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Mustang: The First 50 Years

Lee Roberts — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 23:55:48 +0000

Mustang: The First 50 Years

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4.00

MUSTANG:
It's a legend that still rides the roads today. People want it, some have one but can't get enough, it turns heads as it goes by, and it's become such a icon that it's a character itself. I'm talking about the Ford Mustang. This car has been around for 50 years now and in that lifespan it has been in every type of media and in the hearts of millions. This car embodies both the wild/fast side and the stylish/cruising side of people. It's a car that anyone can appreciate and love, even if you are the person that wants to race it around a track or if you are a grandmother going to pick up some groceries, the Mustang fulfills all needs and does it in style.

THE FIRST 50 YEARS:
Here on this 2-DVD set, the Mustang's first 50 years are being shown and talked about. There's some old archival footage of the car as well as full HD video of the Mustang of today. This documentary covers it and it covers it quite well. If you even like the Mustang then you will enjoy watching this documentary. I'm proud to say that at one point in my life I had the honor of having a Mustang to drive, a 1991 5.0 LX, cherry red, with a booming stereo system. Best yet, I had this car when I was in high school and I was the envy of everyone from seniors to freshmen. The power of the Mustang is amazing and I can attest to this because I had people wanting to race me all the time, a girl I was seeing who was usually pretty mellow and calm would turn into someone that was telling me to floor it, and I had people coming up to me just to talk about the car. All that and more happened because I had a Mustang and it was only a coup but just imagine if it was a classic or one of the more high end version.
I could talk about the Mustang all day, especially the one I had, but I'm writing this to talk about the documentary that talks about the car. Which it does very well and in a very interesting way. Though, is it interesting because the car is one that I like and wanted to see or is it interesting because it was shot well, has guests that are informative, and has interesting topics? Why, yes it's both. This documentary pretty much covers the whole history of the car touching on a lot of points. Though they can cover it 100%, the car has been around for 50 years and it would take a lot longer than 2 and half hours to cover that span of time. Still, they do a good job at touching on all the key points of the car and more while keeping it interesting and fun the whole time. I loved the old footage more than I did the new. Sure the new footage is cleaner and has that HD quality picture, but I can go outside, look at a road, and eventually a Mustang will drive by. But to see that old footage of cars so many years ago, that was very cool and very fun to watch. Not that I need to know why this car is so cool and why it has stayed around for so many years and still remains a great sports car, but if I didn't know something, it's covered on this documentary.

Martin Clunes's Wild Life

Lee Roberts — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 05:44:21 +0000

Martin Clunes's Wild Life

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DVD

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3.01

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Martin Clunes

Wild Life

MARTIN CLUNES'S WILD LIFE:
BBC star Martin Clunes, known for his role on the shows Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly, take you on a journey through the life of some animals. In this documentary Martin Clunes explores the progression that dogs have went from being wild to a pet, the role of a working horse, the life of the manta ray in Maldives, keeping the lemur safe in Madagascar, and a personal experience for Martin Clunes at the lion reserve in Kenya. Each of these 5 documentaries delves into the personal relationship between man and beast that both entertains and educates the viewer. This is also a personal experience for the actor as he travels around getting more insight in the life of these animals that allows the viewer to get a different look at Martin Clunes.

WILD LIFE ON TV:
Marin Clunes's Wild Life comprises of 5 different documentaries that has an actor giving some facts about 5 different animals while also trying to make it fun. Reading the description about this DVD set I expected this to be like any other documentary where an actor is the host but it's not. Instead of having the actor talking about some animals that sound like it's a memorized script that's being done by either someone that can make their voice sound interesting to the viewer and make the viewer believe the host is interested in the topic or it's just boring. What makes Martin Clunes's Wild Life different is that the actor, Martin Clunes, is actually interested in the topics that he is talking about.

If you know the work that Martin Clunes has done on the show Doc Martin then you will know that on the show his character don't care for animals that much. However, with Wild Life you learn that the real life man, Martin Clunes, is actually a really big animal lover and owner and he's taken the time to talk about some animals that he likes. That's exactly what these documentaries are, an actor that is talking about something that he is passionate about and turn it into something that can be fun and educational for all ages.

Even though this says that it's only 5 documentaries it's actually 6, the first one, “A Man and His Dogs”, that's actually 2 parts. I don't know if it's that Martin Clunes likes dogs the most and because he does he had so much to say that he made it a 2 part documentary or maybe it was already planned that way, but while watching I found out that he really likes dogs. Sure there are some fun facts along the way that I learned about dogs, I also got entertained by seeing some of the dogs in action, but for the most part this was about Martin Clunes getting to find out about dogs for himself. Which what this feels like to me is that it's more of a personal learning experience for Martin Clunes that just so happens to be getting filmed at the time. Let me put it this way, I love comics, I read them all the time, I talk about them every day, and I always go to the comic shop at least once a week. Well, Wild Life would be like me doing all those things but getting filmed while doing them and me talking into the camera as I do it. Don't get me wrong, this was entertaining and I did learn some facts about some of the animals but I still got the feeling that this was something that Martin Clunes wanted to do and because he's an actor he was able to do it. That's not a bad thing, each of these documentaries has some very cool places in the world that I've never seen before and most likely will never get to go to myself, I learned some things about animals I didn't know anything about, as well as learning some about animals I did know about. Martin Clunes passion comes out very clearly in his presentation, which helps keep it interesting. I would have liked each of the topics to have been 2 parts because the one is over quicker than I expected and left me wanting more. Actually, now that I write that I suppose that's good, a show that entertained me while teaching me and then left me wanting more rather then not wanting to watch it again.

Rise Up Black Man

Maria Jackson — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:14:14 +0000

Rise Up Black Man

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0.20

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Rise Up Black Man

Main character, Will (the black man who will rise), is surrounded by his group of all white friends, dancing with his white girlfriend, when an unnamed black bar patron invites him over. When Will refuses, the other man becomes upset and they each work really hard to try and build tension up to a fight that never really gets going.

Several characters mention race and racial issues apropos of absolutely nothing.

The drama begins as Will takes over for a missing Reverend Frank King (the only character with a last name) during a presentation at some unnamed conference. We never see the reaction of the attendees to Will's presentation, but we know it was a success because he exits the room to repeated, canned applause.

Will joins Reverend King's (Get it? Rev. KING!) Risen organization and is pulled deep into a world of parties, race card extortion, (you see, racism isnt real, its just something scheming black people use to make white people feel guilty for succeeding) and corruption. Will's friendships began to crumble and he even goes so low as to sleep with (a very light skinned, long haired) black woman! Quelle Suprisé!

While Will falls from grace, his bestie, Gary becomes involved with a shelter for children. There he creates a bond with a nine year old Latino boy named "Smack". Smack wears a bandana and says things like, "So, you don't slap your bitch? My momma say she deserves to be slapped" And, "That's a bunch of fine bitches over there. Is one of them hoes yours?'" Then, "My mom said men never come back unless they need money or good blo-"

Yeah.

The shelter is running out of funds and Gary asks Will if.his organization would be willing to help. The associate he's asking responds skeptically, "Is the media going to be there, Will?" When Will responds with a no, the man says, "No show, no go."

The shelter closes due to lack of funds and Smack is sent back to his mother. When Gary inquires about him, he is told that Clifford was shot by his mother who then killed herself. The shelter employee yells, "His mom was a crack addict and his dad was worse. What did you expect? They're black!" Gary shoots back, "I expected a worker who gave a shit!"

So, racism does clearly exist in this world, but those who fight against it are only self interested press hogs who party hard on that sweet social justice cash.

OK.

Tragedy drives Gary to drink. Sobbing, he gets his own gun and just holds it for a while. I suppose it's like cuddling?

Eventually, Will finds out he's being played for a fool by Reverend King and confronts him saying he'd rather be an honorable man. He repairs his relationships with his friends and becomes engaged to his old girlfriend. How, though? Why did she take him back? Does she even know he cheated on her? No one seems to care and I certainly do not.

This film was made by someone with a clear agenda on the free market being The Solution, the idea that racism is a thing of the past, and that workers for social justice are no more than swindlers who use the threat of racism to shake innocent corporations down for big pay days. The fine art of race card extortion.

Horrible. Not even in the "so-bad-its-good" way. Avoid at all costs.

Ben 10 Omniverse: Galactic Monsters

Lee Roberts — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 01:56:08 +0000

Ben 10 Omniverse: Galactic Monsters

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DVD

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4.01

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Ben 10 Omniverse

Galactic Monsters

GALACTIC MONSTERS:
Once again Ben Tennyson or as he's famously known as, Ben 10, is using his Omnitrix to fight some serious foes. In this installment of the Ben 10 series, Ben 10 finds himself going up against some fearsome monsters. At first he believes they are the monsters, which would be a common reaction when seeing a monster like Frankenstrike or a Whampire but in the truth comes out when Ben 10 realizes he's actually the monster. That doesn't stop him from using all the monsters in his line up with the Omnitrix to go up against other monsters that are out to do no good with the use of magic and other monster to get what they want.

BEN 10:
For the first time of having to review the Ben 10 cartoon series, Galactic Monsters was by far the best one yet. It has some well placed humor, it's witty, it's smart, both adults (like me) and kids can enjoy the humor, and in this case the show actually seems to be branching out some. There's still the basic core of the show still being used with the character of Ben 10 going up against other creatures with the use of his wristband thing called the Omnitrix that turns him into creatures. Being that this is a kids cartoon, Ben 10 always wins in the end, even though it looks like he might not, he has the help of friends to fight alongside with him.

I think that's the key idea this show wants to get across, not that good will always win, sure that one is in there, but it's that even though you might have a lot going for you, you will at times need friends. That to me is at least the important idea of the show, even though it's good to show kids that you shouldn't back down from the bad guys, it's that you can't always take on the bad guys by yourself. Now this might sound like I'm getting on my soap box but it's not, it's what the show teaches and I see that in the show and think it's good. Even though in the past I didn't really care much for the show, this is something that I knew the show did but it's this newest set of episodes that really show it.

Beyond the lessons being learned, the show is really funny with the monster episodes. I liked how they flipped the coin where they made Ben 10 the monster instead of the other way around. I've often said that to people about aliens, that if we where to go to another planet where there was life, we would be the aliens, and in this case Ben 10 is the monster. I did have one little bit of dislike with the show, that was how every creature that Ben 10 would change into would seem to be the one needed to fight the creatures doing bad. I think it would have been better if Ben 10 where to change into something that wasn't an equipped to fight the villain and had to have a struggle, at least more so then the typical struggle they give him, where the chance of losing really was a major concern. I get that might be a little too serious for children and they kind of touch on it with turning him into some that do have to struggle, but there's always that sense that we know he will win out. Even though there is a secret plot going on that he don't know about that runs through the episodes, I still know in the end he will find out and win. Still, this was a fun, funny, and enjoyable DVD to watch, one that surprised me that I liked it so much and I think kids will really love this one.

9/10: The Final Hours

Wayne Stillson — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 14:23:22 +0000

9/10: The Final Hours

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3.50

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9/10: The Final Hours

9/10: The Final Hours was one of the first documentary’s that I watched and really was able to get into about the tragedy that happened on September 11, 2001. While it was very slow it nearly brought both my wife and I to tears watching it.

Unlike most of the other things I have seen on 9/11 this 2-hour special is actually about the day before, September 10th, 2001, the last full day of the World Trade Center. There are some accounts of people that worked in the towers on the day before and also people that happened to eat at one of the restaurants the night before.

One of the things some of the people talk about was Mohamed Atta, the mastermind of the attacks, and how they had interactions with him before the attacks happened. They wonder what they could of done differently had they know what he was about to do.

The entire thing is very emotional, especially when they show footage of the planes hitting from one girls dorm room. She comments after the first tower is hit and no one really know what was going on how the streets kept moving like nothing happened. A lot of people had no idea until after the 2nd.

I would highly recommended watching this on National Geographic if you get the chance. While I will admit it is kind of slow it really is worth it. I was able to learn about the WTC because I honestly had no idea what the building actually was when I was in 5th grade. I just knew it was in NY and I was scared.

Grace Kelly Collection

Paul Arca — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 18:29:00 +0000

Grace Kelly Collection

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3.00

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Grace Kelly Collection

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly is not only a popular film actress, but she was also the Princess of Monaco because she was married to Prince Rainier III. She has been acting since she was 20 years old and has starred in numerous major motion pictures and won several major awards. Recently, a collection her best films were released in on comprehensive set titled the “Grace Kelly Collection.” The set includes “Dial M for Murder,” “Mogambo,” “The Country Girl,” “The Bridges at Toko-Ri,” “To Catch a Thief,” and “High Society.” It also comes packed with tons of bonus footage and extra content for any Grace Kelly fans to watch and experience.

The “Grace Kelly Collection” is a very interesting mix of movies that perfectly showcase Grace’s versatility and talents. You see several sides of Grace and she is the shining star in the company of mostly dull men in each of the movies included on the set. The digital remastering ranges from being somewhat fuzzy to a clearer and perfectly converted masterpiece depending on the movie and the scene. The sound quality was surprisingly crisp and clear for movies form the 50’s and did a great job for setting the tone and the mood of the movie. My favorite movie of the collection was Alfred Hitchcock’s “Dial M for Murder,” but Grace lacked screen time. However, if you are a Grace Kelly fan, you can look past these faults and enjoy this set made especially for you. For those reasons, I am giving the “Grace Kelly Collection” a “B.”

Starring:

Grace Kelly

Le Week-End

Wayne Stillson — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 14:39:40 +0000

Le Week-End

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1.20

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Le Week-End

I wasn’t too big of a fan of Le Week-End. The movie was really slow throughout and I even though it was in English I had to keep the subtitles on because parts where pretty difficult to hear.

Le Weekend is about an old British couple, Nick and Meg, celebrating their wedding anniversary in Paris for the first time since their honeymoon. While their there Meg tells Nick that she wants to leave him. From the beginning of the movie you can tell that they have problems that they never really work out.

Meg regrets getting married to Nick because of the things that she missed because of the marriage. Nick on the other hand wants to only be with her though they haven’t even touched in years. Towards the end Meg tells him that she wants to stay the night with another man and at dinner Nick tells everyone they are having dinner with about how he lost his job and is losing his wife. He describes it as a man drowning and clinging on to her like an iceberg slowly melting away.

The move was ok and is a little emotional but just too slow for me to really get in to. While I did like the story line I wish there was more going on or at least told a little differently to make it more interesting.

The Class of 92 Extended Edition

Lee Roberts — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 23:35:16 +0000

The Class of 92 Extended Edition

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2.89

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The Class of 92

THE CLASS OF '92:
For six young men, 1992 was a great time for them as they played for Manchester United. These six footballers was able to live and play the life that they wanted and they did it with gusto. This documentary is about how these six guys where able to rise up through the other football players to gain success. This is the story of David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes and their careers for Manchester United starting in 1992.

SIX GUYS ONE GAME:
Soccer, or as it's properly called in the UK and most other countries, football, has become a popular sport to watch and play. Though I have no clue about the game other than the simple basic rule of not using your hands, I at least know the name David Beckham. It's really hard not to know the name if you watch any amount of television or read some entertainment news, he's a popular fellow. He's also one of the most famous soccer players that's out there right now and like I said, I don't know the game or have even seen him play, I know him. Well, here's a documentary that's about David Beckam and 5 other players that played together on the Manchester United team and how they rose to fame.

Alright, if you are like me and don't know anything about soccer than this probably won't be that interesting of a documentary for you. I did find some parts interesting just because I like documentaries and learning about the history of people. Beyond some mild interest at a few parts of the documentary I just couldn't fully get into the story being told. There's a lot of information being given about these guys, from how they were friends, how they changed certain aspects of playing, how they played, and all sorts of things that if you are a soccer fan you will really like to know. There's some old footage being shown, the interviews are set in interesting locations, and for me the soundtrack of the Stone Roses was such an excellent choice. I'm a big Stone Roses fan so for me I enjoyed the music more than anything else on this documentary. There's even the bass player from the Stone Roses, Mani, that gets interviewed as well as the former Prime Minister Tony Blair and some of the coaches of the team.

Like I said, there's a lot of information being given and by some pretty famous people, which is interesting in itself but still not enough to make me like this. Most of the time I found it hard to understand some of the people talking, which is kind of funny but still when trying to figure out what's being said it's not easy. Though I did get a few giggles out of myself with a few jokes I made to myself about how I couldn't understand what was being said, not good that I did it since this is a serious documentary. I can say that if I was a soccer fan or even just a fan of David Beckham, I'm guessing that he's the most famous of the six, that The Class of '92 would be not only very interesting to watch but it's also full of facts, films, and is entertaining to learn all that you can from here. Some of the footage is grainy but that's because it's old footage, not that 1992 is old, but compared to the HD quality of the current interviews, the footage does look old. This is a must if you are a soccer/football/David Beckham fan but if not, then maybe pass on it.

Secret State

Paul Arca — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 15:52:29 +0000

Secret State

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1.85

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“Secret State” is a British TV mini-series from Acorn Media. The series is a total of 180 minutes spanning 4 DVDs and includes a couple bonuses such as a behind-the-scenes featurette and an interview with the author from which “Secret State” was based on. The series is a political drama thriller about a Deputy Prime Minister (Tom Dawkins) fighting to get retribution for the families of victims in an industrial explosion. However, he is met with numerous barriers, incidents, and corruption. Anything that can possibly go wrong for someone trying to do something right happens at the worst times possible.
The premise for the mini-series seemed promising and had a lot of potential. However, the pacing and slow build-up made “Secret State” difficult to watch. Unless you are a fan of politics and political dramas, “Secret State” might not be the mini-series for you. The acting was very well done and felt believable, but the special effects felt outdated and out of place. “Secret State” was not a horrible movie, but lacked general appeal. For those reasons, I am giving “Secret State” a “C-.”

Neverlake

AJ Garcia — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 22:55:52 +0000

Neverlake

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DVD

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2.30

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Neverlake

Riccardo Paoletti

Phase 4 Films

Neverlake has some interesting themes going for it. It takes place in Italy where a lake really exists that was once used by people in history in a mythically healing way. I won’t ruin the surprise, but the myth is used in the film as an interesting plot device.

You also have the obvious Peter Pan link that plays out somewhat, but for the most part the film attempts to creep you out with very vague sequences. Take for example, Jenny (our heroine) visits her estranged father in Italy and he acts peculiar for a majority of the film. Does he have something to hide or is he genuinely just disconnected from his daughter? A theory that kind of makes sense.

Unfortunately director Riccardo Paoletti uses the father’s awkwardness as a major plot device that deviates the other goings on in the film and stagnates the flow of the films story. I felt like, with so little information to make any kind of definitive guess about her father, I just lost interest in that particular plot and kind of hoped to see something better from the other plots. Not so much.

By the end of the film I felt like I had figured out the mystery about fifteen minutes before the reveal. When it happened I just kind of shrugged. Fortunately there is a bit more to the film then just the main plot reveal that impressed me slightly. Again, the film doesn’t really manage flow control and by the time the film ends it seems like a non-event. It did to me at least. Still, in a rainy day kind of way Neverlake could be worth a view.