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Posts Tagged ‘Videos On Demand’

Buy Monty Python and the Holy Grail At Amazon! Compare & Purchase Monty Python and the Holy Grail at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

Monty Python and the Holy Grail Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #793 in Movie
• Released on: 2009-04-01
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Running time: 93 minutes

Customer Reviews:

The Special Edition is Special
Certain individuals have erroniously indicated in these reviews that the Special Edition will not have commentaries or other special features. They are wrong.

The special edition will contain the following:

A “21st anniversary” cut of the film that is 24 seconds longer, Dolby digital 5.1, a subtitle track for people who don’t like the film (with text from Shakespeare’s Henry IV), an onscreen screenplay option, audio commentary with Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin, and Follow the Killer Rabbit option. Disc 2 contains “Three Mindless Sing-Alongs” and “The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations” featurette, “How to Use Your Coconuts” educational film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Japanese” (with English subtitles), the BBC Film Night special “On Location with the Pythonos”, an interactive cast directory, still galleries with Terry Gilliam’s original sketches and behind-the-scenes photos, “A Load Of Rubbish” with mystery items, unused ideas and other material, and finally two trailers and weblinks.

There will be no special features with the special edition? RUBBISH! This is not simply a reissue of the older DVD with new sound and audio as some have implied.

Not even with an African swallow…
This is one of the funniest movies ever committed to film, no doubt about it. Were I to judge this DVD on the film alone, I would have given it five stars. If you are one of the few who have never seen this picture, do yourself the favor of and buy a copy on VHS straight away.

Purchasing this title on DVD, however, I have to take marks away from an otherwise excellent comedy. There has been absolutely nothing done to enhance the quality of this 25 year old film, and a DVD system drives the visual and auditory pitfalls home with feeling. The picture is grainy and jittery in many places, and the audio is mudded and full of hiss. I confess, I was looking forward to a sharper, cleaner viewing of one of my all time favorite movies than I had ever had before. I was profoundly dissapointed.

It is an hysterical movie, but don’t look for an experience above what is delivered on the average bargin basement SLP recorded VHS tape here. If you’ve never seen it, go run and rent a copy from the local video store, and wait for a remastered release.

one of the best comedies ever and dvd extras to rave about!
This is what dvds were invented for — there are so many great features here! So in addition to seeing one of the funniest movies ever made, you can be entertained for hours with the extras, and the extras are terrific: subtitles in English, French or Spanish; audio track choices — English (the original mono or a brand new full stereo version), French, a directors’ (Gilliam and Jones) track or a commentary track with Cleese, Idle and Palin; a copy of the script overlaid on the film; a painstaking, hilarious Henry the IV-ish subtitle for those who don’t like the film; a hard-of-hearing feature; killer rabbit easter eggs; animated menus using Gilliam’s original animation; karaoke renditions of ‘Knights of the Round Table’, ‘Sir Robin’ and the ‘Monks Chant’; a delightful 45 minute visit to the locations with Jones and Palin; an educational film about the ‘other’ uses of coconuts; Japanese versions of the French Castle and Knights Who Say Ni scenes, including references to the ‘holy sake cup’; a 1974 BBC Film Night visit to a location site during filming; photos of tickets, press releases, reviews, posters, production stills and original artwork; trailers; cast credits (Palin played over a dozen parts!) with pictures of each character; a Lego knights version of the Camelot scene; pictures of sketches that were never used (a killer snail?!); a web link.

A lot of effort went into this special edition dvd, and it shows. I particularly enjoyed seeing Jones and Palin visit locations. They were in a jolly mood, their comments are interspersed with film footage, and they meet affectionate and funny fans along the way.

If you like this film you will love this dvd version; if you love the film, you wil adore this two-dvd set. An essential item for your collection.

Highest recommendation.

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The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Lowest Price! Compare & Purchase The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $9.99 Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18155 in Movie
• Released on: 2008-08-19
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Running time: 102 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Great childhood memory
This is rather funny and strange… I’m an 18 year old Senior now, and I can still remember seeing this movie, as a 9 year old kid lounging on my couch. The scary part is that all my friends remember this movie too. I could be bored in calculus, and start hummin’ “Pippi Longstockings is comin’ into your world,” and within 10 seconds at least 10 other kids are singin along. None of us understand how or why we remember it, (maybe it had to do with the fact that every guy had a crush on Pippi when he was about 10. Her and Punky Brewster) Anyway, I just wanted to write this to say it could definately be a great thing for your kid, it made an impact on about 1/5 of my high school graduating class. (by the way, if anyone knows how to reach, or knows how or find out what happened to Tami Erin,[she was so cool]send me an E-mail pleeeze) —thanks

Cheerful, Delightful version of Pippi
The setting of Pippi Longstocking’s home is supposed to be Sweden, in this movie it’s relocated to America. That was perhaps unfaithful to the books- but this version of Pippi manages to be sweet and endearing in spite of this.

I’ve read a lot of negative reviews of this movie- I’m not exactly sure how many people don’t like this movie, but I happen to think it sweet and charming for people of all ages.

The performances by the actors in this manage to recreate magic in a different setting. Tami Erin gives a positively charming performance as a little girl- she manages to give Pippi the trademark innocence, oddness, and yet she manages to give Pippi a sort of beginning of wisdom as well. Tami conveys the hurt and pain as Pippi is aquainted with the realities of kids who are unloved, her friend Annika’s father’s dislike of her, and the gradual evaporation of the magic of her childhood. She manages to make Pippi human and accesible while still making her an enduring, endearing figure. Some people refer to her as ”spoiled brat”, but I think her reaction toward these adults was more her shock that her cheer could not please them. The adventures between her and Tommy and Annika were sweetly shown, and it can end in Pippi’s understanding of what she’s done.

I have seen the other versions of Pippi and Inger Neillson portrays Pippi as a strange, detached, though not charmless character- but she is in no way human or accessible.

The songs are cute too- they manage to show Pippi’s enduring innocence, and her good-hearted spirit.

I would recommend this movie to people of all ages ready to see a new version of the sweet, charming Pippi- Tami Erin was a charming young actress, I don’t know why she didn’t persue acting after this.

be just like pippi!
Pippi Longstocking is a great movie for kids of all ages it shows that you can do whatever you wanna do if you use your imagination and if you believe in yourself. I enjoy the movie very much because it shows adventure, fun, and more fun. pippi is a very responsible girl who walks on ropes to save kids from a burning building, takes care of her friends when they run away, looks after whatever and whoever comes into her life, and brings many people joy and happiness, and still teaches a good moral lesson to do things your way as long as their not to irresponsible. This movie is a great adventure and its a shame that tami erin (pippi) dissapeared because i think that another movie would be awesome. this movie is also a good example of three kids with a great relationship that cant be broken up by anything. My personal opinion is that the songs are fun and great to sing along to. I highly recommened this movie.

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Life As A House Product: Life As A House Lowest Price! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #3989 in Movie
• Released on: 2007-08-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Running time: 126 minutes

When “Life” Happens
Somebody once said that “life” is what happens when you’re not looking. And it’s so true. Too often we let the years slip by, and the important things slip right along with them; and it’s only when something happens that we start to pay attention, and by then it’s too late to do anything about it. The good news, however, is that as long as you’re still breathing there’s still a chance to make amends, or at least try to. You can try, not to make up for past mistakes (and we’ve all made them), but to make “today” count, which is what a man at a particular juncture in his life discovers and sets out to do, in “Life As A House,” directed by Irwin Winkler, and starring Kevin Kline.

George Monroe (Kline) is an architect, a man who can design anything, with the exception of that which is the most important: His own life. He has a failed marriage– now divorced for ten years from Robin (Kristin Scott Thomas)– a failed relationship with his now sixteen-year-old son, Sam (Hayden Christensen), he’s getting on in years and he’s unhappy, which is driven home by circumstances involving his job and his health that make him abruptly sit up and take notice. His “house,” literally and figuratively, in not in order. And he decides to do something about it. He’s determined to tear down his old house and rebuild a new one, and he begins by arranging for Sam to come and live with him for the summer. And it will be a summer that will affect, not only George and Sam, but Robin, and a number of others, as well; a summer in which the trivial things of life are put on hold; and for once, the important things are embraced.

Working from a well written and insightful screenplay (by Mark Andrus), Winkler delivers a drama that is thoughtful and poignant (at times, even poetic), wonderfully acted and beautifully filmed by cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. Rich in metaphor, it’s an engrossing film that works on a number of levels, and will appeal to a wide audience– many of whom will relate to George and his situation, others who will identify with Sam; and for some, it may hit strikingly too close to home. Whatever your personal situation is, it will fall somewhere within the emotional arc Winkler creates here; and if it doesn’t now, it will eventually. Because, as this film so trenchantly points out, “life” happens. And the most important thing is knowing what to do with it– if not the first time around, then at least before it’s too late.

He received an Oscar for his portrayal of Otto in the comedy “A Fish Called Wanda,” but Kevin Kline decidedly hits his stride in dramatic roles: As Nathan in “Sophie’s Choice,” Mack in “Grand Canyon” or Ben in “The Ice Storm,” for example; and now here, as George Monroe. Kline brings George believably to life, with a performance that hints at who George was, but most importantly tells us who he is now. With understated subtly, he conveys his inner-most feelings in a way that enables the audience to make that all-important emotional connection with the character. He makes you feel as though you know him; and once you do, and once you meet Robin, it’s hard to understand what went wrong between them all those years ago. One can only assume that somewhere along the line youth and a lack of focus took it’s toll– understandable in a world that bombards us daily with endless stimuli. And it’s one of the subtle perspectives that makes this film so effective.

Kristin Scott Thomas gives a convincing performance, as well, as Robin, a woman who has moved on with her life, but in whom you can discern a certain dissatisfaction with her current situation. On the surface, her life seems agreeable, but we see through her portrayal that it is still lacking in some regard. She seems happy to some extent, but it’s more like the unfulfilled happiness that comes when one has “settled” for something. You get the sense that what she has with her current husband, Peter (Jamey Sheridan), is somehow less than what she had with George, at least at some point or other. Thomas does a good job of indicating the complexities of her character, dipping beneath the surface to make what could have been a one-note character alive and interesting.

One of the real rewards of this film, however, is found in the wonderfully affecting performance of young Hayden Christensen, as Sam. With but a few TV appearances and a handful of unremarkable films to his credit (the exception being a part in Sophia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides”), Christensen is virtually an unknown, but comes through with some extremely impressive work here. He not only finds, but manages to convey, that turmoil of confusion and need for personal identity that every teenager experiences, and he presents it quite naturally and effectively. There’s nothing feigned or pretentious about him; the Sam he delivers comes from somewhere deep down inside, and working from the inside out makes him very real and believable. It’s a performance that should jump-start his career, which is about to be catapulted into high gear/high profile status when “Star Wars: Episode 2, Attack of the Clones” hits the screen, in which he plays the role of Anakin Skywalker. And because of the magnitude of that film and all that goes along with it, he will never receive the acclaim he deserves, no matter how good a job he does in it; so it’s important that he has this film under his belt, which demonstrates what a truly gifted young actor he really is, a fact that may be overlooked once “Clones” hits (which is what happened to Leonardo DiCaprio after “Titanic”). And Christensen’s performance here is a big part of what makes “Life As A House” a winner.

A Beauty
Life as a House is not the most original movie you’ll ever see, but for what it is, it’s wonderful. George, Kevin Klein’s character, is living a miserable life when the movie begins. He is divorced from his ex-wife who he still loves; estranged from his 16 year-old son, who is unhappy and using drugs; and hates his home, a shack on a beautiful cliff in Malibu. Then one day George visits his ex-wife, who asks him to take their son, Sam, for the summer; loses his job; and finds out he has only a few months to live. George decides to tear down the shack, which his dad willed to him and he hates, and build a house he’ll be proud to give his son. He tells his ex he’ll take Sam for the summer, so that they can help each other, and tells no one of his cancer. The scenery and cinematography in this movie alone make it worth seeing. There are breathtaking scenes from the cliff in Malibu, as well as from the ex-wife’s back yard; and that’s where most of the movie takes place. The story may not be a new one, but it is beautiful. There are some seemingly unnecessary sub-plots I could’ve done without, and some of the characters needed more dept or explaining, but the main characters feel like people you’ve known for years. The movie is a little over 2 hours, but does not drag throughout, a big feat considering it’s a drama, and doesn’t try to be anything more. This movie won’t challenge you, but would be nice for a quite evening out; it needs to be seen on a big screen. I recommend it.

certainly memorable
Life as a house is a brilliant movie. There is never a dull moment. Although it does not have war planes crashing at every second, it still keeps your attention. The story is about a divorced man (Kevin Kline)who has drifted from his family and from his son espcially. His son visits him on certain weekends and doesn’t like it too much. Then the dad finds out he is going too die soon so he wants to do the things in his life that he has put off for so long, like rebuilding his beach shack and reconnecting with his lost son, Sam (Hayden Christensen). Hayden Christensen turned in a beautiful performance and he really makes you feel what the character was feeling. Sam is somewhat of a case. Certainly not the kind of kid your parents wanted you hanging around. It will surely be a long time before I forget this film, not only because of the wonderful story line and intense drama, but for the wonderful Oscar deserving performances also. Espcially by newcomer Hayden Christensen(Anakin Skywalker in upcoming Episode 2). He really portrayed his character, Sam, perfectly. He is an outstanding actor; not just for a newcomer. He really gets your attention.
Life As A House is one of the best films I have ever seen. It was certainly a memorable film.

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The Bourne Ultimatum Sale-$2.99! Compare & Purchase The Bourne Ultimatum at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

The Bourne Ultimatum Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #549 in Movie
• Released on: 2009-12-21
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Running time: 116 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Rewriting the genre
A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy? That would be like crediting “The Matrix” with a satisfying level of originality.

Everything the makers, cast and crew have learned about what makes the Bourne formula tick, and click, is revved to supercharged perfection in this pinnacle of a movie.

More is not always better (Matrix 2?), but with careful attention to detail and a plot that works like a Rolex, Ultimatum’s unrelenting pace never feels overblown. Matt Damon’s impenetrable oasis of razor focus and quiet, seething menace, now seeming to melt glass, finds a new level of counterpoint in this movie. Damon has become so riveting in this role, it’s almost possible to overlook the stellar cast around him, matching step for step in a multi-threaded, multi-tiered, multi-national locomotive of twists and action played out with the orchestration of a Beethoven score.

There’s something just plain admirable about a movie franchise which insists on digging deeper, finding something more, when a cruise-control third installment would have sufficed and certainly made bank anyway.

Another Greengrass Triumph
While it certainly is important that the characters be believable in this kind of film (and they all are quite believable), the star of this film is the incomparable Paul Greengrass who directs this as he did the last and each of his films with a pace and presence that ratchets upwards your gut reaction to the story.
The story itself is the same story as each of the other two: Bourne is pissed about being used and either he’s after the CIA or they are after him. There is some discussion now of an Oedipal subtext to the overall story, and while there is a passing resemblance to that tragedy, it is not anywhere nearly so definite as it was in the last Bond film. Dench and Joan Allen represent Oedipal type mothers, but there was an almost Medea like quality to Dench that took the chemistry between her and Craig someplace else altogether. That isn’t quite the story here, but even were it so, all of that becomes subsumed to the way Greengrass tells the story. This is a thrilling ride that never lets up, and as such, when there are moments of pause, such as those between Stiles and Damon in Morrocco, it is clear that they have nothing to really say. These are characters driven by action – they seem to have warped the Cartesian motif into I act, therefore I am, and more I am only when I act.
You may remember the German film with Famke Jansen, RUN LOLA RUN. Bourne is an American version of that. Greengrass makes the run transcendent. It’s a great film for the summer, now I’m off to Jackie Chan….

Where in the World is Jason Bourne?
(4 1/2 *’s) `The Bourne Ultimatum’ is a non-stop thriller ride that easily propels itself to the top of 2007′s three-peat super summer. The third in the series, Jason Bourne (played superbly by a tough and tormented Matt Damon) still suffers his same identity crisis, this time criss-crossing his way across the globe with breakneck speed. Suspenseful for more than the thrill of the chase, we are given a gripping sense of drama as CIA director, Noah Vosen (played with tough officiousness by David Strathairn in another great performance) and his sparring co-leader, Pamela Landy (Joan Allen in an admirably complex role) come to grips with Bourne and his alleged treason against their assassination operation. Hooking up with a fellow operative Nicky Parsons (a sleight-of-hand Julia Stiles), Bourne and associates provide enough development to keep us guessing throughout.

Besides all of the identity intrigue, the action is relentless without being predictable. All the scenes of chase and violence are fresh and invigorating. Flashbacks from Jason’s fragmented memory add substance to the fray, and the board room tension at control central, both at the CIA and the UK are formidable. Creeping into his memory at various times, senior CIA figure, Dr. Albert Hirsch (in a welcome sunset role by Albert Finney), gives the mystery proper credence. While I found Greengrass’s direction a mastery of timing, drama, and movement, I do have a quibble with the editing. Although an acquired taste, too many scenes are presented as an enhanced blur, both in the thick of the chase and with the flashback sequences. Just as an observation, the revelations presented are satisfying with the resolution of his identity being one of the least compelling.

`The Bourne Ultimatum’ deserves approximately the same accolades as ‘Casino Royale (2-Disc Full Screen Edition)’ with its stunning development, pace, and execution. For those who love action pictures, this film is a list-topping must-see movie.

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Who Will Prove to Be Shear Genius? Sale-$1.99! Compare & Purchase Who Will Prove to Be Shear Genius? at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $1.99 Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

Who Will Prove to Be Shear Genius? Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1844 in TV Series Episode Video on Demand
• Released on: 2010-04-08
• Running time: 45 minutes

Customer Reviews:

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Pilot Product: Pilot Review. List Price: —- Amazon Price: $1.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #2559 in TV Series Episode Video on Demand
• Released on: 2009-08-29
• Running time: 44 minutes

Hardcore
This is raw hardcore police action/drama with some comedy thrown in!
In a nut shell this show is awesome!

Best Cop drama on TV
Title says it all. Best cop drama on TV right now. Good writing, quality acting, decent plot lines and characters. Hope it lasts.

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High Society Product: Buy High Society At Amazon! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #19160 in Movie
• Released on: 2010-02-09
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Running time: 112 minutes

A winner in every aspect…
I’ve just finished watching “High Society” after having first seen “The Philadelphia Story” only a month ago. Both films are phenomenal, on their own and shouldn’t be compared. They succeed wonderfully in very different ways. The cinematography of “High Society” is excellent and is one of the major factors of it’s success. In many ways, it makes it a very, dare I say, ‘modern’ musical, not seeming at all fluffy or schmaltzy. The musical numbers are intimately filmed, and with Cole Porter’s music and lyrics, it works amazingly well. Case in point…”Well Did You Evah”. I believe this to be one of Sinatra’s best roles, quite cool, charming, and thoroughly convincing. And then he sings…and all is well with the world. Bing is at his cool best and Grace Kelly is stunningly beautiful, even with her role’s snobbery fully intact. It is a shame that Sinatra and Bing only had one other movie together “robin and the Seven Hoods” because their chemistry is unsurpassed. Add the jazz and personality of Satchmo, and what you have is one of the most enjoyable 107 minutes that you could spend in front of the tube. Highly recommended. Let’s hope the DVD version is in the works!

A wonderful sorce of entainment
High Society, starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby is a delightful musical. It is a remake of the big hit THE PHILADELPHIA STORY which starred Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewert. In High Society Bing Crosby plays C.K Dexter Haven the “x” of Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly) who turns up suddenly when he hears that Tracy is being remarried. Tracy of course is furious and does not want him there. To add to her problems two reporters,(one of which is played by Frank Sinatra) show up. Tracy refuses to admit that she’s still in love with Dexter and refuses to call of the wedding. Louis Armstrong toots out some great tunes by Cole Porter and Grace Kelly does an excellent job, especially in her drunk scene. This movie is an absoulute must!

Bubbly Musical Remake of Hepburn Classic!
‘High Society’, MGM’s musical remake of Philip Barry’s classic ‘The Philadelphia Story’, is a frothy, high-spirited joy! While it lacks the inestimable star power of Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart, in replacing the male leads with the greatest crooners of all time, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and offering Hollywood’s Princess, Grace Kelly, in her last film role, MGM was NOT dropping the marquee value by much! Add to the mix the legendary Louis Armstrong, and one of Cole Porter’s last great film scores (including the lushly romantic ‘True Love’), and you have all the ingredients for a delightful movie experience!

Changing the film’s locale from Philadelphia to Newport, the class distinction subplot of the story becomes, at best, a minor plot point, but it does provide the ‘hook’ of the Newport Jazz Festival to bring in Armstrong, and to add songwriting as a hobby of millionaire C.K. Dexter-Haven (Crosby). His ex, Tracy Samantha Lord (called ‘Sam’ in this version, so Cole Porter could recycle his tune ‘Goodbye, Amanda’, as ‘Goodbye Samantha’), and played by the luminous Kelly, is remarrying, to boring, wooden George Kittredge (played woodenly by John Lund). An ‘Enquirer’-type scandal sheet, ‘The Spy’, blackmails the family into allowing a writer and photographer (Sinatra and Celeste Holm) to cover the nuptials (in an improvement on the original story, where Cary Grant ‘sells out’ the Lords in an attempt to disrupt the wedding).

From this point on, the film follows the original version fairly closely, adding songs to ‘spice up’ the proceedings. Sinatra and Holm take potshots at the idle rich with ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?’; Crosby tosses off a sweet ditty for Sam’s little sister (‘Little One’), and attempts, with Armstrong, to explain contemporary music (‘Now You Has Jazz’); Sinatra, smitten with Kelly, expresses his feelings (‘You’re Sensational’ and ‘Can I Make Love To You?’); Crosby and Kelly, in a flashback, recall their honeymoon (‘True Love’, which became a hit single, earning both stars a gold record). The film highlight is, understandably, the fabulous and funny duet between Crosby and Sinatra, ‘Well, Did You Evah?’ (rich with sly comments on Crosby’s famous fortune, and Sinatra’s ‘new’ style of crooning). The number is nearly always featured in MGM musical retrospectives, and is a show-stopper!

As all the pieces fall into place for a ‘beautiful’ wedding, (which concludes both versions of the story), Louis Armstrong provides a final coda that is both charming and a reminder that Hollywood just doesn’t make ‘em like this any more!

‘High Society’ may not be in the stratosphere of ‘The Philadephia Story’, but it certainly has a well-deserved place in the cosmos of its own! This one’s a keeper!

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Buy Changing Lanes At Amazon! Compare & Purchase Changing Lanes at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

Changing Lanes Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9449 in Movie
• Released on: 2010-01-11
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Running time: 99 minutes

Customer Reviews:

One of the Most Underrated Movies in Years
South African director Roger Michell directs this hit suspense thriller starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. Michell is actually very skilled and has a tremendous amount of mainstream appeal. He also directed last years Venus, which was another solid film albeit very different from Changing Lanes. Ben Affleck plays Gavin, a successful Wall Street attorney who must file a power of appointment for his company, which is run by his father-in-law played by Sydney Pollack. The document will sign a company over to his law firm and that company is owned by a dying man. Ethical questions certainly surround the document and as things unfold we find out even more. Doyle is played by Samuel L. Jackson, he is an insurance salesman and a recovering alcoholic who wants badly to restore his family before his wife takes his children away to the west coast. We get the feeling that Doyle is a wounded man and his actions are unacceptable at times. Actually both characters are deeply flawed and that is what makes their collision so engaging.

On his way to court to file this crucial document, Gavin gets into a car accident with Doyle. He doesn’t prioritize the accident and instead must leave the scene to make it to court on time. Doyle’s car will not drive and he is in the middle of a highway median when Gavin takes off in a rush. It of course begins to rain. Doyle himself was on his way to court and when he eventually gets there he finds out that he is too late. His goal was to surprise his wife with a mortgage loan he just received so his family would stay. He was attempting to get some resolution to whatever chaos he may have caused his family before this movie begins. Unfortunately for Gavin the power of appointment was left at the scene of the accident and is in Doyle’s possession. Doyle, sour for being left in the rain on the highway and missing his chance in court, refuses to give Gavin the document. Needless to say they both have reasonable vendettas against one another and the battle they have escalates throughout as the film goes forward. These two men are basically dehumanized to one another and it doesn’t help matters that they both come from entirely different worlds. They are opposites in life, so they are fundamentally opposed to one another when the first sign of conflict surfaces. It turns out that Changing Lanes evolves into a unique commentary on the darkest sides of human nature. It is unique because we visit these dark decisions by way of likeable and real character portrayals. To avoid spoilers, I won’t reveal anymore than I have already.

Samuel L. Jackson is obviously an outstanding actor and he is great here but the most surprising thing is Ben Affleck matches him and then some. It’s a shame Ben’s reputation as an actor was so horrible at the time Changing Lanes came out because his performance definitely deserved some praise. Sydney Pollack is also outstanding as an exceptionally believable and accessible villain. A lot of the credit goes to the screenplay here for exposing pragmatic reactions to specific circumstances instead of superficial morality. There are no purely ethical and moral figures in Changing Lanes, but then again I can’t think of too many in real life either. If they did exist in Changing Lanes then its commentary would be disrupted completely, but I still held out hoping reason would creek into the picture. Chaos reigns here and humanity is called upon to prevail. It puts suspense on a much larger societal scale for me. I know that the ending bothered those hoping for something more retributive but try to see Changing Lanes as a story about healing, not revenge.

An excellent movie with an excellent plot
This movie has got to be one of my favorite movies by far because it’s different. It’s unique, it’s just different from other movies and should be put in a different gnere for that reason even though it’s a drama movie. Ben Affleck plays an attorney while Samuel L. Jackson (one of the best actors!!!) plays a car salesman. When there is a car accident between the two, the attorney leaves the scene because he has to be in court. But the car salesman also needed to be in court so that he can get joint custody of his children. But, his car doesn’t work now, and he loses custody of his children. In the meantime, the attorney is missing important paperwork which he accidentally left at the accident and the salesman now posseses and refuses to give back. The two then engage in a “war”. But, the protagonist clearly is the salesman as you feel terribly for him after what the attorney does to him. The movie is sad and tragic with an amazing performance by Jackson and I shall always remember it for it’s unique plot and amazing delivery. Highly reccomended.

A superb thriller and character study.
Changing Lanes happens to feature two movie stars in the lead roles and is funded by Paramount Pictures, one of the top film production studios. So is it with anything less than pure surprise that this doesn’t turn out to be an action or buddy picture? Not only does this film happen to be a character-driven thriller, it’s also an intriguing look at societal pressures on the human individual, delivering in a manner that is intense, edgy, and perhaps even quite frightening.

Ben Affleck stars as Gavin Banek and Samuel L. Jackson is Doyle Gipson. Banek is a high-priced lawyer who is ready to finalize a big deal with will turn over a recently deceased millionaire’s entire fortune to his firm. Gipson is a recovering alcoholic who’s doing everything he can (mainly by purchasing a house in Queens for them to settle in) to save his marriage and keep his wife from taking the children and moving to another state. Both Banek and Gipson are on their way to court when their cars crash into each other.

Gipson wants to get everything done legally, “the right way,” but Banek is in too much of a hurry, so he simply leaves a blank check and takes off to court, leaving the other man stranded. However, Banek leaves the most important file at the scene of the accident (which Gipson is now in possession of), and Gipson misses his own court hearing, losing any chance for custody of his kids to his wife. Banek’s determination to get the file back and Gipson’s anger and frustration turns this cross of paths into a game of cat-and-mouse and revenge which makes for probably the most lopsided day of their lives.

Changing Lanes is a film that surprised me almost every minute of the way. There’s a lot of plot and theme at work here, but I want to emphasize that this is hardly pretentious filmmaking; it’s an honest look at just how far pressure can push normal men, as well as how such pressure can bring out the best qualities in these same people. After a rather clumsy introduction and a chaotically directed crash scene that felt rather rushed, the film settled in comfortably into its main story. On the surface, the movie plays perfectly well as a thriller, certainly enough to satisfy thriller buffs looking for hard-edged suspense.

But further yet, the film becomes a character study of two men who lead opposite lives, but perhaps aren’t as dissimilar as each may think. Rich and affluent, Affleck’s Banek is a man on the top, but despite his seemingly arrogant and impatient behavior, he displays a moral and conflicted center, torn by what’s right and what everyone else-namely his boss, co-workers, wife-says is right. Undoubtedly the most complex character Affleck has ever played, this is also the young actor’s best performance to date.

Samuel L. Jackson is easily one of the best actors around, and his portrayal here is absolutely terrific, perhaps his most substantial performance since his role in Pulp Fiction. Gipson is certainly less priveleged than Banek, and this societal gap displays an interesting effect once things get out of hand. Gipson represents the majority of us, the working middle class that’s frustrated when fate hands him a wrong turn. The disastrous day that Gipson endures is affecting, and it’s both simultaneously crushing and exhilarating to see a reasonable man go to the extremes.

There are far more themes at work here, and I’ve only touched on the surface. For instance, there’s a powerful scene where Amanda Peet (as Banek’s wife) delivers a coldly manipulative speech that clues us in as to why Banek would cheat on his beautiful wife with a less physically attractive, but far kinder, more emotionally supportive woman (played well by Toni Collete). Another similarly powerhouse sequence is Sydney Pollack’s (playing Banek’s boss) diatribe on ethics in business and why the cutthroat method is the only effective tool for pressing business matters. With an abundance of moments like these, there’s so much theme at work in the script that the film simply demands repeat viewings.

Changing Lanes is always entertaining, thanks to Roger Mitchell’s well-paced and sure-handed direction, and the script never falters when it comes to both story and thematic material, mixing both together without ever coming off as preachy. The film has lots to offer, and for viewers willing to take the ride, the rewards are plentiful. It’s been a fine year for movies so far, and without a doubt, Changing Lanes is one of the best cinematic offerings to date.

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #2577 in Movie
• Released on: 2009-12-01
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Running time: 115 minutes

Director’s Cut Differences
The director’s cut runs approximately 3 minutes longer, and inserts a few new scenes, but no major plot points. This is NOT the major unrated cut that McG has referred to in past interviews, where he suggested that 30-40 minutes of additional footage would be added. We’ll probably see that in a future edition.

Here are the major differences between the theatrical version and the director’s cut (spoilers follow).

1) In the opening action scene, when John Connor is leading his unit into the flooded underground Skynet base, a T-1 terminator (nice touch from T3) suddenly appears behind them. His men destroy it before it can do any damage. I’m glad this scene was cut; it inadvertently breaks the tension too quickly.

2) When John pulls his little “frogman stunt”, he is seated before the Resistance Command generals, and General Ashdown (Michael Ironside) berates John. Ashdown says, “I don’t believe in prophecy, not when one can re-write the future”, pulls out his gun and points it at John’s head. I liked this scene, because it illustrates John’s present and minor role in the Resistance, especially with Command being skeptical of his “predictions”.

3) Blair Williams/Moon Bloodgood’s topless scene; really just a side shot as she washes herself in the rain in a non-sexual manner, and Marcus glances at her briefly.

4) Marcus/Blair Williams/redneck fight; the action is a little longer, and a little more brutal. Marcus stabs one of the attackers with a screwdriver, and we see the impact, as well as the victim painfully removing the screwdriver. Also, Marcus uses another one of the attackers as a human shield against another’s shotgun blast.

5) Marcus/Blair Williams campfire scene is slightly longer with additional dialogue between the two.

6) Captured humans at Skynet; when one of the prisoners attempts an escape and is shot, we see the bullet impacts.

7) John Connor’s speech to fellow Resistance members to not obey Ashdown’s orders to attack is extended with a few sentences about his mother. I liked this scene, not sure why they cut it. It ties T2 in, and shows the impact of Sarah Connor. (Is this where Christian Bale had his stage lights tantrum?)

Marcus/T-800 fight scene is slightly longer, shows Marcus getting pummeled a bit more by the T-800. Also, John tries to revive Marcus an additional time, before collapsing in exhaustion.

I would like to add that I enjoyed Terminator 4; much better than the campy T3, and just a shade under T2. The action was definitely there, and McG included a lot of thoughtful touches from the past movies, e.g. photograph of Sarah Connor, the origin of John’s scars, John’s like for Guns N’Roses, Sarah Connor’s taped voice recordings (actually Linda Hamilton’s voice), use of and of course the Arnold cameo. Who can say no to Michael Ironside? What I didn’t like was Blair Williams’ geisha makeup which she wore during air combat. It made no sense, and was probably one of the deleted portions. Bryce Dallas Howard was believable as Kate Connor, but her screen time was too short. Hopefully, a future cut will show more of her relationship with John.

Some have said that Christian Bale’s performance was wooden, or that John Connor’s role was overshadowed by Sam Worthington’s role as Marcus Wright. I disagree with both counts; Bale played Connor as he should have been; grizzled, scarred, gruff. Given that we know so much already about the future and John’s role from prior Terminator movies, it makes sense to have another character portray the center protagonist role. I also liked the idea of the audience first seeing John as a minor Tech-Com officer, steadily rising through the ranks and gaining influence.

I did have one concern about the movies; how come the Arnold T-800 didn’t die when John Connor shot the molten steel onto its head? Turns out there’s a perfectly scientific explanation (McG consulted a metallurgist).

Here’s McG’s answer: “There are different characteristics of molten steels, and that was an earlier steel process after it had been separated from the coke. We went over this with a metallurgist, discussing which metals burn at which degrees. And also, if it had stayed on [the T-800], perhaps it would’ve melted him, but it was frozen quickly enough by the [liquid nitrogen]. Plus, we make the transition from the molten metal to the cooling property so quickly — as a function of the T-800 being on [John] Connor — that it wouldn’t have had time to melt the existing titanium exoskeleton in time.”

In conclusion, if you’re a diehard Terminator fan, go ahead and pick up this version. Otherwise, wait for the (hopefully) longer extended cut.

A Realy Solid Action Film
I terminated 2.5 hours of my overcast afternoon to get to and wait in line for the sneak preview of Terminator Salvation, so I figured that I might as well try to get my review up tonight to help people make an informed, spoiler-free decision this weekend. I know I waited about the length of movie in line, but I did walk into it knowing what to expect and I got exactly that: a summer blockbuster action movie.

The plot is basically what you think it is given the plots of the first two movies (the third one doesn’t really count in the continuum of this movie’s timeline, from what I remember of it). In the future, the government contracts Skynet for defense technologies, which creates robots that end up becoming self-aware and decide that humanity is a threat on “Judgement Day” and start trying to destroy the entire human population. Unlike the first two movies, which take place because robots from the future travel back in time, this one takes place in the middle of the war with John Connor right in the middle of the resistance as they prepare to attack Skynet. If I tell you any more than that then it would spoil what little there is to be spoiled (but the trailer does spoil quite a bit).

It’s really easy to pick apart this movie. Let’s face it: it’s a hardcore action movie. No one is going to see it for quotable dialogue. Sadly, you never really connect to the characters so you don’t care much about them. Character development is slim-to-nil, even with the leading role of Christian Bale as John Connor. Some of the supporting characters give predictably weak performances, most notably Common (although he is very good at hip hop). The only characters I ever felt myself caring about were Sam Worthington’s and Moon Bloodgood’s. I’m not even going to get into the scientific impossibilities or inconsistencies in the movie, or its strange idea of time (which differs with Lost and Star Trek). Of course, no one is going to this movie for a character study though or scientific accuracy, so to critique those points would be dumb. You’re really going because you want to see evil robots trying to kill people.

You will definitely see a lot of that. Those robots get pretty creepy, so if the robot apocalypse scares you excessively then this is definitely not the movie for you. Seriously, the robots are creepy, and there are some startling moments (not a whole lot, just a few). I definitely don’t think the movie is appropriate for any kids younger than 13 (though I think even 15 is kind of pushing it). There’s no sex or excessive gore, but there’s plenty of violence and the robots are eerie. The dystopian future it paints can just be a lot to handle for a young teenager.

Anyway, the action is definitely stellar. There’s also a lot of it. It reminds me of Mission: Impossible 3 since the breaks between action scenes are few and far between, and each action scene is ridiculously intense and has you very anxious. I have to admit that it’s a bit of a stressful movie to watch after a full day of work, but it’s still fun. The only criticism I can viably make about the action is that at times the characters didn’t seem sufficiently scared about the situations they found themselves in, but I could believe that they live in a world where the stuff that happens in this movie just doesn’t phase them anymore because they’ve been totally desensitized to it.

I was sitting in the very front of the theater and I didn’t notice any crummy CG. Whatever CG they had was actually pretty believable. They do an incredible job of creating a world and a reality that you believe could happen. I seriously found myself pondering what I’d do to deal with the robot apocalypse at points in this movie. I really wished they took it a step farther and covered a little bit further some of the ethical/logistical issues they touched upon with regard to robots rather than skirting them or handling them awkwardly, but I knew that it really wasn’t that kind of movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I’m not the pretentious film critic who’s going to give this movie an F just because it wasn’t the best movie of the year. Sure it didn’t measure up to Watchmen or Star Trek, but it was a solid action movie. We live these super busy lives where we don’t take a whole lot of time to stop and just rest and enjoy something, and I think that Terminator Salvation, ironically enough, gives us something to enjoy as a fun experience. Assuming that you don’t think you’re going to have nightmares about the robot apocalypse, I definitely recommend seeing this movie while it’s in theaters. I’ve seen better action movies so I have to give it a solid B-, but I still think it’s a very worthwhile B movie.

Terminator Salvation Extended cut
The movie was good, a few bad lines, but mostly the editing was really off, they shouldn’t have cut the time down to under 2 hours and made it a PG-13 flick. That was a big mistake, that’s like making Rambo a G-rated film, it’s just not right. Christian Bale is good as John Connor, he gives an alright performance, but he could have done a little better. Anton Yelchin (Young Kyle Reese) did a superb job portraying the young hardened soldier who will eventually go back to protect young Sarah Connor, but not in this film. The movie is good, but due to editing and script changes here and there, caused the movie’s poor performance at the box office. It’s still a good film to watch, it gives us a fresh new look at the world post Judgment Day. It’s NO James Cameron film by a long shot, but still decent with good action. Just don’t expect to follow the plot as it has it’s ups and downs by the different writers that wrote the screenplay. Expect a future blu-ray/dvd Terminator Salvation: Extended Cut (I don’t know what they will call it) to contain most of the deleted scenes 30-40 mins worth with the original ending and an alternate storyline to debut sometime in late 2010. It’s an alternate version of the film, much like Donner’s Superman II cut. This only has 3 mins added, with Moon Bloodgood’s breasts and a couple of F-Bombs in this sad director’s cut.

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #8109 in TV Series Episode Video on Demand
• Size: 1
• Released on: 2008-09-26
• Running time: 22 minutes

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