Saturday 10 October 2009

Art House and International : The Haunted Airman (2006)


A tour de force for Pattinson as he takes center-stage in a film that has him playing a very different role that he did in Twilight for sure. A seriously wounded airman, Jugg (Pattinson) is sent to recuperate at a secluded mansion and instead finds himself a victim... a victim of nightmares and visions. The complex conspiracy that comes to light is fueled by those around him, those he ought to trust.

Pattinson fans will thoroughly enjoy this film. Based on the novel 'The Haunting of Toby Jugg", the BBC production is well crafted and, like classic horror films, shows a slow descent into madness for the lead character. If you're a fan of Pattinson, this is a must see as he IS this film from start to finish!

Art House and International : Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf or Death (2008)


I admit to not having done my homework on this, but still... You have to be able to make an impulse purchase every once in a while without getting ripped off.

I was out shopping for a pack of batteries when I saw a new Wallace and Gromit DVD on the shelf. Didn't know Nick Park had done anything since The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, so I quickly investigated. The front of the package said "All New Animated Feature" and the running time said 87 minutes. Now "feature" to me means a full-length presentation (as in "our feature presentation")... a short might be called a featurette. So I assumed this was more than just a 30-minute short (which is what it actually is). They must have totalled all of the supplemental clips on the disc to get that "87 minute" total time. Nice.

Also, since I couldn't find a widescreen copy anywhere in the stacks, I guessed that this had been animated full screen. Wrong. Lion's Gate apparently decided to release only a butchered pan-and-scan version of the short. I didn't know anyone still did that these days. How ignorant.

While I'm sure this short is fun, it went back to the store unopened. I'll wait for a better version to show up someday.

Art House and International : The Secret (Extended Edition) (2006)


The Secret is one of the best produced and edited DVDs of its kind that I have ever seen. And the line-up of teachers and presenters is top-notch. There is only one reason I give this DVD four stars instead of five. The Secret is about the Law of Attraction, and how we can use that Law to "attract" into our lives anything we want. But it spends 95% of the time talking only about being focused on what you want (rather than what you don't want), and generating positive feelings about that. It only spends 5% of the time making it clear that what we really attract into our lives is the people, circumstances, and opportunities that lead us to what we want. In other words, when we utilize the principles mentioned in The Secret, doors open. But we have to recognize those doors for what they are and go through them. And that involves action. Many people who watch The Secret walk away with the impression that visualization and positive feelings is all it takes. It isn't. You still have to do something. As long as you keep that in mind, The Secret contains information that can be life altering. Enjoy!

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