Middle Men Trailer

Showing posts with label biography. Show all posts

Brother's Keeper (2002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Stunningly bad drama that I suggest you do not bother to waste your time with.
Lucinda Pond had overcome an abusive childhood with her single parent father. She became a successful Police officer, and used no small amount of her time protecting her baby brother Ellis from the repercussions of his petty crime, a habit developed from her taking care of him during their childhood.
Lucinda's world came apart when she led a "ruby-ridge" style raid that leads to the death of an innocent man rather than the serial killer she was trying to capture. She leaves the force, takes up drinking, and abandons her husband and child.
Almost four years later some one is copycatting those murders and Lucinda is brought back onto the force against her will to help track down the killer. In no time it all she figures out that it is her wayward Brother, Ellis. She also realizes that this is another of the many games and puzzles that the two siblings shared growing up. He leaves her clues and she is to use their common history to decipher them and hunt him down. Ellis's goal is to "free" her from having to protect him by killing so very many people that Lucinda will be forced to kill him. A plan she does not intend to follow through on.
As the bodies and the clues mount, Lucida is forced into a confrontation with Ellis and a choice that only she can make.
Now, I like movies about siblings who are forced into murderous situations with each other as much as the next person, BUT this movie was just a waste of time.
There was NO suspense. There was no emotional involvement with any of the characters and honestly you could pretty much see exactly where everything was heading from about 15 minutes into the movie.
My only regret is that I didn't have enough sense to turn the VCR off at that moment and just take the tape back. My advice to you is to not even bother to get the tape in the first place.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Brother's Keeper (2002)

Get 52% OFF

Click here for more information about Brother's Keeper (2002)

The Life and Times of Steve Marriott (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I finally got my copy of The Life and Times of Steve Marriott and it's everything I hoped it would be and more. It is just so nice to finally have something out there to help us remember this great artist by. Up until now there has been nothing but the music and my memories, and I hope lots of people see this and become fans like me. The music is great, of course, and I think overall the tracks selected are a good mix of Steve's vast catalogue of material. It was such a treat to see that great old B&W Small Faces stuff. I was just 12 years old when all that British Mod stuff was happening, but I remember it well. There are a couple of virtually un-interrupted Small Faces performances, as well as a nervous young Steve meeting a fan. Watch as he puts his pick in his mouth to shake her hand and then takes it out to talk! There are a couple of complete songs performed from the early Humble Pie days which was an unexpected treat. You can really see the boys stretching their creative wings with all the acoustic stuff. Steve was more in the background at this time as he wanted to have everyone in the band share the spotlight, but it's hard not to watch him, and that voice...ahh that voice! His harp playing is fabulous. We quickly move on to the "Rockin' the Fillmore" period (no mention of Rock On album at all) and virtually no concert footage from this period until we get to a very nice surprise, a live version of "I Don't Need No Doctor" with Clem Clemson that just smokes! Despite the poor sound quality, it captures the live energy this band had which was unequaled. This is how I will always remember Steve and the Pie. From there the story jumps right along to Smokin' and Eat It, with very little concert footage (sadly) except a snippit of Steve and the band with the Blackberries singing a version of "Black Coffee" that is different from the record. I wanted more! Then we zip along to the breakup of the band. No mention of Thunderbox or Street Rats (not that the latter is really worth mentioning, but still...) and then on to the 2nd version of Small Faces and Humble Pie. Again, not really note-worthy stuff, but very little of Steve's later work in the '90s, and I'm sure there is some video of that period. Oh well. To sum up, you get a lot of great early stuff, both with Small Faces and Humble Pie, some gems from the heyday of Humble Pie, and not much at all of the later years. It seemed like it all ended too quickly! The interviews and comments by those folks lucky enough to know Steve were great. Jerry Shirley was a kick, and Peter Frampton and the rest were fun to listen to. I wish there was just a single interview with Steve, to hear him talk would have been nice. I also remember seeing Humble Pie on TV back in the '70s on shows like "In Concert" and "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" (remember those?) and it would have been cool to have some of that footage as well. All in all, a great video/DVD to have for your library about one of rock music's all time great perfomers, and leaves you wanting more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Life and Times of Steve Marriott (2000)

Click here for more information about The Life and Times of Steve Marriott (2000)

Padre Pio, Miracle Man (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This movie on the life of St. Pio is excellent! Even though St. Pio was known during his life time as a "wonder-worker", and had many angelic and demonic encounters throughout his life, and even had apparitions of both Jesus and Mary, St. Pio was still a human being. This movie shows people the life of St. Pio from HIS human perspective. The viewer will see St. Pio crying after a woman dies before his eyes, asking "Why does he [Satan] always win?" The viewer will see St. Pio get angry, laugh, love, and suffer.
One of the most fascinating aspects of St. Pio's thinking was his shame of being chosen by God to bear the stigmatic wounds of Jesus. One of his first responses to the sitgmatic wounds is, "Why? Why did God choose me?". It is this shame that drives St. Pio to hide his stigmata. When the Pope grants permission to a (unbelieving) doctor to examine him, he responds, "Are you hear to see the freak show? Sorry, the circus is closed." I think this highlights St. Pio's human character.
Although St. Pio performed a multitude of miracles during his earthly life, these are not the focus of the film at all. This film shows a "wonder-worker" who thought if necessary to have a hospital built for the sick and suffering. This film shows a St. Pio who says, "You can't always ask for miracles." In fact, although the movie shows St. Pio's gift of prophecy and heart-reading, the only other miracles that the movie shows are the lives that were changed by St. Pio's life of faith, hope, and love.
Ultimately what this presentation of St. Pio's life gives to us viewers is the lesson that Christians are themselves "sacraments" (i.e., physical means through which God conveys His grace), and that we cannot expect our Christian lives to be overflowing with the supernatural. God works through our discipline, obedience, perseverance, prayer, and faith to spread His Kingdom.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Padre Pio, Miracle Man (2000)

The Story Behind the Film:Padre Pio as he is known by millions of believers around the world a worthy follower of Saint Francis of Assisi was born on 25 May 1887 at Pietrelcina in the Archdiocese of Benevento the son of Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa De Nunzio. He was baptized the next day and given the name Francesco. At the age of twelve he received the Sacrament of Confirmation and made his First Holy Communion. On 6 January 1903 at the age of sixteen he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone where on 22 January he took the Franciscan habit and the name Brother Pio. At the end of his novitiate year he took simple vows and on 27 January 1907 made his solemn profession. After he was ordained priest on 10 August 1910 at Benevento he stayed at home with his family until 1916 for health reasons. In September of that year he was sent to the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo and remained there until his death.The Film:Director Carlo Carlei (The Flight of the Innocent) manages to get to the core of the truth with this touching biopic that relives the tradition of religious filmmaking that benefits too from a powerhouse performance by Sergio Castellitto one of Italy most beloved contemporary stars.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:FOREIGN/LATIN UPC:882853002697 Manufacturer No:NS0026DVD

Click here for more information about Padre Pio, Miracle Man (2000)

Padre Pio:Between Heaven and Earth Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a very well done movie on one of the most amazing people of our time. If you want to know more about Padre Pio this is a a great start.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Padre Pio:Between Heaven and Earth

Get 4% OFF

Click here for more information about Padre Pio:Between Heaven and Earth

Marilyn Monroe: A Life in Pictures Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I havn't been able to find much info on this dvd but decided to give it a try anyway, it contains many news reels and most of Marilyn's movie trailers, very standard footage here. Although it is enjoyable, I don't like that the trailers are mixed in with the news reels. I was also disappointed that the songs are not video clips from her movies they are only in audio. I liked the "Marilyn at the movies dvd much better" but if you don't already have MM's songs on cd you may also like this..

Click Here to see more reviews about: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in Pictures

Get 11% OFF

Click here for more information about Marilyn Monroe: A Life in Pictures

Marco Polo (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)One lazy Sunday I drifted into watching this mini-series. My first impression was that it was a silly, romanticized Hollywood treatment of a classic historical account (admittedly, one that I hadn't personally read at the time).
And, yes, seeing Brian Dennehy cast as Kublai Khan made it especially hard to buy into the treatment! But the sets, costumes and storyline were all quite extraordinary. A lot of effort obviously went into the production , which was made in China with a substantial budget.
But many things just didn't sit right with me: the magnificence of Kublai Kahn's court, his cities, the military technology, and a romance between Marco and a Chinese princess? And then the Kahn charges Marco with delivering the princess to the other side of the planet???
I watched it to the end...and then ran to Amazon to find a book to get the facts. The book I found was The Travels of Marco Polo: Edited by Peter Harris (Everyman's Library (Cloth)).
Amazing news...this "sensationalized" mini-series barely scratches the surface of the astounding things Marco Polo reports in his 700 year old tale of travel!
His adventures, many of which are dramatized in this DVD, seemed absolutely unbelievable...until I found most of them proven true in the book... including the story about delivering the princess.
And the romance? Well, I suspect that Marco left quite a few personal facts out of his life in China. So kudos to the scriptwriters who wrote a little love between the lines of his historic journey.
Bottom line - a great film for couples or anyone with an interest in history.
If you just watch the film, marvel that there's more truth in this account than there is fiction! And if you want to know the truth, treat yourself to the book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Marco Polo (2007)

This is the absorbing true story of Venetian explorer Marco Polo's arduous trek to the East-and beyond.The story follows Marco (Ian Somerhalder) as he is enlisted to accompany a pair of priests to the court of Kublai Khan (Golden Globe winner Brian Dennehy), Mongol conqueror of the East. Featuring Desiree Siahaan and BD Wong, Marco Polo is a gripping look at two of world history's most enigmatic men and a sensuous vision of a legendary time and place.Now available for the first time on DVD in an extended version featuring all-new bonus features!Literally, it's the adventure of a lifetime.

Get 67% OFF

Click here for more information about Marco Polo (2007)

Tell Them Anything You Want (2010) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I loved this film! Having read many of Sendak's books as a child it was wonderful to revisit the stories that filled my childhood and learn about their fascinating author and illustrator. Jonze and Bangs create an intimate and moving portrait of a brilliant man. Sendak's own personal life is filled with rich stories and his sense of humor is infectious. I would recommend this doc, if you ever read one of Sendak's books you need to learn about this amazing artist.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tell Them Anything You Want (2010)

TELL THEM ANYTHING YOU WANT:PORTRAIT - DVD Movie

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about Tell Them Anything You Want (2010)

Funny Lady (1975) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Barbra Streisand doesn't talk about FUNNY LADY that much. She did not include any songs or references to it in her 1992 CD collection "Just For The Record". (The FUNNY LADY soundtrack was not recorded for her record label - another possible reason why it was not included).
Several of the Streisand biographies "quote" Streisand as saying that Ray Stark (the producer behind the successful FUNNY GIRL) would have to drag her to court in order to make FUNNY LADY. It is also said that Streisand's burgeoning love affair with former hairdresser Jon Peters sustained her during the filming of FUNNY LADY - as if the the romance made up for the fact that the work on a FUNNY GIRL sequel was unfulfilling.
Whatever the true story is, we now have a brand new FUNNY LADY DVD from Columbia Pictures. For people like me who made the jump from VHS to DVD (and skipped the laser disk revolution in the 90's), it is wonderful to finally view this film in all its WIDESCREEN glory! James Wong Howe (no relation, although I'm proud to share his surname) photographed FUNNY LADY, and it looks good! The color palette utilized by the film's designers is a bit bawdy for my tastes. In some scenes, though, the design is wonderful - especially in the "Clap Hands" musical number with Ben Vereen.
As for FUNNY LADY, the movie, it has held up well. Some Streisand fans jokingly refer to the Fanny Brice character in FUNNY GIRL as "good Fanny" and the character in FUNNY LADY as "evil Fanny". The script for FUNNY LADY completely changes the character. Fanny, grown up, is shrewd, cynical, and curt. She calls everyone "kid". After not having seen this film for several years, I think Streisand does a great job! "Fanny Brice" in FUNNY LADY is a true character that Streisand plays with an edge. She's not a particularly attractive character - a little annoying - but, nonetheless, a fully realized character. I think some FUNNY GIRL fans want the melodramatic Fanny back for FUNNY LADY. They want more suffering and torch songs and romance. The love affair in FUNNY LADY is not combustible. James Caan (as Billy) is a schmuck. Fanny sings a song called "Isn't This Better?" One of the lyrics says: "Passion is fine, but passion burns fast. Passion's design seems never to last." FUNNY LADY, I think, is about Fanny's decision to love again, but in a different, "safe and serene" way than she loved Nick in FUNNY GIRL.
Enjoy it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Funny Lady (1975)

FUNNY LADY - DVD Movie

Get 13% OFF

Click here for more information about Funny Lady (1975)

Maria Goretti Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is another very moving film in the growing group of inspiring, well made feature films on lives of saints produced in Italy, and released in the USA by Ignatius Press. Young Italian actress Martina Pinto gives a luminous performance as St. Maria Goretti, the daughter of outstanding parents who struggle heroically to raise their children amidst the poverty and malaria infested swamps in Italy. She epitomizes that purity and goodness that have been strongly associated with this martyr and patroness of modern youth. Popular actor Flavio Insinna (St. John Bosco) stars as the brave parish priest standing up against the injustices to the poor who takes the Goretti family under his wing. Well-known glamorous Italian actress Claudia Koll, who has had a major spiritual conversion in her own personal life, starts as the Countess Mazzoleni.
The powerful movie is beautifully filmed on location with outstanding cinematography. A real bonus in this film is the gorgeous music score by legendary Oscar winning film composer Ennio Morricone. Plus the DVD includes a very informative 16 page collector's booklet about Maria Goretti and the film, replete with numerous photos from the film. This film is a winner!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Maria Goretti

Get 12% OFF

Click here for more information about Maria Goretti

Frank and Ollie (Special Edition) (1995) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a wonderful tale of 2 of Walt Disney's "nine old men". I had no idea that the two of them were as close as they were. Shot in a documentary-style, so the viewer has a sense of being their houseguest. Lifelong friends, who shared the same career, and very similar, and disimilar life experiences. This film is for anyone who truly appreciates classic animation. By the end of the film, I understood their artistic motivations, as well as their struggles and triumphs. I also got some insight into their relationship with Walt(Disney), and how his death affected them. A truly wonderful film. I own a copy, and highly recommend it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Frank and Ollie (Special Edition) (1995)

Before computer graphics, special effects wizardry, and out-of-this world technology, the magic of animation flowed from the pencils of two of the greatest animators The Walt Disney Company ever produced -- Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Frank and Ollie, the talent behind BAMBI, PINOCCHIO, LADY AND THE TRAMP, THE JUNGLE BOOK, and others, set the standard for such modern-day hits as THE LION KING. It was their creative genius that helped make Disney synonymous with brilliant animation, magnificent music, and emotional storytelling. Take a journey with these extraordinary artists as they share secrets, insights, and the inspiration behind some of the greatest animated movies the world has ever known!

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Frank and Ollie (Special Edition) (1995)

MacArthur (1977) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Those that are interested in General Douglas MacArthur, and admire his qualities of courage and fortitude, will find this film fascinating; it is beautifully filmed, with marvelous re-creations of the mid 20th century, and the battle scenes are very well done.
The speeches alone are a glory to listen to, full of passion for "duty, honor, and country", and the words are so exquisitely crafted they are like the finest prose.
The film starts and ends in MacArthur's beloved West Point, on a blustery day, as he speaks to the cadets, and is among the many memorable scenes; others are the landing on Layte, and the signing of Japan's surrender, on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, which is a fabulous re-staging of the historic event.
Gregory Peck gives a monumental portrayal of MacArthur; it is nuanced and brilliant, and from the old film clips I have seen of General MacArthur, subtly captures his posture and movement, with his many different pipes. This film is one of Peck's best, and it's sad it did not have more critical acclaim, as I feel it certainly deserved it.
Other terrific performances come from Marj Dusay as his wife Jean, Sandy Kenyon as General Jonathan Wainwright, and Ed Flanders as President Truman is quite exceptional; tough, gritty, and angered by MacArthur.
An excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Mario Tosi complements the well-paced direction by Joseph Sargent. If it has a flaw, I feel the film makes too much of the publicity loving aspect of MacArthur's personality. Yes, he liked to use the media to his advantage, and most people who make history feel the same way no doubt...otherwise it is a fairly balanced depiction of one of the great men of the 20th century.
It is interesting to speculate what would have happened had General MacArthur been able to do what he thought was right, and not the "capitulation" and "immoral compromise with evil" he felt he was forced to accept. Perhaps over time millions of lives would have been saved, but I'm sure many would argue otherwise.
Total running time 130 minutes.
"A soldier above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war".

Click Here to see more reviews about: MacArthur (1977)

Click here for more information about MacArthur (1977)

The Three Stooges - Festival Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There are about 5 Three Stooges shorts from Columbia that are in the public domain that have been released on DVD and VHS in different formats with different titles, but it is mostly the same old stuff. The same holds true with a number of rare items, such as the 1949 TV pilot, some solo Shemp shorts, and other TV guest appearances. Most of these compilations are from Good Times Home Video, as is the Festival title.
Three Stooges Festival is more of the same, but the good news here is that there is also a 4 DVD version under this same title. One of the DVDs is this one. There are two DVDs called Funniest Moments and Funniest Moments II. And one is called The Three Stooges Story.
Funniest Moments are taken from the live action intros the team did for the 1965 series of cartoons called The New 3 Stooges. The box proclaims that this shows the Stooges at the height of their popularity and are a rare glimpse of the team in color. All of that is true, but their peak actually came about 5 or 6 years earlier. The segments aren't very good, the accompanying music is tough to sit through, but the cartoons, which were of varied quality, have been edited out. The best thing is that on volume II, the very last segment is an 8 minute, black and white appearance of a rather amusing routine taken from the Ed Sullivan show. I can't remember if I saw this when it originally aired, but I know there were several appearances on Ed Sullivan, as well as Joey Bishop's late night show and others. If these could be found and released it would certainly be worth it to serious collectors.
The real find of this four pak is the documentary called The Three Stooges Story. It is more than twice as long as the other DVDs in the pak and is chock full of stuff I have never seen before. And it makes good use of snippets from stuff that has been out before.
If you can find this four pak, it is at a good price, only about what one would pay for a regular movie DVD for all four here, and well worth it for the documentary and that Sullivan clip.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Three Stooges - Festival

Click here for more information about The Three Stooges - Festival

The Fighter (2010) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
"The Fighter" is easily director David O. Russell's most conventional film to date. Russell has been out of the film world for a few years after the mixed reception he received with the release of 2004's "I Heart Huckabees," an underrated film that may have tried a bit too hard. But when Russell burst onto the scene with the subversive "Spanking the Monkey," the exquisitely madcap "Flirting with Disaster," and the audacious "Three Kings"--I knew that I would follow this guy wherever he led! Well, he's back. "The Fighter" comes straight from the underdog sports genre of filmmaking, and in its plotting stays true to the course you would expect. But thankfully, there's a bit more to this appealing tale that's as much about brotherhood as it is about prizefighting. Sold by an A-list cast (the acting awards and nominations have already started rolling in), "The Fighter" manages, for the most part, to transcend the usual cliches with its focus on family.
Telling the true life tale of Micky Ward's unorthodox, and extremely bumpy, road to capturing the world light welterweight title--"The Fighter" appeals to the same everyman underdog sensibilities that countless films have already tapped. Mark Wahlberg, in a refreshingly understated way, lends a calmness to the center of the picture. The rest of the cast, for good and bad, go for broke in large showy performances. Christian Bale, gaunt and tweaking, plays Ward's brother. A former boxer and Micky's trainer, Bale is hapless and helpless as a habitual crack addict and a lowlife criminal. The drama between Bale and Wahlberg is easily the strongest element in "The Fighter" with Bale being both invaluable AND utterly destructive to Wahlberg's career prospects. Wahlberg is continually overshadowed within the family by his needier brother who tasted greatness before completely falling apart.
Make no mistake, in my opinion, "The Fighter" belongs to Christian Bale in perhaps the finest performance of his career and of the year. Stripped to skeletal proportions, Bale inhabits every moment with a desperate intensity. But despite everything, you understand why Wahlberg can't turn his back on his brother. Amy Adams displays a pleasing toughness in a change of pace role as Wahlberg's girlfriend. And Melissa Leo has been garnering a lot of attention as the brothers' mother. Unfortunately, the film is not without its shortcomings. For my taste, Leo is a bit over-the-top as is much of the other family dynamic. There are many sisters on hand, none of whom are developed, and so when the whole clan gets together--those scenes tend to veer over the line of believability.
I can easily overlook these false (and noisy) moments, however, to admire the interplay between the brothers. Every quiet moment is worth it. It's easy to lose Walhberg in all the larger than life shenanigans, but were it not for his simplicity--""The Fighter" might have pushed into overwrought melodrama. As is, he perfectly balances with Bale's manic energy. And I have to say it again--Bale is stunning! For this alone, "The Fighter" stands apart from every other film selling a similar story. Bale, Bale, Bale!!!!! KGHarris, 12/10.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Fighter (2010)

Academy Award Nominees Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) and Amy Adams (Doubt) star in this 'remarkable†" film. Based on a true story, two brothers, against all the odds, come together to train for a historic title bout that has the power to reunite their fractured family and give their hard-luck town what it's been waiting for: pride. Micky Ward (Wahlberg) is a struggling boxer long overshadowed by his older brother and trainer, Dicky (Bale), a local legend battling his own demons. Their explosive relationship threatens to take them both down - but the bond of blood may be their only chance for redemption. Joe Morgenstern, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Get 63% OFF

Click here for more information about The Fighter (2010)

Blog Archive