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Galaxy Quest
Comedy Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Enrico Colantoni, Robin Sachs, Patrick Breen, Missi Pyle, Jed Rees, Justin Long, Jeremy Howard, Kaitlin Cullum, Jonathan Feyer Dean Parisot
You don't have to be a "Star Trek" fan to enjoy "Galaxy Quest", but it certainly helps. A knowingly affectionate tribute to "Trek" and any other science fiction TV series of the 1960s and beyond, this crowd-pleasing comedy offers in-jokes at warp speed, hitting the bull's-eye for anyone who knows that: (1) the starship captain always removes his shirt to display his manly physique; (2) any crew member not in the regular cast is dead meat; and (3) the heroes always stop the doomsday clock with one second to spare. So it is with Commander Taggart (Tim Allen) and the stalwart crew of the NSEA Protector, whose intergalactic exploits on TV have now been reduced to a dreary cycle of fan conventions and promotional appearances. That's when the Thermians arrive, begging to be saved from Sarris, the reptilian villain who threatens to destroy their home planet.
Can actors rise to the challenge and play their roles for real? The Thermians are counting on it, having studied the "historical documents" of the "Galaxy Quest" TV show, and their hero worship (not to mention their taste for Monte Cristo sandwiches) is ultimately proven worthy, with the help of some Galaxy geeks on planet Earth. And while "Galaxy Quest" serves up great special effects and impressive Stan Winston creatures, director Dean Parisot (Home Fries) is never condescending, lending warm acceptance to this gentle send-up of sci-fi TV and the phenomenon of fandom. Best of all is the splendid cast, including Sigourney Weaver as buxom blonde Gwen DeMarco; Alan Rickman as frustrated thespian Alexander Dane; Tony Shalhoub as dimwit Fred Kwan; Daryl Mitchell as former child-star Tommy Webber; and Enrico Colantoni as Thermian leader Mathesar, whose sing-song voice is a comedic coup de grâce. --"Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com"

Gattaca
Science Fiction & Fantasy Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Gore Vidal, Xander Berkeley, Jayne Brook, Elias Koteas, Maya Rudolph, Una Damon, Elizabeth Dennehy, Blair Underwood, Mason Gamble, Vincent Nielson, Chad Christ, William Lee Scott, Clarence Graham Andrew Niccol
Confidently conceived and brilliantly executed, "Gattaca" had a somewhat low profile release in 1997, but audiences and critics hailed the film's originality. It's since been recognised as one of the most intelligent science fiction films of the 1990s. Writer-director Andrew Niccol, the talented New Zealander who also wrote the acclaimed Jim Carrey vehicle "The Truman Show", depicts a near-future society in which one's personal and professional destiny is determined by one's genes. In this society, "Valids" (genetically engineered) qualify for positions at prestigious corporations, such as Gattaca, which grooms its most qualified employees for space exploration. "In-Valids" (naturally born), such as the film's protagonist, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), are deemed genetically flawed and subsequently fated to low-level occupations in a genetically caste society. With the help of a disabled "Valid" (Jude Law), Vincent subverts his society's social and biological barriers to pursue his dream of space travel; any random mistake--and an ongoing murder investigation at Gattaca--could reveal his plot. Part thriller, part futuristic drama and cautionary tale, "Gattaca" establishes its social structure so convincingly that the entire scenario is chillingly believable. With Uma Thurman as the woman who loves Vincent and identifies with his struggle, "Gattaca" is both stylish and smart, while Jude Law's performance lends the film a note of tragic and heartfelt humanity."--Jeff Shannon"

Get Real
Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton, Charlotte Brittain, Stacy Hart, Kate McEnery, Patrick Nielsen, Tim Harris, James D. White, James Perkins, Nicholas Hunter, Jacquetta May, David Lumsden, David Elliot, Morgan Jones (III), Richard Hawley Simon Shore
Ben Silverstone's appealing lead performance is the main reason to see this well-intentioned but otherwise bland tale of forbidden teenage love. Steven Carter is 16, lives in leafy, stuffy Basingstoke and is gay. Although comfortable with his sexuality, he knows neither his parents nor schoolmates are ready for the news. Until, that is, he forms an unlikely relationship with John Dixon (played by wooden Brad Gorton, who looks about 25), star athlete and all-round school stud. Wary of damaging his hunky image, John insists the romance remains secret--but Steven finds this easier said than done.
There is no faulting "Get Real"'s tolerance, honesty, trusting yourself and trusting others message. And Silverstone, despite his alarming resemblance to geeky "Carry On" star Richard O'Callaghan, does his best to make it watchable, His scenes with Charlotte Brittain, as his next-door-neighbour and confidante Linda, are especially fresh and convincing. The film is enjoyable and hard to dislike--but this very inoffensiveness ends up counting against it.
While the gay themes are handled with an admirable lack of fuss, the package they come in is too tasteful, too carefully put together. Director Simon Shore can't be blamed for the script's predictably contrived melodrama--Patrick Wilde adapted his own play--but he might at least have brought it to the screen with a bit of pep. Instead we get TV-flat visuals, scored by creakily old-fashioned incidental music to ram home every point. As a story, it's enjoyable, even admirable, especially given the political controversies over the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools. But as a "movie", it's a non-event. Released at around the same time, Swedish hit "Show Me Love" covered virtually identical ground, but with an intoxicating energy that this picture never comes close to matching. Like John Dixon, it has got the right idea--it just needs to loosen up a bit. --"Neil Young"

Ghost World
Drama Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, Bob Balaban, Stacey Travis, Charles C. Stevenson Jr., Dave Sheridan, Tom McGowan (II), Debra Azar, Brian George, Pat Healy, Rini Bell, T.J. Thyne Terry Zwigoff
In an inspired opening, "Ghost World" begins with a montage from a 1960s Bollywood video and voyeuristic shots of the neighbours of the eponymous suburban town. This is teenage angst taken beyond the realms of the pure sexual frustration of "American Pie", onto the level of displacement.
Just what lies in store for two girls after school has finished? Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) mull over life, love and the weird and wonderful inhabitants of the small town of Ghost World. But while Rebecca attempts to "grow up" by getting a job and an apartment, Enid is forced into summer Art School and begins a friendship with the sad loner Seymour (Steve Buscemi), who has more of a relationship with his seven-inches than the human race. The girls' relationship begins to strain and as the story progresses Rebecca appears in both Enid's life and the film, less and less.
Based on the comics by Daniel Clowes, which have themselves been acclaimed as a modern-day "Catcher in the Rye", and directed by Terry ("Crumb") Zwigoff, "Ghost World" is a beautiful exploration of the confusions and choices faced by young adults. Although criticised for being slow in places, the film's pace adds extra realism to its exposure of the constraints of small-town life. The poignant ending leaves us unsure about what's next for Enid; though from what we've learnt through the course of the film, going it alone and making big decisions is the only way to reap the rewards in an uncertain life.
On the DVD: "Ghost World" on disc comes with a standard range of special features, including a photo gallery (mainly of Birch in her distinctive costumes), trailers and one subtitle option: English for the hard of hearing. In the section entitled "Daniel Clowes' Ghost World" there's a tour of his old neighbourhood, the inspiration for the comic, in which the author states he never made anything up; a self portrait and Clowes talking about the process of turning his comic into a film--which is about as close as you will get on this disc to a commentary. --"Nikki Disney"

Glastonbury Anthems - The Best Of Glastonbury 1994 To 2004
Concerts Blur, Supergrass, Robbie Williams, Travis, The Levellers, The Prodigy, Placebo, The Chemical Brothers, Moby, Coldplay, Ash, Paul McCartney Paul Pissanos

Goodbye Lenin!
Foreign Daniel Bruhl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon Wolfgang Becker
Contemporary comedies rarely stretch themselves beyond a bickering romantic couple or a bickering couple and a bucket of bodily fluids, which makes the ambition and intelligence of "Goodbye, Lenin!" not simply entertaining but downright refreshing. The movie starts in East Germany before the fall of communism; our hero, Alex (Daniel Bruhl), describes how his mother (Katrin Sass), a true believer in the communist cause, has a heart attack when she sees him being clubbed by police at a protest. She falls into a coma for eight months--during which the Berlin Wall comes down. When she awakens, her fragile health must avoid any shocks, so Alex creates an illusive reality around his bedridden mother to convince her that communism is still alive. "Goodbye, Lenin!" delicately balances wry satire with its rich investment in the lives of Alex, his mother, and other characters around them.
On the DVD: Though the DVD extras for "Goodbye Lenin!" include a detailed featurette on the digital effects used in the movie (particularly intriguing because they had to be completely invisible--many viewers won't realize there were digital effects until they see this featurette) and a convivial cast commentary (in German with English subtitles) with Daniel Bruhl, Katrin Sass, and Alexander Beyer, the star of the DVD is director Wolfgang Becker himself. Not only is his commentary rich with historical information and thoughtful notes about the making of the movie, for the deleted scenes (including two lovely scenes that expand on the relationship between Alex and his girlfriend Lara) he and Tom Tykwer (director of "Run Lola Run" and part of the X Filme collective that produced "Goodbye Lenin!") have an insightful conversation about the editing process, storytelling, and the essence of watching a movie. Utterly fascinating, and invaluable to any aspiring filmmaker. "--Bret Fetzer"

The Goodies ... At Last
Comedy John Howard Davies, Bob Spiers, Jim Franklin (III)
Back in the 1970's when i was a young lad, the biggest and most popular TV comedy to watch was the Goodies!!.The next day it would be the hot topic at school.Believe it or not these guy's were cool then.Every-one watched and laughed at them,and every young lad wanted to be one.Then for me, they disappeared off the face of television......until i found this DVD on Amarzon.

I watched the two discs which contain eight episodes,tower of London,gender education,kitten kong,the Goodies and the beanstalk,kung-fu-kapers,lighthouse-keeping loonies,eathanasia,and saturday-night grease.There you go people i've listed them all!!.

Now then, the memories came flooding back.Tim, Graeme,and my favorite Bill.And Saturday night grease was my favorite episode.I have to agree with one of the other reviewers that it was not as funny now as it was then.Times have changed,and so has comedy .The humor was silly and pantomime esc,but that was the spirit of the times back then.If you want to remind yourself what you laughed at when you were a kid,get the DVD!. Watch it with a few mates,or after a couple of beers,or both....but nowadays, it's not school the next day,it's work!!......

Gormenghast
Science Fiction & Fantasy Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Celia Imrie, Ian Richardson, Neve McIntosh, Christopher Lee, Richard Griffiths, Cameron Powrie, Andrew Robertson, John Sessions, Fiona Shaw, June Brown, Zoë Wanamaker, Lynsey Baxter, Stephen Fry, Warren Mitchell Andy Wilson (IV)
The BBC's lavish, glowingly designed adapation of Mervyn Peake's eccentrically brilliant novels "Titus Groan" and "Gormenghast" is a triumph of casting. Ian Richardson's Lear-like depiction of the mad earl of a remote, vast, ritual-obsessed building is matched by the brutal pragmatism of Celia Imrie as his wife, the synchronised madness of Zoe Wanamaker and Lynsey Baxter as his twin sisters and the duplicitous charm of Jonathan Rhys-Meyer as Steerpike, the kitchen-boy determined to take over no matter how many deaths it costs. John Sessions is surprisingly touching as Prunesquallor, the family doctor who realises almost too late what Steerpike intends.
It is always tricky to film a book dear to the hearts of its admirers: Wilson and his design team achieve a look rather more pre-Raphaelite than Peake's own illustrations, shabby velvets, garish sunlight and dank stone passages. The score by Richard Rodney Bennett is full of attractive surprises--fanfares and waltzes and apotheoses--and John Tavener's choral additions are plausibly parts of the immemorial ritual of Gormenghast.
On the DVD: The double DVD comes with scene selection, an informative half-hour documentary on the making of the serial and a slide gallery of costume designs, characters and their dooms. --"Roz Kaveney"

Gosford Park
Drama Kristen Scott Thomas|Stephen Fry|Richard E Grant|Ryan Phillippe Robert Altman
"Gosford Park" finds director Robert Altman in sumptuously fine form. From the opening shots, as the camera peers through the trees at an opulent English country estate, Altman exploits the 1930s period setting and whodunit formula of the film expertly. Aristocrats gather together for a weekend shooting party with their dutiful servants in tow, and the upstairs/downstairs division of the classes is perfectly tailored to Altman's method ("Nashville, Short Cuts") of overlapping bits of dialogue and numerous subplots in order to betray underlying motives and the sins that propel them. Greed, vengeance, snobbery and lust stir comic unrest as the near dizzying effects of the plot twists are allayed by perhaps Altman's strongest ensemble to date.
Maggie Smith is marvellous as Constance, a dependent Countess with a quip for every occasion; Michael Gambon, as the ill-fated host, Sir William McCordle, is one of the most palpably salacious characters ever on screen; Kristin Scott Thomas is perfectly cold, yet sexy, as Lady Sylvia, Sir William's wife; and Helen Mirren, Emily Watson and Clive Owen are equally memorable as key characters from the bustling servants' quarters below. "Gosford Park" manages to be fabulously entertaining while exposing human shortcomings, compromises and endless need for confession. --"Fionn Meade"
On the DVD: "Gosford Park", presented 2.35:1--Anamorphic Widescreen transfer, is awash with the muted colours and sepia tones which permeate the film, the sound is excellent as the actors were individually miked, so you don't loose any of the dialogue giving away subtle plot developments. Extras are chunky, with deleted scenes, trailers a couple of documentaries. Most notable are the two commentaries which go a long way to unravelling some of the twistier plot devices and a Q&A session with the Altman and his crew filmed in New York. --"Kristen Bowditch"

Graham Norton - Live At The Roundhouse
Comedy Graham Norton Philip Martin
Although Graham Norton does warn of impending "rudery" at the start of "Live at the Roundhouse", he never really plunges into the murky world of "blue" comedy. In fact, much of Norton's stand-up is cheeringly similar to his routine on the Channel 4 series "The Graham Norton Show". He chats with audience members with a cutting yet strangely inoffensive manner. He's deliciously insincere, shallow and vain--about himself and the world at large (or as Norton puts it, "a problem shared is gossip!"). And he's best when he's riffing off the top of his head like a Variety Gala Eddie Izzard. The pre-prepared routines don't quite have the charm and sparkle of the Norton we know and love for sheer spontaneity, but there's still lots to cherish; the difference between gay and straight lager, clothing crises and extracts from a diary he'd written at sixteen are particularly hilarious. Best of all is the atmosphere that Norton generates at the Roundhouse, which transfers perfectly onto the small screen. Waves of hilarity ripple through the crowd, especially when he gets out Kittyphone to call a personal ad with everyone happy to be in on the joke. --"Ian Watson"

Grave Of The Fireflies
Drama Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Akemi Yamaguchi, Nick Sullivan, Rhoda Chrosite, Dan Green (III), George Leaver, J. Robert Spencer, Veronica Taylor, Shannon Conley, Amy Jones, Crispin Freeman Isao Takahata
This is absolutely the most harrowing war film I have ever seen. The animation is the usual Ghibli standard, and it really couldn't have been easy animating the firebombing of Tokyo so realistically. The real horror of the film is the everyday, mundane, uncaring attitudes of everyone the two children turn to. It is exceptionally upsetting, if i had seen this when I was small I would have had nightmares for years. They originally showed it as a double bill with the light-hearted "My Neighbour Totoro" - there must have been quite a few traumatised Japanese schoolchildren after that combination. This is a really great war film, highlighting not just the large-scale battles and destruction, but the slow crumbing of two lives in the aftermath. I don't think I could ever watch it again, but I will remember it for a long time.

Grease
John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar Randal Kleiser
"Grease" was a phenomenal hit with its target teenage audience when it was released in 1977. The songs dominated the pop charts and brought heady success for its lead actors, John Travolta (Danny) and Olivia Newton-John (Sandy) despite the fact that--as with their energetic co-stars--their own teenage years were some way behind them. As they seize the chance to relive their schooldays, their verve and enthusiasm explodes from the screen. The real class, though, comes from Stockard Channing as feisty Rizzo and, in a couple of cameos, wisecracking silver screen actresses from yesteryear Eve Arden and Joan Blondel.
Based on the 1972 stage show and adding several new numbers, "Grease" is at heart a rites-of-passage movie with plenty of feel-good moments and a euphoric buzz. "You're the One That I Want", "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights" became the soundtrack for a generation of high-school students on the cusp of adulthood. Today, it looks like a pastiche of those 1950s Connie Francis rock & roll beach films. But the steady stream of double entendres and knowing body language render it more accessible to the less innocent late 1970s. It's overwhelming nostalgia for anyone in the vicinity of 40.
On the DVD: The 25th anniversary special edition of "Grease" rolls back the years: the 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation transports you instantly back to fifth-form heaven in the local fleapit. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound ensures that the songs--ever the staple of MOR radio--complete the nostalgia trip with real zip. The main extra is a short series of fond reminiscences from the actors and director Randal Kleiser, actually filmed for the 20th anniversary. --"Piers Ford"

Green Wing Series 1
Comedy Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Mark Heap, Karl Theobald, Pippa Haywood, Michelle Gomez, Sarah Alexander
I missed Green Wing on TV the first time, and ended up late one night watching it repeated as I couldn't sleep.

I have not laughed so hard for a long time - the fast-fast-slow editing is now a trademark for the production, and having seen this more times on DVD than is probably advisable, I need Series 2 sharpish.

Any programme that makes a sentence like 'you will never feel my super vagina again' funny deserves a medal.

Green Wing Series 2
Comedy
This is just as good as the first series, so ignore every other bad review you just read. It still maintains the originality and innovativeness that made it so groundbreaking in the first place. Funny and clever jokes laced with the best possible cast available makes this a uniqe piece of kit. The driving force of the series is the performances of Stephen Mangan, Michelle Gomez and Mark Heap, the three comedy geniuses of our time. This series picks up where the first finished with Mac in a coma fantasising about a whole load of wack thing, Caroline doting over his bedside, Martin falling in love with his new found brother and Guy trying to be fully reinstated to the hospital.
The ending of the series is another cliff hanger which is rumoured to be resolved in an upcoming christmas special so look out for that.
In closing, if you're a narrow minded fan of old laughter track comedies(which are great) then this isnt for you, but this is a fantastic DVD which needs to be bought.



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