No comments about Mother Goose Gospel Presents: A Day at the Farm.

5 comments about The American President (Mother's Day Gift Set with Card and Gift Wrap).

1. This is a very pleasant romantic comedy, reminisent of the old Cary Grant screwball affairs, light on the sex & heavy on the budding relationship. This blending of film making elements, so prevalent during the golden age of movies, makes a 2 hr film seem far too short; whereas, today, most 2 hr films seem far too long. Douglas, the younger, & Sheen, Fox, etc. hold together like a fine tuned car for the pictures length. Also, good casting for the right love interest, not too old, or too young & of the right degree of sophistication.
   
   The story line was very tastefully done, being that the subject(s) is/are the President of the USA & the White House. Of course a charming & youngish First Man of the Land would have to be a Democratic man of the people. The Oval Office romantic encounters made me think of other such factual affairs in this local & as I recall they also involed Democratic Presidents, so I guess that it is entirely fitting that this was also the case.
   
   All in all, this old timer thinks that this is one of the best romantic comedy movies turned out in quite awhile. A very enjoyable watch.



2. This is a wonderful romantic comedy..right up there with Sleepless in Seattle, ect. I truly enjoyed it.



3. What fun to watch this intelligent, fun, romantic, realistic video during this intelligent, fun, romantic, realistic Presidential campaign '08 (Barack Obama, Michelle, and girls).



4. I do prefer the plastic cases - you know, the ones that are plastic on both sides. This one has the cardboard front.



5. This is by far one of my all time favorite movies...I had it on VHS and wore it out!! I just love this movie..Thanks

2 comments about Hellbreeder.

1. Hellbreeder is yet another killer clown movie. Evil has taken over a small town. A mother becomes consumed with finding the killer of her son.... a killing she witnessed herself. When a stranger arrives in town, horrific murders begin and Alice(the mother) is convinced that this is the same killer and will do whatever it takes to prove it. Some cool gore/bloody scenes and violence. I've seen alot worse. Worth renting for the true horror fans.



2. Defineately not a mainstream movie, but brilliant in its own way. This movie is propelled mostly by visual dream like images which are used to tell the story or create feeling or atmosphere rather than dialogue. Where words can't move the story, an image fills the void. And when there is dialogue, it is quite poetic, and at times, tragic. When the main character dreams about her son's murder, she dreams of her angry husband and his parents, and her mother in law shouting "He was my pride and joy!!!"
   
   It took me several viewings to fully understand the tragic, erie story, but I will watch this over and over again, each time uncovering a new secret I missed the first time.
   
   And this is one of the most beautifully photographed films...it tend to favor different shades of yellow and greens. The cover kind of hints at how it was filmed.
   
   I highly reccomend this forgotton and underated film. Don't go into it expecting a clear, direct story, but go into it expecting a beautifully presented story you will want to watch over and over again.

No comments about A Thousand Women Like Me.

1 comments about New Year's Day.

1. Being an Anglophile, no matter what, I would rate this movie favorably. Being the first one to review I like also to be honest. This is obviously a British movie, a Strand Releasing. It is not a real gay movie, however, the relationship between the two boys is extraordinarily close due to the circumstances. There is love between the two main characters but what I consider of a friendship nature. There is no kissing or sexual scenes, there is a tender moment at the end where Steven lies on top of Jake crying.
   
   The story is basically a tragic one. A ski trip to France by the local high school kids turns deadly with an avalanche eliminating everybody except for Jake and Steven. After the accident a school counselor is assigned to both students to work out through their emotional problems dealing with this trauma.
   
   The trauma is too much to bear emotionally injuring both boys. They make a pact that they will commit suicide a year later on New Year's Day by jumping off the Dover cliffs (beautiful scenery.) During that year they make a book of tasks to complete (12). Some of these tasks are very disturbing, especially coming from someone who is emotionally upset.
   
   The movie goes on presenting the boys in them performing their criminally acts. Both boys are at opposite ends of the social spectrum. Steven belongs to a very rich family, Jake from a poor family, single mother who is mentally ill. Jake has a small brother and sister. This set up seems to be very traditional among gay movies.
   
   As the end of the year approaches, Jake and Steven's juvenile attitudes start to change, getting cold feet about dying. There is the scene of car speeding out of control driven by the two boys, it flips, both boys survive. And the final scenes where the boys jump off the cliff surviving the fall. They did not do the task of killing a large animal.
   
   The theme of beating death by a group of kids in a similar situation was made famous by the American movie Final Destination. In that movie the Reaper manage to retrieve some of the kids. In this movie both kids survive three times beating death. The Machiavellian acts by both kids remind me of the German movie Out of Hand.
   
   This is a good story about two boys who endure hardships together. It is a story about true friendship.

5 comments about Message in a Bottle (Mother's Day Gift Set with Card and Gift Wrap).

1. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I'VE SEEN IN ALONG TIME. PERSONS WHO HAVE LOST LOVE ONES REALLY NEED TO WATCH THIS. KEVIN COSTNER IS ONE OF THE BEST ACTORS WE HAVE,



2. ... but only if you are deaf. Seriously. This movie is visually gorgeous. That's about it. The actual message found in the bottle should be enough to make you go right to mute. Then, if you are not deaf, maybe put on some Chopin Nocturns and enjoy 2 hours of beautiful cinematography.



3. "Message in the Bottle" is, like the tag-line suggests, a tale of love lost and found. The way I was introduced to this film is rather interesting, I suppose. Many years ago I came across it when I was searching online for information regarding the 1977 classic Disney film "The Rescuers." Both films share the theme of the "message in the bottle" so the connection lead me to this 1999 film. Finally, I saw it for sale in a grocery store's bargain DVD bin and just had to bring it home with me, so I did. I could not have been more pleased. The film is touching in many ways, beautifully filmed, with fantastic characters and great acting. It's a refreshing tale of love that does leave a bittersweet impact, and probably will not be forgotten easily. It is also interesting that I found this film so captivating, because romance tales have never really been of interest to me. Emily Brontë's novel, "Wuthering Heights," was the first time I felt interested in a story of love, enough to keep me reading, very intrigued, through its hundreds of pages. "Message in a Bottle" did the same thing, it intrigued me. The gorgeously filmed sceneries automatically appealed to me; sights of lighthouses, docks and ships, ships out at sea, ocean waves, beautiful sunsets... not to forget the message in the bottle. To me it was like watching one of Thomas Kinkade's paintings come to life right before my eyes; the sceneries in this film are that beautiful.
   
   This is the story of a young woman named Theresa, who works for the Chicago Tribune. She and her ex-husband had recently divorced and the two exchanged the time they would spend with their one son. One day, during a visit to the shore, Theresa finds a simple bottle stranded on the sand and discovers inside it a message from a mysterious man addressed to a certain "Dear Catherine." Theresa is touched by the profound love expressed by this person to their beloved, deceased wife, and so are her friends at work when they read it. Theresa is not happy when her friends at the Chicago Tribune decide to publish the message in their newspaper, for she believes the person had meant the message to be personal and private. Still, Theresa becomes intrigued with this man and longs to find him. With a crew of investigators, she uses every clue she has, including a second and third message, to track down the author of these messages. Her investigation leads her to a seaside town in North Carolina and a certain G. Blake. She has high expectations of this man and quickly sets out to find him. When she finally does, her expectations are exceeded, and she rapidly falls in love with grieving, timid Garret Blake. She discovers the story behind his wife's death and the rivalry the event left behind for two different family's, Garret's and Catherine's. Garret is unwilling to let go of the past and wants to conserve every memory he has of his deceased wife. That is, until he himself slowly finds himself falling in love with Theresa. The story then changes into one of trust, honesty and understanding, as well as a story of letting go of the past and looking forward, allowing a past life to live only in memories. Both characters struggle within themselves to find their right paths, until the story finally changes back to one of bravery and loss.
   
   All in all, a very profound, believable and touching love story. The characters, including Paul Newman as Dodge, Garret's father, are all strong, believable, unique and highly appealing. They're dynamic, they change and grow in one way or another, and that applies to a number of minor characters as well. The story feels like a classic tale of love set in modern times. This doesn't affect the impact of the tale, however, because like I said, the sceneries in this film create on their own a sense of enchanting magic that surrounds the action and the characters. I half-wish that some of the more adult-oriented scenes and language had been left out, thus making this film more appropriate for younger audiences. The film is a perfect love story, refreshing and unique, and why should we not be allowed to experience it when we're younger? Again, this film is beautiful and I'm delighted to have it in my collection. I must say I was shocked at the number of negative reviews this film has received, ranging from bad to mediocre. I guess in the age of dumb comedy and pessimistic disaster films, people are just not yet ready to experience a well told story of life. I never, or very rarely, let others' opinions on a film alter my own views on it, so I give this film nine stars out of ten, which in my book, is excellent!



4. While on vacation, a single mother identified as Theresa discovers a 'message in a bottle' on the shore that has moving honest words of love addressed to a woman named Catherine...
   
   The trail leads her to a sailboat builder named Garrett and also to his father, Dodge in a small North Carolina coastal town... It turns out that Catherine is Garret's deceased wife, and the intriguing letters were written, two years earlier, after her decease...
   
   Some people find the one true love of their lives, if they're fortunate enough... Luis Mandoki's film, in part, turns out to be a choice about what occurs when a person finds that right kind of love, then when he is faced with the impossible, and then when he is given the right to continue with his life and is brave enough to love again no matter how unpleasant his grief is...
   
   As a reclusive widower, Garret was still in deep pain, and entirely devoted to Catherine's memory... He had hard time letting go of the past... Catherine was dead but not forgotten and was simply everywhere...
   
   As a sailor Costner didn't inherit the charm of Newman... He was drawn to Penn by her smile, her beauty, even her mistakes...
   
   Robin Wright Penn was beautiful, delicate and sweet as Theresa... She soon insinuates her way into Garret's life... Her expectations were always too high... Since the beginning, she just had to meet the person that wrote those letters... Her life was changed by them... Eventually when she met Garret that morning, she accepted, without hesitation, to step aboard...
   
   Paul Newman as Dodge liked Theresa instantly... He saw in her the key to his son's emotional recovery...
   
   With a very nice music, and a stunning coastal photography--also the ocean scenes are wonderfully taken--"Message in a Bottle" is definitely a weepy melodrama and a must see for those who believe, or don't, in love...



5. this movie was amazing.. I loved it, even when i was crying like a baby!
   as always true Nicholas Sparks style. even in his movies.. he gets you totally sucked in emotionally. GREAT MOVIE!

5 comments about The Phantom of the Opera (Mother's Day Gift Set with Card and Gift Wrap).

1. I was in highschool when the musical debuted with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in 1986. I have been familiar with Weber's music and the voices tied to the characters that became an overnight phenomenon world wide.
   
   However, I did not have an opportunity to see the stage show (until just this year) so was delighted when they had made a movie of it. Thank you, Joel Schumacker! The movie tied the music and the story line together and I have been hooked since. So it was for obvious reasons why I purchased the movie soundtrack as well as the movie DVD.
   
   I am amazed and a little dismayed over the reaction Gerard Butler received as the movie Phantom. I knew nothing of this actor prior to this film. After seeing the movie, I was in love with this man and had to learn who he was and anything else about him. Off to the internet I went in search of this actor who made such an impression on me. I learned that Gerry (as he likes to be called) was not a stage-trained vocalist before he took on this role. Now, some people say that was obvious as they did not like his vocals. Many fans are true to the original London cast. And that's OK. But does that mean you cannot be open minded and realistic enough to know that Michael Crawford is not and will not be the only man to ever portray our beloved Phantom?
   
   It would have been disastrous to have Mr. Crawford portray the Phantom for the movie. It would have been even more disastrous if Sarah Brightman played Christine. The point is these 2 beloved people are past the age where they can realistically play these young roles. It was much more realistic to have younger fresh actors. Christine was only 16 years old in the original novel. The Phantom was in his very early forties. The actors chosen were spot on age wise. Emmy Rossum was 16 when she signed on. She also trained at the Metropolitan Opera at the age of 7. Gerard Butler was 34. A tad younger, but it didn't really matter yet it was more acceptable that a 34 year old recluse would be sexually attracted to a 16 year old budding diva and vice versa.
   
   I am a trained singer. I have sung in the finest concert halls of Europe. I have heard many, many trained vocalists. BUT NONE OF THEM DO TO ME WHAT GERARD BUTLER'S VOICE DOES TO ME. It doesn't bother me at all that he is not a classically trained vocalist. In fact, after finding out that he wasn't trained when he took on this challenge, made me admire him even more. While I was listening to POTO for the first time, you couldn't tell me that he wasn't trained. I knew his vocals were much different than Michael Crawford's, but I felt his voice fit the role for the film. Gerard has a deeper, richer, fuller voice that is sexy as heck and a voice that I now prefer over Mr. Crawford's tinnier, higher tenor.
   
   Gerard's raw passionate performance knocked me off my feet. I fell in love with Gerry after watching Phantom because of the way he moved me so. His voice is so seductive and rich and sexy and captivating. His "Music of the Night" leaves me breathless. His "Point of No Return" seduces the heck out of me (and the entire female population). His sad, pleading "All I Ask of You" before Christine rips his mask off during "Don Juan Triumphant" is heartbreaking. Heartwrenching, growling "Down Once More" has me crying for his pain. He grips me in the core of my womanhood and won't let go. In this way I feel like I am Christine....drawn to the hypnotic power of his voice and the raw sensuality that draws me to him. I can't explain it, I can only FEEL it. And I can't get enough of him.
   
   Emmy Rossum's Christine was a standout, breakout performance. This young lady CAN SING! Her voice is so clear and vibrant and sexy and she possess an incredible range. And she's beautiful to boot. This gal has a future in music and movies. I would keep an eye on this one!
   
   I also feel Patrick Wilson's Raoul was fresh and much more developed than the stage version. He becomes the swashbuckling hero, and lover trying to protect his Christine from a murdering lunatic. Patrick's voice is just angelic and beautiful, but he lacks the passion that Gerard seems to have in spades.
   
   Although Minnie Driver did not sing her own vocals, her performance was without a doubt brilliant as La Carlotta. She sings the ending title song "Learn to Be Lonely". She does a beautiful job.
   
   Miranda Richardson's Madame Giry was classy and elegant, and more developed as a character who knew more than she was telling as opposed to the stick-thumping 'evil step-mother' portrayal on stage.
   
   The orchestrations are slightly different than the musical but all in all, it is the same music we all fell in love with back in 1986. The orchestrations are fuller with 110 piece orchestra, 90 voice choir and an added guitar that gives this familiar music a fresh rock n roll edge, but not enough to take away from the classic orchestrations we all love.
   
   I truly admire and LOVE ALL the performances of the movie. The sets and costumes are lavish and stunning.
   
   Gerard, while not a trained singer, put his entire heart and soul into this role and rose to the challenge and did the best job anybody could have hoped to do. That to me, no matter what the critics say, impresses and amazes me the most and Gerard deserves the credit of a job exceptionally well done.
   
   If you are a fan of Weber's musical - you need to see this movie!



2. If you love music, then you got to get Phantom of the Opera. Phantom of the Opera has some of the best music in the world in the movie. Some music you can compare to others. Like I compare 'Masqurade' to 'Be our Guest'. For all the music lovers out there, I recommend getting Phantom of the Opera.



3. Low key and with lesser-known performers but pretty true to the stage show -- a good take!



4. Let me kick off this review by saying I am a die-hard phan. I've read the book, seen the stage production, and memorized the libretto. When I heard this movie was being made, I was excited, and kept up with all the production news.
   
   As it happens, I was terribly disappointed with this movie. For a lot of reasons. First of all, the performers left a lot to be desired. Gerry Butler can not sing. He can make noises that sound similar to pitched grunting and growling, but the man simply cannot sing. Each song he performed was painful to listen to. Honestly, I have listened to the "Music of the Night" scene once, and only once. MotN is my favorite song and he completely killed it, so anytime I watch the movie I skip past that scene. Surely there must be SOMEONE who could have given a better performance. As for Emmy Rossum, she is good for being sixteen years old, but she simply does not have the skills or experience for the part of Christine. Her voice is pleasant, but she has real difficulty hitting high notes and constantly scoops up to them. That would be fine if this was a jazz production, but she is supposed to be singing opera. But what really did her in was her horrible acting. The graveyard scene in particular was horrific. You're standing on your father's grave -- you want to shed a tear or two perhaps? As for the rest of the cast, I would have to say they are mediocre at best. I can understand that some roles do not allow for a life-altering performance, but none of them really made much of an impression on me. Except for Patrick Wilson (Raoul). He has a beautiful voice and sings with expression as well as excellent vocal technique. He is, perhaps, the only member of the cast that makes the musical performance bearable.
   
   In addition, there were so many alterations to the show that changed it for the worse. Andre and Firmin are apparently a couple of pedophiles, which is made clear when they walk into the opera house staring at the young ballerinas like pieces of meat. Lines that are meant to be sung are spoken. (Who wants to listen to people rhyme when they speak?) The entire "Don Juan" rehearsal scene was left out. The scenes in the second act were jumbled around. Piangi has what appears to be a midget side kick that mirrors his every move. "New" scenes were added but do nothing for the plot. And for me, the final nail in the coffin was the graveyard scene. Not only was Rossum's performance of "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" pathetic, but "Wandering Child" was made into a poorly sung duet instead of the climactic trio it was meant to be.
   
   I won't even get into the "disfiguration" of the phantom. Honestly, Tom Cruise's character in "Vanilla Sky" looked more frightening than Schumacher's phantom.
   
   However, there are some good things about this movie. The music mostly stays true to the original score, which is nice. Some lyrics are changed, but what can you do? The cinematography and special effects are quite entertaining, mostly. And again, Patrick Wilson's performance was beautiful.
   
   All in all, it's better than nothing, right?



5. Visually beautiful, but exercise your mute button finger in preparation for the Phantom's songs. The choice of Gerard Butler's incredibly grating voice for the title role is perplexing.

5 comments about Mother's Day.

1. Ike and Addley are two comically moronic brothers (who by their looks may have had different papas) living in the woods of New Jersey with their sweet smiling but twisted mama. When a trio of women reuniting from college for a camp out, meet this freak family, suspense, bloodshed and yes, even comedy ensue.
   Fans of B-Videos, Troma and "women in peril" all have something to love here.



2. After the success of 'Halloween' in the late 70's, it seemed a week didn't go by when some holiday or yearly event wasn't being turned into the next horror atrocity! Black Christmas, April Fool's Day, Friday The 13th, Happy Birthday To Me and Mother's Day!.......Ahhh good old Mom!...Maw..Mammy or whatever term of endearment you might wanna use. 'Mother Dear' is a sweet old gal in this gruesome, repulsive and nasty tale of sick depravity, torture and revenge. In spite of itself, I happen to like this film!?? I don't know why?...Maybe the over the top performances or gore sequences? or maybe the demented black comedic undertone laced through the film? Whatever it may be....It does have a sense of style and the extremely vengeful redemption scenes are priceless! Don't forget about ol' "Queenie"! This one is a must see for horror fans but some gals may want to leave this one to the guys. It does have some extremely cruel rape scenes that may put you off in a big way. I'm glad I bought this when it was in print. Remember..........Queenie's out there somewhere! LOL!
   
   Happy Halloween CB and the rest of my horror crazed buddies at Amazon!



3. I saw this movie when it came out in 1980 and remembered it as a very typical slasher of the day. Seeing it (and other films from back then) in 2008, I'm struck by how much has changed. Even the worst movies made today, with the worst actors, have standards far and away better than "Mother's Day." And yet, they're not really as good. Hmm...
   "Mother's Day" is actually a bad movie with a lot of heart, so it's a lot of fun to watch, and maybe that's what really matters. Gather a bunch of friends, pop it in, and enjoy it for what it is... a ghastly (but enjoyable) flick about a ghastly family and three obnoxious sorority sisters who kinda-sorta deserve what happens, just because they're all so delightfully annoying. B++



4. Troma was an interesting sideline cult film studio before the 1990's. They made Roger Corman seem like a major studio - and this was shocking and bizarre in its day but now, really - just an amateur production with camcorders. Now that people can shoot and edit masterpieces with special effects using a $600 Mac, this is pretty much a yawner. And after the snuff porn of the last few years, this is a walk in the park with a lab puppy if you're talkinga bout its shock value (and that's presuming you never saw any Italian horror movies or American grindhouse films of the 1970's)... and the worst sin of all, for a camp movie about kidnapping young women, there's no nudity. So, if you've lead a sheltered life and have seen only just THE SOUND OF MUSIC, this movie might shock you but otherwise, it's not very good, its camp value is nil, there's no nudity and it's not scary. It's only interesting in a historical context for film buffs.
   
   Plus, one more annoying thing. There is a tedious 5-minute intro by the head of Troma who likes to hear himself talk and of course, none of his employees will tell him he's not funny nor interesting ... AND of course, you cannot fast forward or skip through it. Just another reason to skip it.



5. I think those who create these sort of films have got a serious screw loose. Yes, seeing innocent women being tortured, humiliated & raped is my idea of being entertained for an hour and a half. NOT! Don't even waste your time with this one. Just as sick & twisted as I Spit On Your Grave & Last House On The Left.

No comments about Encyclopedia of Saltwater Sport Fish.

3 comments about Ten Days' Wonder.

1. Not for nothing Claude Chabrol is one of the best film makers. He goes unraveling the movie slowly to an impossible-to-grasp ending. An absolut black thriller, full of excitement. The cast is also brilliant, from the troubled Charles Van Horn (played by Anthony Perkins in a superb role), to his doctor and friend Paul (Michel Piccoli), to his father (Orson Welles, always good! ). Don't miss this movie!



2. Orson Welles plays the grey bearded and portly God-like father, Anthony Perkins the rebellious son, and Marlene Jobert the young & sexy stepmother in this metaphysical Oedipal mystery which is based(only very loosely)on an Ellery Queen novel. Chabrol only uses the Ellery Queen novel as a kind of foundation, what he actually builds from that foundation has little to do with Ellery Queen. Be warned: If you're looking for a straightforward mystery this is not for you. However if you are looking for a film that plays with the mystery genre in creative and unexpected ways then this may just well be your kind of cinema as Claude Chabrol's is a subversive cinema and in his early to mid 1970's films he boldly re-invents each genre of filmmaking to accomodate his own ironic world view. Chabrol always has fun with the bourgeoisie in his films but here he expands that ridicule to include every kind of authority figure(and every kind of truth). Each authority figure tries to exert their influence, and force upon others their way of perceiving things but the truth slips through their grasp. In this film made in the very riotous year of our lord 1971, authority figures have lost their grip on "truth" and "reality". Claude Chabrol wrote a book about Hitchcock and is often compared to that master filmmaker but his films only resemble Hitchcock films on the surface, below the surface the two have nothing in common. Chabrol casting Anthony Perkins as the central conscience around which this mystery revolves is just another bit of Chabrol irony. In Hitchcocks Psycho Perkins was the psycho son of a dead mother. Here he is the confused son of a domineering father. As filmgoers who have all seen Psycho we expect Perkins to once again play the psycho but in Chabrols world expectations must be cast aside. This story takes some getting used to as there are so many things going on but if you stick with it you will be rewarded with a singular kind of film experience. Chabrol gives you lots of irony(lots of cinema in-jokes, including references to Welles films) but his ultimate vision is a unique & compelling one which will especially appeal to those restless minds out there who will find a real compatriot in Chabrol. His filmic re-formulations are highly literate & sophisticated and yet unlike Godard his interest in form never becomes merely formal exercises. He is one of those rare experimenters whose films are fun. I would recommend many of Chabrols films including La Rupture which was made in the same year as this one but also: La Femme Infidele, Le Boucher, Que la Bete Muere, Wedding in Blood, La Ceremonie.



3. This so called "thriller" did none of the above, mainly it only made me insensitive to the terrible acting portrayed in the film. About one hour is wasted by the director in presenting incomprehensible scenes from a spoiled and wealthy family. Hopkins is terrible here, playing an annoying rich junkie who doesn't know if he has killed someone or not. The others are squandered away in unmoving, flat dialogue and the end does not surprise anyone at all with its proclamation. Slow and tepid also....