Avalon

Advantages: Visually unique mix of art film and sci-fi movie - half Matrix half Eastern European masterpiece and yet better than most of either
Disadvantages: The dodgy aria that is sung throughout the film

...Something of an oddity by anime director Mamoru Oshii, Avalon is a live action film, written, produced and directed by the Japanese but filmed in Poland, in Polish with Poles in all roles. Hardly what you would expect from the director of the influential Ghost in the Shell and its sequel, but then again maybe it is. On the surface Avalon looks to be one of those movies influenced, like so many alongside it, by the matrix - but, frankly, it's nothing of the sort. Without going into details of plot (as of yet, anyway), one important point to make of the film is that it treats the unusual and the mundane everydayness of life with equal skill and respect. Both are rendered visually stunning; thus though, as will be somewhat revealed, though there is considerable story to be told there are also moments which are remarkably everyday...

No_name 09.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Avalon (Subtitled) (DVD)

'Ave A Lovely Stay At Avalon

Advantages: Beautifully clean rooms and a fantastic breakfast
Disadvantages: None

...***Background*** My hubby and I had decided it was time we got away for a little break together without the kids and as we have some good friends in Inverness, we thought it was also an ideal place to visit. The area up that way is beautiful and although I've visited before, it was somewhere that my hubby hadn't been so all that was needed was to find somewhere to stay, to make for a comfortable but reasonably priced base. Usually when I'm looking for a hotel or guesthouse, my first stop is lateroom.com because they have a good selection on their books and this is where I first found Avalon. To get a better idea of this guesthouse I visited their own website and found out that it was situated on the main road into Inverness from Fort William. As we were actually arriving via this road, we thought it was ideal especially being...

belfin 04.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Avalon Guest House, Inverness

A sunset over Avalon

Advantages: great listening
Disadvantages: none

...Van Morrison was born in 1945 George Ivan Morrison. In the early 60s he began his singing career. In 1966 he was the lead singer in a band called Them, He left them after a couple of years and began his solo career as a singer songwriter. His music is a rock rhythm and blues some jazz, with Celtic influence. Avalon sunset was produced in 1989 and the words of the songs show his religious beliefs.This music is restful and peaceful with its spiritual overtones a little melancholy. I am an atheist, do not believe in god, however find this music good and listen to it occasionally. In the first track Whenever god shines his light Van Morrison sings and is backed by sir Cliff Richards. Van has a growley, gravely voice and it contrasts with cliffs sweeter voice. This is an upbeat song with a gospel feel to it. I sit here listening to...

mumsymary 01.09.2005 (04.10.2005) · Read review
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Review of Avalon Sunset - Van Morrison

Today, Tomorrow Toyota

Advantages: Excellent Customer Services, Excellent aftersales
Disadvantages: Earlier dealerships didnt live up to expectations

...I visited various Toyota dealerships for a good 18 months before taking the plunge in 2005 and buying my Avensis. I found the various dealerships varied quite a lot in terms of customer services prior to a sale. Once the sale had been completed, the aftersalesare second to none. --Dealerships -- I visited dealerships throughout the Midlands in order to find my dream car, my findings are as follows :- Listers Toyota - Coventry This was the first dealer I visited. I was allowed to view the cars on the forecourt with no pressure from the salesman. The cars however were not presented in tip-top condition in my opinion. For example, car seats were left dirty, trim had not been tidied up, etc. When I got talking to the salesman he didnt appear that helpful, basically laughing me down when I told him what car I was looking...

craggybuk 07.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Toyota

Avalon Sutra

Advantages: Beautifully performed warm floating piano and perhaps the best packaging I have ever seen
Disadvantages: He's retired!

...Avalon Sutra is perhaps pianist and composer Harold Budd's masterwork. It is made up of two CDs, the first being Avalon Sutra itself, the second is a one-hour remix of As Long As I Can Hold My Breath, the final track on Avalon Sutra could sleep. It also boasts what is perhaps the most beautiful packaging of any CD that I've ever come across, being covered in the most glorious and luscious pictures of flowers that I've ever seen - and I'm not on an individual particularly enamoured of flowers. When I first unfolded the digipak, revealing the two CDs, emblazoned with elegant simplicity, I had high expectations for both disks though I had previously heard excerpts from Avalon Sutra. Were my expectations fulfilled? Without a doubt. As with all of Budd's work the music has a wonderful simplicity and yet is almost impossibly warm...

No_name 03.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Avalon Sutra/As Long As I Can - Harold Budd

Toyota Starlet GT

Advantages: Fuel Economy, Fast, Comfortable, reliable, head turning looks.
Disadvantages: Need an aftermarket fog light as these cars are imports.

...First of all i will begin my review of the Toyota Starlet GT by giving you a brief history of the vehicle. The first model of the Starlet GT (chassis code EP82) was produced in 1990 and continued on through until 1995 when production was ceased.The code given to the engine used was 4-EFTE. During the 5 years of manufacture the GT went through a slight cosmetic change from having square lamps at the front (pre <94 models) to having rounded headlights. I have been a member of a few starlet enthusiast clubs for a while now and this newer model ( post 94>) tends to be called a "quadlight model". Also the post 94> models had a revised tailgate from the pre <94 models, the difference being a reflective strip being removed from between the rear tail lights. I personally own a Toyota Starlet GT so i will be talking from my own experiences...

MarcMontgomery 12.09.2007 (13.09.2007) · Read review
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Review of Toyota Starlet

  The dealer in front is a Toyota!

Advantages: Friendly, professional, helpful
Disadvantages: A long way from home.

...was minimal, but had I been in my husbands MR2, I don?t think the car would have stood much chance of survival. On this basis, we decided to step up our search for a safer car. We found what we thought was our ideal car at Inchcape Toyota in Nottingham. We had to be sure that it was exactly what we wanted before driving there as it is quite a trek. <<<The telephone call>>> I phoned the company, and spoke to a salesperson, who told me they still had the vehicle I wanted, and gave me some information about it. The telephone was answered promptly, and courteously, which is obviously a good start. <<<Finding the place>>> Now, although I can get to Nottingham, I do have problems navigating my way around. No problem. When I got lost, the member of staff on the other end of the phone was very helpful, and directed us in. I should...

Testarossa 02.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Toyota

Today, Tomorrow, Toyota

Advantages: TR model has good specification, good fuel consumption
Disadvantages: Some may find styling a little dull

...I have owned my Toyota Avensis TR 2.2 D-4D for just over one year now and have covered around 25000 miles, having purchased an ex demonstrator model on an 08 plate in Nov 08 with just over 1500 miles on the clock. I commute quite a distance to work and use my car for business trips around twice a month and so my driving is mostly motorway or fast A road/dual carriage way driving, with little heavy town driving in my normal routine. When shopping for a car, I was quite broad minded in the kind of car I was looking for, yet remained disappointed in most of the major brands until I got to Toyota, the car that initially caught my eye was a very sporty Auris model. However the dealer in Lincoln also had a selection of elegant looking Avensis lined up in a row, all with low mileage and all seeming to offer a lot of car for the price...

helencbradshaw 06.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Toyota Avensis 2.2 D-4D Hatchback

Toyota Carina

Advantages: CONFORT
Disadvantages: NONE

...This is the most lovely car I have ever owned. It feels very solid when you are driving it. It had an executive feel about it. It had power steering. It handled the road very well. I found that people respect you on the road when you drive a bigger type car, than when you drive a smaller car. People really liked the look of my car as well. The Toyota Carina E is a very comfortable car to drive. It had electric windows, which had a control on all four sets of windows. Each window could also be controlled by the driver. The driver could also lock the control for opening / closing the windows, such that no one else can open or shut their windows with their respective window open / close buttons. I don't know what the manufacturers were thinking when they designed this into the windows. It can only be left to the imagination. The car had...

sasi1240 19.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Toyota Carina

Toyota Corolla Verso

Advantages: great
Disadvantages: none

..., and the seats all come out to give greater space for transporting furniture and bikes etc. There's lots of space for a pram as well as shopping. The car itself is really easy to drive. I'm not tall, and yet I've never had visibility problems and it handles well on corners and so on. Sometimes when travelling uphill on motorways it seems to lack power, but acceleration can be boosted by pressing a button and taking overdrive off - effectively dropping a gear. It's just had its first service, which revealed no problems at all and although its not exactly economical mine is an automatic and I chose this feature for ease of driving rather than economy. There have been no maintenance costs at all and I've never needed to top up oil or water etc. Toyota do a service plan which roughly works out at £300 for 3 years servicing. I pay by DD so its barely...

pixels91 23.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Toyota Corolla Verso