. If you haven't "experienced" The Cure live, this is an excellent chance to do so. The Pornography set can take us to some dark places, but that's not always a bad thing. Uncle Robert is there to walk us through the scary "Siamese Twins" and lead us past that frightening image of "The Figurehead" and we can trust him right? But wait, there's more. You also get an electrifying performance of what is in many people consider the bands peak on the "Disintegration" set. Unfortunately, I partied out a bit too much and missed the Bloodflowers set. However, based on the two sets on the first DVD, I am looking forward to it. Turn on, tune in, and drop out.

Timothy Leary-From Beyond

Ok, I'm a bit biased, since I was at one of the two shows filmed for this DVD. It was amazing, one of the best concerts I've ever seen. The band were in top shape (I've seen them playing with far less perfection), and I suppose there wasn't much overdubbing to be done with the recordings. The light show was less noticable than on the DVD, where you can spice it up with good cuts and camera angles. The Pornography set was the most different compared to the LP, very powerful and sung through by the audience from beginning to end, although you don't hear much of it on the DVD. Disintegration was very similar to the original, as was Bloodflowers, which the audience did not react as enthusiastically to at first. But that was mainly due to the fact that it's the least known of the three, and afterwards many people said they didn't know how great this record was. In fact it's my favourite set on this DVD, with the often overlooked song quality coming to light with this superb performance.

The DVD is also remarkable for its excellent picture and sound quality. The only thing to improve I can think of would have been the inclusion of all extra tracks they played on the two nights.

Yeah the songs and videos are great, but 7 of them just isnt worth the price of admission. Just record them, they ARE only commercials after all.

A nice collection of Radiohead's music videos from their two arguably best albums: "The Bends" and "OK Computer". The songs easily get 5 stars from me, but the videos themselves range from brilliant to just average. Also, the DVD only contains about 35 minutes of material and zero extra features.

- Paranoid Android: My favorite song off of "OK Computer" is also one of my all time favorite Radiohead videos. Glad to see the unsensored version made the cut.

- Street Spirit (Fade Out): Pretty boring, actually, despite Jonathan Glazer's various speed tricks.

- No Surprises: Such a simple premise; such a brilliant result. Thom Yorke's lazy eye makes this video even more effective and creepy.

- Just: The video that had everyone talking back in 1995 (well, in Canada, anyways). If you're still trying to figure out what that guy is saying at the end, you're missing the point.

- Hign and Dry: Some cool ideas, but sloppily put together. I actually prefer the UK version (just a black and white video of the band playing in the rain).

- Karma Police: Another video with cool ideas, but it just doesn't work all that well.

- Fake Plastic Trees: I remember back when people accused Radiohead of copying Pulp's "Common People" video (and vise versa). Good art direction, but otherwise pretty average.

I had all of these videos already, which I downloaded from a p2p filesharing service; however, the picture and sound quality on this DVD is so vastly superior that there really is no comparison.

There are no special features, no booklet with additional artwork, no commentary... just these seven beautiful videos. I suppose there could possibly be an "Easter egg" or two hidden on the disc, but I didn't find any. The box that the disc comes in is itself is quite nice, collector-worthy.

If you're a Radiohead fan, you should probably have some idea of what to expect, so this no-frills DVD will not disappoint.

If you're NOT a Radiohead fan... what the hell are you doing here? You don't belong here.

I have been doing Taebo since 1999, and absolutely love these two tapes. I started them in July, 2003, and have dropped many inches and pounds. These are the best Taebo videos. I alternate them every day, doing the tapes 4-5 days per week. I stay inspired because you see results and feel great afterward. Billy Blanks is the best aerobic instructor I have ever had!

The Tae Bo II Get Ripped tapes are not for beginners. These are far and away the two hardest, most varied workouts I have ever done in my life. The first one in particular is almost unbelievable the first few times you do it, but the feeling of accomplishment once you master these puppies is well worth the pain. An hour of Tae Bo is SO much more effective than an hour of running, spinning or cycling. Your abs and glutes will get worked in ways you never realized were possible.

Two things to remember, though:

1. Tae Bo will not make you look "ripped" unless you are combining the program with weight training, which will give you muscles to ripple. Nothing is a complete exercise program without upper-body resistance work.

2. Don't do these things more than three times a week, and take a couple of days off to rest! Billy advises people about this in his book, and it's really worth repeating. This is too intense a workout to do on a daily basis. You'll end up hurting yourself by not giving your legs, abs and rear enough time to rest and regenerate. Just like with working your arms with weights, you CAN'T work your abs every single day. And believe me: Tae Bo II is the most intense ab work you're likely to find. I put it on par with the best Pilates instruction, as long as you do it correctly.

When I started with the Tae Bo series, I was well over 200 pounds. Tae Bo really helped me take control of my life.. I am now down to about 140, and still going, the workouts are fun, and very intense... It will definately help u achieve success.

I know I'm going to alienate every Sarah Brightman fan on the planet, but I have to say it. Her voice alone is worth four stars. Unfortunately, that is the way I prefer to enjoy this dvd... I can't stand to watch her. And, no, I don't want her to put on a "Cher-like" performance. I would no doubt give Ms. Brightman numerous "standing O's" in a production of La Boheme or Madama Butterfly. I just can't handle watching her in this dvd. If you enjoy watching her, then this is a screaming buy. And go ahead and give her the other star.

There's not much more I can say, but that I thoroughly enjoyed this concert very much. The day I got it, I played it 4 times straight through, then spent another hour and a half through the extras (in what other concert DVD will you find one and a half hours worth of extras??? None, La Luna is such a great DVD!)

Sarah Brightman is in excellent voice in this concert in Florida, and she has great stage presence. Her movements are very graceful and fit the songs well, and her dancers do a great job as well. The setting of the stage is brilliant and makes one feel the "moon" atmosphere Sarah wants the audience to perceive (similar to but better than the red theme of the "One Night in Eden" concert). There's even a globe in the front of the stage, as if the stage Sarah is performing on is the moon.

If you love Sarah's voice, see her at her best, performing live! This DVD is a must!

Sarah Brightman may be better known to the world for her performances in Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals (particularly as Christine in Phantom of the Opera), but her vocal talents stand much broader than just show tunes.

La Luna is Sarah's most recent album of contemporary musical artistry, and the DVD version of her La Luna concert is an outstanding performance of the music from that album and many of her earlier works as well.

The DVD offers a number of audio format options, including DTS, Dolby 5.1 / AC-3, and PCM. The extra features included are similarly ample, including subtitled lyrics, a behind the scenes featurette, a music video, and more. The only complaint viewers may have regards the appearance in places of MPEG compression artifacts in the video; one may wonder if perhaps offering such a wide selection of sound formats slightly compromised the video encoding. However, said artifacts are not noticable to the average viewer and shouldn't detract from this outstanding performance.

Oh, my. What to say about this movie? It is, after all, about a young man having sex with a 12-year-old boy.

First, the easy part . . . . The movie is well-crafted, structured around flashback, a deft mix of subtitled Dutch and English in reflection of the idiosyncratic communication that evolves between the main characters, and beautifully filmed in the soft light of northern Europe. As a piece of cinematic craftmanship, I'd give it 4 stars.

But then there's the story itself. Can sexual relations between an adult and a child ever be excused by love or circumstances? Before this movie, the answer for me was a resounding no. After this movie, I simply don't know. The man here is not a sexual predator in that he is not attracted to the boy by virtue of his youth. Instead, he is a gay man doubly isolated by his sexual orientation and by being on foreign ground at the end of a world-shattering war. And, coming across a gay boy likewise isolated from his home at the end of the same war, a bond is forged that did not have sex as its initial aim and came to include sex only after love was so deeply established as to have rendered age irrelevant.

Or did it? After all, the soldier is first attracted to the boy by his looks, not by anything he knew about the boy or his circumstances. And can age ever be irrelevant to sex involving minors? Do 12-year-olds ever know enough of themselves, their world, and its risks to be informed participants?

If nothing else, this movie accomplishes something by making the question tenable. But does it, in the end, make this love affair all right? I simply don't know.

This movie stands up as a thought-provoking film. It should not, however, be read as an unambiguous justification for adult/child sex. Since it, however, implies more than presents the ambiguities and could leave some thinking they've just watched an argument that child sex taboos are nothing more than unwarranted modern western uptightness, I discount it to 3 stars.

There's nothing wrong with this movie in terms of cinematics, acting, directing, and quality of writing. It is sincere, character-driven and real. A caveat: To appreciate it at all you have to put aside the conviction that a relationship between a man and a boy is always wrong.

Those things said, there is nothing particularly excellent about this movie. It is touching, nostalgic, and truthful, but it is none of these things to the point of truly affecting your heart. Part of the reason is that it's too short, another part is that the ambiance (editing/music/so forth) are not very well done, and another part may be simply that I had read so many extremely complimentary reviews that my expectations were just too high.

It's a nice movie... but don't expect a masterpiece.

I have never written a film review before, but couldn't stop myself this time. 'For a lost Soldier' takes you back to your memories and makes you nostalgic about your childhood. I am a 24yr old lad but still it brought back all those childhood memories.....What should be really appriciated is good acting and never being graphic this film projects a relationship between a boy and a man in a true romantic sense. I am surely impressed and will keep the video all my life. Its worth the ££..If you are looking for true offbeat gay love story...its worth watching.

Don't take my middle of the road three star rating as a sign of apathy. This movie is one you will either love or hate, and in my case I very much enjoyed certain things and very strongly disliked others.

Obivously the big draw in this movie is Leonardo DiCaprio. I have to say, he does an outstanding job with this role. In the true story of drugged-out high schooler Jim Carroll, he thrives on the type of script Academy Awards are made out of: tons of opportunities for him to be high, low, enraged, in sorrow. There are a lot of opportunities to use his physicality in the role, and he seizes every one. In particular I think of his drug withdrawal sequence and he and his friends' mourning the death of a close friend by getting drunk and playing basketball in the rain.

The plot has a sixteen year old Jim Carroll playing high school basketball. Three of his teammates are his best friends, and when not on the basketball court, they tend to find all kinds of "innocent" trouble around New York (knocking over food vendor carts, for instance). Another outlet of energy for Jim alone is his diary where he records sensations he feels in his young life.

His search for sensation and his friends' desire to find trouble coalesces in experiments with drugs like cocaine and herione. As Jim notes in the monologue of the movie, there is no such thing as a part-time addict. They fall further and further into the downward spiral in an effort to evade pressures from school teachers, coaches, and parents.

Some of the scenes in this movie are very gripping and visceral. However, the links between these scenes tend to be bogged down in poor directing. I realize this movie was a lower budgeted one, but there really is no excuse for having a movie made in 1995 that looks like it was made in 1985. While the performance by DiCaprio is extraordinary, the directing is lackluster. Poor camera angles, helpless lighting, bit part actors who look and sound amateur; those should all be blamed on the director.

However, this movie is worthwhile if you are one who has a particular interest in either Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg (he stars as a main character and one of Jim Carroll's best friends), or the subject matter. I have to say I thought "Trainspotting" handled the subject of drug use extremely well, but this movie is right up there in the ability to depict the sensations felt by those addicted.

The name Jim Carroll may not be familiar to mainstream, radio-friendly listeners, but to those who know about rock poetry and Punk Carroll is one of the genre's greatest word-players along with Patti Smith and has recorded two especially noteworthy works, "Catholic Boy" and "The People Who Died," which sound like wonderfully gritty hybrids of beat poetry and Punk rock. "The Basketball Diaries" is based on Carroll's novel of the same name which is a testament of his days living in the streets of New York during which he became addicted to heroin, saw friends either die or spiral down into self-destruction and eventually found his talent for words as an exit out of the hell he was trapped in. As a movie, the story comes alive with a powerful impact. Director Scott Kalvert does not make the movie into an obvious anti-drug message, instead the story of Carroll's teen years is simply just...told. There is almost a documentary-like realism in how scenes are put together, nothing feels false but instead chillingly real. Anyone who has lived in an environment like this or attended high school in the more gritty, violent sections of a city can instantly relate to the people and events. The actors bring these characters to live with great believability, Leonardo DiCaprio broke through with this role, but even his recent work in films like "Titanic" and "Gangs Of New York" seems more tame compared to his brilliant, effective performance here. The scenes where Carroll is addicted to heroin and lives in the junkie underworld are performed by DiCaprio with a vivid realism that is disturbing. One reviewer here complained about the movie missing a plot, plot is not something central here, the story is central and it is the story of a very talented young man gripped by addiction in a world where vices and the darker side of life can easily suck you in. And of course, there is some great music here by Soundgarden, The Doors, The Cult and a great highlight which is Carroll performing "Catholic Boy" with Pearl Jam. In the history of rock music there are many popular stories of addiction from Iggy Pop to Scott Weiland, Carroll's is brought to life in a movie that breathes and doesn't need to throw the message in your face, the message is right there in the story itself.

Most of these people on here that wrote reviews have no idea what they are talking about.This movie was great and anybody that has been in the place of Leo's chatacter knows how well this movie was made.Anybody that has never done the things that go on in this movie might not understand the way drugs take over your life.All the characters play good parts but Leo's acting when he is kicking heroin is the best i have seen yet and the most accurate.I give this movie two thumbs up and highly recommend buying it.

In the little German town of Holstenwall, performers have come from far and wide to set up exhibitions at the town's fair. Among them is a man named Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) who has brought a Somnambulist named Cesare (Conrad Veidt) to entertain the townsfolk. Cesare has slept for 23 years and, through his morbid trance, has acquired knowledge of the past and future. But shortly after Dr. Caligari and Cesare arrive, a series of grisly murders take place in the town. Francis (Friedrich Feher), whose best friend was a victim, vows to track down the person responsible for these hideous crimes.

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is a stunning example of both German expressionism and effective commercial entertainment. Directed by Robert Wiene in 1919, with extraordinary expressionist set design by Hermann Warm and a haunting modern musical score by Timothy Brock, "Caligari" is no less sophisticated in its themes or story-telling technique than modern films. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Alfred Hitchcock's work, in particular his television program. Oddly, the film isn't black-and-white. It's color -or "colored" actually. The film is toned. Scenes that take place at night have a bluish cast. Daytime -or indoor light- has a sepia tone. And a few scenes are actually purple, which I assume was intended to communicate a melancholy mood. (The film was originally hand-tinted, but later prints may not have been. The Image Entertainment DVD is tinted, but I don't know if the other DVD versions are.) The blue and purple casts are interesting, but seem garish at times. Most of the scenes are sepia, which is pleasing to the eye and gives the film a warmth that wouldn't be possible in neutral black&white. The story is told in flashback, and there are flashbacks inside of that one. I was surprised to see real visual effects in such an antique film. And there is a surprise ending no less startling than the ending of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense". In fact, the film's blurring of the boundaries between reality and fantasy, sanity and insanity, can be pretty unsettling. This is a rare horror film that succeeds in creating a true sense of horror at least once. "Caligari"'s fanciful expressionist sets are absolutely fabulous. The sets alone would make the film worth watching. Add great writing and technique, and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is a wonderfully entertaining example of early cinema that really stands the test of time. Highly recommended. Intertitles are in English only.

The DVD (This refers to the Image Entertainment DVD only.): This is one of those DVDs that starts to play the film as soon as you put the disc into the machine, so be quick on the remote. Bonus features include excerpts from a film called "Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire", which director Robert Wiene made in 1920, and a excellent audio commentary by film historian Mike Budd. I highly recommend the commentary, but don't be tempted to listen to it the first time you view the film. The film suffers without its musical score, and the audio commentary gives away the ending early in the film. It's very worthwhile on your second viewing, though. Mike Budd talks about the artistry of "Caligari" as well as the state of commercial film and expressionist art in Germany at the time. The film's speed is correct on this DVD, but the condition of the print leaves something to be desired. There is noticeable white noise (scratches) in much of the film, and there is a conspicuous dark band across the top of the screen in many of the scenes. Maybe the film was originally like that. This print certainly is. It would be nice if it were cleaned up. These flaws don't detract too much from the enjoyment of the film, but that dark band is especially obtrusive. On the other hand, I appreciate that this DVD was made from a print which has the original color tinting.

If you have not seen the movie, you should. If you are casting around between the various prints and versions available on DVD or video, the KINO DVD (available separately or in a boxed set with equally definitive versions of THE GOLEM, NOSFERATU and WAXORKS) is easily the best. 'Nuff said!

I have owned a video copy of this film for years. I first saw Das Kabinet des Dr. Caligari, and Nosferatu Eine Symphonie des Grauns when I was 12. About the same time I saw the second Golem movie of the early 1920's by Paul Wegener. I really enjoy the Dr Caligari movie, and prefer to think of the ending not as being a happy one, that the sick Francis would be cured by the kindly Dr. Caligari, but that he had been captured, and probably tortured in sequences after the film ends. One could imagine something like Orlac's Hande. Conrad Veidt's, Ceasar, supposedly influnced the 1930's Frankenstein films by Universal, and certainly started that so common scene of the monster kidnapping the heroine. But I think that influence was overstated. Veidt was more influential, I think, in the scenes in the Cabinet. That was a prototype for similar vampire scenes that would come in the future. This and the silent movie The Man Who Laughs put him in the running to play Dracula after Lon Chaney died, but before the stage Dracula--Bela Lugosi--was hired. Of course Veidt makes the most polished Nazi ever in Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart, Claude Reins, and Ingrid Bergman. The figure of Cesare was even aped by Peter Murphey on his first solo album. However, unlike some of your reviewers I consider Anne Rice's books or movies a waste of my time.