I stumbled onto Mr. Dulli thanks to another artist named Shawn Smith being a part of first Twilight Singers' project, "Twlight". That was a good album, but Blackberry Belle is better. I bought it when it first came out and haven't been able to stop listening to it since.

I can't say enough good things about this. Are you tired of the bee-bop tihs they're playing on the radio? Buy this. You won't regret it. And Mr. D, keep up the great work. You're an excellent songwriter/singer/performer.

In an age where the viewing public is assaulted by unscripted TV shows - from "Survivor" to "The Bachelor" - it's rare to see a show come along that aims for genuine entertainment that combines great acting and writing with a team of visual experts who are not afraid to explore techniques that offer the viewer a different perspective.

Joss Whedon's "Firefly" is such a show.

While the fans despise network executives for canceling the show, I applaud the folks at FOX (though they did make some poor decisions afterward) for taking a chance on it - and giving us this DVD set. It's really, really good stuff. If you haven't seen it and appreciate good fiction, you're in for a treat. And being such a great creation, it is far from dead. I'll leave it to you to find out what BDM means.

Now for the negative, while I thoroughly enjoyed the series, I have friends who didn't and found it boring simply because of the lack of action. It's a legitimate complaint. If you don't enjoy characterization and want an unmemorable mind-numbing viewing experience along the lines of say, "Knight Rider" or "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" - or if you're looking for something more realistic such as "ER" or "CSI" - this isn't for you.

However, if you're looking for something new and enjoy sci-fi and, in particularly, westerns, you likely will enjoy this feast. Only fourteen episodes, but stay tuned, there's more to come.

Man, would it have been nice to have a good DVD of Rush. I was going to buy this, but waited after reading so many negative reviews. My friend purchased it and I watched his. After doing so, I have to agree that the sound and video editing are not professional. It's almost like a group of intermediate level-instead of top level-guys got their hands on this and went crazy. Way too much attention is focused on the crowd, and there are times when they are playing and the focus is on the wrong element (i.e. paying attention to Geddy during a guitar solo).

The documentary, however, is well worth watching, but the sound on that is even overmodulated at times.

I haven't listened to the CD version. If you want a live RUSH concert on video, I still have to say that A Show of Hands is the one to get. And until I hear the RiR CD, I'd have to say get Different Stages.

As you can see if you browse the reviews of other members here at Amazon, many did not enjoy this movie. For me, I loved it and saw it a couple of times in the theater. However, I don't know of anyone personally who liked it as much as I did.

Several reviewers comment that it is an "anti-war" movie - which it is not - at least not to me. This is a philosophical masterpiece. A painting, if you will, that's open to interpretation. If you're looking for a good action flick, or prefer movies that drive their point home, this one isn't for you.

On the other hand, if you've ever been wrapped up in a particular work of art and tried to deduce what the artist is trying to say, you're going to love this picture movie.

To me, Director Terrence Malick is showing war vs. nature. And, in the end, we find war is just another aspect of nature. An aspect of man. And something we just have to live, or die, with.

...

I just completed reading Jordan's Crossroads of Twilight last night. I purchased the book the day it became available in January. It usually takes me a couple of months to read through these novels. I mean, what's the rush, right?

I gave the book three stars more on the merit of the previous novels (which you have to read, this isn't a stand-alone novel). I enjoy the world he's created. However, I agree with the many, many other reviews here. Just when things start to get going, the book ends. And I really didn't get into it until about halfway (page 330 or so).

I think the problem is that, with the breaks between books, it's taking Jordan a good 200 or 300 pages before he can completely immerse himself in the world he's created. This leads to irrelevant descriptions and pages upon pages of no plot advancement. He describes things I, and apparently many others, just don't care about. And what was once a keen story is becoming a drag. I think it would benefit the author if he wrote a good hundred or so pages to get in the groove before starting future books in the series.

Having said that, I will continue to purchase the books as they come out. It's become a tradition, and it will be melancholy when the series ends (which seems doubtful at this point) ...

...

Trying to compare the group called Brad's third album to either one of their previously two releases is like trying to compare sausages to airplanes.

Their first early 90's release 'Shame' is totally groove oriented. It's something fresh, new and alive, and you can tell these guys had a blast making it.

Then in 1996, Brad releases 'Interiors' - a much more polished and produced effort. I believe it was their atempt to be a commercial success. Songs like "The Day Brings" and "Lift" will stand the test of time. However, the songs generated little radio-play and, as a direct result, this album did not achieve the heights it should have reached.

Now, we have 2002's 'Welcome to Discovery Park'.

Let me interject here by saying that though Brad is seen chiefly as a Stone Gossard side-project by "those who do not know" - this is basically Shawn Smith's band. And the members - Gossard (guitar), Regan Hagar (drums), Jeremy Toback (bass) and Mike Berg (bass&keyboards) - know it.

'WDP' is a much slower album than 'Shame' or 'Interiors'. This album moves like smoke flowing out into cobblestoned streets from a lonely bar on a moonlit night. If you're expecting what we know and love to be Brad, you're going to be disappointed, but there are two or three songs you will still probably enjoy, namely "La, La, La" - a strong, pop-fused playful romp that will have you begging to see them live.

On the other hand, if you're a Shawn Smith fan, then this is just your cup of tea. I could see many of these songs easily being on his "Let It All Begin" album.

For the new listener wondering whether to spend your hard earned dinero on this - I can only say that it depends on your taste. The closest Smith has gotten to the mainstream is when the Lo-Fidelty All-Stars did a remix of a song called "Battle Flag" which was originally released on Pigeonhed's 'The Full Sentence" album. I really can't recommend listening to samples of songs because, to me, samples are not good examples of group progression. Instead, go to ... and take a listen to some of the full tracks. If you dig those, buy the album.

We're living in an age where it should be very simple to either burn both versions of Blade Runner - the original with voice over and the "director's cut" - onto one DVD. Or, if that's too much to ask, why not stick two DVD's in the package?

Some people like the voice over better, and others prefer the newer version of this movie. For me, the answer lies somewhere in between. There are lines of the narrative that I really enjoy, in particular when Ford *SPOILER ALERT* philosophizes at the end about why Hauer saves him.

I can't remember much more about the first version of this film. Sometimes the producers are right and their ideas make a better movie. That's not to say anything bad against R. Scott. The other movie is good too, just not AS good, in my memory.

It's nowhere near as bad as say...the sequal to Conan the Barbarian. Conan the Destroyer is a movie to be avoided at all costs...as is the second Highlander movie.

Come on you big shots at the top. Give us both versions of Blade Runner in one package at a reasonable price. I won't buy it until that happens.