Rogue's Gallery

Decent, underrated crime thriller
Relatively obscure but fun crime film from producer A. C. Lyles (known for his westerns of the period). Fun to watch with good performances. Catch if you get the chance.





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Empire State (2013)

WHERE'S THE MONEY?
Chris Potamitis (Liam Hemsworth) is a young man living in NYC in the late 70's. He manages to get a job as a security guard which involves large amounts of money, little security, and over whelming temptation. He lives in a neighborhood of Greeks, along with his loud mouth, foul mouth friend Eddie (Michael Angarano). He is the classic idiot side kick who messes everything up.

Eddie has big dreams for the money that Chris guards and desires to be a big shot, even though no one can stand him. Dwayne Johnson plays the investigating officer and comes in about half way through. His name as well as Emma Roberts are over billed for their roles. The film is based on an actual robbery, and like real crime, it is more akin to "dumb crook news" than a master criminal.

The film makes for an entertaining action drama.

Parental Guidance: Plenty of F-bombs. No sex or nudity.

It was ok
It was ok I just love Dwayne Johnson but it was a good movie just didn't like how it all ended

What can you do with so little to go?
Saw this movie and in my opinion just wait untill it come out on cable. Not terrible, is like watching an old movie on TBS or AMC, I think the acting was good, no big action sequences because none really happen and is base on real events of a big rovery heist.

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MAROC 7

Great Crime Drama!!!
This is a great crime drama about a top lady in the fashion industry doubling as a jewel thief.It's a must see and should be on DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Excellent movie
This is one of my favorite movies from the sixties and I had not seen it for many years until ordering this DVD. It's a nifty little cat and mouse movie and features an incredibly beautiful Alexandra Stewart. Gene Barry gives another very good performance. While the listing says it's a Region 2 DVD, mine was a Region 0, playable on all machines. The label says "Region Alle" (all regions). Very stylish and recommended.

Nothing to write a postcard home about, but a diverting enough excursion
Maroc 7 is a decent crime caper from 1967 that sees Gene Barry's insurance investigator masquerading as a thief conning his way into accompany Cyd Charisse and photographer Leslie Phillips on their latest photo-shoot in Morocco, which they in turn are using as cover for their latest theft. Along the way he gets to romance Elsa Martinelli, brush off Denholm Elliott's suspicious local policeman (not one of Denholm's better days) and dodge death in some gorgeously photographed locations where Kenneth Talbot's vividly colourful Scope photography goes a long way to hiding the low budget. Phillips co-produced the film as a stepladder to a directorial career that never materialised, and while the film is pretty typical 60s British production fare - imported but affordable American stars who've seen better days, exotic but not-too-expensive locations, plenty of pretty girls to get some tabloid coverage and the kind of standard-issue plot that a major studio could have polished into a...

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Extracted

Almost great...
The premise of this film is good, being in the same neighborhood of ideas as Inception. Unfortunately, the writing isn't up to par and it all adds up to a so so ending. If you are a fan of the genre, you'll probably enjoy it but wishing there was more to it.

Coulda Been a COntendor
Somewhere between "Inception" and "Dreamscape" Lies this film "Extraction." As good as some of it might be, the bad drags down the good.

Here's the scoop. Tom (Sasha Roiz) has invented a gadget that can help relieve troubled people such as war vets, abused children, etc by extracting the bad stuff from their brains. Tom's agent is having a hard time selling it because it's merely a 'do good' device. But when the Department of Corrections wants to know if they can reverse the machine's operation to go into a person's head to determine his guilt he might have a sale and get rich from it. The first test goes horribly wrong with bad news for Tom.

There is a lot to like about this movie. Much of the idea surrounding the machine and the subsequent tech-talk dialogue is spot on. It sounds amazingly authentic. Tom's reluctance, on moral grounds, for going into someone's head and digging around, is also good. It's a mix of how people's brains work,...

Yawn
This is one boring movie with a twisted, not well thought out plot involving some guy getting stuck in another guys head. Actually, this movie is so boring, you are going to need an energy drink to stay awake!

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Hop [HD]

Finally, a good animation/live action movie
With films like Yogi Bear, Alvin & The Chipmunks, Scooby Doo, Marmaduke and worst of all Garfield littering the cinescape with dreadful dreck involving live action people and computer animated cartoon animals, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy when I saw the trailers for Hop. In place of a nonsensical farce filled with more rubbish than a fleet of garbage trucks, in Hop we are treated to a whimsical tale with positive messages and loads of good old fashioned fantasy style fun. Anyone who grew up watching Rankin Bass holiday specials on TV will appreciate the classic themes beautifully updated for the modern day in Hop. Usually it works to advantage, occasionally it falls short.

The visual landscape and the animation of the characters is startlingly realitic and very quickly has you feeling you're just watching a regular movie where animals really do talk and there really is a secret lair of the easter bunny.

Like some other reviewers noted, there is a definite...

FUN MOVIE...
Fun movie. Certainly for kids. It's not in the category of "Despicle me" or "Toy Story-3" (or 1, or 2) but still lots of fun. In the beginning it has a bit of Willy Wonka feel to it, while more to the end, it leans more to Santa. But it's all Easter-bunny power (sorry for the chicks). I liked it better at the beginning, and the middle. Quite some surprise-jokes there. But somewhere before the end, I get the feeling, the makers suddenly realize they need to bring to movie to an end. From that point on everything gets very rushed and quick-paced and to me the movie looses some of it's magic at that point. But still we had lots of fun. Definitely a movie to watch with the (young) kids.

Awesome Family Fun!!!
This movie was a lot better than I was expecting. It was heart-warming, and had the right amount of comedy suitable for any age. E.B. was adorable and hilarious. Russell Brand was the perfect choice. E.B.'s dad is retiring and wants his son to continue on and become the new Easter Bunny, but E.B. doesn't want that life. He runs away to Hollywood to start a new life, but is almost run over by a slacker named Fred O'Hare. Fred is having trouble with his family as well. While Fred is house sitting, E.B. decides to crash with him. Back at Easter Island, a chick named Carlos plots to take over the Easter holiday, unless Fred and E.B. can stop him. I highly recommend HOP!!!

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Scoop [HD]

I was surprised by how charming I found this story to be
Frankly, for me Woody Allen had become as pleasure long past his sell by date. However, I happened to catch this movie when flipping around and watched the rest of it and then caught the whole film at a later viewing. I liked it! No, it isn't a great film, but it is a delightful light entertainment.

Scarlett Johansson plays Sondra Pransky, a young, somewhat ditzy but earnest reporter for her college newspaper. She is in London visiting a wealth upper crust friend and staying with her family. We also learn that she has (as Woody Allen's character notes later) a problem with promiscuity. For example, when trying to get an interview with a big time movie producer who has no intention of telling her anything, all she comes away with is a hangover and an embarrassing story of being outwitted.

We also get to see a barge load of souls headed to the land of the departed engaging in the kind of idle conversation you might expect from the newly dead. A secretary...

One of the best comedies of the year.
Sondra Prensky (Scarlett Johansson), a college journalist, encounters big-time journalist Joe Strombel's (Ian McShane) spirit. He proceeds to giving her information that could mean the biggest scoop of his life, pertaining to aristocrat Peter Lyman(Hugh Jackman) and the Tarot Card murders. With his advice, and the help of magician Sid Waterman (Woody Allen), she starts the investigation against Peter, but (predictably) falls in love with him. Is he the Tarot-card killer? Is she in any mortal danger?

I've always been a huge fan of Woody Allen, even though he's been in a little bit of a slump lately which he seems to have gotten out of since Match Point, so this might be biased.
This does resemble some of his earlier work, such as Manhattan Murder Mystery, so it might not seem very original. But they were done so long ago that putting a modern spin to his genre works.

With that in mind, I absolutely LOVED Scoop. I'd say it was one of the best adult, smart,...

A very entertaining, very funny, and very fun film
Woody Allen seemed to be losing it at the start of the twenty-first century. The films he released around that time (THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION, SMALL TIME CROOKS, etc.) failed to make a lasting (or for that matter positive) impression on audiences. In 2004 he enjoyed something of a comeback with MELINDA AND MELINDA before bursting back on the scene with his thrilling masterwork MATCH POINT. Now he's back to whip up another slice of cinema greatness, and this is a slice considerably sweeter than (though not as classy as) MATCH POINT. This is SCOOP, one of the most delightful romantic comedies of the year.

SCOOP revolves around Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson), an American college student eyeing a career in journalism. While vacationing in England with a friend, she visits a magic show run by the timid Sid Waterman (Woody Allen). Sid decides to use Sondra in a magic trick involving a box from which Sondra will supposedly disappear. Instead of disappearing,...

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Peeples [HD]

PEANUTS, PEANUTS, PEANUTS!
Wade Walker (Craig Robinson) lives with Grace Peeples (Kerry Washington). He relates to children through music and wants to be a counselor. She is a lawyer at the UN and her family is referred to as the "chocolate Kennedys." Wade's plans to propose to Grace are interrupted by her desire to spend the weekend with her family, who he has never met. Urged by a friend (Malcolm Barrett), Wade crashes the family get together with formulaic results.

As it turns out the family has all sorts of issues and secrets which they hide from their father, Judge Virgil Peeples (David Alan Grier). Wade spends his time having an uncomfortable weekend filled with faux paus as he tries to help. The film includes Peeple/people and cheap Moby Dick humor.

For those who like Tyler Perry type comedies, this one fits the bill, but comes off a little stale. It does have some good scenes which made me smile. The film needed to have one more episode to develop Wade's character before he meets...

Not written by Tyler Perry
Just for clarification---this movie was not written by Tyler Perry; he just presented the person who wrote it to allow the movie to get attention.

Funny movie.
A guy visits his girlfriend's family, for the purpose of proposing marriage. He finds that he has trouble fitting in, and has a particular problem receiving the blessing of the father. The situations he finds himself in are at times funny, with the family members, who all have their idiosyncrasies, proving to be fodder for laughs. This is not the cleverest movie of the year, but it does have its moments. It is certainly not Bridesmaids, but Peeples does have some good comedy in it, maybe just enough to get a slight recommendation.

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THE SAVAGE

great movie
i like the story great movie alot off old stars good family values chuck heston was vey young and mlburn stone was good in this movie





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Jesus Henry Christ

A very funny dark comedy that is worth watching. The actors make it that much better. I recommend this. I say B+.
"The truth is, Henry, you are a miracle of modern medicine." After ten year old Henry (Spevack) is suspended from kindergarten he has a talk with his grandfather. When he is told that his grandfather has located his half-sister Henry finally thinks he has a chance to find his father. This movie started off very funny and almost held it the whole way. The humor is pretty dark at times and you laugh at things you don't feel like you should. The kid that plays Henry is very good in this and so is the girl that plays his sister. I really like these kind of movies about dysfunctional families for some reason. Michael Sheen's character is especially funny and I hope he plays more roles like this. There isn't really anything new or amazing to this one but it is very entertaining and funny almost the whole way through. I recommend this. Overall, not really anything original but the actors make this very much worth seeing. I liked it. I give it a B+.

Overburdened By Eccentricity: This Dark Comedy Pushes Hard, But Doesn't Provide Many Actual Laughs
I think that it's become my mantra: "quirk is the curse of independent cinema." In an effort to be cutesy and/or clever, films have been systematically stripping away genuine warmth and humor by presenting over-the-top character types and sitcom contrivances instead of mining what is really funny in our everyday foibles. It becomes a fine balancing act, then, because a good quirky film can be both hysterical and touch your heartstrings. However, one that pushes too far can be painfully unreal and hard to sit through. And, in my opinion, there is very little middle ground. Filmmaker Dennis Lee includes a lot of big ideas and some major ambitions in the dark comedy "Jesus Henry Christ," but the chaotic result is too enamored of its own eccentricity. None of the characters feel remotely real and the situations are absolutely preposterous, but Lee wants us to care about a deeper meaning underneath it all. And the movie never made me care. More importantly, though, the outrageousness is...

excellent-laugh. outloud funny
I was utterly amazed by how funny this movie was. The discription already given is enough as far as the storyline, so again, if you what to laugh, buy it.

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UNDER TEN FLAGS

Good movie, mediocre DVD
I like this movie. It is based on true events and appears to not stray too far from the facts, even though there is some fictionalization and well used war movie themes are evident. Still, the actions of the German surface raiders, especially armed merchantman like the Atlantis, are little known and "Under Ten Flags" does a good job of letting us see how they operated. Some viewers might wonder about the portrayal of the German captain as almost anti-Nazi and his efforts to wage a clean war with as few casualties as possible, but apparently that was indeed what happened. The movie moves at a good pace with sufficient action to keep the tension going. There are some anachronisms, like the too modern reconnaissance airplane, and movie making compromises, like a destroyer portraying a cruiser, but they do not really detract from the enjoyment of the film.

Unfortunately, this DVD does not present the movie particularly well. It is a pan and scan 4:3 version of a wide...

Under Ten Flags, only Spanish spoken
Very good movie, alas the only language spoken is Spanish and there are no subtitles in English.
This product is advertised with English/Spanish languages, therefore one would think if Spanish is spoken there would be
English subtitles, or vise-versa.
Therefore, personally I deem it to be a subpar acquisition.

Great Movie
Great movie telling a very true story about the German Raider Atlantis. I wish someone would put it on DVD or Blue Ray.

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Born on the Fourth of July (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

Oliver Stone grinds his axe fine
I didn't want to like this movie. I'm usually resistant to any film whose director grinds an ax so relentlessly as Oliver Stone has been known to, and never so obviously as with this film. But I recently ran across the NY Times list of 1000 best films, and "Born On the Fourth of July" is listed there. While any such list is naturally debatable, it caused me to want to see more of those on the list that I hadn't seen, and a satellite channel was running this film at a convenient time. I must say, the excellence of Stone's craftsmanship, and of Tom Cruise's performance, wore down my resistance to his message, although it took almost half of this lengthy biopic to get past my defenses.

What we have here is the true story of a man whose birthday coincides with that of his country, a young man who was properly raised to love all things American. His patriotism led him to volunteer for the Marine Corps and the Vietnam war in the late 1960s, where everything he had ever...

Haunting and distrubing, but ultimately redemptive
I avoided this when it came out in 1989 having seen Coming Home (1978) and not wanting to revisit the theme of paraplegic sexual dysfunction and frustration. I also didn't want to reprise the bloody horror of our involvement in the war in Vietnam that I knew Oliver Stone was going to serve up. And Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic? I just didn't think it would work.

Well, my preconceptions were wrong.

First of all, for those who think that Tom Cruise is just another pretty boy (which was basically my opinion), this movie sets that mistaken notion to rest. He is nothing short of brilliant in a role that is enormously demanding--physically, mentally, artistically, and emotionally. I don't see how anybody could play that role and still be the same person. Someday in his memoirs, Tom Cruise is going to talk about being Ron Kovic as directed by Oliver Stone.

And second, Stone's treatment of the sex life of Viet Vets in wheelchairs is absolutely without sentimentality or silver lining...

An eye-opener
Another addition to our family library, which we keep filled with books that entertain and/or educate.

This movie, however, is not for the younger kids nor for the weak of heart, but for older members of the family, especially kids who might have fallen for the "John Wayne is cool" view point of war (or in our day, perhaps Mortal Kombat is cool view point of life) OR the young pacifist who believes that those who go to war are bad.

We're all so tenderly human, and that's what this movie shows. The reason some find this depressing, I think, is that it shows the loss of innocence of the man who wrote this autobiography, Ron Kovic, who goes to war during the Vietnam era longing to be a hero, and returns damaged emotionally and physically, and receives the welcome of a baby-killer.

Note: When the book version of this movie was due to come out, back in the 70's, I was working in a bookstore. Long-haired ex-vets would come in, looking for the book and I...

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Planeat

Life Changing!
I first saw Planeat as part of a film festival that Whole Foods put on. I was vaguely aware of the benefits of a plant-based diet, but I had no idea that eating plants can reverse heart disease and arrest cancer growth. The film is a real eye-opener for those not already aware of the work of doctors T.Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn (Bill Clinton's heart doc), but also focuses on the benefits to the planet from reducing our intake of animal protein. It shows how plant-based diets can mean eating amazing food, with top chefs like Chad Sarno from Whole Foods and the team at New York's Pure Food & Wine, among others, demonstrating amazing recipes for healthy, plant-based eating. I've gradually changed my diet to a being mostly plant-based and it feels great and tastes great. Highly Recommended.

The Beginning of an Amazing Journey
I also saw Planeat as part of a film festival that Whole Foods put on in 2011. It started me on a wonderful journey into the world of plant based eating and the incredible health benefits associated with the program. I've since read many other books and viewed other videos covering the same topic and have now switched to a plant-based eating program and feel terrific. If you are looking to improve your health and do something good for our planet, this video is the perfect place to start on your journey. You won't be disappointed.

Healthy Eating for Foodies & Other Humans
I received a review copy, and thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's up there with other excellent and inspiring nutrition documentaries like Forks over Knives, Fat Sick & Nearly Dead, Food Inc., etc. Planeat is the perfect film to give to friends who are 'foodies', but not yet convinced that a plant-based way of eating can be delicious and even sophisticated. The evidence that this way of eating is just as tasty, plus healthier for the individual and the planet, is overwhelming. And the descriptions of interesting restaurant recipes are tantalizing.Thanks for a terrific documentary.

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Women of Bhakti

I watch it over and over
I've watched the film five times already and I am still inspired by it. There is so much wisdom, devotion and heart in this film that watching it is like a deep mediation session for me.

Loved it!
If you do yoga, get this film. It takes you to the heart of your practice. It teaches what all the best yoga teachers know but don't always reveal.

very well done!
I enjoyed the DVD. It is very professionally done. It is beautiful and also educational with nice scenery from India and inspiring scenes.

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Harlow

It has its moments, but...
...this is a movie based on a ficticious biography by one of Harlow's first agents and thus, an inaccurate depiction of Jean's life. If you want the real story on Jean Harlow , I suggest you find two recent biographies written about Harlow within the last 5-6 years; They dispell all the myths and get to the truth. A movie was to be made in 2000 based on one of these books, but it hasn't happened yet. So, in the meantime, enjoy this 1960's escapism movie for the outlandish sets, great wardrobe and lots of soap opera drama...but, don't take it seriously because of its inaccuracy. But I will say Carroll Baker, Peter Lawford, and Angela Lansbury do the best they can with what was given them.

A Slice of the 60's
Even though this film is supposed to take place in the 30's, it's B-Movie 60's film flash all the way - a Hollywood extravagant self-indulgent look in the mirror at the old studio "star machine" complete with a pale blonde virginal starlet, great looking glitzy gowns, sexual innuendo for the times and a bachelor pad (Leslie Nielsen's)that Austin Powers would covet. It's not trying to paint an accurate picture of Jean Harlow at all. Once you get over that fact, it's pure fun to watch and enjoy.

Great Hollywood Trash
This film takes many liberties with the truth about the life & death of Jean Harlow, but it is still a fun watch from beginning to end. Carol Bakker is fabulously sexy as the over-worked, under-appreciated Jean who comes across as more of a victim of the Hollywood machine than she actually was. She plays Harlow's sexuality to the hilt (well at least as much as 1960's Hollywood would allow) and gives a meaningful performance that outshines the fluff of the material. Red Buttons is excellant as always portraying the agent who knew he could make Harlow a star. Angela Landsbury is flawless as Harlow's needy, lazy mother. Lots of fun with big bowl of buttered popcorn and a cold Pepsi!

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Buccaneer (1938)

Big, loud, revisionist fun, De Mille style
Cecil B. De Mille takes no prisoners with 1938's 'The Buccaneer,' his epic, revisionist slant on the War of 1812's Battle of New Orleans that does for that period what 'The Plainsman,' released the year prior, did for the wild west of the 1870s. Cast in the lead is versatile Fredric March as pirate-cum-patriot Jean Lafitte, who's nothing short of electrifying as he and his merry band of brigands seemingly singlehandedly (with some assistance from Gen. Andrew Jackson, et al) decide upstart-America's victory against those dastardly Redcoats. It is, in keeping with the De Mille tradition, a big, loud, kinetic, jingoistic production, turning history on its ear to fit its wholly Hollywoodized tale-telling; but it's also a highly entertaining-- and semi-factual-- combination of swashbuckling fun and canons-blazing romance that only the most humorless critic could disdain. 3 1/2 stars.

Great movie!
Great film! Great history Neat actors. Good photos! Costumes of that time period i find very interesting and imaginative I enjoyed this movie.

Great Movie!
This is one of the classic buccaneer movies of the 30s. Especially since it deals with an important part of our history. Albeit it is romanticized, it still deals with the important battle that gave US control of the Mississippi river valley and all the lands drained by it. This moment in history gave US the crucial control of lands essential to our eventual development as one of the great powers on the face of the Earth.

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Atomic City

A GLIMPSE OF REAL HISTORY
One of the joys of watching old movies particularly those shot on location is that the viewer sees a place, an environment as it was. Such is the case with "Atomic City" starring Gene Barry and Lee Aaker and directed by Jerry Hopper. It was made in 1952 and largely filmed in New Mexico's Santa Fe and Los Alamos regions. It hit the screens while America was still reeling from the shock that the Cold War was real and Communist spies had actually infiltrated the labs at Los Alamos. In fact two American civilians, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were awaiting execution the following year after being convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage during a time of war. Writer Sydney Boehm's story is simple. The young son of a Los Alamos nuclear scientist is kidnapped and the ransom demand is the design of the H-bomb. The 85 minute production is entertaining but its real quality lies in the actual locations such as the famous La Fonda hotel in Santa Fe, the shops of that period and of course Los...

The Atomic City
"The Atomic City" made in 1952, is an interesting tale about what can happen
in real life and no doubt was a controversial issue in its day.

The story takes place in Los Alamos, New Mexico, at the maximum-security
nuclear-weapons research centre and involves top atomic scientist Dr. Frank
Addison (Gene Barry), his wife Martha (Lydia Clarke) and his young son
Tommy (Lee Aaker).

Disaster strikes when Tommy is kidnapped and is held in exchange for atomic
secrets by enemy agents. It shows the anguish that the parents are put
through and the devious methods that the kidnappers use to obtain these
secrets, including killing the boy if they fail to get what they want.

The parents reluctantly hand the case over to the FBI but to them National
Security is top priority. Apprehending the extortionists comes first and saving
the boy is further down the list. To the parents, it is saving the boy first and...

Was nominated for an Academy Award - Best Writing, Story and Screenplay
Here is a much lesser known 50's sci-fi with a little different twist. An atomic researchers son is kidnapped and held for a ransom of the the Father's atomic secrets.

This is a tightly knit atomic sci-fi thriller with great production values and above average acting, even from the kid. The Atomic City actually has a movie feel to it unlike a lot of other 50's sci-fi of this time which which came off more like an episode of a TV show.

The Atomic City was also actually nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay - how many other 50's sci-fi can tout an Academy Award Nomination?

Great pacing, tight direction and some superb location filming in the 'real' Atomic City of Los Alamos, New Mexico make this one worth hunting down. The collectors print in circulation is an above average transfer and makes for a great double feature with the Atomic Man!!

Recommended

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Bait Shop

Good clean fun
No bad language, no innuendo, just good clean fun from Bill Engvall and Billy Ray Cyrus. I had no idea that Bill could really act. Sure some of the jokes are corny, but just sit back, relax, and just enjoy.

Innocuous, Family-Friendly Comedy...
I'm a fan of Bill Engvall, one of the nicest, most family-friendly of the 'blue-collar' comedians, and "Bait Shop" plays to his strengths, as the debt-ridden but easy-going owner of a run-down bait shop frequented by an array of likable oddballs. With the bank calling in his mortgage, he is about to lose everything, and resign himself to a menial job with his smarmy, successful father-in-law, 'The Mattress King' (Harve Presnell)...but the Bass Masters Professional Fishing Tournament is in town, with a $50,000 prize, and a rules loophole that allows him (an amateur and past champion) to compete...against the world's greatest angler, egotistical Hot Rod Johnson (Billy Ray Cyrus). Can Engvall, with his rusty boat, ancient equipment, and long-latent fishing instincts, defeat state-of-the-art, high-powered 21st century technology? Do you have any doubt?

This isn't 'classic' comedy in any sense, but it never falls into the rut of 'toilet humor' (a frequent problem of the films of...

REEL GOOD
I was told by a 10 year old girl (the one who sold it to me at the flea market) this was a real good film. This film is to bass fishing what Rocky is to boxing...almost. Bill Dugan (Bill Engvall) owns a bait shop on a lake. He has a cast of regulars in the shop which reminded my of the scenes by the fence in "King of the Hill" which include one man (Rus Blackwell) into conspiracy theories. Bill has a wonderful wife (Mary Rachel Dudley), a son (Vincent Martella) who needs some adjusting, a father-in-law (Harve Presnell) who is wealthy, and unfortunately a balloon payment on his shop.

To make matters worse the flashy bass fisherman, Hot Rod Johnson (Billy Ray Cyrus) has opened a fish emporium store next to Bill's Bait Shop. Bill enters the local fishing tournament were the prize is $50,000 in order to save his shop. Bill uses his old fashion fishing methods, while Hot Rod uses the latest high tech fish finders.

The comedy was simple. The story ignores the fact of...

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HURRICANE SMITH

Pirates and Adventure the old fashioned way.
This film belongs in the same group as the Universal Collection put out several years ago. Maybe because John Ireland was not heroic enough(he was a much better anti hero) Forest Tucker and Richard Arlen take up the mantle of The Range Busters on the high seas. Of course Yvonne De Carlo gets the spotlight as a half cast island beauty dancing off her veneer of English civility. For me this film compares favorably to FAIR WIND TO JAVA (see my review). Bonus points for the cast Mike Kellin, Henry Brandon, and Lyle Bettger as a mutinous crew.





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The Colossus Of New York

Great Science Fiction Classic Finally Comes To DVD!
Finally, this classic gem from 1958 is getting a proper DVD release. This is one of my all-time favorite science fiction flicks.

Ross Martin plays a brilliant scientist who is tragically killed in an accident at an airport. His father, a brilliant brain surgeon played by Otto Kruger, can't deal with his son's death, so removes his brain and keeps it alive in a basement laboratory. He then enlists the aide of his other son to build a robotic body in which to house the brain. Once encased in steel, the brain continues to function - dangerously.

When I was a kid back in the '70s, this was one of those movies I had to watch every time it aired. I couldn't get enough of it. The robot in this movie is one of the coolest film robots ever. Plus the move has a very unique musical score. It's all piano but it is very effective. It more than captures the entire tragic aura of the story. I can't wait to get this DVD. Hopefully the transfer is magnificent. I'll update this...

rare creepy 50"s robot film
very unusual 50"s sci fi starring an early ross martin that somehow became a lost film for who knows why, for years no one could get a quality print, now at last a beautiful print in anamorphic fills the whole rectangular screen in proper ratio, no distortion, one of the most creepy sci fi robots ever created in my humble opinion,interesting story that goes beyond many "b" drive-in movies of its period,primative but dramatic special effects might even be interesting to a young student of sci fi film, an absolute pristine high quality print from "olive films"
thank you olive films, what a pleasure to watch.

review of disc, not film content
I'm not going to talk about this film's story. You can check IMDb for that-- or some of the other reviews here on Amazon. They cover that subject well.
This is only about the new DVD from Olive Films.

I received my long-awaited DVD of "Colossus/NY" yesterday (Aug.8) and played it last night. (I didn't buy it here;-- I pre-ordered mine from DeepDiscount.)

My only other copy of this film was a VHS tape, purchased from the now-defunct HellFire Video in New York City. They were the only folks who offered it, way back when.--

The source print that HellFire used was very poor. It was dark and muddy. It could sometimes be difficult to make out much of what was on screen, especially backgrounds.
I kept that tape, anyway, because it was all I had. "Colossus" rarely made it to TV, or I would have recorded my own copy (off TV) long ago.

Well....now I can toss that tape! The Olive Films DVD of the film isn't perfect, but it's very close! It's...

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Trapped In Paradise

You'll laugh until your gut hurts!
I've been waiting patiently forever for this movie to finally come out on DVD. Nicholas Cage, John Lovitz and Dana Carvey make this movie utterly hilarious throughout. Cage plays the typical normal, logical, calculating brother of the 3. John Lovitz is the brother you can never trust and Carvey is a goofy, klepto-maniac who hardly uses any common sense. When these 3 come together in a scene it's hard to imagine something funny "not" happening. 3 Diverse and conflicting personalities make for a great comedy farse!

Not sure why this movie is so disliked
Way back in 1990 something when this movie came out, it was screened as a student feature at the college I was attending at the time prior to it's release in theathers. I went with a good friend of mine, and we seemed to be the only people in the theater laughing. After the movie hit theaters, all of the reviews were negative as if the movie featured a cast of unknowns instead of three very well established entertainers, two of whom are very gifted comedians. While all three actors have had better roles, they work well together with Cage being the straight man to Lovitz and Carvey's comedic banter. Yes, I realize that the premise of this movie is somewhat far fetched, but that's why it's a movie and not a news story. The movie has its fair share of laughs with a healthy dose of Christmas spirit. It gets watched every holiday season at my house, and I recommend it to anyone who is capable of watching a movie and being OK with the fact that it is a work of FICTION! Anyway, enjoy...

CAGE IN A GILDED PARADISE
TRAPPED IN PARADISE is a surprisingly charming and fun to watch movie, that could be enjoyed at Christmas or any time of year. The movie has the feel of one of those forties or fifties charmers, where the bad guys aren't so bad and they become good guys once they realize what life is really all about.

While the leads (Nicolas Cage, Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz) are all very good, the movie's heart lies in the supporting performances: Florence Stanley as the boys' potty-mouthed mom; Donald Moffatt and Angela Paton as the Andersons, the bank president and his wife who unbeknownst to them are having the bank robbers for Christmas dinner; Madchen Amick (Twin Peaks) as the convict's sweet daughter; John Ashton as the redneck deputy; and Richard Jenkins as the putupon FBI agent. The scene where the bus depot clerk gives the duplicitous Cage enough money to get his ticket home is heart tugging, showing just how nice the people of Paradise really are.

Goofy and off the...

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SILVER CITY

siler city
i liked this movie very much the story was good and the actors were very good also
so again i recommend this western to all western movie fans buy it on line from
amazon.com

Fine Paramount Western
After the 1940s, Paramount Pictures concentrated on producing bigger budget "A" Westerns. During the 1950s the studio featured such stars as Charlton Heston (e.g., PONY EXPRESS, THE SAVAGE, ARROWHEAD), Alan Ladd (e.g., SHANE, BRANDED), John Payne (e.g., EL PASO, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK), and Edmond O'Brien. Among O'Brien's several Paramount Westerns, Olive Films has licensed (thus far) DENVER & RIO GRANDE and SILVER CITY. SILVER CITY is fine Western entertainment, beautifully photographed in Technicolor, with solid production values, and good acting from a great cast. In addition to O'Brien, Yvonne De Carlo, Barry Fitzgerald, and Edgar Buchanan populate the action. This is thorough enjoyable Western entertainment.

Olive Films has licensed a number of Paramount Westerns, including RUN FOR COVER (Jimmy Cagney's best of the three oaters he made), PONY EXPRESS, THE JAYHAWKERS (with Jeff Chandler and Fess Parker), THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY (Fess Parker), THE HANGMAN (with Robert...

For westerns junkies only
A mining assayer (Edmond O'Brien) with a criminal past that haunts him joins forces with a miner (Edgar Buchanan) and his daughter (Yvonne De Carlo) to fight off a claim jumper (Barry Fitzgerald) and his henchman (Michael Moore). This rather ragged routine western, directed by Byron Haskin (THE NAKED JUNGLE), doesn't have much to offer though western junkies may find it agreeable. For the most part, it's the usual shoot 'em up but the most interesting aspect of it a subplot involving Richard Arlen as a man from O'Brien's past, now married to O'Brien's spoiled ex-fiancee (Kasey Rogers, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN). The barely suppressed marital tension between the two provides more conflict than the miners vs. claim jumpers plot. De Carlo is gorgeous in Technicolor but O'Brien needs a strong role to show off his acting talent. Without a good part, he's a cipher. With Gladys George and Myron Healey.

The Olive DVD is a spiffy colorful transfer in the proper 1.33 aspect ratio.

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Casper: A Spirited Beginning

Not that bad for direct to video, but predictable.
The following review has been updated since I upgraded from my VHS to the "Casper: A Spirited Beginning" DVD:

There have been a handful of direct-to-video Casper films ever since the release of the big budget, bigscreen "Casper" from 1995, produced by Stephen Spielberg and starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci. They started with this film, "Casper: A Spirited Beginning", which initially appears to be a prequel, but actually seems to disregard the Ricci movie altogether (Casper's home has a different name and is in a different town). After that came "Casper Meets Wendy", followed by the completely computer animated features I have yet to see. Between "A Spirited Beginning" and "Casper Meets Wendy", I tend to prefer "Casper Meets Wendy", probably because it's more of a comedy and the story is more supernatural and interesting, adding witches and warlocks to the mix and making it perfect Halloween viewing. It also stars Hilary Duff in her earliest role that I know of, and...

Almost as good as the first CASPER.
Although I enjoyed the first CASPER movie the best, A SPIRITED BEGINNING is just as good. It's pretty different from the first movie, too. There are hardly any similarities except for maybe the ghosts. In this one, Casper is back and this time he comes across an 11-year-old boy who is very interested in ghosts and the Supernatural. So interested, that some people may think he's obsessed with the stuff. His father, unfortunately, doesn't seem to have enough time to spend with him because he's always rushing around...working. The boy is the only one in town who isn't afraid of Casper and they end up becoming friends. Casper and his three uncles still live in the mansion...but the boy's father is making plans with the governer of the town to tear old mansion down to turn the land into a shopping mall! The rest of the town - started by the boy's school teacher - started a fight in order to save the house for historical reseasons. This is a fun movie and the kid in the movie is kinda cute,...

Very Good
I thought this movie was very funny.I liked Casper meets Wendy alot too, but this just as good. I'd recomend it for the whole family.

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The Bellboy

A Beginning
This film occurred when Jerry Lewis needed a summer movie, Paramount wanted to release "Cinderfella", but Lewis insisted that wait for the Christmas season. Therefore, on a shoe-string budget he created his first masterpiece as actor, director, producer, and writer all on one film (with "The Ladies' Man", "The Nutty Professor", and other notables to follow). The film promises--from the beginning--to be about "fun", no more, no less. Indeed, it is pretty much a romp through sketches involving Stanley, a bellboy. Nevertheless, Lewis couldn't help added some social commentary, and the scene where he plays himself is among one of cinema's finest moments. Certainly not his best work--overall--but a great start to what is a lavish solo career.

Funny for its time :-)
By today's standards, this may not be considered an outrageously funny movie - back in the day, I can see that this would have been hilarious. I really love Jerry Lewis and it's one of the better roles I've seen him in. He doesn't have too much of a dialogue in this - whenever he is playing the bellboy character Stanley, he only whistles and uses his facial expressions to emote his clumsiness.
The only scene where I truly laughed out loud, was when he was in charge of the bellboy desk for a short time and one of the four phones would ring. Do you think he knew which phone to answer? Of course not. Other than that, it was good throughout but just not as funny as I would have hoped. He is a genius for sure, but I prefer him doing his crazy voices. Even so, I'd recommed this to his fans, as I'm sure they'll definately enjoy it.

The Bellboy
The start of the funny parodies. Every scene is funny, Lewis has very different versatile roles in this movie.

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Tempest

A great story about Pugachev's Rebellion
I remembered this movie from my youth and was glad to see it available at least on the Kindle. Can't tell anyone how glad I am to see it again. I have seen a lot of movies in my life, but this one stuck with me for decades. Viewing it again, I could see why that was so. Van Heflin is Pugachev who figures largely in this story of a guardsman who gets assigned to the frontier in disgrace. The period is pretty well represented (that of Catherine the Great in Czarist Russia). In fact, Catherine is seen in the end visiting Pugachev and learning that the guardsman was not a traitor. All ends well. It is also a movie that can be watched again for the military tactics used in that period, but the acting itself is a feast for the ears and eyes. Especially now in this era of comic book movies. Now if someone will put this on DVD again so I can get a one!

Sweeping Epic
Sweeping film that is much, much more than a costume-drama. It graphically portrays that vast gulf between the common people of Russia and the ruling nobility. Van Heflin straddles being a scary bully and a sympathetic personality. Agnes Moorehead does an impactful rendition of a wife of a commander of a remote fort.

I liked the film because our hero does a nice balance between being an outspoken rebel in a very hierarchical society and a human. The film contains hints of some of Pushkin’s passionate love of Mother Russia. It also gives an almost Tolstoyan view into the inner workings of Czarist Russia which was very top-down and hierarchical.

Another thing I liked about this movie was the sweeping epic narrative and scenery. Dino de Laurentis's hallmark are these types of films.



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The Night of the Grizzly

Terrific 'Killer Grizzly' Family Adventure!
Although 'Night of the Grizzly' was released by Paramount, it's easy to mistake it as a Disney film! Long on family values and gentle humor, this adventure yarn is the kind of 'live-action' feature that the studio specialized in throughout the fifties. If you don't think a film that kids can enjoy will be your 'cup of tea', you might be in for a surprise! This is a terrific movie!

Ex-Marshal Jim Cole (played with rugged charm by 'Cheyenne' Clint Walker) moves his family onto a small ranch, hoping to get away from the dangers of his previous line of work. His loving wife, Angela (popular '60s star Martha Hyer) is overjoyed by their new life, and the kids soon develop a bond with the beautiful countryside, and the small town nearby.

Not EVERYONE is happy about the arrangement, however; town bigshot Jed Curry (Keenan Wynn) wants Cole's land, and his sons are soon attempting to provoke Cole, in an unsuccessful attempt to force him to leave. When a montrous killer grizzly appears, and...

5 Big stars for a Big Grizzly and a Bigger Clint Walker
I too remember this movie from the mid 1960s. Exciting, well acted and full of good family values, I am glad someone finally decided to have this film released on DVD. With an interview and re-mastered to boot! It's been a long wait, but well worth it.

Clint is still with us and living in Grass Valley CA(visit his website, he often responds to emails).
Walker was certainly the biggest and most imposing actor ever to appear onscreen, not excepting the body-builder types like Arnold and Reeves. He was perfectly proportioned(compare him to 6', 210lb Ely standing together!)Note: He was and still is an avid exponent of exercise and proper eating. He was also very under-rated as an actor. Very natural. Great screen presence(compare to current crop of stars)and he had a terrific speaking and singing voice. Great character actors here,(the REAL actors!) in every scene. Especially enjoyed Jack Elam as a good guy, for a change, and nobody does the baddie like Leo Gordon. Regis...

The Night of the Grizzly
This is a great family movie picture! I saw this movie when it first came out in 1966 I was 6 years old. Warner Brothers Theater in San Pedro, CA. My older brother took me to go see it. I never forgot it. It has been quite sometime since I had last seen it. I wanted to grow up to be just like Big Jim Cole(Clint Walker). One of his best roles. I was not only scared of the giant Grizzly bear, but also of Cass Dowdy and his dogs. The bad guy played well by Leo Gordon. Great story line, beautiful scenery, good classic life situations and human values. I read a negative remark about the special effects. It was made in the mid sixties! I was totally captivated by this movie. Full of suspense, great actors and supporting cast. Excellent movie for the whole family to enjoy! H.J. Barrera

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Godzilla vs Monster Zero

Simitar DVD
VIDEO QUALITY:
Once again a two sided disc from Simitar. Side 1 contains the full screen TV version of "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero" and Side 2 contains the original 2.35:1 widescreen version. Sadly, Side 2 is not anamorphically enhanced. Side 1's image is as you would expect - rubbish. You loose over half the image, the print has bad colouration and print damage. It will still hold some nostalgia for those that grew up with is though. Side 2 looks reasonably good, with vivid colours and a generally sharp image. At times there can be quite a lot of grain on screen though, and during some of the effects sequences it looks like someone dropped the print, stepped on it a could of times, attempted to rub it clean with a dirty sweatshirt and rammed it back in the machine... I'll stop drinking so much coffee... As with all Simitar discs, there was also quite a lot of artifacting, most notably on Side 2 unfortunately. There was also the occasional rainbow effect, though it was...

This one is just plain fun
This is one of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time. Monster Zero (better known as King Ghidorah) is to my eyes the most impressive foe Godzilla ever fought. Maybe it's just me, but the special effects of Ghidorah are stellar, much better than those of Godzilla himself. The plot features about everything I want in a good old-fashioned monster movie: weird aliens, a foe with an evil laugh, wanton destruction, and some funny poses and gestures from Godzilla. Of course, the whole story about a planet being discovered just on the other side of Jupiter is sort of silly, but who really cares? This is Godzilla we are talking about. One thing I could not figure out was why the aliens went to the trouble of transporting Godzilla and Rodan to their planet, only to bring them right back to Earth; it seems like they could have taken control of the monsters right here, especially since they had already set up a secret base in Japan.

There are a few drawbacks to the film. A regular red-headed...

Alien invasion leads to monster slugfest
King Ghidorah is back! Unfortunately the three headed dragon is hanging out on Planet X, a desolate place run by a bunch of humorless guys in cheesy costumes and razor thin sunglasses (Devo?). Seems that they want to "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan to protect themselves from this tri-headed pest. But if they can capture and control Godzilla and Rodan then why can't they guide the Golden One into the nearest black hole or something? This thought occurs to no one on Earth, so we gladly hand over our only defensive kaiju. Duh. Planet X then sweeps in and takes over Earth. Whoops. This entertaining b-movie contains Godzilla's infamous victory dance on Planet X, as well as Nick Adams, who fits in surprisingly well as the only English speaker of the bunch. The letterboxed edition is an essential for all diehard G-fans and recommended to those just looking for goofy fun. Pefect for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

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Zero Population Growth

Interesting Precursor to "Children of Men"
Set in a dystopian future, Z.P.G. ("Zero Population Growth") tells the Malthusian tale of a world where the planet's natural resources have been consumed to such a critical level that the "World Federation Council" puts a 30-year ban on childbirth in the hopes of curbing the drain. All pre-edict children are marked, and any births after nine months of the edict result in the summary execution of the lawbreaking parents and their offspring. Throughout the smog-filled landscape, desperate people watch for errant infants they can turn in for extra food or oxygen.

In the world of Z.P.G., people spend their free time going to museums where they can see stuffed house pets, demonstrations of how gasoline was used to fuel vehicles, and films of forgotten relics like lakes and streams. Deprived of children, they also turn to technology for comfort. We first meet Russell McNeil (Oliver Reed, displaying none of his usual screen presence) and his wife Carol (Geraldine Chaplin) at Baby...

Retro Futurism at it's bleakest
I loved this movie and can't really see what was so awful about it. There are times when movies are given the B rating and people seem to just go along with that. I thought Oliver was fab and that the story was sufficiently Retro Futuristic, A'la 70's style, to totally hook me when I first saw it on late night TV in the early 80's.

I loved the staging and the sets, right down to the funky white (read for sterile) outfits and the sociological fly on the wall insight into the lives of the two protagonists desperate to enrich their seemingly emtpy lives/failing relationship by breaking the ultimate taboo. I guess in many ways I was primed for this kind of thing by reading lots of Ray Bradbury growing up and I adored the stark funky realism of the whole gas and curfew thing!

Let me simply say that if you have an Arty eye towards Sci-Fi and the sociological, loved films like Soylent Green and Farenheit 451 then this movie will not dissapoint you! I loved it and I think *getting it* is...

Dour, bleak and of it's time...
This is an early 70's film that takes place in some unknown, futuristic society on earth. One might assume it's a future England, but there are enough Americans to make it seem it could be anywhere and that maybe so far in the future, borders and countries no longer exist. A totalitarian regime rules this society,it's leaders and enforcers hovering above the smog in some sort of flying machine that is all seeing/hearing and issues commands and announcements on a loudspeaker. To stop the total decline of society, birth is outlawed for 30 years and citizens wanting children are issued bizarre walking/talking dolls. Smoke and fog covers almost everything(which helps instead of building expensive sets)and we are shown museums which are propaganda driven to show the "evils" of the 20th century-one shows a family at a Thanksgiving table-with all kinds of burping and sounds of indigestion playing as visitors walk by and recieve lectures on how those indulgences led to the world they have...

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VeggieTales: Duke and the Great Pie War

Cute kids flick
Great movie, good content awesome story with the positive message and lesson included.
Veggie tales are always something you can let your children watch and no have any concern of the content.
Would recommend.

another great one from Veggie Tales
The wife uses the Veggie Tales videos in her K-6 Sunday School classes. She has not found a bad one yet and will generally build her lessons around the theme of the particular video she is using. Loving Your Family -- wonderful concept, great video.

Wonderful!!
Veggietales are the best for cute, moral lessons for "kids" of all ages! My collection is almost complete! A great investment.

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The Little Drummer Boy

A classic
Brought back wonderful memories. Thank you so much. Played beautifully without any interference. Nice to see the classics are still around.

where is rudolph?
I bought the Christmas classics box set on video, which shows rudolph on the cover, but that video was not included. What's the deal?

Aww
I remember these from childhood, so it's nice now to be able to continue the tradition of watching them on Christmas Eve even though I'm not a kid anymore.

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Nell

Foster's most challenging and impressive performance
While Hollywood is filled with movie stars, it can boast of only a scant few bona fide actresses. Jodie Foster, the consummate professional, is the cream of that small crop, and I respect no other actor or actress on earth as much as I respect her. Nell is a testament to her unlimited talent as well as her unmatched commitment to what she does. The character of Nell is a role most actresses would never consider taking; it's a far too difficult challenge to meet for a film that holds little promise to bring in money hand over fist. For Jodie Foster, though, what matters is the story to be told, not the glamour or the projected box office receipts. She gives an absolutely amazing performance in this film, one that has deserved far more attention than it has received; as I write this, there is not even a DVD version of the film available. If Nell is mentioned at all, it is almost always in reference to Jodie's Foster nudity in the film, and I would like to say straight out that her...

Warm and magical
In "Nell," Jodie Foster wows us, as usual, with a deeply felt, passionate performance. She is Nell, the "wild child" daughter of a backwoods aphasic hermit woman, who raised her all alone with no human contact. Nell's speech is all her own -- it is a striking combination of a private language she had once shared with her deceased identical twin sister, and an imitation of her mother's speech. Her mother, as I mentioned earlier, had aphasia, which includes major speech processing problems. Nell's speech was the basis for the title of the play upon which this film was based -- "Idioglossia." (I believe, for anyone out there who's into things like this, that the correct term would have been "idiolect," as the term for a language spoken by only one person.) Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson bring constant love and warmth to Nell, and to the film, as medical/social-work professionals who attempt to break through to Nell by trying to learn her...

Deeply moving ...
This is the story of Nell, a child of rape, raised out in the wilderness by her mother. Hidden away from the world, she is raised by a mother who has had several strokes and is aphasic (can't speak well). As a result of her isolation, she learns a form of English that sounds like gibberish.

When the elderly woman dies, Nell is left alone in the wilderness. She is terrified when people come to the house and she is found. She is deemed a "Wild Child". Enter Liam Neeson as the local visiting doctor and Natasha Richardson as a research psychologist that the doctor contacts. They study Nell closely and they both have different goals for her as the story unfolds.

To say much more would most certainly ruin the movie ...

This movie was compelling, deeply moving, and finally deeply satisfying. It will linger in your mind for days and days after viewing it. This movie is a keeper and may become a classic in the years to come. EXCELLENT.

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Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad

oh dad poor dad mam's hung you in the closet and I'm feeling so sad
So campy I want every one to see it. I'm still laughing. Don't make them like this today!! This is better than "Rocky Horror Picture Show".

Not as funny as I remember
Saw the original release in 1967 and remember liking it a lot. Not so much this time around. Things, taste and the art of cinema, can change greatly in 45 years.

What a unusual movie that I saw when working in a theather.
I have tried to find this movie over the years only to be told it was not avaible. I have watched it now and see it as adult and it is still a movie that I find it hard to see as a movie with Rosalind Russell played in.

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Howard's End

Brilliant, poignant, and visually stunning
The DVD edition at last does visual justice to this film, one of the great films in English of the last twenty years. James Ivory's painterly eye can be appreciated only in the widescreen format: one can see details here (and hear the rich layers of the soundtrack) that have been absent for years in the VHS version. This film will remind you why you invested in a DVD player and why Merchant-Ivory has become synonymous with the period film. Subtle, inspired, and moving.

Absolutely Poignant & Brilliant!
This movie is a must-watch for everyone who loves meaningful dramas. The cast is first-rate, the acting brilliant all round. Emma Thompson gave a definitely Oscar-worthy portrayal of a gentlewoman, Margaret Schlegel who is generous, honest, kind but torn between love for her sister, Helen (played by Helena Bonham Carter) and her pompous-and-brute-of-a-husband, Henry Wilcox (played by Anthony Hopkins). At the centre of the story is Howard's End, the beautiful country house/cottage which is a Wilcox's family jewel.

The story reminds me of an Asian belief that if something is meant to be yours (eg. Howard's End rightfully belongs to Margaret as it was actually "willed" to her by the first Mrs Wilcox before she died), then you will get it in the end, no matter what. Everything comes a full circle in the end, that's what it means.

This is one of the best period dramas I've ever watched - it's definitely worth your 2-1/2 hours.

BRILLIANT!

Fantastic film, BAD disc.
I have loved this movie since I was a teenager. As far as Edwardian-set period films go, this is definitely one of the all time best. That's why it breaks my heart that after months of anticipating owning this film in high definition, the final product that I received is of extremely poor quality to say the least.

Unfortunately, it appears that there is a major issue with either the way this disc is being pressed over at Criterion or the way the HD master is being transferred onto the Blu-ray. The picture on my copy is FILLED with digital noise and snow. It's not just a mild amount that might have proved mildly distracting, but a thick layer of white grain that looks as if I'm peering through a blizzard.

I logged on to amazon earlier today to see if anyone else was having this same issue and sure enough, others are reporting the same problem on varying levels. The issue is definitely not with my player. I have a magnificent Oppo BDP-83 which always delivers the...

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Artists and Models

Even if you don't like Martin and Lewis-
It is difficult not to like this brilliant Frank Tashlin film. He did cartoons in the 1940's, and he adds surreal cartoon gags here as he did in his other under-rated film THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT. Made when Washington was investigating pin up girls like Bettie Page and horror comic books, the subplot and plea in support of kids comics was very rare for the era.
I have often said that you don't have to like Martin and Lewis to like a Frank Tashlin movie. This is the film to show people who don't get the pair. Dean gets to sing entire songs, Lewis does a scene imagining a steak dinner that works on any age group, and you will not believe how hot the young Shirley MacLaine looks in a Bat Girl costume.
Now, if they could get a letterboxed dvd out........

My 8 year old's favorite rental!
This movie was a ton of fun. The classic scene "Bat Lady & Fat Lady" scene between Martin & Lewis made the picture. A very young (and quite attractive) Shirley MacLaine adds to the picture with a bit of wit.

When I showed this picture to my son he couldn't stop watching it. Whenever we go to the video store he asks to rent it. I figure that there are a lot of clean movies out there like this one that kids would love if only we adults would expose them to em. Of course for its time it shows quite a quantity of lovely ladies.

My wife absolutely died over the scene when Jerry tries to get his back fixed. This will definately be bought for my son's next birthday. I suggest you don't wait that long.

How I fell in love with Shirley MacLaine
Considering all that has happened since, it becomes easy to forget just how great Martin and Lewis were in the early to mid fifties. This was the first of their films that I saw and, to me anyway, it remains the best and a showcase for just how much fun they were. An additional plus is a very young Shirley MacLaine, who even then displayed an incredible screen presence in what could have been a throwaway role. She outshines Dorothy Malone and set my five-year-old heart on fire. They don't make movies like this any more and that's a shame. Shirley, wherever you are, I've been waiting.

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Man, Woman and Child

Acting At It's Finest
Martin Sheen and Blythe Danner give stellar performances in this gripping story of a family torn apart by infidelity. A MUST-SEE for those who appreciate drama and fine acting.

Heart wrenching, but spirit lifting
I saw this movie when I was little, loved it then, but have come to appreciate it more with age. It is a must see for men and women, especially for men with children from another relationship. It holds a special place in my heart and I believe that everyone must see this movie.

A good laugh and a good cry
Well, I am not a professional reviewer but I can tell you this film is excellent! Martin Sheen does a wonderful job in this role and so does the young Sebastian Dungan who plays the role of Jean-Claude Guerin, the child caught in the middle of a bitter-sweet secret that could tear apart a loving family. If you like true dramatic acting and a story so true to life that will make you laugh and cry, this is for you.

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Bride Of Vengeance

Great Period Piece
Saw this 50 years ago and it was every bit as good as I remember. John Lund and McDonald Cary in tights works!!!!





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The Optimists

The role of Sam, which might have genuinely said to Sellers, I AM YOUR FATE
Though arguably Peter Sellers felt that Being There was his finest performance and that the role of Chance the Gardener spoke to him as no other had done, in my opinion, it is The Optimists that captures a deeply personal note and ultimately outshines the indeed transcendental Sellers swan song. For one familiar with the scope of Peter's films, in Being There you very much sense that Sellers knew he was not long for this world--that he was a man living on borrowed time who had too often accepted roles that did not manifest the wonder of his talents as Dr. Strangelove had done. He recognized in Chance the opportunity to revisit the quiet subtleties that were drowned in movies like What's New, Pussycat? and After the Fox and that marked his best work.

The role of Sam, the busker (The Optimists' main character--not Fred as another reviewer wrote) is one that director and co-writer Anthony Simmons had originally intended for Buster Keaton in the early 1960s, and later John...

A must-see for Sellers fans
I've read much about this rarely-vetted film but had given up hope of ever seeing it. Simply put, it's a treat. Sellers is subtle, funny, and sympathetic; the kids are real-to-life and the images of the English slums are unforgettable. If you enjoyed 'Henry Orient' and 'Being There,' 'The Optimists,' while perhaps a bit overlong, is essential viewing.

Ambitious Sellers Turn
I have made it my life's work to attempt to see every Peter Sellers film ever made-the good, the bad, "The Bobo". In the early seventies Sellers made some interesting career choices to distance himself from his comic persona. This wouldn't be the first time Sellers' film choices took a dramatic turn. In the early sixties he made a gangster film called "Never Let Go" that was laughable in an unintentional way. In the seventies, however, there were three film's that were intriguing and ambitious though could hardly be called commercial. The best of these is "Hoffman". In this film Sellers plays a seeming middle-aged lecher who blackmails a comely employee at his firm to spend the night with him. Less successful is "The Blockhouse", a dreary World War II exercise about a group of P.O.W.'s trapped in a bomb shelter. Some would say Sellers' performance here is low-key but I would say it's practically invisible. The success of "The Optimists" falls squarely in the middle of these...

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HONG KONG

OK Film
I thought the scenery of Hong Kong was realistic. The acting was good. Rhonda Fleming was beautiful. It was an interesting film that kept my attention enough to see its entirety. Pretty rare for me to get through most movies.





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The Naked Prey

Naked Does Not Mean Defenseless
Most films which have the basic premise of a white man battling native Africans somewhere in the Dark Continent usually portray these natives as nameless, unmotivated ugga-mugga tribesmen whose only purpose in life seems to be able to toss missionaries into a round cooking pot. Thankfully, Cornel Wilde acts in and directs himself in THE NAKED PREY, a movie that is as astoundingly gripping as any film whose plot revolves around the hero's struggle for survival in a savage environment.
Wilde is a guide whose safari of foolish white hunters antagonizes some ferocious natives, who proceed to kill the hunters in a variety of graphically nasty ways. The natives allow Wilde a head start, then chase him. It is this chase that forms the bulk of the movie. Along the way, Wilde shows the natives (and the audience) that a near naked white man can still be a formidable foe. The pursuing natives, led by Ken Gampu, are a diverse lot, not all of whom are as dedicated to the chase as he...

Cornel Wilde is `The Man'
This overlooked gem directed by and starring one-time Olympic fencer Cornel Wilde concerns a knowledgeable safari guide (known only as The Man) whose greedy client gets him into a slew of trouble when he refuses to pay tribute to a band of Zulus while hunting elephants in Africa. The Zulus return en masse and take the white hunters prisoner, torturing them to death in a variety of ingenious ways. Recognizing Wilde as being made of stouter stuff than his companions, they strip him naked and cut him loose with the intent of hunting him down. But their generosity backfires when Wilde up and kills one of them. What follows is one of the greatest pursuit movies of all time as the vengeful Zulu hunters chase the Man across the savannah in a race to reach a remote British fort. The Man has to use every ounce of human ingenuity to stave off his relentless pursuers, as well as to contend with various random perils (pissed off wildlife, starvation, and slavers, to name a few).

This was...

one of my all time favorites
I accidentally caught this movie late at night when I was a kid...and found it the most gripping movie I had ever seen. 30 years later my opinion has not changed one bit. After an hour into the movie, I remember finding myself amazed at how much I cared about the characters and how strongly their personalities came through - even with virtually no dialogue!! This is perhaps one of the most underrated movies in the latter half of the 20th century. Other reviewers here have already done an exceptional job of running down the highlights, so I need not do the same.

This film leaves me with 2 questions that I would love someone to answer. First, why do they not make movies like this anymore? And second, when oh when will this come out on DVD??

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VeggieTales: LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed

Boys love it
My little boys love Larry Boy! I think we have watched it over and over. The only problem is that when it becomes prime we can't download it to our kindles and without internet access then we can't watch it. So it isn't a problem with the movie just the programing that relates to prime videos.

Veggie Tales
Another one of my son's picks. You don't have to worry about anything bad while this movies is on for kids.

Kids will love this!!
I love this video along with my 8 year old son that is autistic. The music is the part that he really likes. I kept catching him purchasing this on video on demand on my kindle at $2.99. I finally purchased it for $9.99.

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Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (Special)

Still my favorite musical version of Dicken's classic story
"Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" has always been my favorite musical version of Dicken's classic tale for the simple reason that the songs have been better than all those other versions, including the most recent attempt with Kelsey Grammar. Since the music and lyrics are by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, the same team that did "Funny Girl," this is not surprising. I have just finished watching the show again and I finally noticed that there are only four songs. They just happen to be four really good songs and even when there is not singing three of them are used to great effect as background music. No wonder that as soon as you hear the opening theme on the DVD the feelings and memories coming rushing back.

Once you get past the framing device of Magoo showing up for the performance and taking a curtain call as he brings down the house at the start and the end of the show there are only a few moments where you are dealing with Mr. Magoo's nearsightedness. For the most part...

This made-for-TV "Carol" has endured
I thoroughly enjoyed "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" when it first was broadcast on television back in 1962. Not only did it feature the then well-known lovable bumbler Magoo, as played by the great Jim Backus, but the musical score was absolutely wonderful. All of the songs in this "Broadway"-style rendition are catchy, and some of them are truly touching and memorable.

Since this brief animated production was created nearly forty years ago, there have been countless new "Christmas Carol" productions featuring everyone from George C. Scott to the Muppets to Fred Flintstone (really!) And yet the VHS release of the Magoo version, still apparently as appealing now as it was decades ago, is my own children's favorite version of Dickens' classic yuletide tale. In fact, my younger son at age three used to beg me to play this video again and again at Christmastime, calling it "Back, Back, Back," based upon the opening song in which Magoo sings about...

A cherished memory from Christmas past available on DVD
"Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" has always been my favorite musical version of Dicken's classic tale for the simple reason that the songs have been better than all those other versions, including the most recent attempt with Kelsey Grammar. Since the music and lyrics are by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, the same team that did "Funny Girl," this is not surprising. I have just finished watching the show again and I finally noticed that there are only four songs. They just happen to be four really good songs and even when there is not singing three of them are used to great effect as background music. No wonder that as soon as you hear the opening theme on the DVD the feelings and memories coming rushing back.

Once you get past the framing device of Magoo showing up for the performance and taking a curtain call as he brings down the house at the start and the end of the show there are only a few moments where you are dealing with Mr. Magoo's nearsightedness. For the most part...

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The Ten Commandments (1923)

Spellbinding. . .
Okay. I admit it. Watching this Biblical epic, when it was a mainstay on ABC each Easter evening for some 30 years, I practically had the whole script memorized. . .even knew when Anne Baxter, as over-eager Nefretiri, would slide into a wickedly wonderful pattern of over-acting. ("Moses. . ." she would coo, "take me in your arms. . .") I must have seen THE TEN COMMANDMENTS dozens of times, and yet, each year, I plopped my carcass on the couch on Easter evening, popcorn and suds in tow, and watched Cecil B. DeMille's 4-plus hour epic, completely mesmerized and entertained.

All of us know the story: a once-great Egyptian prince leads his true people, the Hebrews, into freedom from four centuries of slavery and bondage. It is a great story, as four books of the Old Testament aptly, well, attest. Yet what makes this flick truly wonderful, impressive, and fun to watch, is the scope and grand scale of DeMille's 1956 epic--from the awesome vistas of Egypt, portrayed on a...

**Blu-Ray Review** The New Benchmark for Classic Films in HD
**The Film**

I'm not going to spend too much time here critiquing the movie. It's a perennial classic that most have seen at least parts of. Released in 1956 and directed by Cecil B. DeMille, it is also not a 'cinema verite' gorefest like many modern "swords and sandals" epics. It is peopled by characters who speak exclusively in dramatic flourishes, regardless of how illiterate or poor their characters are supposed to be. It takes liberties with some elements of the bible story (Moses' stutter and his Ethiopian wife are strangely absent, for instance). But for my money none of these are knocks on it - it is a classic through and through, and despite starting off a bit slowly, it picks up dramatic steam quickly and becomes quite a mesmerizing experience. The actors make their characters easy to care about, the visuals are sumptuous and engaging, the music is stirring, the story is solid. As a film, it's an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys historical or biblical...

It's DeMille...You'll Either Love It or Hate It!
While Cecil B. DeMille's directorial skills were sometimes too rooted in the more grandiose style of the silent era, he CERTAINLY was ALWAYS a master showman, and his 1956 remake of "The Ten Commandments" is a whale of a show! Both pious and profane, posturing and sincere, it isn't great history, but it abounds in spectacle. While he was in poor health during the filming (suffering a seizure that was either a stroke or mild heart attack, while working under the 130-degree Egyptian sun), his distinctive 'style' was never more in evidence, with broad, overwrought performances, dazzling costumes and sets, monumental climaxes, and morals that are repeatedly hammered home. In 'classic' DeMille, there ARE no 'grays', everything is 'good' or 'evil', and 'evil' WILL be punished! Watching the film, you'll either enjoy the 'ride', or you'll groan, again and again. Personally, I love it, even with it's unintentional(?) campiness!

Among my favorite 'so bad it's FUN' moments are...

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VeggieTales: Silly Little Thing Called Love

Love it!
My daughter loves this movie. She watches it over and over and the songs are cute! Its a great way for little ones to learn stories from the bible in a way that they can understand.

A BIG VEGGIE TALES FAN
My grandchildren have enjoyed this DVD as they have always enjoyed Veggie Tales. I received it fast, in a good package and at a great price! Thank you!

favorite veggie tale
I love the the way real kids' voices are animated in this episode and it's amazing what they say. The stories are great at illustrating love for neighbor, family and God. These concepts are absolutely essential to know, but hard to teach. Thankfully, Big Idea is brilliant with big ideas.

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Riding High

GREAT MOVIE!!!!
I just recently got this movie and have watched it twice. I absolutely love it! Don't listen to those who gave this movie 1 star..... it's definetly a 5 star! Bing's performance is just awesome! He was always such a truthful actor, and in this movie you can really see his own personality come into the character. And I thought Coleen Gray's performance was very good also. I think that she portrayed her character perfectly. I really enjoyed the music also. And "Sunshine Cake" was not "sentimentality at its most obnoxious" as one reviewer said.......the characters were just being goofy and having fun, and I really enjoyed it (people shouldn't take things so seriously). This movie has become one of my favorites, and I highly recommend it. It's a light, fun, and humorous movie with some really charming scenes and songs.

Sheer Joy
I love the energy and enthusiasm of Capra's films, and I disagree with Maltin's description of the film as "unmemorable entertainment." I have seen it twice and hope to see it again. There is such a high level of quality throughout...not only in the techniques of film making, but in the incredible appropriateness of the acting...body language, facial expressions, interactions between characters, and so on. I suppose I am old fashioned, but I don't see this level of quality in many of today's films. Sure our technology is awesome, but what do we do with it...Make some pretty stupid, boring films in which people walk around like zombies, speaking lines they don't seem to understand, and don't utilize their faces or bodies to support the scenes. I find this film uplifting and exhilarating, and completely entertaining from beginning to end. Capra claims in his autobiography that he wanted to do this remake Broadway Bill because Warner Baxter, the original star,...

Sheer Joy
I love the energy and enthusiasm of Capra's films, and I disagree with Maltin's description of the film as "unmemorable entertainment." I have seen it twice and hope to see it again. There is such a high level of quality throughout...not only in the techniques of film making, but in the incredible appropriateness of the acting...body language, facial expressions, interactions between characters, and so on. I suppose I am old fashioned, but I don't see this level of quality in many of today's films. Sure our technology is awesome, but what do we do with it...Make some pretty stupid, boring films in which people walk around like zombies, speaking lines they don't seem to understand, and don't utilize their faces or bodies to support the scenes. I find this film uplifting and exhilarating, and completely entertaining from beginning to end. Capra claims in his autobiography that he wanted to do this remake Broadway Bill because Warner Baxter, the original star,...

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