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Desperate Housewives: Season 1

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross

October 10, 2005
Not more than 10 minutes ago my wife and i finished watching series 1 and we thought it was brilliant. We normally watch 24 or lost on dvd but thought we'd give this ago and i'm so glad we did. Not a dull episode. Not one.

Am just about to order series 2. I hope it's as good.

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Up The Junction [1968]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Dennis Waterman, Maureen Lipman, Suzy Kendall
directed by: Peter Collinson

August 18, 2008
One of the most controversial films of the 1960s; the decade that changed British Cinema forever. Outstanding performances by all of the cast, brilliantly directed and a gritty storyline. This DVD is long overdue; it will be in my collection very soon after its release.

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Caligula [1979] (Imperial Edition)

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Teresa Ann Savoy
directed by: Tinto Brass

September 29, 2008
You cannot defend 'Caligula'. It is a monstrous epic of over excess in almost every way possible. Useless porn spliced into an already labyrinthine production, oppulent sets, brilliant ideas, twisted imagery, crazed camerawork, hysteria and madness. It's closest cousin - bizarrely - is Gibson's 'Passion' in the sense of it being a film you admire for its balls, but don't necessarily approve of. And yet, 'Caligula' is fascinating. Perverse for all the wrong reasons and yet - genuinely - bordering of maniacal, bloody insane genius. The fact that it fails so magnificently is fitting for the production. A weak-kneed, boring film would have been a disaster. Okay, 'Caligula' might veer towards boring in some places (usually involving the 'Penthouse ... Read More:

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Takin' Over The Asylum

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Ken Stott, David Tennant

June 09, 2008
Brilliant,amazing. The script, the characters, the acting and the soundtrack all fabulous. Everyone will enjoy it

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Memoirs of a Geisha [2005]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Koji Yakusho, Gong Li
directed by: Rob Marshall

June 05, 2006
I loved Arthur Golden's novel `Memoirs of a Geisha' and tried to keep an open-mind about the film version. Although the film wasn't as `magical' as the novel, I thought it stood rather well.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" on screen, in my opinion, did capture some aspects of the novel. I thought the scenery (especially of the Japanese market) was well portrayed.

Although the film is visually stunning, I felt that it could have been made more authentic by if it had more Japanese actors and people speaking in Japanes; most of the actors in the film appeared to be Chinese (I guess a lot of people wouldn't pick up on that) and the film was in English.

It's difficult to relate the life of Sayuri/ Chiyo (Ziyi Zhang) in detail, ... Read More:

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House - Season 2 (Hugh Laurie)

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard, Omar Epps, Sela Ward, Jennifer Morrison

October 23, 2006
After the triumphant debut of the first season of House, many people believed it couldn't be topped. How wrong they were. Season Two not only shut up all the skeptics, it slapped them for even being doubtful. Season Two not only had the absence of the annoying character of Vogler, it gave us a deeper insight into all the characters. At the end of Season One we were introduced to House's ex Stacy. During Season Two we're given a more complex look on their past and their true relationship. The Stacy/House episodes introduce to the fans a deeper complexity to House and we see a more genuine side, rather than the typically cynical House we're used to.

There is one episode which I found a bit too much and felt it was pushing to be controversial. I know it ... Read More:

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Romeo And Juliet [1996]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Pete Postlethwaite
directed by: Baz Luhrmann

March 04, 2002
I usually enjoy Shakespeare "done modern" but this was awful! It was Shakespeare meets Westside story, Moulin Rouge and greasy was the word that came to mind. The film kept to the traditional language of Shakespeare but it does not suit American accents. The words grated, uttered thoughtlessly for the most part from the mouths of Hawaiian shirted American gang youth. Even Peter Postlethwaite seemed preoccupied with maintaining his American accent over what he was saying.
Dicaprio and Clare Danes however do make a charming couple and you cannot help wishing that their love would survive the maelstrom of brutish hate that the two families have for each other. The film gets its reputation for being "good" from this simple alchemy and possibly from the misguided wow factor ... Read More:

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Lewis - Series 1 [2006]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Kevin Whately, Sophie Winkleman, Colin Starkey, Charlie Cox, Jemma Redgrave
directed by: Bill Anderson (III)

March 12, 2007
I am so happy that the "Inspector Lewis" mysteries have been continued after the pilot. The mysteries represent a happy complement to the original series. Kevin Whately as Lewis may be older but he is also wiser, and, because of the untimely death of his wife, sadder. Nevertheless, he has stepped gamely into the role of his old mentor Inspector Morse, and he is ably assisted by Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox), a Cambridge-educated student of theology. Thus the tables have been turned from the Morse mysteries. Lewis is now the curmudgeon with a pint of beer and Hathaway, the voice of reason.

The Thames Valley police force is a very different institution than it was in Morse's day. A woman is now Chief Inspector, and she is no pushover. The mysteries, nevertheless, remain ... Read More:

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Bhaji On The Beach [1993]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
starring: Kim Vithana, Lalita Ahmed, Zohra Segal, Mo Sesay, Peter Cellier
directed by: Gurinder Chadha

September 17, 2007
I am so happy that the "Inspector Lewis" mysteries have been continued after the pilot. The mysteries represent a happy complement to the original series. Kevin Whately as Lewis may be older but he is also wiser, and, because of the untimely death of his wife, sadder. Nevertheless, he has stepped gamely into the role of his old mentor Inspector Morse, and he is ably assisted by Sergeant Hathaway (Laurence Fox), a Cambridge-educated student of theology. Thus the tables have been turned from the Morse mysteries. Lewis is now the curmudgeon with a pint of beer and Hathaway, the voice of reason.

The Thames Valley police force is a very different institution than it was in Morse's day. A woman is now Chief Inspector, and she is no pushover. The mysteries, nevertheless, remain ... Read More:

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Hitchcock 14 Disc Box Set - Vertigo/ The Birds/ Rear Window/ Marnie/ Frenzy/ Topaz/ The Trouble With Harry/ Torn Curtain/ Psycho/ Family Plot/ Saboteur/ Shadow Of A Doubt/ Man Who Knew Too Much/ Rope

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > Drama
by: Alfred Hitchcock

November 21, 2005
A potentially fabulous box set is scuppered by the fact (as pointed out by other reviewers) that four of the films - The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain and Topaz - are presented in completely the wrong aspect ratio, despite information to the contrary on the boxes themselves. The upshot is that anyone who buys this set, tempted by the admittedly wonderful extra features, will still have to buy widescreen (Region 1) versions of these films if they want to see them in a form even approximating to what Hitchcock intended. How ridiculous. They might just as well have colorised Psycho while they were at it.