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$20.00 $6.70 list($22.99)
101. Remember The Titans
list($19.98)
102. Folks!
$14.20 list($14.95)
103. Closer
$6.93 $4.99
104. A Time to Kill
list($20.00)
105. Yellowbeard
$13.99 $5.29 list($14.98)
106. The Land Before Time V - The Mysterious
$12.53 list($14.95)
107. Mahogany
$13.99 list($19.96)
108. Pippi Longstocking
$49.99 list($9.94)
109. Almost Heroes
$9.98 $6.31
110. Home Alone
$5.99 list($9.94)
111. Stand and Deliver
$26.99 list($29.98)
112. The Other Side of Midnight
list($19.98)
113. Return of the Jedi
$9.98 $7.56
114. Separate But Equal
$9.98 $6.18
115. The Crucible
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116. The Diary of Anne Frank
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117. Elvis-One Night With You
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118. The Muppet Movie
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119. The Jerky Boys
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120. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella

101. Remember The Titans
Director: Boaz Yakin
list price: $22.99
our price: $20.00
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Asin: B000056VP3
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 389
Average Customer Review: 4.34 out of 5 stars
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Description

Academy Award(R)-winner Denzel Washington (Best Actor, TRAINING DAY, 2001) gives a victorious performance in this stirring and uplifting film. REMEMBER THE TITANS is a rousing celebration of how a town torn apart by resentment, friction, and mistrust comes together in triumphant harmony. The year is 1971. After leading his team to 15 winning seasons, football coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone (Washington), tough, opinionated, and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. How these two men overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions, plays out in a remarkable and triumphant story full of soul and spirit. You and your family will never forget the Titans. ... Read more

Reviews (209)

5-0 out of 5 stars You will remember the titans...
No matter whether you're a fan of sports or not, Remember the Titans is an incredibly inspiring film.
Based on a true story, it is set in 1971 at TC Williams High School, a school that is about to intergrate white and balck students for the first time.
The school's football team meet pre-season, and the separate white and balck groups must learn to get along under the guidance of Coach Herman Boon (Denzel Washington).
What follows is a remarkably touching and powerful story, that mixes tragedy and success.
Great acting by all involved, especially the black members of the cast, who are funny and add something else to an already 5-star film.
For movie fans of all genres, Remember the Titans is a great movie that will inspire you and having you watch it again and again. This is the greatest sports film ever made, and it is sure to have watching intently from beginning to end.

5-0 out of 5 stars A MOVING STORY OF HEROIC DETERMINATION
Denzel Washington is Coach Boone, a black football coach who finds himself in unfamiliar territory when he is appointed head coach of a high school team in its first year of intergration. When the fomer coach Yoast agrees to be his assistant it seems that turmoil and not determination will rule the squad.

Boone's determination to win is only outmatched by his drive for racial harmony within the team and coaching staff. By forcing his players to interact he creates bonds and friendships. Throughout all of this he knows he must win or his tenure as head coach will be short lived. He must not only battle the racial tension in the team, but in the town as well. Only his sheer will can guide his team to the promised land.

The movie is an outstanding piece of cinema. It adresses a social issue with raw emotional power. It teaches a lesson without screaming it in your face. The acting is without a doubt full of some of the best performances of the year to not have been recognized by Oscar and the likes. While Denzel Washington and Will Patton are phenomenal the show is stolen by the members of the team. Watch this film and you will get the point. An emotional five star film worth watching again and again.

5-0 out of 5 stars Hands down, one of the greatest movies I ever watched.
Believe it or not, I never even heard of this movie until recently. I'm not a big sports fan, or a sport movie fan so when my boyfriend brough this over to watch, I was less than thrilled.

However, once it started, I was captivated by it.

The movie is made even better based on the fact it is based on a true story. The jist of it is this... Herman Boone, played by Denzel Wahsinton perfectly, takes over as new head coach at a high school that has been desegregated. Naturally, the town has mixed reactions.

We watch as Boone, uses tactics that neither the players, the parents, the townsfolk or even his assistant coaches like to force the players to not only become a team but also respect each other as people. We watch as friendships form, and as a team forms.

Eventually we watch as the winning football team, and essentially Boone brings the town together.

This movie brings something to the table for everyone. I laughed, I cried, I even cheered during the games. A must see!

4-0 out of 5 stars A CLASSIC FOOTBALL MOVIE
this movie is not only very compelling but also has good morals involving racism ,alcohol, and it rele shows how people of different backgrounds can come together when circumstances get rough. this movie is probally for ages 10 -and up because its a lil slow if you are too young to understand the concept of racism and football if you like good drama movies or football movies watch this movie its a legend itself as the titans were in the movie. a small town highschool breaks the color barrior having both whites and blacks on one team some players accept it and others dont and there black coach (denzel washington who plays an excellant part ) gets threats but still coaches his team to victory REMEMBER TO WATCH THIS MOVIE

5-0 out of 5 stars We need more family movies.
I thought this was a great movie. It was a movie that my kids could watch with me. However, the one thing racism)they are trying to conquer in the movie, still lives on today. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was a great movie. ... Read more


102. Folks!
Director: Ted Kotcheff
list price: $19.98
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Asin: 630251701X
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 372
Average Customer Review: 4.15 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (13)

5-0 out of 5 stars A Real Classic
This is a real classic movie. Don Ameche and Tom Selleck did a supurb job. As any movie it has its slow spots but keeps you laughing. Ive watched this flick a dozen times already and still laugh just as hard and times even harder. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who's looking for a warm comedy with lots of laughs. Now if it would only come out on DVD.

5-0 out of 5 stars Folks Is One Of The Funniest Movies Out There!
I would recommend this title to everybody! It is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen and I couldn't stop laughing the first time I saw it! This Video is a MUST GET for all movie lovers!!!

4-0 out of 5 stars My uncle loves it!
I purchased this for my uncle to show at the VA Hospital. Alot of the veterans had not seen "Folks". THEY LOVED IT!

1-0 out of 5 stars the worst movie ever
I'm sorry, but this is one of a few movies I've ever seen that I couldn't finish. It's that bad. Poor acting, poor script, poor everything. Only good for tormenting someone.

5-0 out of 5 stars very funny
Totaly enjoyable, very funny. Tom Selleck is very good in this movie. ... Read more


103. Closer
Director: Mike Nichols
list price: $14.95
our price: $14.20
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Asin: B0007P0U6M
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 378
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Amazon.com

Four extremely beautiful people do extremely horrible things to one another in Closer, Mike Nichols' pungent adaptation of Patrick Marber's play that easily marks the Oscar-winning director's best work in years. Anna (Julia Roberts) is a photographer who specializes in portraits of strangers; Dan (Jude Law) is an obituary writer struggling to become a novelist; Alice (Natalie Portman) is an American stripper freshly arrived in London after a bad relationship; and Larry (Clive Owen) is a dermatologist who finds love under the most unlikely of circumstances. When their paths cross it's a dizzying supernova of emotions, as Nichols and Marber adroitly construct various scenes out of their lives that pair them again and again in various permutations of passion, heartbreak, anger, sadness, vengeance, pleading, deception, and most importantly, brutal honesty. It's only until you're more than halfway through the movie that you'll have to ask yourself exactly why you are watching such a beautifully tragic tale, as Closer is basically the ickiest, grossest, most dysfunctional parts of all your past relationships strung together into one movie. Ultimately, it falls to the four actors to draw you deeper into the story; all succeed relatively, but it's Law and Owen whose characters will cut you to the quick. Law proves that yet again he's most adept at playing charming, amoral bastards with manipulative streaks, and Owen is nothing short of brilliant as the character most turned on by the energy inherent in destructive relationships--whether he's on the giving or receiving end. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (260)

3-0 out of 5 stars Shakespearean Onstage, Mediocre Onscreen
Closer is a convoluted-yet-beautiful love story that is crippled by the impossiblity of the actors living up to the script's demands.Immensely popular with both young and old crowds alike, mainly because it's... well, a convuluted-yet-beautiful love story.One could compare it to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with its massive time-bends and jumps, but one would probably do better not to taint a movie with such incredible acting as Eternal Sunshine with the forced rigidity of this film's dialogue.

The writing is, in a word, breathtaking.It is herein that the deficiency lies.While watching scenes with Alice (Natalie Portman) and Dan (Jude Law), one's suspension of disbelief is so broken, it's as if one were watching their children perform in a play.One is almost convinced that Jude Law is gay, as the only person he has perceivable chemistry with in this film is Larry (Clive Owen).The writing is so dramatic and eloquent that it sounds forced coming from people in such situations as the characters, save one notable exception.

The ultimate saving grace of the entire film is the incredible acting range of Clive Owen, and the chemistry he illicits from all the characters, save Jude Law, whose performance, truthfully, left something to be desired in all of his lines that did not involve him yelling for some reason.Owen's Academy Award nomination was certainly warranted.

Natalie Portman delivers an extremely solid performance outside her work with Jude Law(which amounts to about 10 minutes of the movie), while most of her lines delivered at his side sound somewhat coaxed, yet more natural than most actresses her age.I personally thought that while her character is an excellent portrayal of an excentric with a need for stability, the lines were perhaps fed to her a little too much; it's quite obvious she's not reading her own interpretation of what her character should say.Hopefully future directors will give her the freedom to improvise her character's dialogue.

I'm indifferent to Anna (Julia Roberts) in this film.She proves nothing new, and delivers a fairly sturdy performance; her character isn't really a person so much as she is an object throughout the film, but she manages to personify that object very well.

There is a difference between stage acting and film acting.No one really wants to admit it, but the script required a few more adjustments to suit the move from the stage to film.

All in all, I cannot say that I do not adore this movie.With some more realistic adaptations to the script, this film could have been perfect.As it stands, the movie is still beautiful, through all the small imperfections.A beautifully convoluted love story; a convolutedly beautiful love story, a smart, sexy drama; it's all of the above.I have to recommend it to anyone with a heart that's ever been broken.

4-0 out of 5 stars 4 great actors, 4 great stars
This is the story of four people: two men and two women. It souds plain simple, but the story is not so. It is not the typical story of a love quadrangle. It's a story of power, pride, self-confidence and, of course, love.

The greatest and the lowest of human condition. All for love, but all for gaining the higher respect and best appearance in front of the rest of the world.

The story is fantastic but, what to say of the actors? It is not only Portmann to take care. I think Julia Roberts makes her best acting ever. Jude Law is plain correct but Clive Owen is the great discovery for me. It is clear that this is "a film for actors", to show the best of them and they really succeed.

The only problem is that these two facts (story and acting) hide a poor direction and some minor aspects. Personally, I think the producer did the budget and realized he has nothing to spend in such details.

But it is a very recommendable movie to spend the afternoon at home. I saw it in the cinema and I had such a great impression that I hired it to see it again (and I haven't done it in more than ten times).

1-0 out of 5 stars Shockingly Disappointing
I don't understand how anyone could enjoy this film.It was by far the worst movie I've seen this year.In fact, it was so bad that I doubt I'll be able to enjoy watching the main 4 actors ever again.

Although some people feel that watching 4 people destroy each other is beautiful, I find it to be depressing.This movie is about 4 "lovers" who use each other uncaringly, cry a lot, use the "f" word multiple times in every sentence, and who are completely unlikeable.It's like the director thought that having 4 beautiful people in a film was enough.I love a good drama, but this wasn't even close.

The plot is as shallow as the characters.The ending is very silly; we find out information that the film makers thought would create a "Usual Suspects" type of ending, but it all falls flat and seems contrived.Amazon has many better DVDs for sale than this garbage.

5-0 out of 5 stars Mike Nichols at his best...
Genre: Dark Romance

Genre Grade: A+

Final Grade: A

This was a great movie - except it's possibly one of the most verbally sexual movies I've ever seen - but I can handle a little sex talk! There were about, I dunno, eight people or so who walked out of the movie because of the offensive language and sex talk. This movie breaks many barriers and talks about problems in relationships and tries to take a closer look at the raw emotions of affairs. The acting was Oscar-worthy from each person, Clive Owen coming out on top in my opinion. Natalie Portman was amazing as well, and Julia Roberts actually gives the audience something new.

This movie is extremely depressing, and is not a date movie unless you want to walk away feeling hopeless. It leaves us with a despairing look at humanity and our own desires, and the film brings to light things that are normally left in the bedroom or simply remain unspoken. Definitely worth seeing just for the performances (especially the amazing encounter between Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, and then later the discussion between Jude Law and Clive Owen), the AMAZING dialogue, and just because of the fact that Mike Nichols directed it.

3-0 out of 5 stars Great Performances save this film!
This movie is hard to follow.No question about that.Most movies that are adapted from Broadway plays don't fair well on screen unless they're made from the classic playwrights (Tennessee Williams, David Mamet, Eugene O'Neill, etc.).Many of the negative reviews here on Amazon.com expecting more action are justified.However, I found the movie to be better than expected.Mike Nichols is one of Hollywood's finest directors.And with four of the best actors around, he does very will with the challenging subject matter.Natalie Portman has become the "Harrison Ford" of the Star Wars genre by breaking out into a great Oscar nominated role.British TV star Clive Owen also breaks free of his shell with his excellent performance.Juila Roberts & Jude Law round out this excellent cast.If you can stay with it for the performances, you'll be amused. ... Read more


104. A Time to Kill
Director: Joel Schumacher
list price: $6.93
our price: $6.93
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Asin: 6304259131
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 1787
Average Customer Review: 4.07 out of 5 stars
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Amazon.com

You wouldn't know it by watching the Batman movies they collaborated on, but this smart adaptation of John Grisham's novel proves that director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman have some talent when the right project comes along. Schumacher had previously directed Grisham's The Client, and brought equal craft and intelligence to this story about a young Southern attorney (Matthew McConaughey, in his breakthrough role) who defends a black father (Samuel L. Jackson) after he kills two men who raped his young daughter. Sandra Bullock plays the passionate law student who serves as McConaughey's legal aide and voice of conscience in the racially charged drama. Added to the star power of the lead roles is a fine supporting cast, including Kevin Spacey, Ashley Judd, and Oliver Platt. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (92)

3-0 out of 5 stars Racism, violence, white trash, murder ("Jerry! Jerry!")
"A Time to Kill" has good intentions. It stars:

Matthew McConaughey as lawyer Jake Brigance

Samuel L. Jackson as Carl Lee Hailey, a father who kills to avenge the rape of his little girl

Kevin Spacey as the snide, sinister District Attorney

Sandra Bullock as Brigance's law clerk, Ellen "Rork in Boston, but Row Ark in Mississippi"

Ashley Judd as Jake Brigance's wife

Oliver Platt is Jake's buddy Harry Rex

Keifer Sutherland as a vengeful redneck

and Donald Sutherland as eccentric, civil-rights-activist/disbarred lawyer/drunk/mentor Lucien Wilbanks

With an all star cast like that, you can't go wrong, and the film, at least plot-wise, doesn't. Carl Lee Hailey's 10-year-old daughter is raped and left for dead by two white trash redneck dopeheads. Enraged, Hailey takes justice into his own hands and fatally shoots the two rapists as they leave the courthouse. Everyone in the small Mississippi town hears the news within minutes and takes sides, and Hailey hires a young ham-and-egger, Brigance, to defend him. As Brigance tries to avoid a conviction from the all-white jury, the brother of one of the rapists (played by Keifer Sutherland) gets together a couple of good ole boys to form a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. Violence erupts, protesters march and chant, death threats and burning crosses abound, everyone is covered at all times with a sheen of oily sweat, and there's even an explosion.

"A Time to Kill" is like the "Jerry Springer Show," but intelligent.

The dialogue, however, could use work. It seems as if a good writer and a mediocre writer banged out the script, then cut it up and shuffled it together, intermingling the really well-written scenes with some really choppy dialogue.

The same goes for the acting. Jackson, Spacey, and McConaughey are excellent and convincing in their roles. Platt is charming as Jake's best friend and a sleazy divorce lawyer.

However, Judd is useless and even childish in her role as a trophy wife, and Bullock, as Jake's law clerk, sounds as if she's a shy girl in a high-school play who hasn't quite memorized her lines yet. (This really irked me because in the book version, her character was headstrong, outspoken, and very smart.)

I encourage anyone to rent the movie for themselves. It's definitely worth seeing, even if the writing and acting is a little off in places. The story redeems the bad acting.

5-0 out of 5 stars I Love This Movie!
This movie is one of my favorites and I highly recommend that everyone see it because it is thought provoking and it forces you to put yourself in the character's shoes and think about what you would do. The movie begins with the brutal rape of a little black Mississippi girl by two white men. The girl's father Carl Lee, played by Samuel L. Jackson, then shoots and kills the guys- in the courthouse, mind you. Matthew McConaughey plays Carl Lee's attorney, Jake Brigance. The plot line continues with bouts including the KKK and the NAACP. Something notable that I really like is the exposing of the NAACP's arrogance and crookedness that happens all too often in real life. All of the actors do a great job in this film. Kevin Spacey is the prosecutor and Sandra Bullock plays Brigance's legal aid, whom he almost ends up having an affair when his wife (Ashley Judd) leaves town for her and their daughter's safety. If nothing else, you've got to see this movie for the fact that Matt McConaughey is the leading man. He is so hot! Even though I disagree with the verdict, A Time To Kill is a must see if you haven't viewed it yet. Bravo!

5-0 out of 5 stars Grisham At His Best
A Time to Kill is my favorite Grisham book, and the movie follows suit. The book, which was the first one published but did not become popular until The Firm becase a success, seems to be the most "grounded" with a "real" feel to it unlike some of the other ones which tend to stretch credibility a bit more (but are fun to read anyway.)

4-0 out of 5 stars Closing Arguments
A Time To Kill, is one of only two of John Grisham's legal thrillers that I have read, cover to cover. The other is The Chamber. I have to say, that while the book of ATTK is a bit better, then the film version, there's no denying the movie has a lot going for it...making for a very good film.

In a small southern town, black man Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) awaits trial for murdering the two rednecks who viciously raped his 10-year-old daughter. Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) is a young, idealistic white lawyer, who decides to take on the father's defense. The incendiary case becomes a firestorm of racism and controversy, ripping the town apart. This, as Jake goes up against the community's most successful D.A. (Kevin Spacey), while reluctanly accepting help with the case from a law student (Sandra Bullock).

It's amazing how good this film is, especially when one considers what director Joel Schumacher and its adapter
Akiva Goldsman, would team up to do on Batman And Robin. At it's center, McConaughey gives his best perfomance to date. He captures the the escence of his novel counterpart to a tee. Jackson is also quite convincing as a man on trial. The rest of the all star cast is very good here--although Bullock shares nice moments with McConaughey--she seems out of step and is suprisingly the film's weakest link. Some have said the movie is over crowded with too many subplots, while that is true to a certain extent I guess, Goldsman's script and Schumacher somehow balance it all. The film takes a few liberties, but, basically stays true to the source material.

Like most John Grisham books turned movies, the DVD lacks anything substantial, in the way of bonus material. Production notes and the film's theatrical trailer is all you get...Special Edition anyone?

A Time To Kill offers fine performances and rock solid drama. The film is a winner and one of the best Grisham adaptations out there

5-0 out of 5 stars Intense Grisham Drama
Set in the deep south, where prejudice dies hard and bigotry still runs rampant, this intense crime drama finds the bright (although penniless) young lawyer Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) fighting to keep a black man from the gas chamber, and struggling to protect the lives of his friends and family. When Carl Lee Haley's (Samuel L. Jackson) nine-year-old daughter is brutally raped and beaten by some local good-old-boys, he fears the court will not serve justice and takes matters in his own hands, gunning down and killing the two boys on the courthouse steps. Carl Lee calls for Jake to take up his defense, although he has never handled a murder case.
The tension rises and intensity level of the plot increases as the local KKK is united, big wigs come in from the NAACP, Klu Klux Klan, and high dollar prosecutors. When the KKK sets a burning cross in their yard, Jake's wife and daughter flee town, only to have their beautifully restored Victorian home burned to the ground days later by the protestors. In the courtroom, Jake finds himself pitted against his worse legal-world enemy (Kevin Spacey) and the courtroom antics are nothing short of breathtaking. Donald Sutherland, Sandra Bullock and Oliver Platt make up Jake's patchwork defense team and provide fantastic character studies.
This film earns the top rating for the reasons: 1)by staying true to Grisham's first legal novel of the same name; and 2) because of the deep understanding these characters give us to the world of the prejudice south, the love of a father, and the desperate yearning for justice. Ultimately, Jake must put himself in the place of each of the jurors to fight for Carl Lee's freedom. He must learn that he is not black, will never be black, but the issues are not always colored. ... Read more


105. Yellowbeard
Director: Mel Damski
list price: $20.00
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Asin: B00000G00T
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 2979
Average Customer Review: 4.69 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (72)

4-0 out of 5 stars Nothing's as dangerous as a Yellowbeard....
Why don't they make more pirate movies? Probably because the mold was broken after Yellowbeard. I mean, Cutthroat Island was funny, but I don't think they meant it to be. Graham Chapman stars as the scurvy dog himself, and his supporting cast is wonderful, including Pythons John Cleese and Eric Idle, Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong, Peter Boyle, Kenneth Mars, Susanna York, the late great James Mason, the late great Madeline Kahn, the late great Goon Spike Milligan, the late great Beyond The Fringe alum Peter Cook, the late Sir Michael Horndern, and finally, the late great Marty Feldman in his last role. Feldman died in Mayheeco before this was finished, hence the disjointed ending, but he was wonderful while he lasted. This sprang from the fertile & addled brain of Who drummer Keith Moon, who died before it was made. David Bowie was on vacation in Mexico in the same area while this was filmed, and makes an uncredited cameo. John Cleese is wonderful as Blind Pew (Cleese: "'oi 'ave acute 'earing." Idle- "I don't care about your jewelry"). James Mason is a hoot, playing it straight as a brutal English captain. Cheech & Chong are great, although I half expected to see them launch into their classic shtick of "Buggery On The High Seas". If your sense of humor is twisted, get this movie. If your SOH is just silly, get it too. If you miss Marty Feldman half as much as I do, then that means I miss him twice as much as you. There's also a "Making Of Yellowbeard" program out there. Keep your eyes peeled for it, too, it is worth it.

3-0 out of 5 stars Wild and Crazy Pirate Movie!
I'm a Monty Python fan and I also happen to like pirate movies so when this movie was shown unedited and commercial free on cable I taped it and just watched it the other day and though it's not my all time favorite pirate movie as a spoof of pirate movies it does have it's funny moments and three of my favorite Monty Python members, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle and John Cleese. The movie has a huge cast that also stars, Peter Boyle, Peter Cook, Madeline Kahn, James Mason, Marty Feldman, Martin Hewitt, Cheech and Chong and also look out for Bernard Fox who played Dr. Bombay in the classic television sitcom Bewitched. I wonder why this movie isn't on DVD yet. The station I taped the movie from played it in fullscreen and I would think that a movie like this had to have been filmed in widescreen so maybe a widescreen DVD will be available someday.

3-0 out of 5 stars Okay but Not Great!
I watched Yellowbeard recently and well it was basically a funny movie though there were some hits and misses with the humor and the rape jokes got tiresome after awhile!

5-0 out of 5 stars The Unknown Sidesplitter
The great groups of 20th century comedy are all here: Spike Milligan from The Goon Show, Peter Cook from Beyond the Fringe, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, and John Cleese from Monty Python, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Kenneth Marz, and Medeline Kahn from the Mel Brooks Art Players, Cheech and Chong -- plus British stalwarts like Michael Hordern and Peter Bull (in drag) -- plus James Mason in his rarely seen dry-as-dust comic mode -- plus an uncredited cameo by David Bowie. As a teenager, my daughter tested potential friends by showing them this movie and, if they loved it, they passed. A MUST for DVD.

5-0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest of all time...
For fans of the Python, this is one of the greatest movies of all time. You will be in tears the entire time. Let's just hope someday they remaster and re-release it on DVD ... Read more


106. The Land Before Time V - The Mysterious Island
Director: Charles Grosvenor
list price: $14.98
our price: $13.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0783221800
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 181
Average Customer Review: 4.56 out of 5 stars
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Amazon.com

This fourth sequel in the series finds "leaf gobblers" eating all the vegetation in Great Valley, driving Littlefoot, the young brontosaurus, and the other dinosaur inhabitants out. Arguments break out among the adults during migration, and Littlefoot and his friends decide to take matters in their own hands by crossing the "big water" to an unknown island. There they meet an old friend from The Land Before Time II--Chomper, the T-rex, who has to protect the gang from his own, carnivorous parents. Plenty of drama in this one, and as the series has been wont to do from the beginning, it shows adults as sometimes being less than perfect. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

4-0 out of 5 stars Very cute little movie
For every Land Before Time video I buy, it seems to appeal to me every time, and this one is no exception. In this film, "swarming leaf gobblers" (grasshoppers) eat up all the food in the Great Valley. This means that all the dinosaurs will have to move. :( Soon, the grown-ups start fighting (again) about where they should go to find more food. Of course, Littlefoot and his friends try and solve the problem by setting of on another journey to find food themselves. And they find it, on an island. The rest of the story follows up with a "return of Chomper" part in it, a t-rex chase (of course), and "peace on dino earth" (a happy ending). Over-all, it's a cute movie that kids of all ages are sure to love.

5-0 out of 5 stars Kids (of all ages) love this movie!
My girls are 3 & 4 years old. My 3 year old asks to watch a movie from this series at least once every other day! This one has catchy tunes "Big Water" and "Friends for Dinner" that even my husband and I sing along with! My husband & I don't mind watching this one with the girls, it's entertaining! It teaches kids how to work together...and a few other life lessons. It's a keeper! I recommend it, and all of the movies in this series.

4-0 out of 5 stars A tasty animated delight
I was introduced to "The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island" by my 5-year old nephew, and it's one of our favorite films to watch together. This animated tale, the fifth in the series, takes the viewer on an adventure with Littlefoot and his mixed-species group of young dinosaur friends. Separated from their parents after an invasion by locusts, Littlefoot and pals wind up on the "mysterious island" of the title, where they are re-united with the friendly little Tyrannosaur named Chomper. The story concerns the young dinos' effort to survive dangers and to find their way back to their families.

"LBT5" has likeable characters, fun songs (especially the catchy "Friends for Dinner"), and some good humorous moments.

I felt that the movie's one weak link was its unsettling portrayal of relations between predator and prey species. Granted, this is a fantasy about talking dinosaurs, but it's still unnerving to know that Chomper and his family eat members of the other characters' species. The film's attempts to mine humor out of this grisly situation (thankfully, no successful predation occurs in the film) left me uneasy. (You may get the same queasy feeling from the way the same theme is addressed in "The Lion King"). This aspect of the film didn't bother my nephew at all, but it left me wondering if the filmmakers were unconsciously putting messages about social Darwinism into the film.

Oh, well--I may be reading too much into a kid film. Bottom line: LBT5 is good fun, as long as the adults in the family don't think too much about the film.

5-0 out of 5 stars 3-year old review
My three-year-old daughter loves this movie. She repeatly watches it and even sings along with all of the songs. I sometimes even find my nine-year-old son watching the movie with her. We all love this movie because it teaches morals and lessons to the children without lecturing them. This is an overall wonderful movie and my daughter and I would recommend it to everyone, but I still think the 1st movie is the best of them all.

4-0 out of 5 stars Prodigious! Amazing! But...
Prodigious! Amazing! But some songs always make me cry like "Always There." It always makes me cry. In that song, LittleFoot and his friends reflect on their parents. Hinting from the first movie when LittleFoot reflects about his mother. I have seen all 6 movies and I like all of them except the first one. It's the saddest of them all. When I mean sad, I mean crying sad. Once I saw that movie, BAM! The waterworks were on! I want a seventh movie! My little brother imagines that the last movie will be when the asteroid hits the earth and sometime cavemen come! He has a nice imagination. The land before time is appearing in commercials. Hinting on the next movie... ... Read more


107. Mahogany
Director: Berry Gordy, Tony Richardson
list price: $14.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6300216772
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 12223
Average Customer Review: 3.72 out of 5 stars
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You know those movies that seemed really, really awesome when you were a teenager? Then, when you saw them again as a adult, you recognized them for the romantic dreck they always were? Mahogany exemplifies the breed. Made in 1975, Mahogany is mired in tedious melodrama that is not enhanced by a predictable and sexist ending. Diana Ross, a poverty-stricken young woman, pulls herself up by her camisole straps until she is at the top of the fashion world. Along the way she meets terrible people who want to use her. They break her heart. She has trouble bouncing back. One of those troubled people who seem to flock to Ross's unstable character is a deranged photographer, played with wild abandonment by Anthony Perkins. His psychotic performance gives this film its only energy. Ross remains unfulfilled until she finds love with inappropriate Billy Dee Williams, who shows none of his usual charisma. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (29)

5-0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Masterpiece by Berry Gordy
Mahogany is a Wonderul black love story of a woman raised in Chicago's inner city ghetto (Diana Ross). She has dreams and aspirations of becoming a fashion designer and eventually achieves that goal. But when she leaves home to go to Rome to claim her fame as a model she learns that it's lonely at the top and she starts to miss home and her one true love (Billy Dee Williams) who she's forsaken. The movie has a great moral to the story simply put by Billy Dee Williams, What's sucess (money and fame) when you don't have no one to share it with. This was a great performance by both actors.

2-0 out of 5 stars Bringing back memories...
Even young people might like to hear old Supremes songs like "Baby Love" or "You Can't Hurry Love", they really have something going for themselves. The Supremes were enormously successful in the sixties. It all seemed to end when Diana embarked on a solo career in 1970. Luckily she managed to return to the top of the charts with her dramatically version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enogh". She then surprised everyone when she did a wonderful acting role in her first movie "Lady Sings The Blues" in 1972. She followed with "Mahogany" in 1975 and scored a #1 single with the beautifully sung title theme "Do You Know Where You're Going To?". The film doesn't belong to what you could call "classics" but for all those Ross fans, who enjoyed almost every career-step Diana made, the album brings back nice memories. But let's be honest after all those years: the music - except for the nice title theme - can't tempt anyone anymore.

2-0 out of 5 stars Diana screeches, Billy Dee mumbles
MAHOGANY is a camp classic featuring screechy acting by Ms. Ross, mumbling by Billy Dee Williams, and drama queen antics by Anthony Perkins. Talent is wasted all around in the film depicting the rise of a poor-little-rich African-American model and fashion designer who has her mouth poked out because she misses her man. After this film, Berry Gordy never stepped up to the director's chair again (thank God). Good for its camp factor and that's about it.

3-0 out of 5 stars A camp classic
Like so many divas before her and after her, "La Ross" shines in this 1975 camp classic which exemplifies the cliche saying "it's lonely at the top."

The gowns, the glamour, the nails and the youth of Miss Ross are unparalleled. She was beyond fabulous and at the height of her artistic zenith. The montage is especially pleasing and one can only fantasize about being in Rome in the mid 70's while swathed in those fantastic creations and Fendi and Maximillian furs (read the credits).

Substantively, the film is not to be taken seriously....but I agree with one reviewer's assessment back then who said that it is "testament to how glorious it is to be Diana Ross." I wholeheartedly agree.

5-0 out of 5 stars Classic!
Diana Ross returns after her acclaimed film debut in 'Lady Sings The Blues. She plays the role of an ambitious struggling secretary who becomes a world famous designer-model (hmmm...). Diana Ross is a challenging & versatile performer and in this classic flick she showcases her impressive talents. Watch out for Anthony Perkins 'reprising' his Norman Bates persona.
Over the top plot, cheesy dialogue, wonderful soundtrack, glamorous costumes... Diana Ross never looked more gorgeous! ... Read more


108. Pippi Longstocking
Director: Michael Schaack, Clive A. Smith, Bill Giggie
list price: $19.96
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6304621841
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 4020
Average Customer Review: 3.57 out of 5 stars
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Description

Get set for a hilarious, fun-filled adventure as one of the world's most enduring and beloved characters Pippi Longstocking, debuts in her first animated feature film. Inspired by Astrid Lindgren's timeless books and featuring a host of unforgettable songs, Pippi Longstocking is an instant classic that will knock the socks off your entire family! Year: 1997 Director: Waldemar Bergendahl, Michael Schaack, Starring:Melissa Altro, Catherine O'Hara, Gordon Pinsent, Dave Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (7)

4-0 out of 5 stars Let's talk about Pippi...
Chances are you've heard of Pippi Longstocking. The little red-haired girl that makes a habit of tossing around livestock, drawing on floors, washing the floor with her feet and so forth... Is this movie an accurate representation of her character? Is it even fun to watch?
The answer? To some degree.
The movie suffers from having too many songs, but many of them are frenetic enough to be easy to get used to and even like, though there are a couple of unlikable ones, I found the sound to be in general, good.
My main problem with this movie is that it tamed the story for some reason. Most of Pippi's wild stories are completely gone, and she no longer manhandles anyone who isn't a farm animal. The characters themselves often change on the spur of the moment to accomidate this. Even the fight at the circus (one of my favorite parts in the book,) became a tamer weight-lifting contest.
However, unlike the live version, the general attitude of Pippi is mostly similar to the one she had in the book, except perhaps that she's slightly less arrogant and lies a LOT less. This certainly gives it the edge it needs to be superior to the live-action movie, which trampled all over the character of the girl wonder.
There's only one scene in the movie that disturbed me a little, and that was near the end, where Prissilious tries to grab Pippi and she actually looks scared. That's not like Pippi at all.
But still, that's a fairly small thing, and if you MUST see Pippi on your TV screen (and I can't imagine why that would be,) this is the place to do it.
However, you're still far better off getting to know the REAL character of Pippi by reading the books, if you happen to have the time and literacy.

3-0 out of 5 stars Mr. Nillson
Her real name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking, but you can call her Pippi. Anyways, Pippi's father gets washed away at a sudden storm at sea and says these last words that Pippi heard him say, "I'll see you in Villa Villekulla!" Villa Villekulla is Pippi's home, where she is by herself execept for a monkey named Mr. Nillson and her horse named Horse. To Pippi's surprise, a boy and girl live next door. A boy named Tomy and a girl named Annika and their parents live in the house. (By the way, Pippi's mother is anangel.). . .

5-0 out of 5 stars The funniest movie in the history of movies!
Pippi Longstocking was one of the few movies I loved the first time I saw it. A couple of my favorites in Pippi's gang are Kling, Klang, Bloom, and Pippi herself. I advise you (especially if you need some cheering up) to watch this movie. It is great for kids of all ages.

1-0 out of 5 stars This was a great movie for my 7yr son.
I enjoyed watching Pipi with my son. I remember watching Pipi Longstocking movies in the theaters when I was young, in the 1970's. I have been unable to find those movies, so I was excited to see some new updates on Pipi.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Story and Brilliant Animation
I have seen this animated children's story on the Disney channel and it never fails to amuse and entertain. Pippi is high spirited and infectiously non-conformist. All of the musical performances are memorable especially the duet with the school teacher. Highly recommended! ... Read more


109. Almost Heroes
Director: Christopher Guest
list price: $9.94
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Asin: B00000EZRQ
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 1976
Average Customer Review: 4.26 out of 5 stars
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Description

Westward frontiersmen Hunt (Chris Farley) and Edwards (Matthew Perry) are out-of-doors and out of their minds as they try to overtake Lewis and Clark and be the first to blaze a trail across the American continent.Year: 1998 Director: Christopher Guest Starring: Chris Farley, Matthew Perry ... Read more

Reviews (34)

5-0 out of 5 stars NO Lewis and Clark!
It's all about Chris Farley and Matthew Perry, not Lewis and Clark. They slapped funny people, watched a woman bathe and Farley cooked eggs over easy. It was splendid! Watch Matthew Perry gag after taking some medicine. Walking over coals is the best! "Almost Heroes," is Chris Farley's last movie and he will always be remembered for making a genius laugh. This movie which was directed by Christopher Guest, needs to be released on DVD. Any Farley fan will appreciate it. Purity.

3-0 out of 5 stars If you are a Farly Fan You will Love this movie
What a great concept for a flick. Attempting to beat Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Being this is the 200th anniversary of that expedition made it a little interesting.

There are some very funny scenes indeed but Farly is Farly, yelling, getting angry, fighting and fussing. If you like that you will love this. My favorite scene is where he faces the Eagle at her nest. "Why didn't you tell me you only wanted the shell?" What a great one liner.

Perry is a little stiff as a character and is more of a straight man to Farly's funny man. My only problem with the movie is that there are too many places where it gets slow. Part of it is because you are in the wild and it was a slower time.

There are so many great one liners that seem to have too much time between them. The inuendos are a bit much especially at the beginning. The older Indians are just great. And the scenery, especially of the Tetons and the Snake River are outstanding.

If you want to have a fun night with mostly the guys this is okay for that. My wife did not like it. Anyone who knows and liked Farly for his antics and his in character concept, you will just think this is a hoot.

4-0 out of 5 stars Intentional Stupidity
This was Chris Farley's last film. He ended on a high note. The movie is intentionally stupid--a hilarious GOOF--and directed by Christopher Guest (known for having directed "This is Spinal Tap"). They surely weren't pushing for an Oscar with this one - merely encouraging laughter. This is the story of Bartholomew Hunt (Chris Farley) and Leslie Edwards (Matthew Perry) who, in 1804, follow explorers Lewis and Clark, in hope of being the first men to see the Pacific Ocean. Along their journey they're sure to bring laughter to true fans of Farley's ways, and perhaps to fans of Mel Brooks' as well, as some of the comedy is similar to Brooks' humour in "Robin Hood - Men in Tights".
It is a real shame that this movie isn't available on DVD (yet?), because the presentation of it on VHS is awful. I quote the fine print on the back of the tape's case: "This film has been modified as follows from its original version: It has been formatted to fit your screen". The picture is zoomed in WAY too far, and the result looks distorted. In many shots heads are cropped, we sometimes see only approximately 75% of the face of the person who speaks, and at one point, where a sign reads "Welcome to Snakes Bend", we only see "elcome to Snakes Ben". I was hugely disappointed by the film's presentation, but surprised by the quality of comedy since this is not a much talked about movie.
Zero points to he who decided to crop the movie, and full points to whoever releases is on DVD (with OPTIONAL formatting).

5-0 out of 5 stars "WHOS IDEA WAS THE CORN???"
that line gets me every time! farley, matt perry and eugene levy all give great comedic performances. this movie took about 2 or 3 viewings for me to really appreciate the style of humor, but the best comedies are usually like that. once you start listening to how ridiculous some of the dialogue is, you start to laugh from wondering how the actors kept a straight face for the scenes. one of the funniest movies of all time! maybe not as funny as tommy boy, but pretty close. i laugh to myself just thinking about some of the scenes as i type this. its a shame the world lost chris farley, but he went out with a great final movie.

5-0 out of 5 stars A Guiltless Pleasure
Is this movie dumb? You bet! But I love it. The dumber "the better" I always say. Well sometimes. Farley and Perry play off each other quite well with their own styles of comedic humor in this interpretation of the Lewis and Clark exploration. But then so does the whole cast of zany characters in this whimsical historical tale. Some of the situations and lines of dialog are absolutely stupid, but they are just so funny in their own way. After I recently viewed this film again I just thought it was absolutely gut wrenching funny and worth the 5 stars. ... Read more


110. Home Alone
Director: Chris Columbus
list price: $9.98
our price: $9.98
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Asin: 6302091632
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 88
Average Customer Review: 4.45 out of 5 stars
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Now and forever a favorite among kids, this 1990 comedy written by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club) and directed by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire) ushered Macaulay Culkin onto the screen as a troubled 8-year-old who doesn't comfortably mesh with his large family. He's forced to grow a little after being accidentally left behind when his folks and siblings fly off to Paris. A good-looking boy, Culkin lights up the screen during several funny sequences, the most famous of which finds him screaming for joy when he realizes he's unsupervised in his own house. A bit wooden with dialogue, the then-little star's voice could grate on the nerves (especially in long, wise-child passages of pure bromide), but he unquestionably carries the film. Billie Bird and John Candy show up as two of the interesting strangers Culkin's character meets. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are entertainingly cartoonish as thieves, but the ensuing violence once the little hero decides to keep them out of his house is over-the-top. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (111)

4-0 out of 5 stars A Holiday Classic...
In 1990, another Christmas movie classic was made. This movie, "Home Alone" is a holiday classic that you can't find anywhere else. The cast is great, the scenes are hilarious, and it's wonderful family movie. Macaulay Culkin starts his fame as the family icon for parents and thier children.

The movie starts out in Chicago, IL at the McCillister house. Here we meet Kevin's family that is running all over the house preparing for their Christmas trip to Paris. Also in the house scoping out the place is Harry (Joe Pesci), a crook posed a cop that is planning on robbing the house after they leave. Now here is where the problems start. When the whole family is eating pizza for dinner, Kevin (Culkin) is looking around for his plain cheese pizza because that's all he eats. So his older brother Buzz (Devin Ratray) eats it on purpose. Then Kevin attacks him and the place becomes a mess and soda is spilled and the passports are soaked, etc. Kevin's mother Kate (Caterine O'Hara) sends him to his room. In Kevin's state of anger he says to his mother that he doesn't want to see his family again. Now while in bed Kevin says, "I wish they would all dissapear." During the night the power goes out and the alarm clocks goes out. The next moring they are rushing left and right to get to the airport. Here's the problem: THEY FORGOT KEVIN!

Now kevin wakes up an sees nobody is home. He actually thinks that his wish came true. Now at first Kevin loves this. He jumps on the bed, shoots his brother Buzz's BB gun, takes his brother's life savings, and eats all the junk food in the world and watches "R" rated films. While the family is on the plane, Kevin's mother gets the feeling they forgot something. Kevin's father Peter (John Heard) asks her, "What could we have forgotten?" Then Kate screams: KEVIN! Now while Kevin still is having fun back at home, the family is in Paris trying to get a flight back home. and calling the police, etc.

One day, Kevin goes out shopping and spots a misterious van in the neighbor's driveway. It's the crooks. Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Pesci), The Wet Bandits. Now after Kevin actually goes out shopping to get food and milk, he notices the guys in the van. Now he realizes they are after his house. Sorry Christmas Eve night he plans his battle against the crooks.

The gadgets and the tricks he pulls on the crooks are undoubtably hilarious. First, when the crooks starts talking to Kevin through the back door pretending to be Santa Claus and an Elf, Kevin takes his borther's BB gun and sticks it through the cathole and shoots Harry is the lower region. Then Marv sticks his heasd through the cathole and he gets shot in the head. Now there is ice on all the stairways, the front door knob is burning hot and when Hary touches the knob, the knob's inprinted "M" is impronted into Harry's hand. Lol! Then in the basement there is tar paper on the stairs and eventually there is a nail sticking up which Marv steps on with his bare foot. See what other tricks Kevin has got up his sleeve.

This movie, "Home Alone" is the perfect holiday movie that the entire family can enjoy. It's another Christmas classic. One thing this movie does for me is it gets me into the holiday spirit. In the beginning when Kevin said he didn't want to see his family again, throughout the movie, you realize how important family is, especially around the holidays. Buy this movie for you and your kids and you will love it as much as I do. Merry Christmas! Ho, Ho, Ho!

5-0 out of 5 stars A Christmas Favorite
Home Alone has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies, It's funny and entertaining!

The movie is about a boy named Kevin McCallister[Macaulay Culkin] who accidently gets left behind in his home in Chicago when his family goes off on a trip to France. While Kevin is at home, two burglars are trying to break in. The burglars are played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. One of the burglars was at the house at the beginning, pretending to be a policeman, to check out the house. After Kevin finds out, he sets up a set of booby traps on the night they arrive. Meanwhile, Kevin's mom[Catherine O'Hara] wan'ts to get home as quickly as she can when she finds out that Kevin was left behind. So, instead of going on a plane she travels back to Chicago on a truck with a group of musicians and their polka king of the midwest[John Candy] when they offer to take her home. After the burglars get arrested with one of Kevin's plans, Kevin's mom arrives home with the rest of the family including his dad[John Heard] and they all feel so grateful to see him.

This is a movie your whole family will enjoy!!!

5-0 out of 5 stars Home Alone
This is a great family film. You will laugh and laugh when you see keven (macaulay culkin) jumping for joy that his family is not at his house, but when robbers try to brake in the house he starts to see that he really wants his family. This will make the kids laugh seeing growns up laughing. This truely is a great movie!

5-0 out of 5 stars Great Maculay Culkin
I own 1,2,and 3! I don't own 4. I don't like it!

5-0 out of 5 stars My favorite holiday movie of all time (Or for any other day)
I am EXTREMELY happy that this movie finally made it to DVD because this is one of the most exciting and nicest holiday and family movies ever made. Everything from beginning to the end reminds me of the Back to the Future movies - when I watch that movie, I always notice something interesting, familiar, funny, or exciting when I see those movies and Home Alone. Many people may not like this DVD release because of inferior picture and sound quality and lack of bonus features - I THINK THIS DVD IS GREAT! Of course, the only bonus features on this DVD are the trailers to the Home Alone trilogy, and the sound is only stereo, but still, that's great because I LOVE THIS MOVIE! You know, because I love the funny parts - including the fake movie Kevin watches and uses to scare off the pizza guy and the villians (I always wanted to try that!) The fake movie, in case you didn't know, is translated into foreign languages as well! Speaking of which, this DVD comes in English, French, and Spanish audio and English subtitles. I've seen this DVD in English sound with closed-captioning from the TV, and on the computer in Spanish sound with English subtitles (still remains Kevin's infamous scream)! Yeah, I'm glad Fox has a Spanish option for this disc because I'm currently finishing up my Spanish class at my prep school and from time to time, I watch DVDs in Spanish (if available; otherwise it's French for the Canadian viewers!) You know, this week or next week, I'm bringing this DVD into Spanish class for my teacher to show. EVERYONE WOULD LAUGH!

This is a sweet movie. The DVD may not be the best, but it's still a great buy! Enjoy!

sethn172 ... Read more


111. Stand and Deliver
Director: Ramón Menéndez
list price: $9.94
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 6302878691
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 14508
Average Customer Review: 4.47 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (34)

5-0 out of 5 stars A wonderful movie
I really liked this movie a lot. It was entertaining and uplifting. It was a motivational movie because it proves that anyone can learn if they try. It also shows that hard work pays off, and that even uneducated students can learn something as challenging as calculus.

It was also humorous sometimes because the teacher tries to motivate his students by doing strange things. There are some quite funny scenes and some scenes that will bring you to tears.

I was amazed by this movie for one strange reason: Mr. Escalante, the calculus teacher, actually looks like a math teacher I had. My math teacher was Spanish too!

This movie from the beginning is quite interesting. We learn the Jamie Escalante wants to teach computer science but he can't because the school doesn't have the computers. So he teaches math instead. He motivates his students to work extra hard and they succeed. There are bumps in the road, but the students work hard and study.

This is a little-known movie that is both entertaining and educating. I would enjoy watching it over.

3-0 out of 5 stars A HERO IN AN UNHEROIC SITUATION
Jaime Escalante was a teacher who inspired students who might otherwise slip through the cracks. He followed through with a group of kids who might otherwise not have a chance and he taught them calculus and gave them hope. This seems like fantasy, far-fetched and totally out of a Disney story. But it was real life. Edward James Olmos gives a good performance as the inspirational teacher who inspired a movie. Lou Diamond Phillips is supposed to be the toughest of the bunch, giving the teacher the most problems. But he turns out all right in the end. My brother, for some reason, wants to invite Lou Diamond Phillips to Thanksgiving. My brother says Phillips just seems like "a nice guy". My brother is not particularly a fan of Phillips. It is all about being a nice guy. The movie overall is a bit too "feel good" for my tastes, but there is nothing wrong with it. It is the kind of thing that my junior high school math teachers "rewarded" us with right before winter break... a nice movie (meaning we did not have to do classwork) about, what else? Math. There are a lot of movies that fall into this kind of category. They stretch back to Sidney Poitier's To Sir, With Love. Sandy Dennis in Up the Down Staircase. Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds. Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart.

4-0 out of 5 stars Better Than " Lean on Me "
I was in elementary when this film came out and I didn't see the value of it then. Now I appreciate it for being a decent film about a teacher trying hard as possible to make students depend on education. There's not too many familiar faces in this. Lou Diamond Phillips and Edward James Olmos are the only ones around you'd remember. This film stays true to the true-life of the teacher and unlike Lean on Me doesn't rely on fictious elements to make the story move. Stand and Deliver also doesn't spend the entire film showcasing the students and blaming the teachers for everyone's problems. It's a simple little story that tells a true story about a man who made a difference if only for a short while. I highly recommend it. It is one of few positive Hispanic films around and that alone makes it a must-see.

5-0 out of 5 stars An inspiring film teaching that there are no limits
I was first recommended this movie to watch because I was having a hard time with math. I thought was boring and didn't see the point in it. But my father made me watch it, and I'm glad I did.

This film is about Jaime Escalante (portrayed masterfully by Edward James Olmos) and his math class that he had in 1982 (based on a true story). Escalante was a Bolivian living in America that went to East L.A.'s Garfield High School to teach computer science. It turned out that the school had no funding for computers, so they redirected him to teach math instead. His class of eighteen Latin-American students, convinced they would never amount to much, were still struggling with the concept of fractions. They're troublemakers and gangmembers. One of the most complicated and difficult students, Angel (Lou Diamond Phillips), goes home every night to end up drinking, smoking, and throwing bricks through shop windows.

Escalante learns to work with these students, motivating them to learn. Ganas, or desire, are required from everybody. "With ganas you can do anything you want," says Escalante. "And if you don't have ganas, I'll give you some. I'm an expert." Deciding he needs a challenge, he decides that in two years he'll teach the students calculus and have them pass the A.P. (Advanced Placement) Calculus exam. What happens next is truly emotional and inspirational. I won't reveal the ending, as it's for you to see.

4-0 out of 5 stars Stands tall.
Good movie about the importance and value of education. Almost every high school student should see it. ... Read more


112. The Other Side of Midnight
Director: Charles Jarrott
list price: $29.98
our price: $26.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: B000006GDA
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 576
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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You've probably seen comedies that won't make you laugh as hard as this deadly serious soap opera, drawn from the overheated oeuvre of literary shlockmeister Sidney Sheldon. Marie-France Pisier plays a poor little French girl who is seduced and abandoned and seduced and abandoned during World War II--until she finally figures out that she can profit from her body. She sleeps her way to stardom on the silver screen, then reinvolves herself with an American cad (John Beck) and gets him to kill his lovably obtuse rich wife (Susan Sarandon). You'll be howling. The Other Side of Midnight is a movie that defines the term"unintentionally funny." --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (12)

5-0 out of 5 stars A moving story filled with drama and intrigue
I saw this movie over 20 years ago when it was first released and I've read the book twice. I don't care what the critics say, "The Other Side of Midnight" continues to be one of the best movies I've ever seen. A person could easily identify with each one of the characters, especially Kathy and Noelle. Kathy, played by the superb actress, Susan Sarandon, obtains a prestigious job in Washington and somehow falls in love with a man who can only love himself. Noelle is a poor French girl whose father basically "sells" her to assure his survival during World WarII France. How Kathy and Noelle become aware of each other is a dramatic and entwined story. Trust me, this movie is a must see for lovers of the trusting innocent who become involved with powerful people.

5-0 out of 5 stars Oh....the revenge of a woman scorned
The Other Side Of Midnight.......oh, the great tale of Noelle, a little girl from a small french town that screwed her way to the top to become a famous actress, and torments her first love that was a serviceman (a pilot of all things) that got her pregnant and left her. This film is utter camp -- the scene where Noelle gives herself an abortion with a coat hanger she is straightening out the coat hanger caressing it like it was a substitute vibrator, and the very end, when Noelle goes before the firing squad, the guns blow, and she dies like a graceful forrest gump. the acting was so bad that it was excellent! I was fortunate to see this movie when it first came out at the Pagoda Palace theatre in San Francisco. The Drag queens in the balcony were throwing down hankies when Noelle got executed! I was fortunate to tape this film off of HBO, when HBO gave you a 3 minute intermission because the film was so long. The plot twists and turns throughout, and is great for its excellence and also for such poorness. I would equate this film to Mommy Dearest for its campiness, seriousness content, great and bad acting. A Must have!!!

5-0 out of 5 stars Noelle is a true heroine
I'm not interested in what the critics say. This is in my top 3 favorite films of all time. For any girl who's ever had a broken heart this is the get even, get the man, wreck his life drama that will leave you proud to be a woman. Set in pre WW11 France, Noelle's father "sells" her to (BOSS HOGG of all people)as a means of ensuring her survival. She is devistated, but discovers her feminine power in the process. She runs and meets Larry and falls madly in love with him. He's a pilot and only there temporarily and has to leave, and promises to return in 3 weeks and tells her to buy a wedding dress. Of course, he never returns. Noelle finds work as a beautiful fashion model, discovers she is pregnant with Larry's child and in an unforgettable bathtub scene terminates the preganacy. I must have been 5 the first time I saw this movie back when my mom would cover my eyes in the bad parts, and I never forgot the drama of that coathanger scene. Awful! She hires private eyes to follow Larry's every move, her modeling leads to acting career and she sleeps her way to the very top all in a measure to control Larry's fate. As the mistress of a Greek Tycoon ( I can't help but see the correlation between this and Jackie O- perfect timing) Noelle has the resources to destroy Larry's flying career. In desperation, he accepts a job piloting Noelle's private plane. If any woman ever had "The Rules" down, it is Noelle. She is horrible, hateful, just awful to Larry and suddenly he realizes that he knows who she is and why. Larry is the classic love em and leave em, and he gets his! Handsome John Beck plays the part, you will see many sights of Paris, beautiful scenery in Greece, and the marble palace that Demeris, Noelle's lover lives in will take your breath away. Susan Sarandon plays Kathy the woeful wife of Larry, ever dutiful and naive. They plot to kill her off, Larry backs out despite Noelle's threats to tell her Greek Eye for and Eye Tycoon. Fate takes over and Kathy is swept out to sea. In the end they both "Live in the name of love, and die in the name of love." I adore this movie and have watched it probably 100+ times.

2-0 out of 5 stars Trash at it's best!
...The film is 50 minutes too long and it's overproduced and overacted. It's too bad! With a better producer and director, Sidney Sheldon's book could have been great. I've never read the book so I can only imagine that it's better than the movie.

5-0 out of 5 stars What Love Has Wrought!
The get-even plot of the love-lost heroine is by far UNIQUE. I am captivated by the story line today as I was 20 years ago! ... Read more


113. Return of the Jedi
Director: Richard Marquand
list price: $19.98
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Asin: B00008F22G
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 7448
Average Customer Review: 5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars truly magnificent
in this awesome edition,the falcon crashes on endor.this is a planet full of tiny tree dwelling teddy bears with intelligence.to a point.this is definately the most family friendly of the star wars films.they are hanging out and discover the one weakness that could shut down the empire for good.so a battle ensues over the building where it is housed.george lucas is the directer.did he ever do anything basides these?it is the final episode of them all.most anyone will like it.the makers of nontendo made a game that borrows heavily from this film.it is called body harvest.the movie independance day uses it a lot too.by borrowed i really meant ripped off.i dont use that term very often but it was pretty blatant.the only chick is still leia,but at least shes kissing the guy whose NOT her brother this time.the emporer is very very ugly.this movie is spectacular.dont belive anything else.the special effects are cool.the future is done for this batch.this is the last.but if yoiu were born in the 70s,theres still 3 more parts released after this one.prequels.they all are outstanding!

5-0 out of 5 stars "Jedi" Triumphant
"You, like your father, are now mine."
- The Emperor underestimates The Skywalker bloodline in "Return of the Jedi"

George Lucas' sci-fi saga comes to a satisfying close in Episode VI, "Return of the Jedi".

"Jedi" opens with Luke Skywalker returning to his home planet of Tatooine to rescue his friend Han Solo from the gangster, Jabba the Hutt and his creature co-horts. After bargaining negotiations fail, a spectacular battle commences as the young Jedi (with the help of Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, R2-D2 & C-3PO) fights a huge monster called The Rancor and then does a battle royale with Jabba and his horde of weird galactic denizens and servants. The film then jumps to Luke returning to the swamp planet Dagobah to complete his training as a Jedi, only to discover that his master, Yoda, has fallen deathly ill. In his final breaths Yoda reveals the truth about Luke's family ties and gets reassurance, & a final bit of guidance from the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In order to complete his training, Luke must face Darth Vader again, as well as, Vader's master, Emperor Palpatine. Meanwhile, The Rebel Alliance has prepared for an all out final assault on the Galactic Empire after recieving secret information of a new battle armored space station secretly being built by the Empire. If completed, this new Death Star will spell certain doom to the small band of freedom fighters, as well as, the fate of the galaxy.

First off, its hard to top "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" (I'm a die-hard fan of the films (yeah, the prequels too, but don't get me started!). "Jedi" comes close to those first two films, but, not close enough (its still better than the prequels!). Directed by the late Richard Marquand, "Jedi" is packed with both special and creature effects alike. The problem is "Jedi" is much like the first two films, but, on a more massive scale. The film's main premise is to tie up all the loose ends of the saga, and it does a great job of doing just that. Highpoints in the film include John Williams' oscar nominted score, the speeder bike chase, the space battle, Jabba the Hutt, the battle on Endor & the redemption of Anakin Skywalker. Lowpoints - the death of Boba Fett (embarrasing to the point where the character is resurrected in the Marvel comic book and survives in the expanded universe), the Ewok Celebration at the films conclusion and the Lapti Nek number in Jabba's palace is an ominous shadow of Lucas' cutesy side that weighs heavily on the prequels (I remember a lot of fans seeing this & going "What the f**k!?!").

The biggest highlight of all is Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia dressed in the metal bikini as Jabba's slavegirl. What a hottie! During filming there actually was a stagehand who had to make sure that she felt comfy in that bikini, making sure that she wasn't getting hurt to vital parts of her bod (that had to be one of the best jobs on the planet at the time of filming).

Originally titled "Revenge of the Jedi", making the folks at Paramount Studios retitle "Star Trek II: The Revenge of Khan" to the "Wrath of Khan". Lucas changed the title, stating Jedi don't seek revenge. Nominated for 7 Oscars including original score, costume design, set design, and recieving a special Oscar for the film's SFX (presented to Dennis Muren by Cheech & Chong!). Released on 5/25/83 (for the Memorial Day weekend) "Return of the Jedi" has grossed 309 million at the U.S. box office.

"Return of the Jedi" is a satisfying capper to the classic "Star Wars Trilogy" and the conclusion to the most influential and best science fiction saga in film history. ... Read more


114. Separate But Equal
Director: George Stevens Jr.
list price: $9.98
our price: $9.98
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Asin: 6302180899
Catlog: Video
Sales Rank: 1193
Average Customer Review: 5 out of 5 stars
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Reviews (13)

5-0 out of 5 stars A Powerful American Epic
Separate But Equal is a riveting portrayal of the struggle for desegration of the public schools. While some liberties are taken to enhance the story for television, it is still of reasonable historical accuracy. Sidney Poitier and Burt Lancaster turn in solid performances as opposing counsel. However, the real star of this video is the far lesser known Richard Kiley who turns in an excellent portrayal of Chief Justice Earl Warren. As a result, the stronger half of the story turns out to be the second part which provides a fascinating look at Warren's struggle to guide the court through the bitterly divisive issue of whether segregation in the public schools was unconstitutional. The intellectual battles among such strong willed men as Justices Douglas, Frankfurter, and Reed and the difficulties of the latter two to come to a resolution of the issue is masterfully portrayed. All in all, this is clearly one of the best historically based presentations I have seen in recent years.

5-0 out of 5 stars First rate docudrama on Brown v. Board of Education
"Separate But Equal" puts three names about the credits: Sidney Portier as Thurgood Marshall, Burt Lancaster as John W. Davis, and Richard Kiley as Earl Warren. This is significant because it helps to personify the three sides in the monumental Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education. Marshall headed the NAACP lawyers who challenged the legal doctrine that legitimized segregation in the South. Davis represented the interests of the states, not out of a sense of bigotry but out of legal principle; after all, it was the Supreme Court that had established the separate but equal doctrine. This becomes a key part of the dilemma that Chief Justice Warren faced because the law was obviously legal--it just also happened to be wrong.

This excellent 1991 docudrama was aired in two parts. The first part looks at the segregated school system in Claredon County, South Carolina, one of the four cases that comprised the ruling, and the harm of segregation is captured in a memorable sequence in which young black children always pick the white doll rather than the black doll to describe who is smarter, better, etc. The second part of the film deals with the lengthy process by which the high court deliberated the case, doing a better job of capturing the process than any drama I have ever seen.

Portier provides Marshall with all the dignity appropriate to the role, and it is a treat to see the actor play a lawyer arguing before the high court. Lancaster, in his final role, performs a key function: he is earnest and likeable, which means that in the context of this story our opposition has to be to his position and not to him personally. In other words, this is a legal matter that has to be determined on the point of law and not on our feelings about bigots and racism. However, writer/director George Stevens, Jr. has set us up, because for Kiley's Earl Warren it is a question of justice rather than the law, especially after the former Governor of California visits the battlefield at Gettysburg and discovers his driver had to sleep in the car because no local hotel would accept a black.

For me this is Kiley's film and the most fascinating part of "Separate But Equal" is watching him rally the Court to make its landmark ruling. This is a long, hard, effort for Kiley, who insists that a unanimous ruling is important to make it clear to the nation that there is no longer two sides to this issue. I appreciated that Stevens simply has Kiley read the actual ruling at the film's climax. Again, Stevens using a simple image to bring home the significance of the ruling as the preacher and father who were at the heart of the case we watched in the first part hear the news on the radio, pull over their car, get out and kneel by the side of the road to give thanks.

At 193 minutes this docudrama would consume a week of class, but it could be well worth the effort. Certainly screening it for students would produce some interesting questions and discussions. Final comment: Stevens uses irony throughout "Separate but Equal" (e.g., Marshall and the NAACP lawyers cannot get a cab to take them to the Supreme Court to hear the decision), but there is one delightful use of humor, when a young white lawyer who is helping with the appeal explains to the NAACP lawyers why he is there working with them.

5-0 out of 5 stars They play in the streets together, they separate for school.

"John, if this case goes before the Supreme Court. . . I'm gonna need you"

It's the early 1950's, in America. The governor of South Carolina James Francis Byrnes, in his 70's at the time, pays a visit to his friend, the famous lawyer John W. Davis. Davis had argued 138 cases in front of the Supreme Court. Byrnes was turning to him for help.

Byrnes was determined to show t