Akilahs Blog

The 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14549 in Movie
• Released on: 2009-04-07
• Running time: 45 minutes

Customer Reviews:

This is the lamest SI swimsuit issue in years!!
As a perennial fan of the SI Swimsuit issue I am sorry to report this issue is not worth the $7 I paid for it! The cover shot is good but it is the best photo in the entire magazine. What is going on at SI? Are you you going through a budget crunch and not getting the top models any more? There is no sizzle here. There is no adventure here.

If you want a good bikini mag, get a Maxim.

Nothing more inspiring than a beautiful woman.
You can love a place, a house, a dog or a horse, etc., but nothing quite affects you in the same way as a beautiful woman.

Great Video for Photographers and Models
This is a great video for photographers and models to learn from–a see how it’s done, behind the scenes video. I would recommend that Amazon.com make it available for Mac users to download and play later like they have for Windows. Also, Amazon.com has it labeled as “PC” download. First off, all computers are “PC” or personal computers unless they are mainframes or servers. I hope Amazon.com changes it to Windows download instead.

Another thing for Amazon.com, why not make it like Youtube and other video sites where you can grab the code to embed this video on other sites, great viral marketing possibilities.

Back to the video, as a glamour photographer and author of three glamour photography books, this video is first-class and beneficial to all photographers and models and I hope Amazon.com continues to support this genre of photography. Thanks, Rolando Gomez, http://www.rolandogomez.com

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Kinsey Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12110 in Movie
• Released on: 2007-07-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Running time: 119 minutes

Customer Reviews:

A preoccupation with sex
KINSEY is the story of Alfred Kinsey, here played by Liam Neeson, the author of “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male” (1948) and “Sexual Behavior in the Human Female” (1953), both of which raised, um, eyebrows.

As the film succinctly shows, Alfred, the son of a puritanical minister that went so far as to rail against zippers for giving idle hands easy access to occasions for sin, grew up to be a zoologist whose obsession with collecting and studying the gall wasp gained him a measure of obscurity. However, after marrying Clara McMillen (Laura Linney), with whom he achieved sexual liberation after sorting out a few physical impediments with the help of a knowledgeable physician, Kinsey achieved local notoriety at Indiana University by teaching an enlightened and graphic sex education course for students and staff. It was there that he first utilized questionnaires to elicit personal sexual histories, the methodology, administered by trained interviewers, that he later used in the thousands across the nation to build the database for his two books. In KINSEY, we also see depicted the Kinsey couple’s unconventional sexual relationship, as well as those of Alfred’s cadre of interviewers and their wives. Hugh Hefner would’ve been proud to have the investigative team over to his mansion for a frolic.

Insofar as it goes, KINSEY appears to give a reasonably accurate summary of the sex researcher’s bio. I base this conclusion on my own sketchy knowledge of the subject, hastily gleaned from a website. The film does skip over a couple of minor points. It doesn’t share that Alfred was an atheist who thought Judeo-Christian sexual ethics repressive. It also seamlessly transitions from Kinsey’s sex-ed class at IU into his larger national study without revealing that he was replaced as the class instructor because his lecture content was too racy for the times. In any case, Neeson’s performance is certainly worth an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and perhaps Linney for Best Actress also.

Perhaps hoping to be on the cutting edge of sexual expression, as were Kinsey’s two books, KINSEY has two brief shots of full-frontal male nudity (involving supporting actor Peter Sarsgaard), something not often seen in American theatres in mainstream releases. Kinsey would be pleased.

KINSEY is a finely crafted, entertaining, and instructive look at a simpler time and place before AIDS and HIV became parts of the sexual equation.

Good bio-pic that ignores the most interesting questions
When “Kinsey” was released, I entered the theater eagerly, expecting a detailed and thorough look at the man and his work; I left the theater disappointed, and that disappointment grew the more I thought back on the film. “Kinsey” does indeed provide a detailed and thorough look at Alfred Kinsey, but the movie’s treatment of his work and its impact is very narrow. The filmmakers never quite get to the really interesting questions.

“Kinsey” tells the story of Alfred Kinsey (Liam Neeson), author of “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.” The film follows Kinsey’s life from his early years as a zoologist and his marriage to his wife Clara (Laura Linney), through his groundbreaking work in the study of human sexuality and the effects of and reactions to that work.

As a straight bio-pic, “Kinsey” does a good job. However, it is hard to miss the fact that the implications of his work are largely ignored, and when the subject is raised, the movie quickly glosses it over. For instance, Kinsey appears to argue that sex and emotion can and should be thought of as unrelated (or at least not necessarily related), and he follows this principle in his own life. In the larger scale, this sentiment figured largely in the American sexual revolution, and continues to a vital part of current attitudes towards sex. Yet this aspect of Kinsey’s work is addressed for only the briefest of moments. At one point, Clara–initially upset by the notion that sex and love can be divorced from one another–asks Kinsey, “But what about love?” This is by far the most compelling question the movie asks, yet the plot quickly moves past it, leaving it as merely a device to further the development of Kinsey and Clara’s relationship.

The implications of Kinsey’s work are not entirely ignored by the movie, and the filmmakers do a good job of addressing the impact on homosexuality and its perception. But ultimately, “Kinsey” deeply disappointed me. Although Kinsey’s studies furthered our understanding of human sexuality, the subject still remains quite mysterious, and the filmmakers squandered a wonderful chance to probe its depths.

fascinating research by a very strange guy
In 1938 Alfred Kinsey, a young Harvard-trained zoologist whose speciality was the gall wasp, took over a course on “marriage” at Indiana University and, based upon his relentless curiosity and unapologetically scientific treatment of the subject, turned the class into something akin to sexology. He subsequently published Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), based upon 18,000 sexual histories he and his staff collected. For the first time ever, sex was scientifically-situated. This biographical dramatization reminded me of Ray, in the sense of an overwhelming human force who grappled with a perennial subject and in the process shaped American culture. The main message of the film, if it has one, seems to be that repression and taboo melt in the light of frankness and tolerance of difference, no matter how quirky: “We are the recorders and reporters of facts–not the judges of the behaviors we describe,” insisted Kinsey. But the film is careful to show in some deeply painful moments like pedophilia, sex encouraged among staff members, Kinsey’s bi-sexual experimentation, and broken marriages that human sexuality is far more, and more complex, than the mere scientific documentation of its parts. Fidelity, intimacy, integrity and love define sexuality as much as our habits. Kinsey died in 1956 at the age of 62, although the Kinsey Institute continues today.

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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Product: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Review. List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #939 in Movie
• Released on: 2008-10-31
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Running time: 156 minutes

Southern Belle Savannah.
Adapting a book to the screen is always a risk, and adapting a successful book particularly so, especially if it is a nonfiction book and the story has already made news (or been the subject of gossip, which in this instance doesn’t seem to make much difference) long before the book was ever written. There will always be those who claim that you didn’t do the book justice, or that you didn’t do the real events justice, or both. But let’s face it, folks, the vast majority of us weren’t witnesses to Jim Williams’s record four trials, nor did we attend any of his famous Christmas parties, nor did or do we know Mr. Williams or any of the other inhabitants of Savannah featured so prominently here (even if Jerry Spence - not the attorney, the hairdresser appearing as himself in the movie - insists that ever since the publication of John Behrendt’s book people have been asking him to sign their copy). All that most of us did was read the book … yes, so did I, and I enjoyed it immensely. And maybe some have taken a trip to Savannah and gone on one of those “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” bus tours. (No, haven’t done that myself yet. Savannah’s on my list, though.)

Granted, condensing four trials into one, adding a fictional reporter (John Kelso alias John Cusack) as a stand-in for Mr. Behrendt whose book is a first-person account, and making Mandy Nichols (director Clint Eastwood’s daughter Alison) the reporter’s love interest, meant altering the facts as related in the book. But let’s not forget that the latter covers a period of eight-plus years and is jam-packed with a shooting, four trials, a host of social events and a cast of more memorable characters than many a novel; all of which is near impossible to transform into a movie if you neither want to skip over half the important details and move the action at breakneck speed, nor turn the project into a ten-part TV series. These changes were probably necessary byproducts of the screenwriting process. But the core elements of the story have been maintained, and apart from the relationship between Mandy and John Kelso/John Behrendt, the cast of main characters strikes me as pretty faithful to the book.

Most importantly, the person at the center of the story: antiques dealer, art lover, restorer of historic mansions and sun of Savannah’s genteel society, Jim Williams, is exactly the kind of man you imagine after having read the book - portrayed by Kevin Spacey with all the charm, grace and slightly condescending noblesse you would expect from a textbook Southern gentleman, with that “coastal accent … soft and slurring, liquid of vowels, kind to consonants” as John Behrendt writes, quoting “Gone With the Wind;” making you forget that neither Mr. Williams actually came from “old money,” nor Kevin Spacey grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line. And Savannah, of course, is Savannah … city of grand old mansions surrounding its 21 squares, cotillon balls (including a black one), a Married Women’s (Card) Club, lush vegetation, shady trees, Spanish moss and sultry heat radiating from the pages of John Behrendt’s book as much as it does from the movie screen in director Clint Eastwood’s interpretation. The movie was shot on location, including and in particular in and around Williams’s Mercer House, on Monterey Square and in Bonaventure and Beaufort Cemeteries; giving it that feeling of authenticity which is virtually impossible to replicate in a studio. In addition, almost all of the Savannah residents vital to the story readily participated in screen tests; with the glamorous Lady Chablis (in all her eccentricity more lady than many a born one, Southern or otherwise) emerging in a starring role and Williams’s attorney Sonny Seiler portraying the trial judge. Even bulldog Uga, the famed mascot of the University of Georgia’s football team, traditionally provided by the Seiler family and as important a member of Savannah society as all its human residents and as Patrick, the long-deceased dog still symbolically being walked by its former caregiver, was not left out … with the minor imperfection that because Uga IV, the star of the book and the real events it describes had already followed his ancestors Uga I - III to dog heaven when the movie was shot, he had to be portrayed by his son, Uga V. And more authenticity is added by the use of several songs written by Johnny Mercer, Savannah’s famous son and great-grandson of the general who built the mansion restored and inhabited by Jim Williams.

Clint Eastwood’s direction evokes an only marginally modernized version of the “old South” most of which could have come straight out of a book by Faulkner or Tennessee Williams; with an eye for the atmosphere and intricacies of the place and its people that comes as a surprise only to those who merely know the one-term mayor of Carmel, CA as Dirty Harry or the Man With No Name, not as the director of “The Bridges of Madison County,” like this movie a book adaptation (although set in quite a different environment). And in this approach, he proves as faithful to John Behrendt’s book as in the movie’s depiction of Jim Williams and his fellow Savannahians: What on the surface is the chronicle of the trial of a prominent and rather colorful member of society for the death of a wayward, hot-tempered street hustler who happened to be his sometime lover (and that of most of Savannah’s society, both male and female), is truly a complex, beautifully shot portrayal of the city itself and its people; like in the book, the events as such are merely a vehicle to put into pictures what Eastwood was interested in most. Yet, the movie should first and foremost be taken at face value; it is more than just another book adaptation and in its dignified beauty, easily stands on its own two feet.

Also recommended:
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Capitol Collectors Series
The Bridges of Madison County (Deluxe Widescreen Edition)

“Jewel of the South”….Has Gem of a Story…
This review refers to the Special Edition DVD(WB)……

New York free-lance jouranlist John Kelso(John Cusak) is in Savannah to cover an the elite annual Christmas party thrown by the nouveau-riche John Williams(Kevin Spacey).John is in awe of the splendor,the charms,the opulence, and history of his surroundings. The party takes place in the Mercer House, built by the grandfather of Johnny Mercer.John meets some very colorful characters at the party. They all seem to be living in another world, one that is decadent and oblivious to the rest of the world. John is about to wrap his little essay for “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine, but when the evening ends with a mysterius murder, he stays on and become embroiled in the odd trial that follows.

John decides to do a little investigating on his own, as he plans to write a book about the whole sordid affair. Jim Williams is the one on trial for the murder of a belligerent employee(Jude Law). Was he merely an employee though? What was the relationship of these two? During his investigating John encounters an eccentric array of characters, who all become important in some way to the trial. You’ll meet Minerva, the voo-doo lady,who uses charms and spells to help Jim, “The Lady Chablis”, a transexual who brings her own special charms to the story, and some of the jury members are pretty out there as well.John becomes one with this community as he must do whatever it takes to get this story. So meet him at the cemetary….at Midnight..in the Garden of Good and Evil!

Clint Eastwood directs this intriguing story that was based on John Brendt’s book of the same name.(Which was based on actual events). Eastwood mixes the mysteriousness of these events, with the wonderful surroundings of Savannah, and adds the music of Johnny Mercer to bring us a rare gem. A film that will have you totally involved with all the characters. The cast also includes, Allison Eastwood, Geoffrey Lewis and Jack Thompson. “The Lady Chablis” plays “The Lady Chablis”! And..Uga V the Georgia bulldog actually plays his father Uga IV and does a darn good job!The soundtrack is fabulous, mostly Mercer songs, and the cinematogrpahy is beautiful.Eastwood once again displays his behind the camera talents.

The DVD is a great transfer. The picture is crystal clear and colors outstanding even in the nighttime scenes. The surround sound in the Dolby Digital 5.1 is very good. It is presented in widescreen, which enhances all the wonderful scenery of Savannah. Special Features include interviews, production notes,and a theatrical trailer. It may be viewed in English or French and also has subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

A terrific mystery, wonderful characters, well directed and a great DVD…enjoy…Laurie

A timeless piece of eccentric south
I have lived in the south all my life. Watching this movie reminded me of how beautiful and special this place is. Clint Eastwood’s interpretation of John Berendt’s piece of literary art was splendid in its own right. It reminded me of how rich our heritage is. The music, the superb casting (no one can deny the talent of the great Kevin Spacey) and the seemingly endless parade of characters kept me enthralled from the beginning. It’s not often a film can pull at my heartstrings, teach me something about tolerance and history, reveal such beauty and amuse me at the same time. The movie so moved me that I read the book. Although somewhat different, each form was intriguing. I have just returned from Savannah. I was constantly reminded of the story of Jim Williams as I walked the squares and felt the history therein. This filmed turned attention once again to a wonderful magical place, the South.

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The Wedding Date Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2329 in Movie
• Released on: 2008-11-24
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Running time: 90 minutes

Customer Reviews:

A Vacation for the Mind
While the plot may seem implausible, I really enjoyed this movie. Since I love all types of movies (documentary, action, comedy, drama, etc.), I saw this movie for what it was…an enjoyable way to spend some time. If you are looking for light-hearted entertainment that doesn’t require you to think, then this movie fits the bill. Dermot Mulroney is great as the suave date bought by Debra Messing’s character. And Messing shines as the woman who blossoms during her courtship with her date. And for those who think she’s too beautiful to need to buy a date, they haven’t seen the many beautiful single women of the world. Not all movies are meant to be deep and thought-provoking, some are just meant to make you smile…and this movie delivers.

Best Friend’s Wedding Crossed with Pretty Woman Crossed With Four Weddings and a Funeral
The Wedding Date is a romantic comedy, and to do that formula well you either have to do the formula perfectly with perfectly cast leads or you have to come up with a unique angle. The Wedding Date tries both.

Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney make a good-looking couple. All of the women in this movie and all the women at my house were swooning over Mr. Mulroney who looks like he just stepped off the cover of one of those passionate-embracing romance novels. Ms. Messing has the looks and timing to pull off her role, which requires a decent amount of suspension of disbelief. She comes from a well-off family, but in the opening scenes we see that she is a supervisor of working stiffs. Her sister is getting married over in England and her ex-fiancee, who painfully dumped her a few years ago, is the best man. She wants to impress all the right people so she hires professional escort Mr. Mulroney - for $6,000. That is an expensive date, and I don’t know any regular people who would pay anything close to that simply to impress an ex.

But we swallow that and watch the film for what it is. Debra and Dermot are likable and attractive. Sarah Parish delivers most of the best lines in the movie as saucy cousin TJ. Jack Davenport gives a strong performance as the groom - the one marrying the sister. More than even the lead characters, his world is turned upside down in the rapid-fire final act, and more than the other characters I found myself hoping that things will work out for him. Peter Egan plays Dad in a way full of fatherly love and mature wisdom.

As long as you can accept Debra Messing as a woman who would have to pay a man $6,000 to pretend to be her date, this may be the Romantic Comedy for this week.

A hot ‘Date’
Fresh point of view puts sizzle in story that could’ve been sappy

Like romance in the real world, “The Wedding Date” is part laughs and part tears.

Director Clare Kilner isn’t interested in squeezing every possible gag out of every scene. Certainly, the situation that Kat Ellis (Debra Messing) finds herself in - a single woman who hires a man to pose as her date for a family wedding - is loaded with comic possibilities. But the movie also recognizes Kat’s pain, embarrassment and anger.

It’s this darker undercurrent that makes “The Wedding Date” more than a bubble-gum soap opera.

When we first meet her, Kat seems to be wigging out over the prospect of flying to Britain for her sister’s wedding. Her situation is actually worse. The sister is a self-absorbed nightmare. The best man, Jeffrey, is Kat’s ex-fiance and the man who broke her heart.

The last thing Kat wants to do is show up without a guy. So, she employs a male escort, Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney), to pretend to be her boyfriend. Kat and Nick must convince her friends and family that they are crazy in love and make Jeffrey sorry he ever left Kat.

The trip is about Kat getting over her past, and Nick allowing himself to feel love. Events take an unexpected and dark twist before everything is put to rights.

The big rap against Messing, star of the TV series “Will & Grace,” is that she plays Kat as Grace Adler without Will. We still don’t know if Messing can do more than look adorable and take pratfalls.

Mulroney played Julia Roberts’ crush in 1997’s “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” He was good-looking back then, but now he’s beyond hot. Mulroney gives Nick a smoldering, sexy aloofness leavened with charm and a tendency to spout aphorisms about life and love.

Messing and Mulroney are surrounded by a strong supporting cast of American and British actors.

Holland Taylor plays Kat’s outspoken mother, Bunny Ellis. British actress Sarah Parish is hilarious as Kat’s randy and uninhibited friend, T.J. American actress Amy Adams is pitch-perfect as the spoiled sister Amy.

Kilner and screenplay writer Dana Fox bring a female point of view to “The Wedding Date.” They aren’t afraid to let the darker elements overshadow the humor when the story demands it, and they really explore Kat’s emotional journey.

Thank goodness author Elizabeth Young’s book, “Asking for Trouble,” on which the film is based, wasn’t turned into a “Porky’s”-style sex comedy.

So many romantic comedies are tired and predictable, because they are about two people who the audience knows will be together by the end. “The Wedding Date” starts with two people who are a couple for the wrong reasons and lets us watch them couple up for the right reasons.

Pour the champagne and toast “The Wedding Date.”

Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Shoot First And Pray You Live Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17046 in Movie
• Released on: 2010-02-23
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Running time: 111 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Actually, a great Indie Film
If you’re expecting John Wayne to limp around an over-lit Saloon, this is not the film for you. If you’re a fan of the spaghetti westerns, you’ll love it. Great acting, cinematography, music and script. I have to watch it again to catch all the nuances. Reminded me of a Tarantino film.

Interesting case for this movie
Very interesting movie. The only thing better than watching the movie was reading the divided reviews about it. Like ALL the negative reviewers I agree that going into this with stiff expectations for getting what you want out of a western or Tarantino-rip off then you will be immediately dissappointed. This movie is not a western, nor is it a Tarantino-B-Movie, it dresses up like both genres but it doesn’t represent neither of them as it creates its own experience. That said, after watching this flick twice (yes, you may have to watch it again) I am certain that I have absolutely no idea of the original direction of this movie or what the producers/directors were agreeing on as this went into production. Im also fairly certain that the end result was not the orginal idea. If it was then these guys are pure geniuses on the Sergio Leonne level in terms of breaking down a genre, actually two genres, and building up something totally new and different from the scraps. This is not a movie for everyone and like most people I went into this just wanting to see a B western movie (as the title and previews hint towards). What I saw initially disgusted me as I had to think about what I was watching and suspend my urges to be thrilled by another formulaic revenge plot western. This movie is NOT formulaic in anyway. It genuinely and secretly breaks the mold without promising to, without advertising itself as a great movie. I can see the average movie goer giving this 1 star or walking out in the first 10 minutes. Yes the movie pretends to be cheesy with a hillbilly voice over narration and Tarantino-like blood gushes but that is just costume jewelry disguising something that is many carats of bling. I gave this movie 5 stars for originality alone and its ability to be cheesy and potentially empty and formualic but making me want to watch it. Looking forward to part 2 of this flick and whatever else this Production/Directorial team is doing next.

Warning, do not watch!
This film is bad on every level. It makes an episode of Scooby Doo seem high-end. It could be an example of what not to do when making a movie. I felt ripped off of my time and money. Anyone giving this film a positive review is either blind and deaf or an investor in or associated with the movie in some way. Yes, it is that awful. It is not even a complete film. The Director has to show the SAME scenes over and over again, and some scenes are shown running BACKWARDS to fill the 110 minutes ( I am not making this up ). The plot is so convoluted, poorly written and boring you end up feeling sorry for the actors. The real title to this thing should be ” Shoot me first and pray I don’t live to the end of the film “. Save your money and go to You Tube, the entertainment value is better.`

Forehead Wrinkles

Lost Boys 2: The Tribe Uncut Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10537 in Movie
• Released on: 2008-07-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Running time: 94 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Boys Get Lost in “The Tribe”
Although I am a big fan of the original “Lost Boys”, I went into this movie with a VERY open mind and with no real expectations. I just hoped that the film was, at the very least, watchable. Well let me just say, BARELY. This movie isn’t good. Period. It’s poorly executed - sequel or no sequel. The pacing is off. The direction is amateurish - like “The Grudge” or “Pulse” meets a bad MTV video. The movie uses gratuitous nudity and language to try and make up for the fact that it sucks, yet it brings out the film’s flaws even that much more. The original “Lost Boys” didn’t need extreme gore or nudity because it was relying on other things like a good story and good acting. This story is just a rehash of the first “Lost Boys” with a few things switched around. The movie even incorporates lines from the first film, which may have been cool if the movie was good, but since it’s not, it comes off as more of an insult.

In the movie, there is a love scene between Reeser and Sutherland that is shot like the Michael/Star scene in the original with the same “Lost Boys” theme song playing. However, the love scene is emotionless. Any vampire could see it’s just a bloodless imitation of the thirst-quenching original (sorry, I couldn’t resist using some vampy adjectives there). Also, the film’s vampire death lore is inconsistent. For example, sometimes when a vampire is killed, it turns to stone. Other times it explodes, turns to dust, vomits gallons of blood — WTF? Edgar Frog, (played by Corey Feldman) addresses it with the same line from the first film: “No two bloodsuckers go the same way. Some yell and scream, some go quietly, some explode, some implode, but all will try to take you with them”. That kind of explains it but no vampires turned to stone or dust in the first one. Since this is a sequel, shouldn’t they have stuck to the original? “Death by stereo”, anyone? I don’t know it just seemed like an excuse to use some CGI.

As for the acting — the lead actor, Tad Hilgenbrink (who plays Chris Emerson) is horrible — please don’t act again, dude. PLEASE!!! This guy may look like Jason Patrick but he has zero acting skills. Autumn Reeser who plays Nicole Emerson is not much better and is pretty forgettable. Angus Sutherland, who plays the main vamp, Shane, falls really far from his family tree. He possesses none of the skills of his famous father, Donald, or his half-brother Kiefer. What’s up with his accent? He’s like half-surfer, half-Brit? Very strange. So acting-wise, this movie gets like an F+. That excludes, Corey Feldman, of course, the only ray of hope in the whole mess. Jamison Newlander (Alan Frog) was cut out of the entire film and Corey Haim (Sam Emerson) appears in a 20-30 second cameo in the end credits. Why would they cut Alan Frog out of the story? Jamison Newlander filmed several scenes for this movie and all were cut. Why? He could have been a great addition. In fact, they should have just scrapped the two leads and made the entire movie with Haim, Feldman, and Newlander. In fact, if you like “Lost Boys” (which I’m guessing you do since you’re reading this), check out the four comic mini-series, “Lost Boys: Reign Of The Frogs”. It tells the story of the original gang between the end of first film and the beginning of this one. It’s far more enjoyable than “The Tribe”.

Out of everything in this disaster of a movie, I enjoyed Corey Feldman and the Haim cameo at the end. I also liked the alternate endings available on the DVD’s special features. Other than that, this movie was a complete letdown and ruined what could have been a successful franchise theatrically or on home video.

Avoid This Movie Like The Plague! (SPOILER ALERT!)
When I first heard that they were making a sequel to the 1987 hit “The Lost Boys,” I was floored. Why would they do such a dumb thing? I wondered. Supposedly, a script for a sequel floated around Hollywood for years before it finally fell through, and after watching “Lost Boys: The Tribe,” I see why the legitimate Hollywood gave up on it.

Forget the fact that there isn’t one single original idea in the script. Forget that, even after 21 years, the special effects in the original film are far better than “Tribe.” Forget that there is a lot more nudity, gore, and foul language in “Tribe” than there ever was in the original. Forget all of that. This film is just plain bad. It sucks, if you’ll pardon the pun.

If you have seen “The Lost Boys,” then you’ve pretty much seen a vastly superior version of “Lost Boys: The Tribe.” In my opinion, a great horror movie must have several things…a really good script, characters you actually care about, superb actors to bring those characters to life, some humor, and decent special effects. “The Lost Boys” had all of that, and more, whereas “Lost Boys: The Tribe,” only wishes it had 1/10th of what its predecessor had.

The story is the same…siblings move to a crappy little coastal town where the missing person population is staggering and jobs are hard to come by. This time, it’s Chris & Nicole Emerson (any relation to Mike & Sam from the first film? Apparently, the writers were too lazy to come up with a different last name.) Their parents are dead (instead of divorced, as in the first film; Mike & Sam show up at Grandpa’s house with mom,) so they are forced to rent a house owned by their aunt.

They go to a party. Nicole (Autumn Reeser) catches the eye of obvious head vampire Shane (Angus Sutherland, who definitely does NOT have brother Kiefer’s talent at all.) She drinks from a flask, which obviously has more than booze in it, and voila! She becomes a half-vampire, much to the shock and dismay of her brother, Chris (Tad Hilgenbrink.) Enter Corey Feldman as Edgar Frog, the only returning original cast member that has any decent screen time. He’s still getting ideas from the comic books, slaying vampires, and is still a complete weirdo. Feldman is LONG past his prime here. What worked for him as a teenager definitely does not work in his mid-30s. His character, who makes it clear that he lost a loved one to the vamps a while ago, should be more darker, and have more of an edge. The childish, home-made gadgets should be left behind, but they’re still in use. I would have liked to see Jamison Newlander reprise his role as Allen Frog, because that may have made the film slightly more tolerable, but instead, we only see him in the 2 alternate endings that are included on the DVD. Don’t get me started on Corey Haim showing up as a vampire during the end credits. That made no sense at all, and the 2 alternate endings he’s in (as a human) make no sense. It was nice to see them on screen together, but Haim is not the cute kid he once was, and Feldman just looks pissed that he’s even there to begin with.

As far as the other vampires go, they were all annoying, obnoxious adrenaline junkies (think “Point Break” meets “The Lost Boys,” & you’ll get the idea.) They surf, skate, ride motorcycles, and take great joy in stabbing each other for fun. They videotape their kills, and go “whoooooo hooooooo” a lot. They are nowhere near as evil or menacing as the original 4 vamps from the first film (Kiefer Sutherland, Alex Winter, Brooke McCarter, & Billy Wirth.) Kiefer Sutherland, as nice a man as he may be, has the most evil, menacing face and voice that I’ve ever seen & heard on film, and he was absolutely perfect in the original. He really should give his brother, Angus, some serious acting lessons. Apparently, the filmmakers thought that casting a Sutherland boy would give the film an air of credibility, which, sad to say, it did not. Kiefer’s David in the first film had an evil, menacing seductiveness about him, whereas Angus’ Shane only has plain seductiveness, without any real evil or menace, and even the seductiveness isn’t that convincing.

The amount of gore, nudity, & unnecessary foul language in the film is substantial, as well as the serious lack of creativity (in one scene, dialogue from the first film is recited, word for word; it’s Edgar talking about the various ways a vampire will “buy it…it’s never a pretty sight. Some yell & scream, some go quietly. Some explode, some implode. But all will try to take you with them.”) I was flabbergasted. It’s one thing to recite a famous line, like Bruce Willis does in the “Die Hard” films (”Yippee-ki-ay, motherf***er,) but to recite dialogue, verbatim, from an earlier film…it only goes to prove how hard “Tribe” tries to be like the original “Lost Boys.” They even went so far as to put the tag line from the original film in as dialogue. All I could do is shake my head in amazement. What little humor it has seems forced, as well.

I must say, however, that I did chuckle a couple of times at some of the fresh one-liners. I already forgot what they were, but they were funny. And most important, they weren’t ripped right out of the original film. I also like the remix of “Cry Little Sister,” Gerard McMann’s theme to “The Lost Boys.” The video for this remix is included on the DVD, although it’s not on the official soundtrack to “Tribe.” There is another cover of “Cry Little Sister” (done by another band) that is on the soundtrack, though; you can hear it when you’re at the main menu.

Also, I must say this about the Coreys. They are more than their past mistakes. If Hollywood were as forgiving back in the 80’s as it is today, I feel they would still have very strong careers. They are both very talented actors; all one has to do is watch films like “Stand By Me,” “Lucas,” “Silver Bullet,” or “The Goonies” to see that. Hopefully, they will both realize that what worked for them when they were younger won’t work for them today. They don’t have to be a Hollywood joke or stuck in an A&E reality show for the rest of their lives. Even though my teenage crush on both of them ended years ago, I still like them as actors. They just need better parts (and, apparently, better agents.)

“The Lost Boys” had a great story, a strong cast, characters I actually gave a crap about, just the right amount of humor, and great special effects for its time. “Lost Boys: The Tribe” tries in vain to be all of these things, but it only achieves one thing…being a truly disappointing and forgettable piece of trash that deservedly went straight to video. The magic that was “The Lost Boys” was left back in 1987, and even though this film tries in vain to recapture that magic with nearly identical characters, storylines, and a “stunned-look” ending, it only succeeds in gloriously failing to do so. Perhaps the makers knew all along that it would be a failure that never should have happened. Now, I must cleanse myself of the memories of this film. I’m going to watch “The Lost Boys.” 100 viewings should do it.

not as bad as you’d think
I didn’t hate it. I went into it expecting nothing better than an on-screen fanfic with more nudity, or something along the lines of some of Feldman’s bad 90’s movies, so I was fairly surprised. It had holes and a generic plot line, and I didn’t like the cover of Cry Little Sister, but besides that…

The gore was so over the top it was funny (I laughed anyway), none of the acting was cringe worthy. Some of the writing was iffy, but it wasn’t terrible. Feldman played Edgar *exactly* as he did in 1986–there’s a character with zero growth. He even had the same hair and red bandanna. (He cleaned up really well, not his usual scruffy, sleazy self.) I liked the soundtrack, the sets weren’t bad. The bike tricks were pretty cool.

Yes, it plays homage to the original A LOT. They even stole a chunk of memorable dialogue. The sex scene isnt nearly as well shot as in the original.

It’s not a good movie, but it’s not terrible either. If you go in hating it, you will. If you go in with a sense of humor and low expectations, it might surprise you. It was written as a love letter to the original. It wasn’t trying to be its own movie, and it wasn’t trying to be better. If you’re a fan you will love it or hate it, it all depends on your attitude. If you’re not a fan, well, there are many worse vampire movies out there.

Eye Wrinkles

P.S. I Love You Product: P.S. I Love You Review. List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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• Amazon Sales Rank: #865 in Movie
• Released on: 2010-01-30
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Running time: 127 minutes

A Nice Little Surprise Film
Marketing P.S. I LOVE YOU was a hit/miss situation. The general trailer and the billboards seem to set the audience up for a sappy tearjerker. But happily what happens in this film is not the expected ‘widowed person communicating with the dead love out of failure to get on with life’ tale, but instead a look into the importance of friendship, family, and adjusting to the incomparable loss. Credit the original novel by Cecelia Ahern as adapted for the screen by Steven Rogers writer/director Richard LaGravenese for making what so easily have been a sappy, maudlin, whining tale into a touching one of human emotions with a sense of reality mixed with a mildly implausible situation, and a series of character studies that emphasize the importance of support in the time of grief.

Holly (Hilary Swank) and Gerry (Gerard Butler) Kennedy are a married couple with goals and frustrations and a huge dollop of passionate love, surrounded by friends and family. The tragedy happens just as the movie starts: Gerry has died of a brain tumor leaving the copeless Holly alone with her memories and self-inflicted regrets. But Gerry, knowing he was a terminal patient, devised his own plan to help Holly through that first year of grief: he left letters in various forms and places, advising Holly how to learn about his family and how to get on with life. Holly’s mother (Kathy Bates) owns a bar and has supported her little family since Holly’s father deserted his family years ago. In the bar is another injured soul named Daniel (Harry Connick Jr.) who fancies Holly but realizes she is far from ready to think about dating. Holly’s friends Denise (Lisa Kudrow) and Sharon (Gina Gershon) accompany Holly to Gerry’s pre-planned trip to his home in Ireland to meet the in-laws Holly never knew. While in Ireland Holly reminisces on the magic of first meeting Gerry, meets Gerry’s parents as well as Gerry’s best friend William (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and through it all manages to appreciate the gift of PS I Love You letters and reminders Gerry has left for her. And she ultimately finds closure to her loss.

The cast is strong and makes these at times strained characters into lovable people: Hilary Swank has made a successful entrance into the feminine lead role and is balanced to perfection by Butler, Morgan, Connick, Bates, Kudrow and Gershon. They make the implausible plausible and deliver a love story that goes beyond the level of superficial to join the ranks of warm and tender memorable slices of life. It is surprisingly good! Grady Harp, May 08

PS I will always love you
The story begins with a fight. Holly (Swank) is running up a seemingly endless flight of stairs with Gerry (Butler) in hot pursuit. He’s apologizing, but like a typical male, he’s really not quite sure what he did wrong–he just wants to make up and not sleep in the bathtub.

Nine years’ marriage and they don’t have a lot to show–no kids, no careers, and only a five flight walkup. But, it’s obvious that Holly and Gerry love each other very much.

The next scene is Gerry’s wake. It’s a bittersweet affair–and I confess to laughing when I heard the ironic “Fairytale of New York” (Gerry’s favorite song) played and sung to by his priest.

A few weeks’ later, the letters begin. While the film only shows Gerry’s life and Holly’s impressions of his ‘ghost’, we realize he’d understood his cancer would take him and planned to help Holly get through it past the grave. His letters encourage her to get out, sing Karaoke, even go to Ireland. Those missives literally help her find her dreams and go on with her life.

“PS I love you” is what I expected–and more. The cast, scenery, and especially the music all fit well together to elicit tears–and yes, occasional laughter.

Gerard Butler is fabulous as always. He’s one of the best new actors around and I hope to see him for many years to come. I didn’t expect that he could sing–and he does an excellent job on “Galway Girls.”

In my opinion, Hillary Swank is the best part of the film. She’s not your typical Hollywood ingenue. She’s sometimes awkward, she doesn’t always look perfect, and yet her ability to convey emotions from the highs to the lows very impressive. When she comes home from the funeral alone, picks up her cell phone and just keeps calling her home phone to hear Gerry’s voice over and over on the answering machine literally brought me to tears.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the big teddy bear Billy Gallagher was also great. You’ve seen him before if you watched “Grey’s Anatomy” playing Denny Duquette. I’m very glad to see him getting silver screen roles. If you like him, look for him in 2008 in “The Accidental Husband.”

Only one warning–take some tissues with you. This film will make you cry–and occasionally laugh so hard you’ll have tears in your eyes, too.

A nice romantic film
PS I Love You is a bitersweet love story. It is one of those films which you watch with a tear in your eyes and a wisp of a smile on your face.

Holly Kennedy (Hilary Swank0 has lost her husband (300’s Gerald Butler). As she is in mourning over his loss, she recieves letters from her dead husband. From these letters, she starts to break out of her shell of widowhood.

With the help of her Girlfriends (Gina Gersion and Lisa Kudrow) and her mom (Kathy Bates), Holly starts to live again.

It is one of those nice romantic film to share with those you love. It is a throwback to the older 1950’s type films where words and images are more important than car chases and curse words.

The Cast blends together so well you could believe this story is true. Swank’s Holly is so on the money, you feel her pain and joy

This is not just another chick flix, it is a well done romantic comedy. It will tug on your heart strings..if it does, check with your doctor to make sure you have a working heart.

I only wish there was a director or actor commentary, which there isnt. I would have enjoyed hearing someone insights on how they made this film..but it is not needed with a film this good

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Face Wrinkles

Juno and the Paycock Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2014 in Movie
• Released on: 2010-02-04
• Running time: 95 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Juno & The Paycock
Considering that the movie was made in 1932 in Britain it holds up very well indeed…..some shading and a little audio muffling, otherwise no problems…..this was directed by a young Hitchcock who adhered to O’Casey’s dialogue
and dramatic dictum…..Sara Allgood is excellent in the role of Juno….

Very glad that I purchased it….

Ron Black

Wrinkle Treatment

The Page Turner Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13582 in Movie
• Released on: 2009-12-19
• Running time: 82 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Revenge is Sweet
Tight as a clenched fist ready to bloody someone’s eye, intelligent, crystal clear in its intentions and actions, Denis Dercourt’s terrific “The Page Turner” is wicked, perverse and anti-social in the very best sense. Like the best anti-heroes, Melanie Prouvost (a chilly, single-minded, Deborah Francois) knows what she wants, knows what/who her target is and knows how to achieve her goals. And in this case her target is the famous, though emotionally and professionally fragile classical pianist, Ariane Fouchecourt (sexy, sophisticated, sleek, tragic Catherine Frot) and by extension Ariane’s family: husband Jean (Pascal Greggory) and her son, also a pianist, Laurent.
Melanie is out for total annihilation and her methods are as subtle as a Cobra ingesting defenseless small birds: there is no way that her prey can escape.
Director/Screenwriter Dercourt has fashioned a film that is tightly paced (a mere 94 minutes, not one ounce of fat here) and expertly acted but what is particularly impressive in its humanity and its knowing appreciation of the workings of the human mind is the reason, the impetus for Melanie’s campaign against Ariane.

Lost Opportunities
French film `The Page Turner’ plays at a perfect pace. Methodically, we get a drama about lost opportunities that have movements of significance in people’s lives. As a composite the story hits all the right notes.

Melanie (Deborah Francois) is a child prodigy. She awaits her big chance to make it as a pianist. At a large try-out, she plays beautifully until someone walks in with a photo for one of the judges to sign. Then, she falters. From that heartbreaking moment, the film leaps ahead to a movement in her life many years later when she gets a job as a secretary apprentice at a law firm. Neatly, she overhears that her employer, Jean (Pascal Gregory) needs a caretaker for Tristan, his only son. He instantly accepts her overture to fill the position, and her whole life changes. In their countryside mansion outside of Paris, she hooks up with all the charm of being a caretaker and assistant. Since both of Melanie’s parents are butchers, she takes easily to cooking fare for the family. Her role expands, though. Luck has it that his wife, Ariane (Catherine Fro) is a concert pianist, and Melanie is able to give Tristan some piano lessons. From here her meticulousness lends itself to other privileged duties up to and including the entrusted role of page turner for Ariane’s consequential radio concert. Like a fairy tale, they both bond, and Ariane assists Melanie with make-up and perfume. Melanie has a special touch to encourage Tristan to push himself and help Ariane to get over her trepidation to perform after a car accident two years earlier made her falter on stage. Can Ariane and Melanie deliver each other from their past?

Everything doesn’t always go well, but the development and outcome are meant to be seen. ‘The Page Turner’ reminded me of the sort of movie that could easily become a hall-of-fame winner for ‘The Lifetime Channel’. With subtlety and understatement, ‘The Page Turner’ is indeed a classic.

A fine, unsettling movie that makes us assume the worst may — or may not — happen
Twelve-year-old Melanie Prouvost is determined to become a world-class pianist. She practices with a single-mindedness which is daunting. She arrives with her mother at a conservatory where she will perform a difficult piece before a panel of judges. Many other children are competing. If she wins, her chances for a wonderful career will lie in front of her. As she takes her place at the piano and begins, one of the judges, a famous concert pianist, motions in a fan who wants an autograph. The judge whispers something, takes out a pen, thinks a moment, writes on the photo and returns it to the fan. Melanie’s concentration is broken. She stops, tries to recover and performs badly. Afterwards, the judge simply comments that there was no reason for Melanie to stop. On the way out of the conservatory, Melanie suddenly pushes down the key cover on a piano when another girl is practicing, nearly crushing the girl’s fingers. Melanie arrives home and locks her piano for good.

Several years later, Melanie (Deborah François), now a striking young woman, applies for and is accepted as an intern in a law office. She learns a senior partner needs someone to look after his young son while he is away for several weeks on business. His wife works and cannot always be available. When Melanie says she’d happily look after the boy, she is accepted. And when she arrives at the country manor, 25 miles outside Paris, we learn that the mother was in an auto accident and is still emotionally fragile. The woman, Ariane Fouchecourt (Catherine Frot), indeed works. She is a world-class pianist who now performs as part of a trio. And, yes, she was the judge who so thoughtlessly ruined Melanie’s life ambition. She doesn’t even remember the incident. Now we realize Melanie remembers all too well.

All along we’ve noted how quiet Melanie is. She observes; sometimes there will be the smallest of smiles. Melanie becomes almost indispensable to Ariane, who suffers stage fright now. Melanie becomes her page turner, the person who sits next to a pianist and turns the pages of the score as the pianist plays on. She begins to give Ariane confidence. We’re not sure where the movie is heading. All we know is that a number of uneasy things happen that could be explained away. Melanie gains the confidence of Tristan, the boy, but twice seems to place him in positions of peril that don’t quite happen. She opens some letters and smiles just a bit, but we’re not sure why. She subtly seems to be almost wooing Ariane, yet shows no particular interest. We remember Melanie is the daughter of butchers and know she must be familiar with slicing into meat. Does this mean we’ll soon be watching her turn Tristan into lamb chops? The movie keeps us off balance. While it’s possible that at some point we’ll realize that Melanie still loves the piano and we may end with her giving Ariane back confidence while Ariane decides to work with Melanie on a career for her, we also realize that the movie just might end the way Claude Chabrol’s La Cérémonie does, with a slaughter fired by resentment and rage.

No one dies in this movie, just the soul of one of the characters. The Page Turner is a not-quite-a-thriller thriller, and is all the more disturbing because of it. François and Frot give marvelous performances, with François unnervingly calm and Frot fragile to a fault. This was only Deborah François’ second movie. At 19, she almost out-Hupperts Isabelle Huppert.

There is some great music in the movie. The trio, with Melanie as the page turner for Ariane, does a rehearsal of Shostakovich’s opus 67, trio in E minor. It’s terrific. The Page Turner is almost as good at keeping us off balance.

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