Inspiring story

Advantages: Heartwarming story
Disadvantages: none

...I recently watched an uplifting and feel good film on DVD called, Field of Dreams. It is a by Phil Alden Robinson film released in 1989. Field of Dreams is about an Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), who hears a voice speak to him whilst he is tending to his crops. The voice tells him "If you build it, he will come." Ray also has a vision of a baseball field and interprets this to mean that he should uproot one of his cornfields and build the field. Ray is shocked to see baseball player, Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta), and seven other Chicago White Sox players appear on the filed. All these players were banned from the 1919 World Series for allegedly throwing games. Ray seeks further guidance from reclusive author, Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), who he believes has further knowledge about the baseball field?s purpose. Ray...

mozzie76 27.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Field Of Dreams (DVD)

Love triangle

Advantages: Good acting from Michael Caine
Disadvantages: Slow-moving

...on a true story of three aboriginal girls abducted from their homes as part of Australian official policy, has won much recognition. The story Thomas Fowler is a journalist in 1950s Vietnam, where he combines having a young and beautiful mistress, Phuong, with doing as little work as possible. Threatened by his bosses in London, he starts to make a foray into a deeper understanding of Vietnamese politics by going to the most war-torn area of Vietnam at the time. Around the same time, he meets an American journalist, Alden Pyle, who saves Fowler's life at one point. The two men become quite close, until Fowler realises that Pyle is in love with Phuong. Eventually, Phuong realises that Fowler will never be able to divorce his Catholic wife back in the UK, and leaves him to set up home with Pyle. Then one day, Fowler realises that Pyle is not...

sunmeilan 09.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Quiet American (DVD)

Fear Attracts The Fearful

Advantages: Good acting, Good action
Disadvantages: Nothing new

...closed doors and in the air. All the while I was wondering what it would take for one president simply to pick up the phone and talk to the other president. Instead it's all done on counter measures and intelligence information. If this kind of thing really does go on like this then I'm sure the world will be eventually done for. The acting is good across the board. Affleck isn't the greatest actor in the world but he does have charm. He does well in this role although perhaps a more rugged actor would have suited Ryan better. Morgan Freeman is his usual commanding self while the likes of James Cromwell, Phillip Baker Hall and Liev Schreiber fill out the supporting roles. It's a cast of actors who can actually act rather than just be a face. Phillip Alden Robsinson handles the film well with good action and a good sense of tension...

utero 08.01.2003 · Read review
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Review of The Sum Of All Fears (DVD)

So Boring!

Advantages: Helps you fall asleep
Disadvantages: the whole film is a let down

...of the way through the film its just the little girl talking to the dolls heads. Its suppose to be a kids film but to be honest i think it would give kids bad ideas. The whole cast is: Jodelle Ferland ... Jeliza-Rose / Voices of Sateen Lips, Glitter Gal, Mustique and Baby Blonde Janet McTeer ... Dell Brendan Fletcher ... Dickens Jennifer Tilly ... Queen Gunhilda Jeff Bridges ... Noah Dylan Taylor ... Patrick Wendy Anderson ... Woman / Squirrel's Voice Sally Crooks ... Dell's Mother rest of cast listed alphabetically: Alden Adair ... Luke (uncredited) Harry Gilliam ... Jerry (uncredited) Kent Wolkowski ... Boy (uncredited) I would not recomend this film to anyone unless you want to watch the same person all the through....

sophies1703 09.03.2008 (10.03.2008) · Read review
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Review of Tideland (DVD)

27,000 nuclear weapons, 1 is missing

Advantages: Another good addition to the Jack Ryan series with amazing performances all round
Disadvantages: Possibly a bit too predictable

...the character more flaws which is the way i would think Tom Clancy portrayed a younger Jack Ryan. Morgan Freeman is again quality, you just know what you are going to get fmo the man. Anyone who has played the president and God is gonna know what hes doing! The evil Dressler is also amazing played by Alan Bates. TECHNICAL STUFF - Directed by Phil Alden Robinson Written by Tom Clancy Run time 123 minutes Bonus material .. 2x audio commentary with Director and Writer Making of Visual Effects Trailer OVERALL - The 4th instalment of the Jack Ryan series sees an exciting, ticking clock scenario with our hero aiming to stop a potential war and as performances and storylines go its very good. All the actors were perfect choices (including Affleck) for their individual roles and although based on the novel, the director takes...

Capodon 24.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Sum Of All Fears (DVD)

Be Very Afraid!

Advantages: Taut, tense, exciting thriller
Disadvantages: Suffers a little from an unscheduled change in the plot

...producing. But the producers and director Phil Alden Robinson (Sneakers, 1992; Field of Dreams; 1989) have made a good hand at making the movie relatively simple to follow. The plot is about terrorism, or more specifically about nuclear terrorism. An international group of disaffected right wing Nazis decide the time is ripe to trigger a war between the USA and Russia, hoping that they will be able to step into the political void it will create. (Some void!) They manage to get their hands on an old Israeli nuclear weapon that was lost in the desert in a plane crash during the Arab/Israeli war of the early 1970?s. A secret laboratory is set up in the Ukraine, and nuclear experts from the old Soviet Union are bribed and cajoled into making a new portable weapon using the plutonium from the old device. Their plan is to smuggle the weapon into...

the_mad_cabbie 28.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of The Sum Of All Fears (DVD)

The great second album from Wiredaisies....

Advantages: Great sound and instrumentals. Strong vocals. Unique sound.
Disadvantages: None

...Background: The Wiredaisies formed in Cornwall, UK in 2002. The band actually comprises 5 members (somewhat confusing when the album cover only has 4 people on it). The band started when Ol Beach (keyboards), joined Treana Morris (vocals/guitar), Alden Evans (guitar), and Steve Jackson (drums) after spending time in London recording and writing with Treana. Sometime later Rob Lucas (bass), joined the band to give them their now familiar 5 band members when performing live. Over a reasonably short period, (and just after recording their first album "Just another day" in 2004, which incidentally went straight to number 1 in the UK and French Itunes charts), Wiredaisies progressed quickly and supported and played with artists such as Air, Jamie Cullum, Alicia Keys, and even EMI label mate Robbie Williams. The band also supported...

APtobe 18.02.2008 (11.03.2008) · Read review
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Review of Wire Daisies - Wire Daisies

Hmmm I wonder why no Oscar

Advantages: Excellent film with wonderful perfomances
Disadvantages: may require some background knowledge of the Indochinese war

...able to marry her as he already has a wife back in England, who, being catholic, will not grant him a divorce. He meets a young American, Alden Pyle (played by Brendan Fraser). Foweler takes a shine to Pyle as unlike most americans, he is not brash and outspoken. Over time Pyle steals the affections of Phuong as he can offer her much more than Fowler can. This leaves Fowler bitter and alone. Fowler eventually discovers that Pyle is not all that he seems and he is left with a series of diffucult decisions, which, being the dramatic climax to the film, I am not going to spoil here. The story, being by Greene, is of course a classic. The perfomances are outstanding, Caine's being especially worthy of note, his portrayal of a man losing everything will stay with you for a long while; while Fraser gives his character the required depth...

MrWeeble 01.11.2005 · Read review
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Review of The Quiet American (DVD)

Bittersweet and Lovely

Advantages: beautifully pitched bittersweet excellence
Disadvantages: none... except possibly uma's character

...-ish figure, lampooning a certain kind of writer and trying to create a privileged woman turned on by a bit of rough. Occasionally it's funny; mostly she's a little tiresome, which is a shame. Naturally, in a film like this, there's also a different kind of unspoken character. Emmet Ray is given plenty of opportunities to showcase his formidable talent. Never having played the guitar, Penn had his work cut out for him learning the finger work for some 30 pieces. He was underscored by the expert playing of guitarist Howard Alden who helped combine the styles of various real virtuosos (including Reinhardt!) to create Emmet's unique flavour. Emmet's alternately frantic and lazy riffs spill out with deceptive ease and stitch the film together seamlessly. The music is the link between the documentary inserts and the dramatisation, the core of Emmet...

ruth_cole 03.12.2005 · Read review
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Review of Sweet And Lowdown (DVD)

'Field of dreams'..Favourite Movie of All-Time!

Advantages: Great Special Features, One of the all-time greats from Kevin Costner
Disadvantages: Spoilt on R2 DVD by poor Sound Quality

...it go on for hours and hours and you need to go get a couple of matches to keep your eyes open. For me Columbia Tristar have got it bang on!! Field of Dreams, aka, Shoeless Joe. 1989, US, 106 Minutes Stars: Kevin Costner (DragonFly, Bodyguard, For the Love of the Game & JFK). Amy Madigan (Uncle Buck, Pollock & A Time For Dancing). James Earl Jones (Coming to America, Clear & Present Danger, Soul Man & The Lion King, (Voice)). Ray Liotta (Cop Land, Good Fellas, Hannibal & The Last Shot) Burt Lancaster (Airport, GunFight at the OK Corral, The Unforgiven, Apache & Judgement at Nuremberg). Directed by; Phil Alden Robinson (Sneakers & Sum of all Fears) Music by; james Horner (77th Academy Awards, Troy, Windtalkers, A Beautiful Mind & The Perfect Storm). Availiable on R1 and R2 DVD; If you have...

alan74 11.03.2005 (12.03.2005) · Read review
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Review of Field Of Dreams (DVD)