FFour

I am tapping on my phone here, so some brevity. I strongly disagree with most of the reviews on here for this. I grew up hooked on Master Bruce Lee, have always loved Jackie Chan from when he came along. This movie screenplay, despite what others have written, was vastly superior to any of the movies of my youth. I could not.believe how great the quality was for a Thai production. I have seen this movie a few times, and replayed numerous Scenes, to derermine how they were able to do choreography for these fights. They really did not cut scene often. A few times, my son and I had to watch a few times at the seemingly impossible skills demonstrated by Yanin Vismitananda. OK, the English dubbing was horrible, but I got past that quick enough. This character of Zen, is acted tremendously well. Surprisingly, she was able to mimic Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan to a perfect T, even though she herself practices Tae Kwon Do. Most impressively, when she learned to replicate the one, unpredictable, fighter, who had an almost Torrett's style was a great addition. This girl, Yanin Jeeja (transliterated to English letters uniquely) really did run up a man to kick him in the face, and her other air acrobatics were very believably done. A few times she went from a one knee down position, to getting airborne enough to connect her knees to heads. She and they made it seem so easy, but it certainly was not something we see little girls do. If you enjoyed martial arts films predating CGI, you can't watch this without being extremely impressed. One thing that really added to the version I watched was how when actors were hurt by the small dynamo, they kept the film footage in the vilm and slowed them down, which blew me away. Lastly, I found this film to be greatly superior to any of the Ong Bak trilogy films. Sure, They were good, with Tony Jaa, but this girl really astonished me. I want to see her pulled into some Hollywood productions. Great job to all involved.

Everything about this series was the best possible, BUT I hate the moral of the story. Essentially, no one at all may be trusted. I counted up the actors on this series, and looked at the ratio of them that made unethical decisions, and it was greater than 87%. If the world actually functioned as depicted, we would be in much graver trouble. This makes for very unexpected twists, and unique stories (which I thoroughly enjoy usually), but if production companies should be responsible for more than just the entertainment value of their productions, than I think they fell slightly short here. I would have given this story a full ten otherwise, as it is very stimulating and suspenseful to watch. The actors and acting were all top rate, and I really have nothing else negative to state. Well, one minor thing: I don't like unrealistic events in shows I watch, such as when someone dies after another turns their neck a quarter turn, or when a car explodes because someone ignites a small piece of paper on fire going into the tank port. But, I have come to expect this from even the greatest productions. If you think that the moral, "One must incorporate evil to fight evil," is acceptable or of little consequence, then you won't mind this factor.

Please don't downgrade this merely due to it not being a full review, as I stated so in the heading. I believe many interested in watching this series would like to know this facet, as I found it very important. I watched every episode and even from season to season kept waiting for good to prevail over all of the evil, but to no avail.)

The story behind this musical can't be spoiled very much. This film was a major, groundbreaking film during the late 70's and early 80's. MANY people hated it passionately, while many of us that were young and rebellious heralded it. As you likely already know, it was an adaptation for film from the musical, "The Rocky Horror Show," but little was changed of significance during adaptation. For nothing else, this film deserves full stars for audience interaction like none other. It was and remains as the supreme cult classic. Today, one can watch similar risqué material on a cartoon channel, without being surprised. But back then, we didn't have nearly as much of the outrageous in our entertainment that we have today. Sure, 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Hair' pushed some boundaries, but we didn't have the amount of competing stimulus as is present today.

The media was very tightly controlled, and we were inhibited and repressed by this as to what was acceptable. This musical would not have been possible without the influences of the narrated Sci-Fi B movies (and the humor of how ridiculous they were), British programming of shows like Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the hippies and musicians of the late 60's & early 70's.

I had long hair back then, and that was a radical thing to do, because family fought over such matters. Seriously, the television shows of our youth would not even show a husband and wife in the same bed without them having to keep at least one foot on the ground. We were raised to believe that sex was a "dirty" thing by our government and many of the social customs that seemed left over from the decisions made by the Council of Trent and the Inquisition of the Dark Ages.

I admit that I tried my only hit of LSD in my life on the day of my first viewing of this film in a theater back in 1978. When those red lips came on the big screen singing, it blew my mind, because it was so novel. Then, the story continued to work away further at the constructs in my mind. When it transitioned us from a wedding in a conservative, rural setting, to entering the Frankenstein place with Dr Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite from the planet transsexual of the galaxy Transylvania, in a hot drag outfit, pushing boundaries about sexuality, music & dance styles, some of the mind-fabrications from our culture that needed to be questioned, were falling down.

When the audience began shouting phrases, holding up umbrellas, throwing toast, carrying around "virgins," it occurred to me that this was a profound moment in my life. We were up dancing together, as a community, to "Let's Do the Time Warp Again," and I had never experienced anything close to it. Wouldn't it be grand if a new production had the ability to get people to unite together dancing in a movie theater?

The scene where Janet wants to get dirty with Rocky, singing, "Toucha Toucha Toucha Touch Me," tells much of the story on its own. She was overly repressed, and viewed sex as dirty due to her upbringing, and wanted to be dirty. She and Brad were exposed to events and people they could never have even imagined based on their upbringing. In some ways, we were rebelling and being dirty to a degree by just being at the show.

The musical gets more ludicrous in the Sci-Fi, B movie style. I don't think the particulars of the story matter much, so don't be upset that you may miss some of the story due to the audience being radical.

I am a major fan of both Sci-Fi and musicals, as that was what our generation had available: Elvis, Bing Cosby, West Side Story, The Wizard of Oz, etc. I acted & sang my heart out in musicals. Plus, I grew up cultured by my parents with theater. But, the musicals were mostly wholesome. This musical was turning our definition of wholesome on its head. Now, when I watch it, it seems strange to me that it doesn't really contain anything I wouldn't want my grand-children to see. Similar risqué material is shown during regular family watching hours now. It really does not contain anything shocking for today, but back then, the shockwaves ran deep and long.

If you are a Rocky Horror Picture Show virgin: I read one of the top reviews that suggested that it should be watched on video first. I dissent with this, as I tried that approach with a RHPS virgin back in the 80's, shortly after I was married. I watched this film with my then wife (and current friend) on VHS. Seeing it for the first time on our television, without the audience, seemed lame to her. I tried to add to the experience with my shouts in the living-room, but no props in the house. It just fell flat. My suggestion for virgins to this show is to go to the theater, without reading any further reviews, and make certain everyone knows you are a RHPS virgin, so they can take care of you. Don't mind if you get carried around with your legs spread open, as happens in some places. You are in for a treat!

DRUG DISCLAIMER: Just because my LSD experience was profound with this picture, I am not promoting you to take any hallucinogens before you watch it. My only reason for mentioning it is due to the cultural significance of hallucinogens back then. Very shortly after my first viewing of this picture, I had a very bad trip when someone snuck some Angel-Dust into a bowl of weed we were smoking, and it messed me up for several very scary days that you would not wish to endure.

When I tell younger people about movies that were revolutionary, like 'Jaws, Star Wars & Alien,' it is hard for them to comprehend just how incredible these motion pictures were. Back then, pretty much everyone watched the same pictures that were produced, because we didn't have anything close to the voluminous productions that seem to churn out weekly in 2013. When I watch most older films, I have to use my imagination more (like watching a play in a theater), but this seems to be harder for our children to do, because they are hand-fed stimulating, very realistic looking, HD graphics now.

Alien scared the crap out of us in new ways, without the use of computer enhancements. It used camera angles, lighting, and modeling to a novel degree. The writing was also fresh, with an ominous monster like never before created.

So, I am listing this as one of the "Revolutionary Films" of my lifetime.

O.K., I have been accused of rating too many films with 9-10 stars, but that is because whenever I rate one lower, people (most likely those associated with the film) mark my reviews as unhelpful. So, here is an opportunity for me to rate one as low without fear of retaliatory acts, as this film, even the makers must admit, deserves no stars other than one star for the one star in the film, Adam West.

This movie shows just how horrible low budget productions were from the 80's, but they were even worse in the 70's.

I didn't like watching these movies in recent years, but my eldest son told me to watch them as comedic, rather than as horror/sci-Fi movies. In doing so, I derived great pleasure at watching these low-budget horror films from yesteryear. When I was younger, during the 70's, I used to watch Creature Double-Feature on my small black & white TV, which was on a UHF channel each weekend, and aired two low budget horror or Sci-Fi films of this nature. That was the best we had back then. When movies came out like Star Wars, which might seem cheap now - the first one anyway, and Jurassic Park, they revolutionized movies. Dinosaurs never looked real, fight scenes always looked fake, but we used our imaginations more. It was more realistic looking than the frequent plays/musicals we attended.

I won't provide a synopsis, nor any input about the values of this film, as every aspect of it was pitiful. Never-the-less, it is enjoyable to watch especially now in this day and age when films look so lifelike. We have come a long way, and one only need to watch a film like this to realize that.

So, watch this film, if you can find an old VHS with it on it like I did, or some similar movies from this error, and just enjoy poking fun at how ridiculous everything looks. In the case of this film, the writing was also terrible - with lines that you are unable to watch without wondering if it was meant as satire.

For me, this was the greatest program produced in a televised series to date. It primarily deals with our human dynamics and where we may be headed in our society with technology. Most viewers should greatly enjoy this program, as the stories contain appeal for most genres: Drama, Thriller, Action/Adventure and Science Fiction, but a very believable form, which I enjoy most of all. It even contains chick-flick appeal, in a soap opera fashion, but not to the point of being detestable to macho-men. WOW! 10 stars easily earned from every category: great writing foremost, but also great acting, cinematics, etc. The direction and production, with rich sets, deserve the highest recognition! Kudos to all involved in creating this masterpiece collection. I also encourage viewers to watch the related productions. The series Caprica is almost equally worthy of its stars, and I encourage Battlestar Galactica fans to watch that also. It is my sincere hope that this is watched by as many people as possible, and that it affects many greatly, to the point that it changes the world in which we live to ensure a brighter future for our children. We need to address some of the concerns brought about by this program before it is too late, or we could go down a similar road of destruction. I am able to foresee the events before they are presented in most programs, well ahead of time, but this program has amazing twists and shocking revelations that really surprised me more than I have ever seen before, yet done without being nonsensical. I enjoy that myself, as most works are too predictable and/or contain unbelievable turns of event. Is it different than the original, which was also great? Yes! But I am glad it is refreshingly unique. For example, Starbuck is a female in this series (not a spoiler, this is evident up-front) but she has many traits similar to the original. I hope you enjoy this program as much as I did (sitting here presently with one of my Battlestar Galactica t-shirts on – so I really love it!).

Although this was a tremendous work, I only gave it 9 stars due to some of the incongruities with Battlestar Galactica, which I consider to be the greatest collection of stories produced in a television series to date. I do not write any spoilers, but I do write the following: They produced a tremendous program here. The writing is top-notch, with superior stories involving human social dynamics. These stories expose where we may be heading with technology, especially with where we could be headed with gaming and retention of our identities. Interestingly, I am presently writing a novel that contains similar information, though I view much of what they present as negative as very positive. This is a must see for any Battlestar Galactica fans, but is altogether unique, and could be enjoyed by anyone that enjoys drama, realistic Science Fiction, some action/adventure, comic books, etc. Pretty much anyone should enjoy this program. Stereotypical women would also enjoy watching this, as it includes chic-flick elements, and is presented in a very soap-opera fashion, but not to the point of being disturbing to macho-men. The most major incongruity with Battlestar Galactica is that the views of monotheism are vastly different. But, as this occurred 50 years earlier, some views may have changed. Also, Admiral Adama seems to be shaped much differently than would be believable. I hope you enjoy this great program as much as I did.

I found this entire mini-series, documentary good for those already familiar with Shakespeare. However, if someone was to watch this series without some fluency with the writings of William Shakespeare, it might not be very intriguing. It does not express the full plays, but gets more into the writer, and historical influences that went into his productions. All of the commentators/narrators did a very fine job, but none as well as Jeremy Irons. But then, I am prejudiced to find him to be a magnificent actor and documentary narrator due to his other great performances/narrations. Shakespeare's writings have influenced much of todays stories, and this is clearly shown through this series.

I first saw this production about 26 years ago, and my initial impressions were that the cinematography, settings, acting, writing, everything about it was fantastic. I have watched it time and time again over the years, and no other movie has yet surpassed this as being number one in my very long list of watched movies. It is a poignant story of grace, forgiveness, redemption and honor. It portrays these attributes in very moving ways, similar to Les Miserables. I try to see most films starring Robert De Niro, and my personal opinion is that his acting for this role was his best performance to date. Now, that is saying something, because I consistently find his acting brilliant in most of his roles (i.e., GoodFellas, Casino), even in the movie Stardust (where he provided us with a very unique performance). I don't want to detract from the acting by Jeremy Irons, which l also found tremendous. Despite the great acting and beautifully filmed settings, the top honors for this film should go to the fantastic story written by Robert Bolt, who formerly brought us renowned screenplays such as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and other great stories before he passed in 1995. It is my hope that everyone see this historically monumental film.

Being a long-time Star Trek fan, I set a very high bar for this movie to reach, and they not only attained that height, they far exceeded it. This movie is a ground-breaker! I remember how much I and the audience were affected, when I was a teenager, watching the original Star Wars, then later in life by Jurassic Park. This movie affected me in the same way, with exceptional effects, set designs, stunts, CGI and did it all with surprisingly great writing and acting. When Kirk (Chris Pine) witnessed the death of a friend, his acting was better than I have seen in a dramatic production. J.J. Abrams did a job worthy of an Oscar for his direction on this production and for ensuring that everything worked together cohesively. They tied into the future (original Star Trek series) and the 2009 movie production, that introduced us to this great cast, magnificently. They took some minor gaps from the original, and closed them brilliantly, but I do not want to spoil anything discussing them. I have not read any other reviews; this was written without any preconceived notions from other fans/critics. I am merely stating the impact that this movie had on me and my son, and actually, all of the audience in attendance with me, who all stood and gave a loud, round of applause for jobs well done! Afterward, even though none of us knew each-other, it felt like we were a community, as we discussed how this movie happily surprised us and struck us as a historical milestone. Keep up the great work! We want more, more, more!

One note: I hope it was just the time that we viewed it, but my eight year old son was the only one in the theater under 30, with most of us closer to 50. This seemed very odd to me, as my son thoroughly enjoyed it, and I am certain any boy into action, adventure or science-fiction—as most are—would find it delightful. There was a simultaneous movie playing in the theater that was labeled as being furious and fast, that the younger crowd was interested in seeing. We saw that movie also, and though it was very good, it paled in comparison to what this movie offered. This movie had it all! I am surprised they were able to produce it for under 200 million. KUDOS!

I started watching Doctor Who back in the 70's, and boy has it come a long way. I thought that the combination of David Tennant and Karen Gillan could not be surpassed until they introduced us to the newest pair of Jenna-Louise Coleman and Matt Smith. The writing appears to be at an all time high, the acting and effects are all top-notch. We all have different tastes, and they have landed on mine. Foremost, Jenna portrays the most spectacular companion ever on the show. Not only is she my definition of the most lovely woman I can think of, besides my daughter of course, carrying herself with regality and spunk, with that ever so cute nose of hers., the intensity of her acting is something other actors can aspire to achieving fractionally. With the eccentric doctor played by Matt, I can not think of a more fitting pair for the series. Among science fiction, none compares to what this program has been churning out regularly. It does not require it's viewers to suspend portions of their intellect. If you have not watched Doctor Who in several years, please return to give it a try, and you may enjoy it almost as much as I do.

I do not recall ever being as captivated by a television program as I have been by Orphan Black. It is a masterpiece among the science fiction genre; with dialogue as good as any dramatic program. I enjoy watching scenes shared by more than one of the clones played by actress Tatiana Maslany. Each has very unique mannerisms, vocabularies, accents, confidence levels, etc. The personalities among the clones are vast, from the orphaned Brit Sarah, to the psycho-killer Helena. Other clones include: the repressed suburbanite Allison; the dread-locked PhD student Cosima, the drab cop Beth and still others. For a young actress (28), Ms. Maslany ranks in my estimation with acting greats such as Helen Mirren and other classically trained actors with extensive, big theater experience. It is noteworthy how the egos of the clones have been shaped by nurture (or lack thereof) more predominantly than by nature. For example, Cosima is self-confident; with a beautiful countenance that radiates from within. Helena is at the other end of the spectrum, with ugliness that is equally staggering, and facial expressions that reveal her instability. With each of the clones being from different walks of life, the supporting characters in their lives also bring tremendous breadth to the story. This might seem a bit messy, but they manage to make it work seamlessly in the context of a great story, with direction and acting unsurpassed in former years of television. In the 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson broke ground introducing us to an unfamiliar dichotomy with the characters Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. That story has always intrigued me, but Graeme Manson and John Fawcett transcended that duality to a degree without label, except perhaps, 'multi-faceted.' If you shun most science fiction as too incredible, requiring viewers to put reason on hold, I am pleased to report that although Orphan Black breaks novel ground, it manages without an affront on your intellectual capacity. I recently spoke to a friend who has not watched British programming since Benny Hill originally aired on his 13 inch Black & White. If you haven't watched the BBC in recent years, they have a tremendous line-up. They have become known for having clever programming with exceptional casts. Though when all of the actors appear as brilliant as in Orphan Black,credit must be given to the direction from the top. I would sincerely like to see actress Tatiana Maslany, supporting actor Jordan Gavaris,who plays Sarah's eccentric brother Felix, and Executive Producer/Co-Creator/Co-Writer/Co-Director John Fawcett receive Emmy awards for their work on this premier season.

A warning: someone wrote that it was offensive; while another denounced it entirely. Those fearful that sparse nudity may drive a person into utter depravity, or those that believe the BBC permits some vocabulary so vulgar that it has the capacity to corrupt a soul,may find this program to be too European for their tastes. Personally, I would have no problem with my grandchild watching.