Van for the Money

Advantages: Tremendous fun that doesn't take itself seriously
Disadvantages: Shoddy CGI in places, more plot holes than a colander

...Gabriel Van Helsing is a Vatican-sponsored monster hunter sent to Transylvania to aid the Valerios family?s quest to destroy the evil Count Dracula. Once there, Van Helsing discovers Dracula?s nefarious plot to take over the world. The question is, can he save the world and get the girl when he has vampires, werewolves and Frankenstein?s monster to deal with too? Director Stephen Sommers brought us the hugely enjoyable ?Mummy? movies and here he plunders Universal Pictures? back-catalogue for a tale that incorporates all of the studio?s best-loved monsters. Sommers isn?t known for his subtlety and this film is no different. It is chock-full of big action set-pieces, dashing heroes and occasionally dodgy special effects. But it is a rollicking good Saturday matinee movie with enough thrills and spills to keep you cheering the heroes...

afy9mab 13.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Van Helsing (DVD)

VAN HELSH**

Advantages: Great theme tune and some good action sequences.
Disadvantages: Overuse of CGI, bad writing and a waste of money.

...I went to see Van Helsing the past weekend and I wasn't all that impressed. I mainly went to see the film because it looked good from the trailer and the fact that it was made by the director of one of my favourite films 'The Mummy'. It just shows you how important trailers are nowadays to the movie industry. Even a crap film with a good trailer can do well. For example Charlie Angels: Full Throttle, what a bad film, but it had an excellent trailer with that loud prodigy music blarring. Anyway back to Van Helsing. The movie opened in the U.S with about 50 something million dollars in total and will probably make a lot next week too. Though I'm not sure it will make it's £180 million budget back in America alone. This flick will have to take some hard earned cash from the worldwide box-offce. The Story Basically Van Helsing is...

ralfschumacher 12.05.2004 · Read review
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Review of Van Helsing (DVD)

Van-tastic

Advantages: Brilliant script writing that keeps the film flowing.
Disadvantages: Wish I had a personal assistant...

...Introduction - My friend Tim introduced to the film, he clearly had a misconception about what University (English version of College) would be like, turns out his false ideas all spawned from one film, Van Wilder: Part liaison. The film was released in 2002 as a comedy and was directed by Walt Beckers. The lead male role is played by Ryan Reynolds, an at the time fairly new actor who has since continued to play similar comedy based roles in films such as 'Just Friends'. Tara Reid plays the lead female role, best know for her performances in the American Pie films and Cruel Intentions. Plot - The film starts as it means to go on, we see Vance (Van) Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) standing with an old Chinese lady kneeling down in front of him, but we only see the top half of her head. Accompanying this rather suggestive scene are some...

B_O_M_B_A 25.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Van Wilder: Party Liaison (DVD)

The New York Odyssey

Advantages: great mix
Disadvantages: none

..."This is an adventure into that downtown New York City vibe" ~ Armand Van Helden For me Armand Van Helden is a dance music legend, as a child of the nineties I grew up listening to his house and techno classics. He is thee man. This the guy responsible for making Tori Amos "Professional Widow" and The Sneeker Pimps "Spin Spin Sugar" massive hits. As well as producing some damn fine house records himself such as "You Don't Know Me" and "The Funk Phenomena". His artist albums have never failed to impress; he always tries something new and inventive. As a DJ he is a master of the decks with all the tricks up his sleeve, he can mix everything thing from house and techno to hiphop and ragga. If he's playing at a club he's still sure to be the hottest ticket in town. Armand started DJ-ing at the age of 15, he spent a lot of his childhood...

x_helix_x 21.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of New York: A Mix Odyssey (Mixed By Armand Van Helden) - Various Artists

Van Wilder

Advantages: Some funny scenes, Ryan Reynolds plays his part well.
Disadvantages: Not really bringing anything new to the genre.

...Van Wilder: Party Liaison is a comedy film starring Ryan Reynolds and Tara Reid with Kal Penn and Daniel Cosgrove the most notable supporting cast. Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) has been at Coolidge College for seven years and has shown no intention of graduating. He is enjoying his time there and spends it partying, helping his fellow students and organising parties and fundraisers. Understandably, Van's father no longer wishes to pay for his 'education' and withdraws his funding. As Van is the big man on campus, the college paper journalist, Gwen (Tara Reid) is asked to write a paper on him and his exploits. This is such a success that she writes a follow up paper. Van attempts to romance Gwen but she is already involved with Richard (Daniel Cosgrove) so the two men start up a rivalry with one another which results in them playing...

dandadda 06.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Van Wilder: Party Liaison (DVD)

The Late Great Townes Van Zandt

Advantages: Archive footage, interviews, live performances
Disadvantages: None

...For anyone who has read my previous comment on the great Townes Van Zandt, or has heard and enjoyed his music, this DVD is a must see. If neither is applicable to you but you are interesting in an insight into the tragic workings of a genius, this is also a must. This is the an often heartbreaking, sometimes amusing, always fascinating account of the life and times of Townes Van Zandt: Texan troubadour, manic depressive, misunderstood drunk, lovelorn poet and close friend to a lucky and select few. Van Zandt has written countless classic songs of loss, hope and heartbreak including the hits Pancho and Lefty and If I Needed You and has been covered by countless artists from Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris and Bob Dylan, some of whom are interviewed here. As a biographical documentary, this is an engaging and lovingly crafted film...

Nixu1980 06.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Townes Van Zandt - Be Here To Love Me (DVD)

Van Halen- Definitive?

Advantages: Good quantity/ quality
Disadvantages: Confusing tracklist

...hits as Jump, Hot for Teacher, Panama, Ain't Talking Bout Love, Runnin with the Devil, The Cradle will Rock, and Eruption, the song that changed the face of guitar forever. David Lee Roth left the band in early 1985 and was replaced by former Montrose singer Sammy Hagar. Hagar ushered in a new sound and different approach, gone were basic guitar driven rock songs and in were complex musical arrangements utilising more keyboards. Hagar also wrote ballads allowing Van Halen to reach a broader audience and further Eddies guitar playing. The Hagar era dubbed "Van Hagar" is represented here by such songs as Dreams, Love Walks in, Top of the World, and Right Now. Each fan has their favourite Van Halen era but it is undoubted both included on this disc were equally as fruitful in terms of succsess. It is worth mentioning for continuity that...

Lukejones1 08.05.2008 · Read review
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Review of Best Of Van Halen, The - Van Halen

Van Zant all the way

Advantages: Great music and lyrics, vocals
Disadvantages: A couple of weaker links

......Introduction... For those of you who havent heard of Van Zant they are Donnie and Johnny Van Zant and are brothers of Ronnie Van Zant who was the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd before he tragically died in a plane crash while the band were on tour in 1977. Johnny became the vocalist of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987 and the two brothers have been recording as Van Zant since 1984. Johnny - Johnny is the younger of the two and is 49 years old, He is the singer of the duo and is the current singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Johnny is a very good singer who has the range to sing full on rock songs and slower country rock ballads. Donny - Donny is 52 years old and is the lead guitarist of Van Zant but he also shares some of the singing duties with his younger brother Johnny who is the lead singer. Donny is a very impressive guitarist...

jcneil 12.05.2008 · Read review
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Review of Get Right With The Man - Van Zant

RAW VAN MORRISON AT HIS BEST.

Advantages: Timeless classic.
Disadvantages: None.

...I have for many years been a fan of Van Morrison. For me, his music epitomizes the rawness of the sixties, and although he has made many albums since this one, I still believe this to be one of the best that Van Morrison ever created. This album, although something of an experimental one at the time, was the foundation of a career that would span decades, and as I listen to newer works by Van Morrison, the roots that he created with Astral Weeks still come out in the harmonies and mood of his present work, although of course, like with all good artists, his work has evolved into newness. One of the most impressive images that this album produces in my mind is how new and experimental the sixties were, and how artists were encouraged to be inventive, and not merely copiers of earlier styles. The sheer professionalism of this album...

thingywhatsit 13.06.2005 · Read review
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Review of Astral Weeks - Van Morrison

A model van .

Advantages: good model
Disadvantages: none

...When sorting out my dads possessions we discovered a couple of corgi model cars one was a model of a ford model T van with Lyons tea advertising on its side. Corgi is a Northampton firm that started making colorful pressed metal toys in 1930. In 1956 the first corgi model cars appeared. These cars are now collector's pieces. The corgi Lyons tea van that I found was made around 1985. It was made as a collector's model. These cars are not really made for young children but for those aged over 14. This model van measures 9cm long by 4cm wide it is 5 cm tall. This van is I believe a true copy of a Ford model T van. The Lyons tea van is made of a blue dye cast metal. On the side of the van are the Lyons name in gold and the company address in black. The roof of the van is white the radiator trim gold the wheels gold with black...

mumsymary 30.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Corgi Ford Model T Van Lyons Tea