1 comments about Four Brothers.

1. Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan) was a saintly woman, a white-haired grandmother who tried to make things better in her neighborhood in Detroit. When we meet her she is in a convenience store convincing a young boy that shoplifting is not a good path to take in life. However, after winning that small but important victory she is brutally murdered along with the store clerk by a couple of masked men. Everybody who knew Evelyn comes to her funeral, including her four adopted sons. Bobby (Mark Wahlberg) and Jack (Garrett Hedlund) are white, Angel (Tyrese Gibson) and Jeremiah( Andre Benjamin) are black, but such distinctions did not matter to Evelyn and they do not matter to these "Four Brothers."
   
   The four are Evelyn's only adopted sons because she managed to place all of the dozens of other foster children she took into her home. But these four were apparently incorrigible, which not only explains why they were never adopted but also why they are going to take matters into their own hands after their mother's funeral. They still try to be good to honor their mother, but unleashing their bad sides might be needed under the circumstances. Suffice it to say that her murder was not happenstance and most of John Singleton's film is devoted to finding out is responsible for her death and doing something about it. This does not sit well with Lt. Green (Terrence Howard) and Detective Fowler (Josh Charles), who are working the case and know all about the unsavory reputations of the Mercer boys, but clearly this part of the Motor City is run by the criminals, in this case the crime boss Victor Sweet (Chiwetel Ejiofor). So we know who is ultimately guilty, but the question is why Evelyn had to die and that takes a while to unravel from the brothers' end of the story.
   
   I was going to say that the four brothers are willing to go where the police will not go and do what the cops are afraid to do, but since these cops are perfectly willing to beat up suspects during an interrogation it is clearly more the former than the latter than matters here (and there is a nice running gag of sorts involving a hair in a plastic bag). Singleton is not pretending to make a message film like "Boyz in the Hood," but rather telling an urban tale that is really more like an old fashioned Western than any of the more obvious genres it brings to mind (the fact Singleton said as much was a big clue). "Four Brothers" is not a great action thriller, but it is certainly a solid one and has the virtue of not having the negative aspects that are often attendant with such films. Plus, what the brothers do to the bad guy in the end, well, that is just plain cold.

No comments about Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration.

3 comments about Waltons: Thanksgiving Story.

1. the waltons is a wonderful movie it will teach your child good manners, respect, carring. and what youll get in return if you have good manners if you are carring(etc.). I suggest this movie too people of all ages.



2. this movie is appropriete for all ages its wonder ful movie to watch if your child has trouble with behavior. the waltons are loving, caring, respectful, and full of manners. it will show your child why you should behave that way and show them how people will act towards you in return. It's also a lesson on some history and it will show you how life ismade good and how we should behave.



3. the waltons is a wonderful movie it will teach your child good manners, respect, carring. and what youll get in return if you have good manners if you are carring(etc.). I suggest this movie too people of all ages.

No comments about A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

5 comments about National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion.

1. Do not watch this one. A complete waste of time. Watch DUPLEX instead.



2. Before you ask the question, the answer is "yes". I
   do spend a good portion of my free time watching
   movies...and the one I just finished watching was a
   side-splitter.
   
   Any "National Lampoon" fans in the crowd? If you
   enjoyed NL's "Vacation", "Christmas Vacation",
   "European Vacation" and "Vegas Vacation", you will
   love "National Lampoon's Holiday Reunion". If you are
   a Baby Boomer (like me) you will warm up to this film
   quicker than a frog on a lily pad. Then again, frog
   butts are mighty cold.
   
   The scripting, casting and editing is seamless...even
   though I'm sure this was a cable TV product due to the
   pauses (where commercials could be inserted).
   
   My dear friend Darlene would love it. The lead
   characters remind me so much of our long lost
   friends...Mickey and Kitty. That's between Darlene
   and I and I will not venture further.
   
   Bottom line, this is a story of a big city family
   transplanted into the backwoods for a "real" family
   Thanksgiving. Coming out of the city shell and into
   the country hell is handled so well I could not stop
   laughing. What an enjoyable comedy. Mature audiences
   (that means young adults, old adults and baby boomer
   and bloomers) will cuddle up to a piece of life that
   is often forgotten...overlooked...taken advantage of.
   
   
   Here's a piece of the script. I just had to write it
   down:
   
   "I've been through every kind of weather and stormy
   seas;
   Now I do just what I want when I please.
   I'm only getting better like a vintage wine;
   And there's still a lot of livin' in this body of
   mine."
   
   In the National Lampoon genre', this one gets a solid
   10. Wanna have a good laugh? Don't miss it...can you
   hear me Darlene?



3. UGH, i am sick of this whole "national lampoon" movie thing. The only truly funny laugh out loud, and hillarious National Lampoon movies are the VACATION SERIES, other than that all of them are just bogus and are so stupid they actually put you to sleep. I personally am i HUGE movie buff, and appriciate all sorts of movies, and am open and welcome to new ideas, but this is just ridiculous, how many movies are they going to make? and when are they going to stop? I found this to be more of a horror movie than a comedy. It tries so hard to be funny, but it fails miserably, even my cousin (who laughs at EVERYTHING) had to turn this off within 30 minutes, and it took many days for me to finnish the movie myself, i cant say exactly how long, but i had to watch it in incriments of i think 15 minutes each day, and from the second i started it, i was praying for the 15 minutes to be up! dont watch!!



4. I rented this movie (thankfully, a free rental) because I love Hallie Todd as an actress. She's the only saving grace in the movie. She's hysterical, and quite a departure from Jo McGuire. The rest of the movie, YIKES! It's definitely the lowest form of humour. It has a great premise--uptown yuppie family visiting a family of hippies who are extremely backward. However, it falls flat. Unless you're a "die hard" National Lampoon's fan, skip this movie (or rent it as a free rental). I rented it free, and still felt I paid too much (in gasoline!).



5. This movie was really, really, really bad. I can't believe it was even made. I thought National Lampoon would have written a better movie. Avoid this movie.

No comments about Fireworks - Colorful Displays of Light and Sound (Special Edition).

5 comments about The Myth of Fingerprints.

1. I've watched this movie several times - to see if I missed anything before, just to see it again, because it's mesmerising (for me, anyway), and because I'm secretly hoping that it wasn't really THAT sick ......... the acting, photography, direction were all superb - the message came across so very true to life in every way ........... and because of all that, I often watch it when it's re-run on the tube; Noah Wyle does an excellent job of portaying the son who suffered so pointedly, the betrayal that goes on in this family - and as in all (or most anyway) families - this one is affected via the trickle down of the tone set by the parents - the father - Roy Scheider - isn't just distant; he's downright mean and destructive - blurred from being discerned clearly, because of his eccentricities - although I did feel that he contrived all of those too. And Blythe Danner did an excellent job of portraying the mother who goes on for decades overlooking her husband's cruel streaks, his creepy deceits, his silence, anger, and his tone-setting refusal to tolerate open communication; in spite of all this unpleasantness in the household, and the effect this all has/had on the now grown children - I enjoy this movie because it all "hangs together" so real and true. It's hard to believe that in this day and age, that there surely are families like this - who simply never communicate openly atall - ever!



2. you'll recognize yourself and people you know, and it will strike an emotional chord wth you.
   thought provoking, intense, distant and cold.
   all performances are a sensation, julianne moore a standout as usual. a thanksgiving gathering gone wrong. buried and bitter feelings abound and resurface again.
   look elsewhere if your expecting a happy ending, this isn't that kind of movie. the father/son relationship is very sad. anger underneath the surface between them.
   there is a cellar scene where the father goes down and sees a family film from long ago. a birthday party for his son. this scene is very moving, showing the father how horrible he acted toward him. the look on roy scheider's face while watching the reel is heartbraking....he has no feelings at all of what he did, and why. subtle to its center, it is a good film.



3. Some pretty pictures, some good acting on the parts of some of the actors as they portray a bunch of dysfunctional people home for Thanksgiving.
   
   However, a plot seems to be missing. We meet the parents and grown kids, as well as dragged-along boyfriend/girlfriend of two of the grown kids as they gather at the parents' home for the holiday. All of them seem to have deep seated weirdnesses and problems, ranging from the oldest daughter, Mia (Julianne Moore) who seems to be stricken with a near-terminal case of the redass to the youngest daughter who seems to think it is hysterically funny to leap out from behind doors at people, screaming at the top of her lungs. The father, played by Roy Scheider, is distant and boorish and seems to be obsessed with the time and adhering to a schedule. The mother (Blythe Danner) acts as if nothing is going on at all, even though her children and their assorted guests are acting like twerps and her husband acts like he needs a lobotomy.
   
   Fine, a good portrait of dysfunctional family dynamics - but it doesn't go anywhere from there. We never find out just why the kids are estranged from their father. The most shattering thing we see that he's done is that he gets bombed at some previous gathering and makes a pretty strong pass at his son, Warren's (Noah Wylie) then-girlfriend, kissing her in the hallway of the family home. In another scene, we see the father watching an old home movie of a birthday party for Warren, where he breaks a couple of eggs over the kid's head. Some confusing references are made to some kind of "game" the father has played through the years, which seems to consist of asking people who don't have watches what time it is.
   
   Okay, so the father doesn't come off as Dad Of The Year by any means - but what we hear and see of him simply doesn't explain the obvious deep-seated problems of his adult children, ranging from the ongoing rage and viciousness of his oldest daughter, Mia, to his son, Warren's, obvious fear and distaste for him. Physical or sexual abuse isn't even hinted at. At most it seems as if the father character is obsessed by schedules and time and is rigid and emotionally distant from everyone.
   
   So it is hard to accept the characters of the adult children or why they act like such putzes. From what we're told by the sketchy plot, they don't really seem to have much reason to indulge in continual rages or depression. Two of them have relationships with other people that seem to involve a lot of sex, but not much else. Mia's relationship with her boyfriend, Elliot, is simply painful, as she continually cuts him down, verbally abuses him and then tries to use him as a sex object - but then, for some reason unknown to us, Mia verbally abuses everyone without mercy. She's always angry and cruel - but we don't know why.
   
   Warren, on the other hand, seems to excel at whiny depression. We see him in what appears to be a therapy session, mentioning a hometown girl, Daphne, who apparently dumped him in the past. This has been the catalyst for him being estranged from his family for three years. When we finally see what happened - his drunken father tried groping and kissing the girlfriend in a hallway, and apparently Warren saw the incident - we're left wondering "is that it?" All that trauma because someone got drunk and acted like a jerk? She dumped Warren, who did nothing wrong, because of something his father, an acknowledged jerk, did? Warren just comes off as oversensitive and self-absorbed, greatly enjoying his angst, and his girlfriend comes off as a little jerk who treated him badly becaue of something he didn't do (and who also, for some reason, makes him sit on the ice of a frozen lake for a long talk). Considering the buildup to the "shattering" moment, I had at least expected that his father had raped his girlfriend, or that Warren had discovered that she'd been having an affair with this father. Only something of that intensity could have explained Warren's ongoing grief.
   
   Another brother, Jake, is involved with a pea-brained girlfriend that he can't seem to say "I love you" to. After seeing her behavior through the movie, we can understand why. She's quite rude, vacuous, insensitive to the discomfort and feelings of others, and manipulative. In other words, Jake is involved with a carbon copy of his father. Okay, fine - is that it? This is worth a two hour movie?
   
   Youngest daughter, Lee, is just a little jerk. She's busy being the cute and funny mascot, always acting like a ten year old, making a rather pitiful pitch for the attentions of Mia's boyfriend. Insults and cruelties seem to just roll off her hide, particularly when they're aimed at her by Mia. At one point she's having a conversation with her mother, who is telling her that she still loves the kids' father in spite of everything - but we never hear what "everything" consists of.
   
   A slice of life movie is fine, and this film comes off as a peek into a holiday weekend with a dysfunctional family, but empathy for any of the characters is almost impossible because we never see just what it is that has led to such a range of unhealthy behaviors in this family. More exposition would have helped - otherwise, everyone comes off as whiny, self-pitying, obnoxious and tiresome.
   
   Some people who gave this film positive reviews mention that this is a true slice of life - that the ends aren't neatly tied up, that much remains unsaid and unrevealed, just as is the case in dysfunctional families. There is no Hollywood ending. That's fine - but for a film to really work, a little more than several days' worth of Big Brother is needed. If we're to see these people as anything other than a bunch of immature cretins, we need to know why they ended up that way, even if it's not entirely revealed.
   
   All the angst doesn't add up to the supposed cause of the angst - and I was glad the film was finally over as a result.
   
   Before purchase, rent it and be sure you want to own it before buying.



4. Is the family both the centerpoint of our adult strength and the source of our weakness?
   The question lingers upon coming to the end of Myth of Fingerprint, and one is left with the age-old family conundrum of love as both an unspoken bond and a lonely device.
   
   This movie about a family gathering at Thanksgiving - always the best time of the year to resurrect demons and compare scars - deals with familial relationships from the aspects of four adult children home for the holiday. The isolated setting of the large New England house amidst the backdrop of the cold and bare landscape is perfect for a film about the difficulties of family communication rendered more glaring when thrust together in an enclosed social setting. Noah Wylie as the son Warren, and Julianne Moore as daughter Mia are the most powerful of the sibling characters, with different and yet similar personalities. Mia is all anger, Warren all emptiness and regret. Both are uncomfortable in their own skin and seem confused about what makes them this way. The mother is the glue of the house, warm and caring, and yet gently and firmly willing to hold up a mirror for each family member to see their reflection.
   But it is the father who is central to the story. Emotionally constipated and rigid, he seems almost fearful of his children when he isn't cultivating a detached, yet powerful presence over them. Though he speaks rarely the actions and expressions of the father expose the quiet source of his childrens reciprocated fear. By not saying much verbally he seems to say a lot emotionally.
   The beauty and complexity of the movie are the lack of background as to why exactly the children have such a strained relationship with their father, though by his aforementioned actions one hardly needs to guess. Each persons relationship with their family and their significant other (or lack thereof) is examined without intense or excessive social history allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions - perhaps based on their own personal experiences (another powerful aspect of the movie). And at the end a lingering memory, an emotional scar, will explode shattering the tension percolating below the surface of the family living room on Thanksgiving night. The closing two scenes of the father lend a quiet, powerful, and yet tragic beauty that best exemplify the crushing inner weight some carry preventing them from expressing themselves even to those they love.
   
   Unavoidably opinions will differ on particular aspects and the overall enjoyment of the movie, but those differences will say more about the viewer themself and their relationship with their own family than it does upon the film. At its core the capacity to make us examine ourselves and our own relationships is its very power.



5. I watched this movie a couple of years ago, because of the cast mainly.
   I don't remember if I liked it or not, must have not hated it or loved it because I would have remembered. The only thing I remembered was the bitchy funny scene in the bookshop with Julianne Moore.
   I watched the movie again today and I was utterly bored to death by it.
   I am used to movies leaving matters unanswered and having to figure out stuff, some mysteries left unsolved, like most non-hollywood movies.
   But to defend the movie by using just THAT excuse is not enough. There is not enough dysfuncionality, quirkyness, funny stuff, acting-outs or fights or great acting jobs to keep one's interest in the movie for more than one viewing, just because you want to know how the heck this movie is going to end. If you want a home for the winter holidays movie get "Home for the Holidays" or "The Family Stone" (the latter is weird and sometimes boring, but not as much as this one).
   One thing is for sure, I will probably never watch it again.

5 comments about The War at Home.

1. This movie shows the way war veterans feel out of place once they return from war. Although we could never truly feel how the veterans from Vietnam feel, it gives us somewhat of an insight, and especially since we have people fighting in a war that some people don't understand..it's almost like history is repeating itself.



2. I just watched this movie on TV and all I can say is wow. The characters all play out like real family members. Kathy Bates is just brilliant in her role as the mother. I think there are many families who can relate to these people. I don't know how anybody can watch this movie and not think about our troops coming home from Iraq.



3. I am amazed at the great reviews this film has received. I thought it was quite underwhelming. As I see it, there were two problems. The first is that the family portrayed in the film would drive anyone crazy. Estevez didn't have to be a Vietnam veteran to have problems with the parents. Even "The Graduate" (Dustin Hoffman's first lead role) would have been driven out. I would have joined the army just to get away from them, war or no war. This dilutes the impact of the plot. It would have a more poignant film had the parents been understanding people without the idiosyncrasies of the parent characters. It would have focused more on the actual problems of a returning veteran. The film "The Best Years of our Lives" was far more powerful, even if it was about returning WWII vets. "Born on the 4th of July" was a far better film too, even though it was an anti-Vietnam film with political motives.
   
   The second problem is the main protagonist. The character is a cliché Vietnam veteran, not a real one, even though many real ones had problems. He is more of a political device than a real veteran. Jeremy resents his father for not giving him the money to go to Canada. While in Vietnam, his commander orders him to shoot a prisoner, which is the source of his psychological problems. There is little portrayal of the horrors of war. The event that caused the psychological problem is the only scene that explains it. The plot is thin. This is exacerbated by what I consider a poor performance by Estevez who, in my opinion, has problems playing serious dramatic roles. His behavior isn't convincing. Tom Cruise played his part in "Born on the 4th of July" far more poignantly. Jeremy was a flat character with little substance.
   
   Perhaps this is why used copies of the film are so cheap. I think that I will pass on "Bobby".



4. A beautiful dvd. My brother-in-law requested this dvd to watch again since I seem to keep him abreast of the dvds regarding wars in Viet Nam. He had served there and I knew that interested him. He had seen this dvd at my house several years ago. I bought him a copy this year since this Christmas he asked me the name of this dvd, etc. and said he would enjoy watching/buying it IF he knew the name of it. Thanks so much for having the dvd for him.



5. A very well acted, heart wrenching movie. Kathy Bates delivers yet another brilliant performance in this film proving why she is one of Hollywood BEST actors. I thought her role as the mother was one of her best roles EVER! The story line was well thoughtout and believeable which is what I look for in a film. I won't go into the details of this movie (others have) but IF you want to watch a film where the acting is top rate and the story line so good that it seems real, check this movie out. It's a keeper.

5 comments about Winnie the Pooh - Seasons of Giving.

1. I love the holidays and Winnie the Pooh so what is there not to like about the movie? This movie is an excellent movie to get you in a holiday mood because Pooh is always happy. Anyone with kids will love this movie.



2. It's a little misleading to call this a "movie". It's actually one (or two?) features, one stuffed into the other. Newer footage leads into a "remember when...." segment, which is an older feature (different animation style - perhaps some different voices, or at least different recording quality).
   
   Still, it's a sweet enough story and children probably wont mind the "old tv special stuffed into a new movie" package.
   
   The problem I had with this movie is the voice of the little bird. ::shudder:: An adult trying to talk like a baby I guess... Lots of squeaky whining and mispronunciation of words as only an adult poorly imitating a toddler can do. Mind you, I like most of the sweet character voice acting of the Pooh movies. But this reminded me of someone talking baby-talk to their poodle. It was just irritating.
   
   If watch movies over and over with your child(ren) the voice of the bird may well drive you batty.
   
   If you're children have never seen a Pooh movie, skip this and try "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" or "Pooh's Heffalump Movie". Two family favorites in this house!



3. This is another great DVD to add to your Thanksgiving AND Christmas video collection. It has a touch of both holidays in it. With the way Thanksgiving is pretty much forgotten these days, it is nice to have a few Thanksgiving themed holiday specials to watch. The transition from video to digital was very nice. No editing that I could tell between the versions. It is defintiely worth ordering!



4. The kids, including neighbors, thoroughly enjoy this DVD, as do most of the parents. Or course, most of us adults are dedicated Pooh people, so we may be somewhat prejudiced.



5. A great addition to the classic Winnie-the-Pooh series I grew up with! My 2 year old daughter LOVES Winnie-the-Pooh and this was no exception! This newer segment of the favorite are just as engaging and fun! It offers the same quiet presentation of life's lessons as the classic ones do. We both have watched this again and again!

5 comments about Peter Cincotti, Live in New York with a Bonus CD "On the Moon" (Monster Music High Definition Surround Sound Audio DVD SUPERDISC).

1. I ordered this without really knowing what to expect -- a 'live' concert recording perhaps? -- but the final product did not disappoint.
   
   I've been a fan of Peter's music since his debut album release, and caught his performances at a showcase in Singapore followed by a Rome concert a few months later.
   
   His Live In New York DVD features a comprehensive collection of all his famous works, from I Changed The Rules to Sway to St. Louis Blues and On The Moon. Filmed outdoors on a small neighbourhood street in NYC, it starts off in the day, then mellows into a beautiful sunset, before picking up the tempo as the stars emerge.
   
   Lots of great energy here, as Peter jams with his excellent band and displays obvious enjoyment in his mega-watt smiles and rhythmic head-bopping. The sound quality on this high-definition disc is amazing, so make sure you watch it in the evening in a nice, quiet setting for maximum enjoyment.
   
   I especially love his performances of Sway, You Don't Know Me and The Girl I Knew ( the last a bonus track and as yet unreleased ).
   
   Guaranteed to satisfy all Peter Cincotti fans adequately. But I'm still hoping for a proper concert recording in the near future. An appreciative 'live' audience would be the icing on the cake.



2. What a joy it is to watch Peter Cincotti and his band on this great DVD "Live in New York"! Peter breathes new life into the songs from both his debut album as well as his most recent release, "On The Moon" which is included with the DVD. You can hear the Ray Charles influence on "The Girl I Knew". So much so that I was certain it was one of "The Genius"'s songs! What a pleasant surprise to learn that the song was written by Peter himself! The performances are nothing short of excellent. I guarantee, "A Night in Tunisia" will leave you speechless! In this world of lip sync and lackluster deliveries of songs, Peter Cincotti is like a fine glass of Cabernet after far too many years of grape juice. And like Caberbet, he will contiue to grow better with time.



3. Peter Cincotti has continued to grow as a performer of tremendous natural talent and great ability. His easy, engaging style makes him a singer and pianist that you will want to enjoy again and again.



4. Sometimes you bought a DVD hoping a great sound.
   Sometimens you ger some DVD hoping a great hi rez image.
   In this one I hope for both and I didn't get none.
   Boring, easy listening, fully marketing oriented.
   The image is too lighting.
   Forget about it.



5. Peter Cincotti is a great pianist and singer; his voice is full of emotion and very sexy. I am so amazed at his arrangements, especially the upbeat "I Love Paris"; I can never sit still and always feel like dancing. From fast songs to slow songs, he draws me in. It doesn't hurt that he's charismatic and quite dashing as well. His band is also superb and beyond awesome. I wish there were more interviews on the DVD, but I would recommend it absolutely.