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Reviews
Himalaya with Michael Palin (2004)
My new hero!
Having planned a two-month trip to the Northeastern India next year I immediately snatched up disk one of Michael Palin's Himalaya. I was so blown away by the first two hours that I immediately drove back to the video store to rent 2 and 3. This is one of the few programs I have watched that I can say is truly perfect. Palin is more than a great comedian and traveler; he is a kind and humble man that brings cheer to the people of battered places like Kashmir, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The 3 DVDs are 6 hours in total and even the snippets in the special features section are highly entertaining. Bravo to Michael Palin for being such a great ambassador of goodwill and sharing his great travels with us all.
The Iron Giant (1999)
In the world of animated flicks this one gets five stars.
Iron Robot is a well crafted film and I'm not surprised to see Brad Bird knocking it out of the park for Pixar with the recent hit The Incredibles.
Obviously this movie is about a Giant Robot and a little boy in Smallsville, USA, so I'm not sure why someone would write 5 paragraphs about it. But I will say this; it is a perfect movie for children and even an old dude like me.
Most of the time animators and directors don't have the talent to breath life into animated characters without exaggerating their actions and reducing them to cartoons. But Brad Bird has a gift, he really gives the machine a soul, one that almost brings you to tears if you get mushy at films (I did).
If you have kids buy it. If you don't have kids, rent it and enjoy a really good movie.
Stir of Echoes (1999)
Stirred me right out of the theater...
For those of you looking to turn your brains off and get spooked a couple of times, this is the movie for you. But if you're looking for a story that's witty and engaging, don't waist your money - watch it for free at a friends house.
Runaway Train (1985)
A masterpiece!
One of my favorite movies of all time and certainly Konchalovsky's greatest work. The cinematography is second only to the powerful performances by Voight, Roberts, and De Mornay.
Set in the mountains during winter on a vintage runaway train, two convicts struggle with harsh life in a maximum security prison and in the real world. Manny (Voight) is an "animal", who has broken out of every prison they've thrown him in, so warden Renken has him welded in his cell. Buck (Roberts) is a pretty-boy punk, who's spent most of his life in prison and has a warped sense of reality. When this odd couple ends up breaking out of prison together, the action shifts into third gear and never stops! The film has a perfect balance of action, drama, beauty, comedy, and tragedy.