5 comments about Private Benjamin (Full Screen Edition).

1. Why has this movie never been released in Widescreen format? I absolutely refuse to buy a movie in fullscreen format that was originally released in the theaters in widescreen. Let's face it folks, when a movie is viewed fullscreen a good part of the movie is missing. The exception to this is older movies that were actually realeased in theaters in this format. Other than that, it is a great comedy which I would love to own in it's original format.



2. I love Goldie Hawn movies and purchased Private Benjamin to watch (again) with my granddaughter who just enlisted in the military...we watched it prior to her leaving for boot camp, and I'm sure it helped her prepare for her "adventure".



3. The service comedy is a genre almost as old as cinema itself and, whether it's Charlie Chaplin or Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe in the trenches, Andy Griffith befuddling his sergeants, the Carry On team on the assault course or Steve Guttenberg and co at the Police Academy, has an almost immutable formula that is never, ever departed from: through mildly comic misadventure misfit(s) find themselves in the army/navy/air force/police force, are hopelessly unprepared for the harsh realities of basic training, fumble every task yet somehow come out of it all as the perfect soldier/sailor/airman/cop and prove themselves in a mildly comic baptism of fire. Private Benjamin does absolutely nothing to fix what ain't broke, contenting itself to offer the odd slight tweak and flavoring with a mild dose of Jewish humor as Goldie Hawn's sheltered princess finds herself talked into joining the `new' army by Harry Dean Stanton's smooth-talking recruiting sergeant after husband Albert Brooks dies in the throes of passion before the honeymoon even starts ("Do you remember what the last thing he said was?" asks his distraught mother, eliciting the reply "I'm coming.").
   
   While it's a given that there are no surprises whatsoever, it's one of those comedies that manages to be pretty consistently funny throughout even if there aren't many really big laughs out of sheer likeability. Hawn's character is not too bright but not too Hilton with it - her character arc is not just from dependence to self-reliance but more importantly from not being able to understand why Jill Clayburgh walked out on Alan Bates in An Unmarried Woman to being able to make the same choice herself, in the process tackling sexism rather more effectively than G.I. Jane did 17 years later. Eileen Brennan is clearly having a ball as the obligatory sadistic training officer out to make her life hell and there's a quietly impressive supporting cast filling out the ranks as well as a memorable Bill Conti score. It only really misses its step slightly in the scenes where her Monsieur Right (Armand Assante) rather clumsily turns out to be Monsieur Wrong at the end, as if afraid of losing the audience's sympathy long after she's won them over, but not enough to squander the goodwill it's earned by then.



4. but, lets face it she been cute for years, still is. Spoiled, rich, princess, marries, hubby dies on their wedding nite. She's depressed and dispondent, so when better to make a life altering decision? She joins the army, and the comedy begins. Nothing eye opening, just a cute comedy starring cute Goldie. Enjoy!



5. The movie was great when it came out and it still is when I viewed it on DVD. I had to wait a little longer because the postman missed sorted it and Turner and Hooch sent them both to somewere on the west side of of Michigan and it had to be re sorted and then delivered to my address.

5 comments about Top Cat - The Complete Series.

1. This collection is just as I remembered it. That was a long time ago but Hanna Barbera 'toons from that era are charming. I do enjoy the trip back.



2. While my kids don't really get the undercurrent of Top Cat and his crew, I sure do. At 34 years old, this really brings me back. What a great series.



3. I was just a kid when Top Cat became the second prime-time cartoon show, and couldn't wait to watch it. The Flintstones broke the ice in '60, and TC and crew came on in '61. It is a real tragedy they didn't make more Top Cat, because of the two, I and many others prefer this feline take on the old Sgt. Bilko show.
   
   The quality of the video is fantastic--and it's GREAT seeing them all in color. (I had no idea Choo-Choo was PINK)... of course it was only done that way to create all the right shades of gray/white/black for a show that only aired in black and white--but in color it's even better. The audio could be a little louder, unless it's just that my DVD player doesn't pick up the audio track that well; I have to have the volume almost to full 100 to get it clear across my living room. Other than that, I split my sides watching the antics of TC and company, and am amazed at how much I remember even after not having seen this show in over 40 years! I KNEW sooner or later he'd call officer Dibble--Officer Dribble... I distinctly remembered it... and he did. Memories, Memories!
   Benny the Ball, Chooch, Fancy, Brain, Spook, and TC, they're all here and what fun it is to share them with my grandkids who love them as much as I did. It's SO refreshing to be able to show them cartoons that do NOT have kids who hate their parents, dysfunctional families that are rife with obscenities, and sexual innuendo... none of that.. just good clean wholesome...and funny entertainment. Love it.
   
   Oh, and the extra features on each disc are fun as well... interviews with the voices of Leo De Lyon who was both Spook and Brain, (Am I just spinning wheels, or was there a character called Leo the Lion, and Hardy Har Har?---could this be the guy who was THAT voice too? LOL) and in another one, the guy who was Chooch's voice, and even Top Cat himself. They also have one episode on each disk where you can hear them discussing the show as it's played (this is NOT the regular show--but an extra)... and it's really enlightening hearing all the commentary.
   
   I was leery of the investment at first, and still rue the fact that there aren't a whole lot more episodes of this wonderful show available. That said, anyone who came up in the era of those great Hanna-Barbera cartoon shows like Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Deputy Dawg, Flintstones, Jetsons,...all great FAMILY fun... will just love TC and the Gang!



4. Anyone who has ever been a fan of the humble cartoon and especially if you were a 1970's "latch key kid" will LOVE this boxed set. It takes you back to the day of simple humour, fun characters and overall good, light hearted entertainment. The amazing Hanna Barbera at it's best!!!!



5. It has been many years since I saw this show Top Cat - The Complete Series. I was very satisfied with it.

5 comments about Youngblood.

1. i got this for a friend if my wife's-she is very happy with it,i believe it is a gift for x-mas, she was happy i got it so quickly



2. I am a hockey fan and I enjoyed this flick. Completely believable? No, but no worse than any other sport film. Lots of good action (the violence depicted was actually not that far off from the way hockey was in the late 70s and early 80s). Cynthia Gibbs was sexy and Lowe and Swayze looked good on skates.
   
   I am a bit biased because Eric "Elbows" Nesterenko played Lowe's father. Nesterenko was my hero when he played for the Black Hawks in the 60s. He was one of the toughest, meanest, most hated players in the NHL. Seldom scored a goal, but the other team almost never scored when he was on the ice. I had to laugh when he breaks down and gives Lowe tips on fighting, because he really was an expert.



3. `Youngblood' is a slickly produced sports (hockey), coming of age film from '86 with a lot of good looking young men to (Rob Lowe, Patrick Swazee and Keanu Reeves) keep the girls watching, fast moving game sequences and the usual on the ice fights one has come to expect and look forward to in a hockey game. The storyline is predictable but enjoyable, the pounding, energetic `80's soundtrack is excellent and the cast likeable. Not a bad way to while away an evening with a couple of buddies or a girlfriend.
   
   My Rating: -3 1/2 Stars-.



4. The only hockey movie people know of are the two extremes of the humorous side in Slap Shot and the serious side in Miracle. Youngblood depicts the truth of a young mans sacrifices and decisions for minor league hockey. Great movie, recommend it for any sports fan.



5. Dean Youngblood (Rob Lowe) may be the fastest skater on the ice, but when he is awarded a place on a junior-league ice-hockey team, he soon comes to realize that success at hockey isn't just about skill, it's also about being able to beat the c**p out of the opposition.
   
   I do not like playing sports, I do not like watching sports and generally, I do not like watching movies about sports. However, "Youngblood" is one of my favourite movies of all time. I saw this movie because I am a huge fan of Rob Lowe and I surprised myself by actually enjoying it. I'm not sure if this film is meant to be a comedy or not, but I found this film to be absolutely hilarious in a so-bad-it's-funny kind of way, in particular all the scenes on the ice. This is not so much a film about people playing hockey, but a film about grown men beating each other up. The ultimate message of the film, that this violence is in some ways a good thing, is the most dubious I have come across since that of "Grease", which only serves to make it all the more entertaining.

5 comments about Soap - The Complete First Season.

1. Great Show! Got it as a gift and I am looking forward to watching this.



2. "Soap" is the story of the Tates and the Campbells, two typical soap opera families with typical soap opera problems, and some not so typical. I first heard about "Soap" from my parents, who saw it when it was first shown on television, 30 years ago. Based on their recommendation, I purchased the first season on DVD and found that it is far funnier than many of the first-run comedies that are currently being shown on TV, and that it hasn't dated at all.
   
   "Soap" is a parody of soap operas, but unlike other soap opera parodies, such as "Tootsie" or "Grosse Pointe", where the story centers on the behind the scenes antics of the actors in a fictional soap opera and the humour arises from those antics, not from the soap opera itself, "Soap" is written as an actual soap opera, which follows all of the usual soap opera conventions, and the humour arises from the exaggeration and parodying of these conventions. Basically, "Soap" does to soap operas what "The Naked Gun" did to police movies.
   
   Much of "Soap"'s brilliance is due to its perfect casting of the leads. Each actor is excellent in his or her role and it is not surprising that a large number of them later went onto bigger and better things. These actors include Richard Mulligan (as the nervous and occasionally invisible Burt Campbell), Katherine Helmond (as the perpetually cheerful Jessica Tate), Robert Guillaume (as Benson the objectionable butler who looks after the Tates) and Billy Crystal (as Jodie the suicidal homosexual - the first openly gay character on television).
   
   This DVD set contains the 25 episodes of season one, which end with a soap opera-esque cliffhanger that will leave you eager to move on to season two.



3. I bought Soap - season 1 for my mom. She doesn't have cable and can barely work the dvd player I bought for her, but when I gave her this Soap dvd, she perked right up! She sat on her couch and lauged so hard she squirted tears. She also wasted no time in asking for season 2 :-)



4. When I was a kid I watched Soap all the time and remember laughing so hard I was in tears. Well 31 years later, the same thing happened as I watched it again. Can't wait to see the second season.



5. I'm delighted to have the first season of Soap. Too bad it didn't last very long. Now I have the whole set. Thanks Amazon.com

5 comments about Safe House.

1. I enjoyed seeing Patrick Stewart portray a wide gamut of human eperience and emotion, embedded in a gripping story with a sharp twist at the end. He demonstrates the terror and grief that can be brought only by the knowledge that one is slowly but surely losing one's mind and one's self, while at the same time fighting to do the right thing with the secret information he holds in fear of his life.
   
   This DVD is a must have for every Stewart fan.



2. That's the premise of this little made-for-cable gem, according to the writer / director, and it's a pretty cool exploration of the idea. Patrick Stewart is never less than convincing, either as a retired military intelligence legend obsessed with his own security, or as an old man whose mind is failing long before his body.
   
   Suppose Sean Connery's Bond had aged gracefully, settled down somewhere and tried to live a normal life. Would he still be spending his evenings with lovely ladies and vodka martinis? Or would he be a prisoner of his own past, constantly fearful that all his old enemies would come back to haunt him? And what if his friends and family didn't really believe he'd ever had those grand old adventures?
   
   The beauty of 'Safe House' is that there's no evidence to support the lead character's paranoid claims of government conspiracy, and it's entirely possible that he's imagining the whole thing. Yet the film keeps flirting with the possibility that his fears are real, teasing us with suggestions of menace that never entirely come to fruition. Is there a true danger, or is it all in his mind?
   
   Watching 'Safe House', we don't find out...until the very last scene. I wouldn't dream of letting you know which it is in this review.



3. 
   DELUSIONAL PARANOIC DRIVES EVERYBODY ELSE NUTTY.
   
   This clerk retired from the CIA and lost his mind.
   OR
   This spy retired from the CIA and has rich and powerful enemies.
   
   Either way, this guy didn't retire early enuff.
   Desperate daughter needs a valium.
   
   This ain't a comedy, but it'll do 'til one comes along.
   
   DRAMA,ACTION,INTRIGUE,THRILLER,POLITICS,
   CLASS 4 ENVIRO-HAZARD SUIT.
   
   Patrick Stewart at his best. (NO DOUBLE-ENTENDRE INTENDED).
   
   If you like this movie try
   The Temp
   12 Monkeys (Special Edition)



4. I have watched this movie many times and continue to enjoy it time after time. It is funny and serious and has moments of elegance woven into the plot. I always enjoy Patrick Stewart and Kimberly Williams and they were wonderful together in this drama. Given that all things are relative, the movie probably did not deserve the four stars but it was better than three. There is some violence and a few f-bombs. It would not be particular good for children but most of all, they would not enjoy the movie.



5. I'm a fan of Patrick Stewart so it may bias my review a little. That aside I think this is a fine spy thriller. You have a retired man, played by Stewart, that says he was an agent for the DIA. The problem is no one believes him not even his daughter or psychiatrist. When he starts to lose his memory from Alzheimer's setting on, things look rather bleak. Who can he trust? The only one that seems to believe is his pool man and maybe his live-in caretaker. He truly believes he is at risk and with his high tech toys he tracks a presidential candidate's activities and the suspicious deaths of former team members. He knows the dirty secrets of this candidate and believes he will kill him as well. One of the better made for TV movies with the right amount of drama, comedy, and thrills. Good quality DVD and excellent replayability. I ordered a copy myself. Fans of Stewart shouldn't miss this one.

5 comments about Black Widow.

1. This movie came to me in perfect condition and I received it super fast. This is a great suspense movie and it is really cool. Thank you for such great service!



2. Mariel going back to Charleston and she does'nt want no harsh feelings or needless delay's!
   
   "How small of a gift dear?"
   
   SOMETHING IN THE MID SIX FIGURES?
   
   I LOVE THIS MOVIE I PRACTICALY KNOW ALL THE SCRIPT!



3. This sly, underrated 1987 crime thriller from Bob Rafaelson is carried by the excellent work of its two protagonists, played by Theresa Russell and Debra Winger. While its premise hardly breaks new ground in either the broader genre or its subset (films in which the identity of the killer is known from the beginning), the sexual innuendo that emerges between the hunter and the hunted feels fresh because of the charisma of the two stars.
   
   The film opens as Catherine Peterson (Theresa Russell), is heading back to New York City from a trip because of the sudden death of her husband of only two months, Sam, a wealthy publishing magnate quite a bit older than she. Catherine is beautifully and stylishly dressed, a real "Fifth Avenue Blonde". Although she hugs a photo of her dead husband to herself as she weeps on their bed when she returns home, the first thing she has done is empty the remains of his brandy bottle into the bathroom sink and wash it out. The viewer sees just enough to be initially uncertain as to who and what Catherine is, as she seems genuinely overcome with grief.
   
   However, the viewer is not left in doubt for long, because Catherine is next seen as a blowzy redhead in a tight dress with long red nails, speaking with a southern accent, charming Ben, her latest, older husband (Dennis Hopper, in a brief but hilarious cameo) - a wealthy toy manufacturer. Within two months, Ben has mysteriously died of unknown causes (although by now the audience knows that his bride injected a hard to detect poison into his unopened brandy bottle). However, this time "Catherine" runs into trouble in claiming her rights under her husband's will: his sister (Diane Ladd) threatens to contest it, claiming she has investigated the young widow's claims of her family's origin, and found them to be false. Catherine buys the sister off with a large cash gift from the estate.
   
   It is at this point that Alex Barnes (Debra Winger) comes into the picture. An analyst for the Justice Department, Alex is very good at what she does, searching for patterns that may point to criminal activity, but she does it in a little cubicle, sitting at a computer, in an office with windows that are blacked out with green paint. Alex is bored and desperately wants a field assignment that will get her out of the office. Although Alex is pretty, she doesn't date and it is hinted that her lack of a private life and her persona as "one of the boys" has raised questions about her. At the least, we see that she lacks confidence in her femininity and has submerged all her longings into her job.
   
   One day Alex tells her boss that she has tagged a series of deaths of wealthy older men that have been diagnosed as "Ondine's Curse" (apparently healthy middle-aged men dying in their sleep for no reason). But Alex has connected what she thinks is the same woman with two such recent deaths (the film's first two dead spouses), and thinks it's murder, not Ondine's Curse. Alex begs her boss to let her take the field assignment and see if she can find the woman and prove the cases were murder. He grudgingly consents, and Alex heads first to Manhattan, where, after a visit to her quarry's first ex-sister-in-law, she obtains a photo of "Catherine" (the real name of Russell's character is never revealed). Alex's next visit is to the greedy sister-in-law whose suspicions about Catherine were silenced by that large gift, although the gift does't stop her from repeating her suspicions to the lady from the Justice Department.
   
   Next Alex tracks "Catherine" to Seattle, where the tacky redhead has morphed into "Margaret", a sedate, intellectual, quietly dressed, brown-haired woman interested in the Native cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Of course, what she is really interested in is William McRory (Nicol Williamson) the retiring, shy, middle-aged millionaire who curates a museum devoted to the Coast Salish peoples, and who leads its Board. Catherine/Margaret, through a million-dollar gift to the museum, gets herself a place on the Board, and in no time at all she has seduced and married McRory, a charming man who also happens to be allergic to penicillin.
   
   At this point, Catherine/Margaret suddenly becomes aware that someone is on her trail. Alex has managed to get to talk to McRory by posing as a free-lance journalist who wants to do an article on his wife. When McRory tells Catherine/Margaret this, she makes a quick call to her erstwhile sister-in-law in Manhattan, who says that yes, a young woman from the Justice Department has been asking questions. Frightened and infuriated, Catherine/Margaret decides it's time to get out of Dodge, and asks her doctor for some penicillin for the tonsillitis she is so susceptible to in Seattle's damp climate. Soon afterward, the gentle McRory is dead and no one finds the traces of penicillin crushed into his toothpaste - the diagnosis is heart failure brought on by anaphylactic shock, from unknown causes. Alex's enraged accusations to the local police fall on deaf ears - they refuse to reopen the case.
   
   McRory's death is the final convincing evidence for Alex that Catherine/Margaret is indeed her serial murderer - what is more, Alex liked the scholarly curator and she feels guilty for not warning him of his danger, unlikely though it is that he would have listened to her. Now, her need to capture the Black Widow is driven as much by a sense of guilt and responsibility as it is by the thrill of the chase and ambition.
   
   Alex then tracks Catherine/Margaret, now calling herself "Rennie Walker", to Hawaii, where she already has her fangs in her next victim, an international hotel tycoon, Paul Nuytten (Sami Frey). It is here that Alex and "Rennie" finally meet, in a scuba diving class, as the intricate, final phase of the dance between Alex and the Black Window begins, and the sexually ambivalent relationship between them begins to emerge.
   
   It is unclear whether Rennie knows immediately that her new friend "Jane" is Alex the investigator. But they become close friends very quickly. Rennie lends the unkempt Alex a cocktail dress and sends her to her own hairdresser, and Alex shows up that evening at a party at Paul's palatial estate looking transformed. It becomes clear as she gets to know Rennie, that even in the full knowledge of Rennie's crimes, Alex is wistfully envious of Rennie's sexual confidence, style, and skill with men, and that on some level Alex wishes she were more like Rennie. In one scene, when it becomes clearer that Rennie suspects that she is talking not to her new "friend" but to her hunter, Rennie tries to explain that she loved all her husbands deeply, honestly, and that the problem is, no amount of money is enough money. Russell handles this ambiguity well - she gives us a glimpse into the forces driving her without undercutting their validity with too much self-awareness, and she carries the aura of danger about with her like a smell.
   
   Rennie next encourages a brief fling between Alex and Paul - she has seen that Alex is attracted to Paul, and that Paul is intrigued by Alex's innocence and reticence, although he has been pressing Rennie to marry him. Paul obliges Rennie by making love to Alex, while Rennie hires a sleazy private detective (James Hong) with a heroin addiction to photograph Alex and Paul together. As soon as he gets the photographs, Rennie murders the detective by holding a gun to his head while forcing him to take an overdose. Then, Rennie finally agrees to marry Paul, who breaks off the affair with Alex. Remembering what happened to McRory, Alex tells Paul who she is, and tries to warn him about Rennie, but Paul refuses to listen, and indignantly points out that with Rennie's agreement, their estates have been left to the Cancer Foundation.
   
   By this time, Alex is aware that Rennie knows who she is, although Alex also knows that Rennie knows there is still no substantive proof that would stand up in court. After her marriage to Paul, Rennie feels reasonably secure, but Alex comes to Rennie and Paul's wedding and gives the bride an brooch in the shape of a Black Widow spider. Rennie murmurs that she's enjoyed their relationship, and that "Truth is, I'm sorry it's over." Alex replies, "The truth is, it's not over yet." Rennie knows then that she has to get rid of Alex and springs the trap she has prepared: Rennie plants the poison she will use on Paul in the cheap cottage Alex has rented, and goes off on one of her "trips" - sure enough, she is called back suddenly when Paul is found dead, another victim of Ondine's Curse. The police find the body of the detective and the photographs of Paul and Alex embracing, and Rennie insists that the only person who really had reason to murder Paul is the rejected Alex, and the police search Alex's cottage and find the poison.
   
   After utilizing a little-known testamentary clause that allows her to cancel Paul's bequest of his entire estate to the Cancer Foundation, all signs point to the Black Widow having trapped Alex, rather than the other way around.
   
   But Alex asks Rennie to visit her in jail, and then springs her own trap: the publishing magnate's sister, Sarah, is brought into the room, and instantly identifies Rennie as "Catherine"; immediately after, the "dead" Paul enters - in the end, he consented to allow Alex to prove her case. As soon as Rennie left on her "trip" to the mainland, Paul's house was searched and the poisoned bottle of Paul's favorite wine found. Paul turns his stony face away from Rennie's rueful kiss as the police lead her away. Alex leaves the jail acclaimed for executing a brilliant trap, looking transformed as she leaves the jail, walking confidently in a pretty dress with a low neckline and matching accessories.
   
   This is a stylish, well-played story, and this reviewer has watched it several times over the years with the same enjoyment. It is not so much the actual plot (although this is fun, too) as the work of the stars that is engaging, as they shape their portrayals of the two women, who are so different yet so oddly in sync with each other. It is particularly pleasurable watching Russell shift identities as she stalks her victims and adapts to their tastes, interests, and cultural backgrounds. The supporting players are excellent, with Dennis Hopper very droll as the toy manufacturer and Nicol Williamson sweetly attractive as the curator, William McRory - his desirability as a mate begs the question of why Catherine simply did not stay married to him. Russell manages to make this clear without weakening the implacability of her problem.
   
   Try it some rainy Saturday night - this is a highly entertaining neo-noir effort!
   
   



4. Not at all what I expected. I wanted more action and/or suspense but didn't get any from this flick.



5. If you are a mystery buff like I am this movie should be added to your collection. The two main actresses are Debera Wingger and Theresa Russell.
   They play their parts to the hilt, and the ending has a good twist.

5 comments about Indecent Proposal.

1. Indecent Proposal was a shocking film for 1993 but if this film was released now, people wouldn't think much of it. Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson portray a young, broke but very much in love married couple who decide to try their luck in Vegas. Robert Redford plays a wealthy, smug man who offers the couple 1 million dollars if he can have one night with his wife, she says yes and the couple's relationship is forever tested. This film appears to be provocative but it falls short, I just couldn't get into this film, very boring and calculated. Skip this one, it's not that steamy.



2. Would you or wouldn't you?
   I really enjoyed this movie (although I found it did drag a little in some places), and it really gets you thinking. Of course, you probably know the story line by now but it's something you have to see. It was done well, and the acting wasn't bad; it was the moral delema that I found interesting. As much as David and Dianna loved each other, when they were backed up against a wall with no money whatsoever, along comes John Gage to 'save the day'. They had to know it wouldn't end well and even though they were fine for a while after the event, before long, the mistrust and regrets started up and eventually led them to go separate ways. I won't give up the ending; I thought it ended well and almost wished it kept going to see how they lived after it all.
   A really enjoyable film that I watch every now and then. I really love Woody Harelson in this. He was brilliant I thought and the best actor in this movie. See it for yourself and I hope you enjoy it too.



3. I love the movie for it's true meaning of love and the fine actors who played their parts so well.



4. This movie came out 15 years ago, and I wasn't impressed back then, even less so now. So why did I watch it again? Because my sister and I had different memories about how it ended. My sister was right, but she's wrong about it being a good movie! But then, she pretty much likes anything with Demi Moore in it. Go figure! The movie is loosely based on the novel by Jack Engelhard.
   
   There are too many huge flaws in the story. Oddly, the word prostitution is never mentioned. The circumstances leading up to the "deal" are odd, too. We never actually find out just what it is about Demi Moore's character that the billionaire finds so appealing. He smiles whenever he watches the husband and wife together, as if he's getting some kind of kick out of it. But what is behind the smiling? Is he thinking that he'd enjoy being a wedge in the relationship, wondering if he has the power to break it up? I suppose we may assume he felt a purely physical attraction, but surely he has easy (and cheaper) access to women even more beautiful than Demi.
   
   We never learn why he offers a million dollars to sleep with Demi. Is it just because he is in a particularly mischievous mood that evening in Las Vegas, or is he really so hopelessly drawn to her? Even more mysterious is why this playboy bachelor in his fifties would fall in love with a happily married woman in a one night stand for which he paid a million dollars. We find out later that the playboy billionaire has a soft spot in his cold heart and for reasons we never discover he decides that Demi is the person who can bring love and happiness to his empty life and sprawling mansion.
   
   The billionaire frequently says how "amazing" Demi is, but he never says why she is amazing. We never see them have a real conversation, or even exchange tender words. As a person, Demi has no dreams of her own. She is a not-so-successful real estate agent, and she doesn't seem to have any ambitions other than to be the wife of a successful architect husband. The husband seems to feel the pressure from this and worries that his wife is feeling disappointed and frustrated. The billionaire criticizes the husband for allowing his wife to sleep with him, but he never criticizes the wife. I ask you, since it is HER body, who is the more responsible party? Not to mention the fact that it was the wife who really convinced the husband it would be okay.
   
   Yet another huge flaw is the unexplained and sudden jump from Demi hating the billionaire to loving him. Even after the deal was consummated, the billionaire continued to interfere with the couple's life in an obvious attempt to break up the marriage. The wife had good reason to hate him for this, because it demonstrated that he was willing to abuse power and hurt people in order to satisfy his selfish desires. But what does Demi do when her husband's anger and doubts get the better of him? She runs back to the billionaire and falls for his sweet talk, and before long they plan to get married.
   
   This movie only pretends to look at how gray-area moral decisions can affect our lives. One could just as well ask if it is moral to be a workaholic miser in order to make a million dollars, or the CEO of, say, a cigarette company. There are a million ways to sacrifice oneself on the altar of money and power. The moral component of this movie is watered down because the husband and wife are not "innocent" or sympathetic characters. They gamble all of their money in Las Vegas, in the idiotic pursuit of getting the money they want quickly, and even after winning a large amount, they gamble all of that on a single bet, which of course they lose. What do I care, and how surprising is it, if such a husband and wife then accept a million dollars for a one night stand?
   
   There are the old jokes about how the price of sex determines whether someone is a prostitute. This movie mixes up money with love. How might the story play out without the billionaire falling in love? How might a good marriage be affected without all of the silly complications in this movie? If a happily married couple were to accept such an offer, is it by definition a bad marriage? If a happily married couple were to make the mistake of accepting such an offer, how might they recover from the mistake? Is accepting such an offer worse, or more damaging, than an affair? Alas, none of these more nuanced topics are covered in this movie. Instead we get a simplistic plot that merely teases. I suppose "Indecent Proposal" was a good prequel for Demi's next movie "Striptease."



5. I still remember seeing the trailer for this movie when I was a kid. It seemed so adult, so provocative. Even at the tender age of ten, I recognized the inherent sexual power and enticement in the single image of Robert Redford leaning over a pool table and offering a man $1 million for a night with his wife. Back then, I was desperate to see how the story ended, but my mother didn't let me go to movies like that.
   
   Fast-forward fifteen years to the time when I finally got around to watching the movie. I don't know what took me so long, but in a way I wish I hadn't waited, because if I had seen the movie when I was a kid, I would have appreciated it a lot more. Back then, I wasn't so picky. Back then I didn't notice wooden dialogue that sounded like it came out of a Harlequin romance novel, or stilted, shallow acting. I didn't notice gaping holes in the plot, such as the fact that the couple kept referring to their million dollars even AFTER they paid their lawyer 5% and the point had been belabored again and again that they didn't have $50,000.00 in their own money to bring the figure back up to a cool mil. Back then I wasn't as discerning about screenplays and didn't tend to notice when one was poorly or inadequately written. I never would have noticed the soft focus and lighting designed to keep Robert Redford looking younger than his 57 years, and the lazy soundtrack and tepid score wouldn't have come to my attention at all. And of course predicting the ending was tougher for me back then, so I wouldn't have seen every "twist" in the plot coming from a mile away.
   
   Well as they say, that was then and this is now. Obviously I noticed ALL of these things and they failed to impress me. I found the entire thing forgettable. And since I watched it on a film website, I am in no position to comment on the DVD extras. Overall I can only recommend that unless you too are able to overlook these glaring deficiencies, you stay as far away from this disappointing movie as possible.

5 comments about Stigmata.

1. Somewhat panned by "professional" reviewers-- I just as soon as take the advice of those doing reviews here. Interesting story and well acted. The overflowed bathtub scences proved to be annoying and unrealistic-
   note the tub location and the fact it is always overflowed. Poor reality here is one of the few flaws in this movie



2. Excellent, fast and economic, I would like to buy this movie for a long time, and I found here and a good price....



3. The quality and arrival of this product was rated by me as being in excellent quality and excellent arrival time.



4. Stigmata isn't painful, but it does have the stigma of not being very good. It is a horror film but in this case the monster that terrorizes our young protagonist is Jesus Christ--or someone carrying a message from him. It compares to The Exorcist and The DaVinci Code, but is not as good as either. By straddling the two genres of horror and dramatic Vatican thriller, it succeeds at neither. The stigmata scenes aren't scary and they overuse sloppy special effects. Why is there always water dripping, and why does Frankie Paige, a hairdresser in Pittsburgh, always smell flowers whenever she is having an episode? And how do two hairdressers living together afford such a large albeit somewhat scummy but artfully decorated loft?
   
   The film is based on an interesting premise, that the Vatican is suppressing certain gospels that have turned up by Peter, Mary Magdalene and even Judas. This plot pivots around one written by Thomas--and such a text does exist though its veracity is questioned. The film, however, is a little sloppy with the details, claiming it was written in Aramaic, a language spoken in Jesus' day, but it is actually in Coptic, an ancient Egyptian language based on the Greek alphabet. Here is a quote from Stigmata that was taken from The Gospel of Thomas, verse 77:
   
   -------------------------
   [Frankie is possessed by Father Alameida]
   Frankie: Jesus said... the Kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you, not in mansions of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood... and I am there, lift a stone... and you will find me.
   -------------------------
   
   At one point our stigmatized hairdresser ostensibly writes Aramaic on the walls of her loft, but the director actually had her write in ancient Hebrew because he thought it looked cooler. But I quibble. I am not sure if, as Father Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) claims, that St Francis of Assisi was the first to receive stigmata, but I have a whole pack of fact checkers working on it and you will be the first to know should they unearth any verification. Another interesting factoid gleaned from Father Kiernan was that the nails in a crucifixion actually go through the wrists, because palms couldn't support the weight. This is in spite of all the crucifixes you see showing the nail through the palm. Another Vatican cover up?
   
   Though not a great film, it is at least mildly entertaining, with performances by Patricia Arquette as Frankie Paige--the stigmatized hair dresser, Gabriel Byrne, Enrico Colantoni as Father Dario, and Jonathan Pryce as the sinister Cardinal Daniel Houseman.
   
   Patricia's character, Frankie, for short, is named Francis, and this is an allusion to St. Francis of Assisi, the first person believed to be stigmatized. Patricia is younger sister to Rosanna Arquette, and also a sister to David Arquette, and therefore is sister-in-law to Courtney Cox. She is also the grand daughter of star of stage and screen, Cliff Arquette, best known for the character 'Charlie Weaver' that he created for the Jack Paar Show. An interesting bit of Patricia trivia is that Tom Waits' wife called Patricia a Bonsai Aphrodite, and Tom used that line in the song "Black Market Baby" from The Mule Variations. She is quite the Bonsai Aphrodite, though I didn't recognize her at first, but upon further investigation I found that she played the medium, Allison Dubois, on the TV program: Medium.
   
   -------------------------
   [Frankie is possessed by Father Alameida]
   Father Andrew Kiernan: Frankie? Frankie... who are you?
   Frankie: The messenger is not important.
   -------------------------
   
   If, as Marshall McLuhan posits, The Medium is the Message, and the messenger is not important, what does that portend?
   
   Other Patricia Arquette film credits include Ed Wood, with Johnny Depp; Little Nicky, with Adam Sandler; a dual role in Lost Highway, directed by David Lynch; and finally, she played Linda Loveless opposite Charlie Sheen, who (in quite a stretch) portrayed Chuck Traynor, in Deeper Than Deep. Though Stigmata is not her best work, she at least had the best line:
   
   -------------------------
   Dr. Reston: And are there any problems with a significant other?
   Frankie: Yes...
   Dr. Reston: Which is?
   Frankie: I'm not very significant.
   -------------------------
   
   This could serve as the film's epitaph.
   
   Gabriel Byrne was the priest who investigates miracles and debunks them with science. Byrne is from Dublin, and his slight bit o' brogue didn't seem out of place on a Catholic Priest. I last recall seeing him in Little Women with Winona Ryder, but he also played Byron in Gothic, and was one of the usual suspects in The Usual Suspects. In 1999, besides Stigmata, Byrne was also in The End Days. Both performances earned him Razzies for worst supporting actor, but Stigmata also won him a best supporting actor award--but it was from Blockbuster.
   
   Jonathan Pryce is probably now best known for playing Governor Weatherbee Swann from The Pirates of the Caribbean. I liked his off beat brother-in-law Norman in The Rachel Papers far better. Other notable films worth the Pryce were Brazil, Glengarry Glen Ross, and De-Lovely. De-Lovely was a bio pic of Cole Porter starring Kevin Kline, and Pryce's character Gabe sang Porter's "Blow, Gabriel, Blow." However, as the embodiment of Vatican corruption and cover-up in Stigmata, he didn't really measure up to my expectations.
   
   -------------------------
   Cardinal Daniel Houseman: [while trying to strangle Frankie] I'll not let you destroy my church!
   -------------------------
   
   Not buying it, Pryce!
   
   Enrico Colantoni might be familiar to you from Just Shoot Me! where he played the photographer, or from Veronica Mars where he played Veronica's father, a former cop turned private eye. Now he is playing a SWAT cop on a new show, Flashpoint, but we will see if that isn't just another flash-in-the-pan.
   
   According to the credits, Portia de Rossi played Jennifer Kelliho in Stigmata, but I would have to watch it again to see who she was and how she does. Portia has also had her most successful roles on television, notably as "Ice Queen" lawyer Nell Porter on Ally McBeal, Lindsay Bluth Fünke on Arrested Development, and Olivia Lord on Nip/Tuck. By the way, Portia married Ellen DeGeneres on August 16, 2008 at Ellen's house in Beverly Hills, California attended by Ellen's mother and her mother. I wonder who caught Portia's garter?
   
   PATRICIA ARQUETTE
   
   Deeper Than Deep (2003) .... Linda Lovelace
   The Badge (2002) .... Scarlett
   Human Nature (2001) .... Lila Jute
   Little Nicky (2000) .... Valerie Veran
   Bringing Out the Dead (1999) .... Mary Burke
   The Hi-Lo Country (1998) .... Mona Birk
   ... aka Hi-Lo Country - Im Land der letzten Cowboys (Germany: TV title)
   Goodbye Lover (1998) .... Sandra Dunmore
   Nightwatch (1997) .... Katherine
   Lost Highway (1997) .... Renee Madison / Alice Wakefield
   Infinity (1996) .... Arline Greenbaum
   The Secret Agent (1996) .... Winnie
   ... aka Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent
   Flirting with Disaster (1996) .... Nancy Coplin
   Beyond Rangoon (1995) .... Laura Bowman
   Ed Wood (Special Edition) (1994) .... Kathy O'Hara
   
   GABRIEL BYRNE
   
   The Usual Suspects (1995) .... Dean Keaton
   ... aka Üblichen Verdächtigen, Die (Germany)
   Little Women (Collector's Edition) (1994) .... Friedrich Bhaer
   Gothic (1986) .... Byron
   End of Days (1999) .... The Man / Satan
   
   JONATHAN PRYCE
   
   Brazil (1985) .... Sam Lowry
   Ronin (1998) .... Seamus O'Rourke
   The Rachel Papers (1989) .... Norman
   Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) .... James Lingk
   De-Lovely (2004) .... Gabe
   Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) .... Mr. Dark
   Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) .... Jack
   Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) .... Governor Weatherby Swann
   Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) .... Governor Weatherby Swann
   Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) .... Governor Weatherby Swann
   
   COMPARE AND CONTRAST
   
   The Da Vinci Code [UMD for PSP] (2006)
   The Exorcist (25th Anniversary Special Edition) (1973)



5. I give STIGMATA 4 stars for the quality of the acting. The film itself could have been so much more than it is. All the ingredients are there. For those who want to automatically call it an EXORCIST rip off, it certainly is not. The story is very different and fully based on the presence of the stigmata.
   
   The story is original, believable and much effort is put into the special effects. But the script does not totally flow and the scares and suspense just aren't really there. Maybe it is overproduced. Again, the acting is superb. patricia Arquette has an acting tour de force as Frankie, the young woman who is stricken by the stigmata as is Gabriel Byrne as Father Kiernan the investigative priest sent to study her. They also play very well off each other. Also, each scene in which she is stricken by another sign of the stigmata is very efefectively shown.
   
   But all the other pieces just don't mesh. I think the producers and writers took on too much and didn't give the movie and storyline the dedication it deserved. It is certainly not a bad movie and has some of the best acting you will ever see. But Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne are certainly let down by the material they are given. They carry it as best they can.
   
   Had this film been handled more carefully it could have become a very important, popular film with a message that put it in the same genre as THE EXORCIST but kept it a standout film in its own right. People see the clips etc. and think its just another film about a possessed girl. This is so not true and sadly the opportunity to tell the story well is wasted as is the excellent acting. But believe me, allow yourself to watch it just for that - the acting - and Patricia Arquette in particular will blow you away.

5 comments about Dr. Seuss' The Cat In The Hat (Full Screen Edition).

1. And yet at the same time, I couldn't help but like him -- sort of. The Cat was so zany, so totally and completely 100% wacko, that I actually laughed as I watched him execute one quirky antic after another.
   
   On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give "The Cat in the Hat" a 5, possibly a 5-and-a-half. But I would take this over something like "Monty Python" any day. (Monty Python, in my personal opinion, is a definite all-time low. I have yet to see any other movie that sinks below that one.)
   
   I wouldn't really recommend this kind of movie to anyone who is a true-blue fan of Dr. Seuss, but if you're just sitting around feeling bored, this will definitely help to kill the time, and give you something to chuckle about.



2. I though it was a great movie. I saw it in a hotel once and thought it was good. How can anybody hate this movie? It was based on the book by the late Dr. Seuss. It was good and I think more people should give it a change.



3. product came quickly and was in excellent condition. will order from this seller again.



4. Although it's pretty different from the book, it's still a good and funny movie. A lot of things were changed and added, it's not really a big deal. If they didn't add some things, the movie would be too short. Mike Myers did a great job as the cat. He's funny and full of mischief. There are some adult plots like the cat is about to explain where babies come from, and the sexy Paris Hilton makes a cameo. I wonder what Dr. Seuss would think about the movie. If you love family comedy, you'll love DR. SEUSS' THE CAT IN THE HAT!!!



5. I finally broke down and took my 4 year old to see this at the $1 cinema . Glad she wasn't 7 or 8. This is not a kid's movie. The adult jokes went over my child's head. If I had taken an elementary school child to this I probably would have given it a 1. As it is I gave it a 7. Yes, it had a slew of bad taste jokes, but I laughed several times. Mike Meyers is a funny cat. And I think it should be nominated for an Oscar for set design. Yes, Dr. Seuss is probably rolling in his grave at the liberties that the scriptwriters took. I don't know what the filmakers were thinking with all the off color innuendo, but I laughed a lot more than I would have expected to.

5 comments about Sayonara.

1. What a superb cast! Great sets, cinematography, outstanding musical score, superb message! A film to be archived as a window into our culture and theirs. The smug policies of early occupation days is clearly demonstrated here. The absolute beauty of Japan and it's women is clearly seen. This film makes you want to jump into the screen and feel what Marlon Brando must have felt in the arms of his darling love. Red Buttons was so good in this film that there's no wonder how he got the Oscar! My only complaint would be a Hispanic man (Richardo) playing a Japanese kibuke dancer. That silly error detracts from the rest of this wonderful film. Remember "The Courtship of Eddy's Father?" look for his irresistable housekeeper in an Oscar nominated role here. She recently passed into Gods hands. Bless you forever Miss Miyoshi Umeki!!!!



2. ...a very enjoyable movie.Although Brando's southern accent is a bit overplayed, it's not a drag on the rest of the movie. This movie explores very well the contrast between living your life according to imposed expectations as opposed to living the life you actually want to, as all characters here experience this in rather profound ways.
   
   A very worthwhile movie, on that you'll watch more than once..



3. "Sayonara" could have been an overly sentimentalized mix of predictable lectures on the evils of prejudice and the legacy of war, but its very fine performances, attractive stars, generally well-written script, and lush production save it from these traps and offer up a deeply romantic and affecting film experience. There are a few nits to pick here, notably the casting of Ricardo Montalban as a legendary Japanese NOH actor, and a couple of overly cardboard-evil military bureaucrats, but these don't too adversely affect the overall high quality of the film.
   
   Based on yet another of James Michener's "exotic location travelogue" novels, Sayonara examines interracial love between members of formerly warring countries (Japan and the United States), in the post-WWII, post-Korean conflict era (the film was released in 1957). Marlon Brando, in a wonderful performance (I beg to differ on this point from the many reviews below), plays Major Lloyd "Ace" Gruver, a career Air Force man from a distinguished military family. Already heavily honored for his work in WWII and the Korean conflict, Ace travels to Japan for some R&R. His good friend and colleague, Airman Joe Kelly (Red Buttons, who won a Best Supporting Oscar for this role), has already put down roots there after meeting and falling deeply in love with a gentle young Japanese girl named Katsumi (exquisitely played by Miyoshi Umeki). Kelly, something of a blunt-speaking rebel who doesn't come from the class and money that Ace comes from, wants to marry Katsumi and settle down in Japan, and is running into heavy opposition from Air Force brass.
   
   Ace, as Kelly's superior officer, feels obligated to support the military's position here, and does his best to dissuade Kelly from marriage to a Japanese girl. Ace fails, but he both likes and respects Kelly, and when he sees Kelly is determined to go through with the marriage, Ace agrees to serve as his best man - after Kelly finally manages to jump through all the hoops the military and the government throw up to prevent such marriages from occurring (and those hoops are a matter of historical record). After Ace meets the lovely Katsumi at the dismally brusque little civil service, and comes to dinner at Kelly and Katsumi's little home by the canal, Kelly's brimming happiness dissolves Ace's remaining doubts about the marriage.
   
   Ace himself has been engaged for years to the patrician Eileen Webster (Patricia Owens, who ended up in another classic as the wife of the ill-fated scientist in the original, "The Fly"), daughter of Lt. Gen. Mark Webster, and, therefore, from a family very much like Ace's own. Hearing of Ace's stay in Tokyo, Eileen's father has brought over his wife and daughter so Eileen and Ace can spend some time together. They appear to be ideally suited to each other, but Eileen, who is a refreshingly strongly written female character for the 1950s, is not too happy at Ace's tame acceptance of their long engagement, and his lack of urgency about getting married - from these she senses something is missing in their relationship on Ace's side. Ace brushes off her doubts, reminding her that as members of a somewhat privileged class, they have duties and responsibilities to fulfill before they can suit themselves, and with this Eileen has to be satisfied.
   
   Kelly and Katsumi begin showing Ace around post-war Tokyo, and one evening Ace sees the performance of one of Japan's best-known stage personalities, Hana-ogi, star of the prestigious Matsubayashi School; the school trains girls in singing, dancing, and acting for the stage, and they are strictly prohibited from dating and socializing outside the school (let alone with members of the American military). The Matsubayashi girls are sort of theatrical vestal virgins, dedicated first to the life of the stage, and then to teaching the next generation, and, after the manner of the unattainable, exert a particular pull on the imaginations of the men in the US military occupying Japan.
   
   For Ace, it is love at first sight. Throwing caution to the winds and ignoring everything he knows about the barriers to such a relationship, Ace begins to pursue the frosty, off-limits Hana-ogi (nicely played by Miiko Taka, who, similar to actor James Shigeta, was actually an American-born "nisei" from Hawaii who had to learn the Japanese accent for the role). Hana-ogi has a passing friendship with Kelly's wife, Katsumi. To the amazement of all, Ace's dogged pursuit, and the whispers of Katsumi to her friend that the American is neither a boor nor a bigot, eventually melt the coldly unattainable Hana-ogi, and the besotted Ace soon finds himself in exactly the position for which he once lectured Kelly.
   
   It isn't long before word of Ace's affair with Hana-Ogi gets out, and because of Ace's family history and higher rank, it generates even greater horror in the military than did Kelly's affair with Katsumi. Eileen is humiliated and devastated as she realizes that she was right: Ace's feelings for her lacked a basic passionate gestalt, something that the Japanese performer has aroused in him without effort. Her family is furious and mortified, and Ace goes from being the Fair-Haired Boy of the Air Force to its outcast.
   
   From this point on, the film follows the difficult course of the two parallel Japanese/American relationships, for Kelly suddenly finds himself once again struggling with bureaucratic interference: despite the seeming finality of his marriage to Katsumi, he is still a career Air Force man, and is recalled home by the military - without his wife. His despair at the prospect of separation precipitates the film's most moving segment. Kelly's and Katsumi's fate also serves as the tie-break in Ace's conflict between his duty and his heart, and sets up the conclusion of the film.
   
   The film is explicit about the brutal lengths to which the American military and government went during the occupation to stop G.I.s who wished to marry Japanese women from doing so; nor does it shy away from exposing the cultural prejudices held by the Japanese (all Westerners are barbarians), and some of the less attractive aspects of traditional Japanese culture: Hana-ogi got into the Matsubayashi school because her poverty-stricken parents sold her, presumably as a future courtesan, but the people who bought her saw her special quality and instead sent her to the school. Thus, Hana-ogi is also bound by duties and obligations and personal debt that she cannot violate without incurring dishonor.
   
   The performances, starting with Brando's very sympathetic and nuanced portrait of Ace Gruver, are note-perfect - and that includes Brando's southern accent, which did not strike this reviewer as either "over the top" or out of place - the south produced many distinguished military families. Red Buttons richly earned his Best Supporting Oscar as the passionately devoted Kelly, and James Garner adds his own unique quality in a supporting role as a Marine also trying to navigate a relationship with a Matsubayashi dancer. Ricardo Montalban gives a remarkably dignified performace as Nakamura, considering the absurdity of his casting in the role, and Patricia Owens gives the unfortunate Eileen depth and character. Miyoshi Umeki and Miiko Taka are convincing and affecting as Katsumi and Hana-ogi (considering that they, too, are inhabiting something of a stereotyped, idealized image of Asian women). Joshua Logan, who was also Michener's collaborator on the film version of "South Pacific", did a superb job bringing the locations and story to life, and Franz Waxman composed the evocative score. The cinematography is beautiful.
   
   This is not the deepest film about interracial prejudice and military stupidity that has ever been made: it is a bit too "picturesque" for that. But it is a thoroughly satisfying and beautifully made one. Thus, despite its length (two and a half hours), and at least one highly questionable casting issue, its powerful story, moving performances, and potent atmosphere have the uncanny ability to hook and keep the viewer emotionally engaged throughout. Repeat viewings for the sheer experience of the film are likely.



4. So much has been reviewed about this movie so I will just put my two cents in about the performances I loved. Marlon Brando....skillfully underplayed role. When I first saw the movie as a kid, I wasn't sure if he would be a sympathetic character or not. He's wonderful. Ricardo Montalban...one of the most under-rated actors ever. I remember reading a long time ago that when he danced on the Kabuki stage, the audience was not aware that it was Mr. Montalban performing ontage. Although one does wonder why a Japanese actor (like James Shigeta) was not given the role, I loved him in this. Red Buttons and Miyoshi Umeki...this is where the 5 hankies come in. I'm not sure if Japanese people thought her character was a stereotype or not...I will only say that I enjoyed her portrayal. She was so obviously in love with her 'Joe'. And Red Buttons...steadfast, unmovable in his decision to love this woman. What a sin that racism still rears its ugly head in 2008. Let us hope that thoughtful movies like this one will continue to be made.



5. This is a wonderful older film, Marlon Brando is stationed in Japan and falls in love with a Japanese woman. Very well acted...teary scenes, but very enjoyable.