Reviews by Friends of MOVIEBUFF

ChrisJarmick says "Trumbo,Poitier, Comedies, Cult & Holiday Movies highlight TCM" about Classic Movies, Best Turner Classic, South Africa Tales, Comedies, Cult Movies, Dalton Trumbo & Silent Ben Hur

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:15:56 GMT

TCm Thursday through Sunday has scheduled a wide and diverse program of films, including two Dalton Trumbo penned film and the silent Ben Hur on Sunday December 13th; Movies set in South Africa on Friday December 11th, and the fun Original and Sequel pairing of movies on Saturday Night the 12th.

There's also the strange and wonderful cult movie Performance and the strange Ingmar Bergman Film Personna late Friday Night.

On Thursday, December the 11, TCM gives us 4 crime drama, film noirs beginning at 11 a.m. on the West Coast. 1949's The Bribe stars Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton and Vincent Price in the dark Crime drama about a sultry singer who's up to no good as she attempts to lead a federal agent astray. At 12:45 p.m. PST its 1953's The Bigamist directed and starring Ida Lupino with Joan Fontaine, Edmund Gwenn and Edmond O'Brien. Then the classic D.O.A. from 1950 airs at 2:15 p.m. on the West Coast. It stars Edmond O'Brien as the victim who ingested...

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Fardreamer says "You'll be saying 'Yippee-ki-yay' with Willis in 1988's Die Hard!" about Die Hard

Fardreamer — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:56:50 GMT

It's hard to believe that, as I write this, more than 20 years have passed since 20th Century Fox released director John McTiernan's seminal action movie Die Hard, which not only put Bruce Willis on the "action hero" map, but also "inspired" a plethora of copycat movies which usually involved terrorists, an enclosed space and one or two good guys determined to stop the bad guys.

Die Hard itself launched three sequels over a 19-year span of time, all of them starring Willis as the sardonic New York City police detective with a penchant for snappy quips and a particular talent for disposing of bad guys in skycrapers, airports, federal banks and even an entire city.

It will blow you through the back wall of the theater

The story takes a basic Western-movie plotline (lone hero faces off against a band of menacing black hats) and pulls it forward into the late 20th Century. N.Y. Detective John McClane (Willis) arrives in L.A. for a Christmas vacation with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia)...

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Jo says "Coco Coir Collections Mat is great for inside or outside." about William F. Kempf Cocomats Coco Coir Collections

Jo — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:49:12 GMT

I love mats. I have mats and rugs over the rugs in my house, which drives my daughter crazy when she comes home. I like to have a nice welcome mat in the front and in the back of my house.

I liked the way the Coco Collections Coir Rubber Mat looked. This particular one is in my house right at the entrance way. Some Coco Collections mats I have put outside. They do fade after awhile and since I live on the ocean the salt water does a number on everything. In general these are quite durable.

"Coir (From Malayalam kayar, cord) is a coarse fiber extracted from the fibrous outer shell of a coconut. (wikipedia)"

Amazon has a whole host of mats which you can see here: http://tinyurl.com/ykq5tb6.

My mat is really pretty with an attractive design. It is 18 inches by 30 inches which is the perfect size for an outside or inside door mat.

The back of the mat is made of rubber. The care instructions warn us to keep the mat out of direct sunlight so it won't fade but for around $7.00 I just replace...

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ChrisJarmick says "Bogart Classics, & Holiday Movies Highlight TCM schedule" about Best Classic Movie Turner Classic Movies More Bogart & Christmas Movie December 9 & 10 2009

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:35:35 GMT

TCM delivers another Humphrey Bogart Marathon today, December 8th and tomorrow during primetime is showing another batch of under the radar Christmas movies. They call them Christmas Classics but some of the movies aren't 'classic'-still 'tis the season and even some of the not-so-good ones might bring back some nice memories or strike your fancy.

It's Bogart all through the day and into the very very early morning tomorrow. If you are a Bogart fan you don't want to miss many of the offerings being shown. I'll start with what's on this morning .

Some of the lower budgeted b-movies and movies featuring Bogie in the 25 movies he made mostly for Warner Brothers when he got a contract with them after successfully making 1936's Petrified Forest. He wasn't a big enough star yet to pick and choose what movies he would be in... but instead was assigned movies to be in and pretty much had to do what he was told. (It wouldn't be until after 1941's Maltese Falcon and 1942 Casablanca...

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Fardreamer says "Out-of-this-world conspiracy is at heart of Capricorn One" about Capricorn One

Fardreamer — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:54:52 GMT

Americans - for good or ill - seem to thrive on conspiracy theories.

Since the founding of our nation in the late 18th Century, many Americans have espoused or believed in all kinds of conspiracies, beginning with the notion that Freemasons were a threat to American civilization itself to the totally outlandish accusation that President George W. Bush's Administration had a hand in planning and carrying out the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The three biggest myths of U.S. history in the 20th Century are (1) that Franklin D. Roosevelt knew the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was coming and did nothing to stop it so the U.S. could enter World War II; (2) there was a vast government conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy (for various reasons); and (3) that the Apollo Program to land men on the moon was secretly halted after 1967 and that the subsequent lunar landings were faked.

Now, I seriously doubt those conspiracy theories, and I'm relatively sure that writer-director...

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Jo says "Cerama Bryte gets my Cooktop Clean" about Cerama Bryte Glass-Ceramic Cooktop Cleaner

Jo — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:54:42 GMT

To the Point

When we got our Amana 30 inch electric range with a ceramic top we were told we would have to clean it carefully.

I bought Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner. A 28-ounce bottle at Home Depot. It wasn't inexpensive coming in at about $7.00. Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner can be used on all ceramic cooktops.

Amazingly Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner is not tested on animals. It is biodegradable, has no phosphates, and the container can be recycled.

A Closer View

Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner can be used, according to the bottle, on Amana, GE, Whirlpool, Maytag, Hotpoint, Frigidaire, and Kenmore ranges. Although I only use it on my stove now that I'm reviewing this cleaner I see I can use it to clean my stainless steel sink, glass cookware, pots and pans and items I don't have like a glass shower door.:

A little of this white, not horrible smelling liquid goes a long way. I just shake the bottle, and with a paper towel and a cool cooktop I rub Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner on. I then dry...

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Jo says "I bought cute place card holders at Beau-coup.com" about Beau-coup

Jo — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:32:34 GMT

My husband and I were recently married in our religion. Although it was fall we had a beach theme. I wanted Adirondack chairs for the place cards. Some are very expensive because they have tea lights or a place for a picture or the table numbers.

I found small chairs measuring 2 1/4 inch long by 1 1/2 inch wide by 2 inches high at beau-coup.com.

The chairs are not wood so if that is what you are looking for skip these. They are made out of heavy duty plastic. They were packaged so well I was amazed because they are quite durable. I took them over to the venue without any padding. There is no way these little chairs were going to break.

Some people didn't take their chairs. Maybe they didn't know what to do with them but I think they make a cute knick nack and the seat, although small, can fit something little on it. You can also put your next doctor's appointment card in the slot. (Keep reading)

There is a slot on the top of the chair in which I put the place cards, which came with my order....

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vivasuzi says "Another one that you have to see at the IMAX in 3D!" about A Christmas Carol starring Jim CArrey

vivasuzi — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:40:11 GMT

My mom and I have had A Christmas Carol reserved on our calendars since months ago when we heard it would be showing at the IMAX in 3D. As with most IMAX movies, this was totally worth the $11.75 ticket price and the 1 hour wait in line! Buy your tickets early because many showings are selling out at the IMAX by us and it will only get worse as it gets closer to Christmas.

A Christmas Carol takes the classic story that we all know and love, and transforms it into something you've never seen before. Even if you know the story inside and out as I do, this movie will still shock and amaze you because it doesn't happen exactly as you expect. This is the story of Scrooge as you've never seen it before - and it's in 3D!

Jim Carrey stars as Scrooge and also voices the 3 ghosts. As you may expect from Jim, there is some humor thrown in to each of these characters. The audience giggled at many parts throughout. The animation was so well done that some of the characters, including...

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Jo says "Arranged: a story of an Orthodox Jew and a Muslim" about Arranged

Jo — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:16:49 GMT

Arranged is an amazing movie. It is an independent film which runs 90 minutes and is not rated; however, it is suitable for all ages but just because of the topic I would rate it PG-13. Having said that, Arranged is a wonderful teachable moment for you and your children.

Two young teachers who are unlikely friends become the best of friends in this story of friendship, loyalty, duty, and tradition. Rochel, played by Zoe Lister-Jones, is an Orthodox Jew. Nasira, played by Francis Benhamou, is Muslim. They both seem out of place in the school in which they teach and the principal does nothing to encourage their cultural diversity.

Arranged is a tale of two families both of whom do not waiver from their faiths. Both families are adamant about arranged marriages. Both young women struggle with how they fit into the modern world though one struggles more. It is interesting to note that the one who struggles more is the one whose parents will not let the other young woman in their house!

We...

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Jo says "A must see movie: What's Eating Gilbert Grape" about What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Jo — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:49:02 GMT

An oldie but greatie is the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape which I recently saw. It was made in 1993 and earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Academy Award nomination.

The film is set in a rural town in Iowa where the terrific actor, Johnny Depp, playing Gilbert Grape, is caring for Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Arnie is challenged mentally and a handful.

It seems that Depp cares for everyone but has forgotten himself.

His morbidly obese mom, Bonnie (played by Darlene Cates), was once a pretty woman but has done little except eat since dad's death.

All the chores and cooking go to sisters, Amy (Laura Harrington) and Ellen (Mary Kate Schellhardt).

The love and caring between the brothers is wonderful to watch. The line "nobody touches Arnie" is heard through out the movie.

Another character, the married Betty Carver played by Mary Steenburgen, is having an affair with Gilbert.

Finally Becky, played by Juliette Lewis, comes into the picture and she, among other things, changes the familiy's...

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lilsquibb says "Nutri Serums Nurtify My Skin, With a Little Help" about Softsoap Nutri Serums Body Wash Restoring Vitamin E

lilsquibb — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:42:02 GMT

As a Bzz Agent I was able to receive a couple of samples of a new body wash from Softsoap. Though I’m not normally a body wash kind of person I thought “what the heck I’ll try it.” So in my package came a sample of Softsoap Nutri Serum Restoring Vitamin E Body Wash in a cute mini-body wash bottle. After trying the Nutri Serum Moisture Retaining Body Wash, I wasn’t even going to try the Vitamin E version, but I figured to be fair I would check it out. Plus knowing that Vitamin E is good for the skin, I was hoping it would be of a little assistance to my ever increasing belly.

So opening up the green labeled bottle of body wash this time, I could definitely smell something more than the Softsoap scent that dominated the Moisture version. It was some sort of flowery scent that I can’t really place, but I’m thinking Gardenia for some reason. This isn’t exactly my favorite scent, but I only smell it while in the shower then it wears off. Creating a nice lather,...

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MikeMaroon says "Lookin for Love in all the Wrong Places......" about The Imperfect Enjoyment

MikeMaroon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:36:25 GMT

by Dwan W. Gibson reminds me of dudes I knew in high school who used to brag about all the women they had or everyone sitting around the big screen TV, watching some reality show and recounting their dating horror stories from Match.com. And that's just how it reads. Mr. Gibson opens his first and, so far only, book, a memoir with the statement "The girls have always been good to me, most of the time." He then recounts his first kiss, in the seventh grade. From there it's all about the women he loved and lost.

Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious and always to the point, Gibson fashions a breezy and at times raunchy narrative describing how he got hooked on "the fairer sex", and his pursuit of love, often in all the wrong places. He moves away from his home in Cleveland for the bright lights of California, mostly to satisfy his sense of adventure and desire to get away from the social restrictions of a black man living in the midwest.

What he finds in San Diego isn't exactly...

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vivasuzi says "I'm making Fannie May into a new Christmas Tradition" about Fannie May Candies

vivasuzi — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:28:18 GMT

I discovered Fannie May Candies last year after a supplier sent us some Trinidads at work. Trinidads are made of chocolate cream covered in a toasted coconut shell. They are very yummy! So I went online to find Fannie May and ended up buying an assortment that very same year. The gift went over so well that I did the same thing this year!

The Create Your Own Assortment allows you to pick your favorite chocolates to build an assortment of any size ranging from 1 pound to 2.5 pounds. I purchased the 2.5 pounds assortment and picked 10 different 1/4 lb candies to include. This assortment cost $45 before shipping and I think that is pretty reasonable considering how I distribute the candy to 6 or more people.

What I have been doing for the last 2 years is ordering a variety of 10 of my favorite Fannie May candies. The assortment comes in a large tower box that is decorated to look nice under the tree. However I take things a step further! I open the assortment and all...

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Fardreamer says "Up is a heartwarming film by the animators at Pixar Studios!" about Up

Fardreamer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:57:45 GMT

Although I have watched, perhaps, hundreds. if not thousands, of movies of all types (ranging from adult films to Z-grade Westerns) since the mid-1960s, I've never really been a fan of "family fare" or animated movies.

Perhaps this reluctance to like anything that smacks of kid-friendly fare stems from the razzing I suffered when, in the fifth grade, I remarked that I had gone to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarves when Walt Disney Pictures re-released it in theaters in one of those "once in a blue moon" Special Engagements. I, like many others before and since, had loved that first of the Disney classic animated films, but lots of my friends considered Disney movies "baby stuff" and totally uncool.

So even though I've seen some of the last batch of 2-D Disney Classics (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King), I tend to ignore tons of movies which are animated or are produced/released by Walt Disney Pictures.

For some reason, though, I've liked quite a few of...

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jasyjen says "A fun game that the whole family likes to play together" about I Can Do It Games The Grinch Christmas Bingo Game

jasyjen — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:29:31 GMT

I stumbled across The Grinch Christmas Bingo Game at Target and as soon as I saw it, I grabbed it up. I love Christmas, I love The Grinch, and I like playing Bingo, so this game had a lot going for it. I was attracted right away to the packaging of The Grinch Christmas Bingo Game because it comes in a brightly colored tin container with 3D lettering and graphics. The game is approved for children 4+, so I was pretty safe in the age department.

As soon as I showed The Grinch Christmas Bingo Game to my two children (boys, ages 8 & 13) they wanted to play. OF COURSE THEY DID! It's the Grinch! When we opened up the game, there were a lot of "oohs" and 'aahs' from us, as the game is has a 3D piece that sets up to look like part of a living room with Christmas tree and a chimney! HOW COOL!

The directions were very easy to follow, and this Bingo game has a little twist that makes it different from other Bingo games. We all liked the twist a lot. Here is how you play The Grinch...

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vivasuzi says "Cute but a little silly" about I Me Wed (2007)

vivasuzi — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:48:25 GMT

Isabelle is a successful 30 year old woman who is sick and tired of all her friends and family pressuring her to settle down. She's perfectly happy being single and successful and finally decides she is going to prove it to everyone once and for all. How can she do that? By marrying herself!

I Me Wed follows Isabelle as she plans her wedding - in which she plans to marry herself. It starts as a simple fun thing she wants to do for herself, but then a news story comes out of it. That news story turns into more newspaper stories and then the tv shows get involved. Isabelle meets a man that she actually really likes! Will she still go through with wedding? Will the man be okay with it all? And can she get her friends and family to understand what she is doing?

I Me Wed is cute but silly. Ok, so I get the point Isabelle is trying to prove. She wants to show her friends that she can be perfectly happy even if she never finds a man. Her story starts to inspire other...

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lilsquibb says "Transform your baby into a big boy with Transformers Underwear" about Fruit of the Loom Transformers 3-Pack Underwear

lilsquibb — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:11:17 GMT

Underwear is sort of a family tradition. At least someone receives a package of undies as a gift. Two years ago was my son's year to get underwear for Christmas and he thought it was the coolest thing. Since he had become a huge fan of Transformers, grandma decided to get him some Transformer underwear.

More than Meets the Eye
Designed after the Transformer animated series cartoons, this 3 pack of Fruit of the Loom underwear comes in sizes as small as Toddler 3T and as large as boys 6. The front of each pair displays the Autobot symbol and each pair depicts on the back end one of three Transformers - Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and Bulkhead. My son received his love of Transformers from daddy so he was already well aware of several of the characters. Bumblebee and Optimus were already fan favorites in our house but at the, my son had no clue who Bulkhead was. Afterward we started watching the series and he instantly became a fan of Bulkhead.

Fit for the Transformer Lover
For being...

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vivasuzi says "A yummy gift for the winter holidays!" about L.L. Bean - Hot Cocoa

vivasuzi — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:15:16 GMT

I love Hot Chocolate and will drink it non-stop around the winter season to stay warm. So when a coworker got all of us the L.L. Bean Hot Cocoa Mix for Christmas last year, I couldn't wait to try it. Unfortunately the first time I tried it, I used water, and it was disgusting! Most hot chocolate mixes I've owned work with water or milk so I assumed this would be the same. I found out after I made it that it calls for milk specifically, but I was so turned off that I didn't bother trying it.

The hot cocoa mix sat on my shelf until this winter when I decided to finally give it a try with milk. The L.L. Bean Hot Cocoa Mix is delicious with milk! It tastes just as good as hot chocolate that you might get from a coffee shop. Now that I've finally tasted this with milk, I know it will be gone quickly as I drink it every week.

How To Make It: It calls for 8oz of milk but I like more than that so I usually make 12. Just warm up 12 oz of milk, then pour it in a mug and add...

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Jo says "Tick tock says Bella Cucina 4 slice toaster over 13407" about Bella Cucina 4 slice toaster oven 13407

Jo — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:35:52 GMT

To the Point

Our last toaster oven lasted a few weeks. Although I read that toasters might smoke at first, WeatherWorks started smoking later! The review has been updated. I bought and returned two other toasters and then finally decided that the 4 slice oven toaster by Bella Cucina might be good. I thought buying it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond might be better than Wal-Mart. Having spent $60.00 on one that was way to huge for our counter, I bought the 4 slice oven toaster by Bella Cucina for $30.00

A Closer Look

The features:

15 minute timer with auto shut off

temperature control dial

audible tone when toasting is complete

indicator on light

baking pan and broiling rack

crumb tray underneath

limited one-year warranty

The 4 slice oven toaster by Bella Cucina is made in China.

It measures approximately 8" High x 16" Wide x 8 1/2" Deep.

What I like

It fits perfectly on our counter.
It is attractive.
It is inexpensive.
The crumb tray though it is not a tray. The bottom opens up which is just fine...

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Jo says "Dell on Call- call anyone else! " about Dell Service plans/Warranties

Jo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:39:06 GMT

To the Point

There are a couple of things I've learned over the years. One is when the warranty on my car is up, it's time to trade it in. The next thing I've learned is when the warranty on my computer is up it is time to get a new computer.

A Closer View

Back in October my computer was very sick. I found "The Dell On Call" support system from the website and called.

From the website dell.com

"We provide solutions that help you Setup, Maintain and Protect your PC. We are here to help with your "how to" questions and we'll diagnose your common PC problems like spyware.

Why Use Dell On Call?

Who better to help you get the most out of your system than the ones who built it? Dell is here for you every step of the way - from helping you set up your system out of the box and to walk you through the different needs that can come-up along the way. Don't face those problems on your own - Dell is here for you

Clean/remove unwanted Internet files
Clean/ remove temporary file
Enable automatic Windows...

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