Paranormal State: The Complete Season One

Very professional and sincere
I have been very impressed with Paranormal State for many reasons. They do more than go into a situation and find evidence of spirits, a haunting, etc., they then try to solve the problem. They don't just say - "yeah, you've got a ghost, bye now." They help the family understand what is happening and why, they help the spirit move on (or not, if the family decides letting it remain is the right thing to do). It is all handled with sincerity and professionalism and great decorum. When they do "dead time" and ask questions (hoping to get answers on the EVP recorder), they don't bombard the entity with questions, they ask a question, then give it an opportunity to respond. They don't joke around when on site. They don't yak to each other. They focus totally on what they are doing. They are so polite and caring. Chip Coffey, the medium they bring in on some of the cases, is wonderful. He is very talented and I like him a lot. Although I do enjoy Ghost Hunters, too, the two...

Paranormal State definitely worth watching!
What makes this show different is the college people who are investigating all these unusual occurences. Ryan has had experiences with the paranormal and ghosts all his life and he's a great "leader" of this group. He takes this stuff very seriously and I like the fact that he calls Lorraine Warren and also the Catholic Church into the most disturbing and troublesome cases. Ghost Hunters or TAPS are great but they don't help to free the spirits from their earthly presence. They don't clear out a demonic spirit or hold exorcisms to help homeowners which is usually needed. Ryan and his team will do that. It is absolutely amazing how many spirits and entities roam our world afraid or unable to cross over into the next. And Demonic hauntings - extremely scary and dangerous. Keep up the good work Ryan!

Wow, this is bad
This show appealed to me as a 'Ghost Hunter' fan. Wow, was that a mistake. While the 'Ghost Hunters' enter a site wearing their skepticism and ready to debunk anything they can, THIS program has college kids who go into the site assuming it is haunted, possibly cursed with demons. They don't even attempt to look for other explanations, they just sit around deciding whether to call a priest to exorcise the place.

Seriously, this is not a good program, save your time and money...

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The Arizona Diamondbacks 2001 World Series Collector's Edition

5 star series....3 star DVD collection ..a 4 star review
Hi Folks, I'm not a Yankee or Diamondback supporter per se...but this was a historic and terrific series so I picked it up immediately and have to report that this SET is a let down.

Unlike many of the other series sets this ONLY has the complete games from the series, which given that it was a full seven is acceptable but something more of the lead up would have been better for context.

Also..DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR 1 DISC 2001 MLB DVD...its not on this set..
the bonus feature they tout as "Destiny In The Desert" (2001 Official World Series Film) isn't the hour plus movie but a scant 9 Minutes!! what kind of "Film" is that? Featurette...maybe...but calling that a film is ridiculous...its about as long as the championship acceptance feature..
the bonus interviews Don't feature Schilling or Johnson?

Hey..if you are a Diamondbacks fan ...you have to have this...but its nothing compared to the 1988 Dodger set or the 1977 Yankee sets...but more...

I loved it!
I thoroughly enjoyed watching all seven games from the 2001 World Series. I hadn't seen them since watching them live when I lived in Arizona back then. Oh, the memories...some bad, some wonderful.

Every bit as exciting as when it happened
I've seen replays of the ninth inning of Game 7 a hundred times, and am still on the edge of my seat in anticipation when Gonzo steps to the plate. Great set, fun to watch (definitely more-so if you are a Dbacks fan or a Yankee hater). Gonzo, Gracie, Beautiful Steve Finley, David "Dayum-he's-hot" Delluci, Reggie, Jay, Randy, Curt and the rest ... all qualify for "Mr. November" status in my MLB record book.

Great gift to give with some tickets for opening day!

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Shiva Rea: Flow Yoga for Beginners

good, but NOT for beginners
This is a good yoga video. It is well shot with good production values and clear narration. If one is already familiar with hatha yoga, one will not have trouble following along and doing Shiva Rea's routines. It is good for a "video workout partner," and gives you the choice of watching the set without narration.

Ms. Rea is obviously competent, talented, and very adept at yoga. She is quite attractive and demonstrates the overall forms and their "flow" well. The routines are modifications or variations of more traditional forms of yoga, but not drastically so. Some of the forms reminded me of qigong.

The set of exercises on this DVD would constitute a healthy program for someone already in fairly good shape, but I seriously doubt that a couch potato with no understanding of yoga could benefit from it. If you are elderly or have any kind of physical issue, there is no instruction aimed at helping you do the forms or modify them for your needs.

I have...

Flow Yoga For Everyone
I was so glad to get another new Shiva DVD less than 5 months since her last one. This DVD was filmed in Kauai , Hawaii as well as her next DVD's to be released this year and next year. This practice is aimed for beginners but everyone can enjoy it , the whole DVD is 70 minutes and has 4 segments (and savasana) that can be done seperately:
1. Foundation Flow - approx 14 min, Shiva starts with some breathing exercises on a rock near a beautiful waterfall and continues with simple poses like cat , cobra and some variations.
2. Beginner's Backbend Flow -approx. 20 min, there is a change of scenery and Shiva is in a beautiful garden with a lot of trees near a lake.
It is actually mainly standing poses - she prepares you for backbends in this practice with some lunge variations , chair with twists ,side bends, half splits and cobra variations and finally bow and camel. This segment might be quite challenging for true beginners but she shows easier modifications for most of...

Great Moving Yoga with Lovely Scenery
I have another hatha yoga DVD that was filmed in Hawaii, and it is just so nice to have the soothing sounds, beautiful backgrounds and gentle lighting of Hawaii helping you relax into your yoga poses. Shiva Rea's voice is smooth and encouraging, and while she is extremely flexible, she gives you hope as you go that, while you might not be limber right now, you can get that way with practice.

This tape only has four real parts. You can either watch them chapter by chapter, or all in a row. You can also choose to watch them with music only, or with her verbal prompts.

The sections each have their own location. Each is quite lovely! You get 15 minutes of basic poses, 20 minutes of a lot of standing backbends, 10 minutes of more relaxing stretches, and the 25 minutes of a long repetitive sequence. Then there is a VERY super-short relaxation at the end.

I think I was spoiled by my other DVD, because with the other one there are multiple hour-long sessions...

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Mannequin & Mannequin 2: On the Move

Mannequin
The Mannequin movies are among my Favorites. Andrew McCarthy and William Ragsdale are the leading men and both were perfectly cast for the role as well as were their female mannequin actresses.

In both movies Hollywood ties the heroes together and makes for a truly enjoyable comedy/love story.

If you love a movie where the good guy gets the girl and lives happily ever after you'll love these movies.

DOUBLE THE FUN
Kim Cattrall,& Andrew McCarthy are great together,this a very funny movie.And part is with a different couple but just as funny.

Mannequin
I love this movie and its so great that it is not only the first movie but also the second, all in one box!

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Juno (Two-Disc Special Edition with Digital Copy)

A Complex Tale Told with Humor, Tenderness, and Simplicity
Teenage pregnancy is frequently a starting point for myriad philosophical arguments: some see it as a major problem, some see it as an argument for the need of early teaching of contraceptive technique and sex education, some see it as a reason for championing abortion, and some see it as a piece of life that confronts families in both positive and negative ways. JUNO is a beautifully written (Diablo Cody) and directed (Jason Reitman) version of unplanned pregnancy offered by a splendid ensemble cast: it is a movie that could modify the sociologic outlook of many people in a very strong fashion.

Juno (Ellen Page) is sixteen and talks her best friend Bleek (Michael Cera) into having sex: the result is a surprise pregnancy that Juno shares with her girlfriend Leah (Olivia Thirley) and the store clerk Rollo (Rainn Wilson) even before informing Bleek, a likable kid who seems fairly flat about the situation. After discarding abortion as a viable solution, Juno informs her...

Two-Disc Special Edition Chock Full o' Extras!
Juno was Little Miss Sunshine of 2007 - the little independent film that could. Once the studio realized that it had a successful crowd-pleaser on its hands, the film was promoted from the art-house circuit to the multiplexes. Actress Ellen Page and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody became the film's breakout stars garnering the lion's share of critical raves and awards with Page getting an Independent Spirit Award and Cody an Academy Award. Now that all of the dust has settled, Juno can be reassessed to see if it really has the staying power and substance to cut through all of the hype and stand-up to the inevitable backlash.

There is an audio commentary by director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. The first thing that you notice when listening to Cody talking is how well Ellen Page mimicked her way of speaking. Reitman tends to dominate the track and, not surprisingly, talks about...

Wondering what "...with digital copy" means?
It means the bonus disc includes a digital copy of the film that can be automatically downloaded to a laptop or iPod. Seems obvious after you know it, huh? The second disc also includes some extra bonus features not on the single-disc DVD -- four featurettes titled "Way Beyond 'Our' Maturity Level: Juno - Leah - Bleeker," "Diablo Cody Is Totally Boss," "Jason Reitman For Shizz" and "Honest To Blog! Creating Juno."

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SpongeBob SquarePants - Pest of the West

Episodes
7 episodes including a double-length episode! Episodes include:
1. Pest of the West
2. To Save a Squirrel
3. Battle of Bikini Bottom
4. Pat No pay
5. The Krusty Plate
6. 20,000 Leauges under the sea
7. The Inmates of Summer

Good but not perfect...
This DVD was very good, and I enjoyed it throughly. But, The title episode, Pest of the West, seemed a bit rushed and not up to normal standards. also, Th Krusty Plate and Pat No Pay are both only half length, and did not create big laughs for me. The special features are very good, with some very short "episodes". If you love Spongebob, buy this right away. If you don't, you are better off with some of the first DVDs, like Nautical Nonsence.

Cute movie, lots of extra episodes.
This DVD was great, you get so much for your money when you look at all the episodes you get with it. A must buy, especially if you have kids.

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Human Footprint

visually impressive, lacking in substantial content
I teach high school science and 100 level science classes at the local university. I showed the dvd for both groups with a worksheet I made up for them (anyone in education knows that you must give the students something to work on relating to the movie they're watching, or else they won't pay attention). It was visually impressive to see the amounts of "stuff" we go through in a lifetime, and it's a good movie because students have no idea what these amounts really are; they cannot fathom how immense 43,000 soda cans is. However that's really all there was to this dvd-they show a product (or activity), explain (briefly)how it is constructed, or shipped, and then they actually display the amount with the number (literaly they laid out 43,000+ soda cans in a parking lot). There was no explanation of the impact or problems associated with the levels of consumption or waste. And after 30-40 minutes (the dvd is 1.5hrs) it gets well, kind of boring. So good for providing the visual...

Amazing Video
The "Human Footprint" was first aired on the National Geographic Channel earlier this year. It is a graphic portrayal of the quantities of stuff that an average American consumes over the course of a lifetime.

The criticism of our lifestyle is implicit. No one says what all this is doing to the planet, but it quickly becomes obvious that enormous quantities of stuff must be manufactured, consumed, and discarded in order to support the high standard of living that we enjoy. You only have to look at the herd of pigs, tons of potatoes, or football field expanse of bread to be amazed at what we consume.

The story is told with a sense of humor. The kitchen filling with fruit is funny. However, the question that comes to mind is whether we will always have the resources to keep this up. The inventory shown by National Geographic is food for thought.

Another interesting video on the subject of the consumer economy is the 20-minute "The Story of Stuff."...

First Fascinating...Then Boring....Then Irritating
This film tracks the life of a boy and girl from childhood through old age.

At various stages of life their consumption of various resources is examined in great detail.

The early displays of actual counts of what they use are at first fascinating and impressive. Gee...I thought... someone went to lot of effort to assemble and set up over 43,000 soft drink cans.

Then as the statistical bombardment continues, one begins to wonder are these numbers really correct. Each stat is accompanied with yet another visual display of what the number means. OK...I get it...I don't need to see the actual number of toothbrushes I will use in a lifetime.

Finally, the whole experience becomes irritating, if there is a point here the film is not making it clear (at least for me). Even small uses become large values over the 77 years of the average lifespan.

Are we supposed to apologize for being alive? That was the way I felt a few times...

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