The Man Who Would Be King [Blu-ray Book]

Great great film, so so DVD - with one startling omission
This is, of course, a great film, with every aspect of what makes a great film fully exploited. But I did discover something strange on the DVD - there is an entire scene missing. After Sean Connery falls from the bridge, instead of the process shot that shows him falling in slow-motion and the crown falling from his head (which is in every version of the film I've ever seen) the scene dissolves to Christopher Plummer listening to the final words of Michael Caine's narration. What happened to the scene?? Why would it have been removed?? My only other quibble about the DVD is that the sound is not very full. It is an early release DVD so in subsequent releases they might address that issue, but PUT BACK THE MISSING SCENE!

John Huston is the real King !
He began with 'The Maltese Falcon' which one must admit is not too bad for a first film, don't you think?

Then for years he wanted to bring this adventure story by Kipling to the screen. How many years? Well, originally he had Bogie and Gable in mind for the leads, you do the math.

Fortunately for us, he eventually got the green light for his project.

He then found Peachy and Danny in Michael Caine and Sean Connery, movie stars who are also great actors-- of which there ain't many, folks---and who are perfectly cast in the roles.

Moreover, Caine and Connery had been friends for a long time and this undoubtedly helped bring to life the camaraderie between the misfit heroes.

It is the late 19th century and Danny and Peachy, formerly sergeants in Her Majesty's Army, find themselves stranded and penniless in India. Their ungrateful country has no further use for them, although their officers once called them heroes "We fought our way up the pass yard by bloody...

A FIVE STAR CLASSIC on a 1 STAR DVD
This was one of my favorites, and a "must have" in my DVD library. The story is still great,and the dialog between "Peachy" and "Daniel" is still among my favorites still.

But the DVD was dissappointing. The movie is split on two sides, and has to be flipped to view the remainder of the film.The DVD only has Dolby 1.0 Sound (Digital but MONO)and apparently very weak in the mix. Overall a better picture than my old worn VHS, but very weak audio overall.

The menu's and commentary are hard to read, and there were points in the movie where the transfer to DVD looked "jumpy".

More than disappointing presentation overall.

This deserves a "director's cut", or an audio remix to serve those of us who will cherish whatever copy we have, forever.

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Angelina Ballerina: Pop Star Girls [HD]

A Great Movie!
My 5 1/2 yr. old granddaughter has taken ballet for 2 yrs. She loves Angelina Ballerina! Both of us enjoyed this movie. There are always educational elements in these movies, and they are nicely done and fun! We have enjoyed all of the Angelina movies we have seen!

grandaughter
My grandaughter loves the shows. When traveling we cant watch it on Kindle without internet connection- any other solutions or have i missed something

Very Cute!
My 3 year old grand daughters really like Angelina. Very cute stories. I really like that I can connect Kindle Fire HD to HD tv. Makes a really nice picture.

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New Tricks: Season Four

Hilarious - for all except young children
On the cover, this group of detectives looks pretty hardcore. Yes, they are veteran detectives and take their jobs seriously, but you'd never guess the joking around that goes on behind those very serious faces. The crimes are serious, and the viewer is kept in suspense until the crime is solved, but we get to laugh along the way at all of their idiosynchrosies, the pranks, and the hard time they give each other. Every crime is a cold case, and they're all solved in a unique way - no boredom here. In fact, they use some imaginative techniques to get access to information. I'm in my thirties and highly prefer this program to The Closer and Law & Order, which can be very predictable. I've grown to really care about these characters, loving the top-notch writing and acting along the way. Can't wait until Season 7 is put onto DVD in the UK.

Amazon.co.uk
I've found this series so consistently entertaining through six series I decided to get Series One as a gift for a friend. I was amazed to find it's no longer offered on Amazon.com except as a "market place" item for the better part of $200. Went to the British Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk) and got it for $16.06 though, of course, it's a Region 2 DVD and won't play on most American (Region 1) players. It will, however, play on many computers.

Just to be sure my friend would have no problems with it, I also got her an inexpensive Region Free player for Christmas. These range in price from $50 to $80. Now, if she wants further episodes, she can get the Region 2's at the British Amazon where they're cheaper than their American counterparts. In addition she'll have access to a whole new variety of costume dramas, comedies, mysteries, sci-fi, etc. that's generally better written, better acted and more engaging than what's on American TV.

For any who may be interested but...

FUNNY MURDER HUMOROUS MYSTERY LAUGHABLE COPPER FUN CRIME
A VERY LAUGH-OUT-LOUD set of stories. This show began in 2003 and has been on an upward spiral winning direction since. Season 4 is no exception. The show is based on a female cop DS Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman-`At Home with the Braithwaithes' 'Little Dorrit`) who runs the unsolved cases department from the basement due to a bad situation of her past. With no backup or budget, she recruits 3 ex-cops out of retirement. Pullman is blond, aggressive, a good-looker, likes cheap wine, with a wild private life, and bound to get the job done, one way or another. The 4 combine to solve the cold cases, but in such a funny way. Character study is magnificent in the writing of this show. It only gets better and better. It is still in production as of 2011. Will it last as long as Midsomer Murders, also yet continuing? It's as good.

The other quirky cops:
Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong-'Garrow's Law' 'Little Dorrit' 'Braveheart`) is over medicated with a great memory, and married to...

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American: The Bill Hicks Story [HD]

Bill Hicks deserves a hell of a lot more than this
In the booklet included with the new Blu-ray "American: The Bill Hicks Story", Mary Hicks, Bill Hicks' mother, is quoted as saying "When he got sick, Bill wanted me to help him file all of his photographs, and he showed me Hendrix and Dylan documentaries. I said, 'Bill, why are you showing me all of this?' and he said 'In case someone comes mom, and they want to make one about me.'" After watching this documentary on the late and brilliant comedian one has to wonder if the film makers would have been better off consulting Mrs. Hicks on the basics of telling compelling stories. As fascinating a subject as Hicks unquestionably is, this documentary proves to be an extremely disappointing dusting over of Hicks' career combined with an irritating level of gloss and flashy editing techniques which show a lack of respect for the subject in favor of displaying art school editing prowess.

The problem in reviewing a documentary such as "American" is many fans of Bill Hicks already...

Proud to be an American Bill Hicks fan!
Writing from Austin, Texas (Bill Hick's home base), I must say I am saddened and outraged that this release has not been made available here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is no surprise that this is a UK import - they appreciated him more over there then they ever did here. Jolly good! I doubt this will ever get a stateside NTSC release. If you have a way to play PAL DVDs, then this is manna from heaven for any Bill Hicks fan. Kudos to the film makers for this awesome tribute to Mr. William Melvin Hicks! The graphics are unique and the film is a true testament to the impact Bill Hicks has had and continues to have as his words ring truer everyday.

"Is there a point to all this? Lets make a point."
If you consider yourself a fan of the late Bill Hicks then this is a must see documentary. Very well put together as you get a chronological order of the events that took place on his rise to stardom. Included some early life and behind the scene details of Hicks' trials and tribulations. I thought the beginning of the film was a little slow but things quickly picked up as Hick's career started to bloom. Production did a good job including many of Bill's early and late footage of his shows. Fan or not, I think no one will be disappointed watching this film. Its unfortunate that we do not have enough people like Bill Hicks to invoke thought as well as put a comical light on issues that may normally bring about negative feelings. R.I.P.

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Pure Barre: Pershing Square 2: Ballet, Dance, Pilates Fusion Workout

noticeable results
I have been doing the original Pure Barre video for about 6 months, about 2 times a week. I originally alternated it with weight work, sometimes at a gym, but due to money and time constraints switched totally to at home workouts. About 3 months into this I began to see noticeable results in the shape of my thighs and glutes. At that point I dropped the weights totally after injuring my arm and increased Pure Barre to 3 times a week. For the first time in my life I began to see muscle definition in my abdomen too. I have been rotating between the three dvds since getting Pershing Sq 1 & 2 at the beginning of August and am seeing continued toning in every muscle group, upper arms included. I am in my 50's and getting these amazing results.

I don't have alot of time to exercise and these are under 50 minutes. Due to my home schedule I am seldom able to do even that length of program in one session, but split it up into sections, finishing one complete muscle group at...

ADVANCED LOTTE BERK STYLE WORKOUT
Fantastic workout!!!! Disclaimer: I'm a customer, I have no connection with Pure Barre and have never taken an in-person class, only the DVD, and I do not personally know anybody connected with the company. I have been doing barre-type workouts for awhile now, and so far as I know, this is the only truly advanced level Lotte Berk-style workout. It's efficient, and faultlessly cued by the very pleasant and business-like Carrie Rezabek, the owner of Pure Barre, which has several locations.

Warmup, Thighs, Seat, Abs, Cooldown.
Menu: Detailed, with a thumbnail photo for each section and subsection to jog your memory as to what's on offer. Very nice touch.
The warmup has highly effective bodyweight exercises that reflect the most current scientific research on exercise physiology before moving on to the main workout. The main workout uses 5 inch rubber balls to increase the resistance. (If you can't find these locally, they're available on the Pure Barre website...

Great results
I also used to take Lotte Berk classes in New York city and agree that this is the only truly advanced work out of this type out there that you can do at home. I would put it up there in terms of effectiveness with Super Callanetics but it goes so much more quickly and gives better abdomen results. Also she does not waste one minute of your time. She is professional, likeable, and knows exactly what she is doing. I saw very quick results alternating between Pershing Square 1 and 2. I am also going to order the original Pure Barre video. Thank you, Carrie Rezabek.

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Bitter/Sweet (2009) [HD]

One of the Best Romantic Films
This is sweet, romantic movie about a coffee buyer who travels to Thailand on business and falls for his travel guide. Complications arise when the company owner backs out of deals made to growers, including the guide's family. The buyer's problems worsen when his fiancée travels to Thailand and he must decide what direction his life will take. Relationships between family and friends add color to the story.

Bottom line is, a movie is only as good as its acting. And you must like the characters in it to like it. This movie is a winner in both regards. It has a great cast portraying very likeable characters. It is also relaxing seeing the beautiful scenery of Thailand.

My only criticisms are for the opening song and the DVD cover art. Normally, I would give 4 stars to a movie of this quality. However, it's rare to find a romantic movie as good as this. So I rate it 5 stars.

Formulaic romantic comedy 3.5*
Bitter / Sweet
dir Jeff Hare, Thailand & USA, 2009

Formulaic romantic comedy 3.5*

Brian (Kip Pardue) is a jet-setting coffee buyer for a St*rb*cks like chain, whose boss Calvert Jenkins (James Brolin) orders him to Thailand in spite of his objections (they only grow the inferior robusta beans! ). On arrival he is waylaid by the two beautiful young women, modern Bangkok fashion executive Ticha (Napakpapha Nakprasitte) and her coffee expert friend Mook (Kalorin Supaluck Neemayothin), and Mook's expat boyfriend Werner (Spencer Garrett), and persuaded to visit Ticha's home village to sample their coffee. Sparks fly between Brian and Ticha (seriously, folks, I expected to see some pigtails dipped in the inkwell here!) -- or is it attraction, in spite of her forswearance of men for professional advancement and his impending marriage to the rich, pleasant, beautiful Amanda (Laura Sorenson)? Will the village get the coffee contract?

Ups and downs and...

bitter/sweet
Very nice rom-com, well crafted and beautiful setting. If you are looking for a well a acted, directed and produced film then rent or buy this film as you won't regret it.

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Salt Of This Sea

Must see for anyone who wants to understand the complex issues behind the Israeli brutality
This was a wonderful movie to watch, the arabic spoken is crisp and clear and the sub-titles are very accurate. This movie shows the humiliation and brutality that is an every day reality in the occupied territories.

I traveled to the West Bank for myself and can bear witness to the facts presented in this movie. If you are a human being that cares about justice in the world, this is a movie you cannot pass up.

Salam, Shalom, Peace.

Illuminating
Anyone who has gone through an oppressive search by the TSA knows how humiliating and disempowering it can be. But, as we see in the opening scene of Salt of this Sea, it's nothing compared to the routine degradation inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli security forces.

Brooklyn-born Palestinian Soraya (Suheir Hammad) has always longed to take a roots journey back to her grandparents' homeland, from which they were forcibly exiled in 1948. But her experience turns dark from these very first moments after touchdown at the airport, when she is repeatedly interrogated and searched for no reason other than her surname. Things go from bad to worse when a British-controlled bank in the West Bank city of Ramallah refuses her request for her grandfather's long-vanished money.

She and her disillusioned lover Emad (Saleh Bakri) and his filmmaker friend Marwan (Riyad Ideis) respond to the rampant injustices by committing a crime and going on the lam in Israel, where they...

Errs on the side of PC, even a little far-fetched BUT...
An American woman from Brooklyn (grandparents Palestinian and evacuated (ousted is more precise) to a Lebanese refugee camp in 1948, parents born in Lebanon and emigrated to the US) comes to Israel to retrace her family's roots. She seeks the 315 Palestinian pounds her grandfather left behind in the bank. The money is long gone. The family house belongs to an Israeli woman. The house is still tiled with the tiles her grandfather laid down. She strikes up a friendship with two men in Ramallah, one of whom has not left Ramallah for 17 years. And has never seen the sea. We see her arrival at the airport and the humiliations she experiences. We see the roadblocks and the searches. The three commit a crime and escape to inner-Israel, Jewish Israel, where Arabs must have ID cards. It is an exhilarating road trip for awhile. A day at the sea, going to her grandfather's house and being invited to stay by the Israel woman who now owns it, and surprise surprise--these few days do not...

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