Reviews

I really enjoyed this version of Beauty and the Beast. I did not remember seeing this version before, but it was very good. It showed how man could look and act like a beast from the outside, but have a warm and gentle heart within. I really liked the camera work and just the overall scenery. It was great for that time period. The acting was wonderful too and I could really see it when the beast spoke and with his overall mannerisms. I would definitely recommend this movie to other people that I know. I am going to check out other movies by this director and pass them along to other members of my movie family. Beauty and the Beast was a must see for the overall film critic and for the people that would consider themselves to be movie goers. Check it out!!!

I thought that Old Boy was a great piece of film work. The gritty violence and in your face hatred just added to the scenes for the movie. Quentin Tarantino even said some great items about this independent film. I could only have imagined being imprisoned for fifteen (15) years and then being released. I knew that one of the driving factors on my mind would be revenge and to find the beast that was responsible for the incident. I would make the monster suffer and to suffer dearly once I got my hands on him. Old Boy showed the determination of one man and what he was willing to do to find the kidnapper that led to his ordeal. It delivered much more that I read about it and that was a great sign of an independent movie. I am always willing to have more than less. If you have ever thought about any type of revenge or deep hatred for another human being, I suggest that you watch Old Boy first. It might change your mind and steer you in another direction. Old Boy was a good piece of film work and it is a must see.

Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King was one of the greatest roles of Sean Connery's career. The Man Who Would Be King told the story about two men who were very determined to visit where Alexander The Great conquered many centuries ago. These men had never worked an honest day's work in their lives: they stole, robbed and used every trick in the book to gain profits by tricking people. At their arrival, they wasted no time introducing themselves to the people or the land by shooting some of their enemies. They quickly gained fame by teaching the men to fight and to conquer their enemies one at a time. During one the battles, Connery's character was shot with an arrow in the heart, but did not die or bleed. He quickly was deemed a God and was thought to be the Son of Alexander The Great. Connery's character used the ruse of the arrow to become king of all of the land. He had wealth, fame and fortune for the rest of his life, but wanted more: a wife (this was forbidden by the priests because a God could not marry a mortal). On the day of the wedding, a simple bite proved to be the turning point in the story. The men now had to run for their lives and was quickly outnumbered. Connery's character took the punishment full of song and still with a crown on his head. This was a great film by John Huston and with Sean Connery and Michael Caine as the actors, a great film to watch and study.

Matt Groening had spawned another winner with Futurama: Bender's Game. I would had never viewed Dungeons & Dragons as being that imaginative. I played Dungeons & Dragons when I was much younger, but did not possess the imagination that Bender displayed with that version. Bender was accused of not having an imagination at first, but when he finally grasped one, Bender could not separate fiction from reality. Frankly, I would had settled for Bender's version of "reality" because at least there were surprises at every corner. Sometimes surprises are better than the same mundane ruts we had forced ourselves into. The final battle between dark matter reminded me so much how we are dependent upon oil from foreign countries. At least the professor was smart enough to create another crystal that would eliminate dependency on dark matter when they were within a certain range of each other. I would certainly play this version of Dungeons & Dragons, mainly for the creativity and most importantly, for a more positive outcome for the world today. Futurama: Bender's Game was certainly worth the viewing pleasure and with Matt Groening at the helm, you cannot miss.

The Big Lebowski was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen. The Coen Brothers had did it again. They understood and knew how to make an audience laugh. I could not stop laughing from beginning to end. Jeff Bridges played the perfect lowlife, bum, unemployed, laid-back, surfer-type, long-haired "Dude." I think one of the funniest parts of the movie was when the cop from Malibu was talking to the Dude in his office and then Jeff Bridges had to be reminded about authority with a coffee mug. I was on the ground laughing because I could see that happening to someone. You had to learn to respect authority or suffer the consequences. I learned that most of the things that we encountered in life just had to be laughed at or ignored like the "Dude" did in The Big Lebowski. Everything would turn out fine in the end. A great film and very, very funny. A must see!!!

I was not too pleased with the movie adaptation of The Da Vinci Code. I read the book by Dan Brown and really enjoyed it. I know when a movie was made from a book much of the content could be lost. That was definitely the case with The Da Vinci Code. It seemed like the main actors were just standing around, waiting for something to do. I would only get small glimpses of what the book was like. Ron Howard should have taken more time to pull some of the more meatier parts out of the book. Religious stories are hard to cover and I thought that this movie proved my point. It could have been so much better. I would choose the book version by Dan Brown instead of the movie The Da Vinci Code.

I am really not a fan of Michael Bay's work, but I have to admit that The Island was not that bad of a movie. Sure, it had plenty of action, but you could expect that from a director like Michael Bay. There were explosions everywhere, but a little more subtle than normal. The movie centered around people winning a trip or being chosen to go away to a place called The Island. I was already thinking in my mind that it had to be to good to be true. All items that are "free" or "too good to be true" had so type of consequence later on down the road. The starring characters found it out too. If you are a fan of Michael Bay, you would not be disappointed. If you are a fan of explosions, you would not be disappointed. If you are a fan of action movies, you would not be disappointed.

I really thought the movie Wild Hogs was very funny. I liked the attitude of just getting on the back of a bike and just going for it with no type of barriers to hold you back. They really roughed it without the use of cellular phones or some of the other modern conveniences of home. These guys were just tired of going through the same routine day in and day out. They needed a change and they went out to find it. Every stop that they made, they stood out, especially when they visited a real biker's bar with a biker gang. They met their match. They somehow knew that they would have to "meet" the biker gang again later to prove that they were men, Wild Hogs. Wild Hogs was a funny film.

I really thought this was the best film that Mel Gibson had ever directed. Gibson captured the raw nature of man, the deceit of man, the passion of man and how when the chips were down, how man could be accepted or rejected. Some of the scenes were really graphic, but necessary to tell the true story of The Passion Of The Christ. Christ was a very loving man, but this love posed a threat to the king and some of the other rulers of the country. Christ could not be broken and took his true belief to the cross with him. At the time of death, sins were forgiven and the kingdom of heaven would be at hand. Christ could not be kept down. Mel Gibson was at his best and you should not miss this great film work.

I was very impressed with Sharpe's Rifles starring Brian Cox. I think that Brian Cox has slowly become one of my favorite actors over the many years that I had viewed his acting work. I have also seen Cox in the director's cut of Manhunter and he did some wonderful work in that film too. Sharpe's Rifles showed me that hard work and determination could payoff for those individuals not even given a chance to succeed. Sharpe's men and his allies were outnumbered many times in the film, but stood up to them and protected what they believed to be theirs. Sure many lives were lost and blood was shed, but these are some of the prices an individual must be willing to pay in order to get the reward at the end of the tunnel. Brian Cox showed me that a man could be sharp, cunning, smart and honest and still reign on top in the end. A great little movie.

I had to admit that Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street was one of the best musicals that I had seen in the past couple of years. It really showed me the great talent that Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter possessed. I only have a small amount of musicals in my personal DVD collection and would not mind adding Sweeney Todd to it. Revenge could drive any man to do any number of items, but the individual would have to understand the control of it. If revenge is not controlled, it would take over and then come back to haunt the individual later on in life. Revenge could give an individual a sense of relief and have the means to kill too. I am going to stay away from meat pies and be very careful of whom I have chosen as a dance partner.

I thought that The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford was one of the best movies that Brad Pitt has been in since Seven. This particular film showed off the acting ability that Brad Pitt does possess, portraying one of the most notorious gunfighters in American History: Jesse James. The film showed some of the soft sides of Jesse James that was rarely written about in the newspapers. Jesse James was a family man with two children and had a wife that loved him very much. James was very cautious and would not let people get very close to him. In my book, a true coward would shoot another man in the back. It would be best to have a fair fight and have the better man win the gunfight. Plainly, if you lose, you lose. If you win, you win. Things have a way of coming back around when you have forgotten about the wrongs committed. It is like Clint Eastwood's character said in Unforgiven, "We all got it coming, kid."

I thought Death Sentence was a pretty decent film. It was just hard for me to believe Kevin Bacon transforming into a bad person for this film role. I guess if some of these things happened to me, I would become a bad guy too. Kevin Bacon was bad in The River Wild and maybe even Mystic River, but he became really hardcore in Death Sentence. It was just so hard for me to believe his character role. Maybe if it was an actor like Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme or Sylvester Stallone, I would have said hell yes, but Kevin Bacon, no way. I think that the gang got exactly what was coming to them and more. The gang should not have been able to just walk away, especially after what they did to his family. Death Sentence is worth a look.

I thought Michael Clayton was one of the best mystery thrillers I have seen in the last six or seven months. The performances were superb with Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Tom Wilkinson and of course, George Clooney that gave the performance of a lifetime. The script was well-written and the direction was great. The actors brought the story to life with twists and turns throughout the entire film. I have seen the movie twice and have enjoyed it. I strongly recommend it to those individuals who have not seen it or was just looking for a great mystery thriller to watch at home. I have always enjoyed George Clooney's work and I thought without a doubt was Clooney at his best. If you have not seen Michael Clayton, you should check it out. If you do not, you are missing one of the best mystery thrillers in the last six months.

I really did enjoy viewing Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West. I thought it was a classic western that featured Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson. I thought this classic western could be compared to some of those that have followed like The Unforgiven, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and Hang 'Em High. I really liked how Sergio Leone weaved this tale of the classic bad man versus the good man. The good man has to go through so many trials and tribulations in order to achieve the final goal to bring the bad man down to his knees. I think that Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson gave fantastic performances and I would definitely recommend it to other friends that respect this genre. I think that I am going to seek out other Sergio Leone westerns and compare them to Once Upon A Time In The West.

I was pleased with the television adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. The dialog, costumes and scenery were added tidbits that moved the storyline along with crisp acting. Christopher Lee did a great job with his role and even in the end, Lee did not falter when it came down to life or death. Ivanhoe went through many trials and tribulations and he learned the meaning of true friendship and what it took to become a real man. It was only fitting that Ivanhoe finally got the woman of his dreams because I thought that he deserved it. I thought that most of us could have learned a valuable lesson from Ivanhoe. It was a pleasure to view. I recommended it to those that enjoyed period pieces and strove for the equality of man.

I was literally in tears when I watched Benny Hill: The Naughty Early Years: Complete and Unadulterated. Benny Hill had to be one of the pioneers when it came to male comedy. Hill understood how to make an audience laugh and mixed it with his comic genius to produce great episodes for audiences throughout the world. When I saw the episode with Benny Hill playing a gentleman from Asia and then twisting his words to create new ones, I was in stitches. I had to skip the DVD back a few times to make sure that I was getting his punchline. It was some damn good work. There was another episode where Benny Hill was dressed up with the same shirt and tie, but I was laughing at the red afro. I had never seen anything like it before and I had to laugh at it. Only Benny Hill could have pulled off a caper like it. These episodes are a must see for any Benny Hill fan. On a final note: wear a red afro when ordering chicken chow Meir.

I could not stop laughing when I was viewing Truck Turner. I think that Isaac Hayes did a great job with his acting in this movie because he certainly carried a big weapon. There was some great shots of Los Angeles back in the seventies and I was able to recognize some of the local spots. The dress for this time period was cool and lay back too and was heavily signified in Truck Turner. I think that the bar brawl was the best. There were fists flying from everywhere, where even a quick whiff had its own sound. If you are an Isaac Hayes fan or would really like to view a movie from the seventies with great scenic shots, Truck Turner would be the movie for you. I really enjoyed it!

I thought this was a great collection of young rock 'n' roll artists from the fifties and sixties. It was fun to see bands like The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones before they became household names today. These bands were so young, with long hair and just appealed to the crowds with their types and styles of music. The video was mostly in black and white and I could appreciate some of the great quality that was used back in that time. I think one of the best shots in the video was when it catapulted to the present and was making comparisons of how the rock 'n' roll music was affecting the United States of America. The United States would certainly become the focal point because this was were those bands would get the riches, fame and fortune that they worked so hard to achieve. This video was a great look back at old school rock 'n' roll and I really enjoyed it.

I really have to admit that The Magnificent Butcher was one of the best martial arts films that I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Of course it dealt with the basic good versus evil themes that are very common with martial arts films, finalized with revenge being the ultimate weapon. I really had to laugh at the beginning scene with the pigs being bargained back and forth with the outcome coming to the "dumb" student. It was so cool! The fight scene with the two masters was just awesome. I have never seen a paleography brush quite used like it was in The Magnificent Butcher. I had to skip it back a couple of times just to absorb what had transpired. The Magnificent Butcher was a must watch for martial arts fans. Beware of the Cosmic Palm!!!

I do not have HBO and so I was lent series one of Rome by a great friend of mine at work. I am so glad that he did that favor for me because I had to admit that series one of Rome was one of the greatest television period pieces I had ever seen. The directors, writers, actors and all of the other individuals that had come together for this HBO show should be greatly commended for all of the hard work on this project. I do enjoy period pieces and this was one of the greatest period pieces of Rome that I had ever seen and it was only season one. If you are a stranger to it, rent it and give it a go. If you love period pieces, I strongly recommend that you check it out. I could almost guarantee that you would add it to your collection of DVD's. I simply loved it!!!

I was pretty impressed with the graphics and animation of Fire and Ice. It was very nice to see some decent, colorful and somewhat simple animation for a change. I thought that the artists took their time to display to their audiences what they really wanted to show. They did not overdo it and made it exciting at the same time. It was a classic battle of good versus evil with some twists and turns throughout the storyline, but I would not have expected anything lesser from these artists. The story moved very well and I would recommend it to some of my other friends. It was very nice to see how the plot ended. I was not really surprised, but somewhat relieved. Check it out!!!

I felt sick, disgusted, gut-wrenched, nasty, filthy and all-around over the top happy when I saw Ren and Stimpy's Adult Party Cartoon. I could not believe what I was viewing on my television. I really had to hand it to the artist because one of the scenes when the guy was relieving himself on the toilet, I had to make a dash for my kitchen sink because I almost tossed my cookies. I could usually not feel sick at items like that but John K. really put the whammy on me. I have to admit that my favorite adult cartoon would have to be the beach party scenes. I will always love beach balls and never view them the same way again. I will never forget the shower scenes and the appearance of Shampoo Master. I had tears coming out of my eyes. It was so damn funny!!! I give Ren and Stimpy's Adult Party Cartoon two thumbs up, a ten and a twenty in old school animation. Prepare yourself for the filth, I did!!!

I was really impressed with the animation, drawings, color, texture and flavor of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. It was great to check out and to root for the fearless vampire hunter. I could not believe some of the scenes that were produced for me through Japanese Animation. I could really tell that much time and effort was put into every stitch of this work. I would certainly recommend it to friends and family that would enjoy a great rush of action mixed with the struggle of good versus evil. If there was a second part to this movie, I would certainly search it out to check it out for another rating. If you enjoy Japanese Animation at its best, I strongly urge you to check out Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

I would have to admit that Exotica turned out to be a better film than I had imagined. It was slow in parts, but I guess it was to counter some of the scenes in the movie. There were some very disturbing characters in the movie too that really did not have problems so to speak, but certainly could have used some help from a trained sexual therapist. I would have certainly kept my distance from the character with the very hairy chest. I do not even think that he knew what he was going to do next. There was some good bar scene shots and dialog, but all in all, I think that the ending was a little bit rushed. It made me think of several ways that the movie could have been changed to fit the ending. Do not blink!!!