Advantages: Good characters including the cars.
Disadvantages: Poor plot.

...The casting and all the billing / publicity surrounding this film will lead you to believe that it is a powerful, all action film with a fantastic story line. Unfortunately the film does not live up to this and quite frankly some of the plot is quite thin and quickly brushed over. For those buffs who want to see some of the fastest cars around the film does not disappoint. Nicholas Cage is once again superb as are his supporting cast but, if you expected a more thought provoking film this is not the one to watch. The film aims to be glossy, sexy and racy, with the splattering of sexy women and famous actors - in summary aimed at FHM / Maxim magazine readers.... Read review

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Advantages: Intimate insight into charismatic classical violinist
Disadvantages: Appalling accompanying production package from EMI

...that have sprung up in the past few years which profess to be a "portrait" of the artist in question. Almost inevitably produced by their record company, it more often than not just turns out to be a slick piece of meaningless PR schtick, serving primarily as an expensive promo for their upcoming recordings and leaving the genuine fan or classical music enthusiast disappointed and longing for something more substantial and full of insight. So it was with some trepidation that I saw EMI had brought out a new DVD portrait of the Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov - who is arguably one of the finest players on the concert circuit today. He's one of my favourite fiddlers, so I decided I really had to buy the DVD. Maxim Vengerov - violinist: There are a couple of good sites giving detailed information about Maxim's career to date, along with his... Read review

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Advantages: Good jokes, hot women and a bit to read
Disadvantages: Too many adverts

.... These are tackled very light heartedly and should not really be taken as good or sound advice! Quite often readers are asked to contribute to various surveys, the results of which are printed in later editions. These surveys are very tongue in cheek and range from the best lager to the sexiest models. I have already mentioned briefly about the "ladies" section and although this is mainly "drooling" fodder, the selected model is interviewed (albeit by male journalists that have spent too much of their time watching carry on films and learning the art of innuendo) and usually you can at least find out thier favourite sexual position, what they like to do with ice cream and who is thier ideal man (actually that's normally all you find out!) Newly released albums, videos, DVD's and films are also given the Maxim treatment and receive a summarised... Read review

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Advantages: Interesting articles / Great Photos
Disadvantages: Too many adverts !!

...It's been a whilst since anyone has reviewed the popular men's publication, "Maxim", so I thought I'd give an up-to-date look at what is on offer. 1. CONTENT I am actually a long time subscriber to Maxim, and always know as soon as it has arrived by the loud "THUD" on the doormat. The latest issue (Mar 2004) has a staggering 192 Pages. This sounds impressive, but lets take a look at what you actually get... Full page advertisements - 59 pages (31 %) Full size photo's - 50 pages (26 %) Fasion pages - 25 pages (13 %) Articles - 23 pages (12 %) Humor - 16 pages (8 %) Interviews - 15 pages (8 %) Reviews - 15 pages (8 %) Health - 8 pages (4 %) Magazine Info - 7 pages (4 %) Food & Drink - 4 pages (2 %) Sport - 4 pages (2 %) Travel - 3 pages (2 %) Jokes / Letters - 3 pages (2 %) Gadgets - 2 pages (1 %) Competitions - 1 page (1 %) Eagle eyed... Read review

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Advantages: They Have Their Advantages
Disadvantages: They Are Pretty Rubbish

...bottle idea. So thats why I like the free DVD and CDs. Now we are getting to the useful stuff. 2. Free bets - Sign up to most betting websites and they will give you a free bet! Now play you cards right and we are talking easy money! Now thats what I am talking about. On to my proudest freebie achievement... 1. Maxim DVDs - Online there is a wonderous offer, in which you can order 3 issues of Maxim and get a Free DVD for the price of 1p. I'll let you recover for a moment. Now this on its own was pretty mediocre, I didn't really read the magazine, but hey for 1p, what the hell? So anywho, I got my 3 issues and DVD, cancelled my subsciption. End of story?, NO! I then watched the DVD and found it to be complete rubbish! Entitles Maxim Bikini Uncovered! So I put it on eBay. It went for £1.41, making my money back and bit more... Read review

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Advantages: Better than GQ and Arena
Disadvantages: Change in Editorial Team, poor quality articles in comparison to last year.

...As a subscriber to Maxim, I have been sorely downheartened to see the quality of this once great magazine deteriorate. When Maxim launched full frontal onto our news stands, it gave us hope, that not all men's magazines would be adverts and cars. It was the shining light that resurrected our senses. It enabled us to laugh, at ourselves and others, it made us realise that life is fun, who could forget the stories of the Lush on Tour? What has happened to this once great magazine, I hear you ask? Pure and simple, a new editorial team who have forgotten what Maxim is all about! The quality of the Editorials have diminished into inane drivel. The mag is now a cornucopia of advertisments, which has completely changed the style of the mag. Where are the articles on Beer, Sex, Ladies and Skittles, which proudly adorn the front covers of every... Read review

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Advantages: excellent story
Disadvantages: acting a bit stiff in places

...'d left it the night she died. The housekeeper was devoted to the first Mrs de Winter and sets about making the timid new bride's life as uncomfortable as possible, pointing out all her flaws and making her see just what a failure she looks next to a woman as beautiful, talented and respected as Rebecca. How could Maxim possibly love her, when everybody knows he's still in love with Rebecca? Just as life seems hopeless for her, a shipwreck changes all their lives forever... The acting is not always fantastic in this film, but that's easy to forgive because they more than make up for it later. Judith Anderson is fantastically creepy as the obsessed housekeeper. The story is a classic but even when you know the ending you still find yourself surprised at the twists. The DVD comes with quite a few extras. There are some short documentary things... Read review

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Advantages: A Hitchcock classic.
Disadvantages: A little wooden.

...***INTRO*** My DVD video of the Hitchcock's classical adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's celebrated novel REBECCA came free with the Times, because of this you don't get much more than the film, there is some advise on what to expect from the Times in this section in the future. The film directed by Hitchcock was named the Best Picture in the 1940s by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It was brought to use by ABC Motion Pictures Inc. The film is rated PG parental guidance fit for viewing by persons generally. Some of the scenes may be unsuitable for young children. ***THE STORY*** The story adapted by Philip MacDonald & Michael Hogan includes the cast of: Lawrence Olivier: George Fortescu Maximillian (Maxim de Winter). Joan Fontaine: The second Mis.de Winter. George Sanders: Jack Favell. Whilst on holiday in Monte... Read review

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Advantages: Good articles from home and abroad and naked celebs
Disadvantages: Too much flesh not enough articles

...This is a magazine that sits itself in the main stream of gentlemen’s magazines. You have loaded which is for genuine lads at one end and GQ at the other for the people with money who want to be lads. Then in the middle ground you have Maxim and FHM, which is where I think my tastes lie. I think that FHM and Maxim are the best out the magazines currently available, but Maxim just wins by a neck. The magazine is aimed at the 20 to 30ish lad about town with some money to burn who believes he has his own style. I don’t fit into this description, but I read the magazine anyway because it has the right balance of serious articles, naked or semi-naked women and the fun stuff. The problem is that the amount of naked flesh per issue has been increasing and the amount of the articles (which believe it or believe it not I do by the magazine... Read review

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Advantages: Close to the original story, tense atmosphere
Disadvantages: Joan Fontaine's acting a little false at times

...in the way that Mrs de Winter saw her. George Sanders played his role with just the right amount of smooth nastiness. Brilliant. Also worth noting, is Nigel Bruce, who plays the husband of Maxim's sister, Beatrice - Nigel Bruce is best known for playing Watson alongside Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes. Technical bits I watched the film version of this film only (free with a newspaper), and so can't comment on any features on the DVD. The classification is PG and the film is, of course, in black and white, having been made in 1940. Region 2 encoding. Conclusion On the whole, I thought the film was fantastic; best of all it stuck very close to the original book, with a few exceptions, which I think was a good decision. The atmosphere was built up beautifully until the final climax. The acting, on the whole, was outstanding, with perhaps... Read review

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