Streaming Bread and Roses Online

3月 14th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Streaming Bread and Roses Online. Streaming Bread and Roses Online.

Movie Title: Bread and Roses
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Bread and Roses is available for streaming or downloading.

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Bread and Roses shows us the world of the illegal immigrants in Los Angeles who elegant buildings for sub-standard wages and no benefits. Life is a daily stuggle to pay the bills and do food on the table. These unpleasant people live in dismay that they will be fired without cause and turned into beggars. Often enough their worst fears are realized. They perceive helplessly as their friends are demeaned, mistreated, and thrown out on the street.

A union organizer,Sam, capably played by Adrien Brody, tries to organize these shrinking and abused people. He meets Maya, Pilar Padilla, who works as a janitor in an office building thanks to back she received from her sister Rosa, wonderfully played by Elpidia Carrillo. Maya has recently been smuggled into Los Angeles by “coyotes,” men who lift advantage of terrible Mexicans who want a chance at the genuine life in America. She aloof has her hopes and idealism intact and argues with her sister to serve Sam declare his message to all the janitors at the building where they work.

Rosa has lost her idealism and mighty of her hope years ago. She stuggles to pay her bills, succor a sick husband, and enjoy her health and sanity, both of which she is in inconvenience of losing. In the most gripping scene of this film, or any other the viewer is likely to inspect anytime soon, Rosa explains to Maya how she has had to degrade herself to live and succor her family. She is a favorable person who has prostituted herself to survive. Her description of the years she has submitted to the beastial behavior of the animals who prey on the outmoded and powerless women who want nothing more than bread to eat and a roof over their head will not soon be forgotten by any sensitive viewer.

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For Sam and the union, bread is a initiate, but they also want roses for the people who shipshape up after us day after day. The message of this film is a compelling one. Director Ken Loach always keeps his eyes on this main theme — justice for the underpriviledged in our society. He shows us the humanity of the actual people who struggle each day to get a living, often without losing their dignity and sense of humor.

The entire cast turns in solid performances, but it is Elpidia Carrillo who shines above the rest. She deserved an Academy Award nomination for her startling performance. Her work in Bread and Roses is reason enough for me to recommend this film.

This film is a must-see for anyone with an interest in how life can be lived in the United States in this original era of globalization. I am a sociologist with a professional interest in undocumented Mexican immigrants who was also a long-time resident of Los Angeles during the period, 1999-2000, in which the events of this film capture plot. Accordingly, I am well familiar with the Justice for Janitors campaign with its considerable slogan, Si se puede! Maya, the heroine of the film, is young, ravishing, and sure, if not unscrupulous. At the film’s beginning, we stare her entering the United States from Mexico in a group guided by two coyotes. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, she is expecting her sister Rosa to have the money to pay for her clandestine passage. However, her sister, because her husband is very sick with diabetes, does not have the money to pay the coyotes. The two toss a coin to settle which of them will employ the night with her so that she can repay her financial debt in kind. The winner takes her to his apartment. While taking a shower, he anticipates her seduction. However, she robs him of all his money, steals his care for cowboy boots and escapes. She obtains a job as a janitor in the tremendous downtown office building where her sister also works. Because she is undocumented she has to pay her supervisor, Freddie Perez, her first month’s salary, divisible in two parts during her first two months of work. Unknown to Maya at the time, her sister only got the job for Maya after Rosa had agreed to sleep with Perez. Working in the office building, Maya soon meets the two men who provide the romantic action for the film: Sam Schapiro, the young and radiant union organizer, and Ruben, a fellow Mexican immigrant janitor, who has hopes of attending the University of Southern California on a scholarship. The disagreement between Maya’s location and that of Sam is vulgar. In one of the most poignant moments of the film, Maya asks Sam, “What do you have to lose? ” The bitter-sweet ending left me in tears.

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The Universe: Our Solar System Streaming

3月 12th, 2010 by austyn9015145
The Universe: Our Solar System Streaming. The Universe: Our Solar System Streaming.

Movie Title: The Universe: Our Solar System
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While certainly a substantial 2 disk video region, it it misnamed. The series is extremely detailed and looks large. The disks screen Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon, the Sun, Mars, and Jupiter. It does not mask the outer gas giant planets; nor mention them. Many moons of the astronomical gas giants are fascinating; the ones around Jupiter catch short shrifted. I don’t devour commentaries that over over dramatized either; this station has a bit of that. I want the facts, not dramatization. I know the sun will self destruct eventually, for instance; no need to be dramatic. The mountainous plus to the situation is the CGI is up to date and done well. Mammoth teaching tool for the planets mentioned. The detail on the Moon was very obedient!

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Doctor Who – Inferno Streaming

3月 10th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Doctor Who - Inferno Streaming. Doctor Who – Inferno Streaming.

Movie Title: Doctor Who – Inferno
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Before VHS, before DVD, syndication was the only place to watch DOCTOR WHO and for years (decades even) INFERNO was in black and white. The color masters had either been wiped or lost, leaving us with a complete story – but sans the rainbow – and until a complete color copy had been found in Canada – it looked as if either the story would have to be colorized or remain forever in black and white.

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When I picked up INFERNO on DVD I wasn’t sure which version I was getting. I knew that a color version had been found, but wasn’t positive what condition it would be in – so when I looked at the back of the box for more detail I was surprised to find that all the images from the story were in black and white, while the details listed it as being in color. Curious… but not to worry, INFERNO has been restored and returned to its original broadcast glory… better in fact. This new reworking of this “lost” color print snaps, crackles and pops on screen. The colors are vibrant, the image clean and clear – it looks fantastic, and yet I can’t help but miss the old black and white version now.

INFERNO is a great story drawn out just a touch too long. But only just… the story is all countdown, beat the clock, capture and escape and battle against the monsters – add in a dash of romance, scientific hubris (both the Doctor and Professor Stahlman are guilty here – Stahlman with his quest for personal glory, and the Doctor in his quest to escape – both risk all at any cost and both pay a terrible price in the end), and order above reason and you have so much that even at seven episodes it never fits the format, yet leaves you wanting an eighth to complete some of the plots. It’s a great story well told, packed with good characters and actors and everyone is having a ball.

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As with all these releases they have gone the extra mile in packing it with extras – and again, they are all very good. It’s a minor complaint that some of these extras are almost exact copies of other extras also on the disc – the difference between the commentary track and the CAN YOU HEAR THE EARTH SCREAM? MAKING OF… is very narrow. A lot of what you hear there is heard on the commentary track… save for Caroline John, who could make it for the MAKING OF…, but sadly, not for the commentary. Which is a crime, as this was her final full story with DOCTOR WHO (she would cameo in THE FIVE DOCTORS) and from the MAKING OF… it’s clear that she still has a wealth of untold tales from her time on DOCTOR WHO (her comments about the quality of location shooting, toilets and rats is hands down one of the best behind the scenes lines from the series ever put to DVD).

Commentary is included – and like the Doctor, it switches between one reality to the other with somewhat more mixed results. WARP 1 contains Nick Courtney, Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks and is very good. Nice background on production, insights and memories – they are having a good time watching INFERNO and remember it fondly. WARP 2 features John Levene all alone – and, while he is vibrant, happy and excited to be talking about his time served on DOCTOR WHO he falls into the old trap of not wanting to talk about something until it appears on screen, name dropping (yes – it’s true, he used to live right next door to Anthony Hopkins), and repeating what has already been said in WARP 1 – so, at times it becomes a grind. I’m not sure who or why decided this was the way to go with this commentary – but it must all come down to ego and politics. It should be clear which applies to which when you listen for yourself. Overall though – a better commentary than most. Both Courtney and Dicks shine here. Text commentary is tight and heavily detailed and worth your time.

In the end INFERNO was a groundbreaking piece of work on DOCTOR WHO. While the concept may have been getting old even back then of ANOTHER EARTH it was still fresh enough for DOCTOR WHO to have some fun with it – in fact, it’s still fresh enough to be used even now in the new series (Rose – we miss you! We will not stop looking for a way to bring you home!), so we may just see it again… and in fact, we have… a sequel was written to INFERNO by David McIntee.

THE FACE OF THE ENEMY is a DOCTOR WHO story without the Doctor – but instead features The Master, UNIT and Ian and Barbara in a quest to stop some castaways from INFERNO Earth now living on ours. Danger… perils… The Master, a hero? The plot thickens.

I’m happy the color version has been found – it’s keen to see it as it was meant to be seen – but at the same time I mourn the loss of the WARP 2 version of INFERNO. While in black and white failed to energize the main story (set in WARP 1), it packs a punch in WARP 2. It matches the hard edges, rough talk and black hearts found on the Brutal Earth – it’s like looking into Orwell’s 1984 set in the DOCTOR WHO universe – where you could easily see the Doctor as BIG BROTHER.

You won’t go wrong in picking up INFERNO – it’s top notch and full bore. A must have for any DOCTOR WHO fan.

The last story of the Doctor’s seventh season is the 7-part Inferno, one the best in the show’s history. At a research facility, the Doctor is observing the efforts of the arrogant and unpleasant Professor Stahlman as he attempts to penetrate the Earth’s crust in order to gain alternative energy source known as Stahlman’s gas. The problem is, his efforts might lead to the destruction of the Earth, but it’s all about him and forget the others, including Sir Keith Gold, the administrator in charge. Then there’s a greenish ooze that when touched, causes people to turn green and into murderous ape-like Primords, and radiate such intense heat that whatever they touch feels as if it came from a furnace. That is what the Brigadier and UNIT are here for. All this time, penetration zero is hours away from happening, and to make matters worse, Stahlman is infected with the ooze and also sabotages the computer so he cannot be opposed by the Doctor, UNIT, or Sir Keith.

During an experiment, the Doctor is propelled into a parallel Earth where Britain is ruled by a bureaucratic and fascist dictatorship: “Proper bureaucrat, aren’t you? Can’t shoot me unless you fill in all the forms?” He is horrified to see his friends Liz, Benton, and the Brigadier in Nazi-type uniforms, and far from the pleasant people he knew on his Earth. The most striking effect is the Brigadier, here the Brigade Leader, sans mustache, with a black patch over his left eye, a scar running down his left cheek. The Stahlman of that world succeeds in penetrating the Earth’s crust, which eventually causes the planet’s destruction. It is up to the Doctor to return to his Earth to avert such a disaster from happening. As he tells the parallel Earthlings, “compared to the forces that you’ve unleashed, an atomic blast would be like a summer breeze.”

Episode 5 is the most sobering one. The facility starts blowing up, green stuff oozes from the output pipe like a sore, and the fully metamorphosed Primords appear. They are frightening at times, goofy-looking the next, but when they touch someone, that someone becomes one of them, like the parallel Benton

The chaos near the end of Episode 6 are also sobering. The atmosphere is tinted red, people are fleeing in terror or are dazed. And the rivers of molten lava starts flowing. Inferno indeed!

Some of the cliffhangers are effective here. The one for Episode 4 has Stahlman pointing a gun at the Doctor while the countdown voice goes “5, 4, 3, 2, 1…” and then, end credits. The music is eerie and weirdly space-like, and that gives the story its ominous and gripping edge.

All the regulars are terrific here, but Nicholas Courtney gets extra applause for playing the level-headed Brigadier and the vicious and cowardly Brigade Leader. Derek Newark as the authority-flouting Aussie consultant Sutton is particularly splendid, and Olaf Pooley pulls an extra-effective effort at making Professor Stahlman so petty, crazed, and dangerous. Incidentally, Sheila Dunn, who plays Petra Williams, is the wife of Douglas Camfield, who directed this masterpiece.

7-part episodes were abandoned because of their overlength, but it works for Inferno, mainly because of the story. Inferno warns of the dangerously obsessive egomaniacs like Stahlman and also of the terror of nuclear power, of abusing Mother Earth itself. But the story brings hope. When the Doctor learns that Sir Keith survived an auto crash instead of being killed like he was in the fascist Earth, he realizes, “so not everything runs parallel. An infinity of universes, ergo an infinite number of choices. So, free will is not an illusion after all. The pattern can be changed.” I’m hoping that’s what Nostradamus’ prophecies of World War III are-a prediction for a parallel Earth that foolishly and tragically destroyed itself. Well, I hope it’s not the fate of this Earth. With our free will, we can prevent that from happening.

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Streaming Monsieur Verdoux Online

3月 9th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Streaming Monsieur Verdoux Online. Streaming Monsieur Verdoux Online.

Movie Title: Monsieur Verdoux
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Monsieur Verdoux is available for streaming or downloading.

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In his autobiography, Charlie Chaplin called “Monsieur Verdoux” (1947) “the cleverest and most brilliant film I have yet made.” Though not without its faults, this sardonic black comedy remains his best foray into sound. Chaplin’s detailed performance as the business-minded Bluebeard is a masterpiece of screen acting. However, the supporting cast ranges from excellent (Martha Raye) to amateurish (Marilyn Nash) while the final minutes get bogged down in endless talk. Chaplin later admitted that “Monsieur Verdoux” could have used a bit more pantomime and less dialogue. Still, it’s a thought-provoking and hard-hitting film. Henri Verdoux and the Little Tramp have much in common.

If the willingness to take risks is the mark of a great artist — and I believe it is — then Monsieur Verdoux is one of Charles Chaplin’s greatest films. And amidst all the controversy stirred by his portrayal of a serial wife killer, it’s easy to forget that it’s also a hilarious black comedy with plenty of sharp lines that would have succeeded even without its sociological message.

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Chaplin’s ability as an actor is pushed to a new level on this film through his portrayal of a morally ambiguous, unscrupulous ex-bank clerk who has no qualms about putting a body into an incinerator in his backyard. While much has been said about this film’s break with Chaplin’s Little Tramp character, careful examination reveals that Henri Verdoux is just a logical, and daring, advancement in the character: The more devilish, sometimes sadistic sides of the Little Tramp taken to their inevitable conclusion, where comic mischief crosses over the line to villainy. And it’s highly compelling, the perfect foil to Chaplin’s most heartwarming films (eg. City Lights and Modern Times), allowing Chaplin to express an insidiousness hitherto unexplored. Martha Raye nearly steals the show as the airheaded, supernaturally unkillable Mme. Bonheur (the name itself means “happiness”), and Marilyn Nash is winning as the Belgian derelict who inspires a spark of compassion in Verdoux. The conclusion of this character relationship is one of Chaplin’s most complex writing feats: Imagine the ending of City Lights twisted into a dark, steely, uncompromising version of itself.

There are certain moments when the film does threaten to fall into self-involvement — in his later years, Chaplin did let his ego take ahold of his work — but in the case of Monsieur Verdoux, he uses this larger-than-life persona so well, and it fits the character so snugly, that the ego becomes an advantage and adds to the depth of the character. And the script has none of the self-conscious mix of silent film and talkies that plagued The Great Dictator; Chaplin had grown quite well into dialogue writing, allowing him to formulate moments of murderous irony that are cuttingly funny. (”Don’t pull the cat’s tail…”) I have no problems with the ending speeches in this film as I did with the final speech of The Great Dictator: In the context of this story, they fit in quite well. Verdoux at the end is a man who has given up all hope, and he seems to mock his own fate and character while unmercifully unveiling his anger at the world. The speeches are not meant to be taken for face value, and I find them thought-provoking and fascinating rather than moralistic or self-important.

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I first saw this film at Symphony Space in New York City and the audience was laughing so hard it was in tears. With modern audiences generally less inclined to judge a film by its “moral standing” (Kill Bill, anyone?), Monsieur Verdoux can be seen for what it is: A hilarious, complex sociological examination which identifies social ills while at the same time taking part in it. In that, it is unique in the Chaplin canon and deserves to rank among his most important films.

A quick note about this DVD edition: For some reason, the bonus materials for this film are far less numerous than on the other DVDs in this series — hence the single-disc package and lower price. By the standards of this series of reissues, the DVD materials are really quite scant — a useful yet brief half-hour documentary featuring good insight from director Claude Chabrol, a trailer, some storyboards. The picture and sound are of good quality, however, and the film is one to own. Highly recommended.

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Watch Sorcerer Movie Online

3月 8th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Watch Sorcerer Movie Online. Watch Sorcerer Movie Online.

Movie Title: Sorcerer
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Sorcerer is available for streaming or downloading.

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William Friedkin (The French Connection) brings us exotic locations and gripping story in Sorcerer, a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 thriller Wages of Fear.

The first hour of this movie seems to be comprised of random events involving four individuals that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. The only commonality is that they are all men of dubious character. Probably the most recognizable actor in this film is Roy Schieder, who plays a low level New York gangster participate in a robbery that goes bad, and forces him to flee the country due to the fact he managed to step on some pretty well connected toes. The second man, a French businessman, escapes from the threat of prosecution due to some shady business dealings. The third man, a Middle Eastern terrorist flees his captors after being caught participating in a bombing, and the fourth man is a shady assassin type apparently on the run from repercussion from his last hit.

The key is all four men end up in a South American rat-infested stink hole of a town called Vera Cruz. After awhile, they find their sanctuary has become more of a prison and all begin a desperate search for a way out, but that involves money, a commodity that’s in short supply, with the only work available in the area is provided by an oil company that runs a well and is building a pipeline for the bubbling crude. Dangerous work, and the pay is so low that it would take years to earn enough to leave. Salvation for the men comes in a catastrophic disaster, an explosion damaging the well and causing the oil to burn.

The only way to close the well proper for repairs is to blow it up, and the only explosives available are 200 miles away. Turns out the explosives, sticks of nitro, haven’t been tended very well, and, in turn, are highly unstable. The company decides to hire four men to drive two trucks to carry the dangerous materials through 200 miles of dangerous jungle, including prehistoric rope and wood bridges, treacherous mountain passes, deadly bandits and swampy roads laden with fallen trees. The suicide mission draws the four men, as the money would allow them to escape the oppressive town. The most intense scenes for me involved the men trying to traverse a rickety, rotting wooden rope suspension bridge over a raging river during a heavy rainstorm. There were times when the truck on the bridge was at such an angle, I thought it would flip right off. And all the actors performed most all their own stunts, adding to the realism of the movie. Do they make it? See the movie and find out. I especially liked the very end. A very nice touch that reminded me of an ending of a certain Alfred Hitchcock movie. Which one? I won’t say, as it would give it away.

The movie runs just under two hours, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Friedkin and the actors do a wonderful job in developing tensions between the characters and the environment and the between the characters themselves. The pacing is a bit slow, but it’s deliberate, cranking the suspense up, notch by grueling notch.

There are sparse special features, including pretty thorough productions notes and a trailer. If you enjoy thrilling adventure, you will most likely like this movie. I would have happily given this movie five stars but it is only available in the full screen format. Something I didn’t understand is the title for the movie. I wasn’t able to figure out what it had to do with the movie….

Cookieman108

William Friedkin’s remake of “The Wages of Fear” brought a more contemporary, edgy slant to a classic French film. The scale is bigger but the plot remains the same; Roy Scheider plays Jackie Scanlan a member of a crew who accepts what appears to be a suicidal mission; transport nitroglycerin across the treacherous landscape of South America to put out a massive oil fire. All four members of the driving crew have shady pasts making this an ideal chance to escape from the events haunting them at home.

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Friedkin’s vision and the shooting ran out of control contributing to the unforgettable atmosphere of tension that lingers in the finished film. During shooting Friedkin routinely fired crew members forcing the production company to fly them out of the remote location jungle in the Dominican Republic adding to the film’s budget. The replacement members had to be flown in as well. Tensions ran high and tempers flared due to illness, production screw ups and the location which, ironically, created a sense of claustrophobia and isolation. While many prefer the original classic French film, Friedkin’s remake creates its own unique signature with the outrageous stunts and dangerous conditions that dogged the crew at every turn.

Don’t be deceived by the release date of this DVD. It’s exactly the same nonanamorphic pan and scan version released in 1998 with minimal extras. While the release wasn’t bad in the infancy of DVD, it needs to be remastered in anamorphic widescreen (this is in full screen meaning it fills a square TV screen the original 1.66:1 aspect ratio is a bit more rectangular and, as a result, about 1/3 of the screen area is chopped off). The source video used for this looks fair but there’s lots of analog blemishes (dirt, etc.) and the resolution isn’t much better than a high quality videotape.

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It could be much improved and “Sorcerer” misses much of its magic due to the cropped presentation and a lack of a commentary track from Friedkin and/or a retrospective featurette with Scheider. An ambitious follow up to Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”, “Sorcerer” met with mixed critical reaction and an indifferent public reaction (it was made for $22 million almost double its original budget and grossed only $6 millin in the US); that’s too bad as this is an exciting and taunt thriller that deserves better.

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound, “Sorcerer” remains a taunt, flawed classic that sound be seen. It stands apart from its source film and on its own. While I love “The Wages of Fear”, Friedkin’s film captured my imagination when I first saw it in theaters. While this DVD doesn’t quite do justice to the film, viewers will get a sense of what Friedkin was trying to accomplish.

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Streaming Animal Atlas: Animals and Us Online

3月 7th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Streaming Animal Atlas: Animals and Us Online. Streaming Animal Atlas: Animals and Us Online.

Movie Title: Animal Atlas: Animals and Us
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My daughter enjoyed some of the Animal Atlas clips from a bonus CD included with another order, so I thought I would suprise her with a full DVD of Animal Atlas. This DVD starts off saying that it is different than their normal light-hearted shows, and is a little more serious. OK, wasn’t sure what to expect, but they went on to say they were going to talk about endangered animals and how important it is to help and preserve our wildlife. Sounds good, and it is in theory, but NOT in the way this DVD does. It is way too strong languaged, talking about slaughtering of animals – which of course my daughter wanted to know what that meant – how tiger’s paws look better on the animal, having gun sounds in the background while talking about poachers, etc.

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My daughter was very upset after watching just a portion of this DVD and we quickly turned it off. She has continued to be upset for a few days, and with bad dreams about animals being hurt (they didn’t show any hurt animals, the strong suggestions were enough). I am appalled that the producers would publish this DVD for the intended age group (my daughter is four). I had ordered the other two Animal Atlas DVDs as well, but haven’t opened them, and will send all of them back.

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Hud Movie Streaming

3月 7th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Hud Movie Streaming. Hud Movie Streaming.

Movie Title: Hud
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Hud is available for streaming or downloading.

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Welcome to the last Western. HUD is a chronicle of what killed the western ethos – it was done in by a man with a “barbed wire soul” driving a pink cadillac. Before HUD men raised cattle or plowed the earth, after HUD men ceded the land to the oil drillers.
The movie opens with 17-year-old, wide-eyed Lonnie looking for Hud. The trail leads him past a busted up saloon and ends when he finds a married woman’s high heel shoe carelessly flung on her front porch. Hud seems to have a taste for married women and a way with the bottle that the curious Lonnie finds attractive.
When they get home Homer drives them out to a freshly dead heifer. There are no bullet wounds or other signs of injury and Homer decides to call the authorities. Hud disagrees. If the heifer died of a disease it could jeopardize everything, and Hud is too close to inheriting the ranch for that. Homer has more at stake, but burying the cow without an investigation would simply be wrong. The drama proceeds from there as deliberately, and inevitably, as a Greek tragedy.
Like other epics, and HUD deals with epic themes, there are great battles. Hud Bannon battles with his father, Homer Bannon (Melvyn Douglas) for the heart and mind of his nephew Lonnie (Brandon de Wilde.) Hud and Lonnie battle over their “half-wild” maid Alma (Patricia Neal.)
Hud, a man of little patience, is brutally direct in his approach to Alma. The inexperienced Lonnie admires her from a gentler distance. Director Martin Ritt includes two scenes that highlight this difference. One night Hud tomcats his way into Alma’s room asking for a cigarette. The experienced and wary Alma gives – Hud lights the handout and blows out the match just as Alma asks for a light. With his back to her Hud drops the burnt out match into her hands and waits a beat before dropping the matchbook. It’s a short throwaway that highlights Hud’s loutish behavior. It gains relevance a little later when Lonnie takes a blow to the head and has to take to his bed. Alma brings him a glass of `fresh squeezed lemonade.’ Lonnie takes the drink and a worried look beetles his brow. Alma puts her hand under his mouth and urges him to spit. `C’mon, honey,’ she says, `they’re just lemon pits.’
Lonnie spits his seeds into her hand, Hud a useless, burnt out stick, and Dr. Freud has just left the building. Maybe Ritt put those scenes in to delight louts like me four decades on. HUD is filled with powerful, multi-layered scenes. Another memorable one occurs when Homer Bannon’s herd is driven into an enclosure. It is very long, maybe four minutes, and deliberately edited. I don’t know if we’d see its like today, but its length and deliberation gives it awesome power.
Melvyn Douglas won an Oscar in this movie, and he portrays Homer Bannon as a man about as played out as his over grazed land and about as obsolete as the two longhorn he keeps solely for sentimental reasons. Neal also won an Oscar in this one, and her character is almost as worn out as the elder Bannon. Life has used her hard. Paul Newman was nominated as the title character, and in my opinion would not have made an embarrassing winner. One of the most charming and charismatic actors in movie history, Newman manages to play a man of hollow charm. When he flirts, we see the snake lurking behind his smile. HUD won a third Oscar for photography, and James Wong Howe presents a parched and arid black-and-white landscape.
This is an excellent movie, and well worth the investment of anyone’s time.

This review refers to the widescreen DVD edition(Paramount) of “HUD”….

Hud Bannon…he’s a self centered, cold, bitter,womanizing lout. But hey..what’s not to like..I mean after all, Hud is Paul Newman in top form.Newman has given us so many fine performances over the years and this is one his his best.

Martin Ritt directs this moving story and 40 years later it has not lost it’s appeal.It’s a modern western/drama that will have you hanging on every word.Hud does everything he can to make life miserable for all those around him. His father(Melvyn Douglas)can’t seem to reach him, and years of resentment have built a deep rift between them.There seems to be no way to heal the wounds they carry inside themselves.The cattle ranch that Hud plans to take over from his aging father is facing ruin, adding to the tension of the story.The movie will captivate and keep you till the end, and it’s one you’ll want to watch many times.

Newman and Ritt always work brillantly together and were both nominated for Oscars for their marvelous work. Newman’s protrayal of this brooding rebel is stirring, and Ritt’s direction superb. Melvyn Douglas took home a well deserved Oscar for Best Supporting as did the wonderful Patricia Neal(Best Actress), for her shining work as the overworked and under appreciated housekeepper, who’s subtle beauty keeps Hud and his nephew(Brandon de Wilde) longing for her. The wonderful Black and White cinematography garnered a statue for James Wong Howe as well.Elmer Bernstein also contributes his talents with a moving musical score.So many wonderfully talented names attached to this film and it shows!

I waited a long time for this film to finally be released to DVD, and the wait was worth it. I found that overall the transfer was crisp and clear, the sound enhanced in 5.1 was a welcome addition(It may also be viewed in in the original mono which has been restored), and the widescreen captured all the great photography. There were a few scenes which did not seem to be as clear and bright as the rest, but there was nothing about it that would take away from the enjoyment of this film.
There are no special features, but may be viewed in French(mono) and has subtitles in English for anyone who may need them.

Thanks Paramount for adding another of Newman’s great ‘H’ films to my collection(”Hombre”/”The Hustler”), and we are still waiting for “Harper” and another great Newman/Ritt collaboration “The Outrage” to be released.

Settle in for a Newman classic and enjoy….Laurie

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Stream Houseboat Online

3月 6th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Stream Houseboat Online. Stream Houseboat Online.

Movie Title: Houseboat
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Houseboat is available for streaming or downloading.

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Houseboat was the first movie I ever saw in a drive-in. Imagine seeing Cary Grant and Sophia Loren dancing to a Sam Cooke love song on a screen the size of a football field. The wardrobe for the movie is stunning. When did we stop taking the time to dazzle with matching hats, gloves, etc.? Obvious beauty aside, what really impressed me was the award winning script. The explanation Cary Grant gives as a parent about death, and the kids dialogue and behavior rang true. The kids behaved like any children would when one parent dies, and an absentee parent appears to take them from the safe world of their grandparents. The kids were terrific in their roles. Cary Grant and Sophia Loren were superb considering she had just dumped him to marry her current husband. One wonders what would have happened if Cary and Sophia had really married. Would they have lived happily ever after like they did in Houseboat? Who knows. At least we can have that fantasy time and time again on DVD.

‘Houseboat’ is a throwback to the kind of sweet, happy comedies Cary Grant did in the late ’40s-early ’50s, and it foreshadows the domestic comedies James Stewart and Henry Fonda would do in the sixties. Granted, there is more romance (and with Sophia Loren as the objection of affection, Cary has it all OVER Jimmy and Hank!) but ultimately, it scores as a terrific family movie, as Loren, playing an inept but adorable housekeeper/nanny, wins the affection of widower Grant’s kids, and awakens in him a more complete love than he was experiencing with his society girlfriend (played effectively by the beautiful Martha Hyer).

Living in a rundown houseboat to save on expenses, Grant and family lives had become a boring routine, until the arrival of Hurricane Loren, with her Italian philosophy, her singing, and her unmistakable femininity and sex appeal (which introduces oldest son Paul Peterson to the joys of puberty, and to daughter Mimi Gibson and younger son Charles Herbert a mother-figure they both needed). Grant is at first oblivious to her charms, but she is hard to ignore for long! The question then becomes, when will Cary ‘wake up’, and realize everything he needs is right on the houseboat?

Filmed after Grant and Loren’s whirlwind affair during the filming of ‘The Pride and the Passion’, the film was a bittersweet experience for both stars, particularly shooting the wedding scene, as Grant still desperately wanted to marry Loren, but she had already decided to remain with longtime love Carlo Ponti. Viewers aware of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ story will appreciate the performances of the two leads even more!

After you watch ‘Houseboat’, catch the flipside of this story in Grant’s later ‘Father Goose’, as a drunken reprobate with a boat who must deal with governess Leslie Caron and her charges! The two films make a fascinating double-feature, and showcases Cary Grant’s amazing versatility!

Seen either way, ‘Houseboat’ is a delight!

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Streaming Notorious Online

3月 4th, 2010 by austyn9015145
Streaming Notorious Online. Streaming Notorious Online.

Movie Title: Notorious
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Notorious is available for streaming or downloading.

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A finely crafted, sumptuously produced romantic thriller that has the distinction of featuring director Hitchcock, and stars Grant and Bergman at their collective best. Even so, Claude Rains manages to dominate almost every scene in which he appears; his Oscar-nominated portrayal of the lovesick mama’s boy engaged in espionage comes off as supremely menacing, emotionally ambiguous, and yet oddly sympathetic … all at the same time.

The film-to-DVD transfer is quite good. There are a couple of jumps and pops in the master print that are a bit jarring, but overall it’s a crisp and clean presentation with great contrast. Although the package doesn’t mention it, the DVD does offer chapter search/scene selection which is always a nice perk. There aren’t any of the bonus features that we spoiled DVD collectors are coming to expect (trailers, biographical sketches, etc.), but it’s still a more than acceptable edition of a truly classic film.

The video transfer of new Criterion DVD version of NOTORIOUS is a bit sharper, more detailed, and has better contrast than that of the Anchor Bay DVD version released in 1999. Unfortunately, it also reveals a lot more film grains. The graininess is not noticeable in most parts of the film unless a direct comparision with Anchor Bay’s transfer is made. But in a few scenes, the graininess just cannot be ignored, and could be detrimental to one’s viewing pleasure. In spite of that, in my opinion the increased detail and sharpness of Criterion’s transfer is still preferrable to Anchor Bay’s comparatively softer and darker picture.

Regarding audio, it is no contest. Criterion’s mono 1.0 sound has MUCH greater clarity, depth, details, volume than Anchor Bay’s comparatively muted and muffled soundtrack. In addition, the Criterion disc also includes optional English subtitles while Anchor Bay’s does not.

The Criterion DVD retains all of the supplementary material from their own CAV laserdisc version from 1991, and it adds some more…

There are two excellent audio commentary tracks. One is by Marian Keane, and it deals straight with the artistic aspects of the film by providing scene-by-scene, shot-by-shot dissertations. Commentaries like this are rare, and it is most beneficial to average viewers who want to learn more about the purposes and intentions behind every shot, every cut, every line. For instance, in a seemingly ordinary shot of a grandfather clock inside the Sebastian home, Keene analyzes the composition by pointing out the phallic symbol of the clock that suggests Alex’s presence, the adjacent banister that reminds us of his mother, and the flower at the window that suggests the vulnerability of Alicia. Another commentary track, by Rudy Behlmer, was recorded for the laserdisc version, and it is the more common type of commentary, in which the commentator recounts the production’s history, the logistical aspects, sypnoses of the lives and careers of the filmmakers, a few anecdotes. Behlmer mentions something omitted by Keane — Roy Webb’s music (which is given a separate audio track on the DVD). At one point, he explains how the RKO Radio Picture logo was removed from the opening credits; but he refers only to the laserdisc version. This DVD version, however, restores the RKO logo.

Other extras include an all-too-brief excerpt of the short story “The Song of the Dragon” which inspired the film. There are about 40 production stills, mostly of Hitchcock, Cary Grant, and Ingrid Bergman. There is a section that explains how the many rear projection shots were done (some of the shots are quite seamless). There are a few production correspondences written by David O. Selznick, Bergman, and even FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover in response to the film’s treatment of special agents. There are 4 theatrical trailers and short teasers. There is a one-minute newsreel footage of Hitchcock and Bergman arriving in England. There are script excerpts of 5 deleted scenes, and 3 alternate endings in which one or more of the four main characters get wounded or killed on screen. In a moving segment called “The Fate of the Unica Key”, Marian Keane speaks on an audio track about how Bergman, during AFI’s Lifetime Award ceremony for Hitchcock, handed the Unica key to the director as a token of love and respect (unfortunately, no footage of the AFI telecast is included). Last, but not least, there is a one-hour radioplay version of the film, in excellent audio quality, recorded in 1948, starring Joseph Cotten as Devlin and Bergman again as Alicia (the laserdisc version only has a 15-minute excerpt of the radioplay).

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Stream Ranma 1/2: Season One: The Digital Dojo; TV Anime Season 1 DVD Box Set Movie Online

3月 3rd, 2010 by austyn9015145
Stream Ranma 1/2: Season One: The Digital Dojo; TV Anime Season 1 DVD Box Set Movie Online. Stream Ranma 1/2: Season One: The Digital Dojo; TV Anime Season 1 DVD Box Set Movie Online.

Movie Title: Ranma 1/2: Season One: The Digital Dojo; TV Anime Season 1 DVD Box Set
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Viz will finally be re-releasing the complete first season of one of Rumiko Takahashi’s most beloved anime’s: Ranma 1/2. In case you don’t somehow know about this anime, it’s about a martial artist, (Ranma Saotome) and his unfortunate luck in having the ability to change into a female when struck by even the tiniest of cold water. (You’ll be many classic moments when just when you think it couldn’t happen, it does). Genma, Ranma’s father seeks to have his son wed one of Soun Tendo(u)’s beautiful daughters, so he can carry on the Anything-Goes Martial Arts School. Akane is pretty much chosen by her other sisters because of her tomboy nature and her extreme hatred towards boys. Along the way, Ranma meets up with many other interesting characters, including Kuno, the indecisive upperclassman, Ryoga, his arch-rival, and eventually, even Shampoo, the barbaric amazon girl from China.

Buy,Download, Or Stream Ranma 1/2: Season One: The Digital Dojo; TV Anime Season 1 DVD Box Set! Click Here

Nex to the OVA series, Season 1 is considered by many to be a excellent starting point for the 7 season Ranma 1/2 series. Season 1 is 18 episodes long, with each show clocking in anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes. This set will be presented in the original Japanese version (with English subtitles), and by the English cast as well. Overall, both versions are great in my honest opinion (of course, the original is superior).

For Ranma veterans and those that have been swayed by the previous release of this season and its enormous price tag. The question that might be on everyone’s mind right now is, how can Viz offer this set so cheaply now in comparison to before? In my next paragraph, I’m going to attempt to take a stab at this perplexed thought.

Buy,Download, Or Stream Ranma 1/2: Season One: The Digital Dojo; TV Anime Season 1 DVD Box Set! Click Here

Recently, many classic anime series (and new ones) have been released in what is called a “thin-pak”. Basically all DVDs are in a very thin opening in the contents of the DVD Set. What this does is decrease the overall price, thanks to less packaging. However, sometimes with new releases, extras are often left out that were once included with the original. Postcards, opening/closing scenes with subtitles and no subtitles, previews of other animes, encyclopedia of the anime, etc.) I would assume that we’ll be getting the anime and just the anime, but I could very well be wrong. For most of us anime fans, getting the animes we love as a drastically reduced price is often worth it in the end.

Make no mistake, I am simply guessing at this because of experiences with past anime sets. (Take the Anime Legends series of Love Hina, Escaflowne, etc, remember when those sets often reached into the hundreds of dollars?)

Another important thing to worry is, will their be less discs than in the original set (I believe the original had seven discs), and if so, will the quality of the picture be reduced as a result? In most cases, companies have been careful with picture quality, and being able to cram more into a dvd has improved over the years as technology as advanced.

So, let’s assume, the picture quality is great, and there are no extras in this set. Is it worth the 50 percent price cut from the original? I would think so! I’ve been a fan of this series for a long time, just waiting for this very moment when Viz would hear its fans calling for a cheaper set of the anime they know and love, and thus they have answered the call (hopefully).

So, give it a shot. Amazon has, of course, a 30-day money-back return policy. Also, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the seasons are released. And, assuming the prices will still remain steady, you’ll be getting a great deal on a great anime. So, give in to your craving and go for it already! :)

Those of you who know me, or have read my many reviews online know that I’m not a fan of your typical BESM syndrome that is prevalent in Japanese anime.

It stands for Big Eye Small Mouth.

Most of the time I can’t stand it, and I won’t watch it. Because of this, I avoid most anime like the plague. There are a few shows that I’ve been able to watch, because it strays from this archetypical style of animation. Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed and Blood the last vampire are just a couple of examples of what I can watch.

However, I can be swayed occasionally. Especially when it comes to something that can make me laugh.

Many years ago, when I was still in highschool, I got out of reading the average comic and started to read many different independent titles. I found that most comics back then were nothing more than silly super-powered soap operas.

Now, you might be asking yourself, what the heck does this have to do with an anime review?

Well, because of getting into independent comics, I discovered manga – Japanese comics.

I read quite a few different titles back then, and I clearly remember the owner of the shop that I bought the titles form handing me the first couple of issues of Ranma ½. I flipped through it and gave him a dirty look and asked him why he gave me something that was, after my initial look, a Japanese romance comic?

He said just read it. If I didn’t like it, I could bring it back. If I did like it, pay for it and keep reading the series.

Well, it turned out that yes, there was romance involved, but it was mainly about a young martial artist who just happened to fall (literally) into a very strange and disconcerting curse.

Two things about the comic that caused me to start reading it. First and foremost, it made me laugh. Very few comics ever managed to do that.

Secondly, it had nudity in it.

Before you start shaking your head, remember, this was almost twenty years ago. I was barely out of my teens and that sort of thing still held my interest. And besides, I wasn’t married at the time.

Anyhow – after I did get married, I ended up dropping comics altogether. Hey, being a newlywed is rather hard on your solvent cash. I just didn’t have the money to spare.

Years later, I was, out of pure curiosity, skimming through the anime rack at the local game store, and I noticed that they had Ranma ½ on DVD. I grabbed the box and noticed that it was the first season of the series – 18 episodes in total. And, hey, the price was more than reasonable – it was only $45 Canadian for the entire season.

So, despite the dislike I have for anime in general, I purchased it and over a period of a couple of weeks, my family and I watched the first season.

The same humour, and yes, the same nudity that I remember was still there. It made all of us laugh and laugh quite hard at some scenes.

One thing that also attracted me to the series was the eclectic group of characters. Ranma, the title character is a devoted martial artist who is damned good at what he does. His father is also a devoted martial artist although he can be very pig headed and tends to spend most of his free time as a Panda.

No, I’m not kidding.

That’s not the only thing. There are several different characters, most of which have a grudge against Ranma for various reasons. A former fellow student named Ryoga Hibiki with the world’s worst sense of direction, a hot little Chinese Amazon girl who wants to kill the girl Ranma, but is madly in love with boy Ranma.

There are the three sisters, of which Ranma finds himself betrothed to the youngest, Akane Tendo. Each one has her own unique personality.

Then we have several other Characters that interact on a regular basis with Ranma and his family.

Now, the season begins with Ranma and his father showing up at the Tendo anything goes school of martial arts, where Ranma is betrothed to Akane. That’s when the fun starts.

Throughout the year, after he’s enrolled in the same school as Akane, he discovers her morning ritual of combat to fend of would be suitors. He encounters a rival for Akane’s hand named Tatewaki Kuno, who promptly falls in love with the girl Ranma.

Later Ranma encounters Kuno’s sister, who loves the boy Ranma.

During this time, he also has to deal with the money grubbing schemes of Nabiki Tendo, a brilliant but oft scattered brained doctor named Tofu Ono, challenges to fights to the death, and even a Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics challenge.

Even the back stories to the various characters and his travels in China are very entertaining to watch, and once again, it made me laugh out loud many times.

I enjoyed it because of this, and because of the memories it brought back for me. I enjoyed it so much that when I was on the last disk of the first season, I had to go out and purchase the second season.

If you’re a fan of anime, it’s a no brainer. Even if you’re not a fan of anime, it’s worth watching just for the characters and the strange situations that make you laugh.

5 out of 5.

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