Devil in a Blue Dress

Despite rave reviews as one of the most stylish and intelligent detective pictures in a number of years, this 1995 adaptation of Walter Mosley's novel never found a mass audience. Too bad, because Carl Franklin's film is nearly perfect in every way, from its rich, shadowy look to its depiction of life in post-World War II black America (L.A.-style) to the acting of Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and others. Washington plays Easy Rawlins, an aircraft factory worker who is laid off only to find his true calling: as a private eye, albeit an unlicensed one. Hired to find a missing woman, he becomes entangled in a complex but satisfying case involving sex, corruption, racism, and of course money. Top-notch from top to bottom–and Cheadle is dangerously funny as Easy's best friend, a killer named Mouse. –Marshall Fine

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars One of my favorites
The mistake with this movie is the casting of Jennifer Beals. Denzel Washington walks and talks like an Ezy Rawlings. And Don Cheadle deserved an award for his portrayal. The early Los Angeles history is interesting, especially when viewed along with Chinatown.

5 Stars Denzel and Scene Stealing Cheadle Make This A Winning Adaptation
Devil in a Blue Dress is a wonderful adaptation of Walter Mosely's fantastic late 40's detective series featuring black private eye "Easy" Rawlins.

Rawlins is a World War II veteran trying to get reestablished in LA following the war. He finds himself helping out someone hired to look for a white woman who is married to a prominent politician. Soon, he is caught up in the double dealings, mystery, and intrigue that only a 40's private eye can be involved in, and "Easy" begins to have it very, very hard.

He enlists the help of his Texas cousin "Mouse," played by Don Cheadle in what is one of the best scene-stealing performances in the past twenty years. "Mouse" hasn't met anyone besides "Easy" that he dosen't want to kill, and he works hard at being an efficient killer. The byplay with Washington's Easy is hysterical, and provides excellent comic relief.

This move is enjoyable on just about nearly every level. If you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself to watch Devil in A Blue Dress very, very soon.

3 Stars Who played Coretta?
I've read all the reviews and still have to see one that mentions Coretta…who played her in the movie? I thought she was stunning.

5 Stars Devil in a Blue Dress - Great African American Film Noir
This film directed by Carl Franklin from his own screenplay, based on the novel by Walter Mosley is great. It is a wonderful example of film noir comng from the late 1940's section of Los Angeles that is not seen in films, and from an African American perspective. I highly recommend owning this DVD with commentary from Franklin.

3 Stars Very good performances hung on not much substance.
Devil in a Blue Dress (Carl Franklin, 1995)

I'm still attempting to figure out what to say about this movie after two weeks. Usually, this is a sign that it simply didn't leave enough of an impression on me to say much of anything, but at least I liked it.

Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington), an out-of-work electrician, is hired by an acquaintance of a friend to go looking for Daphne Monet (Flashdance's Jennifer Beals), the missing fiancee of a political candidate in an upcoming election. There's more to it than that, of course, but this is a movie where things tend to get complicated and spoiler-laden very quickly.

The movie is chock full of good performances, notably Washington and Don Cheadle as his friend and partner Mouse. The problem is that these performances exist in a vacuum; the movie never really comes together, with wooden dialogue and a paint-by-numbers plot that sacrifices a good deal of the subtlety of the novel. It's a decent genre mystery flick, but it's not what it could have been. ** ?

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The Wedding Night

One of the lesser-known satisfactions in Gary Cooper's career is this 1935 King Vidor film, an offbeat blend of romance, comedy, and tragedy. It begins in screwball territory: Cooper plays a novelist whose partying ways have stalled his career and made his new manuscript unpublishable. He and wife Helen Vinson like the high life (any resemblance to Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald is probably intentional), and she doesn't stick around while he tries to write a new book in a quiet Connecticut country house. The isolation puts him into proximity with a heartfelt young immigrant girl (Anna Sten), whose Polish community provides a subject for his new book.

If you think Cooper was a merely the High Noon guy, a lanky Western hero, this is one of the movies (among many) that dispel the idea: his utter naturalness is a gold standard for a certain kind of movie-star acting. Directing him on the set the first day, Vidor worried about the star's mumbling and forgetfulness with dialogue. "Imagine my amazement," Vidor later wrote, "when I watched our first day's work on the screen and observed and heard a performance that overflowed with charm and personality." Anna Sten was another issue: the Russian actress had been brought to the U.S. with great fanfare by producer Samuel Goldwyn, because he wanted to have his own foreign Garbo/Dietrich under contract. Her cool presence failed to generate audience interest, and Goldwyn gave up on her after The Wedding Night. She's a problem, but Cooper keeps it going, and the movie itself is unexpectedly warm. –Robert Horton

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Excellent performances!
A surprising performance by all. This Movie ages well unlike a lot of other films of this era.

5 Stars Tender and Mature
This tender and mature film from director King Vidor is one of the great forgotten films of the 1930's. There is a sensitive and romantic light hanging over every frame, as though Vidor turned the lamplight low, letting its warm, soft glow set the mood for a rich story of tragic love.

Alfred Newman's lovely score and Gregg Toland's photography gave Anna Sten a chance to truly shine opposite Gary Cooper. Her Manya is sweet and endearing, and it is sad that Goldwyn misused her by trying to make her into another Garbo. She is both funny and charming, and with a gift for conveying emotion on the inside while attempting to mask her feelings.

Edwin Knoff's original story of a writer in need of more inspiration and a lot less boozing returning to his country home in Connecticut has real depth. It doesn't opt for easy answers to lives gone astray. Love's redeeming power, and our connection to the earth, themes running through many of Vidor's works, are important elements in Edith Fitzgerald's screenplay.

Gary Cooper is quite wonderful as the writer who can't get published anymore returning to his home, his New York wife in tow. Helen Vinson lends great support as his wife Dory, and makes her sympathetic even when she leaves Tony (Cooper) and returns to the city for a time. It will prove to be a huge mistake, bringing about tragedy.

Tony finds both solice and inspiration in his lovely Polish neighbor, Manya (Anna Sten). Her gentle presence gives birth to "Earth's Return," a novel he reads to her by the fire. Her smile and gentle laughter is soothing to his soul, and soon there is a deep and unspoken love blooming.

Standing in their way, however, is her traditional Polish family, who have arranged a marriage for her, and his returning wife, who really loves Tony but is not sure how to hang on to him. This is a rich and mature film of a man adrift and the love which brings his soul back to life, with tragic consequences. Filled with warmth and humor, there is a something real about it. A farewell reminiscent of the final scene in Borzage's "Three Comrades" is not soon forgotten.

This is a lovely film from the 1930's which has the maturity of foreign films made decades later. Perhaps only when "The Stranger's Return" and "H.M. Pullman Esq." find a release, will King Vidor's standing as an important figure in American film finally be realized. A tender masterpiece.

3 Stars Remarkable Acting - Unremarkable Story
I wasn't too impressed with the storyline of this one and found it rather dull: A Manhattan writer named Tony (Gary Cooper), who made a splash with his first novel, is suffering from a long dry spell. Running out of cash, he and his wife head off to rural Connecticut where they can reside in his old family home rent-free. The writer gets inspiration for a new novel from his Polish neighbors. He also seems to fall in love at first sight with the Poles' daughter, Manya (Anna Sten). Tony's wife soon heads back to New York City out of boredom, leaving the writer to become more entangled with the Polish girl.

The acting is what makes this film worth watching: Gary Cooper, as usual, has a tremendous screen presence, and Anna Sten is surprisingly good. I say "surprisingly" because she has often been accused of giving a "cold" performance that turned people off. It is hard to see why Hollywood gave up on her so quickly (this was her first and last major film). Not only did she possess a highly alluring beauty, but she was excellent in the role of Manya. [Looking at the other Amazon reviews, it seems that most of you out there agree with me on this last point.]

4 Stars ANNA STEN - A REVELATION
I concur with what has already been said about this tender 'sleeper', and can only add that Anna Sten has a few moments that remain breathtakingly fresh more than 75 yrs later. Cooper is of course his wonderful self. Helen Vinson is much too one-note, in a thankless role. It is Sten who really knocks your socks off - and Vidor's direction, too, is splendid.

5 Stars the wedding night
an author with writers block finds more than he bargained for when he has to go to the country to escape his out of control city life-style. he finds that he has other problems when he falls for a local girl. one of them is how to tell his wife about her.. it isn't easy. and thereby hangs the tale.

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The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring Widescreen Edition

As the triumphant start of a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring leaves you begging for more. By necessity, Peter Jackson's ambitious epic compresses J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings, but this robust adaptation maintains reverent allegiance to Tolkien's creation, instantly qualifying as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. At 178 minutes, it's long enough to establish the myriad inhabitants of Middle-earth, the legendary Rings of Power, and the fellowship of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and humans–led by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and the brave hobbit Frodo (Elijah Wood)–who must battle terrifying forces of evil on their perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the land of Mordor. Superbly paced, the film is both epic and intimate, offering astonishing special effects and production design while emphasizing the emotional intensity of Frodo's adventure. Ending on a perfect note of heroic loyalty and rich anticipation, this wondrous fantasy continues in The Two Towers (2002). –Jeff Shannon

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Awe-Inspiring
"The Lord of the Rings" is nothing short of brilliance. The story, the imagery, and the messages all convey honesty and realism, despite the fantasy elements. As a long time fan of the entire trilogy and of course "The Hobbit", I was looking forward to the release of this first film for several years after hearing a rumor about its production. Lucky enough to attend the midnight showing, I spent the entire three hours completely strapped to my seat, eyes glued to the screen and fingers gripping my chair. The entire theater was silent, perplexed by the visual and emotional treat in front of them. The joy, evil and pain felt by the characters was very real in such a sense that it seemed everyone was frightened for their lives as Frodo and his companions hid from their first encounter with a black rider. I remember I'd felt like I'd held my breath for the entirety of the film.

To this day, the effect is no less intense. There are folks whose taste in movies didn't usually include fantasy adventures, but they enjoy this anyway. In some cases, they're converted entirely and become obsessed fans.

Peter Jackson's interpretation of what has become a classic is close to perfection. The casting, dialogue, costumes, direction, and disposition of the film are exactly what they should have been. Somehow, Peter and his crew crafted a masterpiece that translates every necessary element from book to screen with ease. This movie (and both of its following chapters) is one of the very few films that continually affect the viewer despite how many times you might have seen it. Even though you might know the story, you can't help but be captivated and amazed at the technical and artistic marvel it is.

As others have already so elegantly stated, the special effects are truly top notch and easily blow everything else out of the water. Unlike other recent films, the effects, live action, speeches and comedy mesh seamlessly. One element doesn't overshadow another. You really get the sense this story is more historical than make believe.

This movie was the beginning of a global phenomenon that ended too soon. But its wonderful message of good triumphing over evil is made immortal, thanks to this intensely fabulous film.

5 Stars A Wonderfully Crafted Piece Of Work, 28 Sep 2007
Plot:

Passed to him by his uncle Bilbo, young Hobbit Frodo Baggins becomes the unlikely and unwilling bearer of The One Ring of power, an instrument of unparallelled evil. And so Frodo, along with his three Hobbit chums, the wizard Gandalf and a swordsman named Strider, set out on an epic quest.

My Review:

To be honest and slightly embarrassed, I had never read the 'Lord of The Rings' until mid-last year. I had heard of it, but not knowing much about. With no argument, history should quickly regard/treat Peter Jackson's The Fellowship Of The Ring as the first instalment of the best fantasy epic in motion picture history. This statement is genuine of investigation for many outstanding reasons.

Fellowship is undeniable and merely an opening salvo, and even after three hours in the dark you will likely exit the cinema famished with anticipation for the further two parts of the trilogy. The beginning to a three-part saga, is also forthright and firmly rooted in the fantasy action genre, which takes its part in not being confused with that of the cool and good science fiction.

Unlike the sweet charm of family fare of Harry Potter, usually dialogue consisting of gremlins, goo, goblins and some other less inspiring gibberish. The characters' dialogue in this opening spectacle prefers its aversion to that tacky talkie provide by the Harry Potter and tragic Eragon franchise. "To the bridge of Khazad-d?m!" are as well to stay within the Shire-like comforts of home (their loss).

With those admonitions in place, it bears repeating the ideal that fantasy does not come finer. There are electrifying moments — notably the computer-assisted swooping camera through Isengard as it transforms into a factory for evil — when Jackson's flight of fancy approaches the sublime as the romantic poets would understand it: inspiring awe.

Aside the increasing thorny issue of Tolkien' die-hards and their foreseeable gripes, 'Tom Bombadil", as an intellectual example; Jackson's screenplay (written with Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens) is far, both bolder and more astute than Steven Kloves' surprisingly timid interpretation of Harry Potter. Interestingly, resurrecting the romance of Arwen and Aragon from the footnotes of various appendices, to the escalation of Saruman to the all-action evil wizard, that actually has a corrective influence on J.R.R Tolkein's frequently slanted and female-sparse source material.

There aren't many problems, though; that most would complain about; being the three-hour running time. Fans knowing a good adaptation of the first novel would be anything but short. Though it may feel dragged, it doesn't fail to reprise in excellence and explosive action scenes supported by wonderfully crafted script and lusciously exploited characters. Some of the recent fantasy genre films may be too short to some discernible form. However, personally I enjoy the three-hour long and faithful adaptation. It is anything but short, making it a very good thing.

The largely seamless SFX is showcased in the best possible light — total darkness — but the narrative demands a different, downbeat and sad ending. Indeed, but for some fine emotional playing from Bean, Mortensen, Astin and Wood, but then, the real battles are yet to come…

Verdict:

Bearing the unlikeness of fellow fantasy and other war drama spectacles, Fellowship is flawlessly cast and constructed with passion; a labour of love that never feels heavily influenced. Setting current standards for blockbusters to shame. Emotional range and character depth ultimately take us beyond genre limitations, unlike the if not slightly lacking in depth, Mr. Potter. 10/10

2 Stars It Bombed
I remember when Peter Jackson was known for his originality as a director and Christopher Lee's films were not full of cliche. Instead, this is one sword and sorcery cliche of another. It was going to be rated G but they made it PG13 as a joke that most people wouldn't be able to see it. I'm not going to tell you what the joke was. They've been raised Muslim their whole life. You can g et this 3 movies 3 days 3 dollars at the movie store or free at the library. Instead, it's still laggering in the G movies over produced and bombed category so common in the early-mid-late 90s. To its merit, the cliches are accurate and the G rating does hold true as you unlock differant parts with each viewing and not the Jackson horror gore fest. I want this to be a semi retired keepsake for me.

1 Star Perhaps one day someone will make a movie of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings".
Perhaps one day someone will make a movie of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". Mr. Jackson, if one takes the general outline of Hamlet and adds some random dialog from Othello, King Lear and Twelfth Night you have not presented a Shakespearian play, you've created a worthless abortion. Examples abound; from the needless destruction of Faramir's character to the absence of Merry and Pippin as developed characters to the addition of gratuitous scenes and the absence of "real" and lovely ones; it all points to the absence of understanding of the value of the work. Almost none of the characters of the book are presented as written; while it looks like the books, it's really not Tolkien at all.

Mr. Jackson, if you have the work of a master why not attempt to display it ? Why bother if not to bring it to the screen ? Did you think your actors could not realize Faramir ? Did you really feel your sense of pacing and your sense of the dramatic were superior to the author's ? This is a study, in part, of indulgence in mere Hollywood sensibilities of exaggeration and simplification. The geography was simple and so it was held to. The worth of the book was more complex and so abandoned.

I've have seen the extended addition and it's as fundamentally worthless as the original releases. If you care about the books don't bother with the film and keep the images you've created pure in your head.

Perhaps one day someone will make a movie of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings".

5 Stars A MUST HAVE
Everyone should have a copy of the LOTR movies in their collections. I have all of the movies and all of the books in my collection. I am looking forward to The Hobbit movie which is supposed to be released in 2010. Movies or books don't get any better than this. Every time I watch these movies, I discover something new that I had not noticed before. Someday, when the urge hits me just right I will buy the extended editions.

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Shes Gotta Have It

Spike Lee made a splash in the independent film world with his debut feature, an inventive low-budget romance with a strong-willed heroine. Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) can't decide among her three boyfriends: serious but sweet Jamie (Tommy Redmond Hicks), self-centered clotheshorse Greer (John Canada Terrell), and goofy, wisecracking bike messenger Mars Blackmon (Lee). Within this loose story line Lee launches into a character study of Darling and offers a slice of black urban life rarely seen on the screen. According to Lee's published diary, he interviewed dozens of women and gathered feedback on screenplay from female friends, and his efforts show. Nola is an unapologetic, sexually independent character who resists the efforts of the men in her life to change who she is to please them–the wonderful concluding twist thumbs its nose at romantic conventions and gives Nola her due. Lee combines direct address and documentary techniques with a simple, often elegant narrative style to create a multilayered portrait of Nola and her men and question perceptions and conventions of sex, sexuality, and relationships in the modern world. Though somewhat primitive in the light of his more accomplished works, this first feature introduces Lee as a fresh voice and a creative force to be reckoned with. –Sean Axmaker

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Classic movie making … awesome film
I am a big Spike Lee fan. It is exciting to finally have this on DVD. Now if only I can find the soundtrack. Hint, hint … My other favorite, favorite, Spike Lee Lee film is Mo' Better Blues. Awesome soundtrack. Buy those too.

5 Stars WHERES THE SOUNDTRACK?
OK EVERYBODY THE MOVIE IS GREAT BUY IT, BUT NOW THEY NEED TO PUT OUT THE SOUNDTRACK !!

5 Stars 22 YEARS LATER! DAMN FINALLY!
I BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DVD FOR YEARS!!

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPIKE JOINTS!

WOW!!!

I AM SO HAPPY!

IT'S OFF THE WALL WITH A GREAT SOUNDTRACK!

I HAVE THE SOUNDTRACK!

JUST WISH IT HAD NOLA'S SONG ON IT!!!

4 Stars "Please Baby Baby Baby Please"
The now famous quote, said by director Spike Lee's character Mars Blackmon, were the cries of many film enthusiasts crying out for a DVD release. "She's Gotta Have It" is finally here, and aside from the lack of features, it doesn't seem to disappoint. Nola Darling is a young African American woman in Brooklyn that has three lovers. All of which have different attributes. She gets tied up in a love triangle of sorts and in the end she has to choose which one better suits her. Being that this is the debut feature of critically acclaimed director Spike Lee and the pioneer of the black film movement, I expected more than a bare bones DVD release. Criterion-esque release perhaps. But in the end, I can't complain because after 22 years, and an out of print VHS, She's Gotta Have It is on DVD.

4 Stars Please baby please baby please baby please!
One of director Spike Lee's earlier, funny films (his debut, actually). A sexy, hip, and fiercely independent young woman (Tracy Camilla Johns) juggles relationships with three men (who are all quite aware of each other's existence). Lee steals his own movie by casting himself as the goofiest and most memorable of the three suitors- "Mars", a hilarious trash-talking Brooklyn version of the classic Woody Allen nebbish. Lee milks maximum laughs from the huffing and puffing by the competing paramours, as they each jockey for the alpha position (and makes keen observations about sexist machismo and male vanity along the way). Spike's dad Bill Lee composed a lovely jazz-pop score. Despite being a little rough around the edges (due to low budget constraints) it was still a groundbreaking film in the context of modern independent cinema, and an empowering milestone for an exciting new wave of talented African-American filmmakers who followed in its wake.

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Urban Jam Hip Hop Dance with Laya Barak

Laya Barak's "Urban Jam - Hip Hop Dance" program offers instruction in innovative hip hop styles for skill levels from beginner to professional.

The program includes a warmup and isolations section, followed by beginning, intermediate, and advanced routines, and then an additional breakdown of the beginner routine (separate upper and lower body breakdowns are shown).

The warm up and isolations provide you with a basic stretch, together with exercises that will improve the upper and lower body coordination that is so essential for hip hop dance.

The Beginner hip hop dance routine is broken down step-by-step with ample repetition. An additional "Arms" and "Lower Body" section breaks down separately - move-by- move - all the arm and footwork of the beginner routine.

The intermediate routine involves more detail in upper body accents. Musicality also becomes more important, as the routines get more complex.

In the advanced section the movement is more challenging, as the tempo accelerates and the choreography becomes more intricate.

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Love in the Time of Cholera

There's no reason an Englishman shouldn't take on a landmark in Latin American literature. Four Weddings and a Funeral, after all, proves Mike Newell has a feel for romance. Adapted by The Pianist's Ronald Harwood, Love in the Time of Cholera is an epic vision of true love. For all the talent involved, however, this lush realization of the Gabriel Garc?a M?rquez novel never takes flight. Newell begins with a death before backtracking 50 year to the late-1800s, with Florentino (Unax Ugalde), a poetry-writing telegraph operator living in an unnamed city (the movie was filmed in Cartagena, Columbia) who spots the graceful Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) while making his rounds, and that's it–he's in love. While Florentino's mother (Central Station's Fernanda Montenegro) encourages the courtship, Fermina's father (John Leguizamo in over-the-top mode) forbids it. Years pass, and the well-born Dr. Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) treats Fermina for a case of cholera. Then, Urbino proposes. Fermina accepts. A distraught Florentino (now played by Javier Bardem) decides to wait. With the help of his uncle (a sprightly Hector Elizondo), he amasses wealth of his own. All the while, he drifts from woman to woman. After five decades of waiting, he gets a second chance to win Fermina's heart, and it's easier said than done. Florentino's journey is absorbing, but Newell's film lacks the passion and complexity of Marquez's prose. The actors give it their all, but Love in the Time of Cholera is more of a pleasant diversion than a life-changing experience. –Kathleen C. Fennessy

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Cholera is more pleasant than this film
Good God, what was Mike Newell thinking when he took of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel "Love in the Time of Cholera?" THIS IS NOT "Four Weddings and a Funeral!" If you have not read the book, then this terrible screen adaptation will give you only a slight hint of the magnificent yearning that is in Marquez's prose and will replace it with a recreation of 1876-1930 Colombia.Poor Javier Bardem who acts his heart out in what little time Newell and screenwriter Harwood would allow.This is a total bore of a film that is lulling…and not in a good way!

1 Star The trailer seemed more convincing.
Not much left to say, except that this movie is a poor adaptation brought from the Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel to the screen. The film fails in capturing the "latin soul" on the dialogues as well the lyrism and the intensity of the words from the book. Under this point of view, it was a big disappointment. Sincerely, the trailer seemed more convincing…

1 Star A Tepid film that captures little of the novel
From purely a film point of view, "Love in the Time of Cholera" is an extremely ill-conceived screenplay,with jumpy scenes and a need to tell a sprawling narrative with virtually no character revelation.

Now,from the standpoint that I had read the Marquez novel,and though I did not particularly find it an enjoyable read,made this film even more like a dull dream.There is no vision or understanding either with or without the knowledge of the book to qualify this as an interesting movie.For all of the pretty costumes and the cinematic shots of Colombia, this film needed to be done in more capable hands.Michael Newell shocks me with his lack of direction in this film.But ultimately it is the terrible screenplay that has ripped the heart and soul of the novel with an exacto knife and replaced it with a dull narrative that has replaced the intuitiveness and sweeping passion of the novel.It is hard to believe that the same man who scripted "The Pianist",and lesser films such as "Cry,The Beloved Country","Being Julia" and "Oliver Twist" could have been so off in his screenplay.Methinks that Mr. Harwood should not be adapting South American love stories with his his Cape Town to London uppercrustiness.

5 Stars Beautiful Scenery and Story!
Having been to Cartegna (where a great deal of this movie is shot), I was impressed by the cinematography that capture the beauty of the old portions of the city and the Colombian countryside in general!

The story is a lifetime love story (of Garica Marquez's great-grandfather?) of Florentino, who works in the Cartegna Western-Union type shop. One day Florentino spies Fermina and is instantly smitten. He goes home to compose a love-letter to her which literally is as long as a book. Pretty soon Florentino and Fermina are exchanging letters back and forth. Each waits in anticipation of the other's next letter.

One day Florentino goes to serenade Fermina and asks her to marry him. She hesitates (showing the audience of some signs to come) before her female companion (I guess it was her maid) convinces her to reluctantly say yes. Fermina's father is furious. He did not raise his prize daughter to be married to only a "wire clerk." He confronts Florentino who refuses to back down. Thus Fermina's father takes her away from Cartegena and Fermina tells Florentino just before going that she never wants to see him again.

Florentino is devastated and his mother feeling sorry for him convinces his uncle to put Florentino to work on a river boat far away from Cartegna.

In the meantime, Fermina contracts an illness. When the young doctor comes to see her, he is instantly taken by her beauty and asks her father for her hand. Her father gladly says yes and Fermina reluctantly marries.

Meanwhile Florentino has returned to Cartegna thinking that once Fermina's husband dies, she will come back to him. He does some very indiscreet things in the meantime while he is waiting (which will prove to be a very long time).

The movie is full of superb acting and relationships especially between Florentino and his mother, Florentino with his uncle, Florentino with a couple that he writes poetry for, Fermina and her cousin. There is some excellent background music sung by Shakira. The movie also shows the strong culture that is Colombia. This is a must see film for anyone who likes a good love story and wishing to know the beauty that is Colombia!

2 Stars Star power fails to save terrible screenplay adaptation of LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
A novel that was so full of dynamic drive and sustained longing,desire and passion has successfully become a lifeless,dry,insipid,passionless big screen terrible adaptation in the Mike Newell directed Ronald Harwood written LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA.Harwood's screenplay hits nothing but the high notes of the Marquez novel as if telling some historical travelogue through time,and in doing so sweeps away all that was poetic,stirring and life-giving to these characters.The film is shot in sound-byte scenes in attempt to get everything in thus eliminating the very life out of the story.In other words:CRAM IT ALL IN AND SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF IT!!!!

The story of the loving Florentine towards the young and beautiful Fermina is still there (somewhere).It commences in Colombia in 1876 and will span 51 years.The two star-struck lovers pass secret poetic notes.Their young love starts to mature,only to be halted by, what appears to be the film's motivation,Fermina's status hungry father (so overplayed by John Leguizamo that he should have been in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!)Fermina marries Dr.Juvenal Urbino (Benjamin Bratt) and thereby chooses to believe that her love for Florentine is illusory.Florentine,on the other hand,never resigns himself to illusion,but instead samples 622 women over the next 51 years ,always waiting for Fermina's husband to die. The adaptation is so choppy and lacking in the intuition of the novel that this 140 minute film registers dull on the film Richter scale.

The acting,as much as it is allowed to be from both Unax Ugalde and Javier Bardem as the young and old Florentine is outstanding.But the sound-byte scenes make for the same quick ejaculations that Florentine suffers sexually! The only other noteworthy performance comes from Fernanda Montenegro, the "Judi Dench/Meryl Streep" of South America as Florentine's mother.With the little time she is given, either lucid or mad,Montenegro does her best with her 10 minutes of screen time.

The fact that two actors played Florentine,but only one actress played Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno),looked particularly odd when it came to the make-up and the aging process.Bardem looked correct and also acted the part properly.Mezzogiorno looks made up and does not inhabit the old Fermina.Benjamin Bratt also fails to convince as the older doctor.Bardem is simply too good of an actor beside these cast members.

Lastly, this is a LATIN FILM full of LATIN SENSIBILITY, but interpreted by an Englishman and a British South African.It shows big time!

This film made me angry.This was a chance for film greatness and it is lost forever.A major disappointment.This is the second poor novel adaptation this year since EVENING.

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The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

The visual complement to his 1994 book of the same name, Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success provides adherents with the same kind of inspiration and advice that have made the New Delhi-born doctor and writer's work so popular. Whether it will sway those who consider Chopra more charlatan than guru, however, is another matter. To be sure, there's much to be said for the virtues of cultivating one's consciousness, which Chopra describes as "a faculty more powerful and reliable than the five senses." In fact, much is said about it here, often by some familiar faces, including singer Olivia Newton-John (who also provided much of the music for the DVD), actor-director Bill Duke, musician Dave Stewart of the band Eurythmics, and professional golfer Tina Mickelson. Their testimonials, while varying in specifics, all have the same essential theme: only after they'd reached their lowest ebb (breast cancer for Newton-John, a car accident for Stewart, drug problems for Duke) were they able to "tap into the power of their inner beings" and realize their full potential. That's where the Seven Spiritual Laws come in. Some contain considerable wisdom; the fourth (called "The Law of Least Effort") recommends acceptance and responsibility as alternatives to blaming others, while the sixth ("The Law of Detachment") suggests that relinquishing one's obsession with a particular goal will make it more likely to happen. Others are frustratingly vague; learning to "efficiently, effortlessly co-create with the universe" or to be "grounded in the wisdom of uncertainty" is all well and good, but in the absence of practical steps it comes off as vapid New Age speak. Overall, the DVD is well-produced, mixing interviews with the principals (Chopra included) with some lovely cinematography and several sequences that combine live action (mostly featuring Newton-John) with imaginative, computer-generated landscapes and interiors. The package contains a 16-page "study guide" along with the DVD. –Sam Graham

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Enjoy remembering…!!!
…God give you some ways to remember who you are…!!! Now you have one here…!Just with this film……..!!!Enjoy……..!!!

5 Stars Stop, look and listen.
Deepak Chopra is the real deal. Follow his advice for a more meaningful life and see how the world around you quicklychanges. Find the path you've been looking for and the light appears. Breath easier when you discover your real place and your destiny in this twisted world. The light is near and peace glows.

5 Stars Read the Book Review, Watch This, Then Read the Book
I will not repeat my detailed review of the book. I strongly recommend read my review of the book, then watch the DVD which you can rent from Blockbuster, and only then read the book.

I understand how some viewers may have reacted negatively to some of the "exemplar" individuals, but the bottom line for me, after listening to the DVD on background while paying bills, was that I realized I needed to give it my full attention. The DVD and the book gave me closure as I change paths, and that is a priceless gift.

Robert's Book Review at the Book's Page:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Pocketbook Guide to Fulfilling Your Dreams (One Hour of Wisdom)

Other cool DVDs with spiritual and reality mixed:

Tibet - Cry of the Snow Lion

The Snow Walker

Peace One Day

5 Stars Blown Away!
Wow! What a visual feast! And the book is such easy reading. After watching it twice w/ my wife, we followed along for a third time with the book and handy study guide (included w/ DVD). Dr. Chopra has hit this one out of the ballpark and I'm hoping to see more visual adaptations of his teachings. I hear How To Know God is even better and I can't wait to get my copy!

Thanks Deepak!

5 Stars Amazing
Very inspirational and thought provoking. I really enjoyed this DVD and loved the music by Olivia Newton John. This is a life changing movie!

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Bellydance The Next Level Transitions Turns and Layers

Are you ready to take your bellydance to The Next Level?

You ve mastered the basic movements, and now it s time to dance! Most of the subtleties and nuances that distinguish an advanced level in the art of bellydance are best learned by repetition– the optimal way to achieve grace and fluidity, and to reach the comfort level of a professional dancer.

Bellydance - The Next Level includes three sets of drills that, with repeated practice, will bring an ease to the more difficult movements and layers necessary to add texture and dimension to your dance.

The program begins with a warm-up, and continues with the Hipwork and Upper Body Layering sections, each of which flows through variations of the standard isolations and undulations, adding layers such as shimmies and level changes to increase your control and range of motion over time.

Turns can be a challenge, but will bring an exciting and beautiful dimension of movement to your dance performance. Jenna breaks down dynamic and complex turns in a methodical, easy-to-follow manner. The turns are then arranged in another drill that walks you through each turn first, so that, with practice, you will feel completely comfortable adding them to your repertoire.

Jenna s two original choreographies give you the chance to implement many of the layers, turns, and transitions you ve practiced in the rest of the program, putting them together into beautiful dances that you can make your own. Add your personal style, express yourself, and have fun!

Bellydance - The Next Level offers more than just the end product of complete dances to perform: By learning the detailed sequences within each dance, your body will automatically become accustomed to the transitions used in bellydance, enabling you to shift smoothly from one move to the next. As these transitions become second nature, you will find yourself bringing new movements and increased confidence to your dance improvisation as well.

The first choreography, set to an upbeat saiidi-style piece with a short drum solo section, features percussive accents and shimmy layering. The second choreography is a solo oriental piece rich in musicality and filled with delicious details. Jenna performs each dance for you, then breaks down each combination step-by-step with periodic repetitions, finally demonstrating the entire choreography facing the mirror so you can follow along as if you are right there in the studio!

A cool-down is included to gently relax your muscles after dancing.

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The Nativity Story

The Nativity Story is a remarkable, if frustratingly restrained, act of imagining the tale of Christ's birth as a flesh-and-blood drama actually set in Israel two millenia ago. Written by Mike Rich (Finding Forrester) and directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), the film makes very strong impressions in a scene-by-scene way. Beginning with the slaughter (bloodlessly portrayed; this is a PG movie) of Bethlehem's innocents under orders from a paranoid King Herod (a dark and knowing Ciar?n Hinds), the film then jumps back a year to the prophecy that informs Zechariah (Stanley Townsend) that his wife, Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), will bear a child. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's cousin, the adolescent Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), struggles with her family to make ends meet and is promised to the carpenter Joseph (Oscar Isaac). Soon comes word to Mary, via an angel, that she will carry, while still a virgin, the long-awaited Messiah who will liberate the Jews from Herod and his Roman benefactors. Thus begins a detailed account of Joseph and Mary's hard travel to Bethlehem, while three Magi spend months crossing the desert trying to rendezvous with some point below the convergence of three heavenly bodies in the night sky. Hardwicke and Rich anchor all this in period detail, though what proves most moving are relationship nuances, especially the friendship and trust that emerge between Mary and Joseph after he is told in a dream that she speaks truthfully about her miraculous pregnancy. While The Nativity Story should appeal to almost anyone as a straightforward narrative, it is far from a secular version of the familiar Biblical tale, and thus feels a bit stifled. It might have been nice if the film could have breathed a little more with imagination, but The Nativity Story makes up for it by ingeniously weaving hints of things to come, later in Christ's life, into the action. –Tom Keogh

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Excellent movie
I teach religion in a Catholic high school and its hard to find good movies that both interest my students and are fairly accurate to the Bible story. Many movies add so many fictional elements that they are worthless in class, while often those that do not are so boring that my classroom soon resembles the nap room in a kindergarten! The Nativity, however, was accurate enough to satisfy this teacher, while the storyline and characterizations engaged my students. This movie was excellent for an understanding both of the probable personalities of Mary and Jospeh and for an understanding of what it must really have been like to live through this marvelous event 2000 years ago.

5 Stars An Amazing Movie
I loved this movie. It wasn't overly dramatic and kept to what the bible actually says. The little bits that were added did not change the true bible story.

5 Stars Great Movie
Great things are accomplished when they are done via simplicity. This film is one of those examples. Music is also a powerful element in this presentation. I reccomend it to everyone.

5 Stars Moving Movie
This movie touched my heart as I watched it. To see the life style of Mary and Joseph was quite moving. Mary's acceptance, and then Joseph's, of the coming of Jesus was very touching. I pray that I would be as accepting of news from God as they were.

5 Stars The Nativity Story
This movie gives a most realistic look at what life was like at the time of Jesus' birth. I feel it gives a very human picture of Mary and Joseph and what they had to go through. I highly recommend this movie.

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Justice League The New Frontier Single Disc Edition

Saving Humanity for the Very First Time! Based on Darwyn Cooke's award-winning graphic novel, this thrilling adventure reveals the origin of the Justice League. With Cold War paranoia putting Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman under government suspicion, only the gravest threat imaginable can force these heroes - along with an army of newcomers including The Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter - to unite in a spectacular showdown to save the world.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A wonderful New Frontier
To be honest, I was a bit skeptical going into this. Warner's last direct-to-DVD animated release, "Superman: Doomsday", left me a little cold. It had fast forwarded the story into overdrive to cram it into 75 minutes. There seemed to be so much more they could do with it. And I didn't find the voice cast to be all that great.

Now along comes their second foray, and they certainly learned a whole lot between the two. "Justice League: The New Frontier" is retro. There is violence, both implied and seen, which should probably keep this away from children's eyes.

The setting is post-Korean War America. Superhero types have been forced to sign a loyalty oath. The government in in the throws of McCarthy-ism, and some of the heroes are questioning their choices

Along comes fighter pilot Hal Jordan (David Boreanaz). After avoiding killing during the war, he ends up in a mental hospital and then is hired as a test pilot. When the world is in danger, he finds that his destiny lies beyond what he could have imagined.

This story is basically a dual origin tale. Giving us a quick take on the beginnings of J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter (complete with some fun cameos from the Warner library). More involved is the transformation of Hal Jordan into Earth's member of the Green Lantern Corp.

The animation, blending traditional and computer styles, is top notch. There are little subtleties in style and dialogue that help set the period very nicely. Lucy Lawless' take on Wonder Woman, and Boreanaz as Jordan/Lantern are the voice cast stand outs. The only one that stood out as a questionable choice for me was Jeremy Sisto as Batman. It just never clicked for me.

The special edition and Blu-ray versions include 3 episodes from Cartoon Network's excellent "Justice League: Unlimited" series which fill in the gaps on a couple of characters.

I'd like to see a continuation of this series on DVD exploring some of the other characters in more detail.

5 Stars I wanted it to be awesome, and it is
New Frontier is the 2nd DTV release from WB in this new line of DC Universe movies, the first being Superman Doomsday. Being a fan of the graphic, I was more than excited at the idea of watching it animated. The book is without a doubt one of the best examples of modern stuperhero story telling and the movie definitely does it justice.

Bruce Timm is behind this, just like practically every other DC superhero animated series of the past 10 plus years. Which is a good thing, he created quality stuff back then, and NF is no exception. The best decision they made here was choosing what to adapt, and getting Darwyn Cooke, the writer/artist of NF involved. Cooke and Timm had similar artistic styles so this resembles both the graphic novel artwork as well as the previous Justice League series.

As far as the voice talent go, no major complaints here. True to form, Timm enlists yet another Joss Whedon colaborator in David Boreanaz to voice Hal Jordan. I'm not a fan of him from his live action stuff but he's fine as Hal. Neil Patrick Harris is a no-brainer for Flash, and Miguel Ferrer brings a lot of depth to J'onn. The big three are all pretty standard and don't have much screen time. Jeremy Sisto's Batman works, but I don't know how I would have liked him if he had been the star of the movie.

Going into it, I already had a pretty good idea of what was going to be cut, and I was right. John Henry and his hammer was cut but that was a pretty easy descision. The Losers on Dinosuar Island? Gone. The Challengers of the Unknown are still in it, but we lose their backstory which was dissapointing but what can you do? I would have loved to see these scenes in there but they weren't that necessary to the overall plot, except a lot of backstory about Dinosaur Island which would have helped. A little explanation would have been appreciated, but you can never accuse this movie of being boring.

If you're a JL fan, you have to see this. It is essential for any DC Comics collection. Let's hope the quality doesn't slide with the highly anticipated Batman: Gotham Knight.

4 Stars The hype is true…
…this IS a very good comic book movie. So good that at least twice I inadvertently responded to it on a vocal level, forgetting that I was watching an animated film.

My primary concern was that it stayed true to the excellent comic upon which it was based and that it did. Of course its seventy-five minute running time couldn't provide the huge depth of story of the original comic but that didn't detract from my total enjoyment.

The voice work from all cast members is superb and the moment when Hal Jordan fully becomes Green Lantern is positively transcendent.

Good stuff and well worth the time to watch.

4 Stars Between the Golden and Silver Ages - A Nice Retcon
If you have a Blu-ray player - does this disc ever look good. Animation is ideally suited to High Definition. Just incredible looking. The acting/voice performances were excellent. I love the original cast and wouldn't change a thing, yet the new voices here all work quite well - another triumph for Andrea Romano's casting and voice direction talents.

Many others have spelled out the basic plot already so no need to go into that much more. The main villain is a bit weak even after hearing the explanation in the special features. That's about the only weakness in the script. I would say this movie is primarily a Green Lantern/Flash story — lots of great stuff from the old comics done well and many nice touches and fine polishes to many elements. It is a lot like the old JLA comic - all the characters in one place for the same price.

I can easily forgive the liberal leaning retcon elements of this story. The period between the golden and silver age of comics where the story takes place is ripe for new material. All of our comic heroes are creations of the times they were made. At the time of the Korean War, could Superman actually realize he was just a government tool? Or Batman change his style and look because Robin was now part of his life's responsibility? These are modern paradigms presented as vintage. But we all know that. The retcon is not offensive. It's part of the story the writer wanted to tell, and weaving the story in with JFK's "New Frontier" speech actually worked. And that was part of the point here. Something "dated" still directly applies to our modern world. JFK's truth still rings true today as if Obama had said it yesterday. Superheroes in the 1950's didn't comprehend as our hindsight allows us to, but since this is just a story it's okay that they apparently did all along.

I enjoyed this film. I thought it was written at a very adult level and that the comic book kids from 8-12 won't be able to appreciate it. I'm looking forward to more features from DC. I think this is a great trend to produce animated superhero features. I think the script could have been fleshed out a lot more, because a 74 minute movie is just not enough to tell the tale. It's loaded with small details but I'd have preferred if it was loaded with larger more developed details of all the characters. But what we got was still good and I'm grateful that such movies are being made at all.

5 Stars Great Movie
First, I was shocked when I saw the suicide, then Hal blowing someones brains out, the SOB word mentioned twice and Wonder Woman simply allowing soldiers to be killed. She might as well have killed them herself since she was an accomplice to murder, right or wrong. Then I looked at the PG-13 rating and understood why. This is definately not a kids cartoon. It also reminded me of JL and JLU where the US government was secretly keeping tabs on the justice league and weren't completely trusted.

Anyway, this was really good and I really enjoyed the intro for Batman. Although it didn't explain why Batman was a renegade. Superman was taken out too quickly, I would have liked to see him fighting side by side with the other heavy hitters, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern. Overall, I enjoy almost all Justice League material. Has anyone heard of a real life Justice League with Roth Brandon and Christian Bale, etc.? I saw some stuff on youtube.

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