Downward Spiral
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 March, 1994)
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Editorial Review

Nine Inch Nails are a pretty amazing phenomenon when one considers what they--um, he--have done with just a few studio recordings. The Downward Spiral, NIN's second full-length album, is just as packed with vitriol as Pretty Hate Machine and the EP Broken--and has just as solid a base of pop hooks that go a long way toward explaining NIN's popularity. Most recognizable is the down-tempo single "Closer," which remains a staple of dance clubs everywhere. But for the most part, the album is all heavy beats and aggressive guitars--industrial music with a pop angle. That winning combination is what makes Trent Reznor a law unto himself, becoming insanely popular while the main body of industrial music retains its subculture status. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (518)

Great
absolutely wonderful cd!!! blends great musical talents into one, everything i wanted in this album i got. In 10 years i have to say this album will gain much more status than it already does. The lyrics are so deep, u get a chill going up your spine with every song. Trent blends his unmistakable voice, into heart pounding music, that is such a thrill. I have to say no nin cd compares... though they are good this is an essential album. Please i really encourage you to get this album.

The strong points in this album are in every song. many people have said that no two songs are alike... u may get tired of hearing but it is very true. My favorites are reptile, mr. self destruct, heresy, and closer. Such anger and agression goes into this cd, but yet u have a feeling of sadness in these songs.The softer songs, like piggy, hurt, and a warm place( musical) are Absoulutely wonderful. I have rarely found an album of this anger and sadness. I see some reviews that are negative, and the reason i think this is so is because of its controversial lyrics... or u are damn fans of pop, or rap. Great cd.

I had almost nothing to complain about on this album. their were a few things though that i dint like, its very hard to say that there are things i disliked.... but i have two, i didnt care for big man with a gun. Im sure if im clueless but... it really doesn't have those great lyrics im used to in trent reznor. though the only real meaning i can think of this song is being a satire against rap. The second and last thing i didn't care for was the screaming in the becoming, it felt he was forcing something into a beautiful song he shouldn't. The first time i heard that song i really didn't care for it, but it grew on me and its pretty good... i just wish the screaming was outta of it, and the mechanical voice, but other than that perfection!
I am only 14, yes 14, but i do have all nin studio releases...phm,tds,tf, and i just got the new cd A-WITH-A TEETHA.... great album, and heard nin plans to come out witha nother cd in one year or so..... NIN RULES.

the only nin cd i have
tis is the only nin cd i have its very good espicaly because the album has story i burned broken and with teeth but they dont amount to this one.with teeth is a dissapointment because it had to many fillers and when you tok 6 years to make a 13 track cd thats just being lazy

The day NIN came of age...
The Downward Spiral (1994.) Nine Inch Nails Halo Eight. Their second full-length album, and third source of original material.

Trent Reznor assembled his musical project, Nine Inch Nails, late in the eighties. It's not likely he knew just how successful his group would become, though. Even after just five years, Reznor had changed his musical sound drastically. What started as a techno-rock experiement (as chronicled on 1989's Pretty Hate Machine) was quickly shifting toward the darker, more sinister grounds of goth/industrial music (1992's Broken EP was the first release that hinted at this new sound.) The second full-length Nine Inch Nails album arrived in 1994. How would The Downward Spiral be received? Would it become revered as an industrial rock masterpiece, or would it literally be Reznor's downward spiral in the music business? Read on for my review of the album.

This album is a masterpiece of industrial rock, no questions asked. It's this album that gained Nine Inch Nails the vast majority of their fame and audience, so it's not surprising to see just how high of a level some fans of the group hold it on. In just five short years, Trent Reznor had shifted his musical stylings drastically. Although I personally preferred the band's earlier sound (the techno-rock one featured on Pretty Hate Machine), I feel that this change in sounds did the band a lot of good. This is a much darker and more agressive album than anything that came earlier, and perhaps that's the reason it won the group so many fans. The most popular song on here would have to be the radio hit Closer, but it's far from being the only good song Trent and company have to offer this time around. Kicking things off is the hard and heavy industrial rocker Mr. Self Destruct, which will grab a tight hold of your attention and never let do. It's immediately followed by the bass-heavy Piggy, which is one of the band's most unique-sounding tracks. And who could forget classics like Heresy and March Of The Pigs? And the gloomy ballad Hurt? Every track on here is unique; no two sound alike, further establishing Trent Reznor as a musical genius. Where this album succeeds, it succeeds beautifully. And where it doesn't succeed.... never mind. It succeeds in everything it does. This is a Nine Inch Nails masterpiece, and millions of fans will back me up on that claim. If you only want to buy one Nine Inch Nails album, and you want to get one that epitomizes everything the band stood for in their prime, The Downward Spiral is the one you should get.

There are many different editions of The Downward Spiral available. There's the original CD release, the Dual Disc version, and the Deluxe Edition. The original CD release has no bonus material, but it is the cheapest version, so any new/potential fan should get that version of the album. The Dual Disc one costs more but has a whole DVD side worth of interesting band info. However, there aren't any bonus tracks, so that version is for die-hard fans ONLY. The Deluxe Edition has a whole second disc worth of bonus material, but it is ridiculously overpriced, as are most CDs in the Deluxe Edition series. However, despite it's overpricing, the Deluxe Edition is best, since you get a whole bonus disc worth of Nine Inch Nails rarities. Still, whatever version of the album you decide to buy is up to you.

This was Trent Reznor in his prime, both commercially and musically. It's not surprising that this is the release most people remember Nine Inch Nails for. If you only buy one album from the group, and you want one that shows you everything the group stood for in their musical prime, this is the album to buy. I give it my highest recommendation and a five-star rating. No other industrial rock album even comes close (except, of course, other Nine Inch Nails releases.) ... Read more

Asin: B000001Y5Z
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Lateralus
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (15 May, 2001)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

Everything about Tool's fourth album is an experience, starting with the packaging, which consists of liner credits printed on a translucent plastic sleeve over the CD and a booklet that layers anatomical representations atop one another--the first page pictures musculature and blood vessels; the next, bones; the third, internal organs; and so on. It's worth describing the packaging of Lateralus because it says much about the astonishing music within. Maynard James Keenan and company understand the expectations riding on this much-anticipated release and they've delivered the goods! While it remains in the Tool tradition of trance-inducing progressive metal, Lateralus is tighter, clearer, crisper, and all around a notch above their admirable previous releases. Aenima was marred by muddy production and a certain predictability. Undertow had a cleaner sound but wasn't as confident or adventurous. With Lateralus, Tool have raised an already lofty bar still higher by coming up with a collection that kicks major ass. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (1541)

Best album in the history of music
I have never heard music so beautiful and meaningful in my life.After four years of owning this album, I still listen to it as if I had just bought it yesterday.Aside from brilliant instrument work, Maynards vocals is what gives this album the uplifting emotional depth that it has.Maynards lyrics of hope and redemption are a great escape from all the angry styles of music today.My favorite aspect of this album is how you can get lost in the music itself.Even though the shortest song on the album is just over five minutes, you get so absorbed into what you are listening to that the song ends leaving you wanting more.To really appreciate this albums potential, you must find time to actually sit down and listen to it closely.Tool is without a doubt the most talented group of musicians in the music industry today and even the past thirteen years.If you dont like this album or this band in general, you dont know what music is or you are probably just stupid.

One of the best albums and bands in the 90s
Tool would have to be Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd in our year. More like Pink Floyd by the videos. You never see Tool in their videos or even pictures which is makes Tool so cool and mysterious. Maryand did way better in Tool then APC though cause nowadays you see pictures of the band, but Maryand will always have the Robert Plant in him, and many of Tool fans will never forget the talent he had and still does. Tool will always be one of my fav bands ever.

Hold On......
This cd has got to be one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Tool is the Led Zeppelin of our time. The songs are so well done. The music has excellent guitar work and some of the best drumming i have heard from any modern band. If you even remotly like rock music this is a must have. The songs are rather long but thats the best part. when you listen to the music you dont want it to end. recommend this CD over almost any modern rock CD. ... Read more

Asin: B00005B36H
Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Heavy Metal    3. Pop    4. Rock   

Dark Side of the Moon
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.49
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Editorial Review

Dark Side of the Moon, originally released in 1973, is one of those albums that is discovered anew by each generation of rock listeners. This complex, often psychedelic music works very well because Pink Floyd doesn't rush anything; the songs are mainly slow to mid-tempo, with attention paid throughout to musical texture and mood. The sound effects on songs like "On the Run," "Time" and especially "Money" (with sampled sounds of clinking coins and cash registers turned into rhythmic accompaniment) are impressive, especially when we remember that 1973 was before the advent of digital recording techniques. This is probably Pink Floyd's best-known work, and it's an excellent place to start if you're new to the band. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (1094)

Innovative, creative, and just amazing
Dark Side of the Moon is certainly not Pink Floyd's best album, yet every album is fabulous; I prefer Meddle, Piper At the Gates of Dawn, and Saucerful of Secrets over DSOTM.Still, I had to write a review to dispell some of the lower ratings this album has recieved.

First off, none of the four members did any drugs outside of alcohol and cigarettes.Syd Barrett was the only illicit drug addict in the band, and they dumped him years before this album was recorded.Also, it really shouldn't matter.Piper At the Gates of Dawn, as well as Barrett's solo work, is fabulous stuff.

Second, every song on this album is great.It is a concept album, as most of the Floyd albums are.Actually, Pink Floyd essentially created the concept album, with artists such as The Who and David Bowie following suit.The music and lyrics are true genius, the performance clean and emotional, and the timing impeccable.

Lastly, the experimentation with electronically produced sounds and music on this album is not only magnificent, but helped pave the way for electronic music of all types, from disco to funk to house to breakbeats etc etc.

Pink Floyd were innovators that are merely misunderstood by many.Any true music lover will at least recognize the contributions made by this band and their influence on countless bands and producers today.

Well, someone really has to say it...
Pink Floyd, in my opinion, is a great band. However, I must say that I despise listening to them more than maybe once a month on the radio. I honestly find their music to be EXTREMELY BORING if you try to listen to more than one song in a sitting. I mean, Don't get me wrong, they're GREAT musicians and I respect them a lot, but I just find myself being bored beyond belief whenever I try to listen to them. This album, which is said to be the best album ever recorded by some, I find terribly boring. I tried to listen to it the other day and ended up getting SO bored that I turned it off. Also, I am a VERY big prog fan. I do not see this band as being Prog in any way whatsoever. I mean, yeah, they're good and unique musicians, but I don't think they're prog in any way whatsoever. I mean, it's great music, and they're a great band, but you have to really like it, or else you'll get bored with it.

30 years later still a classic
the dark side of the music is plain and simple words the greatest album ever.music does not get any better.this brilliant album contains classics like time,money and us and them which have aged well with time.very very highly recommended. ... Read more

Asin: B000002U82
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Aenima
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 October, 1996)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.99
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Editorial Review

With its heavy-duty distortion, weighty rhythms, and cynical lyrics, Tool is a heavy metal band for the '90s. Rather like Metallica circa ...And Justice for All, the sound is focused heavily on texture, with vocals and guitars layered one atop the other, and heart-pounding drums underlying everything. There's not a whole lot of variety on Tool's second full-length album--most of the songs start off fairly low-key, kicking into high gear for the chorus, and repeat--but Maynard James Keenan's distinctive voice, the prog-rock stylings over a heavy metal base, and a supremely unhealthy dose of vitriol make this the perfect album to bang your head to. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (988)

Simply Amazing
This album is a wet dream for every heavy music fan with a brain. Beautifully layered guitars, a throbbing heart-beat bass line and rock solid drumming, teamed with Maynard's thought provoking and poetic lyrics, make for a near perfect sonic assault that will make you think. Go out and buy all of Tool's albums. WARNING if you have attention deficit disorder, or have trouble understanding any more complex themes than "breaking stuff" or "Daddy didn't love me" you may be better off listening to Limp Bizkit or Korn.

Amazing, intriguing, thought-provoking. The best.
This isn't just the best metal album ever made. In my opinion it's the best album ever made, all categories. I felt I had to write something and try to contribute towards the 5 stars overall this album deserves. I don't blame the people who gave it one star, it's their opinion, and maybe this album isn't for everyone. First of all, you have to like music. Second, you should like metal. Third, you should be enough interested in life and like the medium of music to express aspects of life. I have owned this album for seven years and it still grows. I can still cry listening to it, just because of the beauty, the pure energy this album conveys. A masterpiece, from the first second to the last. A lesson in life.

I'll have a Maynard James Keenan with pilau rice, thanks!
Whoa! Everyone seems to have an opinion on this. Tool fans seem to go out of their way to convince the casual buyer that this record is the work of absolute genius, and that it will change you life etc. Being a rather naïve and gullible individual I decided to give the album a whirl. I lay down, put my headphones on and prepared to be swept up in the brilliance that is tool and left drooling. Well, I fell asleep but I tried I really did! It's just this album is so monotonous!
A song about fisting? Yeah, I know it supposed to have a whole *deeper meaning*, but its still stupid, not to mention bloody painful. The five star reviewers make this album out to be intensely thought provoking and some even go as far by saying that it's so hard to comprehend that only a select few will grasp the true meaning. That's a load of codswallop! You don't have to be really intelligent to get this, there's nothing to get, its just pretentious whining. Albeit twisted to make it into *music for pseudo intellectuals*. I'd rather listen to korn, at least they're straight forward about it.
Tool fans are quick to insult the average human being for disliking their favorite band by dismissing them as ignorant twits. No, it's just the music is so dull I'm sure over exposure is enough to make anyone brain dead for a little while. My brain cells came out waving a white flag about half way through. I had to listen to skinny puppy to perk them back up again. In a way, tool fans remind me of born again Christians, as in you're either a blind follower or a total waste of space. It's like a cult. Perhaps that's the appeal. Does being a tool fan make you better then other people? If you think so then you are a sad, sad person. Perhaps you think my tiny brain just can't grasp the fact that tool are the best band in the world and that Maynard James Keenan (sounds like an Indian dish) is a god. Personally I think he's laughing his wig off at all of you. But anyway you can't be swayed. To the curious buyer, I'd listen to the samples and look up some of the lyrics before you start believing all the hype. By the way I just want to say the `secretary' from Boston is a plagiarizer. (...)Oh and one more thing. If Maynard James Keenan moved to Spain and (under Spanish law) married Pilar Gòmez Dìaz, her name would remain Pilar Gòmez Dìaz. If they had a daughter christened Mercedes, she will be called Mercedes James Gòmez. If she got married to Juan García Martìnez she would keep her original name but her son, Pedro, would be called Perdro García James. You see where this could go! Having such a long winded name is a danger to Spanish society!
Have you just read all that? If you have, you now know what listening to a tool album feels like. It's simple and easy to understand but presented in such a difficult and presumptuous way, that it just gets annoying and unnecessarily tedious after a while.
... Read more

Asin: B00000099Y
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Amnesiac
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 June, 2001)
list price: $17.98 -- our price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

More song-driven and acoustic than Kid A, Radiohead's Amnesiac isn't quite "Kid B," but it is unquestionably cut from the same far-out cloth, as the band revels in fascinating quirks and abject nihilism. It's also the first time in Radiohead's career that a new record hasn't meant a complete shift in artistic priorities. Surely, however, regardless of which was released first, they both deserve recognition; after all, Amnesiac, like Kid A, is an amazing piece of work.

Only lightly augmented with electronics, songs like "You and Whose Army?" and "I Might Be Wrong" almost sound like they came from a typical five-piece rock band. You may even believe the band still employs a guitarist after hearing Jonny Greenwood's wistful surf-guitar lead on "Knives Out" or his subtle but noticeable contributions to the anticapitalist rant "Dollars and Cents." But inevitably, the band continually shifts gears, moving into Boards of Canada territory on "Like Spinning Plates" and delivering dark, bass-laden oddities like "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors," a fuzzed-out piece of avant-garde techno that could just as easily be on an Autechre or Aphex Twin record. The song's half-sung, half-spoken vocal was laid down by either a heavily distorted Thom Yorke or, just perhaps, a loquacious microwave oven. Either way, the music always has momentum, regardless of whether propelled by man or appliance. Radiohead as a band understand how to make rock interesting again, and in the end, that's all they set out to do when they recorded Amnesiac, as well as Kid A. It's more than can be said for the bad frat-punk, teen-pop and soulless techno that currently rules the charts, and for that alone, Radiohead's astonishing exploration of 21st-century anguish deserves credit. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (759)

Didn't believe the hype.
I love this album, but in a way different from my brother, the only other person I know who listens to it (I don't really discuss Radiohead anyway.) I listen to this album as a way of relaxing, and for that it gets 5 stars. I actually cut Knives Out from the album because it kept waking me up as I was going to sleep.

Some may think that because of my above comment, it is almost as if I am bashing the album, but the fact is it fills a very important hole in my life, and for that, why not give it such a high mark?

All I know is that the first time I was listening to it, before I knew who Radiohead was, I just sat there and was so at peace with myself, I was astounded. I begged my friend to borrow her copy so I could listen to it at home, and did such repeatedly. I'm not a Radiohead groupie, hell, this is the only Radiohead album I listen to, and I love it.

Great Radiohead release - give it chance though!
Radiohead over the years have captured the imagination of many a listener with their unique and often mind-boggling style of alternative rock. 'Amnesiac', Radiohead's fifth studio album, released in 2001 is, in very much simple terms, a continuation of the experimental 'Kid A', which they had released a year earlier. Since the groundbreaking popularity and critical acclaim of their 1997 masterpiece, 'OK Computer', Radiohead took steps to completely change their style and 'Amnesiac' is a fine example of this phase of the bands career, where they produced music which echoed the band's own dislike of the great popularity and acclaim which they gained from their earlier releases.

'Amnesiac', I'll put it simply, is quite a complex ultra-layered record which you have to put an awful lot of effort in yourself to get into as it has a very intraverted and off-the-wall style (more so in my opinion than 'Kid A'). 'Amnesiac' has often unfairly been given the tag of being 'Kid B' by those who believe this is the rejects from the 'Kid A' recording sessions in 2000. I think this is quite harsh on the album - I think that Radiohead have actually separated the music from the 2000 creative batch quite well into the two albums. The stuff on 'Amnesiac' is quite different to that on 'Kid A', remember that Radiohead are not a band that puts out the same album twice.

The tracks on the album have quite a big keyboard and effects presence and again, like on 'Kid A', the guitar usage is very much stripped down. In many ways, 'Amnesiac' is an album which focuses the listener on the human senses and the song titles (such as Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors) can almost be sensed in the music on the tracks, its pretty ingenious. Certainly, the more you listen to this work, the more this becomes apparant. Similarly, Thom Yorke's vocals play a major part in creating these effects with the tracks as his lacklustre style conveys the often cynical and sarcastic nature of Radiohead's lyrics, especially on this album. Overall, you can't fault Radiohead's creative genius on this album but I think the complexity of some of their tracks can just be a little too much at times and I think they in parts sacrifice too much listenability for complex, difficult ideas.

'Packt like sardines in a crushd tin box' is an interesting opener (the title tells you that alone!) but it is very clever, especially with the metallic sound that you hear at the start before it blends into a rather mellow keyboard orientated track. 'Pyramid Song' is a highlight of the album, very atmospheric with Yorke's humming style with the piano style in the background. The lyrics aren't pleasant but that's part of the songs style - there's some good drumming from Phil Selway later on in the track. 'Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors' is another conceptual track and a very good one, with a computerised voice speaking over sounds which sound ... well ... 'revolutionary!' 'You and whose army' is a hollow, harmonised track with some dead-pan singing from Thom Yorke but it builds to a good climax at the end. 'I Might be Wrong' has a spacey start but this soon becomes a guitar based track with a great riff alongside some wailing vocals from Thom Yorke. 'Knives Out' is another very much classic Radiohead sounding track with more nifty guitar play. 'Morning Bell/Amnesiac' though is basically another version of the track on 'Kid A' and it doesn't really seem that necessary. Next up is 'Dollars and Cents', a kind of haunting track with loads of dissonance. 'Hunting Bears' is a good 2 minute interval which is basically guitar play with a few 'yelping' effects. 'Like Spinning Plates' is a pretty odd starting track but the effects the song creates is like what the song title says. 'Life in a Glasshouse' is almost like a song you'd hear at a theatre, with a jazz band background, a very interesting finisher.

In my opinion, 'Amnesiac' is a continuation of Radiohead's experimental post-millenia style and it works very well, even if it is a little over-complex in parts. I personally think it doesn't hold a candle to previous works like 'The Bends' but it is a multi-dimensional album which is bound to get you thinking when you listen to it. I'd definitely recommend it for any fan of Radiohead but not for a new listener.

Terrible!
This is just like Coldplay...pure sc***! Just whining...yhyy! Why make this kind of sh*^? ... Read more

Asin: B00005B4GU
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Nine Inch Nails: Self-Destruct
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1997)
list price: $13.95 -- our price: $11.16
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Reviews (34)

Interesting book
I've not listened to much NIN before.They / he started getting popular when I was in college but I didn't have any albums until recently - I just bought 'The Downward Spiral.'I'm not a huge fan but I thought this book was interesting just because it tells about how Reznor became successful and how he approaches music, etc.It doesn't bash him or portray him as perfect either, which I like.

I wish it had more about Trent
This book was pretty good.Kinda A short read though.Most of the interviews on here were pretty good and there was some information about Trent being that he is A very private person.I guess I was just expecting to learn alot more about him.

One of the best NIN books that I have read
When I first got this book, I figured that I would be dissapointed because I have read many pieces on Trent Reznor and all the authors that I have read do not do a good job to represent Trent's musical vision and honesty.After reading this book, I realized that Martin Huxley did quite the contrary of what I expected.Although the book was a little outdated (published in 1997, before "The Fragile" and other NIN halos), it still contained a lot of information on my favorite musical artist and person-Trent Reznor. ... Read more

Isbn: 031215612X
Sales Rank: 113699
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. General    4. Genres & Styles - Rock    5. Music    6. Nine Inch Nails (Musical group    7. Nine Inch Nails (Musical group)    8. Reznor, Trent    9. Rock music    10. Rock musicians    11. United States   

A Grand Madness, Ten Years on the Road with U2
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1999)
list price: $16.95 -- our price: $11.53
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Reviews (23)

No wonder it's shrinkwrapped!!!
I've read some very eloquent and inteligent reviews on this book, especially from that Savala fellow. I don't have the same analytical skill, but what I do know is that this book made me embarrassed to be a "die-hard U2 fan" and it gives the rest of the world a silly view of how rediculous a U2 fan can be. Is this woman really a fan?Or does she simply have a school girl infatuation with Bono? There's no depth, no heart, not even a glimpse of how the greatest band on Earth relates to the world around her. It's all about her. Just her and her stalking sessions of U2 band members. Get a life, lady. It's cool that a fan can write a book about U2 and get it published, but at least write a good one for pete's sake. This book doesn't do U2 justice and it doesn't do the real fans any justice.

Great book!
Great book! Anyone who's been to even one U2 concert will recognize the spirit and passion described so well by Ms. Beeaff. And anyone who has had the pleasure and privilege of 'meeting' any of the band--as I have on rare occasions--will find the same openhearted good nature and authenticity found in Beeaff's accounts. And for those who haven't done either, it's all here. Well written, forthright and informative. Buy it!

Save your money
Where to begin? Well, in short, the author seems a bit out of touch with reality & I honestly have a really hard time believing many of her stories. The silliest one being that she & her groupie friends had given some flowers to one of the band's road crew to pass along. A month or so later, her friend just happens to run into Bono & asks if he got them. "Those were from you"? he says. Ummmm... with all the things bands go through on the road, city after city turning into a blur, not to mention the loads of flowers they receive, this little tale just doesn't seem likely.

The reports of the band's wardrobe for each show get old *very* quickly, as did what the author and her friends ate for dinner each night and where they ate it! She mentions over and over again that her favorite song is "Bad" and each performance the Edge gives is "the best one she's ever seen!"

Grammatical and spelling errors run high in this book. Did anyone edit this before it went to print? I know that nobody did any fact checking, because it's full of factual errors. Maybe I'm being a little harsh... I'm assuming it is supposed to be a little diary after all, but if she's such a big fan of the band, shouldn't she know where Adam Clayton is originally from?

This book really isn't worth the money, just a laugh or two. ... Read more

Isbn: 0965618811
Sales Rank: 267468
Subjects:  1. General    2. Genres & Styles - Pop Vocal    3. Genres & Styles - Rock    4. Music    5. Music / General   

Yo! Sacramento
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1997)
list price: $7.95
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Reviews (7)

A great way to memorize!
If a silly picture of a gust of wind blowing down Main Street doesn't do anything for you, you've never read "Yo, Sacramento!" It should remind you that Augusta is the capital of Maine.The whole book is a marvelous mix of funny mnemonic cartoons with interesting facts about the states and capitals.My eight year old daughter loves this book and its companion, "Yo, Millard Filmore!"; she memorized the Presidents in a few minutes and the states/capitals in a couple days. And although I hate to admit that I couldn't remember them from my school days, the books helped me learn them too. (I don't know about the "never forget" part, but it does stick with you, and it's easy to pick back up.) When we showed these books to my family, my niece (the daughter of a social studies teacher) even told me she thought it was too easy; it must be cheating somehow to learn them this way!

I have to say, however, I prefer the Millard Filmore book to the Sacramento one, primarily because 'Millard' is designed as a series -- an element from each picture is carried into the next in order to reinforce the historical sequence.This not only teaches the sequence, but it helped me with the actual memorization -- I know I haven't left any presidents out.'Sacramento' is a group of unconnected pictures, which may connect the capitals to their states -- and generally link the states with their geographic region, but doesn't guarantee you have all the states. ("Oops! I only counted 47! Which ones did I leave out?") If I could wish for anything besides additional titles in this series, it would be that 'Sacramento' could be rewritten to link the states together from east to west or alphabetically or even in order of admission to the union, so you end up with all 50 states in your brain.

Our wonderful United States
Yo, Sacramento! is a humorous incentive to learn the capitals for every state. The word pictures which aid memory recall are sure to prompt hearty laughter. The fast-paced writing style is an added bonus. One can laugh, learn facts, and have state capitals memorized in under 30 minutes!

The best book around to teach states and capitals
This book really helps a child or an adult to memorize states and capitals within 20 minutes. I have never come across any program so precise. My kids really enjoy learning with the picture and word association method used inthe book. This book should be used in all schools around the world. ... Read more

Isbn: 0761302379
Sales Rank: 355161
Subjects:  1. Capitals (Cities)    2. Children's 9-12 - Sociology    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Geography    5. History - United States/General    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Miscellanea    9. People & Places - United States    10. Social Studies - General    11. United States    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / United States / State & Local   

Yo, Millard Fillmore! (And All Those Other Presidents You Don't Know)
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1997)
list price: $7.95 -- our price: $7.95
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Reviews (14)

Best way to memorize the presidents
For years, I have tried to get my reluctant memory to soak up the list of US presidents -- even using goofy mnemonic pictures from GENERAL memory books.

That picture stuff doesn't work, I thought.

I was wrong. After a few days of browsing through the funny memory cartoons and doing the quizzes, I know the presidents cold. And so will you.

I got my child to read this book with me as it's not supposed to be a "grownup" way to study the US presidents. Baloney!It's a great memory book for readers of all ages.

Unbelievable!!!!!!!
I am in a presidential class at a Univeristy and I had to learn all the presidents for class. I checked out the book and read it and within about 20 minutes i could write all 43 presidents from memory. This is unreal it really works!!!!

The Rumors Are True
My mom bought me this book when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. I read the whole thing through in an hour or so, and I immediately had all the presidents memorized. When I was in 6th grade, one of the book's authors, Will Cleveland I think, came to my school. To start off his speech he asked if anyone knew who the 14th president of the United States was. I was the only one in the audience to raise my hand, and after I said the answer (Pierce), I told Mr. Cleveland I had read his book. He said I was proof that the book really works, and he was right. I am now in 10th grade, and can still name all of the presidents in order, along with all of the helpful clues in the books. I just passed Yo, Millard Fillmore! down to my 11 year-old sister, and it's working so far for her too. Long story short: this book works!!!!! ... Read more

Isbn: 0761302360
Sales Rank: 27400
Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography - Political    2. Biography & Autobiography - U.S. Presidents & First Ladies    3. Children's 9-12 - Biography / Autobiography    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. History - United States/General    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Presidents    9. United States   

The Long Hard Road Out of Hell
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1999)
list price: $16.00 -- our price: $10.88
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Editorial Review

One doesn't usually think of rock stars as insightful, but, against all odds, glam-trash superstar Marilyn Manson has written a book that is actually an intelligent look at growing up. This autobiographical bildungsroman brings out the creepiest aspects of childhood, conveying the terror and fascination that young Marilyn (then called Brian) felt when looking through his grandfather's pornography, getting his first French kiss, and being taunted by the girls he wanted to "date." Manson has the benefit of having grown up as an outcast and loser and then having become a star without forgetting what he went through. This gives him an incredibly broad perspective, which he brings to bear on his ordinary life in order to convey the more potent and frightening moments that shaped him into the pale-skinned weirdo that the Christian Right loves to hate.Best of all, Manson is shockingly honest, and portrays himself as occasionally stupid, self-centered, over-sensitive, ignoble, and, mostly, highly fallible and human. It's a long way from the auto-hagiographies that other stars have written, and it's easily one of the best reads in celebrity bio. --James DiGiovanna ... Read more

Reviews (380)

It surpised me..
I never knew that Brain aka Marilyn Manson went though those things, and went to a christan school. It shocked me. Everyone sees him as this devil but when you set down and read his book or interviews you think different of them. His lyrics are genius. No one gives him a chance cause of the way he looks. But when you think about it, hes doing what he wants to do, and you should respect him no matter how ugly he is, hes actully a pretty cool guy. You just have to get to know him and this book will help you learn about him. Not all rock stars are people who wear makeup and try to get you to hate them no its nothing like that. Marilyan Manson is one of them that people just look at and think OMG HES STUPID OR OMG WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE THAT...HE WORSHIPS THE DEVIL HES A GOTH!!..Manson is not a goth..He never clamined to be a goth hes more like Rock or Industral Gothic...Hes not even close to goth, and you should atleast give him a chance unstead of just juding all these bands you dont even know...or give a chance to...Manson is a great songwriter, and not a bad singer. So why dont you just stop judging him and maybe read his book and actully get to know the real manson. Just like you and me hes a human beining.

I expected so much more.
This book was awful.I thought that there would be more insight into Marilyn Manson the performance artist, rather than page after page of his drug induced disgusting sexual sadistic escapades. So he grew up with a strict christian upbringing.Big Deal.So his grandfather had hidden porography.So What. The story never gets any deeper than that.

I can't even tell you when or why he started a band, or how he even found out that he had an acceptable singing voice.If it's there, I didn't see it.

I'm not one to be easily turned off by rock-star decadence, but some of these incidents bordered on such a level of sadism that I was apalled that these situations were even put into print.

Total garbage, and a waste of my time.

From Canton, Ohio, to Rock and Roll Stardom
Marilyn Manson is one of rock music's most controversial figures. His mannerisms, his beliefs, and the things he sings about are bound to stir up strong emotional feelings from different people. If you've ever wondered about the life experiences that created the modern- day Marilyn Manson, then this is the book for you.

Manson was born Brian Warner in Canton, Ohio, and his early years were spent doing typical boyish things. But the one experience Manson points out in this book that forever changed his life in a negative way was his attendance at Heritage Christian School. This "educational" private institution was run by staunch protestant fundamentalists and the administrators of the school were very strict, very brainwashing, and very intolerant. They told kids like young Brian Warner that, because he was a member of the Episcopal faith, he had no chance to get to heaven. This extremism led Warner to rebel, and he was never the same afterward.

Manson talks about all sorts of other personal life experiences that had an important impact on his life. A neighbor guy once tried to molest him and he and his cousin discovered one day that their grandfather had a secret stash of adult films and women's clothing. These experiences, and the constant demonization of sex at his school, led Manson to become obsessed with topics like sex and religion, and they are mentioned continuously in this book.

Besides his past (which keeps coming back to haunt him), Manson also spends time talking about his life as a rock and roller. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is one of Manson's close confidants (the two had a falling out, but I think they are back to being friends again) and he has had personal relationships with other people and with plenty of women. He talks about living in Florida and the process that led to the formation of his band, showing the reader the long, hard road that must be plowed to reach the heights of the music world.

One thing I didn't like too much about this book was the drawings of the human body and the diagrams that identify the parts. Not because they are nasty or anything like that, but because I didn't think they added much to the book. Also, at some points, I found the writing to be a little creepy. Manson talks very bluntly about sex, drugs, religion, etc., so you need to be prepared to hear some outspoken language. Some will find it shocking, while others will find it weird but also fascinating.

Marilyn Manson is an unusual fellow for certain. But he is also an intelligent guy who offers some interesting perspectives on life. Many will not agree with everything he says, but some of his philosophical views will get you to think and re-think how you stand on these topics of controversy.
... Read more

Isbn: 0060987464
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Composers & Musicians - General    6. Composers & Musicians - Rock    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    8. Genres & Styles - Heavy Metal    9. Manson, Marilyn    10. Rock music    11. Rock musicians    12. United States    13. Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians   

Office Space
by Ron Livingston Jennifer Aniston
Director: Mike Judge
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (01 February, 2000)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.48
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Editorial Review

Ever spend eight hours in a "Productivity Bin"? Ever had worries about layoffs? Ever had the urge to demolish a temperamental printer or fax machine? Ever had to endure a smarmy, condescending boss? Then Office Space should hit pretty close to home for you. Peter (Ron Livingston) spends the day doing stupefyingly dull computer work in a cubicle. He goes home to an apartment sparsely furnished by IKEA and Target, then starts for a maddening commute to work again in the morning. His coworkers in the cube farm are an annoying lot, his boss is a snide, patronizing jerk, and his days are consumed with tedium. In desperation, he turns to career hypnotherapy, but when his hypno-induced relaxation takes hold, there's no shutting it off. Layoffs are in the air at his corporation, and with two coworkers (both of whom are slated for the chute) he devises a scheme to skim funds from company accounts. The scheme soon snowballs, however, throwing the three into a panic until the unexpected happens and saves the day. Director Mike Judge has come up with a spot-on look at work in corporate America circa 1999. With well-drawn characters and situations instantly familiar to the white-collar milieu, he captures the joylessness of many a cube denizen's work life to a T. Jennifer Aniston plays Peter's love interest, a waitress at Chotchkie's, a generic beer-and-burger joint à la Chili's, and Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show) has a minor but hilarious turn as Peter's mustached, long-haired, drywall-installin' neighbor. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (554)

Too true......
When I first watched this movie, I was a telemarketer, which is almost like Peter's job, in that you work in a cubicle, with 8 different bosses that have absolutely no communication with each other telling you the same thing, one right after the other.This movie won a permanent home in my VCR back then, and I watched it every night before bed, to prepare myself for the horrors of the next day in cubicle hell.Thankfully, I no longer work there, but this movie has not lost it's luster with me, and anytime I encounter someone who has not seen this gem yet, I insist they sit down immediately so I can put it on for them.They always end up loving it.

Good, But Un-Fulfilled Potential
Office Space should have been one of the all-time classics. It feels disappointing, at the end of the film, because it doesn't live up to this mark. And yet, it is a fine comedy just the same.

The film starts out as a blistering satire of office life. Lumbergh, the receptionist, and the others are spot-on, devastating portrayals of the people that we work with. Peter is the perfect wheel in the cog-noticing the incredible absurdity of life going on around him, while simply unable to understand how they don't seem to see it. Whenever the film takes aim at aspects of work (management continually moving Milton's desk) or vacuous people more generally (the obnoxious waiter at Schlotsky's with the perma-smile) it hits its mark with deadly force and unerring accuracy. But, eventually, the film runs out of steam in that regard and becomes a typical scheme-comedy with a smattering of decent, but not great, romance. Had it stayed the course, and been arch-satire from start to finish, it would have a place high in the pantheon. And, from what Office Space does deliver, it's clear that Mike Judge is very observant, sharp, and capable of delivering a lot more in that vein. The disappointment of the film is that it settles for being a sharp-witted romance comedy, when it could have been the ultimate comedic evisceration of American work life.

And finally, I leave with a question: how is it that the Lumberghs of the world don't get it? Can you imagine your own boss watching Office Space? Would he/she get it? I know the answer to that question in my own case all too well. Ah, the insanity.

"Didn't you get the memo?"
What can I say about this film that hasn't already been said?

I wasn't particularly interested in "Office Space" when it first came out, and I assume that it was a sleeper hit upon theatrical release, but when I checked it out much later, I was on the floor laughing. Not only does "Office Space" stand out as a great comedy for those starved of great comedy, but manages to hit closer with those actually victimized by white-collar occupations. It's suprising how this evolved from a series of cheaply-made animated shorts, starring the squirrely stapler-obsessed Milton, and into a underestimated masterpiece.

Some would say that a comedy doesn't really require top-notch acting to get its hilarity across, but "Office Space" is a grand exception. Ron Livingston is perfect in the role of Peter, who learns that by doing nothing you can find the ultimate happiness and confidence you seek (thanks to unreversed hypnosis). Gary Cole's portrayal of the boring yet frightening Lumbergh should be added to the pantheon of best screen villains ever, and Stephen Root was simply born to play Milton.

Mike Judge obviously felt compelled to split open the unexplored injustice of white-collar slavery and definitely makes it work. This isn't a gross-out comedy full of outrageous behavior (I don't know if the bludgeoning of the copy machine counts), but if you want to unwind after a tough day of school or work and enjoy a downright funny-as-hell movie, you're making the right decision to owe this one a few bucks.

... Read more

Asin: 6305499365
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

South Park - Bigger, Longer & Uncut
by Trey Parker Matt Stone
Director: Trey Parker
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (01 April, 2003)
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Editorial Review

OK, let's get all the disclaimers out of the way first. Despite its colorful (if crude) animation, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is in no way meant for kids. It is chock full of profanity that might even make Quentin Tarantino blanch and has blasphemous references to God, Satan, Saddam Hussein (who's sleeping with Satan, literally), and Canada. It's rife with scatological humor, suggestive sexual situations, political incorrectness, and gleeful, rampant vulgarity. And it's probably one of the most brilliant satires ever made. The plot: flatulent Canadian gross meisters Terrance and Philip hit the big screen, and the South Park quartet of third graders--Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman--begin repeating their profane one-liners ad infinitum. The parents of South Park, led by Kyle's overbearing mom, form "Mothers Against Canada," blaming their neighbors to the north for their children's corruption and taking Terrance and Philip as war prisoners. It's up to the kids then to rescue their heroes from execution, not mention a brooding Satan, who's planning to take over the world.

To give away any more of the plot would destroy the fun, but this feature-length version of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Comedy Central hit is a dead-on and hilarious send-up of pop culture. And did we mention it's a musical? From the opening production number "Mountain Town" to the cheerful antiprofanity sing-along "It's Easy, MMMKay" to Satan's faux-Disney ballad "Up There," Parker (who wrote or cowrote all the songs) brilliantly shoots down every earnest musical from Beauty and the Beast to Les Misérables. And in advocating free speech and satirizing well-meaning but misguided parental censorship groups (with a special nod to the MPAA), Bigger, Longer & Uncut hits home against adult paranoia and hypocrisy with a vengeance. And the jokes, while indeed vulgar and gross, are hysterical; we can't repeat them here, especially the lyrics to Terrance and Philip's hit song, but you'll be rolling on the floor. Don't worry, though--to paraphrase Cartman, this movie won't warp your fragile little mind. Unless you have something against the First Amendment. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• Animated
• NTSC

Reviews (541)

This movie is just too SWEEET
There are 2 words that can describe South Park; Really, really funny. Anyone who doesn't think this movie is funny needs to lighten up. The US at war with Canada, if the blood of Terrance and Phillip is spilled on US soil Satan(w/ Saddam) will rule. It focus's on how uptight people in our country can be when it comes to "indecency". I give 2 thumbs WAY WAY up. Fans of South Park, it is a viewing must; Religious Conservatives need not apply. And please do us a favor and DON'T review unless you have actually seen the WHOLE movie.

A brilliant movie with a message with a lot of swears too
A lot of big time shows have to do the eventual movie. The then-popular Ninja Turtles actually had 3(!) real life adaptations, Spongebob had one, Powerpuff Girls had one and now South Park has one. While the rest of them were more about bigger issues/better animation(Spongebob) or more a action-orientated prequel(Powerpuff), South Park manages to rip on the MPAA, Canada, Bill Gates, celebrities and who to blame for our children's misgivings.

The boys hear that the Terrance and Phillip feature length movie Asses of Fire is premiering in South Park and the boys want to go, only they're too young. They manage to get in, but the film has plenty of dirty language, which the kids pick up and use them any chance they get. Soon all the other kids only to be caught by the parents.

The parents decide to blame the stars of the film who are from Canada so they blame Canada as a whole. This ends up bringing about a war with the canadians, which unbeknownest to the people of South Park, is the last sign that Satan and his lover Saddam Hussein need to leave Hell and conquer the Earth.

The film in a way rips on the Disney format of having people just suddenly bust out into songs, even when the characters know how to sing it even though they have no knowledge of the song previously. There are some hilarious songs like It's Easy, Mmkay and the ever-favorite Uncle ****er and also my favorite, a reworked version of Cartman's Kyle's Mom is a Bitch from the first season christmas episode, only it's more elaborate and musical-based.

This also had a first, 2 of them actually where we actually see Kenny's face and hear him speak without being muffled. I don't know if it's just me but he almost sounds like Butters in a way.

It almost seems kind of strange to watch this because it's so extravagant and more ambitious than the show, then end up watching the episodes later on. However it is a funny movie that should please fans of the show.

This movie made my little life complete!!!!!
First off I'm 13 but I dont have an acount on amazon. Second, This movie is F***ing sweet!!! ! I saw it a year ago this month and Ive seen it at least 20 times sence then.I have the cd and listen to that almost dialy. I can't get enough of this movie! Can't wait to see Team America and I realllly hope they make another South Park movie!!!!! ... Read more

Asin: 6305627347
Subjects:  1. Comedy    2. Animation   

American Beauty (The Awards Edition)
by Kevin Spacey Annette Bening
Director: Sam Mendes
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (24 October, 2000)
list price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, American Beauty moves with a mesmerizing confidence and acuity epitomized by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine of the story, and his very first lines hook us with their teasing fatalism--like Sunset Boulevard's Joe Gillis, Burnham tells us his story from beyond the grave.

It's an audacious start for a film that justifies that audacity. Weaving social satire, domestic tragedy, and whodunit into a single package, Alan Ball's first theatrical script dares to blur generic lines and keep us off balance, winking seamlessly from dark, scabrous comedy to deeply moving drama. The Burnham family joins the cinematic short list of great dysfunctionalAmerican families, as Lester is pitted against his manic, materialistic realtor wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening, making the most of a mostly unsympathetic role) and his sullen, contemptuous teenaged daughter, Jane (Thora Birch, utterly convincing in her edgy balance of self-absorption and wistful longing). Into their lives come two catalytic outsiders.A young cheerleader (Mena Suvari) jolts Lester into a sexual epiphany that blooms into a second adolescence. And an eerily calm young neighbor (Wes Bentley) transforms both Lester and Jane with his canny influence.

Credit another big-screen newcomer, English theatrical director Sam Mendes, with expertly juggling these potentially disjunctive elements into a superb ensemble piece that achieves a stylized pace without lapsing into transparent self-indulgence. Mendes has shrewdly insured his success with a solid crew of stage veterans, yet he's also made an inspired discovery in Bentley, whose Ricky Fitts becomes a fulcrum for both plot and theme. Cinematographer Conrad Hall's sumptuous visual design further elevates the film, infusing the beige interiors of the Burnhams' lives with vivid bursts of deep crimson, the color of roses--and of blood. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Box set
• Special Edition
• NTSC

Reviews (1056)

But it has its flaws...
Namely, there was no reason to show Mena Suvari's breasts-a comment made by another reviewer that I hadn't thought about until I read that particular review.Also, are we to think that Kevin Spacey's character WOULD have had sex with an underage girl had he NOT found out she was a virgin???This point is completely ignored and, upon reflection, takes some of the movie's luster away.However, I found the movie to be great nonetheless.So much of it rang true, even amongst the cliches, that it made a lasting impression.Given the passion that this film has created, I suggest renting it first, though I think most will end up buying it.

Pretty Silly, But Fun
(...)

The first time I saw American Beauty it was the last in three consecutive weekend movie run. The other two films were Fight Club and Bringing Out the Dead. All three films are about men trying to come to terms to what it means to be a man in America in this day and age. Fight Club finds meaning in deconstructing everything down to base needs, feeling through pain. Bringing Out the Dead gives meaning to its character through drug use, but is was in American Beauty that I found some sense of hope.

In the film, Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) plays a middle aged, middle class suburbanite, with seemingly everything he could desire. He has a good, well paying job; a beautiful wife (Annette Bening); a large luxurious house; and a lovely daughter (Thora Birch). Yet, with all of this he is not happy. In fact, all of these things are not quite what they seem. His employer is facing cut backs, and he may soon lose his job. He marriage is in shambles, and his daughter openly hates him. Early, we see him masturbating in the shower, in narration; he states this is the highpoint of his day. All is not well in the house of Burnham.

All of this changes when Lester meets Angela (Mena Suvari), his daughter, Jane's gorgeous, cheerleader friend. On first seeing Angela during a cheer routine, Lester feel a special, lustful connection. Later that night, Lester overhears Angela playfully tell Jane that if he would only work out, he would be sexy. His lust over this teenage vixen becomes the catalyst for the film and Lester's very life.

Soon after Lester quits his job, in fact he bilks the company for a year's salary by threatening to disclose scandalous information that he has become privy to. He begins smoking pot, buys a hot rod.. He plays with remote control cars, takes a job at a fast food joint, and of course does start working out. In every way he reverts back to his teenage years. Even the soundtrack begins blaring out classic rock tunes from the 1970's. Finally after years, decades even, of feeling low, miserable, not alive, he feels great.

This reversion back to his glory days is only the beginning. It is a reversion back to the days when he had fun, when he felt alive. But he is not a man who will stop there. This is just a beginning point to a life long conversion of living a full life, as opposed to a life full of the right things, but that is ultimately empty. Or it would be if he was not shortly dead (this is not nearly the spoiler you might think it is, for Lester announced his death within the first minutes of the film.) Towards the end of the film we can see that Lester is already outgrowing his childish behavior. When he yells at his daughter, he immediately feels the sting of regret. When given the chance to indulge in his lusts, he backs away, understanding that it is not right. Just as the music changed to classic rock with the first change, here it has changed again, turning into the same classic rock being covered by newer, contemporary artists.

Many will probably say that using the lust for a teen, and illicit drug us as a catalyst for change, is not a change for the better. I can already hear my mother scolding me for having seen the movie, much less reviewed it from 2,000 miles away in Oklahoma. Yet, here it works, and works well. I don't believe the film is saying that these things should be the means to a change, these things only served as means for this character to break free from the rut that had become his life. There is a telling scene where Lester and his wife are overcome with sexual desire. As he dips his wife to kiss her, she stops the embrace because he is near to spilling his glass of wine on an expensive couch. An argument ensues with Lester proclaiming that "it's just a couch," while his wife is horrified at the thought of ruining said couch. There lies one of the central themes of the film. That these characters are so wrapped up in the material that they lose sight of the better pleasure of life, including love making.

It is not a perfect film. The Burnham's neighbor, Col. Fritts (Chris Cooper) seems a caricatured archetype. His plays a hateful, homophobe who really carries deep rooted homosexual tendencies is too outlandish to be considered real. Though it must be said the part is played marvelously by Chris Cooper. Jane's speech about being a freak too, may move the young kids who consider themselves the nonconformist, shy-type, but it is too after-school special for my tastes.

I've left out some of the best scenes and an important character, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley). He plays the drug dealing son of Col. Fritts, who likes to record everything on his video camera. There is a moving scene in which he and Jane watch an old tape of his of a plastic bag floating through the air. It is a moving, poetic scene that conjures up thought of the futility of life and its very beauty. It is that type of movie. It creates beautiful, moving, simple scenes that bring a sense of hope to life, while at the same time, showing the ultimate horror of living it.

(...)

about the movie American Beauty......
One of the good movie/film during the 90's period. A recommendation for those whom are interested in this genre of movie/films. Look out for some titles like Crook's work, Laurel Levor, Kenneth and Keith, Hooker's tragic loss, the fate of vignette's life, life of two women, sleeping beauty (Adult), Sexual fantasy, Sexual obsession and deviant sex lover if you can find any. Enjoy.....

... Read more

Asin: B00004U30D
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

Road Trip
by Breckin Meyer Seann William Scott Amy Smart Paulo Costanzo DJ Qualls Tom Green (III)
Director: Todd Phillips
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (13 August, 2002)
list price: $7.25 -- our price: $6.89
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Editorial Review

Road Trip is a mostly agreeable, by-the-numbers teenflick with a handful of inspired sequences, most of them involvingMTV's resident disturbed soul, Tom Green. It concerns a sleepyUniversity of Ithaca student named Josh (Breckin Meyer) whoaccidentally mails a video of his sexual encounter with an infatuation(Amy Smart) to his longtime girlfriend (Rachel Blanchard), who'sseemingly avoiding him while at school in Austin, Texas. Naturally, herecruits some buddies--Seann William Scott as the lech, D.J. Qualls asthe hopeless nerd, and Paulo Costanzo as the doper genius--to hit theopen highway and intercept the package. Even more naturally, mayhemensues: A car explodes, a bus is stolen, a nerd is deflowered, Frenchtoast is horribly violated, and an elderly man bogarts both pot andViagra.

The film's humor is more democratic than politically correct, aseveryone--women and minority characters, not just the hipster whiteguys--have a hand in the high jinks. Green plays Barry Manilow (no, notthat one), a professional student (eight years and counting)--herelates the film's story to skeptical prospective students whileleading them on a tour of the college--and thrill-seeking dork extraordinaire. In particular, in an already justly famous sequence ofscenes, he sadistically anticipates and endeavors to accelerate amouse's demise at the jaws of a python. It's very much in the vein ofAmerican Pie, perhaps a smidgen tamer, but at least itscharacters don't really learn any dopey lessons in the end. Directorand coscreenwriter Todd Phillips, who earlier made the much-questioneddocumentary Frat House, again proves he's more adept at staging fictional comic sequences than real ones. --David Kronke ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (146)

Don't Watch This On A Full Stomach
A word of warning before I start my review: the best time to watch "Road Trip" is during your colonoscopy where you can't eat for three days. Otherwise, this film will make you sick with all of its gross out gags. But herein liese the film's charm.

And now on to the review. "Road Trip" tells the story of Josh (Breckin Myer) is a college dude who abandons his studies but has remained faithful to his girlfriend (Rachel Blanchard). That is, until one night, his friend (Sean William Scott, essentially reprising his role as Stifler from "American Pie" as a jerk who makes fun of virgins) invites him to a party. This is where he meets Beth (Amy Smart). That night, they make a sex tape. However, Josh feels bad and tells his friend Barry Manilow (Tom Green) to mail his love message to his real girlfriend to her dorm in Austin. However, he sends the sex tape. Josh and company go on a road trip to retrieve the sex tape and save his relationship. The laughs in this film are fast and furious, though as I said might make you queasy (like when Horatio Sanz shoves french toast in his butt and feeds it to one of Josh's friends).

My advice: buy this hysterical film. You'll laugh and laugh.

HATEABLE
"Road Trip" was almost as bad of a movie as "Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind"!!! There is absolutely NOTHING funny about this tripe. This movie was crap. It is just so stupid. There's too much wasted nudity, and it tries much too hard to be funny, that it isn't.

This is a ridiculous series of movies that need to end
I watched this at a friends house at a party and everyone was laughing their heads off.....except of course me. Not trying to be a sour-puss or anything but seriously, I couldnt see anything in this movie worth even the slightest chuckle. Its exactly the same as American Pie except theres a cross country road trip in the plot. Ok, some drunken idiot with a perfect looking girlfriend at some party school has sex with some random slut and video-tapes it. Miraculously it gets sent to his girlfriends dorm or whatever wh@re house she lives in. Now him and his rich friends need to go on a road trip and waste their money and get their car blown up just to get to the video in time. OK! now heres the punchline....I couldnt see any of the characters as people but as spoiled smartmouth little runts who think that they can do anything they want when they want. So therefore, why would a guy waste his time to get this "girl of his dreams" back in his life.....wow their sex life will diminish they will cheat on each other even more and probably do all this while get hard liqour injected into their veins. So what? Why is it that movies have to portray college kids as smart-ass little punks walking around with a 24 hour hard on and trying to hump everything they see, and have to get doped up or drunk every night, and that if their 'perfect' relationship ends their lives will be ruined. Once again this a series of films that need to end....it all a started with American Pie...I admit I bought American Pie unrated edition back in '99 when i got caught up with all the hype.....wow theres a few more naked teenagers than in the R-rated version...big deal! thats pretty much how the Road Trip Unrated DVD is...along with Van Wilder, American Pie 2, Old School, and just about any other teen party movie with Tara Reid or Sean William Scott, so just to clarify my affirmation of these kinds of movies, they need to end because the humor and characters and actors are getting just plain annoying, and all my friends are caught up in this kind of crap so its a nightmare when we all watch movies together. ... Read more

Asin: B0000520Q1
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Half Baked
by David Chappelle Guillermo Díaz
Director: Tamra Davis
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (15 December, 1998)
list price: $9.98
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Editorial Review

Cannabis comedy doesn't get more juvenile than this pro-pot goof about three stoners who come to the rescue of a fourth buddy when he's arrested for feeding a lethal dose of junk food to a diabetic police horse. Kenny (Harland Williams) is sent to jail, and to rescue him from the almost inevitable trauma of homosexual rape (giving you some idea of this movie's level of humor), his buddies set out to raise his $100,000 bail by selling high-grade weed ripped off from a pharmaceutical research lab. That's about it for the plot; the rest of the movie's a parade of marijuana jokes and amusing pot-friendly cameos by the likes of Snoop Dog, Willie Nelson, and Janeane Garofalo. As two of the bong-hitting buddies, Jim Breuer (from Saturday Night Live) and comedian Dave Chappelle do their best to disguise the movie's lack of inspiration. But no matter how hard they try to milk laughs from the one-joke premise, they can't stop the movie's title from being an apt description of the movie itself. -- Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (173)

I'm in love with Mary Jane..................................
Okay so as you may or may not know, Hubby and I pick movies that we'll watch together as well as apart.He'd been talking about this movie and I had no plans on watching it.But you have to give a little, to get a little....

I am not major on Dave Chappell.I do like that he's "HIM SELF" I've seen him in a few interviews, and I like how he comes off as a real dude not trying to pretend to meet anyone else standards.

Four friends decide to join in the joys of smoking weed.Initially none of them are changed.Or so it appeared as they decide that a sugar rush would be so much better!

A second on the lips and a lifetime in your grips....

The four friends grow up, and live together in NYC.
Thurgood Jenkins (Dave Chappelle) is a master of custodial arts.
Scarface, is a cook in a fast food restaurant.
Brian (Jim Breuer he looks nuts)works in a music store.
Kenny (Harland Williams another nut) is a kindergarten teacher.

After the foursome engage in there usual routine for the evening, it's time for the muchie patrol!

"So who is on it tonight?"

As Kenny finds his way to pick up the snacks he comes across Buttercup.He can't not stop, and talk.So why not share a few snacks.

Yo, Kenny didn't come home last night.As the team discovers why, the countdown has now begun and they have to find away to keep Kenny from the naughty jungle of love!

Thurgood meets Mary Jane (of all the names) and he's captivated by the fact that he hasn't been with a woman in sometime because his habit has seemingly kept him from a lot of things.

As he perpetrates the facts of his life, he and the fellas decide to become FUNDRAISERS.Which oddly enough appears to be what they are all good at!With each new sale they chart the different type of people this particular habit has.

But Samson is quick to diffuse what may have been there joy!Or is he?Watch as the fellas set out to join forces and induct some new members.

Love also appears to be tugging at Thurgood.He has to now choose between the Mary Jane he's loved for years, or the Mary Jane he just met.Which girl wins in the end?

a funny movie only gets you halfway there
This DVD is extremely bizarre.obviously the movie itself is awesome, there is a commentary by the director (which to me is a bonus).Deleted scenes were obviously deleted for a reason (but at least they're still not unreasonable to include in a DVD).Then there's the "added features" which are only related to film in that they seem to steal ideas from the movie and then proceed to make them not funny.The "types of smokers" is simply flash-animated shorts that aren't funny. "Granny's baking" is insultingly stupid with a fake grandma creating recipes with words like "pot" in the titles (seriously, what moron comes up with that and says "that's so good, we should sell it to hundreds of thousands of other people?")."The Guy on the couch" extra is equally pathetic as the whole lot.

The extras on this disc remind me of the extra from the Reefer Madness DVD with the old guy talking about why marijuana was so good.What is it with stoner movie DVDs and old people?

If you didn't buy the original DVD, get this and just ignore the extras like the plague (aside from the actual movie-related ones).

Cashing in
I'm a huge fan of half baked as I'm sure most people are. Hoping to receive more hilarious footage and outtakes of everyones favorite stoners I found myself buying the new edition of this dvd. How could you miss with a list of added features such as..

Five Minutes with the "The Guy on the Couch"
Different Types of Smokers
Granny's Guide to Bakin'

Well they missed big time. The guy on the couch.. some imitation rolling around for five minutes with a pillow covering his face as he rolled of the couch. Lame! Types of smokers.. animated and not even amusing. Granny's baking someone throwing a bunch of things in a pot like a cooking show. The whole thing was poorly produced. The only additional footage was things that they edited out of the film. ie originally they had Kenny calling Thurgood to do the whole scene in the movie where they visited him and tell him how they are going to get him out.

This is a pitiful attempt to turn a buck off of Half Baked's fan base. I want my money back. ... Read more

Asin: 0783225261
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Golden Eye 007
Average Customer Review:
Game Cartridge (01 November, 1999)
list price: $39.99
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Editorial Review

GoldenEye 007 has been a huge success for Rareware, and it's easy to see why. More than a simple movie translation, this has earned its top-seller status on its own. Fans of Doom and Quake will recognize the first-person shooter perspective, but there the similarity ends. James Bond 007 has too much style to simply blast everything in sight and move to the next level. No, as 007, the player has a variety of different missions to perform, each with its own specific objectives. Each mission follows the film closely, and so James must use stealth and cunning as much as brute force. But if you see a Kalashnikov rifle lying around, by all means pick it up.

Controls are easy to master, which is impressive considering the variety of actions the onscreen hero can perform. James can run and walk at variable speeds, duck, pivot, hide, attach mines to enemy helicopters, block doors from opening, and more. The optional auto-aim feature is especially nice. Of course, James Bond is proficient in a wide variety of weapons. You get to use them all, from the trusty Walther PPK (with silencer) to double sets of full-auto machine guns.

The game's faithful tribute to the Bond legacy includes briefing dossiers on each mission, complete with wisecracks from Q and flirtatious comments from Moneypenny. And the 3-D representation of locations and characters from the movie is very impressive. The Rareware team spent time on the set with digital cameras, and it shows.

One of the distinguishing features of the game is the outstanding artificial intelligence of the enemies. When attacked, squads will rush to hit the alarm. If they make it, reinforcements come running. Enemy soldiers respond to being shot or blown up with chilling realism. According to Rareware, there are over 30 different animation routines that come into play, depending on where the soldier is hit. For those who prefer the challenge of human opponents, there are six clever multiplayer modes where up to four players can shoot it out, as teams or solo agents.

With excellent gameplay, intelligence, and style, GoldenEye 007 is a first-person shooter that'll keep you coming back for more. --Jeanne Uy

Pros:

• Built-in save capability for up to 4 players
• Auto-aim feature helps novice players feel like a sharpshooter
• Rich, complex game world filled with detail and variety
• Great bonus missions

Cons:

• Sometimes cinematic scenes for fulfilling mission objectives are a bit anticlimactic

... Read more

Features

• Play as 007 himself in this first person shooter game
• Complete missions based on the film
• Use weapons, stealth and cunning to outwit the enemy soldiers
• Features characters from the film including Q and Moneypenny
• For 1-4 players

Reviews (303)

DON`T DRAG ME BACK TO 1999 PLEASE
I didn`t first play this in `97 when it fired onto shelves,it was the best game i ever played with 25+ levels i nevaer made it to the very last level,i`m stuck on the Cuban mission thats right after the "Jungle".When i 1st played this back when i was 6(You can considder that too young to play it then) and my brother traded 1080:SnowBoarding game for it in senior school and when we turned it on i was really proud i didn`t realise that he was only swapping for a couple of months i was sad when it left every time i went into a game shop i would surch for it but they never had it! when i was 8 i had made up with 2 guys who had N.64s and i traded my WWF WarZone for Mission Impossible But it was good but not as good as my thoughts on GoldenEye i soon gave up my interests on my N.64 because we had put it into the attic and i got a blue GameBoy:Color i still dreamed of getting 007 Goldeneye and complete it i then got a PS2 and none of the games matched Goldeneye,it was still on top even after 3 years until i played GTA:Vice City and Driver 2 but i still wanted 007 GoldenEye(I Know it sounds more storyish).But one day i came up with a idea to get 007 GE. my friend who still has his N64 had goldeneye i traded Turok:Rage Warz for it and now i have it but im still styck on "UnderGround facility" level,but i still have the determination 2 complete it my self.I can not play my n64 bcos my GameCube has took its place cos i only have place for 2 consoles.Goldeneye is worth 100/100 points for it fun factor as u know you play James Bond and is set on the Movie and you get a good number of guns and the gore is good you can set bombs and use your watch as a lasergun 2 cut down metal locks and also to kill a Russion Soldier you also get a magnet 2 steal jail keys of the russian guard and make your escape before they send out the "Firing Squad" to gun you down as your Death Penalty in the game you will meet the Russian Soviet Union Army as enemies,Natalya and 006 Travalyen(face) as allies,secret agent scientist(in a disguise) to give you a key and Ourimov and Travalyan Janus(This time the enemy) and Onnatopp as boss enemies.This game will go down as a video game classic along with GTA3/VC/SA,Driver,1,2,3 and others it will be a Legend.
Bye(my review is loing)

Goldeneye 007
Admittedly, Goldeneye 007 started it all. It may very well be the first FPS that was ever created.

There is nothing better than being Bond - brandishing the many weapons at his disposal (and this game has a sizeable arsenal), theQ Gadgets (who can say that they don't think the Watch Laser isn't cool?), and rubbing shoulders with the beautiful women that Bond attracts.

Goldeneye is a great game and will undoubtedly live within the sacred halls of the videogame museum (where other awesome videogames like GTAIII, Super Mario Bros., and GTA: Vice City live) forever. However, it is a bit dated now.

The graphics that seemed cutting-edge in 1995 now appear somewhat blurry. The character models - especially the faces - look blocky and unrealistic.

The music hasn't changed in ten plus years- I still find myself humming the "Statue Park" mission music. The sound produced from firing your weapons also sound awesome today. But the sound effects - especially the grunts and cries of dying enemies - are repetitious and unrealistic. In my opinion, the lack of voice talent also handicaps Goldeneye.

Multiplayer is still just as fun as it was ten years ago. The lack of suitable AI so that you can take on the "computer" by yourself makes multiplayer useless if you are playing Goldeneye alone. There are only a handful of multiplayer modes to choose from, and the combinations of weapons available are small. It would have been better had Rare allowed the player to at least customize which weapons they wanted to use within multiplayer.

In case you think that I am someone who has taken it upon myself to review Goldeneye without playing it, Goldeneye was my favorite videogame for a very long time. However, better videogames that fix the problems associated with Goldeneye have been released. Perfect Dark takes everything that is fun and "cool" from Goldeneye and enhances it. Goldeneye was a good game for its time, but Perfect Dark has all but completely eclipsed it with better multiplayer, cooler weapons, and sharper graphics.

Probably a big help to the N64
Yeah this is one of the classics that blew away everyone (N64 MAGAZINES got better because of it!!!) and bonded friends and family for years on end. There was no other game like it. Empire magazine started writing better games reviews because of it. This was a mental good multiplayer in 1997. We all played this side by side for years. I can't say I have played anything quite like it since. Golden Eye N64. Yeah, those where the days!!! I remember this left Playstation 1 owners in awe. ... Read more

Asin: B00000DMAT
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Action and Adventure    3. Military and Spies    4. Goldeneye    5. Nintendo 64 (Nintendo64)    6. N64    7. Action    8. Adventure