Articles about the Featured Categories

Torchwood returned in January 2008 and having waited a year, it rocked.
With the brillent new characters of the show I thought that this was better then last season and the adventure was a bang. In episode 1 was Jack's old bofriend Captain John Hart. But he was a cool villan. Then Martha Jones came to the hub. That was brillent. With Gwen's wedding and Fragments, the season finally ruled. Exit Wounds was sad, violent and powerful and seeing them in Doctor Who should made it 10 stars.
Well Done Russell T Davies
Can't wait for Series 3: Children of time

I only bought this DVD after watching the first few episodes on NatGeo. I didn't plan on watching it after reading the bad reviews here. But I loved Long Way Round and knew I just had to watch these two guys again.

The first big criticism abt this series must be Eve's (Ewan's wife) out-of-the-blue decision to join them. As a woman I was slightly embarrassed for her because she had never even ridden a motorcycle before! It didn't help that Ewan was gleeful of the prospect and I felt exactly what Charlie must have felt - oh gooooooood! It all seemed like too much of an indulgence on Ewan's side and Eve looked like a clueless and spoilt, bored housewife. However, what most reviewers did not say is that she only joined for a short section of the journey - thankfully on a realistically easy route from Malawi. Despite my earlier apprehension, I have to say that she did remarkably well and didn't whine and whinge despite falling off her bike riding on the sand. And everyone was very gracious about her being there. That said, I did think it was a bit much to have Charley riding on his own (on one section) while Ewan took Eve on an easier route. But Charley was a real sport and didn't bitch about it, which I though showed why he and Ewan are best mates. If the McGregor decide to go on another bike trip together, they should save it for a trip all on its own. Leave the two lads to go on with their own adventure!!

Second criticism about the show being too commercial is I think being a tad unfair considering how much it must cost to embark on such a journey. Despite the trip being on the poorest continent in the world, the places they stayed at (lodges and hotels) charge prime rate (unless they're all part of the freebies). No one claimed that they were going to do this on backpacker's budget! But neither was it Hollywood-budget!

The thing that stuck to me the most was that there was a bit when Charley and Ewan had a huge bust up which they decided not to show on film. I was in two minds about this. One one hand I think it was a relief they didn't go the "reality tv" route and air all their dirty laundry - this kept the dignity and integrity of the show I think. But on the other hand, it was a missed opportunity and the programme after that just seemed to skim the surface of their friendship. We see them laughing and joking a lot but it certainly would have been intriguing to see another side to their relationship. Still, all credit to them for kissing and making up!

The second and third leg of the journey were certainly more "involved" - the first leg (from Scotland to Sudan) was them just plowing through. But I liked that they realised this hence they took more time to see and experience Africa afterwards. I did think the arrival in Cape Town was a bit of an anti-climax. Not sure why but it just seemed that way. And why do we see Charley reunited with his wife and kids, but no Eve for Ewan? No one mentioned this at all. Just seemed another production hole!

I liked the extras but I wished they had done the same (as they did for Long Way Round) and did reactions about the trip months afterward (not just about the various charities they got involved with afterwards). I would have liked to hear more about Eve's involvement in the trip and hear if she thought it was a good idea and would she continue biking! Even going on a trip herself!

I love love love Ewan and Charlie because I think they are such decent and fun fun chaps!! Sooooo looking forward to Long Way Up!!! And they still have India and South East Asia to tackle!

Like the title of this review says, this film is a true classic. It tells the story of a young boy who builds a snowman that comes to life at midnight. This film is the only film I have ever seen that is funny, magical and sad at the same time. It is also the first one that I have seen that had no dialogue in, but watching it now, I think that the filmmakers were right not to put any in. Having said that, I am SO GLAD that the enchanting song "Walking in the air" is in it. I am also glad that it is hand-drawn, not computer animated. I know that, if you look at the film very closely, there are small errors, but, because they don't have any effect on the story, they really don't matter.
If this film is not part of your collection of videos or DVDs, you don't know what you're missing out on, and I urge you to buy it TODAY.

I've just finished watching Season 5 and have to say this was one of the best seasons for me, since Season 1 and 2 (which are still my favorites). Characters come and go, and some missed more than others, but the series goes on in strength, and there's never a dull moment on the estate. Great comedy TV for the open-minded adult.

This used to be my favourite. I went to see it at a cinema in the 70s, when it was distinctly arthouse. Times change, though. Now the racism grates too much. When it was made I'm sure it was meant to be radical. Rick saying he does not sell human beings when offered a price for Sam might have been cutting edge in '42. Not now.

It does not matter how captivating Ms Bergman is, I cannot see past her using that American racist insult, 'boy'.

Sam, of course, does not even have two dimensions to his character.

As my title suggests I'm in two minds about this film, if you consider the pacing, narrative, special effects and the overall purpose of the film, it isn't very good but I do appreciate its themes and the cinematography and the overall atmosphere that is created.

Carter never liked to do what was expected of him, he tended to follow his own intuitions and it worked for the series making them fresh, interesting and utterly compelling, allowing them to run for so long and have such a devoted fan base. I'm one of those fans, I love the series and appreciated where it was left in the last episode; the date was set, the invasion inevitable, the FBI was overrun with alien agents and our two heroes were on the run. The series was driven by more than just Scully's devoted faith in science and Mulder's desperate belief in the paranormal it was also about the escalation of unstoppable forces and unknowable entities, religion played a massive part in the complex mythology as well. What that last episode seemed to say quite poignantly was that you can seek the truth but you can't stop the inevitable though what you can do is put faith in the unknowable, in forces greater than yourself. With this in mind what's been done with the film is hard to justify. It carries along this sentiment, but it doesn't develop it. The film by turns stagnates and goes back on itself.

The film begins with Mulder in hiding and Scully working at a hospital, their living together, but when an agent goes missing rather strangely the FBI, that's populated as I've said by vicious alien agents decide they need Mulders help, the man that they so wanted destroyed.

This Mulder we're presented with seems to have reverted back three series, ignoring the closure he received in the aptly named `closure' he is looking for his sister again, Scully even accused him at one point that every thing he is doing is because of her, a line very similar to this was used in the first series, it has no place here, it's utterly irrelevant. Maybe Carter is trying to say something, or else he is hoping to give perspective viewers of the series a key motivation of Mulder's.

Also although Mulder and Scully's relationship is nicely developed in some senses; their actively together and they share some moving conversations about William (their son, which they were forced to give away) and in particular an end scene "I think it's the darkness that always finds us", in many ways this also goes back about three series, from the seventh series Mulder and Scully's beliefs had started to align this sees them sharing arguments similar to those in the first few series, with Scully refusing to acknowledge anything supernatural without scientific proof and Mulder being the unreasoning man we knew before he laid down the troubles he had accumulated over him sisters disappearance. But Duchovny and Anderson continue to have great chemistry.

The film takes the format of a supernatural thriller; it is successful in being tense. But it's in no way mysterious as the villains are clearly shown. The cinematography of the desolate snow filled spaces is compelling and the dank interiors are well shot. But the pacing is patchy at best. Scully's scenes concerning a difficult patient are disruptive to the narrative flow although they do lend support to the importance of faith.

This film doesn't feel as if it has been made for fans, but to entice a whole new generation to the series, this is probably why it doesn't develop the mythology. From a marketing point of view and looking at the script this doesn't make sense, the themes aren't easily unearthed especially if you haven't seen the series. In fact the whole narrative has the feel of an overly long weaker than average episode of the series, something that isn't going to garner much interest from cinema goers. Carter excelled at weaving action packed mythology episodes of the likes of `713' and `Patient X' with brilliantly entertaining stand alones like `Triangle' and `Fight Club' and this isn't a great way to end the saga, yes it does mix science, paranormal and religious aspects but the paranormal comes in the form of a tortured physic, played by an unexpectedly good Billy Connolly, this doesn't incite the magnitude I was hoping for, the subject has been covered many times in series with better scripts driving it. In this it's simply used to detect the movements of a crazy group of scientist's performing outrageous experiments with stem cell surgery. I just think if your not going to put the effort into creating a great script, that develops and enhances the series, don't bother. Though I was rather excited by the strange undulating inky patterns in the background of the credits, they seemed evocative of black oil and I thought maybe there was more to the film than meets the eye, that Carter had something else planned, but it's very likely that another film will be made and people have convinced me that it was just snow.

I'll be buying this DVD when it's out (if for no other reason than I missed this mysterious extra bit after the credits!) we'll see if any extras can shed light on Carters motivations and intentions. And I will watch it as part of a series that I love as it's a good if not entirely relevant film that fits well into the x-files saga.

Anton Corbijn has created a stylistic masterpiece. The backdrop of 1970s England is so faithfully reproduced that it's worth watching the movie just for that sense of deja vu as you see and remember a particular car, or jacket, or drink in a shop window. I saw this movie at a cinema with Hookie from Joy Division there in the audience - he took some questions after the film was shown. He said that it's as close to the truth as any filmmaker can possibly get. With that level of integrity and beautiful cinematography, this is a must-see movie for any music fan.

My 2 yr old daughter had this for her Christmas eve pressi and the whole family sat down to watch it ... We felt very disappointed that only the 1st episode was Christmas themed and the other two were just nice episodes. Pity. They missed their chance to put an awesome DVD together. BUT, the Christmas episode is really good!

This is absolutely hilarious and will have you laughing from start to finish! Frank is a comedy genius - have seen him a few times and he always has me laughing till tears are streaming down my face. Brilliant!

When Omar Shariff enters as a speck on the horizon it takes him five minutes to reach the foreground. Letting a match burn down to his fingers, Peter o'Toole explains, "the secret is not to mind it hurting."
Every frame of this movie, the greatest ever, stays in your mind's eye.


What can I say about this 7 Oscar winner of 1962 that the other reviewers haven't said already? This is a wonderful film and a great epic that was directed by David Lean (Ryan's Daughter, Brief Encounter), he is probably one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and most of his films have some of the best cinematography you have ever seen taking advantage of the landscape. In Lawrence of Arabia there is a breathtaking shots of the desert; the musical score is also amazing by Maurice Jarre (See The English Patient for Jarre's son OST). The best thing about Lawrence of Arabia is the fact that it is flawless; everything from the performances to the script are excellent and is based on a true story although I'm not sure if it is accurate.


The film is about T.E. Lawrence brilliantly played by Peter O'Toole (unknown Irish actor) who is a young lieutenant in the British army in Cairo during World War One, he is assigned to help the Arabs fight the Turks in Arabia and becomes successful at uniting the waring tribes of Sherif Ali played by Omar Sharif in a role that made him a star and Auda Abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn), together they end up capturing the city of Aquaba and destroying the Turk strong hold.

Allenby: "What in hell do you want, Lawrence?"

Lawrence: "I've told you -- I just want my ration of common humanity."

There is no way that enough could be said about this film, in fact Steven Spielberg called it a "miracle of a movie." This is the definitive classic film from a transitional time just before salacious movies became the norm. It is to director David Lean's credit that he chose patently unknown actors (at the time) for his key roles that truly made this film soar. The fact that they performed so exceptionally is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of those actors.


The contributions of "Lawrence of Arabia" to future films are seen to this day in the cinematographic techniques and similar shots in recent films. Compared to Lawrence's books, the film, by virtue of its medium can never capture the Shakespearean quality language that T.E. Lawrence possessed. If any book parallels the film it would be Lowell Thomas's 1925 book, "With Lawrence in Arabia," that recounts the journalist's experience as an "imbedded" reporter with Lawrence. Thomas is often credited with spreading the stories of Lawrence's Arabian exploits that made him so popular in the west.

Murray: (Lawrence has just given a rather awful salute) "If you're insubordinate of me, Lawrence, I shall put you under arrest!"

Lawrence: "It's my manner, sir."

Murray: "Your what?"

Lawrence: "My manner, sir. It looks insubordinate, but it isn't really."

Murray: "I can't make out whether you are bloody bad-mannered or just half-witted!"

Lawrence: "I have the same problem, sir."

The desert scenes are beautifully shot, the glowing shots almost familiar because we've seen similar movie shots like these, but they were after this film was made--it clearly inspired many imitators. You can almost feel the desert heat and dirt. The film also offers prescient insights into today's sectarian violence where religious and tribal loyalties and feuds are seemngly more important to many Arab leaders than are national agendas or progress for all their people. The history within the film is mostly accurate and there is no neat wrap-up at the end, no ponderous speeches, no stirring conclusion. I waited too long to see this film but now I know why it is a classic. This is the wide-screen edition, which is essential to appreciating the cinematography.

Lawrence: "I killed two people. I mean, two Arabs. One was a boy. That was...yesterday. I led him into a quicksand. The other was a man. That was...well...before Aqaba, anyway. I had to execute him with my pistol, and there was something about it that I didn't like."

Allenby: "Well, naturally."

Lawrence: "No, something else."

Allenby: "I see. Well, that's alright, let it be a warning."

Lawrence: "No...something else."

Allenby: "What then?"

Lawrence: "I enjoyed it."