Martin Scorsese's Most Thrilling Movie Since "Goodfellas"

Advantages: Luminous lead performances supported by an excellent supporting cast
Disadvantages: None

..."The Departed" (2006) is a thrilling, totally riviting crime-drama, directed by the award-winning Martin Scorsese, delivering what is undoubtedly his most enthralling film since the masterpiece "Goodfellas" (1990). "The Departed" was based on the Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs" by Alan Mak and Felix Chong. William Monahan delivered the scorching screenplay, crackling with savage, brutal wit while producers of "The Departed" included Brad Pitt, Brad Grey and Graham King. With such a high calibre team behind the scenes, the impressive array of A list actors all deliver magnificent performances, complimenting the stark blend of unflinching violence, harrowing, psychological drama and exhilirating, rip-roaring action scenes. Young Billy Costigan (Leonardo Di Caprio) is a rookie, Boston-based cop. Billy grew up in a world surrounded by...

IanPhillips 07.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Departed (DVD)

FREE DVDs

Advantages: Free trial, large choice, post included,new realeases
Disadvantages: see review

...I like movies and I like freebies, so when you get offered both in one swoop you?re bound to accept! I used my two week free trial with this company and remained with them for a couple of monthsbefore moving on to try many other companies free trials (and winning a new DVD player on Tesco DVD rental site on their free trial offer). I then had an email from DVDs 365 asking me to go back, and offering me a free DVD if I did so. I had just left Tesco (with my new DVD player) so I chose to go back with them. ∆◊◊ THE SERVICE THEY OFFER ∆◊◊ Basically it?s like going to a video shop and hiring films on DVD, except you don?t pay for each film you chose ? rather a monthly fee for which you can watch as many movies as you can fit in, for us this is usually around 8 a month (2 a week usually weekends...

dabmim 15.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of dvds365.com

Martin Scorseses Gangs of New York

Advantages: Great story, great actors, great sets, great film
Disadvantages: Small plot holes, but nothing big

...Martin Scorsese?s Gang's of New York is tale set during the American civil war, and follows two gangs; the native New Yorker's lead by Bill "The Butcher" and the Irish immigrants originally lead by "Priest" Vallon. This violent story starts with a particularly brutal and gruesome fight scene, which sees young Amsterdam Vallon witness his father?s murder at the hands of the butcher. This sets up a slightly predictable, yet highly enjoyable story which will eventually see Amsterdam avenge his fathers death. Being just a child at the time of his fathers death Amsterdam is shipped back to Ireland where he is imprisoned for sixteen years. Upon his return the five points is an entirely different place to the home he left as a child. Bill the butcher rules the roost and has the authorities in his pocket. Amsterdam gains Bill?s trust...

markysay 26.01.2003 · Read review
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Review of Gangs Of New York (DVD)

Surprising Picture Quality - Panasonic DVD-S54

Advantages: Incredible picture quality when compared to my old non-upscaling player with a scart lead
Disadvantages: Sometimes disc drive can be really noisy when DVD's initially load.

...At first I wasn't convinced by up-scaling DVD player technology but was persuaded after reading an article in "What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision" magazine. Unable to afford a Blu-Ray player my sister and I bought the Panasonic DVD-S54 to match our parents brand new Panasonic TX-32LZD80 LCD television as their Christmas 2008 present. Admittedly it was a slightly selfish purchase as we both live at home and wanted to watch DVDs on the big new TV ourselves! We bought the player from the electrical retailer Comet for about £100 just before Christmas so there were no discounts applied. On Christmas day when opened we found a relatively small box tightly packed with the player in polystyrene packaging. All the components such as cables, remote and manuals were well presented in their own protective plastic bags, to keep them protected. The player...

bobbacon985 12.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Panasonic DVD-S54

Martine's Musicality Magic

Advantages: Great Musical Songs.
Disadvantages: Not as good as origanal artistes.

...Martine McCutcheon's Musicality CD Who is Martine McCutcheon? Born 14th May 1976 - Hackney London - Martine trained at Italia Conti Stage School and at 15 was picked to be in girl band Milan, the toured with East 17 in 1994. It was in January 1995 they she got her big break when she was cast as Tiffany Raymond in East Enders a long running soap on BBC1. She stayed with the soap and before long 'Tiff' was a household name. Her dramatic relationship with Grant Mitchell kept viewers avidly watching, but despite her success she decided to leave the soap for good and was killed off. Martine then went on to pursue her acting career and was a hit with her first single 'Perfect Moment'. In 2001 Martine took to the stage as Eliza Doolittle in My fair Lady. Most recently Martine most recently starred, as Hough grants love...

LIZKEMPO 01.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Musicality - Martine McCutcheon

"Desserts" by James Martin

Advantages: Good old fashioned puddings. Easy to read. Good Value
Disadvantages: Lacked the secret Pastry Chef tips I had hoped for.

..."Desserts" by James Martin is described as a 'fabulous collection of recipes from Sweet Baby James' the BBC2 TV Series. I think this book is a worthwhile purchase, particularly for those amongst us that share a sweet tooth. I adore puddings and so when I heard that James Martin was to create a TV series solely featuring puddings I was delighted. This book features the recipes from the series. It is divided into the following chapters: Introduction This sets the tone of the book as James uses the first three pages to explain the background to his love of puddings. As with many great cooks he acknowledges the influence his older relations had in giving him inspiration to cook. In particular he singles out a memory of his Gran "rubbing in" the pastry in a bowl balanced on her knees whilst watching Coronation Street. James has...

smilesarefree 18.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of James Martin - Desserts - James Martin

"oh God, I thought. Please , no, no more, please." Sue Martin

Advantages: A terrifying good read
Disadvantages: Would have liked the book to have carried on longer

... NO WAY HOME SUE MARTIN ?I have always said if you like Maths, get a job in a bank. If you like English???become a teacher or a journalist. If you like abusing kids?..get a job in a children?s Home.? Sue Martin ?No Way Home? I have just finished a wonderful little book, ?No Way Home? by Sue Martin. I don?t know if it is right for me to say that I ?enjoyed? it because of the subject matter, but the 272 pages flew past as I read it eagerly to see how Sue?s life progressed. This is an astonishing biography documenting the life of a young girl from when she was almost three in a children?s home up to the age of seventeen as she struggled to make a normal life for herself. I was absolutely appalled at times of some of the descriptions of her wretched life that I was gasping out loud. Sue was one of six...

oldchem 21.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of No Way Home - Sue Martin

Coombe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park

Advantages: Interesting
Disadvantages: Terrain, Cash only for many things once inside

...Coombe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park This has all the makings of a great family day out, but I will begin with negatives first. The overflow car park is in a hilly field opposite the attraction, on a busy drizzly rainy bank holiday day like the day we went, you might end up with a couple of issues trying to get your vehicle out if the weather turned into torrential rain. However there are quite a few helpful parking attendants, some driving diggers around. The attendants are however very organized in getting people parked, but you could end up a few hundred meters away from the attraction and on a grassy hill, so bare this in mind if you are coming with a pregnant wife, young children who need push chairs, or infirm elderly relative, and on a family bank holiday outing you might have all three. I am also afraid navigating...

llbcollins 02.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park

The Latin Legend Ricky Martin UNPLUGGED

Advantages: Amazing songs, real music, feels like you were at the recording, subtitles in different languages
Disadvantages: People who can't understand Spanish may find it difficult to understand what Ricky says

...Ricky Martin is THE legend of Latin music and in my opinion always will be! His MTV Unplugged DVD is by far the most entertaining and cultural music DVD ever made. I really enjoy watching it! It has a 'feel good' quality about it, and is also quite educational in learning about a different culture and the Spanish/Latin American language, which I think is truly beautiful. For some reason, I felt proud watching it... it really makes you reflect on your life though, because the songs are quite emotional (not to the point of crying though. Obviously I don't cry over a song! haha). Ricky's vocals are flawless and he has his own destinctive sound. There's no gimics or editing just the live sound of Ricky's voice and very talented instrument players who have obviously rehearsed and rehearsed until they reached perfection. This live recording...

super_reviewer 20.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Ricky Martin - MTV Unplugged (DVD)

Martin Strel - Slovenia's FAMOUS fish man

Advantages: Exciting, easy to read style
Disadvantages: I wanted to learn more about Martin

...' and not bother him. Maybe she's right; when Paul McCartney and she-whose-name-I-cannot-utter visited Ljubljana a few years back they were able to quietly enjoy many of the waterside cafes I regularly visit myself and while people recognised them, nobody pestered them for autographs and so on. But in February 2007 I was crossing the English Channel by ferry when I chanced to pick up a newspaper someone had discarded and this was how I became acquainted with the legend that is Martin Strel. The fifty-two year old pot-bellied Slovenian had just embarked upon his daring attempt to swim the length of the Amazon, a feat that had never before been successfully completed. The report told me that all of Slovenia was supporting this unlikely hero who had already completed major swimming achievements by swimming the length of the Danube...

fizzytom 30.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Man Who Swam the Amazon - Matthew Mohlke & Martin Strel