Reviews (72)

Doris and Rock's best movie
Without a doubt, this film is the apex of the Rock and Doris screen collaboration. It's an absolute delight from the opening scenes until the credits roll. It's also a wonderful time machine of the 1950's, and even though I was born after this film was made, it always make me feel as if I experienced this decade first-hand. Doris Day had a charisma on screen that is indescribable and it's never been put to better use than here. You just want to hug her to bits, she's simply adorable and her character makes the film. Rock gives one of his best peformances and he was always better when Doris was around. They screen chemistry is fabulous, exceeded only by Tracy and Hepburn. It's obvious these were two people who liked each other and felt comfortable in each other's company. Thelma Ritter and Tony Randall give superb supporting performances.

Another wonderful thing about Pillow Talk is that it's still extremely funny. There are many scenes where you will laugh out loud. The entire interplay between Doris and Rock (when he's Rex Stetson) is hilarious and holds up beautifully. Another favorite scene is when Rock is confronted with his re-designed apartment, all at the hands of the scheming Doris.

They don't make 'em like this anymore. People of all ages should love this film. I watch it every few years and always find something new to admire or laugh about. A highly recommended and enjoyable movie. One word about the DVD version: I was disappointed in the quality, it's a little grainy. There are also not many extras, excepting the theatrical trailer.

A Comic Inspiration...To Me!
Of all the classic comedies that starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson, or the two stars with other co-stars, this remains my favorite.The legendary late Rock Hudson was at his peak in this romantic comedy, and who better to showcase his charms against, than quintessential girl-next-door, Doris Day. Hudson thrives on his ability to charm indeed, as a songwriter named Brad Allen. Brad is a love-em and leave-em kind of guy, who entertains a seemingly endless array of lovesick females at his well equipped bachelor pad. He also sings to them over the phone for hours on end, tying up the telephone party-line he shares with Jan Morrow, interior designer, enter a perturbed Doris Day. Every time Jan picks up the phone, she hears Brad sing "You're My Inspiration...", and always with a new girls' name attached to the end. Flabbergasted at his womanizing, she sends a phone company rep to have a word with Mr. Allen, only to find that she TOO has fallen for the tall dark and handsome playboy. .............. Jan tells her boyfriend of sorts played by the wonderful veteran comedy legend Tony Randall, about her dialing dilemma. Randall, as always, plays himself. He's neat, dapper and proper, as not only Jan's boyfriend, but Brad Allen's friend and boss as well. After extoling the virtues of Jan to Brad, and mentioning that she shares a party-line with "some nut", describing the singing phone routine, Brad is too curious to find out what Randall is so wild about. After Brad Allen finally glimpses Jan Morrow dancing at a club, and sees the other end of his party line is not the shrew he expected, he sets out for his sweetest conquest of all................ "Pillow Talk" is a timeless gem of classic comedy. Amazingly, it was considered quite risque in it's time. This only goes to show just how jaded the world and cinema has become since 1959. Rock Hudson was actually embarrassed, and nearly declined the role. We can speculate in retrospect why he felt that way, but no one could've been a better cad than Rock as Brad! The one and only Doris Day is sweet as sunshine, until the duped decorator delighfully disarms Mr. Allen's charms, leaving him, for the first time, really in love with someone other than himself. Thelma Ritter is amusing as Jan's perpetually hung-over housekeeper. It's a truly comic moment when Ritter counsels Brad over a few too many drinks on how to win Jan over, and Hudsons' head hits the table with a thud, while Ritter babbles on oblivous to her companions condition. Tony Randall is his classic prim self, and laugh out loud funny, as he storms into his own place to rescue Jan from the smug seducer huffing the line "At least you could have had the DECENCY...to bring your OWN champagne!" .............. There are too many wonderful moments in this film to cover them all. If you somehow haven't, it's far better for you to enjoy watching this long lost genre of the innocent, fun, fresh feel-good romantic comedy, and experience first hand, the pure delight it has to offer in abundance.

Wonderful comedy of 3 Hollywood Stars with amazing chemistry
I grew up knowing about Doris Day because my mother was/is a big fan of her comedies. When I first saw "Pillow Talk" I was a mere child (the film was made the same year I was born). Over the years I have watched it frequently, and now have it also on DVD. The film continues to entertain and delight me, even as my impressions have changed with time.

Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall had a wonderfully delightful chemistry amongst them! From the opening where Doris is humming "Pillow Talk" after the intro is completed, to the far-fetched but humourous end when Brad Allen (Rock) is trying to tell his friend Jonathan that he is going to be a father, the film is simply splendidly performed throughout! Credit must also be given to the script writers Stanley Shapiro & Maurice Richlin, director Michael Gordon & Producer Ross Hunter.

Even though I was born the year "Pillow Talk" was made, I didn't even know party lines existed until I visited a great-aunt in Northern Minnesota. I remember picking up the phone and hearing people talk. WHAT A DISCOVERY! It put the film in a new context for me when I saw it later (I am not sure if I had seen it before). I suspect that the younger generation might not understand even the notion of party lines in our age of cellular phones and internet. In this regard, the film takes us back to a less techonologically advanced time, but a time where life seemed somehow more relaxed.

I delight in seeing New York City, Central Park, and the American automobiles in the 1959 frame of context. One question that pops into my mind: did people in NYC really have such big apartments with a single woman living alone, and still affording a maid to come in each day??? Was the maid really paid enough to make a living from it? Did NYC really have that sort of "everyone knows everyone" feel such as when Kelly the police officer congratulates Brad Allen as he carries Jan Morrow from her apartment to his? I doubt it, but the fantasy is lovely!

Rock Hudson did a really fun impression of a Texan rancher up in New York. Tony Randall was extremely funny as the self-deprecating multi-millionaire in love with Jan, and Doris simply glowed from beginning to end. The last few times I have watched it, which has been recently, I have been struck by the sexual frankness it explored. Brad the playboy, always luring in the beautiful women, Jan the wonderfully moral interior decorator, who shakes her tush in a very sexy manner at a nightclub when Brad first spots her, and the budding romance that develops between the two when he becomes "Rex Stetson", a cowboy from Texas. "Rex" playing the moral companion who would do nothing to offend the proper Miss Morrow, while inside he is sizing her up and biting at the bit to ... well bite at her bits? When the gig is almost up, "Rex" innocently suggests that Jan join him for a weekend in Connecticut. While there was no actual sex occuring, it is made clear that it was about to happen when Jan figures out the ruse Brad Allen has played on her. Hollywood, perhaps afraid of the extent of this sexual frankness, has Miss Morrow crying at the diner where she and Jonathan stop for coffee, saying "I thought we were going to get married." Good girl image preserved!

Later, when Brad Allen conspires with Jan's boss to have her redecorate his apartment, the scene of the music beginning to play and the double bed automatically folding out with sheets in place left no doubt what sort of life Brad led prior to falling in love with Jan. He was a playboy through and through and measured success by the quantity of women he successfully "entertained" at home. Growing up believing that promiscuous sexuality was a by-product of the late 60's counter culture movement and "summer of love", it struck me how direct and unambigious this scene was. However, in a very moral and virginal way, Jan's virtues are protected until she hears that Brad wants to marry her and in fact, loves her very deeply.

I am particularly fond of stories where romance changes a person for the good. Being an adult and a male, however, I wonder if such a womanizing playboy could and would remain ever faithful to the woman he loves for all eternity and never feel the need to stray again. It is fun, however, to believe that love was the true redemptor and that Brad and Jan lived happily ever after. Isn't this the great promise of romance AND fairy tales.
In both genres, Pillow Talk succeeds beyond measure and I love it more each time I see it.

P.S. The music is great too. Love "Roly Poly", "Possess Me" and of course, the theme song!

funny!
This is truely one of the funnier Doris Day movies. I enjoy watching it. The first time I saw it was on tv and I just loved it. It's funny and it has a storyline that isn't tired and boring. I would reccomend this movie to anybody who likes musical comedies. The only thing I disliked a bout this movie was that Rock Hudson had to sing. He wasn't too great!

Pillow Talk
Rock Hudson and Doris Day always been one of my favorite classic couples of the 1950s films. Pillow Talk is one of my top titles for their team up. When an uptight decorator share a party line with a carefree playboy who would know that when they meet it would end up love at almost first sight. The late Tony Randall always seem to play the man stuck in the middle of the two in so many of their films that he's a terrfic straight man comic addition. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Best of the three!
Sarah Wheaton (Glenn Close) is a mail-order bride in 1910 who answers an ad for a "wife" to "make a difference" in a families life. She moves from Maine to Kansas (a long train ride). The man she answers to is Jacob Witting (Christopher Walken). He and his 2 kids (Anna and Caleb) are still mourning the death of his wife, Katherine, after 6 years. She writes to them many times before deciding to do a 30 day trial in which she lives with the family to see how things work out. They go through many hardships before everything turns out ok in the end. Then, in the sequel, their prarie is threatened by a drought. Jacob keeps on insisting that she (Sarah), Anna, and Jacob leave so that their lives aren't in danger. Sarah doesn't want to leave her husband on the prarie alone because of fear for his life. Jacob finally pursuades her and the children to go live for awhile with Sarah's aunts in Maine until the drought is over. Sarah and Jacob are forced apart until after the rain has come. It seems like Sarah can't live without Jacob the whole time they are apart, and she can't stop thinking about him at all. There is also a secret that Sarah has yet to share with Jacob, but saves that until the end! I loved this movie more than "Sarah Plain and Tall". The love that Sarah and Jacob have for eachother is like no other! I want to quote one part of Sarah and Jacob's conversations at the end. "Here I was like a child come home to my beautiful sea, and I should have been happy, but I was frightened. I mean, I AM frightened because....this terrible love....for you is so strong....that I've never known such a thing before." - Sarah. I just looooove that part of the movie because it's said with such passion! You can see the love in her eyes for Jacob (even though it is just acting) that's almost real! This is a MUST SEE movie for those who love a good romance! I didn't think I was going to like this movie because I was about 8 years old when it came out. Now I'm 17, and I can't stop watching it! It's also a good family movie! You won't regret seeing this movie if you are a romance movie freak!

Skylark
The Kansas prairie of 1910 is in the grip of a disaterous drought. The strength of love and family are tested as the Witting family struggles against the hardships of the drought stricken land.
Glenn Close is Sarah Witting, two years after coming to Kansas as a mail order bride, Sarah works hard to preserve the family life she and Jacob played by Christopher Walken have begun. The children, Anna played by Lexi Randall and Caleb played by Christopher Bell, add emotion and hopes for the future to this meaningful family film.
As the dangers and hardships of the desolate land build Sarah and Jacob are faced with separation. This drama filmed in color is enhanced by the musical scores of David Shire which provide a back drop so appropriate you can almost feel the hot wind and the struggle with the land.
It is the perfect continuation of the original "Sarah Plain and Tall" story. Some of the players from that film return. Matthew (Jon DeViries)and Maggie (Margaret Sopie Stein) are still neighbors and friends. They also bring to life characters only mentioned in part one. The Aunts are portrayed perfectly by Tresa Hughes as Matty, Lois Smith as Lou and Elizabeth Wilson as Harriet. The family curmudgeon and friend, Chub or Chubbers is played by Lee Wilson.
With the skill of the stars and supporting cast this film continues the story of the Witting family wonderfully. Skylark leaves you asking what happens next but still has the ability to stand alone as a complete story and I recommend it as good family viewing.

Skylark
The Knasas prairie of 1910 is in the grip of a disaterous drought. The strength of love and family are tested as the Witting family struggles against the hardships of the drought stricken land.
Glenn Close is Sarah Witting, two years after coming to Kansas as a mail order bride, Sarah works hard to preserve the family life she and Jacob played by Christopher Walken have begun. The children, Anna played by Lexi Randall and Caleb played by Christopher Bell, add emotion and hopes for the future to this meaningful family film.
As the dangers and hardships of the desolate land build Sarah and Jacob are faced with separation. This drama filmed in color is enhanced by the musical scores of David Shire which provide a back drop so appropriate you can almost feel the hot wind and the struggle with the land.
It is the perfect continuation of the original "Sarah Plain and Tall" story. Some of the players from that film return. Matthew (Jon DeViries)and Maggie (Margaret Sopie Stein) are still neighbors and friends. They also bring to life characters only mentioned in part one. The Aunts are portrayed perfectly by Tresa Hughes as Matty, Lois Smith as Lou and Elizabeth Wilson as Harriet. The family curmudgeon and friend, Chub or Chubbers is played by Lee Wilson.
With the skill of the stars and supporting cast this film continues the story of the Witting family wonderfully. Skylark leaves you asking what happens next but still has the ability to stand alone as a complete story and I recommend it as good family viewing.

I dream about rain....
Skylark makes a promise to the viewer and then fulfills it. Sarah is a mail-order bride from Maine and this is the sequel to "Sarah, Plain and Tall." In the first movie, Sarah and Jacob write letters, fall in love and then marry. They are now even more in love and are committed to making their way on the dusty Kansas prairie.

Water is so essential to life and the scenes of the Maine coastline contrast with the dusty land in Kansas. Both the land and the sea can call your heart, but only one owns Jacob's soul. The land. It is where he lives and breathes free. His stubbornness is very apparent, yet it is only that he hopes for rain and believes his commitment to the land will be rewarded.

As the drought hits, their friends and neighbors start to abandon their farms. Sarah keeps saying she won't leave, yet her heart is not with the land. Together they battle fires with wet "feed" sacks. I could smell the fire and feel the coarse sacks because we had to put out a fire once when I lived on a farm in Africa. It is fighting with nature and when you win there is nothing like it.

This movie did remind me a bit of the movie: Out of Africa. It had the same quiet stillness and deep thoughtfulness. Glenn Close and Christopher Walken just have to look at one another for sparks to fly onscreen, yet the characters share a smoldering fire.

The love between Jacob and Sarah smolders throughout the entire movie and is a tribute to marriage. Even though Sarah says: "Sometimes what people choose to write down on paper is more important than what they say," there are some things that must be shared in person. Sarah leaves the best secret for last.

If you have ever felt a love for the earth or inhaled the scent of a newly soaked field....or if you have ever stood in the rain... this is your movie! If you have never lived the country life, indulge your vision and poetic nature. Perhaps soon you will want to travel more or even move away from the city life.

A completely enchanting, yet slow paced story focusing more on emotions and family ties. A story about love of family, love of the land and the chance people take when they marry for better or worse. The theme of families being able to stick together in life, is magical and very refreshing. There is something to be said for true love when it comes from a decision to love.

The last scene is so poignant, I won't spoil it for you even thought I would love to tell you what Sarah does to solidify her commitment to her man and her country. This is a romantic movie, but is well suited for family viewing.

Skylark is as refreshing to the soul as rain is to the parched earth.

Good, but a more depressing than the first one
I liked this movie almost as much as the first in the series, but it was more depressing. Still, it has a happy ending, and is a good family film. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Closet Land
...

Oh, yes, the movie. This movie is very, very emotional. It's about a gvmt. interrogator who accuses a writer of children's books of putting political propoganda in her books. LOTS of madness ensues. There are only two people in this movie, Alan Rickman (Interrogator) and Madeline Stowe (Victim). The Interrogator tries to break the Victim into admitting that she's putting political stuff in her books throughout the whole movie. Now, this may sound like boring suff, but the script and the acting and the story is so superb that the one and a half hours actually goes by quickly, with the viewer wanting to watch more.

Alan Rickman does an Oscar caliber job as the Interrogator. At first, he's calm and "kind" to the Victim; soon, he starts to break down. The scene where the Interrogator pretends to be two people at once shows SHEER ACTING TALENT.

Madeline Stowe is equally good as the victim, and the monologue she does inside the closet toward the end of the film was so well done the viewer could visualize everything she was talking about, and it's as if you were there.

However, this movie is very disturbing, with scenes of violence, and references to rape and abuse. It's one intense ride from beginning to end. This is psychological drama to the max, and it's deeply though provoking, disturbing, and talent-filled.

Don't miss your chance to get this movie! Or else, you probably will never see it again, except on obscure websites, selling for fifty bucks. Which is still worth it, but take the chance to get it on Amazon... while you still can.

Chilling and Brilliant.......
I found this movie extremely moving. There were times when I found myself in tears. I agree with the reviewer who said to watch it alone in a quiet room......you will be drawn in and profoundly moved by not only the story, but the superb acting. Madeleine Stowe is very good and Alan Rickman is just incredible as the Interrogator. The set was perfect and the music really defined the action - it was great. I thought it was anything but boring - I was mesmerized from beginning to end. Please pay attention to the message of this film - just like children make easy victims, so do people who don't speak out about governmental abuse of citizens. As the message says at the end of the film...."over half the world's governments continue to use torture against their own citizens". It's a frightening thought. This film is definitely a must see.

Mineola (reviewer) should go back into the closet
This is a very powerful, moving and skillfully written and acted film. The above mentioned reviewer is most likely a product of the MTV generation of fast takes and shallow dialog. Often times movies that are panned by the 'common folk', are done so, because they watch movies for pure entertainment and have no appreciation for what goes into the craft of direction, dialog and overall film making.
This movie will not leave you with a 'good' feeling, but at least it will leave you with a profound impact.
No, it may not mirror true reality, but what film actually does completely.
I rented this movie years ago, (I do confess to wanting to see the lovely Madeline Stowe and the versatile actor Rickman) but was quickly absorbed into its depth and power.
Watch it in a quiet room with little distraction and I assure you; you will be moved.

and contrary to the earlier reviewers comments: I am not an actor, and I REALLY doubt the reviewer's belief in most of the viewers analysis of other reviewers. I give the film 5 stars to negate an otherwise insulting and innacurate portrayal of this wonderful movie.

indulgent and horrifying
This movie plays on all our fears of of a situation like this. Its an amzaing emotional and intellectual ride which shows the control of interrogation being placed at once in the hands to the interrogator and victim. Alan Rickan as INCREDIBLE. This movie would be disturbing for most, and provides some glimpses into human thought and behavior mechanisms we generally don't like to think about.

Very powerful
This movie I thought was a very powerful movie. Madeleine Stowe was very captivating. The movie in itself may have seemed boring to most, but if you look past there only being two people in the movie with one set, the movie was quite watchable. Alan Rickman although being the interigator was very screen worthy in this movie. The scene where he was more than 2 people was amazingly well done. The movie in itself although disturbing in one level is a very interesting movie. I recomend it to anyone. To most people this is a disturbing film. It was for me. But it is worth watching. I give it 4 stars ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Less is always more.
After seeing all the overstuffed bio-musicals which are paying homage to Kern, Rodgers, Hart, Gershwin, and the like, this one is a breath of fresh air because it is much simpler and more basic in its construction. Its two main leads (Fred Astaire and Red Skelton) do not take the material over-the-top; instead they underplay, and in Skelton's case, he is so subdued that he reveals a wonderful, sensitive, acting talent. The musical numbers, of course ("So Long Oolong," "I Wanna Be Loved By You," "Three Little Words"), speak for themselves. And Astaire and Vera-Ellen are sublime in the shipboard dance of "Thinking of You," as they dance around and over pieces of furniture in a stateroom large enough to accomodate a piano. Arlene Dahl and Gloria DeHaven are fine as well. And, of course, you have a pre-'Singin' In The Rain' Debbie Reynolds performing as the 'boop-boop-a-doop' girl Helen Kane- with voice provided by Kane herself!!

This is the greatest songwriting/dancing musical ever made!
I am only 12 years old, and my little sister is only 9, but "Nevertheless" (one of the songs in the movie) we're in love with it! Fred Astaire and Red Skelton play the roles of fabulous songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. The story is marvelous, the score beautiful, and the dancing performed by talented Astaire and Vera-Ellen tops many other teams! I highly request it if you have good taste in movies! And I guarantee you'll be singing yourself asleep with songs like "Three Little Words", "So-long Oo-Long", "Thinking of You", etc. Enjoy, cause I know I did!

Arlene Dahl IS GREAT, but underused
This is one of Astaire`s lesser known vehicles, but in my opinion - 1 of his very best. It was his own favorite movie. He is a delight co-starring with Red Skelton(his intense comic style is toned down here) and has a wonderful chemistry with the great dancer Vera-Ellen. The film is full of good songs and memorable supporting players including Gloria DeHaven(as her own mother Mrs Carter DeHaven), Debbie Reynolds(dubbed by Helen Kane) and Carleton Carpenter. Debbie and Carleton was reteamed in the Jane Powell film TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE and indeed stopped the show with "Aba-Daba Honeymoon".

But when the Norwegian actress Arlene Dahl enters the film; she brings the film a step further. Her beauty and charm makes u go wild and her "I Love You So Much"-number good and simply staged. Unfortunately her role as Eileen Percy - the silent movie star - is a minor 1, but she glows every time she`s in front of the camera.

Miss Dahl has visited her homeland many times and has done wonders for the Norwegian community in the States. She is also the mother of Lorenzo Lamas of Falcon Crest and Renegade fame.

Wish there were more dancing!
I absolutly love Fred Astaire, and I also like Vera-Ellen when I first saw her in White Christmas. WHen I found a movie with the two of them I was so excited to see two wonderful dancers together. But, unfortunatly they dance together only in the beginning when he hurts himself and then gives it up for song writing. Nevertheless, the movie was good and I enjoyed it, but if you want to see it because you look forward to lots and lots of good dancing with Fred and Vera-Ellen then you might be slighty dissapointed like I was.

Another fine Fred Astaire film...!
A brisk, enjoyable Fred Astaire flick, which features Fred and Red Skelton as the prolific Depression-era songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, who wrote standards such as "Whose Sorry Now," "Nevertheless," and "I Wanna Be Loved By You," known for its "boop-oop-a-doop" refrain, sung by squeeky-voiced Helen Kane. Astaire and Skelton play things pretty low-key in this straightforward potboiler; Skelton is particularly likeable with his big-lug interpretation of Ruby's personality and Astaire... Well, he's just Astaire, which is to say he's great -- wish maybe he'd danced a bit more in this one. The music is nice too, especially when they sing as a duet; the movie's only downside is the drab female leads, Arlene Dahl and Vera-Ellen, both of whom are a bit dull, and don't sing that well. All in all, though, an entertaining, pleasantly nostalgic film, well worth checking out. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

A MUST HAVE for all DVD collectors and movie lovers!
Lady In White is a true cinematic masterpiece, and one of the greatest horror films ever made. In this haunting, surreal ghost story, writer/director/musical composer/costar Frank LaLoggia gives us chills, chuckles, and a wonderful sense of nostalgia. Horror novelist Frankie Scarlatti (LaLoggia) returns to his small Upstate NY hometown for a visit, where he remembers the Halloween of 1962 - "the year that *she* came into my life." Ten-year-old Frankie (Lukas Haas) lives a carefree life with his brother, father, and grandparents. On Halloween, Frankie gets locked in his classroom closet by his practical-joking classmates. That night, he sees the ghost of a little girl, Melissa (Joelle Jacobi) and a ghostly recreation of her murder. He also sees, but not clearly, her killer, who has come back looking for evidence he left behind. The psycho strangles Frankie, and he has a near-death experience, where Melissa's troubled spirit pleads for him to help her find her mother. Frankie survives the attack, and determines to help Melissa, having lost his own mother earlier. He learns that several children, in addition to Melissa, have been molested and killed by the same man over a ten-year period. The overzealous DA, anxious to solve the murders, decides to indict an innocent black janitor, but the Grand Jury won't buy it. Frankie discovers a link between Melissa, the town madwoman (Katherine Helmond) and the legendary Lady In White, who supposedly prowls the cliffs every night. What Frankie doesn't know is that the real killer is hot on his heels. An excellent script, terrific ensemble acting, and great special effects make this a truly magnificent, unforgettable movie. This film will be with you for a long time after you see it! Though rated PG-13, Lady In White is scarier and more disturbing than most R-rated movies. It is NOT for children under 13. The DVD package is a masterpiece unto itself - the video is a GORGEOUS wide-screen transfer, the sound full and downright 3-dimensional. The print is LaLoggia's director's cut and runs 6 minutes longer than the theatrical and videotape versions. Other great extras include the COMPLETE soundtrack, still picture gallery, seven minutes of deleted scenes, theatrical, TV and radio trailers, and a "Behind the Scenes" featurette. A textbook example of what a DVD release should be. BUY IT!

BRILLIANT---NEEDS TO BE RE-RELEASED
I would LOVE to have this movie on DVD, but it's out of print and now going for a princely sum on the secondary market. This great period piece of early 1960's nostalgia is one of the better ghost stories you will ever see.

It pops up occasionally on TV still. Lukas Haas plays a young boy...perhaps around 4th or 5th grade maybe, who gets locked in his schools cloak room around Halloween. While locked inside he is terrified to see a spectral play acted out before him as a little girl is murdered by an unknown man.

The killer returns to the cloak room to look for something and finds Haas and tries to kill him as well. He's rescued but now he is haunted by the little girl who wants him to find her killer.

He receives messages from her typed out on his typewriter and the record player goes on by itself much to the terror of Haas. Then there is the mysterious Lady in White, living in the old, run down home who seems a ghost herself.

As Frankie (haas) and his older brother try and solve the mystery, somewhere the killer knows who he is and is waiting.

Wonderful piece. Great 1960's midwest nostalgia. Fantastic performances and a genuine feeling of dread make this a great ghost story.

GREAT FILM
I REALLY LIKED THIS FILM I THINK ITS THE BEST HORROR MOVIE MADE, THE ONLY PROBLEM IS IT HASNT BEEN IN THE UK FOR A WHILE AND WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHEN IT WILL COME THIS END AGAIN OR IF THERES ANY WEBSITES THAT I CAN BUY IT ON!!
pLEASE EMAIL ME ON FUNLOVIN_AMY@YAHOO.CO.UK IF YOU HAVE ANSWERS!!

A Terrific Ghost Story
I'm not the type who succumbs much to movie presentations -- but when I saw this in the theater during its first run, the scene in the cloak room literally caused chills. It's time for a re-release of the DVD.

YAY! This movie is good!
OMG I watched this movie like every halloween when i was a little kid, i thought it was like sooo scary, but not scary enough to scar me for life like "chucky" did. it's a really cool movie and now that im older i still like it! It's a great movie for kids like 6 and up and for adults! ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Clever idea features every bodily function gag imaginable
A reasonably entertaining blend of live action and animation with the live action scenes directed by the Farrelly brothers.
Bill Murray is a lazy zookeeper who is unable to take proper care of himself. Inside his body live animated blood cells. One, a cop named Osmosis Jones (voiced by Chris Rock) decides to try and save Murray by challenging the orders of his superior (voiced by William Shatner) and give Murray the chance to turn his life around. The movie also features the voice talents of Brandy, Larry Fishburne, Ron Howard and David Hyde-Pierce. Kid Rock also makes an appearance in animated form as Kidney Rock.
OSMOSIS JONES is a movie all ages ought to enjoy, even if the animation is a bit iffy at times, but in general it's a clever, humorous piece of entertainment with Rock and Hyde-Pierce (as Jones's partner) providing excellent voice performances. As with SHREK, the character animation vaguely resembles the actors. Larry Fishburne is especially effective and menacing as the bad guy. I would also advise viewers not to eat during the movie as there is a rather low rent mucus gag and an amusing zit gag. Basically every bodily function joke you can think of is present in OSMOSIS JONES.

Ridiculous entertainment does not equal great cinema
Osmosis Jones is one of those movies you almost feel like you have to apologize for liking. Well, forget about it, because this is a very funny and downright entertaining movie with no class whatsoever!

The scenes bounce between live acting and full animation, determined by whether we are outside or inside the body of Frank. The casting for this silly and peculiar movie was expertly chosen for both live and voice roles.

Live, we have Bill Murray as Frank, in his most disgusting character since Caddyshack. Chris Elliot plays his brother Bob, and manages to challenge Murray in the "disgusting slob" category. Murray eats a hard boiled egg that landed in monkey doodoo, and thus introduces Thrax into his body, a red-death virus determined to take over Frank and kill him. (voiced by Laurence Fishburne)

Inside of Frank, we go to the animation where Chris Rock is the voice of our hero, a white blood cell named Osmosis Jones. Jones is a detective for the City Of Frank, where William Shatner does the voice for Mayor Phlemming. Jones knows something is wrong, but the Mayor denies any illness could occur in Frank. But just to be safe, he "manually overrides" Frank and has him take a cold pill.

Meet Drix, the huge and snotty cold pill, whose voice is played by David Hyde Pierce (Frazier's brother Niles). Jones and Drix make an unlikely team as they hunt down Thrax and try to stop him from killing Frank.

Nothing is taboo here; they go to the nose and get caught up in the wave of snot when Frank's allergies act up, they travel to The Zit, Frank's hottest new club where Kidney Rock is playing (Kidd Rock), and Jones reminisces about the time he hit the "Panic Button" in Frank's stomach, causing him to vomit all over his daughter Shane's teacher. (played live action by Molly Shannon)

Boogers, snot, vomit, farts, and zits; its all here. Ron Howard even does a guest voice as Tom Colonic, running for Mayor against Phlemming, who broadcasts his campaign commercial from The Bowels.

This is visceral entertainment with a squishy feel to it, riotously funny and well endowed with toilet humor; silly campy comedy at its very best. In David Litton's excellent review below, he mentioned that this was a "Fun Time-waster". Indeed it is, David. Enjoy!

Boring Not Enough Action Gross Stupid.
Osmosis Jones Stinks!!! I t was on Cartoon Network on Direct TV and worst it was at my school!!! I watch this stupid Movie Everywhere!!! Not Even Funny Its gross The story is dirty sick father ate an egg that was spit on by a monkey and the egg was pooped on and he ATE IT!!! Osmosis Jones a Terrible character This movie is short thankfully The reason i gave this movie 2 stars is because I loved the character RED DEATH He is cool!!! Red Cool Talker and He has a long claw that burns stuff. Anyway dont watch this movie. OVERATED

If you're not a cartoon character, please leave the building
When I first heard of this movie, I thought: how neat, a fun and educational way for kids to learn about how the human body works. I'm glad I watched it first on my own, though, because I'm not sure I'd let any children of my acquaintance watch this. At least not the young ones.

I think the movie would have been better without any of the live action characters (Bill Murray, Chris Elliott, etc.) for two reasons. First of all, they're just disgusting. Too disgusting. It got to the point where I'd watch all of Bill Murray's scenes with my hands over my face, peeking between my fingers. Between the running snot, exploding pimples, and ingrown toenails, the "gross-out factor" just goes way, way over the top. To me, it stopped being amusing and became just repugnant early on. Like, his first scene.

Second, I think the final scenes, when Bill Murray ends up in the emergency room, are far too intense for younger viewers. He basically dies on the table in front of his young daughter (Elena Franklin), who's led away sobbing by nurses. He comes back from the brink of death, of course, and all ends well, but it's still pretty traumatic and graphic.

The animation sequences, however, are just wonderful. Bill Murray's character is the "City of Frank," complete with a police force (the white blood cells, featuring Chris Rock), a highway system, airport (Frank's stomach), and even a political campaign (with William Shatner as the incumbent mayor in "Cerebellum Hall" and Ron Howard as his challenger). The whole city system inside Frank was a really clever idea and very well executed. David Hyde Pierce is also wonderfully "uncool" and fussy as over-the-counter cold pill, Drix ("I was developed at the University of Chicago, where I graduated Phi Beta Capsule"). It's a whole new take on the "good cop, bad cop" movies.

All this having been said, I'm pretty sure I would watch thie movie again, but I'll be fast forwarding through the live action sequences. Just cartoon germs for me, thank you.

pure stupid
this is stupid and gross and nothing works in this movie. horrible I will say and BIl Murray is wasted as the man who Osmosis Jones and Drexel are in. maybe a little bit for kids but this one is so bad I had to keep my head from stop spinning it was so dumb and so is the end. from the Farrelly brothers and the guys from Space Jam. they couldve done a much better job. Chris Rock, Laurence Fishburne, David Hyde Pierce, Kid Rock, Brandy and William Shatner do voices. Molly Shannon and Chris Elliott also star as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Produced in 1982, Savannah Smiles tells the story of Savannah, a girl of privilege who runs away from home. She ends up in the company of Boots and Alvie, two ex-convicts on the run. This bumbling duo soon realizes who Savannah is and that a large reward has been offered for her return. They try to give her back, but instead of the parents being grateful, they accuse the two of kidnapping. Boots and Alvie have no choice but to go underground with Savannah, and the three soon become a family whose days are filled with kite flying, home-cooked meals, bedtime stories, and a puppy. But Boots and Alvie know in their hearts they must do the right thing and return Savannah to her parents. For its time, this is a sweet movie filled with innocence and fun. However, in a time when children are told never to go off with strangers, it is hard to justify a movie that glorifies that very thing, no matter how goodhearted the two felons are. (Ages 6 and older) --Peggy Maltby-Etra ... Read more

Reviews (112)

Laughs, Tears and A Lasting Memory
I recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it. It will make you laugh and even cry. Bridgette Andersen portrays Savannah, a child who runs away from home and ends up in the back seat of two criminals' car. Although she seemed to be neglected at home, after she is found by these men she learns to love them and they learn to love her. For two people who didn't do anything honest, they both loved and cared for her as her parents should have. They love her so much, that they must give her back. A wonderful film with a wonderful story and cast!!

When Savannah Smiles I hear The World Saying Hey Loser You W
This is so heartwarming. You'll laugh and cry and just want to snuggle with the kids. Your kids will want to snuggle with you. It's just one of the great films of the 80's. I had seen it, as a child loved it had to find it as an adult to show to my girls. I searched far a wide for a copy and I'm pleased to see they've re-released it. It took me a long time to acquire it but so happy with it. You can get for 17.99 on Amazon. I paid close to 40 dollars for it before the re-release and I'd pay that much for a used copy again in a heart beat. It's just that good. Fall in love with Bootsie, Alvie, and of course Savannah.

Wonderful!
This movie is a must see for everyone. It is an incredibly touching story. I saw this movie when I was 10 years old (I am now 30)and it has remained a favorite.

Savannah Smiles on PFE
I bought this movie because I loved it as a kid and now have 4 girls, I read that the Pacific video was awful, it was certainly not DVD quality but it was like a good VHS video and the sound was kind of low thank Goodness for Bose.... All in all I still cried at the end and I would recommend this video to anyone with a heart....

Not bad guys
The review I just read made it sound as if Savannah just bumped into and left with Boots and Alvie, but she didn't. She was hiding in the back seat of their car, and these two(who are rather short on brains) don't know what to do with her. So in my opinion this isn't suggesting to children that it's o.k. to go off with strangers. Also, kids need to be taught that what happens in movies and in real life are 2 entirely DIFFERENT things!!! ... Read more

Description

Winner of 3 Golden Globes! Based on the true story of one of the most powerful men in Russian history - and one of the most dangerous. In a time of revolution, he has the power to heal an empire or destroy it. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Powerful and Intense!
Alan Rickman stars as Gregory Efimovich Rasputin, a self-styled monk who rose from obscurity to social prominence in Russia at the turn of the century. This movie follows pretty closely what history records of Rasputin's life and his dealings with the House of Romanov. Alan Rickman puts in the performance of a lifetime as Rasputin and it is easy to understand why he won the awards he did for this movie ... Greta Scacchi and Ian McKellen also star in this video and both turn in stellar performances.

Whether you're a history buff or Alan Rickman fan (or both), this is a must see! However, it is not for anyone under 18 because of the strong sexual content.

Rasputin
Enter the beautiful world of the last Russian Czar! This film shows the heartbreak of Alexandra, the guilt-ridden mother, Nicholas, her loving but weak husband, and Alexei, the doomed boy who would never be Czar. In an effort to save her hemopheliac son, Alexandra brings in Rasputin, an ignorant, alcoholic peasant who appears to, at times, heal the boy. The fate of Russia is affected by this man. Alan Rickman is unforgettable as the "monk", Greta Scacchi is luminous as the pitiable Czarina, and Ian McKellan makes Alexander a very human father and emperor. This movie is great for history buffs!

The Boy does Have Magic !
So what happens when one of the most wildly improbable figures of history is played by one of the most spelbinding of actors ?

Alan Rickman won both The Emmy and The Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of Rasputin. When Rickman accepted the award he thanked the director for allowing him to be 'self-indulgent'.

( Note to directors: If you can get Alan in your film, let him be as self indulgent as he wants!)

The script is intelligently written, it starts with a V.O. of the Czar's young son played over images of Hitler, Stalin and their wars. The Czarevich asks why we ushered in the most violent century in history? Why his good father and mother were hated and yet were replaced with monsters. . .

This is a good start. We are not going to get corny here.

On film, Rasputin, the so called "Mad Monk " ( he was neither ) has, like Cardinal Richelieu, become synonimous with hammy historical melodrama.

There have been dozens of attempts to dramatize his story and, graded on their merits, let alone on a curve by comparison to this great film, they have been er...less than brilliant. Even including a 1932 version with John, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore ( The only film all 3 appeared in together ) to much hoakier renderings.

And for those of us who DO know Russian history, yep. This time it's accurate.

Ian McKellan heads the superb supporting cast. Everything comes together and plays wonderfully.

Enchanting, touching, amusing, spectacular...
The story of the last Romanovs starts from Siberia 1991: their bones are found and the boy, Alexei, introduces: "This is my mother, this is my family..." Then a leap back to 1880's and to a boy, who seems to read minds. 20 years later he - Rasputin - is doing hard labour in Siberia, until Virgin Mary appears to him. Very swiftly the plot takes us to St. Petersburg, where Rasputin convinces others of his mission. The boy, Alexei, narrates, how he came to heal him and was their only friend, no matter what people said about him later. The monk, who looks like a madman, knows about Alexei's illness, although it has been a state secret, and by speaking about sailing he takes the pain away, into himself, as it seems. A hypnotist, a fraud, a madman, a magical healer?

Rasputin convinces the Tzarina and later the Tzar of his abilities, so he has a place in court, although he is a very embarrassing man, uneducated, unpredictable and too fond of wine and gypsy prostitutes. Behind the scenes Russian people suffer, the First world war (predicted by Rasputin) is started and the last minutes of the Romanov family are at hand. Everything is told very economically, nothing too much and yet everything you need to know, with authentic film material cut into the story.
The film is a feast for the eyes and mind, even though some historical facts aren't exact. Anyway, this isn't a documentary. As a story it works like a dream, the actors are unbelievably good - so it really feels unfair to start talking about Rickman and not others. So I'm just saying: they are all wonderful. But the movie is called "Rasputin".

I've recently looked up films of Alan Rickman, partly because some of them are hard to find, but mostly because his way of acting is simply addictive. I think I finally know, why. It's a kind of pornography - of human soul. (Which is an embarrassing discovery, porn really isn't my cup of tea...) His Rasputin isn't just a calculating monk, who sees an opportunity to get a comfortable life, wine and women and power over people, but a man, who lives from moment to moment, uneducated, without manners, sensual, in some ways stupid and in some ways clever. At times you see a strong, manipulative, hypnotic monk who makes you believe in God and Virgin Mary and seems to be able to look into your soul, at times there is child-like sincerity and vulnerability. He believes he has a mission, but it also gives him pain, he sees things but doesn't see, how his conduct affects the falling empire. "I didn't choose to be holy!" he says like a weak human being, who has been trusted with a burden, that is much too heavy. Strong, vulnerable, wise, fallable, loving, selfish... Is this the real Rasputin? Very possibly. Human beings are just as mixed and as capable of being both angelic and devilish as Rickman shows - in this and other movies.

Oh yes, I felt great pity for Rasputin, though I wouldn't want him living in my house. And I'm glad I don't know Rickman in person, he seems to know too well, what we people are like. Who wants her mind to be x-rayed? Even by Rickman (who is, I admit, in his own way, enchanting)?

Watch this movie, if you want to understand history, people or acting. Look at these actors and actresses, they don't act, they are the characters. Rickman is just the best example of how to become someone else than one really is, whether it is Rasputin, Mesmer or other things he's done. Watch this!

Oh it is so good . . .
There are no words to describe Alan Rickman in this movie. He is so magical and passionate and moving and seductive. I cannot even think of another film where an actor gives a performance like this, even the rhythm of his speech was magical.

The rest of the cast is great as well, Ian Mckellen and the woman who played the Tsarina, she was very beautiful and touching, right down to James Frain whom I never grow tired of seeing pop up in historical films. I confess I'm not an expert on that time in Russian history, but as far as I know the events in the movie are pretty much accurate. I liked how the film showed his appetite for sex and alcohol but reserved judgement, as I don't believe a person is sinister or evil simply because they're a bit lusty... I like how the film doesn't make him out to be some villain wanting control of the Court, but reminds us that it was the nobles who came to *him* and brought him into political affairs instead of just leaving him to heal the boy. In the end, he was a martyr, and the movie has no overbearing message to leave you, just to show you an episode in history and enlist Alan Rickman to demonstrate, in all his mystical glory, why this man might have created the stir that he did. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, puts costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. It's certainly a handsome try, and perhaps no movie could capture The Great Gatsby in its entirety. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. No, the problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the Jazz Age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (74)

A disappointing adaptation
After reading The Great Gatsby for my American Literature class, I decided to watch the movie, just to see how well it stuck to the plot and theme. I was highly disappointed. Sam Waterston as Nick somewhat impressed me, and Robert Redford was wonderfully mediocre as Gatsby, but the rest of the film appalled me. Mia Farrow's voice is most certainly not "full of money", and I firmly believe that Fitzgerald intended Daisy to be much more intelligent than Farrow portrayed her. The green glow at the end of Daisy's dock lost so much when it became a small, flashing light that could barely be seen across the bay in the film. The ending of the book was somber and moving; the ending of the movie, with a myriad of flappers dancing to "Ain't We Got Fun" was, for lack of a better word, cheesy. Fitzgerald's Myrtle Wilson was, to me, dignified and even somewhat timid. She was not a "wild child", as the film paints her. Overall, I am extremely glad that I read the novel before watching the movie, because this version of the film destroyed a great American novel.

A Decent Adaptation of the Book
Okay, so even though I think the movie version of The Great Gatsby is by no means up to the standards of the book - it is still a decent movie. Robert Redford plays Gatsby in a quiet, mysterious manner and although Mia Farrow goes a bit far in accentuating Daisy's ditzy behavior at times, she is still adequate in the part. The musical score was dreamy and marvelous and actually won an academy award, but then when the movie was brought out on video they CHANGED this wonderful music. I couldn't believe that the song "What'll I do" which is perfect for the scenes where Daisy and Gatsby are rekindling their love affair in a slow, delicous dance, was replaced by some nondescript, elevator music !! What's the deal with that?

The book is a classic and definitely has a 3-hanky ending. I think the ending scene in the movie version sticks close enough to that eerie feeling to be worth watching. However I would remind viewers that the current version has a disappointing musical score and is not the haunting, original academy award-winner.

Guilt! The Eyes Of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, O.D. See ALL !
F. Scott Fitzgerald presents taut tension and symbolism between Modernism and Victorianism in the 1925's quintessential jazz age of the great American novel, "The Great Gatsby" and this 1974 adaptation of Fitzgerald's novel with Francis Ford Coppola's screenwriting captures the better part of it!

Daisy's green light at the end of her dock that symbolizes all hope and want in not just Gatsby but all people, the "haves" and the "have-nots", guilt and carelessness, living above judgement and consequences, and of course, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg over the "valley of the ashes"... All are all beautifully and sadly portrayed.

Mia Farrow as the self centered, one-dimensional Daisy, Bruce Dern as the philandering Tom and Robert Redford as the nouveau riche, enamoured Gatsby turn in quite decent performances.

As Nick says, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money ortheir vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."

However, it is Karen Black as Myrtle, Scott Wilson as George and a sublime Sam Waterson cast as the perfect Nick are the highlight of this film along with the musical score, great costuming and elaborate set design.

This is well worth the watch and I enjoy this adaptation more than the A&E presentation, of which I USUALLY favor!

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no
matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..... And one fine morning - " (Nick)

Happy Watching!

a great interpretation of the book
the book is one of my favorites and this movie captures the books emotion. I think the story of gatsby is a very sad story but a story that most of us go through. I read in another review that this is a chick flick a man won't mind watching I disagree I think this movie and book was made for men because most men have been in Gatsby's shoes to some extent

VERY SAD!
Saddest book I've ever read and saddest movie I've ever seen.
The book was excellent and the actors' played the parts with great accuracy (Gatsby's neighbor is one of the attorneys from the Law and Order series). If sad is what you're looking for, then read the book first, then get the movie. The only "chick flick" that a guy wouldn't mind watching! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Delightful ghost story based on a classic tale
Based on a short story by non other than the legendary Oscar Wilde this version of the "The Canterville Ghost" makes really delightful viewing boasting top notch production values, a superb cast in fine form, and a terrific look that gives the film an appealing and enjoyable appearance.

Being in theory a ghost story the story is full of much well seasoned comedy and really is a film suitable for the whole family to enjoy. I tend to watch this film around Christmas each year and never fail to enjoy the high spirited carryings on of Charles Laughton in what I feel is one of his most appealing roles. "The Canterville Ghost", set in one of those far off misty castles that only MGM could cunger up, tells the story of how Sir. Simon de Canterville through an act of cowardice is walled up in a room of the castle and is doomed to walk the face of the earth for all eternity unless a relative can commit an act of bravery to lift the curse from him. The story jumps ahead a few centuries to the present (1944) where the castle is occupied by visiting soldiers involved in the war. Among them is Sir. Simon's distant relative Cuffy Williams (Robert Young at his most endearing) who is the one selected to perform the brave deed to free his ancestor from his ghostly imprisonment. The tale is an amusing one as Laughton's character first tries to scare and then win over his cynical relative to help him. Charles Laughton is wonderful as the cowardly ghost appearing out of nowhere, screaming, rattling chains and showing his own failings only too obviously. He is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast beginning with gifted child actress Margaret O'Brien as Lady Jessica de Canterville the present owner of the castle. O'Brien, at the peak of her career around this time with triumphs in "Journey for Margaret", and "Meet Me in St. Louis", is a cute delight as the spunky little girl who is not afraid of Laughton's over the top bellowing and corny scare tactics. Robert Young in his last MGM film is also in top form as the young soldier who first is in danger of falling into the same habits as Sir. Simon but who in the end comes through to succeed in freeing his ancestor from his ghostly sentence by an unselfish act of bravery.

"The Canterville Ghost" is about as English a tale as you can get and came along during the war years when all things British were revered in Hollywood. Keeping company with such British outings as "Mrs. Miniver", and "The White Cliffs of Dover", "Canterville' also boasts a superb supporting cast of stalwart British performers so popular in Hollywood during these years. Headed by Laughton himself the film contains great work by the likes of Reginald Owen, Una O'Connor and Peter lawford who give just that right British feel to a production which because of the war had to be filmed in the USA. Technically the film is a superb achievement with Laughton's ghostly special effects a remarkable effort. The sight of Laughton disappearing through walls and flying across a room remind one of that great 1930's ghost story "Topper". Being a product of MGM the film boasts top flight production values in every department and has superb settings with the castle interiors appearing wonderfully spooky and beautiful on the eye.

Among the many versions filmed of "The Canterville Ghost", I feel this is by far the best. Centred on Charles Laughton's unforgettable ghost the production is enjoyable and a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Before computers created all the special effects this film proved what the old Hollywood was capable of achieving. A totally delightful film to be enjoyed by the whole family.

A Charming Bit of Hollywood Fluff
Very, very loosely based on a short story by Oscar Wilde--so loosely that he is probably turning in his grave--THE CANTERVILLE GHOST is nonetheless a charming bit of 1940s Hollywood fluff about an English ghost who runs afoul of American pragmatism. In the film version, the Americans arrive in the form of WWII soliders, including Robert Young, who are billeted at a notoriously haunted castle where they encounter a legendary spectre much given to theatrical materializations.

Although the story is very, very slight, the cast makes it enjoyable. Child star Margaret O'Brien gives a typically enjoyable performance as the unwilling heiress to the castle, and Robert Young and his fellow actors mug their way through the script with entertaining aplomb. The greatest pleasure, however, is Charles Laughton as the ghost, which he plays most delightfully. The emphasis is on comedy rather than ghostly thrills, and although the comedy is quite mild it is expertly done. THE CANTERVILLE GHOST will never make any one's short list of "great cinematic art," but both grown-ups and kids alike will have a good time with it; recommended for an old fashioned family night.

How could it miss?
This is a movie that could cure a rainy day. Great story, great cast, fun SFX (even by modern standings). I think this is the kind of movie they're trying to make again, with mixed success. Funny without being coarse, outrageously sentimental without being cloying, and, my goodness--the "chemistry"! Entertainment you don't have to feel guilty about enjoying.

Very Enjoyable!
By far the Best version of the many made of Canterville Ghost! Robert Young plays his part so well! And the little girl is an inspiration! Many laughs! ... Read more

Description

Jan Schlichtmann is a cynical, high-priced personal injury attorney who only takes big-money cases he can safely settle out of court. Though his latest case at first appears straightforward, Schlichtmann soon becomes entangled in an epic legal battle ... one where he's willing to put his career, reputation, and all that he owns on the line for the rights of his clients! Also featuring Robert Duvall, William H. Macy, and John Lithgow -- this gripping, widely acclaimed hit delivers edge-of-your-seat entertainment! ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Riveting and Powerful Cinema - An Eye-Opener for All
This is the most incredible movie ever made about trying a wrongful death case and the accompanying emotional roller coaster the process generates for attorneys. The opening scene will plant you firmly in your chair as Jan Schlichtmann (played by John Travolta) explains the financial calculus behind accepting and declining potential clients with personal injury claims. Jerome Facher (played by Robert Duvall) is infuriating with his unending legal maneuverings designed to extract his corporate client from an untenable legal position permeated with liability. The traitorous conduct of Schlichtmann's partners will make you wretch with disgust as they scramble to save themselves at the expense of righting a terrible wrong evidenced by a dozen dead children. Engrossing, to say the least.

Yes, the movie isn't perfect. Travolta's portrayal of Jan Schlichtmann doesn't completely mesh with the character in the book, there isn't a practicing attorney alive who doesn't know Rule 11 (court-imposed sanctions for unethical conduct), and the legal proceedings aren't quite right. Who cares? If the director had included the day-to-day minutiae involved in getting a case to trial, the film would have been three years long! My fellow reviewers are unreasonable in their unrelenting critiques.

If you're involved in the legal profession, this film will make you step back and reassess your brand of client representation. Are you taking the right cases? Are you serving the needs of you clients - or yourself? Are you willing to give your all to the law? Interesting, and always stimulating, food for thought.

If you're a lay person, hold on - you're in for the ride of your life.

Well-adapted story with terrific acting
After recently reading Jonathan Harr's book A Civil Action, I eagerly awaited seeing the movie version of this sad and absorbing story. The film version condenses the story and leaves out several interesting portions of the book, but is fine nevertheless. John Travolta is a perfect choice to play Jan Schlichtmann, the egotistical, free-spending attorney who dives headfirst into a damages case against the corporate giants Beatrice and W.R. Grace, who are accused of poisoning the drinking water of Woburn, Massachusetts and causing a leukemia outbreak. William H. Macy, Tony Shalhoub, and Zeljko Ivanek co-star as Schlichtmann's partners in the firm, and one only wishes that they would have protested his actions, which led to the financial ruin of him and his firm.

Robert Duvall gives another terrific performance as Jerome Facher, Beatrice's attorney, who is the complete opposite of Schlichtmann. In a scene at a fancy hotel conference room, the frugal Facher is not impressed by any of the lawyers or their arguments, but the free pen that he can take home. It's a subtly funny scene that illustrates Facher perfectly. John Lithgow does a terrific job as Judge Walter Skinner, who Schlichtmann believes is siding with the enemy.

A Civil Action is a story where the winners and losers are unclear, and it must have been difficult for writer-director Steven Zaillian to condense Harr's technical-laden novel. The result is a solid drama with powerhouse acting. Highly recommended.

Intelligent and Compelling Courtroom Drama
Jan Schlichtmann (Travolta) is a Boston tort lawyer and something of an ambulance chaser who is initially reluctant to take on an industrial pollution case involving some children dead of leukaemia in rural New England. He changes his mind when he realizes the likely defendants are a couple of big companies with particularly deep pockets and smells the possibility of serious money. Over time, however his interest in the case becomes a moral obsession. The cynical becomes a crusader, refusing offers to settle as his company's finances spiral downwards towards bankruptcy.

If you like courtroom dramas, this is highly recommended. It's one of the best specimens of the genre to come out of America since 'The Verdict'. It's interesting to compare it to 'Erin Brockovich' released a couple of years later. EB is about how a heroic small timer takes on the big boys of corporate America and how her pluck and determination triumphs over all obstacles, something of a legal feelgood movie in other words. Which this, to its great credit, is not. Its central character, for starters, is far more amibivalently likeable: initially just out for a fast buck, moral seriousness has to creep up on him and take him by surprise (perhaps reminding writer/director Zaillian of Oskar Schindler whose story he scripted for Spielberg a few years earlier) and the story's development paints a significantly more ambivalent picture of what pluck and determination can accomplish. It's a highpoint of Travolta's acting career even if he is comprehensively upstaged by Robert Duvall, on brilliant form as his quietly cynical adversary, bigshot lawyer Jerome Facher who knows far better than to look for the truth in a courtroom...

The book is SO MUCH BETTER
The movie is fine... but the book is an amazing read. There is so much detail and nuance lost in the adaption to a visual medium.

A Civil Travolta
This is a really good film that didn't get near the attention it should have. A great story, a terrific premise and plot. And Travolta nails his performance as a man faced with the dilemna of doing the "right thing" at great personal expense, or walking away with what he has left. This is a morality play of sorts and Travolta is the conscience of us all. We're thrilled when he triumphs; we breathe a sigh of relief and unclench our fists. Yet, we probably wouldn't have blamed him if he had walked. A nice film. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Unhappy Landings !
I'm sure that many movie buffs will remember this fine, suspenseful thriller from the 60s. Jimmy Stewart is flying a cargo plane with an interesting assortment of male passengers across the Sahara desert, and he decides to battle through an oncoming sandstorm. The sandstorm wins ! The plane crash-lands in an ocean of sand--not without casualty--and our heroes are stranded, with limited supplies, under a brutal sun. The men waste several precious days on the assumption that help is on the way. They eventually realise that survival will depend on their own resilience and ingenuity.

Of course, we have one of the finest American actors in the lead, but Mr. Stewart is ably supported by a blue-chip international cast, including Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Kruger, Ernest Borgnine and Ian Bannen. As the sun gets hotter and with no rescue party in sight, this unfortunate group displays all of the human qualities that arise in desperate situations--resentment, fear, arrogance, assignment of blame, madness, cowardice and courage.

Richard Attenborough is the sensible voice of reason and compromise, which makes the scene where he finally "loses it", even more compelling. Peter Finch is the typical British "stiff upper lip " officer--stubborn and brave-- though I doubt that this role was much of a challenge to such a talented actor. Ernest Borgnine gets to chew up a little scenery as a guy who is pretty unhinged even before the plane crash--that blazing sun doesn't do him any good at all ! Well--it's 1965 and you need someone to play a brainy, cold, arrogant German--Hardy Kruger, come on down ! The other actors are excellent--Ian Bannen, in particular, is effective as a guy who would get under your skin even at the North Pole !

As another reviwer has noted, the film is perhaps longer than it needs to be, although it does give the characters plenty of time to interact with one another, and display the psychological aspects of the plot. After a while, you--the viewer--will also start to feel that oppressive heat and sand, and the tension of being trapped in this hell-on-earth. I can't really comment on the feasibility of the plan that Hardy Kruger's character comes up with to save everyone--I'm not an aeronautical engineer ! It certainly gives the film an exciting climax though.

I found the DVD picture to be beautiful--the sound typical for an almost 40-year old film.

"Phoenix" gave Jimmy Stewart another great role, later in his career, and with the supporting cast--and a liberal amount of suspense--this nice DVD could appeal to a variety of viewing tastes. Recommended.

GREAT CAST...great adventure
One of the great adventure movies of all time. I'm kinda surprised it hasn't been remade...it's a perfect little movie. Basically, we see the trevails of the survivors of a plane crash into the dunes of the Sahara. Their quest to find a way out is only part of the adventure...the human quarrels and intersecting interests are just as fascinating.

The movie has a slightly dated "manly" feel...there are no women, but it isn't a "tough guy" movie, a la, THE DIRTY DOZEN, let's say. These are military men, mostly, each with his own idea of how to escape. How all these efforts play out is at the heart of the movie.

Everyone is very good. Richard Attenborough is very good, and Peter Finch even better. What a underrated actor he was. He is certainly someone who should have had more work. Hardy Kruger is very fine...and his character holds the key to possible escape (and a VERY BIG humdinger of a surprise too!!). And James Stewart is at the top of his game. We so often remember him in romantic comedies like PHILADELPHIA STORY, and impersonators have done him no favors with their stammering, slightly dim-witted approach. When he was a mature actor (not an older, more feeble man)he could be very strong, and very unlikeable if need be. This is one of those roles. He is a convincing tough guy...not just a bland hero, but a hard-headed, sometimes wrong, leader. I put this right near the top of my Jimmy Stewart list.

If you haven't seen this movie, and you are an adult viewer who doesn't require lots and lots of noise and special-effects to have a good time...you MUST see this film. It is a nearly forgotten classic, in my estimation, and one that bears up very well with repeated viewings.

A gripping story of survival (and Jimmy stewart in the lead)
Any film with Jimmy Stewart in a leading role is sure to be a hit and Flight of the Phoenix doesn't disappoint.
A plane crash in the desert follows into a gripping two hour film of survival and hope. Led by Jimmy Stewart, the crew which include great acting talents like Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch and Ernest Borgnine courageously try to survive the desert heat, lack of water, and high tempers between crew members.
When all hope of a rescue is gone, an idea by a German model plane maker, to rebuild the crashed craft, initially not taken seriously by Jimmy Stewart, is eventually seen as the only option of survival and the movie climaxes into a gripping story of team effort and a race against time to get the plane flying. This is a highly recommended film that will have you on the edge of your seat right to the end. The film got 4stars because the UK DVD lacked even the simplest extra, like a trailer.

Flight got shortened
I had seen this movie probably half a dozen times over the years, and had always loved it. When it finally came out on DVD this year, I had to get it, but was VERY disappointed when I watched the DVD. As I was watching it, I kept saying to myself "this doesn't seem right"....and then I realized that there were quite a few shortened and even missing scenes from the original. Some of the missing scenes are quite significant. There is a scene where the group is moving the wing with the pulleys, and Capt. Towns stops them for no good reason, just to show that he is in charge. The whole scene where Towns and Dorfman have a silent standoff is missing, leading up to Dorfman asking the whole group "who is in authority here". I can go on and on with missing or shortened scenes. Very disappointing to me.I have read 35 other reviews and no one else has mentioned the shortened scenes. I am going to purchase the old VHS, to see the original version.

A forgotten classic?
I've seen this movie maybe half a dozen times and I'm pretty sure each time was a Sunday afternoon when I should have been doing homework. I think I made the right choice!

A decent cast for this movie, set in the unbearable heat of the central Sahara desert. Plane crashes and there is seemingly no way out. Someone has the idea of cannibalising the damaged plane to build another airplane to get them out of there as the only other way out is to walk and the surrounding natives are none too friendly. The design of the plane is undertaken by Hardy Kruger, who claims to have designed airplanes before. Unfortunately the only designs he has done are for children's model planes. Nevertheless, Attenborough, Stewart and the gang dig deep and finally make something flyable. But do they have enough cartridges to get the engines started? Watch and find out.

A gripping movie suitable for most ages. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jennifer Jones plays the legendary French peasant who claimed to have dialogues with the Virgin Mary at a Lourdes grotto in 1858. The script handles the visitations as an article of truth (Linda Darnell plays the Virgin), which helps move the drama forward, though much of the story concerns the conflicts that arise in the community after Jones is told the grotto contains healing waters. Made by Henry King (The Snows of Kilimanjaro), the film is gorgeous to look at and sensitively directed; and Jones (who won an Oscar for Best Actress) is radiant in the lead. Whatever one's religious persuasion, this is a strikingly handsome Hollywood production to be enjoyed. The film also earned Academy Awards for cinematography and score. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Wonderful, But Still Missing...Something
This is a wonderful, even classic, adaptation of Franz Werfel's haunting, heartbreaking story of the Lourdes apparitions. The cinematography is excellent, the characters are handled with respect and realistic flair, and Jennifer Jones seems to be channeling Bernadette Soubirous in convincing fashion. The film's flaws? Sentimentalism in some cases bogs it down, especially when the angelic choirs start to sing lauds as the 'vision' makes its appearance. Corny to the extreme, if you ask me. The initial moment of the apparition was a stark and frightening one for Bernadette, according to the gathered records of the incident(s), not an experience accompanied by ch