Grand Designs Series Six: DVD Review
Grand Designs Series Six
Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment
Kevin McCloud once again returns in the show which
never ceases to amaze would be home dreamers.
The
formula of the show is a simple one - Kevin follows the ups and downs of the
ambitious couples who have a vision for a property. And every time, the couples
face some kind of obstacle in their quest for home perfection.
In these six episodes, there's a mix of development
dreams - from the gothic to the futuristic, each one of them remains an
intriguing look into what people can do - and why they do it.
However, it's due to McCloud that this show remains such a success -
with his easy going and non intrusive technique, he really allows you to see all
aspects of the build and confides his fears for what's planned.
Grand Designs remains a popular show and while there's
an initial disappointment that this is such a short series, for fans (and
dreamers alike) there's plenty to enjoy here.
Rating: 7/10
Friday, 13 August 2010
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Dream Home: Movie Review
Dream Home: Movie Review
Dream Home
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Josie Ho, Eason Chan
Director: Pang Ho Cheung
For those who thought owning a home was a killer, then this film takes that to the logical extreme.
Also part of the Incredibly Strange section of the New Zealand International Film Festival this year and now screening as part of the Hong Kong film Festival, Dream Home is the story of Ho's Cheng Lai-Sheung, who's desperate to own a prime piece of housing in downtown Hong Kong.
But with financial worries and an ever increasing possibility of a recession, Lai-Sheung's dream is fast becoming a thing of the past - so she does what any (ir)rational person would do when facing a reality they can't cope with...she goes on a killing spree to get what she wants.
Dream Home is a film chocked full of sex and gore and uncomfortable shocks here and there. It's not a bad taste film by any stretch of the imagination but is one that you may want to leave your inhibitions at the door to.
Effectively played by all involved, it's quite the tense horror as Lai-Sheung sets about ensuring she can secure the dream home she's always wanted in life - and will stop at nothing to secure. That said, there's also a dark vein of humour pulsing throughout in places.
It's a stylishly s(l)ick piece of cinema which will unsettle in places and will satiate those who like a bit of a blood and guts cinema at the end of a long week - with the fact it says it's based on a true story, there will be some who'll question if property is really worth going that far for.
Dream Home
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Josie Ho, Eason Chan
Director: Pang Ho Cheung
For those who thought owning a home was a killer, then this film takes that to the logical extreme.
Also part of the Incredibly Strange section of the New Zealand International Film Festival this year and now screening as part of the Hong Kong film Festival, Dream Home is the story of Ho's Cheng Lai-Sheung, who's desperate to own a prime piece of housing in downtown Hong Kong.
But with financial worries and an ever increasing possibility of a recession, Lai-Sheung's dream is fast becoming a thing of the past - so she does what any (ir)rational person would do when facing a reality they can't cope with...she goes on a killing spree to get what she wants.
Dream Home is a film chocked full of sex and gore and uncomfortable shocks here and there. It's not a bad taste film by any stretch of the imagination but is one that you may want to leave your inhibitions at the door to.
Effectively played by all involved, it's quite the tense horror as Lai-Sheung sets about ensuring she can secure the dream home she's always wanted in life - and will stop at nothing to secure. That said, there's also a dark vein of humour pulsing throughout in places.
It's a stylishly s(l)ick piece of cinema which will unsettle in places and will satiate those who like a bit of a blood and guts cinema at the end of a long week - with the fact it says it's based on a true story, there will be some who'll question if property is really worth going that far for.
Herb and Dorothy: DVD Review
Herb and Dorothy: DVD Review
Herb And Dorothy
Rating: G
Released by Madman Entertainment
If you like art you'll love this.
Herb and Dorothy is the tale of two art lovers in New York who shaped a generation and managed to amass one of the most encompassing contemporary art collections.
Cameras follow the Vogels as we see them tour gallery openings, attend launches of artists and talk to the artists whom the Vogels championed and believed in right from the get go. We also trace their history of meeting, their courtship - and family's reaction to their collection which began to take over their Manhattan apartment.
It's an interesting tale as it traces their interest in conceptual and minimalist art - and shows how passion can eclipse anything else.
The pair are likeable and lovable - and you'll be seriously impressed with Herb's eye for what makes or breaks a collection. But what truly emerges is a couple whose love for each other and whose shared passion has created such an amazing collection and insight into how a movement began.
Although it has to be admitted for those who're not in the know about art, you probably won't change your mind - although listening to the various artists talk about how the Vogel's love for their work made such a difference, you'll be glad someone knows how to champion a cause very early on.
Extras: Trailer and deleted scenes make up the package - but there's very little else to say or add from what's on the screen.
Rating: 6/10
Herb And Dorothy
Rating: G
Released by Madman Entertainment
If you like art you'll love this.
Herb and Dorothy is the tale of two art lovers in New York who shaped a generation and managed to amass one of the most encompassing contemporary art collections.
Cameras follow the Vogels as we see them tour gallery openings, attend launches of artists and talk to the artists whom the Vogels championed and believed in right from the get go. We also trace their history of meeting, their courtship - and family's reaction to their collection which began to take over their Manhattan apartment.
It's an interesting tale as it traces their interest in conceptual and minimalist art - and shows how passion can eclipse anything else.
The pair are likeable and lovable - and you'll be seriously impressed with Herb's eye for what makes or breaks a collection. But what truly emerges is a couple whose love for each other and whose shared passion has created such an amazing collection and insight into how a movement began.
Although it has to be admitted for those who're not in the know about art, you probably won't change your mind - although listening to the various artists talk about how the Vogel's love for their work made such a difference, you'll be glad someone knows how to champion a cause very early on.
Extras: Trailer and deleted scenes make up the package - but there's very little else to say or add from what's on the screen.
Rating: 6/10
Dr Who: Space Museum/Chase DVD Review
Dr Who: Space Museum/Chase DVD Review
Dr Who - The Space Museum/ The Chase
Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment
It's back to 1965 and the very first Doctor in this double release set which continues to see Classic Dr Who released on DVD.
In The Space Museum,a vast museum of relics - along with their own future selves - causes problems for the TARDIS crew and in The Chase, the Daleks once again return as they chase the time travellers through the vortex and stop at nothing in trying to exterminate their enemies.
How much you'll appreciate these releases depends on how much of a Who fan you are - and how far you're willing to suspend disbelief. With 60s Who, it's about forgetting we have great technology these days which brings the stories to life with effects - in "those days" it was about having this original show on TV the likes of which had never been seen before. Sure it's slightly slow and not as pacy as you'd like - but it's as inventive and imaginative as ever.
Extras: A great bunch once again off set any minor niggles with this release - a look at the departure of characters Barbara and Ian, a look at the appeal of the Daleks and a tribute to William Hartnell are just three of the plethora of features on the set.
Rating: 6/10
Dr Who - The Space Museum/ The Chase
Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment
It's back to 1965 and the very first Doctor in this double release set which continues to see Classic Dr Who released on DVD.
In The Space Museum,a vast museum of relics - along with their own future selves - causes problems for the TARDIS crew and in The Chase, the Daleks once again return as they chase the time travellers through the vortex and stop at nothing in trying to exterminate their enemies.
How much you'll appreciate these releases depends on how much of a Who fan you are - and how far you're willing to suspend disbelief. With 60s Who, it's about forgetting we have great technology these days which brings the stories to life with effects - in "those days" it was about having this original show on TV the likes of which had never been seen before. Sure it's slightly slow and not as pacy as you'd like - but it's as inventive and imaginative as ever.
Extras: A great bunch once again off set any minor niggles with this release - a look at the departure of characters Barbara and Ian, a look at the appeal of the Daleks and a tribute to William Hartnell are just three of the plethora of features on the set.
Rating: 6/10
The Boys Are Back: DVD Review
The Boys Are Back: DVD Review
The Boys Are Back
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From the Academy award nominated director of Shine, Scott Hicks comes this wonderfully underrated drama starring the ever suave Clive Owen.
Owen stars as Joe, a wise cracking sports journalist and absentee father (due to work) in south Australia.
He's got a pretty sweet life; a wife Katy (Laura Fraser) whom he adores and a six year old Artie (a brilliant, crowd winning performance from Nicholas McAnulty) whose hedonistic enthusiasm for life keeps him on the move.
But when his wife suddenly dies, Joe finds himself having to run the house and is forced to reconnect with his son. That's not the half of it though - as his teenage son Harry (McKay) from his previous marriage is heading over from the UK to stay.
Suddenly Joe is facing responsibilities and emotions he'd long forgotten&
Based on the memoir by Simon Carr, The Boys Are Back was criminally ignored on its general release in cinemas. It is a sensitive look at a father's relationship with his sons, brilliantly handled by director Hicks and masterfully performed by McAnulty and Owen.
With its low key warmth and heart, as well as heartbreak, I think it's fair to say that you'll be hard pushed to find a more poignant film about the complicated relationship between a father and his son.
Extras: A Little lacking here - just deleted scenes and a photographic journey.
Rating: 8/10
The Boys Are Back
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From the Academy award nominated director of Shine, Scott Hicks comes this wonderfully underrated drama starring the ever suave Clive Owen.
Owen stars as Joe, a wise cracking sports journalist and absentee father (due to work) in south Australia.
He's got a pretty sweet life; a wife Katy (Laura Fraser) whom he adores and a six year old Artie (a brilliant, crowd winning performance from Nicholas McAnulty) whose hedonistic enthusiasm for life keeps him on the move.
But when his wife suddenly dies, Joe finds himself having to run the house and is forced to reconnect with his son. That's not the half of it though - as his teenage son Harry (McKay) from his previous marriage is heading over from the UK to stay.
Suddenly Joe is facing responsibilities and emotions he'd long forgotten&
Based on the memoir by Simon Carr, The Boys Are Back was criminally ignored on its general release in cinemas. It is a sensitive look at a father's relationship with his sons, brilliantly handled by director Hicks and masterfully performed by McAnulty and Owen.
With its low key warmth and heart, as well as heartbreak, I think it's fair to say that you'll be hard pushed to find a more poignant film about the complicated relationship between a father and his son.
Extras: A Little lacking here - just deleted scenes and a photographic journey.
Rating: 8/10
The Cake Eaters: DVD Review
The Cake Eaters: DVD Review
The Cake Eaters
Rating: M
Released by Arkles Entertainment
Kristen Stewart (sort of) sheds her Bella from Twilight image in this bittersweet story of love.
Set in small town America, Stewart plays Georgia, a teen with Freidreich's Ataxia, a progressive degenerative disease of the nervous system.
Georgia suffers with a slurred speech and a stuttering walk - but one day, while at a car boot sale, she meets Beagle (Aaron Stanford), the son of a local butcher. Beagle's family has been torn apart by their mother's death and his long errant brother has also just returned to town - to a wall of bitterness and anger at his absence during the family loss.
This quiet low key, character driven indie would probably have been consigned to TV movie status (and has sat on a shelf since 2007) were it not for Kristen Stewart and the Twilight mania. That said, while she does play a variation of the Bella character, Stewart shows what a talented actress she actually is.
Rating: 6/10
The Cake Eaters
Rating: M
Released by Arkles Entertainment
Kristen Stewart (sort of) sheds her Bella from Twilight image in this bittersweet story of love.
Set in small town America, Stewart plays Georgia, a teen with Freidreich's Ataxia, a progressive degenerative disease of the nervous system.
Georgia suffers with a slurred speech and a stuttering walk - but one day, while at a car boot sale, she meets Beagle (Aaron Stanford), the son of a local butcher. Beagle's family has been torn apart by their mother's death and his long errant brother has also just returned to town - to a wall of bitterness and anger at his absence during the family loss.
This quiet low key, character driven indie would probably have been consigned to TV movie status (and has sat on a shelf since 2007) were it not for Kristen Stewart and the Twilight mania. That said, while she does play a variation of the Bella character, Stewart shows what a talented actress she actually is.
Rating: 6/10
The Men Who Stare At Goats: Blu Ray Review
The Men Who Stare At Goats: Blu Ray Review
The Men Who Stare At Goats - Blu Ray
Rating: M
Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Ewan McGregor stars as small town reporter Bob Wilton in this shaggy dog style story.
One day Wilton looks into the story of Gus Lacey who claims to have psychic abilities.
After dismissing the story, Bob finds he can't escape from the idea of the psychics - and despite being posted to Iraq, in the unlikeliest of circumstances, Bob comes across Lyn Cassady (a deadpan turn by George Clooney) who Lacey claimed was a major part of the operation.
With his journalistic nose well and truly piqued, Wilton follows the story having learned that Cassady was a "Jedi warrior" and part of a psychic unit started up by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges in Dude a la Lebowski mode).
The Men Who Stare At Goats is quite the loose comedy piece here and there with Clooney once again drawing on elements of his O Brother Where Art Thou goofiness - but honestly, it's really all in the script for this.
The Men Who Stare At Goats' ending comes a little unravelled (and the final scene is a bit of a disappointment) the journey is a scarily funny one with some great one liners, hysterically odd situations and moments where you actually question what you've just witnessed and whether it was based on some grain of truth.
Extras: Commentary with author Jon Ronson, director Grant Heslov and deleted scenes - as well as exclusive to Blu Ray featurette on the goats.
Rating: 8/10
The Men Who Stare At Goats - Blu Ray
Rating: M
Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Ewan McGregor stars as small town reporter Bob Wilton in this shaggy dog style story.
One day Wilton looks into the story of Gus Lacey who claims to have psychic abilities.
After dismissing the story, Bob finds he can't escape from the idea of the psychics - and despite being posted to Iraq, in the unlikeliest of circumstances, Bob comes across Lyn Cassady (a deadpan turn by George Clooney) who Lacey claimed was a major part of the operation.
With his journalistic nose well and truly piqued, Wilton follows the story having learned that Cassady was a "Jedi warrior" and part of a psychic unit started up by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges in Dude a la Lebowski mode).
The Men Who Stare At Goats is quite the loose comedy piece here and there with Clooney once again drawing on elements of his O Brother Where Art Thou goofiness - but honestly, it's really all in the script for this.
The Men Who Stare At Goats' ending comes a little unravelled (and the final scene is a bit of a disappointment) the journey is a scarily funny one with some great one liners, hysterically odd situations and moments where you actually question what you've just witnessed and whether it was based on some grain of truth.
Extras: Commentary with author Jon Ronson, director Grant Heslov and deleted scenes - as well as exclusive to Blu Ray featurette on the goats.
Rating: 8/10
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