Painbow

Alison Dubois is a medium. She communicates with the dead but more often they communicate with her. They do this by showing her things when she dreams. She doesn't always get the complete message and taken out of context, this can mean that Alison doesn't have the complete picture which means a certain amount of investigating will be needed. Fortunately she has the assistance of the District Attorney as well as detective Lee Scanlon who are both aware of her abilities.

Now that you know the general premise, i will tell you why i love this show. The stories are very well written and can be touching, thrilling, funny, scary but most of all, entertaining. Some episodes are obviously better than others but even the weaker ones are good and the simple reason for this (and the reason i really love the show) is Alison's family.

Her husband Joe and their three daughters, Ariel, Bridgitte and Marie are the anchor of not just Alison but also the show itself. The daughters also happen to have the same abilities as their mother. Their relationships are beautifully portrayed and extremely warm and provide the necessary breaks from the supernatural element. Joe is the rational scientist who may not believe in the supernatural but does believe in his wife and always offers her sensible, logical advice concerning her dreams and what to do with them. Ariel is the confused teen who is mature beyond her years, Bridgette is the joker and Marie is the adorable youngest member of the family.

The family dynamic allows the supernatural aspect of the show to maintain your interest and never become too dominant. If it was nothing but ghosts and murder each time then it would become tiresome and predictable but that never happens because you genuinely care about the Dubois family and simply want to see them get through the day (even if that day involves a serial killer) I can see this show going from strength to strength because of this very wonderful family dynamic and in many ways, this is what the show is really about (certainly for me) and the supernatural element simply allows for new stories to be told around the Dubois family. That isn't to say the other characters aren't as compelling and watchable because they are and the actors playing them are all extremely talented.

The only thing that could spoil the show is if the writers dared to play around with Alison and Joe's marriage (many shows feel the need to do this) If they did, it would be a mistake. It's the Dubois family that make Medium the fantastic show it is.

If this film was made today, it would no doubt involve a great deal more sex and a great deal more CGI - it would be a terrible film

Fortunately, this film was made in 1939 and is a superb example of the era - I won't go into the details of the plot (its not that important) but rather i will describe the people involved (more important) - Grant is cynical, distant and seemingly unemotional, he doesn't want to be tied down, he simply wants to get the job done -

Arthur is sassy, talented and independent, she knows what she wants or at least she thinks she does - one kiss from Grant changes her mind (as it would)

Then there's the pilot carrying the guilt of another mans death (we never find out how responsible he was) no one likes him and he's given the hardest flying jobs that no one else will take - on the up-side, he's married to Rita Hayworth but she doesn't know what his secret is (oh....and she used to have a thing with Grant)

The new pilot finds redemption, his wife finds happiness, Grant finds a woman that can handle him, Arthur finds a man that deserves her and some people die along the way

Fabulous stuff - i recommend watching it late at night (preferably when it's raining)

Lars and the real girl is a subtle, moving and provoking film. It can be seen as a film about loneliness and the need to connect to humanity, even if it's not an actual human. The need to ask for help or admit that you are finding life difficult is not an easy thing to do and Lars chooses to do it with his actions (i never really believed that he was truly delusional but rather that he was asking for help)

It can also been seen as a film about community and the fact that in the modern world, people are not interested in others or their problems. Fortunately, Lars lives in a community that does still care about its members and is willing to go along with his fantasy life in order to show that care.

The performances are wonderful (especially Gosling) and the sense of community and its importance to humans is cleverly shown through their shared delusion for the sake of one member of that community.

my only criticism would be that the character and his isolation and sadness would have made more sense if he was either extremely ugly or if he did not have any opportunity to connect with a woman because none were interested in him. Gosling is not ugly and the female character, Margo, clearly shows an interest in him (though she is admittedly, new to the community) but this none the less cannot cover over the fact that Lars is popular in his community and is also good looking so his isolation from women is difficult to fathom.

That aside, this is one of the most interesting and profound films i have seen in a long time

Buffy is essentially a "monster of the week" show and if you like that sort of thing then you should like this. It's good quality science fiction and gives you a very entertaining episode every other show. If you don't go for science fiction then you'll still probably find something to like since the show covers virtually every genre (Horror, action, comedy, romance, tragedy, you name it)

None the less, it must be said, there are moments of genuine originality and brilliance to be found in the 7 series of Buffy. Standout episodes such as- • Halloween (characters become their costumes) • Hush (very little dialogue) • The wish, Doppelgangland, Superstar ( alternative realities) • The body (a superbly realistic portrayal of death) • Normal again (a clever look at the nature of reality) • Once more with feeling (a musical).

These episodes are an attempt to do something original in television and should be applauded at the very least, for trying. These episodes alone are enough to justify everything else.

And there are some things that do need justifying. Sarah Michelle Gellar was never that convincing in the role and after series 3 they started to take themselves far more seriously than they needed to. Then again it's understandable why they did it. We can't watch teenagers forever, they have to grow up eventually but why being a grown up means being miserable, self obsessed and humourless (Buffy in particular), I don't know. Thank goodness for Xander

Overall, it's an excellent show that deserves credit for trying new things and a show that tried to cater for those who like many genres but none the less, it's still just a T.V show and one that made mistakes.

But I'm prepared to overlook those mistakes because ultimately, I think the show was more courageous than most on T.V and deserves respect for that

I have always admired the films of Romero and there can be no doubt that he is the godfather of zombie films. Alas, i think he should have finished his zombie career with day of the dead. Land of the dead certainly wasn't a bad film and this is far from the worst i've ever seen but the step down is none the less noticeable. The modern cinematic world owes a lot to Romero but it's clear that the modern cinematic world has moved on from him.

Lets start with the main problems(and ignore the million little ones):-

1. An idiot who keeps filming even when he or his friends are in danger (at no point does the brilliant idea of putting the camera down occur to him)

2. A narrator that appears to have edited the film so that it looks polished and yet who chooses to leave in the moments when the camera goes off or turns black

3. A narrator (and editor) who thinks incidental music should be added for tension (imagine those who filmed 9/11 doing the same and you will arrive at the same tasteless nature of this)

4. A narrator (and editor) who wishes for us to witness her rotting corpse family attack her (journalists may pretend to put journalistic integrity before emotional involvement but this is perverse)

5. An allegory for the war in Iraq (we aren't being given the full information etc) that needs to be endlessly repeated.

6. The notion that they needed to film everything to show the world the truth (like walking zombies wouldn't do it for most people)

7. Romero getting the opportunity to remind everyone that he thinks zombies should be slow (and reminding us again and again)

This isn't an absolutely awful film by any stretch but in relation to the history and reputation of Romero, it is alas.....somewhat of an embarrassment

Miss Jean Brodie wants her students to think for themselves and question the status quo. She wants them to love freedom, art, truth, beauty and most of all romance. Her students do her proud and embrace the ideals she has set down for them and romanticise the romantic.

That is, until one of her students, Sandy, makes the mistake of genuinely embracing the free thinking and independent spirit that has been instilled in her by her teacher. You see, the fact is, Miss Jean Brodie does not want her students to embrace all the things she claims she wants them to embrace but rather she wants them to follow her and accept everything she tells them. Her ideals, her views, her interpretations of life.

Sandy does not. Sandy sees Miss Jean Brodie for what she really is. A vain, selfish woman who lives in a fantasy world while those around her are forced to endure the real world. Sandy recognises the need to "assasinate" Miss Jean Brodie and not only to punish her for her naive view of life but to confront her with it. To force Miss Jean Brodie to see what she really is.

Though one suspects Sandy is successful in this, it does not seem to be a resounding success, since Miss Brodie chases after Sandy as she leaves, shouting "assasin.....assasin" as though to suggest, she still regards herself as the victim

none the less, Miss Brodie knows her time is up and it is one of her truly gifted pupils that has fired the bullet.

A great film that doesn't give us the sentimental nonsense of Dead poets society or various other films dealing with this subject matter

Brilliant performances by everyone and though every one quite rightly talks about Maggie Smith's performance, i personally felt that Pamela Franklin stole the show..........quite simply a superb film

There are certain things one must expect from the standard Indy film.

1. Witty dialogue that doesn't exist in real life

2. Quirky people who seem slightly retarded but are in fact just unique

3. Some maudlin studenty music five seconds after every piece of dialogue

4. A happy ending that pretends to be an ambiguous ending

5. A liberal outlook on life

6. Actors who want to be in Indy movies coz they're quirky and it looks good on the C.V

7. Some maudlin studenty music five seconds after every single, god damn piece of dialogue

This film ticks every box and i must say i thoroughly enjoyed it. It's escapist nonsense of the best kind and is only rivalled by the likes of X Men or Terminator. If you want a realistic film with profound things to say then skip this. If you want T2 style escapist entertainment that will wash over you then this is perfect

I'm not sure why Doug Liman keeps getting work in Hollywood. It's also unfortunate that the very best ideas swimming around Hollwood seem to end up in his hands. Bourne-great idea, Mr and Mrs Smith-great idea, Jumpers-great idea....alas our Mr Liman does not have the talent to make good ideas turn into great films.

As soon as Bourne was taken out of Liman's hands and given to Paul Greengrass the movie jumped into another league of excellence. Jumper fails for various reasons. 1-Hayden Christiansen clearly cannot act very well, 2-The whole film seems to be set up purely and simply as an excuse for a sequel, 3-The films pace is all wrong, starting fast then a sudden lull for the totally unnecessary love story then back to some action then oh it's finished.

A perfectly good film but one that could have been something brilliant in better hands. Jamie Bell is pretty much the only good thing in it and to be honest i would much rather the film had been about him.

Hollywood is churning out this stuff more often than ever and it appears that they're getting away with it.

Suffice to say i hope the sequel is directed by Paul Greengrass

Red Dwarf is a show that some people love and some people....well, don't love. It's easy to understand why. The show has it's moments of comedy brilliance but also has it's moments of comedy misses. It can be highly original and cutting edge but equally can rest on it's puns and, see them coming, visual gags.

I personally love the show and find the cynicism of Rimmer, the dead pan of Holly and the Bewilderment of lister to be extremely funny though i must add, i've never really been that amused by anything the cat has ever said (though i wouldn't want him removed from the gang) The show is funny, unique and in many cases, quite complex in it's structure and story arcs. The science fiction element certainly provides endless opportunities for comedy and story telling. The show is also capable of being more intelligent than ever given credit for plus it has moments of impressive drama and wit. The two hander of "Marooned" being a good example.

This show clearly doesn't get the respect it deserves and hopefully as the years go by people will afford it the chance to speak for itself. It is an extremely funny and often brilliant comedy.

There are those who will pinpoint series 7 and 8 as the weak links. Certainly series 7 is the weakest but even that has it's moments. Personally i thoroughly enjoyed series 8 and a felt it was a return to form.

Overall, an excellent show which is sadly ignored by the comedy elite but which may eventually have it's reputation enhanced with the passage of time

This is the best British comedy of recent years. It is cynical, dark and very real. The comedy comes both from the nature of the characters plus the fact that we get to hear what they're thinking.

It is the only show that genuinely makes me cry laughing and is relentless in its unforgiving view of the world. The view that the world is complete crap. It provides endless quotable moments such as

"The secret ingredient is crime"

"I don't want you to drink my pee, i want to take your bishop and grind you down"

"That's great Mark....my mate and your girlfriend have gone of to screw each other.....what are we gonna do now....built a tent in the living room and eat dairy-lea.....is that what you want....coz that's whats gonna happen"

"He's gone nuts, he thinks there's a pigeon in Catalonia that's in control of his legs" and many many more. The fact is you should just buy and watch it....its brilliant

(and try to ignore the "we were here first and liked this show before anyone else and now that everyone else likes it, it isn't as good as before brigade") They're just plebs....enjoy the show

The only people who find this show funny are teenagers, Anglophile Americans, middle class people who think this stuff is cutting edge and people with questionable intellect.

When this show first appeared, it seemed to be genuinely making an attempt to be fresh, interesting and relevant to modern Britain but it quickly became apparent that it is, in fact nothing more than an 1/2 hour Carry on film, only with less subtlety and innovation.

If you want cutting edge British Comedy then go for Blackadder, The Day today, i'm Alan Partridge, Brasseye, Spaced, The Fast Show, The Office or the excellent Peep Show.

If on the other hand you want silly, surreal yet still very funny British comedy then go for Garth Marenghi, The Mighty Boosh, The IT crowd or Even dare i say, Red Dwarf.

Little Britain may make you smirk from time to time but essentially this is the most god awful piece of crap imaginable. People who think this is funny, will look back in ten years time and feel embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. Most likely, they'll claim they never liked it at all. This isn't just a step backwards in the history of the magnificent British comedy scene, it's a jump

Avoid at all costs.....it's total, utter crud!

This is a wonderful film. Cary Grant meets a woman on holiday and plans to marry her. He meets her (rich) family but it quickly becomes apparent that Julia is not the girl for him but in fact, it's her sister Linda (Hepburn) that is Grant's soul mate.

It's a wonderful film and the only one i can think of that allowed Grant to show off the acrobatic skills he learnt in England. The moment when he slinks down his chair, rolls over and then flips back up onto his feet is impressive to say the least.

This is a gentle comedy and when you consider that Grant and Hepburn would go on to make more biting comedies only a few years later it really does make this film stand out as a warm, delicious and subtle romantic comedy that is almost, a perfect film.

The scenes in the bedroom are especially rewarding

Probably Grant and Hepburn's greatest collaboration

A fat Cary Grant plays a cockney who speaks like he grew up in Dick Van Dykes underpants and he meets Katherine Hepburn, a French woman who sounds and seems as French as John Wayne eating apple pie.

But anyway.....I love Cary Grant's films but this is my least favourite of all of them. It doesn't convince on any level and seems to have been thrown together last minute. The characters are bizarre and entirely unconnected to any real world i've been to recently. It seems that Grant was still on his way up at this point and Hepburn was Hollywood poison. Cukor puts them together and hopes for the best.

Grant and Hepburn do their best and it's all harmless fun. Hepburn's boy/girl persona is an interesting diversion and her pursuit of the greasy Aherne quirky but also a little creepy.

Certainly not the worst film i've ever seen and definitely worth a look but it doesn't come close to the greats of this era. If you want to waste away an hour or two on some mindless entertainment that doesn't have anything to say about anything then give it a go.

A novelty item that isn't great but it's certainly unique

The french like their resistance films. Most of all they like their resistance films to depict courageous, patriotic men and women putting their lives on the line for the cause and paint a picture that practically everyone in France was a member of the resistance.

Of course this isn't true. There were very many collaborators (something the French try to ignore) and this film depicts them and provides a dark, unwanted focus on that very topic. This fabulous film shows, that the "army of shadows" spent as much time, if not more, killing collaborators as they did Nazis.

The army is indeed, living in the shadows, not because of the Nazis so much as because there are those among them that also cannot be trusted. This film deals with the realities of the resistance and has one of the most powerful scenes you are likely to see in a film. It involves the punishment handed out to a member who has become a liability to the cause. There can be no mercy shown.

I would argue that this is Melvilles finest film which is a bold statement considering the enormous quality he produced. A wonderful film that doesn't allow the French to hide from the cowardice and treachery shown by many of their countrymen during the occupation.

None the less it also revels (quite rightly) in the heroics and bravery of the men and women who also risked and gave their lives to resist the Nazi machine. It does not create as black and white a picture as so many other similar films have done. It shows the complexity, shame and tragedy of those dark years

A great film.

Like most people, i have dipped in and out of the Star Trek franchise from time to time (original series, next generation , the films, etc) and have always enjoyed an episode or two. It was only with Voyager that i became a regular viewer and went on to buy the complete DVD collection of the series. I liked it for two reasons. 1. they're genuinely exploring unknown space (the Delta quadrant), something that seemed to end with the original series and 2 as a consequence, they're less connected to star fleet and in turn less star Trekkie (if you get my meaning)

In other words if you have never liked star trek in any guise then i would recommend Voyager as a starting point. It doesn't require nerdy obsessive knowledge of the franchise and it doesn't pander to the equally obsessive fans, (which is presumably why this is their least favourite show in the franchise) If for example you are well versed in the franchise, you may question the inconsistent and contradictory nature of captain Janeway's actions but if you are not then you can relax and enjoy the ups and downs of a complicated woman trying to get her crew home. You'll enjoy the adventure of the Star Ship Voyager, travelling through the unknown Delta quadrant trying to avoid the crazy aliens and making friends with the less crazy aliens.

So to recap....if you're a nerdy obsessive Trekker/Trekkie then you probably won't like this and probably don't need me to tell you but on the other hand, if you are a normal, balanced, healthy individual who doesn't allow T.V to determine the course of your entire life then you'll probably quite enjoy this show.....simple as that

A man meets a married woman at a resort and they have an affair. A year later the man returns to the resort and meets her again only this time to find that she has no recollection of ever meeting him. To make things worse the world these characters inhabit is one of strangeness and disaffection. Characters speak in tongues and behave erratically and zombie like. Are these people ghosts, floating around a mansion of purgatory. Is our hero experiencing the existentialist nightmare of being alone in his perception of reality?. Is he the only one that truly exists?.

Perhaps these characters are merely that, characters trapped in a film that never seems to end and only our hero is wise to it and wants to escape the never ending loop of fictional life? The interpretations can be many and all can potentially be correct. Personally i prefer to see it as the existentialist horror it is. Bearing in mind the period it was made (books and ideas from Satre and Camus making their mark around this time)

Don't get me wrong, i'm not suggesting this film is a masterpiece or even an entertaining romp of mild escapism. The fact is i found the film very confusing, strange, irritating and actually rather boring for very long periods. I wouldn't recommend it lightly. That said, once the film was over, i did ponder the various interpretations, considered the meaning and even questioned the very nature of existence. How many films make you do that?!

This is possibly the most disturbing war film ever made. The story of a boy who wants to fight the Nazi machine only to slowly be mentally and even physically destroyed by it. The portrayal of the Nazi invasion is not one that attempts to humanise them as many films have done before.

The film is very keen to show the audience the kind of atrocities committed by the Nazi's and the hatred that built up in the Soviet Union. It would of course ultimately lead to the Soviets wreaking terrible revenge on the Germans at a later date.

Some may argue that this film is propaganda at it's best and even a means by which to forgive the Soviets their actions once they arrived in Germany after successfully pushing the Nazis back. "We did this to them because look at what they did to us". I must admit, it certainly worked on me......i wanted the Russians to annihilate the Germans.....show them no mercy. If this was the films aim or not, i personally believe it is essentially irrelevant. This is a film about war and the impact it has on everyday life.

However you interpret the message and however you perceive the apparent propaganda, this film is not easy to forget. Powerful.

I think there are only two truly great films about film making. One is Fellini's "eight and a half" and the other is this. We witness the transformation of a man from factory worker into artist. All achieved through the use of his camera and more specifically, the things he sees through the camera's lens. Kieslowski is clearly telling a story close to his heart here and shows the audience both the joy and freedom art can bring but also more tellingly, the obsession that can overtake ones life.

The performances are great and the film, in my opinion, is given further impact due to the political undertones that are unavoidable.

Kieslowski even seems to be condoning censorship by pointing out that when it occurs, it forces film makers to find ways around it and produce superior work as a consequence.

Not a perfect film by far but a film that points the way to a career that would continue to rise

Apparently, Cary Grant didn't rate his performance in Arsenic and old lace, believing it to be, hammy. The fact is, he certainly gives it everything but in the context of the film itself, his performance is essentially perfect.

This film is, of course, set in the realms of utter nonsense and fantasy but that simply heightens the satisfaction one gets, once you've settled in for the ride. It starts by establishing the relationship Grant has with Lane and then quickly sets up the family as having a severe history of mental illness (not real mental illness of course, comedic mental illness).

once these things are set up, we quickly go onto the silly journey of the film and watch Grant react to numerous fantastical situations. Grant's double takes are a joy to watch and everyone does there bit to keep the momentum going until we get to the resolution.

The film is a stage play farce of the best kind and the light hearted nature of the film is something all players are aware of, leading to the moment when Grant actually looks into the camera. pure entertainment of the best sort. They don't make em like this anymore.

This is my favourite Grant film and i'm sure Grant eventually realised his performance isn't hammy at all but rather brilliant... it's spot on (and even if he never realised it, everyone else did)