Garden State
Director: Zach Braff
Average Customer Review:
DVD (24 May, 2005)
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Editorial Review

Zach Braff (from the TV show Scrubs) stars in his writing/directing debut, Garden State--normally a doomed act of hubris, but Braff pulls it off with unassuming charm. An emotionally numb actor in L.A., Andrew (Braff) comes back to New Jersey after nine years away for his mother's funeral. Andrew avoids his bitter father (Ian Holm, The Sweet Hereafter) and joins old friends (including the superb Peter Sarsgaard, Boys Don't Cry) in a round of parties. Along the way he meets a girl (Natalie Portman, Beautiful Girls) with demons of her own; bit by bit the two offer each other a little healing. Plotwise, Garden State is familiar stuff, a cross between The Graduate and a Meg Ryan movie, but Braff has an eye for goofy but resonant visual images, an ear for lively dialogue, and a great cast. The result is surprisingly fresh and funny. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

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Reviews (334)

Garden State
Garden State is a great movie. It is very touching, funny, interesting and original. Zach Braff did a really good job directing this movie and who can help not loving Natalie Portman. Garden State also has an amazing soundtrack to go along with the movie. Overall, it is a really feel-good movie with memorable lines and scenes.

I tried
I wanted to like this movie. I tried throughout the entire movie. It did connect with me. The indiffrence and alienation throughout that Andrew Largeman displayed connected with my life. The visual scene where Andrew is sitting in a Airplane in trouble, seemingly oblivious, was a very strong scene.

But that was the beginning. From there on in nothing in this movie had anything of value. We don't see Andrew feelings, we just see him in continuous alienated state throughout. Its only in the last couple of minutes does he actualy do anything unalienated. His change is sudden and hidden. I think the reason people loved this movie is because there are alot of people who can identify with it, but I also believe that this movie could have been done a lot better.

BTW I am a huge fan of Scrubs, and if you are deciding where you should spend your extra dough, Scrubs season one DVD recently came out.

Wrong exit
"Garden State" is an awkward hybrid of a Gen-Y coming-of-age tale and middle-period Barbra Streisand--think "Prince of Tides" or "Nuts." That said, it's a pretty pleasant viewing experience until about 15 minutes from the end, when a son-dad confrontation lets loose the tear-jerking and psychobabble to the point that the film's fragile charm is lost. Spell broken, you have a few more scenes to savor Natalie Portman's thespian stylings as "wacky Queen Amidala in the burbs," Zac Braff's bizarrely puffy lips and a soundtrack that keeps things moving but never adds up to much. The DVD extras are painful: Everyone talks like they're making "Citizen Kane" or something. I guess they didn't read the script.
Is this all you have to say, Gen Y? Gee, this makes "Reality Bites" look like freaking Proust. ... Read more

Asin: B00005JNC2
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Atlantic City
Director: Louis Malle
Average Customer Review:
DVD (01 March, 2004)
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Editorial Review

Though set in America, this was directed by Frenchman Louis Malle, and the atmosphere is very European. An edgy character study of losers and would be winners, this was written by playwright John Guare.

Susan Sarandon's sad-eyed appeal won her an Academy Award nomination for her role as a croupier hoping to learn the ropes and move on to the more glamorous casinos of Monte Carlo. Burt Lancaster, who was also nominated for an Oscar, turns in one of the most memorable performances of his career. As Lou, an aged two-bit hood, he brags about his flamboyant career, reveling in gangster chic that existed only in his mind. He discovers, sadly, that he is of more noble stock than he realized when he helps Sarandon's character out of a mess involving her unsavory ex-husband and a drug sale.

The players are flawed, but richly drawn and believable. The humor is wry, and the story carries us along. This intelligent, adult entertainment is a kind of modern film noir, and as intriguing as it is well made. A Canadian and French production, this was first released abroad as Atlantic City, USA. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

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Reviews (21)

Portrait of an Old Lion and a Tired City
For whatever reasons, this film never has received the recognition and appreciation I think it deserves. It was directed by Louis Malle and stars Burt Lancaster as Lou. (In Atlantic City, first names are all you need to know about those around you.) Malle carefully develops three different story lines: Lou's long-term affair with Grace (Kate Reid), a mobster's widow; Lou's relationship with Sally (Susan Sarandon) to whom he feels both a paternal and romantic attraction; and his symbiotic relationship with Atlantic City. Both he and the cityseem long past their prime. During the course of the film, Sally also becomes a widow. Credit Malle and his excellent cast as well as cinematographer Richard Ciupka for creating and then sustaining an atmosphere of deterioration and menace. Special note should also be made of John Guare's screenplay. He, Malle, Lancaster, Sarandon, and the film were all nominated for an Academy Award. (FYI, The respective winners in 1980 were Bo Goldman for Melvin and Howard, Robert Redford for Ordinary People, Robert De Niro for Raging Bull, Sissy Spacek for Coal Miner's Daughter, and Ordinary People.) Toward the end of his career, Lancaster accepted a series of roles (including this one) which enabled him to explore and reveal subtle nuances of character and personality which much earlier roles neither permitted nor required. My own opinion is that his performance as Lou is his greatest achievement as an actor.

However, in certain respects, Atlantic City itself really is the dominant character. I recall brief visits to it in the 1970s. The city then bore little resemblance to what it has since become, at least in the casino area. Of course the city then bore little resemblance, also, to the elegant seaside resort it once was 75 years earlier. My guess (only a guess) is that Malle's work in this film -- especially his establishment and enrichment of precisely appropriate tone and atmosphere -- had a significant influence on later films such as House of Games (1987), Miller's Crossing (1990), Billy Bathgate (1991), Road to Perdition (2002), and The Cooler (2003). As I said, just a guess.

One final point: I think it is a disgrace that the so-called"special features" provided with the DVD version are limited to "Theatrical trailer(s)" and "Widescreen anamorphic format."

A pearl of great price
Burt Lancaster only got better with age and this has to be one of his shining roles, as a two-bit gangster (Lou Pasco) long past his prime, unwittingly involved in what would be his final deal.Louis Malle captures Atlantic City in its decline, telling a wonderful story of misplaced souls who struggle to find their place. Susan Sarandon turns in a memorable performance Sallie Matthews, who soon becomes Lou's love interest as she washes away the smell of brine from her shoulders in one of the signature scenes in the movie.

Malle constructs an elaborate story dealing with the gangsterism of Atlantic City past and present.Lou finds himself the reluctant paramour of Grace, the widow of a former crime boss, who Lou worked for.A relationship Malle never loses sight of as he develops the relationship between Lou and Sally, taking it to its fitting conclusion.

Malle has such a fine eye for detail, which made him one of the best directors in cinema.He brings his French sense of realism to Hollywood, playing off American gangster films in the same way Truffaut did, but creating what I think are more captivating films. Atlantic City is a pearl.It is so well rounded and lustrous that one can watch this movie over and over again and be enchanted each and every time.

One Of Louis Malle's Best!
As of late I have been watching the films of Louis Malle. I have watched some movies for the first time and others a second time around. What I've noticed about Malle is the way none of his films seem to have a distinctive feel to them. He seems able to direct every movie in a different style that is relatable to it's story. Each film carries it's own personal tone to it. Watch "Au Revoir Les Enfants", "My Dinner With Andre", "Damage" and this film. I don't notice any similarities in Malle's style of directing. And I guess that's a good thing.

"Atlantic City" is a film about lost hopes and dreams. The movie's most interesting character I feel is Lou (Burt Lancaster). A small time hood who remembers Atlantic City in the "old days". He claims he at one time knew all the famous gangsters. Lou is at an age in his life where he feels regret. He thinks where is his big payoff? For the past 40 years he has been Grace's (Kate Reid) bodyguard\boyfriend. And now seeks something more. He want to be one of those people who feels "important". He wants money and beautiful women around him. He wants to live it up in his old age.

The other main character is Sally (Susan Sarandon). A woman who is now on her own after he husband left her for her sister, who is now having a baby! Sally wants to become a dealer in a casino. She feels she has a lot to look forward to in the future. Things seem to be shaping up nicely for her and with enough time may get her life back on track.

What I like so much about "Atlantic City" is how Malle seems truly interested in these characters. This is one of those movies where the strenght lies not within the plot, but the people. Its the characters who make the movie because we can see ourselves in them. At one time or another I bet we have all felt a bit like Lou. I'll freely admit I have at times. We have all felt down asking ourselves when will our luck turn around. When will we hit the jackpot? For Lou it will come sooner than he thinks. But, Malle doesn't rush the movie. He lets the movie flow at its own rhythm. He really cares for these people and is willing to take the time to tell their stories. And in the end "Atlantic City" is a touching story that most people should find enjoyable.

At it's time of release "Atlantic City" was showered with awards and nominations. The movie went on to earn 5 Oscar nominations including "Best Picture". It won 7 Cesars awards, including "Best Picture" and it also won the Golden Lion award for "Best Picture". And Roger Ebert named it one of the ten best films of 1981!

I don't know if it was in some way meant as a joke or if I personally just got a kick out of this but Wallace Shawn has a brief cameo in the movie as a waiter. In a movie Malle made that same year "My Dinner With Andre" Shawn had a role in that movie. That movie was set with two people in a restaurant having dinner. This time around, Shawn is now the waiter. I don't know why but I just thought I'd mention this.

Bottom-line: One of the best films of it's year. Director Malle does a wonderful job of telling the story. The characters seem real enough where we give them our feelings. A strong touching movie. ... Read more

Asin: B000062UHA
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

From the moment a wayward bear lumbers into the Sopranos' yard in the fifth-season opener, it is clear that The Sopranos is in anything but a "stagmire." The series benefits from an infusion of new blood, the so-called "Class of 2004," imprisoned "family" members freshly released from jail. Most notable among these is Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi, who directed the pivotal season 3 episode "Pine Barrens"), who initially wants to go straight, but proves himself to be something of a "free agent," setting up a climactic stand-off between Tony and New York boss Johnny Sack. These 13 mostly riveting episodes unfold with a page-turning intensity with many rich subplots. Estranged couple Tony and Carmella (the incomparable James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) work toward a reconciliation (greased by Tony's purchase of a $600,000 piece of property for Carmela to develop). The Feds lean harder on an increasingly stressed-out and distraught Adriana to "snitch" with inevitable results. This season's hot-button episode is "The Test Dream," in which Tony is visited by some of the series' dear, and not-so-dearly, departed in a harrowing nightmare. ... Read more

Features

• Widescreen
• Color
• Widescreen
• Box set

Asin: B0007YMVY2
Subjects:  1. Television   

Cop Land (Exclusive Director's Cut) (Miramax Collector's Edition)
Director: James Mangold
Average Customer Review:
DVD (03 May, 2005)
list price: $14.99 -- our price: $13.49
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Editorial Review

After making a critically acclaimed debut with the low-budget independent drama Heavy, writer-director James Mangold took on this gritty crime drama, which was highly touted as Sylvester Stallone's long-awaited return to a serious dramatic role. With an illustrious cast of costars, including GoodFellas alumni Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, and Ray Liotta, Stallone plays Freddy Heflin, the ineffectual sheriff of a New Jersey suburb that a group of corrupt New York cops have turned into their own off-duty criminal empire. Deaf in one ear and desperate to prove his worth, the sheriff takes on the cops with standoffish assistance from an Internal Affairs cop (De Niro), resulting in an explosive climactic showdown. The stellar cast can't be beat, and Stallone is quite good as the overweight cop whose pride is on the line. Mangold's script is wildly uneven, but the film still packs a white-knuckled punch. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• Color

Reviews (47)

Underrated
Great little movie. Amazing cast, great performances. Nicely underplayed. Will be curiuos to see the directors cut with 11 extra minutes added.

A solid cop thriller in the tradition of Sidney Lumet
Cop Land is a homage to police corruption films like Sidney Lumet's Serpico and Prince of the City. In many respects, Cop Land is also a modern western, complete with a High Noon-style showdown. Miramax previously released this film on a movie-only DVD. This new version is a huge improvement but is it worth the upgrade?

Definitely.

"Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western" is an excellent retrospective featurette. Stallone to be interested in the role but the actor wanted to something different, to go back to his starving actor roots. After him, came De Niro and then everyone else followed.

Next, there is a "Storyboard Comparison" that allows one to watch part of the film's climatic shoot-out simultaneously with the storyboards for it.

There are two deleted scenes with optional commentary.

Rounding out the extras is a solid audio commentary with director James Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad and actors Sylvester Stallone and Robert Patrick. Not surprisingly, Mangold and Stallone dominate this track. Stallone comes across as a very humble and gracious guy. Mangold keeps everyone talking, acting as an informal moderator and asking everyone questions. This is a really good track and definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of this movie.

Cop Land features a killer cast and allows them to flex their acting chops with a top-notch screenplay. This DVD is a definite improvement over the previous bare bones edition and is worth the upgrade. Miramax has finally done this film justice with an excellent special edition.

One Good Cop
When I bought my first DVD player a number of years ago, Cop Land was one of the films that, I thought about buying right off the bat. I was disappointed though, to discover there were no bonus features on the disc, and I didn't get it. Back then, my rule was simple: no bonus material-no purchase. After a long wait, a special edition for the film, is finally here.

Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone) is the sheriff of a place everyone calls "Cop Land"-a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big-city police officers he's always admired. Yet something ugly is taking place below the surface. The sheriff is shocked when he uncovers a large and deadly conspiracy among these local residents. He doesn't know who to trust. Gary Figgis (Ray Liotta) and Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel) try to persuade Heflin that he is wrong. Soon though, he is forced to take actionand make the difficult choice between protecting his own and enforcing the law, as Lt. Tilden (Robert De Niro), an Internal Affairs officer, arrives to begin an investigation of his own.

Writer/director James Mangold assembled a top notch cast that can't be beat. Stallone rises to the challenge and gives his best performance since the original Rocky flick--no really, it's that good. The drama and situations are very real. No over the top, super hero heroics are to be had. It's gritty reality is heightened for me even more, due to Mangold's use of many familiar North Jersey locales, as the story's backdrop.

The DVD showcases a 116-minute "Director's Cut" of film. In this cut, 11 minutes of footage is reinserted, not part of the original theatrical version. For the most part, these scenes are rich in character bits and advance the plot only slightly. Still, the 11 minutes are worthwhile. The audio commentary track from Mangold, producer Cathy Konrad, cast membersStallone and Robert Patrick is a solid one, filled with great insight on how the film came together. Aside from the 11 minutes of inserted scenes, there are a few additional deleted scenes complete with opitional commentary from Mangold, about the editing choices he made. The film's climatic shootout and its corresponding storyboards are detailed for viewers. Pretty cool. Rounding out the bonus material is a featurette called "The Making of an Urban Western"All I'll say is the commentary is better.

The special edition of Cop Land is recommended. And it's worth a re-purchase if you already own the movie only disc. ****1/2 stars. ... Read more

Asin: B0001XALT6
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

Jersey Girl
Director: Kevin Smith
Average Customer Review:
DVD (03 May, 2005)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $15.99
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Editorial Review

Jersey Girl stars Ben Affleck as a workaholic music executive who loses his wife (Jennifer Lopez) in childbirth and has to raise his newborn daughter with the help of his crotchety New Jersey dad (George Carlin). The movie unspools as if writer-director Kevin Smith, normally a highly self-aware filmmaker (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma), set out to put a fresh spin on every cliché he could imagine (parent forced to choose between child and career; parent rushing to attend school performance; etc.)--then forgot to put in the spin. The scenes that aren't lifeless are implausible (Liv Tyler plays the fantasy girl of every awkward boy's dreams). The only real feeling comes from the strong soundtrack. However, Raquel Castro, as the daughter, is an uncanny double for Lopez; when the light plays across Castro's cheekbones just so, you'd swear the casting director simply shrunk Lopez for convenience. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

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Reviews (104)

Jersey Girl shines!
Yes, I am a Kevin Smith fan. Yes, I love all of his films (even Mallrats). This film is no exception. First, this movie has one of the best writer/director/producer team in recent history with Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier. These two have pumped out several great movies and this is one of them. This is a very simple premise. Kevin Smith makes good movies. He is creative, he writes snappy dialog, and he is funny. From Clerks to Mallrats, from Chasing Amy to Dogma and back again to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back --- his movies are very solid.

Now, I am clearly a fan of the View Askew universe, and Jersey Girl clearly is not a part of that world (appearances from Ben Affleck and George Carlin notwithstanding) --- and it is extremely obvious that the "essence" of Jersey Girl is somewhat formulaic --- family unit disrupted by tragedy, self-centered character Affleck is forced to become a father to young daughter, and is ultimately redeemed and made whole through the love of his daughter and in theory, the intervention of the Liv Tyler character as his new love interest. Kevin Smith will continue to justify his work as a director of movies. Now did Kevin finally "sell out?" Well,I'd say he's maturing (being a family man and all) and leave it at that.

Good story idea, but carried out in a bad way
The basic idea of this story is good: a father learning how to raise his daughter while also trying to cope with the loss of his wife and the fact that his daughter's birth caused his wife's death.What could have been great was botched, however.There was too much profanity.I find it in very bad taste to use profanity in front of children.I also found there to be too much sex in the movie.They could have developed the plot without that.I did like the Will Smith side jokes in there, however.

Kevin Smith...all grown up
Kevin Smith...all grown up.
Any Kevin Smith fan who has seen his movies, his College Tour video `An Evening with Kevin Smith' and his interviews, knows that this is a guy who is more like us (the everyday person) than anyone else in Hollywood.That being said, it was only a matter of time before he grew up.

Some people have said that if Jersey Girl had been released before that other god-awful Bennifer movie, it would have done better.I have to believe that is true, mainly because Gigli given so much bad critism it seemed to carry over into Ben's next four films, the poor guy cannot get a break.

In any case, Jersey Girl should be looked individually.Ben and Jen actually do have good chemistry and they both CAN act.Affleck probably gives one of his better performances playing Oliver Trinke, a very successful young music Publicist who meets, falls in love with, and marries another publicist, Gertrude Steiney (Lopez).They seem destined for bliss as they go through marriage, a pregnancy and finally the birth.Then, tragedy; Ollie is forced to raise their daughter himself.

Despite the appearance of Liv Tyler who seems romantically interested in Ollie, this movie really is not a romantic comedy.It's about the father and daughter relationship.Ollie finds the father within himself at first but is later faced with the conflict of possibly getting his old lifestyle back and disrupting the rest of his family.

Kevin Smith has done wonders with this movie.He has grown in leaps and bounds as a director.His style has evolved to incorporate different camera angles and perspectives, something he was criticized for a lot in the past.His story telling is much deeper and personal.Despite this, the movie isn't without flaws.Nothing you can put your finger on, but the concepts are borrowed and reshaped in Smith's image, which is ok.There are only a so many plot lines in the world and this one has been done to death.However, Smith has certainly done everything to keep the movie from falling into the cliché trap.With great dialogue moments that are distinctively Kevin Smith, a good story, a cameo by Will Smith and personal touch of growth, Jersey Girl is his Smith's doorway and proof that he can do more than Lesbian/Religious/Quickie Mart/Fart and Burp movies...not that there is anything wrong with those movies, I hear `Passion of the Clerks' in the pipe.

... Read more

Asin: B00029LO5E
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Jersey Girl
Director: David Burton Morris
Average Customer Review:
DVD (10 August, 2004)
list price: $19.94 -- our price: $17.95
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• Color
• Closed-captioned
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Reviews (21)

SEXY, ROMANTIC, FAIRY TALE LOVE STORY!!!!
Do not confuse this movie with the 2003 version.
Gertz and McDermott are sensational in this 1993 sexy, romantic, fairy tale love story.One of those movies that you can watch again and again and still cry (or cheer) at the end!!!!

Kevin Smith Moves to Hollywood
When Ollie Trinke's (Ben Affleck) wife dies during childbirth, his grief causes him to permanently lose his New York PR firm career, and to feel estrangement from his newborn daughter. Defeated by life, he moves in with his father (George Carlin), and quickly finds joy in raising his daughter and living a simple life working with his father as a blue collar municipal worker. But he never stops interviewing with PR firms, trying to recapture the high-powered life he once enjoyed. Things come to a head when, after meeting and falling for Liv Tyler, he is forced to choose between a job in the city and a life with his father and Liv in New Jersey.
This movie is so generic in its premise and resolution that the only interesting discussion comes from the fact that it is such a departure from the usual work of filmmaker Kevin Smith. After a series of quirky gag-driven surreal comedies filled with in-jokes and geeky comic book/Star Wars references, Smith tries his hand at a drama (albeit a light-hearted one). Some of the schmaltz is so schmaltzingly schmaltzy that I wondered if Smith is pulling some sort of ironic joke on us; at other times, an unobtrusive reference made me grin (as when Trinke's daughter hops into a vehicle and commands: Punch it, Chewie!).The obligatory casting of Jason Lee and Matt Damon in a bit part pays hilarious dividends, as the actors so clearly enjoy the opportunity to goof around with Smith and Affleck. The dialogue is only vaguely Kevin Smith-esque, with the odd sentence or situation ringing like an echo of his previous works.
I suppose Smith is in a little bit of a bind, in that he makes movies a certain way, and gets slammed for not being able to rise above his work. Now that he's made a more traditional Hollywood piece, he's getting slammed by his fans for abandoning his roots. Smith definitely has some talent, and I expect that he may have a couple of more misfires as he tries to recreate his most successful movies (probably Clerks and Chasing Amy). In the meantime, this movie can be classified as "harmless."
A final note: the last time we saw George Carlin in a Kevin Smith (or any other) film, he was giving head to truck drivers who gave him a ride. In this, what may be his first serious role, he really added a dimension to his image. His soulful, gravelly voice is so captivating that even a modicum of talent gives him a commanding screen presence, and Smith gave him lots of lines that made this talent shine through. In my opinion, Carlin deserves a shot at a legitimate acting career, and if he makes it, people will look to this film as an early indication that he has promise as a thespian.

The plot premise is ridiculous...
SPOILER AHEAD.

1)I moved several times before age 10, and you forget about your old friends and make new ones very fast.So the fact that Ollie wouldn't move because of his 7 year old is ludicrous.

2) Why could he take the job and commute to NY?Thousands of people do it everyday.

3) The romance was too shallow to believe it meant anything to anyone. ... Read more

Asin: B0001AVZAS
Sales Rank: 9936
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Clerks (Collector's Edition)
Director: Kevin Smith
Average Customer Review:
DVD (26 February, 2002)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

Before Kevin Smith became a Hollywood darling with Chasing Amy, a film he wrote and directed, he made this $27,000 comedy about real-life experiences working for chump change at a New Jersey convenience store. A rude, foul-mouthed collection of anecdotes about the responsibilities that go with being on the wrong side of the till, the film is also a relationship story that takes some hilarious turns once the lovers start revealing their sexual histories to one another. In the best tradition of first-time, ultra-low budget independent films, Smith uses Clerks as an audition piece, demonstrating that he not only can handle two-character comedy but also has an eye for action--as proven in a smoothly handled rooftop hockey scene. Smith himself appears as a silent figure who hangs out on the fringes of the store's property. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Dolby
• Widescreen

Reviews (404)

Kevin Smith's first film, and is considered to be his best!
The movie is about these two guys, Dante and Randall, that work at these dead end retail stores, and the movie pretty much films what they do throughout the day. In addition to that, however, Dante is trying to get back with his old high school sweet heart, but Dante is dating someone else. Despite a few irrelevant scenes and excessive foul language for this film, the movie is actually hilarious. The film takes you on some epic questions we all go through during relationships and life while entertaining you with comedy. One moment, the film will have you laughing at some of Randall's antics throughout the film while saddened at Dante's huge catastrophic mistake. Overall, "Clerks" is definitely one of the most original and witty comedies to ever grace the big screen.

My life as a clerk to the "T"
As someone who spent most of his younger years working in a convenience store, I must say that Kevin Smith hits home with this one!Some of the situations that happen in this movie were true to life for me.Definitely a funny movie and one of my all time favorites!

Great antidote to overblown pretention
Basically Kevin Smith made two crappy films (Mallrats,Dogma),two good (Jay&Silent Bob,Chasing Amy),and one great film,Clerks.This film is my most seen of all time.It blends uniquely lowbrow and highbrow theories with a nuance of 5:00AM-3:00AM shift at a convenience store, easily the most anyone has done with a 27,000 budget,and creates the funniest film of the last twenty years.This 3-disc collection is great also,with a booklet of the hisory of Clerks and the original cut,along with the cut scene,hard to find Clerks short The Flying Car,Snowball Effect documentary of Clerks and Mae Day student film by Kevin Smith. ... Read more

Asin: B00000IQC8
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Clerks - The Animated Series Uncensored
Director: Steve Loter, Chris Bailey
Average Customer Review:
DVD (05 August, 2003)
list price: $14.99 -- our price: $11.99
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Editorial Review

Writer-director Kevin Smith revives the characters of his indie classic film Clerks for this animated series created for network television. Though it aired for just two episodes on TV, the two-disc set has all six episodes plus a bevy of special features.

The episodes feature store clerks Dante and Randal and their ongoing adventures among the shelves of your local corner store. Never far from the epicenter of these adventures are the irreverent Jay and Silent Bob. Whether it's getting trapped in the walk-in cooler, attending their high school reunion, or fighting rival Leonardo Leonardo (who wants to dominate the local Quick Mart market), Clerks spoofs TV and movies with mocking pop-culture jokes and cameos by a number of celebrities. Ultimately, though, Clerks: The Animated Series suffers at the hands of network censors, lacking the obnoxious punch that made Clerks the film so offbeat and amusing.

Smith doesn't disappoint, however, with the inclusion of a number of special features on the DVD set, most notably the ever-insightful director's commentary with guests Jason Mewes (Jay), Brian O'Halloran (Dante), and Jeff Anderson (Randal).So while the series itself may be ill-fated, featurette on the making of the animated series--including storyboards and information on character development and the comic book influence on the drawing style--make this a robust offering for Kevin Smith completists. --Adam Medros ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated
• Closed-captioned

Reviews (137)

Clerks Uncensored!
A spin off series of the movie, Clerks Uncensored only had two episodes shown on ABC in 2000. We get to watch Dante and Randal deal with more problems within 6 episodes. Cancelled by "the company" (as Kev calls 'em on the Uncensored commentaries) after two episodes. We get all six eps on this set! Seriously, Kevin Smith is a genius! Awesome show, too bad ABC cancelled it. Watch it!

Could have been great
I watch these episodes and I know that this show would have been great had it been allowed to continue, just look at "Family Guy." This series is unique to that, in that it stays true to the film characters humor, while also magnifying the medium of animation and the restricted confines of network TV.The commentary tells an interesting tale of the life of the series even though it sometimes does so at the expense of scene specific.All in all, this release gives you just about all anyone could ask for considering this series.By the way, I'm waiting for the feature.

Clerks makes it's way to cartoon format
The cartoon adaptation of Smith's classic movie "Clerks", may have been short lived, but the six episodes we're left with are nothing less of classic. Follow Dante and Randal into even more obscure adventures than what takes place in the actual film. Be advised there are only six episodes. Only two were ever aired on television. As far as I know there will not be any more. That's not very fair since this cartoon is on par with all of the hit comedies out there like Family Guy, Futurama and The Simpsons. If you're a huge Kevin Smith or Jay and Silent Bob fan, then you should definitely consider picking this up and owning it. It's also got low price tag, so that's a plus (I mean it's only six episodes). Here's a quick run-down of the episodes :

1) "Nothing Exciting Ever Happens" - Business at the Quick Stop is threatened when billionare Leonardo Leonardo opens a quicker stop. Dante and Randal have to stop it.

2) "Trapped" - Dante and Randal get trapped in a freezer at the Quick Stop and remember old times together.

3) "Discreeto Burriots" - Leonardo Leonardo gets a very bad stomach virus and the Quick stop is investigated for foul play.

4) "Take The Case" - Jay trys to sue Dante and Randal.

5) "Class Reunion" - Dante becomes the coach of Leonardo's little league team

6) "The Fair Across the Street" - well isn't really about anything.

So like I said if you like Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks, Kevin Smith, or anything related to those three things, you need to buy this DVD set. It's very cheap and shows some very entertaining episodes of what would have been a great tv show, had it been given a better chance. Maybe one day it will come back, or may Smith will just release them through DVD. Who knows. All we can do is hope. ... Read more

Asin: B0000541WH
Subjects:  1. Television   

The Tox Box (The Toxic Avenger Box Set)
Average Customer Review:
DVD (03 September, 2002)
list price: $49.95 -- our price: $44.96
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Editorial Review

Despite a roster of disreputable films that includes everything from Bloodsucking Freaks to Terror Firmer, Troma Films' crowning achievement remains its comic book tribute/parody The Toxic Avenger (1985) and its pair of 1989 sequels. The comedy/action/sci-fi effort, about a crime-fighting monster spawned from chemical sludge, is as proudly crude as Troma's other films, but also genuinely funny and competently directed by company chiefs Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz. The combination of slapstick and splatter helped earn the film the broadest audience recognition of any Troma film prior to Tromeo and Juliet––so much so, in fact, that several years later, the Toxic Avenger would be given his own Saturday morning cartoon.

Troma's affection for Toxie is made abundantly clear with The Tox Box, a lavish (by the company's standards) four-disc package that contains the three features as well as four episodes of Toxic Crusaders, Toxie's animated adventures. Troma fanatics should note that that the discs for Toxic Avenger I and III are largely identical to versions that were released independently within the last few years, but the disc for Toxic Avenger II is a true "uncut" version (with more violence) that differs markedly from the previously released R-rated DVD. As with all Troma DVDs, each disc is packed with supplemental material, from Lloyd Kaufman's hilarious (and often unhinged) commentary to a wealth of excised scenes, trailers, and production stills. Toxic Crusaders even includes a pair of '40s-era serials in their entirety to fill out its scant running time. Cineastes may decry that lowbrow material such as this has been given the deluxe treatment, and even Toxie fans may wonder if this much Troma is good for their mental health, but DVD buyers must admit that The Tox Box is an embarrassment of riches. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Box set

Reviews (12)

Reviews on all the TOXIC AVENGER movies.
The Toxic Avenger is a masterpiece from Troma while the sequels are decent the first is a classic.

The Toxic Avenger-*****-Entertaining black comedy features a nerdy janitor that is picked on and accidentally falls into toxic waste and becomes a hero around Tromaville and then the fun starts. The Mexican restaraunt scene is a classic as well as the head crushing scene. Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz are geniuses.

The Toxic Avenger part 2-**- Don't really remember this one too well but the plot has Toxie(aka Melvin) in Japan.

The Toxic Avenger part 3:The Last Temptation of Toxie- So-so chapter has Toxie working for a company called Apocalypse to help get his blind girlfriend her eyesight back and soon discovers the boss is a devilish villian. The movie store scene is another classic where punks try robbing it and one of those punks get there hand in the VHS rewinder and the close-up of the hand being grinded and then Toxie gets a mop and jams in his head and twists his head right off and blood squirts everywhere. Overall the Toxic Avenger movies are watchable B-movies with good production values and excellent special effects.

Im moveing to tromaville !
let me start by saying i orderd the tox box withought seeing any of the movies. was i naive ? sure i was ! the way i seen it was , theres no way they cant be wonderful . was i wrong ? NOPE ! the movies are great. the sequals are in my opinion ,alot better than people have been saying , there fun ! the toxic crusaders dvd is very cool to watch . i dont remember the show cause i was 3 in 1991. not only did the tox box open the doors to how great toxie is it revealed the wonderful world of TROMA. it apeares oveous that Lloyd Kaufman and the rest of the staff at troma put there heart and soulinto makeing some great dvds for the fans .

If you don't own this, why are you even alive?
The Toxic Avenger, the crown jewel of Tromaville Productions. Melvin certainly has come a long way. From a hot blind girlfriend at the dump (Who does her makeup anyway?), to Japan and cooking villians in the bathhouse. The Toxic Avenger is a dynamite, soul brother, action adventure for the whole family. Seriously, what other movie has a leotard wearing freak pointing a double barreled shotgun at a baby? Or a chick masturbating to pictues of bodies her boyfriend ran over? How do you fight with fish? Can you windsail from New Jersey to Japan? How many people can Toxie fight at once? All these and many more questions are answered. Buy this now or live a miserable and empty life. ... Read more

Asin: B00006G8IS
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Happiness
Director: Todd Solondz
Average Customer Review:
DVD (27 April, 1999)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

At times brilliant and insightful, at times repellent and false, Happiness is director Todd Solondz's multistory tale of sex, perversion, and loneliness.Plumbing depths of Crumb-like angst and rejection, Solondz won the Cannes International Critics Prize in 1998 and the film was a staple of nearly every critic's Top Ten list.Admirable, shocking, and hilarious for its sarcastic yet strangely empathetic look at consenting adults' confusion between lust and love, the film stares unflinchingly until the audience blinks.But it doesn't stop there. A word of strong caution to parents:One of the main characters, a suburban super dad (played by Dylan Baker), is really a predatory pedophile and there is more than an attempt to paint him as a sympathetic character.Children are used in this film as running gags or, worse, the means to an end. Whether that end is a humorous scene for Solondz or sexual gratification for the rapist becomes largely irrelevant.Happiness is an intelligent, sad film, revelatory and exact at moments.It's also abuse in the guise of art. That's nothing to celebrate. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen

Reviews (250)

La feliz tragedia de ser humanos
¿Una familia típica? Así pareciera...Tenemos a Joy, soltera con aspiraciones de cantante, que siente que debería tener a un hombre y una vida estable como su hermana mayor Trish; ella, ama de casa, se siente inferior a su hermana Helen, autora de gran éxito; Helen, mientras tanto, anhela una vida llena de peligros y baches, para así poder imprimirle mayor autenticidad a su escritura. Su vecino solitario, inseguro y morboso, Allen, suspira por Helen y la considera inaccesible, así como él es onjeto de sentimientos similares por parte de otra vecina, Kristina. El esposo de Trish es un psiquiatra que vive con un secreto terrible, el cual explota lentamente durante la historia.

Cínica antecesora de Belleza Americana, la cinta de Todd Solondz demuestra que, en lo referente al cine, existen lugares a los que no hemos ido, gente que no hemos visto o perversiones suficientes para compartir y comprender.

Los eventos que suceden en el microcosmos de nuestras vidas privadas son embebidos en este largometrajes con título irónico y casi sádico. Plagada de burla, Felicidad no es una fantasía escapista, sino un trabajo profundamente intenso, irritable, divertido y sobre todo, muy humano.

Las actuaciones son fantásticas, todas sin excepción. Algunas viñetas y otros ensayos, todos nos erizan con su tensión punzante y dolorosa, típica de la vida real; la gente retratada en Felicidad son personas inseguras, contradictorias, cálidas, frías, estúpidas, adorables, insoportables. Como nosotros.

Audaz, vibrante y abrumadora, esta película traslada al cine a profundidades que la corriente general fílmica jamás osa experimentar. Felicidad saca a relucir las mentiras blancas, los deseos secretos, los pensamientos oscuros, las pesadillas y las fantasías. Y por ser tan descaradamente perversa y perturbadora, o nos hará abandonar la sala de cine o nos permitirá reflexionar sobre ciertos tópicos que la sociedad debería tratar y raramente lo hace, a excepción de eso simples clichés moralistas que nos hacen huir de la fealdad que representa asumir la existencia de seres tan espeluznantes.

Felicidad les provocará una fuerte respuesta emocional, pues sin tapujos, le da un rostro al fracaso, la frustración y el odio por nosotros mismos. Todd Solondz nos muestra un mundo con gente anhelando lo que no tiene, sin percatarse de cuánto les costaría poseerlo.

A sickening tale of the monsters inside of us all.
This is a deeply disturbing film about some indiviuals that have some hidden motivations. One is a secretive child molster(Dylan Baker), One is a author that writes about rape, and yet thinks about experiencing it(Laura Flynn Boyle), One has sexual frustrations, and is social inenmpt, and makes sexually explicit phone calls to total strangers(Philip Semyour Hoffman), One has totally bizzare commitment issues(Jane Adams). All of their issues, slowly, but surely connect themselves together. All of the issues get out, eventually, but they don't show themselves to other people. Instead, they go back into hiding, into the pits of the person's conciousness.

Hmm, I was expecting this film to be horrible, because Todd Solondz has a reputation of glorifying the gruesome. As I was going to watch this film, I had no previous experience in his other films, and I have had only learned from a film website. So, I decided to rent this, based on that review alone, and I have to say that I was suprised. Solondz really gets the most out of his actors. He really divulges into the worlds of those semingly normal people, and shows what they really are on the inside, in a brillant fashion. I was floored by the shocking last line and reaction of this film. It left me stunned that such a film took such a gruesome subject, and made it into its own little world. THe writing of this movie is sharp and disturbing. The describing of what Bill Maplewood(Dylan Baker) did and having him explain it to his son, is mind blowingly disturbing. This film is brillant for its portrayal of the not so pretty world.

A little disturbing, but...
This is one of those movies that you keep watching, even though you are not quite sure if you like it or not. I was a little disturbed at some of the content, but I just had to know what was going to happen next. Highly engrossing. I gave this movie 3 stars because I still don't know exactly how I feel about it. Worth watching, especially if you like that "indie" feel. ... Read more

Asin: B00000IC7G
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

The Hurricane
Director: Norman Jewison
Average Customer Review:
DVD (11 July, 2000)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $14.98
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Editorial Review

In his direction of The Hurricane, veteran filmmaker NormanJewison understands that slavish loyalty to factual detail is no guarantee of compelling screen biography. In telling the story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter--who was wrongly convicted of murder in 1967 and spent nearly two decades in jail--Jewison and his screenwriters compress time, combine characters, and rearrange events with a nonchalance that would be galling if they didn't remain honest to the core truth of Carter's ordeal. Because of that emotional integrity--and because Denzel Washington brings total conviction to his title role--The Hurricane rises above the confines of biographical fidelity to embrace higher values of courage, compassion, and ultimate justice.

Jewison is woefully heavy-handed in his treatment of the fictionalized, absurdly villainous detective (Dan Hedaya) who zealously plots to keep Carter in jail, and anyone familiar with Carter's story may object to the film's simplified account. But what matters here is the shining star of hope that is Lesra (Vicellous Reon Shannon), the Brooklyn teenager who rejuvenates Carter's legal battle in the early 1980s. This surrogate father-son relationship is what revives Carter's hope for family and future, and makes The Hurricane so engrossing and emotionally effective. Lesra's real-life Canadian mentors are compressed from ninecharacters to three, but their efforts are superbly dramatized, and Jewison hits the small but important grace notes that make a good film even better. By its final scenes, The Hurricane conveys the rich, rewarding satisfaction of surviving a difficult but valuable journey of mind, body, and soul. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen
• Dolby

Reviews (138)

Entre el poder de la fe y el amor incondicional
Denzel Washignton, que brillante intérprete. Hasta ahora, este actor nos ha entregado inolvidables retatros de integridad frente a la cruel práctica del racismo. Cómo olvidar esa única lágrima corriendo por su cara de hierro mientras sollozaba en Gloria; el valiente y confiado Steven Biko hablando sobre discriminación en Gritos de Libertad; o el autodidacta Malcolm X, arrodillándose en La Meca.
y ahora, gracias a Washington, también conoceremos a un boxeador de New Jersey, quien descubrió que lo más poderoso que pudo hacer con sus manos fue escribir un libro.
En Huracán, Denzel Washington nos lleva dentro de la vida de Rubin Carter, un hombre que experimentó un confinamiento no sólo físico, sino también emocional. Nos muestra profundamente lo que significa lidiar con tormentos provocados por la ira, impotencia, desesperacón y la pérdida de la esperanza.
¿Cómo sobrevive un ser humano 20 años bajo estas ciscuntancias? La verdad es que no hay manera posible. Existen períodos donde Carter se tiene que aislar de todo, mientras que a veces, necesita conectarse con otras personas. Ningún extremo sirve por completo, ni dura mucho tiempo.
Basada en la autobiografía de Carter "El Décimo Sexto Round" y el libro de Sam Chaiton y Terry Swinton "Lázaro y el Huracán", la cinta documenta la vida del boxeador desde su niñez hasta pasar sus cincuenta años. Rubin Carter era un niño humilde, envuelto desde su juventud en problemas con la ley, en una ciudad poblada de intolerantes policías blancos.
Luego de pasar unos años en un correccional juvenil y salir de ahí al ejército, Carter regresa a su ciudad natal para transformarse en un boxeador talentoso. Mientras avanza hacia el éxito profesional, Carter y otro hombre son señalados culpables por los asesinatos de tres blancos en un bar local y sentenciados a tres cadenas perpetuas consecutivas.
La historia paralela que hace a Huracán más que una típica biografía es la de Lesra, un adolescente negro sacado de Brooklyn por tres canadienses blancos, que se encargan de enseñarle a leer y prepararlo para ir a la universidad. El primer libro de Lesra es la autobiografía de Carter, una vida con la que el joven puede identificarse. Tanto impacto causa sobre Lesra ese libro que en un momento de valor, le escribe una carta al "Huracán" y así inicia una amistad peliaguda con el ex boxeador.
El talento del director Norman Jewison está en hilvanar finamente las dos historias, no sólo interpolándolas sino también saltando alrededor de la cronología para así narrar mejor la historia. Tal técnica permite queasimilemos todos los detalles posibles y luego en el filme, ver más allá de los hechos sueltos, el planteamiento completo que ofrece la historia.
Aunque las condiciones casi inhumanas desgastan su cuerpo y su mente, Carter emerge de la prisión con su dignidad intacta. Pero a la vez se transforma en un ser tan determinado a no dejar que atrapen su alma, que es él quien termina atrapándola en sí mismo. Carter sobrevive al horror deseando nada y volviendo su corazón tan frío como un témpano de hielo. Carter no sólo era el Huracán, fue arrastrado por uno.
La única manera que encuentra para superar la prisión es encerrando su humanidad y su renuencia en aceptar que cualquier persona entre en su vida es comprensible por que hemos visto todo lo que ha sufrido al tratar de mantener su cordura y auotestima.
Tomarían párrafos interminables para describir por completo la magnífica actuación de Denzel Washington. El encarna la pasión de Rubin Carter en su odio por la vida y luego en su dicha por sentirse vivo. Su cuidadoso acercamiento a Lesra y sus amigos (quienes dedicaron su vida a liberarlo) le dan a Carter, como personaje, una plenitud y evolución que sólo un intérprete tan dotado como Washington podría plasmar en pantalla. Observar tal actuación es un privilegio. Es como lograr ver la esencia de su alma.
"Es muy importante trascender los lugares que nos retienen", le dice Carter a Lesra. Y tal perla de sabiduría debería aplicarse al arte dramático: los actores necesitan trascender el artificio de sus personajes y hacerlos repirar para su audiencia. Denzele Washington lo hizo en Huracán, brillantemente.

Denzel Delivers
*a marvelous performance by denzel washington (possibly the greatest of his career) highlights an inspirational story of an unjust imprisonment
*this movie delivers brilliantly on the bringing together of human races and souls
*take this story of courage to heart, as it is based on the true story of rubin "hurricane" carter

Pack of Lies
I saw this movie when it first came out and was duped into believing the lies and fabrications it peddled.It's great fiction, but not a single bit of it is based in fact or reality.I wish I could sue the creators of this propaganda so I can get the money back I spent on it.Please don't waste your money on this anti-American trash.It's sole purpose is to further degrade our trust in our government and perpetuate the blacks-as-victims and whites-as-persecutors storyline of the leftist lunatic fringe. I suggest you do a simple internet search and learn the truth about this piece of human garbage called Rubin Carter. ... Read more

Asin: 078324228X
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Volume One
Director: Dave Willis (III), Matt Maiellaro
Average Customer Review:
DVD (18 November, 2003)
list price: $29.98 -- our price: $23.98
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Editorial Review

Another cracked animated series from the Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" programming block, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Volume One's blend of superhero action and skewed humor should provide plenty of nourishment to fans of offbeat animation. The Aqua Teen Hunger Force are a squabbling trio of fast-food items (milkshake, fries, and a ball of hamburger meat) that have joined together to fight a host of monsters, aliens, and mad scientists in their native New Jersey.Fans of traditional cartoons may find the surreal plotlines and low-fi animation unmanageable, but viewers who enjoy other Adult Swim programming like Space Ghost Coast to Coast (series creators Chris Willis and Matt Maiellaro are veterans from that show) will find the Force's adventures side-splitting. The two-disc set, which features 16 episodes from the series' first two seasons, is supplemented by commentary by Willis and Maiellaro on three episodes, including an early version of "Rabbot." Disc 2 has a pair of Easter eggs that feature deleted scenes. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• Closed-captioned

Reviews (123)

Funny
ATHF is great. I have nothing to add to the other positive reviews, except maybe hats off to Sean Hannity for a masterful performance as Shake. We're talking Oscar!

Adult Swim Classic
The show is the story of the Aqua Teens:Frylock,Shake,& Meatwad.Frylock is what holds everyone together while Shake and Meatwad get into trouble.When the do get in trouble it usually irritates Carl,there next door neighbor,who gets things done to him that is unimaginable.Meatwad is my favorite,he has the innocence of a child and the language of an adult.He has some great one liners.Shake is the one trying to do things against what Frylock says or trying to get Meatwad in trouble.Also,look out for the Mooninites who pop in every once in a while and in my opinion make the best episodes.This set has a few extras and it is reasonably priced.You can breeze through this set on a rainy day and I fully reccomend it.

Mooncheese is an idiot
The last review says it all."if you can't laugh at this you must have been in a 5 person prison rape."Thats the mentality of somebody who would give this show 5 stars.Lack of mentality is more like it.just like this show unfortunately.Get off the cronk mooncheese ... Read more

Asin: B0000AQS81
Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)   

Atlantic City Jackpot
Director: Chuck Workman, Rodney Amateau
Average Customer Review:
DVD (07 October, 2003)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $17.98
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Features

• Color

Reviews (1)

The opposite of its promises
This is an awful movie! If you will note I titled this review "TheOpposite of its promises", and the reason being is that, first of all it shows Danny DeVito on the front of the cover as if he is the main character, and yet he barely has a part, posing as the bartender at a pool and is only seen for abot forty five seconds. Also it says it is heart-felt and funny and is none of those things! The actors and actresses do a horrible job posing as their charachter and don't seem to have any depth or feeling at all. If you read the back of the jacket it says that it is about a man with almost no money and many debts to pay off and that he kidnaps a rich man's kids to get money, that is the entire film and it isn't even done well, in fact I've made this putrid film sound much more exciting and dramatic than it is. The film has absolutely no depth. It has no comedy,drama, romance, excitement or any thing like that. It is no doubt one of the worst films ever. ... Read more

Asin: B0000AKCM8
Sales Rank: 65342
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

George Carlin - What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
Director: Bruce Gowers
Average Customer Review:
DVD (25 February, 2003)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $17.98
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Features

• Color

Reviews (7)

NOT AS FUNNY AS IT COULD'VE BEEN; 3.5 STARS
THIS 1988 HBO SPECIAL IS FUNNY, EVEN HILLARIOUS AT TIMES. BUT, IT ALSO HAS SOME DULL SPOTS AND DOESN'T START OUT TOO WELL. BUT, ONCE YOU GET PAST THE BORING MOMENTS OF THIS STAND UP SHOW, YOU'LL BE LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY. GEORGE CARLIN IS VERY FUNNY AND VERY TALENTED AND IS ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE COMEDIANS OF ALL TIME. BUT, THIS SHOW DOESN'T REALLY SHOWCASE CARLIN'S FULL TALENTS. IT'S NOT A BAD SHOW TO BUY, BUT IF YOU'RE JUST WATCHING A GEORGE CARLIN SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME, RENT OR BUY GEORGE CARLIN; BACK IN TOWN OR HIS MOST RECENT ONE, GEORGE CARLIN; YOU ARE ALL DISEASED?

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL!!!!!!!
Where's the funny George Carlin everyone talks about?I got a sacreligious, gripey, anti-america, and liberal old man.Did I get the wrong George Carlin?This couldn't POSSIABLY be the one everyone says is so hilarious!There was 1 scene that was even remotely funny, but all I got was a smile, but I NEVER laughed out loud.Please don't buy it online, and if you see it at Borders avoid it at ALL costs.Why, oh, WHY did I waste my money?

DISAPPOINTING
I love Carlin's early work and am always amazed at his incredible, phenomenal timing.Since I'm from New Jersey, I couldn't resist What Am I Doing In New Jersey.Unfortunately, it's really not that funny.Carlin just seems to be going through the motions, relying on old formulas.He's not enjoying himself.There's no room for this one in my collection. ... Read more

Asin: B00007G1WR
Sales Rank: 32392
Subjects:  1. Performing Arts - Concerts   

Bruce Springsteen - The Complete Video Anthology, 1978-2000
Director: Brian De Palma, John Sayles
Average Customer Review:
DVD (16 January, 2001)
list price: $19.98 -- our price: $17.98
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Editorial Review

Call it Boss in a Box. This two-disc set of music videos and concertperformances is a must for any Springsteen fan. While the 1989 VHS version contained just 18 songs, the expanded DVD set has 33 performances dating through2000, including "The Ghost of Tom Joad," performed in 1995 on The TonightShow, and an acoustic "Born in the U.S.A." from a 1998 appearance on TheCharlie Rose Show. Most of the highlights are, not surprisingly, fromSpringsteen's electrifying concerts, including raw versions of "Rosalita" and"Thunder Road" from early in his career with the E Street Band. Also not to bemissed: the 1987 performance of the harrowing "Tougher Than the Rest," shot withpoignant close-ups of wife Patti Scialfa singing backup; the raspy, gospel- tinged "Leap of Faith"; and the barely contained smolder of "Fire." Most fanswill find themselves wishing that this was strictly a concert DVD; the MTVvideos from the Born in theU.S.A. years (the John Sayles-directed trilogy "Born in the U.S.A.,""I'm on Fire," and "Glory Days") seem too canned and glossy sandwiched in withthe rougher, more exhilarating live performances. And Springsteen's tendency toget preachy in the late '90s ("Murder Incorporated," "Dead Man Walkin'") cangrate as well. But until there's a full-length performance DVD, the VideoAnthology will keep fans on their feet. --Anne Hurley ... Read more

Features

• Color

Reviews (41)

Could've been so much more but a great collection.
First: They should've waited until "The Rising".

Second: Bruce has pro-shot footage dating back to 1972-1973. Starting it at 1978 with "Rosalita", running through "Born in the USA" and then "Born to Run" at the end, not to mention a mid-90s "Hungry Heart" promo on the second. The continuity is kind of wacky.

There's a whole show filmed for "No Nukes". There's "Austin City Limits" (which no one can find). There's 1975 footage at the Roxy in LA, and a BBC shot show at the Hammersmith as well as other shows that have been circulating on bootlegs. The Neil Young "Bridge" concert. The Barcelona video's great, but the marathon shows he used to do should really be out there for all of us to see...

Once Bruce started doing videos, he wound up getting top-name directors like Brian DePalma, John Sayles,Jonathan and Ted Demme. A lot of them are memorable and beautifully shot, but a lot of the "Born in the USA" footage just makes you wonder why he hasn't put out one of the shows on DVD. You see a bit of E Street history, including the era where he ditched those guys for a while, then working with them on "Murder Inc.". "Streets of Philadelphia" and "Beautiful Disguise" have Bruce singing live to a backing track, very unusual.

Bruce's fans will love this, but they'll love it more if they put out some of the footage that made people enchanted with his shows.

I was happy with my purchase!
Given that it did maybe have a few crappy camera angels & lighting; how could anybody be unhappy with their purchase after seeing him prance around in a pair of tight pants? This DVD collection made me wish I could have seen him in concert...

Near Perfect!
A nice summary of Bruce's early video work.However, why the edit on "Rosalita" - the band introductions (which were originally included when the video came out in the 80's) were a lot of fun.I'd love to find a copy of them.

Otherwise, a great presentation ... Read more

Asin: B000056HOZ
Subjects:  1. Music Video - Pop/Rock   

The Family Man
Director: Brett Ratner
Average Customer Review:
DVD (02 September, 2003)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $11.98
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Editorial Review

Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is the quintessential Wall Street shark,scoring killer deals by day and shallow escort sex by night. His round-the-clockroutine of empty luxuries is disturbed one lonely Christmas Eve when agun-packing punk (Don Cheadle)--perhaps an angel of mercy--responds to an altruisticgesture from Jack by giving him "a glimpse" of the life he could have had.Could have, that is, if he had married the girlfriend (Téa Leoni)he'd abandoned 13 years earlier, raised two adorable children, worked in hisfather-in-law's retail tire outlet, and lived happily ever after in suburban NewJersey. Thrust into this "glimpse" of the path not taken, Jack's a single-maltman in a lite-brew world, wondering if he'll ever return to his "better" life ofcallous wealth and solitude--or if he even wants to.

Carp all you want about this derivative premise, with its marginal stereotypesand biased embrace of domestic bliss and dirty diapers. The simple fact is,The Family Man works like a charm. Under the assured direction of BrettRatner (Rush Hour), this holiday crowd-pleaser offers comedy andchemistry in equal measure, making the hilarity of Jack's predicament a smoothcatalyst for that rarest of movie romances: the marital love story. Leoni isCage's perfect match as Jack's idealized but imperfect wife, and the movie'sappeal largely derives from its awareness that any life has its pleasuresand pains. While it only flirts with the dark desperation that makes It's aWonderful Life a classic predecessor, The Family Man is anirresistible what-if fantasy, and even its debatable ending rides on a wave ofgenuine warmth and sentiment. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

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• Closed-captioned
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Reviews (170)

Segundo chance

Los ecos del clásico de Jimmy Stewart "It's a Wonderful Life" retumban ensordecedoramente a lo largo de Hombre de Familia, demostrando que incluso luego de tanto tiempo, la vida es bella.

La cinta nos presenta la historia de un hombre que, al llegar a una encrucijada en su vida, tomó el camino equivocado.

Cage es Jack Campbell. Lo conocemos 13 años más joven, cuando está a punto de separarse de su novia Kate para hacer una pasantía en Inglaterra. Ella lo suplica que se quede, pues está convencida que su partida marcará el fin de su relación.

13 años más tarde, nos damos cuenta que Kate tenía razón. Campbell es un magnate de negocios, soltero y con un estilo de vida que no incluye esposa e hijos.

Toda su vida va sobre ruedas hasta que una víspera de navidad, y gracias a una intervención divina con la cara de Don Cheadle, Jack despierta en un universo paralelo donde está casado con Kate, tiene 2 hijos, vive en un suburbio de New Jersey y es líder de su equipo local de bowling.

Incrédulo, desesperado y mortificado, Jack hace lo posible por volver a su antigua vida, mientras descubre el valor y riqueza que conlleva el tener amigos, una esposa comprensiva y niños adorables.

Es en este apartado donde Hombre de Familia consigue su gancho, explotando los sentimientos y lazos emocionales que se derivan de una familia casi perfecta. Cage entrega una actuación respetable que es opacada por Tea Leoni, cuya frescura y pasión traspasa la pantalla.

Un desenlace que deja mucho que desear se convierte finalmente en el handicap de Hombre de Familia. Es una película ligera, con un mensaje positivo y las mejores intenciones, pero pudo ser mucho más.

A GREAT MOVIE that all should see!
We often look back on our lives, no matter what age, and wonder how things would have turned out different. What if I hadn't ran that stop sign?What if I joined the Marine Corps instead of working for my uncle?What if I had been raised in a rural setting instead of the city?The family man takes the scenario of how one man see's how his life could have ended up had he made a different decision so many years before.It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will, if anything, make you realize how more important family is than money.Hope you like it as much as I did.

In this romantic comedy, Nicolas Cage plays Jack Campbell, a workaholic bachelor who gets to see what his life might have been like had he stayed with his old sweetheart, Kate (Tea Leoni). Thirteen years before, Jack accepted a brokerage internship that marred his relationship with Kate, under the promise that they would only be separated one year. But much later, Jack has become an urban Wall Street exec with no wife or family of his own, and a mysterious proxy (Don Cheadle) offers him the opportunity to step into the life he left behind. After falling asleep in his posh New York apartment, Jack awakens to find himself in bed with his now-wife Kate, daughter Annie (Makenzie Vega), and a new baby, none of which he has ever experienced in his fast-paced single life. After discovering his "real" life has been eliminated, he begrudgingly tries to fit in with his newly appointed life as a family man.

Pleasant Enough Diversion for Television or Cable
Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage) is the President of a large brokerage firm in New York. He has a fantastic office, a great apartment, an expensive car and a closet full of expensive suits. His life is the job. He is leading his company through the final stages of a huge merger when a co-worker laments about working late. It is Christmas Eve after all. Jack explains that they can all celebrate Christmas on the 26th, after the deal closes and they are looking at '10 zeroes'. On his way home, he stops in a store and prevents a hold up. Cash (Don Cheadle), the potential thief,is actually an angel sent to Earth to give Jack a glimpse of what his life could've been. Before you know it, Jack wakes up in bed with his wife, Kate (Tea Leoni), in Teaneck, New Jersey. Kate was his college sweetheart, but they broke up soon after Jack took an internship in London. The two kids and slobbering dog bound in and wake them up. It's Christmas, daddy! Jack freaks out and drives to New York and finds out that he no longer exists. He returns to the burbs and tries to acclimate to his new life.

"The Family Man", directed by Brett Rattner ("Rush Hour") is a film that I did not rush out to see. Last summer, I watched a terrific Australian film called "Me Myself I" starring Rachel Griffiths. It explores exactly the same territory. If I didn't know better, I would say that "The Family Man" is a remake, but the Australian film was not credited as a source.

"The Family Man" is also very similar to the classic "It's A Wonderful Life". Both films explore the lives of men that are interested in change and both men get to see what their lives would be like if they were changed. There is a key difference and this difference is why "The Family Man" ultimately does not work. In "It's A Wonderful Life", James Stewart's character does not fulfill his dreams, but he actually likes his life. When things get very bad, all of the sacrifices he has made throughout his life come crashing down and make him resentful. He gets to see what his life would be like if he had never been born. In "The Family Man", Jack Campbell is very successful and seems to enjoy his life immensely. His old girlfriend calls, which prompts about a moment of misgiving. Then he is back to business. The glimpse of his alternate life is forced upon him. He soon comes to accept it, but he never really wanted it and it takes him a long time to realize that he was missing anything. "It's A Wonderful Life" is about a man's glimpse of a life that he doesn't really want. He is given the glimpse because he has helped a lot of people and his misgivings are misplaced. "The Family Man" is about a selfish man that really isn't interested in changing. His alternate life is forced upon him, beating him over the head until he accepts it. This is supposed to make us feel warm and fuzzy, but it only made me annoyed.

The best thing about "The Family Man" is actually the family woman. Tea' Leoni plays Kate, Jack's girlfriend/ wife. She is simply great. I believed she was married, made a few sacrifices and now really enjoys her life, with this man, with her two children. She is a wife I would like to have. Funny, sexy, loving, sarcastic, demanding. This is also the first major role for Tea'. Yes, I know she was the star of "Deep Impact", but she acted against a rock. In "The Family Man', well, she acts against a rock.

No, that isn't fair. Nicholas Cage actually does a pretty good job. But to make this film successful, and the perennial Christmas classic it wants so bad to be, Jack needed to have a little more doubt. As I said, he loves his life. Why is it necessary to show him an alternate? He isn't thinking about suicide, he isn't unhappy, he isn't destitute. The journey becomes meaningless because the main character does not want the journey.

"The Family Man" is the perfect film to catch on video or on cable because it has some pleasant moments that might make you smile. It isn't worth a bargain matinee.
... Read more

Asin: B00005JCCC
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Bon Jovi - The Crush Tour
Average Customer Review:
DVD (19 December, 2000)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $22.46
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Pull out your Bics and get ready to flick. If ever there was a band made for massive rock shows, Bon Jovi is the one--and this is the video to prove it. So the veteran band lacks the sheer charisma of fellow Jerseyite Bruce Springsteen, or certain other distinctive qualities--U2's impassioned social conscience, say, or REM's self-conscious weirdness--of others who made it big in the '80s. Bon Jovi is, by objective definition, a journeyman band. But that's not a bad thing. They specialize in the kind of hook-heavy, unpretentious anthems ideally suited for stadium crowds, and that's exactly what they deliver to the 50,000 fans packed into a Zurich, Switzerland, venue on their 2000 European tour, who pump their fists, wave their arms, and sing along from beginning to end, undeterred by the steady rain that falls throughout the show.

It's a safe bet that no one who was there went home disappointed, and neither will the Bon Jovi fans who pick up this great-sounding, well-directed DVD. Singer Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, and company hit the ground running, opening with two of their catchiest hits, "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name," before rolling through seven tunes from 2000's Crush, their first album in five years, and a host of other Bon Jovi ballads and rockers. And if the 20 songs from the two-hour concert all start to sound the same after a while, you can always switch to the host of DVD bonus features, including a 30-minute "on tour" documentary, a photo gallery, a complete discography (including solo albums), and two song videos. A splendid time is guaranteed for all, more or less. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Features

• Color

Reviews (41)

best band in the world concert
This dvd concert was just great i mean all the classics were on here only thing i would of like to have seen the song "always" on the dvd. But here u are with the best band in the world with a live concert and if your a bon jovi fan u will love it even if your not u gotta say there incredable. So if you haven't seen them live in concert which you should this is the closest you wiil get and you will see why there the best band in the world and have sold 100 million album in counting.

Good songs but bad sound recording and terrible video.
No question about songs. But sound recording is a big problem, it sounds terrible on a good system. Video is not real DVD video from professional camcorders. It is from letter box feature of a low end camcorder which meams they simply cut top and bottom to make a DVD and it looks terrible too. 5 star for songs and ZERO star for AV.

Bon Jovi rockin' worldwide !!!!!!!!
My brother Pablo gave me this DVD on my birthday last year. I never was fan of "Bon Jovi", I was always a "KISS" fan. But I thought maybe I should give these guys a chance. I gave 'em, I ended up loving 'em. These guys are really talented. I like their music. You should buy this one. It's a great DVD from BON JOVI:


1.- "Intro".- Nothin' special about the intro.

2.- "Livin' On A Prayer".- Now here is where the concert really starts. I think this song is perfect for an intro and I also think this is one of their best songs they wrote.- 10/10.

3.- "You Give Love A Bad Name".- Another one of their best songs. I like the chorus.- 10/10.

4.- "Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars".- Another masterpiece from this band. I love this one. Has a great guitar intro.- 10/10.

5.- "Say It Isn't So".- I think this one is one of my favorite songs EVER. I love this one.- 10/10.

6.- "One Wild Night".- Even another classic song from these guys. This one is a wild one.- 10/10.

7.- "Born To Be My Baby".- I like it. But not as much as "Say It Isn't so" or "One Wild Night".- 8/10.

8.- "It My Life".- The very first song I heard from this band. A perfect first impression.- 10/10.

9.- "Bed of Roses".- Great. Fantastic. One of my all-time favorite's. Very romantic.- 10/10.

10.- "Two Story Town".- Good. I like it.- 9/10.

11.- "Just Older".- One of my favorite's from this band. I like it as much as "You Give Love A Bad Name".- 10/10.

12.- "Runaway".- Super. I loved it.- 10/10.

13.- "Lay Your Hands On Me".- Another classic song from BON JOVI. I love this one.- 9/10.

14.- "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead".- One of my favorite rock and roll songs.- 10/10.

15.- "Bad Medicine".- Another classic from BON JOVI and one of my all-time favorite's.- 10/10.

16.- "Wanted Dead Or Alive".- One of my favorite's. I love acoustic songs.- 10/10.

17.- "I'll Be There For You".- I like this one too. Another acoustic act.- 10/10.

18.- "Next 100 Years".- Another classic.- 10/10.

19.- "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night".- Another acoustic act. I always enjoy this song.- 10/10.

20.- "Keep The Faith".- A great outro for an explosive concert. I like this one too.- 9/10.

21.- "Credits (Background Music: "Thank You For loving Me").- I gotta be honest. I think the song "Thank You For Loving Me" is the best from BON JOVI. I wanted to be a live song they play on this concert. But at least it is on the concert.


There you go. I suggest you buy it now. If you are planning to buy from amazon.com, I suggest you buy it now for there are only 1 left in stock.


BON JOVI RULES!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Asin: B000053ZRR
Subjects:  1. Music Video - Pop/Rock   

Baby It's You
Director: John Sayles
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (24 April, 2001)
list price: $9.95 -- our price: $9.45
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

John Sayles's third feature film was the exception that proved the rule about his need for total independence as a filmmaker. Sayles traded his final cut for studio funding, and the result was a movie that left him unhappy in its ultimate form. Nevertheless, Baby, It's You is full of dramatic elements and character nuances that are distinctively Saylesian (the director's screenplay is adapted from a novel by Amy Robinson), and the early-1960s New Jersey setting is clearly familiar territory for the Garden State's native son. Rosanna Arquette stars as Jill, a sweet, college-bound Jewish girl who develops an unlikely relationship with a macho Italian kid named "Sheik" Capodilupo (Vincent Spano). Sheik woos Jill, a girl from the good side of the tracks, with a certain determination, and while Sayles goes down this familiar path with a certain nostalgic glow, he has a larger story brewing beyond it--a story about relationships that never gel, about class assumptions, and about the painful, universal underpinnings of adolescence. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

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Reviews (8)

Perfect
A perfect story about idealizing the days that you thought you couldn't wait to get away from.Classic Sayles.Great music, classic Motown and some Springsteen.Painful, funny, real and true.An all-time favorite.

Undiscovered Gem
This is one of John Sayles's earliest works that slipped by
most people.It is set in the late 60's in New Jersey and
depicts a high school romance between an upper class brainy
beauty , Jill Rosen ( Roseanna Arquette ) and a lower class
greaser, the Sheik (Vincent Spano).It documents an unlikely
but plausible courtship and breakup.The performances are uniformly perceptive and it even has several Bruce
Springsteen tunes from before he became an American icon.
What struck me the most was the transition from the 1960's high schoolpreppy scene to the college hippie scene.It
is the best depiction of the late 1960's college life I have
ever seen.
After their breakup,Jill attends an elite northeastern
private woman's college and the Shiek travels to Miamito follow his show business dream and also wash dishes in a nightclub.Their attempted reunion at Jill's college is
sweet but poignant ; there is no future for themtogether.I would really
like to see their characters 20 years later.I would suspect
Jill was an unhappy, divorced attorney and the Sheik was
an unhappy union official with a fat Italian wife and five
kids.Sayles really captured that moment in young adult
life where you are totally unsure about everything.To me , the
film is the closest thing to Splendor in the Grass.Grab
it now on VHSas it is not available on DVD.

One of the best love stories ever made
The great film director John Sayles delivers with this magnificent film. Its release date is 1983 while the setting is essentially 1960s Trenton, New Jersey. Arquette tosses in one of the best acting performances you'll ever see and Spano more than holds his own in what is probably the best love story of the last twenty years. What makes this one work is the incredibly real dialogue along with the progression of time and setting. Unlike other similar films this one is special because it charts the relatively typical high school romance into the post high school work and college world. The smallest lines in the script are truly brilliant and filled with realism. The scene where Arquette meets an old classmate in a working class bar is priceless ("We used to be in gym class together"). Later her portrayal of drunken and stoned college reminiscing is also sensational.

Sayles sprinkles some timely 60s Motown and rock n roll into the scenes and also adds in some 70s Springsteen fare that help to give the film an authentic texture. He absolutely nails the scene in which they take a weekday trip to the deserted boardwalk. Also the argument in the dorm stairwell is brilliant in its simplicity and reality.

Baby It's You has sort of an independent film feel to it, which of course isn't unusual given that Sayles made his bones with excellent stuff like the Return of the Secaucus Seven and Matewan. Do not miss this one, it's definitely one of the best love stories ever. ... Read more

Asin: 6301415396
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

NHL Stanley Cup 2003
Average Customer Review:
DVD (01 July, 2003)
list price: $12.98 -- our price: $11.68
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned

Reviews (7)

Nice way to remember
Being a pretty big Devils fan, I was going to buy this even if the DVD was actually made from bubble gum, but the added bonus was the fact that the footage was pretty good.Basically Whoopie Goldberg takes you on a nice tour of the entire trip to the Stanley Cup Championships, starting with their loss in 2002 and ending with the game 7 win in 2003.The DVD doesn't really have a whole ton of extra features, but it does have enough to keep any die-hard fan happy enough until next time the boys raise the cup in glory.

Great all-round coverage
For someone who's living in a tropical climate a zillion miles (or so it seems) from anywhere an NHL game is played, this is an amazing DVD. I bought this for my sister's birthday, and it does not disappoint. ESPN Asia decided to ditch NHL for EPL (football/soccer) matches and we've been deprived of hockey for about 2 years, so we missed the 2002 - 2003 season completely.

I've not fully explored the whole DVD but have watched about 70% of it. There's quite a lot of content in it. If you're a Devil's fan, you must get this. I'm not but loved it all the same. Some highlights were the full 3rd period of Devils vs. Senators, walking around with Brodeur after the final game (that was funny and cute) and the interview with the players (interspersed with highlights of each match, in the run up to the finals). Out of the other 2 DVDs I ordered at the same time (NHL All-Access, NHL: Lord Stanley's Cup) this was the most enjoyable to watch, and had the most content.

Although I would definitely prefer watching each individual game live, I'll have to settle for this. I'll be getting the 2003 - 2004 season, whenever it comes out.

Good, but not as good as the 2000 one
I thought this was a great dvd, but nowhere near as good as the 2000 stanley cup video. They should have done a lot more with the regular season and with the Ottawa series. But overall, a great dvd with a lot of good extras. ... Read more

Asin: B00009X7LX
Sales Rank: 24056
Subjects:  1. Hockey   

Palookaville
Director: Alan Taylor
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (06 May, 1997)
list price: $98.98
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Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (8)

Even Mr Gallo can't save this movie
I'm a Gallo's fan. I expected a lot of this movie, the actors and de ratings was very good. But...believe me, don't waist money and time. The director didn't know what to do, the actors didn't know how to act. Incredible. Horrible. Boring.

LOVABLE LOSERS
A knobby but charming take on criminal wannabes, not the blood-ridden "Reservoir Dogs"variety but the kind who smear black Cherry polish on plastic Mattel guns from the corner store in hopes to pull off a bank robbery.

Which ends up as an occasionally drifty but generally charming caper, strewn with quirky half laughs and bittersweet observations about realities of modern life. Some isolated scenes fail to work, but overall Palookaville zooms along to a surprisingly chipper ending.

The DVD has some interesting interviews, esp when the director speaks of his inspirations (Italo Calvino of all people!) and the point behind the title (which harks back to Marlon Brando of yore).

A rewarding rental.

Top notch crime comedy
Although there's a tip of the hat in the end credits to Italian writer Italo Calvino, the entire first sequence of this great crime comedy was inspired by Mario Monicelli's 1958 film, Big Deal on Madonna Street (also the basis for another recent crime comedy, Welcome to Collinville, as well as the first part of Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks).

This is without question one of Vincent Gallo's best films; the director, Alan Taylor, along with writer David Epstein, manages to bring out the actor's smug half-know-it-all dopey cynicism that can't help but provoke chuckles, if not outright guffawing. William Forsythe is also really well cast as the great planner of the burglary trio--a loner whose girlfriend left him ten years earlier and who now finds solace in two dogs he lives with but never bathes.Adam Trese, the married one of the group, has a baby to feed as well as a loving wife whose boss is a bit too friendly.Frances McDormand is here in a relatively small part and does a good job, but it's really the threesome who make and move the film.

After a botched opening heist (a great sequence; the take-off on the Big Deal material here is perfect), the trio set about to rob an armored truck.Unfortunately, Gallo's brother-in-law is a big half-dumb cop who knows Gallo is up to no good so tails him whenever he can.None of the three guys is anything approaching well off--all of them need money pretty badly, in fact.

The poignancy this need evokes blended with the ingredients of desperation and not-really-thought-through planning is so gracefully done, so finely executed, it would be hard to find a better recent crime comedy.Welcome to Collinville is a worthy runner-up, but Palookaville takes the cake (check out the opening scene to see this idiom actually occur--literally!)

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Asin: 6304422342
Sales Rank: 45404
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy