BRAINY BABY - Baby IQ: Baby's First Words

Instantly Captivated
My 3 month old was introduced to this video for the first time earlier this week and it was an instant hit. I recently returned to work and my MIL who keeps my baby suggested we give him something to look at during the day when he started to get fussy and couldn't be talked/bounced/walked out of it. We didn't want to just turn on the regular TV, plus it's kinda high-up and we're not sure how far across the room he can clearly see at this age. I'd picked this DVD up while I was pregnant and totally forgot about it. Just so happened I stumbled across it the day after she suggested giving him some visual stimulation. We popped it in the laptop and my little one was instantly captivated by the music, vivid and colorful child-friendly images, and the action/animation. When he's fussy he's not always easily distracted/soothed so for this DVD to capture and quiet him so instantaneously was amazing. Honestly we enjoyed looking at it as much as he did. The background music is a great...

I could have made this
Both the Briany Baby IQ DVD's are not good. My baby loves Right Brain and Left Brain, so I ordered both of the IQ DVD's, hoping those would be a hit too. She won't even sit through 5 minutes of them. Not what I expected, I expected better. I wouldn't suggest buying. Even my older step daughters think they are freaky and will give her nightmares with the little puppets they use. It is really odd.

boring
Probably my fault but I didn't realize that this video was just music! Not good for my one year old! I wish I would have returned it! :(

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Bruno

and he doesn't look a thing like Borat
I have to see Bruno more than once, most people probably do too. That's because Bruno is one of those rare movies where you're laughing so hard at some parts you know you're missing the next funny thing. As gay, Austrian fashionista and celebrity-wannabe Bruno, Baron Cohen continues his jaw-droppingly crass and outrageous stealth comedy antics. Purportedly, Baron Cohen has been beaten up while in character, so it only seems fair that he makes his audience laugh hard enough to hurt.

Of course the usual Baron Cohen caveat is in order: yes, its offensive, yes, its gross, yes, there is a LOT of nudity, mostly male. If any of this is not your cup of tea, that's dandy, no hard feelings. If you don't mind the occasional sight of literally bouncing balls in the name of comedy, Bruno is pure gold.

Post Borat fame has probably necessitated that more of this movie be staged, with at least some of the people (a talk show host, the driver of an oncoming car) in on the...

Laughed so hard.... but not for the easily offended
This movie is *clearly* for those not easily offended. It is shocking and hysterical, but I don't think I could allow my parents to go see it.

Sasha Baron Cohen's latest creation, Bruno, makes his way to America to become uber-famous any way he can. And he goes through lots of different attempts on his way. Acting, interviewing celebrities, guesting on talk shows, becoming straight, he tries many methods, each with it's painfully funny result. You'll love the Paula Abdul interview, particularly.

The interactions with people are wonderful, and you will be appalled at what some parents will do to get their children into show business. Just stunning.

There are a lot of shocking/uncomfortable funny moments (be prepared for gratuitous male nudity), and I am no sure how they will hold up for repeated viewings, but in a crowded theater, it was a scream. The ending is worth the buildup, and stick around for the closing song.

I laughed so hard...

"I want to become the most famous Austrian superstar since Hitler!"-Bruno
After the movie Borat in 2006 Sacha Baron Cohen returned to the big screen in 2009 with another of his characters, gay Austrian (you read that right, it's not Australian) Bruno. 19 years old Bruno is known for hosting what is said to be the most famous German speaking television show outside of Germany "Funkyzeit mit Bruno", a show about fashion and for his flamboyant style. Bruno is doing well in the world of fashion but when he gets fired, his assistant leaves him and his lover dumps him he decides to leave for America in order to become famous by any means.When he comes to America Bruno tries a talent agency to get to stare in a big Hollywood movie and become famous, he unsuccessfully tries to starts a new television show, he does an interview, interviews people and he even tries to become straight amongst other things. He will do anything to get famous and is not ashamed of it which will end up in hilarious situations . Bruno to me was really funny, there were some moments were I...

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The Open Road

Movie was average, but the Blu couldn't sell me either
I am a big Jeff Bridges fan and appreciate everything he has done and such, but I didn't feel grabbed by this one at all. Not that there were horrible performances or bad film making, it just had a slew of little things peppered throughout that made me not give this the above average recommendation.

The story follows a minor league ball player (Timberlake) suffering a slump, who has to get his famous big league dad (Bridges) to make a final visit to his estranged and dying ex-wife. Through some poorly staged events, they have to make it a road trip together across several states (instead of flying) to make this union happen. The scenery is quite beautiful in some of the sequences, and it even upstages some of the sparse dialogue as the long-parted kin find a way to re-connect. Kate Mara is the tag-along friend who offers the love interest of Timberlake, but the chemistry never materializes in ways it should have.

The Blu quality is average to below average, with...

Family Dysfunction Hits The Pavement: A Pleasant, But Utterly By-The-Numbers, Road Trip Dramedy
As Jeff Bridges, to me, has always been one of the most underrated actors of his period--I'm glad to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves. His recent Oscar win for "Crazy Heart" is just a capper on his previous four nominations (The Last Picture Show, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Starman, and The Contender) which spanned nearly 40 years. Aside from "Picture Show," these films only hint at Bridges' range and I've always maintained that his best work often flew under the radar (Tucker: The Man And His Dream, The Fisher King, the incredible Oscar worthy Fearless, and dare I mention The Dude from The Big Lebowski) and were the true heights of his acting genius. It's only natural that Bridges has settled into somewhat of a comfort zone and "The Open Road" is a film he could do in his sleep. Playing a disheveled and obstinate man in a mid-life crisis has been Bridges' go-to role for several years now and it's on display again in this dysfunctional road trip dramedy...

Family Dysfunction Hits The Pavement: A Pleasant, But Utterly By-The-Numbers, Road Trip Dramedy
As Jeff Bridges, to me, has always been one of the most underrated actors of his period--I'm glad to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves. His recent Oscar win for "Crazy Heart" is just a capper on his previous four nominations (The Last Picture Show, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Starman, and The Contender) which spanned nearly 40 years. Aside from "Picture Show," these films only hint at Bridges' range and I've always maintained that his best work often flew under the radar (Tucker: The Man And His Dream, The Fisher King, the incredible Oscar worthy Fearless, and dare I mention The Dude from The Big Lebowski) and were the true heights of his acting genius. It's only natural that Bridges has settled into somewhat of a comfort zone and "The Open Road" is a film he could do in his sleep. Playing a disheveled and obstinate man in a mid-life crisis has been Bridges' go-to role for several years now and it's on display again in this dysfunctional road trip dramedy...

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The Good Men Project DVD

DVD is a wonderful intro to the book
I, along with several of my friends, have been able to both read the book and watch the DVD from The Good Men Project. The book is an incredile collection of essays that give men from all different walks of life the chance to tell their the story and, in so doing, let us all see that the problems that each of us have are so much the same. The DVD really drives this point home. Through the 10 stories in the DVD, we see different types of people with different problems- but facing them all with fierce honesty. This honesty allows me to connect with the men in the story and relate their issues to my own. It has helped me to begin this dialogue with my friends and become a proud member of this Good Men Project movement. I can think of no better gift to give to your father, your son, your husband, your co-worker, your friend. I believed this jsut based on the content of the DVD and book, but then when you find out that the proceeds of the book are all being donated to charity to help...

Men do need to tell their own stories!
I first read the book and found it to be affirming, sad and wonderful all at the same time. Some of the essays were hard to read, through my tears. Then I saw the video at the Boston opening, held at the Institute of Contemporary Art. The energy in that room, the appreciation of the men involved for each other and their willingness to share the full range of their emotions were inspirational. The message I take from The Good Men Project - a message that I also proclaim through Parents Forum, the parenting education program I founded and run - is that as individuals and communities we have to do a different, better job at raising our boys.

Emotional awareness is certainly something that we are born with, but it seems too often to be drained, or beaten, out of our young men. Just as the men's stories in the book are grouped under the headings of fathers, sons, husbands and workers, women need to listen as daughters, mothers, wives -and workers- to the stories men tell...

Rarely discussed but universal struggles
The powerful stories in Good Men Project depict men at transition points struggling to be a good man. A husband bringing his wife home to hospice. A father confronting his son's autism. A brother grappling with his sister's suicide. A son foregoing the generations-old family business. Moments of emotion recollected in tranquility, the essays illuminate challenges all men face but rarely discuss. I found many stories so compelling that I wanted to know more about the authors - here is where the DVD excels. Seeing these transformative stories onscreen after reading the book added nuance and depth to the collection. Men do indeed have stories to tell about trying to be a good man and this DVD and book approach the topic with grace and courage.

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My Effortless Brilliance

Effortless? Perhaps. Brilliant? Not Exactly. An Enjoyable, But Very Slight, Indie Improv
I can honestly say that Lynn Shelton's "Humpday" is one of the most undervalued films I've seen in a while. I know it has its detractors, but I felt it was a spot-on comedy of awkwardness and bluster featuring three terrific lead performances! So checking out the director's other work was a no-brainer. Shelton's micro indie "My Effortless Brilliance" fits comfortably in the same wheelhouse but it is evident that the film is a precursor to the more accomplished "Humpday." Still an enjoyable excursion into improv drama, "My Effortless Brilliance" may suffer from being too slight. It's pleasant without being memorable. If you're fans of this genre (and if you don't readily identify what this genre is--you probably aren't), I'd definitely recommend the film. If you're just discovering it, however, try "Humpday" or a Duplass brothers' film and then revisit this one.

The story, what there is of one, is really secondary to the actors riffing off one another. A...

The Cougar in the Room
A super-realistic and believable slice of life somewhat akin to 'Old Joy' (is Shelton engaged in some sort of mimetic rivalry with Reichardt?) but for me more likable than that fine film--one which left me feeling a little like Socrates who preferred the Polis to the forest 'because trees don't talk.'

Also Director Shelton is clearly more interested in Male Psychology in itself and the ways in which a nature-setting might bring out character particularities, rather than nature as stark elemental contrast to the human tragi-comedy as Reichardt would seem to have it.

The film begins as a minor, rather voyeuristic, character study of the main character--a zeitgeisty fiction writer who became a literary sensation with his first work 'My Effortless Brilliance' and is now--years later--in the throes of another (actually third) book. But very soon we move from this cloistered world to the great outdoors--hardly a realm within our writer's comfort zone.

You...



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Franklyn

Frank Miller Meets The Dark Knight Meets Brazil
Once in a blue moon, a film comes along that defies genre identification ...and so goes FRANKLYN, a movie that transcends anything you think you've ever seen. A hybrid in terms of style, Franklyn might best be described as Frank Miller (the artist) meets The Dark Knight (Batman) in Brazil (the movie). I say this because none of these items alone help explain the convoluted-ness that is this story, and none should. It goes beyond them. Way beyond them.

Visually appealing on almost every level, Franklyn has two divergent stories that seem to have nothing to do with each other. In one we're privy to a kind of superhero trying to avenge the death of a young girl whom we know nothing about. He chases after "The Individual" in a city known as Meanwhile. Looking, as stated earlier, somewhere along the lines of a Frank Miller graphic mixed...

Unique film, very good Blu
One of those films where even as the credits roll, you almost want to say WTF just happened mixed with knowing you just watched a great little movie.

Story descriptions that I have read here and elsewhere can confuse more often than help, but a quick summary could include two "parallel" worlds in London converging over the course of the story, culminating in a final climactic event that ties all of the stories (real and imagined) together. Meanwhile, the visuals and sounds are conveyed eloquently and with outstanding Blu clarity. The picture is tested in every single Meanwhile City panoramic, and each time I would pause it to look for flaws and holes - but couldn't really find any. There are very few scenes with bright colors, but when they show up the saturation/contrast is just right. The DTS was ideal. Reference the scene with Ryan's character surrounding the snake guy, or any of the off-camera sounds being moved around the channels perfectly (answering machine shots,...

Interesting film. Certainly worth the sale rental.
Interesting film. Certainly worth the sale rental. Worth a watch if for nothing else than the interesting and somewhat unique settings. I'll be heavily recommending this to a few friends very into The City of Lost Children and Donnie Darko.

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The Line

give this film a chance, seriously
I've read the other reviews and while I agree with many of their points I do wonder if maybe I saw a different film from the one that the reviewers are describing? For the new viewers who have yet to decide whether or not to try this one I would strongly suggest that they do so, and with these observations - first, I saw a film about family, several families actually and all dysfunctional yes, but about Family, blood ties, betrayal in one family, tragedy and loss in others. The use of Mexican/US drug wars as a catalyst may have caused some viewers to think that this is a routine gritty crime movie but the writer(s) wanted something epic, life and death, which these ravaging drug wars are, to put the bigger theme of Family into high relief.

As to the casting, I appreciate it whenever actors challenge what they've already done twenty times, so I rather liked the choice that Andy Garcia made in particular, I do not think he was wasted at all. Liotta played his assassin's part...

Michael Mann light?
La Linea or 'The Line' is a film starring Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, and Esai Morales and a powerful setting in Mexico.

The plot revolves around the current climate in Mexico regarding the drug cartels and the infrastructure
that lies within them, however unlike the Italian Mafia they're not as romantic nor interesting and this film certainly does not help. Ray Liotta stars as Mark Shields as an assassin spear headed by a United States private agency to eliminate Pelon played by a surprising Esai Morales who is trying to prove himself as the newly selected boss to the dying former if you will don Javier Salazar played by Andy Garcia, while Salazars son Diablo played by Jordi Vilasuso is trying to vie for power. The film goes through the usual developments that you would expect in an film that is equal parts 'Traffic' and 'Man on Fire' although not nearly as good. The direction by James Cotton is very Michael Mann in it's style however I commend him for making the film...

Over dramatic, a poor Blu, but still slightly worth the time
Not a reference Blu in any category, but some of the popular local favorites are in this with some meaty roles including Liotta and Trejo. Without a doubt a prolific cast overall, with Andy Garcia, Armand Assante, Bruce Davison, Valerie Cruz and others.

The story tries to follow various lines of people whose lives intersect (directly and indirectly) this cartel operating out of Tijuana. We have hired hit men, an ailing godfather, CIA/DEA guys running their ops against the bad guys, internal cartel strife and Afghanistan farmers trying to sell their product into the US. Sounds like a lot and it is, almost too much in the 95 minutes they gave this. Ray Liotta was great but he only gets some of the screen time. Trejo gets more speaking time than normal in his films so I enjoyed that (he gets to do his usual of shooting guns, torture and looking awesomely bad). The subplots abound, and each one gets bookended with the same aerial shots of the city - both day and night - that...

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