TV: Rome - 1st Season

DVD: 6 Discs - Widescreen 16x9


"Forculus, if you be the right god for this business here, I call on you to help me. If you will open this door, then I will kill for you a fine white lamb, or failing that, if I couldn't get one at a decent price, then six pigeons. This, Forculus, I vow to you."

Review: This is an amazing mini-series of Caesar's journey to become Emperor of Rome after his victory over the Gauls. Not only does it tell the story of the Civil War and the End of the Republic through the eyes of the nobles, but follows two soldiers from his Army as well. A very entertaining slice of history.

"Me, I have simpler tastes. I like to kill my enemy, take their gold and enjoy their women. That's it. Why tie yourself to one? Where's the flavor? Where's the joy?"
"Pullo, when was the last time you had a woman who wasn't crying or wanting payment?"

"My wife, she... You heard what she said, she hates me."
"What's your question?"
"How do I stop her from hating me, obviously?"
"It's not obvious. I thought you were making her hate you with a purpose."
"That was not my intent at all. Why would I do that?"
"Well, I don't know. You're the clever one, you. There might have been a thousand reasons."

"Caesar's scouts are only thirty miles from Rome. His speed is uncanny. Of course, he has only a very few men, which makes a fast pace easier. He is not leading an Army so much as an armed gang. It is all highly irregular, unethical even. Gods, it is not even the war season."
"Surely he does not think to attack Rome directly?"
"I think that is exactly what he will do."

"How happy, eh? To be a slave. To have no will. To make no decisions. Driftwood. How restful it must be."

"What's your price then?"
"1,000."
"Gerrae! I could have half the whores in Narbo for that, and their mothers."
"We're not in Narbo, whatever that might be."
"All right, my dove. We'll pay. But the girl better fuck him like Helen of Troy with her ass on fire, or I'll know the reason why."

"We will accept battle?"
"Certainly. Why not?"
"We are outnumbered 3 to 1 on foot and 5 to 1 on horse. What uninjured men we have are scared and hungry and desperate."
"That is the advantage we must press home."
"I was not aware irony had military usage."
"We must win or die. Pompey's men have other options."

"Enough. I am your son, but not your child. You will not strike me anymore."
"Will I not? You fucked your sister, you little pervert! Don't tell me what I will and will not do!"

"As some of you know, Caesar and I have had our disagreements. However that may be, he has shown himself to be as wise and merciful in victory as he was invincible in battle. Let this be an end to division and civil strife. I willingly pledge my loyalty to him, and I urge you all to do the same."

"The people, simple souls that they are, have made great heroes out of you and Pullo. If I were to punish you, the people would be made extremely angry. But I do not wish to make the people angry, ergo, I cannot punish you. If I cannot punish you, I must reward you, else I seem weak. By popular acclaim, I shall name Lucius Vorenus a Senator of Rome."

"Gentlemen, this is not some cheap murder! It is an honorable thing that we do, and it must be done honorably. In daylight. On the Senate floor. With our own hand... With my hand."

5 out of 5 Stars

Film: Gun Shy (2000)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


"I'm very good at reading what's in a person's eyes."
"That's nice."
"I'm reading yours right now."
"Yeah? What do they say?"
"They say you're sleepy. But I can't figure out... Is it 'too much drugs' sleepy, or 'too much work' sleepy or 'I'm so fucking bored' sleepy."

Review: This is an excellent black comedy about a veteran undercover DEA agent having a nervous breakdown after he is almost exposed and killed. Liam Neeson play the agent who wants to quit but has to stay undercover to help broker one last deal between a Colombian Cartel and the New York Mafia while trying to contain his fear. Oliver Platt is hilarious as the thick headed mobster.

"The cute Colombian and his boyfriend with the black eye. They represent a big drug cartel. They're looking to invest billions in Wall Street, and your boyfriend is setting it up for them."
"Wow, how exciting!"
"Yeah, well, Fulvio will foul the whole thing up, trust me."
"Why do you say that?"
"He's out of his league. He doesn't have the brains or the self-control to pull anything like this off. He's pretending."

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: The Secret of My Success (1987)

DVD: Anamorphic


"Ma, will you quit worrying. There is no danger. New York is just like Kansas... intensified."

Review: This is the perfect Michael J. Fox vehicle as well as a classic movie that only could have been made in the 80s. A story of a young man coming to New York to make his fortune and has to use his wits to make it to the top and win the girl, the beautiful Helen Slater. It has a fun rock soundtrack with several well-done musical montages throughout.

"One question: What the hell are you doing?"
"Having a nervous breakdown."

"Brantley, why you lookin' so sad?"
"I don't know. I just thought it would work out better, you know?"
"The job or the girl?"
"The job. To hell with the girl."
"Yeah, you sound real convincing. Well, look at it this way, pal. For a few weeks, you sat up here in the lofty atmosphere of the big cheeses. You had a nice view of Manhattan and a clean lunch room to eat in. Hell, you did more in two months than most people do in a lifetime."
"Yeah, I'm gonna miss it."
"The job or the girl?"

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: Showgirls (1995)

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Film: Mallrats (1995)

DVD: Anamorphic


"I love the smell of commerce in the morning."

Review: I was one of the few people who saw this in the theater when it bombed back in 1995. I always thought Brodie is Jason Lee's best role. He wasn't a good actor yet, but he had the natural instincts and knew how to deliver Kevin Smith's dialogue in a very funny way. Jeremy London was miscast as his friend though, all the dialogue seemed fake coming out of his mouth. Jay is always funny.

"I never farted in front of Renee. Last week, I let one slip and today she dumps me."
"Renee's not the shallow type. You're not insinuating..."
"She was going down on me at the time."

"Phase One. First, you take a run at La Fours with a sock full of quarters. I'd do it, but I pulled my back out humping your mom last night. Nooge. Okay, you clock him on his headpiece and knock his ass out cold. That's when Phase Two kicks in. I attack the structure, Wolvie-Berzerk style, and knock out the fuckin' pin and bickety-bam -- the motherfucker's rubble. Hence, no game show."

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Gladiator (2000)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


"I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark. Rome is the light."

Review: This is a visually beautiful movie with thrilling fight scenes. It is a very good movie, but I still don't think it is Best Picture quality, story-wise. I always thought the third act had some serious hiccups, it seems to jerk from point to point instead of flowing smoothly. The death of Oliver Reed before filming was completed and the fact that they were working on the script all the way to the end probably factored into this problem.

"I am Proximo! I shall be closer to you for the next few days, which will be the last of your miserable lives, than that bitch of a mother who first brought you screaming into this world! I did not pay good money for your company. I paid it so that I might profit from your death. And just as your mother was there at your beginning, I shall be there at your end."

"You have a great name. He must kill your name before he kills you."

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Casino Royale (2006)

DVD: Anamorphic


"Ten million was wired to your account in Montenegro, with the contingency for five more if I deem it a prudent investment. I suppose you've given some thought to the notion that if you lose, our government will have directly financed terrorism."

Review: This was almost a 5 Star film. It was a spot on thrilling ride until the middle of the third act where it slowed down to a crawl and then finished with the sinking building in Venice. That scene always takes me out of the movie when I watch it. It seems too unreal for a Bond film that is trying to be gritty and more realistic. Some have complained about the lengthy card game in the second act but I really enjoyed it.

"You know, I never understood all these elaborate tortures. It's the simplest thing... to cause more pain than a man can possibly endure. And of course, it's not only the immediate agony, but the knowledge that if you do not yield soon enough... there will be little left to identify you as a man. The only question remains: will you yield, in time?"

"The job's done and the bitch is dead."

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: The Hot Spot (1990)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


"So whatcha gonna do in our town?"
"What ever there is to do."
"Well, there's only two things to do around here. You got a TV?"
"Nope."
"Well now you're down to one. Lotsa luck!"

Review: I really enjoyed this film directed by Dennis Hopper. I think this is Don Johnson's best movie role as the stranger passing through a small Texas town in the summer, who decides to stay after spotting a beautiful girl walking her dog. Things get complicated when the wife of his new boss takes an interest in him and he is tempted by the bad security of the town bank.

"Mr. Harshaw's gone for the weekend, hunting. Said he needed the rest."
"Yeah, and I got a notion from what. I met her yesterday."
"Yeah, Mr. Harshaw met her in a real small town. Hunting trip, in fact, I think it was. He always said that she just sort of happened."
"Mm-hmm. Well, the smart thing would've been to get the hell out of there and let her happen to someone else."

"Gloria Harper. You've been on her back now for over a year."
"O Lord O Mine. Well, that little gal has you all stoked up, doesn't she? Let's see, you drove yourself all the way out here just to tell me to get off, huh. Is that right?"
"I'm gonna do better than that. I'm gonna help you off."

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Film: D.A.R.Y.L. (1985)

DVD: Enhanced 16x9


"You know, the extraordinary thing is that we've accomplished something by accident that we wouldn't have dared to do by intent. Putting him out there just to see what would happen. When Dr. Mulligan kidnapped him, that was the best thing he could have done."
"You were right about it's learning potential."
"No, I was wrong. I think he's learned a lot more than I ever thought possible."

Review: This was a favorite movie of mine as a kid. It starts out a little slow but really holds up well in the final two acts. A boy named Daryl is found in the woods with amnesia and is sent to live with a childless couple. He is a genius child who's mysterious background is revealed after his supposed parents come to claim him.

"I can sort of read what a computer is doing."
"You can control it?"
"I guess. I'm getting better."
"But people... you can tell what they're thinking?"
"Oh, no, I'm not telepathic or anything like that."
"Then how do you know what they're feeling?"
"Well, you sort of guess at that because you know what you're feeling yourself."

"Basically, we need an adult version of this prototype, programmed to learn and then taught everything the Army can teach. A fearless, technically skilled, devastating soldier."
"D.A.R.Y.L. goes to the scrap yard. Understood?"

4 out of 5 Stars

Film: Blind Date (1987)

DVD: Anamorphic


"But don't get her drunk. If you get her drunk... she loses control!"
"Ted, are we talking about a loss of inhibitions here, or does she pee on the floor?"

Review: This is the movie Bruce Willis made before he hit it big with Die Hard. It's a fun tale of a man taking a blind date to his important office dinner, but he ignores his brother's advice to not give her any alcohol. His night becomes a crazy disaster as he tries to keep her under control and avoid her jealous ex-boyfriend.

"Do I have to say the words?"
"I'm fired?"
"Fired? I only wish we were in the Army. So I could have you shot..."
"Yes, sir."
"Twice!"

3 1/2 out of 5 Stars