Greyfriars Bobby [HD]

Disney At Its Best, With The Master's Touch
I first saw this movie as a child in the early sixties and never forgot it, even though I never saw it again. I came across it again shopping here and ordered it.

What a beautiful, and beautifully made movie! The video quality for VHS was great. This was one of those Disney movies made during their 'golden age' when Mr. Disney was still alive and running his company. It shows. The quality of production, the sets, the luminous quality of the filming, all speak of an integrity and sincerity that are so sadly missing from Eisner's Disney today. I showed this movie to a young child who was unaware that Disney ever made anything this well! She was thinking of the newer, much cheaper movies cranked out by Disney today.

As with many of Walt Disney's old movies, this is a film that can be viewed with pleasure by everyone. I didn't find it corny at all. Of course, this movie was set in the 'olden times' so we wouldn't expect to see modern clothing, etc. anyway. This movie is...

Beautiful
"Greyfriars Bobby" is undoubtedly the greatest love story of all time, proving once and for all that true love can last for all eternity - beyond this life and into the next. What makes this story all the more remarkable is the fact that it's true, and the central character is a dog that slept every night without fail on the grave of his master for fourteen years! Such devotion should bring tears to the eyes of even the most hard hearted viewers, and it is convincing proof that dogs possess souls, and they also possess the greatest ability of all - the ability to love unconditionally.

Loyalty and the Transformng Power of Love
Greyfriars Bobby is one of the finest children's movies of all time. Based on a true story, it is a deep-feeling, understated exploration of how a "pound-hound" transformed an entire city. In detail it shows the the mutual transformation of a lonely, impoverished older man and the stray dog who befriends him. They become a fixture in their Scottish neighborhood -- the dog greeting schoolchildren, etc. -- until the old man's death. Scruffy-looking Bobby develops a routine of staying on his dead master's grave each day, still taking the time to greet the kids on their way to and from school. Upon the old dog's death, the people of Greyfriar's built a statue to Bobby, by his master's grave: a testament to loyalty and love. A several handkerchief movie but very uplifting, for adults and kids alike.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Not Easily Broken [HD]

Not Easily Dismissed
As a fan of Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle & Flow," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), I was curious to see what she would bring to her role as a wife dealing with a struggling marriage. My own involvement in "Fireproof," as the one who wrote the novel based on the screenplay, gave me appreciation for this important subject, and yet I'd heard little about this film. My expectations for the overall story were low.

What a nice surprise! Without being crass or gratuitous, the script allows these characters to portray real problems in believable ways. Soon after the rosy opening, in which they tie the knot with the bishop's wise words barely sinking in, they find their marriage crumbling beneath financial pressures, different goals, and a drought of physical intimacy. Dave wants a child, while Clarice is career-minded and wanting to build a comfortable lifestyle--even if it means "faking it till you make it." Dave compensates by coaching Little League, an activity that Clarice...

Highly Enjoyable
T.D. Jakes previous novel Women Thou Art Loosed was adapted into animpressive film, five years and his follow up film Not Easily Broken isjust as good. Directed by the underrated Bill Duke whose previous work includes Hoodlum and Deep Cover, Not Easily Broken tells the story of a couple (Morris Chestnut & Taraji P. Henson) whose marriage is crisis.After a car accident, injurers Henson's character things only get worseand their marriage but more importantly their faith is tested. I watchedthe film with my wife. It was a treat to discuss the film with her onthe way out of the theater to our car. And during the ride home we cameto understand a little more about each other. The acting considering the religious material is first rate, Morris Chestnut displays the sameleading man charm he always does and fresh off her Oscar Worthy turn in Benjamin Button, Henson does wonders. Jenifer Lewis steals every sceneshe's in as the mother-in-law, and Kevin Hart provides tons of comicrelief as a life...

Predictable, but worth watching....
And I only say 'predictable' because after seeing the trailers/commercials, you see the movie is one of those 'doesn't miss what she has until it's gone' type of things. Chestnut plays a husband who has fallen on hard times in his career & only longs to have children, while his wife, Henson, plays a corp.ladder-climbing woman who can't tolerate anything less than the 'all that 'life-style & has no time for children. But instead of trying to work on the relationship w/her hubby, she uses him for her whipping post, only compounded when her 'mother from hell' arrives (J. Lewis is ALWAYS amazing in her roles - this fit her perfectly!)& they kinda mother-daughter tag team him until he snaps under the weight. THEN when Henson suspects hubby of leaning toward someone else who'll give him the time of day, she FINALLY sees the bitchiness of her & her mother's ways (Duh!), she goes after her man & begs forgiveness. I like 'relationship' movies w/a message, so this was all good. Nothing wrong...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Gun Shy [HD]

Warm-hearted and hilarious!
I found this to be a wonderful and engaging film. The plot has been criticized for being a tad meandering and while I do agree with that, it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. I found it a little hard to get into at first, I think because there was so much of Liam Neeson in the first several scenes and he is not one of my favorite actors. He won me over in this, however. People also have stated that the "bowel humor" was a bit gross, but I felt the sound effects were funny and also made you really feel the charactor's discomfort and fear in the scene. Remember, everybody poops.

Oliver Platt is one of my favorite actors, and he does not disapoint in this movie. This is definitely a charactor driven movie, with a lot of conversations and not much action, but the action was well placed and hilarious. There are also small nuances that really develop the charactors further such as when Oliver Platt's charator, Fulvio, spends the night cleaning his kitchen. I found it both...

Boy, you think YOUR job is tough?
Five stars for this cleverly made dark comedy about a DEA Agent's last assignment, to catch the players in a drug ring.

Liam Neeson plays Charlie, whose last assignment with the DEA went south badly, resulting in his partner being killed and him being literally tied up on a large platter of watermelon, but is rescued before he is executed.

The very opening scene of this movie is a kick, with Charlie sitting pants-less on the bathroom floor of an airport, talking to himself and reliving his arguments with his boss and the execution of his partner; complete with a hilarious fantasy of the bad guys doing ballet leaps as they are shot, surrealistic and funny, choreographed along with the tune "Blue Skies For Everyone".

Charlie meets a psychiatrist on the airplane, and decides to see him. Dr. Bleckner talks Charlie into joining his group therapy session, where Charlie unloads the stresses of his job, to the astonishment of the group. He also talks Charlie into seeing a...

An Underrated, Underseen Gem
Apparently this movie got lost in the shuffle somehow (see other reviews)and it is a shame, because it is a very funny, semi-black comedy that deserved a broader audience. While Liam Neeson is not usually cast in comedies, he should do more of them because he was very good as Charlie, the burned-out drug agent and he was surrounded by a great cast, topped by Oliver Platt, who was, as usual, excellent, and Sandra Bullock, who had a small but effective part as Charlie's no-nonsense girlfriend. Mary McCormick was hilarious in a tiny, almost unrecognized part as Fluvio's (Pratt's) caustic wife and the group of sadsacks who made up Charlie's therapy group added their own comic note. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to relax and have a nice, uncomplicated laugh and enjoy two very attractive leading actors.

Click to Editorial Reviews

crazy/beautiful [HD]

Kirsten Dunst shines in an engaging character study
I hesitated to see this film because having seen my share of Kristen Dunst movies, I wasn't sure I was ready for another teen sugar attack. However, this film turned out to be a pleasant departure from the perky candy coated parts Dunst has played in the past. In fact, this might be a watershed role for her, marking her transition from teen roles to adult roles.

Dunst plays Nicole Oakley, a troubled teenager from a privileged family who falls in love with Carlos (Jay Hernandez), a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The story is nothing new, but the presentation is remarkably good, with far greater maturity than one would expect from a high school flick.

This film is exceptional considering its limited budget and the fact that most of the major players have very little experience at this level. For writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, this is their first feature film screenplay. For director John Stockwell, it is only his second feature film. Likewise for Jay Hernandez and...

Crazy/Beautiful
Crazy/Beautiful is a groundbreaking emotional story about two young lovers, Carlos(Jay Hernandez) and Nicole(Kirsten Dunst), on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Carlos is a straight-A-student whose priorities are to graduate and gain acceptance into the naval academy. Nicole is a disgruntled 17-year-old whose priorities include finding distractions to cope with the loss of her mother. She has no college ambition, she likes to get lost in wide variety of drugs and sexual activities and she swears she will never trust anyone again after her mother's suicide. When Carlos meets Nicole for the first time, he finds her "scary" because she is extremely unpredictable with her wild behavior. Nicole falls strangely in love with Carlos and believes that they should always be together. When Carlos finds himself in the position in which he must choose between Nicole and his school work, he chooses her. The two fall madly in love and a number of situations fall into play because...

Upside down cliches
I live with an LA High School teacher; we are both in our fifties yet we both enjoy teen oriented movies, at least to some degree. However, we are also highly sensitive to the distance from reality in most of these movies, and this one kept us awake and interested. Crazy/Beautiful may be another fairly tale reworking of the star-crossed lovers theme, but it also presents its characters with a gritty realism. These kids in this movie are a lot like real kids that we know and see everyday.

Kirsten Dunst is still portraying a teenager, but proves she can handle adult complexity. Jay Hernandez is wonderfully unaffected. The story is in many respects by the numbers, but it turns most of the movie cliches upside down - the rich kids father approves of the poor kid - it's his own daughter he has trouble with. The Latino kid is appealing to the white girls, but he isn't a white boy in a Latino skin, he is comfortable in his identity. I don't want to say too much more because I...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Born Yesterday [HD]

Eliza Doolittle Meets Betty Boop.
From the moment she enters the picture and screeches "Whaaaaattttt??", in a voice that could peel wallpaper, you can't take your eyes off Judy Hollidays "Billie Dawn." In this movie adaptation of the Garson Kanin play, directed by famed "womans director" George Cukor, she takes a wonderfully written character and turns her into a classic movie performance that no one else could have played. Her crass, monosyllabic Billie is SO dumb, that, when her corrupt bully boyfriend, played by Broderick Crawford, first proposes to the owlish journalist, played by William Holden, that he refine Billies rough edges so she can be presented into the Washington society that he hopes to manipulate, well...you wonder how he can EVER mold this dim-witted clay. Along the way, she, for the first time, begins to actually THINK, and her development of a conscience and awareness of her self worth is as moving as it is comical. The backdrop of corrupt politicians who can be bought for a price (some things...

Flawless!
Delightful! Hilarious!

How often do we get to see a perfect performance? We're closing in on a century of movies and, as we can see, it's pretty rare. So flawless was Judy Holliday's portrayal of Billie Dawn that, as a relative unknown, she came from behind to beat out two heavyweights for the Oscar in 1950. I'm sure this was due in no small part to her refining the role for nearly three years on stage.

Everything else fell into place as well. Broderick Crawford was just excellent as Harry Brock. Crawford is able to swing you back and forth between anger and sympathy for his character. Not an easy task! William Holden is perfectly calm and reserved as Paul Verrall. His character forms a wonderful opposite to Billie. And, with direction, George Cukor worked his usual magic.

Most of the themes are timeless. A person lives in ignorant bliss until their eyes are opened. They realize that there is a better life for them and begin their struggle...

Razor Sharp and Lots of Fun
Judy Holiday won an Oscar for this film, and no wonder: her performance of Billie Dawn, a "dumb broad" who suddenly wises up in a most unexpected way, is certainly one of the finest and most original film performances in 20th Century American cinema. The story, from the stage success, concerns a crass junk yard tycoon (Broderick Crawford) who goes to Washington to buy a Senator--and promptly considers that his blonde-bimbo mistress Billie Dawn (Holiday) lacks enough poise for such refined circles. He accordingly entices a reporter (William Holden) to "smarten her up." But things soon get out of hand: once her mind is awakened, Billie Dawn begins to perceive her lover and his political intrigues in a very different light.

The comedy is genuine, and Crawford and Holden are as memorable as Holiday herself. But there is some serious stuff behind the hilarity: issues of personal integrity, honesty, and civic duty become increasingly important as Billie evolves, and...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Collector (1965) [HD]

Brilliant, despite the editing
"The Collector" falls within the "Psycho" tradition in focusing on the repressed sexual longings of a quietly alienated loner, but it's closer to "Peeping Tom" in portraying the sympathetic side of the killer. This is highlighted, first, by the performances themselves, which are superficially cold but in reality display a great deal of underlying warmth. But it's also underscored by the fact that William Wyler's madman is only an accidental murderer, his intention being only to harbor his object of desire, not murder her (murder, as it happens, being simply the "collateral" result of his own perversity).

"The Collector," in fact, is probably the most humanized portrait of a sociopath ever put on film, and Terence Stamp makes us realize in every scene just how starved for affection he is. Not even "Peeping Tom" rivals it in this respect, since the analytical approach of Michael Powell toward his deranged protagonist, not to mention the peculiar fetishism involved, prevents us from...

BAD BAD Video Transfer - Shame on you Sony/Columbia
One STAR is too many, but there was no goose egg!

I really hate to slam this beautiful movie, but after buying it, I felt betrayed and wanted to try to prevent others from having the same problem.

Wyler's work is always fabulous, which makes it especially hurtful to see his film butchered in this fashion - yes I said BUTCHERED.

I just purchased "The Collector" on DVD (Columbia 07893 - ISBN 0-7678-8288-1) after already owning the same title on LaserDisk.

I have criticisms of both the TRANSFER, and the CONTENT.

Transfer:

IMDB Lists the original film as "Spherical 1.78:1 aspect ratio" - If this is true, then the DVD has been way over-masked because the LaserDisk version has a mask that shows about 30% more picture content on the top and bottom of the field. It appears that the studio simply took a 4:3 version of the film and transferred it to DVD by cutting off the top and bottom to make it 16x9, rather than finding an...

Belongs In Your Collection
This 40-year-old specimen by legendary director William Wyler will enhance any collection of fine film. You may have trouble recognizing a very young Terence Stamp, whose performance as a painfully shy office clerk who hits the lottery will give you chills. Samantha Eggar, lovely as the focus of his attention, gives a compelling performance and is in many ways the film's centerpiece. Based on the novel by truly gifted author John Fowles, The Collector chronicles a subtle, incremental descent into madness and cruelty with such skill that viewers are engaged throughout, indeed, it is the ability of the film to penetrate the viewer's own psychology that gives it its real power.

Stamp's Freddie Clegg, newly rich, is free to indulge his eccentricities fully, without fear of repercussion. While his passion has always been butterfly collecting, Freddie, socially inept and pathologically lonely, slips into another level; he "collects" Eggar's Miranda Grey and keeps her captive...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Experiment In Terror [HD]

TENSE, EXCITING THRILLER.....
Take an early, lean Blake Edwards, a tension filled script, a cast of fine actors, great San Francisco location shooting and a suspenseful score by Henry Mancini and you have "Experiment in Terror"---one of the best suspense thrillers ever made. Adapted by the story's authors, it pits innocent bank clerk Lee Remick against asthmatic madman Ross Martin who terrorizes her in an extortion plot to rob her bank. His threats include harming her kid sister Stefanie Powers. When Remick contacts the FBI, agent Glenn Ford and his associates barrel into action. The result is a bizarre cat & mouse game between Remick, Martin and Ford. Martin is slick and murderous. But he manages to finance expensive hip surgery for a 6 yr.old Asian boy whose mother he's seeing. His heavy breathing is some of the most realistic I've ever heard in a film. Edwards directs "Experiment" in a fast paced style that keeps you glued to the screen all the way to the Giants game finale. Again, his on location shooting is...

"Next Time, Kelly, I'll Kill You For Sure!"
The calendar year of 1962 sure was a fantastic year for movies! Just look at this impressive lineup of cinematic gems released in '62 ---

"Lawrence Of Arabia", "To Kill A Mockingbird", "The Longest Day", "The Music Man", "Mutiny On The Bounty", "The Miracle Worker", "Cape Fear", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "The Manchurian Candidate", "How The West Was Won", "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?", "Advise & Consent", "Birdman Of Alcatraz", "Requiem For A Heavyweight", "Lonely Are The Brave", "Long Day's Journey Into Night", "Knife In The Water", "Dr. No", and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".

Holy smoke! What a great year for moving pictures it was. (The first five films I listed above were the five nominees for "Best Picture" at the Academy Awards, with "Lawrence", starring Peter O'Toole, taking home first prize.)

And -- in addition to that grand laundry list of goodies above -- there is also the 1962 film contained on this exceptional DVD -- "Experiment...

DARING
this one was very daring for it's time. the opening score is one of the most ominous music compositions i've ever heard. it's simple but terrifying. you know from the beginning that "something" is going to happen and it does. a woman is manipulated and extorted and threatened all in the first 10 minutes, inevitably compelled to involve the FBI. to divulge any more of this ominous little film would be unfair. a thriller in the most definitive form of the word. it boasts two of the best actors ever to grace the silver screen: Glenn Ford and Lee Remick. this was director Blake Edwards sole attempt at a dramatic film. this attempt proved to be sufficient. it's a cinematic masterpiece. watch it with the lights out!!!!

as for the DVD, not much in extras but the transfer and audio are very good.

Click to Editorial Reviews

George of the Jungle 2 [HD]

Dumb, Stupid, Idiotic but FUN
Lets face it, no one expects a cinamatic masterpiece with "George of the Jungle" either 1 0r 2. They are based on a dumb but funny cartoon. So those people who expect something terrific are handicaping themselves from having a good time. It is nothing more than a cartoon done with humans and some CGI. Face it, any film with a sarcastic narrator lets the audience know exactly what type of film they will be watching.

The cast is just fine. It doesn't matter that there are new actors for George and Ursala. They are both very good in the roles. Anyone expecting an Oscar winning performance needs serious therapy. Christopher Showerman gives life to the stilted dialogue and is a perfect George. To play it differently would be to deny the character. The dialogue is also a satiric take off on that of the Tarzan films - "You Jane - me Tarzan".

There are many "inside" jokes in the film. One very funny bit is that evil lion who wants to become King, is standing on a...

Younger Kids Will Love It
My three year old got this for Christmas and loves it. Don't expect a cinematic masterpiece. It's kind of corny but it's a cute movie. Lots of talking animals, colorful scenery, action, one liners that 3yr olds will like to repeat... "Eat fur jungle boy". I agree with an earlier reviewer that Jr. doesn't get enough screen time. It took me a little while to get used to the new George, but I think he's just as good as the first one, and equally as hubba hubba.

A Comedy Without the F word
The first George of the Jungle was so silly, it was kind of cute and at times funny, helped by Brendan Frazer, this sequel, minus Frazer,is so silly it is actually unwatchable.
Any comedy whether silly or not should have an absolute minimum, to be funny, and George of the Jungle 2 is actually every word you can think of but the F word.
After 15 minutes of listening to the very annoying narrative talking about the old movie, the new movie, Disney etc...you want to give up watching movies altogether and watch CNN!!(this is how bad it is)
Even the delightfully charming and pretty Julie Benz could not save an awful direction and script.
If you like silly comedies,and want the F back in films then the market is full of well made and very funny examples, like Top Secret,Naked Gun, and the classic Carry On Up the Jungle (an all time favorite of mine), but trust me this film should be avoided at all costs!

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Bears And I [HD]

Based on a true story...
I remember reading the paperback by Robert Franklin Leslie before seeing this film -- and the film did live up to the book. (It's a true story, by the way!) Actor Patrick Wayne, son of the late John Wayne, does a superb job in the lead role. The story centers on a man, prospecting for gold in Canadian north woods in the 1960s, who adopted three orphaned bear cubs and prepared them for the perils of living free. It's similar to "Born Free" in some regards. Very recommended.

"The Bears & I"
This mid-70's Disney film is a mild (as Leonard Maltin calls it)but competent family film. Starring Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne (and notice Patrick's walk!), as a Vietnam veteran going to see the father of a fellow soldier killed in action. Chief Dan George protrays the late soldier's father. Also stars Michael Ansara in another ethnic role, Robert Pine of CHIPS, and solid character actor Andrew Dunagan.

Wayne's character protects three orphaned cubs. This action causes friction with the local Indian tribe who view the bear as their brother. Further trouble is caused when the US government decides to build a National Park on the property that the Indians are settled on. Maltin describes the film as Wayne trying to settle the problems between the Indians and the "white bigots", but there is NO scene or language of bigotry in the film. It is a matter of property rights and the rights of indigenous people.

The film is predictable as it is a Disney film,...

The Bears and I
The movie The Bears and I was very good. The beginning of the the movie was absolutely breathtaking. The song fits very well with the movie. The song "Sweet Surrender" written by the late John Denver was written for the movie because of the ecological scenery. Throughout the movie the scenery was really truly God's country in British Columbia Canada. I think that Patrick Wanye, Chief Dan George and Robert Pine were very good actors in the movie. The movie is very much a family entertainment. I very highly recommend this movie.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Connor's War [HD]

A great 2AM Million Dollar Movie!
This movie isn't outright terrible, but it certainly is the very core definition of what a 'B-Movie' is. While the special effects are okay, the script is borderline terrible. I know Treach, a rapper, is supposed to be playing a convict turned elite government agent, and yet, he still talks and curses like a typical rapper! I find that hilarious! And so does his mentor, the bad guy of the movie, Brooks. Nia Peeples is a mix of brains and beauty, and yet, her character progressively gets dumber as the movie goes on. And Treach is playing himself more than anything. A " 'hood James Bond," really. It's like this whole script was written by the worst student in film school; the aspiring rapper turned screenwright.

To sum it up: Connors lost his eyesight via an explosion during a botched mission to save the First Lady from terrorists. He's recruited three years later by his old boss, Brooks, for one last mission, in which, he'll be able to get his eyesight back via some...

connors war
an awesome action movie, loved it. the first time i seen this movie was on bounce tv and i searched for months for the title, glad i found it, well worth it.

Former Spy Loved This Movie
I'd normally give this four stars for the B level script and acting, but I have to say very candidly that I completely enjoyed this movie.

It has a reasonable plot, I love the black guys with brains beating the [....] out of white guys with egos, and over-all this movie really works for me.

The Latina bimbo is a confusing mix of boobs, brains, and brass, but of course they end up happily ever after.

This movie ended my day on a nice note, and that's a five star salute.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Moon

Spoiler-free review -- A fun and unexpected little sci-fi surprise
It was easy to dismiss Moon as a 2001: A Space Odyssey clone based on the trailers, claustrophobic space station setting and the HAL 9000-like robot assistant (GERTY). It is a surprisingly fun space mystery and I'm glad I was wrong. The film opens with a commercial from Lunar Industries, promising a safe, dependable, and clean energy source from the moon. Then it cuts right to the lunar surface where astronaut/miner Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is preparing a cargo of helium for launch back to Earth.

With 2 weeks left of his contract, he is more than ready to go home. Living in isolation on the dark side of the moon for the past 3 years, with the satellite dish down, his only link with Earth are company transmissions, delayed TV feeds of sporting events, and the occasional pre-recorded video relay from his wife. With not another living soul on the moon, Sam occupies himself by talking to his plants, carving...

"Are We Alone in the Universe?"
If you are fortunate enough to live in a city where this movie is playing, I highly advise that you go see it. Despite falling under the category of science-fiction, Moon is not a movie where you have to be a science-fiction buff to appreciate its many virtues. In fact, it might be more accurate to describe Moon as a drama. The drama in this case is to be found within oneself, as Moon is pretty much a one man show.

The movie begins with a commercial for Lunar Industries, a company that has found alternative energy sources on the moon. True to the nature of any corporation, costs are apparently kept to a minimum by having only a single human being on their moon base to oversee the extraction of Helium 3 -- the precious alternative energy source. Consequently, Sam Bell is that sole employee who is serving out his 3 year contract on the moon. Stationed with him on this moon base is a computer with an emoticon personality named Gherty 3000. Other than, he has only himself for...

A Surprisingly Well-Constructed Piece of Indie Filmmaking
Once in a while, and more frequently in this genre than most others it seems; a film comes along with a very modest budget (in this case $5M), a limited cast, and a whole lot of heart. In the case of Moon, director Duncan Jones continues on in the tradition of works like Danny Boyle's Sunshine or perhaps even more appropriately, Neil Blomkamp's District 9. However, its inclusion in the oft-suspect category of independent science fiction entertainment is by no means synonymous with cheesy rubber masks, shoddy sets, or below par CGI; in fact quite contraire. Moon manages to accomplish a surprising deal of well-written plot structure and melds it with consistent, appropriate and believable visuals (whether special effect shots or otherwise). Amidst the current trend of bloated CG-overloaded "blockbusters" that attempt to make up for their lack of substance with flashy visuals, Moon is a refreshing diversion to say the least.

The tale centers on Sam Bell, the only man...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Santa Clause 2 [HD]

I BELIEVE IN SANTA...& I AM 32 YEARS YOUNG
The first Santa Clause was a wonderful take on the big guy in red. It made me a believer in Santa Claus. It showed how human Santa is.
The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs Clause was just as awesome. This time, Santa must find a Mrs. before Christmas Eve otherwise Santa will become Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) for good.
The movie was geared towards children; or children at heart. This time there are more elves, 2 Santas and a reindeer in training named "Chet". The opening sequence is precious. It shows a militaristic view of how Santa and the elves keep their "North Pole" home a secret. Then there was the scene with the "symbols" of make believe. There was Mother Nature, Father Time, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy (or as he wanted to be known as THE MOLINATOR.
Charlie (Eric Lloyd), Scott Calvin's son, is all grown up and getting into plenty of trouble. He is rebelling against Christmas because he cannot tell anyone what his dad does for a living.

Scott's...

The Santa Clause 2 Is The Greatest
If you are looking for an excellent holiday family comedy that the entire family can enjoy, than buy the SANTA CLAUSE 2 on DVD or video! In the sequel to the first hit comedy, Scott Calvin (played by Tim Allen) is in grave trouble. First his son Charlie (played by Eric Lloyd) is destroying the school with graffiti and infuriating the evil principal Ms Newman (played by Elizabeth Mitchell) and then the elves up at the North Pole reveal that if Santa isn't married by Christmas, he'll stop being Santa forever! So Scott creates a new robotic clone of himself and goes off to find the Mrs. Clause, while at the same time the robot is taking over the North Pole!! Will Santa save the day in time....and still get married to Mrs. Clause?? This movie is great for all ages and has an excellent returning cast and characters, including some new elves and reindeer!! Two thumbs up for THE SANTA CLAUSE 2!!!

This generation's holiday best!
Our parents' generation had such wonderful classics as "Holiday Inn," "White Christmas," "It's a Wonderful Life," etc. I think it's taken Hollywood a VERY long time to come up with something remotely as wonderful as those old movies and finally, albeit this one is not a musical, but they've finally achieved it in "The Santa Clause" series. If you don't have these, you definitely need to get them both. Honestly, Tim Allen is just wonderful in them and really makes the story quite frankly. Writers or not, he just takes it and goes and I would think that the majority of what he says is "ad lib" on his part.

This sequel to the first is really great. You never really buy sequels as a rule, but this one is definitely different. When Allen finds out he has to get married to stay Santa, it's pretty amusing to see what the elves go through to get him married off. Everything from making a "fake Santa" gone bad, to destroying the fake Santa's army of bad tin soldiers, keeps the...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Money For Nothing [HD]

Money for Nothing
This film is based on a true story, where a blue-collar working man finds a bag of money that literally fell off an armored truck. The pandemonium and hilarity that follows is beautifully presented by John Cusack, definitely one of the best actors of our time. I've been following Cusack's films from Class in the 1980s through today, and I have not once been disappointed by his performance. He is in top form here, making the viewer wish that they both were and weren't in his shoes. Benicio del Toro is hilarious as a swindler, and Debi Mazar is pretty good as Cusack's on-again, off-again love interest. Gandolfini of HBO's The Sopranos also costars, and is fantastic as usual. If you like any of the actors mentioned, or just want to see a good film about a real event that seems unbelievable, get your hands on this one!

Not John's Best But Decent if You're Bored
I couldn't tell if this was a comedy or not to be honest. I am a big John Cusack film ( loved him since The Sure Thing ). This movie is okay, but a lot of things are missing. The plot is jumbled. John Cusack does good with his acting but the supporting characters are bland, one-sided and boring. Debi Mazar is too annoying for words ( the way she talks bugs the heck out of me ). I've liked her in other films but her character, Monica was way too cold and too much of a golddigger for anyone to believe Cusack's character would want anything to do with her. Michael Madsen is entertaining and Benicio is good ( though is role his rather ignored ). Michael Rappaport is not one of my favorites but he carries his part well. The writing was just too bland. I kept waiting for Cusack's character to do much more with that money. The movie had a hell of a plot if only they knew what to do with it. I thought the sex scene was tacky since this film was more on the PG side. I guess the filmmakers...

Great Movie
I love John Cusak and I found this movie at a garage sale. I didn't even know about this movie, but I loved it. It is entertaining and always interesting to see movies about the turmoil characters go through over doing the right thing. Plus, I believe this is based on a true story.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Now You See Him, Now You Don't [HD]

Loads of fun
Great old Disney movie, lots of laughs. Fun to watch a younger Kurt Russell in this and the other movies in this series. Good for family viewing.

Love this show
This was very comical and kept me laughing most of the time to imagine what it would be like and how dangerous it could be if it got into the wrong hands with people being able to disappear

still fun to watch
trying to get my grandson too watch something else besides pokeman. he enjoyed this movie very much. good to see a youngster laugh at the same stuff I do. he wants to see the rest of this Disney series of movies.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Indian Summer [HD]

The Big Chill meets Meatballs in funny, touching film
"Indian Summer" is a wonderful film saluting "the Golden Era" of Camp Tamakwa (a real camp in the Canadian/New York wilderness), but it's also about reconnecting with youth, friends, love and nature. Uncle Lou (Alan Arkin), Camp Tamakwa's camp supervisor for many years, invites campers from "the Golden Era" (the early to mid 1970s) as a reunion of sorts, and a group of friends and ex-campers make the trek back to the woods and their youth. Matt (Vincent Spano) and Kelly (Julie Warner) are on vacation to "work on their marriage;" Matt's having a mid-life crisis, and Kelly just wants to know where she stands. Jennifer (Elizabeth Perkins) is Matt's ex-camp-girlfriend and Kelly's best friend, swept away by the nostalgia of camp. Brad (Kevin Pollack) is Matt's cousin, business partner, King of the Shreks (camp pranks), and a constant commentator of how small everything's gotten. Beth (Diane Lane) is a ex-camp tomboy, whose husband Rick recently died...

Fantastic ensemble picture
"Indian Summer" isn't the sort of film I normally watch. A light comedy about the innocence of childhood contrasted with the problems of adulthood, the film engages in deep sentimentality on a regular basis. I am rarely suckered in by sappy, syrupy movies. "Indian Summer" is different; I first saw the film on cable back in the early 1990s and quickly learned to like its ensemble cast, wonderful scenery, and funny moments. Since I usually watch horror films, the irony of viewing a movie set at a summer camp where no one expires at the hands of a machete wielding madman still makes me chuckle. When I stumbled over a DVD version of "Indian Summer" recently, I knew I had to revisit the movie. I suspected I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I did ten years ago. I was wrong. The movie resonates even more deeply because I am ten years older than when I first saw it. I never went to summer camp as a child, except for a weekend stay as part of a sixth grade project, but I can completely identify...

recommended
It's apparently very difficult to make a film that is sweet and sentimental without also being mawkish, manipulative, corny, insulting, witless or juvenile (or one of dozens of other entertainment maladies). It makes one very partial to films, such as this one, that manage to succeed. Perhaps it is really an older person's film - for those who have seen the treasures of their youth destroyed by decay or progress or just changing fashions. Alan Arkin takes an indirect path to save the summer camp his family has run for decades. It doesn't sound like much, but the film is well written, extremely well cast, and manages in the end to be very touching, without the aforementioned ailments. Given that the Blu-ray disk costs no more than going to the theater (and a lot less if you pour your own soda), it is a real bargain. Highly recommended.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Girlfight [HD]

This film is real. It's so real that I forgot it was a film.
Girlfight is the seemingly simple story of a Diana, a young woman from the projects with an attitude who trains to be a boxer. Played brilliantly by the newcomer Michelle Rodriguez, the role calls for a brooding hostile intensity as well as a deep sensitivity. Diana has to be strong, both physically mentally in order to battle the stereotypes in her macho Latino culture. And Michelle Rodriguez doesn't just have power in her biceps; she has power in her eyes. One of her narrow-eyed scowls says more than pages of dialog. During the film she learns to focus her rage into her boxing, and the joy of her growing control is apparent by the delight on her face. She also falls in love with a young male boxer, Adrian, played by Santiago Douglas, and their relationship has its ups and downs. Eventually, they have to fight each other in the ring.

The whole cast is excellent -- Jaime Tirelli as her trainer, Ray Santiago as her little brother, Elisa Bocanegra as her girlfriend, and Paul...

Excellent Movie !!!
No Wonder Michelle Rodriguez was recognized for this role, she was amazing. Because of the content of this moive, I'm glad the director chose a local girl to play Diana Gúzman. Michelle's acting, thought relatively new, was sincere in every aspect of the word. A girl who is trying to make something of her life at a young age is very rare now-a-days. This a great movie for the younger generation. It portrays hope, desire, ambition, drive, whatever you want to call it. The directing was great: the city scenes, the fighting scenes, and the family scenes sucked you into a world of struggle and survival. I recommend this movie with all sincerity.

Dont box me in!
American movies rarely focus on the underclass without (a) glamorising the violence inherent within the 'hood' (b hammer you over the head with its socially redeeming message or (c) milk the rare and the bizarre out of the situation to titilate the overstimulated middle class adolescent audience. To its credit this movie attempts none of these. Director Karyn Kusama and lead Michelle Rodriguez can take a lot of credit and pride for the obvious work and thought that has gone into the making of this movie.It deserves all the accolades it has been awarded.

Its naturalistic shooting style and dialogue puts to shame hundreds of movies that have operated on a budget 5 times its scale.Money cant make up for lack of talent or integrity and this movie has that and more.

Diana(Michelle Rodriguez)is a young woman with an attitude. Her constant fighting at school consistently gets her in trouble with the school authorities.Her home life isnt much better with a solo dad bitter with failure...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Long Gray Line [HD]

BEST FORD WITHOUT WAYNE
I first saw this movie at our local in the late 50`s here in the U.K. The Memory of Marty Maher never left.. Looking through Amazon one evening i noticed it was available. Well done it arrived in 6 days. Some things you order locally take longer than that.After all these years since i last saw it it`s still a great movie and still brings a tear to the eye. Tyrone Power was perfect, sadly nearing the end of his life as Marty Maher. Nothing against John Wayne who i understand was the first choice but this was`nt his part. Maureen o Hara is wonderful. Ward Bond as "That blackhearted master of the sword" as Marty calls him and Donald Crisp as Marty snr. Its a long movie covering 50 years but never you loose interest. Its perfect. John Ford wanted to be remembered as the man who made westerns. Well he made other great movie`s as well. In my opinion this is an equal to The Quiet Man....The Long Gray Line. The best Ford without John Wayne.

Long Gray Line
My wife and I stumbled across this rare gem a few days ago on AMC. It began late in the evening, but we were unable to stop watching. It is a truly wonderful story, based on what I've come to learn is a book entitled BRINGING UP THE BRASS that was based on Technical Sargeant Martin Maher's life. The movie has all of the classical elements of John Ford including humor and poignancy, and I shall heartily recommend this film to my family and friends. It's nice to see patriotism and honor on film, even though it was 45 years ago!

This Classic Deserves A Salute
One of the finest of John Ford's films, yet surprisingly overlooked, this movie gives us both an honest glimpse into West Point and sincere characters to cry for and laugh with.

Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara make a charming match once more (see The Black Swan, quite a different movie), and it's a wonder to me that Ty's sensitive and utterly believable performance in this film wasn't given more notice than it was. He was perfect all the way down to his accent, which I thought would surely slip, and it never did. Maureen's portrait of her character was poignant and gentle, with that spark that is purely Maureen. The death scene blows me away each time with it's simplicity and honest grace. They were quite a team, both of times they were together.

All the performances were top-notch, making you forget you were watching a movie. I felt, instead, as if I were being allowed into sacred ground, welcomed with open arms by the memories of that proud place.

This is truly a...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Cromwell [HD]

overall, very entertaining
I am a great student of the English Civil War and found this movie to be, overall, very entertaining despite just a few historical inaccuracies such as Oliver Cromwell being one of the five Parliament memebers that Charles I personally came to arrest ( Cromwell wasnt one of the five ). The costumes, stage sets and battle scenes, especially the cavalry charges, were without equal. A lot of the musical score was fitting and added to the atmosphere of the film. I dont believe that Harris's portrayal of Cromwell was uninspiring as previous reviewers have suggested. Cromwell, according to some historical sources, was a deep believer in freedom, both religious and private property, hence the films early reference about Cromwell leaving England for America. Cromwell was simply not known, historically, to have worn his emotions on his sleeve. Timothy Dalton's Prince Rupert was magnificent. Alec Guiness certainly looked like Charles I. Truthfully, most of the actors fairly...

Our Chief of Men
A magnificent summary of the fundamental issues, and their resolution, which made the British nation what it once used to be, and was for 300 years, right up until 1945. There is obviously not the slightest hope of compressing the complicated historical events from 1640 to 1660 into 2 hours, and simplification is so inevitable as to be not worth even discussing. But the basics are presented with excellent clarity, and produced with a marvellous balance between entertaining drama and solid essentials. Guinness and Harris are both on tremendous form: the defining characteristics of Charles were vacillation and weakness, and those of Cromwell force and resolution. Both were pious in their own ways. Charles, however, thought he could do what he liked in his position because God had put him there. Cromwell didn't share this belief, and that is what makes him a great man, and a great architect of the British political values which lasted for so long. The ruthless crushing of the threat in...

Satisfying Historical Film
This film has been shown in history classes in both Britain and the USA, and rightfully so. CROMWELL is a powerful, albeit uneven, movie depicting the struggle between Parliament and the crown that ultimately led to the English Civil War.

Alec Guinness as King Charles I is simply superb. This gifted actor brings the insecure monarch to life before our very eyes, from his indecision to his eventual desperation to save his thrown--even his slight stuttering problem. Indeed it was Charles himself, by attempting in secret to form alliances with Catholic Ireland and France in order to defeat Cromwell's army, who was the catalyst to his own demise.

Richard Harris is good, but somewhat over the top, as the brooding Oliver Cromwell, the musical score is nothing short of annoying, and the movie succumbs to the gushy melodrama characteristic of the time in which it was made. But despite its flaws, CROMWELL delivers a satisfying story about a turbulent time in English history.

Click to Editorial Reviews

One Little Indian [HD]

Support Your Local Camel Jockey
One Little Indian is a late entry from the Golden Age of Walt Disney, but it's an engaging and enjoyable film. James Garner was in a transitional period here, dabbling with TV and high-grade B-movies like Those Daring Dobermans. He's just as charming as ever, which seems out of place since he IS a deserter. However, as the script is a timely one, his only "crime" was disrupting a massacre of a peaceful Indian camp. So perhaps for the only time in history, we have Viet Nam, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, and Jodie Foster coinciding in spacetime.

Several things make this a good movie. An early tip off to the quality is a first-rate Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack. Next, and most important, Clay O'brien is a very appealing child actor. Add Jodie Foster to the young'un cast and you've got a nice set of kids. Not only that, but the supporting cast is loaded with familiar faces if you're a Western fan. The only shortcoming is there are too few scenes with Vera Miles. I wish the...

What a hoot!
I loved this film.

What an absolutely hilarious movie. There are scenes that are so unforgettable.... like in the first place.... what is James Garner doing on a camel in the old west?!?!?

But it makes sense as the film goes along. And the scenes between James Garner and the little boy Clay O'Brien are often comical. They work great together. You'd never know that the "Indian" boy in this film is the same blonde-haired, blue-eyed youngster in John Wayne's classic film, "Cahill, U.S. Marshall".

I enjoy a good comedy film, and this one is near the top of my list. James Garner is always so believable in whatever role he plays.... and if being a camel-riding, orphan-toting, short-tempered cavalry-escapee is his role, only James Garner can make it seem believable (in the comedy role that it is).

If you wish to view a simple, rural, 1800's-style comedy film that is sure to be enjoyed.... this is one I'd certainly recommend.

Family movie with favorite actors
I remember seeing One Little Indian as a kid so I picked it up. There's not much action but a long traveling story. The interesting thing is the list of up and coming stars that were in it.

Jay Silverheels (Tonto), Jim Davis from the tv show Dallas

Robert Pine from CHIPS, James Garner from Rockford Files and of course Jodie Foster.

As many Disney films there's some action and sad events in the story. A white boy (Clay O'Brien)who was captured by the indians as a child. Then taken away from his indian "mother" whom he wants to get back to. This is a fine family movie for the younger set and for those who want to see the actors before they were famous.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Living Without Money

DON'T pay Amazon money to watch this film
The creators of the film posted it for free viewing here:

http://www.livingbigonless.com/livingwithoutmoney

along with a bunch of other tips about living on the cheap. It just seems really silly to pay to watch a movie about living without paying for stuff. I also haven't actually watched it yet.

Something to think about
Interesting view on money and materialism. Heidemarie Schwemmer is very courageous and it is definitely worth the time it takes to watch it.

What happiness really looks like
This movie demonstrates vividly what I thought could be possible and how beautiful life can truly be.

The movie put into perspective how far we have veered from helping one another and honoring each other.

This movie is a great cleanser from all the brainwashing we have been programmed into thinking.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Bedknobs and Broomsticks [HD]

One of my favorite Disney DVDs.
In 1971, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, a film many call a Mary Poppins rip-off, premiered at Radio City Music Hall, but in a version in which nearly half an hour of footage, including full songs, was removed. For its 25th Anniversary in 1996, Disney re-inserted all of the deleted footage except for one musical number in which the picture was lost. The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences screened this in 1996, but it didn't get a theatrical release, and for years, the only way Americans could get it was either by the 1997 laserdisc release, an import of a European video, or by catching it on occasion on the Disney Channel.

Finally, in 2001, for the film's 30th Anniversary, Disney released a DVD with this extended version of the film. Restored and remastered, the film now has a clearer plot, extended musical numbers, and songs previously deleted. The brilliant "Portobello Road" number is now restored to its original running time, as well as Miss Price's response verses,...

The charge of the "knight" brigade!
Ever since I was a child, this magical Disney classic has always captured my imagination. The fabulous songs by the Sherman brothers, the amazing mixture of live-action and animation, and the magical special effects make this timeless film entertaining to viewers of all ages. The casting was great, especially David Tomlinson, who was also terrific in "Mary Poppins" and "The Love Bug". My two favorite scenes in this are the hilarious soccar match and the "battle" at the end between the knights and the German soldiers. By the way, the scene where the "flying" dress lands on Roddy McDowall is the only scene (that I know of) where you can clearly see the wires attached to a flying object or person in the movie. This is easily one of Angela Lansbury's best performances, and it's one of the best films directed by the great Robert Stevenson (Disney's greatest director ever in my humble opinion). I was a little disappointed by the "special edition" dvd. It claims to have a featurette on the...

great movie, TERRIBLE EDITION
I watched this movie countless times as a child, and loved it. I was excited to get it on DVD, but now that I have watched it I must say that I am very disappointed in this anniversary edition.

A very few of the extended scenes were useful or interesting, but for the most part redundant and disappointing. They slowed the pacing and diluted the storyline and character development. The editing itself seemed poorly done as well, changing the order of some scenes. All very unneccesary.

Most distressing of all, the sound on most of the added scenes was very poor, lips out of sync, and some of the dialogue appeared to have been dubbed in (badly) by some other, unknown actors! Perhaps this was a result of unusable original recordings, but it was extremely jarring and irksome. Even worse, some of the lines from the original release (often ones that flowed into a "new" scene) were also altered. This is COMPLETELY unacceptable. (Nearly as bad as another old classic, Darby...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Night of the Generals [HD]

Night of the Generals
I'd waited a long time for this to come out on DVD and was excited when I found this print available on Amazon. Regrettably, upon receiving the DVD I discovered that the quality was dreadful. This is undoubtedly the worst transfer of a film I've ever seen, and after looking at it for just a minute or so, I found myself getting a headache. The print is so blurred I actually adjusted my glasses a few times to ensure that it was not me.
Do yourself a favor and wait for a cleaner version than this wretched one.

Good movie, Poor qualty
I've purchased the movie because I love the movie. Returned it because of its awful picture quality. The foreground is blury, the background is dark and snowy. Take my words for it and don't buy it! You buy it, you'll suck it. supplier must improve the qualty. For $21 it must have a quality.

From a viewer in Pennsylvania who likes dialogue in films.
The object of any murder mystery is to keep the viewer or reader in suspense. The Night of the Generals succeeds. When I saw this film in the mid-sixties, I was spellbound. Yes, I was distracted with subplots and a film with a somewhat sluggish pace. But shouldn't a murder mystery work at distracting and confusing the viewer? When the murderer is finally revealed, you will feel rewarded at the final outcome. Although I enjoy Omar Sharif's acting abilities, I think someone else could have been better suited for his role as the investigator. Sadly, no one has bothered to complement Maurice Jarre for a brilliant score. His macabre waltz which is played throughout the film is chilling. View this film with the lights off and the receiver off the hook.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Hardcore [HD]

THE SEARCHERS hits the porno circuit
Schrader's HARDCORE has been one of my favorite films ever since I first saw it nearly 25 years ago. Scott is as good as I've ever seen him, and Season Hubley makes me wish she'd had this kind of material for more of her career. But speaking of material, it's Paul Schrader's script and directing that make this thing run. Though the ending is a bit contrived, there are scenes that seem so *real*; there are others that seem so *surreal*. There are others that seem to be both, and those are the ones that always get me. Schrader's Calvinist background collides violently with the latter 20th century, and the results are frequently amazing and quite thought-provoking. For its seedy subject matter, this is a radically religious, moral, and ethical film, and a worthy successor to Schrader's TAXI DRIVER script. Get this title on DVD if it's ever available in that format! A must for every serious film collection!

Into the heart of darkness...
Businessman Jake Van Doren's(George C. Scott in a riveting, brilliant performance) life and his deeply held religious beliefs are shaken to their core. Van Doren's teenage daughter doesn't return from a church outing. Worried, Van Doran hires a private detective Andy Mast(Peter Boyle)to help track her down. What Mast returns with shakes Van Doren Calvinist faith. His daughter has been appearing in cheap porno movies. Van Doren realizes the only way to bring his daughter back from this seamy, sordid world is if he goes to get her himself. He poses as a porno producer to get leads that will take him to his daughter in hopes that he can get her back before something truly horrible happens to her.

This riveting drama from Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver")clearly draws from some of Schrader's own convictions and religious beliefs. His upbringing as a Calvinist influences and informs the character of Van Doren. Scott, Boyle "Outland", "Everybody Loves Raymond"), Dick Sargant...

A Fathers Worst Nightmare
Hadn't seen this movie in quite a few years. I thought I would check it out when it came out on DVD. This is a story about a Michigan man who is a single parent and lives in a good Christian extended family that he is very close to. His 15 year old daughter inexplicably runs away from home which leads the father to hire a private eye to find her. After several agonizing months the private eye comes to Grand Rapids and takes the father to a dirty movie theater he has rented out and shows him a pornographic film that his daughter is in. The father then goes on a quest to the big city to find his daughter.

George C. Scott is the star of the movie as the anguished father. Peter Boyle also shines as the private investigator. This movie is rated R for obvious reasons. It is a kind of fish out of water movie as this devout Christian father plummets into the depths of the seedy underbelly of the adult entertainment business in the 70's. It is a search that takes him to the most...

Click to Editorial Reviews

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules [HD]

It's about time...
This is the one Three Stooge feature film the 1960's with Joe DeRita that I have been waiting for. "Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze" is a close second. This film proved that the Stooges comedy could be maintained in a feature film, the one thing Moe and Larry wanted after the 25 years of making short features. And it was an excellent film, especially after the abominable "Snow White and the Three Stooges". The only drawback, like the other Stooges features, is that there are no special features. (Since this would have deducted a half a star, and this was not a choice, I left my rating at a 5.)

Probably their best feature
Not that it's saying much, considering the type of material they were given to work with in the DeRita era, but this is probably the best starring feature they did. Most of the DeRita features have very weak scripts and really embarrassing cringe-worthy childish storylines, something that generally only children and nostalgic aging Boomers actually like, but there are a handful of them that have pretty good scripts and supporting casts, such as this one. It was also directed by the wonderful Ed Bernds, which might account for the surprisingly positive change in direction, going from bad kiddy fare to a movie that, while not nearly at the same level as classics like 'Hoi Polloi' or 'Brideless Groom,' can still be watched multiple times and be enjoyed by non-Boomers and people over the age of ten. Under Bernds's direction, they look and act decades younger! Sure there are some moments (like the scene with the hokey-looking Cyclops) that do seem geared to the kiddy matinee audience,...

Great for all ages
This film was made at the height of the Stooges popularity in the late 50s and early 60s. It grossed about two million dollars at the box office, exceeding expectations, and landed the Stooges a three-picture deal. Those three would turn out to be Three Stooges in Orbit, Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, and Outlaws is Coming. Two million gross at the box office is pathetic these days, but it was substantial 43 years ago.

People already know the premise of this film. It's repeated several times on this page. But this is the type of film anyone with an appreciation of comedy would like. Be it a five year old or a 75 year old. It's just a fun, quick-paced, and clean film. I'm a Stooges fan, and this is one of my favorite things they ever did, including their short films.

This flick is the best place for anyone to start in the DeRita era, which tends to be frowned upon by many Stooge fans, but I liked DeRita. He was a good actor.

5 stars for...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Three Hours to Kill [HD]

Three Hours to Kill
This is a great western starring Dana Andrews and Donna Reed. This movie is about Dana Andrews character, Jim Guthrie who returns after three years on the run and currently has a scar on his neck. In the movie they show a flashback and in the flashback we learn how he was framed for murder. After three years on the run, he's come back for revenge and the Sheriff has allowed him three hour to do it.

This movie is in full frame, is in beautiful color and runs for about 77 mins. This movie also stars; Dianne Foster, Stephen Elliott, Richard Coogan, James Westerfield, Carolyn Jones, plus others and was directed by Alfred Werker who also directed He Walked by Night with Richard Basehart.

Overall Sony Pictures Entertainment did an awesome job of restoring this film on DVD (DVD-R). I only wished Sony had the time of the movie and aspect ratio on the back of the cover, in which they didn't. Overall, I would recommend this.

Thank god it was not 3 hours
Not the worst western I have ever seen but pretty bad it played like it was made for TV.
not that there is anything wrong with that, except for it was missing the Cartrite family.

three hours to kill
Good Western, a man wrongly accused of murder escapes from angry mob who wants to hang him revenge takes place.
Color fine acting from DANA ANDREWS and DONNA REED. on time delivery once again from AMAZON.

Click to Editorial Reviews

War of the Dead

Watchable, But Not Memorable: An Interesting Fusion Of War And Horror That May Night Completely Satisfy Fans Of Either
While I have an undeniable soft spot in my heart for the flesh eating undead, the zombie genre has been a bit overworked lately with projects (whether in film, TV, or books) of varying degrees of quality. Let's face it, the walking dead are everywhere! I'm certainly not complaining, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to find entertainment that still feels fresh and vital. With a cover blurb that references HBO's stellar "Band of Brothers," "War of the Dead" seemed like an interesting new addition to the zombie lexicon. The film does not go for the cheesiness or camp factor that you might anticipate when dealing with the assault of WWII monsters. It's a refreshing choice, to be sure, to play things somewhat realistically. Ultimately, though, the movie crosses two genres (war and horror) without really making a strong mark in either. As a B-movie, "War of the Dead" is perfectly serviceable entertainment. I'm pleased enough to have watched it, it just isn't incredibly...

2.5 Stars: Stylish Zombie B-Movie Has A Lotta Brawn But Virtually No Brains
Zombies are all the rage these days. Why, it seemed like just yesterday that vampires were en vogue, what with the TWILIGHT film series in full hype. Werewolves? Meh. They've gone to the dogs. Today, the best scares are found in the ranks of the undead. Even AMC TV is getting into the craze with its stellar "The Walking Dead" program. I guess it was only a matter of time before some enterprising filmmakers figured out it was time to revisit the depths of history for some previously unexplored moments in our zombie past. You can bet the primary merchants of evil - the Nazis - experimented on re-animating flesh. After all, what possible malevolence didn't those dastardly villains exploit?

(NOTE: the following review will contain minor spoilers necessary for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then feel free to either read elsewhere or skip down to the last two paragraphs for my final...

Good zombie movie.
Fast zombie type. Gotta love a decent period piece set in WWII. As for the plot, its always good to kill undead Nazis.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Curse Of The Golden Flower [HD]

An Over-the-Top and Insane Family Soap Opera: Some May Claim "Flower" Is Art, I Say It's All Entertainment
Recalling the critical reviews of "Curse of the Golden Flower" upon its release, I seem to remember a pretty split decision. There were those that proclaimed the film a tawdry and violent melodrama while others declared it a beautiful epic. Well, in all fairness, it is a beautiful, yet tawdry, excessively violent melodramatic epic. And I mean that in all the best ways! Chinese director Zhang Yimou has put together an eye-popping spectacle of sets, costumes, and effects--complete with his customary flair for dreamlike action sequences and an astonishing color palette.

Telling a soapy tale of dysfunction within Emperor Ping's clan circa The Tang Dynasty (928 A.D.), "Curse" has all the lurid ingredients of a modern-day potboiler. There are illicit affairs, murderous schemes, generational secrets, and gruesome acts of violence. Similar to the setup of "The Lion in Winter," "Curse" brings the Ping family together and lets them attack each other with a refreshingly unhinged...

Intricate and Gorgeous Shakespearean Chinese Dynasty film
Outstanding! Incredible cinematography, exceptionally ornate sets, very appropriate and well-done music, academy award-level acting, I keep trying to come up with more superlatives to use for the movie! I thoroughly enjoyed every nanosecond of it. It held my interest so well that I simply could not stop watching it, twice! The sets are exquisitely detailed and opulent, the martial arts used were excellent. It is subtitled, so if you are not accustomed to reading English while trying to pick up on the tonal inflections of the actors you may miss much in their performances...unless of course you speak Mandarin. The plot was Shakespearen in both it's quality and its intricacy. The whole movie centers, and stays focused, on the life of the Imperial family and an upcoming coup within it. One of the other reviews noted that the Imperial physician's wife was having an affair with the Crown Prince, but I think they mis-stated. It was her daughter, Chan, having the affair and the mom became...

"A SQUARE WITHIN A CIRCLE, GOLD AND JADE ON THE OUTSIDE, ROT AND DECAY ON THE INSIDE"
I note that an earlier reviewer saw the 'making-of' featurette. and it's

a good intro into peeling away the layers of this quasi-Shakespearean melodrama. There's something dramatists like, the theme of the darkness beneath the beauty.

Slow starting, Director Zhang moves faster and faster telling the tale of unfolding faces (in an asian sense) and the complexities of relationships,

veering every so-often in to soap-operatics. Yet with extravagant graphics/ production qualities and a nice pattern of on-and-off action with teary or sneer-y confrontations and trysts, even the maybe too-dramatic elements work well.

One measure might be that in re-seeing, the layers get more intense and understandable, adding weight to the conflicts; a plus for buyers versus renters.

Now, if only a quality version of RAISE THE RED LANTERN would be released, Zhang Yimou's stature as a world-class director would be rightly, finally, established. With his...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Three Men And A Little Lady [HD]

One of my old favorites
I remember when I was a kid, I probably rented this movie so many times that I could have bought several copies. For some reason, that thought never occurred to me. But I never regretted shelling out $1.50 to be able to have that movie in my possession for a whole day.

Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson return in their roles as three bachelors raising a five-year old girl along with her mother, played by Nancy Travis. This time around, we see little Mary struggling with the fact that her family is different from those of her peers, and then her mother, Sylvia, announcing her engagement to an Englishman who is going to move the three of them to England. Then Peter (Tom Selleck's character) realizes that he is in love with Sylvia so he rushes to England to stop the wedding.

This movie definitely has a different feel than the first movie. The latter was more of a comedy of three confirmed bachelors struggling to take care of a six-month old baby. "Little Lady" is more of a...

Be Warned!
Great sequel but I'm disappointed that it's in pan & scan. What really baffles me is that "Three Men and a Baby" is released in widescreen.

This movie is high quality stuff
This movie really is quality stuff. So much that I wish that they would make another sequel with the new one called, "Three Men and A Teenager".

The English Countryside is quite a beautiful place that can be seen in this movie. Very picturesque. I can see why Sylvia and Mary wanted to leave New York City for this magnificent landscape among England's greenest hills. In addition, the soundtrack is so befitting and appropriate for this film. It isn't that heavy and annoying music... but light and fanciful instrumental sounds that are placed at key points in the movie that adds that special touch to that unexpected scene that always surprises you, however, the lyrical highlight is Boy Meets Girl's, "Waiting For A Star To Fall."

The acting is superb with some big names in the cast line-up. The costumes are very appropriate as well for this film. Not to mention, the English lifestyle and the characters with a heavy British accent depicted are very realistic and authentic. Very well...

Click to Editorial Reviews

A Low Down Dirty Shame [HD]

If you take is seriously then you're totally missing the point!
A Low Down Dirty Shame is really no more than all the most familiar Cop movie clichés arranged in an order that makes a barely cohesive story. But it's all the fun and silly action that occurs in between that really matters! It's a bit like The Last Boy Scout from a spoof-blaxploitation angle.

Shame (Keenan Ivory Wayans) is a former cop who has been blackballed after a major drugs bust went awry, leaving several DEA agents dead. He now works as a private detective, taking on suicide missions for peanuts and barely scraping by. His disapproving secretary Peaches (a very funny and very, very small Jada Pinkett) wants him to get his act together but he's too busy wallowing in self-pity.

His old pal from the DEA shows up and offers him a side mission to help get back at the Drug Kingpin who ruined his career. And so, with only a few clues, Shame begins his search and soon all roads lead to lies and deception. Like I said, the plot is certainly nothing special...

One of The Few Movies Where The Sidekick Steals The Show
"A Low Down Dirty Shame" has many laugh out loud moments. Shame played by Keenan Ivory Wayans makes a living with odd police jobs and finds he has an opportunity to strike big, after following a lead from an old acquaintance. Shame is casted into an action hero role and gets backup from partner Peaches, played by Jada Pinkett. Undoubtedly, this is my favorite Jada Pinkett role. Peaches is sassy, in your face, exuberant, and downright sexy. Although her appearance is cute and petite, she will snap on anybody who steps on her toes. Oddly enough, my favorite scene in the movie is the very beginning when peaches is an undercover maid and barges into a hotel room and spots a man on a toilet. Peaches - "house keeping". Hotel guest on toilet - "EXCUSE ME...do you know how to spell do not disturb". Peaches - "Do you know how to spell Lysol, god damn you better check your pulse you might be dead".

A Low Down Dirty Shame. The "Shaft" for the nineties.
"A Low Down Dirty Shame " at first looks like another predictable, poorly acted and unfunny action/comedy, but release it from it's box and you've got the complete opposite. It is very funny, unpredicatble (apart from the ending) and the action is way above the unrealistic scenes of "schwarzenegger" films. But most of all, it's entertaining. This has got to be the "Shaft" for the nineties, Keenan Ivory Wayans matching style with smoothness. It is an action/comedy to end all action/comedies, and add in a funny, aggressive Jada Pikett and you've got a film that will keep your interest for a long time.

Click to Editorial Reviews

Mambo Italiano

My Big Fat [Homosexual] Gay Life!
I read some reviews about this film when it was released that called it the [homosexual] "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". And while it plays a little too heavily on the Italian-american stereotype, it is a charming film about a young man coming to terms with who he is and his neurotic family's response.

Angelo is a nice young man who was always picked on in school, even by his one-time closest friend, Nino. As adults, Nino and Angelo are reunited and become lovers. Everything is perfect for the young couple until Angelo decides he wants to come out to his family. Once Nino's mother finds out, things begin to unhinge. It is easy to root for the once ostracized Angelo, who always took the abuse of others while keeping his sexual orientation private. Anyone who has felt outcast or different in their lives will be able to understand his situation and determination to live his life honestly and openly.

This is not a perfect film but it does have its touching moments and enough...

Very entertaining!!!
This does remind me of "My Big Fat greek wedding" without seeming like a ripoff to me. My friends and I were very entertained and laughed out loud several times. I cannot imagine anyone not liking this movie unless you were looking for a political statement or some deep message. It is just a cute well-acted funny movie with a "coming out" theme among all the other relationships, and sometimes that is enough!

Mambo No. 1
Gay Italians coming out of the closet? Dysfunctional Italian families? Sound all too familiar? Well, what surprised me the most about Mambo Italiano was its uniqueness and originality. Granted, there is nothing new under the sun, but Mambo combines elements of Maurice (gay men trapped by social convention), Moonstruck (Italians in love), and even The Way We Were (unrequited love) in a manner that is fresh and fun. Billed as a comedy (and funny, indeed), Mambo never forgets its fundamental and powerful messages: the importance of family, of being oneself, and of fighting social convention.

Angelo, our lovable lead, grew up in a stereotypical Italian family. At school, he is taunted for being a "fag" and even abandoned by his best friend Nino. At that point, his only joy in life is his Aunt Yolanda. Years later, he becomes a travel agent and does what no single Italian does: move out of his parents' home. By chance Nino, now a hunky policeman, re-enters his life. Nino moves in...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Love Has Many Faces [HD]

"Lana Has Many Costume Changes"
Some movies are good. Some movies are bad. Some movies are so bad they are fantastic. This is a staggeringly bad movie that is so fantastic you may find yourself urging friends to view it with you. Because, really, who wants to be alone the first time they see Lana Turner wearing green hot-pants with a matching jewel encrusted jacket?

Lana plays a Doris Duke/Barbara Hutton style heiress with too much money and too little love. She's married to beach bum Cliff Robertson who she met when he donated blood to her after her a suicide attempt. Who says there aren't any new places to meet people? Lana's being pursued by gigolo Hugh O'Brien (!) while also being investigated for the death of another gigolo-possible lover, Billy. Did Billy commit suicide because of Lana? Billy's girlfriend Stephanie Powers is determined to find out until she gets distracted by blood-donating gigolo husband Cliff Robertson. By distracted I mean that she falls in love with him after a 5 minute...

"Love is thin ice"
During the second wind of her film career after the huge scandal of the Johnny Stompanato stabbing, Lana Turner made a series of very glossy, very odd melodramas: IMITATION OF LIFE, PORTRAIT IN BLACK, BY LOVE POSSESSED, MADAME X, and this very strange film about wealthy American women and their gigolos in Acapulco. One of the gigolos washes up dead on the beach, and because he wears a gold bracelet (with the engraved inscription from my review title) from his former lover/keeper Turner, the attention of both the police and the gigolo's wholesome Michigan girlfriend (Stefanie Powers) focuses on Turner. The suggestion that murder might be involved makes the film seem initially much more interesting than it actually turns out to be: mostly it's just lots of anguish and misery being paraded before our eyes along with the beefcake and swimsuits. While Turner's wealthy socialite character is supposed to be the most miserable among the wealthy and suntanned (thanks to her inability to bear...

Good Looks Are Not Enough
First, the good news: this DVD from Sony/Columbia features a beautiful transfer in anamorphic widescreen, with sharp images and bright colors.

The bad news is that the movie itself is one of the weakest entries of its type, with a yawner of a script and some of the most ridiculous dialogue you're ever likely to hear. I'm actually a fan of soap opera-type melodramas such as VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and THE CARPETBAGGERS, but this one is totally forgettable. Its biggest weakness lies in the fact that all the significant characters in the story are dull, unhappy people. They smoke a lot. They drink a lot. They hang around the beach in tight swimsuits. They trade grumbling insults like "You're ninety-percent MAN, ten-percent RAT!"

A film like this MIGHT have turned out to be a keeper if it contained a few lighthearted moments or even fell into the so-bad-it's-good category. Alas, it's so intent on being serious "adult" entertainment that it gets itself stuck in...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Sniper [HD]

Excellent deal for three movies
First of all, The Sniper 1 dvd in this box set is incorrectly labeled as anamorphic widescreen. It says this right on the back of the dvd box. Let me assure you, this is not anamorphic widescreen. This version is a fullscreen version but the good thing is that this is the best transfer of this movie to date. The video quality and sound are superb. And, it is not the crappy dual layered version that was issued in 1998 which can give many dvd players lots of problems with freezing. This wonderful fullscreen version is a single layered disc which contains only the fullscreen version. It also has a top labeling on the dvd itself and plays perfectly with no freezing. The Sniper 2 and 3 dvds in this box set both have true anamorphic widescreen and are also top notch quality.

Sniper 1 is an excellent movie. Sniper 2 is not good at all, just one bad movie in my opinion. But Sniper 3 is excellent and makes up for how awful Sniper 2 is.

Worthwhile and interesting.
Since I did not expect an action-packed on-your-the-edge-of-your seat film, I was not disappointed with this movie.

I saw it as basically a character study, between an older, more experienced man (Tom Berenger), and a younger, inexperienced and proud man (Billy Zane). They are foisted together on a jungle mission, and while Zane's character is *supposed* to be the superior officer, he soon learns that he is out of his element. Berenger's character calls him "son" as he leads him through the jungle, being simultaniously irritated yet supportive over Zane's inexperience.

I found myself caring about these characters, and appreciating the contrast between them. While this film had flaws (the ending, while adequate, lacked a little "punch"), I still enjoyed the movie overall. The performances of both actors was good -- particularly Berenger, who does the "steely emotionless" thing quite well. Zane was also good at looking a little queazy and out of his...

"Okay," as is, but could have been "magnificent."
This not completely unpleasant diversion could have been a landmark film - if - it had been instead overtly made as the story of its OBVIOUS inspiration, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock II. Berenger delivers, but the script lets him down. Those knowledgable of Gunny Hathcock will immediately recognize the film's fictional retelling of actual events: the killing of the enemy sniper with a shot through his scope, the 4-day stalk across 2,000 yards of open country, the "Apache Woman" - all are represented in this film. The film that could have been, and I wish would have been, is the story of Gunny Hathcock. "Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills" by Charles Henderson is available right here on Amazon.com. Read the Henderson book, then watch the Berenger film, and you will KNOW Hathcock was the inspiration. Sadly, even unjustly, the film neither mentions nor credits Gunny Hathcock. (Also available at Amazon.com is Henderson's second work about Hathcock,...

Click to Editorial Reviews

Frankenfish [HD]

Surprisingly Good River-Monster Horror - Take A Chance On This One
No, despite the title, "Frankenfish" isn't a painful-to-watch monster spoof trying achingly hard to be both cool and funny but failing miserably at both. And despite what the title might also have you thinking, it's not a $10-budgeted filmed-in-the-basement-over-the-weekend student film. It's a surpsisingly well done, at times quite fierce, and thoroughly fun, blast of monster mayhem.

Set in the deep parts of the Florida everglades, the movie involves (as opposed to a re-animated fish swimming forth from a foreboding gothic castle) Chinese Snakeheads (real fish from China, piranha-like creatures who can live for a while on land and will even attack prey on land) who've been genetically engineered by a group of wealthy big-game hunters to grow to monsterous proportions, all the better for them to track down with their machine guns and grenade launchers during the pursuit of their 'sport'. A ship carrying the cargo gets caught in a massive storm and washed up the river...

That's a big fish!
I don't know what form of madness I suffer from that requires me to rent virtually every film from the "animals run amok" genre. Whatever it is, and such an illness ought to have a name, I'm currently passing through the advanced stages. I don't even bother reading a plot summary anymore when I see a DVD case with killer sharks, giant insects, or mutated monsters on the cover; I just rent the sucker immediately. It's likely--extremely, painfully likely--that the movie in question will stink. It goes without saying that the filmmakers lifted most of the plot from Spielberg's "Jaws." Doesn't matter. I'll still rent the movie in question and give it a watch. Such was the case with director Mark A.Z. Dippé's "Frankenfish." Just look at that cover! How could I resist such an alluring vision as that? If, for some reason, the cover is no longer visible, the case for "Frankenfish" shows two hapless looking people in water up to their waist in the foreground while a gigantic, ugly fish...

Frankenfish is actually not bad
Well lets see I walked through the video store and was hard pressed for time.Someone was talking an isle over about this movie to his girlfriend so I listened in.At first my eyes rolled then I thought it can't be that bad.....Or could it.After I began watching the first guy getting killed I stayed to see what happens next.If you liked Pirahna then you'd like this its total Roger Cormanish.It has alot of comic book feel to it and when the fish jumps and crawls on land its actually cool.The SNAKE HEAD fish can live on land.Its not a great movie but its good enough to watch again and again.Just a little recap on the story line. The police are baffled by a dead body and call on an expert for help.What they find lurking in the water is far more what they expected to see.These fish are a result in chemical altercation to make the hunting more enjoyable.The hunters become the hunted.I loved the ending too!

Click to Editorial Reviews