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Mamma Mia!

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters
directed by: Phyllida Lloyd

November 24, 2008
It's a long long time since I've gone to the cinema to see the same film twice ... but I have now seen Mamma Mia four [4] yes that's right four times & have been entertained every single time. What's more in each of the screenings nobody has moved until the credits have finished. I cannot wait for the DVD to come out so that I can watch it a few more times. This just proves that your viewing choices should not be made by the critics ... [who go free!] It's your money, you go see what you want & enjoy yourself.

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Sex and the City: The Movie [2008]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth
directed by: Michael Patrick King

September 22, 2008

Some of it was boring n cringeworthy but seeing the girls again was gr8 n watching the moral support displayed for Carrie after being jilted by Big was awesome. She was in Mexico on what was meant to be her honeymoon in bed..erm alone!

Bought it last week n watched it twice already!!

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Sex and the City: The Movie - 2 Disc Edition [2008]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth
directed by: Michael Patrick King

September 22, 2008
I pre-ordered the 2 disc special edition from Amazon and as promised it was delievered slap bang on my doorstep on its official release date. Well done Amazon. Anyhow saw the film at the pics, fantastic. Decided to buy this edition and boy what a waste of money. Stick to the normal edition. I thought there would be loads of interviews with the cast but there was just one with SJP and the writer Michael King. A look at the wardrobe dept. and a commentary on deleted scenes. Nothing too much to interest you there. If you are a big fan though you would probably invest in this edition but otherwise save your cash, buy the 1 disc DVD and purchase the soundtrack of the album (which is awesome) with the money you have saved.

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The Wire : Complete HBO Season 1

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Dominic West, Sonja Sohn

April 18, 2005
The Wire, simply, is about Baltimore's drug trade told from the the point of view of the police, the dealers, the bosses and the users. It's a complicated issue with heros and villains on each side with those divisions sometimes blurring.

This is all told in an uncompromising way - with slang laden dialogue, violence and moral turpitude. The viewer in firstly considered to be smart and full of attention because things happen so fast that you sometimes miss things. The characters are complex and develop over SEASONS rather than episodes and one finds oneself warming to not just the police but the protagonists.

I think that this is one of the best series that I have seen - it's up there with The West Wing, 24, Six Feet Under and ... Read More:

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Lost In Austen [2008]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Tom Riley, Alex Kingston, Lindsay Duncan, Gemma Arterton, Hugh Bonneville
directed by: Dan Zeff

September 29, 2008
As a huge P&P fan I was wary of this modern girl meets Darcy adaptaion. What a wonderful surprise to find it witty, charming and romantic. The leads are delightful with a winning heroine and a gorgeous, brooding Darcy (Elliot Cowan.) I'm so glad I bought the DVD.

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The Dark Knight (2 Discs) [2008]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal
directed by: Christopher Nolan

December 08, 2008
Ledger was fantastic.

I enjoyed the film in the sense that it was worth the entry fee, but a great film - no. There is no glimpse of the Joker's volunteer army, but they must have existed because every 10 minutes another building in Gotham was conveniently full of explosives.

My biggest complaint is, as my title suggests, with regards to Gotham City. In the first of this new series of Batman films, Gotham City's skyline was brought to life using a large and impressive model with, no doubt, a touch of CGI (perhaps it was all CGI?). This time, the director has decided to introduce shots of L.A., Detroit and other large US Cities to represent Gotham, and he's done it in the daytime!?!

My Gotham City doesn't exist in daylight, ... Read More:

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The Wire: Complete HBO Season 5

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Dominic West

September 22, 2008
The first 4 series of The Wire were absolutely fantastic and the overall series still remains one of the very best ever made. This, the fifth series is in (some degrees) as good as the previous and several exciting storylines develop (particularly the politics and the Stanfield story). However there are 2 major problems with this series, firstly the major new storyline involving McNulty and the media is unbelievable and continues too long. Secondly the commissioned numbered of episodes (13) was reduced to 10 (at short notice) which gives an extremely hurried and unsatisfactory end. (Clearly there are whole stories told in seconds of final montage).
A shame !!

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The Wire: Complete HBO Season 2

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Dominic West, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Idris Elba, Amy Ryder

October 10, 2005
Having been unimpressed with first series of The Wire, I only started watching this, the second series, due to the endless critical praise that I kept seeing every time I picked up a newspaper. And I'm glad I did. The second series of The Wire is a huge improvement on the first. The story is deliberately slow to get into its stride but nevertheless is compelling from the opening credits to the final fade. This is a high quality Police drama which shows the good and the bad in everyone; the criminals, the stevedores and the Police all have very human qualities, both strengths and weaknesses, and the divide between crime and order is a realistically hazy one. A highly realistic drama showing the pitfalls of Police investigative techniques, the hard graft that is Police work and the ... Read More:

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The Dark Knight (2 Discs) [Blu-ray]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal
directed by: Christopher Nolan

December 08, 2008
Brokeback Mountain [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Viewed the film on the 'big - screen. Waiting for the DVD release. The Title of the film should have been,"Heath Ledger as the Joker". As always
Christian Bale, is the worst Batman in Moviedom. I shall give you a small example: In both 'The Batman Begins' and 'Dark Night',why on earth does the Batman speak fluently as Bruce Wayne, but the moment he wears his costume, starts talking like he had severe Laryngitis? I haven't seen a single 'Batman' starting from Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer to George Clooney talk like this,in their portrayals as 'Batman'. Heath! Heath! Heath! He IS the only reason that made me visit the cinema. Already rumors are adrift that Heath was adviced not to take on the role, by someone, none other than, Jack ... Read More:

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Battlestar Galactica: Season 4

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD >
starring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis
directed by: Michael Rymer

October 06, 2008
I've got the box in front of me - there is no mention of it being Season 4 Part 1 (e.g. 10 episodes). In fact the last DVD has a "Final Season Sneak Peek" - implying that there is a Season 5 (which we know there isn't).

On the bright side it does contain Razor. I have seen the first four episodes hence my five star rating. If I was to mark the distributor for their work it would be 0/5 for the way that they have presented this.