5 comments about Globe Trekker: Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands.

1. We are planning a trip to ecuador and although this video was nice and got us excited about the trip it offered no real travel details and covered information on only a very small part of the country. Nicely done if you are interested in just a taste of Ecuador -say 5 minutes in the Galapagos.



2. I'm really sorry but this dvd is terrible, my mother bought it here in amazon to me as a present. If you are interested in knowing more about Ecuador don't buy it. I made that mistake, I bought the dvd and it was just horrible. It las 1 hour but the guide lady insisted in visiting just the most terrible places in Ecuador and she didn't show the beauty of the nature and the kindness of the people.
   
   Also the dvd was manufactured in 2004 but the dvd is clearly much older than that. Just check the currency that this lady used (sucres) that doesn't exist anymore in Ecaudor since its currency changed 5 years ago for dollars which helps the tourist a lot since they don't need to buy other currency, it's enough to take dollars to go to Ecuador.
   
   She didn't cover the three most important cities in Ecuador either. She started her trip in Guayaquil but she didn't show that city at all (she showed it just for 1 minute) and Quito (the capital city) was focused like a indinegous city what is not totally true because there's the biggest white and european population in this place. And finally she never showed Cuenca, the third most important city in Ecuador, I mean never...
   
   Ecuador is a paradise on the Earth, I now that because I lived there, this country has economic and social problems but that is not an impediment to visit it. It is not as safer as USA or other first world countries but its weather, millennial culutre, landscapes and people made Ecuador a wonderful place to visit and this dvd doesn't show that at all, it's just focus to show the most terrible parts and problems of the country.



3. As a school teacher, it is difficult to find interesting videos to show students on Latin American culture and customs. This video does just that! Justine Shapiro is fun, engaging and interesting. She does a good job of showing us Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in an hour-a feat nearly impossible for most documentaries! I highly recommend this video for anyone interested in getting an introductory look at the people and culture surrounding the country of Ecuador!



4. After living 15 years in Ecuador I was quite disappointed with this DVD. Ecuador is such a diverse country, not only in terms of its bio diversity, but in the diversity of its people. There is also no insight into Ecuador's urban centers. Touristic resources can blend good insight with captivating images (I think of the great book Insight Guides: Ecuador), but this one falls short. I purchased it hoping to use it for a university course that I teach on Latin America. After reviewing it, I decided that the best use of this DVD would be to show some of the common tourist stereotypes of a such a diverse place.



5. A very self indulgent piece of work by Justine Shapiro. Everything is glossed over. Several segments are shot in black and white and time lapse. She talks more about herself than Ecuador. The segment on Quito was only a few seconds long!

5 comments about Music in High Places - Boyz II Men (Live from Seoul).

1. The boyz prove once again that they are the best group EVER! their vocal talent is shown here in a all new light thanx to the acoustic renditions here! only a few quibbles though; poor Mike wasn't there (not his fault) and they did not sing On Bended Knee (properly anyway) and I'll Make Love To You. All in all fantastic. Worth every penny.



2. This much-anticipated DVD finally arrived to my house last night, and it completely blew me away. As an aspiring R&B singer, I look to Boyz II Men as one of my main influences. The presentation is wonderful, and the vocals, despite Mike's absence, are simply heavenly, especially on a jam-session-style improvisation of "Never Go Away". Their candid interviews bring insight into many facets of the lives and careers of one of the most talented vocal groups ever. If you like good music, I strongly recommend this item.



3. if you want to LOSE you're money buy this DVD



4. i've always been a fan since the early days. i'd bought all the albums etc... and saw this advertised in dvd magazine. of course i bought it!! what can i say? being a musician/vocalist myself these guys really make me sick! there harmonies and awareness of each other is frightening. all the favourites fom all the albums sang acoustic in seoul with the mountains as a backdrop and the snow on the ground. these boys are the undisputed kings of close harmony vocal. a great buy even for non boyz 2 men fans. buy it now!



5. At first,i gat this masterpiece from ma brother as a birthday present, tho' it was on vhs.a close friend borrowed it and he wont return it!Hence, I decided to roll to AMAZON;this time i purchased the dvd fomat.Dam!See,the diff btw Boyziimen and anyother is that they sing music not just songs.

   I am a singer/song writer myself and voices like those of the philly brothers dont come by any means cheap.The blend of their delicious harmony brings laughter to a dyin' heart.In North Korea, the weather is cold and freezin still their voices is nothin but pure bliss. Uhhh oh.

   I adore them to that extent where i have every album and possess every selection that ever came out.As a matter of fact, i own a spanish version of "I'll make luv ii u$QThey inspire my musical career every day that passes by.

   Therefore, i must stress that even if, this dvd cost $50,i wont vacillate to have it as part of my selection.hey, are u still readin this, u should be on ur way to the store right now....and hey, go to AMAZON because u wont find it at HMV!

No comments about Mysterious Life of Caves - NOVA.

3 comments about America's Great Road Trips & Scenic Drives.

1. I am always watching for a good road trip on DVD. The "America's Great Road Trips and Scenic Drives" sounded like it had potential. I didn't expect a lot of time to be spent at each stop because there were so many places of interest listed, but I did expect great photography and it wasn't. They tried to make the southwest look as green as the northeast. The rest of the country covered was green, green, green. The over saturation of colors was sometimes nauseating. It completely ruined the visual enjoyment, greens, blues, reds, oranges, purples, etc. were too intense. I live in the southwest and love the subtly of the natural earthan colors. Besides the poor photography the narrator seemed to be frantically searching through a thesarus for desciptive words. The content was fine for what this DVD promises, but is greatly harmed visually by the saturated colors, thus the two stars. I wish they would redo these DVDs in the "Natural" colors of the region.



2. Contrary to the comments by the self designated "Artist" in another review of this 6-DVD set of America's Great Road Trips & Scenic Drives, the photography, the colors, and the picture sharpness are outstanding; and, I totally disagree with his obviously distorted evaluation. This set is well worth having and I and my family enjoyed it immensely. If you enjoy travel and nature's beauty you will not be disappointed with this set.



3. Warning: The first three discs are IDENTICAL to the America's Most Senic Drives discs (I don't mind because I always want a good backup) minus the America the Beautiful bonus disc (which is real good, but has nothing to do with the popular attraction at Disneyland). The last three discs are from a series called Road Trips. These are extremely good, and very informative. The full price of purchase is worth these three disks alone (as there is currently no other way to get the series). Furthermore, I don't regret getting America's Most Senic Drives (even though they are repeats on the first 3 disks) as the bonus disk makes it worth while. I may not regret it, but you might.

5 comments about The I Inside.

1. This movie has a strong sense of "Been there, done that before." No, I'm not talking about the characters, I'm talking about the audience. It's kind of funny, I was reviewing the C-grade horror movie "Soul Survivors" the other day, and, perusing the other reviews, everyone seemed to be in agreement that the movie had far too many cheats and poor explanations. In actuality, I think it's just easier to rip apart low-budget horror movies than movies with more ambition, like "The I Inside," because this movie has far more cheats and dead-ends never explained than "Soul Survivors." "The I Inside" also attempts to do far more than "Soul Survivors," with much loftier aims, so it fails in a more spectacular way.
   
   "The I Inside" stars Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Polley, Piper Perabo, Robert Sean Leonard, and Stephen Rea. The casting is good, I think. First of all, I don't think Ryan Phillippe can play an out-and-out good guy. Even when he tries to cover it, he just comes off and looks like an obnoxious brat. It's really not his fault, but it's there. But in this movie, his casting works, because he is a privileged, rich... well, brat, for lack of a better term who may not be the nice guy that he seems... if you think that's a clue he's really bad though, you'd be wrong too. As for the rest of the cast, I like them. Sarah Polley has slipped a little in recent years, but looking over her body of work she is still one of the most impressive actresses of her age, I think. Stephen Rea is great in pretty much whatever he does, and Leonard is a guy I liked since "Dead Poets Society" and recently reaffirmed his talent in the surprising "Tape." Piper Perabo is surprisingly good too - I'd like her in a shallow sort of way from some of her movies like "Lost And Delirious," but was not overly impressed.
   
   Anyway, the story goes - Phillippe's character, Simon Cable, awakens from a horrible accident. He thinks it's 2000, but in actuality, it's 2002. He seems to have amnesia about quite a number of things. His doctors tell him it looks like he may have been poisoned. He meets his wife, she leaves, he finds out she's not his wife, and meets another woman, his "real" wife, and finds out she may not be what she seems either. Then a vanishing medic tries to kill him, and from there things get truly weird. To go on would be to divulge too many spoilers.
   
   The problem with this movie is two-fold. One, it's something a bad mix of "Memento," "The Butterfly Effect," and even "Soul Survivors," and "Mulholland Drive," yes. It's like a hasty grab-bag of altered reality movies/limited knowledge movies. In movies like these, you pretty much have a good idea of how things are going to unfold. You figure the things that seem intentionally confusing are going to be revealed when the movie ends and the viewer is able to connect the dots. Within the first couple of lines spoken by the doctor, you have a good idea of what the kicker is going to be. Then you go through the movie and think, "wait, that's far too childishly obvious, it can't be that, if it was *that*, then there would be a ton of stuff unaccounted for." Well guess what? Surprise! It really is *that.* There is a lot unaccounted for. Some critics and reviewers I've seen talking about this movie claim that everything has a good explanation. I disagree. I think if you really, really stretch the narrative beyond the breaking point, and give the creators more benefit of the doubt than you've giving anything in your entire life, you can foist a semi-plausible explanation on just about everything in the movie, but even then there are still glaring miscues. Among them, pointing them out so as not to give spoilers:
   
   #1- The medic trying to kill Cable makes no sense.
   #2- What Cable's brother did in the car makes no sense (you know when if you've seen the movie, it's the only thing of import he does in the car).
   #3- What if the time was, say, 1:57 a.m. instead? What then? You'd have a mess, that's what.
   
   All in all, maybe I'd recommend this movie as an exercise in getting a delicious little visceral thrill of being cheated or frustrated, or trying to play a game of fix the cinematic Rubik's Cube and try and account for all the problems and tidy up the explanation of the movie, but on its own merits, I cannot recommend "The I Inside," despite nice performances by the cast.



2. Ryan Phillippe (Crash (2005), Cruel Intentions) plays a man who awakens from a hospital bed and finds out that he was dead for 2 minutes. He also thinks that its the year 2000 in which it is not, it seems he lost memory of the last 2 years, so it is now 2002. So, Phillippe is left to recover from his accident and he finds out that his brother, played by Robert Sean Leonard (Last Days Of Disco, Swing Kids) didnt make it. He try to fit the pieces of the puzzle together in his mind and find out what really happened? But as he progesses he goes back in time to 2000, is this his imagination? Was he really in 2000 and did he go back to 2002 or is there something else? Interesting mind teaser story has Phillippe giving one of his best so far. Also starring Sarah Polley (Dawn of the Dead (2004), My Life Without Me), Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly, Lost and Delirious), Stephen Rea (...), Stephen Lang (Gods and Generals) and Stephen Graham (Snatch, Gangs of New York).



3. Where did this movie come from ? Was it a theatrical release? I stumbled upon this by accident. I thought it would be a stinker and I was right! Ryan P. has only played in two movies I have liked and that was "Way of the Gun" and "Cruel intentions." This movie tries too hard to be a weird psycological thriller. Which the only thing it does is dance around a cut close easy subject. The movie's payoff could have been explained in 30 min. Just like that movie Abandon. I hate movies like that, there aren't many David lynch's out there. Trust me, this isn't worth it after u watch this once in the garbage it goes. This isn't a deep thriller at all. The end is basically nothing surprising, nothing u couldn't write on ur own. The movie is loaded with flashbacks ! This and "The Jacket" are almost the same movie ! Only this throws a little violent twist in it . I am the king of psycological thrillers and this one is junk ! Probably why this is so far under the radiar !



4. This movie jumps around so much, everyone I know that has watched it has a different opinion of what the movie is even about. And with Ryan who could not love this movie!!



5. This is an amazing movie--The seller's price was great, the shipping was quick, and it was in great condition!

1 comments about 3-2-1 Penguins!: The Amazing Carnival of Complaining.

1. The 3, 2, 1 Penguins movies are by the same people who created Veggie Tales. They're high end animation with lots of rich colors, and three dimensional animation. The main characters are Jason and Michelle, who are twins, (she's five minutes older we found out in the first movie). They're staying at their Grandmother's because mom and dad have gone out of town.
   
   The penguins appear and take Jason in their space ship to a carnival in space run by uncle Blobb, who looks sort of like a big ugly frog. When anyone is unhappy with the carnival, uncle Blobb encourages them to complain, and it becomes a frenzy of negativity. It reminds me a little of the scene from Pinocchio where the children go to a carnival and are turned into donkeys. Uncle Blobb is using all this negativity to turn everyone into seeds of discontent that he then shoots to the planet so he can take it over. His real goal is real estate.
   
   Jason again is the level headed one in the bunch and convinces everyone to be grateful. This reverses the negative process, and everyone is saved. Uncle Blobb sneaks off by saying he has to use the port-a-potty, which turns out to be a space ship. But everyone has learned to be grateful.
   
   The movie has lots of humor, amazing animation, and a good moral. My children enjoy it, and so do I.

No comments about Great Hotels Season 1 - Episode 22: Disney's Grand Floridian - Orlando.

5 comments about Aelita - Queen of Mars.

1. Aelita is a film riddled with stories of uprisings, rebellions, and communism. What is interesting about this film is that it is seen from two worlds. Hailed as the first science fiction film from Russia, it depicts the social economy in Russia during 1924, and compares it to the Martian capitalist society that is watching from the Red Planet in the sky. A radio signal from an unknown source has been sent all over the world, and while some disregard this as just a innocent jumble of messages, Los, a individualist, yet jealous engineer thinks that it is a message from Mars. He begins work on a space craft that will ultimately take him to the uncharted planet, but also ruin his personal life. On Mars, The Queen, Aelita, has discovered that some of her scientists have created a telescope that can watch the planet Earth up close. Trying not to get caught, odd because she is Queen, she sneaks a peak through the telescope and sees our favorite murderer and engineer, Los. She immediately falls in love with him and even appears in one of his dreams. When he arrives to meet her on Mars, he discovers a world not unlike his own that he was trying to escape. Riddled with similarities, Los must fight for not only for Mother Russia, but for the surrounding red planet.
   
   For my first viewing of a silent film, I was unimpressed. I thought that it was going to show a short, simple story that would show me the techniques that Hollywood uses today. While I did see some of sci-fi's beginnings with this film, I felt that it stressed too much on the symbolic nature of these characters instead of developing a story. I will say this, the director is daring to make this film. It involves several character development, a hard task to tackle in the silent film era because it was hard to keep track of who was who. One aspect that I thought was interesting that lost itself in the translation to DVD was the music.
   
   This was a harsh film to watch. A little over two hours, it was too much silent film for me. I found myself getting angry at the music, and a headache because I couldn't follow which character was which. I also don't know much about the history of Russia during this time, so I had trouble following why these characters were acting in this style. What I did find interesting was the turn of events in this film. I really never saw them coming. I never thought that Aelita would be such a power hog. The director was again trying to make a statement about life in Russia, but it still made me stop and make sure I was capturing the moment correctly. Had some good psychological moments tied with some great characters that no doubt came from Russian literature.
   
   Overall, strong moments with a very weak plot made it a tough watch. I will have to give that it was a powerful film for a silent movie, but just not what I was hoping for or expecting. Check this movie out if you are a big sci-fi history buff. I think this is right in your corner, but for everyone else...I will continue to search for the best.
   
   Grade: ** out of *****



2. I've read the book by Alexey Tolstoy, but I have not seen the movie until today. You'd think that in the 20's they tried to be close to the original, but not in this case - the movie is quiet a bit different from the book. Warning: spoilers ahead! Where in the book most of the action happens on Mars, in the film our hero doesn't get to the red planet until into some time the second hour of the movie. In the book Aielita dies after taking poison, Los' tastes something bitter on her lips, but it's too late. In the movie Los' kills Aelita, and then realizes that the whole shebang was a dream.
   
   It's a good movie non-the less. The actors' play is wonderful, and many parts are funny.
   
   The DVD doesn't have any features - just an index with shortcuts to different parts of the movie.



3. This is not the early silent sci-fi film to start with (that would be Metropolis) or the first classic of Russian cinema (that would be Battleship Potemkin) though it predates both of them. The science fiction elements are okay but the ordinary plot elements and the Marxist commentary weigh it down and it becomes dull after a while. Then again you must remember special effects were in their infancy and also the Soviet regime basically required that all films produced include Communist rhetoric and that plenty of science fiction films with neither constraints are also obvious, plodding and over-rated (the Star Wars prequels perhaps?). Anyway, if you have time to kill and you are in a film course and want to impress the other students with an influential film no one will have heard then this might be of interest. Or if you can see parts of it as a camp classic (the scenes on Mars obviously influenced Sins of the Fleshapoids). Otherwise there are better places to start.



4. 
   After leaving the hall of cinema, I asked to myself how could this movie to surmount the ideological prejudices and brutal censure, if presumably didn't count with a kind overlook by part of adverse enemies of the regime. Because the whole contain of the underneath message was terribly mordacious.
   
   An engineer decides to design a spaceship to try to find in Mars the woman of his dreams. Until now everything s works; but when he arrives to the red planet he finds a Proletarian upraising. This film not only inspired the genial mind of Fritz Lang but since its release has been an portentous document in the history of cinema.
   
   This smart collection of elements: danger, humor and love were the primordial factors that could stand the inquisitive scrutiny of the Big Russian Brother; the iron fist ruler, and certainly the most bloody tyrant in the XX Century.



5. While Aelita is considered one of the first science fiction films, the story focuses on the daily lives of several people after the Russian Revolution and is more of a propaganda film of sorts. The story revolves around a young scientist Los (Nikolai Tsereteli) and his wife Natasha (Valentina Kuindzhi) who symbolizes the new Russia. Each works hard in their respective government jobs although Natasha appears to see more of the hunger, homelessness and fear in the aftermath of the war. The characters of Ehrlich (Pavel Pol) and Yelena (N. Tretyakova)are diametrically opposed to the main characters and characterize the old bourgeoisie Russia, clinging to wealth even if they have to steal it from the "common man". The "good communist", common man is represented by the Red Army soldier Gussev (Nikolai Batalov)who is recovering from his wounds in a local hospital making the most of things and often portrayed singing with a guitar in hand and a smile on his face.
   
   While Los seems happy in his life reconstructing Russia, he dreams of visiting Mars and has long been assembling plans for a spaceship. Through his daydreams the audience is introduced to life on Mars where the working class is enslaved by a monarchy ruled by the King of Mars, Tuskub(Konstantin Eggert). His Queen, Aelita(Yuliya Solntseva), is unhappy with him keeping secrets from her, the biggest of which is a new telescope that allows the King to view distant life. With the help of the energy guardian, Gor(Yuri Zavadsky), Aeilta gains access to the telescope and begins to fall in love with Los and his way of life.
   
   When Los receives a cryptic message at the station where he works, it forces him to move up his plans for space travel. As with most tales of alien expeditions, Los and his fellow travelers are in for more than they bargained for when they arrive on Mars. Aelita convinces Los and the others to help her in creating a slave uprising (perhaps the most propagandist element of the film in forming the Socialist Republics of Mars). But all is not as it seems and Aelita hides a secret that Los could never imagine.
   
   The sets and cinematography are cutting edge for their time as well as the mere idea of Mars travel. The only negative aspect of the film is that it seems somewhat disjointed at times and the cut scenes are more to what is happening rather than actual dialogue as in later silent films. Also, the musical score on the DVD is not as good as in some other films making it somewhat tedious to watch. Sifting through the communist components of the script may be difficult at times but Aelita is a must see for sci-fi film enthusiasts.

2 comments about Vol 2. Hawaii Zen: Meditation with Nature / WAVES Virtual Vacations + Vol 4. Californian Zen (Side 2).

1. This two sided DVD with both Hawaii and Californian Zen is a great bargain with double the amount of soothing video for the regular price of one DVD.
   
   The producer/distributor has indeed improved this series by removing all promotional audio. All you get is the soothing sound of the waves, wind and birds.
   
   I'm not sure if there's really that much difference between Hawaii Zen and Hawaii Waves. Both seemed to have great visual imagery. Check the links provided by the distributor to see which one you'll prefer.
   
   The only lacking footage on Hawaii Zen is the first "day" which shows a placid waterfront with rather boring greenery and rocks. It's really lacking in color and beauty and it's puzzling why they included it when the other "days" are clearly much better in quality. Other than that, however, no complaints. (Again, see links and promo photos provided by the DVD distributor to see what I mean.)
   
   I purchased this from the distributor (listed on the "Used/Like New" listing page) instead of Amazon and they were super fast with the delivery and their price was a little bit cheaper. Would probably buy from them again.



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2FIN9VL83OCBQ SEE for yourself --> VIDEO CLIP FROM DVD <-- CLICK HERE to watch.

5 comments about Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed [HD DVD].

1. Do not buy this if you use Xbox 360 HD DVD drive. It does not work. Amazon don't tell you this and are misleading buyers.



2. This is an excellent example of HD video. Crowe does a great job of narration. Very informative and interesting HD DVD on Austrailia. You need the 1.5 firmware if you have a Toshiba HD-XA2 player. Sound is OK nothing over the top. Crowe's voice comes through very clean through the center channel. A little long, but still very interesting title.



3. Fortunately, my Toshiba HD-A2 with the latest firmware 1.5 can play this disc without any problem. I really enjoy this wonderful documentary. The PQ is great except a few scenes particulary the lifeguard competition which has grainy scenes. Overall the PQ looks stunning.
   
   The only small problem is some of the extra features can't play properly with occasional freezing. If you're not into the extras then this will be a great disc. Highly recommended!



4. This is one of the best documentaries of a nation i have ever seen. You get a look at the many different ways Australians have adapted to and use their land. The footage is beautiful. It surely made me want to move to Australia.



5. Australia has always been of interest to me. I have known some Aussies and they've always struck me as being laid back and eager to have fun. This travel documentary narrated by Russell Crowe takes you into areas of Australia you didn't know existed and explores the land and its diversity of people. I was disappointed in this presentation in that it was heavy on the people, especially those Aborigines in the Outback and the rural sheep and cattle ranchers, and light on things I expected to see but didn't. I wanted to see more of the South Coast, the Mountains, and Tasmania. Too much time was spent on a Vietnamese commedian who immigrated after Saigon fell, and a young woman swimmer in an iron woman competition, and a young female rancher in the Outback. Even though the photography and editing were superb, the content was lacking and I was disappointed. This could have been a lot better.