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As with Grease (1978) and Footloose (1984) before it,Dirty Dancing was a cultural phenomenon that now plays more like camp.That very campiness, though, is part of its biggest charm. And if the dancing inthe movie doesn't seem particularly "dirty" by today's standards--or 1987's--itdoes take place in an era (the early '60s) when it would have. Frances "Baby"Houseman (Jennifer Grey, daughter of ageless hoofer Joel Grey) has beenvacationing in the Catskills with her family for many years. Uneventfully. Onesummer, she falls under the sway (as it were) of dance instructor Johnny Castle(Patrick Swayze). Baby is a pampered pup, but Johnny is a man of the world.Baby's father, Jake (Law and Order's Jerry Orbach), can't see the basicdecency in greaser Johnny that she can. It should come as no surprise to findthat Baby, who can be as immature as her name, learns more about love and life--and dancing--from free-spirited Johnny than traditionalist Jake.

Dirty Dancing spawned two successful soundtracks, a short-lived TVseries, and a stage musical. It may be predictable, but Grey and Swayze havechemistry, charisma, and all the right moves. It's a sometimes silly movie withoccasionally mind-boggling dialogue--"No one puts Baby in a corner!"--thatnonetheless carries an underlying message about tolerance and is filled with thekind of exuberant spirit that's hard for even the most cynical to resist. Notthat they'd ever admit it. --Kathy Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (225)

The best movie from the 80s
In Dirty Dancing, Jennifer Grey stars as Frances "Baby" Houseman, a girl who goes on vacation to the Catskills with her father, mother and sister in the summer of 1963. She meets the handsome dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), who works at the lodge where they're staying, and is smitten with him. When she volunteers to fill in for Johnny's dance partner, Baby experiences love and life firsthand from the free-spirited Johnny.

The DVD version of this movie is terrific. The clarity is amazing, the sound is crisp & clear and the bonuses are wonderful. With the bonus features, you get commentary from the movie's creator, a behind-the-scenes featurette (with no audio), the videos for "She's Like the Wind," "I've Had the Time of My Life" & "Hungry Eyes," biographies about the cast & crew (Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Rhodes, Jerry Orbach, Jack Weston, the director, the producer, the writer and the choreographer), a short "Reliving the 60s" documentary, the theatrical trailer and a concert featuring the music from the movie.

If you love Dirty Dancing, I highly recommended getting this DVD. It would be a great addition to add to your collection!

Still superb!
...Dirty Dancing still stands incredibly well proving the point critics made about the film at the time of its release about it being a timeless classic! Dirty Dancing is simply the ultimate feel-good movie. The chemistry between Patrick Swayze (then relativley unknown) and Jennifer Grey (who has not starred in any major production since) is positivley electric and never strikes a false note. Its a charming story of a young, innocent teenager staying with her family at a holiday camp for her vacation who meets the exciting and rebelious dancer, Johnny who she immediatley falls in love with. They show each other a different side to life and soon become lovers. But as with all good love stories there are complications. Giving superb backing support is Cynthia Rhodes in a small but highly effective role as Penny Johnson who is forced into having an abortion and in the process must give up dancing whilst she recovers - enter Jennifer Grey. There are many fun and amusing scenes of Swayze frantically trying to teach Grey all the right dance moves whilst the touching romance between them gradually and beleavably builds. The ending is a triumphant high! What truly makes Dirty Dancing absolutley unmissable is the fabulous dancing which is highly erotic though never once tacky and is accompanied by a sizzling soundtrack that helps build the potential atmosphere. Superb throughout, Dirty Dancing is indeed a timeless classic!

Hands Down the BEST!
Dirty Dancing is hands down the best movie of all time! Enough said.

Honestly, how can this get less than 5 stars?
This is such a classic movie. It's cheesy, it's unrealistic and it's fun. What's not to love? Very fun film, one to watch again and again. I think every woman wants Johnny Castle, this movie is hot and cute and great. Not a lot to say, just that this is a wonderful film.

Great Gift
Made a wonderful birthday gift for my younger sister. Came in great condition and worked great. Even better it came at a discounted price!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Olsen twins try their best to pull an all-nighter in this high-spirited, 25-minute slumber party episode. Mary-Kate and Ashley jumpstart the fun by encouraging their three perky guests to learn some new dance moves. Cue the MTV-style musical numbers; these girls just gotta sing! And they have a song for every activity, from playing video games to making pizza (basically ordering a plain pie, then raiding the fridge for a variety of toppings) and scaring each other--and the boys--with spooky stories and makeup. Cute, tame entertainment for 4- to 7-year-olds who enjoy singing and dancing along. While kids 8 and older are much more likely to hold slumber parties, they might find the material too juvenile (sort of like Barney unmasked). --Liane Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sleepover Party Review
This is a fun video.In addition to the Olsens it also features other young actressesyou might've seen.My personal opinion is this time the Olsens are upstaged by Brighton Hertford(Mystery Kids BJ Jones General Hospital}

Sleepover Party
The songs on this movie give a remissance to 60s music(listen for The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice") & MTV("Dare to Dance"). This video is grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Olsen SleepOver all Nighter!
This is the first of the twins video I have got then I got Thorn Mansion and Our First Videoo.I give this one five stars cause..don't know why I gave 5 STARS******!You must go buy it Its Great!

first of all
As one of the true Olsen fans i must say that any movie with the Olsen's in it always gets five stars in my book but comparing this movie to the other Olsen movies it pales.

Great!
This is one of their best your Invited videos! It was the first one I saw. It has about 5 songs including "Pizza" "pullin an all nighter" "Dare to dance" and one about videogames and scarry monsters. This video is really good! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Trenchcoat Twins will "solve any crime before dinnertime," andthat includes these three fan-selected mysteries from 1995 and 1996. "The Case of the Sea World Adventure" starts out like an ordinary day--Mary-Kate and Ashley are yearning for a new case. When the pair seems doomed to aday of make-believe, they discover a dead body--then it disappears! Some super-snooping leads the twins to victory, and the reward is avacation on the high seas. In "The Case of the U.S. Space Camp Mission,"the girls travel to space camp in Huntsville, Alabama, to ascertain thesource of a strange tapping sound and some holes discovered in the SpaceShuttle's external fuel tank. You'll be surprised at the culprit andfascinated by an interview with real-life astronaut Alan Bean (the fourthman on the moon). "The Case of the Hotel Who-Done-It" takes the twins tothe Hilton Hawaiian Village on Honolulu's Waikiki Beach. Who's stealingvaluable items from the hotel's famous guests? Mary-Kate and Ashley solvethat question by considering what each of the stolen items has in commonwith the others.

Mary-Kate and Ashley is a detective series aimed primarily atpreteens. As such, the solutions to the mysteries are fairly obvious, the puns plentiful, and a fair amount of time is devoted to music-videovignettes starring the twins. Nevertheless, the show does expose kids tothe basics of deductive thinking, offers tours of real-life places ofteninaccessible to the average child, and explains the use of some basicresource materials. --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Three videos for the price of one !
In The Aazing Adventures OF Mary-Kate & Ashley you get three videos on one tape one and a half hours to keep the kids happy my three year old loves it what you get on this video. Is the case of the Sea world adventure with that wonderful whale ! U.S. space camp mission and Who done it. Three videos on one tape hand picked by Mary-Kate and Ashley Fans well worth the price alone five stars for all of them !!! ... Read more

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The king of 1970s disaster movies, producer Irwin Allen, broughttogether novelist Paul Zindel, songwriter Steve Allen, and a host ofcelebrities for a pair of 1985 TV movies paying homage to Lewis Carroll'sAlice. In this first installment, the 7-year-old girl dreams of beinggrown up enough to join the adults for tea, only to shrink to miniature size,climb through a hole beneath the door, and follow a twitchy Red Buttons inbig white rabbit ears. Whether arguing with the Mad Hatter (Anthony Newley),or trying to keep her head in the company of the Queen of Hearts (JayneMeadows), Alice is constantly running into a host of '70s and '80spersonalities like Telly Savalas, Ringo Starr, Scott Baio, and ShelleyWinters. If this roster isn't enough to make a poor girl trippy, she alsomeets up with Sammy Davis Jr. as the caterpillar, and the pair perform anentertaining hip-hop-esque tap number to "Father William." An enjoyably campyversion of Alice's wondrous journey, it features detailed sets, marvelouslytacky costumes, and mildly clever musical numbers. This 90-minute TV movie'spleasant goofiness will amuse children 4 and older as well as nostalgicallyminded adults. The TV movie has been broken into two parts on video withAlice Through the Looking Glass picking up where this one leaves off.--Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Reviews (169)

The Adventures of Alice Could Be Any Dream
I very much enjoyed this book because it was full of pure fun reading. Some books drag from the very beginning, but this children's story didn't. There were surprises from the start. This book is an all original example of using your imagination. Lewis Carrol was gifted enough to let his imagination go wild, and to write it down on paper. This book inspires me to write any sort of crazy thing that is worth writing. This book is about Alices adventures from the time she saw the peculiar White Rabbit with a waistcoat and watch. She meets thrilling but very arguementive creatures and charectors such as the caterpiller who smokes, the Duchess and her baby which turns into a pig, a Mock Turtle, a gryphon, and the most famous the Chesire cat and the Queen of Hearts. This book is a bit different than the Disney movie. There are other charecters in the book that are not mentioned in the animated movie. and I think the book is more bizarre.

Brilliant fun, a little something for everyone.
Its hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this brilliant book. Whether you're a young child or an experienced reader, you can't help but marvel at the charm that Lewis Carrol creates. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (The Alice books as they are often collectively referred to as) are two of the most enduring children's stories of all time. However, at the same time, they both are considered to be literary achievements in the adult crowd, due to the many societal critiques hidden withing the text.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland begins with the classic scene of young Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Soon she finds herself lost in an insane world. Drinking things make her grow into a giant or shrink to the size of a mouse. Best of all, are Alice's conversations with the many eclectic characters that inhabit Wonderland. Unfortunately, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland comes to an end within the one hundred page mark (it is a children's story, after all). Fortunately, this collection holds the book's sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass. In this Alice stumbles through a looking glass and finds herself in Wonderland again. This time around she becomes a pawn in a giant game of chess. The reader follows her adventures as he tries to become a queen by making it to the eighth square. This chessboard element proves a very intersting way of advancing the storyline.

What truly gives this book its lasting charm is its characters. Whether its the Mad Hatter telling Alice about his friend Time, or the disappearing Cheshire Cat, every character is impossible to forget. Many such as the White Rabbit, remain popular icons today, well over a century later. Conversations held with these characters often prove laugh out loud funny, as Alice tries to make sense of and explain herself to these characters. From beginning to end, the reader will have a goofy grin plastered across his or her face.

Behind all these fun adventures, Carroll manages to slip in a large amount of social commentary. Some characters represent types of people, such as the overzealous monarch, to display in an exaggerated sense the foolishness of such extremes. His many poems throughout the book often have larger meanings as well: The Walrus and the Carpenter are clearly a condemnation of modern religion. Even the wild effects of drinking and eating can be interpreted as a moral on temperence. As the Duchess in the Wonderland said "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." Likewise, Alice is rife with various morals.

So what makes this book a classic? Reading through other people's comments, its hard to find a single person that didn't give it five stars, much less didn't like it. However, it was hard to find a definite consensus on what made it so good. Some stated its entertainment value, other enjoyed the commentary. Perhaps what makes this book so brilliant is that it has whatever you're looking for. If you want escape and adventure, it has it. If you want to laugh, there's humor. If you want intellectual thought and prose thats there too. What will the reader take away from reading is whatever they are looking for. Definitely a book that deserves its recognition as a classic of English literature.

Beware the Jabberwocky!
I had seen this back in the 80's and was surprised as to the stars involved in the project. It almost plays out as a who's who of stars from the time. I especially liked Natalie Gregory as Alice. She played the role well as the naive little girl who wants to grow up but childhood wants to keep just a little longer. Sit down and enjoy it with your kids some rainy day and you all will enjoy the warm glow of family again

True to the story?
I give this version of Alice in Wonderland 5 stars because to date, it does the best job of following the actual story line (even dialogue) that is presented in the books. The cheesy acting and the casting can be forgiven, after all it was the 80s.

Brilliant film!
Brilliant film. I have Alice in Wonderland taped on video and i have been looking for Alice Through the Looking Glass for a long time. While watching it last week, I discovered that Part 2 is also on it, so I saw that for the first time the other day. What can i say? Brilliant acting from the whole cast, especially Natalie Gregory who plays Alice. i recommend it to anyone. Children and adults would love it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Behaving as if it hadn't already been immortalized in Judges, chapters 13-16, Cecil B. DeMille immortalized history's most famous haircut all over again in this 1949 classic of the Epic Saga genre. Victor Mature is a trifle bovine as Samson--which perhaps isn't so inappropriate--but Hedy Lamarr's Delilah is a magnet on fire. Impossibly perfect and sexy, she sashays through the movie in a whole wardrobe of revealing halter tops, bending the men like blades of grass. These days it's hard to enjoy a DeMille film without condescension: from Samson's fight with a lion that might well be stuffed, to the famous collapsing-temple scene, we are constantly aware of how far movies have come, and the Philistines parade around in costumes that won an Oscar but can only remind the modern viewer of Klingon cocktail parties. But in so many other ways this is very classy filmmaking. DeMille takes considerable liberties with the biblical story to come up with a sort of Ur-narrative of love, betrayal, and remorse that you can swallow very nicely with or without its religious ingredient. Best exchange: Lamarr--"You killed him with... your hands. Oh, Samson!" (Jumps on Mature's back.) Mature--"Hey! One cat at a time!" Also stars George Sanders, a very youthful (and miscast) Angela Lansbury, and impassioned music by Victor Young. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (18)

AN EPIC OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!
One of the greatest films ever made, "Samson and Delilah" stands out as a crowning achievement in Biblical epics, the trademark of legendary director Cecil B. DeMille. The story of Samson, the strongest of men, felled by the temptress Delilah is brought to the screen in majesty and splendor. Victor Mature is wonderful in his role as Samson, bringing a sense of humor and humanity to the role. Hedy Lamarr nearly overwhelms the brilliant Technicolor with her ravishing beauty as Delilah, sleek and seductive. As Delilah's sister, Angela Lansbury fares well in her brief role as do George Sanders (as a subtle ruler of the Philistines) and Henry Wilcoxon (as a military governor). And the actors are only one ornament to the production. The art direction is masterful and incredible. And the costumes... such gorgeous opulence and splendor were never seen since, sometimes almost stealing the scenes from the actors. Both categories won 1949 Academy Awards, giving Oscar's gilt to this classic. The film is immensely entertaining and superbly directed with reverence to the sacred texts by DeMille (at 128 minutes, dramatically shorter than DeMille's "Ten Commandments". But the special effects are one of the best reasons to see the film: Mature's three-minute fight with a lion, to the unbelievabe climatic scene in which Mature pulls down a temple of stone. A classic all the way through, "Samson and Delilah" is a film that you will never tire of, and always want to see again and again...I now quote the film's final words: "Men will tell his story for a thousand years." And if it lasts that long, men will watch this movie for a thousand years.

Correcting an error in the Amazon review
Yeah, I give the film "four stars" but my main reason for submitting is to set the record straight. Angela Lansbury did not play Samson's sister; she played "Semadar", sister to Delilah and betrothed of Samson. Her accidental death at the hands of one of the Philistine wedding party sends Samson in a murderous rage, setting the stage for Delilah's emergence as a treacherous romantic interest.

yes, groucho, vic's chest is bigger than heddys!
when the inimitable groucho marx was asked if he was going to attend the premiere of this movie, he responded that he refused to go to any movie where the hero had a bigger chest than the leading lady!

they dont make them like this anymore, which is a good thing!

Great Hollywood Biblical Epic
I have always loved this movie since I was a kid. I want to purchase this movie but I prefer to wait until it is released on DVD. Why isn't this movie on DVD? There is no excuse. DVD has been out for a long time now. PLEASE PUT THIS MOVIE OUT ON DVD!!!

why 2 tapes?
I like this movie. Wish it were on DVD. But why is it on 2 tapes? The movie only runs 128 minutes! Why did they divide it? I have movies that run MUCH longer on a single tape. Strange. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Tomas, the happily irresponsible Czech lover of Milan Kundera's novel, which is set in Prague just before and during the Soviet invasion in 1968. Lena Olin and Juliette Binoche are the two vastly different women who occupy his attention and to some extent represent different sides of his values and personality. In any case, the character's decision to flee Russian tanks with one of them--and then return--has profound consequences on his life. Directed by Philip Kaufman, this rich, erotic, fascinating character study with allegorical overtones is a touchstone for many filmgoers. Several key sequences--such as Olin wearing a bowler hat and writhing most attractively--linger in the memory, while Kaufman's assured sense of the story inspires superb performances all around. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Exquisite Film Was One of The 1980's Best
Phillip Kaufman reached an artistic pinnacle with this elegant translation of Milan Kundera's book about the 1968 Czechoslovokian crisis. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Tomas, a physician, whose life consists in seducing women, one of whom - an artist Sabina (Lena Olin) - is his sexual and spiritual soulmate. Into his life comes another woman, Terezina, (Juliette Binoche) who demands more of a committment to her than he will permit to any woman including Sabina. His crisis between the carefree artist and the more demanding Terezina mirrors the crisis of Czechoslovokia between the "liberation" of the Prague Spring and the Soviet repression of August 1968 although neither Kauffman nor Kundera crudely makes Sabina represent the one nor Terezina the other. Although these characters may lead apparently amoral lives, the film and novel are all about the moral consequences of their choices. Many American critics, similar to the one who provided the first customer review, feel that Kaufmann has simply made a piece of arty Euro-lite soft-core: intellectual and opaque enough to appeal to the high-brow crowd yet tittliating enough to strike at their lowbrow desires. While I'll concede that this judgement applies well to his follow-up film "Henry and June" (1990), it's grossly unfair to characterize this film as such. The narrative and themes are presented clearly, the cinematography is gorgeous but never in an overly-arty way like in "Henry and June", and his whirling direction keeps this film moving along at an effervescent 172 minutes. The actors - especially Day-Lewis and Olin - do phenomenal work and contribute mightily to bring Kaufmann's evocation of late 1960's Europe to life. In a strange way, the film compliments the book rather than adapts it and stands on its own as a fully realized cinematic work.

People conditioned to see sex on the screen as a smutty joke or leading to painful reprecussions had problems with Kaufmann's playful sensuality here. He compounded their discomfort by coating all these goings-on with a veneer of class, larding the film with literary references and putting Janacek on the soundtrack. And it was easy to dismiss the film as nothing but a bunch of amoral European sophisicates who make love in between bouts of literary discussions or fighting political repression. But the film pulls us into these character's lives in a much more impassioned and alive way than European art cinema does with its deliberate distancing effects and pretentious moralizing (good recent example: Lars Von Trier's interminable "Breaking The Waves"). The film weaves its larger concerns about freedom and responsibility seamlessly through the narration - we can follow the film without knowing all the allusions and references. Some may see the characters and their bed-hopping as shallow and affected but they are forced to deal with their country's politics and history and have to come to terms with their own lives in ways that Euro-fluff soft-core comedies like "French Twist" never have to. Indeed, the moral choices placed on these apparently frivolous characters gives the film its greatness.

In other words, "Unbearable Lightness" has a sophisticated air because it is sophisticated: in its ideas, direction, writing, and acting. Kaufmann's work since has generally disappointed but here he's made one of the richest and intelligent films of the decade.

the Prague Spring
If you've read the book you won't be disappointed with this film which doesn't try to convey all Kundera's philosophy but it does retain the spirit of the book. Really the book had what some considered to be too much philosophy in it which got in the way of the story which was not Kunderas main concern anyway as his characters were just actors he used to elucidate his ideas. For Kaufman the real heart of the book was not in its ideas but in the way Tomas and Tereza relate and how that relationship evolves within a very specific historical circumstance, the Russian occupation of Prague in 68. That moment in time is really brought to life both in the cafes as we hear a Czech. version of"Hey Jude" being played and in the streets when the actual invasion takes place at which point hand held black and white cameras are used to give an on the spot feel to it.
When we first meet Tomas(Daniel Day Lewis) he is involved with Sabina(Lena Olin)and what they share is an almost religious belief in the erotic and an equalllly strong belief in retaining their individuality and frredom. On a visit to a spa in the country to perform an operation however Tomas comes across the innocent waitress Tereza(Juliette Binoche) and his life after that is never quite the same. Sabina resents the intrusion at first but soon she and Tereza are friends, in fact the moment they become friends on a rainy afternoon taking pictures of each other is one of the best scenes in the movie. A lot is made of the historical happenings and how they affect each characters personal life. I found it a little hard to believe that they would willingly return to Prague under communist rule after they had made their escape to Zurich but you may feel differently. The use of the terms "lightness" and "weight" that so often appeared in the book always seemed to my ears rather vague, the movie gratefully only employs those terms on rare occasion. The last scenes in the countryside are some of the most beautiful cinematography I have seen, quite memorable images evoking the really valuable things in life.
Certainly one of the best adaptations of a novel.

Please read Kundera's book instead
Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being is absolutely amazing, and this film falls so far short of it. Despite my almost-immediate dislike of the film, I actually stuck it out and watched the entire thing (hoping that Daniel Day-Lewis could somehow salvage it or that the film might actually express some idea from Kundera's book). But I was sorely disappointed.

But please read Kundera's novel, because it is wonderful. I can't help but think that Kundera was referring to this film when he wrote in his later novel Immortality: "The present era grabs everything that was ever written in order to transform it into films, TV programs, or cartoons. What is essential in a novel is precisely what can only be expressed in a novel, and so every adaptation contains nothing but the nonessential."

A nice historical fiction movie
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie is set against the backround of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in the 1960's It is about a doctor who has physical relationships with many different women. He then meets a woman whom he wants to pursue a romantic and emotional with. She wants him to be monogamous. The ensuing results are quite original.

The film is also a good history lesson about the Soviet invasion but is not appropriate for school age children. The film has a well deserved R rating for scenes of nudity and sex which I think were unnecessary and prevent a wider range of audience from seeing the film. I greatly hope that the producers would offer a version of the film witht he nude and sex scenes cut so that it could be shown in history classes in school.

There is also a scene that Beatles fans may like where the song "Hey Jude" is sung in the Czech language. It also has many pieces of music by Czech composer, Leos Janacek.

The DVD also has audio commentary by the director Philip Kauffman, Editor, Walter Murch, Co writer John Carrière, and Actress Lena Olin.

beautiful
This film, is one of the best screenplays I have ever seen (and I seen many). I had read the book before, and the film is just an extension of the beautiful superiority of the book.
I particulary enjoyed the mixture of 'real' footage of the occupation of Praque and the film footage. Very well done.
The reason I've only given this film 4 stars is because it didn't have a specific secene which I was looking forward to seeing.
But the reast of the film definatly makes up for it.
And by the way... the director is the director of Quills. ... Read more

Description

Oscar Wilde's most debated work about a man who stays eternally young while his famous portrait ages through the years, until the gripping and eerie climax. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Masterful and modern retelling of the Faustian legend
Wonderfully suspenseful and eerily beautiful film based on Oscar Wilde's novel of the same name (well almost, instead of "picture" it's "portrait"). A (then) modern retelling of the Faust legend about an individual who barters his soul in his wish to never grow old. Hurd hatfield is obviously based on the Faust character and is appropriately cool and detached in his performance, ideally cast in the title role as the beautiful young man who makes a supernatural deal with the dark gods to always retain his physical beauty and youth while only the magnificent portrait of himself registers his aging and depravities. Solid performances also by George Sanders as the Mephistopheles character, playing (as his usual best) a jaded, amoral man of the world who leads Dorian astray with his immoral yet compelling, and seemingly reasonable philosophies on life; and Angela Lansbury is particularly touching in her subtle portrayal in the Gretchen counterpart of Sibyl Vane, the dreamy and virtuous vaudeville performer destroyed by Dorian. Peter Lawford and Donna Reed are pretty window dressing here, with their usual passive, bland acting (Reed's Alma in "From Here To Eternity" later on was a pleasant exception). Flowing direction, lovely B&W cinematography, and the beautifully dark and turbulent "Prelude" tune by Chopin make this a must-see horror/fantasy classic that's a solid film version of Wilde's literary masterpiece. This film is also a deeply disturbing and haunting cautionary parable about man's pursuit of earthly pleasures and decadence and how in the end it is no substitute for spiritual nourishment when it comes at the expense of an individual's morality and humanity--for at the end even Dorian tires of his decadence and dies reciting a prayer on his lips

LITTLE YELLOW BIRD...
That's the name of the little ditty that 20 year-old Angela Lansbury chirps in this classic exursion into the macabre. Dorian Gray, a young man living in Victorian London, has his portrait painted by an artist named Basil Hallward, himself fascinated by Gray's youthful innocence. Egged on by the amoral Lord Henry, Gray manages to keep himself youthful by giving up his soul, and proceeds to indulge in a life of selfish hedonism and cruelty while through the years his face stays unnaturally young...While not a totally successful transition of Wilde's wickedly elegant novel - it's too glum and slow paced - there's much to admire in this 1945 version of the bizarre theme. Hatfield was an inspired choice for the title role, combining his handsome, ethereal face with his cool, aloof manner which perfectly suited Wilde's corrupted aristocrat. George Sanders is perfection personified playing the acidly witty and cynical Lord Henry Wotton and Angela Lansbury is memorable as the demure caberet singer Sybil Vane who meets a dark fate...

Moral Leprosy
When you think of expressionism in the movies you tend to think of the wierd angles, lighting and cutting of the German directors of the 20's and 30's. But Albert Lewin's marvelous movie adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel makes the same kind of other-wordly impact with an amazing and unsettling exaggeration of Victorian manners, morals, and architecture. The icy detachment of Gray and his friends from any emotional involvement with their surroundings heightens tremendously the impact on us of the genuinely human gestures and feelings of the other characters. This Faustian parable about a man and his graven image probably reflects Wilde's torment over whether he had sold his own soul to become an international funnyman. The whole cast is a standout but it's Lewin's picture and a total success.

What the...?
We had to watch this movie in my English class and it totally sucked! The music was corny and i couldn't tell what the hell was going on. It would skip from one scene to another and you couldn't follow the plot. Am I supposed to know who "this" person is just from one scene?! I didn't get it at all. The only good part was the changing of the painting. That part I did get.

Near Perfection
Handsome, young and morally corrupt Dorian Gray has his portrait painted. Soon after, under the influence of the incorrigible Lord Henry Wotton, he betrays his fiancee, leading to her suicide. As the years pass Dorian does not age but evidence of his narcissim are apparent in his portrait which grows uglier with each transgression. His mysterious behavior and ageless appearance begin to attract suspicion. This is one of my favorite stories by Oscar Wilde. This movie has everything that a good movie should have. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's, like, Shakespeare, man! This good-natured and likeable update of The Taming of the Shrew takes the basics of Shakespeare's farce about a surly wench and the man who tries to win her and transfers it to modern-day Padua High School. Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is a sullen, forbidding riot grrrl who has a blistering word for everyone; her sunny younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) is poised for high school stardom. The problem: overprotective and paranoid Papa Stratford (a dryly funny Larry Miller) won't let Bianca date until boy-hating Kat does, which is to say never. When Bianca's pining suitor Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) gets wind of this, he hires the mysterious, brooding Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to loosen Kat up. Of course, what starts out as a paying gig turns to true love as Patrick discovers that underneath her brittle exterior, Kat is a regular babe. The script, by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, is sitcom-funny with peppy one-liners and lots of smart teenspeak; however, its cleverness and imagination doesn't really extend beyond its characters' Renaissance names and occasional snippets of real Shakespearean dialogue. What makes the movie energetic and winning is the formula that helped make She's All That such a big hit: two high-wattage stars who look great and can really act. Ledger is a hunk of promise with a quick grin and charming Aussie accent, and Stiles mines Kat's bitterness and anger to depths usually unknown in teen films; her recitation of her English class sonnet (from which the film takes its title) is funny, heartbreaking, and hopelessly romantic. The imperious Allison Janney (Primary Colors) nearly steals the film as a no-nonsense guidance counselor secretly writing a trashy romance novel. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (362)

Nothing To Hate About This Movie
Teen movies. Some are good. Some are bad. I'm a big lover of the 80's teen movies, and can only bare a few of the modern day ones. This is one I really like. I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw this cute, charming movie. Joseph Gordon Levitt("3rd Rock From The Sun") plays Cameron. He has moved to Seattle and is the new kid in school. He quickly befriends a geek(David Krumholtz from "The Santa Clause"), who gives him the run down of the school and it's students. Cameron falls madly in love with Bianca Stratford(Larissa Oleynick, who, coincidentally, played his girlfriend for a while on "3rd Rock"). Bianca is a the quintessential popular, beloved, rich girl who is untouchable. Cameron makes it his mission to get to her. Then there is Bianca's sister Kat(Julia Stiles). She is the 'Anti-Bianca'. She is tough, sharp mouthed, and generally hates people. Their dad, who is played the always watchable Larry Miller, makes a deal with his daughters. Bianca can date as soon as Kat does. Bianca is upset because Kat doesn't want to date. This begins Cameron's mission. He and his friend enlist a tough, brooding guy named Patrick(Heath Ledger)to start wooing Kat, for cash, supplied by empty, pretty boy Joey(Andrew Keegan of "7th Heaven").If he succeeds, then Cameron can date Bianca. Naturally, things get complicated and awful before they can get better and work out for everyone involved. The film is based on William Shakespeare's "The Taming Of The Shrew". Julia Stiles was first noticed with this film. There is something so intoxicating about her. She has a special quality to her that is irresistable. Her smile is a wondrous thing. She is a star. The movie is very funny, and surprisingly funny in some ways. The dialogue is pretty clever, sharp, and well written. It is head and shoulders above most teen comedies of the last decade. The actors are all well suited for their roles and are enjoyable to watch. Larissa Oleynick is as cute as a bug. Allison Janney from "The West Wing" has a hilarious, but all too brief role as the school's guidance councelor who is in the middle of writing a trashy sex novel. David Leisure also appears as the gym teacher. It is unfair that this movie has to have the tag of "teen movie" attached to it. To some people, that equals poison. Especially in this day and age. I'm telling you right now people, this movie is better than that. This is enjoyable for any age. It's funny, cute, and has more depth and intelligence than most of these movies combined. If only all teen movies of this modern era could be as delightful as this one. There are many things to like about this movie, but the 10 things I love about this movie are:Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles. Sorry.

Worthy of being in the genre of 'teen'...
After continuous teen movies with a popular girl, the popular girl's clique, the jock who wants the girl, and the boys who help the jock get the popular girl, of course let's not forget the famous shocking prom night and a kiss before the credits (seems familar?), I think the young generation, or any generation for that matter, is a little exhausted from the usual routine. In this highly acclaimed 'teen' movie, influenced by the comedy Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare, the routine is still on, but with a new and refreshing twist. With unfamiliar, yet talented new faces, this brand spankin' new cast is entertaining from beginning to end.
Newcomers Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger light up the screen as the potential couple who incidentally fall for each other. The stratford sisters live under strict rules stated by their strict, humorous father: Bianca, the younger, outgoing sister, cannot date until her older, anti-social sister Kat (with the perfect I-hate-the-world attitude) decides to date. As soon as Bianca attracts two fellow students, their plans on finding Kat a date lead to mishaps here and there. With witty dialogue and great music to go along with it, this movie is worthy of being in the genre of 'teen'. It's right up on the list with Sixteen Candles and Clueless.

an amazing classic
the entire cast shines in this production of Shakespere's Taming of the Shrew. The jokes are amazing, and all the actors fit their parts well. Thanks in part to the USA network, this movie is ingained as a classic in countless teenagers' minds. I adore this film

10 Things I Hate About You
I found this teen film entertaining and fun. It totally relates to the highschool life. The over protective dad is very funny, the whole cast does a great job in playing out their roles. You would never guess its based on a novel by shakespear even though you see some shakespear love in the film!

Great film!

Love is in the air.
Opposite sisters in one house equals trouble.

Bianca is your typical prep all into fashion and a hotsy tosty life. Kat is the quiet loner who finds more satifsication relaxing at home than going to any type of party or social gathering.

New kid comes along adoring over Bianca. His friend and him decide to make a plan to pair Kat with Patrick.

It's a hard trip to get Kat in a liking happy mood, much less to get her to a party that she must attend dually with her sister, or else. The girl's have to live with an overbearing father who takes good watch over his girls.

I grew up with this movie and it is a definate high school flick funny for anyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly identifying an innocent citizen, one Mr. Buttle, as suspected terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro).When Sam becomes enmeshed in unraveling this bureaucratic glitch, he himself winds up labeled as a miscreant.

The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing it. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (302)

the definitive look at this masterpiece
Brazil is, arguably, Terry Gilliam's crowning achievement. Originally called 1984 1/2, this film was embroiled in an infamous battle to be distributed. The studio didn't like Gilliam's version and cut together one of their own. Gilliam went to the press and got the L.A. critics behind his movie and finally shamed the studio into releasing his version.

Criterion's 3-DVD set documents the struggle Gilliam went through to get his film shown. Disc One contains his cut of the film with an informative and entertaining commentary by the director. The second DVD contains the bulk of the extra material. Not only is Gilliam's struggle documented but also various aspects of the production are examined -- including the screenplay, costumes, art direction, etc. The final disc contains the studio's ....py cut with a film historian's audio commentary documenting why this version sucks.

Once again, Criterion comes through with an exhaustive look at an important film of modern cinema. Brazil is a brilliant satire of a dystopian society run amok by pointless bureaucracy. Anyone who has worked a souless job in an office will immediately empathise with the protagonist's plight. Like any great work of science fiction, Brazil offers more questions than answers -- not everything is wrapped up neatly, instead the viewer is left questioning certain aspects of our modern society. Great stuff.

Great movie about dreams and hope
Brazil, despite the science fiction, social commentary and surrealism, is at it's core a film about a man who trapped by the mundanity of life, imagines himself in a more fantastic world.

Jonathan Pryce stars as a tiny unimportant member of a vast hyper-capitalistic society. Life is cold and dreary for everyone. All his spare time is spent dreaming of magical romantic worlds and the beautiful woman who lives there. One day, a simple beaucratic mistake causes a monumental disaster. Not that anyone cares... they just don't want to be blamed. Sent to solve the problem, or maybe to be a scapegoat, Pryce accidentally meets the literal woman of his dreams. As he pursues her, he brings suspicion on himself of being a terrorist (the scourge of the government), and his dreams begin to invade his waking thoughts.

A suprising list of talent lend themselves to the film and is written, minus Kafka and Orwell themes, by Monty Python's Terry Gilliam so expect some obvious humor and much biting satire throughout. Depressing and magical without losing it's hope, any person who can identify with the main character should find themselves entranced.

Despite being made in 1985 the special effects prove to be suprisingly effective (although easily noticed). I personally think this movie is the second best Science Fiction film, 2001 being first, and the best 1984 type movie ever made.

Much loved, but I never got it ...
This is a cult classic, but I find it over-rated. It delivers the zaniness, surreality and crazy camera work, but the film has no interest in its characters -- you'll feel nothing for them, and for me that leaves a big hole in the center of the movie.

For a movie with a similar feel but considerably more heart, try Barton Fink instead. Or even Amelie.

Boring
This movie is really disappointing and boring.

a bizzare and frightening film
If you enjoy futuristic Sci-Films then I would heartily reccomend this, as it presents a number of interesting and imaginative concepts.
The setting is the far future.The world is a polluted wasteland. A strange network of wires covers the ceiling of every room.
A corporation-government, Central Services, controls all trade enterprises. Any who indulge in the businesses they control (which are almost everything) without the proper paperwork are labeled terrorists. So, unfortunately, are those who criticize Central Services' inane policies.
Their Cops, clad in spacesuits that look like they came straight out of David Lynch's adapatation of "DUNE", frequently capture these "terrorists" to be interrogated, tortured, and/or executed with bizarre devices.
The "food" eaten by the characters in this film is premasticated garbage, into which are stuck pictures of what the characters believe they are eating.
The rich and powerful under Central Services rule get daily facelifts and parties,
and they strike the viewer as stupid and frightening.
The plot of the film concerns a daydreaming young paper-pusher (Jonathan Pryce) for Central Services' Ministry of Information who discovers a glitch in some paperwork that led to the wrongful arrest and unfortunate execution of Archibald Tuttle, who was mistaken for Archibald "Harry" Tuttle (Robert DeNiro), who has fallen out with the law because of his entrepeneurial fix-it man services.
Soon, a truck-drivin' gal(Kim Greist) who witnessed Archibald Buttle's wrongful arrest pleads for his release to the Ministry of Information, who label her a terrorist.
Later, The young MOI employee notices her picture in the lobby of his workplace, and decides to pursue her. He saves her from being arrested, and, in doing so, is labeled an enemy of society, which eventually leads to his tragic end at the hands of his friends(Ian Holm and John Palin).
This frightening look at the evils of technology, corporations,wrongful arrests, and totalitarian governments is not to be missed by any except the very young(if it gave ME nightmares, imagine the effect it would have on a seven-year old boy!) . ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Next to The Wild Bunch, this may be director Sam Peckinpah's best movie--all the more extraordinary because it was shot almost a decade before his big breakthrough. Peckinpah cannily cast two aging stars of cowboy films--Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott--in their only film together, playing a pair of over-the-hill cowboys who take a job guarding a gold shipment on its journey down from a mining camp. A reflective tale about two men past their prime, looking back on the paths their lives have taken and the choices they've made, it features a stirring finale and terrific performances by McCrea and Scott. It also features, in her first movie role, a very young Mariette Hartley. Look quickly and you'll see Warren Oates, James Drury, and L.Q. Jones. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Spectacular Western
Joel McCrae stars as Steve Judd, an ageing lawman reduced to taking odd jobs in the rapidly civilizing west of the late 1890s. Taking a job transporting gold from a violent mining camp in the High Sierras, Judd hires two men to help in the job, one a friend(Randolph Scott) from law days gone by. The two assistants plot to steal the gold as soon as they are hired and the action gets thick from there. Vital to this movie is the display of Judd's moral code. Judd may be a man just barely hanging on, a supurfluous man in the New West, but he's kept his manly virtues- his strength of character, his wisdom, his courage, and his dignity. However humbled by his circumstances, Judd is a man worthy of emulation. He is a true hero. END

One of the very best...of all time
When this film came out in 1962 I went with my Dad to see it at the movie theater. Its images, its words, its story have remained with me ever since....

Sam Peckinpah's RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY is one of the finest western adventures in cinematic history. Everything---the superb acting from old time veterans Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea, the crisp and pointed dialogue, the camera work (and film editing), and the never-overdone elegiac underlay of farewell and warning, not just about the "old west" of the motion pictures (of the 1930-1960 period), but about the reality of the American frontier and the American spirit--adds up to excellence.

If two actors truly symbolized the Old West of public imagination, certainly those actors were Randy Scott and Joel McCrea. How fitting that RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY should be their "so long, pardner" to the genre! In 1962 the classic Western was dying, the genre changing, just as America was changing. The spirit of American innocence and optimism was subtly being transformed--while we longed for the return of Randy Scott, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, and moral certainties, Vietnam would soon make us a nation of cynics and skeptics. Thus, RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY is more than just a salute to two great Western actors and their farewell to that enduring American film creation the classic Western; RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY tells us, through two of the most admired cowboy actors of all time, about ouselves, about changing American society, and presents us with a classic morality tale. Steve (McCrea)Judd's remarkable words to Gil (Scott) Westrum, when Westrum gently suggests they might skip out with the gold they are charged with transporting, says it all: "All I want to do is enter my house justifed." It was the classic, optimistic American dream that motivated the pioneers of the old West just as it did the pioneers of Virginia or Massachusetts, the foundation of our society "to enter our house justified," to make a just and fair life for ourselves in a new land. RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY reminds us, this one last time, of our original national purpose, and shows us the pitfalls along the way--not just temptation but the "times" that threaten us.

In the end Westrum (Scott) returns (repents of his deviation from the moral course) to Judd's rescue...and Judd's response is: "I knew you would [return] all the time." Perhaps it is indeed too late, for Judd dies, alone, in one of the most amazing scenes in all cinema. Does his fervent dream of a "house justified" die with him? Does the older America of undbounded optimism and a moral code disappear with his departure and the end of the western frontier---and the end of "old time" Westerns? Peckinpah does not answer, and we are left to ponder. But one thing IS certain...we are never the same after watcbing this marvelous film.

Peckinpah's Masterpiece
After a lengthy apprenticeship in the theater and TV, this was Sam Peckinpah's second feature, and the only one that completely fulfilled his talents as a director. Joel McRea and Randolph Scott (finishing their sterling careers in a blaze of glory here) joust over right and wrong, money and honor in a parable about two men bringing a gold shipment from the mines to a bank. Ironically, they are brought to the brink of destruction not by greed but by the torments of young love, something of which they only have dim memories. Peckinpah, who was an accomplished TV scriptwriter, reportedly augmented N.B. Stone's original story with his own touches. The pacing and changes of mood, the action scenes, the great dialogue are all masterfully handled and speak of a very talented artist still more interested in his material than in himself. Sadly, this didn't last; Peckinpah's next feature, "Major Dundee", was a fiasco, and although he created many great moments in a dozen more films over the next 20 years, he never again pulled it all together over the course of an entire project. By the by, "Ride the High Country" is certainly worthy of DVD treatment.

Great in all respects.
The opening scene of this movie fooled me. I thought the movie was going to be a Western comedy set in the city. I was wrong. The character interaction, dialog, and scenery are first rate. Even the soundtrack is stirring to the point that it moves your soul. The conversations between Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott reminded me of my own personal life. The ending is stirring. One of my favorite Westerns of all time.

Peckinpah directs McRae and Scott in this classic western
MGM thought they were producing just another B-Wesern when director Sam Peckinpah made this 1962 movie, but "Ride in the High Country" turns out to be a classic of the genre. Aging ex-Marshall Steve Judd (Joel McRae) is hired to transport a load of gold from a mining camp to town. He hires his old friend, Gil Westrum (Randolph Scott) and a younger one, Heck Longtree (Ron Starr) to help him guard the gold. Westrum tries to convince Judd to steal the gold, but Judd refuses. They attend the wild wedding of Elsa (Mariette Hartley), who ends up running away with them, having fallen for young Heck. While the groom's family comes after Elsa, Westrum and Longtree try to steal the gold. Judd stops them and vows to bring them in for trial. But when the in-laws catch up with Judd, Westrum returns to help out his old friend in one last gun battle.

"Ride the High Country" is about the death of the Old West. This film was supposed to be the last film for both Scott and McRae, although McRae changed his mind afterwards. Peckinpah presents a natural Western, in settings far removed from the Monument Valley splendor we associate with John Ford. Both the dialogue and the performances represent that realism as well. The final scene between Scott and McRae is as touching as any this side of "Shane." Of course, Peckinpah goes on to deal with the end of the Old West in a more different fashion in his classic "The Wild Bunch." But I really think this is the better Western once you get past all the bloody violence of the other one. ... Read more

Description

Disney's most acclaimed and beloved film just got even better! With its incomparable blend of magic and award-wining music, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST won the prestigious Golden Globe for Best Picture (1991, Best Comedy or Musical) and is the only animated film ever nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award(R) (1991). Now magnificently restored and remastered, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SPECIAL EDITION features an all-new song, "Human Again," seamlessly integrated into the film. And in this groundbreaking 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD, you'll enter the Beast's castle and explore its many secrets -- with three versions of the film, never-before-seen movie secrets, exciting games featuring all-new animation, and more! Disney magic reigns supreme in this triumphant 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD -- a must for every DVD library! ... Read more

Reviews (332)

Excellent job Disney.
I saw this when it first came out in theaters back in 1992. I was only 7 or 8 at the time, and it just didn't appeal to me as much as The Little Mermaid or The Rescuers Down Under. I don't really know why, but having just getting the DVD in the mail, my view of the movie is completely different.

Beauty and the Beast really is one of Disney's top 4 animated films. How they managed to combine a massive cast of characters into the main plot is amazing. Beast is one of my favorite Disney characters after re-watching this. There's so much emotion inside of him. Anger, rage, pity, ambition, and love. You'll really care for him from the moment he appears on screen. Belle is possibly the most humble heroine to date. She doesn't see that she's beautiful, but just cares for helping others and reading books. The supporting cast is just as good. Gaston, the villain, is just a....well I can't use the word. You can bet your money you'll feel the same way. But the characters are just the icing on the cake. The story is what the strong point's always been. Disney did a great job adding so much more to it, whereas the original didn't focus on anyone but Belle and the Beast really. But I'm sure you all know the story, so I'll just get into the features on this DVD.

On the first disc, you get 3 different versions of the film- theatrical, work in progress, and special edition. The theatrical is what you saw in theaters or on the home video release. Work in progress is mostly drawings in black and white while the voices and everything else is put in. The special edition has a few lines changed here and there, and the added musical "Human Again" into the film. Personally, I hated "Human Again". It comes right after and before other songs in the film, making you want them to just get on with the story. Plus the animation in it really stands out since it's newer and has those annoying shadows on every character that you see in so many made for video animated movies. There's also a commentary track that adds a lot of depth and information, and a game that unlocks another game. People complain about the picture quality of the movie, but it's not that bad. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a 7.5.

The second disc has a well done documentary on the making of Beauty and the Beast, story origins of a few other Disney movies, art galleries, music videos, more games, and much more. Amazon lists that the Broadway Musical is on this, but it isn't. It's mentioned in the documentary, that's all. This sets the standard for extras on Disney special editions of their movies. It's too bad The Lion King has nothing compared to this. Either way, if you like Disney at all...or just movies, you should go for this while you can. It's a masterpiece, and getting harder to find.

A thinking girl's heroine
When I saw "Beauty and the Beast" in the theater, I had a rare and magical experience: I felt like a child again watching an enchanting Disney movie. In fact, "Beauty and the Beast" seemed even better than the Disney classics like "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty" that were such a wonderful part of my childhood. The animation is absolutely gorgeous--particularly the waltz scene, which feels incredibly three-dimensional. The songs are beautiful, singable instant classics.

Despite the animated characters, I felt like I was watching an old musical. The movie opens with a scene reminiscent of "The Sound of Music," with our heroine, Belle, singing on a hilltop about wanting more out of life. The "Be Our Guest" scene, featuring a Lumiere (the Maurice Chevalier-inspired singing candlestick), dancing dishes and champagne corks popping like fireworks, reminded me of the Busby Berkely musical extravaganzas of the '30s.

A big appeal for me is that Belle is a much different heroine than the Disney princesses of my childhood. Belle isn't looking for a man to rescue her from her life of drudgery. She loves to read and longs for a more interesting life. She already has the "town catch," Gaston, wanting to court her, but she's having none of it.

Belle's escape from "her provincial life" begins when her father, a kooky inventor, doesn't return from his travels. (He has sought shelter from a snow storm in a spooky enchanted castle and is being held prisoner by the Beast.) Belle tracks down her father and, out of concern for his ailing health, takes his place in captivity. The Beast, who has been placed under a spell, wonders if Belle might be "the one"--the young woman whose love will return him to his original human form.

The enchanted furniture, candlestick, clock and dishes added lots of fun characters to the traditional story. Cogsworth, a stuffy clock, and Lumiere, the match-making candlestick are a great comic duo. Cogsworth's romantic advice to Beast about wooing Belle is especially funny: Give her "flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep."

Gaston, meanwhile, wants to woo and wed Belle himself. He sings about his he-man attributes in one of the funniest ode to a redneck that I've ever heard: "I use antlers in all of my decorating," Gaston sings about himself.

When Gaston realizes that Belle loves the Beast instead of him, he stirs up an angry mob to head to the castle. In another twist on the traditional fairy tale ending, Belle ultimately rescues the Beast--not the other way around.

"Beauty and the Beast" is a delightful classic whether you are a child or a grownup who knows how to feel like a child at times.

Pure Magic!
Bringing this classic fairy tail to life is one of the best things that Disney has ever done. Every second of this film is full to the brim with wonder and magic. More than ten years after first seeing it, there are still some scenes that make me gasp at their beauty.
The movie provides all of the usual Disney elements of gorgeous animation, skilled voice actors, awesome original songs, and non-stop entertainment, but there's something special in the mix. We get one of the most believable and heart felt romances to ever grace the animated world. As a child every time I read a picture book of this Fairy Tail I found it impossible to believe that a woman could love a beast, but Disney found a way to make it happen. You truly believe that it's possible, and feel her pain when she thinks she's lost him.
In the classic Disney fashion, Beauty and the Beast brings along a message for the kids to learn. We see the value of intelligence and compassion, learn to look beyond the superficial, and discover that love knows no boundaries.

After A While One Doesn't Notice It Is Animated
It is quite rare for any animated film to be treated with the same respect as any other honored non-animated one. In BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale take the time-worn fairy tale of the outwardly loathsome beast who impossibly enough allows his inner nobility to shine forth sufficiently to cause the beauty to fall in love with him. Robby Benson is the voice of the Beast and Paige O'Hara is Beauty. Even for those readers familiar with the spoken tale or the revamped music video with Meatloaf as the Beast cannot help but allow themselves to be entranced with the seamless melding of sight to sound. The plot is simplicity itself with the Beast as the archetypal symbol of the rebirth of nobility long hidden by the evil spell of a unnamed wizard. There is nothing childish is the unfolding of the tale of Belle the Beauty who chooses to sacrifice herself in marriage to save the life of her doddering inventor father. Enter the Beast who is initially presented as the roaring brute that his tormenting wizard clearly intended him to be. Yet, as Belle ministers to his psychic wounds of self-loathing and his physical wounds incurred in defending her against a pack of wolves, the viewer can see a competing spell at work, one that is older than time itself--the power of love that the film's many songs allude to and function as as subtext that imbues it with timeless energy. There is, of course, some needed plot complications of unwanted attention heaped on Belle by the handsome but warped Gaston, who plots to snare Belle in marriage as firmly as he would stalk a reindeer for its antlers. As Gaston leads the villagers in an assault on the Beast's manor, one is reminded in reverse of the cliched villagers pounding at the walls of Doctor Frankenstein's castle, but in this case the attack in presented in comic tones that keep the real world of harm at bay.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has no down moments, with each fresh plot advancement heralded by stunningly effective animation and song. This film was a deserved nominee for Best Picture in 1991, and with repeated viewings, one may rest assured that the alternately gloomy and resplendent halls of the Beast will eternally resonate with the same cachet that gives Tara, Oz, or Rick's Cafe a ticket that allows the bearer to see just how awesome the human spirit can be.

The Beauty
This is a beautiful movie and is in a wonderful set. It has two discs with great behind the scenes stuff for Beauty and the Beast that you definitely wont want to miss out on.
The colors in this movie is beautiful and the music is lovely.
I really wouldn't miss out on this movie because it's a great film and a wonderful set. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A very good film with Esther Williams!
I think this is a very good Esther Williams film. Though there is not a lot of fancy swimming scenes, most is done in the ocean, while swiiming the channel. The story line and songs are delightful.

Fun movie!
As a former synchro swimmer and coach of synchro, this movie is a treat. Any Esther Williams movie is enjoyable to me, but this one is also very cute with Tom and Jerry taking an underwater dip with Esther. It's a great movie for kids and adults! Highly recommended -- way cute!

exellent Williams musical
Esther Williams and Fernando Lamas star DANGEROUS WHEN WET, a delightful musical about an American girl and her dream to swim the English Channel.

Katie Higgins (Esther Williams), and the rest of the health-savvy Higgins clan (William Demarest, Charlotte Greenwood, Donna Corcoran and Barbara Whiting), are all invited by the publicity frontman of Liquapep (Jack Carson), to come to England and swim the English Channel.

Along the way, Katie gets involved with a dashing Frenchman (Fernando Lamas) and experiences her first taste of love.

Featuring a tuneful score including "I've Got Out Of Bed On The Right Side", and a fantastic cartoon sequence where Williams cavorts with Tom and Jerry.

Funny, good time movie
I have loved this movie ro years and was thrilled to find it on Amazon! The story line is cute, the acting is witty, and if you have ever loved a musical, this is for you! There's even an interlude with Tom and Jerry. Fun movie!

Totally Addicting!
I have been watching this videos since I was 13 years old. It's a family favorite. My sisters and I still sing all the songs! Esther Williams is so fun to watch in this film and does a wonderful job portraying Katie Higgins the "farm girl" who wants to swim the English Channel in order to win money to "buy a bull"! It's just a really sweet film. Ferando Lamas and Esther Williams are so adorable together, they seem like an unlikely couple, but on screen they really can light it up. I highly recommend it to musical lovers everywhere and anyone who just wants to relax with a really good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Let's have some ORDER AROUND HERE!!!
First off...I am an avid,,,and extremely critical... suspense/thriller movie buff who revels in being viscerally scared out-of-his wits...without the director using buckets of blood or idiotic/sophmoric situations to accomplish this feat. The Stepfather (fiendishly and poignantly portrayed by Terry O'Quinn) will send your nerves a-jangle.

The plot here is simplistic...a very, very disturbed man is in search of the perfect family (ala ) The Brady Bunch or Father Knows Best...the problem is...is TRY telling Jerry that life isn't a idealistic cornball sitcom...see what the results are...

Brilliantly directed by Joseph Rubens (Sleeping with the Enemy/The Good Son)... the Stepfather will take you on a haunting psychological rollercoaster ride filled with jumps, jolts, heart thumping and unconscious nail biting.

The opening sequence...devoid of any dialogue and visually unnerving ...was so disturbing to one of my friends...that he wanted to take a 'raincheck' on watching the rest!

Shelley Hack ...and especially Jill Schoelen...as the respective newly found wife and daughter...turn in engaging performances. Not to mention Hans Zimmer's creep-o-rama score...filled with violinists and cellists on mesculine and caffeine...

If your genre is suspense...good suspense...if you liked Brian DePalma's Dressed to Kill & Body Double...if you liked Hitchcock's Psycho & The Birds...if you enjoyed Robert Harmon's The Hitcher or Curtis Hanson's The Hand that Rocks the Cradle...not to mention Carpenter's Halloween...then sit back and enjoy...!

Oh...by the way...do you really want to know what happens to the family's puppy...or what happens when daddy goes down to the cellar to retrieve some ice cream...or what your stepfather's reaction may be when he matter-of-factly retrieves your mail...or what a simple phone receiver can also be used for...and...just out of curiosity... do you have to hide the cutlery in your house? Do you, pumpkin?

Father Knows Death
This creepy and wonderfully put together chiller from 1987, never got the credit or recognition it deserved. Thankfully, it found new life on video and cable. Great character actor Terry 'O' Quinn, plays a psychotic madman who is determined to have the perfect, all american family. When that family disappoints him in some way, well, they pay with their lives. Then he's on to a new family and identity. He meets Shelly Hack, and her daughter, played by Jill Schoelen. The daughter knows that her new stepfather is not who he seems to be, and she sets out to prove herself right. 'O' Quinn is scary. His stepfather is just as creepy when he's nice as he is when he's stark raving mad. A teriffic, and underrated performance. The movie is not your typical horror/slasher film. It's more mature and intelligent. There is very little blood here, and that makes it a better film. The intelligence of this film was scarred by two horrible sequels that went down the typical 80's slasher road. Skip those and see this. One of the most underrated suspense/horror films. Make room for daddy!.

Shame on you M.G.M
Ok this movie is beggin for a release on dvd well whut's the wait. This is one the best psyhco gone nuts movie there is.Well Mr. o quinn moves wit an all american perfect family but the daugther knows he has a screw loose. Moms falls in love so she thinks he's perfect for her. Well i'm not ging to give away the spoilers i'll let see what happens. For a good time on a saturday nite this is perfect. I also know for us with 5.1 audio we can't get that lucky to have a dvd mix of the stepfather we'll be lucky if 2 channel surround. Well m.g.m i also know you have rights to flicks too this movie is so bad i'm bout to say it release crackhouse on dvd and the perfect funniest movie ever made the fearless vampire killers and the great year of the dragon thank you.

3.5 Stars
Fairly decent. It's a psychological horror/thriller type film. Just see it. It's better if I don't just tell you the plot, and besides previous reviewers already have, so I say see it.

Who are you? How did you get on to me?!
This 80s horror/thriller has it all: an engrossing plot that's scary and funny, amazing acting (I don't know who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1987 but it should have been Terry O'Quinn), classic lines like: "Wait a minute...who am I here?", and to top it all off, corny yet eerie music which sets the mood perfectly. Easily one of my all-time favourite psycho-flicks. ... Read more

Description

A troubleshooting special agent is assigned to the investigation of a worldwide terror