National Geographic - World's Most Dangerous Gang (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)You've probably heard about high profile gangs that make up some of the American landscape and those would include some like the Crips, Bloods, Hell's Angels, Mexican Mafia, The Latin Kings, Chinese Triads, Japanese Yakuza, and Skinheads. These are just a few and they are all notorious in their own right but there is an even more insidious gang that is growing at a frightful rate on a global scale.
In the 1980's in Los Angeles, the gang MS -13 came from humble beginnings but now spreads across 33 different states in America and 6 different countries around the world. The estimated numbers are ten thousand members in the United States and up to one hundred thousand worldwide. It seems like virtually no communities are left untouched by their presence as they expand like a plague through urban and rural settings.
MS -13 is touted as the fastest growing and most violent gang in America at the present time. They have their own culture and abide by a set of rules and rituals that they follow to the letter. Enforcing these measures, protecting their turf, and conducting day to day business oftentimes means using murder, maiming, and other brutalities to accomplish whatever they need to. They are made up of individual cliques inside distinct territories that govern themselves but there is evidence of a top hierarchy that has influences down through the ranks. Organization in criminal activities appears to be well structured also and money is made from drug smuggling and dealing, extorting protection money, gun running, and other illicit affairs.
National Geographic has put together a detailed, informative, and scary documentary that is well supported with interviews from law enforcement officials and past and present members of the MS -13 gang. This program does contain graphic video footage and some disturbing images but it is not excessive in my opinion and I see it as a necessary element in supporting the overall messages here.


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You've spotted the graffiti and seen their tattoos. And you've read the shocking headlines documenting their brutality. But what is driving the rapid spread of the ultra violent gang MS-13, which has infected big cities and small towns across the country. Lisa Ling takes you deep inside a merciless world hidden in plain view. Through revealing interviews with active members, National Geographic reveals the extreme culture and rituals of the MS-13 gang.

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The Shield - Season 5 (4 Disks) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)...is about the only way to describe the way the first part of season five of 'The Shield' ends. It's the hallmark of a truly terrific series that events from its very first episode (like, the first episode of season ONE) form the basis of the entire fifth season.
Detective Vic Mackey's original sin -- to keep it hushed for those not in the know -- comes back to haunt the entire Strike Team in the fifth season, while strings from seasons past (The Incident with Aceveda, Mackey and Danny's tryst, etc., etc.) are all pulled taut to make the entire season tense with ugly possibilities, the ugliest of which comes at the end.
Forest Whitaker is a commanding presence as Internal Affairs Lieutenant John Kavannaugh, a seemingly-dedicated member of the rat squad who SHOULD be perceived as the hero in this piece. But of course, we've all come to love Vic Mackey so much that we're actually rooting for Kavannaugh to fail (again, another impressive accomplishment for a series in which the hero is actually a less-evil villain). Kavannaugh's merciless pursuit of Mackey, along with a too-eager-to-deal-for-the-truth attitude that leads him to bargain with season four ubervillain Antwon Mitchell, spells tragedy for a lot of characters.
For someone like me, who is familiar with 'The Shield's entire run, this was an immensely satisfying, if painful, season. It brought in elements from seasons past, with a firm eye toward the (uncertain) future.
Killer scenes: 1) Kavannaugh's undercover 'sting' on the Strike team, 2) Kavannaugh being reduced to animalistic rage after making a crucial mistake, 3) Kavannaugh interrogating Mackey's wife (like I said, Forest Whitaker is a helluva presence), and 4) Mackey's late-season interactions with Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson still gets maaaad props for being possibly the scariest L.A. gangbanger since Tookie Williams).
Start at the beginning, but once you do, you'll be fiendishly anxious to get to season five.

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As the Strike Team battles racial tensions in the city, friction inside the Barn escalates with the arrival of Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh (Forest Whitaker), a dogged Internal Affairs cop obsessed with taking down Vic Mackey, squeezing Vic's ex-wife, Corrine, to do it. In the midst of this chaos, Dutch and Claudette's work relationship grows strained, Danny refuses to reveal the of her baby and Julien struggles with a new attractive, rookie partner.

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The Shield - The Complete First Season (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this show! I first got into it after reading some of the reviews posted here on these Season One dvds, so I thought I would give it a try and I purchased this complete season. I am truly glad that I did. I was hooked from the first episode to the last and I am now watching Season 2 on FX. What makes this show far better than all the other cop shows is that the production value is more in line with HBO or a movie than a cable television show. The acting is extremely good as are the scripts and dialogue. Even though Vic and his team are labeled "dirty" cops you can't help but root for them in the end. Michael Chiklis deserved his Golden Globe award for best actor, he takes on this role as if Vic Mackey was himself in a former life. I was also glad this show won the award for best drama series on TV. If you haven't seen the show yet and are unsure if you would like it, give it a try. It's a bit brutal and graphic, but by the time you finish the final episode, "Circles," you will be speechless, praying to catch repeats of Season 2.

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The Road to Justice will blow you away! Detective Vic Mackey is the leader of an elite Strike Team unit, a group of cops effective at eliminating crime but also operating under Vic's own set of rules.But his rules sometimes cross the fine line between legal and illegal.Now the precinct has a new captain who doesn't like Vic's tactics and wants to bust him off the force-even as he finds himself going to Vic for help whenever the going gets rough.There's a reason this show is on cable. It "takes the grit and reality of a 'Homicide' or 'Sopranos' to a whole nother level" (Newsday). "The Shield" also made Emmy history by earning the most nominations ever for a basic cable drama series, with Michael Chiklis winning the coveted Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Now's your chance to experience all the action and excitement of television's most controversial show . . . from the beginning

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Widows (2002) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've always had a lot of time for the acting abilities of Mercedes Reuhl ('The Lost Child,' `What's Cooking?') and so with expectations high I put the DVD in, sat back, cracked open a cold one and readied myself for another great performance. Yes, I know that you're all now expecting me to ... all over her performance, but where Mercedes maintained a completely unflappable acting disposition, it has to be said that both eternally-annoying Rosie Perez and the emotion-lazy Brooke Shields both combined in trying their hardest in bringing this movie to its grazed knees ! 'Widows' is based on a British mini-series of the same name from back in the late 80s and whereas that was a six-parter, this is just a long ... two hours and forty-five minutes ! Colm Feore ('The Wrong Guy,' `The Red Violin') as Mr. Stein the luxury art gallery owner is a slow-paced delight to behold and, as you don't have to think too hard to figure out what the probable outcome will be, you can at the very least sit back, kick back and enjoy the penetratingly-hypnotic acting abilities of the great Mercedes Reuhl.[website]

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Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie appeared on the lifetime network. And fittingly so because it's just as good as those movies! you know the type, has drama but no action and suspense. Well this movie is just like that it just treads along. But lets get to the nitty gritty of the story: Nicholas Lea (Dustin)is a movie executive,who is partying into the wee hours of the night with a bunch of bimbo type blondes in the back of a limousine with a bunch of his buddies. In a drunken stupor he decides to get out with one of them to take a stroll on the beach. What follows is your usual frolicking,kissing and stuff. Fast forward to the morning and our hero is wokened up by a homeless man named Minnow (Holt McCallany) with the woman lying several feet away seemingly dead. Minnow tells Dustin that he witnessed Dustin kill the woman in a fight but not to worry he would take care of the body if Dustin takes care of him. But all this is insidiously stupid to me! for why would you give someone so much leverage for a potential blackmail!! which predictably is what follows, Minnow gratiates hisself to Dustins rich life style enjoying his clothes,car,girlfriend,(Kari Wuhrer)thru all this Dustin through investigation finds he's been shammed. The victim of a cruel con now angry he plans revenge,without giving up to much of the ending I will just say it ends ironically. But what gives this movie little suspense is the basic personality traits of the main characters Dustin appears gutless and minnow appears far from menacing or intimidating and as far as Kari Wuhrer is concerned you wonder why he'd have her for a girlfriend anyway. and if you want to buy this dvd thinking she's showing her bod she isn't. This movie doesn't thrill you in any way! in my opinion just a so-so movie that could've been better.

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44 Minutes (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Watching '44 Minutes' is a strange experience to me. It begins with semi-documentary touch with the grainy images and the actors talking to the camera, but once the bank robbery happens, suddenly the made-for-TV film begins to look like the violent shoot-outs in `Heat.' Lots of bullets fly in the air, making huge holes in the bodies of the cars, and many people are gunned down in the street, police officers and civilians alike. Suppose someone tells you this is made for television, and it would take some time before you believe what is told.
Perhaps before the day February 28, 1997, story of '44 Minutes' would be almost unbelievable. Two robbers armed with AK-47s and covered with body armor go into the bank, and open fire on the outmatched police surrounding the building. The only way for the police officers to fight back is to shoot the head of the criminal, but shooting the moving target is extremely difficult. And as you see, standard 9 mm handgun is not the best choice to do that.
Though Michael Madsen, Ron Livingston and Mario van Peebles all give solid acting, it is the skillful editing and intense gunfights that are the most impressive in the film. The tension of the life-threatening situation is heightened by the good sound effect that conveys the firepower of AK-47s though the use of shaky camera would divide the opinions. Though some (including me) would say the shaky camera brings realism to the film, others would say it is only annoying.
Unfortunately, the characters do not have much time to tell us about themselves. It is understandable that we see no so-called character development as the film is based on the recent events and the real-life people, but the portraits of the LAPD officers here often look like those of the police dramas on TV. The script of Tim Metcalfe gets sometimes flat when it tells of the background story of each character, or Michael Madsen's character who does one thing to keep the loud party-giving neighbors very quiet. It is funny, and I like that scene, but well, is it true? I don't think so.
I don't know anything about the accuracy of the film, but as far as the heroism of the police officers are concerned, the film is a success with one of the intense and realistic shoot-outs I have ever seen recently. But with a less conventional and more detailed approach to the characterization of the brave officers, '44 Minutes' could be much better.

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In North Hollywood on a calm summer day in 1997, fifty police officers were defenseless against two lone gunmen armed with AK 47 assault rifles and full military body armor. Only their extreme courage, valor and training put and end to the massacre inspiring a new motto for the L.A.P.D. - "The Day Willpower Beat Firepower." Based on the true story of the North Hollywood shootout.

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24: Seasons 1-3 (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a retiree living on a fixed income, I thought long and hard about spending the money for all three seasons of 24. But when I looked at the product details, I realized I would be getting 72 episodes on 20 discs for about 120 bucks. That is only about $1.75 per one-hour episode. That's a fantastic deal for the most exciting, thrill-packed adrenalin rush possible on television. You can't come close to that much entertainment even by renting the DVDs, or what it would cost in monthly cable or satellite fees. I give this a five-star rating not only for the content, but for the deal.

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Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you like Baywatch this is the movie for you. This movie brings together cast and characters from previous seasons. This movie stands alone as the greatest of the Baywatch movies. I strongly recommend for the serious fan or if you enjoy action movies.

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With this hot cast and tempting plot twists, this sizzling Baywatch Hawaiian Wedding delivers the best of Baywatch - adventure, drama and bathing beauties galore! Featuring many of the series' hottest cast members including David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson, Alexandra Paul, Gena Lee Nolin and Yasmine Bleeth plus many more Baywatch favorites. When the Baywatch clan gathers in Hawaii for David Hasselhoff's wedding, a villain from Hasselhoff's past puts the group in life-threatening jeopardy.

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Baywatch: Season 2 (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I enjoyed Baywatch as a child, only the first two seasons, so was really excited to enjoy the best season's (I think, lol) the only downfall I had with this, was it was missing the last esp of Shawnie & Eddie...when they got married. I know that happened the first esp of season three...but the extra esp they added on this DVD set, was the 2nd esp of season three...so that was the only disappoint I had.

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Item Name: Baywatch: Season 2; Studio:Force Music

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Forty Deuce (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)This short reality show appeared in a few episodes on Bravo TV and then promptly fell off of the radar. If you have ever been to either of Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce clubs (LA and Vegas) then you know that there is something exciting going on.
In the past few years Burlesque has experienced a revival and Forty Deuce has been at the front, leading the revolution. The dancing at the clubs is not quite as kitschy as some Burlesque can be, but is just as startling, graceful, exciting and beautiful.
When this show aired, I made sure to have my butt on the couch for each episode and watched eagerly for re-runs. When the show stopped airing and running, I visited the club to see if they would be releasing a DVD of the shows run and was told that it was unlikely. In my opinion, this was a huge shame. The show manages in its few short episodes to draw you into each dancers story and the life of the club. It takes you through the headache, heart ache and excitement of opening a new club in Las Vegas, sprinkled along the way with drama and gorgeous dance sequences that leave you wanting more and maybe even checking online for the cheapest tickets to Vegas.
When I found out that they had decided to release the DVD after all, I grabbed it up as quickly as I could and curled up on the couch for the ride. The show is just as fun to watch as it originally was, although for the DVD release they have added a few stripper-feeling segments that do nothing for the show. Except for these few additions, this DVD is a great addition to any Burlesque fans library and I would highly recommend it, and the Forty Deuce Club itself, any day of the week.
And if you happened to order this DVD expecting something different, rather than opening and watching it, I would recommend returning it to Amazon for the right thing.

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For those in the know, there is a walk-on-the-wild side burlesque club tucked away in Hollywood called Forty Deuce: its name and style pay homage to the glamour days of New York's 42nd Street. The women are sexy, empowered, and their energy is impossible to resist. These are not the performers of modern-day clubs, but trained, professional dancers from a bygone era. In a four-part original series is directed by Zalman King ("Nine 1/2 Weeks," "Red Shoe Diaries"), enter the exclusive world of Ivan Kane and the private lives of this nightlife visionary, his wife and business partner Champagne Suzy, and his dancers - including popular headliner Carolina Cerisola - as Kane aspires to open a new club in Las Vegas' celebrated Mandalay Bay.

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Roads to Riches (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I watched this movie I was pleasantly surprised. The story started out to be what I thought was going to be another "Quiz Show", but it turned out a lot different. It's a great movie for those who enjoy a love story with a twist. It's plot was ironic in places, and the ending was a bit of a surprise. I actually found it to be quite interesting to see how people so beat up, find hope in each other and end up being happy in the end.

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ROADS TO RICHES - DVD Movie

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