Reviews Written By: A1EARN5PUVIF1Sprovided by Amazon.com |
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![Adventureland [Blu-ray]](product_images/4981000/adventureland-blu-ray_t-4981286.jpg) | Adventureland [Blu-ray] | |
 | "Weak. Weaker. Weakest." | 2009-10-11 |
| This could be the lamest "coming of age" film I've ever seen. Neither the characters nor their relationships are credible in the slightest. Jesse Eisenberg lacks the charisma to star in a movie like this. I would suggest that the writer/director find a more suitable occupation -- perhaps operating a train. Then all he'd have to worry about is keeping the train on the track and not overshooting the platform at a station. I give this one more than the minimum one star because the actress who plays Lisa P. is indeed a lovely sight to behold dancing. If you don't already have "The Graduate" on DVD, that's the coming of age film to own instead of this turkey. | ||
 | Upstairs, Downstairs - Collector's Edition Megaset (The Complete Series plus Thomas and Sarah) | |
 | "The Greatest Drama Series Ever?" | 2009-09-23 |
| What a pleasure to be able to watch every episode of "Upstairs Downstairs" at your own pace, with NO commercials or fundraising breaks!
I was surprised watching this megaset how many episodes I don't recall ever seeing. I'm not sure whether that's because I was out of the house at the time -- in the days before VCRs -- or because some of the episodes have elements reflecting the racism, anti-semitism, or other unfortunate aspects of the Edwardian age which U.S. networks elected not to broadcast. At any rate, one need look no further than the brilliant first episode to see why this series is one of the best -- if not the single best -- historical drama ever, and every bit as captivating today as when it was originally broadcast. With clockwork precision, the first episode introduces us to the aristocratic Bellamy family who live upstairs at 165 Eaton Place, and their staff of devoted servants working downstairs. We see how the house functions, in particular the duties of the servants through the course of the day -- and we are introduced to one of the richest casts of characters this side of Dickens. The steadfast and resourceful Hudson the butler, played by the late, great Gordon Jackson... the fastidious Mrs. Bridges the cook, played by Angela Baddeley... Rose the parlor maid, played by series co-creator Jean Marsh... Mr. and Lady Bellamy, played by David Langton and Rachel Gurney... their children James and Elizabeth, played by Simon Callow and Nicola Paget... all are indelible creations magnificently realized. In the course of the series, the years from the first quarter of the twentieth century come to life with an unerring eye for detail, from the advent of electricity in the home to the adoption of the automobile to the crackle of the first crystal radios and early victrolas to the sinking of the Titanic to the horrors of World War I and the crash of the stock market in 1929. Watching the series again, I was moved to tears on a number of occasions. I felt as if I was spending time with a dear family I hadn't seen in many years. This megaset also includes a twenty-fifth anniversary special that reunited many of the cast members to reminisce about the production. One of the most amusing anecdotes comes from series co-creator Marsh, who recalls that there were "upstairs" dressing rooms for the cast and "downstairs". The former had windows and boxes of tissue; the latter did not. The Bellamy family cast were automatically assigned the "upstairs" dressing rooms -- until Marsh finally spoke up and noted that as series co-creator, she deserved a box of tissues as much as Rachel Gurney! Then there is the spinoff series, "Thomas and Sarah", featuring the ever-scheming, never-succeeding former chauffeur and maid of the Bellamy household, which I consider more of a curiosity than a drama as compelling as "Up Down" itself. Still it is a welcome inclusion for dedicated fans. I have deducted one star for the technical problems of this DVD set, which have been cited by other reviewers as well. A&E obviously didn't lavish the same attention to detail on the mastering of these discs as the writers, directors, and actors who created the show, and it's a shame. Especially annoying are the little boxes of "digital dither" that appear in the upper right corners of many episodes, plus the nonexistent color correction in others. Still, these technical issues detract only slightly from the breathtaking panoply of the drama unfolding here, and at a price around half that of the box set when it was first introduced, this megaset still merits inclusion in a British television enthusiast's collection. One hopes, as others have noted, that A&E will eventually release an improved megaset that clears up these technical issues and perhaps includes another set of reminiscences from the series creators and television commentators. Until then -- "look sharp" as Hudson would say, and order this spectacular set to enjoy with your family! | ||
![Gran Torino (+ Digital Copy and BD-Live) [Blu-ray]](product_images/4968000/gran-torino-digital-copy-and_t-4968314.jpg) | Gran Torino (+ Digital Copy and BD-Live) [Blu-ray] | |
| "Clint's Third Masterpiece" | 2009-07-21 |
| By my reckoning (and as of this writing), this is Clint Eastwood's third masterpiece as a director and star. The first two were "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby". What's Clint's secret to making such outstanding films? Simple -- he doesn't give a fig for what some studio suits think will be commercial. Instead he looks for a good script. The script for "Gran Torino", like U and MDB, is simply impeccable. Yes, it's filled with vulgarity and racist language such as you may never have heard onscreen, but that doesn't diminish its command of story and character. The truth is, I wasn't very keen to see this movie when I saw the commercials. Ho hum, Clint playing another crusty old codger. But then I saw an available copy of GT at my local Redbox kiosk and took it home. Like MDB, the film gets under your skin, and it had me bawling like a baby through the last half hour and crying some more the next day. To say this film is surprising and deeply moving is an understatement. If you like great movies, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. I have deducted one star just because of the paucity of special features on the DVD -- no director's commentary, no behind-the-scenes making-the-film featurette, just some stuff about cars. I hope that this deficiency will be rectified soon with a better Collector's Edition... The film certainly deserves deluxe treatment. | ||
 | Panasonic ER430K Vacuum Nose/Ear Hair Trimmer, Gray - Grey | |
 | "Sneeze-Free Nose Hair Trimming" | 2009-06-03 |
| Ah -- Panasonic has solved a problem of long standing. Every time I use a nose hair trimmer, the loose cuttings make me sneeze. No more! This Vacuum Nose-Ear Hair Trimmer works as advertised, sucking up the loose hair as it cuts, preventing the otherwise inevitable sneezing and nose blowing. And I guess it prevents cut hairs from falling into your inner ear too, although I don't think this has ever posed a problem for me ("what's that you said?") Buyers should note that if the "mirror" on the cap appears dull and unreflective, you need to peel off yet another layer of plastic coating. There is a shiny, reflective glass mirror underneath, I assure you. I also like the little cloth travel case included; my previous Panasonic nose trimmers lacked this feature. Do I miss the light on this model? No, because the light never pointed at the trimming point any way -- it was more show than go. Yes, this nose trimmer definitely sucks -- and I mean that in the very best way! Recommended. | ||
 | Beetlejuice | |
 | "Cheesy Reissue" | 2008-09-19 |
| My one-star refers to this so-called "20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" of this hilarious and eye-popping delight from director Tim Burton. Since the inception of the DVD format, I have been waiting for a proper DVD of Beetlejuice with commentary and special features. I am sorry to say that this pathetic disc is NOT what I have been waiting for. Though they supposedly have spruced up the picture, the ONLY special features are three Beetlejuice cartoons and I think some music track or something. NO commentary, NO behind-the-scenes, NO nothing. So -- NO sale. I'm still waiting... | ||
 | Beetlejuice | |
| "Cheesy Reissue" | 2008-09-19 |
| My one-star refers to this so-called "20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" of this hilarious and eye-popping delight from director Tim Burton. Since the inception of the DVD format, I have been waiting for a proper DVD of Beetlejuice with commentary and special features. I am sorry to say that this pathetic disc is NOT what I have been waiting for. Though they supposedly have spruced up the picture, the ONLY special features are three Beetlejuice cartoons and I think some music track or something. NO commentary, NO behind-the-scenes, NO nothing. So -- NO sale. I'm still waiting... | ||
 | Keeping Up Appearances - The Full Bouquet Set (Vols. 1-8) | |
| "High on Hyacinth" | 2008-08-08 |
| Keeping Up Appearances isn't merely one of the all-time great British television comedies, but the dowager lady Hyacinth Bucket, as played by the peerless Patricia Routledge, is undoubtedly also one of the greatest comic figures in British history, a new breed of distaff Falstaff for our current gilded age. When I watch Ms. Routledge do her formidable stuff here -- she knows she is playing one of the most indelible characters ever, and boy, does she go to town with it! -- I think of someone like W.C. Fields, another comic genius who had it all -- the timing, the physical comedy, the appearance, the voice, the vocabulary. The rest of the cast is right there with her, but I must give special mention to Josephine Tewson as Hyacinth's nervous and long-suffering neighbor Elizabeth. Part of the wonder of this show is the way it exploits the power of repetition in comedy, and Tewson somehow manages to spill her coffee in a new and hilarious fashion every time Hyacinth invites her over. From the way Hyacinth answers the phone to the dog that surprises her every time she visits her poor relations to the way she unfailingly describes her sister who married well -- somehow it all gets funnier through repetition in the course of this beautifully written series. We all know a Hyacinth Bucket, and the first time you hear Hyacinth insist with a tone of gentle condescension that it's pronounced "Bouquet," you know that this show has captured the ferocious middle-class snob for all posterity, and with great hilarity. Really, if you like great television comedy, this box is an essential purchase. | ||
 | Iomega 250 GB eGo USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive (33942) | |
 | "Good hardware, problem software" | 2008-04-22 |
| This is a nice little external hard drive -- compact, stylish, rugged, and quiet in operation. I am deducting two stars, however, because of the backup software Iomega provides. First there is NO software disk in the package. You have to download it. If you have dial-up internet, figure the download will tie up your phone line for six hours or more. Yuck. Second, I find that backup software seems to bog down a PC, both with Windows 98 and XP, interfering with screen savers and making system shutdowns a ten-minute battle of the wills. I recommend, therefore, that you turn the automatic backup off and backup manually once a day or as needed. | ||
 | Philips Norelco T980 Turbo Vacuum Trimmer | |
| "Fine Trimmer Needs Better Packaging" | 2008-01-12 |
| A beard trimmer with a built-in vacuum to keep the trimmings from collecting all over your sink is a good thing. So when I decided it was time to replace my Wahl Vacu-Trim, which needed new blades and battery, I was sorry to see that Wahl apparently no longer makes that model. It seems that the only vacuum beard trimmers available at this writing are the two models from Philips Norelco. Seeing a good price here at amazon, I sprang for the Turbo model, which promised a little extra oomph. Well, the trimmer works very well. Better than the Wahl, I think. To my surprise, I like the look it gives me at the closest setting -- if I didn't know better, I would say it makes an old geezer like me look younger. I haven't had the problems others describe with the length comb changing settings on me. The nicad battery life is acceptable -- I get a week of trims on my full beard and moustache at the Turbo setting. When you see the red light come on after turning the unit off -- figure you have one more trim at Turbo speed. Then it's time to recharge. The unit is a little large, but not unwieldy. I will be interested to see how well the blades hold up to the "ever-sharp" claim. No lubrication needed either! I am deducting one star because of failings in the instructions and packaging. The instructions never tell you which side of the trimmer to hold against your face, and the T980 works the opposite of most other trimmers and shavers. Most others have you hold the side with the buttons and logo against your face; when you use the length comb on the T980, however,you hold it with the buttons and logo on the side facing AWAY from your face. I wonder how many of my fellow reviewers have been using this trimmer correctly, given this unconventional orientation. Nowhere in the instructions do they show a clear photo of a guy using the trimmer. There are two tiny, hard-to-follow line illustrations. Adding insult to injury, the first time I called Norelco for help, the woman rep on the phone -- adding helpfully that she had never used a beard trimmer herself -- gave me the wrong answer. Further experimentation -- and another call to a male rep -- confirmed that I was using the trimmer correctly. The other problem with the packaging is the dreadful plastic blister pack holding the trimmer and accessories inside the box. Any package requiring scissors to open needs to be redesigned with more eco- and user-friendly materials!!! At any rate, the T980 is the current state-of-the-art in vacuum beard trimmers, and I recommend it, the packaging notwithstanding. | ||
 | Hasbro FurReal Friends Squawkers McCaw Parrot | |
| "Amazing Animatronic Parrot" | 2007-11-14 |
| Wow, Squawkers rocks the house! Toy historians may recall a Marx animated talking parrot in the sixties containing a mechanism that tape recorded your voice onto a twenty-second loop. You can see the Marx parrot in the great caper movie "Topkapi". Still the Marx parrot was a dumb bunny compared to Squawkers, who really is more of a parrot simulator than a bar trick. Squawkers is quite realistic, funny, and unpredictable. You can record your own sayings, which Squawkers will repeat, with mouth synchronization, in his parrot voice. He dances, to your music or his own. He will repeat things you say to him (rude things too, to be sure -- the instructions of course include a paragraph almost all will ignore advising you to maintain a politically correct parrot in case minors or persons easily offended encounter your bird). Squawkers also responds to a remote control with more commands, including laughing, squawking, and, yes, farting, although he does excuse himself after the last. And the animatronics here are impressive, especially for the money. His eyes and beak open and shut, his head turns, he leans from side to side and flaps his wings, and he sports a full complement of light, infrared, and touch sensors, including a tongue sensor that can detect the plastic cracker you feed him when he gets hungry. In sum, this toy is FAR too good just for kids -- the box says "AGES 5 to 105", and that's more like it. The box also says Squawkers is "the real McCaw" and claims he's "A bird to be heard". He is all that and more. Worth spending fifteen bucks on four rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, I'd say, and I think you'll agree that he's a welcome addition to any office, dorm room, or household. HIGHLY recommended, and the best toy I've seen since Hasbro's own Interactive R2D2 and the SpinMaster Reflex Indoor Helicopter... | ||
 | Women of Steel: Female Bodybuilders and the Struggle for Self-Definition | |
| "Save Your Money" | 2007-05-30 |
| Let me save you the money and trouble of ordering this book. I will state the essential arguments put forth in this small-type tome, minus the repetition that causes these few sentences to swell to fill 150 pages: 1) Joe and Ben Weider own the sport of bodybuilding, exercising a "hegemonic" and monopolistic control unparalleled in any other pro sport. 2) Whether because of old-world thinking or economic reality, they decree what kind of female physique will win the top awards, favoring symmetry over muscularity and insisting on a show of femininity in the forms of heavy makeup and breast implants. 3) As long as the Weiders hold the purse strings, women bodybuilders who want to earn a living from the sport will have to limit their muscularity if they expect to succeed. There, I think that about sums it up. I have also included the author's favorite word, "hegemonic", which appears in this book more times than I have ever heard the word used previously in my life. Finally, there are some nice photos of women bodybuilders, who manage to look both sexy and sinewy, but you can find these online elsewhere free. | ||
 | SmartDisk FDUSB-TM2 USB 2X Speed USB Floppy Drive | |
| "Works Fine" | 2007-04-10 |
| Now that floppy drives are becoming an endangered species -- and an expensive one, with NYC stores asking $40 and up for an external drive -- it's handy to have a compact and inexpensive USB drive that can go from computer to computer like this one. At any rate, there's not much to say about this little SmartDisk drive except that it's fast and quiet. I did have minor install problems with my laptop, but the solution was to clean the USB male plug contacts. It's possible that my unit, though new, might have sat on a shelf for a while... Then the computer recognized the drive, and all was well. As others have pointed out, the "titanium" color is the gray you and I grew up with. Otherwise the unit appears to be well-built, the "in use" light glows brightly, and eject is sure and robust. A good little drive at a good price delivered to your door. | ||
 | Panasonic EV2510K Easy Reach Roller and Point Hand Held Massager, Black/Green | |
| "Guy's Best Friend" | 2006-03-24 |
| Okay, let's see if I can write this review so as not to offend Amazon's fastidious editors... Guys, if you want a plug-in massager that will please your wife or girl friend, the Hitachi Magic Wand is what you need. However -- gals, if you want a plug-in massager that will please your husband or boy friend -- the Panasonic EV2510K is the one! Why? Because the Panasonic is more powerful than the Hitachi, and its hard plastic roller head is better suited to a man's, um, contours. In addition, the Panasonic is quiet and causes no video interference, a selling point in case you augment your "massage" sessions with some video stimulation... The only reason I don't give the Panasonic five stars is that previous "Panabrators" have proven less than reliable; typically they seem to last about a year before they conk out. Still, get an EV2510K, and you'll have a most enjoyable year! | ||
 | WaterPik WP-60 Personal Dental System | |
| "Save Your Sales Receipt" | 2005-10-24 |
| What a piece of junk! I had it for a full day -- just long enough to throw out my sales receipt, of course -- before the hose popped off the handle, shooting water all over the bathroom. I'm not sure why Waterpik expected the hose to stay on the handle in the first place; it looks like it must have been secured with spit -- or prayers -- as there is no tape or gromit of any kind to secure it. Apparently a "handle replacement kit" is available from the manufacturer, and I have inquired how I might order one. I suspect Waterpik does a thriving business selling these, as the hose/handle connection is so flimsy it seems sure to fail -- in my case, within one day. My advice: save your sales receipt in case you need to return your unit to the store where you bought it, or you require warranty service. Pathetic. ADDENDUM (written one week later): Well, I was wrong. You DON'T need to save your receipt, unless you want to return a failed WP-60 to the store. I contacted Waterpik at their website, explained the problem -- and one week later they sent a whole new unit. I must say, they certainly stand behind their (faulty) product! (Perhaps it helps if you point out, as I did, that if the problem of the hose detaching is common enough to warrant a topic on their customer support page, perhaps they might engineer a more effective solution!) Does the new unit work? The hose appears to be affixed more securely to the handle, but I am still using my first unit, as I devised a simple but effective solution while Waterpik was making their move: just by wrapping a length of Scotch plastic tape around the detached hose, you increase the circumference of the hose enough to make a snug fit with the little white plastic collar tucked in the handle where the hose attaches. So you just remove the collar from the handle, slide the collar on the hose now reinforced with the tape, plug the hose into the handle, then reinsert the collar so the tab fits under the lip of the handle. Again, one wonders how Waterpik stays in business effecting such elaborate solutions to such simple (but critical) design flaws; it's like an auto manufacturer giving you a whole new car because they had installed faulty lug nuts on one of your wheels. Another design flaw that shouldn't exist on such a mature product: the irrigation tips really need a gnurled grip so you can turn them in your mouth easily when they get wet while in use. Beyond this, the motor works (so far), and Waterpik does stand behind the product. One also has to wonder, however, what would happen to Waterpik's market share if a Japanese company who sweats the details like Panasonic decided to make a plug-in oral irrigator... | ||
 | iCarPlay Wireless FM Transmitter for iPodT with Dock Connector - AI-IP FM_C | |
| "Monsterosity" | 2004-10-31 |
| Now that my faithful old car cassette receiver won't stop reversing tape direction, I haven't been able to use a cassette adapter for my mp3 player. So I tried this Monster FM Transmitter, and I'm sorry to say the sound is nowhere near as good as the cassette adapter. The frequency response is good, but unfortunately there's beaucoup de noise and harmonic distortion as well. Loud rock music doesn't suffer too badly, but if you're a lover of classical music or acoustic jazz, I doubt you'll find this rig very listenable. For a company known for its high-end cable products, Monster also seems to have very poor customer support, if my experience is any indication. I am still awaiting a reply to my email asking how to improve the unit's reception to minimize distortion. Does any company make a car CD receiver with a stereo miniplug input for mp3 players? That would be ideal! Otherwise, if you have a cassette receiver, get a cassette adapter; if you have a CD receiver... well, the Monster won't make you very happy... | ||
 | Herman Miller Mirra® Chair; Fully Loaded; Color: Carbon | |
| "Wonderfully comfortable and attractive task chair" | 2004-08-09 |
| Needing to replace my old desk chair -- and acknowledging my advancing years -- I decided to find out what was the least expensive chair to offer blissful, sit-all-day comfort. After plopping down on every name ergonomic chair you've ever heard of (Leap, Freedom, etc.), I pronounced the Mirra the clear winner. (The Aeron is remarkably comfortable too, but more expensive.) I bought a loaded Mirra and have been very satisfied, with one little quibble for which I have deducted a star. That is, the two screws holding the chair's back to the base worked themselves loose after a few months of use. I consider this unacceptable in a $700 chair and caution all purchasers not to throw out the hex wrench Herman Miller gives you to tighten the screws. I have now tried applying some Threadlocker Blue liquid to the screws and hope this will solve the problem. I also think Herman Miller shouldn't charge a $150 premium over the basic model for the privilege of adjustable lumbar support. | ||
 | Illuminator | |
| "Excellent Emergency Flashlight" | 2004-07-22 |
| After our dreadful blackout in NYC last summer, I realize more than ever the usefulness of a flashlight that ALWAYS works, with NO dead batteries or burned-out bulbs to worry about. Enter the Illuminator, which teams up a hand-crank generator in place of batteries with three super-bright white LEDs in place of bulbs. How does it work? In a word, great. One minute of cranking gives you "up to an hour" of light. You have two levels of brightness (one LED or three), and unlike the output of the Forever Flashlight, both brightness levels here are VERY bright; so bright that it hurts to look directly into the light! Please note that the output of the first Illuminator I received was rather dim; it seems the generator was not working properly. You should feel some resistance and a whirring sound when you turn the crank. I replaced the defective unit and liked the replacement so much that I just bought a second Illuminator for my car. This truly is all the emergency flashlight you need, and its compact size makes it easy to keep in a handbag or briefcase as well. It also feels good in your hand, with its rubberized grips and handle. Highly recommended! | ||
 | Vornado 510W Compact Air Circulator - Whitestone | |
| "All Hail the Tiny Tornado!" | 2004-07-13 |
| This little "air circulator" is to fans what the Bose Wave Radio is to stereo systems: you simply can't believe the amount of output coming from such a compact source. It seems to transcend physical reality. As a drummer in a doo wop band, I have used one of these "Tiny Tornados" onstage for a number of years now, and nothing else comes close when it comes to blowing a strong, quiet stream of air to keep me cool. Other musicians interested in using the fan for this purpose will be pleased to hear that the little Vornado has NEVER given off any hum or unwanted electrical noises that showed up in a sound system, despite the constant suspicions of band members and sound technicians alike. I don't know what to make of the one other customer who was disappointed by this fan, unless he accidentally bought an inferior copycat version -- there are some around -- made by another company. Simply the best little fan in the world! | ||
 | HOLMES HAPF622R-UC Box Fan With Remote Control | |
| "Powerful portable fan" | 2004-07-10 |
| This is a nice lightweight fan that packs a lot of power -- and modern conveniences -- in a good-looking, compact, and portable package. Features include oscillating grill, simulated breeze mode, and an electronic timer, plus a handy remote to control the whole shebang without getting up from your chair. Highly recommended, even from someone who swears by the littlest Vornado (aka the Tiny Tornado!), another fine little fan. | ||
 | Dragon NaturallySpeaking 7 - Standard Edition | |
| "A Boon for Carpal Tunnel Sufferers" | 2004-03-17 |
| I'm a direct response copywriter, which means that I often have to key in great quantities of text. Unfortunately, I am also a sufferer of carpal tunnel syndrome. Although I've only had this program for a few days, I find it has taken a lot of the stress out of inputting copy. As another user suggested, it seems best to dictate the words, and use your mouse or keyboard for formatting. The program works very well with e-mail and word processing. But as an added bonus, it seems to give you control over most functions of any Windows program! For example, when your desktop is on the screen, you say "open Microsoft Word," and the program opens. Whoah, beam me up, Scotty! I would imagine that this program could be very useful to people with injuries or disabilities, not to mention "lending a hand" when your hands are full. The program does make some recognition errors, but then I do suffer a bit from marble-mouth myself. Fortunately, it's easy to correct mistakes by selecting the words in error, and then saying the correct word or selecting one of the choices the program presents you. Surprisingly, the program invites you to speak at your normal speed. Not to slow down as some earlier dictation programs forced you to do. There are also some passages they give you to read into the supplied headset microphone to improve the accuracy of the recognition. They say it takes about two weeks to optimize the program for your speaking pattern. I find the other challenge is simply getting used to dictation; as a touch typist and self-employed individual, I'm not accustomed to dictating documents to a secretary! The only reason I'm not giving this program five stars is because of the developer's stingy user support, as reported by other users here. When are manufacturers going to learn that it is imperative to provide a toll-free number for customers to call with product problems, and that customers should NOT be charged for the privilege either? Still, until another developer creates a product as good as this, NaturallySpeaking is probably the only game in town. | ||
 | Panasonic DVD-LV50 Portable DVD Player | |
| "Pint-Sized Player Packs Powerful Picture" | 2003-04-22 |
| Having pressed my nose against enough windows admiring these portable DVD players over the last few years, I saw the DVD-LV50 in a store one day and fell in love. I just had to have one, and when my PS2 started having problems playing certain discs, that - and falling prices -- were the excuses I needed. At first I was struck by a few negatives about the DVD-LV50. Contrary to what some stores say, it only has a single monaural speaker, which seems cheap and ill-advised in a unit retailing for six big ones and packing state-of-the-art audio processing. I also think Panasonic should have included the larger rechargeable battery pack that runs for 3½ hours rather than the pack included that runs for two hours. Most folks will probably want to pop for a spare battery, and at only twenty dollars more than the two-hour pack, the bigger battery is probably the better choice. But it's easy to overlook these quibbles when you see the picture on the DVD-LV50. This is flat out the best image I think I've ever seen on a screen of ANY size. (In fairness, I don't believe I've seen HDTV, or if I have I didn't notice it.) Sharp, bright, with pure vivid colors and deep blacks, the picture quality is so good it's right off the chart. The picture really is almost three-dimensional, and the fact that it is appearing on a pint-sized player like this is rather astonishing. Other owners who said you won't notice the diminutive size aren't kidding. The picture is that enticing. Plug in a pair of earbud headphones, and the DVD-LV50 makes a great companion when you're dining alone. Though I haven't yet traveled with the player, I'm sure it would save the day on a train or airplane as well, if you have enough battery power or access to an AC outlet. One of the other significant pluses of the DVD-LV50 is its "free-floating" screen. Rather than being hinged to the back of the player as on most portables, the screen here rides on an articulated arm that hinges to the player. This gives you more flexibility adjusting the height and angle of the screen to optimize the picture. Otherwise the player seems to work like gangbusters, tracking every problem disc I can throw at it with nary a glitch or hiccup. One little detail that's very slick is the way the screen fades to black when you turn the power off - nice! Slow motion is also very smooth - guys know how important this feature is! In conclusion, the DVD-LV50 is quite a technological achievement, if a mite pricey. The day the price comes down ..., however, these players will simply fly off the shelves. | ||
 | Franklin EBM-901 eBookman | |
| "Still Buggy After All This Time" | 2001-06-19 |
| Well, the latest version of the ebookman operating system has arrived, v 1.08, and -- I still lose memory when I change batteries! This means you can't take the ebookman with you on a long weekend or vacation unless you also bring the PC you use to download new material. So far, Franklin's idea of technical support is to have a technician call me, sympathize, explain that the battery problem is in the operating system, and then offer no information when a new operating system will be available or when the problem will be fixed. What a pain! | ||
| Franklin EBM-901 eBookman | |
| "Waiting for Franklin..." | 2001-06-05 |
| The Franklin EMB-901 has a lot going for it. I like its price, size, weight, screen, and wheel control. Unfortunately it has one significant strike against it: Franklin... The latest operating system, released early in May, was buggier than the one before it. Every time I change the batteries, I lose the memory; as another reviewer pointed out, this means you can't take the 901 with you on vacation unless you bring the PC you need to "synch" new reading material. The new operating system also screwed up the Franklin Viewer, a text reader, which was already full of bugs; now it refuses to display the second half of text files longer than 100 pages or so.... At any rate, the 901 may not quite be ready for primetime, but thanks to enterprising third parties like Mobipocket, it may still have a future. Until Franklin fixes the operating system, however, I would say stay away unless you have the time and patience of an early adopter. There's a reason the company is now throwing in extras like the leather case and extra styli... | ||
 | Topkapi | |
| "Greatest Caper Movie Ever" | 2001-06-01 |
| With all the fuss over the re-release of Rififi not so long ago, I had hoped that there would be an equal or greater to-do over Topkapi, hands down the better of the two films. A brilliant cast, exotic locales, superb story, adult humor, a timeless score, and heart-pounding suspense make this one of the most enjoyable films I have ever seen. This is really a classic, and I for one am hoping for a DVD; I would love to hear some behind-the-scenes reminiscences or see a making-of documentary, if one exists. I guarantee you will want to see Topkapi more than once... | ||
 | Ilsa - She Wolf of the SS | |
| "A lot of exploitation entertainment on one DVD" | 2001-03-18 |
| I had never seen any of the Ilsa movies, but I did remember the ruckus when they first came out and the feature Oui magazine ran on star Dyanne Thorne, in which they commented on the "enormity of the affront" she posed to society. In my neverending quest for extreme entertainment, however, I decided to pick up this DVD recently and what a surprise. Play the film without commentary, and you have a well-made exploitation film that still packs as much shock value as just about any B movie I have ever seen. The fact that all the torture and experimentation shown were actually performed by Nazi sadists like Dr. Mengele and Irma Greise makes the images in this film that much harder to forget. Then play the film again with the commentary on, and you have one of the wittiest and most hilarious discussions on making B movies I have ever heard, thanks to director Don Edmonds, producer David Friedman, and especially star Dyanne Thorne. The recollections of these three had me in stitches. In sum, this DVD is a must-have for any student of cinema or admirer of B movies. | ||
 | John Fogerty: Premonition | |
| "Rock & Roll Doesn't Get Any Better" | 1999-05-28 |
| In this thrilling live concert, John Fogerty sings a new love song to his wife Julie called "Joy of My Life." For rock & roll fans the world over, that pretty well describes Fogerty's music and this awesome video as well. I have the VHS copy, and the sound and image are superb. If you've ever sung along to a CCR song, from "Proud Mary" to "Bad Moon Rising," you must own this video. It really is exceptional. | ||
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