Bots High

Educational, lighthearted and very real
Sometimes you think of a documentary as dry and simply informative. Not so in this case. It is very engaging as you get to watch all the characters in real life as they make it through a challenging time, juggling high school academics, robotics and teen age relationships. I loved it and my 32 year old niece who has never seen a robotics competition and not involved in the engineering world sat next to me and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is appropriate for all ages and all levels of "techno savvyness".

watched it 3 times, still great
This is hands down one of the most engaging and true to life documentaries I have ever seen. It's informative, enlightening, and hilarious. Not only does it show the world of engineering and robotics, it demonstrates the extraordinary capabilities of teenagers leading ordinary lives. I recommend this film because it's a great watch (no matter how many times you see it) but it also goes to show what kids these days can do.

Funny and Exciting
This movie is a great story of life in high school, balancing emotions and activities. And, there's fighting robots thrown in to boot! Great cinematography. I would say that this is one of the best documentary's I've seen in regards to picture quality and attention to detail. Clearly, hundreds of hours were put into editing this film. Sound is great. Overall a fun movie to watch.

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Katy Perry The Movie: Part Of Me [HD]

Made me cry!
Even though I love Katy Perry's music, I didn't expect to love her movie. There's a big difference between enjoying a five minute song and watching a two-hour movie. I only saw the movie because my two daughters wanted to see it.

As it turns out, I really loved the movie. Viewers get a unique glimpse not only into Katy's current pop star lifestyle and concert tour madness, but also into her struggle to get a music label in the first place as well as her efforts to hold together a failing marriage.

But the reason I really ended up loving this movie is because Katy the person (not Katy the pop star) really appears to be genuinely sweet and likeable. I loved seeing her interact with her siblings, her friends, her fans, her evangelist parents, and even her adorable grandmother. Katy's "realness" really touched my heart . . . and even watered my eyes more than once.

This is a touching movie about a charming girl!

The Pied Piper of Genuineness
"Katy Perry Part of Me" is a rare and unique glimpse into the life, childhood, upbringing, ups and down and tag along journey for the concert tour of a lifetime for Katy Perry. In the capable hands of producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, this isn't just your ordinary run-of-the-mill documentary/concert video, this is a story and a behind the scenes insight like I've never seen before.

A few things grabbed me as the movie starts with the preparation of her monster first world tour. They start with the setup for her first concert and her associating with her crew, dancers and staff before going into the opening number. She treats the people around her like gold. The people she hires to do her costumes, makeup, manage her schedule and organize her life aren't industry people. They are her friends. They were ordinary, run-of-the-mill people who Katy worked with when she was a nobody and she kept them. She loves them, and they love her and that is the nuts and bolts of "Part...

Fun but brand management-y
This is a fun movie. With a lavish concert in 3D plus the colorful personality of Katy Perry, it'd be hard to accuse this movie of being boring. It will certainly appeal to Katy's fans, and it will also appeal to non-fans for a peek at the life of one of the biggest musical celebrities since Michael Jackson.

The lead producer is Brian Grazer, who is one of the most prolific and successful producers of dramatic thrillers (The Da Vinci Code, American Gangster, Robin Hood, 24, Tower Heist, Cowboys & Aliens, etc.). I'm guessing that Katy picked him primarily because of his work on Eminem's "8 Mile."

I am calling this a "movie" instead of a "documentary" because Katy Perry is one of the producers, which means that it cannot honestly claim to be impartial or unbiased. Boxoffice Magazine criticized the movie for that reason, saying, "this supposedly honest behind-the-scenes look at Perry's 2011 world tour often feels more like sharp brand management." What's...

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Cinderella Liberty [HD]

One of Marsha Mason's Best
I remember watching this movie when it first came to the theater and thinking that the actors were exactly as I had envisioned them while I was reading the book. Great movie. Marsha Mason is a delight and deservedly got the Oscar nomination. James Caan is perfect as the put-upon sailor whose records have been misplaced causing him to be land-locked. Mason is wonderful as a hooker who is perpetually down-on-her-luck. This movie should be on DVD. I'll add it to my collection.

Love, with an Edge.
The uncertainty of life in the early 70's is on display in this movie and James Caan and Marsha Mason handle the tough assigment with outstanding performances. This is not a formula romantic comedy by any stretch of the imagination and thank goodness for that.

Caan stars as John Baggs Jr, a Navy man, who finds the freedom of life on the seas very much to his liking. That is, until he meets Marsha Mason's character Maggie (possibly named after Stephen Crane's charater Maggie: A Girl of the Streets) a troubled single mother and barfly. The two meet naturally enough in a bar, end up at Maggie's place for what both accept will be a one night stand, but turns into a real relationship soon afterwards. It's at this point when the movie really excels and allows the two stars to work their craft. Many issues are tackled and the director pulls no punches in illustrating life at the bottom of the socio-economic level.

This movie is a must see for anyone interested in seeing...

Realistic Navy Story
I enlisted in the Navy at age 17 in February, 1945 and became a "lifer," staying for over 20 years. This movie was made in the 70's but depicts much of what it was like when I was in. As I watched it I was reminded of the time I spent in the old Brooklyn receiving station waiting for transportation to a new ship, and the liberties in Brooklyn, New York in the early fifties.

I don't recall ever seeing a "bar girl" that looked like Marsha Mason but I have seen hundreds of them, not only on New York, but in seaport bars around the world, and miss Mason played the part as though she had lived it, with all the pathos and exuberance one would see in those sad and lonely women. She deserved her nomination and should have won.

James Caan could have been me or any number of sailors who found a home in the Navy and loved the life at sea. He was a Bos'n Mate First Class, the senior right arm rate when I entered the Navy, one that was all Navy and much admired by by the rest...

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The Chapman Report

Great Film Gets Warner Archive Treatment
First off, the "treatment" by Warner Archive is the cause of "The Chapman Report" not receiving the full five stars as the source material used is not up to their normal standards, which is usually truly remarkable, but, remember, "The Chapman Report" which they are bringing to home video for the first time was released in 1962. It was actually a bit of a milestone in bringing the new permissiveness to later become a norm in the cinema by filming Irving Wallace's sensational bestseller for the screen. Wallace was the author who had a knack for finding truly spectacular bestseller topics and plots and here turned his attention to the prospect brought to us by the people behind "The Kinsey Report." (Some so sensational they were unfilmable). The screenplay is by Wyatt Cooper and Don M. Mankiewicz with music by Leonard Rosenman and was directed by legendary George Cukor. It is one of his best films. The entire cast is top drawer, especially the centerpieces of Shelley Winters (the...

Sexual soap opera redeemed by two first rate performances
A researcher (Andrew Duggan) and his assistant (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) arrive in Los Angeles to conduct interviews with middle class women on their sex lives. The film focuses on four of the female subjects: an adulterous housewife (Shelley Winters), a frigid widow (Jane Fonda), a self destructive nymphomaniac (Claire Bloom) and a kooky artist (Glynis Johns). Based on the best seller by Irving Wallace, itself a barely disguised steal from the (then) controversial Kinsey reports, the director George Cukor has his hands tied due to studio interference and the early 1960s morality which prevents any honest examination of suburban sex. The film wants to be "daring" but is reticent to call a spade a spade. What we get is a glossy soap opera redeemed by two performances. Jane Fonda, looking Movie Star glamorous in her Orry Kelly wardrobe, has the worst written of the roles and goes down fast. Glynis Johns does her best but her character is too precious and underwritten. But Shelley Winters...

Good movie, DVD not
Lets face: its a nice movie (Soap Opera style) with a outstanding cast: Ty Hardin, Shelley Winters, Claire Bloom, Efrem Zimbalist jr., Andrew Duggan and a nice movie score. In other words: i like this movie.

But very dissapointing: the picture quality. Its very very corny (its grainy through the whole movie) and I would say not acceptable - the movie deserves a better quality.

Also there no subtitles.

In other words: I don't like the DVD

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Garden State [HD]

This movie is a must-own.
I found so much of this movie answered the questions i had been having in my life. It made me feel so good about what I have and ok with what I don't have. It made me see what is important in life. It sounds cliche to the maximum, but I laughed, I cried, and.....well I laughed more than I cried, but I left the theater (twice) with a complete and utter sense of awe. This is a spectacular movie.

just jump in...
this is definitely a movie to see if you've ever felt like screaming into "the infinite abyss." braff creates a story that is honest enough to be touching, quirky enough to be real. his imagery is both profound and effective, almost primarily because of the sometimes dry, sometimes laugh out loud silliness of the dialogue and situations used to carry it. if you like armor, or crazy motorbikes, or hamsters, or love, this is the movie for you. if you've ever felt trapped, or numb, or rejected, or odd, this is the movie for you. if you like amazing music, talented actors, and incredible cinematography, this is the movie for you.

when i left the theater, i felt humbled, and amazed, and a little less alone. stunning technical elements aside, i walked out of garden state feeling good.

Absolutely amazing.
My girlfriend and I became so obsessed with this film that we drove 100 miles to see it in Hollywood four times since it wasn't showing in our town. We then saw it two more times when our town finally began showing it. The film is one of the few movies I can watch over and over again and never tire of it. The soundtrack is also very well put-together and makes each scene that much more enjoyable.

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Sacred Science

A Believer
I have been a healthcare provider in the U.S. for over 10 years. I originally became interested in this topic years ago when I read an article in National Geographic about Peruvian purging ceremonies. I believe that western medicine is lacking significantly in treating the "whole" person. While meditation, yoga, acupuncture and other alternatives have not received (in my opinion) the attention and respect they deserve in the U.S., or worse have been labeled as fads, other parts of the world continue to practice these treatment modalities with significant success outcomes. Here in the U.S. medicine is pharmaceutically driven and large pharma is big business...but at what cost? Those that may label this documentary as crazy or silly (or worse) need only consider the rates at which our children are being prescribed ADHD drugs and antidepressant drugs and our elderly now bring in a list of drugs when filling out health questionnaires because they can't remember all of drugs they have...

Interesting, great info on treating diseases without horrible drugs
This movie is a MUST SEE for anyone who's on toxic drugs (as all our drugs are!) or who's coping with debilitating illnesses. It shows how we have herbs, plants, fruits and veg, all that nature provides, to heal our bodies. I work in healthcare, but I'm not a doctor, however it saddens me how many people would rather pop a pill than try to eat a more wholesome diet. Ailments like arthritis, diabetes, and even some types of cancer can be cured by changing our diets. A whole foods, natural, unprocessed, FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND HERBS, along with beans, nuts and seeds is the only way to go! Watch this movie, learn that there are alternatives, and then do your research! A vegetarian diet (minus the dairy) is the only diet that can beat many of these diseases. A great movie! I'll be watching it again!

Lovely, objective film
Beautiful movie that further illustrates our emotional and energetic connection with our overall health. Did not seem to force an agenda, but merely followed several individuals through their healing journey.

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Cure for Pain

Cure for Apathy
Beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, and quite simply: worth watching. The real soul of music is not reflected in gold and platinum records but in the lives of authentic artists who actually create something (versus applying a proven, winning formula to get paid). Mark Sandman was one in a billion, baby.

I Wish I Could Do That
This was the best documentary I have ever seen. It came out of nowhere and im so glad I noticed it somehow on here. I used think my favorite was the Captain Beefheart doc until I just saw this one. Have tissues near by, this really woke me up and gave me hope as a musician. If you like this make sure you also get Sandbox - Mark Sandman Original Music [Box Set]. The dvd on that is sort of like this but not a documentary. It shows Sandman discussing how he crafted the first slide bass, which was great. I was so touched to find out some of the details about his death and it was heart wrenching to watch this but good at the same time. I was a big fan of Morphine, now Im an even bigger fan after watching this - a must have ! Thank you so much to all the individuals involved with making this. It will stand the test of time.

art, travel, an meetin people
well , even if you do not know anything about the band morphine, and even if you do not know anything about the creative process of creating art, you can enjoy this film, well done, keeps the beat, ritty tit tat, sit down and watch this film. real...real good.

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