As with most of Godard's late-period works, the plot of this ostensible detective thriller is virtually unimportant -- despite this particular film's dubious status as a more "commercial" outing for Godard. A group of inter-related characters in an old European hotel are loosely tied together by the strands of a mystery story. But the real emphasis here is on the sumptious visual beauty, the philosophical musings on art, culture, and society, and the clever sight gags and puns that weave throughout the film. It's best viewed as a succession of loosely related scenes and set-ups, rather than as any coherent narrative. The DVD, as with all Optimum's Godard releases, has a beautiful picture but is light on extras.
This collection of British director Peter Greenaway's early formalist experiments displays his dry wit and inventive aesthetic perfectly. The highlight is A Walk Through H, which uses a series of paintings and drawings, with voiceover, to tell an abstracted story of a journey through the afterlife. Water Wrackets tells a sci-fi story about an alien civilization, with the imagery all showing ordinary nature scenes, transformed by the context into images of great mystery and strangeness. Other shorts, including Dear Phone, Windows, and H Is For House, explore a fascination with language and storytelling. Greenaway is unique in that his technical experimentation is always highly entertaining, funny, and compelling on a deeper level.
This fabulous set collects two of French director Chris Marker's most famed films. The short La Jetee (the inspiration for Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys) is a stunningly inventive sci-fi short where the story is told entirely by a sequence of still images with voiceover. The frozen moments tell the story of a distopian world where one man is sent to the past and future in hopes of improving the present. The film has a wonderful meditative quality and the emotional heft to make its final moments truly beautiful.
The feature-length Sans Soleil may even be better. The nominal story is of a filmmaker travelling around the world, and the images are the videos he's taken in various places. A woman's voiceover reads from the filmmaker's letters to her, commenting on history, cultural differences, the treatment of death, memory, and identity. It's an astounding philosophical essay, both thought-provoking and emotionally compelling, and well suited to multiple viewings to pick up on all the dense layers of meaning.
Both films are beautifully presented on the DVD, and accompanied by some short analytical extras about Marker.
A bucket full of comedy that will be hard to to be beat. Each of the Vacation films contains enough comedy gems to keep you going back again and again. With humour expertly delivered by Chevy Chase wonderfully supported by Beverley D'Angelo you will NOT be disspointed. A 5* Must Have!
This 1974 film from French New Wave auteur Jacques Rivette is an epic masterwork of hallucinatory cinema. The two young women of the title meet, move in together, and soon become embroiled in a bizarre murder mystery and ghost story involving an ambiguous love triangle set in a mysterious Victorian mansion. This second story plays out as a film within the film, with Celine and Julie acting as its spectators -- who eventually step into the story in order to manipulate its ending. Rivette is concerned here with meta-levels of theater and cinema. In many ways, he's made a film that's actually about watching films. The performances have an off-the-cuff quality that contributes to the film's ragtag sense of fun.
The DVD transfer is appropriately rough -- a crucial part of Rivette's aesthetic -- but very nice. And the inclusion of two short films by other directors (Resnais' documentary about the Paris Library and RW Paul's wonderful silent "The Haunted Curiosity Shop") provides some welcome accompaniment to the main feature. There's also a critical feature that has some good insights into the film's themes and ideas, as well as shedding light on a few of the more puzzling moments in the film.
Weekend marked a crucial break in the filmmaking career of Jean-Luc Godard, who'd started as the most prominent member of the French Nouvelle Vague with charming and formally innovative early films like Breathless and Band Of Outsiders. Weekend was the culmination of his career up to that point, encompassing both the formal cleverness and whimsy of the early works and the more bracing political content and distancing techniques that had begun cropping up in his work. The film's rambling, anecdotal narrative follows a bourgeosie couple as their weekend vacation slowly dissolves into a series of increasingly brutal disasters -- including a massive traffic jam displayed by a notorious patience-testing pan, and an encounter with armed, cannibalistic revolutionaries. The film is Godard's declaration of the "end of cinema," and indeed his subsequent projects were increasingly low-budget essayistic experiments in political filmmaking, very distant from the history of cinema to that point. Nonetheless, despite Godard's frustration with his chosen medium's ability to convey political messages, Weekend perfectly communicates its raw, angry condemnation of all sides of the political spectrum.
The film's importance to film history makes this essential watching, especially for those who have already sampled some earlier Godard and are curious about his more overtly political later works. This DVD presents the film perfectly, with a pristine image perfectly suited to the film's cinematographic grandeur. The best extra is an absolutely essential interview with cinematographer Raoul Coutard, who operated the camera on virtually all of Godard's films until the 80s. Coutard is thus perfectly suited to provide insight into Godard's work at this controversial point in his career, and this in-depth interview is a great asset. There's also a nice appreciation of the film by director Mike Figgis, who provides some more analytical insight about the film. Overall, a near-perfect presentation of a monumental film.
Jean-Luc Godard's films from after 1967 are generally considered too politically radical and formally daunting to be really enjoyable, but this film quickly puts the lie to that idea. Godard has combined studio footage of the Rolling Stones (in the early stages of recording their epic hit "Sympathy for the Devil") with a series of political and philosophical vignettes. The latter are mostly set in a junkyard populated by Black Panthers, and the juxtaposition of their extreme-left politics with the musical radicalism of the Stones is a compelling one. Of course, Stones fans (as opposed to Godard fans) will primarily enjoy the film for its candid studio footage, and for the possibility of following the song through various incarnations towards its more recognizable form. But Godard stops short of playing the finished song, making the point that both revolutions -- musical and political -- are as of yet unfinished.
The DVD itself is excellent, featuring a pristine transfer of the film itself. Also included is the complete alternate cut of the film made by Godard's producers, in which the principle difference is that the finished song IS played at the end of the movie. It's doubtful whether Godard fans will ever want to watch this cut in its entirety, though Stones fans may prefer it, and its inclusion is appreciated for comparative purposes. Rounding out the extras is an informative making-of documentary about the film's production.
All in all, a fascinating document from one of Godard's least-appreciated eras, and a welcome introduction to the famous director's post-67 films.
balls, balls and more balls...
If you love balls, you'll love this...
the two disk set is basic and shows the greatest 10 goals and the greatest 10 players mixed together with other clips to pass the time.
Recommended only if you do not own any other football calamity video.
If you've never seen Seinfeld, this is the place to start. All 40 episodes from the first three seasons are included to fully introduce you to Jerry Seinfeld, George his college friend, Kramer his wacky neighbour and his recent girlfriend, Elaine.
Both versions of the pilot are included and the amount of extras is unbelievable in this 8-disk box-set.
Highly recommended for those new to the series and for those that wish to revisit it after watching on TV.
These are the two defining seasons for Seinfeld and they really put it on the map in the USA.
Classic episodes such as "The Puffy Shirt" and "The Beard" are all included and in High Definition too.
The "Gift Set" includes a limited edition replica of an actual Seinfeld script written by Jerry himself. The script is of the season four episode "The Pilot".
Also included is the scaled down version of The infamous Puffy Shirt which comes in it's own display case.
The entire box set makes a perfect gift for a Seinfeld fan and the extras are definitely worth the extra money. It's hard to avoid a cliché but this truly is a must for any Seinfeld fan.
In my personal experience, there is not a better feel good film around. Behind the insanity of some of the tricks that big FAT liar has to offer, (I wont give anything away here) there is a powerful, underlying message; 'the truth...is not overated'. This is the perfect film for a family night in- whatever your age. Those Malcom in the middle fans will be impressed with Frankie Muniz greatest work to date. Go on. Watch it.
Hiroshi Teshigahara's "The Face of Another" is a visually beautiful and poetically shot film. It follows the plight of a facially disfigured man who finds himself fleeing into a state of self-concealment by means of a prosthetic face provided by his ethically dubious psychiatrist. Rather than concentrate on the aesthetics of facial appearance the film concerns itself with the dark and existential nature of man-in-society, who are we really...? A Classic of Japanese cinema.
22 Identically sealed boxes, a quarter of a Million pounds, and no questions- except 1: To Buy or Not to Buy? This Interactive DVD Game can be very frustrating at times, as you spend more time waiting for a red box to appear than you do actually "playing it". It was inevitable that this "game" was going to hit our screens, due to the great performance of Noel Edmonds. Watching the show is more fun than playing it, not that the show is that good either. Playing against a mate or playing as the banker is really good fun when compared to the single-player version. To be fair, there is quite a thrill realising that £250,000 is in your cheap little red box, but the thrill of laughing at stupid advice is more inviting. In a nutshell then: No Deal
An overlong, frustratingly average, reworking of the classic 1980s cop show; Michael Mann"s 'Miami Vice' has its moments of glory but never quite kicks into gear, hence squandering the talents of its cool and charismatic stars. The plot, like its small screen counterpart, is pretty straightforward: Crocket and Tubbs go undercover to smash a drugs cartel, but Mann, though he tries, can"t quite recreate the intricate character arcs of modern classics like 'Heat' or 'Collateral', and his 'simple-story-complex-characters' paradigm (used to great effect by Scorcese in 'The Departed') seems to backfire early on.
On the plus side, Mann"s cinematography and decision to use HD-DV (as used to stunning effect in 'Collateral') gives 'Miami Vice' a unique, albeit at times, inappropriate look. The locations are pretty exotic, but a somewhat misjudged, full blown love affair between Crocket and sultry Chinese-Cuban drugs baroness Gong Li, stops just short of being ridiculous: their numerous encounters in speedboats, ballrooms, bars, showers and the back of a limousine are quite unnecessary, and should"ve been edited for pace reasons. The film does feature one memorable action scene where a Vice squad woman takes out one of the neo-Nazis in a sudden and spectacular manner. Overall, this is an intermittently engaging thriller that could"ve been as good as 'Heat', perhaps Michael Mann"s unrated director"s cut DVD will give this film a new lease of life; so until then, my opinion of 'Miami Vice', in the words Phil Collins, is in the air tonight...uh huh...oh yeah.
Ally McBeal is a quirky comedy with a great ensemble cast and interesting storylines which kept it going for a strong five seasons. The first focuses mainly on Ally herself, but as the show progresses, the other characters come into their own. The writing is superb, ranging from hilarious (and often surreal) sketches to completely heartfelt episodes that are guaranteed to make you shed a tear of two. The music is also worth a mention, with fitting songs for each storyline and many characters and guest stars singing in the bar. Once you start watching you won't be able to stop, so go on, buy the box set and be done with it! I guarantee you'll want to re-watch them (many times over if you're anything like me) so it's a good investment!
Watching this film after reading the book first was in some ways a little disapointing as some of the better scenes from the novel were omitted but having said that i found this film to be very good in its interpretation, Tom Hanks can do no wrong in my eyes as the leading charactor who is persued by a ruthless french police officer (Jean Reno) with other motives in mind in trying to put the blame for an horrific murder onto him and with the help of a beautiful woman(audrey tautou) who's as much as a mystery to him they try to unscramble the clues left behind by the murdered victim,overall a film worth watching with an excellant cast and a very good if predictable ending.
Enjoyable, wannabe Richard Curtis-esque rom-com, which looks & sounds as if it were made 10 years ago. Piper Perabo (doing a good English accent) is about to get married when she falls head over heels for lovely lesbian Lena Hedley. North London"s Primrose Hill gets the rose tinted treatment as all of Equity"s finest are rolled out for some bourgeoisie tomfoolery. Quite funny in a dated sort of way, 'Imagine Me & You' isn"t worth buying, though if you liked the "Brigitte Jones" films you"ll probably find something of interest here. Good, but not great, liked Lena and am glad to see Piper make her long overdue comeback in this and, rather more impressively, in Chris Nolan"s 'The Prestige'.
Wolfgang Peterson"s seminal wartime drama "Das Boot" ("The Boat") follows the crew of infamous German U-boat division: 'The Grey Wolves' as they prowl the deep in search of a target. The strength of Peterson"s opus (originally a six part miniseries) lies in the way its" been re-arranged for film, the mere fact that we have to spend three hours in a submarine is a lot to ask. And since these sailors are deadly serious (as you would be with reduced hull integrity) whilst operating to the highest standards of German efficiency, it"s a pretty dour, humourless experience helmed by Peterson and carried off on screen by the stoic presence of a young Jürgen Prochnow. And by the time we finally come up to surface for some salty sea air, you"ll know you"ve just seen a classic. A great film, lovingly presented in a fine new set by The Reel Collection.
Long before Arnold Schwarzenegger began to shamelessly whore himself at the alter of political hypocracy, support illegal invasions and gleefully send inmates to their deaths on shaky evidence, the Austrian Oak was loved by a great many people. And in spite of his recent turn to the dark side, the body building son of a Nazi storm trooper will always have 'Predator' and the 'Terminator' films to his eternal credit.
1994 was the year the rot set in for both Schwarzenegger and writer/director James Cameron, with their third and (to date) last collaboration; 'True Lies'. Like a thin piece of leftover Turkey sandwiched between the stale bread slices of 'Junior' and 'The Last Action Hero', this trite, often overblown action-comedy is intermittently enjoyable nonsense based on some French film which you can"t get a hold of for love nor money, (maybe Cameron bought all the copies when he remade it). Arnie gives his usual non-performance, though I liked the nod to 'Predator' ("do it...DO IT!") Tom Arnold works surprisingly well as his sidekick and Cameron"s old mate Bill Paxton is quite funny as a sleazy fake spy. Brit TV actor Art Malik goes Uncle Tom as an Islamic terrorist, Eliza Duskhu makes her debut as Arnie"s daughter and Chuck Heston turns up, inexplicably, as a Moshe Dayan impersonator. I can"t for the life of me understand why people go on about Jamie Lee Curtis being hot, when its obvious that Tia Carrera, though not as good an actress, is so hot it ought to be illegal, Tia plays her role with such verve and bitchiness that you can"t help but want to see more of her character.
'True Lies' is a film riddled with absurdities that continue to mount up like an inharmonious crescendo of noise and increasingly unbelievable stunts: The bridge Harrier jump jet sequence was excellent, though the horse in the city gag was old even when Dennis 'McCould' Weaver did it back in the 70s. Worth watching as an example of why less is more, 'True Lies' is as oxymoronic a pairing as 'Arnie & Acting'.
I quite happily wasted a whole day watching every police academy film. High tower you have got to love him. yumma yumma yumma yuuuuummmmmmaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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