CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Romeo & Juliet

starring: Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery, Milo O'Shea, Pat Heywood (II)
directed by: Franco Zeffirelli

Release Date May 23, 2000
The acting in this film is wonderful. The drama lines are delivered as one would expect, with class. The action scenes are played out well, though there was no as much blood as a sword thrust to the heart might actually cause, but this is family television. It is a very good introduction to Shakespeare, and the cast all realizes they are first and foremost Shakespearian actors.

This version far surpasses any other production of Romeo and Juliet. The veiwer gets the sense of the frustration, the romance, the hopes that hings might change, and the let down of realizing the tragedy involved in this in inevitable. Love conquers hearts but it can't change other people's attitudes towards something as personal as a blood feud. This ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Stealing Beauty

starring: Carlo Cecchi, Sinéad Cusack, Joseph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Anna-Maria Gherardi
directed by: Bernardo Bertolucci

Release Date January 08, 2002
Stealing Beauty stars Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, and a host of talented Italian actors. (I only mention the names preceding because those are probably the names you will recognize. Other than Tyler and Irons, most of the substantial roles seem to have been performed by Italian actors.)

At any rate, Tyler stars as Lucy Harmon, the 19-year-old, virginal daughter of a famous poet who has recently committed suicide. Lucy, upon going through her late mother's things, finds evidence that the man she thought was her father is not, indeed, her father. Her mother's notes suggest that an Italian man is Lucy's true father. Curious, Lucy goes to an art colony (of sorts) in Italy that her mother used to frequent to find ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

The Milagro Beanfield War

starring: Rubén Blades, Richard Bradford, Sonia Braga, Julie Carmen, James Gammon
directed by: Robert Redford

Release Date May 31, 2005
The other reviewers have done such a great job heralding this film, I really can't add much more other than to say that I agree--this is just a richly made piece of art that captivates. Love it.

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

The Professionals (Special Edition)

starring: Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Jack Palance
directed by: Richard Brooks

Release Date April 05, 2005
I bought this after reading about it on the net, having never seen the movie. This is a man movie, make no mistake. Burt Lancaster. Lee Marvin. Jack Palance. What more needs to be said? The characters are cool, the action is well scripted, the dialog near-perfect, and the cinematography is beautiful. The sound is surprisingly good for a 40+ year old flick. Sony did this Blu-ray right...no nasty DNR to smear away details and remove grain here...you will believe you are watching film. I didn't notice any video artifacts on my 50" Sony A3000 SXRD HDTV. Lee Marvin's line at the end of the movie is priceless. And it's only $19.95 on Amazon. Great movie, great Blu-ray transfer, great price. Buy it.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Zorro, the Gay Blade

starring: George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Brenda Vaccaro, Ron Leibman, Donovan Scott
directed by: Peter Medak

Release Date July 10, 2001
George Hanilton had already spoofed Dracula and the vampire genre in the film Love at First Bite, this time he took his satirical aim at Zorro. He pokes a big finger of 1940's Tyrone Power The Mark of Zorro

Hamilton could have played this Zorro straight and would have made this work. However, in a comedy twist, when his Dom Diego character hurts his foot in an Zorro related accident, he enlisted his long lost brother Ramone (now called Bunny Wigglesworth)(Also played by Hamilton) in his Zorro cause..and the fun begins.

Bunny plays Zorro in many colorful zorro garbs, rather than the normal Zorro basic black. Instead of a sabre he uses a whip. He pokes a more whisher Zorro wit (Note the film's title)

Ron Leibman whine ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

En Vivo

starring: Roberto Carlos

Release Date August 19, 2008
George Hanilton had already spoofed Dracula and the vampire genre in the film Love at First Bite, this time he took his satirical aim at Zorro. He pokes a big finger of 1940's Tyrone Power The Mark of Zorro

Hamilton could have played this Zorro straight and would have made this work. However, in a comedy twist, when his Dom Diego character hurts his foot in an Zorro related accident, he enlisted his long lost brother Ramone (now called Bunny Wigglesworth)(Also played by Hamilton) in his Zorro cause..and the fun begins.

Bunny plays Zorro in many colorful zorro garbs, rather than the normal Zorro basic black. Instead of a sabre he uses a whip. He pokes a more whisher Zorro wit (Note the film's title)

Ron Leibman whine ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Nine Queens

starring: Gastón Pauls, Ricardo Darín, Leticia Brédice, Tomás Fonzi, Graciela Tenenbaum
directed by: Fabián Bielinsky

Release Date October 01, 2002
Quite simply stupendous with constant tension and superb acting. You're never quite sure where this is going, but the by the finale, you'll have learned you were wrong!

Six stars!

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

El Mariachi (Special Edition)

starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gómez, Jaime de Hoyos, Peter Marquardt, Reinol Martinez
directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Release Date August 26, 2003
The Good Things
*Lots of exciting action scenes.
*Some bloody violence for those who enjoy it.
*Some funny parts too.
*Excellent filming style. Lots of unique camera angles. Camera shakes around a little, but not irritatingly so. It's a rough style reminiscent of older 70s films.
*Storyline is simple but engaging.
*Characters are excellent. Good acting and writing.
*Good music.

The Bad Things
*Maybe a little too grainy and gritty. It could use some restoration (on the other hand, the grittiness accentuates the rough style).

For such a low-budget movie, this is quite an excellent and exciting (and sometimes humorous) piece of work. It could have been total garbage, but the film's style, characters, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Viva Maria!

starring: Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, Paulette Dubost, Claudio Brook, Carlos López Moctezuma
directed by: Louis Malle

Release Date April 05, 2005
This is a fun escapist romp. What was at the time(1965) a pretty racy stage act with Bardot and Moreau is now rather quaint and charming. I have to admit that when it came to sex the French were certainly more open minded then we Americans were at the time. Some of the political ideology of the time effects some of the action and dialogue providing a groan and a chuckle. The great on-location photography is colorful and provides realism. Many inventive visual jokes help make this fast paced adventure enjoyable and upbeat. George Hamilton as a revolutionary?...now that's a laugh!! I would have loved to have seen this bright sunny picture when it first came out, at a Parisian theatre on a cold dark rainy afternoon.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Burnt Money

starring: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eduardo Noriega (II), Pablo Echarri, Leticia Brédice, Ricardo Bartis
directed by: Marcelo Piñeyro

Release Date October 01, 2002
why are so many "gay" flicks about sickos? can ANYONE answer that question? this is NOT a gay flick: it is a flick about two very strange men who have some kind of relationship with each other (if it's "love" it is a very strange version of it). the only intimacy is heterosexual in nature; this is a "gay" movie? i wonder if the two leads, especially noriega, couldn't handle doing physically intimate scenes with another man (in this flick, at any rate) -- have a felling noriega might think it would ruin his career as one of the leading heart-throbs of spain. ah, well. . . yet another disappointing portrait of "gay" men.