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Red Dwarf : Just The Shows - Series 5 To 8
Comedy Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules, Norman Lovett, Hattie Hayridge
This boxset of 'vanilla' discs is exactly how it is billed, just the shows, namely series' 5 to 8. Series 5 has some excellent episodes, including the classic "Back to Reality", and series 6 marks a significant change in the status quo of the show, with the absence of Hattie Hayridge as Holly, and the 'theft' of Red Dwarf, leaving the crew stranded on Starbug. This is a change for the better, and contains the Emmy award winning episode "Gunmen of the Apocalypse". There are yet more changes to come in series 7, in which Chris Barrie's Rimmer makes his departure, and Chloe Annette first appears as snooty officer Christine Kochanski. This series has attracted equal amounts of praise and criticism from fans, but it is this reviewer's opinion that it is as good as the other series. Finally, series 8 saw the crew back on Red Dwarf, albeit in The Brig, the ship's prison. There are several new characters added to the mix (such as psychotic prison officer Ackerman and equally psychotic inmate Killcrazy), plus the return of some old favourites, amongst them Rimmer, Holly (played by Norman Lovett) and the ship's incompetent captain, Frank Hollister. For fans who are looking for tons of extras, buy the individual DVDs for each series, but for those who just seek to watch some classic episodes and nothing else, this DVD equals great value for money.

Red Dwarf: Series 1
Comedy Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Norman Lovett, Paul Jackson (II), Doug Naylor, Peter Ridsdale Scott Andy DeEmmony
Notoriously, and entirely appropriately, the original outline for Doug Naylor and Rob Grant's comedy SF series "Red Dwarf" was sketched on the back of a beer mat. When it finally appeared on our television screens in 1988 the show had clearly stayed true to its roots, mixing jokes about excessive curry consumption with affectionate parodies of classic SF. Indeed, one of the show's most endearing and enduring features is its obvious respect for the conventions of SF, even as it gleefully subverts them. The scenario owes something to Douglas Adams's satirical "Hitch-Hiker's Guide", something to "The Odd Couple" and a lot more to the slacker SF of John Carpenter's "Dark Star". Behind the crew's constant bickering there lurks an impending sense that life, the universe and everything are all someone's idea of a terrible joke.
Later series broadened the show's horizons until at last its premise was so diluted as to be unrecognisable, but in the six episodes of the first series the comedy is witty and intimate, focusing on characters and not special effects. Slob Dave Lister (Craig Charles) is the last human alive after a radiation leak wipes out the crew of the vast mining vessel Red Dwarf (episode 1, "The End"). He bums around the spaceship with the perpetually uptight and annoyed hologram of his dead bunkmate, Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie, the show's greatest comedy asset) and a creature evolved from a cat (dapper Danny John Jules). They are guided rather haphazardly by Holly, the worryingly thick ship's computer (lugubrious Norman Lovett).
On the DVD: "Red Dwarf I" arrives in a two-disc set, with all six episodes on the first disc accompanied by an excellent group commentary from Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John Jules and Norman Lovett. (There's also a bonus commentary on "The End" with the two writers and director Ed Bye.) The 4:3 picture is unimpressive, but sound is decent stereo. The second disc has an entertaining 25-minute documentary on the genesis of the series with contributions from the cast, writer Doug Naylor and producer Paul Jackson. Navigate the animated menus to find a gallery of extra features, including isolated music cues, deleted scenes, outtakes ("Smeg Ups"), a fun "Drunk" music montage, model effects shots, Web links, audiobook clips, the original BBC trailer and even the entire first episode in Japanese. --"Mark Walker"

Red Dwarf: Series 2
Comedy Doug Naylor, Andrew Ellard, Craig Charles, Tony Hawks, David Ross, Charles Augins, Norman Lovett, Robert Bathurst, Angela Bruce, Suzanne Bertish, Danny John-Jules, Johanna Hargreaves, Craig Ferguson, Chris Barrie Andy DeEmmony
The second series of "Red Dwarf" is, as Danny John-Jules says in the accompanying DVD commentary, "the one where it really went good". First broadcast in the autumn of 1988, these six episodes showcase Rob Grant and Doug Naylor's sardonic, sarcastic humour to perfection. The writing has matured, no longer focussing solely on SF in-jokes and gags about bodily functions, instead allowing the humour to develop from the characters and their sometimes surprisingly poignant interactions: Lister's timeless love for Kochanksi, for example, or Rimmer's brief memory-implanted love for one of Lister's ex-girlfriends. The cast had gelled, too, and there's even more colour this year as the drab sets are spiced up, a little more money has been assigned to models and special effects, and the crew even go on location once in a while.
"Kryten" introduces us to the eponymous house robot (here played by David Ross), although after this first episode he was not to reappear until Series 3, when Robert Llewellyn made the role his own. Then in "Better Than Life" the show produced one of its all-time classic episodes, as the boys from the Dwarf take part in a virtual reality game that's ruined by Rimmer's tortured psyche. Other highlights include "Queeg", in which Holly is replaced by a domineering computer personality, the baffling time travel paradox of "Stasis Leak", the puzzling conundrum of "Thanks for the Memory", and the astonishingly feminine "Parallel Universe".
On the DVD: "Red Dwarf, Series 2" has another chaotic and undisciplined group commentary from the cast, all clearly enjoying the opportunity to reminisce. The second disc has a host of fun extras, including an "A-Z of Red Dwarf", outtakes, deleted scenes, a Doug Naylor interview, model shots, and the full, unexpurgated "Tongue Tied" music video. As with the first set, the animated menus are great fun and the "Play All" facility is the most useful little flashing button ever created. --"Mark Walker"

Requiem For A Dream
Jared Leto, Keith David, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, Louise Lasser, Christopher McDonald, Sean Gullette Darren Aronofsky
Fantasy mixes with the harsh reality of addiction and the desire for hope in "Requiem for a Dream". Beginning at the dawn of a new summer in Coney Island, the film charts the relationship of Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) and her son Harry (Jared Leto)--two characters who are lost with in a world of the self-absorbed desire to feed their addictions at the cost of hope and love. With a sublime score (performed by the Kronos Quartet) accompanying some intense visual imagery, the film sets up an almost fairy-tale wash over the characters' lives, with every hit of their chosen drug turning them into beautiful people surrounded by a haze which enhances all their features. However, unlike films such as "Trainspotting" which turn the dream into a nightmare then end with a huge dose of hope, "Requiem for a Dream" forces the viewer through all loss of hope and the descending madness of reality, as winter begins.
Darren Aronofsky's follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Pi" is a movie which exposes not only the terror caused by addiction of any kind--be it TV or Heroin--but also offers a powerful insight into the destruction caused by the desire to achieve "the American Dream". Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr, the film sacrifices dialogue in favour of imagery and movement: the editing and cinematography are reminiscent of MTV, however the movie takes this very aggressive style and moulds it to its own needs, adding a beautifully haunting narrative and powerful performances by its four main characters (Burstyn just missing out on an Oscar for Best female lead to Julia Roberts). Ultimately the viewer is left with a sense of desperation and despair: "Requiem for a Dream" exposes drugs and addiction in the most powerful and truthful way a film has ever managed, leaving no stone unturned.
On the DVD: This disc is bursting with excellent special features. The anamorphic widescreen picture makes the most of the film's stylish visuals, and the soundtrack offers choice of either Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0. As well as offering the obligatory theatrical trailer, scene selection and a fantastic director's commentary, there's also a "making-of" featurette, TV trailers charting the reviews and success of the film, an "Anatomy of a scene", and a wide range of deleted scenes. By far the best feature is Hubert Selby Jr's interview with Ellen Burstyn, which offers the writer a chance to put across not just his opinions on his work but also on life as a whole. All these features are placed within an impressively formatted menu. --"Nikki Disney"

Ring
Horror Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani, Yuko Takeuchi, Hitomi Sato, Yoichi Numata, Yutaka Matsushige, Katsumi Muramatsu, Rikiya Otaka, Masako, Daisuke Ban, Kiyoshi Risho, Yûrei Yanagi, Yôko Ôshima, Kiriko Shimizu Hideo Nakata
A major box office hit in the Far East, Hideo Nakada's "Ring" is a subtly creepy Japanese ghost story with an urban legend theme, based on a series of popular teen-appeal novels by Susuki Koji. Far less showy than even the restrained chills of "The Blair Witch Project" or "The Sixth Sense", "Ring" has nevertheless become a mainstream blockbuster and has already been followed by "Ring 2" and the prequel "Ring 0". A Hollywood remake is in the works.
Investigating the inexplicable, near-simultaneous deaths of her young niece and three teenage friends, reporter Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) learns of a story about a supernaturally cursed video-tape circulating among school kids. As soon as anyone has watched the tape, allegedly recorded by mistake from a dead TV channel, the telephone rings and the viewer has exactly a week to live. Those doomed are invisibly marked, but their images are distorted if photographed. Inevitably, Asakawa gets hold of the tape and watches it. The enigmatic collage of images include a coy woman combing her hair in a mirror, an old newspaper headline about a volcanic eruption, a hooded figure ranting, people crawling and a rural well. When the phone rings (a memorably exaggerated effect), Asakawa is convinced that the curse is active and calls in her scientist ex-husband Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada) to help. He watches a copy of the video a day after Asakawa is exposed and willingly submits himself to the curse. Even more urgency is added to their quest when their young son is unwittingly duped, apparently by the mystery woman from the tape, into watching the video too, joining the queue for a supernatural death.
On the DVD: For a film made in the digital era, the letterboxed (16:9) print is in mediocre state, with a noticeable amount of scratching, though the Dolby Digital soundtrack is superb, making this a film that's as scary to listen to as it is to watch (the squeamish might find themselves covering their ears rather than their eyes in some scenes). Otherwise, there are trailers for the first two "Ring" films and "Audition", 10 stills, filmographies for the principals, a review by Mark Kermode, blurb-like extracts from other reviews and the ominous option of playing Sadako's video after a solemn disavowal of responsibility from the distributors! --"Kim Newman"

Rock Profile
Comedy David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Jamie Theakston Gareth Carrivick
I recently bought Rock Profile which I think is brilliant and had enjoyed watching way back when it was on UK Play. However, I have to say I am so disappointed as there is no music clips in any of the interviews! For me, that definitely made it, the hilarious contrast between their take off and the real thing, sometimes not that different! Of course the interviews are still there but its just not the same without the music....

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Musical Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray, Jeremy Newson, Hilary Labow, Perry Bedden, Christopher Biggins, Gaye Brown Jim Sharman
If a musical sci-fi satire about an alien transvestite named Frank-n-Furter, who is building the perfect man while playing sexual games with his virginal visitors, sounds like an intriguing premise for a movie, then you're in for a treat. Not only is "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" all this and more, but it stars the surprising cast of Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick (as the demure Janet and uptight Brad, who get lost in a storm and find themselves stranded at Frank-n-Furter's mansion), Meat Loaf (as the rebel Eddie), Charles Gray (as our criminologist and narrator) and, of course, the inimitable Tim Curry as our "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania".
Upon its release in 1975, the film was an astounding flop. But a few devotees persuaded a New York cinema to show it at midnight, and thus was born one of the ultimate cult films of all time. The songs are addictive (just try getting "The Time Warp" or "Toucha Toucha Touch Me" out of your head), the raunchiness amusing and the plot line utterly ridiculous--in other words, this film is simply tremendous good fun. The downfall, however, is that much of the amusement is found in the audience participation that is obviously missing from a video version (viewers in cinemas shout lines at the screen and use props--such as holding up newspapers and shooting water guns during the storm and throwing rice during a wedding scene). Watched alone as a straight movie, "Rocky Horror" loses a tremendous amount of its charm. Yet, for those who wish to perfect their lip-synching techniques for movie cinema performances or for those who want to gather a crowd around the TV at home for some good, old-fashioned, rowdy fun, this film can't be beat. "--Jenny Brown"

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Single Disc Edition
Musical Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray, Jeremy Newson, Hilary Labow, Perry Bedden, Christopher Biggins, Gaye Brown Jim Sharman
...from transexual Transilvania! A brilliant movie, I challenge anyone to watch this and not like it. The music is catchy, fast paced, and enjoyable even if it's not to your taste. The characters are all completely unique and zany. I wouldn't say there is much of a plot, but that just makes the movie seem more enjoyable in my opinion!
Anyways, I give it 5 stars and order anyone who hasn't seen it yet to go out and rent it now!

Romeo And Juliet
Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Pete Postlethwaite, Paul Sorvino, Diane Venora Baz Luhrmann
While perhaps not the defining moment in the making of Leonardo DiCaprio's career, his appearance in this dazzling take on William Shakepeare's "Romeo & Juliet" back in 1996 did the careers of both Clare Danes and himself no harm at all. Perhaps the real star of the show here though is director Baz Luhrmann, who employs a frenetic, at times downright-brilliant style to the age-old tale of tale of star-crossed lovers. Luhrmann would go on to make "Moulin Rouge" a few years' later.
From the off, his take on "Romeo & Juliet" explodes unpredictably onto the screen, bubbling with vision and originality, accompanied throughout by an excellent score and soundtrack that rightly spawned two spin-off CDs. There are sacrifices made along the way to support Luhrmann's vision though, with the text being stripped down to leave the core of the story in tact, and that's just one of a number of complaints that Shakespeare purists may have.
And yet, perhaps more than any other attempt to bring the work of the Bard to the screen of late, this is an extremely accessible entry-point to Shakepeare's work. That it's also by turns breathtaking, dazzling and a sheer joy to watch doesn't harm its cause either. The two leads are charming, the support cast backs them up superbly, and the end result is one of the most interesting visual treats that Hollywood mustered up throughout the 1990s.--"Simon Brew"

Rules Of Attraction
Comedy James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Kip Pardue, Jessica Biel, Ian Somerhalder, Clifton Collins Jr., Thomas Ian Nicholas, Kate Bosworth, Colin Bain, Jay Baruchel, Joel Michaely, Russell Sams, Eric Szmanda, Clare Kramer, Hayley Keenan Roger Avary
Based on Bret Easton Ellis's often-overlooked second novel, "The Rules of Attraction" works better as a film than the disastrous "Less Than Zero", though not as well as the canny "American Psycho". Writer-director Roger Avary--who lets slip a nasty Quentin Tarantino reference that feels like sour grapes--can't quite decide whether to ditch the novel's extremely 1980s cultural references and make a contemporary-set picture or to evoke the period in which the book was written. Set on a small New England campus, the film offers a love triangle between "emotional vampire" Sean Bateman (James Van Der Beek), skateboarding "innocent" Lauren Hynde (Shannon Sossamyn) and gay libertine Paul Denton (Ian Somerhalder) that gets complicated by passing characters.
While not as hung up on time as "Memento" or "Irreversible", the film does play its tricks, opening at an "end of the world party" to show its three leads at simultaneous low points, reversing to take stabs at each of them, then hopping back and forth in time as different narrators take over, with time-outs for a fast-forward tour of Europe by a minor character and a drug-dealing subplot to keep Avary's crime credentials in order. All in all it's a satirical piece that is removed from reality, always striking, sometimes funny or horrifying, but ultimately hard to connect with. --"Kim Newman"

Run Lola Run
Foreign Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri, Armin Rohde, Joachim Król, Ludger Pistor, Suzanne von Borsody, Sebastian Schipper, Julia Lindig, Lars Rudolph, Andreas Petri, Klaus Müller, Utz Krause, Beate Finckh Tom Tykwer
It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. "Run Lola Run", directed and written by Tom Tykwer, is an enchanting balance of pace and narrative, creating a universal parable that leaps over cultural barriers. This is the story of young Lola (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). In the space of 20 minutes, they must come up with 100,000 deutsche marks to pay back a seedy gangster, who will be less than forgiving when he finds out that Manni incompetently lost his cash to an opportunistic vagrant. Lola, confronted with one obstacle after another, rides an emotional roller coaster in her high-speed efforts to help the hapless Manni--attempting to extract the cash first from her double-dealing father (appropriately a bank manager), and then by any means necessary. From this point nothing goes right for either protagonist, but just when you think you've figured out the movie, the director introduces a series of brilliant existential twists that boggle the mind. Tykwer uses rapid camera movements and innovative pauses to explore the theme of cause and effect. Accompanied by a pulse-pounding soundtrack, we follow Lola through every turn and every heartbreak as she and Manni rush forward on a collision course with fate. There were a variety of original and intelligent films released in 1999, but perhaps none were as witty and clever as this little gem--one of the best foreign films of the year. --"Jeremy Storey, Amazon.com"



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