10 Minute Solution: Dance off Fat Fast

Another good 10 Minute Solution workout :-0
As you know, each of the 10 Minute Solution workouts, are 5 segments that are each 10 minutes and are able to be played in any order (I actually like this feature to mix things up a bit and make it a little more interesting). This is all aerobic and Leah is a friendly instructor and she makes this easy to follow.
All of the moves are taught at half tempo and get faster as you learn them and add on moves. There really isn't anything drastically new here; it's a lot of grapevines and hip rolls, disco and swing moves. My two favourite segments are the Simple Slim Down and the Dance Sculpt.
While I find this workout good (because you can do as little as 10 minutes or as much as 50 minutes), this workout is really designed for a beginner exerciser or intermediate at most. If you are already fit and want a challenge, you won't find it here. The reason I bought this is for a change of pace and to do light workouts on days where I can't be bothered doing much. I wouldn't...

I love this workout!!!
I love this workout!! I found the steps really easy to follow unlike many other dance videos I have gotten. My heart rate was steady and I broke a nice sweat. The best part is that I had fun. The bonus is my little girl likes to do it with me. So we get fit together. I appreciate being able to do this video in the privacy of my home because I am not a dancer. I can let loose and I find myself smiling-- and at times laughing (at the thought of what I might look like doing this in front of others!!!)... This is a definite keeper! Plus the instructor is great (not annoying at all which is a plus to me) and has a body that keeps me motivated!!!

Fun workout with style!
Let me first say that this is the first dance dvd I have done and I have two left feet. That being said, I had a blast with this dvd! I found the moves to be easy to catch on to and I loved the different themes, my favorite being the swing cardio. I liked the instructor, too. This is a fun workout that didn't wear me out. I really like this one and will be implementing it a lot.

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Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Vol. 2

Great series
It's a great series and I would recommend it to everyone. Great plot,great story and great characters. I would give it a 9 out of 10





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Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Volume 1

The revolution begins
Imagine a world where the Romans never conquered Britain, and Britain's natives created a vast world-spanning empire of their own. Their latest subjugation: Japan, now called Sector 11.

It's an interesting albeit unlikely idea for alternate-world scifi, and it serves as the basis for "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion." And the first few episodes of this intricate anime series take us right into the action, with only a prologue of the Britannian Empire's history as a buildup. And it doesn't take long for the capable anti-hero to get stuff moving.

Schoolboy Lelouch Lamperouge tries to help out when a convoy crashes near his motorcycle -- but then HE gets hijacked instead. As the callous Britannian military and the lethal Knightmares (hello, big mecha!) close in, Lelouch learns that he has inadvertently fallen in with a faction of Japanese freedom fighters. And he also finds that the convoy's cargo is not poison gas as the rebels thought -- but a strange...





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The Office: Season Four

A truncated, but great season
It's that time of year again - a magical time when television studios release their most successful shows from the previous season in deluxe and frequently expensive DVD sets. But this last seasons was, of course, different. The writers strike cut the season down to 16 episodes and, as expected, many are starting to complain that the price hasn't been discounted. Paying the same price for less product does seem unfair. That is, to everyone but the media industry. As for me, I'm not surprised in the slightest. I expect to be exploited by the media - it's nothing new. The real question is, with all Office season four episodes already available on NBC's website, will people feel cheated enough to forgo this collection altogether?

Season four seemed like something of a departure from the usual style. Earlier seasons featured many episodes with a more-or-less self-contained story that came to some sort of resolution within 21 minutes. Season four seemed to be mainly episodes...

Target version with 5th disc Q&A
Disappointing season compared to 1,3, and especially 2? Probably. Overpriced box set considering the shortened season due to the writer's strike? Definitely. Still one of the best shows on tv and still worth owning? Ye-esh. So should you buy it now or discounted later?

Well, i'm a fan of The Office and have all 4 seasons on dvd(recently addicted so i had to play catch-up). This was a day-1 purchase for me only because i love the show; and because i had a gift card and some discounts coming to me. I bought the special edition at Target with the bonus 5th disc being The Office Q&A convention in Scranton, PA with the supporting cast. If you don't know what to expect(i didn't), above all else don't expect professionalism or anything fancy. The convention looked huge and was packed with Office fans! The camera-work had a very "we coulda done this with a camcorder"-look to it. It has the standard host/audience's questions format. It lasts about an hour and is fun if...

Great Show! Terrible service!
First off, let me say I am completely in love with The Office, and it is one of my favorite TV shows in recent history. The plot is engaging, the story entertaining and the characters very memorable. Even people who have not seen the first few seasons would not miss much if they start with the fourth season.

However, my review is more of the Unbox Amazon player and service than the TV show itself.

I write episode recaps and review of the office for a small fan website and even though I watch the show on TV when it first airs, I like to have a copy of it to rewatch again while I am writing. Last season I used the iTunes season pass to accomplish this, but since the Office is not available on iTunes this year, I decided to download the video from Amazon instead.

My first impressions were very good! It was very easy to plug in my current account information into their one-click shopping and buy the episode. However, I then had to download their...

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The Small Back Room (The Criterion Collection)

Powell and Pressburger, returning to their roots.
It was a surprise for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger to follow up the Technicolor extravaganzas of "Black Narcissus" and "The Red Shoes" with a throwback to their earlier work--the black-and-white, tightly focused World War II drama "The Small Back Room." Perhaps the film served as sort of a palate cleanser before they moved on to "The Tales of Hoffmann," a film so rococo that it made "The Red Shoes" look modest. However, "The Small Back Room" is still a riveting, superbly made, character-driven thriller that is worth anyone's time.

Set in the early spring of 1943, the film tells the story of Sammy Rice, a bomb expert sinking into drink and despair after a failed effort to defuse a bomb caused one of his feet to be blown off, leaving him in constant agony. In his depression, Sammy is allowing the political players in his government department (led by a smarmy Jack Hawkins) to walk all over him, to the sorrow and anger of Susan, Sammy's secretary and live-in...

Offbeat gem
Far from being an indicator of the decline of the creative genius of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, The Small Back Room harkens back to the pair's earlier black-and-white period and is an offbeat gem. David Farrar shines as Sammy Rice, a bitter yet sensitive man unsure if he has enough character to accept the things he must and the strength to change what he can in his life. Kathleen Byron (who appeared with Farrar in P&P's Black Narcissus in 1947) plays Susan, a shrewd, strong woman nevertheless deeply in love with a flawed, perhaps failure of a man. Their relationship, suprisingly and refreshingly adult in a period still wrapped in censorship restrictions, is the core of the film as Sammy battles his inner demons and those at his government job as one of the nameless, faceless experts in the "small back room." Full of wonderful character support (Jack Hawkins, Cyril Cusack and a hilarious cameo by Robert Moreley as a vapid government minister) and the famed Powell and...

The Archers in decline, but still a film worth watching
Sammy Rice (David Farrar) is a first-rate scientist and something of an expert in defusing bombs. The year is 1943 and the Germans have starting dropping a new kind of terror weapon on Britain. It's something small, evidently attractive to children, and explodes either when it's picked up or just touched. No one is sure because the three children and one adult who did touch the things were killed. Rice is asked to investigate by the Army. He says he has to have an unexploded device to work on; that he'll come as soon as the Army calls him. Rice, it happens, has also lost his foot and wears a metal one. He suffers pain from it and is well into a self-pitying meltdown fueled by alcohol. Susan (Kathleen Byron), the woman who loves him, understands what he's going through but sooner or later will have enough of his self-involvement. "Sue, you'd have such a good life without me," he tells her in a nightclub. "I take things from you with both hands. I always have. I always will."...

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Element: AM & PM Yoga for Beginners

Nice gentle practices perfect for waking up or winding down
I was so excited to get this product as I have another of Elena Brower's Yoga DVD's and absolutly love it. I'm happy to say that this did not dissapoint either.

The AM workout slowly warms up and opens your body and manages to pack in quite an impressive variety of poses into 30 minutes that work your entire body without making it seemed rushed. It leaves you very invigorated and is really the perfect quick workout for the morning.

The PM workout is so relaxing, soothing, and just leaves you feeling all ooey gooey good! Elena adds a lot of breathing and centering in this workout, something I find missing or lacking in many Yoga workouts. It is a soothing workout for both mind and body, the very essence of what Yoga is supposed to be!

Here's a breakdown of the poses:

AM:
-Mountain Pose w/ some gentle arm and shoulder warm ups
-Warm ups w/ cat-cow, down dog, childs pose, a down dog/plank vinyassa, ending in cat cow
-Twisted...

good, but not for rank beginners
This is a good yoga video, but it is important to realize that it is not an instructional video for absolute beginners. The poses may be easy enough for beginners to tackle, but this is not a video for teaching yoga to a novice.

The video consists of two sets of postures (poses, movements), one for morning and one for evening. Elena Brower obviously knows her stuff, and each pose is shown from a variety of angles. The narration is helpful and clear. There are some instructions for a few variations based on the learner's abilities.

While the video is well shot and the poses well done, I find it lacking in instructional value. There is too much unexplained jargon; "soften your eyes," "inhale brightly open," and so on. The yogic names, when used, are not explained, spelled out onscreen, or pronounced slowly. There is no booklet included to explain, define, or clarify any of the material. Someone already familiar with yoga, or other similar practices, could learn...

Very helpful for beginners :-)
When it comes to yoga, I am definately a beginner and don't do it often because some yoga programs are too challenging for me. This one is great and I'm glad I decided to give it a go. I didn't get it the first time round but I'm finding it getting a little easier with each go and now I'll be enjoying the challenge of progressing to a higher level of it.
This has a gorgeous setting outdoors by the ocean and so that in itself is nice and relaxing. The AM segment is done with standing movements to help energize you and the PM segment is more focused on relaxing and elongating your muscles and nice stretches. I find down dog and sun salutation to be my two favourite moves here. Ellen is a great instructor who has the perfect soft voice for yoga teaching and the way she describes the moves, helps you visualise them without necessarily having to look at your tv set.
While I'm new to yoga, I do find this great. As I mentioned, yoga usually seemed intimidating yet this...

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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 3

My Life Is Sunny Thanks To This Show
I would fall into the group of folks who began watching "Sunny" with the inception of the Dumpster Baby episode and, in turn, quickly got himself caught up with the first two seasons on DVD. Aside from the heaps of praise that "Sunny" has gotten since it first appeared, it's inclusion on the FX Network made it especially intriguing as (in my opinion) they house the best original television on basic cable today.

While the first 2 seasons are picture perfect in their own right, Season 3 delivers the funniest moments to date of this already amazing show. Anyone who is a fan already knows which moments these are (ie; Day Man). My personal favorite is the season finale, specifically the Mac vs. Dennis dance off, which is quite possibly the funniest moment in TV history.

Season 3 also includes the gang trying out for the Eagles, the death in Dennis and Dee's immediate family, battling a local Korean restaurant, Mac joining the mafia and a few drop-ins from the McPoyle...

"we are electric dream machine - prepare to experience sexual magic..."
Mac, Charlie, Dennis, and Dee are back with daddy Frank to wreak their special kind of havoc and no one is safe from their evil shenanigans. For those who have not yet had the pleasure to catch this fantastic show, take equal parts "Arrested Development" and "Seinfeld" and add in a little "South Park" and you have "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" which is truly one of the funniest shows ever aired on television.

The 1960's-style theme music makes it seem like you are about to watch an innocuous show, only to be bombarded with one of the most over the top, hysterical comedies where nothing is sacred and no one is above their particular style of scorn. Whether it is trying to capitalize on a baby they found in the dumpster by putting her in commercials (then of course putting shoe polish on her to make her more "ethnic"), determining if Dee's latest squeeze is learning impaired, getting sold into prostitution by their dad, scheming for an inheritance, cheating at being the...

crcklvr
Tears streaming down my face, fall off the couch, beer through the nose, crude, rude HI-LARITY! If you ain't watching this, get out of your moms basement, put down the Playstation controller and glue your orbs to FX. This isn't feel good television, it isn't reality about dancing, surviving, singing or making over homes. It's comedy; mainlined straight to your funny bone with a chaser of guilt. Couldn't be more pure.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Be True to Your Ghoul
Note: This is a review of the 2008 DVD release

What's this? A new "Nightmare Before Christmas" DVD package? Actually there are three versions: this two-disc set that includes a downloadable digital copy, a Blu-ray version, and a collector's edition that comes with a bust of Jack Skellington with a detachable Sandy Claus beard and hat.

Though this version is billed as a two-disc set, it actually has three discs. The third one contains the digital copy. An instruction sheet spells out in clear steps how to download the file to an iPod or similar device.

The movie itself is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. A delectable witches' brew of stop-motion animation, catchy show tunes and a seriously warped creative license, it always stays true to its timeless message: to be happy, be yourself. Devilishly...

Nightmare Before Christmas 2 Disk (Blu-ray + DVD)
Nightmare Before Christmas [Blu-ray]
Since there are a number of reviews listed on previous releases of this movie which describe the storyline of The Nightmare Before Christmas, I will just mention that I saw it when it was originally released in the movie theaters and have been a fan ever since. After being unable to find out sufficient details about the technical specs of this 2010 release on the Amazon and Disney websites, I decided to find out the information by visiting a "Big Box" store so that I could physically look at the Blu-ray/DVD cover. This version contains one Blu-ray disk and one DVD disk. The Blu-ray specs listed on the box are 1080p, with a 1:66:1 aspect ratio. The DVD specs are shown as "original theatrical format" with a 1:66:1 aspect ratio. If you do not already own a Blu-ray player, this version will work best.

After considering this information, I decided to order the...

A Special Edition that is TRULY Special
If you think the best movies are the ones that show you a world you've never envisioned before, then you will LOVE Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas". A benchmark in stop-motion animation, this incredibly difficult-to-make film (24 individually posed frames were needed to produce ONE SECONDS's worth of action) is a masterpiece of art direction, set design, and good old-fashioned storytelling. The plot revolves around Jack, the Pumpkin King of Halloween, and his attempt to run Christmas in place of Santa Claus. "Sleigh" becomes confused with "slay"; "stockings" become "stalkings"; and spirits go from joyous to ghostly as the two holidays clash together like oil and water, or fire and ice. One of the great surprises of the movie is that although it dances around material that could easily careen into cynicism, it remains refreshingly sweet and light throughout. Which is not to say that some of the comedy isn't a little...

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Arthur Season 11

A joyful and mildly educational program, enthusiastically recommended as a gift for families with young children
Arthur Season 11 collects the latest season of the Parents' Choice award-winning public television series based on the popular children's books by Marc Brown. Following the animated adventures of eight-year-old aardvark Arthur Read, Arthur Season 11 includes episodes such as "Mind Your Manners", "Germophobia", "Baby Kate and the Imaginary Mystery", "The Making of Arthur" (with Matt Damon) and much more. Extra features include downloadable materials for parents and teachers, and the DVDs are enhanced with closed captions and described video for the visually impaired. A joyful and mildly educational program, enthusiastically recommended as a gift for families with young children, as well as public library children's DVD collections. 4.5 hours, color.

arthur season 11
Ilove watching arthur season11 andall the arthur series its family oriented and kid friendly. it deals with everyday issues and woes of everyday children. it has a moral but not over preachy. it deals with everyday stuff children deal with and teaches them lessons

ARTHUR is NO. 1!
Arthur has to be the best tv series in the entire world. Yes, I'm an adult, and my 2 year old loves it too. Actually, she's the reason I started watching Arthur. And now I can't stop.

PLEASE PRODUCE ALL 15 SEASONS OF ARTHUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Fletch Collection

A Fletch Collection DVD short review
Got The Fletch Collection in the mail from Amazon yesterday (8/20/08). Fletch is the same exact disc that is found in the "Jane Doe" edition and Fletch Lives is the same blue disc as in the previous dvd release, that is still available for purchase. The set is almost identical to the "Jane Doe" edition in the sense that there's a slip cover and a single dvd case with a "flipper". There is no digi-pak here folks. The only special features are the same ones on the "Jane Doe" edition. Fletch is in 5.1 Dolby and Fletch Lives only has 2.0 Dolby. Both are in 1.85:1 anamorphic.
Great buy if you don't own either or if you want to upgrade to save a slight bit of space.

Will I review this? Sure.
One of Chase's great roles! Fletch was so great when I saw it, I loved the film, and it was quite popular. Chase dresses up in numerous disguises, and the one that he was the "roller skating guru" I didn't even realize it was him. I suppose if you're not a fan of Chase, or didn't know who he was, you might not be impressed with this outing. Some of his references are also going to be lost on today's viewer. However, the film is fun. The follow up isn't as good, but if you like the first one, you'll like the second one too.

nice buy
The Price is great, the product is awesome and the quality is excellent! Thank you! Will buy again! Easy Transaction!

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Errol Flynn Westerns Collection (Montana / Rocky Mountain / San Antonio / Virginia City)

Flynn's Westerns - A Unique Sub-Genre
There are westerns (with John Wayne, Gary Cooper, directed by John Ford, Howard Hawks, not to mention Roy Rogers and Gene Autry) and then there are Errol Flynn's westerns. I think I saw some of Flynn's westerns on TV before I saw any of the others and was therefore very surprised to find that DODGE CITY, VIRGINIA CITY, THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, etc., were unlike any of the other films in the genre. That said, these films created a unique western sub-genre on their own terms, mainly because Flynn was a unique screen presence and Warners figured out how to tailor stories to his personality.

This four-film collection brings together the less celebrated films. 1940's VIRGINIA CITY is basically a "prequel" to 1939's DODGE CITY with Flynn, Alan Hale, and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams playing virtually the same characters they did in the first film. My guess is that the romantic subplot with Miriam Hopkins (she and Flynn have absolutely NO screen chemistry)would have confused the...

Essentially a volume 3 of the Flynn Signature series
Only "Virginia City" has an A-film feel about it with Michael Curtiz directing and notable Warner costars. The other three are B Westerns in my opinion, but Flynn's presence always made any film much better. His performances in all of these films are very good, he just doesn't always have the best material with which to work, and in some cases he is working with some very bizarre casting. The extra features bring this package up to four stars in my opinion, but I don't understand why WHV just didn't go ahead and add "Silver River" to the set and make it the usual five film classic box set. Someone else has already done an excellent job of summarizing each film. So I'll just mention the extra features for the set, the director in each case, and my personal rating of each film on a five star scale:

Montana (1950) directed by Ray Enright. (3/5)
The weakest of the four films in the set.
Extra Features:
Vintage Newsreel
Warner Night at the Movies 1950 Short...

Fine Showcase of Flynn's Less-Celebrated Westerns...
Despite Errol Flynn's legacy as the screen's greatest swashbuckler, he, in fact, made more war films and westerns than sword-swinging adventures. While a collection of his often-worthwhile war films hasn't been released, yet, "Errol Flynn Westerns Collection (Montana / Rocky Mountain / San Antonio / Virginia City)" does provide an opportunity to enjoy some of Flynn's lesser-known westerns (chosen, I suspect, because two are in color). While Flynn hated making 'oaters', in general (with the exception of "They Died With Their Boots On"), his natural grace, charm, and riding and shooting skills certainly offset his incongruous Australian accent!

"Virginia City" (1940), is, arguably, the only 'A-list' title of the collection, a quasi-sequel to Flynn's hugely successful 1939 Western debut, "Dodge City", again directed by Michael Curtiz, scored by Max Steiner, and featuring Alan Hale and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as his sidekicks. This time around, Flynn is an undercover Union...

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Empire Records/Singles

Not What I Ordered
I am an avid lover of Empire Records. That movie was a cult classic, up there with Clerks and Mallrats- maybe even Jay and Silent Bob. It is an overdose of stupid, lovestruck, eccentric teenagers (and twenties) who work in a record store that is about to go under, due to some embezzeling of the funds in the safe by an employee. They are so much like a family, that the gambling (and subsequent losing) of that money is hidden like a dark secret. They all come together to have a store party (fest) to raise money to save the small town store. It's funny, it's wild, introspective and exciting. Perfection for an early 90s film.

However...
Along came the "remix fan edition". In the fan edition, the words have changed from their original "classic" version. I have to assume the words in this edition are the ORIGINAL scripted words, and maybe the movie that was released had the revised ones to keep the film at PG 13? But since the released version is the one that I've...

Empire Records,"Fan Edition Remix," Beware!
As I read, I thought the remix fan edition might have a few different scenes or lines in it, but I was wrong. This is awful, major parts of the plot have even been changed! This is almost a completely different movie. I have no idea why they would have changed this from the original version, but this is not what you want to see. Take your time and try to find an original version of this movie. I do not recommend this "Fan Edition, Remix"

Bought it for Empire Records
I bought this DVD because it was the cheapest release of Empire Records I was able to find. It's definitely one of my favorite movies, and although everyone was saying there's a ton of changes from the original release and this version, I don't think I really noticed a difference.

Of course, I watched Singles just because it was there and available. Yeahhhhh, not all that good of a movie.

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Mighty Machines: Power Pack

Episode List
Great series! If your kids are like mine and ask for episodes by name, you'll need this list:

Mighty Machines Power Pack
*Diggers and Dozers features episodes
o At the Construction Site,
o At the Demolition Site and
o At the Quarry
*Lights and Ladders features episodes
o At The Fire Hall,
o At the Garbage Dump and
o In the City
*Boats to the Rescue features episodes
o To the Rescue,
o Making Waves and
o In the Harbor
*Roadways to Runways features episodes
o At the Race Track,
o At the Airport and
o On the Road

Love it, if you are not already conditioned to today's fast cut videos
Our 2.5 yr old loves this series. He watched it on Netflix until they took it off instant download. The series is especially good if you are looking to stay away from fast cut videos that has been associated with the lack of attention span in children. Typical scenes pan slowly through the details and talks through each thing that happens. You feel like you are actually taking a leisurely field trip to the site. We adults frequently watch the videos too!

Great for young boys
I have a two year old who loves these DVD's. He actually watches it and gets excited as the machines move around and work. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has children and like to watch trucks. Much better than cartoons and a lot less annoying.

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