The Paper Chase

Description

Expecting only the basic pressures of attending Harvard Law School, a serious, hard-working student (Timothy Bottoms) finds himself the fearful adversary of the school's most imperious, sarcastic professor (John Houseman). Their relationship grows even more complex when the boy discovers that the girl he's in love with is the professor's daughter (Lindsay Wagner). Edward Herrmann and James Naughton co-star in this moving, intelligent drama.

Customer Reviews:

Great Chase!.......2007-09-14

I'm proud to own this copy of the excellent film Paper Chase (I'd like to read the book now that I've seen the film several times), one with now fuss no bother, just a clean shot, excellent commentary and intro. A master piece. Would there were more like it.

the facts in the case: a dissenting view.......2007-09-03

This film recounts the experiences of a first-year law student in chronological order. There is nothing particularly interesting in these experiences, nor any insights into education, law school, relationships or any of the other things that movies try to enlighten us about.

This film will appeal to lawyers who like to reminisce about their good ole days, and maybe law students, but only to them.

Everyone else will be sitting, waiting for something to happen. But nothing ever does happen. Nor do we care about the people it doesn't happen to.

You have been warned.

The Paper Chase.......2007-07-05

At a time of heightened competitiveness in academia, James Bridges's "The Paper Chase" makes for relevant as well as highly pleasurable viewing. Set in one of the most demanding environments--Harvard Law School--the film portrays learning at its most intense, where the depth and breadth of the curriculum represents a marathon, testing the brain and body's endurance. Timothy Bottoms is wonderful as the student who may be in over his head, but John Houseman, as the remote, brilliant law professor who strikes terror in his charges, is the reason this film scores a solid A.

Watch this before you go to law school.......2007-06-07

There are plenty of movies with a little romance, a little drama, and a little comedy. This movie is special because it portrays law school is such an entertaining, and somewhat accurate manner. It also explores the themes that we all constantly wrestle with, our natural intelligence, hard work, or ultimate capabililties, and what we are willing to sacrifice to get ahead.

The feckless and overly orthodox law professors that pollute the halls and classrooms of our nation's institutes of higher legal learning won't teach you as much about law school as this film will. The professor who appears in this film acutally explains his teaching methodology, the antiquated Socratic Method, which inspires students to learn and read through fear, which amounts to pointless question and answer sessions, which baffles students who once believed themselves to be intelligent before they were humiliated in front of their class!

Professor Kingsfield's lectures and question and answer sessions in this film are frightening and are timeless displays of eloquence, much like Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket. This movie, like no other, explores the fear and stress that law school students feel as they try to chase the paper, as they try to chase the grade.

Our protaganist goes through the same struggles as real law students, as he must decide between personal and school. Will he chase the girl that he is falling in love with? Or will he spend the weekend studying? Will he become the silent law school student that hopes that he does not get called on, or will he burn the midnight oil and become part of the upper echelon of law school students that savor the spotlight and volunteer to be participants in the feared Socratic nightmare? Will he fall prey to the paper chase and sell his sould to get the grade? You'll see law students crack, you'll see friendships fail, you'll see betrayal and competition, and you'll see disappointment in the face of the student that just can't hack it.

You'll get a sense of the conflict that is played out in the minds of those students who have the natural ability, but are conflicted whether or not they want to put in the work and take the pain that is necessary to succeed in law school and be at the top of their class.

The movie is entertaining, humorous, and the best part of all are the interactions between students and the sharp, aggressive law professor.

decent movie, but not real life.......2007-05-08

This is a decent movie, but hardly depicts the way that law school is, either in the late 1970s or espically in 2007. Professors today actually try to get AWAY from the Kingsfield sterotype that this movie created. Of course there are exceptions, and professors still use socratic at times, but it is very "soft." People can pass all the time in class, say i dont know, and NOTHING happens to them, indeed nobody even cares or looks up from playing games on their laptops.

So watch the movie, but don't use it as some kind of window into law school life.

Average customer rating:

Prepare to have your heart broken
Paper Clips
Always the ones you least suspect
An extraordinary documentary about loss, hope, and a desire to LEARN
Great Documentary

Paper Clips
Starring: Tom Bosley , David Smith (XLI) , Peter Schroeder , Dagmar Schroeder-Hildebrand , and Linda Hooper
Director: Joe Fab , and Elliot Berlin
Manufacturer: Arts Alliance Amer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CMNJF4
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Product Description

In 1998, a group of Tennessee schoolchildren embarked on a class project that would change their lives and impact those of countless others around the world. Responding to a history lesson about the Holocaust, the students began collecting 11 million paper clips (a Norwegian symbol of Nazi resistance) to commemorate each of the lives lost in the concentration camps. As news of the Paper Clip Project spread through the Internet, the children found themselves aided by total strangers in their effort to build a permanent memorial to tolerance and diversity in their schoolyard. Filmmakers Elliot Berlin and Joe Fab document the project in their documentary, PAPER CLIPS, for a moving testament to Margaret Mead's assertion that "a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world."

System Requirements:

Running Time 84 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Paper Clips is an inspiring 2004 documentary about a consciousness-raising project that blossomed into something beautiful at a rural Tennessee school. When the principal of Whitwell Middle School sought a program that would teach diversity to a predominantly white, Protestant student body, the notion of focusing on the Holocaust--specifically Hitler's extermination of six million Jews--seemed like an obvious way to go. But understanding what "six million" looks like became a challenge. Thus was born the idea of collecting that number of paper clips at Whitwell as a visual reference.

But then it turned out paper clips actually have, in historical terms, symbolic value where the Holocaust is concerned. In this moving film, one sees Whitwell students dig into research on Germany's genocidal campaign, solicit clips from a variety of leaders and celebrities, and make a name for themselves on the national news. In time, the world comes to Whitwell's doorstep, via unsolicited donations of clips from people around the world, and in a tearful meeting of students and Holocaust survivors. The dimensions of the project, the lessons about prejudice and intolerance, are stunning to watch grow beyond anyone's wildest expectations. This is a great film for families and classrooms to watch together. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Prepare to have your heart broken.......2007-08-20

I had no idea, when I borrowed this DVD from a friend, that it would have such an overwhelming effect on my heart, on my teaching. There is more here than the documentary of a school project. I have purchased a copy for myself, and for my daughter, who is also a teacher. There are many, many lessons to be learned here, including the one I believe is the most subtle, yet the most powerful: Even nice, loving, kind people, when they are honest, will admit to prejudice; but when they become aware of it, they can change. This is a great little film.

Paper Clips.......2007-07-23

Thanks to sure-handed direction from film-makers Elliot Berlin and Joe Fab, this incredibly moving and inspiring true story unfolds without unnecessary embellishment, allowing us to witness a worthy project from its nascent stages to what eventually becomes an extraordinary human phenomenon. "Paper Clips" is an important, life-affirming film, must-viewing for parents and older children. Don't miss this one!

Always the ones you least suspect.......2007-07-11

This powerful documentary explores the amazing project undertaken by Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee in 1998, first just to learn about the Shoah and then to collect 6 million paper clips, to have some kind of visual idea of just how many 6 million really is. They chose the paper clip to represent the murdered because it was invented in Norway in 1899, and during WWII, under the Nazi occupation and the dictatorial rule of the puppet ruler Vidkun Quisling, it was worn on people's collars as a secret symbol of resistance. But as more and more people nationwide and worldwide heard about their project, they soon far exceeded their original goal of 6 million and ended up getting over 30 million. The film itself, which also began as a story of how this seemingly unlikely school collected all of these paper clips and began having this class on the Shoah, to teach about tolerance and the dangers of prejudice and discrimination to a group of kids in an extremely homogenous small community, eventually evolved into something more. It became a story about how 5 Shoah survivors from New York came down to Whitwell and spoke at a local church and the school, with each respective group learning something new about the other, confronting and dissolving their former preconceptions. And then it turned into an entirely different story again, about the school's efforts to get an authentic railcar from Germany and to convert it into a mini-museum of sorts and a monument to tolerance and love, complete with housing 11 million (now more) of the paper clips, to represent each person who died, and the other victims whose names will never be known because they weren't all documented or accounted for, finally giving a resting place and respect to them in the least likely of all places.

Like many other Northerners, I've often bought into stereotypes about the South and Southerners, just like a lot of the people in the film fell victim to stereotypes about the North and Northerners. But as this story teaches us, it's very dangerous to stereotype entire groups of people, and to judge entire peoples instead of just singling out individuals who act in unfortunate ways. The people in this small town, in particular the children at the middle school, embody the ideals of love, tolerance, kindness, and respect, shattering the stereotype that all Southerners are ignorant racist hillbillies who fear or hate anyone or anything that's different. It also shows that most people will do the right thing simply because it is the right thing, and that children are children wherever one goes, full of curiosity and love, with the power to change the world one step at a time. It also shatters the stereotype that the younger generation doesn't care about anything or anyone but themselves. And after watching this powerful film, the viewer may never look at a paper clip the same way ever again.

Features on the bonus disc are interviews with two of the Shoah survivors who came to Whitwell, Rachel Gleitman and Bernard Igielski, interviews with the teachers, students, and some of the townspeople, extended scenes (the most notable of which being the dedication of the railcar museum on 9 November 2001, the 63rd anniversary of Krystallnacht), and a bonus scene, "A Sabbath Lesson at Ground Zero." There's also an interesting audio commentary on the main disc. Overall, it's full of important, powerful, and thought-provoking lessons for people of all ages and from all geographic regions.

An extraordinary documentary about loss, hope, and a desire to LEARN.......2007-06-21

I purchased this movie last December.

I usually purchase movies only after viewing them. However, I was fascinated by this story, and purchased the movie without prior viewing.

The documentary is an interesting look not only at the Holocaust, but at relationships between people, and the desire to understand events of history.

In an effort to further diversity education at their school - teachers and administrators at a Tennessee school, along with students, developedh a project to collect 6 million paperclips to represent individuals destroyed by the Holocaust.

The individuals in the film - students, teachers, the journalists who assisted the project - are all absolutely genuine. They are not afraid to show their own judgements and prejudices, and also express why they have felt this way. The innocent perspectives of the students is endearing, and genuinely inspiring.

Yes, this is a deeply emotional film. It is heartbreaking, and amazing. The holocaust surivors who came and shared their stories, shared their tattoo'd numbers...broke your heart and warmed your spirit. But in the same respect the desire of these students and educators to learn and UNDERSTAND - their desire to really GRASP JUST HOW MANY 6 MILLION PEOPLE would look like...is phenomenal. This is a brilliant documentary.

I was also fascinated by the symbolic choice of a paperclip...

I am very glad I purchased this film, it is an amazing story, enlightening. And it gives you a sense of what people can accomplish. Gathering paperclips seemed overwhelming in the beginning, but what the students do, with the help of journalists, family, etc. is phenomenal. I truly get tingles and goosebumps thinking about this film. And was breathless when the journey of the Train car from germany intersected modern history on September 11.

There is much to learned from history.

When one sets out on just such a journey, I believe often, the resources come to us. And I think this story displays how seeking out to accomplish the goal of education brought many people together, and created an example of just what the world lost during the Holocaust.

Each paperclip represented one life, a life with lost potential. Each paperclip was treated with such an endearing respect; handled by someone who thought about the person who might have been...

I believe we should all see this film.

Great Documentary.......2007-05-16

I used this video as an introduction to teach the Holocaust for my Junior Hight students and it was well received by them.

Average customer rating:

Remember the TV series?
Wonderful movie
Paper Moon
"You've Never Seen Paper Moon? What!!!!"
Funny and Charming Road Movie

Paper Moon
Starring: Ryan O'Neal , Tatum O'Neal , Madeline Kahn , John Hillerman , and P.J. Johnson
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B00009RDGA
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Amazon.com

A sweet and subtle gem of a movie. Newly orphaned Addie (Tatum O'Neal) falls into the care of small-time con artist Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal, Tatum's real-life father) and turns out to be better at grifting than he is. Set in Depression-era Kansas, Paper Moon is a miracle of unity. The set design and cinematography combine to give both the flavor of documentary photos and the visual quality of movies from the period, and every performance meshes with the overall tone of sincerity, earnest optimism, and creeping desperation. The rapport between Addie and Moses is phenomenal--and being father and daughter doesn't make that a sure thing. Ryan O'Neal gives a truly great performance (perhaps the only one of his career) and Tatum won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (she's the youngest winner in history). Madeline Kahn was also nominated for her wonderfully funny and sad turn as an exotic dancer named Trixie Delight. Paper Moon has a miraculous combination of outrageous sentimentality and pragmatic cynicism; the result is genuinely touching. One of director Peter Bogdanovich's best films, and kind of a comic companion piece to The Last Picture Show. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Adapted from the novel "Addie Pray" by Joe David Brown, PAPER MOON is set in the Midwest during the Great Depression, and follows the story of Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal), a happy-go-lucky con artist who travels through the Midwest on a mission to swindle money out of innocent widows. While attending a friend's funeral, Pray is called upon by two elderly ladies to deliver the daughter of the deceased, Addie (Tatum O'Neal), to her aunt in Missouri. Soon learning that the 9-year-old is almost as mischievous and manipulative as he is, Pray and Addie develop a father and daughter routine that increases their credibility as well as their income. Now, the devious duo set out on a series of misadventures involving crooked cops, bootleggers, grieving widows and a Carney dancer named Miss Trixie Delight (Kahn) who adds a little spice to their routine.

Customer Reviews:

Remember the TV series?.......2007-08-21

This is a wonderful film. I just want to remind people that there was an excellent, though short-lived, TV series with the Tatum O'Neal role being played by Jodie Foster. I would love to have that released on DVD.

Wonderful movie.......2007-08-08

This is a great movie - I still chuckle at Addie demanding her $200. I wonder if it would get past the censors these days with the scenes of Addie smoking. Tatum O'Neal thoroughly deserved the Oscar she won.

Paper Moon.......2007-07-04

Bogdanovich's masterpiece of hilarity, the comic flip-side to his brilliant "The Last Picture Show", made two years prior. .This time around, thanks to Alvin Sargent's Oscar-nominated screenplay, continual laughter accompanies the director's dusty rendering of 1930's America. We are convulsed as, time and again, child prodigy Addie proves herself a superior hustler to the hapless Moses. Kahn is priceless as Trixie Delight, a floozie dumb enough to try to come between this unlikely pair. Tatum became youngest player ever to win an Oscar.

"You've Never Seen Paper Moon? What!!!!".......2007-06-13

It's great a movie.

Everyone needs to see this movie so they can recall scenes in conversation. Basically, seeing movies like these, keep you in touch with most present day social situations.

Funny and Charming Road Movie.......2007-04-16

I recently watched for the first time Peter Bogdanovich's early gem (how could I miss it?) with the family team, Ryan and Tatum O'Neil, and fell in love with this charming and touching road movie/comedy that takes place during the Great Depression. Tatum gave, perhaps, one of the best performances by a child I've seen for which she received the Academy award as Best Supporting Actress. Her Addie is almost never cute (even though she could be when she wanted to) but her Addie is very smart, very observant, and much better "con artist" than "professional" Moses Pray. It was sad to see how talented Tatum was and how her career went nowhere after this triumph. Madeline Kahn, as Trixie Delight, the seductive lounge singer and P.J. Johnson as Imogene, 15 years old Trixie's maid are delightful.

4.5/5

Average customer rating:

Living and Working in NYC
The Paper review
FUN MOVIE!
...all the news that's print to fit...
no title

The Paper
Starring: Michael Keaton , Robert Duvall , Glenn Close , Marisa Tomei , and Randy Quaid
Director: Ron Howard
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: 0783219571
Release Date: 1997-11-19

Amazon.com

Highly entertaining albeit thin journalism thriller, this examination of a 24-hour period in the life of a New York Post-ish tabloid focuses on a hard-working metro editor (a pitch-perfect Michael Keaton) thinking of going to a loftier job at a rival paper. Edgy, "NYC as the center of the universe" full of sweat and grit, the paper debates the hot story of the day: a racial shooting. Like most movies from Ron Howard's universe (Parenthood, Backdraft), it's always just a movie, full of dramatic, over-the-top setups instead of the genuine article. Still, the film has the feeling of being there, full of workman's vigor where "I'm on deadline" is the family motto. The cast is just right although the roles are stereotypical: the grizzled editor-in-chief (Robert Duvall) the cold female manager (Glenn Close), the slightly whacked-out ace columnist (Randy Quaid), and the rest. Each actor has choice moments in this movie that may turn fans on to the hectic side of journalism. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Living and Working in NYC.......2007-07-17

This has been one of my touchstone movies since it arrived in 1994. I grew up in various locales in the NYC metro area, and can attest to the quickening of an already fast pace of life from the 1960's forward. (I remember when the radio station featured in the movie, 1010-WINS, was a Pop Rock station. BTW, WINS claims today to be "the most listened to radio station in the USA".) The pace of life depicted in this movie, the diverse scenes - which always have a lot of other people going about their business, and the constant need to make decisions quickly are what New York City is to me.

Before you read the travel books or see the videos, you should view this movie to better appreciate what will be going on around you when you visit. The Grand Canyon has serenitity, New York City has adrenaline.

The Paper review.......2007-04-10

All of the actors gave a great performance; there was comedy in several spots, and we've watched the film several times. if you can't see it on HBO, buy the disk.

FUN MOVIE!.......2006-11-03

This is a FUN movie all around. It takes you into the life of print journalism and gets you involved into the everyday life of news writers and the stress they encounter on a day-to-day basis. Leading the way is Michael Keaton as the hot-shot news writer who's contemplating changing companies to further his status and make the extra buck. He's supported by a great cast of veteran actors who each have a distinct personality that you'll either love or hate. Now that's acting! The great thing about this movie is that it's set in real time like show's like 24 and whatnot. The whole movie is based on this one hectic day and how much of a rollercoaster it becomes.

...all the news that's print to fit..........2006-09-02

this is ron howard at his finest...this is michael keaton at his finest...this is film making, well, it ain't 'citizan kane', but, in a way, it does come close...i mean, think about it...the way the characters connect to each other, and, while 'kane' goes through a lifetime in one movie, these guys go thru one day in their lifetime...the writing is crisp, the acting is sharp, and, i can tell you from personal experience, having spent many a day 'putting more coal into the furnace', (as robert duvall's character says about the newspaper business), this film is prime for a 'slammer'!...is it any wonder that this is my favorite movie of all time...

no title.......2006-04-03

A very entertaining movie, with sit on the edge of your seat suspense. Done much like the old TV series "St Elsewhere", with the cutting back and forth between characters, that has become so popular today. In 1994 it was more cutting edge. "City of Hope" was also in this style, although with much more substance. A lot gets packed into 24 hours in the life of these people. I particularly enjoyed Randy Quaid's character here. Many of the others seemed to be playing types, rather than real people, but for this kind of script, with no pretensions of meaning, that's OK. It was action-packed, never a dull moment. I did thing Spalding Grey not good, as I think he has been in everything I've seen him in, which is odd, as his stage show was nothing short of fabulous. A great talent will be missed. Perhaps the film medium was just not suited to him. There was also a continuity break in the scene where Marisa Tomai is having a drink with some guy. Sometimes the lime slice is on her glass, sometimes not, the level of water keeps changing, and also the angle of the lime slice when it is there. And I think the reporter with back problems and his chair should have hit the cutting room floor.

The Charles Dickens Collection, Vol. 2 (David Copperfield / The Pickwick Papers / The Old Curiosity Shop / Dombey and Son)

Average customer rating:

Charles Dickens Collection Volume 2
very good collection
More pure enjoyment !
Excellence in Old England
Captures Dickens' time & place

The Charles Dickens Collection, Vol. 2 (David Copperfield / The Pickwick Papers / The Old Curiosity Shop / Dombey and Son)
Starring: Colin Douglas , John Woodnutt , Phil Daniels , Howard Lang (II) , and Shirley Cain
Director: Brian Lighthill , Rodney Bennett , and Simon Curtis
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
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ASIN: B000FQIRYK
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Amazon.com

For Dickens aficionados who own the first DVD Collection, but still want some more, this four-disc set collects four sterling BBC productions of some of the author's essential masterworks. The best of the lot is David Copperfield, starring a pre-Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe as the tragically put-upon young Copperfield. Shot on film, this impeccable 1999 production is an embarrassment of riches, with a cast that includes Academy Award-winner Maggie Smith, who earned an Emmy nomination as the formidable Aunt Betsey, Oscar-nominee Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) as the cruel and sadistic teacher Mr. Creakle, a wonderful Bob Hoskins as the debt-ridden Micawber, Trevor Eve as David's loathsome stepfather Mr. Murdstone, and Nicholas Lyndhurst as the dastardly clerk Uriah Heap. Holding his own with this formidable ensemble is Ciaran McMenamin as the adult David, whose ultimate triumph is particularly hard earned. Rich with incident and populated by some of literature's most memorable characters, this production does satisfying justice to one of Dickens's most beloved and oft-told sagas. When it comes to a series of unfortunate events, Lemony Snicket has nothing on Dickens.

The Old Curiosity Shop, from 1979, stars Sebastian Shaw as the grandfather determined to provide a better life for his beloved and beautiful granddaughter, Nell (the winning Natalie Ogle). But his gambling leaves them at the mercy to the bent and malignant Quilp (Trevor Peacock). The lesser known Dombey and Son, from 1983, is a tale of foolish pride, comeuppance, and redemption starring Julian Glover as Mr. Dombey, so determined that his son take over his business that he cruelly neglects his daughter, Florence (the heartbreaking Lysette Anthony). The Pickwick Papers, from 1985, is a welcome comic change of pace that follows the misadventures of "the immortal" (and comically rotund) Mr. Pickwick (Nigel Stock) and his three friends as they embark on the first expedition of "the corresponding society of the Pickwick Club." Shot on video, the latter three miniseries are somewhat stodgy in appearance. The adaptations are faithful to a fault, but Dickens' masterful tales provide inspiration enough for the casts who grandly rise to the occasion. --Donald Liebenson

Description

These four acclaimed adaptations bring to life the legendary characters, devastating drama, and coarse humor of one of the world's greatest novelists.

Customer Reviews:

Charles Dickens Collection Volume 2.......2007-09-02

These DVDs were bought for my wife and she has really enjoyed them. She said the quality of the movies was very good and she hopes you will have other BBC productions in the near future featuring other Charles Dickens works.

From my point of view about ordering from Amazon is how easy it is to look for and order movies that you cannot buy in local stores. Thank you.

very good collection.......2007-08-04

I particularly liked the "Pickwick Papers" which I had never seen on film before. It was charming.

More pure enjoyment !.......2007-01-17

With the second volume of immortal works of Charles Dickens, brought to the screen by BBC, the pleasure of watching the first volume gets an extention.
I am a big fan of the classics English literature and especially Dickens. He is simply the genius. In my humble opinion no other English writer can be even compared with him.
Any one of his books is worth reading.
And to watch this BBC dramatization is a great pleasure too - it is true Dickens - bright and sparkling on the screen as he does in every one of his books.
If you are the newcomer to the world of his books - watch the movies and be encouraged to go for reading then. You will never regret.

Excellence in Old England.......2007-01-11

A joyful depiction of one of Charles Dickens writings, the details of the English shops, homes and era dress were fascinating and so believable that it made watching the movie feel as though I was right there. This is on my "to watch often" list.

Captures Dickens' time & place.......2006-10-26

Part of Dickens' genius was the ability to enable the reader to FEEL
the time and place of the storyline unfolding, as well as the visualize
the gamut of intriguing characters.
The BBC has, again, done the same for the viewer. Selection of
locations, environments and characters is simply wonderful -- sure to
keep the viewer engrossed, even though the dialogue is uncompromisingly
British.
The only caveat is that the viewer must remember that these are
ADAPTATIONS of Dickens' novels -- and, therefore, there are omissions
and modifications to the originals.
The modifications make it very easy for teachers to determine whether
or not a student has actually read the novel or just enjoyed the DVD!

Average customer rating:

For all Office lovers
bbc
Quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen...genuinely hilarious!
The last piece to my collection
"The Office Special"

The Office Special
Starring: Mackenzie Crook , Lucy Davis (II) , Martin Freeman (II) , and Ricky Gervais
Director: Ricky Gervais
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0002W4P8Y
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Amazon.com

The brilliant and devastating comedy of The Office is brought to a satisfying conclusion in The Office Special, originally a two-part Christmas special on the BBC, set three years after the end of the faux-documentary's second season. The former office manager David (Ricky Gervais) now ekes out a desperate existence as an oblivious quasi-celebrity, making awkward, humiliating visits back to the office staff he still believes loves him. Gawky Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) has risen to manager and become a petty tyrant, while the sweet but snide Tim (Martin Freeman) continues to pine for former receptionist Dawn (Lucy Davis), who fled to Florida with her fiance. When the documentary crew pays for Dawn to return for the holiday party, an unpredictable reunion looms ahead. The Office fuses scathing humor and genuine empathy, turning excruciating social discomfort into inspired satire. Fans will find this special rewarding in all respects. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

For all Office lovers.......2007-01-31

This is a great ending to the UK series. Hilariously funny. A must see for viewers who have so far only seen the US version. Watch the first two seasons first though!

bbc .......2007-01-16

Love the office. Ricky Gervais is hilarious. And thanks for sharing your comedy with the state. Cheers

Quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen...genuinely hilarious!.......2006-07-28

This show is a symphony. A perfectly constructed one, at that. The acting is spot-on and deadpan, as the cast maneuvers their way through one comedic/horrific scene to the next. The writing and directing for this TV comedy shines and lifts the product up to, dare I say, legendary status. Dare! Dare! Overall, this is one subtly brilliant television offering. This show, more than any other show that I've found (Seinfeld included) makes me want to watch its episodes over and over again - and never tire of them.

The true power of the show lies in the fact that only 13 "episodes" exist. And what does exist feels volumes and volumes deeper than the total of 13 could ever communicate. In short, it never wears out it's welcome.

Highly recommended.

The last piece to my collection.......2006-07-14

I have loved the office ever since I saw it when it was brand new in the UK. I just had to buy the DVD's when I got back to the US. The Special was the last piece that I needed. I knew that it was made some time after the originals, so wasn't expecting it to be quite as good. I was not let down. The characters are still funny and get into their always crazy predicaments. If you loved the first 2 series, I think you will enjoy this one as well. I fell on the floor for David Brent's "music video"...

"The Office Special".......2006-03-06

Sorry to sound juvenile, but this is the freakin' funniest thing I have ever seen. It is sly, intelligent and very English, which is a perfect combination in my opinion.

Ricky Gervais is a great comedian and equally skilled actor (even if he begs to differ). When I first saw this on cable, I would giggle to myself for days recalling certain scenes. Now that I own it (one of the smartest purchases I've ever made), I have not stopped laughing out loud, not one day. I keep remembering hilarious lines delivered with perfectly serious faces, and I burst out laughing!

If you enjoy British humor, if you've seen only a few episodes of "The Office," do yourself a favor and buy this gem. Ricky Gervais is the best thing to come along in quite awhile. Whoever thought such non-stop fun and happiness could be found for such a low price?

Oh, and the DVD extras are even more hysterical if you can possibly believe it. The interview with Ricky and Stephen Merchant alone is a gem. But the music video, oh my God...The music video. There simply are no words. Enjoy!

The Yakuza Papers - Battles Without Honor & Humanity (Complete Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Quality in Quantity
Amazing Gem of Japanese Cinema
Battles without Honor and Humanity
Killer set
A blood-soaked epic

The Yakuza Papers - Battles Without Honor & Humanity (Complete Box Set)
Starring: Bunta Sugawara , Hiroki Matsukata , Tatsuo Umemiya , Tsunehiko Watase , and Nobuo Kaneko
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Manufacturer: Homevision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002V7O1A
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Amazon.com

While The Godfather romanticized the American Mafia in the early 1970s, Kinji Fukasaku's five-film series known as The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor & Humanity revolutionized the Japanese yakuza film with unprecedented intensity. A post-World War II epic that broke Japanese box-office records, this complex, utterly authentic cycle of gangster films replaced the popular ninkyo or "chivalry" films of the '60s with jitsuroku, an entirely new breed of gangster film that rose from the ashes of Hiroshima and post-war reconstruction, depicting a meticulously detailed "alternate history" (as Japanese film expert Tom Mes observes in the accompanying booklet) that had been ignored by the "official" factual record. Beginning with 1973's Battles Without Honor and Humanity and continuing through four hugely popular sequels, these are bracingly intricate studies in shifting loyalties and gangland chaos, tracking the yakuza career of Shozu Hirono (played by charismatic star Bunta Suguwara), who rises from lowly soldier status in 1946 to "sworn brotherhood" and respected retirement in 1970. Across this quarter-century of death, power, and betrayal, Fukasaku orchestrates nearly 50 characters in four major cities, all vying for dominance in a familial structure so complex that a helpful flow-chart is provided to follow the shifting balance of power.

Western viewers may struggle with the social context of these films, but as a gangster epic of escalating scope and power, The Yakuza Papers offers a universally energizing DVD experience. Fukasaku (who died in January 2003 while filming his 62nd film, Battle Royale II) was a master of cinematic pulp, and these films represent the pinnacle of his frenetic, deliberately chaotic hand-held camera style, which strongly influenced American urban crime films of the '70s (as French Connection director William Friedkin notes on the feature-packed supplement disc). Rough-edged and thematically rich, the five films presented here--all in pristine digital transfers and brilliantly translated by ace subtitler Linda Hoaglund--combine to form a sprawling milestone of Japanese cinema. Home Vision's packaging and comprehensive supplements pay honorable tribute to Fukasaku's achievement, with bonus features that provide all the necessary background needed to fully appreciate The Yakuza Papers as a raw, ambitious masterpiece that fully deserves its widespread acclaim. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In the wake of the Bomb, ex-soldier Shozo Hirono [Bunta Sugawara] joins a Hiroshima yakuza gang, the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia-and then the shootings, slashings, betrayals, and scheming begin. Premiering a year after The Godfather, The Yakuza Papers also broke box office records and spawned sequels, but, in contrast, took a ruthlessly de-romanticized view of the underworld. Based on an actual gang boss's memoirs, The Yakuza Papers plunges the audience into a gritty, brutal, violent newsreel of a three-decade struggle for power of Shakespearean complexity, a nihilistic epic unlike any other.

Customer Reviews:

Quality in Quantity.......2007-03-05

If you like gritty gangster movies, buy this boxed set right now. It is a shame that Fukasaku-san is no longer with us, he had a lot of lessons that he could have taught the people who produce and direct todays gangster-pablum. I have recently recieved these episodes from an online movie rental service, my interest in Fukasaku-san's films being piqued by "Battle Royal", and I was not disappointed.

The films are all brilliantly written and brilliantly directed. When this is paired with the excellent job done by every actor/actress in the series, you are left with an extremely solid series. What more can a film fan ask for?

If you are interested in Japanese film and culture, and as obsessed with organized crime (especially the Yakuza, the smoothest of criminals) as I am, you will love this series. If you can't follow the fast paced storyline or the realistic violence: Stay home! This series is for the hardcore only.

Fans of mass-produced Hollywood/network T.V. garbage need not apply.

Amazing Gem of Japanese Cinema.......2006-09-10

I loved these films. A classic set of Japanese yakuza movies for your own private viewing. It's so complex that it'll make the American Noir films look like Soap Operas. A little more violence than expected, The Yakuza Papers displays a cinematic dynamicity, that few movies had during the 70's. Clear portrayal of Japanese post-war, or should I say post-Nuclear era.A revolutionary masterpiece. Somebody said before that they "look like a Sonny Chiba movie", but it's quite the opposite. They look indeed very original and stylistically influencial.

Battles without Honor and Humanity.......2005-02-03

This series is without a doubt the most important series of yakuza films ever to be made. Not only are the films socially important, but they are also masterpieces in filmmaking.
The series has an intriguing story which continues through all five films. Each film tells different parts of the same story, in chronological order, and for this reason I cannot help but consider the series to be one film, broken into five parts. The films were revolutionary because they were some of the first to depict the yakuza lifestyle as one without honor, as the title reveals. Films such as Pale Flower showed the emptiness of the yakuza lifestyle, but no film was as commanding as the Battles Without Honor series, which not only showed the emptiness, but also the brutality, destruction, and tragedy of the yakuza lifestyle. The message of the film is very in-your-face, because at the time almost every film glorified the gangster life and heroic bloodshed. In addition, the production quality of the series is very high and each film is very professionally made, with the filmmakers truly showing care and respect for their work. Each film provides a testament to the power of good storytelling and good filmmaking. This series is not just for yakuza fans, but for fans of all Japanese cinema, as well as fans of cinema in general. Though the series may portray a great gangster tale, they are also great films and the viewer need not be a fan of the genre.

This is yet again a wonderful presentation on the part of Home Vision Entertainment. The picture quality has really been cleaned up and the transfer is excellent. Another extremely important aspect of this release is that the subtitles have been newly translated, making the films much easier to understand than other versions. The box set also contains a bonus disc full of special features, which are not available with just the regular discs.

Overall, I highly recommend these films and this DVD series is the best way to see them.

Killer set.......2004-12-31

"The Yakuza Papers" consists of five sequential films made in the 1970s and only now making their U.S. debut, in this killer six-DVD set from Home Vision. Comparisons to the first two "Godfathers" seem inevitable, but "Yakuza" is a singular film experience -- deeply rewarding for those with the stomach for its kinetic violence; overwhelming in scope and complexity.

The set thoughtfully provides a printed chart that helps viewers track the Japanese crime families that do battle over the quarter-century covered in the series. They'll need it. "Yakuza" rarely pauses to allow for reflection -- this is a dizzying eight-hour hell-ride through a time and place as foreign as they come.

William Friedkin, whose talking-head interview kicks off the extras disc, calls director Kinji Fukasaku "a master," comparing "Yakuza Papers" to James Joyce's "Ulysses." No doubt a contemporary influence on the frantic hand-held camerawork was Friedkin's own "The French Connection," which the U.S. director says "very easy could have been done by Fukasaku."

Fukasaku looked past the stars of romanticized old-school yakuza films to find his lead, Bunta Sugawara, with whom he had just worked on "Street Mobster" (also out via Home Vision). No one in "Yakuza" gets off easy, but Sugawara's existential Hirono character comes closest to a traditional hero as he makes his way from the streets to the top of the underworld. More typical is weepy crime boss Yamamori (Nobuo Kaneko), a cross between Don Corleone and Floyd the barber.

Home Vision, which has busied itself importing gritty yakuza films, gives Fukasaku's epic first-class treatment, starting with a metal container and an artful fold-out for the discs. Video looks tremendous, coming from films of their era and budget, with almost no speckling or other overt wear. Aspect ratio is 2.35:1, enhanced for 16.9 TVs. There are a few scenes with flashes of polarization and occasional image stretching near the sides of the letterboxed frames. Mono audio is gun-metal solid.

One don't-miss extra is the interview with tough-talking translator Linda Hoaglund, who grew up in Japan as the daughter of missionaries. The films of "Fukasaku-san" were all about rage, she says. "He's ripping the lid off Japanese society: 'Take a look -- it's wild here.' "

A blood-soaked epic.......2004-12-23

Kinji Fukasaku's series of films known as The Yakuza Papers is largely seen as the veteran filmmaker's answer to The Godfather. Grouped together, these five films are a towering achievement of visceral B-moviemaking at its finest. The very first image over the opening credits of Battles Without Honor and Humanity is that of a mushroom cloud. The dropping of two atomic bombs would forever change and shape Japan's history. It is an event that shaped and changed Fukasaku's life. It also informed many of his movies.

In a nice touch, a booklet is included that maps out the various clans, their significant members and their relation to each other over the course of all five films. This is extremely helpful to neophytes who have trouble remembering who's who and what happened when.

The bonus disc starts off with "Friedkin on Fukasaku," an interview with the legendary director who talks about meeting Fukasaku. He recounts his impressions of the man and how his style of filmmaking differed from the masters of classic Japanese cinema (Ozu, Kurosawa, et al).

"Jitsuroku: Reinventing a Genre" examines this sub-genre of Yakuza films in which the events are based on true stories or historical record.

"Boryoku: Fukasaku and the Art of Violence" is an examination of how violence is depicted in his movies. There is interview footage with the man himself as he talks about expressing the violent and restless tendencies that came out of the postwar period.

"Kantoku: Remembering the Director" features Fukasaku's son and two of his collaborators talking about what it was like to work with him.

David Kaplan, co-author of Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld, talks about the history and evolution of the Yakuza on the "Kaplan on the Yakuza" featurette.

Rounding out the extras is "Translating Fukasaku" with Linda Hoaglund talking about working on the subtitling into English of his movies.

For quite some time Home Vision has released some of the finest examples of Yakuza cinema. They've hit the mother load with this fantastic box set that features some of Fukasaku's best work. For people only familiar with his controversial swan song, Battle Royale, The Yakuza Papers is an exciting, crime epic influenced by the dropping of two atomic bombs that helped defeat Japan, bring about an end to World War II and shape the prevailing attitude of its people for years to come.

Average customer rating:

Funny
Dame Dash makes great movies...........
"Classic Hood Flick"
R. O. C.
Silly but fun

Paper Soldiers
Starring: Kamal Ahmed , Memphis Bleek , Kevin Carroll , Jason Cerbone , and Stacey Dash
Director: David Daniel
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000089729
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Amazon.com

The excellent Paper Soldiers shifts fluidly from comedy to serious drama as it follows an overeager burglar named Shawn (Kevin Hart) through the ups and downs of his short, stressful career. Already on parole but faced with the power being turned off and his child forced to eat nothing but cereal, Shawn convinces an older thief (Derrick "Capone" Lee) to train him. He soon finds himself caught between his angry girlfriend (Tiffany Withers), his incompetent would-be-criminal friends, and a neighborhood sociopath with a hair-trigger temper (Beanie Sigel). Paper Soldiers always feels real, which makes the humor genuine and lets the movie shift gears into high tension. The performances are compelling throughout--Hart makes you care about Shawn without ever letting him off the hook for his foolish decisions. Smartly written and skillfully directed, Paper Soldiers deserves to be seen. Featuring cameos by Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and others. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Funny.......2007-06-30

Kevin Heart did his thang in this movie...it was so funny and had me cracking up. One of the best Rocafella flims yet...along with Paid In Full.

Dame Dash makes great movies..................2006-10-31

By far one of the funniest movies ever. The whole cast is great from beginning to end. One of the funniest parts is when Kev's co-worker home boy wants to get in on the B & E action and noids out and leaves them while they are robbing a house. Hilarious!

Kev Hart could be as big as Chris Tucker someday.

If Dame wants to make it on his own he needs to stick his strengths, IE (Dash Films and possibly starting another clothing line.) Dame get on your grizzly and do Dame Dash.

Paid in Full, State Property 2 and Paper Soldiers are classics.

"Classic Hood Flick".......2006-06-03

This is by far one of the funniest movies I have EVER seen in my life. I would put it right up there with Friday. I know every line and I'm always in the mood to watch it.

R. O. C........2006-02-23

This movie Roc-a-fella films production different their other recent movies because this one was funny as hell! Roc-a-fella recording artists such as Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Noreaga, Jay-Z, Damon Dash & more were great to see acting but, Kevin Hart was the man in this funny comedy!

Silly but fun.......2005-08-09

I realy did not get the point of this but it was fun to watch

Average customer rating:

Charles Bronson telling a True Story
Confessions of a hitman
Again in circulation
Some DVD Info and Clarification
Not bad, but don't expect "The Godfather"

The Valachi Papers
Starring: Charles Bronson , Lino Ventura , Jill Ireland , Walter Chiari , and Joseph Wiseman
Director: Terence Young
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BX0VTG
Release Date: 2006-01-03

Description

Sentenced to 15 years in prison, former mob "button man" Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) turns informant when he learns top Mafia capo Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura) has put a $100,000 contract out on his life. From thievery and extortion to vengeance and murder, Valachi spills the innermost workings of the Cosa Nostra, culminating in his riveting testimony before a Senate subcommittee on organized crime. Based on Peter Maa's best-selling book, THE VALACHI PAPERS is gripping, shocking and absolutely true, "a hard-hitting, violence-ridden documented melodrama of the underworld" (Variety).

Customer Reviews:

Charles Bronson telling a True Story.......2007-05-12

This is an excellent movie I saw when it came out and again 35 years later.It's amazeing how close to the facts they made this flick.In my memory the special effects were better,lol,but the story is good.the special effects are on a par with the Gunsmoke series.I give it a A+ for story content and a B for the Acting,and another B for the effects,because they were state of the art. Good movie if you want to see a REAL-LIFE MAFIA STORY.

Confessions of a hitman.......2007-01-22

The Valachi Papers was shot at a time when common wisdom had it that gangster pictures were box-office poison, so the very American tale of Charles Bronson's Cosa Nostra soldier spilling the beans on his life in the mob in return for protection by the Feds ended up being shot at Dinocitta in Italy with French money and an English director (Terence Young, reunited with Dr No villains Joseph Wiseman - wonderfully hammy here - and Anthony Dawson) only to end up being discounted as a Godfather ripoff when Coppola's film became a surprise huge hit. Based on Joe Valachi's Grand Jury testimony that lifted the veil on the way the mob worked and was organized after years of denial of its very existence by J. Edgar Hoover, it's a well-crafted and enjoyable saga with none of the operatic grandeur that Coppola, Leone and De Palma would bring to the genre. There's not much in the way of historical or social context, more a catalog of greatest hits and internecine feuding, but it's done with some flair and is surprisingly entertaining. Bronson makes a good lead, with decent support from Walter Chiari and Lino Ventura, both surprisingly well dubbed. Unfortunately the dire Mrs Bronson, Jill Ireland, is along too, but she's not in it enough to do any damage.

Again in circulation.......2006-02-17

This item was banned of circulation for many years in VHS format. It was a very hard to get. Fortunately due to the marvels of DVD it is again on circulation. As a movie collector I am I am very glad of seing again Charles Bronson acting with his wife, beautiful Jill Ireland, that at the time of the movie production (1972) has been suffering a severe illness that finally cut short her life a few years later. If you like Mafia, mobsters movies, this is a good item for you to buy. It tells chronologically a resumee of the life of JOSEPH VALACHI, the guy who opened the secrets of the COSA NOSTRA to the public on the 60's decade. Supposedly it is based on the BOOK THE VALACHI PAPERS by PETER MAAS, but -for good- there are some differences from the book in the movie that makes it more interesting due to the interpretation of DIRECTOR ROGER CORMAN (Also, Director of St. Valentine's Day Massacre, 1967, and many others)

Some DVD Info and Clarification.......2006-01-16

Against the information provided here by Amazon, the DVD packaging and on-screen info give the rating of this film as PG (not R). There is some brief nudity and some mild swearing. Maltin's movie guide indicates the film was originally released with an R rating, but was subsequently edited to the 125 min. PG rated version featured here. The disc is widescreen anamorphic as well, not full screen as noted by Amazon (the packaging also only notes "widescreen".)

Not bad, but don't expect "The Godfather".......2006-01-16

Having come out almost right after "The Godfather" (though the book came out much earlier), this movie tried to capitalize on Coppola's masterpiece and the publics' appetite for mob flicks, so it had big shoes to fill. By that comparison, it pales. On its own, it fits into the category of movies like, "The St. Valentines Day Massacre." It leaves a little bit to be desired in performances (cerainly in brand name actors aside from Charles Bronson), dialogue and editing/continuity. But the story it tells is true, based on a book that by itself tells the story of a mobster turned informant because of the contract unjustifiably put on his head. The movie satisfies those who crave the ingredients offered in the mob genre- violence, hits, blood, betrayal, loyalty, misguided power hungry individuals, and mistrust. And it can be argued that the cast of largely unknown Italian actors lends a feel of authenticity to the movie. But it does come down to script, dialogue and what is done with it by those actors, and in that, though the movie is a guilty pleasure of mine, it does come up short. But it does detail the hierarchy of the mafia over several years, how that changed due to power struggles, and how it affected those who lived within it. Bronson's Valachi character is the sympathetic figure in this movie and the movie is told from his perspective and that of the FBI agent to whom he provides information- in violation of the oath of mob code of secrecy he's sworn to- in exchange for protection from his assailants (the agent being the only other familiar face in this movie- he from a late 60s/ early 70s police TV show, perhaps "The Mod Squad"). There is some unforgettable dialogue, but unlike "The Godfather," it's for more forgetable reasons. Example? At the funeral of an executed mobster, his widow pleads to Salvatore Maranzano, the head of the mob at the time, to bring life back to her husband. Maranzano's reply? "I no can bring back the dead. Only keel the living." That said, that's actually part of the appeal to this movie. It doesn't purport to be anything it isn't. On it's own devices this is an informative, if not entertaining movie. Not all mob movies, parcularly of this era or earlier, strived to the award winning excellence of "Goodfellas," "The Godfathers," even "Bonnie and Clyde," or "A Bronx Tale"- movies where the dilogue is as vital as the action. In this movie, the dialogue merely pieces the story together, and not much more. Couple other points of note. Jill Ireland, Bronson's real life wife, plays his wife in this movie. And perhaps the most notable to those who are fans of this movie, the sight of the Twin Towers in the background during one scene, in a movie that takes place starting in the 30s. That aside, taken on its own merits, as far as mob movies from its period, this one ain't so bad, which I admit isn't exactly a ringing endorsement.

Average customer rating:

Weird and wild
Well made documentary of a world of mistakes
A Waste of Money
michael alig dvds
Vey Cool

Party Monster - The Shockumentary
Starring: Michael Alig , James St. James , Gitsie , Keoki , and Eric Bernat
Director: Fenton Bailey , and Randy Barbato
Manufacturer: Picture This
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000C23GA
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Description

The original documentary about NY club impresario Michael Alig that inspired the upcoming motion picture of the same name starring Macauley Culkin and Seth Green.

Customer Reviews:

Weird and wild.......2007-06-09

If you are interested in 1990s New York club life, the "club kids", or sordid tales of drugs and murder, this is the DVD to check out.

Well made documentary of a world of mistakes.......2007-05-21

There is a Monty Python skit where a young felon is being arrested by the police. Someone remarks, "Society is to blame." "Well, we'll be arresting him, too." I kept thinking of that skit while watching this movie. Why, I wondered, was it possible for any of the people in this documentary to become famous? Ultimately Michael Alig had to take responsibility for murdering fellow Club Kid and drug dealer Angel Melendez, but for some unfathomable reason Alig was a celebrity murderer. My bafflement wasn't merely because neither he nor any of the other people in this film deserved in any way to be famous. They had not, after all, achieved anything, done anything of importance, made the world a better or more wondrous place, or shown themselves to be in any real way to be interesting people. Their only apparent talent was for engaging in more and more extreme behavior. But my concern is not just that none of them deserved any kind of fame; my concern is why our society enabled them to become famous in the first place.

Perhaps there are ideas in Debord's THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE that would explain this. Perhaps he and his colleagues could explain why people could become famous and notorious simply for being over the top. It is a baffling form of fame. There are parallels with Dandyism in the 19th century, but I doubt of these people have heard of Huysmans let alone À REBOURS. The documentary was fascinating if only for presenting an endless string of inconceivably unimpressive bores addicted to surpassing limits. The idea that kept passing through my brain was how dull they all must be, how empty they all must have felt, to be possessed with the need to surpass all boundaries just to make themselves feel special. To do these things to make some sort of personal statement seemed tantamount to shouting, "I have no other statement to make than this!" Their activities seemed acts of nihilism.

In short, this is an interesting movie about some dramatically dull and uninteresting people, who were willing to go to almost any extreme to make themselves envied by people who didn't know any better. The filmmakers tell the story well and you get a real sense of what transpired. To their credit they do not make the Party Kids seem interesting or enviable. I can't imagine anyone watching this movie and saying, "Dang, I wish I'd been a part of that!" And nothing makes Michael Alig an especially likable person.

A Waste of Money.......2006-07-02

Since this story has been told a hundred times before, I expected something more from the documentary. Perhaps a more perceptive analysis, or something that would explain the mind of the sociopath that is Michael Alig. It is worthy only for the ability to see a group of shallow individuals devoid of empathy. These are a group of "jumped up nothings" as the British would say, and it appears that the ones who aren't dead haven't learned much. The most frightening parts of the DVD are the current interviews of a delusional Alig who still envisions himself as somewhat of a star. He laughs, while hystrionically recounting horrific events in his life, and gloats over how many drugs he could consume. Yet brushes aside the murder of Angel with the pitiful confession that he has "bad dreams." Listening to his Baby Jane-esque mother who also wallowed in the club kid scene, might help explain why the bad seed, knew no boundaries. I would have liked to have learned what exactly happened besides the drugs to make Alig devoid of humaness. But at the end of the documentary all you wonder is why Alig wasn't given the death penalty. Even clean and sober, there seems to be nothing salvageable about this man. With his degree of narcissism, I have no doubt that he could kill again. Watch the story on Biography and save your money.

michael alig dvds .......2006-01-11

http://brianmills.com/michaelalig.htm