Collection ID 657
Director: Scott Crary
Starring: Ron Albertson, Angus Andrew, Tristan Bechet, Hisham Bharoocha, Glenn Branca
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Palm Pictures / Umvd   Release date: 2004   Rated: NR   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Featuring: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sonic Youth, Theoretical Girls, DNA, LIARS, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Gogol Bordello, flux information sciences, Lydia Lunch, Black Dice, Swans, A.R.E. Weapons, foetus and Glenn Branca.
Plot Outline: First-time filmmaker S.A. Crary shares a complex history of New York's art-punk scene. This compelling documentary weaves together a timeline for an aggressive movement allowing the players to reflect in the moment. With interviews from such punk rock icons as Teenage Jesus & the Jerks bassist Jim Sclavunos, bandmate Lydia Lunch, DNA's Arto Lindsay, Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth and others from the late '70s/early '80s art-punk explosion. Exclusive interviews with these originators and a new generation of practitioners -- from the Grammy-nominated Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Black Dice to Liars to Gogol Bordello -- reveals a consistent hunger for invention through subversion, motivations that come into cacophonous focus in the new and archival concert footage bridging the interviews. What also comes out is a depth of retrospection amongst the older generation that puts the younger generation's musings in a context that will surprise even the most plugged-in of scenesters. By documenting art-punk in the same spirit as the movement itself has played out, Crary has created a compelling reference for a movement that defies them and managed to stay true to its spirit in the process.
DVD Features:
· Over 60 mins of exclusive interviews and performances
· Additional live clips and music videos
· Photo galleries
· Weblinks
· Trailers
My Rating:
My Review: A short documentary about the New York, 'No Wave' music scene. Bridging past and present, this movie starts out well, and the interviews with some of the older artists were great. Truthful, unpretentious, no holds barred. What was 'No Wave?' A musical movement that grew out of Punk Rock. Was it Punk Rock? Well, sort of, but not really. It was/is a more artistic expression, more of an experimental ethic. Unconventional to be sure, but the association by sound (with Punk) isn't as strong as the ethic (revolutionary). This documentary was obviously trying to show the continuation of this ethic, from past to present. I think it would have been better served as a focus on the roots of this movement, as the connection to the current music scene (up to 2004), paints the current group as more concerned with commercial aspects of their success, than they are with an honest expression of their own music. I like the way they let the artists tell the story, but some of the footage was a bit rough (poor quality), and then there was the totally unneccessary scene depicting oral sex?! What the? Why was that in there? In the end, it was a part of my past that really enjoyed this movie.

Collection ID 1352
Director: Scott Crary
Starring: Ron Albertson, Angus Andrew, Tristan Bechet, Hisham Bharoocha, Glenn Branca
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Palm Pictures / Umvd   Release date: 2004   Rated: NR   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Featuring: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sonic Youth, Theoretical Girls, DNA, LIARS, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Gogol Bordello, flux information sciences, Lydia Lunch, Black Dice, Swans, A.R.E. Weapons, foetus and Glenn Branca.
Plot Outline: First-time filmmaker S.A. Crary shares a complex history of New York's art-punk scene. This compelling documentary weaves together a timeline for an aggressive movement allowing the players to reflect in the moment. With interviews from such punk rock icons as Teenage Jesus & the Jerks bassist Jim Sclavunos, bandmate Lydia Lunch, DNA's Arto Lindsay, Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth and others from the late '70s/early '80s art-punk explosion. Exclusive interviews with these originators and a new generation of practitioners -- from the Grammy-nominated Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Black Dice to Liars to Gogol Bordello -- reveals a consistent hunger for invention through subversion, motivations that come into cacophonous focus in the new and archival concert footage bridging the interviews. What also comes out is a depth of retrospection amongst the older generation that puts the younger generation's musings in a context that will surprise even the most plugged-in of scenesters. By documenting art-punk in the same spirit as the movement itself has played out, Crary has created a compelling reference for a movement that defies them and managed to stay true to its spirit in the process.
DVD Features:
· Over 60 mins of exclusive interviews and performances
· Additional live clips and music videos
· Photo galleries
· Weblinks
· Trailers
My Rating:
My Review: A short documentary about the New York, 'No Wave' music scene. Bridging past and present, this movie starts out well, and the interviews with some of the older artists were great. Truthful, unpretentious, no holds barred. What was 'No Wave?' A musical movement that grew out of Punk Rock. Was it Punk Rock? Well, sort of, but not really. It was/is a more artistic expression, more of an experimental ethic. Unconventional to be sure, but the association by sound (with Punk) isn't as strong as the ethic (revolutionary). This documentary was obviously trying to show the continuation of this ethic, from past to present. I think it would have been better served as a focus on the roots of this movement, as the connection to the current music scene (up to 2004), paints the current group as more concerned with commercial aspects of their success, than they are with an honest expression of their own music. I like the way they let the artists tell the story, but some of the footage was a bit rough (poor quality), and then there was the totally unneccessary scene depicting oral sex?! What the? Why was that in there? In the end, it was a part of my past that really enjoyed this movie.

Collection ID 671
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Martin Hancock, Michael Sheen, Nathalie Cox, Eriq Ebouaney, Jouko Ahola
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox   Release date: 2005   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Spanish (UK)
Summary: It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of the Crusades for years to come. "Kingdom of Heaven" is greater than the sum of its parts, delivering a vital, mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom), a lonely French blacksmith who discovers he's a noble heir and takes his father's (Liam Neeson) place in the center of the universe circa 1184: Jerusalem. Here, grand battles and backdoor politics are key as Scott and first-time screenwriter William Monahan fashion an excellent storyline to tackle the centuries-long conflict. Two forward-thinking kings, Baldwin (Edward Norton in an uncredited yet substantial role) and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), hold an uneasy truce between Christians (who hold the city) and Muslims while factions champ at the bit for blood. There are good and evildoers on both sides, with the Knights Templar taking the brunt of the blame; Balian plans to find his soul while protecting Baldwin and the people. The look of the film, as nearly everything is from Scott, is impressive: his CGI-infused battle scenes rival the "LOTR" series and, with cinematographer John Mathieson, create postcard beauty with snowy French forests and the vast desert (filmed in Morocco and Spain). An excellent supporting cast, including Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and David Thewlis, also help make the head and heart of the film work. Many critics pointed out that Bloom doesn't have the gravitas of Russell Crowe in the lead (then again, who does?), but it's the underdeveloped character and not the actor that hurts the film and impacts its power. Balian isn't given much more to do than be sullen and give an occasional big speech, alongside his perplexing abilities for warfare tactics and his wandering moral compass (whose sole purpose seems to be to put a love scene in the movie). Note: all the major characters except Neeson's are based on fact, but many are heavily fictionalized. "--Doug Thomas"
My Rating:
My Review: This one showed up on Kim's list before mine. Her queue is significantly shorter. Directed by Ridley Scott, this is by far the best movie I have ever seen about the crusades. A peasant blacksmith, by way of royal inheritance becomes a knight, a lord, a defender of Jerusalem and a man in this visually stunning epic film. Great direction, acting, action, music, sets, locations, costumes, film-work and a story as old as the Holy land. I'm certainly no historian, but I'll bet it wasn't just a few bad Christians that caused all the Holy wars. Pretty much all the Muslim's were depicted as refined, sophisticated and tolerant. While most of the Christians were depicted as brutish slobs, religious fanatics, bloodthirsty murderers. Not a very even depiction. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I'll leave the political debate to historians.

Collection ID 1365
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Martin Hancock, Michael Sheen, Nathalie Cox, Eriq Ebouaney, Jouko Ahola
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox   Release date: 2005   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Spanish (UK)
Summary: It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of the Crusades for years to come. "Kingdom of Heaven" is greater than the sum of its parts, delivering a vital, mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom), a lonely French blacksmith who discovers he's a noble heir and takes his father's (Liam Neeson) place in the center of the universe circa 1184: Jerusalem. Here, grand battles and backdoor politics are key as Scott and first-time screenwriter William Monahan fashion an excellent storyline to tackle the centuries-long conflict. Two forward-thinking kings, Baldwin (Edward Norton in an uncredited yet substantial role) and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), hold an uneasy truce between Christians (who hold the city) and Muslims while factions champ at the bit for blood. There are good and evildoers on both sides, with the Knights Templar taking the brunt of the blame; Balian plans to find his soul while protecting Baldwin and the people. The look of the film, as nearly everything is from Scott, is impressive: his CGI-infused battle scenes rival the "LOTR" series and, with cinematographer John Mathieson, create postcard beauty with snowy French forests and the vast desert (filmed in Morocco and Spain). An excellent supporting cast, including Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and David Thewlis, also help make the head and heart of the film work. Many critics pointed out that Bloom doesn't have the gravitas of Russell Crowe in the lead (then again, who does?), but it's the underdeveloped character and not the actor that hurts the film and impacts its power. Balian isn't given much more to do than be sullen and give an occasional big speech, alongside his perplexing abilities for warfare tactics and his wandering moral compass (whose sole purpose seems to be to put a love scene in the movie). Note: all the major characters except Neeson's are based on fact, but many are heavily fictionalized. "--Doug Thomas"
My Rating:
My Review: This one showed up on Kim's list before mine. Her queue is significantly shorter. Directed by Ridley Scott, this is by far the best movie I have ever seen about the crusades. A peasant blacksmith, by way of royal inheritance becomes a knight, a lord, a defender of Jerusalem and a man in this visually stunning epic film. Great direction, acting, action, music, sets, locations, costumes, film-work and a story as old as the Holy land. I'm certainly no historian, but I'll bet it wasn't just a few bad Christians that caused all the Holy wars. Pretty much all the Muslim's were depicted as refined, sophisticated and tolerant. While most of the Christians were depicted as brutish slobs, religious fanatics, bloodthirsty murderers. Not a very even depiction. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I'll leave the political debate to historians.

Collection ID 701
Director: Peter Ily Huemer
Starring: Uma Thurman, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Drama
Studio: Digiview   Release date: 1988   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Woman drugs and robs unsuspecting men on the streets of New York, and then she becomes stalked by a mad man. Uma Thurman's first starring role from 1988.
My Rating:
My Review: Starring Uma Thurman, Paul Richards, Paul Dillon and in a very small role - Steve Buscemi. I purchased this movie at Wal-Mart for $1.00. I bought it because of the prominent feature of Steve Buscemi's name. Little did I know that he's only in the film for 10 minutes (if that). Extremely poor production (sound, lighting, camera work) mars this already poorly written movie. Most of the scenes are shot at night in dark rooms, with little or no lighting. I think they only had one microphone on set (throughout the movie), and the poor editing causes the pacing to lag throughout. Laura (played by Uma Thurman) is a bit of an enigma. She seems to be a run-away, working in New York city as a stripper, but we can't be quite sure, because she's never shown in the buff (likely due to her age). When she's not doing her show, she's playing a dangerous 'rope-a-dope' game. Disguised in various costumes, dressed to seduce, she lures wealthy men with her youthful appearance (She 18 (or 17?) when the movie was filmed, but looked younger) and the insinuation of sex. Once she gets the guys alone, she drugs them and rips them off. Two other men occupy the story and interact with the innocent yet sinister Laura. Paul Richards plays a creepy 'Daddy' character. An older admirer, who sees his daughter in Laura and stalks her like some twisted pervert. Finally there's Paul Dillon playing Sid, the enigmatic down on his luck friend. He's down on his luck and looking to restart his life. Laura offers him a place to stay if he can find a job. The story never really goes anywhere, and the climax is anything but. FYI - Steve Buscemi is not a co-star in this movie. He's featured in one scene as the friend of sid. Despite his minimal role, his acting was easily the best in the movie. This movie gets a 1 out of 5. Thankfully, I only paid a buck for it.

Collection ID 1391
Director: Peter Ily Huemer
Starring: Uma Thurman, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Drama
Studio: Digiview   Release date: 1988   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Woman drugs and robs unsuspecting men on the streets of New York, and then she becomes stalked by a mad man. Uma Thurman's first starring role from 1988.
My Rating:
My Review: Starring Uma Thurman, Paul Richards, Paul Dillon and in a very small role - Steve Buscemi. I purchased this movie at Wal-Mart for $1.00. I bought it because of the prominent feature of Steve Buscemi's name. Little did I know that he's only in the film for 10 minutes (if that). Extremely poor production (sound, lighting, camera work) mars this already poorly written movie. Most of the scenes are shot at night in dark rooms, with little or no lighting. I think they only had one microphone on set (throughout the movie), and the poor editing causes the pacing to lag throughout. Laura (played by Uma Thurman) is a bit of an enigma. She seems to be a run-away, working in New York city as a stripper, but we can't be quite sure, because she's never shown in the buff (likely due to her age). When she's not doing her show, she's playing a dangerous 'rope-a-dope' game. Disguised in various costumes, dressed to seduce, she lures wealthy men with her youthful appearance (She 18 (or 17?) when the movie was filmed, but looked younger) and the insinuation of sex. Once she gets the guys alone, she drugs them and rips them off. Two other men occupy the story and interact with the innocent yet sinister Laura. Paul Richards plays a creepy 'Daddy' character. An older admirer, who sees his daughter in Laura and stalks her like some twisted pervert. Finally there's Paul Dillon playing Sid, the enigmatic down on his luck friend. He's down on his luck and looking to restart his life. Laura offers him a place to stay if he can find a job. The story never really goes anywhere, and the climax is anything but. FYI - Steve Buscemi is not a co-star in this movie. He's featured in one scene as the friend of sid. Despite his minimal role, his acting was easily the best in the movie. This movie gets a 1 out of 5. Thankfully, I only paid a buck for it.

Collection ID 1714
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Lionsgate   Release date: 2019   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, Hindi (USA)
Summary: When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.
My Rating:
My Review: Great murder mystery starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc a private detective (with a southern accent), Jamie Lee Curtis and others. Takes place in a big mansion. It's a donut in a donut who-dunnit, which challenges your sleuthing skills. This is the second time I've seen the movie, and it still surprised me in the plot department. Extremely well constructed. Writing is top notch, pacing is perfect and the cast is superb. Rating rises from 4 to 5, and I'm glad I bought it.

Collection ID 685
Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Joanna Kerns, Loudon Wainwright III, Harold Ramis
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios   Release date: 2007   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (USA)
Summary: Unwanted pregnancy might sound like a risky subject for slapstick comedy, but "Knocked Up" is from writer-director Judd Apatow--so we are in the hands of a man who likes to push things. And like Apatow's predecessor, The "40-Year-Old Virgin", "Knocked Up" is a shaggy crowd-pleaser, a comedy strewn with vulgarity but with a sweet heart at its center. A one-night stand between the utterly mismatched Ben (Seth Rogen, his first starring role) and Alison (Katherine Heigl) results in said pregnancy, and the two people reunite for mutual support--even though they barely know each other. Ben's a slob who lives with four other guys, all of whom share the same stunted approach to maturity; Alison is a new on-air personality at the E! channel. That these two eventually develop a shared understanding and affection is perhaps the movie's biggest stretch (some of the male-humor jokes amongst the guys are idiotic enough to test anybody's hope of civilizing them).
Rogen and Heigl don't really jump off the screen, but, to be fair, the movie frequently needs them to play straight while the supporting cast cuts up. "Virgin" vets Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are around to supply some humor, as Alison's sister and brother-in-law, and the four idiots who live with Ben (Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Siegel, and Martin Starr) are in their own zone of sophomoric bad taste. Still, by "40-Year-Old Virgin" standards, this movie doesn't explode, and it sometimes feels ramshackle to the point of not being thought out. Apatow's indulgence of actors creates some fine moments (Paul Rudd seems to have most of them), but it can also make a movie feel flabby, and this one is overlong by the length of a belly. "--Robert Horton"
My Rating:
My Review: Written and directed by Judd Apatow (Also did Anchorman and 40 Year Old Virgin). This is definitely a worthy work from this talented young man. If you enjoyed 40 year old virgin, but found it a bit unrealistic, and a bit too raunchy, you'll love this movie. This one combines romance and comedy instead of relying entirely on comedy. The relationship aspects helped move the writing/story at a respectable rate. The acting was great. Even the slightly aloof character played by Katherine Heigl is played perfectly. The writing was astonishingly good. Some of the situations were absolutely hilarious. Hot single Alison Scott (played by Katherine Heigl) hooks up with slacker Ben Stone (played by Seth Rogen) for a night of ill-advised whoopi. Afterwards, she becomes pregnant! Now what? Seth Rogen (the male lead) does an outstanding job as the loveable buffoon slacker type. Unconcerned with his own situation, he selflessly commits to becoming a father, even though he knows he's not cut out for the job. While the matching at first seems untenable and unrealistic, the writing convinced me that this was a couple willing to look past the material, first glance exteriors in their relationships. My god the lines were funny! Huge laughs, while keeping it sweet enough to tug at the heart. The supporting cast, music and directing were outstanding. Oh, by the way. This is not an appropriate movie for children.

Collection ID 1375
Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Joanna Kerns, Loudon Wainwright III, Harold Ramis
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios   Release date: 2007   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (USA)
Summary: Unwanted pregnancy might sound like a risky subject for slapstick comedy, but "Knocked Up" is from writer-director Judd Apatow--so we are in the hands of a man who likes to push things. And like Apatow's predecessor, The "40-Year-Old Virgin", "Knocked Up" is a shaggy crowd-pleaser, a comedy strewn with vulgarity but with a sweet heart at its center. A one-night stand between the utterly mismatched Ben (Seth Rogen, his first starring role) and Alison (Katherine Heigl) results in said pregnancy, and the two people reunite for mutual support--even though they barely know each other. Ben's a slob who lives with four other guys, all of whom share the same stunted approach to maturity; Alison is a new on-air personality at the E! channel. That these two eventually develop a shared understanding and affection is perhaps the movie's biggest stretch (some of the male-humor jokes amongst the guys are idiotic enough to test anybody's hope of civilizing them).
Rogen and Heigl don't really jump off the screen, but, to be fair, the movie frequently needs them to play straight while the supporting cast cuts up. "Virgin" vets Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are around to supply some humor, as Alison's sister and brother-in-law, and the four idiots who live with Ben (Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Siegel, and Martin Starr) are in their own zone of sophomoric bad taste. Still, by "40-Year-Old Virgin" standards, this movie doesn't explode, and it sometimes feels ramshackle to the point of not being thought out. Apatow's indulgence of actors creates some fine moments (Paul Rudd seems to have most of them), but it can also make a movie feel flabby, and this one is overlong by the length of a belly. "--Robert Horton"
My Rating:
My Review: Written and directed by Judd Apatow (Also did Anchorman and 40 Year Old Virgin). This is definitely a worthy work from this talented young man. If you enjoyed 40 year old virgin, but found it a bit unrealistic, and a bit too raunchy, you'll love this movie. This one combines romance and comedy instead of relying entirely on comedy. The relationship aspects helped move the writing/story at a respectable rate. The acting was great. Even the slightly aloof character played by Katherine Heigl is played perfectly. The writing was astonishingly good. Some of the situations were absolutely hilarious. Hot single Alison Scott (played by Katherine Heigl) hooks up with slacker Ben Stone (played by Seth Rogen) for a night of ill-advised whoopi. Afterwards, she becomes pregnant! Now what? Seth Rogen (the male lead) does an outstanding job as the loveable buffoon slacker type. Unconcerned with his own situation, he selflessly commits to becoming a father, even though he knows he's not cut out for the job. While the matching at first seems untenable and unrealistic, the writing convinced me that this was a couple willing to look past the material, first glance exteriors in their relationships. My god the lines were funny! Huge laughs, while keeping it sweet enough to tug at the heart. The supporting cast, music and directing were outstanding. Oh, by the way. This is not an appropriate movie for children.

Collection ID 608
Director: Nimród Antal
Starring: Sándor Csányi, Zoltán Mucsi, Csaba Pindroch, Sándor Badár, Zsolt Nagy
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Velocity / Thinkfilm   Release date: 2004   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (Hungary)
Summary: The setting of "Kontroll" is the Budapest subway system, one of the largest and oldest in the world, and a place that becomes an omniscient character in an ambitious film that jumbles dark comedy, slick action, and horror-movie conventions. The other main character is Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi), part of a team of disheveled ticket inspectors--controllers--who roam the grimy, fluorescent-lit city-under-the-city in a soul-destroying ritual. The job has become such a part of Bulcsú that he never leaves the underground. He has taken to sleeping on empty platforms and getting progressively more unkempt as he accumulates more bruises, bloody noses, and bitterness from his scraps with a variety of unseemly creatures of the night (and day). Among the post-punk, post-communist habitués of this subterranean metropolis are a cute girl in a teddy-bear suit, a rival gang of ticket inspectors who like to play a deadly game of chicken with express trains, and a hooded specter who may or may not be pushing people under subway wheels at crowded stops. First-time director Nimród Antal keenly juggles black comedy, character types, and genre styles, making the most of the weird angles and inherent dark creepiness of his chosen backdrop. "Kontroll" keeps pace as a hip, flashy, fast-moving set piece by any international measure. "--Ted Fry"
My Rating:
My Review: Wow! I was blown away. What a great movie! Written in part, and directed by Nimród Antal, this movie is a character based drama, with a little romance and a murder mystery mixed in. Filmed on location in the subways of Budapest and starring complete unknowns (to American audiences); the main characters are subway 'Kontroll' officers. Their job, eject the freeloaders and control the flow of passengers and trains. The subways are a place where all the citizens converge. It's a melting pot of drama where the characters range the gamut from mundane to murderous. I found myself riveted to the screen as this dark subterranean cinema careened past my retinas. My second time watching this movie - I have no idea why I waited so long! and now I realize a depth to this movie that escaped me the first time through. The characters here are far more complex, subtle and powerful than I first imagined. In the scripts refusal to reveal all, we are presented with an amazing opportunity to speculate on the identity of the killer, the fate of the primary character, and the true identity of the bear that turns into an angel. I will definitely look for more movies from Nimród Antal.