The Ref

My Favorite Christmas Movie
Okay: if the "eff" word offends you, don't buy this video. However, if you grew up in a dysfunctional family in which your parents argued about absolutely anything while you were required to cheer, you'll love this comic holiday tale of a burglar who wanted simply to make his last heist and retire to the islands. Unfortunately, he's attacked by the dog Cannibal; his alcoholic partner deserts him; and he kidnaps a couple who resembles his own parents: two chronic arguers who would pick at each other at the very edge of doom. My mom was obsessed with certain Scandinavian traditions, and when the comedy cuts to a Swedish sit-down feast during which all participants wear garlands of candles and eat traditional Swedish food, I practically go into cardiac arrest. This is not only one of the funniest films ever made, but also it is an accurate portrayal of the nightmare which Christmas becomes for so many middle-class families. Dennis Leary, Kevin Spacey, and Judy...

My favorite Christmas movie
It's true. This is my favorite Christmas movie. Now, be warned, you have to be a fan of smart, talky movies (think of comedies from the thirties and forties). The uniting of Judy Davis, Denis Leary, and Kevin Spacey was inspired, and Christine Baranski and Glynis Johns (one of my favorite stars when I was a kid) provide extra pith to an already pith-laden production.

Now you know, of course, that whenever you get Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary in one film there's going to a lot of talking and a lot of ranting, and the rants are truly delicious, topped off with Spacey's line: "The corpse has the floor!"

Judy Davis more than holds her own with Spacey and Leary, and B. D. Wong is delightful as the overwhelmed psychotherapist. As everyone gets a number in a musical, everyone gets a rant in The Ref, reminding us again of why two people argue: because they're both right.

Give yourself a treat and don't wait for Christmas to watch this one.

The Ref: An Underappreciated Sleeper
If you're looking for an intelligent, witty, and biting comedy, you'll find exactly what you want with Ted Demme's THE REF. A first-rate cast (headed by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, multi-nominated Judy Davis, and a surprisingly full-rounded performance by Denis Leary) takes you into the lives of an unhappily married couple and their down-on-his-luck kidnapper on Christmas Eve in a wealthy suburban Connecticut town. Other invaluable cast members include Glynis Johns, Christine Baranski, Raymond J. Barry and a cameo by Broadway's B.D. Wong. In what must be considered a "black comedy", Spacey and Davis throw verbal knives at each other throughout the course of the film, all with an underlying knowledge of their love for each other. Be prepared to laugh out loud at a one-liner one minute, and to be touched and heartwarmed the next. I have watched this film over and over again, without ever failing to enjoy it from start to finish. PERSONAL NOTE: I remember Gene Siskel...

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The Count of Monte Cristo

Count on revenge, and then some.
After attending the release of "The Count of Monte Cristo," a friend made the remark that he believed the movie could benefit from additional fight sequences. Immediately my mind shot back to last year's "The Musketeer," also based (rather loosely, I might add) on another of Alexandre Dumas' famous classics. In that film, character development, story, and tone were sacrificed for the sake of creating yet another movie in which a choreographer of Chinese descent was allowed to make an impression on action aficionados by dazzling them with techniques reminiscent of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

What a relief that this latest adaptation of a Dumas novel strays from the usual clichés and redundancy of bringing a classic work of literature to the screen, coming out as a sturdy, well-guided costume drama that combines action, intensity, passion, and most importantly, revenge. With a script that keeps much of the novel's intricacies intact, a cast befitting of their roles, and...

Not the Story, but Enjoyable Nontheless
If you have never discovered the wonderful world of Alexandre Dumas, I urge you to run, not walk to the local library or bookstore and obtain a copy of "Le Comte de Monte Christo." I also recommend reading the unabridged version of this classic tale about a man who takes revenge on his enemies. One thing is certain: do not attempt to take the lazy way out by watching this adaptation of Dumas's novel. Two hours will never be enough time to adequately express the majestic beauty of this novel written by a phenomenal storyteller. Having said that, I enjoyed immensely this version of the story starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and Richard Harris. Period pieces are often fun to watch, and this one is no exception. With a few problematic exceptions, "The Count of Monte Christo" is an entertaining film.

The tale, if you are not familiar with it, focuses on a French sailor named Edmond Dantes. On a trading trip back to Marseilles, Dantes had the misfortune to stop at the island of Elba,...

A surprisingly fresh and superb adventure film
In this time of fire and explosion oriented blockbuster movies it is indeed refreshing to find a remake of a classic novel of the quality of The Count of Monte Cristo currently available. I happened to nonchalantly choose this film at the DVD outlet as a source of viewing background for an evening of desk work. WRONG! This superbly made film of the Dumas' novel is excellent and gripping on every level. The quality of the film, shot in Ireland and Malta, is visually stunning, the story remains true to the original, and the cast is outstanding. James Caviezel makes a star turn in the title role, aided by the always excellent Guy Pearce, the veteran Richard Harris, the here venomous James Frain, a fine and very different role for Luis Guzman, and the elegantly beautiful Dagmara Domincyzk. The movie is beautifully paced, the long prison scenes allow Caviezel and Harris to create tremendous rapport, and the age old theme of REVENGE has rarely been played out so well. This is a...

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Dinosaurs - The Complete First and Second Seasons

It's the dinosaurs, got to love them.
Finally, after all the years of tortuous waiting Dinosaurs has been released to DVD! This is truly an excellent and hilarious show that has won numerous awards over the years. For those of you who are interested, this is a list of the episodes included in this four disc set of DVD's which includes both season one and two.

Season 1 (1991)

1. The Mighty Megalosaurus (original air date 4/26/91)

This is the first, and one of the all time best episodes of Dinosaurs. Earl has a talk with his newborn son and tells him about the days preceding his hatching. As his tale progresses, he relates his hilarious attempt to attain a raise from his vindictive boss, B.P. Richfield, and the subsequent results. [Overall episode rating : 5 stars.]

2. The Mating Dance (original air date 5/3/91)

Fran, Earl's ever complaining wife, is becoming depressed due to all the work involved with caring for the new baby. As time progresses, Earl eventually...

A Show Before Its Time
Dinosaurs was a cutting edge comedy that was definitely before its time.

This cannot truly be considered animation nor a puppet show. Each character had two performers. The first was an actor in a dinosaur costume that did the visual. The second was a voice actor. This created a unique hybrid.

Add to this a writing team that was not afraid to make fun of itself. (Great scene - The family is watching Unsolved Mysteries when Robert Stack says, the next episode we will investigate why people watch this show when a much better show is on another network. --At that time Unsolved Mysteries was Dinosaur's competition.)

The show of course takes place during the Jurassic period and the dinosaurs rule the place like humans, while the humans are cavemen who are wild.

The first season was a summer show with five episodes. The second season was a full season with 24 episodes.

Let's hope that they release the last three seasons...

Funniest animation ever!!!
As others have said, this was a show ahead of its time. Its sometimes biting satire was extremely well done. But it wasn't always satirical. It displayed love, family values, the foibles of raising children and many other human emotions and societal situations.

I used to use episodes for my college level management course, especially the ones featuring the WESAYSO company (Earl's employer) and intereactions between Earl and his boss. Those situations were closer to the truth about corporate life than at least one of the previous reviewers can face.

The hurtling of Ethel (an amazing character) was a wonderful satire on what we do with our senior citizens in this culture.

Buy this 2 disc set and keep an eye out for the next editions. I am.

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Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Sixth Season

Welcome back, Grey's.
I've been a follower of this show since the very beginning, and it's definitely had its ups and downs. Seasons 4 and 5 weren't my favourites, but Season 6 was MUCH more like the Grey's I'd come to know and love. I actually cared about what was happening. Can't wait for next year!

Most Loved Medical Drama
Grey's Anatomy is NOT for the faint of heart. The characters get under your skin and become family. Watching them grow and evolve is like watching your own family grow and evolve. This season was incredible, and I highly recommend it to anyone interesting in some incredible storyline and great acting. Especially the finale... you won't be able to stop talking about it!

Good Season, Amazing Finale!
I have been watching Grey's since the beginning, and there are some awesome episodes. But nothing compares to the finale last season. It is one gripping two hours of television that you don't want to miss out on. The season overall is good, and has it's definite highlights; but nothing compares to the season 6 finale. Spoilers ahead...
The season starts with George's death, and later in the season Izzie leaves. It feels somewhat strange at first, but George was in so little of last season I honestly didn't notice his departure as much as Izzie's. We are introduced to some new doctors as the merger happens. They are probably the only thing I didn't like about this season, as I found most of the annoying, with the exception of Dr. Avery. Alex deals with the loss of Izzie and their impending divorce, Christina and Owen have a relationship hurdle to jump over, Callie and Arizona have a 'baby' of a problem, Derek becomes the new chief and all the hardships that come with that,...

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Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Third Season

Love the show, I'd get the third season on dvd
I'm disturbed to see how negative people are giving the reviews of season 3. Granted, they could have done more in depth with the relationships, but I think they have a purpose. I think they want the show to last as long as the contract they have with ABC and then some, but if everything were to go perfect, the show would get dull. I believe this season, the theme was that fairytales don't always have a happy-ending. That life isn't going to be perfect and things aren't going to work out just because you hope it does. There was a lot of miscommunication or not at all. Perhaps Season 4 will change things up a bit.

Don't look too much in the reviews, I love watching the show, whether if it's not to my wanting meredith/derek together. I love the chemistry between them, the storylines, and the cases they have. If you love the show, don't dismiss this just because of the negative reviews.

The nefarious Meredith Grey
*Possible spoilers within.*

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Last week, the season premiere of "C.S.I." trumped the premiere of "Grey's Anatomy"'s fourth season by a significant margin. That's because "Grey's Anatomy," a series which once shined so vibrantly, has been reduced to a dull glimmer. Throughout the series' first two seasons, it seemed incredible that a show could maintain such a level of greatness and be so addictive without going off the tracks every once in a while.

But come Season Three, the show did crash. Big time.

Truth be told, Season Three wasn't as bad as some will lead you to believe. The first half of the season was uniformly great. It wasn't until the midpoint, during an arc involving a ferry boat crash, that, ironically, the show crashed as well. In a painfully obvious attempt to garner higher ratings, the writers decided to have Meredith "die." Creator Shonda Rhimes is a big fan of Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire...

Not the best season
Warning! Spoilers!

I love Grey's Anatomy, I am completely addicted. I think Shonda Rhimes has created an amazing and enthralling show. But, this season I was not as drawn in as in the other two. I no longer raced to get home after class to watch the episodes; they just stayed on my Tivo for days.

All the characters were on a downward spiral. Relationships were stretched to what could be a point of no return. Characters became needier, more damaged. Some characters shined. I loved Addison's character even more. We all hated Addison at the beginning of the second season. But, we grew to love her for her fighting spirit and for being so honest. I also love Callie. She is such a feisty Latina. She is strong, willful and so damn vulnerable in the area of love. (George, how dare you!) As a Hispanic, I appreciate that she was not typecast as a poor struggling Hispanic trying to make it through school to prove she has "made it in America". Instead, she is, as we recently...

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