CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

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Rent [2005]

starring: Taye Diggs, Jesse Martin, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Rapp
directed by: Chris Columbus

Release Date August 14, 2006
I had not heard of Rent before being introduced to it by a friend, she absolutely loved it and being a MASSIVE fan of musical theatre, I felt compelled to give it a go. I was hooked as soon as they began to sing, I hadn't heard of any of the cast except from Idina and having seen her perform in wicked I was interested to see her play a different character. The whole cast is phenominal, especially Tracie Thoms as Joanne, and I thout Rosario Dawson played Mimi exceptionally well

The songs are amazong, the acting is convincing and the characters are unforgettable. I have watched the movie countless times since getting the DVD and I am praying that they will bring a production to the west end because it would be amazing!!!!
... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

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Beautiful Mind, A [2002]

starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Judd Hirsch
directed by: Ron Howard

Release Date January 26, 2004
Russell Crowe gives arguably a career best performance as mathematician John Nash, who has schizophrenia. The visual hallucinations of his illness are depicted as real both for Nash and us, while the paranoid elements are given with just the right amount of off-key madness yet retaining (for Nash) a degree of reality. Crowe also portrays well the personality of Nash in his illness, for example his obsessive need to find patterns and break codes. I am looking forward to reading the book on which the film is based, and would recommend the film to everyone with even a passing interest in flawed genius.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

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Adventures In Babysitting [1987]

starring: Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Calvin Levels
directed by: Chris Columbus

Release Date June 02, 2003
There was a time when Elisabeth Shue was going to be 'the next big thing' and watching this film you truly believed it too.

The lovely Elisabeth holds the film together with her pure energy and 'like-ability factor'. As seventeen year old babysitter Christine - almost a baby herself - she manages to experience a series of mishaps, scrapes, run-ins and (yes) adventures in the course of one long evening, when she reluctantly agrees to pick up her runaway friend from the downtown bus depot (Brenda - hilarious bit part in this film - who adds some really funny moments whilst stranded at the depot ?! ).

The children who tag along for the ride are lovely out-of-town naive characters who each contribute something to the value of the plot.
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CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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Road Trip [2000]

starring: Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, Amy Smart, Paulo Costanzo, DJ Qualls
directed by: Todd Phillips

Release Date May 28, 2001
This movie is very funny indeed.However it's not suitable for children, old-fashioned people with manners,or parents who are thinking of paying for their sons and daughters' education at a university.The sad thing is that students really do behave this badly.I couldn't watch it again because apart from the gross behaviour of the students there isn't much of a story going on.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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Dazed And Confused [1993]

starring: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane, Sasha Jenson
directed by: Richard Linklater

Release Date July 07, 2003
Many Americans enjoy this movie as the quintessential teen movie. Is it accurate? Not really. But it is fun. It's a movie that doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. It's just a stoner movie that is beloved by many who lived through the American high school experience. As I'm not British, I don't know how well it crosses the cultural divide. Apparantly some American phraseology is annoying such as "freshman" but really, this movie is not about Brits and doesn't have to cater to those who can't be bothered to enjoy a movie from another country. In the States we say "freshman" and "sophomore" and this movie is portraying an American high school, not a British one.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

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6 Degrees Of Separation [1993]

starring: Stockard Channing, Eric Thal, Anthony Rapp, Catherine Kellner, Osgood Perkins
directed by: Fred Schepisi

Release Date September 22, 2003
This film is, how should one put it, an elegant and eloquent trifle, full of the verbal fripperies and embellishments that come with wealth and influence, but ultimately leaving an empty experience for all concerned. It's a tale of how easily a conman can take in people by adopting their mannerisms and lifestyle, to be come as it were "one of us." All you need is a little research, to be a skilled mimic and weave a spell with your words. Ah, but the rub is that the victims can then dine out for months on such a tale. To be self-deprecating in telling how you were deceived is to win over a fresh audience for the deception. So - a moral tale on how the mighty are never fallen for long!

This succeeds where many might have failed by virtue of a truly outstanding ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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Rent [Blu-ray] [2005]

starring: Taye Diggs, Jesse Martin, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Rapp
directed by: Chris Columbus

Release Date February 11, 2008
Rent was written and composed by Jonathan Larson who spent several years pushing hard to get it on stage. Unfortunately during the last night of rehearsal before the stage show Jonathan tragically died alone in his apartment....His memory lives on in this very dramatic pulsating musical with a terrific score....The energy of the actors/artists who also acted in the stage equivalent is phenomenal.Rent is a story of eight close friends living in Manhattans Alphabet City in run down buildings with no electric or heating facing eviction as they try to survive......Chris Columbus portrays the characters very dramatically from HIV positive
aids sufferers of whose story is very touching and sad. Don't be put off as this is not a dull film quite the opposite... this is a modern day ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

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School Ties Dvd [1992]

starring: Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Andrew Lowery
directed by: Robert Mandel

Release Date May 05, 2003
Shallow as it may sound, I only bought this film because of an article I'd read in Attitude magazine about the hottest moments in Hollywood history. After reading about this film - which features Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell and Brendan Fraser in a naked brawl in the communal showers of a boarding school in the 1950s - my mind was made up. Having said that, I did enjoy the film as a whole. Sadly, the scene in question is rather short, but sweet nonetheless. What is particularly interesting here is to see these actors, as Attitude puts it, 'A-list before they were A-list' (the film is from 1992, when the lead actors were still young and strapping). The three put in mravellous performances, a joy to watch. Unfortunately the script doesn't quite match up and the typically feel-good moral ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

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Far From Home - The Adventures Of Yellow Dog [1994]

starring: Matt Frewer, Drew Barrymore, Richard Masur, Karen Austin, Susan Tyrrell
directed by: Meiert Avis

Release Date July 28, 2003
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, young Angus McCormick (Jesse Bradford) has learned many survival skills. He's just finishing up a nice canoe. And when he finds a stray dog, he adopts him and names him Yellow.

Taking a few days off from school to accompany his dad, John (Bruce Davison), on a supply run seems like a dream come true. But when they encounter a fierce storm, the boat they are in capsizes. John is quickly rescued, but the search and rescue teams can't find any trace of Angus or Yellow.

The two have survives and are trying to find their way back to civilization. Will they be able to survive and be reunited with their family?

This movie is fairly standard and innocuous family fare. It is a little slow at times, especially in the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

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The Producers/Billy Elliot/Rent

starring: Matthew Broderick, Julie Walters, Rosario Dawson, Will Ferrell, Anthony Rapp
directed by: Susan Stroman, Chris Columbus, Stephen Daldry

Release Date October 01, 2007
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, young Angus McCormick (Jesse Bradford) has learned many survival skills. He's just finishing up a nice canoe. And when he finds a stray dog, he adopts him and names him Yellow.

Taking a few days off from school to accompany his dad, John (Bruce Davison), on a supply run seems like a dream come true. But when they encounter a fierce storm, the boat they are in capsizes. John is quickly rescued, but the search and rescue teams can't find any trace of Angus or Yellow.

The two have survives and are trying to find their way back to civilization. Will they be able to survive and be reunited with their family?

This movie is fairly standard and innocuous family fare. It is a little slow at times, especially in the ... Read More: