Collecting Movie Reviews

I'm a Fellini fan, yet I HATED this movie! Watching in disbelief, I could not believe that the director of The White Sheik, 8 1/2, Nights of Cabiria and Juliet of the Spirits (terrific films all) was perpetrating such a disgusting, meandering, pointless vulgar mess. It isn't about "memories," it's about having nothing to say.

Holding the remote control in hand, I kept telling myself --it's going to get better, it's going to get better. Soon the real movie will begin. And you know what? It never did.

I did see the subtitled version, yet I can't imagine what translation would benefit lines like "Teacher, may I be excused from class? Fazio has let a stinker," and so on and so on until we are senseless and numb. In this wretched film, Fellini revels in an obsession with flatulence that would make even Mel Brooks blush. YUCK!!! Preserve Fellini's reputation (in your own mind at least) by sparing yourself this sophomoric horror. I hate to be the one to say it, guys, but let's face it --even the first installment of Porky's was a less terrible film than this. Eeeeeaagh!!

This is not a coherent or particularly complex portrait of fascism, as some would have you believe. It's a collection of childhood memories that TOUCH on and occasionally illustrate aspects of fascism.

It's a clever idea for a movie; others had made similar films, but this one takes it "all the way" into being a disconnected series of memories, dream-like. Woody Allen's "Radio Days" and Spike Lee's "Crooklyn" would be two later films, both quite good, that follow a similar path.

In places, the film is absolutely brilliant. For me, the series of scenes that show the boys jerking around in school and wasting their days are extremely briliant, subtle, and effective.

I suspect this is one of those love or hate movies depending on whether or not it strikes an emotional cord within the viewer. To those used to such absolutes as plot and action it will be a bust. To those who love the David Lean directorial approach of each scene being a visual image that could stand alone, then this is a treat. I believe the title is Italian for I remember, and this is what the movie is. Fellini's reminscences of growing up in pre-war Italy. They are presented as a series of linked vignettes populated with an extravagant and eccentric collection of characters. Wonderfully evocative, lewd and bawdy, funny and sad, it's a languid walk through one man's memories. I don't collect movies but this is one I own and love to dip into once in a while. It's a treasure to be savoured when the world gets too heavy and we begin to take ourselves too seriously. I love it.

While not pristine by any means the Roan transfer is by far the best ive seen. It does have a glitch or two but nothing bad enough to spoil the film. The main problem it has is the sound quality. So if you love this movie, as i do, this is the version to buy. For $14 you cant go wrong.

A classic movie made on a shoestring. Lugosi is in one of his most chilling portrayals. There is no sympathy generated for Murder LeGrande, the character he portrays. The character is cold and unreal, and Lugosi plays it to the hilt. There is a scene where Lugosi picks up a glass of wine where his hand completely surrounds the top of the glass like a huge spider!

Even though it's not a movie made with a big budget (or maybe because of that fact) the film has great atmosphere. Highly recommended!

JUST FINISHED WATCHING THIS DVD AND ITS GREAT, I AM IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH OTHER REVIEWERS ABOUT ROAN TRANSFER. I ESPECIALLY LOVED THE INTERVIEW BY LUGOSI AS AN EXTRA ON THE DVD. GO OUT AND BUY IT IF YOU LOVE LUGOSI.

I thought the movie was highly enjoyable and overall entertaining. But, there were a lot of themes, and they were all mashed into one, so it wasn't quite clear what the movie was trying to get across. There was Le Ly against her own human nature, her religion, and her needs. And throughout the movie it would focus on one of those ideas, but it would never really be resolved and therefore it was left just floating around. For example, Le Ly against her religion. She couldn't leave her husband Steve to just be self destructive, and suicidal but if she helped him, she'd be going against her Buddhist ideals because she volunteered to give up her religion for him. But, if she didn't her karma would be off balance and she would never reach any type of peace within herself. The movie never really resolved that conflict, even with Steve's suicide. Was she really ready to give up her faith for him? After he died that theme was sort of just left out to dry.
Another thing I was confused about was why Tommy Lee Jones was made out to be the main character of the movie, and the entire thing was supposed to be him or something. In fact, the back of the movie box said he, 'lead the cast,' but, there was no leading of the cast by Jones. He was good in the role he was supposed to play; he was creepy and dangerous yet somehow he had a redeeming quality to him that made you feel sorry for him. But he was in the movie for a total of maybe thirty minutes and then he died. Yes, he was a big character and was important to the story, but his acting didn't 'burn through the screen like white phosphorus.'
I thought the movie was very realistic. It was based on a true story, so it was very factual and accurate in its representations of events. I think that it tried to take the viewer from one part of history to the present, and to portray what life is like in Vietnam for the people living there. There was no holding back in the scenes, and there was no sugar coating of events. Le Ly was brutally raped by a fellow villager, her entire village was burned down, people she loved were tortured, even she was tortured, and her husband even held a loaded gun to head, ready to pull the trigger.
The visions of Vietnam that Stone presented the viewer were absolutely amazing. It is a more beautiful country than I ever thought, and the cinematography was excellent. One scene that stuck out to me was when Le Ly and her mother were working as servants and Le Ly fell in love with the house head. This scene stuck out to me especially because of the colors. The house itself was very white and beautiful, and the way that the cameras caught the angles of the sunlight was really dazzling.
The movie definitely held my interest. It never dragged and it was really interesting the way Stone took us, the viewers, into all the aspects of the life of Le Ly. I hate to use this cliché, but it really was a 'roller coaster' of emotions. I cried in some parts, laughed in other parts, was touched, was inspired, and was hurt right along with Le Ly. I really enjoyed watching the movie, beginning to end.

I thought the movie was highly enjoyable and overall really good. But, there were a lot of themes, and they were all mashed into one, so it wasn't quite clear what the movie was trying to get across. There was person vs. person, person vs. self, Le Ly against her own human nature, her religion, and her needs. And throughout the movie it would focus on one of those ideas, but it would never really be resolved and therefore it was left just floating around. Like with Le Ly against her religion. She couldn't leave Steve to just be self destructive, but if she helped him, she'd be going against Buddhism because he was a devout Christian. But, if she didn't her karma would be thrown off and she would never reach any type of peace with herself. The movie never really resolved that conflict, even with Steve's suicide. Was she really ready to give up her faith for him? After he died that theme was sort of just left out in the air.
Another thing I was confused about was why Tommy Lee Jones was made out to be the main character of the movie, and the entire thing was supposed to be him or something. In fact, the back of the movie box said he, "lead the cast," but, there was no leading of the cast by Jones. He was good in the role he was supposed to play; he was creepy and dangerous yet somehow he had a redeeming quality to him that made you feel sorry for him. But he was in the movie for a total of maybe thirty minutes and then he died. Yes, he was a big character and was important to the story, but he didn't "burn through the screen like white phosphorus."
I thought the movie was very realistic. It was based on a true story, so it was very factual and accurate in its representations of events. I think that it tried to take the viewer from one part of history to the present, and to portray what life is like in Vietnam for the people living there. There was no holding back in the scenes, and there was no sugar coating of events. Le Ly was really raped by a fellow villager, and her husband really held a gun to head, ready to pull the trigger. The visions of Vietnam that Stone presented the viewer were absolutely amazing. It is a more beautiful country than I ever thought, and the cinematography was excellent. One scene that stuck out to me was when Le Ly and her mother were working in the big house where Le Ly fell in love with the house head because of the colors. The house itself was very white and beautiful, and the way that the cameras caught the angles of the sunlight was really dazzling.
The movie definitely held my interest. It never dragged and it was really interesting the way Stone took us, the viewers, into all the aspects of the life of Le Ly. I hate to use this cliché, but it really was a 'roller coaster' of emotions. I cried in some parts, laughed in other parts, was touched, was inspired, and was hurt right along with Le Ly. I really enjoyed watching the movie, beginning to end.

Oliver Stone adapted this 1993 film from book written by Le Ly Hayslip, who is now a successful businesswoman in California. She had an idyllic life in her Vietnamese village once. But first there were the French, and then there were the Americans and the Viet Cong. She was mistreated by both sides, winding up in Saigon with a baby. Eventually, she married an American serviceman and moved to America. But her troubles didn't end there.

Hiep Thi Le, cast as the woman, does an outstanding job. And Tommy Lee Jones is wonderful in his role as the American serviceman. The cinematography was excellent and all the actors seemed real and authentic. I was fascinated by the story, which was indeed horrific. There were some deeply moving moments too, especially as they applied to family relationships. Most of all, though, it all rang true.

Even though it was a little overlong, I totally enjoyed it. I found myself really identifying with the Vietnamese people and admiring the strength of Le Ly as she struggled to survive. The film spans more than 30 years, and brings the viewer back to Vietnam where it all began.

This is not an easy film to watch, but it certainly is worthwhile. Recommended.

Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 is an overall fun and captivating series. The show started out a bit cliché in terms of its format, but as the story developed and began to carry over from episode to episode, the feel matured a lot. All the characters were well developed, and when the show had ended, the viewer wasn't just left hanging. While the last few episodes differed slightly in format from the rest of the series,* the main story remained cohesive through it all. And the viewer is never left wondering "is this important?"

* Galatea's introspective monologs toward the series' conclusion were by-in-large interesting, and harkened back to Shinji's reflections from Evangelion... though Galatea's English voice actor sounded like the female narrator from the Animatrix's "Second Renaissance."

The focus of the series changed from being on Linna at the onset, to Priss towards the conclusion. Though the change isn't distracting, I found myself more attached to Linna's character than Priss', and I often wanted to see more of Linna's perspective. In the end though, all the characters are a worthwhile part of the team and equally likable. (I just wish that Linna's English voice actor was a bit louder when she spoke normally)

The packaging is good-looking and durable (though I miss the colorful artwork of the individual DVDs) plus the insert has some neat background info on each character. I didn't like how ADV incorporated all of the previews onto the beginning of each DVD (though they can be skipped), and some of the special features are a bit lacking.

Overall, BGC is worth the purchase as it will keep you entertained and make a nice addition to your collection.

This anime is good and entertaining. The series is great and funny at times id recommend this to anyone who loves anime

just to clarify what another review said in the new BGC Genom did make the boomers go rouge they put corupet core in them. and i hated Quinncy he drove me nuts with his "My Boomers Mason" crap i wish he were killed earlier. and the show was awsome

one of the first and finest of its genre, in which the decorum becomes a supporting character infusing life in this humorous and visual treat.

This has become my all-time favorite film. It is truly hard to express how breathtaking, awe-inspiring and joyful this film is once it sinks into you. It must be watched numerous times. This is the only film I have watched back to back on two separate occasions. It utterly lacks traditional characters and plot; its lulling rhythm distracts the viewer from how revolutionary a film it is. There is no other film remotely like Playtime. It has to be one of the greatest works of art of the 20th century in any genre.
The Criterion print is for the most part great. Do not watch this on full-screen video under any circumstances.

It's a pity so many people bicker about this transfer. It is pristine, beautiful and properly framed (I have a 'second edition' copy). We should be thankful to Criterion for releasing Tati's marvellous work of art - and trust their judgment with the format that has been presented. As with all Criterion titles, a lot of effort has clearly been made to track down the finest source elements and to present them in a worthy transfer. Don't delay is acquiring this title before it becomes very scarce.

This movie is described as a black comedy. While it is certainly very "black", over the top in my estimation, I found little humor in it. The movie makes its point that the Britsh upper class is an arrogant, witless, self-serving, immoral group in the first ten minutes and continues to heavy-handedly beat us over the head with this for the next two plus hours. In the meantime, Peter O'Toole chews up the scenery as the schizophrenic black sheep heir of the family estate who initially believes he is Jesus Christ and is then "cured" and believes he is Jack the Ripper.
In order to be funny there should be some shred of connection of reality that you can relate to the situation portrayed in the film.
I found this film to be absurd and humorless.

and those expectations were totally wrong. I read reviews that tried to be overly critical of exactly what was satirized in the film. I read the attempts to place this in its status as a classic film and to categorize it. All of that misled. In the first few minutes of the film, I began to understand what The Ruling Class was for me. It was (and is) a hilarious masterpiece. I came in with a little more plot knowledge than I wanted, but even with that extra knowledge of some of the big jokes, I found myself with a smile on my face for the majority of the film. It was intelligent enough to keep me occupied for it's 2 and 1/2 hours. It was eccentric enough to fit my tastes and to break out of the norm of so many movies that just don't stand up to multiple viewings (plus it completely changed my view of Peter O'Toole). This is a movie I will re-visit time and again.

The movie is both entertaining and thought provoking. Bringing out the possibilities of the "Jeckel and Hyde" in each of us. Portarying a personallity of a rejected man of peace that was forced into a personallity of acceptable evil. A must see.

This movie was a really big deal for me because it ther first R-rated movie I was able to see without being accompained by a guardian. I proudly showed my ID to prove I was old enough to join the art house movie going crowd on a Saturday night and entered the theater all proud and mature. After watching the movie, I left the theater depressed because the movie was so dark and gloomy with an ugly message on the state of humanity; I was also excited because I could tell my friends all the nasty, shocking things I had seen. Dirk Bogarde plays the night porter in a high class hotel in Vienna. Charlotte Rampling shows up looking stunningly beautiful and elegant. They recognize each other; he was an official in the Nazi party and she was a teenager in his concentration camp. They begin a depraved S & M affair while in the camp. When they find each other in the hotel, their sick relationship is rekindled and the depravity continues. Seeing it again years later the whole thing seems silly, depraved, and pretenious but still alot of fun.

Reading these other reviews only leads me to think that their viewing was only superficial. This is really a marvelous work of ART, folks -- dark art, and two brilliant, startling performances by Rampling and Bogard. And remember, it is indeed based on A TRUE STORY. But as stylization is not trendy these days thanks to wearisome reality type films from Hollywood, what you get here is a stylized, artful portrayal of an inner hell, obsession, and shackles of the past....Those of you who think this just doesn't ring true, only need look at many marriages of today and past, where the husband beats the crap out of the wife who continually comes back for more.....not an easy film to sit through, but afterwards you will be unable to return to Hollywood. Be warned. Not for everyone, but if you like dark art or music, you're gonna slap your head on this one....I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Cinematic film as art, and as a powerful moving drama that will leave you on the floor in front of your TV gasping for air. And the bottle of whiskey.

hmm. pouring over these reviews i must say, some very snippy hardcore film critics! i somtimes think a certain movie is totally mindblowing like joseph losey's "boom!", which many (including my gilrfriend!) consider campy and unwatchable. i loved that movie. i love the sensationalness of the "night porter." it is challenging, multi-layered and very entertaining. to get caught up in whether or not it is exploitation, or whether or not a thing like this could ever have really happened, is a big mistake.
of course it could really happen. all of those nazis running camps were humans, with the full amount of complexities that humans can have. no person is 100% saint or sinner. i view the holocaust in this movie as a backdrop for a strange love story. let's not forget that love can be destructive and most dysfunctional! she abandons her nice hubby for a nazi who tortured her. you're crazy if you think that's not realistic. that little plot turn happens in real life everyday the world over.
i think that critics of this film don't enjoy a celebration of life which includes very sordid idealogies. this film is a cross between "secretary" (which i hated) and "the pianist" (which was ok.) "the night porter is completely more enjoyable than those films. what a unique idea visualized. what great atmoshere and a great performances.
exploitation? i don't know. who defines these words anyway?
just go see it if you haven't yet and see for yourself. you have to like a bit bit of craziness and audacity to get anything out of this. this movie, up there with bogarde's "the servant" leave me feeling dirty and the end, and i like it!
they don't make em like they used to. can you imagine someone pitching a story like this to a producer today? good heavens!

I bought this DVD because I like "Sweet Surrender" a lot. Having watched this video collection, I realized her early songs are not really my taste. Her voice became so mature and beautiful now, it makes a big contrast to her old style. The worst thing is, some of the very old videos are in pretty bad quality, just like VHS or worse. I like her new videos a lot better, they are in pretty decent DVD quality("Building a mistery", "Sweet Surrender", "Adia"). I wish this DVD playing sequence was "1998 ~ 1989", instead of "1989 ~ 1998".

Sarah Mclachlan is not a great video artist. As a matter of fact, this DVD proves that she didn't actually find her own style (a good one too, I must add) until 1997's Surfacing. Her earlier videos are all low-budget affairs, ranging from the boring (Path Of Thorns) to the cheesy (Steaming) & amateurish (Vox); all seem repetitive and uninventive. Admittedly, most of the music couldn't be better. To be fair, the songs are excellent throughout, especially the singles released from "Solace" and on, but the imagery, the style (the whole modern ballet style gets old after the first minute of "Path Of Thorns", which is still a beautiful song, BTW) of the video work leaves a lot to be desired. That said, "Building A Mystery" and "Sweet Surrender" showcase a much mature-looking Sarah, who looks her age while still singing top-notch material ("Adia" is not my favorite song but the video is OK). This collection is not particularly outstanding, but it is certainly a good thing to have on DVD.

Here's the breakdown.

The good: Drawn To The Rhythm, Hold On, Building A Mystery & Sweet Surrender.

The not-so-good: Vox (out of the two versions, the better is the US one), Path Of Thorns, Into The Fire, Possession (Canadian Version).

The rest are all OK.

A good one for hardcore fans to get, otherwise, skip this!

"Sarah McLachlan: Video Collection 1989-1998" was my first DVD. I received it as a present from a friend who shared my passion for Sarah McLachlan's music and artistic vision.

The DVD features fifteen music videos spanning all four of Sarah's studio albums (Touch, Solace, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and Surfacing). The earliest, Vox, dates from 1988 and we see then-20-year-old Sarah as fresh-faced and angelic. The directorial tastes of some of the earlier videos are questionably cheesy, with Vox (Canadian version) being one of the most New Wave-stuck in the '80s mode. The picture quality is generally very sharp, with crisp blacks and vibrant colours. It is a pleasure to see Sarah's maturation as an artist and the directions that her music would take.

One of my favourite videos is "Steaming," a pseudo-film noir club scene reminiscent of Anita Kelsey's songs in the sci-fi film "Dark City." Sarah is a lounge singer, a temptress, with ardent eyes and gloved hands caressing the old-fashioned stand microphone. Her burning gaze bores a hole into you as the story in the video acts itself out.

Other notable videos include "Drawn to the Rhythm," a Loreena McKennittesque video full of surreal images and shot in black and white. The simple, haunting beauty of Sarah's voice and acoustic guitar combined with the wavelike rhythm and images of the ocean make this one tread on New Age/Celtic territory à la McKennitt and Kate Price.

"Possession" is full of muddled religious imagery: Adam and Eve, the severed head of John the Baptist, an actor portraying Christ, as well as blends of pagan imagery (witches/seductress).

"Into the Fire" is a very catchy song with a rather creepy video: naked, mud-coated Sarah rolling around in mud and soggy leaves. Ick. I felt grimy just watching it!

The last few videos from Surfacing really show Sarah's new image and darker songs. "Building a Mystery" features a mysterious man collecting stars and lights and sewing them onto a skirt (this is the top picture on the DVD case), and slipping into a crawl space that Sarah follows him into. "Sweet Surrender" is a bit more disturbing: a victim of a hit-and-run or an accident, apparently dead, mimes along to the music. The body mysteriously moves from the middle of the road, where we see it hit by a car, to the backseat of said car, then is carried into a house and placed on a chesterfield. Sarah and the "body" duet and mimick each other's actions. "Adia" is a neat study in still photography.

This is the perfect gift for that Sarah McLachlan fan. Lots of fun even the third and fourth time through. The variety of musical styles and directorial choices in the various videos make this a pleasure to come back to again and again! I can't wait until Sarah McLachlan's new album comes out..it's been five years since Surfacing. Work on the new CD was suspended for six months due to the severe illness of Sarah McLachlan's mother and Sarah's pregnancy (Sarah gave birth to daughter India on April 6, 2002. Congratulations Sarah and Ashwin!). There's a 75% chance that it will be released sometime in 2002, with the single being released an unheard-of 16 weeks in advance.

Here is the tracklisting for "Sarah McLachlan: Video Collection 1989-1998":

1. Vox (Canadian Version) 2. Steaming 3. Ben's Song 4. Vox (US Version) 5. The Path of Thorns (Terms) 6. Into the Fire 7. Drawn to the Earth 8. Possession (Canadian Version) 9. Hold On 10. Good Enough 11. Possession (US Version) 12. I Will Remember You 13. Building a Mystery 14. Sweet Surrender 15. Adia

I bought this DVD because I like "Sweet Surrender" a lot. Having watched this video collection, I realized her early songs are not really my taste. Her voice became so mature and beautiful now, it makes a big contrast to her old style. The worst thing is, some of the very old videos are in pretty bad quality, just like VHS or worse. I like her new videos a lot better, they are in pretty decent DVD quality("Building a mistery", "Sweet Surrender", "Adia"). I wish this DVD playing sequence was "1998 ~ 1989", instead of "1989 ~ 1998".

Sarah Mclachlan is not a great video artist. As a matter of fact, this DVD proves that she didn't actually find her own style (a good one too, I must add) until 1997's Surfacing. Her earlier videos are all low-budget affairs, ranging from the boring (Path Of Thorns) to the cheesy (Steaming) & amateurish (Vox); all seem repetitive and uninventive. Admittedly, most of the music couldn't be better. To be fair, the songs are excellent throughout, especially the singles released from "Solace" and on, but the imagery, the style (the whole modern ballet style gets old after the first minute of "Path Of Thorns", which is still a beautiful song, BTW) of the video work leaves a lot to be desired. That said, "Building A Mystery" and "Sweet Surrender" showcase a much mature-looking Sarah, who looks her age while still singing top-notch material ("Adia" is not my favorite song but the video is OK). This collection is not particularly outstanding, but it is certainly a good thing to have on DVD.

Here's the breakdown.

The good: Drawn To The Rhythm, Hold On, Building A Mystery & Sweet Surrender.

The not-so-good: Vox (out of the two versions, the better is the US one), Path Of Thorns, Into The Fire, Possession (Canadian Version).

The rest are all OK.

A good one for hardcore fans to get, otherwise, skip this!

"Sarah McLachlan: Video Collection 1989-1998" was my first DVD. I received it as a present from a friend who shared my passion for Sarah McLachlan's music and artistic vision.

The DVD features fifteen music videos spanning all four of Sarah's studio albums (Touch, Solace, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy and Surfacing). The earliest, Vox, dates from 1988 and we see then-20-year-old Sarah as fresh-faced and angelic. The directorial tastes of some of the earlier videos are questionably cheesy, with Vox (Canadian version) being one of the most New Wave-stuck in the '80s mode. The picture quality is generally very sharp, with crisp blacks and vibrant colours. It is a pleasure to see Sarah's maturation as an artist and the directions that her music would take.

One of my favourite videos is "Steaming," a pseudo-film noir club scene reminiscent of Anita Kelsey's songs in the sci-fi film "Dark City." Sarah is a lounge singer, a temptress, with ardent eyes and gloved hands caressing the old-fashioned stand microphone. Her burning gaze bores a hole into you as the story in the video acts itself out.

Other notable videos include "Drawn to the Rhythm," a Loreena McKennittesque video full of surreal images and shot in black and white. The simple, haunting beauty of Sarah's voice and acoustic guitar combined with the wavelike rhythm and images of the ocean make this one tread on New Age/Celtic territory à la McKennitt and Kate Price.

"Possession" is full of muddled religious imagery: Adam and Eve, the severed head of John the Baptist, an actor portraying Christ, as well as blends of pagan imagery (witches/seductress).

"Into the Fire" is a very catchy song with a rather creepy video: naked, mud-coated Sarah rolling around in mud and soggy leaves. Ick. I felt grimy just watching it!

The last few videos from Surfacing really show Sarah's new image and darker songs. "Building a Mystery" features a mysterious man collecting stars and lights and sewing them onto a skirt (this is the top picture on the DVD case), and slipping into a crawl space that Sarah follows him into. "Sweet Surrender" is a bit more disturbing: a victim of a hit-and-run or an accident, apparently dead, mimes along to the music. The body mysteriously moves from the middle of the road, where we see it hit by a car, to the backseat of said car, then is carried into a house and placed on a chesterfield. Sarah and the "body" duet and mimick each other's actions. "Adia" is a neat study in still photography.

This is the perfect gift for that Sarah McLachlan fan. Lots of fun even the third and fourth time through. The variety of musical styles and directorial choices in the various videos make this a pleasure to come back to again and again! I can't wait until Sarah McLachlan's new album comes out..it's been five years since Surfacing. Work on the new CD was suspended for six months due to the severe illness of Sarah McLachlan's mother and Sarah's pregnancy (Sarah gave birth to daughter India on April 6, 2002. Congratulations Sarah and Ashwin!). There's a 75% chance that it will be released sometime in 2002, with the single being released an unheard-of 16 weeks in advance.

Here is the tracklisting for "Sarah McLachlan: Video Collection 1989-1998":

1. Vox (Canadian Version) 2. Steaming 3. Ben's Song 4. Vox (US Version) 5. The Path of Thorns (Terms) 6. Into the Fire 7. Drawn to the Earth 8. Possession (Canadian Version) 9. Hold On 10. Good Enough 11. Possession (US Version) 12. I Will Remember You 13. Building a Mystery 14. Sweet Surrender 15. Adia

It seemed that Catherine did have those who loved her and those who were not so found of her. I loved that scene with Count Alexei and the empress; the empress acknowledges and respects his feelings for her. Though she did play the fickle one. Her fawnlike eyes, her crinsom mouth, and her curls made her look like a doll. I loved the way the dresses flowed as the ladies ran to open the door for Catherine and her mother. *I put Catherine first on purpose* This biography has quite a thirties touch to some of the dialogue, the dresses, and the music. The torture scene in the beginning of the film might have amazed some of the viewers at the previews in 1934. I have to say my bit for some of the characters I hate. Joanna, played by Olive tell, was a b***h and I tell her *Points his finger at Joanna, Sophia's mother* "You be quiet, Joanna!" And as for the Empress Elizabeth. *Pounds the table at the Empress* "BACK OFF, EMPRESS ELIZABETH!!! Why don't you see that your guards are fed well!!??" Otherwise, see it. You will be delighted.

This is her best. She's beautiful, talented, graceful, stunning and just a Queen of the motion picture screen from years go by.My favorite part of the movie is the wedding all done with music and alot of close-ups.For Radio City Music Hall fans the music during the wedding is the same song that is used for "The Glory of Easter" when they do the Easter Show which now hasn't been done in a few years. But when you see this scene you will regonize the music really fast.This movie is breaktaking and a very important part of Americana which i hope will always be treasured. You won't go wrong buying this film... Enjoy!!!!

As one watches this film, keep in mind one should follow this one visually, not through the words of the charctors or dialogue panels. This is such a visual film, you can get lost easily. Just follow the magnetic presence of Marlene Dietrich.
As strict history, it's more than a bit fuzzy. Von Sternberg claimed to use the private diaries of Catherine the Great herself in writing the story.Mainly though, it's just an excursion into style featuring his favored muse, Dietrich, to put incredible visuals onto the screen.
When allowed to, Dietrich gives a very convincing portrayal of Catherine as she progresses from naive young girl to experienced, sophisticated empress. Hint, watch her eyelids throughout the film. When they are wide open, she's young and virtous. when those famous lids are lowered, she's certainly not virtous. Wonderful silent acting on Dietrich's part, to show the frame of mind through the mere use of her eyelids.
Overall, this is a film that not everyone will enjoy. At times, one isn't too sure of what reaction is warrented. Is it supposed to be a comedy? A drama? Who knows? Just sit back and feast your eyes, as movies aren't this visually rich nowadays, not by a long shot. The photography is truly stunning, the sets are astounding, and the costumes! Amazing. As with The Devil Is A Woman, this film should be shown as a course in cinematography and how actors should be lit and framed.