Collection ID 1272
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver
Genre: Drama
Studio: Buena Vista Home Vid   Release date: 2004   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: im excited about this movie it looks more scarier than signs and should have its surprises coming from M. Night!
My Rating:
My Review: Another movie written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. One of my favorite directors. Shyamalan also did Sixth Sense, Signs and Unbreakable. I rated all of these 5 out of 5, and may come as no surprise that I'm giving 'The Village' a 5 out of 5 as well. A love story inside a story inside a story. Very well written. The cast was fantastic. With names like: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrian Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, and Brendon Gleeson, this movie contains some top notch acting. The costumes are vivid, evocative and splendid in period. The sets and locations take you back to a simpler time. The music moves you, catching your breath, lifting your spirits and giving you hope. The direction is impecable. This movie has more emotion and reason in it than M. Night Shyamalan's previous films. Despite the reviews of a couple of naysaying friends, I thought this was a fantastic movie. I'm glad I bought a copy and I look forward to his next film.

Collection ID 617
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Starring: Rick Allen, Vivian Campbell, Stephen Clark, Phil Collen, Joe Elliott
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Criterion   Release date: 1955   Rated: NR   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Henri-Georges Clouzot's gripping 1953 thriller throws four men into a primal struggle against the jungle armed with modern machinery and their own nerves and endurance. The squalid, isolated South American town of Las Piedras is a veritable refuge turned prison for criminals from all over the world. When an oil fire ignites 300 miles away, dozens of desperate volunteers apply for the dangerous job of driving highly volatile nitroglycerin across rugged jungle roads--for a $2,000 payday. The bulk of the film charts the slow, grueling trek over bumpy, pothole-dotted dirt roads and worse. A dangerous cutback forces the trucks to back over a rotting wooden platform built over a cliff, a boulder in the road must be blasted away, and a river of oil (gushing from a broken pipeline) must be forded--all with one ton of explosive nitro resting in the back of each truck. The ordeal forges a tough-guy trust between German Bimba (Peter Van Eyck) and Italian Luigi (Folco Lulli) but tears apart Frenchmen Mario (Yves Montand) and Jo (Charles Vanel). Former gangland hotshot Jo finds his once-fearless exterior cracked, while Mario discovers in himself a new grit and tenacity. Clouzot's stark, simple imagery and painstaking attention to detail create a riveting tension that never lets up, intensified by the ruthless drive of Mario, who proves he will do anything--"anything"--to get his truck through. William Freidkin remade the film in 1977 as the stylish "Sorcerer". "--Sean Axmaker"
My Rating:
My Review: This black & white movie from 1955 is very multi-lingual. Scenes include dialog in French, Italian, Spanish, German and English. There may have been other languages, but I stopped trying to keep count. This movie is directed by a renowned french director: Henri-Georges Clouzot. The movie is set in central or south america (Nicaragua or Venezuela?). The setting is a backwater village where there is very little work. Foreigners abound, but there is no explanation as to why they are there. The begining of the movie is a little slow. Eventualy we get to the meat of the movie. An American oil company (who cares for nothing but profits) must hire drivers (who will go to any lengths to escape the life they've made for themselves) to transport nitroglycerin across rugged terrain in order to put out an oil well fire on the other side of the mountains. Many of the deparate foreigners apply for the job, and two crews are selected for the suicide mission. Once this phase of the movie gets under way, the movie gets much better. Washboard roads, narrow defiles, wastelands, hair-pin turns, avalanches and explosions. The tension becomes so taught at times that characters are more volatile than their cargo. It's a dark movie, with obvious anti-American socialist leanings, but it's a fantastic movie. The ending is very nihilistic and a bit of a downer.

Collection ID 1316
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Starring: Rick Allen, Vivian Campbell, Stephen Clark, Phil Collen, Joe Elliott
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Criterion   Release date: 1955   Rated: NR   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Henri-Georges Clouzot's gripping 1953 thriller throws four men into a primal struggle against the jungle armed with modern machinery and their own nerves and endurance. The squalid, isolated South American town of Las Piedras is a veritable refuge turned prison for criminals from all over the world. When an oil fire ignites 300 miles away, dozens of desperate volunteers apply for the dangerous job of driving highly volatile nitroglycerin across rugged jungle roads--for a $2,000 payday. The bulk of the film charts the slow, grueling trek over bumpy, pothole-dotted dirt roads and worse. A dangerous cutback forces the trucks to back over a rotting wooden platform built over a cliff, a boulder in the road must be blasted away, and a river of oil (gushing from a broken pipeline) must be forded--all with one ton of explosive nitro resting in the back of each truck. The ordeal forges a tough-guy trust between German Bimba (Peter Van Eyck) and Italian Luigi (Folco Lulli) but tears apart Frenchmen Mario (Yves Montand) and Jo (Charles Vanel). Former gangland hotshot Jo finds his once-fearless exterior cracked, while Mario discovers in himself a new grit and tenacity. Clouzot's stark, simple imagery and painstaking attention to detail create a riveting tension that never lets up, intensified by the ruthless drive of Mario, who proves he will do anything--"anything"--to get his truck through. William Freidkin remade the film in 1977 as the stylish "Sorcerer". "--Sean Axmaker"
My Rating:
My Review: This black & white movie from 1955 is very multi-lingual. Scenes include dialog in French, Italian, Spanish, German and English. There may have been other languages, but I stopped trying to keep count. This movie is directed by a renowned french director: Henri-Georges Clouzot. The movie is set in central or south america (Nicaragua or Venezuela?). The setting is a backwater village where there is very little work. Foreigners abound, but there is no explanation as to why they are there. The begining of the movie is a little slow. Eventualy we get to the meat of the movie. An American oil company (who cares for nothing but profits) must hire drivers (who will go to any lengths to escape the life they've made for themselves) to transport nitroglycerin across rugged terrain in order to put out an oil well fire on the other side of the mountains. Many of the deparate foreigners apply for the job, and two crews are selected for the suicide mission. Once this phase of the movie gets under way, the movie gets much better. Washboard roads, narrow defiles, wastelands, hair-pin turns, avalanches and explosions. The tension becomes so taught at times that characters are more volatile than their cargo. It's a dark movie, with obvious anti-American socialist leanings, but it's a fantastic movie. The ending is very nihilistic and a bit of a downer.

Collection ID 612
Director: James Mangold
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts
Genre: Drama
Studio: 20th Century Fox   Release date: 2005   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, Russian (USA)
Summary: A solid and entertaining biopic, "Walk the Line" works less as a movie than an actors' showcase for its stars. Joaquin Phoenix's total immersion into the skin of singer Johnny Cash is startling--watching it, you can't believe this is the same guy who whined about being "vexed" in "Gladiator". As he evolves from a farm boy to gospel croonin' plunker to the Man in Black, Phoenix disappears into Cash's deep baritone, his way of slinging the guitar onto his back, and his hunched-up style of strumming. But it's more than just picking up mannerisms: Phoenix also sings as Johnny Cash, and it's quite impressive.
The story of how Johnny Cash became Johnny Cash traces from his childhood under a distant father (Robert Patrick) to his early attempts at a music career, during which he married his girlfriend Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). During a tour with the likes of Elvis (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne), he encounters singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), and his love for her--and her rejection of him through the years--spurs him into drugs, drinking, and depression. As with most movies based on real-life singers, as his popularity grows, the women come a-flockin', and the childhood demons surface. Witherspoon, who matches Phoenix drawl for drawl, plays June both as a sassy spitfire whose charm breaks your heart, and as a sympathetic friend who tries to help Cash get over--well, her. The love story is what endures, but the movie comes most alive during its musical numbers, and even if you're not a country fan, it may just get you to run out and buy a Johnny Cash album."--Ellen A. Kim"
My Rating:
My Review: I originally watched this movie while flying back from vacation in Hawaii. A documentary about rock/country legend Johnny Cash. Juaquin Phoenix gave a stunning performance as the enigmatic country rocker. Reese Witherspoon delivers an unforgettable June Carter. The direction by James Mangold (Copland, Girl Interupted) was great. The costumes, sets, locations and casting were all well done. While this picture was less bio-pic and more love story than some would prefer, I found it utterly convincing, compelling and deeply moving. The musical performances by Phoenix and Witherspoon were top notch, the acting was outstanding, the music was used to move the story forward, and I rate this movie 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 1312
Director: James Mangold
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts
Genre: Drama
Studio: 20th Century Fox   Release date: 2005   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, Russian (USA)
Summary: A solid and entertaining biopic, "Walk the Line" works less as a movie than an actors' showcase for its stars. Joaquin Phoenix's total immersion into the skin of singer Johnny Cash is startling--watching it, you can't believe this is the same guy who whined about being "vexed" in "Gladiator". As he evolves from a farm boy to gospel croonin' plunker to the Man in Black, Phoenix disappears into Cash's deep baritone, his way of slinging the guitar onto his back, and his hunched-up style of strumming. But it's more than just picking up mannerisms: Phoenix also sings as Johnny Cash, and it's quite impressive.
The story of how Johnny Cash became Johnny Cash traces from his childhood under a distant father (Robert Patrick) to his early attempts at a music career, during which he married his girlfriend Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). During a tour with the likes of Elvis (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne), he encounters singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), and his love for her--and her rejection of him through the years--spurs him into drugs, drinking, and depression. As with most movies based on real-life singers, as his popularity grows, the women come a-flockin', and the childhood demons surface. Witherspoon, who matches Phoenix drawl for drawl, plays June both as a sassy spitfire whose charm breaks your heart, and as a sympathetic friend who tries to help Cash get over--well, her. The love story is what endures, but the movie comes most alive during its musical numbers, and even if you're not a country fan, it may just get you to run out and buy a Johnny Cash album."--Ellen A. Kim"
My Rating:
My Review: I originally watched this movie while flying back from vacation in Hawaii. A documentary about rock/country legend Johnny Cash. Juaquin Phoenix gave a stunning performance as the enigmatic country rocker. Reese Witherspoon delivers an unforgettable June Carter. The direction by James Mangold (Copland, Girl Interupted) was great. The costumes, sets, locations and casting were all well done. While this picture was less bio-pic and more love story than some would prefer, I found it utterly convincing, compelling and deeply moving. The musical performances by Phoenix and Witherspoon were top notch, the acting was outstanding, the music was used to move the story forward, and I rate this movie 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 116
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Tamara Tunie, Franklin Cover, Chuck Pfeiffer, John C. McGinley
Genre: Crime
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation   Release date: 1987   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French, French (USA)
Summary: A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top.
My Rating:
My Review: Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko was truly memorable. The character epitomized the era in which this movie is set. It's the early 80s and Bud Fox (played by Charlie Sheen) is a young stock broker, obsessed with the dream of wealth and power in an era of greed and ruthless, high-stakes, business deals. When Bud manages to fall under the spell of Gordon Gekko he learns all about the 'good life'. Fast women, fast money, loose morals and a compass gone astray from his blue collar upbringing (by his father Carl Fox, played by Martin Sheen). The casting was excellent (except for Daryl Hannah, who's acting was horrid) and the characters well motivated. The direction by Oliver Stone was perfect. The pacing was quite good and the world of wall street created a palpable reality of martini dinners and back room deals that held me rapt in the glow of this morality play filled with lessons of excess and dramatic consequences. This movie captured much of the 80s ethic, it's hopes, dreams and consequences. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 900
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Tamara Tunie, Franklin Cover, Chuck Pfeiffer, John C. McGinley
Genre: Crime
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation   Release date: 1987   Rated:   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French, French (USA)
Summary: A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top.
My Rating:
My Review: Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko was truly memorable. The character epitomized the era in which this movie is set. It's the early 80s and Bud Fox (played by Charlie Sheen) is a young stock broker, obsessed with the dream of wealth and power in an era of greed and ruthless, high-stakes, business deals. When Bud manages to fall under the spell of Gordon Gekko he learns all about the 'good life'. Fast women, fast money, loose morals and a compass gone astray from his blue collar upbringing (by his father Carl Fox, played by Martin Sheen). The casting was excellent (except for Daryl Hannah, who's acting was horrid) and the characters well motivated. The direction by Oliver Stone was perfect. The pacing was quite good and the world of wall street created a palpable reality of martini dinners and back room deals that held me rapt in the glow of this morality play filled with lessons of excess and dramatic consequences. This movie captured much of the 80s ethic, it's hopes, dreams and consequences. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 103
Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, MacInTalk
Genre: Animation, Family
Studio: FortyFour Studios   Release date: 2008   Rated: G   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In a distant, but not so unrealistic, future where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of Earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, EVE, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to Earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with EVE. WALL-E rescues EVE from a dust storm and shows her a living plant he found amongst the rubble. Consistent with her "directive", EVE takes the plant and automatically enters a deactivated state except for a blinking green beacon. WALL-E, doesn't understand what has happened to his new friend, but, true to his love, he protects her from wind, rain, and lightning, even as she is unresponsive. One day a massive ship comes to reclaim EVE, but WALL-E, ...
My Rating:
My Review: Animation never looked this good. In the far-far future, one lonely little robot does all he can to heal Earthly wounds.

Collection ID 183
Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, MacInTalk
Genre: Animation, Family
Studio: FortyFour Studios   Release date: 2008   Rated: G   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In a distant, but not so unrealistic, future where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of Earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, EVE, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to Earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with EVE. WALL-E rescues EVE from a dust storm and shows her a living plant he found amongst the rubble. Consistent with her "directive", EVE takes the plant and automatically enters a deactivated state except for a blinking green beacon. WALL-E, doesn't understand what has happened to his new friend, but, true to his love, he protects her from wind, rain, and lightning, even as she is unresponsive. One day a massive ship comes to reclaim EVE, but WALL-E, ...
My Rating:
My Review: Animation never looked this good. In the far-far future, one lonely little robot does all he can to heal Earthly wounds.

Collection ID 1502
Director: Gary Sherman
Starring: Rutger Hauer, Gene Simmons, Robert Guillaume, Mel Harris, William Russ
Genre: Action
Studio: New World Pictures   Release date: 1987   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: This movie features a character who is a descendant of the character played by Steve McQueen in the television series of the same name. And like McQueen's Josh Randall, Hauer's Nick Randall is also a bounty hunter. & also an ex-CIA operative, who is asked by his former employer to help them track down a terrorist, Malak Al Rahim, who is in the country, and has already made a move. But he is also looking for Randall, and the people, whom Randall is working for, is telling Malak, where he can find Randall.
My Rating:
My Review: