The Good Shepherd - Robert De Niro (Director and actor), Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, et al. I have had this one 'on the shelf' waiting for a view for quite some time, last night we finally got around to opening and watching it. I didn't fall asleep during it's long 2hrs & 45min's, so for me, it must have had something going for it!! We did like and appreciate the acting, and the directing, especially when the story focused in on the more personal & intimate dramas of the main character along the way .... but for us, the story, and movie overall, was a bit underwhelming.

p.s. an overall appreciation which might/could be corrected "upwards" with a 2'nd viewing some time ... ?

Dead Zone Season 5
The Lost Room

Moscow does not believe in tears -- A Russian film made in 1979 when the USSR still existed. The film tells the stories over 20 years of three provincial girls who came to Moscow in the 50s to seek careers and find a man. The plot is gritty, surprisingly funny and entirely free of Soviet cant and Russian lugubriousness. We encounter an alcoholic hockey star, several upwardly mobile apparatchik cads, a Soviet dating service and an unwanted baby who grows up into a restless young woman. Despite loneliness, unreliable men and the trials of single motherhood, the stories of our three girls come to a more or less satisfying conclusion. A delightful film that to my astonishment still works today.

Moscow does not believe in tears ... isn't that a Kino Video release?

Moscow does not believe in tears ... isn't that a Kino Video release?

I'm not sure.

I rented the DVD, and there is no mention of Kino Video on the disks themselves. On the disks is the "Collection" label and a reference to the Russian Cinema Council. This version of the film has been remastered.

I notice on Amazon that a DVD version of the film was released in 2004 by Kino Video. However, there is no mention of the film having been remastered. Also, the art-work on my rental seems to be different from the Kino Video version.

I'm not sure.

I just returned the DVD (Moscow Does Not believe in Tears) to the rental outlet and took a look at the box. It is a Kino Video release.

I also realize that I forget to mention tthat the film won a best foreign film Oscar in 1980.

Miss Potter - Rene Zellwigger is her usual charming self as Beatrix Potter, who overcomes her parents' traditional expectations for her to become one of the most beloved children's authors, and a champion for land conservancy.

A Sound of Thunder - When a "time safari" client inadvertently steps on a butterfly in the prehistoric past, "time waves" begin to alter the present. A team of scientists tries desperately to undo the damage and correct the course of history before it's too late.

Interesting concept, laughably-poor execution.

Shooter - Good action movie, a little predictable. I found the sound was not so good.

We were soldiers - Seen this movie a bunch but this time with the new subwoofer, very cool.

Black Snake Moan


Samuel L. Jackson was great as always.

Hardly recognised Christina Ricci. She's lost a ton of weight but now that I think of it, the last thing I saw her in was either Buffalo 66 or 200 Cigarettes almost 7 or 8 years ago.

When our local know-nothing New Day host reviewed it on release day, she referred to it as Black Snake Moon.

It would be nice if media talking heads actually had a familiarity with the items they're reviewing.

pffft *show business wanna-be's*

Letters From Iwo Jima - The Iwo experience via the eyes of the Japanese. I thought this to be the superior of the two movies made.

Breach - Based on the true story of an american spy who turned against the US, and the method(s) used to arrest him. The first half was much better for me as it held the tension quite well.

Blood Diamond - Diamonds, slavery, child soldiers, and heroism abounds in this story set in 1999 Sierra Leonne. Good movie.

Bridge to Terebithia - Excellent movie about two children who, although somewhat ostracized at school, form a friendship built around mythology, storytelling, and creativity, which all comes into play when the tragedy of a death occurs.

I finally got around to picking up the two disc SE of The Green Mile. Lots of great extras and a superb audio commentary by Darabont. Plus I finally found out how they made Mr. Jingles roll the spool! A worthy double dip.

Can't wait for Darabont's film version of The Mist this November!

Trois Couleurs: Bleu (the first instalment in director Krzysztof Kieslowski's acclaimed trilogy) - When her famous composer husband and her daughter are killed in a car accident, Julie (Juliette Binoche) destroys all traces of her former existence and retreats into a life of solitude and anonymity. In spite of her efforts, however, she is drawn back into her old life by the revelation of her husband's infidelity and by her desire to complete his - or, perhaps, her - final musical opus.

Although I expected an "artistic" film, I simply wasn't prepared for the clumsy and suffocating layers of "artsiness" that turned a very simple story into a ponderous piece of cr@p.

I intend to watch "Blanc" and "Rouge", but I fear they won't be any better...

The Illusionist - Very Good!

Both this and the Prestige were both great.

They didnt explain the illusions though! Anyone else watch this?

The Illusionist and The Prestige .... we enjoyed both very much.

eljay ... watched 'Blue, White, and Red' a long while ago .. actually enjoyed all three movies. Must give them a re-try one of these days and see if we still feel the same. If I remember correctly, the cinematography was stunning, with many scenes almost like beautiful still photographs. They were 'artsy' alright, but we seemed to get over or around much of that.

Breach - Didn't enjoy this one at all. Dreadful film that had lots of potential, but just didn't deliver.

eljay ... watched 'Blue, White, and Red' a long while ago .. actually enjoyed all three movies. Must give them a re-try one of these days and see if we still feel the same. ... They were 'artsy' alright, but we seemed to get over or around much of that.I know a number of people who've enjoyed the trilogy, which is why I thought I might enjoy it, too. So far, not so good. My wife wasn't impressed, either.

And yet we both liked "The Fountain" (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=556102&postcount=1305). Go figure.

Bridge to Terabithia Fantasy movie featuring the friendship between 2 kids who escape reality together in their fantasy world Terabithia. Also stars Zooey Deschanel (Elf, Hitchhiker's Guide) as the music teacher who had a hand in the drama that follows towards the end of the movie. Great movie for teens and adults alike. Small kids might find it depressing.

Criminal Minds boxed set season 1.
For my money best show on TV. DVD presentation well done.
Extras were quite good.
Shooter - good flick, don't remember who said the sound was not so good, I thought it was outstanding. Depends on your system I guess.

Trois Couleurs: Blanc (the second instalment in director Krzysztof Kieslowski's acclaimed trilogy) - Divorced and humiliated by his French wife and left penniless in Paris, a Polish hairdresser befriends a fellow Pole who helps him return to Warsaw. Once home, he slowly begins to rebuild his life, with an eye toward exacting revenge upon his former spouse. The seemingly simple plan is complicated, however, by the fact that he still loves her.

Thankfully free of the "artsiness" that made "Bleu" unbearable, "Blanc" is a straightforward and fairly entertaining black comedy with just enough ambiguous touches to make it interesting.