Customer Reviews:
Must have dvd!.......2008-03-03
Simply an amazing movie. A must have for all fans of Stargate. Wonderful to see Daniel, Teal'c, Vala, Mitchell and Cartre back in action. Fantastic acting, great storyline, amazing special effects...just perfect. A wonderful way to tie up the Ori story. And we get to see Daniel in full archaeologist mode. Buy this and you will not be disappointed.
Not impressed.......2008-03-02
A quick comment about SG1 in general. The writers of SG1 never seem to know how to "end" SG1. Each time they have tried in the past, they have always left it a little bit open so that they could squeeze another season in. And each time it's started to feel more desperate. So now when they've AGAIN said there will be no more SG1, they've tried to wrap it up in a tv-movie.
Unfortunatly none of the production values are any higher than an ordinary episode and in my opinon you don't really feel like you are getting anything extra. As some reviewers have commented it's basically two episodes back to back (so doesn't make much sense as stand alone viewing).
This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if they were the equivelant to the two best episodes of SG1 from the previous 10 years. But they're not. They're average. There's two much going on at some points and it feels like they've tried to cram too much in whilst completly missing the magic that's normally there.
Worst moment:
An enemy that was dead and buried is suddenly resurrected but somehow fails to bring back any sense of menace that it once had.
Best moment:
An interesting insight into Tel'c.
In summary:
Even if you are a hardcore fan of the series you could probably give this a miss. But you won't because you'll want to know what happens anyway.
If you haven't seen SG1 for a few years and are considering it then probably don't bother.
Great end to a Great storyline.......2008-03-02
indeed this film does a great job at tying loose ends but it also has a unique and VERY stargate esque story of its own! reccomend to all un belivers
oh dear me.....and not in a good way!.......2008-02-28
I must confess to not being a 'Stargate' fan as such. Don't own a tele and the last time I followed the series religiously was when I lived at home - round about season 1 and 2! However, my brother is a fan which is why we watched this. He filled me in on the details as we went along but at the end of it we were both on the same page - disappointed and fed up. There literally was a point when we both voiced how 'tedious' it was getting to watch. According to my brother its nothing more than an average episode dragged out for all its worth.
There is nothing incredible about the story and it isn't completely stand alone for someone who has never seen the show as they wouldn't have a clue about all this space travel stuff. A total let down.
Can't wait till this comes out........2008-02-27
If you are a true Stargate lover then get this film. Story line sounds amazing and can't wait to see the Ori get their asses kicked. Also want to see that hottie Morena Baccarin i.e Adria again.
Amazon.co.uk Review
It's not a horror film, but An Inconvenient Truth is certainly one of the scariest DVDs you could own. Presented in a straightforward format by former US Vice President Al Gore--think Royal British Institute lecture delivered with a Tennessee drawl--it sets out its compelling argument about climate change both methodically and entertainingly. Global warming is a real danger, argues Gore, and human civilisation is the root cause of it. A dizzying and shocking array of facts relating to carbon emissions, the population explosion and the disintegration of the polar icecaps all add weight to his thesis. Moreover, we're already witnessing some of the effects of global warming around the world, with an increasing amount of storms, droughts and other natural disasters, more in the past few years. But Gore doesn't present these facts merely to terrify the viewer. Instead, they're meant to shock us out of complacency and into action. Indeed, the film ends with some very simple ways we can all contribute to averting this impending global catastrophe. And that, argues Gore, is the point of An Inconvenient Truth. We have the ability to change our ways, what we lack is what Gore describes as "the political will." It is his hope that this film will begin to change all of that. --Ted Kord
Customer Reviews:
The Inconvenient Truth .......2008-02-29
The inconvenient truth about 'An Inconvenient Truth" is that it has no scientific basis. It is designed to tug at the heart strings of people who want to save the world but haven't got the slightest clue about climatology. The is no proof presented in this film for man made CO2 emissions causing global warming but lots of stirring images and a good presentation style. If you want to feel righteous about saving the world without having to think too hard then this is the film for you (I'm sure all the CO2 released as a result of making the film, packaging it and shipping it to you won't concern you too much).
does anyone know the definition of facts or documentary?.......2008-02-18
obviously not in the film business it seems. Gore uses michael moore-like twisted facts along with a popular topic to try to move people into another political mindset. not that of trying to create a better, cleaner world, but that of being against the Bush office.
He IS a great speaker, very convincing, but the way he uses the facts or ideas is wrong. He only shows one side, and counts on the ignorance of the viewer to think that what he's saying is the truth. How can this even be nominated for an academy award as a documentary. Starsky and Hutch and Legally Blonde both have more credibility to them than this.
Based on bad science .......2008-01-20
Unmitigated pap filled with inaccurate 'facts' by a man who wanted the most corrupt political office in the world. The video was produced for one reason - to make Al Gore more money than he already has.
I would rather listen to the scientists, many of whom are still not convinced than Mr Gore (the next in a long line of Richard Nixons!)and the rabid green lobby, most of whom do not have science backgrounds and even if they do have little or no academic reputation.
I agree with the reviewer that Mr Gore should probably be in jail for this!
Slick but Alarmist.......2008-01-10
A very slick production - but then Al Gores claims that he has done more than 1,000 of these "slide shows" so it should be. He starts with those beautiful pictures of the Earth taken by the Apollo missions, including the famous "Earthrise" (over the Moon) taken 40 years ago today. This is part of a series of images designed to suggest that the world is beautiful but fragile, an impression intended to dispose viewers to sympathising with his case. Gore is an effective and engaging presenter, although some may find his personal reminiscences both a little cloying and a little disingenuous in the way that they are used to support his argument. He does provide many examples of warming - principally glacial retreat and the melting of permafrost - but makes no effort to present real evidence to prove that this is caused by CO2. He does use an enormous graph in the course of one presentation showing temperature and CO2 levels from ice-core data, but correlation is not causation, and the use of the data set has been criticised on the ground that it in fact shows CO2 rises lagging, not leading, temperature changes. Hurricane Katrina was a godsend to him, providing much useful imagery, even though the reason it was a calamity was primarily poor maintenance of the dykes and secondarily inadequate federal response - such a hurricane could have hit New Orleans in any year, irrespective of any argument that warming causes more violent hurricanes. There have been many criticisms of distortion and exaggerations, e.g. in the speed with which se-level rises may occur, which Gore suggests will happen very much more quickly than the IPCC "co-authors" of this film do in their Assessment Reports.
If there is one possible "untruth" that I would recommend that viewers might like to check out it is the views attributed to Gore's old Harvard mentor, Professor Revelle. He was Gore's inspiration and one of the first researchers into global climate change, but there is evidence that at the time of his death he was rather more cautious about arguing a link between CO2 and global temperatures than his protégé - see Booker and North 2007.
The recommendations that Gore makes at the end of the film are relatively modest, and many - including energy conservations and getting his fellow Americans to drive more energy efficient vehicles - we should be doing anyway. This film should be required reading for anyone interested in global warming, but unless you view it as necessary propaganda in the cause it should not be viewed without a degree of scepticism. I would very much recommend watching "The Great Global Warming Swindle" at the same time to see the opposing view.
Global Warning.......2008-01-01
"An Inconvenient Truth" is a cautionary film about the dangers of global warming and it appeals for action to be taken now to stop it by both individuals and governments. The film takes the form of a presentation by former US Vice President Al Gore which contains some documentary footage as well. Gore condenses complex scientific data into easy to understand graphs and charts which back up his argument that the temperature of Earth has been getting dramatically warmer in recent decades due to excessive carbon dioxide emissions that have thickened the atmosphere ,trapped solar radiation and literally turned up the heat on the planet. As a result of this global warming,ice everywhere has been melting, oceans have been heating up and storms, floods and droughts have been increasing in severity. Gore presents a compelling argument and "An Inconvenient Truth" becomes a bit of a horror film at times as the presenter demonstrates how rising sea levels caused by melting ice could devastate heavily populated coastal areas throughout the world if nothing is done to stop it. At the end of the film Gore explicitly warns against despair in light of the facts that he has just brought to light. He argues that global warming can be stopped by determined and coordinated efforts by governments and individuals alike. It's not too late - yet. However I have my doubts that governments would ever jeopardise economic growth for environmental causes, especially those in the USA and in most so called "developing" countries. "An Inconvenient Truth" demonstrates clearly that the USA alone is the world's biggest carbon polluter and that if it cleaned up it's act then the problem of global warming could be resolved. Gore hopes that soon that will be the case , but whether the USA has the will to do so remains to be seen.
Customer Reviews:
Nice One Martin!.......2008-02-26
People are mistaken when they say that Global Warming is the new religion. The new religion is: fame and money. Now, if you want notoriety and cash, how do you go about getting them? Hmmm, why not get controversial? I know, let's go for the biggest topic of the moment, Global warming, round up a few opponents to the general concensus, shoot the movie and make a few bob. And who cares if it's not true?
Brilliant Martin, I wished I had thought of it first.
A 'very inconvenient' alternative!.......2008-02-14
So, where do I start with this simple yet explosive (with all the current hysteria surrounding global warming)documentary?
This tells you as it is, supported by facts (not ideals) and scientific evidence in easy to understand bite-sized pieces, by top scientists in their respective fields.
The title could have equally been entitled 'Global warming ~ you are all being conned and following like sheep'.
Personally, I think this should be compulsory viewing for every child in school, every politician throughout the world and certainly everyone associated with the media.
So why, many would ask, are we being conned?
Simple, two words which dominate our world today, politics & money.
The two clearly go hand in hand.
Obviously, any sane person wants to protect the planet from pollution.
However, the global warming brigade have jumped on the back of this worthy cause to promote their own.
Essentially, there is no proof ~ in fact quite the reverse ~ that temperature increases as a result of CO2.
CO2 follows temperature and increases in temperature on earth can be directly attributed to increased solar activity.
Over time, temperature on earth increases and decreases as climate studies quite clearly show.
In fact, as short a time ago as 1975, it was believed that we were entering a 'mini ice age'.
When manufacturing was at its lowest, temperature was at its highest.
In the post-WW2 industrial boom, temperatures fell.
The fundamental cornerstone to Al Gore's campaign is, quite simply flawed and thus makes a mockery of all he is advocating.
But its a bandwagon, out of control.
Thousands of jobs depend on the global warming myth so, we must all believe, believe, believe!!!!
Global warming policies in the western world are at best annoying and at worst expensive.
However, in the developing world, they are, quite literally, destroying human life.
Watch this film and draw your own conclusions.
Resolve to be a free thinker not a sheep!
Dx
What consensus?.......2008-02-09
Having only caught the second half of this documentary when screened by Channel 4 a year ago, I was very impressed by the film itself and the DVD's extra footage (of which there is more than an hour).
Durkin makes a clear and simple case that global warming is not primarily man-made in consequence of the production of CO2 but (to then extent that it is occurring) is much more likely driven by the effect of the Sun. He presents evidence that it is still rather cooler than it has been in relatively recent times - which is of course one of the key battlegrounds between "alarmists" and "deniers". He features many of the most prominent scientists who do not accept the MMGW hypothesis - Pat Michaels, John Christy, Richard Lindzen and Fred Singer to name just a few - as well as journalist Nigel Calder (former editor of New Scientist, Svensmark's co-author of "The Chilling Stars") and Patrick Moore, co-founder and ex-member of Greenpeace. He also covers the history of the political development of global warming theory, and finishes by pointing out the economic cost of an over-reaction to fears about global warming, especially to those millions of people in Africa living in poverty - the argument put by Bjorn Lomborg in "Cool It".
The argument is put very simply, and is stronger on interpretation than evidence, but it was, after all, a 60-minute TV documentary. It did not, for example, deal with the possible effect of aerosols in causing the "cooling" of 1940 - 1970, which is an explanation often put by those who propose the so-called consensus view. Some of the scientists featured have been attacked for possible connections with the fossil fuel industry - Pat Michaels, from Virginia, is accused of being a mouthpiece of that State's coal industry, for example - but it is hard to watch this without forming the view that these are basically honest scientists. Mr Gore may bang on about a "consensus", but this film shows that at least 20 very credible scientists do not form part of any such consensus! Excellent viewing, and well worth buying and watching in tandem with Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth".
BAD NEWS IS GOOD NEWS.......2008-01-21
Question: if the science of `global warming' is so wrong, why are there so few scientists saying so?
Answer: the politicians pay the wages of so many scientists who are required to say that it is overheating (government funded universities, government research grants, government regulations, etc). You have to mostly toe the line to be in the science business.
Question: why would the politicians do pay the scientists to do this?
Answer: they want to scare you, then Big Brother State can promise to `do something about it on a global scale', then you are kept in your tax-paying subservient place, they stay in power, your taxes have to go up, they have better offices and good pension, they stay in power...
Question: why are there no realistic, truth-seeking, objective scientists who are not afraid of the government and are speaking out?
Answer: there are, and they are generally very senior in their profession and they have secure tenure in their universities in the USA, Japan, Canada, England, etc so they can afford to speak out but the media want to them stress for the camera about the crisis of ice cracking up, the polar bears facing extinction, the low-lying coastal areas flooding, the hurricanes a-blowing, yada yada. If a scientist says `It is normal for the ice to melt and then return in winter, the polar bears have survived much worse not so many thousand years ago, and it is normal for the weather and climate to change, it would be weird if it DID NOT change, and the Medieval Warm Period was fantastically GOOD for Europe in terms of harvest and prosperity, and in fact the earth warms up THEN CO2 increases, not the other way around, etc, then the media are stumped cos they like shroud-waving scares and adrenalin stories, not be happy ones. Bad news is good news.
Question: are some of these senior scientists who have secured their reputations and are not afraid to speak out on this DVD? And do they sometimes also get to state the facts on national talk radio, as well as in the hard-to-read scientific journals?
Answer: they are, and yes, tune in to something not-left wing.
Question: are there political environmental activist organisations who are lets-go-back-to-the-good-old-days Luddites, who understand no economics and care less, and like to patronise the greedy Western culture materialists (who provide them with cars and trains and boats and planes so they can go to eco-rallies the world over and go on holiday to Cuba before all the charming quaint poor communistas disappear into history, soon please) because it makes them feel tall on their righteous soapbox, and these organisations are havens for communists and socialistas who are in need of a cause to focus their lives now because the USSR, GDR, China, India, and uncle Tom-Cobbledy-and-All have abandoned socialism en masse?
Answer: yes
Question: can I see all this proved beyond reasonable doubt on this DVD?
Answer: please, don't believe me, see for yourself. Please.
HEAD IN THE SAND, AN EXCUSE TO DO NOTHING! SELFISH.......2008-01-17
If this is the counter argument to global warming then we have nothing to worry about and we can go ahead saving the world. It is a lot of speculative nonsense. AMERICANS AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING!! SHOCKED?? If thats an excuse to sleep better at night after riding a Hummer to work YOUR PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME!
FORGET THE POLITICS WORK ON YOUR OWN IMPACT AND GET OUT OF THAT 4x4!
RUBBISH DVD NO ARGUMENTS AND WORSE LOGIC.
Customer Reviews:
Sheer quality comedy,"Good show","You absolute shower".......2007-07-04
Absolute quality entertainment from six of Terry-Thomas' best films from his heyday.I highly recommend this boxset and find it to be good value considering compared to other Comic Icon boxsets for other performers usually containing 3 films this one contains 6 of his best films.Also just to advise anyone considering buying this boxset,on the sypnosis for this boxset the film HIS AND HERS is mentioned as one of the films.In actual fact this isn't included in the boxset however in it's place is BROTHERS IN LAW a gem of a Terry-Thomas film also starring Ian Carmichael,Richard Attenborough and John Le Mesurier.
Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the most memorably offbeat romantic comedies of the 1990s begins when a talk-radio veterinarian named Abby (Janeane Garofalo) takes a call from Brian (Ben Chaplin), the owner of a roller-skating Great Dane. Brian is intrigued by Abby's voice and asks if she'll agree to meet him. Insecure about her looks and her nonexistent love life, Abby agrees, but describes herself as a tall blonde, then begs her attractive neighbour Noelle (played by Uma Thurman) to meet with Brian in her place. The ensuing case of switched identity is complicated when Noelle takes a liking to Brian who, of course, thinks she is Abby. This confusion gains comedic momentum when Abby safely plays herself on the radio and in a long, hilariously seductive phone call with Brian, but by now the situation has grown hopelessly complex, and Abby has to find a way to reveal herself without disappointing Brian. Many viewers rightly complained that the movie relies on the assumption that Abby is unattractive, even though Garofalo is more attractive and appealing here than she'd been in several movies before and since. Still, this contemporary variation on Cyrano de Bergerac is a lightweight, good-natured surprise that values the quirks and foibles that make lovelorn romantics (including their pets) uniquely appealing. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Charming, relaxing and surprisingly rewatchable........2006-12-25
If your'e looking to unwind and have a romantic bone in your body you'll love this film. There are no belly laughs, but I guarantee you will smile from begining to end. You may even blush as well.
Personally as a man, I dind't find Uma Thurman remotely drop-dead gorgeous which is assumed throughout. But I'm probably in the minority and her performance is immaculate. Everything else about the film is pretty much perfect. Light entertainment at its best.
the truth about 'the truth about cats and dogs'.......2004-06-07
Ok so you saw the review title coming... but give it a chance.
Which is basically my opinion of this film, give it a chance.
If it's been a tough day, or you're not feeling too great about yourself, then I advise you put this film on and become wrapped up in it*.
Assured to raise at least a smile, and hopefully recover that tingly feeling in your toes.
*prior love of uma or animals not needed
Classic love triangle and a dog on roller skates!.......2002-05-13
If Ben Chaplin alone (the original Matthew from Game On) isn't worth watching this film for, then there are a host of other reasons. Janeane Garofalo is superb in the role of Abby, a nutty radio animal psychologist, who talks Brian (Chaplin) through the best way to win the heart of a dog on roller skates he is trying to photograph! It's love at first voice for Brian and Abby and love at first sight for Brian and Noelle (Uma Thurman), Abby's beautiful neighbour, but will Abby come clean and tell Brian who she really is?
This film is a real classic which has been sadly overlooked. Garofalo and Chaplin have a real natural chemistry. I could watch this over and over again - in fact, I have!
I love it!.......2000-08-11
A great romance with an animal twist to it. The actors/actresses have been well chosen and there's a definite chemistry between them. Go on, watch it!
Pure escapism.......2000-06-14
I love this film. Very funny, wonderfully acted, beautifully shot, knowingly written and light as a feather, this is definitely a movie to watch if you've had a hard day and need to unwind.
Uma Thurman shows a talent for comedy as an implausibly beautiful airhead, Ben Chaplin is charming as an English photographer living and working in LA, and Janeane Garofalo is funny, intelligent and cuddly-cute as a radio vet.
Infinitely better than the tripe that is "Sleepless in Seattle" or "any of those others" with Meg Ryan.
Customer Reviews:
This director decided to "Sell Out" and hide underneath the rating.......2007-07-04
While not on the same lengths as Cronenberg's latest foray, A History of Violence, Atom Egoyan pulls off a decent Canadian feature with this film, and heightens it with a great acting talent of Colin Firth and the man who knows everyone and one of my personal favorite actors (and pincushions), Kevin Bacon.
While the storyline becomes a little convoluted half-way through, the performances and presentation of the film keep up throughout. The dual narration is annoying at first, but becomes acceptable after a few minutes. The presentation of the 1950s settings, and the 1970s settings were done well. While some of the costumes are off in some areas, in others, they are spot-on. It makes you wonder why Oscar skipped over the film (until you watch it all, and then realize why). Alison Lohman is alright here, but she was much better in Matchstick Men, if for only the fact that she looks to young for her own good (and after the things she does, and has done to her in this film, she looks way too young for her own good). For this reason, she has a really hard time carrying the film, and has an even harder time acting against Firth and Bacon. Rachel Blanchard is sadly underused, as is Firth, but the rest of the supporting cast has just enough time needed to stretch.
The film's graphic nude and sex scenes are up to par with Cronenberg, and make an interesting comparison. Were they really attempting to compete, or was it just a subtle irony that both of the films came out over a year ago, and had their first screenings at Cannes? In the end, the whole thing sadly just looks very little in comparison to Violence, and that's the unfortunate thing because they were just destined to be compared.
I know that the NC-17 rating of the film made a big scandal and controversy among fans. While most of the time the rating is all a bunch of bull, quite often movies that lack in the story, acting or budget make up for it in explicit sex scenes (which is what got this film its rating), language or gore, and the plot gets lost somewhere in between all these distractions. I suppose it is all personal taste, and different people love or hate this movie for various reasons. To me, it is a combination of reasons. The only "REALLY" good thing about it was the cast, and as much as I like the actors, they were not enough to save it. But, the film is done averagely well, and deserves a look.
Brilliant film about investigative journalism.......2007-03-28
This is a brilliantly structured drama about a mega star comedy duo Lanny and Vince in outstanding performances by Kevin Bacon and Vince Colin Frith.
Karen (Alison Lohman) is an investigative journalist assisting Vince in writing a book about the duo concentrating on a mysterious death that caused their break up fifteen years earlier.
Director Atom Egoyan maintains a perfect pace in the deliberately episodic screen play that reflects the real life "stop go" nature of investigative journalism and immerses us in Karen's efforts to find where the truth lies.
With fine period detail and believable characters this is a very fine film indeed.
Stylish, but the story doesn't cut it.......2007-03-02
Where The Truth Lies comes from writer/director Atom Egoyan and is a decent mix of his usual character-based drama and a noir-style murder mystery. The story is about a young journalist, played by Alison Lohman, who is researching a story about two nightclub entertainers (Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth) and the mysterious death of a woman in their hotel room back in the late fifties. Half of the film takes place in the early seventies, as Lohman finds herself becoming sexually involved with both men while investigating the murder; with the other half being made up of flashbacks to earlier events.
Although Bacon and Firth receive top billing, Alison Lohman is really the star of this one. She's not quite as good in this as she was in Matchstick Men or White Oleander, but I still enjoyed watching her as the curious writer who is drawn into the lives of these two men. Kevin Bacon is very good, and Colin Firth is as reliable as always.
This is a beautiful film to look at. The attention to period detail is fantastic, both in the seventies and the fifties scenes, and it's full of rich colours and authentic sets. This bygone world of gaudy nightclubs and sumptuous hotel rooms has been brilliantly recreated.
If there is a problem here, it lies in that toughest of mystery movie nuts to crack - the third act resolution. Given the heady mix of sex, drugs, and long-held secrets that Egoyan has built up throughout the film, the final revelation feels too insubstantial and doesn't quite justify the wait. There's a small twist in the tale, as you would expect from any noir worth its salt, but that also lacks the weight you might have been expecting.
Great Noir.......2006-08-28
I really enjoyed this - as did my girlfried. If you like noir, you will really like this. I am just finishing James Elroys The Big Nowhere, and the film fits very well with the mood of that book. Enjoy!
Trite, shallow and boring.......2006-03-16
Don't bother, don't waste your money and more importantly don't waste your time. This is cheap tat of the worst kind, having your brain removed before watching it would be a blessing.
Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the top five screwball comedies of the 1930s, this helped to cement a genre that waxed golden until the end of the Second World War. Director Leo McCarey won an Oscar for Best Director for this 1937 romantic comedy--one of the most successful films of his career. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are a squabbling couple who separates because of supposed infidelities on both sides. They part, but cannot really keep away from each other. Grant finds himself hooked up with a socialite, Dunne becomes engaged to a millionaire hick played by the hapless Ralph Bellamy (as if he ever stood a chance as the "other" man!). When not dating others or baiting one another in a verbal war, Grant and Dunne wage a custody battle over their pathetic pooch. Gags, double entendre, witty remarks, snide comments, and fast-paced dialogue helped this to garner six Academy Award nominations. The Awful Truth was awfully good to Dunne and Grant, as both were breaking out of much more serious moulds and this secured their positions. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the top five screwball comedies of the 1930s, The Awful Truth helped to cement a genre that waxed golden until the end of the Second World War. Director Leo McCarey won an Oscar for Best Director for this 1937 romantic comedy--making it one of the most successful films of his career. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are a squabbling couple who separate because of supposed infidelities on both sides. They part but cannot really keep away from each other. Grant finds himself hooked up with a socialite, Dunne becomes engaged to a millionaire hick played by the hapless Ralph Bellamy (as if he ever stood a chance as the "other" man). When not dating others, or baiting one another in a verbal war, Grant and Dunne wage a custody battle over their pathetic pooch. Gags, double entendres, witty remarks, snide comments, and fast-paced dialogue helped this to garner six Academy Award nominations. The Awful Truth was awfully good to Dunne and Grant, as both were b! reaking out of much more serious moulds and this secured their positions. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Customer Reviews:
Try again soon, please.......2003-10-04
Leo McCarey's screwball masterpiece deserves the best treatment of all. But sadly doesn't get it this time around. Almost nothing comes close to the perfection of this movie, its subtleties, its ambiguity. Irene Dunne delivers a true tour de force, not least in 'disguise' as the empty-headed sister from Paris. Cary Grant was never better or more precise. The dialogue is superb, the characters are brilliantly conceived. A work of true genius, which is why the treatment of it on DVD is so horrible. The picture is unclean, fuzzy, the sound is awful, and I could go on and on. So save your money, until someone responsible makes another go of it.
Classic story of divorcees loving each other.......2002-02-01
True, the story seems to be old-fashioned by our standards, but I think all the same, the couple portrayed in this movie gives an exilarating account of how (not) to mess up a marriage. The performance is indeed funny, witty and at times full of surprises and it never ceases to remind us of how things were in those days. Lessons to be learned for almost all couples today...
Not a must, but worthwhile nonetheless.......2002-01-30
The Awful Truth is somewhat a Hollywood Golden Age formula comedy. Dunne and Grant turn in solid comic performances, but never quite achieve the crackling chemistry Grant and Hepburn had. The plot is a bit forced, but the script is still witty and fast-paced in the good old screwball tradition. While the movie doesn't rise to the level of 'Bringing Up Baby' or 'The Philadelphia Story', it has its moments and, all in all, is a worthwhile watch to those, like me, who can never get enough of classic Hollywood comedies.
Customer Reviews:
Poor quality political propaganda - like a broken record........2006-10-18
Truth is the first casualty of war - that is clear by the previous reviews (all reading from the same hymn sheet), which all seem to have bought the line churned out constantly by the global mass media machine. No-one likes war, least of all the people of Halabja, or the marsh Arabs, Kurds, or anyone unfortunate enough to live under the tyrant Saddam, second only to Hitler. Perhaps the Loony Left would have appeased Hitler like they appeased Saddam? Look where appeasement got us then! More people died under the French & Russian -supported sanctions regime, than during the entire conflict. It seems more than likely that Saddam DID posess weapons of mass destruction (an explosion - thought to be a rudimentary Nuclear device - WAS measured on the Richter scale in the Western desert of Iraq prior to intervention)(chemical weapons WERE used -against the Kurds), but even if he hadn't any such weapons at the time of intervention (why did he give the Inspectors the runaround?) - he maintained the laboratories to resume or restart production once the heat was turned off. A previous reviewer noted "It's one thing for a President to lie about his sex life. It's another to lie about why we are sending our young men and women into battle." The president in question (the notorious racist Bill Clinton) chose to ignore the build up to September 11th, as a wreckless follow up to his refusal to intervene when MILLIONS of African were slaughtered in Rwanda. No excuse given for that- not even an attempt. Talk about a BIG LIE - the left need to look to their own! Saddam and the Neo-Fascist Baath party (STILL in place in Syria) DID have links to the Nazi party, and the grand mufti of Jerusalem even set up legions of SS to help in the elimination of Jews, just as the Iranian PM declares that his first Nuke 'will have Israel written on it'. Condi Rice is right to want to pre-empt such a mushroom cloud. Rather than appease and protest for peace with such fascists, all the so-called 'peace-protesters' should now be supporting attempts to reconstruct and disengage - where is the might of the global media machine now? This thrown together pseudo 'documentary' fails to grasp the fact that the murders and crimewaves in Iraq now are carried out largely by those foreign jihadists and released criminals put in place by Saddam Hussein in the event of his removal. If as much effort were given to the Iraqi people, and to helping them rebuild as was given to the undermining of our forces for good, then we might be out by now. The TRUTH is that the fanatical, dictatorial neighbourhood doesn't want a peaceful prosperous democracy on its doorstep. All about oil? Not forgetting the MASSIVE oil concessions by Saddam to France & Russia (in return for arms - witness the hordes of mirage fighter jets unearthed -literally- in the desert)Then why does America support the Israelis (as opposed to the Nazi Ba'athists, Death-loving Hamas, Jew-hating Hizbollah etc.) - no oil in Israel, is there? If only the liberation of Iraq could be made to work, if only Iraqis & us could persevere in the name of mutual respect and understanding... perhaps then peace would flourish? This DVD does nothing to promote such open willingness - it is a DVD-recipe for more of the same.
Blistering.......2006-03-21
Watching the talking heads in archival news clips from TV in this documentary one is just amazed at how obvious it is that the Bush administration lied about its reasons for invading Iraq. Of course we have the benefit of hindsight and know for a fact that the weapons of mass destruction were not there. But the really striking thing is that all these so-called leaders of our country--Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, and yes, Colin Powell--KNEW they were lying.
As Al Franken so succinctly said, "It's one thing for a President to lie about his sex life. It's another to lie about why we are sending our young men and women into battle."
What this documentary does through interviews with leading experts in government, the military, and the intelligence communities, juxtaposed before, between and following the many dire pronouncements from the administration, is demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that what they said was propaganda, disinformation--the Big Lie--dished out to the Congress, the Press and the American people.
The real question is why? What were the real reasons for Bush's invasion of Iraq?
Before I attempt to answer that question, two things, One, this documentary is utterly convincing in its indictment of the Bush administration and will be almost impossible to watch by those who supported the war and continue to support the war. The evidence for the massive mendacity is so vividly expressed by knowledgeable and experienced people within and without the government--people like former Ambassador Joe Wilson, former Director of the CIA Stansfield Turner, anti-terrorism expert Rand Beers, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Philip Coyle, retird Col Patrick Lang, and at least a dozen more--that only the most hardened neocons and faith-based True Believers could doubt the subterfuge. Incidentally, it was Wilson's wife, an undercover agent for the CIA, who was deliberately exposed by leaks from the Bush administration in order to punish Wilson for his expression of the truth about WMD.
Two, the real blame beyond the Bush administration lies with the Press and with the Congress. If medals were given for cowardice, members of the Press and the Congress would have chests ablaze with bronze, silver and gold. The Press simply abdicated its Fourth Estate responsibility through fear of reprisals from the Bush administration, while the Congress dared not go against the Bush propaganda machine for fear that it would be labeled anti-American. In fact their cowardly and irresponsible behavior was deeply anti-American while it was solidly pro-Bush. They both kept the American people in ignorance about the real reasons for the war.
Okay what were those reasons?
Oil? Of course this was a factor. Notice that other horrendous dictators elsewhere in the world are not removed from power by an American invading force.
To right the wrong that the first president Bush did when he kept Saddam Hussein in power after the Gulf War? Yes, but here is the beginning of the stupidity. The senior Bush pulled up short of deposing Saddam Hussein because keeping him in power was considered in the best interests of the United States. We had good control over him and he served as buffer to Iranian theocratic ambitions.
To demonstrate to the world the awesome might of the US military (the "shock and awe" that had Rumsfeld practically drooling) and show our willingness to use force if necessary? Yes. This is probably the most important psychological and geopolitical reason for invading Iraq. That it was immoral and likely to further alienate our allies and turn the vast majority of Muslims throughout the world into enemies didn't seem to occur to Bush and the neocons. Notice that another effect has been to convince Iran that it needs to acquire nuclear weapons, since it is obvious that the Bush administration isn't about to invade a country that has them (e.g., North Korea, Pakistan).
To mollify the American people, so many of whom naturally felt a great need after 9/11 to see some kind of action taken, any action to Show Strength, like a bull whirling around, swinging its horns at anything near.
To smoke-screen our failure to get Osama bin Laden and the general failure in Afghanistan? Absolutely. Blowing up great mounds of dirt in Afghanistan was NOT satisfactory, and going into nuked-up Pakistan to get bin Laden was not palatable.
To provide business for Halliburton and other corporations close to Bush and members of his administration? Well, that was one of the effects of the war.
To subconsciously get into the minds of soccer moms and make them feel safer by making US soldiers (who get paid for this sort of thing) the target for terrorists in Iraq instead of civilians at home? Possibly. Again, that was part of the effect of the war.
To help Bush win in 2004? Without doubt. Being a "war time" president would give Bush a big advantage over any Democrat. A quick "victory" over Iraq (celebrated aboard an aircraft carrier with Bush in pilot's gear strutting around with a helmet tucked under his arm shaking hands) would allow him to go one up on his father who foolishly abdicated such a possible advantage and lost the next election. BTW, film of the Bush strut is shown in the documentary more fully and more embarrassingly than the nightly news dared show it at the time. You have to see it to believe it.
I think this last reason is the most compelling reason that Bush went to war, whether he realizes it or not: he wanted to win, not so much the war on terror, but the next election.
Essential journalism, but flawed editing.......2005-07-07
An effective documentary which sets out to unpick the rationale behind Bush's choice of Iraq as a worthy cause for invasion and which exposes the decision as one of political opportunism rather a viable military (and moral) cause. "Uncovered: the War on Iraq" is highly informative, but highly flawed.
The film begins with an introduction to the contributors, establishing their credentials as intelligence, military or diplomatic specialists with unimpeachable knowledge of and access to US corridors of power. The reason is obviously one of clearly establishing the credibility of the film's argument - these are not 'outsiders', these are not academics with a theoretical understanding of events, these are not people who can be dismissed as Left-wing or as politically partisan. They are all patriots, often very close to the Republican party and 'orthodox' US thinking, and they are all concerned that the reasoning behind invasion was highly dubious and both militarily and politically wrong.
Unfortunately, it slows the pace of the film, not only because it takes several minutes to establish the credibility of this dramatis personae, but also because it establishes a cut-and-paste style for the meat of the production.
Bush and his close Neo-Conservative advisers are shown to have cobbled together and distorted evidence to substantiate the invasion. There was no link between Saddam and terrorism - Al Qaeda was totally opposed to Saddam and Bin Laden regarded him as an infidel. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 ... yet, for a time, the US public seemed to have been convinced that it had. Evidence was fudged, misinformation was seeded, and partisan Iraqi dissidents posed as the voice of democracy and reason.
The UN weapons inspectors had meanwhile proved highly effective and had obliged Saddam to destroy virtually every contentious piece of weaponry in Iraqi possession. Their dismissal as ineffectual was based on carefully orchestrated political lies as the Bush regime set about marketing its view of American might and right.
The Neo-Cons broadcast the message that the USA had won the Cold War, it could therefore do what it liked as the world's only superpower. America could reshape the world in its own image and to its advantage, oblivious to the fact that the rest of the world was hardly likely to remain passive and docilely accept dollar imperialism and military colonialism.
Invasion of Iraq was never a problem, militarily. Holding the country was always going to be the intractable challenge. The invasion simply created a political power vacuum, making it ripe for the emergence of competing, oppositional forces who could legitimise resistance to the invader and sow fertile ground for terrorism to emerge. The film repeatedly evokes the Vietnam experience and wonders how could the White House have forgotten that so soon?
Opponents to the war were meanwhile branded as traitors as the regime wrapped itself in a cloak of the Stars and Stripes and posed as having the monopoly on patriotism. "Uncovered: the War on Iraq" disposes of this posturing and myth. Patriots have the right, and the democratic duty, to oppose their government when they believe it to be wrong.
The arguments put forward by the film are substantial and convincing, and should cause all but the most blinkered to sit back and think. It's a film which should be watched by people beyond the USA because the warning of political distortion and misinformation is vital to us all.
However, the production is deeply flawed. The editing is unconvincing. For stretches of the film the commentary drones on and on. I hate to say it, but it needs 'sexing up'. What should have been an impressive piece of journalism dissolves into a mediocre piece of cinematography, and its arguments are seriously dissipated because of this.
The one saving grace, however, is the inclusion as an 'extra' of an inquiry into the manipulation of the Presidential vote in Florida in 2000. This is an intense and absorbing piece of reportage and, if you are feeling slightly sleepy after the main feature, the supporting act is an excellent example of what good cinematic journalism can achieve.
A curate's egg of a DVD - very good in parts ... but.
BUSH'S IRAQI WAR QUAGMIRE BUILT ON LIES.......2005-03-06
Robert Greenwald's documentary film, "Uncovered: The War on Iraq" arrived in St. Louis the second week in September. Sadly, when my wife (a documentary filmmaker) and I went to see this extraordinarily important film not more than 75-100 were in the audience. Because it provides more solid evidence and analysis for how the Bush administration misled the American public during the run-up to the war in Iraq, this documentary may be more important than Michael Moore's prize wining, acerbic "Fahrenheit 9/11." "Uncovered" excels in showing how Bush and others raised the alarm with their constant talk of nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and biological weapons. President Bush and his accomplices had long ago decided on war, now the American people had to be frightened into accepting it.
Since Sept. 11, Greenwald, a longtime television and film producer, created two other films in conjunction with MoveOn.org, an anti-Bush advocacy group: "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" and "Unconstitutional," about the erosion of American civil liberties. The latter will be release this fall.
Bush supporters will condemn "Uncovered: The War on Iraq," saying it's a partisan film to embarrass the president before the November election. Indeed, Greenwald had funded his work with money from MoveOn.org, that is vigorously campaigning against Bush's reelection. Similarly, the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank headed by Bill Clinton's former chief of staff provided backing for the documentary. However, among the critics were experts who had earlier been recruited by Bush to obtain evidence from Iraq to justify his invasion of the Middle East that was met with world wide condemnation (also shown by Greenwald).
Greenwald uses footage of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice White House Neocons and other denizens showing their continuing rationalization of the war, even while being forced to stumble over details that show their prewar intelligence was manufactured, misinterpreted, misunderstood or otherwise mishandled.
Indictments are handed down by the film's interviews with former CIA officers, weapons inspectors (including David Kay, Scott Ritter and Hans Blix), ex-Pentagon officials and former American ambassadors. An aggregate of some three hundred years of top U.S. intelligence gathering and analytical experience is represented by those interviewed and recorded by Greenwald's camera. Most of those interviewed have had careers spanning at least 25 years as top military or CIA intelligence officials during and after the Cold War.
Perhaps especially Hans Blix, the United Nation's top nuclear weapons inspector, had been ridiculed most by the Bush administration for not being a team player leading up to the Iraq War. But it's hard to argue with his logic when he says: "It is somewhat puzzling, I think, that you can have a `100 percent certainty' about the weapons of mass destruction's existence and zero certainty about where they are."
We are shown Dick Cheney calling Kay "a respected scientist" who would find "the weapons of death" that in 2003 Bush promised would be discovered around Baghdad. The next minute, "Uncovered" has Kay admitting that the White House assumptions were terribly flawed. "We were all wrong," Kay says, before adding, "In a democracy, you have an obligation . . . to speak truthfully to the public."
This is a must see film for those wishing to witness indictments against the Bush administration for lying to the U.S. Congress, the American people and the world and for undermining U.S. national security by, based on those lies, dragging America into the Iraq quagmire.
Film Demolishes Bush Administration's Sales Pitch For War!.......2005-02-27
Director Robert Greenwald's "Uncovered - The War On Iraq" chronicles the Bush Administration's case to invade Iraq following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The film analyzes, and demolishes, the administration's arguments for war through interviews with high level experts and professionals from the Central Intelligence Agency, the US State Department, the US military, congress, as well as weapons analysts and inspectors.
I am extremely impressed with the quality of information proffered in the film. Over 20 experts, with informed opinions and facts, provide outstanding testimony. It is extremely disturbing to listen to these declarations, no matter what one's political affiliation. Greenwald works with two stories here. The first is the one told to the American people, and the world, by President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condee Rice, etc., in the State of the Union speeches, the president's and Secretary Powell's speeches before the United Nations, and in several press conferences and interviews. The administration's story is reconstructed through stock footage. The second story, and the other side of the coin, is told by the interviewees mentioned above, based on their first hand experience. Impeccable sources, all with records of outstanding service, bear witness here. They are united in their message, which is - from start to finish, the Bush administration's war effort was built on calculated lies. They detail the lies, misstatements and exaggerations that served as the reasons to launch a "preemptive" strike and begin the Iraqi war. The documentary offers an in-depth look at the distortion of intelligence and the "spin" presented to the American people and to the Congress.
It is also pointed out, and startling to note in retrospect, how the administration's story and rational has changed over a two year period. The public is told now that our preemptive strike, and subsequent invasion of a sovereign foreign country, was to bring down a tyrant and to liberate a people. Two years ago we were told that we were stopping an imminent threat to the world from weapons of mass destruction.
The press is taken to task for neglecting to do its job before the war began. They apparently never asked the tough questions, like the ones asked by those who participate in the movie. Scott Ritter, former U. N. weapons inspector, was actually ridiculed by Paula Zahn, (the clip is shown), and other members of the media because he was one of the first who insisted on the absence of WMD.
While I am impressed with the documentary's content, I am disappointed with the quality of the film. The production lacks professionalism. The film is spliced in an amateur fashion, making for extremely choppy viewing, and the editing and camera work are poor in many instances. The talking head quotes, taken directly from newspaper headlines, appear tabloid in nature, which really undermines the seriousness of the testimony. And the quotes are accompanied by drum rolls, and overly dramatic music. The speakers' testimonies and levels of expertise are dramatic in and of themselves. There was no need to undermine a class act by embellishing. I am sorry if I sound overly picky, but as a reviewer I would be remiss if I did not mention these distractions. I understand this documentary was put together rapidly and I admire everyone's resolve to get it before the public ASAP. I just cannot help but wish for a finer work product. That said, I am extremely glad the documentary was made and is now available to all.
One of the interviewees quotes Mark Twain in the film, when discussing his own responsibilities as a patriotic citizen. Mr. Twain once said, ""Patriotism means supporting one's country whatever. And the government when it deserves it."
JANA
Customer Reviews:
What a GREAT DVD.......2006-06-28
Any one who loves Usher and R&B is going to love this dvd. Its cramed full of extras, that for once are actuall worth watching. His performance on stage is out of this world-no one can dance like usher-and I recomend it to any one. BUY IT!!!
UK DVD:
- Steptoe And Son - Series 3
- Steve-O - Don't Try This At Home - Part 2 - The Tour [2002]
- Straight from the Heart [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Teachers: Series 2 [2001]
- That Old Feeling [1997]
- The Alibi [2006]
- The Anniversary Party [2001]
- The Axis of Evil [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Big Tease [2000]
- The Brittas Empire - Series 2 - Complete [1991]
UK DVD List
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