Brain and CNS Movie Reviews

C-Bear and Jamal is a great miniseries for kids of all backgrounds. It explores the world of Jamal, the son of a single father who experiences adventures thanks to his little buddy, a magical stuffed bear named C-Bear. My children enjoy watching the cartoons that feature the imagination and voice of former rapper, Ton-Loc. His raspy voice 'keeps it real' with urban lingo and humor. The issues are appropriate for children of all ages. The downside of the series is that it has to end. I guess that C-Bear and Jamal was destined to be short-lived because no boy can grow up to be a man toting a stuffed bear around. However, while Jamal grows up, it is fun and entertaining to watch the two's excursions into school and playground life.

C-Bear and Jamal is a great video. My children loves watching this video over and over again. I like the way C-Bear helps Jamal solve his problems and by doing so teaches him "Lessons in Life"! Very up to date and intelligently put together. I'm buying this video for my children and another for my niece. Please start the next video. Your fans are waiting!

THIS MOVIE WAS GREAT. IT WAS A FUNNY AND NICE VIDIO.IT EVEN HAD MORE EPISODES THEN OTHER VIDIOS. IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Tired of the same old stiff, boring vampires? Have I got a movie for you! "Strange Things" manages to innovatively depart from the norm with vampires that actually have something to say. Although this film does not take itself seriously, the filmmakers have not compromised their integrity in producing a quality film . What it does have is witty dialogue, plenty of gore, a damn fine musical score, captivating performances, and of course, scantily clad gals. "Strange Things" has the entire package. Kudos to Insane-o-Rama productions.

The filmmakers here definately walk a fine line between making a damn fine film, and a trash classic. Strange Things is what great exploitation movies should be. Funny, intelligent, well-written and shot, and well acted. But, most importantly, the movie never loses sight of what it really should be. Exploitation! Strange Things is filled to the bill with buckets of blood, gratuitous nudity, entrails, cannibalistic zombies, sexy vampire women, violent mob beatdowns, over-the-top performances, and lots of scenes of scantily clad women writhing around on the floor, turning into vampires. You cant beat that.
The plot follows the exploits of a handful of modern day vampires. Among them, a group of fanged mobsters (include a one fanged mafioso named 'Nicky the Tooth'); a vinyl clad female assassin, who also serves as the movies narrator; a pair of vampire lovers-on-the-lam who kidnap a born again Christian (you'll watch in amazement as one of the vampires actually finds Jesus); a pair of vampires hopelessly stuck in the late-80's metal era; the original vampire himself, The Reaper, who fears nothing except his neat-freak psychotic wife (in a scene stealing performance); and a neighborhood girl whose been bitten by the mob vampires, and now must endure the lenghty, agonizing turn from human to vampire. (Melissa Bacelar, from some of the Troma movies, plays this role extremely well. Her performance is astonishing, considering that she spends most of her scenes either convulsing, or squirming around on the floor in her underwear.) All of these individual stories tie together neatly in the movies last half. Amazingly, in a movie that has so much plot, and so many characters, Strange Things never becomes confusing or convoluted.
I caught this movie at the 2003 New York horror Film Festival, where it won the audience prize for best feature film. the buzz about this movie was intense at the festival, and its easily one of the best vampire movies you'll ever see, (and the goriest!) and possibly the best horror film of the year.

I saw the preview of this film at the NY Film Festival. It is a fantastic glimpse into the lives of vampires walking amoungst our daily activities in New York,including mob vampires,a born again Christian and countless other colorful characters. Though the movie did not lack blood and gore, I enjoyed the dialogue reminiscent of Scorcese and Tarantino. Many twists and turns never before ventured in the vampire genre. The music alone makes the movie worth seeing. Bravo to these young film makers.

This film displays how two determined young thieves, dream of saving enough money to travel to the United States, where their lives will be much better. These teenagers are dreamers and love to have fun. They find themselves in love with two local girls, who decide to join the trip to America, against all the odds. A very enjoyable film.

If you thought the last volume was confusing, you'll be flustered by this volume. However, it still moves the story and the action continues to be great.

NEW CHARACTERS
Kant Kessiner: A genius boy who is a scientist.
Nakki Guys: An American Brain Powered pilot who brings his four anti-bodies to Novis Noah to fight Orphan.
Nelly: A new friend Yuu makes in a winter landscape.
Baron: Johnathan Glenn's new mentor in the winter landscape.

The episodes in this volume speed by quicker and go at a much faster pace than the last volume. However, it sometimes gets confusing, but I guess thats what makes it so more interesting.

Temptation of the Plates (B+): Captain Anoa is still depressed from the encounter with her son. She even goes as far as capturing a Plate with a Wedge.

Sister and Brother (B+): A conference is held with the addition of Yuu's dad. Plus, Yuu fights his sister.

Independent Course of Action (B): Yuu infiltrates Orphan with Kumazo and discovers more secrets about his parents.

Stately Surfacing (A-): More of Yuu's past surfaces and Hime takes Yuu's Brain out into battle unmanned.

Are Souls Solitary (B+): Russ gets a little more developed and Kanon realizes just how much she cares for him.

Perfect Breakthrough (B+): Grand Chers attack Novis Noah during a wind storm and Russ makes a sacrafice.

The Uninvited Guest (B+): Mr. Mohammad returns to help Orphen and Nakki Guys boards the Novis Noah.

Beyond the Curtain (A-): After being thrown into the Vital Globe Network, Yuu ends up in a winter land with Johnathen Glenn. There, he meets Nelly and Glenn meets Baron.

The Depths of Love (A): Yuu and Nelly become closer and they both discover new things about the Brains.

The packaging on this collection actually contains some terms key to understanding Brain Powered. Those were very helpful. The extras on this disc include Karaoke, production designs of the characters and, the best extra, a text interview with Yoshiyuki Tomino (director and writer) and Yoko Kanno (Composer). Both of them give deep insight to why the show was made the way it is and I strongly recommend that everybody who didn't like Brain Powered to please read it.

Overall, I was impressed with these batch of episodes and they left me drooling for more. Im really becoming attached to this show.

While I was watching this the first two volumes, I couldn't help but wonder just how this series would end. Now my questions have finally been answered. Let me tell you, if you've seen Brain Powered up to this point, your in for a real treat with the final installment.

The Moving Mountain Range (A-): Orphen takes in America as it's military. Yuu, Hime and Nakki are captured by Chinese villagers and they visit a Brain Powered graveyard.

The Governor's Ambitions (A): Kant tries to pilot a Brain and the American Grand Chers are destroyed by "Brain Ghosts".

A Problem of Hallucination (A): Hime finally talks to Orphen and the Americans commence a nuclear missile assault on Novis Noah.

All or Nothing (B+): Yuu brings his sister to Novis Noah where she actually settles in gardening with the children. However, her Grand Cher has other plans.

Sweet Memories (B+): Baron takes over Orphen while more Higgin's past is revealed.

Tricking Memories (B): Quincy Issa steals Hime's Brain in order to find her own Grand Cher. When she finds it, she discovers the history of the Isami familty.

Orphan's Hesitation (A): The Brains make a final assault on Orphen and Quincy lets Orphen swallow her.

Flight (A+): The rest of the Brains are transported back to Novis Noah while Hime and Yuu are left inside Orphen to fight Baron. Plus, Baron's identity is revealed.

The packaging, like the last volume, contains key terms that should help you understand the show better. The extras on this volume include a production gallery of the Brains and Grand Chers and the continuation of the interview with Yoshiyuki Tomino and Yoko Kanno from the last volume.

Overall, I was rather pleased with the ending to Brain Powered. It remained true and original right up to fanatastic ending that didn't slow the show down one bit. If you have never seen this series, by all three volumes right now. It is well worth it. Brain Powered is a fresh mecha series that should appeal to every anime fan. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this dvd. I particularly like the lessons on funk beats and go-go beats. There's a booklet included with all the lessons written out. This dvd is funny and entertaining in between the lessons as well.

I have watched 4 of these cassettes and I am again amazed at the complexity and organization of a human's headquarters. Every knowledge we have about brain is gained through practical tests and we see a lot of such physology related tests in these videos. They give insight to how neurologist work with brain to understand it. I especially liked the second video telling the story of language learning.

This series from PBS is an excellent, accessible introduction to developmental neuroscience. It was developed for a lay audience, but professionals will also find the information and the visuals of great interest. I have been using excerpts from this series in professional trainings since the series was first broadcast in 2001 to the applause and appreciation of all of my students. My family and friends are also raving about this series. If you are professionally or personally interested in psychology, neuroscience, and development you will not be dissappointed.
-- Babette Rothschild, MSW
author, The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment

I found this to be an excellent DVD set. I checked it out from the public library and liked it so much that I purchased it. I used this DVD along with Synaptic Self to write a speech for speech class. I wrote almost the entire speech with just these two sources. The amount of info in the DVDs is amazing. It was especially interesting to learn that we have over one trillion neurons in our brain. The video is more than facts however. They go into the lives of many people with different neurological conditions. One example is the neurological affects on a preemies brain. They look into whether it is a result of the child being born with such an underdeveloped brain or if it is the result of all the noise in the newborn intensive care unit. Although more research is needed the study performed shows that the research is promising. In seeing real life stories one isn't filled with just technical info but real world info. It allows one to see what happens to some of our fellow species and how different things affect the brain. I would recommend this DVD to anyone wants to learn more about the brain and it's affects on individuals. I would also highly recommend Synaptic Self by Joseph Ledoux.

With the enormous success of "Walking with Dinosaurs", it was only natural that Framestore and the BBC would follow-up that series with the age after the dinosaurs. "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts" is that series. In fact, this is the series that Executive Producer Tim Haines wanted to do, even more than "Walking with Dinosaurs".

My first experience with this series was in London with the episode "Whale Killer". I knew then that this was something I wanted to see when it came across the "pond", and it was something I wanted to buy. It was a little disappointing that Stockard Channing, not Avery Brooks, narrated the Discovery Channel version, but she does a fair job. However, one would be better off buying the video version than taping the series off Discovery.

The video version is the original version that aired in the UK, with Kenneth Branagh's original narration. As with "Walking with Dinosaurs", Branagh's narration is greatly superior to Channing or Brooks', though one has to remember that Branagh isn't working with a script written for a version that is chopped up to accomidate the slighty stricter US censors and commercial time. And the video has the *complete*, uncut episodes from the original BBC airing. The animation continues from "Dinosaurs" and appears just as realistic, despite the added difficulty of rendering fur and feathers!

Although this is a excellent series, there are certain flaws that prevent the series from getting five stars. The animatronics continue to be, IMHO, of a lesser quality than the animation; they still look like rubber puppets. This is perhaps at it's most glaring in the fourth episode, with the early humans. The humans in that episode, despite more than adequate animation, just don't "feel" real, either animated or animatrionic. In fact, in my opinion, the primates featured in this series look more like animated characters than real animals. Only the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon humans have any semblance of realism, and only because they are portrayed by actors.

The extras featured in the DVD make this series even more worthwhile. Included on the second disc are the two "Making of..." hour-long episodes. Also on the disc are interviews with the creators of the series, stats on the animals featured in the series, and various images of the animals.

All in all, "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts" is an excellent follow-up to "Dinosaurs", despite the technical flaws. Once again, Tim Haines proves why Framestore is to televison what Industrial Light and Magic is to movies. I hope that Haines and company will follow up this series with episodes of the animals from *before* the age of dinosaurs, though, from the previews I've seen, I hold no hope for "Walking with Cavemen"!

I really LOVED "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts," and cannot recommend this documentary enough! This show will appeal to fans of nature documentaries who would like to view a researched but (fictional) account of the lives of ancient mammals. This series starts off at about 65 million years ago with the demise of the dinosaurs, and ends about 30 million years ago, with the demise of the Neanderthals. The animation and animatronics are so well done, so detailed that at times I forgot I was watching computer animation and animatronics. In particular, I loved the scenes with the saber-toothed cats, the hyeanadons and the ancient whales. Oh, and who can forget the andrewsarchus?

The narrator does an excellent job of describing each era, the animal life, the flora and fauna, and the climate change and how it impacts the animal populace. Creatures spring to life on the screen eating, drinking, fighting, dying, and yes even (mating).

Caveats: First: I wish the documentary had gone into a bit more detail with early homo sapiens and Neanderthals. I felt the impact of these early humans on their environment wasn't fully explored. Second: About the only scenes I saw where the animation was left than perfect, was where/when the animals fed. The chewing and eating motions didn't seem quite right. The early chimp-like humans were picking nits. But the nits never seemed to quite make it INTO the mouths. Etc.

Finally, one word of caution, while this did not bother me, some sensitive viewers and young children, might have trouble with repeat scenes of graphic violence, and animal death. Even though its animation, it is very realistically portrayed and no punches are pulled. This is not a movie intended for young children( although mature children will love it). As an example: my mother was quite distressed at the scene in the beginning where the trapped baby chick was being devoured alive by the giant ants (!) As a result, she refused to watch anymore.

Overall, an excellent film, sure to delight those who enjoy speculating on what things were like in the world of prehistory.

Just as good as the previous BBC "Walking With Dinos" series, and in our opinion, even better! My kids really liked seeing the variety of mamals - "the big, the bad, and the ugly" - and the carniverous terror birds. Even after seeing how these extinct beasts were created I always find myself forgetting that they're faux.

Browse the companion book (See ISBN: 0789478293) for beautiful images taken from this series and I know you'll be as instantly sold on this DVD as we were.

A fairly strong episode of MST3K, especially considering it's Mike Nelson's first time as the host on the Satellite of Love. The movie is a lurid and gruesome "B" grade picture about a doctor who keeps his girlfriend's head alive well past its freshness date while he seeks a body on which to transplant it. The MST3K crew provide many laughs throughout this lurid melodrama, many of them food references as during their Amazing Colossal Man episode of the show. The absurdity of the movie and these jokes really keeps you laughing throughout. Look for the hilarious host segment at the end where they interview "Jan in the Pan" played by writer Mary Jo Pehl.

I first seen this movie when I was 6 years old on the old Nightmare Theater out of Salt Lake's Channel 4. I think it tweaked me to be what I am now!

The second time I saw this film, was in my early 20's, when I used to "do colors." In that state of mind, the show was hillarious!!

And now it has been given the coup' de Grace it deserves by Mike and our Robot Friends!

This is one of the better MST movies. Mike and the bots are shotgun fast in their remarks and their critique. Our MST guys include literally hundreds of obscure comments here. They tie to other MST episodes, '60's TV commercials, and the sheer twisted God Complex of our hero, Dr. Cortner. He needs to lop the heads off of sleazy tramps to provide his ego with the perfect slutty body for his personal "football,", our beloved Jan in the Pan! Too bad that Jan got a mad-on against Dr. Killjoy and she allies herself with White Fang behind that door!

Favorite Jibes!

"Battery acid? U'r soaking in it!"
Why he gave my hand Rich Corinthian Leather, I'll never know!
No, White Fang, NO! Not the Custard Pie!
"Mitttchhhellll!"
That's one bad tasting Mc.Nuggett!
Hi! Im William Proxmire, put 'er there!
Honey! Dont forget my purse! Honey!
Hi! I'm a doctor! I want to lop your head off!
No thanks, Ill just see the menu. "I AM the menu!"
"Chi-Chit!" Chi-Chit!"
It looks like he just copped an attitude!
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This is the MST to baptize novices into our cult with! Buy it, than hold a MST party and see if you and your friends can be half as fast at hurling insults and jibes at this movie as our Professional Robot Friends are!

all herald the new host: Mike Nelson! even in the joel years, mike was a head writer for mst3k, so there's no new humor to get used to here. the only thing to get used to is a more comfortable and funny host for the greatest show ever.

brain that wouldn't die is a pretty typical mst3k movie, featuring a really evil doctor, a really annoying disembodied head, a really disfigured assistant, and really sleazy music. i love the sleazy music. it's comparable to the music in the sci-fi channel episode "horrors of spider island"

this is the first mst3k dvd i owned, and since i didn't get in to the show until the sci-fi channel era, it was a great intro in to the comedy central years. but for a truly great first mst3k experience, check out "manos: the hands of fate."

.....No, Luke Skywalker ya f***in' inbred!! This is the greatest motion picture of all times. This film was, indeed, a natural, evolution from the conventions of their television show which is the greatest television show of all times. They started with a great plot, from which several sub-plots sprouted. From there, they were able to do what they do best; create a bizarre array of distinctly hilarious characters and situations. If you don't think that this is the greatest motion picture of all times, your brain is obviously smaller than the Chicken Lady's brain.

What can be said about this amazing, well written, laugh out your chair movie? It's clever and shows that the Kids can go from the TV screen to the big screen. I've been a KITH fan longer than I can acurately remember, and after hearing about Brain Candy, I was a little skeptical (especially after reading some of the reviews.) But one day I decided to cough up the 20 bucks to get it and it's one of the greatest things I could have done. I really hope the guys find time to do another movie, but I'm sure nothing at all will ever beat this masterpiece!

I have been watching The Kids for a over two years now [I have missed so much!], I'm currently 13, and first saw Brain Candy last summer. All I can say is that I was watching it at around 2 AM and was afraid of my laughter awakening my sleeping parents.

Brain Candy has got to be one of THE BEST comedy films I have ever seen! It is extremely creative and different, espically compared to the 'norm' of comedy these days. Face it, the sense of humour in humans has dulled down, A LOT, over the years.

Though, as others have said, it is better if you have a darker sense of humour, or else you may not understand most of the jokes, but even if you don't, just try this one anyway. . . You should still enjoy yourself.

OK, I got a little off track, but I still have to add that the movie is great but the soundtrack is even better!