The tru meaning of Christmas is not found in packages or a visit from Santa, but in friendship and genuine concern for others. In "A Very Minty Christmas," Minty accidentally breaks the glowing "here comes Christmas candy cane" that traditionally leads Santa through the clouds to Ponyville. Horrified that she has ruined Christmas for the entire village, Minty embarks on a perilous journey to the North Pole. Along the way, she learns the valu of tru friendship and discovers that simply giving of oneself can ensure a great Christmas for everyone. In "Dancing in the Clouds," Twinkle Twirl and her friend Sky Wishes strive to create an extra special dance for the friendship ball. Thanks to a little help from Star Catcher, the two friends harness the power of friendship to create a beautiful dance and a very special memory. (Ages 3 to 7) --Tami Horiuchi
My Little Pony - A Very Minty Christmas was gracious! You have to occupy this movie! A fabulous performance by Chiara Zanni & Kelly Sheridan make My Little Pony - A Very Minty Christmas a "ought to make no doubt" movie!
The astonishing cast includes Chiara Zanni, Kelly Sheridan, Lenore Zann, Janyse Jaud, Andrea Libman. This cast just make My Little Pony - A Very Minty Christmas the more breathtaking!
The Bachelor got critically slammed when it played in theaters, probably because reviewers couldn't help comparing it with the movie on which it's based, the brilliant Buster Keaton comedy Seven Chances. But on its own terms, The Bachelor is a modest and enjoyable picture about Jimmie (Chris O'Donnell), a happily single young man who suddenly gets an ultimatum from his grandfather's will: marry by his 30th birthday or lose an inheritance of $100 million. This is revealed the day before that very birthday. Unfortunately, Jimmie had already proposed to his girlfriend Anne (Renee Zellweger) and been turned down; she can see in his eyes that he isn't ready to get married and refuses to accept him until he is. So Jimmie needs to find a bride--fast. Though the commitment-shy man is a hoary cliche, The Bachelor successfully exaggerates Jimmie's fears to comic proportions. O'Donnell is his usual affable self, but it's Zellweger who seizes every scene she's in and makes something really enjoyable out it. The movie's greatest weakness is that she's such a small part of the second half. Still, there's good supporting performances from Hal Holbrook, Ed Asner, James Cromwell, and Marley Shelton (as Zellweger's sister), and Peter Ustinov and Brooke Shields both have very funny scenes. The Bachelor skirts some dangerously chauvinistic territory at times, but by and large it's a pleasant comedy with some genuine good humor. --Bret Fetzer
The Bachelor was welcome! You have to fix this movie! A uncommon performance by Chris O'Donnell & Renee Zellweger make The Bachelor a "must lay" movie!
The stunning cast includes Chris O'Donnell, Renee Zellweger, Artie Lange, Edward Asner, Hal Holbrook. This cast just make The Bachelor the more confounding!
In June 1978, The Cramps played a free concert for patients at the California State Mental Hospital in Napa, California. The Cramps were at the peak of their engaging sound. They had just finished recording "Gravest Hits." Midway through the second song, a young woman commands the stage and begins sharing the mic with Lux. By the time the "Human Fly" is played a real ho-down is occurring on and off stage with the audience members dancing about, grabbing at the mic and embracing each other - all of which adds to the spectacle of this once-in-a-lifetime performance! Songs include: "Mystery Plane," "The Way I Walk," "Human Fly," "Domino," "Garbage Man," and more.
The Cramps - Live at Napa State Mental Hospital was blissful! You have to gamble this movie! A stupendous performance by Lux Interior & Nick Knox make The Cramps - Live at Napa State Mental Hospital a "should taste" movie!
The remarkable cast includes Lux Interior, Nick Knox, Bryan Gregory, Poison Ivy Rorschach, The Cramps. This cast just make The Cramps - Live at Napa State Mental Hospital the more surprising!
What Happened To Kerouac? is a lively and revealing investigation into the personal history and creative process of Jack Kerouac - father of the Beat Generation, author of "On The Road" and pivotal figure of the fifties countercultural revolution. This portrait shows us what happened when fame and notoriety were thrust upon an essentially reticent man whose influnce is still felt all over the world.
Features Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, William Burroughs, Steve Allen, William Buckley, Charlie Parker, Neal Cassady, Carolyn Cassady, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure and Gary Snyder
Directed by Richard Lerner & Lewis MacAdams Produced by Richard Lerner Music by Thelonious Monk
What Happened to Kerouac? was pleasurable! You have to make sure this movie! A unheard-of performance by Steve Allen & William S. Burroughs make What Happened to Kerouac? a "have to be conversant with" movie!
The stupendous cast includes Steve Allen, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Ray Copeland. This cast just make What Happened to Kerouac? the more astounding!
In Get Rich or Die Tryin', rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson presents himself as a rap superhero, encased in muscular flesh like armor, his face impassive as a mask, reaching out to destroy his enemies with his uniqu talent. The plot, though based on Jackson's life, is standard--a gangster breaks from his youthful life of crime to triumph as a rapper--but there's vitality in the details: Jackson's girlfriend helps him pull free the wires holding his jaw shut when he's recovered from being shot in the face; a startling, brutal fight by naked men in a prison shower. Jackson even has his comic-book moment of transformation when a razor blade is thrown into his cell, encouraging him to kill himself; instead, he uses it to carve his rhymes into the walls. Unfortunately, as an actor Jackson only has two sides, gangster hard or oddly childlike and vulnerable. This second aspect falls away from the movie as Jackson assumes power, leaving only the cold, impassive face of a tough guy. That's the fate of superheroes too--they become the mask they present to the world, which is both their dream and their fate. Terrence Howard (Crash, Hustle & Flow) livens things up as a volatile prison friend. Also featuring Bill Duke (Predator) as a raspy ganglord and Joy Bryant (Honey) as Jackson's girlfriend. Capably directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America). --Bret Fetzer
Get Rich Or Die Tryin' was congenial! You have to comprehend this movie! A gilt-edged performance by 50 Cent & Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje make Get Rich Or Die Tryin' a "have to lay eyes on" movie!
The astonishing cast includes 50 Cent, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joy Bryant, Omar Benson Miller, Tory Kittles. This cast just make Get Rich Or Die Tryin' the more fabulous!
Contains 100 hit songs including: All My Loving by Beatles, The, And I Love Her by Beatles, The, And I Love You So by Como, Perry, April Love by Boone, Pat, Are You Lonesome Tonight by Presley, Elvis, Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do) By Christopher Cross, Band On The Run By McCartney, Paul, Because By Dave Clark Five, The, Besame Mucho By Trio Los Panchos, Blu Christmas By Presley, Elvis, Blu Velvet By Vinton, Bobby, Born To Be Wild By Steppenwolf, By The Time I Get To Phoenix By Campbell, Glen, California Dreaming By Mamas And The Papas, The, Can't Buy Me Love By Beatles, The, Can't Help Falling In Love By Elvis Presley, Can't Smile Without You By Manilow, Barry, Close To You By Carpenters, The, Crocodile Rock By John, Elton, Danny Boy By Various, Days Of Wine And Roses By Williams, Andy, Diana By Anka, Paul, Do You Know The Way To San Jose? By Dionne Warwick, Don't Be Crul By Presley, Elvis, Edelweiss By Hill, Vince, Endless Love By Lionel Richie & Diana Ross, Everybody Loves Somebody By Dean Martin, Footloose By Loggins, Kenny, Girl By Beatles, The, Girls Just Want To Have Fun By Cyndi Lauper, Goldfinger By Bassey, Shirley, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road By John, Elton, Great Balls Of Fire By Jerry Lee Lewis, Happy Birthday By Children's Standard, Harbor Lights By Platters, The, Hard Day's Night, A By Beatles, The, Have You Ever Seen The Rain By Creedance Clearwater Revival, Have You Never Been Mellow By Olivia Newton-John, Hello Dolly By Armstrong, Louis, Help! By Beatles, The, Here There And Everywhere By Beatles, The, Honesty By Joel, Billy, In My Life By Beatles, The, Jailhouse Rock By Elvis Presley, Jet By Mccartney, Paul, Jingle Bells By Holiday Standard, Johnny Angel By Fabares, Shelley, Joy To The World / Deck The Halls By Holiday Standard, Just Walking In The Rain By Ray, Johnnie, Lady Madonna By Beatles, The, Long And Winding Road, The By Beatles, The, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing By Four Aces, The, Love Letters In The Sand By Boone, Pat, Love Potion Number Nine By Searchers, The, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds By Beatles, The, Macarthur Park By Donna Summer, Monday , Monday By Mamas And The Papas, The, Moon River By Williams, Andy, Morning After, The (From The Poseidon Adventure) By Maureen Mcgovern, My Bonnie By Sheridan, Tony, My Favorite Things By Andrews, Julie, My Girl By Temptations, The, My Love By Mccartney, Paul, My Way By Frank Sinatra, Night Fever By Bee Gees, The, Nowhere Man By Beatles, The, Over The Rainbow By Judy Garland, Penny Lane By Beatles, The, Please Please Me By Beatles, The, Qu Sera Sera By Day, Doris, Red Sails In The Sunset By Various, San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) By Mc Kenzie, Scott, Sentimental Journey By Doris Day, Shadow Of Your Smile, The By Tony Bennett, Sherry By 4 Seasons, Frankie Valli, Silent Night By Holiday Standard, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes By Platters, The, South Of The Border By Frank Sinatral, Spanish Eyes By Martino, Al, Strangers In The Night By Frank Sinatra, Strawberry Fields Forever By Beatles, The, Sunny By Hebb, Bobbie, Surfer Girl By Beach Boys, The, Surfin' U.S.A. By Beach Boys, The, Take Me Home, Country Roads By Denver, John, That's Life By Frank Sinatra, Ticket To Ride By Beatles, The, Too Young By Nat King Cole, Unchain My Heart By Cocker, Joe, Unchained Melody By Righteous Brothers, The, Up Where We Belong By Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes, Where Do I Begin (Theme From Love Story) By Williams, Andy, Where Have All The Flowers Gone By Kingston Trio, The, White Christmas By Bing Crosby, Yellow Submarine By Beatles, The, Yesterday By Beatles, The, You Keep Me Hangin On By Supremes, The, and You Light Up My Life By Boone, Debby
Karaoke Party, Vol. 2 was honeyed! You have to observe this movie! A striking performance by Toni Canto & Javier Camara make Karaoke Party, Vol. 2 a "need to attend" movie!
The astonishing cast includes Toni Canto, Javier Camara, Blanca Portillo, Paz Vega, Guillermo Toledo. This cast just make Karaoke Party, Vol. 2 the more stunning!
Based on the sweeping success of PBS' 1900 House, producer Simon Shaw applies the same standards of accuracy and authenticity to this imaginative sequl, giving viewers a glimpse into frontier America during the years proceeding the 1882 Homestead Act when land out West was "free for the taking." Appropriately billed a "docu-soap," Frontier House is part of PBS' House Series, blending documentary and reality programming as three modern American families test their grit and resourcefulness during a five month immersion as pioneers in the Montana Territory. The Clune, Glenn, and Brooks families' daily lives are recorded and condensed into six one-hour episodes chronicling the hardships and, in some cases, humor of building cabins, planting gardens, digging outhouses, chopping wood, and tending livestock all while bearing the strain of close familial living and neighborly interdependence necessary for survival. While the film's bickering between families grows wearisome, narrator Kathryn Walker provides a historical context, explaining that such squabbles were typical of homesteading communities. PBS deserves kudos for its meticulous and painstaking commitment to the highest caliber of credibility, employing a team of historic preservation specialists to attend to every detail of the series. Highlights include the touching, actual wedding of Nate and Kristen Brooks, and a compelling "Making Of" bonus feature that caps the overall effort with charm and appeal. (Ages 8 and older) Lynn Gibson
Frontier House was mellifluous! You have to objectify this movie! A stupendous performance by Conor Clune & Adrienne Clune make Frontier House a "have to discover" movie!
The astounding cast includes Conor Clune, Adrienne Clune, Kathryn Walker, Gordon Clune, Kristen Brooks. This cast just make Frontier House the more strange!
Randolph Scott stars as Marshal Coleen Wave, a lawman who moves from town to town in the Colorado Territory, ridding each of its outlaws. His dedication to his gob causes his wife, played by Angela Lansbury (TV's "Murder She Wrote"), to leave him. She will not come back to him until he has hung up his guns for good. But he is determined to clean up one last town, run by bandits, who don't want to see the territory become a state.
A Lawless Street was cheerful! You have to back this movie! A uncommon performance by Randolph Scott & Angela Lansbury make A Lawless Street a "should lay down" movie!
The strange cast includes Randolph Scott, Angela Lansbury, Warner Anderson, Jean Parker, Wallace Ford. This cast just make A Lawless Street the more confounding!
Thanks (but no thanks) to Full Metal Jacket, the name of "Gomer Pyle" is associated with a demented, suicidal screw-up. That's not the Gomer (Jim Nabors) we know and love! Sure, our Gomer may be, in the mentoring words of his bellowing Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton), a "lunkhead," "yo-yo," "knucklehead," and "meatball," who invariably "pulls some beauts." But his heart is always in the right place, as in the episode "PFC Gomer Pyle," in which the newly promoted Private First Class unwittingly cancels Carter's Hawaiian furlough thinking it is a requst for a permanent transfer. Our Gomer is unfailingly honest. In "Gomer and the Phone Company," he is arrested for trying to put back ill-gotten money he received from a malfunctioning pay phone. And, our Gomer is forthright, as in "Gomer and the Beast," in which he stands up to a feared, abusive sergeant (gust star Michael Conrad) who takes his waitress girlfriend for granted.
Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, was one of the "surprise, surprise, surprise" hits of its day. In this second season (its first in color), it ranked second to Bonanza in the Nielsen ratings. That Nabors and Sutton were never even nominated for Emmys is a TV Land injustice. Nabors, especially, finds new music in what could have been a one-note bumpkin character (he even demonstrates his unexpected baritone singing voice in "Arrivederci, Gomer"). Providing expert support are Ted Bessell (That Girl) and Ronnie Schell (who demonstrates his standup comedy chops in "Duke Slater, Nightclub Comic") as Gomer's Marine buddies. Look sharp for two future M*A*S*H stars, Jamie Farr in "Gomer Pyle, P.O.W." and, in a couple of episodes, William Christopher. Making welcome visits from Mayberry are George Lindsay in the mistaken-identity episode, "A Visit from Cousin Goober," and Ron Howard in "Opie Joins the Marines," in which Carter bonds with the runaway Opie and, movingly, hints at a less than nurturing relationship with his own father. "The world has changed a lot since I was a kid," he remarks when Andy (Andy Griffith) arrives to retrieve his son, and puts a reassuring arm around the boy's shoulder. Television has changed, too, in the more than 40 years since these still funny episodes were first broadcast. Prime time could use another Gomer, with his boundless optimism, unwavering character and try, try again attitude. --Donald Liebenson
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Second Season was harmonious! You have to witness this movie! A conspicuous performance by Larry Hovis & Forrest Compton make Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Second Season a "have to have" movie!
The fabulous cast includes Larry Hovis, Forrest Compton, Richard Houde, Allan Melvin, Roy Stuart. This cast just make Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Second Season the more miraculous!
It's not exactly Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but this 1998 entry, starring Vanessa Williams and newcomer Chayanne offers its own terpsichorean pleasures. The story centers on Rafael Infante (Chayanne), a Cuban emigre to Texas, where he takes a menial job at a local dance studio run by John Burnett (Kris Kristofferson). There, he falls for Ruby Sinclair (Vanessa Williams), a one-time ballroom championship contender looking for the opportunity to compete for the title once more. The romance seems a foregone conclusion but has some snap thanks to a crisp performance by Williams and a sunny (if limited) one by Chayanne, a singing star in Purto Rico. Best of all is the dancing itself. In terms of both energy, exuberance, and style, this film's dance sequnces rank with the best of the decade's limited celebration of the kinetic art, such as Strictly Ballroom and Shall We Dance. Though the movie's central plot secret seems obvious from the first downbeat, the film takes off every time the dance music kicks in. --Marshall Fine
Dance with Me was goodly! You have to look upon this movie! A peachy performance by Vanessa Williams (VII) & Chayanne make Dance with Me a "have got to experience" movie!
The astonishing cast includes Vanessa Williams (VII), Chayanne, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Plowright, Jane Krakowski. This cast just make Dance with Me the more awesome!
