Ms H

There were a few things that bothered me about the film, besides the actual concept of snuff films. Although, there were a few things that interested me as well.

I thought it was amusing how Mary's mother offered Cage's character a drink - and seeing him refusing it so casually, just made me think back to Leaving Las Vegas. Little incidents like these that link characters from other movies together amuses me. However, it made me think that perhaps Cage was making me recognize his character in Leaving Las Vegas too much. Like when you're watching a movie and you become distracted by the actor. It made me realize that Cage's acting in this one was sub-par. I wasn't involved in the story enough and his acting wasn't convincing me to believe the story. It was a bit embarrassing to watch him watching the film in the beginning. He was too awkward, and too obvious. Did his talent take a holiday in this one? The monotonous narrative (the phone calls) over the momentous (too overpowering) music made me cringe. Was an editor hired for this movie? Was everything done in one take? Did Cage shoot all this in the wee hours? I don't understand what went wrong, but something was definitely missing.

I really enjoyed Joaquin Phoenix in this one. Though not the most likeable character, he portrayed it convincingly (well to the non-S&M-buff like me) and affably. The wife had not much substance to her character so not much to work with, but I believed the patience required by her character was stretched a bit far.

The message that stayed with me throughout the second half of the film, may I roughly quote "The devil doesn't change. The devil changes you." This is what made me able to stay with the second half. If this hadn't been said, I would have found it very difficult to justify the downhill slide of Cage's character into the depths which he so loathed. But, this made it make sense for me.

I guess I was lucky I had heard so much about the film beforehand, because it desensitized me to material that would have, under circumstances in which I knew nothing of the film prior to watching, would have horrified me and left an indelible impression on my mind. As it was, I was left with the concept that if evil is stronger than good, it can't help but change you. And no matter how good you try to be, seeing the lowest depths of human depravity can never be removed from you, once exposed.

I watch this a few times a week, although it is on late. Drew Pinsky is a "board-certified physician - addiction medicine specialist" and Adam Carolla is the wise-cracking side-kick.

It is hard to take anything Carolla says seriously, although he has delivered some excellent laughs. Dr Drew's wise insights provide an effective counterbalance to Carolla's antics, though Drew has got some of his own back on Carolla from time to time. Surprisingly, though, Carolla does have some excellent suggestions occasionally. And their current co-host Diane Farr, although not qualified, has some valuable input on the behalf of females.

I would seriously recommend this show to teenagers who have any questions about sex, sexuality, abuse, masturbation, STDs and any other serious (or not so serious) issues involving relationships.

Many of the questions seem recycled, but if you are a regular watcher, as I am, you will become familiar with some scenarios or questions, and will try and solve the dilemmas presented before the hosts do.

There has been some incredible input by guests, particularly the episode with Danica McKellar recently. There have been a wide variety of guests. Some I have seen are Alex Kingston (ER), Pamela Anderson, 'N Sync, Mekhi Phifer, Adam Baldwin, Lisa Loeb, Drew Carey, Henry Rollins, Sugar Ray and Everclear.

It is quite funny to watch some of the guests squirm at the questions posed and their reactions to Carolla's mostly off-color jokes. It's also funny to hear advice about sex from celebrities. It gives you an idea about their own attitudes to relationships - much more so than you'll find on a lot of late shows.

These guys are not always on the mark. Only occasionally have I disagreed with their responses and even less felt insulted or outraged by their comments - particularly Carolla. But that's all part of the fun. Carolla gets a kick out of stirring people up.

There have been a couple of episodes that have held me transfixed and even moved me to tears. Some of the real-life situations people endure are incredible. It's so sad to hear about someone that has been hurt so badly in their past, but comforting to hear the warm, solid advice delivered by Drew. On these occasions, thankfully, Carolla knows when to keep his mouth shut. Except for the regular "Don't have any more kids!" to the callers who have come from bad backgrounds and are continuing the cycle in current relationships.

All in all, an informative, funny, serious, thought-provoking show about sex and relationships. A must see at least once.

I expected it to be bad. I expected it to be really bad. I didn't expect it to be so bad it was painful to watch. I caught myself wincing throughout most of it. This would have to be the most cliched, cheesy, predictable film I have ever seen.

The special effects couldn't save this one. Sandra Bullock lost everything she gained from Speed, and then some...

As I was watching the movie, I predicted each event and even found myself saying the lines VERBATIM before the characters did. I can't believe I sat through the whole thing - I guess I was stunned into stupidity.