The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Amazon.com

Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, this gripping drama by Ken Loach (Raining Stones) is set during the early days of the Irish Republican Army, when British occupation of the Irish radicalized many a citizen and caused some to take up arms. Cillian Murphy plays Damien, a medical student on his way to London when he witnesses a couple of atrocities committed by British troops. Instead of becoming a doctor, he turns into a leading and respected figure in an IRA division led by his brother, Teddy (Padraic Delaney). The film provides some fascinating historical insight into the nascent resistance movement as it was in 1920, and Loach brilliantly conveys the profound emotional transition young men had to make to become saboteurs and killers. Loach's realistic style is absolutely mesmerizing, with many scenes built around the dynamics of large groups: contentious meetings, torture sessions, battles, celebrations, and the like. One has the sense of history as a pool of energy, and one also develops a kind of Renoiresque appreciation for the fact that different people on opposing sides of a life-or-death issue have their reasons for believing what they believe. As the story moves along, subtle shifts in the perspectives of men and women who had once agreed to be absolute in their fight for freedom results in a tragic yet understandable schism among Irish patriots. The final half-hour of The Wind That Shakes the Barley says a lot about how the Irish, including people who had known one another all their lives, turned their wrath on one another for so many decades. This is an outstanding film, featuring the best performance yet by Murphy (Red Eye). --Tom Keogh

Description

Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his country, Damien (Cillian Murphy) abandons his burgeoning career as a doctor and joins his brother, Teddy in a dangerous and violent fight for freedom. As the Irish freedom fighters bold tactics bring the British to a breaking point, both sides finally agree to a treaty to end the bloodshed. But, despite the apparent victory, civil war erupts and families who fought side by side, find themselves pitted against one another, putting their loyalties to the ultimate test.

Customer Reviews:

Nebulous but Picturesque Look at Irish Struggle for Independence & Identity. .......2007-09-16

Director Ken Loach trains his signature "social realism" on the Republic of Ireland's turbulent formative years in "The Wind that Shakes the Barley", which follows the Irish War of Independence and subsequent Civil War in the early 1920s through the experiences of two brothers, Damien and Teddy. Damien (Cillian Murphy) is a medical student looking forward to completing his studies in London. Teddy (Padraic Delaney) is committed to the Irish Republican Army's fight for Ireland's independence from British rule. When a young friend is murdered by the brutal "Black and Tan" military police, Damien decides he must stay and fight. He joins Teddy in one of the IRA's flying column guerilla units, immersing himself in a very dirty war.

Barry Ackroyd's photography of the lovely Irish countryside makes a strong impression. The rest of the film is superficial in comparison. It doesn't delve into political complexities. The circumstances are what they are at any given moment, and characters react accordingly. But we never get to know the characters enough to understand their motives. Why does someone give up a comfortable life with a person he loves to oppose the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, when neither he nor his family are personally threatened by it? There must be a reason. These characters are distant and elusive. The script seems insufficient to support the implied gravity. But I think the greater fault lies in a directing style that continually creates separation between the viewer and the characters. "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" isn't a bad film, but it's inconsequential.

The DVD (IFC 2007): There is a theatrical trailer, a featurette about Ken Loach, and an audio commentary. "Carry On Ken: A Look at the Work of Director Ken Loach" (48 min) discusses Ken Loach's directing style, humor, character, and career through interviews with the director himself and many artists who have worked with him. The audio commentary is by Ken Loach and historical advisor Donal O'Driscoll. The commentary is not continuous and does not provide a background or great detail of the Irish-British conflict. But it does add some useful explanations, and Loach contributes his recollections about filming the movie. Subtitles are available for the film in English SDH and Spanish.

A Powerful movie.......2007-09-08

A story description has been written about this movie. I just wanted to add my 2 cents. This movie was recommended to me by an Irish lady while touring Scotland and Ireland. I have waited almost 2 years for it to show up here in the USA. A powerful and strong story of the fight for freedom in Ireland not unlike our own fight for freedom. The landscapes are beautiful and the characters ring true.

Disappointing but Admirable Effort.......2007-09-08

I looked forward to this film as I do to any that attempts to shed light on the struggle of the Irish for freedom from England. The movie is beautiful cinematically and the acting very convincing, although I did think Cillian Murphy somewhat miscast as Damien, the young doctor who is reluctantly converted to the IRA cause by the British brutality he witnesses. However, overall I found the movie disappointing for somewhat the same reasons as reviewer Pouliot. If the viewer does not have a pretty good background in Irish history, especially of the 1910-1922 years, he is likely to have difficulty understanding what is going on and why. The film is narrowed so sharply to one small group of guerilla fighters in Cork County that I don't know how an average viewer could put the action in perspective with the 1916 Easter rebellion, the nationwide struggle going on, the direction and control being exercised by IRA leaders in Dublin and the overall scope of the fight against the British. The biggest plus of this film, to my mind, and it is a very big plus, is that it shows graphically the kind of savagery being engaged in by the British soldiers (the "black and tans" who were sent in to support the regular British forces in Ireland) and the galvanizing effect it had on the Irish populace. It also shows the tragedy that befell Ireland when the independence movement came apart after the Treaty was signed and the die-hard Republicans refused to support the new Irish Free State, feeling that it was a sell-out to accept anything but complete freedom for the whole island. The movie does a good job of showing how the two sides could differ so drastically and still each have legitimate reasons for taking the stance they did. It also drives home how devastating the Civil War was in the final wrenching scenes of what devotion to their beliefs cost the two brothers. This was certainly a singularly Irish story, as another reviewer said, and it leaves you feeling very melancholy to realize what their independence ultimately brought the Irish, i.e., families torn apart forever, scars much deeper than any the British left and a shadow that hangs over the land even today. A haunting if not fully satisfying film.

4.5 Stars. One of the best films of 2007 showing us the high price of freedom........2007-09-07

The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a beautiful looking film made in Ireland by director Ken Loach. It took home the Palme D'Or in 2006 at the Cannes Film Festival and deservedly so.

Loach tells a sympathetic and political tale of war and the birth of the I.R.A through two brothers Damien played by Cillian Murphy who is solid in pretty much every film I have seen him in and Teddy played by Padraic Delaney who equals Murphy's performance with a great one of his own. Damien a med school graduate headed to a London hospital to further his training decides against it after witnessing one to many atrocities on his people at the hands of the British Black and Tan soldiers and joins a guerrilla squad of the Irish Republican Army headed by his brother Teddy to fight and prevent such atrocities.

Above everything I found this to be a political film and doesn't go into the brothers relationship in any detail although there are some powerful and painful moments between them that could bring tears to your eyes. Also there facial expressions and looks in there eyes say a lot which can be attributed to powerful performances and great acting all around.
Even a love interest between Damien and a strong willed Sinead is still a backdrop for there political cause which they share an equally strong if not greater love for, there real passion in this film is the cause they fight for.

A truce is declared but with of course many unacceptable terms as seen by Damien. And seen as a victory and a stepping stone to greater things as seen by Teddy, which inevitably divides the Irish against there own people and brother against brother.

I rented this film from Netflix but will now be purchasing, It is a good add to any film collection at a fair price and highly recommended, this is one of the best of 2007 I have seen so far.
Thanks for reading.

Brutal but honest and necessary.......2007-08-17

anyone who ever said 'gee why do the irish hate the english people so much?' ought to see this film. to those who lived it - some of my relatives - the thuggish behavior by the black and tans and other british soldiers turned loose to "teach the irish a lesson" is a disgrace that's yet to be appreciated over here. it's a stain on british history that the english government treated a proud and free people like this - but then, they did the same to every colony didn't they? american patriots who are proud of OUR revolution against england would do well to watch this and appreciate the irish version of the same thing

Average customer rating:

Must have!
One of the greatest latest.
God Bless Easy Company
Band of Brothers DVD collectors set
Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers
Starring: Damien Lewis , Ron Livingstone , Donnie Wahlberg , Frank John Hughes , and Neal McDonough
Director: David Frankel , and Tom Hanks
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006CXSS
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Amazon.com

An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elete rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties, and whose lives became legend.

DVD Features:
DVD ROM Features:Weblinks to the orignal Band of Brothers website and more!
Documentary:"We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company" - 80 minute documentary featuring interviews with the real men of Easy Company
Featurette:30-minute "The Making of Band of Brothers" The Premiere On The Beaches of Normandy - includes interviews with Easy Company vetrans and heads of state for the United States, Great Britian, France and Canada.
Interviews:Ron Livingston's Video Diaries - The experience of making "Band of Brothers" through the eyes of one actor.
Other:Interactive "Field Guide": An extensive reference feature that details the people, places and events associated with Easy Company's campaigns through Europe, and World War II as a whole, including sections such as: soldiers, timelines, maps, chain-of-command and glossary of terms.
Scene Access

Customer Reviews:

Must have!.......2007-09-14

This mini-series is a must have for anyone who enjoys war history. I have watched it through three times and still catch new details in each episode. The extras are very interesting and add a lot to the overall enjoyment of the DVD's.

One of the greatest latest........2007-08-28

Just what you would expect from Amazon... mine came with a little bend on the metallic case, but.. hey, it might have been a bullet.

God Bless Easy Company.......2007-08-27

"Band of Brothers" is an epic production. If you love America and all that we stand for(or stood for) you cannot possibly watch this without feeling like we have to find a better way to reward our veterans.

Although some characters may have been romanticised, the story depicts what history has already shown... that Easy Company accomplished an amazing feat that most could only dream of.

God bless the Easy Company

If you ever read a book ever again please make it, "The Biggest Brother: The life of Major Dick Winters".... you'll thank me!!!

.Biggest Brother : The Life of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led the Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers DVD collectors set.......2007-08-24

The movie/series itself is absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend it. The problem is the packaging. The DVD's must roll around a little during shipping. The first set we got was scratched. We did not see the scratch until after opening and trying to play it. Amazon was very nice and efficient and replaced with a new one ASAP. The second one came with the tin dented and a DVD scratched. We fixed the box ourselves and this DVD did play ok so we just kept it. If the collectors tin was packaged better I would rate it a 5. This is not the fault of Amazon. It it the fault of the manufacturer. It needs to be packaged better.

Band of Brothers.......2007-08-23

A well written, well acted piece of history. Really enjoyed it and will watch it again and again.

Average customer rating:

"Out of Africa": The Movie, the Book, the Feminist
Wonderful movie
A classic!
The Best Movie Ever Made!!
Delight in "Out of Africa"

Out of Africa
Starring: Meryl Streep , Robert Redford , Klaus Maria Brandauer , Michael Kitchen , and Malick Bowens
Director: Sydney Pollack
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0783240171
Release Date: 2000-02-29

Amazon.com essential video

Sydney Pollack's 1985 multiple-Oscar winner is a sumptuous and emotionally satisfying film about the life of Danish writer Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), better known as Isak Dinesen, who travels to Kenya to be with her German husband (Klaus Maria Brandauer) but falls for an English adventurer (Robert Redford). The film is slow in developing the relationship, but it is rich in beautiful images of Africa and in the romantic tone surrounding Blixen's gradual discovery of her life and voice. One downside: while we may all love Redford, he is as convincingly British as Kevin Costner is in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. --Tom Keogh

Description

The most acclaimed motion picture of 1985 stars Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in one of the screen's great epic romances. Directed by Oscar winner Sydney Pollack, Out of Africa is the fascinating true story of Karen Blixen, a strong-willed woman who, with her philandering husband (Klaus Maria Brandauer), runs a coffee plantation in Kenya, circa 1914. To her astonishment, she soon discovers herself falling in love with the land, its people and a mysterious white hunter (Redford). The masterfully crafted, breathtakingly produced story of love and loss earned Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay (based on material from another medium), Cinematography, Original Score, Art Direction (Set Decoration) and Sound.

Customer Reviews:

"Out of Africa": The Movie, the Book, the Feminist.......2007-09-11

The book, "Out of Africa," is a memoir of the Danish Baroness Karen Blixen's habitation near Nairobi in Kenya from 1914 to 1931 on a fertile 6000-acre coffee plantation, "at the foot of the Ngong Hills" (1992: 3). Blixen writes under the pen-name Isak Dinesen. Karen Blixen went to British East Africa (in a location in present-day, Kenya) to join her German husband (Baron Bror Blixen), and upon separation she stayed in Kenya to manage the farm by herself. The extent of her adventures in Africa, and to what extent she is a feminist is borne out by the book, as well as the film "Out of Africa," that is based on the book. This piece will examine such, as well as comparisons between the book and the film.

Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) presents geographical detail, oftentimes comparisons and contrasts within this fertile land of the Kikuyu people that would several decades later be the crux of the Mau-Mau rebellion over whites' displacement and dispossession of natives from their land. Dinesen also compares features with those of her native Europe. Dinesen writes of the equatorial habitat, "Everything that you saw made for greatness and freedom, and unequaled nobility...Up in this high air you breathed easily, drawing in a vital assurance and lightness of heart: Here I am where I ought to be" (1992: 4). Dinesen writes of "heavy-scented lilies," of "long-rains," "ever-changing clouds," of "hills from the farm [that} changed their character many times in the course of the day, and sometimes looked quite close and at times very far away" (1992: 4). Dinesen, in precise and elegant language displays love and fascination for the geography, the clean air, the animals, the beauty of this African environment; she becomes possessed by the place.The movie captures the large, picturesque, mysterious, and varied eastern equatorial Africa where the eland, the buffalo, and the rhino are quite common sights; the movie impressively and unanimously earned, Oscar, "Best Picture of the Year."

In the end Dinesen is forced to give up her plantation, this scenario elicits a heartache and sadness. Dinesen's memoirs, years after she had left Africa could be a reflection of her nostalgic dealing with her loss of the farm as well as overall experiences in Africa. Dinesen stands out as a courageous and strong woman, one who is in the feminist direction. She lost her philandering husband, but stayed on bravely, for nearly 20 years in a foreign harsh environment, one with languages and cultures far-fetched from her own. Dinesen worked well at being appreciative of an environment that was new to her, during an era of colonialism in Africa, a time when Darwinian relegation of black Africans to the lowest of human species and elevation of whites to the upper rung was very strong. Dinesen cuts through the female traditional roles, she tries flying in planes, the goes on safari, she learns how to shoot and even shoots and kills game. She is open and welcomes countless visitors from all over the world to her home and farm. This was an age of exploration and acquisition of "Dark Africa," by Europeans and Asians. Dinesen is quite aware of her feminine strength. She rescues and adopts a wounded antelope she names Lulu; Lulu becomes a celebrity on the farm; Dinesen searches, discovers and celebrates the feminist strength in Lulu: "But Lulu was not really gentle, she had the so-called devil in her. She had, to the highest degree, the feminine trait of appearing to be exclusively on the defensive, concentrating on guarding the integrity of her being, when she was really, with the force in her, bent upon and defensive" (1992: 74). Also, "Lulu of the woods was a superior, independent being...she was in possession. If I had happened to have known a young princess in exile, and while she was still a pretender to the throne, and had met her again in her full queenly estate after she had come into her rights, our meeting would have had the same character" (1992: 78).

The book displays that Karen Blixen exemplified the Europeans with the upper hand in colonial world conquest and politics. It is to be recalled that the three weapons used by Europeans to subjugate Africans were the gun, the Bible, and the anthropologist. Karen used guns to protect herself. Catholic (mostly Belgian and French), Protestant (mostly British), and Muslim (mostly Arabic) agencies vied for power in Africa. The Germans were in present-day neighboring Tanzania (German East Africa) to the south. They would be ousted during this significant, "Scramble for Africa." The book illustrates how Karen Blixen took great interest in which religious group the young natives (some of whom served her) adhered to. Many native followers, taught to kneel and pray to an invisible white Almighty god, became converted to the political/ religious groups, as they became dispossessed of their land resources. The anthropology aspect, as mentioned, involved relegation of black Africans to the lowest rungs of evolutionary mankind...the white was relegated as the superior, the master, the savior, the benevolent, the genius. The movie is great at casting Meryl Streep as the beautiful, rosy-cheeked clean, statuesque woman amidst muddy, black African paradise! The real Karen Blixen likely had more rugged looks and likely often got "down-and-dirty," than is depicted in the movie. An equatorial Africa of long and heavy rainy seasons, of continuous tropical sun, and of limited running water would not leave the Danish heroine so clean and collected.

It is to be recalled that Dinesen is writing from an overly European point of view, hence, negative criticism of her will not be short. Her attitude to black Africans is racist and condescending. In the movie, Denys Finch-Hatton (Robert Redford) rebukes her for instructing native porters to get off her belongings by "shooing," them off!. Finch-Hatton, in shock, remarks to her, "Shoo?" as if telling her, "I do not believe you addressed these people that way!" Finch-Hatton (who became Dinesen's lover) knows the native languages (Kiswahili and Kikuyu), and goes on to communicate her instructions to the porters. Black Africans are prevalently depicted in the movie as poverty-stricken servants, laborers and porters, as helpless people close to animal nature. In tune with the movie, here Dinesen writes, "They were poor people, small and underfed; they looked like a pair of badgers on my lawn...I could hardly distinguish them against the grass. They were sank in deep grief; their bereavement and their economic loss melted into one overwhelming distress" (1992: 108). Dinesen is surprised that the, "Natives," are strikingly open, adapting, welcoming and unprejudiced. Yet, as prevalent in the colonial fashion, she does not attribute this to the inner traditions and workings of indigenous African society, but from influence from foreigners including slavers! "The lack of prejudice in the Natives is a striking thing, for you expect to find dark taboos in the primitive people. It is due...to their acquaintance with a variety of races and tribes, and to the lively human intercourse that was brought upon East Africa, first by the old traders of ivory and slaves...and...by the settlers and big-game hunters" (1992: 54).

Dinesen wishes the natives would understand and appreciate her more. It is always presumptuous to be confident of having fully understood a foreign culture and people; she does not seem to believe she is prejudiced and why the natives to a good extent regard her as a foreigner far different from them, and difficult to comprehend. She writes, "If I know a song of Africa,---I thought,---of the Giraffe, and the African new moon lying on her back, of the ploughs in the field, and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me?" (1992: 83). At the same time, Dinesen quite often acknowledges that newcomers from Africa are from a noisy and rushed world, they do not have the patience and connectedness of native Africans. European colonialists imposed on the natives an alien system of forced dispossession and displacement and of monopoly. So much of this colonial intrusion was quite new to the prevalently communalist and family-oriented, egalitarian way of native African subsistence.

Karen Blixen's marriage starts out as more of a convenience than of romance. She left Denmark to marry the German Baron Bror Blixen (Klaus Maria Brandauer) and start a dairy in Kenya. Bror is actually the brother of her lover. Karen is offering her fortune for companionship and adventure (and for the title of, "Baroness") much more than for enjoying the security of a man. So, from the outset, Karen's feminist inclinations are strong. The husband changes his mind about the diary, and instead invests her money in a risky venture of growing coffee. The husband is unfaithful, philandering, gives her syphilis that will disable her from having children; the marriage breaks up. Karen is left to manage the farm, she has to battle with floods and fire. Hardly anything of British big game hunter Denys Finch-Hatton's romance with Dinesen (Karen Blixen), is mentioned in the book; the movie likely borrows from other sources depicting the life of Karen Blixen. Unfortunately the English accent of Denys Finch-Hatton is not conveyed by Redford, compared to Karen's excellent outflow of a Scandinavian accent. Yet, the movie depicts their chemistry, Denys is impressed by her strength and independence, Karen's ability to tell and weave stories, they kiss, and in one scene have sex. Karen does seem to desire long-term companionship and commitment from Denys, desire for a man who will sacrifice to be with her. She stands against having a man like Denys who wants to be "free-wheeling," one who will come and go depending on need and desire, he loves the African outdoors. Finch-Hatton is mysterious, elusive and emotionally distant, but he is miscast in that in the movie: he seems to represent an all-American jock that waywardly found his way into Africa. Karen was wounded before, and this encounter with Denys is only a brief moment of ecstasy, but she bravely soldiers on, appreciating more of what is around her. Karen is indeed confident, stoic and creative in face of the odds. She did resist going on safari with Denys, but she eventually succumbed to his quite undeniable invitation. Eventually, they got closer, she broadened her horizons, she better adapted to and better accepted foreigners and their ways.

In conclusion, the movie emphasizes the romantic issues and episodes in Karen Blixen's life in Africa (romance and sex sells in Hollywood), much more than the book does. The book seems to be constructed from a breadth of notes of what Blixen put together while in Africa, and weaved them into a good fairy tale. The truth is that Blixen dealt with aspects like fluctuating coffee prices, sometimes drought and heavy rains, discontented dispossessed natives, scrambles for Africa amongst several European agencies, African diseases and sometimes unsanitary conditions, wildlife from untamed neighborhoods. The movie does display the exquisite beauty of tropical Africa which Blixen did dwell on, but not on the colonial wranglings. There is lyrical beauty in Blixen's writing, and the movie does elicit an African peaceful mood through the excellent music. Blixen, in both the movie and the book is a strong and opinionated woman, yet flexible and open to ideas, people, and adventure. She is a significant precursor of modern-day feminism.

Wonderful movie.......2007-09-04

I didn't see this movie when it came out in 1985 - but I wish I had !
Fantastic scenery (shot in Kenya) and a terrific performance by Streep, Brandauer and Michael Kitchens.
This was based on a true story about author Isak Dinesen (not certain about that spelling; her pen name was Karen Blixen. Or maybe its the other way around).
It helps to know a bit about the story beforehand; and also something about colonial Africa. Otherwise it may not hold your interest (especially younger adults).
Biggest drawback is Redford's character Denis Finch-Hatton. Finch-Hatton was and Englishman but Redford makes no attempt at a British accent. Redford has the right rugged good looks but the accent messes up the character.
I highly recommend this film.

A classic!.......2007-08-28

One of the all-time best movies!...gorgeous sound track, gorgeous scenery..beautiful story beautifully narrated..top cast. I own it and view it repeatedly.

The Best Movie Ever Made!!.......2007-07-30

So Often when I ask people if they've seen this movie, they say no. I'm shocked at that, as it is, for sure, the best movie ever made. In its day it won 7 Academy Awards! First of all the acting, the scenery, and music are superb. But the story, based on the true adventures of an amazing lady will touch you forever. For Ladies, if you've ever been a woman seeking idealistic love or a woman trying to being successful in your professional efforts, you will relate to Karen, her life, her joys and her frustrations. For men, you will relate to that need men have to keep their safe distance from matters of the heart and to go out and be adventurers. Also, it may help you understand the complexities of women. I warn you both though, this movie will give you a yearning to visit Africa. I recommend you watch the director comments and especially the music comments, then go back and watch it again and again. I recently had the pleasure of meeting director Sydney Pollack and told him i've seen it about 22 times, he told me that was a record!

Delight in "Out of Africa".......2007-07-23

I wanted to update my movie collection by buying a DVD to replace my VHS tape of "Out of Africa." The quality is much better and nicer to watch. In addition, there are "extra features" on the DVD that were added and are interesting to see. For example, Meryl Streep talks about making the movie. Fascinating stuff. What an elegant movie with gorgeous photography and an amazing story of interesting people living in interesting times.

Average customer rating:

Underworld

Underworld (Unrated) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Kate Beckinsale , Erwin Leder , Bill Nighy , Michael Sheen , and Scott Speedman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000TGJ80I
Release Date: 2007-09-25

Product Description

In the Underworld, Vampires are a secret clan of modern aristocratic sophisticates whose mortal enemies are the Lycans (werewolves), a shrewd gang of street thugs who prowl the city's underbelly. Noone knows the origin of their bitter blood feud, but the balance of power between them turns even bloodier when a beautiful young Vampire warrior and a newly-turned Lycan with a mysterious past fall in love. Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman star in this modern-day, action-packed tale of ruthless intrigue and forbidden passion all set against the dazzling backdrop of a timeless, Gothic metropolis.

Customer Reviews:

Underworld.......2007-08-07

Region 1 only??? BOOO! region free plz... what about us antipodians?
seen the regular dvd, ( 4 stars) liked the theme

Average customer rating:

What junk and lies
A disturbing tale
sickening
You'll Want To Take Action After Seeing This Film
Could have taken it much further

Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
Starring: Bill Peterson , Shane Ratliff , James Logsdon , Bud Conyers , and Edward Sanchez (III)
Director: Robert Greenwald
Manufacturer: Brave New Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000HWXOT0
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Description

Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers is the story of what happens to everyday Americans when corporations go to war.

Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Outfoxed, and Uncovered) takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq for Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so.

Customer Reviews:

What junk and lies.......2007-09-17

I bought this product with the hopes of an honest documentary but instead received a very and highly biased DVD of junk.

I am a veteran of both Vietnam and the first Gulf War. I am also a former military contracting officer, scout sniper, Green Beret, and Test Pilot.

First this docujoke slams privatization but never mentions that Bill Clinton cut the Army from 730,000 to 530,000 his first year in office and just before I retired to 430,000. Now do you really expect with most of those cuts coming from support and logistics that civilian contractors wouldn't be used? Please don't be naive. The coverage of this shortage of skills has to come from somewhere.

Second this National Guard Sergeant speaking about being forced to use KBR for laundry from his chain of command shows just how clueless this individual is of contacting. What exactly where the contract requirements concerning this issue? How nice it was this was left out even though it is available on the Internet!

Third the long lines of troops at chow at the same predictable times. Well excuse me! What were the terms of the contract, where were the military officers to correct this, and exactly how many deaths/injuries did this cause? Again not mentioned.

Fourth how about the Democrats that control Congress approving LOGCAP IV for 10 Years....Duh? Now who is talking out both sides of their mouth?

Fifth the female general grade office responsible for Abu Ghraib prison. Well general from a retired Army Officer where it the Hades were you at? Are you or are you not a general grade officer responsible for the conduct of both military and civilian personnel under your command? Blaming a civilian contractor is a disgrace on you. You expect me to believe that a Staff Sgt (E-6) and lesser enlisted personnel did this all by themselves without your knowledge or the knowledge of any other military officer? Perhaps in Disneyland but that insults Mickey Mouse.

Sixth Senator Dodd keep referring to Madam President. Since when did the current speaker of the house become the president? The Speaker is referred to as Madam Speaker. Perhaps Senator Dodd has another agenda not addressed in this DVD.

Seventh $100,000 tax free. Bull Manure. It is only $85,000 IF you meet very specific criteria from the IRS. Didn't the producers even check this data available for free from the IRS website? What piss poor research and outright bigotry from the makers of this film.

Eighth Soldiers on Guard Duty...Duh can I please have a dime for every damn time I was on guard duty as an enlisted man!!! Grow up you babies.

Not once during the film was a single reference given as to a source of information. There was not a list of material cited anywhere on the DVD. One has to go to the web site to find any cites and the cites are to material from 2002 - 2003 which I suspect is four years before the film was made but no date of production is even given on the case the DVD comes in!!!!!

All in all a gross rip off in itself. It seems the producers are in the profiteering business themselves. Shame on you to damn someone for what you did to me and other buyers of your DVD.

Steven Grigsby
CW3 US Army Retired.
Marine Scout Sniper - Vietnam Veteran
Army Special Forces - Gulf War I Veteran
AH-1/AH-64 Attack Helicopter Pilot

A disturbing tale.......2007-09-09

The video presents the privatization of support in Iraq in a very disturbing light. If accurate, it raises the question "Why isn't our House/Senate doing MORE about it?" "Why isn't the cry across the land to strip Halliburton and others mentioned of all contracts due to dishonesty?"

The general silence level relative to this film disturbs me most. They present a compelling arguement against Halliburton Corp. et. al., supposedly gave the subjects of the film 31 opportunities to comment and refute it, they didn't respond and then NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED.

Why then, haven't the Democrats grabbed hold and used this against the Republicans, and the Bush administration? ARE THEY ALL GETTING BENEFITS FROM HALLIBURTON'S GREED, or IS THIS JUST A MYTH that plays well on the screen? I still don't know...

sickening.......2007-09-06

it's disgusting what contractors and our government is doing in iraq. i tivo'ed this on cable and it took me two weeks to watch it because i was getting so pissed. take this in small doses. you might break something.

You'll Want To Take Action After Seeing This Film.......2007-09-01

A friend of mine recently communicated the need to watch this new documentary by Robert Greenwald entitled Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers. If you've ever been curious on where our tax dollars are going, and why the cost is so dramatically high to fund the war in Iraq, then you need to see this film. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Did you know that our tax dollars are going to large corporations such as Halliburton, KBR (a subsidiary of Halliburton), CACI, and Titan? The reason for this is to outsource jobs to contractors in Iraq to handle many of the daily tasks that our military men and women can handle at a fraction of the cost. Many of these contractors are employed as military intelligence officials such as interrogators and interpreters for the United States that may have no patriotic tie to our country! And many of these contractors lack the skills necessary to fulfill their job duties. Not only have lobbyists helped solidify multi-million dollar deals with the government for these large corporate entities, but they do so at the cost of civilian lives.

These corporations are sending unprotected contractors out into a war zone where many stay. One example of many is how Halliburton sent a group of truckers towards Baghdad to deliver supplies to U.S. troops. They encountered what appeared to be a deadly ambush where some of the men were killed. The atrocity here is that some of the trucks were empty so that Halliburton could overcharge the government on deliveries that didn't exist. And all of this at the cost of human lives in exchange for corporate greed and back door deals with our administration.

After watching this documentary, you may wonder why the situation in Iraq remains stagnant, and why there are so many billions of dollars poured into Iraq. The administration is using U.S. tax dollars to fund their contract agreements. This makes both elected officials and the corporations they work with very rich while draining the life from our own economy, and raising the deficit to unprecedented levels. For a little perspective, we borrow approximately three billion dollars a day from China and other foreign countries just to stay above water.

I've been in numerous conversations with friends and family regarding government corruption, corporate greed, and the lobbying that occurs behind closed doors. I'll often get angry and say, "Most Americans blindly follow like sheep. They believe whatever they're told by the media or government. Why don't they open their eyes?" But then I thought for a moment about the action I've taken. I haven't taken any action. I've complained about others, but sit around doing nothing. I'm more guilty then Americans that lack the truth to take action. But just as an outraged Peter Finch yelled in Network, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" It's time to get the word out there. It's time to start questioning the government, educating people about the truth, and demanding that our government and the corporations that they protect take accountability for their actions.

I think every political party has good and bad ideas, but it's important to remain a skeptic when it involves politics. Don't simply believe everything you're told--especially if told by a member of your own party affiliation, because you'll have to overcome your own subjectivity. Research the truth, question our elected officials, and demand change. You may sit comfortably in your home with a nicely cut lawn, but that could change. And looking back 15 or 20 years from now, you may wonder why you sat back and let things crumble without so much as raising your voice.

What you read above were the exact words that I communicated to every last person I know in a formal email. I essentially copied and pasted it here as a review to demonstrate the sheer power that this film holds, and the actions that you'll likely take as a result of viewing it. It pushes you into action, because by doing nothing, you'll feel an extreme amount of guilt.

I think that sums up my thoughts on Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers.

Could have taken it much further.......2007-08-23

All anyone needs to know in regards to War is that it is truly a racket, through and through. The purposes of War are, 1) To make money, either from the sales of arms (to both sides), the grabbing of the regions resources (usually oil, but also gold, minerals, and fresh water), the grabbing of liquid wealth (emptying of bank accounts, safety deposit boxes, peoples homes, museums); 2) To further global agendas that always involve reducing freedoms, spirituality, family dynamics and the global population, while increasing fear, hopelessness, and servility; 3) To feed the global drug trade (by eliminating or controlling competition) and the human slavery / sex-rings / pedophilia movement by very literally grabbing countless women and children (both girls and boys) off the streets and battlefields and quickly exporting them.

These are the reasons for War; look no further, or believe in no "boogey-men", or good guy / bad guy scenario, or weapons of mass destruction, or "defense" of a people scenario, or any other pathetic reason. This DVD certainly delves into the greed and corruption of one particular war, but does not care to connect the dots regarding the universal reasons for ALL wars. Yes, Iraq is about making money (for the controllers who financed the whole thing, as well as contractors and various government branches - notice how the Pentagon "misplaces" at least 4 billion USD targeted for rebuilding Iraq and Rumsfeld just shrugs and smiles), grabbing and controlling oil (and some gold), attempting to keep the US dollar as the main currency of the oil markets, proclaiming Muslims as the latest "boogey-men", re-discovering and controlling ancient technology based in Babylon just North of Baghdad, setting up a permanent and very strategic military base to control and dominate the entire region, testing a variety of new high tech weapons (some of which use depleted Uranium intentionally, and others that use particle beams and microwave radiation), controlling and dominating the Middle East drug trade, and grabbing as many Iraqi women and children as possible for the global skin trade. The U.N. is a major help in this last endeavor, by the way.

The current Iraq debacle is also perfect to deplete the American military, turn the World against Americans, and drive the USA into a real obvious bankruptcy (although the USA Corporation has been legally bankrupt for a long time - since the 1930s) which will create another set of pre-determined circumstances and situations which the controlling elite will again profit from. And the cycle continues...

All wars follow very similar patterns and are created by the same skiff of humanity (banking families I mean, not just individuals), with only small detail / agenda differences, and different actors of course. And I literally mean actors; if you think that was the real Saddam they grabbed out of that hole, or for that matter, the real Hilter and Eva Braun found burned outside the bunker in 1945, then you have accepted the fairy tales from your boob tube in their entirety. This DVD might be a good starting point to WAKE PEOPLE UP so they can discover the truth for themselves and I recommend it for that reason mainly. John Pilger's war documentaries are often much harder hitting and come closer to connecting the above mentioned dots.

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

I didn't Laugh Once.
Peter Sellers at his best!!
funny story but bad timing
Sellers at his best!
Better Each Time I See It

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition)
Starring: Peter Sellers , George C. Scott , Sterling Hayden , Keenan Wynn , and Slim Pickens
Director: Stanley Kubrick , and David Naylor
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000055Y0X
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Amazon.com essential video

Arguably the greatest black comedy ever made, Stanley Kubrick's cold-war classic is the ultimate satire of the nuclear age. Dr. Strangelove is a perfect spoof of political and military insanity, beginning when General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), a maniacal warrior obsessed with "the purity of precious bodily fluids," mounts his singular campaign against Communism by ordering a squadron of B-52 bombers to attack the Soviet Union. The Soviets counter the threat with a so- called "Doomsday Device," and the world hangs in the balance while the U.S. president (Peter Sellers) engages in hilarious hot-line negotiations with his Soviet counterpart. Sellers also plays a British military attaché and the mad bomb-maker Dr. Strangelove; George C. Scott is outrageously frantic as General Buck Turgidson, whose presidential advice consists mainly of panic and statistics about "acceptable losses." With dialogue ("You can't fight here! This is the war room!") and images (Slim Pickens's character riding the bomb to oblivion) that have become a part of our cultural vocabulary, Kubrick's film regularly appears on critics' lists of the all-time best. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

I didn't Laugh Once........2007-09-09

I asked for a bunch of comedies from the 60s & somehow this war satire landed in the pile. At least it was't one of those lame 50's propoganda films & had a somewhat interesting twist; this time an introverted American biggot nutcase is the bad guy, with his own president against him at every step, & Russua is the innocent victim. I couldn't get through more than 1/2 of it.

Peter Sellers at his best!!.......2007-09-01

I have been used to Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies but this 1964 movie is WONDERFUL! One movie..three different roles. Dr. Strangelove has stood the test of time since its release. If memory serves me correct this movie was originally to be released in late 1963 but was delayed due to the assassination of President Kennedy. George C.Scott did a superb job in his role. The scene in which the President (Peter Sellers) calling his Russian counterpart was hilarious. Worth watching again!!

funny story but bad timing.......2007-08-28

The first time that I saw this film, I thought it was the funniest.
but now, in this current time frame, it was sad, knowing that a war was
going on and our men were being killed for no good reason.

Sellers at his best!.......2007-08-23

For years I have heard about this movie, and I finally bought it at a time when I had the opportunity to watch it. Wonderful!! Sellers is a comic genius, and the subtly of the laughs is the great thing in Dr. Strangelove.

Better Each Time I See It.......2007-08-22

I have to admit that when I first saw this, it didn't actually make me stop worrying and love the bomb. However, almost everything about it is just perfect- from the gun battle in front of the Air Force's "Peace is our profession" sign to the Russian ambassador taking secret photos in the warroom after the end of the world to Dr. Strangelove's miraculous cure (when my 15 year old daughter recovered from her stroke, I had her rise from her wheelchair and say, "Mein Fuhrer, I can valk!"). Highly recommended as one of the greatest, if grimmest, comedies ever.

Average customer rating:

Go Coast Guard!!
demi-god of the ocean
The Guardian 2006
Coast Guard Recruiting Film
Three and half stars for this rough gem

The Guardian
Starring: Kevin Costner , Ashton Kutcher , Sela Ward , Melissa Sagemiller , and Clancy Brown
Director: Andrew Davis
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
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ASIN: B000KF0GWW
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Amazon.com

The Guardian offers satisfying entertainment with a no-nonsense combination of Hollywood formula and good old-fashioned star power. While honoring the men and women who serve as rescue swimmers for the U.S. Coast Guard, this predictable yet appealing drama is a well-crafted showcase for Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, who bring welcome depth and dimension to their formulaic roles. It's basically Top Gun for the Coast Guard, with Costner playing a legendary rescuer haunted by recent tragedy and the impending break-up of his marriage, and Kutcher as the hot-shot recruit whose bravado is tested when Costner takes over a grueling 18-week basic training course, where a 50% attrition rate ensures that only the best will make the grade. There's nothing particularly inventive about Ron L. Brinkerhoff's screenplay, but it's intelligently written and well-directed (by The Fugitive helmer Andrew Davis) as it shows how seasoned veteran and troubled but talented trainee build mutual respect while sorting through the trauma of accidents that left each of them as sole survivors, tormented by self-doubt and guilt.

Bolstered by a strong supporting cast including Neal McDonough, John Heard, Sela Ward and Clancy Brown, The Guardian is a bit on the long side (137 minutes), but it never feels slow, and a romantic subplot (with Kutcher wooing a schoolteacher played by Melissa Sagemiller) blends nicely with thrilling ocean-rescue sequences incorporating a seamless blend of CGI and footage shot in a 750,000-gallon water tank. Music fans will welcome the scene-stealing appearance of veteran singer Bonnie Bramlett as the owner of a jazz/blues club near the training base, where The Guardian serves up yet another staple of its genre: the barroom brawl. Although Hurricane Katrina prevented The Guardian from being filmed in New Orleans in 2005, real-life footage during the closing credits makes it clear that the Coast Guard was essential in Katrina's aftermath, and this rousing drama pays overdue tribute to those who risk there lives (to quote the Coast Guard's motto) "so that others may live." --Jeff Shannon

Description

Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher star in THE GUARDIAN, the powerful, action-packed drama that takes you inside the never-before-seen world of the elite Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. Reeling with grief in the wake of a mission gone tragically wrong, legendary Rescue Swimmer Ben Randall (Costner) is given a mission he doesn't want — training raw recruits. Once there, he knocks heads with cocky Jake Fischer (Kutcher), a swimming champ driven by a painful secret, who's more interested in breaking Ben's records than saving lives. But Ben also sees Jake has what it takes to be the best of the best. Filled with spectacular rescues in the lethal waters of the Bering Sea, THE GUARDIAN is a riveting and compelling story that dives straight into the heart and soul of real heroes, the unsung guardians of the sea.

Customer Reviews:

Go Coast Guard!!.......2007-09-16

When I reviewed "The Perfect Storm" I had commented that I thought the whole story of the fishing ship going down was a big bore-fest but the best parts where the parts with the Coast Guard rescuing people from the sea. I had wished that they had made a Coast Guard movie with a focus on people like that. This IS the movie I was wishing for.

I delayed my viewing of this mostly because I've never been an Ashton Kutcher fan and most of what Kevin Costner is more miss than hit so I was afraid that the Coast Guard may have been belittled by Hollywood's magic touch. But I'm glad to report that there was none of this. A little Navy bashing, which I thought this movie could have gone without, but it really does show the greatness of the Coast Guard and the sacrifices of those who serve "So Others Might Live."

This movie seemed to have a little bit of it all. Decent acting, good story, a lot of action, a little romance, a boat-full of heart, and the right timing of humor. I should warn you on the action, there is a bit so this movie may not be for the feint of heart, but it was nice that the gore-factor was kept to a minimum (some blood and some throwing up).

demi-god of the ocean.......2007-09-16

Kevin is the old veteran, battered and bruised from all his work rescuing people from the sometimes deadly ocean. Ashton is a newbie trying to be the best that he can be. Needless to say, the old and the new clash. Kevin shows its not who you save, but remembering the ones that didn't make it back home. A good movie and a present day mythic tale.

The Guardian 2006.......2007-08-28

" Stirring And Exilarating ! If you're Looking For Pure Screen Exicitement , Look No Further " Kevin Costner (1955-) and Aston Kutcher (1978- ) star in THE GUARDIAN , the powerful action-packed drama that takes you inside the never-before-seen world of the elite Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers Team . Reeling with grief in the wake of mission gone tragically wrong , legendary Rescue Swimmer Ben Randall (Costner) Is given a mission he doen's want - Training raw recruits . Once there , he knocks heads with cocky Jake Fisher (Kutcher) , a swimming champ driven by a painful secret , who's more interested in breaking Ben's records than saving lives . But Ben also sees Jake has that it takes to be the best of the best . Filled with spetacular rescues in the lethal water of the Bering Sea , THE GUARDIAN is a riveting and compelling story taht dives straight into the heart and soul of real heroes , the unsung guardians of the sea . One of Kevin Costners very best for years and a superb action movie . Highly Recommended

Coast Guard Recruiting Film.......2007-08-21

The Guardian (DVD)

The Guardian, starring Kevin Costner is about a senior chief petty officer who suffers some psychological trauma on a rescue operation and is ordered to transfer to the U. S. Coast Guard's Air-Sea Rescue Training School.

The majority of the movie is taken up with pretty standard "Boot Camp" stuff with Costner riding this one trainee pretty hard.

All in all a pretty fair movie. Possibly the best that Costner has done since Dances With Wolves.

Definitely recommended for U.S. Coast Guard fans and for people who like to go out in the ocean in small boats.

Gunner August 2007

Three and half stars for this rough gem.......2007-08-06

Part Backdraft, part Top Gun and part Officer And A Gentlemen, The Guardian shamelessly borrows from other movies of similar genres but still manages to be entertaining. It's intentions are nothing but good and it's delivery is solid if not predictable.

In it's defense, The Guardian weaves an entertaining tale of a young hot shot Coast Guard candidate who enrolls in the AST (Advanced Swim Training) division of the armed service. This is the course that determines if you have what it takes to be a Rescue Swimmer, the `Iron-men/women' who jump out of the helicopter to pull people out of the rough seas. The attrition rate is 50%, so we know we will see people drop like flies. Enter Ben Randall (Kevin Costner), an aging but still highly effective and decorated Rescue swimmer who wants nothing to do with a desk job. But his stubbornness is destroying his marriage, and his body. After an unavoidable tragedy, he is ordered to teach a class at the Kodiak AST Training academy. Here Ben encounters Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher), a young aggressive candidate who states he there `to exceed his every expectation'. Randall likes to call him `Goldfish' (equal to Maverick, Mayo and Probie in the movies mentioned above). As the movie goes on we get some of the same stuff; Fischer is more focused on himself and not the group. He has motives that are unclear. But the resolutions are not completely predictable. There is no hard headedness about Fisher, he's willing to do whatever Randall tells him to pass the class. In the process, we are treated to seeing Randall's unorthodox training methods; surviving in a huge tube of ice water. Treading water for a straight hour with no fins. Making Jake break all the speed records to show that no one cares if he does.

The one love story sub-plot is totally predictable; Fischer falls for a local girl (Melissa Sagemiller) who wears her heart on her sleeve saying, `In 18 weeks there will be another crop of you guys coming through here...', hmm, sounds familiar. The love story between Randall and his wife (Sela Ward) is there to invoke many tears in female viewers. This isn't to say that these sub plots aren't necessary, they have value. And maybe their predictability lies in the fact that they happen in real life. I'm sure we can all think of people we know who's work has affected their marriage or met someone while in training. I would think so. So they add some heart and soul to the movie.

The performances are all solid. Costner is slowly working his way back from Waterworld hell (took long enough) and re-building his resume with good performances in good (not great) movies. Will he ever get to `No Way Out/Bull Durham/Field of Dreams' status? Who knows. But he seems happy making his recent films and no one can judge him for that. Kutcher has some serious shiny moments in this movie. He shows potential for great stardom and depending on his next few projects, he could get there. His efforts in this movie are impressive (he actually got in shape to pass all the physical requirements and swimming speeds to be a Rescue Swimmer), and actually shows depth and convincing change in his character as the movie moves on.

All in all, the movie stands up to and pays tribute to those who live by the code of `So others may live'. The technical accuracy is very good and I think many Coast Guard recruits will say that this movie is respectful in honoring the job they do.

Average customer rating:

Is This the Best That Jesus Can Do?
All True Christians should see this one!
A perfect Stranger & Another Perfect Stranger
Christian Education
AWSOME MOVIE HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED

The Perfect Stranger
Starring: Jefferson Moore , Dennis Martin , Pamela Brumley , Tom Luce , and Stella Davis
Director: Jefferson Moore , and Shane Sooter
Manufacturer: Kelly's Filmworks
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000EHPXP6
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Description

The movie version of the bestselling novel, "Dinner With a Perfect Stranger" by David Gregory. Capturing the book's wit, intimacy and desire to enlighten almost line for line, "THE PERFECT STRANGER" is a thought-provoking tale of one woman's journey through the realms of doubt and disbelief - with the most unforgettable man she would ever meet.

Customer Reviews:

Is This the Best That Jesus Can Do?.......2007-09-14

I've noticed the large group of five star reviews for this film and, included among them are exuberant comments about the lack of doctrinal teaching in the film and how excited some were to find that this movie inspired them to see that truth is not about religion. Does that bother you? It should.

It is personally disheartening to me that so many people think this movie, and others like it, is so useful for evangelism when it leaves so many doubtful reviewers confirmed in their unbelief and even some Christians reviewers ashamed. Are you listening to them? Do they or what they say matter to you when they explain that they find this Jesus laughably (or sadly) simplistic? How many who say they loved this film have really had a serious conversation with an unbelieving lawyer? Did you find them to be the pushover this film suggests?

Do we really think we'll reach the lost or that they will trust us when we portray them in a way that insults their intelligence? Only a person who has very little experience witnessing to intelligent unbelievers could find this movie inspiring.

All True Christians should see this one!.......2007-09-13

My husband called me in when it was on one of the channels on TV. We loved it and I had to buy it and I lend it to dear friends that share my love of Christ! It is the message and meat of this movie that is sure to move you. It is one of those movies that makes you want to be a better person and just love.

A perfect Stranger & Another Perfect Stranger.......2007-09-04

These 2 movies are definitely 2 must sees. I rate them Xlnt, for anyone. Buy them and let your friends see them, it surely could not hurt anything, but only do good.

Christian Education.......2007-08-27

Excellent!

If you don't wear them out first, why not donate both DVDs to your local church library? (The Perfect Stranger and Another Perfect Stranger.) What better way to share your blessings, than with this exceptional Mother/Daughter series.

The young adult version shares the typical and sometimes sudden rebellion to the acceptance of Mom and Dad's religion.

AWSOME MOVIE HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED.......2007-08-20

THIS IS A VERY GOOD MOVIE I HAVE SENT MANY COPIES TO FRIENDS AND PEOPLE I LOVE AND CARE ABOUT. IT HELPS GIVE A PERSPECTIVE OF JESUS THAT PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE YET IS VERY TRUE.... LOVE COMPASSION CARING EXCELLENT

Average customer rating:

Not Like the Comic Strip
Enjoyable but slightly uneven
Great great movie!
Funny, funny, funny!!!!!
My kids watched this...

Over the Hedge (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Bruce Willis , Garry Shandling , Steve Carell , Wanda Sykes , and William Shatner
Director: Tim Johnson , and Karey Kirkpatrick
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
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ASIN: B000H7JCK0
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Amazon.com

The manicured lawns and overstuffed garbage cans of suburbia become a buffet for woodland creatures in Over the Hedge. A self-centered raccoon named RJ (voiced by Bruce Willis, Die Hard) steals and accidentally destroys the hoard of an angry bear (Nick Nolte, 48 Hours), who gives the raccoon a week to replace it. RJ despairs--until he meets an odd gang of foragers, ranging from a turtle named Verne (Garry Shandling, The Larry Sanders Show), a father/daughter duo of opossums (the bizarre pairing of William Shatner and pop singer Avril Lavigne), a family of porcupines (with A Mighty Wind's Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara as the parents), and a hyperactive squirrel named Hammy (Steve Carell, The 40 Year Old Virgin). By convincing these friendly beasts that the suburban homesteads on the other side of a recently erected hedge are a mother-lode of cast-off food, RJ hopes to dupe them into doing his gathering. But when the suburban residents realize they've been invaded by woodland pests, an exterminator is called to take care of the problem. The overarching storyline of Over the Hedge is pure formula--your basic "family matters more than anything" lesson--but moment to moment, the movie is delightfully crisp and clever. The animation is topnotch, the acting is excellent (other voices include those of Allison Janney, The West Wing, and Thomas Haden Church, Sideways), and the satirical jabs at consumerism are actually funny. An above-average animated movie. --Bret Fetzer

Stills from Over the Hedge (click for larger image)

Description

The pack strikes back! In DreamWorks' smash hit comedy, a band of hungry forest critters goes "over the hedge" to take a bite out of Suburbia. Plus, check out the All-New Mini-Movie, Hammy's Boomerang Adventure only on the Over the Hedge DVD… It's the funniest, furriest, four minutes you'll see this year!

Customer Reviews:

Not Like the Comic Strip.......2007-09-08

Verne and R.J. are two layabout losers unliked by the rest of the animals. At least they were until this movie came out. Verne (the turtle) has been transformed into the clan leader and voice of reason. It is through his diligence that the local animals survive their winters. This spring the animals awaken to find most of their forest is gone and has been replaced by suburbia. R.J. (the racoon) meets up with them while trying to save his own hide from a hungry bear.

R.J. tries to corrupt the animals into helping him gather food from the humans. Verne is always the detractor trying to keep the status quo and remain safe. Many adventures ensue and R.J.'s character comes to light. Eventually the various situations are resolved in comic fashion and things work out.

This is a fun story with some excellent voice characterizations but it is not the comic strip. Some aspects of the strip do come through quite nicely. All in all it is a fun romp of a movie with just the right mix of comedy, drama, silliness, and character development. The story is very well thought out and it works. There is also a short feature included on the disk starring the squirrel and a boomerang. Check it out.

Enjoyable but slightly uneven.......2007-08-18

A good tale, excellent animation, but a bit uneven in the humor at times. Overall I enjoyed it.

Great great movie!.......2007-07-14

This is a great movie, for young and old alike. The animation in it is superb and the comedy is first rate. This movie will still be funny 20 years from now when my grandchildren have children.

Funny, funny, funny!!!!!.......2007-07-13

If this movie doesn't make you laugh, you have a problem. Amazing animation, stellar voice cast, good story and a great message.

My kids watched this..........2007-07-12

My kids watched this and liked it but didn't give me any real feedback on it. I'll update this if I can get something more specific from them or if I have the time to watch it myself.

Average customer rating:

gavami
My Friend George
Curious cool George
A hit
Beautiful, innocent, gorgeous

Curious George (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Frank Welker , Will Ferrell , Shane Baumel , Tamara Jo Beatty , and Eugene Levy
Director: Matthew O'Callaghan
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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3-6 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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