Product Description
The Mayan Calendar is ending on December 21st 2012. What will happen between now and then? Are there other prophesies that also predict the closing of this world age and the start of a new beginning?. Join author/filmmaker Sharron Rose on an adventure into the future. In this feature documentary she travels across the United States speaking to the many experts on this fast approaching prophecy. They help her to reveal the secrets that will unfold before our eyes and shape our future. Featuring noted experts and best-selling authors Jose Arguelles, Gregg Braden, John Major Jenkins, Rick Levine, Terance McKenna, Geoff Stray, Moira Timms, Alberto Villoldo, Jay Weidner, the Inka Elders and more, this film shows us that the coming world is ours to reshape and remake in any way that we deem possible. Sharron Rose also travels to the Georgia Guidestones, Washington D.C., the Denver Airport and many other places to discover that there are numerous groups and secret societies who understand that this present age is ending and a new world is now just beginning. Discover the secrets of the Mayans, the Incans, the Alchemists, the Christians, the Masons and others of our ancient ancestors concerning the end of time and the promise of our destiny as human beings. To see the trailer for the film go to www.2012theodyssey.com.
Customer Reviews:
A quiet challenge to those with ears to hear.......2007-09-05
This DVD puts a quiet, philosophical spin on a subject that tends to invite controversy. We all have our own personal 'apocalypse' to face regardless of what happens in 2012. Watch this one more than once and let it speak to you on several levels. There's more to this one than meets the eye.
2012 The Odyssey.......2007-09-01
Very informative and lots of big hitters on the DVD (Alberto Villoldo, Jose Arguelles, etc.) explaining the background of 2012 and the meaning of the big date from a variety of cultural aspects. Narrator detracted from the substance of the tape, but overall EXCELLENT, VERY INFORMATIVE.
A Journey To Our Future Possibilities.......2007-08-25
The predictions surrounding the ominous date of December 21st, 2012 are plentiful and often a bit "freaky". This video is a delightful exception! We follow a personal journey of discovery across the USA as Sharron Rose gets in her car in the Northwest forests and ventures cross-country (and across time!) through beautiful scenery and amazing scenarios. Her travels are punctuated with discussions traversing mostly unfamiliar - and FASCINATING - facts and theories based on little known historical artifacts, ancient structures and writings of learned philosophers and religious adventurers. These well-respected scholars and writers enlighten us to The Mysteries that have been "hidden"...which means that they simply have not been included in our mediocre educational system which typically focuses on the generic and mundane. After my first viewing, I immediately watched it again as it was filled with so much new information, I wanted to take more time to both understand these amazing revelations and to let the beauty of the positive options for our collective future presented "sink in". The quality of the film was outstanding and I fell in love with our guide Sharron. Having viewed MANY dvds featuring 2012 possibilities, I say this one is by far the best, especially for those who are just discovering the 2012 "prophecies". If there was ONE dvd on the 2012 phenomena to watch/buy...this is it !
A Powerful Film.......2007-08-22
Wow this film had a lot of deep and important information. It is so packed full of insights into the immense changes that are taking place in our world that I have watched it a number of times. Each time it seems to offer new revelations in a very rich yet subtle way. Don't miss it, for it will take you to another level of awareness of the reasons behind the earth changes and chaotic social and political turmoil that seem to be increasing every day.
Not gonna happen.......2007-08-16
Nothing depicted on this DVD is actually going to happen. It is best viewed as a psychological study in mass delusion. The only deviation from my normal pursuit of happy, rational materialism I have planned for 2012 is to have lunch 366 times compared to my normal 365. That's due to a quirk of the Gregorian calender, not the Mayan.
Customer Reviews:
Vintage Rock and Roll .......2007-08-12
This is an absolute killer display of grass-roots rock and roll. The cats are better than ever. By the time you make it through the concert you will be spent. This is pure energy all the way through. This may be the best display of all to showcase Mr. Setzer's unmatched guitar virtuosity. Brian can play any style you want and play it better than anyone else. Lee rocker and Slim Jim are very entertaining. This is all about the music, and you can tell they love to play it. I can't really describe how good this is. If you like rockabilly, blues, boogie woogie or just plain old rock and roll you will not be dissapointed. If you want to watch a master guitarist at his best, get this dvd.
Best Stray Cats DVD ... Ever!.......2007-08-06
I have always been a Stray Cats fan since the first time I heard them in back the early 80's. When Brian Setzer went on to lead and record with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, I remained a fan but always missed the "Rockabilly on Steroids" sound of Brian, his 1959 Gretsch, and the rest of of the Stray Cats emsemble (Lee Rocker & Jim Phantom). This "reuinion" DVD covers all of their best Stray Cats hits, and what was so surprising was how incredibly tight they sounded afer all these years. I would even go as far as saying they sounded better than they did in the 80's! The bottom line is that if you want to see one of the best live Stray Cats shows, get this DVD and you won't be disappointed!
THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE!.......2007-03-26
This is easily in my Top 5 concert DVD's ever and I've only had it for about a month. This Stray Cats show is one of the most amazing live shows I've ever seen. It's right up there with the Dave Matthews Central Park show as one of my favorites. You won't be disappointed with this DVD. It's how a guitar, stand-up bass, and stand-up drumming are done correctly.
Cool cat.......2007-03-20
I am 59 been playing since I was 14
keepin up with the pros now it use to be the VENTURES
playing along with the best
Wake up call to guitar gods.......2006-08-16
Yes this dvd is everybit as good as the reviews say and i have lost count of how many times i have watched it.Where can you find a show that fits in a van and gives you that big a sound with 3 boys that play with more passion than that?After seeing this dvd it has reminded me how bad popular music has gotten.If you have young aspiring musicians in your family than you must buy this for them to see.This is a rock show!Featuring.....wait for it....PURE TALENT,no fancy lighting,no big video images on a screen,no pyro show,just hard work,dedication,passion and TALENT!Brian started learning guitar at the age of 8 and he was showed the world does not revolve around the power chord.This dvd is so good that at the age of 40 it has made me pick up the guitar and put some hard work and passion into mylife.If that rubs off on your children after giving them this than it could be the best money spent.I smile everytime i look in my rearview mirror and see my 7 year old singing "Mystery train kept a rollin".Maybe there is a future for music eh?? Enjoy!
Average customer rating:
- Stray Dog
- could any other 'missing gun' movie better than this one?
- This should be hackneyed by now
- To Make A Mends
- EARLY KUROSAWA: FORETELLS HIS CINEMATIC TALENT
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Stray Dog - Criterion Collection
Starring:
Toshirô Mifune ,
Takashi Shimura ,
Keiko Awaji ,
Eiko Miyoshi , and
Noriko Sengoku
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: B0001UZZSG
Release Date: 2004-05-25 |
Amazon.com essential video
A classic crime film steeped in the vivid environs of postwar Tokyo, Stray Dog is arguably Akira Kurosawa's finest film preceding the international success of Rashomon. A classic theme--the identification between criminal and crime fighter--is presented here in one of its earliest incarnations, as a promising young detective (Toshiro Mifune) struggles to retrieve his stolen pistol. The missing gun is used in a robbery and murder, and Mifune's superior (Ikiru's Takashi Shimura) is caught in the case's volatile crossfire. As the detective closes in on his lethal alter ego, his own moral compass spins out of control, into a psychological tempest that inspires Mifune to give one of his best early performances. Using real locations and a sense of sweltering heat rivaled only by Do the Right Thing, Kurosawa (who first wrote this film as an unpublished novel inspired by an actual incident) maintains an atmosphere of lurid urgency perfectly suited to this riveting film noir scenario. --Jeff Shannon
Description
A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami (Toshiro Mifune) when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo's sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal's lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami's own dark side. Stray Dog goes beyond a crime thriller, probing the squalid world of postwar Japan and the nature of the criminal mind. The disc also includes an audio commentary by scholar Stephen Prince, a booklet of essays, and a 32-minute documentary on the making of the film.
Customer Reviews:
Stray Dog.......2007-06-25
Landmark, atmospheric Japanese noir helped cement Kurosawa's reputation as a director to watch. Not only is "Dog" a satisfying thriller, it exposes the thin line between a vengeful cop and his base and desperate prey. Superb film also fascinates in capturing a scarred Tokyo in the wake of the Second War.
could any other 'missing gun' movie better than this one?.......2007-05-18
we saw the rare and young toshiro mifune in this 1949 movie as a sentimental, blood-boiling, headstrong, moronic, almost witless rookie detective lost his colt and felt so guilty when that gun later incurred robbery and homicide case after case. we could also saw akira kurosawa as a young director who had already done a great movie before 1950. of course, the screenplay was not perfect, still a little bit dragged sometimes, but never failed to get you unfocused.
whew....the summer heat in tokyo in the '40s was so dense and so humid that made new orlean look like a pretty cool place. this movie also made 'in the heat of the night' like taking a lukewarm water shower.
it also told that choosing to become a stray dog or not is absolutely by one's own choice. choosing to take drugs and becoming an addict is nothing but your own choice, don't blame your parents, your unhappy childhood or anything as an excuse for you to become a stray dog. same as to choose a bad dog to feed, then dealing with the consequences are decisions that nobody else could do but you.
This should be hackneyed by now.......2007-03-27
I've seen many of Kurosawa's films and I'd have to say that this one is my favorite. You might think you've seen every permutation of the detective story that compares the cop to the criminal but this movie is surprisingly fresh and engaging. Cultural differences and the setting of post-war Japan add a little extra to a typical Noir story arc. The familiar themes make this one of Kurosawa's most approachable films even while it holds and rewards your attention.
To Make A Mends.......2006-11-03
In the post WWII environment of Japan, the line between becoming a criminal and a cop was a very thin one. The prospect of upholding any myths or nationalistic fervor must have been slim for soldiers returning home, after a brutal war, one which ended in the most barbaric of ways, and effectively castrated and humiliated a proud and rigid culture. A lifetime of pride in your homeland could evaporate as quickly as a backpack being stolen...
In Stray Dog, master Kurosawa wastes no time in setting up the film's one story line, that of rookie detective Murakami, who on a sweltering and packed bus loses his gun. For the new detective, a former soldier, the transition between war and domestic soldiering proves the mettle of the film, and the depth of it's story comes in that difficult place. Unfamiliar with procedure, departments, as well as the in's-and-out's of Tokyo's underworld, the search for his strength, his pride, his manhood, etc., will define him, make him or break him.
With the dogged leadership of veteran cop Sato, Murakami's mentor in this pursuit, he recognizes the significance of his position, seeing himself and perhaps allowing for hope in a fractured society.
Toshiro Mifune, legend, is Murakami, frazzled, humiliated, frequently an emotive wreck. Though an early sequence in which he goes undercover as a soldier to search out black market guns-a long sequence that is completely without speaking-is beautiful and powerful in it's exposure of the seamy world of desperate people, "stray dogs" who suffer the dregs of a crowded uncomfortable world. Takashi Shimura is Sato, the other lead, and his presence is a strong, calming one, as the knowing cop, the rudder perhaps, to Murakami's windy sail.
An interesting deep cop film, it is very stylish, naturalistically made and acted, though it's print is visibly aged, it's shadows seem to be less sharp than a noir, allowing for the light to get in.
EARLY KUROSAWA: FORETELLS HIS CINEMATIC TALENT .......2006-08-15
This early Akira Kurosawa film is outstanding. What captivated me about this early Kurosawa film was the way in which he allows us to see post-war Japan. It is truly remarkable that we are seeing the streets that just a few years before were being laid to waste by massive bombings.
The character played by Toshiro Mifune is also a great glimpse into what will become one of the greatest actors ever to come out of Japan. And there is the presence of my favorite Japanese actor, Takashi Shimura.
And with Shimura guiding the young Mifune through the maze of police work, and suggestions on how to proceed with his obsession in finding his missing, stolen handgun: we see a wonderful study in character development in this early Kurosawa classic.
Criterion did a wonderful transfer with this film. This is a truly great classic. Just looking at post-war Japan itself is a cinematic masterpiece. Highly recommended.
Product Description
Tagalog with English subtitles. Stray Cats is an imaginative parody concerning adult romance and day to day relationships, set in modern day Philippines. Boyet (Ricky Davao) is a gay man living next door to his best friend and confidant Martha (Irma Adlawan), a straight woman dealing with a long term relationship that is seemingly going nowhere. The story depicts how these two hopelessly romantic best friends negotiate for fair and equal treatment from their lovers, and how they both eventually liberate themselves from their respective romantic traps. While Boyet deals with his elusive and sometimes "straight" boyfriend Dom (Lauren Novero), Martha is frustrated with her long term romance with the handsome and elusive Steve (Reggie Curley). Add Boyet's live-in "son" JoJo (Alchris Galura) to the scenario, and the drama never stops!
Customer Reviews:
A Rough Little Gem in Need of Polish.......2007-08-28
STRAY CATS (PUSANG GALA) is a an odd but in the end endearing mixture of cinematic styles, soap opera drama, tender little comedy, and hefty measures of relationship philosophy: perhaps this is the Filipino brand of magical realism. Based on a play by Jun Lana and adapted for the screen by Rody Vera and writer/director Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, the movie boasts a fine little cast and it is the cast's commitment to the project that sets the film sailing.
Boyet (Ricky Davao), a mother-like gay man who takes in stray cats (including the human form), lives in an apartment complex: his next door neighbor is Martha (Irma Adlawan), a successful business woman whose evenings are usually spent alone pining for her often absentee boyfriend of five years, Steve (Reggie Curley). Martha and Boyet are close friends, to the point that Boyet's writing career is focused on the love tangles of Martha as well as his own absentee lover situation with the manipulative Dom (Lauren Novero). Boyet has a live-in 'son', JoJo (Alcris Galura), a lad whose street life as an abandoned boy has stuck the heart of the mothering Boyet. The story bounces between Boyet's and Martha's fantasies about their boyfriends' commitment problems, and while each of the two character's love lives are well defined (both straight and gay and in between!), the method of the story telling makes dissecting fact from fantasy a bit of a challenge. The ending of the film contains a twist that will surprise audiences who expect a light fluffy comedy.
The film takes place in the Philippines and is in a mixture of Tagalog and English. While the story has some holes and problems, the cast is energetic and committed and the result is a fairly entertaining, if somewhat rough, little diversion. Grady Harp, August 07
Amazon.com
This backwoods thriller starts slow but builds to a taut and harrowing conclusion. Guinevere Turner (Go Fish, American Psycho) stars as Darla, the mother of two boys by her boozing husband Myers (Bill Sage, Simple Men, High Art). One boy is bookish and fervently religious, the other reckless and wild. When Darla finally resolves to leave their mountain shack and return to South Carolina, Myers comes home determined to keep them there--only to find that his sister Jolene (Dot-Marie Jones) may not be on his side. Stray Dogs is a lean movie, taking place mostly in the shack and the surrounding yard, but the characters are so fully realized and their relationships are so multifaceted that the movie will hold you through sheer narrative craft. The performances are solid all around, with Sage in particular giving the movie a genuine jolt of menace. --Bret Fetzer
Product Description
Each year, almost 5 million dogs end up in animal shelters - but not every dog is safe to place with a family. What if a shelter dog shows aggression, or is a known biter - should he be adopted out? For two years filmmaker Cynthia Wade was given unprecedented access to Rondout Valley Kennels and its controversial owner Sue Sternberg, and the result is an award-winning film about ethics in a morally ambiguous world. "What makes one want to keep watching is Ms. Sternberg's unflinching willingness to confront the problem of unwanted dogs, and the unflinching eye of Cynthia Wade, the film's director." The New York Times "A film well worth seeing... audience members will leave the theater with a renewed appreciation for these four-legged beings who give us so much, and with feelings of awe at shelter workers' commitment and ability to manage agonizing challenges every day." Marin Independent Journal "Astonishing... a stirring, emotional, irresistible portrait... unforgettable. One of the Ten Best Documentaries of 2003" The Boston Phoenix "A forceful message that every dog's life is a miracle." Orlando Weekly "Poignant and heartwarming" The Dallas Morning News "Powerful and provocative" BARK Magazine "Engrossing" TV Guide
Customer Reviews:
Don't Agree.......2007-07-13
This is a good documentatry movie about dogs in shelters and what they have to go through and the people they have to deal with. I strongly disagree with Sue Sternbergs behavioral evaluation methods and I think several of the dogs in this film did not deserve their lives taken away. This movie is a thought provoker and a tear jerker and anyone interested in dog welfare should watch it. You will be thinking about it for weeks to come and dying to discuss it with other animal lovers.
A Heart Wrenching Look Into Life At A Dog Shelter.......2007-06-27
My family and I volunteer at a shelter and absolutely love all animals and heard about this documentary and knew that we had to purchase it. This documentary was both heart wrenching and heart warming. Sue Sternburg shows so much compassion for her animals. Whether They are friendly or show signs of aggression she treats them all with the care and compassion that they deserve. She and her staff really due care and it is clear through the film that they do all they can for every animal that walks through their shelter doors. It makes viewers face the facts about life at a shelter from surrendering the animals who go from homes to cages and how some animals must meet an untimely demise. It is a amazing film which in my opinion all animal lovers and other should experience in their lifetime. Cynthia Wade did a truly amazing job.
Heartbreaking and strangely compelling.......2006-11-10
I've seen Shelter Dogs several times on HBO. Like others, I was originally in favor of "no kill," but this made me take a second look at the issue. Why should we torment animals for the rest of their natural lives because they were so badly handled that they became unsafe? It's cruel to condemn them to a long MISERABLE life, because of our mistakes.
I've always been a fan of QUALITY of life instead of Quantity. If an animal is miserable because of illness, it would selfish to keep them alive to make ME feel better. We should never let ourselves make an animal suffer because it is hard to make tough decisions. And there was NO doubt in my mind that the dogs in the "no kill" shelter were suffering terribly.
This documentary is also a very strong advertisement for neutering your animals. There would not be such an overload in today's shelters if people were responsible enough to prevent unwanted births. When these cute puppies get older, they become heartbreakingly difficult to adopt out, and just become one more animal being sacrificed to our irresponsibility. The unwanted dogs who get euthanized at her shelter are really the lucky ones...they are not given a life sentence of misery.
Boxer Lover.......2006-02-10
I had seen this documentary playing on HBO and for a long time couldn't bring myself to watch it. I am barely able to go to the shelters now without crying or bringing home another animal. However, one night I decided to give Shelter Dogs a chance and am so glad I did. There were some scenes that really were hard for me to watch but I began to look at things a bit differently than I had before. I had been a supporter of the no-kill policy but after seeing how some of these animals have to live out their lives, I no longer think it is the answer. This film really touched my heart and I would recommend it to anyone who thinks they have already made up their mind on these issues.
dog's best friend.......2005-06-17
Filmmaker Cynthia Wade followed Sue Sternberg for two years as she worked in her Roundout Valley Kennels, in upstate N.Y., a shelter she had owned for eight years when this film was made, and runs with a small staff of dedicated workers and a shoestring budget.
The dogs that are surrendered, for reasons varying from behavior problems to lack of time on the part of the owners, are loved and tended to, and those who are unadoptable, usually because of habitual biting, are euthanized.
The shelter has a section of concrete kennels, and a limited number of little rooms, brightly painted and with pieces of dilapidated furniture, to make the dogs who are in for a long stay feel more "at home".
It is heartwarming to see the dogs that get good homes, but in certain shelters that we are shown in this film, there is the inhumanity of the long term "no kill" policy that is spreading in this country. There are dogs that are permanently traumatized, and spend their lives in a small concrete and chain link cell. As an "animal person", I am horrified by the cruelty of keeping the "hopeless cases" alive in their misery, and this documentary describes the situation well.
Sue Sternberg is a remarkable woman, as says that she must have been born with an "extra dog chromosome", having an intense affinity for canines since she was a small child. There are some wonderful old home films of her with assorted four-pawed friends, and she is seen at home, underneath a pile of her present fur family.
Excellent photography and editing makes this award winning documentary essential viewing for anyone interested in animal welfare, and it is also enhanced by a nice score by Simon Gentry and Mark Suozzo.
Total running time is 74 minutes.
Average customer rating:
- DEADLY DESERT
- Nothing to see here folks...
- Memorably funny movie
- Unpublicised Pulp Fiction
- One of best jokes ever...
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American Strays
Starring:
Scott Plank ,
Melora Walters ,
John Savage ,
Brion James , and
Joe Viterelli
Director:
Michael Covert (III)
Manufacturer: Ardustry Home Entertainment
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Little Miss Sunshine
ASIN: B00004ZBHA
Release Date: 2004-10-19 |
Customer Reviews:
DEADLY DESERT.......2005-04-01
AMERICAN STRAYS is a disjointed, sometimes frustrating movie, but it is outrageously funny at times, and the cast is superb. Sure, there are a lot of unanswered questions as to how these guys all end up in the same cafe; why and when did they do their respective crimes, etc., etc., and ultimately, why the suicide storyline is needed at all, since it doesn't tie in with the remaining storylines. But it has some unusual storylines, and as they all kind of mesh toward the end, we can see writer/director Michael Covert's assessment of violence and how easily it has become such a "normal" thing in our society. Luke Perry is the suicidal young man who hires the Exterminator (Flash Gordon's Sam Jones, still a strong force in this film) to help him commit suicide. Vaccum cleaner salesman John Savage (in one of his best performances) is scouring the desert looking for "lonely" people he can bump off under the pretense of selling his wares. He meets his match in the seductively flaky Jennifer Tilly (superb) as a lonely woman who bumps off traveling salesmen; James Russo and the late Joe Viterelli play a couple of hitmen who have a cop in their trunk and who argue about Viterelli's family lineage; Carol Kane plays the accented owner of the cafe who has little to do but as always does it well; Scott Plank and Melora Walters are bank robbers who are planning to get married since she is pregnant with his child; Anthony Lee and Vondo Sweet as two "bruthas" whose past we don't know a whole lot about, but it is Lee whose assessment of the Star Spangled Banner resonates in the final shootout; and finally, we have Eric Roberts and Toni Kalem as a married couple with two obnoxious children who are obviously moving to a new home since he has somehow lost his job and has no money. His attempts to feed his family are tragically noble and hilarious when the shootout begins.
AMERICAN STRAYS is not your average movie, but it kept me highly entertained and that's what I look for in any kind of movie.
Nothing to see here folks..........2004-09-23
Using elements from several other more popular films, American Strays brings together six different stories with the meeting room being a cafe in the desert. In one story we have Luke Perry as a man who cannot cope with his life and hires an "Exterminator" to help him end his existence. The second story is about two hit men who are driving through the desert. One is cut up really bad and is wearing band-aids, the other is an overweight gentlemen with stomach problems. They really don't have much plot other than they provide the ending with some more bodies. The third story is about two people who are driving through the desert. They have a moment in their car where you question their friendship. Nothing becomes of this moment, and eventually they make it to the cafe. The fourth story is about a vacuum salesman. For more than half the film, we follow the path of Dwayne, a salesman who is willing to try any pitch to try to get his vacuum sold. Interestingly played by John Savage, this is the best story of the film. He travels from door to door in the desert demonstrating to potential buyers the effectiveness of his vacuum at a "killer" price. The fifth story is about two lovers on the run from the law. Constantly in some sort of sexual embrace, these two have just robbed something, and are driving around and having sex whenever they want. The sixth and final story has to do with just a random family. Eric Roberts plays a man who is lost in the desert with his family in a minivan. All of these stories interweave together when they should all be going in separate directions.
What happened in 1996? This film made no sense at all. I felt like I began the film in the middle of the actual movie. There is no discussion at all, there is not even a hint, as to how all these characters happened to be in the same desert. All this film is meant to show is violence can happen to anybody.
While other are happy with comedic lines, I actually needed some pre-story to bring this film together. Literally, we jump right into the middle of the robber's story. We have no clue how he got the cash, or how long him and his lady friend have been together. We have no history of Roberts family. No clue what happened to him prior to entering the desert, or where they are headed to. All that we know is that they are as lost as I was in this film. What was the point of the train that Luke Perry kept seeing? Was it to symbolize that his life was about ready to arrive? How did the hit men get the cop in the back of their car, and why were they still carrying it? Who were the gangsta's and what was their part in this film?
QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS......I NEED ANSWERS ANSWERS ANSWERS!!!
There were some decent ideas in this film, but without building a story it is hard to develop these ideas. My feeling is that perhaps the director made this film, and found that he only had the budget to release the second half. If that was the case, here is my advise to the director...scrap the project...there is no reason to beat a dead horse. A self-conscious, contrived gallery of oddball characters are simply derived from parts of David Lynch, and the Coen brothers, with some sub-Tarantinoesque dialogue thrown in.
Unless you, as a viewer, enjoy picking out odd character actors, then I suggest slowly backing away from this film because "there is nothing to see here folks...."
Grade: * out of *****
Memorably funny movie.......2004-02-27
I thought this movie was hilarious. I love the guy w/ the dolls: "Hey girls, brought you a new little sister. She's a little different, let's try to get along." Of course, offbeat dark humor is my thing.
Unpublicised Pulp Fiction.......2003-01-24
I read the reviews on [this site] and was surprised they were mixed. "American Strays" is only for offbeat viewers who have experienced the wierd side of life along with David Lynch and Robert Rodriguez. Don't take it serious but as an everyday dry humor flick. The bungling frustration of Eric Roberts and pseudo naievity of Jennifer Tilly make this a GREAT film for those who take life very lightly. I liked it enough to make the purchase.
One of best jokes ever..........2002-04-06
The vacuum cleaner storyline in this movie is worth the watch (five star)-- the rest is filler (one star) for an over all great late night three star cult movie look-see. In the "weird people in the desert movie" category Jennifer Tilly deserved an Oscar for her performance. And with respect to the vacuum cleaner story don't doze off toward the end-- you'll miss one of the best cinematographic punchlines I've ever seen in a movie. If only Harry Dean Stanton, or Dennis Hopper had had roles then this movie would have been perfect. The violence is not for the weak of heart, or for kids.
Description
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter, the third in a series of five Stray Cat Rock films, stars hard-as-nails Meiko Kaji (Yakuza Burial, Female Convict Scorpion) as the leader of a gang of vicious teenage schoolgirls who get their kicks with gang fights, street muggings, and rock and roll. Directed by Japanese action master Yasuharu Hasebe whose violent style was an influence on Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter is a nonstop thrill ride of action and suspense, filmed in dazzling color.
Customer Reviews:
Meiko KAJI is great, unfortunately not this film.......2005-10-24
Meiko KAJI - wow! What an actress! While most western audiences are primarily familiar with her name because Quentin TARANTINO used two of her songs in his KILL BILL films, this great looking actress starred in the 1970ies in many top movies in her native Japan (best known are the two entries in the LADY SNOWBLOOD series and her outstanding FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION movies, two of which are available on US DVDs).
Alas, STRAY CAT ROCK: SEX HUNTER! is not the highlight the promotional blurb on the DVD cover wants us to believe.
KAJI is Mako, the leader of a gang of teenage girls. It goes without saying that she is cooler than cool in her broad rimmed black hat, and tough as nails to boot. The story starts with Mako and her friends mugging a middle aged guy they accuse of molesting one of them. Relaxing after the mugging and the subsequent shopping spree in their hang out bar (cue great music interlude with a girl band singing a cool 70ies easy listening song), a bickering among them leads to the requisite cat fight outside the club (here with flashlights and knives). Just as Mako's opponent has learned her lesson, we are introduced to the Eagles gang. They are a gang of male hooligans with Jeeps, led by a quiet and well read guy called the baron, who is rarely seen without a book (!). The Baron has a crush on Mako, but he appears to be impotent and suffers from a childhood trauma, as he had watched in horror the rape and murder of his sister at the hands of foreigners (presumeably US soldiers), causing a hatred of "half-breed" Japanese in his twisted mind. Mako meets Kazuma, a young (you guessed it: mixed-race) guy in search of his sister, who was adopted as a small child. Inevitably Mako and Kazuma fall in love. Meanwhile the Baron has declared war on all half-breeds, leading to all kind of troubles and mayhem carried out with molotov cocktails and rifles...
The problem with STRAY CAR ROCK: SEX HUNTER is in my view that it does not deliver what it promises. Sure, Meiko KAJI is great, as are the early 1970ies fashion styles and the soundtrack. Special credit must be given to the girl band THE GOLDEN HALFS, who perform several cool songs (the best of which is also played over the DVD main menue). Oh, and Meiko does some singing of her own.The film is also beautifully shot and presented here in its original aspect ratio of 2.35 :1 ("Nikkatsu-scope"). Unfortunately it is too little to save the film. The vast majority of 1970ies Japanese exploitation movies really deliver in the violence, sex and sleaze department and STRAY CAT ROCK: SEX HUNTER fails to do so. It is simply not violent and sexy enough.
Unfortunately the DVD does not provide too many extras. There is a filmography of director Yasuharu HASEBE (who also directed the first entry in the FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION series, a film vastly superior to this one), the STRAY CAT ROCK: SEX HUNTER trailer (which is rather good), a trailer for the ZATOICHI film series DVDs and liner notes. The liner notes offer only a plot synopsis, a brief introduction to the history of NIKKATSU film studio (who produced STRAY CAT ROCK) and some interesting asides on the GOLDEN HALFs, the girl group in the film.There is also a reproduction of the original poster artwork of the film.
All in all this DVD is surely not a waste of your time, although I would recommend a rental.
Customer Reviews:
Unique.......2004-05-25
These movies certainly won't appeal to everyone, but I personally found them refreshingly different, interesting and very enjoyable. Whether or not you will enjoy them depends not only on personal taste but also what you intend to get out of seeing movies. If you've dismissed movies such as David Lynch's "Eraserhead" or "Lost Highway" as 'arsty pretentious rubbish', these won't be the films for you. The directing draws attention to itself (especially in "Talking Head"), which means if you just want to be told a story, you're already missing the point. These can be seen as 'experiments' in movie-making, and the results are very interesting, provided you're into that sort of thing.
Understandably, some people may be interested in these movies because of the connection to the Oshii-written anime "Jin-Roh". Don't expect a similar film, or much relation to it. At first, these films seem to have little relation to each other, let alone other films. Don't expect action, either. There are occasional action scenes, though if that's why you're watching the film you're once again likely missing the point.
It occured to me that "The Red Spectacles" is, in a way, a parody of itself. Any event or aspect of the storyline that may have been slightly far fetched, silly, or seen as a mistake in a normal film, is made very deliberate, exaggerated and displayed in an over-the-top manner that is somewhat remeniscent of comedic anime.. yet it doesn't feel out of place. It seems to fit right into the world Oshii has created in the film.
"Stray Dog" is a mellow, aesthetically beautiful film, rich in color, which is a startling contrast to the schizofrenic "Red Spectacles", which was predominately in black and white, and generally far from mellow. If you're not a fan of slow movies, or are expecting some action, you'll likely look at the time an hour into the movie and be amazed that seemingly nothing's happened yet. This isn't actually the case, of course, and while the film may be less complex, and generally less active, than the other two in the series, it still has plenty of ideas to express. This is the film that probably has the most in common with Jin-Roh, but again, don't expect the same film.
"Talking Head" defies convention even more than "The Red Spectacles" did, and presents a story about filmmaking full of bizarre characters and events, and commentary on various aspects of the art. This should be fascinating viewing for appreciators of 'arty' cinema, not just for it's bold direction and quirkiness, but also for the ideas expressed about the medium of film (and more specifically, animation), and the creative process.
I've long appreciated Oshii's animated works (such as Patlabor 2, Ghost in the Shell and Jin-Roh), and was very interested to see his live action films. Between his anime films, these films, and the absolutely stunning "Avalon", Oshii has shown diversity and unique vision, and has more than earned a place among the giants of cinema.
Great work with some flaws.......2004-05-13
I loved these movies and the soundtrack that came with them. Mamoru Oshii is a genius but there were quite a few flaws that kept me unsatisfied. I wouldn't recommend these for everyone but only for those who like Oshii and anime. If you do it's a definate buy!
I'll be honest..........2004-02-17
These movies flat out suck. For one thing, the box art and movie trailers will show you that these movies are action packed (by showing constant gun fights, and armored soldiers running around), when in fact they are not. My main reason for buying this set was because I loved Jon-Roh, as well as Ghost in The Shell. So I figured a live action version would be awesome, but it's not. In Jon-Roh, there was quite a bit of action involving the awesome looking armors the soldiers wear. In the live action movies, you barely see this at all. At the start of the films you see a tiny bit of action, and then for almost an hour and a half later, it's nothing but slow pacing footage of people wondering what's going on.
In Red Spectacles, a former Kerberos soldier comes back to Japan to find his team mates he left behind, and goes to find out what's been going on ever since he left. He finds out what happens to his buddies, but the ending leaves you questioning if he did in fact find out anything at all. The Movie starts off in color, but the rest of it is in black and white, which gives the movie an odd look. Also, instead of being a serious film, the characters end up trying to be comical like in anime, but it's never funny because trying to do cartoon gags in live action never turn out right because live action films never get the timimg right.
In Stray Dogs, most of it is serious, but at times they will go off doing stupid gags that never work (again, because the timing is off). And just like Red Spectacles, we never see any action except towards the end. In Stray Dogs, a former Kerberos soldier is released from prison, and he leaves japan to search for his master. The pacing in this movie is too slow as well. Most of the movie is just wandering around, not really doing anything. When there's a small fight between these two characters, it's all in one angle, and one angle only. Not only can you see the kicks not even making contact (they just swing them over each other) but the actors reactions for being hit are way off. One guy kicks, delay, other guy finally reacts. Had they had quicker timing for this, and different angles and sound effects, it would have been better, but instead just looks cheesy.
I haven't even watched the third film yet. The soundtrack for Stray Dogs that came with this set is pretty good, but I'm afraid this may be the only good thing this set has to offer. My advice: don't buy this set at all. It's embarrassing
.
Average customer rating:
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Stray Cats (Pusang Gala)
Director:
Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil
Manufacturer: Ariztical Entertainm
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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ASIN: B000LV6OA8
Release Date: 2007-08-28 |
Customer Reviews:
A Parody.......2007-05-10
"Stray Cats" ("MGA Pusang Gala")
A Parody
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
The Philippines has been active lately supplying us with interesting films. The newest "Stray Cats" (Ariztical Entertainment) is a parody on adult relationships and romantic couplings. Two hopelessly romantic friends negotiate for fair and equal treatment by their relatives and eventually they are able to free themselves from the romantic traps they have fallen into.
The thesis of Ellen Marfil's film is the sharing of equity. The project of "Stray Cats" began as a laboratory play by Jun Lana and what evolved on the screen is a satire on adult romantic relationships. The movie is replete with eroticism and fantasies. "Stray Cats" tells two parallel stories both dealing with love. One concerns a middle-aged woman and a female advertising agent while the other is about her friend who shares her duplex home--a gay novelist. They three pine and lament their lovers to make a commitment in their relationships. None seem to be on the horizon so they decide to take matters into their own hands.
Major Filipino actors take part in the film--Ricky Davao, Irma Adlawan, Reggie Curley and Lauren Novero. Shot digitally the movie is not only pleasing to the eye and has a great deal to say about the meaning of love. Present day gender relations are looked at in which they have never been looked at before--with depth and they are treated quite seriously.
An extremely sexy film, "Stray Cats" looks as if it is the film to make a mark on the international cinema community. Well done and thoughtful, there is a lot to consider in this film.
A Parody.......2007-05-10
"Stray Cats" ("MGA Pusang Gala")
A Parody
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
The Philippines has been active lately supplying us with interesting films. The newest "Stray Cats" (Ariztical Entertainment) is a parody on adult relationships and romantic couplings. Two hopelessly romantic friends negotiate for fair and equal treatment by their relatives and eventually they are able to free themselves from the romantic traps they have fallen into.
The thesis of Ellen Marfil's film is the sharing of equity. The project of "Stray Cats" began as a laboratory play by Jun Lana and what evolved on the screen is a satire on adult romantic relationships. The movie is replete with eroticism and fantasies. "Stray Cats" tells two parallel stories both dealing with love. One concerns a middle-aged woman and a female advertising agent while the other is about her friend who shares her duplex home--a gay novelist. They three pine and lament their lovers to make a commitment in their relationships. None seem to be on the horizon so they decide to take matters into their own hands.
Major Filipino actors take part in the film--Ricky Davao, Irma Adlawan, Reggie Curley and Lauren Novero. Shot digitally the movie is not only pleasing to the eye and has a great deal to say about the meaning of love. Present day gender relations are looked at in which they have never been looked at before--with depth and they are treated quite seriously.
An extremely sexy film, "Stray Cats" looks as if it is the film to make a mark on the international cinema community. Well done and thoughtful, there is a lot to consider in this film.
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