Collecting Movie Reviews

If I give 3 stars to this video collection, the credit of 2 stars actually goes to her videos from the 2nd to 3rd albums, SECRETS and THE HEAT.

If you really know how to appreciate this 90's R&B princess with a curvy butch figure in a husky womanly voice you'd skip most of her 1st album videos straight to YOU'RE MAKING ME HIGH, UNBREAK MY HEART or HOW CAN AN ANGEL BREAK MY HEART. Toni has mixed all the glitz and glamour with her seductive lyrics, sexy vocal, curly hairdo, bodyhugging outfit and fairly videography tales to the max and probably the best ever projected in a beautiful American Black woman.

Check out the final SPANISH GUITAR, it'll make every straight guy out there shiver with an anticipation!

Although I prefer early Toni Braxton--to me the 2nd CD represented a gloomier, too many tears Toni--I have learned to appreciate some of the later Braxton (ie Just Be A Man About It and Spanish Guitar--a real sensual number)by this video presentation. This production show how particularly strong Toni was in the beginning--Love Shoulda Bought You Home, How Many Ways, You Are the World To Me and Seven Whole Days. There's plenty of eye candy here, I tellya. Watch out for cameos from Shemar Moore, Dr. Dre, Vivica A. Fox, and others. For guys who love beautiful women, get your drool catchers ready.

Toni Braxton has it all: talent, looks, and the ability to rise above the pitfalls of fame. Although others seem to get more attention than her, she has proven to be the best. She has talent (Jennifer Lopez doesn't), she has great song interpretation skills (Mariah Carey doesn't), and she has class and grace (Mary J. Blije doesn't). From Breath Again to Unbreak My Heart, this video collection shows all of these gifts. Toni proves time and time again that she is a timeless wonder.

The movie opens in March of 1918. The long, bitter winter has yet to come to an end. There is an epidemic of influenza in town and the war has taken Anna's boyfriend overseas. Much as Jacob and Sarah did, Anna waits for every letter from him while tending the sick in town. Back home on the farm, an unexpected visitor will soon rock Sarah's family to its core.

Although 'Winter's End' sounds exciting, its frightfully dull and unprofessional. The acting is just not up to par with the first two. Glen Close, Christopher Walken and the entire cast shine in 'Sarah Plain & Tall' and 'Skylark.' After seeing those, I suppose I was spoiled. I expected that high quality when I bought 'Winter's End' and thus, I was shocked and dismayed by this poorly acted out movie. I've seen these actors/actresses at their best and they are very talented. Now, I am left baffled as to what happened here. Did they just not care this time around? Was it the director? A low budget? What? So many questions, so little answers. What really got me was when, 'Sarah' (Glen Close) was caught out in a blizzard and almost froze to death. The depth of emotion put into that scene wouldn't fill a tea spoon. 'Jacob' (Christopher Walken) put the most into it, but his acting was stilted, unreal and unnatural. Yet, the all time award for stiffness and unnatural acting would be a tie between, Jack Palance (Jacob's wayward father) and Christopher Bell (Caleb) They did a terrible job. To make matters worse, it looks as if the 'honeymoon' is over for Sarah and Jacob in 'winter's End.' There is no more of that 'spark' we enjoyed in, 'Sarah Plain & Tall' and 'Skylark.' There might be one or two scenes where they shine as they once did, but for the most part, the chemistry is dead.
The biggest highlight of the film was Sarah and Jacob's little girl 'Cassie,' played by Emily Osment. She seemed to be the only one who took her role seriously. She was a natural, and very 'real' in her part. She did a great job. But sadly the rest of the cast lost the magic that was, 'Sarah Plain & Tall.'

By the time you watch all of these (there are three) Sarah and her bunch are family. You watch the kids grow up and there are these marvelous stories and it's just good entertainment. Sarah comes to Kansas to marry a widower farmer to "make a difference" to him and his two children. The first movie concerns their meeting and eventually marrying, the second movie shows their life through a drought and forced separation and the third brings them into WW1 and some personal family problems. Everything is done perfectly and you'll enjoy these time and again. I've watched them all several times.

I loved all three of these movies. It is nice to find a movie that you can watch with the whole family. I think the 3rd movie stayed close to the book. I wish there were more of these type of movies.

The Harder They Come is the longest running cult classic in film history. Criterion did good to restore this old classic to Hi definition glory. It looks almost as good as when I first saw it many years ago- and i'll say that's pretty good. This is a movie about struggle, triumph and dreams. It so well illustrates the daily struggle of ghetto youth and the trials that they face each day. And it also shows the music industry and how young musicians are exploited on a daily basis.

Previous reviewers did well to explain the movie in depth so I wont delve much into the plot. I'll just like to reaffirm that this movie is a good watch. If you ever wanted to see what true poverty is like and what it really is like living in a third world country like Jamaica, I suggest that you see The Harder They Come. Then if you like the Harder they Come see movies like DanceHall Queen and Third World Cop (though those movies don't compare in the least).

The soundtrack is indeed infectious by the way. Even if you aren't a reggae fan. I've seen people turn reggae fans just by watching this movie. The seemless intermingling of music and film is done perfectly in this movie. The soundtrack is one of it's highest points and it does well to amplify the emotion and hardship our protagonist (Ivan)endures. Criterion always releases good movies and this is definately one of them. I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

1973's The Harder They Come is something of the Jamaican version of Bonnie & Clyde or Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, but with a singular lead character instead of duo. Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff stars as Ivan Martin, who at the start of the film arrives in Kingston from the country with dreams of stardom as a singer. After struggling to find work, he is taken in by a preacher (Basil Keane) and falls in love with the preacher's ward, Elsa (Janet Barkley). After using the church to practice his song, the preacher kicks both Ivan and Elsa out of the house. Ivan eventually gets a chance to record his song, the movie's title track, but the producer, Hilton, does not offer him riches, only $20.00. Ivan decides not to sign the contract releasing the song to Hilton and tries to sell the record himself. What he finds out is that Hilton controls not only the recording studio, but the radio stations, record stores and club DJ's as well. Ivan goes back to Hilton and accepts the $20.00. With basically no money to support Elsa and himself, he is taken in by Jose (Carl Bradshaw) who is the local ganja dealer. Jose teams Ivan up with Pedro (Ras Daniel Hartman) to push drugs. The drug trafficking is like everything else that Ivan runs across in Kingston, rife with corruption, being run by the local police. Ivan doesn't like the pay out he is getting from Jose, feeling he is doing all the work and getting none of the reward. Jose thinks Ivan has become nothing but trouble, so he tells the cops to arrest him. When Ivan is being pulled over by a cop, he shoots and kills him instead of surrendering. He gets caught in another showdown with the police, killing several more cops. Hilton decides to release Ivan's single and it becomes a smash hit, making Ivan a folk hero (much the same as Bonnie & Clyde and Butch & Sundance). Ivan enjoys his hero status and plays it to the hilt until a final showdown with the military on a beach. Director Perry Hanzell uses the Kingston landscape with its alternating tropical beauty and urban slums as a perfect juxtaposition between the paradise people believe Jamaica to be and the harsh reality of its cities. The camerawork is gritty and the acting is rough, but authentic. In fact the Jamaican accents are so thick in places, that subtitles are employed. Mr. Cliff, in his acting debut, gives a convincing and credible performance, but it is the reggae music that is the star of the film. The movie helped introduce reggae to an American audience and the songs like the title track, "You Can Get It If You Really Want It", "Johnny Too Bad" and especially the angelic "Many Rivers To Cross" (covered by artists like Cher, Joe Cocker, UB40, Harry Nilsson and most notably Linda Ronstadt) have become reggae classics.

This is just great. The story is a very traditional one, that of a country boy Ivan (played by Jimmy Cliff) who comes to the city and gradually gets wise to the ways of the world. Through his eyes we see all the sophistications of Jamaican life, the music industry, the ganja trade, the police, religious life and girls.

Ivan tries to make money in the city...

The soundtrack is populated with reggae classics from the likes of The Melodians, Desmond Dekker and Jimmy Cliff himself, and it's just as well the title song is a classic as it's played about four or five times!

This film is essential for anyone wanting to see the real Jamaica, away from the tourist spots and the dance-halls. You can almost smell the shanty towns, illustrated best by the sign saying 'please don't pass urine, people live here'. Even if you don't pay attention to the action, enjoy it for the songs.

If Jean-Luc Godard hated commercial film producers, why did he make a movie for them? To make some adolescent point about how he, The Brave Artist, would never be cowed by the vulgar likes of Carlo Ponti or Joseph Levine, I suppose. And to prove that he could get Brigitte Bardot as naked, or naked-er, than her ex-husband Roger Vadim.

Somehow, though, I suspect that even Vadim would have done better by this material than Godard. After all, he has a good cast (Bardot included), good source material (a novel by Albert Moravia), and the services of Raoul Coutard, one of the best cinematographers in the history of film. And what to we get? About 90 minutes of mind-numbing agony as Godard plays film-school in-jokes and stretches scenes out to tedium mostly to prove that he won't truckle to commerical interests. But none of this adds up to real drama, either. As a result, any honest audience will have to admit that they've been cheated, too. And unlike Joe Levine, none of US owned the screen rights to THE CARPETBAGGERS . . .

This CRITERION edition of "Contempt" gives the cinema buff plenty of causes of rejoicing. Not only does it offer a terrific cinemascope version of the film, but also a lot of valuable bonus material.

Now, into the film itself. One can suspect that European filmmaking is and has been boring and pedantic. Particularly, as regards the Nouvelle Vague, and its author-directors, it seems to be so, on the face of it. But if you make the allowances that should be made and take that for granted, you'll be able to enjoy a kind of art that has enomous values.

Watching "Contempt" one is never sure what its director's intentions are. Apparently, to mock much of the tradicional way the films were made was one ot its aims. Both technically and thematically, the desire to transgress and parody is evident. It is good, nevertheless, to open new avenues to creativity in any field.

This is probably one of the best films ever made on cinema making and couple splitting. Forget our fast-paced and overwhelmingly charged (with special effects) contemporary movies. This is the opposite pole. Something of a play, very well written, and very well acted by most of the cast. We see how a married couple breaks off, because of the "contempt" the wife has been developing towards the man. Many quotations, references to other films and directors (Rossellini, Hawks, Ray, Hitchcock, etc.), an erudite script and creative directorial style are the attractions of this film. Also, Brigitte Bardot, nude at the peak of her splendor, and the opportunity to see the great Fritz Lang playing himself.

"The dinosaur and the baby" is an interview to Lang by Godard. With me, it has been a little disappointing. On the one hand, Godard looks (or looked) like an introvert, a not very nice person. And Lang was at the time an old man, very happy of course of the admiration the rampant youths from the Nouvelle Vague professed for him. Neither of them communicates very well -the interview was made in 1967- and what they have to say is relatively interesting. We'd better watch their achievements as directors. At one point, Lang says, very sensibly, that a director speaks with his films. If he has to explain them away, he is not as valuable as that.

At any rate, this film is a masterpiece, and up to now, the best work for the screen that I've seen relating to the crisis in a couple -forget "Eyes withe shut", for example-. It is enjoyable, too, and you get the desire to watch it many times and know more about it and its makers. So, it is money well spent to purchase this faboulous Criterion edition.

What a great movie that is and i saw it 20 times. This is a great transfer with the original movie opening (credits) for me this is the perfect movie ever made, Brigitte Bardot is rather gorgeous and plays Camille in a very passive way, the movie is full of rich colourRed Blue and White, a very intelligent movie and i like the movie inside the movie, A great Cast too Michel Piccoli playing Brigitte husband, Fritz lanf playing himself as the great Film director and Jack Palance playing the american producer . The movie was shot in Capri and the music is simply
haunting. For me this is the perfect movie, and it feeds all my senses, great photography by Raoul Coutard, stunning Location and a very stunning Brigitte Bardot who can prove that she was rather a good actress.THE EXTRAS ARE AMAZING TOO, A VERY RARE DOCUMENTARY MADE ABOUT BB "PAPARAZZI" SHOWING A PURSUED Brigitte. and a couple of interesting interviews of Fritz Lang and Jean Luc Goddard. IF YOU MUST BUY A GODDARD MOVIE THIS IS THE ONE TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION. SIMPLY INTELLIGENT AND THE OPENING SCENE Of BB AND Piccoli (when she asked him if she likes her body and ...) is a very arty nude scene added by goddard to please the american producer.One of BB BEST MOVIE ALONG WITH THE TRUTH (Made by Clouzot).I LOVE IT !!!

Very pretentiously made. I've tried very hard to be very interested in watching it but finally decided not to finish it. This is an out-of-date French movie. The so-called Oncle is actually a mindless moron with good heart. The movie failed to tell the people what kind of love and strong bondage is between the kid and the uncle but only tried to make the uncle character a French Jerry Lewis or Charlie Chaplin and failed miserably. Don't even understand how it could have won a best foreign movie title, or just like the lousy 'Lif is Beautiful', simiply by winning it since there were no other films in the contest better than this one? Or, what? Sorry, totally clueless.

You will laugh.
You will chuckle.
You will grin.
Man meets technology, country meets city, aspirational meets grounded, the Academie meets Disneyworld, flesh meets plastic, dog meets game, sentiment meets nostalgie, and all with a master's direction.
The answer to that age-old poser: if a fountain splashes alone in a courtyard, does anybody get cool?
I wish I had the funds for the dvd. The last time (about the twentieth) I saw it was in the cinema.
Go on, see it.

In Jacques Tati's Mon Oncle, the sequel to Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, we meet the Arpels, who are scheduled, gadget-happy, ultramodern technology-obsessed in a classical effort to keep themselves ahead of les Joneses. Upwardly mobile doesn't even begin to describe them. Madame Arpel is so obsessed in keeping everything dust free, that at one point in the movie, she brushes her husband's suit, briefcase, and hat as he is walking to his car. She even polishes the car door handle after he gets inside. She waves after the departing car, a cloud of dust issuing from her dustrag.

In contrast, Madame Arpel's brother, the tall and gangly Monsieur Hulot (played by Jacques Tati), lives in a village square area where humanity is abuzz. There's the street sweeper, who never gets done because someone's always striking up a conversation with him. And there's a girl, not yet a woman, who seems to have a crush on Monsieur Hulot. Chez Margot, the cafe there, seems to be a haven, where someone says, "Come on in, have a drink and a chat" and people come out feeling wonderful.

The tall, gangling Hulot is a bumbler, unintentionedly so, but he's a nice guy. He gives candy to the girl standing at the door of his apartment building, he goes in for drinks at the pub, he picks up his young nephew Gerard from school and indulgently lets him play games that gets him dirty or in trouble if he were to get caught. Hulot is clearly uncomfortable being at his sister and brother-in-law's house.

Gerard, to the chagrin of his father, enjoys being with his uncle because he is allowed to be free, unshackled from his parents' lifeless, repressive, antiseptic, technological household. Once with his uncle, he plays pranks on people with the other kids, and enjoys crullers with sugar and jam from the local vendor.

This is clearly a struggle between two values: the technological progressives and the romantic conservatives. The contrast between the cold, antiseptic, technologically advanced home of the Arpels, and the lively simplicity of Monsieur Hulot's neighborhood. But it's also one of transition and change, of the change France underwent post-industrial change after the war. Gerard undergoes change, as does the girl who likes Hulot.

There is a party scene that demonstrates how chaos in an ordered system can quickly cause that system to degenerate. At the party, Arpel decides to give his brother-in-law a chance at the plastic factory, which is probably not the best career decision a supervisor could make.

Mon Oncle is also full of sight and sound gags, (hey, it's a comedy after all) such as the funny gargling fish fountain and the click-clack of the factory floor secretary and the swinging motion of her body. Other people laugh in funny ways, such as Madame Pichard, the wife of Arpel's plant manager. She seems a silly goose but at least she seems fun. And then there's the idyllic jazz score of piano and accordion, which permeates throughout the movie.

What can I say? A tried and truly enjoyable classic. Jacques Tati clearly favoured the old-fashioned village life as opposed to the concrete, steel, and plastic jungle. To conclude, Mr. Arpel says at one point that it's time for his brother-in-law to stop dreaming and get to work. Well, keep on dreaming, Monsieur Hulot and be yourself!

I don't know why anyone is complaining about the video clips. The videos this includes are listed here so there is nothing misleading about it.

her best music, creative video

With the passion and power that this woman delivers a song;can you even imagine if she coupled that with her(own)written lyrics? She also must update her Web Site more often. With the simple Beauty that she has, it's a terrible site with old (great though) photos and graphics. C'mon Martina Shake it up! -EZ

Saber Marionette is definetely one of the best anime out there, if not the best. Loveable Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry really bring out anime, not to mention Otaru! Anyway, to anyone, I really recommend you buy this fantastic anime! I love you Otaru!

I heard really good stuff about this series and I had wanted to purchase it for a long time. I ended up having really high expectations for it, aghhh I tried so hard not to do that, you're just asking to be dissapointed. Lucky for me, I was not let down. Man, this show is hilarious. The first couple episodes, I admit, started out kinda lame. I didn't really like the first marionette he found, Lime. By the third episode tho' I was just like "I LUUUUUV this series". The other robot girls he finds are way cooler than the first and the main character is actually pretty cool himself. That's right, unlike every other anime I can think of where dorky guy that isn't great with girls, is suddenly surrounded by ones that adore him, this guy actually seems worthy of them. He's drawn pretty cute and doesn't have a total doormat personality (tho' he does stand by the typical indecisiveness with his girls, the "i love them all" theory).
I also like his english dubbed voice. Yuck, It sounds like a woman is doing his voice in the japanese version, darn it and I'm just too lazy to find out if it is or not for sure. But anyway it sounds like it and I can't picture him being manly when he sounds so feminine. So that's why I like the dub, it's pretty good. The japanese is awesome too tho', the voice actresses doing Lime and Cherry are really admirable.

So anyway, it takes a couple episodes to get into but this is a great series. All right!, and it come with nine episodes, that's more than enough to get hooked. I greatly recommmend everyone give this show a try. My only regret is now I gotta scrounge up another 90 bucks so I can buy the last two collections ^.^

I already seen the whole series on video tape.And I watched so much that I had to get it on DVD, because the tapes were getting worn. When I first saw it, it grabbed my attention as to how adorable Lime was. And as the other marionettes Cherry and Bloodberry showed up the story got only more interesting and fun. I am in my twenties I must admit and since I was a kid I watched alot of the old animes, but when I saw this one I was thrust back into the whole anime scene. It is one of those stories that hasn't been told like any other, it has comedy and heart-break and alot of suspense, with twists of emotion with the characters, that make you feel like you were right there with them, and wish that you could be a part of it. Not many stories I see where I feel sorry for the villians as much as the heroes, but as the story goes on you come to like all the characters, even the very one minded and irreversibly annoying Mitsurugi Hanagata. if you are a anime fan and have not seen this let alone heard of it you must give this one a shot, I still remember the first time I saw it and I always smile when I watch it since. This has to be one of the best and most unique stories ever told, please don't hesitate to get it. The only thing that I was worried about was that the next set of stories wouldn't match up to the first season. But I was wrong, but that is another review for another time. I really hope that this helped you, and I apologize that I didn't go into more detail but when you get it ( yes I am confident with that ) you will be glad that I didn't, and didn't ruin all the suspense for you. This is definately one for the ages.

The good:

I'm usually no fan of vampire stories, because they often turn corny. This does not apply to Hellsing, though. When I watched the first episode my jaw simply dropped, because I had never (and still haven't) seen anything that could beat the style and the atmosphere it mustered.

The setting takes us to modern England where a secret institution "Hellsing" exists in order to protect the living from the undead (and keep them unaware about it). The institution is run by Integra Hellsing, who is pictured as a cold, distant and extremely strong-willed lady. Although the intstitution eliminates vampires, it doesn't prevent them from having one (later two) in their service. The vampire lord Alucard is in fact the most potent weapon the institution has at its disposal...

It's apparent that not only a lot of work, but also a lot of genius has been invested in creating the characters - especially Alucard whose personality seems to be a delicate blend of Japanese samurai, English gentleman and unpredictable madman. Usually when the moviemakers try to make a character ultracool, they usually only end up with something ultra-annoying - but not this time. Alucard is the very definition of cool, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. :-)

The style of this series is nothing shot of awesome. The drawings, the music, the characters, the timing - everything is set up perfectly to deliver a haunting atmosphere that just won't let you out of its grip...

The bad:

Unfortunately the series suffers from a few flaws, of which at least two of them are critical.

The first (and worst) flaw is that there is "too much story" crammed into a mere 13 episodes of 22-24 min. each. Were supposed to take part of the Alucard - Anderson duel, the FREAK-chip conspiracy, the rise and fall of the evil Incognito and then some, while at the same time getting to know the characters, and watch their development... The end result is that none of these things are done with anything that would even resemble the excellence of the other parts. In fact I would have to say that the story becomes severely incoherent about half-way through. The worst thing is probably that the "FREAK-chip plot" is suddenly just dropped in favour of the "Incognito plot". It is too bad that an otherwise extremely professional series would suffer from such an amateurish mistake.

The second critical flaw is Celes Victoria. Not because of what she is - she is in fact a great charachter, probably the most likeable in the entire Hellsing institute. The problem is that she is a character that's just begging for development that never happens, because the series ends so soon. Despite the fact that she gets lots and lots of screen time, she never really seems to accomplish anything important. You keep waiting and waiting for a breakthrough in her character, and then... the series ends. A true anticlimax that is incredibly annoying. In the end it feels like a waste of an extremely nice and promising character. :-(

Other flaws that also deserve brief mention is the fact that some parts seem to display a poor understanding of British culture. (The UK is a protestant nation in sharp opposition to anything catholic etc.) This brings us to the part that religion as a whole has been drawn down to the level of superstition. In order to go any deeper there would have to be a counterweight against fanatic priests, baptised knives and blessed silver bullets. Also as the story unfolds, the focus will move more and more towards action and gore, and although this isn't poorly done, the series as a whole simply can't deliver on the expectations that are created by the first episodes.

I still recommend that you at least watch the first episodes (you can get them separately). They're worth it for style alone.

What was there was good. The voice acting. The animation. The soundtrack. The dialouge. But it could have been so much more. I think a large part of that is that they stopped after so few episodes (although I heard there might be a sequel). Why is Alucard bound to the Hellsing family. Why does he seem to care so much for Hellsing (it seems like it's more than just her name). Does Victoria ever learn to deal with her Vamprie-ness. Like that Sett worshiping dude wanted to know: what *is* Alucard? It'd watch it again though; it didn't suck.

Hellsing is the third series by Studio Gonzo to be released in the States (the first two being Vandread and Gatekeepers), and given the unorthodox nature of its subject, it's surprisingly good.

First off, this is a dark, dark show. No goofy love triangles, no harems, no magical girls or weird special attacks with silly names. This is a series about vampires, and we're not talking about your Vampire: The Masquerade-angsty-goth-wannabe vampires either. Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards, don't let the "Arucard" mistranslation fool you) is a real, traditional, nosferatu right down to the core, even if he dresses more modern than his predecessors. He's vain, snide, but possessed of a dignity that is missing from more recent treatments of vampires. He's anti-hero through and through, but you just can't help rooting for him even when it's obvious he's not really a good guy at all.

Then there is Integra Hellsing, who defines the model of "Ice Queen". She's the direct descendant of people whose lives were dedicated to dealing with the darkest of evil things and it shows. Her butler/bodyguard, Walter is also very cool, with his polished English manners contrasted by the skill with which he cuts up ghouls with mono-filament wire.

Which leaves us with Celes Victoria (inexplicably renamed Seras in the US version), a member of London's D-11 corps (D-11 is Britain's S.W.A.T. team more or less) who is nearly killed in the first episode, but saved by Alucard by being made into a vampire herself. Possibly the most "normal" of the main characters, it's through her eyes that we see the other side of the coin, so to speak. As the newbie-vampire of Hellsing, her training and struggles with her new un-life give us a chance to see the human side of the Hellsing Institution.

As with all of Gonzo's work, great detail is paid to the various mecha (guns, helicopters, cars, and anything else that drives, shoots or explodes). Fans of guns and aircraft will enjoy this show almost as much as those who enjoy horror, since Alucard's favored ghoul annihilator is a custom ARM .454 pistol (read: Hand Cannon), and Celes is often seen toting around a gigantic anti-tank gun or sniper rifle (she doesn't even need a scope!). The locations in London are also well rendered. Studio Gonzo really did their homework on this one.

And not just on mecha. Their depiction of Alucard and his powers is right out of the old novels and pulps on vampires. The clannish notions of vampirism espoused in current fiction like Blade or Vampire: The Masquerade is for the most part tossed completely out the window. Alucard has it all: the speed, the strength, the regeneration, the ability to cast glamours, to summon hell hounds, change into bats and mist, and even pass through shadows. And he's NOT a card carrying member of some gothed-out clan (he's rather adamant about that in fact).

Hellsing has tons of great atmosphere, cool characters, and lots of guns-blazing action. However, if you just can't stomach the violence, profanity, and sexual content (pull yourself together, dude!) mark this one down a star. But you won't do that, because if you read the title you'd already know this isn't one for the kiddies.

This is a boldly experimental film that has only the merest of plots. Along with Sex, Lies and Videotape, Schizopolis highlights Steve Soderbergh's talent as an alternative director, before he settled into a more conventional and less interesting style. It's difficult to describe this movie or compare it to anything else, which is refreshing. This is one of the few films that is truly unique. If it must be characterized, I suppose you could call it a broad satire on modern life. There is a cult called Eventualism that is a connecting thread. A significant point is that this Scientology-like cult, whose leader is played by Soderbergh (who also has another role as a dentist), is no more ridiculous than anything else in the film. Everything, from the sitcommish way a husband greets his wife after work to office politics is reduced to absurdity. If there is a message here, it may be that the line separating the ordinary from the bizarre is razor thin. There is something disconcerting about seeing everyday conversations transformed into non sequiturs. In one scene, people spontaneously start talking Chinese. In others, they simply talk nonsense. As in a David Lynch film, people's very identities are subject to change. Is reality really as solid and reliable as we normally assume? While some people will find this simply confusing and pointless, if you let yourself get into the mood, it will make you think. If you have an offbeat sense of humor, it will also make you laugh.

I got it finally after the, oh, fifteenth viewing.

Soderbergh is dissecting himself.

The bug guy is his wannabe-wild-and-zany-lady's man side who wants fame and other meglomania and when he gets what he wants, it's all about violence and being a rebel.

The guy with the striped socks is his always-trying-to-make-a-smart-and-philosophical-deep-comment side.

Him and his (ex)wife have affairs with each other when they put on glasses as if to say they aren't really attracted to each other unless they play a role.

First time I saw this film, I was living in Memphis and my girlfriend at the time wanted to take naked pictures of me in a small cardboard box (because she thought it would be funny to see me "boxed in") for a photography class. I told her the only way that would happen is if she bought me a twelve pack or a couple bottles of wine and I rented a movie. I grabbed this one and I never noticed her taking the pictures (Yes, I watched this movie naked and drunk in a small cardboard box. The pictures are hilarious.)

Another side note: The guy sitting at the counter in front of the camara when the Number 1 comes out owns this bar I go to too much.

By far, my favorite movie of all time. Well, unless you want to include Aguirre Wrath of God or some other movie I find genius in. Or that you find genius in as well. I don't mean to be diminutive to your opinions or feelings.

Ok, I'll shut up now.

... In a world like we live in, films like Schizopolis need to be spread far and wide.

There really is kind of a plot to this film. Steven Soderbergh, who directed and wrote this film, stars in it as well. An employee who writes speeches for a cult known as Eventualism dies suddenly, and Soderbergh's characater is assigned the task of saving the organization with a new speech, part of which must follow the rules set out in the title of the review.

Along the way hilarity ensues. The more I watch the film the more I see and the more my mind spins that anyone thought this up and was able to put it together coherently. To me one of the biggest targets of the film is language. There are characters who speak in substitute words: "Hoodwink scatterbox? Hasty landmine?" "Ambassador jumpsuit landmine.", scenes where the characters speak in generalizations (mentioned in Tom Keogh's review), and the whole last act that replays many scenes in the first act and brings together actions from the second act (where both main characters switch bodies into other characters that are lookalikes), but with Soderbergh's character dubbed in three different languages. And you know what? It doesn't matter because you still know exactly what's going on and you don't really care what they actually say, because it's all damn funny in the process.

There is the layer of social commentary as well. TV talk shows where the host is so bored he visualizes naked tree cutting, naked man on a bike (there must be something to comment on there), cult followers of Eventualism, paranoia of the mole, reverse female weight desire, ripping tags off of mattresses, loyalty to your company and projects...the whole thing has to be seen to believed.

In my opinion this film is far cleverer and funny than 95% of the comedies being produced today. Definitely funnier than anything involving Julia Roberts falling down multiple times. Challenge yourself to a new experience and check this one out. It's one of a kind.

I found the first season of Magic Knight Rayearth to be very dissappointing, especially because I loved the manga so much. The main plot of the anime is basically the same as the manga, but they're alot of changes that're made that annoy me to no end. Magic Knight Rayearth is about 3 ordinary teenage girls, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, who're on a field trip to the Tokyo Tower, when all of a sudden, they're engulfed by a bright light and are sent to a magical land called Cephiro, where the heart which believes becomes power. The girls, after become acquainted with each other (they didn't know each other until this point) meet a sorceror named Master Mage Clef. Clef reveals to the girls that they are destined to become the Magic Knights and fight to save Cephiro. Cephiro is slowly falling apart because Princess Emeraude, the pillar of Cephiro had been kidnapped by High Priest Zagato. As pillar, Princess Emeraude protects the land with her prayers, but if the princess is unable to pray, Cephiro will be destroyed. So, as the Magic Knights, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu must embark on a long and difficult jounrey to save Cephiro. Along the way they meet many powerful enemies, like the childish boy Ascot, the sexy Osakan Ilusionist, Caldina, the evil witch Alcyone, and many other strong foes. Not only do they meet foes, but also friends, who help them through their quest, such as the silly round puff ball creature, Mokona, who aids the Magic Knights by being able to summon certain items, and allowing the Magic Knights to speak with Clef, kind yet mysterious Ferio, and the Master Smith, Presea, who forges the Magic Knight's weapons for battle. As the Magic Knights fight, they began to evolve and grow stronger. Their weapons and armor begin to change, and their hearts also mature as they become closer and closer friends. Before the girls can become true Magic Knights, they must first revive the Mashin. Powerful mechas that will help them in their quest. Each of the Magic Knights must undergo a special task before they can revive the Mashin and once they're able to revive it, they'll be battle-ready to save Cephiro. As the girls will soon learn, there's more to this legend of the Magic Knights then meets the eye...The animation is simply beautiful in this series. Everyone looks really good in this series. The music is excellent also. I almost want to start crying every time I hear the instrumental version of the opening theme. So, why give this series two stars? Well, I read the manga first, and found it's anime adaption to be very dissappointg. The anime took away alot of the supsense and ruined alot of exiciting fight scenes I really loved in the manga, and Ferio's role is pretty differenent, and I didn't like it that much. The ending was also ruined for me in the anime. It's less dramatic and actually makes it obivious that something's going on with Zagato that no one is supposed to know by episode 18 or 19 (the first season is only 20 episodes long). The only real thing I liked about the anime version better than the manga was how the search for the Mashin took longer. In the manga, the search went way too fast, and it seemed like as soon as one of the Magic Knights found a Mashin, the next one would automatically appear, and I felt like the manga was kind of rushed. Still, the ending and the differences I mentioned above make me hate the anime version, which is dissappointing because I had high hopes for this series. Still, it's fun to see the Magic Knights in an animated form. Content-wise this series is so-so safe for kids. There is some strong language here and there, but it's mostly limited to "damn." There is a little bit of brief nudity, but nothing overly-explict or anything to worry about. The violence is limited to bloodshed, and they're aren't any mature themes, either, so I think most kids could probably handle this series. If you've read the manga and already know what Magic Knight Rayearth is about and you're curious to see the anime, you should just pass this one up. You're much better off with the manga. However, if you're a diehard fan of the series, try to find the DVD boxset at a cheap, more affordable price first.

I watched the first season on local channels and cd format this is good but many people who watch MKR never finished because of the shnocking /sick ending of part 1 and they got fed up of it

To really apreciate this you have to read the manga. Though the DVDs are still pretty good without reading the manga. The people who complain about the show's artwork should think about how hard it is to draw like Mokona Apappa (cheif illustrator for CLAMP) who I'm sure spends at least an hour on the eyes alone. Another thing reveiwers complain about is the "filler episodes". These episodes do annoy me but I am appreaciative of them because:
1. Rayearth is a 3 manga series, how many episodes could the get out of those 3
2. What fun would it be if the Anime were exactly the same as the Manga?
In conclusion, this is a great DVD set. I welcome the similarities and the changes and you should too!