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The Laramie Project
Drama Kathleen Chalfant, Laura Linney, Peter Fonda, Jeremy Davies, Nestor Carbonell, Camryn Manheim, Andy Paris, Grant Varjas, Kelli Simpkins, Clea DuVall, Billie McBride, Bill Christ, Frances Sternhagen, Michael Emerson, Margo Martindale Moisés Kaufman
The Laramie Project is an awakening and significant film. It concentrates on the true story of Matthew Shepard, a young homosexual man murdered for his sexuality by two boys of similar age to himself. The interviews based on real life residents of Laramie along with the details surrounding Matthews's brutal murder evoke reflection, shock and mournfulness for the viewer. It is an emotional piece of work, highlighting the ever present prejudices existing within contemporary society. The film acts as a disturbing commemoration of a tragic tale that should not be forgotten. Special features include interviews with cast members and the residents they played, interestingly not just about the making of the film, but about their thoughts on the issues dealt with and how they felt about playing these characters. A definite must see, with a big box of tissues at hand!

Later With Jools Holland - Cool Britannia
Music DVDs Jools Holland Janet Fraser-Crook
Some great bands and wicked performances on here, but it is let down by absolutely terrible sound. Ix27;m not sure whox27;s fault this is but it sounds like itx27;s been mixed by a first year Audio Engineering student.
On the Morrisey track you canx27;t even hear the bass! If this was the case of the original performance why would they have put it on the DVD!?
Itx27;s only enjoyable if you love the bands. Catatonia, Radiohead and Supergrass are standout performances.
Dissapointing.

Latter Days
World Cinema Steve Sandvoss, Wes Ramsey, Rebekah Johnson, Amber Benson, Khary Payton, Jacqueline Bisset
Interesting and unique tale about over-coming prejudice!!!
Delightful, fresh and insightful look at the boy-boy movie... welcome to the new century... the storyline is good, and has been properly thoughtout and reaches a great conclusion...
It somewhat hampered by the fact the leads are abit wooden in their performances, but this can be overlooked as the supporting ladies(no less - the strong-willed boss, the deluded & demented mother and the ever faithful and dutiful faghag) all give tour de force outings...
Special mention of Miss Bisset - she still has it!!! And looks great, and it is true testiment to her talents...
Would recommend this to most - not as a traditional movie, but a novel take on a rarely explored avenue... and it delivers, even if the leads appear overwhelmed by the gravity of the work they performing...
** The extras on the DVD are intersting - and might colour your view on future watching of the movie, as I think the leads are trying hard... to be terribly macho!!!

A Life Less Ordinary
Comedy Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo, Dan Hedaya, Ian McNeice, Frank Kanig, Mel Winkler, Stanley Tucci, Anne Cullimore Decker, K.K. Dodds, Tony Shalhoub, Christopher Gorham, Ian Holm, Maury Chaykin Danny Boyle
This is a surprising disappointment, considering it is the third film from director Danny Boyle, writer John Hodge and actor Ewan McGregor. This disjointed and strained romantic comedy is not even near the same league as "Trainspotting" and "Shallow Grave". Cameron Diaz is a spoiled heiress and McGregor an aimless janitor brought together by two angels (Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo) hoping to hang onto their wings. McGregor kidnaps Diaz, the boss's daughter, after being fired from his crummy job. She is not all that averse to being snatched. Most of the laughs are lost to a scattershot story that feels preposterous instead of magical. --"Rochelle O'Gorman"

Life On Mars: Series 1
Science Fiction & Fantasy John Simm, Philip Glenister, Ashley Pharoah, Bharat Nalluri, Claire Parker (IV)
How would the modern face of policing cope in the land of "The Sweeney"? That's the question posed by "Life on Mars", as DI Sam Tyler (John Simm) a modern cop transported back to 1973 after a nasty car accident. There, he finds himself dealing with the significantly rougher attitudes and behaviours of "old-school" British policing, as exemplified by his new boss, DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). It's a fish-out-of-water story, as Tyler attempts to teach his new colleagues some very modern methods, while attempting to get used to sheepskin jackets, wide lapels and man-made fibres.
This first series of the hugely successful BBC programme sets the scene and introduces the characters that make up Tyler's new world, but stumbles a bit by trying too hard to explain exactly how he got there (the "coma" subplot just gets in the way). "Life on Mars" is at its best when Glenister is on screen--he's bigoted, chauvinistic and aggressive, and goes through each episode alternately bellowing or scowling. But he's a product of his times, and in his heart, all he wants is to catch the bad guys. For Tyler, it's all about the means, while for Hunt it's all about the ends. They may not like each other much, but their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, and just one of the things that make this excellent series so watchable. "--Ted Kord"

Lilies
Foreign Marcel Sabourin, Aubert Pallascio, Jason Cadieux Ralph Nelson
Bishop Bilodeau arrives at a prison to hear the confession of a dying man, Simon Doucet. Only to find out that though Simon is old, he is not dying. He is out for revenge.
The inmates of the prison begin to re-enact the events that took place in a Canadian town forty years earlier. Young Simon, Bilodeau and a third boy, Vallier, all attend the local Catholic school. Simon and Vallier are in love, and being watched by the resentful Bilodau. Then, in what transpires to be a turning point for everyone, the town is suddenly host to a glamorous Parisian woman, who arrives in a hot air balloon.
When Simon realises just how much his relationship with Vallier will not be tolerated, he begins to be drawn to the Parisian guest not only as a way of quashing any further rumours about Vallier, but also as a means of escape from the town entirely.
Watching events unfold are Vallier's quirky mother and the jealous Bilodeau. Each knows how they want things to end, and eventually both try to influence the key players and help bring the tale to its equally heart-warming, and heartbreaking conclusion.
This is quite simply a wonderful film. The setting is beautiful and always slightly dreamy. The surroundings of the bishop and Simon as they watch the play continuously change and melt between a gorgeous Canadian autumn, and the stark but still poignant grey of the prison walls. To add to the slightly surreal feel of things, all the parts are played by men, the male inmates of the prison. Whilst this does make you blink when you realise Vallier's mother is a man, it doesn't detract or cheapen in any way the film. The women are believable and compelling to watch throughout.
The love story is the heart of the film. You feel for both Vallier and Simon as they try to keep up with what's happening around them. Though not sexually explicit (this is after all rated 15), the intensity of their feelings for each other cannot but captivate you. From the opening scene where they almost share a kiss, to one of their final scenes where they're surrounded by golden leaves, you are rooting for them to finally win some peace and tolerance. This film really is one not to be missed.

Live Flesh
World Cinema Javier Bardem, Francesca Neri, Liberto Rabal, Ángela Molina, José Sancho, Penélope Cruz, Pilar Bardem, Álex Angulo, Mariola Fuentes, Yael Be, Josep Molins, Daniel Lanchas, María Rosenfeldt, Matías Prats, Emilio Rodríguez (II) Pedro Almodóvar
"Live Flesh" starts with Victor Plaza being born on a bus in Franco's Spain in 1970 and ends, twenty six years later, with... well, I wont spoil the ending; but typically with Almodovar, it is fitting and poetic. In between, we follow Victor on his journey into manhood, as he learns the hard way about disillusion, betrayal, love, life, death, and tragedy.
As a young man, Victor believes that a one-off sexual encounter with a beautiful Italian junkie is something more than it is, and pesters her to such an extent that she draws a gun on him in order to get him to leave. A struggle ensues. The gun accidentally goes off, and although noone is hurt, it brings the unwelcome attention of two policemen. Another struggle ensues. Another shot is fired. One of the policemen is paralysed from the waist down. From then on, all four of their lives become tragically entwined; with deception and misunderstanding leading towards bitterness and envy. Inevitably, the lies are stripped away, unwanted truths are revealed, and all the various dilemmas are resolved amidst a scene of emotional and actual carnage.
This must sound like heady stuff, almost melodramatic? It is. This is Almodovar, after all. There is the usual complex plotting that reveals the strains that pull apart and bring together relationships while the emotional lives of the characters are laid bare. There is the relentless drive to resolve the emotional dilemmas while avoiding sentimentality. In short, there are all the usual touches that one expects from Almodovar, including the wonderful acting from the cast. Wonderful! A film that will draw you back again and again and again.

Lola And Bilidikid
World Cinema Gandi Mukli, Baki Davrak, Erdal Yildiz, Inge Keller, Michael Gerber E. Kutlug Ataman

The Long Firm
Television Mark Strong (II), Derek Jacobi, Judy Parfitt, George Costigan, Neil Conrich, Geoff Bell, Damien Thomas, Robert Boulter, Israel Aduramo, George Harris (II), Shaughan Seymour, Andrew McKay, Yule Masiteng, Dexter Nwanya, Lena Headey Billie Eltringham
A sensational performance from Mark Strong as gangster Harry Starks dominates this excellent adaptation of Jake Arnotts superb novel. Radiating a simmering menace underneath a convivial urbane exterior Starks is prone to outbreaks of explosive violence or more unexpectedly moments of empathy and vulnerability. It says a lot for Strongs portrayal that he's utterly convincing in either mode or that he makes this unpleasant character compelling and seduces you into caring what happens to him.
Told over four episodes, each one concentrates on a different character that is drawn into Starks inner circle. There's Teddy Thursby, a Tory M.P and a closet homosexual trapped in a sham marriage who is seduced by the easy access Starks social circles give him to pliant young men. (Starks too is homosexual) He in turn offers Starks the chance to mix in more elevated company and polish the rough edges of his working class exterior. It soon becomes clear who is most be-holden to who in this unlikely alliance and Thursbys dawning realisation that the man he is so implicated with is in fact capable of extreme savagery is fascinating. He is also beautifully portrayed by Derek Jacobi and you can almost smell the sweaty clammy terror emanating from him as Starks tempestuous personality unfolds like a spider's maw.
The second is centred on Jack the Hat played with nervy skittish glee by Phil Daniels, a small time crook and Drug dealer and casual acquaintance of Starks who through an escalating series of events ends up paying a very high price for the company he has chosen to keep and the type of life he has chosen. In the book this character meets his demise at the hands of the Krays but that element is exempted from this adaptation robbing it to some extent of the powerful impact it had in the book.
The third story revolving around good time girl turned "Choreographer" Ruby Ryder is the weakest of the three but is still compelling thanks to Bob Costigans salacious turn as bent copper George Mooney who's scheming and double crossing ends up putting Starks in prison.
Which introduces us to Lenny; a criminologist who takes a class in prison which Starks attends and becomes fascinated by his desire to learn and educate himself but quickly is intimidated by his ruthless reptilian logic. When Starks escapes his "Friendship" with the criminal leads him to an act that he could never have envisaged and the realisation that there is nothing as weak as a man who is willing to be led.
This is a riveting drama and at times a seriously powerful one. The temptation to lighten Starks character up thus making him more appealing must have been a seductive one in terms of the attempts to win ratings but thankfully the producers resisted doing a "Buster" on Harry Starks. But Mark Strongs performance radiates the sort of black velvet charisma a person like Starks would need to have to thrive and it,s his presence that lends The Long Firm the emphatic stamp of authority it needs to be as magnetically convincing as it is.
Awards should follow, especially for Mark Strong.....and if they don't, well then someone should get the poker and brazier out.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Science Fiction & Fantasy Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, Andy Serkis, Dominic Monaghan, Marton Csokas, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee Peter Jackson
In every aspect, the extended edition of Peter Jackson's epic fantasy "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is superior to the theatrical version. No-one who cares at all about the film should ever need to watch the original again. Well, maybe the impatient and the squeamish will still prefer it, because this extended edition makes a long film 30 minutes longer and there's a wee bit more violence. But the changes--sometimes whole scenes, sometimes merely a few seconds--make for a richer film. There's more of the spirit of JRR Tolkien, embodied in more songs and a longer opening focusing on Hobbiton. There's more character development, and more background into what is to come in the two subsequent films, such as Galadriel's gifts to the Fellowship and Aragorn's burden of lineage. Some additions make more sense to the plot while others are merely worth seeing, such as the wood elves leaving Middle-earth or the view of Caras Galadhon (but sorry, there's still no Tom Bombadil).
On the DVDs: "The Fellowship of the Ring--Extended Version" comes in two distinct packages: choose either the four-disc set itself, handsomely presented in a hardback book-style fold-out, or the huge and more expensive Collector's Box Set, which has the same four-disc set accompanied by two chunky "polystone" sculpted Argonath bookends, both of which are solid enough to support either your DVD or Tolkien book collection. The discs themselves have extremely useful chapter menus that indicate which scenes are new or extended. The only drawback is that the film is now spread over two discs, with a somewhat abrupt break following the council at Rivendell, due to the storage capacity required for the longer running time, the added DTS ES 6.1 audio, and the commentary tracks. But that's a minor inconvenience. Of the "four" commentaries those with the greatest general appeal are the one by Jackson with cowriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and the one by 10 cast members; but the more technically orientated commentaries by the creative and production staff are also worth hearing.
The bonus features (encompassing two complete DVDs) are far superior to the largely promotional materials included on the theatrical release, delving into such matters as script development, casting, and visual effects. This extended edition DVD set is the "Fellowship" to rule them all. "--David Horiuchi"

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Science Fiction & Fantasy William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt, Simon Chandler, Dominic Guard, Norman Bird, Michael Graham Cox, Anthony Daniels, David Buck, Peter Woodthorpe, Fraser Kerr, Philip Stone, Michael Deacon, André Morell, Alan Tilvern Peter Jackson, Ralph Bakshi
The greatest trilogy in film history, presented in the most ambitious sets in DVD history, comes to a grand conclusion with the extended edition of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King". Not only is the third and final installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien the longest of the three, but a full 50 minutes of new material pushes the running time to a whopping 4 hours and 10 minutes. The new scenes are welcome, and the bonus features maintain the high bar set by the first two films, "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers".
What's New?
One of the scenes cut from the theatrical release but included here, the resolution of the Saruman storyline, generated a lot of publicity when the movie opened, as actor Christopher Lee complained in the press about losing his only appearance. It's an excellent scene, one Jackson calls "pure Tolkien," and provides better context for Pippin to find the wizard's palantir in the water, but it's not critical to the film. In fact, "valuable but not critical" might sum up the "ROTK" extended edition. It's evident that Jackson made the right cuts for the theatrical run, but the extra material provides depth and ties up a number of loose ends, and for those sorry to see the trilogy end (and who isn't?) it's a welcome chance to spend another hour in Middle-earth. Some choice moments are Gandalf's (Ian McKellen) confrontation with the Witch King (we find out what happened to the wizard's staff), the chilling Mouth of Sauron at the gates of Mordor, and Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) being mistaken for Orc soldiers. We get to see more of Éowyn (Miranda Otto), both with Aragorn and on the battlefield, even fighting the hideously deformed Orc lieutenant, Gothmog. We also see her in one of the most anticipated new scenes, the Houses of Healing after the battle of the Pelennor Fields. It doesn't present Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) as a savior as the book did, but it shows the initial meeting between Éowyn and Faramir (David Wenham), a relationship that received only a meaningful glance in the theatrical cut.
If you want to completely immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's marvelous and massive achievement, only the extended edition will do.
And for those who complained, no, there are no new endings, not even the scouring of the Shire, which many fans were hoping to see. Nor is there a scene of Denethor (John Noble) with the palantir, which would have better explained both his foresight and his madness. As Jackson notes, when cuts are made, the secondary characters are the first to go, so there is a new scene of Aragorn finding the palantir in Denethor's robes. Another big difference is Aragorn's confrontation with the King of the Dead. In the theatrical version, we didn't know whether the King had accepted Aragorn's offer when the pirate ships pulled into the harbor; here Jackson assumes that viewers have already experienced that tension, and instead has the army of the dead join the battle in an earlier scene (an extended cameo for Jackson). One can debate which is more effective, but that's why the film is available in both versions. If you feel like watching the relatively shorter version you saw in the theaters, you can. If you want to completely immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's marvelous and massive achievement, only the extended edition will do.
How Are the Bonus Features?
To complete the experience, "The Return of the King" provides the same sprawling set of features as the previous extended editions: four commentary tracks, sharp picture and thrilling sound, and two discs of excellent documentary material far superior to the recycled material in the theatrical edition. Those who have listened to the seven hours of commentary for the first two extended editions may wonder if they need to hear more, but there was no commentary for the earlier "ROTK" DVD, so it's still entertaining to hear him break down the film (he says the beacon scene is one of his favorites), discuss differences from the book, point out cameos, and poke fun at himself and the extended-edition concept ("So this is the complete full strangulation, never seen before, here exclusively on DVD!"). The documentaries (some lasting 30 minutes or longer) are of their usual outstanding quality, and there's a riveting storyboard/animatic sequence of the climactic scene, which includes a one-on-one battle between Aragorn and Sauron.
One DVD Set to Rule Them All
Peter Jackson's trilogy has set the standard for fantasy films by adapting the Holy Grail of fantasy stories with a combination of fidelity to the original source and his own vision, supplemented by outstanding writing, near-perfect casting, glorious special effects, and evocative New Zealand locales. The extended editions without exception have set the standard for the DVD medium by providing a richer film experience that pulls the three films together and further embraces Tolkien's world, a reference-quality home theater experience, and generous, intelligent, and engrossing bonus features. "--David Horiuchi"

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Science Fiction & Fantasy Elijah Wood, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Miranda Otto, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, David Wenham, Karl Urban, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies Peter Jackson
With significant extra footage and a multitude of worthwhile bonus features this extended version of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is as colossal an achievement as its predecessor, "The Fellowship of the Ring". There are valuable additions to the story, including two new scenes which might appease those who feel that the characterisation of Faramir was the film's most egregious departure from the book; fans will also appreciate an appearance of the Huorns at Helm's Deep plus a nod to the absence of Tom Bombadil. Seeing a little more interplay between the gorgeous Eowyn and Aragorn is welcome, as is a grim introduction to Eomer and Theoden's son. And among the many other additions, there's an extended epilogue that might not have worked in cinemas, but is more effective here in setting up "The Return of the King". While the 30 minutes added to "The Fellowship of the Ring" felt just right in enriching the film, the extra footage in "The Two Towers" at times seems a bit extraneous--we "see" moments that in the theatrical version we had been told about, and some fleshed-out conversations and incidents are rather minor. But director Peter Jackson's vision of JRR Tolkien's world is so marvellous that it's hard to complain about any extra time we can spend there.
While it may seem that there would be nothing left to say after the bevy of features on the extended "Fellowship", the four commentary tracks and two discs of supplements on "The Two Towers" remain informative, fascinating, and funny, far surpassing the recycled materials on the two-disc theatrical version. Highlights of the 6.5 hours' worth of documentaries offer insight on the stunts, the design work, the locations and the creation of Gollum and--most intriguing for avid fans--the film's writers (including Jackson) discuss why they created events that weren't in the book. Providing variety are animatics, rough footage, countless sketches and a sound-mixing demonstration. Again, the most interesting commentary tracks are by Jackson and writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and by 16 members of the cast (eight of whom didn't appear in the first film, and even including John Noble, whose Denethor character only appears in this extended cut). The first two instalments of Peter Jackson's trilogy have established themselves as the best fantasy films of all time, and among the best film trilogies of all time, and their extended-edition DVD sets have set a new standard for expanding on the already epic films and providing comprehensive bonus features. "--David Horiuchi"

The Lost Boys
Action & Adventure Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Brooke McCarter, Billy Wirth, Alex Winter, Chance Michael Corbitt, Alexander Bacon Chapman, Nori Morgan Joel Schumacher
This 1987 thriller was a predictable hit with the teen audience it worked overtime to attract. Like most of director Joel Schumacher's films, it's conspicuously designed to push the right marketing and demographic buttons and, granted, there's some pretty cool stuff going on here and there. Take Kiefer Sutherland, for instance. In "Stand by Me" he played a memorable bully, but here he goes one step further as a memorable bully "vampire" who leads a tribe of teenage vampires on their nocturnal spree of bloodsucking havoc. Jason Patric plays the new guy in town, who quickly attracts a lovely girlfriend (Jami Gertz), only to find that she might be recruiting him into the vampire fold. The movie gets sillier as it goes along, and resorts to a routine action-movie showdown, but it's a visual knockout (featuring great cinematography by Michael Chapman) and boasts a cast that's eminently able (pardon the pun) to sink their teeth into the best parts of an uneven screenplay. "--Jeff Shannon"

Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends - Vol. 4
Television & Documentary Louis Theroux
A word of warning - if you bought the original "Volume 1" DVD (orange card box) on the Telstar label in 2001, YOU ALREADY OWN THIS DISC! This is because, for the 2006 re-release, Firefly has split the double DVD sets into single disc volumes. I was expecting previously unreleased episodes on this supposed "Volume 4", but instead ended up with a second copy of a DVD I bought five years ago. Very disappointing.

For those of you who haven't seen Weird Weekends before, this is a fantastic collection and is well worth the money. (In fact, buy all four volumes - you will not regret it.) I should point out that the "UFO" episode here is probably the weakest one in the whole series, but the "Gangsta Rap" and "Jimmy" episodes more than make up for it.

It's still pretty galling, though, that we haven't seen any new Louis Theroux DVDs for nearly half a decade. It's not as if Louis is yesterday's news - in fact, he signed a new 3 year contract with the BBC earlier this year.

I wait in eternal hope for a "complete Louis Theroux" box set...



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