Secrets and Lies

Amazon.com

If a film fan had never heard of director Mike Leigh, one might explain him as a British Woody Allen. Not that Leigh's films are whimsical or neurotic; they are tough-love examinations of British life--funny, outlandish, and biting. His films share a real immediacy with Allen's work: they feel as if they are happening now. Leigh works with actors--real actors--on ideas and language. There is no script at the start (and sometimes not at the end). Secrets and Lies involves Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), an elegant black woman wanting to learn her birth mother's identity. She will find it's Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn), who is one of the saddest creatures we've seen in film. She's also one of the most real and, ultimately, one of the most lovable. Timothy Spall is Cynthia's brother, a giant man full of love who is being slowly defeated by his fastidious wife (Phyllis Logan).

There is a great exuberance of life in Secrets & Lies, winner of the Palme D'Or and best actress (Blethyn) at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival--not Zorba-type life but the little battles fought and won every day. Leigh's honest interpretation of daily life is usually found only on the stage. Secrets & Lies is more realistic than a stage production, however, especially when Leigh shows us uninterrupted scenes. Critic David Denby states that Leigh has "made an Ingmar Bergman film without an instant of heaviness or pretension." If that sounds like your cup of tea, see Secrets & Lies. --Doug Thomas

Description

After her adoptive parents die, a young black woman seeks out her natural birth mother, only to discover her mother is white, thus setting in motion the revelation of a whole series of secrets and lies.

Customer Reviews:

6 Stars: The Truth Shall Set You Free.......2007-07-30

Over-the-top emotionally, boldly going where few films ever dare to go, Mike Leigh's "Secrets and Lies" never fails, even after many repeated viewings, to impress with its naked, in-your-face emotionalism. Just when you think that Leigh's characters can go no further, cannot possibly peel away another layer to reveal a truth about themselves...a character or characters does just that.
Roxanne's (Claire Rushbrook) birthday "party" at her brother Maurice's (a terrific performance by Timothy Spall) house is one of the greatest scenes ever committed to film: all the secrets and lies of this family are revealed, reviled and laid out for all to accept or not. Think "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" times 10 as the old saying the truth shall set you free is applied generously as the wine flows in this scene. All of the characters attain a kind of redemption through speaking the truth: simple in concept but so very difficult in practice.
Brenda Blethyn's Cynthia is a big basket of exposed nerve endings all of which are , at the drop of a hat, ready to explode...and explode they do by way of a performance that on the one hand grates on your nerves while on the other simply tugs at your heart. You will hate Cynthia at times but ultimately she cannot, as Willy Loman by way of Arthur Miller says...be ignored.
"Secrets and Lies" is one of the greatest films ever made. It makes its play not only for your mind and succeeds but it also makes a play for your heart and soul...and succeeds in a way that only the greatest films do: with a simple re-telling of those things we all recognize as the truths of life.

Golden performance collectively. Leigh's genius shines........2007-03-29

With regards to it's level of poignancy and bittersweetness this film rates with Mike Leigh's other film "Career Girls".
In terms of acting ability EVERYONE in this film, even the cute dog who poses for the camera, gives the performance of their lives and should've received awards. Few films leave me trembling with emotion but also loving all the characters. Timothy Spall's performance is just TOTALLY beyond explanation. I just loved his line "That's life isn't it? Somebody always has to draw the short straw" when he was speaking to the young lady with a facial scar. The power behind that line really got me thinking.
In the end basically we ALL draw the short straw although we might get there by different means.
Brenda Blethyn must've been an emotional wreck after this film similar to the character she plays. How she kept up constant weeping baffles me.
Marianne Jean -Baptiste is just beautiful. What a stunning, multi-talented actress.
Claire Rushbrook's character reminds me of so many characters i knew back in London. Good , honest hearted people, slightly near the edge but then we ALL are near the edge in truth.
A more candid look at life could not be put on film but then this is what Mike Leigh excels in.
Leigh's criticised sometimes for making his scenes dismal (although it's sunny throughout this one) and his characters wretched, beyond salvation and to be pitied but far from it. After all what he unearths is the truth that exists in families, the skeletons in the closets.
If this film had been done in Hollywood it would never have the same impact.
It's a petty argument indeed but some folk have suggested that Marianne Jean-Baptistes character is too dark skinned for her considered being of mixed parentage. I can tell them otherwise. It CAN occur on rare occasions and i have firsthand proof of this. Genetics is something we still don't have full control over, thankfully.
Forget analysing this film in detail and just enjoy a collective solid gold standard of performance.

true gem on family relations.......2007-02-21

I remember my wife renting this film years ago when it first came out, and loving it for its very realistic portrayal of a family not in crisis but in a kind of bad equilibrium of recrimination and misunderstanding. Well, I just saw it agian and it met the test: I was moved all over again, I laughed at the wonderful dialogue ("you been sittin there for two months with a face like a slapped a**") and acting, and found the resolution realistic. This is a truly wonderful film. At the center of a film is a brave young black woman searching for her birth mother. She meets her uncle, who is a truly courageous yet completely mundane man to all appearences.

Warmly recommended.

Secrets and Lies........2007-02-19

This movie is brilliant and Brenda Blethyn gives the best performance ever. The film was made without a set script and is a testament to the talent of the actors.

superb acting.......2007-01-19

A heart warming look at very personal issues that affect the actions of certain individuals. Inspiration to be more open with loved ones.

Average customer rating:

The red butchers is more like it!!
The Green Butchers
Finger lickin good feelgood comedy
Excellent.
My Favorite Movie

The Green Butchers
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen , Line Kruse , Nikolaj Lie Kaas , Nicolas Bro , and Aksel Erhardtsen
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007Y9JD8
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Description

From Academy Award-winning director Anders Thomas Jensen and in the vein of "Delicatessen" and "Eating Raoul," "The Green Butchers" brings you the dynamic duo of Bjarne and Svend, two pals who decide to open their own butcher shop. Grappling with a competitive market and an evil ex-boss, the two come up with a special dish that suddenly has everyone flocking to their counter and dying for more. As business heats up however, so does the competition and suddenly everyone is asking about Bjarne and Svend's "special ingredients."

Customer Reviews:

The red butchers is more like it!!.......2007-05-24

Very quirky plot ala Sweeny Todd about two butchers who end up butchering and selling you guessed it!! Mikkelsen is quite wonderful in a pre-Casino Royale performance, I did not recognize him. However, he is very convincing and the story is hysterically funny if you can stomach the premise.

The Green Butchers.......2006-08-28

I love it when a skilled group of actors takes an absurdly funny situation and plays it absolutely straight and serious, without mugging for the camera, without pausing so you can laugh, and most certainly without a laugh track. Dark humor? I suppose, since it has murder and stuff. Svend and Bjarne open a butcher shop in this film, which the cover blurb calls "deceptively simple and wickedly funny." Yeah, that's what it is. It's Danish, the director has a strong Academy Award resume, and I don't care. I just know I enjoyed it immensely. It also features some very clever dialog, and you know I love word play.

Finger lickin good feelgood comedy.......2006-07-10

You could call "The Green Butchers" a cross between "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and an episode of "Three's Company" in that, as someone from the Old Country would say, this is a film built around a bloody misunderstanding. Going into it any further would, to pun, spoil the fun. "Butchers" doesn't exactly chart new territory -- "Eating Raoul," and later, "Delicatessen" took care of that (you could actually go farther back, to "Soylent Green," in which people as food is used to elicit horror, but one has only to recall how Heston's thrift store couch-inspired slacks were hiked nipple-high to view it in a humorous tint). Cannibal humor works so well as a vehicle for satire because it is the most rudimentary metaphor: Consumer consuming consumer. Here, given the ease with which a freezer is used to commit murder, and the butchers' quick shift from disgust to dismissal of their actions, the victims are mere props. "Butchers," however, is a departure from the form as a black comedy with a heart. It's foremost a buddy movie with redemption at its core. Two misfits berated day in and day out by their butcher boss take a huge risk to walk out and start up their own shop -- and find they have what it takes to become the toast of the town.

Excellent........2006-05-18

The Green Butchers (Anders Jensen, 2004)

What a wonderful little film this is. If you haven't seen it yet, you should.

A dark comedy in the tradition of (but in no way resembling) Delicatessen, The Green Butchers gives us Svend (Mads Mikkelsen) and Bjarne (Nikolaj Lee Kaas), two assistants to Holger (Ole Thestrup), the town butcher. They can't stand him, and Svend is burning to go into business for himself. They find an old butcher shop that'll cost them two million kroner to buy. Svend can get his half by mortgaging his house; Bjarne, on the other hand, has all of his money tied up in a trust related to his comatose brother Eigil (also played by Kaas), whom he hasn't seen in ten years. He asks the sanatorium to turn off the life support devices, gets the money, and the two go into business. Their first day is an unmitigated disaster, with their only customers Svend's girlfriend Tina (Bodil Jorgensen) and the electrician fixing the lights in their meat locker. At the end of the day, Svend locks up and leaves, only to find the next morning that he locked the electrician in the meat locker, and the man froze to death. When Holger comes in to get some meat to feed the town council, Svend panics and sells him the electrician's leg-- and when the town hears about Svend's secret recipe, everyone in town wants meat from Svend and Bjarne's place. Meanwhile, the doctors turn off Eigil's life support, and he wakes up...
The film is carried in no small part by Kaas' double-role as Bjarne and Eigil, whose relationship is as deep and complex as any I've seen in modern film. Svend, though the movie's main character, ends up playing straight man to the relationship of the brothers and Bjarne's hard-headed pragmatism, not to mention reluctance to sell the unsuspecting townsfolk human flesh in marinade and pass it off as chicken. And the rest of the movie has a great deal of emotional depth (not to mention excellent comic timing); there's not much at all wrong with the rest of it. (One coincidence does seem forced, which is unfortunate, as much of the movie's plot turns on it.) But it is Bjarne and Eigil who turn this from an amusing way to kill a couple of hours into a real tour-de-force. Highly recommended. ****

My Favorite Movie.......2006-04-30

I randomly picked this movie from the meager foreign selection in the local movie store. I did not expect much from it, but it turned out to be the best movie I have seen. It comments on the logic of what makes a person sane or insane - and how one arrives at that point (through watching loved ones die, through being abused, etc.)
It is also beatifully filmed. I love one particular part where the main character walks through a room full of plants and the camera passes by a magnifying glass just right. The closing shot is beautiful, too.

Martian Successor Nadesico - Secrets & Lies (Vol. 5)

Average customer rating:

This is my favorite anime series. I watch it over and over again.
Do Not Buy this from Amazon
A laugh a minute
Gotta Watch This!
Wonderfully Daffy

Martian Successor Nadesico - Secrets & Lies (Vol. 5)
Starring: Spike Spencer , Jennifer K. Earhart , Sue Ulu , Mark Laskowski (II) , and Jenny Strader
Director: Tatsuo Sato , and Nobuyoshi Habara
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005BJX3
Release Date: 2001-05-29

Amazon.com

The nutty crew of the redoubtable space ship Nadesico pursue the war against the invading Jovian Lizards as this rollicking sci-fi comedy continues. Typically nonplused computer scientist Ruri sets the tone for these episodes when she notes, "What began as a love triangle is now, by my calculations, a septagon." Most of the female crew members are pursuing fry-cook-turned-pilot Akito; when they try to cook for him, they almost poison him and his cabin has to be fumigated. The only way for Akito to get a decent meal is to cook it himself. But Akito has little time to spend in the kitchen: he's too busy piloting his mecha suit, rescuing a secret agent with a surprising identity, and destroying the Walking Stick, a new Jovian superweapon. In the hilarious "Those Unforgettable Days," Omoikane, the Nadesico's computer, develops psychological problems that cause it to target allied ships as well as enemy vessels. Akito is sent into the computer in a cyber-adventure that hinges on his knowledge of the imaginary mecha series "Gekigangar III"--an outrageous spoof that captures the look of '70s TV animation, down to the Xeroxed lines. Who knew interplanetary warfare could be so much fun? Contains these episodes: 9. "The Miracle Operation of the Kiss," 10. "The Dangers of Femininity," 11. "Finding Yourself in a Routine Plot," 12. "Those Unforgettable Days." Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up for minor sexual innuendoes and violence, largely restricted to robot versus robot. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

This is my favorite anime series. I watch it over and over again........2006-03-01

It has comedy, drama, and romance. The captian is beutiful. Can't even get it out of my head. I recommend this to anyone that is an anime fan. I'd give it 99 stars if it was possible.

I give it 5 stars.
Go Nadesico!

=)

Do Not Buy this from Amazon.......2005-08-20

This series is great unfortunately Amazon seem to ship the last disk in the series with a major flaw, the last two episodes never play on any DVD player. I have obtained three of "End Game" disks which have the exact same problem yet customer service at Amazon keeps saying its my player for all 3 different disks, even though I have tried them on as many as 10 different compatible DVD players. It's a shame as everything else I have ever gotten from Amazon is excellent including the rest of this Martion Successor DVD series. It's a shame that they are unwilling to check the disks they ship for quality as this batch is clearly defunct. I give the series 5 stars but Amazon in regards to this matter 0 stars.

A laugh a minute.......2003-05-19

Take one state-of-the-art battle spaceship. Throw together a crew of a pilot who wants to be a cook, a voice actor, a penny pinching accountant, a high strung anime fan, a genetically engineered 12-year old girl, and a few other loonies, and this is what you get. And make no doubt about it, this show is hilarious.
The action is fast, loud, and even sometimes confusing as no one ever seems to shut up on this show (Except for Ruri, who makes an occasional observation of 'Idiots!'. This is what Star Trek would be like if the replicator would make coffee using Jolt Cola instead of water.
This first tape contains three episodes, and all three are very funny. In later volumes, the action slows a bit, and both the characters and the story grow at a more comfortable pace, albeit amidst some hilarity. But this first tape will definitely whet your appetite for more. I currently have the first eight volumes and hope to be getting the last few pretty soon.

Gotta Watch This!.......2003-01-22

One of the funniest animes your going to find on the market. I don't think I've every laughed so hard before.The animation smooth and the dubbing is great. I can't really find anything really wrong with this series except a certain captain...

Wonderfully Daffy.......2003-01-11

This is one whacked-out ship of fools! The first tape in this 12-tape series wastes no time in moving ahead with it's seemingly trite plot and over-the top humor. The Nadesico is a spaceship that has been built to fight the Jovian lizards, a race of beings from Jupiter bent on destroying earth. The crew features a ditzy captain fresh out of officer training, a cowardly cook who doubles as a pilot, a penny-pinching accountant, a genetically altered 11-year old, two crazed mech pilots (One is an anime addict, the other wants to be a cook), and a host of others.
The series proceeds quickly and loudly through it's initial episodes, which focus on Nadesico's personnel quirks and it's fight to be kept out of military use. Some of the goofier scenes had me laughing out loud! Yeah, most of this has been done before, but this series strikes a great balance between action, comedy, and romance. I highly recommend this series. It will tickle your funny bone and keep you at the edge of your seat at the same time!

Average customer rating:

This is NOT Unrated.
This is NOT the unrated version.

Sex Secrets & Lies
Starring: Shayla LaVeaux , Randy Spears , Julia Parton , James Bonn , and Mandy Fisher
Director: Stan Allen
Manufacturer: Mti Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007ELF6
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Customer Reviews:

This is NOT Unrated........2004-04-07

This movie is not the unrated version. It is heavily edited with a runtime of just over an hour. Even though the movie wasn't as bad as its prequel, I cannot give any heavily edited film of this genre more than one star.

This is NOT the unrated version........2004-04-05

This is NOT the unrated version, so I don't recommend getting it. Unless you like paying $22.46 + shipping for an hour-long movie with bad acting, a poor script, and no real scenes.

Average customer rating:

Sex, Secrets and Lies 2
Starring: Scarlet Johansing , Keri Windsor , and Chip Albers
Director: Eric Gibson
Manufacturer: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000C8STQ2
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Product Description

With a name like Sam Sharp, people expect a detective -- not a gorgeous woman. For the most part, Sam's cases are pretty tame, so when she receives a request to track down the sexy young wife of a magazine publisher, it seems easy enough. But when her investigation turns up a corpse at the bottom of the pool, it becomes clear that not everyone is telling the truth -- and that she must use more than just her investigative skills to uncover the killer...

Generator Gawl - Secrets and Lies (Vol. 3)

Average customer rating:

SEROUSLY ADDICTING!
Underated series

Generator Gawl - Secrets and Lies (Vol. 3)
Starring: Nobutoshi Kanna , Jay Hickman , Shinichirô Miki , Tsutomu Kashiwakura , and Hideyuki Hori
Director: Seiji Mizushima
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000055ZL5
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Amazon.com

As the title suggests, all the characters in this excellent sci-fi series are concealing something: the three adventurers from the future, the mysterious biologist Takuma Nakasa, the deadly Ryuko Saito--even the innocent Natsume may not be all that she seems. Many of these secrets are revealed in the linked flashbacks of "Future Tense." Ryo and Koji are not innocent students, but scientists who were deeply involved in the research that transformed Gawl into a Generator, a human capable of metamorphosing into a fantastic monster. When Ryo inadvertently discovered that evil secrets underlay the research program and their entire society, the trio left 2145 for the near future (2007), hoping to stop the experiments that produced those evils. They haven't had much luck: Gawl may be an exceptionally powerful Generator, but Saito's monsters are taxing even his strength, perhaps fatally. Not realizing that the future of humanity is at stake, Masami plays Nancy Drew and complicates matters further. Many anime adventures have dealt with the paradoxes posed by altering the past to prevent an undesirable future, but few have done so as deftly as Gawl. Director Seiji Mizushima continues to build suspense through each episode, balancing the comic attraction between Gawl and Masami with hard-hitting action sequences. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up; occasional risqué humor and some violence, restricted to monster versus monster. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

SEROUSLY ADDICTING!.......2001-07-11

I bought the series on a whim as I was intrigued by the body armor. I was pleasently surprised that this one snags you much in the way Evangelion does. Slapstick comedy at the beginning and then once snared.. the storyline reveals the true line involved. A must see, and with a very good opening theme song... I recommend this to all. It has elements of GUYVER, EVANGELION and the same humor as NADESICO.

Underated series.......2001-04-09

Generator Gawl has all the makings of a great series. It is a perfect blend of comedy, drama, romence, action, and intrigue. Most of all though you began to care more and more about the characters involved. In Generator Gawl Vol. 3 Secrets and Lies, the viewer learns more and more about Gawl and his friends, plus there is some great forshadowing. Overall this volume got me looking forward to the fourth and finall Generator Gawl, Out of Time. My only complaint is if your an avid animation fan you need to buy the DVD because the diffenrence between the dubbed version and subtitle version is vast. Instead of changing a line here and there, the people who did the dubbed version pretty much changed all the dialogue. One can watch both the dubbed and the subtitle and feel like its totally 2 diffent movies.

World of Lies: The Film That Will Change Your Perspective on Life

Average customer rating:

nice try...not
Eye-opening & very informative
Pretty informative
Great film with a lot of pros and a few cons
ONE TRUTH CAN DESTROY A MILLION LIES

World of Lies: The Film That Will Change Your Perspective on Life
Director: Michael Moody
Manufacturer: Ground Zero
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001CNQ08

Customer Reviews:

nice try...not.......2006-09-27

This is a documentary that deals with quite a few "peripheral" ideas, some that have been around for a while. The opening segment on "rods" was fascinating and intriguing and I had not heard of this phenomenon before even though they were "discovered in the early 90's. Aural or "Kirlian" photography has been around since the late 60's. Remote viewing has been the backyard for psychics for some time. All good stuff; all real as far as I know.

Some of the "other" stuff may or may not be real- the conspiracy theory fanatics will probably love these segments. I personally thought the DVD went way down hill with these few sections. Not so much because of the subject matter but the "researchers" they found to talk lacked credibility and believability. The film maker appears to have gone to some kind of convention and videoed a few of the most far out ideas presented. The people they picked to give their ideas looked a "little off". If you watch the video you will understand what I mean.

The longest segment which was also the last segment seemed so convoluted as to be given by a mentally ill person. I'm not kidding. This guy started out with an interesting angle but soon I felt he was making it up more and more as would a "mental" patient who is delusional. He started rambling and trying to connect many disparate things that just got down right ridiculous. I finished watching the entire DVD but honestly the last segment made the entire DVD feel like a hoax or a well put together practical joke for the gullible. Because several of the earlier segments have actually been well documented for many years the DVD does have some credibility, which is why I gave it a two rather than a one rating, but overall, two thumbs down for me.

Eye-opening & very informative.......2006-08-27

I'm a novice to this conspiracy theory stuff and am absolutely fascinated by all the hidden knowledge that is out there, perhaps even a little obsessed.

Okay, the sound healing and aura photography sound like B.S. to me. Everything else, including the American/British connection and especially the Atlantis theory are amazing. The idea that we are some alien half-breed really is mind-blowing. Hey, you never know...

Good luck finding a copy of this DVD! I think I found the last copy available on the internet, or anywhere for that matter. I personally believe "they" made sure it went out of print on purpose. But if by lucky chance you happen to come accross one, buy it.

One thing is for sure, and it's a little bit terrifying, but my view of reality has definitely changed. Maybe that's a good thing.

Pretty informative.......2006-03-17

I thought the first half was focused a bit too much on the metaphysical aspect of things. But the second half was really interesting. Its a good documentary for anybody who is interested in the truth. Whether it be, Secret Societies, Elite Organizations, NWO, or a higher power. I will definately watch this again, and again.

Great film with a lot of pros and a few cons.......2005-01-21

Great film that really shows what this new digital age can do. Only five or seven years ago the "established" media did everything possible for you not to make a film like this. But thanks to the internet and good technology at an affordable price, a documentary like this can be made.

Better than average production values and excellent investigating.

The only negatives is that some of the theories is a bit far fetched. Note: SOME OF THE THEORIES, not all. Maybe 15-20% are far fetched which will be enough for the mainstream media to use to bash this production should it get too popular. But otherwise it is an excellent film, the main focus of the film are true.)

If you live in the US, this is definitely worth buying, since I guess this will be unknownnews to most.

ONE TRUTH CAN DESTROY A MILLION LIES.......2004-12-06

Great DVD..worth every cent..Jordan Maxwell really breaks it down..USA Inc., finally some truth..It's amazing how we have been deceived..pay close attention..

Average customer rating:

Sex, Secrets and Lies
Starring: Sex Secrets & Lies
Manufacturer: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CC1U1E
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Product Description

Crystal Strickland thought she had it all -- a perfect husband, a fabulous home. But everything comes crashing down around her when her husband Tommy turns on her, attempting to kill her. Terrified, Crystal fends off the attack, and a few hours later, she receives a call that Tommy has perished in a terrible car wreck. As Crystal tries to piece her life back together, she is haunted by strange shadows that resemble her husband, and items that belonged to him reappear in her home. Is she losing her mind or the victim of a devious plot? Either way, Crystal is in for the fight of her life.

Sakura Diaries OVA Collection - Secrets & Lies (Vol. 1)

Average customer rating:

A CUTE GIRL TOO SEXY FOR HER OWN GOOD
A love triangle...
Not so overcomplicated love triangle.
Not so overcomplicated love triangle.
Sexy? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Sakura Diaries OVA Collection - Secrets & Lies (Vol. 1)
Starring: Sakura Diaries
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ADKWO6
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Amazon.com

Tuoma Inaba is a country boy who's determined to make a big splash in Tokyo, but things start to go wrong the moment he arrives to take his college entrance exams and a gorgeous call girl turns up in his hotel room. Tuoma's not too bright and he fails all of his entrance exams, but not before he's fallen for Meiko, who's heading for the prestigious Keio University. Meiko is only interested in dating a fellow college student, so Tuoma lies, telling her that he passed the Keio entrance exam. Now Tuoma has to lead a double life, pretending to be a Keio student while attending a Tokyo cram-school. His life gets even more complicated when he goes to stay at his uncle's house and the door is answered by the call girl, who turns out to be his cousin Urara. Urara is a high school senior who has loved Tuoma since they were both kids, and she knows that her cousin is lying to Meiko. She also knows that Meiko has a boyfriend. Things are going to get messy. Sakura Diaries deals with mature themes, but it is not as explicit as the cover art suggests. Instead it's a funny and surprisingly sophisticated sex comedy about a naive young man whose obsession with one woman blinds him to the love of another. It's an old story, but these first episodes suggest that Sakura Diaries may have some surprises in store. Rated 17 and up for nudity and sexual situations. --Simon Leake

Description

The wait is over! ADV Films is finally making an English dub of this anime classic availabel for fans everywhere! Last released sub-only in 1000, the home video version of Sakura Diaries is something of a holy grail for anime fans.

Customer Reviews:

A CUTE GIRL TOO SEXY FOR HER OWN GOOD.......2006-06-07

Touma Inaba isn't the brightest light bulb in the universe, if you know what I mean. I didn't want to have to say dumb, it's more like he has a problem focusing on his studies. He's arrived in Tokyo to take his college entrance exams so he's staying at a hotel. He's from the country so the big city seems a little daunting to him. He might have passed his tests if he had went to bed about then, but his world is about to be rocked when what he thinks is a prostitute shows up knocking on his door. This cute high school girl tries every method she can to get him into bed, but she fails. Little does Touma know that this "call girl" is really his cousin, Urara, that he met years ago when they both were kids. She fell in love with Touma back then and she's there to "cheer him up" before his exams. Touma has no idea who this girl is, so he kicks her out! Not suprisingly, Touma fails his entrance test, but while he was there he met a beautiful young thing named Mieko. The problem is that she will only date a guy that is attending the most prestigious college in Tokyo. Touma of course lies to her and tells her that he goes there, but he really is enrolled in a year of cram school to prep for retaking the test. He moves into his uncle's house and finds out the truth about Urara and the romantic hijinks begin. Touma of course is so blinded by Mieko that he fails to see the love Urara is dying to give to him!

Volume 1 of Sakura Diaries contains six episodes and is quite risque for mainstream anime. It's meant more for an older audience, since it contains a lot of sexual situations and conversations. Not that this is a bad thing. The problem with Urara and Touma is that since they are both virgins, when it comes to sex and love, they don't really have a clue as to what fire they're playing with, and they also confuse the two. Urara, for example, cooks for Touma and when she serves the food, she is wearing an apron and nothing else under it! But when Touma attempts to force himself on her later in the DVD, she's shocked! These are in reality juveniles playing at being adults, and screwing each other's minds in the process. Sakura Diaries is a sex comedy-drama with a sugar coated heart at center and it will be interesting to see which relationships work out...if any!

For a similar theme and treatment I would recommend the manga Flowers & Bees.

A love triangle..........2004-12-13

Urara loves Touma. But Touma seems to lust after Meiko. And Meiko will only go out with a college man. So, of course, Touma, being the Japanese male that he is, lies.
Now Touma HAS to get into SOME school, while Urara has to keep his secret. Or maybe she should use it to ruin his chances with another girl?
Lots of humor and fan service, plus GREAT character design. They look like the artists used photos. But just a few warnings - first this DVD holds 12 ADV previews but only THREE episodes of this anime! And while the word s-e-x (or sexy) is used all over the DVD cover you won't find any in this disc. 90 minutes of fun and humor, but it's pretty clean. Mature, but mostly clean - what little that does happen is never shown. The only reason I might continue with the anime is to see what happens. I've heard mixed reviews of the anime and wish to see what happens on my own.

Not so overcomplicated love triangle........2003-11-27

United States Sakura Diaries is a somewhat basic love triangle story between Touma (who's hoping to find true love, and is always feeling guilty), Urara (Touma's younger cousin who fell in love with him six years earlier, and who's always keeping a positive outlook) and Mieko (the beautiful redhead who attends Keio University where Touma pretends he goes).

It's a cute story with lots of misunderstanding, some lies, and a fair amount of fan service.

Possible spoilers...

Chapter One - Tokyo Success
It's Touma's first night in Tokyo. He's moved to the big city because he's testing to get in Keio University. On his first night a call girl arrives at his hotel room. The call girl, Urara, who we find out later is Touma's cousin, recognizes him but he has no idea who she is. Nothing really happens because Touma is waiting to find true love. The next day on campus Touma runs into the doe-eyed Mieko and falls in love.

Chapter Two - My Cousin Is a High School Call Girl
Touma doesn't make it into Keio but Mieko does. He doesn't tell Mieko and enrolls into a cram school. Touma knocks on the door of his uncle's house and Urara, suprisingly, opens the door. She explains that the whole call girl act was just a joke.

Chapter Three - Is the Fake Student a Slave of Love
Touma goes to campus to tell Mieko the truth but overhears her telling potential suitors that the only requirement for her is that the guy must attend Keio university. Urara and her best friend, Komi come to campus and spy Touma telling Mieko that he's been accepted into the school's economic program.

Not so overcomplicated love triangle........2003-11-26

Sakura Diaries is a somewhat basic love triangle story between Touma (who's hoping to find true love, and is always feeling guilty), Urara (Touma's younger cousin who fell in love with him six years earlier, who tries to keep an upbeat outlook) and Mieko (the beautiful redhead who attends Keio University where Touma pretends he goes).

It's a cute story with lots of misunderstanding, some lies, and a fair amount of fan service.

Possible spoilers...

Sexy? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!.......2002-05-18

They must have left the sexy parts out of the copy I rented to preview the series - rented because something seemed fishy about the reputation. This is for 10-year olds who think a dweeb drooling for a babe is funny... All those "sexy" comments are the video maker's public relations department trying to make it racy and trap the viewer with. Anyone who likes movies that are mature (married couples, lovers, etc.) will find it stupid and juvenile. On the other hand, if you like fairly silly, goofy, repressed...shows, this is for you!

Average customer rating:

Very funny!
Unlike any other anime out there!
Where are the Puchuus????!!!!
It gets better downhill...
Excel is still the best!

Excel Saga - Secrets and Lies (Vol. 5)
Starring: Christine M. Auten , Jessica Calvello , Kelli Cousins , Tiffany Grant , and Yuka Imai
Director: Shinichi Watanabe
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007L4O2
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Amazon.com

When the Excel Saga animators meet, a caricature of director Sinichi Watanabe announces, "We're starting to run out of ideas and falling behind in production!" Koshi Rikdo, who supposedly drew the original Excel manga, gives his permission to turn these episodes into examples of other genres. "Municipal Force Daitenzin," supposedly based on his earlier work, is a very funny send-up of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. "Visually Appealing Type" spoofs rock anime, complete with MTV video-style credits for the "songs" performed by sexy vocalist Key. The long-suffering Mr. Pedro struggles to win back his faithless but sexy wife, and even the hapless Menchi gets a special adventure. These parodies have nothing to do with Lord Il Palazzo's efforts to take over the city, but fans of Excel Saga know better than to expect logic or coherent story lines. (Rated 17 and older: violence, profanity; brief nudity, risqué and gross-out humor) --Charles Solomon

Description

Just when you thought it couldn't get any stranger, Excel Excel and her associates encounter the most horrifying of all plot devices... a sub-plot! You won't believe who's been plotting against whom as the writers double cross the author, the director takes a new direction, and the supporting cast comes back with a vengeance but absolutely no clue whatsoever! There's Menchi-mania and Pedro-philia galore as everybody involved takes the fifth in Excel Saga Volume 5: Secrets and Lies!

Customer Reviews:

Very funny!.......2003-11-20

this volume of excel saga is just halarious! especially pedro and the spoof of rock anime and the spoof od power rangers. I loved it i laughed several times throughout the dvd. A must buy! its Very funny!

Unlike any other anime out there!.......2003-06-19

I first saw this show on a preview on another anime DVD my friend bought. Right away we both knew that Excel Saga was something special. Just watching the preview made us laugh. While browsing through a store just about a week ago I found Excel Saga volume 5 just sitting there so I decided to pick it up and check it out. I was expecting a lot of humor, but this thing just blew me away. I jumped right into it without even watching the previous volumes. That's because theres absolutly no story line to follow? Sound strange? Well that's exactly what Excel Saga aims to do. The only story line that is there they explain throughout the DVD.

Every episode usually begins with the Writers trying to come up with new ideas for the show, which usually results in them double crossing the author of the original manga, Koshi Rikdo. This was the first interesting thin I noticed in the show. The writers and author actually put themselves in the show, which results in great humor, especially whenever the afro-bearing Nabeshine appears on screen.

The two main characters, Excel, a hyperactive young lady who seems to be in love with their groups leader, and Hatchan,a "Kenny" from South Park type of character who always appears to die for no reason, even though she is a beautiful girl. They both work for the group ACROSS under the almighty Illpallazzo, another extremely funny character, whose ultimate goal is to take over the city for some reason.

Another character that I fell in love with is Pedro who dies in a fire and turns into a ghost, which leads him into a story that makes no sense at all, and every time he screams "No!" it brings a smile to my face.

Another interesting thing is that the characters actually know they are just playing roles in this so called wretched story. It's always humorous to hear the characters refer to the writers as idiots, or some other form of the word.

The DVD contains fours episodes of non-stop humor. The first episode, episode 18 out of 26, is a huge spoof of The Power Rangers, and they do a great job of it. I don't remember the Power Rangers going around and blowing up people with guns though.

Episode 19 is the only snag in this wonderful DVD. It just doesn't have as much humor as the rest do, mainly because the whole episode follows the "soon-to-be-food" dog Menchi, as he travels around the world with a girl for some reason. The show is just way to serious here, and there's not enough of Excel and Hatchan here.

Episode 20 begins with the writers not having any idea of what to do with this episode. The soon decide that instead of worrying about it they'll just make another flash back episode dedicated to Pedro, and forge Rikdo's signature on the paper. Excel and Hatchan host the show in a "PUke Bar" with the bartender popping in the tapes into the VCR, as Excel make a rather interesting host, while Hatchan sits at her side, spitting blood out of her mouth.

The entire episode takes a look back at the episodes before with Pedro, which was good because I really didn't understand his story, that is until I realized his story didn't make sense anyway. I never know a flash back episode could be so good.

The real treat of this episode is at the end when the bar tender reveals he has the continuation of Pedro the Movie, which ultimatly adds on the insanity.

Finally is Episode 21 which is the best, as Illpallazzo reveals that ACROSS HQ is making changes via a messenger. The messenger, Key, shows up hours late, and begins hitting on Excel, which is when we get a very humorous look inside the mind of Illpallazzo.

Key trys to relay the message via a rock song, which again leads to a lot of humor, as Key says he cannot sing under the unsatisfactory conditions. Basically the whole episode is about Excel and Hatchan taking Key around with them, waiting until he can sing again.

The English voice over are superb, and couldn't be any better. Especially Excel, whose hyperactive way of speaking can be hard to understand at times. The original Japanese voice overs are all here, along with the english subtitles. Plus a cool little feature where every now and then a Menchi bubble appears to explain a joke, or a fact with you. Use this when listening to the Japanese voices to understand what's going on since the Japanese use a lot of puns and such as humor.

The thing I really love about Excel Saga is that you fall in love with every character you see. Unlike some other anime I've seen, every character has his or her own personality, and you love them for that. The each have a different style of making you laugh. Plus they don't all get along so it makes things fun.

All in all I love this DVD, it's a must have for any anime fan, or anyone who just wants a bunch of good laughs. You'll watch this thing many times and laugh every time you do. It would be a horrible idea to live with out this DVD.

Where are the Puchuus????!!!!.......2003-03-31

Admittedly, volume 5 was a little dissappointing but the humor is an improvement from DVD 4.

Episode 18 is a deranged Power Rangers parody where Watanabe and the rest of the Civil Security crew run around the city wreaking havoc on unsuspecting petty criminals. Most memorable quote: "Double Giga Paper Fan!" ~ Sumiyoshi.

Episode 19, Menchi's Great Adventure 2 parodies Around the World in 80 Days featuring an heiress whose past entwines with Wolf's from episode 10. Also an assassin that looks suspiciously like Daisuke Jigen from Lupin III and a Dragonball parody. Most memorable quote: Pedro: Afro no!!! Nabeshin: What? You hate the afro?! Pedro: Si, Pedro hate.

Episode 20, The Best of Pedro where we recap Pedro's sordid story so far and then see the fight between Pedro and That Man. Most memorable quote: "The messenger of love and justice Excel Mask. Works 24-7, no promotions! Lots of hair growing in my ears. Come if you dare, envoy of evil! Or rather, Sir, that's the last train." ~ Excel

Episode 21, a rock anime parody!! Jabs at Visual-Type Japanese bands, some yaoi, a jealous Il Palazzo, and incredibly risque humor. Most memorable quote: too long to put here but it's the song Key sings to Il Palazzo.

Through the entire thing I was still left with a question: What happened to the puchuus???

It gets better downhill..........2003-03-09

I'd have to say I was happy to finally get this when I collected the other 4 volumes. It has four episodes, but I find two out of it which I like. There was the episode about Daitenzin, and the civil servants were involuntarily dressed in latex bubblegum crisis looking uniforms. It was hilarious to watch them beat [up] people committing everyday no-no's. Sumiyoshi in the uniform was disturbing.
The next episode was part two of Menchi's great adventure. She meets a rich girl and travels the world. It's shocking to find the appearence of a character back in the picture trying to cause them havoc. Then the movie showing Pedro's bad luck all over again has the good stuff at the end. The Dragon Ball parody was funny, but I really thought the episode was annoying and why the produces wasted time on it. My favorite was the rock anime episode. Key is a sexy rocker and has to deliver a message to Ilpalazzo from AcROSS HQ. Though, he can't sing in the conditon till later in the end. There is yaoi in Excel's fantasy. Warning is when Key is behind the curtain and playing with his guitar. Excel's wild imagination cracked my sister and mother up.
I'm disapointed how little and tiring it was to watch it. Go to the EXTRAS and read the article on the disappearance of a dead girl, aka Hyatt.

Excel is still the best!.......2003-03-06

I'll keep this short and sweet... I loved this volume of Excel Saga, just as I loved all of the others! Volume four was a little below par, but oh well, this isn't volume four, this is volume five and Excel and her Saga are back with all the wackiness still in tact! Buy this now or may Puchuus eat your souls!

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