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The high-energy, special-effects-laden conclusion to George Lucas's ambitious Star Wars trilogy delivers the final confrontation between Luke Skywalker (a more confident and mature Mark Hamill) and his nemesis-father, Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones), as the rebel alliance makes its last stand against the evil Empire. The film opens with an impressive set piece in the cave of the monstrous Jabba the Hut, who holds both Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) for his decadent pleasure until Skywalker comes to the rescue. The final battle pits an enormous armada of rebel ships against the rebuilt Death Star, the planet-killing weapon of the first film, while guerrilla forces battle Empire soldiers on the planet below with the help of a cuddly army of pint-sized, teddy-bear-like creatures known as Ewoks (Lucas's one concession to merchandising) and Skywalker confronts Vader and the emperor on the Deathstar. Director Richard Marquand invests the tale with plenty of humor and a vigorous sense of adventure without losing the seriousness of Skywalker's mission. The special edition adds, among other effects, more creatures and a bouncy song-and-dance number to the Jabba the Hut scenes, and an extended celebration that literally encompasses the galaxy at the film's jubilant conclusion. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (212)

Best Space Fantasy Adventure of all Time¿AFI's Top 100
'Stars Wars: Return of the Jedi, Episode VI' is one of the best of all the episodes of the trilogy ('Star Wars: A New Hope, Episode IV' and 'The Empire Strikes Back, Episode V'). Besides all the excitement and energy, special effect galore-you find out the secrets behind the mysterious legacy of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). The romance between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia is subtle without all the sex appeal. The confrontation between Luke and his father, Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) and the final battle of the Rebellion vs. The Evil Empire is just some of great climatic moments, plus those cute teddy bear-like Ewoks (Do I sense Lucas merchandising here?). When I attended the first prequel I was disappointed over the story plot. The only thing that made it hold together was the special effects. So I'll stick with the original trilogy. At least it has Han Solo and Chewbacca. A perfect additional to the video is the great Soundtrack by John Williams. I miss the jivey song-and-dance number to the Jabba the Hut lair scenes. An original 1983 version of the Soundtrack album I recall that had the track from the film. It was titled "Lapti Nek." But I did find it on a reissue of 'Stars Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack (Box Set)' with all the original tracks including the Cantina Band and the Ewok celebration songs. I'd also like to mention that there is more humor in the original films than the prequels. It has the best overall story plot.

The prequels are just overpriced productions with a very weak story and dialogue. I'm not sure in the case of Lucas further venture into creating the origins of Obi-Wan Kenobi (One seems to appreciate the much older, wiser and the good side of "the force" Jedi Knight as played by late actor, Alec Guinness), how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader and the parents of the future Luke and Leia. Lately, Lucas seems to be trying to appeal to a broader audience other than focusing on a great story. Nothing can beat the original trilogy story by a stretch. I had alot of great memories about Stars Wars when it first started in 1977. It's become a American culture phenomenon commerically. It's something that everyone will remember and hand down their character, music and book collections to their kids. Yes, I'll say it I saw each one more than 10 times. Shame on me :)! The first book to come out after the first 'Star Wars: A New Hope' movie was Alan Dean Foster's Star Wars Novel "Splinter of the Mind's Eye." It's about the further adventures of Luke & Leia. There has even been spoofs in hiliarious tribute to this like 'Hardware Wars' and 'George Lucas in Love.' This is one of my top 5 desert island films. It's just one movie that will never grow old. It's just as entertaining as it was before. "The Force" is definitely with this for it to be one of the top 100 movies of all time named by the American Film Institute (AFI). That says alot. May the Force Be with You Always!

A Sweeping Epic, Grandiose In Scale
Return Of The Jedi is the final installment in the amazing masterpiece trilogy: Star Wars, and is one of the best in the trilogy. It perfectly interweaves emotion, action, and romance in this epic masterpiece which finishes one of the greatest movie trilogies of all times.

The Galactic Empire has begun construction on a new Death Star which is even more powerful than the first Death Star, and meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C3PO are attempting to rescue Han Solo from the evil clutches of Jabba The Hutt. After they rescue Han, they plan for the destruction of the new Death Star and find out that the Emperor is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of the new Death Star. Han, Luke, Leia, 3PO, R2, and a group of rebel commandos must disable the Shield Generator on the orbiting moon of Endor to allow rebel fighter pilots to fly into the Death Star and destroy the main reactor. While the battle rages on, Luke must face his own destiny and confront Darth Vader in a battle to the death which may spell certain doom for the Rebel Alliance and their cause to restore freedom to the galaxy.

The entire movie shines with an epic look whether its a space battle, a sail barge assault above the jaws of a hungry Sarlacc, a Speeder Bike chase through the redwood forests of Endor, or a lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. The emotions involved between Luke Skywalker and the truth about his past grip the audience in the same way that Luke feels, and suspend them above the fate of the Rebel Alliance. Han and Leia's feelings for each other are more developed in this movie, and really tie up loose ends that were left from The Empire Strikes Back. The entire movie actually ties up loose ends and is kind of the resolution point for the Star Wars trilogy. This movie is definitely the best in the trilogy, and worth buying. It is not a disappointment, but one of the greatest movies of all times.

Give Me a Break
Greatest Movie Ever. The "Special Editions" ruined it. Too many great moments to even begin. Love or hate it, if you haven't seen this turning point in film history, you are either uninformed or living in the past. It is more amazing than Wizard of Oz anr Return of the King put together.

The Empire Falls. . .
"So be it. . . Jedi."
- The Emperor

With Return of the Jedi, the space opera saga/cultural phenomenon that began with Star Wars in 1977 and continued with The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, comes to a close.

This perhaps the most difficult film to categorize as far as quality and living tup to expectations. Executive Producer Gary Kurtz parted ways with Lucas after Empire, and Jedi would have been a different film in many respects had he and his ideas stayed put. However, Lucas wanted certain things and would not buge, and what the viewer gets is a climactic and spectacular, if somewhat unfocused, conclusion to one of the most beloved film trilogies of all time.

Luke Skywalker, an older and wiser man for his defeat at Cloud City, attempts a daring rescue mission in the seedy lair of the gangster Jabba the Hutt, a mission to free Han Solo who is being kept as a showroom piece by the ruffian slug. This premise gives birth to the first in a string of incredible action set pieces ranging from monster pits to desert oceans to the blackness of space to the luch forrests of the forrest moon of Endor.

Moving the action along, the plot is more daring even than that of the first movie. The Rebel Alliance, having learned of a new, more powerful Death Star, prepare to mount a final resistance against the station in the hopes of ending the war with one swift stroke. To help accomplish this, Luke, Han, and Leia must deactivate the generator that keeps the Death Star shielded.

However, this won't even be as easy as it sounds. Luke no knows that Darth Vader is his father, and he must confront him if he is to become a fully-fledged Jedi Knight. Han and Leia are caught by a legion of Imperials and must fight a fierce geurilla battle with the help of some unexpected (and sickeningly cute) allies. The Repel fleet is caught between a rock and a hard place - literally - and must contend with both the might of the Imperial Navy and the destructive power of the Death Star while our heroes race to accomplish their mission and restore freedom to the galaxy.

There are parts of Jedi where it really shows that George was going this one alone, particularly the inclusion of the Ewoks (cute, furry, evil Teddy Bears of DOOM), but even with a few marketing concessions and a bold narrative, Jedi still manages to do a LOT of things right. Luke is a more confident character, taking charge of the movie and making you care about him more than ever before as he battles Vader, the Emporer, and the Dark Side. Han and Leia, though not as prominent in Jedi as they were in Empire, are still a joy to watch, particularly in the case of their sometimes-bumbling relationship. Even Lando is given a good deal more screen time, and more importance. Though the characters seem driven by the plot rather than the other way around, this is really the only way the concluding chaper ot the Star Wars Saga could have played out.

As for the Special Edition of Jedi, it is perhaps the most despised of the three. In addition to the requisite digital additions, Lucas added in an entirely new ending sequence of galtactic (literally) proportions to play along with the Ewok celebration after the battle, going so far as to include all new music. Sure, it's still nice, but why mess with something when it's so good?

Either way, this is still a darn good version of a darn good movie, and one that had a hefty bill to fill coming out of the gates. No movie collection is complete without the Star Wars Trilogy, and the trilogy isn't complete without Return of the Jedi. And hoestly, it's really such a FUN movie that it shouldn't be any other way.

If you don't have this, buy, it, or, even better, wait for the DVD release later this year. Either way, the Force will be with you, always.

Return of the Jedi or
King wins! Jedi is not as big a movie as return of the King.11 oscars.WON EVERY ONE FOR KINGUM!!!! Nobody wants to award Lukey.
Luke is back again trying to save his buddies from the fat,massive blob called Jabba. da pizza hut.Thats how he got so obese.eating pizza. The young Jedi fights well and fufills his destiny.but Apoohy is still waiting to get him.WHAT? Yoda is mean and says he has to kill his old man daddy o so justice can be served in the galaxy!!! Then he dies. good riddance. Lukey is the only jedi.Boba falls in the slimy "Pit of Despair"(Ya know,Like the Westley guy that gets tortured)except the princess Leia likes the smuggler. does that Boba kid make it out alive?
After Han solo is unfrozen and back to his happy,smuggy smiley self it;s time to blow up another Death Star.(Palpatine doesn't have many ideas for scary space horror ships.When he was a kid he probably was scared of stars.)So Chewi starts the trouble getting hungry.Oh by they are on Endor trying to destroy the shield of the death star(badly gaurded it looks...hmmm.)But walk into trap they do by Empire...hmmm after almost being killed by Teddy Bears almost.Luke does his Jedi stuff and then everybodies happy.Except when the Rebels get stubidly tricked into being prisoners of mean officers who call them scum.But the teddy bears who led them into it are still at large and the only hope for the rebels(is there any hope Gandalf? For the rebels?)(there never was much hope in teddies.)Luke meanwhile has gotten brainwashed by Yody and Ken-Obi.So he thinks he shouldn't kill Vader or Palpatine for the wrong reasons.But he still has to kill em.They mix him up.Then Poohy has a lightsaber right in front of him.Don't give in to hate Lukey must not.Lando is face to face with a huge fleet of desroyers.Will he blast the death star?Will darth Vader become what he was born to be? A GOOD JEDI? Will lukey take up the saber of the jedi or throw it away? The succsess might depend on one little Ewok somewhare in the wilderness......I hope you also watch Return of the King,because I think Star Wars took the end plot from Tolkien.I still love em! Everybody goes home happy!! But not a thinker end like Lordies.Just more weird how Leia doesn't care her dad is dead.Bye.AAPOOOOOHY!!! ... Read more

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Nowadays it's rare to find a movie that pays attention to human weakness as well as strength, and that sees a whole person as having both. When a sports magazine gets bought by a media conglomerate, an ad sales executive named Dave Foreman (Dennis Quaid, The Rookie) finds himself playing second-in-command to Carter Duryea, a hotshot barely half his age (Topher Grace, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!) whose marriage has just fallen apart. One evening Carter invites himself over to Dave's house to escape his loneliness, where he meets Dave's daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation). The two strike immediate sparks and when they run into each other later in the city, a relationship begins--which they discreetly keep from Dave. But the heart of the movie is not in its plot, but in the way that Dave responds to the news that his wife is pregnant, or how Carter tries to fortify his self-image with a new car. These aren't jokes; the actors inhabit these moments fully and turn them into psychological events. Quaid plays Dave as a simple man, but his straightforwardness feels genuine (rather than a failure of the writer's imagination). Grace and Johansson have terrific chemistry as lovers, but so do Grace and Quaid, both as rivals and as a substitute father and son. In Good Company isn't likely to win any awards, but it's honest and honorable; there's a core of truth to its characters and their problems aren't resolved too neatly. Sometimes, that's worth watching. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Moral Fable Never Gets Sappy
Dennis Quaid plays a 51-year-old father of two daughters and head of a sales division for a sporting magazine. After a buyout, he is demoted and has a new boss, a 26-year-old coffee-drinking yuppie full of corporate speak and blind ambition who falls in love with Quaid's gorgeous daughter. The father's self-worth is tested savagely in this comic film which, exploring the absurdity and brutality of the corporate world, actually has a moral message about integrity and being true to yourself. It's rare that a comedy is both funny and packed with moral meaning as it attempts to find redemption for the father and his new boss. For a darker look at corporate life with no redemption for the characters, check out the bleak and nihilistic In the Company of Men by Neil LeBute.

Not exactly what I expected.
Dennis Quaid gives a magnificent performance as a long-time salesman who's proud of his work, and who suddenly loses his status when he gets demoted. Topher Grace plays the new boss, and he's terrific as an obnoxious but charming kid on a power trip. Quaid and Grace's awkward, amusing, and (eventually) fond friendship is the crux of the film, and the best reason to see it. The movie's flaws: First, it's slow at times, I expected more inter-office interaction. Second, for a film about cold corporations and job insecurity, the comedy is less sharp than it could be. It's almost as if the movie is too light for its subject. Characters get laid off but you never see how it would hurt their families. The only really bad thing that happens to anyone is that they have to take out a second mortgage! Another reason the comedy is so lightweight is that there no major bad guys to make fun of. Quaid and Grace (who lays off Quaid's colleagues) represent different business philosophies, but they're both essentially good-hearted. Only one or two characters are slightly villainous, and they're on screen for just a couple minutes.

An Excellent satire
"In Good Company" is a lovely movie - part romance, part drama, part satire. It strays occasionally into the obvious, but, overall, it's enormously entertaining. While the satire and drama elements are marred by pat endings, the romance part is given a blissfully hopeful, rather than a happy, ending.

Dan [Dennis Quaid] is a high powered advertising executive at a big sports magazine. At age 52, he's at the top of his game. Out of nowhere, his company is bought by a media conglomerate headed by a billionaire megalomaniac. To Dan's horror, his new boss is a 26-year old kid named Carter [Topher Grace]. In typical early 21st Century fashion, Carter has arrived through sheer ambition and charm. He has zero experience in advertising. Carter does, however, have some experience in romance. He meets and falls deeply in love with Alex [Scarlett Johansson]. As fate would have it. Alex is Dan's daughter.

The acting here is superior. Quaid was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. Johansson is one of the best young actresses working today. The revelation is Grace, prior to this best known for his role in a hit sitcom. Here he creates one of the more memorable movie characters in recent movies.

Funny and original
Genre: Indie Comedy

Genre Grade: B+

Final Grade: B

This movie was disguised as somewhat more of a romantic comedy, but it indeed was not. It did have some of that in it, but mostly the movie was about the connection of a younger, naive boss taking on the older, experienced salesman. There was some hilarious moments and some really cheesy, odd ones too, but overall it had a good feel to it and was a good movie. The best part about this movie was the music - from The Shins, Damien Rice, and Iron & Wine. Unfortunately, Iron & Wine is the only bad that appears on the soundtrack to the movie. Bad mistake!

On a side note, this movie does not have a cliche Hollywood ending, but rather a more realistic approach to a very possible situation. Some people may not like the ending because of that, but I applaud the creators of this film for doing what they did. Wandering outside the box is something more movies should do these days. I would compare this movie to Garden State, and while Garden State may have seemingly followed the Hollywood guidelines more than this film did, I just think it was more appropriate in that film, because of the depth of the connection between Zach Braff and Natalie Portman. I don't think Scarlett Johannson and Topher Grace shared as much of a connection. Or maybe they did, but that was not the entire focus of this movie.

Not the greatest movie!
Kind of cute. I really thought I would have liked this movie, it was really great until the end of it.They could have done better on the end, kind of cheap.It definetly deserves three stars. ... Read more

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The satirical sensibilities of writer Peter Shaffer and director Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest) were ideally matched in this Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Shaffer's hit play about the rivalry between two composers in the court of Austrian Emperor Joseph II--official royal composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), and the younger but superior prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The conceit is absolutely delicious: Salieri secretly loathes Mozart's crude and bratty personality, but is astounded by the beauty of his music. That's the heart of Salieri's torment--although he's in a unique position to recognize and cultivate both Mozart's talent and career, he's also consumed with envy and insecurity in the face of such genius. That such magnificent music should come from such a vulgar little creature strikes Salieri as one of God's cruelest jokes, and it drives him insane. Amadeus creates peculiar and delightful contrasts between the impeccably re-created details of its lavish period setting and the jarring (but humorously refreshing and unstuffy) modern tone of its dialogue and performances--all of which serve to remind us that these were people before they became enshrined in historical and artistic legend. Jeffrey Jones, best-known as Ferris Bueller's principal, is particularly wonderful as the bumbling emperor (with the voice of a modern midlevel businessman). The film's eight Oscars include statuettes for Best Director Forman, Best Actor Abraham (Hulce was also nominated), Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (363)

Rock Me Amadeus
Milos Forman's Amadeus is a hugely entertaining adaptation of Peter Shaffer's play. The movie is told in flashback style from the memory of Antonio Salieri. Salieri was a successful and popular composer who was a rival of Mozart's. History has speculated on the death of Mozart and some people are of the opinion that Salieri had a hand in his death (possibly even murdered him). The film explores this angle of the legend. Salieri is consumed by his jealousy and hatred of the infantile Mozart. Mozart is a musical genius, but a wild spending and is always looking for the next good time. His operas are utterly brilliant, but are unsuccessful. He is in constant debt. Salieri concocts a plan for Mozart to compose a requiem. This work is actually planned as Mozart's own requiem. Mozart is shown as slowly going mad and at the end of the film, Salieri helps him by writing the musical score down for a very weak Mozart. The morning after Mozart and Salieri work together, Mozart is found dead and we are left speculating whether he died through natural causes or if Salieri did something to him. F. Murray Abrham is absolutely amazing as Salieri. He brings across the jealousy and hatred, but doesn't make Salieri a fiend. He has major respect for Mozart's musical talents, but doesn't understand why God would give them to such an obvious heathen. Tom Hulce is equally as good as Mozart. He plays him with a reckless abandon and in an over the top fashion that is perfectly suited for the role. The film took home the 1984 Best Picture Oscar, Mr. Forman won Best Director and Mr. Abrham beat out Mr. Hulce for Best Actor. This was a case where a tie would have been more than appropriate. The new director's cut adds 20 minutes of footage, but the real standout is the remastered sound. The Dolby 5.1 version brings alive the sounds of Mozart in brilliant detail.

Memorable cinematic achievement gets a new look
I was way too young to have seen AMADEUS in its original cinematic release (unfortunately), but it's not hard to see why it not only took home the Best Picture Oscar, but caused a rebirth of "Mozart mania". The story, although fictionalized, is an intriguing one. Salieri, the pious man who prayed to God to be given sublime musical talent, has to face the fact that God has given it to Mozart, who is exuberant, childish, and bawdy. Salieri's subsequent jealousy drives the entire movie. You can see his character becoming more and more consumed by his extremely negative feelings. The character of Mozart, on the other hand, is fun, even though the real Mozart wasn't really that over-the-top. I might add, however, that the distinguishing giggle is actually historically accurate. Listen to the commentary on the DVD and Peter Shaffer himself even mentions something to that effect. Although it was delightful to see the film in its entirety, I could see why some of the scenes were deleted. They simply weren't that strong or they distracted the viewer from the main focus. The only real complaint I had was that there weren't more extras. It does have the commentary, the original trailer, and the short featurette which consists of various people looking back at making the film, but I would have liked to have seen an actual "making of" documentary from around the time the film was being made. Overall, though, a worthy addition to any movie collection.

a mythical, fabulous portrait of genius
Peter Shaffer wrote the "Amadeus" screenplay based on his play, which is a quirky, fanciful vision of Mozart and Salieri, and how God gave Mozart the gift of musical genius despite his character flaws, but bypassed Salieri, who tried to strike a deal with the Almighty, vowing pious devotion, if He would only grant him brilliance and fame.
F. Murray Abraham is marvelous portraying Salieri's pride and envy, and having to suffer the indignity of mediocrity; the part garnered him a Best Actor Oscar and a Golden Globe, among other awards, and as Mozart, Tom Hulce is stupendous, with his high pitched raucous giggle, fluffy wigs, and energetic appeal.
Others in the cast of note are Elizabeth Berridge, excellent as Mozart's wife Constanza, and Roy Dotrice as his stern father Leopold.

The biggest star of the film however, is the music...the glorious sounds of Mozart's operas, and his magnificent Requiem. Many of my favorite scenes are depicted, from the ballet music from "The Marriage of Figaro", to "Don Giovanni a cenar teco", as well as portions of "The Marriage of Figaro", "The Magic Flute", and much more.
Some of the great voices heard are Samuel Ramey (Figaro), Richard Stilwell (Count Almaviva / Don Giovanni), June Anderson (Queen of the Night), Brian Kay (Papageno) and Gillian Fisher (Papagena), though the parts on screen are played by actors, and not those singing.

Twyla Tharp's choreography is fresh and exhilarating, Miroslav Ondricek's cinematography is exquisite, and Milos Forman's direction imaginative and well paced.
As well as Best Actor, the Academy bestowed Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Sound, all well deserved.
Total running time is 160 minutes.

As close to "perfect' as a movie can get
When I saw this movie in its original release in 1984, it was only due to the fact that I was dragged to the theatre. (A movie about Mozart -- BORING!!) I have never been so quick to change my mind. From the opening moments, hearing F. Murray Abraham shout out the word "MOZART" I was hooked, and my eyes never waivered from the screen. I anxiously awaited the release of this Director's Cut, due primarly to the extras that were purported to be included. The extras more than deliver on their promise.

Not only did I get the joy of watching once again one of the best movies to have ever been released -- to remember how enthralled I was by the performances of Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham and Elizabeth Berridge (unfortunately, most reviewers tend to exclude her contribution to this movie, but her performance as Constanza, Mozart's wife, is as powerful as the others) -- but the extras (behind the scenes, the commentaries) added to my delight.

I truly find it hard to put into words how wonderful this movie is. I have spent the last 20 years telling people "Trust me, just watch it, and you will understand what I am talking about." It is more than just a grand journey through the worlds of these two men (yes, granted, told from a "movie" point-of-view). The entire package, from the scenery, the costumes, the story and THE MUSIC, THE MUSIC, THE MUSIC!!! shows you how a movie should and can be produced. Even if you can't stand classical music, you will adore the wonder that is Mozart.

Please -- I'm begging you -- WATCH THIS MOVIE. You will NOT be disappointed!!!

Love it, warts and all
I loved "Amadeus" the first time I saw it and every time thereafter, on tape, DVD and now in this DVD package. It is a very great film, exceptionally worthy of its Oscars, and the role of a lifetime for Tom Hulse. The operatic and musical scenes in this film succeed on a scale never seen before. The finale of "Don Giovanni" is better in this movie than in the two live performances I've seen and the performance Herbert von Karajan led that was shown on PBS in 1990. The direction, acting, script and locations are all sumptuous. It apparently does not follow the play on which it is based, but artistic difference is the basis of enjoyment. Having said all this, I would caution viewers not to judge the real-life Mozart by the portrayal of Hulse in this film. The real Mozart, I have read, was a prudish workaholic that would never go out drinking with his buddies. He also played by the rules of the day and adored Salieri, respecting his role as the musical director in Vienna. Still, it's fair to set history aside in a work of art this fine. Anyone that likes great music or great movies will enjoy this. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A great classic
I loved this movie when I was a child. I had not yet read the book. Certain changes were made in the transition from book to film, but I can live with these. Ken's older brother, Howard, was eliminated, and his place was taken by an annoying child-brat named "Hildy," but this is the only complaint I have. This is a beautiful, spiritual film, and can be watched from both a child's and an adult's point of view. The scene where the hero stallion, Banner, saves the mares and foals from running over the cliff, and the scene where Rocket's speed is tested before she is sold, are extremely exciting. The horses are gorgeous and a treat for any horse lover. Preston Foster as Rob and Roddy McDowell as Ken are wonderfully cast. An all-time classic.

My Friend Flicka
This is an all-time classic horse movie. Along with the others in the series which I am trying to get such as"Green Grass of Wyoming" and "Thunderbolt;Son of Flicka" but unfortunately not having much luck. They are all excellent movies not only do I expereince laughter but also a few tears to a not so emotional person. I think it is movies like this one that will never cease their popularity, it would just be nice if they were played more often then what they are. I am in my 20s and I love many of the new movies, but My Friend Flicka will always be a childhood fav.

Flicka
This is is my favorite movie of all time. I have been watching this movie since i was two and i am now 12. it show what hard work and love can do for you and something very important to you.

Childhood dreams and responsibilities
I have not yet seen the movie but have read this book so many times i have lost count. This is my favourite story and Ken's feelings were close to what I felt growing up. Lots of kids day dream and such was Ken's dream to own his own horse one day. When dream becomes reality, Ken deals with all the ups and downs that must come with responsibility of ownership. I fell in love with Wyoming in my own mind and I am hoping that the movie will live up to my image of Wyoming and Goose Bar Ranch.
A truly heart warming story...

Flicka hits close to home
Well, owning a horse named flicka, i figured it was my deauty to read/watch it, luckly it wasnt wasted time, i found it heart worming cinderella story, although the tear jerker parts ripped my heart out. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Delightful.
You know those movies that you saw when you were a kid and you still get the same thrill when you see it, no matter how old are you are? Moonwalker is one of those movies. Michael Jackson is the O.G. and this movie is tripped out in a good way. It starts off with his famous Pepsi commerical and from there it takes off to his live performance of 'Man in the Mirror.' Now I don't care how callous you are internally this music video will make the coldest gangsta cry,haha. After this video there are some highlights of his career from the Jackson 5 to present. I never heard a kid (Michael Jackson) sing 'Who's Loving You' so good yo. There are some short clips of his famous music videos after this, and then the full length video of Bad, which was fun to watch. This film has alot of twists which I won't give away on this review. Let's just say this vhs is a fun fantasy ride that will stretch your imagination guaranteed. The actual movie doesn't start until about thirty minutes or so into the film, right after the 'Leave Me Alone' full length video. Another reason why I like this film is because the antagonist is played by none other than Joe Pesci, who is a big hollywood name of course. The scenes where his troops are hunting M.J. down at night will have you on edge. I recommend this film to Michael Jackson fans and anyone who wants to enjoy a fun movie with a nice plot and plenty of twists.

soooo amazing
I love this movie so much. I always loved michael and was a fan, but when I first saw this 4 years ago on vh1, I loved him more than ever! He is so talented, so amazing onstage and a great humanitarian with a vision to heal the world. The special effects are mindblowing and the dancing is off the hook. And as a bonus, michael sure looks hot, especially during come together when he rips off that shirt! Also Bad is my favourite mj era and album ever though I love all his work. I have young family members who enjoy this video, I'm in my 20's and I still enjoy it too. This is recommended to all families, it shows mj's true colours as a pure, loving soul with a gift for music and humanity. In other words, don't believe the speculation in the media...

The Greatest
This is one of the two greatest music video compilations I've ever seen since I started to enjoy the Western Pop music. Another one is certainly "Making Of Thriller". However it's so strange that the damned SONY doesn't yet have the intention even today to release these two as DVD format! If somebody tells me there are no more requests for these "old" videos among Michael's fans or any music lovers, it's not the truth. I just hope someone can give me a reason!

One big tease to anyone who's STILL a MJ fan!
Man in the mirror is the only reason why I brought the video. Then to see him in concert... that was disappointing. Then I just seen clips of some of his greatest songs ever made. The video is a big tease to the imagination to those who will love to see, what Michael Jackson really was before he got himself caught up in all this trouble. I really regrett buying this. The best part of it is, Just leave me alone. Which I will do this tape.

"An Introspective Look at "Michael Mania" during the '80's"
This video cassette was released about 15 years ago, but it still proves to be one of the best music video compilations ever. It was released way back in 1988, when the album "BAD", was taking the market by storm, and "Michael Jackson", was at the height of his powers. If you enjoyed the "BAD" album, along with "Thriller" and Michael's output with "The Jacksons", then this VHS is for you. "Man in the Mirror", "Bad", "Speed Demon", "Leave Me Alone", and "Smooth Criminal" represent material off of "BAD (1987)." While a medley of "Billie Jean", "Human Nature", "Thriller", "Say, Say, Say" and "Beat It" represent The 1983 "Thriller Hey Day."
You also get some snippets of the songs "State of Shock (1984)", "We Are The World (1985)", and "Dirty Diana (1988)", which are unavailable on any "Michael Jackson" video release, past or present. The special effects on "Smooth Criminal", "Speed Demon", and "Leave Me Alone" are phenominal, and rank up their with "Thriller", "Black or White", and "Ghosts." Too bad no live performance footage from the "BAD World Tour 1987-1989" was included, but what's here is golden. Hopefully this VHS will be remastered for a DVD re-release some time soon. ... Read more

Reviews (73)

one of the few good baseball movies
what is it, james earl jones had to be in a baseball movie for it to be any good?

this is a wonderful tale of a young boy (the beautiful tom guiry) who manages to make friends with a group of neighborhhod kids and in the process lose his father's babe ruth signed baseball, challenge a killer dog, and -- oh yes, grow up.

episodic in the best sense of the word, and funny and surprisingly well acted. i would recommend this to anyone who likes movies about baseball and/or boys.

One of the best family movies of the 1990's
"The Sandlot" is one of my favorite family movies. It is well acted (esp by the kids) and well directed, funny, poignant and Terrific. "The Sandlot" consists of many subplots all revolving around relationships and overcoming differences, prejudices and misconceptions of people who may be a little different. The main character Scotty Smalls is a misfit who is reluctantly accepted by a group of baseball playig Kids who are mostly misfits themselves.Scotty is also stuggling to accept his new step father, who is tryng to teach him to play ball, as well as accept him as his new son. The Kids meanwhile learn the the meanest man in town who happens to live just beyond the center field fence of the sandlot (and owns a huge ST Bernard dog) may not be so mean after all. The sandlot is a great movie for everyone. Highly recomended.

GARBAGE!
This movie is junk! I watched this at school when it was raining one day when our team wasn't able to go on a field trip because it was raining. At first I liked it but then, the next day I started thinking about that Old Man Merkel story from the 1940s and when the gang chewed tobacco at the carnival and threw up while they were on that spinning ride. That part was scary and got stuck in my head certain nights and I was sometimes afraid to fall asleep. And now, sometimes when I enter the computer room, I remember the movie or when I hear the song Brother Louie-Stories which is a good song but that song reminds me of this movie. The 1997 movie "Leave it to Beaver" is 10x better than this movie. The only part I like in this movie is the ending.

Oh boy!!!! This movie was TOOOOOOOOOOO Good!;)
Hey!
I saw this movie and oh my, I had to keep watching it over and over, and over and guess what? OVER! Its soooooooooooo fuuny and its just to cute to keep to myself so that why I had to write this! Its a family movei ALL the way!!! Can't beat it! Thanks for reading so now go get it!=)

A true childhood classic....
Anyone who grew up in the 90s still remembers where they were and how old they were when they first saw this classic... I was about 8 or 9, in 3rd grade... how I remember laughing so hard at all the classic scenes, the tobacco-barfing, the attempt-to-kiss-the-lifeguard,, and the whole concept of "The Beast"... yes sir,, it was classic....(although it took me a couple of years to get the "they had 9 kids" joke....) and now here I am, 20, and I still could never get sick of this film- It's really funny and it brings out the great messege that no matter how big you get, part of you will always remain a kid... ahh yes,, we all remember those days where we could just play ball all day without a care in the world...

Whether you love or hate baseball, this is a funny and heartwarming movie that will always remain a classic gem of the early 90s ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When Samuel (Lukas Haas), a young Amish boy traveling with his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis), witnesses the murder of a police officer in a public restroom, he and his mother become the temporary wards of John Book (Harrison Ford), a detective who's been assigned to solve the crime. After suspect lineups and mug-shot books yield nothing, Samuel, in the most memorable scene of the film, recognizes the murderer as a narcotics agent whose picture he sees in the precinct. Once Book realizes that the police chief is in on it, too, he whisks Samuel and Rachel back home to Amish country, where he himself goes into hiding as a plain Amish man. The juxtaposition between the life of the Amish and the violence of inner-city police corruption work surprisingly well for the story, and Kelly McGillis as the falling in love widow gives an almost perfect performance. Directed by Peter Weir, the film is extremely successful in drawing the viewer into its world and, accordingly, is immensely entertaining. The only thing that mars its polish is the one-dimensional, almost cartoonish handling of the upper-echelon police corruption--a subtler, more realistic treatment of this aspect of the story would have rendered the film near perfect. --James McGrath ... Read more

Reviews (62)

An extraordinarily good film ...
At the end of a disappointing summer movie season, I've started watching some of my favorites on tape. This movie is near the top of my all-time list; here's why:

ACTORS -- Most of the actors gave career-high performances in this movie. "Witness" helped establish Harrison Ford as a serious (i.e., non-Star Wars) action hero, and he demonstrates emotional range in this movie that doesn't show up very often in more recent films. Kelly McGillis is compelling, gradually and believably transforming from a shy widow out of her element to a strong, spirited member of her Amish community. Lukas Haas, who plays her son, offers a level of child acting that has only recently been matched by Haley Joel Osment. As other reviewers have noted, his wordless scene with Ford in the police station is a brilliant piece of acting -- an enormous amount of information and emotion is conveyed in complete silence. And Alexander Godunov brings a gentle grace to his role as the Amish farmer competing with Ford for McGillis' affections. It's sad that he didn't get more opportunities to demonstrate his acting ability before his death a few years later.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/SCORE -- As with most of Peter Weir's films (cf. "Dead Poet's Society"), "Witness" is visually stunning. The shift from the gritty heart of Philadelphia to the rolling hills of Amish country is jarring, and leaves one with a palpable sense of longing. I think the barn-raising scene in the middle of the movie is one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen filmed, both visually and thematically. Underscored (so to speak) with music reminiscent of Copland's "Appalachian Spring," it drives home the value of community and shared endeavor. It's a marvelously uplifting segment.

ROMANCE/EROTICISM -- The relationship between Ford and McGillis is very well done. The attraction that arises between them (driven in no small part, apparently, by Ford's kindness to the young boy) is constantly and realistically tempered by the awareness that they come from fundamentally different cultures. That slows the development of a relationship between them, which provides the movie with a delightful undercurrent of romantic tension. That tension reaches a peak in a powerful scene in which Ford sees McGillis giving herself a sponge bath. There is nudity in this scene (McGillis turns and shows herself, topless, to Ford), but it seems to be precisely the kind of nudity that, as actresses like to say, "is essential to the story." Given the way in which the Amish are portrayed in this film, McGillis' character is making a very bold (and risky) offer, and the difficulty of Ford's refusal is evident in his face. There certainly is a lot of gratuitous nudity in film, but "Witness" is not in that category.

This movie is aging extremely well, in large part because of the sweep of its vision, the powerful simplicity of its story, and the skill of its execution. It is a terrific movie.

Impressive film!
"Witness" is defineately one of the greatest thriller/romance movies ever made. Directed by Peter Weir, the plot concerns a yuong Amish boy (Lukas Haas) who witnesses a murder in a Philadelphia train station bathroom while traveling to the city with his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis in her best performance). Detective John Book (Harrison Ford) is assigned to the case, and quickly discovers that a corrupt narcotics cop (Danny Glover) is the killer. After a close shave, Book, Rachel, and her son escape to Amish country, where Book hides out as an Amish farmer--while also protecting the witness and his mother.
Of course, at the end there is one whopper of a scene when the corrupt cop & friends discover Book's safehouse.
"Witness" received several Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, and won for Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound, and Film Editing.

Ford at the top of his game
Some of the most powerful romances can spring up when both sides have to be restrained; here, the widowed Amish woman and the cop-in-hiding know that they come from different worlds, know that a relationship between them will not practically work, and so fill the screen with unresolved sexual and romantic tension.

Woven into the more grisly details of murder and police corruption are scenes of humor and beauty. Dancing in the barn to "Don't Know Much About History". Having to wake up at 4 a.m. to milk the cows. It's funny to see how the cop, John Book, tries to fit himself into Amish life the best he can. And it's very moving to see his growing love for the Amish woman who nursed him through a bad gunshot wound and has enchanted him with her character and beauty. The movie's climax is also riveting; it's not often that one sees gunfighting at an Amish farm.

Great film, poor quality transfer
"Witness" captures director Peter Weir's first exploration of the cultural clash between America's Amish community and modern society. We witness two worlds that collide and two people that can't bridge the gap between their two worlds despite their blossoming love for each other.

The story revolves around Samuel a little boy who has witnessed the murder of an undercover police officer, his mother Rachel (McGillis)and John Book (Ford) who investigates the murder discovering corruption, deceit and a conspiracy at it the heart of his department. After he discovers that his witness isn't safe, Book whisks them back to their Amish farm where he's forced to hideout as well.

One of Weir's finest films to focus on America, this so-so transfer looks grainy and has lots of compression issues. The transfer isn't a widescreen anamorphic transfer but is presented in that format (i.e., it's presented with the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen but the transfer isn't high definition). The picture occasionally comes across as soft and the rich use of color and light that vividly brought the film to life in theaters isn't well represented here. Hopefully Paramount will update this and remaster it the way it deserves to be done.

The extras include an interview with Weir obviously done around the time the film was made or first appeared on video and the original theatrical trailer. I would have expected a commentary track but since Weir isn't all that big on them to begin with, that would be hoping for too much.

A great film just a poor translation to DVD.

Comparing Witness: 1985 and 2004
As I write my title, it is weird to think this film is nearly 20 years old! How time flies! Anyway...I first saw this film when it first came out and I remember I really really liked it. I was 23 years old and not a Christian at that time. Now, I am soon to be 42 and have been a Christian for over 18 years. For 10 years of my life, I lived as a Mennonite (like Amish in many ways, but we drove cars, had electricity, etc.) I am no longer a Mennonite, and now I watch films again. I appreciate classic cinema very much, but recently have wanted to watch Witness again, to see if I would like it as much as the first time, and to see if I thought they portrayed the Amish correctly.

So, I watched it last night. It was interesting in that I remembered so much, even some small details about it. So it really did impress me that first time when I was young. This time, I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't say it is a film I would watch over and over again, as I watch some classic films. To see it once more was enough to just satisfy my curiosity about my memories of it.

I did feel they portrayed the Amish quite well, with the clothes and such. What they did wrong about the portrayal was that in no way would it be allowed for an Amish woman to tend to a wounded man who wasn't her husband, by herself in a room alone with him. It just isn't proper, isn't done. In reality, a man would have done that, or an older woman would have done it, with another woman there. I think the movie allowed the Rachel character to have way more "access" to a man alone than would be allowed in a real Amish or Mennonite community. I doubt he would have really been allowed to stay in the house. In reality he would have been placed in a home with a family who had a bunch of boys and he would work with them and the father, and not have all that time alone with Rachel.

I don't like violence...I knew that the bad part happened in the train station in the beginning, so we were able to fast forward that part. Also, we were able to fast forward the ending "shoot out" stuff. I didn't care for the bad language. The scene with Rachel taking her sponge bath, well when I was young and not a Christian, I found that very romantic. Now, I found it rather silly. A devout Amish girl/woman would not have just calmly turned around and let a man stare at her while unclothed. And later on, when she and he finally "meet" for the romantic moment, I found that sort of offensive. Why kiss out in the yard where anyone could see you? Eli could have easily looked out the window (a real Amish father would have kept better tabs on his daughter with a strange man around the place). I felt that scene was very much just an animal passion thing...sort of vulgar. Not at all romantic, truly loving or gentle. It seems people sure knew how to kiss and show romantic love a lot better in the old movies! And right before she went out there, she took her prayer veiling off. Which again, no Amish woman would do. But then she obviously was rebelling. There was that other time too, when she and John Book were in the barn listening to his radio, and she had it off then, and I am not sure why, for no Amish or Mennonite woman will go without it in front of people or outside the house.

The ending left me wondering...would Rachel just go ahead and marry Daniel? Would she really be happy with him? She really would have to repent of her sins with John Book to be truly happy. I also noticed that the film never showed a church service. Also, none of the Amish folks never seemed to care to tell John Book how to be a Christian. But then there are many Amish who are not born- again Christians, but just are "culturally Amish"...they live the way they do because they have always done so. These must have been that type of Amish. It did seem that Grandfather knew the Bible...he quoted some good verses when talking to the boy about the gun. That was good to see, yet sad that such violence had to even be witnessed by this child.

Oh, of course any film with Amish must have a barn raising scene, and this one did. Also, so many movies with cows mus have the scene where the city person doesn't know how to milk a cow. Of course John Book must learn. He makes a joke about "teats" in this scene, and grandfather Eli laughs at it, which again, I doubt a devout Amish man would do.

Well, these are my thoughts. It was interesting to revisit this film again. In closing, I would say it is an okay film for adults but I would not recommend it for children. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The King of Elvis flicks
Even the stuffy New York Times praised Elvis Presley's performance in "King Creole," and why not? Everything clicks in this adaptation of Harold Robbins' novel, "A Stone for Danny Fisher." For once, Elvis has a good script, a terrific supporting cast, a first class director, and a role worthy of an actor which he shows himself to be while also singing an album's worth of outstanding songs. He's not the surly creep of "Jailhouse Rock," nor is he the bloated beach boy of most of his 60's movies. He's a good kid whose boredom with school and disappointment with his homelife leads him to explore life on the wrong side of the tracks where he encounters a switchblade flinging Vic Morrow, a sleazy Walter Matthau, and a beautiful but been around Carolyn Jones. Along the way, he also performs brilliant, knockout musical numbers like "New Orleans," "Trouble," "Dixieland Rock," and the amusing "Lover Doll" (no "Old MacDonald's Farm" in this movie). It all adds up to the King's best film, one of the few in which he wore his crown with honor.

Elvis Presley's personal favorite film role
"King Creole" from 1958,(the same year Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S.Army),is a good drama with a few good musical numbers thrown in. Shot in glorious black&white and produced by Hal Wallis,who produced some of Mr. Presley's biggest hits("Loving You" from 1957,"Blue Hawaii" from 1961,"Girls!Girls! Girls!" from 1962) and directed by Michael Curtiz(the classic "Casablanca"),the story takes place in New Orleans and Elvis stars as Danny Fisher,a disillusioned high school drop out with designs on being a singer.Danny gets a job at the night club "King Creole". The picture features a fine supporting cast including the late,great Walter Matthau,very effective as a sleazy gangster,Carolyn Jones as the gangster's kept woman,Dean Jagger as Danny's father,Vic Morrow as a hoodlum and one of the gangster's henchman and Dolores Hart as Danny's girlfriend,(Ms. Hart after making several movies left acting and decided to become a nun in the mid '60's).Elvis's top ten hit single from this movie was "Hard Headed Woman".Also, "Trouble" was a well known number.Elvis Presley had said in interviews that of all the 30 odd pictures he had made Danny Fisher in "King Creole" was his personal favorite film role.And,Mr. Presley added that he hated most of the rest of the pictures he had made.

Actually 4 and 1/2 Stars, But...
I can't give that rating on Amazon. Anyway, as a lover of EP's music, and at the time only his music, I was so so so very hesitant to ever give a film of his the smallest chance, because of all the negative things I had heard. I didn't want a bad film to ruin the image that the music had created in my mind. So it was 35 years of just music, nothing else.
Then this past April 2004 I was able to make a "pilgrimage" to Memphis, specifically Graceland. While talking with an employee in one of the giftshops, she convinced me to give certain films a try, and King Creole was the one she recommended I start with. She was kind enough to also recommend a few that I must avoid at all costs, namely Girls, Girls, Girls.
If I could meet this Graceland employee again, I would thank her several times over. King Creole is a quality film that has an actual, and quasi-believable, plot. It has Elvis at his most handsome, and in black and white, that comes through even more. He gives a commendable performance, and his costars carry their weight in the film well also, esp the beautiful Carolyn Jones.
I would classify King Creole as a good overall film, and in the Elvis realm, I would consider it a great film. I think it is his best.

Reel Elvis
This is more like it. A great movie, well directed and acted by all concerned.

Elvis is fantasic. He looks great, looks enthused and is enjoying working with a great cast and crew. This is just the type of movie he should have been doing but, as is known, went on to make the likes of Girls, Girls, Girls and, God help us, Speedway.

The songs are good, the story is good, it looks like money was spent on it. What a pity his stint in the Army more or less ruined his movie career. This is highly recommended along with Flaming Star and Wild in the Country.

good elvis flick
I would rank this as one of the better elvis films along with "love me tender" and "jailhouse rock" also recommend "loving you" ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Before making Batman, director Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton teamed up for this popular black comedy about a young couple (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) whose premature death leads them to a series of wildly bizarre afterlife exploits. As ghosts in their own New England home, they're faced with the challenge of scaring off the pretentious new owners (Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones), whose daughter (Winona Ryder) has an affinity for all things morbid. Keaton plays the mischievous Beetlejuice, a freelance "bio-exorcist" who's got an evil agenda behind his plot to help the young undead newlyweds. The film is a perfect vehicle for Burton's visual style and twisted imagination, with clever ideas and gags packed into every scene. Beetlejuice is also a showcase for Keaton, who tackles his title role with maniacal relish and a dark edge of menace. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (107)

Say it once, say it twice, third time's the charm!
When this movie first came out about fifteen years ago, my father owned a video store and every Wednesday night was "Beetlejuice" night. I'm older now, obviously, but I still cannot get enough of this movie.

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Adam and Barbara Maitland, two Connecticut yuppies who die prematurely in a car wreck. Within a couple weeks, their home is overrun by an ultra-trendy New York City family, Charles and Delia Deetz, and their Goth daughter, Lydia (played respectively by Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder). Adam and Barbara want their house back, and attempt to scare the Deetz's out of the house by wearing sheets and even by possessing them over dinner, making them sing and dance to Harry Belafonte's "Day O." Those attempts fail and enter Michael Keaton as Betelguese, "the afterlife's leading freelance bio-exorcist." The movie is dark without being scary and funny without being ridiculous.

In my opinion, one of the real gems in this film is the late Sylvia Sidney as Juno, Your Case Worker. Sidney was pushing eighty when this film was made, but turns in a great performance as the embittered equivalent of an afterlife social worker. Love how the smoke from her ever-present cigarette comes out of the slit in her throat.

If you've never seen this movie, see it. If you have seen it but don't own it on DVD, get it. The picture quality is better than ever.

tim burton=a classic movie
a couple dies.they live in a house as spirits and then some people move in.the dad is a dork.the mom is a control freak,crazy women who sculpts.she is a similar character in home alone but in that one shes a unbelivably terrible and neglectful psycho mom.the daughter is a dark depressed girl played by wyona ryder.she looks very sexy in thisone.a cool line is:my whole life is a dark room.one big dark room.they get constant visits from other weirdos also.the 2 dead people-some dork and a belive it or not somewhat sexy geena davis play them.they spirits try to scare the living out but are too good natured to suceed.so they hire michael keaton-beetlejuice-to get rid of them.he is more forceful.it is a tim burton movie which of course means its awesome.most everyone could like this.wyona ryder looks awesome in a red wedding dress late in the film.that stupid child hater of a mom lady is this movies only flaw.shes such a bitch.this movie is full of well written mastery and great special effects.it is great!

beetlejuice
this movie was really good, it was so creative, like edward scissorhands. i loved the story and the underworld scenes were great. i think that winona ryder did an excellent job as Lydia, the troubled daughter. betelguese was hilarious! this is not your mainstream kid movie, be aware of that if if you plan on showing it to your kids.

Remains one of my favorites
Re-watching Beetlejuice more than a decade after it thrilled, frightened and enthralled me as a child makes me sad about Mr. Tim Burton's transformation into a Hollywood favorite semi-quirky remake-director (Planet Of The Apes, Sleepy Hollow) in recent years (Big Fish indeed signals a hopeful recovery - if only Charlie And The Chocolate Factory doesn't spoil it...!) At the young age of thirty, and in only his second full length feature, Burton created a cult favorite that is one for the ages. In this bizarre, off-beat script by Michael McDowell (who collaborated with him before on an episode of the 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' television series) he found the ideal vehicle for his unique and strange imagination - and indeed, Burton's unique vision is more apparent here than in any of his movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas being the happy exception. Though it's true that it's not as personal a creation as 'Nightmare' or Edward Scissorhands, this is the movie that would place Burton on the map as a major director, and would earn him his breakthrough job - directing the first Batman feature film. It is on Beetlejuice that he would also start several long-time collaborations with actors who would work with him again in the future - Michael Keaton (Batman & Batman Returns), Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands), Jeffrey Jones (Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow), Glenn Shadix and Catherine O'Hara (both of whom did voiceovers for Nightmare Before Christmas).

So, again, while Beetlejuice isn't as deep and personal film as we would see in Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood or Big Fish, Beetlejuice is an incredibly imaginative and captivating film and is a perfect black comedy. Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are both more than adequate, but Michael Keaton in the title part is of course the real star of the show - although in reality his part is much smaller than those of Davis and Baldwin. Keaton is electric and mesmerizing as the bio-exorcist or 'the Ghost with the Most', Beetlejuice (spelled BETELGEUSE!), probably the greatest and most memorable performance of his career (with the possible exception of the part of Batman). Keaton really let loose in Beetlejuice, and he and Burton were seemingly having a blast - they created one of the most memorable horror and comedy characters on the big screen. Seventeen year old Winona is also terrific as Goth-girl Lydia, fascinated and repulsed by Betelgeuse's extreme personality. Similarities between her character here and the one in Edward Scissorhands are easy to find, but for my money her performance as Lydia is the better one.

And in conclusion, if there's any movie that I'd recommend to own on VCR or DVD, it's Beetlejuice; because Burton at his best made films that are well rewarding in repeated viewing, and Beetlejuice is Burton at his very, very best, even if it's not his best film. So even if it's not an essential masterpiece like Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice is one of the classic cult films of all time, and I can't imagine going through life without it - that is, if you have the tiniest bit of a sense of fun and humor.

This is the dumbest movie I ever saw...
I can't see why so many people liked this movie. I think it stinks. It has no script, Burton's story telling is lost in bad effects and cheesy dialoge and Keaton gets to act like a goofball. These two were no way the right ones to make Batman. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great movie
Really interesting movie about the papacy, inner Vatican turmoil, philosophical aspects of Christianity, and maintaining your principles in a morally complex, often violent world. That might sound off-putting, but it's anchored by exceptionally strong, moving performances by the late Anthony Quinn, Leo Mckern, Oskar Werner, and others. Kind of old-school Hollywood, with bittersweet rewards--it's pleasing in the manner of 'Inn of the Sixth Happiness' or 'Ben Hur.' It looks and acts like a movie made in the late 60's, but that's a definite plus in my view. Leonard Maltin's review is unnecessarily harsh--he must have been having a bad day. Or sore at the pope or something. Don't let it deter you from enjoying a very colorful, well-acted, thoughtful and old-fashioned movie.

The Authenic Christian Revolution of a Russian Pope
This 1968 film, based on Morris West's novel, has Anthony Quinn as Kiril Lakota, released after twenty years in a Siberian work camp to become a Cardinal and then Pope at a time when the Soviet Union and a starving People's Republic of China are about to go to war. The idea that the first non-Italian pope in centuries would be from a Communist country certainly seems prophetic today. Lakota is released by the Soviet Premier (Laurence Olivier), who is taking a chance that a sympathetic Vatican might tip the balance towards peace. Lakota emerges from imprisonment as something of a saint, admired by the Elder Pope (John Gielgud) for having refused to deny the faith even when seven priests were brought before him and shot.

Although the obvious comparison is to John Paul II, Quinn's pontiff is actually more like John Paul I, who was considered a "pastoral" Pope, capable of relating to the people more on the level of a parish priest. When he is elected and has to change into his papal robes, he introduces himself to his new valet saying simply,"I am Kiril Lakota." The politically charged atmosphere is a bit melodramatic, but the strength of this film is in its portrait of the inner workings of the Vatican where both politics and personalities come into play. My favorite scene is when the college of Cardinals are deadlocked, repeated votes having been "insufficient for election," and one of the elder statesmen of the church stands up to declare his belief that God has sent them the man intended to be the next Pope. With growing horror, Lakota watches as the momentum builds for his stunning election (Now if somebody could just explain to me, when reporter David Janssen announces "They have elected a Russian Pope" is the word "Russia" an adjective or a noun in that sentence? This has been driving me crazy for other 30 years).

Of the two subplots the romantic estrangement of Dan Janssen, the reporter covering the Vatican and his doctor wife, Barbara Jefford, is trivial soap opera nonsense, although it does lead to a nice scene where the Pope sneaks out of the Vatican disguised as an ordinary priest. The doctor sends him to the pharmacy for medicine and is stunned when he returns and is able to do prayers in Hebrew over the dying man. The other, with Oskar Werner as Father David Telemond, is much more provocative and provides an interesting counter-point to the main story line. Telemond has written several books, none of them published, dealing with what he calls the "Cosmic Christ." A Pontifical Commission is investigating his writings as being heretical. Certainly there is a sense in which this film, in the wake of the Vatican II Council, was trying to confront the Catholic Church with certain issues. Ultimately "The Shoes of the Fisherman" is a much more subversive film than "The Last Temptation of Christ."

Quinn's dignified performance holds "The Shoes of the Fisherman" together, aided by Leo McKern and Vittorio De Sica as a pair of Cardinals seated high in the Church hierarchy. This is not a great film by any means, but it is certainly thoughtful even without the provocative final scene in which the new pope proposes to actually implement "the authentic Christian revolution: work for all, bread for all, dignity for all men." Certainly it treats it characters and its subject matter with great seriousness. Michael Anderson's direction is hampered by the film's 157 minute length, but it is still worth the viewing.

Quinn and Werner make this a winner
This epic film has a few bumpy moments, but overall, it's vastly entertaining, with its fascinating cast, interesting premise, excellent cinematography and art direction.
Anthony Quinn is fabulous as the Russian Pope. It's a powerful portrayal, and not the type of role one would normally associate with him. Oskar Werner, in a part based on Teilhard de Chardin, is absolutely superb.

Other notable performances come from Laurence Olivier (as the Soviet Premier), John Gielgud (former Pope), Leo McKern and Vittorio de Sica (Cardinals), and Arnoldo Foa (the Pope's valet).
The part of a journalist (David Janssen), is used as a narrator, to move the plot along, and explain certain Vatican procedures, like how a new Pope is elected. I only wish less time had been spent on his petty romantic problems...the film feels more like an "Airport" movie while these scenes are taking place.

This is a sprawling 60's Hollywood treatment of Morris West's best seller, and I think it succeeds. It's thought-provoking, good for several viewings, and Quinn and Werner are riveting.

A Movie Every Religious Person Should See
This movie was great and I am not a Catholic, I am a Protestant minister. Even though this was just a novel and pure fiction, I learned more about the inner workings of the Catholic Church than I had ever learned from my years of reading about all the "Bad Things" in the history of the Catholic Church. Protestant history, and no other religion's history is "pure white" either. I'm talking about such things and the Inquisition burnings at the stake, and other hedious torture methods that only a feind from hell could think of.

See this movie, meditate on it, and realize the horrendous impack all religions have on Planet Earth for both good and bad. It has been said that if you know only one religion, you really don't know much about any religion--- I agree!

See the struggle in the Church to know God, to understand God's will, to choose its leaders, to be loyal to its leaders, to reach conclusion about all moral, ethical, and social questions. All religions go thru this same process to one degree or another, even your local church. Compare your Minister and the problems in your Church to the the problems of the Pope and the Catholic Church. They are not really all that different. We all have a duty and a tremendous responsibility resting on our shoulders.. We must try to understand each other, love one another, forgive one another, pray for each other, and work together in every way possible......

.....If we will do this then we can help Planet Earth and its people take a "Quantum Leap" up and forward in spiritual consciousness and awareness - where The Word(or Love) becomes Flesh in us - which will usher in a New Day, a New Level of the Kingdom Of God On Earth, that is beyond words to describe. Planet Earth People, are you with me, will you join me in this glorious effort? We all have a Divine Mission and Destiny to fulfill while on Planet Earth. Ken Pamplin, 4504 N.W. 11th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73127

Favorite Movie
This film is inspirational. The scene where the new Pope is proclaimed, against his wishes, he only wants a humble servent life is excellant. To watch Anthony Quinn's expression change when he hears that the Cardinals are talking of him is a classic. lso, his roaming the streets of Rome in a black cassock shows is humanity, wanting to get to know his flock. I think is conseling David Jansen's wife is important. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Consciously crafted by director George Stevens as a piece of American mythmaking, Shane is on nearly everyone's shortlist of great movie Westerns. A buckskin knight, Shane (Alan Ladd) rides into the middle of a range war between farmers and cattlemen, quickly siding with the "sod-busters." While helping a kindly farmer (Van Heflin), Shane falls platonically in love with the man's wife (Jean Arthur, in the last screen performance of a marvelous career). Though the showdowns are exciting, and the story simple but involving, what most people will remember about this movie is the friendship between the stoical Shane and the young son of the farmers. The kid is played by Brandon De Wilde, who gives one of the most amazing child performances in the movies; his parting scene with Shane is guaranteed to draw tears from even the most stonyhearted moviegoer. And speaking of stony hearts, Jack Palance made a sensational impression as the evil gunslinger sent to clean house--he has fewer lines of dialogue than he has lines in his magnificently craggy face, but he makes them count. The photography, highlighting the landscape near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, won an Oscar. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (93)

Farmers vs. Ranchers
Shane is the title of the movie and the main character of this well-made Western. Alan Ladd plays the stranger who arrives in a Western community where a range war between farmers and ranchers is about to play out. The farmers' leader is Joe Starrett, played by tough, reliable Van Heflin. He wants the farmers to stay, to stand up to rancher Rufe Riker and his hired hands.

Riker tries to buy Starrett out, but Starrett won't go. Then Riker hires a gunman - Wilson - played by Jack Palance. He's as mean as they come and he verbally goads one of the farmers into trying to "draw" on him. Wilson(Palance) kills the farmer without blinking.

The farmers are about ready to give up. But when Riker sets fire to a farmer's home as the community gathers to bury its dead, the farmers vow to "play one more hand." Riker sends men to Starrett's ranch to tell him that Riker wants to see him. But Shane stops Starrett by physically knocking him out. He knows that he must go into town to "talk" to Riker.

Civilization is fast approaching on the Western range. And Shane is going to hasten that change by going into battle against Riker.

Western Classic
Shane might well be the greatest western ever made and a true American classic. Recently in a New York Times article, Woody Allen of all people considered it the best American film of all time. The movie is about a mysterious stranger who unexpectently comes into a homestead family's life and helps in their battle against a greedy landowner who is threatening them to move off their land. Alan Ladd stars in the title role and he exudes an air of calm control and dark mystery. Shane is an expert gunman and a skilled fighter, but he doesn't want any trouble. He tries hard to avoid a fight in the local saloon, but no matter how hard he tries, trouble finds him. The homestead family is played by Van Heflin, Jean Arthur and the young Brandon De Wilde. Mr. De Wilde is excellent as a wild-eyed youngster who grows to idolize Shane. Mr. Heflin plays the strong, defiant landowner, but also loving husband to his devoted wife, played tenderly by Ms. Arthur, and his son. He stands by his new friend Shane, when the other homesteaders want him to leave when they feel he's stirring up trouble. A young Jack Palance is menacing as an icy hired gun hired to drive the homesteaders off their land. The showdown between him and Shane is a tense and taut showdown. Director George Stevens captures the breathtaking beauty of the American Old West. Shane was nominated for several Academy Awards, but failed to win any. Despite that fact, it remains a brilliant film worth repeated viewings.

Revisionist History as Entertainment
A lone rider approaches a family ranch. He observes a gang riding up to order the owner off his land. There is an economic conflict between a big land owner and small ranchers who are bringing in Jersey cows and working the land for agriculture. The big land owner wants to eliminate competition from small businesses; his government contract shows his political connections. The film shows the use of barbed wire, the invention that put an end to the open range. The settlers go into town for supplies. A barroom brawl occurs when Shane is attacked; Joe Starrett joins in to help his hired hand. Tavern owner Riker sends to Cheyenne for a hired gun, Jack Wilson, for a final solution to the homesteader problem.

The settlers gather for a July 4th celebration. They hear of Riker's hired gunfighter. That evening Riker show up to make a final offer to Starrett: join him for a good price, and abandon the other small ranchers. This offer is refused. The next day the gunfighter insults Torrey to force a duel, and kills him. Joe Starrett announces he will go into town next, without waiting for the other settlers. The question is: shall the people be oppressed and swindled by a rich powerful landowner? (Most of the large ranches were owned by corporations from back East.) Some of the small ranchers decide to abandon their claims. Yet they have the right to settle and farm the land. "This country wasn't made for just one man." The burning of one home makes the settlers decide to hang on for a while.

Riker makes an offer to draw Starret to his place (for an ambush). Calloway turns up to warn Shane of this trick. Starrett's wife argues for giving up and moving out now. (Credible?). Shane tries to stop Starrett, and they fight in the dark (to hide their body doubles?). Shane wins and leaves to keep the appointment, and force a final showdown. Shane successfully resolves the problem of Jack Wilson, then Riker, and moves on to new territory. [This avoids any retribution by Riker's allies.) {This film uses the dime-novel fantasy of a "fast-draw", which did not occur in historical records.]

This story is loosely based on the Powder River war. In reality, the settler's militia drove off the armed gang hired by the large landowners. The large ranchers tried to get rid of small ranchers by passing a law that gave them sole rights to all cattle in the state! Read the chapter in William Weir's "Written With Lead" for more details. "Unhappy are the people who want a hero."

Two stars. One for each time it put me to sleep.
Don't get me wrong, folks ,I am A HUGE fan of classic Westerns! This one, it just doesn't make it for me. Don't even get me started about Alan Ladd's "tough but gentle" potrayal of Shane. Ladd is unconvincing to this reviewer not only in the tough guy category, but his dramatic side is very, very "Ward Cleaver." AND THAT KID!!! That blasted kid. Joey, played by Brandon De Wilde. Good gawd, if he wasn't the most annoying little snot that came out of Hollywood. (before the debut of Pauly Shore) "Shane, are you gonna shoot that man? "Shane, are you gonna let me look through your Playboys?" I spent half the film (before I fell asleep) hoping Shane would say, "Come here, Joey, and help me change the wheel on this stagecoach" and have a little "accident." Joey's absence from the second half of this movie MAY have kept me awake. (but I doubt it.)

miscast but still legendary
SHANE is among the most renowned westerns in motion picture history, inspite of the miscasting of Alan Ladd in the title role. many other more accomplished actors come to mind of whom could have assumed the role, and many of these were offered the role. however it was Alan Ladd who was awarded the role.

Ladd was a formidable actor and delivered a fine performance inspite of the other more accomplished actors who may have given better performances.

regardless of Ladd in the role of SHANE, the movie was legendary and considered a true classic to this day. the other actors, which include: Van Heflin, Jean Arthur, Brandon De Wilde, Emile Meyer and Jack Palance all gave stellar performances. however it was George Stevens, a director whose name is synonymous with great filmmaking who was solely responsible for the renowned success of this truly legendary western classic. a true masterpiece. ... Read more