Reviews

I ordered this pattern and received it yesterday. I am thrilled by it. It is an ethnic design, but no reason to keep it that way. I love beautiful fabrics, of which I have a good stash. I plan to make up this design in various ways - not so as to look like I am trying to dress as a woman in India, but simply as a woman who likes wearable art and interesting clothing. Seeing the pattern gave me several great ideas as to what can be done with this design.

Reviews

I wouldn't label this as a "baseball film" like most reviewers did. True, baseball is a huge component of the story. But it is a film about racism, sex and love, friendship, young love, inner conflict (selling out or not selling out) and people being real characters. It is touching, funny, realistic, sexy, and far more entertaining than most films available on Netflix or through Amazon.com. Like other reviewers have said -- it is incredible that the folks who COULD market this as a DVD, haven't done it!! It has a great story and an even better cast of characters. I disagree with reviewer Edward Resnick, who said that it has a "mediocre cast." Nothing could be further from the truth. Besides William Petersen (who is every bit as good as George Clooney) and Virginia Madsen (who is prettier and a better actress than Julia Roberts) the film also features excellent supporting actors, such as Dermot Mulroney, Katy Boyer, Larry Riley, Henry Gibson and Teller. It is puzzling and maddening that the owners of this film don't want to make money on it by offering it for sale as a DVD. To see more about it, go to the internet movie database. Maybe we could all petition the producers to get going on a DVD for sale.

This is a fun movie to watch because you can tell the actors had fun making it. The minor league baseball team The Stogies are led by Stud Cantrell, a womanizing, cigar smoking, fun loving, hard hitting player/manager. The team parties as hard if not harder than it plays ball. Since it is set in the steamy south they are thrown a few curves as they pick up a player of color and in the timeframe of segregation this is not seen as good in any way. Stud decides that it is best to hide the truth by naming his new acqusition with a latin name instead. Along the way Stud falls in love and finds a way to do the right things for the first time in his life. Good film. PS: William Petersen in one of his best roles!!!

Great lines make a good movie even better and this movie is full of some great ones. So I don't "Comprendo" why the DVD hasn't been released yet! I love this movie! And I'm not "Panamanian". From what I've been told by some of my old skippers, this is how minor league baseball really was; smoking, drinking, fighting, women and a true love of the sport. I love the characters and how each contributed to the movie. Peterson was fantastic, Madsen was good, Pen (or Teller) was great, and the rest of the characters were fun to watch. I get a smile on my face from the beginning to the end. I find it hard to describe just how fun this movie is to watch. This movie really "smacked the rawhide out of the confines". And excuse me "if they can't take the joke".

I saw this movie when it originally came out and fell in love!!!! The grittiness of the characters and the subsequent life stories were riveting. Just an all-around entertaining baseball movie. I WANT IT ON DVD. I went to HBO's website and submitted an e-mail imploring them to issue this on DVD--I would ask that you do the same, and maybe something will happen.

It's been years since I've seen this film, but I would buy it on DVD in a flash! I saw it on HBO when it first came out and it is truly one of the best baseball movies ever -- and just fun even if you're not a baseball fan. I was a fan of William Petersen (one of the most bow-legged actors ever!) prior to CSI and this was one of the main reasons. (Another fun movie of his was "Hard Promises" which is available on DVD) As other reviewers have said, Long Gone captures the real character of minor league baseball and the characters who inhabit it. Would love to see it again!

Reviews

Excellent movie. One of my favorites I've owned a copy for several years this was just a replacement. There are a few extended scenes that explain things so if you're debating between the normal release and this one I would recommend this one.

i finally got around to seeing Empire Records, and it's an awesome movie. Much like in the same mold as Dazed and Confused and Almost Famous, the cast is rock solid, the music is awesome, and movies are great. Empire Records is about a music store owner and his employees who are on the verge of being sold and turned into Music Town, a national music retail chain which doesn't allow revealing clothes, tatoos, and other such things that Empire Records doesn't really care too much about. They have one day to figure out how to come up with the money after one of the employees, Lucas, takes the money from the night before, finds out about Music Town, and decides to try his luck in Atlantic City to save the store and his friends. The cast is completely awesome and contains many young and up and coming actors (1995 movie), including Liv Tyler, Renee Zellwegger, Rory Cochrane (Dazed and Confused), Robin Tunney, and Ethan Randall (Can't Hardly Wait). one of the best parts of the movie is the kid who plays the Shoplifter and goes by the name of Warren Beauty. overall, Empire Records is awesome. I would highly recommend Empire Records if you're a fan of movies with good casts and good music.

this is not the empire records you remember. unfortunately whoever issued this dvd almost completely reedited the sound tracks, and for the worst. for a movie where the music is so important this makes what was a great little movie into a so so remake.

Took a while to ship but case seems to be broken when i got it

Would you like to go to work every day where the employees are all like family? Would you like to work in an environment where some of you hate each other, some of you love each other and some of you royally screw up, but when one of you needs help, everyone is there for each other, including the boss? And to top it all off, this utopia of a job is centered in a music store. If this sounds right up your alley, then you can also live vicariously through the kids in "Empire Records". The movie is a fantastic snapshot of somewhat carefree youth in the 90's and has an exciting soundtrack to boot. This film tells the tale of a group of young kids who work in a record store. Lucas, (Rory Cochrane), finds out while closing the store one evening that the Music Town franchise is going to try to take over Empire Records. He makes the snap decision to head to Atlantic City with $9,000 of the store's money to try to gamble up enough money to save the store from succumbing to the corporation. Of course, Lucas loses it all and the rest of the film takes place over the course of one day, which just happens to be Rex Manning day! Rex Manning, (Maxwell Caulfield), is a famous singer who is visiting the store for a meet-and-greet that day along with his assistant Jane, (Debi Mazar). Corey, (Liv Tyler), has been awaiting this day her whole life so that she can lose her virginity to him. Gina, (Renee Zellweger), is her promiscuous friend who has always been secretly jealous of how smart Corey is, which only intensifies when Corey finds out she has been accepted to Harvard. Meanwhile A.J., (Johnny Whitworth), is determined that he will tell Corey how he feels about her by 1:37 PM. Deb, (Robyn Tunney), comes into work and immediately shaves her head. She had apparently tried to commit suicide the night before after a fight with Berko, (Coyote Shivers). But this doesn't bother Mark, (Ethan Embry as Ethan Randall), the adorable comic relief of the film who won't let the horrible events of the day ruin Rex Manning Day! Anthony LaPaglia is endearing as Joe, the boss with a heart of gold who is more of a dad than a boss to these kids. Hilarity ensues when someone tries to shoplift some CD's and when Mark eats some hash brownies, amongst other chaos, but the film culminates in a true happy ending when everyone's dreams come true in one way or another. Well, almost everyone's. Unfortunately though, the "Remix! Special Fan Edition" of the DVD, is disappointing and not worth your time. Most DVDs allow you to view the deleted scenes separately but in this version, the additional 16 minutes of extra footage are already input into the film. You're basically watching the uncut version. Some scenes are helpful, like you realize why Cory really runs out of the room when Rex Manning agrees to have sex with her, (which was a bit confusing in the edited version), and some scenes are not helpful at all, like in the very beginning when Lucas has a "deep" discussion with a customer that he lets in after hours. Plus, the line when Rex says, "why don't you all just fade away?" is changed. This version focuses more on the music of the film, which is good and bad. Most people who are a fan of this film also adore the 90's alternative rock soundtrack, which features artists like the Gin Blossoms and the Cranberries. When you open up the DVD's cover, the scenes are printed on the left with the song that accompanies each scene. So for example, if you feel like listening to "'Til I Hear It From You" from the Gin Blossoms, you can skip exactly to the scene that has that song in it. This is a great feature and would be helpful if it accompanied other movies. However, the down side is that the volume on the music is really amped up in the movie. Normally, you would think this was a great feature for a film to have but you have to crank up the volume way past half to hear the dialogue and then when the music comes on, you get blasted out of the couch. The movie itself is excellent and has everybody in a great mood by the time the credits roll but if you are the type of person who is known for saying, "don't mess with the original!", then don't pick up this version.

Reviews

Louis Gossett Jr. rules as a police detective seeking a psychotic killer who murdering the mob bosses.It's a must see movie!!

Reviews

This shirt runs extremely small. I ended up giving my size large shirt to my daughter who wears XS in tops. So, beware!

Dress it up or wear it to bed! Very classy, incredible comfort, easy care. Love it!

I received my kurta promptly and fell in love with it. The quality of the fabric, the sewing and embroidery were, unexpectedly, excellent. To my regret, it didn't fit and I contacted Chakra NYC. I actually received a personal response immediately from Ratesh. We had an on-line conversation in which I decided I would have to return the kurta, with much regret. This experience is the best online purchasing experience I have had. I couldn't believe I was being helped by a real person who was truly responsive to my needs. Ratesh is wonderful and so is Chakra NYC.

I fell in love with the shirt. It fits well, and has a great look. I can dress it up or down, depending on the occassion. Its a perfect shirt for the summer. I had purchased many Embroidered summer shirts in the past, this shirt exceeded all expectations. Its a great quality shirt.

I just received my kurta this weekend and I have to say that it blew away all of my expectations! The images on the site looked good to me, but the actual quality of the garment was top-notch. I confess that I am a shopaholic and I have wandered many Soho boutiques. These kurtas are definitely Soho-chic, but are much more affordable. Also, I changed my order after placing it and their customer service department was very understanding and helpful. Plus, I received my order so fast (w/in 2 days!) I highly recommend chakra-nyc and i can't wait to see their other products!

Reviews

Just received the large white kurta shirt ... the cut is perfect, the cotton is wonderfully soft - a gorgeous shirt. I'm ordering another now!

Reviews

BATS IN FORESTS: CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT is a pick for any college-level library strong in natural history and conservation issues and offers a narrowed environmental focus on forest bats. Bats in caves are the common focus, but more than half of bat species in North America depend upon and uses forests for roosting, so forest health is essential to bat conservation, and this in-depth coverage of both will prove a key reference for any collection strong in ecology issues in general and bat conservation in particular.

Reviews

One of the first things I learned from "Mammals of the Great Lakes Region" is not to chase away the woodchuck that has made its den (actually its 'plunge hole') right beneath my bedroom window. It may gnaw occasionally on the deck, but if it abandons its burrow, Professor Kurta opines that a skunk is likely to take up residence. Plus it's fun to watch the woodchuck amble across the lawn, chomping the heads off of the dandelions--I guess I can put up with the occasional gnawing noises.This book, first published in 1957 and brought up-to-date in 1995 is filled with the natural histories of eighty-three mammals living in the Great Lakes ecosystem, livened by the occasional wry personal anecdote. There are numerous black-and-white photographs and drawings, including range maps and multiple views of mammal skulls. "Mammals of the Great Lakes Region" is meant to be backpacked into the field and has chapters on capturing small mammals and specimen preparation.Some of the author's language is specialized but there is a good glossary at the back of the book that explains terms like "altricial--poorly developed at birth, usually with eyes and ears closed, often lacking hair, and requiring large amounts of parental care."There is no need to rush out and apply for a scientific collecting permit and a set of traps, as the author includes detailed information on the identification of mammals by their signs and habits. For instance, the bog lemming feeds on grasses, rushes, and sedges and since the seed heads tend to be out of its reach, it snips the stems into evenly spaced lengths. This small mammal leaves other clues: "Piles of bright green [excreted] pellets and discarded plant clippings, all trimmed to about the same length, are indicative of bog lemming activity." Another visual: "[Their] runways interconnect feeding sites, toilet areas, and the nest.""Mammals of the Great Lakes Region" is both fun to browse and good for a straight read-through on a cold winter's weekend, when many of the local mammals are hibernating, or scampering through their cozy tunnels beneath the snow.

This book is very well written and organized. It is written in a way that the typical nature lover can understand and avoids the technical words that must of us don't comprehend. Its moderate size makes it easy to carry with you, and the photos are extremely helpful in identifying mammals of the region. It is truly a bargain at this price, compared with other field guides that cover the entire continent and give substantially less information on each animal.

The information about the animals is very complete, but the poor quality black and white photos make this a poor reference guide.

Reviews

Excenlte trabajo, con una descripción completa de los murcielagos del Puerto Rico, mapas e infpormació de de la distribución de cada especie en la isla y sus habito alimentarios, entre otros detalles Jonsy

Reviews

it's simple: great-fitting shirt, beautiful color (i get compliments all the time), great company, great price.

Reviews

Excellent movie. One of my favorites I've owned a copy for several years this was just a replacement. There are a few extended scenes that explain things so if you're debating between the normal release and this one I would recommend this one.

i finally got around to seeing Empire Records, and it's an awesome movie. Much like in the same mold as Dazed and Confused and Almost Famous, the cast is rock solid, the music is awesome, and movies are great. Empire Records is about a music store owner and his employees who are on the verge of being sold and turned into Music Town, a national music retail chain which doesn't allow revealing clothes, tatoos, and other such things that Empire Records doesn't really care too much about. They have one day to figure out how to come up with the money after one of the employees, Lucas, takes the money from the night before, finds out about Music Town, and decides to try his luck in Atlantic City to save the store and his friends. The cast is completely awesome and contains many young and up and coming actors (1995 movie), including Liv Tyler, Renee Zellwegger, Rory Cochrane (Dazed and Confused), Robin Tunney, and Ethan Randall (Can't Hardly Wait). one of the best parts of the movie is the kid who plays the Shoplifter and goes by the name of Warren Beauty. overall, Empire Records is awesome. I would highly recommend Empire Records if you're a fan of movies with good casts and good music.

this is not the empire records you remember. unfortunately whoever issued this dvd almost completely reedited the sound tracks, and for the worst. for a movie where the music is so important this makes what was a great little movie into a so so remake.

Took a while to ship but case seems to be broken when i got it

Would you like to go to work every day where the employees are all like family? Would you like to work in an environment where some of you hate each other, some of you love each other and some of you royally screw up, but when one of you needs help, everyone is there for each other, including the boss? And to top it all off, this utopia of a job is centered in a music store. If this sounds right up your alley, then you can also live vicariously through the kids in "Empire Records". The movie is a fantastic snapshot of somewhat carefree youth in the 90's and has an exciting soundtrack to boot. This film tells the tale of a group of young kids who work in a record store. Lucas, (Rory Cochrane), finds out while closing the store one evening that the Music Town franchise is going to try to take over Empire Records. He makes the snap decision to head to Atlantic City with $9,000 of the store's money to try to gamble up enough money to save the store from succumbing to the corporation. Of course, Lucas loses it all and the rest of the film takes place over the course of one day, which just happens to be Rex Manning day! Rex Manning, (Maxwell Caulfield), is a famous singer who is visiting the store for a meet-and-greet that day along with his assistant Jane, (Debi Mazar). Corey, (Liv Tyler), has been awaiting this day her whole life so that she can lose her virginity to him. Gina, (Renee Zellweger), is her promiscuous friend who has always been secretly jealous of how smart Corey is, which only intensifies when Corey finds out she has been accepted to Harvard. Meanwhile A.J., (Johnny Whitworth), is determined that he will tell Corey how he feels about her by 1:37 PM. Deb, (Robyn Tunney), comes into work and immediately shaves her head. She had apparently tried to commit suicide the night before after a fight with Berko, (Coyote Shivers). But this doesn't bother Mark, (Ethan Embry as Ethan Randall), the adorable comic relief of the film who won't let the horrible events of the day ruin Rex Manning Day! Anthony LaPaglia is endearing as Joe, the boss with a heart of gold who is more of a dad than a boss to these kids. Hilarity ensues when someone tries to shoplift some CD's and when Mark eats some hash brownies, amongst other chaos, but the film culminates in a true happy ending when everyone's dreams come true in one way or another. Well, almost everyone's. Unfortunately though, the "Remix! Special Fan Edition" of the DVD, is disappointing and not worth your time. Most DVDs allow you to view the deleted scenes separately but in this version, the additional 16 minutes of extra footage are already input into the film. You're basically watching the uncut version. Some scenes are helpful, like you realize why Cory really runs out of the room when Rex Manning agrees to have sex with her, (which was a bit confusing in the edited version), and some scenes are not helpful at all, like in the very beginning when Lucas has a "deep" discussion with a customer that he lets in after hours. Plus, the line when Rex says, "why don't you all just fade away?" is changed. This version focuses more on the music of the film, which is good and bad. Most people who are a fan of this film also adore the 90's alternative rock soundtrack, which features artists like the Gin Blossoms and the Cranberries. When you open up the DVD's cover, the scenes are printed on the left with the song that accompanies each scene. So for example, if you feel like listening to "'Til I Hear It From You" from the Gin Blossoms, you can skip exactly to the scene that has that song in it. This is a great feature and would be helpful if it accompanied other movies. However, the down side is that the volume on the music is really amped up in the movie. Normally, you would think this was a great feature for a film to have but you have to crank up the volume way past half to hear the dialogue and then when the music comes on, you get blasted out of the couch. The movie itself is excellent and has everybody in a great mood by the time the credits roll but if you are the type of person who is known for saying, "don't mess with the original!", then don't pick up this version.

Reviews

This movie was quoted by a friend of mine. I went and rented it, and I haven't seen a movie as quick and funny as this since. I bought it on Amazon for less than [...] bucks and I've watched it twice since. I'm still laughing at it. Definitely worth it if you're a guy between 18-100 years old.

i love this movie and so does my husband.it is totally a guy movie and also a chick movie there is stuff for both.it has romance and over the top humor.WHO SAIS WE CANT HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS?

I seriously did not laugh once in this movie. Horatio Sanz got me to crack a smile a couple times, but I can't believe I think he should have been in the movie more. I thought Saturday Night Live was bad, I had no idea! SNL is gold compared to this. Every single joke falls flat and the director obviously has no clue how to make a movie. I can't even tell if Jerry O'Connel and Jake Busey are bad actors because the director doesn't even give them a chance. I think one thing that could have really helped this movie out would have been a script. In case the director reads this review I want to tell him you need to have a script BEFORE shooting a film. Just a tip. One of the worst movies I have ever seen, easily. 0/5

This movie is funny is hell. Three little words-omg i was dying. Anyone know what song is playing when O'connel is in the car and he starts bumping it? It sounds like Rage but im not sure.

This film is notable only for one reason-the film debut of soon-to-be overlord of the human race, Dakota Fanning. Her brilliant mastery of dialogue, pacing and screen technique (even as "six-year-old girl in park") makes one see why when this sordid cesspool we call Earth eventually heaves up its bowels in a churning mass of humanity, Dakota will be the one who rescues us all from mediocrity, imbecility, and guys named "Bob", who attempt to hit on women who are WAY too young for them, and get shot down as a result. UltraLord has spoken!

Reviews

Look out from above! Awakened from its ageless slumber by some generous instances of human sacrifice, Aztec god Quetzalcoatl nests in the Chrysler Building and swoops over Manhattan, devouring the city's residents at random. Neat, eh? After an inept thief (Michael Moriarty, not too many years prior to his successes in "Troll" and "Law & Order") discovers the god-beast in the aftermath of a botched heist, he decides to exploit the location of the menace, to the frustration of two detectives (David Carradine, Richard Roundtree) who are investigating its feeding habits. Larry Cohen's homage to drive-in creature features is more a miraculous example of how far a filmmaker can stretch a $1M budget than a particularly good film. The movie's premise is novel and cleverly realized with the use of some terrific stop-motion animation and props. While much the cinematography is lackluster, there is some great, sweeping aerial photography from the perspective of the flying serpent. However, there's nowhere near enough carnage and too much of Moriarty (who struggles to make the best of a deeply irritating role) for this reviewer's taste; maybe Cohen should have requested more cash so that Q could have been afforded greater visibility at the expense of its far less interesting human co-stars. Not a single frame of this movie takes itself seriously, and it's fun...but hardly as much as it could be. While Moriarty at least tries to make his obnoxious character interesting, Carradine is downright awful, as usual: wooden, dull, totally devoid of charm. Roundtree and Candy Clark fare much better in more likable roles, but they - like the monster - are granted far too little screen time. It's clear that Cohen takes a lot of pride in shooting big films on shoestring budgets, and that's admirable - if more Hollywood directors were as creative and efficient as he is, major studios would produce much more interesting movies at far less cost. It seems as though his singular vision would be complimented by a greater degree of collaboration. If it had the benefit of a smarter, tighter script, more likable characters, a better cast and a higher budget, "Q" could have been a schlock classic. I wasn't at all familiar with Blue Underground until I revisited Larry Cohen's early movies, but their DVDs are excellent, especially by the standards of an independent distributor. The menus of this disc are blue-tinted and feature some great artwork and screen stills. Music from Robert Ragland's exciting score can be heard in the main and extras menus. The visuals are fair: gritty, slightly fuzzy, but just as they were presented in the movie's theatrical exhibition, so I can't complain. Surprisingly, quite a few audio options are available. Like the visuals, the original mono track is a bit muddled but by no means terrible. Only slightly better, the Dolby Surround 2.0 track sports far more clarity but sounds quite flat. However, the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround soundtrack is first-rate - expertly mixed and as clear as filtered water, it jumps right out of the speakers at you. A DTS-ES track is also available, but I haven't the equipment to evaluate it. Larry Cohen's commentary track is definitely the best of the special features. Cohen's agreeable demeanor is pleasant to hear, and his enthusiasm and drive are inspiring. He has plenty of stories to tell concerning the production of "Q" that are remarkable, funny and invariably interesting. For the disgruntled fans who are expecting it, he does explain how this movie was shamelessly plagiarized by the screenwriters of Roland Emmerich's bloated, stupid 1998 "Godzilla" remake. An appropriately cheesy, very effective teaser trailer is included, as is the usual image gallery. Two of the theatrical posters feature striking artwork, and the promotional posters are quite funny. A post-release advertisement boasts of "Q's" impressive premiere box office gross. Another pre-release ad exploits a news media accident in order to publicize the movie under its working title, "Serpent." When shooting a crucial scene that required machine guns to be discharged at the top of the Chrysler Building, some overzealous journalists mistook the gunfire for a terrorist attack on the United Nations Headquarters and rushed to the scene of the nonexistent incident! As a result, the headline of Cohen's typically opportunistic advertisement reads, "DEAR NEW YORK, SORRY IF WE SCARED YOU!" Many of the stills are taken from the movie's press kit; Q is displayed in vibrant color, while its human co-stars are relegated to B&W publicity photos. The behind-the-scenes photos are nowhere near so interesting, and are recommended only to devoted Cohen fans. A reasonably well-written career retrospective titled, "Larry Cohen - Low Budget Renaissance Man" is the last of the special features, and while it has no surprises for Cohen's faithful, it's a good introduction to the uninitiated and benefits from numerous photographs, movie posters and interview excerpts.

Over the course of 30 years, only 3 movies have inspired me to memorize every single line of dialogue (over the course of many, many viewings): "Star Wars," "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" ... and "Q." Either "Q" is a classic or I am mentally ill. Take it in what sense thou wilt.

Probably Larry Cohen's best movie (Return to Salem's Lot and Black Caesar were also quality Cohen works). "Q" is different enough to hold up well to repeat viewings over the years. Michael Moriarity is great and the overall cast just seem to "click" together so well. "Q" consistently overcomes its typical for Cohen low budget and holds your attention. A very young Bruce Willis was almost cast in "Q". Should have been a big hit in 1982. Get the DVD version with all the interesting extras.

Ive been watching this film for almost 30 years and still enjoy it. I love the monster, Q the flying serpent is really cool. Some cool gore scenes , but nothing to disgusting. I thought this was a well done B effort just before the Jurassic Park SPFX boom. It is not scary at all, but if you like monster movies, this is worth checking out. The acting is fine especially by Michael Moriarty. this was a remake of sorts of the Flying Serpent an early black and white movie also worth seeing.. I own both :) It didnt do well enough for a sequel as the ending of it made it seem like it could happen.. AS for the DVD - get the Blue Underground version, slight improvement over the non OOP Anchor Bay DVD

"Q" is one of my favorite films. Helmed by one of the great cult writer/directors, Larry Cohen, this movie is an outrageous blast! Michael Moriarty is PERFECT as the much put-upon Jimmy Quinn, a small-time hood/loser who stumbles upon the hidden nest of an ancient creature that's decapitating roof-top sun-bathers and window-washers! Awesome! Of course, being a cynical, world-weary type of fella, Quinn decides to keep the location of the murderous monster a secret until the city coughs up some serious green. Moriarty's voice inflections and mannerisms are absolutely infectious! At one point, at the end of his emotional rope, he lies down on the couch and drones out a line from a scat song he performs on the soundtrack: "Evil dream, go away!" David Carradine provides solid support, also, as the cop on the trail of the flying killer. The film's sky-scraper climax is just great and the stop-motion effects used to bring "Q" to life are a ton of fun! Watch this movie! It's fun, funny, exciting and beguilingly entertaining!