Watching Planet Earth is a rejuvinating experience showing us just how beautiful the world we are destroying is.
The photography is incredible and the environments, phenomena and organisms it shows varied and spectacular. David Attenborough's voice, as if you needed telling, is soothing as he dispenses libraries worth of interesting information. All in all both a wonderfully entertaining and educational watch.
These DVDs are endlessly watchable and perfect for both adults and children - they are my kids' favourite watch, and among mine too. If you saw it on telly then you know what I mean, if you didn't then I recommend you give it a try. You won't be disapointed.
Billed as the original stalk and slasher movie, and considered truly ground breaking by critics it surely has to be a hit, doesn't it? Well actually no, not in my opinion as throughout the film I had a battle to keep awake and see the end. The film started off promisingly enough with some very sexually disturbing phone calls made to the house that were disturbing to say the least, but very quickly went downhill from then on.
The problem for me was the characters were either so over the top or droll, that I couldn't have cared less what happened to them. The main character Jessica, who should have been the most believable and warranted sympathy, was written so poorly that even she failed to light up the screen.
The tension wasn't built up nearly as much as it could have been, and you could easily predict what was going to happen at every stage.
For me the ending couldn't have come soon, and even that was rushed without giving the slightest explanation to the events that took place.
Some people may find the sexually explicit language used by the killer quite disturbing, and while it did make me a little uncomfortable I never felt it was there just for shock value like in some films.
The film stars Olivia Hussey (Romeo and Juliet) as Jessica and Margot Kidder (Superman) as Barbie, plus some other unfamiliar stars to me. While none of them put in a poor performance, I couldn"t say any of them blew me away with their acting skills in this one.
To be fair like I said the script was hardly a master piece, so in reflection one could say the actors did they best they could with what they were given.
In summing up I would recommend that you either catch this on the television, or if you really must pay to see it then rent it out. I was expecting to see a well thought out plot that would have me on tender hooks, and what I got was a useful aid to help me sleep instead.
Made in the pre-horror era of Hammer Films, "Four Sided Triangle" was directed by a man who would become synonymous with the studio: Terence Fisher. Despite a promising premise it is staid, shallow, and simplistic, with a cowardly cop-out of an ending.
Robin and Bill are childhood chums who grow up to become scientific geniuses, inventing a device capable of reproducing any material object. Both are in love with their childhood playmate and co-worker Lena, and, when Lena opts to marry Robin, Bill works feverishly to extend the device"s function to reproduce living matter. A copy of Lena is duly made and Bill is blissfully happy, but then things start to go awry...
The DVD"s cover luridly proclaims "A voluptuous woman... created to satisfy his strange lust!" but this very British affair - down to the cheery village setting - is like a bland, good taste spin on Frankenstein, so gentile, polite, and naive as to eventually enrage the viewer. The most interesting aspect of the film is the way it anticipates "The Fly" (1958) genre of matter transmission, although without a hint of the horrifying consequences. Much time is spent on the standard-issue "mad scientist" apparatus of bubbling test-tubes, pulsating lights, and cries of "full power!" Technically the film is impressive and no doubt would have thrilled audiences of the time. Lighting is particularly good, effectively pointing up the unsettling monomaniacal pursuit. The score is by the distinguished composer Malcolm Arnold and is appropriately pastoral one minute and ominous the next.
Yet, whereas in our modern era of high realism in medical and forensic dramas, strenuous efforts would be made to make the "science" plausible, it is clear that the writers have no idea what they are talking about and the more we see of the process the sillier it becomes. Indeed they do not seem to have even an elementary grasp of human biology and the film becomes bogged down in nonsense. When Lena is reproduced an apparatus is fixed to her HEAD to circulate her blood, yet although we see fluids being pumped there is clearly no invasive techniques used.
The film is sexist to the point of misogyny; as a futuristic film it is quite backward. If the woman you love doesn"t fancy you, simply copy her and the copy will. Lena isn"t especially bothered by the notion of being duplicated - she is neither horrified nor fascinated. Even the nice village GP isn"t particularly perturbed. All that matters is the happiness of Bill. All sorts of potentially fascinating issues are raised, but none are discussed, let alone resolved, whilst the ending is pure manufactured melodrama.
The DVD presents the film in beautifully remastered form and in the original ratio of 4:3. There is an informative 24-page booklet and three photo galleries of Hammer publicity material of the era. Finally, there is a sort of "supporting short" in the shape of "The Right Person" (1956), a thirty-minute Hammer film made in colour. In it a former member of the Danish Resistance visits the wife of a one-time comrade with the intent of wrapping up some unfinished business. One can imagine the fidgeting audiences of the day sitting through this talky affair, which takes place entirely in a spacious hotel room, and was shot and is presented in an unflattering CinemaScope with much attention paid to a giant sofa upon which the two protagonists take up positions at either end!
There is a tragic ironic footnote to "Four Sided Triangle". Lena is played by the American actress Barbara Payton, a blonde bombshell who seems out of place, the script having to messily explain her accent. Payton had come to the UK to revive a career on the skids. In the States she had been the centre of attention for two men, Franchot Tone and Tom Neal, and they literally fought a duel over her, which put Tone in hospital. One wonders how she took to a scenario in which two boys joust for their "queen", her character returns from America "a self-confessed failure, [having] tried many things without success", and includes a scene where she talks of suicide. In reality, Payton"s career ended in 1955 and she descended into drug and alcohol abuse, culminating in a period as a prostitute before she died in 1967, aged just 39.
The popular viewpoint amongst many movie critics these days seems to be that Alfred Hitchcock's British films are inherently inferior to his US output. The truth is that "The Lady Vanishes" compares favourably with all but the very best of his work, British or American. This film could rightly be described as a thriller, a romance or even a comedy. At the beginning of the film a group of tourists are dismayed at the cancellation of their train and having to spend an extra night in a Tyrolean ski lodge. The extra night allows the tourists to get to know each other and the viewer to be introduced to the main characters. The main players are a spoilt young lady Iris(Margaret Lockwood), a brash musician Gilbert(Michael Redgrave) and a slightly dotty old lady Miss Froy(Dame May Whitty). The next morning when waiting for the train Iris suffers a bang on the head and is helped onto the train and befriended by Miss Froy. Iris sleeps on the train and awakes to find the old lady gone and the other passengers in her train compartment denying that she had ever been there. Confused by this Iris sets out to find her new friend only to find that nobody on the train remembers her. The only exception is Gilbert who is totally enchanted by Iris. Together they search the train for the old lady. As the search goes on the various selfish reasons for other passengers denials are revealed to the viewers. The other passengers include Charters and Caldicott a pair of cricket mad Englishmen who were so popular with cinema audiences that they went on to feature in many later films. When the truth about the harmless old lady is revealed it is as big a shock to the viewer as it is to her fellow passengers. Hitchcock displays a lighter touch here than in any other film, even during the romantic moments and the laugh out loud sequences there is still a real tension in the air which sustains the film until the end. A lovely old fashioned film that is pure escapist enjoyment.
This classic film noir regularly appears close to the top of greatest films ever lists and is often referred to as the best British movie of all time. It has the advantage of being based on a story by Graham Greene one of the finest writers the UK has ever produced. The action takes place in post war Vienna. Pulp writer Holly Martins(Joseph Cotten) arrives in town to take up a job promised to him by his best friend Harry Lime(Orson Welles). Unfortunately he arrives just as Harry Lime is being buried. At the funeral Holly is informed by the military police that his dead friend was one of the worst racketeers in Vienna. Refusing to accept this he sets out with the aid of Harry's girlfriend Anna Schmidt(Alida Valli) to prove his friends innocence. As the story progresses Holly's belief falters and in one of cinemas most famous scenes he comes face to face with his "dead" friend and learns the truth. The climax filmed in the sewers of Vienna is as powerful and dramatic as any conclusion in the history of cinema. Joseph Cotten gives his usual excellent performance as an innocent man quickly getting out of his depth. Orson Welles was rarely better than in The Third Man and scripted many of his own lines including the famous "cuckoo clock" speech. A classy supporting cast including Wilfred Hyde-White, Trevor Howard and Bernard Lee give superb back up to the main players. The film also benefits from the most uniquly memorable soundtrack of any film thanks largely to Anton Karas' zither solo. This really is close to the perfect film and is fully deserving of all the accolades it receives.
Ali Fear Eats the Soul is probably Fassbinder's most easily accessible film, and one of his most touching.
It shows us the dynamics of a romance between a German widow and a much younger Moroccan guestworker in 1970s Munich. They become targets for racism, agism and political concervatism. But they love each other and survive, kind of.
These dynamics are expressed not only in the dialogue and narrative elements of Fassbinder's film but also the decor, framing of shots, camera angles and movement. Ali Fear Eats the Soul is at once melodramatic (a la Sirk), anti-melodramatic (a la Bert Brecht), expressionist, pessimistic yet not simply defeatist.
This is an important film from "the last great director of the twentieth-century" and deserves to be seen. Furthermore, this DVD features a 50 minute documentary about Fassbinder, a 50 minute interview with the man, an interview with director Todd Haynes, one of his early short films - "The City Tramp", a theatrical trailer and liner notes. The feature is deserving of all these extras and the DVD, in my Fassbinder worshipping mind - is a must own.
Most people who express an interest in this film have, by now, either seen it, or heard about it and want to see what all the fuss is about. Similarly, most people are aware of the two most talked-about scenes: the rape and the fire extinguisher. There seems to be divided opinion about which is the most harrowing of the two, but for me, the rape scene is far more disturbing than the one with the fire extinguisher, which itself is pretty horrific. It is easily the most disturbing scene I've ever had to endure - it really is difficult to watch, chiefly because it goes on for so long, the sheer brutality of the aggressor, even after the rape, and the dialogue during the scene, but also because it really drives home how sickening and violent the crime of rape is, and this is what makes the scene important, because it represents such a harsh, and real, reality. That scene will stay with me for a while, I imagine - it's hard to erase the intensity of it from memory. I'm curious as to how hard it was for the 2 actors to shoot the scene. As for the rest of the film, it is not at all overshadowed by the aforementioned violence. Right from the outset, you know this is going to be a different film; the reverse story-telling works really well, and as a whole, the film requires some patience, until you get an idea of what is happening. The dark, seedy gay club where the film begins immediately gives the film the atmosphere that Director Gasper Noe probably envisioned. Some of the camera work is, intentionally, very disorientating, and a lot of the scenes that follow are very frenetic, mimicking, and emphasising, the many emotions the protagonists are going through. Vincent Cassell (La Haine, L'Appartement) and Monica Bellucci (L'Appartement, The Matrix Reloaded, Malena) are both excellent as the ill-fated couple, whose world plunges into nightmare during a night out at a party. The final few scenes are thought-provoking, beautifully shot, but also quite harsh, since you already know the nightmare these two lovers will go through in a few hours' time. This is a particularly disturbing film, but at the same time a must-see piece of cinema for anybody who likes to be challenged.
my 3 year old son loves pocoyo and we enjoy it too- stephen fry does the narration, the style is simple and engaging, the sound effects and music are jolly and entertaining, and to top it all, it is educational without being obvious- my son has learnt about colours, shapes, friendship, sharing.....
This little gem shines out in a plethora of blockbusters and mindlessly violent offerings as a highly quirky and intelligent entertainment.
Based on Alan Bennetts highly successful and enigmatic stage play of the same title and filmed in the suitably atmospheric surroundings of Watford Grammar School for Boys and its female counterpart this handsome production proves to be a real tour de force of acting ,producing and direction.
Boasting a superb characterisation from veteran Richard Griffiths,ably supported by Frances De la Tour and a veritable bevy of new acting talent from the eponymous students, this is one involving and telling history lesson you definitely won't want to miss!
To divulge the many intricacies and intrigues contained in the plot would be unforgiveable to say the least,but this is an adult drama with plenty of food for thought and one which stands up well to repeated viewings to really appreciate some of the subtle nuances and allegories in the structure of the storyline.
Hopefully this moving and sometimes highly amusing production will gain the recognition it rightfully deserves and may well grow into the status of a cult classic in years to come.
20 Centimetres is a musical love story about a narcoleptic transgendered prostitute/janitor and her dwarf flatmate. It sounds pretty straight forward, I know, but there is a lot under the surface of this wonderfully out-there film from Ramon Salazar. Any modern spanish comedy is made under the giant spectre of Almodovar, and most never quite make thri mark as something new, but this film manages to have a style of its own, even while borrowing longtime Almodovar regular Rossy de Palma, among others. Marieta (Monica Cervera) is a narcoleptic transgendered woman trapped with a man's more than ample equipment. She makes a living working the streets and makes her home with a dwarf, who is hustling for dollars constantly. The film is a brilliant exercise in form and everytime Marieta falls asleep as a result of her condition, her mind wanders into lavishly constructed and choreographed musical numbers, where she becomes the woman she longs to be. The film would work fine without them, it moves along at a decent pace and the characters are allowed to develop to the point that we really sympathize for not only Marieta, but also her compadres. Somewhat accidently, Marieta finds herself in a relationship with a man whom she had drooled over, but with a twist she didn't anticipate. Her man loves the part of her that Marieta loathes. Will she or won't she? Does she leave the man of her dreams in order to fulfill her own, or does she stay who she is to keep her dream guy? All will be answered and some will be answered in magnificent musical style. I highly recommend 20 Centimetres for those who are open for something different and aren't frighted by the sight of male or female genitals, both are on display, but only in the name of serving the plot. This film is really outstanding.
This romantic thriller from Alfred Hitchcock ranks as one of his finest achievments. as the film begins the father of socialite Alicia Huberman is jailed for treason against the United States. Alicia(Ingrid Bergman) is given the opportunity to repay her fathers moral debt by infiltrating a spy ring based in Rio headed by Alex Sebastian(Claude Rains) an old friend of her fathers and a long time admirer of Alicia. Despite being totally in love with her handler Devlin(Cary Grant) she agrees to marry Alex in order to gain his trust and glean more information. Unmasked as a US agent Alicia is poisoned by Alex's mother. The film builds to a magnificent, dramatic finale one of cinemas finest. This wonderful film is beautifully cast with superb performances from the leads and the strong supporting cast. Ingrid Bergman stands out in one of her greatest screen performances. The natural chemistry beteen Bergman and Cary Grant gives authenticity to their scenes together. Hitchcock skilfully manages to increase the tension throughout maintaining it during the films romantic interludes. One of the great films of its time this still entertains today and merits repeat viewings. A genuine must see film.
Getting over the fact that this is a Spanish film with English Sub-titles I settled down to watch this with an open mind and a blank canvas as to what the story would be about.
Not long into the film you realize this is no young children"s movie and coupled with the fact that the dialogue is with an easy to read pace you begin to immerse yourself in the world these characters find themselves; both the real and the fantasy.
Not wishing to give anything away this is a simple plot but with that rare OMG what will happen to him and her and them feeling and I bet he gets his just desserts. In the end this is a well worth while film to watch so long as you are not distracted so you can read the plot as it unfolds and I like the gown up ending and not the fairy tale it could have been.
Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint made this show a joy to watch. I liked the original movie and first saw this series on UK network TV in 1995. A lot of scifi series come and go but this one caught my eye and I became hooked. It utilised a mix of scifi, action and humour all in one as well as bringing to the fore topics that affect day to day life such as discrimination, ignorance and racial tension mirroring some similarities of the struggle in America of black people fighting for a right to equality. Det George Francisco, played by Eric Pierpoint, was a family man and as each show went on, we learned more of the characters and story which made the show very interesting. Unfortunately, FOX decided to cancel the show after just one season and revisited the franchise some years later with some made for TV movies, which themselves may see a US DVD release in 2007/8. Nevertheless, here it is for a UK DVD release and I would recommend to any real scifi fan that has not seen it go and buy it. Remember it was made in 1989/90 so it is nearly 20 years old but its a joy to watch a series that had good storylines, humour and all round scifi entertainment.
While it isn't the best series of Arrested Development, series 3 is still better than most things you'll see on TV these days.
The good news is that, if you liked the first two series, you'll probably find plenty to laugh about in this one. Keep an eye out for some classic moments with lawyer Bob Loblaw (Scot Baio) and the worlds first combined Analyst and Therapist (his business card refers to him as an Analrapist) Dr Tobias Funke (David Cross).
This box set contains all 13 episodes, but there aren't many special features, although some audio commentaries are included, as are some deleted scenes.
While it's sad this is the last series of Arrested Development, the good news is the series ends well and you will feel a distinct sense that you've been on a complete comedy journey!
In all honesty I find David Spade a funny guy. He sure as hell has his critics but thanks to The Emperors new Groove and his turn in T.V show 8 Simple Rules I am just not amongst them.
It was Spade who conceived the idea for Dickie Roberts Former Child Star, which basically sees a child Star from the 70"s looking for a comeback. The Story sees Dickie Roberts played by Spade, a washed up Child Star now looking for a 21st Century comeback now in his 30"s in a new Rob Reiner film. However Reiner thinks due to the lack of a normal childhood Dickie just isn"t right for the part. However so desperate is Dickie, that he hires out a normal Suburban family for a month so as to grasp the basic elements of the childhood he never had.
The family are fairly Stereotypical characters, the Mother who is hyper nice, the father who just plain ain"t there most of the time and two kids who are taking the brunt of the families problems. The mother played by Mary McCormack has the most screen time of the brood, and so it"s a problem to find out she is also the weakest performer. She flits through each scene in a daze or overacting terribly. Craig Bierko who is a genuinely good actor plays the father, who as mentioned above is NEVER THERE! That means one of our strongest actors is absent for the majority of the feature. So far not great but thanks to David Spade and the young thespians playing the kids the movie pulls something back. Scott Terra and Jenna Boyd are good actors based on this, and names to look out for in the future. Then Spade himself who quite frankly can carry anything out of the poor zone. His sarcastic quips and risqué humour (sadly toned down here) run amok throughout the script and even after a bum gag you start to realize Spade will pull it back.
However the rest of the film is a totally mixed bag, Director Sam Wiseman is an expert at making the slapstick work, but talky sequences become very syrupy and saccharine under his guidance. Support is totally forgettable with no real names, apart from the various "real" child stars who appear throughout the film, and in reality most of them have been long forgotten.
On a gags to hit and gags that miss ratio its about 50-50 in this particular film, which really isn"t good enough, for you to part with your cash on. I enjoyed it and in all fairness it was well paced and knew when it had run its course, but calling it a satisfying comedy is pushing it.
There is a great comedy in Dickie Roberts Child Star, and David Spade is the right guy for the role but everything else is out of place, and these factors have turned it into fun mediocrity but mediocrity none the less.
In my Opinion Ralph Bakshi"s The Lord Of the Rings is one of cinemas greatest and most important failures. Thanks to this heavily flawed work, animators have learnt valuable lessons and ensured that the mistakes apparent in this picture never happen again.
It is as most people will know an adaptation of J..R.R Tolkiens mammoth fantasy classic, and most people will also be aware that in recent years Peter Jackson made three brilliant live action movies from the same source material so Tolkien"s novels cant be faulted for this pictures failings. The movie starts with a prologue badly done by shadow actors. It contains a fair amount of information and several supposedly epic sequences but they simply appear cheap and confusing, having a direct knock on effect for the rest of the feature.
So with the tacky and muddled opening over, we go right onto meet the tales main protagonists. We"ve got Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Merry and Pippen. Gandalf and Frodo are well drawn and voiced creations, but the rest aren"t so hot. Sam may with his deranged British accent be one of the most irritating animated characters ever to grace the silver screen. Mary and Pippen simply stink of laziness, both looking and sounding identical. These are two of the stories chief personality"s and their identical attributes just makes the film ever murkier and hard to follow. Other characters Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Boromir are all ample with the only major actor present within the whole production being John Hurt, who"s gruff tone suits Aragorn very well.
However now after that, the vaguest of compliments it is time to highlight the films biggest flaw. The style of animation used is called Rotoscoping. This consists of acting out the scenes in live action, the painting over the actors and placing these newly animated characters against traditional 2D backgrounds. Now there are a couple oo instances were this technique works quite well, the spooky Black riders and the Orcs are effective for instance but most of the time it"s stark and ugly. The 2D backgrounds and rotoscoping just don"t go well together, this is however an important lesson, and one that is better learnt for future generation"s sake.
That is without doubt the films biggest gripe, but still not the last of them. Thanks to a lack of money Backshi was not able to complete the film satisfactorily or even get a sequel made. This makes the movie an even less filling cinematic experience, and has got to be considered a major flaw. Now after all this bitching I feel the need to justify the 2 stars I"ve given this picture. For a start several of the sequences that do work are among the 70"s finest. The first appearance of the Black rider is creepy and chilling, certainly a highlight within the picture. Other sequences that go well are the scenes involving Orc attacks in the mines and at the films climax.
It"s also commendable that Backshi would attempt such an ambitious project without anything to look at apart from the pages of a book. Its also worth noting that Peter Jackson when he embarked on his adaptations, had Backshi"s film to look at and learn from, for this project the filmmakers had a much tougher task in pre- production and surely their bravery and ambition are worth something. The movie is enjoyable enough, and if you are familiar with Tolkien"s books or Jackson"s films, it"s easy enough to follow, though on it"s own merits it"s hard to keep track of the tale.
In conclusion whilst the film has dodgy animation, an unfinished finale and some blatantly annoying characters it does also boast some great sequences. Plus it"s worth remembering and sparing a thought for Ralph Bakshi and his crew. In many ways thanks to this flawed piece of cinema Peter Jackson gave us one of the finest trilogy"s of all time, and thanks is something it truly deserves.
Hollywood will never sicken of remakes as long as they sell tickets, fact. Hollywood will never sicken of remakes as long as they sell toys and T-shirts, fact. This American redo of Godzilla, the classic Toho movie monster will shift Tickets and move toys, Fact! The principle of taking the classic Japanese super monster, and putting him in America must have been to tempting for the folks in Hollywood ,and its Tristar entertainment who get to distribute the mega bucks movie worldwide, and to what must be a high demographic.
This version of Godzilla has been floating around Beverly Hills for quite a while it would seem. After the success of Jurassic Park Dinosaurs became all the rage and the true king of them all, Godzilla looked ripe for a redo. So Toho auctioned of the rights and Coumbia Tristar snaffled the deal. Originally it was Speed and Twister director Jan De Bont who looked like landing the job, and indeed he took the project into the earliest parts of production, but left pronto for some reason more than likely pushy Studio execs or a harsh time schedule. So the mantel fell to Independence Day director Roland Emmerich and his chief writer Dean Devlin to bring the movie behemoth into the 21st century.
The first comparisons the movie will draw are to Independence Day and Jurassic Park, as it is essentially those two films rolled into one. Emmerich"s follow up to Independence day I am pleased to report is a better and a more thoughtful movie, though realistically that isn"t saying much. I enjoyed it to a higher degree and there were far less annoying characters and jingoistic interludes. That said the more likely comparison is to Jurassic Park and its sequel, where unsurprisingly it cant match up. Really I never expected the film to match the original Jurassic Park, that film possessed a charm and script that only a small fraction of Blockbuster"s manage to obtain. However matching the previous years spectacular, but ultimately rather dumb The Lost World Jurassic Park seemed like a more realistic target, but unfortunately even there Godzilla cant quite make the cut.
The script is doggedly written and overly flabby in several sections. The idea and premise itself occasionally looks smart, but essentially when the characters are spouting juvenile and unrealistic lines that doesn"t count for much. The actors themselves are all fairly charm less with the notable exception of Jean Reno who occasionally musters up some solid laughs. In the leads Matthew Broderick a usually capable actor struggles and Maria Pitallo completely fails to do anything close to acceptable acting, expect a Razzie for her come 1999. There is no chemistry between any of the cast but with Devlin"s dum-dum script that"s not entirely unexpected.
The plus points however are more than a match for the movies detractors. Godzilla looks great and if another Summer movie beats the thrills of the giant Dino tramping up the big apple then I"d be pretty surprised. The effects aren"t groundbreaking but they certainly make for a convincing and rather spectacular creature. The set pieces are executed with superior style and excitement. After Universal Soldier and Independence Day Emmerich has become a 1st class Hollywood slickster and seems to effortlessly concoct brilliant and occasionally humorous scenarios for his monster. Godzilla is also given a lot more depth as a character, which really shocked me. Don"t get me wrong it"s not like you begin to know him or anything, but still for this kind of film to lend a character or any emotion to a bloody special effect is quite something. Devlin"s script for all its wooden and hammy dialogue manages to break itself up by throwing in something jumpy or exciting every couple of minutes so it"s not a total lost cause.
The film runs for 2 hours and does feel a little stretched out. You get the feeling it would have worked better if the last 20 minutes were shaved of, but then admittedly they may well be the films best. It also does take a fair amount of time for Godzilla to raise his toothy head which might not have been so bad had Emmerich actually used the time afforded to him by the script to develop some real character or chemistry between the actors, but ultimately its time wasted. The fact the film is called Godzilla is hardly surprising, because when he isn"t on screen the film becomes a bit of a mess. However what really counts is the fun factor, and here Godzilla really comes up trumps. Audiences won"t care about character and good plotting if there"s plenty of explosions and destruction, and in those departments this movie can"t be faulted.
When my friend asked me to watch this film with her I thought not another chick flick. After the film had finished I realised that I shouldn"t judge a film by its cover.
The 80"s music really brought it all back to my child hood; this classic film is fun, hilarious and has a tear jerking end.
If you need a film for a night in with the girls or your bloke this would be a winner all round.
A nightmarish (first hand) account of totalitarianism in 1960s Czechoslavakia, The Ear is often an unpleasant watch. And ultimately a rewarding one.
A deputy minister in the Party and his wife return home from a dinner with "the Comrade" and find their house unlocked, strange cars parked outside and strange men snooping around in the garden. His close associates, the minister to which he deputies and a number of his friends have gone missing - arrested - and the house's electricity is cut off. The phone too.
From this point things get worse and the couple's paranoia grows - with it the audience's.
The director employs a great deal of photographic skill, often innovatively, and manages to create a apined atmosphere. The film is great. And this DVD also features a scholarly yet easy to follow introduction (discussing mainly the context in which the film was made and has been viewed) and essay.
I got alot from this DVD package.
Pasolini is rightfully revered: poet, novelist, essayist, thorn in the side of the authorities and film maker. Was he killed by the powers that be and/or the mafia? The investigation never found out ... But he was kicked out of the Italian Communist Party for being gay ... and, as a gay communist, made the widely accepted (even from religious folk) greatest film about Jesus Christ ever made.
So ... this boxset contains three of his films and one of his books. The films are his first one about a young Roman pimp - Accatone.
Accatone is a pretty great film. Visually striking and poetic.
The second is Ro.Go.Pa.G a collective film made with notable directors as Godard and Rosselini. Pasolini's section - Ricotta - featuring Orson Welles is the strongest section by far. In turns touching, blasphamous and hilarious.
Thirdly is Love meetings in which Pasolini - a pleasure to watch on screen, a very handsome man - tours italy interviewing people about, well, love. That is virginity, sex, homosexuality, etc.
All in all three very interesting films and a novel (enough for me to purchase the boxset itself) to boot. A bargain at any reasonable price. I would buy it if I hadn't already.
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