Archive for November, 2008
Elena Stevenson asked:
Meet Bill, an existentialist comedy written by Melisa Wallack and directed by Melisa Wallack and Bernie Goldmann.
The Film
“Meet Bill” is like a box of donuts-a sweet package of guilty fun, with a few holes. Donuts figured prominently in the plot, but also served as a subtextual symbol of the main character’s empty-calorie life. Bill (Aaron Eckhart) plays the dumb lackey to his arrogant in-laws at their prosperous bank. It seems everyone walks on Bill until he really has something to cry about. His over-the-top reaction to his wife’s affair with a local news anchor earns him notoriety, just as a smart-aleck teen (Logan Lerman) enters his life through a mentoring program. The teen hatches a plan to win back Bill’s wife Jess (Elizabeth Banks)-persuade lingerie sales girl Lucy (Jessica Alba) to act as a decoy.
Humor carries this movie. Slapstick and dry self-deprecation infiltrate almost every scene, and truly make it an enjoyable watch. The subtle gay humor provided by Bill’s brother Sargeant (Craig Bierko) and partner Paul (Reed Diamond) was a particular highlight.
As a female screenwriter, I was impressed with writer and co-director Melisa Wallack’s ability to poke fun at the insecurities of men and the women who love them. Casting was also a strong suit-Aaron Eckhart makes a great schmuck, and Elizabeth Banks was note-perfect as a petulant wife with a soft side.
The quirky turns of the plot hooked me early; by conclusion, some characters fell into predictable stereotypes. “Meet Bill” shines when it lives out its true “donut” identity. Wallack and Goldmann try to sneak a few existentialist life lessons into later scenes. These “good for you” messages cost “Meet Bill” some of the intelligence native to indies, and gave it the ring of standard Hollywood fare.
Another shortcoming of “Meet Bill” is its lack of interesting minority characters. The funny lines of two minority characters were edited out (see “Extras”), and I was put off by a racist crack at Donald Choo (Andy Zou), the sole Asian character. Ethnic humor can be terrific, but only if filmmakers lampoon all ethnicities, or poke fun at the stereotype instead of a person.
The DVD
Packaging: The package design is fresh, and fits the film well. A plastic overwap shows Aaron Eckhart in a striped shirt that’s continuous with jail-cell bars. Pictures of Jessica Alba and Elizabeth Banks flank him. Beneath the overwrap, Eckhart has sunglasses and the womens’ expressions have changed. Very clever.
Video: There were some color bleeds and skips at the beginning of the DVD. After a tracking adjustment, the picture was fine.
Sound: The sound itself was fine, blended and balanced well. The soundtrack, however, left a lot to be desired. Edward Shearmur’s upbeat guitar licks sounded like elevator music. Since Bill was of age to attend high school in the 1980s, stadium rock or classic rap would have added a nostalgic kick, and underscored the theme of reliving his lost youth.
Extras: Audio features include English Stereo and English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Subtitles are in English and Spanish. The only other special features are Deleted Scenes and Trailers.
The makers of “Meet Bill” cut a few scenes that were quite funny, and should have been left in. One involved Dana (Julia Pace Mitchell), a black female employee, and the other featured Donald Choo (Andy Zou), the Asian male teen, finally standing up for himself.
In Conclusion: “Meet Bill” is a funny film that lives up to its logline-”A Comedy about Someone you Know. It’s easy to identify with Bill’s frustrations and laugh along with him.
FILM GRADE: B
DISC AND PACKAGING: B
OVERALL GRADE: B
Meet Bill, an existentialist comedy written by Melisa Wallack and directed by Melisa Wallack and Bernie Goldmann.
The Film
“Meet Bill” is like a box of donuts-a sweet package of guilty fun, with a few holes. Donuts figured prominently in the plot, but also served as a subtextual symbol of the main character’s empty-calorie life. Bill (Aaron Eckhart) plays the dumb lackey to his arrogant in-laws at their prosperous bank. It seems everyone walks on Bill until he really has something to cry about. His over-the-top reaction to his wife’s affair with a local news anchor earns him notoriety, just as a smart-aleck teen (Logan Lerman) enters his life through a mentoring program. The teen hatches a plan to win back Bill’s wife Jess (Elizabeth Banks)-persuade lingerie sales girl Lucy (Jessica Alba) to act as a decoy.
Humor carries this movie. Slapstick and dry self-deprecation infiltrate almost every scene, and truly make it an enjoyable watch. The subtle gay humor provided by Bill’s brother Sargeant (Craig Bierko) and partner Paul (Reed Diamond) was a particular highlight.
As a female screenwriter, I was impressed with writer and co-director Melisa Wallack’s ability to poke fun at the insecurities of men and the women who love them. Casting was also a strong suit-Aaron Eckhart makes a great schmuck, and Elizabeth Banks was note-perfect as a petulant wife with a soft side.
The quirky turns of the plot hooked me early; by conclusion, some characters fell into predictable stereotypes. “Meet Bill” shines when it lives out its true “donut” identity. Wallack and Goldmann try to sneak a few existentialist life lessons into later scenes. These “good for you” messages cost “Meet Bill” some of the intelligence native to indies, and gave it the ring of standard Hollywood fare.
Another shortcoming of “Meet Bill” is its lack of interesting minority characters. The funny lines of two minority characters were edited out (see “Extras”), and I was put off by a racist crack at Donald Choo (Andy Zou), the sole Asian character. Ethnic humor can be terrific, but only if filmmakers lampoon all ethnicities, or poke fun at the stereotype instead of a person.
The DVD
Packaging: The package design is fresh, and fits the film well. A plastic overwap shows Aaron Eckhart in a striped shirt that’s continuous with jail-cell bars. Pictures of Jessica Alba and Elizabeth Banks flank him. Beneath the overwrap, Eckhart has sunglasses and the womens’ expressions have changed. Very clever.
Video: There were some color bleeds and skips at the beginning of the DVD. After a tracking adjustment, the picture was fine.
Sound: The sound itself was fine, blended and balanced well. The soundtrack, however, left a lot to be desired. Edward Shearmur’s upbeat guitar licks sounded like elevator music. Since Bill was of age to attend high school in the 1980s, stadium rock or classic rap would have added a nostalgic kick, and underscored the theme of reliving his lost youth.
Extras: Audio features include English Stereo and English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Subtitles are in English and Spanish. The only other special features are Deleted Scenes and Trailers.
The makers of “Meet Bill” cut a few scenes that were quite funny, and should have been left in. One involved Dana (Julia Pace Mitchell), a black female employee, and the other featured Donald Choo (Andy Zou), the Asian male teen, finally standing up for himself.
In Conclusion: “Meet Bill” is a funny film that lives up to its logline-”A Comedy about Someone you Know. It’s easy to identify with Bill’s frustrations and laugh along with him.
FILM GRADE: B
DISC AND PACKAGING: B
OVERALL GRADE: B
Ben Anton asked:
DVDs continue to be the prominent medium for home theater entertainment. The technology is being refined and improved upon by a number of manufacturers, making its future slightly uncertain though it is definitely clear that it will continue is one format or another. Many of you have probably been hearing about Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs and their path as the next generation of DVDs. The discrepancies between the two are confusing many home theater buyers, so it’s important to know just what each of these new technologies has to offer so that you can make an informed decision on what to purchase and when.
Let’s start by discussing just what Blu-ray is. Chances are, if you’ve stepped into any of the leading home theater and electronics stores in the country, you’ve seen Blu-ray discs advertised in the DVD section. In truth, Blu-ray discs are somewhat like traditional DVDs, except that they have the ability to record, rewrite, and playback high definition (HD) video that is compatible with the growing number of HD televisions finding their way into home theaters every year. Unlike traditional DVDs, Blu-ray discs can hold nearly five times as much data. On a single layer disc, they can hold 25GB of data, and 50GB can be stored on a dual layer disc. By being able to hold so much more, Blu-ray discs are able to easily store the advanced information necessary to provide content in HD format.
HD-DVD offers the same technology, though it isn’t able to hold as much information as Blu-ray. Developed by Toshiba and NEC, it is able to hold three times as much data as traditional DVDs. While this may be less than Blu-ray, the data capacity of HD-DVDs still exceeds the amount needed to watch major blockbusters in high-definition. HD-DVD also came out much sooner and was first quoted to be the successor to the standard DVD format. HD-DVD is completely compatible with HD-DVD players, which in turn are compatible with HD televisions. High definition technology is certainly the wave of the future for home entertainment, and HD-DVD was the first disc technology formatted for it.
Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs use a new form of laser that improves on what the standard DVD used. While older, standard DVD models used a red laser to transfer content from disc to player to screen, these two technologies use a blue-violet laser instead. The main benefit with using blue-violet lasers is that they have a shorter wavelength than red lasers. This means that they can be focused with a much higher rate of accuracy.
As you can see the differences between these two formats are very few, In short, Blu-ray is able to hold more information than HD-DVD, but HD-DVD has been around for much longer and still holds an adequate amount for any applications currently in the market. Both formats use blue-violet lasers to better read the information.
The biggest question right now is which format will end up on top. Blu-ray has the added advantage of being backed up by some major players in the movie business. Seven of the eight major Hollywood movie studios have released films in Blu-ray format recently, while five of them are releasing films exclusively on Blu-ray. HD-DVD has the backing of several major consumer electronics manufacturers but does have some ground to make up with the production companies. However, with the added experience of being in production longer and having consumers more familiar with the name, it’s very possible for them to pull ahead. The race to be the top home entertainment format will continue on and the consumer will simply need to wait to see which one wins. In the meantime, players are available for both formats and some manufacturers have players that satisfy both formats available.
~Ben Anton, 2007
DVDs continue to be the prominent medium for home theater entertainment. The technology is being refined and improved upon by a number of manufacturers, making its future slightly uncertain though it is definitely clear that it will continue is one format or another. Many of you have probably been hearing about Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs and their path as the next generation of DVDs. The discrepancies between the two are confusing many home theater buyers, so it’s important to know just what each of these new technologies has to offer so that you can make an informed decision on what to purchase and when.
Let’s start by discussing just what Blu-ray is. Chances are, if you’ve stepped into any of the leading home theater and electronics stores in the country, you’ve seen Blu-ray discs advertised in the DVD section. In truth, Blu-ray discs are somewhat like traditional DVDs, except that they have the ability to record, rewrite, and playback high definition (HD) video that is compatible with the growing number of HD televisions finding their way into home theaters every year. Unlike traditional DVDs, Blu-ray discs can hold nearly five times as much data. On a single layer disc, they can hold 25GB of data, and 50GB can be stored on a dual layer disc. By being able to hold so much more, Blu-ray discs are able to easily store the advanced information necessary to provide content in HD format.
HD-DVD offers the same technology, though it isn’t able to hold as much information as Blu-ray. Developed by Toshiba and NEC, it is able to hold three times as much data as traditional DVDs. While this may be less than Blu-ray, the data capacity of HD-DVDs still exceeds the amount needed to watch major blockbusters in high-definition. HD-DVD also came out much sooner and was first quoted to be the successor to the standard DVD format. HD-DVD is completely compatible with HD-DVD players, which in turn are compatible with HD televisions. High definition technology is certainly the wave of the future for home entertainment, and HD-DVD was the first disc technology formatted for it.
Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs use a new form of laser that improves on what the standard DVD used. While older, standard DVD models used a red laser to transfer content from disc to player to screen, these two technologies use a blue-violet laser instead. The main benefit with using blue-violet lasers is that they have a shorter wavelength than red lasers. This means that they can be focused with a much higher rate of accuracy.
As you can see the differences between these two formats are very few, In short, Blu-ray is able to hold more information than HD-DVD, but HD-DVD has been around for much longer and still holds an adequate amount for any applications currently in the market. Both formats use blue-violet lasers to better read the information.
The biggest question right now is which format will end up on top. Blu-ray has the added advantage of being backed up by some major players in the movie business. Seven of the eight major Hollywood movie studios have released films in Blu-ray format recently, while five of them are releasing films exclusively on Blu-ray. HD-DVD has the backing of several major consumer electronics manufacturers but does have some ground to make up with the production companies. However, with the added experience of being in production longer and having consumers more familiar with the name, it’s very possible for them to pull ahead. The race to be the top home entertainment format will continue on and the consumer will simply need to wait to see which one wins. In the meantime, players are available for both formats and some manufacturers have players that satisfy both formats available.
~Ben Anton, 2007
Kelly Liyakasa asked:
What used to be a Silver Screen phenomenon has taken over our living rooms. Ok, so maybe it feels like we’ve been renting DVD’s for in-home Friday night hangouts for years, but finding the best Internet DVD rentals may prove to be a small challenge. There is a huge assortment of DVD rental sites, all characterized by unique ways to rent out The Godfather, as well as fun features.
6StarReviews.com reports that Netflix houses over 80,000 movie titles and doesn’t charge you shipping or late fees. You can even receive select titles within one business day, so guessing where your movie is shouldn’t be an issue. Some DVD rental services like Blockbuster provide countless flicks in all genres imaginable, with the option of returning in-store or by mail.
If you’ve tried renting from the more popular services, a brand-new site you may wish to check out is iLetYou. Whether you have a dozen or upwards of a thousand DVD’s just collecting dust, you can literally open your own rental shop and make some cash.
As more movies emerge out of Hollywood each day, many wish to forgo spending $20 for a flick they might never watch again. Internet DVD rentals allow you to see Shrek without wondering why you ever wasted your money five months down the road. Most rental sites give you countless membership options, so you won’t be stuck with a plan you cannot afford. You might even get to utilize a free trial, if you’re lucky.
What used to be a Silver Screen phenomenon has taken over our living rooms. Ok, so maybe it feels like we’ve been renting DVD’s for in-home Friday night hangouts for years, but finding the best Internet DVD rentals may prove to be a small challenge. There is a huge assortment of DVD rental sites, all characterized by unique ways to rent out The Godfather, as well as fun features.
6StarReviews.com reports that Netflix houses over 80,000 movie titles and doesn’t charge you shipping or late fees. You can even receive select titles within one business day, so guessing where your movie is shouldn’t be an issue. Some DVD rental services like Blockbuster provide countless flicks in all genres imaginable, with the option of returning in-store or by mail.
If you’ve tried renting from the more popular services, a brand-new site you may wish to check out is iLetYou. Whether you have a dozen or upwards of a thousand DVD’s just collecting dust, you can literally open your own rental shop and make some cash.
As more movies emerge out of Hollywood each day, many wish to forgo spending $20 for a flick they might never watch again. Internet DVD rentals allow you to see Shrek without wondering why you ever wasted your money five months down the road. Most rental sites give you countless membership options, so you won’t be stuck with a plan you cannot afford. You might even get to utilize a free trial, if you’re lucky.
Michael C asked:
blockbuster viedo
hollywood viedo
dvd’s
movies
hard to kill
convoy
harper valley pta
snoopy vs. the red baron =music
blockbuster viedo
hollywood viedo
dvd’s
movies
hard to kill
convoy
harper valley pta
snoopy vs. the red baron =music
joedeshon asked:
I created a home movie that was an hour and 38 minutes long. I authored a DVD, adding a menu and splitting the movie into four chapters.
I created a home movie that was an hour and 38 minutes long. I authored a DVD, adding a menu and splitting the movie into four chapters.
My software tells me that the movie is too big and won’t fit on a DVD? How can this be? How does Hollywood fit 2.5 hour movies with outtakes, deleted scenes and trailers on a DVD, but I can’t put a 1.5 hour movie on a DVD?
Britt Gillette asked:
Premiering in September 1999, the original NBC series The West Wing built an instant cult following with its seemingly realistic weekly excursions into the inner sanctums of the White House. The series became such a hit that some pollsters claimed that certain people actually believed Jed Bartlet was the real president (although, if true, this is more of a negative reflection on the intelligence of the electorate, and not necessarily an indication of West Wing’s realism). But regardless, the truth of the matter is that West Wing definitely strikes a chord with certain audiences, providing entertaining brew of action, suspense, and drama on a weekly basis…
Seasoned Hollywood actor Martin Sheen plays the lead role of President Jed Bartlet. The day-to-day affairs of Bartlet’s administration are run by a number of individuals who surround him, among them are: Claudia “C.J.” Cregg (Allison Janney), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff), Leo McGarry (John Spencer), and Charlie Young (Dule Hill). The West Wing follows these dedicated staffers as they work extended hours behind-the-scenes to help keep the White House running smoothly. Along the way, the stress of the job and the characters’ personal lives make for an interesting glimpse into what many believe is an accurate portrayal of a real-life White House administration…
The West Wing DVD offers a number of dramatic episodes including the series premiere in which we meet each of the recurring characters for the first time. The White House has their daily routine interrupted when President Bartlet falls off his bike, and Sam realizes the girl he picked in a bar the previous evening was a high-priced prostitute. Meanwhile, several members of the administration become embroiled in an ongoing feud with the “religious right,” prompting President Bartlet to personally condemn a group of fundamentalists known as “The Lambs of God”… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “The Crackpots and These Women” in which administration staffers spend their day listening to a number of crackpot, single-issue groups lobbying for federal favors, and “Take This Sabbath Day” in which President Bartlet grapples with the decision to commute the death sentence of a convicted killer following a Supreme Court ruling upholding his sentence…
Below is a list of episodes included on The West Wing (Season 1) DVD:
Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 09-22-1999
Episode 2 (Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc) Air Date: 09-29-1999
Episode 3 (A Proportional Response) Air Date: 10-06-1999
Episode 4 (Five Votes Down) Air Date: 10-13-1999
Episode 5 (The Crackpots and These Women) Air Date: 10-20-1999
Episode 6 (Mr. Willis of Ohio) Air Date: 11-03-1999
Episode 7 (The State Dinner) Air Date: 11-10-1999
Episode 8 (Enemies) Air Date: 11-17-1999
Episode 9 (The Short List) Air Date: 11-24-1999
Episode 10 (In Excelsis Deo) Air Date: 12-15-1999
Episode 11 (Lord John Marbury) Air Date: 01-05-2000
Episode 12 (He Shall, from Time to Time) Air Date: 01-12-2000
Episode 13 (Take Out the Trash Day) Air Date: 01-26-2000
Episode 14 (Take This Sabbath Day) Air Date: 02-09-2000
Episode 15 (Celestial Navigation) Air Date: 02-16-2000
Episode 16 (20 Hours in L.A.) Air Date: 02-23-2000
Episode 17 (The White House Pro-Am) Air Date: 03-22-2000
Episode 18 (Six Meetings Before Lunch) Air Date: 04-05-2000
Episode 19 (Let Bartlet Be Bartlet) Air Date: 04-26-2000
Episode 20 (Mandatory Minimums) Air Date: 05-03-2000
Episode 21 (Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics) Air Date: 05-10-2000
Episode 22 (What Kind of Day Has It Been?) Air Date: 05-17-2000
Premiering in September 1999, the original NBC series The West Wing built an instant cult following with its seemingly realistic weekly excursions into the inner sanctums of the White House. The series became such a hit that some pollsters claimed that certain people actually believed Jed Bartlet was the real president (although, if true, this is more of a negative reflection on the intelligence of the electorate, and not necessarily an indication of West Wing’s realism). But regardless, the truth of the matter is that West Wing definitely strikes a chord with certain audiences, providing entertaining brew of action, suspense, and drama on a weekly basis…
Seasoned Hollywood actor Martin Sheen plays the lead role of President Jed Bartlet. The day-to-day affairs of Bartlet’s administration are run by a number of individuals who surround him, among them are: Claudia “C.J.” Cregg (Allison Janney), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff), Leo McGarry (John Spencer), and Charlie Young (Dule Hill). The West Wing follows these dedicated staffers as they work extended hours behind-the-scenes to help keep the White House running smoothly. Along the way, the stress of the job and the characters’ personal lives make for an interesting glimpse into what many believe is an accurate portrayal of a real-life White House administration…
The West Wing DVD offers a number of dramatic episodes including the series premiere in which we meet each of the recurring characters for the first time. The White House has their daily routine interrupted when President Bartlet falls off his bike, and Sam realizes the girl he picked in a bar the previous evening was a high-priced prostitute. Meanwhile, several members of the administration become embroiled in an ongoing feud with the “religious right,” prompting President Bartlet to personally condemn a group of fundamentalists known as “The Lambs of God”… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “The Crackpots and These Women” in which administration staffers spend their day listening to a number of crackpot, single-issue groups lobbying for federal favors, and “Take This Sabbath Day” in which President Bartlet grapples with the decision to commute the death sentence of a convicted killer following a Supreme Court ruling upholding his sentence…
Below is a list of episodes included on The West Wing (Season 1) DVD:
Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 09-22-1999
Episode 2 (Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc) Air Date: 09-29-1999
Episode 3 (A Proportional Response) Air Date: 10-06-1999
Episode 4 (Five Votes Down) Air Date: 10-13-1999
Episode 5 (The Crackpots and These Women) Air Date: 10-20-1999
Episode 6 (Mr. Willis of Ohio) Air Date: 11-03-1999
Episode 7 (The State Dinner) Air Date: 11-10-1999
Episode 8 (Enemies) Air Date: 11-17-1999
Episode 9 (The Short List) Air Date: 11-24-1999
Episode 10 (In Excelsis Deo) Air Date: 12-15-1999
Episode 11 (Lord John Marbury) Air Date: 01-05-2000
Episode 12 (He Shall, from Time to Time) Air Date: 01-12-2000
Episode 13 (Take Out the Trash Day) Air Date: 01-26-2000
Episode 14 (Take This Sabbath Day) Air Date: 02-09-2000
Episode 15 (Celestial Navigation) Air Date: 02-16-2000
Episode 16 (20 Hours in L.A.) Air Date: 02-23-2000
Episode 17 (The White House Pro-Am) Air Date: 03-22-2000
Episode 18 (Six Meetings Before Lunch) Air Date: 04-05-2000
Episode 19 (Let Bartlet Be Bartlet) Air Date: 04-26-2000
Episode 20 (Mandatory Minimums) Air Date: 05-03-2000
Episode 21 (Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics) Air Date: 05-10-2000
Episode 22 (What Kind of Day Has It Been?) Air Date: 05-17-2000
Britt Gillette asked:
Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winner of three, Memoirs Of A Geisha holds its own as one of the best films of 2005. Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Robin Swicord does a superb job of adapting Arthur Golden’s bestselling novel to the big screen. This film has all the elements of a classic drama – jealousy, politics, intrigue, forbidden love, and an abundance of internal and external conflicts of varying types. Viewers in search of a typical Hollywood blockbuster will be greatly disappointed, but those who appreciate a good character-driven film which takes the time to develop the motivations of its cast and build to a climax will discover a splendid gem which offers a welcome escape from reality.
Memoirs Of A Geisha is narrated from the viewpoint of a nine year-old Japanese girl named Chiyo (Ziyi Zhang). Born into a poor fishing family, Chiyo and her sister are sold into slavery by their father. Chiyo is soon separated from her sister and finds herself in a geisha house where her new master, Mother (Kaori Momoi), will determine her destiny. Although only nine years of age, Chiyo sparks the ire of the much older Hatsumomo (Li Gong), the most celebrated geisha of the house, who accurately perceives Chiyo as a fitting rival.
Li Gong is excellent in her role as the vindictive, yet human, adversary, and her character manages to have Chiyo removed from geisha school and condemned to the life of a common slave. However, Chiyo’s life takes a turn for the better following a chance encounter with The Chairman (Ken Watanabe). Flanked by two geisha, The Chairman extends his kindness to Chiyo, prompting her to develop a lifelong crush and to dream of one day becoming a geisha herself. Chiyo’s wish comes true when a geisha from another house, Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), offers to personally train her, setting up an inevitable conflict between the two and Hatsumomo and her understudy. Meanwhile, the horrors of war and her lifelong pursuit of The Chairman’s love burden Chiyo with additional hardships.
Although some traditionalists and geisha experts might take issue with the portrayal of geishas in general, the film certainly offers an interesting glimpse into a world and culture most Americans will find intriguing. Despite its two hour and twenty-five minute running time, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a captivating film that seems much shorter in duration. Like most films adapted from a novel, those who enjoyed the book will either love it or hate it depending on how well they perceive the switch to the big screen. But even those who hate it must admit that the costume and set design are exquisite and leave little room for improvement. At times, the cast speaks with heavy accents which can be confusing at moments, but overall, the scenes flow well from one to the next. With the exception of some American actors near the conclusion (Ted Levine of Monk fame plays a US Army Colonel), the majority of the cast is composed of Chinese and Japanese actors/actresses who are relatively unknown to American audiences – although Ken Watanabe might be recognizable given recent roles in The Last Samurai (2003) and Batman Begins (2005). The utilization of this cast helps focus audience attention on the merits of the film itself and not on a cast of stars, and this helps, rather than hinders, the film. As such, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a film most fans of the genre will thoroughly enjoy.
Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winner of three, Memoirs Of A Geisha holds its own as one of the best films of 2005. Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Robin Swicord does a superb job of adapting Arthur Golden’s bestselling novel to the big screen. This film has all the elements of a classic drama – jealousy, politics, intrigue, forbidden love, and an abundance of internal and external conflicts of varying types. Viewers in search of a typical Hollywood blockbuster will be greatly disappointed, but those who appreciate a good character-driven film which takes the time to develop the motivations of its cast and build to a climax will discover a splendid gem which offers a welcome escape from reality.
Memoirs Of A Geisha is narrated from the viewpoint of a nine year-old Japanese girl named Chiyo (Ziyi Zhang). Born into a poor fishing family, Chiyo and her sister are sold into slavery by their father. Chiyo is soon separated from her sister and finds herself in a geisha house where her new master, Mother (Kaori Momoi), will determine her destiny. Although only nine years of age, Chiyo sparks the ire of the much older Hatsumomo (Li Gong), the most celebrated geisha of the house, who accurately perceives Chiyo as a fitting rival.
Li Gong is excellent in her role as the vindictive, yet human, adversary, and her character manages to have Chiyo removed from geisha school and condemned to the life of a common slave. However, Chiyo’s life takes a turn for the better following a chance encounter with The Chairman (Ken Watanabe). Flanked by two geisha, The Chairman extends his kindness to Chiyo, prompting her to develop a lifelong crush and to dream of one day becoming a geisha herself. Chiyo’s wish comes true when a geisha from another house, Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), offers to personally train her, setting up an inevitable conflict between the two and Hatsumomo and her understudy. Meanwhile, the horrors of war and her lifelong pursuit of The Chairman’s love burden Chiyo with additional hardships.
Although some traditionalists and geisha experts might take issue with the portrayal of geishas in general, the film certainly offers an interesting glimpse into a world and culture most Americans will find intriguing. Despite its two hour and twenty-five minute running time, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a captivating film that seems much shorter in duration. Like most films adapted from a novel, those who enjoyed the book will either love it or hate it depending on how well they perceive the switch to the big screen. But even those who hate it must admit that the costume and set design are exquisite and leave little room for improvement. At times, the cast speaks with heavy accents which can be confusing at moments, but overall, the scenes flow well from one to the next. With the exception of some American actors near the conclusion (Ted Levine of Monk fame plays a US Army Colonel), the majority of the cast is composed of Chinese and Japanese actors/actresses who are relatively unknown to American audiences – although Ken Watanabe might be recognizable given recent roles in The Last Samurai (2003) and Batman Begins (2005). The utilization of this cast helps focus audience attention on the merits of the film itself and not on a cast of stars, and this helps, rather than hinders, the film. As such, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a film most fans of the genre will thoroughly enjoy.
anon in idaho asked:
Does anyone know when Hollywood is going to stop putting movies out in both Widescreen and Full Screen? Why can’t they do like these movies did when these movies came out on DVD? They are Nancy Drew, August Rush, One Missed Call , PS I Love You , and No Reservations. All of these movies have both the widescreen and fullscreen version of the movies on the DVD. Just like when DVD’s did when they were first coming out.
Does anyone know when Hollywood is going to stop putting movies out in both Widescreen and Full Screen? Why can’t they do like these movies did when these movies came out on DVD? They are Nancy Drew, August Rush, One Missed Call , PS I Love You , and No Reservations. All of these movies have both the widescreen and fullscreen version of the movies on the DVD. Just like when DVD’s did when they were first coming out.
Does anyone know when Hollywood is going to stop releasing movies in DVD both widescreen and full screen? Especially since any movie released in just widescreen always outsell it’s Full Screen counterpart? Or do these to make things more confusing for the consumer? As for me I try to buy all of my movies on DVD whenever I can.
I always try to buy my DVD’s in widescreen whenever I can.
BTW, the movies that Full Screen and Widescreen are just that on movies like 27 Dresses is . You only get that version of the movie of the DVD you buy!!
A Johannesson asked:
Here’s the 411 on Region Free DVD Players
For those of you that are clueless about region free DVD , let me get you up to speed. Have you ever paid attention to that little region number that’s printed somewhere on every movie DVD that you buy or rent? Well, it seems that Hollywood, and other major film producers around the world, cooked up this little encoding scheme that’s supposedly designed to protect the studios from having DVDs sold in countries where the original film hasn’t been released in the theaters yet. But there’s more behind the birth of the region free DVD player .
If you think about what the movie industry is claiming, it kind of makes sense from their point of view. If Shrek II is done playing in North America, but it hasn’t even opened in Australia, then it would make sense that the producers wouldn’t want the DVD being offered for rent or sale in the land down under until they’ve cleaned up on selling movie tickets there. However, there may be a more ominous reason behind these DVD region codes and people are starting to investigate claims of price fixing based upon which region is encoded on the DVD. It remains to be seen if consumers are getting ripped off and what role region free DVD players will have in thwarting that..
Anyway, regardless of who is ripping off whom, the DVD region code barrier is starting to crumble under a direct assault by the electronics industry and their latest weapon in the war against Hollywood henchmen : The region free DVD player. .
How the region free DVD player works
The region free DVD player let’s you select from among the world’s DVD regions so you can play any DVD regardless of which region it was encoded for. There are 8 separate regions and each one has their own DVD code so, unless you have a region free DVD player, you’re stuck playing DVDs that were meant for release in your particular country or region.
If you live in the U.S. or Canada, and you never go anywhere else, then you probably couldn’t care less if you have a region free DVD player or not. Unless, of course, you have a taste for foreign films which may never be released in your region. Here’s the problem that the rest of the world faces:
I’ve already told you that the movie industry sees the region code as a protective measure to offset the fact that the movie studios do not release a DVD into all regions at the same time. Sometimes they don’t even release a DVD into another region at all! Region coding makes it impossible for you to purchase a DVD on the Internet and play it in your home, if both the Internet store and your home are not in the same region. So, as loudly as Hollywood is screaming that region coding protects them from loss, the DVD aftermarket sales and rental industry is screaming that it’s killing them.
And that my friends is what motivated some major electronics manufacturers to come up with the region free DVD player. You simply set a switch to match the region setting on the DVD that you’re about to play and that’s it. Your region free DVD player handles everything from there so you can enjoy DVDs from anywhere in the world.
The whole region free DVD thing isn’t just about the forces of good vs. the forces of evil… I mean consumers vs. the film industry, There are some business and scientific reasons why region free DVD players are a good idea and one of them has to do with some really sci fi stuff.
Is there a need for interplanetary region free DVD players?
Well, almost. NASA has been making some serious inquiries about the availability of region free DVD players and that makes a lot of sense. With residents of the International Space Station slated to come from practically all of the DVD regions, they are either going to have to buy multiple DVD players from each region, or grab themselves a bunch of region free DVD players. You can imagine the entertainment role that watching DVDs on a region free DVD player will have when you’re part of a team that can’t drive out to the local theatre or down the street to DVD Rental World.
Like all good ideas, the movie industry is dead against region free DVD players. And while they haven’t struck a blow against them yet, they have tried to kill an offshoot known as code-free DVD players. These are modified DVD players where the entire code sensing circuitry has been removed. These modified players are usually sold on the gray, if not black, market and are looked at by the movie industry the same way that the cable industry views cable descramblers. In an effort to fight the code-free DVD players the movie industry has come up with Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE), which is a scheme that stops Region 1 DVDs from playing on code-free DVD players. I’m thinking that it’s going to be a bit more difficult for the movie honchos to stop the region free DVD player since all of the circuitry remains intact and the DVD just decides which region code it has to emulate.
So, if you travel to other countries; if you have people from other countries coming to see you; if you’re headed off to live on the International Space Station; if you like foreign films; or if you just want to give Hollywood the digital finger for yet another attempt to stick their hands even deeper into your pocket, then check out the latest line of region free DVD players. They’re worth it.
Here’s the 411 on Region Free DVD Players
For those of you that are clueless about region free DVD , let me get you up to speed. Have you ever paid attention to that little region number that’s printed somewhere on every movie DVD that you buy or rent? Well, it seems that Hollywood, and other major film producers around the world, cooked up this little encoding scheme that’s supposedly designed to protect the studios from having DVDs sold in countries where the original film hasn’t been released in the theaters yet. But there’s more behind the birth of the region free DVD player .
If you think about what the movie industry is claiming, it kind of makes sense from their point of view. If Shrek II is done playing in North America, but it hasn’t even opened in Australia, then it would make sense that the producers wouldn’t want the DVD being offered for rent or sale in the land down under until they’ve cleaned up on selling movie tickets there. However, there may be a more ominous reason behind these DVD region codes and people are starting to investigate claims of price fixing based upon which region is encoded on the DVD. It remains to be seen if consumers are getting ripped off and what role region free DVD players will have in thwarting that..
Anyway, regardless of who is ripping off whom, the DVD region code barrier is starting to crumble under a direct assault by the electronics industry and their latest weapon in the war against Hollywood henchmen : The region free DVD player. .
How the region free DVD player works
The region free DVD player let’s you select from among the world’s DVD regions so you can play any DVD regardless of which region it was encoded for. There are 8 separate regions and each one has their own DVD code so, unless you have a region free DVD player, you’re stuck playing DVDs that were meant for release in your particular country or region.
If you live in the U.S. or Canada, and you never go anywhere else, then you probably couldn’t care less if you have a region free DVD player or not. Unless, of course, you have a taste for foreign films which may never be released in your region. Here’s the problem that the rest of the world faces:
I’ve already told you that the movie industry sees the region code as a protective measure to offset the fact that the movie studios do not release a DVD into all regions at the same time. Sometimes they don’t even release a DVD into another region at all! Region coding makes it impossible for you to purchase a DVD on the Internet and play it in your home, if both the Internet store and your home are not in the same region. So, as loudly as Hollywood is screaming that region coding protects them from loss, the DVD aftermarket sales and rental industry is screaming that it’s killing them.
And that my friends is what motivated some major electronics manufacturers to come up with the region free DVD player. You simply set a switch to match the region setting on the DVD that you’re about to play and that’s it. Your region free DVD player handles everything from there so you can enjoy DVDs from anywhere in the world.
The whole region free DVD thing isn’t just about the forces of good vs. the forces of evil… I mean consumers vs. the film industry, There are some business and scientific reasons why region free DVD players are a good idea and one of them has to do with some really sci fi stuff.
Is there a need for interplanetary region free DVD players?
Well, almost. NASA has been making some serious inquiries about the availability of region free DVD players and that makes a lot of sense. With residents of the International Space Station slated to come from practically all of the DVD regions, they are either going to have to buy multiple DVD players from each region, or grab themselves a bunch of region free DVD players. You can imagine the entertainment role that watching DVDs on a region free DVD player will have when you’re part of a team that can’t drive out to the local theatre or down the street to DVD Rental World.
Like all good ideas, the movie industry is dead against region free DVD players. And while they haven’t struck a blow against them yet, they have tried to kill an offshoot known as code-free DVD players. These are modified DVD players where the entire code sensing circuitry has been removed. These modified players are usually sold on the gray, if not black, market and are looked at by the movie industry the same way that the cable industry views cable descramblers. In an effort to fight the code-free DVD players the movie industry has come up with Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE), which is a scheme that stops Region 1 DVDs from playing on code-free DVD players. I’m thinking that it’s going to be a bit more difficult for the movie honchos to stop the region free DVD player since all of the circuitry remains intact and the DVD just decides which region code it has to emulate.
So, if you travel to other countries; if you have people from other countries coming to see you; if you’re headed off to live on the International Space Station; if you like foreign films; or if you just want to give Hollywood the digital finger for yet another attempt to stick their hands even deeper into your pocket, then check out the latest line of region free DVD players. They’re worth it.
Britt Gillette asked:
Since it first aired in late 1999, The West Wing has been one of the most popular drama series on TV. Hollywood veteran Martin Sheen plays the lead role of President Jed Bartlet in this show which chronicles daily events in the life of a president. The daily operations of Bartlet’s White House are run by varying individuals such as Claudia “C.J.” Cregg (Allison Janney), Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), Leo McGarry (John Spencer), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff), and Charlie Young (Dule Hill). The West Wing focuses on these loyal attendants as they work around-the-clock to keep the White House running smoothly. In so doing, the stresses of the job and various personal hardships make for a voyeuristic glimpse into what many believe to be an accurate snap-shot of White House working life…
The West Wing (Season 3) DVD offers a number of dramatic episodes including the season premiere “Manchester: Part 1″ in which C.J. mistakenly reveals during her press conference that President Bartlet suffers from a medical condition, prompting an onslaught of media attention regarding the president’s health. In gearing up to spin the revelation, the staffers discuss whether or not Bartlet should apologize to the nation for failing to reveal the problem. Meanwhile, Abbey is not pleased when she learns that Jed has decided to run for re-election… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “The Indians in the Lobby” in which a pair of Indians announce their plans to stand in the lobby of the Department of Interior until they receive an answer on their 15-year-old application to buy back lost Indian lands, and “Hartsfield’s Landing” in which the staffers begin to execute their presidential primary strategy (beginning in New Hampshire) in their plan to win Bartlet’s re-election…
Below is a list of episodes included on The West Wing (Season 3) DVD:
Episode 45 (Manchester: Part 1) Air Date: 10-17-2001
Episode 46 (Manchester: Part 2) Air Date: 10-24-2001
Episode 47 (Ways and Means) Air Date: 10-31-2001
Episode 48 (On the Day Before) Air Date: 11-07-2001
Episode 49 (War Crimes) Air Date: 11-14-2001
Episode 50 (Gone Quiet) Air Date: 11-21-2001
Episode 51 (The Indians in the Lobby) Air Date: 11-28-2001
Episode 52 (The Women of Qumar) Air Date: 12-12-2001
Episode 53 (Bartlet for America) Air Date: 01-09-2002
Episode 54 (H. Con-172) Air Date: 01-16-2002
Episode 55 (100,000 Airplanes) Air Date: 01-30-2002
Episode 56 (The Two Bartlets) Air Date: 02-06-2002
Episode 57 (Night Five) Air Date: 02-27-2002
Episode 58 (Hartsfield’s Landing) Air Date: 03-06-2002
Episode 59 (Dead Irish Writers) Air Date: 03-27-2002
Episode 60 (The U.S. Poet Laureate) Air Date: 04-03-2002
Episode 61 (Stirred) Air Date: 05-01-2002
Episode 62 (Enemies Foreign and Domestic) Air Date: 05-08-2002
Episode 63 (The Black Vera Wang) Air Date: 05-15-2002
Episode 64 (We Killed Yamamoto) Air Date: 05-15-2002
Episode 65 (Posse Comitatus) Air Date: 05-22-2002
Since it first aired in late 1999, The West Wing has been one of the most popular drama series on TV. Hollywood veteran Martin Sheen plays the lead role of President Jed Bartlet in this show which chronicles daily events in the life of a president. The daily operations of Bartlet’s White House are run by varying individuals such as Claudia “C.J.” Cregg (Allison Janney), Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), Leo McGarry (John Spencer), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff), and Charlie Young (Dule Hill). The West Wing focuses on these loyal attendants as they work around-the-clock to keep the White House running smoothly. In so doing, the stresses of the job and various personal hardships make for a voyeuristic glimpse into what many believe to be an accurate snap-shot of White House working life…
The West Wing (Season 3) DVD offers a number of dramatic episodes including the season premiere “Manchester: Part 1″ in which C.J. mistakenly reveals during her press conference that President Bartlet suffers from a medical condition, prompting an onslaught of media attention regarding the president’s health. In gearing up to spin the revelation, the staffers discuss whether or not Bartlet should apologize to the nation for failing to reveal the problem. Meanwhile, Abbey is not pleased when she learns that Jed has decided to run for re-election… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “The Indians in the Lobby” in which a pair of Indians announce their plans to stand in the lobby of the Department of Interior until they receive an answer on their 15-year-old application to buy back lost Indian lands, and “Hartsfield’s Landing” in which the staffers begin to execute their presidential primary strategy (beginning in New Hampshire) in their plan to win Bartlet’s re-election…
Below is a list of episodes included on The West Wing (Season 3) DVD:
Episode 45 (Manchester: Part 1) Air Date: 10-17-2001
Episode 46 (Manchester: Part 2) Air Date: 10-24-2001
Episode 47 (Ways and Means) Air Date: 10-31-2001
Episode 48 (On the Day Before) Air Date: 11-07-2001
Episode 49 (War Crimes) Air Date: 11-14-2001
Episode 50 (Gone Quiet) Air Date: 11-21-2001
Episode 51 (The Indians in the Lobby) Air Date: 11-28-2001
Episode 52 (The Women of Qumar) Air Date: 12-12-2001
Episode 53 (Bartlet for America) Air Date: 01-09-2002
Episode 54 (H. Con-172) Air Date: 01-16-2002
Episode 55 (100,000 Airplanes) Air Date: 01-30-2002
Episode 56 (The Two Bartlets) Air Date: 02-06-2002
Episode 57 (Night Five) Air Date: 02-27-2002
Episode 58 (Hartsfield’s Landing) Air Date: 03-06-2002
Episode 59 (Dead Irish Writers) Air Date: 03-27-2002
Episode 60 (The U.S. Poet Laureate) Air Date: 04-03-2002
Episode 61 (Stirred) Air Date: 05-01-2002
Episode 62 (Enemies Foreign and Domestic) Air Date: 05-08-2002
Episode 63 (The Black Vera Wang) Air Date: 05-15-2002
Episode 64 (We Killed Yamamoto) Air Date: 05-15-2002
Episode 65 (Posse Comitatus) Air Date: 05-22-2002