Bonfire of the Vanities [Blu-ray]

one of the most under-rated films of all time
Next to Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, David Lynch's Dune, and Francis Ford Coppola's One From the Heart, Brian De Palma's Bonfire of the Vanities is a savagely under-rated film. De Palma once again demonstrates he is a master of wit. The film was initially criticized, or rather misinterpreted, for being somehow 'lightweight.' If anything, the film is over-the-top! De Palma's choice for lavish sets and stunning cinematography (by vilmos zsigmond) in wall street upper class New York perfectly match the subject matter and commentary on the 1980s greed infested 'me' decade and Reagan/Bush era, adapted from Thomas Wolfe's popular novel. Critics howled that the film downplayed Wolfe's themes...people act like Tom Wolfe, albeit a talented writer, is somehow as deep as James Joyce or something. The message of the book is pretty darn simple people! and it translates very obviously, perhaps even too obviously, in the film. Not to mention the fact that film is a totally different medium...

Good movie with a bad rep
This movie got mercilessly flogged by reviewers when it was released. For that reason, I avoided it all these years. Well, that's what I get for being a sheep. This is actually a very enjoyable film. I'm sure it will continue to offend a lot of people, but what doesn't these days? I did read and like Wolfe's novel, and I really thought this was a faithful film version.

This Bonfire Burns Eternal!
Having read the novel by Tom Wolfe right before the movie came out, I tossed the da*n thing across the room when I finished the last page, for the ending was horrendous! There was no ending! It just stopped, leaving loose ends dangling everywhere, and the reader in a mess of mass confusion with no resolution of any kind. Don't get me wrong, there were parts of the novel that I adored, it was definetly a masterpiece of modern literature, no doubt! Especially the old, Jewish judge who should have been played by Ray Walston, or the guy that played the judge in the horrible "Presumed Innocent". The character of the judge was the funniest character in the story. However, I have come to accept Morgan Freeman in that role, for his version of The Judge ranks among his best, like that of "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Driving Miss Daisy". There are moments that he is extremely hilarious in a vicious way, to bringing the house down with his brilliantly acted "speech scene" at the film's...

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Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story

Review of DVD with bonus features - A must see re: race relations in the south
Though the name of Booker Wright is in the title of this compelling documentary, it's really the story of TWO families and THREE generations. I'll try not to spoil your watching of this film (which I highly recommend) by giving you too much information. (I hate spoiler alerts.) But you should know the basics. In 1965, filmmaker Frank De Felitta went to Greenwood, MS (a southern town in which racism was at its highest with many lynchings of blacks by the Ku Klux Klan and where "slavery" still existed - 100 years after the Civil War - in the form of cotton plantation owners virtually "owning" their "employees") to film the current social conditions for NBC News. He found one man - a black waiter - who "spoke his mind". Shortly after the film was aired that waiter (and, later, restaurant owner) Booker Wright was attacked and later murdered (two separate events). It was Wright's granddaughter who, while searching for the film shown on NBC, discovered De Felitta's son, Raymond, who - as...

One Moment Of Truth: An Unlikely Hero Exposes The Reality Of Racism In A National TV Broadcast Circa 1965
Raymond De Felitta's new documentary "Booker's Place" is both a filmmaker's personal journey and an intimate look at an unlikely hero who stepped into the national spotlight during the civil rights struggle. It is a film filled with nostalgia, regret, anger, and pride. De Felitta's father made an NBC documentary in 1965 that featured a stunning sequence in which a Greenwood, Mississippi waiter, Booker Wright, spoke candidly about his treatment as a black man in his town. Wright was no activist, but he clearly placed himself in harm's way by expressing his true feelings. Televised nationally, the piece all but destroyed Wright's life. He lost his job, his business was vandalized, he was brutalized, and he ultimately paid the highest price possible. "Booker's Place" tells the history of this story through archival footage and personal recollections. What makes this an incredibly personal tale is that it is presented by the descendents of those involved. De Felitta joins forces...

A great film
This film was obviously made by passionate film makers. Raymond De Felitta is a wonderful weaver and this story is sadly beautiful. Great music... great information. Great movie.

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[REC] 3: Genesis (English Subtitled)

Great Movie from Spain
It's a perfect mix of dark humor, irony, romance and gore. Although it's personality changes from REC 1 and REC 2, it won't won't be a disappointment. All three of the REC movies are fantastic.

Pretty Good
I like all of the REC movies unlike their horrible remake Quarantine. This movie had a great twist with it being during a wedding. What's supposed to be a joyous celebration turns into a horror movie which I loved. There were some moments in the movie where I wanted to smack these people around for being so stupid but all horror movies are like that aren't they? I'd recommend seeing it not as good as part 2 but it was fun to watch!!!

Good Fun Gore
I'm a huge fan of horror films and I absolutely love zombie movies. I really enjoy "Quarantine" over ".REC" but didn't care much for "Quarantine 2." I thought ".REC 2" was very good but ".REC 3" is now my favorite of the series. I thought this movie was fantastic! Sure, there's no intricate storyline or characters to be totally engrossed in, but it's a ZOMBIE film! It's got all of the supplements for a great zombie experience. (POTENTIAL SPOILER NOT RELATED TO THE STORY AHEAD!) I admire the fact that they drop the handy cam halfway through the movie and then you're treated to a cinema style zombie flick. Props for taking it in another direction. The kills are over the top and there's plenty of gore for a gnarly horror movie night with your buddies. If you're a fan of zombie films you should not pass this one up! As for all of the obese critics that wear turtle neck sweaters and make negative reviews over everything all day, you should take this movie for what it is.....good fun gore...

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Killing of a Chinese Bookie

Nuanced character study of a sleazeball.
If you like Cassavettes' stuff, you will love this finally developed tale of an aging strip club owner in 1970s LA. If you would like to try this American original, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie might be the best place to start as it is possibly Cassevettes' most accessible film.

Brilliant and sadly neglected film
"The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" is one of my all time favourite films and I bought it the moment I saw it was on DVD. However the DVD is quite dissapointing considering it is not in widescreen (even though it doesn't really suffer from cropping) and the picture and sound quality are quite dodgy. Nevertheless it is a brilliant and powerful film that contains an excellent performance from Ben Gazzara as well as some very memorable scenes and visuals. This is surely a films that deserves a place in any true film buffs DVD collection.

One of the best I have seen
This is a great starter into John Cassavette's films. If you have not seen any of his films, start here. Casavettes has made a masterpiece that truly looks at life and not the glorification of life. No Hollywood over-dramatisation here. The people are sleeze and yet out of the sleeze comes a story. This must have been a very big influence to Quentin Tarantino in making Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.

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Flat Daddy

A must-see, apolitical look at the challenges facing our service men and women and the families on the homefront
Flat Daddy shows the personal side to military service that most Americans don't think about or understand. Service is a tough sacrifice on all family members and there aren't always great resources available for them to cope. This is a well-done, apolitical, thoughtful film depicting several different families' experiences. Highly recommended if you have loved ones in service and *especially* recommended if you do not.

A real-world look at our Military families and their warfighters
This was a very intimate view of the challenges, successes, and celebrations that our Military men and women - AND THEIR FAMILIES face on a daily basis.

I work for the best company in the world - and our focus is on serving these military families. The "Flat Daddy" project is a heartwarming way to help young families keep their Active-Duty mom or dad in their thoughts and prayers every day.

The best thing we can do for our warfighters is to keep the homefronts calm and keep the communications flowing. The best thing we can do for the families at home (with young children) is to keep their mom/dad front and center in their lives and in their thoughts.

Having a "flat" version of a parent who is at home, accessible, and can go on adventures is a simple, heartwarming way to remember and keep the relationship alive while that parent is away.

Kudos to the producers. This was a great idea and a great film. (But if you are not...

An important look at the impact of war on families.
This excellent film offers an unbiased window into the lives of the families Soldiers leave behind when they go to war. From grandparents taking care of the children of a military couple, to a mother struggling to make sense out of the loss of her son, the stories represent what families all across the nation are going through as their loved ones deploy far across the globe. Teachers and anyone who works with children should be particularly interested in this film, as it will help them understand some of what the children of deployed Soldiers are going through.

The film follows the daily lives of families dealing with the absence of their loved ones, treading carefully through a minefield of emotion without editorializing or becoming maudlin. The film successfully avoids any feeling of "reality" television, which must have been no easy task given the depth of emotions involved. The film's power lies in the subtle, almost understated way in which the directors invite the...

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Louie Anderson: Big Baby Boomer

Very PG, but very funny
I admit I tend to prefer humor that leans a bit more toward the edgy and crude, as long as there's some substance or nugget of truth underneath it all. But there's still something about Louie Anderson's good old-fashioned "safe" approach that I really enjoy, and I found myself laughing outloud several times during his latest stand-up offering, probably because it's relatable to so many of us on some level. The way he muses about getting older, coming from a large family, and - most of all - battling weight issues, is like chatting with an old friend. I won't spoil any of his material for you here, but his brief story about the homeless guy was a highlight, and the "meat tooth" bit was hilarious. Barely breaking 45 minutes it runs a little on the short side, but is definitely worth watching if you get the chance.

Hysterical
It was actually a gift for someone. I had seen it on tv and it was hysterical. Haven't laughed that hard out loud in a long time.

Louie still rocks!!
Totally hilarious. I am a baby boomer and could laugh at his observations of truisms that I am experiencing as I, too, grow older. He has always been one of my favorite comedians and it's good to have another DVD to play when I want to laugh. I highly recommend this to everyone whether you are a baby boomer or not!!!

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Man Bites Dog

Depraved Low Budget Shocker
The Criterion Collection brings film lovers some of the most engaging, challenging pictures ever made. National borders mean little to the folks at this DVD company; they will release American films as readily as they will European cinema or documentaries about African dictators. Moreover, Criterion does not flinch from controversial films because they contain controversial themes. Thanks to this company, we can readily obtain excellent versions of Paul Morrissey's "Flesh for Frankenstein" and "Blood for Dracula" along with the ultra violent "Robocop." I have yet to fully explore the depths of Criterion's film catalog, but their other discs must surely be as interesting as the titles I have viewed so far. Criterion finally released one of my favorite foreign films, the independent little gem entitled "C'est Arrive Pres de Chez Vous," oddly translated as "Man Bites Dog." Made in Belgium a little over a decade ago, this fascinating movie...

Merci Boucoup, Criterion
MBD will undoubtedly receive its equal share of lovers and loathers...this is a very hard film to watch due to its extremity of the violence. Though its content is shocking to say the least, the overall effect is a startlingly satirical look at the media's fascination at peering from the safety of our collective couches at the levels of violence that run rampant in television.

An extremely tight budgeted camera crew follow a poetry spouting serial killer through the streets of Belgium in a quasi-documentary. Adhering initially to the unofficial press "rule" of not interfereing with the outcome of events, they capture the horrific details of Benoit's bloodlust, which can only be equalled with the evident psychosis in his mind as He swings from controlled to chaotic. Ben is an interesting soul- friendly, charismatic and intelligent- which provides a pleasant yet disturbing contrast to the depravity of his actions. What gives MBD that extra degree of cinematic edge is the...

Darling I don't know why I go to Extremes
Let's get one thing straight right now: look carefully at Criterion's cover picture for "Man Bites Dog". Zoom in on it, take your time; I'll wait.

Got it? All clear in your mind what the Bad Man with the Gun is doing on the cover? That's right, that's a baby binky flying up out of that cloud of blood and brains and clotted gore.

Why a binky? Because I expect the baby was sucking on it before our hero Ben (Benoit Poelvoorde) showed up to do his thing.

His thing is killing people: men, women, postal workers, clerks, schoolgirls, elderly women with bad tickers, little kids, entire families. Come to think of it, "killing" doesn't get close to describing what Ben does to his victims---I'm thinking 'butcher' is closer to the truth. Anyway, a man's gotta have a hobby, and Ben sticks to what he knows best: slaughtering in pretty much every fashion imaginable.

Best of all, "Man Bites Dog" charts the rampaging wild rumpus of a whacked-out Belgian...

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