Collection ID 1298
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Starring: Antonella Attili, Enzo Cannavale, Isa Danieli, Leo Gullotta, Marco Leonardi
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Buena Vista Home Vid   Release date: 1990   Rated: R   
Language (Country): Italian (Italy)
Summary: Giuseppe Tornatore's beautiful 1988 film about a little boy's love affair with the movies deservedly won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film and a Special Jury Prize at Cannes. Philippe Noiret plays a grizzled old projectionist who takes pride in his presentation of screen dreams for a town still recovering from World War II. When a child (Jacques Perrin) demonstrates fascination not only for movies but also for the process of showing them to an audience, a lifelong friendship is struck. This isn't just one of those films for people who are already in love with the cinema. But if you are one of those folks, the emotional resonance between the action in Tornatore's world and the images on Noiret's screen will seem all the greater--and the finale all the more powerful. "--Tom Keogh"
My Rating:
My Review: (Italian - Nuovo cinema Paradiso) An astonishing film. Cinematic masterpiece. Moving drama about one mans life - Growing up as a foster child of the local cinema house. Director Giuseppe Tornatore creates a piece that is moving dramatic and brilliant. The writing is outstanding and the performances are powerful. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 1452
Director: Orson Welles
Starring: Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins
Genre: Drama
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures   Release date: 1941   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Powerful newspaper owner Charles Foster Kane was many things to many people, both in life and, as seen in retrospective here, in death.
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Collection ID 167
Director: Orson Welles
Starring: Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins
Genre: Drama
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures   Release date: 1941   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Powerful newspaper owner Charles Foster Kane was many things to many people, both in life and, as seen in retrospective here, in death.
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Collection ID 47
Director: Richard Benjamin
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Jane Alexander, Madeline Kahn, Rip Torn
Genre: Action
Studio: Malpaso Company, The   Release date: 1984   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Kansas City in the 1930s: Private investigator Mike Murphy's partner is brutally slayed, when he tries to blackmail a mobster with his secret accounting records. Lieutenant Speer and his ex-colleague Mike Murphy team up again to fight the mob, although they can't stand each other: while Speer is taciturn, Murphy is a prattler.
My Rating:
My Review: Excellent casting (even if it is typecasting) pairs Clint Eastwood as the hard nosed Lt. Speer and Burt Reynolds as the wise guy detective. The two team up together to fight competing groups of mobsters in this action packed buddy cop movie with some laughs. Set in the 30's, filmed in the 70's, the movie was an attempt to move both actors into the 80s. The story is cliched, a bit predictable and rather slow at times. The direction didn't get the most out of these actors, but Reynolds and Eastwood were great together. The best parts of the film were the comic pacing, editing and production value. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 1592
Director: Richard Benjamin
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Jane Alexander, Madeline Kahn, Rip Torn
Genre: Action
Studio: Malpaso Company, The   Release date: 1984   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Kansas City in the 1930s: Private investigator Mike Murphy's partner is brutally slayed, when he tries to blackmail a mobster with his secret accounting records. Lieutenant Speer and his ex-colleague Mike Murphy team up again to fight the mob, although they can't stand each other: while Speer is taciturn, Murphy is a prattler.
My Rating:
My Review: Excellent casting (even if it is typecasting) pairs Clint Eastwood as the hard nosed Lt. Speer and Burt Reynolds as the wise guy detective. The two team up together to fight competing groups of mobsters in this action packed buddy cop movie with some laughs. Set in the 30's, filmed in the 70's, the movie was an attempt to move both actors into the 80s. The story is cliched, a bit predictable and rather slow at times. The direction didn't get the most out of these actors, but Reynolds and Eastwood were great together. The best parts of the film were the comic pacing, editing and production value. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 707
Director: Kátia Lund, Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Miramax Films   Release date: 2002   Rated: R   
Language (Country): Portuguese (Brazil, France)
Summary: Celebrated with worldwide acclaim, this powerful true story of crime and redemption has won numerous prestigious awards around the globe! The streets of the world's most notorious slum, Rio de Janeiro's "City of God," are a place where combat photographers fear to tread, police rarely go, and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. In the midst of the oppressive crime and violence, a frail and scared young boy will grow up to discover that he can view the harsh realities of his surroundings with a different eye: the eye of an artist. In the face of impossible odds, his brave ambition to become a professional photographer becomes a window into his world ... and ultimately his way out!
My Rating:
My Review: Typically, I detest movies that glorify violence, drugs, or aberrant (read violent) sexual behavior. This movie is very violent, but it's not about behavior. It's about reality. Based on the true life story of a man who escaped the violent environment where he grew up. This is a documentary disguised as a movie. It grabbed me like a pit-bull, shook me like a rag doll, and left me reeling like I just finished ten rounds with a heavy weight champion. A realistic depiction of life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. I completely forgot that theses were actors depicting a role. Everything in this movie felt genuine. I certainly hope no one lost their lives filming this work. If you thought an American inner city was violent, you've got another thing coming. This one gets a 5 out of 5 for its realistic depiction of life in the impoverished third world, and what it takes to claw your way out.

Collection ID 1397
Director: Kátia Lund, Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Miramax Films   Release date: 2002   Rated: R   
Language (Country): Portuguese (Brazil, France)
Summary: Celebrated with worldwide acclaim, this powerful true story of crime and redemption has won numerous prestigious awards around the globe! The streets of the world's most notorious slum, Rio de Janeiro's "City of God," are a place where combat photographers fear to tread, police rarely go, and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. In the midst of the oppressive crime and violence, a frail and scared young boy will grow up to discover that he can view the harsh realities of his surroundings with a different eye: the eye of an artist. In the face of impossible odds, his brave ambition to become a professional photographer becomes a window into his world ... and ultimately his way out!
My Rating:
My Review: Typically, I detest movies that glorify violence, drugs, or aberrant (read violent) sexual behavior. This movie is very violent, but it's not about behavior. It's about reality. Based on the true life story of a man who escaped the violent environment where he grew up. This is a documentary disguised as a movie. It grabbed me like a pit-bull, shook me like a rag doll, and left me reeling like I just finished ten rounds with a heavy weight champion. A realistic depiction of life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. I completely forgot that theses were actors depicting a role. Everything in this movie felt genuine. I certainly hope no one lost their lives filming this work. If you thought an American inner city was violent, you've got another thing coming. This one gets a 5 out of 5 for its realistic depiction of life in the impoverished third world, and what it takes to claw your way out.

Collection ID 960
Director: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, Joaquim de Almeida, Henry Czerny
Genre: Action
Studio: Mace Neufeld Productions   Release date: 1994   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into an illegal war fought by the US government against a Colombian drug cartel.
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Collection ID 247
Director: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, Joaquim de Almeida, Henry Czerny
Genre: Action
Studio: Mace Neufeld Productions   Release date: 1994   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into an illegal war fought by the US government against a Colombian drug cartel.
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Collection ID 709
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Ben Affleck, Ken Baldwin, Cheryl Baxter, Walter Flanagan, Ryan Thomas
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Weinstein Company   Release date: 2006   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Lo and behold, "Clerks II" defies the odds as a sequel that even the most ardent "Clerks" fans can be happy about. Twelve years after Kevin Smith turned the independent film world upside-down with his $27,000 black-and-white comedy, perpetual slackers Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) return for another raucous romp in suburbia, but this time there's no beloved Quick Stop mini-mart to ensure their low-level employment. Now they're aimless 33-year-olds flippin' burgers at Mooby's, a fast-food joint with a cow theme that's "udderly delicious." Dante's engaged to his long-time girlfriend but has unexpectedly fallen in love with Mooby's manager Becky (and since she's played by Rosario Dawson, can you blame him?), and Randal's still holding out for life, liberty, and the pursuit of low ambition. The responsibilities of adulthood are rearing their ugly head, and with Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) still dealing weed and generally being obnoxious, well... something's gotta give, right? The way Smith has written this long-awaited follow-up, the dilemmas of Dante, Randal, and their ongoing friendship are something that anyone can relate to, and with Dawson lighting up the screen (in a role demanded by producer Harvey Weinstein to boost box-office appeal), the movie's romantic chemistry is surprisingly delightful. Rest assured, also, that Smith (shooting mostly in color this time, on a $5 million budget) hasn't forgotten where he came from: "Clerks II" is jam-packed with the same lewd, crude humor that made "Clerks" an indie-film phenomenon, and Smith's good-natured sincerity is still on full display, ensuring that only the most prudish viewers could possibly be offended. For everyone else, this is as enjoyable as any sequel could ever hope to be, with amusing cameos by Smith-movie veterans Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, among others. "--Jeff Shannon"
My Rating:
My Review: Astonishing. A comedic masterpiece. This time around, the lines aren't just there to fill the space between one scene and the next. The conversations were more realistic. The humor was truly amazing. The dramatic touches were excellent. How could anyone make a movie this funny into something more than a laugh fest? Only Kevin Smith could do it. A serious relationship, self examination drama takes place while we're laughing our asses off. The characters are great and the direction is outstanding. The writing was brilliant. This one bears watching, again, and again.