Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind DVD

Advantages: superb performances, fantastic vision
Disadvantages: story possibly untrue

Sometimes you hear about a film, either by seeing the trailer or reading a review, and decide there and then that you want to see it or you don’t. I’m usually interested in ridiculous comedies, artsy-fartsy films, documentaries, or films otherwise aimed at half term holidays, whilst Ian tends to go for the big budget blockbusters. Now and again the twain shall meet – he recommended ‘Spellbound’ for example – but usually we like different films. ...
...a film and know nothing about it, or you see trailer and think, ‘looks okay, let’s add it to our DVD rental list’. That film usually ends up being decent enough, and now and again, disappointingly, it’s a big pile of poo. However, 1% of the time, you unearth a little treasure, and the fact you weren’t expecting much of it, makes it even more magical. “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” was one of these films. Based on the memoirs of Chuck Barris, ... Read review

Advantages: Another great Charlie Kaufman screenplay
Disadvantages: Some changes form the book which don't sit well

If Chuck Barris was around today he'd probably be the man responsibe for television's "Big Brother", "Stars in their Eyes" or another of those awful shows which make stars of the very people who shouldn't get any airtime. You see, Chuck Barris was the man behind those American classics like "The Gong Show", "The Newly Weds Game" and "The Dating Game". So why on earth did George Clooney choose a bio-pic of this guy as the subject for his directorial ...
...second rate television shows? Of course, there is. Chuck Barris claimed in his autobiography (also entitled "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind") that at the height of his television success he was recruited as an assassin by the CIA. Although his claims are unsubstantiated they have never been disproved. Whether or not there is any truth to his claims this makes for a fascinating story which has in turn produced a fascinating and highly entertaining ... Read review

Advantages: Great Story, interesting direction and thought provoking
Disadvantages: possibly a complete set of lies

The little known Sam Rockwell plays Chuck Barris the creator of many of America's most famous gameshows in the 50's and 60's including the Gong Show, The Dating Game (Blind Date) and a very long list of other shows, of which many made their way across the Atlantic to our shores. However, although his lifestory may make interesting viewing based on this amount of information in itself, Barris himself has made an even more amazing claim in his book ...
...America's most famous television producers but he was also a CIA assasin who murdered numerous enemies of the state. The films co-stars and was directed by George Clooney, a director who certainly has an eye for an interesting story, and this, his debut, was certainly one of them. The film starts with Barris moving from job to job and woman to woman without any real sucess in either department, until he lands a job giving people tours around the ... Read review