Reviews (80)

A poignant, beautiful adaptation of Steinbeck.
Gary Sinise's "Of Mice and Men" was virtually ignored by critics and public when it was first released, and I have never known why. It strikes me as one of the truly great cinematic adaptations of a literary classic. The screenplay is remarkably faithful to both the letter and spirit of Steinbeck; the photography by Kenneth MacMillan is heartbreakingly beautiful; and the performances by Sinise, John Malkovich and Ray Walston are almost unbearably poignant. My sister, a high-school English teacher, shows this film to all of her classes, and all of them have loved it. This is the rare movie that really imparts the flavor and significance of the novel on which it is based.

An American Masterpiece
John Steinback's classic novel "Of Mice and Men" has been made again for the big screen, but with direction by Gary Sinise. It's touching, gripping and powerful. The lavish scenery shows well and George and Lennie are running away to find work. Lennie (John Malkovich) is a tall, slow-minded fellow who means well, but causes trouble. George (Sinise) is his friend and looks out for him. The movie stays close to the novel and will definitely help any freshman in high school who doesn't want to read the book. Forget the Shakespeare garbage, this book really is good! The two men along with an older man have a dream to buy a nice little place to tend rabbits and it would be paradise. Unfortunately, Lennie gets himself into trouble with the boss' son and his girlfriend. I've learned that you should never try to punch a man twice as big as you, unless you're a genius because your hand will get smashed. Seriously, the movie is a tour de force and kudos to director Sinise for making a poignant picture of true friendship. John Malkovich is brilliant and the supporting cast is great. A must-own masterpiece.

Great movie version of the classic novel
I had to read Of Mice and Men in high school and I liked the book so I figured I would watch the movie one day. Very few movies even come close to being as good as the book, but Of Mice and Men is an exception. Gary Sinise and John Malkovich play great roles as Lenny and George in the movie as do the ones that play Slim, Candy, and Curley.

Gary Sinise couldn't have done a much better job directing the movie to be just like the book. Of Mice and Men is one of the best novel to movie translations ever. If you liked the book and even if you haven't ever read it, this is one movie worth getting anytime.

Highly Recommended!!
This Steinbeck classic comes to life with the brilliant acting of Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. This is one time when I can truly say the movie was almost as good as the book!

Malkovich plays main character Lenny to a "T."

All high school English students should see and evaluate this one. It is powerful human drama.

John Malkovich and Gary Sinise Play Roles to Perfection
If you have read the book but haven't seen the movie, you are making a (as Donald Trump would say) "HUGE" mistake. Acting was created so Gary Sinise and John Malkovich could play these roles! And I really mean that.

I have read John Steinbeck's novel a few times. I am seriously bothered by the constant "using the Lord's name in vain" in all of Steinbeck's novel, but that doesn't discount the fact that he is a great writer - one of the best of all time. When I finally got to watch the movie, I was blown away by what a great job Malkovich and Sinise did playing their characters. But I was even more blown away by the rest of the actors ability to step up to the plate too. Every character was just as I pictured them in my head.

There are a few scenes that are not exactly as they were in the book: Curley's wife confronts George while he is alone in the barn...that's not in the book. Candy walks in on Lennie and Crook in Crook's room which is not in the movie. But these little changes matter not...the soul of each character is captured perfectly by this amazing movie!

Lennie and George are partners in their walk through life, and they couldn't be more opposite: Lennie (Malkovich) is a child in a big man's body, and George (Sinise) is the quick thinking (though never quite quick enough) sidekick determined to watch after his friend. The two actors are amazing on screen; I could almost swear they were having a contest to see who could actually (really) change in to their character. I think it was a tie!

I wish I could give it six stars - not an option though.

See ya next review!
www.therunninggirl.com ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for best picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as either a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. There's delicious support from Ian Holm (as Abrahams's coach) and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as a couple of Cambridge fogies. Vangelis's soaring synthesized score, which seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s, also won an Oscar. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Uplifting and Inspiring
"Chariots of Fire" makes the list of my ten favorite movies of all-time. The film depicts the true life journey of two sprint champions from the 1924 Paris Olympics. This isn't your average sports movie as the character development is more significant than the competition on the track. The "Flying Scotsman" Eric Liddell is man of deep moral conviction and joyful heartfelt devotion to God. As he runs he senses God's pleasure. Harold Abrams is an intense Jewish student at Cambridge who is driven to win in defiance of the obstacles of prejudice and institutionalism. He runs to prove his worth.

The film is slow moving and filled with numerous flashbacks. Knowing the history of the characters would enable you to better follow the story and appreciate the men portrayed. The acting is excellent with terrific performances by supporting actors such as Ian Holm as track coach Sam Mussabini; John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as the stuffy masters of the university; and Nigel Havers as the likeable Lord Lindsay. The electronic sounding musical score is the most recognizable part of the movie and the costuming is exceptional. I was deeply moved and inspired by "Chariots of Fire."

The Brilliant Resurgence Of The British Movie Industry
The time is 1924. The finest athletes of England have begun their quest for glory in the Olympic Games. Their success will win honor for their nation - but for two champion runners, the honor at stake is a personal one...and their challenge one from within.

Chariots Of fire tells the exciting, inspiring true story of Harold Abrahams, Eric Liddell, and the dedicated team of competitors who brought Great Britain one of her most legendary victories in international sports. It is also the film that marked the brilliant resurgence of the British movie industry - and won four 1981 Academy Awards - including Best Picture.

Virtually a succession of smashing debuts, which it proved to be for Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, Nicholas Farrell, Alice Krige, Jeremy Sinden, and Daniel Gerroll in their first major film roles, and Hugh Hudson (a veteran of British Television)directing his first theatrical feature. With such other wonderful talents by veteran actors Sir Ian Holm, Sir John Gielgud, Lindsay Anderson, and Nigel Davenport, the collective people together shaped a film whose impact is still lasting and unique. From its bracing footage of competition and pagentry, to the haunting image of the English runners on the beach, to the extraordinary music score by Vangelis, Chariots Of Fire has left its mark on film fans everywhere. It also has proven that British filmmakers and film crews are the best, and only the best, in the world.

If you are looking for the finest in entertainment, art films, or otherwise, you need not look any furthur than Chariots Of Fire. The finest of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Competition and Character
Chariots of Fire is an outstanding epic based on the lives of two men (among others), Eric Liddel and Harold Abrahams. Eric Liddel, a Scotsman and a missionary believes he can succeed as a testament to his undying faith. Harold Abrahams, a Jew wishes to succeed to prove that Jews are no inferior to others in post WWI England. This movie is one of refinement, ambition, commitment and integrity. In that era, there are tempers when the Masters of Cambridge do not take lightly to Harold being trained by a professional as they pride in the amateur aspect of the sport and the esprit de corps. His interaction with his girl friend when he loses a race is a special point. She says, "He won fair and square. There is nothing you can do about it." Then he retorts, "I do not run to compete, I run to win, if I cannot win, I should not run." She replies, "If you do not run, you cannot win." It ends with her frustration and saying, "Grow up". As compelling as the racing scenes are, it's really the depth of the two main characters that touches the viewer, as they forcefully drive home the theme that victory attained through devotion and sacrifice is the most admirable feat that one can achieve.

I am glad that I have a wide screen edition of this DVD, however this is a region 3 and cannot play in a regular DVD player, as they play only the region 1 version. It is similar to the version released in UK. Even this version does not have a good audio and video transfer. There are dots in the video and the audio should be better considering the outstanding score by Vangelis. The widescreen edition is farbetter than the one released in US though. I am sad that they are not releasing this one here. I got this one in US through another website, thanks to my enhanced DVD player. So, I would give 5 stars for the movie and 4 stars for the transfer (I am being very generous here).

With hope in our hearts and wings in our heels!
The athletes of the British running team who went with hope in their hearts and wings in their heels in the VIII Olympiad in Paris in 1924 is the focus of this movie, but there's also the dynamics of what it means to be English, and the reconciliation of one's soul and religious convictions in the Modern Age. Three of them are students from Cambridge. There is the quiet and soft-spoken Aubrey Montague, Lord Andrew Lindsey, and Harold Abrahams. As the head of Caius (pronounced Keys) College tells them when they first attend in 1919, they are the first post-war generation who have inherited the dreams of a generation that perished on the fields of France, a generation embodying "goodness, zeal,...and intellectual promise."

The two main athletes here are a contrast from one another. One is Harold Abrahams, a Jew who wants to be seen as English as the fellow next to him. Hence his enrolling in all these clubs and fraternities in Caius College, from track, tennis, and even the Gilbert and Sullivan glee club-he wants to enter the Christian, Anglo-Saxon corridors of power, i.e. the old school tie. He succeeds in getting to an English girl in the form of Sybil Gordon, who doesn't mind he's Jewish. He can run like the wind, and nothing would fulfill his dream of being English more than winning so he'll be accepted, but he's so driven, hinging so much of his success on his winning, that he acts like its his own funeral when he loses in a race. He engages Sam Mussabini, a private and professional coach, which is contrary to the implied rules of Cambridge. When the heads of Trinity House and Caius House, (Sir John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson) use their prep-school mentality to chastise him, saying Cambridge prided itself on the amateur attitude as opposed to the professional, and an esprit de Corps as opposed to individual glory, Abrahams tells them off.

Scottish Eric Liddle, on the other hand, is a missionary born in China, who plans to return there to continue God's work, but the "muscular Christian" runs like a wild animal. With religion as a metaphor, he compares faith to running a race, describing the energy of the soul, the elation of breaking that tape, but he says that the power comes from within. "If you commit yourself to the love of Jesus Christ-that is how you win a straight race." To win is to honour God, and the gift he was given. His faith is tested twice, between the missionary work and running, and his respect for God and running on the Sabbath. He's clearly more Victorian, but also a Scot, choosing God over country instead of the more secular British. But will his faith help him triumph over favoured Americans Jackson Scholz and Charles Paddock?

The slow-mo shots of the running athletes, the looks of elation, the disappointment of those who didn't qualify shows the various reactions of the soul. And New Age composer Vangelis Pathaniossou made his mark with his score, during the races and the scenes of Americans training, but especially the moving main theme that opens and closes the movie as the athletes are running along the ocean shore. This sequence itself is repeated twice, once where we know nothing about these athletes on who the cameras pan in on, but by the end, when the camera does its work, we know these people better, and they have names, as the credits identify actor and role. This was an early role for Nicholas Farrell (Montague), who was Horatio in Branagh's Hamlet. But Ben Cross as the driven Abrahams, Ian Charleson as the debonair blond Christian Liddell, Nigel Havers as Lindsay, Ian Holm (Mussabini), and Alice Krige (Sybil) do well. And yes, the Head Porter at Caius College is Richard Griffiths, best known as Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon, and quite thinner too.

As the winner of four Oscars including Best Picture, Chariots Of Fire remains an unpretentious film where the finish line is a moral, spiritual, and of course a physical goal, and how one must be true to oneself to reach that goal.

Refined, inspiring, intelligent
Even though this has an air of Merchant-Ivory crossed with Masterpiece Theater, and no genuine movie stars (at least at the time, except Sir John Gielgud), the movie shines from beginning to end.

I saw this in the theater when it first came out and was very pleasantly surprised. It's a true story with a great message that still plays like Rocky with a brain -- exciting, funny, dramatic, well-acted, beautifully photographed. Unfortunately, not everyone will like it, though, because it brings back the days when drama meant dialogue, subtlety and intelligence, not explosions, predictable plots and computer-generated imagery. You have to watch and listen and have an appreciation of history. You can't watch this one and be distracted. Best to watch when you have time and can savor the moments, not when you have a room full of children, for instance. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

Good film, great extras
The breezy rehab story of Gwen Cummings(Sandra Bullock) and her 28 days towards the road to recovery isn't a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it's definitely enjoyable.The key points to the DVD that may warrant you buying it are Betty Thomas's directors commentary, three character testimonials that were cut from the final film, instructions on how to make a gum wrapper chain like the fiesty heroine,theatrical trailers,and talent files. But the best thing, and possibly worth the price of the rest of the disc, is the hilarious 26 minutes of "lost episodes" of the fictional soap "Santa Cruz" that everyone at the rehab center watches.That alone is almost as funny as the movie, with the actors playing their scenes with intense seriousness amid ridiculous plot situations even more far fetched than the average soap.

Here's Looking at You, Sandra Bullock
Director Betty Thomas has achieved something rare: A modern movie that tackles a serious issue and emerges with it's tastefulness intact. "28 Days" has the plot of a drama, the soul of a comedy, the feel of a documentary and a fabulous performance by Sandra Bullock that gives each genre a place in the delicate mix of this wonderful movie.

Bullock is Gwen Cummings, an alcoholic, pill popping journalist who is sentenced to spend 28 days in a rehab center she drunkenly steals a limo and crashes it into a house. Leaving behind her boozy British boyfriend Jasper (superbly played by Domonic West), Gwen soon finds the support and understanding of her eccentric and often hilarious new neighbors. There's Eddie (Viggo Mortensen), the washed up baseball player who'll sleep with anyone; Oliver (Mike O'Malley), the wisecracking Park Avenue pot addict; Andrea (Azura Skye), a young woman addicted to drugs and a preposterous soap opera called "Santa Cruz," which she eventually turns everyone on to; and Gerhardt (Alan Tudyk), the wacky German. "28 Days," unlike an "Erin Brokovich" where one star dominates, is an ensemble film that allows a variety of talents to shine. And with a cast of this caliber, sometimes that shine rivals the stars themselves in brightness.

Despite many humorous moments, it's the dramatic aspects of "28 Days" that make it great. When Gwen becomes so desperate for her pills that she jumps out the window to get some she threw away earlier, the obsessiveness and despair of dependency are captured at their most vivid. Then there's her troubled relationship with her sister Lily (sensitively portrayed by Elizabeth Perkins), who can't decide whether she wants to give up on the woman who has never been there for her, or stand by her in the hope that she will reform, risking having her heart broken yet again.

It's because Bullock and screenwriter Susannah Grant have made Gwen such a likable character that these situations have real bite. Sine we can't decide whether we love her or hate her, we keep watching the movie on the edge of our seats, searching for something that will proove to us once and for all what Gwen Cummings is. The movie wisely avoids giving us a straight answer to that and many other questions, allowing the viewer instead to make their own decisions and create their own relationaships with the characters and the things they encounter.

"28 Days" is a triumph for all involved. There's nothing better for a cynical critic like me then proof on the screen that films moving stories with engaging characters are still being made. Perhaps the best news of all is the resurrection of Sandra Bullock's career after three flops in a row. If she continues to show such wise judgement in choosing her projects, this poor man's Julia Roberts may be topping the A-list once again.

drunks on parade......
While the film was entertaining, I do not find anything in the least entertaining about the subject matter of drug addiction. In Gwen's book it was booze and Vicodin......a killer combo.....Alcoholics are often seen as hilarious, but in reality most of the time they leave a trail of tragedy not only for those who are closest to them, ie families and their friends, but they create pain in the lives of total strangers.....witness Gwen's destruction of a limo and a residence when she left her sister's wedding reception. I suppose we should be happy she did not end up on the freeway with the limo.
I found the characters in this film just too cute.....From what I have seen on COPS, they don't appear to be that cute in reality, or maybe if you have the 50K, which rehabs centers like Gwen was staying at cost, perhaps you see a different bunch of addicts.

Good movie with some strong performances
I liked this one- am finally adding it to my video collection.
Sandra Bullock is a believable drunk who has a very tough time relating to anyone and everyone. Was nice seeing someone who is not overly likeable in movie like this.
Nice performance by a clean cut and hunky Viggo Mortenson livens this up.
For a double downer line up of sobering drama
see Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia in When a Man Loves a Woman.

Santa Cruz & Gum Wrapper Chains
Sandra Bullock's character goes to rehab. She hates it at first then sees she should be sober. Its a funny movie thats not very preachy and it has good characters. The dvd has cool features like how to make that gum wrapper chain thing, and actual scenes from Santa Cruz. ... Read more

Description

New 2001 digital transfer from refurbished elements
Introduction by Omar Sharif
Trailer
2 vintage documentaries:
Behind the Camera
David Lean's Film of "Doctor Zhivago"
... Read more

Reviews (132)

Doctor Zhivago with Omar Sharif
Doctor Zhivago is David Lean 's measured and beautiful adaptation of Boris Pasternak 1958-acclaimed novel. Made in 1965 and winner of five Academy Awards, starring Omar Sharif and Julie Christie, Doctor Zhivago is a cinematic masterpiece, a visually stunning and expressively powerful love story set in the foreground of life in Russia during the latter days of Czarist Russia and the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

The film features gorgeous landscape and romantic scenes set to Maurice Jarre's haunting music. Lean uses Panavision cinematography to boast his landscapes that are often remote and cold is contrasted with the emotional fires burning within Zhivago and Lara -- a romanticized version of an illicit relationship without moral dilemmas or conflicts. The romance is amid the opulence of Russia before the war and the violent social upheaval that followed. Like many Russians, Zhivago's life is swept away with the radical currents of the Revolution.

A stunning Russian love epic of grand proportions.
This is the film that set off a fashion trend at my high school when it was released in a 30th Anniversary edition. This film is a grand scale drama about a Russian poet/doctor who dearly loves his sensitive wife yet wants this other woman named Lara. The backdrop is Russia during the Revolution around 1916, or something like that. Zhivago and his family are swept up in these fleeting events that put him in self-conflict between his wife and adulterous lover. His final choices concerning her and his family forever alter his remaining years. Based on the Nobel-Prize winning novel, it won 5 Academy Awards in 1965--Best Screenplay Adaptation, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Music Score, which introduced the hit tune "Lara's Theme" a.k.a. "Somewhere My Love." It was also a Best Picture nominee. Omar Sharif won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Zhivago. Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin also star. Christie won the Oscar that same year for Best Actress in the film "Darling", which I also reviewed. Not rated upon its release, but the anniversary edition denotes a PG-13 rating for mature themes and situations. This is one of my favorite films ever and is one of the films listed on AFI's Top 100 Films of All Time. The acting is great, costumes exquisitely detailed, gorgeous photography, lavish sets, and a famous score all add up to one of the greatest films of this century.

Doctor Zhivago Was An Adulterous Slime!!
Folks, get the romantic stars out of your eyes. Doctor Zhivago was cheating on his pregnant wife with (...) Lara, who started out in the world by having an affair with a MARRIED MAN! She seems to like the married ones. Commitment phobic?

Yes, it had a soaring score and gorgeous landscapes, but the morals of these characters made me sick. For Zhivago to leave his pregnant wife with an old man in the middle of nowhere in a Russian winter was reprehensible. I found it poetic justice when Zhivago's raging hormones led him back to the town where Lara was and he was caught by the army and inducted as military surgeon. He deserved the misery he put upon himself! That's the plot in a nutshell!

great film
This dvd format of "Doctor Zivago," is excellent a great documentary and much extra special and footage and a trailer. This is well worth getting and excelent film, one of the best ever. Great packaging and wonderful acting. A must see movie.

An epic that lasts...
David Lean, creator of the also epically great Lawrence of Arabia, has taken Boris Pasternak's novel and created a very good film with it. Having not read the book, I cannot comment and will not on whether it matches the book, but I can say the movie itself is very near excellent. This movie is really almost a historical film in disguise, since it highlights the lives of many, but especially Yuri and Lara, the main characters, and their attempts to live during and after the early nineteen hundreds Russian revolution. Like the movie To Live did for China, Dr. Zhivago helps one understand the daily sufferings before and after the revolution. These sufferings, or sufferers, are laced with almost hope as they live and love one another and try to thrive. This movie, although long, should interest almost anyone. It will also touch the mind and remind themselves of other culture's and their historical changes. ... Read more

Reviews (101)

THRILLING! BREATHTAKING! HEART-WRENCHING!
This is the greatest SPACE movie of all time, without any reasonable doubt. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan ALL give superb performances. I really like the way they were able to make an old story exciting without taking much dramatic license. This movie actually makes you FEEL as if you're with Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert in their desperate battle to stay alive in their crippled space craft 200,000 miles from safety, or with Lovell's wife and family as they sit by and hope for the best, or with Gene Kranz and other mission control ground crew members struggle to bring them home. This is still Ron Howard's best film as a director. Anyone who wishes to see an historical adventure movie should look no further than APOLLO 13. It'll make you feel great, trust me! Grade: A+

Our Finest Hour!
Since the U.S. had landed on the moon in 1969, most of the world was not that excited about the Apollo 13 mission. But in 1970 when three astronauts going to the moon suddenly experience a malfunction in the equipment. They are in the race of there lives. The race is them against time. Tom Hanks (Lovell), Bill Paxton (Haise), and Kevin Bacon (Swiegert) use only what they have to survive. Hope, each other and there ability to work through a problem. Gary Sinese plays Ken Mattingly who was suppost to go but didn't because he was to get the measles. It is Ken who helps find the way to get the men home. Ed Harris is head of the groud crew. Who gives his best performance here. The supporting actors help round out this movie into a great story. A true one by that. One of the best films of 1995. Great acting, directing, editing, special-effects, script and a great score by James Horner. Oh by the way, Mattingly never got the measles. Grade:A

Correction to previous post. regarding cropping the DVD...
Hey Zahnduhl,

You're right to point out that we want to see movies in their true "theatrical aspect ratio" so I commend you for that. Film is an artform - would you crop a Picasso to fit your TV screen?

However, I felt it necessary to note that what you have noticed here in this case is most likely an instance of Universal Pictures releasing the un-masked (or Full-Ap) version of the movie as a 1.33:1 release instead of the typically butchered Pan&Scan version that we all so detest. I can't say for 100% sure on this DVD, but I will say that this was fairly common in the past to help the VHS sales. I commend them for at least doing this as opposed to cropping, but I can see how it could leave you (and others) thinking that your precious movie was cropped for the WS transfer.

Rest assured, however, that most likely you are just getting "more" in this VHS version than was ever released theatrically. This is possible when the studio decides to release original Full Aperture footage for the VHS release. Although, you will likely find that Visual Effects shots will still typically be cropped b/c most of the time VFX houses will only work in the final theatrical aspect ratio.

Anyway, I hope this clears up any confusion for you, now go buy the DVD. ;)

-anonymous

Murphy's Law in Outer Space
Talk about rolling snake eyes. To begin with, your mission is numbered "thirteen." Then the pilot you've trained with is grounded prior to lift-off because he's allegedly been exposed to the measles; he's replaced by a young buck still wet behind the ears. Once you're within spitting distance of the surface of the Moon an oxygen tank explodes. Obviously, it takes oxygen to breathe, so now what? Shut down everything in the command module, of course, shiver in the lunar module, and hope the gravitational tug from the Moon will slingshot you back home.

And I thought I had my bad days.

Yet the problems mentioned above merely scratch the surface of the true trials and tribulations of APOLLO 13. Director Ron Howard recreates this gripping, compelling story, right down to beehive hairdo's and computers the size of Mt. Rushmore. The drama, the sense of urgency--on the part of the astronauts, and the NASA staff in Houston frantically trying to save them--is so powerful and vivid I felt I was watching the actual event itself. To magically weave the viewer into the story is a crowning achievement for any filmmaker, and here, Howard succeeds like a wizard waving a wand.

Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, and Gary Sinise headline a stellar cast in a grim race-against-time that had the entire world transfixed in April of 1970. I remember being glued to the TV watching Walter Cronkite broadcast around the clock to give us the latest developments of the Apollo 13 story; I remember the relief and joy I felt when that banged-up capsule was retrieved from the ocean. To relive the triumph--and near-tragedy--of this event is an awesome experience, and APOLLO 13 is awesome, indeed.
--D. Mikels

One of My Absolute Favorites
Apollo 13, the story of NASA's near-loss of one of its manned spacecraft in 1970, is on my top-five list of all-time favorite movies. This, for me, is one of those movies that I've see a million times, know all the words to and get everyone whose watching it with me annoyed because I HAVE TO say the lines along with the actors. The acting in the movie is fantastic...everyone from Tom Hanks to Ed Harris on down the list superbly act this true event from our nation's history. Even the background music is great...seamlessly fitting into the mood of the movie. Annie Lennox does the vocalizations, and her voice is, as always, immensely powerful.

As someone who craves the day when this nation returns to the resolve it had in the 1960's and early 70's when we were shooting for the moon, the story of Apollo 13 should inspire those who yearn for humanity's renewed interest in exploring the immensity of what lays beyond our small planet, not just with robotic devices, but with people as well. Apollo 13's failure to land on the moon, and near-loss, should prove to humanity that from failure, we can still triumph. That is something that I think we have forgotten today...especially after the loss of the Shuttle Columbia, we have nearly forgotten the incredible risk of exploring space is more than worth the benefits we will reap with our explorations...even when some do not return home. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi(played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The PhantomMenace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for thelegions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars sagawho can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is StarWars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevatedmoviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible forany subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Warsmovies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, afistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo'sswagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breathingDarth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo,and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlierfeels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects arestupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolutedetail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in theircomplexity. And one particular sequence of the film--theadrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race inBen-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.

Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. Wewitness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looksyounger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby asever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that makePrincess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond withJedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a crossbetween a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord DarthMaul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too youngand innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but hisboyish exuberance wins over skeptics.

Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic,may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when hepats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career withgreat interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (2449)

5 stars for DVD quality, 3 stars for the movie
I'm reviewing only the DVD, and not the movie itself, which was a bit of a stinker, in my opinion. Well produced, beautifully filmed, but very poorly written.

Anyway - this is an awesome and incredibly well done DVD. Lots and lots of extras. Great commentary by Lucas, the producer, the sound man, etc. Interview with the composer. Lots and lots and LOTS of background materials on the making of the film, and the entire process of putting it together from initial writing to final production, and the making of the DVD itself.

The image of the movie is *very* crisp and clean. The deleted scenes are a nice addition to the movie. I am very impressed (and surprised, to be cynical about it) that Lucas has given us the full-featured DVD the first time out, and not offered us one scaled down DVD version, only to offer us a better version in a year, and then the full-scale one a year after that, like he's constantly done with the VHS versions of his movies. Thank you, Lucas, for taking care of your fans this time, and not trying to pad your pockets a few times before giving the fans what they *really* want.

Quality-wise, this is absolutely one of the most loaded, best-featured DVDs I have in my collection.

(as a p.s. - after hearing Lucas' commentary, and talking about some things coming up in the next movies, I have realized that a few things I criticized about this movie actually make sense oin terms of the upcoming story-line. However, I still think that, overall, the writing for this movie was only a cut above old b-movies)

OK Movie, Great DVD
The Phantom Menace was probably the most heavily anticipated movie in history. It was the prequel to the original Star Wars series and George Lucas was taking the helm as director for the first time since Star Wars in 1977. The film was hyped incessantly and, of course, the final product failed to live up to the expectations. The Phantom Menace is not a bad film. It actually is absolutely amazing to look at and the special effects are incredible. The problem with the film is the plot. It seems disjointed as it bounces around from scene to scene. It seems that Mr. Lucas was to preoccupied with getting the film to look right than the actual story (which is what made the first Star Wars so great). Many people weren't happy with the casting of several roles, especially Ewan MacGregor as Obi Won Kenobi, but he does a decent job in an undeveloped role. Liam Neeson is commanding as Qui Gon Jin and Natalie Portman is quite good as Queen Amadala. The biggest complaint that most people had with the film was with the character of Jar Jar Binks and I won't disagree with most of what's been said about the annoying character. Mr. Lucas has previously shunned the DVD arena (American Graffiti is the only one of his films to appear in the format), but he goes about this release with a vengeance. The extras, including seven deleted scenes, are worth buying this DVD alone. Mr. Lucas spent an additional four million dollars on them and the money is well spent.

prequel?
in this one,there is a council of jedis who rule everything and keep the peace.yoda,ben,some black dude and on like that.a younger ben finds a little kid-who is called anakan and later vadar.that kid wins his freedom with bens help in a very cool pod race.ben recognizes the force in the little one and decides to train him as a jedi.the bad guy is darth maul who has a double bladed light saber-very cool.hes the coolest looking character yet.i think peple came down too hard on jar-jar.hes a dork but there have been a lot worse.the kids will like it.it is the 4th part but the first episode.everybody should go see this one because just anybody will like it.anakans mom was pretty nice if she cleaned herself up.this movie isnt as good as the tv says but they blow everything all out of proportion anyway.this movie is abselutely incredible though.i think the black dude may be in the matrix too.its good too.the special effects are good.after this there is one more.then there is an animated short film.there is also another one on the way next summer.

To Lucas: Eye of the Tiger, Man!!
To quote the famous lines by Apollo Creed from Rocky III, "You lost for all the wrong reasons, you lost your edge. Eye of the tiger, man!"
A good analogy when you think of it...

When Lucas made the first trilogy he was a relativly unknown up-and-comming writer/director full of desire and well, "hunger" to make his mark. That drive lead to the masterpieces of pop culture we know as ANH and ESB. By ROTJ his edge was already waning but thankfully it was the last one... or so we thought.

By the time TPM came out he lost it completely and produced a quite mediocre if at best ordinary film. Living like a king for the past 20+ years made him not "hungry and full of desire" but fat and content. He lost his edge.

Peter Jackson's LOTR Trilogy is so much better than Lucas' last 2 efforts for this same reason. Jackson has the "eye of the tiger"!

Lucas HAS to get his edge back. Most agree AOTC is better than TPM but not by much. Will episode 3 prove that Lucas got it back??

If only reality played out like the fantasy of Rocky III and Lucas brings home a REAL winner....

What drug was George Lucas on?
I love Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. I think that George Lucas should have stopped there. The two movies: The Phantom Menace and the Attack of the Clones....SUCK! What was George Lucas thinking? Jar Jar Binks needs to tossed off the face of the earth, and Hayden Christansen (while hot), needs to take some acting lessons. Not enough special effects in the world could make me want to see the third release. Poor acting and writing have made me want to run for cover! Where's the FORCE when you need it? ... Read more

Description

A vehicle floats in midair ... a coat rack comes to life and attacks a sheriff ... and wild animals are putty in the hands of Tony and Tia Malone in Disney's thrilling fantasy adventure about the psychic powers of two young orphans. Their clairvoyance prompts evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland) to lure them to his mansion to exploit their powers. While escaping, they meet a friendly camper (Eddie Albert) and begin to unravel the mystery of their origin. Soon, all three are fleeing townspeople who have branded the children witches. But then IT happens! Someone with even greater powers takes over and leads the children -- and the audience -- into a dazzling and unexpected experience ... one that is truly out of this world! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

One Of Disney's best non-animated movies!
The original Escape To Witch Mountain (1975) is one of my favorite non-animated Disney movies and also one of my favorite movies about children with magical powers, the other one being Matilda but I think I like this a little bit more. It is about a brother and sister named Tony and Tia played by Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards who go to live in an orphanage after their adoptive parents die. Tony and Tia have special powers and after a creepy guy discovers their secret he pretends to be their uncle and takes them to live with his boss who is an even bigger creep who wants to use them for his evil plans but they escape with their adorable cat Winky and befriend a grouchy but lonely man named Jason O'Day who helps them get away from the creeps but a big chase ensues and Jason helps them learn the truth about who they are and why they have special powers. Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann and Eddie Albert are all wonderful and I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes Disney movies and movies about kids with special powers. Kim Richard's sister Kyle Richards (Alicia Edwards on Little House on The Prairie) has a small don't blink or you will miss me roll as a 3 year old Tia when she and Tony were rescued from the water after the accident at sea. This movie is a gem and I wish that Disney would put it out On DVD!!

Fun movie
I have seen this movie a lot ever since about 1985 on the Disney Channel and I have caught a recent airing of Escape to Witch Mountain and still not got tired of it. I just love this movie, about two psychic alien kids, Tony and Tia, brother and sister who need to find a way to get back home. They were held prisoner by a creep, they escape and then tagged along by a cranky old guy who reluctantly helped them get back home. At the time I first saw it, I just loved the idea of psychic kids who are able to move things by blowing on a harmonica or Tia's ability to predict the future. I am particularly fond of the scene where the RV floated so they could escape being chased by bad guys, and eventually they trick another bad guy in the helicopter to fly upside down, so in the end, he had to land the chopper on top of its rotors (which is physically impossible to do in real life). When I found out this movie was being remade in the 1990s, I had my biggest fears that they would embarass themselves big time with that remake (after all, with too many remakes, they have to make it "hip" for the 1990s by adding rap or alternative rock music to the score and have kids wear baggy pants, but not with this film). Surprisingly that version was well done too and didn't fall in to that trap that I criticize many '90s remakes of 20+ year old films, it was not a copycat of the original with new actors, and a more modern twist, but actually with a different concept (where many different people of different ages were actually aliens). I think what I really like of the 1975 original is the innocence found in the kids that I feel is so sorely missing these days. And that 1978 sequel Return to Witch Mountain was also quite a worthy sequel. If you were a kid who grew up in the 1970s, or you fancy the idea of a movie with psychic kids meant for the whole family, try this, it's one of those few family films that I actually find very watchable and fun.

Classic imaginative Disney
My first exposure to the siblings from Witch Mountain was years ago, in watching the sequel Return from Witch Mountain. I loved the film, and was thrilled to discover an earlier film shortly after, Escape to Witch Mountain, which introduces us to Tony and Tia as young children.
I haven't read the book on which this film is based, nor am I likely to, so my review is completely unbiased.
Tony and Tia are two young children whose foster parents have just died. The film begins with their arrival at an orphanage, and it isn't long before we're shown just how different these two children are.
A run-in with the district bully quickly earns them a reputation for 'being a couple of weirdos', but it is in saving the life of a man who would otherwise have been possibly killed in a car accident that their adventures really start.
Claimed as niece and nephew by the very man they saved, they are taken to live in the fortress home of mega-rich Aristotle Bolt, who has been told of the children's gifts and typically wants to exploit them for his own gain.
It doesn't take Tony and Tia long to figure out Bolt's agenda and, after hearing plans to have them locked away in an island tower, they run away with the help of a rogue stallion that no one else was able to tame.
From there, the children soon come across grumpy nomad Jason O'Day, who reluctantly takes them in after they beg him for help.
The rest of the film is probably fairly predictable, given your average Disney plots, but still enjoyable nonetheless. Of course there's going to be a 'happily ever after' (at least until the next movie) but the fun is in seeing how they get there. There are still a few surprises in store before the finish, including an escapee bear, a sheriff who learns the tango the hard way, and a chopper pilot who gets a flying lesson like never before.
Escape to Witch Mountain is thoroughly enjoyable, as is its sequel, and are even better for having Ike Eisemann and Kim Richards play the main characters of Tony and Tia in both films.
On another, distantly related note, Disney did produce another Witch Mountain vignette style show some time later, called Beyond Witch Mountain. The story involved Tony and Tia leaving the Witch Mountain community to find their Uncle Bene's long lost grandson. Bolt and O'Day were both along for the ride, but this was not a patch on the two proper movies, and really shouldn't have been made. Especially since it was meant to be just recently after Tony and Tia found their way to Witch Mountain in the first place, and it portrayed Uncle Bene as dying. (Anyone who has seen Return from Witch Mountain knows full well that Uncle Bene was alive and well in that film, and Tony and Tia were bordering on teenhood, by then)
At the end of this particular episode, Tony and Tia also decide to stay away from Witch Mountain, and go with O'Day to continue searching for survivors. As anyone who has watched the two movies would know, their 'holiday' in the second film was supposed to be their first trip away from the mountain community since their original rescue from the clutches of Aristotle Bolt.
I'm aware that some people have been searching for this particular installment. My advice is, don't bother. It does not fit in with the sequence of films, and does not even have the benefit of the original child actors.
Stick with the excellent and unsurpassed Escape to Witch Mountain, and Return from Witch Mountain. These are fantastic films, and worth every cent.

A movie for everyone, lot's of fun to watch!
This is a great little story about...well I'm not going to tell you, I much rather see you buy it and watch it for yourself. It is a great film, and old disney classic, this is what movie's are all about, it has special effects that were considered impossible back them, but they pulled them off, no fancy computers of CGI and all that stuff, just good ol' fashion moviemaking at it's finest. I treasure this film and it is one of my favorite Disney movies. I miss films like this! Great great family film and very entertaining to watch, kids adore it!

This Movie Rocks! Please Put it On DVD! (Widescreen)
Escape to Witch Mountain rocks, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann are so good in this movie and so is Eddie Albert! Please put this awesome movie on a widescreen DVD! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) and writer Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) adapted James M. Cain's hard-boiled novel into this wildly thrilling story of insurance man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who schemes the perfect murder with the beautiful dame Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck): kill Dietrichson's husband and make off with the insurance money. But, of course, in these plots things never quite go as planned, and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) is the wily insurance investigator who must sort things out.From the opening scene you know Neff is doomed, as the story is told in flashback; yet, to the film's credit, this doesn't diminish any of the tension of the movie. This early film noir flick is wonderfully campy by today's standards, and the dialogue is snappy ("I thought you were smarter than the rest, Walter.But I was wrong. You're not smarter, just a little taller"), filled with lots of "dame"s and "baby"s. Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale, and MacMurray, despite a career largely defined by roles as a softy (notably in the TV series My Three Sons and the movie The Shaggy Dog), is convincingly cast against type as the hapless, love-struck sap. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (80)

"I never knew that murder could smell like honeysuckle."
Double Indemnity is a superb story about an insurance salesman who gets involved with a woman married to a husband she doesn't care for. The murder of her husband is planned perfectly and brilliantly, but it all comes crashing down. The cause was due to themselves (Plot details).

Although it received a total of six Oscar nominations (With no wins), none of the nominations went to Fred MacMurray as Walter Neff ("Insurance salesman, age 35"). Neff is very successful at what he does (He's been at it for eleven years). He visits the home of Mr. Dietrichson to renew automobile insurance but soon finds himself falling in love with his wife Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), who convinces Walter to have Mr. Dietrichson sign an accident insurance without his knowing it so he can be killed. But it's the Double Indemnity clause that gets them really involved, since they will get double the pay.

Stanwyck provided, for me, a superb performance as the cold, calculating Mrs. Dietrichson, who used Neff so she could get rid of her husband and collect up some money. Meanwhile, Walter finds himself getting involved with her step-daughter Lola. He discovers from Lola that her ex-boyfriend has been seeing Phyllis, suggesting perhaps that Phyllis has plans for him.

One of the most memorable performances in the movie is Edward G. Robinson's Barton Keyes, the claims manager, a brilliant fellow who is by hunches when a claim doesn't seem right. He's the one who figures out that the Dietrichson claim doesn't seem right, but can't quite figure out who assisted. In fact, most of the safeguards put into the plot by Neff were done so to prevent Keyes getting any major suspicions. "I did it for the money and for a woman. I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman". These words said by Neff form a sense of irony. The murder fell apart not because of the authorities, who were too dumb to figure it all out, but because of themselves. Murder's never perfect.

A film noir masterpiece...
Double Indemnity is a film noir masterpiece - chilling, dark, and very suspenseful. It features a great script with many memorable lines (for instance - "But I was wrong. You're not smarter, you're just a little taller."), an interesting plot with many good twists, and fantastic performances from two classic stars (especially Stanwyck, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the evil wife).

Basically, Double Indemnity is about a less-than-brilliant insurance salesman, Walter Neff(Fred MacMurray), who falls for a beautiful married woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who wants to use him to get rid of her husband for the insurance money (hence the title, Double Indemnity). Although he resists her at first, Neff soon falls for the scheming woman and decides to help her plan the perfect murder. The movie itself starts after the murder has been completed with Neff leaving a message for his boss confessing what occurred and then goes back in time to the beginning of the scheme.

Double Indemnity is a great film - the idea behind it, interesting in itself, was brilliantly executed by the legendary director Billy Wilder. Consequently, Indemnity is a true film noir classic and must-see!

STANWYCK AND MACMURRAY WERE OSCAR ROBBED
Yes, they deserved the 1944 Academy Award. Both of them. They were robbed. Perhaps its because they played murderers and MacMurray was caught in Stanwyck's spider web. The movie was released during the prime war years (1944) and Hollywood chose to go the sentimental route with "GOING MY WAY". But Ingrid Bergman's performance in "Gaslight" in no way comes close to touching Stanwyck's bravura in "Double Indemnity". It was a close race between them but Bergman won out (inexplicably because her performance in Gaslight is overwrought and over the top). Stanwyck's evil restraint with one look that could burn a house down. And that wig!! That awful unflattering wig on her! Maybe that's why she didn't win?????

Possibly the Best Noir Film of the Era
Starting with an amazing cast and a great plot, this film lives up to anyone's expectations. Life insurance agent falls into the clutches of a woman looking to collect a double indemnity on her husband's death benefits because he died accidentally. One problem - her husband is not dead yet. By ensnaring the insurance agent into a plot to kill the woman's husband and making it look like an accident, everything is in place. I don't want to give much more away, but, even if you are not a film noir fan, you will find this to be a tightly written, wonderfully acted drama. This classic is well worth owning.

GREAT FILM - TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE DVD TRANSFER
Do not purchase this DVD release. Its transfer to DVD is truly horrendous.

Wait for some other distributor to release it.

Wonderful film. Totally botched DVD release.

Wait for it... ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Enjoyable and Interesting version
This is an enjoyable Godzilla movie and is the third in the series. Godzilla breaks free from the ice that trapped him in the previous movie, Godzilla Raids Again (aka Gigantis, The Fire Monster). Here Godzilla is the bad guy. I think you can probably guess the basic plot.

It gets silly at some points. Don't get caught up in production mistakes. Just enjoy the ride. Here electricity is supposed to harm (or at least slow down) Godzilla, but later in the series, Godzilla gains his strength from lightning. (The lightning comes up in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla - aka Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster.) Plus, electrical lines didn't affect him in the original movie either.

This film had the potential of getting into legal trouble. The basic idea for this movie originally came from Willis O'Brien. He had the idea of having King Kong fight a large Frankenstein. Unfortunately, he shared his idea with the wrong person who would later take the idea to Toho without O'Brien's knowledge. O'Brien learned about it just before he died.

I find the packaging for this DVD (and the VHS edition) interesting if you consider some stunts that Toho pulled when promoting this movie. Back in 1963, Toho used images of the 1933 Kong on the posters. The ape costume looks nothing like O'Brien's version of Kong. The packaging for this video edition uses images from other versions of the monsters too. Kong does not look that real. The version of Godzilla shown here (in the lower portion with the red background) looks like the version used from 1973-1975 (Japanese release dates) which included Megalon and the original Mechagodzilla movies. I can't place which movie the close-up is from.

Kingu Kongu Tai Gojira
"King Kong vs. Godzilla" is the 3rd installment of the Godzilla series, and the first Godzilla film to be shown in color. The film was produced 7 years after "Gojira No Gyakushu" and it is immediately clear that Toho has become rusty on how to make excellent Godzilla films. The elements of a classic such as compelling storyline, good kaiju opponent, and several moments of high drama are all present. The problem with this film is execution. The effects are subpar for the series, which really pulls the viewer out of the movie. Worse still the progression of the storyline seems choppy at best. This jarring progression of events in "King Kong vs. Godzilla" really irritates me, because the concept of an intelligent animal like King Kong squaring off against the brute force of Godzilla is very appealing. I suspect some of these problems are due to editing of this film for American audiences, so I may revise this movie review when I see the Japanese version. The US version is 7 minutes shorter than the Japanese version, and the American version has 10-15 minutes of scenes in English only. No doubt these scenes provided at least some of the continuity lacking from the US version Taken as it is, "King Kong vs. Godzilla" is a fair but uneven Godzilla film that leaves me wanting for more. (also, dubbing is good, even excellent, but the American professor is an absolute [X]!)

Not bad, but not good, but at least enjoyable
"King Kong vs. Godzilla" is the 3rd installment of the Godzilla series, and the first Godzilla film to be shown in color. The film was produced 7 years after "Gojira No Gyakushu" and it is immediately clear that Toho has become rusty on how to make excellent Godzilla films. The elements of a classic such as compelling storyline, good kaiju opponent, and several moments of high drama are all present. The problem with this film is execution. The effects are subpar for the series, which really pulls the viewer out of the movie. Worse still the progression of the storyline seems choppy at best. This jarring progression of events in "King Kong vs. Godzilla" really irritates me, because the concept of an intelligent animal like King Kong squaring off against the brute force of Godzilla is very appealing. I suspect some of these problems are due to editing of this film for American audiences, so I may revise this movie review when I see the Japanese version. The US version is 7 minutes shorter than the Japanese version, and the American version has 10-15 minutes of scenes in English only. No doubt these scenes provided at least some of the continuity lacking from the US version Taken as it is, "King Kong vs. Godzilla" is a fair but uneven Godzilla film that leaves me wanting for more.

Sounds entertaing but not
First off the rumor going around that Kong wins in the american version and godzilla wins at the japanese version is false.In the Japanese version both of them roar at the end thats the only difference.

First off this Godzilla was first color picture Godzilla star in.It wasn't a great flick but it wasn't to bad.Godzilla suit was alright not as good as some of the laters ones but it was alright.Kong LOL man he look so cheap i mean TOHO really miss him up bad.He look so goofy,face was stupid and acted dumb in my point of view.It seems Kong loves Electricity and gets stronger
if he gets struck by it what are the chances of that.

First the movies starts an island when an giant octopus attacks
the girl and boy in a house that was full of berry juice.Then
Kong comes out and defeats it.Meanwhile a pilot notice that godzilla is breaking out of an iceberg and was the news all across tokyo.The idea of the people is to let kong and godzilla
fight it out to simply destroy each other.

First off theres no chance in hell King King aka Donkey Kong
would beat godzilla.All godzilla have to do is use his fire breath and the monkey would got roasted but it seems the movie
did a cheap thing about that.But overall the monster fighting
was pretty good but the movie wasn't so be kinda disappointed
about the TITLE

"Ohhh, Godzilla is roasting King Kong"
I would be embrarass to admit how many times I've seen this flick
(and yes any film with "vs."in the title tells you it's bubblegum)
KK v.s Godzilla Cheap and laughable as it maybe was one of biggest
events of it's'63 release year second only to the Ali-Liston fight
Historics aside This film is exactly what it's suppose to be cheap
cheesey entertainment. Japan is in double crisis not only by Kongs
capture but by the reappearance of Godzilla. Both monsters pretty
much tear up most of the asian city before their final title fight
around the Mt. fuji area. Now for those of you just joining in
there is NO alternate fight version of this movie. King Kong wins
fair and square. I mean think about it, in the film that follows
"Godzilla vs.the Thing" when Godzilla reappears again from under
the beach area isn't he disorientated and kind of "punch drunk"
This was the 1st of the Godzilla films in color in a series that
is still going on as long and as the Bond series.

I gave this dvd version a bad rating not for picture quality but
for overall presentation. I mean if if's the 35th anniversary ed
at least add a trailer or the original poster art perhaps. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not my favorite Leslie tape
While I love Leslie's walking tapes, this is not my favorite. Her fat burning 3 Mile with the 2-lb. weights is a much better workout IMO. Also, her 4 Mile Super Challenge is a great workout. This one was a disappointment.

Good i use it every other day.
I have almost all of her tapes, This one is good, i dont care for the Stretchie, i like the ones with weights better I think they work harder. but this one goes well with my others. I use it a bit because i can do it in the bedroom Its easy to follow. and works you moderate level. try it.

Great Video!
I love this video! I usually walk 3 miles outdoors--but due to cold weather I have moved my walk to the den. This video is a good workout and easy to follow!

Fun And Challenging!
I just tried Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pound Express 3 Mile Advanced Walk and it is definitely a winner. I could feel the glutes and hamstrings really getting a deep workout. The atmosphere is very colorful, the exercisers are dressed the same and there are all shapes and sizes of people whom appear in the dvd. Leslie is soooo encouraging and excellent with the cueing of new moves. I am looking forward to doing this one again and again!

Great Exercise Program!
This exercise program is great. You don't even realize that you are walking 3 miles, the time goes by fast, and you won't get bored, because you are always switching steps, but it isn't confusing like some video exercise programs I've done. You maintain a nice pace throughout, and the warm-up/cool-down times are good. I highly recommend this tape. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A powerful, emotional rollercoaster ride!
All the actors are great in this "tear jerker" movie. Susan Hayward is beautiful and lovable. Vera Miles is beautiful, but she is intolerable and a drunk!--proves how good an actress she is. John Gavin is effective as he portrays the man caught between these two women. If you want a great movie to watch over and over and to shed tears every time you watch it, this is the one!

GONE IS THE ROMANCE
Okay, folks...clearly this movie was made for another time, another decade, another life....it's 1961, and Ross Hunter has churned out these weepers for years now. The audiences wanted a love affair that appeared "heavenly," "bad," etc. Sure John Gavin is a cad..he never bothers to tell Susan Hayward that he's married and has two children. Sure, Vera Miles is the ultimate bitch---cold, calculating, unloving, and an alcoholic to boot. Sure Gavin should get a divorce in spite of Miles' threats. Sure the kids are hokey and unconvincing actors. Too many gowns, too many starry eyed I love yous...but isn't this what movies like BACK STREET are all about. No matter what, one can't deny the tissue factor when hunky Gavin lies dying in his bed, and when the children ask if they can visit Rae.
This isn't cinematic history folks..it's just a glitzy and moving tearjerker, which will probably stand the test of time.

TEARSTAINED IN MINK
Susan Hayward and Lana Turner battled it out on the screen in the early 1960's for the heavy weight crown of tearstained mink queen of the movies. What was left for an actress over 40 in 1961 but the highly glamorous gloss of a Ross Hunter picture or the grand gargoyle glamour of something like "Baby Jane"? Not much. To be a female movie star of a certain age at that time in Hollywood and to some extent even today meant only one thing, you're Over The Hill baby.
Both actresses had done their best work during the preceding two decades. It was Lana of the tawdry emotions versus hard Hayward of the rat-a-tat Brooklyn delivery always punctuated with a Garlandesque gesture. With films like "Ada", "Stolen Hours" and "Where Love Has Gone", Hayward wins the crown.
"Back Street" is the jewel in this crown. The essential Hayward tearjerker with all the required elements, an impossibly beautiful mannequin of a leading man for her and the audience to project their dreams upon. A truly wicked wife for him to make it almost impossible to denounce Hayward for coming between them, and two throwaway children to soften the tragic end of the film in one final surge of violins and Kleenex. All of this played out in the glamour capitals of New York, Rome and Paris provided by Universal's backlot (and a few lovely locations in Monterey County doubling for the Italian coast). Add to the mix the highly sophisticated costumes of the early 60's and sets of stunning beauty, all strung together to one of the most lyrically beautiful scores ever written for this genre. The result is the glossiest most improbably romantic film of her career that can be taken today in one of two ways, high camp comedy or lush romance. It all depends upon your point of view.
In support of Miss Hayward there is Virginia Grey as her older (and I mean much older!) sister Janenee. She provides throughout the picture the image Rae "All small letters, very chic. Smith, carries of what an ideal marriage and family means. She hits all the right notes as the loving sister who pushes Rae out of her small mid-western life in Lincoln Nebraska and into the world of high fashion in New York.
Reginald Gardner is the perfect picture of the perfunctorily gay designer Dalian who helps her to make her name and sends her off to Europe, or at least around the corner to the "Rome" set. His is just an extension of the Franklin Pangborne harmless gay man of the early years of movie history. Elegant sophisticate always ready with a bon mot and a hanky. He is alarmingly memorable in the role.
John Gavin, more beautiful than Rock Hudson and with a better body, is Paul Saxon, the spineless Ken Doll upon which Rae drapes all her dreams as if he were a mannequin to dress for each love scene. But with such a man around she and the audience need nothing more than what appears. He is the perfect vessel to dream about, create a personality for, and waist a good twenty years loving while passing up the opportunities presented for a real life.
About a quarter of the way into the film the fun arrives in the cool resplendent form of Vera Miles as Liz (perhaps the screenwriter chose that name to make a subliminal connection with the then scandalous Elizabeth Taylor) Saxon, wife to Paul. She is given all the attributes of a monster, alcoholic, unfaithful and a lousy mother. (Sounds like the tabloid "Liz" we all know and love.) She is perfectly designed to make us love Rae and her sad little back street affair. For there was just no other way to get around the taboo of infidelity in those days but to have a Liz on hand. Her confrontation with Rae is supremely bitchy and utterly wonderful.
As the beautiful Rae Susan Hayward plays one of her few completely sympathetic characters in her long and lustrous career. She approaches Rae as if this was a chance to win a second Oscar and in fact in the scene where she calls late one night from Rome back home on Thanksgiving she is magnificent. Her beautiful bourbon flavored voice is used to accentuate her loveliness in every scene. Her trademark gestures are at a minimum and only called into play when they are most needed. She carries the improbable picture on her perfect shoulders and gives a fine and detailed performance that is perfection in the soapy atmosphere of Europe. A few of the many highlights is the scene where she finds out that Paul is married, the phone call from the hospital and the race to the airport in Lincoln early on in the film. She is stunningly dressed in gowns by Jean Louis that are smart and very contemporary to what the ladies are wearing on the red carpet today. David Webs beautiful jewelery complements her and adds a feel of true richness to the picture.
As I mentioned earlier the score by Frank Skinner is perfection and punctuates the drama in so many ways that are essential in this movie.
The direction by stalwart David Miller is right on target. He should know how to do it, after all he did the same for Joan Crawford in "The Story of Esther Costello" and "Sudden Fear", as well as Doris Day in "Midnight Lace" and Lana Turner in "Diane".
This all was helmed by the master of the genre, Producer Ross Hunter who defined the genre with such hits as "Imitation of Life", "Portrait in Black", and "Madam X".
"Back Street" remains to this day the shinning beacon of the last gasp of the woman's picture where women were smart, strong, self-made in a mans world and all the while ever glamorous in tearstained mink.

Sidesplittingly funny
This movie must have arrived in garbage rather than film cans, and via the sewage rather than the postal system. Susan Hayward, pace an earlier reviewer, was possibly the worst actress in Hollywood history, which is saying something. She makes such simple, everyday acts as answering the phone or walking to her car seem fraught with unseen danger: in fact, she makes Anne Bancroft seem positively restrained. The terminally stolid John Gavin is ideally cast as her "lover" - for comedic purposes. This couple has an unsettling way of looking like Oedipus and Jocasta. Add to this the impossible-to-underrate Vera Miles (in the role she was spawned to play) and the two most unattractive child actors ever as her whelps, mix in some of the most horrid injuries ever inflicted upon the music of Johannes Brahms, and you have the single funniest movie ever made in the most ridiculous of all Hollywood modes.
That this was made AFTER the death of Buddy Holly and not long before the Bay of Pigs should make you laugh even harder.
There is not a sincere frame anywhere in this abortion. If you take it seriously, you should not be allowed in public unsupervised.

Back Street
I believe this is one of the best movies of all times. It is an emotion-evoking movie. The dialogue is clear and decisive and above all there is no vulgarity throughout the film. It is the type of movie that can tirelessly be seen over and over again. The story could be anybody's life. The acting is very convincing. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

SONJA`S BEST
This is remembered primarely because of the excellent music of Glenn Miller. He was to do only another film, Orchestra Wife, before being killed in a planecrash.
However; by the early 40s, Sonja Henie had developed into a good comedienne and this is her best - as a dumb, simpleminded blonde. Her timing is impeccable as is her delivery of dialogue... As if that isn`t enough; the supporting cast includes great efforts by The Nicholas Brothers, Dorothy Dandrige(then married to 1 of the N. Brothers and with whom she gave birth 2 a multihandicapped daughter), Milton Berle, Lynn Bari(singing voice dubbed) and John Payne as Sonja`s loveinterest.

It`s 1 of the best musicals ever made, though Sonja`s skating in this 1 is not her best.

Want to see the mechanics of the Miller Band?
This review applies EQUALLY to Orchestra Wives and Sun Valley Serenade.

Remember the Elvis movies that were basically a thin plot excuse to have the "star" sing? Well these movies are the 1940's equivalent featuring the pre-war (and so definitive) Glenn Miller Band.

Forget about the plots which are almost identical and don't even stand up today. Boy meets Girl, Falls in love, Another girl is jilted or gets in the way, disharmony in the band, all is sorted out. Big set piece number to finish. (Both movies - honest!). In fact unless you are interested in period movie making and Hollywood fashions you can safely fast forward between the tunes. You can figure the plot as it whizzes by - though how Milton Berle (playing the band's "publicity agent" in Sun Valley Serenade) got his wise crack about the size of a girl's chest past the production code is beyond me! Must have been the war.

BUT - the real reason to own these tapes (when are we going to get the DVD versions?) is watching the mechanics of how the Miller Band produced the sound. Sure - it was shot to be showy - and it is - but it is WELL shot and you can see how the components of the sound were built - even if the "recording studios" are the size of movie studios...... Couple this with the restored soundtrack (some tracks are in early stereo!) and you have a reason to own these movies. If you can only afford one - Orchestra Wives - there are more hits on it!

A fine slice of wartime Americana
This light romantic comedy is one of only two feature films to include Glenn Miller and his big band (the other being the superior "Orchestra Wives")... Miller himself is stiff as a board onscreen, and his acting parts are entirely unmemorable, although the musical performances are stellar. The orchestra's highly choreographed stage routines translate well onto film, and the visual razzle-dazzle of Miller's well-honed showmanship gives this film its real sizzle. Tex Beneke shines on a hep vocal update of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," a number which closes with some singing and hoofing by the ever-acrobatic Nicholas Brothers, as well as actress Dorothy Dandridge, who sort of appears out of nowhere, just to take a brief solo. The plot is simple enough: actor John Payne stars as Ted Scott, a featured performer in Miller's (supposedly) struggling band, gets caught between two gals, Lynn Bari's tempremental big band diva, and Sonja Henie, as a perky war refugee from Norway. (War refugee? Norway?? Oh, never mind...) As ever, Henie's appeal may be lost on some; personally, I find her incredibly vapid, and her giant, phony smile is somewhat disturbing. That being said, this is actually one of her better performances, and Payne is a very likable leading man. The film is padded out with extensive skiing sequences and plenty of Henie-delic skating scenes, so the fast-forward button may come in handy. Milton Berle also has a big role as the band's fast-talking, nebbishy business manager -- a surprisingly nonabrasive early performance in the late, great comedian's decades-long career. All in all, a nice bit of pre-war American fluff. A must-see for Glenn Miller fans.

Watch the most sensational musical number in movies!
I can't believe this movie isn't on DVD. Shame! I'm glad I bought this years ago on Laserdisk (a double with Orchestra W