The easiest way to describe this series is to say it's a more realistic, British version of the popular "24". MI-5 is a little less over the top, and involves more actual espionage than gunplay. The series also touches more upon the difficulties the operatives have in maintaining personal lives while working for "Five". The series also is organized differently than most shows of this nature. There are story arcs that cover the season (and even go into the next ones), but each episode is a self-contained 'operation' if you will. That is to say that the crisis of the current episode is usually given some closure. The means the series is easier to watch for viewers who would rather space out their 'sessions' than have a marathon and sit though several episodes at a time. Every episode has the potential to contain information on the larger-spanning story arcs, but you won't be completely lost if you come back to the series after a hiatus.

The series is also a little more bold with subtle, and not-so-subtle political commentary running through it's episodes. All in all, this is my favourite 'spy thriller' show simply because it's got a more realistic feel to it. The acting is natural and believeable, and the stories hit home as they are far more plausible than the high-flying escapades of 24's Jack Bauer.

This is a brilliant comedy. The problem is that the comedy is subtle, or relies on you paying attention to previous seemingly mundane scenes.

I can definitely see how some people would find this film boring. It's not the typical slapstick comedy that comes out every 4 months. The comedy in this flim relies mostly on portraying the ridiculous character of Steve Zissou and his equally oddball crew. You'll see Bill Murray delivering brilliantly witty lines, as well as a couple of memorable sight gags. You can't really rate the acting in this movie, since all the characters are over the top.

Typical comedy of this film...scenes are occasionally interluded with a guitar player strumming out tunes. It might take a few songs before you realize he's playing David Bowie songs in Portugese.

I had to take two runs at this movie. You really have to be in the mood for a dark, plodding movie that hits hard if you give it time to set up the opportunity.

The film touches upon themes like "be careful what you wish for" and "the easy way out may not be the best". Winslet and Carrey are good in their roles. Clementine (Winslet) is spontaneous, flakey, and Carrey is dark, brooding...but they match. There are some very emotional scenes, but not in the typical romantic comedy sense. As whimsical as the premise of the movie is, there's some very real heartbreak and dark reality built in.

Characters are various shades of grey. You'll see hints of selfishness from the main characters, and supporting roles turn out to be just as flawed if not dispicable. There's subtle and sometimes ludicrous humour to be found as well.

All in all this is an excellent film, but I recognize it's not for everyone. If you're looking for a laugh-out-loud comedy, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a romance story to score brownie points, or to make yourself feel better...also look elsewhere. This is a film for when you're looking for something odd, dark, deep, and takes time to let you appreciate it.

I can't believe I sat through this thing in it's entirety. It felt like 4 hours of drudgery.

The movie is brilliantly shot, and the acting is real/believable. The main problem comes when you realize that the subject matter just isn't that interesting at all. The portrayal of people living their everyday lives in a New York neighbourhood and then slowly boiling with suspicion is slightly interesting. The story spends too much time filling in the mundane details of the resident's lives though. The focus is lost with extended scenes of drug use, sex, and marital troubles. These sequences tell us about the characters, but do not serve the larger story arc at all.

Some dramatic irony occurs as the residents spend their time throwing out theories on who they think the killer is, and even accusing each other. Meanwhile there are scenes of the REAL killer going about his work.

Overall this movie feels too long, it loses it's focus by lingering on the boring elements that should have hit the editing room floor.

I usually avoid book/video game tie-ins like this. In the case of Mass Effect: Revelation I'm glad I took the chance!

The book is basically a prequel to the game "Mass Effect". The book stands alone and develops characters independently however, because it came out FIRST! This means for the reader, that you aren't expected to know what certain things or events are. The author makes no assumptions and vividly describes everything such as what certain alien races look like, rather than rely on their portrayal in the video game.

The story is filled with intrigue, deception, and action. You really get drawn into the universe of Mass Effect. The author makes a commendable effort at introducing the reader, as they are literally an outsider. Important historical events are referenced and explained. Even the nature of the weaponry is explained. The introduction to the universe is seamlessly injected into the story so it doesn't seem like you're reading an encyclopedia at the same time as the overall plot.

It's also worth noting that, if I'm not mistaken, the author is one of the writers for the video game. So really this is as true as it gets to the spirit of storytelling. I'd recommend this book to general sci-fi fans, even if you aren't interested in playing the video game. The only drawback I can see is that the ending definitely leaves questions unanswered that will surely come in the game.

First off, this movie has some great acting...it's understated because the subject matter never strays from the mundane.

My problem with this movie is that there is no magic. No greater storytelling art. The plot reads like a page from a small town's newspaper.

The movie is overall fairly depressing. It starts off with Aniston's character in a crappy point in her life. The story evolves and things just seem to spiral out of control for her. The events serve no larger purpose however. In the end there is no lesson to be gleaned, no 'light at the end of the tunnel', the downward spiral is just like watching a person slowly ruin their life.

I found this movie far too real. The story is the kind of thing you could find out about your neighbour. It's frustrating to watch a movie this dark, and for it to have no purpose or message to the despair. It's like a reminder you don't need that the world is a crappy place sometimes.

In retrospect, this season of 24 is one of the weaker ones. It gets its due credit for being the first however. You can see how the show is still playing with some of the ideas that the writers had whirling around (the intro sequence even changes after a couple of episodes).

The story is a little over the top, but as later seasons of 24 prove...that's to be expected with this series. Characters come and go, there are surprise twists and turns, traitors/double agents etc. Anyone looking for a TV serial action-drama with the feel of a hollywood blockbuster should check out 24.

**If you're looking for a more realistic take on the spy/intelligence community check out the BBC series "MI-5" aka "Spooks" in the UK.**

First of all, you need to watch this movie with a sense of humour. The effects are so bad you'll be laughing all the way through. The actors can be seen starting to smirk at their cheesy lines in some scenes, and the camera conveniently cuts away before a full-blown laugh errupts.

This movie is so cheesy, you can't help but love it! If you're the type who oftentimes finds yourself laughing at horror/creature movies because they can be so ridiculous, then this is definitely for you. Honestly this movie is a comedy first in my books, and a creature movie second. It boasts one of the most unexpected sex scenes I've ever seen (the preceeding scene is worth watching again to catch the link).

As far as a creature movie goes, this one is in no way original story-wise. The size of the shark is laughably huge though. It makes Jaws look like a sturgeon. The scale is done in an inventive way that's just too amusing to give away.

If you like made-for-TV movies because you enjoy mocking them, or you love b-movies because they do so much with so little resources...or even if you just want a laugh from a movie that isn't a 'comedy' per se...then check out Shark Attack 3: Megalodon! After you see it, you'll be laughing and wanting to share it's humour with friends, that's how I started out (I was the friend she made watch it)!

This is a great compilation for the modern horror b-movie fan. While none of these films are excellent, the fact that you get five decent horror flicks for the price of one new release is commendable. Dark Castle Entertainment is a company that specializes in making horror movies, oftentimes remakes of movies by the late director Frank Castle. I'll leave the reader to look up in-depth reviews for all the movies individually.

The best movie in here (in my opinion) is House On Haunted Hill. It features a great cast including Chris Kattan (Saturday Night Live), Famke Jensen (X-Men), and Geoffrey Rush (Pirates Of The Caribbean). Rush's character is most notable as it is an obvious nod to Vincent Price.

All five movies feature suspense, gore, and nudity, which are pretty much staples of the genre. A horror movie fan who likes a bit of cheese, some references to previous versions (of the Frank Castle originals), and some interesting efforts at modern horror will like this compilation.

I will admit that buying any of these films (EXCEPT House On Haunted Hill) individually never really interested me. Combining them all like this for a value price pushed me over the edge however. No ONE of these movies is worth this price, but all five of these is a steal.

This is a great compilation for the modern horror b-movie fan. While none of these films are excellent, the fact that you get five decent horror flicks for the price of one new release is commendable. Dark Castle Entertainment is a company that specializes in making horror movies, oftentimes remakes of movies by the late director Frank Castle. I'll leave the reader to look up in-depth reviews for all the movies individually.

The best movie in here (in my opinion) is House On Haunted Hill. It features a great cast including Chris Kattan (Saturday Night Live), Famke Jensen (X-Men), and Geoffrey Rush (Pirates Of The Caribbean). Rush's character is most notable as it is an obvious nod to Vincent Price.

All five movies feature suspense, gore, and nudity, which are pretty much staples of the genre. A horror movie fan who likes a bit of cheese, some references to previous versions (of the Frank Castle originals), and some interesting efforts at modern horror will like this compilation.

I will admit that buying any of these films (EXCEPT House On Haunted Hill) individually never really interested me. Combining them all like this for a value price pushed me over the edge however. No ONE of these movies is worth this price, but all five of these is a steal.