Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 08/31/2009 Run time: 98 minutes Rating: Pg

Like The Gumball Rally (1976) before it, former stuntman Hal Needham’s The Cannonball Run was inspired by the same real-life cross-country road race. If The Gumball Rally was the critical favorite, The Cannonball Run was the box-office favorite (spawning the almost-as-successful sequel, Cannonball Run II, a few years later). Aside from top-billed stars Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise (stars of Needham’s Smokey and the Bandit series) plus Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. (as horny priests), the movie features many of the same actors (Bert Convy, Jamie Farr) that could be found on a typical ’80s episode of The Love Boat (along with the same caliber of writing). But as the tagline notes, “You’ll never guess who wins”–and it’s true. As in most road-race movies, it’s the journey that counts, not the destination. This particular journey includes cool cars (like Adrienne Barbeau’s black Lamborghini), crazed bikers (led by Peter “Easy Rider” Fonda), hot martial arts action (from Jackie Chan as a Japanese racecar driver), a conspicuously braless Farrah Fawcett (recipient of a Golden Raspberry nomination for her performance), and possibly the most egregious use of product placement featured in a movie up until that time (one vehicle has “GMC Trucks” noted prominently along the top of the windshield, another has “Hawaiian Tropic” painted on the hood). As with many of the films Jackie Chan has made for Golden Harvest, the Hong Kong-based production company behind The Cannonball Run, wacky outtakes are included during the closing credits. –Kathleen C. Fennessy

This is a crazy movie and was perfect back in the early ’80s. We watched it many times back in the day and had lots of laughs. Done in the style of Smokey and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds was in both) this film has a ton of stars in the role of speed junkies that will stop at nothing to win a non-stop cross-country race. It’s all in the spirit of fun and good times. I hadn’t seen this movie for decades and it was a real joy to view again. It looks good on my HDTV, and I had forgotten many of the classic, funny scenes. I really enjoyed this trip down memory lane and seeing actors like Dom DeLuise (who unfortunately died in 2009) acting their best. The outtakes at the end of the movie are priceless. You’ll want to watch this movie more than once to catch all the fast paced comedy.

Related Products

• Cannonball Run 2
• Smokey and the Bandit – Special Edition
• The Gumball Rally / Cannonball Run II
• Smokey and the Bandit II
• Smokey and the Bandit: Pursuit Pack

Where to buy cheap prices? -Cannonball Run $3.12



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 08, 2010 05:50:43

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Movie DVD

Everybody Loves Raymond has always been a show about a dysfunctional family that somehow manages to pull it together when it matters. Rather than growing tired in its sixth season, the sitcom manages to entertain viewers as it delves into the characters’ often unpleasant characteristics: Raymond’s (Ray Romano) spinelessness when it comes to his mother; Debra’s (Patricia Heaton) simmering anger with her interfering mother-in-law; Marie’s (Doris Roberts) insulting backhanded compliments, Frank’s (Peter Boyle) chauvinistic treatment of his wife, and Robert’s (Brad Garrett) increasing jealousy where Raymond is concerned. The season’s opening episode sets the tone for the year’s 25 episodes. At a school function, Michael (Sullivan Sweeten) reads his story to a rapt audience that includes his mom and dad, grandparents, and uncle. The story is called “The Angry Family.” As the little boy talks about the extreme decibel level in the fictional home, the Barones turn beet red. It’s a story about them, they think, and they’re horrified and embarrassed. Robert can’t get beyond the fact that he wasn’t included at all in the child’s project. (They later learn that a cartoon was the inspiration for Michael’s boisterous storybook family.)

The show works at its best when combining pathos with humor. Unsatisfied with their sex life, Raymond complains to his wife, “So you can stay up to read, but you can’t stay up two minutes for sex?” Debra, who can be so outspoken, is unable to express her sexual desires to her husband. Ray finally breaks the ice by asking, “Are you going to tell me what you want?” Debra purrs back, “I want you to help me with the laundry.” Raymond is not above putting his needs above his wife’s. When Debra decides to run for school president, he sabotages her chances so he won’t have to stay home alone with the kids. With his hangdog features and dry delivery, Romano (Ice Age) does an admirable job as Ray–a grown man who longs for the simplicities of his childhood when his mother took care of everything. Of course, that affection comes with a price. “I don’t want you in the middle,” she tells him during a family spat. “I want you on my side.” Unlike the perfect families depicted on The Cosby Show or The Brady Bunch, the Barones are flawed. They bicker, simmer, and stew. But most importantly, they laugh. –Jae-Ha Kim

This is without a doubt one of the funniest shows on TV. Each character is so distinct and will probably remind you of somebody in your own family. Unlike most sitcoms, which seem to take really unrealistic characters and throw them into unrealistic situations, Raymond works taking a normal situation and exaggerating it to show the humor. I pull these DVDs out whenever I need a laugh. They’re well worth the cost.

Where to buy cheap prices? -Everybody Loves Raymond – The Complete Sixth Season $15.00



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 03, 2010 10:06:54

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CONTINUING THE STORYLINE OF ‘THE GATHERING STORM’, THIS IS A LOOK AT THE FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’S LIFE AND CAREER AT THE END OF WWII.

Into the Storm follows British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Brendan Gleeson, 28 Days Later) as he launches ferociously into World War II. The movie’s greatest strength comes from a shifting back and forth in time, portraying Churchill’s post-war life as well, when the very qualities that made him so effective as a military leader threaten both his career and his marriage. Anyone seeking a detailed analysis of the war will be disappointed; Into the Storm skips through history, less interested in the ebb and flow of combat than the weighing of decisions and the composition of speeches. Although this may sound uncinematic, Gleeson does a remarkable job articulating Churchill’s creative thoughts as he walks to and fro in his bedclothes, mulling over the right phrase to sustain his country’s morale, or facing FDR and Stalin across a table, working to shape an effective alliance. Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) is even better as Clementine Churchill, a woman who never sought the political life yet strove to support her belligerent, passionate husband as best she could. Written by Hugh Whitemore (author of Breaking the Code and The Gathering Storm, to which this is a sort of sequel), Into the Storm is a complex, well-rounded portrait, capturing how courage and indomitability can, in peacetime, turn brutish and bullying. –Bret Fetzer

Stills from Into the Storm (click for larger image)

An excellent HBO production on the life of Churchill during the war years following up on their terrific film, THE GATHERING STORM, leading up to the war years. I didn’t think Gleeson was quite as outstanding as Albert Finney in GATHERING STORM or McTeer as Redgrave but they both gave excellent performances. There is no question that Churchill, warts and all, is one of the most fascinating men in modern history. In the GATHERING STORM we learn of Churchill’s sense of destiny for his life. In this film we see why he may have indeed been destined for ’such a time as this’. The circumstances are overwhelming for Britain. The future of the country and the empire are literally on the line. The film begins with the very early stages of the war in 1940 and quickly flashes forward to 1945 with Churchill and family vacationing in France by the ocean, waiting for the results of the election for prime minister. These flashbacks and flash forwards are both the strength and weakness of the film. They show us the ‘before’ and ‘after’ Churchill but often make it a little confusing at first until you understand what’s going on. It also helps to have some knowledge about Churchill and WWII as the scenes are usually fairly short and don’t give a lot of context. What you do you get is some very interesting insights into the mind of Churchill in the various war situations. For example, when deciding whether to bomb Dresden, his military advisers are concerned about civilian casualties but Churchill shows no concern for civilians and we learn shortly after the decision that 58,000 civilians are killed and 200,000 lose their occupations due to the destruction of war factories. We learn that he has loved military strategy from a young child and people question whether this might just another ‘game’ for him. His relationship with ‘Clemmy’ is also a fascinating one. She is a strong person in her own right and without her, it is doubtful Churchill would have fulfilled his ‘destiny’ in the way he did. A highly entertaining and informative HBO film.

Where to buy cheap prices? -Into the Storm $10.19



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 30, 2009 18:40:50

Samsung Home Theater Systems TS Hdtv Reviews

JOIN CARRIE, SAMANTHA, CHARLOTTE & MIRANDA AS THEY EXPLORE DAY-TO-DAY & NIGHT-TO-NIGHT WORLD OF SINGLE WOMEN.

The third season was the charm for one of HBO’s gold standard series, which earned its first Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series to go along with its Golden Globes for Best Comedy Series and Best Actress (Sarah Jessica Parker). The writing is as sharp as ever, with more trendy product placement than a Bret Easton Ellis novel and ribald banter that’s a cross between the Algonquin Round Table and the Friars Club. One of this season’s two principal story arcs concerned hapless-in-love Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and her pursuit of a husband; enter (if only…) Kyle McLachlan as the unfortunately impotent Trey. Meanwhile, sex columnist Carrie has a brief but memorable fling with a politician who’s golden, but not in the way she anticipated. She then sabotages her too-good-to-be-true relationship with furniture designer Aidan (John Corbett) by having an affair with Mr. Big (Chris Noth), who himself has gotten married.

“Do we need drama to make a relationship work?” Carrie muses at one point. Sex and the City needs drama to make it work, and Parker and Cynthia Nixon (as career woman Miranda), this ensemble’s better half, give the show its pulsating heart as they wrestle with commitment and, in the episode “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” sadder-but-wiser breakups. On the lighter side, the sexual dalliances of “rude and politically incorrect” Samantha (Kim Cattrall) provide great fodder for comedy. Like I Love Lucy, the series benefited from a brief change of scenery with a three-episode jaunt to Los Angeles, where Carrie and company encountered, among others, Matthew McConaughey, Vince Vaughn, Hugh Hefner, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. At its best, to quote one character, Sex and the City is “sharp, edgy, brutal at times, always a little juicy.” It may be “very New York,” but the sex and relationship issues it tackles are universal. For its devoted fans, the release of this 18-episode, three-disc set is, to quote Gellar’s clueless Hollywood junior development exec, “chick flick big.” –Donald Liebenson

I am collecting all of the season DVDs. This may be my favorite season. The girls really come into their own. LOVE LOVE Sex and the City. I like being able to watch whatever episode whenever I want. Nice packaging too.
You won’t be disappointed.

Where to buy cheap prices? -Sex and the City: The Complete Third Season $12.01



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 25, 2009 21:45:32

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Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 11/04/2008 Rating: G

This is the best Get Smart collection out there. Of course, it’s the only collection available, so maybe that’s why. Seriously, if you’re a Get Smart fan, you can’t lose with this set. All the episodes are mastered in fairly good quality. There several commentaries per season and each season has an extras disc that mostly consists of interviews and past clips from awards shows and comments from the studio (lawyers?) on how to change certain scenes so that they don’t get in trouble. The extras really were just that to me. I watched them all, but didn’t really care for them, but the episodes were great.

The only thing I would’ve liked more of is commentaries. Unfortunately, the making of this set and when the show ended was so long ago that it made it difficult for the commentators to give insightful information about most of the episodes. In general, Barbara Feldon did a bunch of commentaries and she gave a lot of good comments. The worst one was when she teamed up with Buck Henry: Neither one of them really remembered the episode. Also, based on the comments, I think that the episode they teamed up to comment on, Buck Henry wasn’t even around for, so they got distracted talking about other things instead. Buck Henry did a few other commentaries by himself and they were good, but more so because of what he said and not so much of what it had to do with the particular episode. Overall, if you can get it at a discount or as an Amazon’s “Gold Box” deal, it’s a great value. I got one for myself and for my brother. I’ll probably look up the movies next (The Nude Bomb and Get Smart Again?). I won’t bother with the Steve Carrell one.

Where to buy cheap prices? -Get Smart – The Complete Series Gift Set $99.95



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 15, 2009 19:40:07

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