Pain Movie Reviews

After putting off watching this cameo from Chris for a long time, because the sound on the DVD I bought was so unclear (and this is a staged live performance), I finally decided to stick with it and watch it on a leisurely Sunday.

Guess I was spectacularly wrong about this performance, there's some real side-splitting stuff in here!

Chris takes on drunk politicians, drugs, the innocence (or not) of OJ, subtleties of relationships between men and women and what makes each different, the ills of domestic abuse, the lack of popularity of books among the African-American community etc etc.

Pronto-Purchase material, this. Perhaps even the absolutely best stand-up material I have seen from Chris Rock EVER. Hilarious!

Brilliant, just brilliant. It's such a shame that Chris Rock videos/cassettes aren't widely available in the UK, especially considering that what Rock has to say isn't exactly culture-bound. Sure, some of the humour is US-specific and related to the racial and political issues of 1996, but what Rock taps into is the nasty underbelly of life that we ALL like to think doesn't exist.

His passion, his anger (and maybe frustration) all pour out onto the screen and you really get the impression that the man is laying himself bare - the sort of exhaustive stage-performance that you only really expect to see once in every comedian's life... but for Rock, it's just another killer routine.

I could predictably warn people about his choice of language and the way in which his vocabulary is peppered with 'obscenity' - but like the finest of comedians, Rock's material is so rich and it's delivery is so slick, that swearing merely compliments what he says, rather than overpowering it. And quite frankly, if you're buying a Chris Rock video, you probably know what you're buying.

A true comedy classic.

This show was Chris Rock's first hour long special on HBO. As Rock as remarked, it is this show that really launched his career. Before this, he had made a movie or two (CB4) and had a shorter comedy special, but his career had pretty much hit a plateau. "Bring the Pain" changed this. The show is incredibly funny and the material was very fresh when it was first broadcast. Unfortunately, some of the humor is dated (comments about the Million Man March and the OJ Simpson murder trial). However, even with some of the jokes being dated, they are still funny. There is quite a bit of race humor (which while funny, as a white man I can't repeat any of it) and also sexual/relationship humor. While Rock does curse (often at times), he does not lose sight of the fact that the humor is in the joke, not the language. Rock's delivery is perfect and this is a much watch DVD for a fan of Chris Rock. It is also a great introduction to Rock for anyone who is not familiar with his work.

My Father's Glory is the first of two films dealing with the novelist/filmmaker Marcel Pagnol's childhood. The film really does not have a plot. Marcel's parents Joseph, a beloved school teacher, and his mother Augustine, a dressmaker meet, fall in love, and get married. Soon afterward Marcel is born, as is his brother and sister. Marcel's family, along with his Uncle Jules and Aunt Rose, vacation in the South of France, and his father wins a hunting contest. On the surface there is not much to hold the film together. Yet the plot of the film is not what makes it so worthwhile. The film's chief strength is the way that each character is developed. We can see that Joseph is a good and descent man, a masterful teacher, and most especially a devoted father and husband. Young Marcel idolizes his father, and wants all others to realize the father's great qualities. The father is not perfect, and Marcel has questions about his doubt of all things religious. Marcel admires his mother as well, who is a nurturing and caring soul. The other major characters are both richly developed and varied.

The setting of the film is sumptuous. The small French town where Marcel and his family hail from seems realistic and the viewer can feel as if he/she has stepped back in time. The music adds to the film and perfectly blends with the scenes and characters.

Some may feel that the film is too saccharinely sweet. This can be an easy dismissal of a film that is unashamedly lavish, nostalgic, and sentimental. Such critics are wrong, however. The film shows Pagnol's appreciation for his parents, and how their good qualities played such a significant role in the man he would later be.

This is, quite simply, one of the best films about childhood ever made. But then again, to write this film off as a film about childhood is too easy. This is a gorgeously filmed adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's memoirs of growing up and vacationing in Provence with his family. The cinematography is beautiful, and the cast is uniformly excellent. And as a real treat to film viewers, there are no sentimental or treacly moments that can often bog a film down. A friend noted that while I watched this film, I had a smile on my face the entire time. That's the best kind of film. This is followed by the equally stellar but more somber "My Mother's Castle."

"Le Gloire de Mon Pere" is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. The first time I saw it was in my french class. I thought it was cute and decided to see if the library had it, they did. After I saw it the second time I realised how good it is. The true story of Marcel and his father is unique for the 90's. I highly reccomend this film and its sequel "La Chateau de Ma Mere", the rest of the story of Marcel and his family. It has a sad ending but is worth it.

Yes, there a few other bands that deserve mentioning: The Union Underground, Endo & Flybanger. BUT, if you really want a taste of the true MUD experience, get this DVD!! You will not regret it.

As someone who has seen STEREOMUD live, I can tell you this gives a pretty good representation of their raw, humorous and extremely talented performances.

As stated, you get the video for "Pain" and a live version as well. Enjoy it, you will!!!

Ok, check out the other bands, too, they are definitely worth the price of admission as well.

psssssssssst: If you haven't picked up SM's cd, "perfect self", you must! It is one of the best rock albums of the year. Just a little bonus tip from moi. ;)

If anyone out there loves The Union Underground, Stereo Mud, Endo, or Flybanger this DVD is for you. All of the bands listed have a music video on the DVD and as an added bonus The Union Underground and Stereo Mud have live tracks on it as well. All the songs are great and can easily pump you up and get you ready for the day. For anyone that is thinking of buying this DVD here is the play list:

The Union Underground ~Turn Me On "Mr. Deadman" ~Revolution Main "Live"

Stere Mud

~Pain ~Pain "Live"

Endo ~Suffer

Flybanger ~Cavalry

And my final words...do not pass up this DVD. For the price and the bands that are on it, it's a MUST have for your collection.

I was thrilled to get the DVD showing live coverage of a couple of my favorite up and coming bands. Stereomud's video Pain is a great video, but the live version goes a step beyond. After seeing the band live, I feel this DVD captured their raw energy well. My only complaint--I would have liked to have seen more live music on this DVD from this group. One song is not nearly enough MUD. Do yourself a favor and buy their CD. It's well-worth the listen.

Union Underground has a couple of great songs on here as well. I love their song Turn me on "Mr. Deadman", so the video was an added plus to me. The live rendition of Revolution Man is well done as well. If you are fan of these groups, or even if you are not, I think this is one DVD you will enjoy.

Also, check out the videos from Endo and Flybanger on this DVD. I won't be selling my copy...It's a keeper!

The young boy Marcel spends every holiday with his family in their cottage in the hills of Provence. However, every time they leave Marcel wishes to go back to the hills and he is always daydreaming of the hills. As he daydreams he is picked to take the scholarship application test offered once a year by his school and this conflicts with his desires. The teachers in his school, including his father, keep their eyes on Marcel and quiz him constantly. However, due to the deteriorating health of his mother, his family must return to the hills frequently. This means that they will have to walk six miles every time they want to go to their cottage. One day on their way to the cottage, they meet an old student of Marcel's father. The ex-student offers to take them on a shortcut and later offers them a key that takes them through the shortcut, but this is somewhat illegal and it is against his fathers principles. After some consideration the father accepts and the dream of coming to the hills more often seems to be more solid. My Mother's Castle is a narrative account where the audience gets to know Marcel and his family through their actions and their dreams. As the audience follows the story, they are presented with numerous short stories in the family's life that are cleverly intertwined leaving the audience with a terrific cinematic experience.

My Mother Castle picks up where My Father's Glory Ends. Like its predecessor, it is a movie that really does not have a plot, but it has well developed characters, a beautiful setting, and wonderful music. In this film, the family visits a beloved vacation home in the South of France as often as possible. The mother Augustine is more the focus of this film, but Marcel's father also plays a significant role. We get a sense of how powerful his father's teaching impacted students when we meet one of his former students who is now an adult. In this film we see Marcel grow up a bit more. He still has a great friend in the country boy Lilli, a friendship which began in the first film. He also has his first crush on a rather eccentric girl. Perhaps the greatest moment in the film is when the family learns that Marcel will be able to attend a prestigious exam school. Marcel realizes that this will give him greater educational opportunities than his father ever had, but he also realizes that he may never be the wonderful person that his father happened to be.

I viewed this film prior to viewing My Father's Glory. This is not to say that My Mother's Castle is not a good enough film to stand on its own. The two films are nearly equal in all aspects. The high standards of the first film were applied to the second film, but since this film takes place after My Father's Glory, it will be less confusing to viewers if they have already met the characters in the first film.

This is a film with no action, no violence, no sex, no nudity.
I have seen it 6 or 7 times by the last count.
Superb acting, superb scenery.
The story closely follows Marcel Pagnol's book, and that, by itself makes it worth watching in French. The mastery of the language that Pagnol exhibits, in combination with the sedulously researched historical perspective create a masterpiece.
Other reviewers already have told the story, I am not going to repeat their comments.
If you have children, watch this movie with them. The scene when the schoolteacher father is taking his children along for a stroll, and all the while teaching them is worth millions.
This is not only a coming of age movie, but also a historical snapshot on France at the turn of the century, when science and technology promised a world where everything would be possible.
Of course you should see "My father's glory" first to savor the complete richness and texture of this movie, but it only loses a little if you watch it separately.
Just get both, and be done with it. This is a movie you will watch several times anyway.
A little tragic at the end (this is a French film after all)but no more than the tragedy that was about to unfold in France twice in the next 30 years.

Now a young beauty, Manon sets her self into a quest for revenge against those ones that killed his beloved and charming father, Jean Cadoret. Alone and proud, Manon is a shepherdess running free in the countryside, surviving and avoiding the farmers that dismissed her father for no other sin than just being a foreigner. And so, in one hot summer day, Ugolin falls in love at first sight with the naked beauty of Manon. Chance will turn into the girl's path, to reveal the truth about his father death, she vows anger and silence into her intentions, and again, chance will provide Manon with the exact and necessary means to revenge her unbearable loss. The whole town will be set on despair, and Papet and Ugolin will find each other in the terrible and cruel ways of the destiny they themselves made, Cesar will face the dead of his name, and Ugolin, the sadness of a love not meant to be, at the end, they will beg for a miracle, and Manon will find true love inside her quest. Arise.

Claude Berri re-prices the landscapes and people from Marcel Pagnol's regarded novel (The Water of the Hill), all with amazing artistry and masterful direction, making this film more than a worthy sequel of its predecessor (Jean De Florette), an achievement in its own right. Bravo.
Captivating and honest, Manon of the Spring is pure true and simple revenge, a classical tale of loss and redemption, compelling the truth and much worth braveness of one single and justified deed, for one sake's peace of mind. This time, Claude Berri paints with the same brush, different emotions in the same protagonist, the slow point break of not knowing what else can you do to save yourself, down on your knees, she will only give pardon because of his love.
The cast again does an intricate and passionate work. Ives Montand, portraits Papet with the same accurate eye, only this time, sadness and sorrow are added to the spectrum, and Papet is revealed in his human ways. The amazing Daniel Auteuil gives despair and tragic sense to Ugolin, the result stands in a emotive evolution of the character. Now, we get to see the little girl that was Manon in Jean De Florette, grown to be breathtaking beauty. French actress Emmanuelle Beart, portraits the young shepherdess with dedicated understanding of such a bucolic soul, a keen and natural performance, like a wood nymph (her nude dance scene is an absolute delicatessen), the supporting cast stands firm. The problem of the movie is that it can't help to be compared with Jean De Florette, for obvious reasons. The point where this comparison hurts a little is in Manon's script and in some parts of the direction. The screenplay is actually a fine piece of work, but there are some scenes where the development of important events are carried with some easiness along with a pace that doesn't belongs to the rhythm of the story. This little problem could have been emended in the DVD edition with extra footage, but, it seems Claude Berri is quite happy with the original Cut, anyway, the film is an excellent piece of French cinema. Jean Claude-Petit limited himself to re-arrange the same music motifs that appeared in Jean De Florette, nothing more or new.
This DVD version has the same audio and visual transferring of Jean De Florette (Widescreen Letterbox Edition 2:35.1, with Dolby Digital 2.0) , not at the level of its feature, again, a new and improved version can do more justice to this beautiful film, anyway, the DVD is good enough to see it without any real problems.
So, this is the final chapter of The Water of the Hill story, a lesson of tolerance and love is what the whole story is about, and little in Cinema History, such topics had been portrait with so much conviction.

This is not a sequel to "Jean de Florette", but the concluding part of the same story, "Water of the Hills" by the French master story-teller, Marcel Pagnol.

Basically, it is an epic played out in that typically French way of drama-making: close relationship between the antagonists and the force beyond their control driving the story to its inevitable end. A sort of modern take on Greek tragedy. The film also features Verdi's "Force of Destiny" as its theme tune.

As with "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Rappeneau, the director here had a great story and great cast (Yves Montand shining through). One uncharitably wonders what little he had to do in terms of creativity in such an ideal situation for any director to be in.

All in all, this is a great piece of French film making. Highly recommended to anybody who loves good film, but especially for those whose idea of France does not go beyond Paris city boundary or "Freedom Fries". You will have some idea about the French farmers by the end of this film.

By way of postscript, I believe this was Beart's film debut and she is unbelievably beautiful in this, which somewhat disturbs the film as a whole. If I am not mistaken, she married Auteil, who plays poor Ugolin in the film, in real life (now divorced). They have a twisted sense of humour over there in France...

I saw this French film and decided to get it only to be totally surprised that it was so fabulous. I never knew about the movie that preceeded this so I stumbled into this with completely fresh eyes only to discover a film that knocked my socks off.

I don't want to give too much away in this review because being able to view this film as is helps in the newness and discovery of. This storyline takes on so many turns that I found myself sitting glued to the screen.

I am a huge fan of French films and this one totally stole my heart. A must have.

Jean De Florette takes you into a bucolic environment of hypocrisy and superficial interests, farmer's adversity and envy against any foreigner, an Stigma that means both loneliness and passive psychological aggression, greedy and unwelcoming. Jean Cadoret (a hunch back) comes to take on the land he inherits from his late mother, Florette, along with his wife (Aimee Cadoret) and daughter (Manon); Jean initiates a utopia of beauty and peace. Set in green French landscapes, the film recreates with great detail, the people, places and horrors that Marcel Pagnol blended in his novel (The Water of the Hill). Ugolin, after doing his time in the army, comes back to meet his only alive relative, Cesar Soubeyran (Le Papet), with a little carnation plan, to turn him self rich, and it is in this moment when Papet sets Ugolin to carry on his plan for the sake and perdurability of the Soubeyran strong and respected name, only one obstacle stands in, the necessary land, and most important, an spring overwhelming enough to drank the flowers towards their red adult state, this is Florette's land, now in the hands of his son, Jean Codorete, known here as Jean De Florette, a lovely name for a Light Operetta. And so, Ugolin fakes a friendship with Jean, only to systematically destroy this man's fair dream, Jean Cadoret will die ignoring the existence of the spring that could have turn on his despair into a bliss. Revenge will be at Manon's hands.
Directed by the audacious Claude Berri (his directorial credits includes, A Man and a Woman 1966, and Germinal 1993), the film narrates the perils and sorrows of a man and his willing to overcome adversity within hope and emotion, the director's composure of images and rhythm conveys the film into a poem of loss, Magnificent. A greening accurate scenery, along with a amazing and light photography, makes justice to every countryside frame, it is both exquisite and delicate, perfectly blended into images, a little shining jewel polished by a smooth and classical music score by Jean-Claude Petit (including the overture of Giussepe Verdi's Opera: "La forza del Destino", or "The force of Destiny", 1862).
The movie carries on the strong and near perfect performances of its three huge protagonist, the late Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu, and Daniel Auteuil. Montand commands all his actor experience and knowledge into a mesmerizing portrait of envy and supremacy, and absolute masterful performance, Depardieu expresses with histrionic sense and candor, all the sweetness and tragic personality of that beautiful character that is Jean De Florette, a brilliant work, and last but not least, Auteuil conveys the slimy ways and contradictory conscience of Ugolin, bringing to screen a versatile view of this man, a much keen and deep superb work. Take into consideration, that these three actors are the best ones of their respective generations, big words to say. The extensive supporting cast also brings artistry and intensiveness to the story. The screenplay is one of those very strange occasions, when an adaptation is as good as the original text, and the film is the cinematographic equal to the novel.
Unfortunately, the Region 1 DVD transferring is not at the level of the film, Widescreen Letterbox Edition 2:35.1, with Dolby Digital 2.0, felts short on the artistic quality of this French movie. A much improve version can make more justice to this great film.
Jean De Florette is only half of the story, the second part, Manon of the Spring, continues this unforgettable tale of envy and true respect for other ones life. A real lesson for those ones that don't care for nothing more that their own interests.

One, if not the, most outstanding films (and books) ever! The two films are not a film and its sequel. They are one story too long to relate onto the screen in one film. I saw it in 1986 when I was 19 and I cried buckets! At 37 I am still bawling. Beautiful and clear in its depiction of human frailties and strengths.

As I sat and watched this movie I first thought of having first seen Manon of the Spring but it didn't take long for me to get entirely wrapped up in the storyline of the haunchback and all of his misfortunes wrought at the hands of his wicked, jealous neighbors.

When you watch this movie you'll spot people in your own life who play the part of the covetous next door neighbors. You may even see stories in your own life play out concurrently while you watch this story.

The French certainly do know how to tell a story. I like how they take their time to let the details of the story unfold and don't rush too much or skip entirely over interesting details. This movie is a must have for any foreign film buffs.

I watched this video in Fench with Eglish sub titles in my french class.

It is a very funny movie about 1 midevil knight and his servant. They go forward in time on accident when they drink a potion that is supposed to make the knight able to change the corse of an aarow that kills his belovede's father. His love won't marry him then and all he ever wanted was to have a family and decendents.

Once they show up in the present day, everyone thinks the kningt is the long lost cousin of this one girl, who is really the knigt's decendant.

It is hallarious the way the midevil knight and servant react to modern things. They don't realize what time they are in.

This movie has a twist and a problem at the end, which I guess is fixed in the second movie. We are in the middle of watching it (it is Les Visiteurs 2 I think), but it's no as easy to understand for me because there are not English subtitles in the version we are watching.

The only reason this movie is rated R is because there is a lot of bad words. In France (where it is origionally from), i think it was only rated PG, but i'm not that sure, so don't take my word for it.

Have a fun time watching Les Visiteurs!!!!!!!

Well, for quite awhile, this DVD was not available in the US, and even hard to find in its native France. It was a nice surprise to finally see it appear stateside, and hopefully, it's appearance will garner some more attention to French comedies. The story focuses around a nobleman who, along with his oafish servent, is transported forward in time to modern day France. In their new surroundings, they must deal with life in the modern world, as well as try to figure out how to return to their own time. Christian Clavier and Jean Reno do outstanding jobs as the misplaced main characters, and the movie moves at such a pace, that it offers plenty of laughs. Do yourself a favor and check this movie out if you're never seen it, you won't be disappointed.

We watched this movie in French class. I may have been prejudiced before the first frame ran, as I absolutely adore Jean Reno, but I LOVE this movie. The sight gags and innuendos are priceless, and I have to say this is the first "time travel" movie that I actually liked. If you do not like this movie, it's because you don't get it!!

A must for any Phantom fan....just to have it and see it. The only problems I had with this movie were that lip-syncing during the opera scenes was a bit annoying and that the relationship between Christine and Raoul was a little bit underplayed. But, the phantom is one of the best I've seen, he has a commanding presence and a sensuality to him, and you just feel so bad for him(when you need to of course, he is definite;y not a sap). The Phantom has a more human characteristics and doesn't seem so aloof, which in most plots and plays would be bad but it fits perfectly with this one. And the Carlotta is just so annoying...which makes her perfect for the role.
Written wonderfully with funny ancdedotes...a perfect part of the collection for any phan. And a great movie to watch, very Entertaining.

This movie is the best version of 'Phantom Of The Opera' that I have ever seen. The music is wonderful, the cast is excellent, and the plot is very well done.

Charles Dance gives an extrordinary performance as the Phantom and he plays the part so well that you can't help but love the character.

The movie starts out with Christine Daee walking to the Opera House in hopes of finding a person to give her singing lessons. As it turns out, she was sent by a wealthy count to see the manager and recieve singing lessons.

The Manager, however, had been bought out by a different company. The new manager does not listen to what the old manager has to say and dismisses the legends of an Opera Ghost as poppycock. And that happens to be the first of his many mistakes. His second one is ignoring what The Phantom says and the third is casting his wife, who can't sing, as the lead female.

The Phantom then hears Christine sing and he offers to give her singing lessons. She then is heard at The Bistro where the manager of the Opera House casts her in the lead role.
This dosen't make his wife happy at all and therefore she sabatoges Christine's performance.

The Phantom then rescues Christine and takes her to his realm under the Opera House where she'll be safe. He treats her well, loves her, and then she asks him to let her see his face.
He refuses and then she tells that she can love him regardless of what he looks like because she knows his heart and has seen his eyes.

When he removes the mask, she faints and therefore he thinks she dosen't love him. When she tries to escape, he catches her and then puts her in a cage thing, which she busts out of and then runs above ground where the Count and the old manager happpen to be standing in the lobby when Christine comes out of a secret door. The count then gets her out and takes her to his Chateau where she is put to bed. but she recieves a dream where she sees the Phantom dying and she knows that she has to go back. The count does not aggree with her plan but she is insistent and so she sings the part of Margurite in Faust and the Phantom hears her. He comes to his box and sings the lead male role and the people love him. After the performance, he jumps onto the stage, grabs Christine and takes her to the roof where there is climatic finish where the phantom winds up dying and Christine winds up with the count.

I saw this when it first aired in 1990. I was 15 at the time, and having always been a Phantom fan, I had to see this version. Charles Dance was absolutely breathtaking as Erik. I loved the more romantic side, and felt/feel that the movie didn't need any singing in it. I have seen every form of the production from on stage to on screen, and felt that this was the best yet! I'm also a fan of Burt Lancaster, and I feel he makes a wonderful addition to the cast as Erik's father. I cried at the end when Erik died, and of course I absolutely HATED Christine for leaving with Phillipe. To actually see a background for how Erik became the Phantom was remarkable.

If you are already a fan or on the path of becoming one, then this DVD is a great addition to your collection. The primary piece on the disc is the 90 minute documentary Pleasure + Pain which is a surprising, humorous, and entertaining collection of behind the scenes and biographical footage of Ben Harper and his merry band of Innocent Criminals. Be warned, there is a very limited amount of live concert or studio segments in the documentary. However, there are a handful concert, studio, and bootleg tunes on the DVD that can be accessed separately including Faded, Gold to Me, Fight for Your Mind, Waiting on an Angel, I Shall Not Walk Alone, Strawberry Fields Forever, and an excellent version of Give a Man a Home featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama. I would have given it five stars if there was more footage capturing Mr. Harper's extraordinary live performances.

It details the life and living of one of the most talented artists of this century. From his childhood through the time he realized his talent. This dvd showcases the amazing person and personaltity that is Ben Harper, match that with the awesome talent of one of the most versatile and incredible bands, Pleasure and Pain is an amazing experience.

About Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminal:

Ben Harpers style cannot be catergorised because there is no one style to his music. His amazing knowledge and capabilities on a huge variety of instruments and a band from a variety of different backgrounds you get a sound that has elements of jazz, funk, blues, latin etc the list goes on and on.

If you havent heard of Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals take one look at Pleasure and Pain and you will be captivated by an artist millions of people have grown to love.

When Van is stopped from killing Dilandau by a mysterious voice it triggers a reaction that forces Hitomi to go into a trance to try to bring him back to consciousness. What Hitomi sees in Van's mind is a vision of lost Atlantis, and Van overcome by terrible dread. Not only must she find a way bring Van back before he is swept away in his memories of the Atlantean cataclysm, she must help him recover his courage.

In the meantime, Dryden the merchant pieces together some clues and discovers that the secret they are looking for is in The Mystic Valley - the hidden home of the Atlanteans on Gaea. With the help of the diary of Allen Schezar's father, Dryden pinpoints the location on the continent of Asgard. This throws Allen into his own conflict - his father deserted Allen and his mother in his quest for the valley and Allen has never forgiven him.

Perhaps the most striking revelation is the nature of Hitomi's powers - that she is quite a bit more than an amateur card reader. Hitomi nearly crumbles when she realizes the extent of her responsibilities. Bringing the third of Escaflowne's main characters face to face with her own crisis. And the Mystic Valley is not necessarily the best place to have an identity crisis.

For a set of episodes where much of the action is internal, there is much to look at and absorb. The viewer will discover the truth of Gaea and get a deeper glimpse into the Zaibach Empire. One such is a bit of the story of Dilandau who has apparently been through brainwashing by the Sorcerers. To what point we have yet to find out, but perhaps he is more than the psychotic we've been let to see him as.

Writer Shoji Kawamori and Director Kazuki Akane have mastered the trick of pulling a new layer of the story out of their creative hats almost at will. Nor are they afraid to shift from romance, to philosophy, to action drama. The result is a story with enough to satisfy and grow with it's innumerable fans. Well worth pursuing.

Escaflowne is the one of the greatest masterpieces ever. And I mean ever. Everything is done right... from the plot, the characters, the originality, the beautiful music, everything. If you are into the fantasy genre, you have to check this out.

I finally broke down and bought Escaflowne, I was lucky and was able to get a limited boxed set at suncoast ><. I strongly suggest you get this series, and do not read the little synospis online it will ruin it for you...but back to the review, i can't say how much i enjoyed this series. I am a yoai fan, and if your reading this you know what that is... I always, and i mean always change the character's relationships around so that its always two boys/men. This was the only series in which i could not break the male from his female love intrest to pair him with another guy ( your safe Van, Allen)... for me that takes a very good series, and i am not saying that with a grain of salt, so Buy this series watch it, and then watch the movie which is also very good, however the movie is very dark outright were the series is more stuble darkness... BUY ESCAFLOWNE BUY IT... i know the noses get kinda annoying with there sharpness... but its very good, god i think i am going to go watch it now...