Amazon.com essential video

Shot on location in numerous countries, this ambitious Wim Wendersfantasy takes Sam Neill, Solveig Dommartin, William Hurt, and a ragtag group in pursuit around the world and back again. Though set in 1999 under the shadow of impending disaster as a wobbly nuclear satellite threatens to Chernobyl the planet, the leisurely gait of their worldwide escapades has a distinctly '40s-era decadence. The ultimate object of their quest is a machine that records visual information from one person and reconstructs it in the brains of others--granting the miraculous power of sight to the blind for one thing, but even more mystically, enabling a person's dreams to be recorded. When the film seeks resolutions on the most intimate questions of the human soul which dovetail with the possibility of a destroyed world, the film is hampered by the VHS running time, which subtracts several hours from the laser disc version. But numerous joys, not least among them Jeanne Moreau and Max von Sydow as Hurt's parents, inhabit this thought-provoking film. --Alan E. Rapp ... Read more

Reviews (70)

Where is the DVD?
I have found this movie more difficult to describe than any other I have seen. This isn't because of plot complexity or character development. It's because with Until the End of the World, you are getting what essentially becomes three films. This movie's massive story arc (and mind you, I have only seen the VHS version which is something like two hours shorter than the laser disc) can be broken down into three seperate stories. They are not even acts when you dislocate them from the larger "end of the world" plot. I've never seen such a sprawling narrative work so well in a film. The characters are unpolished and even the good guys are shady. This film violates every modern Hollywood sceenplay rule and does it perfectly. One of the reasons I bought a DVD player was in the hopes that this movie would be released in that format at some point. I've only ever seen the VHS version of this film and have seen that more times than I can count. DVD! DVD! Where's my DVD?

music rights must be the problem...
That has to be the reason this wonderful wonderful film has not been released on DVD. The soundtrack is mesmerizing, haunting, and still one of my favorite albums of all time. But it must be almost impossible to get the rights to use all that music...U2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Elvis Costello etc.

As for the film itself, I am in love with it. Sweeping, cinematic, epic, unconventional, dead romantic, chilling. It's a long long film, but I wish it were longer. Even Solveig's stiff acting style grew on me by the middle of the movie, and by the end of it I *was* Clare. This is the LAST VHS TAPE I am still holding onto, since all my other favorites have come out on DVD...and its starting to look a little worn :( PLEEEEASE RELEASE THIS TITLE ON DVD!!!!!!!

This Just In...
It now appears that there's a DVD version of Until the End of the World! Here's the scoop from a fellow named Brent Alverti, dated March 6, 2004:

"The cut features two sets of Italian subtitles (not sure currently what the difference is). There are no English subs (burned-in or not) for the few non-English scenes in the movie. The extras consist of:

* 10 minute monologue (in English) by Wim Wenders as he is driven around in Australia
* 40-minute interview (in English) on the making of the Director's Cut
* 30-minute montage of cut scenes and out-takes
* photo gallery

This is a PAL format DVD, so you will need a multi-format player to view it in non-Europe locales. It likely runs slightly shorter than the film version due to typical PAL transfer speed-up (motion picture film, shot at 24fps, is played back at 25fps to match PAL video standard). Also, no commentary track in included, although initial details suggested there would be one.

I have no definitive word on when the US version might be released. There is a rumor that Anchor Bay is transitioning ownership, and that may impact the US release date which was rumored for mid-2004."

The Travesty Is...
...Wim has yet to release a DVD version of this Wenderfully-sensitive sci-fi film. He's been threatening to press it to disk for years. Still, we are left with just the VHS version. It's a pity that the filmmaker is taking so long on his much-anticipated "director's cut." Wim, drown yourself in coffee and get on the stick, we're waiting!

finally available on dvd
Go to Wim Wenders' official website, there is a link there to an Italian site that sells the full movie as a 4 dvd set. I only mention this because I checked all of the Amazon stores [US/UK/CA/France/Germany/Japan] and I couldn't find it at any of them. Also, Wender's is apparently endorsing it by hyperlinking the Italian website that is selling it. I received mine in about ten days from ordering and it is the real deal; 1 of each of the three chapters to the 4 hr. 40 minute opus is on each of the first three disks and the fourth is all bonus features. I was able to watch it without Italian subtitles, although I have found no English subs for the few parts of the movie that are not in English. The picture is fantastic and it is all-around a deal at any price. Thank you Wim for finally releasing this! ... Read more

Reviews (111)

A Bit More Cheek Than Usual, Miss Case?
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER marks Sean Connery's return to the role of Bond after the hiatus of ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. It was also his last Bond film to date (except for the swan song NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN in 1983).

The opening precredits sequence involves Bond's hunt for Blofeld, who killed Bond's wife Tracy in OHMSS. The story then develops into a melange of diamond smuggling, Las Vegas casinos, an eccentric billionaire (pork sausage king Jimmy Dean playing Willard Whyte, a sort of cornpone version of Howard Hughes), cheesy funeral parlors, moon buggies and laser beams, cloning, and a girl named Tiffany Case.

In terms of story, this film is one of the weakest of the Bond films,jumping frenetically from one scene to another in an attempt to cram in everything it possibly can. The film editing is awful. There's just no other word for it.

The movie is redeemed by the characters and the nonstop action sequences, all of which are wildly entertaining. Connery is suave and irrepressible in a white tuxedo. Jill St. John, who plays the aforementioned Miss Case, is brassy and sassy, sexy and fun. The two of them seem to be sharing a private joke all the way through the film.

We are also introduced to Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, a pair of openly gay assassins who kill with a creative streak and have a penchant for really bad puns. The appearance of Wint and Kidd and their relationship marks a kind of minor milestone in the Bond canon, showing that the series was moving unselfconsciously into the 1970s.

Minor but important roles are filled out by Bambi and Thumper, a pair of gymnasts specializing in assault, battery, and tumbling routines, and Plenty O'Toole ("Named after your father, no doubt") a casino girl reminiscent of a low-rent Sylvia Trench from the earliest Bond films.

Blofeld is played by Charles Gray. Gray's Blofeld seems more like a disgruntled waiter than a criminal mastermind. His cat does give us an excellent performance.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER never takes itself seriously. This is not the film noir of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. The series was taking its turn here toward the Roger Moore era of cartoon excess and "groaners", a downward spiral which continued until Timothy Dalton rescued Bond from utter obsolescence.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER is Eon's version of an Andy Sidaris film. Sidaris' films are low-budget Bond take-offs, but in this instance, it would be hard to say who inspired whom. Like Baby Back Ribs, this film is sloppy but delicious.

The Special Edition DVD has much to recommend it, including deleted scenes (which to Eon Productions' credit, help make sense of the film) and interviews with some of the cast. There is also an excellent retrospective on the life of Cubby Broccoli. -

Sparkling
"Diamonds Are Forever" is the 7th in the James Bond 007 series from 1971. Agent 007 is assigned to stop diamond smugglers. This movie marks the return of Sean Connery to the role of Bond. He does a decent job here, but afterward he retired again and Roger Moore took over the role. Jill St. John does a good job of playing Tiffany Case, one of the smugglers. Norman Burton does a forgettable job of playing Felix Leiter. (The best Leiter was Jack Lord in "Dr. No" [1962]).

This movie really has two things going for it: an outstanding soundtrack and some of the best villains of the entire Bond series. Shirley Bassey sings the title track. Her's is a return performance, as she also sang the title tracks to "Goldfinger" (1964) and "Moonraker" (1979). The two villains, Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint, are henchmen of Ernst Blofeld. It is just hilarious how they make deadpan one-liners which parody those of Bond!

This is one of my favorite Bond movies, but I am rating it down one star because it seems to bog down near the end. Ironically, I saw a DeBeers diamond commercial which said "A diamond is forever" while I was preparing this review. Apparently, the movie title has some marketing power to it!

Not as bad as Moonraker
Connery is the only saving grace to this film. The film has a rushed, cheap quality to it. The producers must have been so pleased to have Connery back one last time they forgot about minor stuff like exotic sets (Las Vegas coming on the heels of Japan and the Swiss Alps is a let-down), decent special effects, and a good editor--how did Plenty end up dead? what about the car on two wheels switching sides?--see the movie and you'll understand. Also, someone should have at least tried to get Telly Savalas back as Blofeld for some continuity. Blofeld is 007's Moriarty and while even Savalas didn't quite match the literary Blofeld, he at least had far more presence than Donald Pleasance or Charles Gray. Having Connery back one more time was good, but production values really took a hit in this one. Still, it wasn't as silly as Moonraker.

He deserved the dough
One of my favorite Bond movies. Connery earn his unusual ( for the time ) fee for this role as he hunts for the killer of his wife only to find him behind a mission after he believed he finished the job.

Jill St. John is very hot and does a fine job and the supporting cast follows through well. The cut in the effects budget shows with the parking lot chase but I always felt that Connery as Bond was the attraction rather than the gimicks.

A winner

Making Mud Pies, 007?
The 7th James Bond movie. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER introduced a fascinating character in the series with Willard Whyte, a reclusive billionaire who runs an empire from a Las Vegas penthouse. Whyte is played to perfection by none other than the sausage king himself Jimmy Dean - a legendary tycoon himself during the late 50s and 60s for a series of hilarious commercial and comedy skits. Dean cleverly enthuses the role of Whyte with his own persona. As such, the whole extravagant gambling activities seen throughout the film give a unique appeal for Sean Connery's final apperance as James Bond. The film also showcases memorable action sequences with a more spunky heroine in Jill St. John.

THE ASSIGNMENT: M introduces Bond to the problems of diamond smuggling. Despite apparent air-tight security at South Africa's diamonds mines, a large quantity has recently gone missing. Even more alarming than the larceny is that none of the stolen jewels have found their way on to the world market. Bond is sent off to discover who is stockpiling the diamonds, and why. He begins by impersonating smuggler Peter Franks, and ends up in Las Vegas - and to his shock face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld! Blofeld has devised another way to hold the world at ransom - a giant laserbeam generator suspended in orbit around the Earth which uses diamonds to intensify its' energy to the point where it can cause rockets, missiles, and submarines to simply self-detonate. Blofeld is effectively conducting an international auction with nuclear supremacy going to the highest bidder. Who better than 007?

THE VILLAINS: Charles Gray as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Joseph Furst as Professor Metz, and Putter Smith and Bruce Glover as the whimsical homosexuals Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

For all of its conventional plotting about an obsessive-compulsive curmudgeon (Jack Nicholson) who improves his personality at the urging of his gay neighbor (Greg Kinnear) and a waitress (Helen Hunt) who inspires his best behavior, this is one of the sharpest Hollywood comedies of the 1990s. Nicholson could play his role in his sleep (the Oscar he won should have gone to Robert Duvall for The Apostle), but his mischievous persona is precisely necessary to give heart to his seemingly heartless character, who is of all things a successful romance novelist. As a single mom with a chronically asthmatic young son, Hunt gives the film its conscience and integrity (along with plenty of wry humor), and she also won an Oscar for her wonderful performance. Greg Kinnear had to settle for an Oscar nomination (while cowriter-director James L. Brooks was inexplicably snubbed by Oscar that year), but his work was also singled out in the film's near-unanimous chorus of critical praise. It's questionable whether a romance between Hunt and the much older Nicholson is entirely believable, but this movie's smart enough--and charmingly funny enough--to make it seem endearingly possible. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (226)

Jack, Melvin; Melvin, Jack
Perhaps the most overrated film of the 90s, "As Good As It Gets" is still a quality movie about a man who is mean and surly seemingly for no other reason than because he is supposed to be. Jack Nicholson plays the obsessive-compulsive romance novelist Melvin Udall. Melvin lives across the hall, in a nice New York apartment building, from gay artist Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear). Melvin also develops a crush on single mom waitress Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt) who has a perpetually sick child named Spencer (Jesse James).

Melvin is moved to be human by the trials he witnesses Simon and Carol experiencing. While he is never able to be entirely decent, Melvin thaws a few degrees by the end of the film to the point where he can maintain a normal relationship with two people who he, by all appearances, should despise.

And they all lived happily ever after. Sorry I couldn't help throwing that in there.

"As Good As It Gets" does have its strong points; but, it is plagued by one enormous problem that has a tendency to afflict these types of films: its own sense of self-righteousness. The movie practically points an accusatory finger at the viewer as if to say, "You little people probably hate the kind of people you see in this film and we're going to show you why you're wrong".

This film is also harmed by the overacting of Helen Hunt. I never understood the Helen Hunt buzz that went crazy in the late 90s. She always seemed to be someone who was in the right place at the right time and was not much better than an above average actress.

Of course the true saving grace of the film is Nicholson. Melvin Udall is the Nicholson character who I think he most likely is when the cameras are turned off. Not the OCD aspect to Melvin but the relentless disgust for other people. This is not necessarily a bad trait in a movie star.

This film is very similar to another film starring Helen Hunt called "Pay It Forward". If you can get over the 'holier than thou' attitude of either film, they're not that bad.

A BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.
It seems like year after year after year I am consistently disappointed with the films and actors chosen for Academy Award nominations. I usually don't even bother to watch the awards show because it's very rare that there is anyone I really want to win. 1998 was one of those rare exceptions...and it was because of this movie.

There is something about Helen Hunt that fascinates me. Not only is she able to display believable emotions but more importantly she always comes across as someone whom the viewer truly, deeply cares about. I am not embarrassed to admit that I cried on more than one occasion during this film. It was at times heartbreaking to watch her character suffer through so many difficult situations.

"As Good As It Gets" features the talents of Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Greg Kinnear and the underrated Shirley Knight. There is, of course, a plot to the film but it seems secondary to what this movie really is about...human interaction. Jack Nicholson plays Melvin, a completely neurotic person who won't step on cracks in the sidewalk and actually brings his own silverware to the only restaurant he'll eat at. Helen Hunt plays Carol, a waitress with whom Melvin becomes quite smitten with. Simon (Greg Kinnear) is a gay tenant in Melvin's building and Kevin (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is his lover.

Circumstances come about which send Melvin, Carol and Simon on a road trip to remember. I would usually go more into detail about the plot mechanics but they seem almost trivial in a movie of this caliber. The true enjoyment is watching some of the finest actors of our time doing what they do best. You really want to see these characters find true happiness. If you are one of the few people who have yet to see this film then please, please go out and rent it...or better yet, buy a copy. You'll be crying with Helen Hunt, laughing hysterically at Jack Nicholson's antics and will feel amazingly fulfilled when the beautiful ending rolls around. "As Good As It Gets" is a modern classic.

pretty boring........yup........boring........(snore)
I watched this movie twice. Both times it sucked. I thought maybe if I watched it a second time, I would have better luck, but no. The first time I wanted to watch this movie bc I thought it was about the dog (who I could spoil all day!!!!). I don't even think it played too much of a role in that movie. There are a couple things I liked about this movie. Jack Nicholson's acting was nothing less than supurb. The dog was the best thing in the movie. I also liked the one line of the movie (as said in the title) 'What if this as good as it gets?'it was a shock of realism there and i liked that. Also, I loved the gay guy. He was...eh.....kinda funny..... I had to sit through everything else. If all that u wanta see Jack Nicholson in 'one of his best preformances' than u should get this movie. If not, don't waste good money on it.

"Come on in, and try not to ruin everything by being you."
AS GOOD AS IT GETS is...
...a beautiful character study.
...an Oscar-garnering comedy of 1997.
...one of the greatest comedies of not only the 90s, but perhaps of all time.
...sharp, witty, and satirical with praise-worthy performances from all cast members.

Jack Nicolson plays Melvin Udall, a middle-aged writer with obsessive-compulsive disorder and a heart of stone (or what you may first think). Melvin is bigoted, cranky, moody, and often times outright nasty. His morning routine consists of things done in methodical order, immaculate routines. One of these rituals includes his daily breakfast at the local diner, served by the one and only waitress who will tolerate him and his odd demands.

Her name is Carol Connelly and she's a single mother to an asthmatic young son. Hospital bills, as well as life's other expenses, have skyrocketed. Carol is having difficulty making ends meet and struggles on a daily basis. She temporarily leaves work to take care of her child.

Therefore, Melvin can't eat his breakfast.

Greg Kinnear plays Simon Bishop, Melvin's out-and-proud gay neighbor. When he's brutally beaten and left for dead, his trusty little pup is left in Melvin's care, despite the fact that the two men despise each other. Melvin's new babysitting job, along with Carol's absence from the diner, means that life is changing - and for the worst, he believes. Melvin's ordered, hermetic world is falling apart due to these conflicts.

These three entirely different people form a friendship and are soon able to see "the sunny side" of life, so to speak, due to the weaving and intersecting of their lives with each other's.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS is an enlightening comedy that the majority of critics agreed with. It is not a typical screwball comedy; it is instead a thought-provoking, earnest look at the lives of 3 people who at first seem to face normal hardships and tribulations. But, as this film progresses, we find that the characters, played by each of the actors with such grace and such astounding skill, are anything but ordinary. This fine film deserved every bit of praise it received from the critics and audiences alike. I've watched it countless times and it never grows tedious or boring, even when I memorize the dialogue.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS is one of those scarce treasures that finds the perfect and ideally comfortable balance between seriousness and humor. The realness of Melvin, Simon, and Carol is something almost undeniable. What can I say? I love it.

you should be made to touch my pubic hair
the part in the resteraunt where jack tells the adjacent table that they should be made to touch his pubic hair.........jack, baby, your beautiful ... Read more

Reviews (6)

James Bond, as written by Jules Verne
In Science Fiction Fandom this type of tale is called "steampunk", a term derived from "cyberpunk" and not entirely appropreate. Cyberpunk tends to be depressing, while steampunk is usually a romp. "The Wild Wild West" television show was steampunk (so was the movie, but who wants to remember THAT thing?). So were "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". Where does "The Assassination Bureau" fit on this list? Well toward the top, of not at the very peak. The story is VERY loosely based on a peculiar short story of the same name by Jack London (lots of period Radical Politics, very little charm, and no Diana Rigg). Taking that as its starting point the film romps through double dealing in Edwardian London, rascality and raids in a period Parisian bordello, skullduggary and poisoning in Venice, the assassination of Benny Hill (in a bit part as a minor Balkan Prince), and ends with a duel and a bang.

Previously available only (so far as I know) on an EP videotape. A widescrean DVD almost HAS to represent an improvement. Is it greedy of me to hope that some commentary (by Rigg, perhaps) will be included? Probably.

In any case; one hell of a romp.

When spies were way cool!!!
Back in the pop culture-friendly 60's, the spy game flourished on the big screen. During that decade, one could take his/her pick of the adventures of James Bond, Derrick Flint, or Matt Helm. Even on the television, there was "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.", "Honey West" (a private eye), "Amos Burke" (Gene Barry's former police chief turned secret agent), two classics starring Patrick McGoohan ("Secret Agent" and "The Prisoner"), "The Wild, Wild West", and the comic parody, "Get Smart".

This was also the time of the big-budgeted "chase" flick. Movies like "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World", "The Great Race", and "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines".

Well, "The Assassination Bureau" has a little bit of them all: tongue-in-cheek humor; a casting coup with "The Avengers" Diana Rigg and Oliver Reed, fresh from "Women in Love"; a pre-"Kojak" Telly Savalas (who had also been featured in the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", along with Rigg); a rollicking score; and nifty special effects, especially the concluding battle on the airship.

In the words of that great statesman Austin Powers, "It's groovy, baby!"

"Surrender is no defeat--for a woman."
The film "The Assassination Bureau" is based on the novel by Jack London. It's a spoof of the action-adventure yarn, laced with gentle comedy--a period piece set in the early 1900s. The heroine, Miss Winter (Diana Rigg) is a prim-and-proper newspaper reporter who develops a theory that all of the seemingly random world-wide killings committed by anarchists are actually crimes conducted under contract by a group of hired assassins operating as The Assassination Bureau.

Miss Winter's theory interests Lord Bostwick (Telly Savalas), the owner of a large London newspaper, and he agrees to publish Miss Winter's story when she announces her intention of destroying the bureau by contracting the death of the bureau's organizer, Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed). After infiltrating the Assassination Bureau, Miss Winter offers the contract to Dragomiloff, and he, curiously enough, accepts. By accepting the contract, he hopes to test the efficiency of his operatives, and so, a game of cat and mouse ensues as Dragomiloff travels throughout Europe trying to assassinate his operatives before they [do away with] him.

This fast moving film takes Dragomiloff and Miss Winters to France, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland as they assassinate their way across Europe. Operatives include Phillipe Noiret as Monsieur Lucoville--puritanical crusader at home, and bordello owner by night, and Curt Jurgens stars as the splendid but crazed swordsman General von Pinck. Warren Mitchell (Alf Garnett of Till Death Do Us Part fame) plays Herr Weiss--the rather nervous Swiss assassin.

The sets are marvellous, and the romantic sparks between Diana Rigg and Oliver Reed ignite the screen. They are a wonderful contrast to one another--Rigg is the suffragette who hopes that her career as a newspaperwoman will strike a great blow for women everywhere. Reed as Dragomiloff cuts a powerful, potent figure, and even Miss Winter can't resist his charms. Their on-screen chemistry is quite powerful. This film is a smooth, pleasant, entertaining diversion and is reminiscent of films such as "The Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines," and "The Great Race"--displacedhuman

very droll - fast paced and witty
Lively and quick-witted humor make this a really fun little movie to watch. I'll refrain from discussing the plot or scenes, because the less you know about it before watching, the better.

Oliver Reed, in a departure from the dark and menacing roles we usually see, is charming and debonair in this rather zany comedy. Diana Rigg is delightful (surely a little over-acting can be forgiven in a comedy?), and Telly Selvas surprisingly light touch is just right for his role.

The pace drops off a bit in the second half, and the comedy becomes broader and less subtle (yes, even slapstick as noted by another reviewer).

Still, taken as a whole, it's a clever, funny movie and very enjoyable.

The Assassination Bureau, Limited
I loved this movie as a boy thirty years ago and approached the video with some fear: would it be as enjoyable as I remembered it? No need to worry. The adult cringed a little at the pan-and-scan print, the crude editing, the overdone '60s shenanigans, and the incessant theme music. But the boy was as happy as ever. "The Assassination Bureau" is clever and witty, and the actors are clearly having a great time. Oliver Reed, normally a bit of a sourpuss, actually performs with humor and style for once. But the movie's greatest asset is Diana Rigg, the first actress I ever had a crush on. Maybe if you're a Baby Boomer like me, she'll always be the one for you. In this movie, as in the great neglected James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," she is droll and sexy and somehow very moving, and in both she has a particularly funny rapport with villain Telly Savalas, barely containing her disgust for him. All in all, highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Powerful, though altered, version of the play
Tennessee William's play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", was considered so controversial that its Broadway producers forced the playwright to alter the third act. Either in spite of or because of the changes, the play was a huge hit. Even with the changes, it had to be further watered down for Hollywood's 1958 movie version. Once more, it was a boxoffice smash. It went on to garner six Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Elizabeth Taylor and Best Actor for Paul Newman. Despite the industry's timidity back then, the movie was a searing, powerful drama about a family in crisis. That it remains so to this day, despite massive changes in social values and mores over the years, is a credit to its brilliant cast and to its director, Richard Brooks.

Brick and Maggie [Newman and Taylor] have come to his father's big plantation in Mississippi to celebrate the old man's 65th birthday. Everyone calls him Big Daddy, and as portrayed by Burl Ives, he truly is a larger than life figure. Brick's brother, Gooper [Jack Carson], his wife, Mae [Madeleine Sherwood], and their five 'little no-neck monsters" are also there. Big Daddy has just returned from several weeks at a clinic where he was treated for cancer. He thinks he is cured, but the doctors have lied to him. He's unlikely to see his next birthday. Rivalry and intrigue abound among the siblings and their families as everyone fights over who will take over the plantation. Brick has major problems of his own. The former star athlete drinks too much, refuses the advances and affection of the gorgeous and calculating Maggie because he blames her for his best friend's suicide, and is bitter about his father, who doesn't seem to love him or anyone else. Brick is also hobbling around on crutches, having recently tripped while trying to leap a hurdle one drunken night. Through all the bickering and fighting, his mother, Big Mama [Judith Anderson], tries desperately to hold onto whatever happiness and dignity the family still possesses. But a storm of confrontations is brewing, and she's powerless to stop it.

The 'shocking' element that was changed was the revelation that Brick and his friend had been lovers and that Maggie's 'crime' was her attempt to eliminate her rival. This was changed to the friend's killing himself because he was weak. I think when you know this, you can easily see what is going on underneath the surface between Brick and Maggie. It also makes the characters more understandable and believable. Their constant fighting makes more sense. The story becomes about more than greed, power, money and land. It becomes about the power of the human heart.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is highly recommended, script changes notwithstanding.

Every line filled with tension, and the acting is wondeful!
This adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play was nominated for six academy awards in 1959. It stars Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie, rejected over and over by her alcoholic husband, Brick, played by Paul Newman. His father, Big Daddy, played by Burl Ives, has just returned to his Mississippi mansion after exploratory surgery. There's bitter rivalry in the family as they speculate about his death. Jack Carson plays the older son, who, with his pregnant wife, played by Madeline Sherwood and their five obnoxious children are determined to inherit Big Daddy's fortune. But Big Daddy despises him, as he does his own wife of 40 years, Big Mama, played by Judith Anderson.

As this film was originally a play, most of it is sharp and cutting dialogue, every line filled with tension and double meanings. Close-ups reveal the artistry of the actors, all of whom are excellent. I especially liked Burl Ives, whose performance called for a wide range of emotions, showing his vulnerability as well as his strength. And as the characters battled with each other, the story, which I understand was rewritten to fall within the guidelines of 1950s censors, slowly revealed itself. Some critics say this ruined this movie adaptation. I can't comment on that because I though the story was great. Most of the film takes place inside a house and there's almost no physical action. Not necessary. The dialog does it all. And it does it well. Recommended.

Humanity at it's best...
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is a spectacular visual masterpiece about the human spirit.
Every character has three dimensions, and every line is perfectly written and delivered. Credit is needed for the original playright(although I am aware the plot was altered to please the strict critics of the time), who along with the screenplay writers are as important as the actors.
Speaking of actors, Liz Taylor, Burl Ives and Paul Newman were all flawless in their roles. They were human, and as a painting they were more real than reality. My opinions of the characters changed continually throughout the film. It was as if you were peeling away the skin layer by layer to find the truth. Annoyance turned into hate, hate turned into compassion.
The most important element of this film was feelings;emotions the players have, and have to deal with. As well as how you feel about them, and their situations.

Superb
Acting doesn't come any better than this. Newman and Taylor have such chemistry its unbelievable, and although the movie may drag in certain parts, overall it is a great character study.
Taylor is heartbreaking as the sexually deprived wife as Newman, a hardened man who suspects his wife of infidelity. Once again the theme of homosexuality is present ( as it is in all of Williams' plays), but in the movie it is thankfully downplayed and subtle. The definitive film version of the play, whose highlights are pretty much every scene in which Maggie and Brick are alone in their room bickering.

MEEEOOOOW!
"Cat on the Hot Tin Roof"
Has so much tension, one can't cut it with a machete... Just another very dysfunctional family, which Tennessee Williams writes so brilliantly.

You have Maggie (the cat) The only character in the extended family who is 'Normal' The only one who seems to be keeping the family from killing one another. Liz, of course plays her beautifully, superbly, very sexy as 'The Cat'

(Brick) Paul Newman plays her husband...A drunk with many devils he needs to let out, such as why he will not sleep with Maggie, why won't he stop thinking about his foot-ball buddy who killed himself. The viewer will wonder if his has other preferences... Because who wouldn't sleep with (The Cat)??

Big Daddy...played by Burl Ives... The GOD of the family, the one with all the money, Power, the one who's dying. (Excellent performance)

(Goober) Brick's brother and his wife wait impatiently for Big Daddy's fortune. The wife is appalling enough to make one sick. Continually taunting Maggie about not having children, having a bad marriage, not controlling Brick. Her kids run around the house like little, foul animals.

This family is a disaster waiting to happen...The pressure cooker is on high, baby, and when she blows
Watch out...All hell will break loose all over the place.

They don't make um' like this anymore.

MEEEEOOOOOW! ... Read more

Description

Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, this magical comedy earned overwhelming acclaim nationwide! A painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris cafe, Amelie makes a surprising discovery and sees her life drastically changed for the better! From then on, Amelie dedicates herself to helping others find happiness ... in the most delightfully unexpected way! But will she have the courage to do for herself what she has done for others? ... Read more

Reviews (807)

A heart-shaped French delicacy!!!
Amelie is a rare delight. The title character is a painfully shy loner who discovers a small box filled with a little boy's keepsakes. She seeks the rightful owner of the box. The charm of this film is that Amelie wants to perform her little miracles, hiding in the shadows, with no recognition for herself. The characters in this piece are fascinating, each one reflecting back a facet of Amelie's personality. In the end, Amelie's compassion ends up being her own salvation - and that is what makes the film so much of a joy to watch. Hollywood has pretty much exchanged emotion and subtlety for rudeness, crudeness, and over processed digital special effects. Like a good French wine, this motion picture is an experience to be savored - not devoured. Amelie has a look and feel that stands out from anything I've seen in recent years. So many modern films are filtered with a grayish or orange tint, which tricks the viewer's eye into thinking it is watching a stark, gritty documentary. Steven Soderbergh seems to be the reigning master of this technique. Amelie by contrast, with it's deep reds and fluorescent and forest greens accented by cobalt blues and electric yellows, transports you to a world full of magic and hope. The effect is enchanting.

The DVD package is complete with commentaries and documentaries on the making of the film. These added features make it clear that this film was carefully planned by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, much like "The Sixth Sense." Shots were storyboarded, set up, and orchestrated months in advance. And any extra footage of Audrey Tautou is always welcome in my home. A blend of the beauty and grace of Audrey Hepburn, the humor and physical skill of Charlie Chaplin, and the vulnerability of early Winona Ryder, and the sultry elegance of a sixties European model. Her method of using her eyes, facial expression, and body language (relying less on verbal expression) to create a character is what helps makes Amelie transcend language barriers.

I was a little disappointed there wasn't a version with dubbed English, but after 15 minutes or so, I didn't even notice that I was reading subtitles. There were more than quite a few belly laugh moments, and it became very apparent that this is one of those rare films that is so good it completely transcends culture, language - the universal message is "The good you do for others returns - especially when you don't expect it to." A French delicacy. I just hope we get to sample more of Jeunet, Tautou, and the rest of this team's products soon. Thanks, Miramax.

A Mainstream Hit Dipped In Euro-Sauciness!
The lack of any decent films from the English lingo countries of England and America has given rise to an increase in recognition of some of the finer foreign language exploits into cinema. Earlier this year we had "Amores Perros", and in England we had Japanese shock-fests "Audition" and "Battle Royale" (the latter has to be seen to be believed). The most successful foreign language film this year, bar "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" obviously, was this French trifle that whilst appealing to the fickle tastes of mainstream audiences superbly serves up its romantic hokiness in a touching and cute way. Over-hyped, to be sure, but not without its pleasures.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "The City Of Lost Children", which he co-directed with Marc Caro, bears the most resemblance to the look of "Amelie", which looks different to any other film this year with all of its rich, antique-looking cinematography as well as its inclusion of several effects shots that help to render Paris as paradise on Earth. Visual coups include Amelie herself collapsing to the ground as a puddle of water and the titular garden gnome that travels the world much to the chagrin of its owner, Amelie's father. Everything smacks of resplendence in this movie and no cinematic trick is left not utilised.

In all respects, "Amelie" is likely to play better in America than it should in Europe, where its cute benevolence will be welcomed by many, especially after September 11. If you are one of those people who can't help but giggle as bug-eyed little girls stare into the camera with a cheeky smile, then this film is for you (indeed, Audrey Tautou is bug-eyed, cheeky and very good in the title role). If you are like those who criticised "Amelie" for its lack of interracial characters, then don't bother: this beguiling trifle is a fantasy, pure and simple, like "Amelie" herself.

Green and Red beauty and smiles
A beautiful movie about a simple, and pretty weird girl. Pay particular attention to the beautiful color selection and Audrey Tautou's flawless acting. Amelie is the feel-good movie of our times and is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face.

really, what's so great about this?
Its quirky and pretty and all, but then it turns into a typical love story in the end. Dissapointing, I would rather it be a film where she makes everyones lives nicer, and this importance isn't placed on her Only Being Happy If She Gets The Guy. The actress is really pretty, there are nice scenes and ideas, parts are funny, but I don't understand why it has this cult status.

Lithe and awake.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes a welcome return to his home country after the loud but pedestrian 'Alien Resurrection'. In 'Amelie' Jeunet seems to have taken as much influence from Danny Boyle as Francois Truffaut. The accelerated jump-cuts, tracking shots and zooms all make for high-octane energy even if most of it is artifically created. Although 'Amelie' herself is almost too twee to identify with, many of the other characters' faces simmer with restrained intensity (increasingly becoming a Jeunet trademark.) The acting is above average (exception being the always good Domnique Pinon), but it's the quality of the storytelling that shines. Trust the French to be able to remind us that cinema is still relevant in it's second century, that evocative minor epiphinies such as running your hand through grain or the sights and sounds of a market are not just the preserve of the written word but can actually be rendered on screen (and still find an audience!). Through imaginative editing, camerawork and a little help from CGI, Jeunet's film packs in more incident and wonder than most of today's novels are capable of producing. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Flynn in Excellent Drama of WWI Aviators...
THE DAWN PATROL, Errol Flynn's final film of his busiest year as an actor (1938), is a fascinating counterpoint to his usual swashbuckling and light comic roles. A remake of Howard Hawks' 1930 classic, this is a tale of war-weary WWI aviators, called upon to risk their lives daily, in broken-down aircraft, on missions they consider impossible (a timeless war theme that would reappear in such WWII classics as COMMAND DECISION and TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH). Directed by WWI veteran Edmund Goulding, best known for his big-budget romances (GRAND HOTEL), the film counterpoints the gritty, harsh realities on the ground with the nearly surreal quality of early air battles, as bi-planes with open cockpits whirl and swoop like insects, and enemy airmen would occasionally drop out possessions of dead pilots over airfields, in a chivalrous gesture.

Fellow pilots Courtney and Scott (portrayed by real-life friends Flynn and David Niven, again showing the rapport they had demonstrated so effectively in 1936's THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE) are battle-tested veterans, hell-raising survivors of a squadron decimated by the war. Seeing a constant influx of 'green' kids replacing lost friends, and knowing too well that the rookies' inexperience will quickly cost them their lives, the pair vent their anger against their commander, the coldly 'by-the-book' Maj. Brand (in a remarkable performance by frequent Flynn nemesis, Basil Rathbone). Courtney constantly condemns and belittles Maj. Brand, accusing him of placing 'The Mission' over the lives of the men under his command, which makes Courtney a hero in the eyes of the fliers.

Finally, Brand cracks, and is approved for reassignment, and Courtney is chosen to replace him. In a powerful scene, Brand lets his cold 'facade' down, and reveals, bitterly, to the younger man that seeing his men sent on suicide missions, daily, had literally crushed him. Unknown to the squadron, Brand had constantly begged HQ to ease up, but had been 'shot down' each time, as the missions were essential. "Now it's YOUR turn," Brand sneers, "See how YOU enjoy it!"

Brand's words are prophetic, as Courtney quickly discovers himself in the same situation, as the despised scapegoat, with Scott assuming the role of spokesperson and savior to the squadron. And the most dangerous mission yet has just come down from HQ...

DAWN PATROL is a powerful film, with great performances from the entire cast, particularly Flynn, who had often begged the WB to give him roles beyond his 'swashbuckler' image. The critical praise it garnered proved Flynn's versatility as an actor (although public demand would keep him 'locked' into adventure films), and raised David Niven up to 'star' status.

It remains one of the BEST films about the 'Great War', and shouldn't be missed!

A play that is neatly turned into a great film
The Dawn Patrol is a good film. It appears to be based on a play as most of the real action takes place in the barracks of an air corp in France during the first world war. Basil Rathbone is the commander who sends untrained boys off to the death in hopeless battles. Flynn and Niven play more senior officers who try to kep them alive amid the slaughter.

Despite its morose sounding material, it has many funny incidents. Flynn and Niven play airman who face death at any day and enjoy each moment of life. The film reaches a climax when Rathbone is promoted and Flynn is given command and friction erupts between him and Niven as they send more young boys to the their death.

The resolution is implausible and contains some of the most ludicrous bombing scenes imaginable. But the action scenes are really window dressing for the action below. A fine film that would be a precursor for Command Decision and Twelve O'Clock High. The film Aces High also owes a great deal to this film.

A fantastic story on the futuility of warfare
There have been many films made about the nature of warfare, about its futility, and about the effects that it can have a on a person. But this has to be one of the greatest.

Strangely, what I love most about this movie is what it has in common with one of my favorite westerns, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". You may wonder what these two movies could possibly have in common. Well...

In "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", there's a part toward the end of the movie where we see that the North and South are fighting over a bridge. Every day, the same thing. Both sides rush it, many die, and then both sides retreat. It never ends. Like some sort of twisted warrior's hell, people are doomed to suffer and die. For nothing. That was a great movie because of that part. Now imagine an entire movie about that one battle. That's just what "The Dawn Patrol" is.

Errol Flynn and his best friend David Niven are in the middle of a seemingly endless war, fought in their case with planes over the same stretches of land. Again and again they fly out on their patrol. Again and again young innocent men die. For a strip of land. For nothing.

And because they must continually fight these battles, they eventually lose all their fear. It all becomes quite unreal. They start fooling around and having fun on their missions, showing off. In short, viewing it like it's just a job they have to do, nothing more. And Errol Flynn excels at playing a ruffian who cares for nothing. But then...

The commander of the base (played to perfection by Basil Rathbone) where he and his friend live gets promoted because of a stunt he pulled. And guess who gets to fill his hellish job of sending young fools to a quick, painful death. When the stress starts to build, and circumstances pit our hero against his best friend, and when honor forces him to do what he feels is right no matter what the cost...

This movie is truly the finest hour of Errol Flynn, David Niven, and Basil Rathbone combines. All shine in this movie. It's great suspense, great drama and great film-making. If you love war movies, or just good movies in general, BUY THIS MOVIE.

A WONDERFUL VEHICLE FOR ERROL FLYNN.
The performances of Flynn and Rathbone shine in this fine remake of the 193O original - which conveniently used much of the same aerial footage. Major Brand (Basil Rathbone), the commanding officer of a squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps stationed in France, has been called a butcher by his top officer, Captain Courtney (Errol Flynn) - because of his hardened attitude toward sending inexperienced young flyers to their death. Courtney and his best friend, Lieutenant Scott (David Niven), have their own way of coping with the constant death of new recruits; they drink a toast to the dead, sing a song, and then go back to devising diverting, thrill-seeking pranks...It has been implied that Howard Hughes sued Warner Bros. claiming that certain story ideas and techniques which were used in this film were curiously similar to some of those used in his 193O production HELL'S ANGELS. Hughes lost the suit when it was determined that the disputed ideas originated with John Monk Saunders via his personal experiences in the air service: it WAS the basis for the first AA-winning film, the 1927 silent WINGS. In 1941, Warners blended aspects of their 1936 film CEILING ZERO and this one & came up with FLIGHT PATROL (!). Among the musical numbers which are heard in this vastly entertaining film include such vintage goodies as PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES IN AN OLD KIT BAG & POOR BUTTERFLY.

Forget "Top Gun"... here's the best aviator film ever made
An outstanding, and rather bleak, war movie, featuring Errol Flynn and David Niven as two dashing but harrowed, hard-drinking WWI fighter pilots, whose front-line unit is a constant revolving door of fresh-faced "replacements," new cadets who lack the basic skills to keep them alive for even a day or two, against the seasoned German pilots based only miles away. Basil Rathbone plays the British base's high-strung commanding officer, who feels every death as a personal blow -- following heartless orders, he sends boy after boy to an inevitable death. The worm turns when his promotion comes in, elevating the hotheaded and resentful Flynn to his position as commander, and Flynn's grief takes on an added dimension, as he becomes the one responsible for issuing the orders that transform eager young men into mere cannon fodder. The film is a typical interwar mix of pacifist-tinged pessimism and old-world chivalry: the men are gallant and brave, but resentful of the higher-ups who created and orchestrate the wars they have to fight in. The script is fascinating, with the action of the first half taking place entirely on the base. Rather than see the aerial combat, we see the psychological after-effects of the heavy personnel losses. When we do see combat, it is deflationary, either a framework for tragedy or a curse disguised as a giddy triumph. It's also well presented: the feel of the ungainly, canvas-clad prop planes that men went to war in is made palpable, as the ricketty machines bounce along the runway and sputter to life in the skies. A very good film, definitely worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hawaiian fun with legendary characters Ma and Pa kettle
I always find the Ma and Pa Kettle films alot of fun to watch and although they could be dismissed by some people as a "guilty pleasure" I feel there is alot to enjoy in the old fashioned comedy that was their special charm. Alot of their appeal for me results from the wonderful playing of veterans Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride in their immortal roles of the wacky Ma and Pa Kettle. It's obvious that never once in all their films as the Kettles did these two actors ever loose respect for the characters they were playing which I feel explains their enduring popularity with audiences.

"Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki" came late in the hugely successful run of Kettle films and rather sadly marked the last appearance by Percy Kilbride as Pa. He retired due to ill health after this film and died soon after. Certainly this film's story lacks some of the freshness of the earlier installments but it is still very enjoyable with Ma's trademark raw voice and down home outlook combining beautifully with Pa's lazy, dont give a care view on life.

"Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki" finds Ma and Pa along with eldest daughter Rosie (played by beautiful starlet Lori Nelson), answering an urgent call from cousin Rodney kettle to come to Hawaii to help out with the operation of his Pineapple Canning factory while he recovers from a medical condition brought on by stress from his failing business. It seems Pa in his letters has boasted to Rodney about his great business acumen and Rodney feels some of Pa's obvious "genius" might help his ailing business. What develops is a typical Kettle misadventure where Pa through a series of mistakes like causing an explosion and bringing his new fangled music player into the workplace actually improves productivity and business practice in the factory. Ma meanwhile has her hands full trying to cope with the wives of Rodney Kettle's business associates. It is in these scenes that Marjorie Main really comes into her own. A veteran of so many classic films like "Dead End", "Susan and God", "A Woman's Face", and "Meet Me in St. Louis" Main is hilarious adapting herself to the fancy living and refined tastes of the ladies forced to invite her for an afternoon tea. Mabel Albertson, still best known as one of the interfering mother-in-laws on the classic 60's comedy series "Bewitched" excells as the bitchy and snobbish Mrs Andrews who has the misfortune to encounter the Kettle's on the boat to Hawaii (ending up in the swimming pool fully clothed for her troubles!!) and then finds herself having to play host to Ma at one of her afternoon soiree's. The highly unlikely proceedings result in "business wizard" Pa Kettle being kidnapped by Rodney's creditors who are anxious to take over the operation of the factory. It's interesting to see a very young Russell Johnson pre "Gilligan's Island" in the role of a hired thug determined to get rid of Pa. The scenes of Ma's "rescue" of Pa where she does everything from paddle an Hawaiian fishing boat to organising a coconut bombardment of Pa's captors is very funny and carried off in Marjorie Main's unique style. Its very amusing to see the Hawaiian family who help Ma with the rescue are a carbon copy of the Kettles with the Hawaiian Pa exactly like Pa in character and Hawaiian Ma the same as Ma together with 15 children of their own!

"Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki" might not be straight out of the pages of Oscar Wilde but it is a unique opportunity to see two seasoned performers in roles that absolutely suited them to a tee. Alot of the humour might seem very familiar to those of us used to TV sitcoms however one has to remember that the Kettles came first and influenced humour in the decade to come as seen in such hugely successful TV series as "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres". Marjorie Main in particular is wonderful as Ma and I still feel she never received the recognition she deserved for her acting. Enjoy the laid back charm one last time of the movies most famous country bumkins Ma and Pa kettle when they travel to Hawaii.

If you are a Kettle fan don't miss seeing Waikiki.
Ma and Pa Kettle in Waikiki is a rib tickler of a comedy. You'll laugh and roll as this down to earth family finds themselves in Hawaii. By shere mistake and accident Pa blunders his way to the top of his cousin's pineapple business. His goofs turn out to be incredibly beneficial and helpful to Rodney Kettle. You won't be sorry buying this video. If you don't like it, something is wrong in your humor zone. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Georgia verisimilitude
This a a sweet and tender little movie that conveys a tangible sense of what WWII-era rural Georgia may have been like geographically, culturally, and emotionally with regard to the war. I viewed it recently for a third time over about a ten year period, and it still came across well.

The character of the young German soldier is a bit fanciful (hard to believe a POW would have been that "ideal,") but the troubled young lady yearning for a friend in the face of an impossible father comes across well. Dad is an ogre. Mom is a wimp. The black maid is a small heroine.

All in all, worth a look.

really sad and dramatic(spoilers warning!)
This is a really nice movie even though i saw it in black and white i thought it was interesting.And the part where patty's father beats on her is really sad.Its not as good as the book though,they took out some characters and some parts like at the end she didnt go to the camp for bad girls or whatever like she did in the book.But i think you'll enjoy it anyhow!

Classic film about racism
The main character pulls at your heart strings from the very beginning. Patty longs to have a friend. Someone who really likes her, maybe even love her. By rescuing the escaping soldier, she learns more about the world, other people, her family, friends, and herself. I saw this movie when it first aired, and have never forgotten it. I wish they would air it again. Although this film was set during WWII, I think young people today could still learn that not all is what it seems, and that we have to love our selves first before another can. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Lost Highway is more than just a movie...
...it's art. This film is abstract and there is no easy to follow storyline. The many scenes are highly detailed, intellectually stimulating, and exciting. The costumes, scenery, and soundtrack evoke all kinds of emotion.

The characters are very unique and memorable: Robert Blake as the white-faced bizarre "Mystery Man," Robert Loggia as the powerful, crazy "Mr. Eddy," and Bill Pullman as the tormented and confused "Fred Madison."

The music chosen for the film is unbelievable -- the music really makes some of the scenes, such as when the main character, Fred Madison, is playing his saxophone in a night club and the tune he is playing keeps getting crazier, more insane, parallel with his own mental state.

If you're looking for an easy to follow plot with normal run-of-the-mill characters, this is not the movie you're looking for. Lost Highway has a complex, twisting plot and is full of the unordinary and extraordinary.

tightly focussed and very weird
Lynch's film starts in a typically bizarre way. Jazz musician Fred Madison hears a voice on his Beverly hills house intercom, tellign him that one of his acquantiances is dead. When he goes to the door to see who is speakng, he finds a video...of him and his wife, in bad, sleeping, filmed by a stranger with access to their house.

Lynch's film follows Madison as he pursues this bizarre revelation, fearing that his wife, Renee, is having an affair. Then the film-- in Lynch's new signature twsit-- transforms Madison into a young man who works for a Mafiosi, whose wife devlops an interest in this young man.

Lynch's film has been called a Mobius strip, where following one side of it will gradually take you around so the opposite surface, looking at thigns from an entirely different point of view. Here, Lynch uses his transformation device to examine sexual jealousy, transgression, revenge and evil. The film has the usual Lynch hallmarks-- a subtle and perfect musical score (co-writtten with Trent Reznor), languid pacing, oddly comic moments, and a few sections of sheer, gut-wrentching terror. The scene where Madison meets a Devil figure at a cocktail party has to be the weirdest thign ever done in cinema-- Lynch is in the company of Bunuel here.

The film is ulteimately a loop, bringing its iewer back to its beginning. As such, it is an intense, and terrifying experience, but, since its sens of horror stems from its claustrophobic structure, viewers may miss the final sense of transcendence that his earlier Blue Velvet offers. Nevertheless, this is a fine outing from Lynch, and much superior to the throwaway play of Wild At Heart.

Dark Puzzling Nightmare!
The title, Lost Highway, by itself lays ground for cognitive dissonance as Lynch presents a puzzling cinematic journey into a vivid nightmare. In this nightmare the audience is to follow Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) who is coerced through visual hints into jealousy and suspicion as his wife acts peculiarly and mysterious videotapes of his home appear on his door step. The nightmare intensifies as Lynch presents further suggestive indications that Fred's wife, Renee (Patricia Arquette), is having an affair with a friend of hers. However, as soon as the audience feels somewhat comfortable with the story Lynch throws a wrench into the cerebral machinery by adding a new idea. An idea that drives the story in a different direction that generates further confusion as the nightmare snowballs. Lynch tells a bizarre story about envy, love, jealousy, and revenge that reminds more of a painting than a film as the cinematography and mise-en-scene are extremely suggestive. Lastly, the soundtrack is exceptionally well selected as it complements the dark theme of the film and helps to provide a terrific cinematic experience.

sorry david lynch fans...but i must
ill just start out by telling you that i felt very dissapointed with this movie. i had high expectations due to the star cameos, which i must admit that i deeply respect all of them, and a top rate sound track. It just didnt stand up to the hype... at all. It just looked like a B movie the whole way through. The beginning was so boring and drawn out that i could bairly tolerate it. i was VERY tempted to stop the video and return in without rewinding it due to the fact that it was so boring... and i havnt stopped watching a rented movie in years. this one was very close. some of the acting was pretty poor too... like, unfortunatly, ole hank rollins... ive seen him do much better than what he did in lost highway. the only reason i have this film more than one star is the fact that the director did do a good job, dispite the poor quality of the film istelf. as for the story line, i didnt like it at all. i like strange movies, but i just didnt care for this script at all. it did pick up towards the end a bit and i did like the pastey camera character, so that did help get the second star. My main beef with the movie was the lack of backround sounds and music. the film wasnt all that bad during the times when there was some sort of music in the backround.
art? who am i to say. all i am saying is that i didnt really care for this movie and would never suggest it to anyone i know, and they would trust me because they trust my film reviews for the most part. i may not know art, but i know what i like.. and i just didnt care for this. it just, how do you say.. SUCKED! i SAID IT! SO THERE!

LOST
I hate to say it, but I was a bit disappointed with the movie simply because the movie was just too hard to follow. While watching the film I was thinking about Pink Floyd's "The Wall" movie because like "The Wall", "Lost Highway" made no sense to me whatsoever. The only reason I give it 3 stars is because it had one of my favorite actresses in it (Patricia Arquette) with plenty of hot scenes with her. It also featured my favorite hard rock/metal band "Rammstein". I'll have to say the movie lived up to its name for I was LOST throughout it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Get out your handkerchiefs for this four-star weepie, a 1957 remake of the 1939 Love Affair, directed by Leo McCarey, who also made the original. Grant and Kerr are strangers on an ocean liner, involved with other people, but who can't resist each other for a shipboard romance. They decide to test whether this is the real thing by agreeing to split up, then meet in six months atop the Empire State Building. Is there anyone who can resist that setup or the tragic romantic mishap that nearly splits them up? Can you keep dry eyes during the famous finale? Some prefer the original (with Charles Boyer); practically no one liked the underrated 1994 remake with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. While occasionally a shade slow, this one soars on Grant's charm and Kerr's noble suffering. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Finally An Affair To Remember is on DVD
In April of this year I bought this DVD. I love it so much. I remember when I was little and saw it . It brought tears to my eyes. I especially love the special features that are on this DVD. I have always loved The Extremely hansome an Debonair Cary Grant. He is a role model of what Male Actors Should Be.

Cary Grant, and Deborah Kerr meet on a Ocean Cruise well they meet and they fall in love. But one problem They are both already engaged to different people. Well as the Ocean Voyage goes on they get more and more romantic. Well when they get off the boat they make an agreement that 6 Months from that day they would meet at the top of the Empire State Building to see if they still love each other. Well that day comes and Cary Grant is on the top floor. But as Deborah Kerr is running to the Empire State Building she gets ran into by a car and is paralyzed. But at the end Cary Grant finds her and they Kiss and Get Married. Great Movie. The way that all movies are supposed to be.

Better than I anticipated....
"An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr has a lot to offer. I was skeptical when my wife brought this video home for "us" to watch, but I decided to give it an honest try. Once the movie got underway, and the character development started to take place, I became interested. There was more to Grant than a womanizing cad (thought it took a while for him to shake that image in the movie), and Kerr came across as a world-wise, yet innocent (in a sense), former night club singer.

While they are both committed to other people, Grant and Kerr meet and fall in love on a ship cruising from Europe to America.

Some of the dialogue and situations appear to be somewhat contrived, but the acting and story line development stirs true emotion.

This is probably not a movie for the bump and grind Monday Night Football crowd, but it is both watchable and enjoyable. Maybe I was primed to watch it by seeing "Sleepless in Seattle" recently, a movie that my wife and I both enjoy.

Anyway, give this movie a chance...it's somewhat dated, but it's still got something to offer.

Overrated Tearjerker
The first part aboard the boat seems convenient & affected. The bit where she takes him to meet her relative is charming and pretty but pointless. The accident and her subsequent behavior bespeaks of underlying insecurities and purhaps subconcious concerns about his character. I didn't feel particularly sympathetic toward either character and, thus, the reunion doesn't touch me.

One of my favourite movies
While I haven't seen the remake of this film, I have seen the original, and this is by far one of my favourite movies ever. The picture is beautiful, the casting is flawless, and the story timeless. I would recommend this for chick-flick lovers and even those who aren't particularly fond of romantic-comedies.

Practically nobody, huh?
Amazon says "practically nobody" likes the 1994 remake with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, but actually I would prefer that one to this any day. However, if you have to see the original, amazon is where to get it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anne Frank: The Whole Story delivers exactly what it promises: the incredibly moving complete story of Anne Frank, going beyond what the Jewish teenage girl wrote in her widely read diary. Anne, along with her family and friends of her family, hid in a secret annex behind her father's office in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation of Holland. She dutifully kept a diary, which became a worldwide bestseller when her father published it in the 1950s. The story has been adapted for television and movies before, but this version, which played on ABC television, moves beyond what Anne wrote, meeting up with the Frank family before Anne receives her diary, and following her past the diary's last entries into Auschwitz and Birkenau. Hannah Taylor Gordon is a superb Anne, bringing to life the multifaceted girl, in turns intelligent, dreamy, creative, spoiled, and bratty, a girl like any other except that Anne is a Jew in Nazi-occupied Holland. The only one who outshines Gordon is Ben Kingsley as Anne's father, Otto Frank. His quiet performance is extraordinarily powerful; as he watches his family slip away, it is impossible not to feel his grief. This brave film is difficult in parts to watch--the concentration camp scenes are brutal--but this is a remarkable adaptation of Anne's life, and it is a film to be shared and discussed and remembered. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (76)

The queen of diaries
I've studied Anne Frank for a long time but this is what started me to take an interist in Anne Frank. The movie starts from where the nazis take over amsterdam to where otto finds the diary. I never thought that there was so much more to her story then what I already knew. Hannah Taylor Gordon looks exactly like Anne, they couldn't have gotten a better actor if they tried, not to mention someone who writes just like her. Jessica manley did a great job as Margot bu she was kinda of short to be Margot, and hopefully, Margot would have changed her mind about moving to palistien after all the suicide explosions they've been doing to the isralis lately. Ben kingsley looked exactly like otto frank and if I didn't know it was him, I'd say it was Otto Frank. Brenda Blythen loked alot like Mrs. Van Pels and was funny too. Joachim Krol looked a little like r. van pels except the real Mr. v.p. looked alot older. Jan niklas looked a little like Mr. Pfeffer but like Mr. v.p. Mr. p looked alot older. Lili Taylor looked kinda like Miep and sounded austrian just like the real Miep. Rob Das looked alot like Jan gies and was real good at his part. Tatjuna blacher looked a little like Edith and was bossy with anne just like anne discribed her in her diary. It was such a touching movie and I recommend this to anyone who's a big fan of anne frank.

Anne Frank A Truly Touching Miniseries
Anne Frank: The Whole Story is a movie that goes beyond what almost all Holocaust stories do. It is touching to the human spirit and how Anne's soul never gave up until the very end. Hannah Taylor Gordon, who was in Jakob the Liar, turns in a superb performance as the Anne Frank. She is able to show us how Anne reacted to everyday life and the inevitable death of her sister, Margot. Ben Kingsley is amazing as Otto Frank, a quiet subdued man who loved his family and was the only one to survive.
The most extraordinary part of this miniseries is the fact that the story keeps on going after they are taking to the Nazi concentration camp. We are seeing the unthinkable horrors and how fortunate we are to have not been a Jew prisoner in that camp. The pain and suffering of Anne and Margot is so well brought up that we feel sorry for these girls with dreams of the future. It is no wonder that this earned an Emmy nomination.

Superb - only the English language detracts from the realism
I wholeheartedly agree with the majority of reviewers that this is the best account of Anne's life ever made - and one of the best holocaust movies ever made as well.

The acting is top-notch and Hannah Taylor Gordon is a real find -it is amazing how she is able to bring Anne's character to life.

The only thing that could theoretically be improved upon is to do the movie in the language(s) used in the real events - that is, mostly Dutch. As a Dutchman, I may seem prejudiced in favour of my own language but that's not it.

Dutch movies that portray 'international' events or persons almost always use the appropriate language(s) even if that results in a multilingual movie. To me, the story becomes less believable if Dutch and German characters are speaking English to each other, or if they have an unconvincing accent.
The same thing bugged me when I watched "The Discovery Of Heaven", which is also mostly set in the Netherlands.

Anyway, this is all hypothetical because: a) I see that a movie in Dutch would probably not be competitive internationally so it could never be made with a similar budget; and b) that would mean that the great cast used in this movie wouldn't have been in it.

So I'm not really complaining; even if some aspect could theoretically be improved upon (at least according to my personal taste and preferences), it remains, in practice, one of the best ever made in its genre, and a must see for anyone seriously interested in that horrible episode in human history.

Anne Frank - The whole story is wonderful!!!!!
Just like the book in all the ways it explains all the details. This is as close to the book as you can get. The book was just like I visualised it on the DVD. Its a must see!!!!

Great movie!
This movie really put things into perspective. It was very moving and entertaining. I enjoyed it and this movie inspired me to do some reserch on the holocaust and anne frank, and through the movie and the research i have learned a great deal more of this horrible period of time. I enjoyed it and i think many more people will too. ... Read more

Reviews (585)

one of the best comic flicks, since spider-man.
he's faster than a speeding bullet, more poweful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.....no i'm not talking about the guy in the red n blue tights..but green skin with purole pants.

that's right true belivers.THE HULK is nothing short of another marvel masterpiece alongside BLADE, SPIDERMAN and X-MEN
instead of filling the movie with boring dialogue and senseless fight scenes ("can you say MATRIX RELOADED"?) ANG LEE gives a psychological perspective behind marvel's mightiest monster. the origin is surpasses it's comic counterpart..here banner deals with his surpressed anger and confusing regarding a truamatic experince during his childhood.

ergo the result of his alter ego's rage. the special effects are pretty impressive and not the "shrek on steriods" as some naysayers would believe. HULK isn't the sterotypical smash and destroy everything in sight, there's even a breif moment of heroism during the scene over the san francisco bridge.

eric bana does a great job as bruce banner, he even resmebles the mild manner scientist from the comic version and pays more homage to the comic as oppossed to the laughable tv series of the 70's (lou ferigno) all in all a great film and FINALLY co-creator JACK "KING" KIRBY is credited, his name was missing during the xmen movies.

marvel is on a roll next up THE PUNISHER, GHOST RIDER AND DEATHLOK!!!YES!

Too heavy a mood
When an arthouse director like Ang Lee takes the helm of comic pulp fantasy Hulk popularized by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, you are almost sure of a heavy Freudian psychodrama with sense and sensiblity. One can't help also but to admire Lee's vivid use of split screens and panels, textures and colors to furnish a graphic novel. The gargantuan green creature of angst and amazing flying power is magnificently expressive and menacing as he storms through deserts, wrecking helicopters and fighting mutated beasts. Banner (Eric Bana) undergoes mutation agitated by a gamma-ray explosion with earlier experimenting done by his deranged geneticist of a father (Nick Nolte). Jennifer Connelly is his love-interest who helps to cure Banner of his trauma while her father (Sam Elliot) is the general assigned to destroy Banner. It is a moving essay on the dynamics of father-and-child with charged symmetry from Banner and Betty with their parents. The pace of the thrills also get unnecessarily bogged down in the first hour with its emotional cloud. Hulk fortunately regains its momentum with a special-effects extravaganza and draws exceptional performances from Nolte and Connelly that provides Hulk the movie substance and bulk.

Horrible
I saw this movie @ my cousin's and I thought it was gonna be so good. I love comic book movies so I was expecting something excellent. I thought this movie was a waste. It just totally sucked. I wouldn't buy this @ all. If you wanna see