Bloomin' Brilliant Bill Bailey Box-set

Bill is hilarious but £52.95 to £69.95? What gives? Has this set gone out of print? HMV is knocking them out for £20 right now (Dec 07). They also have Black Books for £15 - Bill is great in that, too. No, I don't work for HMV; I just don't like OTT prices.

The Manc Lion Returns with a Roar

After much anticipation the Manc Lion returned. The Gene Genie returned more mature and more laid back. Philip Glenister's on screen chemistry with Keeley Hawes works well, and the storylines have been excellent - and Gene's one-liners have been up to scratch from"Life on Mars". The music has been brilliant and the DVD is now well watched. I look forward to the next and final series with bated breath. Just keep up the good work, writers, actors and BBC.

Thanks for a very good spin off series.

The ultimate BLADE RUNNER

The 4k transfer was controled personly by RIDLEY SCOTT and he put a few new scene's in an tweeked around a bit on other scene's and what came out is the ULTIMATE BLADE RUNNER it's perfect and the sound was remixed from the orignal master's and it is a BLAST believe me this film never sounded so good.And I have a message for mr K.B who wrote a review above,the five disc version from amazon .com includes three HD-DVD's the other two disc's are DVD'S and are code free Disc 1 the final cut in 1080p,disc 2 dangerous days standard def dvd,disc 3 archvial versions U.S. theatrical cut international theatrical cut directors cut all in high def 1080p,disc 4 enhancement archive standard def dvd ,disc 5 workprint in 1080 high def.PS from amazon.de is a 2 disc version 1 HD-DVD and 1DVD with worthwhile info all in english.

Funny, moving and beautifully shot - the best film of 2007!

The book is so beautiful a piece of personal philosophy that I went to see the film with some trepidation, but if anything the film adds to the book by Bauby. The film is beautifully shot, funny and moving (but not in a sentimental way).

The director (who does not speak fluent French) chose to retain the original language of the book and this, I believe speaks volumes in a world of cinema where the digestability of a film by a mass audience is often classed as more important than retaining the soul of a piece of artistic cinema. The film was originally meant to be made by Pathe and star Jonny Depp - I think a tragedy was averted!

This film can be enjoyed (yes enjoyed - despite its theme it really isnt at all depressing) on so many levels - as a compelling human story, as an uplifting philosophy and as a work of art. You should not miss this film.

Fantastic

This is one of the best american shows I have ever watched. It will leave you amazed that they can get away with it! Its funny, sexy, rude but really enjoyable. I would recommend you to watch it if you like risque programmes! There are a lot of sex scenes - some rather rude and lots of crude talk. I'm still amazed it is made in America - thought they were too prudish - apparently they're not even allowed to show any kissing on Big Brother!!!!

Buy this now

If anyone ever asks you why you can't go out until after 8pm on a Saturday evening you need to show them this box set.

Perfect weekend entertainment for kids aged one and up!

Veering for light and breezy to touching and heart-wrentching (sometimes within the same episode) this is the series that got me hooked on Who.

The series finale will leave you breathless.

If you're eighty years old, but you look eighteen....

and you did it by belief and thought alone, then hooray, we can all believe in The Secret!
It states in the product overview that:"This is The Secret to everything - the secret to unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth: everything you have ever wanted." !!! Well...
All I'm asking is, why are the believers of The Secret so silent when it comes to questions like why can't old people make themselves young again by the power of thought? Most people in the world want to reverse aging, yet where are the eighty year old believers in The Secret who look eighteen instead of eighty?
I've seen the argument that it can't be done because it's not _meant_ to be done. But The Secret states that one can achieve _anything_ that one wants! And most people want to reverse aging, but most people do not achieve it! Even Byrne herself is supposed to be attempting it, but sadly hasn't succeeded.
Where are the bald men who have completely regrown all their hair by thinking and believing they could?
Where are the sixty year old women who have totally reversed the menopause and, or, got pregnant afterwards by _natural_ means?
Where are the old grannies with the hot young boyfriends?
I've seen people who have no belief in The Secret or anything like it and are very negative people with bad attitudes and full of resentment and hate and therefore according to The Secret should attract all manner of bad things into their lives, and yet they don't. And I've seen kind, good natured people with positive happy attitudes, attract bad circumstances.
Has anyone become a millionaire solely by believing one would? - You might say that can't happen without doing something to get it; but The Secret says you can have _anything_ you want. Anything means anything, it means someone who wants to buy a lottery ticket and win a few million that week, BEING ABLE TO. It means someone who wants to get together with the person they have worshipped from afar for a long time, BEING ABLE TO, even if they are a seventy eight year old granny and the object of their affections is some cute little seventeen year old boy from across the way! Don't say it can't be done. The Secret says you can have ANYTHING YOU WANT!
To get back to the one thing that most people spend a lot of time focusing on, the desire to look forever young. If The Secret were true, then most of those people would look young because they give so much thought to it, because you"attract what you think about", yet most people do not achieve this. They may look considerably younger than they are, (I've seen people looking 30 years younger than their age, but none of them believe in The Secret, they've inherited the tendency to look young for much longer than most) but even famous people who are lauded for looking younger than their years, none of them in their seventies or eighties look about twenty years old, and yet they would if they could, hence some of the hideous caricatures we see of people who have had facelifts so many times that they look grotesque. So you honestly believe that some of those people would not be able to make themselves look young again if they could? I'm sure most of them must have heard of The Secret, and it states one can have ANYTHING one wants, and yet the one thing that _most_ people want, remains evasive!
Even certain famous celebrities who are praised for looking very young, have flabby underarms and old looking hands. (Madonna anyone?) So, the reversal of aging on the body and physical appearance stays elusive, even for people well in the know, with fitness gurus at their disposal and following the spiritual techniques that supposedly reverse aging, so if they cannot achieve it, is anyone who believes in The Secret going to? Even Byrne herself has not been able to. Which says it all really!
It's no use anyone saying that reversing aging would be against natural laws, or that for some granny to want some cute boy, would not be right and proper, or that one musn't want this or musn't want that, for reasons of this is wrong or that is wrong, One fact remains, and this is that The Secret is _marketed_ on the basis that you can have ANYTHING you want, you only have to read it and believe. But, this is quite obviously just NOT TRUE! The author of The Secret is a woman in her fifties who looks like a woman in her fifties. Yet it has been stated that after 'curing' her defective eyesight in three days by the power of her mind, she had then turned her attention to using her mind to reverse aging in herself. Sadly, she has not succeeded in doing so!!
I don't know how it can be justified, the amount of money being made by selling impossible dreams to people, it is bordering on cruelty with its misleading and ultimately untrue promises.
It would be very nice if The Secret really were true, but it just isn't.

Fantastic

Absolutely fantastic series. Gripping story, intelligently written and with some wonderful dry humour. Can't think of anything bad. Well done to everyone involved.

Great documentary - a change from the norm

I am not a space nut - in fact, as I was not alive/very old for the missions, they are not anything I have particularly thought about before. However, this is such a beautifully produced and directed documentary that it does not matter - and I certainly know a lot more now!

The character of all those involved (Neil Armstrong notable by his absence) shone through - their down to earth nature and"all in a days work" attitude was humbling. They make it easy to forget how dangerous such pioneering work was.

All in all, a lovely film that makes a real change from fiction blockbusters. The film, like its stars, is both understated and awe-inspiring. Enjoy! (And if you are also an Apollo enthusiast, you would love it even more!).

The cast don't shine

When you have two great actors (Nicholson and Freeman), a storyline which involves both of them facing a cancer induced death, then this film surely must be an emotional rollercoaster? Sadly not - the plot is fairly bland and while it has some poigniant moments in, it is predictble and (in my opinion) pretty uninspiring. It's far from a terrble film, and the"bucket list" idea (things to do before you die) is certainly good film material,this just doesn't do it justice, particular given what phenomenal actors the two leads can be. All in all, not a terrible way to spend 90 minutes, but I suggest you moderate your expectations.

A happy, upbeat film for everyone.

My daughter came back from visiting her friend and was raving about how much she loved this movie she had seen. As she is just 13 I'm conscientious of allowing her to see 'teen films' with adult issues, but as this is a Disney film I bought her a copy. We watched it together and I was really surprised to find that I enjoyed it. It tells the story of a romance between two high school students Troy and Gabriella, and their efforts to perform in the school play. The music is modern upbeat pop and is really catchy. This film is not about heavy or gritty issues. It is about the innocence of first love. It is a Grease Lite for the noughties generation, and I mean this as a good compliment. Just lovely!

Here's what the FT had to say

Here's the Financial Times article on Series Four that initially alerted me to The Wire's existence. Since reading this article, I've bought - and been bowled over by - the first three series, and am about to get going on the fourth. I've never watched anything that has given such an in-depth, nuanced, balanced and entertaining insight into so many important issues of the day. It stays with you and makes you think about its message long after you stop watching it. There just isn't a better series than The Wire - it's unquestionably sui generis.
_______________________________________

A black underclass gets its own Dickens
Published: September 14 2006

The Wire, a US police drama that has just begun its fourth season on HBO, is the best television show ever broadcast in America. No other programme has ever come close to doing what it does, namely portraying the social, political and economic life of an American city with the scope, precision and moral vision of great literature.

During its first year, it was possible to mistake The Wire for merely an unusually shrewd crime saga. But the programme has become richer and more ambitious with each season and now fits only into a category it defines by itself: the urban procedural. Its protagonist is the broken metropolis of Baltimore, depicted with obsessive verisimilitude and affectionate rage.

Its fundamental concern is the isolation and degradation of the black underclass, a subject that has, with the exception of a brief blip after Hurricane Katrina, disappeared from the American political radar screen.

If the national conscience is ready for another sleepless night overlives wasted in the ghetto, I expect that The Wire will be what keeps us awake.

It is a mark of this programme's artistic courage that while homicide and detective work remain its bread and butter, it dares to focus this year on an urban environment not ordinarily associated with commercial television: an all-black middle school in West Baltimore. The show's creator, David Simon, has had the self-assuredness to drop the Hollywood convention of the white cop as hero.

At the centre of this season's drama are the compelling characters of four adolescent African-American boys, played by unknown actors so preternaturally talented they do not seem to be acting at all. Watching The Wire this season feels less like watching these four children navigate their cruel world than like adopting them. At 12 and 13, they can still go either way. The central drama is whether"the game" of drug dealing will exert its gravitational pull on them, or whether they will somehow beat the odds pointing them towards jail and violent death. The programme reverses your expectations while breaking your heart.

Several critics have commented on The Wire's"literary" quality. In particular, the programme echoesthe Victorian social panorama of Charles Dickens (who gets a mention this season as an obscene anatomical reference). The story cuts from the top of the city's social structure toits bottom.

As with Dickens, the excitement builds as the intricate plot unfolds in addicting instalments. But the deeper connection to Dickens is the programme's animating fury at the way a society robs children oftheir childhood. In our civilised age, we do not send 12-year-olds towork in blacking factories. Today's David Copperfield is instead dragooned into slinging drugs onthe corner, where his prospects are even bleaker.

The other main theme this seasonis urban politics. A white candidate tries to win election as mayor by cynically splitting the vote of the city's black majority. Yet this ambitious white politician is also an idealist frustrated by the waste of lives all around him.

The election plot line, along with another about the venal police brass trying to manipulate crime statistics, captures the realities of American government and the compound motives of politicians in a way that leaves West Wing in the dust. The programme's political science is as brilliant as its sociology.

In past seasons, The Wire has won praise from critics but suffered from weak ratings. That may be less because it leaves you drained and disturbed at the end of an episode than because of the challenge of keeping track of its many characters and narrative threads. There is also the difficulty of absorbing the black dialect it represents as faithfully as it does all its other carefully studied details.

While The Wire feels startlingly lifelike, it is not a naturalistic depiction. That style of realism better describes an earlier series of Mr Simon's, The Corner, which was based on a work of journalism of the same name that he co-wrote, also set in the same Baltimore ghetto. The HBO version of The Corner, whichis almost unbearable to watch,seems to have been a crucial life study for The Wire, a programme that attains the dimensions of tragedy without being depressing.

How this manages to be the case is the most interesting aspect of the programme's artistry. The sparkling writing and bravura cast make viewers root for dozens of rich characters, including several despicable ones. Everyone's favourite survivors from earlier seasons are back this year, including two truly Shakespearean figures: the vagabond snitch"Bubbles" and Omar, a gay stick-up artist whose personal code involves never serving any other masters and not cursing.

What ultimately makes The Wire uplifting for all the heartbreak is its embodiment of what America's leading black politician, the senator Barack Obama, calls"the audacityof hope".

It is filled with characters who should give up but do not do so, not only the boys themselves, but teachers, cops, ex-cops and ex-convicts who lose their hearts to them. Thisrefusal to surrender in the face of defeat is a reality of ghetto lifeas well.

The writer is editor of Slate.com

It is what it says on the tin......

I get hacked off with people slating big budget blockbusters all the time. Sure, people might see it more ''artistic' to say the love a film that was made for £100 by an indie in Belgium. Sure, there are many indie's that are great. but don't slag a film like this just because its mainstream and big budget! It's transformers! the cartoon and toys i grew up with. This is FANTASTIC and brings that world to life. Great fun - Shindlers list it isn't, but a great movie in this high octane fun genre. A must for a fan of this type of film.

What was it all about?

The reviews of this film didn't really make clear that you have to be a SG1 fan to understand it. Having watched the original 1994 film, and a few of the TV episodes, I thought this was going to be a complete"thrilling adventure" with a beginning, an end, and an explanation of what was going on. I still have no idea who the Ori are, why they need to be defeated, or what the ark of truth has to do with it, even though I ploughed on to the very end of the film.

Superb

If you only buy one US tv series this year it has to be Damages. The script is sharp and will keep you guessing and hooked to the last episode. This far outshines anything else around at the moment.

Mature American film

This film tackles head on blind patriotism, shattered dreams and the brutalizing of young men by fighting in a war, that in the opinion of many, should never have taken place.

Clearly the director is one of those who question the Iraq debacle and it's consequence back home in the USA. No doubt he will be derided by many right-wing Americans for having the audacity to create a film that questions the morality of America's involvement in that war.

The plot is well described by others. Tommy Lee Jones gives the performance of a lifetime and Charlize Theron shows that she is one of America's finest actresses. The film is a tad ponderous, but that is often what you get when trying to portray genuine heartache.

This is not a heart warming movie experience (don't watch it if you have toothache), but nevertheless it is a compelling story.

I expected better

I am a big fan of the more authentic westerns,ie Geronimo,Broken Trail,Open Range etc,I was looking forward to seeing a decent western with two brilliant actors in the lead roles. What a huge disappointment. If you can tolerate gunshots sounding like the blanks they are, a man who is gutshot,has to be transported by stretcher,loses lots of blood,operated on as soon as a veterinary doctor sees him & in the next scene is riding on the escort to take the baddie to justice & along with other `spaghetti western` bits you might get some enjoyment out of it but for me it takes the realms of western mythology a bit to far. If this is the best this director can do I won`t be watching any more of his films. A total waste of Russell Crowes & Christian Bales talents.

A Heart Pounding Family Fantasy Adventure

The Grace family is moving from New York to the family estate in the middle of nowhere. It is no one's first choice, but newly single mom Helen (Mary-Louise Parker) has a job in the area. And it allows them a chance to move into the Spiderwick mansion. Helen is related to the Spiderwicks. In fact, she has inherited the mansion, so it cuts down on costs.

Of her three kids, daughter Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and son Simon (Freddie Highmore) are okay with the change. Simon's twin Jared (also Freddie Highmore) is not. He can't wait for his dad to come and get him out of there.

The house is creepy, and right away things start to go missing. Jared hears a noise in the wall that leads to the discovery of a dumb waiter and a hidden room. Exploring further, Jared finds an old book with a warning on the cover. Ignoring the warning, Jared opens the book and starts to read.

It's only after reading the book that Jared realizes what he's done. See, the book contains the secrets of all the creatures that are in the world around us that we can't see, like fairies, goblins, and ogres. And one ogre in particular, Mulgarath (voiced by Nick Nolte), wants that book so he can destroy everything. Now Jared, Simon, and Mallory are in the fight of their lives to find a way to defeat Mulgarath and stay alive. Can they do it?

This movie is an adrenaline fueled ride. It is creepy and intriguing from the first few seconds and builds from there. I was on the edge of my seat by the end. While I absolutely loved it, it might frighten young kids. I would seriously question whether anyone under 8 or so would enjoy it. Of course, you know your own kids best, so judge accordingly.

While a fast paced thrill ride, the story still hangs together. A couple things got glossed over in the ending, but they were minor. The acting is great as well, especially from Sarah Bolger and Freddie Highmore who carry the film since they are in every scene. Freddie makes both his characters different. I expect we'll be seeing lots more from him in the future.

The special effects could have been a little better. I don't know whether they were going for stylized or what, but they aren't up to the level we are used to seeing these days. And it just goes to show how spoiled we are because they are certainly adequate. They just aren't the blow your socks off stuff we normally see these days.

If this movie won't scare your kids, see it. Heck, see it even if you don't have kids. This is an entertaining fantasy thrill ride that anyone old enough will love.