Bounce

Amazon.com

Bounce has all the deft charm and breezy good looks you'd expect from a romance starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow, but under the surface beats the poisoned heart of an independent film just going through the motions. Affleck plays Buddy Amaral, a successful ad exec with an empty life. In a Chicago airport, he meets Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn), a failed playwright going home to his family and a corrupt job as a TV writer. Buddy, angling for a one-night stand with a fellow passenger, gives Greg his ticket, but feels bad when he discovers the plane crashed and the guy died. He feels so bad, in fact, that when he gets out of rehab a year or so later, he decides to give the guy's widow, real estate agent Abby (Paltrow), commission on the sale of a building for his business, a sale she's not qualified to make. They start dating. She quickly forgets her initial impression of him as a creepy stalker. Near the end of the movie, she finds out her first impression was correct and she dumps him. It's the right decision but one that the movie won't allow her to make. Instead her best friend and her kids convince her to stay with the guy. Eeeesh. Affleck is good at playing privileged and shallow, Paltrow does what she can with the prepackaged grief of a widow, Joe Morton has very little to do as Buddy's business partner (but he does it well), and Johnny Galecki shines in a very small part as Buddy's assistant. Good performances in a rather creepy film by the guy who made The Opposite of Sex. --Andy Spletzer

Description

Buddy Amaral (Ben Affleck), a cocky, self-absorbed ad executive who--in desiring a tryst with the gorgeous Mimi (Natasha Henstridge), a woman he meets at the airport--gives up his plane ticket back to Los Angeles to writer Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn). The plane crashes, and Buddy begins a downward spiral of alcoholism and self-loathing until he undergoes rehab. Once out, he decides to pay a visit to the dead man's widow. Abby Janello (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a struggling real estate agent with two young sons. She slowly befriends Buddy and falls in love with him while Buddy struggles with the guilty secret of his connection to her husband's untimely death which could destroy their relationship.

Customer Reviews:

warm and sweet.......2007-03-04

This film was a surprise to me. As the blurb on the DVD case said, this was a romantic movie with great chemistry between the two co-stars, I expected to see a cute movie about two beautiful people falling in love. but I was pleasantly suprised by the depth of the movie.

The basic plotline is this: Ben Affleck plays a vibrant, young man with a promising career named Buddy who gives up his plane ticket to a man he meets at the airport for a night with a beautiful blond. As fate would have it, the plane has a deadly crash killing all the passengers on board including Buddy's acquaintance. To make up for the guilt, Buddy seeks out the widow of this acquaintance, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Although, Buddy's intentions were merely to help the family and disappear, in the midst of his guilt, he sees past the grief and falls in love with this beautiful woman.

I believe the script, the directing, and the acting were all very successful in this film. Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck were very believable and the gradual growth in their relationship was very real. Gwyneth's performance was quite amazing. Peronally this is one of my favorite performances by her. She allows Abby to be vulnerable and emotional yet her strength and virtues are consistent throughout the movie. The credit goes to both Gwyneth and the write/director, Don Roos for this. The director seemed to have paid much attention to the details, especially with the two characters in their behavior.
Five stars!

Excellent Film.......2007-02-26

Too much of a four-corner job at last, still the director made an excellent go at a film that dealt with strong human values in a romance. The acting was excellent. I never cease to be amazed at Gwyneth Paltrow's abilities as an actress, among films like Bounce, Shakespeare in Love, and Proof. Ben Affleck - a few too many tears perhaps, but a well thought-out role with finely developed feeling. I sense Americans want more one-liners and laughs and this film didn't play that comedic line. Not a great film by any means, it is solid and a worthwhile watch. I gave it five stars for the four-star quality and the effort to do something different.

Great Movie.......2007-01-18

I loved this movie! The characters are believable, and fun to watch. The story is sad, but there are uplifting moments. the child actors are great, and add to the film.

Gee. I'd Mis My Flight For A Date With Natasha Henstridge!!.......2005-05-29

In this movie we see Buddy, played by Ben Affleck who gives up his seat on his flight so he can have sex with the character played by the GORGEOUS Natasha Henstridge who we last saw in Species. What Buddy actually does for a living is anybody's guess. He seems to spend a lot of time drinking Scotch and talking on his cell phone in the back seat of a limo. Sadly the plane that Buddy would have been on crashes and then he is on some sort of "Redemption Hunt" to find the widow of the pasenger that he gave his seat too. Somebody should tell Buddy there is a whole world of difference between being "Attentive" and Stalking. I give this movie 5 stars because I do like Ms. Henstridge.

Have to agree..........2005-05-13

Ben is one of my favorite actors...but this film was not one of his best...but it was not terrible...I have to give him that! The plot was interesting, but very unbelievable to say the least!! I found Gwenyth's character to be just a down right bleep!! I have a problem with the fact that Buddy decides he is going to do whatever he can to find this poor widow, and tracks her down...STALKER!! Falls in love??? Please!! But I have to say that Ben's character (Buddy) poured his heart out to this ungreatful Abby!!
Abby lies about her husband death...claims they got divorced...just cause it sounds better...and "everyone is divorced". BLAH!! Save it baby!! But when Buddy tells her something...the story changes!! I am not saying that this picture is a waste of time to watch...but just be aware that the script is not consistent. Good actors...with little to work on...have to agree with other reviews (for the most part).

Average customer rating:

See this movie!
Extremely Disappointing: A Complete Waste Of Time and Talent
The Good Ol days!!!
Above expectations
thanks for a great movie

Roll Bounce - Full Screen
Starring: Wayne Brady , Nick Cannon , Mike Epps , Rick Gonzalez , and Meagan Good
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000BTITFS
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Amazon.com

Could anything be more charming than a movie about five boys in the 1970s who aspire to nothing more than to be kings of the roller rink floor? Rapper/actor Bow Wow, no longer Li'l, takes a step towards adulthood as X (short for Xavier), a teenager grappling with the loss of his mother and finding his identity on wheels. Though Roll Bounce culminates in a skating contest, the path it takes is loose and rambling--which is its strength. Rather than building inexorably to the big contest, Roll Bounce takes time to explore its world--the camaraderie of X and his pals, the struggles of his father (Chi McBride, I, Robot) to find a job--without wallowing pointlessly in the ephemera of the '70s. The movie saves most of the skating spectacle for the end, but when it comes, it delivers; the characters have dance moves on skates most people couldn't do on their feet. Roll Bounce isn't going to change the history of cinema or is even particularly original, but it is enormously likable and heartfelt. The actors--including Khleo Thomas (Holes), Meagan Good (The Cookout), Nick Cannon (Drumline), Mike Epps (Next Friday), Charlie Murphy (King's Ransom), and Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show)--are clearly enjoying themselves. That, combined with roller-skating razzle-dazzle, makes for a cheerful, infectious movie. --Bret Fetzer

Description

ROLL BOUNCE is the freshest, funkiest, coming-of-age comedy on wheels! It's the late '70s when roller skating to soul tunes and disco was a way of life for teen skater Xavier (Bow Wow) and his pals. But when their local rink closes, "X" and his crew must pull together as a team to try and win big money at a rival rink's Roller Jam skate off!

Customer Reviews:

See this movie!.......2007-09-01

If you were a teenager in the 70's and enjoyed the music of that era, this movie will invoke fond memories. Roll Bounce was underrated and under publicized. Teenage friends pursue their love of skating and transition from the 'southside' to an upscale skatium and challenge the reigning skating heart throb, Sweetness. The underlying storyline is that of a Father struggling to raise his teenage son and young daughter after the unexpected death of their Mother. Father and son are often at odds as they cope with their grief. The ending is uplifting! (My teenage daughter insisted I view this movie (primarily because Khleo Thomas is in the cast)and it is now a favorite of ours. Bow Wow was great as 'X'!

Extremely Disappointing: A Complete Waste Of Time and Talent.......2007-07-14

After viewing this film, it's hard for me to fathom just how bad it is, and how it ever got funded and made. What concerns me most is not just that a stellar casting effort was wasted, but also the alarmingly poor writing and the many, many factual errors found throughout.

Roller skating in Chicago is an important African American cultural pastime, respected and embraced by black youth and adults almost to the same degree as the hand-dancing art form called "stepping" (which as many know originated here). "Roll Bounce" treats this history cavalierly, and in so doing sinks toward the ritual black buffoonery that Hollywood so often serves up whenever it discovers another facet of our culture.

In this entire film, only one genuine "roller skate song" is ever heard, and even that airing is cut short. The rest of the music is late '70s pop and disco, and we almost never skated to to that. No so-called roller skate film could ever be taken seriously without the JBs' song "Monorail," and Vaughn Mason & Crew's "Roller Skate" or "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" being performed to by skaters at some point. Only a small part of the latter song is featured in this film, and that probably made it in only because "Roll Bounce" glaringly borrows its title from the track's lyrics. Skating in Chicago back then was about moves, technique, cool, fashion, your crew and music--with music topping the list. It was the music that set rhythm, and dictated routines, including partner skates, solos, trains and more, and these songs were essential to any serious roller rink deejay's collection. "Roll Bounce" suffers terribly here.

Add to that several flagrant fashion missteps: The giant 'fro or "super Afro" in Chicago was mostly gone by 1976 (the period in which the film is set), and the wearing of peace signs and dashikis were gone by about 1972. Platforms, bucks, Cons (Converse gym shoes), Pumas and PF Flyers sneakers were pretty much the standard footwear for boys, and we mostly don't see them here. Actor Nick Cannon's character would have been laughed out of any roller rink and/or beaten down if he showed up dressed as he did in this film--as would have the deejay, played ably by Wayne Brady. Next, most skate-offs were not held solely in the center rink, but involved intricate oval skating as well. That's where the majority of roller skate action was, and this film depicts precious little of that.

As to race relations in this most segregated of American cities, a black skater would not have been a celebrity at a north side roller rink in Chicago, in the 1970s. In those days, the north side was predominantly white, and the south side was predominantly black. There was one major north side rink, but three on the south side, so one rink's closing would not have forced black kids to travel all the way to the north side to skate, as they do in "Roll Bounce." When we did go, it was just to do something different, but by no means were African Americans, or diversity, welcome. It didn't help matters much that the style and abilities of black south and west side skaters was ritually far superior to the best white skaters on the north side.

Lastly, considering technique, and talent, this film didn't so much as scratch the surface of the moves I've seen people do on eight wheels--not even close. It strikes this viewer as yet another period piece made by a generation of people who weren't born yet, and didn't care enough about the culture to do the research. It was just another paycheck.

As far as this writer is concerned, a film about the rich African American coming-of-age experience that was roller skating in Chicago in the '70s is still yet to be made. Black Chicagoans--and all true black skaters--should be pretty embarrassed, or pissed off about "Roll Bounce."

The Good Ol days!!!.......2007-06-29

This is one of very few movies that I can watch over and over and not get tired. I loved this movie from the very first time I saw it in the theaters.
When I think back to 1978, I am full of joy. I was only 9 going on 10, but everything about the late 70's to me, even at that young age, was magical. The scene where the younger kids were throwing water ballons at Xavier and Tori, that was me, my brother and our little friends!!! I almost get choked up whenever I see that scene because that's exactly how we looked!!
The music, the clothes, everything about the 70's I love to look back on!
Bow Wow, Jurnee Smollet, Chi Mcbride and the rest of the crew did an excellent job.
I'd like to see a Roll Bounce 2 set a year later in 1979 where Sweetness and his crew challenge the Garden Boys to a rematch. That would be good!

Above expectations.......2007-06-08

I wasn't expecting much, but this is actually a well made, well acted film that was taken seriously by everyone who made it. I enjoyed it.

thanks for a great movie .......2007-04-29

I love this film and its about time a film about roller skating be done, this was a clean family film at that ..
i been a rollerskater since 1980 and this brings back memories i'm gonna dust off the skates and get back into it ..
you gotta get this film its an inspiration

Average customer rating:

See this movie!
Extremely Disappointing: A Complete Waste Of Time and Talent
The Good Ol days!!!
Above expectations
thanks for a great movie

Roll Bounce (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Wayne Brady , Nick Cannon , Mike Epps , Rick Gonzalez , and Meagan Good
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Teen | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000BTITFI
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

See this movie!.......2007-09-01

Extremely Disappointing: A Complete Waste Of Time and Talent.......2007-07-14

The Good Ol days!!!.......2007-06-29

Above expectations.......2007-06-08

I wasn't expecting much, but this is actually a well made, well acted film that was taken seriously by everyone who made it. I enjoyed it.

thanks for a great movie .......2007-04-29

Average customer rating:

Transition is sloppy
Good for seniors, too
No Bounce No Play
Great Cardio Workout
This video is fantastic!

Carol's Health Bounce
Starring: Carol Brophy
Manufacturer: KE Publishing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Interests | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0000T2UZO
Release Date: 2003-10-01

Customer Reviews:

Transition is sloppy.......2007-04-03

I enjoy Carol's fresh, positive attitude and the routine is excellent for a beginner. The transition from one exercise to another is basically non-existant and you're constantly trying to catch up. The aerobics portion is fast footwork and I find myself trying to catch up or just doing it at my own pace.

Good for seniors, too.......2007-03-09

As a new rebounder, I could do this! The pace is a little slower, and the music is not an assault on the ears. A+++

No Bounce No Play.......2007-03-08

Carol means well. These exercises are meant for people with health problems, which she claims rebounding will greatly help. Perhaps it will help people with arthritis, etc., but it doesn't do much for me. I bought the wrong video. That having been said, the video has a home made quality to it. For example, when we should be seeing her feet as she describes a certain move, we're looking at her smiling face. Not good. Also, I resent her sales pitch for her own (vastly) superior rebounder.

Great Cardio Workout.......2007-02-20

This DVD made bouncing on my rebounder much more fun. It allows me to get a great cardio workout at home. I definitely recommend it.

This video is fantastic!.......2006-10-22

This rebounding workout is motivating, energizing and so effective... I love the music and the choreography is excellent. Carol's presence is inspiring, full of warmth and grace. The routine is just the right length that it is fun and easy to do every day, while producing real results. I have never gotten bored or tired with it, because Carol's wonderful energy and spirit make the workout a delight instead of a chore.

Every day that I use the video, I have more energy, endurance and a generally healthier body... I can truly feel it! The vitality I've gained from rebounding with this video over the past 6 months has brought about so many positive changes in my life, I can't say enough good things about it. I'm hoping that Carol will be able to make a second video--- she's done such a good job with this one and I'd love to see another.
If you have a rebounder, this video is truly great, I'd recommend it to anyone, young or old.

Average customer rating:

Product Placement
Has ALL the elements of a light-hearted, fun comedy
Dumb, but entertaining
The Big Bounce
Horrible

The Big Bounce (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Owen Wilson , Butch Helemano , Charlie Sheen , Vinnie Jones , and Gregory Sporleder
Director: George Armitage
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Criminals | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00024JC30
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Amazon.com

There really can't be enough movies adapted from Elmore Leonard novels; his sinuous storylines and fluid, surprising dialogue give any movie a boost from the start. In The Big Bounce, laid-back Owen Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Shanghai Noon) plays Jack, a small-time crook trying to lead an easier life in Hawaii. Trouble is, he can't keep out of trouble, and when he does stay clean, trouble finds him--in this case, in the bikini-clad form of Nancy (Sara Foster), the mistress of a local developer who gets turned on by the whiff criminal activity. She lures Jack into a scheme that ultimately involves a solid cast including Morgan Freeman, Charlie Sheen, Gary Sinise, Bebe Neuwirth, Willie Nelson, and more. Foster doesn't bring much to movie besides her alarmingly sculpted body and the ending peters out, but The Big Bounce has enough snap and crackle that you don't miss the pop. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Set on Hawaii's stunning North Shore, a charismatic drifter forms a dubious alliance with a powerful local businessman while hooking up with a criminally-minded seductress to double-cross a wealthy developer and his cohorts.

DVD Features:
Featurette:Visit the stars and filmmakers on the set in "The Big Bounce: A Con in the Making"
Filmographies:Surfing the Pipeline: Surfing in the Aloha State
Outtakes:Wicked Waves: Stunt Surfer Outtakes

Customer Reviews:

Product Placement.......2007-04-27

The only enjoyment I got from this movie was counting the number of product placements!!!
They even have a product placement individual listed in the credits.

Has ALL the elements of a light-hearted, fun comedy.......2007-01-14

Hilarious performances by Owen Wilson and Charlie Sheen. A sexy player in Sarah Foster, and the INFAMOUS narrative ability of Morgan Freeman. He is so good at narrating, I assume he writes his script. Every element of a fun, light hearted comedy is here, including appearances by Willie Nelson and Gary Sinise

Dumb, but entertaining.......2006-06-22

There is a rule that is generally accepted: an Elmore Leonard book is magnificent; an Elmore Leonard film is not. There are a few notable exceptions to the rule - OUT OF SIGHT, JACKIE BROWN, GET SHORTY - but for the most part, film adaptations of Leonard's novels are pretty weak. One such example is 2004's THE BIG BOUNCE, the second attempt at adapting Leonard's novel.

Owen Wilson stars as Jack Ryan, a small-time con artist who was recently fired from his job after dislocating his employer's jaw with a baseball bat. After a series of chance encounters, he falls for the mysterious Nancy Hayes (Sara Foster), who tells him about her fool-proof plan to steal $200,000 from her rich "boyfriend", Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise). Things may not be as they seem, but Jack has too many other things on his mind to worry about that, like his wise new boss (Morgan Freeman), his stand-offish old boss Bob Jr. (Charlie Sheen), and his angry ex-supervisor (Vinnie Jones).

THE BIG BOUNCE, despite the all-star cast, is not a good movie. Sebastian Gutierrez's script is rather weak, particularly during the non-sensical closing. The acting is less than superb, although Freeman is good (as always). George Armitage is not as talented a director as previous Leonard adaptators Quentin Tarantino or Steven Soderbergh, and thus THE BIG BOUNCE fails as both a comedy and, more so, as a crime caper.

That said, the film is rather entertaining. Why? I don't know. It has its moments - once when Owen Wilson answers a stolen cell phone, and once when he engages in a furious fight with Sheen - but for the most part, it's not funny. During some scene transistions, we are shown surfers crashing into the ocean. It's meant to be funny, but it's not. At all. And yet the film is still entertaining. I would attribute this to the cast, which manages to hold the film up for its 88 minute runtime. If it were any longer than that, however, the film would be almost unbearably dumb.

The Big Bounce.......2006-01-05

Over the past number of years I have familiarized myself with the pleasant oddities of Elmore Leonard's books and the films conjured from his genius. There is a machine concealed within the mind of this man that creates characters and plots so original that you never know what you are going to get. You can read his novels with the same awe that you can watch the film adaptations. A film such as "Get Shorty" or "Jackie Brown" can arguably compare to the man's work.

Those two films are rarities in the sense that they function solely on the brilliance of Leonard and the social oddballs whom he produces. All of them are interesting people. You have mobsters, drifters, crooked cops, criminals, liars, cheaters, killers, and thieves elbowing each other for screen time. He uses his characters as valuable people, not fictional pawns, and they are all necessities to the story.

In the case of George Armitage's train wreck, "The Big Bounce," we are deprived of the luxuries of interest and captivation that the characters are supposed to create. Instead, the film takes the bold foundation of Leonard's book and mutates it into an inferior lackluster comedy, a ballsy and unfortunate mistake. Would it be wise to point out that "The Bourne Identity" at least came within a mile of being as good as Robert Ludlum`s novel, even if it took the plot in an entirely different direction?

The cast appears to be one that was gathered at the last minute. Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Sara Foster, and Gary Sinise, all very gifted people who made the mistake of buying into the script, carry the story with some degree of willingness. For a film to have good actors and disrespect their talents is an unfortunate case that is all-too common. "The Big Bounce" uses the big name actors for show and narrative hinderance, not for any productive reason.

Jack Ryan (Owen Wilson) is a beach bum surfer dude who can't seem to stay out of trouble. Jack drifts around the Hawaiian Islands looking for work after being released from prison, and he is hired by a local judge, Walter Crewes (Morgan Freeman), to do custodial work in and around a certain beach area. Through his unfavorable job, Jack comes across Nancy (Sara Foster), a beautiful, bikini-clad seductress who wants to run a major scam on her developer boyfriend. That would be the wealthy and powerful Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise), whose apparent ties to the mob will prove to be a challenge to her scheme.

A few of the characters have hidden motives and obscure areas of reason, but the film tries to focus a bit too much on that. Instead of going ahead with their plan, Jack and Nancy tease and kid with one another in an obvious attempt to sidestep their sexual chemistry. The Freeman character stumbles around aimlessly in ignorance of the trouble that his employee is getting into. Sinise shows up only when the film is blatantly desperate for the story to continue. Charlie Sheen, who has gone unmentioned up until this point, is the puppet of the Sinise character, and his rivalry with Jack supplies an admirably humorous moment. And there is an outside player who pretty much ties everything together, however bizarre, albeit marginally brilliant, it may be.

But "The Big Bounce," in its feeble entirety, is a bit of a bore. The story lingers and never really engages itself, making the film seem as long as a Ridley Scott epic when it is only a brisk 88 minutes. It is a wind-up and no pitch, a clock without all of its functioning parts, the Three Stooges without Curly. Everything feels like it originated from Leonard. The movie, on the other hand, feels like it originated from a script that was written for the sole purpose of altering a story unwillingly. Whoever gave this movie a green light should not be happy with themselves. - Isaac

Rated PG-13; 88 minutes; Directed by George Armitage

Horrible.......2005-12-17

This movie has a weak and hard to follow, confusing plot. The 2 main characters just walk around, talk mindlessly, make out and sneak into people's houses. I don't get it. This has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen, enough said. Don't even consider buying this movie.

Average customer rating:

Product Placement
Has ALL the elements of a light-hearted, fun comedy
Dumb, but entertaining
The Big Bounce
Horrible

The Big Bounce (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Owen Wilson , Butch Helemano , Charlie Sheen , Vinnie Jones , and Gregory Sporleder
Director: George Armitage
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Criminals | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00024JC3K
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Product Placement.......2007-04-27

The only enjoyment I got from this movie was counting the number of product placements!!!
They even have a product placement individual listed in the credits.

Has ALL the elements of a light-hearted, fun comedy.......2007-01-14

Dumb, but entertaining.......2006-06-22

The Big Bounce.......2006-01-05

Horrible.......2005-12-17

Dances of India: Urban Bhangra Bounce with Meera

Average customer rating:

Dances of India: Urban Bhangra Bounce with Meera
Starring: Meera Varma
Manufacturer: Akasha Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

Fitness | Fitness & Yoga | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000LXGP50
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Description

Urban Bhangra Bounce: DJ's, musicians, and artists alike are all catching on to the explosive energy and rhythm of Bhangra! Known as the "hip-hop" of India, high energy Bhangra music drives crowds to the dance floor around the globe! Now internationally renowned dancer and instructor Meera Varma, brings the dance to you in her own hip and vivacious style.

Sweat to the infectious drumbeat of the `Dhol', as Meera introduces you to cutting-edge new moves as she guides you through a complete workout, jam-packed with energetic combinations!

Amazon.com

An Elmore Leonard novel, subsequently remade for a 2004 Owen Wilson release, gets the swinging sixties treatment. Ryan O'Neal, in his first big film after achieving TV stardom, plays a Vietnam vet drifting from job to job; Leigh Taylor-Young is the rich man's mistress who takes a fancy to him. The plot sort of revolves around an amazingly vague plan to steal money from the rich guy, but the purpose seems to be showing thrillseeker Taylor-Young in various stages of undress. This is a vacuous movie, ineptly written and shot, in which poor O'Neal wanders around looking understandably bewildered. (His career bounced back with Love Story the following year.) Decorating this mishmash is the exceptionally maladroit musical score by Mike Curb (remember the soft-rock stylings of the Mike Curb Congregation?), whose soupy melodies undercut the tension at every turn. In short, a pretty good selection for Bad Cinema Night. --Robert Horton

Description

He is hot-headed drifter Jack Ryan. She is thrill-seeking party girl Nancy Barker. Together, they're like gasoline and a match in this volatile tale based on a novel by Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty) and brought to the screen again in 2003 with Owen Wilson, Sara Foster and Morgan Freeman. Here, Ryan O'Neal makes his feature-film debut as Jack, a hard-luck GI smitten with Nancy (Leigh Taylor-Young)?and never stopping to think where her seductive spree of petty-crime kicks might end. The thrills she calls "bounces" may lead to a notoriously big bounce. For Jack that may mean a very big fall.

Customer Reviews:

Underrated film.......2005-06-26

For one thing the score by Mike Curb I felt horribly out of place in the film UNTIL the last shot (I won't mention it not to spoil the film) then I "got it". The music is the antithisis of what is happening on screen, and it's meant to be! It's a well made film and there is a hell of a lot more Leonard in this script uncensored than there was in recent Hollywood versions of his novels, Get Shorty for example.

PS The scene with Leigh Taylor Young standing nude in the graveyard is one of the most brilliant images I've ever seen in films.

Another Case of the Remake Being Better Than The Original.......2005-06-02

Out of curiosity, I rented the 1969 film version of THE BIG BOUNCE (TBB) from Netflix, and it proved the underrated 2004 edition to be another example of a remake that's way better than the original! The two versions of TBB are fairly close in plotting, but the 2004 model captures source author Elmore Leonard's loopy, cynical sense of humor much better, skipping the original film's mawkish asides and heavy-handed attempts at poignancy and psychodrama. For instance, the self-pitying, self-destructive, male-afflicted single mom played by Lee Grant in 1969 is rebooted in the latest edition as a cheerfully coquettish tourist played by Anahit Minasyan, whose fate is much more upbeat than poor Grant's. Also, TBB Mark 2's Hawaiian setting and George S. Clinton's playful score combining rock and Hawaiian-style music appealed to me more than TBB Mark 1's been there-done-that Los Angeles locales (by the way, I seem to recall that Leonard's book is set in Detroit) and syrupy soft rock by Mike Curb, of all people. Next to The Mike Curb Congregation, The Brady Bunch's albums sound like the Rolling Stones' greatest hits! Even if it didn't sound hilariously dated to early 21st-century ears, Curb's score is still all wrong for a downbeat crime drama like the '69 model (not that the first film is completely humor-free; Van Heflin's eccentrically decorated home was one of the film's few bright spots). I almost got the feeling Curb originally composed the music for an entirely different kind of film, perhaps some perky, inspirational heart-warmer starring the folks from Up With People which never got off the ground, so someone decided to graft Curb's score onto TBB v. 1 instead of letting it go to waste. While both films have great casts overall (the original includes Heflin, James Daly, and Robert Webber in the roles played in 2004 by Morgan Freeman, Gary Sinise, and Charlie Sheen), in the starring role of ex-con Jack Ryan, Owen Wilson's wisecracking slackertude in TBB Mark 2 is much more engaging than Ryan O'Neal's personality in TBB Mark 1. While I've enjoyed O'Neal in comedies, particularly 1972's WHAT'S UP, DOC?, I've never liked him in dramas. To me, O'Neal has always come across as moist and mewling when he's supposed to be tender and sensitive, and surly and petulant when he's supposed to be tough and hard nosed, and his performance in TBB #1 is no exception. However, both films have terrific leading ladies playing thrill-seeking kept woman Nancy: the 2004 version marked Sara Foster's screen debut, while the original starred the lovely and beguiling Leigh Taylor-Young, then O'Neal's real-life wife and former co-star on TV's PEYTON PLACE. (Fun Fact: Leigh Taylor-Young was nominated for a Laurel Award for Best Female New Face for her performance in TBB.) The chemistry between O'Neal and LT-Y is one of the film's few saving graces; they sure seem to enjoy tearing their clothes off, and they look good doing it, too! :-) Alas, except for the occasional memorable line (for example, here's Heflin slyly commenting on O'Neal's phone chat with LT-Y: "You look like the mouse that got swallowed by the pussy."), Robert Dozier's screenplay can't seem to decide whether Nancy is a victim of callous men, a calculating femme fatale, or a plain old homicidal psycho. The critics who panned TBB Mark 2 obviously never had to suffer through Mark 1! If you've got your heart set on an at-home Elmore Leonard film festival, rent GET SHORTY, OUT OF SIGHT, even the overlong but still exceptional JACKIE BROWN, and include THE BIG BOUNCE -- but unless you lust after Ryan O'Neal and Leigh Taylor-Young in their prime, make sure you get your mitts on the superior 2004 version!

Cheesy Acting, Silly Plot----I Loved It!.......2004-03-15

About 35 years ago, I sat alone in a movie theater and watched this movie. That should have been my first clue that this movie was destined for nothing, but I was then, and still am, a devoted Ryan O'Neal fan, perhaps the longest-lasting fan he's ever had! For years I searched for a video of this to complete my collection of all his movies. I guess this movie was so bad it never went to video, but the happy ending just came when a remake of this movie prompted the release of the original on DVD.

Ryan O'Neal is cute as ever in this pre-Love Story tale based on the Elmore Leonard novel. Leigh Taylor-Young is beautiful; I think I had forgotten just how beautiful. Their chemistry is magnetic and, after all, she did become the second Mrs. Ryan O'Neal in real life.

The story centers around an ex-VietNam GI drifter Jack Ryan (O'Neal) who while working as a migratory farm laborer meets and is instantly attracted to the boss' secretary/lover Nancy Barker(Taylor-Young). Their physical attraction is such that Jack is willing to do anything to please Nancy, even go along with her petty theft schemes. When Nancy comes up with the idea to steal $50,000 (yes, when this movie was released that amount could have set the duo up for life) Jack is cautious and becomes aware of a sick streak in his girlfriend.

Lee Grant, Van Heflin, and other actors of note must cringe when they look at their performances is this one today. It's stereotypical, trite, a bit silly, and totally laughable, especially the scene where Taylor-Young, in a fit of rage, destroys her boss' beach house. And it even shows quite a bit of skin by 1969 standards as Leigh Taylor-Young is shown nude in several scenes.

Customer Reviews:

A Bleak Portrayal Of Tokyo Youth!.......2007-02-24

"Bounce Ko Gals," is a very good film centering on the lives of three young high school girls and their life in the sex industry. The films narrative takes place in a 24-hour period in Shibuya, one of the trendiest parts of Tokyo. The three central characters of the film are young school girls: The first one is named Raku (Yasue Sato), who appears to be a drop out from school. The second is Lisa (Yukiko Okamoto) who is trying to get money together in order to go to New York. Eventually Raku introduces Lisa to the films third protagonist, Jonko (Hitomi Sato).

The film is not a porno film, but it does explore the perverse underworld sexual desires of the men who are the clients of these young girls, who are followed throughout the films narrative. Tokyo is shown as a truly merciless city in the film. And the explotation, or sexploitation of these young girls shows the viewer that there is a dark side to Japan which most viewers never see, or hear about [unless you've read Donald Richie's novel dealing with his years in Japan]. Director Masato Harada does an excellent job in this fillm showing the ennui of todays youth in Japan [the film was realeased in 1997].

The film is definitely a strong social commentary of a very dark side of Japan. Further, this film deals with a very disturbing topic; therefore, it is not recommended for younger audiences. I have read enough about Japan, and have seen many, many films and documetaries of Japan, therefore, I was not shocked when I first viewed this film years ago. However, for those of you who want to understand a little bit more of some of the problems facing todays Japanese youth, then you might want to purchase this film. Or rent it. This film gives the viewer a much more accurate depiction of todays Japan than many westerners are usually given. I highly recommend the film. [Stars: 4.5]

A true lost generation.......2006-04-17

Scary in that it shows a Japan that doesn't have much substance any more. An even scarier (and better) film of similar intent, shot on a much lower budget, but done with much greater cinematic and narrative flare, is "Love & Pop," which I give 5 stars. Both films are very entertaining, with no overt social preaching of any kind. Sometimes, just telling it how it is, is quite enough.

Tokyo sub-culture revealed.......2005-11-16

As a foreigner living in Japan, and for any foreigner, I think this film serves as a great documentary and social commentary on a very dark and perverse underbelly of Japanese culture that rarely gets exposed in the Western world. I did not know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised by this raw, honest and shocking account of one aspect of modern Japanese culture. This film addresses a very (VERY) disturbing topic but does so with heart and with grace. I have always heard about the topics covered in this film but never imagined it would be portrayed in such a revealing and shocking manner by a Japanese film maker. Funny enough, whilst this film is primarily about the topic of young girls selling their time for money, it contains absolutely NO nudity what so ever. Instead, it very cleverly covers all aspects of this dark, dangerous and twisted black market in Tokyo- showing the perspective of the greedy girls involved, the Japanese Mafia businessman, and the lonely salary men looking for companionship.

The acting I thought was very solid and the portrayal of each of the characters very acute and detailed. A memorable scene and perhaps the pervasive "societal question" of the film, that between the mama-san proprietor of the "used panty shop" and the young girl who goes to make a trade. Is the shop there to cater to the men who have perverted fantasies about school girls or for the girls who are willing to sell their used undergarments to indulge such fantasies? It is all a bit of a downward spiral of morality and in the end the viewer feels as though he understand what drives each of the people in the film who in their own right is just looking for some form of happiness and fulfillment in a very stressful and rigid society devoid often of emotion and compassion. Along the way you also receive an accurate depiction of life in Tokyo Japan much more real and accurate than Sophia Coppola ever did justice!

It is a very clever story that encapsulate much whilst not confusing nor overbearing the viewer. This is very real Tokyo at its heart and soul.

*Please note the movie does contain very graphic subject matter.

kids, just a million times better........2004-07-06

I stummbled upon bkg on vcd in honk kong over four years ago and its been sitting in my collection ever since, unwatched.
Yesterday on a whim i decided to give it a go and i can hounestly say i haven`t been that moved by a film in a very long time.
The film follows the blossoming of an intense [if short lived] friendship bettween three girls in tokyo whilst they franticaly spend twenty four hours trying to come up with 500, 000 yen for a journy to new york.
What makes bkg so intresting and at times disturbing is that it is set in the world of the kogals [Young school girls in japan willing to sell themselves to the less than savoury japanese buisness man for the latest in fashion brand names...]
The film is an incredibaly heart felt exploration of the loss of inosence and the destructive force of sexual corruption in a culture not willing to stop and look at its self, at one point brilliantly bought up in the film by one of the kogals,

`when adults don`t know when to say no they act like children, then it is us, the real children who have the real controle.`

I would recomend this film to anyone who loves cinema, espeacialy if you have any intrest in japan.

Excellent movie and facinating look into the world of kogals.......2003-08-22

I saw an oversees version of this movie and can't wait to get this U.S. release about the trendy young kogals in late 90's Japan and what they do to afford the latest name brand fashion. Let's just say no afterschool jobs at the mall for them, these girls "work" to sport their Gucci. When one girl sees her hopes of studying abroad stolen from her, a newly found kogal friend helps her out by finding "work" for her. She too is then exposed to the seedy world of men taking advantage of girls' materialistic desires in exchange for pleasure. Throughout it all the girls manage to keep their hope and pride intact, but not without a little sadness... and some fun too.

Average customer rating:

Good
It was good
I've been waiting for a documentary on this topic
The most horrifying thing I have ever seen -- alert ACS!
Worth watching over and over

Bounce - Behind the Velvet Rope
Starring: Alan Crosley , Jordan Maldonado , Mike DeMaio , Joe Papa , and Omar Cook
Director: Steven Cantor
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00007M5HG
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Amazon.com

While Bounce: Behind the Velvet Rope doesn't condone the brutality of nightclub bouncers, it doesn't discourage it, either. Originally shown on HBO, this profile of American and British bouncers is sure to fascinate denizens of big-city nightlife, and frighten anyone who's ever worried about choking on a knuckle sandwich. With no consistent tone, the documentary shifts from adoration toward legendary London bouncer Lenny "the Guv'nor" McLean (who died shortly after appearing in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), to cautionary appraisal of New York bouncer Jordan Maldonado, who teaches his young children that "hurting people is good." Identical twins Mike and Frank DiMaio are set up for ridicule as they hilariously murder the English language, but when family man Terence "the Black Prince" Buckley gets a much-needed bouncer job at Manhattan's elite Chaos club, the moment is touchingly sincere. By allowing its subjects to speak for themselves, Bounce proves that not all burly doormen are bloodthirsty Neanderthals. They just really like their jobs. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2007-04-10

The movie give you a good idea of the club industry.
maybe not enought in the actual clubs.

It was good.......2006-04-07

This movie was really good does anyone know who sings the song bounce in the opening credits.

I've been waiting for a documentary on this topic.......2005-07-18

Finally someone made a film about bouncers. Some of the interview subjects are basicaly human oaktrees that block the door, others are purely disgusting people. Some, like the fake-tan brothers, are rediculously funny. Lenny McLean's piece was funny, but with more intelligence (it's a shame they didn't have the opportunity to make a full documentary on this guy).
True, a lot of bouncers are wannabe actors, and some like Lenny McLean, do get parts. Maldonado's performance, well I agree he's a disgusting person, but there's no denying that people like that exist.

The most horrifying thing I have ever seen -- alert ACS!.......2003-05-27

I have NEVER, EVER seen anything that disturbed me more than bouncer Jose Maldonado's treatment of his children. If you care at all about kids -- DO NOT WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY. There is a scene where he tells his toddler to fight his infant -- and the toddler swings at and hits his infant brother! There is another scene where this maniac tells his son that fighting and violence are good -- and tells his son to repeat this. Maldonado also lets his son know that in fifty years, it will be okay to kill people, and that will be a good thing. I was horrified at this. I wondered if the filmmakers -- if ANYONE -- called child welfare to report this man. He needs to be supervised. If he is encouraging a toddler to "fight" an infant -- and he did -- he should not have children. I was very disturbed by this irresponsible and horrifying documentary. It was somewhat redeemed by the presense of another bouncer -- a thoroughly decent, caring man named Terrance "The Black Prince" Buckley. He is a good man who should give Maldonado lessons in how to be human. Maldonado left a bad taste in my mouth. I fear for his wife and children. I can just imagine what those kids will be like in the classroom -- it will be a bad scene, and he is setting them up for a life in prison. Don't watch this thing.

Worth watching over and over.......2003-03-13

I saw this documentary when it first aired on HBO and absolutely loved it. The DVD provides some great behind-the-scenes commentary. This is a fascinating look at an element of nightlife about which people have often wondered but, until now, haven't had access to.

DVD:

DVD

DVD