Yossi

Ten Years Later: This Israeli Film Explores The Road Chosen And The Life Not Lived
What a difference ten years can make! Director Eytan Fox and star Ohad Knoller return to catch up with the titular character Yossi from their powerfully understated 2002 film "Yossi and Jagger." Simply and appropriately titled "Yossi," this sequel-of-sorts is really an entirely different beast. The original film was not just a love story, but a look into the workings and relationships within a small Israeli army outpost. It had an almost documentary feel, a voyeuristic fly-on-the-wall vibe in which you learned about camp life by catching brief exchanges and small moments between all of the characters. In that way, it had a daring simplicity in style (and was not, perhaps, the movie that some people might have wanted). I, personally, think these choices made the film a great and challenging experience. The Yossi and Jagger pairing was woven into a much larger tapestry. So when the movie turned its focus on their fate, it was all the more real and devastating. "Yossi," set...

Ten years of silent private grieving
For all of those who saw and were deeply touched by the 2002 Eytan Fox film, YOSSI & JAGGER, this sequel simply titled YOSSI will resurface all manner of fine memories of the original. Not only is this a fine follow-up film, a glance back at a gay love affair the took place in the Israeli Army that ended in the death of one of the lovers, it offers a story of the healing of grieving as well as the dramatic changes that have taken place in Israel concerning the current acceptance of gay men serving opening in the military. Times are changing, at last.

In the ten years since Dr. Yossi Guttman (the sensitive actor Ohad Knoller recreating his original role) lost his lover in the war while fighting he has become an honored but overworked cardiologist, living alone, having gained weight, and his only social life is connecting with same sex dates on the Internet. One of his dates (who responded to an earlier photo of Yossi) is Yariv (Gil Desiano), a young hunk who when Yossi comes...

A film of great loss and the renewal of spirit
Anyone who has suffered the sort of loss that Yossi has will "get" this movie. Yossi's day-to-day grind with nothing to look forward to, his allowing himself to go to seed, his belief that no one could love him again, his fear that if he comes out of his shell or comes out of the closet, he will be scorned by his friends and co-workers -- all these suggest that he's defeated from the start. But he's not. There's a small flame burning, and this movie follows his painful progression. Yossi reaches an important milestone when he makes contact with Jagger's parents and confesses to them his love for Jagger and the truth of their relationship, something Jagger himself would have done had he lived. This marks the moment of Yossi's actual coming out with mixed results -- Jagger's mother rejects, Jagger's father innately understands. From then on, the changes occurring inside Yossi speed up until he's able to respond to a younger "out" soldier who sees in him the value he is unable to see in...

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Dark Skies (Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet)

Surprisingly entertaining: where Poltergeist meets Paranormal
"Dark Skies" (2013 relase; 97 min.) brings the story of the Barrett family. Mom (played by Keri "Felicity" Russell) and dad (played by Josh Hamilton) are stressing because of their precarious financial situation (Dad is in between jobs, mom is barely hanging on to her real easate brokerage). They have two sons, 13 yr. old Jesse and 5 or 6 yr. old Sammy. Then slowly but surely strange things are starting to happen in and around the house, including a strange "remodeling" of the kitchen, then disappearance of pictures, and then hundreds of birds flying head-on into the house for no apparent reason. What is going on here exactly? At this point we're not even half-way into the movie, and things are to get a lot more tense than that still. But to tell you more of a plot-heavy movie like this would ruin your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Several comments: first, I had seen the trailer for this movie a few times in recent weeks, and...

Dark skies is sunny entertainment
I just took my daughter to see this on the big screen because I liked the bird collision with the window when I saw the trailer. The film started with the slow to moderate pacing of witnessing a family in the throes of tension created by the economy---bunker mentalities abound.Then something happened in Sammie's bedroom that made me jump the same way I did with "signs". Then pow. I was in. I immediately thought of the first script version of Close Encounters written by Paul Schrader "Taxi Driver". Spielberg turned it down saying it was mean spirited and didnt want a hostile invasion story. This movie was that draft. This independent piece was a homage to Close Encounters of the third kind, ET, The Birds, Poltergeist, Signs, and Paranormal Activity. Harvey Weinstein greenlit a film which was carried surprizingly well by the acting chops of Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton. I actually cared what happened to these people and thats rare for a scary film to be character and plot driven. The...

HELPS WEED OUT THE LUNATICS
The story opens showing us a stereotypical suburban neighborhood. The focus shifts to one family. Daniel (Josh Hamilton) is out of work. He can't pay the mortgage but has money for all kinds of video equipment. His wife Lacy (Keri Russell) is a real estate salesperson, and perhaps too honest for her own good. They have two sons, Jesse (Dakota Goyo) who is discovering girls and pot and young Sammy (Kadan Rockett).

The story builds slow, creating character as it goes along, with each incident becoming more puzzling and troubling. Sammy reports of seeing the Sandman, claiming he is responsible for the odd occurrences. About an hour into the film, the events are explained in case you didn't figure it out by the opening Arthur C. Clarke quote.

This film is well done. I enjoyed it, even though I still say the whole thing business is hypnagogic hallucinations. This is must see for those who believe in the Grays. I would rate it somewhere in between rent to own depending...

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My Super Ex-Girlfriend [Blu-ray]

very fun movie but the dvd has no disc menu that bothers me.
I really like the movie I'm into silly movies and I really like Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. The only thing I didn't like was This dvd doesn't have a disc menu. I'm a little anal retentive about things like this I have OCD. I was just sorry Amazon sent me a second one for no reason,more info should be on the product description place so you don't have to waste your time and money on a replacement. But I really liked the movie.

surprisingly hilarious all the way
uma thurman is incredible in this movie.very convincing in her role.a sleeper of a hit definitely.for this prise,its a no-brainer.

Great movie and Excellent quality blu ray picture
Excellent colors and depth, little grain, and obviously taken from a high quality transfer. Really love how this looks. Much much better than the DVD from a few years back.

The first two reviewers didn't like it and they are entitled to their opinions. I loved it because it was fun. I'm not looking for oscar material when I see a movie called, "My Super Ex-Girlfriend". But I happen to love Anna (YES!), Love Luke (in a straight sort of way I promise). Think Rainn Wilson kicks butt. Eddie Lizard cracks me up. And if I had any idea where Uma lives I'd probably be in jail right now for standing outside her gate singing, "I Love You Uma" tunes because she's awesome and was perfectly cast for this.
So to sum it up....
Blu ray quality- Excellent
Movie- If you're just looking to have fun and not something like, "Ghandi"...you should check this out.

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Un Ballo in Maschera

Sublime!! Optimal performance,worthy of Verdi.
Looks like I am here first and I am happy not to be influenced by other belly-aching, jaundiced 'reviewers'.
This a wonderful performance, even better than Boccanegra. Conductor Gianluigi Gelmetti, an unlikely looking gentleman at first glance but at his first wave of the baton I felt he was a master. His upbeat tempi has a big sweep throughout that gives the opera the brilliance Verdi intended. Every bar has deep significance because he knows this opera and its complexities to a Tee. Karajan had it too in Vienna, in fact the Ballo was one of his favorite and a big challenge.
Stupendous singers. Francesco Meli as Riccardo is a young fresh voice, powerful and sensitive, thoroughly in empathy with the character.Vladimir Stoyanov is beginning to take over from Nucci. Again he is young and the voice is powerful, well shaded and his acting puts a menace into his Renato and at the same time we really feel his agony of being betrayed.Serena Gamberoni (Oscar) is a delight to behold...





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Becoming Redwood

BECOMING REDWOOD
A WONDERFUL FILM FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. A PRECOCIOUS 11-YEAR OLD WITH AN OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION HAS HIS LIFE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN WHEN HE IS FORCED TO LEAVE HIS HIPPY FATHER AND MOVE IN WITH HIS STRAIGHR LACED MOTHER. NOW HE MUST FIQURE OUT HOW TO FIT IN WITH HIS COLORFUL NEW FAMILY, ALL WHILE BEATING JACK NICKLAUS AT THE 1975 CHAMPIONSHIP.

A fascinating story about a child's imagination!
I enjoyed this film from the standpoint of watching a young boy face adversity and his parents splitting up, yet using a VERY active imagination to work past many of his troubles and adversaries. I would recommend "Becoming Redwood" for teens and older. It was a little different that what I had expected, but it IS a great flick!



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Escape From Planet Earth

On the slower side of okay
The beginning of the year is a slow time for the PG regular movie-going crowd. Family-friendly movies are more sparse, and GOOD family movies are a downright rarity. Which has never made much sense to me, since in the cold winter, going to the movies is one of the few (somewhat) affordable things to do with kids. So, we were excited when Escape From Planet Earth came out and we had high hopes that it was going to be a good watch.

It was a nice story about two very different but close brothers who have to learn how to be themselves while also letting the other one shine. Anyone who has more than one kid would probably agree that they watch their own children struggle with this quite often, so I liked the message behind the movie.

The other positives:
the animation is great (but nothing we haven't seen), it's colorful, appropriate for young kids, and has a few laughable scenes sparringly scattered throughout.

The not-so positives:
It's...

Funny Movie, Good Moral, Slow Moving
This movie was fun to go watch, albeit a little slow starting out. Being a geek myself, I enjoyed watching a movie where the geeky engineer is the protagonist, gets (already has) the girl, and saves the day. Escape from Planet Earth is a pretty predictable movie, but what would you expect from a children's movie. I enjoyed the fact that almost every alien stereotype and conspiracy theory is addressed as the source of comedy in the movie (i.e. - the road signs stating that Gary Supernova was entering and leaving area 48, 49, and 50 before "entering" area 51). Although a movie made for children, Escape from Planet Earth is a good movie for the young at heart as well. It seems like not many family movies now days actually contain an entire family, but this movie does. It also focuses on the tight-knit cohesiveness of the family unit and brings to the surface the fact that we would do almost anything for family.

The reason I rate it 4 stars is that, as I stated before, it is...

Not bad, not bad at all
I didnt expect much and I was surprised. It's worth a watch. Funny and heartwarming with a good message about the nees for others to have your back.

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COLLECTIVE, THE

Call 911
Kelly Overton is the attractive woman who both starred and co-directed and wrote the script to this mystery of a girl racing to New York City to rescue her sister from mysterious forces.
The photography is beautiful, the locations are striking of Manhattan--a place I called home for thirty years so it was interesting to recognize where the action was filmed.
Alas, though, the story has too many plot holes to succeed as a gripping study in terror.
The church where this mysterious sect has taken over is actually the picturesque Limelight, a church turned into a disco watering hole during the l980s. It's located at 20th Street and Sixth Avenue--one of the most congested areas in Manhattan. Tens of thousands of pedestrians, cops, cabs, throng this area hourly. If you screamed, you'd be mobbed within a nano second. Neither of the two girls make any attempt to find help.
When the two sisters escape the villians in the church, they race to find safety and in one rather...

The Collective stands apart from the crowd.
Star Kelly Overton turns in a solid performance as a woman searching the city for her sister, who has fallen in with a charismatic but potentially dangerous group. It's a movie that uses the city well and lets the audience follow along to try solving the mystery. Husband & wife team Morgan and Overton shared writing and directing duties and, to my way of thinking, did a respectable job. It's a straight-forward suspense tale that doesn't get bogged down by gimmicks or by pretending to be something it's not.



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